I understand why people smoke weed and watch laser shows of Pink Floyd albums. Sandwiching the album between two extended prog-rock suites is a fun way to build to the release of the middle of the album. The title track definitely serves as the high point on the album in terms of a traditional song, but for my money "Shine On You Crazy Diamond, Pts. 6-9" is the most fun, and funky track on the album. An undeniable and jazzy groove that kicks off about six minutes into the track feels like it should be the end point of the album. But this funky denouement turns to a melancholy final three minutes, possibly to show regret over the loss of Syd Barrett as their guitarist.

*previously listened to* A nice balance of gentle guitars, bright horns and flutes paired with Nick Drake's quiet yet emotive voice. The mix of Drake's dour vocals and pleasant and uplifting instrumentation seems almost reflected on the cover. Sitting in shadows, face concealed by hair and darkness, Drake is surrounded by a bright burst of color. It's intriguing to wonder what could've been in the career of Nick Drake if he was around to realize an album following in these blueprints.

A funky first half punctuated by the 12 minute "Papa Was A Rolling Stone" gives way to a traditional R&B Motown record. Truly a record of two halves as the first half builds to a psychedelic funk that you can get lost swirling around in, building on the work they started on the 1969 album Cloud Nine. The second half is all soaring strings and gentle vocals and can feel like a little bit of a whiplash but still pretty all the same.

It's ridiculous how obvious of an influence this album was on a generation of songwriters. Being able to connect Either/Or's legacy by threads of current indie rock is a treat of it's own. Smith tells personal stories of sadness, addiction and loss by blending metaphors and direct connections of the places Portland had to offer him ("Alameda", "Rose Parade", a line on "Punch and Judy" about driving around Division street). A balanced mix of songwriter with acoustic guitar ("Between the Bars", "No Name No. 5", "Angeles") and punchy indie rock indicative of the 90's ("Pictures of Me", "Cupid's Trick"). Final track "Say Yes" is a sweet, if not overly optimistic reminder, that there is always something to hope and strive for even after events of resounding sadness because throughout it all we'll still "be around the morning after."

The meme that I remember was "Neon Bible sucks!" And I get that reaction but am glad I got to confront that notion. There is a reason this is the album that really pushed Arcade Fire into the spotlight. The "challenging second album" motifs are present throughout: a orchestra in Budapest contributing to songs, recording in unconventional places (an old church the band bought an turned into a studio, and also next to a river) and a deeply confrontational theme spread throughout. The themes of consumerism and religion crushing this nation are present everywhere you turn on this album. Dissonance seems to interplay with the lyrics to give a double whammy of reality that is sometimes hard to look in the eye. A lot of the songs have a neo-Springsteen feel to them, asking the bold question "What if the Boss had to come to grips with the beginning of the iPhone era instead of fast cars and leaving Jersey?" Also, fuck Win Butler.

Pleasant and triumphant, it's not surprising in the slightest that this album sold maybe up to 30 million copies worldwide. King's voice feels so casually beautiful, almost like when that one friend sings karaoke and you realize "Wow you can just belt out a tune like that no problem huh?" The songwriting is top notch, era defining stuff. Moments hook you in and swoon you before you realize half the album has gone by. "I Feel The Earth Move" is obviously the star here, a world beater of a song that is instantly recognizable and catchy.

What I appreciate about this album is it's simplicity. The songs are on average around three minutes, say what they're trying to say, and get out. In an era that was defined by sprawling proggy epics, it is nice to see a release so concise and to the point. Another great part of this album is that while it doesn't seem to be tied to the concept Rock & Roll fundamentalism, it's too aloof to be part of the then burgeoning punk movement, and not committed enough to the traces of Southern Rock that creep out in the second half. The boys just want to rock out and play their show, ideals (in either direction) be damned.

It’s like a dream where everything isn’t quite arranged right and you only have a suggestion of things that you can remember. But despite everything feeling out of place, it doesn’t feel disorganized. It feels like a new way to accept reality.

*previously listened to. A LOT* Power In Numbers does an impressive feat in hip hop: it blends technical excellence with unmitigated soul. A fully realized album that is able to keep things fresh and still plays well today. The bulk of the album is produced by Jurassic 5's resident producers, Nu-Mark and Cut Chemist, which adds a sense of cohesiveness. Furthermore, most of the quests spots are underground hip hop veterans (minus the odd, but well fitting Nelly Furtado feature) which meld well into the album. Technically everyone shows up at all times. The "give the drummer some" moment of "Acetate Prophets" which lets Nu-Mark and Cut Chemist chop up some of the more oddball samples that would have gone missed under the MC's pyroclastic flows. A particular example of verbose agility is Chali 2na's verse on album stand-out "A Day At The Races." 2na's deep voice moves and glides effortlessly across the beat, providing one of the best technical rapping displays I've ever heard. Technical prowess as a praise in hip hop often comes with the hidden diss of "but they're not really saying anything." All the MCs of J5 are equally talented at painting a picture of telling a story, sometimes together like in "Remember His Name." Their voices all seem to compliment each other sonically which works separate on when they work together on a hook.

It's amazing that a band as eclectic as Blondie made more or less a straight up pop record. Blondie was influenced by so much from New Wave to punk top surf rock to disco and yet, this is a pretty standard pop rock affair. Debbie Harry's amazingly emotional and moody voice is so wonderful all over this record. A solid record from a great band, but this definitely feels like Okay Songs around a couple Phenomenal Songs.

It's amazing how many catchy and instantly memorable songs there are on this album. Songs like "Debaser," "Here Comes Your Man," and "Monkey Gone to Heaven" are worth the price of admission on their own but there is so much to see. Despite the generally poppier numbers getting the most attention (hello "Wave of Mutilation" in Rock Band being my introduction to the Pixies), this album is full of a smattering of sounds that would go on to define 90's rock. Nosier songs never feel overcrowded and quieter songs like "Hey" let you truly appreciate the space in the recording. "Silver" is another stand out in this way. A slow, plodding song that seems to breathe and let each instrument occupy it's own space. It's funeral dirge pace is highlighted by the song being less than three minutes, but somehow still taking up vast amount of space as well as time.

To me this feels like Bruce Springsteen for theatre nerds. I don't necessarily think the music is bad but I think this is more of a me issue. A good operatic power ballad is fine but every song feels to hit those notes.

Once in college, a friend and I went to her friend’s house to drink and smoke weed and do the usual college kid things. We maybe played Jenga and definitely beer pong where someone won with a 360 no look shot. One of the guys was very very high and asked for some chill out music. My friend and I ribbed him by putting on other, more interesting music. I put on the sprawling psychedelic “Hey Jane” by Spiritualized from their 2012 album Sweet Heart Sweet Light. I bet he wished I put on Lazer Guided Melodies instead.

The hardest part about an electronic album is making a cohesive statement or piece that isn’t just “Here’s an hour of songs that are like the ones on the single.” Leftfield does a good job of at least creating a little bit of intrigue with a smattering of influence and genres. Very much a sampling of the 90’s rave scene, this album never stays in one place for too long. Sequencing wise it felt like a reasonably paced album with highs and lows dispersed throughout.

A good mix of different influences. It’s clear Costello has a knack for many different styles of music. Some very very catchy and well done songs but nothing too terribly memorable. Feels like the the 70’s rock album you think your dad would like but he doesn’t actually like or “get” at all.

So here's the thing: The Beatles are this amazing, groundbreaking band that changed how we think about bands but this right here is just An Album. A lot of good and fun songs but to me this is just the Beatles starting to become a very popular band and not necessarily become the dominant cultural force that they are today.

One of the more difficult tasks with listening to highly influential music, especially something you missed, is that the tropes and concepts you are already well played out ideas and not as innovative as presented on an album. That being said, obviously this is a fully succinct work and there’s a reason it’s so beloved, emulated and frankly just well known. I was surprised how many of these songs I was familiar with despite never seeking out this album, or really much of Floyd.

What a funny little album to have to think about: following Bowie's career defining glam statement this album featuring one of the most iconic visuals of his whole career but is musically Just Okay. Aladdin Sane isn't a bad record at all but it's tantamount to basically any other American rock record at that point.

In terms of pacing, Ellington at Newport captures the ferocity of a live show in it's purest essence. A well laid out LP shows masters at work and highlights the thunderous moments that eventually revitalized Ellington's career. The suite of new songs on the A Side is fun a playful, meant to elicit reaction and awe from the Newport crowd. Even if historically the performances slightly underwhelmed the crowd, they're still wonder numbers and serve as the palette for which the rest of the performance would be judged by. Side B is a different sort of animal altogether, bringing two stomping 1930's pieces back into the (when it was recorded) current scope. "Jeep's Blues" is a perfectly suitable number that will be overshadowed by the next track. And what a shadow that is. The live recording of "Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue" showcases a raucous saxophone solo that sends the audience into an uproar. Being a live recording, we can really feel the energy of this performance from the audience gasps to the encouraging shouts of Duke and other band members encouraging Paul Gonsalves through the solo.

One of the very exciting things about Daydream Nation is that you're never quite sure when or if it'll all fall apart. Occasionally an otherwise solid riff devolves into noise or discord. It's all in favor of keeping you on your toes and taking you along for a wonderful jouyrney.

A nice blending of different elements of R&B from different eras. Amazing production and a wonderful selection of features help a coherent theme that ties it all together.

I’m pretty sure every Britrock album I’ve ever heard has sounded like every Britrock album I’ve ever heard before (maybe minus Stone Roses). A fine album with that might overstay its welcome a bit.

An interesting album with some catchy songs and fun ideas. Truly a fun bending of genres and influences but in a way that is stuck in a time capsule. A product of the 90's in that sense, and also with a long runtime probably due to the evolution of the CD as the main format for albums.

*previously listened to* A fully realized album that sees chaos erupt into peace and the cycle continuing until on the strained poem of Coltrane's sax is left. From the opening moments of the double bass riff to the very end, this is a captivating album. Jazz sometimes gets bemoaned as one of two things: background music or a caterwauling of notes. While A Love Supreme veers into the latter of those descriptions, it displays a deft hand at placing everything in just its right place. It's centered and exact while also feeling transcendent and spiritual.

Yeah, like for sure dude.

A fun mix of jangle pop and psychedelia. It feels to bridge the gap between the darkness of 80's UK indie rock and a more vibrant scene of dance music that would only just begin to bubble in the early 90's. While the hits aren't quite so memorable in the latter half of the album, the early songs have killer song writing and show a focused band at work.

Fame is a great song but not enough to make this interesting

Fame is a great song but not enough to make this interesting

Fame is a great song but not enough to make this interesting

Wonderwall is a great song but not enough to make this interesting

The use of piano is nice and catchy. But that’s about it.

Surprised I have heard more of these tracks than expected, probably on radio or movies. It’s amazing what nostalgia can do for rock mediocrity.

“Going to California” and “When the Levee Breaks” saved this album from being boring to me.