703
Albums Rated
3.5
Average Rating
65%
Complete
386 albums remaining
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Rating Timeline
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When do you listen?
Taste Profile
2000s
Favorite Decade
Rock-and-roll
Favorite Genre
UK
Top Origin
Wordsmith
Rater Style ?
108
5-Star Albums
13
1-Star Albums
Taste Analysis
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Ratings by genre
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Ratings by country
Rating Style
You Love More Than Most
Albums you rated higher than global average
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fear and Whiskey | 5 | 2.6 | +2.4 |
| 69 Love Songs | 5 | 2.84 | +2.16 |
| Street Signs | 5 | 2.87 | +2.13 |
| Merriweather Post Pavilion | 5 | 2.9 | +2.1 |
| All That You Can't Leave Behind | 5 | 2.98 | +2.02 |
| Post Orgasmic Chill | 5 | 2.99 | +2.01 |
| Coles Corner | 5 | 3.02 | +1.98 |
| The Rise & Fall | 5 | 3.05 | +1.95 |
| Tuesday Night Music Club | 5 | 3.05 | +1.95 |
| Architecture And Morality | 5 | 3.05 | +1.95 |
You Love Less Than Most
Albums you rated lower than global average
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bitches Brew | 1 | 3.3 | -2.3 |
| Chemtrails Over The Country Club | 1 | 3.05 | -2.05 |
| Ingenue | 1 | 2.94 | -1.94 |
| Histoire De Melody Nelson | 1 | 2.75 | -1.75 |
| Master Of Puppets | 2 | 3.73 | -1.73 |
| Cut | 1 | 2.71 | -1.71 |
| Slipknot | 1 | 2.67 | -1.67 |
| Highway to Hell | 2 | 3.66 | -1.66 |
| The Number Of The Beast | 2 | 3.59 | -1.59 |
| Unknown Pleasures | 2 | 3.47 | -1.47 |
Artist Analysis
Favorite Artists
Artists with 2+ albums
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Pink Floyd | 4 | 4.5 |
| Bruce Springsteen | 3 | 4.67 |
| The Flaming Lips | 2 | 5 |
| Nirvana | 2 | 5 |
| U2 | 2 | 5 |
| The Smashing Pumpkins | 2 | 5 |
| Beatles | 6 | 4 |
| Radiohead | 6 | 4 |
| Pixies | 3 | 4.33 |
Least Favorite Artists
Artists with 2+ albums
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Slipknot | 2 | 1.5 |
5-Star Albums (108)
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Popular Reviews
Madness
5/5
What a delight. I’ve never heard of this band, other than knowing Our House (didn’t know who sang that). But the music is fun and lively. I like the blend of new wave, pop, and wacky. Our House is so great, and this is such a refreshing collection of songs in general. Love so many of them. This album made me feel good, and that’s a good way to feel. Had to find the album on YouTube, it was mostly missing from Spotify.
3 likes
Alice Cooper
5/5
Well. I guess I'm an Alice Cooper fan now too. This is a super fun and thoughtfully crafted collection of songs. There's a lot of cool and interesting things happening. Blue Turk is quirky and feels like it's out of a spy movie. Big fan of Gutter Cat vs. The Jets too. Because cats. And because the song is also super cool. Love how he rocks out and how the guitar shreds in My Stars. Public Animal #9 is boppy and catchy and rockin. Alma Mater and Grande Finale both felt like the ending to the album. I guess he decided to do a lyrical finale and an instrumental one. Cool by me, I vibed with them both! Loved how big and dramatic Grande Finale was, and chef's kiss to the POW closure. School's Out (the song) is kind of played out, but I have a better appreciation for it now in the context of the album. This was a great time!
2 likes
Sheryl Crow
5/5
All I wanna do is have some fun too, Sheryl. Love the opening track, and it sets the tone for a solid debut album. I enjoyed this a lot. Obviously several of these songs were hits in the 90s, and it was cool to hear the whole album from start to finish. Never listened to it before. It was a good blend of fun and introspection. I dug her heartfelt lyrics and the emotion in her songs. I Shall Believe is a particularly beautiful and emotional one. The Na-Na Song is my favorite ‘new to me’ song. Great stuff!
2 likes
Ute Lemper
2/5
This feels very avant garde and also like the soundtrack to an overly dramatic musical. Not that either is necessarily a bad thing. But this was pretty tough to listen to, and I will definitely never make the choice to listen again.
2 likes
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
5/5
This album rocks! Was already a fan of the first two hits, and I found the whole thing very engaging and interesting. It’s fun and dancy and soulful and something I just wanted to keep listening to. Great stuff!
2 likes
1-Star Albums (13)
All Ratings
Earth, Wind & Fire
3/5
Dig the funky vibe, great instrumentation and vocals. Just not sure it would be one that I’d have in rotation, it doesn’t necessarily make me want to groove like I hoped it would.
The Police
3/5
I enjoy the unique sound and style of The Police and Sting’s vocals, and it’s cool to hear one of their early albums and how it all began. I was only familiar with one song from it. The album as a whole doesn’t necessarily grab me or speak to my soul but I like it nonetheless!
Ramones
3/5
I mean, this is pretty iconic being the Ramones’ first album. True garage/punk rock. Love the early grit vibe. That being said, all the songs start to sound very similar as the album goes on and the sound quality is lacking, but loved hearing their first album.
Deep Purple
3/5
Seems like a pretty epic show to have attended. You can definitely feel this band’s soul. Puts me in the mindset of a flower child of the 60s on acid. Dig the beginning of the show, started to fall off a bit for me at Space Truckin…great instrumentation but the jams get really long and drawn out. I’m also a little confused by the end because there are a couple repeat songs. Solid show overall!
Jimi Hendrix
3/5
Great album, definitely a journey he takes you on. This is the first time I’ve listened to a full Jimi Hendrix album. Nice variety of song styles and of course awesome guitar playing. Not a huge fan of the vocals, because they feel far away and kind of like an afterthought but overall, feels like a true classic.
James Brown
3/5
Really liked this performance, though I wasn’t familiar with these particular songs. He has such great energy and this feels like getting transported back in time. Quality soul for the soul. The audio recording is great too.
ZZ Top
3/5
I don’t consider myself a ZZ Top fan, and this album pleasantly surprised me. Hot, Blue and Righteous was probably my favorite discovery. A great classic rock listen!
Guided By Voices
3/5
I really wanted to like this album. As someone relatively new to the GBV world, I haven’t heard many of their full albums. I’ve seen them live a couple times and thought the last show I went to was great. I even went to a GBV cover show last summer and had a blast. Their bigger hits are really fun live. But this album didn’t do it for me, sadly. A lot of songs felt unfinished and the sound quality wasn’t good. Giving them a 3 because it’s GBV, but I had higher expectations for this.
The Thrills
3/5
This album immediately made me feel happy when it started. Despite never hearing of the band or album, it kind of felt like comfort food. Definitely recognize that early 2000s indie vibe but with its own unique instrument blend that give it a bluegrass charm. Love the banjo and harmonica. His vocals aren’t my favorite and leave me wanting a little more passion/variation as the album progresses, but really enjoyed this overall.
Pixies
4/5
Great album, loved it. I didn’t explore the Pixies much when they were really blowing up, I only know a few of their songs, so I was excited to really enjoy a full album.
Waylon Jennings
5/5
Love this so much. Country is not high on my genre list, but his style of country hits different, and this album is just beautiful. Feels like home. Waylon is a gem.
Beatles
3/5
I prefer the psychedelic Beatles and their less poppy stuff in general, but this is solid, classic Beatles.
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
4/5
Love the flower child era vibes. Teach Your Children is a true classic. This record really takes you back in time to life during the Vietnam War, and the profound impact it had on society.
2/5
I rolled my eyes when I saw this was the album of the day. All I remember from them is the song Nookie from the late 90s, which got way overplayed. But when the album started, I found myself grooving to their intro and the first song with the NIN mashups made me laugh. Then all the songs started to blend together a bit. Has an immature kind of feel to it but it did kind of make me nostalgic for that era of weird pop culture yell rock. I dunno. I’m all over the place with feelings on this one lol. It’s fun for what it is, but it’s lacking some serious depth. Dude laughing in the outro was so annoying. That outro put a bad taste in my mouth. I thought this had potential in the beginning but damn.
Korn
2/5
I was a bit disheartened to see Korn come up this morning after Limp B yesterday. As lawdogg remarked, “Did these cards get shuffled?” 😆 It’s not terrible, just not the type of music that moves me. I do like this one a bit more than Chocolate Hot Dogs. Hoping to have a break from this genre after today though.
N.W.A.
4/5
Despite a few problematic lyrics, I kinda love this. Have been a semi-fan of Eazy E and Dr Dre for a long time but their N.W.A. work is mostly new to me. Lots of great moments, great raps, great samples, and important commentary on racial injustices in policing.
The Mamas & The Papas
3/5
Feel-good 60s hippie pop, a pleasant palette cleanser after a week of full-bodied flavors and textures.
Jane's Addiction
2/5
I thought I would like this more than I did because I like the two hits on it. Those were really the only two songs I liked. And I was confused by the long songs and just wanted them to be over. This album didn’t do it for me.
My Bloody Valentine
3/5
Despite the shoe-gazing vibe, I can appreciate what they’re doing here, and their contributions/influence in this genre. They clearly influenced the Smashing Pumpkins. Feels more like a meditative/experimental journey than a musical destination. I wish I could understand ANY of the words they’re saying, but pretty solid nonetheless.
Radiohead
3/5
There are far better Radiohead albums than this in my opinion. Surprised this made the list. I like the jazz loungy vibe of the last track, and I Might Be Wrong has some fun grooves. Overall, the album is a little too experimental/slow/melancholy for me. Radiohead tends to depress me the older I get, and this album in particular leans into that vibe. But there is beauty in sadness too, especially when the music is well composed. Anyway, it’s Radiohead, so even though it’s not my favorite, it gets a 3 because they are iconic and they make beautiful music.
Madness
5/5
What a delight. I’ve never heard of this band, other than knowing Our House (didn’t know who sang that). But the music is fun and lively. I like the blend of new wave, pop, and wacky. Our House is so great, and this is such a refreshing collection of songs in general. Love so many of them. This album made me feel good, and that’s a good way to feel. Had to find the album on YouTube, it was mostly missing from Spotify.
The Slits
1/5
Oof. This album was a fairly painful listen. It had a few tracks that actually sounded like music, and I did enjoy their Grapevine cover. Props to them for this somehow being influential though.
Elliott Smith
3/5
The lyrics are melancholy, but the end product is a warm, pleasant listen. Elliott died from an apparent self-inflicted stab wound to the heart (WHAT?!) at 34, after an argument with his girlfriend, so he clearly dealt with a lot of demons. There’s also speculation he was murdered so who knows for sure I guess. Sounds like he talked about (and attempted) suicide a lot, and also had addiction issues. RIP to this tortured soul I’m just now hearing of. Thanks for the tunes.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
4/5
A lot of classics here, and RHCP’s fun and funky vibe is pretty infectious. Solid grooves all around. And fun fact I didn’t realize until now: this album that’s largely about California was also released right after my first trip to California with slashing lumpkins!
The Dandy Warhols
3/5
This is another new band to me. Totally dug the vibe when it started. It fell off for me a bit at Orange and never entirely regained its momentum, though it still has some great moments after that. The Creep Out is a solid finale.
Leonard Cohen
5/5
Damn, his voice just does it for me. This is such a smooth and silky listen. I’m Your Man (the song) is super sexy. Take This Waltz is another one of my faves. Overall - interesting, strange and beautiful. Jazz Police is an unfortunate outlier. I’m pretending in my rating that one isn’t on there.
Fatboy Slim
4/5
Oh yeah, love me some Fatboy Slim. Was excited to see this pop up today. This is a party. There are a few tracks I don’t love, and some of the songs go on a bit long, but had a blast with it. If this don’t make your booty move…get that booty checked stat!
Solomon Burke
5/5
Gotta love when a new (to me) album kicks off with an iconic Dirty Dancing ditty. This album is packed with soul, and apparently a lot of relationship drama. I think every one of these is about breaking up, hooking up, or someone he’s in love with. In addition to his musical genius, he had 21 kids, four wives, and countless lovers, so that tracks. Lots of inspiration for song writing no doubt. You can’t love ‘em all…or CAN you? He sure can try. Totally dig his voice and his vibe. Great listen!
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
Despite his riches, Springsteen somehow manages to feel very authentic when singing about the plights of the less fortunate. This album is pretty sad, but deep and beautiful too. In general, I prefer more upbeat tunes, but this is a great album for what it is. I especially love the sound the harmonica brings. It feels both ethereal and strongly rooted in southern blues. Very moving.
Madonna
4/5
This is around the time I stopped listening to Madonna as much because her early aughts evolution was a bit jarring to me at the time (though I LOVED Ray of Light). I know the hits from this album, but I really enjoyed it as a full listen. Amazing is a great song I wasn’t familiar with. She really layers a lot of funky and interesting beats and sound effects throughout these songs. It’s a bit more forgettable than her 80s catalog, but still a good Madonna time. Queen’s gonna queen.
The Temptations
3/5
For someone who had an 11 minute song made about him, Papa sounds like kind of an a-hole. I enjoyed this album, but it didn’t grab me in the same way as Solomon Burke’s style of soul. It feels more composed but a bit lacking in personality. Still some beautiful tunes though!
Khaled
2/5
This was ok. I appreciate world music but this one didn’t do a whole lot for me.
The Youngbloods
2/5
This album was nice easy listening, but I found it a bit boring. Darkness, Darkness was a great start, and Smug was pretty good, but it felt like the energy dropped off after that.
Also, totally forgot to give the Imagine cover by Khaled a shout out in my review yesterday, so I’m doing that now…despite my low rating on that album, that cover was sensational!
Lou Reed
3/5
This one is a mixed bag for me. Perfect Day is a song I’ve loved since Trainspotting times. It’s so good. And Walk on the Wild Side is a classic. I enjoyed a few others too - Vicious, Hangin’ Round, and Goodnight Ladies - but the rest just kinda felt like not a lot of effort was put in. Definitely interesting music though.
Mudhoney
2/5
Didn’t do a whole lot for me
Jimi Hendrix
5/5
This probably falls into the ‘most famous albums ever’ category, and for good reason in my opinion. It has so many hits, awesome vocals and drums, and some of the most iconic guitar playing in history. Wish we could’ve experienced his musical evolution over time.
Roxy Music
3/5
Kinda dig its weirdness, and I like the lead singer’s voice. Makes me think of Anthony and the Johnsons (his voice)
Elbow
4/5
Hmm, this guy kinda sounds like Dave Matthews in a British way. Vibes are great, songs are beautiful. I'm sitting on the beach drinking a mimosa and waiting to see Dave Matthews later tonight so that might be skewing my judgment but great stuff!
Moby Grape
3/5
Not too shabby. Beatles vibes for sure.
Run-D.M.C.
2/5
I appreciate the influence this album had on the evolution of rap music but this didn’t necessarily age the greatest for me. Found it to be just an ok listen, it got kind of boring.
Michael Jackson
5/5
Is there a more iconic album than Thriller? This was a childhood favorite, and it has most definitely stood the test of time for me. It doesn’t get more classic 80s than the Thriller, Beat It, Billie Jean trio. And Human Nature and Pretty Young Thing are just so good. A lovely moonwalk back in time.
AC/DC
2/5
It’s cool, pretty legendary butt rock. Transports me to my Midwestern small town beer tent. That being said, it all kinda sounds the same and I don’t know that I’d ever choose to play this again.
Van Halen
4/5
This is an impressive debut by the Van Halen crew. The hits keep coming and the guitar keeps shredding. First half is better than the second, but pretty epic album!
Kelela
3/5
I want to like R&B music more than I do. This is good music to put on during sex, but it didn’t do much for me otherwise. Nothing I disliked about it, it was very technically sound, but also nothing I loved about it. Sexy album cover!
AC/DC
3/5
This one is a step above Highway to Hell from two days ago. Feels a little tighter. Though RIP to Bon Scott, so many musicians leave us way too soon. Bonus points for You Shook Me All Night Long. Makes my American thighs want to dance.
Fugazi
2/5
The first couple songs weren’t bad. In fact, the first song’s vocals remind me of the lead singer of Los Diablos Blancos (check out their album Golderado if you haven’t heard of them, they rock). But overall, just couldn’t get into it.
Kraftwerk
3/5
Perhaps this would hit different if I had experience driving on the Autobahn.
Update 5.20.25: Ok so I was having a really stressful day the day that I got this album last year, and I always felt like I didn't give this the attention it deserved. After getting a different Kraftwerk album today that I really enjoyed, I decided to revisit Autobahn. I didn't enjoy it as much as The Man-Machine, but it still deserves a bump from a 2 to a 3. Pretty cool stuff in here, and so far ahead of its time.
Lorde
5/5
Not always a fan of woeful heartbreak music but I love Lorde’s artful take on it. Her funky beats and beautiful melodies mixed with raw emotions and occasional dance vibes are sad and uplifting at the same time. A delightful journey of sound! She rocks.
Maxwell
3/5
It’s got some good grooves.
The Cure
2/5
Love The Cure, but this one is too broody for me. Didn’t have a single song I could say I actually liked, unfortunately.
Booker T. & The MG's
3/5
Super interesting that they were mainly a backing band for famous artists. I found this to be groovy and a pleasant listen. Title track has become pretty iconic over time. The album had me wishing they would’ve experimented with adding vocals, but a good time nonetheless.
Nine Inch Nails
3/5
To borrow a phrase from my dad and uncle, “That’ll put hair on your chest.” One of those albums that’ll really wake you up in the morning and then send you into a dark and confusing place. I really like NIN, but the older I get, the harder time I have enjoying this kind of dark energy in the music I listen to.
Gillian Welch
4/5
A peaceful easy feeling with a gal and her guitar. I like her croons. Would’ve loved a livelier track or two thrown in, but it was a relaxing listening experience.
Basement Jaxx
4/5
Red alert, red alert, it’s a Sunday dance party!
Bob Dylan
4/5
And today is a guy and his guitar, with the occasional harmonica, which I always enjoy. Cool to hear Dylan’s early musings. Really dig his lyrics and the simplicity of the guitar. Love Girl from the North Country!
The Byrds
3/5
All the 60s vibes here. Nothing specific really grabbed me, but I dug the album anyway.
The Incredible String Band
3/5
Well this is interesting and weird, and kind of fun. Made me feel like I chased a white rabbit down a Scottish rabbit hole. Not necessarily an album I’d ever come back to unless I was tripping on acid, but it gets an extra star for being unapologetically bizarre.
Public Image Ltd.
1/5
This is just, pretty terrible. If you only wanted to be loved, that last song isn’t helping your cause.
The Beach Boys
5/5
Wouldn’t it be nice to wake up on a Friday morning to Pet Sounds being the album of the day? Love this album so much. Sloop John B makes me emotional with how much I love it, it’s just so great. Their departure from bubble gum surf rock (which is also fun) while still feeling like The Beach Boys is just a delight. Everything is so well composed and thoughtful. A beautiful wall of sound. And it even ends with a train and some dogs, chef’s kiss. Easy 5 for me!
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
This feels like a warm, cozy blanket. Love Simon and Garfunkel’s comforting, peaceful vibe.
Violent Femmes
5/5
I gave this a triple listen and the more I listened, the more I wanted to be its friend. Blister in the Sun is a classic, and I knew a couple others, but the rest was new and fun to discover. Perfect blend of weird and catchy. Cool bass playing too!
Kendrick Lamar
4/5
Kendrick is a fantastic rapper. I like m.A.A.d. city and Swimming Pools, and it’s fun to hear Dr. Dre in Compton. Some of the album was hard for me to get into because a lot of the rapping is accompanied by kind of a boring steady beat. That being said though, I appreciate how well crafted and well written this is, and how intentional the storytelling is. It feels like a journey that evolves in kind of a beautiful way. I liked it better on my second listen, which is always a good sign. Except…the “bitches” gets old, we are ladies dammit.
Julian Cope
4/5
I’m always a mix of cautiously optimistic and mildly wary when I see artists I’ve never heard of pop up. Especially when I see their roots are in the post-punk genre. This album was a pleasant surprise. Such a variety of song compositions, instruments and interesting lyrics. Dug it!
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
2/5
Interesting. I guess I thought I would be semi-familiar with Emerson, Lake & Palmer but apparently not. Maybe you had to be there. The Great Gates of Kiev wasn’t too bad, but overall this was sort of a yikes for me.
The Modern Lovers
3/5
I mean, I might call Pablo Picasso an asshole if he was being an asshole. But I get the point, lol. This album is fun, I enjoyed the lyrics. Nothing was particularly moving or catchy, but it was likable nonetheless.
Bob Dylan
4/5
I’m a big word person, and Bob Dylan just writes great lyrics, which really shine in his work. Even with songs that don’t really grab me, I’m a fan of the stories he writes with music. And the harmonica just always does it for me. Lots of great stuff on this one!
Dusty Springfield
4/5
Really enjoyed this, she kind of reminds me of a mix of Olivia Newton John and Barbra Streisand, but with her own unique soulful style. Been a big fan of the Preacher Man for eons, but the rest was new to me. Really dug So Much Love and Don’t Forget About Me.
Sparks
4/5
Well this was a delightful surprise. I had no idea what to expect and I was afraid it might venture off into the “too weird” realm, but it was so fresh and enjoyable. A great Sunday Funday soundtrack!
Daft Punk
3/5
This takes me back to living in my first college apartment, and to the 90s EDM/rave culture. Wacky times! I love Daft Punk, but this album as a whole is a little lacking for me. Some of the tracks feel too repetitive and go on too long (and the album itself is long), but songs like Around the World and Da Funk are classics. I enjoyed it fine, but it’s not nearly as polished and interesting as their later work. Definitely not of the same caliber as Random Access Memories, or even Discovery, but it’s a fun dance party. Get me some glow sticks!
Blondie
5/5
Blondie is so great. This album is perfection. That is all.
Jerry Lee Lewis
4/5
Damn, sure would’ve been fun to be at this show. Jerry really rocks and rolls and shreds that piano. His energy is wild. I love it. Feels like his whole soul comes out on stage. Definitely a party!
Elliott Smith
3/5
Second time getting Elliott Smith. This album was a pleasant listening experience, but nothing terribly memorable came from it. I get Garden State soundtrack vibes from his music. Makes me want to cuddle with an emo Zach Braff.
The Doors
4/5
I had a Doors Greatest Hits album once, but most of this was new to me. It grew on me after a few listens. The Doors have a pretty unique sound, and Jim Morrison sings with a lot of soul. I get psychedelic undertones sprinkled into this mostly bluesy rock collection. Enjoyed it a lot!
Pavement
3/5
I’ve never really listened to Pavement, and this was better than I thought it would be. Some funky tunes on here.
Syd Barrett
4/5
There seem to be some conflicting stories of exactly why Syd and Pink Floyd parted ways. Did he really go crazy? Sounds like maybe he just took so much LSD so regularly that he wasn’t a reliable band mate. Hard to say for sure. Creative geniuses are often a little mad. This is a beautifully composed album with poetic lyrics. If he did go mad, he certainly reined it back in for this.
Stan Getz
4/5
Well this is just lovely. Transports me to a dark, smoky jazz club of that era. It’s so groovy and chill and silky smooth. Love the vibe, and totally dig the sax playing. It’s not something I’d jam out to with the car windows rolled down, but certainly would be a great Sunday morning type listen.
The Flaming Lips
5/5
Was excited to wake up to this today! Damn I love this album. It’s such a journey. Fight Test and Do You Realize are such freaking masterpieces they make me cry, and the whole thing is so creative. Lyrics are incredible, musical compositions are unique and beautiful. An exploration of the complex simplicity of universal questions and truths. It’s truly a work of art. Do you realize how lucky we are to be able to experience this music and this life? Sunbeams and starlight, it’s all a mystery. All we have is now.
Stereo MC's
4/5
The first song (Connected) is such a blast from the 90s past. A fun kickoff. This album has a pretty unique sound. Feels like it straddles a line between the 80s and 90s, with a fusion of pop, new wave, and hip hop. It’s fun and bouncy and a good time.
Tim Buckley
3/5
It’s funky and groovy and lustful. I like his voice and soulfulness. Not really something I’d come back to, but it’s good music.
Beatles
4/5
I love how the Beatles evolved over time. This album is such a great example of them becoming more profound, with richer sound, exploring deeper lyrics. I’m ok on their early stuff, but this is where it gets really good to me. The last song is a bit psycho, but somehow they even make a song about raging jealousy catchy. This is an exceptional collection of Beatles tunes.
Iron Maiden
2/5
This isn’t as bad as I thought it might be, but just not my genre.
Laura Nyro
2/5
I like her vibe and energy but don’t really love her voice. It was hard to get past that the more I listened to it. I do like experiencing the 60s through a woman’s lens though.
Radiohead
5/5
Ahh, this is more like it. Amnesiac was rough, but this is the Radiohead I know and love. It’s Radiohead, so it does still send me into a mild state of despair, but in the best way possible. It’s passionate and deep and hits me in my feels. Beautiful album from start to finish.
Fun Lovin' Criminals
4/5
Scooby Snacks! Totally forgot about that song. I feel like this band/album was on the perimeter of my college life, but aside from some band stickers I remember having, and Scooby Snacks, I never actually had a musical relationship or familiarity with them. Now I wish I had! Super groovy stuff, it’s fun and cool with some great raps.
Antony and the Johnsons
4/5
This isn’t the type of music I normally gravitate towards, but this is pretty beautiful. She has such a unique voice, and it feels like her entire soul is coming out of her body in her vocals. The instrumental compositions are really nice too.
The Jesus And Mary Chain
2/5
I don’t love the sound quality, it sounds too muffled and that’s kind of annoying. Most of the songs are cool enough when they start, but they get pretty chaotic with all the background noise that gets added in. Kind of hurt my ears after awhile. Really liked Some Candy Talking.
Pulp
5/5
Love it! This album is freaking awesome. It’s catchy and broody and dancy and sexy and hopeful and lustful and just all the things. I was familiar with a couple of the songs, but damn, this whole thing is just perfection to me.
Rush
3/5
This was fine, some good classics on it. Not a lover or hater of Rush, and the same goes for this album.
Tom Tom Club
2/5
I wanted to like this, but most of it was either too weird or too boring, and Booming and Zooming was super annoying. Really dug the Under the Boardwalk cover though.
Radiohead
4/5
Hats off to you again, Radiohead. Great stuff, and super cool for it to be released as a pay what you want album. Pretty revolutionary for that time!
Michael Kiwanuka
5/5
Really dug this! It’s so soulful and a real journey of ebbing and flowing energy. Feels very intentionally put together. It’s full of both haunting heartache and rockin’ jams. Hero gave total Jimi Hendrix vibes. Beautiful stuff.
The Cramps
3/5
This had a fun energy. Weird, but not unlistenably weird. Had some good grooves! The 50s/60s bop vibe was neato in some of the tracks too.
Sonic Youth
3/5
This feels pretty unique and fresh for 1988. It’s the second Sonic Youth album I’ve listened to recently, and I’m right in the middle with them. Quality music and vocals for sure, but nothing totally grabs me and makes me want to love them yet.
Kanye West
3/5
This was a tough one. I REALLY liked this album back when it came out. Listened to it a lot. Hearing it today, it’s hard to separate the art from the artist because I really can’t stand him as a person and have made it a point NOT to listen to him anymore. So it was hard to get through from that aspect. But my feelings towards him aside, there are songs on this I still like (there’s something still moving to me about All of the Lights and Runaway in particular). It felt like his peak. Even though he sucks, this album doesn’t and I’m gonna strike a balance and just give it a 3. This one really fucked with me. 😭
1/5
What the hell even is this? My ears feel tortured. Easily the worst album I’ve heard in my life.
Kacey Musgraves
2/5
She has a nice voice and writes pretty songs, but this fell kinda flat for me. Nothing about it was very interesting or moving, almost had a generic feel or something. Can’t quite put my finger on it, it just wasn’t really my thing.
R.E.M.
5/5
My goodness, this album is just beautiful. So many deeply moving and emotional tracks, and some great rock tunes too. It’s all heart and soul and rock n roll. Loved every second.
Fela Kuti
4/5
This is definitely a vibe and love hearing some African music on this list because I haven’t sought out much world music in my life. Sounds like he was incredibly influential and created his own path (AND music genre). Fun and spunky and hip-shaking. I dig it.
The Beta Band
3/5
Never heard of these guys. This was a cool chill album. Made me feel floaty.
The Lemonheads
4/5
I really enjoyed this. There were some songs where I wanted them to rock a little harder and belt out the lyrics a little louder, but it still had a good energy. Lots of catchy tunes and overall a super fun listen!
Yes
2/5
This album is a little odd. Roundabout is a classic, but the rest was new to me. Some of the songs are too long and drawn out and others are weird interludes. It was a boring listen but might be more interesting on drugs.
Frank Ocean
3/5
I’m finding R&B music isn’t really my thing, but this album was solid for the genre. Nice easy listening.
John Grant
5/5
Well this album was quite a lovely surprise. Not knowing of him, I had no idea what to expect, and really got into it. Quite a journey of heartache and love and quirk and even Sigourney. So beautiful in its emotion and its weirdness, I loved it!
Joy Division
2/5
This style of broody music doesn’t do a lot for me. It wasn’t bad, just felt kinda flat footed and meh.
Ghostface Killah
4/5
This is a pretty creative album and felt very intentional and cohesive. Great raps, good storytellimg, lots of cool hooks. I dug it.
Supergrass
3/5
I get a mix of Strokes and Smashing Pumpkins vibes from them. Super fun rock music, but it went on too long. I feel like they could’ve edited this into a one disc album. I was excited about it at first but then got annoyed because it wouldn’t end. Enjoyed their overall sound though.
Robbie Williams
4/5
This was a really fun listen, nice variety and lots of catchy tunes. Enjoyed pretty much every song, what a great find!
Marvin Gaye
3/5
Love his voice and groovy style. Great messages about war and society too. It does kind of sound like one big long song though.
The Last Shadow Puppets
4/5
This album really starts off at a gallop and doesn’t let up. Super awesome rock and roll, enjoyed it a lot!
JAY Z
4/5
This is a solid Jay-Z album. All the guest stars are fun, loved Eminem making an appearance. He is pronouncing himself king, and he wasn’t wrong. Crazy that it came out on 9/11.
Beatles
3/5
I lean towards later era Beatles, but this was a happy, old-timey vibe and the covers were a fun addition.
The Specials
3/5
This album started off so great. Loved the first track and was hoping the rest would follow suit. I still enjoyed its energy and oddness, but nothing quite measured up to that first tune. Still good stuff, and especially love the horns.
Marilyn Manson
2/5
I like Beautiful People, but he’s just too over the top for me. We get it, you’re dark and edgy. Feels like he’s trying too hard to play a character, which takes away from the music. Plus it’s just loud and angry, and I don’t relate to this level of ire in my middle aged life.
John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers
3/5
Great musicianship, and nice “vibe” music, but nothing stood out that I loved. Kinda bored me.
Rage Against The Machine
3/5
I want to love this because I am all about their message, but it’s delivered through a genre that’s hard for me to get into. I appreciate them raging against the machine and taking a stand though.
Dr. John
2/5
Had a couple good grooves, but was just kinda weird.
Sly & The Family Stone
4/5
Super groovy and funky. Love when the guitar talks. I’m a fan.
Louis Prima
5/5
I love this. I’m a big fan of Louis Armstrong, and it’s clear this Louis was heavily influenced by him. Really fun jazz, this is the New Orleans vibe I am all about. (Sorry, Dr. John)
Keith Jarrett
3/5
Beautiful piano playing, but also kind of a snooze fest. Listening to straight piano just isn’t my jam. Appreciate the quality though.
Eurythmics
3/5
I really like the three-song run of The Walk, Sweet Dreams, and Jennifer. I didn’t love the rest of the album but it was still kind of fun and funky. Totally 80s!
Beck
5/5
Nice score today. I listened to this album a lot in college and was pleased to find it’s stood the test of time for me. Beck has a quirkiness that I dig, and his songs are unique and fun and rockin. Loved it.
Eagles
4/5
The Eagles are not a band I seek out, but this album is such a staple of classic rock that giving it less than a 4 feels wrong. And I also enjoyed it!
Thelonious Monk
2/5
Instrumentation was nice I guess, but I found this boring and aimless.
Dirty Projectors
4/5
This one is interesting because I was actually pretty familiar with this album already. I think if I was listening to it for the first time right now, I’d think it was too weird. But I have memories attached to it and enjoyed listening to it when it came out, so it’s fun and nostalgic and I like the weirdness of it. I especially like the songs when the woman is doing the main vocals. Groovy stuff!
Funkadelic
4/5
This was a pretty cool album. The trippy instrumentals on either end were interesting, with some funkier tracks in between. Felt like a complete journey. The chaos of the last track felt like a great representation of the maddening and violent struggle for equality.
5/5
This album absolutely rocks. Muse feels like a must-see live experience if this is the kind of energy they bring to their recorded music. Lots of passion here. Definitely hit me in my feels today. Loved it! (Is it dorky to love this? I don’t care!)
Metallica
4/5
The hits on here are some pretty awesome classics. Metallica rocks it! The non-hits were just so-so for me, but still a super solid album.
Pretenders
4/5
I really like the Pretenders. Chrissie Hynde has such a cool voice and the band has a very unique sound. We have Get Close on vinyl, which I love. This is a good one too! Brass in Pocket, Mystery Achievement and Stop Your Sobbing are great standouts.
Paul Simon
5/5
I love the comforting croons of Paul Simon, this album feels like a warm and soulful hug. His voice is so uniquely him and there’s a nostalgia to his music that draws me into that time period. Me and Julio is a favorite, that song just makes me happy. I’m a fan of this whole thing too!
George Michael
5/5
The music gods have smiled on me this week. Love this album, such an 80s throwback and so many classics that are still as great today as they were then.
5/5
I love how this is such a complete album and we’re all invited to the circus. There are so many great tracks, it’s fun and creative and trippy and insightful and just a delightfully good time.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
Take all my 5s, album generator! This has been a good run of music, damn. Of course this gets a 5, it’s about as classic as it gets, and for good reason. Zeppelin rocks. Stairway to Heaven is still an absolute treasure, and there are so many other total bangers on here too. It could pretty much be a greatest hits album.
Traffic
3/5
The 5 streak has ended, but this was an ok listening experience. Just kinda chill and vibey. Didn’t really do a lot for me, but it was fine.
Brian Wilson
4/5
Are we at a carnival? Are we on a farm? Are we on a serious acid trip through Brian Wilsonville? I’m confused as to what kind of vibrations I’m picking up, but I’m ok with that. This was strange, that’s for sure. There’s nothing super catchy about most of these songs, but they were interesting and he obviously had a vision of … something. I appreciate the social commentary in Roll Plymouth Rock and I did enjoy a few of the other songs. Definitely creative. Mrs O’Leary’s Cow felt like it could’ve been played during the twister scene in Wizard of Oz. The second listen made me appreciate it more. Torn between a 3 and a 4 bit I’ve been feeling generous lately.
Radiohead
5/5
This album is so famous and highly regarded because it really just is that awesome. Beautiful lyrics, unique and creative musical compositions, everything just works pretty perfectly together. Every song on this is great.
Charles Mingus
3/5
This was certainly lively! Lots going on. Appreciate the talent and the emotional chaos of this, but jazz has yet to find a special place in my heart. I could see this being a favorite of jazz fans though.
The Doors
5/5
This album is pretty spectacular. Jim Morrison’s vocals are so smooth and intimate and at times emotionally raw, and the instrumentation is composed and executed really beautifully. Love the keys. It’s a particularly perfect album to vibe out to with a little greenery. I listened to the Doors in college but they haven’t been part of my regular rotation over the years since, so it’s awesome to hear them again after such a long time…loved!
The Auteurs
2/5
Um, is he dissing thrift shopping? Blasphemy! That aside, I couldn’t really get into this. It felt kind of bland and boring and I’m not surprised I haven’t heard of this group.
Green Day
5/5
Awww yeah, love how much Green Day rocks out against the fuckery of society, while being so catchy too. The lyrics are as relevant now as they were then. So many great songs on here, and as a whole, it’s a very complete feeling rock opera. They are so fun live, and this was also a cool show to see on Broadway :)
Prince
4/5
“Don't you just love Prince?” Yes, yes I do. I’ve never listened to this whole album before. Love the hits on it, and the others are fun and groovy too, though they take kind of a weird turn and go on a bit too long without any obvious purpose for being so long - feels like a little bit of editing could’ve been done. Regardless, he has a way of making his music sound very effortless and cool and sexy. I enjoyed this a lot. And I love how encouraging he is about letting your freak flag fly. RIP you sexy mother fucker.
The Avalanches
3/5
This feels whimsical and fresh. More of a vibe than something that hits at my soul, but it was a fun and groovy listen. It started off a little meh but got better as the album went on. Lots of fun samples.
Doves
3/5
This wasn’t bad, but it was hard to hear a lot of the lyrics and I’m not really a fan of that. Some level adjusting would’ve been nice. I dug some of the sounds, but it was pretty forgettable overall.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
5/5
This album rocks! Was already a fan of the first two hits, and I found the whole thing very engaging and interesting. It’s fun and dancy and soulful and something I just wanted to keep listening to. Great stuff!
Neil Young
3/5
Loved the energy of the first few songs and then it takes a pretty slow turn that gets a little humdrum. I wasn’t sure what I’d think of a full album of Neil Young’s voice, and I liked it better than I thought I would, but the melancholy second half was just kind of a downer.
Red Snapper
3/5
This was a fine enough listen. Good chill Sunday vibes. Nothing really wowed me, but it was pleasant.
Nirvana
5/5
It’s very moving to hear this 33 years after its release, knowing the impact it made on people and on the future of music. Makes me emotional (shocking!) This album is a masterpiece. So many great songs. RIP to Kurt and his beautiful tortured soul.
The Fall
2/5
Post punk continues to not be my thing apparently. This album was annoying. Thankful for its short length though!
GZA
3/5
This is a cool album. I dig the vibe, and the raps and lyrics were pretty great.
Elton John
4/5
I really like Elton, and this album has such a rich tapestry of instrumentation. Hard not to love.
Amy Winehouse
3/5
I dig the lounge act vibe of this. Nothing totally knocked my socks off, but it was a cool album.
Paul Simon
3/5
I’ve become a fan of Paul Simon through this project but this album was just ok. I’m surprised this one made the list. Cars are Cars and Allergies were particularly silly songs.
Iggy Pop
3/5
I didn’t know Iggy was the first to record China Girl. Cool version of it! I dug this album. It was cool and feels innovative for its time. He has a pretty unique sound.
Norah Jones
3/5
This was pretty and vibey but started to get annoyingly boring towards the end.
Janet Jackson
4/5
So many iconic songs on this album, and some great messages too. It’s one of those albums that feels like a greatest hits compilation. The interludes are a nice little touch to help with smooth song transitions. Really love this as a whole package!
Gang Starr
3/5
Never heard of these guys or any of these songs, but this was pretty funky fresh!
Tom Waits
5/5
As this album progressed, I went on a journey from “What the hell is this?” to “Ok, I kinda dig it, it’s getting better” to “I think I love him.”
Rush
3/5
Rush just doesn’t give me a rush but this was fine for what it was. Didn’t love it, didn’t dislike it.
Def Leppard
3/5
I was a big Def Leppard fan in my youth, so their music is nostalgic for me. A few fun hits on here, and definitely love me some Photograph, but overall this just sounds like any other 80s hair band now.
Slipknot
2/5
I know some people really connect with this type of music but I am not one of them. This could not be further from my vibe. The lead singer’s over the top vocals sound ridic to me. But at least overall it sounds like music I guess. And the other guy’s vocals are ok sometimes. Or maybe it’s the same guy changing his voice. I don’t know.
Johnny Cash
4/5
It’s pretty cool he decided to bring a small amount of joy to prisoners’ lives by performing for them, and even taking their requests as he played. I’m sure it was a very special experience. Fun show!
Ella Fitzgerald
4/5
I really enjoy Ella Fitzgerald, and this was a very lovely listening experience. She’s pretty awesome. Total Sunday morning soundtrack. In the context of this project and my general attention span however, it’s soooo long. I listened to the whole thing, but it started to feel like a slog. Some really great songs on here though!
Crowded House
4/5
The first song felt very fat shamey, which set a weird offensive tone at the start of the album. That song aside, I really enjoyed a lot of the songs on this, especially the last several. It felt interesting and reflective and was pretty catchy too.
Nirvana
5/5
Iconic. What a great show and fun throwback to MTV in its prime.
The Kinks
5/5
Really impressed by this album. Love the nostalgia in a lot of the songs, and the desire to hold on to their upbringing and culture. There’s something very genuine feeling about it all. Super fun and catchy and lovely.
Venom
3/5
Maybe my expectations were just way low, but this wasn’t as bad as I was anticipating. Definitely not my genre, but they rock out pretty hard in some of these songs, and it wasn’t as over the top as some of the metal albums I have a hard time even getting through. Lots of serious guitar shredding!
The Stooges
3/5
We Will Fall seemed unnecessarily long. I dug the first couple songs and like the instrumentation but overall it felt middle of the road for me.
Dire Straits
5/5
This starts off with some serious hits! A bangin’ beginning. It’s practically a 5 with just those three songs. It gets deeper and more reflective after the first few tracks, but I really enjoyed the lesser known songs too. Each one takes you on a magical little musical journey. Love!
Nina Simone
3/5
I’m torn on this one. I love her voice and the drama and beauty she brings to her music. She makes even the slowest songs feel very alive. But a lot of this was so slow that it’s not something I’d choose to listen to very often. She is super cool though.
The National
3/5
This album was ok. I didn’t dislike it but it was a little depressing, and not in a way that emotionally moved me.
Fats Domino
4/5
I was a little confused about what to listen to. The Spotify link was a compilation list, and I found an album on YouTube called This is Fats that was different than the Spotify link…but regardless, totally dig him, and his influence seems to be incredibly far reaching.
The Temptations
4/5
Super funky grooves! I’m into it.
Brian Eno
4/5
As someone with moderate flying anxiety, I appreciate that he made something designed to calm the airport/flying experience. Super cool that it’s known for sort of creating the ambient genre. Not an album I’d crank up in the car on a road trip, but it’s very pretty and soothing for what it’s intended to be.
William Orbit
4/5
I really dig the vibe of this. It’s ambient but funky. Great chill music. It’s something I would’ve listened to in college for sure. I’m surprised I didn’t know of this group then.
Pixies
5/5
I’ve listened to this album a couple times recently, and after today’s listen, I have to say…this album RAWKS. So many awesome songs. It’s fun and different and makes my pants want to get up and dance.
Quicksilver Messenger Service
3/5
They put a lot of heart into their jams. I can put my inner flower child at their show pretty easily, swaying to the psychedelic sounds. That said, I got a little bored with some of the jams too.
Screaming Trees
3/5
This was one of those muffled vocals albums that I struggle with. It was fine, there was nothing I necessarily disliked, but it was mostly forgettable and nothing grabbed me.
Kate Bush
3/5
Running Up That Hill has become an iconic song, and I liked a couple of the other earlier tracks too, but this got weirder and weirder as the album went on.
Dire Straits
3/5
I like the vibe of this album. It’s smooth and funky and kinda sexy. It didn’t wow me, but I enjoyed it.
Black Sabbath
3/5
I’ve never explored Black Sabbath beyond their hits. For being in the heavy metal genre, it had a lot more diversity than I expected. I enjoyed it but it was also a little weird.
My Bloody Valentine
2/5
Didn’t love the last album by them but went into this one with a totally open mind, and again, I just don’t get it. It’s like there’s a fuzz over everything and it kind of ruins the listening experience for me. I want to like them, but ugh.
Willie Nelson
4/5
This was super beautiful…not sure how it was influential since it’s an album of covers, but I enjoyed the Willie croons regardless.
T. Rex
4/5
Super fun album! I enjoyed grooving along to it. It’s lively and made me happy to listen to.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
5/5
It took me until disc 2 to realize he totally reminds me of Neil Diamond, not only in singing style/voice, but Neil also has some super weird songs mixed with more classic Neil jams. It’s almost like a variety show with the range of different tracks. Really enjoyed the backup vocals when they’re present. This grew on me a lot. Kinda love it.
Ramblin' Jack Elliott
3/5
Despite being born into a Jewish doctor’s family in Brooklyn, this man sure seems to have the heart of a cowboy. He apparently had a huge impact on Arlo Guthrie and Bob Dylan, which is pretty neat considering I had no idea who he was. This album is a little strange and the song about bugs made me laugh, but I appreciate the old timey vibe and the creativity. He should leave the yodeling to the Swiss though.
R.E.M.
4/5
Really enjoyed this, especially the lyrics. It’s not quite of the same caliber as Automatic for the People, it didn’t have the same deeply emotional energy to me, but still great stuff!
Spiritualized
4/5
The first song is so freaking beautiful 😭 I dug this album overall. It was kind of all over the place, from slow and dreamy pieces to songs they just sort of banged all the instruments to. Felt pretty cohesive despite that, and I liked the emotion of it. Interesting stuff!
Tracy Chapman
5/5
This album is fantastic. She is an amazing writer and her voice is truly one of a kind. Love the social and racial messages too.
David Bowie
4/5
I enjoyed this. He’s got such a cool and sexy sound and almost an effortless quality to the emotion he evokes. Apparently he was super coked up during these recordings, so maybe that helped.
Bruce Springsteen
5/5
The emotions run deep in this album, and so do the layers of sound. I kinda love Bruce and the storytelling in his songs. There’s a comforting nostalgia to his style of rock and roll. I dig it!
Sufjan Stevens
5/5
I’m feeling the Illinoise! Let’s face it, Illinois doesn’t get a lot of love, so the fact that this entire album is inspired by it just warms my little heart all up. I was pretty familiar with the album already thanks to my cousin, and we even saw him live around the time of this album. I’d forgotten how beautiful it is. So many of the songs just keep building into these orchestral feeling masterpieces. There’s kind of a magical quality to it. Love!
Talvin Singh
3/5
I love the concept behind this album, and I feel like he’s successfully blended various world music in a really interesting way. Kind of a little journey around the planet. It didn’t connect with me in a very deep way, but I enjoyed all the different sounds.
Deep Purple
3/5
This album is pretty rockin. I appreciate their style of rock. Child in Time and Flight of the Rat were my faves. Not something I’d really come back to, but glad I’ve heard it!
Kendrick Lamar
4/5
Kendrick is such a talented writer and rapper, and this really feels like a complete album and not just a bunch of songs that sort of go together. Love his depth and his creativity.
Belle & Sebastian
3/5
This was a feel good indie album for a Sunday morning. I didn’t realize these guys have been around for so long. Love the horns, those remind me of Sufjan’s music. It’s a vibe. Listened to it twice in a row, and that was starting to feel like a bit much. Maybe they are best in smaller doses.
T. Rex
5/5
This was a really great album. Thoroughly enjoyed! It’s catchy and groovy and cool, and it feels different and fresh for that era.
2/5
I didn’t care for this, it was a little too strange for me. I appreciate the conceptual aspect, and it does hang together as a complete creepy forest feeling album, but was ready for it to be over after a couple songs.
Echo And The Bunnymen
3/5
This was solidly in the middle for me. Had a cool new wave vibe and it was a pleasant listen, but nothing wowed me and I got a little bored with it.
Paul McCartney
3/5
It was cool to hear Paul’s first solo album and learn the story behind it. I’m sure it was a wild time with the Beatles breaking up. It felt a bit disjointed but it was pretty decent for being so lo-fi.
The Who
3/5
This got better towards the end, but I found the beginning kind of dull.
Patti Smith
4/5
This album was pretty great. I love her voice and her energy and the music is cool and creative.
David Bowie
3/5
The first half of this was pretty cool and funky. Then things went super ambient, which I didn’t mind, but it felt like two different albums. Sounds like he was really going through it at the time with trying to get sober, and this was sort of a mish mash of his experimentations in the face of all that. Cool grooves overall!
George Harrison
3/5
If this album was just disc 1, it would be an easy 4. Then disc 2 fell more into 3 territory. The Apple Jams of disc 3 really went off the rails to a 2. Just had McCartney’s first solo album, and now Harrison’s. It’s really interesting to hear their individual musical styles coming off such massive Beatles superstardom.
4/5
I love hearing old timey country through a woman’s lens. She’s pretty great. Her songs have a fun energy and totally dig her voice. This has a comforting nostalgic vibe, despite all the drunkenness, cheating and heartache.
Happy Mondays
4/5
This album was a pleasant surprise. Never heard of these guys and I was intrigued when I saw Paul Oakenfold had a part in this production. I assumed it would be more heavily electronica than it was. I enjoyed the funky grooves. Great vibes!
The Beta Band
3/5
This was interesting and quirky. I enjoyed the uniqueness. Fave songs were the first couple and the last. Some of the other tracks sort of blended together and sounded very similar, but overall, cool and chill.
Bon Jovi
4/5
Well this was quite nostalgic. This was the first “official” album I ever owned on cassette tape and I was so damn proud of this thing, lol. Was fun to hear the lesser known songs again. It’s probably been almost 35 years. Wowza. Lots of classics on here, but aside from the tried and true, it’s not THAT outstanding of an album. It still has plenty of the typical hair band sound. Want to give it a 5 just because of my connection to it, but musically I gotta knock it down a star.
Kid Rock
1/5
I’ve never wanted to listen to an album less, but I am committed to this project. Kid Rock is a POS, but in a quest to separate the art from the artist as much as I can, this does have some catchy tunes on it. Definitely remember a lot of them from back in the day. However, there’s also a lot of gross misogyny and it’s just generally over the top. It started making me angry as it went on, especially towards the end. And if I have to keep my car windows rolled up while driving because I’m too embarrassed to be listening to someone, that’s also problematic. Fuck Off, Kid.
Bob Dylan
4/5
This was pretty great. I enjoyed the depth of the lyrics and a couple killer classics on here too. I continue to swoon for the harmonica.
Talking Heads
4/5
This is a pretty special album. Great year too. It’s fresh and funky and even some of the songs that start off “just ok” have fun little surprises to them as the songs go on. There were a few songs in the middle that didn’t draw me in as much, but super solid overall. Love the Talking Heads!
Culture Club
3/5
Karma Chameleon is such an 80s staple, and I was hoping this album would just knock my slouchy socks off. My socks stayed in tact, but it was still catchy and fun and got better on the second listen.
Elvis Presley
4/5
Wow, Elvis’s first album. Pretty cool to hear where it all began for him! I enjoyed this, it was a fun blend of rock and ballads. What a time it must have been when this type of music hit the mainstream. And while it sucks that it took a white man to make the music of black artists so popular at the time, I appreciate that he acknowledged their influence and didn’t actually consider himself king. Thanks for rocking and rolling, Elvis!
Linkin Park
4/5
He was really going through it. I hate that he had a childhood that messed him up so badly, but he made some pretty kickass music from his trauma. These songs are deeply emotional and angry, and the anger is kind of beautiful. A lot of the songs sound pretty similar and almost formulaic, but I really like how they’re composed. A little more variety would’ve been cool though, and I needed a break after a first listen. I like a lot of the songs individually, but listening to the whole album at once got pretty depressing. It’s a heavy one. RIP to another tortured soul.
Sam Cooke
5/5
This show is so incredible it brought tears to my eyes. His energy is big and bright and infectious, and his songs are just fun. Amazing voice and sounds too. Loved it all! Easy 5!
The Saints
4/5
This is some of the better 70s punk I’ve heard. These Australians are pretty rockin!
The Stooges
3/5
Super confused about what to listen to here. Bowie and Iggy both have versions they mixed? Then there’s a four disc version with a live version of the album and then some other rando songs? I went with the Iggy version for my review. Anyway, it was pretty good. Had some rockin grooves. Nothing super wowed me, but it was cool enough. Kind of forgettable though.
A Tribe Called Quest
5/5
Damn, this was really great. Love the funky beats and lyrics and storytelling. I’m a sucker for samples, and I love how they weave them in so seamlessly. I dig the chill and positive vibe of it too. Super impressed by this!
Killing Joke
3/5
I appreciate the message in their lyrics, and this album grew on me as it went on. It rocked pretty hard. Post punk has been one of my lowest rated genres to date, but this might actually be my favorite album so far in that category. That’s not really saying much, but it wasn’t bad!
George Jones
4/5
I liked this album a lot. There’s something about old country that’s comforting and nostalgic, even though I don’t have specific memories associated with it. His voice was soothing, and the music was just really nice to listen to.
Skunk Anansie
5/5
Wow, what a great freaking album. Really dig the lead singer’s voice and the emotion and passion she injects into these songs. It felt very deep and genuine. I had no prior knowledge of this band, which always makes me a little wary, so it was a wonderful surprise to enjoy it so much. Love the blend of rocking out hard and soulful ballads. Gives me all the feels!
The Cars
5/5
This starts off with some hits! I like The Cars, they have a super classic vibe but with a sound that still feels unique to them. Moving in Stereo is my fave on here, but lots of great tunes. Super solid album from start to finish. Quite a debut!
Eminem
3/5
I know his lyrics can be ridic, but I’m an Eminem fan. He’s such a talented rapper and I love that he doesn’t give a fuck. I don’t like this album as much as The Eminem Show though. It doesn’t have the same lighthearted catchy vibes that kind of soften the problematic things he sings about. This one feels a lot darker.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
I love Bob Marley. He sings of deep cultural experiences and his reggae is perfect for campfires, weed and straight chillin. He has a calming effect on my human spirit, and he really is pure Jamaica. Thanks for the great tunes, Bob.
Black Sabbath
3/5
This was fine, but it kind of bored me.
Joe Ely
3/5
I dig some older honky tonk, as I’ve discovered through this project, but this album didn’t do a lot for me. Feels like it’s missing the soulfulness of a Waylon or a Willie or a Loretta. It felt a little generic to me compared to the legends. It was perfectly pleasant and had a decent energy, but something was missing.
Cyndi Lauper
5/5
This album is effing awesome! Totally 80s, totally Cyndi, and totally perfect. Every song pretty much kicks ass. Love love love.
Beatles
5/5
The Beatles have a lot of masterpieces, and this is definitely one of them. It’s obviously iconic and for good reason. They were close to the end, and this is such a great example of how they evolved as a band and as people over the course of their time together. It feels like a culmination of their journey from bubble gum boy band to trippy acid hippies to this more mature and sophisticated sound. It’s deep and emotional, and musically, it’s pretty damn amazing.
The Cure
3/5
I guess maybe I don’t like The Cure as much as I thought. The hits on this are great, and I enjoyed some of the earlier songs, but this felt like it got worse as it went on. I dunno. The songs are long and drawn out and all start to sound the same. It’s ok.
Manu Chao
4/5
This was a fun chill vibe. I liked it!
Peter Frampton
4/5
This is a great show. Big fan of the hits, especially the closer. I wasn’t super wowed by the rest but still super solid. He can play a guitar.
The Who
3/5
This was a good debut album. Some fun tracks in here, feels very 60s, even got a Beatles vibe here and there.
The Beau Brummels
4/5
Well this was fun and interesting. Feels pretty creative and innovative for its time. I like the psychedelic aspect, it adds a lot of character without being over the top. And I do hear Bob Dylan in him. Good stuff!
Talking Heads
3/5
I had higher hopes for this. There is far stronger Talking Heads music. Almost feels like abstract art.
Jah Wobble's Invaders Of The Heart
4/5
This is very original. I like the world music aspect, and just the overall variety and creativity. There’s a lot of talent in these compositions, and I love that Sinead is in the first song. I especially liked Ungodly Kingdom too.
Pink Floyd
5/5
I love this so much. Crazy Diamond is just perfect and beautiful. The whole album is a work of art and makes me cry. Pink Floyd is timeless, and there is really nobody else like them.
Duran Duran
4/5
This was super 80s and super fun.
Slayer
2/5
Well. At least that’s out of the way.
Portishead
4/5
One of my college roommates had this album, and after listening today, I’m assuming it was just on repeat in our apartment because I know the whole thing pretty well. It’s chill and slow, but has a lot of beauty and emotion in its pace. Also feels different and cool for that time. I enjoyed it!
The Birthday Party
1/5
I know I’m generalizing here, but was the post-punk movement basically an excuse to just make a bunch of weird noise and call it music? I consistently feel this way about post-punk albums in this project. And this is Nick Cave?? I gave his last album a 5, and this was a wildly different experience. Yuck.
Ute Lemper
2/5
This feels very avant garde and also like the soundtrack to an overly dramatic musical. Not that either is necessarily a bad thing. But this was pretty tough to listen to, and I will definitely never make the choice to listen again.
New Order
3/5
I like New Order’s vibe. Nothing super duper grabbed me on this particular album, but it was a fun and groovin’ listen.
Pixies
4/5
This album was rockin…becoming quite a Pixies fan through this project. Didn’t love this one as much as Doolittle but still super solid.
Björk
4/5
This was a cool album. I love the variety of instruments and types of songs too. I gravitate more towards the dancy ones, they are super fun, but the slow songs are unique and interesting too. Overall pretty great!
Teenage Fanclub
4/5
This was super fun! It was catchy and rockin’ and I was already singing along to some of the songs on first listen. Great vibes, really liked it.
Jimi Hendrix
3/5
This was a little bit of a hot mess in my opinion. It’s still Jimi Hendrix, and he’s still a cool cat, but if felt too chaotic to really get into.
Turbonegro
4/5
I kinda dug the garage rockin’ vibes of this one. They don’t seem to take themselves too seriously, which makes it more fun. However, they do seem to be confused about their relationship with the derrière. Are we rendezvousing with it or rocking against it? Either way, this was better than I expected!
Youssou N'Dour
3/5
This was some cool African jamming. I liked the second song a lot. Overall, I got a little bored with it, but it was super chill good vibes.
Air
4/5
I recognize some of these songs, kind of a blast from the past. The album is really beautiful and complex … deep and rich. It’s also super chill and dreamy. Feels like something you could really get lost in. Kinda loved it.
Eminem
4/5
Ok this is better than the Marshall Mathers LP. He’s still totally inappropriate and misogynistic, but it’s less angry/dark and just way more likable and lighthearted. Also like the early Dr. Dre appearances, and the overall creativity. Can’t help it, I’m a stan.
The Byrds
4/5
I really liked the classic rock blended with old country vibes of this. Great road trip music!
Super Furry Animals
4/5
Not really sure how to categorize this music, but it was both chill and rockin’ and I dug it!
Neil Young
3/5
Neil Young has a voice that can get a bit grating after awhile, but overall, I thought this was pretty good. A few quality classics on here, and gotta love the harmonica. Though I like Dylan’s harmonica sounds a little better. Super chill vibes. The one song I really didn’t care for was A Man Needs a Maid.
Sepultura
2/5
Ugh, I really don’t like this type of music. Even if it has deeper meaning in the lyrics and decent instrumentation, I can’t get past the loud noise and yelling. I do appreciate the few tracks that were more tribal and not metal. The things this project is doing to my Spotify algorithm, lol. Can we be done with nu metal now?
David Bowie
4/5
This is easily my favorite Bowie album so far in this project. Love the musical compositions and lyrics and emotions. I like that the piano is featured in a lot of it, and the layers it adds. Just a quality album overall, and feels very David Bowie!
The Human League
3/5
This is SO 80s. Definitely makes me want to dance. Do or Die felt like running through a happy video game. I didn’t care for a few of the songs, but it was overall a pretty fun time!
Dr. Dre
5/5
I love Dre and Snoop together. I know there are misogynistic lyrics, but this is just such a well done, storytelling kind of album, and there’s more depth than just bitches and hoes. And being openly horny was very fashionable in the 90s anyway. Nuthin But a G Thang is such a party. The $20 Sack Pyramid is hilarious. This album is pretty epic. I’m a fan!
Aretha Franklin
5/5
This album is excellent. The queen of soul definitely brings the soul. The whole thing is pretty flawless. Easy 5!
Penguin Cafe Orchestra
3/5
This was interesting and pretty. Nothing I’d listen to again, but I appreciate the talent and creativity.
Coldplay
3/5
I can never quite decide how I feel about Coldplay. I want to feel the emotion he’s feeling but can’t quite get there, and I’m not sure why. Maybe it’s because his voice isn’t my favorite, maybe there’s just something that feels too manufactured about it. It’s fine music, it just doesn’t hit my soul like I want it to. I do like Yellow a lot, and Shiver was a nice surprise. Overall don’t love it though.
Miles Davis
3/5
This had some cool sounds, the trumpet is great, and I like how it’s mixed, but jazz continues to bore me. And because of the electronic influence, it almost feels like a more boring form of jazz.
Elton John
4/5
This was quality Elton. The first couple are solid classics and I also really liked Indian Sunset and Holiday Inn. Didn’t quite reach 5 territory, but I love learning more of his lesser known works. So much talent between him and his lyricist.
The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy
4/5
This is a great reminder that the more things change, the more they stay the same. So many of these lyrics could’ve been written today. Love the depth and everything he’s standing up for. The problems he describes in society are very on point. I like all the real sound bites he uses from the news and such too. And this is Michael Franti, wow! Had no idea about his earlier career. I’ve never heard of this before. It felt a little lacking musically, but the lyrics were really the star here.
Little Richard
5/5
Loved this. So much fun energy and hard to find any flaws. Just a boppin’ great time!
Janelle Monáe
5/5
Wow. The sounds in this are so rich it almost feels decadent. It’s creative and sexy and just super freaking cool. Love love love.
Pere Ubu
2/5
A couple of the earlier tracks were tolerable, and this wasn’t awful overall. It had some interesting variety and creativity, but it’s not my thing.
David Bowie
3/5
This album started off great! First track was a banger, Heroes is a total classic, and I mostly enjoyed the first half of the album. But what the hell with a few of the second half songs. It came back around with the final track, but he really wandered off into a weird, ambient forest after V-2 Schneider in a way that felt totally disconnected from the rest of the album.
Sonic Youth
2/5
This was pretty creative, but also kind of weird. Goes a little too much into the experimental world for me. There wasn't anything I felt I could really grab onto, and some of it was just too noisy.
Pink Floyd
5/5
This album is incredibly nostalgic for me, and I haven't listened to it in a really long time. At some point in my 20s, Pink Floyd started to feel like a downer. I haven't avoided them, but I haven't sought them out all that much in the last twenty years. Revisiting The Wall now, it is an absolute freaking masterpiece. The narrative is dark, but it has an incredibly rich tapestry of sound, and it's such an intentionally crafted storybook. I could not get enough of listening to this today, and I loved that it was long because I didn't want it to end. On top of all that, any album that gives me chills and makes me cry multiple times is an easy 5! Also, watch their Live in Berlin 1990 show if you somehow haven't like me before today, played at the site of the recently demolished Berlin Wall, with so many awesome guest stars. Bonkers and mind blowing.
Steve Winwood
3/5
Really like While You See a Chance, such a good message that gives me the warm and fuzzies. The rest of the album was pleasant enough, and it's impressive he played all the instruments, but nothing really measured up to the first track. I did like Slowdown-Sundown. Hits tend to be hits for a reason, and that stands true with this one. But it was a nice listen!
ABBA
5/5
What's not to love about Abba? This is just feel good music that makes me smile. Obviously Dancing Queen and Fernando are iconic, and Happy Hawaii was my favorite surprise on the album. When I Kissed the Teacher lyrics were cringe, but whatevs, it was the 70s and she had a crush on her teacher, and the song is super fun.
3/5
Never heard of these guys. This was a cool enough album, it feels very of its time. Street Worm and Morning Will Come were particularly rockin' tunes. I dug it.
4/5
This album was super funky and cool. I love the variety of instrumentation. Really like The Cisco Kid, Where Was You At, The World is a Ghetto, Beetles in the Bog. City, Country, City was a fun enough jam session, but that one went on too long for my taste. Overall really quality music.
Cream
4/5
This is such quintessential 70s psychedelic rock. Sunshine of Your Love is a solid classic, and Tales of Brave Ulysses and Take it Back (that harmonica, man) are my favorite tracks on here. Curious about what they were on when they wrote Mother's Lament, lol. Love the overall vibes and how the album transports me into an era of history I didn't experience, but can totally feel through the music.
Tricky
3/5
I like the super chill vibes of this, feels a lot like Portishead, and they even share one of the same samples. That being said, I don't have the same memories/nostalgia attached to this as I do to Portishead, and I did get a little bored with the pace of things. My favorites were the two faster songs, Black Street and Brand New You're Retro, because the tempo was more interesting to me. Suffocated Love was pretty good too, and overall I enjoyed the sexy coolness of the whole thing.
Queens of the Stone Age
2/5
This really lacked any kind of personality for me. Felt like underwhelming, bland garage rock. And I could barely understand any of the lyrics. Not a fan.
Jeff Buckley
4/5
So much tragedy that befell Jeff and his bio dad Tim. This album is beautiful, and it feels like it could've been the beginning of an incredible music career. He plays and sings with a lot of heart and soul. His voice is captivating, and his Hallelujah cover is pretty mind-blowing.
Foo Fighters
4/5
Love me some Dave Grohl and the Foo Fiighters. Just a cool, grungy rock and roll album with some great hits on it. Fave song I didn’t know well was Floaty.
Can
3/5
This was cooler than I was expecting. Nice chill vibes and interesting sounds. Really liked Moonshake.
Milton Nascimento
3/5
This was a really pretty album, nice Sunday morning listening.
Metallica
2/5
This sounds like the same song on repeat. And why are the songs so long. Tough one to get through.
Rod Stewart
3/5
My favorite part of this album was his Amazing Grace cover at the end of That's All Right. I wish he would've done that as a separate song instead of at the end of a song I didn't really care for. Overall, it was fine, but I'm not sure I'm much of a Rod Stewart fan. I don't love his voice. I like (Find A) Reason to Believe, not a huge fan of Maggie May. I'm definitely failing to understand how he had the highest attended concert in all of human history. It wasn't an unpleasant album, it was just kind of average to me.
Machito
3/5
I would really enjoy this at a jazz club in Cuba.
Franz Ferdinand
4/5
Love the energy! Their music is pretty infectious. Take Me Out has been a fave tune of mine for a long time and I was vaguely familiar with a couple others, but the album as a whole was new to me. They really rock it out from start to finish.
Marvin Gaye
3/5
Sexy and cool, I like his voice and his vibe but it all kinda sounded the same.
Spiritualized
2/5
This would be fine music to fall asleep to. That being said, this was boring and made me sleepy.
Mylo
2/5
I guess his thing is that he samples stuff, which I am all for, but he doesn’t do it very well. His samples are just way too repetitive.
3/5
The Kinks have a kooky fun vibe, and I dig their sound and their energy. Appreciate the conceptual aspect, though it made it feel a little more like a storybook than a music album. Good times though!
Manic Street Preachers
3/5
I didn't know anything about this band or Richey Edwards before today. He was going through a next level tortured existence. The story of his disappearance is pretty wild. While suicide by drowning is the most obvious and probable outcome, I like to think he disappeared into obscurity and somehow escaped his demons. As far as the album goes, I didn't really know what to expect, but it was actually pretty good. The political topics and mental health themes were solid (though I couldn’t really understand the lyrics so I followed along with some of them on the app), and it wasn't over the top musically. I liked how they started some of the songs with different snippets to set up the theme of each track too. Not too shabby at all!
Suzanne Vega
2/5
Whoa. I was JUST having a conversation about her with a friend yesterday, and this album popped up today. Kinda wild! Anyway, my main memory from Suzanne Vega from the 80s is the Luka song (and its video that used to play a lot on Friday Night Videos). I felt so sad for Luka on the second floor. So I always associated her with sadness and this album fit right in with that melancholy vibe. She has a pretty voice and the songs were cool enough, but nothing was very catchy and it was a lot of spoken word. It’s not something I would listen to again because it’s kind of a downer.
Coldcut
4/5
This is a funky fresh dance party! And sampling that's actually done well. It's a shame it's not on Spotify because I'd like to add a few of these tracks to my playlists. Stop This Crazy Thing was my favorite.
Paul McCartney and Wings
5/5
Wow, this album is really damn good. So many interesting change ups, and the layers of instrumentation and vocals make for such a rich sound. It has great energy and diversity in sound too. Love the saxophone! I've never dug into Paul's solo work so wasn't entirely sure what to expect outside of the hits, but this whole thing was pretty spectacular to me. New-to-me songs I especially loved are Mrs Vandebilt and Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Five.
The White Stripes
4/5
This was a fun listen, lots of good rock songs.
Mekons
5/5
I kinda love the country / punk rock fusion and also how obviously British they are. Totally dig the fiddle too. Though a bit strange and a little messy and chaotic at times, it all just works somehow. I’m a fan!
Stevie Wonder
5/5
I've heard so many great things about this album, so was very excited to see it pop up today! It has kind of a magical quality to it, I think in part because of his soothing silky voice, and also the almost ethereal way the songs are composed. It's also a really nice blend of beautiful love songs, musings on life, and important racial and political issues. Stevie is one of a kind.
Tears For Fears
5/5
I love all the hits on this album, and the rest of it was pretty interesting too. It's kind of broody and introspective, but with totally radical, totally 80s new wave vibes. Had a great time listening, it's aged like a fine wine!
The Darkness
5/5
This album is rockin! I was hopeful when I saw it was British glam rock, and it did not disappoint. Great energy, a lot of super catchy, rock ‘n roll jams, and seemingly heartfelt emotions. This whole thing feels like a story about the rise and fall of love and sex and relationships. So that was an interesting thread throughout it too. I was familiar with I Believe in a Thing Called Love, which is a great song, but the rest was new to me. Really enjoyed this!
Todd Rundgren
3/5
This started off as quintessential 70s easy listening, but there was a lot of variety in style as the album went on. It's impressive he pretty much recorded all of this himself. He's incredibly talented, and I like his voice and his vibe. The little behind the scenes moments were kind of cute too. As a double album without a unifying central concept, it does feel long and drags a bit though, and I found myself getting pretty bored in a lot of places.
ZZ Top
2/5
I'm not sure what it is about this album I don't care for. Despite there being several hits on here, the whole thing just feels kind of boring and uninspired to me. Even the hits are kinda meh. Sharp Dressed Man is ok, and I kind of liked I Got the Six. Otherwise, this is a pass for me.
Fleetwood Mac
5/5
I love Fleetwood Mac. There’s something so comforting about them. I didn’t know most of the songs on this album, and it probably isn’t top-tier Fleetwood Mac, but they can kind of do no wrong in my eyes. It was all very beautiful to me. I love Stevie’s voice so much, and Christine and Lindsey have incredible vocals too. They are such a special and absolutely one of a kind band.
Frank Sinatra
3/5
Frank Sinatra has a gorgeous voice and the songs are beautifully composed. This was good Sunday morning music, but nothing really grabbed me and made me want more. A nice listen but probably won’t return to it.
The Black Keys
4/5
Tighten Up and Howlin' for You have been regulars on my personal playlists for so long that I'm almost tired of them at this point, lol. I really liked the Black Keys when they arrived on the scene, I dug their unique sound and catchy beats. I'm a little more so-so on them now, I feel like I've somehow outgrown them a little. This is still a solid album though. Everlasting Light and The Only One are my two faves on here. It does all start to sound a bit samesy as it goes on, and some of the slower songs where he's talking more than singing get a bit dry, but it was an enjoyable listen overall!
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
4/5
This is the kind of chaos that feels appropriate for Election Day. This is messy and raw and weird, but I'm not mad at it. I like how hard she rocks.
Pentangle
2/5
Not sure how I'd feel about this album on any other day, but today sucks. And this album wasn’t my vibe. It wasn’t horrible though.
The Mothers Of Invention
3/5
This was … interesting. Some of it was just really weird, but then songs like Wowie Zowie and Anyway the Wind Blows were fun. Go Cry on Somebody Else's shoulder was funny with the sock hop vibe. Trouble Every Day sadly hits home still today. Help, I'm a Rock and It Can't Happen Here were way bizarre. As was the last track, which also felt unnecessarily long so they could fill up the end of the record, but probably they were just enjoying jamming and being weird. Is cream cheese a metaphor for something that also involves an orgy in the jungle? The album intrigued me enough to give it a full second listen once I got a feel for what it was all about. Its weirdness did grow on me a bit.
Janis Joplin
4/5
She sings with pretty much every fiber of her being. Such a soulful rock star. Love the hits on this so much. The rest didn’t draw me in QUITE as much as I was hoping for, but it was still great.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
This is the first full RS album I think I’ve ever listened to. I really liked all the instruments in it, but the vocals were kind of weird to me. It was hard to understand a lot of them and they got kinda lost sometimes. The first half of the album was super solid, the second half had a “is this over yet?” vibe. Stuck between a 3 and 4.
Tim Buckley
2/5
Lots of emotion here, it's pretty but also kind of depressing. This isn't something I'd ever put on unless I just wanted to feel sad. And even then, I'm sure there are plenty of sad albums I'd enjoy more. If I'd found just one song to add to my playlist, I might give it a 3, but I didn't.
U2
5/5
U2 has a sound that's all their own. This doesn't feel like it came out of the 80s. Really loved it...deep, impactful lyrics, emotional vocals, rockin' instruments. It hit me in my feels. Enjoyed every song.
Frank Sinatra
3/5
I like this, it's such an old-timey vibe, and would be great music for a hipster retro Sunday mimosa brunch party. Frank has a beautiful voice, and I like the band too, but this just isn't music I can relate to very much. It feels so far away in time. There's no edge to it. There's no commentary on society. It’s lacking depth and emotion. It's almost too perfect and happy. So while I appreciate the vibe and the vocals and the sounds, there's a disconnect that's hard to get past.
Kate Bush
5/5
Wow. This album was really powerful and beautiful. So many layers of sound and emotion. I was so-so on her last album, but this one kind of knocked my socks off. I got very immersed in the soul of it. I like how a lot of the tracks built as they went on. The first and last tracks were my faves, but so many great ones in between too.
The Waterboys
5/5
Love their sound! They would be so fun to see live. The blend of rock and country, Irish and Scottish...it all just works. And there's something about Irish music that makes me feel warm and fuzzy in general. There are so many great songs, hard to pick a favorite. Meet Me at the Station is awesome. World Party is super fun. The Stolen Child is really beautiful. LOVE the sax in You in the Sky. Easy 5 for me.
OutKast
5/5
Love this album so much! I was familiar with a lot of it, but if I've heard the whole thing at some point, it's been a very long time. Anyway, Andre and Big Boi are both awesome, and they jive so well together. This album is creative and catchy and diverse in sound and topics and feels like such a complete piece of art. Bombs Over Baghdad has been one of fave songs for years. Special shout-out to the Kim & Cookie Interlude, cracks me up. So much talent in these guys!! There should be a special category for albums that are 6/5.
The Notorious B.I.G.
3/5
This was ok. Not bad, but a lot of bitches and hoes with less meaningful songs to balance that out. And I could’ve done without the sex SFX, especially at the end of the reggae song, which I rather liked until the end. Also hard to listen to those sounds knowing how much Puffy was involved in this album. Anyway. There’s a reason I’m west side apparently. Give me Tupac!
Slipknot
1/5
This immediately made me want to turn it off. But nevertheless, I persisted. It's violent and ridiculous and I cannot relate to this level of anger and rage. Me no likey.
Van Halen
4/5
This album is super fun. Lots of guitar shredding. Love Jump and its intro, and there are a few other rockin’ classics on here too. The non-hits kinda lost me, but overall it was a good time.
Songhoy Blues
3/5
It's hard to imagine being forced to flee your home and start a new life. It's amazing they channeled their story into something beautiful and positive and continued to spread the sounds of their roots. Kinda dig the Mali blues!
Nitin Sawhney
3/5
I thought this would feel darker based on the description, but it's actually super pretty and chill despite its theme.
X-Ray Spex
4/5
I liked the old school punk of all this, and especially loved the sax. The added layer of sound brought some fun and funk. Recording quality isn't great, but overall I quite enjoyed this!
David Crosby
2/5
This album was nice and chill but also confusing. It didn't seem to have a concept or direction, and overall, it just felt too restrained. And it was kind of a snooze fest. And what the heck with that ending.
Al Green
4/5
This was really great. I love his voice and vibe.
The xx
2/5
I like xx’s earlier album (xx) much better than this one. This one feels like one big relationship drama broken out into individual songs. The songs are pretty and well composed, but just kinda feels over the top and sappy and like a lot of the same thing over and over.
The Fall
3/5
Feeling middle of the road with this one. It was fun and fine.
LCD Soundsystem
4/5
This album was pretty familiar to me, apparently I listened to it plenty at some point! I really like it, it has its own unique spin on electronic music. A lot of fun and interesting sounds they play with, and good lyrics too. Had a great time listening again.
The United States Of America
3/5
Dangit, I had a whole rather long review written out that didn't save. Sigh. The summary: this was bizarre but I kind of liked it. The end.
The Police
5/5
This album is pretty flawless, aside from the unfortunate Mother song. What the hell is that? Feels very out of place, but the rest makes up for it. King of Pain is one of my favorite songs ever. So many other great hits (including the stalker song!) and non-hits on here too. Love love love.
Holger Czukay
3/5
This was pretty cool listening. I was vibing with it.
Dusty Springfield
4/5
This was pretty great. Not sure which songs are covers and which are originals but she does them all well and lots of fun old hits!
Sonic Youth
2/5
My hearing is starting to decline a tad as I age, and this felt like it amplified that muffled feeling I get sometimes. And that was very distracting and made this music hard to get into. Also just didn’t like it that much.
Johnny Cash
5/5
Usually an album of mostly covers gets a little extra scrutiny in the context of this project, but this is pretty incredible. It’s just so good and he really makes these songs his own while feeling like he’s honoring and celebrating each one. The collaborations with other singers is super special too. Love it so much.
Bruce Springsteen
5/5
So many classics on this, plus Springsteen's butt! What's not to love? I’m a sucker for his Americana rock ‘n roll.
Einstürzende Neubauten
1/5
If the contents of a garbage truck formed a band and decided only the least talented among them would get to play and sing, this is what I imagine it would sound like. I suppose it could always be worse, but yikes.
TV On The Radio
3/5
This was ok. Kinda liked the vibe when it started, but nothing really grabbed me and it felt largely forgettable.
New Order
3/5
I wanted to like this more, and listened to it multiple times in hopes of that happening. But it just kinda sounds like the same thing over and over, without any particularly catchy tunes. It’s still New Order, and I like their sound and their vibe, but wasn’t grabbed by anything.
The Smashing Pumpkins
5/5
I guess the universe wanted me to have a good cry today. This is an alternative rock masterpiece. It's filled with emotion and absolute banger songs. Mayonaise is my #1 on this, though Disarm is a very close second. And Geek U.S.A. holds a special place in my heart as part of a glorious Greatest Hits compilation once created on cassette tape. I've been adjacent to a certain someone's Smashing Pumpkins obsession my whole adult life, which has also made me a pretty big fan. A lot of nostalgia here for me too. Saw them live 25ish years ago, and then again this past summer. They still rock it hard! And this album is their crowning jewel.
Nick Drake
3/5
This was very pretty and had a warm and comforting vibe.
John Lennon
3/5
I liked the lyrics but overall, this didn’t wow me as much as I was hoping for.
Radiohead
4/5
This isn't my favorite of theirs. It's a little too slow and experimental for me at times, but they do create some pretty magical soundscapes and there's an ethereal quality to it. I really like Idioteque, it's a standout for sure. Also really dig the horns in The National Anthem.
LCD Soundsystem
4/5
Really dug this album! Funky fresh beats, and they don't feel like anyone else out there. They've made their own sound that's very LCD Soundsystem. Love their blend of rock and electronic, with emotional and thoughtful lyrics too.
Robert Wyatt
1/5
I imagine this is what hitting rock bottom sounds like musically, so I guess if that's what the concept was, kudos. But this was almost unlistenable to me.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
Almost a year in, and this is my first Costello album, I was wondering when the onslaught would start! This wasn't bad, but there was a blandness to it that's hard to define. There wasn't anything musically wrong with it really, it just didn't evoke anything in me. It feels too "professional" or something, like music you'd hear at a corporate event.
Jack White
5/5
This is super rockin...I dig his music style. It took a minute to appreciate and then got better and better with each listen. I'm Shakin' is a party! Apparently that's a cover. Love all the piano in the album. Adds a unique touch to all the rock and roll. Fun lyrics too. Great stuff!
Nas
4/5
I really liked this. Great lyrics, great raps, great beats. I was groovin.
John Martyn
4/5
It’s hard to pinpoint a genre for this. It’s dreamy and folksy and bluesy and a little trippy. The blend of sounds works really well, and I very much enjoyed listening. He’s a little mumbly at times, but that kind of adds to the dreaminess of it. Also like how he lets a lot of the songs breathe at the end. It all felt like a warm bath for my ears.
The Band
3/5
Some of the songs on this felt a little too restrained to me, especially the first few. It did get better as it went on, and I do really love The Weight (was lucky enough to see Mavis Staples and Dave Matthews perform it together earlier this year). I'm familiar with wildly different versions of Long Black Veil and This Wheel's on Fire (Ab Fab, anyone?), versions I prefer over the ones on here, but they were still good in their own right. Also liked Chest Fever.
The Byrds
3/5
This felt like pretty standard 60s fare. Nothing really grabbed me and made me love it. It was enjoyable enough in an average sort of way though.
KISS
3/5
Detroit Rock City is a banger. Apparently I'm so clueless about Kiss though that I didn't even realize they sang Beth, lol. The juxtaposition between the "hardcore" God of Thunder and the more ballady Great Expectations right after it cracked me up. These guys don't take themselves too seriously, right? They are over the top with their "edgy" image but their music just feels like poppy rock and roll. Anyway, it was fine.
Def Leppard
5/5
This album is far too nostalgic for me to give it anything but a 5. I listened to this cassette SO MUCH as a kid, and if I had to pick my #1 favorite song from childhood, it would most definitely be Pour Some Sugar On Me. I was obsessed. I definitely listened to side one more than side two, based on my familiarity with each side, lol. Really bringing back all the memories listening to this. Also, it totally rocks!
Blur
4/5
I was familiar with a few of Blur's hits but never explored them beyond that. This album was super fun, enjoyed it a lot. It didn’t feel totally cohesive but it was great energy.
Belle & Sebastian
3/5
I really liked the diversity in these songs and especially enjoyed the instrumentation. Lots of super pretty sounds from horns and violin and even some flute action. I don’t love the lead singer’s voice though and that kind of made the whole thing feel a little too fluffy and soft for me.
Hawkwind
2/5
This was long and felt like the same jam over and over and over. And over. With some trippy stuff about space sprinkled about. Not terribly impressed with this show overall. A little too noisy and samesy.
Arcade Fire
4/5
I really liked Arcade Fire when they first got popular and am pretty familiar with this album. I liked their indie/anti-establishment vibes. They're a bit on the emo side for me now, but this is still a solid album, and it was cool to listen to it again after so long. They have a unique sound and I dig it.
Bob Dylan
3/5
This was so chill it made me sleepy. Also his voice is SO gravelly in this album.
Various Artists
5/5
Gawd. ANOTHER album of all covers?? Jk, this was a great Christmas album. Love the song selection and how each group or singer put their own spin on the tracks they did, while all still hanging together as a cohesive holiday delight. A fun Christmas surprise!
Marty Robbins
3/5
There was nothing offensive about this, and it was relatively pleasant to my ears, but I just can’t relate to being an old-timey cowboy.
Peter Gabriel
4/5
Well. I'm pretty torn on this album. Huge fan of the hits on it, especially Sledgehammer, and Red Rain and Don't Give Up are pretty ok lesser known tracks. But I really didn't like a few of them, and that brought this down a notch for me. The songs I do like are special enough to keep this at a 4 for me though.
The Adverts
3/5
This was a cool punk album, and I enjoyed the first run through. I wanted to give it a second listen but my heart wasn’t in it after a few songs. Just kinda blended together. So while I appreciated it for its genre, I wouldn’t come back to it.
Massive Attack
5/5
This is so groovy and silky and sexy. I really love their lyrics too, and there’s a lot of cool layers in their sound. And the blending of hip-hop and reggae and electronic chill vibes (and more!) is pretty awesome. It all felt very creative and unique. So great!
Steely Dan
4/5
I liked this! Total 70s vibes and great energy while having that chill Steely Dan feel. Dug the song compositions and instrumentation too. The St. Louis Toodle-Oo was a fun departure from the rest of the album.
Duke Ellington
3/5
I like the vibe, but it’s a LOT of jazz. Hard to get super into it because there’s a lot of jamming and not a lot of catchy beats. Totally appreciate the talent though. If I was a big jazz fan, I’m sure this would be really great.
Hugh Masekela
4/5
Two days in a row of live jazz. Wasn’t excited about that when I saw this album, but I actually really enjoyed this. So chill and smooth and you could feel the emotion in the songs. It hasn’t converted me to a big jazz fan yet, but it was quite good!
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
3/5
Apparently the universe thinks our group needs a lot of jazz in the new year! Three days, three jazz albums. I actually recognized the song Take Five, and the first track sounded semi-familiar too. I enjoyed it fine overall. In general, jazz is more of a vibe to me than something I can really fully absorb though. It doesn't move my soul the way I'd like. I have a hard time actively listening to it, although when I do, it CAN be very pleasant and lovely. This album kind of transports you back in time and space, it's easy to imagine being in a dark smoky jazz club in that era. Which is pretty cool. But can we rock out again here soon?
Amy Winehouse
3/5
This feels like pretty revolutionary sound for that era. Amy was doing something different and creating her own style. Some of this does feel a tad over dramatic for my taste, but she's in her feels, and that's all good by me. While there weren't any songs I really grabbed onto and loved, this had good energy, good vocals and good musical compositions. Fave song was Amy, Amy, Amy. She's a vibe.
Neu!
2/5
This album was weird and confusing. It went from soft instrumental rock to music you’d hear while getting a massage, and then it moved to rocking out (sorta) in German. Didn’t feel
cohesive and it was also pretty boring.
Peter Gabriel
4/5
I really liked this. There’s something beautifully raw in the first half or so of the album and what seems like a lot of complicated emotions in a complicated relationship. Enjoyed the politically themed songs too, and the song compositions were all cool and unique. Favorites were Family Snapshot, And Through the Wire, and Games Without Frontiers.
Alice In Chains
3/5
These guys feel like Metallica and Ozzy blended together. A lot of it sounds the same to me, and kind of meh. The guitar rocking is cool though. And I do like Rooster and Would?, those were big hits back in the day and still fun listens. Overall, it was fine and a solid 3, but not a band I'll explore more, unless of course they come up in the project again!
Lambchop
4/5
This drags a little at times, but I really dig their vibe. I'm getting a more chill version of Pulp from them (and it's no secret I'm now a big Pulp fan), even though they're not British. Interesting that they're American, but they were more popular in the UK than the US. Maybe the Brits got the Pulp vibe from them too. Anyway, love the creative and introspective lyrics, love his voice, the horns are really great, and this is just a comforting and warm kind of album to wrap up in. It did end on a rather depressing note, although I really liked that song in general. Also, this is album 365 for our group! Made it a whole year already, it's been quite a ride!
Madonna
5/5
Madonna is a queen. The major hits (Like a Prayer, Express Yourself, Cherish) are all pretty damn perfect works of art. I didn't have this album growing up, and this is the first time I've listened to the whole thing. I loved it all from start to finish. She sings about very real emotions and situations and weaves in great messages too (about falling in love, what to expect from a relationship, the pain of heartbreak, complicated family dynamics, the comfort of family, etc). The songs flow really well as a complete album, and there are so many different, fun and creative compositions. Some of my other favorite songs were Till Death Do Us Part, Oh Father, Love Song, and Keep it Together. Promise to Try is really beautiful too Easy 5!
Muddy Waters
5/5
So much great energy! I had no idea whose song Mannish Boy was, now I do. And did they base the Babysitting Blues from Adventures in Babysitting on that riff? I don't know if blues is typically my thing, I've never dug into the genre much, but I really loved this album. It overflows with heart and soul, has great lyrics and vocals, and the band totally rocks! What's not to love about this? Hearing him live would've been so fun. Also, special shoutout to the Crosseyed Cat lyrics, and to this lyric from Bus Driver: "He used to give her rides in the daytime, now she gives him rides at night."
Jethro Tull
4/5
I guess I thought I didn’t like Jethro Tull, but maybe I do. Really enjoyed this. The songs were big and interesting, it felt like a rock opera. And the themes of religion and homelessness had a lot of depth and meaning. The whole thing just felt very relevant to the human experience, and they rocked it out the whole time.
The Good, The Bad & The Queen
3/5
I didn't dislike this, the songs were interesting, but nothing particularly grabbed me and it was kind of depressing. Not something I'd return to again.
Sheryl Crow
5/5
All I wanna do is have some fun too, Sheryl. Love the opening track, and it sets the tone for a solid debut album. I enjoyed this a lot. Obviously several of these songs were hits in the 90s, and it was cool to hear the whole album from start to finish. Never listened to it before. It was a good blend of fun and introspection. I dug her heartfelt lyrics and the emotion in her songs. I Shall Believe is a particularly beautiful and emotional one. The Na-Na Song is my favorite ‘new to me’ song. Great stuff!
Radiohead
3/5
I have a deep appreciation for Radiohead, but I don't love everything they do. This one was middle of the road. I like the emotion and the themes in the album, but a lot of the songs felt kind of flat and boring. Their experimentation is always interesting, but this one didn't really hit the mark for me.
Alice Cooper
5/5
Well. I guess I'm an Alice Cooper fan now too. This is a super fun and thoughtfully crafted collection of songs. There's a lot of cool and interesting things happening. Blue Turk is quirky and feels like it's out of a spy movie. Big fan of Gutter Cat vs. The Jets too. Because cats. And because the song is also super cool. Love how he rocks out and how the guitar shreds in My Stars. Public Animal #9 is boppy and catchy and rockin. Alma Mater and Grande Finale both felt like the ending to the album. I guess he decided to do a lyrical finale and an instrumental one. Cool by me, I vibed with them both! Loved how big and dramatic Grande Finale was, and chef's kiss to the POW closure. School's Out (the song) is kind of played out, but I have a better appreciation for it now in the context of the album. This was a great time!
Isaac Hayes
2/5
This one was weird for me. I've never seen this movie, and obviously the album was primarily created to set the tone and background for Shaft. Not having the context of the movie felt like I was missing part of the whole picture. That aside, this is cool vibes and good music. But it gets a bit long and boring on its own, and the 20 minute song
was pretty grueling. The lack of lyrics in most of the songs really does make a lot of them feel like a movie score rather than music simply for music's sake. When I heard his voice in the first song, all I could initially hear was Chef from South Park, lol. I do love his voice! Wish there was more of it in the album. Ultimately, not really sure why this one is on the list.
Herbie Hancock
3/5
This is pretty funky and groovy. Long instrumental songs can be a lot to digest, but they mix the sound up enough that the lengths are tolerable. However, coming off of a long Shaft soundtrack yesterday is making me a tad less tolerant. Need to compartmentalize here though! Really liked the funk of Chameleon, it was my fave of the album. The wooden flute in Watermelon Man is cool too, and I can get down with the piano jams in Sly. Vein Melter got slow and I was kinda over it at that point. Overall, I dig the vibe and the jams, but this isn't really the type of music that moves my soul.
Count Basie & His Orchestra
3/5
More instrumental jazz music. yay. They are obviously talented musicians, and it's so old-timey that it really takes you back to a totally different era. So that's neat. I want to FEEL jazz more though, I want it to move me and shake me and bop me. And for some reason, most of it just doesn't. I appreciate the vibes here, but it continues to feel like music I might put on in the background of a hipster happy hour, and not something that works its way into my soul.
Björk
2/5
This was very avant-garde and too weird for my listening palate. I did like that the last song actually had a beat and also what sounded like meowing cats. The rest of it, no thanks.
Pet Shop Boys
3/5
This is quintessential new wave 80s for sure. Lots of good bops here, especially What Have I Done to Deserve This, It’s a Sin, and Heart. I enjoyed the album and it’s probably a 3.5 for me, but not sure it quite reaches 4 territory. I really like their sound and there are a lot of interesting lyrics, but the diversity from song to song is a little lacking. I feel like once you’ve heard a few of these, you kind of know what to expect from the rest. Still a good time though!
Sade
4/5
This is so super silky smooth. She has a very warm and sensual voice, and the music feels almost like it envelops you, and it's something I found myself getting a little lost in even. Favorites were Smooth Operator, Hang on to Your Love, and Cherry Pie.
Cat Stevens
5/5
I really love Cat/Yusuf and his exploration of life and love and meaning and death. He has a very calming effect on me, and I admire the emotion and wisdom he sings with. The instrumentation really adds more layers to the feelings he evokes too. Especially love the piano and violin in Sad Lisa and the violin again in Into White. Wild World is a classic and a great song, and my fave 'new to me' songs were Miles from Nowhere and Father and Son. This was really beautiful from start to finish. While his life is certainly not free of controversy, and I'm mildly confused at where his spiritual journey led him, he somehow makes it feel like it will be perfectly ok to float away someday after this journey is done.
Billy Joel
5/5
This is a pretty great album. Lots of classic hits (Movin' Out being my fave), and I really enjoyed most of the songs I was unfamiliar with too. Only song that was kinda meh to me was Get It Right the First Time. Lots of creative instrumentation and good variety of sounds. Just super solid stuff from a legend! I'm at a 4.5, but I'm gonna bump this one up. 0.5 bonus for the month and year of its release.
Buffalo Springfield
4/5
I enjoyed this. Listened a few times, and it grew on me more with each listen. It felt a bit disjointed, but it was cool to hear some early Neil Young and Stephen Stills. Their story of finding each other in an L.A. traffic jam, forming the band, and performing live five days later is pretty neat. Broken Arrow is a great classic, and Mr. Soul is a fun rock tune. I also especially liked the lounge vibes of Everydays, the dreaminess of Expecting to Fly and the funk of Good Time Boy. Even though it didn't feel terribly cohesive, the variety was interesting!
Van Morrison
4/5
There are some really great songs on here. Into the Mystic is such a beautiful tune and I’ve always been a big fan of Moondance too. However, in listening to a whole album of Van, I found myself growing tired of his voice. So while I like pretty much all the songs individually, I didn’t love them all collectively.
Manic Street Preachers
4/5
This album is rockin! Loved the emotion and the songs are super catchy and make me want to dance. Just really fun Welsh rock and roll.
Living Colour
4/5
They sound so much like Lenny Kravitz to me, but this album actually came out a year before Lenny’s first one. So kudos to them for this unique version of rock and roll. It’s an interesting style. There’s some serious guitar rocking going on and some big drums too, but then the vocals are more friendly/poppy than edgy rock and roll. But hey, it’s kind of their own thing and it works for them. Cult of Personality is a great hit, and there are a lot of other fun tunes on here too.
Thin Lizzy
4/5
Live Irish rock the week I leave for Ireland, let's go! Perhaps I'm a little biased based on the timing, but I thought this was pretty awesome. I knew very little about Thin Lizzy before this, including that they're Irish.
I know this is all spliced together and not one specific show, but I especially love how they transition from Cowboy Song into The Boys are Back in Town. Sounds like they liked it too, and started ACTUALLY doing that at their shows after this. Some other faves were Jailbreak, Southbound and Dancing in the Moonlight. Warrior had total Jimi Hendrix vibes. So much energy in this whole thing. I'm sad Whiskey in the Jar isn't on here, but this was a rockin' good time regardless. It's interesting how much controversy there is about how much or little this is overdubbed. I guess I really don't care that much if the finished product is a quality piece of art.
The Mothers Of Invention
2/5
I'm all for political commentary in music, but this whole thing just felt like a mess. It's noisy and weird and lacks structure and general pleasantness. And framing your album around dissing another band feels kind of immature. Isn't making money a hopeful part of any profession, including creating art? Does that mean it's the "only" part? Anyway, I'm not going to pretend to know all of the Beatles' motivations for Sgt. Pepper, but it's a beautiful piece of art compared to whatever this is. And if you're going to make fun of hippies (which I'm not necessarily opposed to, even as a hippie at heart), then make better music than them.
Primal Scream
4/5
This was really interesting and creative. I've heard of these guys, but knew very little about them until today. I was expecting hard screamy music and was happy that wasn't the case! As a mega fan of the Trainspotting soundtrack, I was excited to hear Trainspotting on here. I also really liked Burning Wheel and Motorhead, and loved the message in Star. Most of this is a little slower and spacier than I usually go for, but it really grew on me because of all the cool sounds to get lost in.
Flamin' Groovies
4/5
This album is pretty rockin! Only reviewing the first nine songs (ending with Whiskey Woman) per the original album track listing. Sounds like this was compared to the Rolling Stones at the time, and there are obvious similarities. And Evil Hearted Ada has very Elvis vibes. Love the overall energy and the blend of blues and rock. I'm surprised I've never heard of these guys, they're pretty great. Really enjoyed this!
Supergrass
4/5
Dig their sound and energy on this! Mansize Rooster is a total jam. And Alright is such a classic from the Clueless soundtrack, I didn't know that was Supergrass. This was a hard one not to love. Made me want to rock out and dance.
Ryan Adams
3/5
This album is very polished...super tight musicianship and his vocals carry a lot of emotion. Sounds like he's been a pretty big jerk in his past, but trying to look past that. I think in the early aughts, the emotion in his music would've moved me more than it does today. It just feels very much of that time period. Not taking away from the talent here, but not sure this is so much my thing anymore.
Donovan
3/5
As fate would have it, I was on holiday in Glasgow (where Donovan is from) when this was my album of the day! I didn't have a chance to listen until I returned from my travels, but given I also had Thin Lizzy and Primal Scream in the few days leading up to my trip to Ireland and Scotland, this serendipitously completed a trifecta, which is pretty darn neat. That being said, I really like the two big hits on here and also liked The Trip, but while pleasant enough, the rest was a bit slow and boring to me. He has a unique and creative sound though.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
3/5
Damn, that harmonica makes me swoon. And I'm a sucker for any song about a llama. Really loved how sentimental most of this was. It felt very Americana, in a lovely way, not a 'Merica way. Except Welfare Mothers, that was a weird song and not sure exactly what he was getting at there. This borders on 4, but not sure I'm quite there with it.
Badly Drawn Boy
3/5
This was a nice listen. Super chill vibes. I like P'ing in the Wind, Disillusion and Say it Again. The variety in sound was creative and refreshing, and I'm impressed he wrote, produced, and did a lot of the instrumentation on this. Quality production overall!
Jane's Addiction
3/5
I liked this a lot better than Ritual de lo Habitual. It felt more raw and genuine and was good solid rock music.
MGMT
4/5
I was already pretty familiar with this album. Really great hits on here! There aren’t any songs I dislike, I feel like this is all quite well done. Their high notes get a tad grating after awhile, but I’m a fan regardless!
Queen
3/5
Big fan of Queen here, but not of this album. It had some rockin' moments, but mostly I was just bored with it and it was often too noisy for me. A lot of big sounds, but lacking in good hooks. Not surprised there are no hits from this. Appreciate this anyway though! I mean, it's Queen.
Beck
3/5
The songs on here are really pretty and heartfelt, but the melancholy of it all is kind of depressing. I don’t know that I’d ever listen to this again.
Fiona Apple
5/5
Ah, Fiona’s debut, brings back memories! I love how a lot of the songs start slow and simple, and then the layers build into a big emotional energy even as the pace stays similar. Criminal and Shadowboxer are standout hits, and Never is a Promise is a favorite on here too. Just really beautiful music, I love her.
Prince
4/5
Prince's voice is almost like its own instrument. He brought such a cool factor to whatever he touched, and this album really highlights the range of what he was capable of. It's funky, it's jazzy, it's soulful, it's poppy. It's emotional, it's fun, it's sexy, it's reflective. There were a few songs that didn't really grab me, but as a whole album, this is a pretty special piece of art.
Bonnie "Prince" Billy
3/5
I like his voice and the simplicity of what he's doing and also appreciate the layers he builds into the tracks. It grew on me a little as the album went on, and I found the later songs to be more palatable than the earlier part of the album. I do prefer songs about death and sadness to be a tad more upbeat though. I'd have to be in a rather dark emotional state to want to listen to this again.
Megadeth
2/5
Allrighty then.
DJ Shadow
3/5
It's pretty interesting this was created almost entirely of vinyl samples. And although it's not original music, he seems to have tinkered with it enough to make it his own, and rearranging and building music like this is a creative art and impressive endeavor in itself. That being said, this was mostly just chill mood vibes, and it didn't super resonate with me on a deeper level. Enjoyed listening though!
Ozomatli
5/5
Are you ready for a revolution? It’s time to get hot!
What a lovely Friday surprise. This album feels like such a party as it addresses serious topics. So groovy and funky and hip hoppy. This was a lot of fun. I can see why it won a Grammy! Discoveries like this are why I love this project so much.
The Beach Boys
3/5
This was some solid classic Beach Boys. But I thought I would love it more.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
4/5
This album gives me Meatloaf vibes. He really brings the drama and I have no idea what he’s singing about half the time. But I love Meatloaf for that, and I kinda loved this too. I guess it’s all a dream and that’s why it’s so strange? I like the first four songs best. Would be a 5 if the rest hadn’t fallen off a little after that. Another great discovery!
John Coltrane
3/5
Oh jazz, I long to love you. Every time we get a super famous jazz musician, I'm hoping THIS will be the one that makes me fall hard for the genre. But alas, despite the obvious talent, this just sounds like a long jam session that doesn't really take me anywhere special. It's cool and chill and good Monday vibes though.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
So I've apparently never paid attention to the lyrics of Brown Sugar before. They seem...problematic, to say the least. But that aside, this is a solid Stones album. I enjoyed almost every song.
Beautiful Day is one of my favorite songs and the perfect track to start an album and a day with! This is really front-loaded with the four best songs in my opinion, but the rest is pretty damn good too. The more times I listened, the more songs I loved. It's interesting to see how songwriting evolves as artists age and gain new and different perspectives on life. U2 is just an outstanding band who showed how powerful they still were 20 years after their first album. Can't believe this is now 25 years old!
Tangerine Dream
3/5
This album feels more like an immersive soundscape, rather than intentionally composed "songs." Which presents the philosophical question, What IS a song? Anyway. It sounds like something they'd play at the Van Gogh (or other such artist) experience. It's pretty interesting to hear early experimentation into what was possible with electronic sounds though, and I appreciate their contributions to the genre! It was pleasant enough, but this isn't an album I'd probably return to, unless I was in one of those salt baths you can float in or something.
Ice Cube
3/5
This wasn't so much my thing. He's a talented rapper, but it all sounded kinda samesy, and it felt really long. I appreciate the topics he addresses (minus the misogyny), but the music compositions just didn't hold my interest. Side note, loved Ice Cube in Boyz in the Hood, which came out a year after this album. They carry very similar themes!
The Mars Volta
2/5
Didn’t really like this. They sound like a lot of other bands in this genre/era. I thought this could be interesting based on the concept, but it was really just dark and kind of annoying.
Carpenters
4/5
This is pretty perfect Sunday morning music. A couple cool covers on here - Help and Reason to Believe. I thought they did a nice job making those songs their own. There’s nothing ground breakingly deep here, lots of simple love lyrics, and it’s VERY 70s, but it was a nice refresher after such a dark album yesterday. And there IS depth and complexity in the instrumental compositions, more than I expected. Enjoyed this a lot!
Joni Mitchell
3/5
These feel more like stories than songs. I'm really not familiar with Joni Mitchell's music, so I wish I had listened to an earlier album first to get a better idea of how her music evolved to this. She has a pretty voice and is a good storyteller, but as music, nothing really resonated with me. I did do a good amount of reading on her today since she seems like someone I should know more about. Her story and career are absolutely impressive, and she was an incredible influence on so many other artists. I'm gonna assume there's more Joni in this project, so maybe some of her other work will make me a fan. This was almost a 2 for me, but it didn't annoy me in the way that most of the 2s I dole out do.
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
4/5
This album is super fun. It's a nice mix of celebrating their music and themselves, addressing societal/cultural issues, and even honoring women (and also Stevie Wonder)! All in a funky fresh, totally early 80s way, and every song sounded different. Great listen!
Supertramp
4/5
I'm a big fan of Supertramp's hits, so I was excited to hear a whole album of theirs, especially one with lesser known songs. I enjoyed it! Their lyrics are great, and the instrumentation and compositions were creative and fun.
Eric Clapton
3/5
Ah, another 'separate the art from the artist' kinda day. Not a fan of the human, but this was a solid album. Also glad that his I Shot the Sheriff cover helped Bob Marley gain the international recognition he absolutely deserved. Love me some Marley! The Hand Jive cover on this was pretty interesting too. Let it Grow was my favorite 'new to me' song.
Sebadoh
3/5
This is pretty low-fi garage heartbreak rock. Their Wiki page compares them to bands like Guided by Voices, which I didn't pick up on until I read that. But now I can definitely hear it! Anyway, this wasn't terrible. I jived with it here and there and I thought the lyrics were pretty well done, but it's probably not a new favorite band. I was definitely ready to be done by the end of the second listen. Favorite song was Flood, the closer. I liked how screamy it was.
The Smiths
3/5
I thought this was a pretty quality album. Lots of great rockin going on!
Bebel Gilberto
3/5
This album is quite lovely, and it’s really sad how mired in tragedy it is. Dig the Brazilian lounge vibes.
Metallica
4/5
Seeing that this was performed with the SFSO, it seemed like it could be pretty damn cool. And it was! I loved all the rich epic sounds the symphony added. It made the thrash metal way more pleasing to my ears. This feels like it needs to be big and loud to appreciate, so I was glad to WFH today so I could immerse myself in it. Always love to hear the crowd singing on a live album too. The length was kind of a lot, but can't really fault that on a live album. Good stuff, Metallica!
Nico
2/5
If music was a raincloud, it would be this album. I'd be interested to hear it the way she wanted it, with drums and more guitar. It sucks she didn't want strings and flute, but the producer added them anyway. I generally like the sound of those instruments, but that wasn't her vision, and they didn't help make this any better. It's very drab and a bit of a downer. Even Nico didn't like it! It's also just her singing other people's songs, and her voice isn't even that great. This wasn't my thing.
Common
4/5
This album definitely has a "cool" factor to it as he commentates on society and black culture. The songs are creative and well composed, and he's super talented. The guest collaborators add a lot of interesting layers to his storytelling too. Overall, I thought this was super solid!
G. Love & Special Sauce
3/5
I've known of G. Love & Special Sauce for a long time, but I've never sought them out to see what they're all about. I kind of recognized Cold Beverage, but all else was new. Cool vibes for sure, but it's mildly annoying when it sounds too sloppy. It sometimes gives an air of not trying very hard. Not hating on it though, it was still fun.
Leonard Cohen
3/5
I'm a big fan of I'm Your Man so was excited to get Leonard again. This one feels like a stripped down version of that. I love his voice and his drama, and I like when the backing vocals come in. Overall though, this album is a little too simple, and I don't really know what he's singing about. Diamonds in the Mine was the standout song for me, and Sing Another Song got pretty interesting as it went on. Despite not loving this, I like his style and he still makes me swoon.
Alanis Morissette
5/5
Obviously a 5! This album was so unique and fucking awesome when it first came out, and it has aged like a fine wine. Alanis kicks ass.
Bad Company
5/5
I'm forever surprised how many musicians I didn't realize are from the UK lol. These guys have always felt so classic American rock to me. The Wiki page describes them as a hard rock group, and I also don't get those vibes. Anyway, lots of classics on here and this was a great debut. I was not expecting to like this so much. So groovy and rockin' and just pretty special. These guys are super talented. Don't Let Me Down is my fave on here, but really enjoyed the whole thing.
Gene Clark
4/5
I'd never heard of Gene Clark until today. An album that starts with a harmonica-forward song is automatically at least a 3 for me. Only ranking the original track list through the song 1975, as the rest are bonus tracks added in 2002 (though I really loved his Stand Be Me cover in the bonus). The Dutch have good taste, I thought this album was pretty damn good. He has a lovely voice, and the songs were really moving and heartfelt. At one point during For a Spanish Guitar, I felt like it was wrapping me up in a warm blanket. Great discovery!
Cornershop
4/5
Only knowing Brimful of Asha prior to listening to this, and knowing nothing about Cornershop, I'm not sure what I was expecting. Some more 90s indie jams I guess, that would conjure up the vibes of ye olde college days, like the hit single did. I was not expecting the creativity, the Eastern influence (had no idea where these guys were from), or the diversity in sound. Fave song is Good To Be On The Road Back Home Again. Other top songs: Candyman was fun and funky, the Norwegian Wood cover in Punjabi was really pretty, Brimful for nostalgia and overall groovy-ness, and Good Ships. Pretty cool stuff!
Grateful Dead
3/5
I've never explored the Dead, so was kind of excited to have an excuse to do so today and see what all the fuss is about. I'm mixed on it. I really liked Turn on Your Love Light, they totally rocked that one and I didn’t care how long it was. Death Don’t Have No Mercy was pretty cool too. Did not at ALL like Feedback. That one just felt like noise, which was maybe the point but why. And the rest...overall cool vibes, but most of the tracks get too long and jammy. Like, some of the songs feel like ONLY a jam without a centering substance. But if I was at a music festival and feeling good, this would be great music to lay back on a blanket to and let myself get lost in.
Hanoi Rocks
4/5
Note: I think the order of this album on Spotify is messed up after the first three tracks. The lyrics of some of the songs weren't lining up with what they were singing, so I switched to the full album on YouTube.
Update: the full album order also seems messed up on YouTube, so I am absolutely confused and don't know if I'm listening to the full thing or if half of these are even songs that are on this album.
Update to my update: I sought out the individual songs on YouTube and think I finally listened to the right songs, which are most definitely wrong on Spotify and the YouTube full album. The first three and last three tracks are correct, but the middle four (Tooting Bec Wreck, Until I Get You, Sailing Down the Tears, and Lick Summer Love) are not the right songs.
Despite the confusion and excessive toiling I had to put in to listen to the correct thing...
This is a pretty lovable album. Feels like they just rock hard without thinking or trying too hard. And that's ok. An album doesn't have to be a masterpiece to be thoroughly enjoyable. I also appreciate that they reflected on Lick Summer Love and correctly assessed it being an awful slime-ball. Shows growth!
Also, RIP to their drummer Razzle, whose death seems to have stopped the band in their tracks, just as the train was really getting rolling. Another tragic loss in the music industry.
Bob Dylan
3/5
I was hoping to like this more than I did. Some solid classics on here, and of course I love a harmonica, but overall it felt too long and like too much Dylan at once.
Adele
4/5
Dammit Adele, I’ve enjoyed letting you annoy me over the years. But listening to a full album and trying to put my bias of you being overly dramatic and extra aside, I actually really enjoyed this. Beautiful emotional vocals and lyrics, super polished production, hits me in my feels more than I thought it would…especially since I most definitely do not consider myself an Adele fan. Maybe I do now. Maybe.
Public Enemy
4/5
The lyrics and rapping are great, these guys are so talented and the songs are meaningful testaments on society. I also love all the creative ways they craft their tracks, the SFX and samples are super fun. Overall really enjoyed, though it did feel overly long.
PJ Harvey
3/5
This is definitely chaotic, and these songs definitely rock, and she definitely has a lot to say. I think I would enjoy this a lot more live where I can just get lost in the chaos, but it was a bit jarring for me today as a home listen. That's not a bad thing though. There's just a lot to unpack here.
Taylor Swift
4/5
This is very dreamy and felt a little like a fairy land. I tend to enjoy the Taylor songs I know, but I'm not a Swiftie and don't think I've ever listened to a full album of hers. Always fun to dig under the surface of someone's hits, and she has a way of making even the slowest songs catchy. She's also a great storyteller. no body, no crime was a particularly fun story. I also really loved her tribute to her grandmother in Marjorie. This was a beautiful project.
The Charlatans
3/5
Is it a curse to be a musician? Another album, another tragic death story. These guys are very Oasis-y, even though they came before them, so I guess Oasis is very Charlatans-y. Which also makes them very Bri-ish, which I do have a soft spot for. Enjoyed the rockin' guitar vibes and overall sound, but there was nothing I found particularly special about this unfortunately.
Pink Floyd
3/5
Despite being a big Pink Floyd fan, I've never listened to this album before, so I was excited to experience where it all began. It's pretty cuckoo, but I don't mind that. I've been to cuckoo places too. In general, the songs will start off with a cool beat or sound, and then change direction to a place that doesn't hook me, leaving me a little disappointed. But it's still creative and intriguing and a fun listen.
Elvis Costello
3/5
"Just stop playing that bad mood music." Take your own advice, man. I don't really know what he's singing about, sometimes he seems pretty angry at women, but I'm not sure I really care because it has a very sterile feeling to it. It doesn't make me happy, or reflective, or emotional, or angry. It just makes me feel nothing. The only other group I can think to liken that feeling to is Coldplay. It's fine. And that's it.
The Residents
2/5
Not really sure what I just listened to, but pretty sure I don’t want to listen again.
4/5
It’s like the 80s themselves created this album. It’s dripping with the decade, but I found it pretty lovable because of that. I also love all the drama the singer brings to these songs. It’s cheesy but it’s the type of cheese I find endearing. Like Cobra Kai, if I had to equate it to a show. Anyway, I’ve never heard of ABC and had no idea who sang Poison Arrow or Look of Love. Now I know., and I enjoyed!
FKA twigs
4/5
Dreamy. Sensual. Intoxicating. These are the adjectives that rose to the top as I listened a second time through. Wasn't sure how I felt after the first listen, but it had a way of wrapping me up and entangling me up once I gave into it.
Electric Light Orchestra
5/5
Love ELO! They have such great energy, and they create music that's big and interesting and super fun. Love all the different instrumentation they use and the variety of sounds they create. I've always been a big fan of their hits...Sweet Talkin' Woman is my fave on here, and Mr. Blue Sky was my special song for my late sweet kitty cat. Favorite 'new to me' songs are Summer and Lightning (so freaking good!) and Across the Border, but this is full of other terrific tunes too. A double album delight, and not a song to skip in sight. I had a fabulous time listening, easy 5!
King Crimson
3/5
I was jiving with Side 1, but then Moonchild happened. It was just a really long song with barely anything going on. What even was that? And it takes up more than one-fifth of the album. Kick that track outta here, and this album is overall kinda cool and groovy. The songs were long and felt a little unpolished, but I liked where they took them for the most part. Epitaph was the standout for me on here. Reminded me of the Moody Blues. I was also gettin' down with 21st Century Schizoid Man and The Court of the Crimson King.
The Zutons
4/5
This was pleasant to my ears and rather catchy, and I appreciate the variety in songs and the different reflections on life they address in their lyrics. I was feeling like it lacked a little "heart" after the first listen, but I gave it a second spin through, and it really grew on me. Favorite tune was Dirty Dancehall. Runner-up goes to Moons and Horror Shows. And that sax in Confusion, swoon. Surprisingly lovely new discovery!
Lana Del Rey
1/5
Lana Del Rey's music has always kind of annoyed me. I tried to brush that aside to give this an unbiased listen. Conclusion: gag me with a spoon. She's a talented lyricist, but the album feels like one big song that's slow and sad and painful to listen to. It was an excruciatingly long 45 minutes. The only part I found interesting was about 10 seconds of Dance Till We Die around the 3:00 mark. I don't get her appeal. Usually if an album at least sounds like music to me, it gets an automatic 2, but I was incredibly annoyed by the time this was over.
Django Django
3/5
There were a lot of interesting things going on with this album. Really enjoyed all the fun sounds they played with. It was upbeat and a good time. I didn’t love the vocals though. Something with how they were treating their voices got a little grating and brought this down a notch for me.
Steely Dan
3/5
This was very Sunday vibes—groovy 70s easy listening. Beacon Blues is a classic and my fave track on here. A song with a saxophone that talks about a saxophone! The rest was kind of forgettable, but in a pleasant way.
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
1/5
Maybe I'm not enlightened enough to understand anti-music music. But isn't one key pillar of music to be listenable? I know that "listenable" is subjective, but good grief, what is the draw here? This has apparently received a lot of accolades from reputable people and publications over the years, which I am thoroughly confused by. It had a few ok(ish) moments, but I found it incredibly messy and generally unpleasant, and the ok(ish) moments are easily overshadowed by the overall awfulness. It also sounds like Van Vliet was a pretty terrible person, at least during the recording of this album, so I guess it tracks that this drivel would come out of someone like that.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
I struggle with his voice. Maybe he sounds too stuffed up, like if he only blew his nose, his vocals would open up and become a beautiful symphony of sound. But alas, I think this is just what he sounds like. I actually liked this album better than the first couple we've had though. There's a good energy and bounce to it, and I can feel his soul in this one, which I haven't felt until now. This was earlier in his career, so maybe he was just more raw and real then. I actually knew a song on this one too! Pump It Up is a fun ditty. But I have Kleenex if you need it, Elvis!
Boston
5/5
Boston really came out swinging with their debut. Kudos for creating a greatest hits compilation right out the gate. It's rare to encounter an album I haven't listened to before, and to know almost every song. Great stuff, fun lyrics, and the instrumentation and song structures are very well produced. I don't care if this is considered cheesy by some, I think it's a pretty fantastic classic rock album. It's interesting too, because am I excited when I hear some of these songs on the radio? Some of them, sure, but not all of them. And I've heard some of them so much that Boston just feels overplayed. But when I put the overplayed thing aside and listen to this as the full album they created that was once new and fresh, this is an easy 5 for me for the sheer number of hits it produced.
3/5
They remind me of a Pixies/Blondie mashup, but a little more rock focused and messier. Definitely a departure from most vibes that come out of the 80s so they feel pretty unique for that era. I like when they change their sound up a bit in Adult Books and Beyond and Back. Overall cool sounds, but the lo-fi vocals and general lack of catchy hooks gets a little tiresome by the end.
N.E.R.D
3/5
So Pharrell Williams is in this group, interesting. I've never heard of N.E.R.D. There's kind of an immature feeling to it, and it’s less edgy than it feels like it could be. And I was hoping for more
bop. And what's with three hidden tracks, lol. That seems a tad much, and isn't the point of a hidden track to be at the very end of a CD that surprises you when you think the album is over? I do want to shout out Thrasher though, that did have edge AND bop AND Lenny, yum. Overall not terrible, but not really my jam.
Soundgarden
3/5
I want to like this more than I do and it makes me feel like I’m not a cool enough 90s kid. It’s very 90s grunge and has some great hits on it. And he sings with a lot of heart. I find him hard to understand though, and it’s not easy for me to feel “hooked” by a majority of the songs. They’re certainly rockin’, and it’s very well done overall. Just can’t really get into it.
Dolly Parton
4/5
There’s something nostalgic and comforting about this, even though I wasn’t familiar with any of these songs. A lot of them remind me of a song the sexy bear at Disney’s Country Bear Jamboree might sing. I love the heart she puts into her vocals too. The songs are simple but sweet and soulful. Very enjoyable listen!
Moby
5/5
I had this album and played it a fair amount back in its height of popularity. I've loved revisiting it. It came out at a time when I had just graduated college, with life and adulthood spread out before me like a blank canvas, and I'd probably consider this part of my life soundtrack at that time. What Moby was doing felt fresh and interesting and inspiring and emotional. He creates beautiful soundscapes in songs like Everloving, Inside, Porcelain and Guitar Flute & String, but then has total bangers on here too, like Machete and Bodyrock and South Side (such a great song!). And then you've got the fun little ditties like Honey and Run On. Some pretty great variety, and I find the music behind the lyrics to be the star here. The lyrics he writes are great though too, they're just sometimes repetitive -- it's the soulful beats he puts together that give this music its life. Play is almost like a storybook, and feels like an explorative journey of the human spirit through its beauty and pain. It feels meaningful and nourishing, love it!
Miles Davis
1/5
This just sounds like a lot of noise to me. It feels like the musical equivalent of several people doodling a bunch of random stuff on their own pieces of paper, and then haphazardly affixing the pages together and calling it art. Perhaps these doodlers are even talented artists, but the finished product has zero structure and makes no sense as a whole. Also, this was painfully long. Whatever Miles was brewing here, it was really tough to swallow.
Oasis
4/5
The Gallaghers sound like insufferable children. Gawd. Here's to their 2025 tour being drama-free! Perhaps their old wounds and rivalries have finally healed. We shall see.
That aside, the album itself is what's really at hand. I found it bright and catchy and pretty rockin'. It was nothing groundbreakingly deep, but I really enjoyed it for what it was. I found the whole thing very lovable and liked pretty much every song.
John Lee Hooker
3/5
This was cool and had some interesting funk to it. A lot of the songs were a little slow and hookless for my taste, but in general, the vibes are up with it, and it was pleasant to ye olde ears. The song with Bonnie was my fave!
David Bowie
5/5
This is my favorite album we've had of Bowie's so far (still haven't gotten Ziggy Stardust so that could end up taking its place, but for now this is tops!) Bowie's vocals, while perfectly fine, might be the least impressive thing about the album. I love all the backing vocals and how much richness and life they add to the songs. The instrumentation is all so lush and funky too, and the songwriting is solid. Everything just works incredibly well together. Fame is such a classic, and my new favorite discovery is Fascination, that song is amazing. Really loved the whole album!
Iggy Pop
3/5
I was excited to get this because I love the title track and have heard good things about the whole album. I really liked The Passenger, and Success and Tonight are cool too. It was hard to get past Sweet Sixteen though. What is with so many dudes wanting underage girls? And then writing a whole song about it to include on your album. Ick. I wanted to love this, but the creepo factor in that track tarnished the listening experience for me a bit, sadly.
Ice Cube
4/5
This was a near 5 for me. Great lyrics, important racial issues addressed, so many incredible hooks. Favorite was Check Yo Self. Is that where Shoop (one of the best songs of all time) came from?? To answer my own question after a deeper dive, seems they both sampled an old song called I’m Blue (The Gong Gong Song) by the Ikettes. Today I learned…maybe, seems to be some conflicting info on this. Anyway, then the bitches and hoes became a thing later in the album. Which was annoying. Overall really enjoyed though!
Dexys Midnight Runners
4/5
I thought these guys rose from the ocean like Mariah Carey at Christmas time, made Come On Eileen, then descended peacefully back into the sea. Happy to know I was wrong, this album rocks! Love all the horns throughout. The fast songs bop and the slow songs are cool and soulful. Fun listen!
PJ Harvey
4/5
Sadly, music about war is always relevant. Today had me feeling dark and broody about the state of the world, and this album fit that mood really well. I thought this was a pretty creative and poetic take on universal truths about the history of violence, the human nature of people who cause it, and the people who are affected by it. It's not a happy album, but the messages ring as true today as ever, so I'm glad someone is out there singing about it.
Side note: I thought it was cool the marching sounds in The Words That Maketh Murder sounded like the Wizard of Oz soldiers.
King Crimson
2/5
This was kind of a snoozefest and a little hard to follow. It wasn't terrible, there was certainly some interesting instrumentation and it had a few pretty rockin' moments at different builds of the tracks. But overall, the songs were long and all over the place, and it just didn't move me or groove me.
Cowboy Junkies
4/5
This was very beautiful, though listening to an album that's THIS slow (and mostly sad) in its entirety calls for a certain mood. It's not something I'd throw on at a party, or a road trip, or while I'm making dinner. MAYBE if it's raining and I'm making soup. But there is something very dreamy and hypnotic in the melancholy here, and I'm a big fan of their lyrics in the original songs. I really loved the Blue Moon Revisited mash up of their own music and Elvis's. So cool. Sweet Jane is an incredible cover too. Favorite original tracks of theirs are Misguided Angel, I Don't Get It, and To Love Is To Bury. Also love the story of where and how they recorded this, it adds to how special it feels.
Lightning Bolt
3/5
If this is considered their "most accessible" album, it's terrifying to imagine what the rest of their catalog sounds like. That being said, I've heard worse and started realizing I didn't hate it when the second half of Dracula Mountain kicked in. Then I started hating it less with each passing song. Overall, there's something weirdly cathartic in the chaos. Will I ever listen to this again? Unlikely. Am I about to give it a 3? I think I am. That was not what I expected when this started!
Jorge Ben Jor
4/5
I really liked this. I have no idea what he’s singing about but the beats were fresh and fun, and I loved all the layers of instrumentation. It felt very creative and joyful.
David Bowie
3/5
Despite a lot of deep and introspective lyrics, I think I was expecting something a little more epic for his return after a long hiatus. The album was technically very good but left me wanting more from an emotional perspective.
LTJ Bukem
3/5
Listening to this was a chore. The Spotify link is not at all correct according to the track list on Wiki, so I found most of the full album on YouTube, though four songs were missing, so I looked those individual tracks up on Spotify and listened to each when it was their turn in the lineup. (#4-One & Only, #6-Danny's Song, #16-So Long, #20-Mind Games). Having to do all that extra work tarnished the listening experience for me a tad. Plus it was REALLY long.
All that fuss aside, I like this music...cool, chill and spacey. It's a vibe. Takes me back to days of yore. Drum and bass was never really my jam, my preferred EDM used to be more dancy and/or "housy." But I appreciate this style more now for the atmosphere it creates. Also, there are some beats in the first song that sound like Survivor (the show) music! So that's neat. Overall, the length and repetitiveness were a bit much though. I can only listen to this type of music for so long before I'm ready to move on, and I was ready to move on well before this album was.
Link to YouTube album:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENdq1xmtVWo&list=PLvatuzVxjPwF2wC2Fe7D4QjS-10AMSGg6
The Afghan Whigs
3/5
I liked this. It’s super raw in its exploration of toxic relationships, and shows the darker side of certain dudes’ brains (not all of them of course)! It’s seeing a bad relationship from the “gentleman’s” perspective, who seems to be self-aware of how destructive and shitty he is, and he continues to be that way anyway. A well executed concept! Favorite song was the one NOT sung by the guy though, My Curse. That song rocked!
Air
3/5
Having movie soundtracks in this list is a little strange to me. This is another example of the album clearly being written for a specific cinematic experience, so part of that is missing without the visuals and the story. I’ve read the book and seen the movie, so I’m familiar with the general plot, but it still feels like there’s a piece of the puzzle missing when you can’t see and hear it all together.
That being said, I don’t want to knock it too hard. The album stands mostly fine on its own, it’s super chill and cool and atmospheric. Still a very pleasant listen!
Fairport Convention
4/5
Knowing nothing about this band until today, my first impression was that it consisted of the two people showcased on the cover, who are in fact the lead singer's parents. Still hard to shake the image that they're not the ones performing this, lol. Also RIP to Martin Lamble and Jeannie Franklyn, who the band tragically lost before the album was even released.
Anywho, I dug this. It's described as their transition from American folk to British folk, and there's clearly a mix of both on here, which is neat. I thought they included a nice variety of sounds and songs, without feeling totally disjointed, and it almost feels beautifully suspended in a specific moment in time. I love Sandy Denny's voice, and the instruments all connect so well together.
A couple random shout-outs: Really like the guitar riff breaks in Autopsy, and I was jiving with the jams in the second half of A Sailor's Life too.
Favorite full songs were:
--Genesis Hall (great message)
--Who Knows Where the Time Goes (love the sentiment)
--Percy's Song (great storytelling from Dylan)
--Million Dollar Bash (a fun party to end on, and love this lyric: I took my potatoes down to be mashed, and I made it right on to that million dollar bash)
Beth Orton
4/5
Another day, another artist I've never heard of but delighted to have found! Beth is a masterful lyricist, I love her beautiful reflections on life and love, and the emotions she evokes. Despite the overall gentle nature of this album, a lot of songs feel very empowering and fierce. She sings of accepting pains of the past and how fleeting it all is, living for now yet yearning for more, and in being a butterfly you can't pin down (love that line).
This was a near 5 for me, I was wishing for a little more variety in the tempo though. For instance, I really enjoyed the more dancy Central Reservation Then Again Version. Would've been cool if a few more of the songs were treated that way. Still an amazing find!
"You're here just a while. You might as well smile."
I love simple universal truths like this, and it reminded me of another of my fave lyrics - "Enjoy yourself, it's later than you think."
Solange
3/5
I loved all the lyrics and messages in this, especially in the interludes, and she sings beautifully, but there’s something about this slow style of R&B that doesn’t hook me. It got a little boring after awhile.
Fever Ray
4/5
This was kind of strange, haunting and cool. I've never heard anything quite like it. I really like the atmosphere it creates, and the lyrics and instrumentation are super creative. Fun discovery!
Ananda Shankar
3/5
This would probably be a 5 if I was tripping on acid. The sounds were cool, but I’m not sure I’m cut out for listening to that much sitar in one sitting (or would that be a sittaring?)
SZA
3/5
She seems to date a lot of toxic men. This is good music and quality production, it's just hard for me to get into the style of R&B. Feels more like storytelling than songs I can really groove to, which gets boring.
The Smashing Pumpkins
5/5
Today I learned he's still "just a rat in a cage," NOT "just a-ready to cage." Anyway, from the softest love songs to the absolute ragers, this album rocks so hard. The guitars and drums are just incredible, and the lyrics are so well written and impassioned.
Tonight, Tonight always gives me the chills and the weepies. Galapogos and Starlight are my favorite "new to me" songs. And I’d probably add Muzzle in there too. I also totally adore Thirty-Three, and 1979 is just so awesome and classic. And then the total bangers like X.Y.U. and Tales of a Scorched Earth are so headbangingly satisfying. There really are so many great tracks on here. Every song is special in its own way, and it almost doesn't feel right to only call out a few of them.
I love the mix of emotions throughout...the album is filled with sadness and rage and love and longing, and it all blends together so well in this delightfully tasty Pumpkin soup. Sure, it's REALLY long, but I'll forgive it that sin because of its general epic-ness. He's got a lot of feelings to get out. But please say a few Hails Marys and an Our Father, Billy. We have a lot of albums to get through here, and this is a catch-up day for me!
Siouxsie And The Banshees
4/5
There's a pretty rockin' good time to be had in this dark world they've created. I've never listened to a Siouxsie album, so this was all new to me. I usually scoff at post punk, but these songs felt more polished and structured than a lot of music in the genre. I love her vocals, and the band sounds really tight. Dug it!
Tim Buckley
2/5
Why is there so much Tim Buckley in this list? I found these songs way too long, sloooooow and largely dull. Buzzin' Fly was the only song I thought was ok. Dream Letter is pretty cringey since it seems he basically abandoned his son for his musical career and then proceeds to write music about said abandonment. Kinda gives me the ick. And Love from Room 109 was way too much ocean. We get it, you're singing about a beach experience. Wasn't a big fan of this.
Ian Dury
4/5
Hmm. I’ve never encountered a song in the wild that I share a name with, not sure how I feel about this being the first, lol. But I’m not mad at it. You do your thing, Plaistow Patricia. And the song has cool horns. Serendipitously, I was also freshly born when this was released. Plus the guy liked to thrift shop!
My obvious kinship to the album before I’d even heard it may have clouded my judgment and helped me enjoy it more than I would have otherwise.
I thought it was fun and quirky, sometimes unseriously raunchy, with a lot of creative lyrics and instruments. Feels like it’s in a little world all its own. Standouts were Sweet Gene Vincent, Billericay Dickie and PP. For its uniqueness and other reasons stated, 4 it is.
Terence Trent D'Arby
3/5
This was dripping with 80s cheese. It did have some nostalgic songs that were fun to hear again (Wishing Well, Seven More Days, Sign Your Name). And I enjoyed If You All Get to Heaven. Ultimately though, despite some good societal commentary here and there, the song structures felt pretty basic and formulaic, and it’s just hard to take this album very seriously.
Public Enemy
4/5
I can see why this album has so many accolades. The lyrics are very meaningful and important, the rapping is next level, the samples all weave so well into their tracks, and the music under the lyrics is pretty impeccably produced. And while I appreciate how well done and influential this is, I have to go with a 4 because it's not necessarily something I'd choose to listen to all the way through very often, solely based on personal preference. This type of musical structure doesn't totally move me. I wanted to love it, but didn't quite get there.
The Jam
3/5
A few of the catchier songs caught my ear, but I found most of this kinda bland and flavorless.
Os Mutantes
3/5
This was an interesting one. I wasn’t very impressed by how it started, but I felt like the songs got better as the album went on. Baby was the first one I perked up a little on, and then Bat Macumba kinda slapped. I also really liked Trem Fantasma and Tempo No Tempo. Lots of unique and quirky sounds swirled this into a fun collection of tunes. 3.5 but didn’t quite reach 4 territory for me.
Anita Baker
3/5
Weird that this album isn't on Spotify, but YouTube with the save again! I love the soul she brings to her music, and Sweet Love is a lovely classic. I like No One In The World too. Overall though, this kinda bored me as it went on, and there wasn't anything else that really grabbed me.
The Specials
3/5
This was ok. It felt a little all over the place, making it kind of hard to focus on. And some of the messages were odd.
Death In Vegas
3/5
This was pretty eerie, but I enjoyed the layers of sounds. Aisha was the standout song for me, despite its dark creepiness. Solid 3 zone.
Ride
4/5
This is pretty great. I haven’t found shoegaze to my liking much in this project, but this was a delightful exception! There’s so much emotion in the music, and it rocks hard (especially love the end of Seagull). A fabulous new discovery!
The B-52's
4/5
I've never done a deep dive into the B-52s, so it was fun to get this today. They are so funky and weird. The songs crack me up when they pick a topic and then incorporate a list a lot of items under that topic into the track (women's names, dances, aquatic animals, planets, etc.) They really go all in with each song's theme, lol.
This is all very creative and fresh, and I love their style and their vibe. I'm sure it made a huge lobster splash in 1979!
Ali Farka Touré
4/5
This was a lovely album, it had a soothing quality and a nice variety of musical compositions. My favorite track was Soukora, it's the kind of song that can heal your soul and make the ugly in the world fall away. Also really liked the bluesy Amandrai and Ai Du, they're so chill and hypnotic. I would've loved to see him perform live.
Roxy Music
3/5
I was pretty meh on this after the first listen but didn’t feel like I gave it enough of a chance, so I listened twice more and found more things I liked each time. It didn’t quite reach 4 territory for me, but definitely enjoyed it more than I did at first. Standout songs for me were If It Takes All Night and A Really Good Time.
Ravi Shankar
3/5
One of the many things I love about this project is getting exposed to world music I’d never know about otherwise. One spin through was enough of this particular album for me, but the sounds were cool and it was fun that he was explaining the music as he went along.
Love
3/5
This was pretty good. I didn’t even mind the long song at the end, it was a vibe and had enough change-ups to make it interesting. Nice variety throughout the album too. It didn’t wow me but was a perfectly pleasant listen.
Deep Purple
3/5
TIL the story of Smoke on the Water, fascinating! I had no idea what that song was about, turns out it’s just a very literal story of what happened to the venue they were supposed to record at.
I like the last three songs of this album the best. It’s not an album I’d just decide to put on, it’s not totally my thing, but I appreciate their influence on rock and heavy metal. Very classic!
Klaxons
4/5
This was a nice surprise! Never heard of this band and was digging the sounds. Especially liked the first three songs.
Talking Heads
5/5
This went from a 3 to a 4 to a pretty easy 5 by my third listen once I really sunk my ears in. They have such a cool sound, and I love David Byrne’s vocals and vibe. The best way I can describe this album is that it feels very fluid. It’s not spacey, but it’s never really on solid ground either. It ebbs and flows and drips and ripples and splashes. Which is funny since Once In a Lifetime is water themed. So super good!
Kraftwerk
4/5
These are some pretty cool electronic jams, especially for 1978! I was grooving the whole time. They were quite the musical pioneers. Favorite track was The Model. Makes me want to dance like the Sprockets on SNL. I was having a stressful day the last time we had Kraftwerk, so I think I'll revisit Autobahn to see if my opinion on that one changes.
Tito Puente
3/5
If I run a vegan taco truck when I retire, I’d like to pipe this into the seating area. This has a really nice energy, and I especially enjoyed the last few songs. Enjoyable listen!
Everything But The Girl
4/5
Album #500, let's go! This kind of reminds me of the xx album I See You in its theme...a wave of songs about a complicated relationship and the highs and lows of the emotional rollercoaster that ensues. I enjoyed this one a lot more than the xx though. It's softer in a way but also more groovy, and the emotions feel more genuine and less overdone. And I really like her voice. This also feels so mid-90s, which I love. The blend of electronica with actual vocals and storytelling is pretty great. I was left wishing there were a few more faster/dancier tracks like Wrong, but even the slow songs took you on a cool journey.
The Kinks
4/5
These guys sound like more of a hot mess than Oasis! I appreciate the variety and quirkiness they bring to their music. There's always something interesting going on, even in the more 'meh' songs, and I enjoy the stories they tell. Overall, I really enjoyed almost all of this. A few of the songs were so-so, but I'm generally pretty drawn to their sound!
Koffi Olomide
3/5
This had a fun sparkle to it. Cool upbeat jams to vibe out to. It got a little samesy as it went on, but an enjoyable listen!
Goldfrapp
4/5
Sometimes I really like an album and it’s hard to articulate exactly why. This was one of those. It just felt real and heartfelt and lovely.
Pet Shop Boys
3/5
Funny that this starts with a song called Being Boring, because that’s a pretty good description of this album. It wasn’t offensive or bad, but I didn’t find it good either. Just kinda there. And like I was having a conversation with that person who’s always a negative Nathan. Even when the underlying musical structure seemed interesting, the vocals brought it down a notch and sucked the energy out a little. Nearly a 2, but I’ll be nice.
Yes
3/5
I think I'm a Maybe on Yes. The songs are sooooo long, and I don't find this musical style very interesting. They have some cool jams, but the songs tend to lose me the longer they go on. I do like the track I already knew, I've Seen All Good People. And generally it's not unpleasant, just not totally my jam.
Joan Baez
3/5
There’s something very earthy and pure about the simplicity of Joan’s voice and her guitar. Her style also feels very Americana, despite the Scottish and Spanish influences at the end. I didn’t fall in love with her vocals but was very intrigued and comforted by them.
Giant Sand
3/5
Not really sure what this was. It kind of feels like the dollar store version of Leonard Cohen. That sounds mean, but that’s how it comes across to me. The lounge vibes were interesting though, and I liked some of the later songs. This might grow on me if I listened more, so I will give a 3 for potential!
Goldie
2/5
When I was part of the late 90s/early 00s rave scene, I never really felt like I fit in. Mainly because I wasn't sure of myself enough back then to let loose and dance (plus the clothing style was NOT me lol). I felt more like a spectator than a participant. I enjoyed the music and the lights and the people watching though, especially when My Dear Miss Annie was around. Drum and bass, however, was my least favorite sub-genre at the time, and that seems to still hold true today. Today's version of me would totally let loose and dance, but not to this. This music isn't terrible, but it's incredibly repetitive and it's very easy to forget you're even listening to it. Plus this album is painfully long.
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
3/5
This has such a vintage feel to it. I want to listen to it in a big old convertible driving down Route 66. Certainly an improvement from the travesty that was Trout Mask Replica!
The Verve
3/5
Bittersweet Symphony is such a 90s anthem and one of my fave songs, but I’ve never listened to this album before and wasn’t familiar with any of their other work. Bittersweet is definitely the star. There were a few other standouts, but overall the vibes were a little too melancholy.
The Magnetic Fields
5/5
This album gets a lot of buzz on the subreddit, so I was pretty stoked to finally get it today, and was prepared to strap in for the long ride. I was pleased to find it lives up to the hype! The songwriting is so incredibly creative, and it never seems to drag on because there's so much variety in sound and style. You never know what you're getting next, and there wasn't a single song that felt like a disappointment. It just all works so well together. Such a fun journey! I feel like I need to pick a favorite of the 69, and I'm going with Long-Forgotten Fairytale, but the whole thing was truly a delight. Definitely falls into masterpiece status in my book!
Minutemen
3/5
These guys seem fun, I want to be their friend. Also RIP to D. Boon. This isn't the kind of music I normally gravitate towards, and most of the songs are almost comically short and feel unfinished, but there's an interesting balance struck between how unserious they seem while also singing about (sometimes) serious things, with this different take on what "punk" sounds like. What it lacks in catchiness, it at least makes up for in uniqueness. I think I like "Side Mike" the best for its goofy factor, and because Corona is the best song on the album.
Astrud Gilberto
2/5
So I guess this is just her covering songs that I wasn't familiar with, and the songs aren't that great. This might be ok to sit in a hotel lounge and listen to, but it wasn't very interesting to me. I'd prefer to hear one of her later albums with her own music on them.
Simply Red
3/5
I’m mixed on this one. Until I did a deeper dive, I thought I was listening to a soulful black woman sing, so that was a confusing pivot I had to make in my brain. The music is still good though, I dig the soul and the disco vibes, it just threw me off. Overall I enjoyed it, and there was a lot of cool instrumentation and song composition, despite some elements that had a little bit too much of an 80s cheese feel.
Funkadelic
5/5
I really like this, it feels like a grand celebration of funk and a party everyone's invited to! Super fun and groovy and gets better with every listen. Bummer that it's not on Spotify.
Eels
3/5
This is about as 3 as it gets. The songs would be better if they weren’t so depressing.
Dinosaur Jr.
4/5
After two listens, this album is pretty rockin! Feels so grungy and raw for its time and I really enjoyed jamming out and doing a little head banging to it today.
White Denim
2/5
I found this rather chaotic and confusing and all over the place but gave it a second listen to see if I was just missing something on my first pass. It didn't improve my opinion. They're obviously talented musicians, but nothing felt like it "went" together, and the vocals sometimes felt like a whole different entity than the band. Some of the songs had moments of okay-ness, but for the most part, their jams weren't my jam.
The Kinks
3/5
I’ve been all over the place with the Kinks and this one felt pretty average. It was fine but did not feel very inspired or creative to me.
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
Enjoyed this a lot. The concept on side 1 is moving and emotional, especially on a day when we buried our uncle. Especially loved America on that side, and the sound bites from all the older people, though I wish some of them were more audible. And side 2 is a lot of fun! Mrs Robinson is great of course, I had no idea they did Hazy Shade of Winter, and At the Zoo was a goofy good time. They packed a lot into 29 minutes!
The Beach Boys
4/5
Seems a lot of people had a Beachy day today! After a few listens, I feel much more of a kinship to this album than when I began. It's got important messages about being kind to our water and our feet, and reflective musings on life and death. And the societal topics are just as relevant today as ever. There's a riot goin' on. I enjoyed the mix of quirky and chill and introspective and even bluesy. The album was weird, but it definitely grew on me. A Day in the Life of A Tree and 'Til I Die felt like Brian was already preparing goodbye songs. I'm glad he still had 54 more years to enjoy! RIP to Mr. Wilson, and thanks for all the tunes.
Steely Dan
4/5
This was pretty great. It felt transportive to the era, but also fresh. I had fun grooving with it.
Faith No More
3/5
When their best song on here is a cover, an album can feel pretty average. Which this one did. Nothing I hated about it, it was just rock music that never really reached a level that made me want to rock out.
Beastie Boys
4/5
One of my college roommates was very into the Beastie Boys, so they were playing a lot in those days, but I never took the time to really dig into their music catalog myself, aside from their hits. So now that I have one of their full albums under my belt...
Pros: They are very talented rappers and performers and lyricists. They have a great energy that always comes through in their music. It's hard not to like them simply for who they are. The album had a lot of great variety too, and I liked the blend of punk and hip-hop and even some jazzy feels in the instrumentals. Very well produced too!
Cons: The voice distortion was annoying. It's hard to hear what they're saying when they're making their voice so fuzzy. They write great lyrics, but then I can barely understand a lot of them. Their voices are also kind of a lot sometimes, and honestly, I liked the song with Q-Tip best because his voice isn't so harsh. And I could actually understand him.
I was surprised by the number of instrumentals on here, but also I kind of liked them because it was sort of a way to relax after a big song and big voices. I especially liked the one with the violin.
Overall, this is still a great album from an iconic group, I have mad respect for the Beastie Boys.
Gang Of Four
3/5
I think my tolerance for post punk music has gone up as a result of this project. Or maybe there are just some albums in that genre I like more than others. At any rate, this was enjoyable enough for one listen through, and the lyrics and instrumenting were good. Solidly in 3 territory for me!
Saint Etienne
4/5
I really liked this! It grooves so smoothly. Loved the variety of songs and sounds too...some dancy, some chill, some in between, and all very ethereal feeling. Fave track was Stoned to Say the Least, and Only Love Can Break Your Heart was a close second. She needs to lose that dude though!
The Fall
4/5
So I actually really liked this. I only listened through the Yarbles song because that’s where the original album ended. Barmy was my favorite (and weird coincidence that BARM was a Connections word today! I’ve never seen that word before and had it twice in one day). But I liked the lyrics and all the guitar riffs and for post punk, this is pretty damn good stuff.
Green Day
4/5
Green Day is always a good time! They just rock out and create a fun environment while singing about all the angsty, anxiety-inducing things felt by the youth of the 90s. Hard not to love. There are so many great hits on here. I wasn’t as enamored with the non-hits and I do think American Idiot is a better album, but this is still a near 5.
Elvis Presley
5/5
I love how much soul Elvis sings with on this album. Even though these aren't his songs, he really pays homage to them, and the backing vocals and richness of instrumentation just makes this whole thing very beautiful.
Gotan Project
4/5
This had a really unique sound, and the bandoneon is new to me. Interesting that it's common in tango music. There are definitely tango undertones throughout, with electronic and jazzy inspiration too. The blend of instruments and beats works so well to my ears. Favorites were Triptico and Santa Maria (the beats on the latter were so fun). This album is definitely a VIBE, and not like anything I've heard before.
Morrissey
4/5
This was pretty great. It's rockin' and soulful and full of emotion. I wish he would've chosen a different direction for You're the One for Me, Fatty. Even if the intent was kind, using that name even in an endearing way is icky. I also thought Seasick, yet Still Docked was a little dull. Those two aside, I am a big fan of the rest!
Queen Latifah
3/5
Hip-hop, like many music genres, is very male-dominated, so it was refreshing to get a female hip-hop artist for once. And I’m all about women power and fucking the patriarchy, which she clearly is too. The issue I had with this is that 90% of the time it just feels like she’s singing about how awesome she is, and also how awesome whoever this guy Mark is. She got a little deeper in songs like Evil That Men Do and Ladies First, but it primarily feels a bit narcissistic in nature. I do appreciate her rhymes and her vocals. She can lay down some great raps. And she obviously had a point to prove to the industry, which is what it feels this was largely about. I’m sure it was a huge struggle to get to where she was as a woman in hip-hop in the 80s. But I just couldn’t connect to a lot of it because it ultimately felt like a brag fest, and aside from a few of the more reggae sounds, it felt like a lot of the same thing.
Japan
3/5
This sounded so much like Duran Duran, and turns out Japan was a big influence on them! Who knew? Not me. That's a pretty impressive mark on their resume. I thought the album was pretty good. They really experimented with a lot of cool sounds. I like how "synthy" it is, and then some of it feels very noir too, especially songs like Despair and Other Side of Life. I liked the first half better than the second. It might've been a 4 if it didn't start to bore me towards the end. Cool find though!
The Cult
3/5
This kinda felt like British butt rock. Nothing particularly wrong with it, they cranked out some nice guitar riffs and drumbeats, but there was something kind of generic feeling about it to me.
Massive Attack
4/5
I really love the atmosphere Massive Attack creates. It's mysterious and lush. It's like you're stepping into their world and wandering around admiring it. Not sure they really nailed Light My Fire, but it was cool to hear where they took it.
The Yardbirds
4/5
This was great! Super cool rocks and jams, especially for this era. I'm a fan.
Mariah Carey
3/5
This album starts off with a banger, and I was hoping it would continue that way. I want more Honey! Unfortunately most of it veered into ballady R&B and wasn’t really my thing. Mariah is awesome though, and she has a beautiful voice.
Marianne Faithfull
4/5
I really liked this. I’ve never heard of Marianne Faithfull and she just died earlier this year. RIP, I wish I would’ve discovered her sooner. Her voice has Cyndi Lauper vibes, and turns out Cyndi was influenced by this album and had a lot of love for it. Neat! I like her sound and the feeling and depth she performs with. The Working Class Hero cover was so dark and cool. What’s the Hurry and Why’d You Do It were other faves. I dug this.
10cc
4/5
This album cracked me up. The lyrics are super funny and creative, and the musical compositions are interesting and catchy. Great variety in sound too. It was a fun surprise, never heard of these guys.
Fugees
5/5
This is one of the greatest hip-hop albums I've heard. It's also very nostalgic, as it was part of the fabric of my sophomore year of college. The production quality is impeccable, and I love the synchronicity with their vocals. The lyrics are so good too, plus they crush the covers. Hard to pick a favorite track. The title track might take that title for me, but I'm a big fan of Ready or Not and Family Business and Fu-Gee-La too. Huge fan of Marley's No Woman No Cry, so that one holds a special place as well. But every song is great in its own right. I love how complete of an album is too...from the intro and outro to the ends of songs flowing into the beginnings of the next ones. It's all just so COOL. I love it. Easy 5.
The Sonics
3/5
It's pretty cool these guys started paving the way for the grungy garage rock sounds that eventually took the world by storm. I didn't find their covers to be better than any of the originals, but they were interesting versions of them. And their original songs were pretty good. Overall, I wasn't wowed, but kudos to garage rocking in the mid-60s.
Gil Scott-Heron
3/5
I really like his voice and his vibe. Some of the songs are a little too sparse, and it leans more into talking than music at times. Overall, it's cool stuff though! The Bottle was my favorite song on here, and I like the soul and meaning in what he sings about.
Joanna Newsom
2/5
I appreciate the creativity of her lyrics and the artistry and soul in her performance. But this largely feels like a storybook being read/sung, and it's not a story I want to hear again. Her voice got annoyingly grating by the second song, and this was a slog to get through.
Bee Gees
3/5
This isn’t what I was expecting from our first Bee Gees album in the project. I’m all for an overly dramatic sorrowful heartbreak song when it’s done well, and the ones on here were done pretty well. But an entire album of “epic” heartbreak music got to be a bit much with nothing else to balance it out.
Ash
3/5
I really enjoyed how rockin' this was. Overall, it was a bit muffled though, and it left me craving a crisper sound and crisper vocals. Loved jamming out to it despite that!
Sepultura
2/5
After catching up on an album of a completely different vibe that was hard to get through because of the vocals, my ears officially feel assaulted and I kind of want to cry. I don't mind the hard rock/heavy metal instrumentation, and the lyrics offer meaningful commentary on society and soul searching that’s as relevant today as ever, but the "I am singing heavy metal in a dark creepy voice" voice is super annoying and overshadows the positives of the album.
Merle Haggard
3/5
I was a little confused on my first listen. It felt like it was missing an "edge" of some sort, despite the fugitive theme, and the lyrics didn't seem to go with who I assumed Merle Haggard to be. Turns out, they go EXACTLY with who Merle Haggard happened to be. He was IN San Quentin (as a prisoner!) when Johnny Cash was there singing Folsom Prison Blues. So yeah, this was pretty legit lol. That being said, I didn't feel like I fully connected with any of the songs, though I like his voice and the country sounds of yesteryear. It was still a super pleasant listen and props to him for evolving from a convict to an icon.
Judas Priest
2/5
Meh. This was just too much, it feels like 'try too hard' rock and I feel nothing from it.
Caetano Veloso
3/5
This album had fun vibes and a cool variety of sounds and instruments and vocals. Favorite song was Soy Loco Por Ti America.
Björk
4/5
It's Not Up To You kinda blew my mind, what a beautifully dreamy song, and I really loved the lyrics. I love her writing throughout the album too, and she creates such an ethereal yet deeply emotional atmosphere that it feels like you've landed on some magical Bjork moon. This was pretty special.
The Smiths
4/5
Totally dig the indie / pop / new wavey-ish vibes of this one. I like the heart Morrissey sings with, even when he wants to strangle his girlfriend in a coma, or when he won't be sad for the birthday celebrant to die. Fun instrumentation too.
The Bees
3/5
The first song that really grabbed me on here was A Minha Menina, and it sounded familiar, which is funny because it's a cover by Jorge Ben, whose album we had in April. But that song isn't even on that Jorge album, so maybe I've heard it in a different setting. At any rate, it's a fun track! In general, I liked the simple, chill vibes throughout this album, but nothing totally wowed me.
Television
4/5
I liked this a lot! I tasted Violent Femmes flavors and turns out, Television was an influence on the Femmes. Neat!
Animal Collective
5/5
Felt a little blast of nostalgia with this one, it took me back to a very specific time and place in my life. My Girls has been a song in my regular rotation over the years, but I haven't listened to this whole album in probably 15 years. It's always interesting to see if and how time changes our perspective and our listening experience. No idea how I would feel about this if I was hearing it for the first time, because it's kind of weird, but I love the way it radiates with a unique type of sunshine while also having a dreamy quality about it. It makes me feel warm and fuzzy and makes my heart happy. Bonus points for a cover that moves!
Joni Mitchell
3/5
I wasn't particularly fond of the last Joni album we had, but I enjoyed this one a bit more. She creates cool jazzy atmospheres with these songs, it's not just her voice telling stories. I especially enjoyed the unique and dark sounds of The Jungle Line and really liked Harry's House with the piano too. Her lyrics can feel a bit like abstract art, I don't always understand what she's singing about, but apparently some of these are standing up to patriarchal norms, so I'm all about that! Overall, while this was an intriguing and thought-provoking journey, this style of music just doesn't move me. The songs meander so much and there's no rhythm or beat that gives them shape.
Richard Hawley
5/5
I love that this was made in 2005 but feels like a vintage record. His voice makes me swoon. He's like Frank Sinatra, Leonard Cohen and Jarvis Cocker all wrapped up into one. Maybe even a little Johnny Cash in Wading Through The Waters of My Time. There's a lot of emotion in these songs created by both the instruments and his vocals, and they're also very gentle and tender. Easy to get lost in. The Ocean is particularly special, but I loved so many of them. Great discovery!
Scritti Politti
2/5
I can certainly see why this makes its appearance on the Lowest Rated Albums list. My goodness, it's terrible. It wasn't to a level that made me angry though, possibly because it's not painfully long. Even one more song might've sent me over the edge to a 1, but it eked out a 2 for me.
Eagles
3/5
Nothing like starting a day on the open road out west with Take It Easy! The three hits on here are pretty great, but the rest was just ok to me.
The Velvet Underground
4/5
Despite being somewhat appalled by Nico’s solo album, Femme Fatale is my fave on here. She works well with others. I don’t love every song, but overall it’s pretty damn cool, and it might even be a 5 if it didn’t sound like their instruments were broken half the time. And if the last song wasn’t annoying filler.
Pet Shop Boys
4/5
I like the 90s Pet Shop Boys better than the 80s Boys. There’s a richness and lushness to these songs. I like the layers that build on each other, and the emotion in the lyrics. The dancier electronic vibes suit them well!
Sex Pistols
3/5
I appreciate how rockin’ this is, but there aren’t songs on here I’d care if I ever heard again. Just not my thang.
Black Sabbath
3/5
I really like the song Changes, and the first track gets pretty awesome towards the end. Overall though, I felt like this album was keeping me at arm’s length somehow. It’s just wasn’t something I felt connected to. RIP to Ozzy the legend though!
Weather Report
3/5
This had some cool moments, I liked the 70s-ness of it all, but it mostly melted into background noise. Jazz tends to do that for me.
Billy Bragg
4/5
I really liked this. He has a unique old timey style and I love how his emotional reflections on relationships, families, politics, society and war are all woven together in what feels like an album that captures the essence of someone’s lifetime.
Arctic Monkeys
4/5
I’ve been excited to get this one because I’ve heard great things but never gave it a listen before. It was super fun and rockin’, but it was missing a little depth in the lyrics for me. It was largely about party culture, which I have nothing against (obviously), but it was hard to emotionally connect to, and it didn’t reach 5 territory.
The Teardrop Explodes
4/5
Always cool to be pleasantly surprised by bands I’ve never heard of, and this is a good example of that. Love the British new wave/psychedelic vibes, and his commentary on the expectations of boys in society. Lots of catchy tunes and fun instrumentation here.
Aphex Twin
4/5
Perfect Monday morning music! Also great rave music, at like 5am-ish, when the wildness is winding down and the light of dawn is starting to peek over the horizon. I really enjoyed this, and it's super impressive he was making some of these sounds as early as 1985 at such a young age. It's mesmerizing and comforting and feels so warm and lush. An electrifying hug.
Justice
4/5
Interesting to get two electronic albums back to back that are so different. This album was as rough and edgy as Aphex Twin's was soft and soothing. It reminds me of music from an artist I like named DJ Icey, and I like the "opera-disco" theme. I love the hard beats and party atmosphere it creates. We'll put this one at 2 am rave time, when the party is peaking, and the dance floor is alive and raging. So many funky beats and dancy grooves. I dig it!
Brian Eno
3/5
This was really interesting and artsy. Each song felt like its own little journey and had a lot of layers to peel back. Lots of diversity in sound! My favorite was On Some Faraway Beach. Not sure I'd return to this because it was a little too avant garde for me, but it was neat to hear his debut solo creation.
Rahul Dev Burman
3/5
Another movie soundtrack I’m confused is on the list because it’s missing so much context. The music is fine for what it is, but it was obviously made to complement what we aren’t able to see while we listen, and because of that, it doesn’t feel complete.
Arrested Development
4/5
Mr. Wendal is serious nostalgia! I was only familiar with that song and Tennessee, so it was fun to hear this entire album. I like its sparkly, optimistic nature and really love the lyrics and how many topics they speak so poetically and meaningfully on, especially the songs about spirituality and finding your way in life.
Missy Elliott
3/5
Missy is a great rapper and this album is very well done, but unfortunately none of the songs really grabbed me.
Iron Butterfly
4/5
The title track is so iconic, but it’s always been in a “haha that song is ridic long” way. I’ve never bothered to give my attention to it, and I actually really liked the long jam and was digging the rest of the album too. He really loves this woman! She apparently didn’t love him as much, poor guy. The album was a pretty great portrayal of a tragic love story, and an epic ode to a true love.
David Holmes
3/5
This has a good variety of interesting sounds but as a whole, I got bored with it.
Tortoise
3/5
The 20-minute intro to an album in a genre I didn't know existed felt like I'd voluntarily stumbled into a rather aimless abyss. I can see why this is categorized as post rock. It kind of sucks all the fun and grit and words out of rock and mostly leaves a gentle, calming experience with rock instrumentals instead. It was fine enough though, nice ambient mood music.
Robert Wyatt
3/5
I am mixed on this one. He writes really interesting lyrics, but he just sounds so SAD. Which makes me feel sad. And his songs are more folksy with the way they meander, and that's not music I typically get very excited about. But overall, the words and arrangements were creative and I didn't hate it like I hated his last album. Either that or the music I'm willing to tolerate keeps expanding.
Public Image Ltd.
3/5
This is the second day in a row I've had a second album by an artist whose previous album in the project was a 1 for me. And I don't hand out many 1s! So I wasn't terribly excited going into either day. But this is also the second day in a row I haven't hated this next album. Again, is my musical mind expanding, or are these albums actually more pleasant to my ears? Hard to say for sure, but I liked how rockin' this was, and I didn't mind how long a few of the songs were. I did listen to the Second Edition version though, as I couldn't find the original Metal Box on Spotify, and that version breaks up the last 12-minute song into three parts. At any rate, I enjoyed Rotten's dark, broody lyrics mixed with a lot of really cool instrumentation. It's not an album I'd probably choose to listen to again, but I appreciate the artistry!
Roxy Music
4/5
This was a good one! It's one of those albums that doesn't necessarily grab me right away but when I give time and attention to it, it's got a lot of interesting, creative sounds going on.
Burning Spear
4/5
No matter what reggae music is playing, it's always a vibe, but sometimes it's easy for it to blend into the background (for me, not saying this in general). This album deserves all the attention one can give it, there's so much great storytelling around Jamaican culture and history and philosophy. It just really showcases the beauty and depth of reggae, and of Jamaica itself.
Chicago
4/5
I've never listened to Chicago's debut before, so this was a fun one to get today! Some classic hits on here, and I really dig the jazz/brass/rock fusion they're working with. It was long, and a lot of the songs were long and very jam bandy feeling, and it feels like maybe this could've been edited down to a single album. But they were doing their thing and seemed to really have fun jamming out. A single album probably wouldn't have captured that.
Dead Kennedys
4/5
The first song on this album was certainly an appropriate one to get today. We're just kicking the poor out of DC now? I wonder how Jane Fonda feels about that. A lot of this album is still very relevant today. The world keeps spinning, but so many things never change. Aside from its lyrical relevance, I also enjoyed how rockin' and raw and manic this was. The Elvis cover at the end felt very right for this too, lol. Great debut!
Pantera
2/5
I guess this is supposed to be one of the defining heavy metal albums of the 90s. Cool. I don't like it. I HAVE heard worse heavy metal, but that doesn't change the fact that I was annoyed by it and couldn't wait for it to be over. They sound like Metallica but screamier and angrier. Their front man sounds like a real piece of work too. This is my least favorite genre of music to get, and every time we get one, I hope it's the last. So we'll see if my wish finally comes true. It probably won't.
Method Man
4/5
I really liked this. Great raps, and it has dark undertones while still maintaining a sense of lightness in the song compositions and lyrical delivery. At least that's what it sounds like to me. At any rate, I enjoyed the method.
Frankie Goes To Hollywood
4/5
This was really fun and indulgent feeling. I couldn't have told you before today who sang Relax, now I know! An 80s classic. I also really loved their takes on the covers in this. It was an eclectic mix of songs to cover, and they did a great job. Overall, this was very 80s and pretty epically over the top, but in a way I very much enjoyed.
Cocteau Twins
5/5
I told a friend who really likes this group that I had this album today, and she described it as "ear candy." I have to agree! It has all these pretty layers to it that create a dreamy and delicious soundscape. The lyrics are mostly impossible to understand, so much so that apparently even Spotify doesn't know them. But I kind of like how her vocals became more of an instrument in all the layers because of that. She has a beautiful voice, and these songs carry so much feeling and soft intensity, if that's a thing. Really enjoyed!
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
5/5
I've never heard of this band or album and had no idea what to expect. This kinda blew me away. It was so lovely to my ears and felt like a delicious meal from beginning to The Beginning And The End. I'm giving a quick rating based on my first listen since I'm trying to get caught up today, but I think the 5 would still stand after a couple more listens.
Mudhoney
3/5
This was pretty rockin and props to its major influence in the Seattle grunge scene. Definitely has some Nirvana vibes. I also appreciate that I can mostly hear the lyrics. It was missing something for me to really connect to and want to keep listening, but still a solid album.
Alexander 'Skip' Spence
3/5
I had no idea what to expect based on the description and was surprised this was so pretty and chill. He seems to have lived a tragic life plagued by addiction and mental illness, and I'm happy he was able to leave his mark on the world and create beautiful music despite his troubles. I thought this was a cool album.
The Go-Go's
5/5
You go girls, this album rocks! Loved it all.
R.E.M.
3/5
I’ve never listened to this album and wasn’t familiar with any of the songs, so I listened three times in hopes of finding a deeper connection to it because I really like R.E.M. I love their unique sound but I didn’t love this album. It feels very much like them getting their feet wet with their debut, instead of coming out guns blazing. There wasn’t much that really grabbed me. I also didn’t understand what he was singing about most of the time.
3/5
This was a raw and rockin' time. It was a little messy but fun.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
No Woman No Cry has always been one of my favorite Bob Marley songs, but I've only ever heard the live version from Legend. I love the studio version just as much. I wasn't familiar with the rest of this album. I like how he takes his time getting the messages of the songs across (which highlight a variety of struggles in a beautifully poetic way), while cool instrumentals and backing vocals carry the jams in such a chill, funky way. The vibe and life of Jamaica is so perfectly captured in this, which makes sense since he basically IS Jamaica. Great jams, I really want to be on the beach now!
Paul Weller
4/5
This sounds way more Americana than I expected, given that he is British. But I'm always surprised by who's British, so what else is new! There are a lot of musicians that come through my town with this same vibe, so while the sound feels familiar and not terribly original, I imagine this was a pretty innovative and modern take on the bluesy/folk rock/Americana genre when it came out in 1993. It's cool music overall, I feel like Ben Harper was the first artist I heard that was comparable to this, and I really dug his sound at that time (early aughts).
This album is well done. I like his soulfulness and the instrumentation is rockin’. And this style of music has stood the test of time, I dug it!
Kanye West
3/5
TIL he recorded Through the Wire while his jaw was wired shut after a car accident. Wut. How did I not know this. He's one that's REALLY hard to separate the art from the artist, but this is a good album, except for The New Workout Plan. That song is gross. Overall though, I'd give this more accolades if he wasn't awful. I was a big fan of several of these songs back in the day.
Grateful Dead
5/5
Ok, I love this. We had a live album of theirs awhile back that I didn't connect with all that much, but this was a much different experience. I love Ripple SO much. One of those "makes me cry" songs. The rest of this was pretty great too. I can't come close to claiming to be an official deadhead or anything, there's far too much of their music I'm still not familiar with, but I get the appeal! This makes me want to be on a road trip in the middle of nowhere.
The xx
3/5
This album is so chill and vibey that it makes me want to fall asleep in a cuddle puddle and miss half the album. I do like it, but it gets samesy after awhile. It’s one I’m familiar with and that I don’t like as much as I used to.
Bobby Womack
3/5
This was fun and funky that made me bippity bop, but it also had a cheese factor that made it hard to take very seriously.
John Martyn
2/5
He sings with such restraint in his voice that it somehow felt like work to listen to this. I guess some of the instrumentation was cool, and he has a nice voice, but it felt like too much of a slog for me to really enjoy.
The Chemical Brothers
3/5
Back with another of those block rockin' beats! The Chemical Brothers always felt like the group that brought rave culture music "mainstream," or at least as mainstream as it was ever going to get. I'm familiar with a few of the tracks on here, and early 2000s me probably would've given this a 5. I enjoy the kind of hard edge they give to electronic music, but a whole hour of this felt long and a little tedious and repetitive. Still enjoyed though!
Pink Floyd
5/5
It's hard to do any justice to this album with words. It is flawless from beginning to end and feels less like a traditional album and more like a living, breathing piece of art that brilliantly encapsulates the beauty and tragedy of the passing of time, and of all that is life, better than anything I've ever heard. It's so moving and creative and timeless. The first minute and a half of Eclipse is such a beautiful and emotional set of lyrics that it makes me cry just typing about them. I feel so grateful to live in a time where music like this exists.
Jamiroquai
4/5
It's cool to hear what Jamiroquai was creating before Virtual Insanity became wildly popular. They have a cool factor to me from that video alone, lol. This is jazzy and funky and has great social commentary in the lyrics. It veers a little too much into jazz land for my taste at times in the first few tracks, but the funk helps bring it back and keeps it fun and interesting. I really like the horns, and the didgeridoo too! Lots of creative instrumentation that I think get better and better as the album goes on. Especially loved Revolution 1993. This was pretty great!
Hot Chip
3/5
I really enjoyed this when it started, but the synth pop vibe got a little tired as the songs went on. It was fun and boppy but it feels like there's a complexity missing in their effort to give this an 80's vibe, and there's nothing that feels very original about the music. There wasn't a lot to connect to in the lyrics either, mostly a lot of relationship musings that didn't feel that emotional to me. Overall, it was a good time and I can get down to their beat, but it lacked any real wow factor.
4/5
Oh wow, so this is the guy that died in the fire saving the Bebel Gilberto album we had. Another musician lost way too soon. Also another reminder about all the fascinating connections between people in the music industry.
I really like the vibes of this album. It's chill and spacy and floaty, and very technically well done too. It's not the type of music I'd normally listen to, but I really enjoyed it!
Tom Waits
2/5
I don't even know what to think of this, lol. I guess it's an interesting concept to create a "jazz club" in a studio with a live audience, but there's an authenticity missing for me because of that, which clouds the experience. It has a weird fakeness to it, and the audience laughs at a lot of things that really aren't that funny. Plus I'm not getting a lot of actual "songs" here, which is also an issue. It's too many stories where he's just droning on about some nonsense or another, and not nearly enough singing. At least the backing band was good, but this isn't something I'd listen to again. I can't pick out a single track I'd add to a playlist. I gave Rain Dogs a 5, so this might finally be the first artist on my controversial list!
American Music Club
3/5
Had to seek this one out on YouTube. I really like their sound! It feels like very down home comfort music. It didn't wow me into 4 territory, but it was a pleasant listen.
Neil Young
4/5
Loved the piano and harmonica and all the other instrumentation in this album. It had a lot of depth and richness of sound. Enjoyed the vibes and Neil’s singing too. Overall very well done!
Sarah Vaughan
4/5
So loungy and jazzy, this is the kind of jazz I really enjoy. Perfect for Sunday morning listening. It was fun that they kept the introduction to the audience and her mistake in there too, feels all the more genuine.
Girls Against Boys
2/5
Maybe I didn't give this enough proper attention, but it just felt a mediocre college garage band version of Nine Inch Nails. I couldn't understand much of what he was saying, and there wasn't a single song that drew me in.
Emmylou Harris
3/5
So I guess this is mostly an album of her singing other people's songs. Ok, cool, I'm not opposed to that. But oh my, she sure picked a roster of songs that really showcased how sadly she could sing. The first song had a little pep, which I was hoping would pave the way for a nice mix of down home old country bops. But that didn't happen again until the last Silver Dollar Queen song, and I was so downtrodden by then that it failed to pick me back up. She does have a very pretty voice, so it wasn't entirely an unpleasant listen.
The Vines
3/5
This felt a little too sparse and soft to be compared to Nirvana, though I can hear it in the vocals sometimes. But it was pretty good in its own right. I liked Get Free and Factory a lot. And they really rocked it out in 1969.
Randy Newman
3/5
That first song wasn’t a comfy listen, but I felt better to discover the actual meaning behind it. Quite a tale really. Overall, this was an interesting album. It addressed some important topics. It’s hard to separate him from Toy Story at this point, but that’s ok. I enjoyed the themes and vibes.
Meat Loaf
5/5
This album is perfection.
Scissor Sisters
4/5
This was pretty great. I like how indulgent it feels, and it's a nice blend of fun dance/party songs and introspective ballady type tracks. I'd like to spend more time with this one.
Miles Davis
3/5
I dig this cool jazz sound, and I like it a lot better than a lot of the jazz albums we've had.
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
4/5
So Bon Scott and Nick Cave were both influenced by these guys, neat! Bonus they are from Glasgow! This was funny and weird, but I really liked it.
Tom Waits
3/5
I like the lyrics in this one, a nice mix of life reflections and storytelling. His voice gets kind of grating, but I still enjoyed this overall. Especially liked Dirt in the Ground and the last song on the album.
Jane Weaver
3/5
This had a pretty ethereal quality to it, but it all just kind of ran together for me and nothing was very wowing.
The Coral
4/5
Super fun discovery! Loved how catchy and rockin' this all was, and really creative instrumentation and song structures too.
Willie Colón & Rubén Blades
4/5
This is such a fun celebration of Latin culture. All the layers of instruments and vocals create a really rich soundscape, and it's just a party! The country shout-outs at the end of the first track made me smile. Enjoyed this a lot!
Skepta
4/5
The only thing I've heard that sounds similar to him is the song Hi, Ren. So apparently I've never really listened to British rap before! I like his accent, it definitely creates a unique sound, and I enjoyed his lyrical pacing too. There weren't necessarily individual tracks that stood out more than others, but I thought this was really well produced as a whole album, and it was easy to groove to.
The Black Crowes
4/5
This is a fun blast from the past. Definitely transports me back to this early 90s era of life. They weren't one of my top bands by any means, but their music was so ubiquitous then. It's nothing mind-blowing but still a rockin' good time with a lot of nostalgic classics! Especially love me some Hard to Handle.
The Flaming Lips
5/5
Ugh, I love these guys so much. I was familiar with some of these songs but have never given this album as a whole a good listen. It gets better with each spin. They create such interesting and creative sounds, their lyrics are great, and so many of these songs are just so MOVING. This hasn't topped Yoshimi for me yet, but still an easy 5!
Donald Fagen
4/5
I dig how groovy this is. He has a distinct, recognizable sound that feels very of its time, but also weirdly timeless. This is another album where I wasn't in love with individual songs (except maybe I.G.Y), but it's great vibe music, and very tightly produced. Love the jazzy instrumentation, and I'm a fan of his soothing vocals too. The last few songs dragged a bit. I'm more at a 3.5 with this.
Jeru The Damaja
4/5
I was so-so on this at the beginning, but I thought the album got better and better as it went on. Great lyrics on race and culture and oppression and I thought it was really creative too.
Big Star
3/5
I had no idea what to expect with this one, and I thought it had some pretty cool moments and a few tracks I dug. I was confused about what to listen to, because it seems there have been SEVERAL iterations of this over the years, but the one I listened to wasn't too shabby.
Beatles
4/5
It's been more than a year since we had a Beatles album in the project, so this was fun to wake up to today! I've never listened to this album, so a lot of these songs were new to me. It's quite a cornucopia of sound. If I didn't know they were on the verge on breaking up, maybe I wouldn't hear that in the music, but it does feel more like a compilation of individual projects and concepts, rather than a cohesive whole. Like they reached their peak, and this is the start of their descent down Beatle Mania Mountain. And did this really need to be a double? The fact they chose to include the 8:22 Revolution 9 is almost offensive.
All that being said, there's a lot of great songs on here too. It's not on the same tier as Abbey Road or Sgt Pepper for me, but their individual talents still overflow in this, and their ability to make this work through the tension that was festering is pretty impressive.
John Prine
5/5
I don't know if I've ever heard a song that made me cry the very first time I listened to it. Usually my tears come from a nostalgia I have for it, or from already having an emotional connection to the lyrics or sounds of the song. So congrats Hello In There, you've done it!
(Also hormones may have contributed)
Today is one of those days I'm so very thankful for this project. I've heard great things about John Prine, but I've never bothered to explore his music. This album has some beautifully heart-wrenching moments - Hello in There wasn't the only one that made me misty. He writes such wise and emotional stories with his lyrics. The songs are also catchy and familiar and DO feel nostalgic, even though I wasn't familiar with them. They also feel humble and unpretentious, which brings an additional beauty. I loved all of it, zero complaints.
Talk Talk
4/5
I thought this was pretty great. Somber but lovable. I especially liked the concepts in the first song, and Living in Another World was a banger.
The Crusaders
3/5
Big fan of the title song and really liked the sax throughout. It was great vibes but started kind of running together a little after the first track.
Miriam Makeba
4/5
This was a beautiful album and she was a remarkable person with an incredibly inspiring life. It's wild to have never heard of her after reading what an impact she made on African music and on the issues she was an activist and spokesperson for. Yet another album that makes me grateful for this project.
Sinead O'Connor
5/5
Sometime during my teenage-ness, I bought an album on cassette, I can't remember which one, and when I popped it in my stereo, this album started playing. I guess they made an error in packaging. I'd love to say it was a happy accident and a life-changing musical experience. Instead, I chose to be upset about it and refused to even give it a listen because Nothing Compares 2 U annoyed me at the time. And I never revisited it.
So this is kind of a full circle moment, and I can finally give this album the attention and accolades it deserves. She has a beautifully haunting voice, and her emotions pour out of these songs. The song compositions are really cool too, and I love when you can hear her Irish really come out. I am no longer annoyed by Nothing Compares 2 U, it's an incredible version of that song. Also really loved Three Babies, The Emperor's New Clothes and You Cause As Much Sorrow.
She blessed the world with song and passion and persistence to stand up for what's right in the face of adversity. I wish she would've been blessed with a happier life.
The Jam
3/5
This was a fun time. It’s not top tier music but I liked the song variety and the lyrics and it had some rockin’ moments.
Lenny Kravitz
3/5
In an effort to separate the art from the artist, I need to separate my attraction to him from the actual music. (Have you SEEN the video for TK421?)
Ok, so this album was fine. It touched on some important topics, albeit a little too blandly from a lyrical perspective, and it did get a little too religious for me in parts. It's impressive he did this entire thing almost singlehandedly though. Kudos to that! It's well done from a production and instrumentation standpoint. And he DOES bring the passion in places.
I'm not surprised no big hits came from this. The songs were composed in such a way that most of the hooks didn't draw me in much.
Suede
4/5
I love me some British glam rock. This didn’t hit me quite like Pulp but still super fun.
David Ackles
3/5
Was this show tunes or Neil Diamond or Frank Sinatra or Nick Cave? Feels like a big pot of soup with varying amounts of those four ingredients. How did it taste? Fine I guess, but it could use more spice.
Dinosaur Jr.
3/5
I feel like these guys would be really fun live, because they rock out really hard. But listening to the studio recording on a home speaker, it feels too muffled and distorted to match the kind of energy I imagine they bring to the stage.
Cee Lo Green
4/5
I had low expectations going into this, but I was very pleasantly surprised. Dude can really rap, and the blend of soul and electronica scattered throughout was fun and inventive. Loved all the variety too, it's like a box of chocolates! Really hard not to groove along to, this music has moves.
50 Cent
5/5
This is a total blast from the 2003 past. I kinda forgot this album existed and how big 50 Cent was when it came out. I owned it, and it was in heavy rotation in my life at the time so there's plenty of nostalgia here. He was really a breakout star, and this album had serious hype around it!
I had a great time listening again after so long, and I'm happy to report I am still a big fan. He's a great rapper and the tracks overflow with his talent, and the skills of his producers and collaborators. Tons of great hooks. His real life experiences are so well told in his lyrics too. Haven't found a skip on here, despite it being a little long. Love it!
The White Stripes
5/5
This album is bookended by the two best songs, and they are perfect intros and outros. What's in between is pretty great too. I love how much they alternate between rocking out and singing softer love/breakup ballads. There's a storytelling he incorporates really well into his music too. Second 5 in a row for 2003!
Ray Price
3/5
This was pleasant enough. He has a really nice voice that reminds me of Elvis a bit. I didn't feel much of a connection to it, but it was a nice listen.
Big Black
3/5
My expectations were NOT high after reading the Wiki description on here. So I have to stay I was pleasantly surprised. I'm certainly not going to call it great, but I didn't mind it. Even found myself head banging to some of it. Standout track was Big Money. This feels pretty hardcore for the 80s.
Kings of Leon
3/5
Eh, I was hoping to like this more. I’ve always really liked Sex is on Fire, but the rest just feels kind of average and gets samesy.
Sly & The Family Stone
4/5
This is so groovy and chill and I really dig the vibes. Family Affair and Spaced Cowboy were my faves, and I have a special spot in my heart for Thank You too. There’s nothing flashy here, just cool and funky, and I’m all for it.
Dwight Yoakam
2/5
There were several eye roll moments in this album. More than one song that threatens killing his woman/ex-woman because of her transgressions against him makes him seem like kind of a psychopath. I guess it's a "concept" album, but ok. And are we still romanticizing the rebel south in the late 80s with I Sang Dixie? Maybe I'm reading too much into that one. The last song could've come straight out of the Righteous Gemstones, except that it wasn't a parody. I guess it's sweet that he wrote it for his mom after she passed. The musicianship was good, but I got too hung up on the themes of the songs to actually enjoy this.
Magazine
4/5
This album had really good energy, and I liked how artsy and abstract it felt. Definitely one I want to come back to again!
Scott Walker
2/5
He has a nice voice but I found this incredibly boring.
Beach House
3/5
I really like the dreamy quality of this and listened a couple times hoping to be wowed by getting a little deeper with it. And while I enjoyed it, there wasn’t enough substance there to really love it. It felt like something was missing. A trusted source informs me their subsequent albums are much better, so I plan to explore those!
The Young Rascals
4/5
This was a lot of fun. It feels totally 60s but with poppy/wholesome AND hippie/psychedelic vibes, and they blend together well throughout the album. A Place in the Sun is my fave, but How Can I Be Sure, Sueno, Groovin', and It's Love are all so great too.
SAULT
5/5
This was an appropriate album to get on a No Kings day. Felt very inspiring. This came out during another flash point in our recent history and is a great example of resilience and persistence in the black community. The fight for equality is never over, and this is such a beautiful testament to it all. Very powerful and moving. BLACK LIVES MATTER.
De La Soul
3/5
This album feels like a big party. Super fun vibes. It went on a little too long for my taste, especially with the similar back beat that is present through so many of the tracks, but I was impressed with the creativity and the raps.
Digital Underground
3/5
Sex packets are an interesting concept! When Digital Underground popped up today, I had a vague memory of seeing them at a Chicago rave in 1999 that was Willy Wonka themed. It's interesting they were there, those parties weren’t heavy on the hip-hop. I don't remember much about the show, but I do remember it being a lively event!
These guys have a great energy and a fun sound. And who doesn't love The Humpty Dance? I didn't necessarily love anything beyond that track but I do love Humpty's unique vocals and just the general party they bring to this music.
Sister Sledge
4/5
This is so deliciously disco-y. I danced and had a great time with it.
k.d. lang
1/5
I didn't expect to dislike this as much as I did. I saw that Constant Craving was on here, which was a song I thought I liked well enough, but by the time that track came up at the end of the album, I was so bored and disenchanted with the whole thing that it felt like a flavorless cherry on top of a sodium-free saltine. There was just nothing interesting about this to me. I can't imagine any scenario where I would choose to play this album again. Sorry k.d.!
The Byrds
3/5
Bob Dylan’s influence knows no bounds it seems. I really liked the first two songs and last two songs but everything in between fell a little flatter so this ended up in solid 3 territory for me.
Circle Jerks
3/5
This wasn’t terrible. Bonus points for it being incredibly short. And who doesn’t need a good 15 minute angst session every now and again? But also, it wasn’t great, so I’m confused about what to rate this. It was catchy enough in parts I guess, and interesting enough too. Ok fine, a 3.
Adele
5/5
Ok, I surrender Adele. Your drama used to annoy me, but you've managed to convert me in this project. Your throaty vocals have a life of their own, and your music seeps with emotion in all its catchiness. Really hard not to get wrapped up in it all. This album was really great from start to finish.
The Icarus Line
2/5
This was noisy and mostly annoying.
Tom Waits
3/5
Is there too much Tom Waits in this project? I guess that's subjective, and the authors of the book certainly don't seem to think so, but the first thought that passed through my personal head this morning was, "ANOTHER Tom Waits?" Getting quite an education on the guy. I hadn't even heard of him before I started this project! Anyway, it is what it is. I guess I could write my own book.
That aside, the album at hand is really why we're here, and I thought it had a vintage vibe that pulled me into a past that felt mostly strange, but sometimes nostalgic, particularly with In The Neighborhood. That song gave me the feels. Down, Down, Down was pretty great too.
I found this intriguing overall, and he creates music that really doesn't sound like anything else. His unique voice and quirky style of storytelling are kind of in their own category. It's not something I'd put on for a random listen though. It feels more like a piece of art to enjoy for a bit of time, and then move on from, with two or three songs to bring along into the future.
Parliament
4/5
This album is a party and if they didn’t have fun making it, they did a great job at faking it. Their funk has a cool factor that’s hard not to love. I liked grooving to this.
Serge Gainsbourg
1/5
I don’t know how I would feel about this album if it wasn’t romanticizing pedophilia, but it is, so fuck that. And fuck all the critics and artists who didn’t criticize it for that. I can’t believe the amount of accolades this album has received. So disturbing.
Soft Cell
2/5
Tainted Love is always a fun classic (which I just learned was a cover), but yikes to the rest of this. It's pretty cringe 80s music at its finest.
Heaven 17
3/5
Any album that starts with an anti-fascist boogie gets bonus points. This should really be one of the anthems of our time. The rest of this was kinda cheesy 80s fare, but I appreciate their efforts.
Primal Scream
4/5
I’m still trying to solve the mystery of why this album cover is so familiar to me, but the music beneath the art is pretty cool. Repetitive at times and not exactly sure which direction it was going at any point, but I loved the richness and depth and creativity, and it made me feel kind of enchanted.
Arcade Fire
5/5
Today I learned the first half of this album was based around a terrible ice storm in 1998 in Canada. That makes the album even more interesting. And the fact a lot of them had recently lost family members was another layer I wasn’t aware of. I listened a few times today, and this got better each time I listened. They cultivated a really unique early aughts indie sound. It’s emotional and rockin’ and the songwriting is quite beautiful. Awesome debut for them!
Siouxsie And The Banshees
3/5
I wanted to really like this. I like Siouxsie's vocals, and apparently the sounds they created here were quite innovative and influential so that's cool. The instrumentation was pretty rockin' too. That said though, there was nothing on here I loved. I didn't add even one song to a playlist, and it's not something I'd return to. It could use a little polish and shine. Appreciate the vibes and the pioneering they did though!
Sugar
3/5
I didn't recognize this band's name, but I feel like I've heard Helpless before. Anyway, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it when it started. It's super rockin'. Some of the songs sound kind of samesy because of the layers and muffled vocals, but those didn't bother me as much as they sometimes do. Overall, I dug the sound. I feel like a 3.5 with this.
The Streets
3/5
I feel like I just listened to an episode of Love Island UK. What to say about this...it's pretty juvenile in its story writing. Dude loses 1000 quid and has a broken tv, gets a girl he fancies who happens to have a functioning tv, wonders if he really wants to watch tv with girl, maybe he fancies his mates and their tv more, but maybe he fancies girl more, but he cheats on girl anyway, realizes he shouldn't have cheated on girl, it's too late, he loses girl, he copes with the loss, and for the grand finale...he has an epiphany about taking care of his own shit after a friend fixes his tv and in turn, finds his 1000 quid. Much like Love Island, I didn't feel terribly invested in his romantic escapades because he sounded like kind of an idiot, and she can clearly do better. I felt slightly more invested in where this money went, so I was pleased that story line wrapped up neatly. And until the epic repair, I didn't realize the television would be such a centering element of our hero's journey. Another full circle moment in our tale of tragedy, acceptance and growth.
In conclusion, the album was rather dumb, but his accent is charming to listen to, and some of the songs were pretty catchy. And this is certainly out of the ordinary. While I'd never listen to this again, it cracked me up enough to earn a 3 (just barely).
Van Morrison
3/5
I've learned I like Van Morrison in small doses, but a whole album of him can be a bit much. This album in particular had a specific sound structure to it, and the songs didn't vary much from that structure. One outlier that stood out was The Way Young Lovers Do. And I really like Sweet Thing because it's just a pretty, moving song. Overall, I enjoyed the poetic lyrics, and the instrumentation was quite lovely, but his vocals get kind of annoying after awhile.
3/5
I was hoping for more from this. I gave it a few tries but it just kept feeling like a blur. The second half of Chemical World was pretty cool, and Sunday Sunday was probably my favorite overall track.
Les Rythmes Digitales
4/5
Well hey, this guy was born the day before I was. Neat! This was a lot of fun and a bouncin' body rocker. Extra points for the dance party.
Lauryn Hill
4/5
With all the awards and accolades this album has received, I was hoping for a masterpiece. It mostly delivered. I liked the structure of a full circle story being told, with the added element of the classroom she was absent from. My favorite thing about the album was her reflecting on having a baby, especially in To Zion. Those felt like deep and emotional moments. And Doo Wop (That Thing) is such an awesome hit. I like the effect she uses with layering her vocals over each other to create a richer, almost instrumental sound with her voice, though that effect feels a tad overused as the album goes on.
I don’t think enough of these songs hooked me to give it a five, it’s not an album I’d put on to listen all the way through. But it is masterful in its own right.
Orbital
4/5
I really like the range of sounds they experiment with in this. I especially loved how hard they came out of nowhere with Quality Seconds, even if it felt out of place. This album is cool vibes and feels like ear candy.
Finley Quaye
4/5
This guy has been a real problem child throughout his life, sheesh. Which is hard to imagine coming from the person making this music. His anger and addiction issues aside, I really enjoyed this. It had a real brightness to it and made me feel good and groovy. Sunday Shining especially shines!
Billie Holiday
4/5
This album feels like comfort food. It makes the world immediately feel more cozy and intimate. There's this beautiful orchestra backing her that feels both gentle and grand, while her vocals softly command every moment. Very lovely listening experience.
Talking Heads
4/5
This is pretty great. Talking Heads are perfectly quirky and creative and unique and David Byrne has a natural coolness to him that’s hard not to love. This isn’t the best of their best, but still had a great time with it.
Drive-By Truckers
4/5
This is a creative concept for an album, and the storytelling here is pretty epic. I appreciate the history it dives into, especially the darkness and reality of Southern pride and racism. Weaving in the story of Lynyrd Skynyrd throughout was such a love letter to them too. I think if I listened to this several more times, my appreciation for individual songs would deepen. It's a little hard to get past HOW southern country this sounds sometimes, even though the intent of that sound is different than most. It's not really a sound that resonates with me, but the album as a whole is so well done and captivating that I'm still giving it a 4.
Bill Callahan
2/5
This was weird and kind of boring.
My Bloody Valentine
3/5
Do we really need THREE mbv albums in this project? I hope this is the last one. It had some rockin' moments, but overall this band just does nothing for me. Their music feels so muffled and messy and meandering. Good on them for pioneering a new music genre, but it's not a genre I particularly enjoy. This is more of a 2.5, but I'll round up because of their influence I guess.
The Boo Radleys
3/5
Two shoegaze albums in a row. yay. I think the thing that bothers me the most about the pioneers in this genre (mbv) is the muffled fuzziness of it all. This band (or this album at least) clears those spiderwebs a bit into a world where I can actually understand what's happening with the music and the lyrics. Despite the fog being lifted though, I still didn't connect with it much. It was fine, but I wasn't blissfully gazing at my feet either.
The Allman Brothers Band
4/5
I wasn’t expecting this to be so bluesy or so jam bandy, but they do both of those things really well. This was just good, solid music to chill to. Special shout out to the Joy to the World riff at the end of You Don’t Love Me. That was a fun little nugget.
Dagmar Krause
2/5
The description says this isn't available to stream, but I found it on YouTube. The songs are a little out of order, but it's there. It's been a minute since we had an album on the lowest rated list. It was definitely unconventional, but I didn't think it was THAT bad. It was very theatrical and not something I'd listen to again, but it had interesting moments, and I appreciate the passion she sings with. It definitely went on too long though, and I got tired of it, which ended up bringing it down a star.
Sleater-Kinney
5/5
I was introduced to this band in the early 2010s and even somehow have this album on vinyl (which I discovered going through our vinyl just a couple weeks ago). Their sound didn't hook me when I first listened back then, so I never really explored them. I'm so glad this is in the project, because giving it full attention today gives me a totally new appreciation for them. These songs are so well written, and these ladies rock! Super fun listen and amazing energy, I really fell in love with the whole thing. Little Babies is my fave, but there are so many great tracks here. Added bonus that Carrie Brownstein is in the band.
(But you can still have the album CJ, I already offered it..lol and sniffle)
Hookworms
4/5
I've never heard of this group. They remind me of a mix of Arcade Fire, LCD Soundsystem, and maybe even a little Fun (the band). And then they turn into Underworld in Boxing Day! I was kind of sad that song ended so abruptly. So the sound isn't necessarily original, but who cares, I really liked it. It had reflective emotion that put me in my feels but was also catchy and made me feel dancy. And I like music that makes me feel these things!
Curtis Mayfield
3/5
This was cool and chill. For me, it was more Mediumfly than Superfly, but it was a pleasant listen!
A Tribe Called Quest
3/5
These guys just exude cool. There wasn’t anything here I was super wowed by, but I really enjoy their rhymes and their beats.
Jean-Michel Jarre
3/5
I definitely had song #4 on a Pure Moods cd I owned in college lol. This was cool and ethereal and something I would’ve loved back then. And I still like these sounds, but this wouldn’t be a go-to for me now.
Stevie Wonder
4/5
I really love the three hits on this album. The rest was a little meandering for my taste, but it's still Stevie. I love his voice and his vibe, and it's hard not to enjoy him singing.
The Roots
4/5
This really had a lot of layers to it, it was a delightful onion to peel. I loved the creativity and diversity. And ending on Thirsty was such a fun rager.
Bauhaus
3/5
This was a pretty interesting album. Lots of 80s new wave vibes with some edge to it. I liked it.
3/5
It's hard for me to really get into prog rock. These songs were so long and kept losing me, but I appreciate the epic feel of it. There's a lot of heart here.
Super Furry Animals
4/5
This was a lot of fun. It was weird but catchy. Quirky but rockin. Always a fan of albums that just feel like a good time.
Dr. Octagon
3/5
This is certainly creative, and there are a lot of intriguing sounds going on, but ultimately it was hard to get invested in the story of a crazy alien doctor.
Wire
3/5
I enjoyed the music, but most of the songs were so short that they left me wanting more. Pink Flag, one of the few "full-length" songs on here, had time to rage and really rock out. Most of them didn't have much room to breathe, but it was still a fun listen!
Christina Aguilera
4/5
It's funny to think back to how Britney and Christina were queens of pop culture at one point in time, and how the media painted them as arch enemies. And also how popular low-rise jeans were! What a weird time. I never got into Christina's music back then, but this album gives me a newfound appreciation for her. I love the girl power. It's kind of all over the place with a mix of pop hits, slow ballads, hip-hoppish tracks and Latin-influenced vibes. And she certainly took advantage of squeezing almost every second out of the length of a CD. The sheer amount of songs started to lose me a little in the middle but then recovered nicely with Dirty and The Voice Within. Dirty is such a banger. It was fun to hear some of her hits again after 20+ years.
Jacques Brel
3/5
The only version I found on Spotify was the original 28 minute version so that's what I listened to. I'm sure I'd really enjoy it if I was into French operatic music.
The Louvin Brothers
3/5
This is truly of another time and place. And it's 70 years old, so that tracks. It has such an old-timey country charm that it's hard not to like. Its simplicity and samesy-ness stops it from breaking 3 territory though.
Side note: I got my Spotify Wrapped results yesterday, and my listening age is 74 thanks to albums like this! At least, I hope that's the case. It will be interesting to see how my stats change in 2027, after a full year of the project being over. I listened to 376 genres this year too, also clearly thanks to this project!
Can
2/5
I don't understand what I just listened to. Maybe that's the point, but I still don't get it.
The Shamen
3/5
This was fun enough, it had some groovin’ dancy moments.
OutKast
4/5
This is such an interesting double album. OutKast is this unique duo, and I love that they split up to showcase who they each are musically and to give a sense of their individual contributions to the greater whole. That’s my interpretation of what they’re doing here anyway.
I’ve always really enjoyed OutKast. I have specific memories of when this came out, and listening to it in my car a whole bunch. I definitely gravitated towards Speakerboxx over The Love Below back then, and listening again now, that still tracks. Big Boi just brings the beats that make me groove more. Andre’s lyrics crack me up, and I appreciate his unseriousness while still making great music, but his part of the album teeters on being a little too self indulgent and unedited at times. But c’mon, Hey Ya and Roses both came out of that, so I can’t complain too much. And I really enjoy his storytelling. And God is a lady, so yay for that.
This is really too long and is missing enough truly awesome tracks to be a 5. But there's still a lot of great stuff here!
Lucinda Williams
3/5
I've heard of Lucinda Williams but knew nothing about her music. She reminds me a lot of Sheryl Crow, though she was making music long before Sheryl was. It was pretty and she’s a talented storyteller, but it didn’t really move me in any emotional way. Maybe if I spent more time with it, I’d find more to connect to, but I only had a chance to listen once today, and felt pretty neutral about it after one spin.
The Offspring
5/5
Ok, I kinda love them bringing back instrumentals from Come Out and Play as a hidden track with a Middle Eastern vibe at the end.
What to say about this overall, it's a rager! I like the chill dude introducing and concluding this, that was a cute touch. I'm all for a good angsty 90s album. Having come of age in that era, it feels like "comfort punk" to me. There are a lot of great hits on here, and I enjoyed a lot of the songs I wasn't familiar with too. Solid lyrics throughout as well. There's really nothing stopping me from giving this a 5, so...
Common
4/5
This was pretty cool, I especially enjoyed the jazzy moments in a couple of the later songs. There was a lot of diversity in sound overall too, and it kept my ears on their toes. Very enjoyable listen!
Beastie Boys
4/5
The hits on here are still so great after all this time. And I really like how much sampling they do. Some of the songs I'm less familiar with start to blend together in sameness, and the "yelling" aspect of their vocals gets a bit grating and chaotic at times, but overall, this is a really fun album, and pretty excellent for a debut. They came out swinging hard.