Jan 17 2024
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Bone Machine
Tom Waits
I know karate, voodoo too.
“Pitchy” as a feature, not a bug
That one slow song… good to hear some variety.
And then a couple songs that were just jamming. Can’t believe they made the album cut.
Some songs I was really impressed with his singing, and others I just felt were terrible.
3
Jan 18 2024
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Halcyon Digest
Deerhunter
The first song gave me a bad impression, but I think if I was high it might have been my favorite. They eventually settled into a nice chill vibe which I’m all about. Lots of simple repetitive guitar riffs which are easy to catch onto.
At the same time, nothing really stood out to me as amazing.
3
Jan 19 2024
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Liege And Lief
Fairport Convention
I really like the lead singer’s voice, and the musical style is right up my alley. Lots of really beautiful melodies, with light yet rhythmic backing.
Things were different in the 60s - 8-minute songs?? Wild. My only criticism might be my own lack of attention span.
I would definitely listen to this again, though I’m not sure in what context.
I didn’t pay attention to the lyrics, but based on the music I assume they were poetic and meaningful.
4
Jan 22 2024
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Bayou Country
Creedence Clearwater Revival
Lots of attitude from the singer, loving the instrumental solos, especially harmonica. Clearly high-quality improvisers.
Up Around the Bend, Proud Mary - absolute classics. Though it seems Up Around the Bend was not actually on this album. Silly Spotify.
Kept listening to CCR all day after this.
5
Jan 23 2024
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We Are Family
Sister Sledge
Wow, apparently I never knew who sang “We Are Family” before. Nothing too interesting or surprising here. Slightly boring, and even the main hit (while legendary) didn’t give me enough feels that would put this album above any of the others we’ve listened to so far.
2
Jan 24 2024
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The Sensual World
Kate Bush
I don’t know much about Kate Bush other than that song from Stranger Things, but this is a good album. Every song is weird enough to keep me intrigued, but not so weird that I want to turn it off.
Some of these songs feel like “studio only”. There are a lot of random instruments that wouldn’t be practical to bring on tour, unless you just use a keyboard for them instead. And she also harmonizes with herself a fair bit. Or, they just would sound different live.
3
Jan 25 2024
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Beautiful Freak
Eels
Never heard of these guys before. It’s a definite vibe - I came in and out of enjoying it, even within one song.
The riff in Susan’s House was sampled by Atmosphere (Yesterday). Never realized that was a sample until now.
Ah, and that song from Shrek “My Beloved Monster” sort of stood out as a different style.
The more I listened to the album, the more I appreciated it. Quite a variety of different styles in the end. Definitely enjoyable overall.
3
Jan 26 2024
View Album
Lust For Life
Iggy Pop
I quite like some songs (Some Weird Sin, The Passenger), but it still isn’t something I would put on regularly.
This album is almost the opposite of the previous Kate Bush one for me. Either the songs were boring and generic, or too weird that it gave me the ick (Turn Blue).
Maybe this influenced a lot of more modern music, but now with modern music already in existence I’m not going to be returning to this album any time soon.
2
Jan 29 2024
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Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)
Wu-Tang Clan
A lot of it is just straight rap with a simple beat behind. It’s refreshing because I don’t listen to too much of that style. I thought it would get old after a few songs, but it actually got better the more I got into the album.
I like the beat for 7th chamber, method man, and forgot to look at the names of the rest of the songs after I started this list. But there were a lot with sick beats/flows.
4
Jan 30 2024
View Album
Brothers
The Black Keys
I’ve heard of the Black Keys before and probably know some of their stuff without knowing it was them. Ah yep, I’ve heard Howlin’ for You.
I really like the funky bluesy rock style overall. They remind me of the Cold War Kids, though a bit more polished. These Days was a nice soft departure from that style though, showing a bit of range in the album, and was a banging song overall.
Really good album. Super impressed.
4
Jan 31 2024
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Deja Vu
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
Almost cut my hair feels like somebody just got high and wrote down the first things that came to their mind, then they wrote music behind it.
I like the mix between electric guitar solos and folksy wholesome music, but it also made it so I couldn’t figure out the identity of the group. Four-part harmony?
Deja Vu is super catchy. In general I liked the songs, but nothing to set it apart from other decent albums.
2
Feb 01 2024
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Off The Wall
Michael Jackson
Michael’s voice really is beautiful. So much range, both in notes and musical style.
I didn’t listen to the entire album, but I feel like I heard enough to give it 3 stars.
3
Feb 02 2024
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Planet Rock: The Album
Afrika Bambaataa
It’s not bad, but it just sounds too cheesy to me. They definitely put effort into the beats, which were groovy, just not what I like to listen to.
I don’t recognize any of the songs, so there isn’t any nostalgia element for me.
Haven’t given a one star yet, so feel like I should get one in the books.
1
Feb 05 2024
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Murmur
R.E.M.
I’m digging this album. Some groovy beats and weird musical choices, then some classic rock sounds, but it kept me on my toes.
This is an album that I can’t believe is 40 years old. It still feels so modern - or could at least be from the 2000s.
4
Feb 06 2024
View Album
Time Out
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
I remember when Simon Cowell used “elevator music” as an insult on American Idol. Well, here we have it.
Everybody Jumpin’, while an obvious predecessor to “Jump On It”, just doesn’t have the same energy.
Calming and fine to have in the background, but nothing I’ll be returning to with any measurable amount of excitement.
2
Feb 07 2024
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Disraeli Gears
Cream
I’ve heard cream a bit before, whose songs are largely based on the singer rocking out and occasionally switching to a soft falsetto with Eric Clapton wailing on the guitar in the background. It’s a definite yes for me.
Sunshine of Your Love - classic.
Outside Women Blues has really weird timing, but I still kinda dig it.
A Mothers Lament reminds me of Monty Python. It’s a weird one to end on, but I’m glad they had this random silly departure from their usual style.
There’s a lot to love on this album.
4
Feb 08 2024
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Murder Ballads
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
This whole album has such a weird vibe, which was sort of the point I guess, based on the name.
But even if we want to excuse the subject matter, still the music was pretty boring, the lyrics were strange (“I’d crawl over 1000 pussys just to get to one boys juicy butthole” - paraphrased, but not far off), and nothing stuck out in a positive direction.
Not sure if “Death is Not the End” was meant to be uplifting, but for me it was creepy AF.
1
Feb 13 2024
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Sheer Heart Attack
Queen
Freddie Mercury’s voice is truly incredible. Some of the rhythms on songs I’ve never heard of are insane, super impressive.
There’s also a huge variety of style in a single album, which I always appreciate, and shows the versatility of all the musicians.
That being said, I did find myself a bit uninterested by a few of the songs, so would be hard-pressed to give it a 5.
4
Feb 14 2024
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The Poet
Bobby Womack
Groovy beats about love with great singing as accompaniment. I really like the vibe, but it all just sort of blended together after a while and no specific song stuck out to me.
All good, but nothing great.
3
Feb 16 2024
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Fetch The Bolt Cutters
Fiona Apple
Newspaper was very cringey - not enjoyable listening for me. Also “I Want You To Love Me”. And…. the whole album. Nevermind. It’s the whole album.
Some songs were actually fine. But I still wouldn’t put them on over much else.
That being said, I don’t regret listening to the album, because now I know that I shouldn’t ever listen to Fiona Apple again, and can happily judge others for doing so.
1
Feb 29 2024
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Go Girl Crazy
The Dictators
Overall, not great, not bad. Some of the songs gave me ska vibes without the brass, which was interesting. I can’t say there was a huge amount of creativity though, in my opinion.
I Got You Babe made me realize that I forgot to watch Groundhog Day this year. *sad face*
3
Mar 01 2024
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Crazysexycool
TLC
Too much is going on in the harmonies (background and singing) to really appreciate them, other than the general vibe. Or maybe just the mixing is bad. Not sure. I do like the general vibe though.
Their voice(s) sounded a lot better and cut through more when the pitch was a bit higher, but for some reason a lot of the songs had them singing low for a significant portion. I do like the bits with rapping though.
“Waterfalls” is played so often in the UK. It’s fine, but not sure why it’s that popular.
2
Mar 04 2024
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Heroes
David Bowie
David Bowie’s voice is frustrating. It seems like he intentionally speak-sings which makes his music and voice recognizable, but I would like to know what notes are written at some point.
And then the other half of the album was random ambient sounds.
I feel like I like the idea of David Bowie - purposely making a lot of non-mainstream choices just to subvert expectations. But I don’t actually like David Bowie in reality. If I was really into music I might appreciate it more, but as a casual listener I just want a bit more of easy listening. It seems he is always trying to make some point, but I don’t know what.
1
Mar 05 2024
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Highway 61 Revisited
Bob Dylan
I really like Bob Dylan’s style. Every song on this album is one that I would be happy to come up on shuffle. Some I knew before, some I didn’t, but I would happily listen to this album again.
My only criticism is that a lot of the songs sound very similar in style, and listening to the whole album together didn’t give me a whole lot of emotional journey, but rather a blur of one feeling.
4
Mar 06 2024
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I Am a Bird Now
Antony and the Johnsons
My first thought was “Sam Smith vibes”, but it changed as I heard a bit more, and gave some Hozier vibes at some points as well. Regardless I love the voice(s), and I’m glad I know a bit more about Antony/ANOHNI and the Johnsons.
3
Mar 07 2024
View Album
Vol. 4
Black Sabbath
Wheels of Confusion itself takes you on a journey. I kept having to check whether it was the same song still playing, or if I missed the cut somewhere.
Changes was a bit of a stylistic curveball. I had no idea that Black Sabbath originally did that song! Amazing. This is the only song I recognized from the album.
Then WTFX. I don’t understand why several albums have included random stuff like this. Maybe in this case it was to cleanse your palate after changes and get you back in the metal mood? Or maybe that was some new super inventive technique? No idea.
Laguna sunrise also completely different style. So nice.
All in all, a surprisingly diverse album from a band that in my previous mind was one-dimensional. I have heard a lot about Black Sabbath, but never really listened to them. I now understand and appreciate their impact a lot more. If that isn’t worthy of 5 stars, what is?
5
Mar 08 2024
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She's So Unusual
Cyndi Lauper
Two all-time classics on a debut album has to give Cyndi some love.
I liked the whole album. All upbeat, catchy songs. Nothing really blew me away, but a positive experience overall.
3
Mar 12 2024
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From Elvis In Memphis
Elvis Presley
I know a fair few of Elvis hits, but I can’t say I’ve ever listened to any of his albums. He seems to do a good job of walking the line between more traditional singing (vibrato, slow-ish and “pure”) and rock-style “screaming” and can switch between them at will.
I like the style, there’s some variety, but I can’t say I really loved the album. A lot of the songs were pretty unremarkable. But then again, there were some absolute bangers (Suspicious Minds, Kentucky Rain)
3
Mar 13 2024
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The Last Broadcast
Doves
I wonder if the lead singer’s name is Ian, because this sounds like a Christian rock album without the Christ.
I sort of liked a few of the songs (the beginning of There Goes the Fear, M62 and NY), but overall I’m not very impressed.
Wow, and then I actually know “Caught by the River”, but I have no idea from where. Another pretty good one, but can’t bump up the whole album.
2
Mar 14 2024
View Album
3 Years, 5 Months And 2 Days In The Life Of...
Arrested Development
Absolutely loving all of the beats. I also like the rapping style. It’s very conversational and easy to understand, with a chill vibe.
I started to lose some interest toward the end, but still a good album. I’m surprised I haven’t heard much about arrested development before.
4
Mar 18 2024
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On The Beach
Neil Young
Pretty enjoyable. I feel I could sit around a campfire and listen to Neil Young for hours. But everything just blended together. Nothing stuck out at all, and at the end of the album a Bob Dylan song played, and I realized how much more character and charisma Dylan has compared to Young. I’m between a 2 and a 3 here.
2
Mar 19 2024
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Fragile
Yes
Some parts of Roundabout seem vaguely familiar. I like the guitar instrumentals and background, but I feel like it’s a bit much.
Random classical music.
There’s a lot of vocal harmony, which is interesting but in my opinion doesn’t really match with the background music. And it’s a lot of “la la la” and “doo doo doo”, which makes sense if you’re singing a capella, but why not just make those sounds with actual instruments if you are using them anyway?
Heart of the Sunrise is amazing.
The album really grew on me as time went on. I have my qualms with it, but pretty good overall.
3
Mar 20 2024
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Bad Company
Bad Company
It’s fine.
3
Mar 22 2024
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2112
Rush
Absolute monster of a first “song”. I love it. It varies from sci-fi to hard rock instrumentals, to acoustic, but even within hard rock the rhythms and progressions aren’t very repetitive which keeps it interesting.
The rest of it is pretty good as well, but nothing crazy.
4
Mar 25 2024
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The Downward Spiral
Nine Inch Nails
Definitely not my style. Can barely understand any of the lyrics, distortion of the backing tracks is way too high. Most of the album sounds like a factory where the parent company would be legally required to tell employees to wear ear plugs. I know it was all intentional, but still.
I’ve definitely heard a few of these songs, but never knew the context.
By the latter half of the album, I really started to appreciate how they put the album together. So many different styles that brought me through a range of emotions. It sort of reminded me of the Nick Cave album, but it was actually well executed.
Some appreciation here, but I still don’t really want to listen to it again.
3
Mar 26 2024
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Fleet Foxes
Fleet Foxes
This one is very much my style. I’ve heard and forgotten about a lot of these songs. Relaxing but upbeat, with elements of nature thrown in everywhere. I would definitely listen to this again.
But I can’t say anything surprised me or really blew me away.
3
Mar 27 2024
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Ingenue
k.d. lang
This album was fairly enjoyable but a bit boring. It gave a sort of musical theatre feel, but without a story. Don’t have a whole lot to say about it.
2
Mar 28 2024
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White Light
Gene Clark
Pretty good. Reminiscent of John Denver and the like. I almost dropped it to 2 stars because of the iffy rendition of Stand By Me, but will keep it at 3 because I genuinely enjoyed the rest.
3
Mar 29 2024
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Tidal
Fiona Apple
This album is wayyyy better than “Fetch the Bolt Cutters”. There are actually several good songs on here, Criminal being just one of them, which honestly didn’t stand out to me.
Never is a Promise really stuck out to me for some reason. Lots of switches in and out of dissonance, chest voice and falsetto. Really impressive and beautiful.
I came into this expecting to give 2 stars maximum, but this is a really high quality album.
4
Apr 04 2024
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Pyromania
Def Leppard
I sort of like the style, but I feel like it all blended together and nothing stood out to me. Not bad, not great.
3
Apr 08 2024
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My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
Kanye West
The feeling I get from this album is that Kanye had quite a few ideas that he really liked and are objectively good, and then sort of filled in the rest with random stuff that would “suffice”.
This is true for lyrics: some lines really had me thinking, while others felt like an 15-year old white boy had written them. For beats as well: Every song had a good beat, but most of the time I didn’t feel like it went anywhere beyond an initial build. And also for collaborations: it seems like he wrote down a list of people he wanted to be on the album and then just threw them together randomly.
Even with all this criticism, I still pretty much liked all the songs. Favorites were Runaway and Blame Game (though the last part was weird and cringe).
Also, lots of random product placement. Wonder if he got paid for that.
3
Apr 11 2024
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British Steel
Judas Priest
Classic hard rock sound. The singer has huge variety in his his voice. From the “grungy” rock sound to operatic in some instances, and the more flat (but still good) sounding in songs like “United”.
Nothing stood out a whole lot, but it was all enjoyable.
3
Apr 15 2024
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What's Going On
Marvin Gaye
Wow, the deluxe edition on YouTube has literally 6 versions of “What’s Going On”. The album is alright, but sort of boring. Not super impressed.
2
Apr 23 2024
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The College Dropout
Kanye West
Where “Dark Twisted Fantasy” was a jerky rollercoaster with its inconsistency, “College Dropout” is a coherent unit with several absolute bangers on it.
Loved all the school spirit skits. Never heard them before.
Whenever a new song started, I felt the new beat might be my favorite of the album. All so fresh.
5
Apr 24 2024
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Veckatimest
Grizzly Bear
Personally, I just don’t really get it. I’m not sure what they are going for. It isn’t bad, despite their best attempts to throw random dissonant chords everywhere, but it’s not something I would listen to again.
The singer is quality though. Vague Simon and Garfunkel vibes through the album, but don’t like the style as much.
2
Apr 25 2024
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New Forms
Roni Size
I like it a lot more than I thought it would. I sort feel like there’s a story being told by the music, with changing environments and random characters added in. It would be a good background to a video game, sort of reminding me of Ratchet and Clank.
But it is wayyy too long. Even if it was a normal length, I’m not sure I could have finished it but in reality I made it about 7 songs in and decided I didn’t want that noise in my life all day.
2
May 06 2024
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Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not
Arctic Monkeys
A lot of absolute classics on here. Favorites are Fake Tales of San Francisco, Mardy Bum, From the Ritz to the Rubble, A Certain Romance.
I like the style so much that I wanted to give it 5 stars, but several of the songs sound pretty similar and are fairly skippable in my opinion.
4
May 09 2024
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Music From The Penguin Cafe
Penguin Cafe Orchestra
I recognize the album art for some reason, but no idea why…
This album has been more enjoyable than any of the other purely instrumental albums we have listened to so far, in my opinion. It has a feeling of light heartedness and whimsy, which takes me away from the problems of the real world.
Oh, I guess there is also singing (From the Colonies), which is very depressing.
I liked the lighthearted parts, but could barely make it through some of the terrible squeaking on string instruments. Just… why?
2
May 10 2024
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Fred Neil
Fred Neil
A nice, laid back style. Catchy tunes. No complaints, but not something that I feel I really need to go and show all my friends.
3
May 13 2024
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Dirt
Alice In Chains
Wow the album starts with no warning at all. I have heard “Them Bones” before, but didn’t realize it started so abruptly.
I like the style. It feels “hard rock”, but is actually relatively slow and accessible most of the time. Some really strange “harmonies” though.
3
May 15 2024
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Post Orgasmic Chill
Skunk Anansie
First impression from the first song (Charlie Big Potato): love it. Never heard of these guys but the singer’s voice goes so well with the hard rock background, both to contract and complement.
Also love Tracy’s Flaw and Lately.
I really like the overall vibe. Tempted to give it 5, but it doesn’t quite reach that level for me.
4
May 17 2024
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The World is a Ghetto
War
I like the vibe, but I didn’t feel myself falling into the music, and was just thinking about other things most of the time.
2
May 20 2024
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My Generation
The Who
Many songs on the album sound much more “modern” than I thought existed in the 60s. It’s groovy - perfect white people dancing music, and I would absolutely tear it up.
I’ve heard a lot about The Who, but I’m not sure if I’ve ever actually listened to them before. I don’t recognize any of these songs.
4
May 22 2024
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Californication
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Absolute Bangers: Scar Tissue, Otherside, Californication
Bangers: Around the World, Easily, Savior, Road Trippin’
Still Really Good: everything else
Love RHCP. So many good guitar and bass riffs. Also love the singing style.
5
May 23 2024
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A Seat at the Table
Solange
Very chill vibes. I like the heavy use of harmony. Favorite song so far was Mad because Lil Wayne added in a bit of diversity in the sound.
Pretty good.
3
May 24 2024
View Album
This Year's Model
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
I really like this musical style. Upbeat.
Never knew who sang “Pump It Up” before.
I like every song individually and would happily listen to them if they came up on shuffle, but having it all at once was a bit too much and made them all sound pretty similar.
4
May 27 2024
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Metallica
Metallica
Starting hot with Enter Sandman. Metallica is exactly what I think of when I think “metal” rock. There is a bit more diversity in the album than I expected.
A few songs I hadn’t heard before that I liked: The Unforgiven, Through the Never, Nothing Else Matters
Don’t Tread on me has a throwback to west side story.
Overall pretty impressive, but can’t listen to this style for too long.
4
May 29 2024
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Kollaps
Einstürzende Neubauten
Does anybody honesty listen to this for pleasure? I feel like this was something created by the Nazis during the Holocaust to see how much audial torture Jews could withstand. Somehow it escaped from the camps and has lived another day to make us all say “wtf”.
Some parts weren’t as torturous, but still I have nothing good to say about this album.
1
Jun 03 2024
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Pet Sounds
The Beach Boys
Wouldn’t it be nice is obviously a banger. I also liked Sloop John B, God Only Knows, I Know There’s an Answer, Here Today, and that’s about it.
I sort of like the overall sound of The Beach Boys. So many catchy bits. Upbeat. The songs are all good but nothing really great in my opinion.
4
Jun 04 2024
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The Velvet Underground & Nico
The Velvet Underground
There’s a lot of stylistic variety here. Some songs were a bit too “strange” for my liking (Venus in Furs, Heroin, European Son), which has docked the score. Might have been 3 or 4 without those songs.
2
Jun 05 2024
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Manassas
Stephen Stills
I like the general vibe. They are catchy songs that could be background music in movies from the 70s or 80s. A lot of it blended together for me though, with nothing surprising enough to note.
3
Jun 10 2024
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Channel Orange
Frank Ocean
Fine, I sort of like the vibe but it’s too slow for me. Not really my style.
2
Jun 18 2024
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So
Peter Gabriel
The first few songs were good. I could see myself putting this on if I were in the mood for an ultra-80s sound. The second half was a real snoozer, but I did like the finish with In Your Eyes.
2
Jun 19 2024
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Let's Stay Together
Al Green
I really like the groovy vibe. Every song has enough different elements to it to keep it interesting. I love the interplay between Al and the band, with a lot of relaxed call and response. It feels so balanced.
For all the albums on this list that I wish were shorter, this is one that I wish was longer.
4
Jun 20 2024
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Wild Wood
Paul Weller
I like the style, and there is a lot of variety of sound. Some ROCK, some acoustic, some funk, some parts vaguely country.
Can You Heal Us was a bit repetitive for me. All the Pictures on the Wall - love it. Has my Fire Really Gone Out - loved the ending, meh first half. A lot of mixed feelings, but overall a lot more good than bad.
Sometimes I felt his voice was really good, but other times it felt pretty questionable, like it didn’t quite go with the background, or maybe just wasn’t quite precise enough when I wanted more precision.
I’d never heard of Paul Weller before, but I’m glad I have now.
4
Jun 24 2024
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Strangeways, Here We Come
The Smiths
I fee the Smiths have a really unique sound. It’s sort of both upbeat and creepy at the same time, but I dig it.
I honesty liked every single song on this album, and would gladly listen to it again.
5
Jun 25 2024
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Graceland
Paul Simon
Upbeat, catchy songs. Big fan so far.
Really want to learn how to sing the “Diamonds on the Soles of her Shoes” a capella part. I could listen to that song all day.
You Can Call Me Al - absolute classic.
A really good and enjoyable album.
4
Jun 26 2024
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Metal Box
Public Image Ltd.
Sometimes the background was pretty cool, but hated the singing.
I originally wrote that sentence about the first song Albatross, but then realized it also applied to the whole album.
This one is a nope for me.
1
Jun 27 2024
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The Who Sell Out
The Who
With this and the last album, I completely get the hype and following for The Who. There’s so much variety in their sound that I imagine different parts of the album might speak to a person at different points in their life. No single song stuck out, but everything was good. Some humor, some allegory, some rock, some softer bits.
I think Hall of the Mountain King was the theme song for the old Sonic the Hedgehog cartoon? Was not expecting that kind of nostalgia from this album.
4
Jul 01 2024
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Home Is Where The Music Is
Hugh Masekela
Nice and relaxing, but nothing outstanding. This would be great to listen to in a restaurant or cafe while eating or having a conversation, but I’m not sure why this is an album I need to listen to before I die.
2
Jul 02 2024
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Green
R.E.M.
I think I just really like REM’s style. Of all the albums we have listened to on this list, it’s the closest to the 90s/2000s pop-punk we used to binge in high school.
“Stand” just reminds me of Parks and Rec.
I’m at about 3.5, but I’ll give it 4 because vibes.
4
Jul 03 2024
View Album
Songs Of Love And Hate
Leonard Cohen
Not a huge fan of this. The tone is moody, his voice isn’t great, and the lyrics sound “poetic” but not very meaningful in my estimation, at least not in the current day and age.
A few of the songs were decent, but still nothing I would intentionally listen to again.
2
Jul 04 2024
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Connected
Stereo MC's
I like the vibe. Groovy and chill - it’s definitely something I could put on at a party. There’s enough variety within each song and between songs to keep it interesting.
3
Jul 05 2024
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Kilimanjaro
The Teardrop Explodes
Not bad, but a few cringey parts. Not much to say about it.
2
Jul 09 2024
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(What's The Story) Morning Glory
Oasis
Honestly every song is good. My only complaint is lack of diversity in the sound, but that is also what makes me immediately know that a song is by Oasis, and it is a sound that many other bands have tried to replicate, so I’m not sure if I can take it away from them.
Wonderwall, despite its hate, is replayed so frequently for a reason. Also love Don’t Look Back in Anger, Hey Now, She’s Electric. I think that’s enough for a 5 star.
5
Aug 05 2024
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Dummy
Portishead
I like the style. It’s sort of jazzy and mysterious with dubstep randomly creeping in, and I love the sound of the singer’s voice against the background.
I don’t have anything bad to say about it, but also don’t feel I really love it. Happy to give it a try though.
3
Aug 06 2024
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Pretenders
Pretenders
A real classic rock sound with a “baddie” attitude. I recognize some of the guitar parts (e.g. tattooed love boys) but have no idea from where.
4
Aug 07 2024
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Ray Of Light
Madonna
It’s pretty good, but not really my style. I did like some of the lyrics, but for the most part this album was pretty blah for me. I liked the relative curveball of Shanti though.
I think I would prefer to listen to more of her earlier stuff first, because I feel like I don’t have the context for this.
3
Aug 12 2024
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Grace
Jeff Buckley
In every song, I heard some parts that I really liked. Either a guitar riff with an interesting rhythm or melody, or a vocal choice that sounded really cool. But then nearly every song also had some part that got me bored, maybe just because the songs are longer than most modern ones.
Lilac Wine was straight up beautiful.
And there’s Hallelujah. I was wondering why I had heard of Jeff Buckley. Beautiful rendition.
His falsetto is great, and he uses it a lot, but his chest voice is also great in a completely different way.
5
Aug 15 2024
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Beauty And The Beat
The Go-Go's
Upbeat and catchy, so no complaints here. We Got the Beat is obviously a classic, but nothing really stuck out as amazing (or terrible) other than that. A lot of the songs sounded pretty similar, but still distinguishable.
3
Aug 16 2024
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Superunknown
Soundgarden
I think Soundgarden have done a really good job of being “hard” rock without it being overwhelming. This album is pretty easy and enjoyable to listen to all the way through. Black Hole Sun is a great song and definitely the best on the album, but I also really like Spoonman and several others.
4
Aug 20 2024
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The Dark Side Of The Moon
Pink Floyd
This album was very nice to listen to. A lot of interesting sounds and a lot of creativity throughout.
My only issue is that there isn’t enough singing. I really like things that I can sing along to, and nothing here gave me that feeling.
I do wish I had smoked up before. But it was still very enjoyable.
4
Aug 21 2024
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Crossing the Red Sea With the Adverts
The Adverts
I like the sound, but it is very repetitive. Not much variety. That being said, if I grew up with this music I’m sure I would be jamming out to every song.
2
Aug 22 2024
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You Want It Darker
Leonard Cohen
I guess some people really like the gruff voice. I think the songwriting for this album is good, and I respect Cohen for continuing to record music so late into his life, but I reckon if somebody else sang it I would have enjoyed this a lot more.
2
Aug 23 2024
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Abattoir Blues / The Lyre of Orpheus
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
Musically, this album is pretty good. It’s stylistically consistent, but still some variety. It seems that Nick Cave likes to tell a story in his songs, but still some weird/gruesome/cringe lyrics which I’m not really a fan of, and none of the stories spoke to me or really “meant” anything. Never thought I would hear “I put my hand down your panties” in a song. Maybe the trick is just to laugh at the weird stuff and enjoy the rest.
Favorite song: Breathless.
2
Aug 26 2024
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Hotel California
Eagles
Banger after banger.
I really like the Eagles style. Soft rock, but still with some shredding guitar now and then. Good singing, good music, some variety. No complaints from me.
5
Aug 28 2024
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Back to Basics
Christina Aguilera
The album has a lot of energy, and Aguilera’s voice and personality is always entertaining. I liked the switch to the “old style” tunes starting with Enter the Circus, and Candyman is classic. My only complaint is that the album is too long - I got tired of the vibe of the first half of the album, but that’s why the vibe switch was good.
4
Aug 29 2024
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Cupid & Psyche 85
Scritti Politti
A bit boring, not really my style, but not terrible.
2
Sep 03 2024
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Highway to Hell
AC/DC
Highway to Hell is a definite classic, and I do like the sound of AC/DC, but every song did sort of sound the same. They were good at one thing, and they did that thing.
3
Sep 04 2024
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Kenya
Machito
A nice vibe to the music. Something I like to have in the background, but I can’t listen to it every day.
3
Sep 06 2024
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Vento De Maio
Elis Regina
At first I was apprehensive, but I really like the style. Some songs are very upbeat and feel like dancing music, others are slow and sexy.
More than her voice, I really like the “background” music but her voice complements it well and is pretty good as a standalone.
4
Sep 16 2024
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The Bends
Radiohead
I like radioheads vibe for the most part. Unapologetic soft rock through and through. I liked every song in isolation, but nothing stuck out as either great or terrible to me. I did like the frequent use of falsetto and large jumps in pitch in an instant. But there wasn’t enough variety for me to give it above a 3.
3
Sep 17 2024
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Synchronicity
The Police
Very interesting vibe here. “Mother” is wtf. I liked “Synchronicity II” and “Every Breath You Take”. The album got better after “Synchronicity II”, but still not that great overall.
2
Sep 18 2024
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Cosmo's Factory
Creedence Clearwater Revival
Just so much energy and charisma. I would have loved to go to a CCR concert. So many classics on this album: Ooby Dooby, Lookin’ Out My Backdoor, Up Around the Bend, Heard it Through the Grapevine (which I never realized was CCR). I loved the few times where they drastically change the tempo in the middle of a couple of songs.
5
Sep 20 2024
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Woodface
Crowded House
Never heard of these guys, but I love the style. I’ve heard “Fall at Your Feet” only as a part of the 4-chord song by Axis of Awesome. The lyrics are a bit weird in some places, but good weird, not Nick Cave weird.
Overall, I’m a fan of this but it didn’t quite give me enough feels for a 5 star.
4
Sep 27 2024
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All Mod Cons
The Jam
Pretty good. Sort of typical soft rock sound. The songs don’t really have choruses (or at least they aren’t clearly distinguishable from the rest of the song), which is kind of cool but also makes it more forgettable.
I like a lot of the guitar parts.
Overall, it’s okay.
3
Oct 01 2024
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Oracular Spectacular
MGMT
I thought I had never heard of these guys, but there were several super famous absolute bangers on here. There was some variety which was good, but some of the songs were kind of snoozers.
3
Oct 03 2024
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Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite
Maxwell
The music isn’t bad, but also nothing at all stuck out to me positively. “Till the cops come knocking” made me think about p Diddy. So….
2
Oct 08 2024
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Thriller
Michael Jackson
I like all of the hits on this album (Thriller, Beat It, Billie Jean, PYT), but the remaining songs were pretty blah. Not sure why they started the album with the 3 weakest songs. Maybe it’s because I already know those songs so well that the surprise factor is gone, but overall I wasn’t super impressed with this album. Still enjoyable though.
3
Oct 09 2024
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Searching For The Young Soul Rebels
Dexys Midnight Runners
I like the upbeat nature of the music and the incorporation of brass instruments. The singing is weird - the words are largely unintelligible - but I feel it goes really well with the vibe of the music. This feels like a precursor to ska, which I liked back in the day.
4
Oct 11 2024
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The Gershwin Songbook
Ella Fitzgerald
I like the style - brings me back to my musical theatre days. The songs are cute and witty, and her voice is great and captivating. It all started to sound similar by about the middle of the album though. 3 stars for Ella.
3
Oct 14 2024
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Pearl
Janis Joplin
Upbeat and groovy. For some reason, I had the impression Joplin was completely “rock” style, but there is quite a lot of variety here, some blues, some country(ish), some rock.
I had no idea she wrote Mercedes-Benz.
4
Oct 16 2024
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Stand!
Sly & The Family Stone
The instrumentals are clearly meant to be the highlight for Sly, and they are good in some parts, but I can’t say I’ll be returning to this album again.
2
Oct 17 2024
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Music
Madonna
There were a couple of songs that I kinda liked (Don’t Tell Me, What It Feels Like for a Girl, Gone), but overall this album was pretty boring and unremarkable. If it wasn’t by Madonna, there’s no way it would be on the list.
I hate the adaptation of American Pie. So much.
1
Oct 22 2024
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Five Leaves Left
Nick Drake
Nick Drake’s style is okay, but it’s a little bit gloomy and slow for me. That being said I liked some of the melodies, and the lyrics seem poetic and meaningful.
There is also a lot of “orchestral” music (violin etc.) to back up the guitar and his singing. I’m wondering whether he wrote and played all of this himself as well.
3
Oct 25 2024
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Oxygène
Jean-Michel Jarre
This album is just a single song of classic ambient sounds (i.e. space lasers). I get why some people might like it, but I don’t particularly.
2
Oct 28 2024
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The Chronic
Dr. Dre
Dr. Dre! I can’t say I’ve listened to Dre much before, but I do like the general vibe. Some of the lyrics feel outdated, but I think in high school I would have given this 5 stars. Still really enjoyable.
Bitches Ain’t Shit just reminds me of Ben Folds.
4
Oct 30 2024
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1999
Prince
I like the vibe, but the songs are too long for me, as is the album in general.
3
Nov 01 2024
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American IV: The Man Comes Around
Johnny Cash
After the first song, I was worried that the whole album would be “speak-singing”, but luckily the brilliant Hurt brought it back straightaway.
This is an interesting one, because nearly every song is a cover but they were very much converted to Cash’s style, and come from a broad range of previous artists. It isn’t the most exciting album, but still very nice to listen to.
3
Nov 04 2024
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Live!
Fela Kuti
It’s fine and all, but I’m just not one of those guys that really likes listening to 16 minute long drum solos.
2
Nov 05 2024
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Beggars Banquet
The Rolling Stones
The music is enjoyable, but I can’t say anything stuck out as amazing. I didn’t realize The Rolling Stones had such a folksy tilt.
3
Nov 06 2024
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Homework
Daft Punk
Not really my style, but fine.
2
Nov 12 2024
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Tres Hombres
ZZ Top
La Grange is a classic. I love the style of these guys, but everything sort of just sounded the same. Still it’s something I won’t ever get tired of.
3
Nov 15 2024
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Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
During the recent resurgence of Fast Car, I thought it was overrated. On a fresh listen, that is a damn good song. I didn’t pay too much attention to its lyrics before, but she can really paint a picture with her words, in this song and others.
Love the style overall, but there’s a decent amount of variety as well. Loved Mountains O’ Things, She’s Got Her Ticket, and many others.
5
Nov 18 2024
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...And Justice For All
Metallica
Metallica being Metallica. I was working out while listening to this so it really hit the spot. A bit of variety sprinkled throughout the album, but in general the raw ROCK sound is phenomenal.
The only reason I’m not giving 5 is because it may be a bit too “full-on” for me. I like melodic singing, and this has very little of it.
4
Nov 19 2024
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Eliminator
ZZ Top
This felt very similar to “Tres Hombres” to me. One undeniable hit in “Sharp Dressed Man”, and the rest is good. Very easy to listen to and I like the style, but there wasn’t enough variety or “wow” factor for me to bump it up to a 4.
3
Nov 20 2024
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Millions Now Living Will Never Die
Tortoise
Not terrible, but pretty boring. A few times they did something that threw me off, which I appreciated. But most of the time I was just wondering when it would be over so I could listen to something I actually like.
1
Nov 21 2024
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Isn't Anything
My Bloody Valentine
Just very generic rock sounds with muffled mumbling to replace singing. I can’t say in good conscience that this is better than some other albums I’ve given 1 star to. Maybe it’s more interesting live.
1
Nov 27 2024
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The Predator
Ice Cube
Nice, chill, accessible rap with political commentary folded throughout. It isn’t the most musically exciting album, but it was enjoyable and I am glad I listened to it.
3
Dec 03 2024
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Nevermind
Nirvana
I would give 5 stars to about half of the songs on this album. A few low-lights for me (though still not bad) were Breed, Stay Away, and On a Plain. I liked how Something in the Way cooled things off for a bit, but I wish it had just ended there. The worst song is Endless, Nameless. Unless you’re into that stuff. Which I’m not. I was debating a 5-star before that, but now I’m debating a 3. I’ll give a 4 because I really enjoyed everything else.
4
Dec 04 2024
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New Boots And Panties
Ian Dury
The songs are fun, but his voice is… iffy. I appreciate how unapologetically British it is, and I work near Billericay (my colleague who lives there told me about Billericay Dickey a few weeks ago!). I would definitely listen to it again just to get a chuckle.
3
Dec 10 2024
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Ágætis Byrjun
Sigur Rós
I like the vibes. It feels like the soundtrack to a a fantastic movie filled with nature, love, tragedy. There were a lot of moments that surprised me with their beauty. I don’t feel it deserves a 5-star, but I’m finding it hard to justify anything worse than a 4.
4
Dec 13 2024
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Will The Circle Be Unbroken
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
I love me some bluegrass, but I don’t know it well enough to understand why this is any better or worse than other bluegrass. Enjoyable throughout, but too long.
3
Dec 17 2024
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Ellington at Newport
Duke Ellington
I’m not a big jazz guy, but this was pleasant. It isn’t something I would intentionally put on, but it’s fine to have in the background.
2
Dec 19 2024
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The Stranger
Billy Joel
Damn, I love Billy Joel. Upbeat and catchy. I actually hadn’t heard a lot of these songs, but every single one is good. There’s a common thread in the style, but there is still so much variety of tone and sound. Favorite which I knew before: Only the Good Die Young. Favorite which I didn’t know before: Scenes from an Italian Restaurant. Least Favorite: N/A
5
Dec 20 2024
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I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got
Sinead O'Connor
The first two songs were pretty meh, but it started growing on me after that. I didn’t quite finish the album, but was leaning toward 3 most of the way through.
3