Drop Dead Legs is probably the best song on the album.
As others have mentioned, while Eminem might be a technically gifted rapper - this album was just okay. Maybe I'm just old, but this album just didn't do it for me. I do like hip hop, but not a fan of this.
From the golden age of hip hop. Still holds up to this day. Plenty of solid songs on this album, but there are a few meh songs, so it gets 4/5 stars.
Master of Puppets is an absolute gold standard when it comes to metal. Ride the Lightning, Justice for All, and Master of Puppets are THE finest Metallica albums out of their earlier catalog. Every song on the album is perfect in its own way. The song "Master of Puppets" alone has over 780 million streams on Spotify. "Battery" is an absolute banger. "Orion", "Welcome Home (Sanitarium), and "Leper Messiah" are some of the other classics from this album that never gets old. Master of Puppets is in my regular rotation and will be for a long time.
Please someone explain to me why Bob Dylan is so great? I will buy that he is a good song writer, but good lord - he sounds awful and his guitar playing is just lazy chords strummed haphazardly. And the harmonica - I don't know when we as a species decided that the sounds that come from that "instrument" are somehow pleasing to the ear. That said, the only song that was moderately Ok was "Subterranean Homesick Blues" and that is only because the Red Hot Chili Peppers covered it so it was interesting to hear the original. Maybe I am not refined or smart enough to recognize the greatest of the whole Bob Dylan experience that everyone else does.
Kind of a dark, abstract sound. Some reviews peg Sonic Youth as masters of experimental noise rock, and that is probably the best way to explain them in simplest terms. Hard to believe this album is from 1986. In that context, this album was most likely swimming upstream in the current of hair/glam rock dominant at the time. E.V.O.L. seems like music that your friend's cool older brother/sister who was in college would have listened to. Sonic Youth should get more credit than it seems they do for pioneering work in the grunge/alternative genre. Definitely different and for that, this album gets 4 stars.
British pop; sounds like Morrissey/The Smiths. Not horrible, not particularly memorable either.
So, I am going to file Halcyon Digest under, "albums that I am not smart enough to understand why they are so great". Is Halcyon Digest different? Yes. Is this album technically "music"? Probably. Do I want to listen to this album again? Not really. Digging deeper into the band Band Deerhunter reveals that they are of the noise rock/shoegazing genre, which makes perfect sense after listening to Halcyon Digest. Heavy use of guitar effects, distorted/echoing vocals, random sounds sprinkled in - it has it all and then some. Also, when Pitchfork gets all excited about an album you know there is some level of pretentiousness and unapproachability for the average listener. God bless the people who are into this type of music, you deserve your exclusive fan club that us regular schlubs will not gain entry to. All and all, Halcyon Digest was tedious to listen to and I just don't get the appeal. You can call me old for being out of touch with the music that the kids are listening to these days, but I just can't with this album. It gets an extra star for being different, but that's about all that is redeeming about Halcyon Digest.
Murmur is a solid alt rock album that reminds me of college radio. "Radio Free Europe" is still a great song and one of R.E.M.'s best. Overall, a wonderful album.
To begin, I find the Black Keys to be a phenomenally talented group. My first introduction to to the Black Keys was with the album "Rubber Factory" in 2004 and also "Thickfreakness" (2003) and "The Big Come Up" (2002). I guess (fairly or unfairly) that is what I use to compare "Brothers" to. "Brothers" still has all the ingredients of what makes a great Black Keys album, but it is a little more produced and lacks that pure lo-fi sound and energy from their earlier albums. I am happy to see the Black Keys success and evolution, but I will always pine for their older garage band sound and raw energy. With that said, "Brothers" will get 4 stars instead of 5.
It's easy to hate on country music, but recognizing when an artist understands the assignment and absolutely nails their genre is something to be admired no matter what type of music it is. The coal miner's daughter - Loretta Lynn - is OG royalty of country music. "Don't Come Home a Drinkin'" was a great listen. To have such a long career and stay relevant for close to 60 years tells you what you need to know about Loretta Lynn's music.
Samba isn't something I listen to all that often, so this album was a nice change of pace. A very mellow jazz vibe. I could see myself listening to this again.
This album reminded me of singers like Tom Jones or Wayne Newton. The songs sounded like the type of music that would have been in an old James Bond movie. Overall, a throw back album that doesn't really hold up in 2024.
I've listened to Janis Joplin before, but never really delved into Big Brother & The Holding Company too deep. Cheap Thrills is an awesome collection of psychedelic blues-rock. This album was a pleasure to listen to and it will definitely get another play.
U2 was prolific in the 80s, releasing 6 albums. While "The Joshua Tree" is probably the album that put U2 on the mainstream map in 1987, "War" (1983) has more of a less produced, alt-rock/new wave vibe. "War" produced a couple big hits and is generally a decent album. Sure, it's easy to dunk on U2 but sometimes you have to give the devil his due.
A pleasant jazz/bossa nova album from a Brazilian singer. Overall, a mellow vibe and it was great background music when I was cooking dinner. If I ever find myself on a beach in Rio, I will be sure to listen to this album again.
So, this book/project is called "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die." Well, I heard Junkyard by the Birthday Party and now I want to die. I had high hopes for this album since it features Nick Cave, but wow - not good. This is another one of those albums that must be so good that my feeble brain can't comprehend its greatness. The songs were all kind of the same; noisy, out of tune guitars, no discernable melodies, nonsensical lyrics. Obviously this album didn't hold back Nick Cave from moving on to bigger and better things. I guess every musician has to start somewhere.
This album grew on me. Mellow, somber and at sometimes, dark. Giant Sand's singer sort of sounds like Mark Lanegan (Screaming Trees, Mad Season, etc.).
Duran Duran - a staple of 80s synth pop and early MTV. Rio is a solid album with a couple hits (Rio, Hungry Like the Wolf). Overall, enjoyable to listen to although not necessarily an album for the regular rotation.
Dark, depressing, hypnotic. Great post punk album. Glad to see Joy Division on this list.
Carole King reminds me of my childhood when my mom would listen to this album while cleaning the house. Carole King has a superb voice and the songs on Tapestry are easily recognizable. Great talent, great album.
Great 70s vibe from this soundtrack album.
Thought I was going to like this album, but I did not. Ghostface Killah's rapping style is just too abrasive.
Not horrible/not awesome, just ok. I think this album would grow on you if you listened to it a few times.
One of the greatest rock & roll albums of all time. Appetite holds up to this day and could give any rock album released in the last few years a run for its money. Guns N' Roses captured lightning in a bottle with this album and we are all better for having it in our lives.
Not terrible. Folk music can sometimes be a bit much, but Joni Mitchell does a good job of threading the needle.
Meh. Kind of a bland sounding album.
Yes doing what Yes does best.
Kind of Blue was like a warm fuzzy blanket - soothing and relaxing. Timeless jazz - hard to believe this album is from 1959. Love Miles Davis and Kind of Blue did not disappoint.
Elvis is a bit dated and kitschy in 2024, but nonetheless still obviously important to the history of rock and roll. I can appreciate Elvis for what it is - a ground breaking album for its time.
There is no one like Lemmy. RIP. Great album, love that it is live. I agree with most of the other reviews that the songs all kind of sound the same, but you know what you are getting into with Motorhead. Top notch!
Great album. Lot's of hits.
Not horrible, not particularly memorable either.
Overall a solid album. Not one of my favorites on this list, but it is hard to deny the talent of Stevie Wonder.
Classic alt rock/college radio album. So many hits on Doolittle. This album is up there with the Pixie's previous album, Surfer Rosa.
Vocals were reminiscent of Yoko Ono at times There were a few okay songs, but overall not that great.
What a gem! Such funky upbeat music. Loved this album. Add in Ginger Baker, takes it from 4 stars to 5.
