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Wed Jan 24 2024
Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
The Smashing Pumpkins
It’s a difficult album to review as it was one of those albums that entered my life as an “instant classic” lauded as genius. It’s a good grind, serious rock feel. At this stage, I’m weary of Billy’s voice and kind of wish I had an instrumental version. Bullet with Butterfly Wings is my standard fave. Muzzle hit me as a solid track on this listen, it might be a new top SP song. The double album gets a bit long and repetitive on a full listen.
3
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Thu Jan 25 2024
Moondance
Van Morrison
I was born the year this album was released. I love Morrison’s young yet weathered voice. As I heard all these songs on the radio, mixtapes and at parties my whole life, I’m not sure I’ve listened to the whole album intact front to back. It is an odd collection of styles and moods, with Van Morrison’s voice trumpeting across each song to keep the thread throughout. Moondance is a series of frozen moments from teenage dreams 15-18 or so. I’m right back there as soon as I hear the intro. While Into The Mystic is maybe the best written song, And It Stoned Me is still the most indelible Van Morrison song. It seems like he really wrote his soul for it even if I don’t understand it. Some of the B side feels light, the A side is definitely stacked with the best compositions. But if I were seeing a band live in the sunshine in a park somewhere it would all wash over me real easy.
3
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Fri Jan 26 2024
At San Quentin
Johnny Cash
It's a good album, the sound quality is impressive for being recorded in a huge concrete room. The reason to listen to this album is to hear the rapport and camaraderie that Johnny Cash finds with the incarcerated people at SQ. He so clearly understands the inhumane nature of a prison, and without directly insulting the correctional institution he lets the men know he is on their side and there for them, no one else. Playing his new song twice through is a great document in terms of his solidarity with his audience, and the nature of live music "back in the day". If the audience wanted to hear a song again, you best play it or be prepared to deal with potential harassment.
4
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Sat Jan 27 2024
Paul's Boutique
Beastie Boys
Required listening for music fans. “Johnny Ryall” and “Shadrach” are favorites.
5
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Sun Jan 28 2024
The Modern Lovers
The Modern Lovers
Great early proto-punk sound. Clearly a huge influence on many who came after. "Hospital" is a standout to me, different sound with the same raw energy.
3
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Mon Jan 29 2024
Pink Moon
Nick Drake
Nice mood, an easy album to listen to. Makes me wonder how many nice albums like that are out there, never heard widely unless someone highlights it.
3
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Tue Jan 30 2024
Garbage
Garbage
3
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Wed Jan 31 2024
Planet Rock: The Album
Afrika Bambaataa
3
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Thu Feb 01 2024
Playing With Fire
Spacemen 3
4
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Fri Feb 02 2024
Siembra
Willie Colón & Rubén Blades
Willie Colón is the best of the best. Fun to have Rubén Blades with him on this.
4
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Sat Feb 03 2024
We Are Family
Sister Sledge
A very good album, nice variety along with the well known hits. “He’s The Greatest Dancer” is my favorite of theirs.
4
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Sun Feb 04 2024
Time (The Revelator)
Gillian Welch
Gillian Welch is an institution and an icon of the Americana/Folk genre.
5
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Mon Feb 05 2024
Killing Joke
Killing Joke
Clearly influential to bands that came after. Excellent musicianship, classic band.
4
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Tue Feb 06 2024
Music in Exile
Songhoy Blues
Love it! Completely new to me and I really enjoy the rhythms of Mali combined with the bluesy guitar.
5
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Wed Feb 07 2024
Destroy Rock & Roll
Mylo
3
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Thu Feb 08 2024
Phaedra
Tangerine Dream
4
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Fri Feb 09 2024
I Should Coco
Supergrass
Super good album, I'm not sure why I missed these guys the first time around. Excellent musicality, some reminiscent refrains but still original.
5
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Sat Feb 10 2024
Pearl
Janis Joplin
The energy captured on this album is a gift. Since we didn't have Janis for a long time, we have to make due with the memory and the music. Classic, funny, deeply sad and soulful.
5
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Sun Feb 11 2024
Grievous Angel
Gram Parsons
4
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Mon Feb 12 2024
Life's Too Good
The Sugarcubes
Great classic pop punk album. It’s fun to listen and hear the seeds of what Bjork would do later.
5
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Tue Feb 13 2024
Tommy
The Who
Required listening for rock literacy.
4
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Wed Feb 14 2024
Only By The Night
Kings of Leon
A solid rock n roll album. Perfect amphitheater on a warm day kind of music. I like Caleb's voice a lot - it helps to ground the wall of guitars and keep a touch of the southern flavor of their sound.
3
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Thu Feb 15 2024
Bayou Country
Creedence Clearwater Revival
3
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Fri Feb 16 2024
NEU! 75
Neu!
I liked this! More mellow than I imagined it would be. Atmospheric and actually quite lovely.
4
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Sat Feb 17 2024
Red Headed Stranger
Willie Nelson
Lovely, heartbreaking and beautiful
5
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Sun Feb 18 2024
Hypocrisy Is The Greatest Luxury
The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy
Incredible sound and still salient prophetic lyrics.
5
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Mon Feb 19 2024
Chore of Enchantment
Giant Sand
3
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Tue Feb 20 2024
Hot Fuss
The Killers
This album is all attitude, and if you like that attitude you'll love this album. Well-crafted songs and lots of fun hooks, a bit snarky/whiny for me as a complete listen. "Somebody Told Me" is a great rockin tune, "Everything Will Be Alright" is my favorite. Flowers reveals his selfawareness in the last track, makes clear they have a sense of humor about it all.
4
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Wed Feb 21 2024
Cafe Bleu
The Style Council
5
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Thu Feb 22 2024
The Real Thing
Faith No More
3
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Fri Feb 23 2024
Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim
Frank Sinatra
Interesting mellow Frank album. I’m not a huge fan of his renditions but I am sure it was revolutionary in its time.
3
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Sat Feb 24 2024
The Village Green Preservation Society
The Kinks
The Kinks have a very identifiable sound due to Ray Davies' voice. I like it, and it also has a similar level to all the songs. Nice listening but doesn't blow me away. Picture Book, Big Sky and People Take Pictures of Each Other are standouts for me.
4
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Sun Feb 25 2024
Ágætis Byrjun
Sigur Rós
5
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Mon Feb 26 2024
Cross
Justice
As mentioned by many reviews, "The Party" is a bit hard to take. Otherwise, a rockin' party beats album.
3
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Tue Feb 27 2024
White Blood Cells
The White Stripes
4
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Wed Feb 28 2024
Birth Of The Cool
Miles Davis
It's Miles Davis, what can you say?
4
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Thu Feb 29 2024
Revolver
Beatles
Some of me favorite Beatles songs on this album. It’s the clear start to the separation of styles within the band. Rubber Soul and Revolver are a great pair of albums to hear the past and future genius of all four members.
5
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Fri Mar 01 2024
The Idiot
Iggy Pop
3
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Sat Mar 02 2024
Maggot Brain
Funkadelic
4
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Sun Mar 03 2024
En-Tact
The Shamen
2
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Mon Mar 04 2024
Buffalo Springfield Again
Buffalo Springfield
3
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Tue Mar 05 2024
Master Of Puppets
Metallica
I love the mood and feel of Metallica's music, it's very nostalgic at this point. It's never been my genre but I do appreciate the gloomy intensity. "Leper Messiah" is my favorite track on the album.
4
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Wed Mar 06 2024
Suicide
Suicide
Really enjoyed this. Thoughtful with really experimental elements. Minimalist until the screaming kicks in. Clearly an influence on many sounds that followed.
5
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Thu Mar 07 2024
(What's The Story) Morning Glory
Oasis
A wide-open sound that is very appealing. I had not listened to the whole album before. The hits are clearly hits, Don't Look Back In Anger is the better song but Champagne Supernova is just a good feeling tune musically. Wonderwall is still overplayed in my mind. I liked Cast No Shadow maybe the best of all the tracks.
3
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Fri Mar 08 2024
The Sun Rises In The East
Jeru The Damaja
3
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Sat Mar 09 2024
Frank
Amy Winehouse
2
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Sun Mar 10 2024
Fromohio
fIREHOSE
2
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Mon Mar 11 2024
Deloused in the Comatorium
The Mars Volta
I was not familiar with this album or the band but I really liked it! Lots of echoes from favorites past, but blended in a way that makes the music fresh. I like Cedric's voice a lot. And the band is skilled and tight, allowing them to achieve a lot of different sounds.
4
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Tue Mar 12 2024
Zombie
Fela Kuti
4
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Wed Mar 13 2024
Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music
Ray Charles
3
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Thu Mar 14 2024
I Am a Bird Now
Antony and the Johnsons
4
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Fri Mar 15 2024
Paranoid
Black Sabbath
When I'm in the mood for this genre of music, very few albums satisfy like Paranoid. As many years pass and bands come and go, the energy is solid and the hard blues and inklings of weirdness are just delicious.
5
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Sat Mar 16 2024
The Bends
Radiohead
4
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Sun Mar 17 2024
Darkdancer
Les Rythmes Digitales
Good beats, excellent production. The band seems to have a strong attitude but also a humor which I like. Soft Machine and Damaged People are standouts. And Nik Kershaw!
3
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Mon Mar 18 2024
Vulnicura
Björk
3
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Tue Mar 19 2024
Highway 61 Revisited
Bob Dylan
3
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Wed Mar 20 2024
Murmur
R.E.M.
Like many of these albums, listening in the current time and trying to recall how peculiar this music was when it was released is difficult. R.E.M. have been influential to so many bands and artists over the years that it doesn't sound as wild as it did in 1983. Radio Free Europe still grabs me like it did back in the day, raw and furtive and somehow also with a floating feeling.
3
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Thu Mar 21 2024
Songs In The Key Of Life
Stevie Wonder
I can't say anything more about this album than has been said. Absolutely one of the essential albums in the canon of American Music.
5
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Fri Mar 22 2024
Future Days
Can
I liked this one a lot! More mellow than other Can albums I have heard, almost ambient. Still abstract and poetic but accessible.
4
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Sat Mar 23 2024
The ArchAndroid
Janelle Monáe
This album is where we see the beginnings of the genius that is Janelle Monae. It's difficult to put into words the affect she has (and will have) on music and the energetic vibrations of Earth. Listen, it's worth your time.
5
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Sun Mar 24 2024
Untitled (Black Is)
SAULT
5
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Wed Jun 19 2024
Kimono My House
Sparks
A rollicking album of rock theater. Some moments are experimental and weird fun, but the rest is accessible from many musical directions.
4
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Thu Jun 20 2024
Call of the Valley
Shivkumar Sharma
3
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Fri Jun 21 2024
Your New Favourite Band
The Hives
Full tilt rocking band! Intense with a sense of humour. Not necessarily my new favourite band but I know a little more of their music and I like it!
4
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Sat Jun 22 2024
Van Halen
Van Halen
Solid RAWK album. It's fun to listen from today and think back to how outrageously new Eddie's guitar work sounded. And I forget how jazzy Dave was right from the first album. Several classic songs on here, although I might like "On Fire" the best,
4
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Sun Jun 23 2024
Reign In Blood
Slayer
Aggressive and relentless album. Araya's voice is a gift to metal music. Darkest of dark subject matter but sometimes that's what you need to see the light.
5
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Sun Jul 07 2024
Figure 8
Elliott Smith
He's the kind of songwriter that lures you in with gentle melodies and smooth voice, then gets under your skin with the intensity of his emotions. You're singing along and realize you're singing "Everything means nothing to me"! Plus, as a Schoolhouse Rock generation kid, the rendition of "Figure 8" is amazing and perfectly haunting as the original tune is.
4
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Mon Jul 08 2024
The Notorious Byrd Brothers
The Byrds
I was not familiar with this album until I listened for the 1001 Albums project. The Byrds is a foundational group (in all lineup combinations) for American folk rock and indie folk. You can hear the echoes of their influence everywhere. This isn't my favorite Byrds album but the songwriting and musical experimentation are undeniable. "Natural Harmony" and "Draft Morning" are beautiful and stand up to similar music today.
3
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Tue Jul 09 2024
You've Come a Long Way Baby
Fatboy Slim
Certainly influential in its time. The artistry in sample-craft and beats is still solid. My nervous system these days simply can't handle the entire album at once! "The Rockafeller Skank" and "Praise You" are club/dance/EDM canon.
3
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Wed Jul 10 2024
At Mister Kelly's
Sarah Vaughan
Wonderful to hear the live performance captured organically. Sarah Vaughan is maybe my favorite vocalist from this era, her voice is so bright and she seems to be truly having a great time.
3
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Thu Jul 11 2024
Time Out Of Mind
Bob Dylan
Meditative blues from the legendary Dylan. Not my favorite but a few songs have that satisfying Dylan feel.
3
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Thu Jul 18 2024
Eagles
Eagles
Uneven first album, although it's clear that Meisner is in a groove with the songs that did end up being popular. I also like Tryin'.
2