Run-D.M.C.
Run-D.M.C.This album has not aged well. I respect it for the impact that it had, but I am not a fan. The beats are paper thin, and their back and forth style is silly. 2/5.
This album has not aged well. I respect it for the impact that it had, but I am not a fan. The beats are paper thin, and their back and forth style is silly. 2/5.
What a painfully average rock/blues-adjacent album. It sounds like muzak playing in the background of a JC Penny or a Hooters. Other than a few artistic gleams, overall generic. 2.4/5 -> 2/5.
This album is a classic, no dull spots.
All in all this album was o.k. I can see how it pioneered certain indie esthetics down the road. However, in the grand scheme of things, it seems like this will migrate off of this list as many of the tracks are underwhelming or forgettable. 2/5
This album defined the early 2010s, and has stood the test of time. Sing about me, Real and Compton are not the strongest end to the album.
This album started strong but by mid-way through the songs lost their luster and listening felt like a chore. Not terrible but certainly not enjoyable. 2/5
I did not enjoy listening to this album. 1.25 hours of the same love some repeated over and over. Ray has limitless talent but it didn't shine through on this album. 1/5
This album is good. Part way through it seemed like it was dependent on it's singles a bit, however You See Me Crying was a great closer and wrapped up the experience well. 3/5
It's pretty impressive that an album this experimental gained the popularity that it did. I enjoyed most of the songs: the bass was funky, I liked the repetitious elements, the droning sections, and the vocals. Though I found the album to not have much of an identity or personality. It felt like the songs were just clumped together with a few singles mixed in. Both the opener and closer were weak. 3/5
This album is great: it has a unique sound, I love the music and the vocals, and the first and last song are really good. The content of the lyrics seems to be great. I love the album art. My only gripe is that it's a bit bloated toward the middle of the album (this may lesson on future listens). All in all a good listen and this will stay in my rotation. 4/10
I had the misfortune of listening to Ray's "Modern Western" album before this and disliked it immensely. This album has much more character, talent and personality. The songs do all suffer from similar themes, but they are distinct enough. The first and last song are great openers and closers. 3/5
This album is a solid folk album. Most of the songs are pretty pleasant. Some haven't aged well (Man Needs a Maid - not just the lyrics, but also how over the top and melodramatic the song is). All in all: not bad, not excellent. 3/5
That was a pleasant listen. It's always fun to listen to an album for the first time and recognize most of the tracks from the radio in my childhood. Same happened with the album Diamond Life by Sade. This album had a few dips in the middle, but otherwise was solid. 4/5
I'd tried to listen to Rain Dogs a number of times before and I could never get into the Tom Waits character on that album. Maybe it's that the clean studio recording didn't match the character? Whatever the reason, I have never taken it seriously. I was initially disappointed when I saw this album as my album of the day because of this preconceived notion. I must say, the live nature if this album gave validity to the TW character, and I really enjoyed the music and stories. I feel that time hasn't smiled too kindly on the references etc. as many went over my head. But all in all, I'll probably listen to this again. 4/5
I listened to this album growing up, but haven't put it on for a number of years. My thoughts were about the same - the tracks on the first half of this album are damn-near flawless. Unique, groovy, catchy. But the second half has some pretty mid tracks (scarecrow, farewell ride, rental car, emergency exit). On top of that, the album doesn't have a feeling of cohesion between tracks, other than maybe some slide guitar and sun-kissed guitar giving a "western" feel. I'd probably rate this a 3.5/5, so I'll round up. 4/5.
That was a very underwhelming listen. Very few songs were interesting or memorable, other than All I Wanna Do (of course) and We Do What We Can. Even this albums contemporaries significantly outclass it (Natalie Imbruglia - "Left of the Middle" comes to mind). A few good songs and an overall positive "vibe" elevates this score from the bottom. 2/5.
This album is in desperate need of a remaster. Lo-fi is one thing, but this sounds like garbage with how compressed the audio is. Virtually unlistenable. The music itself was ok - the vignette style keeps things interesting at least, though no songs stuck out. 2/5.
A very classic mambo sound. Solid "vibe" of an album, but essentially wallpaper at this point. Would give this a 2.5 but must round. 3/5.
I initially was unimpressed by how all over the place this album was compared to Ziggy, however after looking it's recording process up it makes sense. David Bowie constructed lyrics for most of the songs on the fly in a studio just meters from the Berlin wall. Robert Fripp apparently finished all of the guitar work for this album in 3 days. Now that I have that context I'll need to register. I'm glad that I listened to this and that I took the time to review it's history. Still not my favorite Bowie record but I'm excited to revisit soon. 4/5.
This album has not stood the test of time well. It's raw garage appeal is apparent, but by no means is this album in the top 1000. Good enough "vibe", but that's about it. 2/5.
I've listened to a lot of prog and prog-adjacent music in my day. This album was o.k. I've listened to it before but it is pretty forgettable. For example, I had only listened to Gentle Giant's "The Power and the Glory" once, yet immediately recognized the sample of "Proclamation" in Travis Scott's "Hyaena". The same sticking power can't be said of this album. Still good, but middle of the road prog that is slightly elevated by the ethereal second half of the album. 3/5.
The music on this album is good, but the vocals and lyrics aren't that great. I've tried to listen to it a number of times in my life and it never sticks, unlike Yoshimi. It also feels like a very long album. 3/5.
I like some of the smash hits off of "You've Come a Long Way, Baby" as much as the next guy, but this album is a stinker. Talk about plain, muzak-esque electronic music. This album is souless, void of unique elements, and to top it off way too long. I will not be listening to this again. 1/5.
This album has not aged well. I respect it for the impact that it had, but I am not a fan. The beats are paper thin, and their back and forth style is silly. 2/5.
A pretty good album, certainly for it's time. A number of tracks stood out. Some were unexciting. All in all I'd give this a 2.7 rounded. 3/5.
This album was entirely forgettable. It tried to be profound, and the first and last track were pretty good. Other than that I wouldn't listen again. 2/5.
Honestly, if you've heard one Neil Young track you've heard 'em all. This album was underwhelming and had no standout tracks, but wasn't unlistenable. 2/5
All in all, a goodish album. It ran a little long for the homogeneous sound of most of the songs. The interludes were too abundant and more of a distraction than anything in the end - for a self-titled album there wasn't too much of her personality shining through here. The songs that stood out were very, very good. All together: 3/5.
This was actually much more interesting a listen than I expected. I was expecting an album of back-to-back punk songs. My expectations were subverted. There was jazz, ska, funk etc. All in all not a cohesive album, and too long given the content. But not horrible. 3/5.
This album was good. I liked it's carefree sound. The string were nice and the vocals were good. Nothing striking that blew me away, and contemporaries that released similar albums were much better (Stone Roses self-titled comes to mind). 3/5.
This was better and more interesting than their self-titled, but that's probably because their hit singles were off of this record. I have the same stylistic gripes with Run DMC as before, but this is slightly improved. 3/5.
This album is average. Most of the songs are simple and relatively uninteresting. All in all not horrible, but definitely in the bottom 50%. 2.4/5 but will need to round down. 2/5.
This album is plagued by the "first and last song are great, and the middle songs are subpar" scenario. The song Band on the run is good enough, but Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Five makes the album. Not strong enough to hold the rest of the album up. 2/5.
This album was a disappointment. I really thought every song was uninteresting, and especially disliked the song sixteen. 1/5.
I thought that this album was pretty good. It was more experimental than I expected which was a nice surprise. All in all not bad. 3/5.
Another disappointing dad rock album. There was virtually no distinction between songs and the album sequencing was subpar. Sympathy for the Devil was obviously the big hit here then the band were comfortable filling the remainder of the album with sun-baked southern guitar and uninteresting content. It wasn't offensive but really not for me. 2/5.
This was a good album. The songs were distinct and pleasant, and I enjoyed most of them. There were just a few duds on the small tracklist. All in all I wouldn't listen to it again, but not bad. 3/5.
This album is great. There are some duds in the tracklist (Out on the Tiles, That's the Way, and Hats Off) but out of 10 songs that's still 3.5/5 hits. I'll be generous and round up. 4/5.
This album is mostly a classic. The first half is phenomenal and the interludes are well-constructed and funny. The second half gets a bit bloated and the songs don't hit as hard. Although it's bloated, it is an enjoyable album that I'd give a 3.5/5 and will round. 4/5.
I listened to Beggars Banquet a few days ago and wasn't the biggest fan. This album was more enjoyable a listen for me. Pretty simple and a bit long, but not bad. 3/5.
This album was sterile, and an absolute bore. It was only just under an hour, but with 17 tracks I kept hoping it would end so I could move onto something more substantive. I won't listen to this again. 1/5.
An alright alt. rock album. All in all it was a bit bloated and uninteresting. There were a few unique bits here and there, but nothing I'd go out of my way for again. 2/5. I ended up listening again (despite what I said above). I think what dissuades me is that the album isn't sequenced all that well. The music is good/great on individual songs, but they fade out in uninteresting ways and feel like a connection of similar singles. I'd probably give this a 2.4/5 or relisten, but still rounds to a 2/5.
A very plain and lackluster dadrock album. There are some good string bits and I appreciate how short an album in is, but altogether pretty standard. 2.5/5 rounded to 3/5.
This was a pleasant organ-led jazz album. i enjoyed having it on and listened to it a few times. Is it groundbreaking? Not necessarily. But it's something I'll put on in the background every so often. 3/5.
This album was a pretty good pop album. A few of the songs were superhits from back in the day. All around it seemed to be pretty experimental with it's glitchy sounds and futuristic uses of electronics. It didn't succeed all the time, but was pretty good nonetheless. 3.3/5 -> 3/5.
This album had some highs for sure - a lot of big hits from the early 2000s. It was pretty funky and jazzy, too. There are a few weaknesses. Though it is a double album, the album is bloated at 1 hour and 20 minutes. Length isn't necessarily an issue, but there needs to be variety to keep the audience engaged. I think this was accomplished musically on this album, with jazz, strings, soul, funk, hip-hop coming together well. Christina's vocal delivery is just identical on every track which is grating given the length. Also the fact that she is so rooted in her inspirations on this album makes the whole thing come off as a bit derivative. There are a few notable stinkers on the album as well, with Thank You and Nasty Naughty Boy coming to mind. All in all a good album but would give a 3.4/5 given the above considerations. Rounded down: 3/5.
I grew up with this album, but I'm not ignorant of it's many flaws. A ton of the songs are repetitive and rely too heavily on their samples. This makes some songs unlistenable (looking at you "Find My Baby"). Three of the big hits are pretty great: Porcelain, Run On, and Natural Blues. South Side isn't my favorite, the simplistic lyrics, short little verses, and Gwen Stefani feature stinks of generic soulless radio fodder for the time A number of the other songs are pretty good, but now that years have passed, on relisten, this record scores below the 50th percentile for me. 2.4/5 -> 2/5.
Finally, something that is unique and stands out on this list! I can't believe this came out in 2003, it has a very modern appeal and I can see how this band may have influenced later groups like Death Grips, LustSickPuppy, etc. I love abrasive music like this so glad it was on the list. The drumming is phenomenal, as well as the noisy glitch sounds. My only qualm is that there could have been a little more variety in the songs (thinking of Sunbather as a perfect example). Other than this, a great album I'll listen to again, and I'll look into Lightning Bolt more. 4/5.
PThis album put me on a fence. 80s soft rock hasn't classically been something I listen to or enjoy. But every song on this album was good and fit the album. Paul experimented with styles outside of his typical Simon & Garfunkel wheelhouse and I appreciate that. Some lyrics are definitely cheesy and haven't aged well, and some songs are less interesting than others, but overall I'm leaning closer to a 4 than a 3. 3.6/5 -> 4/5.
Gorillaz is a good, but flawed album. It is clear that Damon Albarn wanted to move in a different artistic direction than Blur, but this album didn't uncover a unique personality for Gorillaz. A number of songs were interesting and catchy, others were wallpaper. Clint Eastwood is great to this day. All in all, a good album. 3/5.
This album did not meet my expectations that were set by it's wikipedia entry (#1 on several lists for 2016 over Blackstar and A Moon Shaped Pool). For what it is, it is a fine hip-hop album from the UK. It's well made and there are some earworms in the tracklist. The album didn't flow in an interesting or cohesive way, it just sounded like an assembly of tracks. Skepta's voice and flows are alright. 3/5.
What a painfully average rock/blues-adjacent album. It sounds like muzak playing in the background of a JC Penny or a Hooters. Other than a few artistic gleams, overall generic. 2.4/5 -> 2/5.
This album is alright. Music is pretty good as well as her voice. I could see this being nice in the background in certain scenarios. Is a a must listen? No. But pretty good. 3/5.
Not a bad album. The songs blend together and aren't super distinct but they have a nice, indie sound. I likely won't listen to it again but all in all not bad. 3/5.
This album was alright. The final song was especially good. Many of the tracks are a bit forgettable but I want to keep trying the listen to this one. 3.3/5 -> 3/5.
Talk talk is one of those bands I can't really get into. The music is good, but the vocals are too underwhelming and washed out. That is the case with Laughing Stock also the case with this album. 3/5
What an uninteresting, boring, waste of time. The songs on this album sound like 1) a knock off of the song highway to hell, 2) a car commercial, and/or 3) a diary excerpt of a very horny gremlin. The average guitar solos are NOT enough to redeem this album. Not a good listen. 1/5
I gotta say this one surprised me. The number of genres/styles The Young Rascals hit in 34 minutes is impressive: funk, bassa nova, doo wap, french waltz, R&B, the list goes on. I was initially dissuaded by how similar the themes of love were across the tracklist but they varied that toward the end of the album. All in all, especially compared to their pre-prog rock contemporaries, they made something pretty cool here. 4/5.
I'm a fan of Curtis typically, but this album was uninteresting. If I wanted to hear a movie soundtrack I'd put on the movie so I could see the context. 2.4/5 -> 2/5.
I remember throbbing gristle being one of those joke bands people mentioned in highschool. Needless to say they've stood up to their reputation. All in all a unique listen. 3/5.
That album was solid! Good funky grooves, great drums, the songs in Spanish were great, the ones in English were ok. All in all, a very impressive album by Santana!
This album holds a special place in my music library, Brian Eno's discography, and music history. It's an imperfect album (hence the 4), but that's part of what is so great about it. It represents the messy and uncertain transition between Eno's art pop Warm Jets era and his ambient work on Discreet Music and Music for Airports (an easy 5/5). While this album boldly displays a chaotic transition between two drastically different musical eras, it stands on its own as a unique album. The only things going against this album are that some of the instrumental cuts weren't as flushed out as they could be 4.4/5.
This album wasn't bad. Some of the tracks are corny and some a bit out-of-touch, but a pleasant enough listen. 3/5.
It's hard to put this experience into words - the songs were so familiar, yet so new. It sounded aged, but the song construction was flawless and timeless. Every song is distinct and range in the feelings they evoke. This is a really impressive album that I'm glad to have discovered through this process, and am excited to continue to throw this on for years to come. (As well as buy on vinyl ASAP) 5/5
This album really should not be on a list of this magnitude. it really listens as purely average psych rock with no standout tracks. It pales in comparison to it's contemporaries, and I have no interest in listening to it again. 2/5.
This album is good, but mostly due to it's hits. The sequencing of the album is abysmal - it sounds more akin to a collection of singles than a whole experience (The Power of Equality is about the most boring opening track). The hits are fantastic, of course, and make the album. All in all, could have been better, but the music is good across the board for the most part. 3/5.
This album must have been a product of it's time, as it's aged rather poorly. All in all some ok vibes but the songs all had a similar sound and it doesn't have much replay value. 2/5.
A good Bowie album but certainly not his best. I like the lean toward ambience. All in all an ok listen. 3/5
Well that album was a mess. I guess I appreciate the artist approach and enjoy the variety of genres, but it really felt like an absolute disaster. The cool ideas hold it up a bit, but not too impressed. 2/5.
I've listened to "I Believe in a Thing Called Love" since it came out, but I never took it seriously. That continues to be the case on this mid-tier 80s resurgence album. Other than a few standout tracks, not impressed. 2/5.
The title track was good but the rest of the album was covers are reprise of green onions. 2/5.
This album was stunning. I was really impressed with the lush instrumentation and the variety of musical styles in such a short project. "Deer Stop" and "Horse Tears" were the two songs that felt a bit weak comparatively, but generally this was a strong listen. 4/5.
That was entirely forgetful and pretty disappointing. The songs were ok. 2/5.
An incredibly boring and uninteresting album that was way too bloated for its own good. His voice is pretty ok, but can't redeem this sad excuse of an album. 2/5.
This was a generally pleasant listen. The slower ballads certainly stood out better than the faster and more edgy tracks. I could relisten to this in certain contexts. 3/5.
Listening to this live album feels equivalent to those times when your friend pulls out their phone and shows a video of some concert they once went to and talk about how amazing it was. Honestly it sounded like a great show, but it's horribly grating to have to listen to an ~80min compilation of live Thin Lizzy songs. The only part that caught my attention was the transition from Cowboy Song into The Boys Are Back in Town, but even that is pretty common among live performances. Only a select few live albums come to mind that would be appropriate on this list, ones that stand uniquely on their own for one reason or another. Folsom Prison by JC, Nirvana MTV Unplugged, and Portishead at the Roseland This album is not trash by any means, but this should absolutely not be on this list. 1.5/5 -> 2/5.
A fairly good album. Really nothing too stand out or special, but not offensive. 2.5/5 -> 3/5.
I've listened to this album for years and have always thought it's alright. That perception continues on this listen. Some really stand out tracks on the first half of the album, but it fades by the end to just ok. 3/5.
I like Otis Redding, but an album of covers and ok originals doesn't cut it for this list. 2/5.
This album was fine. Pleasant enough, but nothing special. 3/5.
Ok, I was expecting to hate this album but it really wasn't all that bad. All of the hits on it take me back, and it's short enough not to overstay it's welcome. A lot of the unknown tracks weren't too memorable, but still not bad. 3/5.
I've listened to Ten for years, and it's always an amazing experience. Honestly, the first 6 songs (Once -> Jeremy) are perfect in my eyes. The last 5 (Oceans -> Release) are mid to weak tracks. All in all I keep coming back for the first half of the album, but the second isn't strong enough for me to give near a 5. 3.7/5 -> 4/5
That felt much longer than it was. He has a good voice and the strings were a nice touch, but there was nothing interesting or challenging on this album. Very straightforward. 3/5.
I like a good prog rock album, but this one came off as bloated, derivative, and self important. I don't think there was much variety in the tracklist, and the songs presented were simply ok. Not bad, but not impressed. 3/5.
I'm generally not a punk rock fan, and this album didn't change my mind. Fast, short, samey songs with washed out vocals. At least the project was short. 2/5.
This was a pretty good album. I really enjoyed it's laid back nature and the mix of styles. It didn't seem super unique or ambitious so I'm giving it a 3, but not a bad listen. 3/5.
This album was ok. It was definitely a "pop" album of the time, where it sounds engineered to make hits rather than express an artistic concept. Not amazing, not horrible. Solid 2.5/5 -> 3/5.
That was a really good album. I loved the variety of styles and that it kept me on my toes. I definitely heard some Larks Tongues in Aspic influence in there. I also recognized some Godspeed You! Black Emperor in the song Chartered Flight. My only qualm is that the album was a bit too over the place which sacrificed cohesion. Still though, a great album. 4/5.
I've heard these singles since they came out, but this was my first listen to the whole album. It was ok, just some nice, safe, alternative rock. 3/5.
That album was good, but a bit bloated. I definitely prefer the streamlined Baduizm. That being said I like the lyrics and grooves of these songs and could see myself listening to this again. 3.6/5 -> 4/5.
The byrds. Why is it always the byrds. Another mid-folk/country album. 2/5.
I really like Jim Morrisons voice and appreciate the bigger hits on this album. Sure it could be a more experimental album, but all around good. 3/5.
Great album. The songs Tarkus and Bitches Crystal are the best for sure. Jeremy Bender and Are You Ready Eddie? are a bit out of place. All around a great listening experience, but not a perfect album. 3.5/5 -> 4/5.
For most of this album I admit I was ambivalent, but goddamn The Asphalt World into Still Life may be the best two closing tracks I've heard on this list so far. So much so that I'm going to have to relisten now the I have the full album as context. An easy 4/5.
I'd listened to pieces of this album for years but this is the first time I made it through it's entirety. God this this is bloated and dated. A Visit to the Gynecologist and Girl Let Me Touch You are absolutely horrible tracks. Other songs are ok, but just thematically repetitive across the album. Blue Flowers is really the best track on here. Sadly, this album is on its way out for me. 2/5.
Certainly not a cure for boredom. This soft rock is so uninteresting. Every song sounds like the last, and for an hour and 12 minutes. This is not something I'll ever come back to. 2/5.
The Bee Gees did much better with disco than soft rock. I'd happily go through my life not listening to this again. 2/5.
I can safely say, from the bottom of my heart, that was the worst album I've heard on this list thus far. Her weak, nasally voice, the uncomfortable lyrics, the sophomoric musical talent, all pulled into almost an hour long album. What an absolute waste of time. I refuse to listen to Aimee Mann albums again. 0/5 -> 1/5.
Not a fan of this one. Generic southern rock that I can in no way connect with. The lead singers voice is weak and muted. The yodeling at one point made it more interesting. All around not a fan. 1.5/5 -> 2/5.
I listened to this album when it first came out and enjoyed it. Since 2020 it's aged relatively well. A ton of tracks stick out while a few fall to the back. All around a strong album. 3.7/5 -> 4/5.
This is an album I'll need to listen to again to give an accurate score. Few of the tracks really made my jaw drop, but I really like his voice and thought the whole experience was pretty pleasant. I'd give it a 3.4/5 today, but may listen again tomorrow. I listened again and agree with my rating. 3/5
This was some good jazz. Not exceptional, but good. 3/5.