382
Albums Rated
3.34
Average Rating
35%
Complete
707 albums remaining
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
1960s
Favorite Decade
Psychedelic-rock
Favorite Genre
US
Top Origin
Wordsmith
Rater Style ?
58
5-Star Albums
20
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Atomizer
Big Black
|
5 | 2.72 | +2.28 |
|
A Wizard, A True Star
Todd Rundgren
|
5 | 2.83 | +2.17 |
|
Live / Dead
Grateful Dead
|
5 | 2.83 | +2.17 |
|
Meat Puppets II
Meat Puppets
|
5 | 3.02 | +1.98 |
|
New York Dolls
New York Dolls
|
5 | 3.12 | +1.88 |
|
Repeater
Fugazi
|
5 | 3.12 | +1.88 |
|
Vespertine
Björk
|
5 | 3.16 | +1.84 |
|
Deloused in the Comatorium
The Mars Volta
|
5 | 3.2 | +1.8 |
|
American Beauty
Grateful Dead
|
5 | 3.24 | +1.76 |
|
Live At The Star Club, Hamburg
Jerry Lee Lewis
|
5 | 3.28 | +1.72 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Appetite For Destruction
Guns N' Roses
|
1 | 3.74 | -2.74 |
|
25
Adele
|
1 | 3.36 | -2.36 |
|
C'est Chic
CHIC
|
1 | 3.34 | -2.34 |
|
Faith
George Michael
|
1 | 3.27 | -2.27 |
|
The Poet
Bobby Womack
|
1 | 3.21 | -2.21 |
|
Permission to Land
The Darkness
|
1 | 3.14 | -2.14 |
|
The Rising
Bruce Springsteen
|
1 | 3.06 | -2.06 |
|
Let Love Rule
Lenny Kravitz
|
1 | 3 | -2 |
|
Rapture
Anita Baker
|
1 | 2.94 | -1.94 |
|
Connected
Stereo MC's
|
1 | 2.94 | -1.94 |
Artists
Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Grateful Dead | 2 | 5 |
| Jimi Hendrix | 2 | 5 |
| Pink Floyd | 2 | 5 |
| The Clash | 2 | 5 |
| Beatles | 4 | 4.25 |
| Black Sabbath | 3 | 4.33 |
| Miles Davis | 3 | 4.33 |
| Talking Heads | 3 | 4.33 |
Controversial
| Artist | Ratings |
|---|---|
| Metallica | 2, 3, 5 |
5-Star Albums (58)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
White Denim
4/5
Indie garagey rock with some jamming and psychedelia. There’s a loose feel to the music but the band is quite nimble, able to pivot quickly in and out of typical song structures and varying rhythms and riffs in instrumental jams. It’s an interesting mix for a recorded album, but it works well. The instrumental sections come rapidly, generally change the feel of things for a bit And then head out before outstaying their welcome. The interplay between the band works well, with guitar melodies that circle around your head while the fuzzy bass fills in melodic gaps locked in with competent drumming. The music is busy, but not overwhelming. I don’t know what the lyrics were and honestly don’t care, it’s not about that. It’s interesting and unique music that combines a bunch of interests into its own sound. Though I prefer the heavier, more complex, and jammier songs to the more acoustic and songy-er songs.
2 likes
Rage Against The Machine
5/5
Rap-rock done right, with a heavy leftist message. Aggressive, heavy, and groovy. Memorable bass playing that stands out but isn’t flashy, with Morello’s signature oddly effected guitar squealing and scratching on top along with plenty of heavy riffs. De La Rocha’s vocals are delivered with intensity and deep anger at injustice and really elevates the music. Vocals/lyrics aren’t the first thing I pick up in music, but he absolutely commands your attention. It kicks ass, it’s fun, it grooves, it sends a message - and it does it all at a high level.
2 likes
Iron Maiden
4/5
sci-fi, the devil, genocide, prison, prostitution, rippin’ bass, shreddy solos, wails - what doesn’t this album have? Let me double down on ripping bass - Steve Harris is a fucking monster. Keeping the beat plowing forward, galloping, melodic fills…this guy does it all and it always suits the song perfectly. The galloping bass in Run to the Hills is an all-time line. The rest of the band meet Harris at his level. They can sprint forward with power, set tile in a head banging groove, and throw in catchy and speedy riffs with nimbleness and precision. Dickinson’s wailing on top is perfect for it. A very tight band with their own clear identity and vision. Just a badass and fun as hell album.
2 likes
The Triffids
1/5
Not sure why this must be heard before I die. It’s pretty straightforward, and somewhat bland, rock with some folky leanings and some dramatic flair. Nothing stands out to me here as innovative, notable, or even interesting. It’s just there and essentially had no impact on me. At first I thought it was just boring, but eventually it got frustratingly boring.
2 likes
The Zutons
2/5
Why must I listen to this before I die? It was fine, some pretty good songs, but also very forgettable. Doesn’t seem particularly unique, influential, or important to make this list. Decent sound, some good hooks, but not a lot stands out to me about this albums. Decent enough listen, just low impact for me.
1 likes
1-Star Albums (20)
All Ratings
Green Day
4/5
This album came out when I was 12-13 and I was the perfect candidate for its sound and message. It’s had a lasting impact on me. It may not be perfect, but is always a fun and enjoyable listen and still sounds fresh 20 years after its release. Catchy songs, punk energy, expanded creativity and musical range, and an underbaked but relatable concept makes it strong and still relevant.
Keith Jarrett
5/5
Some of the best solo jazz piano you’ll ever hear. Great upon a first listen and gets better with every spin. Impressive, extended improvisations that don’t get dull or wanky. Excellent for active or passive listening.
David Bowie
3/5
Good Bowie, but not peak Bowie. Primarily piano or acoustic-guitar led arty pop rock (turning down from the harder rock of The Man Who Sold The World), with some solid and tasteful bass lines and perhaps the start of a distinctively Bowie sound. As always for Bowie, quality vocal melodies and performances. Has a couple of all time tracks (Changes, Life on Mars?, Oh! You Pretty Things) and a handful of fine/enjoyable songs, though somewhat unmemorable. Enjoyable listen all around, but not a high impact Bowie album. I don’t see myself contemplating this album in days to come or feeling that I need to revisit often. Some of these sounds and ideas are revisited and perfected in Bowie’s subsequent album, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. I’ve never quite understood the critical beliefs that this is one of Bowie’s best.
Elton John
4/5
This pop rock album has some really strong sections interspersed with a few weaker tracks. There’s times when I’m really in it, but occasionally my interest drifts. Solid compositions/arrangements, quality performances (love the bass), nice groove, and great vocal melodies and harmonies. After a strong start, things begin to slow down a bit in the middle of the album. Mostly solid songs but the album is a bit long. My attention starts to wane a bit mid-side B through mid-side C, but then the album comes roaring back for a few songs. I prefer the uptempo rocking songs & sounds with a bouncy feel to most of the slower, ballad types. Overall, a good pop rock album in which the highs outweigh the lows. May have benefitted from being a bit leaner, but an enjoyable listen nonetheless.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
5/5
This garage/art/dance punk album oozes energy and drips with attitude and coolness. It makes you want to move in some way or another. Karen O delivers a unique and memorable vocal performance and is a quality frontwoman. Riffs are simple but catchy. Drumming feels both loose and tight at the same time. Every move the band makes serves the song well. This album was made for the sweaty underground and hardly has a dull moment (most songs aren’t long enough to get bored, and there’s enough diversity between them to not get same-y), keeping me entertained fully through.
The xx
3/5
This indie pop record about love and loss knows how to let songs breathe. The parts are sparse and they make nice use of quietness and silence. The albums mixes electronic elements with simple basslines and reverb dripped guitar melodies. The dual female-male singers work really well and complement each other nicely, delivering emotional lyrics with a quiet shyness to it. This is a well-made record, but the songs just don’t hit me that hard. I enjoy listening while it’s on, but don’t find myself thinking about it later or feeling like I need to go back.
Robert Wyatt
3/5
This was a pretty strange album and tough to digest in a way. Sometimes experimental and weird, but also feels somewhat accessible (I’m pretty sure it’s not actually accessible). Wyatt’s voice is simultaneously haunting and comforting. Some interesting musical ideas that can be very psychedelic, but not always in a typical way. Some songs, or parts of them, occasionally lose my interest. Certainly a unique album that has plenty of diversity throughout but feels cohesive. I like it and it could grow on me over time, but hard to say.
Isaac Hayes
4/5
A mix of orchestral and psychedelic funk and soul. Only a few songs have Hayes’ butter smooth vocals, but the rest are well-composed and well-played material. Some strong grooves with more mellow tracks interspersed. While I dig the album overall, it sometimes feels like background music (which it is for a movie) and doesn’t necessarily require intensive listening - though close listening can also be rewarded with the details of this excellent instrumentals. The almost 20 minute “Do Your Thing” stands out as a rocking jam that moves through several grooves.
Ms. Dynamite
2/5
This R&B/hip hop album with a bit of reggae flavor is ok, but not really my thing. Some nice beat variety throughout, though beats within songs are pretty repetitive and don’t move much. Some thoughtful lyrics, while many are just ok. Dy-Na-Mi-Tee is a pretty rad and catchy song, but that’s the only one that’s sticking me from this album. I don’t actively dislike it, but it’s not leaving a memorable impact and I’m unlikely to go back to it.
Jurassic 5
3/5
Decent hip hop album with a group trading off raps. Some nice diversity in tone, flow, rhymes, and beats. Beats are easy to groove to, and sometimes quite funky. Very old school vibe, somewhat surprising to hear that this came out in 2002. Overall, this album is really about the sound -the groove and vibe. While lyrics can be clever, I’m not really sure what they’re rapping about most of the time or that they really have much of significance to say. Enjoyable listen but not a significant impact on me.
De La Soul
5/5
One of the best hip hop albums of all time by one of the best groups to do it. Super creative, fun, and groovy. The beats are genius with a lot of diverse samples and keep you want to dance or nod your head. The raps are clever and will keep a smile on your face, with some laughs. Rewards repeated listening, which this album has earned. I really can’t say enough positive things about this album - one of my all time favorites. Absolute classic.
Grateful Dead
5/5
A combination of folk, rock, and country…a great example of cosmic country. Phenomenal songwriting - the lyrics are thoughtful and timeless. The music it’s set to is interesting and well-played. A comforting album to listen to with a cohesive sound but never gets boring. Vocals from several different members gives the songs different feels, and there are some beautiful harmonies here. Some all-time songs that are truly moving, like Ripple, Brokedown Palace, and Attics of My Life, and also some fun rockers, like Sugar Magnolia and Truckin’. One of the best of all time.
Wild Beasts
2/5
Occasionally interesting indie/art pop rock, but this one mostly misses for me. Vocals seem to be a decent quality but I just don’t particularly enjoy the dramatic sounding style. General music has some entertainment value (some cool guitar sounds), but not enough to make me particularly enjoy this album or want to return to it. Not particularly bad or annoying, just not really my thing.
G. Love & Special Sauce
3/5
This trio of vocals/guitar, acoustic bass, and drums lives on chill vibes, moving between hip hop, alt rock, blues, and jazzy sounds. It’s really all about the feel, less the content and meaning or moving instrumentals. Songs are alright - most have a nice groove but pretty insignificant lyrics or catchy melodies. The vocalist is also alright, he has a smooth casual delivery but doesn’t do much to impress. This band sounds best when they fall apart a bit and sound like shit. Somewhat enjoyed this but it also didn’t impress either. Runs a bit longer than it needs to. Not sure if I’ll come back to it, but if I do it’ll be more as background music than close listening.
Michael Jackson
4/5
This pop record covers and blends music from many different genres. It has a great and pretty consistent groove, making you want to move. Bass playing is consistently strong, vocals are impressive (he’s really got a great voice), with fairly interesting instrumental flourishes throughout the songs. For instance, a close headphone listen if Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough (standout track) revealed more musical density and brief interesting lines than I had ever heard in the song before. Pretty fun album that I enjoyed more than expected, even if it’s not where my main musical interests lie, though the slower songs are a bit dull. There’s enough ideas and groove to keep me entertained.
Arcade Fire
3/5
Decent album. Not a bore but also didn’t grip me. Somewhat standard indie rock for the time with sometimes interesting instruments, lyrics, and themes. Has some nice moments like the end of No Cars Go. Good enough of a listen, but also not a standout to me.
George Michael
1/5
This very 80s-sounding pop album is not for me. The opening track, “Faith”, is decent enough and pretty catchy…but then it’s downhill from there. The 9 minute “I Want Your Sex” was kinda cringey to me (“I’m not your father, I’m not your brother”) and ran on very long. Monkey was a ridiculous song. He’s a good singer and the music is decent, but doesn’t really hold my attention. I have no doubt that George Michael is very talented, just not very entertaining to me.
Miriam Makeba
4/5
This album was something unique and pretty cool! The singer is great and the backup vocals are great complements and make interesting environments for songs. There’s an intriguing African flavor and culture to it while it remains very accessible. Songs range from fun/joyous to sparse and beautiful. Instrumentation is fairly minimal but sets the stage for the vocals nicely.
Shuggie Otis
4/5
Solid soul album with progressive and psychedelic flavor. The rhythm section creates a nice pocket groove - which amazingly was all played by Shuggie Otis! He’s got an undeniably smooth voice and is a talented musician and singer. The addition of strings and brass to some songs fill out the arrangements and set the mood. A few nice instrumental tunes. Enjoyable album overall.
Coldplay
3/5
Given their trajectory, it’s easy to forget that Coldplay were initially a decent alternative band, blending soft and space/atmospheric rock elements. The first few songs are enjoyable and have some nice guitar work. Chris Martin can hit a good falsetto. The album sounds really clear and smooth, it’s produced well. My interest waxes and wanes throughout. High Speed sounds like it could be a Radiohead jaint. It’s decent music, but they have no edge at all. Liked it more than I thought, but also nothing that’s leaving a major impact on me.
R.E.M.
3/5
R.E.M. sounds uniquely like themselves, always identifiable - particularly Stipe’s voice. Generally good songwriting here - some good lyrics, solid hooks, enjoyable music. Some fun, some tender, serious, silly, upbeat, slower. It shows nice range in the band. Couple of excellent songs, couple of misses. It’s a well made album and enjoyable listen, but I’m not sure if the album sticks with me long-term. I was grumpy on my first listen and thought that colored my view but a later revisiting didn’t change much.
Jerry Lee Lewis
5/5
Holy shit, this album rips! This is rock n roll baby. Jerry Lee Lewis sets the piano ablaze and breathes the smoke through the microphone, and the band is right there with him. The energy never relents and the tempo only does for one number. How much speed was Jerry on this night? Very difficult not to move, or at least tap your foot, to this music. This is what the early days of rock were about.
Sonic Youth
4/5
Evil? Evolution? Either could be used to describe the dissonant sound of this album that finds Sonic Youth applying their no wave roots to a form that will develop into their own unique sound of rock. Cacophonous, but masters of their craft Sonic Youth never lose control or slip into the random. It’s organized, thoughtful chaos and noisiness. Very creative rock, with a unique guitar duo aiming for texture as much as riffs. A simple, driving, almost primal sounding rhythm section supports the guitar assault. Songs involved periods of quieter ambiance and crescendoing power. Album closer, “Expressway to Yr Skull” is SY at the top of their form and one of the best songs across their career.
Queen
4/5
Queen, another band that had their own very unique sound that I guess you can call prog pop rock if it needs definition. The band’s talent shines and diversity through on this album. The vocals are stellar (both lead and backing), strong guitar playing (with May’s signature harmonized riffs), interesting bass lines, tight drumming, and solid production to hold it all together. Songs are well written and arrangements are always interesting, ranging from thoughtful/more serious to very quirky, whimsical, and jaunty. They show off their full range here and every moment seems carefully thought through. Obviously, Bohemian Rhapsody is one of the most iconic songs of all time. It’s a fun album, but a couple of ok songs and my lack of complete enthusiasm for Queen’s schtick (I like it, but don’t love it), prevents it from being a 5 for me.
Elton John
3/5
Solid piano rock with progressive tints from Elton John again. Some elegant arrangements here, sometimes including strings and an interesting accordion (?) solo. The first two songs are Tiny Dancer and Levon, creating a pretty strong emotional 1-2 punch, and generally storytelling and somewhat visual lyrics across the album. Vocal melodies and harmonies are well-designed and performed. I was surprised to hear this came out before Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (an early assignment for me), because the arrangements generally seem more developed and complicated. Started zoning out a bit as the album got to the back half.
Muddy Waters
4/5
Exciting live blues from the main Muddy Waters. Everything is quality here - Waters is a commanding frontman and him and the band supply plenty of energy. Playing is tight all around. Songs range from raucous to slower and more somber blues. It’s all good stuff.
Isaac Hayes
5/5
I love this album. Long, dramatic songs with a great groove and room to breath. This is innovative, progressive/psychedelic soul at its finest. Stellar instrumentals (tasty ass guitar licks, bass in the pocket with solid fills, strings and brass for added effect) and classic smooth delivery from Hayes. “Walk On By” is a phenomenal long journey (sampled in some great rap) that hits an exciting climax. The tempo picks up for “Hyperbolic…” but the tight groove sticks around. “One Woman” is the most classic sounding soul track, but a high quality one. The album ends with “By The Time I Get To Phoenix” which can only be described as epic, story telling in a song. Just a great album that rewards close listening. What other soul album could have 4 tracks take up 45 minutes and never get dull?
Mott The Hoople
3/5
Competent glam rock, but nothing that really excites me. Good playing, some decent hooks, but just overall not really a standout album to me. Sounds like a less interesting version of stuff Bowie was doing at the time. Decent listen but not long-term impactful to me.
Peter Gabriel
3/5
Competent glam rock, but nothing that really excites me. Good playing, some decent hooks, but just overall not really a standout album to me. Sounds like a less interesting version of stuff Bowie was doing at the time. Decent listen but not long-term impactful to me.
Frank Sinatra
3/5
I didn’t save my initial review. Sinatra js a quality singer with a good band, which makes this release entertaining enough. But the songs sound similar and the album drags a bit for me. A couple of classic songs but not doing anything special for me
Yes
4/5
Track 1 “yours is no disgrace” comes out swinging and shows the quality musicians that the Yes guys are. Howe and Squire stand out to me on guitar and bass (great bass tone!), but keys, drums, and vocals/harmonies are all quality. This is all pretty classic prog rock - strong musicianship, bending songwriting, solid arrangements. But Why do they need to sing so high all the time?
David Bowie
4/5
Bowie’s death album - it’s hard to decouple this album from that. The album is haunting, the effect to which is enhanced by his passing. This album gives songs room to breathe, but still has interesting production/arrangements and nice flourishes to fill out. Drums on this album make some interesting beats and stand out more than other Bowie albums. Singing is often slower, longer, and with lots of vibrato. The title/first track “Blackstar” is a standout that brings the listener along on its journey, and that and “I can’t give everything away” are phenomenal bookends to the album.
1/5
This album mostly sucks other than the Rollin’ songs - which it’s hilarious to have 2 different versions of the same song on one album. Those songs kind of suck too, but can be partially enjoyed. It’s overly long for how similar the songs are - maybe this would be tolerable at half the length. I don’t vibe with Durst’s tough guy schtick, and his melodic range is severely limited…but not like his rhythm or lyrics are more impressive. He’s the worst aspect of this band, as some of the music is decent and Wes Borland’s guitar parts are occasionally interesting. There’s much better nu-metal out there.
The Zutons
2/5
Why must I listen to this before I die? It was fine, some pretty good songs, but also very forgettable. Doesn’t seem particularly unique, influential, or important to make this list. Decent sound, some good hooks, but not a lot stands out to me about this albums. Decent enough listen, just low impact for me.
Blur
4/5
I dig this noisier, indie, less poppy, more lo-fi Blur. This is a band I never really got into, but dig this album. As a big Gorillaz fan, can hear some of the music moving in that direction a bit. The album may be a little longer than it needs to be, but is full of interesting ideas and sounds.
Sister Sledge
2/5
This disco album doesn’t really do it for me. The singles are solid dance music that can get the masses on the floor (“We Are Family”, “He’s The Greatest Dancer”). The rest/slower songs don’t add much value. Some quality funky/groovy instrumentals - particularly the bass. There’s good quality across this album, it’s just not really my thing.
The Incredible String Band
3/5
Peculiar, unique, and bizarre psychedelic/experimental folk music. Love it or hate it - it’s undeniably an intriguing listen. I’m somewhere in the middle, it’s not going to be a favorite album of mine but I certainly didn’t dislike it and overall enjoyed the experience. Unconventional song structures a a variety of worldly string instruments makes this album sound like no other. Worth a listen and wouldn’t mind coming across it in the future, but probably not seeking it out often.
The Electric Prunes
3/5
Decent 60s psych/garage record. Some songs hit pretty hard with the fuzz tones (Too Much To Dream) while others have a cleaner, dreamlike feel (Train For Tomorrow). Enjoyable record, but nothing mind shattering here - though perhaps it was seen that way more at the time. Some nice use of effects (fuzz, trem, reverb/echo) to create a psychedelic feeling without relying on the effects to make the song. Couple of weird choices that are duds and break up the feel of the album (Toonerville Trolley).
The Smiths
3/5
Good Smiths album, but not my favorite (that would be The Queen Is Dead). Girlfriend in a Coma is great though. It’s still very Smiths-y with a little more flourished instrumentation (making their music sound as dramatic as their lyrics), with the typical Morrissey-isms and Marr-isms. The songs and lyrics don’t hit me as hard as their previous release, but not sure if that’s due to the quality or me being less familiar with them. Still a strong album and good listen, just not their top in my opinion.
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
This rootsgbpop album from Springsteen is considered an all-timer, but doesn’t hit me that way. He sings stories of normal, working-class people played with competent musicians. It catches my attention at times for some more picturable stories and moments of pleasurable music, but overal doesn’t majorly appeal to me. Some great songs and segments (Glory Days -> Dancing In The Dark), but the record as a while doesn’t majorly move me. A little too sleek sometimes and would benefit from a sloppier, more raucous feel. Something id potentially revisit with time, but didn’t hit me hard the way it seems to for many.
Not sure I feel the major appeal of this, though I’ve never really gotten into Springsteen. The musicians are competent, the lyrics tell some stories I can picture, but overall the songs don’t resonate with me in a strong way. It’s got a pop roots feel that doesn’t do much for me. I can understand why this may appeal to others, but it’s not something I’m wowed by personally.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
my review got deleted…solid honky-Tonkin country blues from the Stones. Solidnkeith Richards playing throughout. An album thay hits opposites - fun and serious, tight and loose, precise and sloppy, rockin and quiet.
Shivkumar Sharma
3/5
interesting, somewhat traditional (I think) sounding Indian album. Very different in instrumentation, rhythm, and flow from Western music. I enjoyed listening, but think this one would take me repeated, deep listens to really fully grasp. Had some amazing moments and cool and trippy sounds, but didn’t fully hook me the whole time. Will probably revisit, but not a top standout for me immediately.
Soul II Soul
1/5
Definitely not impressed with this one. The woman singing was pleasant enough, but then the guy comes in after a few songs and kills the vibe - he just doesn’t have an impressive or interesting voice. The grooves are ok, but nothing that truly gets me moving. The songs don’t build, progress, or generate excitement. Not sure what is significant about it overall. Wouldn’t care if I never heard this again, just not really digging it and find it boring.
New York Dolls
5/5
Raucous, sleazy, fun, and energetic glammy garage rock that set the stage for punk to launch. Great riffs from the legendary Johnny Thunders and David Joahanssen up front brings an inspired trashy energy to the vocal delivery and whole band. Just a top notch record all around with a persevering influence.
Duran Duran
4/5
pretty catchy 80s new wavey synth pop rock type stuff, the blends and melds a bunch of influences into its own sound. Appreciate that the band is led with simple but memorable, melodic basslines. I knew 3 tracks already from covers (Rio - Goldfinger), not realizing it was Duran Duran (hungry like the wolf, also covered by Reel Big Fish…what’s with ska bands and Duran Duran?), or the David Lynch tribute concert (The Chauffeur), which were the standout tracks to me. Liked this more than I would expected… don’t think it will go on to crack the regular rotation, but could be worth revisiting.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
5/5
a classic - the start of a fruitful collaboration between Neil Young and Crazy Horse that I thoroughly enjoy. Nice blend of hard and raw rock with some country and folk influence. Starts with the powerful but groovy riff of Cinnamon Girl, a few folky ditties with nice harmonies, and some excellent longer form jams with Down By The River and Cowgirl in the Sand. Some great lyrics throughout. Solid guitar playing and the band just has the right feel - loose, grooving, interesting but not showy… it feels both rehearsed and improvised. They just sound the way a great band should sound. Excellent album.
The Cardigans
4/5
Pretty catchy pop rock with good music and solid hooks. Lovefool was a huge hit, but a lot of solid songs that I didn’t know - including a bizarre but cool laid-back psychedelic tinged Iron Man cover. The vocalist has an alluring voice that fits the music well. Some cool basslines - sparse but a little funky and hooky. Not too many boring moments but also not too many peaks - a generally entertaining and fairly consistent album.
The Smiths
5/5
My favorite Smiths album. It comes out roaring with the drums and bass of the title track before going into the bouncier Frankly Mr. Shankly. Nice guitar work from Marr throughout, ranging from aggressive to jangly. Good basslines throughout as well. Some classic songs here, particularly “There Is A Light That Never Goes Out.” It’s got sad boy emo but also silliness and lightheartedness to it. Morrissey actually has a good sense of humor here with a tinge of self-loathing. The Smiths at the top of their game.
Germs
4/5
germs are certainly legendary and influential as an early hardcore punk band. Darby Crash is a wild front man. There’s no melody - just growling punky poetic lyrics. His voice and timing kinda sucks, but that’s why it’s so punk. Lorna Doom (couple of cool basslines) and Pat Smear do what they can to hold the band together - sometimes they do and sometimes they don’t (again, very punk), though the drummer is pretty competent and quick. These songs spill energy, chaos, and aggression. Some top notch, some okay. It’s a huge album in punk that I appreciate and enjoy, but not a 5 star level for me.
Beastie Boys
5/5
a premier example in sample-based beats. Experimental, innovative, somewhat psychedelic, but also just a ton of fun. The sonics here are outstanding and the music is as essential to this album as the rapping. Samples come from a wide variety of sources and really make this a particularly interesting and unique album that’s both insanely dense but also smooth and not overwhelming. The Beastie Boys are in top form on this one - some people may not like their sound but if you do, this album hits all the right notes. Plus, it has 5-Piece Chicken Dinner. An essential album for anyone who enjoys hip hop. It’s great on a first listen, and the appreciate and respect just grows the deeper you dive - infinitely rewarding.
Johnny Cash
4/5
Johnny Cash, the master of the prison live album. This may not reach the highs of Folsom Prison, but is still a kick ass performance of outlaw country. Cash’s voice sounds great while his band smokes and shuffles behind him. Cash has discovered some way to convey sadness and humor, seriousness and carefreeness, heaviness and lightness- all in the same line. There’s just a magic in the air here that makes it an excellent listen. The album is short and contains a repeat which reduces my enthusiasm a bit…but the legacy edition contains an extended concert. 4 for the regular release, 5for extended.
Cocteau Twins
3/5
a dreamy, soundscapey pop album from the Cocteau Twins, who I never really got into. The instrumentals are pretty nice here - they’re lush and have that floaty vibe to it. The vocals aren’t as enjoyable. Sometimes they add to the floating, sometimes they pull me back down. Plus I have no idea what they’re saying. Overall, it’s fine - don’t love or hate it. Some moments are pretty pleasurable but also can get a bit boring or just feel like it’s missing something. Or maybe it’s me who’s missing something…there are aspects of this that make me want to revisit, but the music just leaves me wanting something more.
Jean-Michel Jarre
4/5
synthesize me cap’n! Need to spend more time with this one but cool soundscapey, kinda ambient but kinda in your face synth album. Interesting listen.
Everything But The Girl
1/5
My reviews keep getting messed up.l, but this was a snooze fest. Some kind of soft pop with smooth instrumentals, but not a good smooth (more of a sterile smooth jazz). Music you would hear your weird aunt listening to when you were young and/or the theme song to a cancelled pilot about a boring family with a dog named Benny. Not for me at all.
Amy Winehouse
3/5
Amy winehouse has a sound that calls back to original soul and R&B while still managing to sound contemporary. This is an album that covers tough relationships - both boyfriends and alcohol. It’s a well made album with evocative lyrics, a strong vocal performance, and solid instrumentals to back it. The title track is a hard hitter, with a lot of guilt, pain, and regret throughout the album, but also some independence and power. Overall a solid album that I generally enjoyed, but unsure how much I’ll come back.
Black Sabbath
4/5
Not my favorite Sabbath, but a strong effort nontheless. Their cocaine album. Carries their signature sound with some evidence of development and maturation in their songwriting. The album is definitely heavy, but still had more sensitive and lighter moments. Lots and lots of riffs. As per usual, they’re great riffs and playing across the board. Iommi and Butler light it up, Ward holds it all together, and Ozzy does his Ozzy thing.
TV On The Radio
4/5
An interesting album that mixes sounds and genres to make something unique in the indie/art rock realm. The drumming stands out as driving the songs, along with strong vocals that fit in with the rest of the music but also seem to be outside of it? The music can be dense at times, tying in some interesting electronics too. A lot of different directions, but it fits together into a cohesive sound.
Pere Ubu
4/5
a truly unique sounding post-punk band. Singer David Thomas delivers his high pitched vocals sounding fairly deranged, and the music is right there with him. Bass playing is right out front and finds some solid grooves with the drums. The guitar, synths, and sax squeaks and squonks around the rhythm section to build the atmosphere. Quite out there overall. It can be grating or groovy depending on your preferences, those who really like it will find some of both and be pleased with the result.
Calexico
3/5
Folky, indie rock with Mexican flavor. Arrangements and added strings almost give it a cinematic feel at times, somewhat reminiscent of music from a Spaghetti Western. Has some good moments but overall not findings songs that I find very memorable or impactful.
Beatles
5/5
Timeless classic. Not much more else needs to be said.
Beck
3/5
Paper Tiger is a straight ripoff of Serge Gainsbourg’s Histoire de Melody Nelson, but it’s well done. Nice arrangements here throughout that are sparse and breathe but include tasteful additions to build the song. The strings really fit the feel and bring some sophistication and drama. It gets cool when they’re paired with synthy sounds like the end of Lonesome Tears. Otherwise, just some mellow, sad guy Beck. Decent album that’s a bit slow at times, but I prefer weirdo lo-fi Beck…I should revisit his discography.
Aimee Mann
2/5
good singing, but the soft alternative rock sound isn’t really doing much for me. Nothing specifically to criticize about, just not a salient sound to my ears.
Todd Rundgren
5/5
Amazing psychedelic pop record with experimental flare - a must listen for any fan of the genre. This album is weird, unique, and a lot of fun. It just exists in its own space (with maybe a bit of Beatles and Beach Boys influence). Very varied instrumentation with great instrumental parts and lots of cool bass and vocal melodies. Effects galore all over these tracks and a lot of interesting production choices (in a good way). Overall, it’s densely packed with sounds and ideas and rewards repeated listening. So much zaniness, a terrific album if you can really appreciate imagination in songwriting. It really feels like Rundgren did not give a fuck here and just made an album he thought it would be fun to make - and the results show in the best of ways.
Derek & The Dominos
3/5
the jams where both guitars are soaring are the highlights of this album (e.g., keep on growing). People pay too much moms to Clapton and not enough to Allman, who is a monster player and shines often. Solid tunes and playing throughout - some great songs and some alright. Could take or leave it overall, but this album certainly has its moments of power.
Iggy Pop
4/5
solid, energetic bag of tunes falling in the rock/pop realm. A couple of great tracks, the title track being one. I don’t think I have much to say about this one, just an enjoyable record overall.
Supertramp
2/5
Not sure that this blend of lower-level prog with 70s pop is really doing it for me. The first track, School and the final track were pretty decent, but the majority of songs didn’t hold my attention.
The Youngbloods
4/5
Eclectic mix of folk, rock, psych, country, blues, with some jazzier moments. Their sound is blended well, with none of these elements standing out as not fitting. Respectable musicianship throughout and a few enjoyable instrumental breaks with occasionally ripping guitar and bass (On Sir Francis Duke, Beautiful). pretty consistent quality throughout, though few songs jump out as majorly memorable (except Darkness, Darkness). Solid listen overall.
Megadeth
3/5
decent thrash, but doesn’t make me want to run through a brick wall. The guitar work is phenomenal - rhythm, leads, and solos ( particularly Bad Omen). All of the musicians are skilled (and like to show it). Can be corny at times, but also nice that they don’t take themselves too seriously. A little more melody and variety in sound would have went a long way. Overall it’s fine, but not a top of the genre (and maybe not my favorite of this band).
Throbbing Gristle
1/5
cant say I’m feeling this one. It feels more in the realm of disturbed ambience, rather than industrial (with some exceptions like Walls of Sound). A bunch of it is just noise that isn’t necessarily irritating, but it’s also not interesting. It didn’t get much reaction from me other than boredom. A couple of the actually “songs” remind my of Chrome…but again, not really interesting. Do people like this for the challenging and subversive nature, or do people genuinely enjoy the way these sounds are arranged? I’m pretty open minded, but this ain’t it. AB/7A is a pretty rad track though.
Steely Dan
3/5
the best at their soft/jazz/pop rock blend. The songs are well composed and the instruments are expertly played. A few great songs, like Reelin’ In The Years and Do It Again - but a bunch of the lot aren’t too memorable for me. I think I enjoy a Steely Dan best hits over their individual albums, and I always thought they were better with higher energy/intensity (and a rippin guitar) than the laid back stuff. Overall it’s quality stuff, some of which is great and some fine.
Miles Davis
5/5
Excellent experimental/improvisational jazz fusion around a simple concept. Some of the best musicians that will ever sit in a room together take us to places unknown. Toes the line of getting out there without going too far out there. Beautiful textures. Each person uses their own space while leaving plenty of room for others. For the amount happening here, there’s little clashing or feeling overwhelmed. Just an excellent record. Feels like an influence on some later genres like post-rock.
Baaba Maal
3/5
Something new - Senegalese folk music. There’s a beauty and calmness here…the musicians move at their own pace and play things as long as they’d like. There are some wonderful guitar lines that again have a soothing calmness to it. Interesting listen, but also somewhat repetitive and a little overlong - making it an enjoyable album but not a top rated one for me.
Drive-By Truckers
4/5
a southern rock/alt-country kinda album about the duality of the South (esp Alabama) that provides some interesting descriptions and tales of Southern culture - generally through the context of Lynyrd Skynyrd… The lyrics/vocals and the guitars are what stand out to me, with a raw sound that’s both serious and fun, and often powerful. The 94 minute runtime is a lot to take it, but this is an interesting record to share the perspective of the good and bad of the South. Disc 1 is solid but drags at the end (should have ended with Three Great Alabama Icons) Disc 2 is the opposite - starts a little boring but the later songs bring the heat.
The Yardbirds
3/5
Blues rock with a psych tinge led on guitar by Jeff Beck. Strong guitar as one would expect. The first 2 songs start off really strong (though the single Happenings Ten Years Time Ago is the best), but my enthusiasm begins to fade after. Jeff’s Boogie brings me back in, then it happens again. The rest is just fine - not amazing, doesn’t stink, some solid riffs. Some rhythmic & melodic bass lines, but doesn’t shine often - otherwise just holding it tight with the drummer.They would benefit from a more powerful/raw singer. Just a decent album overall that was probably more innovative and fresh at the time than it appears to be now.
Amy Winehouse
2/5
unexpected to have multiple Amy Winehouse albums here, and not sure that it’s really necessary. This album is a bit jazzier but not as powerful or memorable as Back to Black (which I gave a 3). the majority of songs are about relationships and/or sex. It just doesn’t grab me and more washes over me. You can see the talent is there and nothing is bad, but a lot of the songs are just whatever.
The Zombies
5/5
One of the best psych/baroque pop albums of all time. Great arrangements and vocal harmonies. Catchy melodies and solid instrumentals with some prominent bass and piano/organ. Toes the line between delicate and powerful. Just a great record that’s really a pleasure to listen to.
Christina Aguilera
2/5
If you ain’t dirrty (the intro to that song is ridiculous, why are we throwing elbows?). …i grew up around this music, so it’s interesting to hear it again as an adult. This is an overly long pop album that covers sounds from an array of genres - hip hop, rock, jazz, Latin, r&b, etc. Xtina is a solid singer. A handful of the songs are catchy pop tunes or soulful ballads, but a lot of it isn’t memorable. Would have been better at half the length - this seems to be a throw it all at the wall and see what sticks approach (which isn’t bad, just too much stuff thrown). Wouldn’t care if I never heard it again but I didn’t feel the need to turn it off the whole time. A fine (but too long) pop album, but not really my thing.
Gary Numan
4/5
this is my first real listen to Gary Numan. Interesting synth-based music that probably leans closer to art rock than synth pop. Feels heavily inspired by Kraftwerk and Eno. The first track Airlane is a great album opener that absorbs you into the sound from the start. Some great textures here that are somewhat soothing but still grab my attention. Singing is somewhat odd and off-kilter, but it also fits nicely.
Fairport Convention
4/5
British folk rock reminiscent of Jefferson Airplane, including both originals and old folk songs. Sandy Denny’s voice stands out - I enjoy her sound and style which fits the music and grabs my attention. The musicians are strong throughout and play these songs in interesting ways. I dig the bouncy feel of the bass (which is very prominent) on Marty Grove - which goes from classic folk song into a solid jam. Overall, this band can do some great things on an instrumental.
Simon & Garfunkel
3/5
Melodic…I’m not sure why but this classic album just didn’t so much for me this time around. Will need to revisit in a few years.
N.W.A.
4/5
huge and majorly influential gangsta rap album. These dudes are pissed and let you know it. Some songs actually have a reasonable or even valuable points (Fuck Tha Police, Express Yourself), but messages of violence, misogyny, and homophobia ring throughout (the latter 2 being whacker, but also potentially representative of N.W.A.’s experiences). There are a range in beats showing Dre getting started - some are pretty basic with a little funk in there while some are stone-cold classics (Express Yourself) and both they fit the sound well and are likely a step up from what else was happening at the time. A picture into a culture that has faced inequity and injustice, are pissed at the world, and will take it out in anyone in their way. The albums comes out blazing but doesn’t quite maintain those highs, but still a solid listen that provides an interesting snapshot of LA street life.
Mike Ladd
3/5
Interesting alternative hip hop beats that veer into psychedelia, some lead the songs whil others support Ladd’s rapping. Ladd’s raps are hard to keep up with and keep you guessing - surprising cadences and strange rhyme schemes with lyrics teetering a border between academic pontification and psychotic ramblings. There are some really cool moments that immerse me, but not always consistent and interesting enough to hold my attention. I’d need to revisit this one more and I think it will grow on me - there’s a lot to unpack here.
Tom Waits
4/5
solid album, the first 2 songs fucking rule. Can’t mistake the sound of Tom Waits. Waits has weirdish moments here but is still largely sane…but maybe seeing some bridge between the older/jazzier and more experimental music to come. Some respectable ballads. Just a master storyteller of life in the gutter.
Dire Straits
4/5
Knopfler has one of the best (mostly) clean lead guitar tones in the history of recorded music. Dude is just a monster and nimble player, whether it be rhythm, little licks and fills, or full out ripping solos. Despite knowing the phenomenal Sultans of Swing, I never dove into Dire Straits albums much. This debut incorporates elements of rock, blues, folk, and country. Knopfler is the star here. His guitar is front and center and his vocal delivery is somewhat reminiscent of Bob Dylan, but less nasally. The rhythm section holds down a tight beat, but doesn’t stand out for flashiness - they really support Knopfler. The fidelity and overall sound is excellent, with songs ranging wonderful to good. The songs have room to breathe without feeling boring or empty. Just a solid band and record overall.
Willie Nelson
4/5
A great story-telling album. Switches moods around a lot from somber to raucous fun. Cool to have the recurring theme/sound that it weaves in and out of on a continuous journey through the album. Overall, it’s very immersive and flies by.
3/5
Slow, funky, soul jams with some hints of psychedelia and some long tracks (some overstay their welcome a bit). Casual, infectious grooves. Solid bass, nothing too flashy. Rad organ. Just a playing it cool vibe going on here. Solid listen but doesn’t stand out as next level. I mostly can’t decide whether it’s worthy of repeated close listen or just really excellent background music. I don’t love the pacing - the 3 long tracks in the middle start to drag a bit.
Simply Red
1/5
Might be the weakest I’ve had so far. Just a ridiculous sound, super dated, ridiculous, cheesy, sometimes annoying. What is this and why is this here?prank?? Heaven is rough. Jericho is a wild ride that I’m not sure if I love or hate. I hate it but it also makes me smile and will probably be stuck in my head? What is happening… trigonomics?? Completely ignorable with only replay value being revisit f a song or two to say “did that really happen? Did I actually hear that right??”
Joy Division
5/5
Wonderful and influential post-punk album. Melodic, memorable, but simple bass lines help drive the sound while Ian Curtis does his depressed, almost monotone singing type thing over it all - which makes it all the more exciting when he really gets into it. Guitar sound is often grinding and grating and serves an interesting counter to the melodic basslines. Touches on sounds that resemble gothic and industrial rock. Brooding sound. Iconic album cover.
Jacques Brel
2/5
Idk what this mf is saying, but the emotion and drama of the music is easily felt. Pleasant arrangements with an orchestra with a sweet accordion. Started cool - Amsterdam is a great track - but I lost interest as it went on. Probably would enjoy more if I understood the language…
Alice In Chains
3/5
Pretty dark, grungy music. Fuzzy, repetitive guitar riffs bring an almost doom/sludge quality to it, while leads are often wahed and create a sort of psychedelic hard rock board wring on metal. Vocals are interesting here - sometimes they’re great and sometimes they can be a bit off putting. Some weird vocal harmonies that are cool. I like a lot of the components and there’s a few songs I really enjoyed (Them Bones, Rain When I Die, Sickman, God Smack), but the others don’t do much for me. Decent album but could never get majorly into this band, just not enough consistent enjoyment for me.
Jimi Hendrix
5/5
a true blend of rock, blues, and psychedelia of which Hendrix is a master. His guitar playing dominates the album, co-started by his tight band and experimental/psychedelic studio effects. Phenomenal tone, particularly his lead fuzz tone. Pure wizardry throughout. Not my favorite Hendrix album, but a revelation nonetheless. Length could be cut a bit, but also don’t feel like this is an album that drags too much if you keep an open mind. A handful of classic songs - Watchtower, Voodoo Child, Gypsy Eyes, Crosstown Traffic - while the rest show off other impressive and fun aspects of the band.
Living Colour
3/5
The whole funk metal thing has never been my area other than a few bands like Primus, Bad Brains, and Fishbone. Living Colour writes good songs with good grooves and solid musical talent. This is hard rock! Guitarist is a shredder in solos and gets some crazy sounds from his axe. Really Strong rhythm section. Powerful vocals. They’re not afraid to be both conscious and silly. I don’t have a lot of specific criticisms of this album, but it’s also just not something I care to listen to much. A few solid songs, just not super memorable to me. Surprising Talking Heads cover.
Metallica
2/5
Metallica + symphony. Could be cool - it works nicely to elevate the music in some places and less so in others, muddling it up a bit or just not adding much. Really enjoyed The Call if Ktulu, but just thought it didn’t hit as well with Master of Puppets (except in the bridge section). Works well in One. It continues that way throughout. I never really explored Load/Reload, so those songs weren’t as interesting to me (other than Fuel). Cool idea with decent execution, but it doesn’t always land. A Metallica enthusiast might love it (might also not…) because it’s best if you know the songs well to better grasp what the symphony contributes. Would have been much cooler in person. Appreciate the attempt and it just makes me want to go listen to other Metallica albums.
The White Stripes
3/5
I can appreciate the new direction taken here by the White Stripes, largely swapping out guitar and in piano (and riffs for more chords) and losing some of punky intensity for perhaps a more mature sound. At the same time, that is why it’s among my less preferred WS albums. There’s still plenty of great songs (blue orchid, my doorbell, little ghost, denial twist) but the album doesn’t hook me as strongly as White Blood Cells or Elephant and I don’t revisit with much frequency.
5/5
Pretty much a perfect album, everything about it just fits together exactly as it should. It has such a consistent sound across the whole album that unites with a pretty loose theme about an alien guy coming to earth and rocking out or something. The instrumentals are phenomenal, the musicians just seem to play off each other perfectly and give songs room to breathe. The bass lines across the album are phenomenal. I really don’t know what to write here, it’s an amazing album that’s one of the top of all time. No bad or boring songs - sure a handful stand out at the top, but the “lesser” songs are still of super high quality.
Sam Cooke
5/5
Sam Cooke sings! I mean he really belts it out here. Him and his band play with a loudness, intensity, and degree of grittiness that wasn’t present in pop or soul at the time. The recording has an immediacy and urgency that makes you feel like you’re right there in the club with them. And Cooke’s voice just grabs you, sucks you right in, and keeps you there until he’s done with his set. A masterful live soul album.
David Bowie
3/5
Not Bowie’s best, but still an interesting effort with some good songs. The album starts with 3 strong tunes, particularly album opener and Heroes. This album sees Bowie experimenting more, along with collaborator Brian Eno, to make something a bit more experimental and electronically influenced. The main problem here is the lack of cohesiveness. Side A is typical Bowie affair of unique and danceable pop tracks. Side B is pretty much an ambient album. Don’t get me wrong, there are some really nice soundscapes there…but having Beauty and the Beat/Heroes on the same album as sense of Doubt/Moss Garden just seems like a strange fit. I’m never sure when I want to listen to this album because of those disparate feels; and thus I usually only listen to the front or back end depending on what I’m looking for.
GZA
5/5
Unique samples crafted into hypnotic beats give a gritty and grimey sonic palette to this album, often giving the feel of a cold night in the projects of New York City. They give from for GZA to show off why he’s called the genious with tight flows and rhymes at an easy going pace that makes it easy to digest the pictures he’s painting lyrically. Manages to straddle the line of gangsta and philosopher, but to me the gangsta aspects aren’t necessarily glorified - just a necessary reality for some. There’s an Intelligence here that isn’t always found in similar music. Title track is a phenomenal start to the album, with Gold, Cold World, and Killah Hills being some other top tracks. No songs that stand out as particularly weak. Pretty consistently high quality throughout and among the top of the Wu Tang solo efforts.
Deerhunter
4/5
Floaty dreamy psych rock/pop. There’s a bunch of songs here I really like, but some of the quieter ones don’t do much for me. At first I didn’t see what was particularly interesting about this, but it grew on me throughout the day. Would need to listen a bit more to write a really quality review, but I enjoyed this. It’s just nice and comfortable.
Green Day
5/5
Phenomenal pop punk album that blends the two element excellently. It still feels organic and real and a little snotty with some grit, but super hooky and getting more polished. Just a fun (yet slightly depressing) album about being a bored and anxious burnout loser. The strong title track Burnout sets the tone for the record. “im not growing up, I’m just burning out.” Other standout and popular tracks include Longview (that bass line!), Welcome to Paradise, and Basket Case, but there’s not a single bad song here. The trio keeps the music pretty straight, for a consistent and cohesive sound of distorted chording and punchy bass fills. Their major label debut, which turned a lot of people onto the sound and helped push it into the mainstream. One could argue that’s a good or bad thing, but I’m happy if people are hearing music they enjoy that could help usher them further down the punk pipeline. 20 years from now, you’ll still remember some of these choruses.
Nina Simone
3/5
I dig jazz but never quite got into jazz singers. Nina Simone is very talented though. She pours emotion and soul into these songs, you can feel the mood in each word. Her delivery is impressive and varied, she can hold a long still note or go into an intense pulsing vibrato. Her tone conveys the message of the song deeper than the lyrics. Still, I don’t see myself revising this much but I’m glad I heard it. A handful of strong songs and a couple of ok ones.
The Darkness
1/5
I don’t care for hair metal and glam rock is hit or miss for me, so a revival that draws on those isn’t doing much for me. It contains a lot of what I don’t like about rock music - over the top vocals, ridiculousness/excess, meh songs with power guitars. They’re a decent enough band - the performances are good, the guitar players likes a flashy solo, the songs are decently written (though I don’t like most of them)…it’s just not something I enjoy. But it’s probably fun for those willing to give it the time of day, but I find it mostly annoying. I Believe in a Thing Called Love was a hit and is a pretty good song, otherwise the only other memorable one for me is Givin’ Up. Happy to be done with this one.
Sufjan Stevens
4/5
This feels like an album that needs to sink in…I don’t feel quite ready to review after a day. I’ve come across Sufjan plenty and checked him out a bit - always thought it was fine but didn’t quite get the hype. But I’m enjoying a close listen of this. I like him best when being Maximalist and grandiose, as opposed to the sparser/folkier arrangements (more art rock, less indie folk). Melodies are plentiful from any instrument willing to sing one. Really covers a lot of instrumental ground here and the arrangements are varied and interesting. Still the album feels very cohesive. He’s got a fairly soothing voice too. Its not an instant classic for me, but something I’d like to explore further.
Guided By Voices
3/5
Robert Pollard is a man who is not short on ideas. And ideas are exactly what he presents, rather than fully-developed songs that have been labored over - and that’s ok! Seems like he gets a little hook and riff in his head, presses record on whatever is lying around…and that’s what ends up on the record. It’s not easy to digest even though it’s only 41 minutes long because of the sheer volume of ideas. Some are great and some are out of your head as fast as they were in it. Most of the songs longer than about 90 seconds are really enjoyable. Lots of poppy hooks (many seem Beatles-influences) hidden beneath the lo-fi sonic experimentation.
Elliott Smith
4/5
Elliott Smush is a great songwriter. He delivers meaningful lyrics with a voice that sounds just right, and often manages to convey sadness, pain, or lost through poppy hooks. The msuic fits the lyrics well, and though not showy he’s a very competent guitarist - particularly with his thoughtful and fluent fills on an acoustic between chords. While I’m enjoying this album, I don’t find it as moving or emotionally resonant as earlier efforts like his self-titled.
David Bowie
2/5
I find this to be one of Bowie’s less interesting and necessary albums. It’s got a couple of good songs (Fame and Young Americans are great), but overall I just don’t find this as particularly stimulating, notable, or memorable. It feels less inspired than other albums. The hooks don’t wiggle into my brain. Bowie’s vocal performances are still strong, just not impressed with the album as a whole.
Siouxsie And The Banshees
3/5
Jagged, buzzing guitars. Punchy bass lines. Vocals somehow both droning and passionate. A dark brooding sonic template. Both noisy and airy/spacious. Certainly influential, a lot of this was key to the formula of post-punk and gothic rock moving forward. No doubt it’s a good record, but I question if it’s a great one. I enjoy it while I’m listening, but it’s not something i see myself coming back to much (with evidence: I’ve known of this band and been into post-punk for over a decade, but have only heard this album a few times). Perhaps it was more vital at the time, but now it feels like other bands have warped and molded this sound into other music that I prefer.
David Ackles
2/5
What is this hard-to-classify album? Melodramatic, folksy show tunes with intricate symphonic arrangements. Unique vocal deliveries that switch up cadence, emotion, and intensity that can sometimes soar. Sometimes quiet and somber, sometimes bursting with grandiosity. The lyrics and music deliver emotional pictures of small-town/rural/western(?) American life. Montana Song is an epic film delivered in a 10 minute package. This album is unique and quite bizarre, with no indication of a time, place, or scene where it was made. I respect the hell out of this dude for making this behemoth album, but I find it more interesting than enjoyable to listen to.
The Beach Boys
5/5
Masterpiece. A true elevation from things that came before it. Beautiful, catchy melodies. Transcendent harmonies. Complex, clever, symphonic arrangements that elevate the songs. It can sound simple if you want to hear it that way, and it can be endlessly rewarding with deeper listens and analysis. It changed music forever and is one of the most influential albums of all time. It changed how I listen to music forever. Perfect, no notes. An all-time favorite.
Talking Heads
4/5
Solid album but not the best this band put out. They’re at their best with high energy efforts (I zombies, cities, life during wartime), though the slower and more standard songs don’t bore (Heaven). There’s just something f about this that leave it out of the top tier for me.
Black Sabbath
4/5
Historic and influential album, though Sabbath’s best work came in the next few. Deep, heavy, sludgy riffs with a stellar rhythm section and Ozzy’s dark and mystical lyrics propel this album along. No really weak tracks, but none that propel to the heights of songs from Paranoid and Master of Reality. A strong start to an critical band along the ascent to their peak.
Kate Bush
3/5
Pop music with an original sound (though quite 80s) and a unique vocalist who can impress and perplex. Kate Bush is somewhat new to me - I’ve browsed a few albums but never dove in deep. I’m not sure how to take this as a whole, there are a few cool songs and wonderful moments but a few that I don’t care much for here as the album started to drag a bit as it went on. Her vocal delivery requires close listening to really tease apart the melodies. But I can appreciate the novelty of what she’s doing and the strengths of this album. There seems to be a surface and deeper layer to this music that can reward casual and repeated listens. Just not sure I really see myself coming back to it much.
Paul Simon
4/5
I dunno, man. I had 2 very different experiences with this in 1 day. The first listen I found Some fun, jubilant moments. Pretty well written songs, particularly vocal parts. Inspiration from a variety of cultures. But it still don’t love it. It’s decent.
My second listen left me contemplative, Inspired, and happy. I listened as I ran along the beach in Sag Harbor, NY (not too far from Simon’s solace in Montauk). I pictured Simon preparing to leave LI, searching for collaboration to fulfill his inspiration. I thought of myself - a scientist, a musician, a human - and how I seek inspiration and hope to synthesize that seamlessly with who I am and what I know. When does inspiration come? Where does it come from? How do we integrate it into ourselves? These are serious questions, but I finished the album with a sense of joy and fulfillment. Inspiration is there when we’re ready for it. When we find it, it comes out through a contagious exuberance and joy. We feel that in this record…but there’s still a few meh tracks.
Fugazi
5/5
Post-hardcore of the highest qualify. Music thay makes you want to run through a walk and punch a CEO right in their stupid face, and then teach someone on the street how and why to do it. The rhythm section bulldozes forward, the guitars buzz down anything in their path, and the lyrics and dual vocal attack bite and sting as they attack sociopolitical topics with intensely open eyes and a critically ethical lens. A major development in the genre and huge influence on what came after. Phenomenal album (and still probably not my favorite Fugazi), though the first half is a bit stronger than the back, which is still really good).
Charles Mingus
4/5
This is an album of ambition, contradictions, and competing influences. Jazz synthesized with classical, with some avant-garde experimentalism on top. Composition with improvisation. Tight and organized with freedom and expression. Makes use of a big band to make some experimental sound, with the instruments interacting in a unique way. Certainly an interesting album that I need some time to sit with. My first listen wasn’t super impressive, while my second listen started to come around. Not sure that many melodies will get stuck in my head but it makes me want to do a silly dance.
Taylor Swift
3/5
No doubt that these radio-friendly pop tunes are infectiously catchy. That’s not really my style, but still this album was more enjoyable than annoying. A handful of song are clear hits, but most songs are in the same vein but don’t always land as strongly. A pretty cohesive sound for an album of this sorts. Better than I expected, probably an important and strong modern pop album. It’s still probably not something I’ll revisit frequently, but may not be so quick to change the channel if Taylor Swift comes on. I may even enjoy a song or 2. She set out to make a fun, catchy album and generally achieved that, but the lyrics about tall guys with nice hair gets stale after a bit.
Bob Dylan
5/5
Poetic folk + blues rock from the master Bob Dylan. Hard to contextualize that this album came out almost 60 years ago, as it still sounds relevant. Dylan spits his wordy, visual, lyrical stories while the musicians serve the songs perfectly - contributing and enhancing the songs without being flashy or distracting from Dylan’s ramblings. A monumental album for the future of rock music. All good songs, some brilliant songs, that mesh well together to make a cohesive and innovative album.
Eurythmics
2/5
Pulsing synth pop. Often bouncy. Annie Lennox has something unique about her vocal style that I can’t really identify, and it doesn’t quite move me. Certianly not displeasurable and some catchy songs and interesting synthy parts, but it doesn’t excite or inspire me. It just didn’t leave much of an impression.
Pink Floyd
5/5
Wooooo fucking Dark Side baby! A classic among classics and it’s hard to state the impact this album had on music, culture, and me. Every song serves its purpose on our journey through space and human psyche, with the whole being greater than the sum of its parts. One of the best ever, but is it even my favorite Floyd album? It was for a long time and sometimes still is. Not much to say that hasn’t been said, this album fucking rules.
The Offspring
3/5
This is an ok punk album. Plenty of hooks, some of which heavily focus on “woahs.” Some decent social commentary, but doesn’t take itself too seriously. Not bad but there’s much better out there.
Jorge Ben Jor
4/5
This album still sounds fresh and relevant; I was surprised to hear it came out in 1976. Psychedelic-tinged funky Afro-samba may be the best description. It feels like it almost has a hip-hop influence, but I supposed it’s just the blending of Brazilian/african/funk rhythms and sounds. Really enjoyable grooves and beats from the percussion and bass. Hard to not want to move to this album. Some catchy vocal lines over the top, even if I don’t understand them. There’s a spirit and light-heartedness that shines through the music. Solid album.
Jamiroquai
2/5
Funky pop soul acid jazzy dance music. Plenty of energy here. The rhythm section stands out and makes the album listenable through incessant grooves. The bassist, in particular, writes nimble and funky lines without getting too complex or wanky, leading to memorable bass parts that keep my foot tapping and loop in my head. You can hear the bass influences of Larry Graham, Bootsy, and Jameson. There’s brass, woodwinds, strings, and probably more! There’s conscious lyrics! There’s a white Englishman who might have some soul! But I really didn’t care for most of that other stuff, just the bass. Would prefer to hear this as an instrumental group.
Carole King
4/5
Very musical softish pop rock made by a very talented songwriter. Songs are solid with good arrangements that give instruments space but also work together. Piano is featured often and serves the songs well without ever being over the top or virtuosic. Similar for bass…that seems to be the theme here- well written, arranged, and played songs where everything serves its purpose.
The Temptations
3/5
Very musical softish pop rock made by a very talented songwriter. Songs are solid with good arrangements that give instruments space but also work together. Piano is featured often and serves the songs well without ever being over the top or virtuosic. Similar for bass…that seems to be the theme here- well written, arranged, and played songs where everything serves its purpose.
Michael Jackson
4/5
Excellent singing and musicianship in one of the biggest pop albums of all time: MJ is in great form here. The upbeat pop songs here are instantly catchy and danceable, while the slower soul songs are good efforts but don’t hold my attention as well. A lot here has stood the test of time.
Eminem
5/5
A savage rap album from one of the masters of the art. Interesting the way this album can cross between fucked up/ shock rap, while also covering some real shit and making you think and reflect sometimes. Why do we like Shady’s music? Perhaps it’s morbid curiosity. What’s he going to say next? Will I laugh, will I feel sick, will a sneer? will I nod to the beat no matter which? There’s some musically identifiable reasons - it’s technically impressive, sometimes catchy, cohesive, it tells dark horror stories of a psyche affected by poverty/violence/mental illness. Somethings are harder to put your finger on, but this is a really fucking good album.
John Lennon
3/5
A collection of sparse and casual rock songs with folk and pop leanings and a somewhat lo-fi ascetic. Lennon yells raucously, he introspects, he acts silly, he proselytizes. There’s a balance of heaviness and levity, quiet and rocking- all very dual nature yada yada. There’s a quirkiness or something odd going on here. Maybe it’s the music the band lays down; which grooves but feels off at the same time. Maybe it’s the haphazard and sudden sound of the album. At the end of the day, a few great songs, few good songs, few forgettable.
Tom Tom Club
2/5
This kinda funky new wave album is ok, but doesn't impress me much (and I’m a Talking Heads fan). It’s got some good songs and moments, but overall feels forgettable. The playing is good, I’m just not sure most of the songs are really that good.
Led Zeppelin
3/5
Side one is good. Side two is excellent. Side three is pretty good. Side four I could mostly leave behind. Unmistakably Zeppeliny. Great individual musicians and better as a unit. Some hard rock, some blues, some flirtations with psychedelia, some traditional, some loud, some quiet, some come in hot, some slow burns. This has a handful of great songs and a handful that are decent but not impactful. Cut it to an hour and you got a stew goin.
Pink Floyd
5/5
A masterfully atmospheric proggy/arty rock album. These guys are truly greater than the sums of their parts (which are all great in their own right. Wright really shines with his synths here, making beautiful soundscapes that fit the songs perfectly. Mason is restrained and calculated with his drums - never flashy, but always playing exactly what’s required without an extra hit. Waters plays bass similarly. Gilmour has the perfect tone with soaring leads that sound brilliant without relying on speed or tricks - just smooth proficient playing. Shine On Your Crazy Diamond(s) are the perfect book ends, while the middle is filled with electronics, kinda funky rock, and an all time classic tender song. In competition for Floyd’s best and an all around wonderful album.
Deep Purple
3/5
This hard rock band can really wank! These guys are capable and deserving of their wankery (esp Blackmore), but sometimes it goes a tad too far. The guitar and organ really drive the exciting aspects of this band while the drummer beats the hell out of his kit and the bassist trades off simple static lines with more complex melodic ones. The wanking is energetic and heavy sometimes, and other times just goes on to be too self-indulgent that I lose interest (like when the guitar and vox circle jerk each other). I fit firmly in the middle here - sometimes I want to rip someone’s face off and sometimes I want to rip my own face off. The parts that rock fucking rock! But some of it just doesn’t work for me and I zip my brain pants back up.
The Prodigy
3/5
Danceable breakbeats with a punky feel and a side of psychedelia. A somewhat darker, rockier, edgier feel to this dance music. It’s got a lot of attitude. I like a good amount of what I hear, but few songs that are good enough for me to remember them. Some good highs, but not quite ultimate peaks. A reasonable floor, no real bad songs - just some that are less interesting or don’t really develop. It’s a decent album, but I’d rather listen to the Chemical Brothers. It could grow on me over time, but for now it’s fine.
Dagmar Krause
1/5
Just not really sure what to make of this one. It’s theatrical and dramatic. Not for me, but Who is it for? There’s plenty of vocal, musical, and compositional talent. I just have no desire to listen to it. Lied von der Deutschen Mutter caught my attention though.
OutKast
4/5
Some really great songs and an eclectic mix of sounds here. Speakerboxxx is a great rap album. The Love Below is a solid pop/weird soul funky kinda album. They each are enjoyable and solid on their own rights, but not sure the sum is better than the individuals here. Put together it’s a little too long with a bit of filler. But still a solid album with a bunch of top tier tracks.
The Notorious B.I.G.
4/5
Biggie delivers his raps with a smooth, understandable cadence and a deep, full tone that makes his lyrics easy to follow and engaging. A lot of it is your typical gangsta rap fare - guns, drugs, sex, misogyny, streets. Occasionally it gets into something deeper, particularly when it gets deeper into BIG’s emotions, history, and attitudes. A few great songs, a few good/ok songs, and a few crappy skits. Important album with important songs in rap history, but overall not sure it fully stands the test of time. It’s good, but it’s not a marvel.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
This is a killer hard/blues rock albums. Each individual component is solid on its own - Page’s dirty shredding, Jones’ fluently melodic and rhythmically driving bass, Bonham’s pounding drums, and Plant’s over the top wailing and moody blues singing. The whole is even stronger here than the components. Every song is a contender for best song on the album. A pinnacle of classic hard rock.
Girls Against Boys
2/5
I like the general idea of noisy, guitar-driven indie rock/post-hardcore. I just fail to see what’s special about this album. It was fine, but didn’t make much of an impression on me. I preferred the energetic, noisier songs versus the more brooding, melancholic ones. Some good riffs and nice guitar tones, but overall just an ok album.
Fiona Apple
4/5
Percussion-driven expertimental/arty bedroom pop…Interesting album that was released at a unique time in world history. There are 2 key aspects driving this album: Apple’s vocals (sound, delivery, lyrics), and unique percussion/beats. Otherwise, relatively sparse arrangements involving piano, bass, and some other instruments - but random percussion instruments is the main musical focus. It strikes a balance between conventional and unconventional. Lyrics are sung vs spoke. Some typical poppy melodies, and some are somewhat strange and make ya go huh? (But cool). She quips humorously, sometimes aggressively direct. Some traditional percussion and rhythms, some random objects and odd arrangements. Super professional and somewhat amateurish at the same time. It’s a unique and empowering album that's certainly worth a listen.
Waylon Jennings
3/5
Good ole fashion 70s outlawish country that comes and goes quick. One of the types of country I’m down with. Good singing, lyrics, playing. A tight band with a loose feel, providing a solid rhythmic backing without becoming the main attention. Decent album but only a few songs stood out much. Good enough listen, just didn’t hook me in.
Queen
3/5
Glammy, arty, proggy, fantastical. Some crazy arrangements and strong playing. Lyrics about queens and ogres and shit. Harmonies galore - vocal, guitar, you name it! No doubt that these guys are insane musicians and talented and clever songwriters. I can respect it more than I really enjoy it. For all the styles they cover and twists and turns they make, it’s a pretty cohesive album. Not many songs stand out here, which can be a good thing for the album sake but also makes little pop for me to want to revisit. Overall it’s fine - enjoyable listen but not something I’ll go back to much.
U2
3/5
Is it post-punk? New Wave? Pop Rock? There are moments that remind me of the Cure and Robert Smith, but more optimistic about love and sad about war, instead of just sad. The drummer really likes his hi hat. The bassist holds a fine rhythm. The Edge does his Edge thing, but a little less Edgy and a little more edgy. It all actually works well together and is a college sound than I expected. I’ve mostly known U2 to being annoying (really Bono) and kinda lame/cringy, but this is pretty good and has a general sound more in line with what I’d listen to. It’s better than I expected but nothing groundbreaking to me - there are no soaring highs here. As with many albums, some good songs, some ok, some meh.
Fever Ray
2/5
Minimalist electro beats with somewhat experimental pop leaning vocals - pitch modulations and unconventional but still kinda catchy melodies (but not always). The music seems to lack energy and vitality - it feels cold, detached. That’s not a problem per se, but nothing here really gets me excited, hooked, or stands out as notable. It just didn’t make me feel anything.
The Triffids
1/5
Not sure why this must be heard before I die. It’s pretty straightforward, and somewhat bland, rock with some folky leanings and some dramatic flair. Nothing stands out to me here as innovative, notable, or even interesting. It’s just there and essentially had no impact on me. At first I thought it was just boring, but eventually it got frustratingly boring.
Bad Brains
4/5
Bad Brains diversify their sound but maintain a punk feel. There’s more variety melodically, rhythmically, and tempo wise than their hardcore beginnings. It’s funkier, it’s a bit more metallic, the instruments interact more. It still has that charging forward like a bull feel and attitude, but they’ve grabbed the bulls horns - it’s more controlled, more restrained. I prefer their more chaotic earlier material, but this is still good. And this band still rips, and each member is still talented.
Muddy Waters
4/5
Just a wonderful, straightforward soulful blues albums from one of the masters. A delight and joy to listen to, ironically. The singing, guitars, harmonica, piano, rhythm section are all in prime form. It’s got a loose, live jamming feel to it. Muddy’s vocal delivery is right on point - finally, rhythmically, melodically.
. It all works together so well - it doesn’t need to be complex, innovative…it’s just good music by a good bandleader and band.
Run-D.M.C.
3/5
An old school hip hop classic that integrates more rock influence. Definitely an influential, landmark album, though I’m lukewarm on it. The first 4 song run of Peter Piper - it’s Tricky - My Adidas - Walk This Way is a powerhouse, though the album doesn’t hold my attention nearly as much after that. Beats are slim but some catchy - mostly a computerized (or just very 80s-produced) sounding bouncy drums with some turntables or occasional guitar. Some decent raps but nothing to write home about, though they do the 1-2 MC punch well. Innovative for its time, but just feels ok now.
Kacey Musgraves
3/5
Pretty catchy country (kinda indie ish feel sometimes) pop with more sound authenticity and maturity than many others in the country pop realm (I.e., bro country), occasionally drawing influence from other sounds and genres. Songs, often love songs, have decent lyrics, good melodies and light and simple but well-serving music arrangements. It spans from quiet and more reflective to fun pop music. There’s more to enjoy here than I expected. It isn’t groundbreaking or anything, but it’s nice to listen to.
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
2/5
South African vocal music. The vocal harmonies are excellent, and that’s 90% of what the album has to offer. The sound is very pleasant and actually quite astonishing. There’s a peace, a beauty, a serenity in this music. It’s calming, it’s soothing. There’s much talent here, but it’s also kind of boring. Maybe that’s my problem…a tendency to enjoy instrumentation or wanting to understand lyrics in a Capella album. Appreciate more than enjoy…Might be nice once in a while but I’ll forget about it by tomorrow.
George Harrison
4/5
Long. This is tough to evaluate in a day. Lots of good stuff, some decent stuff, not much bad. Side A ruled, and I enjoyed the rest but my enthusiasm dropped off. Was it the song quality or my attention? Not sure, but if it’s my attention it might be because, while this has a nice sound, it might be almost too consistent for the length…mix it up a bit more man. You can definitely hear the Beatles aspects to George’s songs, but can also hear the wider ideas and influences he had. A lot of folky, bluesy, but also hard rock with a spiritual tinge. A diverse group of talented players keep the music strong throughout. The ending jams, which I am a fan of jams, are ok for a listen but don’t sound inspired enough to really enjoy repeatedly. Hard for me to say if this is good, great, or wonderful, but it’s length makes it a serious investment to find out which.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
3/5
Rootsy, swampy, bluesy, soulful, rock album at a lean 33 min. A couple of classic songs in Born on the Bayou and Proud Mary. Forgerty seems to drive the ship and really elevates the band. A loose jammy feel to the music. But other than a handful of moments, nothing really pops here. It’s all fine, but doesn’t seem particularly special. This band has better efforts.
Talking Heads
5/5
Rootsy, swampy, bluesy, soulful, rock album at a lean 33 min. A couple of classic songs in Born on the Bayou and Proud Mary. Forgerty seems to drive the ship and really elevates the band. A loose jammy feel to the music. But other than a handful of moments, nothing really pops here. It’s all fine, but doesn’t seem particularly special. This band has better efforts.
Doves
3/5
A kinda Brit poppy indie rockish thing with some spacey influences. Feels in the same trajectory of earlyish Coldplay but a little trippier (maybe I’ll even give Radiohead in their more exploratory efforts), maybe with some Blur mixed in. Lots of atmosphere, reverb, and some psychedelic sounds mixed in over fairly simple but catchy guitar riffs and poppy vocal melodies. Decent listen but didn’t really hook me other than a few standout tracks (Words, N.Y., Caught By The River).
Manu Chao
3/5
Fun album. I wish I could understand the languages, as after reading about him it seems like he’d have some interesting things to say. Some infectious grooves that bring the energy (sometimes party energy, sometimes moshy energy with lighter instruments), and some more laid back tunes (somewhat reggae ish). Respectable musicianship that serves the song but isn’t flashy, with particularly prominent bass and acoustic guitar. But overall not leaving a huge impact on me.
Aphex Twin
4/5
Creative ambient techno that’s valuable for setting a vibe or close listening. Short bursts of melodies come and go and blend together over looping beats. Everything melds together and washes away in a haze.
Deep Purple
3/5
A powerful hard rock band. The guitar, bass, and keyboards combine to really drive the music and make it heavy. Talented musicians, ok songwriters. This certainly has some classics songs and some solid solos from each member. Singer can be a bit annoying with his high pitched yells. Important in the early progression of heavy music, but overall just a fine classic rock album.
The Who
3/5
Pretty good debut but they had much stronger work ahead of them. Garagey and arguably proto-punky, but also melodic and somewhat pop. Plenty of flashes of the brilliance and potential of this band, showing what’s to come without fully hitting their stride yet. Solid band, good album with a few great songs - but not one I revisit in full often.
The Kinks
4/5
Quirky British pop rock that draws from arty, garagey, and psychedelic sounds. Pretty brief, catchy, silly, fun songs. Decent collection of tunes, but it’s not totally consistent strong material throughout. Good album and towards the early side of many more strong albums to come for the Kinks.
Happy Mondays
2/5
Like much of the madchester scene, this band feels like 1) their live show doesn’t fully translate to record and 2) you had to be there. Druggy, dancey, funky, punky, trancey. They cram a lot into these songs, several of which are busy and cluttered which sometimes works, but not always. It grows on you as you fall into the repeating grooves, but it just doesn’t fully translate for a guy on his couch in the US whose ecstasy and ketamine days are 10+ years behind. Shaun Ryder is a legend. Bez is a legend. But legendary performances doesn’t mean all the songs are well-written or memorable, and a good groove and some trippy noises can only take you so far. At the end of the day, I’ve checked out the Happy Mondays several times but never really stuck with en. Cool ideas, legendary live performances, ok albums.
Doves
2/5
Mostly sets a mood and feel (“late night after hours” they say) but kinda boring other than a few songs, though even the songs I liked weren’t particularly memorable. Fire Suite was actually a cool start to the album with a trip hoppy kinda riff. Just felt like things never took off from there, though Lost Souls was pretty weird. The vocalist is a bit poppy and falsetto-y for my taste, preferring when the vocals are more effected and reverb-soaked. Inoffensive, just didn’t really have any impact on me. I prefer The Last Broadcast, and that I thought was ok.
Solomon Burke
3/5
This guy has a really solid voice that can be smooth or gritty. Otherwise, everything about this seems like pretty typical soul/R&B. It doesn’t stand out to me as notable or essential. It’s all pretty decent, musically competent, and a decent listen, but there’s nothing particularly special about it.
The Cars
3/5
This guy has a really solid voice that can be smooth or gritty. Otherwise, everything about this seems like pretty typical soul/R&B. It doesn’t stand out to me as notable or essential. It’s all pretty decent, musically competent, and a decent listen, but there’s nothing particularly special about it.
Paul McCartney
3/5
Paul doesn’t give a shit anymore! This album sounds like he wanted to step away from the intense production and creativity of The Beatles, and just jam out and enjoy fucking around at home. He doesn’t give a shit if the songs are half baked or could be more elegantly arranged. He doesn’t for a shit if there’s a good hook (which there are still some excellent melodies)! He’s just a guy writing songs and having fun! Is this a possible influence on layer bedroom/lo-fi-ish pop…maybe! It’s cool to hear and there are plenty of gems, but plenty of fluff and not much that really stands the rest of time. Fun and charming listen that ultimately isn’t super memorable.
Bruce Springsteen
1/5
Long and mostly boring. Songs all sound similar and just kind of blend together. for a 70+ min album, this gets quite monotonous. Never been a Bruce fan or hater - he has his place but isn’t really my thing…but this just really didn’t work for me. For a lyric-driven artist, he does little here to make me want to actually hear what he has to say.
The National
4/5
Living up to their Sad boi indie rock darlings reputation. Dig the drumming which feels uniquely busy/involved for the vibe of the music, but it works to bring a somewhat post-punky feel to some of it. Songs feel somewhat down but often build to some type of exciting or emotional payoff. I like the bits when they’re on their noisier side. Enjoyable album thay I need to spin a few more times.
Neil Young
5/5
Wonderful folky country rock album from thee Neil Young. Neil is a great lyricist, you can see what he’s seeing and feel what he’s feeling. A lot of great songs here - some queiter and lonelier, some emotional and loving (or heartbroken) and some that just rock. He’s also got a unique and wonderful voice (though it’s an acquired taste), with a gentle vibrato and haunting quality. Beautiful vocal harmonies support simple but effective melodies. Just a great album all around.
Van Morrison
3/5
Somewhere at the center of r&b, folk, soul, jazz, pop, and soft rock is Van Morrison’s Moondance. Interesting sound here, as it’s a pretty sparse and mellow band that also features horns and occasional winds. Poetic love songs sung by a guy with an excellent voice and unique sound. Plenty of little ear worm hooks that get lodged in the brain. Pretty good record that certainly has classic status but won’t crack my regular rotation because it just never really gets me where I’m going. Easy to listen to but doesn’t grab me.
Beastie Boys
4/5
The Beasties are at it again, this time mixing their psychedelic jazz sampling with live instrumentation and rock and punk elements, even veering into brief moments of hardcore. Vocals are what we’ve come to expect from them but again, they occasionally pick up the intensity (and use lots of filter effects). Solid rap-rock album that does both sides right but it doesn’t grab me as heavily as Paul’s Boutique.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
4/5
The funky punk Chili Peppers develop their more melodic side and become more approachable. The approach is a bit more diverse than previous endeavors. Still plenty of energy here, but they're learning to control it, modify it, and use it better. They’ve simply matured as songwriters and as a band. I don’t really care for all the sex lyrics, but some songs can still be fun vocally. The silly and downtrodden lyrics are what I prefer here. The music of this band does the heavy lifting for me - particularly the interplay between Flea and Frusciante. Man those guys can play…they have interesting lines and interactions throughout the whole album. I loved this album when I was younger but don’t revisit much, often feeling I’ve outgrown the content matter. Given that I don’t care for most lyrics (or actively dislike them) it’s still hard not to rock and funk out to a lot of these songs.
Hugh Masekela
3/5
These long-form jazz jams pull a lot of different sounds, making it hard to classify. Repetitive Grooves, ranging from somber to infectious, have a spiritual/soulful tinge and seem to draw influence from a variety of jazz forms like cool, bop, fusion, and others. Piano/key solos really stood out to me as a strength throughout. There’s some great moments in here, but not every tune hits and most melodies slip from my memory quickly. It feels a little too long to hold my attention consistently, but I also will need to revisit this one and digest it a bit more. So a 1-day appraisal leaves me in the middle of the road, but this could be one that grows on me with time or fades to be forgotten…
Little Richard
3/5
Little Richard can belt it with the best of them. This is some OG Rock n Roll with lots of heart and soul. An r&b band with some swing backs Littke Richard as he rips quick, blocky, unsyncopated piano line - which along with his voice - is the real source of fury. It feels like they didn’t know how to appropriately capture the intensity and volume of his singing. Some solid, classic songs, but also not everything stands out here as unique or memorable…it’s all a bit samey sounding and only the best rise to the top. But what an innovator and influence in the history of rock.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
Creedence probably at the peak of their Creedency powers. Swampy bluesy rockabilly sounding with a tinge of psychedelia delivered by hippies turned country. A lot of great, and several classic, songs on this one, and a few ok ones. Fogerty soars. Solid album.
Aerosmith
2/5
I’ve never really cared for Aerosmith’s brand of raunchy blues/hard rock. Everything they’ve done has been done better by the Stones and Zeppelin. I don’t really care for Steven Tyler as a front man and vocalist. But the Bass and Guitar are excellent here, and their riffs and fills drive this to be a listenable record. But overall, this is mostly forgettable for me other than the hit songs and an extra decent track or two.
The Avalanches
5/5
An absolute pleasure to listen to. It’s hard to go through this album without a smile. Sample intensive (to say the least) dance m music of really high quality. The samples of different sounds, eras, locales all weave and flow around each other in harmony. The music is dancing with itself while you’re dancing to it.
Penguin Cafe Orchestra
4/5
What a peculiar and unique album that mostly defies categorization. Experimental but still pleasant (some decent instrumental hooks) with a lot of emotion depth, just a unique way form of musical expression. Violin, cello, keys, and other instruments play around each other, occasionally against each other, sometimes in song form, sometimes out in space. They sweep you up in their tornado and bring you along for a ride. Occasionally they lose me or I drop attention for a bit. But overall it’s interesting music that rewards a deep listen but would shit a background nicely too. Appreciated hearing something with a different and unique sound…my morning listen was a 2 but I’m glad I had time to hear it again and bump it up - I experienced it more strongly the second go.
There some other unique albums from this list that I didn’t love, but they still stick out to me and I like to revisit them to try to better grasp these new ideas (looking at you, American Gothic)…does that make it good? Probably just makes it something I need more than a day with.
Arcade Fire
2/5
This album just doesn’t grab me. The songs are well crafted, solid arrangements with some interesting uses of orchestration for an indie rock/pop band, some thoughtful lyrics, honestly a pretty well designed and out-together album. Despite that, there’s nothing that really excites me or is particularly memorable to me. It’s fine to listen to, it just leaves no impression on me.
The Black Keys
3/5
Poppy electric blues rock with light flakes of psychedelia. Catchy hooks, catchy fuzzy/overdriven riffs. Auerbach’s smooth falsetto. Decent groove to it. Pretty repetitive songs and ton of variety in sound - which makes the 55 min run time drag a bit. Not much soars, but it’s very listenable and pretty broadly appealing.
Bobby Womack
1/5
Didn’t particularly enjoy this, but there are some solid basslines. Definitely not sure why I had to hear this before dying…sounds like a typical cheesy 80s soul record. A little overproduced, a little over sung. Feel like he occasionally said some stuff that made me do a double take.
Underworld
2/5
Electronic dancey techno music that failed to have much impact on me. Some moments pulling from more atmospheric/ambient sounds. I didn’t dislike it, but I barely remember specifics enough to describe it. Feels like something I would need more than a day with (or the proper setting), but I’ll most likely just forget about it.
Roxy Music
3/5
Artier side of glam rock. Comes out firing with the first song with some fire and a powerful but nimble bass like. Ferry is a unique singer that can be captivating at times. The musical interplay, which is an interesting combo of guitars, bass, violin/strinfs, synths, brass or oboe or something? - was more interesting than the songs necessarily. there are some pretty strong instrumental moments. Overall a decent listen but not too impactful to me.
Ray Charles
3/5
Guy sings jazzy r&b pop with a big band (or strings) and adds some little piano ditties. Great voice, just a nice feeling tone and real emotional expression. Has some great songs but the songs don’t do enough to distinguish themselves from each other. Decent listen but not something I expect to revisit much. It’s nice but doesn’t get to the next level for me.
The Cure
4/5
The Cure do a wonderful job of creating an atmosphere on this album. They drag you into their haze and it envelopes you. Twinkling guitar riffs over shimmering synths and brooding bass lines, with Robert Smith’s reflections echoing and reverberating all around. But it’s not just atmosphere, there are good songs and melodies, though there are many extended instrumentals too. It’s gloomy but it’s its quite warm and beautiful. It sounds like you were sad and took a little acid laying alone in your bed wrapped in a cozy blanket.
The Monkees
2/5
Pleasant enough whimsical 60s British pop tunes that are completely forgettable. The identity was tough to follow here, some very straightforward pop, occasional tinges of psychedelia, a weirdly experimental vocal jam…I’m just not sure what they were going for other than Beatles knockoff. A handful of fine songs, but an album that I’ll forget about by tomorrow and probably never think of again.
Elis Regina
3/5
Some cool stuff and wonderful singing here. Prominent bass in many tracks, almost sometimes jazz fusiony parts while otherwise more MPB and bossa nova. Some really great energy for the more upbeat songs. The slower songs show some emotion but don’t captivate me as well. Decent listen worth further exploration - connected with some but not all of it. This is often how I respond to a variety of Brazilian music - I like it but it doesn’t always resonate, probably because I’m not an educated consumer of it.
Peter Gabriel
3/5
I respect Gabriel’s penchant for experimentation and unconventional leanings, while still maintains a few moments of accessibility (only when he really wants to). This is a dark sounding and diverse record, which seems to pull influences from many places but is completely its own thing. It lives in its own space. It’s unsettling at many times, creepy, unpleasant, but also can be captivating.. Though the songs were interesting, I didn’t really love or even like all of them. Cool ideas and execution, but it only partially lands for me. Peter Gabriel seems cooler and weirder than I ever knew and makes really interesting music, but it’s also music that I don’t strongly connect with immediately but could with time.
Led Zeppelin
4/5
Solid debut from Led Zep with a few top tier songs. It’s set the tone for the Zep sound of hard rock and blues with a little psych sprinkled on and the occasional acoustic number. A handful of powerful songs, whether it be speed (communication breakdown), riffs (good times, dazed), or more emotional & arrangement (babe). The straight blues tunes are fine but don’t do as much for me. But this is a strong start to a great band, showcasing all their members strengths - powerful but nimble rhythm section, Page’s heavy messy riffs, and Plant’s wailing. The highs are as good as anything else they’ve done, but as a full album isn’t as consistent as some later efforts.
David Bowie
4/5
Bowie. Berlin. Sober. Eno. Art. Ambient. Visconti. Weird cool drum sound. Some avant-poppyish stuff and some soundscapes, which are actually quite good. Pretty enjoyable overall, influential no doubt. First half doesn’t quit have the consistency for me.
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
4/5
Truly unique manic expression of experimentalism. An avant-rock masterpiece, strange outsider music, total bullshit? That’s for the listener to decide. I consider myself fairly open-minded, but even I need to get over that initial reaction of “what the fuck is this shit!?!” When Frownloand comes on. But if you can get past that, there some truly interesting stuff here. Closely listening can be intensely stimulating, potentially overstimulating, as you try to keep up with what’s going on. But when you lock in on the right places, there can be amazing things found…I think. Or does it just feel amazing because you had to work to find it? There’s also shit that makes no sense. These dudes certainly made their own album in their own uncompromising way and I respect that. There’s a lot of talent behind this chaos. But it’s also deeply challenging and that’s a lot for 78 fucking minutes…now at this point this is probably my longest review and I still don’t know where I stand on this album.
Sepultura
3/5
Groove/nu-metal thay integrates Brazilian influences (particularly indigenous) in a thoughtful and pretty seamless way. It particularly does a lot to spice up the rhythm on this heavy album, which is pretty heavy for metal that’s still somewhat accessible. Downtuned Riffs galore. A few standout tracks, but a bunch just blow by well enough but without much thought. Enjoyable album overall and seems notable in the genre, even if it’s not my typical thing. I’ll probably think about this album more than I’ll actually revisit it though.
The Mars Volta
5/5
Prog rock with punky/post-hardcore energy, with some Latin influences and doses of freak-out psychedelia, and it works phenomenally and fucking rules. It’s tightly controlled chaos that feels like it can lose its grip at any moment, but always hangs on. Every member of the band can weave in and out of this frenetic and smooth energy. Angular guitar riffs that make your head spin (with some rad solos), a super tight rhythm section with complex, nimble drumming, and Cedric’s wailing on top of it…it all fits like a glove. This is prog with real energy and it feels authentic , not pretentious or wanky.
Depeche Mode
2/5
A darker sound for a new wavey/synth pop kinda thing. It’s decent crafted and can set a mood, but overall was a bit dull and little stood out to me.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
2/5
Ok, mid-70s rock and roll. Doesn’t feel like it breaks new ground or improves on anything before. It doesn’t really have any edge, it’s a bit dull and vanilla. It’s just decent songs from a decent band. Something you can put on anywhere, except my own headphones. Listenable but mostly forgettable, with a song or 2 that have a particularly catchy hook. I also hate this album cover and his stupid face.
The Fall
3/5
Mark E Smith and The Fall are certainly one of a kind. Wiry guitars, prominent simple repetitive rhythmic bass, synthy key flourishes, and the off-kilter atonal mad ramblings put this album firmly in the early post-punk scene. They can capture both the tempo and energy of classic punk as well as the longer, repetitive, dronier post punk explorations. A lot of it blends together and not many tracks stand out as particularly special - it’s a good album and the start of an interesting career, but not a personal favorite.
Rage Against The Machine
5/5
Rap-rock done right, with a heavy leftist message. Aggressive, heavy, and groovy. Memorable bass playing that stands out but isn’t flashy, with Morello’s signature oddly effected guitar squealing and scratching on top along with plenty of heavy riffs. De La Rocha’s vocals are delivered with intensity and deep anger at injustice and really elevates the music. Vocals/lyrics aren’t the first thing I pick up in music, but he absolutely commands your attention. It kicks ass, it’s fun, it grooves, it sends a message - and it does it all at a high level.
Björk
5/5
Bjork: Beautiful, delicate, and intimate music made of odd electronic rhythms and bizarre melodies. A truly one-of-a-kind artist that carved out a unique sound and style, both on this album and on basically everything she’s done. Not every song stands out, or has a memorable hook. But the album stands as a full piece with a cohesive sound that will sweep the listener away, if they allow it to. The album as a whole stands out and is memorable. It’s got a mood, feeling, and atmosphere to it - it feels like cooking dinner with a lover in the wintertime.
Kendrick Lamar
4/5
Hugely ambitious hip hop project with thoughtful expirations of politics, black culture, among other important social concepts. Great instrumentals and beats drawing from diverse influences of funk, jazz, soul, r&b, other hip hop (like g-funk). Conscious and thought-provoking, experimental and challenging, but not at the expense of fun and enjoyment. Despite its length and ambition, it’s a pretty cohesive feeling album that also includes a lot of great songs. There’s an insane amount of depth it - it’s great on first listen, but will continue to reward repeated close examinations of the music and lyrics.
Elvis Presley
3/5
Elvis is ok. It’s complicated.
Fleetwood Mac
4/5
Well-crafted soft/pop/folky rock songs exploring personal themes, particularly related to love and it’s failing. Good songs, great sounds, with the use of several quality singers and strong vocal harmonies. Some infectious melodies. Solid album all around, though I’m not on the “this is one of the best albums ever” train.
Elvis Presley
4/5
I’m diggin this late 60s Elvis mix of soul, country, blues, r&b, and pop. More interesting and developed songs and arrangements than the earlier Elvis album I heard 2 days ago. The bass playing on this album fucking shreds! It’s a bit overproduced and excessive on the strings and horns and such, but that’s the fun of it.
Paul Simon
3/5
Decent folky/light rock album with a few great songs. Starting to apply some more diverse influences that flesh out more on later albums. Solid melodies and songwriting, for an overall alright album.
The White Stripes
5/5
Garage rock with a waning blues influence. Just guitar, drums, vocals, and some piano. Big rock n roll energy. Simple, catchy songs with some fuzzy riffs slapped on it. Feels somewhat haphazard and thrown together, which is the way it needed to sound. Not always consistent (first half is a good deal stronger than the second half), but the best songs are great and the worst songs are still fun.
Arctic Monkeys
4/5
The Libertines ran so the Arctic Monkeys could run a little slower behind them. British Indie garagey post-punk revival with a rawer intensity than I remembered. A lot of good songs with appealing music that can range up to a noisy organized chaos, but not enough so to reduce its general appeal. Prominent, simple bass lines pair with active drumming to create a danceable beat, while guitars can be a bit more choppy/spastic or laying down a catchy melody, along with clear vocals with singable melodies on top that draw attention. It has a really good sound, each instrument can be heard in isolation but they all mix together well. The sound is consistent, which also makes it a bit repetitive, which makes the weaker tracks skippable because they’re not bringing anything new to the table. Solid album that I intend to give more chances now that it’s come back up.
Taylor Swift
3/5
Pop singer makes indie folk-pop album w/ guy from The National, and results are pretty decent. Still contains pop elements in a subtler way. A pretty quiet, Wintery album. Songs have both a softness and sparseness but also moments of musical depth and lushness. I can understand her talent as a lyricist here, writing picturable stories of different characters. Fine album overall, I’m just not really the target audience and feel her truer pop music packs a bigger punch.
New Order
3/5
New Order leave some of their post-punkiness behind in favor of danciness (a bit brighter, more synth) but their unique sound is still there. That applies in particular to Hook’s basslines, which are a highlight melodically and rhymically, often driving the song (as per usual). The album is fine and pretty fun, some good songs but not hugely memorable to me.
White Denim
4/5
Indie garagey rock with some jamming and psychedelia. There’s a loose feel to the music but the band is quite nimble, able to pivot quickly in and out of typical song structures and varying rhythms and riffs in instrumental jams. It’s an interesting mix for a recorded album, but it works well. The instrumental sections come rapidly, generally change the feel of things for a bit And then head out before outstaying their welcome. The interplay between the band works well, with guitar melodies that circle around your head while the fuzzy bass fills in melodic gaps locked in with competent drumming. The music is busy, but not overwhelming. I don’t know what the lyrics were and honestly don’t care, it’s not about that. It’s interesting and unique music that combines a bunch of interests into its own sound. Though I prefer the heavier, more complex, and jammier songs to the more acoustic and songy-er songs.
Queen
3/5
A touch less proggy and a little more mass-appealing hard/glammy (but still some proginess to it). Queen does their usual over-the-topness and theatrics. All of their music displays that they’re immensely talented songwriters and musicians. Plenty of fun to be hard here, but just a fine album overall.
Radiohead
4/5
Good Radiohead but not transcendent Radiohead. Rock instruments, electronic instruments, energetic songs, atmospheric spacey songs, Thom Yorke’s voice, Greenwood’s perplexing riffs - it’s all here folks.
Baaba Maal
2/5
This feels like it should be more interesting and fun than it really is. I felt like I should be experiencing emotions, but wasn’t. It provoked the concepts of exuberance and joy without delivering them: Some long songs, but they don’t really change or develop or progress much. So while there are some interesting - guitar riffs, vocal melodies, rhythmic grooves, random fusion-y toned bass, cheesy synthy horns, unique instruments and sounds - to catch my attention, but it was rarely enough to hold it.
Earth, Wind & Fire
3/5
Very competent musicianship and quality pop songwriting merge in this funk and soul album with some jazziness to it. The instrumentals on some songs, particularly the more up-beat groovy ones, are simply delectable (mmm bass). The slower are more soulful songs are all well-done, but I just prefer their higher energy fun side. Overall, I appreciate this as a musician more then I care to listen to it for enjoyment - it’s well-done but it’s not all for me.
Norah Jones
3/5
Somewhere at the center of soft pop, folk, and smooth vocal jazz. She has a tender, soothing voice that’s soft but emotional. The album feels like it should be played late night at a “jazz club” full of middle class middle aged white people or a pseudo-hipster coffee shop (and neither of those are slights). The instrumentalists backing her are talented but subtle and don’t get much room to shine here as Jones’ voice is the primary focal point. The moments they do aren’t tasteful. Not a lot of diversity (sound, pace, tone), so it all starts to blend together and get a bit repetitive. Not a highly memorable or impactful album, but some good songs and a pleasant voice.
Metallica
3/5
Metallica slow down (mostly) and simplify, trading their thrash metal sound for more of a big hard rock sound with greater mass appeal and more introspective lyrics. Some solid riffs and still plenty of intensity, just a different type of intensity that's subtler and more internal. It’s a good album but I also find it to get a bit boring, as there’s not as much variety (riff/tempo/rhythm changes that existed in previous Metallica albums) to hold my attention completely. Perhaps it was influential to metal bands to show they could have a broader, non-thrashy approach. Sometimes the results are strong but also sometimes unimpactful. It just doesn’t rip as hard as their earlier stuff.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
Very solid rock & roll & blues album: great energy and pretty consistent sound while also exploring the subtleties of different rock flavors. Great interaction between the instruments here. The band works so well together, they don’t show off or try to impress and none really stand above the rest, they all just play the right parts together. Could probably cut a few tracks but there isn’t really bad material, just some that isn’t as good as the rest. The album starts phenomenally and has some excellent tracks in the middle, but I lose a little attention room towards the back-middle and end.
Suicide
4/5
Weird experimental electro-punk. Mostly Spoken vocals with psychedelic echoing effects over simple synth lines and pulsing beats. Surely inventive and insanely anti-commercial for the time. It’s entrancing, peculiar, and sometimes creepy and sometimes beautiful.
Air
4/5
Sounds like space-age lounge music. Synthy psychedic effects, smooth electronic melodies, simple but moveable rhythms, chil melodic baselines. Occasionally added orchestral instrumentation create a cinematic effect. Plays nicely for just hanging out, but also for headphones in bed. It’s pleasurable to listen to but only had a handful of really great tracks, with several being mostly forgettable. But this album is more about the vibes than individual songs, and the vibes tickle me nicely.
Queens of the Stone Age
2/5
At first this started out seemingly cool, but I got bored of it relatively quick. It’s a riffy album - little riffs of hypnotic repeating (almost droney sometimes) fuzzy chords under decent creamy lead riffs. The guitar tones are what I like most here. It’s certainly got that hazy stoner sound that can envelope you in a distinct way from a More overt psychedelic sound. While a few songs pack a punch, the ones that don’t are somewhat bland and generic rock-y. I just have little interest in coming back to this.
Talking Heads
4/5
Talking Head origins. A couple of wonderful songs, some good ones, and some fine ones. On the bouncy side or post-punk or the quirkier side of new wave. Melodic punchy bass lines mesh with crisp drumming as guitar riffs interweave, with Byrne’s odd, semi-not-quite-manic-but-something-is-a-little-peculiar, vocal delivery and lyrics that only he can do. Good album, but not their top. This sound reaches their apex in their next album before they ride that high while incorporating more diverse influences as they move forward.
R.E.M.
3/5
Not really feeling ready to write this but ugh it’s fine. The music is quality, conveying emotions and moods through interesting instrumentals and arrangements (strings added in nicely). Melodic basslines add nice accents to the music. They do lots of things subtlety, and plenty in your face as well: Very clear vocals in thr mix, making the thoughtful lyrics and memorable hooks really pop. An alt rock band who wants to convey deep emotions with pop hooks and sophisticated artistry. But it still doesn’t totally grip me.
King Crimson
5/5
Psychotic. Serene. Mystical. Human. Ethereal. Corporeal. The first track shoots you out of a cannon to an another world where you float along observing for a while until the last song welcomes you home (to this other world, where you always belonged. Not the place you formerly thought was home). Unique and creative song structures and arrangements with top tier musicianship across a wide range of sounds (these guys can shred jazzy circles or set sprawling ambient soundscapes). Surrealist poems, lyrically and musically. An early prog masterpiece.
Stereolab
4/5
Groovy space lounge. A type of poppy French krautrock. Repetitive but never boring. A peaceful sound that’s fun to listen to and very pleasant on the ears. Infectious looping hooks with strong, prominent basslines and squirmy synths to flesh out the sound along with female vocals that out the icing on the cake. They maintain a consistent sound and vibe throughout the album with enough diversity to keep things interesting and make certain songs pop out.
Frankie Goes To Hollywood
2/5
Bass-driven dancy synth pop with plenty of energy and attitude, though it still manages to get a bit boring. The bass parts are my main source of enjoyment with this album. A few strong original songs and a few that feel like toss aways. The covers are okay but mostly add unnecessary length to the album (though the little bass solo in Born to Run is pretty cool). San Jose sticks out like a sore thumb. Overall this was ok at best for me, and might be more impactful if they used the best songs onto a single LP. I appreciate what they were going for and there were some strong moments, but the quality is not consistent and it lost my attention at several points (particularly most of the back half).
Iron Maiden
4/5
sci-fi, the devil, genocide, prison, prostitution, rippin’ bass, shreddy solos, wails - what doesn’t this album have? Let me double down on ripping bass - Steve Harris is a fucking monster. Keeping the beat plowing forward, galloping, melodic fills…this guy does it all and it always suits the song perfectly. The galloping bass in Run to the Hills is an all-time line. The rest of the band meet Harris at his level. They can sprint forward with power, set tile in a head banging groove, and throw in catchy and speedy riffs with nimbleness and precision. Dickinson’s wailing on top is perfect for it. A very tight band with their own clear identity and vision. Just a badass and fun as hell album.
Portishead
4/5
Original and influential sound that captures a mood as well as any album out there. Chill (tempo and vibe/feeling) lo-if sounding beats surrounded in a dark cloud haze. Beth Gibbons sings beautifully with a desperate longing in her voice. This is smoky, late night music. It’s sad but serene.
Prince
2/5
I can respect Prince’s talent, but I’ve just never connected with the music and that continued with this 80s funky + electro-synthy album. I don’t mind the lengthy tracks when they have some cool funk jams going; but overall the lyrics, tone, and feel don’t grab me (lady cab driver is a great example of both). If the sound doesn’t grab you, this album just doesn’t cut it. Good musician though and some strong instrumental parts, I just don’t dig the package they’re in.
Meat Loaf
3/5
Don’t really know how to describe this other than theatre piano-rock. like a cross between Queen and Elton John…it’s a pretty unique style and sound. It’s over the top and sometimes ridiculous, but also knows and embraces it. And indeed, it has its harder ripping, longer, proggier tunes that are pretty sick (bat, paradise); and a couple softer, slower, ballady type songs that have good playing but didn’t really interest me. Strong, and often unique arrangements and solid musicianship, melodies, and singing throughout. Rad moments, but didn’t consistently hold my attention.
Big Black
5/5
Bulldozing mix of punk, noise, and industrial music. Brilliantly brutal double guitar attack with unique tones, heavy clanking bass, while Roland slams programmed drum beats in your face and Albini tells uncomfortable tales over it all. It was fresh in 1986 and still sounds so. Everything about the song Kerosene is brilliant. Wonderful album that reliably kicks you in the nuts and never gets stale. Raw power.
Nine Inch Nails
5/5
What a beautiful, dark, disgusting, intense, visceral, and impactful musical and lyrical depiction of a character going down a path of depression, isolation, and hatred (self and others). Electronic beats, distorted textural guitars, vocal melodies delivered with emotional intensity (whether screamed or soft), and synths ranging from groovy to funky to noise. A simple stunning and haunting melody is used as a leitmotif throughout the story. A true album, I’m thay some passages and moments are meant to serve the album and story, rather than standalone songs (though many hold up on their own). Some songs inspire dancing, others putting your head through a wall, other sitting in the shower ugly crying. Heavy as fuck, in many ways.
3/5
Some kind of poppy alt rock with spacey, progressive, and some heavy influences. It’s very accessible but also not afraid to go strange places or over the top. Riffs galore, effects galore, plenty of catchy hooks - pretty standard Muse fare. I dig the heavier tracks more than the ones that sound like pop-U2 2.0. A few killer tracks and a decent album overall, but most of it I won’t think about again. I prefer Absolution to this album.
Lauryn Hill
3/5
A hip hop, neo-soul, r&b fusion in which Ms. Hill swaps swiftly between reflective rapping and emotional singing. Smooth instrumentals where a prominent bass holds a steady groove, and airy arrangements of unique instruments fill the spaces (harp, flute). A concept album with Hill’s musings on love, which she seems to reflect more maturely than one would expect of her age. Not afraid to have extended track lengths, sometimes to a fault (almost all are a bit longer then feels necessary). A lot of good stuff here, but some that didn’t have much impact which makes it hard to justify the track length. I understand the importance and influence if this album, but it just comes off as fine to me. I’m also interested to explore it sometime again.
2/5
80s funky dance pop. Great bass, otherwise not something I dug. It feels indulgent, it seems like these guys think they have something important and sophisticated on their hands, but it’s just another dance pop record. The only thing redeeming it for me is the wonderful bass playing.
Public Image Ltd.
2/5
Punk with a significant Dub/reggae influence, evolving into post-punk. Heavy, deep bass parts paired with noisy guitar improvisations and Johnny Rotten’s angrily rambling his frustrations with religion, society, etc. Extended, repetitive, slow tempo tracks can be trance inducing, or boring depending on the person and situation. Some songs are interesting, but are they good? I can see how this set the stage for many bands (particularly bass heavy post-punkers and some noise rock, both of which I enjoy), but is it actually a good album? I think it made some innovations that inspired others to take it in better and more interesting directions.
Gram Parsons
4/5
A country, folk, rock mashup with a few uptempo jaunts, slower classic-types, and some in between. Cosmic American Music has always been better to me in name than sound, but this may have me come around a bit. Wonderful singing throughout with a lot of duetting/harmonizing between Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris who complement each other well and have a nice chemistry - as a guy who usually values vocals least, these ones drew me right in. The musicians are strong , it has the right amount of twang, the country shuffle’s just right - it really achieved what it sets out to do. Sometimes I can really dig it, but also find a few tracks a bit dull.
Sarah Vaughan
3/5
Ms. Vaughan sings good, real good. Smooth and tender, but also powerful. Her trio band (bass, piano, drums) is solid - understated, never stealing the light and rarely even stepping into it, but still highly competent and filling the supportive role well. As a live album this is solid - the sound is crisp, her voice is on point, the audience is per stable but not distracting, there are little flubs that add to the fun and realness but don’t take away from quality. All things said this is a solid live vocal jazz album from Sarah Vaughan, though the style may not be a top preference of mine.
Pixies
4/5
Pixies are unhinged, in the best way possible. They can pull it together and put on a nice smile for you for a few seconds, before they rip the flesh of their faces and spew all over you. Black Francis sounds like a guy I wouldnt trust who’s about to have a mental breakdown, and then just narrowly avoids it through primal cathartic release. Santiago plays short melodic riffs that can glide into the stratosphere or stab you with a spastic blistering. Kim Deal lays down simple, infectious baselines and sings a harmony with some character. Their loud-quiet combination is pleasurable, exciting, noisy, catchy, aggressive, bizarre, almost frightening. That’s to say, it’s great. Though some songs could probably be developed a bit more, but them not being is the charm of it.
Steely Dan
3/5
Steely Dan perform their typical Proficient, tongue-in-cheek, jazz-influenced softish rock while criticizing society and exploring characters in its corners. Boddhisattva has one of the best guitar solos of all time (and is an excellent song - probably my favorite of the band). Jeff “Skunk” Baxter’s guitar playing is the highlight of this record. He can shred impressively, play a smooth melody, have a sound and style that’s at odds with the music but fits right in (he’s gets zippier and more distorted than the lot) - he’s just amazing up and down here. Otherwise, the song writing is tight, lyrics are (sometimes) clever, melodies are memorable, the harmonies are lush, the instrumentals are impressive (solid rhythm section, some cool keys, and some of their vampy jams are the best moments on the album). But despite how they are all high quality and the band achieves its goals, I’m just not always interested. All songs have interesting moments, but I’m just not always hooked or care to revisit. A couple of excellent songs and a few I could care less about.
Abdullah Ibrahim
2/5
Pretty straight jazz. Was surprised this was an 80s record, as it sound like something that would have been decades earlier. I fail to see how it pushes the envelope or a particularly mark of excellence or influence. It’s competently played, has interesting moments and fine on the ears, but mostly forgettable.
Butthole Surfers
4/5
Demented experimental psychedelic punk. An lsd trip through the depths of hell. It’s intense, disturbing, confusing, scary, off-putting, dangerous, and a ton of fun. It’s truly original. Song-writing really isn’t the point here, it’s all about creating a feeling…a dissociation…a maniacal breakdown…an impending sense of doom…and laughing through it all. There’s still some great riffs, a relentless pounding rhythm section, bizarre vocals, filtered through wild effects with pitch/speed shifters and echoes that make you forget which way is up. It’s unforgettable, gnarly, and a real experience. It’s fucking cool.
Kate Bush
4/5
Arty prog-pop with an uncompromised artistic vision. I can see a lineage of Peter Gabriel -> Kate Bush -> Bjork -> St. Vincent (or someone a bit weirder). Cool split between side a (arty but accessible pop songs) and side b (an experimental prog-pop adventure), but still making it all work together. Bush’s voice is always where it needs to be - powerful, desperate, serene, longing. The vocals, lyrics, and music really all work together here to paint pictures and tell stories…a very literary feel with an air of magic. Tons of sonic diversity and moods, environments, and textures that draw you into the song. A couple of the songs are on the duller sides, but overall a cool album that balances the bizarre and accessible, and always has a catchy melody circulating. Whether it’s vocal, orchestral, synth, traditional instruments, forefront, background - the album isn flooded with melody, emotion, and magic.
Prince
3/5
Prince seems to love taking a million ideas that fuse funk, pop, r&b, soul, rock, and a tad of psychedelia into a long album. A long album that says the world sucks, so let’s dance and fuck. Danceable, silly, groovy, catchy, conscious, sexy…though I prefer the fun tracks to the sex jams, which makes this so-so for me. He has an interesting blend of arrangements - some very sparse outside of vocals and rhythm, while others are busier and more elaborate, some feeling like a party. It started off with a few strong tracks and then just kinda coasted ok-to-boring with a few other good tracks sprinkled in. I was very surprised that he mentioned ham at least twice in this album. This project so far has made me realize that I respect Prince’s talent and vision, but the music just doesn’t quite do it for me. If he leaned into and sustained some more of his weirder musical fringes, I’d dig him more I suspect.
Nanci Griffith
2/5
A fine but forgettable country album. The singing is good, but I find little that impacted me or made much impression of me. It’s all totally fine and good enough…I didn’t dislike it. I just wouldn’t care if I never heard or thought about it again. I don’t have many words to get into detail because it just didn’t grab my attention that way. But at least it’s a pretty classic, good sounding county as opposed to the more annoying sound of country.
Silver Jews
3/5
A intimate and honest record with vivid imagery. Lyrically focused, vocal-front music with a loose-feeling indie rock supporting cast that also has some rootsy vibes. Bermanmay not have a traditional “good” voice, but it’s perfect for the music he’s creating. You can feel his melancholy, loneliness, despair, and occasional slight glimmer of hope. However it can get dull, particularly if the lyrics don’t pull you in.
Morrissey
3/5
Morrissey the man, whack. Morrissey the solo artist, dece. Morrissey with the Smiths, excellent. This is Morrissey the solo artist, and indeed, it falls in the category of decent. There wasn’t much to excite me, there wasn’t much to disappoint me. A few better tracks, a few duller. A uncouple of moments of inspired beauty, a couple of cool musical passages (some pretty prominent bass), and some things thay just blend together. Morrissey doing his usual literary British sad boy with an air of irony. Results are acceptable.
Miles Davis
5/5
Pretty much a perfect jazz record. If I could only recommend 1 jazz album to someone, it’d almost definitely be Kind of Blue. World- class band, compositions, improvisations, and playing. It’s also very easy to listen to. Each instrument has its own feeling to show and pieces of story to tell, and they dance with each other throughout the album to paint the full picture clearly. Once the bass + piano come in on So What, you’re reeled right in and never let go.
Yes
3/5
Partially awesome, partially a mess. There’s a mix of strong songs, phenomenal playing, tight harmonies, and interesting arrangements that all excite me, but also time where it veers, or outstays it’s welcome, and I zone a bit. The groups tracks are better than their individual; while some are cool, some really break any cohesion the album would have had (classical and flamenco tracks). And they’re not necessary, because each member shows their talents in the group songs. But of course all of these guys are monsters of their instruments and Squire’s bass tone is just stunning. Cool stuff but would have preferred a more cohesive group album than what this turned out to be.
Nick Drake
4/5
A very pretty English folk album with lots of feeling expressed through introverted singing and arrangements of tender finger-picked acoustic guitar, melodic bouncy bass, flowing piano, and orchestral flourishes. It’s full but still roomy and airy, and it’s melancholic but also comfortable.
Franz Ferdinand
4/5
Fun indie/alt garagey rock with pop-memorable melodies and a danceable post-punk feel. Solid rhythm section - nice balance of melodic and rhythmic bass while the drummer holds a pocket with nice hi-hat work. Guitar work similarly provides a nice balance of simple but memorable melodies and rhythmic punctuation. The singer’s voice fits right in and everyone plays their role - there’s no competition for attention or space and it’s easy to take it all in. The album is energetic and a good time, plain and simple. It’s got very broad appeal while being true to itself and not sounding compromised.
Throwing Muses
3/5
Dark alternative rock with a unique sound and style. A lot of this comes from the haunting, unstable vocals. There are also pounding drums with minimal cymbal use and bass that’s often more prominent than guitar (which still has good parts). And the rest is from their erratic, pivoting nature - it’s punky energy one minute, folky the next. It sounds like near suicidal journal, then an exhuberant party. It’s completely honest, authentic, and in the moment. You never know where a song may go, but it all fits together nicely. Still, I’m not sure if I find most of the songs that memorable or great…it’s the general sound and idea that I’ll remember more than specifics.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
Stonesy Stones playing gritty overdriven blues with a solid groove and interlocking riffs, and some more soulful, expressive songs. Pretty solid all around. Catchy too.
Lorde
2/5
Synth and piano driven Electro-ish pop with a few quieter ones mixed in. Not-quite-singing type singing with plenty of layered vocals, whispered falsettos, talk singing, etc. Some catchy melodies but not seeing the overall appeal of this, there isn’t any song that I love and there’s a handful of boring ones - but this also is just an album that’s unlikely to appeal to me. I can see how the big choruses would make a sing-song splash at a college party.
Fela Kuti
3/5
Repetitive, percussion-dense funky grooves. They find their beat and baseline and hold steady, allowing for improvisations and flourishes from keys, guitars, and horns /saxes. It can be quite fun, exuberant, and danceable at times, and quite intense at others - but it doesn’t always hold that feeling consistently for the long track lengths.
Venom
2/5
Satanic thrash and heavy metal, with muffled noisy production (which can be a detriment or bonus, depending on the person). The Satan stuff is really the focus, and while there are some cool riffs and shredddy solos, the music just didn’t really stand out to me. It comes in strong and hot, but the novelty wears off somewhat quickly. The speedy, thrash songs hit harder than the plodding ones. More influential than it is good.
The Monks
4/5
A very unique and ahead of it’s time garage rock album , but it’s so much more than that. It’s pretty fuckin out there for 1966!…by American GIs…in Germany... Quite fun too. The rhythm section pounds away with a clanky rhythm banjo, psychotic organ, spastic distorted feedbacky guitar solos, and a soulful singer on the edge of breaking. It’s really herky jerky and quite psychotic. It’s political, silly, nonsensical. It has elements of several previous, current, and future genres. I’m Not sure about the actual influence, but seems to be a precursors to experimental rock forays (Velvet Underground, Zappa, Beefheart), late 60s garagey psychedelia, punk/post-punk scenes, and probably more.
Buena Vista Social Club
3/5
Pretty cool Cuban album that starts off with a few strong songs, but doesn’t hold the fire the full length.
Joni Mitchell
5/5
A beautiful, tender, serene (even in its melancholy), intimate folk album that tells tales and paints landscapes of relationships old and new. She’s really got a unique approach to the whole thing, it sounds familiar but also unusual. Her rapidly pitch shifting vocal lines flow naturally despite some odd, intriguing rhythms. Musically accompanied by sparse, but often still busy, acoustic arrangements that serve as a perfect complement. There’s still plenty of variability in the tone, mood, and feel of the songs, as well as lyrical and emotional depth, to keep the whole album interesting.
FKA twigs
3/5
Slow tempo, Experimental pop/r&b with glitchy, layered electronic beats and a whispy vocal falsetto ruminating about sex and love (or lack thereof) and stuff. It’s got a hushed, somewhat muted sound - it’s really not in your face and benefits from an attentive listen. There’s plenty of cool stuff in here, some of it can blend together but I also found the back half to be stronger. Lots of moments I enjoy, but not a ton that are highly memorable.
The Jesus And Mary Chain
4/5
Damn fine noisy rock/pop. Take some 60s pop rock - slap a ton of fuzz, reverb, and feedback on it and make the vocals real stoner-y - and voila, you have Psychocandy. Hooky melodies under a wall of trebly guitar noise. It’s quite pleasant and abrasive. It’s quite wonderful.
Stan Getz
4/5
Smooth jazzy Bossa nova (or samba?) focused around syncopated acoustic guitar picking, silky sax lines (Getz really makes that sax sing), and hushed but lovely Brazilian vocals. Of course there’s still other contributors - bass and gentle percussion, piano, etc - but they aren’t leading the songs or taking the solos. It’s a calm and soothing album, it’s subtle and delicate. It’s fit for laying on the beach, an early morning coffee on the veranda, or nodding out imagining you’re doing either.
The Doors
5/5
Great debut of psychedelic blues rock where each member seems to have a different unique influences, but they come together as one. Classic album with no bad songs. They can rock hard, spacey, carnivals, jammy, bluesy - they cover a lot of ground while still having a cohesive sound. Love the keys, love the guitar work, dig the jazzy drumming, and Morrison does his thing.
Guns N' Roses
1/5
I don’t really dig this - the sound, the vibe, the attitude just aren’t for me much. Mostly it’s just Axl’s fucking raspy wailing, I just hate it. The album is very “rock n roll”, it’s grimey, rebellious, dirty, druggy, and sexual - just not in a way I find enjoyable. Musically I can dig some of it - Slash is a solid guitarist and McKagan is a more interesting bassist than I realized. They can get a loose groovy riff going. But then Axl’s voice just ruins my enjoyment. So not for me though I get why people like it.
Louis Prima
4/5
Swingin’ jazz and blues that’s fun and full of energy. So many songs just erupt into a nebula of exuberant raucousness. Lead playing is very lyrical. Just a pleasant listen overall - it’s hard to imagine someone completely disliking it. That said, I’m not sure if this is something I’ll revisit or eventually forget about.
Curtis Mayfield
2/5
Slow, subtle, conscious soul and light funk. There’s some good messages, and some good music too, but most of it is a bore and easy to lose focus on.
Heaven 17
3/5
First half is kinda odd, leftist/anti-capitalist funk (some amazing bass here) with some synth-poppy elements, and back half is just kinda odd synth-pop (less funky, lacks amazing bass playing). I liked the first half more.
The Band
4/5
Good ole folk, Country, americana rock. Good songs, good stories, good musicians, good vocalists, and a good groove. They don’t pack a punch in the studio as well as live (The Last Waltz is my go to for them), but this is still a solid album.
The Smiths
3/5
A balance between bouncy, fun tracks and sadder, slower tracks. The music is solid, finding a balance between poppy, jangly, dreamy, intense, even some rockabilly - with bass and guitar really shining. Morrissey’s usual sad, ironic, intellectual croon didn’t really hit for me here. The music held a tighter grasp on my attention.
Machito
3/5
Latin/afro-cuban jazz that’s heavy on the horns and bongos. There’s no guessing how many layered, harmonizing horns there are here (though for some reason they sound a bit cheesy). Some of it is quite speedy and intense - it forces you on the ride and can cause a bit of whiplash, but fun once you’re adjusted. Then it widens its palette with smooth and more varied emotions, though I felt it started to blend together a bit as it went on. Decent listen but not a huge lasting impression.
Lucinda Williams
4/5
Pretty good alt country / Americana rock. The feel strikes a balance between a homey and traveling album. Almost every song had some brief, memorable melody in it - but overall some tracks are forgettable or could use a bit more variety. There’s something alluring about it though - it’s simple and feels real and unpretentious. It just feels like you’re in a room hanging out with them playing.
Snoop Dogg
3/5
Snoop’s obviously got a great voice and flow, and the beats are funky as hell. The album has a clear identity and laid back feel that shines through. But the ganagsta-party-sex lyrics didnt grip me - I rarely find them insightful, clever, funny, or memorable. Things get repetitive…it feels like you can lift the vocals of any song and put it on a different song’s beat, and it would still work. The beats stay fresh though and hold my attention more than the rapping. I like the sound but it doesn’t sustain me for the full run length.
Big Star
2/5
I just didn’t get this one. It sucks in a way that I often find appealing, but it didnt connect with me in this case. Other than a few exceptions, The songs aren’t memorable, the hooks weren’t catchy, the playing feels amateurish, the production is questionable, and the overal sound just isn’t that interesting. Not irritating but completely forgettable.
Curtis Mayfield
4/5
A solid funk & soul album that comments on cultural problems of urban poverty, most drug dealing and use. The rhythms are smooth, the instrumental playing is razor sharp, and arrangements are lush and layered. Mayfield’s high voice cutting through the butter like a hot knife. Not every track is memorable, but overall a good album.
The Kinks
4/5
A fun, highly British, pop rock album that borrows sounds from several genres (folk, blues, garage, psych/baroque pop). It’s just a good time with memorable melodies floating all over the place. A couple of songs don’t maintain the consistent quality, but overall this is a pleasure to listen to.
Coldplay
2/5
I don’t have much to say here about this pop rock album that wishes it could be alternative, but it just isn’t so. Technically, there isn’t anything “wrong” with it - the songs are fine, the instruments are fine, the melodies are good. It just doesn’t land for me, there’s nothing that really grips me. A couple of solid songs, but largely forgettable. Their first album was better than I expected, and they seemed to drop all of the cool stuff from that album for this one.
Burning Spear
3/5
Raw roots reggae with awareness. It’s politically, socially, historically, and spiritually conscious. It maintains a laid back feel while speaking these truths with a contained anger and sadness, but also a forward hopefulness. It’s not a good album for the background; its value is in processing the words, feeing the emotion, and catching the rhythm and clever deviations. Some powerful songs but those that are less engaging lose my attention and then things start to blur and blend together.
Devendra Banhart
3/5
Freak folky new weird America type. It’s kind of uncanny…it’s odd, familiar, comforting, offputting. It’s a classic 60s/70s folk album with a twist of something strange. The vocals, the melodies, the guitar picking all feel like you know them but they’re just a bit different (and odder) than you remember. An overall pleasant listen, but also not a standout.
Beck
4/5
A wacky, playful, and weird but still accessible melding of genres, sounds, and influences - namely 90s alt/indie rock and hip hop. Also drawing from psychedelic, blues, punk, 60s-70s folk and pop, soul and funk, a little noise, and I’m sure plenty of others. Beck does some stonery sing-talk-rapping type stuff with some catchy melodies, while him and the Dust Brothers make groovy, interesting, changing instrumental beats.
Thin Lizzy
3/5
Live hard rock with some blues influence. They demonstrate their competence, power, and soul across this album. They take advantage of the 2 guitar approach, which is where some standout moments come. But overall, some cool stuff but a lot of forgettable stuff as well. There’s nothing specifically wrong with it, just doesn’t grab my ears.
Blur
3/5
Very much a Britpop album, though Blur aren’t afraid to get a bit weirder or harder edged than their contemporaries. The band writes good songs and catchy melodies with varying instrumentals and solid vocals - it’s all enough to draw you into their songs. But when it doesn’t hook, there’s not much there to go back to. I like Blur’s sound, but ultimately some songs are good, and the rest are fine or whatever.
Kate Bush
4/5
Kate Bush is singular. There’s nothing else out there that’s quite like her. It’s a challenge to box in this album - It fits the descriptors arty/experimental/progressive, but then what? Is it pop, rock, some degree of post-punk, other, all? Many songs don’t include pop music structures or sing-along melodies. It’s innovative, weird, and varied in instrumentation, accessibility, and sonic palette. It stuffs in megatons of ideas and sounds. But it is also united and all sounds like Kate Bush. It’s quite interesting but final result doesn’t always stick, there are many “wow” moments but also some less interesting tracks. But it’s certainly a unique and somewhat mesmerizing listen and an artists I’ve come to respect and enjoy in this project. Something I’d like to revisit and let sink in more.
Aretha Franklin
3/5
Aretha Franklin is obviously a talented, powerful, and soulful singer. Her version of Respect is phenomenal and iconic. Everything else on here is enjoyable and demonstrates her ability and range, but can’t live up to that first track. I leave the album remembering few specifics outside of Respect and her great singing. And some classic soul bass - prominent, rhythmic and melodic, and always serving the song. It’s all good, just not an album I need to revisit in full often.
William Orbit
2/5
Electronic music (with occasional guitars) that kind of floats in an out of a downtempo trip hop, ambient, kinda casual techno (reminds me of some James Bond Soundtrack) and some “world music” sounds. A generally decent vibe and a few cool songs and moments, nothing particularly bad about it, but largely forgettable and non-essential.
Tears For Fears
3/5
A pop rock, new wave, synthy kinda joint. There’s a lot of undeniably catchy hooks. I’m not sure if I like them, but they’re memorable. The music is well written and densely layered but not overdone. It’s cool at times (and the extended instrumental breaks are solid), but can also get a bit cheesy or a little to smooth. The Slower, simpler songs are quite dull (I believe was rough for me), while more energetic and fuller songs are stronger. I’m not fully bought in, but they’re song writing, melodies, and instrumentals are all pretty quality.
ZZ Top
3/5
Bluesy, boogie, Southern hard rock power trio. Solid all around - soulful voice, zippy guitar, foot tappin’ rhythm. Nothing too complex, just a good groove and good guitar playing. I had fun listening to most of it, but I won’t be running in the streets shouting about it. A bit repetitive, where I start zoning out the songs other than the guitar solos.
Slade
2/5
British glam rock that could make some fun partying music (but for someone else, not me). Doesn’t take itself too seriously and is just here for a good time. Some decent riffs and vocal melodies, but outside of that I’m not finding much of interest. I instantly don’t dig the vocal sound, though that wears off over time. Maybe it sounded fresher at release, but the sound doesn’t fully hold up.
The Crusaders
2/5
I don’t really know…I suppose a bit of a cross of jazz, funk, r&b, disco, a little bit of rock and pop. Lots of funky bass, drums, and guitar. Some cool chord progressions and solos. It’s also really easy music to zone out - I need to really force myself to pay attention, where you can find some cool details but the tracks aren’t rewarding for their full lenghs. The sonics of the instrumental tunes are a bit saccharine for my taste - particularly the sax parts. Sounds like jazz simplified to appeal to a pop audience. Well made, well played, but not my jam.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
White British 60s blues rock. Entertaining enough, but doesn’t need to be here as it doesn’t hold a candle to their other output. You can hear some of the fire here(a couple rippin guitar solos), but they hadn’t found their full identity and voice yet - particularly their own songwriting and a larger mix of influences that they mesh together later. But still decent music overall.
Johnny Cash
3/5
Cash’s vocal delivery is the highlight on this stripped-down mostly cover album with a good song selection. There’s lots of emotion in his familiar voice, though you can sense the tiredness, age, and reflection - the good, the bad, the joy, the sadness, the fun, the trouble, the love, the pain. The fact that these are mostly covers doesn’t really matter, Cash is able to make them his own. A few wonderful renditions (Hurt), and the rest are fine - nothing bad here. But I also wouldn’t consider it essential listening outside of couple tracks.
The Temptations
3/5
Cool album that is split between funky psychedelic soul and standard Motown fare. First half has 2 excellent psychedelic soul songs: the single (Cloud Nine) and the lengthy excursion (Runaway Child) - both awesome in their own right and demonstrating the group’s range of possibilities. The rest of the album is just solid Motown soul with quality singing and instrumentals, particularly bass. I would have preferred more of the first half.
The Boo Radleys
4/5
Didn’t know this album, but it was pretty rad. Take a jangle pop base, mix it with it with noise/shoegaze, and sprinkle in some dub & psychedelia - and you get the Boo Radley stew going. Hooks are plentiful vocally and musically. It’s a unique and diverse, one second youre grooving to a dub bass, next you’re enjoying some poppy alt rock, and then topping it off with a noisy instrumental excursion. Good stuff.
Kanye West
4/5
Kanye is really fucked now, but back in the day he was only kind of fucked. And he (and a seemingly a semi-communal group of many talented people) made this album, which is very good and was a very big deal. It’s super well made - the instrumentals are diverse, maximalist, clever, and hooky collages - drawing from wide sources leading to an original and memorable sound, while also fitting in the songs perfectly. Solid rapping from Kanye and his many guests, with themes of celebrity: the excess & decadence, maybe a bit of introspection and questioning yourself behind that hedonistic narcissist front. It surprisingly tight around the theme and feels like it could be considered a concept album. I’m certainly no Ye defender or fan boy, but this album is good. For as good as it is, it is also tough to listen to a guy who praises Hitler and wears a trash bag.
M.I.A.
4/5
Danceable album with intrusive and infectious instrumentals that merge electronic beats, hip hop feel, and rhythms, instruments, and sounds from around the globe. It’s fun and energetic with some social commentary about global culture and struggles. Let the global masses shake their booties toward liberation!
Radiohead
5/5
Beautiful album. Radiohead have a singular way that they can fuse ideas from alternative rock, electronic, progressive, ambient atmospherics, arty experimentalism, and poppy hooks. It’s a wonderful fusion that they pull off seamlessly here. The album had a smoother, calmer, and more introspective and personal approach than their previous bests, but this is still on par quality-wise.
Cyndi Lauper
2/5
A somewhat dated synthy pop rock album. It sounds just like the cover looks. It’s fun, flamboyant, not too serious. It has youthful spirit and love. Her vocals are solid and boisterous. But it’s not really my thing - a bit boring and the hooks don’t hit me too hard.
Malcolm McLaren
1/5
Some consider this a unique mash of African music and hip hop. I consider it colonizing shite that co-opts Black music without the proper respect or credit. When I start to enjoy the music, there usually some bullshit talk vocals, radio interjections, or other useless crap that ruin it for me. Basically, what is true to the origins of the music is joyful and exciting. Unfortunately there’s too little of that and it’s too often interrupted. I really didn’t like this.
Harry Nilsson
3/5
A bit of rock, folk, pop, and soul wrapped together nicely in this singer-songwriter package with a bit of oddity to it. I’m frequently reminded of other artists when listening - the Kinks, Beatles, Beach Boys, Donovan - but it still sounds original and not a rip of others. Arrangements range from sparse to elegant. It’s kind of all over the place, but it works. Generally the songs are good but I don’t see what the big fuss is here. It’s all fine music, but not many notable highs or lows for me.
Meat Puppets
5/5
An all-time favorite of mine. Psychedelic country punk that gives the feeling of laying in the dirt while gazing up at the heavens. It’s got everything you need - thrashy punkers, acid-fried country tunes, quality instrumental jams, obscure lyrics that have depth as you dig in, bad singing (in the most perfect and fitting way), great guitar (shredding pickers, spacey echoing spirals, nimble acoustic solos), and a band that stays tight despite feeling like they can fall apart at any minute. In other words, it’s perfect.
Common
3/5
A good hop Hop album, but no more or less to me. Solid Soul samples, some conscious and soulful raps to fit. But it’s a little too slick and doesn’t aim to push the boundary. Just a bit too mainstream sounding, but also not much to dislike here either.
Janelle Monáe
4/5
A retrofuturistic amalgamation of genres, tying together sounds from the past, present, and future of soul, pop, hip hop, rock, psychedelia, funk, and probably
More. I felt the concept more than consciously following it - The album is very cohesive despite its wide ranging sound. There’s enough diversity to maintain interest across the longer run time, though I prefer the energy and excitement of Suite II to the more relaxed and sensual Suite III. The music and vocal performance are consistory strong. Lots of rich instrumentals and arrangements to explore. Enjoyable on a first listen, and an album you can dig deeper into each time.
Q-Tip
3/5
Decent hip hop album where Q-Tip is smooth as usual…smooth beats, smooth flow, and a casual, understated swagger to it all. Always nice to hear hip hop from a live band. Some head bobbers, not much to dislike, but also not sure if it’s memorable enough to bring me back much.
Anita Baker
1/5
Cheesy, dated 80s r&b sound. Baker has a stunning voice and there’s some cool bass, but overall this is something I’m just not interested in.
Beatles
4/5
A turning point for the Beatles. They were a solid band before Rubber Soul, but this is when they pivot towards being one of the best to ever do it. Their songwriting and arrangements got more advanced, they pulled on a wider range of influences, and utilized more diverse instruments and sounds. All while delivering delectable melodic pop rock (everything is so damn melodic) that is their bread and butter. Paul’s bass lines are ridiculously catchy. Overall, a great album but doesn’t quite reach the highs that they do in their next few efforts. The first half is so good, that it makes the still solid second half not grip me as strongly. For as great as it may be, I don’t find myself reaching for it as much as many other albums in their catalog, which is what makes it a 4 for me.
The Cure
2/5
A somewhat dark, brooding, gothic post-punk album. Lots of ambience and soundscapes, but feels more simple and shallow compared to the paradoxically foreboding warmth that they develop on later albums (say, Disintegration). Nor are the songs strong or catchy enough to create ear worms like their poppier efforts. Overall this is ok - it shows where The Cure is headed and was perhaps a still novel sound at release, but it doesn’t capture the enveloping sounds and memorable melodies that this band grew to be known for. In essence, it just doesn’t stand the test of time when you know what else The Cure are capable of achieving.
Miles Davis
3/5
A monumental album in bringing out a new style of jazz. It can still be fast and complex, but it’s more relaxed than its predecessor bebop. It feels more collaborative than competitive. This album is filled with quick jazz tunes that are melodically and harmonically rich. It’s a nice listen but by no means a top jazz album of mine.
Pet Shop Boys
2/5
Pretty standard casual synth-pop. Some smooth grooves, atmospheric sounds and somewhat catchy melodies. More of a chill listen than a dance party album. Pleasant enough but overall left little impression on me.
Nirvana
5/5
Just a phenomenal album without a single bad song. A distorted grungy sound that utilizes some loud-quiet-loud dynamics, punky energy and chaos, quality songwriting, peculiar lyrics, and insanely catchy melodies. The production is crisp, so you get precision in the noisiness. The gruffness of Cobains voice is crystal clear. It’s all messy and loose while also professional and accessible. Widely appealing but not compromising. Raw but polished. And the result was excellent and probably the biggest alternative album of all time.
John Coltrane
5/5
An absorbing and powerful blast of spiritual modal jazz. It’s impossible to not listen to this suite full through once your start. All the musicians are masterful at their instruments and interact and support each other in unique ways. It’s nimble, intense, and challenging without being overwhelming or difficult. It strikes a perfect balance of avante-garde freedom and accessibility. It’s emotional and meditative. It’s wonderful.
The Smashing Pumpkins
3/5
A sprawling epic of grungy tunes that merges heavy distorted rock and softer subtler sounds (a bit psychedelic at times) with teenage cringey sensitivity and over-emotion. They really just put it all on the table. Somehow seeming both quite pretentious (a 2 hour “concept” album) and fairly unpretentious at the same time (teenage/YA feelings of being sad and mad and misunderstood). A guitar-centric album that has plenty of fuzzed-out ripping chordy riffs and noisy affected guitar solos across the 2 hour run time. Best played loud. They’re at their best when showing their heaviest, angriest, aggressive side. The rest of it is still fine, and necessary to mix the sound up, but don’t grab my attention as much.The first half of side one is really engaging, and then my attention waxes and wanes a bit. But I’m drawn back in when they heavy fuzzy riffs come around.
Otis Redding
4/5
Otis Redding song soulful rhythm and blues with killer backing band. Redding is a great talent, performing songs with emotionality, energy, and swagger. The music is solid throughout - always smooth whether sparse and quiet or more upbeat and fun. Particularly shining is the horn arrangements which provide great accents. It’s all solid with a few standout tracks, mostly on Side A which is strong enough that Side B doesn’t feel essential.
Gang Starr
3/5
Mellow hip-hop with simple, groovy sample-based beats. Guru has a super smooth flow and a great voice. He approaches his raps clinically - he’s poised, methodical, controlled, and level, rather than highly technical, energetic, and emotional. But it feels deliberate rather than limited; he raps thoughtfully and with purpose. Consistently decent album throughout, though not many stand-out highs or must-skip lows. There are a lot of songs and it starts to blend together a bit, but pick any single one and you’ll be nodding your head along.
Lenny Kravitz
1/5
Lenny Kravitz tells us to love each other and love god. I was hoping this album would show me a new appreciation for him, but I didn’t find that here. It’s really just bluesy pop rock that doesn’t stand much. It occasionally tries on a little more edge or a dil of psychedelia for color, but it’s shallow and not enough to really influence the sound. Almost just a nod to an influence or cool factor without really embracing it. There are some decent instrumental breaks which were probably my preferred parts. While I respect that he does almost everything in his own, maybe he’d benefit from some collaborators.
N.E.R.D
2/5
I like the idea behind this album/sound more than I really like the results. Sort of a progressive pop rock that implores a variety of influences and instruments. The music is well made with interesting arrangements, deep layers, bouncy rhythms, and good sound. The songs flow and progress smoothly, pivot naturally, and parts come in and out of songs seamlessly. But the lyrical concepts and topics I don’t care for much. Overall I feel like this could be cool if tweaked in certain ways, but just doesn’t end up being as interesting as I think it could be.
Patti Smith
5/5
Prophetic punk priestess pens profound poetry. The music and lyrics pair perfectly in this loose feeling passion poem. Lyrics like “Jesus died for somebody’s sins, but not mine” and “horses, horses, horses, horses” are both delivered with the intensity and tone to give them a heavy weight. It’s a rebellious album in a non-traditional non-formalized way. The only thing it is is exactly what it wants to be.
The White Stripes
4/5
The stripey’s keep garage bluesy punkin’ with a growing old-timey, Americans kinda feel. But not really Americana in the way that “cool” people who play country call if, but more mee-maws apple pie is coolin on the shelf while we’re on the tire swing an ma’s yellin at ya not to jump into that mud puddle. Jack & Meg play some simple catchy tunes with a mastery of dynamics - they can be loud and big and full, particularly when the distortion and feedback are dialed up, but also settle in to a sparse, easy flow. A lot to like here with a few stellar songs, but a couple that don’t quite get me there.
Dr. John
4/5
Dr. John the night tripper is on some bayou voodoo shaman shit. A wonderfully unique album that has the power to transport you to a peculiar, magical, spooky world. It’s really far out, and really cool if you surrender to it. It can’t be categorized or explained; it must be heard and felt.
If you dig this, check out Exuma for a Bahamian spin on this type of music. Only comparable album out there conceptually.
Van Morrison
3/5
Van and his band give energetic and soulful live performances of his unique blend of rock, r&b, soul, and folk musics. Performances are certainly solid vocally and musically - Van leads the band and audience where he wants to take them, particularly in terms of the mood and intensity. The band is consistent and competent, providing a strong supportive role without taking over the spotlight. The album peaks in its higher energy moments, which are balanced my smoother, calmer tracks. A handful of tracks stand out as particularly fiery, and several songs feel punchier and fuller than they might on the original records. Ultimately, the album contains good songs, good music, and good performances; but it’s also a lot to take in if you’re not a Van-head. It’s easy to listen to and enjoy, but hard to fully attend to and doesn’t leave me with the intention of revisiting the full album often.
The Killers
3/5
A batch of good songs and catchy singalong hooks with an early 2000s indie rock sound and some post-punk revival tendencies. The first half of the album is pretty consistently solid, but the back half of the album doesn’t add much for me (other than the closer, which has one of those big singalong hooks). I can’t quite place it but there just seems to be something lacking for me here - some type of energy, edge, intensity, fun, character (though they do show this in Mr. brightside, their best known song and probably
Best song)…I just don’t find it quite as satisfying as I expect it to be.
Lou Reed
5/5
Beautiful, seedy Lou Reed makes a great rock and pop album. He creates imaginable stories, characters, and emotions - some familiar, and some we’re just leaning into. It’s catchy as hell, every song has a memorable and singable chorus hook. Lyrically, melodically, musically - pretty much every song hits the mark. Plus, there’s tuba in multiple songs.
Metallica
5/5
Aggressive and progressive Thrash metal with long-form songs utilizing complex riffs, shifting parts, and varying time signatures. It’s thrashy riff galore for both leaf and rhythm guitars - sick riff changes to heavier riff to shreddier riff seamlessly. Some decent lyrics broadly focusing on injustice and pain through war, environment, and other sociopolitical topics. The album absolutely rips…I just wish you could hear the damn bass.
Beatles
3/5
A bunch of catchy pop-rock songs. The quality Beatles vocal melodies are there, but the songs are simpler, more straightforward rock n roll. But it’s still not as melodically lush, musically advanced, or arranged as interestingly as their later work. It’s good for what it is.
Adele
1/5
Adele is certainly a talented, powerful, and passionate singer. But that’s where it stops for me. The music and hooks are generally boring and forgettable to me. The soft pop with big choruses and electronic drums feels formulaic and tired. 2 or 3 songs had an interesting enough vocal, lyrical, or musical aspect to note, but otherwise the album sailed right past me.
The Undertones
3/5
Fun, energetic, catchy, and silly on the boarder of punk and new wave. The more they lean into this, the better - The faster and sillier songs stand out. It starts off pretty strong, but my excitement doesn’t stay for the full length of the album. Surprised I hadn’t heard this before…it’s a good time, but may not have enough diversity to sustain me.
The Who
3/5
Tommy is a very ambitious rock opera. Quite unique for the time and still has some freshness to it. It’s really an album’s album rather than song focused - it has repeating lyrical and musical themes, short songs and long instrumentals that progress the story and set the stage…it really needs to be taken as a whole. The songs are better in context than standing alone. There are sections that are quite gripping, but other sections where I lose some focus. As an album it’s a bit softer than most of The Who’s other music, and showcases some of their range and writing ability. Overall, good music on an ambitious album - something I’ll think of here and there but not go back to all the time.
Depeche Mode
2/5
More synth pop…a little bit on the darker side while still being poppy and accessible. Wel arranged with some good atmospherics, but overall pretty straightforward and didn’t really inspire much feeling for me. Not unpleasant, but not memorable.
Sigur Rós
5/5
Completely ethereal. The soundtrack to transcendening from mortal flesh to the afterlife. The distorted reverberations, extended droning, dreamy floating ambience, heavenly Icelandic vocals… it all just wraps you in a blanket and gives you some aural beauty to admire.
The Human League
2/5
More dulled emotion synth-pop, some on a groovier dance side and some a more straight new wave style, that has some catchy hooks but not much else to it to me. There’s cool little synth snippets in most songs, but not much to remember overall.
Stevie Wonder
3/5
Soulful funk and funky soul with some r&b. Both deep dirty funk and smooth poppy funk, often at the same time and often makes the highlights. Clavy keyboard galore, which he showcases his talents on. Stevie Wonder is a masterful musician, singer, and songwriter. I can appreciate the craft more than I’m interested in listening to this album, outside of a few standout songs.
3/5
Sensitive Britpop with big catchy hooks. Straightforward, accessible, and easy to digest through decent, well-arranged songs that dont reinvent the wheel. Some are able to dig up emotionality with Both a bit of sadness and hope to it. It also sounds a bit timeless - of course I know it’s 90s Britpop, but it could have fit in with other times and scenes or calls back to them enough. But overall, it’s whatever and I just don’t find it highly interesting…all together it’s just a fine album. The strongest points are the edgier or slightly more psych-influenced tracks, but there’s not much of it. Overall, There’s little enough variation to prevent me coming back. An album where the lyrics hit you, and if they don’t there’s not much left to pull you in. I guess you had to be there.
Public Enemy
4/5
Powder keg of an album that’s radical in its lyrics, sonics, and coolness. Chuck D is a relentless and proficient rapper who delivers valid social-political criticisms, particularly with race consciousness, with authority, power, and authenticity. He’s bringing you to school. The beats provide the backdrop to Chuck’s intensity, with head-bobbing groovy rhythm samples that often have noisy, abstract, or abrasive instrumentation on top. Flava Flav brings some comic relief. It reminds you to stay woke and stay angry, but still have a little fun.
Billie Holiday
3/5
Billie Holiday sings slow-tempo, intimate songs of love and heartbreak with her sultry voice over gently swinging and delicate orchestral arrangements. Her vocals, both tone and phrasing, communicates on a deeply emotional level - she has an ability to make you feel what she’s feeling. You can hear her life and experience in her voice, which is equal parts smooth and sweet while rough around the edges.she has an amazing ability to both attract and repel at the same time. She may be trouble, but maybe that trouble is worth it. It’s sometimes touching, but also hard for me to imagine revisiting this regularly.
Siouxsie And The Banshees
4/5
Gothy arty post-punk that just has a dark feel but spans a range from dreary depression to creepy to somewhat psychotic. They have a really unique sound (even today) - pounding tribal drums, Siouxsie’s unique and powerful vocals, and guitar that does whatever the hell it wants! Seriously, this is some interesting and original guitar playing - noisy, glistening, disorienting, cutting. The bass adds to the mood and keeps all the other parts together. Interesting listen if you give it the attention.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3/5
Double album of Cave the crooning degenerate preacher, backed by a bluesy punk gospel band. The band finds emotional and exciting climaxes that really soar at its highs. Otherwise, a bunch of the music across the 82 min is just fine but not unique enough from the best parts to be memorable. The first half is edgier and heavier than the softer second side, which in particular made the second side not stand out much. A few more listens could change my mind upward.
The Clash
5/5
It doesn’t get much better than this. The Clash remind people that punk is a spirit, mindset, and way of living and seeing the world; not a sound. They play a bit of everything here and every member has their standout moments. The music is egalitarian as are the lyrics. Their punk, new wave, post-punk, pop rock, reggae, rock n roll music provides the backdrop for stories and character studies largely focused around struggle - class, race, urban, capitalist, consumerist, liberation, internal. Keep fighting it.
Genesis
4/5
Larger than life rock opera with proggy, theatrical music and a peculiar and surreal story. It explodes with creativity and eccentricity. The music and musicians are stellar throughout and showcase their abilities without showing off. Whether it be long, complex, time-shifting songs, instrumental excursions, or quieter tone pieces…they join forces to create a mood, a scene, a picture of it all. It’s a rock album as art, rather than just a handful of good songs. Some songs are great on their own while others serve the album more than themselves. It is a long run length, but has enough diversity to not get dull. It’s hard to process this all in a single day, but it’s pretty cool.
Thundercat
4/5
Experimental and progressive tunes that meet somewhere in the middle of jazz, funk, hip-hop, soul, R&B, and psychedelia…and does so quite well. The musical talent here is phenomenal, particularly the bass. Plus some tender vocal harmonies. For all of the virtuosity, it doesn’t take itself too seriously and isn’t afraid to be silly. While many songs are a fun listen, the songwriting skills don’t quite match the musical competence. But it does have a solid groove and a lot of creative ideas. Ultimately, it’s a fresh sound that scratches a unique itch but isn’t something I find myself reaching for regularly.
Sleater-Kinney
4/5
Energetic and powerful garage/indie punk from key players in the riot grrrl movement. A band who sends a message lyrically, vocally, and musically. The lead vocals stand out as unique, with an intense, emotional, vibrato-heavy attack. There’s a solid
interplay between 2 vocalist and 2 guitarists, while drums hold down the beat and low end in the absence of bass. A few real catch songs. Just some solid feminist punk.
Al Green
2/5
Soft, smooth, pop soul. Green can deliver a real tender vocal line. But overall, this just washed over me - I remember little about it other than the famous song Let’s Stay Together. Certainly not a bad album to listen to, just in memorable.
5/5
The Beatles continue to push the boundaries of popular music with their elaborate psychedelic-infused pop & rock. This album will swoop you up and pull you away if you let it. There’s lusciousness and depth in the music, arrangements, harmonies - there’s memorable melodies vocally and musically. It’s very rich on all fronts. Plus it covers a wide ground of contradictions - it’s light and heavy, it’s poppy and experimental, it’s familiar and bizarre. It pushed music forward and it’s fun as hell to listen to.
Lloyd Cole And The Commotions
1/5
Jangly folk pop-rock overstuffed with lyrics. A little annoying at times and completely forgettable - in one ear and out the other.
The Verve
3/5
Alt-rock/Britpop (though not that Britpop) with a grungier and more psychedelic spin to it…bridging a gap between (less dancey, but still druggy), Britpop, and a bit of shoegaze. Reminds me of a British Smashing Pumpkins, though not as heavy and with a less grating voice on lead vocals. Fairly big sound with a sense of atmosphere to it. Some solid effected guitar playing and a prominent low end. The straightforward and ballady songs aren’t as interesting as the spacier songs and psychedelic excursions. Many songs run over 5min (not inherently a problem), but one could question if they’re interesting enough to do so (potentially a problem)….it starts to get tiring towards the back end despite some decent closing songs. Some rock’n’roll excess, for better or worse.
Public Enemy
3/5
Still an overall decent album, but just seemingly holding place with their very strong previous few efforts. The highlight tracks are still excellent, but the others don’t always stay consistent despite the relevant messages that many deliver. A bunch run longer than they really need to. Still thoughtful, aware, angry, and a bit fun - just not as great as some of the other output.
The Waterboys
3/5
Irish folk rock that presents some traditional sounding folky tales (mostly back half) and ballads as well as extended jauntier jams with a rock influence (more front half). The longer song have fun bouts of musicianship and while the more standard songs are fine, they’re less unique and attention grabbing. Violin is the star here, always seeming to add a critical flavor and unique melodies to the song. The album is cohesive and sets a clear setting to absorb what they’re making.
The Young Gods
3/5
An odd one to describe, perhaps avant-industrial? I know it was dark with an intensity more representing a creepy, insane, enveloping, bizarre darkness rather than solely anger and aggressiveness (though some of that is there too). Imagine a sinisterly quirkily evilTom Waits fronting a Swiss sampling industrial band who grew up doing musical theater before they got into goth clubs. Song structures aren’t always typical, instrumentation covers a wide range (apparently all samples, from harsh guitars to orchestras to accordions), peculiar vocals, and is musically all over the place. But it still all fits together. It was certainly a unique listen, which I can always appreciate and recommend - though I question if I’ll go back to it much (I had a similar experience with American Gothic by David Ackles).
Stereo MC's
1/5
90s British combo of hip-hop, light funk, acid jazz, electronica kinda sound. The chill-out kind rather than the dance party kind. The bass and drums can get a nice funky groove going, supported by samples to fill out the music and casual vocals that are half sung and half kinda rapped (that I actually find a bit off putting). It’s smooth and laid-back rather than energetic and fun. But the songs never really go anywhere and just drag on, so its mostly boring and largely forgettable.
T. Rex
3/5
A lot more casual than I expected, almost feeling lo-fi-ish at times. A hazy, folky, boogie pop rock album, I guess grouped with glam at the time. Fairly simple songs, catchy melodies, and creamy guitar licks. But it’s just low key and pretty chill, even for the stompier tracks. An enjoyable listen but nothing that stands out as spectacular. Though I can now see how this is a huge influence on Ty Segall, an artist I dig very much.
Booker T. & The MG's
3/5
Instrumental old school r&b, rock, and soul with fun organ and a good beat. Well-played, nothing too fancy. Green Onions is a wonderful song. The rest is enjoyable enough but doesn’t stand out much. Nothing bad, nothing wowing.
The Psychedelic Furs
3/5
UK post-punk flirting with new wave. Pulsing, driving rhythm section with more atmospheric but melodic guitars and a few random other sounds (weird synths, flute sounds, saxophone, vocoder). Songs range from noisier ramblings to somewhat poppy. The first 2 songs show this clearly - kicking off almost intentionally offputting followed by a pretty clean and catchy tune. The tone has a wide range of dark and light too. A few songs stand out, a handful of them barely memorable.
Black Sabbath
5/5
Heavy, doomy, dark, and druggy. Revolutionary in 1970, and still feeling critical, fresh, and relevant in 2025. Sabbath creates a cohesive tone and feeling throughout the album. Memorable and powerful guitar riffs, frantic solos, nimble and melodic bass, pounding yet precise drumming, and dreary sci-fi tales of insanity, esoterica, apocalypse, and war criticism spewing with equal vigor and dread from Ozzy’s mouth(though penned by Butler). The full band is engaged and essential - Ozzy, Iommi, Butler, and Ward all bring a key component that intersect to make the whole greater than the sum of its parts. And that’s what makes Sabbath and this album great - the band had a unique vision and a singular mission to transmit that to us, and did so effectively.
But I do question if their legacy holds if the song “Iron Man” stuck with the original title “Iron Bloke.”
Steely Dan
3/5
Crisp and clean instrumentation and production. In a soft rock shell, the music is rich and meticulous, accessible and poppy, complex and jazzy. It has engagingly layered arrangements yet plenty of breathing room. It can be equally enjoyable for easy listening or deep study. But ultimately I respect and appreciate hearing this pop-jazz-rock perfection more than I actually enjoy it. I like Steely Dan, but prefer select songs to their full albums, Aja included.
U2
2/5
I just don’t connect with this band. They seem like they’re capable of making cool music, but then choose not to in favor of making bland pop rock. The best moments are the noisiest and spaciest, and when Bongo isn’t singing.
Ramones
5/5
Debate the origins of punk all you want, but the Ramomes codified it sonically and visually. 50s and 60s rock and roll sped up and distorted, barked more than sang, with a nihilistic twist, and still catchy and singable as hell. Leather jackets, jeans, and jacked up haircuts. Attitude over musical proficiency. Direct and relentless. And you can still hear it ringing today.
The Police
3/5
I am sick and don’t have the brainpower to write a thoughtful review. First half was decent (some cool synthy stuff) and second half was more meh pop.
Roni Size
2/5
This Drum and Bass album was decent background music for cleaning the house and working. It’d be alright for a dance party. But it just doesn’t feel like something I wanna spend time to dig into. There’s nothing irritating or offputting about it, but also nothing that really excited or intrigued. Both the songs and the album are long and repetitive, but without enough variation or interesting sounds to grab me (though some subtlety changing moments are quite nice). The he’s of double bass as a primary instrument is pretty cool though.
Stevie Wonder
4/5
Difficult not to enjoy this funky, soulful, progressive record with masterful musicianship and songwriting (at least aspects of). It’s simply a pleasure to listen to. The songs are fun and groovy or emotional and heartfelt. The whole album is strong with only occasional moments where I get a bit less interested, which is still impressive given the long runtime (the 3 song run of Contusion - Sir Duke - I Wish is next level). Can’t really criticize any musical or technical aspects - it feels great, it sounds great. The bass and synths alone are enough to keep me listening. Overall it’s an album that I like and admire very much, but just not an all-time favorite that I go back to at any time. Certainly a massive achievement and no argument from when that it’s highly discussed as one of the best of all time, and its given me a greater appreciate for Stevie Wonder.
The Beach Boys
3/5
Side A is more fun, Side B is more beautiful, but overall I could take it or leave it for a lot of this. A bridge between The Beach Boys earlier surf pop rock and later orchestral sophisticated balladry. Getting more personal, vulnerable, honest, and emotional lyrically. Getting more complex and full musically. Harmonies are glorious (as always) and arrangements thoughtfully constructed (as always). Brian Wilson is on the path to a major breakthrough…but you must shed more of your past to get there.
Incubus
3/5
Alternative metal funksters take a step towards project mersh - bigger choruses, catchier hooks, reduced zaniness, wider palatability. Still relying on nimble groovy rhythms, spacey guitar for verses and heavy distorted guitars for choruses, scratching to add a hip-hop flair, electronics to maintain some ambiance and noise, and Boyd’s clear, booming, melodic vocals to bring it all together. But it loses lots of the fun, heavy, turn-on-a-dime experimentalism of previous release S.C.I.E.N.C.E., which basically makes it all around less interesting and unique.
Grateful Dead
5/5
Live/Dead - What a beautiful, primal thing. Words can not quite capture the essence, you must absorb the acid-fried interplaying improvisational fury to know it. The musical danger of a band who could disintegrate and fall apart at any moment, but never seem to do so. The rawness of unpretentious musical exploration. Something fresh, exciting, and uncharted. Tapping into the cosmos and transmitting it to our mortal antennae. Repeated listenings welcome, and it can sound like a very different album depending on where your focus falls.
“Dark Star is going on all the time. It’s going on right now. You don’t begin it as much as enter it. You don’t end it so much as leave it.”
If you’re on the bus, chances are you already know and love this one. If you’re not, drop your preconceived notions of the Dead, jam bands, all that crap, and give it a real chance. Bathe yourself in the album (loudly). Maybe it’s not for you, like all those sucker MCs spewing vitriol in the top reviews (why does this album make you so irrationally angry?). Maybe it’s not for you YET…our lives are long and perspectives change; their career is long and different periods have different sounds (72-74 or 77 might be more palatable) - and I encourage you to test the waters again one day. This is Dead towards the end of the “primal” phase (the loud, direct, experimental, psychedelic, bluesy times), before more folk, country, and jazz influences infected their sound. Maybe IT IS for you, and the lightbulb in your head shone as bright as the fucking sun. Listening to music may never quite be the same again. That’s what the Dead can do for someone it clicks with, and what it’s done for me.
As Jerry said “People who like the Grateful Dead are like people who like licorice. Not everybody likes licorice, but the people who like licorice really like licorice”. I really fucking dig this licorice, man.
The Clash
5/5
Not much to say other than it’s one of the best punk albums ever. Blending rawness, attitude, and social commentary into a catchy and memorable song - this album does it with the best of em.
The Velvet Underground
5/5
The VU mellow out musically and lyrically into a more melodic, straightforward, folkier, softer, poppier rock - but not in such a way it becomes bland or boring. Dropping their transgressive subversion in favor of some love songs, they show their prowess in writing a pretty standard song with pretty standard topics and not needing to rely on Avant-garde experimentalism(except the ever-peculiar The Murder Mystery). The songs and album are still high quality, melodies abound, proving that this is a band who can do both.
Gorillaz
5/5
A chameleon album of trip/hip hop, alternative rock, pop, dub, and other sounds and influences, with a heavy low end. It’s a lot of fun annd all over the map with some unexpected turns, but it still has a consistent Gorillaz sound and fits well together as an album. It’s not about the components - individual parts and instruments won’t necessary impress - but their culmination into an original coherent sound and catchy melodies regardless of style or tempo. There really isn’t a single song I dislike here; they’re all interesting and unique in their own ways, even the simpler and more repetitive tracks bring something to the table. Guest features are tasteful and make a notable contribution to the feel of the album and songs. Best cartoon band ever!
Sly & The Family Stone
3/5
Critical in merging funk and soul with psychedelic rock. If there’s one thing this band does right, it’s find a nice groove (that bass thump is killer). They’re all in the pocket, regardless if a lighter pop song or a deep dirty psych funk. And they do indeed vary between a hippie positivity and cynical darkness. There are a few classic songs, but a good portion of the album doesn’t stand out to me. I’m typically a fan of long jams, but Sex Machine doesn’t have enough to keep it interesting for 13 min. A good listen and valuable album nonetheless, but overall respect Sky’s ideas more than I care to revisit the album.
Leonard Cohen
2/5
Cohen’s somber, intense, baritone voice over 80s synthy backings is peculiar and quite jarring at first. There are times when it works well, others where it sounds dated and unfitting. Cohen still often puts forth poignant lyrics, but again some of these really hit while others seem tossable. Overall, just not that interesting to me and sometimes a little cringey.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
My 358th album is somehow my 1st Costello on the list. Poppy and catchy with a little edge of punk in placing this along the lines of power pop & new wave. It’s also very direct and up-front, it feels vital, in your face, and like it’s laying out all the cards and not hiding tricks or secrets. Musically can’t be interesting without excessive complexity or showmanship, but songs tend to have a good beat and a good hook. The band is certainly tight and supports Costello well - Some cool bass parts and fills throughout, and the synthy organ sound can add a nice touch. Much prefer the energetic up-tempo tracks to the slower ones. Some lyrics are clever while others are cringey. Overall it’s an alright record with some solid tracks and interesting moments, other aspects I could leave behind
The Stone Roses
4/5
Poppy melodies, psychedelic guitars, and danceable rhythms though the envelope of British alt-rock - a critical band to the Manchester scene. The few longer excursions have a sense of exploration and reckless vitality to them that I imagine was far superior in live settings (but still great on record). The fusion of genres is pretty seamless and sounds original, with some high peaks. The blander tracks are when they lean more heavily in a standard rock direction. Ultimately, there’s a lot of a great, unique, influential music here, but a few songs where it drags (particularly mid-album).
Dolly Parton
4/5
Obviously familiar with Dolly Parton, but I don’t actually think I had heard an album of hers. I was immediately impressed - the first 2-3 songs are excellent and a nice showcase of her ability to tell different stories with different emotions, across different country styles. From there the rest of the album can’t quite match those highs other than a song or 2. but she consistently displays her vocal and storytelling talent and ability to write a solid country tune. Not sure how much I’ll actually revisit, but I was surprisingly impressed here.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
An early Stones classic where they start developing more as songwriters and utilizing a wider variety of sounds, instruments, and influences (particularly on Side A). Still plenty of blues too, like the 11 minute jam Goin’ Home. Overall, a solid 60s rock album that has a few Stones classics, as they branch out musically and expand their artistry.
Unfortunately, my 2 favorite songs (Mothers Little Helper, Paint It Black) are not on a shared release, with one on the UK release and the other US.
The Doors
3/5
A few pretty rad songs but overall not my favorite output from the doors (but i also don’t find it to be bad). Leaning a bit more into their heavier and bluesier side, while dropping a bit of the psychedelia. It’s fine and still an enjoyable listen overall (they still have a pretty interesting band dynamic), but now an album I’m likely to pick up and listen to in full often.
Elvis Costello
3/5
Debut isn’t as good as the next one (I think), but alas they get the same store. Cause Elvis Costello is firmly in that eh this is fine, bassinet more interesting, occasionally less, but doesn’t really struck with me. And I occasionally revisit thinking I’ll find something more but leave with that feeling of fineness. Still the nerdy, anxious, hooky, slightly-punky sound…but with a country band this time? Probably not the best backing band for Costello, but the integration of a bit of a country sound sometimes makes unique results. A bit lyrically overstuffed in the end - decent songs and decent hooks, but nothing that really wowed me here.
Fatboy Slim
4/5
Right in that big beat center of electronic dance (acid house), hip-hop, and rock/pop. Consistently solid groove throughout, though a little more chill (or less extreme) than some of their contemporaries. Not much I dislike here other than some repetition, but it l doesn’t find the hit high peaks necessary to make this album truly top level. Still fun though.
SAULT
4/5
Politically conscious soul/funk/r&b music with a hip-hop feel and a particular focus on race and the Black experience in modern America. Perhaps not a novel combination, though something about Sault’s sound gives this album a unique and modern feel. But while modern, it feels very in touch with its musical and historical roots. The past, present, and future are all felt, fusing together as one.
I really dug this album when it was first released - it felt fresh, timely, and significant at a time in the U.S. when racial tension was re-igniting and the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic was starting. It covered emotional ground that felt tangible - despair and disappointment, righteous anger, eternal hope in the face of injustice. It’s music with a salient message and great groove, even though many of the tracks are relatively simple and straight. The back half is a bit mellower and more typical than the fromt, though some of these tracks seem to extend the album rather than enhance it. Black Lives Matter. Full stop. If you have any qualifiers on that statement, you won’t dig this album.
Antony and the Johnsons
2/5
An intimately personal album that can be tender, haunting, and beautiful. Sparse arrangements of piano, drums, bass, and strings make room for Anonhi’s unique vibrato-dominated vocals that exude emotional resonance. It’s all quite well done, but also one that I felt I was listening in on rather than really connecting with. Interesting experience but doubt I’ll go back to it.
3/5
Pretty fun Britpop album. Now that I’ve had a few Blur, I seem to enjoy them over most of those bands. A bit kookier, not too serious, lots of interest guitar parts and sounds. While I enjoy listening; I’m also sure not much sticks with me other than a few songs, and I’m not sure that it left me craving more to be a “must revisit”. I’d but self-titled Blur a notch above this and Parklife, and this probably edges out Parklife for me for now… Blur seem to capture that space right between a 3 and 4 that makes it hard to choose.
Lynyrd Skynyrd
3/5
Some good guitar playing on this big time Southern rock album. Sometimes songs go on a bit too long, but there are enough hooky riffs and solos to keep you in it. While Ronnie’s delivery isn’t a style to grab me in, it also fits the music perfectly. These guys had a unified vision for their sound and every player serves that vision and sound. They can be monumental when at their best, but then the other tracks pale in comparison for me (though certainly not bad). With highlights like Free Bird, Gimme Three Steps, and Tuesday’s Gone, I don’t really need the rest of em.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
Lyrically, melodically, and rhythmically tapping into a spiritual highness. Couple of classic songs, and the ones I didn’t know were pretty good. Some interesting little psychedelic guitar and wonky synth parts. Rhythm section on point. I’m not gonna pick this over the Legend comp, but it’s a solid reggae album that contributes a bunch of songs to it anyway.
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
2/5
Tough to evaluate, as it’s very different than what I’m used to. The spirit can be infectious, and the vocal warble is impressive. Vocal flourishes with intense power or speed really ice it. Vocals are the heart here, there isn’t much melodic accompaniment. Percussion is minimal but consistent to keep you connected. I’m happy to have been exposed to it, but don’t expect to find myself looking for this again.
The Adverts
3/5
Late 70s UK punk and it sure sounds like it. It’s got that classic snottiness to it. Under the attitude is some decent songwriting, with a few catchy hooks that could be even bigger earworms if pop was the goal here. I can hear the clear influence on Jay Reatard, an artist I’m a big fan of. Overall, a decent early punk album that’s been overshadowed by its peers in terms of longevity, influence, and legacy - which seems appropriate to me. Good listen but limited wow factor.
Frank Black
3/5
Overall fun, enjoyable alt rock but not super stand-out memorable (doesn’t seem vital enough to be on this list) and a lot of the best tracks get washed away in a sea of too many. Though there is some kind of interesting nugget in every song, even if a brief riff, sound, melody, or lyric.
The best tracks are when Frank Black does what he does best, chaotically fronting a spastic and dynamic band - balancing melody and smoothness with mayhem and intensity (though it can’t touch Pixies in this regard, though you can see the clear relation). But even with some songwriting diversity, a lot feels like it’s treading the same path which makes only the best or most unique songs stand out. It kind of feels like the GBV approach of throw it at the wall and see what sticks. But with longer songs and better production, that approach may work as well. I could also change my mind if I got to know these songs better eventually.
Violent Femmes
3/5
Somewhat Chaotic mix of folky instruments and style with punky spirit and approach. It’s got that early 80s alt rock thing where bands were unique and freer. They were messy and great and also kinda sucked, and it was cool. Anyway…The lyrics and vocal delivery strike somewhere between Lou Reed, Jonathan Richman, Bob Dylan, and an awkward teen. Acoustics bass parts are a highlight. For 3 dudes using acoustic instruments, the results can be surprisingly cacophonous and messy - but they can also play with dynamics and get soft and tight. I like listening to it, but don’t crave it much other than Blister in the Sun.
David Bowie
4/5
“It's not the side effects of the cocaine” is the biggest lie David Bowie ever told.
Dramatic and grand art pop, with a bit of a creepy dark undertone, along with Bowie’s white British soul/funk. Title track is a cool, extended, proggy pop kinda thing. Golden Years is funky with peculiar backing vocals. Stay had a solid groove and some quality guitar moments. TVC15 just gets weirder and weirder. Closing track has more of an unsettling haunting feel. An odd, but listenable and danceable album that’s not quite consistent enough for me to consider this a peak of his career. Though many disagree, and I may give this a little more time.
Jimi Hendrix
5/5
I had this poster in college. One time I smoked a bunch of salvia listening to this album. In the instrumental outro portion of Bold As Love, the deep black color of their afros started expanding, until the poster was just Jimi’s face floating in a black abyss. Jimi’s face slowly exited, leaving only darkness. Suddenly, he flew back in, winked at me, and disappeared into the abyss again. Great album and maybe my favorite song of all time.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
2/5
Having had the first 2 Elvis Costello albums recently, here he seems to turn up the poppier sound and fade out any of the punk influence. And the results are worse this time around than previously - it doesn’t have the energy or excitement, just a lot of lyrics. Unfortunately, I found the hooks to be less catchy and memorable in this album than the first 2. The sound is perhaps richer (more synths filling little holes, a bit more dynamics), but also less interesting in my opinion. Some fine stuff but so far at the bottom of the 3 Elvis Costello’s I’ve been assigned.
Mudhoney
3/5
Grunge that’s on the garage & punkier side rather than the metallic and slower side. There's a rawness to the songwriting, musicianship, and production. Also manages to balance energy/intensity with like a detached, lackadaisical attitude. Some solid guitar riffs and solos, sometimes giving me a Dinosaur Jr vibe. Harmonica felt kinda random.
The Stooges
5/5
Aptly titled.
CHIC
1/5
Well-played music on generally boring disco, funk, and r&b tracks. Even the best songs outstay their welcome a bit. The technique is good - instruments are well played and everything is crisp. I just didn’t dig the songs.
Dion
1/5
I don’t know why this is here, didn’t really enjoy it, and remember almost nothing about it. I don’t really know how to describe it, but the phaser effect over “he’s got the whole world on his hands” is quite odd
Pet Shop Boys
4/5
This synth-pop album makes me feel like dancing at a gay bar, though I don’t particularly like synth-pop or dancing, and I’m not gay. There’s just a lot of delicious, catchy melodies and a steady rhythm that makes me wanna groove. The slower songs don’t quite do as much for me though.
Suzanne Vega
2/5
Pretty unmemorable jazzy folk rock, a la Joni Mitchell but not as captivating. The poetic lyrics are an occasional draw. Didn’t dislike, but didn’t catch my interest and I won’t think about it again.