For me, Kravitz has always dwelled in that area between “modern iteration of Sam Cooke“ and “yoga instructor your wife/girlfriend is a little too excited to see.“ I liked this album, but it didn’t do much to move him one way or the other on that spectrum.
Just because you can doesn’t mean you should.
Singers like Mariah Carey should take note: having a powerful voice is about more than just singing scales. You can feel Simone’s pain, heartache, outrage, and strength pouring out of even my tinny phone speaker. Amazing!
“Scottish psychedelic funk” sounds like fun. But loosely translated to English, it simply means, “we have a sitar and nonsensical lyrics.” This album is a 49-minute trip to an extremely awkward Renaissance Fair. I know that’s redundant, but I think that helps underscore the experience of listening to this.
I really enjoy her originality and passion.
A voice as comforting and graceful as a warm autumn afternoon.
Early 90s Brit alt-rock/pop in a nutshell.
Strong vocals, powerful lyrics, great album.
He’s the piano man. He played me a song tonight. Some of those songs were pretty good. I may ask him to play them again.
As a being with mass, I appreciate this band making music for me and my ilk. When I have further need of feeling robotic and disconnected, I shall request my musical device to summon said music.
I didn’t catch all the lyrics, but I’m pretty sure a few times I heard them say, “Your call is very important to us. Please stay on the line for the next available associate.”
Unconventional, but these songs tended to become more beautiful the more time you spent with them. Started as a 3*, ended as a 4*.
Should have been billed as a synth-pop opera about a sex club. Despite that oversight, it was actually pretty good overall. Well, better than expected anyway.
Interesting, charming, and I feel like a better person for having listened to this.
A little Stone Roses, a little Depeche Mode, and a lot of “meh.”
It’s hard not to like Aretha. Soulful, powerful voice with great range. Can sing everything from gospel to blues to pop with equal sincerity.
If ever I find myself in the mood for some old-school soul music, I can see myself reaching for this. Not quite as smooth as Sam Cooke, Otis Redding, or Wilson Pickett. But that’s not a bad thing.
Wow. Nobody can play the squeaky balloon quite like Robert! Honestly, I can think of a lot of different albums I would rather have listened to instead of this.
Fun, albeit a little more pornographic than expected. And it definitely gave the expectation of being pornographic.
An interesting blend of alt pop, sensibilities, and unconventional creativity. I pressed play expecting to hear just another bland Offspring type of band. Instead, I heard elements of the Kinks, Bowie, and the Velvet Underground. A pleasant surprise.
Don’t like it enough to give it a 4*, didn’t hate it enough to give it a 2*. Pretty typical commercial angst rock from the early aughts.
This answers the question of what people did with their strange music projects in the days before YouTube. Turns out, they were still able to cut a record and release it to the public. I actually would give this a 1.5* because it made me laugh more than it made me angry for being on this list in the first place. But I am going to round down because I do not support the stabbing of ducks. Even if that duck happens to be similarly armed.
I recently attended a performance by an Afro-Caribbean brass band during which the band leader explained the history of that style of music. Brass instruments had been introduced to most corners of the world as part of military bands and had come to represent oppression and colonialism (redundant, I know). So by co-opting those instruments, musical styles like this, ska, rocksteady, and reggae all came to represent freedom and independence more so than just a laid-back “island” sound. I had never really thought of it in that way before, and will never look at it the same way again. I really enjoyed this album.
The album title is definitely appropriate. Not very polished, but that is to be expected from this genre. My biggest complaint is that I could almost smell Iggy’s sweat while listening to it.
I respect Little Richard for his talent and impact on the music of that generation. But every song sounds pretty much the same with only a few variations in the lyrics and occasionally the tempo. I’m not so sure if that is due to limitations in his talent and ability or the expectations of rock music at the time.
Liked it better for not having a lot of typical McCartney pop singles.
Felt like I was in an hour-long Charlie Brown TV special, except with more bass solos. I’m not mad.
Excellent voice. She could make singing the phone book sound delightful.
I will forever prefer Johnny Cash‘s take on “Run On,” but overall some pretty entertaining tracks.
When it comes to Dylan, I feel sometimes his limitations as a vocalist cloud his skills as a songwriter. That is how I felt when I originally bought this album back in 97. Listening to it again now, I have a greater appreciation.
It’s like every song ever played on classic rock stations is on this album. Seriously. “Greatest Hits” albums don’t have the kind of success rate this one did. Love, hate, or just tired of the genre, that’s a pretty impressive feat for a debut.
With the exception of a couple of tracks, I really enjoyed this. You could definitely hear the how they influenced a lot of the bands that came after.
Came into this with zero expectations. This is an artist I felt I may have heard of but really knew nothing about. Really like the mix of punk, funk, and overall originality.
Can’t say this was what I expected to hear when I pressed “Play.” Can’t say I really liked it, either. Not bad, just not my cup of tea. I read one description of the album that said the band made this mostly for themselves rather than to please critics, and I’m happy for them for that.
I did not enjoy this. There was enough funk on a few tracks to save it from a 1-star rating from me. But too much disco everywhere else.
Was familiar with the radio-singles, but never took a deeper dive. They seem to have taken the best elements of 80s alt-pop and updated the sound. I really like this.
Hard for an album to have a stronger opening track than “Badlands.” Definitely one of the all-time greats! Listening to Springsteen makes you feel like you just worked a double-shift digging ditches at a steel mill, only to come home and find an eviction notice on your door and yet feel that you’re strong enough to keep doing what needs to be done. A cognitively dissonant blend of feeling bleak and hopeful at the same time. It’s brilliant!
Talented MC and DJ, plus his accent adds something a little extra special.
A pleasant but mostly uninteresting collection.
Back in the day, I had always dismissed Courtney Love as a female Kurt Cobain wannabe. I think that still holds true. But with the wisdom of age, I also see her carrying on the tradition of Patti Smith, Chrissy Hynde, and Debbie Harry and I have a bit more respect for that.
I feel like I need to take a shower and clear my browser history.
I am not angry enough at the world to have enjoyed this.
I like James Brown, but a little can go a long way. This was the just right amount.
Didn’t care much for him as a vocalist. But he made up for it as a so-so songwriter. Pretty telling that the best track was the cover of “Hallelujah.”
Case study in quality songwriting. One doesn’t need to be a great vocalist, although it helps. Cohen is emotional without being whiny, dark(ish) in a matter-of-fact way, and an overall treat to listen to.
I liked the energy of this, plus the variety of styles and influences. Elton John has certainly earned his status as a legend in the field.
Listening to this had multiple health benefits including a lifting of spirits, and a slight loosening of hip joints. Suffice to say I had never heard of this band before today and I am so glad I know of them now.
A pleasant voice singing songs. Aside from that, I’m not sure what it is about this album I had to hear before I die. Although I do appreciate the plot summary of The Seventh Seal. Watched that movie in college and wasn’t really able to understand it very well. So, thanks for that, Scott.
If bands were people themselves, and not just made up of people, then this band would be a child of the Clash and the Kinks, who spent a lot of time growing up listening to the Pixies, Violent Femmes and the Velvet Underground. That doesn’t mean I like this band as much as all those others. But I do respect their influences.
Not a big fan of Morrissey as a vocalist. But I can hear and respect the influence they had on other bands of their era, and those to come after.
Tom Waits is one of those artists whose voice is just as much an instrument as the piano, guitar, etc. The singing is a little hard to take at first, but the more you listen to him the more it “works.” At least, it worked for a couple tracks on this album. Others, it was a distraction. “Closing Time” is a far better album from him.
If you were anywhere around college radio in the early to mid 90s, you didn’t have to be there long before hearing one of the many iterations of Bob Mould. It’s pretty obvious how he and his bands helped define the “alternative“ genre during that time.
Every bit as “artsy” and non-commercial as the album title would suggest. But after a fun start, it mostly became repetitive and unenjoyable.
A perfectly adequate representation of mid 90s alternative rock. Also a perfect representation of why I dislike the term “alternative rock,” since the sameness of it means there wasn’t much of an alternative.
Proof that you don’t necessarily need to understand the words to find music a total joy.
Lovely music, although I could walk away from it while still playing and feel like I didn’t miss much.
An amazing talent. Great range in her voice, and creative use of multiple musical styles.
As I listened to this, all I could picture in my head was Spinal Tap. They, too, were big in Japan. And that connection helped deal with the lyrical meaninglessness of songs like “Space Trucking.” Not bad music, but really hard to take seriously.
I would have liked some of the tracks more if the blues hadn’t exploded. But overall a fun, rockabilly sound that I may not like every day, but I enjoyed today.
Inarguably a tremendous voice. Although I must say, I prefer her singing on soul, blues, and rock-inspired tracks compared to her ballads.
Very Zappa-esque. I never really got into Zappa. But then it took a strange turn into 90s soul/rap before both styles drunkenly mixed to finish the album. Amusing, but I don’t love it.
Although I’m a little tired of how overplayed this band has been over the years, I will admit that I owned this album back in the day and their harmonies are beautiful to listen to.
I feel like I just listened to the story arc of a contestant on American Idol. A talented vocalist showing off her technical skills on a series of somewhat uninspiring songs. I’m not mad I listened to it, but I’m pretty sure I will quickly forget what I heard.
Jazzy. But jazz is more fun with a big(ish) band than some dude meandering away on a piano with equally aimless bass accompaniment. A little short of “atomic” in my book, but not hard to listen to.
I read this band was #1 in the UK during their heyday. But the UK also gave us Coldplay and Oasis. That’s a big pile of “meh,” for me.
Sorry, Iceland, but I'm just not into this.
Almost exactly what one would expect from Bowie. Inventive and unconventional But this is far from my favorite work of his.
This album seems to answer the question the Beatles were afraid to ask, as to what would happen if they made every song as lyrically random as “I am the Walrus.” The results aren’t terrible, but I’m not sure I’ll listen to this again.
A lot of these tracks are OK, and some are even quite adequate.
I enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would. Still not a fan of the genre and the frequently repetitive loops, but something hit me right about this today.
Another one of those bands that I had always heard about but never listened to. Fairly representative of late 80s alt rock/punk in the spirit of Husker Du, Psychadelic Furs, and Sonic Youth.
It’s hard not to like the Beatles or st least acknowledge the depth and breadth of their impact. They set the standard for pop song writing. But once I realized “Norwegian Wood” was about burning down a girl’s home because she wouldn’t give more than pleasant conversation, it has hit a little different. And the lyrics to “Run for your Life” are more than a little cringy. I’m guessing they might like to have that one back. Those are the only things holding me back from giving this a full 5-stars, because otherwise it is a brilliant work of music.
The story arc was sort of an interesting idea, and I’m happy he found his money while learning a little bit about himself and his relationship. But he’s not a very good rapper and the beats were awful.
There were moments of this I really enjoyed. But overall, I still don’t think I’m cool enough to get jazz.
Beats and flow = 4* Lyrics = mostly 2*. To me, the power of a track like “Sing About Me, I’m Dying of Thirst” is undercut by the total unseriousness of “Bitch Don’t Kill My Vibe,” and “Backseat Freestyle.”
Decent “country” voice. Great lyrics.
I think I finally figured this band out. They are what the Beatles would have sounded like had they continued making music into the ‘90s: not bad, but past their prime.
Not sure how an album like this made the list. Although there are some entertaining bits, those bits were already done by the Kinks in the 60s and most “new wave” bands in the 80s.
Nice to hear some deep cuts from Elvis to be reminded he wasn’t always the caricature he has turned into.
In any conversation about “great American songwriters,” it’s easy to say Springsteen belongs at the fore of that conversation along with Dylan, Lou Reed, Paul Simon, and (maybe to an only-slightly lesser degree) John Hiatt.
If my kids ever ask what 70s prog-rock sounded like outside of radio-edited singles, I feel confident that I can point to this or Jethro Tull’s “Thick as a Brick” as representative examples. I’m equally confident that they will never ask that question. Prog-rock singles are just fine.
As a Who fan, I know this isn’t their best album. But I was happy to see it make this list because it showcases their creative and satirical side - and features one of the best lead-drummer songs ever.
I feel like I’ve spent 45 minutes trapped in my parents house. Walker has a lovely voice and decent range. But I enjoyed listening to him not at all.
That was fun.
If my kids ever wanna know what 80s pop music sounded like, I would play them this as a fairly representative example. And then I would quickly explain to them that there was much, much better music that came out of the decade than what this presents.
This album seemed to be in every woman’s dorm room on our college campus in the early 90s and for good reason. Her songs spoke to a lot of the female experience that went unrepresented in a lot of 80s music, and 90s men trying to prove themselves sensitive to that paid attention. Love it or hate it, you couldn’t ignore it. But are the songs any good? Yes.
Answers the question of what would it sound like if The Beach Boys wanted to make an Eagles album, yet without using any of either band’s trademark harmonies. The results aren’t awful, so at least now we know the answer. If anyone asked.
Pressed play, and was pleasantly surprised to realize I had been thinking of Nick Cave when this popped up on the album of the day list. Still melancholy, but much more enjoyable to listen to than Cave.
I feel like I should have liked this more than I did. They are way too mellow and chill to dislike. But something just didn’t click for me.
I would not debate that Eddie Van Halen belongs in the upper echelon of great rock guitarists. But overall, these songs didn’t age well.
“Scottish psychedelic funk” sounds like fun. But loosely translated to English, it simply means, “we have a sitar and nonsensical lyrics.” This album is a 49-minute trip to an extremely awkward Renaissance Fair. I know that’s redundant, but I think that helps underscore the experience of listening to this.
Quality vocalist gives adequate performance of uninspiring love songs.
Since almost every album by the Eagles that we are exposed to in life seems like a Greatest Hits album it was kind of nice to listen to some of their “deep cuts.“. Can’t say I loved them, but it was nice to hear.
Simultaneously peppy and depressing. Is “emo-synth pop” a thing? I do admire the variety of styles the 80s presented.
I was a little surprised to find I knew more of their songs than I thought I did. But the fact that I never connected their name to those songs indicates they have fallen well short of this albums stated goal. An underwhelming level of ordinaryness.
The more Radiohead I listen to, the more I realize how like the Velvet Underground they are. Not every song is a toe-tapping sing along, and some tracks are a challenge to listen to. But there’s always something interesting going on.
My only complaint is that when Boomers get all puffed up and smug about “our generation had the best music,” they can point to these guys and I have to sit back down. Maybe not the GOAT, but damn they’re good. It’s just a shame that generation mucked up so many other things.
I’m not all the way to being a Radiohead-head yet. The vocals are a little hard to take for long stretches of time. But every time I listen to them I hear something interesting.
I’ve always heard good things about this band, but only knew a couple of songs. I’ve been missing out. This was a pleasure to listen to - original without being hipster-level opaque, mature but fun. Like Radiohead on antidepressants.
This is one of those albums I would have liked better if it were 8-10 tracks shorter. Doesn’t matter which ones they cut.
Pleasantly surprised that it wasn’t 27-minutes of the “Dukes of Hazzard” theme. Actually found it somewhat enjoyable, especially compared to the soulless pandering of modern country music.
This is a great example of why listening to an entire album is much better than just the singles. I’ve never been much of a Nirvana fan, mainly because of how some songs were overplayed on radio and MTV. But there’s no denying this is a powerful performance, and the lesser known tracks are some of the best.
This reminds me that this project is about albums we should listen to at least once…not necessarily the 1001 best of all time. Is this one of the top 1001 of all time? I’m arguably not qualified to say. Will I listen to it again? Perhaps. Am I glad I listened to it? 100% yes.
This is a good example of why you shouldn’t judge an album by its cover art. Looking at this, I was expecting “millennial bros make music whining about first world problems.” The end result was actually far more tolerable, albeit ordinary. Seriously, nothing here I haven’t heard before.
Perfect example of a band’s name fitting their sound. One can picture penguins performing most of these tracks, relentlessly cute, until one sort of tunes them out and forgets they’re there.
Consider hell properly raised.
Still don’t love the Doors. But I will admit Morrison is a better vocalist than I had previously given him credit for.
Jazz.
I’m struggling to understand why I didn’t like this better. She has a lovely voice, and their style is reminiscent of Simon & Garfunkel. But something about it just doesn’t strike my fancy. Maybe it’s because the songs themselves are a bit dopey and cliché?
I can’t help but wonder how many country music fans in the early 60s picked this up expecting something different. The rearrangement of old country standards must have put more than a few of them on edge. But this is a great work and a pleasure to listen to, although occasionally jarring to hear him refer to himself as a slave (albeit to love) and as having “once” been blind.
Paul McCartney writes catchy songs.
I’m going to go out on a limb and say that if John Cale could sing like Paul McCartney, this album would be seen as an equal to “Band on the Run.” May this be the most controversial statement you see today.
Smacks somewhat of the lyrical sensibilities of Springsteen coupled with the grander orchestration of Cold Play. The latter somewhat undermines the former at times, but all in all I like this band.
Context matters. So it’s important to think about what Germany was like in the early 1980s when asking, “vat der fuhrk?” The Cold War was hell on so many levels. I would like to believe this album represented some sort of protest against the whole East v. West, mutually assured destruction dichotomy. In my limited understanding of the German language, though, I think the title of one track loosely translates to “shit in the blood,” which…just, huh?
This may not be something I listen to every day. But I am sure as hell glad I listened to it today!
I couldn’t listen to this without picturing Spinal Tap in my head the entire time. That made it a little hard to take it seriously, but ultimately it worked in their favor and I liked this better than I thought I would. “Amused” may not have been the emotion they were hoping to invoke, but it earns them a 2.8 rounded up to a 3.
I respect their influence on punk and alternative rock, but I don’t think this is something I’ll listen to again.
It’s hard to argue with the genius of Jimi’s playing, although I’m not a fan of the longer, jazz-like meandering jams.
Adequate. But I can think of at least a handful of other alternative bands from the early 90s that I would’ve rather listened to today.
I tried hard to not like this. Who needs to hear another singer/songwriter from the 70s? There’s plenty of Paul Simon, Harry Nilsson, and John Prine to go around. But I actually found this kind of likeable in spite of some of its cliche nature.
This is disco and disco sucks, right? So why do I find myself sort of enjoying this?
This is the voice of someone who has been through some shit and came through the pain with grace and dignity. Even without knowing the context of this album relative to her career and lifespan, this is an incredible piece of work. I am interested to hear her in her prime!
There is no denying Mariah Carey has a beautiful voice and exceptional range. But something about listening to her sing is the equivalent of watching da Vinci paint the Mona Lisa as a “paint by numbers.“ The performance lacks the same depth as heard in previous generation talents, such as Sarah Vaughan and Billie Holiday. It’s not Carey’s fault. She may not have had the same life experiences as those other women. But it leaves the performance somewhat hollow in my estimation.
Lots to love about this album. For me, it’s mostly the attitude in the lyrics. Costello set the standard that later “pop punks” tried and often fell short of achieving. Certainly not their fault since that’s such a fine line to tread. Fun fact: I first learned of Elvis Costello from a Marvel Comics “team up” issue in 1981 when Spider Man was singing “Oliver’s Army.” Hard to get more pop punk than that!
A powerful, interesting voice performing some very well written songs.
Although the album cover screams “first class douche,“ the music itself is really good. Like in the case of most albums where there are a ton of well-known singles, I enjoyed the tracks I had not heard before much better.
Hard not to like punk that doesn’t take itself too seriously.
It says a lot that this was the top-selling album in the UK in ‘71 - the same year as Who’s Next and Bowie’s Hunky Dory. Also says a lot that it doesn’t have the same staying power as those two albums. It’s got some catchy songs that were enjoyable to listen to, but I don’t see myself seeking this out for a 2nd or 3rd play.
Learning that I like punk, or, at least postpunk, more than I thought I did.
Good stuff, although most days I’m sick to death of “classic rock.” There’s something about CCR that’s hard not to like.
Track selection is very important when putting together an album. I may have liked this one a little more (meaning, at all) if it had been 20 to 30 minutes shorter. I can understand hard-core as a genre a little bit. But an hour of screaming, mumbling, and “grump singing“ is just a bit too much for me.
To start with “Rednecks,” it’s a little jarring to hear a white guy singing the N word over and over, especially in a Southern accent. It’s pretty plain to see that it’s meant as a satire on Northern contempt for Southern racists, when historically the North is not without guilt on race issues. A game of “moral equivalence“ that is far too complex to get into on an album review post, but suffice to say this song could not be done again in 2024 - or even sung on karaoke night ever. The rest of the album is very well written and arranged. Randy Newman is an exceptional talent. We can all arrive at our own judgements on the content.
I’ve listened to a couple other albums by this band but didn’t really get into them. This one was interesting enough that I will round up from a 3.5 to a 4.
Trent Reznor is one of those paradoxical artists who I respect but do not necessarily enjoy listening to.
Lots of fun to listen to
Sounds like what would happen if Arcade Fire decided to cover some Coldplay songs. Great news if you are a fan of Coldplay. Not so great if you prefer the other.
The opening track is extremely fitting. Jimi was from another planet!
Solid if unspectacular. Felt like I was listening to a band playing a local bar, the kind of music you can semi tune out while talking to friends, but occasionally catches your attention in a good way. If they didn’t have such a silly name I might have picked this up a long time ago.
Tainted Love is one of the quintessential 80s songs that is almost impossible not to sing along to. The rest of the album is ok, if not slightly forgettable.
Talented musicians playing boring music. I was going to give this a 3*, but then they absolutely murdered Little Wing, which is one of my all time favorite recordings (Stevie Ray’s version first, Jimi a close second). Controversial statement of the day: Clapton is good, but way overrated.
I might actually agree with their socio-political points, but it’s rather hard to say. It would help if they just took a deep breath and tried again to articulate why they’re so upset. It’s almost like a toddler babbling about an injustice on the playground, which undermines the legitimacy of their complaints against multinational corporations and such. At least the tracks were kept to a tolerable length.
I like how they included the track of old people talking, as if to challenge the notion that everything they recorded was a work of genius. Well played, gentlemen. But the songwriting and harmonies are brilliant, and no level of kvetching will distract me from that. I mean, seriously. If anyone other than a children’s artist sang, “I wish I was an English muffin,” I would think them pretentious almost to the point of being asinine. But when these guys do it, I instead find myself agreeing that I, too, would like to make the most of my toaster.
This would be fine for the days I’m feeling like listening to Brit synth-pop, which almost never happens.
It’s too bad he’s gone around the bend crazy, because this is a really good piece of work. Rating this on its merits and not his jackassery.
Makes me think of the kind of music the Velvet Underground would have made if they had originated in the 90s and didn’t have Lou Reed or John Cale in the lineup: good, but missing a little something that stops it from being great.
It is a rare talent indeed for someone to write a song that can dominate MTV in the late 80s, become a mega hit for a mediocre pop country singer over 30 years later, and yet still be filled with power and sincerity. The rest of the album is equally strong, and I’m ashamed to admit it took this long in my life to hear it in its entirety.
Still not my favorite band. But I’ve discovered I like CCR a lot more than I thought I did.
Smooth
I loved this album when I owned it as an eight-year-old. And I can definitely see why it is so highly ranked on this list. But my score is based on how much I enjoyed it today and the likelihood that I would listen to it tomorrow.
I’m trying to rate artists not by their politics, but by how their work makes me feel. This album makes me feel like machine-gunning a case of Bud Light. Seriously, the music isn’t bad but the lyrics are cartoonishly juvenile and asinine.
I’d never heard any of these before, and while I normally love deep cuts I would say with all due respect to Mr Young that this album was mostly boring and forgettable.
I don’t know enough about this genre to say how innovative, creative, or influential this work is, although I can somewhat relate to the “fuckity fuckity fuck fuck”-ness of some parts. But overall I don’t find it interesting and am sad-mad for having to spend time with it.
For me, Kravitz has always dwelled in that area between “modern iteration of Sam Cooke“ and “yoga instructor your wife/girlfriend is a little too excited to see.“ I liked this album, but it didn’t do much to move him one way or the other on that spectrum.
Sounds like ABBA doing folk (or, more accurately, ABBA sounds like Mama’s & Papa’s doing disco). Lovely harmonies, hard to knock the talent.
Decent “white English dudes play the blues” album.
I really enjoy her originality and passion.
Pleasant enough jazz. Still not enough to make me a jazz fan, though.
Easy to see here how he earned his reputation as controversial figure and one of the greatest rappers of all time. Some of the lyrics are immature and hard to take, but the rest is pretty solid especially when taken in context of his real life trauma and struggles. Definitely puts it all out there.
The genius of this is how he’s able to present outrage at injustice and calls for revolution in a way so chill that it makes white folks bob their heads.
Just because you can doesn’t mean you should.
Not as “pop metal” as the ubiquitous Black Album, which made me enjoy this more than I thought I would.
Fun. Probably won’t look this up again, but an enjoyable listen for today.
“Post punk” is a lame way to categorize a music genre. But, for me, so is “alternative.” Doesn’t do much by way of describing what we’re hearing. But if you have to put things in pigeon holes, “post punk” is as good a term as any, I suppose. And Echo is as good as any band from that era. Too bad they didn’t have the staying power of some of their contemporaries, like U2. Wonder if it was because they couldn’t or wouldn’t incorporate pop elements into their style?
For as much as Western musicians stole from India during that time period, it was inevitable that they would try to steal some back.
This is one of those albums where you absolutely need to understand the context of the era in which it was released. The music is mediocre at best, but considering what popular music mostly consisted of at the time it was an important piece of game-changing innovation.
My initial impression was “Jane’s Addiction doing Judas Priest covers.” That impression lasted, but in a fairly good way. Rounding up because this was a lot better than I expected.
If you add the words, “white heat,“ to the title you get an excellent album and song from the Velvet Underground. That stands in stark contrast to this room temperature pile of mediocrity.
Singers like Mariah Carey should take note: having a powerful voice is about more than just singing scales. You can feel Simone’s pain, heartache, outrage, and strength pouring out of even my tinny phone speaker. Amazing!
I feel like I just spent 63 minutes playing Twisted Metal on my PlayStation1. That game always gave me a headache after 15 minutes. I’m sure this is high-quality electronica. But my score is based on how much I enjoyed it and the likelihood I would listen to it again.
I never spent much time with Zappa before today. I always operated under the misconception that he and the Mothers were talented musicians being weird for weird’s sake. I really enjoy the satire on this album. Definitely need to give him props as one of the founding fathers of punk.
Ok, but aside from “One,” not as good as I was hoping for. My best takeaway was the reminder that we can rightly call Metallica an 80s band. Not sure why that amuses me, but it does.
I like how this album showcases all the musical styles that influenced the Who and so many other bands of that era. It also serves as a nod to the club-tours they had to do back in the day, and the various audiences they had to appeal to before fully developing their own sound. Aside from Moon and Entwhistle’s playing, this may not be their best work overall (aside from the title track), but as a fan it’s always been a favorite.
I really enjoyed the music, but the vocals were lacking. Sort of like John Cale’s solo work.
Never once have I listened to “My Sweet Lord,” and thought it bore any more than a passing resemblance to “He’s So Fine.” But I’m not a musician or a lawyer. George was definitely “the forgotten Beatle,” but of their solo catalogs I would place him as my second favorite after Lennon.
Proof again that you don’t necessarily need to understand the lyrics to enjoy the performance. Although even if all the songs were, “death to the colonizers!” it was still a lot of fun listening to this.
I had lately come to believe that the “cream years” were the best of Clapton. For that reason, I was rather excited to press “play” on this today. But aside from a couple of tracks, including one with no guitar at all, I was rather disappointed by how uninteresting this was. Part of the problem I think is the meaningless pseudo-artsy lyrics typical of psychedelic rock. But all in all, I did not like this as much as I would have if I were still 17.
Started off making me think they were just another group of Beatle-revival wannabes. But there was enough originality here that actually left me wanting more when the album ended.
With all the talk about the “Big 3” of grunge (Pearl Jam, Nirvana, & Soundgarden), I always felt Screaming Trees belonged in the conversation as leaders in the genre. . Although I liked their Sweet Oblivion album better, this is a great selection for this list as well.
Not an album I would go to every day due to my personal tastes. But I like these tracks better than their radio singles, and it’s fairly representative of the pop-folk genre.
I have tried and failed to dislike Neil Young.
This is definitely the style I think of most when people talk about punk rock. But now that I’ve learned that genre includes the likes of the Velvet Underground and Patti Smith, I’m going to judge this a bit more harshly.
‘67 was the Summer of Love, right? So, with that in mind, I was looking forward to writing a review about the irony that I had never heard of this band before. But after listening to this, I found them completely undistinguishable from any of a dozen other “pop folk“ bands from that era. Such a wasted opportunity.
Naming the “band” after each individual member belies how well these guys harmonize. Very few, if any, did it better.
Synth-pop has its place. However, that place is not in my music library.
At times hauntingly beautiful, and at others painfully dull. 2.5* rounding up to 3 to account for the possibility I was just grumpy before playing this. Definitely need to be in the right space for melancholy electronica.
Socio-political hip hop is the best kind of hip hop. The fact that the lyrics are relevant 32 years later is equally inspiring and disheartening.
It’s hard to deny that this is a really good album. I struggle to call it the “best ever,“ as the global rankings of this project seem to have it right now. But I am hard-pressed to name an album more deserving of that title. 4.5* rounding up to 5 to help make sure Kid Rock doesn’t catch up in the standings! 😉
After a Pet Shop Boys album earlier this week, I said synth-pop had no place in my music library. That was before I was reminded of the 80s-influenced synth-pop revival of just a few years ago. Chvrches isn’t terrible - in fact, I found “The Mother we Share” quite likable. So now there’s a small space in my library for some synth pop. I hope those fans feel better.
Not bad. But nothing really new or exciting that I hadn’t heard before, either. And with the exception of a couple of tracks, nothing that I would really seek out to listen to again.
I believe that at his peak, Paul Simon could write a song about the phonebook and make it sound witty, then hit you with an understated yet poignant track about your grocery list.
I’ve always liked the Kinks because sometimes the Beatles are too “pop,” but Frank Zappa is too weird. They live perfectly in the spot in-between. Ok, well, maybe more towards the Beatles end of that spectrum. But you take my point.
Highly reminiscent of John Denver. And, like with John Denver, his voice is sometimes charming and wonderful to listen to and at others extraordinarily annoying. I was tempted to round up my score given his tragic death at such a young age. But setting that aside, I’m actually going to round down. Not because of his vocal talent, but because the songwriting didn’t equal that talent.
I’m as melancholy as the next guy, and have sincerely tried for years to like Wilco. But every time I listen to one of their albums, I end up tuning them out after a few minutes and they become little more than pleasant background music. They’re good. And I still sort of wish I liked them better.
The thing I like least about the Stones is their longevity (and, maybe a little, Mick’s vocals). By still recording and performing today, they make me (and I’m sure I’m not alone in this) feel like they’re just another bunch of Boomers whose best days are behind them yet they still refuse to give up the mic or stage. And I honestly believe they could have quit in the late 70s, or even early 80s, with legend status. But the fact they’ve gone probably 30 years or better without a significant contribution to music should not undercut the obvious influence they held in their heyday, yet that lens makes it hard to rate this album honestly. I fell short of loving it, but if I was truly hearing it for the first time in 1966 it would have floored me (especially since I hadn’t been born yet - but we’ll leave that fact aside for now).
If I were a musician in 1977, I can see how this may have been inspiring to the punk genre. As a listener in 2924, however, it hit me as mostly uninteresting.
There were some parts I liked, but overall a little too “artsy-alternative” for me to understand.
Although this is a far cry from the pandering to mythical America found in modern pop country, you can certainly see its roots in the “misunderstood murderer” theme of several tracks here. There’s a line in John Hiatt’s “Memphis in the Meantime,” lamenting how one more heartfelt steel guitar chord is going to do him in. I’ve never related more to that line than I do now.
Since I couldn’t have afforded to see Bowie in ‘95, I think this would have been an adequate substitute. Took a little while to grow on me, but by the end I was a solid member of the “not sorry I listened to this” camp.
Although not my favorite album by Lou (that title will forever belong to “New York,” sadly not on this list) it is hard to deny its brilliance. It captures the magic of what was best about the Velvets while featuring his ongoing evolution as an artist. This album also serves as a reminder of Bowie’s impact on both sides of the studio glass!
I understand how ironic it is to say I appreciate Sonic Youth more now that I’m older.
Enjoyed this more than I thought I would. Progressive rock usually means long, rambling jams of various tempos and a marimba or dulcimer here and there, and there certainly were elements of that. But they kept it under control, and the only thing keeping me from rounding up my 3.5* is that I’m not likely to listen to it again.
This is what 80s “alternative rock” sounded like. If you like 80s alternative rock, you can listen to this. Or the Cure. Or the Smiths. Or Echo & the Bunnymen. Or maybe even the Pixies.
It’s easy to see how at the time these guys may have been seen as America’s version of the Beatles. I can also see how they didn’t quite reach that level. There are a few really good songs on here, as well as the roots for better music to come.
The understated songwriting of Paul Simon with the unmatched harmonies of CSN. You won’t find them here. This is thrash metal. Angry, “I want to see your skin rot and melt away” thrash metal. It certainly has its place, and I can see how some are drawn to it as an outlet for pain and frustration. But I can’t say I enjoy listening to it.
This is good, but I don’t hear anything that differentiates it from any of the several other albums by Neil Young on this list. I know he is talented, but to be the most represented artist here I think should come with a bit more variety in the work presented. no offense, Neil. I just don’t understand the rationale that went into assembling the list.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again and again: having a powerful voice is not about singing scales. Janis probably wouldn’t have made it past the first round of American Idol, but she deserves her place among the best vocalists this country has produced, period.
Not knowing what his relationship with his ex-wife was like, I can’t tell if this is a genius work of expressing pain and the emotional roller coaster of divorce, or a genius turning his power to sarcasm and passive-aggression. There’s no debating the smoothness of his vocals or the coolness of his backing band. I’m just not sure if I should like it.
Good R&B.
I have no logical reason to dislike this album. The band is as smooth as they come, the lyrics are strong and topical, and Marvin’s vocals border on legendary. Yet for some reason, I found myself somewhat impatient for it to be over and I don’t think I will look this up in my “free time.”
A couple great songs here. But the rest of the tracks just aren’t for me, and that drags this score down a notch.
This album had everything you would expect from early 90s Indie rock: Some songs that are surprisingly listenable with new and energetic material, and some songs overflowing with weirdness and unnecessary shrieking . That balances out to a perfectly inoffensive average score. I do hope they gave Kurt Vonnegut credit for the central part of their cover art (IYKYK)
I was happy to finally see an album from this decade on the list, and for the most part enjoyed it. The lyrics were a bit too churchy for my taste in places, but all around worthy of making the cut.
A rock opera/concept album about getting laid on prom night that clearly influenced Jack Black, “Superbad,” and countless others. Cheesy, over the top, and inexplicably likable.
Talented vocalist and musicians. Just not a style I enjoy, and I have heard better songs by this band.
Take the more melancholy elements of Arcade Fire and mix them with the melancholy elements of Wilco, Mercury Rev, and a bottle of cough medicine and you get this. Melancholy. The strongest feeling I took away from this was a renewed wish for a more nuanced scoring system for this project. Not bad enough for a 2 but not quite good enough for a 3. I’ll round up since the vocals were good, even if the lyrics were numbing.
Over the last 15-20 years or so I’ve come to appreciate the Talking Heads more and more. This isn’t one of my favorite albums from them, but I’m going to round my score up anyway. “Take Me to the River” and “The Big Country” are great songs. And I love that other tracks sound like Velvet Underground 33 1/3’s played at 45 rpm.
An unpolished gem for sure. By itself, nothing too spectacular here. But knowing what type of work they were to produce later, you can hear the foundation in this debut. That alone is enough to round up from a 3.5 to a 4.
Thrash metal certainly has its place. But that place is not in my playlist. Liked this a little better than some other thrash we’ve heard here, but only a little. 1.2/5.
Blues, rock, folk, and a little psychedelic rock make this a fun blend of styles to listen to.
Hands down one of the best albums I’ve ever heard. Twelve year old me picked this up because of “Call Me Al.” And 5 seconds into “Boy in the Bubble,” I learned that there are more styles of music than what my local radio stations would have me believe. This definitively opened my mind to the music of the world and is an album I come back to any time I want to feel happy. I can understand some of the criticisms he received for violating the cultural boycott of South Africa. But to me this album played a tremendous benefit in introducing African style music to a wider audience. It would be absurd to say he or any of the artists who participated in creating this supported apartheid.
Sound a little like a 2000s iteration of the Clash, although it felt a bit more “pop conscious.”
This band has a sociopolitical bent that is reminiscent of Midnight Oil in places. But that would’ve been easy to lose in all the synthpop if they hadn’t opened with such a strong track about fascism that one could easily hear being played at (or about) current political rallies.
Kids, this is Queen. Queen makes good music.
When I was a kid, I thought The Beach Boys were super cool. Today, I found this really boring.
Soothing, ambient music that belongs more in a new age spa than my music collection. But reading about what a heck of a guy the composer is inspires me to round this up from a 2 to a 3. That is my act of humanitarianism for the day. You’re welcome.
I’ve been a fan of Lou Reed for a really long time. But to be completely honest, I never spent much time listening to the Velvets until the last five years or so. I can understand why they didn’t have much commercial success since some of these tracks are not exactly radio friendly. But the more I hear from them, the more I like it. I sometimes wonder what would’ve happened if Lou’s near-crippling insecurity hadn’t driven him to push John Cale out of the band.
I’ve always somewhat liked Beck. This album sounds like what Kid Rock would be if he were less trashy. For some reason, that realization makes me like Beck a little less.
I was 10 when this came out, and liked the radio singles as much as any 10-year-old likes pop songs. Turns out, every song is about sex. I’m a little embarrassed for that kid back then.
This is exactly the album I would want if I was going out clubbing today. Unfortunately for them, that is not on today’s agenda.
Happy to have the opportunity today to reflect upon what some may see as my irrational aversion to Coldplay. After all, I like Radiohead and have sometimes been melancholy. . And, to be fair, most of these songs aren’t terrible. I think my issue with this band is that there’s nothing here I haven’t heard before. They’re ok, but not special.
Not bad, for the most part. But the best tracks were pretty much the same as Echo & the Bunnymen or any other of a number of bands from that era. Really nothing new or interesting enough to warrant a “must hear.”
I have to admit, I was a little nervous when YouTube music categorized this album as “psychedelic folk.“ The last time we encountered an album by that description, I had to listen to an extended play of the weirdest Renaissance Festival there ever had been. But this turned into quite the pleasant surprise. Charming, and very interesting to listen to.
I sometimes wish I liked the Foo Fighters more than I do. Dave Grohl is a talented musician, and I have enjoyed listening to him talk about music because of his passion for the art. But the band just has never done much to move me.
This wasn’t necessarily the album I was in the mood for today. Well produced and performed, especially for a live album. But I probably would’ve scored it higher had I been in the mood for “classic rock.”
So what did we learn from this? That Southerners work hard, drive hard, drink hard, and have complex feelings about racism and the views of southern America’s past. Oh, and a concept album about Lynyrd Skynyrd can actually produce more interesting results than one would think.
I once heard someone ask George Clinton about how drugs influenced his music, to which George replied that he believed his music influenced the drugs. I don’t have a lot of experience with recreational drug use, but I really want to believe that is true!
A little fun, lightweight 80s music to get you through your day.
Radiohead is one of those bands that I feel bad for not understanding better what they’re doing. I like some of their other albums, but this one was over my head.
A unique blend of styles that you would not expect if all you knew were the pop metal singles. But, lucky for me, a good friend had this back in the day so I was prepared. Overall, a 3.5*.. But I will round up because it made me feel good to listen to today.
The thing I like most about this album is the story behind its making. The band were about to be dropped from their label and were being pressured to produce a more “commercial” work. Instead, they kept doing their thing and came up with this masterpiece. Even people I know who don’t like Rush will admit their talent is extraordinary. Peart was second to none behind the drums!
A name and a sound that are both anachronisms from the 1970s. Since I can’t play an instrument or write songs, I try not to criticize people’s talents because as a rule they are almost all better than me. But in the context of making this style of music in the early aughts, there’s really nothing special here. Actually, in the context of making this music in the ‘70s there still isn’t anything really special going on.
There were definitely some things to like about this album, the final instrumental track in particular. I feel as though if I spent more time with it I might actually like it more. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much to make me want to hit “play” again just yet.
A simple-sounding but effective songwriting style.
It’s nice to know you can do thrash metal without having a mumbler on vocals. That and their cover of Willie Dixon‘s “ain’t superstitious,“ (look it up) made this an enjoyable listen.
This is probably what the Velvet Underground would’ve sounded like in 1969 if Andy Warhol had not been involved.
I kinda like Motörhead, although for reasons real fans would probably hate me for. They seem like a caricature of metal bands, like Spinal Tap with only slightly less unserious lyrics.
Back to Black is definitely her masterpiece, but this is a damn fine album as well. One of the all-time great vocalists!
Almost exactly the kind of band the three star rating exists for. I know some albums that should be on this list that didn’t make the cut that are probably better, but I’m not angry that this one is here.
Answers the question of, “what would the Clash sound like if they were more camp?“
An influential piece of work made all the more compelling by the inclusion of a track dedicated to date rape at a time, and in a genre, where the subject was rarely considered. Actually, rarely considered still.
Costello is my favorite of all the Elvises.
Vocalist is reminiscent of Steve Perry from Journey. And, much like Steve Perry, his voice ranges from compelling emotion to overwrought and annoying. I want to rate this higher to give a boost to my score for albums from the 2000s. But I honestly can’t say I want to listen to this again as a whole. A couple singles, maybe.
Blends the better elements of 80s alt-pop with touches of punk for enjoyable results!
Not sure why this had to be a double album. I liked it more than I liked Prince back in the day, but there were a lot of tracks I could have lived without. Since slightly more than half of the work was good, I‘ll round up my score.
The just-right amount of guitar distortion I didn’t know I needed today.
Makes hard times sound soooo smooth.
Delightfully weird enough to keep me interested for most of the absurd running time. I likely will never listen to this again, but for a somewhat harebrained gimmick I’d say they pulled it off.
Has the sound of someone trying way too hard to impress on karaoke night. Talented, but absolutely nothing here I feel like I HAD to hear.
Sounds like the theme or transition – sequence music from nearly every show in the 70s.
This lives in that hard to define area between “Tori Amos made a James Bond soundtrack,“ and “the Cowboy Junkies went clubbing.“ No matter how thin you slice it, this is pretty cool stuff.
I’ve known some people who really liked Morrissey. But he’s way too whiny for my tastes. The instrumentation on this album is saving it from a lower score, though.
The lyrics about his “slant eyed lady” are more than a little cringe. But aside from that, this is a much deeper piece of work than I expected from the guy who brought us, “If You Think I’m Sexy.”
Songs about social injustice are almost as old as music itself. I agree that Dylan was better at writing about it than most, but am feeling a little bittersweet about the “timelessness” of his subject matter. Would almost rather view these songs as “quaint” rather than “still relevant.”
Normally, I like albums from “big name” artists that don’t contain a lot of radio hits. Somehow, this fell short of lowered expectations.
Vocals range from “charming” to “annoying,” often during the same line. Instrumentation is not for everyone, including me. I tried liking this, but just couldn’t.
This has all that was good about ‘90s rock: talent, originality, and strong vocals.
For me, the thing with Eminem has always been the struggle to reconcile the humanity in tracks like “Stan” with the inhumanity in tracks like “Kill You” and the homophobia, etc. in many of the other tracks. Although he says on tracks like “Criminal” that he doesn’t mean everything he says, there is the Howard Campbell, Jr. (look it up) element of being “who we pretend to be.” It’s the same with a lot of rap from that era. There’s no denying his talent as an artist, and he definitely puts all of his issues out there!
This is the album to reach for if you like Sonic Youth but are also extra-hipster.
A worthy tribute to the pioneers of music history. I would definitely take her over some of the other so-called “divas“ of this time period.
The percussion on “Tusk” is entertaining, and there are some good vocal harmonies here and there on the other tracks. But for the most part, this is pretty blah late 70s pop. The title track is the only thing keeping me from rounding down from a 2.5.
One of those albums that just blended into the background and did little to stand out.
Psychedelic rock with a pop flourish. Very few bands could pull it off like these guys did.
This and so many other Zeppelin albums dominated my high school stereo playlist. For some reason, though, it isn’t hitting the same now. The lyrics, especially to “battle of evermore,“ and (sacrilege!) “Stairway to heaven,“ are deep-sounding but ultimately meaningless, except for maybe the most devout Lord of the rings fans. The instrumentation is good, but I prefer Zeppelin III and Physical Graffiti for my nostalgia for this band.
To properly carry on the legacy of George Clinton, as this albums opening track implies, artists can’t just be weird for weird’s sake. There also needs to be elements of creativity and purpose to the work. These guys are the proper heirs to that legacy.
Not bad. But I didn’t really hear anything here that we hadn’t already heard from the Smiths or the Cure.
Not the album I was in the mood for today. But then again, I don’t know how often I am in the mood for this tranquil blend of smooth jazz and soft rock. It’s not you Steely Dan, it’s me.
I didn’t care much for the tracks where he pretended to be the white Muddy Watters. But overall a decent listen.
Mostly typical 80s Brit-pop. But I remember really enjoying the radio singles back in the day, so they score some positive nostalgia points for that.
If you like Arcade Fire and Radiohead but can’t afford a ticket, this would be a nice low-cal alternative . Not bad, but not terribly memorable.
I knew the one song plus her collaborations with Peter Gabriel. But I had no idea how much of an influence she had on subsequent artists. If I hadn’t known any better, I would have thought this was a Tori Amos album. Their vocal styles are extraordinarily similar.
I like a lot of Sheryl’s songs if not always her singing. But if she were a better vocalist, she’d be Fiona Apple or Norah Jones. And if she were a male, she (he?) would be Tom Petty or John Hiatt. And we already have all of those. So she fits perfectly just where she is.
Bonnie Raitt is one of those artists who I have long respected, yet always seem to forget to reach for when I’m in the mood for some quality female-led blues rock. After listening to this, I played her first two albums and found them to be outstanding. She has earned her reputation and accolades.
“Moondance” is my least favorite of Morrison’s songs. But that’s balanced off by how much I like “Into the Mystic.” The other tracks here are pretty solid.
I really like his “Closing Time” album, so it’s disappointing to me that so much of his other work sounds like a spectacularly drunken episode of the Muppet Show. I know there are artistic reasons for doing things the way he does. I just don’t always get it.
Not a fan of the “pop diva” genre, although “Black Cat” was a banger.
80s punk rock - loud, abrasive, and far too celebratory of Gary’s boner.
If it weren’t for albums like this, we may not have the “Stonehenge” scene from This is Spinal Tap. So…thank you?
Proof positive that you can bend and combine genres without having it be purposeless noise. You know…bedlam. Maybe not a great recipe for commercial success, but it does make for an enjoyable listen.
In general, I am growing to enjoy bluegrass music more as I grow older. But the running time of this album pushes my tolerance for southern drawls to its limit. Plus there are only so many “chase-scene from Cannonball Run” types of tracks any man can take without going a bit mad.
Didn’t hate it. But I still don’t think I am a Doors fan.