A notable album and series of recordings. While I don’t find the majority of this record to be Neil’s writing at its absolute best, there is tasteful material spanning from gentle, including a southern duet, to practically the sludgiest riff in rock up to this point. The bookends of this album alone show, with clarity, a successful blend in Neil’s writing as well a boldness to not be tied to one or two sounds. Sonically, the closing track makes a clear path for bands of the next 5 to 15 years (Melvins, Sonic Youth, Soundgarden, Pavement…) to find their footing. Along with the album’s first and last cuts, Powderfinger is a highlight and Thrasher offers a beautiful balance of acoustic guitars as well some of my favorite Neil lyrics on this record or any other. Welfare Mothers, while not being my favorite of Neil’s more rock mode tracks, is an interesting track that seems like an attempt to write his own Tie Your Mother Down, or at least something in the realm of Queen’s stadium sound by way of the Crazy Horse garage charm.

Natty Dread is another completely colorful record and solid tracklist in Marley’s catalog, as well one that is rewarding upon return listens. For me, Marley takes a big step forward in writing and arranging from Catch a Fire (another very good album in its own right). Additionally, the band successfully incorporates so many cool elements of other styles and sensibilities into their unmistakable brand of reggae. From slinky psych to haunting harmonica backdrops, there doesn’t seem to be a shade that didn’t fit this album’s pallet. I think the sonic exploration aids this album in moments where the writing might not be at its most sturdy or successfully hooky. The guitars, piano and horn charts are mostly pretty excellent across this whole album. And not to be forgotten, Marley’s voice is such an amazing and versatile weapon in its own right. Natty Dread offers some undeniable classics, a hook-laden opener and a closer that could have gone on for another 15 minutes and I would have loved every second. 8.5/10

Credit where it’s due, this record is proof of the identifiable Offspring sound. From the clawing-at-your-face guitar cadences to lumbering high-tempo drum grooves to the unmistakable shriek of Dexter Holland, the band presents a barrage of catchiness through their anthemic styling of punk. On top of a focus on anthems, a handful of tracks benefit from a pretty hefty bass tone which, by itself, carries certain riffs into a heavier weightclass. The band commits to their sound from the jump and, even when dipping into ska or intensely thrashing for a full track, put out a record that never breaks character. Unfortunately, it’s not a sound I ever found incredibly attractive from afar and upon a slightly more thorough investigation, my feelings of “eh” remain pretty solidly in tact. Some decent tracks, some really good hooks but it’s very samey. 6/10

Band On The Run stands out the most to me as what might have been the next logical step after Abbey Road in terms of Paul’s contributions had the Beatles continued. You can feel a lot of the same approach to writing on some of these songs as the Beatles’ swan song. Take for instance the studio glitz of Mrs. Vanderbilt, the power-balladry of Let Me Roll It, and of course the multi-movement medley of the title track. What’s more is I’d say Paul’s efforts in crafting a medley this time around are even more cohesive this time around. This is one of the many phenomenal examples of Paul McCartney stretching, but not reaching, in an attempt to explore different realms of pop melodism and sonic worldliness. He excels with so much of it. 8.5/10

- David Eric Grohl found his spark again after the tragedy that took his friend and his band out from under him in the blink of an eye. Beginning with four of the best songs he’s written to this day, Foo Fighters is the sound of that spark. One which would blossom into a decades-long fireworks display. The self titled Foo Fighters tape is interesting in that it’s completely unique given the circumstances but simultaneously lays the ground work for Grohl and (his future) company to accomplish almost everything they eventually would. From the walls of percussive guitar to the stadium ready hooks, it’s remarkable to think this isn’t the full lineup of musicians Dave would soon fill the project out with. With a more DIY sound and production, some tracks almost take on a shade of shoegaze, if they aren’t just sort of messy. His riff and melody writing, too, would soon take an overall step up. However, much of this album is Dave’s songs already at their best and charged up with power pop charm and punk rock energy. 7.5/10

While Björk would soon expand on a number of these ideas and release 3 absolutely sensational records in a row afterwards, Debut serves as an enjoyable and ambitious sign of what’s to come. Björk is already an amazing vocalist and visionary on this record. What’s more is, lyrically, she’s expressing different confessional aspects of her life and love as vulnerability graces many of these upbeat and dance oriented arrangements. Her production and sequencing would get better but Human Behaviour, Venus As a Boy, and Like Someone in Love stand as some of Björk’s best songs to this day. 8/10

LA Woman is an album that succeeds in moments. Moments where Morrison shines as a vocalist and narrator (LA Woman), moments where I can’t help but make a stank-face at what Ray Manzarek is doing on keys (Riders on the Storm), and moments when I have to acknowledge Robby Krieger as one of the most unique guitarists of his time (the latter half of Been Down So Long). Additionally, there are moments on here so murky and spooky that they must have inspired music I love like Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. But then there are portions of this album that go by where I’m only hearing different takes on the blues. Not necessarily elevating any material, just giving it a Doors-esq spin. The record begins with two of the best tracks in the Doors’ catalog and offers a couple more before the album reaches its close including the pretty and hidden gem Hyacinth House. From there though, the rest of the material feels a bit inconsequential. Again, good takes on the blues but, ultimately, kind of just that. It’s interesting to hear the Doors commit to this mode more than it is something I feel compelled to return to. This is a solid 7/10 for me. But in the scope of this project I’m giving it 3/5 for how necessary I feel it is as “An Album I must listen to before I die.”

In a vacuum, Darkness is a great album. Unfortunately, my brain has to compare it to my love of Springsteen’s previous release, Born to Run. While I don’t usually let an artist’s other work cloud my judgement, Born to Run is such a gargantuan achievement and one of my very favorite albums ever. It was also Springsteen‘s “last shot” record and it sounds like it. I feel Born to Run set the pace for Darkness and no part of it is able to top the raw, going-for-broke glory of its predecessor. Alright.. so what’s good about this album? A lot, of course. For one, the production is cleaner and the band is tighter than on any previous Bruce album. As a vocalist, Springsteen takes a step forward in his confidence as, on a couple moments through this album, he is absolutely howling. Badlands, Prove it All Night, Racing in the Street and the title track are all top tier E Street songs. Darkness, in spots, even finds the band exploring heavier riffs and more soulful arranging than ever before. There’s just something here preventing me from feeling it as genuinely and thoroughly as his previous album. 8/10

This is one incredibly harrowing hour of music. War, trauma, sickness, mental anguish, giving in and giving up. But Dirt excels where many dirge-fests fail to capture intrigue that may warrant future listens. Even in some of the album’s darkest, most pleading moments, there is light trying to break through the cracks like a setting sun through clouds. These hooks are, pretty consistently, spectacular. Dirt benefits from AIC’s melodic sensibility as well as their unique and identifiable sense of harmony. Even on more ubiquitous cuts like Rooster and Would?, Layne and Jerry’s harmonies give listeners something they may miss in passive/radio listening. What’s more is Alice In Chains has one of the most solid and underrated rhythm sections of their era. The band shows a balance ranging from softer, more sorrowful performances to riffs like raging floods of acidic rain. Lyrically, Layne more than successfully deflates any glamorization of addiction and pain. “I want you to scrape me from the wall and go crazy like you’ve made me.” ..Christ. Dirt reminds me of a Black Sabbath album but the scary creature isn’t a monster or the devil, it’s waking up to face another day as yourself. 9/10, the first record I’ve awarded 5 stars to over the course of this project.

Pelican West’s best attribute in my opinion is the clean and nuanced production and sonic presentation. Guitar voicings and synth linings add so much to the audible depth of this record even being tucked away into one channel or the other. The expertly performed Latin percussion is remarkable too. However, song-wise there just isn’t much here for me to return to. Decent new-wave approaches but not a ton of personality behind the gloss.

So very ahead of its time and informative of (not limited to) the fusion era to come, from the classical-tinged juggernaut Peaches En Regalia to the more tight jazz club groove of Little Umbrellas. Zappa was going further into rock, blues, and psych than most “composers” at the time and he would for many, many years to come. But it’s also that most rock outfits weren’t leaning into nearly as much composition at the time. The soundscape is loaded (but not crammed) with instruments of all kinds whose players are all playing their hearts out and asses off. Hot Rats is simply a really excellent album that works as both passive or active listening. It sounds like a Broadway musical from the year 3,000. 9/10

Almost as if Talking Heads came up after the rock revitalization of bands like White Stripes and the Strokes, Sound of Silver is an impressively produced batch of bangers ranging from glossy to glitchy. James Murphy’s lyrics and delivery are unique and fitting for the manic, hazily-up-until-dawn nature of a lot of these songs. His controlled chaos is also fitting for the arrangements built often times on one idea or motif and grooves that never end which lend themselves to having anything gliding over the top of them. These melodies are sticky, as are the basslines. In (but not limited to) those two elements, it’s remarkable how timeless they sound regardless of the influence of music released two or more decades prior being so imprinted in them. Furthermore, how did a song like Someone Great not already exist? It sounds like two things, A.) a song that’s been in collective consciousness for decades and B.) a sentient radio slowly learning to control itself. Perhaps that’s one of the direct and necessary takeaways from this album.. the “sound of silver” is that of tech, machinery, and a human life that’s slowly molting into something much less human. Sound of Silver is, at worst, something I can understand not everybody being into. However, if you’re in, you’re in. This tracklist is entirely sturdy and well-sequenced, almost to the point of having a live show quality. It sounds like a party I had no idea I was going to be invited to. Maybe a little bit like life itself 🤔 “Bells..” 9+/10

Physical Graffiti is remarkable in the way of being a stupidly great rock record but it serves, too, as almost a compilation of the band’s sound and evolution through this point in their discography. From dystopian opuses to cutting room-floor blues jams. From some of the bands fattest grooves to their most delicate orchestral backings.. It’s all packed within this 80 minutes of music. While there’s no truly objectionable material here, a few tracks on the latter half simply aren’t on the level that the other 75-80% of songs here are. These couple of tracks range from somewhat decent to pretty good. However, for an album with so many towering achievements, this is more a testament to the level on which Physical Graffiti’s best songs reside. Kashmir, In My Time of Dying, Trampled Under Foot. These are S tier Zeppelin tracks. If you were to boil this down to the best 60 minutes of material, I don’t believe there’s a contest to what the best Led Zeppelin album is. Regardless and as is, Physical Graffiti is such a monolithic and gargantuan record that reaches such high peaks and so successfully illuminates every corner of what a “rock band” is capable of. This is essential to the rock canon. 5 stars unquestionably. 9+/10

Power in Numbers was a new discovery for me through this generator journey. There are things I enjoy here and things I don’t find to be essential listening at all. This album boasts rock solid (though eventually somewhat monotonous) production and a crew of spitters all on a pretty high technical level. Unfortunately, it feels like a lot of fun wordplay and not much else. Certain tracks feature good hooks and something of a lyrical narrative to them, others are more rapid fire posse cuts. A problem I have with this album is it feels like it’s about a half-decade too late to have the feel of something really significant. Oh and Chali 2na (and his closer to a decade and a half late delivery) takes me out of some of these tracks completely given his corny voice and emphasis on not very substantive word acrobatics. Why he would get the first full verse on the album is beyond me. 6/10

As classic as it is, and yes I know it’s a Motörhead record, I am same-y’d out by the end of Ace of Spades’ runtime. That said, it is indeed still a classic album with some of the bands best, most vicious, and most completely and exquisitely Motörhead songs of their decades-spanning catalog. I would probably take Overkill before this one, but Ace of Spades is one of heavy music’s most exemplary pieces to showcase accessible tunefulness behind hardened vocals and eardrum blasting instrumentals. 8/10

There’s a lot to like here and a lot of charm. I love the use of acoustic bass as well as more gentle and subtle drum touches against propulsive folk punk. Some of it becomes a bit samey for me, but what stands out most to me about the Violent Femmes’ debut is that it sounds anywhere between 10-20 years ahead of its time.

If the first seven tracks were anywhere near listenable, compositionally controlled and genuinely intense as the closer, I could see this being album an absolute necessity for this list… ..However, those first seven tracks have very little to latch onto, especially not without my least favorite part of this album’s stew, the vocals (the album’s true broth), coming to crash all sensible semblance. There are elements and attitudes behind this record that are decades ahead of their time. Those same genuinely interesting facets are held back by shoddy tech of the time. The guitar sounds (especially) and drums are very cheap sounding, giving the whole thing a presentation of hokey rather than cutting edge. It’s an interesting listen, for sure. But the kind of *confused head-tilt* kind of interesting.

Hotel California is one of the most overrated albums in the pop/rock canon. One masterpiece track and two other pretty good songs do not make up for the other severely self-indulgent destinations of drivel the band decides to go. This record is pompous without having anything to back that attitude up. The most memorable things about this record for me would be that it feels remarkably plastic and repulsively unsexy (especially when Don Henley actively tries to make things “sexy”). Undeserved, self-aggrandizement and self-bloviation. Oh, and some DAMN good vocal harmonies too. 4/10

The easiest 5 I’ve given any album on the project so far. This record changed my life when I was around 15 years old. And each time I return to it, some of that immense energy and intrinsic magic remains. Born To Run is a rock and roll opus. From the spirit to the instrumentation to the absolutely blissful sequencing the record features, Born to Run is a perfect album. This is the sound of youthful exuberance meeting time-hardened frustration. Open-ended opportunity meeting disappointing dead-ends. If you can find me an album with stronger bookends (as songs themselves and as representatives of an album’s themes) I would be pretty impressed. Thunder Road and Jungleland are two absolutely perfect songs. Two of the best songs written by Bruce Springsteen or anybody. Thunder Road opens the story with a heart full of hope, a gust of wind blowing our hair back and making us believe anything is possible for the people documented in this song. What’s more is these people aren’t kings and queens, they aren’t world-traveling rock stars, they aren’t from another planet. They’re ordinary people from an ordinary town with families and things they are proud to claim. But they want more. Springsteen embodies this character most in the song’s final lyric “It’s a town full of losers and I’m pulling outta here to win”. Bruce, himself, was fighting for his professional music life at the time. Born to Run is famously a “make-or-break” album and the last chance the E Street Band was given to deliver a hit to Columbia Records. That powerful, frantic energy can be felt all over Born to Run in the best way possible. And nowhere more palpably than on Thunder Road. Jungleland closes our story with a similar energy and similar characters living their lives how they choose, in bands, in bars, in gangs, in cars cruising down the coast of New Jersey. At around 10 minutes long, Jungleland encompasses so much spirit and so many different dynamics. There’s a rock section, an epic Clarence Clemons sax solo that can bring tears to my eyes, and finally a soft but brazen outro where Springsteen flexes absolute poetry to put an end to the lives these characters live, in calamity or daily platitudes. When the swirling crescendo takes us to the album’s close, you know you’ve just listened to a classic. Born to Run is the sound of poetry in motion. This is the sound of life unchaining its leash. Lights camera action.. and go. The world is yours for the taking or the breaking. 10/10

So foundational. Floyd gets (deserved) abundant credit in the prog/art rock world, but this is a hugely important moment in the world of fuzzy and avant psychedelic.

I think this, along with Harvest, is the best Neil Young record. My favorite for sure. On The Beach begins with a catchy banger yet features some of Neil’s darkest and most intense blues dirges throughout. 9+/10

70 minutes of cheap, tacky, hacky, proto-hick hop. This is really as bad as it’s made out to be in this community.

One of the great singer-songwriter records in pop rock, hooks and catchy melodies aplenty. 9/10

This is a pretty divisive album in a number of different circles but I happen to like it a lot. Of course the album is creative and ambitious, but still interesting and well-executed, something that not all “ambitious” projects can lay such a prominent claim to. 5 albums in a Björk hasn’t missed. 8/10

This is one of the gnarliest, nastiest, noisiest albums that I can think of that is still fairly accessible and is supported by a back bone of such beautiful songcrafting. 8+/10