This alum was Anthrax awaking as a Big-4 Thrash band (Metallica; Megadeth; Slayer). It was filled with hardcore kick ass but unlike their Big-4 counterparts Anthrax also liked to have fun. My first introduction to them was the succeeding EP called I’m the Man, where they became the first rap-metal band. I use a gavel in my classroom that is inscribed with I am the Law” from this album. Indians might be considered cultural appropriation today but back then it was a stadium anthem to get the crowd cheering. Anthrax when one to create other better (and worse)albums but this one still stands the test of time. Of their eleven albums I’d put this at #5, which should be a “3”. Personal bias stealing this from my brother on cassette included and four great tracks, I’m going to give this a 4!

My dad and I have spent a generation fighting about this album, most particularly whether Cecilia is a good song (I say it’s fucking great; he hates it); whether Art’s solo vocals on Bridge or the harmony part is better; and which song is better, The Boxer or Only Boy Living in NYC. Honestly, we’re both right on all of. I am undeniable biased on this album, which is great, but my memory of it is even better.

I don’t know what I’m listening to. Is it Indian, but she’s singing in Spanish? Is it techno-pop, trance, rock? Is that Caribbean flamenco?? It sounds the Middle Eastern acid-addled love child of Bowie, Shakira and Enigma was delivered by the B-52s! …and I like way more than I should! I get why I have never heard of it: it’s way to weird for a mainstream American audience. It’s a shame! Key songs for me are the opening track Visions of You and Ezequiel. I may be voting way to high on this but I’m blown away. This is getting a few more listens.

“I'm completely stoned / I'm hippy and I'm trippy / I'm a gypsy on my own / I'll stay a week and get the crabs and Take a bus back home.” That’s all I can say. It’s like Zappa was attempting to take the most drug fueled parts of the Beatles and wash it down with a speed ball and a bottle of French Absinthe. Van Gogh wasn’t making an artistic statement when chopped of his own ear, he was listening to this album. Pass…

This was always a classic growing up. I actually got this album signed by Ray Manzarek before he died. Watching him play “Riders” live was life defining. There are so many great songs that returned to their true rock form. It’s not my favorite album of theirs but that’s not to say it’s not an all-time classic! Great first pick.

This was a new one for me. I wan’t sure what to expect going in, especially having so little prior knowledge. The album is really well recorded and the songs a vibrant reflection of where my mood wanted to be had it not been flipping a ream of papers to be grading and responding to the endless barrage of email which kind of blended the songs into one continuous flow. I am definitely going to relisten tonight when I can void out the world and take it in.

I’m going to say it: this is not the best Beatles album. There are so many good songs on here I listened to throughout my life. Hell, my daughters are named after Beatle’s songs/albums. But this album as a whole is plays like the Beatles were on a crapload of drugs. Probably because they WERE on a crapload of drugs. It’s a good album and I own it in several format, but as a whole concept it feels…at least to me… a jumble of ideas of a band trying to find itself individually and collectively. Taxman followed by Eleanor Rigby is a jump, then a bigger jump George’s Indian-influenced “I’m only Sleep” leading to two more songs and the ever so popular “Yellow Submarine”, which all culminate to a center theme: drugs. It lacks the poise and polish of Hard Days Night, the pop sensationalism of Please Please Me, the experimentation of Rubber Soul, the fun of Sgt. Peppers, or the personal resolution of Let It Be. It’s more of a placeholder. Again, just one guys opinion.

When I first heard this as a teen I was expecting License to Ill, which this album was not. The older I got, the more I appreciated this album, when it came up today I had no complaints about a re-listen. Much like Paul’s Boutique itself, there are so many quotable lines and riffs on this album. High Plains Drifter is a weaving lyrical masterpiece. Hey Ladies and Barrel are fun and gangster at the same time. The only reason this is not a 5-Star is the massive Rick Rubin overproduction is not my personal preference (favorite B-Boy album is Check Your Head). Some say it is the one of the best albums of the Golden Age of Rap. I can’t disagree that it might be.

After Li’l Kim changed rap to a sex-game and Nelly turned into club bop, I thought rap was dead. I could have used this album in 2002 to prove it wasn’t. Favorite tracks incl. High Fidelity and amazingly the groove-driven instrumental Acetate Prophets. This is getting listened to again….

I saw this and was thinking Sean dresses and screaming. I never particularly cared for this Icelandic princess. I have say, though, I was pleasantly surprised by how good this album was. What I appreciated most is you can here the Gaga, Ray-era Madonna, the Radiohead, Oakenfold, Alanís and so many others, but this predated them all. Standout tracks were Human Behavior and Violently Happy. Inclusive of the historical influences this had on other artists , I gotta go 5-Star on this one!

I saw this and was thinking Sean dresses and screaming. I never particularly cared for this Icelandic princess. I have say, though, I was pleasantly surprised by how good this album was. What I appreciated most is you can here the Gaga, Ray-era Madonna, the Radiohead, Oakenfold, Alanís and so many others, but this predated them all. Standout tracks were Human Behavior and Violently Happy. Inclusive of the historical influences this had on other artists , I gotta go 5-Star on this one!

Normally I enjoy a little psychedelia. If I was a 15th century Irish stoner this might appeal. Otherwise, I’ll pass…

I think we often overshadowed by Courtney loves relationship with the musically superior Nirvana front man Kurt Cobain and her own irrational behavior which, honestly, left me feeling turned off my the spectacle. It’s honestly a shame because this album is well constructed grunge music rock in a post-grunge era. The classic single Celebrity Skin is a fun song with punk flair (personal favorite) down-tempo songs like Hit So Hard and Dying show a rare depth for both the artist and music. This album definitely deserves more attention that it got.

I have always respected Curtis and his cultural influence but have had a problem personal with his music. My introduction to his music came from Beastie Boy samples and later Blacksplotation movies (Shaft; Fox Brown; etc), which makes it hard for me to separate in my mind. Additionally, his music was a reflection of his world-1970s post-Soul urban New York. Being a 21st Century whiteboy from Colorado leaves me with little context for connection. Plus, I’m not a huge fan of falsetto. His beats and rhythms are good. Key songs for me on this were So In Love and Love to the People, both which have a distinct groovy feel. Overall, he has my respect but, honestly, I wouldn’t look for this album on a Saturday afternoon.

White Stripes is one of those bands that gets better the old you get. They’re weird wall of sound and sonic explosion was so different from everything on the radio it takes a few listens to love from “what is this” to a state of true appreciation. Favorite tracks are the blues-based My Doorbell and oddly The Nurse (rock xylophone…who knew?!) There is genius in each spin!

I would never claim to be a huge jazz fan but I have always had an appreciation. Blame it on Ms. Valdez from junior high or Mr. Steven’s from high school. The DBQ has always been an easy-listening album of songs written by talented musicians dedicated to the craft. I can’t think of how many movies have used Strange Meadow Lark or the most famous Take Five, which I just watched in the John Cusack movie Serendipity. Reasonable so, they are my two standouts from this album too. Jazz isn’t my first go-to, but I could definitely listen to this album again and again.

Whenever I hear this album I always feel like he was writing my story: “ I love when they call me big papa; I wear 13’s if you know what I mean”; “damn,_______ want it stick me for my paper”. … No, it doesn’t. Matter of fact if I would have called any woman I know a “bitch,” they would ”bring pain, bloodstains on what remains”. His talent is unquestionable. This is a good album but it flow like fantasy. Much like the Curtis Mayfield song that starts this album, this album holds up for those who live in the culture, which I do not.

I don’t know what I’m listening to. Is it Indian, but she’s singing in Spanish? Is it techno-pop, trance, rock? Is that Caribbean flamenco?? It sounds the Middle Eastern acid-addled love child of Bowie, Shakira and Enigma was delivered by the B-52s! …and I like way more than I should! I get why I have never heard of it: it’s way to weird for a mainstream American audience. It’s a shame! Key songs for me are the opening track Visions of You and Ezequiel. I may be voting way to high on this but I’m blown away. This is getting a few more listens.

I introduced Beck to my daughter a few weeks ago as “The King of Alt-Wierd”. He was the first and only artist to perfectly blend country, pop, rock, psychedelia, and whatever else he was listening. Odelay and Guerro are mind blowing! This album is not. It’s not that it’s a bad album: it’s a highly personal ode to a series of changes in his life. It’s well written. It’s masterfully performed. Songs like Paper Tiger and Around the Bend are soft and reflective. For me, it sounds too much like mid-00 Wilco, which I really liked and given the choice would probably choose first. This is a good headphones and bottle of red wine after a shitty week album, but outside of that not an everyday celebration.

It was impossible to be a metal head in the late ‘80s and ‘90s and not know this album. It was Metallica firing on all cylinders at their career best (arguable ever). Hell, the first song I ever wrote was based on a riff I lifted from Disposable Heroes. Songs like Sanitarium and the title track helped make the entire genre. My favorite, though, was the instrumental Orion because it showed in detail the musical talent of each musician in their prime. Not only did Cliff Burton pen one of the most recognizable bass lines 1/2 way through (I spent so many hours learning and practicing it) but also plays the final distorted solo which for years I thought was Kirk Hammett. Metallica went on to have many great bass players but they were never treated with the dignity they gave Cliff whom died supporting this album. This was his Opus.

This album was okay. I think if I would have heard it when it came out in the early ‘00’s I would have loved it. Now it just feels too familiar, like reruns of Friends. Pounding is a pretty good song I could return to but nothing else really grabbed me in a way that would draw me back again and again.

This alum was Anthrax awaking as a Big-4 Thrash band (Metallica; Megadeth; Slayer). It was filled with hardcore kick ass but unlike their Big-4 counterparts Anthrax also liked to have fun. My first introduction to them was the succeeding EP called I’m the Man, where they became the first rap-metal band. I use a gavel in my classroom that is inscribed with I am the Law” from this album. Indians might be considered cultural appropriation today but back then it was a stadium anthem to get the crowd cheering. Anthrax when one to create other better (and worse)albums but this one still stands the test of time. Of their eleven albums I’d put this at #5, which should be a “3”. Personal bias stealing this from my brother on cassette included and four great tracks, I’m going to give this a 4!

I have to admit: I didn’t know they had more songs than Bittersweet Symphony, which I always associate with the Cruel Intentions movie. This album is actually pretty which makes me guilty for never exploring it prior. Key songs for me are BSS (obviously), Catching the Butterfly, and Come On/Deep Freeze. This is one of those lesson learned albums: if you really like a song, explore more from the album.

I’ve never need a huge Thin Lizzy fan. They weren’t heavy enough to be heavy metal; not camp enough to be Yatch; not emotional enough to be soft. They were always kinda “mid” to me. This album shows the kind of powerhouse they were live, which sounds like a good party. Boys Are Back has always been a good song. However, among the titans of Classic Rock, even their live album comes off as, well, mid. If I wondered in to this concert I would enjoy the band and probably respectfully talk about them to friends if I remembered their name, and eager await the main act.

Whenever you get Beck, Jack White and the Beastie Boys together how can you go wrong! This album brought back what Beck does best: blend weirdness into wonder! Key tracks: ePro and Go It Alone, though the entire album is repeatably good!

“I'm completely stoned / I'm hippy and I'm trippy / I'm a gypsy on my own / I'll stay a week and get the crabs and Take a bus back home.” That’s all I can say. It’s like Zappa was attempting to take the most drug fueled parts of the Beatles and wash it down with a speed ball and a bottle of French Absinthe. Van Gogh wasn’t making an artistic statement when chopped of his own ear, he was listening to this album. Pass…

I was introduced to Royksopp in the height of the Nuevo-techno era in the early 2000s with their album The Understanding. That album was a club bop. This one sounds like the soundtrack to a martini bar. I’ll take dirty ‘Tini with three olives so I can leave please. Kind of forgettable

In truth I was never a fan of Smashing Lumpkins, however, this album has all the ‘90s rock edge and not the alt-emo-nasal-whine of their later work. Key tracks for me are Hummer (which my copy has a skip in due to a scratch on the CD and it sounds weird not hearing it on Spotify), and a Cherub Rock, a song that was inescapable in the ‘90s. This is overall a great flashback album even for the non-radio hits you may not have heard.

There is only so much room to wax poetic about Led Zeppelin’s opus. Simply put: “Ramble On” has always been one of my Top 3 favorite songs. “Thank You” was the recessional song at my wedding. “Killing Floor” was huge introduction to my love of blues, and I can’t say how many times I rewound “Whole Lot of Love” trying to figure out the reverb section (it was an overdubbing accident). This album should be listened to repeatedly on high volume preferably with headphones. An absolute classic!

I really wanted to dislike this but didn’t. It was a soft opening to a Monday morning. I kind of wish I had a hangover to enjoy it more. I don’t know if I will ever look for this but not bad!

Erin go Braugh! ‘Ve heard this album many-a-Patty’s Day! I love that the Pogues took traditional Irish music and blended it with a bit of New Wave and rock. It really did set the foundation for later artists like DropKick Murphys and the Corrs. Key songs “The Sick Bed” and Jesse James. Raise a glass!

This wasn’t a bad album but nothing really grabbed me. I think in the arena of ‘80s pop there were so many greats good just doesn’t cut it. Nothing really caught my attention on here.

This was a weird album: it was like modern pop mixed with mid’60s indie vibes. Key tracks for me: Greenman & Furious Tonight which sounds a lot like late ‘60s Turtles. You would have never guessed this was produced in 1999.

Some say the best rapper of all time was Biggie. Some Tupac. I would have to argue that it’s the triple threat Lauren Hill: singer/rapper/actress. This album is a masterpiece that successfully tells the soul of an artist. There’s some R&B like Ex-Factor. There are songs of faith, like To Zion and Forgive Me Father. There are amazing collaborations with Mary J and Santana. My favorite: Everything is Everything: it creates a perfect tapestry of everything she is. I have listened to this album many times and will do so many more. Side note: the book Hail to the Queens is an amazing look at women in Rap from the beginning and explains the miseducation we all received about Lauren Hill. Strongly recommend both.

This is a good album. Paul was definitely the song-writing talent of S&G. Key songs for me were Me & Julio, and Run That Body Down, which feels a little biographical. Surprisingly good album.

Emma Lou Harris’s voice is liltingly beautiful. The track Before Believing made me stop and watch the sunrise for a few minutes. The Dolly Parton cover of Coat of Many Colors could have been her original. The Eddy Vedder Ukulele cover Sleepless nights (I know… other way around) was so personal, which I have to credit to her: her honesty drives her music to greatness. I may go vinyl hunting for this one.

Hey you got any weed? This album would be so much cooler if you did! I had never heard of this one and, honestly will probably never look for it again.

Missy Elliot has always been a titan of rap. On this album, though, it showed more of her production genius than her quirky rap mastery. The two songs with Timbaland were ethereally smooth. Beat Friends with Aaliyah was R&B candy. The problem though is the collabs at the time were revolutionary, but now feel dated. Her best was still to come.

I’ve never been a Neil Young fan. I know: people who love him love him. I respect him but he’s not my thing. On the album the radio friendly Old Man and Heart of Gold are good. Country has a nice bluesy feel. The rest of the album was tolerable.

I have listened to this album many times. It is admittedly a playlist of covers but Johnny Cash recorded this after a lifetime of experience that makes his bare-bones, Rick Ruben-directed cuts memorable. Trent Reznor once said that ‘Hurt’ now belong to him; the Beatle’s cover ‘In My Life’ has a very different flare (I still like theirs best) but the Cash version is authentic. Everything on this album was sung from his experience in life. It is a classic!

Funkadelic is legendary in so many ways. When I saw them in concert it was probably one of the best live shows I’d ever seen. This album has some bops on it: You and Your Folks; Can You Get To That; Super Stupid. James Brown may have started funk but Funkadelic perfected it!

I had never heard of Bert before. This album was a good listen. It had the familiar feeling of sitting in a coffee shop listening to someone sprinkle my cup-o-ccino with a little bit of soul. Courting Blues was my standout track. I don’t know how often I would look for this one but I definitely would listen to again.

It’s pretty good though I don’t know how often I’d look for it. The sounds reminds me of Jack Johnson meets Mumford &Sons and Nile Rodgers. Over the Hill is my key track. It kind of feels disjointed

The hard part about Coltrane is I’d always understood his true talent was the improve in his live performance. It’s hard to hear that on a recording. I’ve heard plenty of Coltrane and he was great. The way he could emote from his saxophone was astonishing. You can hear that in his language in Pursuance. Unfortunately for a casual listen this entire album kind of disappears into its own repetition. For an unquestioning fan this album might be legendary. For me it was a’right.

I’m a sucker for Bowie. This was the first big transition between Hippie and Ziggy. I was actually thinking about ‘Changes’ the other day and how applicable it feels right now. Thinking about my coworker prompting th changes, Queen Bitch also feels relevant. I ranted extensively about this album on Instagram so I will just say this: it’s still art; it’s still relevant; it’s still Bowie!

My dad and I have spent a generation fighting about this album, most particularly whether Cecilia is a good song (I say it’s fucking great; he hates it); whether Art’s solo vocals on Bridge or the harmony part is better; and which song is better, The Boxer or Only Boy Living in NYC. Honestly, we’re both right on all of. I am undeniable biased on this album, which is great, but my memory of it is even better.

So, about song 2 my mind wondered. Song 3 (Jonz) I stopped paying attention. If I was attempting to get laid in my 20s, I could see throwing this one so I could feel the swagger and pray she was into it. However, just for a listen in my 40s feels…well, too “Shit. Damn.Motherfucker” for my tastes. I’ll pass.

I remember the first time I heard this album I was confused. Then my good friend Mop gave me the key: listen to it like a cross-country trip listening to the radio. Genius! Though not my favorite Wilco, I love this album, not for any particular song (though Heavy Metal Drummer, PKB, Man Who Love You, and other great songs are here), but for the experience this album uniquely offers. It would rank it as one of the best concept albums of our generation! Apparently all you need is a Mop, a key and a CD!

In a world where “Straight outta…” is slapped on everything it’s easy to forget the cultural influence this album had. The title track followed by “F-the Police” were so hard hitting and revolutionary. Many people associate them with gangster rap but the lyrics show more of the statement about life in the late ‘80s LA. Though some tracks feel dated, others feel as relevant today as 1989. My favorite track is actually Express Yourself, in which Dr. Dre in a profanity-free, Staples Singers-Inspired track talks about everything from drug use to gun culture. His classic, slow flow turns the future superstar producer into a storyteller. This album is a relic, and as fresh as ever. Not something to play at a family BBQ but a classic none-the-less.

I have always wanted to like this album more. The musicality is good. But the entire album just feels too renaissance rock for me. It lacks the mastery of Led Zeppelin. It lacks the psychedelia of Doors. It lacks the straightforward drive of Black Sabbath and the sensibility of Sir Elton. Aqualung, in my opinion remains the only single off this album that makes it worth listening to. I haven’t listened to it in 10 years and I think I’m good for another decade.

Bob Marley is always easy listening. Now understanding the context for his life better than I did when I discovered him in college I realize how great his message was. I have to admit that I am used to hearing his Legend hits aBlum and live versions so the original tracks are different. Key tracks are Revolution and No Woman. He is the legend!

I remember when this one came out. “In Da Club”was a banger in the club, though I don’t remember much more of the lyrics other than the birthday opener. I know rap fans rave about this album but I find myself not invested. Much like Biggie and Tupac it’s that I don’t identify with the culture of guns, drugs, or despite my best effort, hanging with the “hoes”. The track with Eminem is good but not something I would look for. The object misogyny, racial overtones and hedonism just isn’t my thing. I stopped listening about 1/2 and don’t feel like going back. Next…!

I could only find the one song on Spotify but I did enjoy it! It’s not something that I would rush to listen to but on my pre-dawn work days I could totally see throwing this on.

I had pull the disc out for this one. I first bought it on cassette way back, but upgraded to CD shortly after. This album was such an influence on my formative years. “Even Flow” was the first “grunge” song I heard and I have been dedicated to PJ ever since. The day I broke up with my first girlfriend I heard “Black”, and it became a reminder of that first heartbreak ever since. “Once” taught me how to grab people’s attention, and “Jeremy” was pleasantly inescapable, especially when feelings of being an outsider were a daily occurrence (damn 10th grade!). Eventually I lost interest in PJ in early college because the commercial nature of their radio play but it was an acoustic bootleg of “Black” and “Release” that reignited my interested, and I have grown with them. They are not a great grunge band: they are a great band for our entire generation and continue to be part of my ever evolving life soundtrack.

I never knew how many songs I have loved came off this album. There are so many radio hits: Simple Man; Tuesday’s Gone; Freebird; Poison Whiskey. Classic rock radio might as well put press the entire album. Skynyard always seemed too rocks-billy for me overall. I have had a respect but not necessarily an interest. Now listening to an entire album, I want more and am a bit ashamed of my own close mindedness. I am going to remedy that immediately!

Another album hit the table for this one. Middy Waters is a legend for a reason and this album is evidence. The opening call of “Mannish Boy” has been used as a mainstay of pop culture for as long as I can remember. my favorite track, though, is “Bus-driver” because that simple 12-bar pattern explodes into a jam session that doesn’t seem like it should work but does so well. I would have loved being in the studio when that was being recorded. This is one of the best blues albums recorded and a defining moment for both Blues and rock history!

There is something to said in music about timing. This album I imagine was revolutionary in its day. In this day it feels dated. I don’t hate it but I don’t know if I would necessarily look for it. Super Bird, Love and Flying High were my key tracks. You can definitely hear a lot of Brian Jonestown Massacre in here. Maybe headphones and edibles would help….🤔

I rolled my eyes when I saw this. I wanted to hate it…but kinda dug it! It was slower and more blues-based than I thought it would be. Omaha sounds a lot like later CCR. Key tracks were Honky Tonk Heroes and Rode Me Down Easy, though Black Rose deserves honorable mention. I could definitely see listening to this one again. Who knew?!?

There was so many Bowies: the Hippie; Ziggy; Aladdin Sane; The Duke; Garreth the Goblin King. This album was the diary of a man named David Jones dying of cancer. It’s a powerful view of his reality and fears. He yelps in “Tis a Pity…” in such a way that you can hear both the pain of his illness was and the pleasure of doing something he loves. Key track for me is Lazarus. I’m convinced that Bowie didn’t die. Instead the Starman just went home, leaving us this final opus of everything he loved from jazz to saxophone, to storytelling.

Listening to this you can hear the influence it had on the Beasite Boys, so obviously, I dug it, though I did feeling like I was the sidekick in a Blacksploitation movie. Chameleon was the key track for me, and I vaguely remember our high school band teacher attempting to have us play this. Overall, I’d listen to this again

We Are Family was a mainstay in my house growing up, despite the fact that my parents hated disco. I’ve long known Sledge, though I hadn’t listened to the rest of the album. Key tracks were aside from the Title track, are He’s a Great Dancer and Thinking of You, boosted because of the stellar bass work of aficionado Bernard Edwards (Boomers know him from Chic; Xers know him from Rappers Delight, and Meillenials don’t think music existed before them so they don’t know shit).

I don’t remember much from my grad-school days but I remember this album. It is filled with now classic bops. At the time it was compared to the Beatles, which I don’t know if that’s accurate but I do know this album is fun! Key tracks Mardy Bum and Perhaps Vampires. This is a definite listen to again and often!

Peace Sells was a good opening salvo from the former Metallica guitarist Dave Mustaine and his new crew. In truth, Megadeth’s best work was still to come, solidifying them as part of the Big 4 thrash bands. The title track and Good Mourning are key tracks for me, though the cover of Ain’t Superstitious is also fun!

I have zero recollection of this album from 1995. After listening to it I can’t say I will have a lot of recollection in 2025. I enjoyed the listen. It reminded of post-Labyrinth Bowie meets OMD. Key songs were I Spy and Common People. I’m not sure I would look for this again though.

This is considered to be one of the greatest rap albums. There are some really good parts of, then Kanye opens his mouth and trashes it. He was pretty good producer, I will give him that. “All of the Lights” and the collaboration “Monster” are okay. “Runaway” is also pretty good. Overall, this album graced my IPad and probably will not be gracing it again.

I have a love/tolerate relationship with this album: love side one, tolerate side two. If I owned this on vinyl I would never flip it. Beauty and the Beast and John the Lion lead up to my favorite song on the album and for the artist, Heroes. Unfortunately, side 2 sounds a lot like Radiohead was attempting to make a movie soundtrack (#moonshapedpool) and I kind of want to walk at the theater ASide:Classic! B-side: pass!

This my favorite Bowie album, which is funny that he was so coked out that he doesn’t remember making it. Whether it be the Lennon-produced Golden Years or TVC-15 which feels like it gets faster due to the crescendo in complexity, this album is my go-to Bowie album on vinyl.

I hadn’t heard of this one but I like it. It was very Indie rock. If I had a complaint his voice is so lilting it disappeared from song to song. Key tracks: “Stupidity Tires” and “L.A.”. I am going to listen to this one a few more times.

When you make the opening track a 7-part futuristic rock opera that spans the 20-minutes of side-1, you are making a statement. This prog-rock classic a masterpiece, though I have to admin this is best left to headphones and lava lamps in the basement rather than active passive listening at work or the gym. Obviously, the tittle track is a complex and masterfully artistic rock concerto. But (Rush fans please don’t judge) I prefer Something for Nothing as it keeps the same amazing musical range but in 1/6th the time. It’s a great album when you’re in the mood. How often that happens is a personal preference.

‘70s Blacksploitation Soul was never really my thing but I have always loved this album. It was a movie soundtrack. But what I always appreciated (aside from the constant samples from this album littering Paul’s Boutique) is it was a concept album that told a story without a movie. I never saw the movie. I know exactly what is going on. Key tracks: Superfly (of course!) and Pusherman. I’ve listened to this album a few times when I want to feel extra swaggy, and I probably will continue…

I had no sides what I was listening to, but I liked it. The blend Latin, Middle Eastern, EDM, jam rock and reggaeton was weird and cool and a perfect start to summer. Key tracks: Love and Hope and Street Signs. This is definitely a listen again.

This album falls into the British post-punk era. In the modern day this could still be an Indie-classic. Key songs for me are Sixteen Blue and Answering Machine which has a Van Halen meets Clash flare. I listened to this bop a few times.

Velvet Underground is a unique band. I loved the avante garde-ness of the first album, VU&Nico. Though Andy Warhol was only a small influence, the album feels like a reflection of the dark underbelly of the 1960s NY culture. This album feels like Lou Reed was attempting to one-up their debut, but was on more drugs than the first time. The 12 stretch of The Gift and 17-min slog of Sister Ray move from being in-the-pocket jam band to elementary school band class where everyone is banging and clanging. I was left not “waiting for my man” and instead waiting for the end. The title Track and Here She Comes now are top tracks but the rest is meh. Good intention but the White Light has left the bottle and left me lukewarm.

Wow! Where to start? Rolling Stone writer Jordan Runtaugh wrote of it, “the inner turmoil surfaced in brutally honest lyrics, transforming the album into a tantalizing he-said-she-said romantic confessional.” I can’t add anything more to it! If you don’t know the history, get a laced glass of Chardonnay and have a go at this one. It’s worth it!

I tripped across this on vinyl last Friday and had a “should-or-should-not” moment. I did and don’t regret. ZZ Top has always been the Billy Gibbons show. Jimi Hendrix once referred to him as “the best guitarist alive”. Listen to most of the album (any album) and it focuses on Gibbons’ white-boy Texas Blues. Please note: not a negative critique! He has more soul in his right hand than I do in my genetic lineage. Key tracks are (of course) the immediately recognizable La Grange, and Masters of Spark. Those two alone need no other introduction to the Genius that is ZZ Top. Fun note: this album also features Frank Beard (the only guy without one) as Rube Beard. I am bisssed by their ‘80s hits but this is a Texas-Blues-Rock Classic ZZ Top!

This came out when I was 3-1/2, and I spent my entire life not knowing this album. After listening to it, I realize that was okay. I vaguely remember Geisha Boys and Temple Girls. I imagine that this album was a revolution in the New Wave Movement, with its synth-heavy rhythms and deeply British lyrics. I can hear the influence they had on everyone from Depeche Mode to OMD and the Petshop Boys. However, I respect this album for its evolutionary role more than itself as a piece of work.

When I was a kid my parents banned me from listening to Prince because they felt he was too pornographic. Little did I know the Little Red Corvette was not a car. Obviously I didn’t listen to a lot of him off radio play. Now that I am old enough (I didn’t tell my parents …) I was amused by this album. You can hear a lot of Sly Stone and JB’s-era James Brown I there. His musicality is exceptional with a favorite track being Ballad of Dorothy Parker. On disc 2, U Got the Look and It’s Going to be A Beautiful Night were key tracks. Unfortunately, a lot of this album sounds like the 1989 Batman Soundtrack, which as a film did not hold up well. But you have to appreciate Prince made sure you got your money worth. I could listen to this one again!

This album screams 1980s Broadway, which for someone not inundated daily with Broadway may be appealing. I just couldn’t get into it. Her voice…well, actually, all the music feels too over dramatic for my tastes. I felt like I was in a James Bond movie, except a post-retirement Sciatica and Glaucoma eating at Denny’s at 430pm James Bond…

When Metallica played San Quentin Prison in 2003 it was a PR stunt to cover a bad album. When Johnny Cash did it in 1969, it was to make amends with his own demons. Cash was never afraid to explore the darkness. As his career exploded what started as lyrical curiosity turned into confession art and his guitar became his priest. What made him so endearing was his honestly. He didn’t do most of what he claimed but it was believable. My favorite track was/is ‘Boy Named Sue’ live. I love the interplay with the audience and when he changes it up in the end it shows how much fun everyone had. I almost wish I could have been there, but then I remember that the admission to San Quinten is a little steeper and longer lasting than I would prefer. However, God Bless Johnny Cash!

fellow music appreciator @sam_paquette_81 recently reviewed “Kind Of Blue” where his experience reflected my own: getting the album on reputation, not putting a whole lot of focus on it and then, after some research of who these legends where and why they were legends, realizing what is spinning feet away from you. To quote directly, “reflecting on this makes you understand the importance of this record, they had the most stellar line-up. Miles’ songs were some of the most amazing backbone for each of them to bring their flavor to make this record a timeless classic. I could go on...but I’d prefer to drop the needle and be transported...”. I can’t say it better.

I loved the first Doors Album. It was raw and new. I loved Morrison Hotel more because it was the Doors when their art was honed to perfection. There is a song for every mood. Waiting for the Sun is a psychedelic ride while Land Ho! Was a funky exploration of uptempo oddity and Roadhouse Blues was a down and dirty classic rocker. One of my favorites is the soft romance Indian Summer. There is beauty in there, despite the fact it’s comparing his love to multiple women. Hmmm. I love the story about the cover too, that the owner refused so when he wasn’t paying attention then ran inane got the shot before being chased out. Classic twenty year old rock band mayhem!

I hadn’t heard this album, which some claim to be the first fusion album. I actually really enjoyed it. Davis’ smooth transitions in and out (example 9:20 mark) was a perfect show of his mastery. I also appreciated the skill he allowed for the rest of his band, though I have to give praise and condolences to drummer Tony Williams for the 18-minute high hat routine. Favorite track: Shhh/Peaceful.

I will have to come back to this one again. At first I was surprised (and jaded) by the flute and church organ being the feature instruments (Jethro Tull PTSD). However, the further I delved into the alb the more I was curious. Key song for me is “The Castle”, but the wander Revelation was definitely worth a second listen …or more. I may be over ratting this one but…

This 1959 classic is shows the versatility of Ray Charles, this time on a big band setting. What shouldn’t be forgotten is his earlier blues-based work was thought to be too race-music related so this album was meant to be a bridge to more white audiences. When I think of RC, I tend to lean to more of the Father of Rock ‘n’ Roll rather than Count Basie-esque band leader. “You Won’t Let Me Go” and “Am I Blue” are key tracks for me as each show his bluesy roots. Overall this is a great album, though it is a great album for red wine and love makin’. After 17 years of happy marriage, I’m in the she-goes-to-sleep-and-I’m-drinking-a-beer-on-the-coach-with-headphones phase…

The BVSC was an interesting mix-up from the recent picks. First thing that hit me was how well the recording quality was. I am going to relished to this when I have my good headphones available. Overall this isn’t my normal jam, but I enjoyed it. I picked up on the In the Heights Musical soundtrack nod in Candela. This reminded me of my brief stint in Belize many moons ago. Favorite track was the opener Chan Chan.

I was never a huge CSNY fan but after watching a PBS performance years ago I saw the talent behind Stephen Stills and I liked them better. This album exemplifies that talent. You can hear a lot of his song writing influence from CSNY in songs like Witching Hour. My favorite from the track is the bluesy High & Dry and Go Back Home. This is a listen again kinda’ album.

The Clash redefined a lot during the 1970s and 1980s. They blended so many styles together it’s hard to call them punk or reggae or rock. In truth, they did for the London Alt scene what Oingo Boingo was doing in the LA Alt scene. The hard hitting London Calling was a sonic explosion but I have to say that favorite track is Brand New Cadillac. This album is a classic!

This album is bipolar between the atmospheric groove and the protopunk. At one point I though I was listening to the B-Side of the original Top Gun Soundtrack and all of a sudden I was listening to the bootleg of the Sex Pistols recorded from the closet down the hall. Honestly, I didn’t hate it but I can’t say it will be a frequent listen. Actually, I’ll forget about it by the end of the week….

The first time I heard of Nick Drake was on the serendipity movie soundtrack. It was a good song, but it didn’t quite grab me. This album I haven’t listened to up until this point. It was the perfect Sunday morning album. River Man and Three Hours were by far my standouts, though I enjoyed the entire album and plan to listen to this one again.

Let’s be honest: if you hate Buddy Holly you hate America. Most people say that the Beatles was their biggest influence. One of the Beatles biggest influences was Buddy. Don McLean wrote the masterpiece American Pie about his death, and Madonna wrote a master piece of shit of Don’s Masterpiece. I have always had a theory that people know when they will die. Buddy Holly asked Maria to marry him, aka, the day they met, he said that he didn’t have that long to wait. But what he did for American Music by the age 22 was the stuff of legends: he took country, jazz, and folk, and mixed it into a genre that became the simple patterns of modern pop rock. Elton John, Destiny’s Child, Taylor Swift started with him. My favorite tracks on this album were Oh Boy and That’ll Be the Day, though the entire album is great. My daughter’s found it outdated until I showed them the simplicity of his musical life biography which is a staple of modern pop, and then they texted someone. Damn Gen Z and Alphas. Buddy is an American icon, like Dolly without the boobs and altruism (or lifespan but we don’t talk about that….). Long live Buddy Holly!

Growing up in the midst of 1980’s New Wave has left an indelible print on my musical psyche. This album was obviously on the forefront of British New Wave. For me, though, it feels like Nile Roger’s le Chec and Orchestral Maneuvers In The Dark had a supergroup. Favorite Shirts and Baked Beans were stand out songs. Unfortunately I was curious to start, got lost in the sound about four tracks in, and was kinda’ wondering when it was going to end about 12 songs in. Then I found out I was listening to the extended double disc and cried…

It’s always fascinating listening to a “family band” that still likes each other after a long career (eg, Oasis, kings of Leon, CCR,etc). They sounds is good, very Irish folk meets Norah Jones vocal jazz, I mean, 15 years prior to NJ of course. Blue Moon Revisited and Sweet Jane are definitely stand outs, but I remember hearing those when I was a kid. Margo Timmons voice is beautiful and almost ghostly. The hard part is if they came up on the radio I would listen , but it would take a specific mod to look for them.

This album was far from a “Bummer”. I’m surprised I’ve never heard of them before. It’s like The Cure, The Clash & Depeche Mode had a menage a’tres resulting in a love child called Happy Monday! Key songs for me are Wrote for Luck and Mad Cyril. This is a listen again!

I’m a sucker for a Hammond Organ! Wait, that sounds bad! The musical instrument, I mean. I liked his version of the blues, which landed somewhere between New Orleans Jazz and a southern Baptist church. Title track and Minor Chant were key tracks.

I remember the first time I heard this I was so confused. It hardly qualified as music, at any I knew at the time. It was haunting, emotional, thematically overhead my head. It was nothing like I had head before. Was that a baritone sax on a song about mental psychosis? I immediately listened to it at least five more times, and countless more over the years. It still is haunting, emotional, and confusing, and one of two go-to Radiohead albums. National Anthem and How to Disappear both ended up on my annual soundtrack that year, and the latter has been used in numerous playlists. I know the 9/11 theory is bunk, but I do have to say that it makes perfect sense. A classic of our times!

The longer I listened to this album the more I liked it. I was stuck on one major issue the entire time: punk has always been earmarked as high energy, burn-hot and be done fast song writing. Prog bands can do a 10 min song because they understand the role of storytelling and dynamics. This began feeling redundant, then monotonous after a while, like they wanted a cross between Sex Pistols and late ‘80s Metallica. Luau and Do You Compute were key tracks.

I grew up with this album so there is probably a heavy bias here. Jefferson Airplane was one of those unique bands that took rock to new levels, most of them drug fueled. It did however give a new way to look at music that has inspired generations, for example listen at “Today” and then "Infinite Tamboura“ by Rusted Root in the 1990s, or anything by Tame Impala. “Embryonic Journey” was a favorite of my dad’s which was played on his coconut headphones as nauseum.

I really liked this. His musicality and flow were good. I think the challenge of retro-soul, especially reflecting the Blaxploitation era, is people like Curtis Mayfield, Isaac Hayes, and James Brown did it so well it became iconic. If someone is going to pay homage, it needs to offer something they didn’t. This album was a great reflection but I am not sure it offered anything not already done. You Ain’t the Peoblem and Piano Joint were my key tracks. I will definitely give this another listen, thiugh

I have tripped across this album many-a-time in the stores, and never listened to it. I was surprised by how much I appreciated it. I was expecting mid-70s Yatch-rock (no logical reason why) and got more psychedelic and prog-rock. Key tracks Rudy and Asylum. I am going to come back to this one.

You could not live through the 1990s without knowing and appreciating this album. This, in my humble opinion, was one of the last great hip-hop albums of the Golden Era, succeeded maybe by and only by the Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. It was refined but street; it was rap but melodic; it was a near perfect album. Key songs for me: The Score and Killing Him Softly. Will listen to many more times.

I am going to say something potentially Un-American: I’ve never really been a Boss fan! I have the deepest respect for him but never listened to an album until now. I have always heard he was a great story teller and this album was an example of that. Badlands and Factory are perfect evidence of why he is considered “Working Class” Bruce. His vocals present like he took over Elvis boweled out. This band is tight and legendary. I could definitely see him live. This was a good album! I might be a Boss fan yet…😀

There are few bands as overplayed as RHCP. I would probably like them better is the major radio stations didn’t have them on hourly rotation, I didn’t hear them in grocery stores and I wasn’t inundated by their SoCal sound non-stop. But let’s be honest, they put lightning in a bottle with Sex Drugs Sugar Magic in 1991, and retained that formula all the way up to Stadium Arcadium, and then went back to it later. Rarely do I hear a RHCP song that doesn’t song like every other RHCP songs. To their credit, they produce it, someone else plays it, and they are making $ hand-over-fist. On this album I enjoyed hearing the non-radio songs like Get On Top, Right on Time and Savior. However, if I want to listen to them, I’ll just turn on the radio or go buy a cucumber and wait five minutes….

This album cannot be critiqued without context. Simple: this was the world’s first major tap production. Comparatively, it’s not great but for what it was it was revolutionary. Sucker MC’s still holds up, and Jam Master Jay, DMC and Rev Run later even perfected many of these songs. Still a classic

I can’t remember the first Hendrix song I heard. While most kids had Big Bird and Barney, I had Jimi, Jim and Grace. It might have been Purple Haze. Maybe Watchtower. The first song I really remember sitting back and going, “wow!” was Red House. It was blues but with a rock edge, and guitar playing that emoted pain. This album has a lot of that, from the fun Foxy Lady. To One of my favorites on this album Fire, to the riff-heavy Manic Depression. It always annoyed me that the English and American releases had different tracks but that was common to get people to buy both. Honestly, I would have and still might. This album was incendiary.

Santana is undisputed as a Guitar God, and this album, along with 1999’s Supernature prove that, though I have to give a shout out to his instrumental Santana Bros. This earlier work show cases some of his best work, pulling from his childhood playing on the streets of Tijuana. Black Magic Woman is an example an artist taking someone else’s song, on this case Fleetwood Mac, and owning it. Oye Como Va is Mexican folk rock at its best. The irony is this guitar hero would be extradited back to Mexico today. Kinda’ gets you thinking 🤔

This album was…well…forgettable. I listened to it twice back to back and struggled to grasp anything from either listening. It wasn’t a bad album, per se, just background. Some of the harmonizing was chill, and Cowboy Movie had some good guitar work. If only I could remember this album.

If Smashmouth and Mother’s of Invention had a love child, it would this album! It was a reflection of the post-grunge-indie revolution made famous by Napster. Personally, not my thing but not unlistenable, just weird and jam-band on ‘shrooms. Key songs Skeleton and Spanish Man

I had never heard this album until this set of listens. I applaud their efforts as a 1990’s post-grunge band, but for me it felt like a relic of the ‘90s offering little that I hadn’t heard before from other bands (eg, Pablo Honey-era Radiohead; the Verve; Gin Blossoms; etc). Key tracks Everything Must Go and Girl Who Wanted to be God.

I enjoyed this album as a whole. I have to confess, though, the first four songs felt like they were taking over from where the Beatles left off after Rubber Soul. It felt like Last of the Steam Power Trains ushered in a more unique sound. Once Starstruck hit, it felt like there was a return to the very Beatles-esque sound. In between Animal Farm, Sitting and Village Green offered the oddity I liked most. This is definitely a listen again

First off, I am always fascinated that Mama Cass and Keith Moon died in the same hotel room 4years apart. I am also amazing that the entire run of Mamas&Papas was four years. I appreciated M&Ps because they were a straight-edge vocal group but also hippie; classic folk but progressive lyrics; rock but not rock at the same time. This album was a great example. Key songs for me: Monday, Monday; Go Where You Wanna Go; Beatles cover I Call Your Name; and California Dreaming is one of the best songs from the entire era. Have listened to and will listen to again! (I may be underrating this one).

My techno phase was between 1998 and roughly 2003. Fatboy Slum was definitely on a short list of favorite DJs. Techno/EDM is hard to judge. It’s about telling an audio story in 120BPM 4/4 time. I always appreciated that his was fun, buoyant and integrated a lot of influences from funk to rock to classical. That said I rarely focused on individual songs, but rather feel. Today I listen to techno for its repetitiveness when I need to drown out other stimuli. It’s better than Ritalin (well, almost). I can’t say this is a bad or good album. I might listen to it again but I probably wouldn’t necessarily look for it. For me, it’s a musical capsule of a foregone time between college and reality.

Public Enemy is the greatest rap group of all time. My first introduction was actually when my brother encouraged me to watch 1991 Anthrax-collab video for Bring the Noise, which both came off this album and name drops fellow Brooklyn boys Anthrax. I was blown away. Then I heard Fight the Power, Hazy Shade of Criminal and more and was hooked. What separated them was they took rap from a backstreet genre to the mainstream by giving it a national voice. This album was the catalyst for the entire genre after. Unfortunately when gangster rap started within a few years, it’s hedonism and rawness overpowered Public Enemy’s trajectory as an industry leader. This album still is relevant. It still hits. It should be listened to again right now at high volume. Key songs: all of them, except for Flava’ flab’s such still kind of come off as silly, but he was the best hype man aside to Bobby Byrd to James Brown.

My first introduction to Nico was with Velvet Underground and Nico, which is a legendary avante garde album. Her solo work is, well, um, like listening to my wife talk about our summer home improvement projects. I stopped listening after the fourth. Key song: These Days, because it was used on one of my favorite mixtapes/cd given to me years ago (Thanks again, BTW).

This was a fun romp through junior high, except this time I got to listen to all the songs I couldn’t listen when I was younger. I don’t know how much I would listen to this album again but I did get a new perspective and respect for it. Ghetto Thing was an intriguing callout to hood life predating the power of Gangsta rap or Public Energy. Favorite track: Jenifa Taught Me was just a classic misogynistic teen-boy-mentality that made the 13 year old in me snicker.

It’s hard not to love this album if you have ever listened to classic rock radio. This album represented the first back after the death of Bon Scott and the replacement with Brian Johnson, whom has always fascinated me with his baritone speaking voice and alto-broken-glass singing voice (how does he do that?). Six of the fifteen tracks were hits. There are a few other tracks on other albums but this is pretty much a “best of” as is. It’s hard to pick a favorite but Rock’n’Roll Ain’t Noose Pollution and You Shook Me are tops, though I really enjoyed hearing the non-radio tracks like “Given the Dog a Bone”.

Guided by Voices can be described as this: Pavement for people with extreme ADHD. At first I was impressed, and then the song ended after lengthy 1:30 seconds. Spool up the next, and end it 0:59 secs later. This album comes off more like a group of kids who had a great riff but didn’t know how to write a bridge so they just ended the song. I appreciated the 1950s quality of Prick, and several songs got the head bobbing briefly. Favorite track was the epic of the album (2:30) Watch Me Jumpstart. Probably won’t be returning to this street…or should I say driveway?!

The his album was a solid grunge album before grunge was cool. The irony is I don’t remember hearing this album, which predated Nevermind and Ten, until the late ‘90s. The Simon & Garfunkel cover of Mrs. Robinson is still a classic and my favorite track, but I have to give a shout out to Ceiling Fan is My Spoon and It’s A Shame as standout tracks.

Just another teen mom without a college education here… Okay, she also happened to be the Queen of Soul and the woman who shattered virtually every barrier in music. This album is a testament to genius, and I don’t use that world lightly. I heard Respect for the first time in the Blues Brothers and it quickly became a favor track (only later did I discover it was an Otis Redding cover). Dr. Feelgood is a fantastic look at her blues roots, while I Never Loved A Man was a soulful serenade made for weddings and anniversaries for generations. I thought it was interesting that Save Me was her lyrics and the background music for Them/Van Morrison’s Gloria, which predates this album by 3 years. But the Swampers were a powerful for a powerhouse. This album is a classic

The problem with Irish music it sometimes it all blends. A few months ago we reviewed “Rum Sodomy & The Lash“ by the Pogues, and I gave it a 3/5 then. I am going to make my life easy and give myself an easy day and give it the same. I enjoyed the Fairytale of New York with the Kirsten MacColl and the Sir Down by the Fire because they sounded unique for them. Actually. This album deserves a 3/5 anyway!

My uncle introduced me to Dire Strats when I was a teen. Let’s be real: Dire Straits is actually the Mark Knopfler show. I always found his guitar playing in somewhere in the area of Gilmore’s tone, Clapton’s talent, and Howling Wolf’s slide. In other words: he’s pretty good. I always found his voice range to be…well, kinda’ flat, like Johnny Cash with a headcold. It was unique. The most famous song on this album, Sultans, is a great example of the bands collective versatility and storytelling, though I have always been a little confused because the song sounds more Brazilian bassa nova than American swing. Favorite track: the country tinged Set Me Up as it presents as a buffet of all of their sounds in one short song! Cheers!

This album became a discussion piece over the dinner table regarding LBGTQIA+ rights and the Biblical History of Lilith. Modern kids don’t have any context for the monumental barriers LD Lang and Melissa Etheridge broke to make modern artists expand their market share by waving a Pride flag. They were the first two openly gay artists I knew, and both of them moved the narrative from their sex lives to their music. In truth, KD Lang had my respect even when I was homophobic (I was dumb) because she had the confidence to be unabashedly herself. Her voice is beautiful, but I always found her music to be a little too Chardonnay on the coach for my personal tastes. Save Me is a slow marinade while Still Thrives This Love is my standout. This is a 5/5 for someone and should be, but I don’t know how often I would look for this.

1977 was the Golden Age for Punk, producing titans like Iggy Pop, Generation X, and Sex Pistols, all of which are remembered today. I had never heard of Pere Ubu, and listening to it makes me understand why. For me, their avante garde style of punk is the equivalent of a shot of single malt whiskey mixed with Drano and used in a razor-studded suppository. I might have played this to annoy my parents for a few minutes when I was a kid. Sadly, I hear potential in there for a solid punk experience. All I am experience now is indigestion…

wow. lou reed. legend. I know this. I’ve heard it my entire life. I don’t get it. I don’t know if I have ever gotten it. I first heard Walk On the Wildside when Marky Mark did it and then wanted to hear the original. It was good…and then I heard the rest of the album and either felt too dumb or too smart to get it. I appreciated his work with Velvet Underground but avante garde rock apparently is not my thing. This album makes Lou Reed a One-Hit Wonder in my book, right there next to Gerardo (Rico Suave) and Vanilla Ice.

The first time I heard the Yeah Yeah Yeahs was on an annual mixtape given by a good friend in 2005 (again…thanks!) They were good then, but unfortunately life, grad school, marriage and kids happened. I am sorry I didn’t follow them closer because this was a great album! It is a bit of a time capsule to the Indie-era 2000’s but has a unique blend of indie-style writing and EDM influence that is also found in MGMT, Naked & Famous and early Wolf Alice. Key tracks are Zero and Dull Life, though on my current third listen I will probably find another. This is going to get listened to repeatedly in the near future!

In my early sinful 20s Air became a soundtrack for late nights and experimentation. It was fitting that Talisman was featured on 1999s GO! Soundtrack, a movie about one night, drugs, raves, Katie Holmes, cops, and mayhem. It still remains my favorite track off this album. This is a great debut album for the Frenchmen. The problem I have had with Air is the moody ambience requires a specific mindset to appreciate, otherwise it’s prone to become background music.

You get your GenX card revoked if you don’t know who REM is. I was just surprised that they actually had albums other than Automatic for the People! …AND they’re good! Obviously End of the World and One I Love are top tracks, but I really enjoyed the non-radio-play tracks such as Lightning Hopkins and Disturbance at the Heron House. I am going to continue to dig into this lost gem!

Growing up I had relegated Rush to prof-rock fodder for D&D kids without ever really giving them a chance. But what I realized later in life is some music takes time to mature. For me, I would not have appreciated Rush when I was younger, and this album is perfect evidence of that. It has long been thought to be their best album, and as their official “best of” pulls heavily from this album it’s pretty accurate. Tom Sawyer is a masterful piece of art that showcases each of their skill. YYZ is a musical madness that has left musicians salivating for more; Limelight is one of my favorite songs they did. But I also loved Camera Eye and Red Barchetta, two songs that don’t get credit I imagine solely because of their radio-unfriendly length. This album is both a journey, a masterpiece, and a gift to the world.

The musicality and syncopation of this album was impressive but the opening track WRU kind of made me feel like I needed some Ritalin. For jazz aficionados I could see where this album would leave them dancing in the aisles. I did enjoy it, particularly The Disguise. I just don’t know how often I would seek this one out.

This album is respectfully weird, not like Vice Presidential nominee weird, but kind of keeping you wondering what you are going hear next in a good way. I had heard this album way back in the day and enjoyed, though not as much as I did now. To call it theatrical would be an understatement, which is why I imagine it was primed to become the Broadway musical it is. The title track’s upbeat tempo is enlightened, while JWG is what you would expect from a song about a notorious serial killer, which is both fatherly and creepy as hell simultaneously. This is a listen again, at least once to figure out what he’s talking about and once to truly appreciate it!

In 2002 there was no escaping OutCast, nor did you want to. They took rap/hip-hop to a new level by incorporating New Orleans Jazz, techno, rap, and every other genre until it all spilled out the Speakerboxxx! A personal favorite is Bow Tie for the jazz roots. There are some great collabs here too: Tomb of the Boom with Ludacris, Big Gripp and Konkrete; Reset with Cee-Lo; She Lives in My Lap, which is kinda’ weird thinking about Ahsoka’s Miss Dawson that way (…so I am told from a friend, I would never…); and Take Off You Cool with chanteuse Norah Jones. …and that one with Jay-Z. Overall this album delivers and through its multifaceted approach feels just as relevant today as it did two decades ago.

I have never heard of this album before, but I really enjoyed it. This was great early Psychedelic rock. Favorite song was definitely a Roller Coaster. It’s interesting listening to this because you can hear so many influences of modern bands: everyone from Radiohead to B.R.M.C. to Brian Jonestown Massacre. this is a listen again !

Who knew Dexy had songs and albums other than Come On Eileen?!?! This album had a distinctly 80’s feel that reminded me of Talking Heads. I liked that it had the feel but it was also distinctly original. Key tracks for me were the OccasionalFlicker and This Os What She Likes, though the 1960’s-esque Listen to This and it’s Motown bridges was a bop. I have to come back to this one this weekend!

I think any GenX’er who lived through the late ‘90s was familiar with the Kohn Cusack quote from High Fidelity: “I’m about to sell five copies of the Beta Band.” “Do it!” Sadly, I am as guilty as others who never made it beyond Dry the Rain. This album was really good. I’m surprised that The Beta Band didn’t get more play in America. However, this album, with its psychedelic nature, I think may have been too ethereal for American taste. Several songs on here stand out, with AI Sharp and Broke being my Top2. I’m gonna to this album many times!

Radiohead has always done a good job walking the line between musical virtuosity and mental insanity. The music is masterful articulate and dynamic and so many ways that express moods that immediately connect with the human emotion. Hail to the Thief is exactly one of those albums. It takes one to an emotional roller coaster from happy to sad remorse to potentially even psychotic. Songs like the Gloaming combine so many genres/sounds it hardly even sounds like rock anymore, and then is succeeded immediately by songs like There There and I Will, which being you back to calm and jubilant. It’s hard to pick a favorite but I have to say I lean toward the guitar driven Go to Sleep, simply because it’s a throwback to the Radiohead I first heard. This album is an audiophile’s dream.

Dusty Springfield was definitely a singer for a certain age. Her song Son of a Preacher Man is a classic that should be preserved for all times. This album is intriguing because some of it has that classic Memphis sound well others of it feels like it’ll be best left for Broadway and vocal jazz. Aside from the obvious favorite, Don’t Forget About Me has a great horn section and Just One Smile has almost Gospel feel. Overall those, the A-Side of this album is repeat play. The B-Side, for me, has aged out and should be left there…

I love smart rap that says something. This album is no-hold-barred social commentary in the tone of Public Enemy and Common. I don’t know how I missed this in the 1990’s with the exception of the name is long and lacks catch. Television the Drug of a Nation is dissertation on America with prophetic overtones that made me look at the album date due to modern relevance. Note: the entire album is so hard hitting it was hard to pick a favorite. This album kicks ass and needs a renaissance.

I had known the album of TV on the Radio for sometime. I can’t say I’d ever taken a whole lot of time to actually listen to them until today. Overall, they’re pretty good. It kind of sounds like a mishmash a different ideas cast cross 3 to 4 different generations. Some of the songs sound like 1970s David Bowie mixed with LCD Soundsystem and a little bit of Maroon 5 mixed in just for fun. Key songs for me were Golden Age and Shout Me Out. I like the groove of those, like good songs to listen to again and again this album is really reasonable. I wonder what else they got?

Just listening to the Jungle Brothers brought me back to junior high right at the beginning of the Golden Age of Rap. This was a fun album to listen to despite the fact I don’t think I’d ever heard of them before. Their sound reminded me a lot of Digable Planets, Bell Biv DeVoe, and even us threes “Cantaloupe”. Songs for me where you make me sweat And Sunshine, they were just fun songs to listen to and made me feel like I was a kid again listening to Rap for the first time .

Fleetwood Mac is a legendary band. Their songwriting was renowned, their musicality was first rate, and the Rumours of the internal drama was the 1970s equivalent of Love Island. According to Wikipedia, this was one of the most expensive albums ever, and became a commercial failure. I kind of get it. The first few songs are …mmmmeeeeh… until you Storms. I respect the experimentation. For me, a lot of this album feels overproduced and disjointed. There are some gems in there, though admittedly I find myself leaning into the Stevie Nicks tracks. Storms and Sisters are my standouts. As a whole I’m torn about this album….

They should’ve just called this …And Justice for All, But Jason. This was actually one of the first two CDs I ever purchased with my own money (Ozzy was the same day). Metallica’s One was the first video I really remember sitting down and being in anwe after watching. It made me a Metallica fan at the time, though, admittedly, my love of Metallica has weaned over the years as they’ve gone more commercial. There are a lot of songs on here that still hold up even today. Blackened, One and Harvester Of Sorrow are still favorite tracks. To Live Is to Let Die was the last instrumental track they put on an album. If some one is looking to learn about Metallica, this albums is a great starting point yo begin working your way through. I just wish Hatfield and Ul-Dick would’ve actually allowed Jason Newsted’s bass to be heard on the final mix (they hazed him by turning his tracks virtually off).

Confession: I was anticipating just listen to a few songs and writing the review. Instead I listened to the album twice. There is just something fun about this album that made me think mojitos, fedoras and bowling shirts dancing badly on a beach. I am no bassanova officionado, but I enjoyed this album today. I think that is the sign of a good album: the elicitation of emotion, which this achieved successfully. Key songs were the famous El Cayuco and Llego Mijas! This one might find its way to vinyl for me should the opportunity arise

I think it would be agreeable to say that Johnny Cash‘s prison albums were revolutionary and new and excellent example of his skill is both musician and showman. It’s hard to differentiate between live at Folsom and live at San Quentin. Both of them are great albums, have the same tracks and showcase the type of master he was known for, the interaction he had with the audience of prisoners and a Boy Named Sue is still a classic, but I can’t say this is any better nor worse than other live prison as I’m the same rank .

I didn’t expect to like this album either. I don’t know if I will go looking for it much but it was a great listen. I am planning to adapt my own grooming habits so that I too can “keep my finger nails long so they clicking when I play the piano”, though my wife may have a problem with that. Key songs were Cornbread Moon and Jericho. I appreciate how you could hear the influence he gave to future artists like Brooks and Dunn and Garth Brooks.

Downward Spiral was a punch to the ears when it came out. Several (no reason to mention how many…) years later and it still holds up. Listening as a teen it was volatile, aggressive and a perfect combination of metal, techno and songwriting. As an adult I now question how in Closer he states, “you bring me closer to God” but a few songs later in Heresy he states “God is dead / And no one cares / If there is a hell / I'll see you there” which implies that sex with the unknown participant is “dead” and therefore rather insulting to whomever. Don’t plan on a second date for that one Mr. Rezner! In my opinion, Pretty Hate Machine was a superior album but this one, like or hate it, left a mark on history.

My dislike of the constant radio play of Red Hot Chili Peppers is renowned but I hope to be objective on this particular album which is the time period was revolutionary. Listening to Give It Away was like listening to proof of alien life. Everyone wonder what it means to Suck My Kiss, and I used to have Under the Bridge on every mixtape, especially the make out tapes though now that doesn’t seem appropriate. I don’t know if there is a bad song on here. This album was a strong representation of the stylistic blending RHCPs are known for and heavily influenced the ‘90s. In every music fans collection should be this album.

It starts off with one of the most renowned songs in all of classic rock: Immigrant Song. Led Zeppelin doesn’t stop there moving on next song Friends which shows off the Middle Eastern influence and follows with Celebration Day, which was aptly named after their 2007 reunion concert. Since I’ve Been Loving You is is a Britain-meets-Clarksdale blues ode which may or may not have been ripped off. Side 2 with the medieval Gallows Pole and the ethereal song That’s the Way that looks at the last of innocence to racial bias. My personal favorite song on the album (hard to pick) is Tangerine which has the best 20-note solo of all time. In the annals of the Best Classic Rock albums of all time Led Zeppelin III is definitely sitting there right before Led Zeppelin IV .

It’s King Louis from Jungle Book! While listening to this, I suddenly felt like I was dancing with Lea Thompson at the school dance in Back to the Future. The song Night Train is a classic in the swing and vocal jazz world. Overall, I really enjoyed this entire album and I’m sorry, knowing I hadn’t known that Louis Prima had a career outside of Disney. I’m actually this one for my wife. She will absolutely adore this. This is definitely a listen again.

Bluegrass has never been a thing for me. It’s not that I dislike or like, it’s just I have very little experience or context for what is good or bad. I enjoyed listening to this album but it was very mellow. It elicited sitting on a porch drinking sweet tea with a little somethin’ something’ in it and watching the dragonflies go by. I liked the harmony soul of Dear Someone and hearing her Elvis drawl on Elvis Presley Blues. It was a pleasant listen overall but I don’t know how to rank it.

Who would have thought that 20 years after this album Gen-Xers would drive the streets of America banging their heads to Bohemian Rhapsody at high volume? It arouses the question: was Queen always great or did Wayne’s World give it the context to make it great? I go both! Any other band making this album would have been panned as laughable. But Queen from it’s earliest days were talented enough to own their weird. There would be no AJR, Cake, Presidents, et al, without Queen! They are the only rock band to to be universally accepted even when they don’t do rock. Rhapsody and Best Friend are enduring songs but I have to say that my surprise track was ‘39, which I don’t recall ever hearing before. Overall, you can take me to this Opera any time! “Party on Wayne!”

“Right Now You Funk Soul Brother! Check it out now you funk soul brother!” There was a point in the late 1990s when EDM ruled the world, and Fat Boy Slim was there wearing his crown. I’m not sure who came first, FBS or Oakenfold but between the two of them they created another decade away from the grunge, Nu-Metal, singer-songwriter pop of the early 90s. Praise You and Rockefeller Skank were all over the media, and I heard Gangster Trippin on the “Go!” Movie Soundtrack. This album was more radio-friendly that his previous work but still a lot of fun!

So if good intentions pave the road to hell this was I-25. Maybe it wasn’t that bad but it was hard not to get lost in the fodder of unorganized teenage rage and musical redundancy. Washer was a key track. However, it took me three attempts before I got through the album once. Probably won’t come back to this one.

When we were in high school, the popular girls were into Ricky Martin and Gerardo; the angsty girls into Alanís and Meredith; the artsy girls into Fiona and Sarah; and the depressed man haters with the blue hair into Morrissey. Maybe now that I am surrounded by moody teenagers who don’t understand why the world isn’t working the way they want - aka, my coworkers - this was making a lot more sense and was bee-bopping along! Key songs: Why Don’t You Find Out, Billy Budd and Spring Heeling! I don’t know if this an ever day jam, but I could definitely throw this on again!

Peter Gabriel was released from Genesis because of this erratic behaviors and avante guard musical leanings. This first four solo albums were an example of what happens when you let his artistry go unchecked. It wasn’t a bad album but I’m not sure how much I liked it. Games Without Frontiers is a 1980s staple. Songs like Biko can definitely hear the Lilywhite production so familiar from U2 around the same time. Not One of Us was a pretty good song that seemed very Bowie. If do find it ironic that Phil Collin’s was accused of being “too commercial” as the singer of Genesis after Gabriel but when you hold the B-Sides of this album and PG’s So… side by side with Genesis Invisible Touch, they would trade songs across albums without effecting the album integrity of either. Rock rivalries are dumb (….but admittedly fun).

Growing up names like Madonna, Cyndi, Toni Basil, Toni Braxton and Whitney ruled the radio. I vaguely remember hearing Kate Bush but she didn’t stand out in the field of R&B queens and pop princesses. After listening to this album I think her music was to cerebral for pop, blending her rich vocals with synth-heavy melancholy. I was surprised when “Deal with God” made such a comeback a few years ago, rumor has it due to the Netflix show Stranger Things. Honestly, Big Sky was a better song. I don’t know if I would listen to this again. After a little while the songs began to blend together for me. Maybe it’s because I had already given my heart to Cyndi and Whitney years ago: one heart but an ear for each.

Honestly, this may be my new favorite Velvet Underground album. The paired down lyrics and psychedelia make this highly listenable repeatedly. Maybe it’s just I’m getting older but this album vibes vibes. I liked the contrasts between uptempo beats like Beginning to See the Light and softer melodies of songs like Candy Says. Some Kinda love also throuws in a little bit of that Heroine vibe that made VU famous to begin with. I’m going to find this one on vinyl!

This is not my favorite LP album, but not long ago I was developing a ‘best of’ playlist for the gym and 10 of the 12 songs on this album ended up on it. As I’ve gotten older I realize the impact LP had on my 20s and 30s. I used to love and hate how every album was so different, and when the field was flooded with knock-off Nu-Metal and rap-metal bands it was refreshing to see that they endured. When Chester Bennington died it felt like a piece of us all did as he encapsulated the anger and yearning of so many GenX men trying to find their place in a new world. This album was a great example of that, and the collective effort of the entire band emoted a sense of empathy in each song. In the End, Points of Authority and With You are the Top 3. It fascinates me today, too, how even GenZ is gravitating toward LP. I am curious and grateful that they have decided to continue on, in whatever their new direction is.

House techno was a great mood builder to martini bars in the mid-00s but I walked away from this album and forgot it was on. That wasn’t a good sign. It’s listenable but not memorable for me.

What was it about the late ‘60s vocal jazz sounding like a Bond Movie? Scott Walker had a good voice made for Broadway (respect) but this album started intriguing and got old, buried under a 6’ layer of sodden melodrama. Key track was the Old Man’s Back Again (Dedicated to the Neo-Stalinist regime). I don’t regret listening to this one but will be relegating this to the history books and not the personal collection.

I could never claim to be a huge Dylan fan. Most of my knowledge has come from classic rock radio or movies. Unfortunately my first experience with harmonica players was masters like Howlin Wolf or John Popper. Dylan’s harp sounds elementary in comparison. Paired with his nasal drone, nothing historically drew me in. There were a few big surprises on this album. First, I didn’t realize that his album so prominently displayed in the Tom Cruise move Vanilla Sky was totally acoustic and just him. Second, his cover of SecretMachine’s Girl from the North Country is pretty good, considering it was made 30 years before them. And third, so many of his songs are so relevant today. Blowin’ in the Wind, Masters of War, A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall, Talkin’ WWIII Blues could be played today in a Boulder coffee shop and be considered new. I still dislike his harmonic, but I respect the man and this album.

The first time I heard “Into the Mystic” was at the movie theatre watching “Dream a Little Dream”. Only the first half of the song was used but man I wanted the rest of it. There is just something magical about the flow and elegance of it. This entire album can be described as whimsical. “Everyone” has a feeling like you are dancing through a Renaissance Festival. “Stoned Me” is a classic-rock radio standard and “Crazy Love” reflects the love that we all wish we had time and again. Then he brings it all home with “Glad Tidings”, an uptempo song that leaves you feeling rejuvenated at the end of a midday nap in the sun with the one you love. I found this album recently on vinyl and have been loving it. Fortuitous timing I guess.

This album is thoroughly alright. It had a definite late-90s coffee shop-turned- theatre feel with Beatles, Radiohead, Fleetwood Mac influence. Key songs were Goddess on a Hiway and Delta Sun Bottleneck Stomp. It was a fun vibe for a Wednesday morning.

I don’t know if Psychedelic Congo is a thing but this was there. Somewhere around Simba I found myself hallucinating and believing I was in Central American tripping on ayahuasca. I was relieve to discover I was still alive when the guitars kicked back in for Rhaspodia del Maravilloso. I probably won’t return here (already talked to God today, good convo, ready to move on) but I was an interesting listen!

When it comes to African-World Beat, I don’t have a context to judge the quality. I will only say I liked this and he has an amazing voice that speaks from his soul. I felt a whole lot better thinking this sounded like Wakanda when I found out he helped develop the score for Black Panther. This was good and my ranking is only because it feels right. I apologize if the ranking is lower than it should be. Sometimes a Merlot can taste like Welches when you’re used to drinking Welches.

If you grew up in the 1980’s ZZ were on Top of the World and you couldn’t hide from them. Most of their “Best of…” came off this album. One of the favorite songs (…I admit it’s misogynistic but compared to their earlier work this is church ready…) “Legs” combined Frank Beards’ steady drive behind the set with Billy Gibson’s Texas-blue-eyed blues riffing and vocal scratch and Dusty Hills rhythmic bass with synthesized backings. It’s one of those songs that makes you want to run a marathon (I think I did use this for the Bolder Boulder playlist).But the hits don’t stop there! Other songs include Got Me Under Pressure, Gimme All Your Lovin’ , Sharp Dressed Man, and six more just for fun. Honestly, fair weather ZZTop fans can get a way with two albums: Eliminator and Tres Hombres, which are exactly ten years apart. So strap on your beard and let’s roll boys! This is a classic!

I didn’t discover the Pixies until about ten years ago when I was look at Kim Deal’s bass playing. There are definite some bangers on this album, including “There Goes Your Man” and “Debaser”. But the key track for me was, and is still my favorite song of theirs, “Wave of Mutilation”. I appreciated Black Frances’ sweet then stadium-level vocals with the grungy rock behind it. Our old band teacher Mr. Steven’s always used to yell, “Dynamics!!” to get us to emote musically. He should have just played this song for us. I’ve listened to several of their albums and this was definitely them at their best!

Live albums for me are either revolutionarily good or passable. This album is definitely listenable and I think a good attempt at capturing the spirit of the Deep Purple’s live shows. I appreciated the classics like “Smoke on the Water”, but my favorite track was “Strange Kind of Woman”. The vocal/guitar play in the vamp was fun and different. I agree that they are an underrated band but will note that most of their greatest hits came off their first album. To be great you have to be consistently good. Were they?

Hmmm. I had never heard a Sitar version of Light My Fire or Jumpin’ Jack Flash. I appreciate the effort and skill with such a unique instrument. I honestly liked the other songs better, such as Metamorphosis or Raghupati, which felt like I was being immersed into a cultural experience. I don’t if I’ll come back to this but it was definitely an experience.

I am conflicted on this album. I enjoyed it but when I was done I kind of forgot that I listened to it. The second listen gave me a better view but I think it was so soothing and mellow I was having a hard time embracing it without falling into a meditative state. Like Dylan in the Movies was the key song followed by Get Me Away from Here, I’m Dying. It was overall a well made album with good performances. I would could listen to this again, if I remember it.

Growing up with CCR perpetually in the background may lead to an obvious bias. Matter of fact, their cover of “Grapevine” from Marvin Gaye from the California Raisins (don’t do the math; it makes sense only in my head and timeline) off this album was an automatic victory for them in my heart. But other songs on this album are also winners such “Run Through the Jungle”, “Traveling Band” and “Who’ll Stop the Rain”, one of their best songs ever. But key tracks like “Ramble Tamble” show that their collective talent goes beyond John Fogerty’s Southern-inspired gravel. These guys are a jam band of the finest order. CCR’s sound was consistent, partially because these three albums were recorded the same year, but also because they represented a changing America at the time and were masters of their craft. This was not my favorite album of theirs, but it was definitely in the Top Seven!

Glenn Miller may have been the King of Swing but Count Basie did it better! I think it was at the end of musical cycle for Basie (40years) when this album was produced but he and his orchestra sound on-point. What I like as well is Basie himself takes some opportunities to prove his mastery outside of being a band leader on songs like Midnite Blue, where his subtle piano paves the way for the rest of the musicians. Key tracks for me are Double-O, and Duet, though the entire album is great. Basie is a badass who can blow me away any day!

Apparently in the confines of 1990’s SW Denver Swedish Pop was limited to Ace Of Base, but low and behold there was more! If Brittney Spears and Radiohead had a love child it would be this album. Listening to Nina Perrson’s cotton candy voice against a barrage of historical influences created a contrast of themes, especially when referring to herself as someone’s whore in her babydoll voice. I really appreciated this album as a predecessor of late ‘90s-Early ‘00s retro-Ska movement. Key tracks included Been It, Losers and Great Divide. This is getting another listen!

When you think Peter Gabriel: Sledgehammer. Phil Collins: Tonight, Tonight. Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford: who? But when you hear them together…damn! This is not music for pop radio. It’s esoteric, masterful story telling with musicality second to none. Just the song In The Cage is Phil Collins playing drums like you have never heard him in his ‘80s heyday. I never got really into 70’s prog-rock but this album makes me want to explore more. Key tracks for me were the title track and In The Cage. If the intention really was to create a spiritual journey, I was sent in one day! I want to listen to this one again with my good headphones at home. I get early Genesis now.

It started like a little A-Ha, mixed in some Oingo Boingo and threw in the Bjork! Come to find out, it was actually Bjork! My family did not like this but I found her work prior to her solo career good! There some good tracks on here, most of all Birthday though credit has to be given to the ‘50s inspired Fucking in Rhythm & Sorrow. Interesting listen

This was one of the few albums I remember hearing on vinyl before cassette as a kid. My sister loved this record and eventually added the cassette of it to the mix. Lovesong is a classic that has been covered by so many people. My favorite, Pictures of You, features the often forgotten bass work of Simon Gallup. But what I loved most about this Goth Rock Masterpiece were the lesser know tracks like The Same Deep Water as You and Prayers for Rain, which are teleportive in their affect. To steal a quote from “Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist, “why are they called the Cure, they should be called the Cause!”

Fela Kuti kind of reminds me of an African Curtis Mayfield. The music was good, particularly the title track, but to be honest it fell into the background for me after a while. I don’t think I was in the right mindset for this genre today. I have respect for it but this was a one time listen.

I have always thought that if Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath had a love-child it would Queens of the Stone Age. There are some great tracks on this album, especially the distorted bass intro on Mexicola and You Can’t Quit Me Baby, which are two of my favorite tracks. This album is a solid entry point for their work and definite listen again.

As I was listen to the opening song’s fingernails-on-chalkboard vocals and repetitive-going-nowhere vocals of Love Sick I was shocked that I wasn’t listening to Miley Cyrus. This album was a lot more traditionally blues than I think of normally of a Dylan album. Dirt Road Blues and Million Miles could have been covers of 1930-40s era Sun House or Muddy Waters. I think that is part of the struggle I had with this album is immediately following were poppy Billy Joel-style songs like Tryin’ to Get to Heaven, and Not Dark Yet. None of these songs were bad, but collectively the album felt disjointed to me. I might be rating this too high but on a per-song-basis rather than a collective-basis, I think it’s fair.

This was a fun album that reminded me a lot of the White Stripes, with the exception of being nearly 30 years prior. It still had that post-punk edge mixed with New Wave flare. Universal Corner and Beyond & Back were key tracks.

It’s hard not to make a comment about Stevie being a visionary without a tingle of guilty pleasure. Musically he was. This album was a beautiful transition from his early R&B days with the Wrecking Crew at Motown to the disco flare ‘70s R&B . Living For the City is a groovy bop that leaves you with a touch of swagger in your walk while making a social point that still finds relevance today, while High Ground is a classic (with an equally good RHCP cover decades later). Jesus Children of America shares that same vibe of social consciousness and musical progression. Side note: I never knew how powerful his live performance was until I saw him in Summer of Soul. This album I imagine was phenomenal live.

“I have a fever and the cure for that fever is More Cowbell!” Luckily, there is Us vs. Them, which I never thought I would say, but has amazing cowbell! I tripped across LCD years ago and have loved this album since, with my absolutely key track being the aforementioned. The way he builds on rhythm and sound is intoxicating in its repetitiveness. I don’t know if there is a bad track on here. In the context of when this was put out, there was nothing like it. This is definitely a modern classic!

You know it’s ‘60s stoner rock as soon as that sitar starts playing. I have always been familiar with and enjoyed Sunshine Superman. But as I was listening to the rest I thought I needed to get some drugs to listen to the rest. Then I wanted to get some drugs to avoid hearing the rest. Celeste was pretty good, but everything in between was just too period (Stoney) specific to make a constant listen.

It’s hard not to wax poetic about the Golden Age of Rap, in which albums like this said something important. Q-Tip and crew were revolutionaries carrying rap/hip-hop into new directions by blending Afro-beats with Brooklyn rap and Harlem jazz. Key tracks for me include AfterHours, which lyrically puts you one the streets with him, and the flamenco-flavored I Left My Wallet in El Segundo.

I have mixed feelings about this album. In one respect the production quality is so huge it’s hard to focus on the talent. By the other respect her talent is so huge that it deserved nothing less than the full production. I think almost every song on here needed as a radio hit at some point, and reasonably so. Her voice has so many layers of soul and power. When I was “25” I was still hollering “Dude, watch this…!” before screaming in pain or stupidity. Key tracks included Send My Love and the lessor known Sweetest Devotion. She is definitely one of the greatest vocalists of our generation (I know she’s younger than me but damn it I’m claiming her as ours!).

This is going to be short: it’s friggen Aretha Franklin being the Queen of Soul. This album is a testament to her raw talent. You don’t listen to it, you feel it. Key tracks for me (all) are especially Chain of Fools and Since You’ve Been Gone, particularly because I love Tommy Cogbill’s bass playing.

I find myself conflicted by this album. On one hand I love me some Queen and recognize the talent and mastery of this album. Songs like Father to Song and White Queen add to the tapestry that makes this beautiful rock opera. By the other respect I think being raised on Greatest Hits has spoiled me to their more radio friendly songs. I admire the prog-rock nature of this album, but it might be too much prog for me to return to. This is a headphones and solitude album, not a up-and-out album.

When I first heard this album I kind of thought is was Royskopp with Sting on vocals. There is a worldly-psychedelic vibe to it, so naturally, I dug it! Mirrorball and Grounds for Divorce were key tracks. My only real complaint is the album felt like it petered out by the end, which was a little anticlimactic. Still enjoyed it.

I had a student last year who re-introduced me to Judas Priest. They always seemed a bit campy with their black leather and studs but listened with their perspective changed my mind. Coming off the acid rock era following the sludgy (but beloved) sounds of Black Sabbath and Rainbow, JP figured out a way of polishing this Metal and make it shine. It was fast, clean tone, precise in its execution. The interplay between Glenn Tipton and KK Downing on guitar was tight. Then throw in the masculine vocals of Rob Halford brought it all together. Living after Midnight and Breaking the Law (which I always hear Beavis &Butthead singing as “Walking the Dog”) are classics but I think my new favorite song on this album is Steeler. This album may not their best, but it’s a revolutionary jump in the speed metal world!

I recently heard that musical genres have a 40 lifespan (rock: 1955-95; Jazz: 1925-65; etc). I felt like I was listening to the death rattle of rap here. First, I couldn’t understand what the fuck saying; and after reading the lyrics I quickly learned I didn’t care. Maybe I’m too biased having grown up in the Golden Age of Rap/Hip-Hop. The background beats/sounds became annoying enough to cause involuntarily spasms to the skip arrows and uncontrollable rocking and drooling in hopes the change of stimuli would make things better. It didn’t. Englishmen/women elevated rock; complimented blues; made some kick ass Indie/alt. But I have yet to hear British Rap that wasn’t an insult to the genre. Like Ariana Grande to every man ever: Thank You…Next!

I always liked John Lennon better with the Beatles than his solo work. That being said he did have some good solo hits, and Imagine is the hands-down best of them. That song alone has sponsored so many questions about his Communist, Anti-American leanings vs the desire to live in a world free of war and all those things that have caused it. Looking at it in context tot he post-Vietnam era the context makes so much sense. I remember when my grandmother passed my aunts insisted this song being played at her funeral, which was ironic because she loved country music, didn’t like hippies and was a devout Catholic. The priest in the church had an issue with it too, which made it that much funnier. In this album, Lennon is all over the place musically, but it is a reflection of his America, which is respectable. He saw a corrupted world, and among it a vision of hope.

I don’t think any album, with the exception of Wilco’s Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, that better demonstrates the power of the ‘00 Indie movement than this one. It’s honestly a master piece and I can’t even tell you why except every song on here is so incredibly listenable. The energy and it emotes passion in ways most artists wish they could achieve. Key songs for me are Last Nite as it was the first song I heard from his album and therefore has a special place, and Hard to Explain. This is a modern classic (…note: for Gen Xers the ‘90s was like ten years ago so this by definition would be ‘modern’).

Of the post Beatles albums, I think this one might be my favorite. I had never really listened to a lot of George’s solo work but this spoke to me. It had a groovy vibe that was calming after a long, hard day. Isn’t It A Pity and I’d Have You Anytime were key tracks. If I find this one on vinyl, it’s coming home.

Listening to Parliament brings up fond memories of my ‘20s. I had the chance to see the P-Funk All-Stars at the Fillmore and it was an insane show in which after the management cut the lights and electric the band kept going until security physically pushed George Clinton off the stage. I still have a love of funk but I have to admit that I am a different person and place. This album is a classic, taking the funk genre started by the JB’s and moving forward (rumor is fueled on a lot of cocaine). Night of the Thumpasorus and Handcuffs were my key tracks, especially Bootsy Collins wahwah bass. Always a pleasurable flashback.

Born on the Bayou was one of my favorite songs to hear on the radio growing up. In all humility, the Southern rock and Fogerty’s howl led me to believe they were black. In my defense, CCR was played in sequence with Wilson Picket and James Brown so my young brain just assumed…. This album is a full-throttle CCR jam fest, with the obvious hits being the cover tracks Proud Mary and Little Richard’s Good Golly. The off-tracks are also orchestrated perfectly, with an odd favorite being the jam heavy Keep on Chooglin’. It’s often surprising that CCR lasted such a short time, but considering this was one of three hard-hitting albums they put out in a single year it’s no wonder they burned out on each other. But I will never burn out on CCR.

I recognize that Joni Mitchell was hugely inspirational to so many. There would be no Susan Vega, Fiona Apple, Sara Bareilles, or Billie Eillish had it not been for her. This album is well made and beautifully sung with key songs Blue and California. This is a headspace album, though, and I think she was writing for a specific demographic or generation which I don’t fit. No regrets, all respect, but few repeats.

I was surprised at how much jazz influence this album had. I enjoyed this album but it was definitely a period piece reflecting the ghettos of the 1970s. Key tracks were the title track and The Cisco Kid, though Beetles in the Bag had some great swagger.

I recently was introduced to post-metal band Sleep Token. They’re good but I have to admit there were times I was wondering if I was listening to pop ballads, groovy metal or broadway inspired pop rock. There is no mistaking the Cult. This is tuning the motorcycle rock. This is riding to the local dive bar rock. This is pitching a girls butt rock. This is missing two teeth in the mug shot rock. Memphis Hop Shake, Bad Fun and Electric Ocean were key tracks. Did anyone else get The Rolling Stones “Start Me Up” riff in Love Removal Machine? The only song I didn’t like was their down-tempo Born to be Wild cover. You can definitely hear the influence they had on bands like PJ, and especially early ‘00s Jet. This was fun!

This is a beautifully executed album that makes me think of holiday cotillions, cream puffs and champagne. The saxophone and guitar work is clean and smooth like silk sheets, and the double bass part on Desafinado is a personal favorite, though it does feel a little buried in the mix. I don’t know how often I would listen to this but it is definitely an enjoyable album. Now I’m ready for the holidays. Bring in the babka and fuzzy hats!

It’s hard to judge the Boss. On one hand his born in the USA uptempo songs are emblematic of the American experience and can leave you dancing in the dark. His down tempo songs are heartfelt storytelling at its best, yet not something you can’t listen to them at a wedding. This album is mostly the latter. His songwriting is amazing, and I respect that fact that you can see him preforming these in an Obama coffee shop on a Tuesday night. Key songs are State Trooper and Johnny 99, though I liked the ‘50s Buddy Holly feel of Open All Night. Much like Dolly Parton, he’s an American treasure.

This album was alright. That’s about it for me. I could see where someone who grew up with Neil would see this album as a triumph, but for me it sounded like a lot of other albums from the time like Mountain, late career Grand Funk RR or Guess Who. The second version of Hey Hey My My was different than I’d heard on classic rock radio (the first version), being electric and crunchy. Overall, there was nothing that grabbed me, and you know how much I like being grabbed 🤣

Psycho Killer is not my favorite song on this album. There: I said it. Actually, there is something about that song that has always annoyed me. The rest of the album was interesting in a good way. It was Peter Gabriel weird but better! Tina Weymouth doesn’t get the credit she deserves as a bass player. The key track for me was the opener Uh-Oh, Love Comes to Town, and New Felling.I kinda’ get the Talking Heads fascination now. Who knew all you had to do is actually listen to the album first? 🤯

Not being a NY fan, I actually liked this album. Maybe it was just down hill for Neil after 1970. When You Dance and Southern Man were key tracks for me, I think partially because I had heard them applied in context for most of my life. But even the soulful After the Gold Rush was beautifully written and performed. I don’t know if this is ready to be committed to vinyl yet, but it is worth a least one more listen, and maybe more.

Churches came out at the same time as two other similar groups: of Monsters and Men and the Naked and a Famous. I enjoyed all three as each had their own flair, Chvrches being more Depeche-Mode-influenced with its techno-pop sensibilities. I think the market for this sounds became oversaturated and I didn’t return to them, which is a shame. We Sink is great song among great songs that gives a feeling of hopeful flight. This is a solid contribution to the musical world.

Brian Eno is a renown producer and musician on his own. Throw in David Byrne and have the executive producer Cocaine behind the board and you have magic! This is ‘80s synth-pop and excess at its best. The Herb Alpert /Notorious BIG bass line in Regiment was a funk variation. Listening to this album made me feel like I went to sleep and woke in 1980’s East Germany, which is fair because he had just got done doing a two year stent with Iggy Pop and David Bowie in Berlin (I don’t know if there was cocaine or those two had just enough for a wore off on him in sobriety). Overall, he is a king of emoting: you can hear a lot of Radiohead, LCD Soundsystem and Nine Inch Nails in this album. I don’t know if I returned this one, only time will tell.

I don’t know if it was Iron Man or War Pigs that I heard first, but I remember hearing it and somehow realizing that there was more than music than the soft rock pop in the 1950s that my dad had been playing for me on public radio. Black Sabbath was hard, fast, heavy, everything my young brain wanted when I was 12. Matter fact, my brain still wants that. This album was the beginning of heavy metal as we know it. I don’t think there’s any heavy metal aficionado or even just general appreciators who wouldn’t agree that this was the start of the genre. Paranoid is just a banger that every guitar player in bass player needs to add to the repertoire. Most of this album has been covered over, and over, and over again. Planet Caravan had its best cover on Pantera‘s third album Far Beyond Driven, and I had the honor of watching it live at RedRocks with giant pot leaves emblazoned the rocks (it’s was almost as good as watching the Sabbath Reunion in 2001). What I liked about this listen were the deep cuts like Fairies Wear Boots and Rat Salad which don’t get a whole lot of radio play. Overall, this album is a must and a top entry for the 1001 Must Listens albums. Classic.

This album is the beginning of the Thin White Duke Bowie, which means he’s trying to reinvent himself as an artist has a weird mashup of styles-pop, rock, disco- and performers, including a then unknown, Luther Vandross and post-Beatles John Lennon, who helped collaborate on both the cover of Across the Universe and Fame, which was always a favorite song of mine. Overall, this album is a good one, but it’s not his best. For Bowie aficionados it’s a must as a significant part of this journey, but for fair-weather fans you are allowed to skip this.

Buddy Waters is a legend. Period. What I love about live albums like this is it shows you the energy that is produced on the recorded album is the same energy that you would’ve seen live. A lot of these older blues guys didn’t cut their teeth inside of a studio but instead from live performance hundreds and thousands of times in the Chitlin Circuit gets back in the 50s, 60s and even into the 70s. It’d be interesting to see some of the modern artists try to do what they did trying to maintain the same energy, and trying to produce a show that was absolutely perfect before they went into a studio. Key tracks on this one for me is Tiger in your Tank, mostly because it’s got such a great energy and it’s kind of a weird concept. You also can’t go wrong with I’ve Got My Mojo Working, which was hugely influential into the bands like the Doors. Overall, this album is definite must for blues enthusiast.

The Danny Warhol‘s hit it big for three reasons. The first was the introduction of social media, particularly Napster allowing them a way to get their music out there when normally they would’ve just been stuck in small club circuits. The second was the notorious movie Dig following the careers of the Dandy Warhals and the Brian Jonestown Massacre in the early days looking at the contradictions of their success and failures. And the third: the music is just really good. I forgot how good this album is. I don’t remember hearing of The Dandy Warhols until at least late 1990s. This early work is an excellent example of the development of Indie rock in the United States. He songs for me we’re Better Boys and Every Day Should Be a Holiday. I need to pull the CD out and listen to it more often. It slaps!

Did anyone else catch the Beastie Boy references throughout? The beginning of Thought @Work #2 was the same opening beat as Looking Down the Barrel of A Gun, and !!!!!!! sounded a lot like Time for Living off Check Your Head. I am conflicted with a lot of this album honestly. The rhyme and flow was on-point. ?Love proves why is one of the best drummers of all time throughout, but then the continuous racial references made it feel like I don’t belong to this album nor it to me. Maybe it’s just my “woke” socialization. The Seed (2.0) was a smooth jam that got a few listens. Complexity was pretty good too and I liked how Black Thought’s vocals were a jazz solo in themselves, especially paired with Jill Scott’s smooth vocals. There is no mistaking the talent here.Thirsty should have felt more displaced but somehow fits. The production was an emotional rollercoaster not right for every occasion but worked. If I believed in Napster style downloads I would turn this into a well edited set of mixtapes. But that would be illegal and I would never…anymore.

Ill Communication is a confident B-Boys. Having been through the constant legal and personnel battles around Paul’s Boutique, and the return to their punk roots for Check Your Head, IllComm was a perfect blend of their various styles into a cohesive contribution, even adding some East Coast swagger to their new West Coast digs. Sabotage is a modern classic (well, I guess not that modern anymore) annd an perfect song for doing something incredibly impulsive. Other key tracks are the Scoop and Sure Shot, but a shoutout to MCA’s newfound Buddhist conversion with Bodhisattva Vow. As far as I know, it’s the best rap ever placed against Tibetan Throat singing.

ELO. Man, they were an interesting blend of the Beatles, Pink Floyd, Yes and Bob Seeger. Knowing my pleasure for Progressive rock I feel like I should’ve liked this album better but there was something about it that just didn’t grab me. The talent: obvious. The orchestrations: excellent. But after two listens there weren’t any songs that I felt like listening to a third time. Jungle and Sweet Talking Woman felt like they could have come off Sgt. Pepper. I don’t hate this album. I could listen to again. I’m not sure I would go looking for it and I can’t even tell you why.

Ifamericatoldthetruthforonedayitsworldwouldfallapart may win for the longest title. This band was interesting, though I don’t know if it was a “1001 Must Listen.” It had a post-punk/post-grunge ‘00s feel that sat isomewhere in between Collective Soul and Radiohead, with a bit of Placebo and Cure mixed it. Of Walking Abortion was pretty cool as a song, and I really enjoyed the vibe of She is Suffering, immediately following. It’s interesting that I had never heard of them before. Overall, not bad! I’m probably going to give them a few more listens.

If George Thorogood started a shitty late-career Doors cover band, they would call themselves Flamin’ Grooves. City Lights had a blue-eyed bluesy drift to it. Evil Hearted Ada could have been the song Elvis was singing before he crapped himself to death. I found that most of this album you could randomly advance the scroll bar and it didn’t change the song. Overall, like drinking absinthe, I don’t regret listening but I won’t be doin’ that again.

When I saw Beach Boys Surfs Up! I was expecting Surf City! Fun! California rock! What I got was a drug filled journey through the delusional mind of a burned out set of song writers. I respect their desire to be more socially conscious and world-saving. Pet Sounds did exactly that! By the time the album was done I was hoping an asteroid would hit the planet so I could stop listening to this album. Saving grace: Carol Kaye’s bass playing which is more obvious than ever (they couldn’t even pretend one of them was playing). This will not be added to the vinyl collection. …Next!!!

This was a surprisingly bluesy. I’ve listened to a lot of Stones albums and been dumbstruck by the fascination. With this album, I totally get it. There are some definite bangers on this album. Street Fighting Man is a great song. I also really enjoyed Prodigal Son. But to be honest, any casual listen nor ardent fan can’t go wrong with Sympathy for the Devil which is probably one of their greatest hits of all time. Overall, next time I see this album I’m probably gonna buy it on vinyl.

On the world if upcoming pop princess escaping the disco ecstasy of the ‘70s roared in the GoGo’s, and this album is awesome! Combining pop& punk and feminine rage these gals lay down back to back to danceable hits! You Can’t Walk In Your Sleep and Fading Fast are contrasting pop-punk and ballad-ish feel. But they sit right in the pocket with their most famous hit We Got the Beat. I may be over rating this one but I really dig this tonight!

Listening without prejudice is kind of a new one for me. When this album first came out, I never really put a whole lot of credit to George Michael. The album is actually is pretty good though. I agree that a lot of it for me, is passable. It’s very vocal jazz, which reminds me of the holidays. However, I respect that he really does take you to church on a few songs. Something to Save it is a very pretty song and he sings it beautifully. But, man Freedom: I forgot how good that song really is. I don’t think that I need this album, but I could probably definitely handle owning a best of George Michael.

Anytime you start track-one side-one of an album talking about having sex with black women and track- one side-two with the song simply called Bitch you know you either seriously don’t care or you’re looking for some shock value. It was 1971 after all. Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce you to Sticky Fingers. This is actually one of the best Stones albums. Throughout this album arestrong hits such as Brown Sugar, and Wild Horses, one of the slowest & most beautiful songs that the Stones had ever played. What I appreciate about this album though is it’s easy to forget that Keith Richards was more than just the inspiration for Jack Sparrow but instead was a phenomenal guitar player in his own right. This album truly shows his diversity from the soft ballads to the bluesy to the hard rocks. I think my favorite song this listen, and there has been many, was Moonlight Mile. I’ve listened to it before but something about it tonight really hit me. Overall this album is an absolute classic.

For a house/trance mix it wasn’t that bad. There were elements of early 1990s Enigma mixed with influencers you can later see with DJ Tiësto and French DJ Vangelis. I wasn’t quite sure I needed a double disc, though I have to admit, that I put it on to clean the house and it was a good listen. Not a dinner with the family album but a martini bar and get shit done album definitely.

Listening to MGMT nearly 20 years after the album was put out brings along with it a touch generational clarity. As I was listening to Time to Pretend, I realized how much of a Millennial anthem it was as a two individuals are continually talking about a listless life, void of responsibility, and can only present itself as a state of Peter Pan syndrome. This by no means is intended to sound as condescending as it may have come off. But as I listen to songs, I kept recognizing different variations of the constant pursuit of self identity, especially pointed towards a generation that was coming to age in the advent of social media, smartphones, streaming, and other forms of technological convergence, which provided everything that they would need in the palm of their hands. This album is actually filled with really good songs, such as the ethereal The Youth, and probably the most famous track Kids. Overall, if I was building a time capsule from the early 2000s to try to explain this generation, this would be a definite must.

I had to go pull out the CD and the headphones for this one. Radiohead’s OK Computer was influential in so many ways for different times in my life. The song Exit Music I first heard in the Romeo and Juliet soundtrack. I loved it then because of its mood emotions. It wasn’t until years later that I listened to OK Computer and its entirety, and fell in love with it all over again. There are so many great songs on here, including Airbag, Paranoid Android, Karma Police, and my personal favorite Subterranean Homesick Alien, which made it onto my life soundtrack. This was right when Radiohead was in the pocket and is arguably one of their best albums ever. An absolute classic.