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Thu Feb 22 2024
3 Feet High and Rising
De La Soul
They are clearly having so much fun making this album. The friendly comedy sketches. The playful dissing (“everybody in the world, you got dandruff”, “you got doo doo in your pocket”). Wild to hear so many samples out of their context (Otis Reddings SOTDOTB whistle track in “Eye Know”). Crazy to think they made this before technology made it way easy. Just a damn fun album. The beats are hypnotizing. I could listen to the instrumental of “Plug Tunin’” for hours. As the album marches on they get bolder when it comes to the explicit content. Problematic for the suburbs in 1989 I’m sure. When “Me, Myself and I” drops toward the end, I got excited because I finally knew a song. That one has been there my whole life, hanging on the wall, sprucing things up. I’ll be coming back to this for sure.
4
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Fri Feb 23 2024
Blood Sugar Sex Magik
Red Hot Chili Peppers
My first take is that this is an energetic band with a fun funk bend. Flea’s bass lines are on point and Chad’s drums keep up. Anthony is having a great time. His white boy rap style is not taking itself too seriously.
When they navigate away from the funk with “breaking the girl” they really feel out of their element. With the drums and bass still standing out, the vocals and flute seem lost. Some redemption to be had with that junkyard breakdown bridge.
Such a talented band with a charismatic frontman. The signature Anthony Keidis skittleybapadangdong is ever-present and sometimes clouds the amazing rhythm section and shredding guitar, but not too often. I do find myself wanting some of their grooves to last a little longer without vocal intervention.
I realize they need to do it to switch things up, but the sensitive slow crooning is off putting, saved only by some sultry guitar licks. The lyrics and vocals really aren’t built for it. The exception to this is, of course, “under the bridge” which transports you to a place, time and struggle. Too bad they seem to apologize for it with their next track “naked in the rain”, a song that dives head first into all of the things I dislike about this band.
Ultimately, I found myself oscillating between wishing this album were over and being impressed by moments of brilliance. I think that speaks to their engulfing style. Either you’re all in, or you’re on the outside looking in. If I had the energy to stand up and join them, I have no doubt I would have a blast. This is album is a great display of the punkfunkgrunge only the Red Hot Chili Peppers bring to life.
3
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Sat Feb 24 2024
Pink Moon
Nick Drake
Flowing and rolling. Beautiful and timeless. Resting somewhere between sadness and relief. It’s like sleeping in and waking up to a rainy day coffee cup morning after a long night of difficult conversation.
4
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Sun Feb 25 2024
Mothership Connection
Parliament
The talent of this band is evident right away! I love how fun it is. It was a fun romp. Way shorter than I expected a rollicking funk album to be. The hit hit just like they always did. The playful plays on words “funked up” “mother sucker” are fantastic additions. Fun times!
4
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Mon Feb 26 2024
(Pronounced 'Leh-'Nérd 'Skin-'Nérd)
Lynyrd Skynyrd
The hits start coming and they don’t stop coming. Tuesdays gone, gimme three steps and simple man is a helluva three song line up. These guys are pure 70s rock and fucking roll. From the badass guitar licks to the manly sensitivity. They would change every Contruction site forever with these jams.
What a goddam epic Free Bird is. Every bar band breathed a sigh of relief when it was usurped by Wagon Wheel as the most shouted request.
A great time and definitely full of classic rock anthems.
4
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Tue Feb 27 2024
Sticky Fingers
The Rolling Stones
This album has some real bangers on it. “Brown Sugar”, “Dead Flowers”, and especially the jam at the end of “Can’t you hear me knocking” (my favorite part of the whole ride).
Some of the songs fell flat with me, like “I got the blues”. “Sister Morphine” followed by “Dead Flowers” had me wondering if these dudes were OK.
I loved the sax and the keys on this album. The orchestral ending was a nice surprise.
“You gotta move” seemed like a fun riff on “come on in my kitchen” but ultimately, I felt like they were lampooning things at times. The feigned or attempted country western accent in “Dead Flowers” was a good example of this, though I absolutely love that song.
Wish it was longer, I could have used more of the “brown sugar” energy/vibe.
3
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Wed Feb 28 2024
California
American Music Club
Was it the smiths? Was it a precursor to nirvana? Was it a Bruce Springsteen tribute band? This album seemed to hold all of that.
There were moments of greatness and Bad Liquor is an absolute smash.
2
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Thu Feb 29 2024
They Were Wrong, So We Drowned
Liars
Loud, unpredictable, compelling.
3
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Fri Mar 01 2024
Hejira
Joni Mitchell
This album kind of pours over you. It doesn’t really have enough of a punch to grab me. When I do happen to pay attention to what’s happening I find beautiful singing and descriptive and dancing lyrics. There is also an active bass line that is fantastic, but not in the texture I like.
2
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Sat Mar 02 2024
Abraxas
Santana
Obviously Santana’s guitar is the centerpiece of this album. Sadly, I have been trained to tune out classic rock guitar, especially in the form of Oye Como Va.
The highlight for me on this album is the percussion.
2
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Sun Mar 03 2024
Who's Next
The Who
Weekend listens are hard for me, since my kids are running around and loud.
I threw this on in the background and I knew I would love the drums. I did, but I also loved the bass.
Ultimately, this album isn’t my cup of tea.
Also, I’m not sure how much more classic rock in can take from the app. I’m only eight albums in and have had The Rolling Stones, the who, lynyrd skynyrd, and Santana. Please tell me this ride isn’t going to be like this.
2
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Mon Mar 04 2024
OK Computer
Radiohead
This album humanized Radiohead for me. I’ve never been a full time fan of theirs, but I’ve always enjoyed certain moments, Karma Police for example. When Paranoid Android came out with its wild music video, I was stunned. I both loved it and was turned off by its otherworldliness. Giving this album a full listen helped me realize they are a rock band. Definitely one that was pushing limits and being weird, but they’re a rock band. I loved Electioneering and think I’ll add it to my running playlist.
Also, Thom Yorke is one of a kind.
4
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Tue Mar 05 2024
The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
Lauryn Hill
Such an amazing talent! This album is so well put together and diverse. Her ability to navigate between singing and rapping is unmatched. “To Zion” with Santana is amazing. The harp in the Doors tribute “superstar” is amazing. For 1998 this is hard to believe. The basis for so much in the hip hop/soul/now-soul world. My first 5 star album!
5
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Wed Mar 06 2024
Songs Of Love And Hate
Leonard Cohen
Leonard Cohen has a way of adding importance and gravity to every song. So much depth and emotion in these tracks. Even the jaunty “Diamonds in the mine” gets dragged into the mud when he begins to sing. He certainly sets a mood!
4
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Thu Mar 07 2024
At Newport 1960
Muddy Waters
This is what I think of when I think of the blues. The repetition lets you settle in and not worry about where you’re heading. He’s cool, sounds great, and is backed by some folks that really know how to do it.
3
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Fri Mar 08 2024
Get Behind Me Satan
The White Stripes
I feel like this album was chosen by throwing a dart at the white stripes discography. This is not their best album. Normally, white stripes albums are characterized by jacks ripping guitar, and the little elementary diddies serve as a port in the storm. Instead, here, they are featured heavily and it falls flat with me.
2
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Sat Mar 09 2024
Court And Spark
Joni Mitchell
This album was kind of like punishment for me. I was already cold on Joni Mitchell after listening to Hejira as one of my first albums on this app. She has a wonderful and graceful voice. Her lyrics can be brilliant, but don’t do much for me. Ultimately, I struggle to stay with Joni as she lilts along. Raised on Robbery was a nice injection of energy.
It also doesn’t help that she isn’t on Spotify, so listening to this album is peppered with ads.
2
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Sun Mar 10 2024
Mask
Bauhaus
This album had moments of fun “FISH CAKES!”. I loved the rhythm section. This band seemed like contemporaries with the talking heads. I haven’t explored this genre much and enjoyed this trip.
3
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Mon Mar 11 2024
The Modern Lovers
The Modern Lovers
I’ve always loved this album and I love Jonathan Richman. He’s forever young and always making me think, reflect and laugh. Such a fun album with many highlights. For me it’s all about GIRLFREN “girlfriend” and “roadrunner” which has been on many of my jogging playlists.
4
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Tue Mar 12 2024
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
Surprisingly melodic! I really enjoyed the unique song structures and movements n many of the songs. I can hear that they laid a foundation for many bands to come like guns and roses. I can also hear their connection to past music like Led Zeppelin. Listening to the album redefined my u informed idea of Iron Maiden.
3
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Wed Mar 13 2024
Dirt
Alice In Chains
This was a struggle for me. The band wasn’t doing anything special. The lead sjj in beer was doing something unique and impressive, but not pleasing. The lyrics were sad and angsty and often left me wondering if the dude was ok. Not a single track struck me well.
1
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Thu Mar 14 2024
Southern Rock Opera
Drive-By Truckers
90s and early 2000s southern rock to the hilt. Birmingham was just “Last Dance with Mary Jane” by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers without the charm. I respect the carrying on of the tradition. The lyricist is a southern rock historian. Ultimately, the sounds and the grooves all melt together for me. None of the songs hold any special place for me, but they do make me want to listen to Skynyrd and Tom Petty.
2
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Fri Mar 15 2024
The Velvet Underground
The Velvet Underground
This was such a great album for me. Friendly, heartfelt, funny. You can really see how their sound impacted others.
4
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Sat Mar 16 2024
Five Leaves Left
Nick Drake
Better than pink moon for me, this album is a chamber-folk gem. Shorter than I wanted it to be. This one will be one heavy rotation for sure.
5
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Sun Mar 17 2024
Revolver
Beatles
Some of these songs are really bad (“she said she said” for example). And what the hell was “Dr. Robert”? The sitar pieces seem a little forced, or demonstrate someone just exploring because they can. The stark fade outs at the end of nearly every song are not good. They finally show some vocal chops with the soulful ending to “got to get you into my life” and they just… fade out during it.
Some gems in here for sure (“Good Day Sunshine”, “And Your Bird Can Sing”), but this album ain’t for me.
2
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Mon Mar 18 2024
Doolittle
Pixies
This album is great! High energy.
Did anyone else feel like “I Bleed” was Weezer’s “Undone Sweater” song just 5 years earlier? A clear influence. Their impact goes beyond that. I hear “here comes your man” in the Felice Brothers.
Minus one star for the late 80s/90s rhythm guitar sounds that I am allergic to now. They make up for it with other grooves and intricacies.
4
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Tue Mar 19 2024
To Pimp A Butterfly
Kendrick Lamar
The album cover describes where we’re going. Insightful, creative, amazing. As he walks you lyrically through his worldview the music spans many genres. He maintains the hip hop tradition of skits, cameos and interludes. All stimulating and amazing.
4
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Wed Mar 20 2024
Paranoid
Black Sabbath
This album kicks off with two all-time rock bangers, War Pigs and Paranoid! I’m all here for railing against the war machine and the death cult that runs it. I even found myself liking the slowed down bongo laced Planet Caravan. Ironman, which I’ve always kind of scoffed at, had some surprising fun grooves. The spooky/scary vibes were fun. The album was surprisingly more bluesy than I anticipated.
Shedding all preconceived notions of this band, I liked it!
3
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Thu Mar 21 2024
Crossing the Red Sea With the Adverts
The Adverts
I didn’t know anything about this band before listening. I didn’t read anything either. I wasn’t surprised to learn that “Looking through Gary Gilmore’s Eyes” was one of the most popular songs on there. That song, and it’s bass, rips.
Album was palatable enough, but nothing really grabbed me.
2
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Fri Mar 22 2024
The Beach Boys Today!
The Beach Boys
Crooners to the max. Gotta admit all these songs sounded the same after a while. The harmonies, of course, are impressive.
2
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Sat Mar 23 2024
Seventeen Seconds
The Cure
Turns out I like the Cure! It’s moody in all the right ways.
3
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Wed Mar 27 2024
Tigermilk
Belle & Sebastian
A jaunty and heartfelt album. It’s a pretty modern sound for 1996. Seems like they influenced a lot of people to come, Conor Oberst, iron and wine, etc.
You can also tell they were contemporaries with Ben Folds Five and other.
The Junk soundtrack revived some of this music for me, my main association.
Good stuff!
3
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Thu Mar 28 2024
The Renaissance
Q-Tip
The sample on won’t trade is amazing. Q-tips flow is so smooth. This album is a great demonstration of how great a producer he is. Loved it.
3
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Fri Mar 29 2024
Suzanne Vega
Suzanne Vega
Most of this album falls flat with me. The instrumentation is basic and her vocals don’t carry much and often seem off balance.
There is some redemption to be had with the intriguing narratives and mood of the Queen and Soldier and Night Moves.
2
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Sat Mar 30 2024
Marquee Moon
Television
Loved this! How have I never heard of this band. It’s clear how much the vocalist influenced Gordon Gano of the Violent Femmes, one of my favorites. It rocks in all the right ways.
4
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Tue Apr 02 2024
Ys
Joanna Newsom
Wild cosmic endeavor. Bjork meets Regina Spector meets Shara Nova. I can even hear some influence on Anais Mitchell and Hadestown.
This album holds up. Hard to believe it’s 18 years old. The timelessness of the instrumentation, the otherworldly lyrics and the uniqueness of her voice help with that.
Loved it!
5
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Wed Apr 03 2024
Follow The Leader
Korn
I really need to cast preconceived notions of this album aside. They were popular when I was in high school and liking the put you in a specific social category. For that reason, I never went there. But, as time has gone on my opinion of the band has changed. They’re actually not very different from the other bands of that era.
Now, years later, here I am listening to it earnestly and it kind of rocks. The tortured breathy singing is laughable, but fun. The energy is great.
I remember liking Got the Life, and that hasn’t changed much. Fun song. Seems like the album really just got worse from there (song 3 lol). The homophobia is definitely not cool.
I was unaware of the hip hop elements of this album.
1
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Thu Apr 04 2024
The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady
Charles Mingus
This might be the first jazz album of this era that I’ve enjoyed! Maybe I’m ready for jazz now, maybe this just rocks. I’m going to try more.
Jazz has always been there my whole life. Movies, films, holiday soundtracks. So I’ve never really grabbed on. This album grabbed me.
I love the mood it sets, the journey it takes you on, and the international feel some of the tunes have.
Chaotic, cacophonous, energetic and inspiring!
4
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Fri Apr 05 2024
Rapture
Anita Baker
The 80s instrumentation kind of killed me here. She has a good voice, but nothing groundbreaking. The lyrics are also pretty RnB love song basic. Not much here for me.
1
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Wed Apr 10 2024
Bat Out Of Hell
Meat Loaf
His vocal range is pretty impressive. The style of music and instrumentation remind me of Bruce Springsteen. The skits are a little weird. “Paradise by the dashboard light” was a banger.
2
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Thu Apr 11 2024
The Number Of The Beast
Iron Maiden
Again, I went into an Iron Maiden album expecting to dislike it. And again they won me over. These songs rip.
The lyrics definitely leave a lot to be desired. Especially the one that says “molest her”.
3
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Fri Apr 12 2024
Buffalo Springfield Again
Buffalo Springfield
This album was good. I really liked the more rocking guitar solos. The slow tracks dragged a little bit for me.
Interspersing love tracks was a fun detail.
3
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Sat Apr 13 2024
Frank
Amy Winehouse
Amy is such a force! Amazing voice and style.
3
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Tue Apr 16 2024
Nilsson Schmilsson
Harry Nilsson
The Beatles but better! I love the horns on this album. The off kilter singing and lyrics are charming. His falsetto is on point. 4 stars!
4
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Wed Apr 17 2024
The Band
The Band
The band is classic. So many of these tunes have been in the background all my life. They hold up extremely well. I love their grooves and off kilter harmonizing.
4
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Thu Apr 18 2024
Movies
Holger Czukay
Regis was a surprising good time! Never heard of this guy, or Can, or Krautrock for that matter.
It felt like a very modern album with the world influence and sampling. Very cool!
4
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Fri Apr 19 2024
Transformer
Lou Reed
This album is amazing! Love the grooves and it’s obvious how much he influenced current artists like Kevin Morby, one of my favorites.
4
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Sat Apr 20 2024
Time Out
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
It’s hard to divorce what this album actually represents from what it has become. Not a hot take, but this is stock jazz, elevator music, grocery store soundtrack stuff. And rightfully so. It’s beautiful, classy, palatable.
Take five has a great vibe and will always be a banger.
Not much here for me though. I am leaning toward two stars, but will give it an extra star because of how talented everyone involved is.
3
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Tue Apr 23 2024
At Budokan
Cheap Trick
Fun stuff! Kinda blend together at a certain point. The hits hit hard, especially I want you to want me. Pretty pop-rock standard.
2
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Wed Apr 24 2024
More Specials
The Specials
Fantastic and fun album! Judging by the date these folks must be early Ska/ska-punk. Great vibes all around and the saxophone reaches my soul.
4
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Thu Apr 25 2024
Permission to Land
The Darkness
Parts of this album really rip. It’s definitely a fun vibe/take. Vocals are impressive. Ultimately, I kind of feel like it’s a rehash of peak Aerosmith, with a dash of AC/DC and Zeppelin, which I’m fine with.
Decently palatable, but nothing I’ll be coming back to.
2
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Fri Apr 26 2024
Ready To Die
The Notorious B.I.G.
The album kicks off with a short film worthy intro. From birth to poverty to scarcity to trauma to violence to prison to freedom. The album then dives into the hedonistic daydream of wealth and sex that characterizes a lot of rap.
Amazing and electric album, perfect flow and well constructed beats.
The graphic nature of the album suggests they don’t want anyone to listen that can’t handle it.
4
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Sat Apr 27 2024
Tusk
Fleetwood Mac
This band is aging like fine wine! Love this and Storms is a special song for me.
4
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Sun Apr 28 2024
NEU! 75
Neu!
The first half of the album is pretty pedestrian. When they kick it up with Hero, the album is redeemed a little bit. Nothing groundbreaking here for the though.
3
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Tue Apr 30 2024
Chore of Enchantment
Giant Sand
Moody broody voice. Probably the precursor to bill Callahan. The lyricism is off kilter and at times off putting, though not in a gross kind of way. Funky elements on some songs. Velvet underground is a clear influence here. The discordant jams you hear every now and then rock.
3
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Wed May 01 2024
Nevermind
Nirvana
I’m very familiar with this album, since it got heavy play for 13 year old me after Kurt’s death. Back then I went on a nirvana deep dive and their MTV unplugged album was one of my first CDs. I hadn’t revisited this album since my love of them back then.
Man does it hold up! It kicks off when a banger and then proceeds not to miss. Such a well constructed album all the through the final track, which is then unleashed. Loved it this time through.
5