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.

Wow, another Cocteau Twins album in my first 130. I had never heard of them before and I continue to be pleasantly surprised. Their ethereal sound and fun harmonies sets it apart. The 80s textures aren’t my favorite, but their creativity overshadows it.

A wild, loud, jazzy romp. They threw caution to the wind with this one and did everything they could to assault your ear drums, with care-free lyricism highlighting individuality shining through. A drug and alcohol filled smoky room personified. Almost nothing exists with more abandon.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

Loud, unpredictable, compelling.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

This was such a great album for me. Friendly, heartfelt, funny. You can really see how their sound impacted others.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

Crooners to the max. Gotta admit all these songs sounded the same after a while. The harmonies, of course, are impressive.

Turns out I like the Cure! It’s moody in all the right ways.

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!

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.

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.

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.

This one was tough to swallow for me. Unbridled crappy rock and roll. I only like the gimmicky novelty song they put together at the end titled, “kill em at the hot club tonite”

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!

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.

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!

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.

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.

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”.

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.

Amy is such a force! Amazing voice and style.

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!

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.

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!

This album is amazing! Love the grooves and it’s obvious how much he influenced current artists like Kevin Morby, one of my favorites.

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.

Fun stuff! Kinda blend together at a certain point. The hits hit hard, especially I want you to want me. Pretty pop-rock standard.

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.

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.

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.

This band is aging like fine wine! Love this and Storms is a special song for me.

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.

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.

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.

The talent of the artists involved is evident. This genre of jazz is tough for me. I always feel like the performers are having more fun than I am.

Cool, soulful voice. Neat arrangements on some tracks. Some of the songs fall flat, but some of them light you up. Playlist choice: manhattan

Some of the tracks kind of blend together. But it’s smooth and his voice is great. Activism with a gospel bend. Playlist choice: Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)

Radiohead sings beach boys? Beach boys sing Radiohead? I’m here for it. It definitely had that late 2000s indie rock feel of Dark Was the Night.

The only positive thing I can say is that it’s better than Korn? The attempt at badassery falls flat with me. Some of the songs have great baselines and rock pretty hard. It’s not as bad I I thought it would be. But it’s bad.

I liked this better than sticky fingers. The drunken bluesyness is awesome. Playlist pick: factory girl

A beautiful and powerful album. Obviously, her voice is amazing. The vulnerability in her lyricism is touching. The composition is almost always on point. Very few misses here.

Pretty standard rip roaring classic rock. Stones, Aerosmith, AC/DC, Billy Idol, it’s all on there. Nothing there to grab me necessarily. Playlist pick: Memphis Hip Shake

Amazing and energetic funk soul. Some of the slow tunes fall flat, they should have kept it coming with the dance tunes. Tidal wave me. Playlist pick: working day and night.

You know what… I don’t hate this. Solid white boy boues. Stevie Ray Vaughan, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Little Feat, John Lee Hooker, it’s all in there. They must have really jumped the shark in the 8”a with sharp dressed man (my only real knowledge of ZZ Top until now).

Awesome and fun. The Spanish-French combo is captivating. Great grooves!

An amazing album, full of energy and complex time signatures.

Iconic attitude and style! Really seems like you don’t want to fuck with Lucinda. Also sounds like she would drink you under the table. This album grabs you more as a whole than as individual numbers. A definite vibe. Playlist pick: Lake Charles

Is this 90s butt rock? Straddling the line between Korn and 311, with a heavy dose of the Toadies. Big “I’m 13 and this is deep” vibes. I can get on board with the anti-conformist anti-capitalist themes. Drive and Pardon me are 90s bangers. The rest is a bit flat. Playlist pic: Battlestar Scralatchtica

A fun and exciting album! The band is so tight and David burns off kilter vocals keep you listening.

Sharp dressed man and Legs are 80s tropes at this point. TV Dinners has astonishingly bad lyricism, especially when he dives into the TV dinners he likes. There are some bright spots though and the guitar is always rippin.

This was not what I was expecting when I saw tango. This album has classical, jazz, and a lot more. Fun, energetic pieces that make for good work/study music. I’ll be adding this to the get-shit-done repertoire.

I loved this! So great to get a window into how the music is arranged. His voice was so soothing and the grooves were fantastic.

Solid white-boy gospel/country with a heavy dose of the Beatles and Dylan.

I enjoyed this way more than I expected to. The harmonies are on point and the banjo hits right. It’s almost a 4 for me. Points deducted because… they’re the eagles? I don’t know. Something about their sound doesn’t sit right with me and it’s probably due to the heavy rotation they have gotten on classic rock stations throughout my life.

A lovely and sensitive album. The vocals really draw you in to the experience. The simple drums are hypnotic. Playlist pick: Anyone’s Ghost

This album was rockin! The “tell me what I say” cover fell flat. What the hell was that drum solo?? Pretty standard though for blues/rock in that era.

REM holds up when it comes to 80s and 90s tunes. This album was cool, mainly due to Stipe’s vocals and quirky lyrics. It was interesting listening to “Everybody Hurts” as intended. I cried.

I’m a sucker for this vintage French stuff. The accordion speaks to my heart. So much energy in this, I just wish I knew what he was saying.

I’m starting to like these 80s new wave, post-punk vibes. It’s very hard to divorce these sounds from the movies I saw as a kid. The unexpected sax is a good touch.

This album fucking RIPS. Next time I need to clean the house, this will be the soundtrack. I remember “around the world” coming out when I was in 7th grade. It hypnotized me then and even had my black friends singing it in class. No idea where I never bought the album. I clearly should have. Playlist pick: rollin’ and scratchin’

Glimmers of what Radiohead would become are evident, but a lot of these songs fall flat for me. Bones sounds like it could be U2, which I dislike. Obviously, high and dry and fake plastic trees are classics.

They sound great, but I’m not sure what their sound is. They oscillate between Nirvana, Blue Oyster Cult, Oasis, and the Beatles. Hedging their bets for some money-making to be sure. Not a bad plan, just doesn’t grab me. Factory is a Beatles-style bop that sticks in my head.

They really caught lightening in a bottle with Hotel California. This album struggles to follow its namesake and opener. Still, though, the eagles maintain tight grooves and perfect harmonies. I especially liked “Try and Love Again”, a personal thing to write about that is no doubt hard to do. Could have done without send off of The Last Resort. 3 stars.

This kicked off with a banger. Loved sister midnight. After that it just seemed a bit noisy with Iggy droning with unimpressive lyrics. HOWEVER, I respect the vibe for 1977!

This is hard to like for me. The feigned badassery is off putting. The grandiosity. It’s all so cringey. There are bright moments of instrumentation. I specially the “me and Julio” riff at the end of that one song. This would get the lowest rating from me, but the band saves it a bit.

I liked this better than the Beatles. The guitar riff halfway through “let me roll it” was awesome. Mamunia was beautiful. Nine Hundred and Eighty Five has the Paul McCartney vibe I’ve come to like a lot.

A unique album. It has 80s electronic baselines, demons, reels and a lot more. To me it was “like a prayer Madonna” writ large, which I love. I’m allergic to some of the 80s synth textures, but this survives that pretty well!

This improved my opinion of Elton John. While I recognize his talents, I have always been bothered by his grand affectation. But the rocking parts of this album are hard to deny. The consistent mention of “dirty little girls” and “tender young Alice” set of alarm bells for me. Different times I suppose.

No one can make you listen to a story like Johnny Cash. For some reason his voice stops everything. His clear charm and connection with the prisoners is amazing. He’s the only person who could’ve pulled this off and we got it on tape. Simply amazing. This album is a place, time, vibe, that will not exist ever again. Americana at its finest.

Obviously, Stevie is a virtuoso. I’ve always been wowed that he doesn’t read music. Like.. what?? This album has some real bangers; Living for the city, Don’t you worry bout a thing. Some of the songs, despite their musical impressiveness, fall flat with me. I think it’s probably due to the style of the time.

Well-composed with ripping guitar, bass, and drums. Add strong vocals and semi-biblical lyricism and you have the black album. Iconic to be sure. Not my cup of tea, but iconic.

This seems to be the best version of the limp bizkit era of lates 90s white-boy turntable rap. It’s angsty and angry, which I’m sure inspires some people. Every song ends up sounding the same to me and I don’t really like it.

This actually ripped! I found it high energy with catchy as hell guitar riffs. Nothing really grabbed me on the lyrics front, but the vocals were impressive.

Noisy oasis? I think I would have liked this better without the vocals. It has a vibe, but it’s not for me.

Fun, funny, groovy and inventive! This album didn’t miss with me. I loved the varied timing, the passion and the creative vocalization’s. I plan on cooking to this many times in the future!

One of the tracks on this album is titled Clean, which is the first word that comes to mind for me… clean. This is a tight, well-composed album. I love the feel, the vibe. Obviously Personal Jesus and Enjoy the Silence are ever-present hits, but there are some other gems in here as well.

Loud, raucous, rattling, inspiring (if you’re seeking being energetic and angry. It’s a cool sound for 1986 and a good base layer for what Metallica would become. Master of Puppets is an epic one. I found myself loving the Orion instrumental, which gave them the freedom to be more sensitive without giving away their tough persona.

Not entirely sure what this album is. Bossonova, RnB, jazz? Lots of 80s textures throughout. The lyricism is pretty basic as well. Not sure I needed this and I will probably not be coming back for more.

Schmaltzy, sexy, steamy. It’s groovy and he’s got a great voice, but nothing grabs me here. The only line I can remember is “until the cops come knockin” which just conjures negative things. I didn’t enjoy this one very much.

The beats were the highlight here and I love Q-Tips flow. The improv stuff where they keep the tape rolling doesn’t yield much. Ultimately very cool for the year.

I’m normally a pretty rabid Ray Charles fan, but this isn’t it. This is Ray sings Hank with a big band/Christmas ensemble. Very few moments of Ray’s genius I love.

It’s like Crosby Stills and Nash meets Led Zepplin. I feel middle earth in the lyrics and delivery. As expected the flute is amazing in this. I especially loved “Up to Me”. It’s also clear that they influenced Metal artists like Metallica, or at the very least helped in kicking off that genre.

This albums clips right along with few palpable breaks. It flowed and flowed and was over before I knew it. I have always loved Q-Tip’s flow. It was a pleasant surprise to hear Busta Rhymes on here.

In this album I hear the precursor to Vampire Weekend and a continuation of the Beatles. There is a heavy dose of Simon and Garfunkel as well as this album plays with sounds, timing and rhythms. It’s fun, but seems like a novelty to me. They’re having fun and creating cool, well-produced sounds, but not much soul or intimacy shining through. The dictionary song was kind of laughable, but also kind of slapped.

This is my introduction to the Smiths and Morissey. I have certainly heard them before but have never dialed in. I found it to be an interesting album that keeps you on your toes and holds up to contemporary standards. Morissey’s voice and style are super-unique and tap into an introspective mood that others don’t. I particularly liked “I started something I couldn’t finish” and “I won’t share you”. I was consistently left pleasantly surprised by a jam that featured keys or the accordion.

Rippin late 70s rock. Not too much intrigue, but some fun vibes. I never knew they sounded so fun much like Springsteen. At least to me.

This album has great grooves and really sets a mood. I couldn’t help but wishing every song were an instrumental. The vocals are the least inspired part of this album, and not just the playful light my fire outro.

Wild the amount of success the first three tracks alone had! Such an exciting time in Hip Hop and RnB. After that, we dive into more b-side tracks like Nasty Girl, which has a nice midway ode (rip-off?) to Push-it by Salt-N-Pepa. As the album continues it struggles to match the pace of its openers. “Apple Pie A La Mode” isn’t any good and I found myself wishing the ambitious “Sexy Daddy” would end already. There is some redemption to be had with the “independent women” reprise, but not much. The outro where they dote on each other is sweet.

Admittedly, I am pretty allergic to the 80s bass tones and keyboard featured here. I am also struggling to decouple “smooth operator” from the office slow jams and hold music that have embraced it over the years. When I imagine this album under different textures I (only) kind of like the vocals, grooves and lyrics.

Ella’s voice is flawless! Her ability to dance around the music is unreal. This album in particular is unbelievably long at 3hrs14mins. By the end I had a bit of Ella fatigue. I think I would consume it in chunks next time.

This isn’t a show, it’s a party. And James is one hell of a host. You can feel the energy coming through. The larger than life presentation, the soul, the passion, it is all spectacular.

What a force Otis is. You would struggle to name a more compelling voice. He’s covering songs here and it’s like you’re hearing them for the first time. Just an amazing talent.

This landed better with me than most Beatles albums, but not by much. The goofy opener of “Drove My Car” had us starting off on the wrong foot, but Norwegian Wood brought me back. Ultimately found myself liking some of the tracks, like “Girl” and “In my life” has always been one of my favorite Beatles songs.

Verging on the Grateful Dead with some grooves here. This is Clapton and his best (for me). He is somehow skirting outside of the white dude blues and finding magic elsewhere. The Bob Marley cover was ambitious, but he pulls it off pretty well.

This is a cool sound for 1984, which is incidentally my birth year. I hear them influencing the Cranberries and Y La Bamba. It also seems to be contemporary with Kate Bush. I’ll be visiting the rest of this catalogue.

Does any song represent the 80s more than “Take on Me”? This whole album is like a caricature of the 80s. It attempts to have the moodiness of the smiths and the tones of Prince, but falls short. “Take on me” is unbelievably catchy, but there isn’t much else here for me.

This albums simply doesn’t miss. I love the diversity of tunes from the rocking, to orchestral, to the folky, while still maintaining a consistent thread. This is Neil Young at his best for me.

God-tier bar band. Rockin’, palatable. Good stuff.

Inspiring, weird, electric, odd, energetic. I’m in. This is an album to break out for special occasions to get a rise out people. You need to crush some brick? This. You need to whip up a herd of black goats into a frenzy? This!

This album is just so complete. Every song makes sense and is somehow different from the rest. From the sensitive “Bridge over troubled water” to the fun times of “Cecilia” to the Peruvian “El Condor Pasa”. I knew I loved this album, but listening in this context just hits different. 5 stars.

This album is amazing! What a sound for 1969. Zappa was truly ahead of his time. “Willie the Pimp” is a hit that keeps on hitting, and it doesn’t stop there. This album had me moving and grooving the whole time.

The Rolling Stones, the Ramones, the violent femmes, the velvet underground? I hear it all on this album. I loved the song “For the Love of Ivy” but the overt racism ruined it for me.

What a personality! I have obviously always been aware of Prince, but I have never taken the time to listen to a whole of album of his. It’s fun and didn’t go on too long. I felt like I knew half of the songs well enough from exposure over time. “Darling Nikki” and “Baby, I’m a Star” were personal favorites. I loved the off-kilter lyrics and timing.

I was prepared for the aggressive white boy rap MC work done by the Beastie Boys, but I was not prepared for the beats, funk, grooves, and instrumentals on this album. I was always curious how the Beastie Boys fit into the Hip Hop story, or what the Hip Hop community thinks of them. Q-tips appearance on “Get it Together” answers that question. I enjoyed this way more than I expected to.

Fun and upbeat! I particularly love the first track and the “under the boardwalk” cover. Their association with the talking heads is apparent and boy do they miss Byrne. Great grooves though and fun bass lines.

I liked this a lot more than I thought I would! “Lovefool” was a childhood favorite radio-play of mine. I have fond memories of riding in a car, listening to it, while the sun danced on my closed eyelids through the trees. Nice trip down memory lane, but this album doesn’t hold much more than that for me.

I already gave live at Folsom Prison 5 stars, so I’ll probably give this a four. But he sounds much different in this one. He really leans into the machismo and bravado of his prison pandering persona, which I love. The Folsom Prison tribute song was so nice they wanted to hear it twice. I’m a sucker for these albums, especially when he ropes in Shel Silverstein.

Wow, another Cocteau Twins album in my first 130. I had never heard of them before and I continue to be pleasantly surprised. Their ethereal sound and fun harmonies sets it apart. The 80s textures aren’t my favorite, but their creativity overshadows it.

Noisy, grungy, punky, velvet undergroundy. None of the songs on this album stuck with me, save for the super graphic one about the car accident.

Pop meets Lucinda Williams here, and it’s doesn’t really miss. Hit after hit charges at you while she endears herself to the listener with fun and relatable lyrics. The subterranean homesick blues-inspired “The Na-Na Song” is the fun middle child of the album.

I may be too early in the project to have classic rock fatigue, but boy am I getting there. This is album is probably interesting in a vacuum, or within its cultural context, but I can’t seem to remember a single song. Oh, except for that one guitar riff from every job site ever, and the one about the baby going down the drain.

This album is a PARTY. The party is a little polluted by the occasional grotesque lyric. I found myself wishing the “skits” were full tracks. These seem to be creative moments that don’t fit the mold of 90s hip-hop that they call “skits” to avoid criticism. I wish they’d let them shine.

Rippin drums, guitar and bass. I enjoyed parts of this more than I thought I would. There were some fun time changes and arrangements. Ultimately, I don’t need the angsty angry vibes in my life, but I get it.

Is there another album more emblematic of the mid-60s? Time of the Season has long been played every 5 songs on classic rock stations. And for good reason! Such a great song. This album has great harmonies and is varied enough to keep you interested. I particularly liked “Beechwood Park” and “Butchers Tale”.

Turns out I like the Doors! Or, at least, I like this album. I was really only ever exposed to “Riders on the Storm”, “Come on baby light my fire”, and maybe to some extent “peace frog” featured here. I found every song to have catchy grooves and Morrison is doing a great job of entertaining. He uses his limited voice really well and doesn’t get too ambitious. I’m excited about this one and will be coming back.

All of these songs have provocative and deliberately weird lyrics over pre established popular songs. Like “chicken bones” is just sweet child of mine” right? And “Sigourney Weaver” has a teaspoon of “free bird”, no? But there is some brilliance in the raw honesty of the style. It’s Adam green meets Mika, meets the eagles somehow. Interesting stuff.

This strikes me as a Radiohead that wasn’t weird enough to catch anyone’s eye. It’s ambient, raucous, sensitive, orchestral and many other things. Yet, somehow, in its totality it doesn’t reach great heights. To its credit, it sounds to me like this could be the precursor to a lot of 2000s sounds we got via Dark Was the Night, with broken social scene and others .

This album hit the same way it did when I was in the 7th grade. Breathe, Smack My Bitch Up, and Firestarter are all memorable bangers. The rest of the album is pretty forgettable, with some middling rap influences.

This is a great sound for 2000. It fits into the Will Oldham and Bill Callahan club. I can see how it influences bands like My Morning Jacket. Ultimately, this album reach the heights of those bands. The falsetto is sometimes forced and I find myself thinking they’re doing something they’re not entirely cut out for. But, I love the soulfulness and the genre bending.

This album surprised me in a lot of ways. When I first put it on I thought I was in for a Steve Miller Band-adjacent experience. Which would have been ok. At times I heard the inspiration for Dave Matthews vocals, other times the inspiration for instrumental dreamscape.

Somehow this album is too much Oasis. Every song should be 1m30s shorter. And even then I’m not sure I need much of it. It’s 90s rock noise for the sake of 90s rock noise. They finally switch it up on the last track, which was my favorite song on the album.

This is a great sound for 2000. It fits into the Will Oldham and Bill Callahan club. I can see how it influences bands like My Morning Jacket. Ultimately, this album reach the heights of those bands. The falsetto is sometimes forced and I find myself thinking they’re doing something they’re not entirely cut out for. But, I love the soulfulness and the genre bending.

Out of the five Bob Dylans that exist, this one is like my third favorite. He’s versatile and deep and stays in his lane. The final 15 minute track tells you everything you need to know about this album. He always has the ability to distill life down to a few words. Good stuff.

This album, and artist, are a perennial favorite of mine. Will Oldham has such a prophetic nature and the voice to match. The music is slow and off kilter adding to gravitas. This one makes me feel deeply and I like that about it.

This albums has it all, but the blender often blends it onto a cacophony that’s hard to follow. The distinctive Bowie vocals even it out into a particular and recognizable sound. Fun interludes, dancing lyrics. 4 stars!

Big band greatness! I love the sound, but find it hard to distinguish one song from the next. It kind of just washed over me.

This felt like an afternoon with classic roach radio on. So many perennial hits from this one album. Jazzier than I expected it to be. They are clearly very talented and there are some timeless aspects. But it HARD to shake the dust of classic rock association.

This felt like watching a movie. It locks you into a time, place, and feel and doesn’t let go. You can hear mistakes, dreams, aspirations, failure. It’s less developed than his later music, which has more complex beats, but lyrically it’s great.

This is a pretty cool album. I had t heard of these guys before. I hear Appalachia, Britain, California, and more. They stay in their lane and don’t get too ambitious. There’s folk, soul, and jam. Nice smooth ride with a heavy dose of 60s textures.

He’s certainly got a lot to say here. Unfortunately, I can only understand about 40% of it. The passion is there though and the band is rockin. I especially enjoyed “The promised land” and “streets of fire”.

A loud and quick romp. 21 tracks in 35 mins?? Gotta love punk for that. I can definitely see their influence on artists like the Strokes and Green Day. Pretty smooth listen in the end.

Chrissie Hynde is just so damn cool. Her vocals and attitude were definitely the highlight of this album. The band is great, and at their best when sounding Ramones-ish, but ultimately they struggled to grab me often enough. Brass in Pocket gets its due via radio play and otherwise, and rightfully so. The lead off track is where it’s at though… PRECIOUS!

Great grooves that definitely wash over you. Seems perfect for a dinner party with people you don’t know very well.

Turns out I’m a sucker for this golden age of hip-hop stuff. I’ve enjoyed all of it, trice called quest, beastie boys, de la soul. The beats are just so damn good and they let them roll as instrumentals long enough to appreciate them. The flow and lyrical content is good enough here, but nothing show stopping. Nearly a 4 for me.

I usually love Ray Charles, but there must be a certain Ray that I like because this and “modern sounds in country music” did nothing for me. The croony Christmas feel leaves something to be desired. I was optimistic after the album kicked off strong with “let the good times roll”, but it quickly dove into banal soundtrack hymns. Here’s hoping I get one of his albums that moves me soon!

Somehow Wilco exited the 90s without the 90s rock band dust settling on them too much. It’s a pretty timeless sound that is diverse and varied. The can switch from rocking to crooning as good as anyone. And what an outro! Dreamer in my Dreams! My only critique is that it could have been a shade shorter.

This was a bit of a slog for me and it’s hard to say why. I liked the beats, and to some extent, the flow. I found myself not knowing what he was saying a lot of the time. Maybe I’m just out of the loop. Nothing really grabbed me here. Oddly enough, my favorite track was the outro with his dad talking.

I don’t have much exposure to Elvis Costello, despite him being what I would consider “up my alley”. At first I was a bit off-put by the vocal affectations. It strikes me as an approach someone would take to mask their lack of talent. But as the album marches on the songs get more diverse, I find myself more impressed. His impact on future music is apparent. I hear disco-funk, punk, ska, and 80s crooning. I particularly liked “Two Little Hitlers” and “Sunday’s Best”.

Woooo!! High energy with something to say. Masterful composition and grooves. Compelling stuff. Very few misses here.

There are some decent grooves here, but nothing that really sets apart - other than Rod’s distinctive rasp and style. The lyrics leave something to be desired, but I appreciate the band and the energy.

I hear a lot of Wilco and Jeff Tweedy in here, especially in “pissing in the wind”. There also elements of Thome York and Radiohead, and Neutral Milk Hotel. Pretty good stuff.

“We Are Family” COME ON DOWN TO OUR TOYOTA SALES EVENT! You can’t I hear it. I guess it’s not their fault their somewhat catchy hit got repurposed by every commercial ever. The other songs on the album sound pretty much the same. A fairly boring March through middling disco.

Once I see past the early 80s production and tones, the sub par lyricism, and the insufferable harmonies, I can see some jazz to appreciate. This is not the sound for me.

We’re dealing with the Godmothers of grunge here, right? This album has more depth than I expected with tracks like “northern star”. And what a banger of an opener. Unfortunately, the album dabbles in the 90s mundane at times.

I loved this and I’m not sure how I kissed it. As an older millennial, steeped in arcade fire and dark was the night, this fits right in. I hear future islands and the dirty projectors as well. The strange vocals are on-point and compelling. The tunes are great.

If you had to demonstrate what the 60s sounded like to an alien you might choose this. Classic 60s vibes bottled up. But they sound great and they are the banner holder for a reason. Constantly toying with the R/L stereo kind of fucks me up. Calfornia Dreamin’ is my go to track for making sure my speakers are both working. I enjoyed this more than I thought I would though.

It’s like a massive attack and Radiohead collaboration with a tablespoon of melodica and a teaspoon of Goldan Age Hip-Hop. One thing is certain though, these tracks are undeniably fun and a few of them manage to be timeless.

It’s as if a beach boys cover acapella group was led into a studio, given psychedelics and told they were unchained and could now use instruments. It’s like Winnie the Pooh happened upon a bunch of heffalumps that love The Beach Boys. It’s both a very familiar childhood sound and very unmoored.

Ethereal and reflective. Perfect for a jellyfish exhibit. Clear Radiohead contemporaries. I wonder if I would like this as much if the words were in English.

This seemed like Soundgarden without the necessary Chris Cornell vocals. It was ok. But struggled to grab me with any of the tracks.

Certainly seems like LL likes women and fighting. There are some struggle lyrics peppered in, but it’s mainly that. The beats are nice, but get repetitive by the end. His flow is smooth, but the rhymes and attitude aren’t super compelling for me. This has been my least favorite prescribed album from the Golden Age of Hip Hop.

Haughty, aloof, elitist, amazing. I love that he really leans into that persona. He has a great sense for what sounds compelling, and uses his voice just right to get your attention. He states things plainly but makes it sound poetic. In his words, he is not a “crashing bore”.

I love their messy, drunken, bluesy ways. Ignoring any polish, they march through songs that are funny and heartfelt, while demonstrating a knack for finding grooves. I always thought “Big Pink” was a movie I hadn’t seen. I now know that it was a house where a lot of cool people hung out to make some cool music. Oh to be a fly on the wall.

Genesis coming in with a damn-near-four! I have to admit, my only exposure to them was the somewhat-novelty tune “I can’t dance” that my mom was into in the 80s for a couple of weeks. I was not expecting a prog-rock odyssey into, what, Robin Hood? This album rips way more than it should and Phill Collins’ prowess as a drummer shines. Every song is an epic with multiple movements and it keeps you on your toes.

Smooth, jazzy, bossanova. It’s certainly a vibe. My main orientation to this album is obviously “the girl from ipanema” an office and grocery store staple. Looking past all of that, there is something seductive here. And the instrumentation is clearly virtuosic. Unfortunately, it’s not anything I’ll be coming back to any time soon.

Their creativity, patience, and innovation shine here. They let their music breathe in a way few artists allow. This is an odyssey through space that you can really sell into. Built for a good set of headphones, stars, and maybe some LSD if you’re feeling adventurous.

When I heard this band name, I expected my ears to be assaulted by drunken southern rock. This was the opposite. Thoughtful, lilting alt-rock-country. And what a sound for 1988! I could see this fitting right in ten years later. I kept feeling like the singer was holding back though. I wanted her to belt some of these tunes, but she remained reserved and gentle, perhaps a style choice.

This album has many impressive elements - the production, the pace, the instrumentation, the genre melding, all good stuff. I had never heard of this album before and left impressed. So high energy, until they decide to slow it down the last two tracks. Cool stuff.

I feel like I need to add the preamble that Win Butler’s alleged sexually abusive behavior clouds arcade fire a bit for me. I have to remember there are other members of the band and their contribution should not be brought down with those allegations. This album holds a special place for me. It landed on my iPod in my early 20s, when I was post-college and somewhat adrift. The themes about the pains of growing up resonated with me. “Our bodies get bigger but our hearts get torn up”. The big sounds and the energy, paired with their sensitive nature are appealing. This album has some great tracks, but also some moments I tune out for, like the bjork-esque outro.

Wow! Such an impressive sound for 1977. You know how you can tell they were one of the first electronic bands? Because in the first song they just repeat “we are the robots” which is exactly what someone discovering they can make that voice for the first time would say. Every song settles into a nice little groove that entrances you. And they even sprinkle in a little velvet underground-esque jam with Neon Lights.

I have been Bombarded by prog rock as of late, but I actually liked this more than I thought I would. The bass lines are ripping and the tracks are variable enough to keep me interested.

There isn’t much here for me. It’s 90s rock where the singer’s voice can’t keep up with his vision. Their slower songs are better in my opinion, but not by much.

This album has one helluva opener. High energy kickoff. They show their blues chops with tunes like Gallows Pole.

Poetic barroom slop! And I am 100% here for it. There are a lot Bob Dylans, but I think this one is my favorite.

Does anything say late-2000s house party quite like this? You can chill, dance, reflect, or just vibe to this whole album. It’s diverse while maintaining a central theme. And it’s a sound that is extremely recognizable.

This is a nice and diverse sound. Advanced for 1992 for sure.

This is The Rolling Stones at their best for me. I love how every songs ends in a groove and I’m a sucker for the sloppy saxophone that shows up just the right amount. A great party/hard work album that I’ll be putting on in the future for sure.

This album does a great job of mixing electronic sounds into orchestral themes. They also do fun stuff like seemingly hammering sheet metal in the middle of songs. Though, I’m am curious if this sometimes clouds the songwriting and emotions they’re able to inspire. Cool album.

This album was all over the place. Super Manic in the beginning but then settled down. The soul medley was pretty cool. I like Zen Archer the most. There were pieces I liked, but in the end I found myself wishing it were over.

Michael Stipe’s yodeling sound drives this album forward. He really lays it on thick in the last song, which I loved. The single “Stand” is fun but doesn’t do too much for me. It’s a really cool sound for 1988.

U2 has always been among the top bands that annoy me. And not just because they forced their album onto my iPhone that one time. First of all, Bono and Edge, with their mononyms are kind of cringey. Second of all Bono always sounds like he’s pandering or trying too hard. Now that I’ve gotten that out of the way, I’ll say that there are some good tunes here, in particular the hits of “One” and “Mysterious ways”, which were soundtracks of the long car rides of my childhood. Nothing I’ll be coming back to here.

Wow, I hated that. Nothing seemed to grab the entire time. The consistent pace. The wailing vocals. Hell, I even hated the album art.

This album is amazing! She has some smooth grooves. Is it country? RnB? She also displays some mystical lyricism with “The Windmills of your mind”, which I love. Unfortunately there are some mundane tracks sprinkled in which stop me from giving it a 5.

A clean and well-produced prof-rock album. Bloody Well Right deserves the airplay it continues to get. Not much else here that is memorable.

Is Les Claypool in this band?? I’m so confused. Primus and Ween owe this band a beer. I love the repetition, the sing songy trances, and the childlike approach to dark tones. Weird? Sure. Bizarre? Definitely. Cool, unique, and not boring? Absolutely!

Not much here for me. Pretty standard 90s stuff.

I’m nice I get past the 90s textures that lock me into a time, place and vibe, I can unearth some real genius here. The broody vocals keep you on your toes and are rarely out of sink with the electronic beats. I particularly liked “wandering star”.

Rhythm and grooves just pouring out of this album. I feel like I’m there in the room, and the energy is high!

This was a surprising album in a lot of ways. Salisbury Hill is iconic. He sounds like Randy Newman, and even the Band, at times. Unfortunately, the album finds its way to some middling prog-rock too often. I loved “excuse me”.

Always saw this band as a one-hit wonder, riding the coat tails of the Strokes. The album actually has a lot more to offer than the hit “take me out”. At times it’s a happier Queens of the Stone age, and at others it is a poppy party album. The vibes remain fun and energetic which helps a lot. Not bad.

I love the vibe and the sound. Elvis has a lot to say, but never really seems to say anything. He doesn’t really let the tunes simmer, not a ton of instrumental breaks, yet I didn’t walk away feeling like I’d heard anything poetic or insightful, but maybe that’s just me.

This album represents The Rolling Stones before they were The Rolling Stones. A lot of the elements of their signature groove are there, as shown in the long outro, but it’s missing something. Painted Black was cool, but doesn’t shine particularly bright against its peers of that time period. Ultimately, I left this a little uninspired.

Such a cool album with a great feel. It really starts cooking for me in the latter half. The repetitive beats entrance me.

Now this is a party!! I put this on during a rainy Monday and despite the mood, I found myself dancing along. Such great grooves. It’s playful and fun and the talent shines through. Such a nice surprise!

Hard to separate the art from the artist here, considering the nature of her death and the lyrical content of these tunes. But, if you manage to see through that, you find heartfelt tunes and a voice as strong as any in the biz. She is such a force, and can imbue every sounds she makes with meaning. While there are a few misses on this album, it plays well in its entirety.

This definitely isn't my thing. I could see how it would be good cleaning/work flow music, but nothing I would deliberately put on. Seems like the person making it had fun.

This album seems to be ahead of its time. The grooves it finds are something you might find right at home in the modern day. It’s a cool vibe that reminds me of Leonard Cohen.

It’s hard to view this album in its original context. Their sound seems to be what every old white man established as their understanding of hip hop to this day. “It’s Tricky” is a certified banger that absolutely holds up! The other songs follow in its footsteps, but don’t switch it up enough, save for the Aerosmith cameo in “Walk this way” which is a moment in music history. In the end there is not much here for to revisit, because it would be ridiculous to put on “it’s tricky” or “walk this way” in earnest.

There are parralels with Kate Bush, which in here for. She also sounds the precursor to Regina Spector at times. The album strikes somber tunes and has beotifuk poetry. A few gems in here for sure.

There are a few misses here, but not many! When it hits it hits and it’s usually a cover (re: queen of the silver dollar, the bottle let me down, coat of many colors), but she kills it.

Moody party vibes. She makes the most of the studio. It’s a big, compelling sound, and when the beat drops out she’s there to greet you with her affected lower register. Good stuff. I won’t be putting it on, but am happy to have it find me organically.

“rock and roll will never die”… kind of a self-fulfilling prophecy here. This album rocks and rolls.

There are a few bangers here, “(oh no) what you got” and definitely “cry me a river” - but the album is polluted with D+. Soul and RnB. The times he sounds Stevie wonder-esque are the worst. He even tries his hand at a Missy Elliott cadence. I won’t be sad to hear “cry me a river” in my bi-annual cadence, but I won’t be coming back to this album.

This is a smooth, sensitive, heartfelt album that puts you in a time and place. I feel like I can smell the barroom, taste the light beer, and see the cigarette dangling from the steel guitarists lips. The country guitar, lilty piano and Jews harp jams, mixed with the slow and thoughtful lyrics, make for a sweet romp.

This is probably my favorite Radiohead album. Controversial, I know. I just feel like it’s the most coherent and isn’t polluted with them being avant-garde for the sake of it. No one song on this album can hold a candle to my favorite Radiohead tracks (“karma police” “life in a glass house” “idioteque”) but it’s the only album of theirs I would consider putting on in its entirety.

This whole thing is built on irreverent humor carried by Eminem’s signature lyricism and cadence. This type of thing either excites and stimulates or offends. Back when I was a 9th grader in 1999 it did the former, I now does the latter. Joking about drugging and raping a 15 year old girl, or killing your daughter’s mother simply doesn’t sit well with me snow. I’ll be shoving this into the bottom of the music trash can along with other aged-like-milk material. It’s saved from being one star by Eminem’s uncanny ability to create a rhyme from nothing and Dr. Dre’s beats.

I hadn’t heard of this band before, but there is a quite a bit to like here. I hear tunes similar to the RHCP, Dispatch, QOTSA, the Strokes and more. They manage to find new and compelling grooves throughout.

This band sounds so different from everything else in 1969. They somehow managed to create a timeless sound while also sounding very different from everything else in this era. I have always been a sucker for CCR. They are just undeniably fun. This album didn’t have many of their hits that drive their work forward. Certainly “Born on the Bayou” and “proud Mary”, which are stellar. But the others don’t shine as much.

Once I got past the Billy Corgan-esque vocals I could find some grooves to enjoy. It kept teetering into a four star album for me, but something was holding it back. Side note: doesn’t that one song sound a lot like Danny California by the RHCP?

This continuation of Dylan has the benefit of having some masterful musicians on staff (Dave Rawlings and Gillian Welch… wow!). And “in my time of need” is definitely just repackaged “if I needed you” by TVZ. At any rate, this album plays well and holds up well. It clearly had a huge influence on things we’re still hearing today from Jason Isbell for example. It would be a 5 but I can’t seem to ignore the self-righteous person lingering behind the tracks. Who starts an album airing out a petty argument with their producer?

We’ve all been subjected to (assaulted by?) all eight minutes American Pie at some point, if not MANY times in our life. It has its charms, but I was not excited for a whole album of it. But, I found some things to like, like “Winterwood”. He seems to be trying his hand a lot of the popular styles of the times, sounding at times like Dylan and at others like Simon. Not bad on the whole.

There is some Sinatra I love, but this isn’t it. This to me is big band schmatlz at its finest. Nothing for me to grab into really, but pleasant enough.

I love ABBA way more than I feel like I should. It’s distilled beautiful pop. They somehow always do the right thing to the point that you feel like you can guess where they’re going. It’s so simple you feel like you should have come up with it. But you didn’t. ABBA did.

There is some effortless musicianship displayed here. And what a force Janis Joplin is! Fun, steamy, energetic, salty.

This is pretty cool for 1991. I definitely hear how they influenced bands like the Gorillaz. I didn’t know the date of the album and my first take was “wow these rhymes are wack!”. The early date gives them a bit of a pass. Little ages worse than rap flows. It’s nothing I’ll be coming back to, but it’s not hurting anyone.

I didn’t find much here to grab onto, but I respect the number of songs and the ability to keep it brief. Though, I do wonder if the brevity of the songs is what allowed it to wash over me. The distorted garage sound hides any brilliance that may lurk.

The jams are great here, but I’m not big on the old English folk songs like “John Barkeycorn”. I struggle to follow the tales and find it daunting and uninspiring to try and keep up.

I didn’t like this album as much as “Hounds of Love”, but I found it to be unique and creative. For some reason, I wasn’t very compelled by it. Can we classify that one song as tin-whistle bossanova? Not something I needed.

This is a timely album, because Trump was re-elected 2 days ago and I also don’t want to be an American Idiot or a part of the “redneck agenda”. The pace is fun and the long pop-punk songs with movements have a soft spot in my heart. Unltimately, it doesn’t fit my taste these days, but I respect it.

A wild, loud, jazzy romp. They threw caution to the wind with this one and did everything they could to assault your ear drums, with care-free lyricism highlighting individuality shining through. A drug and alcohol filled smoky room personified. Almost nothing exists with more abandon.

I can’t help but thinking that this is what Dr. Frankenfurter would sound like if he made a 90s chamber pop album. I was consistently put off by the gross creeper stuff, begging for kisses etc. Weird but not in a good way.

This is an endearing album that highlights “the king of the blues”. It all sounds so standard, but that is probably because he is the standard bearer. The crowd is INTO it. The back and forth between them and King characterize this album. I felt like I was there. And I had a great time.

Dark rock badassery. Makes me want to buy a motorcycle and fuck some shit up. Ozzy’s pipes add needed color to pedestrian guitar that actually manages to find good grooves regularly.

C+ country. The Texas Waltz was fun, but other than that there is nothing here for me that I’ll be coming back to.

This rocked. Inventive and weird with grooves throughout. Only occasionally do they devolve into sounding like their 1973 peers, but they mainly created something that holds up. “Sad Skinhead” was a fun ride and “Jennifer” is so nice. Surprisingly good stuff here.

All hail the king of yarling! Vedder’s signature singing style dominates this album. His loud vibrato is impressive, but laughably unintelligible. I might just be over-exposed to some of these songs having grown up gen-x adjacent, but man did I find myself bored throughout. Nothing grabbed me.

*chicka-dun chicka-dun* That riff guitar beat drove the whole album. But I’m not going to lie, it had me moving and grooving. At times I thought I was listening to the Talking Heads, at other disco. The album didn’t have enough variation and the lyrics left me wanting. Other than that, this wasn’t bad.

Such a beautiful atmospheric album. I cranked away at some work while this was on. I’ll be coming back to this for sure, but mainly in those moments of needed focus.

It’s amazing how they can go from soft and sensitive to ripping boarder line metal. They’re diverse. Some of these songs are iconic and hold up. Some of these are outright bad. I think the album could have been trimmed down to one disc.

Hot damn this was a fun ride. Cee Lo has such a unique and captivating style, and, man, the beats. Pharrell Williams and Timbaland involved? Lights out. Add Ludacris into the mix and you get a 5 from me.

Pretty cool stuff. I love the accordion and the fact that it doesn’t forsake traditional music. It’s loud, rough and ripping at times. Not a daily album, but certainly one to steal from when you need that quirky playlist track.

It’s like Mac DeMarco meets childish gambino. Hearing Michael McDonald’s and Kendrick Lamar on the same album was not on my bingo card. I appreciate how eclectic it is but part of me feels like he’s working too hard to keep me on my toes. Obviously, the bass lines are virtuosic, which is easily hidden because of how common it is to farm the rhythm section out to a computer. Not my taste in the end, with the sustained jazzy tones and all, but I respect it.

I think imagine was my least favorite song on the album. I really liked how it hit rock and roll, ballads, and bar room blues. A diverse album that ends a little early. I’m not sure I agree that it’s hard to hide when you’re crippled inside.

This is about as 80s as it gets for me. Crooning over a synthesizer. I thought this album was fairly lost until the last track. “The Chauffeur” is compelling and I’ll be coming back to it.

The band finds some great grooves and jams that save this album from the dumpster, just like the last Alice cooper album I had. What had it on its way to the dumpster to begin with was that I don’t really like him or his persona and I think it’s ripping off others - the doors (Blue Turk), the Beatles (Alma Mater). But it gets a two because the band is keeping up with other artists of the era, and doing it as well as any other.

What a beautiful powerful voice. I love this genre but for some reason the songs here don't grab me. Chain of Fools is the front runner, but the others don’t do much for me.

This rides hard on anti-establishment themes. Even themes that rail on those who are anti-establishment. I’m not sure I can take an ethos seriously that just laughs at other ethoses. The nihilism is tempting but doesn’t sit well in the end. Unfortunately, cynicism is masking musicality here. Imagine what they could do with an eighth of a teaspoon of caring.

I stuck with it for 2 out of the 5 hours of run time. Maybe they switch it up a bit in hours 4, 5, and 6, but I can’t imagine that’s the case. It grew redundant for me and I felt like I was listening to the same song the whole time. It was a decent song, but I wasn’t high enough to have it take me on the journey it wanted to.

Is this my introduction to Brit-Hop? Not bad all things told. At times they sounds like three-six mafia, at others more Neptunes-ish. I can’t help but hear the gorillaz when a British dude is rapping. Some pretty good beats, but nothing super compelling in the mix.

He says something, says it again, says some thing else, then rhymes something new with the first thing. A standard that seems at least as old as recorded music. All in service of getting the real point, some ripping blues guitar. It’s got attitude, it’s not talent, it’s a real vibe. Does anyone represent he blues better than Muddy Waters?

All hail the kings of grunge! The nonchalant musicianship and self deprecation bring you in like no other. Not too cool to fully lean into playing someone else’s songs entirely. Emotion ratcheted up to 11. What a send off!

This is great and it goes a little beyond grunge which is cool. Perry Ferrell’s voice is an attraction on its own. They pepper in some sounds from different genres and do a good job of letting it rip the whole time. It’s not my thing, but I can tell they’re doing their thing well.

For some reason I have never enjoyed stings singing style, his affectation. However, this album had some surprising elements like “mother” which was cool. Ultimately, not my things but I appreciate the bass, and the undeniable hits that came out of it.

A master class in slow crooning… which I snored through. I felt like I was listening to the same song the whole time. It has a distinct vibe, straddling Christmas and a romantic scene in a 1950s detective show, but not much for me to engage with.

A really cool hip-hop feminist album from a 19 year old. Great to see De Las Soul on here. She is clearly wise beyond her years and I love the reggae tunes in here. Ultimately not something I need to put on regularly but I respect it.

Indian electronics isn’t some trying I would have ever chosen to explore in my own, but I would be missing out. This is great workflow/soundtrack music and I love how their complex timing melds seamlessly with the digital world here.

It was so nice to live in this album for a while. It goes great places and keeps you on your toes. So cool to faintly hear him in the background enjoying himself. It fits in with some of its contemporaries at times, but mostly lives outside of that.

The melting pot of this album is cool. I get some lyric fatigue with everything being about guns and drugs. You write what you love though, I guess. There are some great beats here, with a semi- annoying flow on top. Ultimately not my thing, but I like that it exists.

The groovy RnB beats make this album. Pretty vintage 90s hip hop bbq stuff. I was surprised to hear Busta Rhymes and Andre 3000 on this album. Their timelines did not overlap in my mind. I ultimately, found the subject matter to be pretty shallow, save for waterfalls, and I could definitely have done without the skit where someone flushes a toilet.

I like the dark tones and the pace of the album. The call and response work is fun too. Every now and then the vocals venture out of the avant garde and into just kind of sucking. It’s a fine line I guess. I didn’t really grab onto any of the tracks and likely won’t be revisiting it any time soon. But it’s not bad.

This album is great! Funky, sexy, socially conscious. Great messages paired with some clear A+ musicians. Their impact on the music that came after this apparent.

This isn’t hurting anyone, but it’s not adding much for me either. Kind of seems like Pink Floyd without the fun parts. I appreciate the word of mouth nature of the success of the album, but I’m all set after that.

Popified grunge at times, yarling 90s butt rock at others. She has an impressive voice, and the attitude is sure something. But for me, it often overplays its hand (re: the wailing at the end of “Perfect”). It has a place in the annals of my music history, but nothing I ever need to revisit, beyond when it dances by my ears in public.

This is the White Stripes at their best for me. Letting it rip (“Ball and Biscuit, “You have no faith in medicine”) and giving me a port in the storm of their gigantic sound with little diddies (“It’s true that we love one another”). Jack white is fierce and Meg matches him perfectly.

I like Elvis Costello, but something holds me back from loving him. Is the that his sound is dated and locked in time? Is it his affectation and attitude? Is it the fact that he talks a lot and seems to say very little? I don’t know. But it’s something. Once I shirk those critiques, I find myself enjoying myself when listening to him. I especially enjoyed “watching the detectives”.

I’m a sucker for this rough and tumble junk box, back alley, nitty gritty Tom Waits stuff. Weird ages better than talent and Tom Waits is a fine wine with a perfect vint.

I always like Simon and Garfunkel more than I think I will. First I think they’ll bore me with traditionalism - then they find bongo grooves, lampoon Bob Dylan, and dive headlong into social commentary. And obviously the flawless harmonizing doesn’t hurt. The album has some awesome tracks like “patterns” and some real hoke like “The 59th Street Bridge Song”. All in 28 minutes.

They rip at times and I like the tune that has the horns. They should have done more of that! Ultimately, the aggression bags at me and I have to turn it off for a breather. It’s a pretty exhausting album with “Jane says” being the only truly palatable tune.

Wow, this is for sure the most I’ve liked U2. I always found Bono rather annoying and was pushed over the edge when they forced their way onto my iPhone in 2013. But this has some cool elements. I respect the political themes and am shocked to hear them sounding vaguely new wave. Not bad at all.

Pleasant enough, though I’m not sure it stands out or shines among the other albums of its era. It’s pretty standard fair with some pretty songs in there.

A rocking good time. The jams and the attitude make for a high energy ride. The outro of “you can’t always get what you want” is nice, especially with its iconic choir lead in, but it’s all about the barroom tunes like “Midnight Rambler” for me.