642
Albums Rated
3.17
Average Rating
59%
Complete
447 albums remaining
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
1950s
Favorite Decade
Grunge
Favorite Genre
US
Top Origin
Wordsmith
Rater Style ?
40
5-Star Albums
10
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Me Against The World
2Pac
|
5 | 3.25 | +1.75 |
|
Bat Out Of Hell
Meat Loaf
|
5 | 3.44 | +1.56 |
|
Aja
Steely Dan
|
5 | 3.47 | +1.53 |
|
Power In Numbers
Jurassic 5
|
5 | 3.48 | +1.52 |
|
Stankonia
OutKast
|
5 | 3.55 | +1.45 |
|
Licensed To Ill
Beastie Boys
|
5 | 3.56 | +1.44 |
|
good kid, m.A.A.d city
Kendrick Lamar
|
5 | 3.61 | +1.39 |
|
Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)
Wu-Tang Clan
|
5 | 3.61 | +1.39 |
|
People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm
A Tribe Called Quest
|
5 | 3.61 | +1.39 |
|
Illmatic
Nas
|
5 | 3.61 | +1.39 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Murder Ballads
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
|
1 | 3.08 | -2.08 |
|
Greetings From L.A.
Tim Buckley
|
1 | 2.86 | -1.86 |
|
Chris
Christine and the Queens
|
1 | 2.82 | -1.82 |
|
Konnichiwa
Skepta
|
1 | 2.74 | -1.74 |
|
The Infotainment Scan
The Fall
|
1 | 2.72 | -1.72 |
|
Space Ritual
Hawkwind
|
1 | 2.68 | -1.68 |
|
Follow The Leader
Korn
|
1 | 2.65 | -1.65 |
|
Playing With Fire
Spacemen 3
|
1 | 2.54 | -1.54 |
|
Now I Got Worry
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
|
1 | 2.52 | -1.52 |
|
Surfer Rosa
Pixies
|
2 | 3.5 | -1.5 |
Artists
Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Beatles | 5 | 4.4 |
| Nirvana | 3 | 4.67 |
| Beastie Boys | 3 | 4.67 |
| A Tribe Called Quest | 2 | 5 |
| Stevie Wonder | 4 | 4.25 |
| Steely Dan | 3 | 4.33 |
Least Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds | 3 | 1.67 |
| Tim Buckley | 2 | 1.5 |
| The Fall | 2 | 1.5 |
Controversial
| Artist | Ratings |
|---|---|
| Miles Davis | 5, 2, 3, 4 |
5-Star Albums (40)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
M.I.A.
3/5
I've gotten to learn a bit about M.I.A. through the "Paper Planes" episode of The Ringer's "60 Songs That Explain the '90s: The 2000s" podcast, so I sort of knew what to expect here. Obviously this album was pre-Paper Planes, so the overall sound is probably going to shock many upon their first listen. Despite the dancehall & hip-hop-like sound, this album is very politically charged. Themes of conflict and revolution, references to the PLO, etc. Heck, the album title is literally the political code name used by M.I.A.'s father.
This...probably won't reach everyone in an influential way and that's fine. The production and mixing teeters more towards a "grime" sound at points which I don't really care for. But, using this sort of platform and genre-mixing to share these messages was certainly unique for the time and still somewhat effective 20ish years later. I can give this album some flowers as a result.
Side note: Any other NBA Live 06 players recognize "Bucky Done Gun"?
2 likes
Miles Davis
2/5
I think I prefer Davis’s earlier work, this style of experimental jazz didn’t seem to do it for me. It just felt like there was too much dead air and disjointedness, especially in disc 1 (which consists of two tracks each over 20 min in length I should add).
Just never really landed for me, but I appreciate the effort that went into trying something different.
2 likes
Calexico
3/5
Interesting album to say the least. A much different take on indie rock, with country, Tejano, and jazz thrown in. It definitely SOUNDS southwestern and desert-y, which makes sense considering that this group was apparently formed in Tuscon, Arizona. There seems to be an even mix of vocal and instrumental tunes as well, really bringing the spotlight to this interesting fusion of western genres.
Just shy of a 3.5/5 for creativity, as there weren't really any specific tracks that I was pining to go back and listen to, but the body of work was certainly interesting.
2 likes
Yes
3/5
Half of this album is “Roundabout” and “Heart of the Sunrise”. Not really a complaint, but I don’t know what it is with prog rock and its marathon songs. The thing is, most of the rest of the album were short instrumentals that didn’t really match the energy of “Roundabout” or even “South Side of the Sky”. Makes me think that the construction of the album was fiddled with a bit too much, but I guess that was normal for prog rock of this era.
1 likes
Christine and the Queens
1/5
I guess I don't really dig the modern electro-pop sound. Nothing really stood out to me after the album's completion, plus the translated lyrics (I presume) sounded nonsensical to me.
1 likes
4-Star Albums (166)
1-Star Albums (10)
All Ratings
Funkadelic
3/5
I tend to prefer instrumental funk, and those types of track really shine in this album (moreso funk-rock I guess, especially Maggot Brain). The other tracks weren’t that memorable (save for the title track) and kind of drag on a bit. Maybe a product of its time, as a lot of these early funk records are a bit similar in that vein.
Justice
4/5
I was familiar with some of the singles prior to getting this album. I haven't been exposed to a ton of electro house, but this album was pretty solid. It starts off strong with 'Genesis', to the iconic single 'D.A.N.C.E' (which feels a tad out of place in this album). The ending three tracks ('Stress', Waters of Nazareth', 'One Minute to Midnight') also prove to be a killer finishing combo after reeling the listener back in. I can see this type of music not being for everybody, so the reviews may be a bit polarizing. But as someone who likes Daft Punk, this record is somewhat up my alley.
Ramones
3/5
Well this album definitely flies by. The Ramones have a pretty signature "sound" and that's very evident in this album. As a result a lot of this album sounds very similar, save for the two singles and a select few tracks. Very uptempo, as was much of "first wave" punk rock during this era. Punk rock definitely evolved to better things in my opinion, but this was part of punk rock's foray into the mainstream radio and I can appreciate that.
The Verve
3/5
I was familiar with some of the singles prior to drawing this album. It's an alright listen, as I've been exposed to other Britpop from around this era. If anything, though, listening to this made me want to listen to Oasis. This album runs a bit long, with a few 5+ min tracks including the interesting final hidden track that literally contains like 7+ min of silence. The singles themselves are memorable (talking about the iconic "Bitter Sweet Symphony" and "Lucky Man" of course), but nothing else really stands out.
The Cure
3/5
First album I've gotten that I knew nothing about (outside of the artist). Very much has that "new wave" sound, complete with mesmerizing, yet subtle drums and bass. The album goes by pretty quick and stays pretty "down" beat. If you're looking for energy, you're not gonna find it here. I think I'd say that I prefer the Cure's later stuff, but this was easily digestible.
Pixies
2/5
So this is the album before 'Doolittle' huh? I gotta say, this album is all over the place. Very few highs and mostly very strange and inconsistent lows. Really raw-sounding and gruff throughout. Kind of had to force myself to finish the album after 2/3rds of the way through. Guess I'll wait until I draw 'Doolittle' (assuming it's on this list) to give my true opinions on the Pixies.
T. Rex
4/5
Was not familiar with this band whatsoever prior to listening. Was greeted with a very glam-rocky sound, akin to David Bowie, which I can enjoy. A few of the tracks felt like something I've heard before, but couldn't place my finger on them. No song really overstays its welcome and consists of some catchy & silly hooks/choruses too. Particularly memorable tracks included: "Metal Guru", "Rock On", "The Slider", and "Telegram Sam".
Aretha Franklin
5/5
This is quintessential 60's soul and R&B, complete with the powerful tones from the Queen of Soul herself. I've gotta be honest though, I never really dug deep into Ms. Franklin's discography before this, as I was only really familiar with her hit singles. Will definitely be checking out her lesser-known work after this. As for the album itself, every track is just a joy to listen to as you can feel the energy and spirit radiating from Franklin's voice. Evident immediately after starting off with a bang in "Chain of Fools". The same feeling applies to the slower songs from the album as well, such as with "Ain't No Way" and of course the massive "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman". It's infectious, really.
The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy
3/5
This album doesn't pull any punches right out of the gate. I wasn't familiar with this group prior to today, but just looking at the song titles told me what I needed to know. This album isn't "pleasant" to listen to, but it isn't supposed to be. Michael Franti is very up-front and clear with his delivery about a variety of societal issues throughout the album. His delivery honestly reminds me of the likes of Ice-T and Chuck D from that era. One FYI, Spotify omits four songs from the album on their platform for some reason (some pretty big ones too).
Bon Jovi
3/5
Wow, all of Bon Jovi's hits are really on here. Although, I feel like everyone's heard them at this point. A fun listen, although glam metal/rock can feel a bit cookie-cutter at times. It's always a mix of high-energy choruses and then some slow ballads mixed in. Not bad, though.
Eminem
4/5
Eminem is very much a polarizing figure in hip-hop, that much I will agree with. I was exposed a bit to Em growing up, and thus am very much familiar with this album. This might honestly be his best work, but I usually go back and forth between this and his previous album "The Slim Shady LP" in determining that label. Em's..."charged" delivery and explicit lyrical content may not be for everyone ("Kim" has all of that and then some), but the first half of the album sets the tone nicely, featuring some of the more iconic songs from Em's vast library.
George Michael
4/5
This album has a surprising amount of singles, which I guess makes sense considering the timeline of this album releasing after the commercial success of Wham! There really is quite a fusion of musical genres here, with rock, funk and even some soul mixed in throughout. Very... sexually-charged too, if that wasn't already a given with George Michael.
The Chemical Brothers
2/5
I'd consider myself somewhat of a big beat fan. The sound combination of heavy breakbeats with a variety of sampling can be energizing. I've been exposed to acts such as The Prodigy, Fatboy Slim, and of course, The Chemical Brothers. Although I will admit that I wasn't familiar with much of this album outside of the first track coming in. Many of these tracks sound like they were designed to be idle tracks or in club mixes and as a result, skipping through these tracks means you're not really missing much. This is exemplified in the start of the back half of the album. Although things do take an interesting change of pace at the end. I dunno, I guess I was expecting more, especially after starting with "Block Rockin' Beats".
Gillian Welch
3/5
I have never listened to an album from a folk artist like this all the way through before now, just never a genre that I crossed paths with. I've always possessed an open mind (or ears!) when it comes to music and this challenge just reinforces that. Pretty soothing album overall, and I could hear and see some Americana in the lyrics too. Nothing groundbreaking, but this type of music comes across as more pure and authentic to me I guess, likely due to the limited instrumentals and simplistic sound. The lyrics and the delivery have to shine as a result, and Mrs. Welch does a good enough job throughout. A word to first time listeners, the final track is a marathon song (15 min).
David Bowie
3/5
I do not know much of Bowie's work post 1990s, so this was an interesting listen. Very ominous, depressing, and introspective throughout, which makes sense given the state of Bowie's health at the time (and ultimately his passing a few days after this album). "Lazarus" and "I Can't Give Everything Away" were standout examples of those aforementioned themes. I'd be lying if I said this was Bowie's best work, though
Scissor Sisters
3/5
Vaguely familiar with the Scissor Sisters prior to listening. I'm not sure how I would describe this sound, they're labeled as glam rock but all the glam rock I know and have listened to is from the 70s. I guess this is the natural evolution of a music genre into the current century. Anyways, there's a good mix of jovial, high-energy jams and slow ballads on here. Complete with an...interesting cover of Pink Floyd's "Comfortably Numb".
Christine and the Queens
1/5
I guess I don't really dig the modern electro-pop sound. Nothing really stood out to me after the album's completion, plus the translated lyrics (I presume) sounded nonsensical to me.
Michael Kiwanuka
4/5
Sounds very much old-school yet modern at the same, with a blend of what feels like soul and rock/indie rock. Starts off great with the opening track & single of "You Ain't The Problem" then really just flows nicely from there. Wasn't familiar before, but this won me over. Great overall album experience.
Tracy Chapman
5/5
This is contemporary/folk rock at its best. Poignant & tender, simple, yet complex. Above all though, it sounds authentic. "Fast Car" is a timeless classic, but the other two singles found in the front half of the album hold their own, as well as the chilling notes of "Behind the Wall". The album also doesn't overstay its welcome, as Tracy says what she needs to say in an impactful 36ish minutes.
Ice Cube
3/5
I think I prefer Ice Cube's later work. This album starts off hard early on, but kinda loses me midway through. Echoing everyone here, but could've done without the misogyny too. Seems like a lot of gangsta rap from this era had similar content. Ice Cube is still one of the greatest lyricists in hip-hop though.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
3/5
I feel like I had a transformative experience whilst listening to the lengthy "intro". Sounds familiar despite not being super familiar with this group. I guess because prog rock has a signature, yet strange mix of sounds.
David Bowie
4/5
More artsy and melodic compared to the Bowie works I'm used to (I believe this is directly before the Ziggy Stardust era). You can certainly hear flashes of Bowie that would come to be later in the decade following this release. Closer to a 4 than 3 if we're using the five-star scale.
Cee Lo Green
2/5
Black Flag
3/5
As a fan of modern punk, going back to listen to early punk is always interesting. Much like the punk of that era, this album is loud, messy and a little silly too. Rollins' delivery throughout the album is ferocious and emotional. The lyrical versatility is seen starting out with the iconic "Rise Above" and then a few songs later in the silly & satirical "TV Party". I will admit that the songs included do sound a bit "samey", though. I also think that the front half of the album shines a bit more than the back half.
Violent Femmes
4/5
The overall sound in this is pretty timeless and unique for its era. You could drop some of these songs into the 90s/2000s and they wouldn't feel out of place. Like I thought "Blister in the Sun" was an early 2000s indie/alt rock song for a while after first being exposed to it. This feels more alternative than punk to be honest, but I guess the acoustic-like sound throughout plays a big part in why I feel that.
George Michael
3/5
I feel obligated to compare this to George Michael's first album, "Faith", due to it already having appearing on this list for me. "Faith" felt like the more "fun" album due to the mix of upbeat genres throughout. This feels more soft and emotional. One of the review snippets from the Wikipedia article describes a good portion of this album as "cocktail music", which is a bit unfair but kind of fitting honestly. I think "Cowboys and Angels" is a pretty fitting match of that aforementioned sound.
George Michael has range for sure but when I think of him, I hear Wham!/his early solo stuff over this and any future work.
Skepta
1/5
Man, the UK hip-hop scene is fairly unknown to me. Grime is even MORE unknown to me. If I were to describe the genre after listening to only this album, I would mark it as aggressive and loud hip-hop. Like the breakbeats in each track are super loud and booming. Everything quite literally sounds "grimy", so the genre name is certainly fitting. As for the lyrical delivery, Skepta & guests are certainly commanding with each verse. A lot of the Brit slang flew over my American head though.
Not really my type of hip-hop at the end of the day.
Talking Heads
4/5
Perfectly weird, as new-wave and Talking Heads usually are. The more I listened to "I Zimbra" the more I became addicted to it.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
Can't think of a bad Marley album, though I haven't quite listened to them all. Strong start with "Lively Up Yourself" and the iconic "No Woman No Cry". Everything just flows effortlessly for the most part, makes for a laid-back listen.
Mott The Hoople
3/5
Pulp
3/5
Felt almost too grandiose at times I guess? Maybe I'm just a little tired of all the britpop that I've been getting lately. "Common People" and "Disco 2000" do stand out, though.
Miles Davis
5/5
I'm sure it's been said already, but this is one of the most versatile albums of all time. You can choose to get lost in the sounds of the jazzy modulation/chord progression, or just throw this on as background music. Regardless of how you listen, 45 minutes goes by just like that and your time with Miles Davis & co. is over (until you replay the album of course!)
Dusty Springfield
3/5
Hmm, quite a few songs I've heard despite not having ever listened to this album. I would assume most, if not all, of the songs are covers? Still good recordings nonetheless. I always forget Dusty was from England.
Gene Clark
3/5
This album takes a tonal shift almost immediately, starting with "No Other". It's almost like a country-psychedelic rock fusion all throughout, which is interesting I'll say.
Nirvana
5/5
Fine, I'll listen to Nevermind again. But seriously, I can't think of a better starting three tracks, or even FIVE tracks to an album. Just massive hits right out of the gate before you're even finished strapping in for this grunge excursion. Even the "lesser" known songs, including the two acoustic ballads in "Polly" and "Something My Way" stand out too. An influential album for its era and still 30+ years later for sure.
The Doors
4/5
Blues rock at its best pretty much. Also the last Doors album while Jim Morrison was still with us. A lot of big & familiar hits here, including "Love Her Madly", "Riders on the Storm", and even the titular ode to the city of LA, "L.A. Woman". To be honest, this almost feels like an end to this particular blues rock era, as the subgenre appeared to transition to more of a harder and edgier rock sound as the 70s went on. What a way for the Doors to go out!
Miles Davis
2/5
I think I prefer Davis’s earlier work, this style of experimental jazz didn’t seem to do it for me. It just felt like there was too much dead air and disjointedness, especially in disc 1 (which consists of two tracks each over 20 min in length I should add).
Just never really landed for me, but I appreciate the effort that went into trying something different.
Manic Street Preachers
2/5
David Bowie
4/5
I'm really digging this Bowie sound. It's different, but refreshing compared to his previous (at the time) works. His work leading up to Young Americans is good, don't get me wrong, I just tend to prefer funk/soul if it's being compared to glam rock. Definitely a prominent sax sound throughout that sounds straight from the 80s. I'm sure most will agree that there is nothing particularly groundbreaking found in this album, but it's still fun throughout.
Marvin Gaye
4/5
I think every human adult recognizes the opening few notes of the title track "Let's Get It On". An album can't start much better than that. This really started a "sex revolution" of sorts in the industry too, as Motown and R&B as a whole really began to embrace slow and sensual jams. Short and sweet listen.
Björk
3/5
Do yourself a favor and listen to this with some good headphones. I had some reservations upon getting this album, and I imagine the reviews will be VERY mixed prior to looking, but I enjoyed this slightly more than I expected to. This album is almost entirely all a cappella, with help from plenty of other voice talent throughout. Yes it's weird (this is Björk after all), and I'll admit I felt uncomfortable at times with some of the lyrics and strange...breathing/sounds heard throughout (oh God what the fuck was 'Ancestors' even?).
At the end of the day, my experience listening could be described as somehow both ethereal and confusing. Guess I'll go right down the middle then.
The Modern Lovers
2/5
Just sounds like droll, proto-punk to me. Kept waiting for things to pick up or get interesting and they never did. I think the vocal delivery played a large part in making me feel that way.
Marty Robbins
4/5
Fun (and and also some downright depressing) country-western ballads. Such is the life of a gunslinger in the Old West! The storytelling in "Big Iron" and "El Paso" will have you coming back to this album.
Megadeth
3/5
This album kinda rips ngl. I’m not a huge heavy metal guy, so this seems like a good launchpad for those who aren’t familiar with the genre or are hesitant to listen. Don’t expect anything world-class here, but give it a listen will ya?
Tangerine Dream
3/5
Just starting with the lengthy opening track, I feel like I was warped into the soundtrack of an 80s sci-fi/horror flick. I swear I was hearing tracks like this in Stranger Things or something. Very mystifying and ominous music, but not something I think I would come back to.
5/5
I'm sure many will agree that this is one of those essential albums for all of humankind. It's one of the best-selling albums of all time and it's taught in music history classes of varying levels for good reason (shout out to the Foundations of Rock course I took freshman year of college). It transcends rock and pop. I've always appreciated the sheer variety of sounds & instruments across the album's 39 minutes too. Among everything else, you've got: glockenspiels, sitars, tablas, tambourines, and even comb-and-paper kazoos! Plus it all ends on an absolute high note (erm, a long E-major chord to be specific) with "A Day In The Life", really showcasing the collective effort of each one of the Beatles.
I hate to be hyperbolic, but it really is a melding of musical greatness rolled up into 13 songs. I'm not a massive Beatles fanboy either, yet this album always commands my attention whenever I come across it.
My Bloody Valentine
3/5
I'm a little familiar with MBV's next album after this one, so listening to this was a bit interesting. It's funny seeing all of the genres that Wikipedia classifies this album as, I think I would classify it as quiet, yet loud-post punk rock. Seriously, everything just kinda sounded subdued and suppressed throughout the album? Especially the vocals, but it didn't help that Spotify didn't have lyrics available during my time of listening. I guess I'm learning about "shoegazing" in real time. Not a terrible listen by any means just, a little unusual from what I'm used to.
Sisters Of Mercy
3/5
Didn't expect to be familiar with any of this coming in, but I've definitely heard "Dominion"/"Mother Russia" before (in the in-game radio for GTA IV of all places). If anything, the sound is mostly consistent throughout. The reverb drums really grab you immediately. A few duds keep the overall experience down, though.
Peter Gabriel
4/5
A ton of the hits are on here, these songs are what you hear when you think of Peter Gabriel. Outside of the singles, the rest of the album has a “softer” and melancholic sound, which I wasn’t expecting but certainly welcomed it. Listening to this while walking in the rain was fitting and honestly amplified my experience too. Always a great storyteller, that Peter.
Sly & The Family Stone
4/5
Delectably funky, soul-y, and rock-y!
Willie Nelson
4/5
I figured this was a cover album after hearing "Georgia on My Mind", but that doesn't (or shouldn't) devalue this album at all. You can tell Willie has a ton of respect and reverence for these songs as he likely was inspired by them while starting out his music career. Willie gives these tracks a tender touch and a ton of his usual vocal charm. Just another reminder that I need to take a look at the rest of Willie's discography.
The Flying Burrito Brothers
3/5
Just didn't really move the needle for me I guess. Started to cook with Hot Burrito #1 and #2, but nothing else really stood out from there. Might be one of those albums that was probably influential at the time, but sounds a little tame when heard through modern ears with decades of country music that are easily accessible.
Johnny Cash
4/5
Fun album. I know there are quite a few of these "Johnny Cash at X Prison" live albums, but this is the first time I've fully listened to one of 'em. Really transports you to the time/place with the crowd reactions and Cash himself shooting the shit with everyone in-between songs.
The Yardbirds
3/5
Lots of different genres represented here, a little all over the place as a result though.
The Shamen
2/5
Honestly a few bangers here ("Move Any Mountain", which I guess was only in the later US release so that probably can't be counted here, and "Make It Mine") but mostly everything else wasn't really close to rave-worthy. Slightly too long too. This isn't to say that I hate electronic music, though. In fact, I'm hoping that some 80/90s house music appears during the continuation of my journey through this list (only about 50 albums in at this point).
4/5
Ms. Lynn had quite the discography I see. Great vocalist for this type of weepy-country music. Album itself is short and sweet despite having 12 songs too.
ABBA
4/5
ABBA seems to transcend all generations. That's very evident in the fact that some of their songs have gone viral again with the TikTok crowd. The pop sound is just easily digestible. I mean, you've got mega-hits in here such as "Dancing Queen" and "Fernando". The earworms are plentiful in this album. Put on your dancin' shoes!
Skunk Anansie
4/5
When you get an album titled "Post Orgasmic Chill" (still not sure what that name came from) from a group you've never heard of, it's hard to anticipate what you're expecting. What I really got was passion-fueled vocals with a hard-hitting rock sound and an overall satisfying and refreshing experience. Everything just flows together nicely and even slows down and gets intimate at times. A pleasant surprise!
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
This might be THE Bob Marley & The Wailers album. It's already the second one I've received on this list and I think I slightly prefer it to the only other one I've previously listened to (Natty Dread). Politically charged and also a little tender at points. 'Concrete Jungle' is a great opening track indicative of what's to come for the rest of the album.
Bill Evans Trio
3/5
I guess I'm a simpleton, but this album seemed on the safer side. Maybe I was expecting "more", especially since this was a live album. An easy and comforting listen, sure, but I was hoping for some more of that improvisational jazz "oomph". I guess listening to a few Miles Davis records skewed my view on this classic era of jazz.
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
4/5
It's amazing what human voices can do when they are THE instrument. You can feel the pride of Africa through the rhythmic "oooo's" and "mmmm's". I also wasn't aware that this was the group heard within Paul Simon's "Graceland", so perhaps I'll be seeing (or hearing) these guys again real soon!
SAULT
2/5
Appreciate and understand the message, but the whole album felt bloated and heavy-handed whilst delivering said message. Just a lot of repetition on some tracks. Also, the strange ASMR-like interludes that the other reviewers mention kind of take you out of the listening experience (which defeats the purpose?). You could probably cut 1/3 to 1/2 of the album and it would be a slightly better listening experience.
Unrelated to the album rating itself, but being taken back to mid-2020 was not an experience I wanted (for obvious societal reasons).
3/5
I dig acid jazz and downbeat-style music. This album dips its toes into both of the aforementioned subgenres and gives everything a Latin twist. I'll be honest though, the second half of the album didn't grab me as much as the first half did. Almost felt like a slight sound & tempo change, like the album took a detour.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
3/5
Simple and similar-sounding melodies, very folksy-Americana sound. Gets a little more energetic near the end. It's not music that'll amp you up, but the gentle storytelling will transport you to a specific moment in time & place. Pretty indifferent to this as a whole, though.
Roxy Music
3/5
Honestly the opening and closing tracks were pretty strong. Everything in-between kinda lost me though. It's important for an album to keep and maintain momentum (if that even exists in music), and I think this loses its way just a teensy bit. The sound feels ahead of its time for the most part, though. A lot of the melodies and overall song construction feel at home in 80s/90s alt rock/britpop (artsy and a bit lengthy, perhaps a big inspiration to those later artists?)
Kendrick Lamar
5/5
Timeless. Always an adept storyteller in the genre of hip-hop/rap, Kendrick Lamar tells a coming of age story in the streets of Compton through his eyes and carries the west coast hip-hop torch well. Like his albums before and after, "good kid, m.A.A.d city" is a concept album and thus flows along effortlessly. There isn't a wasted moment throughout, including the voicemail and dialogue snippets as both serve as transitions into the proceeding tracks. Heck, even the album itself seems to come of age with each passing track. The storytelling matures in real-time as the album transitions into a more introspective tone near the end. To top things off, the album loops pretty well for repeated listens.
Nick Drake
4/5
I did not know of Nick Drake prior to getting this album, but now I'm interested in learning more about this fellow. Immediately it's easy to tell that he was a talented songwriter. A quick Google search tells me that Mr. Drake battled depression and was unfortunately not on this Earth for long. The melancholy and loneliness seeps through in this album specifically but if you zoom out, you're also entranced by the easy-going, folksy-jazz sound heard throughout. I can only assume his other work is just as (instrumentally) pleasing to listen to.
Duke Ellington
4/5
It's a given that there will be a lot of jazz on this list due to the genre's cultural impact in the early-mid 20th century. Jazz itself is timeless and easily digestible (in my opinion). This live album is no different and also appears to be one of the earlier albums (chronologically) in this list. Let Duke and his boys cook, as you're taken back to 1956 for the Newport Jazz Festival. Hearing the live crowd go into a frenzy as the sax solo progresses during "Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue" is as good as it gets.
The Beach Boys
3/5
I'll admit I'm a Beach Boys fan, but I've never heard anything from this album outside of "Feel Flows" (from the 2000 motion picture "Almost Famous") prior to listening. This does not sound or feel like any other Beach Boys record that you're used to. Way more political and socially aware than the surfer jams from years past. The messages don't really land for me either, I must say. I get that the group wanted to change their image and sound at the time, but some of these tracks just feel outta place, especially "Student Demonstration Time". It's a bit jarring honestly, especially compared to the closing tracks in the same album that feel more at home coming from the Beach Boys.
Side note: I guess I'm working through the Beach Boys discography in reverse order as this is the first album of theirs that I've drawn thus far. I don't necessarily see this as a bad thing!
The Dandy Warhols
3/5
Hey, it's the "Bohemian Like You" and "We Used to Be Friends" guys! Onto the album itself, this is probably the most britpop-sounding album from a non-Brit group. Not a slam or anything, the singles really pop and the overall sound they bring is just different enough. Middle of the album was really strong, carried by the big single "Not If You Were the Last Junkie on Earth". Rest of the album didn't do much for me, as a few songs had a tendency to drone on I feel (especially towards the end of the album). I find it difficult to give this anything more than a 3 here.
Green Day
5/5
A perfect Friday album! This is already a top 10 favorite album of mine, but will update with a proper review when I listen (again).
Post-listen: This is always a fun listen, every aspect of the Green Day trio gets to shine throughout the 14 tracks. The guitar riffs are iconic to anyone from ages 25-50, the bass lines are tasty (especially to start in "Longview"), and the drums consistently make their presence felt with a very clean, yet crashing sound. Lest I forget to mention the iconic choruses too (just start singing the opening chorus to "Basket Case" around anyone remotely interested in rock music and see who joins in). I would imagine that this pop-rock/punk sound was pretty fresh back in 1994 too, with grunge and heavy metal being the forefront of rock at the time.
Argue whether or not "Dookie" can be considered "pure" punk rock, but it's hard to deny the impact this album had on the punk rock/pop-punk scene that emerged in the coming years. I'd consider that era of punk rock my "comfort" music too, so the fact that this album is always in my rotation makes total sense. Plus it's always nice to find another excuse to listen to Dookie, even in a house with unlocked doors and I'm fuckin' lazy...
U2
4/5
Never really dug deep into U2's discography outside of the massive hits. This is politically charged and consistently powerful & raw throughout. Plus, you're probably doing something right if you knock 'Thriller' off the top of the charts!
Led Zeppelin
4/5
Never been a massive Led Zeppelin fan or anything, but I grew up hearing some of their biggest hits and definitely appreciated them for what they were. Shocker, a few of those hits are on THIS album, including THE hit. There aren't many rock songs that can be dissected and analyzed into three separate parts like the revered "Stairway to Heaven". (Side note: today I learned that "Stairway to Heaven" was never commercially released as a single)
But I was more interested in the "other" songs in the album, which is ultimately what *I'm* looking forward to most as I progress through this expansive list of albums. What else does X album have outside of that big hit or two? How does X album come together as a result? To that point, the second side of the album didn't really grab me as much as the first. Tough task with two of the group's biggest hits on the first side of course, but I guess I was just expecting "more" or something in the 2nd half. It seems that I prefer the harder rock songs from Led Zeppelin a little bit more than the folk ones, although I did enjoy the cover of the old country blues song "When the Levee Breaks" as the closer.
It almost feels sacrilegious to give this Led Zeppelin album anything less than a 5, but (in my eyes) a 5 would imply that every song is a banger and/or unskippable and I just didn't find that to be the case here. It sounds like I'm denouncing this album entirely, which is far from the truth. This is a great and influential album in the scope of rock music. Maybe more of a personal Top 50/100 favorite, as opposed to a Top 10 favorite of mine (which is totally fine).
Jorge Ben Jor
3/5
Fun, Brazilian samba sounding music with a twist of funk. Inoffensive enough, but the entire album felt and sounded like one whole song though. The top review for this album dissecting some of the Portuguese lyrics was an interesting read as well.
The Replacements
4/5
A coming-of-age album that doesn't take itself too seriously at times. I'm a little more familiar with The Replacements later work, so it's interesting to hear their early punk sound transition into the post-punk/alt rock sound that I'm familiar with. That transition seems to happen in real time, almost as if it's maturing along the way like this album's subject matter.
Joanna Newsom
3/5
These tracks sound like an amalgamation of descriptive and wordy sentences, like the kind of stuff you would hear at a slam poetry session. Honestly, the vocals sound eerily similar to that of Björk too. Actually, are we sure this isn't Björk? Jokes aside, I will say that this is a very serene-sounding album with the harps and orchestral sections. Definitely well produced and mixed as well (S/O to the great Steve Albini who very recently passed away). The few songs that are on here wander a bit much for my liking, though.
The Divine Comedy
2/5
This was certainly an album of all time. It's bad enough that this list seems to have an over-representation of britpop, but this was overly cheesy and pompous. A few of the singles keep this afloat for me, but mostly skippable at the end of the day.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
You can pinpoint this as when the Stones exit their psychedelic era and go back to their roots/country/blues rock era. This whole album is kind of a mishmash of the latter-mentioned rock genres, bouncing around between the three. I actually don't think that "Sympathy For The Devil" works as a starting track here though, as it doesn't seem to fit in with the rest of this album from a thematic standpoint. Not a bad listen overall, but guess I was expecting more or maybe I just prefer the Stones harder rock sound (which I'm sure I'll get to later in this list)
The Crusaders
3/5
Bauhaus
2/5
I'm usually down for these strange & quirky albums, but this was a little too out there for even me. The group's sound is one thing I found interesting though; with hints of Joy Division, Talking Heads, and even the B-52's in terms of vocals.
Arcade Fire
3/5
Was only familiar with "Wake Up" prior to listening. I've always dug this era of indie rock, but perhaps I've only been exposed to the tip of the iceberg, or the more "poppier" acts. This album seems to alternate between high-energy and low-energy which I wasn't totally expecting (although I guess with an album title like "Funeral", one should expect some melancholic vibes). I guess what I'm trying to say is that I didn't really warm up to the "overall" experience, while some of the separate "parts" were well-orchestrated.
Daft Punk
4/5
It's funny to see many of the featured reviews complain about repetition on a TECHNO/HOUSE album. Something, something, "Around the World", I get it, but these genres are predicated on rhythm and repetition and were really made for the dance/club/DJ scene.
As for "Homework" itself, pretty good for a debut album, eh? Daft Punk (literally) just threw together a bunch of singles and made it their first album. The "proper" singles are crafted well thanks to Daft Punk's funk and disco influences. The album as a whole does run a bit long, though, which is noticeable in some of the 7-minute tracks.
Slight aside, but it's disappointing that Daft Punk's massive second album "Discovery" doesn't appear on this list at all (I took a peek out of curiosity). I honestly feel that it is more structured and is a more fun listening experience. That would've been my pick if only one Daft Punk album had to be represented here, but I understand why "Homework" was included and recognize the influence it had on the house scene at the time
Led Zeppelin
4/5
This sounds mostly refined and complete for being a debut album. It's got the blues-rock inspired sound that many know Led Zeppelin for, plus big-sounding rock hits in "Good Times Bad Times" and "Communication Breakdown". Side two does sound a bit filler-y when comparing to the rest of the album, though.
Taylor Swift
4/5
Man, this takes me back to college. You couldn't escape anything from this album back in late 2014. (Honestly, has anything changed in that regard nearly 10 years later?) This is when Taylor Swift fully embraced pop (but let's be honest, she's always been a pop artist) and I think it's safe to say that "1989" has Swift's largest hit per album ratio. The synth sounds are really noticeable all throughout, taking obvious influence from most of 80's pop. Very clean from a production standpoint too, but that's always a given with any T-Swift album nowadays. Among the best in the contemporary pop-sphere.
Breakup and lovelorn-inspired pop music does get kind of tiring to hear on the radio as it's mostly overdone, but Swift sells it well (I think she knows a thing or two too). Most of the songs on "1989" are wistful and musing, rather than teetering on the edge of mopey or even vengeful (which is funny in this context considering her next album's theme after this one). As a result, everything just sounds...good. It's simply a fun and catchy listening experience and that's what you should expect from pop music, right?
Led Zeppelin
3/5
Third Led Zeppelin album in less than two weeks. I guess we're just gonna pound all of these out at once, huh? Let's listen.
Eh, it's no masterpiece. Starts off strong with the iconic "Immigrant Song" but kind of peters out after that. I don't think it's Led Zeppelin fatigue, I just don't think the highs hit quite as high as in Led Zeppelin I and IV (the LZ albums I've already drawn so far). Interesting that this is the point in time in which LZ shifted into a more folk rock sound, but a few of the tracks feel...experimental as a result.
Rufus Wainwright
3/5
Little Simz
3/5
Never heard of this artist before but right out of the gate I kinda respect the bravado & swagger displayed. Little Simz talks a big game and lyrically flows nicely for the most part. I was a little worried that this bombastic lyrical onslaught was going to be the entire album for a bit, but things open up a bit and thankfully get a little more layered and vulnerable by the fourth track. Because of that, the album evolves quite nicely over the span of 35 minutes. The overall production and sampling is high quality as well. The UK rap/hip-hop scene is still largely unknown to me and so the lyrical delivery is still somewhat off-putting, but I can say that Little Simz is the best of the (small) bunch from what I've heard out of this regional genre thus far.
Neil Young
3/5
Majority of the album is pretty simple and mellow-sounding (which makes plenty of sense after later reading that Young was nursing a back injury throughout the duration of this album's recording and couldn't physically play an electric guitar). I guess that's to be expected with a folk/country rock record. Not my biggest cup of tea, but a few tracks stood out (for better or for worse).
"There's a World" almost sounds too ornate for this album, and the same can be said for "A Man Needs a Maid", which was probably my least favorite song in the album performance-wise. The mold is broken a bit with songs like "Alabama" and "Words", as both feature more guitar work. Also have to mention "Heart of Gold" as it's Young's most iconic song and a folk/country rock staple.
Looking at the whole body of work, this album didn't do a whole lot for me. I respect and appreciate the songwriting of Mr. Neil Young, but I've never been huge on this era of folk/country fusion. Perhaps I'll be surprised later in this long list of albums though.
Japan
2/5
The current top review perfectly encapsulates my feelings after listening, just unremarkable really. Not sure what makes this stand out from other synth-pop records from the time. A few tracks did not have much going on and took me out of the listening experience.
OutKast
4/5
I remember this one quite well from my youth. I've listened to OutKast's entire discography up to and including "Speakerboxx/The Love Below" and I must admit that this is not my favorite of the bunch. Not to say that's it's a bad (double) album by any means, I mean it's one of OutKast's more creative works and I still get a lot of the track's beats & samples stuck in my head from time to time.
With any double album, you obviously have to split it into two and in this case, you have to look at both halves of OutKast. With Big Boi's "Speakerboxx", you've got a noticeable southern hip-hop sound (much like most of OutKast's previous work) featuring many regional collaborators as well. Rooted within is some progressive and socially aware content matter like religion and politics. Then you have Andre 3000's "The Love Below", which is a more tender, jazzy, funky pop sound concentrated on well... love! Andre 3000 really flexes his creative juices here too, opting to showcase his singing over his familiar rapping "voice".
When comparing the two, I prefer "Speakerboxx" because that kind of hip-hop sound was what drew me into OutKast in the first place. "The Love Below" feels like too long of a comedown and gets to be a little much in its lovey-dovey-ness. Though it's really interesting hearing the mammoth hits like "Hey Ya" and "Roses" within the context of "The Love Below", as both are conveniently smacked together. A bloated album for sure (11 interludes?) but always a worthy listen. I'd also implore everyone to check out OutKast's prior work if they want know why OutKast was such a big player in the southern hip-hop scene. I'd assume "Stankonia" will appear later in this list for me, but can't speak for the others.
Dr. Dre
4/5
Probably one of the better G-funk albums of its time. Those slow bass beats, synthesizers, and funk samples have always been mesmerizing to me. Also some familiar names in 90s hip-hop such as Nate Dogg, Warren G, and some dude named Snoop Dogg got their respective breaks with their work on "The Chronic".
This album is very much top-heavy, with all three singles squeezed in the first five tracks. I mean, when one of those singles is "Nuthin' but a 'G' Thang", almost everything is going to pale in comparison. Through plenty of acts contribute and honestly carry this album for the most part. Snoop is the shining example of this, as he is literally involved in more of the album than Dre is. Lots of animosity throughout the album too, mainly sparked by the recent (at the time) split of N.W.A.. Dre goes AFTER Ruthless Records and his former comrade Eazy-E early on. Sprinkle in some raps about street life in South Central L.A., some funny (but mostly cringy) skits, and some in your face misogyny (gangsta rap was a different time...) and you've got yourself a pretty impactful hip-hop record for its era. I hesitate to give this a 5 though, as "The Chronic" shows its age a little bit.
Prince
5/5
Banger after banger, but that's to be expected for almost any Prince album. Guy was a natural musician and performer (as well as the ultimate horndog!). Now I've never actually seen the film this soundtrack was created for, but you can immediately tell that this album has a "big screen" aura to it as it starts with the iconic, upbeat "Let's Go Crazy", and cools down nicely with the power ballad and self-titled track "Purple Rain". Makes up for a fun, instrumentally-layered pop-fueled 44 minutes.
A perfect Friday album as we enter a long holiday weekend. "1001 Albums" seems to know exactly when to give you the appropriate album. Now excuse me as I watch Prince's Super Bowl halftime show performance again...
k.d. lang
3/5
Joy Division
2/5
Ian Curtis has a distinctive voice, almost Jim Morrison-like. It's not easily digestible for everyone, though. Now I haven't heard any of Joy Division's previous albums (only the single "Love Will Tear Us Apart"), so I can't speak on how this stacks with their other work. In a vacuum, this is an uncomfortable listen. Having read into Curtis' struggles in his short life, that discomfort makes more sense.
Don't know what else to say really. It's a pretty dark and gloomy album made even more depressing given the close proximity of time between Ian Curtis's death and the release of this album. The backing instruments are odd-sounding and haunting too. Combine that with the monotone vocals of Curtis, and you've got a very weird trip that I'm not sure I enjoyed.
Joan Armatrading
3/5
Wow, I can see where Tracy Chapman was partly inspired from. Don't think the delivery quite matches Chapman here, but the sound is pretty unique and maybe a little country-ier.
The Who
5/5
This album is expertly bookended with two of The Who's (and rock & roll's) most iconic songs. Opening with the anthemic "Baba O'Riley" and those mesmerizing synthesizer-like notes which act as a motif all throughout. "Won't Get Fooled Again" is one of those timeless rock ballads that reels you out and hooks you back in with its buildups. Among the lesser known tracks, I enjoyed "This Song Is Over", as that had more of that operatic rock sound heard throughout the album.
This might be The Who's best work, maybe rivaled by "Tommy" from a few years prior, but I'd argue that this is more expressive and grand. Just an epic in its own right.
Also I just now noticed that the album cover art is the band after taking a leak? Learn something new everyday I guess.
Paul McCartney and Wings
4/5
It's always interesting listening to the solo/follow-up endeavors from rockstars after splitting up from their main groups. I know this is not Paul McCartney & The Wings first album, but this is the first of theirs which I've listened to. The opening single and album namesake "Band on the Run" is a trip of a medley and quite the starter. What follows is a fun and playful jaunt that experiments with some musical styles, but doesn't go too overboard with it.
Supertramp
4/5
I listened to "The Very Best of Supertramp" quite a bit growing up, so I'm already familiar with pretty much half of this record and all of "Breakfast in America". Supertramp has always sounded whimsical and a bit peculiar to me. A fun peculiar, that is. Each song from this era of theirs is a journey in itself, with plenty of twists and turns and their signature bubbly keyboard sounds plus melodic piano chords to guide you, the listener, along. I think "Hide in Your Shell" and "Dreamer" are perfect examples of that description when focusing on just this album.
It seems like a lot of people like to poopoo on prog rock (and it seems like there's a lot of it on this list), but Supertramp seems to maximize their creative juices when it comes to the genre at large and that is very evident here. They simply blend pop and prog rock well, curating an enjoyable listening experience.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
2/5
N.W.A.
4/5
This record is oddly nostalgic for me, as a white boy who listened to this a ton throughout middle and high school. Not that I was trying to be "gangsta" per se, but I was consuming a lot of media at the time that included this era of hop-hop (The in-game radio for GTA: San Andreas was highly influential to me in that regard) and I fell in love with this "Golden Era" of hip-hop the more I was exposed to it.
N.W.A. was a force, albeit a short lived one. They were clear and concise in their messages and opinions on the establishment and the police force (which makes you question how much has really changed nearly 36 years later). I think the first three tracks summarize this album and N.W.A. pretty well: displaying their gangster image and character ("Straight Outta Compton", "Gangsta Gangsta") and their aggressive, anti-law enforcement views that many know them for ("Fuck tha Police"). Complete with hard, yet clear, delivery from each of the MCs involved as well as some pretty iconic sampling and mixing scattered throughout. Listening with older ears though, makes me a little more aware on how poorly some of the lyrical content has aged. Misogyny, toxic masculinity, extreme violence, etc, these were all too common in hip-hop from this era and it's hard to block them out when you listen to these albums nowadays.
This was a genre-shifting album and has a rightful place on this list. You can honestly hear this shift in real time as the album progresses, with a lot of the samples and beats you'd hear in early 80's hip-hop, combined with the hardcore lyrical delivery. This launched gangsta rap into the mainstream for a bit and in a more general sense, gave the west coast an even bigger seat in the hip-hop scene.
Paul Revere & The Raiders
3/5
Fun and mostly innocent 60s garage/bubblegum rock record. You know you're in this era when you hear a prominent combo organ sound all throughout. A few of these tracks sounded familiar to me (namely "(I'm Not Your) Stepping Stone") and then I realized that the Monkees had actually covered some of these tracks. I think I prefer those Monkees covers too.
Beatles
4/5
A good chunk of this album was unfamiliar to me prior to listening, so its was refreshing being able to fill in these "listening gaps" per se. Long gone is the LSD-fueled psychedelic rock and now enters a wide array of musical genres and styles. This almost feels like a compilation album as a result and add in the fact that the group was largely at odds throughout the duration of the album's recording, then things start to connect. Tough to say if this hurts or strengthens the album, as each Beatle was able to feature their own musical creativity.
However, it is hard to ignore just how much this album zig-zags as a result of the aforementioned infighting. I do appreciate the different sounds offered ("Helter Skelter" among others) but there were a few tracks that felt like filler or had a completely asinine premise (See: "Wild Honey Pie" or even "Why Don't We Do It in the Road?", inspired by Paul seeing two monkeys porking in the street).
An uneven, roller coaster of an album...but it's still the Beatles at the end of the day. The signature songwriting and composition is still there. Some of their greatest works and personal favorites of mine are also found here (i.e. "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" & "Blackbird"). Maybe this would've worked better compacted into a single album, who knows? Reading about the background and production of this album was very enlightening, though.
(Side note: that's the first and only time I'll ever listen to "Revolution 9". I neither gained nor lost from that experience.)
Kate Bush
4/5
Kate Bush is an interesting artist. Her vocal delivery especially. It's almost Björk-like in it's otherworldly style, but she can go high ala Lauper and other 80s pop divas. She's kind of in her own world in that regard. I'll admit that I haven't explored enough of her discography outside of the singles, though, so this was a fairly new listening experience.
I thought the middle to back half of the album shined the most. That's where the power chords started to hit a bit more and the backing vocals became prominent. Everything culminates with the beautiful "This Woman's Work" as the emotional closer. Things took a bit to get going, but I enjoyed the overall body of work nonetheless. A high 3 for me, so let's round up.
John Martyn
2/5
Right off the bat, I was NOT expecting that kind of breathy, gruff delivery. Especially paired with the gentle music I was hearing. It kind of...doesn't fit I hate to say. Instrumentally, a pretty easy and interesting listen with the artistic choices made on each track. Vocally, I could take it or leave it.
R.E.M.
3/5
I've never gone quite this far back in R.E.M.'s discography. I also wouldn't have guessed that this was R.E.M.'s debut album if I didn't read up on it before listening. While a little understated compared to their later work, it honestly still sounds pretty polished and familiar. The jangly guitars, clean drumming, and melodic basslines and choruses, it's all there. R.E.M. would obviously go on to reach great heights after this, but "Murmur" was very much an announcement to the alt rock world that R.E.M. was here and ready for an extended stay.
The current avg rating of 3.41 accurately reflects my feelings on this I'd say.
Elvis Presley
3/5
Like many, when I see the name Elvis I hear rockabilly and 50s rock & roll. He’s always had some blues in him too, so this record simultaneously feels both new and somewhat of a return to familiarity.
“Late” era Elvis (only in his 30’s at the time!) still has some of that signature vocal delivery, but you can tell it’s dialed back a bit and more mature. I understand that this was a return to non-soundtrack albums after a period of… questionable quality soundtrack work, so perhaps Elvis and co. wanted to play it safe and dip into the blues side of his musical roots. Production quality was certainly not lacking, with the house band, The Memphis Boys, doing a lot of legwork too.
Alright album, gets a bit sleepy at times but I can appreciate the evolution in Elvis’ music at the time.
John Lee Hooker
3/5
Holy moly, that’s a lot of collabs. Wasn’t too familiar with Mr. Hooker prior to today, seems he had quite the career longevity. Perhaps this isn’t the greatest album to get a sense of what he brought to the blues table, given that the first seven tracks feature a collaborator. Although we do hear some solo mellow blues near the end of the album, in what I would assume is more akin to the sound of Hooker’s earlier work. Album as a whole didn’t really grab my interest, but I am more interested in the artist himself now. Closer to 3.
Erykah Badu
4/5
Erykah Badu's debut album "Baduizm" is one of my favorite albums of all time. That, and "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill" were both my first exposure to the neo-soul genre and are what I think of when I see the word neo-soul. Considering how much I enjoy funk, hip-hop and R&B, plus all of the genre fusions that comprise of neo-soul, it's no surprise that the few albums of this genre that I've been exposed to are among my all-time favorites. But back to Erykah Badu. For whatever reason, I never really explored the rest of her discography. I almost feel bad, because now I'm asking myself where "Mama's Gun" was all my life!
This is some more of what I loved from "Baduizm". Almost like a spiritual sequel of sorts, albeit a bit more toned back and introspective here. A lot flows together, which some view as a negative, but that makes an album's overall listening experience pretty smooth. "Baduizm" will always be the "bigger" album to me (an easy 5 if it were on this list), but "Mama's Gun" peels back the curtains a bit and gives us a glimpse into Badu's personal life at the time, as the listener witnesses her artistic evolution in real time.
Stevie Wonder
4/5
Ah, so this is the Stevie Wonder album that's sandwiched between "Innervisions" and "Songs in the Key of Life". This one must've slipped under the cracks for me. Early on, this didn't sound like any Stevie Wonder album I had listened to. Further through (specifically at "Boogie On Reggae Woman") it started to grow on me. This album seems to be more somber and personal compared to the others, but there are still the familiar chords and clavinet that Wonder is known to feature in his work (Heavy shades of "Superstition" in "You Haven't Done Nothin'").
From a production and personnel standpoint, I was surprised by some of the names involved in the work for this album. For vocals specifically, you've got talent such as Paul Anka, Deniece Williams, The Persuasions and even the Jackson 5. Heck, even Michael Sembello of later "Maniac" fame plays the guitar throughout.
Tonally, a different Stevie Wonder album for sure. I still enjoyed this more than I expected to, which speaks to the talent of Stevie Wonder who was already a giant in the music industry around this time.
The Young Rascals
2/5
It's got the hit single "Groovin'"... and that's about it. Gets overly sappy at times and the rest is your run of the mill 60s pop & blue-eyed soul music.
Girls Against Boys
2/5
I'm hearing shades of punk and hardcore rock all throughout, but I think noise rock is a better classification. That noisiness almost drowns out the lead vocals, which are already kinda wheezy and muffled. Pretty dreary and unremarkable album as a whole.
Q-Tip
4/5
Q-Tip was no stranger to solo endeavors at this point in his career, although "The Renaissance" came after a nine year hiatus since Q-Tip's first solo album. Q-Tip doesn't really miss a beat here and while I was not really familiar with this album prior to listening, I was/am very familiar with Q-Tip as a lyricist in a group many know as A Tribe Called Quest. There's honestly nothing super groundbreaking going on here, but the album is still pretty engaging as a whole whilst being a mellow listen thanks to Q-Tip's usual clever lyricism and smooth production. It just goes to show that the jazz-rap, progressive hip-hop sound is pretty timeless. Is this 2008 or 1991? 3.5/5
Wu-Tang Clan
5/5
It probably took a second for many to realize at the time, but Wu-Tang Clan was a hip-hop dream team. When you consider the solo and future careers of the vast roster, it's pretty apparent that this group was a force in retrospect. Not to mention that this was Wu-Tang Clan's DEBUT album. A classic in not only the East Coast hip-hop sphere, but in ALL of hip-hop.
As for the album itself, it's pretty raw and gritty throughout. After reading up on some of the album's production, this grittiness makes sense given the limited budget the group apparently had to deal with. Nothing about it sounds "cheap" though, if that makes sense. The group clearly leans into this somewhat hardcore and menacing theme all throughout, complete with many soul samples and clips from old kung-fu movies that have since been made iconic. Plus, the large roster allows each rapper to bounce off of each other and essentially "tag team" in many of these tracks, prominently shown in "Da Mystery of Chessboxin'" and "Protect Ya Neck". I'd also be remiss if I didn't mention the classic single "C.R.E.A.M.", which still has a resounding impact on hip-hop 30 years later.
The hard-hitting, dusty sound and production of 36 Chambers might be off-putting for some people (I'll admit that the intro to "Method Man" still makes me cringe...). This is still a culturally significant album in the scope of hip-hop and even more so when zooming into the East vs West Coast hip-hop picture from the time, as the West Coast had all the momentum with the emergence of G-funk. I'd say that the East Coast hip-hop scene fared pretty well when you look at the rest of the 90s and what followed 36 Chambers.
The Thrills
3/5
Not familiar with this group at all. It is funny to listen to an Irish-based group sing about American cities & locations though. It seems they took a lot of inspiration from visiting the American West Coast. Early on, their sound is pretty catchy with elements of jangle rock/pop. Some country & western creeps in more towards the later half. Honestly, the vocals and overall sound remind me a bit of Ben Gibbard & Death Cab for Cutie in that they are subdued and a bit calming/lo-fi. There's a sense of longing and escapism all throughout the album, but it starts to feel a bit clumped together at a certain point and never really ventures out past that.
An alright indie album, but nothing special. Just makes me want to pop on some Death Cab for Cutie to be honest. A high 2.
The Velvet Underground
3/5
This is one of those hit or miss albums, as is the case with pretty much anything classified as "art rock". This sounds both of its time and ahead of its time if that makes sense. If I were to pick a specific track that encapsulates what The Velvet Underground is trying to sell here, it would probably be "Heroin". This track is a trip (pun intended) with its up and down tempo and eventual buildup into chaos with the backing instruments, eventually overtaking the vocals for the last minute or so. Likely simulating the feeling of taking heroin (not that I would know, please don't shoot up on heroin). The rest of the album is admittedly a tough listen outside of a few other songs. Much of it meanders too much in no particular direction for my liking.
Groundbreaking for its time? That I can probably agree on. Would I listen again? Probably not. But what the hell do I know? I do know that having Andy Warhol design your album cover is pretty damn iconic. That's probably the most famous banana in history, next to the Bluth's Original Frozen Banana Stand.
Alanis Morissette
5/5
I got this album long after its release when I was in college and driving an old car with a CD player as its best option for playing music. This was ALWAYS in CD slot 1. I knew most of the singles already, but was drawn in even further by the raw, visceral lyricism from one Alanis Morissette. It sounds so poppy despite the anger displayed. Many listening to this album for the first time will probably write off Morissette as "bitchy" and her voice as "grating", but her performance just sells it even more for me with each consecutive listen.
This album never loses momentum. I mean there are SIX singles scattered across and are paced nicely in my opinion. Starting with the strong, anthemic "All I Really Want", right into the raw & emotional "You Oughta Know" (Who is the ex-boyfriend? Is it Uncle Joey from Full House? We'll never know!). It isn't all cranked to the max at all times though, with some lighter jams such as "Hand in My Pocket", "You Learn", and my personal favorite, the silly and iconic "Ironic".
I'm a male in my mid-20's, but something about strong female artists/vocalists from this era just draws me in. I guess it's no coincidence why I also listen to Garbage, No Doubt, The Breeders, and others. These female-led groups & solo artists tend to grab my attention more than others, and I'm always willing to listen. "Jagged Little Pill" is the cream of the crop in that regard. Easy 10/10 for me.
Beatles
5/5
It's interesting getting all of these Beatles albums in a non-chronological order. The group underwent a stylistic and musical evolution in such a short amount of time that it's almost fitting to listen to their work out of order due to their mostly self-contained nature. "Rubber Soul" is an album that surprisingly hasn't graced my ears much too, so I should be fortunate to listen to a majority of this for the first time.
This album doesn't get too crazy, but it still has quite the range if that makes sense. You can hear the soul inspiration all throughout as well as some precursors to the psychedelic rock sound that would dominate in the following years (AKA the fellas started to dabble with drugs during the recordings). "Rubber Soul" feels like an inflection point in the Beatles discography and overall artistry when you consider what came before and what followed.
This didn't blow my mind or anything, but this is still a very solid album from start to finish. Paul and John equally shine as songwriters and the production sounds clean while not being overdone. Helps that this is a fairly easy listen with every song falling in-between two and three and half minutes. Feels like a mid 9ish/10 to me but I'll round up.
Kanye West
4/5
I'm not here to talk about the character and beliefs of Kanye West (especially after recent years). This isn't the place for that. Instead I'm going to separate the art from the artist for the moment, transport myself back to 2004 and analyze Kanye's debut studio album.
I've always been fond of this album and the whole "Dropout Bear" trilogy. This era of Kanye is him at his artistic best in my opinion. The production is top-notch, which makes sense given Kanye's history as a producer. Very soul and gospel-inspired too, given the samples featured throughout. This was also the height of "chipmunk soul" in hip-hop, which featured those noticeable sped up and pitch shifted samples of the aforementioned soul and R&B. (I was today years old when I learned that this style of hip-hop had that name. Pretty apt name I guess!)
Kanye has always been socially/politically conscious and introspective in his work and the see the start of that here. The stretch of "Jesus Walks" immediately followed by "Never Let Me Down" are good examples, with the former focusing on religion and its lack of representation in media/music in favor of more "marketable" content. The latter, along with "Through The Wire", recount Kanye's experiences and reflection on life after enduring a near-death car crash during production.
There is a lot to this album. The skits and what essentially amounts to a monologue in the finale "Last Call" bloats the album a bit. Some big names in the hip-hop industry lend their talents nicely here, though. It's still high quality and served as an announcement to the hip-hop world that Kanye West was more than just a solid producer and could rap about some thought-provoking content while having a little sense of humor. I wouldn't peg this as my favorite in the "Dropout Bear" trilogy, but it's still pretty damn good.
Radiohead
5/5
This is one of those revered albums that I’d only heard bits & pieces of prior to today. REALLY strong opening. There's a sense of unease and mystique all throughout given the dystopian and paranoia-fueled theme. Tracks like the multi-layered "Paranoid Android" and beautiful yet melancholic "No Surprises" warranted careful re-listens (among others). It's also interesting picking up on the many musical influences are are scattered throughout this album. I hear the Beatles, Beach Boys, even some prog rock in the song construction, despite everything not all being sunshine and roses.
With "Britpop" dominating British rock at the time, I'm sure the experimental and gloomy sound of "OK Computer", along with Radiohead themselves, stood out and caught people's attention. This change in rock was definitely felt and 27+ years later, people are still talking about it. I think I understand the hype now.
Hugh Masekela
3/5
There are hints of a distinctive jazz flair here, I like the use of the electric piano in "Part of a Whole", "Inner Crisis", and "Maesha". Reminds me of Herbie Hancock. Much of the rest slows down and shifts into the background. It's still pleasant sounding, don't get me wrong, but when you've been exposed to the likes of Miles Davis and Duke Ellington already, it's hard for a jazz record to really stand out and blow you away. In terms of ratings, jazz generally has a safe floor with me though.
Tim Buckley
2/5
Sonic Youth
3/5
There are some LONG guitar intros, outros, and breaks throughout. As a result, most of this album feels very manic-filled, chaotic, and noisy. "Noise rock" is the label I'm looking for I guess. I get that this was kind of the makeup of some alt rock from this era (Pixies, Dinosaur Jr., Steve Albini-led acts, etc.). At least there's some song structure here, compared to a few other acts just from this list that I've already come across. For instance, I'd say that this is more digestible than say, "Surfer Rosa" from the Pixies which I drew many albums ago and didn't care much for.
A 2.5/5 I'd say. Guess I better prepare myself for the four other Sonic Youth albums that are supposedly on this list.
Elliott Smith
3/5
Can't say I'm familiar with Elliott Smith. Immediately noticeable was the very subdued and somber delivery, almost like a whisper. It certainly matches the album's common theme too. The short run time (sub 40 min) allows for easily repeatable listens, though, and that allowed me to appreciate the content a tad more. I can see how this album (and artist) inspired some of the current lo-fi indie artists and acts.
Still a little too subdued for me to get really immersed in at the end of the day, but I'm at least curious enough to check out Smith's other singles and work. Apparently he was featured quite a bit in the 1997 box office hit "Good Will Hunting", a movie I'm quite fond of. Guess that warrants a rewatch!
ABBA
3/5
At this point in their careers ABBA had gone through some rough patches, notably within the group (getting romantically involved with your bandmates seems like a recipe for disaster...). They were coming off an immensely successful decade and probably had one last hurrah left in 'em at this time.
This is not your standard ABBA mega-pop sound fare ala "Arrival" from a few years prior. Instead, we get an introspective, slower and more synth-laden ABBA sound here. The production and effort are still there, but I was left pining for the old ABBA midway through. "Fractured relationships" ABBA just doesn't hit the same as "happy-go-lucky" ABBA I guess. I just didn't find much of these songs memorable. Still a well-produced album, though.
My Bloody Valentine
2/5
It was interesting reading up on the production of this album, as many will notice the two decade gap from MBV's previous studio album to this. Sounds like there were some recordings completed prior to the band's breakup, pretty much making "mbv" a mishmash of both old and new work.
You can kinda hear that here, though. There's not really much of a flow across tracks. The only other MBV album I've listened to was their debut album earlier in this list and this just feels like more of the same: the obscured vocals, and atmospheric, distorted guitar sound that MBV is known for. This just reaffirms that I still don't care much for shoegaze. That leaves one more MBV album yet to appear for me on this list ("Loveless"), maybe that one will finally impress me, but I doubt it.
Kraftwerk
3/5
I've never heard a synthesizer used in so many different ways. Just in the title track alone, the synthesizer is clearly mimicking the sounds you'd hear on the highway (or "der Autobahn") such as vehicles cruising by, the tuning of the radio in your car, and even other industrial sounds. The remaining tracks range from unnerving to happy and serene.
It's hard to believe that this was released in 1974. This was my first exposure to Kraftwerk, and it's pretty evident that they were pioneers of electronic music. I'm sure their reach extends even beyond that though, as you hear Kraftwerk's influence in much of 80s synth-pop and even early hip-hop samples. The influence is recognizable, but the title track carries this album and I don't see myself coming back to this.
Billy Joel
5/5
Is this Billy Joel's greatest album? Perhaps. This seemed to signal a breakthrough for Mr. Joel at this point in his career. Almost all of the hits are packed in here.
Some of the highlights for me personally:
"Just the Way You Are" - always loved this song and its construction, it's sappy but those sax breaks are delectable
"Scenes from an Italian Restaurant" - probably the centerpiece of the album, a epic medley of sorts telling the story of young love (and subsequent heartbreak)
"Only the Good Die Young" - a jaunty tune, telling a tale of lust (and actually got Joel into a bit of trouble with religious types, making the song even MORE popular as a result)
Billy Joel has always been an adept songwriter, and later a great showman, but that is probably the most evident in "The Stranger". The album itself might be a little top heavy, but it has some of the best pop-rock that the 70's had to offer and just...sounds like New York despite me never having visited there. Billy Joel went on a roll after this album.
2/5
I appreciate and acknowledge the songwriting ability of Bob Dylan, but man I quickly lost interest here. Majority of the songs and performances sound way too similar to each other, especially in the first half. There just wasn't that much energy despite being a live recording. His signature, nasally delivery takes a lot of getting used to as well. The second half, while having a bit more energy, wasn't enough to save the overall album experience for me.
Madonna
2/5
I had only heard the titular track "Ray of Light" prior to this. This is an interesting Madonna album, especially if you're coming straight from her mega-hits from the 80s. I also did not know this album was that critically acclaimed.
There is quite a bit going on with this album, as it melds different genres and represents a new direction for the former "Queen of Pop". "Candy Perfume Girl" literally sounds like something that a band like Garbage would've written and performed. Most of the album is centered around electronica and techno-pop, with singles such as "Ray of Light", "Nothing Really Matters", and "Frozen" leading the way. The rest of the album slows down, offering more of a downbeat and tender sound.
It's unusual to me to see this album considered by many to be Madonna's magnum opus. Like many I'm sure, when I see Madonna I hear her early career pop-oriented sound rather than this. I get that most artists tend to branch out as their musical career goes on, but this album eliminated any momentum it had the longer it went on. It's really only the singles that could be labeled as techno-pop, as the rest of the album slows to a crawl. Points for trying something different and daring to be deeply emotional, though.
Arcade Fire
3/5
Brian Eno
3/5
I think what plagues a lot of these art-rock/pop records from yesteryear is that they'll occasionally just DRAG on aimlessly without an end in sight, whether it's instrumentally or via repetition in lyrics. I totally get that this genre is setting out to be unconventional and experimental (this project has exposed me to plenty of its kind already), but it doesn't make it any more pleasant to listen to. That being said, I think this has been the most digestible of the artsy albums I've listened to from this list thus far. Something about this one didn't really irk me as much as the others.
Reading on the creation of this particular album was interesting too, as Eno himself purposely sought out musically incompatible musicians to perform together, seemingly out of curiosity. I guess when you're as eccentric as Eno, you can get away with something like that. Although this album came early in Eno's career, making that kind of artistic choice even bolder.
Fun Lovin' Criminals
3/5
I only know these guys as the “Scooby Snacks” guys, so wasn’t aware that they were a potentially significant group.
After listening, I’m not really sure why this album was included. There are quite a bit of rock n roll samples featured which I guess seems unique at first, but then you realize the Beastie Boys were doing that for almost a decade prior. The album as a whole is pretty easy to listen to and doesn’t take itself too seriously, so I’ll give it that. Just don’t know what this album has to set itself apart from the gigantic rap acts of the 90’s. I wasn’t really buying what they were selling if that makes any sense. Like a 5/10 for me.
Yes
3/5
Half of this album is “Roundabout” and “Heart of the Sunrise”. Not really a complaint, but I don’t know what it is with prog rock and its marathon songs. The thing is, most of the rest of the album were short instrumentals that didn’t really match the energy of “Roundabout” or even “South Side of the Sky”. Makes me think that the construction of the album was fiddled with a bit too much, but I guess that was normal for prog rock of this era.
The Go-Go's
4/5
Some pretty iconic hooks here, and to think that this was the Go-Go’s debut album too. This album and group melded pop and punk together nicely (call that “New Wave” I guess). You could argue that the Go-Go’s paved the way for many pop artists too, especially female-led groups. A pretty fun listening experience overall.
Neil Young
3/5
The Band
3/5
Mostly pleasant folk & country rock. Coming in with newer ears, I honestly hear a twinge of Adam Duritz from the Counting Crows in the vocals. Not much stood out, though. Couldn't tell what the singles were, if there were even any. "Up on Cripple Creek" was maybe the closest thing.
The Temptations
4/5
Definitely a turning point for the Temptations, as the group seems to have evolved a bit from their signature Motown soul sound into more funk and psychedelia here. Of course, that soul isn't gone entirely as the second side of this album features it prominently. However, the first three tracks are very indicative of the aforementioned new direction with the title track "Cloud Nine" showcasing this right off of the bat. Honestly wouldn't have minded if the rest of the album had followed suit with side one, but it was still enjoyable nonetheless.
Echo And The Bunnymen
3/5
I can honestly say that I've never heard of this group before. Very interesting name.
Right off the bat in "The Cutter", I'm instantly reminded of the Beatles with the use of stringed instruments in what one could only describe as "psychedelic" sounding. This isn't the last time you'll hear these eerie, yet charming strings either. The rest of the album is pretty gloomy, but something experimental was certainly brewing. Kind of reminded me of a discount Cure.
Deep Purple
3/5
With any live album, you're really keying into the artist's performance itself as opposed to WHAT is being performed if that makes any sense. This is basically a greatest hits album at the end of the day, with each song having its own extended cut and flair. The sound mixing is also pretty damn crisp for being live.
- the performance of "Highway Star" honestly sounded just as good as the studio recording, one of the highlights of this live album
- drum solo on "The Mule" was pretty cool, albeit a bit long
- capped by a 20 min performance of "Space Truckin'"...cool I guess...
I actually enjoyed listening to this but I don't really see how live albums merit an inclusion on lists such as these, unless they are truly one of a kind and culturally significant (such as Johnny Cash's "At Folsom Prison" or Nirvana's "MTV Unplugged in New York" to name a select few). Regardless, I'd give this a low 3.
The White Stripes
4/5
I've always had a soft spot for this era of garage rock revival. I guess the simplicity mixed with the crashing drums and focus on unique guitar play draws me in. The White Stripes were among those in the forefront of this revival in the early 2000s and I'd wager that nearly every human knows at least one of their songs.
For the album itself, there's quite a bit packed into the 40 min of playtime. "Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground" is a great opener, the feverish pace of "Fell In Love With a Girl" always entertains, and even some of the slower, less-known tracks such as "I'm Finding It Harder To Be a Gentleman" and "I Can't Wait" were standouts to me while listening.
Jack White isn't the greatest vocalist, and I don't think he is setting out to be, but I think his style, mixed with the drums of Meg White fits the garage rock energy sound well. Now I wouldn't say that this is the greatest White Stripes album, as I think their best stuff is yet to come from this point, but this was a good entry for them to enter the mainstream rock world with.
Radiohead
3/5
Quite the direction to take following a release such as "OK Computer". I came into this album completely blind, so hearing a mix of familiar Radiohead with electronica and what some can describe as ambient sounds was a bit jarring. It just never really struck a chord with me while listening though. I do acknowledge that this was a brave endeavor for a group of Radiohead's caliber. Burnout is very much a real thing and artists should be encouraged to experiment and change things up if they feel the need to do so. Guess I just don't have the right ears or mindset for this kind of experimental "rock", though. Nothing really stuck with me after listening, except for maybe "Idioteque".
The Jam
3/5
OutKast
5/5
I already received "Speakerboxx/The Love Below" on this list and while that may be OutKast's most commercially successful album, I think "Stankonia" better represents who OutKast is and their artistic evolution at the time.
Those familiar with OutKast's previous work know that they were more laid-back with a strong funk influence (like most other hip-hop acts from the south), but here in "Stankonia" the tempo is noticeably cranked up and draws a wider array of influences with psychedelic rock, funk, and soul. "B.O.B." is probably the best representative of this if you're handpicking one track from this vast album. Its frantic flow, drum and bass inspired rhythms, guitar break, and the gospel-like chants of "power music, electric revival" near the end make for one hell of a five minute track. "B.O.B." is the song I hear when I think of "Stankonia". Others likely know "So Fresh, So Clean" and "Ms. Jackson" from the radio, and both are also iconic songs in their own right. The rest of the album is pretty broad and introspective in its subject matter and definitely worth closer listens. I never care for interludes in hip-hop albums, but the ones included here don't overstay their welcome too much and flow well into the proceeding tracks.
I did end up scanning ahead on the 1001 albums list and it's a shame that no other OutKast albums are going to appear for me after this. I firmly believe that any of their first three albums are worthy of inclusions as each one has a signature sound whilst staying true to their southern/ATL hip-hop roots. But even if artists were limited to one album only on this list, "Stankonia" would take the cake for best representing OutKast in my opinion. A strong, "stank"y 9.5/10 for me.
Blur
3/5
I'm not super well-versed in Blur, but I can tell that this album was a departure from their early Britpop sound. Britpop was largely through by this point anyway, so perhaps it was the right time to change things up. Of course, "Song 2" (or the "Woo Hoo" song as many likely know it) sticks out like a sore thumb. A song that wasn't supposed to be that massive, as it was apparently intended to be a joke for the record company. 25+ years later, that short song has been covered, sampled, and featured almost everywhere. But that's only two minutes of an album that could be seen as a canvas for all sorts of alternative rock-adjacent sounds from a Brit-based group. Most of it is pretty noisy to be honest, but I did hear some hints of what would later become Gorillaz in Damon Albarn's vocals, a group I'm quite fond of. Not bad.
The Beta Band
2/5
I like the comic book-style album cover. Without knowing anything about this group, makes me think I'm in for some geek rock.
Hmm, not totally what I was expecting. This album jumps around quite a bit; between folk/indie rock, electronica and even funk at one point. I guess I was expecting something more high-octane, but this landed more on the Coldplay side of things when it comes to the "rock energy" scale. Not awful, but a bit forgettable at the end of the day. Teetering between a 2 and a 3. In an effort to be more critical, I'll go 2.
GZA
4/5
Those who enjoyed Wu-Tang Clan's "36 Chambers" would probably enjoy this solo endeavor from GZA. Keeping with the martial arts theme, complete with excerpts from old martial arts movies and aggressive, attacking lyricism, etc. While the production sounds cleaner than that of "36 Chambers", "Liquid Swords" doesn't quite reach those peaks. That's fine though, as a few tracks come close on their own, notably the singles and the few collabs.
Blue Cheer
2/5
This felt so much longer than 32 minutes. I guess it was the mix of the sludgy, distorted rock sound with some of the long instrumental breaks thrown in. I would say that there is some merit to this album basically laying the foundation of what would become the "heavy metal" sound, but it was a bit of a mess otherwise.
Electric Light Orchestra
4/5
Another prog rock double album... At least it's ELO!
ELO were big players in the prog rock/pop era of the 70's. I mean, it's hard to deny the catchiness of their music. Every song feels like a grandiose production, with its mix of pop and classical inspired arrangements, as well as the catchy hooks. "Mr. Blue Sky" is easily the most recognizable song of the bunch, as most movie-goers have heard it at least once. I will admit there is a lot of pomp, especially for an album of this length.
One thing of note is the extensive use of the vocoder, which gives that distorted, synthesized-human voice sound. This obviously wasn't the first use of such an instrument in music, but some may have noticed its use in other popular music immediately after and even more prominently later on by the likes of Daft Punk. The experimentation in this album didn't stop there though, as some tracks such as "Jungle" and the instrumental "The Whale" stand out simply for being unique compared to the rest.
A fun album, if not a bit long. Time seemed to fly by whilst listening though, so that was hardly an issue. Easily recommendable for those new to this era of prog rock/pop. Personal favorite portion of the album was side 3, "Concerto for a Rainy Day".
Led Zeppelin
4/5
Well, I've officially finished the Led Zeppelin quadrilogy. Crazy that the entirety of these first four albums were recorded in less than a two and a half year span. The music production process was just different back then.
This might be the better of the first four LZ albums. Like the others, "LZ II" has a few of the notable singles including "Whole Lotta Love", "Heartbreaker", and "Ramble On" (my personal favorite of theirs). Once again, one can hear the mixing of blues-inspired rock with harder rock here. The iconic riffs from Page (see: "Heartbreaker" and the drum playing from Bonham (basically the entirety of "Moby Dick", for those who like those types of instrumental showcases) are notable.
Lyrically still sexually charged as ever, if you're paying even an ounce of attention. The folk and fantasy inspirations records creep in with "Ramble On" as well. As with any other LZ album though, the other songs don't really stack up with the mammoth singles featured and tend to feel "filler-y" as a result. Although "Thank You" and Bring It on Home" stand out for me; the former for being more mellow and tender, and the latter bringing an interesting twist to a blues classic. I'd still consider this on par with, say, "Led Zeppelin IV".
Adele
4/5
I remember the radio playing the absolute piss outta the singles from this album back when I was in high school. As a result, I sort of despised Adele by association. In retrospect, that didn't seem fair to the artist as they themselves don't necessarily control radio play. Listening to this album in full now with more open ears just confirms the enormous talent of Adele.
Starting with the signature single of hers that everyone has heard, "Rolling in the Deep", it is as emotionally charged as I remember it, complete with authoritative vocals from Adele. The rest of the album continues to explore failed romantic relationships, along with the healing and introspection that comes after. The piano ballad "Turning Tables" is a beautiful example of this introspection, as well as the more optimistic "I'll Be Waiting". Everything culminates with the powerful "Someone Like You" as the album closer.
There is some musical range here. Soul is in the forefront, but there are tinges of R&B, gospel, and even country. Heartbreak-inspired songs and albums generally come off as trite to me, but a select few can add to and sell it well, and I think Adele is among those acts here. Her commanding presence via her voice bears strong resemblances to certain women of soul from the past. Even more impressive considering this was only her second album. I'd put this in my personal top 10 pop albums from the 2010s.
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
This album just sounds like Middle America., not sure how else to describe it. The songs are structurally simple, but also catchy thanks to Springsteen and the E Street Band's slamming guitars, crashing drums, and signature emphatic vocals.
But what makes Springsteen really special is his songwriting ability. The characters he creates is his music are meant to be relatable in their hardships. While most of this particular album sounds upbeat and bubbly, the actual lyrical content is frankly pretty depressing and authentic. I mean, name a more misinterpreted song than the titular "Born in the U.S.A.". Shows you the power of a strong chorus, as that's all everyone remembers. The rest of the album explores the flaws of the so called "American Dream", complete with disillusionment and struggles experienced by the working-class. Not to say that the entire album has a doom and gloom outlook, as you could argue that optimism immediately follows themes such as these. Leave it to "The Boss" to explore this sort of subject matter whilst being the seminal entertainer that he is.
Incubus
4/5
Somewhat surprised to see some Incubus representation on this list. Not that I'm disappointed, in fact I quite like Incubus. It's just that with how much this messy era of nu metal/alt metal/rap rock seems to get pooped on, I guess I wasn't expecting there to be any representation. Regardless, the album has a lot of jams, albeit a bit backloaded. "Drive" is obviously Incubus's biggest hit to many, but "Stellar" and "Pardon Me" both surpass it for me personally. Heck, even "I Miss You" was an unexpected surprise given it's one of the few slower tempo songs on the album.
This is definitely a softer, more radio friendly take on nu/alt metal, or whatever you want to call it. That is totally fine by me though, as a majority of that genre is too much for me at times. However, I personally think the follow up to this, "Morning View", is the better Incubus album. The group moved away from this sorta nu metal sound and carved out a more creative project there. But on its own, "Make Yourself" is solidly enjoyable (outside of "Battlestar Scralatchtica") and a fun product of its time. 3.7/5
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
1/5
Goodness this was unpleasant to listen to. I get what the group is going for, basically telling storybook-like tales centered around murder in the form of song, but it became too grating at points. Nick Cave's monotone and low vocal style didn't really help with that either. The songs with guest vocalists were tolerable at best. Perhaps Mr. Cave is better suited for narrating crime fiction audiobooks.
Kanye West
2/5
I remember this record being a massive departure from Kanye's previous work and I honestly didn't care for it much at the time. 11 years later and this is still a tough listen. I mean, right from the start you're greeted with electronic and industrial "beats" WILDLY differing from what you've heard in the Dropout Bear trilogy or even "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy" just a few years prior. This continues all throughout and mix that with Kanye's extra-abrasive and brash lyrics, and it all becomes a bit too much sonically. Kanye was always one to strive for greatness and reach for the stars from a production standpoint, and he certainly reached some high highs in his first five studio albums (plus "Watch The Throne" if you wanna count that), but I was never into this one. Drill and trap music have never really been my thing and my tastes were certainly not swayed after this recent listen.
Fleetwood Mac
5/5
Fleetwood Mac's magnum opus and 70's pop-rock at its best. This is a VERY recognizable album, made even more so by iconic singles such as "Go Your Own Way", "Don't Stop", and "Dreams" (the latter being especially trendy in recent years). Heck, repeated listens made me appreciate "Gold Dust Woman" a little bit more after initially brushing it off. The electric and acoustic instrumentation is blended well here, making for an easily digestible listen. Who knew that troubled relationships and drugs would make for good musical content?
The Icarus Line
2/5
Slightly tolerable noise rock at points, but the occasional unwanted guitar/instrument shrieks became piercing to my ears. Nothing really ever stands out in noise rock in my opinion.
David Holmes
3/5
R.E.M.
4/5
OK, we're firmly into the meat of R.E.M.'s discography now. And boy, that's some good meat. It's interesting reading into the production of this album and how some say it marked a departure from R.E.M.'s "typical" style of music, and yet you've got singles like "Pop Song 89", "Stand", and "Orange Crush" which are memorable in their own right, and thus becoming R.E.M.-like on the way.
For the product as a whole, it does a good job (for the most part) of balancing between almost bubblegum pop and then slower, more emotional mandolin-laden songs. I thought the first half of the album heavily outweighed the second half, but this is still a high quality album amongst a plethora of high quality R.E.M. albums during this era.
Jacques Brel
2/5
Van Morrison
3/5
Jethro Tull
3/5
I’ll give it props for being one of the more interesting and creative prog rock albums, as the prominent usage of the flute stood out to me. As is the case with a lot of other albums though, one track overshadows the rest of the album. The self-titled major rock hit “Aqualung” being the obvious case here. Otherwise very folksy and mostly tolerable.
Pink Floyd
5/5
I was beginning to get burned out from this list, with some recent travel + being obsessed with the Summer Olympics causing me to fall behind as well as a stretch of mediocre albums taking up my backlog as a result. But albums like this make this challenge worthwhile. "The Dark Side of the Moon" is far from new musical territory for me, but it's always nice to have the peace of mind that a titanic album such as this was always waiting in the wings of the random generator.
The greatest concept albums flow effortlessly and don't overstay their welcome. One could argue that this is THE definitive concept album, I mean there's a reason that this album is taught in pretty much any music/rock history class. The themes explored are fairly general; among those being conflict, death, and the passage of time, which are things every human experiences. These are conveyed well through their respective tracks via their instrumentation and on-the-nose existential lyricism. Those seemingly random excerpts of dialogue scattered throughout the album make sense now after reading up on the album's production, as those voices are of the staff at Abbey Road answering questions related to the themes central to the album. The album is ultimately bookended with sounds of a heartbeat, driving home the overarching theme of human life and its experiences.
Definitely one of the few classic rock albums that deserves its spot on the pantheon of the "greatest of all time" lists. The production is top-notch, as the instrumentation featured throughout is the main character here in my opinion. Guitar solos, synthesizers, ticking clocks, cash registers, etc. An already memorable album made even more so by it's unique instrumentation.
Foo Fighters
3/5
Nice to see some Foo Fighters representation on this list, although I think their best work came in the albums immediately following this one. It's weird, but I've noticed that the author(s) of this list seem to have a bias for artist's earlier work, almost looking past an artist's overall body of work. Regardless, Foo Fighters are always a fun listen. This album in particular feels a bit top-heavy though. Hard to fault the Foo Fighters for that, considering that this album's production was practically a one-band band in the form of one Dave Grohl.
The Bees
3/5
Very summery and reggae-y, but with an indie twist. Pretty comfy, but nothing earth-shattering. Never really took off I felt.
The Doors
4/5
Probably the most recognizable of the Doors albums, and it was their debut album to boot! Mostly everything sounds very polished, with iconic psychedelic rock tracks such as "Break on Through", "Light My Fire", and one of my favorites "Soul Kitchen". The Doors really exemplify this era of late-60's psychedelic rock for me, as I was exposed to them frequently throughout my youth. I will agree that some songs tend to meander a bit here (that's a Jim Morrison special), but The Doors are still a psychedelic rock-era staple to me and I never tire of listening to their hits.
Prince
3/5
Prince's first solo endeavor. Immediately noticeable were the electronic drums featured throughout, almost sounding like a futuristic version of rock for the time. The album as a whole was a bit too up-and-down energy-wise for me, though. It just never maintains a high level, alternating between classic Prince horndog ballads and outright forgettable tracks. It almost feels directionless. I had heard that this album was one of Prince's more critically acclaimed coming into my first listen and I couldn't help but leave a bit disappointed. I can't deny that the album as a whole is produced well, which keeps my rating of it afloat.
Lou Reed
4/5
Laid back and more subdued glam rock, but that's to be expected for those familiar with Lou Reed and his previous work. "Walk on the Wild Side" is the most notable track here (hip-hop heads will recognize that bassline sample...) as it sounds simultaneously seedy yet cool, indicative of the subject matter. I hadn't heard any of the other tracks prior to getting this album, so other ones that stood out to me were the sarcastic "Vicious", the softer "Perfect Day", and the more traditional glam rock-y "Satellite of Love".
You can certainly hear Bowie's influence on this album. Yet Lou Reed is distinctively different from Bowie in many ways with his performance. "Transformer" is a fun jaunt and over quick enough to warrant another listen, so take a walk on the wild side one more time why don't ya?
Steve Earle
3/5
Pretty easy to listen to, albeit safe and somewhat cliched heartland/country rock. Seemingly riding the wave of the Springsteen heartland rock sound of a few years prior.
Calexico
3/5
Interesting album to say the least. A much different take on indie rock, with country, Tejano, and jazz thrown in. It definitely SOUNDS southwestern and desert-y, which makes sense considering that this group was apparently formed in Tuscon, Arizona. There seems to be an even mix of vocal and instrumental tunes as well, really bringing the spotlight to this interesting fusion of western genres.
Just shy of a 3.5/5 for creativity, as there weren't really any specific tracks that I was pining to go back and listen to, but the body of work was certainly interesting.
Kraftwerk
2/5
At least "Autobahn" was fun, this one was...significantly more dull. Things only started to get interesting at and after the title track, as the rest of the album ranged from monotonous to almost tedious. I'm already aware of Kraftwerk's impact on electronic music, I shared my thoughts on this when I drew "Autobahn" a few months ago. This one just felt more of the same and less exciting to me. At least "Trans-Europe Express" gave us "Planet Rock" a few years later.
Kraftwerk
4/5
OK, this is more like it. Second Kraftwerk album in a row for me, but THIS is what I was expecting to hear from the group. Electro pop that one can dance do, but also simply sit down and digest. Most of the album sounds soft and uplifting, which you didn't really hear much in this era of early electronic music. I think this is the Kraftwerk album that you can point to in terms of being the bridge to the synth-pop era of music that emerged in the early 80's.
Crosby, Stills & Nash
4/5
Strong opening track and overall debut album for a fairly well known rock group that I don't claim to be familiar with. I don't know why, but CSN was just never a group I was exposed to. Could be that they're way before my time, but even then I tend to lean towards older rock music thanks to my dad or whatever is featured in pop culture via the way of video games and movies. There's some good folk rock here, and each member harmonizes very well with each other. Super reminiscent of Simon & Garfunkel, but these guys certainly weren't nobodies in the rock industry at the time. Easy recommendation for those looking for something lighter in a sea of psychedelic and hard rock from the late 60s.
Doves
2/5
Dinosaur Jr.
3/5
I've always appreciated the guitar playing of J Mascis. I think the usage of feedback and distortion in the guitar always been the main draw of Dinosaur Jr (Nothing against his vocals, though I think there's actually a charm to his drawl). It's weird, I normally despise noise rock but I'd put Dinosaur Jr. on the fringe of that label as their noise, while in the forefront, isn't completely overwhelming like other acts. Their sound is more melodic and will feature extended solos from time to time.
"Bug" probably isn't their greatest album (Mascis doesn't care for it himself, apparently), but the opening track "Freak Scene" is classic Dinosaur Jr. wrapped into one song. Simple and short lyrically with prominent guitar solo breaks to bridge the verses. The rest of the album stays afloat until around the penultimate song or so, then gets a little too wacky for my tastes. The overall body of work isn't bad, though there might be better album representatives for Dinosaur Jr.
Burning Spear
3/5
3/5
I'm sure getting a lot of politically charged albums lately, huh. Hard not to hear Radiohead in early Muse, though I think that saying Radiohead is the more impactful group is the obvious statement of the century. I dunno, this album started out well enough but sort of lost its legs midway through. I was expecting it to be a little harder and rawer given the theme, but it all got softer to me. Credit where credit is due though, some various and unique musical inspirations bleed through here. Specifically "Knights of Cydonia", with its mix of hard rock with surf rock riffs.
John Coltrane
4/5
An interesting mix between frantic and and calming jazz. Outside of the track titles, I don't really hear or see this religious subtext that many critics seem to mention, but I do hear Coltrane essentially sing or narrate through his saxophone. This is mostly evident in the final movement, "Psalm", which takes a more gospel or soul-like approach in its mood.
This list has given me an opportunity to expose myself more to jazz, with some being seminal works, and others more mixed in public opinion. I'm not sure I'd quite put this on "Kind of Blue" level, but it's still grandiose in its own right.
Barry Adamson
2/5
This is interesting, as it's supposedly a soundtrack/concept album for a non-existent crime film. Not sure I've ever come across a work like this but I'll be honest, this music does not sound like anything that you'd expect to hear in any serious crime film. Maybe more for a film noir-type thing (not that those types are unserious, per se), which is probably what Adamson was going for here. Not sure about its inclusion on this list, though. I don't know how impactful a fake film score can really be and I couldn't possibly imagine anyone choosing to sit down and listen to this from start to finish.
2/5 solely for the honor of being the first (and probably only) fake film score that I've ever listened to.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
3/5
This might be too much RHCP for some people and that's totally understandable. This is undoubtedly one of their better works though, as the group embraces their funk roots whilst entering the alt rock era of the early 90's. Also their lewdest album, for better or for worse. Despite the latter point, some of their biggest singles make an appearance here; including "Give It Away" and "Suck My Kiss". But my personal favorite track of theirs doesn't follow their traditional sound and song structure, that being the vulnerable and soft "Under the Bridge". Almost odd that it is featured on this album when you think about it.
With all of that being said, fatigue does set in at a certain point on this album, namely after track 12. The highs are high, but the flaws rear their ugly head a few times throughout.
Dagmar Krause
2/5
So from what I understand, this is a collection of songs from a German composer encapsulating the Weimar Republic-era, sung (mostly) in English by a German vocalist. Very much theatrical or cabaret, as well as being the first record of its kind that I've willingly listened to. I can definitely appreciate the vocalist here, but I'll be honest in saying that this was a slog to listen through. I think a performance like this is more appreciated as a live offering.
Pulp
2/5
Definitely more glam rock inspired britpop, but I find myself becoming less and less interested in these 90s britpop albums as I go along. It also doesn't help that much of this is overly and uncomfortably sensual, so I guess the album cover should've been a sign. Much different than "Different Class" from a few years prior, but I don't think this quite reaches the heights of that entry in Pulp's discography. I'll leave this one behind.
The xx
3/5
Knew nothing of this group or album prior to listening, but immediately hearing "Intro" felt like an epiphany. I've heard that track so much across YouTube, social media, and in adverts that I honestly thought it was royalty-free music or something similar until now. The more you know...
Now onto the rest of the album. "Less is more" is the theme here, as the sound production is minimalistic, yet very crisp. Touching on themes such as love, desire, and loss, everything feels and sounds intimate as a result of this combination. Intentional or not, some of the songs that feature both of the vocalists come off as romantic duets. However, I do think this style of production tends to result in the separate tracks bleeding into each other a bit. If you've heard one track with short guitar figures and clapping percussion, you've almost heard them all.
This is a very 2009 album, pretty much smack dab in an era of budding indie pop acts. Not to say I completely hated this album, in fact I quite enjoy that era of indie pop/rock. This album hits a sort of ceiling midway through and doesn't strive to do much more than that.
Leonard Cohen
3/5
Leonard Cohen is a name I've heard, but never really heard his work. Go figure that the first album of his that I'll listen to was apparently his last recorded album. I'm sure I can expect some dark subject matter.
Due to Cohen's unfortunate health issues later in his life, he was subjected to recording this album from his living room, and it certainly sounds the part. Very personal and stripped down, with Cohen's noticeably aged and low delivery. Everything is obviously introspective and poetic, as Cohen and co. were well aware that this would be his swan song from the music industry. Hard not to be reminded of David Bowie's "Blackstar" from earlier that same year, with very similar circumstances and theme.
These "swan song" albums are never easy listens, but there's a certain charm to the end product we receive when an artist knows that his or her time is running out. It really allows them to step outside their comfort zone and get more artsy and self-reflective with their work.
The Allman Brothers Band
3/5
More jam band live album-madness. This one was palatable due to the easy-listening of their blues/country rock style, which I'd say lends itself somewhat well to the live environment. Not much more than a 3 though, as I don't consider too many live albums "ground breaking".
Roni Size
2/5
Fela Kuti
4/5
Imagine creating such an anti-government/military album that you get yourself severely beaten and your mother killed as a result, all while pioneering the Afrobeat genre into popularity. Reading the background of this album and immediate aftermath was eye-opening to say the least. Fela Kuti was one of a kind, standing in the face of corruption from the Nigerian government and military complex, sharing his views via a music genre in which he largely created. Just goes to show you how powerful music can be as a weapon, commanding everyone's attention whether they want to hear the message or not.
Marianne Faithfull
3/5
Faithfull certainly has a unique voice, giving her this sort of "edge" compared to other vocalists from around this era. I personally think it sells the emotion better, and Faithfull certainly had a rough go of it in the years leading up to this album's production from the sounds of it. That emotion really culminates all throughout. The closing "Why'd Ya Do It" is probably the stand out track here, as it's basically six minutes of scathing bitterness directed towards an unfaithful lover. To be honest, a lot of this sounds like it could've been released a decade or two later, given the popularity of women in rock that would come later. But alas, this one can certainly be appreciated on its own.
Eurythmics
3/5
This is as synth pop as synth pop gets. I mean, the title track is probably the flagship song of its genre. Lennox's vocals and image paired with Stewart's production made for a powerful musical duo.
As for the album, "Love Is a Stranger" and "The Walk" stood out as the other fun and standout synth-pop hits (especially if you're me and hadn't heard much outside of "Sweet Dreams"). But I thought the album noticeably slowed down and changed tone after the title track. This almost feels like a mini double album as a result. Not awful, but just took me out of the listening experience a bit.
Dr. John
2/5
Today I learned what swamp rock & blues are. Today I also learned that I do not care for swamp rock & blues music. I will give it one thing, this definitely sounds the part of "swamp rock". Very inspired by R&B from the deep south, specifically New Orleans, with the "swampy" sound being brought on by the psychedelia and voodoo influences that are displayed. It all becomes a bit much to take in and eventually becomes tiring to listen to, though. I feel like I just sat through a voodoo ritual in the middle of the bayou swamp. The underlying R&B rhythms are somewhat catchy at least.
Beastie Boys
5/5
The Beastie Boys were highly influential, using their punk origins to blend hip-hop with rock. Born from that was their massive debut album "Licensed to Ill", eventually becoming the first Billboard #1 rap/hip-hop album ever. All from three white Jewish dudes in New York.
This is probably one of the greatest debut records of all time. It certainly got a lot of play from me when I was younger and still getting exposed to hip-hop. The rock samples (as well as ACTUAL guitar play from Kerry King himself) mixed with the group's goofy delivery (and equally goofy lyrics) commanded my attention then and still does to this day. Not really a bad track here, although I think the run of tracks from "Fight for Your Right" to the end especially are matched by few in all of music. The best part is that their discography somehow gets even better from here depending on who you ask. It turns out that these dudes were just getting started.
Suicide
2/5
Alright, let's start here: instrumentally, this whole record SOUNDS pretty ahead of its time. Could be that synth-pop was still somewhat in its infancy around this era. It's all pretty minimalist in the production too, with some obvious nods to 50's rock melodies, somehow sounding simultaneously classic and modern. That being said, I didn't care too much for the trying-to-be-Elvis-like talk singing vocals. It somehow got more uncomfortable as the record went on. I don't think anything of value would've been lost if this was just purely instrumental.
Django Django
4/5
This album was all over the place, but in a good way. I saw the "art rock" label for this album before turning it on and expected the worst, but I was pleasantly surprised. Some of the highlights were surf rock, psychedelia, synth rhythms, etc. all with a modern twist. Not much else to say honestly, would recommend listening to this at least once through.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
You know what you're getting when you pop on some CCR. This particular album is short and sweet and sticks to its blues rock roots amidst a crowd of drug-induced, psychedelic rock from the time. The fact that Fogerty and the boys pumped out three albums in 1969 alone (this being the 2nd of the 3) was impressive. Never a dip in quality, plus gave us some iconic hits such as the self-titled "Green River" and "Bad Moon Rising".
Stephen Stills
3/5
One-fourth of the great quartet of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, this was the debut solo album effort of Stills. Starting with his biggest hit, the jubilant "Love the One You're With", this album jumps between some folk rock that many would expect and some harder and funkier rock with the help of names like Hendrix and Clapton. Heck, even Ringo came in to play the drums on a few tracks, so this album is actually pretty loaded with talent. I don't know if that helps or hinders Stills in terms of showcasing his solo chops (seemed like only a handful of songs featured him prominently), but there's definitely no lack of effort in the production.
Sepultura
3/5
Can't say I know too many Brazilian metal groups, so this one caught me a tad by surprise. The lyrical content is usually the same throughout thrash/death metal (I feel) but it's generally overshadowed by the heavy guitar or, more notably here, the drum playing. The breakneck pace in which Igor Cavalera plays the drums throughout is almost mesmerizing. Rest of the album kind of blends together to me, though. Death metal has never really been my scene but I can appreciate the craft in moderation. I'm sure this album is more important in some music circles.
Baaba Maal
3/5
This might be my first time ever willingly listening to worldbeat music. Pretty interesting getting a taste of traditional music (in this case, originating from Senegal and Pulaar-speaking regions) mixed with pop. Despite not being able to comprehend the Pulaar language, the rhythms are pretty soothing and the tracks feature a different mix of musical styles & instrumentation all throughout. The instrumentation definitely sounds of its time too (which isn't necessarily a bad thing, the 90's were an eclectic time for music in my opinion). Some tracks dragged on a bit too long for my liking, though.
The Cure
3/5
I'm somewhat aware of The Cure and their contributions to post-punk and new wave in the 80s, but it felt many of the tracks on this particular record were the same. Long, droning guitar progressions as the intro, followed by the first of a few introspective verses 1-2 min later. A formula was certainly followed here and the allure isn't as special when there's only a slight variation of it a few minutes later. They certainly nailed the gloomy aesthetic they were setting out for though, I can't deny that.
I guess I just don't have the nostalgia everyone on the review board seems to have for this album. I didn't hate it entirely, but there's definitely a
specific subset of listeners that would really dig this.
Leonard Cohen
3/5
Getting more of Cohen's discography I see. I got his very last album just a few weeks ago, so it's nice to be able to hear something from Cohen's prime to get a better idea of what he brought to music.
With only two Cohen albums under my belt, it's clear that he used his signature, low vocal delivery the best way he could; creating a sense of gloominess without being totally serious. "Everybody Knows" is probably the best example of my aforementioned point. Instrumentally, the album is a bit here and there (i.e. "Jazz Police"), but that doesn't negate the poetic chops that Cohen displays brilliantly here.
Bonnie Raitt
2/5
This album tries to do too much while simultaneously being cookie-cutter. Like, there's country and blues rock, but also some of what sounds like R&B (almost Sade-like). Nothing seemed super special about the lyrical content, some of it falling under standard country fare to my ears. Now I have nothing against Raitt, her next album has some good stuff, but I was honestly surprised to see that this album won a Grammy in 1990.
The Who
4/5
Album #200!
Here it is, the first real big rock opera. Not so much a popular concept for albums nowadays, but The Who's "Tommy" is probably the first album many think of when it comes to the classic rock opera format. It's grandiose in concept, but also authentic to its rock roots ("Underture" comes to mind, as it's a solo like many are accustomed to hearing from The Who). It's fun and also a little disturbing at points in its content. You would think that a work like this would spawn from a well-seasoned and experienced group, but realizing that the members of The Who were largely in their mid-20's during this album's recording was pretty surprising. Rockstars from the 60's certainly grew up fast (maybe the drugs helped with that).
Anyway, hopefully this inspires you to drop some acid and play some pinball or something.
Ozomatli
3/5
Mostly light Latin rock with hip-hop elements. Although as a Jurassic 5 fan, I did have to do a double-take when I suddenly heard Chali 2na in "Who's To Blame". I feel like I've heard "Saturday Night" somewhere else before as well (maybe because it sounds like the Black Eyed Peas, which is apt for this time period), but nothing else really pushed the needle for me. It all sounded pretty safe and by the book.
The Associates
2/5
Sugar
4/5
I went on a huge 90's power pop kick within the last year and there's just something about the cheeriness and the focus on melodic hooks that I can't get enough of. Fountains of Wayne, Jellyfish, Matthew Sweet, etc., all of these artists were commonly in rotation. Sugar was among those too, but something was slightly different about them. I was wowed by the explosion of sound I was hearing, especially in their debut album "Copper Blue". Not to say it was anything like Phil Spector's "Wall of Sound", but the thick & vibrant guitar riffs mixed with frontman Bob Mould's baritone and sort of nasally vocals leading the melodies kind of did it for me. Some of the tracks on "Copper Blue" sound like they drag on a bit, but otherwise the middle of this album is really strong. There are some absolute earworms here too, which is the point of power pop.
This wave of power pop kind of briefly came in and out of the spotlight, but it no doubt paved the way for pop-punk to emerge later, which is another one of my favorite genres. For that, I am grateful to these power pop acts such as Sugar & others. Who knew that songs based around yearning & despair would be so damn catchy?
The Smiths
3/5
Pretty scathing stuff here, as The Smiths set their sights against the English education system, corporeal punishment, and even eating meat among other topics. It all sounds so...dreamy along the way despite the content matter, probably thanks to Morrissey's crooning style of vocals in the front & center and the jangly guitar sound heard throughout. But The Smiths were a well-organized kit, as said guitar playing/overall composition from Marr, bass from Rourke, and drums from Joyce were vital here and can't go unnoticed. Back to the actual content of the album: while heavy-handed at times, the messages are certainly received thanks to the aforementioned collective talents of the group. There will be more of The Smiths in this list I'm sure.
Laura Nyro
3/5
Not familiar with the late Laura Nyro's discography at all. Quite the soul voice amidst all of the musical layers heard throughout. The tempo changes quite frequently, ranging from more of an upbeat pop sound, to some slower blue-eyed soul & gospel. It was a fun listen, if not a little inconsistent as a whole.
Grizzly Bear
3/5
"Two Weeks" is an indie pop classic from this era, but my knowledge of Grizzly Bear pretty much ends there. Everything else sounds very artsy and chamber pop-y. Never has the label "chamber pop" sounded more accurate, as the cacophony of instruments I heard in the last 50 min quite literally sounded like they were playing from within an echo chamber. Interesting sounds for sure, that also feel like they linger on a bit long. I still like this era of 2000's/2010's indie pop, though, and you can argue that a ton of creativity resulted from it.
(Note: I definitely recognize "Fine For Now" after listening, as I recall Logic sampling that track)
B.B. King
4/5
Ah, The King of the Blues. I admittedly have not been exposed too much to B.B. King, so perhaps a live album is a good launching point.
Blues music tends to sound same-y as a whole, but I think it thrives in a live setting. This is a pretty clean live production and King exudes a ton of charm throughout, energizing the patrons of the Regal Theater with his guitar and banter. Makes you wish you could slip back in time for one night to take in this legendary performance firsthand.
Pantera
4/5
Shifting right from blues to heavy metal on this list. This album name is very appropriate, as the content is moody, heavy-sounding, but also very groove-oriented in its construction. A bit of a departure from the speedier thrash metal sound that was prominent in the 80's. "Walk" is pretty iconic in those regards with its ever present riff, but other tracks such as "This Love" and "Hollow" play with tempo changes, eventually getting heavier as they near their respective close.
My metal-listening experience is pretty limited, but I can acknowledge that this album is genre defining in that it marked a change in both Pantera's sound and in the heavy metal genre. Enjoyed this more than I expected to.
Radiohead
2/5
This seems like a mix of "old" and "newer" Radiohead in terms of the sound. Of course, still socially conscious as ever, but the group attempts to bridge the traditional rock sounds of their "OK Computer" days with the experimental, electronic sounds from "Kid A" and after here. It's fine I guess, if not inconsistent. I've never cared for "Kid A", contrary to how others seem to feel about it, and I've always preferred Radiohead's earlier work & sound. Maybe that opinion will change as I get more Radiohead albums in this list, but I doubt it. On to the next one I guess.
The Soft Boys
2/5
Alice In Chains
4/5
A heavy album in multiple senses. Released during the heyday of grunge rock, Seattle's own Alice In Chains second album "Dirt" tells it how it is from the inside out. Heavy drug use, depression & self-loathing, and death are among the themes covered by the late Layne Staley, Cantrell & co. here. Given all of that, Alice In Chains sounds the most cohesive they've ever sounded here thanks to the guitar work and harmonic vocals that are somehow both simultaneously haunting and enchanting.
Definitely AIC's best work and a seminal album in the 90's era of grunge/metal. AIC fit into this scene whilst being pretty unique in their sound
Favorite tracks: Them Bones, Rooster, Angry Chair, Would?
Wild Beasts
2/5
Joe Ely
3/5
"Cornbread Moon" was a fantastic album starter, not what I expected to hear out of the gate from a 70's country-rock album. Not that the tracks immediately following it were overshadowed, but it's hard to live up to a track titled "Cornbread Moon". The rest of the album is honestly pretty fun and adds its own take on the Hank Williams-esque, honky tonk country music from yesteryear via the electric guitars and the synth sound that was beginning to emerge in the music industry.
The Notorious B.I.G.
4/5
Happy belated 30th birthday, Ready to Die! The late Biggie Smalls used his larger-than-life persona and delivery to story tell like the best of them in the rap industry. That was in full display here in what was somehow Biggie's debut album. It's a tale of rags to riches, life and death, everything in-between. I'm always somehow surprised that Biggie was in his early 20's during the production of this album, as he already sounds so seasoned with his loose & effortless rhyming. There are some pretty slick samples here too, as the production team pulled from various funk tracks to create these now iconic hip-hop samples ("Juicy", "Big Poppa", etc. Impossible to get out of your head!). Of course, it wouldn't be a 90's hip-hop record without some casual misogyny and countless sexual references thrown in. The interludes and end of song skits can be a bit much at times and bloat the album here.
With all of that being said, this is an important album in not only the East Coast hip-hop scene, but in all of hip-hop. Biggie broke into the limelight with "Ready to Die", catapulting him to the forefront of the East Coast hip-hop scene. He only got bigger from there, unfortunately getting murdered at the height of his popularity. However, Biggie's legacy lives on through his two mammoth studio albums, and "Ready to Die" was a pretty damn aptly named album for his debut.
Leonard Cohen
3/5
Only having heard some of Cohen's later works, this feels much more low-energy in comparison. I mean, nothing will match the gloominess of his final album, but here the production is stripped down, leaving Cohen to his vocals and guitar (and a noticeable amount of the Jew's harp hovering in the background of most tracks). At this point for me (after listening to three of his albums in about the span of a month) what you see/hear is what you get with Leonard Cohen. More of a pure storyteller who prefers minimalist production ala Bob Dylan. Can be charming, but drones a bit after a while. There are probably a few Cohen albums I've yet to get to on this list, but I'm not exactly eager to get to them at this point.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
A classic in the Rolling Stones discography. The Stones lean into what they did best here, and that's hard/blues-oriented rock. I could personally take or leave the few British honkey tonk, country-like tracks though. A pretty heavy and dirty album at points, this album is bookended with some classics. All things considered, a pretty good production given the turmoil within the group at the time.
Lou Reed
3/5
Not as fun as "Transformer" I feel. A noticeable departure from the glam rock sound that Reed featured in the album prior and also what initially drew me in. There were some hints of beauty, but otherwise it was mostly bleak.
Pretenders
4/5
Only knew of “Brass in Pocket” coming into today and as is the case with most other albums with a prominent single, I figured the rest of this album wouldn’t quite stack up to that. I’d say I was quite wrong there, as the entire album was pretty enjoyable and somewhat up my alley. This is very early pop-punk/punk rock and its release date is appropriate, as it sounds like a bridge between the 70's and 80's. I'm not sure this could've worked with anyone other than Chrissie Hynde on vocals too, as she adds her own "punk rock girl" flair with some tender and soft tracks mixed in.
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
1/5
Is this unintelligible on purpose? You're immediately greeted with screaming over an explosion of sounds, which is guess is a sign of things to come over the next 45 minutes or so. There is actually some decent guitar playing underneath most of this, but the visceral Elvis-like vocals gave me whiplash. Throwing punk and blues together is an interesting genre fusion that may be slightly more appreciated in a live setting (for those who are even into that...). I appreciate both independently, but this just wasn't it for me.
Scott Walker
3/5
Very bizarre, yet descriptively crooning lyrics/vocals. I think the accompanying classical arrangements really complete the deal here, creating an almost cinematic picture in your mind whilst listening. Not really my scene, but I can appreciate it.
Metallica
4/5
Back when Metallica was thrash-ier! Interesting song construction throughout too, with multilayering and dynamics being experimented with here. It's quality over quantity here, as there are a few marathon tracks that fill the album's nearly hour long runtime. Metallica is probably one of the few groups that can get away with these longer metal tracks, as the technical dexterity of each of the guitarists are second to few.
I'll admit that I was pretty casual when it came to Metallica and metal in general before taking on this challenge, but as a result I've become a little more tolerant and appreciative of the genre and its subgroups a bit more. It was interesting to hear Metallica's first commercial breakthrough before they eventually transitioned from this thrash metal sound in the 90's. I think I prefer this to the latter to be honest.
A Tribe Called Quest
5/5
Hell yeah. A Tribe Called Quest is probably one of my favorite hip-hop groups of all time. They expertly melded jazz with rap during arguably one of the most creative eras of rap music. All while exuding both coolness and goofiness. One could say that ATCQ were among the acts who spearheaded the 90's alternative hip-hop movement with their debut here.
...And what a debut this was. The group already sounds pretty seasoned and they flow effortlessly in their rhymes here. Most will come for "Bonita Applebum" and "Can I Kick It?" (and rightfully so), but their silly, storytelling side shines ("...El Segundo" & "Pubic Enemy"), as well as other standout lyrical performances from Q-Tip specifically ("Footprints" & "Description of a Fool"). It's all a cohesive and clean-sounding production, helped more so by the fitting samples used throughout.
It's wild to consider that the Tribe got better from here, as their next two albums specifically are among their greatest works IMO. "People's Instinctive Travels..." was a great launching point for the group though, and heralded in another evolution for hip-hop immediately following the "gangsta rap" era. Long live alternative hip-hop.
Arctic Monkeys
4/5
I can get with some garage rock. I like how like 80% of this album is themed around British nightlife/pub culture and yet never feels stale. Each track has a story to tell amid the crashing drums and clangy guitar chords. It's just a fun romp, as were most other garage rock acts from this era.
Ash
3/5
Ah, the "Girl From Mars' group! Outside of that, a pretty typical power pop/garage rock album from the mid 90's. It's fun and a lil goofy ("I can't live without my Kung Fu movies!") and I don't think it's trying to be more than that. After having a good listen, Ash honestly sounds like an Irish version of Weezer to me. Go figure that they toured with Weezer for a bit around this album's release.
Siouxsie And The Banshees
4/5
I thought I hadn't heard of this group prior to today, but everything came back to me with the first track "Spellbound". I've definitely heard that track a few times, as it's usually included in any "best of" post-punk playlist. The rest of the album is pretty unconventional and unique for its genre, immediately heard in the very next track of "Into the Light". I don't think I've ever heard guitar effects quite like what were featured there and elsewhere in the album
This is a VERY fitting album to get in October, as there's this dark and haunting aura felt/heard throughout (plus a track literally titled "Halloween"!). The aforementioned guitar playing and Siouxsie's smooth, yet equally distraught vocals definitely play parts in that feeling of mine. I was very impressed with this album and it's ALMOST a 5 for me, but I think the album loses some steam in its back half. But man, those first few tracks were strong.
Ray Price
2/5
Pretty low-key, personable (and sorta depressing) country music. I was kind of taken aback from the intro due to how personal and direct it was actually. Outside of that, sounds like something you'd listen to whilst drinking a whiskey at home in your dimly lit living room on a weeknight.
Mariah Carey
3/5
I'm certainly no stranger to Mariah Carey. I mean, she's only been a mainstay in pop/R&B for the better part of 30 years (without aging somehow) and those who live under a rock certainly at least know her for her Christmas song covers. This album has seemingly escaped me though.
I come into this having listened to Carey's previous album "Daydream" a ton back in the day and I'd consider that among my personal favorite R&B albums. "Butterfly" seems to pale in comparison in a way unfortunately. It's almost entirely slow ballads with some hip-hop features mixed in. I don't feel like Carey really showcased her impressive vocal range here like she did in her previous albums. There just isn't a smash hit here, it's all too safe and by the book. I guess this is an OK R&B record on its own, but I personally feel that there are better album representatives for Mariah Carey the vocalist.
R.E.M.
5/5
Everything just comes together here. The songwriting, production, the overall mood & emotion. Heck, we've even got the legendary John Paul Jones on some arrangements here. It's a pretty somber record when you peel things back a bit; complete with themes of hopelessness, loss, and mortality, but the aura is unmatched by any other R.E.M. record. I get a sense of nostalgia listening to this, despite it releasing before I was born. It commands your attention, you're left ruminating on every string/note from Berry, Buck, and Mills & every word from Stipe.
The group really hit their stride here, and that's even including the run of successful albums released before this one. There's less of that familiar R.E.M. jangle pop and more of a ballad-laden, scaled down sound given the melancholic content. Yet, it never feels directionless. It all culminates into (IMO) R.E.M.'s greatest work.
PJ Harvey
3/5
Despite not having much exposure to PJ Harvey prior to this, I sort of already knew what to expect coming in. Harvey sounds like she's on the verge of exploding at all times. That's raw, unadulterated emotion pouring out of every verse. Unfortunately, and this may sound like a nitpick, Harvey's voice tends to be drowned out by the instrumentals at times throughout the album. Not sure if that was an intentional choice to match the frenetic and moody nature of the album. Outside of that, a pretty unique experience and a window into the era of female-driven rock acts of the 90's.
Queen
3/5
Listening to early Queen is interesting. This obviously predates their "signature" Queen sound heard later in the 70's, but the artiness is already there. There are hints of The Who and Led Zeppelin in here, but the group was the first to admit this. What set Queen apart during this time were their guitar arrangements (thanks to Brian May), and their desire to be unique, blending hard rock with art rock elements. Their signature uses of multi-layered overdubs and harmonious vocals also appear to debut here.
This album has two pretty distinctive sides to it, the first of which ("Side White") being more guitar-focused and a heavier sound. The second side ("Side Black") fully leans into a more fantastical aspect with Freddie Mercury shining here. You've got a kingdom named Rhye and ogre battles galore! Listeners could honestly treat this as two separate short albums as a result.
I've been plenty exposed to Queen during my youth, but this album specifically was never one that crossed my path. You can definitely hear the group refining their sounds and finding their feet here. I thought it was a little inconsistent for my tastes, but the best was yet to come of course.
Simon & Garfunkel
5/5
Simon & Garfunkel are always an easy listen. Both gentlemen were already well-versed and well-known in the music industry at this point in time, but this album is significant as it signaled the end of the duo's legendary run together. This is probably their most eclectic work without totally deviating from the folk rock sound they considered home. Immediately starting with a gospel-inspired track, followed by some Andean-inspired world music, rockabilly, jazz, and reggae. Highlights include the classic "Cecilia" (something about that reverb...), "Baby Driver", the self-titled track (where Garfunkel gets to shine), and the fun live cover of "Bye Bye Love".
"Bridge Over Troubled Water" signified an amicable end to Simon & Garfunkel's successful musical partnership. It's the duo arguably at their best and also their most ambitious. They certainly went out with a bang before enjoying varying levels of success in their solo endeavors later on. This record is a perfect audio example of "don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened".
Oasis
4/5
Oasis IS Britpop. Regardless of how one feels about the group, they are what most think of when it comes to this era of Britpop explosion/revival in the 90's. There's just a little more polish with them and the guitars are heavier than most of the other acts.
Once again, another example of a group finding their footing pretty much right out of the gate. Sure, some of the lyricism is pretty nonsensical (i.e. the enunciation in "Cigarettes & Alcohol" is pretty funny), but it's a righteous romp mostly all the way through. Singles such as "Live Forever" and "Supersonic" highlight the record, but some of the lesser known tracks I personally enjoyed were "Rock 'n' Roll Star" and "Slide Away". The Gallagher brothers were/are pretty insufferable, but they, along with "Bonehead", "Guigsy", and McCarroll created something good here. And boy, they were just getting started too...
Red Hot Chili Peppers
4/5
No joke, this album generated the day I'm flying out to California for the first time. 1001 Albums knows too much... Anyway, what better way to prepare for a trip to Cali with LA's own Red Hot Chili Peppers!
This is probably RHCP at their collective best. A bit front-loaded and nonsensical at times, massive hits such as "Scar Tissue", "Otherside", and the title track are instantly recognizable by many and helped shoot them back into the rock mainstream after a bit of a lull leading up at the time. But like I said, those hits are found within the first six tracks of the album. the second half is a bit hit or miss with some slower, more melodic tracks. Still one of the group's stronger works, though, and helped establish their more modern sound.
The White Stripes
5/5
That opening riff of "Seven Nation Army" shoulda been a sign of things to come! The garage rock revival was fully in effect here, and the duo of Jack & Meg White were among those at the front of this movement. Probably their biggest album, I would argue that "Elephant" didn't really tread new ground, but rather refined an already existing sound that the White Stripes had been cooking up for a few years at this point. Typically a bare bones approach to garage rock (where do you think the "garage" from garage rock comes from?) the duo blends that raw, energetic rock with some tenderness here and it all hardly feels out of place.
A fun listen where you can't help but lose track of time throughout.
Joni Mitchell
4/5
This one pleasantly surprised me. Not that I'm completely unfamiliar with Joni Mitchell, but a lot of folk artists from this era tend to be TOO low key and one-note. This album was somehow both equal parts lively and equal parts mellow. The songwriting was strong for the most part, allowing each track to flow along thanks to the jazz flourish that accompanies this record. A fairly easy and fun listen that clocks in at less than 40 min.
Fav tracks: Help Me, Down to You
The Teardrop Explodes
2/5
Wilco
3/5
I know *of* Wilco and their place in 90s-2000s indie rock, but I've only heard their hits intermittently across the years. I understand that this is a pretty big indie album too, I think many can instantly recognize those Marina City towers shown on the cover.
It's pretty mellow throughout as one would expect, although the transition from "Ashes of American Flags" to "Heavy Metal Drummer" was pretty jarring. Things sorta picked up for a bit from there, but the rest of the album lands a bit too softly for my tastes. There was some interesting instrumentation here and there so it's tough to call this "cookie cutter", but it's probably not one I'd be raring to revisit anytime soon. I think there are more interesting indie artists from the 2000s (that probably don't get much recognition in this list if I were to wager a guess).
John Martyn
2/5
I had apparently previously listened to another album from this artist as part of this list, but I have very little recollection of doing so. This is pretty out there, with traditional jazz sounds being accompanied by interesting instrumental choices such as the use of the mandolin, autoharp, and different types of electric pianos among others. However, Martyn's delivery is pretty unwelcoming and doesn't really complete the musical picture here. File this under: "Immediately forgotten after listening".
Nick Drake
3/5
Good to see you again, Mr. Drake. I was previously exposed to his second album "Bryter Layter" thanks to this list, so getting the opportunity to listen to his debut should be interesting and hopefully enlightening.
It's a pretty subdued debut to be honest, but I only have two of Drake's albums to work off of for reference. The songwriting seeds were certainly planted here, though. Right out of the gate you can tell that the then young Nick Drake had a way with words and never wasted a moment on each track. This album specifically finds its legs later on after a bit of a slow start. Almost like it's opening up to the listener after getting comfortable.
I've said it before and I'll say it again, it's a shame that we lost Nick Drake so young. Looking forward to getting his third and final album, whenever that may be.
The Cramps
3/5
This group truly has a unique sound and I'm surprised I've never heard of them before now. I'm not sure many would've thought to combine rockabilly and punk rock together, but that's what we have here. It strangely works too, though I'm sure it might be polarizing to some. When you look closer, both genres are similar in that they are generally stripped down instrumentally, utilizing some sort of sound distortion or echo/reverb as an effect, feature fast tempos, and were "not for the kids" so to speak.
As far as The Cramps' take, it all sounds pretty raw and a bit disjointed at first. That's by design though, given this mesh of rockabilly and punk that was introduced. It's frantic and a little spooky. Fitting, as I'm getting this album as we approach Halloween. Tracks like "Zombie Dance" and "I Was A Teenage Werewolf" would fit in nicely into any spooky playlist. These guys probably deserved a bit more commendation too, given their influence and reach on early and later punk rock.
Steely Dan
5/5
Probably one of the best marriages of jazz and rock. Steely Dan certainly weren't new to the party at this point, but it was clear that they wanted to experiment and push the limits further than they had been already. What we got was a polished production that respects the listener's time whilst providing them with an eye...erm, ear-opening experience. Just looking at the personnel involved, each of the seven tracks were basically their own separate project. Some decorated studio musicians and vocalists honed their craft and chipped in all throughout. Can't really think of any track that drags this down, maybe "I Got The News" if we're being picky. Tracks like "Deacon Blues", "Peg", and "Josie" are each worth the price of admission, though.
It's a shame that many dismiss this record and Steely Dan as another "bland" yacht rock outfit. I know that yacht rock was coined much later down the line after this release, but it doesn't *have* to be disparaging. It's simply a label for soft rock and similar-sounding genres from this era (not that I'm denying most of it is cheesy, but there was still some pretty darn good music produced as a result). I guess I've learned that the reviewer hivemind just hates any and all jazz-sounding things. Enough dwelling though, this was a fun record and struck a decent chord with me mainly due to the smoothness & production quality of it all. 9/10.
The Band
3/5
Björk
3/5
An uneasy, yet unique listen. This one is somehow more emotionally charged than what we're used to hearing, though, as we get Björk in her post-breakup feelings (but this ain't your mama's breakup record!). What's unique here is that Björk also focuses on the warm parts of the relationship itself, as well as healing process after said breakup. It's a pretty honest evaluation that you don't hear too often in music when it comes to this common subject.
I think the production is what listeners will remember the most from this album. Fellow experimental artist Arca was tagged to produce most of this record, and their presence is heard with the mix of industrial & electronic sounds paired with the string arrangements heard all throughout. It teeters on the edge of being too abrasive, but I wasn't as put off as I was initially expecting to be.
I only have "Medúlla" to compare to this in terms of all the Björk discography that I've consumed, and I think I slightly prefer this. A little more cohesive and raw. Mid 3 for me.
Marvin Gaye
2/5
Man, get over her already, Mr. Gaye.
Germs
3/5
Hardcore punk that feels right at home in its era. Very raw, frantic, and thrashy. Quick hits that smack you upside the head. The late Darby Crash was seemingly born to be a punk rocker with that vocal delivery of his, for better or for worse. The band's history was an interesting read, and hearing that their shows were so raucous and riotous that they were banned from many LA venues very much checks out. Another interesting note was that Joan Jett produced & mixed this album too. Definitely remember "Lexicon Devil" from Tony Hawk's Underground 2 and Grand Theft Auto 5.
This was pure hardcore punk just as it was taking off in the States. Not a perfect record by any means, but I've always appreciated punk rock for its "no fucks given" approach. The Germs were VERY short-lived with their original lineup, but they certainly made their presence felt here.
Black Sabbath
3/5
David Gray
3/5
I've definitely come across "Babylon" at some point, with no prior knowledge of David Gray the artist then. Nice to get some more context for what ended up being his biggest hit here. This album sounds a few years ahead of its time, as I think that this emergence of "folktronica" was fairly new then. Basically add in some electronic & hip-hop rhythms to the already present acoustic sound. After listening, I can definitely see how this album would've inspired some of the singer-songwriter folk & soft rock acts of the early 2000s. It's comfy, but situational for sure. It was fun revisiting "Babylon", but the rest of the album didn't really reach out to me in that kind of way.
Small Faces
3/5
Man, hearing the title track instantly took me back to my days of playing Grand Theft Auto 5, as it was featured in the game's initial trailer and within the in-game radio itself. That's about the extent of my knowledge when it comes to this group, however.
There's a pretty hearty psychedelic rock sound here, even more enhanced when listening to the stereo versions of each track on the album remaster. The album has two very distinct sides, with side one featuring your usual, eclectic psychedelic rock. Thick drums, distorted guitar, extended instrumental breaks, etc. Side two takes on a fairy tale-like concept whilst continuing to incorporate the aforementioned psychedelia. It honestly borders on silly and absurd at this point, with our "hero" embarking on a search for the other half of the moon with the help of a giant fly. I've heard other, equivalently weird prog rock though, so I guess I can't be too surprised.
This album would've left a better impression on me if it had just consisted of side one to be honest. The stereo version of the opening track is like sex to your ears, a flagship representative of what instrumental psychedelic rock was all about. "Afterglow" and "Lazy Sunday" were good too. Side two could've probably been extended and made into its own album if the group really wanted to pursue that route.
Lauryn Hill
4/5
I don't remember this album being this long, but I still look back on it fondly. A neo-soul/R&B classic, the former Fugees member Lauryn Hill was inspired to pursue a solo endeavor after giving birth to her first child. You can hear and feel the emotions poured into this record, as Hill draws on the complexities of different types of relationships, her recent transition into motherhood with an ode to her first son ("To Zion", which is like 2 minutes too long but features some slick guitar licks from Carlos Santana), and her faith with many biblical allusions featured throughout ("Final Hour" & "Forgive Them Father").
A pretty versatile album in that you can label it as soul, R&B or hip-hop, with some incorporation of gospel and reggae too. Fit right in during the neo-soul breakthrough of the late 90's, but has also aged pretty well 25+ years on. The covers never really landed for me, but "Doo Wop (That Thing)", "Ex-Factor", and "Everything Is Everything" were and still are longtime favorites of mine. This may have been her only studio album, but Lauryn Hill certainly left a lasting impact with it.
KISS
3/5
KISS were always a revered band for me growing up. I didn't grow up during their heyday or anything, but my dad & other family/friends around his age always referred to them in admiration and thus I was just always indirectly exposed to them. Hard to ignore their stage getup too.
Some recognizable songs in this album (I've always liked "God of Thunder"). The rest is pretty experimental for KISS standards. "Beth" is the standout in this regard, being an uncharacteristically tender ballad coming from KISS (and sung/written by the drummer to boot). The rest is honestly a bit forgettable when stacked up against other glam metal from that era. I'm sure there are better album representatives for showcasing KISS, but they always struck me as more of a "greatest hits" group if that makes any sense.
Nas
5/5
This is a hip-hop "Mount Rushmore" album candidate for me. Not only is it one of the greatest debut albums of all time, but it's probably the most important East Coast hip hop album considering the landscape at the time. Nas, who was only 20 years old at the album's release mind you, assumes the "King of New York" mantle with a somehow unassuming bravado. He leans on an already lifetime's worth of experiences growing up in inner city Queens. A vivid picture of the NY streets is painted throughout these 10 tracks, helped even more so by Nas' fluid & poetic lyrical approach. There are just too many memorable verses to count that each track almost warrants its own in-depth dissection. Lest I forget to mention the production and sampling featured throughout. Snippets from Kool & the Gang, The Gap Band, Michael Jackson, etc. paired with DJ Premier & co.'s crisp beats make for a very clean and enhancing production.
The only "negative" I can think of is that the album flies by while listening. It's so seamless and comfy for a hip-hop album that 40 minutes goes by just like *that*, then you're right back to "The Genesis". Not a single wasted second or bad track on hand, which is a testament to the talent of both the artist and production team involved. Easy 10/10 for me.
"Nas'll rock well, it ain't hard to tell"
Dizzee Rascal
2/5
I was exposed to grime a while back when I first started this challenge. Suffice to say that I did NOT enjoy what I listened to (it was Skepta). After listening to this specific record, I don't think my opinion has changed too much. This was a little more digestible than that Skepta record from earlier, but it's all still very abrasive and grating purely in terms of some of the samples used and breakbeat-style beats that one would expect to hear in grime music. There's definitely no shortage of energy in Rascal's lyricism, and he's pretty introspective throughout, so I'm certainly not slighting the man himself here.
I can acknowledge the fact that Dizzee Rascal helped push grime to the mainstream (in England I assume) via the efforts of this record, and I will rate accordingly. I will probably never enjoy grime music as a concept though, and that's fine. It all seems very region-specific, as you rarely hear this type of music in America. This is for a very specific subset of people who equally enjoy jungle, drum and bass, and hip-hop.
Bob Dylan
3/5
Starting with arguably his biggest hit, "Like a Rolling Stone", Bob Dylan (in typical Dylan fashion) takes the listeners for a ride through 1960s America via his "signature" songwriting & blues-based music. I will admit that this particular album gets repetitive at times, though. I can only listen to the same stripped-down blues/folk song with endless verses and a harmonica solo so many times. I didn't mind the tracks that featured piano/organs or were more traditionally structured. I guess I've just never been crazy for Dylan and his sound. This is probably as good as it gets in terms of Dylan albums on this list specifically, so I'll rate accordingly.
Country Joe & The Fish
2/5
The Who
4/5
The Who were just wee lads here! It's always interesting going back to the beginning for some of these rock bands that had meteoric rises in popularity. And the Who were certainly meant for the moment with this debut album. It's jangly, crunchy, and chock-full of attitude. Among the cream of the crop during this era of "British invasion" rock bands, yet distinctly different from the Beatles. The Who definitely SOUND young here, but the whole collective of Daltrey-Townshend-Entwistle-Moon bounce off each other well in a musical sense. Come for "My Generation" and stay for some good early hard rock.
A little raw, but still a damn fine debut for a group that would fine tune their sound and go on to do even bigger things.
Beastie Boys
4/5
Following up a release such as "Licensed to Ill" is no easy feat. And I'll start off by stating that this does not quite match that debut effort in terms of individual track quality in my opinion. However, I will say that "Paul's Boutique" does feature some truly unique sampling all throughout. Apparently 105 songs are sampled in total here, which is absolutely astounding to me. We're talking samples of classic funk, soul, rock, etc. Now I know that the Beastie Boys are known for their heavy rock influence, but I can't think of another album that incorporates so many diverse song samples. The Beastie Boys really were their own act during this "golden" age of hip-hop, and "Paul's Boutique" showcases that.
Looking outside of the plentiful sampling work, you've got the usual goofy storytelling and lyricism from Mike D, Ad-Rock, and MCA. While there are a lot of tracks, it doesn't really feel that bloated. The last "track" (which is basically a ton of bite-sized raps) showcases some of their breakneck & clever rhymes well, but I also enjoyed "Shake Your Rump", "The Sounds of Science", and "Shadrach". Looking forward to getting "Ill Communication" whenever it comes.
Bonnie "Prince" Billy
2/5
Dire Straits
3/5
I honestly thought Dire Straits were American-based until right now. Listened to them a bit throughout childhood and never paid any mind to the fact that they weren't American. Not to be considered a slight to the group, as this is one of the most American sounding records I've heard (save for Bruce Springsteen). "Walk of Life" is one of my favorite rock songs, and it's not even one that many would think was recorded in the 80's with how the guitars sound. The synth probably gives it away though. "Money For Nothing" is obviously iconic in its own right, mainly for reasons related to the music video medium. The song itself didn't particularly age well though, which kind of caught me by surprise. The rest of the album, particularly side B, jumps around different musical moods a bit. More atmospheric and melancholic than I was expecting at points. A decent album overall, probably carried a bit by the singles.
Primal Scream
3/5
Damn, this has all kinds of sounds. Very house-based with some rock, most might recognize "Movin' on Up" right off the bat. That being said, I might be too sober to fully enjoy this. Gotta strap in for this one.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
There's just something comfy about CCR's "swamp" rock/blues sound. Really sounds southern, despite the fact that these guys are from Cali. Rockabilly, R&B, soul, and some psychedelia are the makeup here. Also includes some of their bigger hits such as "Up Around the Bend" and "Lookin' Out my Back Door" (can't help but picture "The Dude" vibing in his car to the latter). The cover of the soul classic "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" was interesting too, if not excessively long.
This is a pretty well put together record, especially considering the release schedule of CCR (this was their fifth album in the span of about two years). They weren't a group to half-ass things, though, and that's obvious here. With the exception of two long tracks, everything is tightly arranged which I appreciate as a listener. Tough to choose between this or "Green River" as CCR's best album.
Other notable tracks: "Travelin' Band" and "Run Through The Jungle"
David Bowie
3/5
Didn't care for this one too much for some reason. It's here and there, like most glam rock of this era. You've got bizarre "avant-garde" piano solos ("Aladdin Sane"), a unique rendition of the Rolling Stones' "Let's Spend the Night Together", and some blues (continuing the Stones influence felt throughout) in "The Jean Genie".
I've heard better Bowie records, but this one has its moments. Wasn't enough to keep me coming back, unfortunately.
The Monks
3/5
I honestly had no idea that punk rock's roots went back this far. Even more interesting reading up on this group and finding out that they were formed by American GIs stationed in Germany. Interesting origins (fittingly) for a group that didn't sound much like the rest of the musical landscape in the 60's. It's all pretty raw and a bit radical in its content. I can't speak for how commercially popular this group was at the time, but the fact that only one studio album was released probably tells the story. Seems like they've received more of a retrospective acclaim as the years have went on.
Interesting and short record. Can see why this was included in the list, more so for it's influence on punk as a whole. It definitely sounds of the 60's based on instrumentation, but unlike popular rock music at the time based on lyrical content.
As an aside, I've definitely heard the third track in an ad, probably for an Apple product or something.
Nirvana
4/5
It's only natural for a band to want to keep evolving their sound, especially after the massive success of a record such as "Nevermind", for example. In Nirvana's case, there was an obvious artistic choice to gear the sound and production more towards the abrasive side of things (i.e. the band's earlier releases). Enter producer Steve Albini, noted hater of the mainstream music industry, to help carry out this vision for the group.
How do you follow up a record such as "Nevermind"? Capture the essence of the band, get personal, no frills. I will agree that each member of the band somehow sounds more present here. Albini liked to showcase each member & instrument in their purest form in his productions. That's prevalent here with Novoselic's bass, Grohl's drums, and Cobain's guitar playing & especially raw/vulnerable vocal delivery here. The singles here, while some of Nirvana's best, don't really represent the album's overall sound & production. It all makes for an interesting result, as I would argue that the rest of the album is not very radio-friendly. Not really a knock (though I'd consider a handful of these songs "duds") but rather an indication of the group's maturation into their sound. It's a shame that we never got to see what came next of Nirvana, but their legacy is still very apparent.
Cornershop
2/5
3/5
PJ Harvey paints a landscape of New York City and love via her songwriting here. This is different than the PJ Harvey content that *I've* heard, which is to say that this album is probably more accessible than her previous works. It somehow feels more personal, despite not being as abrasive or in your face as, say, "Rid of Me". Although on that note, nothing really stood out after the 47 or so minutes went by. Harvey's voice gets to shine a bit more here though, I guess.
3/5
Keith Jarrett
4/5
Pretty good recording and composition fora live show. The context and leadup to this concert is probably more interesting to me, as many of the reviewers seem to have covered already. To adjust and improvise with lesser equipment is impressive in its own right, though. The moans are kinda funny, but it's just the artist getting into their own craft and feeling it in the moment. It's easy to get lost into this composition as the listener too.
UB40
3/5
I always forget that UB40 were based out of Great Britain. As a result, this group brings an interesting perspective to the reggae & dub genres. Not only are the instrumental tracks slick and satisfying to listen to, but there is also some piercing political commentary that one would come to expect with the subject of reggae music, this time primarily pointed towards the policies and actions of Thatcher-era Britain. "Food for Thought" is probably the hardest hitting of the bunch, focusing on famine in Africa.
I guess UB40 became a bit more commercial after the success of this album, but this was a strong start for them nonetheless. Some of the backing instrumentation did feel a bit repetitive as the album goes on, but the use of the keyboard and tenor sax was certainly a unique take on reggae at this time.
Jean-Michel Jarre
3/5
This is basically one long electronic/synth track. Impressive for the time when synthesizers were starting to become a focal point in the music industry, and even more impressive given the makeshift home recording studio used to create this album. Very atmospheric and probably requires multiple listens to fully appreciate (or fully hate depending on the crowd). Music that you hear when you think of space and the great beyond.
Stevie Wonder
3/5
Another one of Stevie Wonder's "classic period" albums. Only heard the singles from this one, though, so let's jump in!
There seems to be a majority of softer soul ballads here, with a mix of synthesizer-laden funk tracks that many would know Wonder for. The latter is why I enjoy funk from this era, I mean "Superstition" is Wonder's most iconic song for a reason. Wonder's vocals plus the sounds from the Clavinet and the Moog are simply divine. The rest I guess were a bit too sappy for me. Wonder obviously has a good voice, but I just think the album as a whole was too much on the tender soul side.
Al Green
3/5
Pure, 70's soul, complete with one of the bigger hits of the genre in its titular track "Let's Stay Together". It doesn't really set out to be more than that, which is fine. Nothing was really groundbreaking to me in terms of the genre, but hey, Mr. Green does look suave as hell on the album cover.
Fav tracks: Let's Stay Together, I've Never Found a Girl
Iron Butterfly
3/5
Dirty Projectors
2/5
Ray Charles
4/5
An interesting first Ray Charles album to get here. There is so much more than the typical rhythm and blues that many would come to expect. Plenty of crooning songs with country and western standards, (as referenced to by the album name of course), or just blue covers of said country songs. You almost forget that these are covers after all. It's a well-recorded production and a bit of a bold concept given the era that this was released in and the artist at the center of things.
Willie Colón & Rubén Blades
3/5
k.d. lang
3/5
Bob Dylan
3/5
I guess it's just time to admit that I'm simply not a Bob Dylan fan at this point. Three albums of his received already this year through this challenge, including this one, and none have really spoken to me or really blew me away. I can, and already have, recognize Dylan's adept songwriting ability, but the gap between the aforementioned songwriting and actual artistry/lyrical delivery is annoyingly wide. It all kind of grows stale too, if I'm being honest. Too much content is thrown onto these albums without much substance in each.
"Blonde on Blonde" specifically has some moments, highlighted by many blues & folk ballads about women and being lovelorn. It just gets duller the longer it goes on, though. There weren't really any worthy-sounding singles here, just a lot of similar arrangements.
Elton John
4/5
Man, this is full of bangers. That's to be expected with Sir Elton John, of course. The image of him just absolutely slaying on the album cover is a good sign of what's in store.
...And what an impressionable start it is. Starting with an eleven minute prog rock-like medley ("Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding"), immediately followed by Elton John's three biggest singles, the duo of Elton and Taupin were cooking here. One of the best songwriting partnerships in history, completed by Elton's showmanship and flair on vocals and piano. There are a few lulls that follow here and there, but overall a very strong double album with some of the Rocket Man's best recordings.
Fav tracks: Bennie and the Jets, Grey Seal, Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting, Harmony
Orbital
2/5
I kind of didn't totally hate this actually? Starting off, I thought it would be extremely repetitive (and I guess it still kind of is given the nature of electronia/techno), but the album ended up being more atmospheric than I was expecting going in. It's difficult to recall specific tracks after listening, though. Nothing stood out, as everything just sort of flows along.
Queen
4/5
I don't know if this is considered THE Queen album, but is definitely has THE Queen song. It flows along pretty well, jumping between different musical styles all throughout. You've got your typical rock ballads, but also some prog rock, Dixieland, and even a shanty-like tune mixed in. It's all pretty ambitious, especially compared to the band's previous works at the time. I will admit that some tracks feel like "filler" here, though. "You're My Best Friend" and of course "Bohemian Rhapsody" can't help but overshadow the others with their stature. Some of the "unfamiliar" tracks do hold their own, though. I'll round up to a 4.
Fleet Foxes
3/5
Unique harmonies? Unconventional song structures? Buckle up for some late-2000's indie!
Fleet Foxes aren't unfamiliar to me, in fact they have a distinctive sound when comparing indie acts from this era. "White Winter Hymnal" is one of those songs that just about everyone around my age has heard at least once. The hymn and gospel-like sound is almost entrancing and hooks the listener immediately. The rest of the album flows along and takes on a folk-like persona in most parts. It's soothing, but I can understand those who would be annoyed by the overall "mood" I guess. I tend to prefer more "energetic" indie rock personally, but this had some beauty I could appreciate.
Randy Newman
3/5
Gonna be honest, I don't know much of Randy Newman's work from before his time at Disney/Pixar. The arrangements will definitely sound familiar to many and Newman's slow, Southern vocal style is hard to mistake. The whole album is pretty touching and reflective, if not a bit corny at times. Interesting to see Newman's songwriting ability on display, even way back when.
The Pretty Things
2/5
Eagles
4/5
Eagles are timeless. Hard not to get exposed to them when your parent's coming of age years were in the late 70's. For this album specifically, a lot of the talk can be on the ubiquitous title track, but I think focusing on the unit as a whole is a good start. The majority songwriters here, Henley and Frey use their home state of California as a representative of the USA and the realities of the "American Dream". Their soft vocals make the listener feel comfy, yet attentive. Backed by Meisner, Felder, and Walsh on harmonies and bass/guitar, tracks such as "Life in the Fast Lane" and "Victim of Love" give us more of the straightforward rock n' roll sound that many are used to hearing from the Eagles. A majority of the album does follow in the path of the title track, more tender and cinematic as it nears its end, maybe losing its momentum a bit in my eyes but nothing to nitpick too much about. Still a strong and concise album from one of the dream teams in rock at the time.
Black Sabbath
4/5
The Last Shadow Puppets
3/5
Wasn't aware of Alex Turner's (of Arctic Monkeys fame) side-supergroup project with Miles Kane. This is definitely more artsier than I was expecting, taking some inspiration from the orchestral film scores and mod rock from the 60's (ala James Bond). It's an interesting sound for 2008, and not one that was really heard elsewhere at the time. Nothing really groundbreaking though, just a neat little nod to baroque pop from yesteryear I guess.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
2/5
R.E.M.
4/5
I think this can be considered R.E.M.'s first "real" breakthrough. "The One I Love" and "...End of the World..." both stand the test of time as two of the group's biggest songs. However, the rest of the album doesn't really follow their normal template that led up to this point, and instead opts to deliver a more "harder" rock sound with clearer vocals from Stipe. This was the first R.E.M. album produced by Scott Litt (first of many at the time), so this musical direction becomes clearer. There's still the familiar jangle pop here and there, but some sax and even a dulcimer is thrown in on the back half.
I still slightly prefer "Automatic For The People", which would release a few albums later, but "Document' is still pretty strong for its runtime. A 3.8/5 seems appropriate.
Favorite tracks: "Exhuming McCarthy", "...End of the World...", "The One I Love"
Neu!
2/5
Pretty atmospheric and ambient for the first half. Immediately shifts tones for the last half of the album with some long, layered rock sounds. I guess some of this group's members were formerly of Kraftwerk, which sort of checks out given the sound of the last half of the album. I don't think this really holds a candle to the work that Kraftwerk has put out though. There's something slightly different here, as it leans more into somewhat of a psychedelic rock sound. I didn't really get the sense of feeling satisfied after listening through this one, though. Not an album I'll think about ever again.
Dolly Parton
4/5
Sentimental, sweet, and authentic. Dolly is one of a kind and will never be replicated. Country has never been my favorite genre, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy some classic country every once in a while. This album isn't world-changing or anything in the scope of country at the time, but it's short n' sweet and I think represents Dolly among her best as a singer-songwriter. I enjoy this more over her slightly "pop"-ier stuff that would come later.
Blur
3/5
Welp, no more Blur after this I guess. I've always been fond of the title track, it's one of the quintessential britpop songs with its dryness and catchy hooks. The rest of the album isn't really conventional and jumps around a bit stylistically, though. One could praise Blur for their versatility here or bash them for being inconsistent and trying to do too much. Regardless, this album turned out to be more divergent and stranger than I expected.
Solomon Burke
3/5
The top-rated review at the moment nails my thoughts exactly here. Wasn't familiar with Mr. Burke prior to this, but his voice and range are excellent. Easy to see why he was considered one of the founding fathers of soul music. But the actual musical content of the album just lacks variety in a lyrical and instrumental sense. Almost the entirety of the album can be thrown into the "crooning love songs" bucket. That's fine I guess, it's more so indicative of this era of soul & R&B.
Side note: I just now learned that Solomon Burke originally recorded "Everybody Needs Somebody to Love". That song had played immediately after this album ended and I had to do a double take. Much slower in tempo than the famous Blues Brothers cover, but both are good recordings in their own right. I love learning stuff (that's new to me) like this!
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
Always anthemic and representing the heart & soul of America, the Boss set out for exactly that here. There's a decent mix of louder rock and softer, ballad-y rock here, all consisting of various stories of the usual "small town" personas that Springsteen loves to tell. A bit more somber than the other albums of his that I've heard. Never the greatest vocalist, Springsteen and his E Street Band still capture the mood appropriately with their musical direction nonetheless.
The album is a bit up and down early on, but I think it finishes strong with the last three tracks specifically, starting with the powerful "Streets of Fire". Bruce was already a mainstay at this point, but this album signaled what was to come with his music for the next decade or so. Primarily from a songwriting standpoint. I'm not sure how to rate this, as I don't consider it as strong as "Born In The U.S.A." which would release later. The last few tracks aren't enough to carry an album, I fear.
X-Ray Spex
3/5
Never heard of this group before. It's all very raw, jumbled, but they certainly have attitude. I guess that describes a lot of early punk from the 70's. The prominently featured (and oddly tuned) one-sax horn section immediately stands out, as you simply don't hear that in punk rock. More indicative of the era rather than the genre I guess. Also, I liked how Poly Styrene just vigorously yells the song title at the beginning of most of the tracks. Interesting early punk album that loses its momentum at some points.
Blondie
4/5
A quintessential new wave, pop rock album. Switching to producer Mike Chapman did Blondie a lot of good, as they pumped out hit after hit here with the group all sounding at their best at the time. Debbie Harry is an iconic voice to many, showcasing great range with the variety of rock tracks featured throughout "Parallel Lines". The rest of the group also showcases their musical range, with the combination of new wave and power pop-like riffs & hooks. Just a strong album overall and probably Blondie's best work.
Favorite tracks: Hanging On The Telephone (just learned that this was a cover!), 11:59, Sunday Girl, Heart of Glass
The 13th Floor Elevators
2/5
That was an electric JUG I was hearing in the background the entire time? Gonna be honest, that sound was all I could focus on at a certain point in the album. Certainly unique, but otherwise there was just too much going on sonically. I've heard better psychedelic rock.
Mike Oldfield
3/5
I'm aware of the legacy this has due to the single's inclusion in "The Exorcist", but I've never actually heard more outside of the intro to the first track (like most, I would assume). The instrumentation and composition is pretty impressive, even more so after reading that Oldfield was only NINETEEN during recording and also the fact that he largely played most of the instruments himself. I'm mainly referring to "Part One" when discussing the above. "Part Two" takes some...strange turns multiple times through that I guess you'll just have to listen to for yourself.
Booker T. & The MG's
4/5
The title track of "Green Onions" is instantly recognizable and a timeless classic. All for good reason, as those twelve-bar blues joined with the ever-present organ line and the occasional guitar is SMOOTH. That's 60's instrumental jazz/R&B/rock at it's best right there. One of the greatest instrumental recordings ever. Like many I'm sure, I was interested to hear what else was featured in this album too.
Quite a bit of covers here actually (side two is all covers), which wasn't what I was expecting. Not necessarily a bad thing, as these renditions are done pretty well. "Rinky Dink" and Twist and Shout" will sound familiar to most at least. Would've been interested to hear more original work, but it was still a smooth listen all the way through.
Mercury Rev
3/5
Never heard of this group or album before. If I were to describe this in one word, it would be fantastical, yet melancholic. It felt like I was listening to a somber fairy tale or a storybook just purely based on the unique instrumentals and soft vocals from Jonathan Donahue (who I learned was briefly part of the Flaming Lips! The sound makes a little more sense now). Reading up some more, it sounded like the group was having a rough go of it as their previous album didn't do so hot in terms of sales. The group was able to muster the effort to record one more album (thinking it would be their last) and lo and behold, this became their best known work. It's pretty inspirational and you definitely hear this sense of "walking away" as a central theme throughout the album. It's not going to uplift you or anything, but this was a pretty unique album that I wasn't expecting as soon as I tapped play. A low 3 or thereabouts.
American Music Club
2/5
Ms. Dynamite
3/5
Not bad for a debut. Couldn't help but hear hints of Lauryn Hill and Erykah Badu with the vocals and overall neo-soul-like and hip-hop sound. Nothing really wowed me outside of that, though. This album doesn't really stack up to the works of those aforementioned R&B/soul artists from this era. Doesn't have quite the depth and it feels a tad bloated too. Wouldn't have guessed that this originated from the UK. Wasn't aware that there was much of a neo-soul (or British Soul as Wikipedia labels this) movement across the pond at this time either. Although thinking about it now, I'm realizing that soul acts such as Amy Winehouse and Adele would later emerge. That's a different tier of acts however. Getting back on topic, I'd say somewhere between a 2-3 for this album.
David Bowie
3/5
This is really a tale of two albums. Side one being more conventional Bowie, complete with the usual art/experimental rock from the time. Side two shifts into ambient mode, full of mostly dark and gloomy instrumentals. You can hear Brian Eno's presence here (whether you like his work or not).
This album seems to be the second release in Bowie's "Berlin Trilogy", but I'm not familiar with the others at the moment. Perhaps those follow a similar theme as heard here, but I just found side two to be a bit tedious.
Astrud Gilberto
3/5
Not bad samba music, pretty inoffensive and goes by quickly. Not much else to say here.
Randy Newman
3/5
The Black Keys
3/5
Somewhat familiar with the Black Keys via their singles throughout the years, especially from "El Camino", which would follow this release. Decent garage rock band at a time when the genre was undergoing a revival.
Simplistic production and song composition here, given where the group recorded. The two big singles "Tighten Up" and "Howlin' for You" stick out here and are conveniently back-to-back in the track listing. The album starts to fade after that unfortunately, and becomes a little one-note.
Missy Elliott
3/5
A pretty personal album with arguably her biggest hit in "Work It". Missy was always one to be brash and risqué in her lyrics, and that's apparent here. Some good guest features here too, but the rest of the album was forgettable to me, unfortunately. I guess when mostly everything is equally brash and abrasive, that's the result you get.
Various Artists
4/5
Darlene Love & The Ronettes carry this album/collection of Christmas songs. No disrespect to the others, but there's a reason why you the Love/Ronettes renditions all over the radio during Christmas time. The Ronette's version of "Sleigh Ride" might be the best out there, maybe only rivalling the original Leroy Anderson orchestral recording. Of course, Phil Spector's ever-present "Wall of Sound" is heard all throughout, putting his own touch on these Christmas classics.
It's Dec 27th as I type this out and the snow might be all but gone where I'm at, but it was nice to get back into the Christmas spirit for about 30 minutes.
Coldplay
3/5
I mean, a well-produced debut album if anything. Something light after all of the Britpop craze. I don't know if Coldplay still gets hate like they used to, but it's not completely unfounded I guess. I wasn't super blown away by the overall product, and I'd say that "Yellow" is as good as it gets here.
Green Day
4/5
I remember this album's release quite well, despite being young at the time. Green Day hadn't done anything super noteworthy in the few years leading up to this album's release (for what it's worth, I think their prior album "Warning" is pretty underrated). Then boom, the singles were all over the radio during the mid-2000's.
Listening to this album all the way through as an adult gives me a better appreciation for it for sure. Being a kid and not fully understanding the socio-political goings-on at the time, the punk rock/pop-punk rage and disillusionment from this era seeps through now. Interesting that the group went the "punk rock opera" route too. As a result, some tracks are very involved and even contain their own "chapters" ("Jesus of Suburbia", which introduces our "main character", and "Homecoming"). It all feels very grand compared to their previous releases, thanks to the overarching narrative. While I still prefer "Dookie", that was much more playful and almost elementary compared to "American Idiot". Both are pop-punk at their respective cores, yet on differing sides of that spectrum.
Best tracks: American Idiot, Jesus of Suburbia, Holiday/Boulevard of Broken Dreams (gotta love that transition)
Fugazi
4/5
Fugazi are interesting in that they are clearly influenced by early punk, yet they sort of bridge that sound into something more modern whilst keeping some of the hardcore "edge". Keep in mind that this record just barely predates some of the flagship rock records of the early 90's such as "Nevermind" and "Ten". Nothing about this group was really "standard" musically, with their chunky drum & groovy bass rhythms mixed with the dual lead guitars & vocals from MacKaye and Picciotto. All while juggling some big and taboo topics.
Teetering the line of 3.5 for me, but I'll round up. I can respect rock groups with this kind of passion in their music.
Hawkwind
1/5
I think there are enough live albums on this list already, and I'm only about a third of the way through. Never heard of this group before, and sitting through this double album didn't really sell me on them. They're just another psychedelic rock outfit to my ears. Reading up on this live album, it sounds like more was put into the accompanying visual experience for their live shows. Perhaps this was better experienced in-person (and/or under the influence). Regardless, I can only comment on what I hear. It's all very unintentionally corny in the lyrics, and the arrangements are obviously lengthy but mainly come off as disorganized and amateur-ish. Uninspiring when it's trying to be something more I guess.
Obviously this is a live double album, so it was created with the audio-visual experience of the group's live shows in mind. It just never peaks at any moment; disorganized chaos that never amounts to anything. I guess I've had it good for too long, 'cause it has been a while since an album on this list has done absolutely nothing for me.
The Prodigy
3/5
I've always found this album cover hilarious. Anyway, this is probably The Prodigy at their peak. That likely aligned with the big beat genre also being at its peak in Britain and most of the rest of the world. I mean, "Breathe" and "Firestarter" are stone cold classics from the genre and continue to go hard. The rest of the album doesn't quite stack up and stay that consistent, but the sampling here is unique and the breakbeats are hard and booming. I'd put this slightly above "Music for the Jilted Generation" in terms of overall quality.
ZZ Top
3/5
I'm not one who has sought out all of ZZ Top's discography. I've heard their hits like most. But let's see what they had to offer here, in what ended up being their breakthrough album.
This is Texas rock if you were ever to give that label a distinct sound. Blues, boogie, swampy, what say you. "La Grange" is the blues rock classic that everyone's heard at least once, and is surrounded by some other, slower blues rock with a Southern twang. Not a bad record overall, just a bit lukewarm outside of the big hit I guess.
Solange
3/5
Some may know Solange as Beyonce's younger sister. She certainly shows her musical and lyrical chops here, in what was her first studio album after eight years at this point. Touching on her identity and self-empowerment as a black woman, Solange uses her platform as an artist to get personal here and send a message to the listeners. That's also driven home by the many interludes featured throughout. It borders on the line of being a little too preachy at some points, but I wasn't burned out or anything at the end of the day. The neo soul, R&B, and funk aspects make this a fairly easy and low energy listen. Plus, some familiar names such as Lil Wayne, Q-Tip, and The Dream (among others) lent a hand.
I truly don't know if Solange did anything noteworthy after this release (looks like she released one follow up album a few years later to similar acclaim, perhaps worth checking out), but she certainly stepped out of her older sister's shadow here if anything.
You hear the emotion delivered the various messages throughout, but it wasn't consistent enough I felt. Only a few tracks really grabbed me.
Best tracks: Cranes in the Sky, Don't Touch My Hair
LCD Soundsystem
2/5
Familiar with LCD Soundsystem, but not familiar with their post-reunion works. You certainly hear a lot of new-wave, David Bowie, U2, and maybe some Talking Heads influences here. Every track seems to operate on a grand scale (maybe TOO grand for its own good at times), most of which sounding very atmospheric whilst touching on social issues, depression, and overall endings. "Tonite", the synth-poppy and introspective single, and "Call the Police" are the obvious standouts here. The rest I didn't really jive with. Lyrically interesting, but the result felt bloated.
5/5
The first appearance of our friend Ziggy Stardust. This album is a trip; very fantastical, otherworldly, and sexually charged. But that's to be expected from Bowie, considering his "Ziggy Stardust" character would stay for a bit after this. Pretty versatile album too, with touches of glam rock and proto punk among others. This is mostly thanks to Bowie's wonderful backing band, as well as the acoustic guitar playing from Bowie and the electric guitar from Ronson.
Probably not shocking many in saying that this is Bowie's best work. It signaled the introduction of Ziggy Stardust after all! These rock operas tend to feel a bit bloated and overblown, but in some cases they flow effortlessly and never falter, such as here. Hard to believe that I've already gotten six Bowie albums from this list, but none of the prior ones topped this, nor will any of the remaining ones.
Best tracks: Moonage Daydream, Starman, Ziggy Stardust, Suffragette City
Cyndi Lauper
4/5
A seminal 80's pop record. "She's So Unusual" is an apt name for this album, as Cyndi Lauper doesn't sound nor look like your typical 80's popstar. Not to mention the new wave presence heard all throughout the album. It's quite the impression to leave on your debut album, and it's very effective. "Time After Time" is one of the greatest 80's pop/love songs ever recorded and stands the test of time. The rest of the singles deliver as well and the only potential duds are found near the end of the album.
Best tracks: Time After Time, She Bop, I'll Kiss You
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
Workhorses, these guys. 1969 would end up being a big year for CCR, as this was the first of three albums release by then. All quality too. Once again, they nail the southern swamp rock sound despite being from Cali. Using their blues influence really helps in capturing that sound, creating influential and iconic hits such as "Born on the Bayou" and "Proud Mary". There's also an interesting cover of Little Richard's "Good Golly, Miss Molly" mixed in.
Let I forget that Fogerty coins the term "chooglin" here. Never have I heard that term before, and I understand even less after listening to the closing track. But hey, keep on chooglin' I guess!
Santana
4/5
Can't resist the sweet & smooth guitar playing from one Carlos Santana. Mix that with the collective works of Santana (the group), and you've got yourself some nice & easy (and impressive) Latin rock/jazz. The arrangements from the album's first side shines above the rest, but I can hardly complain about the album overall. A digestible mix of instrumental and vocal Latin rock & jazz.
The Prodigy
3/5
The Prodigy are among the first acts I think of when it comes to the big beat genre. They seemingly perfected the use of breakbeats and drun'n'bass in conjunction with interesting sampling. Sure, some individual tracks are quite long here. That's the nature of the beast when it comes to big beat/techno during that era. That era is obviously very much a bygone era now, and this album certainly sounds of its time. I enjoyed some pieces here, but thought the album kind of lost its legs near the end. The sheer variety of samples used here impressed me, though.
The Undertones
3/5
Fun, early pop-punk. You've got your songs about teenage angst and young heartbreak. Not much more here.
Snoop Dogg
4/5
1993 was an insane year for hip-hop, with releases such as "93 'til Infinity", "Midnight Marauders", "Enter the Wu-Tang", and "Shaq Diesel"! (OK, joking about that last one) In any case, I'd imagine that "Doggystyle" was particularly hyped for considering Snoop Dogg's breakthrough success in Dr. Dre's "The Chronic" about a year earlier. That might as well have been Snoop's album after all, but it was time for him to make his proper studio album debut with Death Row.
As was the case with other West Coast hip-hop at the time, "Doggystyle" is very much considered G-funk with its multi-layered and synth-laden funk samples. Dr. Dre's "The Chronic" really introduced the world to this sound/style and "Doggystyle" expanded upon it, which is heard through Dre's production (or Daz Dillinger's, depending on who you ask). And since this is an early 90's hip-hop album, there are silly interludes, countless references to drug use and sex (couldn't tell by the album cover & name?). Snoop lived a hard lifestyle growing up and he's just rapping about what he personally knows, that's how it was for most rappers at the time. Snoop was destined to be a player in the rap game, with his catchy rhymes and flowing delivery. If "The Chronic" was Snoop's introduction to the world, then "Doggystyle" was Snoop's confirmation that he was here to stay.
Favorite tracks: Gin and Juice, Tha Shiznit, Murder Was The Case, Who Am I (What's My Name?)
Sam Cooke
4/5
I've tended to harp on the live albums that are featured in this list, but the jazz ones seem to deliver above the rest. This one is no exception. No time is wasted here, each song leads directly into the next on the setlist but it doesn't feel rushed or sloppy (after listening, it sounds like some of the interludes are edited out, but regardless). Mr. Cooke sounds authentic and lively here with his signature tenor voice, getting the crowd involved all throughout too. It's just pure fun and makes one wish they could be briefly teleported to that night in Miami in 1963.
Aerosmith
3/5
Was curious if we were going to see any Aerosmith on this list. Would exactly call them "groundbreaking" per se, but they've had some chart-topping tock hits throughout the years and figured they were a popular enough group to at least be featured once on this list.
Nothing really stacks up to their sixth track "Sweet Emotion" here. In fact, it almost feels out of place here given the rest of the content. "Walk This Way" appears to have been the bigger hit at the time, but I personally always preferred the collab they did with Run-DMC in 1986 (maybe it's the hip-hop fan in me). Per usual, it was interesting reading up on the writing/production process as Steven Tyler was apparently writing lyrics as music was being completed. Not sure how unusual that is in the music industry, but struck me as unique. Regardless, pretty middling album outside of the big singles. Aerosmith always struck me as more of a "greatest hits" band.
The Divine Comedy
2/5
I somehow haven't forgotten about the other Divine Comedy album that's on this list, so I kind of knew what to expect here. But man, this was campy as all hell. I guess I have to give the album some credit, naming it "A Short Album About Love" is accurate and not misleading at all. That's quite literally what you're in for as a listener. I guess there is some comedic aspect to this, but it all just teetered on being TOO ironic for me.
Elvis Presley
3/5
The one that started it all! By that I mean the one that launched rock n' roll into the mainstream of course. All it took was a heartthrob from Memphis to record a bunch of covers of tracks originally recorded by African-American artists. My tone sounds a bit sarcastic there, but the recordings here sound quite polished for the time and also considering how young Elvis was at the time. Having heard some of the original tracks, I will say that Elvis's renditions are mostly hit or miss when compared to their original recordings. It's easy to see why this was a success given the man's image. Also, RCA must've REALLY wanted to capitalize on this, considering that they released the entire album as singles.
Inoffensive covers of classic R&B/rock n' roll recordings, performed by a superstar in the making. Elvis would go on to release stronger material in my opinion, but sometimes it helps to stop and appreciate the advent of a rockstar.
Tina Turner
3/5
"Private Dancer" signaled a sort of turning point and revitalization in Tina Turner's music career. We don't have to get into her early career with her former spouse, instead focusing on the sound & success of this album.
This is what the 80's sounds like, rolled up into one album. (That's good or bad depending on who you ask) Pop, with the occasional guitar riffs blended in, mixed with some jazz and R&B throughout. All the while, Turner sounds strong and liberated via her raspy voice and lyrics. I can't speak for her level of stardom prior to this album's release, but this certainly launched her into the stratosphere and into diva status. This rolled into her subsequent albums, as the next few seem to have at least one instantly recognizable hit. I did find the cover songs to be subpar for the most part (with the exception of "I Can't Stand the Rain", which is probably the best track on the album).
Fun 80's album that gets dragged down a bit by the few covers. But the good ones are GOOD.
Michael Jackson
4/5
MJ's a bad boy now! Maybe that's what people were saying back in 1987, I cannot confirm nor deny that as I wasn't alive then. However, just like "Thriller" a few years prior, this was (and still is) one of those instantly recognizable pop albums that seems to transcend age & time. Just singles galore here. That's to be expected from the King of Pop, right?
It's clear that a point was made to curate a newer sound here. Digital synthesizers are used throughout to create a fiercer (or badder!) pop/dance sound here in just about every track. One could argue that it very much sounds of its time, but I don't necessarily see that as a bad thing. Tracks such as the titular "Bad", "The Way You Make Me Feel", and "Smooth Criminal" are each iconic in their own right. I will admit that I hadn't heard tracks 3-6 prior to today, and the album takes a noticeable dip there. Starts and finishes strong, however.
The shadow that "Thriller" creates over an artist is inescapable, and I will admit that the bangers to track ratio is better there. "Bad" has a noticeable "edge" when compared to MJ's previous works and gave us many of his greatest hits, despite a slight lull in the middle tracks. MJ would continue to morph his pop sound in the ensuing years, but would never quite reach the heights he did with Quincy Jones on production during this stretch, in my opinion.
Dusty Springfield
4/5
Some good ol' Dusty blue eyed soul with a pop twist. I urge everyone to take a look at the writers and personnel involved with this album. Plenty of music industry royalty there. It all shows too, with wonderfully arranged orchestrations that pair nicely with Dusty's lusciously sweet voice. It's all pleasant and a little intimate too.
Favorite tracks: Son of a Preacher Man, I Don't Want to Hear It Anymore, Breakfast in Bed
Isaac Hayes
4/5
These tracks may be lengthy, but boy are they smoooooth. Especially "Walk On By", the killer Dionne Warwick cover with a lot of funky vamp pizazz added. Many hip-hop fans will recognize the numerous samples that this track would later produce. Side two doesn't quite match the energy of side one in my opinion, but this is still a strong soul album from one of the best.
LCD Soundsystem
4/5
Was more impressed with this than their newer stuff that has appeared on this list. I dunno, I just felt more of a connection here. Especially with the back-to-back of "Someone Great" and "All My Friends", which very much acts as the heart of this album. Both tracks are resonant and give off a sense of melancholy, complete with synth and piano-laden backing tracks respectively. "North American Scum" is a fun single as well, slotted right next to the aforementioned tracks.
You hear a lot of musical influences here, which are then transformed into the groovy, dance-rock, indie rock sound that James Murphy and LCD Soundsystem have curated. Maybe a dud or two here, but still thoroughly enjoyed this album.
Silver Jews
2/5
Strange fusion between country and indie that just starts and remains flat all throughout. The dull vocals certainly didn't help. "Tennessee" can't be a real song either.
Stevie Wonder
5/5
More of Stevie Wonder at his best. In fact, he pretty much operates as a one-man band for most of this album, experimenting with the "T.O.N.T.O." synthesizer among other instruments. That's most evident in "Living For The City", the gritty and raw single that details systemic racism and street life. As far as I know, Wonder is the sole personnel listed on this 7-minute track and you can hear the soul put into it as it progresses. Lest I forget to mention that FUNKY clavinet in "Higher Ground"!
Stevie Wonder has always had the ability to straddle between social realism and hopeful optimism within his music, bringing heaps of expression via whatever synth-based keyboard or piano he's playing. "Innervisions" is probably the flagship example of the above. Wonder was in his groove here and had no intentions of stopping anytime soon. In terms of Wonder albums, this is probably the "one" for me, although I know another big one is looming in this list... Maybe both deserve a 5!
Deee-Lite
3/5
Like most, I'm only familiar with "Groove Is in the Heart" when it comes to this album and group. Lovely hip-hop/funk/dance jam that will often appear on my music playlists. Knowing only that single coming into today, I never quite had a grip on Deee-Lite's identity as a group, though.
It's clear after listening that Deee-Lite is unique group in the dance & house world. You hear aspects of house across this album, but it's a bit more out there than what you would normally hear from this era of house/club music. Wikipedia also describes this album as "psychedelia", which seems apt. I'm not sure how one dances to most of this music in this album, though. Not as fast and upbeat as other house tracks from the early 90's. Slight aside, I was impressed by most of the personnel involved here. I knew Q-Tip had a feature on "Groove is in the Heart", but Bootsy Collins apparently contributed a decent amount here too!
As expected, nothing matches "Groove Is in the Heart" here, but there were a few tracks that were still deeelite-ful (boo!) and fun.
Steely Dan
5/5
I always forget that this was Steely Dan's debut album. Still hard to believe, as it sounds so polished and also add in the fact that some of the group's biggest singles are featured here. It's a smooth and groovy listen, with plenty of jazzy harmonies and even some mambo/Latin influence sprinkled in.
I don't really know what else to say, everything goes down pretty easily here with a tight 40 min runtime. I personally think "Midnite Cruiser" stands out above the rest of the tracks, but there really aren't any duds here. I already gave "Aja" a 5, and I feel that this is parallel, if not a stronger album given the overall pieces.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
I'm actually not sure I know too much about this album despite having listened to a decent amount of the Stones. Post listen, this album is a bit all over the place just in a general musical sense. There's soul, blues, and plenty of country influence in their rock here. While that SOUNDS versatile, it tends to get a bit boggy and repetitive here. There are a few gems here ("Tumbling Dice", "Happy"), but none of the massive singles that I was expecting. I guess this is the result you get after a manic recording process (plenty of drugs, tax evasion and the lot).
3/5
Dinosaur Jr.
3/5
A bit noisier than their previous album "Bug", which was also on this list. Interesting from a technical standpoint maybe, but closing with whatever "Poledo" was and a mediocre cover of "Just Like Heaven" doesn't really land. The rest was fine.
Ride
2/5
Amy Winehouse
4/5
Amy Winehouse was never really an artist I paid much attention to at the height of her stardom. Perhaps I was too young or her work never really reached me. I guess only recently I've come to appreciate what she provided to the music industry and how influential she really was.
"Back to Black" is probably the pinnacle of the British soul emergence of the late 2000s. Amy Winehouse loved the 50s and 60s pop/soul girl groups and that influence is heavily heard throughout this album (and also seen in Winehouse's persona itself during her performing years). I happen to like that era of soul music too, so it's quite refreshing hearing a 21st century take on that sound. Consider that also a strong testament to the production work done by both Remi and Ronson to accurately capture the overall sound of that era.
Yes, this is considered a "breakup" record, as the predominant theme revolves around the recent (at the time) split between Winehouse and her ex-boyfriend. Breakup records tend to be pretty shallow and one-note though, and that doesn't really feel like the case here. Winehouse also looks inward and touches on her drug addiction here and there, so there's more depth than one would initially expect. Winehouse's unfortunate death in 2011 meant this would ultimately be her last studio album, but her & her music are loved more than ever now and continue to inspire many.
The Stranglers
3/5
Some raw, 70's punk, complete with a surprising amount of the Hammond organ and electric piano. A pretty unique mix of genre and instrumentation when it was all said and done. "Peaches" was pretty cringy, but "Hanging Around" and "(Get A) Grip (On Yourself)" were both highlights, though.
Fiona Apple
3/5
A pretty strong debut for the most part. Fiona Apple sounds like a seasoned vet despite being only 18-19 during recording. A lot of the tracks venture a bit in an artistic sense (which is very noticeable at the end of almost each track), but the overall theme of self-discovery and angst stays consistent I guess.
This is one of those albums that burns brightly early and leaves you a little fatigued after the halfway mark to be honest.
Peter Frampton
3/5
Was already familiar with some of Frampton's live stuff like most. I mean, a few of these live tracks are seen as "definitive" versions due to being released as singles. Listening to this from start to finish was a pretty enjoyable experience. Probably one of the better live albums in terms of the quality and production done to make it so. The guitar playing and of course the talk box are obvious highlights. Although with any live album, plenty of "flair" and "fluff" are added to some of the tracks too. The "Jumpin' Jack Flash" cover was also a bit odd too.
Deep Purple
4/5
I could've sworn that I already listened to this album via this list, but I'm realizing it was Deep Purple's "Live in Japan" album (which shouldn't really count). Anyway, this album should be appreciated more for its technical ability displayed by the group, as opposed to the lyrical content. Iconic guitar riffs, drum solos, and the organ playing among others are front and center all throughout. Yes, I guess this is "dad rock" through and through, but that shouldn't be interpreted as slanderous. This group and the associated singles have garnered a reputation for good reason, and it's just good ol' classic rock.
Best tracks (excluding the overplayed "Smoke on Water"): Highway Star, Lazy, Space Truckin'
XTC
3/5
Certainly an interesting album to say the least. Much after the new wave, well "wave", of acts in the early 80's, XTC brings some unique instrumentation to the scene here. Everything flows well and Andy Partridge just has that quintessential 80's British pop voice ala Tears for Fears. It's all very fantastical. Perhaps the group tried to mimic The Beatles a tad much here and there, given the heavy influences of 60's psychedelia.
Prefab Sprout
2/5
Been on a little 80's pop/new-wave kick today I guess. Don't know anything about this group or album. A lot more jazzy and lo-fi than I was expecting. It's vulnerable, touching on love and heartbreak among other things. The parts of the whole weren't super memorable though, so I honestly can't really take anything home from this I guess. Just "alright".
Sarah Vaughan
3/5
Not perfect by any means, but the live improvisation/scatting after some flubs in a few of the tracks was a bit charming. We're all human after all. Hadn't heard Sarah Vaughan prior to today, but it's easy to see now why she was regarded as one of the best jazz vocalists of her time.
Janet Jackson
3/5
There was definitely an effort to be more profound here, which is not something you'd consider when listening to R&B music. Especially during this era of R&B/new jack swing where emphasis was more on the rhythms and production of the music. The album immediately begins with tracks themed around societal issues and injustice, eventually segueing into songs about love and sensuality (Janet Jackson's bread and butter). I'm very familiar with the singles here, being a fan of new jack swing and 80s/90s R&B myself. The singles ARE the singles for a reason though, being the tracks that tended to be more "radio-friendly", rather than the ones that focuses on the heavier issues.
I guess what I'm trying to say here is that new jack swing makes me think more of the fun, catchy, rhythmic & sample based tracks (ala Jackson's previous album "Control") and not an overproduction mixed with more social commentary than one would anticipate. This isn't a bad album, but I'd argue that "Control" would've been a better rep for Jackson on this list if not for its influence on R&B and the emergence of new jack swing. Also, "Control" simply packs more of a punch in the hits department with less tracks.
MGMT
3/5
I remember the singles quite well from my youth. This really was a hot time for these indie/electronica acts, was it? The production and catchy electronic compositions stand out, but so too do the strange lyrics. I guess the latter was normal for this genre. Anyway, the singles (Time to Pretend, Electric Feel, Kids) absolutely carry this album, as the latter half doesn't reach nearly the same heights. What did impress me was the fact that the duo of VanWyngarden and Goldwasser pretty much did it all here, as both were the only personnel involved with the production & composition. That's worth something at least. Mid to high 3.
Big Brother & The Holding Company
3/5
I'll admit that I haven't listened to enough Janis Joplin throughout the years, despite her place in rock 'n' roll history. In fact, I didn't show she was the lead singer of this group prior to getting this album today. I always thought she had worked solo throughout her career.
Fun album for the most part. Joplin's raspy vocals fit well with the group and the whole blues rock/psychedelia thing. I did like some of the cover songs of classic blues/R&B recordings (Piece of My Heart, Ball and Chain). The album gets very jam band-y at parts, though, which holds it back a little for me.
Beck
4/5
Very familiar with this one. Anything Beck is involved in is always unique, as I can't think of too many artists who can genre-bend like he does. He's an alt rock artist through and through, but you also hear some hip-hop in the composition/lyrical delivery/sampling, as well as some folk, country, and elements of psychedelia (with modern uses).
I guess in the context of this album's release, Beck had already broken through with "Mellow Gold" a few years prior. "Odelay" can be seen as an extension of this success, but it forges its own path and features the aforementioned genre-fusions all throughout. The singles slap (primarily highlighted by "Where It's At") with some hidden gems here and there ("Hotwax", "Jack-Ass"). It gets a little noisy at some points (call it wasted space or experimentation, whatever), but this is still a strong album that represents one of the more creative works of the 1990s.
Faust
2/5
Krautrock, oh krautrock... To be honest, this wasn't as "odd" as I was expecting it to be. Most of it consists of droning instrumental sections (although the presence of the sax on track 5 could qualify as "odd" given the context here). This isn't really stuff that I dig, nor will I ever dig to be honest. Kraftwerk's the closest I'll get to enjoying this genre, but even they encompass a broader range of sound. I can certainly acknowledge that this type of music was unique given the time period, but that's all the flowers I'll give here.
Jurassic 5
5/5
Hell yeah, Jurassic 5! I'll continue to beat the drum for Jurassic 5 being one of the most underrated hip-hop groups of all time. They have such a unique, low-key sound and style to them and fit in nicely in the underground/alternative hip-hop scene during its revival in the 90s/00s. Not to mention that they were also the soundtrack to many of the videogames from my youth.
For the album of focus here, this is probably where Jurassic 5 hit their stride as a group (although their previous album "Quality Control" was also very strong). The production and sampling is clean, thanks to the efforts of Cut Chemist and DJ Nu-Mark. This allows the clever lyricism and rapping of the rest of the group (Chali 2na, Akil, Marc 7, Zaakir) to shine and flow nicely per usual. There is a lot here in terms of quantity, yet it doesn't feel like a moment is wasted nor does the quality really dip (The little DJ showcase track at the end is really the only "knock" I have here). I wish more people appreciated Jurassic 5.
Fav tracks: If You Only Knew, Break, A Day at the Races, What's Golden, Thin Line, High Fidelity
AC/DC
4/5
Is this AC/DC's most popular album? Sure seems like it, with a lot of their essential tracks calling this album their home. These are songs that your boomer relatives know & love, and songs that you yourself probably know and love too.
I had briefly forgotten that this was their first album post-Bon Scott, so Brian Johnson had some tough shoes to fill on vocals. Safe to say that this sudden transition worked out, as that voice is unmistakable now. The guitar riffs are iconic and the drum playing is crisp too. It's simply all a very good hard rock album production. Very hyper-masculine and horny too. And I mean HORNY, tracks 3-5 get a little silly in that department. Regardless, this is a cornerstone of classic rock that still holds its own for the most part.
Stan Getz
3/5
Bossa nova is fun in small doses, but it seems to lack depth. It felt like I listened to the same backing rhythm for almost the entire album. Sure this is technically a jazz album too, but it's bossa nova first and foremost. The starting track "The Girl From Ipanema" was really the only one that stood out and left an impression on me. I can acknowledge the impact this particular album had on popularizing the bossa nova genre worldwide, so no complaints here in terms of its inclusion on this list I guess.
Haircut 100
3/5
Nothing mind-blowing here, some pretty smooth & rhythmic new wave with that signature 80's sax. Some fun was had.
Duran Duran
4/5
Duran Duran sort of embodies the 80's for me. I wasn't alive then, but just listening to Duran Duran and synth-pop/new wave by association transports me to that decade. The fact that the group was pretty much a mainstay on MTV in its early days gives that feeling a lot of credence too. (2/3rds of this album had associated music videos, which is kind of wild to me)
This was probably their seminal album too, with singles such as "Rio" and "Hungry Like the Wolf" present here. Largely upbeat and fast, supported by guitars and various synth sounds among others. The pace slows down a bit near the end of the album, where the synth shines a bit more (as well as the ocarina!). Overall, a good representative of the vision of 80's synth-pop (with a little more).
Jimmy Smith
3/5
Jimmy Smith could sure play the Hammond organ, I will say that. Don't have much else to say outside of that, a pretty simple production when comparing to other jazz records from this time. Not a bad Friday morning listen.
Korn
1/5
Korn and other associated acts have their place in a specific point of time. That point of time is VERY specific and you either love or hate that era of music. I'm specifically talking about nu metal of course, the alt-metal/hip-hop fusion that many know it as. Very much a relic of its time.
I've never really had any interest in Korn outside of their singles, and the first two singles you hear on this album are fine enough ("Freak on a Leash", "Got the Life"). It's after that around track 5 (the Ice Cube feature) where things go past the point of no return. I know nu metal is supposed to be visceral, but that track was that unenjoyable. Things just never improve after that point, as the next track with a feature ("All in the Family" with Fred Durst) was just as brutal to listen through. The instrumentalism isn't being questioned here, the drums are guitar playing all throughout are fine. It's just that the distortion sounds/scatting over the disturbing lyrics is too much for almost anyone, let alone myself.
Sonic Youth
3/5
Only knew "Kool Thing" going into this album, and that track is indeed "kool", acting as somewhat of a feminist anthem. The other Kim Gordon-led songs were enjoyable as well, but the rest of the album doesn't quite stack up. Guitar "noise" is par for the course for Sonic Youth and that's never really been my thing, just always felt like filler to me.
Paul Simon
4/5
First of all, I simply like the sound of this album. Simon had done the album's initial recordings in South Africa (during the height of apartheid, mind you) and thus you hear the likes of South African vocal groups such as Ladysmith Black Mambazo and the Boyoyo Boys across a few tracks, as well as plethora of other native South African musicians contributing their works. They all come together to create great, memorable melodies and uplifting messages that would eventually land this album various Grammy awards. Makes for great road trip music too.
Best tracks: Graceland, Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes, You Can Call Me Al, Homeless
Manic Street Preachers
3/5
This album is pretty unrelenting in its messages. It's a bundle of disturbing/heavy subject matter; ranging from fascism, the death penalty, anorexia, and the Holocaust among many, many others. Simply reading the lyrics isolated from the music would make one think that these tracks were written by an insane person. The verse construction is a bit awkward as a result, I can't imagine trying to write music around all of THAT. It all hits a little differently after learning that the majority songwriter on this album, Richey Edwards, had been fighting his own demons and unfortunately disappeared shortly after this album's release.
Was this an effective album? Maybe, depending on who you ask. I know I wouldn't ever want to listen to this album again, so maybe that answers that question.
Red Snapper
2/5
I saw "acid jazz" in the artist's Wikipedia description and I got excited for a moment prior to listening. I guess this wasn't totally what I was expecting. I tend to equate acid jazz with the hip-hop side of things (A Tribe Called Quest, Digable Planets, etc.), so perhaps that would explain my feelings here. Not that this was a bad album per se, most of it was easy to listen to with its funky, groovy instrumentals. Some of the tracks run a bit too long, as is the case with most atmospheric and instrumental music. There are some vocal-led tracks but once again, plenty of repetitive sampling there. Not super memorable.
John Prine
4/5
A pretty sentimental and passionate "classic" country album. I know nothing about John Prine, but it's easy to tell (and hear) that he was a talented songwriter who drew inspiration from the everyday man/woman. The fact that Prine was 24 while recording all of this makes the previous sentence all the more impressive. The music itself is a bit simplistic and unremarkable, but it's the poetry that really shines here. 8/10
Janelle Monáe
4/5
I kind of know Janelle Monáe more for her acting nowadays, that I almost forgot that she's had (and is still somewhat having) a successful music career.
With "The ArchAndroid", we very much have a concept album here. Apparently this is a continuation of Monáe's debut EP, which I haven't heard. Thematically, heavy inspiration is grabbed from Fritz Lang's classic science-fiction film "Metropolis". You definitely see it on the cover as well. But the blending of R&B, soul and pop (among many others) with this sort of "retro-futurism" theme is what I think makes this album unique. It all operates on a grand scale and yet never feels too "showy".
Beach House
3/5
Very dreamy sounding, thanks to the vocals of Victoria Legrand and the organ/keyboards heard all throughout. Not much else to say here, it's mellow and somewhat remains in that early 2010s indie pop mold that most either love or hate.
Hole
4/5
Songwriting credit rumors aside, this is a well-crafted and well-written grunge/alt rock record. Really driven home by Courtney Love's fierce vocals and Erlandson's heavy riffs. But also their sound is further transformed and upgraded with the addition of newcomers Kristen Pfaff (RIP) on bass and Patty Schemel on drums.
Yes, this is a female-led rock group from an era where many of these bands were in the spotlight, and feminism is the main lyrical theme among others here. But for a short time, Hole were deservedly in the lead role of this "movement". Love elevates the group by channeling her personal life experiences into this sort of contained and melodic rage. This was the first of two big releases in a row from Hole as they were hitting their stride musically and commercially.
Favorite tracks: Violet, Asking for It, Jennifer's Body, Doll Parts
Curtis Mayfield
4/5
I have never seen the film "Super Fly", but I am familiar with the lead single and "Pusherman" here. These blaxploitation films from the 70's tackled social justice whilst giving us some legendary soul music as a soundtrack (with said soundtracks overshadowing the films most of the time). "Superfly" follows in the same vein and makes for a smooth ride, with instrumentals and chart-topping singles alike.
The Charlatans
3/5
This seems like a group that was pushed off to the side amidst the whole Britpop craze of the 90's, never heard of 'em before today. After listening through, it's easy to understand why. Not terrible, but this group just doesn't have the "edge" that the more mainstream Britpop groups had. Nice lil homage to their fallen bandmate in the last track though.
Scott Walker
3/5
I've apparently listened to an album from this guy already. Would've never known. Anyway, this guy definitely has a knack for belting some melodic ballads. Interesting songwriting and production too. Starts a little slow, but slowly picks up in quality as the album progresses.
Kate Bush
3/5
I don't think I've heard "early" Kate Bush before, not outside of "Babooshka" at least. This is very much one of her more experimental releases. Everything is avant-garde in an instrumental sense, and Bush's unique vocals in addition to the unsettling vocal loops featured in almost every track make for a very...interesting listen I'll say.
To quote the outro lines from the fifth track: "We let the weirdness in". I think that's a pretty apt description for what I just witnessed.
3/5
This is the greatest advertisement for Australian tourism I've ever heard.
Jokes aside, it's a decent concept album detailing post-war England. A lot of professional critics were putting this album on the level of the Beatles and The Who, and I just don't personally see that. Maybe a little bit in the production, but this stands alone on a peg just below those other British rock bands from the 60's in my opinion.
Simon & Garfunkel
3/5
Some of these song titles are a bit outlandish. But in any case, this is another short 'n' sweet Simon & Garfunkel album with some variety from song to song and the usual poetry you'd come to expect from these two. It's probably not controversial to say that this isn't as strong as most of their other releases, but there were a fun few moments to be had (including Paul Simon giving his best Bob Dylan impression in one of the tracks).
Sade
4/5
I just realized that I've only ever heard the single version of "Smooth Operator" all of my life. Thought I was listening to a completely different track to start this. Anyway, I like me some Sade. Not sure if this was the album to best suited to represent the group, but I digress. It's cool, smooth, and most of all, sexy. Sade's sensual voice is obviously at the front, but the ensemble of smooth drums, omnipresent basslines and keyboard and sax complete the picture.
Sade's discography only gets better from here in my opinion, but this is still a good debut from one of the bigger sophisti-pop players in the game.
The Who
3/5
Gram Parsons
3/5
A pretty stripped back country production, with some help from Emmylou Harris on vocals. Not super memorable otherwise.
Patti Smith
4/5
I've heard a lot ABOUT this album, but have never actually listened to it myself.
Patti Smith's poetic background really shines in the songwriting throughout "Horses". Featuring more spoken word song construction and simply being much more artsier compared to the mainstream punk rock scene from around this time. Definitely an original concept for 1975 and still today honestly. This album might need to "warm up" a bit for some people (which was also the case for myself), but many will recognize its impact and influence by the end of it all. If not, then that's OK too!
JAY Z
4/5
Unfortunate release date aside, Jay-Z was kind of in some hot shit at this time. There were the criminal trials and of course, the rap beef versus Nas and others (Kendrick vs. Drake who?). As with any Jay-Z album, it's well produced, eventually establishing the likes of Kanye West and Just Blaze as big names in hip-hop (both in production and performer-wise). No better example than in "Heart of the City", with its brilliant sampling of Bobby Bland.
Jay-Z has always been one to talk the talk, anyone can hear and attest to that. He backs it up in his work too and has always surrounded himself with the best of the best in the business. Now, I think Nas got the better of ol' "Hova" during their beef, but this album still stood above the rest from a production standpoint during the early 2000's.
The Smashing Pumpkins
5/5
It can't be understated how great the multilayered guitars sound throughout this record. A lot went into the production I'm sure and at the front of it all was Billy Corgan, the troubled perfectionist. You hear it in the lyrics, soft-spoken at times and wailing at other times, the man put immense pressure on himself to create as perfect of a record as he could.
This album feels more ornate than the other alt rock and grunge that was released around this time. Not that there ISN'T emotion in the other rock-adjacent music, but it just feels more prevalent and contemplative here thanks to Corgan, Iha, Wretzky, and Chamberlin. Props to Butch Vig and the rest of the production/technical team too for curating one of the more sonically satisfying alt rock records of the 90's.
Favorite tracks: Cherub Rock, Today, Hummer, Disarm, Mayonaise
Grant Lee Buffalo
2/5
Wasn't sure what this album was offering at first, it's some sort of alternative/grittier country sound. Fine enough, but it was already feeling repetitive about midway through. Just made me want to listen to regular 90's alt rock when it was all said and done.
Drive-By Truckers
2/5
That's two alternative country albums in a row now. This is very much an ode to the Southern United States (notably the state of Alabama) if that wasn't already obvious by the album title. Whether you asked for it or not, get ready for a history lesson on southern US culture. Primarily centered around Lynrd Skynrd too, because why not? Probably longer than it needed to be, but who am I to talk as someone who's lived in the northern US all of their life? The band's perspective on certain Alabamian figures and events was sort of interesting at least.
More interesting than the album itself is probably the fact it was primarily crowd-funded prior to being distributed. Not really something that occurred too often in this business back then
The Mamas & The Papas
4/5
When it comes to harmonic/folk pop groups of the 60's, you probably think of the Mamas & The Papas. Almost everything sounds recognizable here, even if one hasn't heard much of their discography. Very groovy, thanks in part to the production crew harnessing the talents of each vocalist. Everything sounds like sunshine and roses, despite what the songwriting is displaying to the listener.
Regarding the album cover, stuffing the group in a bathtub for a photo was certainly an artistic choice. Apparently the cover went through a few reprints, firstly due to the inclusion of a toilet being deemed "indecent" (different times...)
The Sugarcubes
3/5
I actually didn't know Björk was in a band prior to her solo work, guess why this album is on the list then! Safe to say she fit in here, as the group embraced the weirdness and non-conformity of post-punk. Can't say I knew too much about the Reykjavik rock scene going into this, but I guess all you really need to listen to is Björk to get the gist.
The Clash
4/5
Probably one of the most seminal punk rock albums ever. And despite that, it's anything but standard! The Clash pull from all sorts of rock 'n' roll roots; incorporating reggae, rockabilly, and plenty of brass all throughout. Thematically, the usual anti-establishment and socially conscious lyrics (namely from London in this case) you'd come to expect from punk music are here. As a result, it all makes for a smooth and effective product, bringing a familiar yet fresh entry to our ears.
Best tracks: London Calling, Lost in the Supermarket, Clampdown, Train in Vain
Screaming Trees
3/5
I know of this band, not sure I've heard anything of theirs before today though.
They kind of sound like a sonically cleaner (or blander, however you look at it) version of Dinosaur Jr., with some psychedelic influences. In fact, this album cover looks very similar to that of Dino Jr's "You're Living All Over Me". Alright at the end of the day, not super memorable though.
3/5
The biggest depiction of America from an Irish band. Very much a front-loaded album, with three of the group's biggest hits all in a row to start things off. I hate to say that an album of this stature kinda tails off from there, but it does a little bit. When every song tries to be a ballad, it almost loses its magic the further you get. I get most of the lyrical content is politically and socially charged, plus some personal emotion in the lyrics from Bono. I guess this one didn't affect me as much as say, the American desert affected the band whilst creating this album. Killer production, though.
Love
2/5
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
3/5
Synth-pop with plenty of ambience. Mainly a mix between more radio-friendly, lyrical synth-pop tracks and more ambient, noise-focused tracks. Given the time of its release, somewhat ahead of its time and could be among those records that ushered in this sort of synth-pop blend into the more mainstream electronic-laden pop music of the 80's. Not my favorite thing of all time, but I recognize its importance.
Public Enemy
4/5
For a group as loud as Public Enemy, I'm sure it was no small feat to follow up "It Takes a Nation..." from a few years prior. The group was, well, more "public" in their messages more so now than ever and were only moving upwards.
Sample-heavy and hard-hitting lyrically thanks to the efforts of the legendary Chuck D and the Bomb Squad on production, "Fear of a Black Planet" keeps the momentum going from the group's previous album. Criticisms of racism in society/American media, and even on misogyny in the hip-hop community are among those on the agenda here. It all comes at a breakneck speed and may be a bit overwhelming at times, but these are messages that needed to be said/heard and are still poignant today, 35+ years on.
Best tracks: Welcome to the Terrordome, Burn Hollywood Burn, Fight the Power
Steely Dan
3/5
Not familiar with this Steely Dan album. I very much like their debut album though, so interested to see how they followed that one up. Tough act to follow for sure.
Immediately with the opening track "Bodhisattva", you can tell things are slightly different here. That track, as well as "Show Biz Kids" specifically, have a sort of rockabilly/blues influence. I read that the band dumped vocalist David Palmer after the last album, but Donald Fagen has pretty much always been the voice of Steely Dan, so I can't quite put my tongue on why this is still so much different. I guess the rest of the album sort of shifts into the familiar Steely Dan mold as it runs along, but nothing else really stood out per se.
Jack White
3/5
Jack White's first solo album after a pretty decorated career with the White Stripes. Definitely more personal compared to his work within a group. Blues rock with some country influence sprinkled throughout and prominent piano playing near the end. Although it's...a little inconsistent I guess? Doesn't quite stack up to the group efforts of the White Stripes, in which there was a certain charm in the frantic garage rock sound they produced.
Also, no one gonna mention how Jack White says nervous ("noyvus"?) in "I'm Shakin'"?
The Auteurs
2/5
Nothing remarkable here. Maybe I'm just burned out on all of this Brit-adjacent pop, but I gained nothing from this experience. Just lacks the edge that other alt rock acts may have had from the time.
The Beach Boys
5/5
This is one I wanted to set time aside for and really take in. Just a masterpiece of an album that deserves your undivided attention. Influential doesn't even begin to describe this, as this album was created with the production in mind first. Taking some clear inspiration from Phil Spector's "Wall of Sound" and motivated by the Beatles' previous album "Rubber Soul", Brian Wilson essentially set out to create "the greatest rock album ever made" as he dubbed it.
I would say this extends past rock and sort of exists in some sort of art pop-adjacent plane. Many know the Beach Boys for their surf-rock persona and sound, so "Pet Sounds" represented a heavy shift in that regard. The vocal harmonies are more complex, the song structures were progressive for the time, and the lyrical content of the music is more introspective and even somber at times. Even the instrumental tracks can evoke those aforementioned feelings. There's a lot packed in here despite the 36 minute runtime.
A revolutionary in the way of music production, "Pet Sounds" dared to be great primarily via the efforts of Brian Wilson. And by golly, it continues to be great nearly 60 years later. "Wouldn't It Be Nice" is a masterfully recorded song especially, and sets the tone nicely for the rest of the album.
Stan Getz
3/5
I guess this is where bossa nova got its commercial start! I was exposed to Getz via this list not too long ago (Getz/Gilberto), so there's a hint of familiarity for me.
Everything flows along nicely. While it's not as brash and energetic as most jazz was from the time this album released, there's a certain cohesiveness and consistency curated by Getz (sax), Byrd (guitar) and others throughout. After listening to a few bossa nova/samba records among the nearly 400 albums I've drawn from this list, I think I can say that the genre doesn't have much versatility or much of a musical "ceiling" if you will. It's pleasant to listen to, but that's about it. I'm sure it's fun to play as an artist, but tends to exist in the background of most settings. This record has its significance in history though, somewhat ushering in the bossa nova craze in America in the early 60's.
T. Rex
3/5
I've heard the album that followed this one, but it's my understanding that the group really embraced the glam rock sound with this entry specifically.
This album never really "takes off" if you will. I'm sure many will recognize "Bang a Gong" once that bassline starts playing, but the remainder never really capitalizes on that, however. I guess I wasn't quite as entertained as I was expecting to be. I didn't realize that glam rock could be such low energy.
Otis Redding
4/5
Very much a cover album, but DAMN, hard to ignore the backing personnel on this album first of all. You've got Booker T. & the M.G.'s (the house band of Stax Records at the time), members of the Mar-Keys and the Memphis Horns providing, well the horns, and even Isaac Hayes on piano! Of course, the legendary Otis Redding is at the front here, lending his voice to create unique versions of iconic R&B/soul works such as "My Girl", "Wonderful World", and "Satisfaction". The original content of his also sticks out, notably "Respect", which would later be reworked and covered by a certain lady of soul...
An enjoyable album that can act as a celebration of 60's soul and R&B, with one of the best covering more of the best.
LL Cool J
3/5
Kind of surprised that LL Cool J is on this list at all, and I'm a hip-hop fan through and through. I guess if anything, I would've expected one of his earlier albums. But in any case, it's crazy impressive that LL was doing this at 22 years old. He was practically a hip-hop veteran at this point and the titular single "Mama Said Knock You Out" is the most LL Cool J song ever (maybe next to "I'm Bad"). LL just knows how to command attention from the mic and isn't afraid to boast about himself (or try to steal your girl). I will admit that this album is a bit bloated and varies a bit in quality here and there. It felt like I was wading through some gunk to occasionally find some treasure ("Around the Way Girl", "Murdergram", "Mama Said Knock You Out", "To da Break of Dawn"). Not bad overall I guess, but it has its cheesy moments.
Gang Starr
3/5
Some good golden age, East Coast hip-hop. I'm not sure how groundbreaking this particular album was in 1991, but still a good representative of the smooth, intellectual lyricism that these East Coast groups were offering. The sampling is clean and not too overbearing either.
The Velvet Underground
3/5
Mostly mellow rock. Almost hard to believe that this is the same group from their previous two albums when you compare the sound. Not to say that this is utterly unenjoyable, just different than what I was expecting going into this blind. Tracks like "Pale Blue Eyes" and "After Hours" were pleasant to listen to thanks to their more melodic-focused nature. "The Murder Mystery", on the other hand, was interesting for many reasons. I can't even imagine what went into the inspiration for that track.
Beastie Boys
5/5
Album #400!
Any album that starts with "Sure Shot" is a great album in my book. Really all of the singles are iconic in their own right, especially "Sabotage". A Beastie Boys original with no sampling, "Sabotage" represents the guys having fun and showcasing their punk rock roots. Then it pretty much became one of the hip-hop trio's most lauded songs and most memorable music videos too! Plenty of other musical inspirations seep through too, as there are a number of instrumental tracks showcasing rock, funk, and even a lil jazz. While not as extensive as in "Paul's Boutique", the Beastie Boys' art of sampling is still very much prevalent here. The Moog Machine, Jimmy Smith, and even jazz flautist Jeremy Steig are among the sources sampled throughout. It's all mixed well, thanks in part to the trio + Mario Caldato Jr on production (who then went on to work with Jack Johnson, another one of my favorite artists!)
This is one of the Beastie Boys' more versatile releases. You can tell they allowed themselves to be more creative here and venture out into more live instrumentation, whilst staying true to their hip-hop roots. Dare I say this might be their best work? Tough to supplant "Licensed to Ill", but it's pretty damn close!
The Lemonheads
3/5
I'm a power pop guy, so The Lemonheads have certainly crossed my radar a few times. Sure, their cover of "Mrs. Robinson" later became a huge hit, but I've always been fond of this album's title track too. It's a fun and short album, capturing the essence of the lighter, melancholic, and jangly side of the early 90's alt rock scene. The group's next album had some good stuff if I recall too.
Magazine
2/5
Led Zeppelin
3/5
Finally through all five of the Led Zeppelin albums featured on this list. Funnily enough, I drew their other four albums in like a three month span last year. Anyway, years of pumping out albums certainly allowed LZ to be a little more creative here. With any LZ record, you need to be a bit patient to take in everything first but some funk, prog rock, and orchestral rock seep in amongst the hard rock that LZ is known for. Things slow down tremendously after "Kashmir" though, which is basically the halfway point of the album. Not necessarily a slog (although one can only take so much of Plant's vocals), but the shift in tempo/quality is noticeable. Suffice to say, not quite LZ's best overall body of work but some interesting and cohesive tracks here and there.
Jane's Addiction
3/5
Somewhat familiar with Jane's Addiction. Perry Farrell's voice is hard to mistake after all (love his work in Porno for Pyros too). This was probably novel for the time, as alternative rock was sort of finding its mold around the mid to late 80's. Though I can only take Jane's Addiction is small doses, if that makes any sense. Good, hard alt rock that can get a little grating.
G. Love & Special Sauce
2/5
Never heard of this group before. The actual blues instrumentation isn't bad and fits the vibe, but the rap-like vocals take some getting used to (update: I never got used to them). Just a strange fusion of genres that kind of overstays its welcome pretty early if I'm being honest. "Baby's Got Sauce" is probably the best track amongst it all. I swear I've heard "Cold Beverage" before too...guess that's the big single from this record.
Belle & Sebastian
3/5
Reading all of the "Donovan of the 90's" comparisons makes a lot of sense now after listening, although I hear a little more Nick Drake here. Some decent tracks here and there, not sure how influential this would end up being after its release. Maybe somewhat in an indie rock sense. Sounded and felt pretty middle of the road for me, though.
Curtis Mayfield
3/5
Not bad. I had gotten "Superfly" a few weeks ago, so Curtis Mayfield is still somewhat fresh for me. I wouldn't quite put this on the level of "Superfly", as things are much slower and subtle here, thus not as memorable. It's good for an easy listen and some introspection, though.
Simply Red
2/5
Started off fine enough, then I thought I was listening to a completely different album by track #2. Just wasn't expecting the jump to a faux "live" jazz track. The album sort of became cheesy and unbearable from there, unfortunately.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
2/5
Ugh... I think three whole albums is enough to form a strong opinion on one particular artist and seeing that this is my third Nick Cave album from this list, my thoughts are pretty staunchly negative at this point. That being said, this album at least commits to the overall somber and minimalist tone and stays somewhat consistent throughout. That doesn't make everything more enjoyable, but the songwriting can at least be appreciated to some extent. It's all very...dull and cheesy, however. The album overstays its welcome a bit, and Nick Cave (from a vocalist standpoint) tends to wear on you.
The Stooges
3/5
Interesting hearing about each of the different mixes that were released for this album in particular. I understand that the Bowie mix was the "original" mix released, so I'll be speaking on that one.
I can see how this was influential in the punk rock sphere, considering the heavy guitar riffs and the vocals of one Iggy Pop, who was born to be a punk rock star. "Search and Destroy" has likely been heard by most and acts as a great starter for what's to come. This mix may have been a little too "polished" but it was still a quick and good time.
Mylo
2/5
Never heard of this artist before. I'm sure most of the reviewers are pissy about this album title too.
It all moves along somewhat nicely, but doesn't really go too "hard" if that makes any sense. Some recognizable samples of 70's/80's soft rock/pop are used all throughout. I didn't care for the tracks that sampled speeches or sermons on repeat, however. The title track was somewhat weak and tedious in that regard. Everything felt a little subdued, I was expecting more as I knew this was a house album coming in, and thus wasn't as memorable as a result.
Underworld
2/5
What are the odds I get two straight electronic albums?
Got a couple of marathon songs to start, which is always fun. Some good jams/ambient beats here, but as is the case with most electronic albums, things tend to meander after a bit. My attention was elsewhere after a while.
George Jones
3/5
I don't think I'm too familiar with George Jones, so hearing that this particular album was apparently his 50th release was pretty shocking to me. Perhaps I need to educate myself. Anyway, talk about a heartbreaker of a song to start things off ("The Grand Tour"). The remainder of the album plays in a similar vein too; comfy and crooning country classics. It doesn't really reach much further than that, but that's OK.
Willie Nelson
4/5
A pretty breezy and stripped down country concept album. Consisting of a fugitive outlaw on the run after killing his wife and her lover, then his ensuing "redemption". It's melancholic, tender, sweet, hitting all the right chords. Willie Nelson has always been a great storyteller, embracing his "outlaw country" persona in a time where country music was getting the "Nashville Sound" treatment and leaning more towards a pop-ier sound. Can't hate the man!
Nina Simone
4/5
I'm actually not sure I've ever heard Nina Simone's voice before today. Pretty unique and deep, yet soulful. Apt for the melancholic nature of some of her song's content, and more so here. I don't know if this specific record is considered her "magnum opus", but it certainly has the makings to be considered. "Four Women" is pretty damn profound for one.
Röyksopp
3/5
Surprised to see a primarily trip hop/lo-fi record on this list. Maybe this was the first of its kind to really hit the mainstream? I can't confirm that. But what I can confirm is my reaction to what I just listened to.
It is as advertised: ambient, downtempo European electronic music. Most of it blends together and there are some vocals here and there. A wave of nostalgia hit me upon hearing "Remind Me", as many will recognize that from that GEICO caveman ad from the mid-2000's.
Echo And The Bunnymen
3/5
I guess I've heard these guys on this list before, but I can't remember a thing about them. Not bad for an early punk record, things sound pretty polished. Very indicative of its era, but not super memorable outside of that.
Bob Dylan
3/5
The first Dylan album to feature electric instrumentation. That occupies all of side one, as side two shifts to more acoustic-based tracks. The departure from the folksy, protest-laden music from the past can be appreciated I guess. Tracks such as "Subterranean Homesick Blues" and "Mr. Tambourine Man" arguably represent Dylan at his best from a songwriting standpoint. He leans into surrealism more here in his lyrics, painting an image for those who wish to accept it. And despite that, this is probably Dylan's most accessible album when comparing to the many featured on this list. Not everything was a standout here, but it's been the least "annoying" Dylan album to me thus far, personally.
Jeff Beck
3/5
Rod Stewart's big breakthrough I believe. A young Stewart on vocals, paired with Jeff Beck's (formerly of the Yardbirds) crisp licks on guitar makes for a pretty entertaining record. This is definitely more blues than heavy metal, as about half of the record is blues covers. Although I guess that's what most of late 60's hard rock produced (if not psychedelic rock). Perhaps a little generic at points in that case, but the instrumentalism is still impressive nonetheless.
Spacemen 3
1/5
Man, this is way out there. Far out even. Psychedelic/space rock is strange enough, but the fact that this album was released in 1989 is even stranger. Too late to the party? Or perhaps too early for the rest of the world to comprehend? In any case, this all borders on being classified as shoegaze as well due to the album's general ambient/noisy vibe. I tend to see it as noise for the purpose of being noisy, though. Mix that with some LSD, and you get this album I guess. Maybe some reached enlightenment upon listening to this, but I did not. What's the opposite of enlightenment?
Dr. Octagon
3/5
Never heard of this artist, and I'm usually pretty well-versed in the world of 90's hip-hop. I'm immediately getting heavy Deltron 3030 vibes here, and that's likely due to Dan "The Automator" Nakamura being on production. He would later work with Delton 3030 and produce their self-titled album, which I adore (and will probably submit to this list once I'm finished). Back to the present album, the overall theme plays a role in the aforementioned feeling as well, as this is very much a concept album (and very much abstract and surreal at that). An "extraterrestrial, time-traveling gynecologist and surgeon" is pretty zany to begin with, but I think the production and lyrical chops (from Kool Keith) should be focused on more here.
Shining in some moments, while being downright disturbing in others, "Dr. Octagonecologyst" is somewhat...uneven in a sense. Great production and talent like mentioned before, but the concept can be hit or miss for most listeners and goes on a bit too long. An interesting entry to say the least.
The Cardigans
4/5
This is just a fun album. Almost bubblegum-y with an alternative edge, with themes of love/affection/heartbreak among others. The Swedes know how to produce and perform their pop music. Nina Persson's warm & soothing vocals and Peter Svensson's guitar playing help carry things along. Highlights include "Your New Cuckoo", "Been It", "Step On Me", and of course "Lovefool".
Fairport Convention
3/5
I don't think I've listened to much British folk rock before. Not much else to say here I guess. Despite folk rock not really being my thing, this was somewhat pleasant to listen to. Sandy Denny's vocals and storytelling help carry things along and liven the listening experience. The fiddle playing in the instrumental medley was also fun. Some of the tracks can feel repetitive at times, though.
Tortoise
2/5
The first track is certainly a handful. The mid-90's was an interesting time to release a record like this. "Post-rock" as a subgenre was and still is largely underground (and to be honest, I'm still not really sure what this genre entails). After listening to this record, I now gather that it's experimental/ambient music, with accompanying guitar melodies. I guess this particular record was a catalyst for this genre as it pertained to the mainstream? Neat, I guess. Didn't do much for me otherwise.
Dead Kennedys
4/5
Seminal punk rock right here. The genre was burgeoning around this time and beginning to evolve into a more hardcore sound. Enter Dead Kennedys to usher things along; with their rapid surf rock based sound and the funny-sounding, yet unmistakable Jello Biafra on vocals. Politically charged, sharp and witty vocals, and jam-packed in just over 30 minutes. About all you can ask for from an early 80's punk rock record.
Morrissey
3/5
PJ Harvey
2/5
Only having been familiar with Harvey's earlier work, this album feels like a bit of a departure (or evolution if you want to look at it that way). This seems to fit into the indie rock mold from this early 2010's era, being more delicately crafted and narrative-based (focusing on England and their affairs in war in this album's case). I'm conflicted though, as this doesn't feel like the PJ Harvey that this list introduced me to. There are hints here and there, but the energy is largely missing. Thus, I have a hard time ranking this the same as the other two albums of hers that I've listened to so far. I can see how this would strike a chord with others, though.
Johnny Cash
4/5
Another one in the series of somber albums released very late in an artist's life (i.e. "Blackstar" and "You Want It Darker"). Here we get a contemplative Johnny Cash, accompanied by sparse instrumentals and the occasional guest vocalist. It's the rawest and most real we've honestly ever heard Cash be and even though most of this album consists of covers spanning many eras, Cash transforms each of these familiar tracks into his own. Not much else to say, a fitting swan song for a musical icon.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
2/5
A live progressive rock adaptation of a Mussorgsky piano suite is certainly NOT what I anticipated today. Having zero familiarity with the source material probably affected my overall enjoyment of this record. But as a counterpoint, I'm not convinced that progressive rock makes anything better. The encore "Nut Rocker" was unexpected and interesting at least.
Leftfield
2/5
This is definitely more ambient house than I was expecting. It kind of all blended together as a result. I guess I can see the "progressive" house aspect as a result, but not sure how significant that makes this album in the grand scheme of things.
Fatboy Slim
4/5
Definitely Fatboy Slim's seminal album, for those familiar. About as mainstream as it gets for this big beat era, as you've got smash hits such as "Right Here, Right Now", "The Rockafeller Skank", and "Praise You". Inspired use of sampling and not too heavy/overbearing in the "beat" aspect of it all. One of the more accessible big beat works, if we're being honest.
The Mothers Of Invention
2/5
One of the few satirical concept albums I think I've ever heard. Targeting both political parties, the hippie subculture, and psychedelic rock as a whole (that album cover reference is too on-the-nose), the Frank Zappa-led Mothers of Invention get experimental with it here too. The editing and recording is notable and probably the main reason this album is included in this list. Utilizing "musique concrète" as they call it, you'll notice a strange collage of sounds all throughout, most notably this overarching warped dialogue that's featured prominently.
Hard not to admit that the above makes the whole thing sound disjointed though. Also felt that the group focused a little too much on the hippie slander, started to feel a tad overdone at points. Some marks for the experimentalism, though.
Side note: the personnel notes for this album were objectively hilarious
Norah Jones
3/5
You know you're in for some easy listening when Norah Jones comes on. Still wildly impressive that this was her debut album. Sold like hotcakes and Jones sounded like she was ready for the moment too. That's a jazz vocalist right there.
It's coffee shop jazz at its core (which apparently is a criticism based on most of the reviews...) with hints of folk & country, making this an easy and enjoyable listen. Maybe it doesn't have quite the reach and versatility that many were expecting, but it's safe/easy and that's fine. I've always been fond of the smash single "Don't Know Why", but Jones's covers of "Cold Cold Heart" and "Turn Me On" were also notable.
Moby Grape
3/5
This full album is oddly hard to find on streaming, had to search for a custom playlist within YouTube. Anyway, I don't think I've ever heard of this group. Perhaps they were overshadowed by the more mainstream psychedelic rock groups of the 60's. What makes this record somewhat unique I guess is the variety displayed. I immediately saw "psychedelic rock" on this album's review page and sighed, but this is a little more than that. A bit poppier, plus there's some country/blues influence as well, sounding like a less swampy CCR at times. Wasn't super noteworthy when it was all said and done, however. It seems that this group has been lost to time.
M.I.A.
3/5
I've gotten to learn a bit about M.I.A. through the "Paper Planes" episode of The Ringer's "60 Songs That Explain the '90s: The 2000s" podcast, so I sort of knew what to expect here. Obviously this album was pre-Paper Planes, so the overall sound is probably going to shock many upon their first listen. Despite the dancehall & hip-hop-like sound, this album is very politically charged. Themes of conflict and revolution, references to the PLO, etc. Heck, the album title is literally the political code name used by M.I.A.'s father.
This...probably won't reach everyone in an influential way and that's fine. The production and mixing teeters more towards a "grime" sound at points which I don't really care for. But, using this sort of platform and genre-mixing to share these messages was certainly unique for the time and still somewhat effective 20ish years later. I can give this album some flowers as a result.
Side note: Any other NBA Live 06 players recognize "Bucky Done Gun"?
Carpenters
3/5
I can't say I'm too familiar with the Carpenter's work, only that I know the sibling duo by name. The vocal harmonies of both are quite pleasing to listen to, primarily led by the younger sibling, Karen. Sure, it's consistently sappy and saccharine throughout the 38ish minutes, but that doesn't necessarily make it any less enjoyable when viewing from a instrumental and production standpoint as well. The two singles "We've Only Just Begun" and "Close to You" are both especially endearing. Some of the other original compositions hold their own too.
Buzzcocks
3/5
Late 70's frenetic punk with some hooky hooks here and there. I know the Buzzcocks have some better singles out there, though.
2/5
There seems to be a decent percentage of forgettable, similar-sounding, sophisti-pop/new wave records from the 80's on this list. This album falls into that mold, and it certainly sounds of its time. I guess the production itself is fine, but these albums always sound like they're trying to knock it out of the park with every track, and most tracks end up whiffing on the pitch. It's just...too much perhaps? Too sappy and smarmy I guess.
Grateful Dead
2/5
Never really been a "Deadhead" or anything of the sort. In fact, I believe this is the first Grateful Dead album I've listened to. I always assumed Grateful Dead were more...hardcore I guess? What I was treated to instead was duller, more light rock, and plenty of improvisational jamming (which is to be expected in a 60s/70s live rock album). It just stopped being entertaining at a certain point unfortunately. Perhaps this is another "you had to be there" scenario, but I don't really care. I can only rate based on my listening experience.
Doves
3/5
Very dreamy sounding. Midway through, I wasn't sure if this was going to be an electronica record, Britpop record, or an indie rock record. Suffice to say that this is a pretty experimental record that has its moments.
Favorite tracks: Sea Song, Catch The Sun
Primal Scream
2/5
I recalling getting "Screamadelica" a few months ago, let's see how these guys evolved.
A bit of the same, which isn't necessarily a knock. This psychedelia, electronic sound was sort of what I expected. Some of the non-vocal "instrumental" arrangements shine, while some of the others tend to blend in. Gets a little more traditionally alt-rocky near the back half of the album. Just alright, not as memorable as "Screamadelica" (not to say that was extremely memorable on its own either).
Billie Holiday
3/5
Having not heard much of Billie Holiday before, she certainly has a signature voice. Almost Louie Armstrong-like in a way, but in female form. Reading up more on the album tells me that this was released pretty late in her career, and her voice had changed (for better or worse) after years of alcohol and drug abuse. I can see how her voice would turn many off from this album's listening experience. The rhythmic phrasing is definitely there, so I can see why Holiday is a revered jazz vocalist. As for the content itself, everything felt a bit...samey? I guess that's more of a product of its time, as love was generally the singular theme for these sorts of slower, vocal jazz pieces. Hardly any of these 12 songs felt that distinctive from one another, I hate to say.
This just makes me a tad bit curious to listen to Holiday's previous work, though.
Buffalo Springfield
3/5
Neil Young
4/5
Heavy dose of Neil Young lately, as I got Buffalo Springfield before this. I understand that Young lost a few friends/colleagues to drugs, and this album acts as sort of a tribute in that regard. No shortage of raw emotion here, and I'd like to highlight "Mellow My Mind" and "Albuquerque" as standout examples in that regard. There's a charm to the ruggedness and melancholy here, driven home even further by the pedal steel guitar and piano provided throughout by Ben Keith and Nils Lofgren, respectively.
I think I enjoyed this album a tad more than the few Neil Young albums I've received in the past year or so. This one just had more heart and feels more authentic.
Cat Stevens
4/5
Great folk rock songwriting here. This was Stevens' fourth album at only 22 years old too. Ready to take on the world at this point, Stevens was very reflective at this young age. That's heard in his storytelling, representing the young and spiritually enlightened voices out there. Don't have much else to say here, as someone not overly familiar with Cat Stevens, this was a pretty easy and comfortable listen.
Best tracks: Where Do the Children Play?, Father and Son
Songhoy Blues
3/5
This is literally the first time I'm hearing of African desert blues. Very interesting reading up on the group too. Originally from Mali, some of the members were essentially forced out of their hometown by militant and eventually jihadist groups (who banned music among many other things, how does one ban MUSIC?). Regardless, this didn't stop the group from making music and eventually landing a record deal.
Not knowing much about the Songhay language, I can really only speak on the instrumentals and rhythms/grooves that I'm hearing. The guitar is very prominent (as it is in your stock blues music) establishing the underlying rhythm and a constant energy for each track. And that energy varies from high to low depending on the track, as there are a few stripped down acoustic pieces here. You can really hear the emotion in the vocals, despite the foreign tongues. Pretty novel listening experience, even though this isn't something I'd necessarily seek out myself.
Ryan Adams
2/5
Never heard of this guy. Keep thinking of Bryan Adams, who I assume has no relation.
Was it purely coincidence that this album was released two weeks after 9/11? There are plenty of themes of patriotism and Americana, so all of this had to be written before then. An oddly opportune release in that case. Anyway, this sounds of its time, but it all felt pretty unremarkable if I'm being honest. Just felt it lacked soul, which is kinda ironic given the album is trying to exude soul all throughout. Didn't leave much of an impression on me I guess.
Waylon Jennings
3/5
A pretty breezy album, clocking in at only 27 minutes. Great artist-writer partnership between Waylon Jennings and Billy Joe Shaver here too. Some tracks shine a little more than the others, but the production was pretty clean all throughout and captures what "outlaw" country is all about. I don't know when outlaw country really got its start, but I've got to imagine these guys were among the forefront of this movement.
Lloyd Cole And The Commotions
3/5
Never heard of this group. Jangle pop was starting to emerge around this time, with R.E.M. and the Smiths ushering this sound in during the 80's. These guys seemed to fit in, with their themes of romanticism, longing for love and whatnot. It doesn't really reach further beyond that here, though. Hardly influential or anything.
The Isley Brothers
4/5
Starts off strong with the iconic "That Lady", which is actually a reworked version of the group's single from a few years prior for those that didn't know. There are a few other covers mixed in, including a funky rendition of the Doobie Brother's "Listen to the Music". Pretty enjoyable album overall. You know what you're getting into when the Isley Brothers show up.
2/5
I got an earlier XTC album sometime ago, but I probably couldn't recall anything from it if you asked me. This does NOT sound like it was released in 1999. Very whimsical and symphonic. Obvious inspirations taken from the Beatles and maybe Brian Wilson too from a production and conceptual standpoint. The comparisons should stop there, though. People in the YouTube comments (it's pretty difficult to find this album elsewhere, unfortunately) were saying that this record parallels works like Sgt. Pepper's and Pet Sounds, which is delusional quite frankly. Maybe from a production standpoint, but from a lyrical standpoint, not even close. Too cheesy to be taken seriously. I won't remember much of this after today.
Tim Buckley
1/5
This was more...promiscuous and raunchier than I was expecting? It also was the longest 39 minutes of my life. I'm not sure who this album is for. I'm normally a funk guy, but not even the funk presence could save this record for me. Too one-note on the sex side of things and the late Tim Buckley's vocals are borderline uncomfortable to listen to.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
4/5
Enjoyable and fun album. Depending on one's musical interests, Karen O was probably the voice of the 2000's for some. Always energetic and vibrant, she turns in another great leading performance here, along with more tender and delicate showcases as the album goes on ("Soft Shock", "Runaway" among others). This album's sound is characterized by the ARP synthesizer too, which you immediately hear in the first track "Zero" and some of the other made-for-radio singles.
Perhaps a bit top-heavy in terms of energy, this album shows some emotional depth the further it goes on. That might be considered a knock for some, but not here.
Side note: the A-Trak remix of "Heads Will Roll" bangs. But I don't need to tell you that.
Thelonious Monk
3/5
Some more 50's jazz! Can't say I know too much about Mr. Monk, despite knowing the name. Pretty interesting playing style he has, which is evident in the first two compositions especially. I don't claim to be a music scholar, but the title track in particular sounded different than other jazz at the time purely due to its unconventional structure and almost "off key" piano playing. Yet I now understand that was Monk's flair and style. Things slow down after side one, becoming more "conventional" in a sense I guess. The first two tracks are definitely the highlights here.
Also, the second track, "Ba-Lue Bolivar Ba-Lues-Are" definitely inspired the Cruella De Vil song that Roger sings in 101 Dalmatians, yeah? Couldn't help but immediately think of that as soon as the first few notes hit.
The White Stripes
3/5
"Blue Orchid" is such a strong opener. I've always loved how the guitar sounds in that particular track, heavy but not quite distorted, thanks to the guitar pedal. The album sonically jumps in different directions from there on, settling more into piano-driven melodies and into some use of the mandolin and marimba among others. I'm sure this was a shock for some coming off the release of the much more garagey/bluesy rock "Elephant" from two years prior. This is most definitely the group's "experimental" album.
This work isn't generally what I think of when someone mentions the White Stripes. However, I've always been fond of this album's singles and Jack's admirable experimentation in the songwriting/production + Meg's steady hands on the drums make this album feel simultaneously fresh and familiar.
Coldcut
3/5
Gotta dig a bit if you wanna find this album anywhere. Anyway, never heard of this group before. The first track ("People Hold On") immediately sounds like something I would enjoy; an upbeat and rhythmic house jam with a strong female lead vocalist. From there, the album sort of settles into more pure electronica, as well as some hip-hop ("Smoke Dis One" features Queen Latifah) with varying degrees of quality. I personally think this started to drag a bit after the start, but there is some interesting sampling here and there.
(Note: I'm now realizing this group created that one 7-minute remix of Eric. B & Rakim's "Paid in Full", which helped popularize the duo in Europe)
Nirvana
5/5
I know this is a pretty revered live album, but I've never actually listened to it all the way through. This is part of the "MTV Unplugged" TV series, which has given us plenty of personal & live/acoustic performances of various artists since the 90s. What makes this particular one unique is the fact that this performance is not technically fully acoustic (some electric amplification, whoop-de-whoop) and the group opted to play more of their lesser known material and throw in some covers too (Bowie, Meat Puppets, Vaselines to name a few). The entire 14 song performance was also apparently filmed in one take, which is mighty impressive in itself. You probably won't find a cleaner live recording out there and to be honest, I think a few of the tracks on this live set surpass their original recordings.
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
3/5
More harmonic goodness, transformed (for better or for worse) by the addition of Neil Young. The songwriting shines here too (even Joni Mitchell tapped in to write a song). No big "hits" per se, but a somewhat comfortable listen.
Dion
2/5
Wasn't sure if this was THE Dion of Dion and the Belmonts fame at first looking at the release date, but sure enough it is.
After listening, I wasn't wowed or anything. Sounds like the production and recording process was quite tumultuous. I don't really see the significance of this album to be honest. Would've preferred something from earlier in Dion's catalogue if anything.
The Smashing Pumpkins
4/5
Unsurprisingly, Billy Corgan and the Smashing Pumpkins strove to be even more ambitious here. I mean, how do you (potentially) top the success of "Siamese Dream"? Replace Butch Vig with Alan Mulder and Flood on production, make a double album, give it a little more art in a sonic (and literal) sense.
Both sides of the album represent "day" and "night", respectively, with the central message being based on "the human condition of mortal sorrow" to quote Corgan. Sure, I guess. Corgan was never one to shy away from that kinda stuff and you hear it all throughout this album. Pair that with the signature guitar overdubs and a meticulous, yet more efficient recording process (For example, "Thru the Eyes of Ruby" apparently contains 70 separate guitar tracks, which is insane)
Believe it or not, there was initially more content planned for this album. Double albums are tough, as they're prone to "filler" and sometimes don't justify the long runtime. I felt that the second side of this album didn't nearly stack up to the first despite housing the timeless "1979". There is a lot to appreciate here artistically though, as the group alternates from heavier elements to softer ballads and even features a live orchestra ("Tonight, Tonight"). Some legendary singles mixed within a lengthy listen.
Lightning Bolt
2/5
Never heard of this group. If you prefer noisy jamming, primarily featuring heavy bass and chaotic drumming, than this album is for you. I don't think I am among that subset of listeners. Just couldn't get there with this one.
A Tribe Called Quest
5/5
A classic and a personal favorite of mine. The Tribe somehow improve upon their debut from the year prior. Still and always jazz-oriented, the production is also notable for its crisp drum programming and double bass (hello Ron Carter!) this go-around. This created the perfect backdrop for the main acts: Q-Tip and Phife Dawg. Q-Tip was no stranger to many at this point, but Phife Dawg sort of broke through here and became more prominent as a vocalist. Phife's somewhat silly, yet self-assured lyrical delivery paired with Q-Tip's mellow and contemplative delivery makes for entertaining lyrical interplay and flow.
A smooth listen that never gets old. Early 90's hip-hop classics such as "Excursions", "Buggin' Out", "Check the Rhime", and the greatest posse cut ever in "Scenario" (hello Busta Rhymes!) are found here. I implore those who don't consider themselves hip-hop "fans" to check this album out, as I'd consider this jazz-based, "alternative" hip-hop sound to be pretty accessible. But if this isn't a needle-mover for some, then that's fine too. Hard to argue against the immediate and lasting influence this album had on the genre as a whole, though.
Rage Against The Machine
4/5
Rage Against the Machine...a polarizing group for sure. I've come to appreciate them a bit more as I've gotten older. Sure, their blend of metal/funk/rock makes for an interesting listen. Growing up and actually comprehending what these guys were preaching, why they're raging against "the machine", the anger is not unfounded.
Honestly, the guitar playing by Tom Morello is the main character here. Zack de la Rocha vocalizes his anger well, but Rage wouldn't be Rage without the melodic and amplified riffing from Morello's guitar. Very few can do what he does quite honestly. The bass and drums from Commerford and Wilk, respectively, complement the rest quite nicely too. Anyway, this is a banger of a debut album.
The Byrds
3/5
I wasn't initially aware of how many of these songs were covers. Everything sounds fine enough; folksy, jangly renditions of some Bob Dylan songs among a few other folk songs from the time. Everything just sounded the same, however. The same jangly guitar, same underlying beat, etc.
Taylor Swift
3/5
Wasn't expecting to see this particular Taylor Swift album on this list. Haven't actually listened to it before today, but I feel like this has since been overshadowed by her massive following album "Midnights", her ensuing blockbuster Eras Tour, as well as all of the drama with the ownership of her masters and the resulting "Taylor's Version" re-releases that have been recorded since then.
In any case, this was a surprise release during COVID and was Swift's 2nd album in the span of about 5 months. Regarded as a sister album of sorts to her previous release "Folklore", "evermore" leans more into the folk side of things and operates on a more intimate scale here. You will not find the pop glitz and glamour that many associate with T-Swift here. The artistic choices definitely make sense given the *2020* of it all. I'm having a hard time deciding if this helps or hinders the entire body of work, however. Swift exhibits her storytelling chops arguably more than ever here, providing a temporary escape (at the time) from, say it with me again: the *2020* of it all. But a lot of the album sounded similar and lacked variety. Too safe and lacking in color I guess is what I'm trying to say. The tracks featuring guests (especially the HAIM one) were somewhat memorable, though.
But hey, this album exudes "cozy, wintry cottage" vibes and I'm listening to this in the beginning of goddamn June. Perhaps I need to put this one on the backburner until winter comes around.
Thundercat
4/5
Been exposed to Thundercat a little bit before this. I'm always down for any sort of funk. This album specifically is quite trippy and experimental, definitely taking some influence from psychedelia and mixing it into a pot of jazz & funk. Thundercat almost sounds like Michael McDonald on his vocal tracks, which is funny considering there is literally a track featuring Michael McDonald (and Kenny Loggins too!). Lyrics teeter from introspective to silly, somewhat matching the mood of the album.
I always enjoy when Thundercat comes up on my playlists. Jazz fusion specifically has been something that I've been into recently, and you hear a lot of that influence here (and then some). This might not be for everyone though, and that's okay. 23 tracks is a lot to sit through after all.
Not a bad listen. Young Rod Stewart sounds about as energetic as you'd expect, with him, and sometimes Ronnie Lane, bringing their unique voices to the bluesy rock backdrop. Stewart's solo career was also sort of taking off at this point, but the Faces still had some music to put out before they were all done. "Stay with Me" is probably the best it gets here, which ended up being the big hit from this album. A fine rock record, but not overwhelmingly memorable.
Big Black
3/5
A tough and abrasive listen from a sonic point of view. To be expected with any industrial rock record. This was Steve Albini's first band too, so the musical direction makes a lot more sense. I enjoy punk rock, but noise/industrial rock was always a bit too much for my tastes. I will say that the crunchy guitars on top of the clean & sterile drum machine makes for an interesting sound at least. Almost sounds out of this world for the time it was released, so I can definitely acknowledge the impact this album may have had in rock and its accompanying subgenres.
Britney Spears
3/5
It can't be overstated how big of a pop culture icon Britney Spears was in the late 90's/early 00's. She basically was the face of the teen pop explosion that would dominate the radio during this time. Of course, a lot of this success was buoyed by the Swedish songwriting duo of Max Martin and Rami, both of whom were behind a majority of those catchy 90's/00's pop hits that seemed to come from every direction. This album was manufactured to become a smash hit and launch Spears into the stratosphere.
Yes, this is purely bubblegum and teen pop as evidenced by the silly, lovey-dovey lyrics ("E-Mail My Heart" sure is...something) and catchy hooks (evidenced by the first three mega-single tracks, right off the bat). I can totally understand this album's inclusion on this list though, as it catapulted Spears into the limelight and began a new era headlined by female teen pop stars. I was very young when this album was big too, so this hit hard in the nostalgia department.
Christina Aguilera
4/5
Britney Spears yesterday, Christina Aguilera today. We're in the early 00's again baby! Not so much of that teen/bubblegum pop here however. Aguilera was very much a household name at this point, but she wanted to shake off that cute, bubblegum pop singer label that management essentially molded her into when she debuted on the radio. While I think her debut album is one of the best pop records from that era, I don't blame her for having wanted to break free from all of that and desire more creative control here.
This album certainly employs a lot of musical styles and draws on many inspirations. Almost fitting, given Aguilera's generational voice talent. She fits right into the R&B/neo soul vocalist mold. The album as a whole might wander a bit, and runs a bit long, but I still thoroughly enjoyed it. Christina Aguilera is always pleasant to listen to and many of the songs here share important messages; whether it's about self-worth, feminism, or sex (hey, some find that important!).
Highlights: Fighter, Underappreciated, Beautiful, Dirrty
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
3/5
"The Message" as a singular track might be one of the most important in hip-hop history. Probably the earliest example of social commentary finding its home in hip-hop, a genre that was still in its infancy and largely consisting of party raps and fun wordplay at the time. Not to mention the (very iconic) rhythm track has been sampled numerous times since as well.
I'll be honest though, the rest of the album is a bit hit or miss. There's a strange mix of slower, more romantic songs that you'd normally find in an R&B record and even a pure electro track in "Scorpio", a bit reminiscent of what acts like Afrika Bambaataa would put out around this time. The title track and a few others are worth the price of admission though (which is free in this case, but you get my point!)
The Damned
3/5
Lupe Fiasco
4/5
Lupe Fiasco had quite the debut into the hip-hop mainstream. Even before this, he featured on Kanye West's big single "Touch the Sky" and immediately made a presence. Now with Kanye, Jay-Z, The Neptunes, and Mike Shinoda among others backing him on production, Fiasco was ready for his official entrance into hip-hop.
"Food & Liquor" represents the war between good & evil, per Lupe Fiasco. Very conscious subjects such as poverty, racism, and misconceptions of the Islam religion in America (Lupe being someone practicing Islam from Chicago himself) can be found here. There are "fun" and "lighter" subjects too, such as embracing individuality and a tale of skateboarding-obsessed lovers. The album largely operates on an upbeat sound. It all makes for a clean and glossy production that doesn't really waver (although "Outro" could've been made into the liner notes or something).
Best tracks: Kick, Push, He Say She Say, Daydreamin', Hurt Me Soul
Slipknot
2/5
Aggressive is putting things lightly here. I hesitate to classify this as nu metal, as this is heavier and a little more structured and varied than most nu metal from the late 90's. A little more emphasis on the rhythmic drumming and percussion for example, which I found interesting. That's about where it ends as far as my interest goes, however. I've never really been into this hyper-aggressive, lyrically angsty, metal music. A lot of the content sort of lends itself to sounding similar to one another too.
Iron Maiden
3/5
Christians HATE this one record.
In all seriousness, this album didn't really reach to me in a profound way like it might have for many others. I also didn't grow up in the 80's, so perhaps that might have to do with it. You have a to wait a bit before getting to the good stuff here, though I will admit that the singles make this whole record worth a listen at least. Superb guitars, driving bass, and quick, melodic drums pave the way for the energetic Bruce Dickinson on the lead. But like I mentioned earlier, only about half the album really makes a statement. Take or leave the rest.
Brian Wilson
3/5
Wow, crazy timing here considering the unfortunate news of Brian Wilson's passing yesterday. Unless this ISN'T random today...
I'm well aware of the story behind this album, despite not listening before today. For those who aren't; "Smile" was originally supposed to be the Beach Boys' follow-up album to the massively successful "Pet Sounds", but ended up being scrapped and mostly reworked into "Smiley Smile". This did a number on Brian Wilson (always one to be hard on himself), and he eventually re-recorded the material from the original "Smile" concept many years later. This was actually debuted beforehand via a session of live concerts too.
I can only imagine being an older Beach Boys fan in 2004, with the almost mythical "Smile" album finally seeing the light of day in this form. As for the album itself, it sounds and feels like an amalgamation of ideas pasted together. It's very avant-garde and ambitious (to be expected from Brian Wilson). I think the context of how this album came to be overshadows the content itself. The re-recording of "Good Vibrations" is still high quality, though. "Heroes and Villains" and "Vega-Tables" were other fun highlights too.
Joni Mitchell
3/5
I remember enjoying “Court and Spark” whenever I received that album some time ago. The songwriting and storytelling is just as prominent here, almost to an exhausting degree though. Mitchell was mostly inspired during her travels with bands or other men (was Joni a player?) or going solo. These tracks certainly give the sense of adventurous experiences, but don’t really stand out on their own.
Milton Nascimento
3/5
An interesting genre fusion piece from Brazil. You can definitely hear some Beatles/psychedelia influence, as well as that Brazilian bossa nova/samba flair. Can't speak on the lyrical themes of course, but Wikipedia was very detailed in that regard. Dictatorships seem to bring out the best in artists; as freedom, life in motion, and various other motifs representing the aforementioned themes are supposedly the focus all throughout. International albums from the list such as this one keep this challenge fresh, in my opinion at least.
The Beta Band
2/5
Very underwhelming from a vocal standpoint. The sound is somewhat unique I guess, almost hip/trip-hop like at points. The album never really takes off and remains a bit one-note all throughout, though.
Deerhunter
3/5
This MIGHT be something I'd listen to on my own. The overarching sound and production is interesting, very dreamy/foggy like with plenty of reverb. Didn't "wow" me or anything though, there's probably better indie album reps that could feature on this list.
Method Man
3/5
For all intents and purposes, Method Man was largely the face of the Wu-Tang Clan. Most will recognize his smooth, deep delivery and rhymes, most prominently featured on tracks such as "Method Man" and "C.R.E.A.M." from the iconic "Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)". Here, Method Man teams up with fellow Wu-Tang compadre RZA on production. You can tell this is a Wu-Tang production, as we have a gritty and rugged sound backing Method Man's rhymes. While I don't have any issues with Method Man's presence on the mic here, I thought the aforementioned sound/mood held things back a bit here. Not a lot stood out as a result and arguably the biggest song on this album (...All I Need) wasn't even on the standard edition either.
For my money, there are better and stronger works in the Wu-Tang solo discography (Liquid Swords and Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, for some). This is still a strong debut from a formidable MC who would go on to enjoy more success collaborating with fellow East Coast rapper Redman.
Rahul Dev Burman
2/5
Not familiar with this movie at all. Not often you see a full-on movie soundtrack on this list.
This is admittedly a strange listening experience, as I'm listening to this without the context of what this movie is all about. Some tracks were interesting in a funk sort of way. Other tracks went on too long or had vocals that were sort of grating to listen to. The overall sound quality felt inconsistent too.
It would be a bit strange if this was the only Indian music representative on this list, but I also wouldn't be surprised given what this list of albums has offered. In any case, I didn't come away yearning to watch this movie or anything after listening.
Butthole Surfers
2/5
Many of these experimental/noise rock albums from this list have been missing me entirely and failing to reach me in any profound way. I kept waiting for this album to give me one of those moments, but it was largely an unnerving listen. Instrumentation was fine for the most part, I can appreciate some of the guitar playing here. But those sorts of tracks would be sandwiched in between some of the most abrasive stuff I've ever heard.
Beatles
3/5
A short and sweet Beatles record, pretty much during the height of "Beatlemania" and during a time where record companies expected multiple albums per year ("Please Please Me" was released just eight months prior). Hard to deny the talent and charm early on in their careers, but listening to this within the context of the present and their entire discography at my disposal is interesting. Yes, the group would blossom from a creative sense in just a few albums after this and they were still doing some early motown/rock n roll covers here. The original material is enjoyable though, if not a little cookie cutter looking back on this era of music. I can understand the inclusion of at least one pre-1965 Beatles album on this list given the initial hype and their ensuing artistic evolution.
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
3/5
Not familiar with this group, but have heard the name before. Very crunchy and swampy rock with some eccentric lyrics ("Abba Zaba" stands out in that regard). Sort of enjoyable honestly, if you can get past Captain Beefheart's odd delivery of course.
The War On Drugs
3/5
Never heard of this group, but you can definitely hear the 80's rock influence right off the bat. Very Springsteen-like in performance and sort of Dylan-like in the vocals. Plenty of ambience here too, long intros and outros if you're into that sort of thing. That being said, the sound ended up being a bit bland and similar all throughout. I could see how this would strike a chord with some, though, given the vulnerability in the lyrical themes.
The Stone Roses
4/5
I may have heard these guys before. Pretty easy jangly indie pop listen, predating the Britpop explosion of the 90's. It was odd to read that apparently this record had been associated with rave and dance culture in England, as I don't think that this sound emits that sort of vibe at all (expect maybe the groovy "Fool's Gold", which was tacked onto the US release). Perhaps this can be enjoyed during a weed high I guess.
Regardless, this was a strong debut that seemingly reached higher and higher as the album went on. The guitars shine here, backed by driving drums and a powerful/prominent bass. The last few tracks are long, but brilliantly showcase the marriage of the above. The vocals really amplify the overall dreamy experience too.
Björk
4/5
Björk, oh Björk... You learn to get familiar with her throughout this list of albums. This is the third album of hers that I've gotten (fourth if we count her former band The Sugarcubes). Despite everything though, I've never been...disappointed after listening to any of her works. They're always interesting.
This might be Björk's best work (that I've heard so far). It's more cohesive, intimate and ethereal, especially due to the production and recording. Björk's unique voice quite literally speaks for itself, but arrangements here include the harp, strings, music boxes, and various "microbeats" such as the sound of shuffling cards and footsteps in the snow. It all makes for a simultaneously unsettling, yet tranquil chamber of sound.
Klaxons
3/5
Alright mid-2000s indie rock record. Was only familiar with "Golden Skans" like most leading into this. Gets a little dance-y and more upbeat than your typical indie rock at points, but not super remarkable otherwise.
Stevie Wonder
5/5
Perhaps Mr. Wonder's magnum opus. It's interesting to read that Wonder had plans to quit the music industry leading up to this album. The creative bug must've got him good, as he eventually conjured up the inspiration to release a double album with all sorts of talent helping out; such as George Benson, Herbie Hancock, and Michael Sembello among many others.
So what makes this particular album among Stevie Wonder's best? Well, the aforementioned talent involved certainly helps, but everything in the recording and production just sounds even more refined. The fusion of R&B, soul, jazz, funk is adeptly showcased here, along with the usual passion and vigor from Wonder. All while singing about subjects ranging from love, faith, social justice & equality. This honestly would've been a fine swan song for Wonder if he so desired, but the man just couldn't stop grinding away and creating more records. He's a musician through and through. "Songs in the Key of Life" will always be present whenever we need it.
The Temptations
3/5
"Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" certainly stands on its own, and I had no idea the Temptations version was a cover until now. The rest of the album didn't match that vibe at all though, which I was a little disappointed by. Side one is the funky side and side two is the sentimental soul side, so we've got a noticeable split here. Not bad and sure, the Temptations got popular for their soul sound, but I was expecting more of an artistic evolution especially after "Cloud Nine" from a few years prior. "Papa" does a lot of heavy lifting here.
Eels
4/5
Only knew of "Novocaine for the Soul" coming in (which is a FANTASTIC song). (Post-listen edit: definitely remember "My Beloved Monster" from Shrek too, been ages since I've heard that!).
The songwriting is pretty inspired here and the instrumentals weren't as heavy as I was expecting. A surprising amount of R&B/soul samples for an alt rock record too, which probably contributed to the overall catchiness.
Ali Farka Touré
3/5
Pretty vibey and atmospheric guitar-focused album. I am not familiar with Ali Farka Touré, but he certainly has a distinct playing style when it comes to the guitar, showcasing that Malian sound. A little more familiar with Ry Cooder and his earlier work, though. Both make for a somewhat interesting blend, but the album overall sort of operates on the same tone all throughout. Basically a one hour long guitar track.
Adam & The Ants
3/5
Kind of fun I guess. Adam & the Ants definitely bring the party, but it feels sort of one-note when zooming out a bit. No particularly killer tracks and some silly lyrics. The double drummers is something you don't see often in a band, though.
Death In Vegas
2/5
A bit of a nothingburger. Not much direction, couldn't tell if this record was going for an electronic/big beat sound, or just shoegaze/psychedelia. Not necessarily unlistenable, but mostly forgettable.
Adele
3/5
Once again, you couldn't avoid Adele around this time. The single "Hello" led the way and was everywhere in 2015-2016, along with most of the rest of this album. Now a new mother and a little older, Adele gets reflective here and pines for the days of old and feeling nostalgic (like many do, but at 25?) whilst accepting her place in adulthood.
This album is described as a "make-up record" when comparing to her previous work, which isn't totally inaccurate, but there are still quite a few love ballads found within as well. Adele certainly has the vocal talent for these slower songs and I will always be in awe of said talent, but I was hoping for a tad more variety here. Still, it's well-produced as per usual, but I can see/hear why many would think that this album is "too safe" though.
King Crimson
3/5
Surprisingly not familiar with this album, despite having listened to some prog rock throughout the years. Immediately, I recognized the sample from "21st Century Schizoid Man", later included in Kanye West's "Power". A pretty strong 1st track, politically charged with equals parts of eeriness and powerfully rocking guitars/drums. Also lengthy, a prog rock specialty. The rest of the album unfortunately strays from all of that and opts to fill the space with some disjointed ambience. The closing track is a bit of a return to the aforementioned sound, but the whole album makes for an uneven listening experience. That's pretty much the point of progressive rock, though, and this album in particular is usually labeled as the first "true" progressive rock album from what I've read. Those are about the only flowers I can give this album in my honest opinion.
The Psychedelic Furs
2/5
I've heard some singles from this group. "Pretty in Pink" among those. 80's British post-punk/new wave has a distinct sound, especially when the lead vocalist is a nasally British man. Many can probably take or leave the saxophone too, which definitely puts this record at a specific point in time (the early 80's). About 40 min of similar sounding new wave at the end of the day. The group's best song is from their next album anyway.
Merle Haggard
3/5
Of one those rare cases where an old country artist ACTUALLY served time in prison. Not that this specific record is considered "outlaw" country in my eyes, but the first track "I'm a Lonesome Fugitive" hits a little different in that case. The rest is comfy and quality, old country, complete with your usual steel guitar and themes of heartbreak.
U2
3/5
Probably U2's most creative record (that I've heard so far at least). I tend to associate U2 with more anthemic-sounding rock music. Here, They went a bit more introspective and personal, with some creative guitar playing from the Edge, as well as noticeable influences of industrial/electronic music. This isn't displayed in quite every track, however, which I guess is my only issue here. A bit inconsistent I guess.
Guided By Voices
3/5
I know a little of Guided By Voices, but I've liked what I've heard. This particular album is admittedly a bit odd from a structural sense, as it sounds like a collage of short lo-fi rock recordings in no particular order. Not poor by any means, the lyrics are a bit eccentric but the melodies are quite nice. Everything just comes at you quickly and changes gears just as you're getting settled in. I believe this is the group's schtick, though.
Richard Thompson
2/5
Sex Pistols
4/5
Today I learned that this was the Sex Pistols only studio album. Well, they certainly left an imprint in that case. (if they hadn't already done so!) Influential doesn't even begin to describe this, as punk rock owes a lot to this group for how they presented themselves and brashly brought punk rock to the masses in the UK. The Sex Pistols may have not been the most popular to their fellow compatriots at the time, but they surely didn't give a bloody damn. As long as their messages were being delivered, they would continue to rock out.
There might be "better" punk rock music from this era, but the raw energy displayed by Cook, Jones, and Rotten isn't to be diminished.
The Go-Betweens
2/5
Never heard of this group. Pretty uninspiring album, outside of a track or two. This was the era where jangle & alternative rock were breaking through, and I just didn't feel that this particular work added much to that scene. It's a collection of love songs and not much else. (Could also be the fact that I'm 500+ albums into this thing and I'm a bit more critical that I was at the start)
fIREHOSE
3/5
Interesting inclusion. Starts off nice, then sort of jumps in quality all throughout. I liked the funk and sort of free-form influences, which is heard in the guitar, bass, and drums. Nice little Midwest American charm too I guess.
Funkadelic
3/5
I won't deny that this was a genre-defining/transforming record. Despite primarily being a funk group, there's more emphasis on the guitar here thanks to one Eddie Hazel. Definitely inspired by Jimi Hendrix with the fuzz and "wah" effects utilized throughout. I must've thought this album was better than I remembered though, as it came off as inconsistent after my most recent listen. Yes, the opening track's guitar solo and "Super Stupid" were great for the above reasons, but things just slipped into more of an eccentric mess from there.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
Another entry in the "fresh new UK rock band's debut full of R&B covers" from the British Invasion era of music. The Stones would obviously later blossom into their own unique sound and place in the rock n roll world, so this album isn't necessarily as interesting in retrospect. A bit similar to the Beatles debut in that regard; historically interesting but not really significant now.
The Black Crowes
4/5
I'm aware of some of the singles here, especially the cover of Otis Redding's "Hard to Handle". I always forget that this band debuted in the 90's, as they sound a little bit before their time with the blues rock influence and the signature wailing vocals from Chris Robinson. They essentially sound and look the part of a 70's rock band. I think it aged pretty well, all things considered. Blues rock albums are enjoyable when they're not exclusively covers.
The Byrds
3/5
I know this wasn't the group's first rodeo and there were some interesting experimental sounds here. Not enough to supplant the great artists from around this time, though. Still a neat lens into early folk & country-inspired rock.
Jamiroquai
4/5
Jamiroquai! Hell yeah! I probably would've picked another album of theirs to represent this list (their discography gets better after this, trust me), but I won't complain too much. I've always been a fan of funk and it just made sense for me to gravitate towards Jamiroquai and their funky, acid jazz sound that brings the 70's to the 90's with a little twist. Heck, even the didgeridoo makes a few appearances here, can't say that for too many (if any) funk albums.
Favorite tracks: When You Gonna Learn, Too Young to Die
The The
4/5
I want to preface everything by saying that "This is the Day" is one of the greatest new wave songs ever written. I was admittedly not too familiar with the rest of this album coming into today, however. With the small tracklist, the group is able to have some fun with the song structures. Pretty angsty & gloomy lyrics with some interesting instrumental fill & outros in many of the tracks here.
The The doesn't seem to be talked about as much when it comes to analyzing new wave/post-punk groups from the 80's. They certainly set themselves apart and carved out a little spot of their own during this era of music.
Madness
3/5
Madness went a little more pop here it seems. You hear it in what became their biggest hit in "Our House". I was selfishly hoping for one of their earlier, more ska-oriented albums though. The "other" tracks on this album just felt underwhelming and aren't the sounds that accurately capture Madness as a whole.
Madonna
3/5
Madonna's most personal album, compared to what I've heard of her discography at least. A lot of her remembered singles came earlier in her career, and for good reason. But things seem to be a bit more cohesive and...eclectic here I guess? You can tell that Catholicism had a big influence on Madonna's life, as a lot of the tracks feel spiritual and draw some inspirations from gospel music. The album noticeably got slower (almost too slow for a pop record) and moodier in the second half (the last "track" isn't really a song), so there are two distinctive sides to this album. Second half was kinda sleepy as a result, but thoroughly enjoyed the first half though, (#1-6). "Like a Prayer", "Express Yourself", and "Cherish" are obvious standouts.
Venom
2/5
Pretty rudimentary metal if I'm being honest. Noisy and not super interesting. Given the time this was released, I could see how these guys may have been considered pioneers in the metal scene, specifically speed and thrash metal. I genuinely can't tell if they're meaning to be silly throughout the album, as the satanic and nightmarish themes feel heavy-handed and almost earnest. It all sounds very unpolished too, but it seems that was intentional. Just makes me want to listen to Motörhead more than anything I guess.
Laibach
2/5
I wasn't expecting to hear a German cover of Queen's "One Vision" today. The theme of the album early on is industrial, with very prominent driving drums and some aggressive German vocals. Things change drastically after about three tracks in, bringing more of a nationalist, rallying cry sort of vibe. I didn't hate how the album started, but the direction it took afterwards was a little off-putting.
Shivkumar Sharma
3/5
This is just straight up classical Hindustani music. Complete with the slide guitar, santoor, flute, tabla, etc. to provide an atmospheric experience unlike much else. A good album to immerse yourself in. I can see how this would've inspired some of the psychedelic rock acts of the late 60's.
Black Sabbath
5/5
Today we celebrate the life of legendary rockstar and the "Prince of Darkness" Ozzy Osbourne, after the news of his unfortunate passing yesterday. Don't question the 1001 albums generator. "Paranoid" seems to be considered the group's biggest album and I certainly agree after my most recent listen. I mean, the guitar riffs from Tony Iommi are among the most iconic in all of rock and are backed wonderfully by the rhythmic bass and drums from Butler and Ward, respectfully. Enough is said about Ozzy too, whose snarly vocals complete the picture. No, listening to this does not make you a satanist. A lot of these tracks are pretty damn real honestly (Hand of Doom notably, among others).
Maybe this gets a bump from me after the recent news, but I can't deny that this is Black Sabbath's greatest work. I know this wasn't their first album, but heavy metal was beginning to be forged right here. Long live the Prince of Darkness.
Talking Heads
4/5
Talking Heads were ones to celebrate music from all sorts of places. That's well exemplified here, with obvious world beat, reggae, new wave, funk influences among many others. Leading into this album, it sounds like the band was a bit frustrated with the songwriting responsibility falling solely to front man David Byrne, with less emphasis on the group as a whole. Well, what we got was an instrumentally eclectic album that allowed the entire band to shine!
Morrissey
2/5
This whole album just gave off an air of pretentiousness. It's fine, if not a tad boring to listen to from an instrumental sense I guess, but that doesn't automatically mean I enjoyed my experience. Begrudgingly waiting for the 15 other Morrissey albums in this list I guess.
Can
3/5
This album can seemingly exist anywhere in time without sounding outdated. This wasn't what I was expecting at all. I'm not even sure what Krautrock is anymore. Very interesting tropical-like ambient sound and structure.
Soft Cell
2/5
Ah yes, the "Tainted Love" guys, and even that is a cover (which I wasn't aware of for years). That's really the only noteworthy thing here, unless you also count "Sex Dwarf" as noteworthy (if only from a lyrical standpoint). I'm sure this had a place in certain, seedy establishments, but I've heard better synth pop.
The Zombies
3/5
One of the artsier psychedelic rock albums from this era. Closes with the brilliant "Time of the Season". I wasn't blown away or anything, but enjoyed what I heard to some extent.
The Style Council
2/5
This album is truly a tale of two sides. Starts off with somewhat enjoyable and jazzy, piano-based instrumental tracks. Then delves into some unexpected and quite dorky rap numbers on the second side. There was a lot going on in this record, but I'm not sure I fully enjoyed it all the way through.
Peter Gabriel
3/5
Peter Gabriel solo albums are usually fun. This is a guy who always showed off his artistic chops whilst fronting Genesis. So with this being his first solo endeavor, I'm sure many eyes were on this and great things were expected.
After listening, this one is a bit all over the place. To be somewhat expected I guess, but I've heard some of Gabriel's later solo albums (namely, "So") and they're more cohesive than this. Can't beat "Solisbury Hill" of course, but "Humdrum" and the closer "Here Comes the Flood" stood out as well.
Ella Fitzgerald
3/5
Probably the most daunting task in this entire list. It looks like this is a box set as part of a series in which Ella Fitzgerald sang multiple American songbooks. I guess I'll see why this one in particular was chosen to be included in this list.
Hard to highlight specific moments due to the sheer runtime of this collection, but this is high quality for the most part. Ella Fitzgerald was a timeless talent and probably the best representative to take on all of these classic American songbooks. One could probably make an abridged version of this collection for themselves, picking out only the "big" hits if they so desired. Most of the highlights are in disc one anyway.
Les Rythmes Digitales
2/5
Never heard of this group/artist. Was expecting more of a French influence based on the name. This didn't really do anything special for the electronica genre I felt. There were a few tracks that sampled/interpolated lyrics from other popular songs that just ended up sounding pretty weak. Much of this was just pretty...uninteresting. I've heard much better house/electronic music, especially around the time this was released. Wasn't totally unlistenable I guess.
Talk Talk
3/5
I know Talk Talk for more of their earlier synth-pop centric work, so I'm interested to see how this album evolved their sound.
Pretty good I guess, softer and more sentimental than I was expecting. Many of the tracks seemed to run on a bit long for my tastes and the production, which I'll admit was mostly high quality, seemed simultaneously overproduced at times.
Miles Davis
3/5
You really hear the evolution of Miles Davis' sound (and by association, his influence on the jazz genre) throughout this list. I think this is the third album of his that I've received already, with the first two (Kind of Blue & Bitches Brew) being on opposite ends of his career spectrum. Specifically here seems to be when Davis began to experiment with jazz fusion, adding electric instruments into the mix such as the electric piano, organ, and guitar. There may be only two tracks here, but each track is technically separated into its own sections. That is very apparent in side two, where the electric piano and drums will abruptly kick in at times. It's all pretty chill without completely slowing down however.
Reading contemporary reviews of this album, many dubbed this as "neither jazz nor rock", which is somewhat accurate I guess. It's still jazz at its core if Miles Davis is involved. Although this was the start of Davis' shift towards fusion and experimentation in his work. This would continue into the 70's, starting with "Bitches Brew" (which I'll admit that I was maybe too harsh on in my initial review, but I was like a month into this list when getting that album). I do prefer this to some of his later works however. Jazz fusion as a whole may be a miss on some people, but "In a Silent Way" should prove to be more digestible than others.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
A free-flowing, jam of an album. Not really a bad track here, as we get a mix of political and sensual tunes. Each are equally funky and laid-back, which is the magic of reggae and especially Bob Marley's influence on the genre. On top of that, some the group's most recognizable hits ("Jamming, "Three Little Birds", "One Love/People Get Ready") reside here too.
Pearl Jam
5/5
I have a ton of nostalgia linked to this album, so it might be difficult to give an unbiased assessment here. The album may just still absolutely rip though.
Still rips. This is the least "grungy" grunge album if that makes any sense. The guitar riffs from Mike McCready here remind me of more of what you'd hear in classic rock from the 70's/80's. Yet the sound is rich and modern due to the recording and how the entire group is captured collectively. This is an alt rock classic, led by Eddie Vedder's passionate and vulnerable lyricism. It all sounds so anthemic with the emotion displayed in each track. The run from "Once" to "Oceans" is unparalleled.
Maybe a little top-heavy when critiquing the album as a whole, but this was no doubt influential to rock n' roll and where the genre was heading in the early 90's.
Tito Puente
3/5
Mambo is enjoyable in small doses. It's groovy, swingy, and easily "dancable". I certainly enjoyed this album to some extent, but no track in particular stood out after listening. I can recognize Tito Puente's influence and efforts in popularizing mambo and Latin jazz in the 50's though, so I'm sure this album holds some weight in that regard.
Sheryl Crow
3/5
A quintessentially sounding 90's female singer-songwriter, pop/rock album. Sheryl Crow has her fair share of hits, those of which I do enjoy greatly, but this record was somewhat formulaic outside of the singles. It's a fine debut, all things considered, it doesn't suffer from overproduction and is pretty stripped back for the most part. "All I Wanna Do" may stand on its own as a single, but "Run Baby Run" and "Strong Enough" were other highlights.
Teenage Fanclub
2/5
I found this pretty middling outside of a few tracks. There were elements of melodic power pop which were somewhat enjoyable, but much of the rest of the album veered into lo-fi noise rock territory which felt uninspiring. Think I'd rather listen to Guided by Voices in that case. Not sure I agree with the praise this album seems to get.
Cocteau Twins
4/5
This album could honestly pass for being released now, the year of our Lord, 2025. It would fit in nicely with the dream pop I hear nowadays; such as Magdalena Bay, The Marias, and Crumb among others. The soundscape in general is just very unique here, very ethereal and encompassing, plus the resonating lyrical delivery plays into these sounds as well. An album like this is to be appreciated in more of an atmospheric sense, and I can see why this was important to the dream pop genre at the time.
Miles Davis
4/5
Another week, more Miles Davis. But we're going back to his earlier work this time, where the "Cool" was apparently birthed. I'll be the judge of that.
A smooth listen. Davis was the gold standard in jazz for a reason, and the efforts of the rest of the nonet were instrumental (pun intended) in this compilation recording too. Nice and relaxing, yet simultaneously expressive. I got Davis's "Kind of Blue" much earlier in my journey here, and while I think nothing quite compares to that work, this was still a classic effort during the "cool jazz" era.
Depeche Mode
4/5
For someone who was never really into Depeche Mode, I can tell that this is *possibly* their most definitive album. Anything containing "Personal Jesus" and "Enjoy the Silence" will do that honestly. They make dark and gloomy synth-pop sound cool and polished here. The careful songwriting goes a long way in establishing that, but a lot simply lends itself to being catchy too. I wasn't expecting this much depth here to be honest.
Ramblin' Jack Elliott
2/5
"Ramblin'" Jack indeed. Jokes aside, this sounded very casual and of its time. Not the greatest folk music I've ever heard either.
Beatles
5/5
This is a big one, yet I've only heard the singles prior to today. The penultimate Beatles album and technically the last album recorded by the group, "Abbey Road" saw the Beatles go back to their old production process, allowing longtime producer George Martin to have more of a fingerprint here. Per usual, each member has at least one of their own songs, with Lennon & McCartney taking up most of the efforts. But I think Harrison's efforts shine the most here ("Something", "Here Comes the Sun"). The whole medley that essentially ends side two also reminded me a bit of "older" Beatles works, with their short and quirky nature and the fact that the entire group is able to showcase their instrumental abilities throughout.
I don't know if this is my "favorite" Beatles album, but it was expertly produced and captured the group's last "hurrah" well. No overproduction or bravado, just the Beatles doing what they do best.
Mekons
2/5
That was just an odd experience. Alternative folk & country would probably be the best way to describe this, but a lot of it was really flat and inconsistent. I'm not sure who this is for, but I'd sure like to meet them to see what else they're into.
Einstürzende Neubauten
1/5
39 minutes have never felt longer. I will say this, the instrumentation is certainly unique here. It's rough, abrasive, and utilizes items you wouldn't even think of in order to create these sounds. Add in the shouting of German lead man Blixa Bargeld to really complete the unsettling and confusing sonic landscape here. (Side note: I've learned that Bargeld co-founded Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, which explains a LOT)
A record like this really makes you question what "music" really is. I'll definitely acknowledge the impact this record may have had on the industrial music genre as a whole, but golly that was difficult to listen to. Only a small handful of albums among the 500+ I've already listened to here can make that claim. I rate based on my own merits and overall listening experience, but I can't help but go with the masses here.
Derek & The Dominos
3/5
A pretty apt album title I guess, as I didn't know much of the non-"Layla" songs coming in.
Decent blues rock album that goes on for a little too long. Guitar playing is the highlight, to be expected from a Clapton joint. I just found much of the album bland unfortunately. There's a lot of bland blues rock in this list now that I think about it. "Layla" definitely does a ton of heavy lifting here.
Roxy Music
3/5
I read that this was the group's last album with Brian Eno, but this was before he made a huge impact as a producer primarily. The group certainly made an impact on him (or maybe the other way around), very experimental and eccentric complete with operatic and extended glam rock ballads. Not necessarily the easiest listen (Brian Ferry's voice is not for everyone), but certainly commands your attention.
Maxwell
3/5
Perhaps the sexiest album on this list. Plenty of soul and R&B influences from yesteryear too, which mostly makes for an easy listen. Yes, it's sensual, but most 70s/80s soul/R&B artists were the exact same. This is supposedly a concept album, but I didn't quite follow that here.
Simple Minds
3/5
I know a few of Simple Minds' later stuff, but not this one in particular. I wasn't expecting much of a different sound to be honest, it's pretty smooth 80's pop complete with the signature synths. Don't feel like much was done here to make this record that much different from other synth-pop and new wave acts from the time. Any efforts to do so came up a tad flat. Still an OK listen at the end of the day.
Public Image Ltd.
2/5
Never heard of this group. Midway through my listen and things feel like they're droning on. Each track seems to go on for about two minutes too long. It's all very melancholic and drab. I get they're trying to bring an 'avant-garde" angle to punk rock, but it just ultimately came off as dull At the very least, the bass playing is excellent.
Bob Dylan
2/5
I can't say I've heard any of Bob Dylan's work past like the 1970s. I don't know how he does it. This really is more of the same Bob Dylan, except he's noticeably more gruff in his vocals and the blues sound is a bit swampier here. The lengthy tracks haven't gone away either, so I'm sure longtime Bob Dylan fans ate this one up. I am not among that crowd.
Ministry
2/5
It's frantic and in your face. A little cheesy too, maybe. I found things repetitive in the latter half, but I can certainly see and hear the appeal. You wouldn't think that rockabilly fits in with industrial/thrash metal, but it seemingly can. Still not really my taste, however. Anything under industrial rock/metal (except maybe Nine Inch Nails) is hard to get into for me.
Deep Purple
3/5
Deep Purple did one thing well, and that was consistently producing quality hard rock jams. This particular album doesn't have the mega-hits that are found in "Machine Head", but it still provides a showcase of instrumental talent, balancing between hard rock and early heavy metal (dat organ tho). In typical 70's rock fashion, some of these tracks drag on a bit and delve into wandering solos. that's not too bothersome if the guitar/drum playing is competent at least.
Gorillaz
3/5
Everyone's favorite virtual band. The brainchild of Blur frontman Damon Albarn and illustrator Jamie Hewlett, Gorillaz is a group that feels ahead of its time and not of this world at times. They bend all sort of genres, but I think of trip-hop, lo-fi, and alt rock when their name comes up. I think things get a little bit more refined in the group's later releases, but this is still an impactful, yet uneven debut complete with some memorable and unique tracks ("Clint Eastwood", "Tomorrow Comes Today", "Rock the House"), helped by some of the guest features that would become more commonplace in their later works too.
Radiohead
3/5
There's seemingly too much Radiohead on this list. Not to say that I particularly despised this album, it's probably their best work since OK Computer. But a majority of their modern work sort of lends itself to sad boi wailing over acoustic guitars with the occasional electronica experimentation. This particular album has its moments and may meander a bit, but closes out nicely. The marketing for this album may have been more notable than the album itself, being one of the first "pay-your-own-price" albums to be released, which was bold at the time.
Anthrax
3/5
Thrash metal with some punk aspirations. The whole personnel is competent in their playing, but I can't help but feel that everything doesn't quite stack up to the other metal acts from around this time. I dunno, this didn't "bite" quite as hard. The vocals weren't as strong and the album as a whole was a bit repetitive. I'll never not be impressed by the drum work in any thrash metal work though, and Charlie Benante is no exception here.
I don't know where Anthrax stands in terms of the overall metal acts hierarchy, but you can tell they're slightly a step behind of the top acts at the very least. Still competent enough to warrant a listen from metalheads and those slightly curious about metal, though.
Beck
3/5
Knew the singles going into this, but not the rest. Despite the fact that Wikipedia categorizes this album as "sampledelia", there isn't much of that here. The only other Beck album that I really know is "Odelay" though, and compared to that, "Guero" is pretty different in that regard. Maybe to its detriment too. I thought the quality dipped a bit midway through as things started to sound a little similar (I thought "Farewell Ride" and Emergency Exit" were the same song after my initial listen). Still, I liked how things started here and the album is pretty moody despite how poppy most of the tracks appear.
Best tracks: E-Pro, Girl, Go it Alone, Rental Car
Abdullah Ibrahim
3/5
Pretty fun & free-flowing jazz album. The wheel certainly wasn't reinvented here, but it made for an easygoing listen.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
This is a little more like it. After a few up and down albums from the Stones in this list, it's good to return to something consistent. You know you're in the right spot when you see the famous Warhol photo of the jeans at least.
This is the dirty, blues rock that the Stones are known for. Complete with clean guitar licks & riffs, drums that fill the room (or your ears), and some tenor sax. Minimal wavering here, pretty much the whole album is consistently high-quality. Classics include: "Brown Sugar", "Wild Horses", and "Can't You Hear Me Knocking" (Which was surprisingly recorded in one take! This track is 7 minutes, mind you)
2/5
Had to find this on streaming for some reason, so I ended up listening to an abbreviated version of the full album. Having not heard much of John Zorn's work prior to this, I wasn't sure what to expect. Good lord, that is some frantic, chaotic freeform jazz if I've ever heard any. It really never lets up, just an onslaught of sax, bass, and drums coming from every which-way. I can appreciate freeform jazz, but this thrashier sound was too jarring personally.
A 2 for the musicianship displayed throughout the album, as I can imagine that's quite exhausting to perform. Not much else that redeems this listening experience, however.
Metallica
3/5
I can acknowledge that this record specifically was pretty ambitious for Metallica at the time of release. The group refined their thrash metal sound, highlighted by faster tempos and longer, more complex compositions. The thing is, when listening to this album in a vacuum, everything just sounds repetitive. The thrashy riffs never really deviate from song to song (outside of a select few) and feel limited. Pretty disappointing, as I was expecting more from an album that contained the iconic "One".
The Avalanches
3/5
I've come across the Avalanches a few times throughout my musical journey. I remember liking what I heard, and that feeling sort of remains after listening to this album all the way through. This was definitely intended to be listened to continuously from top to bottom. The singles are standalone for the most part, but each track flows into the next, exuding a (very heavy) sample-based dance and instrumental sound. Now, I don't know if you can "dance" to most of these tracks per se, but they are crafted well enough that the listener can enjoy in an atmospheric sense if they so desire.
That being said, these sorts of albums that fall under the "sampledelia" umbrella tend to drone on a bit too long for my liking. Maybe I'd enjoy it more if I just submitted and went along for the ride.
Soul II Soul
3/5
Pretty smooth R&B joint. I was aware of the big singles going in ("Keep on Movin'" and "Back to Life") and I'd argue that both are R&B classics (especially the "Back to Life" remix). The rest of the album fill was pretty interesting in comparison. There were some instrumental tracks more suited for ambient music you'd hear in a public space or an elevator. I was a little disappointed in the lack of depth to be honest.
Side note: I feel like "Club Classics Vol. One" is an odd choice for an album title. Gives off the wrong idea and makes people think that this is some sort of compilation album part of a larger series. Or perhaps that was the intention?
The The
3/5
So this is the follow up to "Soul Mining" eh? Definitely more mature in content, as Matt Johnson wasn't afraid to dive into the political commentary of Britain and the world as a whole. I think this album strives to do a bit too much personally, but after having heard some of The The already, I guess this shouldn't have been too surprising.
Syd Barrett
2/5
I can't say that I've bothered to look into the solo works of any of Pink Floyd's members. Although the case of Syd Barrett was unique in that he was kicked out of the band after a few short years due to his own personal/mental struggles. Did Syd Barrett make Pink Floyd? Or did Pink Floyd make Syd Barrett? Probably the latter, but this guy had two solo albums so surely there was some individual talent there.
This album isn't really anything special if I'm being honest. More of an unpleasant listen, as opposed to experimental like most rock records were doing around this time. This album just never really gets going and lacks cohesion. Obviously a sad/depressing backdrop that led to this album, but that doesn't give it much merit to stand on.
The Fall
2/5
I'm so far behind in my list of albums that I'm listening to this in late October, which is quite fitting I guess (if the album title is any indication).
Narrator: It wasn't really that fitting.
This was more subdued than I was expecting out of a post-punk group. I was expecting some hard-hitting punk, not rants about drugs and god knows what. At least it's short in length, but things just didn't feel put-together here (at least compared to other punk music from this time).
Giant Sand
2/5
This was a complete mystery to me. Going into AND after listening, that is. This is pretty one-note and beatnik-like. It gives off the guise of alt rock at times, but plods along with its spoken word-like poetry musings all throughout. Bit of a tough one to trudge through in all honesty.
Jungle Brothers
4/5
Conscious and funky, a little different than what most remember from the "golden age" of hip-hop. This album is more house-oriented in its production too, featuring a plethora of fitting samples and maintaining a pretty consistent, dance-able energy all throughout. I was vaguely familiar with the Jungle Brothers going in, but was still impressed afterwards. "Doin' Our Own Dang" might be recognizable by most too. I mean, check out the guest artists on this track: De La Soul, Q-Tip, Queen Latifah, and Monie Love? Talk about stacked!
I don't think this group gets enough flowers for how influential they were in curating the "hip-house", jazz rap sound and overall positive-minded lyricism that briefly swept through hip-hop in the late 80s/early 90s.
Pet Shop Boys
3/5
Preppy and dance-pop like, leaning towards sophisti-pop. Very much a Harold Faltermeyer joint too, with the ever present use of synths and keyboards. It's almost too...sterile at times though? There were some elements I enjoyed, namely some of the chill and vibe-y tracks. I don't think the rest aged that well unfortunately.
Pavement
4/5
I've always been somewhat interested in Pavement from afar. The stuff I've heard was always quirky and interesting (especially the iconic "Cut Your Hair" from their follow-up album), seemingly deviating from the norm in alternative/indie rock. This particular album of theirs was a tad noisier than I was expecting at first. Things aren't too disorganized despite that however, as there's still enough structure for some catchy hooks and choruses here and there. Plus some catchy and wry songwriting from Stephen Malkmus.
Some might dismiss this as "just another slacker rock record", but I think the highs overshadow any parts I may have initially found lacking here. A bit of a hidden gem in all honesty, I can now see why this album is considered influential in indie rock.
Highlights: Summer Babe, In the Mouth a Desert, Here, Perfume-V
Depeche Mode
3/5
I think "Violator" had a larger impact on me when I drew that album a few months ago. Nothing particularly wrong with this album, it's Depeche Mode as their usual brooding selves, with their driving synths and drums. Things just didn't peak as high as they did in "Violator", which would release a few years later and was representative of the group hitting their stride. Also, "I Want You Now" was a strange change of pace, given the album's content.
Terence Trent D'Arby
3/5
I don't think I've heard anything from this artist or album, despite recognizing the cover.
Post-listen: I definitely recognized "Wishing Well" with that unique whistling-like chorus, assuming that was the "big" single here. There are some other hits, such as "If You Let Me Stay", and the more sensual "Sign Your Name" The rest of the album was mostly enjoyable. Everything sounds very much of contemporary rock, with a twist of soul and some slower ballads mixed in. It's almost uncanny how much this guy resembles Prince.
Fats Domino
4/5
Couldn't quite find a full version of this anywhere online, but no biggie. Anyone with any amount of interest in music history should know of Fats Domino. One of New Orleans' finest, guy was a pioneer in rock n roll, influencing all sorts of artists and creating a standard for the genre. This collection of songs may sound simple in this current day and age, but this is what rock n roll sounded like when it was taking off in the 50's. That much I can appreciate and tap my toes to.
Coldplay
4/5
A little more edge than "Parachutes", if I'm remembering their previous album correctly. Both have their moments, however. There's still room for heart here too. "The Scientist" and the iconic piano-filled "Clocks" immediately come to mind. A sonically pleasing album to listen to, if anything. Don't have a whole lot of qualms here.
Iron Maiden
3/5
Another impressive debut for what later became an iconic heavy metal group. I know these early heavy metal albums tend to be a bit abrasive, but this sounds pretty damn good for only having been recorded in 13 days. More emphasis on the instrumentals here as opposed to later releases, as we have a few long stretches that showcase Murray, Stratton, Harris, and Burr's contributions. I didn't think there were any super notable standout tracks after listening, but then again, I don't think Iron Maiden was much of a "singles" group in the first place, rather more of a "sum of its parts".
Barry Adamson
2/5
Does this guy only create soundtracks to imaginary films? I vaguely remember "Moss Side Story" earlier in this list. Don't get me wrong, it's an interesting concept, but usually falls flat if you are missing context (which is the case here as well). There are some neat jazz moments, but the rest comes off as cheesy. I'm not sure who's willingly listening to this thing from start to finish.
David Bowie
3/5
Damn, this is my seventh Bowie album. Granted, most of those were quality, but I was just a bit shocked by the volume here. Anyway, I don't seem to know much about this album in particular. Looks like it has the single "Golden Years", but that's about all I know.
I wasn't aware that Bowie was in that bad of a spot in the lead up to (and during) this album's creation. Also the start of the "Thin White Duke", Bowie's short-lived persona of that time. This persona has been described as a "hollow man", but also one who "sang songs of romance with an agonized intensity". Pretty accurate given the album's content I guess, but things are also quite varied here despite the length. Funky, artsy, poppy, with room for some ballads too. For some reason though, things didn't reach me in a super profound way here. This just didn't feel as impactful or memorable as some of Bowie's other albums (and I've been exposed to A LOT in the last 20 months or so)
Fishbone
4/5
I can totally get down with some funk, rock, and ska. Immediately starting with an admirable and rockier cover of Curtis Mayfield's "Freddie's Dead", the tone is set for the rest of the album. It's fun, as well as a good showcase of the talent of Fishbone and the energy that they bring. It's easy to tell that these guys were among the pioneers of the third wave ska movement that exploded in the 80s/90s. As a fan of this genre, I wish I had started listening to Fishbone sooner!
Penguin Cafe Orchestra
3/5
Curious to hear what an orchestra of penguins sounds like. And also the kind of music that fits the mood for a penguin cafe.
This felt like a disjointed collection of recordings; ranging from classical to avant-garde. Seeing that this was executive produced by Brian Eno, everything sort of makes sense now. Was expecting there to be more personnel involved due to the fact that this group calls themselves an orchestra, but there was still an eclectic mix of instruments utilized. Everything culminates in the aptly named 9th track "The Sound of Someone You Love Who's Going Away and It Doesn't Matter". How elegant.
Steve Winwood
3/5
This is some lesser known Steve Winwood stuff. I'm sure at least 90% of people getting this album are somewhat familiar with Winwood's later works, such as the more commercial "Back in the High Life". You can tell this album in particular paved the way for later releases such as that, with the use of all sorts of synthesizers and electronic drums. It's a fun listen, despite how dated the use of the aforementioned instruments may sound. I guess I'm just kinda partial to this sound, but I can acknowledge that things aren't quite as polished in the production. Winwood also apparently produced and engineered everything himself, which is wildly impressive.
Elvis Presley
3/5
Not even the Army could hold Elvis back. Elvis returns with new material after a two year hiatus and probably sounds the most polished he's ever sounded. As a result, things are maybe a bit more subdued than one would come to expect compared to energy of Elvis' previous performances. Regardless, there still is some range and variety here; blues, crooning pop, and R&B. It's a quick listen on top of all that.
David Crosby
3/5
This began the wave of solo works from each of Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young. Per usual with these endeavors, pretty much the whole group has guest features on this one too. But despite that, there are a few tracks that don't feature any actual lyrics. There's a mix of folk, psychedelia, and more jazz-oriented & inspired pieces, which I found unique. Things get pretty...spiritual with the last two tracks, though.
Michael Jackson
4/5
This is where the magic begins. Though already pretty much a seasoned vet in the music industry at 20, MJ signed on to Epic Records and began his production partnership with the legendary Quincy Jones. Thus spawned "Off the Wall" and the rest is history of course, but this is where MJ really reintroduced himself to the world and forged his disco/funk/pop sound that would define the height of his career.
This album is certainly synonymous with disco, but it still lives on as a timeless pop, R&B, and funk classic too. "Don't Stop 'til You Get Enough", "Rock With You", and "Off the Wall" are all disco-pop classics that make you wanna get out on the dance floor. The latter half of the album does sort of suddenly shift towards more of a sentimental mood, displaying the endless versatility of MJ. Massive names in the music industry such as Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder lend their songwriting talents for side two, and you can definitely hear their influence in these slower & more emotional tracks. Definitely a tale of two sides here, but I much prefer the higher energy of side one.
In today's episode of "Hey, I Recognize That Sample!", we've got "I Can't Help It", which hip-hip heads may recognize as the sample source for De La Soul's "Breakadawn". I love discovering new sample sources in old music.
The National
2/5
Pretty gloomy album. Many of the tracks just fell under the same umbrella in terms of song construction and never really got going. No payoff, just one setting all throughout.
Side note: This list has obviously exposed me to all sorts of artists & albums and I always have to remind myself that every single album on here is someone else's favorite album. Makes me feel a bit bad when making these sort of semi-negative reviews, but I can only rate based on my personal experiences and interests. Music reaches everyone differently and can be interpreted in so many ways. That's why music is such a treat! Anyway, I won't remember this album come tomorrow. Onto the next one!
The Byrds
3/5
I kind of know what to expect now whenever I get a Byrds album (this is my third one). Usually lighter psychedelic rock, with some country and folk mixed in. It's not bad, but also not particularly memorable. Experimental, but a bit dated. Interesting to hear that this was one of the first albums to use the Moog synthesizer though.
Eagles
4/5
I'm always impressed with how polished some of these debut albums sound from these now-famous rock bands. Take the first track "Take It Easy" for example, the cohesion and collective harmonies from the group sound like that of a seasoned rock n roll outfit. The production and recording helps in that regard too, and Glyn Johns captured the group well. It's easy-going, country-folk rock that you don't necessarily have to hate just because "The Dude" hates 'em. I think they have better albums, but this was a good start with a few signature early hits.
Janis Joplin
4/5
Janis Joplin could certainly wail with the best of 'em. This was unfortunately the final album of hers in which she was directly involved, given her untimely passing just a few months prior. This is about as good as it gets when it comes to blues rock. Joplin just had a voice made for blues & soul: able to carry on its own and elevated further with the backing of the Full Tilt Boogie Band. This was definitely more polished than her work with Big Brother & The Holding Company too.
Ananda Shankar
3/5
Right off the bat, we've got a sitar cover of "Jumpin' Jack Flash". Plus a cover of "Light My Fire" not much later! Hearing classic rock songs such as those in a new light was interesting. There is enough original content here for the album to hold its own too. There was a clear intention to fuse traditional Indian music with Western rock here and it's effective. The sitar has always been associated with psychedelic rock in the West, thanks to groups such as the Beatles and Rolling Stones incorporating it into their music, but Ananda Shankar reminds the rest of the world what the sitar can offer on its own. Too much of the sitar might not be for everyone, however.
Morrissey
3/5
Not much to say here, you have to put up with Morrissey if you plan to listen to all 1001+ albums here. Some points for embracing more of a grittier rock sound and diversifying things here. Not as mopey as his other solo albums as a result.
Massive Attack
3/5
This seemed to vary in quality throughout my listen. I guess this was one of the foundational "trip hop" albums for its time though, so I'm trying to fairly assess this. The samples and breakbeats were interesting and inventive. Couldn't really snuff out one particular track that I would deem as memorable, I think this particular genre is known more as a "sum of its parts" rather than individual highlights. Not necessarily a knock either, as the right crowd can flip this and other trip hop records on and sort of just chill out. I personally prefer the jazz rap that sort of emerged in the US around the time this album was released, but I can recognize the influence "Blue Lines" and Massive Attack had on this subgenre as a whole.
3/5
What in the prog rock is going on here? Certainly no lack of effort here, but I can't get there in terms of calling this Yes's greatest album or anything. A lot going on of course, and I think I enjoyed side two compared to side one, despite the fact that this side is more folk and traditional rock-oriented compared to the rest of the album. I found "Fragile" slightly more memorable as an album I guess.
System Of A Down
4/5
System of a Down were always scary, yet intriguing to me. I obviously wasn't aware how politically charged they were when I was younger, thus I gained a larger appreciation as I got older and started hearing some of their stuff in a different light. This specifically was the group's debut, released in a time where this "freaky" nu metal sound was taking off. All led by arguably one of the most unique lead vocalists ever in Serj Tankian. It's a frantic ride that skips the anticipation and immediately jumps to the first hill. I'm sure many would agree that "Toxicity" is the group's magnum opus (myself included), but I guess I can see the merit of including their debut album here. Their sound was truly unlike anything else.
The Afghan Whigs
2/5
This is a pretty depressing and drab album, all things considered. I guess there isn't much to consider though, as this is primarily an alt rock breakup record through and through. Sure it's raw and emotional, as your hear in the lyrics. It's also maybe a little novel, as I can't say I've heard too many breakup-exclusive grunge records specifically. Doesn't mean I enjoyed this listen, however.
Ravi Shankar
3/5
Oddly informative to begin and a little throughout. This really showcases the sitar, and I can understand why this may have been influential to western ears given that this released in the 50's. That's...pretty much it though. Might be best consumed as just an introduction to Indian music.
The Mothers Of Invention
3/5
OK, I sort of know what to expect now whenever the Mothers of Invention/Frank Zappa comes up. Expect the weird, expect the satire and wittiness. It turns out that this was the group's debut album and there's a LOT here. I know it's not the primary focus here, but there is some good song construction here despite the zaniness. It does a fairly good job mimicking popular music from the time whilst satirizing stuff like the American school system, teenage love, and protest culture. You won't find me arguing against the idea that this album is groundbreaking and foundational in any way. But as per usual, we've also got a lengthy & chaotic sound collage in the album's final track. Who is Suzy Creamcheese?
Paul Weller
3/5
I don't know much about this album or the artist himself, but just listening fascinates me from the perspective of the musical landscape at the time of its release. Released inbetween the popularity of grunge rock and britpop, yet not falling under either. More bluesy and folksy rock compared to what his Britain rock contemporaries were releasing in the early 90's. This was somewhat enjoyable, if not a tad unspectacular. It's an easy listen that sticks to its guns and doesn't really push any boundaries. Overstays its welcome a bit too.
2Pac
5/5
I'm innately familiar with 2Pac's final two albums (excluding posthumous releases, so this and "All Eyez on Me"), so revisiting this will be fun. "Me Against the World" is unique in the sense that it is one of the more personal and vulnerable gangsta rap albums I've ever heard, especially coming from a rapper of 2Pac's prominent, yet controversial, status. Yeah, there's the expected street life/ghetto anecdotes featured throughout, but there's also some darker and more intrapersonal themes like despair and loneliness. 2Pac also takes the time to pay homage to his favorite hip-hop acts ("Old School"), as well as provide the ultimate ode to his mother ("Dear Mama").
Tupac Shakur was certainly no saint, but he made a massive impact as a rapper, mixing conscious rap through his poetic and commanding lyrical delivery. Despite this album sounding "lighter" compared to his other releases, this might be among his best mainly in terms of emotional depth. The production was a large group effort and is top-notch for 90's west coast rap standards. The first half of the album may shine a tad brighter than the second half, but I won't be too nitpicky in the rating. This might be the only 2Pac album on this list too. A strong 4.5-5/5
Big Star
3/5
More of a depressing album that I initially thought. Power pop definitely evolved to become more lighter-sounding from here, whilst keeping the themes of despair & yearning. The fragile words from the late lead man Alex Chilton are melancholic and impactful, but the album as a whole lends itself to being somewhat bland is it kind of stays in one gear throughout.
Television
3/5
Early on in my listen, I wasn't really understanding why this album received so much acclaim and was deemed influential. But slowly I realized I wasn't really listening to a traditional punk rock album. This is more layered and melodic, featuring some lengthy tracks and solos à la progressive rock. The title track is probably the best example of what I'm trying to explain here. I don't think the remainder of the album quite reaches the high of the title track, but that's OK. The images of New York at night seep through the lyricism here.
Motörhead
3/5
Huh, would've never guessed that Motörhead was originally from London. Anyway, "Ace of Spades" (the song) kicks ass, but I'm curious about the rest of the album.
Pretty formulaic, macho hard rock. Some weird tracks content-wise too ("Love Me Like a Reptile", "Jailbait"). Hey, it's was the 80's I guess. I can see how this album maybe could have set the table for thrash metal given the tempo and energy displayed in each track.
Jefferson Airplane
4/5
I can't admit that I know all that much about Jefferson Airplane, but I do know that a lot of their hits are here. "Somebody to Love", "White Rabbit", I mean those are psychedelic rock staples. The remainder of the album is mostly...calming compared to those mega-hits. There's almost an even mix of those driving guitar solos supported by powerful vocals (S/O to Grace Slick), with more folk-based, change of pace songs. It's interesting and not something you'd normally see in these psychedelic/acid rock acts from around this time. Influential and unique for the time for sure.
Van Halen
4/5
I didn't exactly grow up in the 70s/80s, but I was obsessed with Van Halen and other acts that fell into the "classic rock" mold by the time I was a youth/teenager. It was honestly all I listened to for a moment there. I've since...expanded my music interests as I've gotten older, but classic rock, and especially Van Halen, hasn't changed in my eyes and remains as "comfort" music to my ears.
Van Halen embraces the almighty synthesizer here, namely in "I'll Wait" and the anthemic "Jump". This was new for the group at the time, but they also stick to their hard rock roots throughout the rest of the album too. That and the horniness, which was always prevalent not just here, but in ALL of 80's hair metal. The instrumentation is among the group's best here, with iconic guitar riffs and drum solos. That and the songwriting/composition are a large reason why the three big singles (Jump, Panama, Hot for Teacher) have stood the test of time. I did find this album as being another case of the first half grossly outshining the second half, but it's still an enjoyable listen worthy of recognition when mentioning this era of rock.
Meat Loaf
5/5
It's Meat Loaf, so expect the theatrics. That being said, this is the first time I've listened to an entire Meat Loaf album from start to finish. The lore here is interesting too, as this apparently spawned from a rock musical retelling of Peter Pan called "Neverland". Written by legendary composer Jim Steinman, he essentially developed a few songs from Neverland into "Bat Out of Hell" here (which would become a musical itself in 2017). This is very much Steinman's work, as much as it is Meat Loaf's. Steinman would later go on to produce and have involvement in all sorts of iconic and chart-topping songs (Bonnie Tyler's "Total Eclipse of the Heart" chief among those), as well as some film scores. Oh, and lest I forget that Todd Rundgren produced and had heavy involvement in this album too. This album had large aspirations.
I'm sure some people will find this campy and overproduced and it very much is. There's sincerity, with equal parts melodrama, at least that's my interpretation of things here. Most important of all though, it's fun. I mean, tell me that "Paradise by the Dashboard Light" ain't fun!
Beth Orton
2/5
I agree with most of the popular sentiments here: fine voice but very beige-sounding. Some of the tracks are just devoid of any valuable substance and don't need to run that long.
Everything But The Girl
3/5
Soft vocals over some lo-fi, downtempo beats. Never heard of this duo, but sounds like they had been around for a bit by the time this album released. Don't know what kind of legacy they leave as a result, but they seem to have given electronica more of a pop presence here and I know electronic dance music was burgeoning in the UK around the time of this release. It was a slightly above average listen, carried a bit by Tracey Thorn's vocals.
Pet Shop Boys
3/5
I guess I just don't really vibe with these guys. Recently listened to their previous album and thought it was just OK, if not a little too tidy. Sort of the same sound here, except things are a bit more commercialized. The energy isn't really that high, despite the dance & synth-pop sound of it all.
Nick Drake
4/5
And with this, I believe I've listened to Nick Drake's entire discography. A shame that said discography was so brief, but quality over quantity as they say.
Pink Moon is easily the most stripped down of the bunch when comparing to Nick's previous albums. I read that this was recorded without a backing band too, so that tracks. Simple, yet authentic and layered. It's short and sweet, inviting the listener in to bask in this calm atmosphere that Nick Drake has curated. It's all bittersweet knowing what comes next, and you can't help but hear this through Nick's vulnerable and fleeting words. A fitting conclusion to an equally short and sweet musical career, which should be acknowledged more.
Missy Elliott
3/5
Missy Elliott was more influential than most people here might think. Hip-hop was certainly nothing new in 1997, but for a woman to actually break through in the genre was huge. She certainly wasn't the first of her kind of course, but her rapping presence here over these almost futuristic-sounding beats were certainly attention-grabbing. The accompanying music videos were unique for their time too, helping elevate Missy into the mainstream. Having Timbaland on production played a huge role in what I just mentioned, curating a signature sound representative of the new millennium. There are a TON of guest features here (Aaliyah, Lil' Kim, Busta Rhymes, among may others) which might take away from Missy a bit, and I'd probably consider some of her later albums the "better" works, but everyone starts somewhere. This "somewhere" was the launching pad for a superstar.
Elbow
3/5
The lead singer sounds eerily similar to Peter Gabriel. Pretty similar in the witty & whimsical department too. Peter Gabriel's music is a million times more entertaining to listen to, however. Sorry, didn't mean to do unfair comparisons right off the bat. This album was just fine. Nothing special, a little artsy, but nothing too dissimilar from the indie/alternative scene from the late aughts. The British bias continues to show on this list.
The Doors
3/5
This Doors album seems to have slipped under the radar for me, don't think I've listened all the way through. This is the Doors at their familiar blues rock sound. Nothing really "pops" per se ("Peace Frog" is probably the biggest hit of the bunch here for my money), but it's a fairly consistent and compact album. I found that the first side had a bit more highlights, though.
Richard Hawley
3/5
Pretty inoffensive and vintage-sounding album. Reminiscent of the blue-eyed soul and country acts of the 40s & 50s (which I'm sure was the intent here). That's really all this offers.
Yes
3/5
I haven't been super wowed by any of these Yes albums on this list. There's some good mixed with some bad, and always a lot of noodling. This isn't much different, except there's an oddly placed acoustic solo here near the beginning. "I've Seen All Good People" is fun, recognizable, and a prog rock staple at least.
Donald Fagen
4/5
I do like me some Steely Dan, but I'm not too familiar with Donald Fagen's solo work. You still hear tinges of Steely Dan in this album's production, but the content is more nostalgic and somewhat autobiographical. Fagen definitely leans into the mindset of his younger self, full of hopes and dreams. A great showcase of audio recording as well, as the production is crisp here. I wouldn't call Fagen the greatest vocalist, but jazz/rock always scratches an itch for me and this was a nice & smooth solo effort from Mr. Fagen. "I.G.Y." was the standout highlight.
Kings of Leon
3/5
Only knew the two big singles coming in, so not super familiar with the whole body of work here. Hard-soft rock is probably the best description of the sound that Kings of Leon offers. The cracking vocals of Caleb Followill gives them a slight edge when comparing to the Imagine Dragons of the industry. This is perfectly apt as dentist's office music, though. Meaning that it's digestible enough for the masses and *appears* soulful. I guarantee I'll hear "Use Somebody" sometime during my next dentist appointment (I actually don't really hate the song, although it's become a bit of a meme recently).
Bob Dylan
3/5
I'm quite tepid on Bob Dylan as an artist, but I must say that the first few tracks here are quite strong. "Blowin' in the Wind" and "Masters of War" are effective protest songs (right in Bob's wheelhouse). "A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall" is another notable protest song, but more of a direct response to the Cuban Missile Crisis. The only other notable track to me was "Girl from the North Country", a love song of sorts with the subject of the "girl" being intentionally vague. The rest of the album doesn't quite stack up IMO. I can recognize that this album houses some of the Bob Dylan "essentials", however.
Jimi Hendrix
3/5
I don't know how you follow up an album with the magnitude of "Are You Experienced?", and so quickly at that. The group pretty much never stopped recording new music. This one isn't quite as memorable, but the guitar playing is still top notch and the various experimentation featuring said guitar gives us some highlights. Everything is looser and less organized as a unit as a result.
The Zutons
2/5
I just found this unexceptional. Some quirkiness, but not enough to keep it afloat.
Frank Ocean
3/5
I remember this album being massive when I was in high school, but I don't think I ever explored it much myself. I don't have the "nostalgia" that some others might have as a result. It's a fine album musically; R&B with some non-traditional aspects thrown in. Themes of love, drugs, the upper social class (can't relate!), with the aforementioned R&B and electro-funk make this sound and feel like a summer album (which is funny considering that November just started at the time of me listening to this). I found the start of the album compelling, sort of culminating with the ten minute epic "Pyramids". The pace kind of tapers off from there, however. There are some interesting features, with Earl Sweatshirt and Andre 3000 making notable appearances among others, and the production is unique/creative, but Channel Orange seemingly strives to do too much with uneven results outside of the singles.
Aimee Mann
3/5
This was sort of enjoyable honestly. Very hooky and melodic, sardonic lyricism, right at home in 1993. Sounds like a more alternative Sheryl Crow (although I guess both debuted around the same time). I don't know how many of these tracks would've been worthy as a single, however. There seems to be an even mix of jangly/upbeat with slower, more emotional ballads. Fine enough for a one-time listen.
The Hives
3/5
Putting a collection on here feels against the spirit of this list, but it's the Hives so I guess I'll let it slide. The Hives were one of the more fun groups to come out of the garage rock revival (I also only recently found out that they are from Sweden too!) The more recognizable tracks will be found in the first half of this collection, but the second half is fine enough. You won't find much depth in garage rock anyway, so it's best to just let yourself become a prisoner to the frenetic pace. Still wish one of their previous or proceeding albums would've been included instead.
Drive Like Jehu
3/5
Never heard of this group. Sounds very abrasive and thrashy. Not as unbearable as some of the noise rock and thrash metal records out there, but some of these tracks seemed to never end. It allows the bass and drums to shine I guess. Rick Froberg's howling vocals were another highlight of the record too.
The Cars
4/5
Man, what a 1-2-3 punch to start. Very catchy hooks, wry lyricism, and production that sounds ahead of its time. There's new wave, then there's a more energetic and hipper version of new wave heard here. Hell of a debut album indeed.
De La Soul
4/5
Thankfully I wasn't doing this challenge pre-2023, or else this would have been difficult to track down on streaming. Having De La Soul's entire catalog available online is a net positive in my eyes. Anyway, I'd consider this a significant album in the history of hip-hop. In a landscape where gangsta rap was pretty much dominating the genre, this stood out on its own with how...positive everything sounded and the unique samples used. Specifically the jazz and psychedelic-infused beats and samples make this an easily digestible listen for the most part (the sampling in "Eye Know"...*chef's kiss*). This album also sort of popularized the use of skits in hip-hop, for better or for worse. That's honestly the only slight I have with this album and the only part I'd argue that didn't age too well. (I mean, who's coming here to listen to "De La Orgee"? Come on, man...) There's some humor to be found in the quiz show skits, however.
Despite some minor gripes, I'd still consider this album a cornerstone of hip-hop. The eclectic sampling and quirky lyricism quite honestly freshened the genre and De La Soul's contributions overall sort of ushered in the popularity of jazz rap/alternative hip-hop, which I'll always be fond of.
R.I.P. Trugoy
Super Furry Animals
3/5
Certainly a unique listening experience. Pretty much any branch of rock and rock-adjacent sounds can be heard here, with some abrasive electronica mixed in too. Even more interesting is that Paul McCartney was credited with playing the carrot and celery on one of the tracks? A lot is going on here, maybe too much. You can tell these guys were inspired by all sorts of acts from the 60s/70s, but all of these varying sources kind of act as a detriment to the record as a whole I feel. Some genuinely bright spots, with a smorgasbord of interesting musical choices filling in the rest of the puzzle.
Sufjan Stevens
4/5
I know almost nothing about Sufjan Stevens, despite being a Michigan native myself. I feel like I owe him a listen to his previous album "Michigan". But right now, we're talking about Illinois. This is a fascinating album both conceptually and stylistically. I won't claim to know much about the state of Illinois myself, but this album seems to cover a lot of its history and culture in about 75 minutes. All with the backdrop of folk, indie and classical-like orchestrations. Very grandiose, seemingly because it wants to be. There are some beautifully constructed tracks here as a result, ranging from tender to joyous/upbeat pieces. A lot of talent and musical chops showcased here, so the album length didn't upset me too much.
Soundgarden
4/5
Finally, back to some good fucking music. This particular album seems to stand out a bit when poring through the grunge "chapter" of rock 'n' roll. Particularly the distortive, almost psychedelic-like sounds produced here in what is primarily a grunge/hard rock album. Not to mention the plethora of other unorthodox composition choices all throughout, such as alternate tunings and tune signatures. I'm no music expert, but these were certainly noticeable to my ears when listening. Chris Cornell was a compelling lead man, with his gruff voice mixing well with the heaviness of it all.
An ambitious and lengthy album, but a grunge staple for sure. Some of the more iconic singles from this era too.
Femi Kuti
4/5
Ah, so this is Fela Kuti's son. He carries on the afrobeat torch well I must say. Very uplifting & fun, thanks to the funk and groove of it all. If only the power of music could unite nations...
Jimi Hendrix
5/5
This is what *should* play in your head whenever psychedelic rock is mentioned. Jimi Hendrix is just synonymous with the genre and made an incredible impact in such a short amount of time. The man redefined what you can do with an electric guitar, and that is showcased all over this debut album via the various licks, riffs, and effects. Recording this must've been a huge undertaking, evidenced by the fact that pretty much every month of recording has its own section in the album's Wikipedia article. I mean, how does one accurately record the sounds coming from that guitar? The end product turned out great of course and every piece of the Experience is captured well here, even extending to Redding's bass/rhythm guitars and Mitchell's drums. Just a stone cold rock 'n' roll classic that dared to innovate (and sounds fuckin' cool to boot)
Cream
3/5
Like most I'm sure, I only knew of "Sunshine of Your Love" coming in. Clapton's guitar playing should make many stick around, though. Honestly, the whole kit is mighty talented, but the quality of the songs themselves seems to vary throughout, notably dipping in the middle of the album. Guess I was expecting slightly better.
Arrested Development
4/5
I think Arrested Development are generally underappreciated in the grand scheme of things. Huge in the emergence of alternative & Southern hip-hop during the early 90's, when gangsta rap was dominating the west coast of the US. They brought a positive and more self-reflective spin to hip-hop, opting to view things from the lens of the world as a whole. The three singles that spawned from this album are each iconic in their own right and are among my personal favorites (although I do prefer the Metamorphosis mix of "People Everyday"). Middle of the album dips in quality & energy a bit, but that's really my only knock here. It's a shame that this group didn't do much after this album's release, but they made a pretty decent impact with their short time in the spotlight.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
3/5
Getting this sometime after "It's Blitz!" is a tad awkward. It's very raw, which is to be expected for a band's debut album in most cases. Yeah Yeah Yeahs were fully garage rock/post-punk when they broke into the scene and you certainly hear that here. Karen O has always been a firecracker as a vocalist, and this is probably the best example of that. The big single that everybody knows ("Maps") almost feels out of place here if I'm being honest. Would've been more fitting on their later works I think. The band matures their sound later in "It's Blitz!" and that is definitely my preferred album of theirs. Interesting to hear how the group got their commercial start here at least.
Billy Bragg
3/5
Frank Sinatra
4/5
Was wondering when Ol' Blue Eyes would show up for me. 50's swing & jazz are always an easy listen, made even more prominent by one of the greatest and most iconic vocalists in Sinatra. It's easy to forget that every track here is already an existing pop standard too. The way these were recorded and arranged by Nelson Riddle to become jazzier and hipper, molded right into Sinatra's wheelhouse, make these tracks feel almost brand new. Sure, almost every track here kind of operates on the same wavelength, but I do prefer an album of upbeat, swingin' tracks over an album of slow, crooning ballads when it comes to this era.
Crowded House
3/5
I honestly don't know much about these guys outside of their mega-hit "Don't Dream It's Over". It's hard to tell what the singles were here. I don't know how to describe it, but the Aussie pop rock sound is fairly distinguishable. Mostly acoustic-based and easy to listen to. Lukewarm but not a terrible listen.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
3/5
Neil Young is another artist that I've been fairly lukewarm on since being exposed more to his artistry through this list. This isn't a bad listen by any means, the first half primarily has some memorable and impactful tracks such as the driving and high harmonic "Cinnamon Girl", as well as the instrumental journey and saga that is "Down by the River". The second half didn't quite stack up to the first, with the exception of "Cowgirl in the Sand" I guess. A top-heavy folk/country rock record with more electric instrumentation than what was usual at the time, and thus giving us these riffs that would later become iconic to some.
N.E.R.D
3/5
N.E.R.D. was an interesting project. Formed by both members of the Neptunes, an already iconic record production duo for many R&B and hip-hop acts at this point, all of the duo's creative juices are on display here. This artsy, proggy, pop/hip-hop sound is thanks in part to Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo's writing, as well as Shay Haley's contributions. This trio is the whole band too, as they play pretty much everything live in this specific album (save for some guest help here, including Lenny Kravitz and Questlove). It's an interesting lens into the R&B/Hip-hop era of music production in the 2000's and whether or not people think that has aged well is up to them. Kinda wish we had decimal rating, this feels like a 3.5/5 for me due to the production displayed here.
Dexys Midnight Runners
3/5
Like many in the US I'm sure, I only know Dexys Midnight Runners as more of a one-hit wonder. Sounds like they were more prominent in the UK, even before "Come on Eileen". The horn/brass is SUPER prominent on this debut album of theirs. Almost to a detriment, honestly. Everything comes off as soul, but sounds more like ska & new wave. Mix in the super Brit vocals from Kevin Rowland, and I guess you've got a unique sound. It's not something that really tickles my fancy that much, though.
New Order
3/5
A fine listen. It's got heavy synth and sampler inclusion, very indicative of the time and establishing a bit of a dark tone. Vocals aren't the strong suit here, however, and seem to take a backseat to the collective efforts of the rest of the group.
The Fall
1/5
After getting their debut album, we now jump all the way to The Fall's FIFTEENTH album. Did post-punk survive the 90's?
A resounding no. I could've listened to this at release and told you that it sounded dated even back then. The band itself sounds fine enough, but Mark E. Smith's vocals just drag everything down I'm afraid. I tried, but couldn't find anything redeeming here.
Def Leppard
4/5
What a time the hair metal era was. This album specifically might be where things peaked in that regard too. Every track sounds like it was written with the sole intention of charting as a single (seven total here, in fact). Just power ballads that shred left and right. And you know what? It's enjoyable, dammit. I can acknowledge that these lyrics are cheesy, the production is a tad over-polished, and the album as a whole is fairly bloated. However, I was obsessed with this era of rock when I was younger and I guess the nostalgia still seeps through from time to time when it comes to music. It's better to just loosen your guidelines here and judge this as a pop metal record, rather than purely metal/rock.
Shack
2/5
I just don't really see how this is much different than other Britpop from the late 90's. In fact, the genre was pretty much already on its way out by 1999. Kind of late to the party I think. The big names had already innovated, succeeded, and evolved. I understand that this particular group had a released a few albums prior so I can't comment on the quality of their previous work. But here, I can't help but file this into the "Unremarkable Britpop" folder that I've curated from this list (and am continuing to add more to...)
The Cure
3/5
Haunting, but to be expected with the Cure. The production goes a long way an achieving this mood. The guitar distortion, the tempo in which the drums are played, Robert Smith just generally being depressed. This...generally isn't something that I would want to listen to for 40+ minutes at a time, but I've come to appreciate the craft more.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
One can probably trace new wave’s popularity back to this record, among others. It’s quirky, concise, and doesn’t overstay its welcome too much. I recognized a few of the catchy singles and slightly enjoyed a few other tracks. I see that there is a strong Elvis Costello presence on this list so I have a ways to go on that front, but I wouldn’t be surprised if this was as good as it gets in terms of his discography featured here.
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
2/5
I guess this record is considered important within the lens of experimental rock. Sure, I can see that. I find it hard to trust people who consider this their FAVORITE record of all time, however. I won't deny that the personnel involved here were decorated musically and the fact that the composition pretty much stands on its own, but the "lol random" of it all doesn't automatically make this a masterpiece or anything. I see this as just a novelty and not much else, to be honest. The various squeaks from the sax are the only thing I'll remember from this.
Devendra Banhart
2/5
I've been getting an oddly high amount of folk music lately. It's a little exhausting to listen to in quick succession quite honestly. No personal slander to Mr. Banhart himself either, but I just can't really get into folk. The quirky vocal delivery certainly didn't help matters either, as it gets grating after a certain point. The soft melodies weren't enough to sway my mind.
Joan Baez
2/5
Quite the voice, perhaps a bit too shrill at times, and I'm sure important to the popularity of traditional folk at the time. A lot of the tracks were kind of structured the same, though. Only so much you can do with this kind of stripped down folk I guess.
The Coral
3/5
I've heard a little bit of the Coral before. Not to this extent, though. Plenty of interesting fusions and musical directions heard throughout, with the album immediately starting with what I can only describe as a psychedelic-infused sea shanty. The remainder of the album continued to utilize psychedelia as a base, mixing in all other sorts of 60's rock influences (notably surf rock at points). Definitely no lack of originality here. The album itself almost scatters around a bit too much as a result.