156
Albums Rated
3.28
Average Rating
14%
Complete
933 albums remaining
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
1970
Favorite Decade
Blues
Favorite Genre
UK
Top Origin
Wordsmith
Rater Style ?
17
5-Star Albums
1
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
Top Styles
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
American Beauty
Grateful Dead
|
5 | 3.24 | +1.76 |
|
Horses
Patti Smith
|
5 | 3.31 | +1.69 |
|
My Aim Is True
Elvis Costello
|
5 | 3.35 | +1.65 |
|
Aftermath
The Rolling Stones
|
5 | 3.37 | +1.63 |
|
Rust Never Sleeps
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
|
5 | 3.52 | +1.48 |
|
Now I Got Worry
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
|
4 | 2.52 | +1.48 |
|
Brothers
The Black Keys
|
5 | 3.57 | +1.43 |
|
Morrison Hotel
The Doors
|
5 | 3.59 | +1.41 |
|
Exile On Main Street
The Rolling Stones
|
5 | 3.6 | +1.4 |
|
After The Gold Rush
Neil Young
|
5 | 3.62 | +1.38 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
The Low End Theory
A Tribe Called Quest
|
2 | 3.7 | -1.7 |
|
Chelsea Girl
Nico
|
1 | 2.63 | -1.63 |
|
Arrival
ABBA
|
2 | 3.51 | -1.51 |
|
Amnesiac
Radiohead
|
2 | 3.42 | -1.42 |
|
2112
Rush
|
2 | 3.38 | -1.38 |
|
Songs Of Leonard Cohen
Leonard Cohen
|
2 | 3.38 | -1.38 |
|
Smash
The Offspring
|
2 | 3.37 | -1.37 |
|
Joan Armatrading
Joan Armatrading
|
2 | 3.34 | -1.34 |
|
Meat Is Murder
The Smiths
|
2 | 3.33 | -1.33 |
|
First Band On The Moon
The Cardigans
|
2 | 3.29 | -1.29 |
Artists
Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| The Rolling Stones | 3 | 5 |
5-Star Albums (17)
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Popular Reviews
Nirvana · 1 likes
5/5
The last great rock and roll album, possibly the end of the genre.
1-Star Albums (1)
All Ratings
Fleet Foxes
3/5
Folksy, ethereal, the lyrics rarely evoke modern life, a sort of minor CSN.
Sex Pistols
4/5
The punk album, defined a genre, a marketing ploy to sell clothes, but Johnny and the snear transcended that.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
A classic , every Marley album should be here.
The Police
3/5
White guys doing Reggae, Reggae de Blanc. Copeland is a great drummer. Any Marley album is better then any Police album. I wasn't a big fan in 1979, I saw it as thievery, still do. They took something heartfelt and commercialized it, I am not saying they are not talented, but it is so commercial, like some ad exec came up with the idea. Blonde hair and all. I mean, I know Malcolm McLaren created the Sex Pistols as a marketing tool for his clothes, but the Pistols transcended that. I guess commerce and R&R have always been partners, occasionally the art shined through. The album is a great reggae/pop blend, late Boomers rejoice.
Johnny Cash
4/5
Awesome, even some funny songs, the crowd takes the record to another level. The cover with Cash sweating. Great stuff.
Rage Against The Machine
3/5
I came for the rage, stayed for the blend of R&B, funk, punk, heavy metal, politics, rap and mind twisting guitar. I'm too old for a steady diet of it , but in small doses it is cathartic. I saw them live at Lalapalooza, they were great, with water bottles flying the entire time, it was a great performance.
The Smashing Pumpkins
4/5
I knew the hits, the album is pretty heavy and it sounded great on the buds. My first time listening through. I thought it was great, if I was a teen in the 90's this would have been on heavy rotation.
The girl on the right looks like my buddy Bledsoe.
Girls Against Boys
2/5
Heavy, too heavy, Spotify didn't have the lyrics. According to the Church of Coltrane, you become the music you listen to. In this case that is very scary.
The Cardigans
2/5
The cloying pop voice, the music reminds me of the Monkee's. Like Greek desert, too sweet. Oddly subservient lyrics on some songs. Apparently they were big in Japan. Love foot is a great pop confection.The cover of Ironman is hilarious. Great Divide has a great melodic hook. The more of these albums I listen to, the more I think I own a better 1001 albums than are listed here.
Led Zeppelin
3/5
Bombastic Led Zep at their best, have they ever given credit for all the blues riffs they stole. Plant's falsetto is a bit ridiculous. Zep was on heavy rotation when I was a teen, my friends were big fans. Plant is probably one of the greatest guitarists and Bonham hits the drums like he has iron hammers. It is all a bit absurd but it is entertaining. The soft/hard of Tangerine is beautiful, his overdubbed vocals remind me of auto tune. The acoustic That's the Way is sweet. It is hard to be objective when you've heard the album a million times.
The Rolling Stones
5/5
Greasy, gritty, the Stones take American music, blues. R&B, country, gospel and interpret it, some times they raise it up. The World's Greatest Rock and Roll Band? Yeah, sometimes they are.
T. Rex
4/5
Sexy, entertaining, all very listenable and great guitar.
The Rolling Stones
5/5
"What a drag it is getting old..".they had no idea when they penned those words. This is an old fave for me, Aftermath, 4x4- great albums. I like the Stones, what's not to like, topical, you can sing along, they mix it up, plenty of hooks. The songs aren't sappy love songs. Flight 505- "of course I'll have a drink." These guys defined rock and roll and incredibly, they are still at it. The randomizer has been giving me a lot of Geezer Rock lately. 4.5 stars for this classic, I may round up.
Oasis
3/5
Opens with the 'wall of sound' The album is heavier then I would of thought being familiar with the hit. A good album.
John Prine
4/5
Great singer song writer, with a tinge of sadness through-out. Bette Midler does a great version of Hello in there and Bonnie Rait, Susan Tedeschi cover
Angel of Montgomery.
Joy Division
2/5
Never was a big fan, the follow up band after the lead singers suicide I liked better, OEM. I guess they were one of the first post-punk, New Wave bands. I think the National do depression better, but that's 40 years later. The more I listen to some of these albums the more I question the value of rock and roll. It may be Sturgeon's Law, '90 % of anything is really bad.'
Oh yeah, Joy Division was the Nazi sector devoted to using concentration camp victims as prostitutes.
Coldplay
4/5
I love it, even his falsetto isn't too annoying. It is all listenable. You can make out the lyrics. It is melodic and a pleasant listen. I remember being in a bar on the Lower East Side and there was a note on the jukebox that said if you played Yellow the bartender would throw you out.
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
3/5
OEM, I owned a few albums, not this one. It is all there, the drum machine like beats, the chiming, bell like guitar and synth. You can almost hear the hooks being worked out on a glockenspiel. This album is listenable but a, 'so what'. I don't understand the reasoning behind some of these choices.I guess I'll have to get the book. Reddit had a link to an interview with the author. I started my own list of albums that should be listened to, Chuck Berry is on it. Here's an interview with the author, he talks about 1001 at the 30 minute mark. https://www.1001albumclub.com/episodes/audio-interview-with-book-author-robert-dimery/
Talvin Singh
3/5
'Talvin Singh, is renowned for creating the bridge between Indian and electronic music.' The easy joke is, "Maybe some bridges shouldn't be crossed." Butterfly was pretty but that was probably one of the more Western tracks. Actually the album is interesting. I'll never listen to it again. 3*
The Smiths
2/5
The Smiths! Morrissey! So what. 'I Want the One I Can't Have', has some good lyrics. My personal list has albums I want to listen to more than once. 2*
Morrissey
2/5
Morrissey has a wonderful voice, too bad he's singing Morrissey lyrics. I imagine Morrissey is insufferable in a one on one situation. Yesterday was a Smith's album, thank God there's no loose rope and an attic available. Three stars, only because of the voice. There is no need to listen to this again, make it two stars. I did like the abrupt ending. I read the entry in the book and re-listened to Suedehead, it is jangly and entertaining, but still a two. The book people love Morrissey.
Talk Talk
2/5
'I believe in you' was pleasant enough with some chunky guitar. All the rest is pretty forgettable. The British centrist nature of this list is getting tiresome. This is a mediocre 80's pop band. The official list has one Tom Petty album, no Hot Tuna and incredibly no Professor Longhair. Talk, Talk more like Sleep, Sleep 2*
Simply Red
3/5
Red Headed Soul? One would think it was an American soul album. It is all very pleasant, some disco-ish songs. Going back to the British-centric list, where's Rufus/Chaka Kahn? Blue eyed soul but not real soul, that's an issue for me. 3*
Big Brother & The Holding Company
3/5
Piece of My Heart is a classic , the rest is pretty heavy with Janice going from a whisper to a scream. Roadblock has some good guitar buried in the mix and the lead in the end. The original album ended with Ball & Chain and was titled 'Sex, Dope and Cheap Thrills'. Columbia passed on that. You wonder what Janice would have done with the right band, like Hot Tuna. There is a tape called the Typewriter Album with Jorma playing and Janice singing around a kitchen table. 3*
Pere Ubu
2/5
I owned this album. The landscapers were working while it was playing, it didn't make much of a difference. It is interesting, but is it good? Do we put these albums in the context of the time they were created or do we review them from the present? The same question is asked of the Constitution. Is recorded music a museum piece or a living thing? I admire the creativity, but I don't want it on heavy rotation. I was 3 stars then the 6 self indulgent minutes of 'Sentimental Journey' killed me. 2* The list has two Pere Ubu albums, they are out of Cleveland, art school no doubt. The wife said, "This is what music sounds like in hell." I save that line for Bon Iver.
Stevie Wonder
4/5
There's a lot of music here. Some of it quite beautiful, could have done without the 'Village Ghetto Land' strings and the POC history lesson. Unknown songs like 'Saturn' are better then much of the stuff, this app has forced me to listen to. Talkin' to you Morrissey, OMD and Talk, Talk. 4*
Al Green
3/5
All very listenable, "How Do You Mend a Broken Heart" is transcendent. 3*
Iron Maiden
3/5
I am not a heavy metal fan. I see the logical progression from Led Zep. Soaring guitar, pounding drums, operatic vocals, replace Gandolf with horror, jettison the soft parts and the blues. I was surprised how much I enjoyed it, fast, hard and complex. 3*
Leonard Cohen
2/5
A poet who sings, Patti Smith is better at it and I don't need a masters in English Lit to interpret her lyrics. Like Dylan, The Grateful Dead and Leonard Cohen other people cover their songs better then they do. kd lang in Cohen's instance. There are four Cohen albums on this list.
....there are no diamonds in the mine. 2*
Arrested Development
3/5
Relatively benign, hip/hop, hippy, trippy, afro,
I never listen to it again.
Paul Simon
3/5
Pretty listenable, a few great songs.
Randy Newman
3/5
Randy Newman produced an album called 'Sonny and Brownie' by two veteran blues men, Sonny Terry and Brownie McGee. The album is a masterpiece and not on this list. Their version of Sail Away is definitive and devastating. Listen to it now.
This album is good, his voice is limited, but it's about the lyrics and music. Old Man is a horror. Political Science seems like a good idea. 3.5*
Alexander 'Skip' Spence
2/5
Poor Skip, it's an interesting back story and, I guess, an important document, 'Weighted down' indeed. You can hear the Thorazine. The original release ended with Grey/Afro, so did I. 2.5*
Guns N' Roses
4/5
Four stars for Sweet Child of Mine, alone. 4*
Lana Del Rey
3/5
Inoffensive, dreamy, almost background music. Yes, chemtrails over the country club, artificial clouds over a care free life. 3*
The Divine Comedy
2/5
Really? The editors missed Morrissey and hackneyed lounge singing? This list is more annoying then edifying. Check out Richard Cheese. 2*
Linkin Park
3/5
I thought I was angry, then I heard Linkin Park. Mix in angst, adolescent self doubt and you have the lyrics. There wasn't really a melody you could hum, but I guess that wasn't the point. They had some song about toss grenades (Bleed It Out) that I loved it wasn't here. 3*
ABBA
2/5
I liked Fernando, and the instrumental that sounded like something from an Irish funeral. 2*
Jerry Lee Lewis
4/5
Finally a gem I never heard. Jerry Lee is rocking. A short intense record, perfect. 4* It seems the American pressing has a different song selection. Now I gotta look for a definitive pressing. Found it, "The Killer Live 1964-1970" Wikipedia has the track listing in the order it was performed.
Kanye West
3/5
Syleena has a great voice, the production is stellar. Not very hopeful overall. A bit misogynist, Slow Jamz was fun. Got a little more hopeful and family oriented towards the end. 3*
Radiohead
2/5
So I'm familiar with OK Computer. I was never overly impressed and never understood the comparisons to Pink Floyd. Pyramid Song could have been Neil Young. The album is a little trippy. Much of it feels like atmospheric filler with mumbled lyrics. It wasn't a very good trip. Were they trying to fill out a record label contract? The opening riff from Knives out sounds like one of their hits. Amnesiac indeed , utterly forgettable. Glasshouse is brutal. 2*
A Tribe Called Quest
2/5
Rap bores me. Misogyny, braggadocio, materialism, name dropping, I miss melody, and hooks. The production quality is admirable. 2*
Green Day
4/5
Pop punk? IDK it rocks, it is topical and still relevant. 4*
50 Cent
3/5
Murder and mayhem... entertaining got 3/4 through, seems like a rather scary individual. I guess it would be fun to memorize some of the more horrific lines. 3*
Jeff Buckley
3/5
Quite the voice. Lilac Wine shows it off unadorned. Hallelujah can fight it out with kd lang for the definitive version. 3*
Queen
3/5
Of a time, busy prog rock, concept album, wizards kings and queens, Yes, ELP, Zep, I guess that was the trend. Thick as a Brick made fun of it all. Punk rock smashed it. I like the softer stuff, 'Some Day, One Day'. "The Loser in the End" and "Funny How Love Is" seems from another album. 'Ogre Battle' is a blueprint for some future hits. it is an interesting album from a Queen development perspective. Is it one of 1001 albums you must hear, that's debatable. 3*
Alanis Morissette
5/5
First song, this woman is deep, second song, that guy dodged a bullet. 3rd song, therapy might help. The video for One Hand in My Pocket was filmed in my neighborhood. Pissed at a guy, the Catholic church next song. You Learn, Head over Feet, the hits keep coming. I never gave this album a full listen, it's a classic.
Ray Charles
4/5
I love this. The orchestration may be a bit much, but it is of the time. Quincy Jones did the orchestration. Great sax. 4*
Neil Young
5/5
Semi-psychedelic lyrics, classic songs I have heard all my life. It never gets old. 5*
Björk
2/5
It is interesting from a sonic/experimental angle. The lack of melody hints at rap. The production values are excellent. I will never listen to this again. Do these albums sell? I find this list perplexing it goes from experimental music to second rate synth pop. Do I really have to hear these albums are they really enhancing my life or giving me insight into my time? Whoosh, I guess it is over my head. 2* Cathy almost screamed during Ancestors, I had to skip it. Apparently it is all voices manipulated in the studio. Good for her.
Tom Tom Club
3/5
Fun stuff. Genius of Love has that great hook. I wish there was a way to mark which albums I owned at one time. Less cerebral than the David Byrne stuff. Some of the songs flow into one another. 'As Above, So Below' may have been a template for a later Madonna song. Some tunes have been sampled endlessly. 3* owned
Nina Simone
4/5
The book's essay almost seems obligated to include a Simone album hinting that the later stuff was too political.There are so many originals, compilations and remixes available (over 75) it would be hard to pick albums for my personal list. I guess this shows her range and variety.
There is a line from Billy Holiday. Nina requires a lot more research. I'm finding I like the stuff from the 50's and 60's best. 4+
Pavement
3/5
Lou Reed, Velvet ish. Some noisy bits.
Lou Reed
2/5
I guess it is important to some one. The main character seems like a nice guy. 2+*
Steely Dan
3/5
I have a deep dislike for Steely Dan. I don't know why, it isn't rational. Corporate rock, Dentist Rock. Seems kind of soul less. The hits keep coming on this album. I would be fine if I never heard another SD song ever again. I imagine ChatGPT music will sound like SD. Only 40 minutes, thank God. The book calls it a 'landmark in Jazz Rock". One could argue it is neither jazz nor rock. The book loves Steely Dan, 4 albums?! It is in keeping with all the middle of the road synth pop the editor likes. 3* I guess.
Nirvana
5/5
The last great rock and roll album, possibly the end of the genre.
Scott Walker
3/5
He was described by the BBC upon his death as "one of the most enigmatic and influential figures in rock history" Never heard of him. Nice voice, subdued orchestration.I prefer Mel Torme. 3*
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
4/5
I'm a fan of EC. Witty lyrics, hook heavy songs. Some of the punk aesthetic, but cleaned up and polished. I remember asking a smart classmate what he thought of New Wave he answered, old hat. The book copy talks about the album being about the struggle of relationships. But Chelsea isn't about that nor Radio Radio. There are seven EC albums on this list. That seems excessive. 4*
Prince
3/5
The hits still pop. Dance, music, sex, romance kinda sums it up. It would make a good album for background at a party. 3*
Tom Waits
2/5
The Earth Died Screaming? I may die screaming. This is the first of five Tom Wait albums, can't wait. Obviously it is interesting and different, but that doesn't make it something you want to experience over and over again. Maybe my taste is very pedestrian. 2*
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
5/5
40+ years after first hearing this album the first song seems plaintive, different from my interpretation all those years ago. I guess nostalgia and familiarity plays a big role in my ratings. "It's old but it's good." Pocahontas is just great. This album is filled with quotable lyrics. It is surprisingly mellow considering Crazy Horse. Even Powderfinger, while raggedy at times is slow paced. Things pick up with Welfare Mothers. It both speeds up and slows down with Sedan Delivery. The gruff fuzzy guitar of Hey, Hey , My , My runs it full circle from acoustic to electric. Noisy, fuzzy out of the blue and into the black. 5*
Thelonious Monk
3/5
I really didn't give it a hard listen, the first track I found a little squirrely the second track was more melodic, Rollin's sax was sweet. I have to revisit, I'm not familiar with T. Monk classics.
The Flaming Lips
3/5
Interesting, may require a re-listen. Knew the hit.
Frank Ocean
3/5
It's an odd album. Certainly well produced with the snippets of conversation and his sweet voice, layers of voices. It is jazz like in some respects but never hints at melody except in the cadence of his voice. It has a sense of languid sadness. I'll give it a 3, but I'll never listen to it again.
Madonna
4/5
I never listened to this album. First track was good, second track reminded me of Beth Orton who I love. Seems Madonna did it first. Ray of Light is back to Disco Madonna, the 'And I Feel' part reminds me of some other song. I started paying less attention.... pop drivel with some nice effects. Some yoga talk with a dance beat, go figure. The production values are excellent, all the extra sound effects are great. Popping from right to left. My speakers love this album. Headphones would be awesome. Little Star has a bunch of sonic layers. 3+* doesn't exist.
Talking Heads
3/5
I Zimbra is a great start. Funny how it was so unique in '79. Cities, Life during Wartime. So is the list of the best albums or the most important? I guess the uniqueness qualifies it. 3 great songs out of 11. Brian Eno produced. I was doing construction in a loft building on Lafyette in SoHo, NYC in 1980. I get in the elevator and these two guys are fawning over this guy wearing Elton John glasses. "Oh. Mr. Eno we love your music,..." When my floor arrives, I turn to him and say, "Hey Eno how about some elevator music." The two fawners faces drop. He turns to me, smiles and says, "It's been done." I laugh and exit. 3*
Little Richard
4/5
You can see how they thought rock n' roll was dangerous. 4*
Mike Ladd
2/5
IDK, maybe I'm not a fan of the genre. Won't make my personal 1001 list. I guess it is important to someone. 2*
Fats Domino
4/5
While I knew a few Fats songs and am very familiar with 'Fess who followed in the New Orlean's R&B style piano, this fills in some blanks. I like the rollicking piano and the horn breaks. Different then guitar domination and closer to jazz instruments. All the songs have the rolling, rollicking , bogie woogie piano back beat. Spotify had songs blocked out, I found them with a search. 4*
The Bees
4/5
A new band to me, quite pleasant, a great mix of sounds, 60's pop, reggae with interesting incidental sounds. I may have to do a deeper dive. The Bees buzz brah. 4*
The xx
4/5
Simple, poppy, ringing sound, it's great.
5/5
Wow, I was a big U2 fan saw their first show in NYC at the Ritz, with Lisa Baker who broke my heart and ghosted me and before that had a name. Saw them a few times, the last time with Tommy Ryan at the Meadowlands. I have a picture of me, Tommy, Bill Clinton and Kofi A. Annon. This album arrived in time for another broken heart all those years ago. So with a lack of objectivity, 5*. It is painful to listen to some of these songs.
Rush
2/5
Some weird prog/heavy metal sci-fi story about a found guitar and a priest destroying it. Falsetto voices bombastic guitars, it felt very 70's. My buddy said he made a movie about it in high school. I luckily missed this growing up.
Metallica
3/5
I guess Metallica is the logical musical extension of Black Sabbath. Driving music , that doesn't really appeal to me in my old age. It is tight and well produced, I recognize that. The drumming is relentless.
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
3/5
Bluesy, jangly, has a real late 60's sound, Airplane etc, the lyrics are cynical for the times. 'I'm Glad'is a bit of a goof on R&B.
Pink Floyd
4/5
I've listened to this a hundred times, I'm a Floyd fan, seen them a few times. "There is no dark side of the moon really...." 4*
Beatles
3/5
There isn't a song that you don't know. The songs reminded me of the Beach Boys with simply melodies and less complex harmonies. It is such a part of my culture that I would be happy never listening to this album again.
Slipknot
3/5
Love the title, the lead singer seems angry.The music is driving, the final destination doesn't seem pleasant. They want to burn my cities down. I live in a wood frame house. The angry 12 year old me would have liked this. The drumming and guitar are pretty impressive, how the lead vocal would maintain that gravel shout throughout a concert is beyond me. Then there is the smooth melodic vocal juxtaposition on some songs. A great art project would be a photo booth taking photos of the concert goers. I'l never listen to this again.
2/5
First song, David Byrne (MicroMobility), second song, early Kinks Beatles offspring, third song pleasant enough Sgt, Pepper outtake. Fourth song, why am I listening to this drivel? Fifth song, We're all so frivolous tonight, indeed, the Mrs. says it's interesting but an album I must hear? Nah. Sixth song, you get the impression that every Brit has some history of fondly listening to folk albums of knights and shit and want to do their own version of one. Greenman is my favorite cut so far. 7. Ho hum 8. Couldn't end soon enough. 9.How did this album get on the list, it is mediocre at best. 10 Out of key. 11, At least it's over.
Lorde
3/5
Pleasant enough
Goldfrapp
3/5
The mellow tron throughout was weird and sometimes loud.
The Verve
4/5
Reminds me of 70's Stones with better harmonies
Stan Getz
4/5
That was incredibly pleasant. Sweet smooth sax and guitar breaks , chugging along at a moderate clip. I loved it.
Randy Newman
4/5
"Her papa was a midget
Her mama was a whore
Her grandad was a newsboy 'til he was eighty four"
Ray Charles
3/5
The strings, the chorus date the album. But the smooth voice, the piano leads and sax breaks are great. I'm finding I like the 50's, 60's choices more than much of the contemporary stuff. Maybe time has filtered the older stuff more. My issue with this album is the length.
Violent Femmes
3/5
A few great tunes, not much of a vocalist. Some great lyrics. saw them live, it was fun, they still tour, as Chryssie Hynde said, you only need one big album to have a career.
FKA twigs
3/5
Some pretty interesting effects, pretty impressive for a first album. Would be good with earbuds. Bjork, St. Vincent, FK twigs all have a thread running through them. There really wasn't a memorable tune.
The Go-Go's
3/5
I love Cecile. Fun, poppy new wave.
AC/DC
3/5
Rock all over you, indeed.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3/5
Double album, well produced, first song mentions kings. 2nd song, pianos, strings, ethereal female voices, feels of grief. 3rd song same, no female extra voice or chorus. The wife says this album gave birth to the Nationals.The 4th song has hotel imagery, the female chorus is back along with bells. All these songs are slow, so slow, Nick speaks sometimes instead of singing. I just read, he made the album after his son died, he used loops, synths and no percussion. I'm up to Galleon and suitably depressed. Don't know if I can last a whole double album. His son was 15 when he died, I can't through this.
Marilyn Manson
2/5
I'm three songs in and I'm exhausted. He isn't very optimistic. Rock and roll sores, indeed.
Fairport Convention
3/5
One of those filling, ringing high female voices with British folk music that always sounds like it is about King Arthur and magical swords. Some crazy guitar on Matty Groves. The Lark is a rave up reel.
The album is excellent for what it is, just not my cup of tea.
Songhoy Blues
4/5
The opening song was rockin', reminded me of the Mississippi Allstars, half a world away. The rest of the album is very good and musically interesting. This band is a new discovery for me.
Skepta
3/5
I'm not a fan of rap, this was entertaining, as an American I liked the British accent. "I broke down barricades and got accolades."
Bonnie "Prince" Billy
2/5
Neil Young like quavering voice, pretty bleak lyrics and minimal, slow music. A little depressing. Today I am not in the mood.
Paul Simon
3/5
Some great songs, some great lyrics, I wish there was a 3.5.
The Offspring
2/5
Smells like Green Day, gotta keep 'em separated otherwise they are indistinguishable.
David Bowie
3/5
Weird opening, village of Orman, sounds like the British infatuation of heraldry and mysticism. I realize it's his last album and the sax is great, but it sounds like a movie soundtrack. Maybe that's the point, last song has the vocal rhythms of 'the very thought of you'.
Pink Floyd
5/5
I don't have to listen to this , this album is the soundtrack to my life.
Mariah Carey
2/5
Two songs in and the mix sounds muddled. I increased the volume and solved that. The vocal theatrics are almost too much. IDK nothing's memorable. It's like muzak and Butterfly reprise is the best of it.
Jefferson Airplane
4/5
I understand the cultural significance. As my wife mentioned, Grace Potter isn't front and center. It is a lot of music and I'm a big fan of Jorma, so Embryonic Journey and In the Morning made my ears perk up. Molly Tuttle does a great version of White Rabbit. Again I wish there was a 3.5, I may round up. The mix is a bit bright.
Queen
3/5
IDK, apparently BR is one of the greatest rock songs ever. I liked '39'. Interesting how the whole band wrote songs and hits. As I listen, more and more, prog rock and heavy metal become less interesting.
The Who
3/5
I went with the 6 songs of the original release. I read somewhere that the Who have the longest career with the least amount of original music.
Brian Eno
3/5
Reminds me of Remain in Light without the lyrics. Pretty interesting mix of exotic rhythms and electronica, loops and found? conversation and song. Many of the words are barely discernible some are in a language I don't know. 3.5 stars. It deserves another listen. Apparently made before R ln Light with random tape and sound samples. The first half was more interesting.
Bruce Springsteen
5/5
Yeah, this is genius.
Pulp
3/5
It's okay, I would have preferred the 3:20 version of Common People
Funkadelic
4/5
Maggot Brain was worth the price of admission.
Ms. Dynamite
4/5
This is a great varied album, from toaster/rap stuff to smooth jazz, dance music, very entertaining, sometimes she sounds like Amy Winehouse, sometimes like Sade, sometimes MIA. Good stuff well produced.
The Coral
3/5
Strokes fronted by Jim Morrison, it's fine but it ain't great. Some of it is oddly retro, like Goodbye, could be Herman Hermits era music.
Leonard Cohen
2/5
Oblique poetry accompanied by an acoustic guitar. I'm sure someone wrote a dissertation interpreting the lyrics. Not feeling it today.
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
Bruce channelling his inner Woody, pretty sad and lonely from psychopathy to family obligation, we all answer to something. 4*
Traffic
3/5
It is good, but certainly of its time.
Sister Sledge
3/5
Classic disco, as they used to say on American Bandstand, "It has a good beat and you can dance to it." Great production values, great electric rhythm guitar. While it is fun, I don't think I would listen to these songs outside of a wedding reception. I was a teenager in NYC when this came out, I was heading down the punk road.
The Streets
3/5
It is more like spoken word than music, but it was a pretty good slice of life, short story. At first I hated it , but while on a long walk it drew me in. I see it as a one off, I never have to hear anthing like it again,
Def Leppard
4/5
I can see where Gun's and Roses got their inspiration. Slick pop production heavy metal. It is driving, I guess it is a source for all heavy metal, cliches. Too Late for Love indeed.What do you want? I want 3.5 stars. Rock of Ages, as I listen to this 42nd years after its release, I feel rock is dead and this whole listening enterprise is an exercise in nostalgia. As I work my way through too much mediocre British pop, I find the interesting stuff is African or a classic 50's pop/jazz album I never heard. Maybe I've out grown rock. I never had a like for rap and always thought it generally lacked melody.
The Kinks
3/5
Pleasant enough
Otis Redding
4/5
Classic
Ice T
2/5
yeah, not a big fan, it is interesting that he plays a cop on TV. I guess everyone is just acting...
The Killers
4/5
Wow this started off strong, side two petered out. But all in all a pretty good album.
The Doors
5/5
I haven't listened to this in decades, its great.
Jack White
4/5
Jack White rocks
Billy Bragg
3/5
Wilco & BB doing Woody, but no Woody greatest hits. Woody's house on Mermaid was torn down long ago. The cover is of nearby houses. California Stars is one of my favorite tunes, ever. I just listened to Night at the Opera, I would rather listen to this then that again, and its one of the greatest, supposedly.
Patti Smith
5/5
Maybe her greatest album, many great songs here, Money-'I'll by you things you never had.' The build up-it is one of the great rock and roll songs.
The Black Keys
5/5
Is that the Mambo Sun bass line? Next Girl reminds me of something....Gary Clark Jr. They pull from a lot of sources, but it is entertaining in the long run. I may give it the elusive 5.
Rush
3/5
"Catch the spirit, catch the spit" Wasn't much of a fan in 1981 and I still feel the same way. I'm feeling some bad sci-fi theme.
They should read Sturgeon's Law. YYZ is good. While I know a song like Limelight, I was never curious about the band that recorded it.
Nico
1/5
wow, not much range. How was she so famous?
Foo Fighters
4/5
That rocked, the drums were up front.
Jazmine Sullivan
4/5
Well mixed, s woman frank about her sexuality, it is pretty interesting.
System Of A Down
2/5
Heavy, seems angry, music for mass shooters. Not my jam.
Amy Winehouse
4/5
Pretty nice, she had a lovely smokey voice.
Baaba Maal
3/5
Pleasant enough, wish I knew what he was singing about. 3*
Fiona Apple
2/5
Fetch the bolt cutters and get me out of here.
The Saints
4/5
Iggy with brass. Finally a decent band I never heard of. These Australians rock.
Iggy Pop
3/5
I'm an Iggy fan. This is in large part a Bowie album. It does shape the rest of Iggy's career. Is it great, no. Is it good, yes. How good?
Merle Haggard
2/5
There has to be better country albums.
The Mothers Of Invention
2/5
Very strange. Nice production values. He doesn't like the police, but who does? Nothing that needs to be heard again. No breaks between songs, Flower Punk is a highlight.
The Rolling Stones
5/5
Yeah, this is a r&r masterpiece. It doesn't get tiresome like Rumors.
Everything But The Girl
3/5
Two songs in, I like it, a little trippy, dancey. Echo's of Annie Lennox and Beth Orton. I guess it is of the times.
Fleetwood Mac
4/5
I'm of a certain age, even if I never owned the album, I know every song. I guess it's a five just by being ubiquitous. Like the Beatles, Stones, Floyd. I mean, I would be happy if I never heard some of these songs ever again. Although "The Chain" is excellent. Yeah, after almost 50 years, enough is enough. I wonder if the really early Fleetwood Mac stuff is on this list. The Rezillo cover of FM's "Somebody's Gonna Get Their Head Kicked In Tonight" is great stuff.
Joan Armatrading
2/5
Folksy, not very memorable.
Johnny Cash
3/5
I guess we're doing the Cali prison tour. It's a weird album, he does one song twice and an abbreviated Folsom Prison Blues.
The Prodigy
3/5
This is very heavy, electronic, very interesting, I loved it while riding my bicycle, certainly not for a relaxing evening at home. I wanna mix a BPM list for working out, incorporating some of this. 3*
LCD Soundsystem
3/5
It's fun to see what the individual songs remind me of, Joy Division, Talking Heads, Bowie in the Berlin era, Tusk. At least all the songs are different. The Cure, Gang of Four..... 3*
Elvis Costello
5/5
I asked a witty classmate what he thought of New Wave? He replied, "Old hat." He was wrong.
LTJ Bukem
3/5
Drum machine , synth, programmed repetition. I need some Molly. 'Music' is worth a re-listen, or background music while shopping in a hurry. 3*
Bob Dylan
5/5
The Style Council
3/5
Kinda easy lounge listening with a dance song thrown in. 3*
Creedence Clearwater Revival
5/5
I thought this was great.
John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers
4/5
Yeah, kinda set the tone for the next 50 years, for better or worse.
Radiohead
4/5
Pretty interesting,
The Strokes
4/5
Jangly, and the greatest break up song ever.
Milton Nascimento
3/5
Interesting mixture and blends of music.
Count Basie & His Orchestra
3/5
Grateful Dead
5/5
I love this album, my only problem is the Dead are singing. I have recreated this album with covers as a play list.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
3/5
A great first album, requires a deeper listen.
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
4/5
starts with a scream, punk meets blues, it was interesting.