Pretty fun, with some misses (what the fuck was “I Love the Dead”??). A little too campy to listen to on a regular basis, but I wouldn’t turn it off if I heard it again.
Nope
Fried ice cream is a reality! Fried ice cream is a reality! Fried ice cream is a reality! AHHHHHHHHHHOOOOOOO
Pretty good. “Runaway Child, Running Wild” took me by surprise.
Kanye West: 👎 My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy: 👍👍
Standout tracks: Drive, Ignoreland, Man on the Moon. Pretty good, would listen to again.
Standout tracks: Pilgrimage, Perfect Circle (A+ song), Shaking Through. Was an enjoyable listen, and I can respect how bold they were in their style for a debut album. Overall, it was decent, but did not match expectations based on the acclaim this album has received since release.
One thing is clear: Marvin Gaye fucked. “Let’s Get It On” is solid throughout, with Gaye’s vocals shining as the centerpiece. It’s short runtime across 8 tracks is a strength, as every song feels deserving of it place on the album - perhaps with the exception of “Keep Gettin’ It On.”
Each song on “Born in the U.S.A.” sounds like a Bruce Springsteen song. Personally, I can only take so much of that sound before getting bored. But, there are some solid tracks on this album: “I’m on Fire” “No Surrender” “Bobby Jean” and “Dancing in the Dark.” Would have been a 2.5, but songs like “Glory Days” make it hard to make it a 3.
Pretty good, really liked “The Boy in the Bubble,” “Crazy Love, Vol II,” and “Gumboots.” Overall, a little hard to get into though because Paul spends a lot of the time singing as if he is rambling - the music itself is often more enjoyable than his vocals. That being said, it was an interesting listen. Wouldn’t hate listening to it again, but wouldn’t choose it over Simon & Garfunkel.
I didn’t expect to like this as much as I did - I have listened to Cash’s songs here and there, but have never listened to any of his albums. But there was a such a fun and lively energy to this performance that I couldn’t help but smile as I listened. I felt transported to another time and place, and could imagine the scene of Cash playing at San Quentin to a prison crowd. The banter between the inmates and Cash, and the numerous references to the guards that I visualized lining the room, helped create a sense of place that I haven’t experienced before in a live album. “San Quentin” (the song so nice, he played it twice!) was the standout for me. The crowd reaction elevated an otherwise “eh” song to a pretty unique experience. The downside is that some of the songs are not very memorable once they are over. The album is great because of the experience listening to it, and less so for the individual tracks.
Yo, what a good fucking album. 5/5
Decent, enjoyable, but ultimately nothing (with the exception of the title track) left a lasting impression.
Super energetic and upbeat throughout. Great for car jams. Not my favorite style of music, but I can respect the quality of this album within the genre.
On paper, this would be an album I would love and give a 5/5 - I’m a sucker for sad indie singers. But while there were some great tracks (“Son of Sam,” “Everything Means Nothing to Me,” “In the Lost and Found,” “Can’t Make a Sound”) the album is kinda boring overall. Not bad, not great, just kinda is.
Totally outrageous. “Modern Dance” and “Street Waves” were good though.
Holy shit!
Would give it a 1, but “Peaches En Regalia” is a 5/5 track sooo…
Pretty boring
I liked how the album felt themed, like you could imagine Price playing a late-night set while the audience drinks and mingles. Songs weren’t too memorable, but were pleasant. Would have been a 3 if he didn’t say “honky tonk” so much.
Pretty good, better on the second listen through.
There is not a single album in The Beatles’ discography that comes close to being as audacious, innovative, and inconsistent as The White Album. Is it perfect? Hell no. But it is extremely interesting. Whereas other albums have bad songs that you don’t want to listen to, The White Album has bad songs you can’t help but listen to because they are so varied and out there that to skip them would change the listening experience entirely. In isolation, some of the songs are downright stinkers. But combined, the album shines as the best example of talented artists throwing everything at the wall and seeing what sticks. That being said, one can only dream of an alternate reality in which The Beatles released a modest, 14 track album in place of the sprawling 30 track double album. Without hyperbole, it would probably have been the best album of all time. Here is my take on that track list: Side A 1. Long, Long, Long 2. Back in the U.S.S.R. 3. Dear Prudence 4. Rocky Raccoon 5. Don’t Pass Me By 6. I’m So Tired 7. Helter Skelter Side B 8. Revolution 1 9. Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da 10. Happiness is a Warm Gun 11. Martha My Dear 12. Blackbird 13. While My Guitar Gently Weeps 14. Julia
Pretty darn good
Nope
Pretty good. “Runaway Child, Running Wild” took me by surprise.
Enjoyable, but not super memorable.
Really enjoyed this one. Wasn’t a bad track on the album.
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp, Celebration Day, Immigrant Song, and That’s the Way were standouts for me. Other than that, I thought it was good but not something I would revisit.
It was alright
Fun fact: nothing was cool until this album released in 1957. Thanks, Miles Davis.
Super solid, 3.5
My favorite Beatles album. So fucking polished and smooth. A perfect bridge between Beatlemania and the experimental albums that would follow.
I don’t know if I’ve ever consciously listened to a Neil Young song before, so this was a total surprise. But man, I loved this album.
This albums gives off strong early 20s vibes. That coming-of-age era in which you feel both like an adult and a teenager in an adult suit. Lorde sings passionately about lost love, partying, the invincibility of youth, and self doubt in a way that feels larger than life while also feeling intimate. The music is crafted with precision and polish (perhaps too much polish for my taste), and the lyrics are catchy and impactful (for the most part). Green Light is the standout track - if every song was as brilliant, it would be an easy 5 stars.
It was ok, but boring. “Love to the People” is good though.
Nice flow, good beats and instrumentation, and Latifah’s smooth voice combine for a pleasant (if a little lengthy) 80s hip hop album. Lyrically is where the album stumbles - I can take some self-referential lyrics, but literally every song contained at least one line containing the word “Queen” or “Latifah,” and almost all songs reference being a female rapper. Not to diminish her accomplishments as a female in a male-dominated genre, but it was hard to relate to the songs as someone who is not a rapper or named Queen Latifah. “Mama Gave Birth to the Soul Children” was the best track.
Some really great tracks on here (“I Know It’s Over,” “Never Had No One Ever,” “Cemetery Gates,” and “There is a Light That Never Goes Out”), but some of the others were meh (“Vicar in a Tutu” “Frankly, Mr. Shankly”).
Pretty solid, but ultimately kinda forgettable.
Jesus Christ, so boring. The album cover is 100x more interesting than the music. The only tolerable song was “Utopia” but I don’t even want to listen to that again tbh. No joy man, no joy. Fail.
Great overall, with Superstition being Wonder’s best song of all time (imo). Favorite tracks: Superstition You Are the Sunshine of My Life Maybe Your Baby Tuesday Heartbreak You’ve Got it Bad Girl I Believe (When I Fall in Love it Will Be Forever)
Damn, that was good.
Pretty fun, with some misses (what the fuck was “I Love the Dead”??). A little too campy to listen to on a regular basis, but I wouldn’t turn it off if I heard it again.
Pretty forgettable
I really enjoy Costello’s voice, the music is tight, and there isn’t anything majorly wrong with any of the songs. But there also wasn’t much that was distinct within the album. I would find myself surprised that multiple songs had passed and I didn’t realize. The “hits” sounded like every other song. Which again, wasn’t a bad sound, but there wasn’t a single song that stood out that I was eager to listen to again.
There is no denying this is a group of super talented musicians, and there wasn't anything egregiously bad about any of the songs, but listening to a 18 minute live jam of a song I don’t know is hella fucking boring. Maybe not the best intro to the band, I might have had a more positive experience if I knew some of the tracks ahead of time.
You wanna know how many times I’ve quoted “Frontier Psychiatrist” over the years? I would like to know as well, because it would probably be a crazy (in the coconut) high number.
Not bad, but the only 2 amazing songs were “Gimme Shelter” and “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” - the rest were ok but weren’t super interesting.
Super fun throughout
Pop perfection. “Time After Time” is a classic. Super strong vocals throughout. Some surprising moments (“Yeah Yeah”).
So good. Every song is great. “Scarborough Fair” gets on my nerves a bit but that’s probably a personal problem since the song is a classic.
The fact that this album is overshadowed by SO many other Beatles albums is a testament of their genius. This album is back to back bops, and the most straight-forward stylistically of any of their “all original songs” albums. Not to say it isn’t without surprises - the opening of “A Hard Day’s Night” or 1:33 of “Tell Me Why” come to mind - but rather you know from the start you are gonna have a short, lively, and fun rock album and they 100% deliver.
Pretty boring
Each individual song is great and enjoyable…at first. Unfortunately the album outstays its welcome by at least 20 minutes or so, and there isn’t a single song that was short enough for me to want to play again immediately after it was over. Would listen if it was on, but won’t seek out any songs other than the hits (with “Praise You” being the clear winner here) again.
Meh, could’ve died without listening to this.
What a voice! Would definitely listen to again.
Some great songs, some terrible songs, but mostly ok.
Super good
“Bold and Brash? More like: Belongs in the Trash.”
I liked “Requiem” a lot
“Blowin’ in the Wind” and “Don’t Think Twice It’s All Right” save this album for me. Some drums or a piano (or something!) would have gone a long way in elevating Dylan’s poetic lyrics, but there is only so much I can take of his guitar-harmonica style in one sitting.
Fun, but dated lyrics keep it from regular listening.
I like Beck a lot, but had a hard time getting into this one. Still solid though. Will probably listen again, but not in a hurry.
Pretty solid throughout, lots of energy. The story of the album is more interesting than the music itself, but was enjoyable.
Loved it - every song was a treat.
There is no denying the talent and influence of Ravi Shankar. But personally, 50 minutes of this sound was a bit much. And since the tracks are so long I can’t even pinpoint which ones I liked or not even though there were great moments.
A goddamn CLASSIC. Best S&G album, in my opinion. “America” is incredible and one of my favorite songs of all time. And damn, I fucking love how they drop the album title in “Old Friends” but not in the 2 (!) songs titled “Bookend Theme.” “Save the Life of My Child” is a fun and unique song for the duo, which is a contrast to the morbid lyrics. And man, man oh man, “Hazy Shade of Winter?” Get the hell outta here, it’s a masterpiece! A+ album.
*chef’s kiss*
Smooth and consistent throughout. Great for nighttime drives. “On Hold” was one of my top songs of 2017.
A damn good album, it was nice hearing so many songs that I didn’t know by him. True legend.
Couldn’t get into this one. “Take On Me” is one of the GOATs of 80s synth pop, but the album peaked there for me. Everything following was alright, but I probably won’t listen again.
Super fun, will definitely listen again.
Some good songs, mostly snoozy
“Paper Planes” is the clear star of the album. The rest was pretty good.
Very pleasant, I liked how prominent the saxophone and guitar are. The percussion was lively without being overbearing. Would put on again, but I think this is best suited for background music vs. active listening.
Interesting - best suited for inactive listening / playlists.
Meh
Heck yeah
Pretty fun, thankfully short
Some good songs, and liked the twangy guitar. “Lodi” cracked me up.
Not bad, but nothing I would go out of my way to listen to all the way through. Added some songs to my giant playlist for variety.
Musically this album is great - that bass is grooving.
Enjoyable, but kinda forgettable
Twangy af, would’ve been a 4 if it weren’t for the s t r o n g C h r i s t i a n o v e r t o n e s
A complex, interesting, and ambitious hip hop album. Will definitely listen again.
Good stuff, but can’t see myself listening to it again (except as background music)
A couple good songs, but mostly meh
Hell yeah, I’ve never heard these guys before so this was an awesome surprise!
Very smooth and interesting stuff. “Testify” and “Be (Intro)” really caught my attention, but the album didn’t drag throughout.
“Can we get Nick Drake?” “We have Nick Drake at home.” Nick Drake at home: Solid Air by John Martyn
Pleasant, some great guitar and bass, but nothing super memorable.
2004 was one of the first years of independent music discovery for me. I remember Fuse TV being on whenever my sister (Brandy) had the opportunity, so naturally I saw the music videos for “Mr. Brightside” and “Somebody Told Me” more times than I can count. While 12 year old me was mostly excited that I was old enough to pick up that Brandon Flowers cheekily avoided saying “dick” in “Mr. Brightside,” I could also appreciate the music for being catchy as hell and sounding both retro and modern simultaneously. “Hot Fuss” is an album that is best remembered for its hit singles, and for good reason. The rest of the album is solid, no doubt, but few songs come close to reaching the same heights as “All These Things That I Have Done” or “Smile Like You Mean It.” However, “Jenny Was a Friend of Mine” and “Everything Will Be Alright” are 2 non-single standouts. It isn’t perfect, but it is strong enough to warrant a 5 in my book.
The sing-along hits are fun, the rest is alright.
Some great stuff here. “Girls and Boys” was one I already knew, but really enjoyed hearing “End of a Century” “Badhead” “To the End” “Jubilee” and “This is a Low” for the first time. Some skippable tracks, but overall really enjoyable.
It was terrible, but I didn’t find it interesting enough to actively listen to it and I don’t think I would choose to listen to this in the background. Can appreciate the quality, but not for me.
Incredible from top to bottom. May be one of the best albums of all time.
It was interesting, I’ll give it that.
The only tragedy was listening to this album
This album felt like a huge slice of chocolate cake. A lot of flavor, well crafted, and overall really enjoyable. A bit too rich when eating a whole slice at once, though.
Background music only
Fried ice cream is a reality! Fried ice cream is a reality! Fried ice cream is a reality! AHHHHHHHHHHOOOOOOO
It can’t be denied: this is a damn good album
Heck yea
Very pleasant
It’s hard to separate this album from Bowie’s death 2 days after release - but I guess that was his intention. Musically, this album is a solid 3. But the emotional heft and the inescapable feeling of listening to art from beyond the grave elevate this to a 4.
A lot of classics on this album, but the lesser known songs elicited just as much head-bobbing. Messages of peace, love, protest, and hope. Timeless.
Some really good songs, but mostly not very interesting.
“Wild Horses” is one of the GOATs
Doesn’t click with me at all. 2001-2003 American patriotism is front and center. Only saving grace is the music is decent, if a little bland.
I dug it a lot. Tons of genuinely fun and interesting moments. I just wish it wasn’t like 5 hours long.
The popularity of this album was/is justified - 21 is fantastic from start to finish.
“Pressure Point” is still my favorite song after first hearing it on a PSP music video UMD almost 20 years ago, but there was a lot to like beyond that.
I’m not a Dylan fan at all. But this one was pretty good.
Right on
I can see why “Come On Eileen” is their most popular song lol. Pretty good/enjoyable overall, but very little stood out as a must-listen.
I’ve heard this album countless times, but one thing to stood out to me this time was how tightly paced all the songs are. The longest song is just over 3 minutes, and the whole thing is wrapped in 35 minutes. Songs like “Eleanor Rigby” and “And Your Bird Can Sing” leave you wanting more and ready to play again. It also feels varied when it comes to lead vocals - all of them have a chance to shine, even if “Yellow Submarine” is one of the goofier Ringo songs. Not my favorite Beatles album, but a damn great one and 100% deserving of its accolades.
Fun, and it sounds like they were having fun too.
Still miles ahead of most bands (especially at the time), but not one of their stronger albums when viewed objectively. The hits really hit, and the rest is still great, but it is one of the lower Beatles albums in my book.
Very nice
Every song hits, the vocals are strong and varied, and “Heart of Glass” is a classic.
Some good songs, but mostly good for a one-time listen.
Hella quirky one second, completely manic the next. And then there’s stuff like “Here Comes Your Man” which is just *chef’s kiss* Good stuff, I like it.
Some of it was good, but overall not very enthused.
It was alright, and some of it was pretty surprising (“Blue Moon” was a standout for me), but not anything I would listen to in entirety again.
The title track is the clear star, but I really liked “Crossroads” and never knew that he was the original songwriter of “Vincent” (both NOFX and Josh Groban have great covers). His lyrical style makes the album feel like a collection of short stories. Really interesting stuff.
I got Stardust for free at my local record shop (shout out to Tigers & Daggers Records in Merced, CA!) a few years back, but haven’t listened until today. Pleasant and inoffensive throughout. Lots of great classics here. Hard to give it more than a 3, because… 1. All of the songs are covers. Which would be fine, except… 2. I wouldn’t consider any of these covers to be the definitive versions. It doesn’t feel like an album that is necessary to revisit. But enjoyable, nonetheless.
Very soft, not great, but not terrible
I liked this one a lot!
https://youtu.be/-JlmvtAHhnc?si=Iu1PJW8V1mtYzYc0
This one was a nice surprise!
Eh
Not bad, not great
Nice beats, and I have a soft spot for Biggie’s flow and voice. Album could have been 20 minutes shorter, and lyrically some of the stuff doesn’t hold up. But it wasn’t terrible.
Excuse me, what the fuck? It is laughable that the author of the book heard this album and was like “Everyone needs to hear this!”
A goddamn classic. 2004-2011 indie is unparalleled IMO, and Arcade Fire is such an important part of that era. Neon Bible seems to get overshadowed by Funeral and The Suburbs, but it holds up as an equal. I could listen to this start to finish any day.
Is there life on Mars…?
Enjoyable, but about halfway through it was just sounding very same-y. Wouldn’t skip a song on shuffle, but won’t listen to the whole album again.
Hot take: this shit was interesting as hell. It just sounds so maniacal. I have a hard time saying it was enjoyable in a traditional sense, and I didn’t like all of it, but I was eager to hear what strange music would come next. It was a unique and unexpected experience.
Enjoyable, but all the songs mesh together. Would listen again in the background, for sure.
Really good. This album could do with a bit more of the variety featured in later albums (“Little Broken Hearts” is my favorite of hers), but there isn’t a bad track.
Best solo John Lennon album in my book. I’d even say better than some (emphasis on some) Beatles albums.
Great guitar, but had trouble getting into it as much as I wanted to.
Hell yeah
So good. I might be biased, but there is no finer jazz album IMO.
It was alright
This is definitely the type of country music I like, but no standouts to return to IMO.
Solid as heck, man
:(
Pretty good, I recognized “Brass in Pocket” from the movie “Lost in Translation”, so it got some points for that. But overall I wanted to enjoy it more than I did.
Some really high highs, some pretty “eh” lows, but overall pretty darn good. Gaye has an amazing voice.
Enjoyed this more than I expected
Man, Tom Waits is just so damn interesting. Definitely not a singles album, and I can’t imagine turning this on around anyone else…but there is something so manic and strange about his style that really draws me in and made the 54 minutes fly by.
Probably the most fun Rolling Stones album I’ve heard to date. Didn’t need to be a double album though, I feel like a tighter runtime would’ve made this a 5.
This album makes me want to put on a slouchy beanie, grab an oat milk dirty chai, and hit up my local thrift store while complaining about how I liked Portugal. The Man before “Feel It Still” got big. In other words, this shit is chicken soup for my aging hipster soul and I love it.
Super enjoyable, love the vocals
Perfect
Kanye West 👎 The College Dropout 👍
T w a n g
Not bad, but I liked the cover more than the music
Love Snoop’s flow, but I didn’t enjoy it as much as I wanted to.
🙂↔️
Best Bowie
Kinda bland IMO
One of the best and most influential indie albums of the 21st century. Like, damn. There are so many goosebump moments throughout. 6/5
Kanye West: 👎 My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy: 👍👍
Such a great album!
Ton of memories with this one
I kinda dig this shit
Didn’t really capture my attention, and Across the Universe was just bad. Overall pleasant, but not my favorite by Bowie.
Classic and timeless album
I really liked Walk of Life and Why Worry, but otherwise was OK and didn’t do too much for me.
On one hand, kinda boring. But also pleasant in a very minimalistic sort of way.
It’s crazy how there are moments that sound so modern, even 50+ years later. Hooked from “Sunday Morning.”
Kinda fun in the same way that watching movies from that era is kinda fun, but not anything I would play on repeat.
This was super cool. Love the short songs - not everything was good though, some songs were downright off-putting.
Hell yeah. My kids hate this album.