524
Albums Rated
3.8
Average Rating
48%
Complete
565 albums remaining
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1950
Favorite Decade
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Top Origin
Cheerleader
Rater Style ?
121
5-Star Albums
0
1-Star Albums
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By Genre
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Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Want One
Rufus Wainwright
|
5 | 2.9 | +2.1 |
|
Fred Neil
Fred Neil
|
5 | 2.92 | +2.08 |
|
The Dreaming
Kate Bush
|
5 | 2.97 | +2.03 |
|
All That You Can't Leave Behind
U2
|
5 | 2.98 | +2.02 |
|
Heartattack And Vine
Tom Waits
|
5 | 3.07 | +1.93 |
|
I'm Your Man
Leonard Cohen
|
5 | 3.09 | +1.91 |
|
Rid Of Me
PJ Harvey
|
5 | 3.12 | +1.88 |
|
Songs From A Room
Leonard Cohen
|
5 | 3.16 | +1.84 |
|
Selling England By The Pound
Genesis
|
5 | 3.18 | +1.82 |
|
Rain Dogs
Tom Waits
|
5 | 3.19 | +1.81 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|
Artists
Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| David Bowie | 7 | 5 |
| Beatles | 7 | 4.86 |
| Led Zeppelin | 4 | 5 |
| Leonard Cohen | 4 | 5 |
| Radiohead | 3 | 5 |
| The Rolling Stones | 4 | 4.5 |
| Black Sabbath | 3 | 4.67 |
| Tom Waits | 3 | 4.67 |
| Pixies | 2 | 5 |
| Jimi Hendrix | 2 | 5 |
| Rush | 2 | 5 |
| Nick Drake | 2 | 5 |
| Miles Davis | 2 | 5 |
| Pink Floyd | 2 | 5 |
| Isaac Hayes | 2 | 5 |
| The Police | 2 | 5 |
| Van Halen | 2 | 5 |
| Depeche Mode | 2 | 5 |
| Aretha Franklin | 2 | 5 |
| Bob Dylan | 6 | 4.17 |
| The Smiths | 3 | 4.33 |
| The Doors | 3 | 4.33 |
| Bob Marley & The Wailers | 3 | 4.33 |
| R.E.M. | 3 | 4.33 |
5-Star Albums (121)
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Popular Reviews
Elliott Smith · 3 likes
5/5
Delicate and beautiful and sad and sweet and tragic.
Pixies · 2 likes
5/5
The Pixies continue to rock with the LOUDquietLOUD as Frank Black widens his lyrical scope to the alien.
Rufus Wainwright · 2 likes
5/5
Delicate and brash, pulling from a wide array of genres. Lyrically playful and vocally enticing, the songs ebb and flow throughout. A beautiful album
David Bowie · 1 likes
5/5
One of the greatest and most influential albums of all time.
Bob Dylan · 1 likes
5/5
Dylan is a contrast unto himself. Lyrics both dense and ephemeral, sound both melodic and grating, tongue in cheek while being deadly serious.
All Ratings
Fleetwood Mac
5/5
One of the best albums of the 70s, not a weak track on the record. All the separate members at the height of their powers combining to make an album greater than it's individual parts. In a vacuum you could just raise this up as a Fleetwood Mac Greatest Hits album.
All the more amazing is how this album was even recorded at all. With all of the interpersonal strife, relationships merging, intertwining, and imploding; it is a miracle that anything was recorded. The massive amounts of Cocaine could not have made it an easier environment either.
But through all of the strife and tears, fornication and fighting, Rumours emerged as a rare work of art that continues to be held up as a benchmark for other artists and a watershed moment for the group and music in general of that era.
Pixies
5/5
There is something primal and irresistibly urgent about the first run of Pixies albums.
The line up...
David Lovering on drums: Straight forward pop/rock sensibilities and just TIGHT AS FUCK. As many drummers find they have to do, David is the glue that keeps the madness together. Driving where he needs to, sparse where it calls for, with whip crack punch he creates the canvas...the skeleton...the outline.
Kim Deal: During the credits to the film "Empire Records", two characters argue about the best bass players. There is an argument for Big BassAPotomus style badassery ala Les Claypool from Primus, but the counter to that is Kim. You can play as ballsy, flashy, crazy as you want to....but can you play the perfect bass line for the song? That is Kim's super power. They are often simple and repeating, but they are the hook and the line. They catch you and make you groove. Added Bonus: Her back up vocals are utterly enchanting and unexpected(especially in this era)
Joey Santiago: Mad Fucking Genius Guitar Wizard. Master of feedback and sound. Coaxing and willing the screams from his guitar with black magic. I saw them after they got back together and watched Joey perform the solo to 'Vamos'. He took the guitar off his shoulder, placed it in the his guitar stand, and he made the most spectacular sounds emerge; walking around it as he would circle, attack, retreat and repeat. It was like watching a wolf chase it's prey.
Frank Black: A vocalist with the range from an unassuming whisper to a soul wrenching scream that wakes the dead. A lyricist to blend the mundane and surreal to teach you of the biblical to the extra terrestrial and everything in between. A rhythm guitarist that knows how to punish an acoustic. A songsmith that could do more with 3 minutes or less than most bands accomplish with their entire discography. An unassuming front man that lures you into his world with a calm presence before exploding with volcanic frenzy.
When they first hit the scene they always seemed right on the cusp of exploding. They had major proponents and fans with the likes of David Bowie(who would go on to cover the song 'Cactus' from this album) and U2(who had them open up for ZooTV Tour). I once read a quote, and I am paraphrasing here, that while not everybody heard the Pixies, everyone who did wanted to start a band.
Surfer Rosa, the first of their studio albums. They had 'The Purple Tapes' and 'Come On Pilgrim' floating around and making noise in the music world, but Surfer Rosa was their first real chance with a label. With Steve Albini set to produce, they booked 10 days in a Boston studio.
Albini is the one who set the tapes to keep recording to get all the snippets of the band in mid conversation which he then used to intersperse between the tracks. Some breadcrumbs between the bars.
LOUDquietLOUD is used quite often to describe the sound. The songs are short, sweet, fast, brash, and can turn on a dime quick enough to give you whiplash.
"Bone Machine" starts the record off giving you a taste of what is to come. Some guitar driven rock with a mix of loud and sweet vocals.
"Break My Body" takes off next with a harsher tack and Frank really starts to lean into the scream and show you just what he is capable of. Joey sounds like he is beating his guitar as much as David is pounding the drums. The accents that Kim uses on the bass line are subtle and sweet.
"Something Against You" continues with the attack and builds the pressure, just like something pressing against you. A sonic affront that gives you a moment or two of respite before smothering you again even stronger.
"Broken Face" is sporadic and hectic, staccato vocals and airstrike guitar. Bass and drums drive it relentlessly off the edge.
"Gigantic" gives us Kim in the vocal spotlight for this voyeuristic love letter. Creamy and silky smooth bass before David kicks on the door and Joey with the quick attack before dropping into the background. Let's do it again and again. A Big Big Love.
"River Euphrates" starts you on a lazy river float but this is the Euphrates and you are gonna RIDE THE TIGER. And while it might slow down around the curves you won't be safe.
Side two begins with one of the quietest tunes: "Where Is My Mind?" Frank Blacks' Caribbean adventure makes you feel like you are listening to it underwater. Sonic calls and hidden depths for an iconic song.
"Cactus" - A prisoner missing his woman, pleading for any contact. With imagery like "bloody your hands on a cactus tree, wipe it on your dress and send it to me" " a letter in your writing doesn't mean you're not dead" evokes isolation and desperation
"Tony's Theme" - This song is about a Super Hero Named Tony!!!
"Oh My Golly!" continues Frank Blacks use of Spanish/Spanglish/Esperanto interspersed with an English chorus to bring you back in.
11. "Vamos" RE: My description of how Joey plays his guitar and this solo in particular. While the Bass and Drums Beat and Bear down on you like a train, Frank Black screams and spits and gnashes his way through the song "YOUR MAMA'S A PRETTY THING"
Vamos a jugar por la playa(Let's Go Play at The Beach)
"I'm Amazed" Bombastic drumming, with a battle between Frank and Joey to see who comes out on top Vocals or Guitar, all while Kim dances sweetly across the fretboard
"Brick Is Red" closes out the disc and if you are not too exhausted from the whirlwind of an album, Frank Black pleads with you "It's not time for me to go, It's not time for me to go" so maybe flip that disc over and Ride the Tiger.
10/10 - no notes, everybody. Don't change a thing. (and this isn't even my favourite Pixies Album)
The Notorious B.I.G.
3/5
Not my cup of tea, but the production is solid. Samples are from everywhere and the beats are tight and infectious. This record is very close to being a concept album and is almost overshadowed by the history surrounding BIG. His name is ubiquitous with rap of that era and style and you can hear the DNA from this album through countless other records even today.
The Beach Boys
5/5
Brian Wilson's answer to the Phil Spector Wall Of Sound production design and the Beatles Rubber Soul album. Here is a band pushing to be even more than they were, a transition from the beach sound persona and stretching and experimenting with sound and what an album could be.
They brought in the infamous Wrecking Crew to play the instruments on this album and then layered vocal harmonies, strings, and orchestra. A fuller sound and a departure from the standard method of creating a few hot singles for 45 sales and then padding out the rest of the album with fluff. Brian pushed hard to create a record with no filler, a concept album more to do with design than lyrically.
Brian began to delve into psychedelics and continued with marijuana use here, claiming that it opened him up creatively. Whether that was the case, it is hard to argue with the beauty of the songs on the album. Pet Sounds stands as an album that was influenced by other greats of the time and in turn was an influence on those same greats amongst others.
Pretty, happy, yet melancholic throughout.
David Bowie
5/5
The first of Bowies' Berlin Trilogy being recorded in Germany with Brian Eno. Further experimenting with sound and electonica in music.
Front end of the album has more vocals and as it progresses it goes more fully into instrumental.
Sound and Vision is probably the most recognized song off the album, but it has tons of high points that are more ambient driven. Bowie, ever the changeling in his career, gives a mood setting piece that plants seeds for his future recordings. A wonderful album to sit in a dark room and enjoy with a glass of wine.
New York Dolls
3/5
Glam Rock meets Pop/Punk in a way only NYC scene could blend in the 70's. Sets an example for several punk albums that followed. It was a precursor to the Ramones, the Sex Pistols, the Clash, and plenty of others that would explode the Punk Movement just a few years later. You can definitely hear the influence that this record must have had (ex. Trash sounds like a blueprint for the Dead Milkmen, put more sneer and an appropriate accent on it and Bad Girl could have been a Sex Pistols tune). An impressive first outing for a band. I much prefer this David Johansen as opposed to his later Buster Poindexter persona.
Cheap Trick
3/5
Solid live album. Stand out tracks are 'I Want You To Want Me' and 'Surrender'. These live versions are probably even more recognizable than their studio album counterparts. It shows Cheap Trick to have a strong live performance, but I do not know that it should be on this list.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
5/5
Short & sweet punk rock songs done NYC Garage Style. Minimal trio still gives more body to their songs than many larger outfits. The guitars sound huge and the drumming is immense. Attack and retreat, all the while listening to the siren like crooning of Karen O. Amazing first album that is gripping with its urgency, like pulling you aside amidst a wild party to whisper/yell its' affections to you. Hard not to love it back. The songs 'Maps' or 'Y Control', either alone would make this a must listen album.
Tracy Chapman
5/5
In the late eighties, amidst the hair metal, punk rock, new wave, and boy bands this album landed and shook the music world. Black, female, singer/songwriter comes in with an album of folk songs filled with protest and personal pain. 'Fast Car' is the obvious stand out, but every song hits you with Chapman's emotion and sincerity. An album of delicate power and beauty.
Electric Light Orchestra
4/5
Jeff Lynne sure can write a catchy tune. Add that to his skill with string and vocal arrangements, synth and keyboards, and round it off with his top notch production makes it hard to go wrong with any ELO album.
'Turn to Stone', 'Mr. Blue Sky', and 'Sweet Talkin Woman' are almost universally known and have been put to use countless times across all kinds of media. No one puts together so much aggressive happy tunes, but still leveling it with a bit of wistfulness and melancholy.
A beautiful double album, start to finish.
Jimi Hendrix
5/5
This is THE Hendrix album. This is his Citizen Cane. This is Hendrix given full creative and artistic control.
Sit down with this album and put on a good set of headphones to get the full experience. Feel the way the music moves across the landscape, this is sound in Ultra 3D.
Jimi takes Delta Blues and fuses it with the Psychedelic. We travel from the sky and mountaintops to the ocean and below. From city streets to outer space and everywhere in between.
Starting off with "... And the Gods Made Love", and right off you know this is not just another rock album. Weird and wild sounds attack and subside, ebb and flow and take you into the greeting of "Have You Ever Been (To Electric Ladyland)". A welcome to the show, open arms inviting you in.
But now we gotta speed up to get across the city
with "Crosstown Traffic" showing you the chops include more than mellow mixes.
"Voodoo Chile" throws down the gauntlet and let's you know just how much a BAMF Jimi is.
Break into "Little Miss Strange" for a bit lighter fare, fun and bouncy before sliding into a sultry"Long Hot Summer Night"
"Come On (Let The Good Times Roll)" & "Gypsy Eyes" take us back towards the blues. Then"Burning of the Midnight Lamp" slows it down and starts to let us know we are gonna get deep.
"Rainy Day, Dream Away", "1983....(A Merman I Should Turn to Be)" , &"Moon, Turn the Tides....Gently Gently Away" are our seaside adventures that dive into the epic and surreal with music to suit.
"Still Raining, Still Dreaming" brings us back out and gets us ready to close out the album with some (literal) burners.
"House Burning Down" is a barn burner of an epic only to be topped by the next song, arguable on of the best covers of all time.
Jimi stole "All Along the Watchtower" from Dylan, put his stamp on it and forever made it his own. The whole album has built up to this release, and boy does it deliver.
"Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" shores the album up and rounds it off, reminding you that Jimi is a BAD MOTHERFUCKER and that you have just experienced one of the greatest albums of all time.
15/10 this is a testament to what amazing things can be achieved in a music studio.
Remember...headphones, good headphones and let yourself be immersed in this thing of beauty.
Alice Cooper
3/5
Alice Cooper has always seemed more Rock than Shock, more Glam than Rock, more Light Tin than Heavy Metal and for all of his seemingly bad boy persona seemingly toothless and catering more to FM Radio than its' outskirts...even considering the timeframe.
The album is fine. 'No More Mr. Nice Guy' is a classic. 'I Love The Dead' seems tacked on for the shock/creepy factor to keep up the image. The rest seems like pretty standard rock.
Malcolm McLaren
3/5
Malcolm McLaren is quite the divisive character. Manager(and sometimes the ostensible creator) of many great musical groups like The Sex Pistols, New York Dolls, Adam and the Ants, and Bow Wow Wow. And while he had a large hand in making them famous, I don't think any of these relationships ended well.
On Duck Rock, there is a wide variety of wonderful musicians and sounds from across the world. And while McLaren has done a good job bringing them together on this album, my thoughts on it are colored by his controversial approach to how he treated and (ab)used these musicians.
Relationship Status: It's Complicated
Thelonious Monk
5/5
That was some cool and complex sound coming at ya. Monk is working overtime here with his composition and play. Wonderful to hear an artist at work pushing the envelope.
Rush
5/5
This is probably my favorite RUSH album. This is the trio at their most experimental and weird laying down grooves across time and space. A pseudo-concept album that was a wild statement in the musical landscape of its time.
While I believe that they individually are some of the most talented technical musicians in rock, especially of that era, I always feel somewhat let down by their albums. I know and appreciate just how spectacular they are in their instruments, but I guess I expect that to result in a better whole product. I don't think I have been surprised at a RUSH album, no matter how much I enjoy them. Still 5 stars here for 2112
Nick Drake
5/5
Such a pretty album. Amazing what Nick Drake accomplishes with just a guitar and a voice here. Melancholy but hopeful in an intimate setting like someone sharing their secrets with you at 2am after a couple bottles of wine.
The Everly Brothers
3/5
Some songs recognized the world over along with strong vocal harmonies. A solid benchmark for the genre.
Willie Colón & Rubén Blades
5/5
Right from the beginning, it grabs you by the waist and you can't help but dance and sway to the beat. Salsa/World/Disco, blended and fused to masterful effect. I found myself singing along even though I had no idea what the lyrics were. The rhythm section is top notch and the bass in particular sweeps you away and fills you up.
Siembra is insistent and overwhelming in the best of ways. An excellent record, start to finish.
Sly & The Family Stone
5/5
This is a powerhouse of an album both musically and in the scope of history. Released just one year after the assassination of Dr. King and in the face of the civil rights movement turmoil, Sly and the Family Stone kept preaching unity. STAND! was deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" by the Library of Congress and selected for inclusion in the National Recording Registry.
But, not only it is a record of import, it is a tremendously universal and pervasive even to this day. Covered and sampled by the likes of Diana Ross, the Jackson 5, Jimi Hendrix, amongst countless others. These tunes are used in movies, tv, advertisements...if you haven't heard some piece or version of Everyday People, I don't know how you you have moved through the world thus far. It is even claimed that this is the first presentation of the slap/pop bass playing technique.
On top of all that, every track here is a gem of Soul/Funk/Rock fusion goodness. The band is kicking ass, having fun, and bringing the listener with them on a groove filled adventure. Nothing but love for this record.
Jethro Tull
5/5
Could listen to this on repeat(and have) for hours on end. Delicate acoustic coupled with with heavy brashness. Evocative lyrics and composition. Top of their game here.
Barry Adamson
4/5
Interesting concept, well produced. I would watch this fictional movie based on this 'Soundtrack'
The Kinks
4/5
Folk Pop sounds through the lens of Psychedelia. Picture Book is probably the best known track. Solid songwriting and playing.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
Arguably one of the top bands. All of their albums play like Greatest Hits albums. Add to it one of the most recognizable songs of all time and it is an instant include on this list.
Page and Plant scream to the heavens while Bonham and Jones drives them through the paces and changes on this classic record.
Black Sabbath
4/5
Even with the MASSIVE drug and alcohol abuse, Black Sabbath put out an amazing record. A veritable blueprint for Heavy Metal albums to come.
Pretenders
4/5
Chrissie Hynde's voice is irresistible A great debut album with the absolute classic 'Brass in Pocket' leading the charge. An excellent introduction to an impressive talent.
Tom Waits
5/5
Our mad, American poet troubadour.
X-Ray Spex
4/5
Early New Wave/Punk album. Poly Styrene definitely makes her mark here and blazes her own trail.
M.I.A.
3/5
Fun beats and a wide mix of sounds. Glad that I pulled up the UK version so that I got to hear Sanford and Son on URAQT.
Miles Davis
5/5
Look up the definition of 'Cool' in any dictionary and you should see a picture of Miles Davis just being his badass self. And then you add the rest of this murderer's row of musicians and it is no surprise with just how fantastic of a sound they get.
So What is one of the best jazz tunes ever written. All that build up at the beginning, so tense and restrained, then finally release to float off into the groove.
Titans of Jazz here just laying down the good stuff.
Curtis Mayfield
4/5
Smooth and soulful. Quietly understated.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
3/5
It was....fine, I guess. Not sure that I am a Neil Young fan.
GZA
4/5
Rap is not a style that I listen to often, but I do enjoy story tellers in all genres and GZA (along with the rest of the Wu-Tang Clan) delivers in this area. I absolutely love the aesthetic of Wu-Tang Clan, mixing the East Coast hip-hop/rap of early/mid 90s with the backdrops of Martial Art movies and Motown grooves and samples. I have always appreciated that aspect of it without really listening to it before recently.
The album was mixed in RZA's basement studio and that gives a guerilla warfare feel to it. The beats are simple but tight with samples layered into the background. All laid down to paint a picture, no real wasted brushstrokes here, everything seems to serve the narrative of each song.
Having just recently done a dive into Enter the Wu Tang(36 Chambers), I appreciate the rest of the crew jumping in with GZA on these tracks. They accentuate but don't overshadow the solo work here. I can see this album working it's way into a regular rotation for me when the Rap mood hits me.
Pulp
3/5
Less poppy than Oasis, Less disco than Blur, a good mix and blend of guitars and beats with more experimental sounds to give it a variety not reached by the other 90s Brit Pop bands.
Common People is super catchy. I more enjoy the Shatner/BenFolds version, but see why they liked it enough to want to pay tribute.
I Spy gives off the feel of a Leonard Cohen ballad, silky smooth and covered in cigarette smoke.
Disco 2000 reminds me of Laura Branigan's Gloria.
Something Changed evokesThe Smiths with wispy keyboards in the background dancing with Johnny Marr jangles on the guitar.
Underwear is a track that I could see Arctic Monkees using as a template for a good portion of their tunes.
Rounding out the album with the manic energy of Monday Morning breaking into the cool, soothing denouement of Bar Italia. Well crafted from start to finish. Well plied hooks and eminently easy to sing along to
Jurassic 5
3/5
Tight, jazzy beats. An excellent groove. On some of the tunes, the vocals don't mix as well as others; they are a bit too much in the foreground. All the samples make a smooth interstitial thread that keeps the movement through the tracks nice and buttery.
Pink Floyd
5/5
A band at the apex of their creativity and execution. The rock opera/concept album that all others are judged beside. The orchestration, repeating motifs, cyclical structure, the pure raw emotion on display, the juxtaposition of the grand and the personal. Filled with iconic tunes and moments, a masterpiece greater than the sum of its' parts.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
4/5
I bit of Prog Rock Weirdness. Starting off side A with a 21 minute song with 7 movements like a movie soundtrack conveying the whole story. Side B seems to be 6 unrelated songs that veer between Prog and Rockabilly. Solid musicians but it is like 2 different albums. THAT COVER THOUGH!!!!! That cover is a 5!
Weather Report
4/5
A great Jazz Fusion album. The interplay betwixt the musicians is top notch. Jaco Pastorius on bass is fantastic, slinky and smooth on the fretless...a talent gone too soon.
Thin Lizzy
3/5
Solid live performance.
Dolly Parton
5/5
A wonderful mix of the personal and over arching themes ubiquitous in this life. I am not a country fan, but if everyone were to listen to her and take her words to heart it would be just like that final track, 'A Better Place to Live'. Dolly has spent her life quietly doing her best to live up to that mantra.
The Strokes
4/5
When this came out over 20 years ago, the Sous Chef where I was working told me about this band that reminded him of the Velvet Underground. He was about the age I am now and we both shared a love of music.
'This Is It' is such a New York album for me. Quick paced and loud. Every song is like a New York Conversation. All of the instruments are distinct, weaving in and out, sometimes arguing, sometimes complementing, sometimes taking turns. All atop Julian Casablancas lyrical storytelling introducing us to a cast of characters throughout.
Loved it then, love it still.
The Pretty Things
3/5
Some claims that this is the 1st rock opera/concept album. Solid Psychedelic Rock coming out of the 60s. Mad sounds, quick changes and fanciful lyrics keep it afloat.
Dolly Parton
3/5
3 top tier country voices and excellent session backing crew. Not my genre but solid performances all around. This was a much anticipated grouping that had been in the making for probably over a decade. I don't think anyone was disappointed.
Rufus Wainwright
5/5
Delicate and brash, pulling from a wide array of genres. Lyrically playful and vocally enticing, the songs ebb and flow throughout. A beautiful album
Queen
5/5
One of the greatest of all time. 15/10 No Notes.
Jimmy Smith
3/5
Smooth and mellow all the way through.
The United States Of America
3/5
Solid psychadelic rock. Sounds like Floyd meets experimental era Beatles.
Tina Turner
3/5
The album that solidified Tina as a solo act.
Sigur Rós
3/5
Ambient and moody. Etherial and weighty. Melodic and dissonant.
I picked up the album they put out after his one based off of their sound.
Their music would not be an every day play for me, but it can hit the right spot when needed.
Isaac Hayes
5/5
Only 4 song, but one is 12 minutes and one is 19 minutes and the whole album is fantastic. The tension, build, and release of each piece is masterful.
Paul McCartney and Wings
4/5
McCartney can write the hell out of pop songs. And they are not just formulaic. Constant changes and movements, but all the while with an irresistible hook and immensely singable lyrics layered with wonderful harmonies.
Paul Simon
3/5
Not sure about this one, I guess I expected something different going in. It definitely seemed smaller in theme and scope, everything on a much more personal scale. Everything was good with a couple great moments thrown in.
The War On Drugs
3/5
The best 80s album of 2014.
It was good, very reminiscent of 80s era new wave and radio rock.
Prince
5/5
A master musician and excellent artist. One of the best of its' era.
Alanis Morissette
4/5
I don't think that I have really listened to this since the 90s. It really hit at just a perfect time. I feel like if it comes out a year or two earlier or later it doesn't become as big as it did.
It has the whole gamut of emotions, harsh and soft, calm and frenetic, and everything in between.
And it has Flea on bass for a song.
Nirvana
4/5
An album that hit at the perfect time. It set sail to 1000 bands. Not overly complex but every song on there is catchy and instantly recognizable.
Pentangle
3/5
The sounds of a Renaissance Faire. Read on Wikipedia that they were Folk Jazz and I don't think that I knew how that would sound until I played the album and the moniker fit perfectly.
Fairport Convention
3/5
Was fine, maybe I am too removed from it and context would be important.
The Who
5/5
Maybe I just have a soft spot for Rock Operas, but this is a great album. Universally known and respected amongst listeners and musicians alike. Any time a piece of art s translated across multiple media, you know you have something special.
Kendrick Lamar
3/5
I will probably have to come back to this one. I think there is something more there but I don't know if I am in the mindset for it.
The Police
5/5
The last Police Album and boy did they come with guns blazing. This is one of those albums that captures a band at the moment right before they disband. Egos and creative differences all come to a head and while it can make a record go wrong, if it gets done it really pushes the artists to limits that they may not have reached elsewise. A masterpiece, start to finish.
Pere Ubu
4/5
Talking Heads meet the Minutemen. Coming out in 78, it had to be on the forefront of the post punk movement and I am sure it was a huge influence on bands that came after. DIY and experimental, punk and weird. A fun listen.
Billy Bragg
3/5
Richard Thompson
3/5
Inoffensive and middling but not poorly done. The album cover itself definitely evoked more of a response.
Hugh Masekela
4/5
Solid jazz all the way through, but the Afrobeat coming through(especially on the latter half of the album) puts it over the top.
David Bowie
5/5
The Return of the Thin White Duke. The album right between Young Americans and the start of his Berlin Trilogy (Low). Weird and enigmatic with Golden Years being the song probably most known. Each song has a different feel, but a definite line that passes through the entire album and ties it all together.
Coming off of starring in The Man Who Fell to Earth, so coked out of his mind that years later he admitted to only having vague flashes of memories of recording/producing the album. Chaos and madness and vision and collaboration...and still a brilliant work of art,.
Alice Cooper
3/5
The title track is a classic. The bass player does a lot of heavy lifting on this album. The pseudo showtunes are a little weird, did not expect to hear West Side Story tracks here. I never got the hype on Alice Cooper but the album is fine.
The Young Gods
4/5
Can definitely see the DNA of this album making its' way through the later Industrial album.
Air
4/5
Starts off with a great tune and continues on with it a a motif throughout. Not sure how it would set with me if I had watched the movie before listening. Good album, plan to watch the movie to see if it gives greater impact.
Crosby, Stills & Nash
4/5
CSN puts together some good music. Their harmonies really set them apart. A very strong debut album.
Black Sabbath
5/5
One of the best of its era, one of the best of its genre. A seminal work that holds up today and will stand the test of time.
Madonna
3/5
Seems only tangentially related to Madonna. Could have been anyone singing these tracks. I think I had heard 2 of the songs on here before. It was inoffensive and forgettable but okay for what it is.
The Cars
5/5
The Cars came about at what seems the perfect time for them. They were able to masterfully mix Rock, Pop, and New Wave in such a way that created a catalog of almost nothing but gold. The songwriting from start to finish is in perfect balance. Catchy riffs and lyrics, but in such a way that you never tire of hearing them. An amazing debut album from a criminally underrated band. Every song on here is an instantly recognizable hit.
Burning Spear
5/5
Mellow and powerful and scathing and soothing and light and heavy all in turns. Many levels to enjoy this on and you could just have it on in the background all day.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
I wish I liked them more than I do. That being said, I never really find any fault in their albums. Excellent musicianship, production, and songwriting. I enjoy all their stuff, but it never seems to grab me like some other music does. Still top notch in every way.
Pink Floyd
5/5
A scathing jab at the record industry and its' costs and a plaintive look at innocence lost, Wish You Were Here is an outstanding work of art. Any part of it can be taken in and enjoyed but to feel the full weight one has to listen to the album in its' entirety.
I had listened to everything piecemeal and loved them all. One night while sitting alone in a car at night waiting, I had the radio on and was listening. The station was one that was on the outside fringes of reception and they while they played great stuff they were sometimes erratic with actually having music on. So when the radio went silent for a bit I almost turned it off. But I thought I heard something quiet in the distance so I turned it up. It was Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Parts I-V) and it absolutely gutted me. If anything had been open I would have run to go get the album immediately. As it was I picked it up the next day and it has been one of my favorites ever since.
Few albums convey such pain, anguish and longing in such a beautiful manner.
James Brown
4/5
One hell of a live album showcasing just how James Brown could own a crowd.
Screaming Trees
3/5
Good album, but not enough to really stand out for me especially for the time frame it came out. No real surprises until the last track, but there were many hooks and phrases that are either reminiscent of something previous or influenced something later.
Hole
4/5
I am not a fan of Courtney Love.
I am a fan of Melissa Auf der Maur and Billy Corgan can write music like few others(especially at this point in time).
Sufjan Stevens
4/5
Beautiful background music. I could see myself sinking into this deeper.
Michael Jackson
5/5
A classic. Songwriting credits include Stevie Wonder and Paul McCartney on top of Jackson himself. And with production by Quincy Jones. Start to finish top notch songs. He was called the King of Pop for a reason.
Kings of Leon
3/5
I wanted to like this more. I think it was the voice that turned me off of it.
The Soft Boys
4/5
Starts off as a standard early 80s album and then branches more into the psychedelic.
Bert Jansch
4/5
Enjoyed it. A sparse record, but a lot to unpack. Mind boggled at it being bought by the record company for 100 Pounds and went on to sell 150,000 copies.
The Isley Brothers
4/5
This goes hard as hell, funky and smooth as fuck.
Van Halen
5/5
One of the greatest debut albums from a band that quickly moved them to legendary status. One of the best rock guitarists of all time with one of the best front men of all time. While Eddie is the Wizard Dave is the Showman. Dave brought a sort of Vaudville mentality to the rock world and really added a sense of fun and joviality to the standard flamboyance and overt sexuality of the rock and roll front man.
Astrud Gilberto
3/5
Fine for a mid 60s bossanova/samba feel.
Soft Machine
4/5
Jazz/Prog/Psychadelic/Rock Fusion. Good Times.
Talvin Singh
3/5
Very much 90's electronica. There were some spots that sounded a bit low tech but that could have been on purpose.
The Smashing Pumpkins
5/5
One of the greatest albums of the 90s. The musical range on this is amazing, a sonic voyage across a two hour roller coaster ride.
I saw them on the RHCP tour double opening with Peal Jam during their Gish release. Thought they were okay, but kinda shitty to the crowd and each other so their next couple of albums were had stuff I listened too but never picked up. Then Mellon Collie came along and blew everything around it out of the water, it raised the Smashing Pumpkins out of the 90s era 'Every Grunge Band Ever' into a whole new pantheon. It has to be in my top 50.
Van Halen
5/5
The last 80s Van Halen album to feature Diamond Dave and nothing but hits again. While at the end of their run, Van Halen still put out some of their most recognizable tunes. Jump and Panama are probably the biggest tunes but I defy anyone to listen to the opening drums of Hot For Teacher and not instantly know what they are listening to.
10/10
One of the most iconic albums of the 80s
Would listen to over and over(and I have).
Steve Earle
3/5
Country is not for me, but this was fine. Solid production and good musicians.
Elvis Presley
4/5
Not a fan of Elvis, but he was a top notch performer.
The Rolling Stones
5/5
Often thought of as the first album where they really become the Rolling Stones.
They say that you are either a Beatles fan or a Stones fan. While I am staunchly in the Beatles side of this argument, when the Stones are on they are hard to beat. Paint it Black is one of the GREAT rock and roll songs. The rest of the album holds pace with it and shows off just what they can do.
Neil Young
3/5
Just not a fan of Neil. Somethin about his voice or style just leaves me cold. I respect his writing and musicianship but I don't think that he will ever(on his own) get more than a 3 from me.
The Smiths
5/5
I have never liked Morrissey.
That being said, all of the musical output from the Smiths is excellent. Especially perfect for its' time. And the rest of the band is just fantastic. Johnny Marr is SUCH a masterful guitarist. Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce in the rhythm section are tight as hell. The people who hated the Smiths in the 80s wished they could make music just half as good.
Metallica
4/5
This one comes with A LOT of baggage. Puppets is one of the greatest metal albums of all time and the Black Album is one of the most commercially successful albums of all time. Justice is right there in between them in many ways.
It is the first full length album after the passing of Cliff Burton, after their first real surge in popularity, after a monster amount of touring, first with Jason Newsted, first with a new label, first with a huge amount of money. It occurred during such a maelstrom of variables that they had never dealt with.
Even with their treatment of Newsted and the near disappearance of the bass on the record, it is heavy sounding record(if a bit tinny). There are a lot of stories told as to why Lars and James effectively erased the bass from the album, but it had to have been difficult to make this album without Cliff. Sure they made the $5.98 EP, but that was a couple of covers one a one off.
On the tracks themselves, they kept to many of the same themes that they had covered in previous albums but expanded in length and scope. Packing more riffs and changes while still keeping each song relatively tight. "One" became their breakout hit and this mix seemed to solidify a structure to their albums. It had enough "quiet" to make it onto the radio(the video did a LOT of heavy lifting in this respect as well) but still had the brash, thrash and anger. Something 'toned down' just enough to hook people in that might not have ever given them a second listen.
....And Justice is that middle child that desperately wants attention but is going to do it their own way. It is a stepping stone between stages in Metallica's career. Without it, metal does not come to the forefront in popular culture for several more years...if ever.
A classic album.
Give me the low end mix so I can hear the bass and I would give it an instant 5 stars.
William Orbit
3/5
I definitely heard this in the clubs during the 90s. Another album that I maybe don't have the context for why it is on the list, but it seems fine.
The Electric Prunes
3/5
Seems pretty run of the mill psychedelic garage rock. Nothing really stood out for me.
Beatles
5/5
Classic Beatles album. Probably one of the best representations of the Pop era Beatles before they started to branch out.
Beastie Boys
4/5
This is the Beasties album that won me over to them. Less schtick and more substance.
Moby
3/5
The album that convinced thousand of mediocre dudes that they could be a musician/dj.
Definitely a product of its' time. The tech has come so far since then.
First half of the album is fine. Latter half tapers off a bit.
I did always enjoy learning that he worked on an Atari ST. I might know some of the guys that programmed the tools he used.
The Black Keys
4/5
Great album to proclaim that rock is not dead.
Leonard Cohen
5/5
One of the great troubadour songsmiths. I would probably give any of his works 5 stars without needing to listen. But this is the first album, ad his early minimalist style really emphasizes the lyrics and core of the music. Beautiful, fragile, and powerful.
Funkadelic
5/5
The Mothership brought us The Funk. This album is irrepressible and cannot be denied. Equal parts groove, fun, and genius.
Cream
4/5
Bluesy, Psychedelic Rock...Classic album with great musicians. Would almost give it a 5 simply based on Strange Brew and Sunshine of Your Love. Or maybe if those 2 songs did not open the album...everything after that kinda pales after that.
The Jam
4/5
Excellent Brit/New Wave/Pop from the early 80s. Can tell that this where this influenced from and to. Right up my alley.
The Teardrop Explodes
4/5
Eighties New Wave album with heavy Bass lead. Never really directly listened to any Julian Cope stuff, but he has had his fingers in many pies. Solid work but tends to stray into Psychedelia for some extended bits.
The Magnetic Fields
4/5
The concept of making 69 Love Songs seems wild on the surface. Amazingly they pull it off. It seems like they took every line and phrase you might put into one but they made each one the focus of a song. With a wide range of silly, dark, light, meaningful, soulful, playful...there seems a bit of everything here. 3.5 hours is daunting, but impressively executed.
The Band
4/5
The Cure
5/5
If you are feeling sad and melancholy and WANT to feel sad and melancholy, there are few better records. In the midst of late 80s rock turning into early 90s grunge, The Cure one of the most brooding Goth/Emo rock records of all time and arguably their most popular one.
After the 'cheerier' outings of Head On The Door and Kiss Me, Kiss, Me Kiss Me, Disintegration is a return the comfortable gloom that you can wrap yourself up in. Heavy with synths and slow moving changes, Disintegration was an album that...I can't saw it blew them away but it definitely made millions of teens FEEL.
Its' production and construction hold up today. Disintegration may have hit the age that it is probably more well known for the use of its' singles in movies, tv, and commercials, but it is an album that stood alone in its' time.
4/5
More tame than Rid of Me, but you cannot deny Polly Jean Harvey. Silky and urgent, longing and demanding.
American Music Club
3/5
It was fine, I don't know that I was in the mood for this style. I may revisit later.
Portishead
4/5
Portishead is great, could listen to them most anytime.
Marvin Gaye
5/5
On of THE GREAT voices laying down love and humanity for all. Impeccable backing and such a great backdrop for the vocals. Could listen over and over.
The Doors
5/5
Few bands have a debut album of this caliber. The Doors come out of the gate fully formed...dark, dreamlike and disturbing with twisted sense of fun. Almost every track here is a classic and one of the most epic ending tracks ever produced.
The Doors
4/5
Back to back with their debut album is a weird coincidence. Not as strong as some but still a classic.
Roxy Music
4/5
Great Art Rock, all over the place stylistically. Good production, excellent musicians.
Minor Threat
4/5
Influencing punk rock since the beginning of time. Classic punk sound and ethos.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
Every song a rocker, every one playing at such a high level. Zeppelin sets a new bar every time they make music.
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
5/5
They are definitely more than the sum of their parts. Great songwriting, excellent production, and masterful harmonizing.
XTC
4/5
Definitely got more into it as it progressed. Quite a pretty album with great sound.
Bob Dylan
5/5
Anytime he comes up I am reminded of the Bowie tune, Song For Bob Dylan...
\"Oh, hear this Robert Zimmerman
I wrote a song for you
About a strange young man called Dylan
With a voice like sand and glue
Some words had truthful vengeance
That could pin us to the floor
Brought a few more people on
And put the fear in a whole lot more\"
With a voice like sand and glue, Dylan is a troubadour, songwriter, and above all else a story teller.
The xx
3/5
Started off with a strong sound with a cool bass line but tapered off almost to the point of plodding. Okay but not anything I see myself doing a deep dive on.
Elliott Smith
5/5
Delicate and beautiful and sad and sweet and tragic.
Black Sabbath
5/5
The Original, The One and Only. These guys put out the template and opened the door for all that came after and this is one hell of a first outing.
The Darkness
3/5
I Believe In A Thing Called Love is definitely the most recognizable song on the album. The rest of the songs were fine, but nothing that really stood out.
New Order
4/5
A great album full of instantly recognizable tracks that are institutions to themselves.
Frank Zappa
3/5
Great musicians that know their stuff but it just sounds too much like a jam band session for my taste.
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
5/5
Chock full of standards known the world over. Top notch Jazz.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
Mostly straight up Blues Rock on this Stones album. Not as many 'hits' as some other albums but solid rock and roll throughout.
Peter Gabriel
5/5
The most conventionally popular album for Peter Gabriel. Chock full of excellent musicians and fantastic tunes. The first album that I bought with my own money, the first artist I did a major deep dive into their discography, #2 best live performance I have ever seen. SO is truly a bridge to the rest of his works, more accessible but with all the things that you love in a Peter Gabriel album.
Throbbing Gristle
3/5
When listening, I had left the repeat on and I think it got around to the 3rd play through before I noticed. I guess it is an interesting album for the time frame it came out. I can see what they were going for and it was fine, fairly inoffensive for what it is.
Coldcut
3/5
I can hear how this influenced later works in the genre. Good beats and a playful style with the sampling.
Earth, Wind & Fire
4/5
Everything here is great but Shining Star is an absolute banger.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
3/5
I want to like Neil Young more, but I just can't.
Primal Scream
3/5
Not sure that I was in a clubbing mood to listen to this. It was fine and I remember parts of it from in the 90s but nothing crazy.
Lynyrd Skynyrd
4/5
Classic Southern American Rock, almost every one of these songs are standard in their own right. Outstanding for a first outing by a band.
2Pac
4/5
Not really my genre, but the grove is deep and his lyrics deeper.
Foo Fighters
4/5
Rarely do you get to witness someone else's cathartic journey in such a public way. Impressive and rocking in equal parts, setting the tone for everything that he has put out after.
5/5
Right after Sgt. Peppers came out, Clapton took some of the guys out to a show telling them they HAD to see the wild guitarist. The wild guitarist turned out to be Jimi Hendrix and he opened the show with an announcement something to the effect that he had heard the greatest album and wanted to share it with them. So The Jimi Hendrix Experience played the Sgt. Peppers album to a crowd that had Clapton and multiple Beatles in it. It had just come out and were so impressed that they played someone else's album for their show. Hell, if it is good enough for Jimi, it's good enough for me.
Culture Club
3/5
The hits are hits, the rest of the album is fine. Probably more significant for really introducing the world to Boy George.
Echo And The Bunnymen
3/5
Probably has their biggest hit. Wanted to like the album more. Maybe just not in the right headspace.
Morrissey
3/5
I have never liked Morrissey.
He is a good lyricist and a fine singer but this is The Smiths-Lite at best.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
CCR is one of the best known Rock Bands. Here they show off their strengths in songwriting and musicianship. Whether original or cover, they understand the assignment and deliver impressively.
Neil Young
4/5
I am not a fan of Neil Youngs voice I guess.
Southern Man is a powerful song but When You Dance I Can Really Love You is probably the song I most liked and was surprised about.
The songwriting and musicianship is there, I just cannot get past the voice.
4/5
I am usually torn on Live records. Sometimes there are special guests or on rare occasions there are groups that truly shine in moment. he back story on this one probably puts it into a loftier air, especially the 'Electric' second half of the album.
Dylan excels in his songwriting and it is impressive when he seems to effortlessly perform even his most complex verses.
Beck
3/5
So every time I hear Beck I am reminded of the song Heartbeat on Mike Watt's "Ball-Hog or Tugboat" Album. At the end of the song it has an answering machine message from Hanna stating why she did not want to be on the record(sometimes she claims it was an art piece, sometimes she is more ambiguous).
Here is is...
"Hello. Mr. Watt. This is Kathleen Hanna returning your phone call. Bout 3:45 on Monday and it's about that fuckin record that you asked me to do something for. And I guess I'm responding to that now cuz I have a few minutes. And I just wanted to tell you...uh, I have a friend who was raped by, fucked by, whatever you wanna fuckin call it by this guy on your record, gonna be on your record. He's a big rockstar. Yeah when he was 27 and she was 13 he was a big rockstar too. And uh, I don't know if the phrase "power imbalance" means anything to you. But uh, I'm just not so sure I wanna be included in your little white rock boy fuckin hall of shame here, you know? I'm just like "Do I wanna be sandwiched in between some of these guys that are just doing the whole, like, big-white-baby-with-an-ego-problem thing?" I mean, [sighs] get over it! It's so boring. It's like, a lot of these guys should just fuckin quit music and become lifeguards at like Wild Waves or some shit. So they can just like get their fucking, you know, anger management thing going. They can just get their power trips out on the kids, they can just do the whole thing. Maybe they'd be actually saving someone's life. "Hey, don't run by the pool. No cutoffs." You know? That's what I hear when I hear some of this you know music by a lot of these fuckin guys, you know? And I mean, I guess what I'm saying is "I'm just too cool... to be on your fuckin record." You know? It's like I really don't wanna perpetuate or be included in a thing where it's just a bunch of like, I don't know, just like this new. The music coming out by guys right now in the sort of like rock world or alternative rock world or used-to-be-punk world or whatever. It's like the whole, "I'm a straight, white, middle class, male, rockstar guy, but I'm so fuckin oppressed." "I'm a loser baby why don't you kill me." [Sigh] Yawn. Like super fuckin yawn. So yeah, I guess what I'm saying is No. No. No. No. I'm not interested. No. I don't wanna be on your fuckin record. No. But ummm. Mr. Watt. Dude. Babe. Sir. Uh, you need to get me my fuckin Annie soundtrack back like soon cuz you've had it forever and I know you haven't even fuckin listened to it yet. Just like, gimme a call and tell me when that's going to happen. And ummm. I'll talk to you then. Bye."
So, that machine message always plays through my mind whenever I hear Beck. I really enjoy 'Devil's Haircut' from this album...but all that I hear is..."I'm a straight, white, middle class, male, rockstar guy, but I'm so fuckin oppressed." "I'm a loser baby why don't you kill me." [Sigh] Yawn. Like super fuckin yawn."
Doves
3/5
Fairly unremarkable, standard stuff from 2000ish.
David Bowie
5/5
Part of the Berlin Trilogy. First half is peak hits Bowie and the latter half Bowie, Fripp and Eno playing with sound and structure.
Bob Dylan
4/5
Great song-writing. More subtle anger than earlier work.
Madonna
3/5
Madonna's delve into electronica. Greatly helped by William Orbit here, sometimes seems like she is just putting her stamp on his work. More subdued in spots than her earlier work. Definitely heard bits of this everywhere in the clubs in the late 90s.
The White Stripes
4/5
Great Rock and Roll from basically just the two of them. I love the aesthetic of using no computers to record and no recording equipment more recent than 1963. Down and dirty hit you in the gut rock.
Van Morrison
5/5
An artist that I have always enjoyed but never picked up an album from. I should remedy that and then do a deep dive. Poetry and Beauty.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
Marley is the gateway to all reggae.
The Allman Brothers Band
4/5
Not a fan of jam bands, this is some awesome guitar work though.
Travis
3/5
Fades away into the background.
The Adverts
3/5
Solid Punk rock
Leonard Cohen
5/5
A master songwriter. The Partisan is one of the best songs to exist.
Stan Getz
3/5
What an iconic song. The rest of the album is full of the same fun if not as recognizable songs.
ZZ Top
3/5
ZZTop is very much like AC/DC to me. They have 2 maybe 3 songs, but they do them well.
Emmylou Harris
3/5
Not sure if I consider it country, but it was fine.
TV On The Radio
4/5
Fresh and fun, did not know what to expect and was happily surprised.
Brian Eno
3/5
Experimental and ethereal. I feel like Eno does his best work with others, but his solo work is cool.
Muddy Waters
5/5
Deserves a 5 for 'Mannish Boy' alone. Muddy is Blues personified.
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
Some of S&G's best wrapped up in a pseudo concept album with leftovers from the Graduate.
The Triffids
3/5
Fine for what it was. It sounded very much like something else that I could not quite remember
Ice T
4/5
Good beats, smooth styling.
Iron Maiden
4/5
This isn't even the best Maiden Album....
This doesn't even have Bruce Dickenson on Vocals yet...
But I get why it is on this list. This album came out and showed the way for what I like to call "Literary Metal". It came in with an overarching Metal sensibility, but worked in some Prog timing and changes all the while pulling from literature and history to build the stories in their songs.
Steve Harris has probably been more influential on my Bass Playing and Songwriting than any other figure. Such excellent structure, wild staccato and percussive elements, sky burning highs and earth trembling lows.
Running Free is such an excellent anthem and the way they perform it live really shows the strength. Phantom of the Opera is so absolutely melodic and full of complexities rarely heard at the time especially in this genre.
I got so much grief for loving this band while I was growing up, but to now see people finding them and loving them and seeing so many bands cite them as an influence gives me the satisfaction of knowing I was right all this time.
I would put on their albums and stare at the covers of the LP to find all the little Easter Eggs Derek Riggs would hide. Their first 7 albums were such a soundtrack to the 80s for me. Not having Bruce on this album probably makes it the weakest of the albums for me, but it still is so far above what their contemporaries were doing and much better than a great deal of other things that have made this list.
UP THE IRONS!!!!
The Smashing Pumpkins
4/5
Probably the 2nd best known Pumpkins album. Whatever their faults, Billy Corgan writes a catchy hook.
The Doors
4/5
Very Bluesy and Dark. Everything is great here, as per usual, and they always seem to know how to end their albums in the best way possible; Riders on the Storm here rounding it out like the classic it is.
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
Stripped down, country like set of NON anthem rock. A great storyteller.
Beatles
5/5
Some of the greatest Beatles tunes coming near the end as you could see the bits unraveling. We get to hear more from George as he flexes a bit and Sinatra credits "Something" as one of the best love songs ever recorded. Having Billy Preston on organs is huge elevating "I Want You' to something immense.
Nitin Sawhney
3/5
Not really my genre, but the vocals were nice.
David Bowie
5/5
Bowie's dive into 'Blue Eyed Soul'
Young Americans and Fame are the best known hits rom this album but with songs like Fascination and Somebody Up There Likes Me, Bowie once again delves into a different genre to find what he likes.
Features some fantastic backing musicians like David Sandborn on sax and a then unknown Luther Vandross on backing vocals and vocal arrangements.
3/5
Not a fan of Oasis
Few people sound so much like they need to be punched in the face like the Gallagher Bros do.
Their 2(2.5???) hits off this album got so much overplay when they came out, it is difficult for me to listen to them.
The album is fine, I feel bad for the rest of the band having hitched their stars to these two insufferable pricks. I hope they made enough money that they never have to deal with them again.
Depeche Mode
5/5
This is probably the best Depeche Mode album, though Music For the Masses could take that spot on any given day. Violator has got to be their most consistent album. Beginning to end, DM hits everything right with exacting balance and beauty. Remorse and longing and romance and pain and yearning and aching and al...most...res...o...lution. Dripping in ambience and alt/synth vibes shrouded in a goth-like cloak of chill/warmth.
I was prepared to give this a 4 but then I listened to it on repeat several times and remembered just how consistently excellent it really is.
Neil Young
3/5
The least Neil Young-ish Neil Young album so far on this list.
Again, it's fine. There just has to be something I can't quite get behind on his music. Neil seems like a fine person and I wish him the best, but I don't ever foresee myself picking up any of his albums.
Yeah, change the voice here and I could probably sit with these for a bit.
The Byrds
3/5
Very 60's folksy-happy-shiny-bright
OutKast
5/5
A Modern Masterpiece.
There is depth, breadth, and complexity here that is rarely captured in any genre...and this album has genres in abundance.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
3/5
His voice was not near as jarring as in previous records. The album started off a bit more rock but lulled back into a more country feel. Better than most others from him that we have gone through, but not enough to merit a 4.
Sebadoh
3/5
Seems like a fine Indie Rock album, very reminiscent of Sonic Youth but a little more punk and less experimental.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
4/5
Yeah....this makes me realize that I have not listened to enough Nick Cave. Great stuff on here.
The Cult
3/5
I have heard them on the radio, but never felt the need to buy an album. "She Sells Sanctuary" from their previous album is more to my liking than anything on this one. I did not like their cover of 'Born to be Wild' the rest was fine.
Janelle Monáe
4/5
Epic and ambitious. Multi Genre dabbling pays off with an eclectic and exciting sound.
David Bowie
5/5
I remember hearing the singles on the radio and I immediately picked up the album when it dropped. But I did not have time to really dedicate to listening to it so let it sit beside the record player. And then Bowie passed and that was a punch in the gut. It took me a while before I could bring myself to listen to Blackstar and I often wonder if I would view it differently if I had sooner.
It is a brilliant piece of work, not only a culmination of all Bowie's talent and artistry, but a farewell to the world.
The bass and the horns are particularly fantastic on this record. I love how the album is jazzy and experimental while being encompassed in a gloom that accentuates without stifling. Bowie's lyrics here take on so much more meaning knowing what he was dealing with. Reading back about all the things that he was frantically doing near the end, spearheading the Lazarus Broadway play on top of recording Blackstar with a couple amazing videos to boot, was reminiscent of that last run that Johnny Cash did.
Blackstar is a gorgeous end cap to a long and impressive career.
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
3/5
More background music than what I normally hear from them.
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
Bruce seems a bit more aggressive/angry here. Nothing more really stuck out for me.
The Boo Radleys
3/5
Not my cup of tea
Arctic Monkeys
4/5
Infectious and fun. Reflections of young British nightlife.
Massive Attack
3/5
Solid background music. Quietly seeps in while you are going about it.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
5/5
People Ain't No Good.
There Is A Kingdom.
This album is a 5 based on these alone.
A story-teller in the vein of Lou Reed, Leonard Cohen, and Johnny Cash.
Flamin' Groovies
3/5
Pretty standard Rock and Blues
The Flying Burrito Brothers
3/5
Bit too much Country for my tastes, but excellent musicians.
Duke Ellington
5/5
This is exactly what I think of when I hear Big Band Jazz.
This concert had to be WILD. Reading up in the Wiki page, I had already known that Duke supported his band through some time but I had no idea this was the point it really turned around again getting them back on a record contract.
And that sax solo in Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue....Holy shit, Gonsalves played his heart out to collapse.
This had to be an epic experience and we are so lucky it was captured here.
Rush
5/5
Fantastic musicians with some of their most iconic tunes. I always want to like RUSH more than I do. Still a 5
Gil Scott-Heron
4/5
An excellent blend of Blues, Jazz, and Soul.
Röyksopp
3/5
Groovy and mellow. Good background music.
The Icarus Line
3/5
Solid garage rock
Björk
4/5
Excellent debut album. My roomate was a hige Sugarcubes fan, so this got quite a bit of airplay in our house when it first came out.
Michael Jackson
4/5
The King of Pop closes out the 80s with one of his best. A true picture of the sound of the times.
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
4/5
Folk and Country Classics compiled into one spot. Excellent musicians, not my style but relevant for the era.
Abdullah Ibrahim
4/5
Walked into this without knowing anything, even then it was not anything I expected. Would maybe like it better at a different time and different headspace but I can tell it is well done.
R.E.M.
4/5
I suppose that I have never been as much of an REM fan than I should be. All of their 80s output (and most of their 90s) can be argued to be classics.
Document is probably not my favourite, but it does have a couple of their most known singles. Solid from start to finish and an important artifact of its time maturing the College Rock level of play to something that could occupy a greater range.
Beck
4/5
Much better than Odelay. It seems like he matured musically or at least leaning more on the Dust Brothers in the writing department. The riffs and lines seem more direct and less "throw it at the wall and see what sticks."
High points for me are 'E-Pro', 'Go It Alone', and his tribute to the late Elliot Smith 'Broken Drum'
Dire Straits
4/5
An impressive debut album, like the band came out with this sound fully formed. Sultans of Swing is a near perfect song and it is surrounded by more great music.
Robert Wyatt
4/5
Madness and Pain and Beauty. As important for what it is as the story behind it.
G. Love & Special Sauce
3/5
Ii remember when this came out and Cool Beverage got a fair amount of airplay. The album is okay. Playful mix of blues/jazz/rap. A lesser version of Soul Coughing.
Aerosmith
4/5
No surprises here, probably their most known album.
Bob Dylan
5/5
Dylan is a contrast unto himself. Lyrics both dense and ephemeral, sound both melodic and grating, tongue in cheek while being deadly serious.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
4/5
Elvis Costello and the Attractions really threaded the needle between New Wave, Punk, and Pop while always being accessible to a wide crowd. The music puts me into the mind frame of the era it came out, it captures the feel and pulse of the its' time.
Tangerine Dream
3/5
Cool and interesting, could have it play in the background on the regular. Would love to see the movie this syncs up with.
Bebel Gilberto
3/5
It was fine, blended into the background.
3/5
Get rid of Durst and you probably have a better album.
Beatles
5/5
Few albums are as recognized as this one and it deserves all the credit it gets. From classic bangers to experimental oddities, The White Album has it all.
Cocteau Twins
4/5
Light and ephemeral mood music
Slayer
4/5
Titans of Thrash Metal. A major influence on everything that came after them and some of their contemporaries.
I never bought an album, but I respected their intensity. No real interaction with them past this...
When I was in high school in the early nineties, the art teacher was a pretty chill dude. His son was a few years older than me but we were in some of the same friend circles and we had some interaction.
While I never took any art classes, I would always stop by and chat with the Mr. B as he was often by his door as I was walking to another class. He was just a really nice guy with a good sense of humor.
Mr. B papered the door to his classroom so that anyone could draw a bit here and there. I don't think that anyone ever abused it by putting anything TOO graphic or out of place and the paper would stay up most all year as it filled and filled throughout.
In the top left quarter of the door, someone had done a Slayer namepiece along with star. I had walked by it countless times never really taking it in, but one day while chatting to the Mr. B I noticed something was off.
The name was a good representation of the font but the background star was not 5 pointed. I asked, "Did someone draw a star of David instead of a pentacle for the Slayer background." He replied with, "It definitely seems so, but I don't ask any questions." I said, 'Fair enough." made my goodbyes and then headed on to class.
It always stuck with me. He asked no questions, made no judgments, no critiques(other than maybe a supportive 'NICE!' here or there) on that door. It was always there for anyone to draw on and with no questions, judgments, or critiques offered...everyone felt free to do so.
Plenty of people were dismissive of Slayer fans, or metal fans, or WHATEVER fans. Just dismissive in general. I wish more people were like Mr. B.
Brian Eno
4/5
Experimental and haunting. You can hear the same soundscape he added to Bowie during the Berlin years.
Destiny's Child
3/5
Probably more relevant for the drama immediately preceding this album and the rise of Beyonce than the actual album itself.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
3/5
Probably their most popular album with plenty of songs that made their way onto the radio and into the common lexicon. They definitely seemed to find their preferred formula. Frusciante comes back with this one, Flea tones down the funk and distances himself from being the BIG BASSAPOTTAMUS, Smith is tighter but still just as aggressive as always, and Keidis finds where a balance of where innuendo meets radio play lyric wise.
David Bowie
5/5
First album post Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust so first album recorded post becoming a star and Bowie immediately starts experimenting more and more. This is a Top Bowie album and that is really saying something.
Stereolab
3/5
Very repetetive..droning at times. Probably not in the right head space for this but I do not see how this got 4 and 5 star reviews.
Crowded House
3/5
It was fine, nothing really stood out for me.
The Kinks
3/5
Interesting as a pseudo concept album, wish they could have had more control over production to lean into the tying everything together.
Air
3/5
Light, ephemeral, and catchy.
Franz Ferdinand
4/5
Excellent album with some iconic songs.
George Harrison
5/5
The best NON Beatles album made by a former Beatle
Solomon Burke
3/5
Solid and Soulful
Gang Of Four
4/5
Punk at a high level
5/5
One of the greatest and most influential albums of all time.
Wilco
3/5
It was fine, if not a bit repetitive.
Motörhead
3/5
I imagine that this is exactly how a Motorhead concert would sound...except louder and you would feel the growl.
Fishbone
4/5
Every ProtoPunk/SkaPop/Fusion band of the 90s wished that they could be Fishbone. They effortlessly weave together Jazz, Funk, Rock, Blues, and Pop. Their influence, and especially this album, on the scene is undeniable.
4/5
Poppy, light, mellow, and sometimes surreal. A bit indulgent at times, but good.
Blur
3/5
Seemingly lost in the shadows between Oasis and radiohead. Song No 2 was the one that caught me years ago but I bought the wrong album. Even if I had gotten the right album it still would been a bit of a bait and switch. I enjoyed their use of Bowie in MOR but the rest of the album was a bit uneven. Some songs lean into a more standard indiepop vibe while some almost come close to the noisy emotion of Sonic Youth, but they never seem to decide on which they want to be more and kind of fall into a middle ground.
Kanye West
3/5
There is a lot of good stuff here, and I lot of stuff not so much.
I like the gospel influences, not a fan of the 'chipmunk soul'. An impressive list of collabs.
If I had heard this when it came out I might have rated it higher. Probably more relevance than I am giving it credit for.
Thundercat
4/5
A wild ride across myriad genres. Fun and playful as well as pointed.
Sonic Youth
5/5
This album came out when I was 13 and it blew me away. It is music so emotive and visceral, it demands attention. A sea of noise and rhythm and riffs...it slams into your chest and sets its' hooks into you and gives you 70 minutes journeying across a landscape of sound.
R.E.M.
4/5
REM is a band that I want to like more. They got plenty of radio play, but that was the majority of what I heard from them. The deeper cuts here are good, the hits are like I remember. Their importance along with this record being their first major label release puts this in the forefront of their discography. Cannot deny the influence this record has had.
Wu-Tang Clan
5/5
I absolutely love the aesthetic of Wu-Tang Clan, mixing the East Coast hip-hop/rap of early/mid 90s with the backdrops of Martial Art movies and Motown grooves and samples. I have always appreciated that aspect of it without really listening to it before recently. And this is a banger.
This album is a landmark, watershed moment for the band that absolutely enshrined them into the Music and Pop Culture Landscape. Wu-Tang is for the Children.
The Smiths
4/5
Again...
Morrissey is an insufferable twat but the Smiths make great music.
Johnny Marr and the rest of the band do not get nearly enough credit for their success.
The Black Crowes
3/5
I did not really enjoy them in the 90s and they have not grown on me. A friend once said of them, \"They never heard a Stones song they didn't try to make.\" But Budget Brand.
They play well enough, but there were plenty of other better bands that did not get any play.
Various Artists
3/5
Some Christmas Classics, especially the Ronettes tunes.
Megadeth
4/5
Solid Thrash Metal from Dave and Crew. I think So Far and Peace Sells are better albums with more iconic songs, but I can see where this one gets the praise it does. Great guitar work here by Marty Friedman.
Fela Kuti
4/5
Fantastic drum work
The Cure
4/5
Steeped in mood and atmosphere. Sparse and minimalist but full of feeling and heart and sometimes gloom. This is a depression blanket in the best of ways.
The Velvet Underground
4/5
The Velvet Underground always sounds like New York. Lou Reed is a troubadour poet that conjurs a world around you with his storytelling.
This album is a more straightforward rock album than previous forays, but still another excellent outing.
Leonard Cohen
5/5
These are all absolute classics. Cohen is one of the greatest songwriter/storytellers of any generation. His entire discography should be taught to all those who aspire to write.
Big Star
4/5
Going into it, they seem pretty innocuous and unassuming. But every tune on this album could probably have been a single. Take also into account the time it came out and you can see where this album(and Big Star) in general was a heavy influence.
The most known tracks are probably In The Street which was covered-ish and used for That 70s Show theme music and Thirteen which has to be one of the most covered songs from this era.
I have heard about this album before but never gave it a spin. I feel like I did it and myself a disservice. Beautifully jangly guitars and sweet harmonies throughout.
Jimi Hendrix
5/5
Few debut albums have had such impact and influence that Are You Experienced has. Jimi is part of Music Mythology and this is a huge reason why. His story is nigh unbelievable and the tales of his recording sessions are just as wild. Jimi planted a flag in the sand for Rock/Blues/Psychadelia and let it fly proudly.
Dusty Springfield
4/5
Sultry and beautiful. A perfect blend of pop, rock, and soul.
Liz Phair
4/5
Starts off fairly average, but I feel like it is just a baseline for how much Liz expands over the rest of the album. Her coming out with this in 93 is strong, sets the tone for her career. Well done.
Jeff Buckley
4/5
Delicate and beautiful and melancholy and soulful and searing. Tragically gone too soon.
Beatles
5/5
One of the most underrated Beatles albums. This is the boys all working in harmony (as much as they ever did) while everyone is able to stretch creatively.
Kanye West
4/5
Big sound and impressive production.
The White Stripes
4/5
Hard not to get into. Cool and driving, toe tapping fun.
Pixies
5/5
The Pixies continue to rock with the LOUDquietLOUD as Frank Black widens his lyrical scope to the alien.
Marilyn Manson
3/5
Mid 90s Industrial. Marilyn Mason as a persona was probably more of a driving force than the music itself. A couple of good driving beat tunes here but the rest is okay.
Anita Baker
4/5
Not really what I tend to gravitate to, but I knew the name and was pretty sure I knew one of the songs. Knew the first one right off, yep. Oh, there's another one. And that one too. Damn, I never knew.... I think the entirety of this album is recognizable through various media. Respect.
Duran Duran
5/5
The poster boys for the New Wave movement. And this album is so classic even the cover is pop art. Nothing but hits here, universally recognizable and found everywhere. One of the best from the 80s.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
Led Zeppelin appears here on their debut album about as fully formed as a band can be about their sound and play. Now classic tunes that still influence bands.
T. Rex
4/5
A fun rock album, maybe even one of the first Glam albums. Definitely influential and worth listening.
Suede
3/5
Seems fine, but nothing really stuck out to me.
Fred Neil
5/5
As it starts off, I think that his voice might have too much of a country twang for me to get into...but then I recognize the song. Or almost recognize the song. I wrack my brain trying to find where I know it from. I check the Wiki page and look for covers. I search in Google to find a hint. Then it hits me and I go off to confirm.
BUT THIS HAPPENED FOR ALMOST EVERY SONG ON THIS ALBUM!!
Maybe not whole songs, but there are enough borrows or straight up lifts all throughout things I listen to. And I jumped down a bit of a rabbit hole and found an article titled, "Fred Neil, The Greatest Singer-Songwriter You’ve Probably Never Heard Of". This checks out.
Now I know what to listen out for. Now I know this man is quietly in the blueprint and genes of a great deal of music that I enjoy.
Damn. The things you find out.
Radiohead
5/5
For me, it gets a bit overshadowed by some of their other albums. But then I put it on and remember that it is another absolute banger. I love following the path the radiohead has taken...blazed even.
There is so much going on here. Layer upon layer of sound, percussive and insistent, evocative and present. Sometimes a cacophony verging on unraveling at points, but poignant and beautiful as well.
Paul Simon
4/5
Simon without the Garfunkel. A poignant wordsmith and expressive troubadour. A wide range of influences blended effortlessly into an inconspicuously strong album.
Simple Minds
3/5
I have seen many bands highly praising this album, but I don't get it. It sounds fine but not groundbreaking even for the time.
Gotan Project
3/5
Cool jazzy beats with some interesting covers.
Ali Farka Touré
4/5
African Blues....pretty badass.
The Zombies
3/5
Psychedelic Pop with a large sound and nice harmonies. Time of the Season is the big stand out here and the backstory on the recording of this album are more interesting than most.
The Who
3/5
Pretty standard live stuff. You do get to hear Keith Moon go gonzo on the drums especially on the extended My Generation and Magic Bus.
Santana
4/5
Huevos Grande!!!
I am not a fan of 'Jam Bands', but Carlos and crew could take half an hour for each song and I would still be here for it.
Genesis
5/5
This era Genesis is my favourite Prog Rock. Everyone here is amazing. Rich, lush and beautiful.
Marianne Faithfull
4/5
Strong early New Wave. A wide departure from her previous work. Quite the tumultuous life. Every track is strong here and really brings it to a head with the dark and brooding cover of "Working Class Hero" and the BLISTERING "Why D'YA Do It?".
Aretha Franklin
5/5
Aretha is a force of nature
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
This is what I hear in my head when I think of Reggae
Blondie
4/5
Blondie is a powerhouse. The band does a great job mixing punk, pop, disco, and new wave into catchy as hell songs while Deborah Harry is equal parts sultry and sassy as she purrs, croons, and belts out her siren song.
Incubus
3/5
It has a couple of songs that got a lot of airplay. A mix of several genres with some catchy hooks.
Pavement
3/5
It is definitely in the wheelhouse of things that I would listen to, but it seems like Sonic Youth lite. I have heard them off and on through the years but never anything made me want to buy an album. Always think of their cover of No More Kings from the Schoolhouse Rock ROCKS album whenever I hear them.
Harry Nilsson
3/5
I feel like everyone has heard at least half of this album without knowing it.
King Crimson
5/5
One of THE best Prog Albums of all time. Weird and Wild and Complex and Beautiful in equal measure.
PJ Harvey
5/5
This was the first PJ Harvey album I listened to. It was one of the monthly albums that Columbia House sent me years ago. This album continues to bowl me over to this day. She is a force of nature and this showcases the wide array of sounds that PJ can give.
Napalm Death
2/5
Not a fan. The vocals are a hard pass for me. I tried to give the instruments a chance, and while they were okay individually together they were a mess. At least the songs were short.
Beautiful Day is the big single from this album and it overshadows the rest. So much so that the album seems lesser for it, but there are some great tunes here. U2 playing older U2 style with the wisdom and knowledge accumulated from 20+ years of musicianship. Often overlooked and underrated.
Charles Mingus
5/5
Complex and beautiful.
Aretha Franklin
5/5
Aretha is a Queen of the first order. A voice and passion unmatched. An album full of indelible classics.
Sepultura
3/5
Definitely a step up from the recent Napalm Death.
I enjoyed the background info about them exploring their Brazillian roots and it came across in the music.
Kraftwerk
3/5
Mellow, fragile, and esoteric.
Beth Orton
3/5
Quiet and restrained. A bit reminiscent of Cat Powers in parts
Buena Vista Social Club
4/5
Varied and beautiful.
Frank Sinatra
5/5
Classic Sinatra
The xx
3/5
Atmospheric and faded into the background. A couple of instantly recognizable tunes.
Fleet Foxes
3/5
Fine, but all the songs seem to blend and sound the same. Maybe just the vocals are delivered in the same style with little variation.
Elastica
3/5
Connection is the stand out here, the song I know best from them. Solid BritPop from that era.
ABBA
4/5
ABBA has a stranglehold on this sound. Anyone else that tries gets downvoted into oblivion. But ABBA struck at just the right time, just the right amount of hooks, and with great vocals to make so many memorable tunes.
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
3/5
JIngly-Jangly Rockabilly done just as expected.
Scissor Sisters
3/5
Glam-Disco-Pop. Light, fun, and a bit tongue in cheeky at points.
Beatles
5/5
The transition album from the Beatles being the proto pop boy band into their more experimental and assured era. Still with beautiful hooks and melodies but growing complexities.
Sheryl Crow
4/5
Had only really heard the songs that made it to the radio. The deeper cuts here show quite the range. Going in thinking this was a 3 but it won me over to a 4.
Dire Straits
5/5
The masters of understated greatness.
Deep Purple
3/5
Solid rock with a bit of jam band thrown in.
Muddy Waters
4/5
Muddy Waters has influenced everything to come after him. A great live show.
Depeche Mode
5/5
Such atmosphere and presence. This coupled with Violater is such a strong back to back performance. Brooding, tense, and sexual. Peak example of the genre.
Beck
3/5
I am a fan of depressing and melancholic tunes....but this is a bridge too far to jump from.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
I should probably like the Stones more than I do. Brown Sugar and Wild Horses are the high points here in a standard Stones set.
Willie Nelson
5/5
Not a country fan, but Willie is a storyteller beyond compare and his songs of wistful longing are tough to beat.
Jane's Addiction
5/5
I always forget just how good this and Nothing's Shocking is. Most of the tunes here could be 3 or 4, but they are mixed together for great effect. This album is like a promise of what could have been and it hit right as the eighties were becoming the nineties. Every tune is teetering on the edge, ready to burst into chaos, falling apart at breakneck speed. Supercharged madness and beauty held together by glitter glue, bubble gum, and ejaculate.
Booker T. & The MG's
4/5
There was so much magic at STAX records around this time. This would get by on sheer swagger alone but it is also filled with top notch musicians laying down some remarkable grooves.
Otis Redding
5/5
There are few artists that can emote the way that Otis Redding did. Backed up by the STAX house band, some of the baddest motherfuckers to ever set tones on record, and you can't beat any track on this album.
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
Classic Springsteen
DJ Shadow
4/5
Solid beat with some cool hooks. Some of the soundscape was a little jarring but might have been less harsh if I was not listening on ear buds.
Bad Company
4/5
Like a template for a Rock and Roll Album. Filled with songs indelibly ingrained into the musical landscape.
Run-D.M.C.
4/5
Iconic and breakthrough album, immensely influential and game changing for the time.
Simon & Garfunkel
3/5
Wildly disparate genres jammed onto this album. Their harmonies and guitar playing are great, but the differences in songs can be a bit jarring.
R.E.M.
5/5
Top of form here for R.E.M., everything is firing on all cylinders. Both Style and Substance, Hook and Groove. The entire album is filled with hits that are easily accessible and achingly beautiful. And so many have found their way in to the American musical background. Jon Stewart did a parody of the Everybody Hurts video on his MTV show in the early 90s that was hilarious and I wish I could find it again. I only wish they had used the version of Star Me Kitten that they did with William Burroughs singing(featured on the X-Files Songs in the Key of X album)
N.W.A.
5/5
A legendary album that defined a genre.
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
5/5
Seminal work that laid the groundwork for so much that came after.
JAY Z
4/5
Not my cup of tea, but it has some great moments.
Public Image Ltd.
3/5
Experimental and avant-garde if not a bit repetitive. John "Johnny Rotten" Lydon's trajectory through the music biz has always been nothing but interesting.
Louis Prima
3/5
Fun almost to the point of goofy.
The Who
4/5
Starts of STRONG(as in probably one of their best tunes strong) and ends strong. The middle is kinda middling.
The Coral
3/5
Fun but probably forgettable.
The Go-Go's
4/5
Essential 80s listening.
Frank Ocean
3/5
Good sound and production, but didn't resonate with me. A few songs stood out stronger, but not enough to really bring me back/
Talking Heads
4/5
Perfect mix of quirky, goofy, seriousness, and punk
Deep Purple
3/5
A roadmap for early heavy rock music
Donovan
4/5
A great piece of psychedelic rock
The Temptations
5/5
Soulful Funk to get down to. the 12 minute version of Papa was a Rolling Stone is enough to make this an epic album. Masters of tension and release.
Kid Rock
3/5
Influential if only for probably being the precursor to Country Rap. Kid Rock has never heard a good idea that he wasn't willing to steal and mix with another.
Coldplay
4/5
They may have fallen into the trap of being overplayed, but Coldplay can make some pretty music. Sad songs with hopeful lyrics hook me every time.
The Police
5/5
An album filled with hits. The Police are here with their sophomore effort fresh off a harsh touring schedule. Excellent musicians firing on all pistons, confident in their skills, comfortable and in sync with their mates, and yet to have the clash of personalities soon to come in their career.
They are some of my favourite musicians, one of Rock's greatest Trios. Fantastic songwriting, tight as fuck, experimental mix of several genres, every song filled with an energy that you cannot ignore. Brash and bright and taut and gripping and beautiful. And the only album of theirs I don't have on vinyl, gonna have to remedy that.
Fatboy Slim
4/5
Encapsulating the DJ sound of the late 90s early aughts. Permeated the cultural landscape through TV, Movies, Ads, Clubs, everywhere. Catchy and pervasive, I think it would be hard to find someone who has not heard and would recognize that they had heard Rockafeller Skank, Right Here RIght Now, and Praise You...even though they would probably have no idea who Fatboy Slim is.
George Michael
3/5
Heavier than his previous album, delving more into social conscience themes. Solid pop album but not my cuppa.
The Undertones
3/5
Very indicative of late 70s/early 80s punk(especially BritPunk). Much like the Buzzcocks. Energetic and bouncy fun.
Gorillaz
4/5
This is one of those albums that hit at seemingly just the right time. I think I like Demon Days better, but this is great.
The Verve
3/5
Not a beig fan of their hit song here and the rest is pretty middle of the pack 90s.
Kanye West
4/5
I wish the guy was not so absolutely fucking nuts. I hope he gets help.
Lana Del Rey
4/5
A fantastic voice over some soothing and soulful tracks.
Incredible Bongo Band
3/5
Goofy fun with solid percussion.
The Clash
5/5
The Clash is one of the best to ever set foot on stage and London Calling is their Magnum Opus. Everything that they are distilled down to a double album that is at the top of its era.
LCD Soundsystem
3/5
Fun, funky, quirky, cool.
Talk Talk
3/5
Standard 80s New Wave
Britney Spears
3/5
Bubblegum pop. Britney is a great performer, but it is not my cup of tea.
Scott Walker
3/5
A troubadour sings his tunes. Not sure if there is more significance to be found here, but it was fine.
Michael Kiwanuka
4/5
Fantastic groove, atmospheric and rocking in equal measure.
Bruce Springsteen
5/5
The Boss in top form laying down some foundational tracks to cement his legendary status.
The Mamas & The Papas
4/5
Super Furry Animals
3/5
Sounded okay, an interesting mix of genres.
Badly Drawn Boy
4/5
Funny, eclectic, sometimes fragile beauty. reminds me of Elliott Smith, with more instruments here and there.
Johnny Cash
5/5
One of the great storytellers
Jefferson Airplane
5/5
Somebody to Love and White Rabbit alone are enough to make this a classic and they somewhat overshadow the excellency of the rest of the album.
Primal Scream
3/5
Meh...droned on in the background. Not anything that I had to turn off, but nothing I had to turn up either.
3/5
Fun and quirky. Very much as you expect from the Kinks. Did not dive in on the whole concept album think, but I may go back and try to get more of that experience.
Heaven 17
4/5
I think I like the story/mythos behind this album even more than I like the album itself. And it is an excellent piece of new wave/elctro/pop/funk.
Judas Priest
4/5
One of the key British Metal Albums
Beatles
4/5
Even as 'packaged' as the Beatles were at this point in their careers, you can hear what they will be capable of.
Klaxons
3/5
Dance Party with a few interesting add ins.
The Shamen
3/5
Very 90s, very dance/rave. Recognized the opening track, the rest faded into the background. The pedigree of artists that did remixes on this album is probably more impressive than anything else.
Nick Drake
5/5
Already heard Pink Moon on this list. After hearing this, have to imagine will be hearing his remaining album as well. So personal and beautiful, instantly recognizable and enjoyable.
Leonard Cohen
5/5
He gave it to us darker. One of the great storytellers says his farewells.
Beastie Boys
5/5
This sophomore effort still holds up as a fantastic album. Dense and layered sampling, playful and groovy as fuck. While it may not have been an overt hit when it came out, they boys definitely were flexing and stretching what they were and what they could do. The Dust Brothers are a huge part of this and the sheer amount of sampling in this record and how well it is done is amazing.
Oasis
3/5
Still hate the Gallagher brothers.
Rest of the band seems fine.
fIREHOSE
4/5
I would probably follow Mike Watt anywhere.
Brian Wilson
3/5
His music is always pretty and ridiculously well produced.
The Smiths
4/5
Again...
Morrissey is an ass.
But the vocal/lyric pairing with the music is undeniably good.
The rest of the band is fantastic.
Green Day
4/5
They hit just at the right time. Some undeniable hits here. Pop/Punk, Clash Lite, but not bad. A solid first album for a band that has really carved out their niche.
Big Star
3/5
I can see how this influenced some indy style bands of the late 80s/early90s. I was kinda expecting more, but it was fine
Eagles
4/5
Classic stack of their best hits.
Radiohead
5/5
I love that they put this album out themselves and had the freedom to do what they wanted. Beautiful and weird and harmonic and dissonant. The syncopation overlaid with the laid back plaintive vocals, the mix of harshness and lush feels. A perfect mix for me.
The Band
4/5
Some absolute classics here. The rest is a bit too twangy for me, but good songs are good songs.
Sex Pistols
5/5
This is a legendary album from an incredibly storied band. Notorious as it is famous, but every song on here is a punk classic. The blueprint for thousands of bands whether they are playing in stadiums or garages.
Grant Lee Buffalo
4/5
Purposefully plodding(I mean that in the best way possible) and full sounding trio. Can't hardly help but start slowly nodding and tapping your foot while listening.
Sepultura
3/5
Seems like pretty standard thrash even for 1991.
Stephen Stills
4/5
Can't argue that Stills makes some great folk rock. Not only does he play a ton of instruments, but the line up of talent he got to come in on this is rather impressive.
Ray Charles
3/5
Not a big fan of country, but Ray Charles puts his spin on some recognizable standards.
Alice In Chains
3/5
Kings of CHUNKY Guitar. Would and Rooster are their best songs and it's not even close past that. My hot take of this era is that Alice In Chains is overrated. The album is fine, but there are plenty of others in this vein that are MUCH better.
3/5
I don't know if I really get Prog or Psychedelic Rock too heavily from this, but it was fine. Solid as an album but nothing really sticks out. Went back for a second listen and enjoyed it but did not find anything that made me want to chase after more. If it comes on I am sure I would listen but I will not be rushing out to purchase or chase the rest of their discography.
Koffi Olomide
3/5
Tim Buckley
4/5
Soulful, ephemeral, delicate, beautiful, and powerful. Tragic that we lost both Buckleys too soon.
Stevie Wonder
4/5
More subdued and somber and personal than what I normally think of a Stevie Wonder record.
Run-D.M.C.
5/5
The kings of Rap Rock. Absolute legends. Walk This Way, Tricky, and My Adidas paved the way for Rap and Hip Hop into the greater musical landscape.
Fairport Convention
3/5
Pretty well was the same feeling I got from Leaf and Liege. Was fine, not getting the context that might change the importance.
Small Faces
3/5
A weird little record. Seems like a Psychedelic Concept album. Was fun and I could see myself going back for a listen and getting more into it. Some of the surrounding hoopla probably earned this record its place here.
Dinosaur Jr.
4/5
Noisy and beautiful. J. Mascis is creates such a balance between the two. I have the Just Like Heaven single from this album but I never knew it was the last track on the album. Beginning to End fantastic in a messy, muddy way that grips you somewhere deep in your chest and tickles your ears with a scratchy, aching voice that you can't get enough of.
Fleetwood Mac
4/5
Suffers in comparison from Rumors being the album immediately preceeding it. They went into it making sure not to just make a repeat and succeeded in that. Best song is the title track the rest is a mix.
Willie Nelson
4/5
One of America's great storytellers covering some classic po and jazz standards. A great collaboration with Booker T.
Nightmares On Wax
3/5
Groovy, but highly repetitive. Not a smoker, so maybe that is why I did not find it as delightful.
Dr. Octagon
4/5
Rap is not a genre I listen to often, but I am finding more and more that my preferences lie in the East Coast ethos. Couple that with the surreal, Sci-fi, comedic mentalities that Kool Keith presents and it is definitely a winner for me. Will probably look to pick this up along with any other similar works.
Kate Bush
5/5
I need more Kate Bush in my life. Only really knew her through Peter Gabriel and I should have followed through back in the 80s. Will have to make up for lost time. Some people get to put a capital A when they are referred to as an Artist, and she is one. So much going on with this album, so much beauty and crazy. She freely gets to experiment with sound and the equipment of the time and we are all better for it.
Stevie Wonder
4/5
Classic Stevie
Kraftwerk
4/5
Influential and ahead of their time. Pressing the boundaries of what the electronic equipment could do.
Prefab Sprout
3/5
Kinda fell into the background for me. Sounded much newer than it's age. Can plenty of influences over the years.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
Not what I expected from other albums of his that I have heard. Not sure if that is an endorsement or not. Maybe with more listens I would rate higher.
The Undertones
4/5
Fun little album, was very catchy and I listened to it several rimes. I can see how they influenced certain sections of the early 80s punk/new wave set.
Iron Maiden
5/5
80s Iron Maiden are the peak of the genre, and Number of the Beast is one of the high points in that run. Theatrical highs and lows, galloping bass lines, thunderous drums and jet attack guitars, with one of the greatest frontmen of all time leading the way.
Public Enemy
5/5
Lives up to the hype. Brash and impactful.
Echo And The Bunnymen
3/5
I never got the die hard love for EatB, but it was fine.
Suicide
3/5
It grew on me the more I listened. I can understand how this could be an influential album of its era. close to a 4 so 3.5. Could go up with more listens.
Merle Haggard
3/5
Merle just calmly and sweetly singing about some heavy topics. Not a country fan, but the man is a good musician
The White Stripes
4/5
Spare and stripped down, but the essence of a good blues/rock
Bob Marley & The Wailers
5/5
Marley is rhe touchstone for every listener of reggae, and for good reason.
Nanci Griffith
3/5
Seemed fine, unsure if there was a era relavance. Country-lite.
The Flaming Lips
4/5
Weird and awesome and beautiful in equal measure. 'Do You Realize?' will bring you to tears every time.
Wilco
3/5
Jangly, Country noise crossed with alt rock sensibilities.
The Sugarcubes
4/5
Quirky fun, my introduction to Bjork. Hit that weird late 80s niche of Pop/Alt/Art
Japan
3/5
It was fine. Atmospheric but not as substantial as I would like. A little disappointed in the All Tomorrow's Parties cover.
Manic Street Preachers
3/5
Alt/Brit Pop band from the 90s that I never heard of. I think their storied past with their lead songwriter disappearing puts them on this list more than the album itself.
Christina Aguilera
3/5
Really not what I am into. A LOT of production went into this to be so bland.
Germs
4/5
A band that launched a thousand gigs. The Germs are legendary.
Green Day
3/5
Filled with many of the songs they are most known for. Definitely Green Day grows up and plants their flag in the sand.
50 Cent
3/5
Good production and smooth style
Arcade Fire
5/5
I have loved everything they put put. Learned that Peter Gabriel was a fan. Learned that Bowie was a fan. How can you go wrong. Eclectic and beautiful.
The Chemical Brothers
3/5
Very 90s in vibe, but they kinda helped make that vibe a thing.
Ryan Adams
3/5
Not a country fan, but I don't know that it falls easily into that...saw it described as alt country. Seems like a good singer/songwriter and covered a wide range. Might go back and listen again. Could see it getting higher than a 3.
Tom Waits
5/5
As a wise man once said, "Everyone needs more Tom Waits in their life."
Portishead
4/5
Angry, Angry Johnny.....
Such a mood and ambiance throughout. Sultry, aching, and quietly vicious.
Happy Mondays
3/5
It was fine, but definitely got monotonous very quickly.
Slint
3/5
Started off sounding a bit like King Missile. Kinda droning but fine.
Mudhoney
3/5
Sounds like the 90s
Soundgarden
4/5
Cornell was one hell of a frontman. Not that Soundgarden is not good, but he definitely elevates everything he is in.
Ms. Dynamite
3/5
Solid storyteller good beats
Kelela
3/5
Smooth and futuristic background sounds
Spiritualized
3/5
Faded into the background, but had me tapping my feet here and there.
The Style Council
3/5
Cool and smooth
Randy Newman
4/5
Sweet and sad and funny and uncomfortable. As all his songs tend to be.
Cat Stevens
3/5
Wild World and Father and Son are the obvious hits here, but I feel Cat Stevens is more famous for being Cat Stevens than anything else. Rest of the album is fine, if not somewhat repetitive.
Sonic Youth
4/5
This album is great(if out shown by their follow up, Daydream Nation). Art Rock Power Noise with just the barest grip of control to keep it from spiraling into madness, just how I like my Sonic Youth.
Amy Winehouse
4/5
Throwback Wall of Sound style and she threw ALL of herself into her music. Tragic and beautiful.
Deep Purple
3/5
Some pretty good live rock
Tito Puente
4/5
Good to hear more international music. Snappy and great for dancing.
The Mothers Of Invention
4/5
Culturally significant, and I get it, but definitely was not in the mood for it and I agree with so much that Frank Zappa says, but man he seemed like an insufferable prick in so many situations.
Lucinda Williams
3/5
Fine if a bit plodding and repetitive.
The Killers
5/5
I was originally going to give this a 4 before I did a re-listen. I always forget that this album is is nothing but absolute bangers the whole way through.
Haircut 100
3/5
Sounds so much like the 80s
Hole
3/5
Fine, a couple tracks that I remembered.
The Kinks
3/5
Not sure what I was expecting, but it was not this. faded into the background without any real stand out.
Spiritualized
3/5
If quiet monotony is where you want to be, you need something extra to grab my attention. It was not provided here.
Girls Against Boys
3/5
Did not fall into entirely into the grunge ethos of the early 90s. Sounds a bit like Sonic Youth lite. Could see myself giving this more listening time.
Ride
3/5
Started strong but flattened out near the middle.
Digital Underground
4/5
Would give it a 4 just for the Humpty Dance alone. Hilarious and fun with good beats all round.
Common
3/5
Solid beats, got my foot tapping.
Donald Fagen
4/5
Sounds like Steely Dan in all the best ways. Unsurprisingly.
Super Furry Animals
3/5
90s BritPop with a bit of madness thrown in
Joni Mitchell
3/5
Pretty and delicate.
Sarah Vaughan
3/5
Solid jazz in a live setting
The Charlatans
3/5
I had heard about the Charlatans through the 90s but never actually listened to them, Seems like standard BritPop of that era.
Method Man
4/5
I appreciate the style and aesthetic.
Stephen Stills
3/5
A double album that went by incredibly quick. started it over and had the same experience. Good songwriting but nothing really stood out to me.
3/5
Very 80s and fun
David Holmes
3/5
Was fine. Beats and background noise. Nothing stood out especially good or bad.
The Beta Band
3/5
Listened to it twice and it was fine. Kinda sounded like Beck at points.
Talking Heads
5/5
One of the greatest tunes of the 80s surrounded by more fantastic music. Wide variety of sounds and rhythms, a band full of excellent and eclectic musicians.
Bob Dylan
4/5
A great songwriter and musician and a classic album. Sometimes Dylan is TOO Dylan for me, though.
Nina Simone
5/5
Such a voice, a siren without peer.
The Jam
3/5
Sounds just like late 70s/early 80s new wave should
The Fall
3/5
It had glimpses of something that I would have liked better. Lots of things there that I enjoy, but it seemed to stutter throughout and not quite get there.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
4/5
Excellent for a live album.
Laura Nyro
3/5
Great voice, reminded me a bit of Kate Bush.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
4/5
Love me some Karen O.
Boards of Canada
3/5
Blended into the background. Nothing really stuck out.
Todd Rundgren
3/5
It was a bit all over the place, but fine.
Fun Lovin' Criminals
3/5
The had one hit and it they had to share credit with Quentin Tarantino on the writing they used so many of his lines. the rest of the album was pretty one note.
The Sonics
3/5
They are the Sonics...just not the SUPER Sonics.
Dion
3/5
VERY much a Spector production. I can see why Dion distanced himself from this album.
David Gray
3/5
Folktronica?
He had a decent run on the radio with Babylon. Fine but quite the same throughout.
Moby Grape
3/5
Less psychadelic than others, but solid rock of that era
Elvis Costello
3/5
Solid stuff by Elvis Costello. I get his popularity, but if I want something in this vein I tend to prefer Joe Jackson.
Saint Etienne
3/5
Was fun and catchy, avoided being repetitive like so many others of this ilk/genre.
The Rolling Stones
5/5
Hard to argue with some of the best to ever do it. One of the great albums. So iconic and cool.
Lambchop
3/5
Pretty and mellow. Not sure on the falsettos, but I liked the album quite a bit better on the second listen.
Dexys Midnight Runners
3/5
Did a couple of listens but no stand outs really, but fine.
Radiohead
5/5
An excellent continuation from Kid A, fully layered sounds and syncopation.
Grizzly Bear
3/5
It almost hit for me, but never quite got there.
The Crusaders
3/5
Cool jazz, quite short.
Dusty Springfield
4/5
Dusty and Dusky vocals. A real treat.
Jah Wobble's Invaders Of The Heart
3/5
Didn't resonate with me. Bass playing seemed to try to be more impressive but felt muddy.
The Byrds
3/5
Probably a bit too country in its roots for me.
Billie Holiday
4/5
Billie Holiday commands your attention and is one of the most expressive singers ever recorded.
Yes
5/5
One of the best Prog Rock bands to ever be
Femi Kuti
4/5
Fast paced and jazzy with some excellent percussion
The Associates
3/5
Seemed fine, nothing that stood out.
Ryan Adams
3/5
It never quite hit. Sounds like it cold be better, but just never gets there.
James Taylor
3/5
Some classic tunes here from a classic singer songwriter. Only real complaint that they are all similar in tone and emotion.
System Of A Down
3/5
Solid and catchy. Has a musicality to it that many of their peers do not have.
Mylo
3/5
It did not destroy rock and roll, nor did it make me want to. It was fine.
Fiona Apple
5/5
Right from the opening crash, Tidal takes you on a wave. Fiona Apple is a force of nature; vocally, musically, lyrically. A monster debut that is a promise of things to come.
Drive Like Jehu
3/5
Punk Noise Rock.
Snoop Dogg
4/5
Strong beats and the arrival of Snoop. Dr Dre provides excellent production. Everyone does good work here, but it owes so much of itself to George Clinton/Parliament/Funkadelic.
The Yardbirds
3/5
Kinda Psychadelic rock, Kinda Rock, Kinda Blues. Probably would have preferred if they went any of those directions instead of wandering back and forth.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
The description of this a s Swamp Rock is hilarious and somehow fitting in a serious way. Hard not to like it even if you don't want to.
Blur
3/5
Fun and catchy BritPop that doesn't take itself too seriously.
Ute Lemper
4/5
Sounds a bit like Kate Bush. Excellent taste in cover tunes.
Siouxsie And The Banshees
4/5
Spellbound is a great wat to start the morning. If Peter Murphy is the Gothfather, Siouxsie has to be the Gothmother. Great musicality dripping with ambiance.
Joan Baez
4/5
Classic Folk guitar
Bad Brains
4/5
Early genre expanding work. Incredibly influential for all who came after.
David Crosby
3/5
A great voice and master of harmonies
Songhoy Blues
4/5
Even without their backstory, this album is great. lively and infectious.
The Prodigy
3/5
You do not get more 90s Electronica than this.
Pulp
3/5
It kept sounding like different artists(most that I like). I should probably do another listen, but it seems good but not quite great.
Nas
3/5
Seemed fine, but nothing stood out for me.
Bee Gees
3/5
Not the bee Gees I am accustomed to hearing. It was fine, but nothing that catches my attention.
Rocket From The Crypt
3/5
Solid Punk Rock
Isaac Hayes
5/5
Master of the slow build. Oscar winning Theme Song. Bad Ass record that does not disappoint.
Mike Ladd
3/5
Very ambient and mood driven. Sets a cyber punk tone with a hip hop sense.
Rage Against The Machine
4/5
Iconic and brash. Still holds the same power.
Ash
4/5
I feel like I should have gotten into these guys a lot. I think that I just heard Kung Fu at the end of Rumble in the Bronx and thought that they were no more than that. While that tune is quite fun, the rest of the album is pretty great too.
KISS
3/5
They are more a product than a band. Definitely made some iconic tunes though.
4/5
The first half of this album is ridiculously weighted with iconic hits. The rest of it is fine, but just pales in comparison. If they had a different play order, I think the album would be stronger as a whole. It is a trend I have noticed on their albums.
The 13th Floor Elevators
3/5
It was psychedelic and....wobbly????
Fine but nothing stood out to me more than the wobble that seemed to happen on most of the tracks.
Dwight Yoakam
3/5
It was country music, not my preference, but I did not turn it off.
Orbital
3/5
Ambient Techno...Could not agree more. So very 90s.
Neil Young
4/5
The best of the Neil Young Albums that have shown up on this list. Was less country and twang, a bit more electric and some great layered vocals. I can hear the strength of his songwriting here without the typical detractions that get between me and liking it. Would listen to more of this.
Jack White
3/5
A fun album by an excellent guitarist. I think this is very close to a 4 for me, but it is not quite there.
Aimee Mann
3/5
Love me some Aimee Mann, but I think I prefer other works of hers to this.
Sabu
3/5
Happy to hear more international music on this list. Snappy and bright, a fun groove.
Tom Waits
4/5
Could listen to Tom Waits all day. Consummate storyteller with a voice like the gravel roads he has walked.
Bob Dylan
3/5
More electric Dylan. It was fine but other albums stood out more on this list.
Miles Davis
5/5
One of the best to ever play
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
Less pop and more ambience.
Basement Jaxx
3/5
An interesting mix of stuff that almost sounds familiar.
Beyoncé
3/5
Good production and a great performance. Can hear why she is the star that she is.
Jeru The Damaja
3/5
Solid beats and very 90s
The Psychedelic Furs
4/5
Pretty in Pink is the iconic song here. The rest of the album sounds similar, just not as known as the opener. Love the vocals and the sound. wavering between a 3 and a 4 here.
The Byrds
3/5
I think I was expecting more. Nothing bad, but nothing that stood out.
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
4/5
Loud, Messy , and Noisy in all the best ways. Loosely bound chaos just on the verge of spinning out of control masterfully held on the edge.