Mar 24 2024
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Innervisions
Stevie Wonder
I've listened to this album many times, and it's always been a favorite. Glad to have a reason to listen to it again.
5
Mar 25 2024
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Cheap Thrills
Big Brother & The Holding Company
This is one I haven't listened to, but overall Janis Joplin's fun, and the late 60s had some neat albums. I'm sure this one will be fine.
If I hadn't read that it wasn't recorded live, I would never have assumed otherwise. It sounds so perfectly "live", down to small imperfections (like tuning) and that perfect concert hall reverb.
I'd only ever heard "Piece of My Heart" on the radio before, which wasn't always a favorite, but it's interesting how much bluesier the rest of the album is. It's definitely not as psychedelic as I was expecting it to be, which is fine.
Definitely liked "Oh, Sweet Mary > Ball and Chain" the most. Overall pretty solid.
4
Mar 26 2024
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Blackstar
David Bowie
It's certainly a lot more experimental than I was expecting, in a great way. I always knew Bowie was known for trying new things musically, but I didn't expect this sound at all.
Definitely was pleasantly surprised by this album. I'm not sure if it's a regular listener, but it's fascinating to listen to. It's enough to make me consider giving Bowie's newer work a more thorough listen.
4
Mar 27 2024
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This Year's Model
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
Another new listen, as I expect most of these to be. I've listened to My Aim Is True plenty of times, but never this one for some reason. I'm optimistic that this one will at least match that record's quality, if not overshadow it.
It was definitely a more solid listen than the other project. I'll need to give it another listen at some point.
4
Mar 28 2024
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If You Can Believe Your Eyes & Ears
The Mamas & The Papas
Another new one, and a pleasant listen overall. The harmonies were great, and it had that perfect mid-60s folk-tinged rock sound that I was hoping to hear. It's like if Jefferson Airplane and Peter, Paul and Mary got together to make an album without trying to sound too much like one or the other.
4
Mar 29 2024
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Electric Warrior
T. Rex
I honestly didn't expect to see T-Rex on this list. I only know a couple of their songs, and never liked either of them enough to convince me to give a full album of theirs a try. Thankfully, I never disliked them enough to intentionally avoid their albums either. I'm generally excited to hear a fuller picture of the band.
It did exactly that. I'm considering giving another album or two of theirs a look at some point. It's definitely blues-inspired, but it's not just "blues but with fuzz", like I expected. If anything, "Bang a Gong" isn't the best example of their sound, similar to how "How Soon is Now?" doesn't reflect the overall sound of The Smiths, despite their respective songs' popularity. It was much more glam rock than I expected, in that sort of early Bowie way. "Cosmic Dancer" was probably my favorite track on the album.
4
Mar 30 2024
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Morrison Hotel
The Doors
A new, but expected, title for me. One of the first full albums I ever listened to was their self-titled release. As for this one, I'd heard its hits on the radio plenty of times, to the point where every time those first few notes in "Roadhouse Blues" come on, I tend to change the station. But after giving the entire album a listen, it's not so bad. The new-to-me tracks were fun, although the lyrics could get a bit strange sometimes. "Waiting For the Sun" is always a fun one. "The Spy" is an interesting one. All in all, not bad.
4
Mar 31 2024
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I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got
Sinead O'Connor
This might be one of my new favorite albums. Every song was great. In all honesty, "Nothing Compares 2 U" is one of the weaker tracks on the album, which says a lot, because it's a great track. What a good album.
5
Apr 01 2024
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Pelican West
Haircut 100
Usually I don't mind new wave, although I've only really stuck to the hits. This album was a bit underwhelming, though. It's a shame, because it had a lot of really interesting elements. But this one was a little samey at times. It wasn't bad, necessarily, just wasn't a project I'd go back and re-listen to.
3
Apr 02 2024
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A Rush Of Blood To The Head
Coldplay
Coldplay was always a band whose songs I knew, but didn't love in the same way many people do (sorry). This album was pretty nice overall though. Hearing their less-known songs for the first time was actually pretty refreshing. I wonder if it was just because they were overplayed that I didn't like their hits... Either way, this one was pretty easy to listen to. "Daylight" and "Amsterdam" were highlights.
4
Apr 03 2024
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The Stone Roses
The Stone Roses
This was one I hadn't heard of until now. It was a pretty solid album overall, with interesting enough songs to hold your attention. It had some parts that definitely reminded me of the Revolver-era Beatles, as well as some Smiths influence, which is always fun. I'm not sure I'd call it a favorite, but I'm glad I listened to it.
4
Apr 04 2024
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Aja
Steely Dan
An amazing album from one of my favorite bands. It's probably their best overall, although I personally prefer The Royal Scam. The hits were great, but I've always loved "Home At Last" the most. Between the solid bassline and, well, Bernard Purdie, it's probably my favorite Steely Dan track in general. The production is top notch, the composition's perfectly smooth, and the instrumentation is eternally interesting, with each new listen offering a view from a different angle... so good.
Also Michael McDonald's there
5