272
Albums Rated
3.32
Average Rating
25%
Complete
817 albums remaining
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Taste Profile
1950s
Favorite Decade
Funk
Favorite Genre
UK
Top Origin
Wordsmith
Rater Style ?
56
5-Star Albums
14
1-Star Albums
Taste Analysis
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You Love More Than Most
Albums you rated higher than global average
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scott 2 | 5 | 2.64 | +2.36 |
| Freak Out! | 5 | 2.84 | +2.16 |
| Exile In Guyville | 5 | 3.02 | +1.98 |
| Architecture And Morality | 5 | 3.05 | +1.95 |
| Smile | 5 | 3.06 | +1.94 |
| The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway | 5 | 3.08 | +1.92 |
| Dig Me Out | 5 | 3.08 | +1.92 |
| Roxy Music | 5 | 3.11 | +1.89 |
| Who Killed...... The Zutons? | 5 | 3.14 | +1.86 |
| american dream | 5 | 3.18 | +1.82 |
You Love Less Than Most
Albums you rated lower than global average
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Off The Wall | 1 | 3.78 | -2.78 |
| (Pronounced 'Leh-'Nérd 'Skin-'Nérd) | 1 | 3.76 | -2.76 |
| Strangeways, Here We Come | 1 | 3.44 | -2.44 |
| The Band | 1 | 3.37 | -2.37 |
| From Elvis In Memphis | 1 | 3.36 | -2.36 |
| The Chronic | 1 | 3.33 | -2.33 |
| The Slim Shady LP | 1 | 3.29 | -2.29 |
| Slippery When Wet | 1 | 3.29 | -2.29 |
| A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector | 1 | 3.28 | -2.28 |
| Me Against The World | 1 | 3.25 | -2.25 |
Artist Analysis
Favorite Artists
Artists with 2+ albums
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Radiohead | 3 | 5 |
| Miles Davis | 2 | 5 |
| Fiona Apple | 2 | 5 |
| Leonard Cohen | 2 | 5 |
Controversial Artists
Artists you rate inconsistently
| Artist | Ratings |
|---|---|
| Eminem | 5, 1 |
| Beatles | 5, 3, 2 |
5-Star Albums (56)
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Popular Reviews
Green Day
3/5
Somehow, I never understood the hype about Green Day or the specific sub genre. Not bad though, this one. Easy listening Punk Pop if you ask me. Catchy with some pretty good lyrics, but nothing for my island
1 likes
4-Star Albums (63)
1-Star Albums (14)
All Ratings
Kendrick Lamar
4/5
Beastie Boys
5/5
Judas Priest
4/5
The production actually amazes me. Was not aware of the natural open sound of the rehearsal studio. If you compare the raw edge of this with today's massively overproduced records, i really enjoy this much more than I did in my youth. No overwrought production, instead very solid songwriting with lots of dynamic space.
Violent Femmes
5/5
When it arrived on scene I was in a musically different universe and could not care less about this weird acoustic punk stuff. Now, more than 40 years later I am soo sorry not having listened to this in my younger days. Great songwriting, raw energy and enthusiasm and an artistic decision on sound that cannot be called but brave, I cannot but admire what the then 18! years old Gano has pinned down. Absolutely enjoyable from start to finish.
Green Day
3/5
Nah, I still feel undercomplex when listening to this country-pop-fun-punk-rock blend of musical nothingness. Yes, it is energetic, direct, well played and produced, and the lyrics actually mean something. But they never made it for me, I go for Ramones, Bad Religion, Clash, or Violent Femmes if I want such kind of music. Although, in their times they served a purpose, and that was to reintroduce lighthearted fun into Rock Music Making.
Boston
5/5
OK, this is the brainchild of a producer and studio wizard - namely Tom Scholz - and it is AOR and it is 1976. Doomed to failure, full of clichés.
Rarely has an AOR record to this day had such polished and meticulous songwriting, rarely have the lyrics been less clichéd than here, rarely have such consistent instrumental mastery and flawless execution met less pretentiousness in the individual instruments. Even today, this still sounds fresh, coherent and more like a band than what most of their successors and today's contemporary bands were/are capable of delivering. This is a great record, no matter what style you prefer. You can argue about taste and preference, but not about technical and musical quality.
It's not my taste. But I love it.
Sinead O'Connor
5/5
This remains a great listen. Period. So much intensity in the performance. When Nothing Compares 2 You drives you to tears, don't expect the rest to not affect you. This whole record is about affectation and sadness, sometimes anger. It is versatile in styles, a showcase of O'Connors musical capacities and deeply reflecting on turmoil and trouble. All the introspective - mostly female - singers to come after surely found some of their courage in her(e). Confession of troubled soul and mind. While some artists challenge you with their musical avantgarde and complexity, Sinéad does so with her open wounds.
If said song does not affect you - stay away, you might not find anything made for you.
Songhoy Blues
3/5
Well, I kind of like this style of music. And some of the songs here are really beautiful. But there are quite some artists / records from the genre that I hold in higher esteem. This one for me is somewhat too much on the mellow and conventional side. Still a good record, but it is missing some edge and some of the guitar playing would have been better off played with the Kora, as it feels too close to that instrument as one could call it inspired by. Concerning message or meaning, I cannot judge, but from what it is said, there is no hidden evil lurking.
On a secondary note: don't go for the deluxe edition. The three additional covers don't go well with the album.
Aretha Franklin
4/5
No music can be everyone's cup of tea. This kind of music is not mine. Nonetheless, this record should be a milestone in female R&B self-empowerment. That alone would make it valuable as a historical document. But for me, even though I rarely listen to this kind of music, this is also a great performance. The sheer energy that Aretha Franklin brings to the table, her power and presence make it a really, really enjoyable listen. She may not have been the best voice of all the "divas" (and I've always wondered why she was given such a derogatory label), but she was certainly the powerhouse.
Jack White
3/5
Hawkwind
3/5
I can understand some of the negative emotions. There are those that look for flawless execution, those will be disappointed. There are those that look for polished to the edge songwriting, those will be disappointed. Many reasons to dislike the whole thing. It is a mess of self-indulgent and pompous waste of time. But hey, that is exactly what makes this a fun listening, because they are shredding away with passion. Out of tune and out of synch, noodling and drawling away. I take this for amusement, not for its importance. Surely it does not belong on any albums-you-should-have-heard list, but being that serious sometimes is just not appropriate.
Method Man
4/5
Arguably I am culturally very remote from anything Rap, HipHop etc. So I cannot really judge the woth of this effort in its context. But from out of context, it flows nicely with me. I like the atmosphere, I like the rhythms, the production - and like the flow of the individual performances. I could not listen to this kind of music the whole time, but this one resonates with me, and from what I can make up off the lyrics by just listening, it is def. no brutish Gangsta stuff or such kind. It will not end up on any of my lists, but in the context of what has been presented here so far, it is def above average...
Thelonious Monk
4/5
This is a cornerstone, one of the most impactful Jazz albums ever. Of course, much is about the playing, the display of artistry and the fun of interaction. But it is beyond that, it is mainly Monk's approach on time and rhythm, the way he is capable of of free-floating, that set him apart. At his time this was extraordinary, and only few could follow him. This tension is not resolved here, which makes it difficult to really appreciate.
Guided By Voices
2/5
Emmylou Harris
2/5
Nirvana
4/5
Eminem
5/5
Echo And The Bunnymen
3/5
The Icarus Line
2/5
I cannot understand the wave of disgust this record causes. It simply is somewhat meeh. Not hard to listen to at all. What is all the fuzz about the noise? There is not too much of it, instead rather traditional songwriting with a tendency to overextend the content, both lyrically and musically. There are moments to be cherished, moments better discarded, and a lot of overblown nothingness inbetween. It feels dated, most of all. I did not know it before and will surely quickly forget. Nothing to have listened to before dying. 2.5, but down rating due to its insignificance.
Keith Jarrett
5/5
Quintessential.The very record to show an artist channelling momentous inspiration. A sole person and his instrument in parley. Listened to it potentially a hundred times and will do again and again. Not an easy listening, despite some moments of beauty and bliss. How exhausted he must have been after these concerts.
The Fall
3/5
Queen
3/5
The Smashing Pumpkins
4/5
Britney Spears
1/5
Talking Heads
4/5
Kanye West
4/5
The Allman Brothers Band
3/5
Earth, Wind & Fire
3/5
Bob Dylan
3/5
While I have never been a huge fan of Dylan - musically speaking - there are some notable exceptions to it. Time Out Of Mind is such. A very warm record, attributed to Daniel Lanois' production. Frankly, this is a producer's record, and I would even say that stripped from the production the musical content would be mediocre at best. Unremarkable bluesy Americana. If it weren't for the lyrics. These are what sets Dylan apart most of the time. A nice record to listen to once in a while, but nothing to justify it being on a 1000 albums list.
John Lennon
2/5
Guns N' Roses
4/5
Motörhead
3/5
Slint
4/5
One of a kind genre defining Album. It is rare that a band creates something genuinely new but still is rooted deeply in what was before. This is one such record. Always gets me and keeps me listening attentively. I understand people who do not like it, it is for sure not meant for easy entertainment and it really depends on what you look for in music. That is why I will not give it 5 stars as it is a little bit too deliberate in some passages. 4.5 down to four for some imbalance. Still a great record and for sure belongs to this list.
U2
4/5
Actually, this could be the time to start whining about what has become of U2. But that would take away from their early recordings, even their Zooropa phase. So much brilliant idiosyncratic music to hail from them, every one of those records so peculiar U2, each of them delivered with passion, vision, aspiration. War is nothing but that, a passionate statement, political to the point of bland, but all forgiven by attitude and delivery. No full five, that is left to another one of theirs...
Blood, Sweat & Tears
4/5
The Fall
4/5
The Go-Go's
3/5
Fun, pure fun.
Bobby Womack
3/5
I somehow understand the reason for that kind of music, it just does not resonate with me. Good production, all played on spot, I guess the singing and all are what it should be. It is all musical and does not sound generic shit. For what it is worth...
Megadeth
3/5
Pretenders
4/5
This one came to my like as for many others here: a surprise. Later days Pretenders were what I knew so far and I never felt inclined to listen to their back catalogue. What a miss . Great energy, cool playing, no fillers, nice raw punky edge to the pop/rock lingo. And Chrissy Hynde should deserve much credit for the singing here. This will not be heard for the last time.
Stevie Wonder
4/5
Pixies
4/5
This has fallen from future into its time. A short and condensed glimpse of what was to come years later. There is so much the listener from the 90ies and zeroes would have immediately grasped that did not resonate with the contemporaries .
Above all, fun despite being meant serious, concise production, only a few flaws but no fillers. A nice series of mind twisting contrasts. I love it and listen to it since I discovered it 15 years after its release. If you like it or not, it should be part of any serious collection. 4.5
Abdullah Ibrahim
2/5
An album to have listened to before you die? Nah, that's in-ear out-ear Jazz despite the political statement that I am told it was. Nothing bad to it, but nothing musically overly interesting either.
The Verve
3/5
Animal Collective
3/5
Public Image Ltd.
2/5
As was to be expected most of the critique, dislike and obvious hate that forms the reviews for the album does not dive into its musical aspects but purely evolves around the lyrics. While there is much to discuss about the quality of those, responding to anger with overweening arrogance or the same level of venom does not serve the cause and leads to the same superficiality used as a reproach against Lydon.
Conceptually, this album is an anti-establishment statement - both lyrically and musically. The establishment clearly includes punk, now having grown into another money making machine. Unfortunately, as is with most such statements, it is not a pleasurable listen. Repetitive, deliberately lacking any positivity, refrain from concepts that are deemed to involve the audience. While being an essential recording and the start of Post-Punk, and even while rightfully on the list, it has not aged well and given the missing relatability, I cannot give it more than...
The Kinks
2/5
The Smashing Pumpkins
4/5
Electric Light Orchestra
2/5
I keep it short: overly self-indulgent pompous overproduced bore. Two points for daring. I hate it. Sorry.
Wire
4/5
Eagles
4/5
The Police
4/5
Liz Phair
5/5
Reading some of the reviews here, I can only say: embarassing. This is a great record by a great and serious artist. Some here obviously do not understand that this record is SURELY not about female sexual phantasies, but about how easily males consume females and attribute how the execution of power - be it socially, culturally, economically established - pertains to their self-perceived grandiosity and establishes an interpretation of male/female relation that could not be more biased. This is a record about being outside and the longing to belong without having to submit.
Apart from that, this is a bold statement musically, and one that deserves a place in this list.
Alice Cooper
3/5
Radiohead
5/5
The Specials
3/5
Deep Purple
4/5
Metallica
2/5
Alexander 'Skip' Spence
2/5
Madonna
2/5
Johnny Cash
4/5
Tom Waits
3/5
The more traditional Tom Waits. Not a bad record at all, but it is missing some of the theatrical quirkiness that I love so much with Big Time or other such records. Some filler instrumental organ blues as well imho. A convenient listen.
The The
4/5
Simply a classic. Precision cold songwriting, but nonetheless thrillingly emphatic. Rarely has a record about alienation and relationship troubles provided so much joy for the listener. Unfortunately sometimed of its brilliance gets washed away by 80ies production cheesiness.
Radiohead
5/5
Rating this album seems to be a hit or miss, either 5 or 1. While I sympathize with the 5, I cannot understand the 1. Sure, it is a bold step away from anything expected and made for traditionalists. But even if one doesn't like it, or outright hate it because it for sure is deliberately not matching expectations: this is composed music of depth and grandeur, not only incidental noise or horrid production. The execution is flawless, the music is complex and demanding. If you appreciate this kind of boldness, it is one for five stars, if you grudgingly hate Radiohead for what they did with you here, give it a three for its importance. Everyone who claims: anyhow did never like them should not be taken serious, as this is completely different and incomparable to the Radiohead from before...
AC/DC
4/5
This is the complete opposite to the one I had to listen to before, Radiohead's Kid A. But this is the timeless essence of Rock, broad legged machismo, fun, pretentiousness, to be despised if you do not take it as a show. But if you take it as such, it becomes quintessential showtime, and if you don't take it for serious but from an artsy perspective, it even becomes perfect irony.
Apart from that: great songwriting and arrangements stripped to the essentials. I love it (obviously)
The Byrds
3/5
Sisters Of Mercy
3/5
Willie Nelson
3/5
The Cure
2/5
I never really understood what the fuzz was all about. There were some nice songs by The Cure, but overall at the time I found their approach to "melancholy" and "depression" a rather mediocre teenage phantasy of the real pain. These days I simply find them outdated and aged poorly and it definitely has not grown on me and it remains as it was: boring instead of melancholic.
2/5
I am definitely not the biggest fan of his music, but I admit that he was visionary at times. I hardly understand any of his lyrics by listening, but reading them makes me even hold out his singing. And he wrote some great iconic songs
Unfortunately, this record ist overshadowed byba mistuned acoustic guitar and a brain melt inducing terrible harmonica. The second disc does not provide enough relief from the first one then. But that is just taste, and therefore as a document of boldness I give it a two and will never again listen to it.
Pink Floyd
5/5
Beatles
5/5
I decided to refrain from commenting on 5 stars, I decided I only give 5 or 1 to those I am missing words for.
Slayer
3/5
1or 5 stars would be the artists' intended effect, but that was at its time. Did not age too well and today leaves me rather lukewarm. Three stars nonetheless for it being genre defining...
Nick Drake
4/5
A real beauty, focused and to the bare essential. Naked soul displaying itself. It is simply sad to think which pain must be behind this. This could not be longer. Listen loud!
The Magnetic Fields
4/5
I try to love it, I try to love it, but I can't, but I can't. It is too long, it lasts forever, forever is a concept I can not sustain.
But it is cool somehow, and if I cut it into chunks, I love the chunks. I dearly do.
Weather Report
3/5
While I admire the technical prowess, this record never has made it to me. It feels an exercise in musical theory.
John Lee Hooker
3/5
And another sacrifing their soul to commercial success. Luckily a one timer more or less in his catalogue.
Blur
3/5
Definitely some staples here, not too slick and some really nice quirkiness. If it comes to 90ies Brit Pop, this is a go-to. Surely not a fiver, but entertaining nonetheless. Overall a consistent outing.
Teenage Fanclub
3/5
Public Enemy
5/5
Although I'm not too interested in this genre - simply because it's culturally very distant from a person who lives where I do and from its context - I can smell greatness where it is. It's great musically, emotionally, technologically and message-wise. I remember when the album came out, I was in awe of the flow of it, the sheer power of the performance, the technical sophistication and excellence of the resampling and re-contextualization of so many musical elements already familiar from other contexts. The aggression and urgency of the message without it ever becoming a mere exercise in production technique. It's a great production, but it's also warm in a human sense. It's emotional without being clichéd, it discusses conflict without being exclusively confrontational. It's musical discourse at its best, profound, inclusive and considerate, and at the same time consistent and positioned. I would wish for so much of it in these turbulent times full of ignorance, malice and hate.
Joni Mitchell
3/5
Big Brother & The Holding Company
3/5
If it weren't for Janis Joplin, this would be a plain 2. The songs are not too bad with the covered ones the better, the instrumental delivery is amateurish.
No real joy here.
Depeche Mode
3/5
Back in the 80ies I hated them. Now I loved them. Why? Don't know, but it just clicks with me. Nonetheless, this one is not their best and nothing really super impressive.
Genesis
5/5
I am so glad so many people don't like it - it just confirms everything I ever thought about why people might listen to music.
It mine, my precccciousssss. You will not get it.
Miles Davis
5/5
A timeless beauty and one of the most important and most influential records ever. There is nothing I do not like about this. Gorgeous.
And frankly, any Mingus household should love this too, unless they never understood Mingus. Calling this elevator music simply discredits the listener as a bore, because they are not about music. They potentially drive a Benz that eats up half their income and think that an expensive car sound system is what music is about.
Manic Street Preachers
3/5
Jerry Lee Lewis
4/5
LCD Soundsystem
3/5
Cornershop
3/5
Like the laid back delivery of some great songs. There are some hits and some misses, and if the songs would all live up to their delivery and the production, more would have been possible. 2.5 rounded up to 3.
Elastica
2/5
Meat Puppets
1/5
Intentional crap or whatever. There are bands that do this kind of stuff way better and much more subtle. Just because someone detuned a guitar and sang out of tune does not make them rebellious or anti. It is consistent, but consistency is not what creates good music, it is what would propel a good record to be a better. In this case it makes a crappy record a bad one.
GZA
3/5
Sugar
3/5
Spiritualized
3/5
Little Richard
5/5
What can I say. As some Jazz records and some Blues records before this is not only a Genre defining exercise. More than much of what came after, this is a fundamental part of a shift in culture.
Not much to say about the music itself these days. I am not particular into it, but recognise it as the essential recording it is. There are many things on the list I do prefer musically but would nonetheless never rate as high.
Little Simz
4/5
Is this essential? No. Is it my style of music? No. Did it entertain? Oh yes. Is it concise, skillful, expertedly done? No question. Is it a thing on its own? Def. Can I rate 5? No, but it is great for what it wants to be, if I am not mistaken.
Robert Wyatt
3/5
Astrud Gilberto
3/5
Too much of a sixties movie about things I never felt intrigued into. I mean, I understand the musical prowess, but once the big band horns kick in, it has lost me. Nonetheless.
Coldplay
4/5
Simply like it, and I can listen to this album without thinking of Chris Martin. I mean, come on, he is not MJ or some other criminal. He is just not every bushwacker's or woodchopper's definition of male. Do I care?
The Notorious B.I.G.
2/5
Carole King
5/5
This is a tapestry. A huge concise map of memories, a little faded sometimes, in other places colourful, overall a certain shade of things gone and woven together in an imaginary past.
I am sol familiar with this one, there is no real rating. It is like that large heirloom hanging on the wall and never removed because it's simply indispensable. It's value is defined by the viewer and not by itself. Love it.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
3/5
Well, some killers, some fillers. A promise of what's to come, but not more. Like it, but certainly not something needed to hear before death.
Soundgarden
4/5
Sufjan Stevens
4/5
Like it. Enough said.
Metallica
2/5
I have a guilty pleasure with this record. I love it, although it is utter pretentious pop gone metal. It is bad though, and I had to suffer Lars Ulrich two times in a festival setting. That was a revelation. I do not think any drum track on this record was close to being played in one take. And the drums just sound shit. Two for the guilty pleasure
Sly & The Family Stone
5/5
Iconic.
k.d. lang
2/5
I rarely fall asleep to musical boredom.
Jacques Brel
2/5
This is too remote for me. I assume it is great storytelling and all that, but musically I find this of no particular interest to me. Ultimately I cannot really judge this.
R.E.M.
5/5
Simple as that, 5 stars. Perfect. Night swimming would need six stars.
U2
4/5
Ananda Shankar
3/5
Metallica
4/5
The only Metallica to get more than 3 from me. If it weren't for the drumming, drumsound and drummer, I'd consider an even four, so it is a 3.5 upgraded.
Lauryn Hill
3/5
The issue with some of the mainstream US music is, that it tends to play too safe and to value production effect over musical depth and actually diminish the value of the songwriting and artistical performance. This record feels like many US movies that don't dare an open end, or a sad ending. Like how the Blade Runner director's cut is way darker than the cinematic edition. So sad, there could be more to this, given lyrics, songs and voice.
Throwing Muses
4/5
I have missed it in its days, regrettably so. A blissful collection of energy, emotion, and most of all rawish punky well crafted songs. Really love it. Thanks!
R.E.M.
3/5
Billy Bragg
3/5
I like it, typically political statements with sparse music make me cringe, but this one somewhat feels right. And all the fuzz about his singing, hey, did you ever listen to Mr. Dylan?
Sparks
4/5
Overall, a very pleasant and eccentric listen. Strong songs all over, well executed. Pure fun and entertaining, without being overly slick or mainstream. Highly recommend find from this list!
Holger Czukay
2/5
While I really love CAN, this one sounds and feels like a Krautrock pre-study or demo to something. Apart from the terrible singing, there is also too much aimless noodling involved. For me this is a little too much of nothingness. Some nice moments, though.
Fiona Apple
5/5
Goes without words, 2nd great artistic statement this week.
Kate Bush
5/5
This is simply a statement of artistic grandeur. It is decidedly Pop, but idiosyncratic as it can be. Great songs, great performances, meticulously executed to the smallest detail without any sterile perfectionism.
For me, one of the greatest main stream statements ever. Running up that hill never ages for me and I never ever got fed up with it.
Thank you, Kate Bush, for this gift.
Miles Davis
5/5
ZZ Top
3/5
Harry Nilsson
2/5
George Michael
2/5
Christina Aguilera
2/5
The Black Keys
3/5
Kraftwerk
5/5
Perfect, futuristic and visionary at its time, still valid and VERY enjoyable today. Apart from that, the effort that must have gone into more or less mechanically and manually creating these layers of synchronized electronic waves is simply mesmerizing. Listen in German, language is an additional layer of the mechanic, which is revealed by their mother tongue.
(Comparing them to Daft Punk is so beyond reason that it hurts, the idiosyncrasy of Kraftwerk's oeuvre is simply amazing and so much ahead of what was to follow)
Bee Gees
2/5
Sorry, I never got the Bee Gees but for some of their hits. This is just another Meeh record on this list, untinteresting to sleepiness. Some nice lyrical content and production though. But 1001 best albums? Maybe number 5341.
Arrested Development
3/5
A fun listen most of it, liked the production, some of the lyrics. Def. preferable over most of the Gangsta stuff of the era, but rather lengthy at times. There is not much though that is really impressive or would stick with me.
Parliament
4/5
Doves
4/5
Yes, this is a soundtrack for the time after party. It is moody and mellow, the lyrics are somewhat brooding. It is coherent and the songwriting ist aspirational and in parts dense. I like the atoquite a lot, the production is satisfyingly warm and lush. It can get stretched in some songs, and if they had restrained from harmonica and a too hard hitting snare, I would feel even better with it
Underworld
4/5
Van Halen
3/5
Another one from the meant for entertainment self- indulgent machismo rock list. Nonetheless, the musical content is surprisingly cool, performance and execution are convincing. The rating is more about it's cultural context and "meaning.
Cat Stevens
2/5
I am a split personality when it comes to Cat Stevens. I love his song writing, I like how most of the songs are performed - but I hate listening to his records. All the same, becomes boring after the second song. This one is no exception. Great individual songs, but I cannot stand listening to more than two in row
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
3/5
Somehow like the feverish hysteria displayed. That makes the partly dull lyrics and average songwriting bearable. It is more about display but craft, but it is a fun listen half time. Not a record to die for, but at least fun - which cannot be said of many of the weaker albums on the list.
Christine and the Queens
2/5
Meh, just because a person is consequential with their identity an contributes to the overall socio-culturel debate that rightfully so discusses freedom, participation, power and bias and is demanding, music does not become intrinsically better or worse by that. So this is it: a bold person but a boring work of music, despite the partially personal and beyond average lyrics. Average pop, average production, average delivery. Nothing bad per se, but surely nothing for the list.
Simon & Garfunkel
3/5
The Isley Brothers
3/5
Rufus Wainwright
3/5
Well, yeah. The guy can sing. The band and the arrangements are overblown and pathetic jazzy-poppy stylish artsie people who destroy whatever dark intimacy was intended. Just adding smeary strings to everything doesn't add depth, necessarily. And some songs need that colouring to make them feel bigger than they actually are. Not something I will return to. Too forced for my taste. 2.5 upped to 3 for intention and voice.
Rush
5/5
Miriam Makeba
2/5
I am in a dilemma again. Another of those super important albums of a super important artist - but I cannot get my ears to listen to it. 5 stars for the album due to its relevance, or two for it's musical content? I don't know, but I tend for two this time, as this is a list for music and hot about history. As it is not genre defining or particularly interesting musically, two stars. Nevertheless, I acknowledge the album's social and political significance.
Dr. Dre
1/5
While there are some musically outstanding tracks on here, I give it it's well deserved one to ZERO stars for all the hate, homophobia and misogyny it introduced to the world, without even listening to it again.
Justice
3/5
This is indeed a fun listen, and a nice occasion to figure out samples and their origin, for the one and other occasional track. I personally find the production to massively lack on bass, which diminishes it's value for the dancefloor. That is the main reason to only give it three stars - it is missing on its intended purpose and I wouldn't want sit for a full listen.
The Mamas & The Papas
2/5
If it were for pure nostalgia, I'd give this a five. But apart from the two standouts and the singers' performance this is an overall average album, with some covers that are close to terrible. Unfortunately, this kind of music soon became carrier for all kinds of memorable advertisements, which makes it hard to listen to without spontaneous imagining of toothbrushes. Has ages pretty badly.
The Prodigy
5/5
Musically this is simply a stunning record, and it definitely is more than one song repeating 10 times. If you don't believe, take you AI and let it do some analysis. And don't fall for the controversy around "Smack my bitch up", it is a slang reference to drug abuse and the video perfectly illustrates this, and in addition this is nothing about male sexual violence, but about drug abuse leading to violence in consequence (the main character in the video is female btw ..) Nothing to show kids on TV for sure and not a choice of expression that one must like.
Lenny Kravitz
2/5
I never made it through, bleeding boredom. Technically it is well executed, but nothing that catches me, neither anything that provokes. It is just there, and it does not do anything beyond.
Giant Sand
2/5
Yes, hmm. Nice aspects to it, some songs are actually really good, but followed by plain bs "raw" and then the unbearably boring "Wolf". The singer is not an asset here. Not enough raw empathy to get me up and applaud...
Elvis Presley
1/5
Why this?
Anita Baker
3/5
What shall I say about music that is absolutely not my style but has meticulous production, execution, well above average songwriting and an outstanding singer? Well, exactly that. Unfortunately, Soul rarely reaches mine, specifically this kind of Pop-Soul. So I give this one a technical judgement and will happily forget about it after half-way through
Cyndi Lauper
3/5
The Mothers Of Invention
5/5
A monument. So ahead of time. For sure not the most accomplished piece, but what a debut...
Bonnie Raitt
2/5
Hmm, totally average bluesy air. Don't understand why it's on the list.
1/5
I really wonder how this crap made it to the list. This is self- indulgent miss of any talent.
David Bowie
4/5
There is a lot to like on this record, as with many of Bowie's. It's got all those stylish idiosyncrasies that make his records unmistakable. Singing style, musical drama, quality of songs, production (including the slightly emphasized mids that sometimes make it challenging to sit through a full record).
The issue with this one simply is that it feels like an imitation of a style. Bowie and Soul are not a natural fit, rather it is soul looked through the Bowie lens. Despite all its good songs and the great musicianship, it tends to be a bit of a unsatisfying listen. Do I want more Bowie, do I want more Soul? No idea, but potentially more Bowie.
OutKast
4/5
I will make this short: one of the very few records of the genre I actually like and love and repeatedly listen to. It still is from a place culturally very remote, but it gives me the idea of hat I actually might have a chance to understand. Musically, this is anyhow top notch.
Isaac Hayes
4/5
Just for another record I stated that Soul is not my cup of tea. Well, there are exemptions. This one landmark record for example. Less so the singing and vocal phrasing which still do rarely resonate with me, but the sheer intensity of the music making, the arrangements and the sonics are outstanding. There is enough drama and passion in the music that the singing becomes part of it, as opposed to so many other Soul records where the musical blandness just serves as a canvas to the singing.
Sleater-Kinney
5/5
This is a consistent masterpiece from the beginning. If you hate it because you feel like your angry teenage screaming at you, well it did a perfect job playing with your bias. There is enough adult message and musical ingenuity on this to fill out twenty contemporary indie records. This was a beginning, but unfortunately hardly ever anyone really followed the options presented. (I admit listening to them live at the times they toured with Pearl Jam was a challenge, to say the least)
Hugh Masekela
4/5
The Stooges
4/5
A masterpiece on its own, essential in attitude and execution, a forerunner of much that was to come, a f* y* I do it my way statement. Unfortunately hasn't aged that well and due to its maybe intentional reduced complexity it misses my personal 5.
The Zombies
2/5
That has not aged well for me. Sounds like the average of the time. I'd prefer other records and bands from the era...
Jah Wobble's Invaders Of The Heart
2/5
Good intentions and deep musical knowledge don't necessarily make for a good record, as this badly aged 80ish self-indulgent weediness shows. 2 points for the execution and some nice moments. But why on the list?
Beatles
3/5
Earlier Beatles never did it for me, although their cultural importance is undeniable.Whether A Hard Day's Night should be on the list, is questionable though.
Eminem
1/5
Musically and technically I always thought: really well done. But I cannot ignore the lyrics, and all aspirations to give this context, try to understand this is a tricky way of deciphering the times don't work. Too much bland misogynistic and homophobic sentiment too directly expressed at least make for a hypocrite game, if not worse.
Nas
4/5
And the story continues. I can't relate, as this is a part of reality that is very remote from mine. I can only say that people tell this one to be very authentic, despite aggressive and hard. But on account, such is that part of reality, and it is said that this record is a more than adequate reflection on it. Musically, this resonates very well with me, the flow of the story telling, the musical execution, quotes, citations all sound convincing and original. Due to my technical non-competency to rate this, I build a position based on the music and the above opinion -making. I will have this one as one of a few records of its genre to give a repeated listen.
Various Artists
1/5
Thanks for the gift. Nonetheless I will give it the same rating as every Christmas song collection. Downright unbearable.
The Young Gods
3/5
I loved it, but would not listen again, despite its brilliance
Neil Young
5/5
I am an afficionado. And this one is one of his best.
The White Stripes
4/5
T. Rex
2/5
Hmm.
The Who
5/5
Iconic. Great songwriting, production, execution. And the most ironic cover ever.
Michael Jackson
1/5
I cannot rate him. Such a lost person, a poor human, and a scum as well. The album itself is pretty solid and I would rate it a three, but I made it a rule for myself ..
The White Stripes
5/5
If white blood cells was a four, it is because of this one. Idiosyncratic in the very best of it. A great record, despite the obvious mass appeal. Shows you can be completely different but nonetheless for everyone.
Fiona Apple
5/5
Fiona is a mystery. And this record is simply great. Totally different. Excellent songwriting, top notch performance, so man small details.
Rage Against The Machine
5/5
Genre and era defining. Great musicianship and relevant content. A record to the point.
The Beta Band
2/5
Finally gave it a listen. Hmm. There are these moments when it catches you, all that laid back quirkiness, but most of the time it is rather a 'come to the point' feeling. A little bit too repetitive and same-feeling. I understand why this never became bigger, despite obvious talent.
Tori Amos
5/5
Great songs, great musicianship, great production. Love it. It's epic.
Fugees
4/5
A little bit difficult to rate. While I absolutely love the words and way they are presented, even sometimes sung, and the astoningly laid-back approach to music making despite of much of the anger that shines through the lyrics, it is exactly that laid-back approach that makes it feel a little bit samey all over. I would have given it a three, but Lauryn Hill propelled this up. The best they and the individual members did, maybe apart from The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill...
The Jam
3/5
Well, there is a lot of influences in here, and it feels a little bit like 'can we do a record that sounds like wave but actually is late 60ies with a little punk and psychedelic in it?' Good musicianship, outstanding bass/drum interlock. Very well executed, but as with all Paul Weller output it somehow matches the mark of really catching me. Still, a very solid record.
The Undertones
1/5
Dull, boring.
Green Day
3/5
Somehow, I never understood the hype about Green Day or the specific sub genre. Not bad though, this one. Easy listening Punk Pop if you ask me. Catchy with some pretty good lyrics, but nothing for my island
Frank Zappa
5/5
Simply one of the best "Fusion" records of all time. Nothing for the genre focused, but an expression of freedom from convention. If they'd just reconsidered the bass drum sound on Peaches...
Beck
4/5
A sad back makes for a beautiful record, but also one that lasts a little bit too long in its tristesse. I listen to this regularly, but never in its entirety.
David Bowie
4/5
This is surely one of the very good Bowie albums, and I really like it. But I have to admit that I never really succeeded in fully connecting to any of his records - maybe apart from Black Star - and this one does neither. Great artsy songwriting, vocal performance is outstanding and eccentric, but the Roy Bittanish sound flavor destroys it in parts. I simply cannot stand his operatic overblown full range piano massacres of his.
Arcade Fire
4/5
I loved it when it came out (and I am born 69), and I still like it. There are some great and memorable moments in this, but it potentially has withered in time due to too many equals to follow.
LCD Soundsystem
5/5
I can not explain, I love this album. Just sucks me in. This is not about great songs, but about creating intense rhythmic atmospheres. Lots of influences from electronics, to Krautrochlk, to Wave, to King Crimson. But all curated to become its own being. Love or hate it, for me it is live.
The Band
1/5
A record I specifically despise. Not that the songs are all bad, on the contrary, some great ones her, but all massacred by the sub-par (albeit potentially intentionally so) delivery, terrible voices, inconsistent sonics, incidental and misplaced fade-outs, stylistic inconsistency. Sounds like a band demoing to a producer, asking whether they shall go vaudeville-country (don't think that really exists), country funk, Nashville style or whatever in between.
Coldplay
4/5
I know we all should vote 1 simply because it is from today's most pretentious industrial music band on the planet. Up until A Rush of Blood this was a serious band and this record was the culmination of their style taken serious. Overly maybe in places, but such a consistent outing at high quality is rare these days. Sure, it is Pop, not Rock, intentionally mass and stadium compatible, but nonetheless simply good.
Songwriting, production, arrangements and performance are top notch - and say what you will, on Parachutes and this one Chris Martin was a fine performer. After that, steep downhill, overwrought self-indulgent concepts for a targeted audience, highly fabricated and strangely bereft of emotion, exchanging authentic demanour for pathetic gesture...
American Music Club
2/5
A mixed bag. The songwriting is really good, the performance lush but precise, nice arrangements and all. But the singer really destroys it. I mean he sounds like me, just meh. As if they werde demoing for a singer audition . There is enough rootsy stuff in it to make it a somewhat digestible experience, but somewhat is not what I am expecting from this list.
Elis Regina
3/5
What to say? It all sounds warm and well crafted. But I do not speak Portuguese, which must be a serious miss here, as Eli's Regina is reported to sing deep lyrics. And that is it. Without the deep lyrics this becomes your average Latin Jazz experience from the era. Some nice melodies, some interesting arrangements, some terrible choir singing. I prefer to have my Egberto Gismonti if I want some of the Latin American driven sonic palette. It is not bad, but it simply doesn't trigger me.
The Doors
5/5
Well, it remains one of the most iconic and important Rock music records of all time. Just interesting how much aggression this creates with some, how much loathing and obvious jealousy. Yes, Morrison soon became an overly self-indulgent and pretentious appearance soon, and the song writing didn't overly advance later on, and yes the Doors might me overrated as a whole. But this one is a stand out by far.
The Stooges
4/5
Given that this is 69, it has aged incredibly well (better than me, maybe). It feels fresh still, and I a surprised finding myself thinking "hey, Iggy was a pretty good singer, then". The songwriting is pretty good either, and it is way less rough and way more sophisticated than I had expected. A well worth listen.
JAY Z
3/5
Don't know about street credibility, which - given the super stardom appeal - would surprise me with #11. I also don't know about ingenuity of this one. I hardly can relate to the lyrics either: too remote. But I like the sonics and the flow of this one. Nothing for my personal list, but doesn't seem to bad either. Not my style, but somehow easy to listen to.... Young forever feels VERY awkward, though, representing my personal worst of the 80ies, but I tend to ignore it.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
Stones, yeah, they rarely click with me. Never for a full album. Some good ones here, but enough has been said about the dubious lyrics to Brown Sugar. May be one of their best, but for me they remain a singles band and rather a cultural phenomenon than a musical.
The Cult
2/5
Not that I despise The Cult. It's s just, they're so meh. Occasional great songs, relatively bland arrangements, a very one- dimensional singer and dull production make this record a very dubious choice for the list. Intentionally powerful music that misses most of its intention.
The Yardbirds
2/5
Great guitar playing, up to the point of flexing, in a context of dull songs and singing. I know why the yardbird's rarely did it for me. The rating is not 1 thanks to Jeff Beck.
Radiohead
5/5
I understand that loving Radiohead is a matter of living on this or the other side of some great cultural divide? Interesting thought, though potentially completely unjustified.
Santana
5/5
Carlos Santana basically can do one thing, but in context of other people doing other things that may become something great. Their debut, this one and Lotus, a little bit of Welcome, Borboletta and Caravanserai represent everything you need to understand the goods. Moonflower shows you how context becomes badly and his / their post seventies output mainly shows how his trick doesn't work.
Said that, this is the most consistent of their outputs, and it is a damn fine record.
Slipknot
3/5
Oh yes, it is over the top. But that is exactly what it wants to be, right. Apart from the terrible production (loudness war at its worst), this is a pretty genuine record, one that helped shape a new genre - a genre that I dislike for the most - but you can't blame the for the cheap copycats.
I don't care much about the quality of the lyrics in here, because the lyrics don't give a * on being great. Of course, this is all about a very limited period in some people's lives, but who to judge and blame for such experiences?
I favor this record and sometimes do listen to it, even as a grumpy 55ish. What would we be if we did not allow ourselves to remind us of who we were and how lucky we are we didn't end up where this one proposes.
If it weren't for the production, I would give it a better rating, but I think the loudness muddles the sound and takes away from the aggression.
The Electric Prunes
2/5
Apart from 'I had too much to dream' and the Bo Diddleyesque 'Get me to the world on time' there's nothing really memorable, apart from the terrible last song and the overall overabundance of meaningless rhymes. One might want to argue it is an important record for the development of psychedelic music. But that doesn't make it a better record. And some of it sounded dated already upon release.
Fleetwood Mac
3/5
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
5/5
Considering when this appeared, I cannot but understand this as both genre defining and a technological milestone. By today's standards it might feel a little outdated, but that is rather because so much of the sounds and tools have stood the test of time and have been transferred to technologically advanced tools and environments. What an innovative record at that time. And the songs are mostly great and surely prepared the ground for what came in most of the 80ies. In retrospective, a great record with too many copyists to follow suite.
Moby
2/5
Some really great tunes and production on here - Porcelain and Why does my heart - but overall this serves rather as a demonstration of production and technology. Not enough owned music, too many borrowed feelings embedded in flawless production generate something like an advert for a DJ for any tomorrow's night. A testament to a culture of recycling that mistakes recycling for re-use and repetition.
Scott Walker
5/5
Bild, adventurous, unexpected. For those qualities I'd give it a 10, but combined with execution, technologies of the time and a certain pretentiousness it boils down to a flat 5. Extraordinary record, like so many of Scott Walker's.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
3/5
Death In Vegas
4/5
Did not know this one. Wonderful and dark production. Electronica meeting with Brit Rock influences. Sounds familiar and not at the same time. It's got that repetitive quality to it that caves you in but never gets boring. A discovery for sure.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
If it wasn't for Gimme Shelter and You Can't Always Get What You Want, I'd gladly give 2 for this. These two songs are stellar, but as with most Stones' records, they work better as part of a greatest hits compilation. As usual for them: two hits don't make a good LP.
Herbie Hancock
5/5
5 for the sentiment I have with this. Always will remind me of how proud I was listening to my son drumming Watermelon Man at his first public appearance. I am biased.
Rahul Dev Burman
3/5
Very surprising. Although completely not my cup of coffee, interesting enough to keep me entertained for a full listen. Musicians all very capable, interesting phrases all over the place. The singing is a little bit too much on the operatic side of things. The production though is dreadful, way too hot in the mix. Don't know really what to make of it, don't know whether to down or up vote, I am lost here.
2/5
Pretentious to the extreme. Extravaganza in production, a lot to admire here technically. Muse are just the cold dead end of musical artistry, soulless self-indulgent wan*g. Never a band with souch potential sacrificed for clicheed bombast. You get what I mean. Still, sometimes I start listening, just to get even more infuriated.
Joni Mitchell
5/5
No easy stuff. But so rewarding. This is great songwriting and great performance. The musical and lyrical openness goes hand in hand. Open chords, non repetitive melodies, lyrics that invite for searching. Sketches from the soul, delivered as if were momentaneous inventions. I love it... Something, like most of her work, on its very special own.
The Rolling Stones
2/5
I cannot get into. Simple as that.
David Bowie
4/5
It may not be a strong one in terms of songwriting - despite Sound and Vision - but it is a terrific record elwhen it comes to sound choices and atmosphere. Pairing Kraut with a little funky Bowie works extremely well. A synth lovers dream, and I am such, but not a songwriting exercise. Therefore only a very good four...
The Clash
5/5
Beatles
2/5
Despite being a Beatles record, this has not much to offer even in terms of the era. Pretty average 60ies. A few mémorables, a few awful trucks. If it weren't the Beatles, I predict this would have gone fairly unnoticed.
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
4/5
That is as far from me as any West Coast or Gangsta would be. I can understand the musical powerhouse of this and enjoy it to a certain degree, but overall two hours is just too long a yeehaw feeling. Although I prefer the rootsiness of this over ANY Nashville style.
Norah Jones
2/5
The beginning of Starbucks Pop . Good voice, partly great songs, but all washed away in what feels like "sell me for tea".
Leonard Cohen
5/5
An album to listen to, spend time with, needing attention. I perfectly do understand that this is mostly met with either enthusiasm or despite. I am on the enthusiastic side of things. Because I do dare to wait...
Fleetwood Mac
5/5
This is for songwriting, performance, production, atmosphere a justly deserved 5.
TV On The Radio
3/5
I am not sure this belongs to the list, maybe as a stand-in for other such records? Don't get me wrong, this is a mighty fine record, cool songs, good voices, terrific production. But it still feels generic, like a patchwork of things all known, a little bit rearranged and freshly combined. R&B meets Rock, meets Pop, meets Electronica meets Ambient. I love it, but still somehow it feels wrong on the list.
Ramblin' Jack Elliott
2/5
I am not deeply into that kind of folksy stuff, but this one to me seems quite generic and unambitious if compared to some of his much more prominent contemporaries. Feels and sounds like a watered down early Dylan or late Seeger.
The White Stripes
3/5
Pretty decent album, good songwriting, quite different to its predecessor, more mature. But that's a shortcoming here. I prefer the more aggressive style of them ...
Antony and the Johnsons
2/5
That's a little bit too much for me. Lots of piano, lots of that voice I don't really like. Surely high quality songwriting and production, still it bites me and doesn't resonate.
Billie Holiday
2/5
Pretty sure this is an important record, but I just can't stand this kind of orchestral singing Jazz.
Rush
3/5
I used to be a die heart Rush fan, but then I started digging into their lyrics. The much I think Neal Peart was a great drummer, the much I love their music and sonics, the much I despise them now for what their message was. How can anyone with an intellect and at least a little bit of empathy come to favor the shallow and mediocre reasonings of Ayn Rand or successors? Social Darwinism at the most dreadful. Just look at the state of the world in 2025 and witness the havoc the Musks and Thiels are creating. Urgh. One star for the lyrics, five for the music.
Funkadelic
2/5
It may be a cornerstone in Funk music, but I die of boredom and ear bleed. Self indulgent drug funk.
Joe Ely
2/5
Argh, country and horns and harmonium and that all in a stompy setting. Whatever that might represent to the genre's lovers, for me that is too hardcore. Likely the same as UK anarchy for country lovers. Execution is flawless, production flawed an flat
Leftfield
2/5
There are for sure better electronica records than this piece of badly aged elevator stuff.
King Crimson
4/5
Well I am clearly biased by my own random. This is how they became important, but the adventure really just started relatively conventional. Great songs, great delivery, nonetheless much more outdated then what was to follow.
The Sugarcubes
4/5
Seriously good stuff from a band that was never really intended to be taken seriously. Full of quirky ideas, great rock movement, top notch song writing, utterly positive and partly humorous. This is what propelled Björk to the front. It's ecstatic yet calculated - simply fun to listen. Not the greatest record ever, but still a worthy addition to the list.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
4/5
Not the strongest Nick Cave, but the usual strong lyrics plus that live feeling make this a very pleasant listening - which is the biggest criticism I would have. In places a little too common place and close to being positively friendly.
Roxy Music
5/5
This such an eclectic mix of styles, yet it is so definitely commercial and poppy. Hard to describe. One of the few avantgarde pop records that are a pleasure and fun to listen to. Unbelievable for a 1st.
The Teardrop Explodes
2/5
That's such a lame and unimaginative 80ies Brit Pop blur. Annoyingly uninteresting. There are moments in there if done properly would have been nice on the dancefloor, but the the production chose to involve the most cheesy synth-horns ever. Thanks, no, why is this on any list? I cannot even understand any historical relevance.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
2/5
It's a nice record, with nice songwriting and the most unfortunate production decision ever. Get rid of any dynamics and just be loud. That happens when a band gets greedy and teams up with one of the most overrated producers ever (ok, Mr Rubin managed to revive Cash to greatness, but the cost of sound is always imminent with his production - he should have become a spiritual mentor and leave the engineering and production to more technical people). I remember playing this first time in my car radio and taking it to the dealer because I thought it was broken. I rarely listen to this one because I get ear-bleed. Shocking waste of musical talent
2Pac
1/5
This guy and this record are some of the reason why this kind of stuff has a massive bias with me. Crap by a person that NEVER should have become a person of public interest.
5/5
One of the most genre defining records ever. Nothing more to say.
Adele
2/5
I cannot relate, simple as that. It doesn't ring a bell, it doesn't resonate with me. I am plain bored. Great voice, but this is so much a commercial product of the time that it feels like an advertorial for shiny production although some of the songwriting is arguably pretty solid.
D'Angelo
2/5
I cannot but feel bored. It's all so slick and perfect. All is shiny and soulless. That may be the typical 90ies production, but O never bothered to try anything else from the artist after listening to this one. Good quality material behind, though, as well as capable musicians...
Beastie Boys
4/5
Air
3/5
Prince
5/5
Just great. Love it. Such an amount of talent, such an idiosyncratic artist. One of the few records of the time I immediately fell in love with.
The Doors
4/5
Hasn't aged so well that I would give it five stars, still a great record and an iconic one.
Grateful Dead
2/5
Somehow meeh. They nailed it when realizing they never captured their live spirit in studio. What they did not tell you is that GD live spirit typically means endless doodling in its bad way. Some nice songs and one really good one (friend of the devil), mostly plain country. I cannot understand how this was called highly innovative. Maybe it just hasn't aged well. Or I have a bad mood, or this simply cannot be understood undrugged.
Lynyrd Skynyrd
1/5
Unfortunately the great musicianship on this record is completely flawed by what this group stood for at the time. I can't help the political things immediately coming to mind when listening. Freebird is such a great song, but I simply cannot listen to it without thinking of hateful societies. A shame.
Booker T. & The MG's
3/5
It's fun but outdated fun. Did not age too well imho. I LOVE the organ here.
The Smiths
1/5
I'd givr this four without Morrissey. This Guy makes me violently unhappy. This.
Madonna
2/5
No.
Jeru The Damaja
3/5
I like listening to it, most probably because it has that dated quality. I liked the EC hip-hop production style of the era. The lyrics are so-and-so, some of the typical hardly bearable machismo, some of a genuine activism. The flow of the delivery is pretty good. Enjoyable in most parts but not outstanding.
Duke Ellington
5/5
This is one of those examples where music a genre one typically doesn't endorse transcends. The only big band record I know and love. Such great energy and musicianship. Captivating and thrilling. Superb.
AC/DC
3/5
I always found AC/DC an interesting phenomenon. On the one side, they can be fun, real fun. On the other side they are repetitive and boring like hell. If there is one group on the planet that is repetitive, then those hard rock minimalists. Highway to hell is no exemption. Individual songs are fun, the record as a whole never gets full rotation. It took me years to finally have listened to all songs and simply use it as a repository for one or the other song if I am to listen to them. It is their best outing, imho, but nonetheless....
Brian Wilson
5/5
Radiating with a big Smile.
Bruce Springsteen
2/5
The most mediocre of all the Boss' albums. A transitional one, from no music making back to it.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
I repeat myself: The Stones Work as a Singles and collection band. Their proper records never make Iit for me. While this might be their most consistent record, it still contains too much uninteresting fillers. I secretely know this won't BE the last of such ratings here...
The Zutons
5/5
Didn't know this one. WHY? This is so mply great entertainment, songwriting, reminiscing of quirky seventies blues rock, while at the same time being modern and eclectic, funky and fun, with darkness and humour to it, a great production and near flawless execution. If you like The Kinks, you may like it, if you like Capt. Beef heart you may also, if you are preferring 90ies alt over 90ies Madonna you might as well . If you're a die hard Hair Metall afficionados or think The Stones are the best, spare yourself....
Dead Kennedys
3/5
Simply for it's real punkiness.
The Rolling Stones
2/5
The rating is due to Under My Thumb's terrible lyrics. While this record holds some great songs (Under My Thumb is musically great), it still bears that filler quality of all Stones records. Some killers, too many fillers.
Steely Dan
4/5
From a production standpoint, Steely Dan were top notch. The songwriting and delivery are as well. If anything, it's the complete lack of humour and a certain too-much-of-polish that leave me with a taste of artificial flavor. I have hard times finding anything beyond craftsmanship.
Bon Jovi
1/5
It's so slippery, no chance to stay sober with it
Prefab Sprout
4/5
Wonderful Poppy summerbreeze - in a way . I love this one so much. If the 80ies in my part of the world would have presented this and much more of it in its time instead of the ever repeating Madonna, PSB, A-Ha, Duran Durans etc. I would not have dismissed the decade then only to discover it decades later.
My personal highlight though is the beautiful 60iesTriumph Trophy TR6C on the cover, iykwim ...
FKA twigs
3/5
First of all: the songs are actually pretty good, you could take them and easily set them in a traditional arrangement. They'd definitely work as R&B. But style and genre govern the songs to be taken apart and drenched into massive production aesthetics. So, sometimes it feels like ripped apart and too much of it. And yes, there are a lot of contemporaries, most worse than FKA twigs. I personally enjoy this one as an artistic statement more than a piece of cohesive music. But it's definitely not as bad as so many of the one and two stars on the list...
The Offspring
2/5
No relevance at all, certain entertainment factor and two points for the potential reminders of whatever credibility. Mainstream Pop punk not punk pop.
B.B. King
4/5
OK. Fun, energy an everything you'd expect. No surprises.
Jimi Hendrix
5/5
Incredible, how much of this record contains musical ideas and elements - both arrangements and songwriting that would fit on any contemporary half-way serious rock record. This is such a piece of genius...
Leonard Cohen
5/5
Anyone into LC get what they want, even a touch darker. Everyone else is getting the same. Making this a binary decision.
Lorde
2/5
Meh
The Pogues
5/5
There are a lot of people who do not understand how much of a piece of art The Pogues and their records are. It is so much more than your ordinary Friday pub sing-along punkiness. It's all about reflection on the why and how societies may end up drinking and singing such stuff, embedded into a rather far-reaching historical reflection on top. Great.
Black Sabbath
3/5
Hmm. There are some obvious killers on it, but overall BS never really made it for me. Don't know why.
A Tribe Called Quest
5/5
I am definitely not peer or target consumer, and culturally this is all very remote from me. But this is the great thing with ATCQ: it is entertaining and educational, helps understand difference and identity, sameness and diversity, without being preachy or prescriptive. In short words: great storytelling, great musicianship, and that kind of hip-hop that I like listening to.
Calexico
5/5
Calexico are still mostly unheard of and underrated here. Great songs, great production, great ideas, great execution.
Derek & The Dominos
2/5
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
5/5
Aphex Twin
3/5
Sonic Youth
3/5