I never danced to this at the time so it has no specific memories apart from chart action and the MTV videos. Jackson was not cool for 17 year olds back in 82/83. Surprising how many songs I recognise, only 3 I didn’t remember hearing. However that this remove in the cold light of day Billie Jean is a great track, human nature quite good but the rest leave me pretty cold. I’m one of the 70 million people who bought this (I was surprised to see I owned the 25th anniversary edition of this) but it wouldn’t come near my top 500 favourite albums list. 3/5

Firestarter was my first introduction to the Prodigy as they were active in the period from my marriage to the birth of the third of 3 children up to this. Although quite up to date with music in the 90s I wasn’t a dancer or rave attender so completely missed this type of music up to about 1997 when it sort of had its mainstream moment. Only bought Jilted in the noughties (which still took a bit of getting in to for me) and never owned tFotL. So? Well this is a wonderful album, such energy and verve. So much of it has been assimilated into the mainstream since then that it maybe doesn’t sound quite so so extraordinary but it really is such a tour de force. I don’t give many 5/5, but this is one of those.

I can remember not particularly rating this as an album. Only remember drugs and symphony. Will be interesting to see what I think now. Better than I remembered especially the last few tracks, but too long a bit mono paced and no great emotion coming through to me.

I remember this as being a sound of youthful exuberance and John Peel playing the first three singles which were released before the album perhaps even before there was an album deal.

Certifiable classic.

Never really heard them at the time and this album sounds very much of its time to me. I can imagine if it was your soundtrack to 1996 it could be a 5 star album, but at this remove for me it didn’t enchant so I’d give it a solid 3.5 stars.

5 certifiable classics and not much filler. Not quite 5 star but 4.5 certainly.

I came to this retrospectively but it has all the hallmarks of a great debut. Sounding slightly different to most music at the time and promising so much. 4.5 stars.

Well Shack passed me by at the time. Damning it with faint praise it’s pleasant. Nothing radical sounding very much like the Britpop of the time with a 60’s harmony twist. 3.5/5.

It’s very hard to separate the fact that this is considered an absolute classic and I knew this as I listened to it. If I came to this and didn’t know it was Miles Davis it might well have passed me by. Much prefer side 2 as it’s the more obvious precursor to the later music I prefer, Bitches, Jack Johnson and On the Corner.

As the oft quoted Bob Dylan statement on the Man Machine said, “without Man machine there could never have been a Kajagoogoo.” I didn’t own this in 1978 only coming to Kraftwerk when “the model” made it in 1982. The precursor of so many future trends in music. A solid 4.5 out of 5 (5 is reserved for albums I still listen to frequently). I can definitely hear some Moroder here on The Robots.

I never danced to this at the time so it has no specific memories apart from chart action and the MTV videos. Jackson was not cool for 17 year olds back in 82/83. Surprising how many songs I recognise, only 3 I didn’t remember hearing. However that this remove in the cold light of day Billie Jean is a great track, human nature quite good but the rest leave me pretty cold. I’m one of the 70 million people who bought this (I was surprised to see I owned the 25th anniversary edition of this) but it wouldn’t come near my top 500 favourite albums list. 3/5

I wonder are younger generations still getting into this, probably one of the best “albums” ever. Still does really stand up well today. This was one of my first CDs purchased and I never owned it on vinyl so came late to it but it sounded wonderful this evening. An easy 5/5.

One of the very best live albums ever. Catching Lizzy from November 1976 to June 1978, when they were at their peak live. .sjb

Totally missed this band and album. On one listen I will certainly be listening more. Ticks a lot of boxes for what I like, particularly idiosyncratic vocals.

I think this is one of those you have to be around at the time sort of albums. On paper it should be just the sort of music that would absolutely appeal to me but all I could hear was just about average punk by numbers with none of the, insouciance of the original 1977 variety which I love.

My daughter likes her and has seen here live so I gave this 3 listens around the house and on the main system. Didn’t really click with me musically or lyrically. There’s the odd clever turn of phrase and I can imagine live a lot of fans singing along with gusto but a 2 star from this 59 year old.

An absolute low rent masterpiece. Nothing earth shattering, just an album about hanging out that has a delicious pace, great tunes, and seemingly sung with a smile. And then there’s Alison’s starting to happen - such a wonderfully articulated song about perception about someone in your group changing to desire. 4.5 / 5

I’ve never heard this before but it’s probably safe to assume that Jack White, Jon Spenser and Black Francis did. Raw and visceral punk meets blues and rockabilly. Musically it’s a 4/5 as this really does seem a truly seminal album but some of the lyrics are leave me cold so it gets 3/5 from me.

Firestarter was my first introduction to the Prodigy as they were active in the period from my marriage to the birth of the third of 3 children up to this. Although quite up to date with music in the 90s I wasn’t a dancer or rave attender so completely missed this type of music up to about 1997 when it sort of had its mainstream moment. Only bought Jilted in the noughties (which still took a bit of getting in to for me) and never owned tFotL. So? Well this is a wonderful album, such energy and verve. So much of it has been assimilated into the mainstream since then that it maybe doesn’t sound quite so so extraordinary but it really is such a tour de force. I don’t give many 5/5, but this is one of those.

This is a difficult one to rate. I more appreciate it than love it. The only Sonic Youth album I own is Dirty and although I liked it at the time it has never got repeated listenings in the meantime. I think Sister would be somewhat similar for me. I can appreciate the music but it just doesn’t cut through for me as an album that I will give repeat listening to. So a 3/5 for me, with the caveat that I do hear why many would rate it higher.

Pleasant but not drawing me in at all.

Could be a greatest hits album, most people of a certain age have probably heard all the songs even if they never had the album. I’ve probably heard Bridge and the Boxer too many times in my life but will never tire of Cecilia. Would be churlish not to give it a 5/5.

A classic album usually has everything right from cover art to track listing and this album certainly hits all those spots. The sounds on this are both of their time and pointing out to many future sounds and even genres. A true gem. 5/5

All I can say is I’ve already listened to this once in my life previously and that’s enough. Among the first huge albums to be brickwalled and my ears cannot get past this travesty which alas many copied. And in the era of Blur vs Oasis I was listening to Frank Black, Massive Attack, Chemical Brothers, Leftfield, PJ Harvey. Oasis left me cold. 2/5 - some catchy tunes.

I had this album when I was very young and was singing along with all the tracks whilst listening. Great to see such positivity from people who have never heard it before. Good time rock n roll. A solid 4/5.

Like most everyone I came to this retrospectively and it’s been hailed a classic. I can appreciate the art and the production and the wonderful musicians present but as a whole I don’t really connect with this album (only particular songs) so it gets 4/5 rather than the obligatory 5/5.

A great sounding album.

All I really remember of Bauhaus was their Ziggy cover. Hard to rate an album on one listen but it sounds great to these old ears. A wonderful dystopian sound with touches of Joy Division but also hearing Bowie and Iggy and some of the desolation of Tubeway Army. Great recording to with drums to the fore the way I like it. Side 2 is stronger than side 1 and I’ll rate it 4/5 but it could easily become a 5 star with repeated listens.

Not a genre (hip hop / rap) I know too much about and I generally don’t find it interesting or alluring and even sometimes find it irritating. This is very listenable and has some good production and inventive use of samples. It’s in no way irritating or jarring. It could be hip hop 101 for all I know though. 3.5/5

Considered one of Roxy Music’s best and most consistent album apparently. Leaves me a bit cold and never draws me in. 3/5