Journey in Progress
Discovering music one album at a time
289
Albums Rated
3.59
Avg Rating
61
5-Star Albums
27%
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800 albums remaining
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4
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509
Days Active
Reviews
288
Written
100%
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vs Global
0.33
Avg Diff
3.59
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2010s
Favorite Decade
Electronica
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9
1-Star Albums
5-Star Albums (61)
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You Love More Than Most
Albums you rated higher than global average
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| D.O.A. the Third and Final Report of Throbbing Gristle | 4 | 1.88 | +2.12 |
| Arc Of A Diver | 5 | 2.88 | +2.12 |
| The Sun Rises In The East | 5 | 2.92 | +2.08 |
| Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes | 5 | 2.93 | +2.07 |
| Don't Come Home A Drinkin' (With Lovin' On Your Mind) | 5 | 2.98 | +2.02 |
You Love Less Than Most
Albums you rated lower than global average
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strangeways, Here We Come | 1 | 3.44 | -2.44 |
| Meat Is Murder | 1 | 3.32 | -2.32 |
| Hypnotised | 1 | 3.06 | -2.06 |
| Ten | 2 | 3.92 | -1.92 |
| Warehouse: Songs And Stories | 1 | 2.86 | -1.86 |
Artist Analysis
Favorite Artists
Artists with 2+ albums and high weighted score
| Artist | Albums | Avg | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steely Dan | 4 | 4.5 | 3.86 |
| Beastie Boys | 3 | 4.67 | 3.83 |
| David Bowie | 3 | 4.67 | 3.83 |
| Neil Young | 2 | 5 | 3.8 |
| Radiohead | 4 | 4.25 | 3.71 |
| Prince | 3 | 4.33 | 3.67 |
Least Favorite Artists
Artists with 2+ albums and low weighted score
| Artist | Albums | Avg | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Smiths | 2 | 1 | 2.2 |
Popular Reviews
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
4/5
I haven't really sat and listened to something like this before. The worship in this music is clear. Very pleasant listen. Probably truly a 3* but "Haq Ali Ali Haq" is such a banger I think I'm going to give it 4*.
2 likes
Fairport Convention
4/5
I think this is the first time I have heard British folk. At least to my memory/knowledge. I found this really enjoyable. I didn't dig in to find out if any of these are traditional songs but they sounded like they could be. Beautiful singing and beautiful backing instrumentation. Look forward to listening to this again.
1 likes
Emmylou Harris
4/5
I thought this was pretty good. Very chill album. Her voice is pretty and I like that the instruments were not overwhelming. Really enjoyed the country/folk crossover.
1 likes
Soundgarden
3/5
I would say I definitely liked this more than anything else I have heard labelled as grunge by this list. Either the genre is growing on me, I'm getting more of an ear for it, or this album is just better. I'm still not in love with the sound though. Certain songs will strike me (in this case "Let me Drown", "Fell on Black Days", "Black Hole Sun", and "Spoonman") but I seem to not like whole albums so far. I would even say I would prefer to not listen to all the songs I really liked in a row. Part of a bigger playlist with other styles on it put on shuffle, I think each of those would be a refreshing change of pace. However as a whole this definitely felt like a 3* to me.
1 likes
Einstürzende Neubauten
3/5
I wondered to myself what album I was going to get while I was doing my prep for my colonoscopy and was hoping it would be something fun and distracting. Then I thought to myself "lol watch I'll get that weird German album that is sitting at lowest rated". Imagine my shocked pikachu face when I rated my album for the previous day and low and behold... there it was. Since I'm only 20 albums in the odds on that are pretty low, but here we are!
The first track in I was instantly thinking about NIN (which I do like at least some of). A quick google search confirmed for me this is one of the influences for their music. I can definitely see how this had an influence on other bands and because of that I think it's worthwhile to listen to at least once in your life. It's not really "enjoyable" but it is "interesting". A lot of disjointed screaming/yelling and discordant noises. Also including banging sounds, sudden distorted instruments that fade in and out, and power tools.
Maybe it's the lack of solid food, maybe it's Stockholm syndrome, but by the end of the album I was kinda digging it? I'm not sure if/when I will ever relisten to it but it made me feel a way I don't really know how to describe, and I can't say anything else I have listened to has given me the same feeling. I was left questioning how to rate this. Based on how I have rated my other albums, it should probably be a 2 but I think I kind of want to bump it up to a 3 just to counterbalance the lower score a little. I do think it's worthwhile to listen to. Even if it's just to widen your music knowledge, and know stuff like this exists out there and there are people who enjoy it.
1 likes
4-Star Albums (101)
1-Star Albums (9)
All Ratings
Booker T. & The MG's
3/5
Enjoyed it more than I expected. Several song were familiar which also surprised me. Makes for more background listening than dedicated listening for me.
OutKast
2/5
King Crimson
4/5
I had never heard of King Crimson and my only familiarity was from Kanye West's sampling of 21st Century Schizoid Man. I really liked this album though on first listen and am looking forward to a future relisten. The only song that didn't do much for me first time through was I Talk To The Wind. The other 4 at least I found interest in. Hard to pick between 21st Century Schizoid Man, Epitaph, and Court of the Crimson King for favorite from first go around.
I loved the heavy feeling of 21st Century Schizoid Man. The lyrics were a little hard to pick apart on first listen but I liked the vibe.
The lyrics of Epitaph were both comforting and horrifying in the fact that they felt like they applied to today, as well as the time in which they were written.
Court of the Crimson King had a familiar feeling so maybe I have heard it somewhere along the way once or twice and not remembered it. I absolutely love the imagery in this one.
Leonard Cohen
2/5
I wanted to like this more. I was into the first couple songs and as it went on I got less and less interested. Lyrically I really loved it but the delivery and music started to blur together.
Prince
3/5
I was excited to get a Prince album since I have always enjoyed his hits but have never gotten around to doing a deeper listen of his catalogue. On first listen I was pretty let down because I wasn't jiving with it very well and none of the tracks were any of his songs I know and love. Something told me to give it another listen the next day though and I definitely liked it a lot more on second listen. I suspect this will continue to grow on me with subsequent listenings.
Pink Floyd
4/5
I almost feel a little bad that I am giving this album a 4. I can see on paper why it should be a 5 and totally understand why it is for so many. However I decided I would only be giving 5's to albums that really resonated with me and has no (or minimal) skips. Dark Side of the Moon is unquestionably good, but either because of where I am currently in life or just my taste I had trouble really connecting with most of it. It's one I would definitely consider revisiting though. A few songs definitely stood out to me (Money, Any Color You Like, Brain Damage, Eclipse). The others, while I acknowledge as interesting or good, just didn't make me feel much other than a detached interest that appreciated the construction of the music. I will also say the duo of Brain Damage and Eclipse as a finisher is very powerful and so perfect it almost made me up it to a 5.
The B-52's
2/5
Well I can definitely say this was an interesting listen. I really struggled to decide if I liked it or disliked it. There were moments/songs that made me feel both. Overall I think I decided it's mostly not for me but I am glad I listened anyway.
Pearl Jam
2/5
I actually really liked the music, but the vocals I found generally grating. (something I see in a lot of the reviews too) There were songs/parts of songs where it was exactly the right sound though. His voice is very distinct to me which can be a good thing or a bad thing in large doses and in this case it's the later. It's a shame there isn't a second vocalist to break things up. If so I think I would have quite liked this. I can definitely see where this sound evolved with other groups as time went on.
The Smiths
1/5
This most definitely was not for me. I generally am ok with darker lyrics but something about the lyrics + music + his voice = no thank you. Really waffled between 1 and 2 stars for this but this is maybe the first one where I am struggling so much to see what value this has and why it's on the list. My other 2 stars while not for me, I can understand why they are on the list.
Korn
2/5
I was very curious how I was going to feel about this. I mostly missed out on Korn because either I was too young when an album came out (I was 9 or 10 for this one) or just hadn't really developed a taste for that kind of music. That definitely came later. I ended up feeling kinda "eh" about it overall. There were some songs I really enjoyed, and I liked the overall sound. Unfortunately the songs that weren't my thing REALLY weren't my thing.
For the first half of the album I was feeling like this definitely would be a 3 star for me but as I listened on I started leaning more towards a 2. The last two songs were weak enough to me that it slid it pretty solidly into a 2. I'd give it a second listen if the mood struck but don't think I'll be reaching for this very much as there are other albums that scratch a similar itch. I'd be more likely to just skip through most of it and stop on a few songs.
Rush
5/5
I'd never heard anything by Rush so I had no idea what kind of sound to expect. I ended up absolutely loving this album. The title track was incredible to me. I can see where such a long track is endless if you aren't feeling it but for me it flew by. The second half of the album was also a lot of fun to me. The only "weak" song for me was Tears which even still I like in the context of the whole album, and can see myself listening to in the right mood. Very shocked to give my first 5 star to a band that I couldn't name a single song by, but here we are! Glad to find a new album to love and looking forward to exploring any more of their albums that are on the list.
Green Day
3/5
When I saw this was my album I once again was very curious what my take was going to be. I was 16 when this came out, and I was really not a big fan of the hits. I know in retrospect I just wasn't there for it taste wise, even if I had listened to the whole album.
I went in with an open mind and definitely enjoyed more than I expected! I do definitely enjoy the hits more in the context of the album. There is also something about the shift from Holiday to Boulevard of Broken Dreams that is magic and is lost entirely when you just listen to the radio edit of the later. The album starts strong, and finishes strong. That said the middle section kind of loses me entirely. His voice also used to annoy me at 16, and now I like it more but still get a little tired of it after a bit.
Overall this is a worthwhile listen. I'll probably return to it again at some point. However, I will probably only listen to the first 4 and last 4 tracks and just skip over the middle entirely.
Cowboy Junkies
3/5
Mostly, I am rating this a 3 because I didn't hate it. I truthfully didn't have the time to give this the focused listen that I would have liked. This might instead be a 2 but only a relisten will really tell me.
What I liked about it was the vocals and felt like a good mix of country and blues. What I am unsure on is that some of the stuff sounded very samey, but I can't tell if that was because I wasn't focused enough or if that's accurate. I definitely wouldn't balk at a relisten though so at the least I passively enjoyed it.
Janet Jackson
2/5
I'll be honest this album on the front half frequently hit the same emotional response for me as the portion of Happy Xmas (War Is Over) where the children are singing "war is over if you want it". Which is to say I both couldn't take it seriously and also it makes me lowkey want to bash my head against something because I hate it so much. I don't mind social commentary in my music at all but there's just something about the delivery here that makes it somehow insincere to me. It probably doesn't help in me taking it seriously that the back half of the album seems to kind of abandon that theme after being so aggressive about it up front.
The portions of the album where she wasn't singing about starving people/poor people/etc where fine enough but only a couple songs really grabbed me (Escapade and Black Cat). That all said, the sound of this album really "feels" like a specific time in pop to me so from that perspective maybe still worth a listen. Just not my personal cup of tea.
Sister Sledge
3/5
This was a fun listen. It makes you want to dance and I found myself bobbing my head in time with the beat through most of it. That said it's probably not one I see myself returning to for the whole album often. There are a few stand out tracks, a few I passively enjoyed, and a couple I was very "eh" about. Some of the tracks seemed to go on a little long to me, but maybe that is the norm for disco (which make sense for dancing out on the floor)? I don't have an overly developed ear for disco as it wasn't one I listened to growing up, or one I have explored a lot independently. That makes me wonder what I might think of the album after I have some more under my belt from this list. For now though, it falls solidly to a 3 star.
Public Enemy
2/5
While I'm glad to have listened to this from a culture/music history standpoint, this wasn't overly my thing. I did like a couple songs but found myself to be glad when it was over.
Tim Buckley
2/5
Gypsy Woman is doing a lot of heavy lifting here to keep this from being a 1 star album for me. Otherwise the songs were too slow and discordant for my taste. While I appreciated him using his voice like it's own instrument it just felt like one too many sounds/notes for me to try to keep track of which added to the overall chaotic feeling. That made it really hard for me to be able to pay any attention to the lyrics at all. I might have actually liked this better if there were no lyrics and just instrumental and wordless singing? Hard to say. Either way, other than maybe Gypsy Woman I don't think I will be touching this again.
Elvis Presley
3/5
I felt like this was a fun listen. I know a lot of his hits, and knew at least a few songs off this album but was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked a some of the songs I hadn't heard before. That said, enough of the album was so-so to me that I don't feel like I should rate this much higher. I really liked about half the album, but that said the other half wasn't bad just not great. Most of those were the slower songs which tend to take time to grow on me so entirely possible this could grow up to a 4 for me over time.
Dire Straits
5/5
This album was fantastic. I do struggle a bit on first listen to pick out individual favorites but I was grooving to the whole thing. Time flew while listening to it. Lyrics seemed less important to me here, but the sound was incredible. Knowing both Money for Nothing, and Sultans of Swing ahead of time I was a little worried I might find the singer's style of vocals grating. However, I ended up really liking them against the music throughout the whole album.
Bon Jovi
3/5
I don't know if I would consider this whole album essential listening. I love the songs I already knew (You Give Love A Bad Name, Livin' On A Prayer, Wanted Dead Or Alive) so was hoping to find some new lesser known songs to love. Instead, I think I know why I only know those few songs. That said it's not necessarily a bad listen, just that the songs other than the hits are imo mostly forgettable. I think the only new to me song that stood out was Raise Your Hands, but I'm not sure it stood out enough to be a new favorite.
Einstürzende Neubauten
3/5
I wondered to myself what album I was going to get while I was doing my prep for my colonoscopy and was hoping it would be something fun and distracting. Then I thought to myself "lol watch I'll get that weird German album that is sitting at lowest rated". Imagine my shocked pikachu face when I rated my album for the previous day and low and behold... there it was. Since I'm only 20 albums in the odds on that are pretty low, but here we are!
The first track in I was instantly thinking about NIN (which I do like at least some of). A quick google search confirmed for me this is one of the influences for their music. I can definitely see how this had an influence on other bands and because of that I think it's worthwhile to listen to at least once in your life. It's not really "enjoyable" but it is "interesting". A lot of disjointed screaming/yelling and discordant noises. Also including banging sounds, sudden distorted instruments that fade in and out, and power tools.
Maybe it's the lack of solid food, maybe it's Stockholm syndrome, but by the end of the album I was kinda digging it? I'm not sure if/when I will ever relisten to it but it made me feel a way I don't really know how to describe, and I can't say anything else I have listened to has given me the same feeling. I was left questioning how to rate this. Based on how I have rated my other albums, it should probably be a 2 but I think I kind of want to bump it up to a 3 just to counterbalance the lower score a little. I do think it's worthwhile to listen to. Even if it's just to widen your music knowledge, and know stuff like this exists out there and there are people who enjoy it.
Van Halen
5/5
Wow I really enjoyed this. Sure, the lyrics are a little dated/shallow in places but I absolutely had a good time. Not all music has to be so serious! Made me want to dance around (but I didn't because I'm still recovering from a procedure this morning, another time!). Guitar riffs that made me want to close my eyes, and drum beats that had me bobbing my head. Vocals matched well with the vibe. Of course I already knew Jump and Panama because I have seen a movie from/set in the 80s before. Most of the rest of the album was just as fun to me. Drop Dead Legs was the weakest imo but even that I wouldn't necessarily skip on a relisten.
Scott Walker
3/5
This was a weird one! Genuinely don't fully know what to make of it. I'm thinking I will need at least one relisten to really hone in on how I feel about it. I don't think I hated it though. From first listen I liked Seventh Seal and The Old Man is Back Again. If I had to try to define it, I like his vocals, I like the lyrics, but the instrumentals were either a big hit or miss for me. Might be one of those ones that grows on me.
fIREHOSE
4/5
The album cover for some reason made me nervous I was going to really dislike this one for some reason. I ended up enjoying it a lot though! Part of me feels like rating a 4 is a little high but somehow a 3 feels too low.
Others have said similar but it really gives the impression of good musicians having a jam session/having some fun. Somehow reminds me of when my dad, uncle, and grandfather used to go down to the basement in my childhood home and just play music. They are much more skilled than my family (though they definitely were not bad) but it has the same "feel". Can definitely see me returning to this.
The only downside was I did majorly struggle to understand the lyrics on first listen. Depending on those I could see this being bumped down to a 3 but going with my gut here.
The White Stripes
2/5
What an interesting listen for me....
I have been lowkey curious about The White Stripes for a bit. I of course know Seven Nation Army and am a fan of that song but never got around to exploring more (or so I thought). I did not like the beginning of this album. I was convinced it was going to be a 1 star for me for probably the first 8 tracks. Then it hit We're Going to Be Friends and unearthed a memory I had completely forgotten about.
There was a period of time I DID try to get into The White Stripes, I believe around the time Elephant came out when I was 14 or 15. Overall my reaction had been "??? ok? well I'm going to save a couple of these and go back to my other music." We're Going to Be Friends was one of the ones I liked, but when my dad swapped streaming services (either Rhapsody to Napster, or from Napster back to Rhapsody. He did this a few times.) I lost all my liked songs. I never got back to it and somehow The White Stripes remained filed in my brain as something I had never really tried to get into.
Anyway, triggering long forgotten memories aside, I think I still react like "??? ok?" at least to this album. The second half of the album I like much more than the first but is still not a love other than We're Going to Be Friends. So at least I can bump it up from my initial reaction of 1 star to 2.
I feel like I see seeds of music I could really like but it feels like it hasn't ripened yet to me. I think there is at least one later album by theirs on the list so very curious if I will like that more.
Dusty Springfield
5/5
I'm a little sad I didn't know about Dusty Springfield sooner! I really loved this album. I could listen to her warm voice a long while. The lyrics and the music has this great bittersweet quality to them. This is definitely something I want to return to. On first listen, Son of a Preacher Man was really excellent, also really enjoyed Don't Forget About Me, Breakfast In Bed, and The Windmills of Your Mind.
The Darkness
3/5
This was a fun listen, I'd probably revisit them again. Could see them really growing on me but for now they are about middle of the road as far as this list is concerned. Some great songs, and some missable ones. There are times they feel really of their era, and times they feel like a throwback to eras past. Above all else they sound like they are having fun which makes me feel that way too.
Badly Drawn Boy
4/5
I'm not surprised I haven't heard of this album because this isn't really the type of thing that goes mainstream. I however was sorry I hadn't heard of it sooner because I really liked it a lot. Listening to it felt like drifting down the river. Some parts slow, some parts rushing, some winding, and some through a spooky little forest.
Radiohead
3/5
I've never gotten into Radiohead, and the only song I knew by them was Creep. I did however recognize this cover instantly which tells me how much it must be around despite me not being into the band.
I'm not sure this is really a love for me, on first listen anyway. The only song that outright grabbed me was Just, but wow did I REALLY like that one. Overall the album has kind of a melancholy vibe that just manages to keep from being too depressing/whiny to me. Some great guitar work for sure.
I saw another review comment that maybe listening to it in the middle of the day isn't the right time for it. I do wonder if I am having a similar issue. I could see me going for this more late night in my room or on a night drive and being a lot more into it potentially. Whenever I do my relisten I'll see if I can manage that.
Peter Gabriel
5/5
This was a very interesting listen. Genre wise it's all over the place but that kind of works for me. I knew Solsbury Hills right away but I honestly never knew who that was by or what the name of the song was. I greatly enjoyed this album. To me it was very ahead of it's time on certain songs. For example I always thought Solsbury Hills was an 80s song. Other songs have more of a timeless sense to me. This will definitely be something I relisten to. I waffle between 4 and 5 while listening to it but whenever I hear Here Comes The Flood at the end I want to make it a 5. I can quickly tell that's going to become a favorite of mine.
Spacemen 3
2/5
I couldn't really get into this one. Every song felt like it dragged on way too long. Maybe I would need to be doing whatever drugs they were all doing to really appreciate it? That said, I do think it's still worth listening to from a music appreciation standpoint so I'll refrain from rating a one star.
The Undertones
1/5
I kinda wonder if maybe I just don't get new wave? I have seen debate on if The Smiths are new wave or not, but I don't get them (at least not the album I got so far on this list). I just barely got the B-52s and I think that is just because I was already just a little familiar with them. Anyway, I feel a little bad giving them a 1 star because I really didn't hate them, but I also just did not get anything from this.
The Zombies
4/5
I liked this a lot. It felt like The Beatles a bit to me. Time of the Season is just incredible. I kinda of wish the rest of the album felt a bit more like that one. But still very much feel like this is worth a listen. Looking forward to a relisten.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
2/5
Some of this I liked, but some of this I absolutely hated. I liked the imagery he uses in some of the songs as well, but others made me feel insane. Unfortunately what I liked doesn't do enough to lift this out of a 2 star for me. A big part of that is that the song Black Hair made me feel crazy with how bad it was to me. Not that I'm that far into this list, but out of everything I've listened to off the list that is the song I hate the most. I'm no song writer so I won't even say that I can personally do better. But, somehow I think you should be able to write a better song about your lover with black hair. Something that doesn't state that she had black hair almost every line at least? Green Eyes is a close second for how much I hated it to me. Similarly he doesn't seem to do very much here with the concept. A lot of singing "green eyes" over and over again. The weird talking over his own singing is also off putting to me.
In the end I think very much not for me. I see the value in listening though.
The Crusaders
3/5
Overall, a fun listen. Probably not something I would go to frequently but I enjoyed it. I can see why some of the reviews describe this as elevator music, but sometimes I actually enjoy that kind of sound. A lot of the key to that for me is if I have control over listening or if I'm being forced to listen to it while on hold.
I saw a lot of people mention that they liked the title track but nothing else. Kind of wonder if that is because it's the only track with vocals? I'm the other way around. Street Life was probably the song I liked the least. I preferred Carnival of the Night and The Hustler. Night Faces and Rodeo Drive (High Steppin') were also fun.
Neil Young
5/5
Went in blind for this one. I spent the first few songs thinking this might be a 4 star for me because I was digging the sound. As the album went on I just was more and more into it. By the end I just sat in silence for a bit and then went in for the second listen. Definitely 5 star...wow.
Belle & Sebastian
2/5
I'll have to give this one a fair relisten when I am not so tired, but my initial reaction is "meh". I like some of the initial songs (Expectations and She's Losing It) but by the middle I was feeling ready for the album to be over. The back half of the album just kinda blurred for me. Feels like there isn't enough substance for me musically for a lot of it. Will be curious to see if being more awake helps or hurts this one but my gut is telling me it won't make much difference. We will see! I don't know if it's essential listening, but it was not horrible.
Method Man
4/5
The flow on this is engaging and steady. The beats are dark, murky, and gritty. I'm definitely a fan of this. I haven't ever really delved into Wu-Tang Clan or any of their members so this was my first experience with them. Probably most accurately a 3.5, but I think in this case it's more of a round up than round down situation.
Peter Gabriel
4/5
Was a little let down that I did not like this as much as I liked his solo debut. It's definitely less experimental which makes perfect sense timeline wise. However it turns out I really liked the variety of him playing with styles more than one full album of a consistent style with him. One thing this had in common with his debut is both albums have a heck of a finisher song. In Your Eyes is the best song on the album imo. Overall I do really like this album even if it's not as strong to me as his debut. Don't Give Up drags it down a bit for me because I am not a fan, and it's the longest song on the album.
CHIC
4/5
I think this is the platonic ideal of disco. If I loved disco more this would be a 5*. I do really like it though.
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
3/5
Definitely a fun listen. I can really hear the foundation of so many rock and roll groups to come.
The Electric Prunes
4/5
I might be rating this a little high, but my gut reaction is that I really like it. I think most accurately it would be a 3.5 but I'm going to round up. A few really strong songs for me and a lot of guitar playing I enjoyed throughout.
The Smashing Pumpkins
3/5
I was expecting to hate this one. While I already knew and liked Bullet With Butterfly Wings I hadn't really listened to much more of The Smashing Pumpkins. Imagining a whole 2 hours of that same sound seemed awful to me. While I do think this album is... entirely too long, I liked it better than anticipated. The main vocalist can be grating, but thankfully swaps it up enough that he's not always going for that "shrieky" sound. Also there were some songs that really enjoyed musically so I'll be taking more from this than I thought.
Since it was so long, a lot of it started to bleed together, and I honestly have no clue how I even felt about most of the second half. I very much think if this was shorter, more edited down, or even split into two albums I would be giving this an additional star. As is I really debate if this is more of a 2 or 3 star album for me. There are great songs on here doing a lot of heavy lifting to make me want to give it a 3, but when I consider the entirety of the album and how forgettable a lot of it felt (probably mostly due to length and fatigue) I really want to make it a 2. Since I suppose that makes it a 2.5 and I have been rounding up my 3.5s, I'll make it a 3. This is really making me want a half star system though.
Marvin Gaye
4/5
This was one I had to hear twice to decide about. One of the benefits these shorter albums get more frequently. On the initial listen I think I was expecting more of it to be upbeat somehow? I don't know why exactly since I am not all that familiar with his music other than Let's Get It On. But no, it's smooth and a bit funky. Once I got over it not sounding how I expected I quite liked it. It's not an all the time listen but one I would certainly put on in the right mood. Highlights were Let's Get It On, Keep Gettin' It On, You Sure Love To Ball, and Just To Keep You Satisfied.
The Byrds
3/5
This is pretty ok. Not blown away by it but did like some of the tracks. On first listen I liked Have You Seen Her Face, Everybody's Been Burned, and Mind Gardens. I could see some more of it growing on me but don't think it will be a favorite.
Suicide
1/5
Yeah... not for me. A challenge to listen to, but not in a way I found intriguing or expanding. It's interesting to read in the wiki entry that it seems to be considered a great album which makes me wonder what I am missing. I also keep seeing that it's influential, and I am struggling to see that too. Maybe for a genre I am not well versed in, or a time period I am less familiar with maybe?
Bob Marley & The Wailers
3/5
I enjoyed this. Very nice chill vibes for a summer night. Have to knock it down a star though because I found it a bit repetitive. I'd hit some highlight from it again though.
Elbow
4/5
I thought this was pretty good! I am a little surprised I've never heard any of this, but I suppose it's just one of those groups that never was popular in the US (to my knowledge). Really looking forward to a relisten because I think I will like this even more. On first listen The Bones of You, Grounds for Divorce, An Audience With The Pope, The Fix, and One Day Like this all stood out to me.
Happy Mondays
3/5
I didn't really like first four songs on this album, but it picks up for me with Loose Fit. I ended up liking the whole rest of the album. Not a love, but won't mind doing a second listen at some point.
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
Overall, really enjoyed this album. Just had a beautiful sound to it, and the lyrics were interesting. A few of the songs lyrically had more edge to them than I was expecting. I mean they are not especially edgy, just more than I was expecting (which was none edgy). I think that's because I only knew "Bridge Over Troubled Water" by them which I associate as "Jesus music". I would say there are a couple weak songs, and I though I enjoy it a lot it's not a love which is why it stays at 4 stars. It's definitely a mood I will reach for sometime though.
The Verve
2/5
This was ok. Nothing about it really grabbed my attention and I found myself struggling to focus on it much. There was nothing that made me hate it either though. I wouldn't ask someone to turn it off/change it if they wanted to listen to it, it makes fine background music. But I doubt I'll be doing more than my second listen (which I am doing for everything) for this.
The Cure
2/5
Idk I just don't really get new wave or post punk which I see this is labelled as. There are at least a couple tracks that do grab my attention which makes me wonder if I will like their later stuff a little more. The Forest, Seventeen Seconds, and Three intrigued me. We shall see!
That all said this definitely feels like a worthwhile listen as I can just tell this inspired many moody goth albums to come!
Prince
5/5
Superb. This is one of those albums you always hear about one of the greatest records of all times. I can definitely see why. I think if I had heard this album younger it wouldn't have hit me the same way it does now so I am glad to just be getting around to it now.
Johnny Cash
5/5
Good lord, I was right to be excited when I saw I had this album. It's really incredible. Usually not big into live albums but the crowd, and hearing Johnny Cash interacting with the crowd really adds something special. I know it's been said a million times before but it's absolutely brilliant of him to be singing these songs in prison.
Cream
4/5
I definitely seem to like 60s psychedelic rock so far. I had always heard of the band Cream but, gun to my head, I couldn't have told you what genre of music they were. The cover tipped me off of course. There are definitely some weaker parts of the album but the parts I liked I really liked! Strange Brew, Sunshine of Your Love, Tales of Brave Ulysses, and SWLABR were the biggest standouts for me. Liked a few more, liked a few more a lot less, but hated nothing. Definitely would happily relisten to the whole thing.
The Magnetic Fields
3/5
Ah yes, one of the infamously long ones. As soon as the first track started playing I thought "Oh no, oh hell." Thankfully, not every song had the same feeling as that first one or I would have lost it. Truthfully though this was so long I was not really able to give it a good critical listen.
It seemed like there was some good variety, and I really didn't hate it as background music. I think there are a few songs I did really like maybe? I know there were definitely a few I hated. A second listen at some point might be able to help me hone in on that more. It seemed like a lot of it was kind of playful, which seems right to me for an album called 69 Love Songs.
I fully did not realize they did the original version of The Book of Love. I've only ever heard the Neil Young version. That's definitely a great son though.
My final thought is I think some people are a bit over dramatic about this album. Yeah it's unnecessarily long but is it actually THAT horrible to listen to? I suppose if the various singers voices aren't your thing I could see it but from some of the comments I have read I thought it might be WAY worse than it actually was.
The Flaming Lips
4/5
I have definitely seen this cover around and know that I was vaguely aware that this was supposed to be a good album. Some of it seems vaguely familiar which makes me wonder if I tried listening to it closer to when it came out. If so I am not surprised I more or less forgot about it. That makes it sound like I don't like it, which is very untrue. Just strikes me like something I wouldn't have appreciated as much in my teen years for a lot of reasons.
Going in when I heard the first song I was kind of like "ugh... ok... this seems kinda overrated." It won me over very quickly though starting with the second track. Ended up enjoying the rest of it. Very dreamy and a great thing to vibe to when relaxing. I bet this would also be super to walk/sit on the beach with. Especially sunrise/sunset time. Some weak tracks in there which takes this down to a 4 instead of a 5 for me but really enjoy this album as a whole and as a concept.
Mudhoney
2/5
Eh...this wasn't really my thing tbh. I didn't mind a few songs but thinking grunge isn't something I like much. I was a little too young at the time to seek it out on my own, and generally speaking neither of my parents liked it much (with the exception of Nirvana) so I wasn't really exposed to it. While I am not sorry to try it out and see if I can develop a taste for it, so far I haven't really found the right group/sound to convert me to a fan. That said, I think maybe if I did like the genre more I would think this was pretty good? I did at least somewhat enjoy some of it so that's my best guess.
TL;DR maybe listen and you will like it if you are a fan of grunge. Otherwise this is probably forgettable if like me, you aren't much of one.
5/5
Another one I was pretty excited to listen to. It's something I missed because I was busy listening to other genres when this came out. But I know some of the hits and loved them. Just hadn't gotten around to doing a whole album listen.
I am a little bit on the fence for this one. The songs I like I REALLY like, but some of the others are just a little boring to me. There is also something to be said for the cohesiveness I feel in the album. In the end I think what I do like overpowers what I don't enough that this is a 5 star for me.
Jazmine Sullivan
3/5
I love the concept of this album and really applaud the theme and honesty you can feel here. Reminds me a bit of The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. I saw others say similar in their reviews! I really like the confessional spoken word tracks between the songs as well as the confessional nature of some of the songs themselves. The music however did not grab me very much for the most part. While I am not sure I completely disagree with other reviewers that this may not stand the test of time, I think it's still worth an open minded listen.
5/5
Ah man, the first album I've gotten so far that I know front to back and already love. Was glad that ended up being a favorite Beatles one. This was one of two Beatles cds my parent's owned (the other being Abbey Road) and I can remember listening to it on repeat on my little portable walkman disc player. I used to love to start at all the faces on on the cover, not knowing who most of them were but being fascinated anyway. I haven't done a full listen in AGES though so I was very excited for this.
Obviously I am not coming to this at all objectively. It's hard for me to even articulate and pick out why it's so great. I just get hit with an overwhelming nostalgia dopamine hit. It's exploratory, fun, and psychedelic. You never quite know what you will have next and to me all of it is worth a listen. One thought I had while listening for the first time with actually good headphones was "they don't mix them like that anymore." "Within, Without You" and "A Day In The Life" were particularly superb with actually good headphones. There are a lot of amazing songs on here but I think "A Day In The Life" is actually one of the best Beatles songs, not just on this album, but in general. It might not be as catchy and ear wormy as a lot of their better known stuff but I think it's one of the most (if not the most) artful.
Anyway, obvious 5 star for me. Great excuse/chance to listen to it again. It's so influential that even if it's not your thing it's definitely worth hearing at least once in your life. But it's also an incredible album aside from that, so hopefully most people get something from it.
Britney Spears
4/5
Two nostalgia hits in a row! I was 10 when this one came out. I do not know this one front to back quite the same way I know Sgt. Pepper since I never personally owned it. But my next-door neighbor friend's sister owned it and I remember me, him, and his sister dancing around in their basement singing to it on repeat. Also "...Baby One More Time" and "(You Drive Me) Crazy" was basically everywhere.
It's hard a little for me to judge this one because I am not sure the music is really anything earth shattering BUT it's such a great representation of pop at that time. Britney Spears and "...Baby One More Time" in particular are so iconic to that era, I am not sure you can not include this on the list. I can understand the criticisms though.
If you are taking this from an "artistic" perspective I would rate it lower. But personal connection wise, and influential wise it definitely deserves a higher rating. Even though I haven't revisited most of these songs since I was a kid, I found myself enjoying revisiting many of the non hits as much as the hits. "Sometimes", "Born To Make You Happy", "From The Bottom of My Broken Heart", and "Thinkin' About You" were all fun.
Count Basie & His Orchestra
3/5
So this one is a little hard to rate for me. It mostly settled into background music for me BUT I was enjoying listening to it. I think this is a fun sound, though not one I am all that familiar with. I can't really pick out particular songs I like at this stage, but I would give this a second listen for sure!
The Temptations
3/5
I would say that there were no songs in this which I disliked. But by the same token I am not sure I heard anything I loved. Overall liked the sound though.
Dexys Midnight Runners
3/5
I would say most of this was "ok" with a few songs that caught my ear. I already knew and loved "Come On Eileen", but I also enjoyed "Plan B", and "Show Me". Definitely enjoyed a lot more than any other album I've seen labelled new wave so far, so maybe there is hope for that genre for me yet.
Ali Farka Touré
3/5
Spellbinding album. The fusion of genres mixes very well to me. I can't really pick out specific songs well and it blends together a bit for me though. Nonetheless I did not get tired of listening to the album. I'd happily put this on in the background sometime while doing some other things.
Frank Sinatra
4/5
Beautiful album. I didn't recognize any of the songs from this one but I have always enjoyed the Frank Sinatra songs I've heard. His voice really is so smooth and a joy to listen to. These songs were no exception. Even though I am not sure how many individual songs I can pick out as favorites I just really enjoyed listening overall.
Coldplay
3/5
I was loving this album on the front half. It was moodier than I expected from the Coldplay singles I know. Then unfortunately after "Clocks" I slowly got bored. Maybe the second half will improve on the second listen but for now it felt kind of missable. Which is a little sad because the second half was more how I was expecting the whole album to sound. I do like some Coldplay but they can be very hit or miss for me.
Astrud Gilberto
3/5
I found this to be a pleasant listen. Definitely of a very specific time. I found myself thinking that they really used flutes a lot more in the 60s. This isn't the first album that's made me think that, but it reinforced it for sure. I'd put this on in the background at a party, maybe without the parade song though...
Sex Pistols
2/5
I can see where this was probably pretty influential, and I love the idea of punk. I want to love it conceptually, but I guess I just don't love the actual sound of it. Vocals are too grating and overall find it kind of repetitive.
Rush
4/5
Was a tiny bit disappointed to get this so early in the challenge after having 2112 already as well. I had enjoyed 2112 so much, I kind of was hoping to get this one later so I could look forward to it longer. Nonetheless was pretty thrilled to see it. This one is a little bit of a tough to rate one for me. While I still really enjoyed this album I did not love it as much as 2112, at least on first listen.
I didn't find the music particularly catchy. I was masterfully played, and there is just some incredible stuff here musically. But did any of them come off as catchy "get stuck in your head" kind of stuff? Not very much at all for me on first listen. Additionally, while I really liked the vocals on 2112, I found them the weaker part of the album here. I still don't mind them, and even like them on certain songs/in spots. But, there were times I admit that I would have loved an instrumental version a little more.
Despite all that, do I still think this is a very good, worthwhile album? Absolutely. That drumming alone makes it worth it, but the rest of the music too is just too good to not hear at least once. I am hoping too on a second listen I might change my mind about some of my gut reaction. This gets a 4 in the end for my overall feeling on it. But from the perspective of hearing rock be very well played I think it's a 5.
Incredible Bongo Band
3/5
At the start of the album I was thinking I might rate this a 4. I was really enjoying it. Also definitely recognized this album gets sampled a lot. Then it just started to drag on too long, with too much of the same sound. However, overall still a fun listen I don't regret. Very specific to a time, and one I do think I will revisit sometime.
Talvin Singh
4/5
Ok this is exactly the kind of stuff I was into in late middle school/early high school. Kinda new agey electronica. I seriously wondered if I would find that kind of stuff on here. I never came across this one but it gives me a very nostalgic feeling. It maybe deserves a 3 in all actuality because I have heard stuff in the genre of new age electronica I like more as a whole. But there are some really good tracks on here, and I really am glad something of that genre is on the list so I am inclined to rate it higher.
The Icarus Line
2/5
I somehow feel like I should have enjoyed this more than I did but... felt very meh listening to it. I love some of the "dirty" sound of a lot of the instruments a lot tbh BUT something about the exact combo of play style and vocals made me kind of bored actually?
Blur
3/5
Wow what an interesting listen. I got a lot of influences from older stuff I've listened to on this list. I liked a lot of this, and can see this really growing well on me too. Definitely some Beatles inspiration, and the last track made me think of Green Onions in the beginning.
Serge Gainsbourg
3/5
This is a tough one to rate to be honest. Instrumentals? 5/5. Vocals 2/5 (I just really hate how they are mixed). Subject matter? 1/5. Ability to convey a story I can clearly follow despite the language barrier? 5/5. I suppose that rounds out to a 3.25 which will get a 3 from me.
Gang Starr
3/5
I haven't had a ton of 80/very early 90s hip-hop yet on this list and the first I had was a struggle. I definitely liked this more. It's still very foreign to my ear, and so I feel like that's a barrier to how good it probably actually is. I think given time to grow and develop more of an ear for it this might be a 4 star to me, but as it stands it feels more like a 3. Pleasant to listen to, and I liked his flow but nothing super grabbed me.
The Temptations
4/5
Great little album. Really enjoyed the funky songs on this one the most and really only two songs didn't really grab me. This is probably most accurately a 3.5 for me but I am going to round up here.
The Allman Brothers Band
3/5
I think actually hearing this live would be amazing. While I really enjoyed it, I don't know if that translated as well to an album for me personally. I really do enjoy the style but several of the tracks drag on too long for me to get into not hearing live. That all said, this one is definitely worth a listen and I do think it belongs on the list. I just won't be revisiting too often I don't think.
Alice Cooper
3/5
I find myself unsure how I want to rate this one which I feel like I've said a few times lately. I liked "Billion Dollar Babies", "Unfinished Sweet", and "Generation Landslide". "I Love the Dead" is.... a lot but I'm ngl I love the sound of it and it's a great finisher to the album. I feel like I say this a lot too but I have a funny feeling this album will really grow on me. Right now it's more of a 3 but I bet after a relisten or two it will be a 4 for me. I love the guitar work on this album and the vocals feel fitting for the style/subject matter. I think though, I don't find this album particularly "catchy" which is why I think it suffers a bit on first listen rating. But since I am mostly trying to rate these on first impression I will be keeping this to a 3.
Solomon Burke
4/5
My thought for how to sum up this album is "good for what ails you". I'm not sure how well I can articulate my feeling about that further but hopefully that makes sense to more people than just me. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I think there is just something about the bluesy/rock style and his voice that just soothes my soul. He really seems to know how to use his voice very well, changing the sound up to suit each part of each song.
THAT all said there are definitely enough songs on here that are "skippable" to me that it ends up being more of a 4 start than a 5 star for me. What is good is really incredible though. This will definitely be an album I reach for in the right mood.
Soundgarden
3/5
I would say I definitely liked this more than anything else I have heard labelled as grunge by this list. Either the genre is growing on me, I'm getting more of an ear for it, or this album is just better. I'm still not in love with the sound though. Certain songs will strike me (in this case "Let me Drown", "Fell on Black Days", "Black Hole Sun", and "Spoonman") but I seem to not like whole albums so far. I would even say I would prefer to not listen to all the songs I really liked in a row. Part of a bigger playlist with other styles on it put on shuffle, I think each of those would be a refreshing change of pace. However as a whole this definitely felt like a 3* to me.
Pulp
2/5
Idk this was kinda boring to me overall. It's not bad, but most of the songs hit the same emotional resonance to me and feel like he sings almost every song the same. \"I'm a Man\" and \"Sylvia\" were the two tracks that stood out to me.
Judas Priest
3/5
I warmed up to this more after a second listen. It's still not a 4 or 5 for me but I at least wouldn't mind listening to again.
Beastie Boys
5/5
I was feeling a lot of trepidation about this album. The only song I really knew by Beastie Boys is "Fight For Your Right" and was struggling to imagine enjoying a whole album of that sound. This really blew me away though. The skill in the sampling is something else. I felt like I never knew what I was going to hear next and I think on relistens I am going to keep noticing new things for a while. The humor in the lyrics is sharp imo and I enjoyed that and the style of rapping too. The beat also was great, it made me want to dance. All just layered together to make a fantastic album. Shocked to be giving this a 5 star rating, but that is what is fun about going through this list.
Sam Cooke
5/5
I didn't realize I knew anything by Sam Cooke until I started listening to the album. Song after song I was familiar with and I just loved the live versions of them. It sounds like they were having such a ball at this show. Between this and Folsom Prison I am more and more opening up to maybe listening to some live albums. I've never been a big fan before but I loved both of those. 5 stars for me.
David Crosby
4/5
Ooo yes this is good stuff. Making me even more curious for when I get Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. I was too tired for an in depth listen, so it's possible this is even a 5 for me BUT from what I gathered it's at least a 4 star.
Kid Rock
2/5
Love getting two of the lowest rated albums on the site in my first 100 albums, get them out of the way I say. Initially I was a little surprised and lowkey horrified that I REALLY was enjoying the sound of the album, but it starts going downhill after the third track and steeply declines for me after the fourth. To be clear, I don't like the lyrics for any of it. I can overlook "edgy" lyrics if I feel like it's an act or for the art or w/e, but because I know Kid Rock is a POS human being it's really hard to separate the art and artist. Because I love the sound of the first three tracks so much I can't rightly rate it 1 star, but I am admittedly relieved I don't feel the need to rate it higher than a 2.
MGMT
5/5
I went to this thinking I only knew 1 song (Electric Feel) and completely did not realize I knew "Time To Pretend" and "Kids". I've heard both a million times but not known who they were by or the names of the songs. I really enjoyed this album. It gives me big nostalgia for my late teens/early 20s. I think it's a great pick to capture a certain sound from a certain era. I ended up really loving a lot of the other songs too! I think I have to give it the extra star for the nostalgia vibes, and for the other groups it inspired down the line.
Solange
4/5
Very pleasantly surprised with this album. She is obviously not her sister, but I have always found Beyonce to be a little overrated. She's certainly talented, and has some very good songs but I have never quite understood the level of hype. But knowing that I was a little worried this would be in the same vein.
I ended up really enjoying this album. It's very smooth, chill, and easy to listen to. It's got a bit of funk, and a bit of hip hop mixed in which is enough to keep my attention. Her voice is smoother and more gentle than her sister and I'll be honest, I might prefer it. I love the interludes as well, adds a personal touch. Definitely a great new find to go into my rotation.
Gotan Project
5/5
Was absolutely thrilled to get an album by a French group during the 2024 Paris Olympics. Not sure what the odds are of that but since this list seems to be heavy on the USA and UK artists I suspect low!
As far as the actual album, I absolutely loved it. This is definitely my kind of thing. I like electro swing a lot and this is kind of like its tango cousin. A great fusion of electronica with tango music, and what I think is singing in French. It's something that can easily go on in the background and float in and out of and just kind of chill out to. I think for some people background music is kind of an insult but for me, when it's GOOD background music it can really help me focus or set the stage to relax. To me this is GOOD background music. I am pretty certain I have heard some of these tracks in movies before as well. If not, it's certainly cinematic enough for it. For me, I love it enough for it to be a 5 star!
The Smiths
1/5
Oof...what an absolute bummer of an album. Disappointed with myself this is what I ended my day with DESPITE thinking Strangeways Here We Come was also quite depressing. This at least has a little more of value musically for me I think? I still really am just not into it. I think the music on its own, is actually good, but the lyrics and vocals kind of stink imo. I can tell I am going to be in for a "treat" with how much Morrisey is on this list. To be fair, the lyrics are at least clever in spots but, I repeat, they bum me out and I think they make the album as a whole a bummer. This paired with his crooning, whiney, mopey voice? I'll pass.
Would it bum Morrisey out if he knew listening to this made me want to eat a burger in revenge for how bummed it made me? I think that would be only fair right? No? Ok, well, I think I am going to do it anyway.
I should probably give this a 2 star because I at least liked it a little more than Strangeways Here We Come. But my heart wants to give it a 1 star, and I am in the mood to listen to my heart.
Erykah Badu
4/5
I quite liked this one. I didn't catch a lot of the lyrics because I had to multitask and listen to this one BUT I liked the sound a lot. Taking a star off because the longer songs are definitely TOO long and started to wear on me. But as a whole I would definitely look forward listening to this one again. Definitely funky, definitely something to groove to.
Echo And The Bunnymen
4/5
This might be a good album maybe. Definitely the first album labelled post punk I enjoyed. The back half of the album is where it's at. Once it hits Porcupine for me I am sucked in. I still am not totally in love with this kind of sound but I think this album could make it grow on me. The music backing is the part that pulls me in. Feels very like a soundscape. I think that makes a nice contrast with the more sparse vocals. I feel like it's a high 3 on the how much I enjoy it scale, and a 4 on the how good I feel like this sound can be. I am in the end, inclined to give it a 4.
Bee Gees
3/5
I have been very curious to see what album I would get on my birthday and here we are! While it's nothing mind-blowing, I can't be mad at a 3 star. It could have been another Smith's album.
Definitely some good songs on here, and some of it reminded me of The Beatles for sure. I was pretty surprised because I really have only heard their disco songs. However there were plenty of weak songs in here too, and I doubt I'll be reaching to listen to this whole album again.
The Go-Go's
3/5
This was a fun listen. I definitely knew a couple of these and enjoyed revisiting them and hearing what the rest of the album sounds like. Definitely one of the things labelled New Wave that I have liked the most. Still falls to the 3 star level for me, but can get to why it's a higher ranked one for anyone. It's still just not quite my genre, but more albums like this might start to win me over more.
Fun Lovin' Criminals
3/5
I was definitely thinking this was going to be a 4 star to me. There is a lot to love in this imo, but then I seem to like albums that are doing some experimenting. I think the sound of the rap over the more rock music in this case is mostly successful. However the back half of this fell off a bit for me so I have to deduct a star. I'd be curious what I think after a second listen.
Isaac Hayes
5/5
Stunning album. Definitely recognized some spots where this has been sampled. I lost track of time in a good way with this one. Groovy and soulful sonic waves to surf on. That voice is smoooooth. Absolutely worth many listens.
Franz Ferdinand
5/5
I had to restrain myself from just giving this a 5 star on sight. I figured it's been a while since I listened to it as a whole instead of just my favorites, so to be fair I needed to listen to it critically. There was ONE point where I thought I was going to have to dip my rating to a 4 star. On the front half of the album I am about 50/50 on if I am meh about a song or absolutely love it. The back half is stacked though. I think I could only justify rating this a 4 realistically is if maybe is if You Could Have It So Much Better was on the list as well as that one is maybe better than this to me. That said, still an album I absolutely love. Probably the only artist/band on this list I have seen live (twice no less!) unless you count having seen Ringo and the All-stars and unless I am forgetting someone. Therefore, I feel I can and should give it a 5 because anything of theirs is high on my list.
Mariah Carey
3/5
I was hoping to like this a lot more than I did. I liked "Honey" and "My All" and felt like there were some interesting things going on with the music in "The Beautiful Ones". Otherwise found most of the rest of this pretty boring. She has a beautiful voice, and this very much feels like a nostalgia blast from my childhood. I think for my own personal enjoyment level it's a 2 star, but it probably should be upgraded to a 3 for how much it captures a time. I am pretty sure I read someone else say that a lot of this was used as movie credit music but if not true, it EXACTLY sounds like the type of music you would hear at the end of many movies. While listening to this I would not be surprised to look up at the tv and see some credits rolling. This all to say, worth a listen once to experience that little slice of 90s sound. 3 stars from me for my 100th album.
Black Sabbath
5/5
Wow what a great album. I had no idea I would like Black Sabbath so much. The only thing I really associated them with was Ozzy Osbourne and he was truly more of a reality star to me. I never watched the reality show but being in middle school in the early 2000s you couldn't avoid at least hearing about him.
I had an idea in my head of what their music would sound like but it was much more melodic than I expected. I think in my head it used to be metal=death metal screaming and it's not been until more recent years I unlearned that.
I thought this album was beautiful in spots which surprised me. I particularly like the guitars on the album but everything blends together amazingly to make beautiful music. It's hard to even pick out favorites, but I would say that "Wheels of Confusion/The Straightener", "Supernaught", "Snowblind", and "Laguna Sunrise" stood out to me most on first listen.
Cornershop
3/5
This was an interesting listen. I really did enjoy the fusion of genres (I'm hearing pop, electronica, and Indian). It's not a love for me, and I doubt I'll revisit much but I'm glad I listened to it. The instrumentals are definitely some of the strong parts of the album. I also was enjoying the non English portions a lot. I enjoyed Good Sh** a fair bit out of the ones that were in English. Also their cover of Norwegian Wood was pretty cool too. That said, the weaker songs were weak enough to drag this to a 3 instead of a 4 for me.
Coldplay
4/5
This definitely surprised me a bit. I know the big radio hits from Coldplay but other than the other album on on this list I didn't know much of their music. I liked this one a lot more overall than "A Rush of Blood to The Head". The only song I knew "Yellow" in my opinion was one of the weaker ones. Still decently good. Makes me wonder if they had evolved in a different direction from this if I would have liked them more.
Adele
2/5
Poor Adele, she doesn't really get a fair chance with me. It's such a shame because I can very easily recognize what a gorgeous voice she has and her music is quite beautiful. But unfortunately it has a few things going against it. I first was introduced her her music when 21 came out and Borders decided to play the album in it's rotation. Because I worked there, what might have been an album I found ok with a few good songs, became something I dreaded hearing the first few notes of. I was completely sick of it. I know that album is coming at some point on the list, and I hoping sincerely I can listen with new ears because that one I think maybe has a chance to win me over.
This one however... very unfortunately was an album my cousin's ex wife was absolutely obsessed with. I won't give too many personal details about their lives, but all I can say is I literally can't think of "Hello" without it being something that I can see going through her head years after the divorce. I was hoping there might be other songs on this album that I might like enough to distract me from that but thematically... oof. Very hard for me to separate this album from the pain she caused. Personally, I'd like to rate it a 1 for how it makes me feel to listen to it (I honestly almost skipped because of the personal history) BUT I think this album is better than that, actually. I'm going to compromise for a 2 and just say, it's very much not for me but absolutely worth a listen because you might fall in love with her voice and the piano.
John Lennon
4/5
I would very much say that this took me by surprise. I was expecting to hate it because I can't stand the songs Imagine and War is Over. Those are the only two solo John Lennon songs I knew. I think both are kind of insufferable. I'm glad to say that I loved most of this album. I made it almost all the way through thinking that I was going to not hate any of it but then "God" played. Yup, also insufferable. I get it dude... I get it! You only believe in you and Yoko and that's all that matters to you. We got it. You didn't have to list every single thing you don't believe in, and I felt like targeting his time with The Beatles was also just kind of in poor taste.
That all said I am trying to not let my disdain for one song wreck my whole view of the album. That still leaves me with a little trouble deciding how to rate this. I was already kind of learning towards a 4 star before I hit that song...and that song might be enough to drag it down to a 3. I feel the need to be generous though because it did surprise me with how much I liked most of the rest of the album.
Yes
3/5
Listening to this felt like a fever dream. My overall feeling is positive but have a hard time nailing down my exact feeling. I think it could possibly be a 4 star but... as of now I am feeling like a 3. It felt hard to follow in some places and while I think that added to to the overall "feeling" I am not sure I enjoyed the journey all the time. They are for sure skilled musicians!
The Teardrop Explodes
3/5
Hm... this one could grow on me maybe. On first listen I still just feel like I don't get this genre of music very well. I feel like I get glimpses of things I like though so maybe I am on my way to getting more of an ear for New Wave? As is, it's "fine" so a 3 star from me. I am glad I looked up the original track list or my listening time would have about doubled. I don't always remember to check that, but it's saved me a couple times. I think the original length is about perfect. Keeps the sound from becoming overly wearing or dragging on.
The Smashing Pumpkins
4/5
Oh I like this much better than "Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness". Maybe it's because it's not a 2 hour long album? I know that was part of my problem with the other album. This felt tighter and more cohesive for sure. But overall I just think I liked the vibe a lot more too. I'll definitely enjoy relistens of this in the future.
Sparks
4/5
What a fun album! I don't know what's going on but I am having a good time. I think this will need to be a dedicated relisten where I can read all the lyrics along with it because I didn't have time for that today. Reminded me of Queen in spots. Surprised I liked this as much as I did because it's labelled New Wave and I have yet to love anything in that grouping but very pleasantly surprised. Looking forward to next listen.
The Cure
4/5
Definitely like this one a lot more than "Seventeen Seconds". This one is interesting because I listened to it multiple times before rating. I found with headphones on this is a 4 for me but when played out loud on speakers it drops to a 3. I think there is a lot of detail in the music that gets lost for me without headphones. It could be because my headphones are definitely better quality than my speakers, or it might be something about it being close to my ear making it easier to pick the details up. Regardless with the headphones on it's easy to get pleasantly lost in the gloomy soundscapes of this album. It's definitely an album for a specific mood. Perfect for a rainy fall/winter day/night.
I love the way this album intros, and in general the intro to each song draws you in. "Plainsong", "Pictures of You", "Lovesong", "Lullaby", "Prayer for Rain", "The Same Deep Water as You" were all songs that stood out to me.
Alice Cooper
4/5
Another album where I like it more than the first generated by this list for a particular artist/band. This one is in a lot of places a bit silly, but in a way I find fun! The Westside Story section was definitely a surprise but not an unenjoyable one. "School's Out", "Blue Turk", "Public Animal #9", and "Alma Mater" were the tracks that stood out the most to me. This is one I will enjoy listening to again.
Orange Juice
3/5
I think this one is pretty ok. It has a fun vibe and I think the music is well played. This particular style of 80s music is not overly my thing though. I feel like this one COULD grow on me but definitely didn't grab me fully on first listen. I definitely don't dislike it though.
Neil Young
5/5
I really feel like I have been missing out by not listening to Neil Young sooner. I don't think there is a bad song on this album! His voice is definitely unique to me but it just blends with the vibe of his music so well. Somewhere I heard or read someone describe his music as the perfect camping music, and I think that is probably true even if I am not a camper. I'd love to listen to it on a hike instead or by the beach maybe. Something about it lends to a relaxed feeling I tend to associate with being out in nature. I also feel like I hear the seeds of some of the sound of "On the Beach" in the song "Southern Man". I haven't heard "Harvest" yet which I know was released between this album and "On the Beach", so wondering is there are any bridges there as well. Anyway, I loved this album am excited for the rest of the Neil Young albums on this list.
Moby
5/5
I knew I knew some stuff by Moby, specifically off this album in particular, but he was never an artist I ever did a deep dive on. I was surprised by how many songs I already knew off this album just by having existed in the world. Definitely used a lot for soundtracks and probably even commercials over the years. Realistically some probably would come up on electronica radio mixes on streaming services back in the day when this came out and I was listening to those.
Anyway, in my opinion this album holds up. It's held in high regard for a reason and one of the few electronica albums I feel like has overly broke big into the mainstream. At least to my awareness! This is smooth and relaxing while still having enough of a beat to groove to. I love the fusion of blues into the electronica. Also love the samples he picked and how he utilizes them. Realistically a 4.5 for me for reasons I can't quite define at the moment but I am going to go ahead and round up to a 5.
New York Dolls
4/5
So I'm not sure this is "good" but it is certainly fun! Definitely don't think they are especially talented musicians but they definitely have a specific sound/attitude that makes up for it for me. I'm hoping I can take that attitude into other punk albums. We will see though because from what I read this is more of a precursor to punk so maybe I like it because it's a bridge to the genre? Some of it is genuinely catchy though. I liked "Personality Crisis", "Looking For A Kiss", "Trash", "Bad Girl", "Pills" , and "Jet Boy". 6/11 isn't too bad considering this it outside of my typical wheel house. "Trash" and "Personality Crisis" are particularly catchy to me of that list. I think this is probably most accurately a 3.5 because 4 feels too high, and 3 feels too low. I'll go with a 4 because I like that this pushed me out of my comfort zone a bit.
David Bowie
4/5
I was so kinda let down on my first listen to this. I thought it was so-so. Then I remembered that there are no David Bowie songs I was super into on first listen. He's an artist with music that needs to grow on me. He's not an artist I was raised listening to because my parents weren't super into him. Most of my exposure to him has been in pop culture with his music being on soundtracks or from watching Labyrinth. I've always meant to get around to getting into his music though.
I liked this so much more on second listen. The first half of the album is still a little hot and cold for me, but from "Cracked" on I definitely really like it. This has a lot of jazz and rock and roll influence I think. With a touch of blues maybe? Something about it reminds me of Rocky Horror Picture show in a good way. Not quite a 5 but I do quite like it and will be returning to it.
Steely Dan
5/5
Steely Dan was one of those bands I knew the name of but couldn't tell you what their music was. Listening to this I do now kind of remember my dad playing this for me when I was younger. Particularly "Reelin' In the Years".
This album has a great opening, it sucked me right in. "Dirty Work" is probably my favorite but I really love most of this album. It's smooth, chill, and catchy. I understand this is considered "yacht rock" which I think is considered uncool but, who cares? I'm not sure about the genre as a whole, but this album I love.
Mudhoney
4/5
Ok now I feel like I need to go back and relisten to their other album on this list because this album I really liked. I did start with just the original tracks they released on the EP, and then after realizing I liked it listened to the other tracks on the album (minus the demo/live versions). I don't remember their other album sounding so raw or the emotion coming through so well. It could be too that I've warmed up to grunge. I'll be curious to see my reaction to future grunge albums. "No One Has", "Need", and "In 'n' Out of Grace" are my favorites off the original release. "Touch Me I'm Sick" and "Sweet Young Thing Ain't Sweet No More" are also great.
Billie Holiday
3/5
Billie Holiday is a name I have heard and I knew she was a jazz singer but I don't think I have ever heard any of her music. I can see why she was known for her voice, though I am not wild about some of the way she uses it for some reason. I personally wasn't a huge fan of this album but I was still very glad I listened. I think everyone should definitely experience this once.
James Brown
4/5
Definitely a fun listen. I enjoyed him doing a little bit of crowd work and the medley was cool. Album goes by quick!
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
1/5
Why do I get these really experimental albums when I'm in some amount of physical discomfort? Our AC is broken and it's probably close to 86 or 87 in my room right now.
Anyway, I'm not giving this a 1 because I don't get it. I'm giving it a 1 because it doesn't get me.
Nirvana
5/5
Despite how much I like the Nirvana songs I do know, I have never really checked their albums out. I really enjoyed this one. I can definitely understand why they are considered so great. Kurt Cobain's voice mixed in with the music and the imagery of the lyrics is magic.
Songhoy Blues
3/5
Very interesting blend of genres. I enjoyed this and might reach for it in the right mood but probably not one I would go for often. Not too much of a problem for me that I can't understand the language, it's just got a nice sound.
Alice In Chains
4/5
This was a two listen one for me. I realized after the first listen I wasn't really able to give it the proper attention needed to really make up my mind on it. Finally circled back to my second listen and I really enjoyed it. I do think I have really warmed up to the grunge sound more. I'd be very interested to give some of the lower rated grunge albums a relisten to see if getting an ear for it was the issue or if maybe I just picky about it.
I didn't get much into the lyrics for the album but the sound is the thing I was really enjoying. It's dark and murky which seems pretty appropriate for an album called Dirt. I have a feeling this is an album I could get even more into as I listen to it more times. I was going to specifically mention how much I like the guitars on this album but then I realized I just really like the sound of all the instruments as well as the singer. Another great blend. Tempted a little to give this a 5 since I have a feeling it might grow to be one, but if we are talking initial impressions, I'd say a 4.
The Fall
1/5
I was thinking this would be a 2 because while it's definitely not for me, I could at least kinda appreciate it. Then "No Xmas for John Quays" came on and I could not wait for it to be over. The album didn't really improve much for me from there but at least became "tolerable". Overall I just kinda found it to be noisy. I stuck through it because I'm just determined to listen to every album and every track. You can be certain though I only listened to the songs on the original release and not the over 2 hours on the release version.
Sepultura
2/5
This is more or less exactly what I thought all metal was when I was younger. There is a reason I spent a lot of years saying I don't like metal, and that is because I really am not a fan of this kind of sound. There are elements to the music which I do enjoy, which probably do get picked up in other metal subgenres. The vocal style though.... oh lord. That's the part I really can't get past. I did not enjoy this very much but at least there was a fun guitar solo on "Meaningless Movement" and I liked the drums in "Desperate Cry" so it still rates a 2 stars. Just not a sound for me.
3/5
I'm kind of surprised I am not more into this since it seems like the type of thing I would gravitate towards. I think maybe if I had heard it younger I definitely would like it more. There are some songs I really like on here, "This Mess We're In", "Kamikaze", "This is Love" and "Horses In My Dreams". Otherwise it didn't grab me much. Worth a listen though.
Morrissey
3/5
Was genuinely so surprised when this started playing and I thought \"oh... I kinda like this???\". I do like the first couple tracks, and a couple more throughout the album. Most of the rest is just kinda... eh to me. I still like this better than any of The Smiths albums I have heard so far. Could have done without some of the more xenophobic sounding lyrics. Still though, nice to know that maybe there is a chance I won't hate every album that features him considering I have 3 more solo albums and one more Smiths. I don't suspect I will love any of them, but I maybe won't completely cringe when I see they are my album for the day.
Gram Parsons
4/5
This is another one where the songs I like on here I really like a lot but the rest leave me kind of ambivalent. I would say overall I like the blend of country and rock on this album. I also love the sound of his voice with Emmylou Harris'. "Ooh Las Vegas" is probably my favorite on the album. 3* feels much too low, and 4* feels too high. Once again I would love to have a half point system. I'll go with a 4* though because it's nice to find some country on the list that I enjoy.
The Slits
3/5
I'm surprised to say I kinda like this? It's not a love by any means, but I was grooving with it a lot more than I typically do with punk. Maybe I am getting an ear for it, or maybe I just like the more because it's a female punk band. Either way, a fun listen.
Billy Joel
5/5
Was genuinely shocked how many songs I knew off this album. I think some of it is some of the songs I had no idea were Billy Joel songs. He's one I have picked up passively. This is a stunning album though. A lot of story telling in the songs which makes me understand why he had a juke-box musical made with his music. Really enjoyed all of this though, there is a reason why many of these are classics.
Ravi Shankar
4/5
Definitely music you can get lost in. I don't know enough about this kind of music to know if it's comparatively good, but I did enjoy it.
Manu Chao
3/5
This is another one of those ones I would probably put on in the background to just chill/vibe to. It was an interesting listen and I did not mind the time at all spent listening to it. I thought the mix of languages was cool. However it wasn't really a love for me somehow. I can't put a finger on why but it felt just a little to the left of something I would be into more. Still, definitely didn't dislike it so it's a 3* for me.
Derek & The Dominos
4/5
I quite liked this one, or at the least I seemed to be very in the mood for something like this. I really enjoyed the guitar work on this which seems to be the point of the album digging into some of the other reviews. Overall was more into the the first half of the album than the second, though of course you have "Layla" right towards the end. It's a song title I have heard but not a song I was actually familiar with and I can see why it's well known. Overall I think this is a 3.5 for me but more worthy of being rounded up instead of rounded down because what I liked I thought was strong.
Fairport Convention
4/5
I think this is the first time I have heard British folk. At least to my memory/knowledge. I found this really enjoyable. I didn't dig in to find out if any of these are traditional songs but they sounded like they could be. Beautiful singing and beautiful backing instrumentation. Look forward to listening to this again.
The Louvin Brothers
2/5
Worth a listen to get an idea of what country music was like back in that era. Doubt I will ever return to again. It has value, the review at the top of the review list sums it up really well, but overall not for me.
Linkin Park
5/5
I tried so hard to judge this objectively, and got so far. But in the end it didn't even matter.
Wasn't possible for me to do! I was 14 when Meteora came out, but I think 15 by the time I got into the album and the band at all. I worked my way backwards to Hybrid Theory from there. Meteora is the one I tend to reach for the most when I am in the mood for that nostalgia. It's been a long while since I have listened to this particular album and I forgot how good it is. Either that or my depth of appreciation has deepened with age. I found a new deeper appreciation for the songs that weren't hits on here. I also can't not view this through the lens of how much I loved this music when I was a teen. It just hit me at the perfect angsty age. Has to be 5*s from me.
The Kinks
4/5
This was pretty good! There were a few weaker songs on here and I wasn't absolutely in love with it so it's going to end up a 4*. Still really quite enjoyed it. I've never really knowingly listened to The Kinks. The only song I recognized off here was "Picture Book" which I haven't heard in a long while. I also didn't know they were Beatles contemporaries and I can feel in the music it's from the same era now that I've heard an album.
Jamiroquai
3/5
My reaction to this was mostly "Eh..." There were some songs on the back half that I was jamming to a bit more. I would say if this is not your genre, I think you could skip it. I don't know the genre well enough to know if this is one that others might enjoy, but it's not bad so maybe worth a shot.
Tom Waits
4/5
Man... this is going to be a tricky one to rate for me. I absolute LOVE the slightly more upbeat songs on this album. I also am nuts for the lyrics. I knew I was going to at least find something to like on here when I heard the lyrics "Don't you know there ain't no devil, there's just God when he's drunk". His voice really works for me on the songs I do like. The slow songs however I really didn't enjoy. I feel like he definitely uses his voice very differently in those two, which also don't like. I think I WANT to like all of it though, so I'm going to rate this a little higher than my gut is telling me in hopes it becomes true.
Steely Dan
4/5
Interesting to get their first album first, followed by their last. Definitely a bit of a different vibe, but still a good vibe. I prefer the first album more so I am looking forward to seeing what the other albums are like. This is definitely jazzier, which is less my speed generally, but this is still good. "Deacon Blues" is my favorite for sure.
TV On The Radio
5/5
This was a two listen one for me. I just could not latch onto the music the first time. But with more focus on the second listen I was rewarded. This album is dark, deep, and somehow also upbeat. It's also very experimental which is something I can really appreciate. This is hovering somewhere between a 4 and 5 star for me. I'll bump it up to a 5 though because that last song as the outro (without the bonus tracks) was crazy.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
Wow I've been missing out on Led Zeppelin I think.
De La Soul
5/5
Really loved the vibes of this album. Felt both chill and upbeat to me. I don't usually jive as much with more of the old school flow but this I liked, just went with the music particularly well to me. Truthfully probably a 4.5 BUT it is a 5 for this time period in the genre to me so I will round up.
Elton John
4/5
I am very familiar with a few songs off this album but this was never one my family listened to back to back when I was growing up. The songs that are good on here are REAL good, but there are some misses for me too. To me "Tiny Dancer" is a culturally significant song and I would say that might be reason enough to include this album. "Levon" and "Madman Across the Water" also stand out to me. Very nostalgic listen and I was excited to get my first Elton John on the list because I grew up with his music. 4*s just because a few of the songs don't hold up, and because "Yellow Brick Road" is superior enough for them to be different star classes.
Bert Jansch
3/5
Some of this was quite beautiful to me, but either I really was not in the mood for this kind of music or something is just to the left of what I like. I suspect it's more a mood issue though. I do think in the right time/place this would be wonderful. This feels raw and I saw someone else say handcrafted. Handcrafted is totally a perfect way to describe this. Worth at least a listen.
Leonard Cohen
3/5
Definitely enjoyed this one more than "Songs of Leonard Cohen". I'm still not in love with the music, but it hits me more this album. There are tracks I don't really love on here, but my favorite is "Avalanche". None of the rest quite come close to that for me but I like some of the others. Of course his lyrics are beautiful on all of them, but mostly sad.
Bob Dylan
3/5
Genuinely surprised I liked this at all. I only know a few songs by Dylan and I really am not that wild about them. Definitely actually a few tracks on this one I really liked. At it's worst though his voice is annoying and the music too sparse to make up for it. At it's best it's a fantastic expression of his poetry. The lyrics are definitely the most powerful part of the music, even the songs I dislike are that way. All in all, this averages out to a 3* for me. Worth a listen once in your life, it may be exactly your thing.
Tortoise
4/5
Was pleasantly surprised how much I ended up liking this. Very fun music to just chill and vibe to. It is somehow chill with a little bit of an edge/darkness to it.
Ella Fitzgerald
4/5
This one was an undertaking that I took the time to do in a few days. I did an album a day essentially. I did not listen to the 4th album in full, just the songs that weren't alternate arrangements. I'd say the first album was a 4, the second was a 3, and the last was a 5. I am not fully sure if it was that each was better/worse than another or if I was just particularly in the mood for it on the third day. Maybe a bit of both. Ella's voice is definitely incredibly beautiful. It's a joy to listen to. Clear and warm. The music could be a little hit and miss but when it hits... wow! The average score for all the albums is a 4, so I think that is what I will go with. I do absolutely understand why some do not have the patience to listen to the whole thing. But I also think that is a shame since I like the last section most. I would recommend breaking it up because that is A LOT for one sitting. Beautiful classic album though, very worth a listen at least once in life.
Otis Redding
4/5
He has a fantastic voice and I really enjoyed how smooth this album was. There were a few covers on here I couldn't get into because I couldn't get another version of it out of my head, so unfortunately that loses some points for me. There were some really stunning songs on here. I loved "A Change Is Gonna Come", but the whole front half of the album is great.
Beatles
4/5
I was thrilled to get another Beatles album so soon. I however was a little put out that this album is on the list instead of Help. I have to say though I truly forgot how good this album is. It's probably been close to 15 years since I listened to this end to end. Some of these I think just have grown on me as my music taste has grown. This is definitely still very "bubble gum" pop Beatles. I can kinda understand why my dad always hated that era of the Beatles, but I kinda also love it a lot too. I think it's some of the best of the "bubblegum pop" of that era but it's a genre that is hit and miss with me. A bit unsure if this deserves a 5 in comparison to other Beatles albums, but it's still good stuff. I think this most accurately sits at 4 for me.
Common
4/5
I definitely dug this. It reminds me a bit of lofi hip hop. Chill with a nice jazzy vibe. I didn't pay close attention to any of the lyrics so can't speak to those, but definitely something I would put on again to enjoy in the background while I am relaxing. A little long, and the vibe is "off" on a couple song so this ends up a 4* for me.
The Offspring
3/5
My overall impression is that this album is "fine". I wasn't particularly blown away, but I didn't really hate it either. There were a few songs that I already was a little familiar with that I enjoyed hearing, but by the end of the album I was ready to move on. Probably didn't help that I've been on a more chill/mellow music streak and this is definitely more noisy and chaotic. The contrast might have been too much. Not a bad listen though.
Deep Purple
4/5
This is a great album! I'm not sure why I see some people say there is only one good song on the album. I mean obviously "Smoke On the Water" is iconic. I won't dispute that is the best song on the album. "Highway Star", "Lazy", and "Space Truckin'" are all great too. This album is something I really like but am not quite in love with which is why I am giving it 4*s
OutKast
3/5
Man this one is a tough one to rate. "Speakerboxxx" is easily a 4 for me. Then "The Love Below" is hovering somewhere between a 2 and 3 for me. NGL that disappointed me. There are elements to the second album that I enjoy, thematically. But some of the delivery and backing sound I dislike. I guess that says something to me about which half of the duo I prefer. I guess the closest I can come to right would be a 3.
Joni Mitchell
4/5
This album feels warm and wonderful but breezy. I've never really listened to Joni Mitchell before but I definitely ended up enjoying the album. I drifted in and out of the lyrics but from what I could tell they seemed poetic. Very much just enjoyed the vibe of this. Wasn't a big fan of "Song for Sharon" but I liked everything else.
Throbbing Gristle
4/5
Oh... wow. This was good actually! Was dreading it a bit due to how low it's rated but I was pleasantly surprised. This is not an easy listen, but to me it was a fun listen. Noisy, dark, and challenging. I would actually consider giving this a 5 star, but I think it loses a star for me because I can't see this being a big relisten one. I do think I'd reach for it in the right mood though.
Joni Mitchell
5/5
Was pretty surprised to get another Joni Mitchell album so soon after my first. I liked this one even more. A bit less jazzy, and I like that. Just beautiful sound, voice, and lyrics. I feel like this is one to age on.
M.I.A.
4/5
This was one I somehow missed when I was younger. I had heard "Paper Planes" but that might actually be one of the ones I enjoyed less on the album. I guess that explains why I never sought out more of her music. I thought this was a very fun album. Would be a great album to have on in the background at the right party. There are some songs I REALLY enjoy on here but overall feels a bit more like a strong like than a love.
Pixies
4/5
So this is what all the bands from the 90s were listening to huh? I can tell this was hugely influential. If you'd ask me to guess when it was from I definitely would have guessed 90s so it was a surprise when I saw it technically came out in the 80s. I'll be very curious to see if this one grows on me more. Enjoyment wise this is probably a 3.75. But, with how influential it is I think it deserves at least a 4.
Santana
5/5
Definitely a great guitar album here. Not that I expected anything different from Santana but it was still wonderful to discover how good the whole thing was. Knew a few songs off of here already but fell in love with some new ones too. I feel like this is one where you are either really with it, or really not. I'm certainly the former though.
Super Furry Animals
3/5
This album is ok. I'm about to list all the songs I like, and you're going to think "if you liked so many songs why is this just ok?". Well, while I liked them I am not sure I really loved anyone. I also just don't think this album is doing anything new or interesting. It's not bad overall though. I liked "Something 4 The Weekend", "Hometown Unicorn", "Gathering Moss", "Bad Behavior", and "Long Gone". Definitely enough I liked to not rate this lower than a 3* but if you already don't tend to be a fan of this genre of music you could probably skip it I think.
Devendra Banhart
3/5
In my opinion there were mainly three flavors of folk songs on this album. They were either haunting, sweet, or weird. Haunting: "A Sight to Behold", "Dogs They Make Up In the Dark", "See Saw", "When The Sun Shone On Vetiver", "There Was Sun", and "Insect Eyes". Sweet: "This is The Way", "Body Breaks", "Will Is My Friend", "Rejoicing In The Hands", and "Todo Los Dolores". Weird: "Poughkeepsie" ,"This Beard is For Siobhan", and "Fall". I tended to prefer the haunting ones and I could have done without a lot of the weird or sweet ones. It does capture a mood from that era but overall I don't think it's a "need to listen". If you like a folk vibe, check it out. Otherwise you could probably miss it.
Emmylou Harris
4/5
I thought this was pretty good. Very chill album. Her voice is pretty and I like that the instruments were not overwhelming. Really enjoyed the country/folk crossover.
Little Richard
5/5
Absolutely foundational to most of this list I would wager. This is one of those artists I almost wish I could have experienced through the lens of living in that time. Fully of energy and fire.
Frank Black
4/5
I can't put a finger on why I like this as much as I do. The first couple songs made me dread how long this album was but after that for the most part I really enjoyed the vibe of this album. It somehow feels both ahead of it's time and of it's time at the same time to me. I'll look forward to a relisten of this to dig into the lyrics more.
The Jesus And Mary Chain
3/5
Liked some of this, was bored by a lot of it. I suspect it's a "grow on me" kind of album so I'll bump it up from a 2 to a 3. Wish I had more energy for a dedicated listen of it on first go, but I got a bit behind while a friend was visiting for a week and I am wanting to work on catching up so this unfortunately is just going to get the gut reaction. Who knows though, if it is a grow on me type of album like I suspect I could maybe see this being as high as a 4 for me.
Johnny Cash
4/5
Another great live album from Johnny Cash. I think I like this one just a little less than Folsom Prison, but still great. I can't quite define why this is a 4* instead of 5* but it just was for me. Absolutely not to be missed though.
Hüsker Dü
1/5
I didn't really understand why this album was on the list. Personally found it to be a complete nothing of an album. I don't HATE it or anything but it's so unremarkable it might be worse than hating it.
Digital Underground
4/5
Genuinely exciting to find more older hip-hop that I enjoy. This has a great funky early 90s feel. Not quite a 5* for me but definitely a 4*. Great vibes music wise, some of the lyrics did not age well but they are certainly of their time. I tend to try to overlook that. The last few songs lose the thread a little bit for me so that's why it's more of a 4* than a 5* for me.
Dolly Parton
5/5
Really nice album. I think her voice is either you love or hate it but personally I love it. I think she's a very talented song writer and knows how to tell a good story. One of the greats of the genre. Personal enjoyment wise I waffle between a 4 and a 5. Since this is her only solo album on the list (I think) I'm going to round up.
Eminem
4/5
This was an interesting listen, and challenging to rate. I really dislike some of his stuff, but he's iconic and genuinely some of the music is fun/catchy. I think he's genuinely talented as well. The feeling of raw unhinged rage he channels is interesting too. However, I don't necessarily need that many songs about women in trunks even if it's a character or whatever. But I also recognize he's the reaction to the perfect polished produced boy and girl bands of that era.
There was just something so right about this coming out in the era it did. I think it caused a lot of conversations to have to happen around the weight words hold and some of the topics he rapped about. For cultural impact from the perspective of someone who was in middle school when this came out this is a 5*. For overall enjoyment of the album maybe a 3? I guess to my own shock that means it's probably a 4 in my book, all things considered.
Scott Walker
3/5
Over the top, dramatic, lush, weird, surprising, romantic, crass in spots, and poetic in spots. Cool, and I respect it but somehow just to the left of love for me.
Christina Aguilera
4/5
I remember listening to this album back when it came out in 2006. I had just turned 18 and graduated that summer. I remember liking some specific songs off of it but not thinking much of it as a whole. Mostly I liked the hits with a few extra ones.
I definitely ended up liking it a lot more now than I expected. In part I think because of listening through this list I can better seen and appreciate her musical influences she drew from for this album. Also being older some of the songs just hit more deeply with more life experience. Her voice was always beautiful to me but I enjoy it more now as well.
I do think volume 2 is stronger as a whole than volume 1. Volume 1 still has some good tracks though. I think on it's own volume 2 would be a 5* for me, and volume 1 is more like a 3*. You know what that means, I have to meet in the middle for a 4*.
Public Enemy
5/5
This album caused me to feel disappointed that they can't do sampling like they used to. It's dense and transformative. I really enjoyed this album a lot. I'm surprised I like this SO much more than "It Takes a Nation of Millions To Hold Us Back". I have been listening to a lot more older hip-hop since then so it's possible I just have more of an ear now and need a relisten. But somehow I think this one just grabbed me more. I haven't had a chance to dig into the lyrics completely but what I caught was profound. I waffled between a 4 and a5 for this but I think it actually tips more to the 5* because already I am wanting a relisten.
Pulp
5/5
Wow I liked this so much more than "This Is Hardcore". I'd have to listen back to back to know why. I mostly just remember the other album feeling "samey" and "forgettable". The mood of this album is somehow both sinister, sinuous, and tangible. Hard to pick out a favorite song because I thought it was back to back bangers. Really shocking to get two controversial artists in a row!
Pentangle
4/5
I really enjoyed how this was medieval one minute and bluesy the next. Something I would definitely gladly relisten to, but not quite an absolute fave.
The Stone Roses
2/5
I was pretty bored by most of this. I got into the groove during a few songs but as a whole, not much my thing.
The Verve
4/5
Really enjoyed this one a lot more than "A Northern Soul". I got very pleasantly lost in the musical landscape of this one. I'm not sure individual songs stand out to me much but a nice album to vibe to.
Nick Drake
4/5
Sad, sparse, and beautiful. I didn't even get into the lyrics yet but I can tell already there is something to dig into there. One song flowed into the next and blended for me in a good way. Made the whole thing feel cohesive. Also felt longer than the 28 minutes, also in a good way. Really look forward to listening to this again more in depth on a rainy day.
Deee-Lite
4/5
Wow, feel like this album takes some big swings. When it does hit the ball....it sure does fly out of the park but there are some complete misses there too. There were even times listening to one song had both 5* and 1* moments. "Groove Is In Your Heart" is a song I have loved for years and it still is absolutely amazing to me. I think with that alone I have to give it at least a 3, but there is enough in there that genuinely was good that I think this merits a 4*
The Police
2/5
I can't tell if this album is bad, or if it's just very much not my thing. Their hits are ok, but even those have never been a big love for me. I think half the reason I like Roxanne has more to do with the Moulin Rouge version doing a lot of heavy lifting to make my have affection for it.
U2
3/5
I've never been super familiar with U2 outside of their really big radio hits. "Bloody Sunday" was not actually one I am super familiar with even though I know that's one of their bigger ones too. Overall a lot of it was hit and miss with me, but not an extreme reaction in either direction. Honestly the most interesting part of the listen to me was realizing how much inspiration they drew from The Cure. I had no idea, and wasn't really able to pick up on that from the songs I was already familiar with. Though I am now curious to relisten to them with that in mind. "War" certainly wore that inspiration on it's sleeve in my opinion. Overall though I was kinda lukewarm on this album. Not a bad listen though.
Kacey Musgraves
3/5
I'd say this is a decent album. There were some genuinely good songs on here I can see myself returning to. A lot of it was just mid/so-so for me though. Interesting to hear some fusion of country, pop, and indie. All in all it rounds out to about 3* for me.
Jeru The Damaja
5/5
I have never heard of this artist before, and I absolutely loved this album. I thought the beats were fantastic. Very interesting uses of instruments in there. Jarring in spots but that felt completely intentional. I loved the flow too...great rhythm to it. Some of the lyrics haven't aged well, but not outside of the norm for the era.
Wilco
5/5
Wilco and this album are definitely something I have heard of but I couldn't have told you anything about their genre of music. This album was one I definitely enjoyed. Stripped back and a bit experimental but melodic. I think this is one of those albums that really grows on you. Already I listened to it a second time and liked it even more. Think this will be a favorite for me.
Arcade Fire
4/5
Organs!
Grant Lee Buffalo
4/5
I thought this was a very enjoyable blend of country and alternative. Very good vibe and I'll enjoy listening to it again.
B.B. King
5/5
I can remember my mom playing B.B.King for me when I was a kid (somewhere between the age of 5-9). Her goal was to share the sensation of listening to good blues where it almost makes you feel like you're sucking on a piece of lemon. I'm not sure how much other people can get to this sensation BUT this is for sure some good "lemon music" as she would say. The platonic ideal of what blues should sound like in my opinion. Only one "weak" track for me with "Woke Up This Mornin'" but really even that is not so bad.
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
3/5
Was hoping to like this a bit more than I did. The beats were funky and enjoyable but they did not get me hooked for the most part. However it IS genuinely brilliant in spots. I definitely see how this was inspirational and influential. Definitely worth a listen at least once in your life time.
Radiohead
4/5
Definitely more enjoyable than The Bends for me. I'd have to listen to them side by side to be able to better pick apart why. Generally I think something about the vibe on this one gelled with me more. I didn't really catch the lyrics this listen but I found myself floating along with the music as I listened. Looking forward to future listens to dive in more. On first listen "Bodysnatchers" especially jumped out to me, but at least liked the sound of most of the tracks.
Rufus Wainwright
3/5
I was pretty darn bored with this album until it hit "Go or Go Ahead". I had a blip of interest again with "14th Street", and "Beautiful Child" as well. "Want" was a little less my thing but suited his voice very well and I think his voice was beautiful on that one. Otherwise I was bored or neutral for the most part. Probably a 2.5, but I'll round up.
Supergrass
3/5
This wasn't for me, but also wasn't not for me. Feel like I missed something on the first listen somehow, but can't tell if that just means it's just a little to the left of what I like but not bad, or actually just not great. Might give this one a relisten sometime to see if I shift in either direction but for now I'll just rate it middle of the road.
Public Enemy
4/5
This one was definitely a barrage of sound and words. Almost every track is a high energy affair. While it didn't quite grab me as much as "Fear Of A Black Planet", it's still quite good. Loses a star mainly just because I was feeling fatigue in a couple places. Overall though fantastic listen.
Michael Jackson
4/5
This was more funky and disco than I expected and I liked it more than expected as well. He's a legend, but looking at the track listing I thought I really only knew a song or two so was wondering how the others would stack up. Turns out, mostly well! I found myself grooving along to most of it. However, I thought "Girlfriend" and "I Can't Help It" were the low points of the album. I wasn't much for "She's Out of My Life" but absolutely can acknowledge how beautiful his voice sounds on that track, so I can forgive it a bit. Very good, but not quite great for me so it's a 4*.
Talking Heads
3/5
There were a few songs I liked on here. "Warning Sign", through "Artists Only", and then the cover of "Take Me To The River". So really just the middle and the cover. Probably not my typical go to sound for music but I did really enjoy the tracks that I do.
R.E.M.
2/5
Wow this album was somehow really jarring listening to this right after Talking Heads. I've always been hit or miss with R.E.M.'s more popular songs. On this album I do like "It's The End of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)", but the rest of it really wasn't my thing.
Talking Heads
2/5
I already know and love "Psycho Killer" but didn't find much else I really liked even near to that level on this album. There were a few other bright spots that might grow on me maybe. I think though overall this is not really my thing genre wise, and this album isn't doing much to change that for me.
4/5
The best songs on this album for me are "Within Without You", "Bullet The Blue Sky", and "Exit". "Where The Streets Have No Name", and "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" are also nice. The rest was so-so for me. I feel like this is a 3.5 for me, but 4 feels a little too high. All the same since I gave War a 3 and I do like this more, I suppose 4 will have to do.
Kanye West
5/5
This is one of the albums on the list I knew going in I would probably end up giving a 5 rating to but I still tried to reserve some judgement until this listen through. This listen did not disappoint me. I didn't truly fall in love with this album until I listened to the season of the podcast "Dissect" that went over this album. I really recommend anyone curious to know more about it, or Kanye to give it a listen. It really made me have a lot of respect for him and this album.
That said, there are many things I don't like about him, and I think he's truly unwell without the will to or the right support around him to get better. I have to say though after learning of his journey to this album and some of the more intricate music theory behind some of the choices on this album I can't help but still recognize that there is greatness in him too. I've never believed the two things to be mutually exclusive anyway, but I think he's a particular example of extremes.
Anyway, Kanye himself aside, almost all the tracks on this album have some kind of genius to them in my eyes. There are a couple weaker tracks, but even they are not all that weak. For a long time "Monster" was the only track I was really all that into from this album, but I also was just starting to dip my toes more into hip-hop at the time so hadn't listened to the full thing. "Runaway" was the next one to catch my attention. There was something very raw and confessional there to me, and it remains one of my favorite hip-hop slow jams. Also, the contrast of that with the sparse piano playing against the dark and dirty excess of "Hell of A Life" is a hell of a combo. That's another favorite of mine. "Dark Fantasy", "All Of The Lights" (including the interlude), " POWER", and the ending combo of "Lost In The World" and "Who Will Survive In America" are also all especially great tracks. All in all I think a lot of clever word play, interesting samples, and a great introspective themes from Kanye's magnum opus.
Madness
4/5
I actually liked this quite a bit. It was a fun little concept album that had good energy/vibes to the music. I was a little familiar with "Our House" but truly only in clips from a commercial maybe or a show? I'll look forward to a relisten for this.
The Last Shadow Puppets
3/5
Somehow this was both interesting to me and boring to me at the same time.
Fats Domino
4/5
Absolutely classic and easy to listen to. Might not be my go to sound for music but when the mood strikes this is great stuff. Very influential for what was to come. I was only super familiar with "Blueberry Hill" but found I enjoyed most songs on here. Strange the album is so hard to track down, I had to find a compilation playlist someone had made on Tidal.
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
4/5
I haven't really sat and listened to something like this before. The worship in this music is clear. Very pleasant listen. Probably truly a 3* but "Haq Ali Ali Haq" is such a banger I think I'm going to give it 4*.
Terence Trent D'Arby
3/5
A little torn on this album. I do think there is some really good stuff here and I really can see Terence Trent D'Arby has some talent. However I think the time period actually holds it back for me a bit. I found myself wishing and wondering what this artist would have done in later time periods. I kept thinking it was a real shame we never got to see him grow and evolve. It's also possible every album after would have been worse, it's truly impossible to say. The biggest thing I got out of this was "potential". Just rating on this album alone however, it's a like for me, but not approaching a love.
Run-D.M.C.
4/5
First four songs are absolute bangers. I would say the rest of the album is hit and miss for me. "It's Tricky" is my absolute favorite off this album. Makes me incredibly nostalgic for the amount of hours I poured into playing "SSX Tricky" as a kid. I like enough of this enough to merit 4 stars, but there's enough weak on here to me to have it fall short of 5.
Stan Getz
4/5
I'm surprising myself a little here by rating it a 4 star. It's definitely not a genre I think I will gravitate to very often BUT I think it is excellent for what it is and in the right mood/setting I think it would be perfection.
Ryan Adams
4/5
I thought this was a beautiful and mellow sounding. I wasn't able to pay close attention to the lyrics but was really digging the vibe. I'll be wanting to return to this again though I think.
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
5/5
Take Five is definitely a masterpiece. The rest of it is really wonderful too. Maybe I like jazz more than I realized? Can't help but want to give this a 5*.
David Bowie
5/5
This album has one of the first Bowie songs I really got to know. I got a bit obsessed with A Knight's Tale soundtrack at 13 and "Golden Years" was one of my favorite songs on it. My parents were never Bowie fans so this was my first exposure I can specifically remember. I enjoy the rest of the album too, but that track holds a special place in my heart. I have been hopeful there will be a Bowie album I fall totally in love with and this one is close. Some of the music stretches on too long and makes it more of a specific mood album. Still though, it's quite good, good enough that I'm going to bump up my 4.5 rating to a 5.
Richard Thompson
3/5
This one didn't stand out one way or another to me honestly. I've really enjoyed some of the folk I have heard, particularly folk from the UK but for some reason this didn't stand out to me. Not bad though, for sure. Maybe in the folk world this one is more important than I realize but can't help but feel maybe something else should have been here in it's place.
The Auteurs
4/5
I enjoyed this one! I feel like I can see where some other bands grew out of this music. It also strikes me like something I would have been heavily into if I was a teen/young adult at the time that it came out. I can still definitely appreciate it at my current age though. I'd like to do a closer lyric listen on my next listen but for now I know I definitely enjoyed the vibes.
Drive-By Truckers
2/5
Eh.... I did kinda like a couple songs on here, but certainly not enough to justify the runtime on this album. Also, pretty sure if you made this into a drinking game where you took a shot every time Skynyrd was mentioned you'd be black out drunk by the end of "Let There Be Rock". I would be anyway. I haven't had any Skynyrd yet, and don't know anything beyond "Sweet Home Alabama" (off the top of my head), but I can't help but suspect the Drive-By Truckers didn't add anything new or interesting to the conversation that Skynyrd didn't already. Not fully sure why this album is on here over some others I can think of but maybe I'm missing something. Not a 1 star since I at least liked some of the songs/vibe, but definitely don't find it to be essential listening.
Muddy Waters
5/5
Loved this album. Less individual songs and more the sound of the album as a whole. Really can hear the ripple effect of influence this had on so many others. I wonder if I would have maybe enjoyed a studio album instead more since the crowd didn't feel as engaging as some of the other live albums on this list. Maybe puts it at a 4.5 but I am certainly going to round up rather than down.
Pet Shop Boys
5/5
Years ago I had a close friend who got me hooked on "Heart". It's been a while since I listened to it, but it holds up and I still love it. There are some other great songs on here but none of them quite measure up to that one for me. If you told me to imagine "80s pop" this is the sound I would think of. I love that it's a bit political too! Probably a 4.5 but just like Muddy Waters I am going to round up.
Earth, Wind & Fire
4/5
I overall really enjoyed this album, though would say I preferred the upbeat songs to the ballads. Still the ballads are good for the right mood I think. This has a good amount of funk. This album is definitely in line with reinforcing that I like funk and soul music more than I realized. It's not quite a 5 for me but it's definitely a strong 4.
Cocteau Twins
5/5
Perfect dreamy ethereal vibes. Wonderful layers of sound and a lot of musical texture to pick apart. A little split on if it's a 4 or 5 just because I don't see myself reaching for it often. BUT for the right mood I think this is very hard to beat.
U2
4/5
Tough one to rate for me. I think overall vibes wise I might like this more than Joshua Tree which was really more of a 3.5 and I upped it to a 4. This one feels like a 3.75 maybe so a 5 is definitely too high but 4 doesn't really rate it above Joshua Tree. I suspect I'll come across this more as this list goes on but this is my first one like this.
Anyway though, I liked the shift musically for them. I remember hearing "One" and "Mysterious Ways" a lot as a kid growing up in the 90s. I was never huge into them but didn't hate them as a kid either. I definitely enjoy them more as an adult. It's interesting, so far I haven't been a big fan of the Madchester genre, but I found myself enjoying its influence on their sound here. I didn't really think I'd be giving U2 a 4* let alone two of them, but here we are!
Creedence Clearwater Revival
5/5
Man this would be such an easy 5 for me if "Graveyard Train" was just a bit shorter. I love all the rest of the songs but that one takes up so much of the album and I really don't like how long it drags. But the rest of it WAS extremely good.... this is perhaps a 4.5 that I am going to round up. This is some gorgeous blues rock.
Iggy Pop
5/5
Overall was really surprised by how much I enjoyed this album. I had heard of Iggy Pop for sure but could not have named any of his songs. I am not sure any of these really sounded all that familiar either so I think I somehow totally missed him.
Struggled a bit with whether to take a star off or not for "Sixteen". I think generally I've been trying to keep an open mind for things being made in the time that they were. I will give it a 5 but I will note that I was not a fan of that particular song. Sound wise though, I did like it.
Standout tracks were "Lust for Life", "Some Weird Sin", "Passenger", and "Success". I don't think there is a song at least sound wise I dislike. The whining/yowling in "Turn Blue" is a little borderline but overall the song gets a pass. I feel this is definitely outside of my usual "sound" I go for. That's what I love about this project though! I can feel my taste expanding the more I listen to things.
Curtis Mayfield
5/5
Smooth, rich, dense, creamy, and heavy. Like my favorite peanut butter. Fantastic down-tempo funky soul. A lot of serious themes in here paired with grooves you can't help but want to move to. The horns stood out to me throughout but the instruments all particularly shined to me on "Love to the People".
George Michael
3/5
At first I was pleasantly surprised how much I was enjoying this album. However, as the album went on I started to get a bit bored with it. Still I think it's worth a listen. Some interesting messages in here, and "Freedom" is a classic. I might give it a relisten sometime soon to see if the rest of the album grows on me but for now it's a 3* for me.
Isaac Hayes
4/5
Overall really enjoyed this album. I was a little surprised to see a soundtrack on the list since I thought they were excluded. Or at least that is the reason I read "Saturday Night Fever" wasn't on there. I think if this is on here that should be too as I think they are both iconic and specific to a genre/time. This was a groovy smooth listen. Some of the tracks went on too long which is the main reason I'm knocking a star off. I get that it's a soundtrack so it's to be expected but I was a little worn out by the time I got to the end of a few for just a casual listen.
Pretenders
3/5
Was surprised I liked this as much as I did considering the genre. I feel like it could be a 4 but some of the slower songs drag it down to a 3.5 for me. This one feels like a round down instead of a round up for me. Liked the beginning of the album best and mostly less so as it went on.
Missy Elliott
5/5
This is.... a Missy Elliott.....ex-clu-sive.
The Stooges
4/5
Very nearly a 5 star because there are some fantastic songs on here and the overall vibe/energy is enjoyably raw. Despite being a short album I do feel a little fatigued towards the end. I listed to the Bowie mix since I've heard that is the better version and from the bit and pieces I sampled of the Iggy one I have to agree.
Moby Grape
4/5
I quite liked this one. It's a good mash up of sounds from different genres at the time. Surprised I haven't really heard of them before.
The Black Keys
5/5
A bluesy, garage rock, and psychedelic (and maybe indie???) in some spots album. I've liked songs off the album for a while as well as others by The Black Keys but somehow never got around to exploring whole albums by them. I found I enjoyed most of the album as much as the songs I already knew. Overall really love this album and their style.
Ride
4/5
I fell progressively more in love with and then a bit out of love with this album. It grew on me and I was loving it until the last track which I didn't like as much. Something about ending on that note brought it down to a 4 to me. Still though I overall really liked it. It's dreamy and oceanic.
Spiritualized
4/5
Really enjoyed the vibe of this one. Listening to it felt like being pleasantly lost in exploring underwater while swimming and then occasionally coming up for air to remember where you are. Very interesting to have this paired with "Nowhere" by Ride. I'll look forward to relistening to this.
Buzzcocks
2/5
When I saw the year this came out and the genre I braced because my gut told me this would not be for me. My gut was MOSTLY right but I did find it interesting in a few spots. I still having gotten the taste for punk quite yet I don't think but I didn't completely hate it at least?
Paul Simon
4/5
I wasn't sure what to expect of Paul Simon's solo work but so far I am impressed. A lot of different sounds and genre borrowing here. One song to the next would surprise me. Very enjoyable listen I had while cleaning and reorganizing the pantry. Look forward to more listens.
Steely Dan
4/5
Been looking forward to getting another one of the Steely Dan albums! Wasn't expecting to get 3/4 so early in the challenge but glad I've got another one out there to look forward to. Like "Aja" this doesn't quite live up to "Can't Buy a Thrill" for me. It's still really good and I probably like it more than "Aja". It doesn't quite feel like a 5 to me but 4 also feels too weak which makes me wish again for a half star system. My gut tells me 4 is more appropriate.
Giant Sand
4/5
Another one I am a little torn on. I had never heard of this and I would say overall it was a pleasant surprise. This feels like a rainy day album to me. Both literally and figuratively to be honest. The tracks that are good are REALLY to my taste but it goes on a little long and there are some stinkers on there too. Would have benefitted greatly from some paring down. If it had been it actually could have been a 5 star contender for me, or at least a 4.5. As is I'm waffling between a 3 and a 4. I'm going to round up to the 4 because I do think this is the perfect album for the right mood, just need to skip a few songs maybe.
The Cramps
3/5
Reminded me a bit of the B-52s. Not sure how much of an influence they were on each other but feel like they were drawing from a similar well. I liked this more than I expected from my initial reaction. I feel a lot of influence from old school rock and roll. Still probably not my favorite style of music, but worth a listen with some fun tracks on there. I particularly enjoyed their cover of "Fever".
Air
3/5
This is one of those albums that has been suggested to me many times but streaming services because it's adjacent to other groups I like. However I never seem to quite fully get into it. It is close enough to other things I like that it feels like I should like it for sure but yet...I almost want to say it's too light? Still though I like the overall genre and appreciate the sound so still a 3 star for me.
LCD Soundsystem
4/5
What a fun album. Probably more my type of background music than a dedicated listen for me, but one I definitely groove to.
Beastie Boys
4/5
This one started out slow for me but once it got going I was much more interested. When I say that this is an odd album I mean that as a compliment. The playing around with genres so much from song to song had me wondering at times if I was listening to the same album or if it had swapped over to auto playing something else. Also wasn't expecting the instrumentals. Overall I really liked this album. I would say it's less good than "Paul's Boutique" for me but still will be worth future relistens.
Jimmy Smith
3/5
This was a 50/50 album for me and only 4 songs long. I really enjoyed the second two tracks a lot. I'm kinda neutral on the first two. Worth a listen but probably not a favorite.
Brian Eno
3/5
I really struggled to get into this. I was hoping I might like it because I do like ambient from time to time but there just wasn't anything I was grabbing onto here. I even gave it a second listen in hopes it might just be something that grows on me but nope... still can't quite gel with it. I do see where it was really influential though so I'll upgrade it a level to acknowledge.
David Ackles
3/5
Torn on how to rate this one because I kind of love how over the top and dramatic it is, but not all of it works for me at the same time. "Midnight Carousel" is a really stand out track to me on this. This is a strong 3 that could conceivably grow into a 4. As it stands though, 3 feels more accurate. Cool, weird little listen.
Baaba Maal
2/5
I really like the inclusion of the world music on this list. However it can be really hit or miss for me. This one wasn't quite my thing even though I can recognize the beauty/talent in it. There were some parts that felt too drivingly repetitive.
Simon & Garfunkel
3/5
I was disappointed in this album in comparison to "Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme". While there are some stand out tracks on here, overall I couldn't get into it. "Mrs. Robinson" feels like such a cultural touchstone that the album might be worth listening to just for that.
The Kinks
4/5
Extremely British sounding and I enjoy it. I can see the Beatles comparisons but it's a sound I fund fun to listen to.
Fatboy Slim
4/5
It's been a long while since I listened to Fatboy Slim, and I never went this far back into their catalogue. I definitely enjoyed this. Fun beats and a sense of playfulness with the sampling. I don't quite love this as much as their later stuff but still good and worth a listen.
Steve Winwood
5/5
This album is just oozing 80's cheese and I am not going to lie I kind of love it. It's extremely synthy and would not feel out of place in the background of a montage. I kinda had a feeling I was going to be hooked in the first 10 seconds or so and I was right.
Marvin Gaye
4/5
I was so bewildered by just how much of a divorce album this was I had to give it one more listen. It was just so weirdly distracting I couldn't really properly listen. The second listen brought a much deeper appreciation. It's still a bit odd to have a whole album so focused on it. I can't deny the music is good though. The best track is the one about reincarnated space sex. Yeah, I couldn't believe such a song existed either but it sure does and it's fantastically funky.
Beastie Boys
5/5
This album is a very good time. I think "Paul's Boutique" is still my favorite because the sampling is really next level on that one. That said, this one exudes attitude and funk in a way that I love.
Ray Charles
4/5
Great album. I enjoyed both the first more big band leaning first side and the more mellow ballad side. I bet this would be amazing to hear live!
The Hives
4/5
it's surprising to me that I like this as much as I do. On it's face it sounds similar to other music I have rated much lower. I think it's going to take a few more listens to figure out why. It's rowdy but keeps me interested. Usually the more of this type of rowdy music is just discordant and simple/boring to me.
Fleetwood Mac
5/5
A near perfect album for me. It does have a couple tracks that I find to be a little weaker, but still not bad songs by a long shot. The hits make up for any weakness in spades as well. Knowing the group's messy dynamics adds an interesting layer to the lyrics as well as you wonder which songs are about who, if they even are. Aside from that I have always been a fan of the pairing of the lyrics with the sound. For me this holds up as one of the greatest albums, so an easy 5 star.
Paul Revere & The Raiders
4/5
All in all I would say I enjoyed this album. It's some good 60s fun. I feel like I hear a lot of influence from other bands of the era, but admittedly the downside of listening to this list in random order means I don't know which came first. I could research it but, eh. However "Little Girl In the 4th Row" loses it a half star, and "Melody For An Unknown Girl"....oof that's a full star off just for that. I think that fairly puts it at a 3.5 but because I really like the 60s sound I'll round up.
Björk
5/5
There was a period of my life between my late teens and early 20s where I had Bjork on heavy rotation. I haven't revisited in probably at least 10 years so.
No reason in particular, I just drifted away to newer music and haven't revisited most from that era. When I saw Bjork was on the list a few times I was excited to revisit.
I was initially a bit disappointed by the inclusion of "Vespertine" on the list over "Post" or "Homogenic" because I remember liking those a lot more (especially "Post") whereas "Vespertine" was always one I liked a bit less of what she had released at the time. Revisiting it I am more impressed by it than when I was younger. While I think "Post" in particular of the ones I mentioned is more "listenable", "Vespertine" is more interesting musically. There is a lot of texture to the music you can get lost in. It has a certain feeling about it that makes me think of the seasons. It starts with spring and rewinds slowly back into winter, then fall, summer, and to the previous spring. Like watching a time lapse video of the forest in reverse.
Anyway, lovely to revisit this. Even more wonderful to like it more that I remembered. 5 stars, would let her take me on a fae journey through the woods again.
Motörhead
2/5
I found listening to this to be extremely repetitive. Every song sounded more or less the same. Maybe that's a me issue but I really could not get into this. I felt like the music was poorly played and there wasn't enough interesting to me to make me overlook it. On top of it, some of the songs and lyrics weren't great either. I can see why people like the song "Ace of Spades" but it wasn't really for me. I can see how this was influential for later stuff so I'll give it a 2 instead of 1 but for personal enjoyment it's more of a 1.
Miles Davis
3/5
While the sound here wasn't specifically my thing, I absolutely can tell it's being played masterfully. He makes the trumpet sound completely effortless like it's the easiest thing in the world to play. Having a best friend growing up who was a complete band geek trumpet player, I know that takes tremendous skill. While I don't think I will listen again, this is absolutely something you should hear before you die.
Love
3/5
I feel like this could be higher for me if there were a few songs that were a little less "bubblegum". The songs that worked for me were really great, and tbh I loved the really long ending track. It was just a fun journey listening to the different solos and meandering bluesy song. I want to like it more and feel like I should since I tend to like he 60s sound but I find I can't justify above a 3 star.
The Libertines
3/5
This is just ok for me. I keep wanting to like it more but can't quite get there for some reason. Not really bad though.
The Doors
4/5
I enjoyed the sound of most of this. "Riders on the Storm" was the only one I knew, possibly the only one I know by The Doors. They are a band I've somehow missed. However there were some I thought weren't that great on here and there was something that felt "sleazy" to me in the album. Not in a fun way.
Def Leppard
4/5
This is probably properly a 3.5 but I'll round up here I think. It's fun, nothing super challenging or off the wall but it feels so "of it's time" I feel it's worth a listen. Some songs I'll return to off of here.
Dexys Midnight Runners
1/5
This was abysmal. Half the album was just him talking I felt like. Nothing really jumped out to me here so I am struggling to understand why it's on the list. Thinking maybe it was much bigger in the UK?
Jean-Michel Jarre
5/5
I am sure this is not for everyone but it's certainly for me. I've never really dug too far deep into earlier electronica and ambient but I've been enjoying anything I've been hitting on this list. This somehow feels both very alien and terrestrial at the same time.
Kendrick Lamar
5/5
Ambitious convergence of influences and thought provoking lyrics and storytelling. This is not a casual anytime listen with the exception of maybe a few tracks for me. It is a rewarding one though with some focus. My only complaint is that it runs just a smidge long for me. Still an extremely worthy 5 star rating to me.
5/5
Now this isn't an all the time mood for me but when the mood for something like this hits, it's perfect. I've never gotten as far back in my country listening as Loretta Lynn but I see why she's a star I've always heard of as influential. Beautiful voice and straight forward down to earth real lyrics.
Roxy Music
2/5
Eh.... not the worst thing I have heard but I can't really say I enjoyed it. Mostly just not my thing but probably not actually bad.
Michael Jackson
5/5
Overall a legendary album. I thought about taking off a star for "The Girl is Mine" but it's so cringe worthy that I loop back around into liking it again.
Gene Clark
4/5
I think this one is very mood dependent album for me. It's wonderful for a lowkey chill mood just relaxing at home on the weekend. I would say it meanders between feeling more "up" and then more "down" mood wise but in a way that is balanced enough that I like. This is probably most accurately a 3.5 and I am in the mood to round up.
David Bowie
5/5
This album was a great time for me. I wasn't sure on first track if it would be my thing but as the album went on I liked it more and more. I feel like this one will continue to grow on me over listens.
Germs
1/5
Absolutely not for me.
Radiohead
5/5
Listening to this is like wading through a wistfully melancholy dreamscape. A bit disorienting, unreal, and deeply textured. Struggling to describe this in a non abstract way but I found myself thinking that all the songs shared a similar frequency/hum. A lot blends together but in a way I find pleasant to get lost in rather than boring. Really enjoyed this album.
Alexander 'Skip' Spence
3/5
Some of it is enjoyable in the right mood. A bit too much of it though. I do enjoy hearing some rough and in process works here and there on an album or as bonus tracks. But that was like this whole album.
The Doors
3/5
Torn how to rate this album for sure. Musically I really enjoy most of the album. I think now that I have listened to a couple of their albums I can definitely say their lyrics and the vocals are less my thing. Morrison’s voice works well in spots, but overall I'm not a fan and get tired of it quickly. Stuck between a 3 and a 4 for this because what is good is really good to me, but overall I can't say I would look forward to listening to this again. Ultimately I think I fall a bit on thinking this album is overrated which inclines me to shift towards the 3.
Prince
5/5
Wow the A side of this album is something else. A couple of the songs lose me a little but "Little Red Corvette" might be my favorite Prince song. At the least, top 3. It's the first one I remember really honing in on as a kid and wondering who's song it was. I did of course also know "1999" having lived through y2k. Even with the weaker songs I overall love this enough to up it to a 5.
I think my jaw actually dropped open when I heard "I honestly want to fuck the taste out of your mouth." Like, damn. Ok.
Steely Dan
5/5
Extremely dad/yacht rock and I must admit I love it.
Iron Maiden
3/5
Mixed feelings on this album for sure. I don't think the overall vibe is quite my thing but there are undeniably some good songs/solos in here. "Children of the Damned", "Run To The Hills", and " Hallowed Be Thy Name" were the standouts to me.
Herbie Hancock
4/5
Funky, and jazzy in a great way to me. Probably more of a background album but I really was enjoying it.
The Specials
2/5
This genre isn't for me. I admittedly kept skipping songs partway through because I found it really annoying. It was at least played well, I think, so I'll give it a star for that.
Sade
3/5
"Smooth Operator" is a fantastic track. There were a few others I enjoyed a bit but overall this wasn't really a love or hate. Worth a listen for sure though.
Fiona Apple
5/5
Didn't even have to listen to know this is a 5* for me. I had a big Fiona Apple phase in the late 00s-early 10s. While this one is actually not my favorite of hers (It's "When The Pawn and I don't think it's on the list, boo!) it's an undeniably strong debut. The way her emotions are so raw contrasted with her beautiful voice and music has always resonated with me. It was a joy to revisit and I will definitely be adding back into my rotation.
Jimi Hendrix
5/5
This probably loses some points if you don't love long stretches of blusey guitar noodling. As someone who does, I think this album is a masterpiece. Lots of experimentation here and the sounds he pulls out of the guitar are incredible.
Thin Lizzy
3/5
I wonder a bit if I would have enjoyed a non live album more. Not bad but didn't love it really either.
The Mothers Of Invention
2/5
I get what this is going for and respect the vision. That level of cynical mockery is a tough needle to thread for me, and in this case I didn't enjoy it. I think worth listening to but I most definitely won't be returning to it.
Radiohead
5/5
I found this quite a hypnotic listen. It seems very layered and like multiple listens will be rewarding. A bit melancholy, mostly languid, and a bit angry.
Jane's Addiction
3/5
I wasn't totally sure what to make of this album for some reason. It wasn't bad at all but I didn't connect with most of it. I did like "Jane Says" and "Pigs in Zen" most. Possibly an album that could grow on me.
Justin Timberlake
4/5
Some absolute nostalgic big pop hits on this album. Loses some points for me because absolutely some of these songs could be cut and it would be a stronger album. If edited down to the singles a maybe 3 or 4 of the other songs it probably could have been a 5 for me. Still though, I really enjoy it overall. Takes me back to being a young teenager.
White Denim
4/5
Overall really enjoyed this one. Feel like this could be a sleeper 5* for me. I found myself coming back to it and giving it multiple listens. Definitely a lot to explore with this one because it's textured and pulling from may genres. I don't really have a ton of experience with jam bands but this is a bit what I imagine them to sound like. Not completely, but it's got the "feeling" I imagine.
The xx
3/5
This album is viscerally familiar and yet I didn't especially know any of the songs. After giving it some thought I have a funny feeling this might be one of the albums we played for a bit while I was working at Borders back in the day. It's got the right vibe, and from the right time frame. I do think this works best as background music. It's a chill and kind of sparse. This starts out more towards a 4 and slides down to more towards a 3 by the album's end. I definitely don't dislike it but probably won't go out of my way to listen again.
Van Morrison
4/5
Overall was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed this. I guess because The Doors felt a little hit and miss to me I wasn't sure where this was going to fall. Admittedly the first song wasn't a great start but I felt the rest was really enjoyable. "Moondance" and "Into the Mystic", and "Dreams of You" were the standouts to me on first listen. The only track I specifically didn't enjoy was the first, and I am neutral at worst on some of the others. Truly more of a 3.5 but I'll bump it up for pleasantly surprising me.
Amy Winehouse
2/5
I've never really listened to Amy Winehouse despite seeing her name thrown around. Almost always been in a positive light so it made me curious. Never got around to it though.
I was at least familiar with "Rehab". I guess because of that I was expecting this to be a little different? More up-tempo? I haven't heard it in a long time but somehow wasn't expecting this album to sound like this for some reason. Honestly just kind of thought it was ok. Definitely not bad but nothing I'd write home about either. I'm curious how different her other albums are. I waffle between a 3 and 2 because her lyrics weren't overly to my taste.