326
Albums Rated
3.08
Average Rating
30%
Complete
763 albums remaining
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Taste Profile
1950s
Favorite Decade
Grunge
Favorite Genre
US
Top Origin
Wordsmith
Rater Style ?
34
5-Star Albums
11
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Miriam Makeba
Miriam Makeba
|
5 | 3.19 | +1.81 |
|
Chirping Crickets
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
|
5 | 3.29 | +1.71 |
|
A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector
Various Artists
|
5 | 3.31 | +1.69 |
|
Ready To Die
The Notorious B.I.G.
|
5 | 3.37 | +1.63 |
|
Dirt
Alice In Chains
|
5 | 3.47 | +1.53 |
|
Rio
Duran Duran
|
5 | 3.49 | +1.51 |
|
1984
Van Halen
|
5 | 3.51 | +1.49 |
|
New Forms
Roni Size
|
4 | 2.53 | +1.47 |
|
The Wildest!
Louis Prima
|
5 | 3.53 | +1.47 |
|
Stankonia
OutKast
|
5 | 3.55 | +1.45 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Seventeen Seconds
The Cure
|
1 | 3.38 | -2.38 |
|
You Want It Darker
Leonard Cohen
|
1 | 3.34 | -2.34 |
|
The Man Who
Travis
|
1 | 3.01 | -2.01 |
|
Sticky Fingers
The Rolling Stones
|
2 | 3.87 | -1.87 |
|
(What's The Story) Morning Glory
Oasis
|
2 | 3.84 | -1.84 |
|
Club Classics Vol. One
Soul II Soul
|
1 | 2.82 | -1.82 |
|
Is This It
The Strokes
|
2 | 3.81 | -1.81 |
|
LP1
FKA twigs
|
1 | 2.8 | -1.8 |
|
Histoire De Melody Nelson
Serge Gainsbourg
|
1 | 2.75 | -1.75 |
|
Doolittle
Pixies
|
2 | 3.74 | -1.74 |
Artists
Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| The Doors | 3 | 5 |
| Nirvana | 3 | 5 |
| Beatles | 3 | 4.67 |
| Van Halen | 2 | 5 |
| A Tribe Called Quest | 2 | 5 |
| Michael Jackson | 2 | 5 |
| Jimi Hendrix | 2 | 5 |
| Pink Floyd | 3 | 4.33 |
| Led Zeppelin | 3 | 4.33 |
Least Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Pere Ubu | 2 | 1 |
| Leonard Cohen | 3 | 1.67 |
| Arcade Fire | 3 | 2 |
| The Rolling Stones | 4 | 2.25 |
Controversial
| Artist | Ratings |
|---|---|
| The Cure | 1, 4, 2 |
5-Star Albums (34)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
Leonard Cohen
2/5
This is a lyricists/poets album I think. I am aware of what a giant Leonard is in the singer songwriter world. To be honest I'd never really listened to much of his stuff. I think I get what he is going for by really painting pictures with words and the focus of his songs seem to be on the lyrical content, however the album did not do too much for me. I don't have a problem with a stripped down acoustic sound. I am a big Simon and Garfunkel fan after all. This album though didn't really pull me in. Leonard's voice reminds me a bit of Lou Reed/Velvet Underground. Maybe I am comparing him to Simon and Garfunkel and I have seen the kind of creativity and harmonies that can be done with those two guys and a guitar.
I can see how this album could influence singer songwriter types particularly with all the imagery in the lyrics, but with me being more of a musical parts person and less of a lyrics person the album just didn't do much for me.
5 likes
Buena Vista Social Club
5/5
This album is awesome and all the musicians are killers. I like the old school style recording. The one mic in a room style sound took me back to when my dad would direct a symphonic band during rehearsals and one of the songs played was by Perez Prado. Ibrahim Ferrer is like a Cuban Nat King Cole. So many of the other musicians on this album went on to have solo albums and I'm glad. The documentary is great also.
2 likes
The Rolling Stones
2/5
And here it is. Probably one of many that will be on this list. I'm probably going to take some heat from big Stones fans on this one. I am not a big Stones fan myself. I know they are legendary rock royalty and everything, it's just that Mick's voice to me is just not that special. I feel like as far as the whole British invasion deal, the Stones and the Beatles got a lot comparison. The Beatles to me are so much more interesting and creative. It's not that I find the Stones to be terrible, although some of the songs I really don't care for its just that I find them kind of meh. If someone were to give me tickets to a Stones show I feel like I would go moreso out of historical factors rather than loving the music. Probably my two favorite Stones songs are Paint It Black and 19th Nervous Breakdown.
This particular album was ok for me. A very bluesy rock album. I could see how something like this would influence other artists in the future. It seemed like a celebration of whatever southern blues musicians they listened to growing up.
2 likes
Van Halen
5/5
This is a great album. I am very familiar with all the classic songs on it but never really gave the deep cuts much of a listen. This album really shows that for an 80s rock band Van Halen was trying to do something different and set themselves apart from other 80s rock bands.
Giving it a serious listen, this album really shows the talent and musicianship of Michael Anthony and Alex Van Halen. Being a child in the 80s and remembering the music of the time, I have to say Van Halen were ahead of their time. I never realized how many different influences make their way into their music, but you can hear them on this album. Early Jazz, Hard Roc, Blues, Barbershop Quartet and even Big Band jazz and Yes type Prog Rock can be heard. I like all the time signature changes and cross rhythms that keep occuring. What's funny though is David Lee Roth's lyrical content against 3 seemingly well trained musical intellectuals. Dave has a good voice but his lyrical content brings a frat boy/ meat head feel to the music. It was the excessive 80s though.
2 likes
Radiohead
4/5
I feel like this is one of Radiohead's more digestible albums. Pyramid Songs, Dollars and Cents and I Might Be Wrong are standouts for me.
1 likes
1-Star Albums (11)
All Ratings
Radiohead
4/5
I feel like this is one of Radiohead's more digestible albums. Pyramid Songs, Dollars and Cents and I Might Be Wrong are standouts for me.
Van Halen
5/5
This is a great album. I am very familiar with all the classic songs on it but never really gave the deep cuts much of a listen. This album really shows that for an 80s rock band Van Halen was trying to do something different and set themselves apart from other 80s rock bands.
Giving it a serious listen, this album really shows the talent and musicianship of Michael Anthony and Alex Van Halen. Being a child in the 80s and remembering the music of the time, I have to say Van Halen were ahead of their time. I never realized how many different influences make their way into their music, but you can hear them on this album. Early Jazz, Hard Roc, Blues, Barbershop Quartet and even Big Band jazz and Yes type Prog Rock can be heard. I like all the time signature changes and cross rhythms that keep occuring. What's funny though is David Lee Roth's lyrical content against 3 seemingly well trained musical intellectuals. Dave has a good voice but his lyrical content brings a frat boy/ meat head feel to the music. It was the excessive 80s though.
Leonard Cohen
2/5
This is a lyricists/poets album I think. I am aware of what a giant Leonard is in the singer songwriter world. To be honest I'd never really listened to much of his stuff. I think I get what he is going for by really painting pictures with words and the focus of his songs seem to be on the lyrical content, however the album did not do too much for me. I don't have a problem with a stripped down acoustic sound. I am a big Simon and Garfunkel fan after all. This album though didn't really pull me in. Leonard's voice reminds me a bit of Lou Reed/Velvet Underground. Maybe I am comparing him to Simon and Garfunkel and I have seen the kind of creativity and harmonies that can be done with those two guys and a guitar.
I can see how this album could influence singer songwriter types particularly with all the imagery in the lyrics, but with me being more of a musical parts person and less of a lyrics person the album just didn't do much for me.
David Bowie
3/5
I like David Bowie. I can't really say I'm a super fan, but I can see why he is considered an innovator. Because I am not a super fan I feel like I can almost make notes on this album almost like a person that has not really listened to him. Its one of those artists that I know his magnitude but have never really listened to much other than the well known songs.
The album is very 70s, the instruments and recordings have a very 70s sound to me, even when listening to the remastered version of this album. I can hear the influence of late Beatles with the horn sections and John Lennon's solo material which both come from that 70s era. David has a soulful and unique voice. I found parts of this album to be sort of cinematic, particularly in the versus of the songs. The standouts to me are Andy Warhol and Queen Bitch.
The Stooges
3/5
Proto punk. This is another artist that I have not done a lot of listening to. I am familiar with Lust For Life from later years, Search and Destroy and I Wanna Be Your Dog. What's really odd to me is I kept thinking of the band Cream while listening to this. Cream with a large injection of testosterone, a less busy drummer than Ginger Baker and a singer with a go eff yourself attitude.
All tones were very very dirty which at times made it hard to pick out parts or intricacies of what was being played, even with the remaster. The instruments sound like they were recorded in a garage...maybe that was the goal? It stuck me that James Newell Osterberg Jr. has mostly a baritone type voice but was still able to sing some of the songs in a higher register. I picked up some psychedelic influence in some of the way he was recorded. Again on the muddiness of the sound, I remember RHCP doing a cover of Search and Destroy and it seemed like they went for a note for note interpretation. I thought they did a really good job of it and you really got to hear the intricacies on a much clearer recording. I imagine the RHCP version may have been closer to what that song would have sounded like live in 1973.
On this album Iggy has a very anti establishment feel to a lot of what he is singing. Standouts for me are Search and Destroy, Shake Appeal and Gimme Danger. I can imagine this being a very energetic show to go to.
The Teardrop Explodes
2/5
I'd never heard of this band before....like literally ever. I really like a lot of what I heard, particularly with the instruments. I felt though that the singer, despite having a good voice was very repetitive with his note selection throughout the whole album, down to the interval spacing between notes being almost identical sometimes and even the phrasing of the notes being the same.
I felt like the singer was given some really good stuff to work with but he did not stretch across the note spectrum of what was possible to come up with cooler more creative melodies. I've kind of felt that way about Morrissey also. I was fascinated also by the fact that the music was catchy but most of the songs seem to lack obvious hooks n the choruses. They have a typical new wave 80s. Similar bands I think would be Madness and Duran Duran. I felt like 'Books' was a pretty good song and the one I kept coming back to. I liked 'Treason' and 'Reward' also. I am somewhere between a two and three...more.if the singer were more creative.
Pink Floyd
5/5
A masterpiece. Not too much else I can say. Again I can't call myself a super fan, and I don't own all their albums (maybe 3 or 4 of them....including the soundtrack to 'More' and 'The Piper at the Gates of Dawn', but I would definitely buy the t shirt and watch a documentary on the band. I have listened to this album probably hundreds of times and hearing the intro to Breathe never gets old. I haven't listened to Dark Side of the Moon in awhile so I went ahead and listened again and was struck by how many different styles of music get lumped into this album without Pink Floyd losing themselves. Funk, Jazz, Rock, Gospel, Blues, Soul, Electronica are all present. Kudos to you if you have ever turned the volume down on the original Wizard of Oz movie and watched it while playing this album. It's a pretty cool experience.
David Gilmore doesn't really make a lot of best guitarists lists the way Jimi Hendrix and Eddie Van Halen do, but I think he is right up there. All the notes on this album seem to be in the right places, and the lyrics and melodies are heavy hitting yet seem to just blend in with the instruments to make a powerful unified force. I think what makes this album so iconic is the fact that the songs seem to be about everyday life and putting a magnifying glass on experiences and emotions that all human beings go though.
Frank Ocean
2/5
Millennial music. The guy has a good voice but there is a lack of cohesion and energy on this album for me. So far I am having trouble understanding the structure of the melodies and I can't get past the sound of what seems to be some type of auto tune or pitch correction on his voice in some songs. There seems to be a lot of abstract feel throughout the album that is making it hard for me to get into. It's a little rambling for me.
Very cool that Andre 3000 makes an appearance but I found his verse kind of unexciting.
Seems like there are a lot of r and b albums like this that come from younger generations. Toro y Moi is an example of a younger guy that keeps r and b interesting when he does it. Alabama Shakes is another. Maybe I am showing my age in associating r and b with the solid musicianship of people like Earth, Wind and Fire, Anita Baker, Prince, Luther Vandross, Michael Jackson, Hi 5, Sade, Al B Sure and so many other heavy hitting r and b artists.
I feel like I see what he's going for. Some of the songs echo Prince's 'Insatiable', EWAFs 'Reasons' and Elton John's 'Benny and Jets' but the creativity and innovation just isn't there for me. Frank raps in some parts, but I'm coming from the school of Busta Rhymes, Tribe Called Quest, Method Man, KRS 1, Immortal Technique, Biggie, and Mos Def so its hard for me get into a more Xanax type rap delivery. I hear Jimi Hendrix 's 'Little Miss Lover' drum intro in 'Crack Rock'. Best song for me on this album is 'Lost'.
The Smiths
3/5
So I did some math today and figured out that I've been making fun of Morrissey for a really long time. Probably since I was about 17 years old. If I remember correctly I was copying his voice in a highschool class where we had a teacher had been a little closer to us in age (early 30s maybe) and my obnoxious impersonation of Morrissey seemed to get under her skin. I think she'd been a teenage girl in her room clutching her pillow and listening to The Smiths. So the band had a special place for her.
I guess all that to say that I was pleasantly surprised that I liked a lot of what I heard on this album. I found the music to be interesting and it kept me coming back to different songs. Morrissey despite a lot of repetitive intervals in his melodies has a good voice. Nice vibrato and does some interesting things over some even more interesting music. The band backing him has some pretty cool groves and song arrangement. The songs lacked strong hooks in the choruses to me because of similarities in verse and chorus, but the songs still kept my interest. These guys have a unique sound and I can see how they would influence other artists. I had to go back and give How Soon Is Now another listen. Standouts to me on this one.... Girlfriend in a Coma and I Started Something I Could Not Finish.
Sparks
3/5
I'd never heard of these guys. Which I found hard to believe. Listening through the album I kept smiling. Every song seems to have a bit of comedy and ridiculousness to it and I dug it. It's amazing that this was released in 1974. I could hear it being played on the radio today.
I felt like the singing was operatic and some of the music sounded like a mix of opera and orchestral music from the baroque period. 'Thank God It's Not Christmas' absolutely jams. I like 'Amateur Hour' a lot too. I thought the singing was strangely all over the place, yet still had a formula to it. I like the odd time changes and phrasing in the verse of 'This Town Ain't Big Enough for Both of Us'
I feel like the bands that may have been influenced by this would be MGMT, Empire of Sun, and The Darkness. I'll definitely have to listen to what ever they've done with Giorgio Moroder.
De La Soul
3/5
I liked this. I was a bit of a late comer to hip hop. Being from the Caribbean I grew up on a lot of Calypso and Reggae. Trying to look back at hip hop objectively though there seems to be a sort of golden age of innovation and creativity. Maybe something like 1988 to 1994? Del La Soul seems to be coming from that old school golden age approach of creativity, and positivity. Lots of sampling and a DJ scratching. I didn't listen to all of every song, but it was noticable that rapping primarily about bitches and hoes, wrist watches and cars was absent on most of this. With the current state of a lot of hip hop I wonder if younger generations would even recognize this as being hip hop?
I've never listened to this album but was familiar with 'Me, Myself and I'. The sampling on this album is great. I picked up on 'I Can't Go For That' by Hall and Oates
'The Crunge' by Led Zeppelin and of course inklings of James Brown songs....or what sounded like James Brown. It took real skill for a DJ to carve up a break in a song and set it to the right tempo to make a new song out of it. I like The Magic Number,.Ghetto Thang, Eye Know and Daisy Age. I'll definitely be looking into their later stuff.
Jimmy Smith
3/5
I liked this one and once again never heard of the guy. If I were to think up a quick idea of what the definition of straightforward jazz is, it would be this. Absent are crazy time signature changes and eccentric solos. I really liked all the sounds that I heard. The organ has a nice tone to it. The whole thing took me back to playing trumpet in basketball band back in highschool.
I really liked Messie Bessie. That song really jams and was my favorite on the album. A lot of the album made me picture low lit jazz clubs in a downtown area or in an upscale restaurant. Some parts of the songs almost had a bit of Henry Mancini type swing/bounce to them. I am reminded also of Walter Wanderly's Cheganca album and The New Mastersounds song 'Old Man Noises', even though those are different organ tones. I'll definitely be adding Messy Bessie to my list of likes on Spotify.
The Verve
2/5
I remember a stopover in Scotland on our way to (I think) Denmark years ago. We walked around for a few hours in Edinburgh to be exact. The weather was a constant overcast with clouds and light rain falling every few minutes. The sun was struggling to come out. The sky looked so bland. That is what this album sounds like to me. Bland....bleh.
I don't think I had ever actively listened to Bitter Sweet Symphony the whole way through despite ridiculous amounts of playtime in the U.S. because the song just did not really pull me in. I feel the same way about the whole album. None of it really pulls me in despite was seems like an attempt to have a bit of a late Beatles sound.
I tried to think back to some of what I was listening to back in 1997, that was out at the same time. What was in rotation for me was Deftones..Around the Fur, Incubus S.C.I.E.N.C.E and Tool had just released Aenima the year before in 1996 I think. That year I also went to see U2 on the Popmart tour. Maybe that's why seemingly mopey Brit Rock just didn't do it for me. This band has a lot of similarity to me to Oasis which was another band that didn't really draw me in. It's not that they are bad at playing, I just didn't hear enough dynamics and creativity in the music.
From back then what I remember about the Verve was that they had a similar name to the band the Verve Pipe, and Keith Richards was trying to sue them. Again, not a terrible sound, just not my thing. Blur is an example to me of an interesting Brit Rock band. I am not sure why this album would be on a need to listen list and it's mind blowing that this is a UK top seller.
The Smiths
3/5
I feel like this album and the first one we'd listened to were pretty similar. I really like the guitar sounds on this one as well, and Morrissey sounds like Morrissey.
Some singers can morph and sound a bit different from record to record while still maintaining their vibe....Scott Weiland, Anthony Kiedis, Chino,.... Morrissey so far just does his thing,.sounding like himself.
Again nice vocal tones, but I still feel like there could be some more variation given all the cool backing parts he is being given. I feel like the guitar parts on these Smiths albums really jump out at me and are really the core of the band. They really set the tone for everything else, and it's like Morrissey is almost a co pilot to the guitars rather than standing out front of them. I feel the same way with how Maynard fits into some Tool songs.
This seems like an album where one would have to be in a certain mood to reach for it.
The standouts to me are Frankly Mr. Shankly, Cemetery Gates and Big Mouth Strikes Again.
Miriam Makeba
5/5
This one I'm probably going to be pretty biased on. The first time I listened to this album I was about 6 years old. I was a child in Trinidad always looking through my parents music cassettes and vinyls. Among the names I would come across were Neil Diamond, Charlie Pride, Oscar De Leon, Abba, Roger Whittiker, Stevie Wonder large assortments.of classical music like Berlioz, Brahms, and Chopin and in there in the mix was Miriam Makeba. I grew up hearing her voice on vinyl a lot. The house would fill up with her voice. I was really glad to see her pop up on here as I have not listened to her music in quite some time.
My dad.was a huge fan of hers, I can imagine not just because of her incredible voice but probably because of her background of digging her heals in against apartheid.
Most of the songs on here brought back nostalgia. I can't tell you how many times I listened to the 'Click Song' and tried so hard to imitate the Xhosa language and get the click sound on the right word or vowel. It was impossible! I don't think there was really a miss on any of the songs. Listening to this stuff as an adult I am amazed at how powerful Miriam's voice is, it cuts through like an axe then at the same time she can restrain herself to sing quietly but still with a great tone.
I remember laughing really hard at the One More Dance song because of the guy laughing in the song. The Retreat Song may actually be one of my favorites along with The Click Song.
With it being released in 1960 I imagine this had to have been the first time many people throughout the world would have been exposed to indigenous South African language and culture. A great album.
Marianne Faithfull
3/5
First off bravo to Marianne for getting off of the white horse and making this album. She was battling drug addiction and homelessness. I have a lot of respect for people who battle adversity and make a turn around.
Some interesting things going on in this album. The synthesized parts reminded me a bit of Giorgio Moroder. They sounded a bit ahead of their time for 1979. Her voice is kind of average to me. I think though her performance had some weight to it after reading a bit about what she went through.
Standouts for me were Broken English and Working Class Hero. I found myself searching a bit for a 4th or 5th gear in some of the songs....for instance in the Balad of Lucy Jordan I was hoping the song would elevate maybe a little bit towards the end. Maybe Phil Collins has me spoiled with what happens in In The Air Tonight, or what Smashing Pumpkins do in Soma.
Led Zeppelin
4/5
The mighty Led Zeppelin. They always bring a smile to my face. I know a lot of songs on this album through listening to them on compilations. I did like this album and for me it's tough to go wrong with Led Zeppelin. Led Zeppelin is one of those bands that upon first hearing them as a 14 year old in the 90s I automatically liked what I heard. John Paul Jones and John Bonham are two of my all time favorite drum and bass duos. They are up there with Aston and Carlton Barrett, Flea and Chad Smith, Tim Commerford and Brad Wilk, Chris Squire and Bill Bruford, Geddy and Neil, Les Claypool and Brain.
I spent countless hours trying to learn Led Zeppelin songs on my bass. Sometimes I was successful other times not. The guy puts on a clinic in so many of his songs.
I am probably biased on this one because Led Zeppelin is probably one of my top 20 bands. This album is good. Led Zeppelin is one of those bands that can weave in and out of genres yet still be themselves. That is what I hear on this one. 'Immigrant Song' is a juggernaut. 'Out on the Tiles' is one I hadn't really listened to much and I will be adding it to my Likes on Spotify. Bonham is relentless on it. I dug the strings on Friends.
The Smashing Pumpkins
5/5
A masterpiece. Such an iconic generation x album. I really feel like this is one of the albums along with 'Nevermind', 'Superunknown', 'Core', 'Dirt', 'Blood, Sugar, Sex, Magic' and a few others that really encapsulated the early 90s. What a time to be coming of age when these albums came out. Even if you weren't fans of all the same bands, a lot of your friends cross pollinated with these albums.
A friend of mine once proclaimed years ago that Siamese Dream had some of the best guitar tones ever put down on a record. I have to agree.
Although this album came out in the same time frame as the aforementioned ones, it did not quite have the same type of sound and feel. I always felt as though this album sounded otherwordly, like space creatures had landed from another planet and began to play rock music that could transport your mind elsewhere.
The album has something for everyone. Soft soothing tones, mid tempo hard rock, more frantic heavy style rock, the balad that is Soma, acoustic sounds....so much innovation and creativity. Jimmy Chamberlain puts on an clinic in one song in Geek U.S.A. I feel like if a drummer could keep up with him in that song, then they are probably able to fit into any rock band.
William Corgan Jr has a unique voice that takes many different forms throughout the album.
Booker T. & The MG's
3/5
I liked this. Soul, Jazz, Gospel, Rock and Roll and Blues is what I hear throughout this album. Green Onions is truly a great song. I think It's the only one of theirs that I am familiar with. It seems like good music to have on in the background at a dinner party. I'll have to look into more of their music.
Rage Against The Machine
5/5
This is a huge one for me. If I had to think of albums to help make up a soundtrack for my teen years,this would be one of them. This album is an incredible combination of hip hop, punk and metal and it had an effect on my political thinking as a kid. It gave words to some of the sense of skepticism I had about the nature of government as a kid, even though my thoughts for solutions were different (individual liberty) from the guys in the band I think. I remember Tom Morello playing shows in his 'Commie' hat.
Every song on this album hits hard in various ways (except Settle For Nothing...decent song but a momentum killer)....sonically, poetically and politically. Zach de la Rocha seemed like the angriest man on planet on this and the following albums. His words bring an awareness about dealings with government. So many great lines...'load the clip in Omni color', 'the stutter step and bomb a left upon the fascists', 'networks at work keeping people calm'...the content of the album has held up over the years too. 'Wake Up' could be a theme song for American politics over the last 15 to 20 years.
Tom Morello is a top 20 all time guitarist for me. This album has some the sickest riffs ever recorded. His sound is like if DNA of Jimi Hendrix, Eddie Van Halen and Paige Hamilton were combined. I spent countless hours playing bass in my room as a teen along with Timmy Commerford to these riffs. It was a real pleasure for me to meet Tom Morello around 2000/2001 or so in Atlanta. He was sitting at a bar having a drink. I shook his hand and he seemed like just a regular guy. Brad Wilk, although offering simpler beats just really knew what to put where and not have overkill. Ultimately, such a great album.
LCD Soundsystem
3/5
I've listened to this before years ago but had a tough time making it through the tail end of it. I am more used to a polished electronic/dance music sound, whereas this sounds pretty analog for lack of a better word. I liked it better this time around. It sounds like a mix of Kraftwerk ( I think probably all electronic dance music owes Kraftwerk for their innovation) a bit of New Order with either Robert Palmer or Mick Jagger type vocals.
I particularly liked 'Someone Great'. I did find some of the sounds, song structure and vocals to be a bit repetitive. Overall a cool album though.
Pixies
2/5
I couldn't get too much into this one. I get that it's a pretty alt rock sound though, which I guess was innovative for its time. I think the drums were mainly room miked for the whole album? The guitar sound was very 90s. I couldn't get into the guy's voice. I did hear some things that sounded a little Sonic Youth esque.
Beastie Boys
3/5
When hip hop was hip hop. I liked this one. It's my least listened to Beastie Boys album. It's a throw back in time to fun, innovation and just making crafty rhymes. I feel like this is a transitional album where you see what they are about to become.
The big ones on here for me are 'Looking Down the Barrel of a Gun' and 'Egg Man'. This one made me realize that sampling seems to be a lost art in mainstream hip hop today.
The Flaming Lips
3/5
I have memories of driving around in a 1990 Honda Civic Wagon and listening to this album back around 2015/2016 or so. It was my first time really giving Flaming Lips a good listen. I don't think I have listened to this album much since then, so it was cool to give it a listen again.
There is a lot of emotion and introspection feel on this one. Its the only Flaming Lips album I've ever really listened to, so I don't know how the others sound, but I'll have to check them out. Wayne Coyne has a sort of melancholy sounding voice that goes well over some really interesting song structure. I like the combination of psychedelic sounds over hip hop sounding beats. It brings to mind Tame Impala and Temples on some of their later stuff. I'll be giving other albums a listen.
Paul McCartney
3/5
This is a relaxed stripped down sounding album. Reading some of the bio on it, it's interesting that he recorded it secretly. I am more of an early to mid era Beatles fan rather than the latter stuff like Let It Be or Abby Road, which is what this McCartney album sort of sounds like. I think somehow it went well with my sleep deprived state today. Parts of the album sound like movie scenes from a sleepy town.
Some of it sounds like demos or just unfinished ideas for songs but it still worked. Paul always has such a muted/muffled bass sound compared to more out front bass players like Les Claypool or Flea. I think my favorite was 'Every Night'. It's also interesting to see what Paul is like by himself without John, George and Ringo.
Beatles
5/5
All killer no filler. I am an early to mid career fan of the Beatles. The later stuff is not bad, but the early to mid career stuff really resonates with me. This album gets straight to the point, short songs with immense, catchy hooks. Some songs have multiple hooks within the song. It includes one of my top 20 favorites from the Beatles which is 'Any Time At All'. Though I am very familiar with all but maybe 2 or 3 of the songs on the album, I don't think I've ever really sat down and listened to the whole album itself.
Giving it a critical listen it really hit me that John Lennon is HEAVILY influenced by Little Richard. I knew this previously but it really stuck out to me on this album. The influences I hear are Little Richard, and Ray Charles on a lot of the choruses and Roy Orbison on a lot of the versus. Guitar tone and leads are Chuck Berry all the way.
I remember watching a documentary where Paul McCartney said they had to write songs that were very catchy so that they could remember them easily to record them back in the day, and this album really shows that. Much like Led Zeppelin it's English guys that really were fascinated with Americana and American blues and jazz.
I'm amazed how much mass appeal this album has. All age groups can listen to it easily I think. They write about everyday concepts that a lot of people can relate to.
I really enjoyed this one. Solid, fundamental, straight forward songs with great hooks.
The War On Drugs
2/5
This is what it would sound like if Paul Simon (Rhythm of the Saints era) was to sing over Tom Petty's Heartbreakers, but with more of an atmospheric/ cinematic feel. Overall cool sounds but not enough diversity of songs for me. The songs started to feel a bit repetitive. The thing about that Paul Simon album is he gave you a little bit of everything on it.
I remember Quincy Jones talking about producing Thriller and saying basically that nobody can really know if they are going to write a hit album or not, you just try to write strong songs and give people some variety to listen to. I feel like this War On Drugs album just kind of kept giving me a lot of the same on each song.
B.B. King
4/5
I enjoyed this album a lot more than I thought I would. I didn't think I would dislike it, but in mind straight blues is a bit more of a limited rule bound genre, but I think BB maybe opened some doors for me on this album. I did not grow up listening to blues music and I think maybe to some degree, Blues, like Zydeco or maybe Bluegrass music is something that has strong cultural elements that are grown up with. First off his backing band is absolutely killer. Some of the songs sound a bit more like jazz. My favorites were Please Love Me, You Upset Me and Help the Poor. I liked the shuffle style that the drummer played on some of the songs.
A bit more on me not listening to blues growing up and a little about offshoots of music rooting back to Africa. The music I initially grew up on was Calypso, which originated in Trinidad. Other offshoots of Calypso are Kaiso, Chutney, Soca, and Extempo. The Christmas music of Trinidad is Parang and there's also Soca Parang. This stuff is specific to Trinidad as Reggae, Ska and Dancehall Reggae originate in Jamaica. Same region....very different dialect and style. Think American English vs Scottish English. Here are other types of music coming from other Caribbean countries: Kompa, Zouk, Reggaeton, Merengue, Son, Mambo, Salsa, and throw in Samba and Bossa Nova even though those come from further south in Brazil....all distinct sounds and styles and at times languages all with roots going back to Africa. All this to say that even though Blues has a different history, feel, cadence, dialect, note selection, structure and instrumentation to it, there was still a familiarity to me like old school calypso. The story telling aspect, the double meaning (the angel opens up her wings for him?...maybe this is why BB had 15 kids ?), the banter with the crowd, are all aspects that can be found in old school calypso tents in the 1930s and 40s, and to some degree today.....even though the sadness and downtrodden feel is not really there in Calypso. So BB's approach to blues really made my mind wonder back to the roots what types of music came out of Africa and slavery. Blues is a type of music that cannot really be faked, it's something that is lived and strongly related to. I am fascinated by the ease with which BB improvised solos on his guitar and made all the standard vocal riffs and runs when he sang. He seemed effortless.
U2 is one of my top 10 bands and they did a song with BB called 'When Love Comes To Town'....though I think U2 did a decent job, but were a bit forced.....in that song you really get to hear the difference between guys that are fans of Blues music (U2), and a guy that IS and has LIVED it......BB.
Pixies
2/5
I found this one to be more interesting and structured than the last Pixie album. Can't really get totally into the guy's voice. An ahead of its time 90s sound though.
Lambchop
2/5
Never heard of this, but the album was interesting and laid back, and I could see how Brits might like it. Interesting string arrangements also that made me wonder how it gets done live. Grumpus was cool but the album ultimately didn't really grab me.
Christine and the Queens
2/5
This was an ok album for me with some cool 80s electro R and B sounds. The guy's voice is a similar high pitched tone to Michael Jackson or Geddy Lee I think. I'm not sure why it's on this list though. I would have put a Chromeo or a Holy Ghost! album on here instead.of this one, as those other two occupy the same sound space to me but have some better overall songs and albums than this guy.
Serge Gainsbourg
1/5
The biggest standout to me on this is the string arrangements. With the backing music I would have liked to hear more melody rather than the talk/whisper stuff. Not a big fan of the background story of this album.
Thin Lizzy
3/5
I have a soft spot for people with roots in the Caribbean who go on to do big things on an international scale. Phil Lynott is one of those people, as he is half Guyanese.
I am not the biggest Thin Lizzy fan, but their music always brings a smile to my face and this one did also.
3/5
I liked this one, but with the song lengths, I didn't feel like I could really sit and listen and think it over like some of the others. A lot of really cool instrumentation and layering throughout with a lot of cool funk feel. Seems like the type of album you sit in your room and veg out to.
Traffic
3/5
I'd heard of Traffic before, but never listened to any of their music. I liked this album. At times they reminded me of Yes, but with less mathematical parts. The Traffic singer has a more soulful voice also. My favorites were Who Knows What Tomorrow May Bring and You Can All Join In.
Gil Scott-Heron
2/5
Couldn't really get into this. It sounded like a few guys doing a rough rehearsal. The talent was there, but the songs just didn't go anywhere. No dynamics. The bottle song sounded like they were trying to practice one section of of a song over and over. Two chords for seemingly ever.
Paul Simon
3/5
I'm a big Paul Simon fan so I was glad to see this one come up. Paul Simon has such a clear and clean voice. His singing always sounds so effortless and uncomplicated. He really has a way of painting pictures with his words while at the same time keeping things musically interesting.
This was a pretty chilled out album. I like 'Me and Julio...', 'Duncan' and 'Mother and Child Reunion'.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
I was always kind of neutral on CCR. I would hear them on Fox 97 years ago and think 'well this is a cool song' and just never really dove any deeper than that into their music. I think this album just made me more of a CCR fan. There are so many strong songs. I enjoyed the sound of the recording too and the way John Fogarty's voice was treated with the reverb. I think as kid in Trinidad falling asleep in bed at night hearing the sounds of 80s dancehall music on the sound systems coming from the city's center and all the echo and reverb on the vocals.....it must have stayed in my subconscious as that kind of thing still draws my attention today. I thought this album really jammed. I think 'Who'll Stop the Rain' 'Up Around the Bend' and 'Run Through the Jungle' were my favorites. The grooviness on 'Run Through the Jungle' was pretty sick. CCR on this album managed to find a hell of a combination of Blues, Funk, Rock and Country music. They way Fogarty sings is unique and raw. This album definitely made me a bigger fan and more willing to check out other CCR albums.
Radiohead
3/5
This one takes me back to being a 14 year old foreign kid in highschool that just didn't quite fit into anywhere or with any particular group. For awhile I listened to this album in the mornings every morning while getting ready for school. Somehow it seemed like a very fitting soundtrack to being a bit of an oddball in school.
This album to me is a combination of the more grundgy sounding first album and the more electronic sounding Radiohead that was on the horizon. I think this is one of their more straight forward albums before things really started getting a lot more abstract and honestly a little less cohesive to me. The standouts to me are 'Fake Plastic Trees', 'High and Dry', 'Just', and 'Nice Dream'.
R.E.M.
3/5
R.E.M are another one of those bands that were always sort of in the background for me. I am familiar with their radio hits and I own the Monster album, which I really liked, even though I think a lot of hardcore fans did not like it at the time if it's release because of it's departure from their usual sound.
The songwriting and sounds on this one sound pretty straightforward. This project is interesting because it's causing me to listen to a lot of albums out of the time period they were written in and I guess sort of out of context. I never listened to this album when it came out. Today was the first day that I've ever listened to it, though I am familiar with the singles. Michael Stipe has a good voice and it's overlayed on top of some interesting things going on in the music. My favorite is Man On the Moon. The album title makes me think of some type of government mandate that forbids people to drive manual transmission cars.
Also.....if Michael Stipe were to leave the band could that be considered a Stipend? Sigh....sorry just the way my mind works
Nightmares On Wax
2/5
A cool laid back album. Trip Hop ? It was a decent ambient/background music type album to do repetitive data edits to. I am in to this type of music, but found parts of this album to be a bit boring.
4/5
Energy, Energy, Energy......holy smokes. How did this guy sing like that for an entire show? How did he not lose his voice with all the bellowing. The singer and band itself seemed to be somewhere between an 8 and a 10 energy rating for most of the album.
I've been hearing about MC5 for years and never sat down to listen to an album. I found it refreshing, raw and energetic. Kick Out the Jams was a standout for me. It just jams. Listening through it the band had an interesting feel of hippy yet go fuck yourself vibes. I really liked the guitar parts and the drumming was strangely frantic yet controlled at the same time.
3/5
The word that kept coming to mind for the sounds on this album was 'quirky'. I am familiar with The Kinks songs All Day and All of the Night and You Really Got Me, so this album to me was a departure from what I am used to from them.
On some of the songs the singer sounds a bit like Paul McCartney to me. At other times I wondered if this band has two singers because of how different the singing sounds on this compared to the songs I am familiar with. I liked 'Brainwashed' and 'She Bought A Hat like Princess Marina'.
Green Day
3/5
So, Green Day is a band that I was lukewarm on as a 13 year old. Punk in general was not really my thing. From what I remember from that time is that somehow because Green Day had commercial success they were labeled as 'Posers'.....somehow though (in my dealings with other 13 and 14 year olds) I picked up that, Offspring was not given this label, despite commercial success. Looking back now, I don't really get why the difference. Maybe Offspring kept it more punk when they broke? Who knows...
Billy Joe has a peculiar way of singing and having hard up front attacks on his words. Sometimes he sounds almost British in some of his word pronunciation... which I always thought to be odd. Sort of like how Iggy Azalea has a strong Australian accent then starts rapping and sounds like Lil Kim. Guitar chords sound like pretty straightforward major type chords with power pop versus and choruses. The drummer despite me not liking the franticness of punk drumming was always interesting to listen to on this album.
I always liked 'When I Come Around' and 'Basket Case'.
Linkin Park
4/5
I have kind of an odd relationship with rap rock. RHCP is one of my favorite all time bands yet upon hearing Limp Bizkit for the first few times, I thought they were pure silliness apart from the bass, guitar and drums. Alright I'll say it Fred kills the whole band once he opens his mouth. 'Biloxxxiiii hewwwww'!!!!!
I think rap rock can be done in an obnoxious,.corny or silly way, or it can be done in an energetic, thoughtful and genuine way. RHCP, RATM, 311, (early) Deftones, Dial 7, and Two Skinnee J's make the cool list for me and Kid Rock, Papa Roach, and Limp Bizkit mostly make the bleh list for me. Linkin Park seemed to have an almost cult following when they broke. At the time I didn't dislike them, but then I wasn't a super fan either. Listening to this album all these years later I have to say they make the cool guys list. I feel like a lot of thought was put in to this musically to meld the hip hop and rock parts together. The vocal arrangements have to be synched up right to have a good effect. I didn't know much about Chester until his passing but his lyrical content seem to reveal an unstable home life as a child maybe?
'Cure For the Itch' is a masterpiece and if that's Mr. Han really scratching then hats off to him for performing original hip hop. A few of these other songs were absolutely played to death on the radio, which funnily enough made it easy for me to kind of tune them out as background noise. Giving this a focused listen I have to say I like a lot of what I hear.
Megadeth
4/5
Seeing this album brought a smile to my face. I first listened to this in the mid 90s when I was about 14 or 15 years old. I went through a whole phase of listening to albums like this as well as Master of Puppets, Kill Em All, Vulgar Display of Power, And Justice For All and Ride the Lightening. I could not really relate to the themes in the lyrical content of a lot of these albums but I was absolutely fascinated by the speed, technical ability and ferociousness at which the music was played. Even today, Animals as Leaders fills a space for me with metal fusion instrumentals.
I've always thought Dave Mustaine's voice sounded a bit corny on this album and in general but the guitar, drums and bass always kept me dialed in. Listening to it today, I felt like there were almost more instrumental parts than vocal parts. I could see how this album might have paved the way for other bands with a metal sound. The opener is probably my favorite.
Genesis
3/5
I cannot believe this was recorded in 1973. It sounds way ahead of its time. I've never really listened to much Genesis, but I am a big Phil Collins fan. Phil kills it on the opening song. Some of the drumming sounded like drum and bass music from current times. In all honesty because of the length of songs on this album, it's an album that really needs to sit with you for some time to digest everything that is going on. I was limited on time, but I feel like I heard enough to get the gist. My initial impression was Pink Floyd meets Rush meets Yes. I will be listening to this again and checking out other Genesis albums.
Kanye West
3/5
I can tell that a ton of thought was put into this album. The words that come to mind are imaginative and creative. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would and found it refreshing for a more modern hip hop album. I couldn't relate to all the racial themes in it, but the delivery of his message was cool. I liked the appearances by Jay Z, Talib Kweli and Mos Def. This is the first time I've listened to a Kanye album and I'll be checking out more. Was that Bernie Mac on one of the songs? Rip.
Iron Maiden
2/5
Man.....I really didn't know what to think when I saw this come up. Years ago I sang on stage at a karaoke place. I sang 'Man in the Box' by Alice In Chains. That same night a guy sang 'Run to the Hills' by Iron Maiden. It sounded like craziness.....when he hit the chorus he sounded so over the top and cartoonish that it made me laugh. I'd never listened to Iron Maiden before.
Now all these years later I realize that what the karaoke singer was doing that night was mainly just being accurate.
I hate to make fun of the time and hours these guys put into creating and recording this, but it almost sounded like a parody of something to me. At parts I just chuckled which is probably not the reaction they were going for. The singer's voice was so over the top operatic.to me. At the same time, I did feel like the singer could actually sing and had a good voice, it's just why did he sing THAT way and those lyrics? I had a tough time taking it seriously. The music backing him was cool though.
Jungle Brothers
3/5
I dug all the positivity on this old school hip hop album. Great sampling also. I am pretty sure this is my first time listening to a Jungle Brothers album.
The Doors
5/5
A very easy 5 for me. I started listening to the Doors somewhere around 1994 I think. I was 13. It's one of those bands where on the very first listen I was hooked. Light My Fire was the first thing I'd heard from them and I was pretty captivated by it. I like every song on this album.
To me there is no other band that sounds like the Doors. Funnily enough what gives them such a unique sound is that they combine some truly oddball elements and seem to break a lot of musical rules. Elements that maybe would not usually go together are all thrown together.
Present on this album are r and b, blues, jazz, rock, bossa nova and flamenco influences. Tie it all together with a combination of descriptive, philosophic, poetic and sexualized lyric delivered on an accessible baritone voice. Jim Morrison gets so much attention because of his persona, and he is a great frontman, however Ray Manzerek and his organ playing to me are what really draws me in. The organ truly makes the band standout. Break on Through and Light My Fire get a lot of attention, which they should, but The Crystal Ship is a masterpiece, and The End and Alabama Song and so many others are such great songs.
The Doors are probably a top 10 band for me. I absolutely wore this album out when I bought it as a teenager. A soundtrack for an oddball teenage kid that didn't quite fit into any particular clique.
Ozomatli
4/5
I liked this one. To me it occupies the same headspace as Bixiga 70 or Orgone. Moreso Bixiga though, except Bixiga has a more raw organic sound.They do a good job combining traditionally Latin music with hip hop elements and electronic sounds without losing the feel of the two different worlds.
It was cool to see Charli 2na make an appearance. My favorite was Nadie Te Tira.
Taylor Swift
2/5
Well we knew it was coming. Its 2024 and I have never listened to a single solitary Taylor Swift song all the way through. I'd heard snippets here and there but just never really got what all the hype was about and never really was drawn in by anything I'd heard. Now I understand why.
Taylor has a decent voice. I didn't hear prominent use of auto tune on her voice in this album so that's a plus for me. The problem is, the album is dry. Other words to describe this album.... monochromatic, repetitive, unimaginative, formulaic, manufactured. It's sounds like mainly processed predictable melodies. No dynamics. Really not trying to sound mean, but at about song number 4 or 5 I found myself wanting to turn it off. Towards the last few songs I was hoping it was near the end of the album. Think of the dynamic contrast between this and the the king of pop on the Bad album.
I kept thinking that there were a host of other female artists that simply do the whole electro pop thing a lot better than what is presented in this album. Here's a list of these ladies/female fronted bands that I think present something superior and simply more interesting to Swift in this same listening space.
Ladyhawke, Haim, The Start, Goldfrapp (particularly the Head First album), The Sounds, The Aces and JJamz (Z Berg was great with The Like).
Taylor is apparently worth 1.3 billion and as of now I am not sure why. Maybe people are seeing something that I don't.
The Go-Go's
3/5
I liked this one. Never heard one of their albums before. Just a good straightforward album with straightforward songs. I liked the melodies and how some of the songs had a bit of Dick Dale surf guitar sounds going. It was like a combination of do wop, pop and punk in a way. Strangely enough I can hear some similarities to Green Day. Maybe Green Day was influenced by the Go Go's.
Roni Size
4/5
This one took me back. I was a heavy drum and bass listener in the late 90s and early 2000s. For me it's music that kind of let's your mind switch off and be on autopilot a bit.
I really like what's going on with this one. Seems like bebop and jazz layered on drum and bass beats with some really nice atmospheric sounds going on in the background on some of the tracks. I've listened to this album before but it's been quite awhile. I usually go for more atmospheric sounding drum and bass like LTJ Bukem and Klute so this was in my wheelhouse. Some standouts were Destination and Digital.
Dead Kennedys
2/5
I think ultimately punk is just not really my thing. I can take it in small doses.I think maybe it's because of the vocals and the drumming being delivered in such a 1,2,3,4 on the beat pace. Strangely enough, if you take some punk guitar riffs and play them to a cut time drum beat, it gives it more of a groove. You hear examples of it with RHCP, RATM, and Alien Ant Farm. That, I can get.into. I remember my old college room mate was really into NOFX, Lagwagon and early Blink 182. Those bands seemed to be 90 percent of what he listened to all day and sometimes I'd need to leave the room because of it. I eventually introduced him to Deftones and Tool.
This album was fast, furious, chaotic and in your face, which seems to be a main goal of punk from this era. It had a lot of energy. The recording sounded low quality and like it was done in a garage. The vocal tone of the singer to me was bordering on obnoxious, which again may have been the anti establishment goal. I found 'Stealing People's Mail' and 'Holiday In Cambodia' to be standouts.
Terence Trent D'Arby
2/5
I was still in Trinidad when I first heard Wishing Well. A catchy and interesting song with a cool lick that is memorable. I also remember Sign Your Name. I always thought he was just sort of a one or two hit wonder though. It's one of the those albums where upon listening to it I thought, 'ohhh so this is the other stuff he was doing in addition to the singles'. I am not sure I really see very much that is ground breaking or particularly special on this album. Terrence does have a really good voice though and a lot of control to do some of the vocal runs that he does on some of the songs. I could see how their might be a bit of a Michael Jackson comparison. The Darbs has a bit deeper of a tone of voice than MJ but similar vocal stylings...which really could just stem from James Brown,.who was a big influence on MJ, even though he was apparently very guarded about telling who is influences were. TTD even covers Who's Loving You, which MJ also did as a child. Good voice but the rest of the album didn't particularly grab me.
The Rolling Stones
2/5
And here it is. Probably one of many that will be on this list. I'm probably going to take some heat from big Stones fans on this one. I am not a big Stones fan myself. I know they are legendary rock royalty and everything, it's just that Mick's voice to me is just not that special. I feel like as far as the whole British invasion deal, the Stones and the Beatles got a lot comparison. The Beatles to me are so much more interesting and creative. It's not that I find the Stones to be terrible, although some of the songs I really don't care for its just that I find them kind of meh. If someone were to give me tickets to a Stones show I feel like I would go moreso out of historical factors rather than loving the music. Probably my two favorite Stones songs are Paint It Black and 19th Nervous Breakdown.
This particular album was ok for me. A very bluesy rock album. I could see how something like this would influence other artists in the future. It seemed like a celebration of whatever southern blues musicians they listened to growing up.
Metallica
4/5
I liked this. I am familiar with most of the songs on here, and though I am not a Metallica super fan I have always thought they were skilled and kept things interesting and I think they will have their place in music history.
This was my first listen to this particular album. It was interesting to hear some of these classic Metallica songs be given a symphonic treatment. I feel like some songs worked better with it than others. Strangely enough I feel like maybe the slower songs 'Hero of the Day', 'The Memory Remains' gave more breathing roam to the orchestra whereas some of the up tempo songs had orchestral 'licks' or 'hits' that made me think of a James Bond movie soundtrack and maybe the arrangements were a bit more limited on the quicker songs. I also feel as though I had to keep an open mind a bit because I am so used to the songs being a certain way. Ultimately though, good job Metallica.
The Young Gods
2/5
Not exactly sure what to think of this one. Maybe something was lost in translation for me. In the past I've listened to a lot of Brazilian samba music. Despite me not knowing Portuguese I enjoyed the delivery and the feel of it. With this Young God's album, I don't speak French but the delivery and performance of this is a bit disconnected for me. Cool sounds in the background but the feel of the vocals just isn't there. I've also listened to the original performance of Kletva (Ladytron did a remake) and I enjoyed that even though it was in Bulgarian. I've also listened to Hay Kacher performed in Armenian by Ontronik from Apex Theory and ready dug that. So I think a language barrier may not be the problem so much as the feel of the performance. Lastly, this sounded to me like a cross between Nine Inch Nails and Rammstein.
Little Simz
3/5
It was cool to see a younger rapper have a more old school sound. It seems that so many 'Lils' and 'Youngs' type rappers have the autotune sound with with either a triplet note pattern delivery or the whole short choppy two note delivery. On this I heard heavy Busta Rhymes and Jay Z influence. The British accent also brought me back a little to Stereo MCs without the cockney tint to the accent. Well done Simz.
I did feel though that as the album went on, the rapping became a little repetitive and monotonous tonally. Where as Busta is extremely animated and has a lot of rises and falls tonally Simz sort of kept it on a two or 3 note range.
Drive-By Truckers
2/5
This was ok. I started playing bass guitar in bands when I was about 13 or 14 years old. Playing many shows in the south, I remember playing alongside bands that sounded like these guys. To me it's music without much complication or technicality. I've never played music after drinking alcohol because I was always too scared to make mistakes because of being buzzed. I felt like I always tried to challenge myself to make things interesting and just do the type of bass playing that could sit in the background. This music though sounds like it could be played after drinking moderate amounts of whiskey. Again, nothing too demanding. Southern rock is not really my thing, although I do have a lot of respect for the Allman Brothers, I can take the genre in small doses. This project is kind of highlighting to me certain types of music that don't really pull me in.
The Temptations
3/5
Some really good musicianship on this album. 'Papa Was A Rolling Stone' is a masterpiece. I feel though that the second half of this album loses some momentum. Still, overall good performances.
The Clash
4/5
I really liked this a lot and intend to listen to it a lot more. I thought it was a very solid album. Joe Strummer has a unique voice that has some edge to it and is not the classically nice sounding voice like a Bono type, but his melodies are really cool and catchy and done along to some really cool sounding music. I always liked the song London Calling and is one of the songs I liked at first listen. This was my first listen to this Clash album and I was amazed at all the genres on it. It's like punk that is danceable with a some rockabilly twists.
I didn't know that they had a heavy reggae influence, but it makes sense given the era when this came out and because probably people like Strummer had grown up 'lang side' West Indians who had migrated (like one of my aunts in the 1960s) to the UK. I was familiar with Guns Of Brixton from Jimmy Cliff covering it on one of his more recent albums.
American Music Club
2/5
This was just ok. I didn't really see too much that was special about it to where it would need to be on this list. I'd never heard of them before listening to this album. On some songs the singer has a bit of a Morrissey quality to his voice. The band name is a bit generic too.
The Doors
5/5
Tough to go wrong with the Doors. Another easy 5 for me. As a 14 year old in 1995 I had all their albums and wore them out. I feel like this album features John Densmore a bit more and shows his jazz drumming influence. 'Waiting For the Sun', 'Blue Sunday', and "Indian Summer'.... masterpieces. 'Queen of the Highway' is also a standout. I feel like they maintained their identity while still drifting through multiple styles of music.
Dexys Midnight Runners
1/5
Well I had high hopes for this one but found it very disappointing. I found the album to be disjointed and not having good flow. The singer has a decent voice but it isn't really showcased much on this album. I felt like he overdid it and was generally mismatched to what was going with the music. I found a lot of the album to be perplexing, like the random muttering. One song sounded like a cover of Werewolf of London. Really surprising considering how much I like 'Come On Eileen'. Another album that I am not sure needs to be on this list.
Willie Nelson
3/5
I liked this. A very chill stripped down sound. It's amazing to think of the contrasts between this and contemporary country. This album tells stories and is easy listening. It reminds of some of the old school country artists my dad had in his collection.
This one made me think a bit in an anthropological way as some of Willie's vocal inflections reminded me a bit of old Irish folk singers or some of the things Delores O'Riordan used to do. You can kind of see the parallels and the influence that Irish migration had in country music.
OutKast
5/5
I was a late comer to the OutKast party. I remember hearing about them around 1997. It was my Danish friend who got me to appreciate them a lot more. This is a landmark type album. You really hear the jump in creativity and skill from Atliens and Southernplaylistic which were already great albums.
I feel like Stankonia really set the bar high for hip hop when it came out and there was just nothing that sounded like it. Stankonia sounds like they took a lot of time to sit down and think out each song. Music, lyrics, all the sounds are really well done. A lot of great songs on this but my favorite is Spaghetti Junction.
On a side note, I met Andre 3000 somewhere around 2002 or so. He walked into the studio that my band at the time was recording in. I remember he was wearing a marching band jacket and a Jimi Hendrix shirt. He looked like he'd landed from another planet.
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
This one is great. I grew up with Simon and Garfunkel playing in my house. My mom would sing their songs. In fact some of them I became familiar with by her singing them before I'd ever heard a recording.
Simon and Garfunkel have a real knack for taking acoustic guitar music and making it so interesting. It's never just strumming campfire style and singing. They manage to usually put cool little riffs and intricacies into what they are doing. They don't use a ton of effects and so on, just a lot of acoustic and percussion. They are extremely good storytellers also and manage to paint really good images with their lyrics. I've always liked Homeward Bound. Patterns and The Big Bright Green Pleasure Machine are jamming. Their harmonies are something that music theory nerds could analyze and their vocal tones sound great. The 6/8 switch in the second verse of 59th Street Bridge Song followed by layered rounds to finish off the song are absolutely killer.
Quicksilver Messenger Service
2/5
This one was ok. I'd never heard of the band. The sounds on it reminded me a bit of Cream. Nothing ground breaking though, just a pretty basic continuous jam album. Nothing really jumped out at me as being particularly special.
Pet Shop Boys
4/5
Well....the site deleted my notes on this one before I was done and I don't feel like rewriting it. Great vocals, Neal Tennant has a distinct voice. I first listened to this one in my teens. Good electronic sounds, nice orchestral strings throughout and some killer rhythms. Hopefully my favorite Pet Shop Boys album makes it on here.
Pretenders
4/5
I really dug this one. Chrissie Hynde has a unique and very recognizable voice that I really like. For some reason it made me think of Veronica Bennett of the Ronettes or the lead singer of the Shirelles. Just something about the style of her singing.
The more punkish songs seemed to have an organized structure to them rather than just a more chaotic aggressive punk sound. I liked the Phone Call (which had some interesting timing twists and turns) and Up the Neck. Now I feel like I see where some influence comes from for the The Sounds, Ladyhawke, CSS, and New Young Pony Club. I'll definitely be listening to this again and will check out more of their albums.
The Black Keys
3/5
This was an interesting one. A mix of soul and funk. They went for more of an overall vintage sound throughout the album. I feel like a lot of the songs may have grown out of loose jam sessions rather than maybe someone showing up with a riff or a chorus to build a song around. There were not too many hooks in many of the songs to me. It was sort of a play in the background type of album. Not bad, but nothing really jumping out at me either.
I'd heard of the Black Keys for years but had never listened to anything by them. For some reason while listening to them I thought to myself that this is the type of band that might be able to tour with the Alabama Shakes and Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night sweats. Also, for some reason I have the Black Keys lumped in a category in my mind called Millennial Music. That sound usually features some form of group singing at some point in songs, some decent music skill and not too many spikes in emotion. Sort of like some decent vanilla ice cream. Music that is ok to have on in the background but you wouldn't necessarily sit and listen to in a focused way.
Joni Mitchell
4/5
So....I own a Joni Mitchell album and have had it for years, but never really listened to it. I'll have to go back now and give it a listen. Though this is not exactly my type of music,. I was really impressed with it. On songs 2 and 3 I thought to myself, 'I didn't know Joni got down like this'....I mean some of this stuff really jammed. Also, the entire album sounds like a ton of thought and planning was put into it. With this album charting high when it came out, it reminded of some of the more dumbed down contemporary music that is high on the charts today. Some of the songs sound like music theory nerds were involved in the instrument arrangements. I mean when is the last time you heard an Oboe feature prominently on a song? Or French horn for that matter?
Joni's voice is very clear and she seems to hit notes very effortlessly and cleanly. The jazz song was kind of a curve ball for me, I had no idea that she could be a jazz singer. I feel like Joni must have been an influence on Tracy Chapman and Alanis Morrisette.
MGMT
4/5
I'm pretty sure MGMT has a song on one of the FIFA soccer video game sound tracks,.which is probably the first time I'd heard them. This is an interesting album and I remember playing it a lot. At times the vocals on the album sound like a psychedelic David Bowie. On other tracks I am reminded of The Flaming Lips or Midnight Juggernauts.
These guys overall have an eclectic sound that I really like. A lot of great tracks on here but my top songs are probably Electric Feel, Weekend Wars, 4th Dimensional Transition and Time to Pretend.
Thundercat
2/5
So I was excited to see this one pop up . I listened through it and oddly enough found it to be a bit bland and meandering. Some cool bass lines. I think Thundercat has been influenced by Earth Wind and Fire and maybe Prince.
Though some the songs are put together in an interesting way, I found myself asking 'well what else you got?' It started to get a bit repetitive and a bit one trick pony-ish. For some reason this album made me think of Toro Y Moi however, maybe it was.some of the lofi sounds.I find Toro to be a lot more interesting.
I found it fascinating that Kenny Loggins and Michael McDonald were on one song together. The album is not bad,.but I was looking for a bit more variation from song to song. Maybe even change up the tones a little? I went to listen through it a second time while working and ended up switching to listening Fu Schnickens instead. On some of the songs it was like they found a decent riff or progression to jam on and just stuck to it without adding many other lows or highs to it.
Stevie Wonder
5/5
Stevie Wonder is a musical freak of nature. This album is great. I was thrown for a loop when I started the first song (which I really dig). Royksopp, an electronic dance group from Norway, are one of my favorite electronic artists. Listen to the baseline in their song 'Vision One' on their album Junior and see if you hear what I hear on Stevie's song 'Too High'.
This album really showcases so much of what Stevie does, which is some of everything. His singing seems to fit well with any type of style. Jazz, Funk, Latin, Folk music all present. His singing sounds effortless while singing difficult things. He is a true example of 'they just don't make em like they use to'. Higher Ground jams, I liked Living for the City (always loved that standout synthesized line after the chorus, it's like a second chorus of its own), Golden Lady and Too High.
The Who
3/5
From the age of 10 to the age of 17, I played the tuba. For four of those years I played a sousaphone in the highschool marching band. One year (maybe sophomore year) we played the song Pinball Wizard at the half times of the high school football games. That was my first exposure to the Who and I remember having no real idea who the band was or what their music was about. In fact for a long time I was more familiar with what the sheet music for you tuba sounded like for that song rather than the actual band playing the song. In the coming years I would become more familiar with their sound and grew to like them. This album was good but not made for a dad going through an entire day of responding to questions and comments about every 2 minutes from kids and dealing with back to back tasks at work. It was really long. The highlights to me were Pinball Wizard and Sensation. I can't help but make early Pink Floyd comparisons on this one because of how it sounds. Keith Moon is a machine. Though I could not give this one all the attention it required, I did like a.lot.of what I heard and I'll be checking out other albums for sure.
Patti Smith
2/5
Patti Smith is another singer that I've heard of for years,.but never really listened to. She has an interesting voice but this album didn't really grab me. Redondo Beach had an interesting Blondie type reggae-ish vibe to it. The sound is pretty stripped down, but I think that's one of the reasons it didn't grab me.
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
5/5
I feel like everything was done right on this album. The sound, the playing, the vibe that was created,.the song arrangements. Everything is in its right place. Each song kept me engaged. I can hear the influence of maybe Fats Domino and The Platters.
Even by today's standards, this sounds like an album you could have on and listen to from start to finish. I can only imagine hearing it freshly as it came out.
Santana
4/5
Somehow I managed to own this album on vinyl when I was about 15 years old. I have no idea where I got it from. It didn't belong to my parents. Maybe a friend had given it to me for some reason .I would listen to it on my parents record player.
Santana can jam. I used to listen to this one and the Santana album Caravanserai quite a bit. The rhythm section on this album is absolutely killer. A lot of the album sounds tribal. My standouts are Se A Cabo, El Nicoya, Samba Pa Ti, of course the classics Oye Como Va and Black Magic Woman. They really put on a percussion clinic on Incident at Nashabur. If I could I would do 4.5 stars.
Otis Redding
3/5
Otis Redding is great. I only have a limited knowledge of his music. His voice sounds good on this album but I'll need to listen to some other non-cover songs of his to get more of an idea as to what he does. Some of the songs on this album. I have too strong and association with other artists on. My favorites were Down In the Valley and Shake.
Jeff Buckley
3/5
This was an interesting album. I remember going to visit family one summer in Ft. Lauderdale when I was about 15. I hung out with a family friend for a few hours. He drove me around a bit while he told me about some of the bands he liked. The two that I remember him mentioning were Radiohead and Jeff Buckley. It was the first time I'd really heard the name, and all these years later is my first time really having a listen to Buckley. He has a very clear falsetto type voice. This album actually sounds a bit like early Radiohead. The entire album to me has a 90s sound to it. I would have been really interested to see what else he would have come up with had he lived longer. Note to self...do not go swimming anywhere near tug boats...wow. My favorite was probably Last Goodbye.
U2
4/5
Jaysus they've put the feckin' War album on the list!
U2 are one of my favorite all time bands. I really got into them somewhere around the age of 11 or 12 so I was really glad to see this album pop up. I own all U2 albums up to How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb.
This album is really the early energetic sound of U2 as they are still finding their way a bit before really diving into all the different guitar effects and drums machines that came in the mid 90s. And before the killer.album that is Joshua Tree. Sunday Bloody Sunday is such a landmark song with such a recognizable drum beat. They really painted a picture of the troubles in Ireland. Boni is such a great storyteller in that song and in general...his autobiography Surrender is available on Spotify also and is a good listen.
Other standouts.on this album are Seconds, New Years Day, and Two Heats Beat As One (which was actually on a playlist during my daughter's home birth). I am probably biased but I think maybe 2 or 3 other U2 albums belong in this list.
Fela Kuti
3/5
So I feel like I have listened to a lot of music that was influenced by Fela, but have not really given Fela himself an actual listen. I had no idea how politically active he was and kudos to him for standing up to intrusive govt.
A cousin of mine is half Nigerian and half Trinidadian and he lived for some time in Lagos. He said that if you can survive in Lagos you can survive anywhere in the world. I hear that corruption and the political problems are still a big deal there. I guess this is the type of backdrop that these songs were recorded to.
Good songs but they are long and a bit meandering for a guy working through tasks all day. Another smoking rhythm section and the horns sound great and raw. I see also how this music influenced calypso and probably other types of Carribean music. I plan on checking more of his stuff out as I am a big fan of Afrobeat and African jazz.
Deerhunter
2/5
I found Deerhunter to drag on a bit. Some interesting parts at first but then becoming repetitive. The album just didn't hold my attention.
5/5
One of my favorite Beatles albums. So many bangers. Lucy In the Sky With Diamond and Being for the Benefit of Mr.Kite!, and A Day In the Life are my favorites. I really wore this album out in highschool. I feel like it was a real departure from what the Beatles had been doing at the time and has a different sound from they did up this point. If you've never listened to the Easy Star Allstars version of this album, you should do it immediately:
https://open.spotify.com/album/7iehh77UNP03AllcLAB69M?si=UR8IyHukTSSUgIWmdTotNA
The Avalanches
2/5
I'd listened to this album some years ago and have not listened to it again until it came up on this list. I liked it ok. It's good background music to have on while you do something else.
PJ Harvey
3/5
This is my first ever PJ Harvey album listen which is kind of crazy because I was the of age to listen to this when it came out. I remember kids with PJ Harvey shirts on when I was a teen and seeing her in people's cd collections. I found the album to be raw and having a very 90s sound. It seemed as though PJ tried to mainly capture the emotion of the song which could mean not necessarily having the cleanest vocals....sort of like early Paige Hamilton on Helmet's album. I got a Sonic Youth vibe also. Interesting guitar work too. Looking forward to hearing more recent albums.
Screaming Trees
2/5
I was never really into Screaming Trees back in the 90s. To me this album has sort of a generic straight forward, it's ok type of rock sound. I was familiar with All I Know. Nothing on this album particularly jumped out at me as amazing and I did wonder why it was on the list. It's not a bad album but nothing on it really blew me away.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
4/5
I have never listened to an Elvis Costello album. I did really know what to expect. I've heard some of his music over the years but never listened to an album. I was pleasantly surprised and liked what I heard. I felt like there was a good bit of creativity and imagination on this album. Declan Macmanus has some really strong melodies, and for an album that has a lot of songs on it, it did not sound repetitive.
At times I felt myself thinking that this album is what it would sound like if The Clash were fronted by Lenny Kravitz but without any of Lenny's raspiness to his voice.
I also thought the album cover art was pretty cool looking. My standouts are Accidents Will Happen and Oliver's Army. I'll be listening to this more.
Kendrick Lamar
3/5
I liked how this album sounded and I was glad to hear that Kendrick does not solely do the triplet note pattern rap and does not seem to overuse autotune on his voice. These things are so prevalent now in hip hop. So for a young guy I was glad to see him take a different direction from that. There's parts of this that sound like 'traditional' hip hop. At the same time though maybe my ears are just conditioned to associate hip hop with creative sampling from older music (Jay Z sampling the Doors's 5 to 1 for instance). A lot today's hip hop tends to have a glossy machine produced sound (like this album) that is ok, but I still think hip hop's golden era came between 1989 and 1997 or so. Kendrick is a talented guy with interesting things to say. I'll definitely revisit this album.
Steely Dan
3/5
So I have never sat through a Steely Dan album before. In fact today was the first day I'd asked myself whether Steely Dan was one guy or an actual band. I really dug the sound on this. It sort of gave me soft rock 70s era Billy Joel vibes. I liked all the genre shifting and how creative they were with the some of the backing instrument arrangements. Some of the choruses are really big, with multi layer harmonies. Within 10 seconds of the song Night by Night I had to add it to my 'Liked' list on Spotify. It absolutely jams. It's probably my favorite on this album. Going to have to check out more of Steely Dan for sure.
Paul Weller
2/5
This was a background music type album for me. I never heard of Paul Weller until I listened to this. Cool riffs throughout the album,.but it was mainly jam music with more rhythmic singing parts being interjected between blues type riffs. I didn't really hear many hooks on the songs that drew me.in. I feel like this is an Americana type album, which is strange because Paul is English yet sounds like some type of blues singer.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
2/5
This was an ok album for me. I think maybe Neil's voice might be more of an acquired taste? I have never listened to any Neil Young album. I am not the biggest lyrics person ever so sometimes I lose track in the songs a bit if the musical parts and notes in the melody don't catch my attention and I think this one falls in the category. Cinnamon Girl was a standout to me.
Soul II Soul
1/5
As strong a song as Back to Life was, I was expecting a bit more from thiis album. I ultimately felt like the whole album was underwhelming which was disappointing because Caron Wheeler is a good singer.
David Bowie
4/5
Damn....I'd never listened to this album before, but I think it's now one of my preferred albums by Bowie. I think overall it's a funk album.
I didn't know the song Fame was on here which was a big plus for me. The title track Young Americans was always an ok song for me. I think the killer track on this one is Fame. I was really impressed with the song Win and the arpeggio runs by the saxes throughout the song. I liked Fascination also.
The Rolling Stones
2/5
Sigh.........The Rolling Stones. Rant incoming. I almost always use Sympathy for the Devil as an example as to why I am not really into the Rolling Stones. The backing vocals man.....the 'whew whews'.....4 bloody minutes of it! Why!? The song is slightly over 6 minutes long and seems jam oriented with not much in terms of dynamics or chord progression so then why put those constant 'whews' on it every few seconds for 4 minutes? Why not just drop it in periodically and take it out sometimes!? For me it overtakes the song and just becomes an annoying focal point. It is maddening every time I listen to it. In fact anytime someone mentions the Rolling Stones I automatically think of those damn whew whews. Look at the contrast with what Quincy Jones did with 'Wanna Be Starting Something'....if I remember correctly that entire song is based around one baseline that repeats for the entire song without changing in verse and in chorus. It builds, breaks down, many different parts drop in and out, instrumentation changes drastically as the song progresses...apexing in 'mama say mama sah ma makusa' all over one consistent set of notes and baseline that never changes. Because Quincy Jones is an instrumentation freak of nature that can simply squeeze out massive amounts of jams and variation from one baseline. Rant over. Again the Rolling Stones have their good songs, but Mick Jagger's voice just doesn't do much for me. I understand they are icons but considering how much music they've put out a lot of it for me is just kinda bleh. This album included.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
Here is another album that I spent hours in my room with, trying to learn the bass parts. It's such a strong album all the way through. This is probably my favorite Zeppelin album. All four members of this band gave such strong individual performances on this album. Bonham is a machine on it. It's rare for me that I hear a song and am instant hooked, but as a teen I remember hearing Misty Mountain Hop and instantly loving it. It was my introduction to Zeppelin and I wanted to hear more. An easy 5 for me.
Culture Club
2/5
This one was ok for me. George O Dowd has a good voice and sings soulfully. The music backing him though, particularly the drum tracks sound kind of low.quality. Or maybe it's just the way the album was mixed? George does some decent singing on this album but I am not sure it should be on this list.
A Tribe Called Quest
5/5
This album is a hip hop clinic. If aliens were to land on this planet and wanted to get an understanding of what hip hop is, I would tell them to listen to this album. It's hard to believe this was released in 1990. It sounds ahead of it's time. This stuff is just on a different level compared to other rap groups. Such great story telling. Anyone catch the Jimi Hendrix sample? Any time an MC uses the word Polyrhythmic in a verse, it's probably an MC you should listen to. Trinidad and Tobago represent.....Phife Dawg RIP.
The Temptations
4/5
Great instrumentation and arraignment. Great musicianship. Funkier than the first Temptations album I rated. I liked 'Hey Girl' and 'Cloud 9' the best. A lot of great melodies throughout the album. Very cool cover art too
Johnny Cash
4/5
Nice. Johnny Cash's voice is so recognizable. I guess it's considered to be in the baritone range?
This is old school country music. Even though I am not that big of a country music fan. I find this stuff to be authentic and real. I wonder what made him want to play at a prison to begin with, and could something like that be pulled off today? Could someone like Chris Stapleton play at a prison?
Some of these songs reminded me of old school calypso....the story telling aspect. Maybe this is why my dad was drawn at times to this kind of music. I remember seeing some of his country albums as a kid (Marty Robbins comes to mind).
(here's the Mighty Sparrow for comparison:
(https://open.spotify.com/track/1LfS3MtG65yVVgReCMe0Cc?si=kbPzRWE8T62KSVqRW64i_Q&context=spotify%3Aalbum%3A5wIqQb2zDEI1RHJAdrxrMy).
I think that was one of the key aspects about old school country music was the story telling. You just don't get that same vibe anymore with a lot of modern country music. My favorites were Folsom Prison Blues and Dirty Old Egg Suckin Dog. I'll be giving this another listen for sure.
Anthrax
2/5
I. Could. Not. Stop. Laughing. I am sure it was was not the intention of the band to have that effect, but I couldn't help it. The music was just insanely over the top. I would say cartoonish even. It was like a mixture of metal and punk. I did have fun listening to it, and it was my first listen ever to Anthrax. If a group of werewolves were to get coked up and make an album, I am absolutely sure this is what it would sound like. My favorites were 'Among the Living' and 'Indians'.
David Bowie
3/5
This one had a lot going on which seems typical for a Bowie album. It's interesting how Bowie is sort of like a shape shifter while at the time still being himself. His voice and singing just seem to work with so many different styles of music. The standouts on this one for me were 'If You Can See Me' and 'Valentine's Day '.
Bob Dylan
2/5
Another Dylan album. I liked this one better than the first one I listened to. This one had a bluesier sound to it. It was cool to hear Subterranean Homesick Blues. I'd only really listened to the RHCP version of it.
Leonard Cohen
1/5
This sounded like a spoken word album and I couldn't really get into it. I'm just not much of a Cohen guy from the stuff I've heard from him. Some decent sounding music going on in the background though.
Fleetwood Mac
3/5
In the past I have not been the biggest Fleetwood Mac fan, but everytime I listen to them they always give me something very solid musically. This was my first full listen through of a Fleetwood Mac album and I thought it was pretty solid. The impression I get is of 5 people (they are a band of 5 right?) coming from different musical backgrounds and probably having to do a lot of hashing out song ideas. There's a lot going on in the way they sound. I always got the impression that Stevie Nicks was a center piece of the band, however Lindsay Buckingham and Christine Mcvie are the standouts for me. I hardly see Buckingham make many best guitarist lists, but maybe he should. I enjoy his playing and I feel like a show with just him would be pretty interesting. The tone of Lindsay's voice when he sings makes me think of Les Claypool if Les were to be more serious and less of a goofball about his singing. Christine's voice is great. On the deepish side with a huskiness to it. This is definitely a unique band and listening through the album there was a feeling of 'I wonder what the next song is going to sound like'. I'm somewhere between 3.5 to 4 stars.
Minor Threat
2/5
Punk is not really my thing. I do like some of the more pop punk sounding bands, but this type of I guess gutter punk? Is not melodic enough for me. These guys do have an energetic, raw sound. The guitar sound reminds me a lot of The Offspring guitar tone.
Radiohead
4/5
This is one of my more favored Radiohead albums. I think the word for this album is rhythm. There seems to be a reoccurring emphasis on rhythm. All throughout there are interesting time signatures and time shifts, moreso than I've picked up on other Radiohead albums.
It's been quite some time since I've listened to this album but I remember Backdrifts being one of the standouts. Listening to it now I feel like it is one of the stronger songs on the album, and it feels cinematic. I also dig Where I End and You Begin and Myxomatosis is a rhythmic clinic.
Stan Getz
4/5
I started listening to Bossa Nova and Samba maybe when I was around the age of 15 or 16 years old. I always liked the spirit and feel of the music even though I could not understand Portuguese.
I am pretty familiar with most of the songs on this album from hearing different versions of them over the years. I really dug this album and the jazz tint to these songs. It really sures up for me that I like this structured jazz rather than the more experimental, conceptual music theory type stuff that kind of goes over my head and comes off a bit pompous at times. The rhythm section stands out through out the album. I always like the Desafinado and Bahia.
M.I.A.
3/5
This one made me a bit nostalgic. Being from Trinidad and with Trinidad's population being about 40 percent of people of Indian descent (dot not feather) I grew up watching shows called Mastana Bahar and Indian Talent on Review. We also got a decent amount of Bollywood movies on TV and certain radio stations would play music in Hindi. As a child I took an interest in listening to Indian music even though I could not understand Hindi, and I always liked the sounds and rhythms. The sampling of Sri Lankan music on this album reminds me of those days. She presents a unique sound with combining what I am going to guess are Bangra and Chutney rhythms mixed with hip hop and electronic dance music. I think she is innovative and original. If M.I.A has not already done it, I think there is probably a collaboration with Santigold that should probably happen.
Q-Tip
4/5
It's just tough to go wrong with Q Tip man. The guy seems to always give you a solid performance and raps as though he is a fan of hip hop and wants other people to enjoy hip hop and not just trying to pick up a pay check.
Björk
3/5
I listened to this and the words that came to mind were unconventional and dissonance. Bjork is a unique person with a unique singing style. Her timing almost seems off sometimes on what she sings, but it's not. Her note selection sometimes seems to fall a bit outside of the chord structure of the backing music, but all of that serves to keep things interesting. I like the tone of her voice also when it sounds a bit raspy. This is definitely a 90s sounding album. This was my second time listening to it. It didn't blow me away but then it wasn't bad either. Human Behavior and Come To Me were standouts.
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
I remember watching someone sing Born In the USA at a karaoke night and I remember thinking that the opening of the song was almost iconic and a real crowd pleaser, (the crowd cheered really loudly to the opening).... but then as the song went on and the singer struggled with what seemed to be all but the chorus, it struck me that there was really not much to the song at all. Everything built around that opening riff and not much variation or movement note and chord wise throughout the song, so music wise it kind of, (apart from the patriotic type message and ideas of it), a bit underwhelming musically, so I wasn't sure exactly what to expect from listening to this album. This was my first listen through the whole thing. I am familiar though with the other big songs on this one. I think Dancing In the Dark is one of the stronger songs on it, even stronger than the title track. Glory Days is also a powerhouse of a song. The entire album is an Americana working class, blue collar album. Something I would expect from someone out of the American 'heartland' rather than a jersey boy. I dug it.
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
4/5
This album was killer. Nothing at all sounds like Ladysmith Black Mambazo. They always bring a smile to my face.
To my knowledge the Xhosa and Zulu are two of the dominant erhnicities in South Africa. Its my understanding also that the Xhosa (along with aboriginal people of Australia) have some of the oldest DNA among homo sapiens in the world. I can't imagine that the Zulu would be too far behind.
Listening to this stuff I just imagined that this type of music probably goes back to ancient times and may be some of the oldest musical stylings within music. I dug it all.
Pet Shop Boys
3/5
Damn....Pet Shop Boys just have such a good combination of dance beats, synth layers and then Neal Tennant has such a unique voice. 'This Must Be the Place I Waited Years To Leave' is great one. 'Jealousy' is another melancholy anthem that I remember listening to as a teen. 'Being Boring' is another favorite. Other parts of the album don't flow as well as the other songs,.but altogether a decent album.
Pere Ubu
1/5
This one didn't do much for me. It was more digestible punk than other pink bands I think, but it just didn't grab me.
The Doors
5/5
I'm a sucker for The Doors man. Another banger from them. L'America, The Wasp, L.A Woman, Love Her Madly....all great driving songs. Riders On The Storm is simply next level creativity that takes you on a journey. Take another bow gents.
Supergrass
4/5
This shit straight up jams. It's rare that I like something on the very first listen, but this stuff is great. I like the energy. At times its a little punky, great transitions in the songs, the melodies are interesting and catchy, a bit comical at times too. I heard of these guys when they came out but never really listened to them. I'm sure these guys would put on a great show. I hear a little bit of early Pink Floyd in the melodies as well as a bit of David Bowie.
Beck
3/5
A unique, retro sound from a unique guy. Beck always keeps things interesting and original. I like Devil's Haircut and especially New Pollution. I was never a big fan of Where It's At.
Björk
3/5
Hi points for originality and innovation, but the album sort plays the way high art looks or the way fine dinning seems at times. It wasn't the most digestible album for me.
The Byrds
2/5
Not really my type of music, but they indeed do this type of music really well. I think it's preferable to a lot of today's country music.
Duran Duran
5/5
What a great album. Not too much else to say. I've been into Duran Duran since I was really young. John Taylor put on a clinic for a lot of the album.
Nick Drake
2/5
Nick has a good voice, but I this album just didn't grab me.
Peter Gabriel
3/5
The highlight on this for me is Solsbury Hill. Peter has a great voice. The album is eclectic and has a lot going on. It made me feel like I was listening to a musical art exhibit. I hear similarities with Gabriel's voice and how Phil Collins sounds
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
I don't hear too much of a different feel from Born in the USA. The xylophone seems to be prominent throughout the album though. More Americana from Bruce.
Boards of Canada
2/5
This one brings back memories of editing digital maps for hours at a time. It's good music to listen to while doing a more mundane repetitive task. At the same time though I remember Boards being lower in my ranking of this type of music. I have them paired up with the likes of Tycho, Washed Out, FM Attack and Com Truise. Not a bad album but also not the most interesting.
Iggy Pop
3/5
I like the energy on this album. Lust for Life is a great song. Iggy Pop has such an interesting voice. I think this one is better than the earlier album I rated. I feel like the songs are organized and structured better and not as chaotic. Dear I say mature. I also liked 'Tonight'.
Pulp
2/5
Quirky brit pop that is a bit shoe gazer like at times. Sometimes the singer's voice during the more hushed singing reminds me a bit of Michael Hutchence. Not bad at what they do, but this stuff doesn't really grab me.
N.E.R.D
3/5
The White Stripes
2/5
What an oddball album ....maybe the word to use is eccentric? I've never really listened to a White Stripes album, but there are some cool sounds on it. The music is kind of all over the place feel wise. It's not that I disliked it,.but it seems like the kind of album that would need some time to grow on you.
Tina Turner
3/5
Tina Turner has such a raw soulful and bluesy voice that truly gets showcased throughout the album. The sounds on the album, everything going on in the background makes it sound dated though. I know there are other albums that have 'that 80s sound' but somehow they don't sound dated like this one. Tina shines powerfully through the time stamp though.
Dire Straits
3/5
The Cure
1/5
I'm not the biggest Cure fan ever, but I found this one kinda tough to get into. The layering that I've come to expect from the Cure seemed absent.
Amy Winehouse
4/5
What a great voice and what a tragic story. I am very familiar with the album but gave it a full listen again. Some of these songs really tell you what Amy is going through in her life.
The whole sound is like that of old Motown/Phil Spectre times and Amy really nails the whole 60s aesthetic. Hats off to the Daptones on this album. They killed it, and the album would not have its sound without them.
Primal Scream
2/5
FKA twigs
1/5
Really could not get into this at all. Lack of melody, song structure, variation of sound. It just came of as vague. What is it? What type of music is it? I associate this sound with millennials and Gen z.
Michael Jackson
5/5
One of the best pop albums ever put together. RIP Quincy Jones. I feel like you hear his influence right at the beginning of 'Bad'. Real music theory nerds would know the technicality, but I think that is some sort of jazz arpeggio with those first 5 notes. There's also all sorts of ear candy all over the album. With very few exceptions, everything is in the right place on this album. Rhythm tracks, instrumentation, counter melodies, backing vocals, song structure, musicianship (I think those are 32nd notes on the tale end of the Speed Demon chorus??). Jones and Jackson were at the top of their game. I listened to a Charli XCX performance the same day as this album and it reminded me that Jackson is simply on some other planet talent wise than so many other pop stars. A once in a generation talent. At the same time if we are honest, his personal life was pretty troubled and tragic.
This album is indeed edgier than what Jackson had done before. A lot of his singing on this album is aggressive, angry and done through clenched teeth. The man seemed to be channeling some personal rage. You really hear it on Speed Demon and Smooth Criminal. Shout to 'Leave Me Alone' with an Afro Beat/Fela Kuti type rhythm through out the whole track and Michael putting on an absolute fucking clinic on vocal phrasing, time feel/signature changes and I'm pretty sure the words 'Leave Me Alone' are sung in a 'round'. Bravo to the kid from Gary, Indiana.
The Cars
3/5
The guys seem to have a knack for taking simple sounding parts and making interesting music out of them. Always a recognizable sound and really cool background vocals.
Queen
4/5
Lorde
2/5
It's a no for me for you dawg. Not a bad singer but it lacked structure and I struggled to keep paying attention. This seems to be a pattern for me with how millennials and Gen z approach music.
Soft Machine
2/5
Cool sounds but a little too abstract for me.
Jimi Hendrix
5/5
Hard to go wrong with Jimi. He's a top 5 guitarist for me. Innovation, originality, it's all there. This album is not my favorite from him but it is still incredible. He is one of those artists that just hooked me on the first listen. I'm pretty sure I'm actually writing this on his birthday. Nothing sounds like Jimi to me, singing or playing wise. The big standouts on this album are All Along the Watchtower and Voodoo Chile Slight Return. Particularly on Voodoo Chile he sounds like he landed from another planet.
Duke Ellington
3/5
Jack White
4/5
I enjoyed this one more than the White Stripes album that was on here a few days ago. Jack is all over the place stylistically but it all seems to work. Catchy hooks and interesting song arrangements and instruments. It's my first listen to this album and I'll have to check out more of his solo stuff. Nice appearance by Q Tip.
Sly & The Family Stone
4/5
This shit jams! What a killer hook in the song Stand. I liked this one more than I thought I would. The horn section and drumming was great and just an overall great sounding funky band.
Wild Beasts
2/5
Cool sounds musically but I just could not get past the overdramatic/ overdone singing. I'd still be interested to hear a different album though.
Snoop Dogg
4/5
A classic. For some reason I listened to this as a teen when it came out. Being from the West Indies, I had absolutely no idea about the types of themes being portrayed on this album. However the rhythm tracks were crazy, the sounds were incredible and listening to this album as an adult, I have to say the production and the musical creativity on it stands out among hip hop albums. Though I can't connect with the level of violence and gang culture portrayed I still find it an impressive album. Snoop was basically talking about a culture he had seen or lived. Dr. Dre is on a different level also.
Violent Femmes
3/5
Acoustic Punk rock? I could see Violent Femmes covering a Blind Melon song, or vice versa. Listening to Violent Femmes I feel like somehow Gordon Gano and Shannon Hoon occupy a similar sound/range space. Femmes are not really my thing but they are definitely unique and original.
Gene Clark
2/5
Nice easy listening album. Never really heard of this guy, but he sounds like he could tour with Paul Simon.
Fred Neil
2/5
Another easy listening folk album. Although I have to say the album cover is kinda creepy.
Parliament
4/5
I really dug this one. Real instruments playing funk. Just a feel good album.
ABBA
4/5
ABBA is probably one of my top 20 musical groups of all time. They are just overall great. I grew up on them. I have many childhood memories where ABBA was on in the background. Even though I don't think this is their strongest album (hopefully Waterloo makes the list) it's still killer. Dancing Queen and Knowing Me, Knowing You are musical masterpieces and bring this album up to a 3.5 just by being on here. The layering, the song arrangement, the multiple hooks in one song, all the ear candy going on in the background I can't think of many groups musical giants the way ABBA is. Rutger Gunnarson is a beast on bass.
Miles Davis
3/5
Frank Sinatra
3/5
Frank's voice sounds great. A real crooner. This album really shows a different approach and era of music. I liked it, however a lot of the songs began to have a very similar feel to them for me, and halfway through started to feel a bit repetitive.
The Police
3/5
This album started strong for me and got a little repetitive towards the end. Stuart Copeland is on fire for Jesus all throughout the album though. He is killing it on Synchronicity II. Sting's voice also sounds amazing throughout the whole album. Some of the songs sound as though he was pushed to the upper limits of his range. This album really displayed the ability of the Police to mix it up with time signatures and different timing feels. I haven't listened to many Police albums,.I am familiar with the hits. After this I'm definitely going to have to go back and check out more albums.
Grateful Dead
3/5
Was never a huge Grateful Dead fan, but I enjoyed this album a lot more than I thought I would. I still don't quite get the seemingly rabid cult following though.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
3/5
I dug this. I do like a good woman fronted electronica group. Brazilian Girls, HAIM, Ladyhawke, Goldfrapp, The Start, JJamz, Ladytron, The Sounds, New Young Pony Club all come to mind as I am a fan. This had a bit stronger of a rock feel combined with the electronica. I felt that the album started strong and then towards the end got a bit repetitive with melodies and note selection. Overall I liked it and am interested in listening to other albums.
Deep Purple
3/5
Great riff rock. I enjoyed the drumming a lot.
Arcade Fire
2/5
Really tried to get into this but couldn't. Some decent sounds overall but nothing really jumped out at me.
Heaven 17
2/5
This one was just ok. I did wonder why it was on this list.
Marty Robbins
4/5
Wow. I enjoyed this one more than I thought I would. My dad was a Marty Robbins fan, but as a kid I just never really got into any of Robbins's songs and was only familiar with El Paso. The first song on here was killer. Good story telling, cool background vocals and despite the simplicity it was a really interesting song. I ended up listening to Big Iron probably 3 or 4 times. Marty has a rich crooner type voice and his singing sounds effortless. He reminded me a bit of the Everly Brothers, Roy Orbison and Buddy Holly.
Halfway through the album I found myself thinking 'how in the hell did country go from this to what contemporary country music is now'?
This album is almost cinematic in a way and has good fundamentals.
T. Rex
3/5
This stuff sounds ahead of it time and had a bit of a David Bowie tint to it. I like Mr. Bolan's voice.
Muddy Waters
3/5
Muddy's singing and playing transport your mind to another place and time. I'm sure he wasn't the first bluesman, but what a hell of a representative of blues music. There seems to be so many musicians influenced by him. Seems like Muddy was at some point the go to guy to hear blues done right. Mannish Boy Is a classic.
The Human League
3/5
Various Artists
5/5
What a great album. Every song is done well. You can hear the amount of thought process.put I to the arrangements of these songs. My favorites are Frosty the Snowman and Marshmallow World. Awesome vocals.
The Beach Boys
4/5
This was a pretty interesting album with lots of ear candy. Each song was layered and tried to paint a scene. I enjoyed it more than listening to Pet Sounds. I'm sure that this is the type of album that you listen to multiple times and continue to find interesting things about it.
Fela Kuti
3/5
I like this album. I had no idea that Ginger Baker had played with Fela. All the songs I felt had strong musicianship, however by the middle of the album I found myself thinking 'I wish Fela would shut the hell up sometimes and just let the music breath'. I felt like a lot of Fela's vocalizations were not adding but taking away. Still though, a cool album.
Willie Nelson
3/5
Willie's voice is smooth and relaxing. Though not necessarily my kind of music, it is easy listening and straightforward. The standouts on this album for me are Blue Skies and Georgia on my mind.
The White Stripes
3/5
Someone needs to make a Jack Black and Jack White song happen.
Slade
2/5
I didn't really know how to take this one. It was typical 70s rock, but the vocals had a bit bit of cheesiness to them. Some interesting riffs but the album did not do much for me. Seems like a precursor to hair band rock.
Yes
4/5
I was so glad to see Yes on this list. Yes are truly a musician's band. One of those bands that I really liked upon first hearing them. So much of what they do is so creative and well thought out. I always listen out for what Chris Squire is doing on bass and of course Bill Bruford is a beast. Jon Anderson's voice sounds great. These guys always keep it interesting.
Michael Jackson
5/5
Another masterpiece by the law firm of Jones and Jackson. All songs on this album are all killer no filler.......or should say.....all Thriller no filler (I had to). There's just not a lot that sounds like this album, and it has stood the test of time
The right combinations of everything were put into this album and so much thought to create an album that sounds danceable yet cinematic. Wanna Be Start Something is really a testament of what can be done with just one riff. The whole song is literally one riff for 6 minutes. Usually I would get bored or annoyed with something like that but Michael and Quincy take you through a music lesson in adding and subtracting parts. That song is a clinic. What's even crazier is that I think Beat It and the title track Thriller overshadow Wanna Be Starting Something... that's how good this album is. RIP Quincy, Michael and Eddie Van Halen....one of the greatest albums of all time.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
2/5
Cool Americans type backing music, but I just could not get into the signing.
Billy Bragg
2/5
These songs are performed well, but the overall sound is not really my thing. It was kind of dreamy and show gazer ish at times, which is not bad, but it just didn't grab me. Seems like an album that you have to be in a certain mood for. Elements of Hoodoo Voodoo reminded me of The Beatles' Lady Madonna.
Waylon Jennings
2/5
Old country is better than new country to me, but this album did not do a lot for me despite Waylon at times sounding a bit like Johnny Cash. I think it was just a more stripped down simple sound with backing music that was not as interesting as say Marty Robbins. Black Rose stood out to me.
I think there absolutely needs to be an effort by 311 to take the song Omaha and make it into their own style with a cover.
Nina Simone
3/5
Nine Inch Nails
3/5
Nin was never a top band for me, but I do respect what Trent Reznor was able to create with this album. I did not listen to it much when it came out, but did give it a spin or three years after it's release. There are iconic songs on it and I feel like it says something when you are not in the immediate orbit of this album/music, yet you are familiar with snippets of lyrics and music from it. The guitar sound on some of these songs has a hissy almost corrosive feel that just isn't really my thing, but I get it in the context and darker feel of the album and the context of the industrial genre. Ultimately this album is innovative for it's time.
Merle Haggard
2/5
Teenage Fanclub
2/5
This was a lukewarm feel-good album for me. Nothing too extreme one way or the other. Decent Brit pop sound that really took me back to the 90s and how music sounded.back then.
Billy Joel
4/5
Wow Billy is funky man. I enjoyed this album. Good song structure and musicianship. It took me back to the days of playing in a steel band as an early teen and attempting to read written music for bass guitar, before I abandoned reading it and opted to start playing by ear. We used to cover Just The Way You Are.
Boy did Billy do his Paul McCartney homework though! His vocal tone is so much like Paul and you can hear the Beatles influence on guitar tones and background vocals. The Stranger and Get it Right the First Time are jamming!
Beastie Boys
4/5
The early days of hip hop and an iconic album. I can't imagine that this stuff was easy to create with the limited technology at the time. You can just hear the Brooklyn on these tracks and the idea of trying to come up with creative, fun lyrics and sounds just for the hell of it and not necessarily for a paycheck or fame. This is when hip hop was fun. It blows my mind that it's possible that youngsters these days may not even recognize this album as being hop hop.
Youssou N'Dour
3/5
Interesting all around. Some really odd time signature/cross rhythm type stuff going on that makes the album sound primitive and tribal. I like the vocals.also. I was intrigued with what sounds like a drum set bass drum sound on Badou. The bass drum sounds like it is off for the entire song, but I'm pretty sure that is the way the drummer meant it to sound, because it is so consistent.
The Notorious B.I.G.
5/5
I was a teen when this album came out, but I never listened to it fully until maybe 15 to 16 years after it's release. Biggie is a top 5 rapper to me and I have a soft spot for him because he is of Caribbean descent with his mom being from Jamaica. To me he is like what happens to Caribbean people sometimes when they come to America and just get absorbed into the wrong things, maybe with immigrant parents that do not fully understand the world they've entered. Biggie's intelligence apparently won him spelling bees as a child but then take that same intelligence combined with no father being present in the home while surrounded by the wrong crowd and there you have it. Though I can't relate to the violence on the album, his delivery, story telling, smoothness and vocabulary are on a different level. Whenever I listen to this album I think to myself 'what if his experiences in life had been more positive and he'd rapped about more positive things, like maybe Gift of Gab'. What if he had lived longer...what kind of songs would he have made? Here's some extra credit for you, many may not know this but look up 'rap song featuring Heavy D, Busta Rhymes and Biggie Smalls' and give it a listen. This is while Biggie was moreso an unknown I think. All 3 of those rappers are of Jamaican decent
I'd feel odd writing the song title here, you'll see why. Killer upright bass sound on it..... can't beat 90s hip hop man.
The Stranglers
2/5
Rush
3/5
Rush is truly a great band. This is a bit more tame of an album from them though, but still good listening.
The Killers
3/5
An interesting, straight forward album but nothing on here really jumped out at me that would make me put this on a must listen list. At the time I am interested in what their other albums sound like while listening actively. I do remember some of these singles on the radio when they came out, but they didn't grab me enough to not change the radio station.
4/5
Damn....Yes just always sounds like a few music theory nerds got together to form a band. I usually listen with eagerness for whatever is coming next. This stuff just sounds ahead of its time. Total Mass Retain is siiiiiiiick! I think I have listened to it about 7 or 8 times now. It's one of the coolest songs I've heard in a really long time. The cover of America is really interesting too. I really dig the album but my drawback with some Yes songs is the length of some of them. I feel like they can get the point across sometimes in 4 to 6 minutes. 10 minute plus songs a lot of times just seems like overkill.
Wire
2/5
Van Morrison
3/5
Michael Kiwanuka
4/5
I was pleasantly surprised by this. Looking at the cover, I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but I ended up enjoying it. I like the retro sound. I'll definitely be checking out more.
LL Cool J
3/5
Straight forward original hip hop with the title track being a heavy hitter. Round the Way Girl is a nice classic also. I like that a hip hop originator made the list.
Kate Bush
3/5
The word for Kate I think is unconventional or maybe non traditional. I don't think that there is very much out there that sounds like her. Her voice is operatic and dramatic. Backing tracks are pretty original sounding too. I can hear maybe some influence on Tori Amos throughout the album. The highlight for me was Jig Of Life.
Marvin Gaye
3/5
Marvin being Marvin. What a cool album. Marvin has a relaxed, smooth and seemingly effortless delivery.
Television
2/5
I'd never heard of this band before. The music was cool sounding, but I just could not get into his voice.
Eurythmics
4/5
This album sounds ahead of its time. I've always enjoyed Annie Lennox's voice. It's rich and soulful.
Led Zeppelin
4/5
A hell of debut. All musicians sound great, particularly for it being a first album. You can hear the foundation of where things were going to go. Stand outs for me are Good Times Bad Times and How Many More Times.
Ella Fitzgerald
4/5
Ella is a beast. This one definitely goes in the 'they don't make them like they used to' category. Ella makes it sound effortless. Recorded in 1959 so my guess is that things like auto tune and pitch correction were not a thing at the time. You just had to know your shit. Real instruments, real singing...and musical arrangement by the guy that brought us the masterpiece that is Rhapsody In Blue. Hard to go wrong with this kind of personnel.
The Pretty Things
3/5
I didn't know what to expect with this, but really enjoyed it. I see where maybe MGMT, Temples and Empire of The Sun get some influence.
Genesis
3/5
I like Genesis, but this one was loooong. Sort of like the band Yes, this one at times sounds like music theory nerds making an album. There's some good songs, I know it's a concept album but I felt like the point could have been made in a shorter period of time. 'It' jams.
Derek & The Dominos
3/5
Solid 70s, dad jam type rock. Layla is the highlight. Keep On Growing really grooves. I can really picture this stuff being played at a pool hall. Check out the Wikipedia on the drummer though.....good Lord!
The Byrds
3/5
The Byrds usually keep things interesting to me. I liked this album. Good melodies and absolutely killer harmonies. I don't know a lot about their background, but some of the harmonies made me wonder if these guys were ever in a choir together. Have You Seen Her Face has some complex stuff going on in it.
Gillian Welch
2/5
Gillian has a good voice, but this is not really my kind of thing. The album feels a bit generic and I am not sure why it made the list
PJ Harvey
2/5
Soundgarden
5/5
A very easy 5 here. Soundgarden were one of my bands during this era along with STP and Nirvana. They really could not do much wrong. Black Sabbath meets the Beatles with a freak of nature, once in a generation singer .Pretty Much every song is a banger. My favorites are Let Me Drown, Half and Fell On Black Days. Forth of July is a one of a kind also. RIP Chris Cornell.
A Tribe Called Quest
5/5
This album is a hip hop clinic. Such great story telling. Excursions and Jazz are masterpieces. A descendant of Trinidadian immigrants made the list. RIP to the five foot assassin. It's a real skill to be able to sample and build these songs the way Tribe does.
The Offspring
4/5
For me not being much of a punk fan, I feel like this is a punk album for people who are not that into punk, if that makes any sense. I guess really it's pop punk with catchy melodies and hooks that can appeal to a wider audience. Maybe a real punk connoisseur might not like Offspring, but to me this album is just more digestable than the hardcore punk because of it's melodic appeal. I always liked this album more than Green Day who I thought at the time was their counterpart. There's so many singable parts on this album and the singer has a very recognizable voice. I am going to guess that they were influenced by the Ramones.
Fiona Apple
3/5
This stuff is not particularly my thing, but I do recognize that Fiona is indeed talented. She is a small person with a big voice. Some of the songs are edgy. I am interested in seeing what her other albums are like.
R.E.M.
3/5
Ohhh R.E.M again. Man, I don't know. I'm just not an R.E.M guy. I like Finest Work Song and End of the World As We Know It but the album for me is just ok.
Nirvana
5/5
What a great stripped down album after all the rawness and fury of the previous ones. This is definitely a nostalgia album for me. The album really showcased a different side of the band.
Dirty Projectors
2/5
I just couldn't get into this. A little too scattered and unstructured for me.
Bob Dylan
2/5
Not trying to sound funny, but this for me is music that you put on to fall asleep to. An Americana type album with Bob Dylan doing what he does. I never could get into Bob's voice though.
2/5
Never could quite get into these guys. Was always kind of British mopey music to me... kind of just grey rainy skies without much dynamics. Then there was the issue of the two brothers seemingly being assholes.
Dusty Springfield
4/5
What a great voice Dusty.had. This album is really cool. I like the string arrangements. Solid musicianship all around. Now go and check out Dusty singing with the Pet Shop Boys on What Have I Done to Deserve This.
The Allman Brothers Band
3/5
I was about 17 years old when I first listened to this album. Oddly enough I was heading to Statesboro GA with a friend to visit his older brother who went to University down there. His brother actually worked at a college radio station and he let us pick out most of the music that was played throughout his nightshift. It was a cool experience for a 17 year old. So every time I think of this album it makes me recall the trip. It was also the first time I had ever eaten at a Waffle House. Allman Brothers do what they do well and this album is a testament to that. Good musicians that just happen to be southern.
Pink Floyd
4/5
Another great one by Pink Floyd. Those four notes in Shine On You Crazy Diamond are iconic. Wish You Were Here is such a great song. Just another solid album from these guys.
Motörhead
3/5
This seems like a soundtrack for a bar fight somewhere in rural Ireland. Cool riffs, and dirty rough sound. After a while it gets a bit repetitive with his vocals though.
Aretha Franklin
4/5
This is another 'they don't make em how they used to' type deal. Aretha seems to sing hard things effortlessly. The backing band is killiee also.
What an incredible contrast between this and today's pop music. She sounds good across multiple genres on the album.
The Cure
4/5
I was never a huge Cure fan as always found it tough to get into his voice. I have to say though that I'm impressed with this album. It's pretty moody with a lot of well placed synth parts. I liked the bass playing in a lot of it also. I dug Pictures of You and Fascination street. For myself not being huge on lyrics either I felt like a lot of the lyrics on this were poetic. The sound is a unique combination of a lot of elements synching up well together. Like them or not I am not sure that there's much out there that sounds like The Cure.
Lou Reed
2/5
I could not imagine stepping into a vocal booth to lay down vocals over some really cool sounding backing tracks and instrumental performances and when I open my mouth to sing, I sound like I just ingested half a bottle of Xanax and I am trying to claw my way out of a haze. Yet that's what this album sounds like to me....for ten whole tracks....like....singing like that on purpose. It's just kind of perplexing. Maybe there's something I'm missing or just don't get. Cool instrumental performances. The singing made me feel numb, like listening to Ben Stein read the dictionary.
Prince
5/5
A masterpiece. I remember listening to album in its entirety and being blown away. Every song is memorable. The whole album takes you through a journey. Keep in mind Prince had just turned 25 when this came out Everything on this album just seems to work well. Take Me With You is one of my all time favorite Prince songs. Jimi Hendrix, Little Richard and James Brown all thrown into a stew. A very easy 5 for me.
The Beach Boys
4/5
Sloop Jon B, God Only Knows and Wouldn't It Be Nice, on their own put this album at a 3 or 4 for me. They are tremendous songs with well done performances and creative arrangements. I like others on the album too but those 3 are juggernauts. This is an era of analogue musical creativity and well thought out musical parts.
Metallica
4/5
This one takes me back to sitting in my room and trying to learn bass parts as a youngster. I always thought Metallica was an interesting band with all the guitar virtuoso stuff. As a teen I listened to all the early stuff and was fascinated with all the aggression and wildness in the music. The black album in a way is a bit of a departure from the early sound and a bit more straightening out and slowing down of the songs. All the instrument tones sound a bit bigger and bolder than previous albums. What's interesting is that with all the angst and aggressive sounds on this album I don't think James Hetfield uses profanity once. In fact I don't remember profanity being used on the previous albums either. Somehow that just crossed my mind today after all these years. I think this is probably their landmark album that they will be remembered by.
Norah Jones
2/5
Norah has a good voice, but when I hear this music it makes me feel like falling asleep. All the songs to me kind of had the same sleepy feel. In fact one of these songs is on my kid's playlist to help them fall asleep.
The Go-Betweens
3/5
This one was a pleasant surprise for me. Kind of moody sounding tone to the album. The singer was somewhere in between a more dynamic Morrissey ( without the bubble in the throat sound). And a less skilled, less dynamic old school Bono.
Leonard Cohen
2/5
More Leonard Cohen. Interesting backing music. More lively than what I remember of his others but still though, the talk singing doesn't do much for me. I do wonder who would win in some type of competition between the jazz police and karma police....
Kraftwerk
3/5
I like Kratwerk a lot but this is not my favorite from them. Kudos to them anyway for being so innovative. Crazy that this came out in 1973.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
3/5
Another case of good band, but the vocals on this album were kinda meh for me. Not the worst by any means. I liked Rockin Around with You. I do wonder if another Petty album made the list.
Radiohead
3/5
This one brings back memories. I did not really know what to think of it when it first came out and did not really like it. As I listened to it more though it grew on me. National Anthem and Optimistic are my favorites. Idioteque jams also.
Blondie
3/5
I liked this a lot. I've never listened to a Blondie album and was pretty impressed with this. Sunday Girl is one of the best melodies I've heard in a long time. Extremely memorable. Of course Heart of Glass is a monster of a song,.but then again I have a soft spot for disco. Debbie Harry is a great singer. I plan on listening through this album more.
Fleetwood Mac
4/5
So many strong songs on this album. Funnily enough my favorite is probably Second Hand News. Maybe one day I'll have to pick up my bass guitar and try to cover it. Other favorites are Go Your Own Way and Don't Stop. This is the type of album that has a bit of everything on it for everyone.
CHIC
4/5
Damn....I've been a fan of what I've heard from Chic, but I really enjoyed this album and have never sat down to listen to a whole album of theirs. Really funky. Bernard Edwards is not effing around. Some really cool bass lines all throughout. Just an overall solid band.
Nirvana
5/5
When a band's song can make you remember where you were the first time you heard it, that should really tell you that something is special about it. I was sitting in my bedroom listening to the radio around the age of 10 or 11, toggling between classic 50s and 60s oldies and alternative rock when Smells Like Teen Spirit came on. To be honest, I really did not know how to take it. I felt like I really hadn't heard anything like it, and it stuck with me. So melodic, aggressive and raw but with an almost danceable drumbeat (Dave later admitted to borrowing from the gap band on this album). A few short years later Nirvana would become one of my top bands of that era and I would dive deep into their catalogue to help me learn how to play bass guitar. Sitting in my room for hours playing. Every song on this album hits hard and brings back memories. This album is also responsible for destroying cock rock and establishing the anti rock star.
Dusty Springfield
3/5
Tough to go wrong with Dusty. Great voice. Real instruments, good arrangements.
Mercury Rev
2/5
Not bad sounds on this, but this just doesn't do much for me
Destiny's Child
3/5
Ive never listened to a Destiny's Child album. I'd kinda dismissed them as a superficial pop group when they came out. Listening to it all these years later though it's definitely different sounding from a lot of r and b that was out at the time. Still not really my type of r and b but overall not bad.
Meat Puppets
2/5
Dire Straits
2/5
Good musicianship but it didn't really do a lot for me.
50 Cent
3/5
The 2nd coming of Mase. As popular as 50 cent was/is, I never really listened to his albums. On this one I do like the more old school hip hop sounds. Sort of NY sounding tracks. His voice is very relaxed and he just not in much of a hurry.
Pere Ubu
1/5
Meh
Lauryn Hill
3/5
Curtis Mayfield
2/5
A decent album and Curtis Mayfield has a good voice. I think its an album you have to be in the mood for though.
Nirvana
5/5
Hard to go wrong with Nirvana. Every song on this album is good. It takes me back to high school and the early days of learning bass guitar.
Cocteau Twins
3/5
I was never a consistent Cocteau Twins listener but so.much of what I've heard from them, I have liked. They definitely have a unique shoegazer type sound. This album was interesting. It's mood music that I think you have to be in the mood for a though.
Van Halen
5/5
Soo many killer songs on this. Such great creativity and energy also
The Rolling Stones
2/5
It's a no for me for you dawg. It's Mick's voice.
Pink Floyd
4/5
Innovative, imaginative and cinematic.
Rush
4/5
This album for the most part is a Neil Peart drum clinic. I mean the other musicians sound great and of course Geddy is an incredible bass player, but Neil really steals the show. RIP. Tom Sawyer is a theatrical and musical masterpiece and really the first four songs of this album bring it to a 4 on their own.
A group of music nerds exploring music theory and getting digestible jams out of it. Btw Geddy Lee has an autobiogtaphy on Spotify called 'My Effin Life'.
The Police
3/5
I liked this and had to save the title track on Spotify. I thought it was brilliant. This is another album where the drummer puts on a clinic. Stewart Copeland is a busy drummer and he keeps things interesting. Stings vocals sounded great. 3.5 if I could.
R.E.M.
3/5
Never was much of an REM fan, but I found that this album kept things interesting and was 'rock' sounding compared to some the others.
Tori Amos
3/5
This is intimate mood music to me. I envision a person sitting alone in a room in some deep thought while listening to this. I was never much of a Tori listener but I have a lot of respect for her and find her to be very talented, particularly for playing these piano parts and singing over them. It's a stripped down sound for the most part. A lady and a piano and the focus seems to be the lyrical content. There's a few different musical stylings throughout the album and Tori has a bit of an unconventional sound. She does a lot of different things with her voice and has a wide range. I can hear some influence.of Kate Bush and I feel like I can hear Beatles influence also on a.song or two.
Kings of Leon
2/5
Millennial music that I couldn't really get into
The Beach Boys
4/5
I really enjoyed this. The Beach Boys have such a unique sound. Happy and upbeat yet the vocal arrangements and harmonies sometimes have tension and a sense of melancholy to them. This stuff sounds like a lot of thought and planning went into it.
Alanis Morissette
3/5
I've never listened to an Alanis Morissette album. When this came out, the kind of music I was into was so much different from what is on this album. Despite that though I think Alanis has a good voice and some.unique and recognizable ways of using it (the Delores O'reardon type vocal pops.when she switches some of the notes). The album still is not my kind of thing but respect for making a memorable album for so many. The tone of it is like she is going through some things.
Frank Sinatra
3/5
I found this one to be interesting. I am a huge fan of Antonio Carlos Jobim and Astrud Gilberto and just a fan of Bossa Nova itself. I started listening to the Astrud versions of these songs when I was around middle school age so I am kind of biased. Frank does a great job though and his voice is well suited for this kind of music. I think I am just more used to Astrud's delivery.
Radiohead
5/5
This one takes me back. What a great album. I feel like once Radiohead started writing this kind of music (the post Pablo Honey era) this album is one of the most cohesive and digestible ones. It combines a dreamscape with the need to still not meander off too much and yet still give you some cool down to earth song structure. I wore this one out when it was released. I also saw them play some of these songs at Stone Mountain during this era and it felt other worldly.
Solange
2/5
Good voice, interesting sounds and production, but it didn't really pull me in.
Judas Priest
2/5
Some cool riffs and I know this is supposed to be an iconic band,.but I just couldn't get into it. I think it's the vocals that threw me off.
Ray Charles
4/5
The man sounds effortless on every song. I am not even sure someone can really even be taught this type of vocal delivery. It's unforced and just seems to come to him naturally. A lot of these songs I haven't even really heard, but I was drawn in simply by the way Ray sings. It's really incredible. No pitch correction but just talent and experience. I'd be really curious to know how many takes it took him to execute some of this stuff. I bet it's not many.
Hüsker Dü
2/5
It was ok.
Talking Heads
4/5
I did not know that Talking Heads got down like this. Some really funky stuff and cool bass lines on here. I liked it and plan on listening a few more times.
The Damned
3/5
This was an intriguing one for me. Sort of a mix of punk and prog rock? The singer's delivery kept me engaged.
Travis
1/5
A snooze fest.
Jethro Tull
2/5
It's usually going to be interesting if a rock band includes a flute. I remember playing Aqualung in highschool marching band as a sousaphone player and thinking it was a really odd sounding song. Fun to play though. Album was just ok for me
The Clash
2/5
I'm not a huge punk fan, but The Clash has a certain digestibility that I can work with. While listening to this it struck me that I don't think they can capture the true energy of what the band was intending. Particularly for the time that this was recorded. I imagine seeing these songs played live vs listening to this album are two very different experiences. Might.be interesting to hear these songs re recorded with modern technology.
Stereo MC's
4/5
I was really glad to see this pop up. I have a lot of memories of this one from somewhere around 7th/8th grade. So much funk. I can remember wearing this cassette out listening to the whole album so many times. Connected, Step It Up, Sketch and Creation on their own bring this album to a 4 for me. Cath Coffey's vocals sound great on it. I'm at a 4.5 if I could do it.
Black Sabbath
3/5
I've always liked Ozzy but never got too deep into Black Sabbath beyond the radio songs. I am impressed. What's funny is, mixed in with all Ozzy's antics and craziness, the guy can actually sing. This album has catchy melodies . I don't know why, but for some reason it just didn't strike me that Ozzy could really do this. I was also struck by how much Soundgarden has pulled from Black Sabbath. I find Iommi's guitar work to be really cool also. All the musicians are strong actually, and it seems like Ozzy was actually lucky to be able to front a band like this. RIP Ozzy. His music and persona will be missed.
Korn
4/5
I always felt that the first 3 Korn albums were full of innovation and creativity. At the time when this came out there was not a lot that sounded like it. This was a bit of a departure from the first 2 though in rawness. I feel like you could tell that some money had been made and the sound on Follow the Leader was a bit more polished. I saw Korn somewhere between the 2nd and 3rd album I think, and they put on a great show.
This album and many others like it from around this era are the result of latch key kids, or the kids who felt alienation, loneliness or trauma of some sort, growing up and putting their energy and life experiences into music.
The Strokes
2/5
I think I get what they were going for with the retro sound, but I couldn't really get into this.
Green Day
3/5
I'm going to take a guess and say that this is probably Green Day's most commercially successful album. I never got too much into Green Day. They always seemed to have a bit of an obnoxiousness to them. Kudos to them on this one though. Lots of range in the song writing and Billy Joe has some pretty catchy melodies. It sounds pretty slick and marketable. I imagine this one definitely got some mortgages paid.
Nico
2/5
Cool sounds on the album. Nico sings ok but the tonal quality of the notes is kind of distracting. Maybe some Germans sound a bit more gutteral because the speech is towards the back of the throat? A linguist probably has a term for this.
Dolly Parton
3/5
The title track is a pretty powerful song and relatable probably if you came from humble beginnings or maybe were raised by people that came from humble beginnings. Dolly is another one that (like Ray Charles) sounds pretty much effortless and clear with how she sings. Not really my type of music, but I can definitely appreciate and recognize the talent.
Alice In Chains
5/5
Perfect fifths and perfect fourths. These are the note intervals for the harmonies used on the vocals throughout this album and nothing sounded like this back then because of it. A lot doesn't sound like this now, even though Staind and Taproot did their Layne Staley homework for sure. What a great album that really took me back. I really wore this one out. Would is a masterpiece. RIP Layne. You can hear the struggle with addiction all through the album.
Beck
2/5
Not what I expected from Beck. This is the most mellow that I've heard from him. It was an ok album.
Throbbing Gristle
1/5
Just not my thing.
Gang Starr
2/5
I like old school (or should I call it Orthodox?) hip hop. The beats on this were cool but ultimately it didn't do too much for me.
Morrissey
3/5
Sigh....Morrissey man. Bubble in the throat and seemingly the same intervals in his melodies on every song, which makes so many of the melodies sound similar and repeated to me.
Mr. Morrissey the backing tracks on these songs are pretty cool sounding and set a mood, why not try some larger jumps in your note selection on the melodies? Why not put in a harmony every now and then? Ultimately the album is not bad, it's just that Morrissey seems to change keys for songs but not really note intervals, so it sounds repetitive. Killer music on the album though.
Prince
4/5
This is about what you would expect from generational freak of nature type talent. Some of the sounds are dated but the music does the job. You can really hear the James Brown influence on this one. The title track is a masterpiece.
The Associates
2/5
ZZ Top
4/5
I was pretty impressed with this. These guys managed to take blues rock, add some electro/synth feel to some parts, and the. make it danceable. At times there's even some heavy metal/hard rock touch to the guitar tone that sounds similar to Van Halen. The singing is great also. What a unique combination of things coming together on one album.
The KLF
4/5
This was one of the first albums I bought with my own money. I remember hearing Justified and Ancient and was hooked. In fact I was listening to some of these songs just a few weeks ago. Really great dance music, and who knew Tammy Wynette would fit in so well on her song.
Arcade Fire
2/5
Millennial music that did not really grab me.
Guns N' Roses
3/5
Though Im an 80s kid and understand how iconic of a band GNR was, I could never quite get into them. Axl has a very recognizable voice and Slash is a great guitarist, Overall though some of their stuff comes off a little cheesy to me. A lot of classics on here.
Bobby Womack
3/5
Funky stuff from Mr. Womack. Absolutely killer hook on So Many Sides of You.
Beatles
4/5
A soulful album indeed. Some great classics on here. But damn Run For Your Life is kinda harsh.
Red Snapper
3/5
I was pleasantly surprised with this one.
The 13th Floor Elevators
3/5
After a few listens I am still sorting this one out a bit..I am a big fan of 60s psychedelic rock if it does not get too unstructured. This one has a lot going on that I found cool.
Kid Rock
2/5
I'm going to guess that Mr. Robert James Ritchie is probably an interesting and maybe down to earth guy to talk to. I was in my late teens early twenties (I think) when he became popular and I didn't like the music at all upon first hearing it. All these years later, it still doesn't really do much for me. The music itself is ok, but the whole delivery just doesn't do it for me. I find the persona and feel of it to be kinda cheesy.
Metallica
4/5
Damn....this one brought me back. I haven't listened to it in a long time, but I remember being 13 or 14 and wearing this one out. Listening to all the guitar work over and over. At times it makes me think of classical music.This is one of the albums that really put metal on the map for me.
XTC
2/5
I like his voice. Not quite what I was expecting though.
The Smiths
2/5
Sigh..I know The Smiths are an iconic band... however, apart from a few of their songs, they just don't do it for me. The backing music always sounds great. I like a lot of the guitar work and musical crwativity. Its like a Limp Bizkit situation, really cool music and then the singer comes in. Morrissey seems to sing the same 6 or 7 notes, just in different keys for every song for every album.
The Cure
2/5
I felt that this was sort of departure from what they usually do. I'm not the biggest Cure fan, but I do like some of their songs. This one seemed to not have the same atmospheric feel as some of their other stuff
PJ Harvey
3/5
A true 90s sound to this. Never listened to it before, but I like the rawness of PJs voice.
Rocket From The Crypt
2/5
Noise rock? I found this one to be ok. Cool guitar sounds. Not much variation with the singing.
Fats Domino
4/5
This was great. Fats has a great voice and sings seemingly without effort. I thought the instrumentation was well done with a good mix of the whole boogie woogie deal as well as jazz and swing. No overkill/technician type jazz but just really straightforward simple and effective stuff. I enjoyed Fats' piano playing also.
Tom Waits
2/5
It's a no for me dawg.
Louis Prima
5/5
3 songs in and I was already at a 5. This is another, 'musicians just aren't what they used to be' type of album. I hadn't listened to a lot of Louis Prima, but now I'm hooked. Every musician playing on this album sounds like a bad ass. I'll absolutely have to check more of this stuff out. Prima himself sounds effortless when he sings. His scatting parts sound so natural. This is one of the better albums I've listened to on this whole project.
a-ha
2/5
Well ....Take On Me was a tough act to follow. Singer has a great voice though.
The Fall
1/5
It's a no for me dawg. Too much talk singing.
Depeche Mode
5/5
You can listen to this one straight though with no skips. A rare accomplishment. This era of Depeche Mode is similar to me in the turn of style that U2 took in the early 90s. It's a moody yet danceable album. 'World In My Eyes' is definitely a geographer 's theme song.
4/5
I'm a big U2 fan. I saw them when I was 17 years old on the Popmart tour and my mind was blown. This is a great album. It was a shift away from there more punky/raw sound to a more slick atmospheric sound. I wore this album out. There's a song or two on here that I always found a bit clunky and but overall it's a great album and you could see where things were leading up to. Not my favorite album from them (Hopefully Actung Baby and Pop make the list) but it's up there.
Arcade Fire
2/5
This stuff just doesn't really grab me.
David Bowie
3/5
A hell of a performance for a man that was sick and dying. I have mixed feelings about David Bowie, but I was always impressed with his ability to cross genres yet still be himself. May he RIP.
Sonic Youth
2/5
Another iconic band that I have mixed feelings on. Some cool ideas on here, but I just can't get into the whole Noise rock thing. I needed a bit more structure.
Sepultura
3/5
My my my.....a blast from the past. I remember driving around with friends as a 15/16 year old and listening to this. I'm pretty sure some car speakers at some point were blown out by it. I have to say, if this is on the list (and Kid Rock of all people) then we need to see bands like Deftones, Tool,. RHCP, Primus and Incubus also on the list. Ive always had a love for Brazilian music for quite some time and was always impressed with how the tribal drumming type sound was injected into this album. Also, it's not everyday you get to hear a Berimbau on a metal song. The drummer himself was always impressive on this album to me. I like Max Cavalera and his vocals go with all the testosterone present in the riffs, but dear Lord I could not imagine screaming like that for 13 to 14 songs straight! And then what...touring and doing that night after night? Madness! Even Mudvayne, Pantera and Slipknot have parts in their songs where they mellow out and sing instead of scream. So yeah as an old guy the screaming on every song does wear on you after a bit.
Eagles
3/5
Never was much of an Eagles fan, but I have a lot of respect for these guys' musicianship and creativity. Cool harmonies also. Hotel California is a great song.
Miles Davis
3/5
I liked this. Jazz can be a funny one for me because if it's too abstract and avant garde, it loses me and sounds like music being made for the person playing it rather than the listener. I thought this had a great combination of structure and improvisation.
Ravi Shankar
3/5
I like how this is laid out like an instructional manual for playing the Sitar. Relaxing and interesting music.
The Modern Lovers
2/5
Talk singing. Some interesting sounds, but was tough for me to get into.
Buena Vista Social Club
5/5
This album is awesome and all the musicians are killers. I like the old school style recording. The one mic in a room style sound took me back to when my dad would direct a symphonic band during rehearsals and one of the songs played was by Perez Prado. Ibrahim Ferrer is like a Cuban Nat King Cole. So many of the other musicians on this album went on to have solo albums and I'm glad. The documentary is great also.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
A Rolling Stones album that I found to be workable. Out of the Stones albums I've listened to, this one seems to be the most cohesive. I liked the psychedelic touches to some of the songs.
Aerosmith
4/5
I thought his was a really strong album. So many good songs on it that just jam and Steven Tyler sounds great.
King Crimson
3/5
King Crimson are a talented band. This album was an ok one. I always liked 'I Talk to the Wind'. Somehow it makes me think of my dad when his dementia began to advance.
Sepultura
3/5
This one sounds so different from Roots to me. Moreso straightforward metal without as much groove and syncopation. Max Cavalera still sounds like a madman. Pretty cool riffs.
Metallica
4/5
Ah yes, Pasture of Muppets. It's a great metal album, such intricate guitar work however the drum sounds on some songs are a bit rough. Oh well.
Robbie Williams
2/5
Couldn't really get into this. Ronbie has a good voice but there were moments of British drabness on the album.
Amy Winehouse
3/5
Such a big expressive voice from such a small person and what tragic story. Hadn't listened to this before but I liked it. Rip Amy.
Britney Spears
2/5
Well I think this was the first time 26 years after its release that I listened to a Brittany Spears song on this album intentionally. Very slick production, but just not a lot of heart to it. Brittany is actually a decent singer,.I just can't really get into what she is singing. I mean Email my Heart? Come on record label , do better. There's a lot of songs on this album and I don't think I had heard any of them except for the first two. I'm glad that Brittany seemed to get her head straight.
Jimi Hendrix
5/5
One of the best to ever do it. This album brought back memories of 10th grade English class. I listened to tons of Hendrix in highschool. The guy is just in a category of his own. Spanish Castle Magic and If 6 Was 9 are two of my all time favorites.
Pentangle
3/5
This was an interesting hippie type album. A lot of musical skill,.good harmonies and a strangely medieval feel to it. Hippie music with some interesting time signature stuff going on at times.
John Lee Hooker
2/5
I know John Lee Hooker is an iconic bluesman, but I struggled to stay interested in this one. Though I liked his descending vocal riffs on his songs,.(that seemed pretty effortless for him) they started to feel a bit repetitive and some of the songs were a little too talk/singy for me.
Pantera
3/5
Well....now we know what testosterone injected directly into the testicles sounds like... I first listened to this album around when it came out and I was about 14. What kind of music are 14 year old boys listening to these days in 2025? The guitar riffs are pretty crunchy,.drums are mostly groovy and Phil Anselmo sounds like a coked up werewolf. I remember seeing Pantera (I think at Ozzfest) and the crowd kept setting fires all throughout the grass that security struggled to keep up with. Great riffs and energy on the music, as an older guy now,.the singing/screaming can feel like a bit much.
Janet Jackson
4/5
What a top notch album. Some of the sounds on it did not age gracefully and act as a timestamp on the sound but still it does not take away much from the overall album. So many great tracks and performances.on this album Love Will Never Do is a musical masterpiece. So many great hooks in one song.
Dr. John
3/5
My guess here is that this album was recorded.while on strong acid. An oddball but cool album.