Playing With Fire
Spacemen 3I don't mind psychedelic rock when it's done creatively, but this album gives nothing but an hour of mostly unpleasant, monotonous noise. 1.5 stars
I don't mind psychedelic rock when it's done creatively, but this album gives nothing but an hour of mostly unpleasant, monotonous noise. 1.5 stars
I will preface this by saying that I'd not heard of Pixies prior to listening to this album, and I got halfway through it genuinely not understanding why it's so popular or widely regarded as a classic. I was not connecting to the album at all, until I noticed the album's release date—1989—and it finally made sense. Basically this album is meant to be the precursor of the 90s alt-rock scene and yes, it can definitely be heard in their music. However, I also feel like a lot of the trends Pixies had introduced on that album were executed much, much better by different artists later on. Personally, I found Doolittle to be an extremely dull experience. The instrumention was quite interesting in some places, but it usually became motonous after being repeated over and over again. I don't really have an opinion on the lyrical side of the album since there was barely anything happening in that regard. Several songs consisted of literally one, two or three lines spoken over and over again (La la love you and There goes my gun are the two most jarring examples of this). On the other hand, when the vocalist finally decided to sing, it was very shouty and just not... pleasant. Maybe I'm being overly critical of this album and someone will come and tell me, \"No, you don't get the vision! You don't understand this kind of music!\" but for me, this album lacks any kind of appeal. Here comes your man is the only truly good song on the album, while Hey, Silver and Monkey got to heaven are somewhat interesting. Everything else is not something I'd ever want to listen to again. I will say though that I appreciate this album for inspiring a lot of incredible artists that followed, and it's the only reason why I'm giving it two stars instead of one.
It's good when music evokes feelings—positive or negative—but when it makes you want to turn it off, what's the point of listening? That's basically this album in a nutshell for me. I kind of understand what the artist was going for there, but I could not get past those awful vocals. Whenever I was beginning to enjoy the melody or instrumentation, he opened his mouth and ruined it. It's a pity too, 'cause I really liked most of the songwriting on this album. The ideas were great, but the execution... not so much. I'm sorry, but I'd never willingly put myself through listening to this man's voice ever again. I get it, it's art, blah blah blah... but I'm listening to music for fun too, and where was the fun in this sh*t? I want to be objective and base my rating on every aspect of this album, but when the singing ruins everything else, what should my score be?
I definitely understand why this is regarded as one of the greatest rock albums of all time. The instrumentation (especially guitar work) on this is insanely good. That being said, I prefer Jimi's later work—it seems more polished as opposed to some messy, unfinished cuts on this album. By the time I got to Foxey Lady I was getting really tired. It's definitely not something I'd listen to again as a whole, but I understand and appreciate the significance it has for the genre. Individual tracks deserve all the acclaim they got. Highlights: Purple Haze, Hey Joe, May this be love, The Wind Cries Mary, Third Stone from the sun, Stone Free
Listening to this album made me remember why I disliked The Smashing Pumpkins back in the day. The devil's in the details, like how some tracks drag on to the point where they get repetitive, or how the vocalist's voice sometime isn't mixed well and is too quiet compared to the instrumentation. Some of the slower tracks have the potential to be epic, but are dragged down by the vocalist who's got an unpleasant, 'whiny' quality to his voice. I will say though that a couple of songs like Mayonnaise, Soma, Cherub Rock, Disarm and Hummer are worth a re-listen, even if I really dislike the vocals on this album.
A classic blues rock album by the Rolling Stones—not my personal favourite, but it's getting up there. Sister Morphine, Wild Horses, Moonlight Mile and Brown Sugar are some of the best songs they've ever written. Everything else holds up; there are lower points on the album but nothing that warrants a skip. I really enjoy listening to this record as a whole.
I will preface this by saying that I'd not heard of Pixies prior to listening to this album, and I got halfway through it genuinely not understanding why it's so popular or widely regarded as a classic. I was not connecting to the album at all, until I noticed the album's release date—1989—and it finally made sense. Basically this album is meant to be the precursor of the 90s alt-rock scene and yes, it can definitely be heard in their music. However, I also feel like a lot of the trends Pixies had introduced on that album were executed much, much better by different artists later on. Personally, I found Doolittle to be an extremely dull experience. The instrumention was quite interesting in some places, but it usually became motonous after being repeated over and over again. I don't really have an opinion on the lyrical side of the album since there was barely anything happening in that regard. Several songs consisted of literally one, two or three lines spoken over and over again (La la love you and There goes my gun are the two most jarring examples of this). On the other hand, when the vocalist finally decided to sing, it was very shouty and just not... pleasant. Maybe I'm being overly critical of this album and someone will come and tell me, \"No, you don't get the vision! You don't understand this kind of music!\" but for me, this album lacks any kind of appeal. Here comes your man is the only truly good song on the album, while Hey, Silver and Monkey got to heaven are somewhat interesting. Everything else is not something I'd ever want to listen to again. I will say though that I appreciate this album for inspiring a lot of incredible artists that followed, and it's the only reason why I'm giving it two stars instead of one.
I don't understand how this live album even got on the list. I may not be Deep Purple's biggest fan, but I do enjoy some of their music—to a certain degree. This was exhausting to sit through, and I only made it through seven songs, I did not listen to the deluxe version (which has three versions of Black Night and two of Speed King for some reason?). Anyway, my point is—this is clearly an album for the most devoted fans of the band, and good for them! As someone who enjoys Deep Purple on a very shallow level, I found the ever-present long instrumental breaks exhausting. I forgot which song I was listening to as it all bled together into one big mush of over-indulgent guitar solos and annoyingly loud drums. When we did hear the vocalist sing it was at times decent, but the occasional shouting and squealing took me out of the experience even more. I did not expect I'd be giving my first one star rating to a Deep Purple album, but here goes. I'd actually give it 1.5 star if I could 'cause occasionally, when we do hear the actual song and some good vocal performance, it's not that bad (but it makes for about 10% of the album).
This album has been under a lot of scrutiny lately, but for the sake of this review I'll try to set all of that aside and focus solely on the music. All in all, I did enjoy this album. It's not something I'd ever listen front to back again—mostly because about half of the songs just aren't my jam—but I do appreciate it for going in some really creative musical directions. Tracks like 'You can call me Al', 'Graceland', 'I know what I know' and 'Under African skies' are definitely worth returning to. At the same time, I absolutely despise the accordion, so every time it came on, I immediately had an urge to skip the song. I also think that certain parts of the album haven't aged well—not only because of the controversial aspect of it all, but also because of the outdated production. Paul Simon has other records that feel way more relevant nowadays than this one.
The album started off horrible before serving three digestable, if not forgettable, tracks (Staring at the sun, Dreams, King Eternal)... and then it went downhill again. Ambulance and Poppy are two of the most annoying songs I've heard recently (the monotone dun-dun-dun background harmonies were just awful!) and everything else that follows is just... meh. This album constantly bordered on unlistenable or mid to me, and mostly sounds like a pretentious art student's project. Also, side note, but I usually prefer to know what the artist's talking about, and in this case, the singer's mumbly vocals were nearly undistinguishable at most times. If it wasn't already obvious, I did not like this, although I will give two stars for the artist's effort to experiment (even if it's a failure in my opinion).
This album felt like one long song for me, and not necessarily in a bad way. Production-wise it's exactly what you'd expect from a bunch of radio-friendly songs in the 80s; nothing unique or particularly inspiring. At the same time, the vocal delivery was phenomenal—without Anita Baker's incredible voice, Rapture would be just another generic soul-pop record. While I do think this record would have benefited from a bit more variety musically—the instrumentation gets a bit repetitive later on—its simple format still works. Overall, this was a really pleasant experience... and isn't that what music should be about? It doesn't always have to be groundbreaking or revolutionary to be good. A solid 3.5 for me, rounding it up to 4 because it has no skips and it's definitely something I'd play as a whole on a chilly November evening.
My dad used to play this album a lot when I was a teenager and it definitely played a major role in shaping my music taste later on. It's one of those records that fully deserve to be called a classic, and I could go on listing reasons as to why it does, but that would take me an hour. I love listening to The Dark Side Of The Moon in one sitting, and the only song I still don't get to this day is On the run (I suppose you need to be high to fully appreciate this one). A strong 4.5 for me, rounding it up to 5 because it deserves it. Highlights: Us and Them, Money, Any Colour You Like
Great album, although not my favourite by them as it's a bit too reggae-heavy for my taste. There are a couple of fillers in there but nothing that I'd go out of my way to skip. A strong 3.5 from me; rounding it up to 4 because I can see why so many people love this album. What can I say—I'm just not too crazy about reggae.
Wacky, quirky, fun, unserious, and at times catchy. I enjoyed listening to it once, but I don't think I'll ever go back to this album again; it becomes a bit repetitive when listened to as a whole. I really love this kind of funky, bass-driven sound, though. Highlights: Genius of love (iconic song!), On, on, on, on... and Wordy Rappinghood.
I'm not a fan of heavy metal, so I fully expected to hate this going in, but it was surprisingly... mediocre. The songs didn't go as hard as I expected (a plus for me), but they mostly relied on repetitive guitar hooks which quickly became tiring. The brief interlude in the form of the song 'FX' felt really weird, didn't fit the album at all. Then there's the vocalist's voice—too muted in some sections which made it really hard to understand what he was saying. The two songs I enjoyed and even saved for later were 'Changes' and 'Laguna Sunrise'. Everything else felt really 'samey'. Maybe I'd start to distinguish the tracks more on the third or fourth listen, but I truly have no urge to listen to this album again. This was my first Black Sabbath album and not what I expected at all. I was scared that there was going to be a lot of shouting and heavy-metaling involved, but what I got was just a very uninspiring rock record.
It's not my first time listening to Fiona Apple. Tidal is a great debut album, especially the first few tracks (it gets a bit sleepier in the second half, but I don't necessarily mind it). The lyrics are simple yet moving; I feel like she improves massively on her later albums which isn't a surprise considering she was still a teenager when this one came out. My only true complaint is that the instrumentation is a bit one-dimensional—which isn't necessarily a bad thing for this album—but I wish they would have leaned more into the jazzy element. I feel like the back half of the album could benefit greatly from a more varied production.
Doing this project has helped me realise that most of 90s alt-rock sounds exactly the same to me. It's not that I hate this album—I wouldn't mind it playing in the background as I went about my day—but not even a single track caught my attention. I generally try to focus while listening, but this album made it really difficult to stay engaged. It was just so mediocre in every possible aspect. Lyrics—bland. Instrumentation—repetitive. The vocalist was better than some of the other 90s rock singers I've heard, but still just okay. 2.5 for me, rounding it up to 3 just because there wasn't really anything 'annoying' in there. It's one of those mediocre, samey-sounding rock albums that we still get served regularly to this day... and I just don't see how it belongs on the list of records you need to hear before you die.
I'm not sure if I've ever properly listened to a country album since it isn't at all popular where I live, but this was quite nice. It may be a bit too sappy for my taste, but I can see the appeal of this singer—he's a great vocalist whose tone matches the sound of the record perfectly. Strong 3.5 stars for me!
I'm not a fan of the genre at all, but some of the songs were surprisingly funky and fun to listen to (especially the first three tracks). At the same time, I can't get behind the things they're rapping about. This album did not age well. 2.5 stars for me 'cause I recognise that this is a classic for the genre, and although it (lyrically) doesn't hold up today, it must have been groundbreaking when it came out.
This was a very enjoyable listen! I was positively surprised by the unique song structures, especially since it's punk music, which can get repetitive at times. I found lyrics to be quite clever as well, with some some dark humour thrown into the mix. The only true miss for me was the clown song; the rest of the album holds up pretty well. 3.5
This was a really fun listen, even if it does get a bit repetitive later on with the same background music being used several times on the record, but I guess that's just reggae music for you. Although I have heard this record before, it was still my first time checking out its lyrics, and I must say they were surprisingly poetic and relatable (at least in some places). But let's be honest—even if the lyrics were sh*t, that's the beauty of music in foreign languages, it's easy to ignore the words and vibe with the music anyway. Clandestino isn't something I'd listen to everyday, but if I were looking for this specific type of music, this would be the album I'd put on. 3.5 stars
I understand why people like country now. This was a delight. Everything from the vocalist's soothing voice, through the storytelling, to the stripped-back production... I'll be listening to this album again for sure. 4.5 stars. I guess I'm a country fan now!(old country at least)
This isn't a bad album by any means, but not that compelling as far as punk rock goes. After 10+ songs with little to no variation I had an urge to turn it off, but eventually managed to make it all the way through the album. I understand its cultural significance and the way it propelled punk rock into mainstream, but I just don't think Sex Pistols are the best the genre has to offer. 2.5 stars
My problem with this album (and AC/DC in general) is that after hearing the opening riffs of the first song, you've basically heard all they have to offer. Their entire music catalogue is based upon different variations of the same, bluesy-sounding guitar riff... which is fine, I guess, because it's catchy as hell. At the same time, it does get old at some point, especially if you're listening to one of their albums front to back. I think I'd be able to appreciate this album more if it was at least lyrically compelling, but my god, this has got to be the horniest, most perverted and at times disgusting thing I've ever heard. Just to be clear—I don't mind the occasional song in that tone, but the entire album is basically them spelling out how much they want to f*ck, anytime, anywhere, with some sprinkles of misogyny thrown into the mix... And that's exactly why the only way I can listen to this album is by pretending I don't speak English. 3 stars because yes, it's catchy (at least before it starts to drag halfway through), and I do occasionally go back to songs like Back in Black, Hells Bells or You shook me all night long.
Setting aside the fact that Kanye West is a horrible human being, his talent as a musician cannot be denied. I'm not a fan of the hip hop genre, but I forgot my dislike of rap entirely while listening to this album. The melodic backing tracks made it easily digestable for a non-rap fan like me. Strangely enough I even heard some soul influences in there, which I really enjoyed. I didn't even mind the skits, they really fit the overall vibe of the album. Lyrically, we get some interesting stories about Kanye pre-fame which are intriguing to hear considering the (awful) person he's become now. Overall, this album is not something I'd listen to again, but I recognise its quality and significance.
I love Fleetwood Mac! Rumours is one of my favourite albums—it's basically one banger after another with no skips at all. I listen to it regularly, just as I do to some of their other stuff like Tusk or Tango in the Night. Easy five stars.
I've never watched the movie, but really enjoyed the soundtrack. It was funky, soulful, and made for a great commentary on the difficult social issues it depicted. 3.5 stars
Nick Cave is one of those artists that I've always tried to like...and failed to. Years later I still don't get what the hype's about, especially considering the fact that there are many different modern artists with a similar style who are way more interesting musically. The thing about stripped-back piano ballads for me is that they need that little something to grip me—be it the vocal delivery, interesting lyricism or a catchy melody—while this album had virtually none of that. It's all so broody, depressing, monotonous and repetetive... It's not that I think it's a bad album—it's okay, I listened through twice—but his music might just not be for me. I can't believe I'm saying this but if I was in the mood for some piano ballads I'd put on my Adele's vinyl over this, 'cause at least her vocal delivery never disappoints. This guy's voice makes me want to simultaneously fall into a deep slumber and jump out the window.
A nice blues album that starts off great but becomes repetitive as you listen on, especially since several songs seem to go on forever. I really do like Muddy's vocals, though. 3.5 stars
Nice mixing and production, but a bit bloated with too many interludes and several tracks that go on far too long. I know this is beloved by fans and critics alike, but it's just not clicking for me. Aside from a couple of amazing tracks this was a drag for me. 2.5 stars
It's interesting to see what influenced early Dylan, but if you're not a fan of his sound, you probably won't like his predecessor either. I have mixed feelings about Dylan myself, but this Ramblin' Jack Elliot album is definitely not for me. There were several instances when I felt myself growing annoyed while listening, and the lyrics were just odd most of the time (and not in a fun, quirky way either). There were some decent songs in there too, but nothing that would drastically improve my overall rating of the album. The bottom line is—if I wanted to listen to something Dylanesque, I'd put on a Dylan album that's actually good. 2 stars
It's absolutely criminal that this guy only began to get recognition years after he'd died; so sad what happened to him. This album sounds soothing and serene; it's one of my personal favourites to come back to. There are some lower points in there but nothing that's even close to the 'bad' category. I'm really digging the instrumental tracks as well. 4.5 stars
Whenever I'm in the mood for some early Beatles' sound, I generally prefer 'Please Please Me' over this album since it's got way more bangers. It may feel less polished and even a bit clunky at times, but it still delivers better both in terms of covers and originals. That being said, I don't think this album is bad by any means. I still wouldn't mind listening to it front to back—it just wouldn't be my first choice. 'All my loving' is one of my all time favourite Beatles songs (although that list is quite long). 4 stars
Everything on this album sounds like a rip-off of a different British artist, with one of the weirdest tracklists I've ever listened to. It's obvious he's been listening to a lot of Oasis, Beatles, Queen and Elton John while recording this, and the result is a compilation of mediocrity. Sometimes it's very obvious he's still mentally in a boyband, but weirdly enough, there were also songs where he was trying to go more rock and even punk (?!). Anyway, it's not that I hate generic pop or former boyband members (I like some stuff Justin Timberlake and Harry Styles have put out) but this guy just never appealed to me. He's got some decent radio hits, but his voice has always annoyed me. I will say that Angels is a decent song, though. Everything else on this album is either meh or borderline unlistenable. 2 stars
Sounds like boring restaurant music; not for me.
I like The Who, but I don't like live albums and I don't understand why there are so many on the list. The first one I got was Deep Purple's 'Made In Japan'—I rated it 1.5 since it was an absolute drag to get through—but this album is at least well-produced so I'll give it a 2.5. I really don't get the appeal of listening to a live album when there are both polished studio albums and actual clips of performances available online. 2.5 stars 'cause at least they're good performers.
Before listening to this album, I was only familiar with Genesis' 80s/90s stuff. Turns out their earlier work is much more interesting! I really enjoyed this album, both the instrumental and lyrical side of it. Several tracks went on for 10 minutes or longer, but they never dragged for me. I did not expect to enjoy this so much—I thought this was going to be in line with the generic pop-rock route they took in the 80s, but this was a pleasant surprise. 4 stars
This was a little bit better than some of the other 90s rock albums I've gotten for this project so far, but still mostly flavourless. Except for a couple of tracks, nothing really stuck out for me. I don't know what it is about 90s rock; why it all bleeds together for me. I will say though that I enjoyed it a little more because of the vocalist, and some of the songs had interesting structures. All in all, I wouldn't consciously seek out to listen to this album, but I wouldn't complain if someone put it on... It's not bad music; just doesn't really suit my tastes. 3.5 stars
I liked what he was saying there, but musically the album was extremely monotone, in the worst way possible. It needed a better producer, at the very least. Listening to someone talking over the same uninspired beats for over an hour got me feeling real tired, real fast. I've been slowly warming up to the genre due to this project, but a hip hop album needs at least a little musicality to draw me in, and this had virtually none of it. It's a shame, 'cause thematically this was much more interesting then the usual 'sex, drugs and violence' stuff. 2 stars
Very enjoyable pop-rock piece by a band with an incredible singer that's easily distinguishable just by the tone of her voice. The album had a couple of fillers but nothing that bored me too much. It falls somewhere in the 3.5 stars category for me, but I'm rounding it up to 4 because it contains a couple of incredible, timeless bangers like 'Heart of glass' or 'One way or another'. 4 stars
This album's got some nice and chill music that I really enjoyed (especially the funky instrumentation), but it isn't interesting enough to rate it higher than a three.
I don't mind psychedelic rock when it's done creatively, but this album gives nothing but an hour of mostly unpleasant, monotonous noise. 1.5 stars
I'm having trouble rating this album because it's got some undeniable, timeless hits like 'Girls just wanna have fun' or 'Time after time', as well as some okay-ish songs like 'All through the night' and 'When you were mine', but then there are also several tracks that sound very outdated and are just plain annoying to my ears. There's also the fact that I'm not the biggest fan of Cyndi Lauper's voice, especially when she tries to do the odd vocal effects like all the whining or grunting that were popular back then (Madonna was also doing that for a time). I'm not saying she isn't a talented singer; it's just that the way she's using her voice isn't exactly doing it for me. This album isn't a bad example of 80s pop, though. 3 stars
Some songs I really liked while others I could barely get through. I guess I'm not a fan of the heavy, industrial sound so tracks like Kowalski or Stuka only got on my nerves. On the other hand, I loved Get Duffy, Out of the void, Trainspotting and Long life. I guess I need to find a middle ground so I'll rate it a three, but... As far as 90s music goes, this was fairly decent. I'll definitely check out other music by this band. 3.5 stars
I'm only forty-two albums in this challenge, and I've already gotten two Smashing Pumpkins albums (supposedly it's the last of them on this list—what a relief!). I'm so tempted to give this one the lowest rating, but at the same time, I do understand why people love this kind of sound; it's 90s alt-rock at its best. ...I just really hate 90s alt-rock, I guess. Anyway, I think I made it clear in my review of Siamese Dream just how much I despise this vocalist. He's got to be one of the worst singers who's ever made it big. He's bearable when he's not shouting and/or whining, but that rarely ever happens, which is why it's really hard for me to enjoy anything by this band. The instrumentation is at times really good, even though it mostly falls into the repetetive category, but that guy ruins every single song he opens his mouth on. As for the compositions themselves—they're just okay, not that groundbreaking at all, which is why I don't understand why this band is being listed right next to the likes of Nirvana when they're really just another generic alt-rock 90s band. I will say though that they must have put a lot of effort into this album, but it's just way too bloated. I could see myself enjoying this a bit more if they cut out all the unnecessary filler. Siamese Dream was similarly exhausting, but at least it was a normal-length album, while this seemed to go on forever. There's supposed to be a concept somewhere in there, but I guess I missed it while forcing myself to finish it. 2 stars (only for the couple of songs that didn't make me want to smash the skip button)
Early Coldplay records are all pretty good, with this one probably being my favourite. I don't like much of what this band have put out recently, but there's no denying they were once trendsetters. The catchy hooks in their early hits like 'In my place' or 'Clocks' still get me to this day. Aside from the bangers, the rest of the album holds up pretty well too. 4 stars
This album didn't really have any standout tracks for me, but was still a great listen overall (minus the cow sounds at the end - they didn't have to go that far, even though I understand and mostly share the sentiment).
I really enjoyed this! The only two misses for me were the opener, which felt a bit out of place since it seemed to promise something entirely different than what we actually got on the rest of the album; and the oddly-mixed slower ballad 'Sailing'. Aside from that, it was a really decent indie rock album. My personal faves are 'Desire Lines' and 'He would have laughed'. 4 stars
This is probably my favourite solo album by a former Beatles member, who also happens to be my favourite of the bunch. Sure, Lennon is an incredible artist, but aside from the undeniable highs, he's also made some pretty questionable choices throughout his solo career. Even the worst of Paul's or George's work is still listenable, which unfortunately can't be said about some of the stuff Lennon put out. Back to the topic at hand—'Band on the run' is, in my opinion, a manual on how to make a successful pop-rock album. McCartney really walked into the studio and said he's gonna show everyone he can still make the hits, and did just that. Strong 5 stars for me!
As usual when it comes to this band, there are some real gems buried under a ton of the samey-sounding, signature Red Hot Chilli Peppers crap. The album is quite funky and mostly easy to get through—if you pretend some of the lyrics don't exist—but it all blends together due to the overwhelming amount of filler they somehow managed to cram into it. It's why I've never been able to listen to a Peppers album front to back—I'd rather collect all of my favourite songs of theirs on a playlist rather than listen to stuff like 'Suck my kiss' or 'Funky Monks' ever again. 3 stars
It's not that I hate this album, but how did it even end up on the list? It's basically the definition of a mediocre 90s britpop record. Not a single song caught my attention—that's how bland it was. I didn't necessarily mind it, but did I like it? Eh... Have there been far worse entries on this list? Absolutely! Still, including one of the many britpop records that had been around at the time just doesn't make sense. It's painfully obvious that this list was made by a British person. 2.5 stars
I don't love grunge, but I do like the messages conveyed on this album. Objectively, it's a well-produced record with some amazing vocal performances. It would have gotten a higher score if I were a fan of the genre, but unfortunately, it's not something I'd listen to ever again. 3.5 stars
I used to be a big fan of Beyonce as a teenage girl, since I mostly listened to pop music back then. Unfortunately, I am not a fan of anything that followed her album '4'. It may be a controversial take, but I feel like she was at her best in Destiny's Child or while making pure pop stuff as a solo artist. It may not have been 'ambitious' music, but it was fun, catchy, and suited her best. With this album, she was clearly trying to become a 'serious' artist by breaking up with her pop starlet image, but did it truly work well? There are some odd creative choices in there—from her frankly unbearable rapping to some collabs that feel extremely forced. In addition to all that, the album is extremely overproduced and surprisingly poorly-written, considering the fact that each song has at least a couple of writers credited on it. I'm not saying everything on this album is horrible—several tracks have the potential to be epic, but none of them truly hit the mark. 'Pretty Hurts' is an incredibly catchy tune with a nice message, but it suffers from the horrible, outdated production. 'Drunk in love' is a decent single that gets ruined as soon as Jay-Z comes in. I'm really digging the melody and production on 'Blow', but what the hell are those lyrics...? 'Heaven' and 'Blue' aren't bad ballads, but both feel unpolished, like a last minute addition. I don't want to say Beyonce is overrated, because she's truly one of the greatest performers of her generation, but does she deserve all the recognition she gets as an artist? I'm not so sure. 2.5 stars
Pretty good record, but not interesting enough to rate it higher than a three. I don't really have much to say about it, except that I wouldn't mind it playing in the background; it was pleasant enough. Highlight: Breakdown 3.5 stars
I expected a boring britpop snoozefest but it wasn't so bad. They were clearly influenced by a couple of big British artists that came before them, but it didn't feel like a blatant rip-off. Several songs were really good, some were kinda boring, but for the most part, I had a good time. Not an album I'd put on this list, but a decent one nevertheless. Highlights: Gathering Moss, God! Show me magic 3.5 stars
This was my first time listening to this artist, and I had a really good time. I even toyed with an idea of giving it five stars but the record started to drag towards the end (even though I absolutely loved the closing instrumental track). I usually have a soft spot for slower, folksy albums and this was no exception. For a concept album, this covered a lot of topics and felt really refreshing. I'm definitely going to check out more stuff from this artist. 4.5 stars
It's not a bad album by any means, but it felt a bit like a blur to me. Unfortunately, I've had the same issue with many rock albums from that decade. I guess similarly to 90s grunge I just struggle to connect with that genre; it all tends to sound similar to me. 3 stars
So I got two Arcade Fire albums in a row... I had high hopes for 'Funeral' yesterday and was disappointed when it didn't deliver. I admit that today's album felt slightly more interesting, though. I liked a couple of songs enough to save them, but unfortunately the rest of it felt very filler-y. I don't know why, but it all sounds very similar to me... I guess I'm still not warming up to 2000s rock. 3.5 stars
This was really good. Most songs relied heavily on guitar hooks, but not to the point of being monotone. Each song was unique and easily distinguishable from the rest. Even though I'm not the biggest fan of the genre, I really enjoyed this album. 4.5 stars
Very enjoyable, high energy early 60s rock album. We've sure heard many other bands go in the very same direction later on—at times with better results—but it doesn't make this album any less good. The only thing I disliked was the screaming (way too overused). Highlight: Have Love Will Travel 3.5 - 4 stars
The name of this album is very fitting because it's really Layla and other assorted love songs, which are at times nice, but mostly way too long and filler-y. I generally didn't mind this; it would have for sure gotten a four if it wasn't so bloated. 3.5 stars
Interesting, but not something I'd listen to ever again. While I usually enjoy when electronic music is mixed together with rock, I found the elements implemented on this album mostly annoying. Sometimes my interest would be piqued until I heard the same static noise again. I do appreciate their effort to experiment, but this kind of music just doesn't appeal to me. 2.5 stars
Interesting mix of early heavy metal with some other elements, mostly psychedelic rock and blues. The way they used catchy guitar riffs reminded me of bands that came later, like AC/DC or Black Sabbath. Two tracks stood out to me, the bluesy 'Rock me baby' and the catchy hook in 'Parchment Farm'. Lyrically it wasn't very inspiring, but my ears liked what they heard for the most part... Plus the production was really good, especially considering that this was released in 1968. 3.5 stars
Incredible album; even better if you're a fan of rock operas. For me, it's a bit too self-indulgent and unnecessarily bloated to be given five stars. At the same time, I can't deny that there are certain parts of it that cross into the masterpiece category—even the overplayed 'Another brick in the wall' (although my personal favourite has always been 'Hey you'). 4 stars
Pretty good; I'd definitely listen to it again (except the last track—what the heck was that?). 4 stars
This reminds me heavily of Pixies and I really do not like Pixies, so... Anyway, there were some outstanding tracks in there (namely 'Cross the breeze', the opening track and 'Candle'), but the rest of the album is mainly a bunch of long intros and outros that tend to blend together the longer you listen. It's not bad music by any means—those guys are clearly amazing artists—just not for me. 2.5 stars
I always struggle reviewing country albums. Objectively, this isn't bad music, but at the same time, several songs feel extremely sappy and remind me of everything I dislike about the genre. I did like this guy's version of 'Love Hurts' as well as the more uptempo 'I can't dance' and the ballad duet 'Hearts on fire'. The rest of the slower tracks were okay, but then came the last two tracks, which were the worst kind of generic country and an absolute drag to get through. 3 - 3.5 stars
Great album, especially the story it tells. I like what they're doing there musically as well, but it's missing that little something to elevate it to five stars. I just don't think that individual tracks had as much of an impact on me as the album as a whole. 4 - 4.5 stars
Decent music, but I did not find anything particularly exciting about it. It's the kind of music you forget about as soon as you finish listening. 3 stars
I should love this as a child of the 90s, and yet I still can't get behind this kind of a rock sound. A couple of tracks were interesting, but I found most of it unoriginal and a bit too similar to other stuff I've heard from that decade. The closer was really nice, though. 3 stars
I really liked the first five tracks, but I felt like the quality of the record dipped afterwards, starting from the incredibly annoying 'Runaway'. If I could rate the first half only, it would have gotten a four. 3.5 stars
This isn't my go-to genre by any means, but I can appreciate a good electronic album when I hear one. This was chill and pretty fun to listen to at first, but quickly became monotonous... or maybe I just got bored of hearing the same beats on different tracks. I wanted to give it three stars, but then I realised that I can't remember even a single track, which speaks volumes. 2.5 stars
Great album with some absolute masterpieces, but I can't give it a five because it's just so long, and on a such long album there are bound to be a couple of tracks I feel lukewarm about. There's also Revolution 9 which has got to be one of the worst things I've heard in my life... Highlights: Ob-la-di, ob-la-da, While my guitar gently weeps, I'm so tired, Back in the USSR, Yer Blues and many more 4.5 stars
I like that this album is filled with themes of female empowerment, but the way it went about it is just for not for me. Musically, it sounds very outdated and uninspired. He songwriting direction did not impress me either. +1 star for the message +1 star for 'The other side' - the only song I really liked +0,5 star for the singer 2.5 stars
This is my first time listening to this artist and all I can say is... not bad. I've seen people compare him to Nick Drake, and yeah, I get it, but also any Nick Drake album far surpasses this in terms of both creativity and quality. While I did enjoy listening to this album, I didn't find it particularly unique or exceptionally good as far as rock/folk genre goes. I will definitely check out his other stuff, though. 3.5 stars
I am surprisingly fond of the music from the 80s, but this album embodies everything that was wrong about it. It's full of clichés, repetitive melodies, poor songwriting, with an absolutely horrid back-up singer. Of course I recognise and quite like 'Karma Chameleon' because it's catchy as hell, but the rest of this album is 90% garbage and maybe one or two passable songs. 2 stars
I'll probably sound extremely ignorant saying this—especially to the fans of electronic music—but 'Phaedra' sounds like the kind of stuff they'd play at a spa to quickly put you to sleep. Sure, it may be significant to the genre, but I don't get why I'd listen to this unless I'd want to completely float away and disengage (this is the kind of music you play and forget it's on). Either that or put it on if you're having trouble falling asleep—I bet it works wonders. 1.5 stars (+0,5 stars 'cause it's not unpleasant, just extremely boring, sleepy, and repetitive)
A decent album, even for someone who's not a fan of a genre like me. I did enjoy the first half a lot more, though; I found it to be a lot more interesting musically than the back of the album. 3.5 stars
Nice, chill album. Great to put on while you're working or reading. I wouldn't say it's a particularly spectacular example of adult contemporary, but it's pleasant music and that's what counts in the end. 3.5
Really good album that I'd definitely listen to again. Hard to believe it was released in the 60s! 4 stars
The vocalist had an annoying voice, the trumpets were overused, and the songs were, for the most part, forgettable. Not the worst album I've heard in my life, but I definitely won't be listening to this band again. 2 stars
For the lovers of the genre, it's probably a masterpiece. For me, it was a decent listen, but I found myself growing bored the longer it went on; I don't really get why it's supposed to be different/better than other, similar albums I'd heard before. 3.5 stars
Great album, and what an amazing vocalist! 4 stars
I really don't know how to review this album. I know a lot of people listen and appreciate this type of music, but to me it's just noise; a repetitive kind of noise. I could put it on while I'm working since it's not engaging my attention whatsover, but it really isn't the kind of music I want to listen to. On the other hand, it's not making my ears bleed like some of the other stuff I've heard due to this project, which is why I'm not giving it the lowest score. 1.5 stars
This was a pleasant listen, but at the same time, nothing really caught my attention. 3 - 3.5 stars
Rap isn't my thing, but this album feels nostalgic (in a good way) and reminds me of my teens. I remember overplaying 'Stan' to death back in the day, and I still think it's an incredible track. Some of the things he says on the album can be hard to stomach, but I've always liked his delivery; very tongue-in-cheek and self-aware. Of course, this was written back in the day when tolerance for a certain type of 'jokes' was much higher, so I had to look at it through different lens. 'Kim' and some of the skits are still awful, but otherwise, it is probably one of the very few rap albums I'd listen to front to back. 4 stars
It's a decent album, but does it belong on this list? I seriously doubt it. It's neither revolutionary nor particularly good for its genre; maybe just a touch above average. I saved a song or two, but I'll probably forget these guys exist soon enough. 3 stars
Wow, that was extremely boring. I tried to get into it as I usually enjoy albums in this style, but couldn't get invested at all. His voice is pleasant enough but that's about it. 2.5 stars
I've never been into jazz; unfortunately, this album did not change my mind about it. 2 stars
While I enjoyed this less than Superfly, I still had a good time listening to this album. I would have liked it more if it had more variety, as hearing the same sounds and instruments was getting a bit old by the time I got to the last track. 3.5 - 4 stars, rounding it up because it's worth a re-listen
I quite liked this. At the same time, I'll likely forget this album exists tomorrow. 3 - 3.5 stars
Excellent album. The only song I'd already known before listening was California Dreamin', but I enjoyed pretty much all of it. 4 stars
Let's make some boring elevator music, but make it more sexual. 2 stars
Wow, this is probably the best album I've discovered through this project so far. It feels like a mix of 60s sunshine pop, folk, and baroque pop, and I'm really digging it. I'm definitely going to listen to the rest of their stuff. 4.5 stars
This is my favourite Elton John's album; unfortunately, it's got too many fillers to rate it a 5. 4 stars
Great rock album, but most of the songs were a bit too long to hold my attention. 3.5 stars
I don't know why I thought this would be a slow folk album—maybe it's the cover? Anyway, it had a lot more variety than I expected; I really enjoyed it. The cameos were fantastic, and for once I'm really digging the choir elements as well. The stand-out track to me is 'Old times good times'. 4 stars
I absolutely adore the mixture of different genres on this album, and the singer's voice. Unfortunately, there's a thin line between experimention and overdoing it—at times, I felt like the album crossed over into the 'borderline annoying' category for me. There's a lot more of the good stuff, though, and it makes me forget about the things I did not like as much. I wouldn't say it's my favourite album by Beck, but it's a solid effort and deserves all the acclaim it got. 4 stars
It's good when music evokes feelings—positive or negative—but when it makes you want to turn it off, what's the point of listening? That's basically this album in a nutshell for me. I kind of understand what the artist was going for there, but I could not get past those awful vocals. Whenever I was beginning to enjoy the melody or instrumentation, he opened his mouth and ruined it. It's a pity too, 'cause I really liked most of the songwriting on this album. The ideas were great, but the execution... not so much. I'm sorry, but I'd never willingly put myself through listening to this man's voice ever again. I get it, it's art, blah blah blah... but I'm listening to music for fun too, and where was the fun in this sh*t? I want to be objective and base my rating on every aspect of this album, but when the singing ruins everything else, what should my score be?
I just listened to an hour of noise. Was it unpleasant noise? Not always, but it's hard to think of it as music when you can hardly understand the vocalist and the sounds all blend together. I haven't listened to 'loveless' yet, but this gets a hard no from me. 1.5 stars, rounding up to 2 'cause it wasn't as annoying as the Tom Waits record I'd listened to yesterday.
I'm not really familiar with the genre, but I enjoyed what I heard. I love discovering something new because of this project; something I might listen to again. 3 - 3.5 stars
First of all, as I've already stressed in my previous reviews, I do not like live albums. I'll happily take the polished studio version, pretty please. Second, I don't get the message of this album. They were promising 'revolution' with the opening track, meanwhile most of what followed was various testimonies about their sex lives... which is fine, I guess, but it left me a bit confused. Third, I don't really understand why this album is supposedly groundbreaking. It's a decent, high energy rock album, but not much more for me.
I probably wouldn't listen to this again, but I can see why people like it. 3 stars
This album has three good tracks; the remaining ones are either forgettable or just plain horrible. I've got to give it to them, though—they do know how to make an iconic rock anthem. 2.5 stars
Strong 80s vibes from this one; I quite enjoyed this but nothing truly stood out for me. I wouldn't mind listening to it again, but it's probably not an album that will ever cross my mind once I move on to the next one in this project. 3.5 stars
I'm not one of those people who hate every album of this woman just because hating all Swift-related sh*t is apparently trendy these days. While I do admit I'm not the biggest fan of her earlier stuff (excluding a couple of songs, I dislike most of the self-titled album, 'Speak Now' and 'Red'), but I do admit that she put out some solid pop stuff throughout the years, the album '1989' being the prime example of it. I can appreciate good pop when I hear it, and she's put out some bangers, even if she's also had some pretty big misses (see her latest travesty of an album, or the slightly better, but still painfully overloaded 'Midnights'). 'Folklore' and 'evermore' took me by surprise, though, mostly because it's not the kind of sound I'm used to hearing from her... and it was a pleasant surprise. Both albums had a mellow vibe, were nicely arranged and pretty-well written from a songwriting perspective. While most people I know prefer 'Folklore', I'm glad 'evermore' ended up on this list, as it's in my opinion, Taylor Swift's best album. Whenever someone asks me why I prefer 'evermore', I always answer that unlike its sister album, it doesn't start to drag midway through. While there are tracks I'd easily cut from 'Folklore', I don't feel that way about any part of this album. Even the bonus tracks hold up, with 'right where you left me' being one of my personal favourites. Highlights: cowboy like me; 'tis the damn season; no body, no crime; dorothea; right where you left me; champagne problems 4.5 stars