Journey in Progress
Discovering music one album at a time
248
Albums Rated
3.12
Avg Rating
15
5-Star Albums
23%
Complete
841 albums remaining
Rating Speed
3.2
Per Week
545
Days Active
Reviews
248
Written
100%
Review Rate
vs Global
-0.17
Avg Diff
3.12
Avg Rating
Rating Distribution
How you rate albums
Rating Timeline
Average rating over time
Ratings by Decade
Which era do you prefer?
Activity by Day
When do you listen?
Taste Profile
1960s
Favorite Decade
Post-punk
Favorite Genre
UK
Top Origin
Balanced
Rater Style
10
1-Star Albums
Taste Analysis
Genre Preferences
Ratings by genre
Origin Preferences
Ratings by country
Rating Style
You Love More Than Most
Albums you rated higher than global average
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| evermore | 5 | 3.04 | +1.96 |
| Close To The Edge | 5 | 3.19 | +1.81 |
| Red Headed Stranger | 5 | 3.35 | +1.65 |
| Fleet Foxes | 5 | 3.43 | +1.57 |
| Bryter Layter | 5 | 3.51 | +1.49 |
| In The Court Of The Crimson King | 5 | 3.6 | +1.4 |
| Band On The Run | 5 | 3.67 | +1.33 |
| Movies | 4 | 2.71 | +1.29 |
| At San Quentin | 5 | 3.81 | +1.19 |
| (What's The Story) Morning Glory | 5 | 3.84 | +1.16 |
You Love Less Than Most
Albums you rated lower than global average
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Made In Japan | 1 | 3.29 | -2.29 |
| Bone Machine | 1 | 2.86 | -1.86 |
| Siamese Dream | 2 | 3.83 | -1.83 |
| My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts | 1 | 2.78 | -1.78 |
| Doolittle | 2 | 3.75 | -1.75 |
| Vol. 4 | 2 | 3.75 | -1.75 |
| Phaedra | 1 | 2.73 | -1.73 |
| Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness | 2 | 3.68 | -1.68 |
| Birth Of The Cool | 2 | 3.65 | -1.65 |
| Mothership Connection | 2 | 3.61 | -1.61 |
Artist Analysis
Favorite Artists
Artists with 2+ albums and high weighted score
| Artist | Albums | Avg | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beatles | 5 | 4.6 | 4 |
5-Star Albums (15)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
Spacemen 3
1/5
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
2 likes
Tom Waits
1/5
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?
1 likes
George Jones
3/5
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!
1 likes
Pixies
2/5
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.
1 likes
Willie Nelson
5/5
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)
1 likes
4-Star Albums (71)
1-Star Albums (10)
All Ratings
Jimi Hendrix
3/5
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
The Smashing Pumpkins
2/5
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.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
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.
Pixies
2/5
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.
Deep Purple
1/5
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).
Paul Simon
3/5
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.
TV On The Radio
2/5
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).
Anita Baker
4/5
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.
Pink Floyd
5/5
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
The Police
4/5
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.
Tom Tom Club
3/5
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.
Black Sabbath
2/5
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.
Fiona Apple
4/5
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.
Screaming Trees
3/5
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.
George Jones
3/5
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!
N.W.A.
2/5
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.
The Damned
4/5
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
Manu Chao
4/5
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
Willie Nelson
5/5
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)
Sex Pistols
3/5
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
AC/DC
3/5
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.
Kanye West
4/5
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.
Fleetwood Mac
5/5
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.
Curtis Mayfield
4/5
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 & The Bad Seeds
3/5
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.
Muddy Waters
3/5
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
OutKast
3/5
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
Ramblin' Jack Elliott
2/5
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
Nick Drake
5/5
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
Beatles
4/5
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
Robbie Williams
2/5
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
Weather Report
2/5
Sounds like boring restaurant music; not for me.
The Who
2/5
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.
Genesis
4/5
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
Supergrass
3/5
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
The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy
2/5
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
Blondie
4/5
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
Shuggie Otis
3/5
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.
Spacemen 3
1/5
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
Cyndi Lauper
3/5
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
Primal Scream
3/5
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
The Smashing Pumpkins
2/5
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)
Coldplay
4/5
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
The Smiths
4/5
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).
Deerhunter
4/5
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
Paul McCartney and Wings
5/5
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!
Red Hot Chili Peppers
3/5
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
Shack
3/5
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
Hole
3/5
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
Beyoncé
2/5
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
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
3/5
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
Super Furry Animals
3/5
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
Sufjan Stevens
4/5
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
Arcade Fire
3/5
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
Arcade Fire
3/5
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
Black Sabbath
5/5
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
The Sonics
4/5
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
Derek & The Dominos
3/5
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
Stereolab
2/5
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
Blue Cheer
3/5
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
Pink Floyd
4/5
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
Cream
4/5
Pretty good; I'd definitely listen to it again (except the last track—what the heck was that?).
4 stars
Sonic Youth
3/5
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
Gram Parsons
3/5
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
The Who
4/5
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
The Undertones
3/5
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
Garbage
3/5
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
Kanye West
3/5
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
The Chemical Brothers
2/5
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
Beatles
4/5
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
Jazmine Sullivan
2/5
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
Elliott Smith
3/5
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
Culture Club
2/5
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
Tangerine Dream
1/5
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)
Jurassic 5
3/5
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
k.d. lang
3/5
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
Booker T. & The MG's
4/5
Really good album that I'd definitely listen to again. Hard to believe it was released in the 60s!
4 stars
Dexys Midnight Runners
2/5
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
Lauryn Hill
3/5
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
Fairport Convention
4/5
Great album, and what an amazing vocalist!
4 stars
LTJ Bukem
2/5
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
Neil Young
3/5
This was a pleasant listen, but at the same time, nothing really caught my attention.
3 - 3.5 stars
Eminem
4/5
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
The Auteurs
3/5
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
Billy Bragg
2/5
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
Miles Davis
2/5
I've never been into jazz; unfortunately, this album did not change my mind about it.
2 stars
Curtis Mayfield
4/5
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
Lloyd Cole And The Commotions
3/5
I quite liked this. At the same time, I'll likely forget this album exists tomorrow.
3 - 3.5 stars
The Mamas & The Papas
4/5
Excellent album. The only song I'd already known before listening was California Dreamin', but I enjoyed pretty much all of it.
4 stars
Maxwell
2/5
Let's make some boring elevator music, but make it more sexual.
2 stars
Fleet Foxes
5/5
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
Elton John
4/5
This is my favourite Elton John's album; unfortunately, it's got too many fillers to rate it a 5.
4 stars
The Stooges
3/5
Great rock album, but most of the songs were a bit too long to hold my attention.
3.5 stars
Stephen Stills
4/5
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
Beck
4/5
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
Tom Waits
1/5
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?
My Bloody Valentine
2/5
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.
Stan Getz
3/5
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
3/5
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.
MC Solaar
3/5
I probably wouldn't listen to this again, but I can see why people like it.
3 stars
Guns N' Roses
3/5
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
New Order
3/5
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
Taylor Swift
5/5
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
Germs
1/5
That was some of the worst punk music I've ever heard; forty minutes of incomprehensible noise.
1.5 stars
Hugh Masekela
2/5
I wish I could get into jazz, but I still don't get it. It's not necessarily unpleasant music, but it always sounds like one long song to me.
2.5 stars
Jacques Brel
2/5
Great musician and phenomenal live singer, but I'm unfortunately not fond of this type of old-school, French music.
2 stars
Everything But The Girl
3/5
This album was god-sent to me when I was a kid in the 90s, but I don't think it aged as well as some of the other albums on this list. The production feels a bit stale and monotonous compared to other, similar modern projects. I have always liked that vocalist, though, and still think she's pretty good.
3.5 stars
Elliott Smith
4/5
I like this one a lot more than 'Figure 8'. The music is mostly melancholy and the lyrics sad, but there are also songs which are very catchy and, if you discard the lyrics, don't sound sad at all. I remembered several melodies very well after the first listen (I listened twice)—this guy could very well be a hitmaker if he wanted, with the way he writes hooks. Nick Drake is still my go-to when it comes to this type of slower, stripped-down, melancholy music, but this guy is quickly becoming the close second. And I've only listened to two of his albums so far!
4 stars
5/5
This is an absolute masterpiece of progressive rock. It's not only incredible as an album, but also important for what it meant to the genre as a whole, and how it inspired the albums that followed. It's meant to be listened to as a whole—it doesn't work any other way, in my opinion (although the first track is a mind-blowing on its own as well).
5 stars
Tracy Chapman
4/5
While this album is musically very satisfying, it always leaves me feeling devastated. Thirty-six years have passed since its release and not much has changed; there was no revolution. Certain songs definitely make you think about the state of things, and why we're not doing enough to fix it.
Anyway... Musically, this album aged very well. It's not only lyrically relevant, but also sounds like it could've been recorded this year. The only reason why I'm not giving it five stars is because I consider this album very heavy and I can't listen to it often.
4 stars
Van Halen
3/5
Dad rock: 80s synth edition. Actually, the synth-heavy tracks like 'Jump', '1984' and 'I'll wait' were some of the more interesting ones. The rest of it was the same rinse, repeat we got from other hair metal bands from that decade—not necessarily bad, but unoriginal and boring, in my opinion.
3.5 stars (+0.5 stars for Jump, it's still great to this day)
Tricky
2/5
It wasn't the worst record I've ever heard; just not for me.
2.5 stars
The Kinks
3/5
It was a decent album, but I didn't find it memorable enough to listen to it again.
3.5 stars
Beatles
5/5
A classic. I prefer the first half to the medley, but it's still great as a whole.
4.5 stars
LL Cool J
2/5
This sounded like a very dated hip hop record; I did not enjoy it. The beats were nice at times, but it all got so repetitive by the end. Not enough variety in this one.
2 stars
Billy Joel
4/5
I like Billy Joel. He's got a nice voice, and his songs are easily digestible for a casual listener.
4 stars
Gene Clark
4/5
Great album, but I feel like I would have liked it better if it had stuck to one style more instead of bouncing between different genres/inspirations. The country-sounding songs were the weakest link (not that I dislike country; they just felt underwhelming compared to some of the greatest tracks on there).
4 stars
Calexico
4/5
What a pleasant surprise! I really enjoyed this album—my favourites include 'Black heart', 'Not even Stevie Nicks..', 'The Book and the Canal' and 'No Doze'. Some of the instrumentals went on for too long but other than that, this was a really nice listen.
4 stars
Sister Sledge
3/5
I feel like this album is carried solely by Nile Rodgers' funky guitar playing. Don't get me wrong—the singers are competent, the harmonies phenomenal, but the songs themselves aren't anything special. They drag on way too long, especially the boring and generic ballads. The tracks with the disco vibe are much, much better, but I don't think anything lives up to their biggest hit 'We are family'.
3 stars
Simon & Garfunkel
3/5
I liked most of this but felt it was a little odd with a sharp distinction between side A and B. It's a concept album... with extras?
Anyway, I liked the old people spoken track, and the two soft ballads at the end of side A the most. Side B was a decent, Beatlesque collection of pop hits—I just don't see how it connected to the Bookends concept. If it did, it was a very light connection that I missed.
3.5 stars
Duran Duran
4/5
Really solid 80s synth pop-rock album. My favourites are 'New Religion', 'Save a prayer', 'Hungry like the wolf' and 'Rio'.
4 stars
Led Zeppelin
4/5
I haven't listened to this in ages, but it just reminded me that their debut album was pretty solid and worth a listen from time to time as well.
3.5 stars but rounding it up to 4 because I love Dazed and confused
My Bloody Valentine
2/5
This is the second album I got from this band... at least this time, it wasn't all incomprehensible noise. There were a couple of passable tracks, but nothing worth noting. I just don't get why'd someone want to torture their ears with this constant background buzzing noise? It's so unpleasant.
2 stars
Joanna Newsom
2/5
I loved the harps and the storytelling was top tier...but my overall enjoyment of this album suffered mostly because of her singing style. Maybe I would have been able to ignore it if this album wasn't so voice-driven; the singer is the main focus and it really takes me out of the experience. It's a shame, 'cause the vibe is almost magical.
2.5 stars
Fatboy Slim
4/5
'The Rockafeller Skank' used to be one of my most hated songs in the 90s, mostly because it was way overplayed on the radio. Remembering that, I fully believed I'd hate this album, but surprisingly... I did not. It was funky, at times silly, but mostly really fun to listen to. I just wish it wasn't so bloated; the length of several songs could've easily been cut down by 30%. Still, I had a really great time listening to this.
4 stars
Talvin Singh
1/5
It started off strong with 'Traveller', but then got progressively worse with each track. I like that he was trying to incorporate various sounds from around the world (especially the inclusion of the female choirs and some interesting instruments), but the backing electronic/ambient sounds present on almost every track made the album extremely monotone and a real drag to get through.
-1 star because it also reminds me of being in a bus/taxi during a holiday where the driver's blasting this sort of annoying music at full volume
1.5 stars
King Crimson
4/5
The opening track was the weakest, but the rest of the album was right up my alley. A bit too weird here and there, but I never say no to a good, progressive rock album.
3.5 - 4 stars
The Beach Boys
4/5
Brian Wilson wanted to make an epic album with no fillers, and for the most part, he succeeded. Its significance for the pop genre can't be questioned, but I've always felt it was a bit too overproduced in some places to become one of my all time favourites. I still love it, though.
4 stars
Meat Puppets
3/5
I think this is one of those albums you forget about as soon you finish them. The country elements were pretty cool; I liked the instrumental tracks the most, but nothing really gripped me while I was listening.
3 stars
Jamiroquai
2/5
I liked the lyrical side of it, but musically this album was a real drag. It was boring, repetitive, and all the bloat really dragged it down. It didn't help that I don't really like jazz; even the more modern version of it.
2 stars
UB40
2/5
I don't know want to generalise and say that reggae is boring, but certainly this album is. It's impossible to tell where one song ends and the other begins.
2.5 stars
Depeche Mode
3/5
I love Violator and some of their other stuff, but I've never listened to this album in full. Surprisingly it was kind of boring for a Depeche Mode album? It had some highlights for sure, but most of it was just a bunch of boring, repetitive instrumentals. I wouldn't mind this playing in the background, but it's definitely not something I'd go back to.
3 stars
Khaled
2/5
I am usually open to discovering new music from different parts of the world, but I could never get behind this particular type of vocal delivery; it just sounds annoying to me. I tried to be open-minded while listening to this, but the vocals were so dominant that they took over everything else. There were a couple of passable tracks, like 'Cest la nuit', but generally speaking, I did not enjoy listening to this album. There's a nice message hidden in 'Imagine' considering who's singing it, but the cover itself is... bad. I'll leave it at that.
1.5 stars
The Verve
3/5
I didn't really mind this, but I also didn't care for it all that much... I guess. It's nice background music, I'll give them that at least.
2.5 stars
Funkadelic
4/5
The opening track is fire; the rest of the album holds up pretty well too, although it did lose me a bit closer to the end. Still, it was a fantastic listen.
4 stars
The Monkees
3/5
This is the definition of a mediocre album for me. A couple of songs were pretty pleasant, but I doubt I'll ever listen to them again.
3 stars
The Velvet Underground
3/5
I loved some parts of this album, but then there were also songs that really disappointed me. The slower tunes are their strongest point in my opinion.
3.5 stars
Lynyrd Skynyrd
3/5
There are some decent songs on this album, like 'Free bird', but overall southern rock music isn't my thing. I wouldn't listen to it again, but I certainly understand its appeal.
3 stars
Sly & The Family Stone
3/5
Experimental funk; pretty cool but a bit too repetitive at times... And sometimes went into pretty weird directions which didn't work in my opinion.
2.5 stars, rounding up to 3
Roxy Music
2/5
Not bad but mostly forgettable, apart from the weirder tracks (which I didn't like). I also hate this man's vocal delivery, it got more grating the longer I listened. I guess they're just not for me.
2.5 stars
Norah Jones
4/5
This album is my comfort music. It may not be particularly innovative or groundbreaking, but it's so pleasant to listen to while you're wrapped up in a blanket on a chilly evening. And her vocals are amazing!
4 stars
Kate Bush
3/5
I'm not sure if I'm into this kind of eccentric pop. I enjoyed listening, but I probably won't come back to it, save for a couple of tracks that I saved. There was just too much weirdness at times; maybe I'm not enough of a music nerd to get it (the witch song in particular was unbearable to listen to!). I guess I just like my pop to be... poppy. However, I do give her credit for being different and more innovative than other pop artists from her era.
3 stars
Paul Simon
3/5
I'm surprised this album made the cut 'cause honestly, Paul Simon can do better than this... and he did, on many occasions. Not to say that this album's bad—it's still pretty decent as it is—but I would not choose it for an example of his best work.
2.5 - 3 stars
The Pogues
3/5
If you're into Celtic rock or Irish folk music, you'll probably love it. I appreciate it for what it is, it's great music, just not for me. I do like 'Fairytale of New York' and 'Metropolis', though.
3 stars
John Lee Hooker
2/5
I'd listened to a different album of his before and it was much more interesting than this one. This feels extremely washed out, boringly so. The opening track with Santana was the only interesting one. I'm not a big fan of blues, but I've heard better blues than this.
2.5 stars
Herbie Hancock
3/5
I liked it a lot better than I usually do with jazz music. The first track was a great fusion of funk and jazz; it's my favourite.
3.5 stars
LCD Soundsystem
4/5
I really enjoyed this fusion of rock, electronica and funk! It was miles better than the other electronic albums I've gotten for this project so far; not as repetitive and with a lot more vocals. I did not love every song on there, but none of them made me want to hit the skip button. Can't believe I've never heard of this artist before! I'm going to check out his entire discography for sure.
4 stars
Blood, Sweat & Tears
3/5
Really nicely produced for such an old record, although the horn/trumpet (or whatever that was) sections were sometimes too long and loud.
3.5 stars
The Killers
4/5
A timeless classic. I used to love it back during my uni days, and though my music preferences have changed considerably since then, I still occasionally put this album on. I doubt 'Mr Brightside' will ever go out of style.
4 stars
Coldplay
3/5
Back in the day, Coldplay put out really solid records. This one is a bit slower and more bloated than 'A rush of blood to the head', but it's still pretty good.
3.5 stars
Leonard Cohen
3/5
His voice was somewhat more bearable when he was younger, but as far as this record goes, I didn't find it particularly interesting. Chill background music but that's it.
2.5 stars
Pentangle
2/5
This was actually not as bad as I thought it would be, had some interesting sounds here and there, but I just don't see myself ever listening to it again. This is a perfect example of an album that I'd check out once out of curiosity, then forget it ever existed.
2.5 stars
Boston
3/5
'More than a feeling' is the only track with a memorable melody; everything else bleeds together into one, long song. It wasn't a bad listen but not interesting enough to come back to.
3 stars
Adele
4/5
This probably would have been a 3 for me, but her excellent vocal performance always elevates the music to another level. The result is a well-produced pop album with decent songwriting and some incredible singing. It's also undeniably one of the best break-up albums ever made.
4 stars
Brian Eno
1/5
I'm sure this is amazing art— I guess I just don't get it. 'Annoying' is the word I'd use to describe this album. Scream-talking and whining over mostly insufferable noise.
Fats Domino
3/5
I'm not the biggest blues fan but if I had to listen to it, I'd choose this album. It was mostly fun with some undeniable classics.
3.5 stars
White Denim
3/5
Sounds like the most inoffensive American indie rock album ever made. I'm not sure if that's a compliment.
3 stars
The Soft Boys
4/5
It wasn't anything particularly special, but really enjoyable to listen to. The songs that stuck out for me were 'I got the hots' and 'Underwater moonlight'. I'd put this album on again for sure.
3.5/5 stars
Nico
2/5
I usually like folk albums, but this just didn't click with me. Some songs like 'Chelsea girls', 'The fairest of the seasons' or 'Wrap your troubles in dreams' were okay for the genre. However, the rest of the album bordered between boring and unlistenable. It was nicely produced at times, but her voice was far too monotone to make it an enjoyable experience for me.
2/5 stars
Big Brother & The Holding Company
2/5
I enjoyed those compositions, but her voice got to be too much at times. I would listen to individuals tracks again, but not the entire album for sure.
2.5/5 stars
5/5
This album never gets old. Wonderwall may be overplayed, but it's still a great song, and the rest of the album aged well too.
4.5/5 stars
PJ Harvey
3/5
The album had a really strong start; the first four songs were fire. Unfortunately, the momentum died out somewhere around track 6-7. The last few tracks did not live up to what the first half promised. Solid album nonetheless.
3.5/5 stars
The Go-Go's
4/5
Really fun and upbeat, with some well-known singles. I really enjoyed this album. The quality dropped a little with the last few songs, but not enough to lower my rating.
4/5 stars
Miles Davis
3/5
This is obviously a very-well arranged, jazz classic, but it's just not my kind of music, so I couldn't really get into it. I did enjoy the more mellow pieces, but not enough to rate it higher than a 3. No doubt these are some really talented musicians, though.
Gary Numan
2/5
I listened to the entire album—it's not the worst thing I've ever heard, but definitely way too repetitive for me. It's a shame 'cause I'm usually really into synths.
2.5/5 stars
Kate Bush
3/5
This was interesting, for sure. I enjoyed parts of it, but it definitely felt like she eventually went overboard with the experimentation. By the time I reached the closing track, it just became really annoying, which is why I can't give it a 4.
3.5/5 stars
The Allman Brothers Band
3/5
I don't usually like live albums, but this was some nice jamming. I was positively surprised by the quality of the recording, I could hardly tell this wasn't a studio album. I wish it had more structure, though.
3.5/5 stars
Destiny's Child
2/5
The album starts off with three solid hits, which is the only part that I enjoyed. After that, we get some of the worst lyrics I've ever heard (Nasty Girl and Fancy), exhausting vocal runs that go on forever (and I actually like Beyonce!), with some cheesy crap sprinkled on top (Apple Pie, Sexy Daddy, outro). The rest of the album is a real snooze fest, with the exception of Brown Eyes, which was somewhat enjoyable due to its predictable but well-executed 90s ballad sound.
Really disappointed by this one; I expected better given the singles this album had.
2.5/5 stars
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
3/5
I respect Buddy Holly for being a pioneer in many ways, and I think this album aged quite well for such an outdated genre of music. It was a fun, simple, and quick listen though it did kind of lose me towards the end. Several songs were really catchy, like 'Maybe baby' or 'That will be the day'. I'd listen again to this.
3.5 stars
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
I did not expect to like this album so much. The vocalist's singing style was a bit too distracting at times, which is probably my only complaint about the album. Well, and it ended way too soon.
I might actually bump it up to five later, after further listening.
Best song: Born on the Bayou
Other highlights: Proud Mary, Good Golly Miss Molly
4.5 stars
2/5
Dull, repetitive, inoffensive background music. That's unfortunately all I have to say about it.
2 stars
Les Rythmes Digitales
1/5
I listened to this while working out, which is probably why I didn't mind it as much at first. But then it got worse. And worse. And waaaaay worse.
I don't really understand this list to be honest. Don't get me wrong, I love doing this project, but what's the point of adding in some completely random album that is neither good quality-wise nor commercially successful? Yes, I admit I am far from an expert on electronic music, but I refuse to believe that this is the best the genre's got to offer.
1.5 stars
Moby Grape
3/5
I don't know why, but this didn't really grab me. It had some pretty nice moments here and there, but nothing stood out to me.
3 stars
The xx
3/5
Really nice, chill indie album. It's basically my definition of a 3 star album—pleasant enough for a re-listen, but not interesting enough to think about it again.
Best song: Shelter
Other highlights: Intro
3.5 stars
Johnny Cash
5/5
I rolled my eyes when I saw another live album on the list, but that was surely a pleasant experience. Such an excellent performer, both during and between the sets, and a naturally funny guy (I wish they didn't censor him though)!
I can't believe what's happening, but... This project is making me like country.
4.5 stars
Kid Rock
1/5
I told myself I will not be swayed by the negative comments before listening, but honestly, I see why so many people hate this album.
Politics aside, this has got some nice riffs if you're a fan of the early 2000s rock sound, but since I personally really despise that period in rock music, this wasn't doing much for me. I was not a fan of the lyrics either, 'cause I'm not really into listening to someone brag about: A) their money, B) fucking everything that moves, C) hiding ten AKs in their basement, D) being a raging incel.
I thought this album could be hiding some good stuff after all once the ballad started playing, but the overprocessed vocals killed anything positive I had to say about the song.
To be honest, even if I turned my brain off and pretended the obnoxious rapping and lyrics didn't exist, there's nothing particularly memorable about this album.
I debated whether to give this a one or a two, but in spirit of solidarity and because that man is awful, it's going into the bottom tier.
Beatles
5/5
Before starting this project, I told myself I will not overrate Beatles just 'cause I love them so much, but... It's so freaking hard not to when their albums are so damn good! I forgot about Rubber Soul, but it really shaped not only them as artists, but also the music industry as a whole. Plus, there's not a single skip on this album (although the questionable lyrics on the last track have not aged well).
Favourite track: Norwegian wood
Other highlights: Michelle, In my life, The Word
4.5 stars - rounding up to 5 'cause it's the Beatles
5/5
It would be a crime to give it a 4, though it doesn't quite reach 5 for me. I wish we could give half marks here.
Anyway, this is not even in my top 3 Beatles albums, but it's iconic and deserves all the praise it gets. As for me, it's perhaps a bit too eclectic to really get into it. The mix of different influences and genres feels a bit jarring at times. I do think the 1-7 track run is epic, though.
4.5 stars, rounding up
Fatboy Slim
3/5
There were some really cool sounds in there, but the repetitiveness really put me off. I did enjoy the fusion of various instruments and styles, I think he does it way better than most artists in the genre. He also has a good ear for creating catchy hooks/melodies.
Tracks I did like: "The weekend starts here", "Going out of my head", "First down"
2.5 stars, I'm gonna round it up to 3 because he's undeniably a talented musician.
David Bowie
3/5
Young Americans is a decent album, though I feel like the only reason it was included is because it's Bowie doing soul & funk. It's neither groundbreaking for the genre nor particularly outstanding for Bowie. I do like Bowie though, so I enjoyed this album, although I wasn't blown away by it. Fame, Young Americans, Win and Fascination are the standout tracks, the rest is okay, but I wouldn't return to the album as a whole.
3.5 stars
Einstürzende Neubauten
1/5
I finished the album because I'm no quitter, but what the hell is this nightmare-inducing stuff?
Sometimes I'd experience those brief flashes of awe at whatever random sounds they managed to turn into music, but my question is... Why? Why use all those interesting sounds and instruments and make them sound like noise instead of anything even remotely melodic? And why would anyone willingly put themselves through an hour of something so unpleasant?
I will never understand noise rock.
1.5 stars (0.5 for their undeniable creativity)
Anthrax
2/5
I tried to pinpoint why I can't get into trash metal, and I think it's because of the monotonous guitar sequences. For music that's meant to be high energy it's surprisingly tedious and dull. It's not unlistenable for sure, but I just didn't find anything particularly interesting about it. It felt more like one long song with barely any tempo or melodic changes (the drummer did a great job though).
2.5 stars
Dwight Yoakam
2/5
This is the perfect example of when country gets really annoying. It's just a combination of all the worst tropes—the twangy vocals, high-pitched instrumentation, weepy lyrics. Oh, how I love listening to some guy threaten to kill his ex (and her new man). But at least he heard her knocking in the next song, so I guess the bullet missed...?
1.5 stars, rounding up solely because it had some nice melodies here and there.
Dire Straits
3/5
Well, they definitely had a style and leaned heavily into it. It must be the way he plays his guitar, but nearly every song on this album sounds suspiciously similar to "Sultan of swings". I mean, it's not that I mind it, but it got a bit tiring as the album went on, to the point where the tracks started to blend together.
Highlights: Sultans of Swing, Down to the waterline, Water of love
3.5 stars
Tortoise
3/5
I really enjoyed certain parts of this album, particularly "Glass Museum" and "Along the Banks of Rivers", but it was mostly too repetitive for me. The opening track had no need to be so long, especially since there was not a lot of interesting stuff happening in there. It's nice background music but I doubt I'll replay this.
3 stars
John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers
2/5
I like rock with blues elements, but this was a bit too "bluesy" for me. Usually those kind of albums get tiring for me around the halfway mark, and this one was not an exception.
I did find it interesting that John McVie (later of Fleetwood Mac) played bass on this album, though. It makes sense since Fleetwood Mac was originally a blues band.
2.5 stars
Leonard Cohen
2/5
I feel like this guy's earlier albums were slightly more accessible because his voice had not gotten as gravelly and monotone yet. This album suffers not only from his increasingly annoying voice, but also the worst kind of 80s instrumentation. There were some nice moments here and there, but I will definitely not put myself through listening to this album ever again.
2 stars
Dire Straits
4/5
Great album, feels a bit all over the place but still very enjoyable. A couple of songs were top tier but the fillery ones dragged the album down. Still a solid four nonetheless.
Best song: Brothers in Arms
Other highlights: Money for nothing, Why Worry
4 stars
Miles Davis
3/5
It feels a bit unfair to review this since I know nothing about jazz and I feel pretty indifferent about it. I did listen to the entire album, but this was no more than nice background music for me.
3 stars
Frank Ocean
2/5
I hope I'm not judging this album unfairly since I've had such high expectations for it, but I truly don't think it lives up to the hype. It's decent thematically and lyrically, but it also doesn't offer anything groundbreaking, even for the time it came out in. I could think of several different r&b artists who had released similar albums around that time or earlier. My main gripe with this album though is the way it sounds—the instrumentals are for the most part boring, and by the time I got to "Pyramids", I was just glad to hear anything different. Speaking of, "Pyramids", "Super Rich Kids" and the instrumental "White" are the three best tracks in my opinion.
I know that this review has been mostly me complaining, but I don't think it's a bad album, just nothing to go crazy about. I'm just surprised that this is for some people one of the best albums of all time.
2.5 stars
Klaxons
4/5
This was surprisingly nice! I realised while listening that I was familiar with some of the songs, even though I've never heard of this band. The entire album was fun and catchy, and sure, maybe it sounded like a typical indie rock record, but the prog elements added some bite to it. Would reccomend for sure.
4 stars
Led Zeppelin
4/5
I'm a big Led Zeppelin fan so I'm no stranger to this album, but it's not my favourite of theirs. I've always felt like the back half was way too bloated, unfortunately I usually skip most that comes after Ten Years Gone (with the exception of The Wanton Song), it just feels unnecessary. The album does have some of my all time favourites, though.
Favourite song: The Rover
Other highlights: Kashmir, Trampled under foot, Ten years gone
4.5 stars
Earth, Wind & Fire
3/5
Feel good funk music.
3.5 stars
4/5
Great music, I especially enjoyed the songwriting on this one. This is a very underrated rock opera album, in my opinion. It's easily up there with the ones most people consider best, but I don't hear music nerds gushing about it.
4/5
Parliament
2/5
I know I'll be in the minority here, but I did not love this, which is odd 'cause I usually like funk. I guess I prefer when it has a bit more variety to it. Something about this one felt exhausting to me.
2.5 stars
Nina Simone
4/5
Such a pretty album! Although I definitely need to be in a right mood to listen to this kind of music.
4 stars
Moby
3/5
This album has got me really confused 'cause I really love parts of it, but some tracks (like the opening two) are simply atrocious. I guess I'm just going to go for the middle and give it a three. Moby's definitely not as bad as some people paint him to be.
3 stars
Radiohead
4/5
An enjoyable experience, but it all became a bit too samey-sounding as it went on for my taste. It's a great album as a whole, but I just didn't pick out as many standouts tracks as I would have liked.
4 stars
The Pogues
2/5
I usually enjoy music with folk elements, but this is just too much. Extremely grating and annoying to listen to. I did enjoy the storytelling aspect of the album, though.
2 stars
Pretenders
3/5
I've only ever heard their singles, but I might need to check out more of their stuff 'cause this was pretty good. I didn't enjoy it enough to give it four stars, but it's a decent album nonetheless. The second half of the album is far more interesting, with gems like 'Brass in pocket' and 'Private Life'.
3.5 stars
Siouxsie And The Banshees
3/5
I really liked 'Pure', 'Overground' and the closing track, 'Switch', but the rest of it kind of bled together for me. I could really hear the future direction of the genre in their music, though. They definitely influenced many bands that followed them.
3 stars
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
Loved this. It had a good balance between slow/folksy numbers and more upbeat ones. The opening track is definitely the highlight of the album—incredible production and vocals on that one. The Bob Dylan diss moment took me by surprise, it was not bad. I think I might need check out their entire discography 'cause it's a second album of theirs that I really enjoyed.
Best song: Scarborough Fair/Canticle
Other highlights: Homeward Bound, Cloudy, Pattern, A simple desultory philippic
4 stars
Mylo
3/5
Maybe I'm just feeling generous since the other electronic albums I've listened to for this project were just awful, but this wasn't too bad. It won't destroy rock & roll for sure, but at least it was somewhat enjoyable and didn't annoy the hell out of me.
3.5 stars
The Black Crowes
3/5
As a non-American, this is the kind of music I imagine is playing in a typical dive bar. I didn't really mind it. Sure, it got kind of repetitive as it went on, but I usually like this type of music, so it wasn't annoying.
Also, I would have never guessed this came out in the 90s. Feels very 70/80s to me.
Highlights: Hard to handle, Twice as hard, Sister Luck
3.5 stars
Echo And The Bunnymen
4/5
This is a really nice album. It may not be particularly memorable and wouldn't be my first pick for this genre of rock music, but I really enjoyed listening to it. Usually I give this brand of 'nice but forgettable' music a 3.5 score, but I'm rounding it up to 4 this time because the album had no weak spots, which is rare.
4 stars
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
Great album, classic Springsteen!
4 stars
R.E.M.
4/5
I knew the hits, but I have never listened to the entire album. It was good, the singles were definitely chosen for a reason, but the rest of the tracks lived up to the hype. I really enjoyed the instrumental track as well.
Best song: Nightswimming
Other highlights: Man on the moon, Everybody hurts, Drive, New Orleans Instrumental
4 stars
Mercury Rev
4/5
This was really interesting and mostly pleasant (particularly the more whimsical, moody songs), but certain sounds were way too high-pitched in some places which took away from my enjoyment. If I could magically delete two of the worst tracks (The Happy End and Pick up if you're there), the album would be really great. I understand what they were going for in those two tracks but the results were just annoying in my opinion.
4 stars
The Rolling Stones
4/5
This is one of those albums that I really enjoyed listening to as a whole, but didn't fall in love with individual songs that much. The lyrics got annoying at times as well, but I'm still rounding it up to four stars, 'cause it's a solid rock album.
3.5 stars
Tori Amos
3/5
An album that begins beautifully, but I'm afraid it didn't stick the landing. Except the closing track, the second half didn't blow me away as much.
Highlights: Tracks 1-5
3.5 stars
Led Zeppelin
4/5
It's not my favourite of theirs, but still a rock classic. Full of solid tracks, maybe with the exception of Moby Dick which feels like an unfinished jamming session.
Best track: Whole lotta love
Other highlights: Heartbreaker, Ramble on, What is and what should never be
4 stars
Mariah Carey
2/5
I love an occasional Mariah song and I have a huge respect for her abilities as a vocalist, but I can't think of anything more exhausting than listening to her moaning and whining for almost an hour. It certainly doesn't help that the album sounds extremely dated (like the worst stuff that came out of the 90s) and the songs are just... boring. You can't save a track with an endless amount of vocal runs, it just doesn't work like that. The only thing I genuinely liked in there was My all.
2 stars simply because I can't give the lowest score to such an incredible vocalist.
The Prodigy
2/5
I guess I'm not enough of a music nerd to enjoy this one. It's not only the repetitiveness of it all, but also the kind of sounds they used - it was simply annoying.
1,5 stars
The Boo Radleys
3/5
This was generally a nice experience, although I did not enjoy the 'noisy' parts. I saved a couple of songs, though.
3 stars
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3/5
This is the second Nick Cave album I got for this challenge, and I didn't like "The Boatman's Call" at all, though I gave it a much too generous 3 star rating.
As for this album, I found it way more accessible than the other one. It's really well-arranged with some gripping lyrics, but I still dislike Nick Cave's half-spoken, half-sung delivery. His voice makes listening to this album a chore instead of a pleasing experience it should be. It's a shame, 'cause some of those songs are truly amazing.
3.5 stars
The Fall
2/5
I don't know which one's worse—that guy's obnoxious talk-singing or him trying to do some actual singing.
That being said, this is far from the worst thing I've heard for this project, and undeserving of as many 1 stars as it got. It's clear those guys are talented musicians.
2.5 stars
Gorillaz
3/5
I thought I was going to like this more 'cause I love some of their other stuff, but this was a real mixed bag for me. Clint Eastwood, Rock the house, Tomorrow comes today and New genious are all phenomenal, but then we get tracks like Man research, M1 A1 or Sound Check that are borderline unlistenable to me. The rest of the album is just a bunch of mediocre stuff.
3 stars
Steely Dan
4/5
I'm always down to listen to some Steely Dan. Almost all of their albums contain high quality music. This album makes me think of Fleetwood Mac and everything that's good about the soft rock from the 70s.
4 stars
King Crimson
5/5
This is high on my favourites list, yes, even though "Moonchild" exists. Those guys easily made the best album of all time contender and then decided to stick their own version of "Revolution 9" in the middle. Nevertheless, if we pretend the last 10 minutes of "Moonchild" don't exist, this thing is packed with nothing but 10/10 tracks (although I found that it's okay-ish to listen to with your headphones on).
Sometimes when it comes to prog rock I'd get annoyed with the musicians going overboard, but this never happens here. I genuinely think that "I talk to the wind" is one of the most beautiful songs ever made, I feel like I'm floating in a magical forest when I listen to it. "Epitath" sounds like if someone took the best of Leds and Floyd and combined it into one. "21st century schizoid man" is an instrumental masterpiece and the closer ties the album up perfectly.
5/5 for me.
Big Star
4/5
Really great record with a timeless quality to it. Maybe not as memorable as some of the other famous records from that era, but there's no denying they were talented hitmakers.
4 stars
Beck
4/5
I have enjoyed this a little less than "Odelay" but it's still a solid album. Beck is a king of mixing the genres and making them very accessible to a casual listener.
4 stars
The Pretty Things
3/5
It's a pretty nice rock opera album, although thematically it doesn't feel all that unique and the production can be a bit messy at times. Still, there are a couple of tracks I really enjoyed and saved, like "SF Sorrow is born", "Balloon burning" or "The loneliest person". Overall, it is a record I would recommend.
3.5 stars
The Jam
3/5
Nice record, but I didn't really find it that much different or special compared to other similar records from that period of time.
3.5 stars
Waylon Jennings
3/5
There are a couple of great country albums on this album, but this one has a bit too much of the typical country cheesiness for my taste. It's okay for the genre but I wouldn't replay it for sure.
2.5 stars
The Strokes
4/5
What can I say, I'm a millennial who grew up listening to The Strokes so obviously I'm sentimental when it comes to that band. This one's probably their most acclaimed album, but it's not my personal favourite, as I feel the production on their tracks improved massively over the next few records. This one's still one of the most cohesive albums in recent history though, and just a solid effort overall.
4 stars
Koffi Olomide
2/5
There was not enough variety in this one to keep me hooked. I imagine it would be fine to listen to while laying on a beach with a drink in hand, but in normal circumstances it becomes quite boring and repetitive. Someone mentioned it sounds like royalty free music and I'm afraid it's an accurate description.
2 stars
David Bowie
3/5
This had cool moments for sure, but I just can't get behind that loud, grating piano. I had to skip a song or two because it just got too much. I probably "don't get" Bowie or whatever, but his music somehow never fully works for me.
3 stars
Manic Street Preachers
3/5
It didn't blow me away musically, but I really enjoyed hearing the stories told on this album. They touched upon many interesting subjects like politics, mental health, wars, serial killers, social problems. The album made even more sense after browsing their Wiki page.
Lyrics - 5, music - 3, vocals - 3.
I guess I'm giving this 3.5 stars.
The Beta Band
4/5
I really loved the first half of the album, it was nicely arranged with some interesting experimental bits in it, while still being largely accessible for a casual listener. Unfortunately, I felt like the album lost a bit of steam in the second half, and several songs felt sleepy and redundant. It's still a solid record overall, so I'll bump up my score to 4.
3.5 stars
John Lennon
3/5
Surprisingly mild for a John Lennon album, with a couple of duds here and there, although nothing truly annoying to put me out of it. The tracks I loved were really good, but the ones I didn't fell more into the forgettable category.
"Imagine" is a lovely song sound-wise, if you discard the hypocrisy behind the lyrics. "Crippled inside" is a country bop with a fun hook, followed by a weeping ballad "Jealous guy" which is not my favourite, but I see its appeal. "It's so hard" is a generic blues track, but it builds up to a nice finale. "I don't wanna be a soldier mama" goes for a bit too long but I'm really digging it for some reason, it must be the messy production. "Gimme some truth", "Oh my love" and "How?" are the three skips for me, but there's a hidden gem stuck between in the form of a surpringly good Paul diss track "How do you sleep?". I mean, the feud was bizzare but at least it gave us this song. "Oh Yoko!" is a bit too cheesy for my taste, but it's okay for an album closer.
All in all, there are some really great tracks on this album, but the bad weights it down to 3.5 stars for me.
Elvis Costello
4/5
It's really hard not to like this, the songs are just so catchy and easy to listen to. This was my first time listening to an Elvis Costello album, and I really enjoyed it.
4.5 stars
Pet Shop Boys
4/5
80s synthpop is my guilty pleasure, although I dislike using that term since it implies the music is low-quality, which this is not. It's a really fun, catchy, easy to digest pop album—what more could you ask for?
Favourites: what have I done to deserve this?, it's a sin, shopping, king's cross
4 stars
Alice In Chains
4/5
I really enjoy hard rock and grunge when it's got a bit more more musicality than the usual screaming, and this album is exactly that for me. I may not have loved every song, but I can see why this album is so beloved by both critics and fans, it's just really good music.
Highlights: Them Bones, Down in the hole, Dirt, Rooster
4 stars
Suede
3/5
I struggled to connect with this album—there was nothing particularly bad about it, but I just couldn't get into it. Everything sounded really similar for some reason.
3 stars
PJ Harvey
3/5
Good, but not for me, everything's a bit too raw with not enough decent melodies. I did enjoy the lyrical side of the album though, it got disturbing at times but definitely kept me engaged all the way through. If I were a bigger grunge fan, I'd probably love this.
3 stars
Saint Etienne
3/5
It's a pleasant, enjoyable album. There were a couple of tracks I really liked and saved, but the majority of it makes for good background music.
Highlights: "Spring", "Carnt sleep", "Kiss and make up", and the cover of "Only love can break your heart"
3 stars
Yes
4/5
It's a good prog rock album, even if it's a bit uneven at times. The highs are really high but the lows are painfully mediocre, which is why I can't give it more than 4 stars.
Highlights: Roundabout, Mood for a day, Long distance runaround
4 stars
The Cardigans
4/5
Of course I knew "Lovefool" 'cause it's probably one of the best hit songs to come out of the 90s. However, I have no idea why I assumed that those guys were just a one hit wonder—they're obviously way more than that. This album is really enjoyable and way more creative than the majority of pop rock from that era. Now I absolutely need to check out their other albums.
Highlights: Lovefool, Your new cuckoo, Heartbreaker, Step on me, Choke
4 stars
Holger Czukay
4/5
My tastes must be expanding because I didn't find this as annoying as I thought I would after scrolling through the comment section. The instrumentals were really fun and quirky, though I did find his vocals off-putting, he simply did not sing well at all (maybe this was an artistic choice but if so—I did not like it). Other than that, I will say I enjoyed this album a whole lot and would listen to it again.
4 stars
fIREHOSE
3/5
That was some nice indie rock, but it wasn't unique enough to set it apart from other similar albums.
3.5 stars
The Band
4/5
Really enjoyable album, though the production on some of those tracks does sound a bit outdated.
Highlights: Chest Fever, The Weight, To Kingdom Come
4 stars
Orbital
2/5
This project showed me that electronic music can be interesting, but not this time. It honestly felt like a chore to finish this album, and I don't think good music should make you feel like that. Aside from the fact that it was boring and repetitive, it also did not age well, and even as someone who isn't too well-versed in the genre, I can tell this sounds extremely outdated.
2 stars
Flamin' Groovies
3/5
"Whiskey woman" is an amazing song, but I didn't really connect with the rest of the album, especially the rockabilly and more country inspired tracks. They're a talented bunch, but I don't think the album belongs on this list.
3 stars
Ray Price
3/5
I don't know much about country, but this had some really nice melodies going on. I find the weepy instrumentation annoying though, and this album was packed with it. It makes sense for this to appeal to country fans though, it's earnest and well-produced for its time.
3 stars
Aphex Twin
2/5
Unfortunately I just don't get this type of music at all. I respect the artistic value of it all, but it sounds so monotonous to me—though maybe that's point? I don't know. Either way, it wasn't unpleasant, but I wouldn't put this album on again, not even as background music.
2 stars
Elvis Presley
3/5
A couple of tracks off this album are truly iconic and unforgettable, but there's also a lot of annoying Elvis stuff that sounds very outdated (not in a good, nostalgic way either). I guess it does have a place on this list due to him being such an icon, but overall, it's not an album I'd ever want to revisit.
3 stars
Arcade Fire
3/5
Arcade Fire has better albums than this one. Maybe this list would make more sense if they put actual "top of the top" records on it instead of filling it with decent but mediocre stuff.
3 stars
The Clash
3/5
Okay but a bit too samey-sounding. I prefer their other records.
3 stars