The Good: though at first I was not enjoying this album at all, by the third spin it has started to grow on me a lot more. The Bad: if Joni is to be considered one of the best female performers out there, then how many other ones belong to the ranking of "the best"? The Ugly: that darn falsetto... I am struggling on what score to give this album, seeing as it is starting to grow on me... maybe if I had started listening to Joni Mitchell earlier in my life I would give this album a 4 1/2*, for now a solid 3*

Fuck Da Police... How about Fuck This Shit?

The Good: 2 Bryans. The Bad: different spellings of the name, resulting in different styles. The Ugly: different styles are preventing the listener to get into a flow. Though the above seems negative, I find the album pretty enjoyable to listen to over and over. But it remains difficult to shake off the feeling that, instead of embracing the Glam they eventually would, here they are trying to be too many things at the same time... Do The Strand is classic RM, In Every Dream Home A Heartache is classic LZ IMHO... Would give it 4*...

The Good: Minimalist album cover! The Bad: Minimalist music… The Ugly: the mislabeling of this album being “Krautrock” which this isn’t at all. Never heard of this group before, and have to say that I was pleasantly surprised. Sound-wise, one could argue that they are ahead of their time, like contemporary artists such as Kraftwerk et al Will dish out 3* as I don’t believe this album will become part of frequent listens, however, worth a spin once a year...

My first album on the 1001 Album journey, and what a lovely album to start this adventure with. Though I had never listened to this album start to finish, most of the songs were familiar to me as this album contains, easily, 4 all-time classic songs from the '70s. One thing I am certain of is that, once I ask my children to listen to the album and rate it, they will most likely give it between 2 or 3 starts, as the sounds on this album are probably not apt to the "modern" ear.

Top5 Album all time! What a joy to listen to, and what a disappointment to see that Hallelujah doesn't even come close to top 100 most played songs on Spotify.

Top5 album, not a single song on this album I don't like.

Had never listened to thus album before, and enjoyed the experience--found it very relaxing by the third time listening to it.

I can understand that the album is included, however, for my taste, listening to the album once every decade or so will be more than plenty. I did notice that the sampling done was very subtle and one can see how PE set the tone for many rap/hip-hop artist which followed.

Though I was able to enjoy some of this album, I still don't understand why there are so many people who see Zappa as God... Having said that, I did appreciate the music.

Thoroughly enjoyable listening experience, but then again, I found this album about 2 years ago and started listening to it with some regularity. Will give it 4 stars... but Common People is being added to my favorite play-list on Spotify!!!

Upbeat, great music. Maybe 1 or 2 songs that are epic, however, the rest of the album allows for more than enjoyable listening... 4 stars for sure!

Though the title song is probably one if the most emblematic songs in the world, I was less impressed with the rest of the album. I will give it a couple more spins to see if it catches on, but for now 3 stars.

First song is stellar, the remainder if the album is easy to listen to. Giving it 4 stars, but not an album I would play frequently.

Great album, great band, great single. But I am a bigger fan of the previous album from them, so 4 stars

Greenday was greated with cheers when they published Dookie,,, 10 years later.... I skipped through most of the songs on this album, as song A sounds like song B sounds like song C... How has this band managed to captivate so many people for so long? This is the first album that I am giving 1 star...

Nice. Like watching an 80s movie, with only sound...

Very interesting listen, familiar with a couple of the songs and will listen to the album again.

I crossed the sea and was grateful to get to the other side...

Though familiar with many songs on this album, and considering the frequency that White Rabbit and Somebody To Love have been used in movies, the album more than personifies a period in Western culture.

This is a must listen for all who wonder what influence New Orleans has had on music

Never really listened to this band before, and now that I did, most of the time I felt like I was listening to a Faith No More-, Soundgarden- or System of a Down- cover band. Not a big fan as I can't get over the feeling that they are trying too hard to be good or different.

I guess things are Hunky Dory after all! Though not the biggest Bowie fan, a great listen and definitely an album one needs to have heard front to back in one's lifetime. Also, when will they answer the question if there's life on Mars??!??!!!!??

Any album that starts off with some didgeridoo sounds is worth listening to. All in all not bad, but neither great.

Actually, an enjoyable listen. However, not much on the album that instantly drew me in.

I wish the way was still being taken, so we didn't have to listen to the album... wasn't my taste in the '90s, isn't my taste today

I can understand that, if you are into Hip Hop and rap, this album might be pleasing to you. What I am trying to understand is why I should find it pleasing to listen to? Though, to be fare, if the choice would be between listening to this or EDM, then give me this any day...

I feel bad about the fact that I never heard about this band, then again, late '70s I was still young and listening to an eclectic mix of Brian Ferry, Stevie Wonder, Queen, ABBA and Chicago... oh, and the Bee Gees. I can recall the Boomtown Rats though. But only 1 tune. I've listened 2 times to the record, which is part of my 1001 album journey, and I know I will be listening to it several times more. I hear punk, I hear rock, I hear funk, I hear SKA, and I'm sure if I keep listening I will hear more, and that is the sign of a great album. Great bass. Great guitar. Great lyrics. Favorite song, at the moment, Anthrax

Nice. As my first grunge album on my 1001 album journey, not unhappy that this was the one that popped up. Several "classic" songs of the era, and blasting the album is enough to get one back into the '90s angst mode! I busted out my flannel shirt, and slammed a couple of cold ones back...

I was obviously well aware, when I decided to start my 1001 Album journey that I would get exposed to music(ians) I had never listened to before... Hugh, for my untrained ears, is another jazz musician. I would not be able to do what he was able to do, however, upon reading a little about him, I have to scratch my head on why this album was placed on the list? Favorite tune is almost a straight-forward blues tune, where the piano has center-stage, which means it hardly has anything to do with Hugh... I can see this being good music during some off-time when you are preparing a meal and need some background music...

What is there to say... except "can't believe I hadn't listened to this album before. AMAZING ENERGY, that's what you get from this album, if several of the songs are almost carbon-copies of The Ace of Spades!

A little too much of this, and a little too less of that... and a 13 minute song I did not like.

Though I created the rule that I will listen twice to all albums that I am presented with, I fear that this is the second album where I will only stick to that rule if I am allowed to MUTE THE VOLUME. This isn't music, don't know what to call this... A person might be a great songwriter, doesn't mean they should be allowed to record these songs! But, I will add 1 song to my 1001 album playlist, and that will be Death of an Heir of Sorrow, not because it is the least shitty of the songs, but because it is the shortest.

Listening to this album is like expecting a serial killer to perform their craft... Enjoyable listen, more for way way background music.

Had never heard of Jorge Ben Jor, glad he showed up though. My musical journey certainly enjoyed this bit of funk, so much more than I thought I would!

Though not all numbers on the album are excellent, there are too many that excel way above par. Great listen, classic album, top 100 of all time for certain, though only 4 stars for me... but I am weird!

One needs to have loads of confidence to start an album off with a 2-minute lasting, simple chord progression that a 1-year band member could write, while jumping around on a pogo stick, eating a snickers bar. Then off we go on our Cure journey, with it's ups and downs, yet undeniable sound that, like it or not, if you were awake in the '80s, makes you wish you were back in that era acknowledging how special the band is--or should we say, how special Robert Smith is? Though I only give this album 4 stars, the song "A Forrest" is a top10 all-time favorite song for me!

Though I am grateful that I had to listen to this album, I don't believe that I will be listening to it too many more times in the future. While I was listening to it, my daughter asked me if I was listening to Chinese Opera, which I thought was actually not too far off when you think about it. Did not get a chance to read the lyrics, though I understand that this is part of the magic of this album. Again, grateful it showed up on the list.... oh, and the first album that was not available to listen to on Spotify for me!

It is Madonna. It is '90s pop, even if critics say this was the album with which Madonna showed to the world she was a real artist. One can't deny that the album is well produced, and that there are several songs that are easily added to a top-something list, however, I was no fan of Madonna in the '80s, nor in the '90s, and neither am I today.

Lou Reed. Icon for many. Revered by some as even more. I still don't get it. Though some of them there diddies weren't bad...

It is Jazz... I listened to it... I will give myself 5* As background music it isn't too bad, but if you have to actually sit-down and listen to it, then you might as well start cleaning the attic while you're at it.

1 hour long listening to the following words creatively being used: bitches, ho, dick/nuts, N'&&@$, Longbeach, motherfuk@, and let's not forget the references to themselves and the record label. All in all an album that will not be listened to again.

Is this a redefinition of what noise should sound like? I don't know... I do know that it is tiresome to listen to... And I gave it a second try, just to see if, somehow, I would all of a sudden see the light, like so many people suggest one will. Consider me blind still...

Pronounced Owe-Sum Though not 5 stars... but a solid 4.8 stars!!!

First time I listened to this album. Didn't know that "love the one you're with" was penned by the Stills... then again, I don't know much about the Stills. Enjoyed the album, but I don't believe that I will be listening to it with great frequency.

Third day in a row that I am listening to the same type of music, from the same era... and how fortunate I am to have spent my teenage years in the '80s Of all his work, there is only 1 song by Neill Young that I can stomach hearing with frequency, and listening to this album I am scratching my head as to why he was in so many influential bands... To think that many of my heroes from the Grunge era view him as the grandfather of Grunge. I will go ahead and give this album 2 stars as I reserve the 1 star to absolute works of trash, and this album does have its merit musically, just not my cup of tea.

Let's find out if I check all the boxes to be a Ramblin' Jack Elliot fan? Like Country music? No Like troubadour music? No Big fan of flatpickers? Not really How about cowboy hats? Never owned one.... but that doesn't mean I don't like that... 2 stars, to be polite?

I was not a fan of Beck when he burst onto the scene in the '90s. But there were several bands that I was not a fan of back then... Listening to it today, I really found myself having a very enjoyable time, and paying more close attention to the influences which shaped Beck's sound: the funk, the rock, the sampling, the groove, the multi-culturist aspect. Am I a Beck fan today? No. But, I know I will listen to this album with a lot more frequency than I've listened to it before... Odaley, cabron!

The oddest thing about listening to this album is that it makes you reflect on what your period reflection is for specific music-styles. Thus, The Atomic Mr Basie, for all intent and purpose, belongs to the '30s, not the late '50s. However, does this mean that your favorite band, when growing up, is never allowed to release more music 2 decades later? This would have killed the Stones, Pink Floyd, and on and on and on. So, consider me happy with some Big Band music, and the Count brightening up my day! And should this app throw another "old persons" music my way, I will be happy to give it a listen.

What's there to rate? If anything, this sounds like a musical written by a high school student who is not on the honor roll, using some simple open-source software, some duct tape, and maybe a well-trained hamster as a cheerleader. Best record of the year for 1998? Then again, not much good came out of 1998, if you ask me. Is the cause due to the limitations of what human beings can do with 7 chords? 2 stars, because I didn't hate it.

Nostalgia can be a bitch! How I recall listening to this, when it was my brother's turn to pick the music to listen to in the car... What a great album! What great memories! What great simplicity! 4 1/2 stars, only because the album isn't perfect.

The Youngbloods; maybe they should have chosen a different name for themselves? In movies, the "youngblood" is always the little upstart who ends up doing great things. This band did not... why? Of all the albums I've listened to on this list, this is the first one where I was able to play the album back-to-back 3 times in a row, and almost a 4th. What an absolute gem, for me. Oddly enough, I am not able to whistle or hum a tune of the album by heart, so only for this I am limiting the rating to 4-stars, but it really should be 5!!!

If there is such a thing as "cup of tea", this was not mine... Having listened to the Jean Michelle's of the '80s, I could have been spared the Air of the '90s Having said all that, it is worth 2 stars as it isn't total crap.

Nothing against our good buddy Lam, but, seeing as I don't know what he's singing about, I am having a hard time getting into the groove! One thing I don't understand is the complaining people have done regarding the "simple" production, bad synth sounds et al... I say; what-ev's! 3 Stars just to bat par!

Sade, the woman who marked an entire generation, because not everyone might have admitted they liked her music, everyone kept listening when one of her songs was being played on the radio. Should be 5 🌟 but to be fair to other artist, I will give her 4 1/2 instead. But what a joy to listen to this week.

Undeniable is the fact that, for most of the songs on this album, one gets a Party vibe... freak out! Undeniable is the fact that the groove is Tight! Undeniable is the fact that, from a musician standpoint, they knew what they were doing! Undeniable is the fact that ALL songs last TOO long... which is a shame!

Floppy fish! I guess that's how many of us will always remember FNM... that, or their nod to the Commodores! Rating this album isn't as easy though. I guess there's a love-hate thing going on, and it's something that I've been noticing on one too many albums since starting this journey, and that is that there are too many songs that last just 30 seconds too long... even Epic So, 3 stars... but I enjoyed the listen... but 3 stars... Also, as a last thought, I was reading how many people seem to compare FNM to RHCP... and I don't get it. They have in common that both bands were around at the same time, and that neither bands was making the kind of music popular at that moment. RHCP, in the end, were more commercially successful, but I'd say that this has to do with better publicist most likely. John Frusciante is an amazing guitarist, but brother Martin sounds better, at least on this album, and in my humblest of opinions...

Yeah, nah.

Before autotune we had "Talk Box" technology! What a gem of an album! What a treat to pretend that you are somewhere in the audience, throwing back a beer, hitting the bong, or just passing along the beach ball, and being lucky to have had good sound engineers tape this show! Sure, not all songs are 5 stars, but taken as a whole, if you like electric guitar driven music, this is a must listen!

I actually enjoyed this much more than I thought I was going to. Though frequently at a loss as to what the gentlemen are trying to tell me, the flow of the rhymes, the beats, and the way that Kung Fu movies are intermixed, make the entire thing soooooo much better than similar innercity rap albums. ... and I learned how to properly pronounce GZA and RZA... Fo-SHZA!

BRNG In their defense, I don't believe I heard a lot of their stuff back in the '00s Then again, very little good stuff was coming out in the '00s So, yeah, not for me. Amazed at how many listens their songs get, 1 tune at 425 million, another at 768 million, and a third showing off at 807 million If only Mink DeVille would get that kind of attention... but no, because that is not what makes the young kids happy...

Wow, What's not to like? And to think that, for all these years, I wasn't aware that one of my favorite Jeff Buckley songs happens to be a Nina Simone cover: Lilac Wine. Saw a documentary on Netflix about Nina her life, and now listening to this album, I feel her pain, her anger, her sadness, her love. And then there's the cover art! 5*****

Depending on one's state-of-mind while listening to this album, one might wish to light up a joint, nurse the hangover, or bang year head against a wall till you stop hearing anything but your heart-thumping in your ear. Somewhere, they will use this album as torture techniques to get the hardest bastards to start talking. And in any hostal, or backpacker inn, all across the world, this album is staple of the daily playlist... 2 ** because I will respect the effort... but Jezus H Christ, this gets old fast.

The link to the album on Spotify showed me that which frustrates me about that platform at times, which is that, in the case of for this specific album, most of the songs were greyed out. However, searching for the song "Into You" took me to an album called "Under a Groove CD1"... What is there to say about the album? Some of the stuff is excellent, other stuff even more so, and then some more less... However, why why why do these funk albums all have to have tracks that go on for ever and ever and ever? For me, it is impossible to pick a favorite song from the album, however, the most memorable one, and probably my pick for my "1001 Album play list" will be "P.E. Squad" as I could have sworn that I was listening to the soundtrack of almost any '70s porn flick!

Never heard of this band before, at least, not that I can recall hearing of them before... and that kind of settles that. Not that the album is bad, it has it's merits, and I'm sure that there are plenty of people who will place this album in their top 10 all time, but those persons probably were born after 1999... There's no point in dragging most of these songs out for so damn long. And the singer has nothing to do with Dylan. And stop comparing this with '80s music, the only '80s relation is the sound of the snare drum, and at times a slight The Waterboys vibe, however, just by mentioning this, I feel like I've blasphemed as The Waterboys are sooooooooooo much better than this. 2 ** for the effort

I am a huge fan of Pink Floyd, but no fan of Genesis. I really like Marillion, but hardly know Yes's repertoire... Back in the middle '90s I tagged along to a Rush concert, and when I say tagged, I mean we first killed a case of beer amongst 5 of us, then we hit a tailgate, then a couple more pints... and the entire concert was a rush to many, but a total blur to me. If only I could go back in time... Obviously, I am familiar with "Tom Sawyer", mean, mean pride teh-de-deh-de-deh-de, and now I am familiar with 2112, and I must admit that I will be playing this album a couple more times the coming weeks. That and I fear that I have just added a 20-minute-long song to my 1001 play list :-0

The Good: the musicians know what they are doing The Bad: only 6 songs last less than 2 minutes... The Ugly: the singing Honestly, why is this album on the list? It influenced west coast bands in the '80s? The female singer tries to sing like Blondie, and fails miserably. Maybe they were a wonderful to see live? Maybe... 2** because musically it would be unfair to dish out only 1... but I am writing this upon my first listening, which means I can still change my mind. You guessed it... changed my nind

Shall I be the skipping record and repeat all that others have said before me? Dylan might be an auteur, and technically speaking a chansonnier, but his delivery shouldn't be something applauded... And then, while I am typing this, "Just Like a Woman" plays, and you forget about the fact that Dylan doesn't have a pretty voice, and you lose yourself in the magic that can be music. So, 3 1/2 ***

Top-20 album, in my opinion. What's not to love about a little swing every now and again? And, only today realized that "Night Train" is the song being played in Back to the Future right before Marty digs into "Johnny B Good"! Buona sera, good night!

Fuck Da Police... How about Fuck This Shit?

First time I heard of Moby, probably 1995, it was not my thing. By the time Play came out, I guess my musical taste had evolved to one accepting more modern music. I bought the CD, I played the CD, I loved the CD. Giving this 4**** as I was unable to fully enjoy the album--there are a couple of tunes skip-worthy for sure.

Starts of dyno-mite! Not the biggest Doors fan in the world, and though the album is better than several others ones' I've had the displeasure of having to listen to, I know 100s that are better... But that's my opinion...

What's there to say? It's EDM... from 1978... People were trying to be like John Travolta when this came out, in their white leasure suit, pointing fingers in the air, which makes it amazing. Also, anytime you can hear a thick German accent, it's worth a listen... Metropolis!

Never heard of them... was dreading to have to sit through an EDM or techno album, and my first listen was anything but joyful. Then I gave the album a second "spin"... and I find it infectiously fun! Though I wouldn't go so far as to call this Rock, or whatever, but I can see why there are so many people more than happy to see this album on the list, and to think I was convinced that nothing noteworthy has been created since the '90s ;-) 4****

WTF? I don't even know where to start... what the hell is Post-Rock? And, if that is a musical genre, what kind of genre is it? Google has only managed to confuse me more... Does "being experimental" mean that you are included in this musical journey? I thought the idea of having something that is good to listen to would be the main criteria... So, for now, having to sit through a 20+-minute intro song, which goes so far as making me wonder if my sound-system is broken around minute 14:04, really makes me dislike Tortoise. Maybe my second listening of the album will make me change my mind... Okay, second listening, and my thought has now shifted to "okay, so it's several styles of music being created by instruments that aren't standard for those styles. Still not liking it.

I can understand why there are so many people raving about this album, or about the group. However, I can't share the sentiment... Not a fan. 1*

At times I was really enjoying this modern, jazzy version of tango... At the end of the day, I'd rather listen to the authentic tango than this. But worth the listen.

The good: tight production, real craftmanship when it comes to instruments, nice lyrics, and an overall sense of "why was The Gun Club never featured in Quinten T movie? The bad: JLP's vocals... they do get under your skin after a while, then again... The ugly: instant skip if you don't like rock-a-billy!

Sometimes I just wish that Bruce would not try to sing, and what's with the crappy guitar solo on "Prove It All Night"? Though the album isn't bad, it isn't something I find sufficiently pleasing to my tender ears for repeat consumption... 2 1/2 stars ***

So, my younger brother, back in the '90s, started listening to these guys, and I recall the "rock" stations playing The Dan with high frequency... and I didn't like it a bit. I'd even go so far to say that I hated it. I was dreading the day that The Dan would pop up, and I would have to "force" myself to sit through an entire album... Damnit... 4* Would have been 5*, however, one needs to make distinction

Wow. Though it does not reach the level of FM's Opus, this album sure was a treat to listen to several times today! And I will play it several more times in the coming weeks. A solid 4**** bordering on 5...

Don't know what to think... One side of me says "this is contrived" The other side of me says "this is forced" That leaves me in the middle saying to both my sides "that's the same, you idiots" Hearing Lou's voice for a second was nice, and it even gave me hope for a second that I would find a killer song on this album, and then there was no more Lou. There are some songs that are pretty good, however, the voice... If you would get a crooner to sing these songs, you'd probably have a solid 4* album, but this voice... 2**

What a year, '77, checking the releases in that year makes one wonder what was in the water. From disco, to punk, to pop, to funk, to r'n'r, to new wave, to glam There are 2 albums released that year which are TOP10 all time for me, and this one isn't one of them. However, excellent album and oh so close to being a 5*!

When I saw that the album-du-jour was Tommy, I was all excited, as I'd never really listened to that album, but am well aware of the Rock Opera... I could have skipped this album without a doubt as it didn't meet my expectations one bit. Yes, Pinball Wizard is an excellent song, but the rest of album was... annoying. There are better "concept" albums out there in my humblest of opinion... 2*

Though I've complained about monotonous music before, I should be fair and do that here as well... Yet the Zeitgeist got me sooooo hard! Pretty In Pink 5*

You can bang the gong all you like, it still won't make me dig the rest of the album....

Second The Who album in 3 days, and what a whopper! Though I barely could sit through "Tommy", I had a blast listening to this gem! So close to being a 5*

Totally unfamiliar with Burning Spear, and actually pretty unfamiliar when it comes to reggae in the first place--except for the world hits by Bob and Peter. Which basically made this an interesting surprise. Don't consider me a reggae convert; O won't start smoking the ganja, dreadlocks in the hair, convert to rastafarianism, or become a huge fan of the colors red, green and yellow. But I'll play this album again, and sway side to side, and maybe start reading a little more about the political messages hidden within.

Though one can find some enjoyable tunes on the record, I would argue that better albums were released and/or recorded in this period. Not worth more than second listen, I m giving this 2 stars

When I was listening to track #3, I had to wonder what the fuzz is all about... the first 3 songs fit perfectly on the soundtrack of a '70s porn flick. Then Exodus starts playing, and the rest was just a lovely blur!

Though the second listening was kore enjoyable than the first one, each day I am trying to understand better what the criteria is to have an album listed as one of the 1001 you need to listen to? This album isn't bad, but what makes this album better than countless other bands I have not found on this list? The potpourri of styles, ranging from '60s folk through '80s alternative is okay, but nothing special... then again, I was never a fan of modern music coming from Liverpool, and seeing as this is constantly mentioned about the artist involved I say whatev's

I wouldn't be able to recall all the times that Bye Bye Mrs American Pie was belted out in favorite college bar back in the day, and truth be told I never noticed that the song was that long... guess that is what happens when you are having some drinks with good friends; time flies! And then we add Starry Starry night to the mix, and smiles appear. Misfortunate for the rating that several of the songs seem to be carbon-copies of others though... 4****

What a nice and relaxing joy this album is to listen to... and what great musicians. When it comes down to jazz, I've always had a slight soft spot for the "Brazilian" influenced versions, so this album was a lovely surprise!

Fun for a bit, always better than Gangsta Rap, but it becomes pretty darn boring after a while... 2** as I don't want to offend

I think that I've played the record about 5 times in the last 2 days, and that is normally the sign of a 5***** album, but that's not how it ends. Call me crazy, but several times I was expecting The Cure to start belting out the tunes... so, nice album, but 4****

For many he's close to god-like, to me, he's annoying. This album has no merit at all.

Finally, I thought, when I saw Metallica show up... This is the band that I've seen live more than any other mayor act, and always had a great time! Albums... that is not where their strength lies... I adore the song "One" as it is just raw as shit, and bangs you from left to right to up to down. Rest of the album I could have easily skipped... but that is my opinion. 3*** just because of One

Yes... I mean... No... Though I can agree with the viewpoints of many; stating this is the birth of EDM, that for the period when this was conceived it was groundbreaking, or that the group has created such a massive catalogue of music that it is impossible to overlook them. And yet, after listening... nay, after subjecting myself to this modern version of water-torture, I can but say that I am not a fan. 2** stars, as I'd rather listen to this for the rest of my life than several of the abject crap that I have labelled 1*

Though I am trying to keep an open mind regarding my journey... this is the 3rd The Who album within the first 100 albums I am listening to, and truth be told, I am getting a little bored with The Who. Thus, considering that the link to Spotify made me listen to an expanded version, I'd rather have listened to the original 5-6 odd tracks on the album. And while we are on it, why is this album considered one of the best live albums ever? From a production standpoint, I will agree that it was very well recorded, so good job there. But I'd rather listen to Jimmy Hendrix live, or Clapton, or Queen, or something else... Here's me waiting for the 1001 journey to start amazing me again...

Not a fan. Not a single song that I was thinking "yeah, let's hear that again" Reading his bio on Wiki, I can but only get the impression that he's heralded as a great influence because it gives us a reason to put a spotlight on mental-health... Removing those artists who either took their own lives intentionally, or accidentally, there are plenty of great artists out there who don't feel the need to shoot up, drink up, or stab themselves in the stomach because they don't agree with the girlfriend hiding in the bathroom and taking a shower... 1*

This has been an eye opener, what a lovely surprise after a couple of disappointing albums. I wish we could score with half stars as this is a 4 1/2 * album all the way through, but not 5...

As this is the first time listening to this band, at least, to my knowledge, I do my best to keep an open mind.... So here's what that mind has to say: Can we NOT sing with this faux falsetto voice? Big fans of The Prodigy and/or Frans F are we? Stop trying to be, just be! I like the beat, I like the chords, I like the overall feeling of this album, but I can't get over the voices and my urge to just punch them in the face. 3* for the effort.

Bought this album in early 2000s, hoping that it would be like Pablo Honey, containing another Creep... This is what I got... Karma Police in my head all day! With time, my appreciation for the album sure has increased, but it would be nice if we'd be a little more "chipper" or "up-beat" every now and again... even a Blues album gives you something to smile about. 4*

Not a CW fan, but did enjoy the listen, and will enjoy the listen again I am sure. 3 1/2*

Being an old fart, I know how HUGE this album was back in the day. Not just with the sales generated, but the cross-over effect it had. Period. Waterfall, top 200 song all time no problem. And anyone who covers a Prince-song gets an additional point. 3*

Really? I recall PSB having a couple of hits, none belonging to this album... Snooze

The late great JJ... must be a drag to know that, as a band, she was the one made you and then just went off to do her own thing. Lovely listen, but not something to write home about, so right down the middle we go....

I don't know if this is coincidence, however, yesterday's album was Big Brother & The Holding Company, and today we get this... Giving this 2* because it didn't make me happy, nor did it piss me off like some of the real garbage albums I am being presented with on my journey. Also, electric jug; really?

As I was not familiar with the artist, I read comments from others and got all excited about listening to the album... The good, his voice! How refreshing to listen to someone just sing and not try and be a million things in one! The bad, repetitive... for me. After a couple of songs I was ready for the album to be over with... However, to stay positive, probably the best album produced in the past 5 years I've had the pleasure of listening to.

Nice, and great throwback to the '90s Sabotage is a classic to rival all classic songs. The rest, is okay.

Caveat: I was a teenager during the '80s During the period when The Associates were creating their music, I was in the midst of a musical transition from Stevie Wonder (Songs in the Key of Life) to Prince (Purple Rain), and most of what we called New Wave was overlooked by me until the end of that decade... I've listened to the album 3 times in the past 18 hours, and I will listen to it at least 1 more time, not because it is worth 5*, but because this old man is enjoying the momories of highschool parties, weird hair cuts, and monochromatic clothes that abounded those lovely years!

One can not deny that this music is for the lethargic ones amongst us, as you are pumped with energy, or rage, the moment the album starts doing its thing. And that is where the problem lies: its thing. Angsty suburban rapper with almost the same cadence throughout the album, followed by our screamer screaming stuff... in the end, it doesn't really matter... A solid 1 1/2* as I don't want to piss off the fanboys, and girls, out there.

The Good: this album does contain a classic song in There She Goes The Bad: after she is gone, there really isn't a reason to stay around The Ugly: why do people keep expecting Liverpool to be the bedrock of good music???

The Good: Annie Lennox's vocals and lyrics! Superb The Bad: aside from These Dreams, the songs are too "experimental" in the sense of "look how high falutin we are using ambient sounds" without really drawing the listener in The Ugly: one too many tracks should have been cut down to under 3 minutes Still, it is an all-in-all '80s classic, and it merits 3* for production value alone

The Good: though at first I was not enjoying this album at all, by the third spin it has started to grow on me a lot more. The Bad: if Joni is to be considered one of the best female performers out there, then how many other ones belong to the ranking of "the best"? The Ugly: that darn falsetto... I am struggling on what score to give this album, seeing as it is starting to grow on me... maybe if I had started listening to Joni Mitchell earlier in my life I would give this album a 4 1/2*, for now a solid 3*

The Good: 2 Bryans. The Bad: different spellings of the name, resulting in different styles. The Ugly: different styles are preventing the listener to get into a flow. Though the above seems negative, I find the album pretty enjoyable to listen to over and over. But it remains difficult to shake off the feeling that, instead of embracing the Glam they eventually would, here they are trying to be too many things at the same time... Do The Strand is classic RM, In Every Dream Home A Heartache is classic LZ IMHO... Would give it 4*...

The Good: FUNK The Bad: FUNK The Ugly: FUNK As Flea from the RHCP stated that when you combine fucking with fun you get FUNK... well, after 1 1/2 songs I was done fucking. Yes, the album has great merit, and the groove is tighter than a virgins clam... but damnit, it's soooooooo repetitive that you just want to start hitting the skip button after 2 minutes instead of sitting out another 6-minute ode to the funk. 3* as I am note stupid

The Good: The BEATLES The Bad: no revolution 2 through 8 The Ugly: too much of this, not enough of that Yes, "the white album" is viewed by critics as one of, if not THE best album ever recorded. I am not a critic, I just enjoying listening to music and finding out if my head will sway left and right... more importantly, whether or not I will find myself yearning to listen to the album again for the coming days. For the moment, I have not found myself yearning too much. Though I have to say that Revolution 9 is an AWESOME recording, and will most likely be the tune I pick as selection for my 1001 album playlist. Though initially I thought I would choose While My Guitar Gently Weeps, I have to say that I was disappointed in the terrible guitar playing--Prince just raised the bar too much with his solo in this version https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SFNW5F8K9Y Anyway, yes, great songwriting, and the fab4 are/were great musicians, but this is not my favorite Beatles album. 4* stars due to the classic tunes on here, but it should be 3*

The Good: U2 explains to us that you can't leave things behind. The Bad: If you can't leave things behind, you don't look back. The Ugly: As U2 doesn't know how to look back, they forgot how to make great RnR and just morphed their efforts into adult-contemporary blandness. Then again, I am old, thus an adult, and taking the cue from U2, I don't leave things behind, and so I will just continue removing lint from my bellybutton while enjoying the soothing sounds of grown-up U2 3*

The Good: the artwork on the album cover The Bad: that I had to refer to the cover of the album as something good The Ugly: a catalogue of music which has been abused in series/movies To be fair, the production is solid, the album contains 5 hits which puts it on a different level than many other, mediocre, productions. But the hits are too bland, and when this album came out I was not excited... and neither am I now. 3* because of the 5 hits.

The Good: Rock 'n Roll The Bad: only 37 odd minutes The Ugly: album cover... I remember buying this album in the early '90s, because I owned the album Pump and wanted to listen to some more Aerosmith, and recalled how, in the '80s Run DMC had introduced a whole new crowd to this band thanks to Walk This Way. I remember listening to the album, well, technically speaking it was a cassette as back then most cars did not have CD players yet and nobody ever had a record player in their car.... I digress... listening to this album and it was NOT what I had hoped for, as this is more raw, and Pump is polished, and modern Rock, and this is old man rock.... Yet, I fist pumped the air today when I saw that I had this album to listen to as just the other day I watched Dazed and Confused and still had Sweet Emotions running through my head. So do I like the album today? Hell yes. 4* As for the haters who can't stop calling Tyler a pedophile... and therefore not appreciate this album: your loss.

The Good: we've got boobs on the album cover The Bad: it was the only thing that got my attention The Ugly: noise I know that The Pixies are revered by one-a-many persons. Heralded as the founders of Grunge (though I thought that dubious title fell on Mr. Young) and adored at festivals, they never caught my attention as I find this music to be nothing but noise and some this and that. Sure, there are tunes that resemble good music, but the overall gist of this album for me is to look at the cover and ponder all that could have been...

The Good: Solid Punk! The Bad: It's Punk! The Ugly: Punk is meant to be ugly... The Clash are iconic, which is a good thing. Meant to be heard live, which is a shame as that will not be possible until they invent a time-travel-machine. I am [underscore][bod]NOT[/underscore][/bold] a punk fan in general, but I really enjoyed listening to a bunch of friends getting together to just express their sentiments. If you compare this to "modern" punk, the American Idiots, then this far outshines the other unmentionable album. So, I am conflicted on what score to give this... kind of want to give it a 4*, but I will shoot middle of the road instead.

The Good: There were actually several songs where I thoroughly enjoyed the beat. The Bad: Please tell me all about social (in)justice. The Ugly: Forced. I don't have any issues with people wanting to express their viewpoints on this that and the other thing... but I am sick and tired of having to listen to the same (c)rap since the '80s pointing fingers to all but the own damn community--sorry, this is supposed to be about music, not about politics, but this, for me, is a political album and I am tired of politics. Would have been 3*

The Good: the medical reference to the album The Bad: the white blood cells are incapable of doing their job. The Ugly: again I need to wonder why certain albums are included in this list.... A wasn't a huge fan of the White Stripes when they emerged on the scene, and after listening to this album I can understand why I am still NOT a fan. So many indie bands that are million times better. Don't get me wrong, you can have this album playing in the background and you'd not notice... which is good and bad. Still, not to my liking. 2*

The Good: MnM knows how to weave language The Bad: just weaving won't make a great suit The Ugly: out-dated on certain songs Still, MnM is able to start telling a story and keep you listening, and in the case of a song like "Stan" can keep you coming back for more and more... Of all the hip-hop, till now, my favorite album. 3*

The Good: The Queen of odd! The Bad: sometimes odd is meant to be good. The Ugly: it took "Stranger Things" to bring this to the masses... During my college days a good buddy of mine handed me a mixed-tape, cause that is what one did back in the days when we still used tapes... Anyway, the song Cloudbusting was on it, and I recall really appreciating the tune, however, as one would need to purchase an album for 1 song, I never did. So, this was a great trip down memory lane for me, and more interestingly was that I really enjoyed the LP. 4*

The Good: actual fun rock to listen to. The Bad: too much forced usage of feedback. The Ugly: at times too poppy. Really enjoyed the album, but could not shake the feeling that they are trying harder instead of actually being... You know what I mean? 3 1/2* which will translate to 4

The Good: awesome cover album. The Bad: Willie could have mixed it up a little more. The Ugly: not enough outlaw on this here record. Loved it. Period.

The Good: something different for a change. The Bad: tunes tend to last a little too long for my taste. The Ugly: I felt like having a drink and a cigar... I purchased this album when it came out as a birthday gift to my best friend, and she just looked puzzled at me at the time. Due to this I never listened to this album, which I now regret as it is more than lovely. It is smooth, and raw, and exciting, and boring all at the same time. Thoroughly enjoyed the ride, and have already listened to it 3 times today. Solid 4*

The Good: songs are short. The Bad: early Feargal Sharkey. The Ugly: Feargal Sharkey. So yeah, short songs are good, and pop punk just isn't. But I did enjoy it once I realized I was listening to good ol' Feargal, whom most people only know for that '80s smash A Good Heart. Gonna give this 2 1/2*

The Good: The Best Live Double Album according to the experts at NME The Bad: It isn’t all live… The Ugly: I’m not a massive Thin Lizzy fan… Boy oh boy, this one I had to sit through… and hope for time to go flying by. Undeniable that there are some toe tappers on the album, so it wasn’t all wasted time. Still, I could have done with a “normal” live album, instead of two...

The Good: non-grunge in the ´90s era. The Bad: it isn´t grunge in the ´90s era. The Ugly: trying to figure out if Dog Man Star is a reference to the album cover, and if so… Don´t really know what to think about this album. I like certain numbers, then just kind of wonder what the hell they were thinking with other ones. Personally I believe this should have been released years earlier for it to be viewed as avant-garde… now it´s neither avant, and obviously there was no garde as you can see by the album cover. 3*

The Good:Recorded in the Windy City. The Bad: It has nothing to do with the Windy City. The Ugly: An album that lasts about 40 minutes too long… Wilco… wasn´t into them when they were current, and currently couldn´t be bothered. Annoying vocals, instrumentations okay, overall an album that can be skipped… 2* because I´m nice like that...

The Good: All the lads did get a haircut before the album cover was shot. The Bad: The autumn leaves probably screwed with their karma. The Ugly: 2 members are either really cold, or 4 members are really hot… There´s the ´80s we all love, and then there´s the ´80s that only a few people recall. I belong to the first group, and that group couldn´t be bothered by a inventive bandname, nor an un-explainable album name. However, I did enjoy the jazzy aspect of this here new-wave which was copied by several bands afterwards to much greater success. Thus, 3* even if they only deserve 2

The Good: my first ´ol blue eyes album on this list. The Bad: it isn´t what I would call a good one. The Ugly: it made me feel ´ol myself… Seriously, I was all excited that my Sunday was being blessed by an album of one of the greatest singers in modern music… and after a couple of songs, as well as several images of a Scorcese movie flashing through my mind, I was done thinking about how to clip the next wiseguy… Tedious after a while. Yet, if you add any of these songs to a random playlist you would be more than happy to be listening to it… now that´s what I call irony. 3* which should be 4 1/2

The Good: They aren't pretending anything! The Bad: They have bad taste in clothes… The Ugly: only 47 minutes and 2 seconds long… What an absolute joy to listen to. I believe that I was familiar with 2 Pretenders songs, gratefully now I am familiar with more! Off to give them there well deserved 4*… oh so close to 5*

The Good: AC/DC The Bad: finding neighbor's who don't mind me blasting this album at full volume! The Ugly: The look on my neighbor’s face when the police scolded him for complaining about AC/DC!!! 5*

The Good: King of the Blues live! The Bad: live albums can be a little too exciting than reality showed it to be. The Ugly: this album will make you blue... I love me some BB, and thankfully the album isn't too long. Probably the best live version of How Blue Can You Get? 3* because of the above

The Good: the Queen of Soul The Bad: the album I was directed to on Spotify had the first 3 songs of the album repeated at the end of the album The Ugly: it was only 3 songs, should have been all songs... Killer album of killer songs sung by a killer voice. 5*

The Good: great classic rock! The Bad: too many jam songs. The Ugly: no weed no joy... Of I were interested in listening to a jam band, I'd go and see them live... 3* just because, but I don't believe I will be listening to this album again soon, and I love rock, and blues...

The Good: it seems we are going on a sailing trip… The Bad: nobody clearly explained to us where the trip is heading… The Ugly: once we reached our destination we realized we are all screwed… WOW. I’ve listened to this album many times over the years, but since starting this 1001 journey, at least for with several albums, I’ve started paying attention closer to what the lyrics actually mean, and this album is a gut-wrencher. I always appreciated Randy’s songs, the ones that I was very familiar with, but today I shed a tear during the ¨Old Man¨ song, what a harsh story he is telling there. And most of the songs on this album are just that, in your face, harsh stories, but told with such simple charm that you need to really make an effort to find out what’s really going on. And by that time, you can but only applaud the genius of Randy. 5*

The Good: Iggy The Bad: Iggy in 1969 The Ugly: supposed punk… I don’t much care for punk music in general, and can not understand why I’ve had to listen to this album seeing as there is much better product to listen to from that era. So shoot me for giving this album a 1* for the simple reason that I felt like skipping each song after listening to it for more than 15 seconds...

The Good: The Band The Bad: The Band The Ugly: The Band Maybe it is due to me playing catch-up on my listening, but I am finding it difficult to listen to this album today. I also need to take into consideration that this is the 4th album in a row from late ‘60s era, and I am getting a little sick and tired of the late ‘60s era trying to figure out what era it is. In order not to screw up the ratings too much, I will give this album a 3* due to the fact that I recognize the importance of The Band when it comes to modern music, but I would really want to give this album 2*

The Good: RnR The Bad: one too many WOAWWWW The Ugly: listening to this might cause confusion… I am trying to figure out what punk has to do with this? Most of the songs sounded like a bad impression of what Little Richard would do with a song. Guess that means that Little Richard is the grandfather of punk??!!?!??!??!! Reserving my stars for other albums… 2* because, though annoying, the album does not make you want to skip songs and at times even gives energy.

The Good: Muddy Waters The Bad: third time Mannish Boy was recorded by him The Ugly: there wasn’t a fifth time! I believe that I was put in a trance while listening to this album… so I decided to play it a second time, and again I believe I was put in a trance, so I decided to play it a third time, and… Reading what the actual meaning of the song Mannish Boy really is, made me appreciate the song even more, and to think it is in 1 key… brilliant. 4* because that’s how I roll

The Good: jazzy hip-hop The Bad: doesn’t age well The Ugly: annoying drum-machine I really wanted to like this, but the damn drum machine is getting on my nerves so badly, that I fear there’s a 1* rating heading towards the Tribe This has NOT aged well at all. Give me Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia) and I will give it a 4*, but this… 1*

The Good: a bunch of songs in the same key! The Bad: only a double album. The Ugly: it isn’t his best album… I had a massive smile on my face when this album popped up, and I’ve listened to it 3 times since, as this album is a the soundtrack of 3 formative years of my life. Favorite song has always been Ebony Eyes, and yet on playlists, most people will opt for As, Isn’t She Lovely, Sir Duke, I Wish, Black Man, or any of the other MASSIVE songs on this album… and then most people react to the fact that “hey, Coolio actually covered one of his songs”… makes me sad as it means all those persons had never heard about this album prior. This is a must hear album that should be mandatory listening in school! 10000000000*

The Good: Minimalist album cover! The Bad: Minimalist music… The Ugly: the mislabeling of this album being “Krautrock” which this isn’t at all. Never heard of this group before, and have to say that I was pleasantly surprised. Sound-wise, one could argue that they are ahead of their time, like contemporary artists such as Kraftwerk et al Will dish out 3* as I don’t believe this album will become part of frequent listens, however, worth a spin once a year...

The Good: Who doesn’t like it when it is evident which color to apply? The Bad: However, what if I don’t agree with the indicated color? The Ugly: That the British keep pestering us with the word Colour… Loved it! Brought me back to my youth, and also made me realize that, though a massive Pop band, they knew how to play their instruments, and Boy George has some more than impressive pipes on him. It would be 5, but it isn’t perfect...

The Good: S to the N to OOP and the D O G The Bad: It’s rap music... The Ugly: G-Funk rap music… Oddly enough, in comparison with The Chronic, which I hated, Snoop does have something enjoyable to listen to. Guess there is a little less bravado in his rhyming, and more of a “I’ll shank ya if ya don’t like it!” kind of thing. Going to go against my gut, and dish out a 3*...

The Good: There are lions in the jungle… The Bad: The lion hasn’t been able to eat anything for a while, and it’s getting hungry… The Ugly: I guess the mess the lion will leave behind once he’s able to kill something… Yes, as you can tell, there isn’t much positive I can say about this album. I have had to sit through 4 hip-hop albums this week, and thought this one isn’t the worst of them all, my level of irritation is. So please, if you happen to belong to the fan club of Jungle Brothers, don’t cry about my low score… cry about the poor family of whomever it was that the lion ate! 1*

The Good: Golden Hour is the best time to take pretty pictures! The Bad: The cover shot on the album was NOT taken during Golden Hour. The Ugly: even if they would have shot the picture during Golden Hour, it would not have made the experience prettier… If this is supposed to be country, what do cowboys listen to now-a-days? If mrs Mulgrave would have done her versions of ‘80s classic songs, which is what this album begs for, maybe I would have had a better time… Imagine her version of “The Reflex” or “Wildboys”, and I don’t know why I am using Duran Duran tunes as example… Sure, the album has production quality, however, seeing as this is the modern Nashville sound, it better. And yet, all this album does is make me want to skip track after track. 1* as I CAN NOT UNDERSTAND WHY THIS IS PART OF THE LIST

The Good: The Boss The Bad: Having to look at his ass on the cover… The Ugly: The tucked red baseball cap in the right pocket, which we all know is code for… To think that I never listened to the album when it came out… at least, I can’t recall sitting down and listening to it. I did have a friend in high school who was totally into the Boss and tried to get me to start listening to him, instead, I spend my hard saved cents on Van Halen’s ¨1984¨as well as the glorious ¨Purple Rain¨… Thus, decades later, I sit here and wonder why my supposed intelligence did not tell me ¨go ahead, take a listen to the Boss, as there has to be a reason they call him such…¨ In the best of faith I am not allowed to give this album 5*, though it sure gets close to that ranking. Instead, I will give this a more than solid 4 1/2* as hours later I am still whistling ¨my home town¨ and analyzing the piano portion of ¨born in the USA¨ Awesome album, and greatful to have finally ¨forced myself¨ to listen to it!!! 4 8/10*

The Good: Who doesn’t like an Arcade? The Bad: Except when it’s on fire… The Ugly: Who goes to a funeral for fun? Why is it so difficult for these modern bands to just understand that rock and roll is about having fun? Stop trying to reinvent the wheel, chug 3 chords, and just be a band, instead of a close knit group of friends who are all showing off that they are multi-instrumentalist and therefor will include sounds just to be different. I am a big fan of Indie music, but not this contrived crap… 1*

The Good: In your face, without getting intrusive! The Bad: needs more cowbell… The Ugly: that cover picture of the album does NOT invite a loving glance… In comparison to confreres of theirs in the musical stratosphere of bands from the ‘70s that start with “The” and adhere to a 1-2-1-2-3-4-bang principle, this was actually very enjoyable experience. I can hear a little Elvis Costello, I hear a little later New-Wave, there’s much appreciate sense of rhythm and musicality that goes past 3 chords… Overall The Jam have won an extra star for making me enjoy a psuedo punk album! Hurray!!! 4*

The Good: We’ve got Kung Fu sounds again! The Bad: ‘70s sound effects where great on 36 Chambers… The Ugly: The grill… I mean, who came up with that concept??? Of all the rap from the ‘90s I have had the (dis)pleasure of listening to on this list, I find that anything WuTang related is the only palpable stuff (except for Snoop and M&M) I can set myself to listen to, and actually enjoy. So, here’s to the Method Man making me enjoy rap a little bit more! 3*

The Good: McCartney was drinking Red Bull before it even existed, and that is how he got his wings… The Bad: Too much Red Bull is not good for you… The Ugly: I don’t see the band running in the picture, which means we’ve been lied to!!! You’ve got to hand it to Sir Paul, he sure knew how to write catchy tunes, ensuring more attention, adoration, or hatred, for his music. Me, listening to this album, I was brought back to a part of my childhood, where things were all simple and wonderful, as the world was starting to present itself to me, via adventures, bumps and scraps, and glasses of lemonade. Though for my taste the record only deserves 3*, I’ve got to add the additional one to show respect to the genius that Sir Paul is… that, and I’ve had to listen to 5 crap records in a row, so that might have clouded my judgement….

The Good: THE RAMONES!!! The Bad: their kind of repetitive… The Ugly: Did I mention that they are kind of repetitive??? Hey, ho, let’s go! What a wonderful way to start your morning. No fist-pump, just an angry stare, and ready to go! Just don’t pay attention to the recording quality… or the way Joey likes to “Bop” which sounds like he’s taking the piss out of all of us, instead of out of the world… or that the rest of the album really sounds more like what a lollypop band from the ‘50s would sound like, if they were man in drag… I got tired of the record pretty darn fast, mostly as I was not able to understand if The Ramones were trying to fight the world, or give it an apple and become it’s favorite student. Not for me…2* out of respect for the legacy

The Good: Kate Bush tells us about a sensual world!! The Bad: just whispering does not make something sensual… The Ugly: too much whispering going on… I recall the first time I heard “This Woman’s Work”, it was, as should be, during that dramatic moment in the He Said / She Said flick, and it always stuck to me as a song that belonged on a soundtrack. So, decades later, I learn that a whole album was tied neatly around this tune, and that made me wonder what ever happened to the original soundtrack to the movie, as I am sure that it will be more enjoyable to listen to… for me. I am going to have to dish out 3* to this album, not because it pains me, but because it saddens me...

The Good: ‘90s indie rock! The Bad: that I did not, for whatever reason, listen to this during the ‘90s The Ugly: the album cover as Frank Black looks a lot like Frans Bauer… This album substantiates my rule that all albums need to be listened to at least twice before I can rate them, as I did not like it at all during first spin. However, by the end of the second spin I was already Bogart in Casablanca… Play it again Sam. I am no big fan of the Pixies, something that many friends of mine don’t understand due to my massive appreciation of ‘90s college radio music, so maybe I need to listen to several Pixies albums after I am done listening to Teenager Of The Year for the 5th time in 24 hours… 4* well deserved!

The Good: a band that is confident enough to name the record in third person reference to themselves... The Bad: it is a misnomer, even in third person, as it should have been The No... The Ugly: the bad prog... Oddly enough, I was always under the impression "Good People" was a The Who song... I should apologize to them... 1 1/2 * because they do know how to play their instruments, just not in a pleasant

The Good: We’ve been informed that Graffiti can be Physical… The Bad: We can’t figure out which song really explains this concept to us… The Ugly: This leaves us wondering if LZ is just trying to pull one over us… When I saw the cover of the album this morning, I fist pumped the air, then played the record, and again, and again… and it dawned on me what a tremendous drummer JB is. I mean, holy crap good. There’s a reason LZ is considered one of the best rock bands ever, and this album highlights all that is great about them! 5*

The Good: an Iron Butterfly, as we know it can spread its wings and not have to worry about damaging them The Bad: Iron is a heavy metal, thus causing the butterfly to not be able to fly… like, at all… The Ugly: watching such a butterfly try and flop its wings to get airlift… This is a tough one, as my album yesterday was Led Zeppelin IV, thus making any album of that epoch sound like crap… still, that title song did place me smack-daddy-in-the-middle of as The Garden of Eden… and the solo… I know we all are trying to air-drum ourselves out of this one! 3* for effort...

The Good: we learned something new today, and that is that Rust Never Sleeps… The Bad: if rust never sleeps, it means it just keeps expanding… The Ugly: the whole world covered in rust, and no sleep… nightmare! Let it be reiterated: I really don’t like Neil Young. Let is be noted: I actually enjoyed album, maybe because it is technically speaking a live album, and there is a real good groove going on, I don’t know… but I feel conflicted. The guitar work is awesome, the production work even better as you hardly notice it is live, and the harmonica work is eerily perfect. So what do I give this album? Should I deduct points for Neil being Neil? Needle is at the 3*, will give it one more listen, and see if the needle adds a point…

The Good: Amazing cover art! The Bad: Not a huge fan of the female lead singer… The Ugly: Turns out the lead singer is a he with massive falsetto… So, I tried liking the album. Listened to it twice, while doing some simple work so that I could focus on the music, the artistry, the all… and then I realized that I never liked glam rock to begin with, so why change now? This is just not my cup of tea… maybe tomorrow I might change my mind, but I doubt it… Hi, this is me tomorrow, and while I am giving the album a third spin the thoughts that pop into my head are: at times this sounds like ABBA, I can also understand why people are heralding this album as being fun, as it does have “spark”… But still no fan... 3* to play safe!

The Good: The Temptations! The Bad: It takes them too long to explain that their father was a rolling stone.. The Ugly: Expected soul, got funk I did not like. Imagine that the Foo Fighters release a new album which are all about covers of ‘70s evergreen songs… that’s how I felt with this album. Yes, Papa Was A Rolling Stone is a classic, but the damn thing just takes too long to start rolling, and once it does, it seems the hill it is rolling off is never ending and not that steep… 2* because I did NOT enjoy listening to this album.

The Good: I’ve played this album 4 times today! The Bad: Not a single song stood out… The Ugly: I feel like I’ve wasted 2+ hours… That sax… That mood… That je n'est-ce pas… Gonna give them Stooges a solid 4*!

The Good: A self-titled album is always nice! The Bad: you got to be into folky singer-songwriter music… The Ugly: I don’t belong to the group that is into this kind of music… Yes, she is important for music… but that doesn’t mean that she is important enough for me to care. The listening experience was non-memorable, and that should say enough… 2* because I’m not evil

The Good: Dylan applying Tesla The Bad: Too much AC, not enough DC The Ugly: The irony between Harmony and Harmonica… So, yeah, another Dylan album… and sadly, again I have to give a much higher score than I would like to. Does the man have a nice voice? No Should the man use his voice? Up for debate. Will the man surprise you with his craft? Absolutely! Solid 4* which is bordering on 5* if it weren't for the length of the last track...

The Good: People say EC = God The Bad: Some people say the earth is flat… The Ugly: Other people say a 1 + 1 = 3 TLDR is almost applicable to this album, as after a while you wonder what the hell the producers were thinking when they said “sure, go on for a bit more lads!” Little Wings was terrible, several of the tunes were just WAY too long and the artist trying too hard being Blue is way too evident… guess drugs are bad after all! Yet, one can not deny that, overall, the album is what it is, from a period that was what it was… so, 3 1/2 * that translate to 3, as we will downgrade due to excessive trying...

The Good: Rolling Stones sharp as knives The Bad: Knives can cut, and it seems we need to Let It Bleed… The Ugly: That we are celebrating this bleeding with a cake and a record… What is there to say, that hasn’t been said before? One of the greatest Rock n Roll bands ever… yet, on this album, on one too many songs, they are trying to be a straight from the Mississippi Delta, and that just hasn’t aged well. Gimme Shelter and You Can’t Always Get What You Want are on most people’s Top 50 Greatest tunes ever, which means 4* It would be 5* if there was more cohesion and less trying to be something they are not...

The Good: Witnessing a birth is magical! The Bad: Sometimes birthing comes with complications… The Ugly: There were no scissors to cut umbilical chord… Jazz. It’s its own thing. It has its own rhythms. It has its own chords. It has its own crowd. I am still scratching my head as to what, exactly, cool jazz is all about. To me, it sounds like the jazz that is used when people like to point out how different jazz is. It is quick, it is syncopated, it is jazz… 3* because Miles deserves respect

The Good: Any band where you can read the name backwards as well as forwards, deserves respect! The Bad: In the picture, the band members are NOT sitting in the ABBA format… The Ugly: This means that for this album they are BAAB, which is the short country version for Robbert… Love ‘em, hate ‘em, you have to respect them! 4 HUGE hits on this album… not hits, nay, HUGE hits. And thus, per HUGE hit, I will give a * while hummin’ to myself “knowing me, knowing you…” So close to 5*….

The Good: The Score had an interesting cast of Bobby DeNiro, Ed Norton, Angela Basset and the great Marlon Brando! The Bad: Even with such a stellar cast, the movie didn’t meet expectations. The Ugly: This album is the same… I am no fan of hip-hop, and I try to do my best to keep an open mind when listening to any hip-hop album that appears on the list. So, The Score shows and my thoughts are “NOOOOOOOOOOO……” When this album originally came out, the mid-90s were going through some serious identity crisis. We had the OJ trial which divided society in half, and just like you have today, it seems that if you weren’t on the “OJ is innocent” side, well then you must be a racist pig. If you couldn’t appreciate the effort The Fugees put into the album, and how great they are, then dito, you must be a racist pig. And that is my problem with this album. It is too political, too polarizing, too much trying to be something instead of being something. But the album was successful across the board, even if 2 of the 3 hits were pretty much cover songs, and that is something that was impressive enough. So, 3* as this little pig doesn’t like to squeal!

The Good: Who doesn’t appreciate an acronym for a band’s name? The Bad: Such a negative album title… or was “conflict” already taken? The Ugly: the obvious child-abuse as the poor kid had to get a bloody lip in order to be immortalized on this album cover… When this album came out, I was into totally different music, as were most of my friends, so aside from the usual suspects on this album, it was a pleasure listening to this album with virgin ears. Though U2 eventually turned into a carnival act, not of the good kind, this was prime stuff! Really enjoyed the album, and will play it several more times before the year is through. A solid 4*!!!

The Good: We start our listening experience off by being told we will have a “Good Time”… The Bad: The Good Time, so it seems never ends… The Ugly: Maybe we are being fooled; it is not about my good time, but about other people’s good, and be damned my good time! Undeniable that Good Time is a classic disco song… Undeniable that CHIC knows how to stick to a beat / rhythm / concept Undeniable that, as with the other damn album by CHIC on the 1001 list, I got bored, nay, BORED real fast. While I gave the other album 2* as I was acknowledging the musicianship on the album, this time around I am going to dish out a solid 1* Thank goodness disco died a quick death!

The Good: Nice album art The Bad: It’s Techno… The Ugly: TLDL Seriously, I have to sit through 75 minutes of bim-bam-bim-bam repeat if necessary? I like a nice short techno tune like the next person, but an entire album, which might as well be called a double album, with tunes lasting 15 damn minutes… I have encountered my second Waterloo on this list. 1*

The Good: Those shoes… The Bad: That drab purple… The Ugly: Me still not understanding what Bryter Layter really means… I believe that I’ve heard a couple of his songs on auto-generated playlists, or maybe even while listening to a classic rock station, but never did I sit through an entire album by Mr. Drake. Color me interested. 3 1/2* which I am bumping into the 4 stratosphere!

The Good: Horses enjoying a delightful afternoon munching on grass The Bad: The fact that I don’t have any grass… The Ugly: The state of my ears after having gauged them with pencils thanks to Mr. Gallahan’s “singing” I believe that this is album 176 for me, and I am really struggling to understand what the point of the 1001 list is… Though I am not keeping track, this is, yet again, another album where someone who should not be allowed to record his voice, is allowed to do so, and on top of that has made me waste 50 minutes of my day. Also: country? Really? Soon DeLaSoul will be listed as Jazz I guess. To all of you who are fans of Bill, I feel sorry for your loved ones who have to endure listening to this too. 1* because that’s the minimum I can give, if not it would be 0*

The Good: Nine Inch Nails The Bad: Being stuck on a downward spiral The Ugly: Trying to get out of the spiral without any of the nails puncturing you and causing pain, and blood, and anguish, and mayhem, and… Like the music, don’t like the music, impossible to ignore the impact that this album had on putting Industrial music in the spotlight, or the soundtrack of the cult classic Se7en! The album has put me in a slight trance all day, my wife hating the music coming from my speakers, while I just kept on keeping on with whatever I was doing. And to think that during the ‘90s I did not listen to this album ever… A solid 4* for certain!

The Good: The many ways one could misinterpret the title of the album The Bad: Considering the possibilities of misinterpretation of the title, now start misinterpreting the image on the album cover… The Ugly: all your dirty minds! What? So, Paul Weller, ex The Jam, ex Style Council, raconteur of this here album that I had never heard of before. And I am liking it. Setting aside the bithcin’ and moanin’ of plenty of people stating that this is drab, I think that this album is a clear reminder that it is time the music industry allows well produced albums to come out again, by people who actually know something about music. I am uncertain what ranking I should give this album; 3 or 4*?

The Good: We learn that Paul, so it seems, has a boutique! The Bad: We never really find out why we are informed about his boutique… The Ugly: I guess that means that I am not allowed into the secret club… I am no fan of drum machines. I am no fan of sampling. I am no fan of rap music. For me 1989 was a transition year, so I was listening to “old” records and not spending too much time listening to new product being released… for now, it seems like I did not miss out on anything. 2* because I didn’t hate it entirely

The Good: Yacht Rock! The Bad: What do you do if you don’t have a yacht? The Ugly: Finding out that we’ve been lied to all our lives—Asia is spelled Aja! Why is there so much negativity that surrounds this album, this band, or even the style of music in general? Is it because those who hate it are being confronted with the fact that they know little to nothing about what music should sound like? You might not like the tunes, you might not like the lyrics, but one can simply NOT deny the fact that the musicianship and production value is why this album is considered one of the best ever. Great album, great cover art, great songs. Can’t give it 5*, but is comes real close...

The Good: The title of the album already points out the fact that I am a … The Bad: If the band knew that I am a dummy, then why did they even bother publishing this album? The Ugly: the fact that I actually listened to it twice in the hopes that I would be less dummy, and more yummy… So, they like Ennio Morriconi’s work, so do I, but not in the sense of “hey, let’s just create an entire album that has way to slow compositions, use drum machines to create an annoying beat, and make sure we uppppppp the bass on all channels! Trip Hop, or Indie Rock, or any of the other labels that has been thrown around to explain which genre this album should belong to, should tell you enough that if it isn’t clear to the publishers, or trade journalists, then what are we supposed to think about it? So, here’s me, mr Dummy, enjoying the fact that I don’t have to listen to the album a third time, as I’m smart enough to realize my opinion on this album won’t change… 2* for effort...

The Good: David Bowie The Bad: Last Album The Ugly: Nobody likes listening to a swan-song… I am not one of those die-hard Bowie fans, so I was not aware that this was his last album till I started reading the reviews and wiki information. Having said that, the first time I played the album, I found it hard to get through… especially the lengthy first song on the album. I gave the album a second try, and a third, and what I noticed is that melancholy was what increased more and more, as well as me not understanding many of the lyrics. Is Bowie a genius? What is a genius? Is this album worthy of all its accolades? I don’t know, I would have to check the list of albums published around the same time. What is certain is that the album grows on you bit by bit… 4*

The Good: A Teen Dream by a Beach House… The Bad: Is it really a dream? The Ugly: Is it really a beach? I don’t understand why people would rave about albums like these. It is something you’d probably want to hear while sitting in the waiting room of your dentist’s office, just before your fifth root canal… So, yeah… Not for me… 1 1/2* cause it didn’t make me want to remove the experience from my memory…

The Good: a Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret The Bad: One needs to enjoy a cabaret The Ugly: Trying to figure out what a soft cell has to do with all this… There are probably 5 emblematic ‘80s intros that have been used over and over to define that period in tv and film, and Tainted Love is one of them! Anyone who was experiencing life in that decade appreciates the song, whether you were into that music at the time or not. The rest of the album, in my opinion, is a spit||rinse||repeat kind a thing. 3* just because of Tainted Love and Sex Dwarf

The Good: John Pine likes to sit on hay The Bad: depending on the trousers one wears, hay can start to pinch right through The Ugly: can’t think of anything more ugly than the bad… So yes, a country album… and guess what? I liked it! For me this, this is the kind of country that I like, more folk than country really. Interestingly enough, and only knowledgable by me after reading the wiki page, it seems that Bob D heralds John P as one of the greatest song and you can imagine Bob D singing several of these tunes no problem. Also, with lyrics like this an album is worth a second, third, fourth spin for sure: Last Monday night I saw a fight between Wednesday and Thursday about Saturday Night. Tuesday asked me what’s going on, I said “Sunday’s in the meadow, and Friday's in the corn” Off to play the album again 4 1/2*

The Good: If we shorting the band name to FF, than we are forewarned about needing to fast-forward the songs… The Bad: the fact that the band name wasn’t Singing Koalas Into Porn. The Ugly: The look on the koala’s face… I mean, really? This is folk? Or Indie? Or Rock? This is none of the above. This is shit. This was a total waste of my time. This is what has been wrong with society for a while, thinking it is something which it obviously isn’t… Poor koalas deserved better… 1*

The Good: They are Kings of Leon, not Dukes… The Bad: It seems royalty is overrated, so they might as well have called themselves the Council The Ugly: seems politics is overrated too… When I first heard of KoL (as those who know refer to them) it was via the Sex is on Fire song. I recall liking it when it came out. I also recall starting to find it boring after a while… So, with this their freshman attempt, I was hoping to hear something interesting. And I was treated to something bland. It’s neither here nor there, fish or meat, blond or brunette. I guess the title gave it away that this band has been trying too hard at being special, and failing in the attempt. 2* as I do not want to see rock die completely… but I could have been spared this album...

The Good: pretty energetic music The Bad: why call your band “fake diamonds” The Ugly: the abuse of feedback sound after a while… Plenty I have read about the great Fugazi, little I had heard… now that I have, I’m neither here nor there. I lived the ‘90s in a different musical environment, so I can’t opine with such fervor as some other people have. I can appreciate the fact that they have/had a die-hard fanbase as the music, for the period, was pretty darn good. Still, not an album I will have on repeat play-list anytime soon… 2 1/2* bumped up

The Good: These cars are not EV! The Bad: People will say that this means they are bad for the environment… The Ugly: Well… nothing really :-) When more than 50% of the tunes on an album are ones that you’ve heard plenty of times and they still don’t tire, then you know you’ve got a great album! Though not a 5* album in my book, this is an album that needs to be celebrated and definitely deserves to be on a Top-50 albums all people should own. 4 1/2*

The Good: Mr. Lenny Kravitz! The Bad: debut albums are rarely awesome The Ugly: Finding out that the freshman attempt at music is like being the recipient of a girl’s first blowjob attempt; kind a nice, but nothing special… I remember listening to Let Love Rule, the song, for the first time, and being blown away by the sax solo… and to this day, it remains one of my favorite solos on a rock song. Yet, everytime I listen to the song, I wonder what the point was to have a 1 minute lead-out that totally changes the vibe of the song, and actually makes you hit the “next song” button. Maybe once, by accident, did I listen to the entire album back in the ‘90s, we had cassette players in our cars, so finding the next song was a bit of a pain, hence listening to an entire album was normal. I don’t recall the album leaving me speechless… today wasn’t different. You can hear how the Beatles influenced LK on this album, and that is a good thing. However, the Beatles knew how to time a tune and drag you in and not let you go… that’s why they are the Beatles, and Lenny is Lenny. 3* for effort ***

The Good: Non-abrasive music The Bad: makes me wonder what the point is of this album The Ugly: having to sit through an entire album of Neil Tennant singing… Yes, I understand that all people have their biases, and mine is that I like rock n roll related music more than pop or dance music. Which makes me wonder why I have to listen to this album, as even the wikipedia description does not give me enough reason to understand. Is it because Mr. Tennant finally came out of the closet? Is this the same reason why people should like Queen? What does admiting being gay, which everyone already believed, have anything to do with me having to listen to this album? Go West was okay to listen to, and all the “songs” that came before too, but they are all bland, and all pretty much sound the same to me, just like their previous musical endeavors… so, again, why do I have to listen to this? 2* because I didn’t hate it, but I refuse to give this the 3* it probably deserves… because I don’t understand why this album did make it on the list, but the album Magnolia by The Screamin’ Cheetah Wheelies did not...

The Good: an album which informs us about climate change… The Bad: wait, I misread that, Sea Change is not about climate change… The Ugly: the break-up? Let me ask you this: if an unknown artist would have released this exact album, would people have been raving about it? Because I believe that the answer to that question is a resounding NO! Which makes one wonder if this album is overrated, or if we’ve been ignorant to many other albums from unknown people which should be rated a lot higher! What we’ve learned from this album is that break-ups are always great muses for musicians, and that sadness sucks… As I was never that much into Beck, I had not heard about this album, nor had I listened to the album Odelay, which I really liked. So, I was curious about this album… and now, well, now I understand better the ol’ saying of “curiosity killed the cat”… 2* for not hating it totally, but I could have been spared this listening experience...

The Good: CCR! The Bad: bands that are recognized by their initials alone… The Ugly: Another acronym band used this album’s name as a reference… What? Who in their right mind would not give this album 4*+? -Someone who prefers techno music! -Someone who hates the ‘60s! -Someone who doesn’t like rock n roll music! -Someone who has a phobia for rivers… I am not one of the above.

The Good: Swinging lovers getting some much needed attention! The Bad: Frank probably not knowing what that kind of swinging is all about… The Ugly: imagining swinging swingers on a swing… ‘50s relax ‘50s “innocence” ‘50s showing why there will never be another Frank Sinatra Hate to admit it, but this stuff is just soooooo nice to listen to as background music, that I played it 5x in a row by accident. 4*

The Good: Brothers making music The Bad: Their outfits The Ugly: really… their outfits… unless you are heading to a pimps party… I knew the name of the band, but couldn’t recall ever having listened to one of their song… to find out that I’d listened to several of these songs, like most of us, via movies, or tv shows. And what a treat it is to listen to their versions of several contemporary classics… damn. 4*

The Good: Classic ‘80s New Wave The Bad: being synonymous for an entire style of music is dangerous… The Ugly: like their stage name, the album is repetitive… I was not on the Duran Duran wagon during the ‘80s, though I knew several people who swore by them. They were, at the time, at least in Europe, the biggest act to follow. Good for them… Rio, as an album, isn’t bad, and even palatable seeing as it only lasts a modest 42 and some minutes which brought me back to a more youthful era, which is always nice. Yet, I can not dish out more than 3* as it is what it is...

The Good: who doesn’t like an “everything must go” event? The Bad: the fact that even the band knows things must go… The Ugly: me getting snubbed while I was offering to help make things go a little faster… Can somebody explain to me why a band would call themselves “Manic Street Preachers”? Isn’t that just an open invitation for people to run away and not listen? Also, though I can understand that there is a segment of society who appreciates this kind of music, I do fear they should all be kept far away from sharp objects… The songs all sound the same to me, the singer’s voice is annoying as fuck, and overall I felt vindicated in my disdain for the band… but at least it’s not crappy rap. 2* just barily

The Good: “Since I Left You” instantly makes me feel like I am part of the Avalanches multiverse, as they are talking to me… The Bad: Though I might be part of the multiverse, they are kicking me out The Ugly: Nobody likes being left… Yes, I am unable to be as imaginative with my above, as The Avalanches were with all the samples they used for their opus. And an opus it is… After the second listen to my conclusion is that a) a 10 for effort and creativity b) as background music it is un-intrusive, which is really nice c) at times I felt like being part in a quiz where you’d have to blurt out which actor was saying which line from which movie! Originally I was going to rate this album 1 - 1 1/2 * But they’ve changed my mind… 3 1/2*

The Good: album #199 on the list is my first The Rolling Stones album to listen to, and that made me excited! The Bad: that it wasn’t Goats Head Soup The Ugly: me realizing that I should have listened more critically to this album decades ago… Funny how time changes tastes. When going through a phase of listening to all albums in a bands repertoire several years ago, I did not understand why this album is considered one of the greatest rock and roll albums period. Today, I am still a bigger fan of Goats Head Soup, but I really enjoyed the listening experience and will keep enjoying it for days/weeks/months to come Just not certain if I can give it 5*…. but 4 1/2* for certain!

The Good: Joy… is good… The Bad: It seems to be divided… The Ugly: trying to figure out by what… I love me a nice rabbit hole to go down on Spotify, and this album was part of one of them there journeys a while back. At the time I did not like it… and today I kinda felt the same. You like a depressed voice telling you their viewpoint about stuff, then this is your thing… Myself, I prefer something less straight razor to your inner thigh… 2*

The Good: a band which reminds us that we must stay hydrated! The Bad: not a single song that tells us to drink water... The Ugly: I was forced to drink whiskey with a massive hangover as a reward... Earlier this year, on a randomly generated Playlist on the Spotify, I listened for the first time to the title song of this album and fell in live with it. Not being familiar with the band, I went to Wikipedia and that's where I found out about this 1001 album list as, thankfully, it was mentioned that this album is on it... So, today, album 201, is the cause of my little adventure here... I can listen to this album over and over, understanding that it isn't a masterpiece, yet, for me, it is very very special, and thus deserves all the praise I can give. Here's to 5* bumping up the average score of this lovely album

The Good: Using Mt Rushmore to push through the ROCK aspect! The Bad: this rock is too hard… The Ugly: the blood-soaked bandages caused by the headbanging… Blackmore is an insanely good guitarist, Gillan knows how to belt out a scream, Glover and Paice keep the groove and Lord is doing the organ thing… it is all very impressive for the period of time. There are people out there whom will swear by this, put the album on an altar, while ceremoniesly sacrificing a goat, or maybe a joint… Me, I can listen to it only so long before the music starts effecting my nervous system… Child In Time is a lovely tune, and overly used media, but WAY TOO LONG, and that is how the album feels to me… 3*

The Good: anthemic album off an age gone by The Bad: that too many people confuse this with Synth-Pop The Ugly: or just plain’ ol’ po’ p’ Back in the day, like any teenager, I too enjoyed Everybody Wants To Rule The World, while Shout was a little beyond my taste at the time… Today, I wish I could go back in time and actually purchase the album and listen to it countless times, like I did to the more poppy contemporary artist such as Prince, Phil Collins, Duran Duran. Madonna, What and later George Michael. Tears For Fears are one of few acts that survived the ‘80s and when you listen to their “old” recordings now, you realize that how great the stuff is. It has held up wonderfully, even if it sounds like the ‘80s, it isn’t like listening to Spandau Ballet, or ABC, or Bronski Beat, or any true synth-pop from that era. 5* even if, technically speaking, it should get a 4 1/4

The Good: the words “another” and “different” in the same title… The Bad: grammatically it might be okay, the title makes no sense The Ugly: that they just didn’t stick to being the band that helped name one of the greatest punk albums ever… I don’t like punk, but I do appreciate the fact that they, at least, keep their songs to around 3 minutes max, so it’s easy to listen to one song without being overburdened. As I don’t like the genre, I wouldn’t be able to explain why The Sex Pistols used part of this bands name in their classic album, but maybe it’s because these lads are the OG? I don’t know… I don’t care… Will dish out 2*...

The Good: Who doesn’t like a good fire? The Bad: Still don’t understand what a scope has to do with a fire… The Ugly: The fact that this album wasn’t called Nostradamus… I got to say that listening to this album has not proven the challange which I thought it was going to be. I found myself boppin’ my head left and right, the occasional fist-pump into the air… I had a good time. And that, for me at least, is what Def Leopard has always been about: having a good time. Mutt Lange did a great job with this album, even if, on one too many songs, it seemed like DL was trying to be another AC/DC. 3* because, at the end of the day, it still is cheesy and should not get a 4*, unless I change my mind overnight...

The Good: actual rock ’n roll The Bad: it seems like we need to wear a dead animal as a hat to be the lead-singer… The Ugly: the fact that only the lead-singer is allowed to wear a hat… I mean, have you looked at the haircuts of the other band-members? People bitch and complain too much when it comes to The Cult. At the end of the day, they never sold-out and started making those fuckin’ power ballads like all the hair-metal bands started to do. I saw them live once, but can’t recall the venue, nor the year… guess I was wasted. Anyway, as a rock-n-roll band they could have gone further than they did, don’t know if that has to do with the ego of mr singer-man, or we can blame the dead animal on his head… Sonic Temple is a better album, and Ceremony is where they should have bowed out, knowing they did the best they could. 4* because I really enjoyed just listening to music today.

The Good: The Duke! The Bad: This isn’t a Western… The Ugly: which means nobody can get shot… Wikipedia is a great tool to learn a little more about that which you’re listening to, and today that was really needed. Not because I wasn’t aware of Duke Ellington, or his music for that matter, more so because I needed to understand why this album specifically showed up on the list… So, Duke’s out on his luck as music has evolved from big band swing, to more laidback versions of jazz performed by smaller groups. And yet here we are, decades later, listening to music that was, at the time, decades old, to what is considered his opus maestro. Well, good for you Duke. Did we need to listen to the chatter in-between the tunes? The album could have been a cool 55 minutes feast of tonal eargasm… which is why I am giving this album a solid 4*

The Good: We get a fair warning, that this album isn’t finished… The Bad: trying to figure out what additional work the album needs… The Ugly: all the subliminal context. Rap, remains, my least favorite, even when I can give 2-3* where credit is due. Missy Elliot, I recall as the artist who used to wear those puffy winter coats in her videos—or, very well possible, I only saw 1 of her videos in my life time and in this video she was wearing a puffy winter coat… or, even more probable, I can’t distinguish this from many of the other cut-n-paste hip-hop acts of the 00’s Tell you the truth, I was actually enjoying the first couple of tracks, but then it just turned into what it turned into… music I am no fan of. 2 1/2* for trying, and warning us about the construction issues… downgraded to 2* as I don’t like… rap.