85
Albums Rated
3.01
Average Rating
8%
Complete
1004 albums remaining
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
2010s
Favorite Decade
Psychedelic-rock
Favorite Genre
other
Top Origin
Perfectionist
Rater Style ?
4
5-Star Albums
2
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
To Pimp A Butterfly
Kendrick Lamar
|
5 | 3.61 | +1.39 |
|
The Velvet Underground & Nico
The Velvet Underground
|
5 | 3.62 | +1.38 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
John Barleycorn Must Die
Traffic
|
1 | 3.17 | -2.17 |
|
A Walk Across The Rooftops
The Blue Nile
|
1 | 2.86 | -1.86 |
|
Abraxas
Santana
|
2 | 3.72 | -1.72 |
|
The Genius Of Ray Charles
Ray Charles
|
2 | 3.63 | -1.63 |
|
Licensed To Ill
Beastie Boys
|
2 | 3.56 | -1.56 |
|
At Newport 1960
Muddy Waters
|
2 | 3.55 | -1.55 |
|
The Wildest!
Louis Prima
|
2 | 3.54 | -1.54 |
|
Rumours
Fleetwood Mac
|
3 | 4.46 | -1.46 |
|
Frank
Amy Winehouse
|
2 | 3.45 | -1.45 |
|
Eliminator
ZZ Top
|
2 | 3.38 | -1.38 |
5-Star Albums (4)
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Popular Reviews
Neil Young
3/5
A near perfect folk-rock album from the 70s. It's the simply yet elegantly beautiful track Harvest that scores most of the points in this record for me. The cinematic orchestral swells in songs like A man needs a maid (??) and There's a world feels unnecessary. Alabama was a banging rocker. The outro track with the piano was good. Overall, it's just....good.
1 likes
Muddy Waters
2/5
Too old school for me. No disrespect. I just don't like the blues.
1 likes
4-Star Albums (18)
1-Star Albums (2)
All Ratings
Louis Prima
2/5
50s old school rock and roll and jazz. Wild, weird and dance worthy (for the old folk). Doesn't work much for me other than the fact that the origins of rock music can be traced back to here.
Thelonious Monk
3/5
Finally a jazz album that's not Miles Davis or John Coltrane. A very complex, heady and musically rich sounding album that could also put you to a trance or sleep if you're tired. Opening track is very heady and abstract. The track Pannonica with its jingle bells and slow tempo almost feels like a lullaby. Overall an album to listen to if you want to listen to more jazz.
Stevie Wonder
4/5
The Soul record you have to listen to. Nearly 90 minutes long but each song super melodic and catchy. Wonder's velvet smooth sound is very beautiful to listen to. Songs have great production: sounds very clean. Like Mozart pieces. Fun and enjoyable. Political lyrics seems a bit cliched (still relevant though). Favorites: Love's in need of love today, Sir Duke, Joy inside my tears, Another star, Ebony Eyes.
Nina Simone
3/5
A brooding, melancholic vocal jazz record carried mostly by Nina Simone's powerful vocals and beautiful piano. Except for the track Four Women, all songs are about love and heartbreak. Very easy on ears and sleep inducing (in a good way). Favorites: I love your loving ways, Four Women, Lilac Wine, Wild is the wind (absolutely gorgeous), Either way I lose.
Marvin Gaye
4/5
Soft and lush socially charged soul album. Lyrics less preachy.Short and precise even though sounds loose and jazzy. Has great flow. Favorites: What's Going on, Mercy Mercy, Save the children, inner city blues
Kate Bush
3/5
80s girl pop, synths and glassy vocals.The hugely popular opening track is indeed a banger. Loved the faint barking vocals in the song Hounds of Love. Along the middle it becomes a bit atmospheric and sounds as if something from a disney princess adventure. Jig Of Life with it's bagpipe like instrumentation is fun. Last two tracks forgettable.
Fatboy Slim
4/5
90s Dance-house-techno-big beat record. All bangers. Every track danceable. Loved the looping short vocal samples and the big drop beats. Great fusion of rock, jazz and funk in some tracks. So much fun. Favorites: Rockafella skank, Gangster trippin, Kalifornia, You're not from Brighton, Praise you.
LCD Soundsystem
2/5
An electronic record without any novel ideas. Songs having more of rock flavour are better. how do you sleep and call the police great tracks. The 12 minute closer black screen very grim and sad. But overall it's underwhelming.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
3/5
Laid back, chill and easy going album. First reggae album I've ever heard. The instrumentation is sparse but the melodies and beat are infectious and catchy. Goes best with weed.
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
A great American classic rock album. Rocks hard. Songs are mostly about working class disillusionment and need for love. Vocal range is exceptional from the screams of Born in Usa and the intimate pathos in Downbound train, I'm on fire and My hometown. A perfect rock album that is catchy, fun and emotional in equal parts .
R.E.M.
3/5
A clean alternative pop/rock album. Every song is listenable, with great guitars and vocal harmonies. Lyrics are absurd af. Too jangly. Okayish. Favorites: Talk about the passion, We walk.
Steely Dan
3/5
A short 70s soft rock/jazz rock album. Clean production. First five songs are great. Second half just didn't work for me, except maybe the song Pretzel Logic. Other favorites: Night by Night, Barrytown, Any major dude will tell you.
Prince
4/5
Such a creative and fun record. Proper 80s fun vibe. Opening track a total crazy banger. Super emotive and wild vocals. The Beautiful Ones is probably the wildest vocals I've ever heard in a song. Darling Nikki is seductively cool. And wrap things up, the perfect rock ballad Purple Rain. Pinnacle of emotional rock. Loved it!
Kendrick Lamar
5/5
Hard hitting, inventive, mature, badass yet beautiful. Kendrick raps incredibly about fame, wealth, guilt, institutional racism, the black experience and above all the transformation of one's self through art. Music and instrumentation has a whole lot of inspirations from classic Gangsta rap, Jazz, Funk and soul yet feels so original and fresh. Lamar's monologue of 'I remember you was conflicted' gives a very human touch to the record and sort of encapsulates the album theme. Absolutely amazing! Favorites: Wesley's Theory, King Kunta, u, Alright, For Sale, The Blacker the Berry, i, Mortal man
The Who
3/5
Definitely punkier than the 60s Beatles, yet- with the Beach Boys inspired melodies and vocal harmonies- less wilder than the Stones. Some insane drums by Keith Moon throughout. Lyrically uninteresting. Instrumentally listenable. Favorites: Out in the street, I don't mind, My Generation, I'm a Man.
Santana
2/5
Was misled by the epicness of the cover. Latin music mostly fails to appeal me. Here there are a bunch of subdued boring latin infused songs or rather instrumentals with some good guitars and bass. An album labelled rock from a guitarist should be epic. This was bland.
Liked: Black Magic Woman, Samba Pa Ti (lovely singing by the guitar)
Love
2/5
Meh. 60s Psychedelia. The first four songs are okay. The opening track with it's badass horn section was great. Has some good instrumentation especially the strings. The melodies are unique too. But the songs feel very weak and at times musically bland and whiny and annoying.
Neil Young
3/5
A near perfect folk-rock album from the 70s. It's the simply yet elegantly beautiful track Harvest that scores most of the points in this record for me. The cinematic orchestral swells in songs like A man needs a maid (??) and There's a world feels unnecessary. Alabama was a banging rocker. The outro track with the piano was good. Overall, it's just....good.
Kate Bush
2/5
Having listened to two of her albums in a short span, I can say that her music doesn't work for me. It might be objectively good and beautiful with lush instrumentation and feminine poetry, but that kind of experience doesn't interests me. Here too, the songs are at no fault objectively (except the thin production and the too drowned out vocals on some tracks), but they don't appeal to my sense of beauty like Kate Bush's face does.
Liked: The Sensual World, Reaching out, Rocket's tail.
T. Rex
4/5
A fun straight forward no nonsense rock and roll (glam rock) album. All the songs are cool and catchy hence the run time of nearly an hour doesn't feel tedious. There are some mellow chilled out innocent little songs like the opener Metal guru, Mystic Lady, Rock on and Spaceball Ricochet. There are rock and roll bangers as well like Buick Mackane, Chariot Choogle and Cadillac. Enjoyed it.
Peter Gabriel
3/5
An 80s rock/pop album with generic 80s sound. Didn't like the vocals in this. Didn't liked the too jangly sound. Sledgehammer is an absolute banger though. Big time is okay too. We do what we're told is pretty. Rest is just meh. Also, terrible album cover.
Blur
3/5
Not your generic britpop album. This has a breath of fresh air, both lyrically and instrumentally. It's also not all sunny happy songs. There's a shade of grey and melancholy too, especially the second half of the record. First half is pretty sunny tho. Song number one Beetlebum is beautiful and gentle. Song number 2 song 2 is woo ho. The instrumental 'Theme for the retro' brings the tonal change. There's weird, trippy instrumentation through out the second half. Other favorites: Death of a party (eerie organs), Essex Dogs (mysteriously badass vibes)
Bonnie "Prince" Billy
2/5
Gothic Folk was a new genre for me. It's dark and broody, just like the album cover. And though I like dark stuff, I prefer it heavier. This was light as a feather. Loved the song Black. Maybe I'll revisit this. But for now, it's just meh.
CHIC
3/5
Short, crisp and catchy disco/R&B album. Production is great, ear candy. The bass and Nile Rodgers plucky guitars are so beautiful. But that's it. Nothing much. Favorites: Good Times, A warm sunmer night, Will you cry (when you hear this song).
Beatles
5/5
Classic. I think Beatles were the pioneers of making music that was critically acclaimed without being too high brow or avant-garde. This album is the best example of it. There are so many experimental elements and yet as a whole it's a fun catchy experience. Although all the Beatles shine on this, it's the McCartney songs that does it for me. Eleanor Rigby, Here there and everywhere (my favourite from the album), For no one, Good day sunshine. Harrison's hindustani classical music inspired For no one is beautiful. Lennon's I'm only sleeping and Tomorrow never knows with it's reversed guitars is so trippy. No skips, even Ringo's yellow submarine is fun to listen to with it's goofy lyrics and sing-along rhythm. Truly the pioneers of Pop music.
Muddy Waters
2/5
Too old school for me. No disrespect. I just don't like the blues.
Amy Winehouse
2/5
Instrumentally not very exciting or lush as her second album. Lyrically its mostly about her boyfriends and how they treat her and cheat her and all that. Huge inspirations from the R&B music of the 50s and 60s. Too long. Liked: Intro/Stronger than me, Fuck me Pumps (favourite), Moody's Mood for love, Help Yourself.
Talking Heads
3/5
It's supposed to be an alternative classic, and sure you can feel it's greatness, but after all that technical brilliance and razor sharp production, if the music doesn't touches your soul, then what to feel about it? I don't know.
The opening track's grooves are irresistible. Brian Eno's production makes sure that you hear each and every instrument with crystal clear clarity. Loved the song Great Curve. It's one running beast of a song behind which you can only half run/dance and try to catch up. Once In A Lifetime is okayish. Rest I didn't care much, not even the brooding closer The Overload. And yes I'm not a big fan of African music. It's fun, but not 'nuf.
The Police
3/5
White boys doing Reggae didn't sound good to me, but after a couple of listens I was interested. Reggae rock would be a perfect genre to listen to chilling at the beach on a sunny day. Frontman Sting's vocals and basslines are so cool. Loved the songs Walking on the moon and The Bed's too big without you (the syrupy interplay of the lead guitar and bass is so groovy).
But honestly I'm a bit tired of listening to New Wave. Please don't test my patience.
Dinosaur Jr.
2/5
Not quite grunge but noisier with lo-fi production. Almost all the songs are equally noisy and jangly. Vocals are weak, and not intentionally. Almost all songs kind of sound similar without any melodic hooks or notable guitar passages. And then there is this growling monster of a song ' Don't '. Probably the heaviest/noisiest thing I've ever heard. Truly ear bleeding. Maybe a 2.5.
The Velvet Underground
5/5
Nothing sounded like it when it first came out, or when I first heard it four years ago (when I wasn't exposed to much music). A completely new sound, a record that defies any genre classification. Abstract. Noisy. Dissonant. And yet, if you peel slowly, at the core there is something very beautiful and sweet. It's like modern art. You may think that who cannot make noise for 7 and a half minutes and call it a song? Who cannot write random rhyming words to a rhythm that doesn't mean anything? Who cannot be a vocalist without having a soothing voice, like Nico? But nobody did it and they did. They thought out of the box. This is truly one of the greatest achievements in music. And I sort of feel proud that I was able to understand and appreciate it's genius even before knowing about it's legacy.
All songs are favorites. So I'll just rank them.
Sunday Morning > All tomorrow's parties > I'll Be Your Mirror > Venus in Fur > Femme Fatale > The Black Angel's Death Song > Heroin > I'm waiting for the man > Run Run Run > There she goes again > European Son
Nirvana
4/5
Bangers after bangers. Noisy and punk yet immensely accessible. I don't think I need to say anything about Teen spirit, In bloom, Come as you are and Lithium. 10/10s. Territorial Pissings(favourite) and Stay Away (new find) blew my mind. So much energy and madness. The raw power of punk.Polly and Something in The way are hauntingly beautiful. I love Cobain's lyrics. Sounds both deep and nonsensical at the same time. And he's self-aware about that.
The songs here make me want to start a band and perform these songs in Cobain style before an audience that includes my crush. Someday.
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
If only he could sing decently, I would've given it a solid 4. Instrumentally it's so good, be it the beautiful piano throughout, the bittersweet guitar riffs or jazzy and soulful horns and saxophones. There is classic rock and roll energy as well as tender moments.The sax solo in Jungleland is such an emotional ride.(And the album should've ended with that. But the song stretches on to end with his typical croaking). Lyrics are great too. But his vocals and lack of melody in his singing are a big downer for me.And I'm not a purist when it comes to voice. I love Bob Dylan and Kurt Cobain. But they sound self aware. Springsteen's voice just doesn't strike the same chord. Is it an acquired taste? Will it grow on me?
Album cover is so cool though.
Favorites: Thunder road, Backstreets, Born to Run, She's the one,
The Cult
2/5
Just an 80s hard rock album where all the songs sound so same. Sounds just like it's awful album cover.Boomer rock. No standouts. Tired of listening to all these boomer music.
Dr. John
3/5
This is the African music I like. Psychedelic and jazzy. Loved the tribal voodoo chants and the mystic Oriental instrumentation. It creates a strange vibe of being in some kind of a cult that looks goofy and funny at first but as you listen more, you feel something dark is there underneath the goofiness. Still felt that it could've better with a tighter structure.
Liked: Gris-gris Gumbo ya ya, Danse Kalinda Ba Boom, Croker Courtbullion, Jump Sturdy
Arcade Fire
3/5
Emotional and dramatic but less so than Funeral. They went for a subdued, more mature sound in this one. Although the lyrics seems to be about apocalypse, loss of innocence among other heavy themes, the tone of the album feels rebelliously hopeful.
Not a big fan of Win Butler's boomer voice. Also there are many fillers, so the one hour isn't that great an experience. Anyways, it rocks and has emotion. So that's fine with me.
Liked: The Suburbs (absolutely gorgeous), Suburban War, Wasted Hours, Sprawl II .
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
4/5
A great folk rock album. Inspite of the two 9 minutes+ songs and the overall loose instrumentation, it is precise and not at all a drag. Neil Young sings in his signature gentle voice about love and heartbreak (mostly) while the band rocks with a kind of a lazy energy. Down by the river is such a banger. The Losing End was my favourite from the record. It's like the definition of bittersweet. The high pitched strings of Running Dry where also something new to listen in a rock song. Cowgirl in the sand could've been shorter.
Overall, it was great.
ZZ Top
2/5
Straight forward, fast-tempoed rock songs. First half was good. By the second half, it starts to sound monotonous. Nothing much really to listen to.
Beatles
3/5
It is difficult for me to appreciate an album just because it was groundbreaking when it came out, but you can't deny that these boys really knew how to make proper pop music.
They have a strong sense of melody and that shines through the best of the tracks here. 'If I fell', 'And I Love Her' and ' I'll Be Back ' were my favourites just because of the beautiful melody and the harmony. Rest of the songs are just good. Nothing special.I think it's mostly a Lennon album and I prefer McCartney to him.
Willie Nelson
3/5
A different kind of country album. Loosely structured with most of the tracks being 1-2 minute interludes and very sparse instrumentation, it still worked for me as it created a mood. The storytelling was also very evocative.There are only a few fully developed songs (but that maybe be a creative choice) in this and out of them I absolutely loved the gentle and mostly silent 'Can I sleep in your arms'. No other song on its own attracted my attention. But like I said, the whole thing sets a mood. So it was okay for me.
Nico
3/5
An album with no drums or bass, and generally sparse instrumentation, which, after my first spin, I thought was a cool creative choice and definitely had a gentle vibe, contrasted by her deadpan vocals and heady surreal poetry. But then I read the Wikipedia article and came to know that Nico actually hated the album, as she wanted drums and more guitars. The flute and string arrangements, too, were added without her knowledge. That information changed my perspective.
Sure, I loved the beautifully melancholic 'Fairest of The Seasons' and 'These Days.' But 'Winter Song' sounded too folky. The lack of drums in 'It Was A Pleasure Then' held back the sonic catharsis you usually experience in avant-garde noisy songs like that. And though the title track was a great tune with bittersweet flutes, I wondered how much better it would have sounded if it were rockier.
The rest of the songs were just uninteresting.
I feel that it would have been a solid 5-star album if Nico had been given full creative freedom.
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
A solid rock album, that doesn't forget to rock hard even when drowning in loose psychedelia. There are short tight catchy songs as well as 15 minute trippy cosmic rock experiences. The dynamics between the drums and Jimmy's powerhouse guitars carry the whole album. Loved the tracks 'Voodoo Chile', 'Gypsy Eyes', '1983' and 'Voodoo Child (slight return).
Nick Drake
3/5
Throughout the album I was wondering how much better it would've been if it was stripped down to just some acoustic guitars and Drake's intimate vocals. The lush strings and flutes does work beautifully on some tracks. But on the whole, it sounds a bit overproduced.
I loved Nick Drake's vocals. They sound as of a wise young man who has seen and gone through it all but still doesn't complain and is hopeful. Loved the tracks At the Chime of a City Clock and One of these Things First. Poor Boy was good too. The instrumental title track and the album closer Sunday were also a pleasant listen.
The album cover has an old-school charm that is impossible to resist.
Steely Dan
3/5
Thing with Steely Dan albums is that you can't really find a fault in it. Instrumentally as well as lyrically, they are good. Their songs are catchy with clean, groovy production. It's the lack of experimentation and passion that makes them uninteresting. You can sit through them, you may even like some of the songs (Do It Again, Dirty Work, Midnite Cruiser), but they seem to play safe.
R.E.M.
3/5
Not a big fan of the jangly rock/pop sound in which R.E.M usually dabble, but here there are some gorgeous melancholic touches that I really liked. Drive, Everybody Hurts, Sweetness Follows, Nightswimming and Find The River are some really beautiful songs. Michael Stipe sings very clearly with just the right amount of emotional intensity.
But there are bad songs too. Songs that spoil the tone of the record. Ignoreland and some other forgettable tracks.
Still, all in all, a pretty decent listen.
Massive Attack
3/5
Having heard Mezzanine, this felt a bit underwhelming but still a fire record. There's R&B, Soul, Hip-Hop and even Reggae.The opening song is just so badass. Loved the rimshot beat of Five Man Army. Unfinished Symphony was really unsettling. The track Lately was strangely beautiful. Others were just okay. Maybe a 3.5.
Beastie Boys
2/5
Might've been groundbreaking when it came out. And surely it has influenced a lot of artists and musical styles (notably rap-rock). But to the modern ears, it just sounds typical old school rap that has been so overused and even mocked in the 90s pop culture. But you can't deny the exuberance of youthful irreverence, libido and just raw energy these Manhattan punks display. I liked the tracks that rock- Rhymin' and Stealin', Fight For Your Right, No Sleep Till Brooklyn. But rest of them where just uninteresting.
Joni Mitchell
4/5
A singer-songwriter folk album with tender yet strong vocal performance accompanied by gentle guitars, pianos and an instrument called Appalachian Dulcimer. Joni Mitchell's poetry is very intimate and she paints some really vivid and melancholic images. It's a mood piece, you have to be in the right mood and place. Her vocals, though, may come off as atonal or a bit whiny at some points for some. For me, they kind of worked. Loved the first half more, the first four songs. Little Green was my favourite. It's not a sad album throughout. There are upbeat songs as well. But still, the album mostly drenched me in waves of blue and I felt very relaxed. Definitely worth listening.
5/5
A true classic. I might be biased in favour of it because I was repeatedly listening to it during a bumpy phase of my life, but there is no denying the musical genius of David Bowie.
It's really weird because the album has so many elements that usually put me off, like the vocals or the jangly sound. But none of that spoils the listening experience and I think it's because the album doesn't seem like a human creation. Bowie entirely became Ziggy Stardust. So it's basically an extraterrestrial rock and roll album, and hence the weirdness.
Its's playful, it's dramatic, it rocks hard, it's emotional, it's everything. Above all, it's immensely accessible, with a tight structure. Probably the best opening and closing tracks ever in an album.
It's a celebration of rock and roll and music.
Carpenters
4/5
A beautiful soft pop album right from the tender age of the 70s. Karen Carpenter delivers a gorgeous vocal performance singing songs of love, heartbreak and struggles of getting over it. The vocal harmonies were really soothing to the ears and the backing vocals complimented it well. Being a soft pop album, you won't find much instrumental adventures but there are some playful passages. Loved the first six songs more than the rest. The song Mr. Guder, although hauntingly playful, felt out of place. Album ended well with the jazzy instrumental flourish in the closer 'Another Song'. All in all a pleasant listen. Loved it.
Beck
2/5
A monotonous break up album with many easy-on-ears ballads that'll sound good on a night drive. Didn't like Beck's nasal whiny vocals. Lyrically just meh. Nigel Godrich's production gives it a polished sound, hence listenable.
The Go-Betweens
2/5
Another 80s boring pop/rock album. Some tracks were well arranged instrumentally. But as a whole, it's forgettable.
The Blue Nile
1/5
Boring 80s pop. Neither catchy nor experimental.Bland. Pretentious. Forgettable.
The Black Crowes
4/5
A southern rock banger! From start to finish, you get classical blues infused bangers and ballads that are just so hard to resist. There is nothing novel here or experimental. They just stick to the rules of the genre to give a proper old school dad rock album. Favorites:Twice as Hard, Hard To Handle, Seeing Things for the First Time,She Talks to Angels.
Michael Kiwanuka
4/5
Beautiful, uplifting Neo Soul record with such heartfelt vocals and an old school fuzzy production. Really sounds like a soul record of the 70s with some modern sensibilities. Mostly has a melancholic mood, but some songs like the opener 'You ain't the Problem' , 'Rolling' and 'Hero' are funky bangers. Second half mostly has these beautiful ballads with strings and ethereal choral background vocals and life affirming lyrics. Loved it.
Favorites: I've been Dazed, Piano Joint(This Kind of Love), Hero, Solid Ground.
Ray Charles
2/5
There wasn't anything 'genius' in it. Some big band songs and some sweet ballads. Loved 'Am I Blue' and 'Come Rain or Come Shine' . That's it.
Marvin Gaye
3/5
What surprised me is how funky and groovy it is. Never thought a look-back on a bad marriage could sound this funky. Marvin Gaye, with his syrupy vocals, is never morose or depressed. He believes he has been wronged but he forgives. He lets his music wash over the bitterness over him. Found it very enjoyable on the first listen. Then it became a bit tedious. But still definitely worth listening. Favorites: I met a little girl, Is That Enough, Anna's Song, A Funky Space Reincarnation.
Beck
3/5
Didn't expect to like it but I did. A fun fusion of hip-hop, rock, pop and electronic. E Pro and Qué Onda Guero were hip bangers. Girl and Missing had a bittersweet vibe. Earthquake Weather was a super lazy chill-out track. Broken Drum had a post-apocalyptic shoegazy feel to it. Rest of the album was meh though.
Siouxsie And The Banshees
4/5
Finally something to feed the dark monster inside of me. One of the earliest albums that pioneered the sound of Goth Rock. No skips, one gothic banger after another. Punk music's ethos combined with dark gothic themes and rich heavy guitars. John McGeoch's phenomenal guitar gels well with Siouxsie's sharp vocals.
The writing progressively gets darker and creepier as the album progresses.
The three-song-run from Halloween to Night Shift is just so great. And the grand psychedelic trippy 'Voodoo Dolly ' is just a perfect closer for a perfect album.
I felt like one of the bats from that video of hanging bats filmed upside-down, having a ball at the goth nightclub.
The Dandy Warhols
3/5
A self aware hip rock album with pop sensibilities and some dabblings in shoegaze. Though the layered guitars give a sophisticated feel, the album as a whole felt so monotonous. Has some really catchy rock tunes though, 'Boys Better' , 'Not if you were the last junkie....' and more. Two trippy techno/rock instrumentals as closers? I don't know.
A light 3.
Echo And The Bunnymen
2/5
Another boring 80s new-wave/post-punk record. Except for the songs 'Nocturnal Me' (a haunting tune with great string arrangements), 'Killing Moon' (classic) and the closer, I didn't care for anything else. There maybe good lyrical content but who cares when the music is so bland.
Big Brother & The Holding Company
3/5
A wild drug fuelled booze fuelled psychedelic/acid rock album. Made to sound like a live album, it's messy and dirty and fuzzy and rough but there's a strange beauty in all that chaos.
Banger opener, loved those 'woahs' of Janis. Janis' vocal performance is everything in this. I feel like her voice could've been the inspiration behind death metal vocals. Summertime had some really haunting guitars. Loved the beautiful Piece of My Heart. Ball and Chain (the only song that was actually a live recording) was a heavy guitar jam that ended the album well.
It can be very off-putting for first time listeners. But it grew on me.
Arcade Fire
4/5
Emotional dramatic rock. Has a kinetic energy to it. At the same time, there are melancholic tracks. Loved the second half more. The four song run from the anthemic 'Wake up' to the emotional closer 'In the Backseat' was so good.
It's always a pleasure to listen to this album once or twice an year. Pefect mix of rock's energy and melancholy.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
3/5
An immensely accessible and american alt rock album with many groovy rock tunes along with some duds. The first half is solid with tracks like Around The World, Parallel Universe, Scar Tissue (favourite), Otherside and the hugely popular 90s alt rock classic Californication.
Just like California, it's a very sunny and optimistic sounding record.
The second half could've been better. Except the crescendo of Purple Stain and the very melodic closer Road Trippin, all were boring.
At first I thought the production was really good as it sounded very sharp. A bit of digging online showed me that it's actually an album known for it's terrible production due to the 'Loudness wars' of the 90s. It was only after that I felt it somewhat flat.
Maybe I'm still not a music nerd after all.
Dolly Parton
2/5
Felt it would've been better if only any one of the three artists was involved. The vocal harmonies, though perfect, didn't sound appealing to me. Also felt very generic and old school.
William Orbit
3/5
A chilled out electronic/ambient album that is very relaxing to listen to. Nothing more. Nothing exceptional. The Hindu iconography of the cover had me thinking that this'll be a fusion of indian classical music and electronic. But except some oriental (that too middle-eastern) touches in a couple of songs, there is nothing of that. Just a plain 1 hour of relaxing electronic music.
3/5
A britpop classic. Heavy on guitars and noisy. Opening song was middling. Roll with It had a Beatles influence.And no matter how much the internet hates Wonderwall, it's still a great song. And Don't Look Back in Anger is greater. And Hey Now was beautiful too. The interludes felt unnecessary. Morning Glory had a sing-along anthemic vibe.
But the real star of the album is the gorgeous ballad Champagne Supernova. Great vocals by Liam. Such a bittersweet way to end an album.
Still, since I don't find Britpop interesting, I'll give it a 3.
Fleetwood Mac
3/5
Hard to find fault with a classic like this but I'll still say that for my ears, it sounded a bit bland. Now don't get me wrong, it's actually an almost perfect pop/rock record with catchy melodies and feel good song writing. It's just that there is nothing interesting or experimental here. If I grew up in the 70s, it would've been a great nostalgia trip for me listening to it now. But for my modern sensibilities, it's just a good pop album. Nothing more.
Loved the songs "Dreams", "Go Your Own Way", "The Chain", "Gold Dust Woman"(the heaviest song of the record).
My Bloody Valentine
3/5
I can't help but compare it to Loveless. And it's entirely different from it. If Loveless was an anthemic cinematic banger, this is more a slow heady meditation in shoegaze. Abstract.
It just washes over you in the first listen. It's only after 4-5 listens that the melodies start to condense from the thick smokes of hazy guitars. And just when you think you are getting it, the last two tracks completely throw you out again. Though an admirer of shoegaze, I can't pretend to 'get' them.
Still, it's bold and fresh. Might really be a phenomenal experience listening to it while high.
Deerhunter
3/5
Dreamy and relaxing. Has an alternative, lo-fi, indie core vibe to it.
The opening track Earthquake is a gorgeous instrumentally lush track. Loved the heartfelt balladry of Sailing. Rest of the songs were mid. Also the hard cut at the end...what's with that?
Dirty Projectors
3/5
A decent indie rock album. Sounds fresh. Even the songs that didn't particularly interest me were kind of good. Lyrically just dreamy narratives about love and life.
Liked the songs that had a burst of heaviness amid the general slow tempo of the album. Temicula Sunrise,The Bride and my favourite from the album Useful Chamber. Good vocal performances too. Not only lead, but the background vocal harmonies were also very gorgeous.
Still many songs from the album failed to impress me. Maybe just not my taste. A 2.5 or 3.
Supergrass
3/5
An energetic, loud and thoroughly english punk/pop-punk record. Sounds just like it's cover. The first three songs are just straight up roaring punk music, especially the track Mansized Rooster(my favourite from the album). Then comes the popular teenage song 'Alright' which was just really alright. Lyrically the album is just what most of the contemporary brit pop/rock albums were about, namely teenagers being wild and carefree and hating society and so on. The album never really loses its momentum, even though the songs around the middle were not much remarkable. Sofa (Of My Lethargy) was a nice ballad and felt quite different from the overall sound of the album. Definitely a fun listening experience.
Foo Fighters
4/5
A solid mid 90s american rock album with a lot of bangers and beauty. David Grohl's musicianship has to be commended(he wrote and recorded the whole album by himself, played the guitars and drums all by himself). It's said to have started the post grunge era , which is basically grunge but less abrasive and more melodious. This Is A Call, I'll Stick Around, Alone + Easy Target, Good Grief were all great rocking bangers. The tracks Floaty, Oh George and X- Static(ah those descending haunting chords) had a shoegazy vibe.
The emotional intensity of these songs becomes even more powerful when heard in the context of David Grohl's depressive phase after Cobain's suicide and making this album was a cathartic therapy for him. Although lyrically, I have no idea what any of it actually means
I love the songs that end by fading towards the end. Exhausted was a perfect closer for a near perfect album.
Stan Getz
3/5
A gorgeous little jazz album that sounds so relaxing and so pure and clean. The gentle vocals of the Gilbertos, the plucking guitars, the lyrical sax by Getz , everything puts you in a relaxing trance. The Girl From Ipanem is undeniably one of the best jazz songs of all time. But my favourite from the album was Para Machuchar Meu Coração. So poetic and beautiful.
My only problem with this was that it's so easy on ears and so relaxing that as it reaches the last couple of songs, I'm already half asleep. But I don't think I can complain that it's not very stimulating, maybe Bossa Nova is like that. Maybe it's made for us to just relax.
Elvis Presley
2/5
I appreciate and understand it's impact of popular music but I just didn't enjoy it. Too old for my ears.
Destiny's Child
3/5
A decent R&B/girl-pop record. Captures the pop sound of the early 2000s and influenced many pop outfits of the decade. Every song is catchy with melodious hooks and sing-along lyrics.
Not very exciting or interesting but still fun and groovy to listen to. Loved the songs Independent Women Pt.1, Apple pie à la mode (favourite), Dangerously in Love and Brown Eyes.
Traffic
1/5
Dull set of 70s rock songs. Folkish. Instrumental jams. Jazz touches here and there. Flutes and sax. But overall very boring. Only liked the track Every Mother's Son, a cool road trip song.
Ananda Shankar
3/5
A rich blend of indian classical music, western pop and rock. The first half has covers of The Rolling Stones' Jumpin' Jack Flash and The Doors' Light My Fire along with some melody based sitar pop tracks. The second half is full on trippy. Metamorphosis had elements of noise rock. Sagar (The Ocean) is a 13 minute psychedelic trip. Dance Indra was a haunting with it's heavy moog synth bass. Raghupati was a good closer. Liked it. Very listenable. 40 minutes went by fast.
The ratings should have half stars as well. This one is a 3.5
Songhoy Blues
3/5
African rock music and blues. First half has such fun bangers with cool rocking guitars. Later half is stripped down, accoustic tracks with the signature african rubbery melodies and grooves. Less fun than the first half. Still a solid album. Al Hassidi Terei was my favourite from the album.
I'll give it a 3.5.
The Zutons
2/5
Pretty mid indie rock.Good guitars. Pretty melodies on some tracks. But overall, nothing exciting.Liked the songs Pressure Point and Not a Lot to Do.
The Style Council
2/5
Slightly better than what I thought a generic 80s record would be. Has some good jazz music. Moody Bill Evans-esque Blue Cafe and The Paris Match were really beautiful. Dropping Bombs on the Whitehouse and A Gospel were groovy and funky. You're the Best Thing was good too. Rest of the album was boring and forgettable. I'll give it a 2.5
Leonard Cohen
4/5
A hauntingly sad deathbed elegy. To release something so beautiful like this just 17 days before your death...how poetic. Even during his last days, Leonard Cohen's poetry and song writing is stil so deeply moving. His velvet like voice might've changed into an old man's growling whisper, yet it sounds so honest and soothing. His ruminations on death and God and Love are poignant. It's a perfect swan song of a dying artist.
That's all from me. I'm leaving the table. I'm out of the game.
Dwight Yoakam
2/5
Pretty generic country album with generic okayish tracks. Didn't care for a second listen.
Dizzee Rascal
3/5
Always happy to explore a new genre. Grime is like a fusion of hip hop and UK dance music. It was alright. Not very dynamic instrumentally. Lyrically just generic macho lyrics with some social realism sprinkled here and there. Still it was a good listen. Loved the tracks Sittin' Here, I Luv U, Fix Up Look Sharp and Jus' A Rascal.
Nine Inch Nails
4/5
One of those albums where the music fits the title aptly. It is indeed structured like a negativity and self-harm fuelled downward spiral that is dirty, loud, evil, angry, horny and yet sad, quiet and painfully beautiful.
It's the contrast between the brashness and the quieter moments that make this such a rewarding experience.
Makes the harsh sound of industrial rock more accessible. You can actually dance to 'Closer'. And then you can do something depraved while listening to Big Man With a Gun and then immediately regret it and question your entire life while listening to A Warm Place. And then you can kill yourself on 'The Downward Spiral' and descend into hell while hoping for a better life in the next birth.