If Dr. John was going for dreadful, he got it. The audio mixing on this in genuinely dreadful. The lead vocals are loud, shocking, and distorted, and ruin the performance of the much better backing musicians. There was not a single track on this album I would bother listening to again knowing how crummy the listening experience is. Save yourself, don't bother. There's more than enough average crappy psychedelic music from the late 60s on this list anyway.

A remarkable album full of a lot of great tracks. I can see myself coming back to this album again. Interesting to hear the African influence on the tracks. Glad I took the time to listen.

These songs all feel so long. Sometimes it works, but other times it just feels unnecessary. I’ve heard a handful of songs off of this album before, so it’s nice to get to hear those again. It reminds me of high school, which is weird because this album came out 20 years before I finished high school. But it makes me think of playing Rock Band with my friends, hanging with Ryan, and having fewer stresses in my life. Sir Psycho sexy is still a trip. I don’t know that I’d go back and listen to the whole album all the way through all that often, but I enjoyed this revisit.

I did not realize just how operatic this album actually is. There are swooping falsettos and aria-like melodies all throughout the songs. I found some new songs that tickled me, such as Lazing on a Sunday afternoon. Death on Two Legs is an understated standout on this album. Everyone knows Bohemian Rhapsody, but Death is an earworm full of power chords and amazing harmonies. I would absolutely listen to this album all the way through again. It goes down smooth and sounds incredible.

I took some time to look up Eagles since they weren't a group I was as familiar with. This is a really great album, but at the same time it feels tame compared to the 50 years of rock that came after it. There are plenty of times where this album sounds like cowboy campfire songs that were expanded into rock songs. I do like that this type of rock has more of a country and western influence, and the vocal harmonies are spectacular. It's a shame that rich vocal harmonies like this fell out of fashion. I don't know that I will come back to this album, but I will think about how it influenced rock for years to come.

I really wanted to give this album the benefit of the doubt. The first few songs were really good. Then came the first long song. Then another. Then lots of songs with throaty ooohs instead of lyrics. I listened to it all. I won’t go back.

Always nice to hear a crooner. I enjoyed getting to hear some old jazz standards. A good time all around.

I love this style of music. Some of the tracks were a real vibe. Some show how music has changed. Parade was an example of a song that has not stood the test of time. Regardless, I would listen to this again, or add some tracks to other playlists. Good stuff.

It's a bad sign when I'm already bored during the opening track. This is tiring, boring, pointless audio. I can't even call it music, because swells of chords and repeated lines barely feels like it qualifies. The lyrics are vapid. The singer's voice tries to sound wise and elderly but comes off as tired and dehydrated. You could not pay me to listen to this again.

Good musicianship, but I had a hard time focusing without being able to understand the lyrics.

Very slick and well produced album. The chunky bass lines are a treat, but otherwise not a lot stood out to me.

This isn’t exactly my kind of music, but I understand the cultural significance of it. While I’ve knocked other albums for being well produced, the overall result was they had nothing to say. This album is well produced, and you can feel the message Ice-T is trying to give. There are times where it feels exaggerated and it’s likely fictional, and it often over glamorizes violence and disturbing things, but it feels like that was the point. The only way to cut through the noise was to be brash and hope that people heard you. I also enjoyed the Body Count song. If Body Count isn’t in this collection, I’ll have to make a note to listen to some on my own time.

A lot of this album was just generic country rock to me, with a heavy lean in name dropping bands they liked. Then the tracks about the Alabama Icons made me sit up and listen. I thought they were really passionate and informative. Then it was back to generic country rock. At least it’s pre 9/11, so it’s not infused with misguided patriotism.

I haven’t listened to this album all the way through in a number of years, but it is just as good as I remember it. I’m glad it came onto my list when it did because it’s such a killer summer vibes album. The blend of Albarn’s previous rock work and hip hop just goes so well together. I was delighted to hear this album again and many of the songs will go into rotation for my other listening. Would absolutely listen again.

It was a nice blues/rock mix, but nothing about it really stood out to me.

A really great listen. It’s melancholy pop that makes you feel happy and sad. Hard to describe, but great to experience.

A nice, grooving jazz album. Can’t say much stood out to me, but it also didn’t offend either. Nice bass lines in a lot of the songs. I’d put it on as background music in the future.

A really interesting listen. I can hear this influence of this album reverberate through the next nearly 60 years. From Jefferson Airplane, to the Doors, to Beck, to even Smash Mouth. Elements of this album feed the inspiration of bands to come. I already knew a few songs on this album, but it was enjoyable to hear the rest.

This album has a really great flow. It definitely feels like it was meant to listen to as a whole album. Willie Nelson has an incredibly soulful singing voice. And it’s refreshing to hear a country album that is so simplified. Mostly acoustic guitar with vocals. Sometimes another instrument chimes in, but never in an overpowering way. Sometimes a hymn, sometimes a cowboy tune, sometimes a poem, but always done with intention. I like it.

This is the kind of music where I can tell it’s well done. I can tell it’s meaningful to the right people. I am not those people. I try to give every rap and hip hop album a chance, but between the skits, the language, and the general themes, I just can’t see myself listening to the whole album again. I could listen to the singles again, and I think they have a great dynamic in the music they make. It’s just all a vibe that is not meant for white guy me.

I knew the title track from an unfortunate night of playing Rock Band 2 years ago. At that time I loathed the song from hearing it so much, but eventually learned to like it. Now I finally listen to the album as a whole and it’s… fine. Most of the songs sound boringly same-y and unforgettable compared to one another. It’s nice to get to hear metal on the list, but there’s not nearly enough about this album to make me want to listen to it again.

You can hear the Glam Rock style associated with Queen, but overall this was kind of a snooze of an album. Killer Queen is obviously the highlight of the whole album and beyond that most of the songs are just there. I’d listen again, but I think other albums from other bands are more deserving of attention at this point.

This album hit a sweet spot for me. Little pieces of punk and surf fueling high energy music. The instruments and voices sound great and well mixed. A nice variety in the song writing. I only knew the singles going in, but I was so impressed by this album. I would absolutely listen to it again.

I always enjoy a folk rock group, and this album started off strong, but lost me by the end. I don’t know exactly what didn’t work for me, but I thought it was just kind of average overall by the end.

I always want to try and say at least one nice things about these albums. So here’s my one nice thing: I’m glad “music” like this exists so it could evolve into what would become the industrial sound. Now that we have that out of the way. Ooof. This really is a tough album to listen to. Was it really vital I hear this in my lifetime? At least I have a new contender for music to clear out a room at the end of a party.

Saccharine and uninteresting country. Almost so much so that it sounds like a parody of country music.

I feel bad because I’ve been taught so much of my life that noise isn’t music. That loud wailing and screeching is just sound. I respect the people who try to form something out of that chaos. They try hard to make something they think others will like listening to. But I just don’t have the ear for it. Having listened to Kollaps last week, this is a more enjoyable experience, but it’s still not something I plan on coming back to.

This album is great, but at times there were elements I found odd. The first half of the album is full of incredible songs, but they whiplash around tonally and stylistically every track. Then the back half of the album feels like one long, extended song broken into movements. And then The End is a neat little bow to tie the package together. You can absolutely see why albums like this are the foundation for so many other musicians for decades. I just wish I liked the whole package a little more to bump it to a full 5 stars.

A cromulent album. Changes is the standout on this record for sure. It’s a welcome change out pace on the album.

It’s not terrible music, just overly repetitive with not much to say. I’m sure it was cool for its time, but now it sounds crunchy and antiquated. Can’t say I’ll go back for another listen.

A fantastic album. The covers aren’t all perfect, but there is a level of emotion to them that’s hard to match. I would absolutely listen to this album again.

Non-specific early 90’s grunge. It wasn’t bad, but it also wasn’t all that memorable. I think there’s a reason I’ve never heard of this band. At least it doesn’t feel like my time was wasted.

This is exactly my kind of music, but I can’t say every track grabbed me. Looking at the release year, this album feels ahead of its time. The songs have a feel that reminds me more of the 00s. I enjoyed this listen, I was into it from the first track. I will make sure to return to this album in the future to give it another listen.

This was another one of those albums where the component parts are great, but the sum of the whole just wasn’t for me. I thought their voices were nice together, the instrumentation is good, but I didn’t love it.

I enjoyed this album. It was enjoyable from start to finish, even though I didn’t know any of the songs before going in. I think I would go back and listen to this album again to try and pick some songs I’d put on a playlist in the future. Good time overall.

It sounds like a 90’s ska album, but they forgot to mix the horns in. Otherwise kind of forgettable 90s rock. I doubt I’ll go back for another listen of this one.

I’m sure Cohen is seen as a poet for a generation, but I have a hard time focusing on his music. A lot of the time it feels like the guitar is just too frantic. There are other folks artists and albums which appeal to me, this one can stay in the played once pile.

Both Blue Rondo ala Turk and Take Five are masterpieces. They make this album absolutely worth a listen. This is also just exactly the type of jazz I like listening to. I would absolutely listen to this album again.

Pretty generic D&B music. Didn’t love the lyrics to the opening song, they weren’t great and I’m sure the sentiment has aged poorly. It makes for okay background music, but I wouldn’t actively seek it out to listen to.

A remarkable album full of a lot of great tracks. I can see myself coming back to this album again. Interesting to hear the African influence on the tracks. Glad I took the time to listen.

Having listened to a handful of these older electronic music albums, they suffer from the same problem. They develop some unique instrumentation, but they are just bland and repetitive. I’m glad they’re the stepping stones for the genre and others to come. But I just can’t see myself coming back to this.

There was a point when I was a teenager where if I had heard this music, I probably would have fallen in love with it and staunchly defended it. But in my 30s I think I missed the window and it just sounds like most other melancholy indie music. It’s well produced, and occasionally their accents make it hard to tell what they are singing, but it’s good overall.

I had a great time listening to this album. I thought the tracks were fun and upbeat, and there was definitely a critique of society in the lyrics. I will have to give this one another go around at some point.

I just don’t think psychedelic rock is my thing. I don’t think rock operas are my thing. I tried to keep an open mind while listening to this, but I just didn’t feel it.

Dolly has a really nice voice, it’s a shame so much of this album is singing about two timers and man stealers. If I listen to more Dolly, I’ll skip those kinds of songs.

This album is such a unique piece of history. I cannot imagine a world where artists not only perform in prisons, but are able to make records there. I really love the quality and bass of Cash’s voice. The songs are enjoyable, but the circumstances really make this album worth a listen.

It’s not unlistenable, but it’s close. The beat is occasionally good, but it’s also often way too loud over the vocals. The whole thing is just too chaotic most of the time. I also personally just cannot make out a lot of the lyrics because of his blended accents. For people who like this, great. I will probably never be one of them.

This is the kind of album that makes me glad I am doing this project. When I started listening I wasn’t really won over. I couldn’t really relate to the album. But I thought about how just because I don’t understand the art doesn’t mean it shouldn’t exist. This is a way for me to see into a world that is not my own. Even if I don’t plan on revisiting it, it was important to hear it once. That is what this project should be.

I just don't see what's so great about Radiohead. It's an okay enough album. That's about it.

A truly exceptional album. There is so much soul in these songs, and the first half is just amazing song after song. The back half isn’t as well known, but the song quality is still great. I would say this is probably my favorite Chili Peppers album, and the one most people should give a listen to in order to give the band a fair shake.

This is again on the side of folk music I don’t care for. It’s not the darker themes, or the lyricism. It’s the way that the singing/lyrics feel disconnected from the music as a whole. There’s an interesting album here, I just wish the people who weren’t Nick Drake got some mention, since they were doing the more interesting things.

I had a great time listening to this album. I don’t know that every track was my favorite, but it was hard to stay still listening to them. I would go back and give this another listen.

I have a complicated history with this album. When I was a teenager I was visiting Germany and my mp3 player bricked. Since I didn’t have much spending money I could only grab a CD or two from a local store and this was one of my buys. I listened to this album quite a few times over the next few weeks. I fell in love with some of the more popular singles like “Time to Pretend” or “Kids”. I listened to them on repeat over and over. Eventually I learned how great “Electric Feel” was. And I’ve listened to these songs so much. Spotify has recommended these songs so much. In a way I’ve grown weary of them. Maybe it’s because I know I can’t be a teenager again. Coming back to this album was a nice trip down memory lane. I don’t think I’ll stop by again for some time, but I was happy to be there. This album really reminded me of finding my own taste in music, of discovering what the alt music of the time was like. I know there is bias in my ranking, but like I said, my relationship with this album is complicated.

I can see the proto-punk in this album. It has moments of being interesting and starts to pick up by the end. Then Starship happens and it all falls apart again. A useful listen for understanding music history, but not something I plan on returning to.

I at least gave it a listen. He sucks as a person, and the album is a poor product of its time. He’s not a genius. He’s not a messiah. He’s just got an enormous ego. And when you push for mocking education and reinforcement of religion, you get a population full of idiots.

I enjoyed this. Closer to my normal taste in folk music and some of the tracks near the end really surprised me. I enjoyed the more diverse instrumentation as the album built up.

Queen is one of those bands that puts out consistent work. I find their albums all enjoyable, but having listened to 3 for this project now, I feel like this album deserved to be on the list the least. There are other bands that made interesting and unique work around that time, or influenced by Queen. I hope that there isn’t so much Queen on the rest of the list so I don’t start to sour in them.

This is the first time I’ve ever listened to any of Moby’s work and I don’t know how to feel. On the one hand, there are times I found myself getting into the overall production. But there were plenty of times when I heard the sample once and dreaded that the song would be 4 minutes of that sample on loop. I don't know that I will really come back to this album, but it at least didn’t leave a sour taste in my mouth.

This is an album I knew I was biased against before even listening. This album came out when I was in high school, and it signaled the end of radio being worth listening to. My favorite alt-rock station (ClearChannel owned of course) was all too thrilled that Arcade Fire and the Black Keys were such big Grammy contenders that year. So much so that they played those two artists basically every third song on the air. I was sick of it. I thought the music was nothing special, and Arcade Fire specifically sounded whiny. This was my first time listening to the actual album, and it was fine. It wasn't really good or interesting. The songs just kind of chug along, and most of them seem averse to having a catchy melody. I'm sure the lyrics are part of the appeal, but the overall product was so boring I couldn't bring myself to care. I tried, but I can't get over the bias, this music is just okay at best.

I think this album is the first time I’ve really enjoyed a Prog album. I’m not sure what changed, but something about the way the instruments come together, and overall melodies really hooked me. I was listening while getting some chores done, so I think this one deserves another listen at a time when I can really focus on the music.

This was another one of those albums that feels like the lesser know influencer of a genre. You can hear a lot of inspiration for future Alt Rock bands throughout the run of the this album. I had a good time listening to it, and I will likely try giving it another listen at some point in the future.

This was another of those albums where the “Must Hear” part seems extremely exaggerated. This album was okay at best. There are more interesting albums that could be on this list over an entirely forgettable soft rock album. I’ll be lucky if I remember this album in a year.

An alright album overall. I wasn’t really captured by it, but I didn’t give up on it either. Just not really my type of dedicated listening music.

I know Miles Davis has some really influential work. This felt like background music. Surely there are other jazz albums one “must hear” out there.

I don’t know. Some of the music was good, but the man seems like a sleaze. Just go listen to the original artists.

I’m torn on where to rate this album. On the one hand, I know the singles well, and I was excited to hear them. On the other hand, this album is very long and not every song feels as memorable or necessary. Still, I think I would considering listening to it again, even if broken up over several listening sessions.

This is one of those albums that feels like it was really important at the time, but has faded into obscurity, and probably for good reason. The samples make for an interesting listen, and some tracks really groove. But others just drone on for minutes at a time. Both artists are highly influential, but there’s a reason people tend to talk about the music that’s more palatable to listen to when the discussion comes up.

This was a refreshing return to miles Davis after the last album of his I got on this list. The tracks feel so smooth. The motifs appear all over the album. It’s such an enjoyable listen.

One or two tracks were good, but overall it felt like a novelty album where the novelty wore off pretty quickly. Then it was just bland noise for a while.

I started this project because I wanted to expand my musical tastes and maybe find some new things I liked. What I’m finding is I’m very closed minded and don’t like most things. This was one of those things. Congrats to Kate Bush on her “One of a kind musical journey” but it’s not for me. This was pitchy and wailing, and I’m good to not listen to it again.

Truly an excellent album, a real evolution of the grunge and garage rock of the 90s. Each song is punchy and catchy and worth giving multiple listens. While some may not like Meg White’s more simplistic drumming, it’s hard to not want to stomp your foot to the repeating kick drum in most of the songs. I would heartily recommend this, and I will happily give this album another listen in the future.

I wasn’t initially sold until I got to Your Flag Decal, and it clicked. I enjoy a folksy, country tune. But the biting satire of patriotism not making you a good person was a refreshing change from a genre often oversaturated in religious sentiment.

Absolutely brilliant. Improvisation is no easy task for a short solo, I cannot fathom the tremendous pressure of doing an hour long concert of improvised music. Jarrett is clearly a master of his instrument, and the time he put in shines in the way he plays.

This was my album on a cold dreary winter Monday. And it is so up my alley that my day just improved. This album had exactly the right energy and feel. The instruments were tight and the melodies were great. Even on some of the more out there tracks like Blues for Huey, I found myself coming around to liking them by the end. I don’t know how I hadn’t heard Hugh Masekela’s work before this, but I will certainly return to find other albums of his.

I can’t quite decide if I like this or not. I would probably have to give it another listen, but I don’t think it would be a top priority. I hear the wit in his lyrics, and the instrumentation is unique. But there were plenty of times where my mind wandered, and I just wasn’t that interested. Really a mixed bag.

I know there are lots of people who don’t care for Dylan’s style, or the way his voice fluctuates in pitch as he sings, but not me. I dug this album, it just clicked with me. I found the lyrics to be the right kind of humorous, and the instruments to just feel right. It just fits perfectly with the type of folk music I really enjoy. I would definitely go back and give this another listen.

I’m such a sucker for Simon & Garfunkel. To me they ARE folk music, and this album is no exception. A wonderful listen all the way through. There’s some poppy ear worms like Mrs. Robinson, some contemplative songs like America, and some truly emotional work like Old Friends. This album builds you up and tears you down again and again. It’s magnificent, and I can’t recommend it enough.

I was not expecting the soundtrack to a Blaxplotation film to be on this list, but the fact that I could identify exactly what the music was without looking it up tells me exactly why it is on this list. This album was a great listen, and I can see why the best songs went on to surpass the legacy of the film itself. And the music is effective without being cliche. At one point I asked myself if a song was chase music, only to look at the track title and see that it was in fact the backing audio for a chase scene. It was done well, the music is a groove, and despite the genre relying on exploitation, the music felt original and fresh.

It starts boring and proceeds to only get more boring. This is music that is far less clever than the band thinks, and becoming agonizing to listen to after a few minutes. By the third time it sounded like pots and pans falling down a staircase in the opening track, I knew I was in for a bad time.

This album is well produced, and Mariah Carey has a very impressive voice. But the genre just does nothing for me. I was so bored listening to this album. I honestly barely remember anything about it because almost every track sounded the exact same, and all of them felt very dull, very quickly.

It’s like the B-52s and the Cranberries had a child and told it that it could grow up to be whatever it wanted to be. So it grew up to be mediocre. The overall sound is alright, but the weird effects on the voices did not do it for me. I would consider giving this another listen, but I don’t think it qualifies as being one of the most important albums of all time that everyone should listen to at some point.

I really enjoyed this album. I don’t know that every song is perfect, but there is a consistency to how good they are. The most famous songs really stand out, and they are the most enjoyable to listen to. I would definitely give this album another listen.

It was fine. I think there’s a reason I hadn’t heard of Moby Grape, and a reason my brain doesn’t remember a single song from their generic sounding psychedelic album. This is another one of those albums that doesn’t actually feel like one you need to hear, just one that people think is important because it’s old.

This album starts really strong with several really catchy tunes. Unfortunately it starts to run out of steam before the album is done, but that doesn’t stop it from being a great time nonetheless. I can absolutely see myself tossing this on again for another listen in the future.

At first I wasn’t sure I was feeling this album, something wasn’t clicking. But I kept listening and heard some parallels to other folk music I enjoy like Simon and Garfunkel and just let myself unwind and try to enjoy the album for what it was. Pleasant surprise to hear Wild World as part of this album. I would give this one another listen.

This album felt like it went on forever, and not in a good way. The Kinks have a nice sound, almost like if the Beatles wanted to write songs that might also work as chants at football match. The problem is that some of them are catchy and fun, and some of them are bland and forgettable. And by the time you’ve listened to an hour of this, the forgettable ones seem to be piled pretty high.

A really great album. Between hearing Elephant a few weeks ago, and this album today, I actually like the White Stripes more than I realized. That being said, Elephant is the stronger of the two albums. This was is a little more chaotic and doesn’t hold together as well. “We’re Going to be Friends” has been a favorite song of mine for ages, but it sticks out like a sore thumb on this album. Still gave a bunch of tracks to enjoy again and again, so I like it overall.

An unexpected winner for me. I don’t know what it was about the combination of instruments, lyrics, and delivery, but the sum felt greater than its parts. I enjoyed the energy of this album and hearing some of the big hits made it really come together. I don’t know if I would like the rest of their catalog, but this album crushed it for me.

It was a change to hear a rap album from a group that was very young when it was recorded. On the one hand, there is a youthful exuberance that isn’t full of weight from adult life and problems. On the other hand, there’s a lot of juvenile content like Orgee or the pointless skits that rap albums of the time had. When it hits, it really hits. But when it’s childish it becomes far less enjoyable.

If Dr. John was going for dreadful, he got it. The audio mixing on this in genuinely dreadful. The lead vocals are loud, shocking, and distorted, and ruin the performance of the much better backing musicians. There was not a single track on this album I would bother listening to again knowing how crummy the listening experience is. Save yourself, don't bother. There's more than enough average crappy psychedelic music from the late 60s on this list anyway.

I don’t know what it was, maybe the day, maybe the weather, maybe work, but my mind had no interest in this album. I know I listened to the whole thing, but I don’t remember any of it. I’m sure Brian Eno is a genius to some people, but this album was apparently so bland to me that I couldn’t even be bothered to archive any of it to my memory. Maybe at some point it deserves another chance from me, but for now it’s shelved with other so-so albums.

Congrats to the person who wrote a seven page essay in the reviews about this album. I wish I listened to whatever you heard, but this was alright at best. Nothing memorable, but nothing offensive. Great to put on in the background at a party.

It’s absolutely my kind of music. I wish I could have listened a little more closely to pick out songs I liked best, but overall it’s the type of album I would put on just to enjoy a drive on a nice day. I’ll try to get back to it at some point and give it a listen with a more focused ear.

I’ve heard a couple of albums by Sonic Youth before and I’m torn. As a teenager trying to find my own style, I convinced myself that I could really like Sonic Youth, but I don’t know that this was ever really true. I liked some of their songs, but others just fell completely flat. Maybe they won’t ever be to my taste, or maybe I need to listen more thoroughly to appreciate them. I still enjoyed this album, and I’d give it another listen, but there are other works by Sonic Youth I’d rather hear.

I wish this hadn’t been the first Bowie album I got as part of this project, because it was just okay. I know this album holds a lot of meaning because of Bowie’s death, but as someone not too familiar with his work, it didn’t really catch me. There were some songs I enjoyed, and some that felt long and droning with nothing of interest happening. I know there’s a lot more Bowie albums on this list, and I look forward to hearing any of them over listening to this again.

I had a really fun time listening to this album. I’m a sucker for really cliche sounding country and this had it all: steel guitar, banjo, fiddle, themes of “my baby left me”, etc. It was so over the top that it hits that sweet spot of just letting yourself enjoy it for being almost silly. Plus many of these songs have such good structure that I’d love to hear other bands like CAKE put their own spin on covering them. I also really appreciated that despite being country, it wasn’t overly religious. If I needed to put on a country album, I’d strongly consider this one.

When I was 18 I went on a weeklong backpacking trip right after my first real relationship had ended. It was a 15 hour drive to the state where we would be hiking, and the only album in the car was Simon and Garfunkel’s greatest hits. I didn’t mind this, I was already a fan of Simon & Garfunkel. Thanks to that, I knew many of the songs on this album. I like these songs, but I don’t think the album as a whole is quite as much of an emotional gut punch as Bookends was. The songs have those lush harmonies that make them great, but they sometimes feel shallow with little emotion attached. I’d still recommend this album, and I think it’s worthy of this list, just to hear how their songwriting changed and influenced others. Oh, and that girlfriend who ended things was Emily. So everyone on the trip got a chuckle out of every play of For Emily.

I thought I knew a lot of Elvis‘s catalog. Seeing an album of songs, I didn’t recognize seemed interesting at first. But man, this album just feels so uninspired. Suspicious Minds is obviously the highlight of the album and probably the only song worth listening to more than once, I will definitely give other Elvis albums a chance, but I think once was enough for this album

I did not realize that Queens of the Stone Age put out their first album in the 90s. And unfortunately, it’s just alright. It sounds like a more aimless Foo Fighters. Having heard their newer work, I think the sound they evolved into was a much better choice. I also think the number of songs with too much random noise is too high.

I’m sure that at time of release this alb was really game changing and stood out for how unique it was. Now it’s 40 years later and it’s just okay. The big singles Girls Just Wanna Have Fun and Time After Time still land very well, but the rest of the album just feels like any other 80s pop. I don’t doubt that this album was incredibly influential and launched many musical careers. I just think the successors went on to outshine this album in a number of ways.

This album was a wild ride. I heard so many splashes of other artists during the run time. There was some Chicago, some Elton John, some Beatles, and a bunch of other bands that either influenced or were influenced by this album. I don’t know that every song worked for me, but the flow was there. The choice of having no singles makes sense when you hear how much the songs blend together. I might take another listen someday, but all in all I’m not upset this was on the list.

I can’t say I was a fan of System of a Down before this, and after listening, I’m still not. There’s more musicality to this than I expected, and the cultural history of the band certainly shines through in the song. But the angst and the weird pitchy singing just did nothing for me. One or two songs were okay, but overall I mostly just wanted the album to be over. I can see why it is on the list, but it won’t ever be for me.

This was a much better Kate Bush experience than the last album I got on this list, but I can’t say any of the songs were that memorable to me. I can’t say any obviously remember Running Up That Hill because of its recent cultural impact, but the rest was just nice sounding 80s pop. Still a fun listen, but unlikely I would go back to it.

There's an irony to the name of this album, because it's so boring it could put me to sleep. I already dislike live albums because the recording and mixing quality is very rarely there. Then add a band who's hits all sound the same and you end up with a slurry of heavy guitars and overpowering drums for minutes on end. There were multiple times I had to check to see if a new song had started because it sounded so similar to the song before it. And it cannot be overlooked that the mixing on this is truly awful. A good studio recording draws attention to different elements of a song as they happen. This album treats everything as equals, meaning the drums often overpower anything happening in the vocals or guitar. It really is a drag to listen to.

Of the live albums I’ve had to listen to for this list, this album at least had the energy and crowd interaction to make it feel worth being a live album. It was a nice listen, but it mostly reminded me of seeing a band perform on a cruise ship. There’s a lot of talent from the band, but it feels like they’re playing to a room that’s more focused on drinks and other activities. Closer to the end of the album the feeling starts to fade, but it was just kind of an uncanny observation.