Jul 15 2024
Doolittle
Pixies
My favorite Pixies album. It sets the template for 90s and early 2000s indie rock. Still sounds fresh and relevant today.
5
Jul 16 2024
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
Elton John
Definitely a classic. A bit front-loaded but a great listen overall. A lot of different styles covered. Made for a fun listen in head-fi.
4
Jul 17 2024
Blur
Blur
Sounds of its time. A lot of experimental electronic sounds mixed in.
3
Jul 18 2024
Smash
The Offspring
I’m very biased on this album. I have enjoyed it for 30 years now and every time I hear it I feel like a teenager again. Great energy throughout, great production and much more informed lyrics than I realized.
4
Jul 19 2024
Appetite For Destruction
Guns N' Roses
First cassette tape I ever bought. Still sounds great over 35 years later. Every song is strong and well produced. This album helped save hard rock in the 80s.
5
Jul 22 2024
Rio
Duran Duran
Basically defined the sound of the early 80s new wave-pop scene. Still sounds good 40 years on.
4
Jul 23 2024
Born In The U.S.A.
Bruce Springsteen
This album is almost completely full of hits. It’s crazy that it isn’t discussed as much as his earlier albums. It’s not as raw as earlier more, poetic works but it is still very strong lyrically. It just has better production. One of the few Springsteen albums that I can listen to all the way through.
5
Jul 24 2024
Nebraska
Bruce Springsteen
A much sadder album than Born in the USA which came after. Paired with the album cover, it paints a bleak picture. I prefer his more upbeat numbers so this album doesn’t do it for me.
3
Jul 25 2024
Live At The Harlem Square Club
Sam Cooke
I’m generally not a fan of older live albums due to poor production but this one sounds pretty good. I would still go for the studio recordings of most of these songs. Sam’s voice is very powerful and cuts through the thin recording but the instruments are a bit weak. Typical of live recordings.
3
Jul 26 2024
Follow The Leader
Korn
Angry, aggressive but more thoughtful than their first 2 albums. Maybe the most listenable of their albums. I still generally prefer their first album but I think it is because I was a little more mature when it his one came out and I was moving away from music this heavy. Still a very heavy, enjoyable listen.
4
Jul 29 2024
Low
David Bowie
Side A is really strong. Great songs, different styles, not surprising for Bowie but this was a departure from his previous work. Germany seems to have rubbed off on him. Side B is less engaging for me. Instrumentals that are often noisy, synth driven and not as melodic as the first side. Still some great moments but side B lost my attention.
4
Jul 30 2024
British Steel
Judas Priest
Probably the first really great Priest album. Bangers all the way through. There is a reason it comes up on greatest metal album lists all the time.
5
Jul 31 2024
Mott
Mott The Hoople
Very glam. Lots of Bowie influenced sounds. Not as poppy as Slade or the Sweet but a little more upbeat than Lou Reed’s catalog at this time. Well produced, well balanced but nothing as catchy as All the Young Dudes. It could use a little more edge.
3
Aug 01 2024
Eternally Yours
The Saints
Classic Australian punk that should be better known. If the “I’m Stranded” single was on here then it would be talked about in the same discussions as the Clash and the Damned.
5
Aug 02 2024
Queen II
Queen
Not as good as I expected. There were a couple songs that hit harder than expected which was nice but most of it was forgettable. Seven Seas of Rye was the only standout that sounded like the Queen I am used to. I’m sure some of the sounds on here were new and exciting in 1974 but they did it all better later.
3
Aug 05 2024
Debut
Björk
Not for me. I recognized Human Behavior from the weird video that was all over MTV in the 90s. I’ve never been a fan of Bjork’s voice and most of these songs were too poppy for my taste.
2
Aug 06 2024
Pretzel Logic
Steely Dan
Better than I expected. I have a love/hate relationship with this band. Sometimes they are a bit too jazzy for my liking but this album has some nice funky bits that reminded me of Zappa. Also Rikki Don’t Lose That Number is such a classic that it makes up for some of the lesser tracks. Overall, a good listen!
3
Aug 07 2024
Soul Mining
The The
Interesting. Sounds a bit like early REM at times and other times more like Duran Duran but harder edged. Sometimes boarding on electronic noises similar to Pretty Hate Machine. Overall a good listen that has me interested in hearing more.
3
Aug 08 2024
Coat Of Many Colors
Dolly Parton
I’m not a huge country music fan but Dolly’s talent is undeniable. I didn’t realize she was this mature as a songwriter by 1971. A very enjoyable listen that I would gladly listen to again.
4
Aug 09 2024
The Atomic Mr Basie
Count Basie & His Orchestra
Good mood music for a dinner party or as background music.
4
Aug 12 2024
Moondance
Van Morrison
Fantastic listen. His most consistent album in my opinion. Quite the departure from Astral Weeks which was very jammy and spaced out. These songs are much tighter, more radio friendly and they stick in your head in a good way.
5
Aug 13 2024
Frank
Amy Winehouse
Better than I expected! I think I like this better than Back To Black. More like lounge singer jazz with some very biting lyrics. Feels more genuine for some reason. I generally liked it.
4
Aug 14 2024
War
U2
I forget how good this album is. I think I like it better than the Joshua Tree because it is less produced. They were just a good rock band at this time and not superstars. I’ve had this album for close to 30 years and I probably haven’t listened to it in 20. Quite a pity. I’ll be getting it back into the rotation!
4
Aug 15 2024
Talking Heads 77
Talking Heads
A solid rookie outing. It is obvious that they had been honing their craft for a while before this came out. They are very mature and tight. Their sound is basically the same as it would be for most of their career. Overall a good album that shows what they were capable of.
4
Aug 16 2024
Selling England By The Pound
Genesis
I liked this much more than I expected. It is more structured than some of their earlier works. Peter Gabriel’s lyrics are still obscure to an American like myself but overall it was still easier to follow than Foxtrot or Nursery Chryme.
4
Aug 18 2024
Five Leaves Left
Nick Drake
Not my type of music. I like the playing on the album but it is too repetitive. Nick Drake has an ok voice but not a lot of range. It makes the music rather boring to me.
2
Aug 19 2024
Blunderbuss
Jack White
Fantastic. Love his melodic style. Very distinct voice and really interesting guitar tones. Even when the tones are harsh, they feel appropriate.
4
Aug 20 2024
Kid A
Radiohead
They say dogs can smell fear. I think they can also smell pretentiousness. My dog got up and left the room partway through the second song of this album and didn’t come back in until the album was over. I would have liked to join her.
1
Aug 21 2024
OK Computer
Radiohead
A much more enjoyable listen than Kid A. It seems he forgot how to sing on that album but shows he is quite capable of holding notes and singing with emotion. Still not my favorite singer by a long shot but I don’t actively hate this album. My biggest complaint is a general overuse of effects. I felt it was egregious on Kid A and only slightly annoying on OK Computer. Step away from the effects board!
3
Aug 22 2024
Infected
The The
Very 80s. Reminds me of INXS at times and Nick Cave at other times. Not as foreboding, just similar vocals sometimes. I generally liked it.
4
Aug 23 2024
It's Blitz!
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Karen O has a great voice that is very identifiable. Especially when she goes a little lower and that smoky side comes out. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs have a nice mix of power pop and alternative. Never full blown dance music but not shoe-gaze or emo either. A good listen!
4
Aug 24 2024
From Elvis In Memphis
Elvis Presley
3
Aug 25 2024
Idlewild
Everything But The Girl
Could t finish it. Not my type of music at all.
1
Aug 26 2024
Doggystyle
Snoop Dogg
Classic. This is one of the first rap albums that I purchased in the early 90s. Along with Dr Dre’s The Chronic, this album defined 90s rap. I am not a big hip hop/rap fan but if it sounds like this, I can dig it. Something. About all those P-Funk samples, mixed with booming bass and Snoops smooth lyrical delivery just works for me.
5
Aug 27 2024
Station To Station
David Bowie
Love it. Probably my favorite later 70s Bowie record. The guitars and bass on this album are fantastic!
5
Aug 28 2024
Protection
Massive Attack
Not bad but not my type of music
2
Aug 29 2024
Brilliant Corners
Thelonious Monk
Very cool. Great music to work with. Smooth but not so smooth that it would put you to sleep. A lot of talent on these tracks. A tight band making it sound easy.
4
Aug 30 2024
Make Yourself
Incubus
I never really got into this band. I think it’s a combination of the singer’s voice and the rap aspects. Some of the music is pretty good. Jazz inspired I think in some places and more metal in others but it’s just never worked for me.
2
Aug 31 2024
Feast of Wire
Calexico
Not my thing. Album suffers from loudness wars. Everything sounds too loud and also too polished. It’s like a slightly more interesting version of Mumford and Sons except Mumford has better dynamics. A lot of music in the past 15-20 years has suffered from too much polish. Everything is maxed out and clipped and the highs and lows are missing for me.
2
Sep 01 2024
Transformer
Lou Reed
A very street wise, confident album. Easily my favorite Lou Reed album. The songs have a lot of swagger and when they get more introspective or romantic, it feels genuine. The tunes stick in your head.
5
Sep 02 2024
Aja
Steely Dan
Too much like yacht rock for me. Deacon Blues is ok but too long. Peg is better but in general all are too long. Some great musicianship but just not my type of music.
3
Sep 03 2024
Sheer Heart Attack
Queen
Much better than the first couple Queen albums. More rocking songs and more familiar Queen sounds. I’m not sure why this album isn’t talked about as much as Day at the Races or Night at the Opera.
4
Sep 04 2024
Vespertine
Björk
I can’t get past Bjork’s voice. Music is interesting but her voice doesn’t work for me.
3
Sep 05 2024
Seventh Tree
Goldfrapp
Not my type of music.
2
Sep 06 2024
Logical Progression
LTJ Bukem
Nope. Can’t do it. Rave music to me is just background music and only works in a dance club. It has no purpose outside of that setting. Way too repetitive. Who would ever want to listen to this outside of a rave? I would rather listen to Polka.
1
Sep 07 2024
KIWANUKA
Michael Kiwanuka
Interesting listen. Sometimes it sounds like 70s soul and r & b and other times the music is much more modern sounding like the Strokes. Overall I like it.
4
Sep 08 2024
Tarkus
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
A prog classic but I would rather listen to In The Court of the Crimson King or Meddle. All 3 can meander but Tarkus is a bit too much meandering. Greg Lake’s vocals save this album for me much as he did on early Crimson. I may have liked this better if they broke it up into more tracks where I could get a breather between parts. Just too much wanking off here but I cannot deny that they can play.
4
Sep 09 2024
Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge
Mudhoney
Classic grunge by one of the leaders and founders of the grunge movement. In many ways Mudhoney were more grunge than Nirvana could ever hope to be. I will always prefer their early singles but this is probably my favorite album of theirs.
4
Sep 10 2024
Lady Soul
Aretha Franklin
4
Sep 11 2024
Ananda Shankar
Ananda Shankar
3
Sep 12 2024
Garbage
Garbage
Sounds very mid 90s. Shirley Manson’s voice is fairly distinctive. They sounded like a more poppy version of Hole on some songs.
3
Sep 13 2024
Disintegration
The Cure
I definitely like their pop songs better than the slower moody songs. There is some very nice playing here but I think I like the more spare music they were doing earlier in their career.
4
Sep 14 2024
Play
Moby
Better than I expected. Most of the songs that I liked the best were released as singles so I probably have more history with this album than I consciously thought. Some great production and sounds that would be used again and again on future dance pop hits. Definitely an inspirational album for aspiring pop stars of the time and probably still used as a yardstick for dance album production. Will I go out and buy it? No. Will I download it? No. Will I download some songs? Sure. Considering this is not in my normal wheelhouse, Moby can consider that a win. Although, I’m sure he wouldn’t lose any sleep if I hated it either.
4
Sep 15 2024
Deja Vu
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
A classic but a little softer than what I typically want to listen to
4
Sep 16 2024
Little Earthquakes
Tori Amos
Not something I would choose to listen to but I didn’t want to turn off the album either.i can see why she is popular and has had a pretty long career.
3
Sep 17 2024
More Songs About Buildings And Food
Talking Heads
Lacking hits like on prior and latter albums. Sounds pretty good overall. They were still finding their sound.
3
Sep 18 2024
(What's The Story) Morning Glory
Oasis
Pretty great. Definitely has Beatles vibes of course. Very listenable. No doubt why it was a hit. This could come out today and it would still be a hit or it could have come out in 1968. Too bad the brothers couldn’t get along. A few more albums like this and they would have been the band of the decade.
5
Sep 19 2024
Horses
Patti Smith
I generally like Patti’s voice. Her lyrics lost me at times because she is more poet than traditional songwriter. It gives her music a different quality more like Bob Dylan. Thankfully she is a better singer than Dylan. I prefer the songs where she doesn’t drone on stanza after stanza for what feels like forever before hitting a musical break or chorus. Gloria is a little tiring to me for that reason and Horses definitely hits me that way. Great playing by the band. I just wish some of the songs were a little shorter or more sparse lyrically.
4
Sep 20 2024
Ten
Pearl Jam
I’ve had this album for 30 years and I haven’t listened to it in at least 25 years. The songs I like the most are the ones that are played on the radio the most. I’ve always felt that Pearl Jam weren’t really a grunge band but more of a standard rovk band. After this album they got much softer. Some of these songs feel like leftover Green River and Mother Love Bone but with a worse singer. I prefer the nasal , wild delivery of Mark Arm over Eddie Vedded but sales show that I’m in the minority. Evenflow, Alive and Black are great, powerful rock songs and Jeremy tells a sad, creepy story that is the template for so many other teenage pain songs. Nothing on this listen made me want to revisit Pearl Jam but I can’t deny the impact of the album.
4
Sep 21 2024
Zombie
Fela Kuti
Loved it. Great mix of jazz and African traditional music. Fela was an interesting guy for sure and would probably be a big star today with music being much more globally available. He had a way of never going too far in any one direction but not being boring either. More people should listen to his work.
5
Sep 22 2024
Two Dancers
Wild Beasts
3
Sep 23 2024
Marcus Garvey
Burning Spear
Good but I tend to get bored with reggae. Sometimes it’s too repetitive and I stop paying attention.
3
Sep 24 2024
The Slim Shady LP
Eminem
Classic. I’m not a big rap guy but I enjoy a lot of 80s and 90s rap before it became about rapping as fast as possible or mumbling through verses like you are barely coherent and have a mouth full of marbles. Also not a fan of overly processed vocals like a lot of modern hip hop has. I like how I can make out most of Eminem’s lyrics and how most of his songs have stories. Gives me a reason to listen and focus instead of just letting it slide into the background. Hard to get engaged with background music. For that reason this album makes my short list of rap classics.
5
Sep 25 2024
Truth And Soul
Fishbone
3
Sep 26 2024
Hms Fable
Shack
I had never heard of this band. Some good stuff here. I like the synth strings and the harmonies. Good guitar playing and overall production. I really like Streets of Kenny. Also Lend’s Some Dough, Comedy and Captain’s Table are standouts. There a few tracks that could have been cut and it would have made for a stronger release but this was the CD age where everyone thought they needed at least 12 tracks on every album. Cornish Town is a clunker for me. If this band would have released a video for Comedy on MTV they would have been huge in the U.S. Sounds like they never really got big outside the UK. Shame.
4
Sep 27 2024
Wild Is The Wind
Nina Simone
Powerful voice. Great sounding recording. Her voice is deeper and more masculine than I expected. Sounds good, just surprised.
4
Sep 30 2024
Master Of Puppets
Metallica
This is my favorite Metallica album and has been for over 30 years. The only complaint I have is with The Thing That Should Not Be. I have always felt that it should be placed somewhere else on the album or maybe on a different album. After the one-two punch of Battery and Master of Puppets, The Thing That Should Not Be feels like too much of a slowdown to me. If I’m complaining about sequencing then that means I have no real complaints.
5
Oct 01 2024
The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
Lauryn Hill
I mostly enjoyed this but it felt like it could have been two albums. Just a bit too long. This would have been two albums in the vinyl era and I think it would have a stronger presence if it was split up and tighter. By the middle of the album I had already forgotten how the first few songs went. That said, pretty much every song on their own are great. Lauryn’s voice is just full of emotion without being over the top and the music has some great grooves. Lots of soul inspirations, throwbacks to Stax and Motown. Good stuff.
5
Oct 02 2024
Highway to Hell
AC/DC
A some cold classic. It feels like some of these songs have always existed. They are part of my DNA and it is hard to listen to them critically. Overall this might be one of their best balanced albums. Highway to Hell, Touch Too Much, If You Want Blood, Night Prowler and Girl’s Got Rhythm are the standouts. Basically all hits.
5
Oct 03 2024
A Hard Day's Night
Beatles
Their best early period album before they started experimenting on Rubber Soul. It’s their best early album because all of the songs are Lennon and McCartney originals. Everything is good, nothing objectionable or clunky. I probably wouldn’t turn to it if I was in a Beatles mood per se but I would t skip any of the tracks either.
5
Oct 04 2024
Beyond Skin
Nitin Sawhney
Well that was something.
3
Oct 06 2024
Celebrity Skin
Hole
I was only familiar with Celebrity Skin from this album. After listening to this album, I can see why. The other songs are all fine but none have much punch. You can tell that more time and money went into this song. It’s a good song but u wish the rest of the album sounded more like it.
3
Oct 07 2024
Gris Gris
Dr. John
Interesting but I can’t say that it does much for me. The voodoo chanting takes me out of it.
2
Oct 08 2024
Buena Vista Social Club
Buena Vista Social Club
It’s good, very relaxing. So relaxing that it put me to sleep.
4
Oct 09 2024
Rage Against The Machine
Rage Against The Machine
Such a hard hitting album. One of the best hard rock debuts ever. Still sounds fresh over 30 years later. Nothing else really sounded like this at the time and that made Rage legends. They were smart to break up before they lost the magic. This album should be in every hard rock/metal collection.
5
Oct 10 2024
Roxy Music
Roxy Music
A solid debut. I still prefer For Your Pleasure but this is undoubtedly good. There are Brian Eno touches all over it but I feel that the album still has a pop sensibility that Eno would lean away from in later years. Some crazy Phil Manzanera guitars on here that sound better on headphones. Otherwise they get a little lost. Virginia Plain is the standout which is funny since it wasn’t on the original UK release.
4
Oct 11 2024
New Wave
The Auteurs
Album sounds like it came out about 10 years too late. Sounds more like early 80s new wave than anything 90s. The songs that lean into this aesthetic or lean into more of an early 70s Lennon/McCartney/Harrison thing are my favorites. I see the Auters referred to as Britpop but I have always considered Britpop to have come later with bands like Oasis, Pulp, Blur and the Verve. I also don’t hear enough pop on this album to consider them as Britpop but instead more New Wave just as the album says. Some good songs but nothing jaw dropping to me.
3
Oct 12 2024
On The Beach
Neil Young
I quite liked this album. I had never even heard of this one and was quite surprised how much I enjoyed it. I have meant to listen to more Neil Young outside of his first few albums so this is the start of that journey for me.
4
Oct 13 2024
Superunknown
Soundgarden
Probably my favorite Soundgarden album. It feels like the best produced. Not as hard-edged as their earlier albums but much more mature and with more universal appeal. It’s no wonder that they became superstars after this release. Favorite songs are Fell on Black Days, Spoonman and The Day I Tried to Live. least favorites are Half, Kickstand and Limo Wreck.
5
Oct 14 2024
Siembra
Willie Colón & Rubén Blades
Cool album. While I am not fluent enough in Spanish to understand much of the lyrics, I like the overall melodies and tone. I did translate a couple songs and a couple were very socio-political which was interesting since the music wasn’t very hard edged. I liked some of the more modern sounds added to the salsa music. Made it feel more edgy that way but overall it’s just a pleasant background album that I could groove to while doing something else.
4
Oct 15 2024
The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
A fine m album showing his early folk side. It’s just not something I would choose to listen to. I’ve never been a big fan of his voice and some of these songs sound too much alike. Don’t all sort of blends together for me. I know it was an important album for the folk rock scene but it just doesn’t do much for me.
3
Oct 16 2024
Dry
PJ Harvey
4
Oct 17 2024
Cupid & Psyche 85
Scritti Politti
Most of the songs sounded the same to me. I could see why Perfect Way was a hit but nothing else on the album really stood out.
2
Oct 18 2024
This Year's Model
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
My favorite Elvis Costello album. More cohesive sounding than the first one. No skippers on this one!
5
Oct 19 2024
21
Adele
My favorite Elvis Costello album. More cohesive sounding than the first one. No skippers on this one!
5
Oct 20 2024
Heavy Weather
Weather Report
Definitely the Weather Report album I am most familiar with. Birdland and Teen Town are absolute jazz fusion classics. I came to this album through hearing about Jaco over and over in music magazines.
5
Oct 21 2024
The Sun Rises In The East
Jeru The Damaja
Sounds like 90s rap. Good but forgettable compared to the bigger name releases of the time such as Snoop Dogg, Warren G, Tupac, Biggie, Nas and Bone Thugz-N-Harmony. Had this come out in 92 or 93 then it might be referred to more often. By 94 a lot of this sounded more derivative of earlier albums.
3
Oct 22 2024
The Stone Roses
The Stone Roses
never got into this band because they never really made it in America. I read about them all the time in UK music magazines but they got very little air time on US radio. I like the first few songs on this album because they have a bit of a 80s new wave sound (I wanna be adored and She bangs the drums) but then the tracks get a lot more ephemeral with long droning passages that remind me of the worst of the Beatles. Then the album swings back towards a more pop inspired, funky sound near the end. The last song, Fools Gold sounds like a hit. A funky dance song similar to Mysterious Ways by U2 from Achtung Baby. If the album got rid of the trance-like, meandering shit in the middle and stuck to the pop songs then they probably would have broke in the US and would have been all over MTV. Oh well.
3
Oct 23 2024
Too Rye Ay
Dexys Midnight Runners
I found most of these songs forgettable. Many sounded like less interesting Cure songs. I’m not a huge Cure fan and I am even less of a Dexys fan. Best song is Come on Eileen by a country mile and that’s so overplayed that I didn’t get any enjoyment out of listening to it again. The Jackie Wilson song sounded familiar and had a catchy bit and then I realized it was a Van Morrison rip off. Van did it much better.
Overall the musicianship isn’t bad but Kevin Rowland’s voice just gets old. Also don’t bother with the bonus tracks. Come On Eileen was originally the last track but later releases tacked on 4 or 5 more and they are mostly bullshit.
1
Oct 24 2024
(Pronounced 'Leh-'Nérd 'Skin-'Nérd)
Lynyrd Skynyrd
It’s fine but Southern Rock has never really appealed to me. Reminds me of too many rednecks that I grew up around. Their hit songs have been played to death and even though I like them well enough in the moment, I never search them out.
4
Oct 25 2024
Quiet Life
Japan
I quite liked this album. Reminded me at times of Duran Duran mixes with Joy Division and other times more of Roxy Music. The lead-off track, Quiet Life is the most memorable and poppiest song on here but all of them are pretty good. I now need to check out the rest of their catalog!
4
Oct 26 2024
White Blood Cells
The White Stripes
Overall a solid album. Jack White has a distinct style that you either like or hate and I like it most of the time. Most of the songs are varied enough that his nasally singing style doesn’t grate on my ears too much. A lot of foreshadowing here for what their next couple albums would sound like and that is a good thing.
4
Oct 28 2024
Get Behind Me Satan
The White Stripes
Fantstic
4
Oct 30 2024
1999
Prince
A bona fide classic. Front loaded with hits. I haven’t listened to this album in a long time but it is a really fun listen. The hits all bounce along with the type of funky, dance energy that you would expect of a hit 80s song. It’s just that this album is full of these songs. Even the songs that I never heard on the radio are infectious and could have been the best songs of many other bands.
4
Oct 31 2024
The Madcap Laughs
Syd Barrett
Definitely the best of Syd’s solo works. That said, it’s not as great as anything on Piper at the Gates of Dawn which is a shame. Terrapin, Octopus, No Man’s Land, Here I Go, Long Gone and Dark Globe are probably my favorites. Some sound a lot like hits by later bands but with less production. The album definitely gets weird and some songs are very nonsensical but there is a charm to that. Like nursery rhymes being sung by someone on acid. Which is basically what this was. Fun, but not something I would put in regular rotation
4
Nov 01 2024
Born To Run
Bruce Springsteen
Probably two of the best lead off songs for side A and side B ever. Thunder Road starts off the album with a lot of energy and power and Born to Run brings side B back to that level and then out to the stratosphere. It’s hard not to sing along to either song no matter how many times you have heard them. Tenth Avenue Freeze Out is a strong track 2 but then we have Night. That song is a mess. It’s like they took the loud part of Thunder Road and just did the entire song at that level. The lyrics get lost in the mix and there aren’t enough dynamics to keep my attention. Backstreets is better but the outro goes too long in my opinion. Probably works well live but as a studio recording it felt to me like they didn’t know how to end it.
Born to Run, as mentioned before, is a fantastic side B lead off. In the age of streaming it works as a great pick me up after the last two songs as well. She’s The One has some great piano and nice sax work. Meeting Across the River doesn’t do much for me. Jungleland is a nice closer. It has a lot going on including violin, piano and a great sax solo. A fitting end to a fine album.
5
Nov 04 2024
A Little Deeper
Ms. Dynamite
Pretty good.Reminded me of Lauren Hill. I had never heard of her and it appears she really never made it in the U.S. she sounded really good and the songs were written pretty well. Maybe not unique enough to stand out in the U.S. market though.
3
Nov 05 2024
Joan Armatrading
Joan Armatrading
Smooth, jazzy but also funky. Great arrangements and a great, powerful voice.
5
Nov 06 2024
They Were Wrong, So We Drowned
Liars
Painful
1
Nov 07 2024
Copper Blue
Sugar
Pretty cool. Some obvious Husker vibes since Mould sang and wrote all the songs. More melodic than a lot of Husker Du songs but the songs still have hard edges. Quite enjoyable although maybe a bit dated now as it sounds very early 90s. That is a plus for me but might not work for others. Whatever, it’s all subjective.
4
Nov 08 2024
Exodus
Bob Marley & The Wailers
Reggae done right
4
Nov 09 2024
Stankonia
OutKast
Fantastic. Better than their 90s output imo but before their egos took over st the end of the band’s life. I like this more than most rap I hear because it is more interesting to me musically. Not as formulaic. I also think this still sounds fresh nearly 25 years later. A great listen.
5
Nov 10 2024
Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim
Frank Sinatra
Pretty good renditions of these Jobim classics plus some other standards all done bossanova style. Much better than I expected although I will say that some of the scatting from Sinatra sounded goofy. I’ve always loved the original Getz/Gilberto version and wasn’t sure what it would sound like with a male singing the English parts but in this case it works!
4
Nov 11 2024
Ray Of Light
Madonna
A fine album but Ray of Light is the only song that really stands out to me. In general I consider Madonna and most dance artists as singles artists more than album artists. The modern digital format actually benefits them because most of their fans only want the one or two radio/club hits anyway. I’ve noticed she has leaned hard into the singles and remix strategy for the past 20 years and that seems like a good strategy.
3
Nov 12 2024
Deep Purple In Rock
Deep Purple
My second favorite DP album! Such a statement of purpose for the mk2 lineup. Even though the concerto album came out before this, it didn’t really represent DP at all. It didn’t show off their strengths and was really an anomaly that Jon Lord pushed for. This album shows what the rest of the band was about. Ian Gillan gets to show off the voice that got him the job, Blackmore finally sounds like the guitar hero that he was building up to be and Roger Glover gets to shine as an innovative bassist. Paige and Lord both get to stretch out more than in mk1 and it’s all great.
All of the tracks are pretty great except I would put Living Wreck and Flight of the Rat at the bottom. At the top, either Child in Time or Speed King. Hard to believe this is the same band known for their covers of Hush and Kentucky Woman just 2 years prior!
5
Nov 14 2024
Konnichiwa
Skepta
The spoken interlude parts are annoying. They aren’t clever and don’t add anything positive to the experience. The songs are ok but too repetitive for my likes. Nothing here that makes me want to listen again.
1
Nov 16 2024
Californication
Red Hot Chili Peppers
One of my favorite Chili Peppers albums. I have fond memories of listening to this album on the way to work for weeks on end when it came out. The album is a bit front loaded which seems to be consistent with most other Chili Pepper albums. I would still put this in my top 3 Peppers albums though and I don’t think they have done anything nearly as good since. Most of the albums since this one seem to be trying to relive the spirit and energy of this album and Blood Sugar Sex Magik but they fail.
Not everything on this album is great. Some of the later songs sound too much like other songs. Cutting out a few lesser numbers like Purple Stain, I Like Dirt and Right on Time would have resulted in a much tighter, better listening experience. Unfortunately it was the norm to cram too many tracks on CDs at this point. Now that vinyl is back in vogue, I hope that modern artists are curating their track lists a bit more and saving some of these lesser tunes for EPs or singles. Still a great release overall.
4
Nov 17 2024
Only By The Night
Kings of Leon
Pretty good. A little more mellow than what I normally gravitate towards but still solid. I recognized a few songs which was a nice surprise.
4
Nov 18 2024
The Healer
John Lee Hooker
Blues done right. Great collaborations.
5
Nov 19 2024
Guero
Beck
I forgot about this album. I had stopped listening to Beck after Mutations. Turns out I recognized a few of these songs! Some good stuff that feels more like Odelay than what came between Odelay and this one.
4
Nov 20 2024
The Yes Album
Yes
I’ve never been able to fully get into Yes. I think it’s a combination of John Anderson’s voice and the length of the songs. Whenever I think I like prog, I second guess myself due to my general lack of excitement for Yes. Oddly enough I really like most of Rick Wakeman’s solo material though.
This album might be my favorite Yes album simply because it sounds more rough around the edges. It has a lot of country influences which I found surprising. This was Steve Howe’s influence. Also, I actually like Jon Anderson’s voice on I’ve Seen All Good People because he stays in a lower register for more of it. Some of Yours Is No Disgrace reminds me of early Rush which isn’t a bad thing and I like Clap even though it is an instrumental. It goes on a hair too long for me but Howe’s guitar playing is very interesting so I’ll give it a pass.
5
Nov 21 2024
Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo
Devo
I love this stupid album. Their version of Satisfaction sticks in my head more than the Stones version. Heresy to some but I love it. And of course, thanks to Ridiculousness, Uncontrollable Urge is all over the place and I’m not mad about that. More people need to hear Devo beyond Whip It.
5
Nov 22 2024
Thriller
Michael Jackson
Tons of hits and even the lesser songs are still better than most. Wanna be Startin’ Somethin’ and PYT sound like leftovers from Off the Wall (not a bad thing). I like basically everything on this album except The Girl Is Mine which is a pile of hot garbage. If you ever wondered if Paul McCartney could ever be more schlocky than he was with Wings, listen to The Girl Is Mine. Pure Trash. Remove that song and it’s a nearly perfect album.
5
Nov 23 2024
Pretenders
Pretenders
A mixed bag for me. Brass in Pocket is great of course. I also really like the first track, Precious and the last track, Mystery Achievement. Everything else fell sort of flat for me or didn’t work at all. I can see why the album is significant though. Chrissie Hynde’s voice and style probably started multiple female-led bands and some songs sound likely they could have been released in the last 20 years.
3
Nov 24 2024
Rattus Norvegicus
The Stranglers
I love this album. Hanging Around is probably my favorite Stranglers tune. Peaches and Go Buddy Go are up there as well. Even though they get lumped in with punk, I think the keyboards make them sound more like new wave crossed with pub rock. Some songs remind me more of Television than the Damned or the Buzzcocks. Labels are dumb. This is great.
5
Nov 26 2024
To Pimp A Butterfly
Kendrick Lamar
Interesting. There is a lot going on here. Sometimes too much. I feel like some songs had too many samples and effects going. It made it hard to concentrate on the lyrics. The lyrics are all over the place. Sometimes deep and sometimes pure nonsense. Overall much more enjoyable than I expected.
4
Nov 27 2024
Electric Prunes
The Electric Prunes
The two best songs that the band ever had are listed in the cover. The rest sound like awkward attempts at the same songs or even more awkward attempts to merge garage rock with psychedelia. Nothing horrible but nothing memorable either.
3
Nov 29 2024
Rubber Soul
Beatles
A near perfect album. One of my top Beatles albums for sure. The pinnacle of their early sound before they got more experimental on Revolver.
5
Dec 02 2024
Metal Box
Public Image Ltd.
I generally liked this more than I expected. I liked most of these tracks but sometimes they went in way too long and other times John Lydon’s voice is too grating for me. Other times it totally worked for me. Like a mix of the Fall, the Birthday Party and Joy Division.
4
Dec 04 2024
Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle
Bill Callahan
I like the music and most of the compositions but Bill doesn’t have a ton of range. It’s easy to stop paying attention and just let this run in the background. I wish more of the songs had actual singing instead of the folky talk-singing thing he was doing. I think his voice is mixed too far forward in some of the tracks. If it blended in with the music more then it might give the illusion that he has more range and that he isn’t singing over the top of someone else’s music.
Rococo Zephyr was probably the highlight for me since it had some nice strings and female backing vocals thrown in. Faith/Void is pretty good too although it does start to drag near the end. It’s about 2 minutes too long.
4
Dec 05 2024
Cloud Nine
The Temptations
Interesting mix of funk and r&b. I online the bass vocals and the mix of strings and percussion. It has that 70s soundtrack song sound for many tracks. Their cover of Heard it Through the Grapevine sucks.
3
Dec 06 2024
Reign In Blood
Slayer
MF’n Slayer.
5
Dec 07 2024
Surfer Rosa
Pixies
Fantabulous
5
Dec 08 2024
The Colour Of Spring
Talk Talk
Nothing really stood out in this one to me. Most songs are fine but not memorable. Okay in the background but I won’t seek it out again.
3
Dec 09 2024
Chocolate Starfish And The Hot Dog Flavored Water
Limp Bizkit
About what you’d expect. Next!
2
Dec 10 2024
Ramones
Ramones
Classic. A bit front loaded like a lot of vinyl releases but pretty great overall. Such a huge influence on punk and hard rock. Hard not to love this album and this band. I saw them on their last tour 20 years after this album came out and they still sounded great. This should be in every rock fan’s collection.
5
Dec 11 2024
Hard Again
Muddy Waters
Pretty great. Mannish Boy is a stone cold classic that feels timeless. The rest of the album is solid blues but not boring. The combination of Muddy’s voice and guitar along with the background singers are just perfect. The album title is a little “hard” to get past but the rest is 100% classic.
5
Dec 13 2024
Mask
Bauhaus
Not bad. I could hear how they influenced a lot of other 80s and early 90s bands who did it better.
3
Dec 14 2024
Ready To Die
The Notorious B.I.G.
5
Dec 15 2024
Shleep
Robert Wyatt
Interesting. Maybe a little too psychedelic for me at times but overall interesting.
3
Dec 16 2024
Blue
Joni Mitchell
I just can’t.
2
Dec 17 2024
Jazz Samba
Stan Getz
Good sambas and bossa nova. Good dinner music but not something I would usually reach for.
4
Dec 19 2024
Low-Life
New Order
Pretty good synth pop but nothing blew me away.
3
Dec 20 2024
The Wall
Pink Floyd
I have nothing intelligent to say about this album that hasn’t been said a dozen times before. It’s great. Probably the perfect concept album.
5
Dec 21 2024
Innervisions
Stevie Wonder
I have nothing intelligent to say about this album that hasn’t been said a dozen times before. My second favorite album of his. Nearly perfect but I would still put Songs in the Key of Life over it.
5
Dec 22 2024
Boston
Boston
The epitome of 70s rock. Nearly every song on this album has been played to death on classic rock radio. It’s well performed and produced but after 40+ years of hearing this, I can’t get excited for it. Not bad, I’m just tired of it.
4
Dec 23 2024
Maggot Brain
Funkadelic
Pretty interesting compared to their later work. A lot more guitar than I expected. Pretty cool.
4
Dec 24 2024
Africa Brasil
Jorge Ben Jor
Pretty cool even if I don’t speak Portuguese. A few songs sounded familiar so I think I will need to dig into this deeper.
4
Dec 25 2024
Coles Corner
Richard Hawley
Sounds nice and relaxing. Very romantic. Not something I would generally reach for, although I do like some of the country inspired songs a bit more. Wading Through the Waters of My Time might be my favorite track. The Ocean, Who’s going to shoe your pretty feet and Born Under a Bad Sign are very nice as well.
3
Dec 26 2024
A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector
Various Artists
4
Dec 27 2024
James Brown Live At The Apollo
James Brown
Powerful but I wish it included later material when he got more funky. As it is, it’s a neat timepiece but not what I would reach for when I want to hear James Brown.
3
Dec 28 2024
Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Good debut. Sounds good for the time. The beginning of rock and roll captured
4
Dec 29 2024
Felt Mountain
Goldfrapp
3
Dec 30 2024
Step In The Arena
Gang Starr
Solid
4
Dec 31 2024
I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You
Aretha Franklin
4
Jan 01 2025
Hounds Of Love
Kate Bush
Didn’t hate it but only Running up that Hill stood out to me. Waking the Witch is sort of terrifying to hear if you are falling asleep which is what this album made me do.
3
Jan 02 2025
All That You Can't Leave Behind
U2
3
Jan 05 2025
Peace Sells...But Who's Buying
Megadeth
Classic thrash. One of Megadeth’s best. Dave Ellefson’s bass is fantastic throughout, Chris Poland’s guitar work is the best he ever did and Gar Samuelson’s drumming is hard hitting and perfect for the tone of this album. Dave Mustaine sounds great, generally less whiny than he does on later albums. Really nothing negative to say about this album.
5
Jan 06 2025
Talking Book
Stevie Wonder
Solid album. Not as stunning as Innervisions or Songs in the Key of Life but definitely up there. Superstition is one of his best of course and the rest are all great.
4
Jan 07 2025
Back To Black
Amy Winehouse
Great, soulful album. She left us too early.
4
Jan 10 2025
Queen Of Denmark
John Grant
What a weird album. I like most of the music and the singing is generally fine. However a lot of the compositions borrow too much from late 60s and early 70s artists who already did it with much more success. The really weird parts are the lyrics. Some songs feel heartfelt and others are totally ridiculous. Sometimes witty and funny but often dumb or puerile. I am glad to have heard this but it doesn’t make me want to track down his music. However it does make me want to look up the backing band, Midlake.
3
Jan 11 2025
Different Class
Pulp
Eh. It’s not bad just not knocking me over either. I actually like the William Shatner version of Common People much more than the Blur version. I’ll give them an extra star just for putting that song out there so Shatner and Ben Folds could work with it later.
3
Jan 13 2025
Remain In Light
Talking Heads
Probably my favorite album of theirs. Not too weird, a good mix of pop and their brand of .
4
Jan 14 2025
L.A. Woman
The Doors
5
Jan 15 2025
Beggars Banquet
The Rolling Stones
Definitely one of their best. I like most of the Stones honky-tonk period. They just have the right swagger for it.
5
Jan 16 2025
Suicide
Suicide
From the dulcet tones of Frankie Teardrop to the Soothing notes of Ghost Rider, your mother would approve. Music to meditate by!
4
Jan 17 2025
Every Picture Tells A Story
Rod Stewart
4
Jan 18 2025
Songs In The Key Of Life
Stevie Wonder
5
Jan 20 2025
Chelsea Girl
Nico
Most of this is a rough listen. I’ve never been a fan of Nico’s voice although I am fascinated by those who adore her. I often wonder if she would have had any popularity without the Warhol and VU associations? Chelsea Girls, I’ll Keep it With Mine and These Days are the highlights here for me. It’s still better than Yoko Ono.
3
Jan 21 2025
The Genius Of Ray Charles
Ray Charles
4
Jan 22 2025
Green Onions
Booker T. & The MG's
Green Onions is such a classic. Fun to play on bass and a staple of a lot of blues and R&B bands. With playing as good as this, who needs words?
5
Jan 23 2025
The Dreaming
Kate Bush
I tried. I just couldn’t do it. Her voice is like nails on a chalkboard to me most of the time. She bounces between nasally high pitches and low, unappealing tones. There are moments where she doesn’t screw around and sings in a more middle of the road tone and then she’s fine but it’s not often enough. I won’t be tracking down more of her work.
2
Jan 24 2025
Moving Pictures
Rush
My favorite Rush album. A bit front loaded but so good overall. Side 1 is basically all hits. YYZ and Tom Sawyer plus Limelight and Red Barchetta.
5
Jan 25 2025
The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
David Bowie
So good. This to me is when David Bowie really became the David Bowie who we all know today. The Spiders from Mars were a fantastic backup band. The songs swing well. No skippers here!
5
Jan 27 2025
Talking Timbuktu
Ali Farka Touré
Fine background music. Not something I would actively seek out.
3
Jan 29 2025
2112
Rush
A prog rock classic. My second favorite Rush album. As many others have mentioned, the 2112 Overture is probably the best thing on this album but I too would have preferred it broken into multiple tracks. There are points where the song changes that would have made for natural cut points. I get why they kept it together due to some recurring musical themes but it felt a bit disjointed to me.
A passage to Bangkok is nice and bouncy but not that memorable compared to the Overture. Twilight Zone is slower and more moody. It doesn’t stick with me. Lessons and Tears are fine but not that memorable either. Something for Nothing is a nice closer.
4
Jan 30 2025
Reggatta De Blanc
The Police
3
Feb 02 2025
Gunfighter Ballads And Trail Songs
Marty Robbins
When I think of old country music, songs like this and Hank Williams Sr come to mind. This sounds like the soundtrack to every old western movie. I think it’s great and sounds more authentic than the shit that is passed as country today.
5
Feb 03 2025
New Forms
Roni Size
Not sure why this would be considered essential to anyone. Guess it’s just not for me.
1
Feb 04 2025
Diamond Life
Sade
3
Feb 05 2025
Pink Flag
Wire
I’ve loved this album since the first time I heard Ex-Lion Tamer on Henry Rollins radio show in the mid-2000s. I picked this up not knowing any other tracks and have loved it ever since. I picked it up on vinyl a couple years back and it gets spun more than any of my other punk LPs.
5
Feb 06 2025
Dust
Screaming Trees
Great album. Mark Lanegan was one of the great voices of the Seattle scene. Also love the inventive guitar work of Gary Lee Conner. This band should have been bigger than they were.
5
Feb 07 2025
Teen Dream
Beach House
Nothing special
2
Feb 08 2025
Exile On Main Street
The Rolling Stones
5
Feb 09 2025
Scott 4
Scott Walker
3
Feb 10 2025
Tragic Songs of Life
The Louvin Brothers
When I started listening to this album I thought, “oh no, gospel”. However I focused on the lyrics and noticed most of the songs were actually just about sorrow, tragedy and pain. There was some religious overtones but most of it was about lost love or death. And then came the murder ballads like “Knoxville Girl”. I didn’t expect to hear that one. Also, “In The Pines” was a surprise. I knew parts of it as “Where Did You Sleep Last Night”, as made famous by Nirvana on their Unplugged album. Their version was done by Leadbelly in the 40s before this album came out. The Louvin brothers version seems to be based on the original Appalachian version instead. Still a sad and memorable song.
And then the album ends with a number of overtly gospel songs. Sung and played well but not as interesting to me. Overall an interesting album and pleasant to the ear.
4
Feb 11 2025
Live At The Regal
B.B. King
4
Feb 12 2025
Pyromania
Def Leppard
4
Feb 13 2025
Phrenology
The Roots
When they slow down a bit they are definitely better. The Seed (2.0) is probably the best song here although the lyrics are a bit dumb. Overall, I like the singing and music much better than the rapping. I know I’m missing out on the message but it wasn’t meant for me anyway.
2
Feb 14 2025
Dirt
Alice In Chains
5
Feb 15 2025
The Cars
The Cars
Classic.
5
Feb 17 2025
Slanted And Enchanted
Pavement
Reminds me of the Fall but way better.
4
Feb 19 2025
Bad Company
Bad Company
It’s fine. The hits are overplayed on classic rock radio so it’s hard to get excited about them at this point. The tracks that were not hits didn’t hit for a reason. There’s nothing bad here but it’s mostly just ok. Just ok doesn’t make for legendary albums. I think this is why you don’t hear artists citing this album or this band as an influence. Paul Rogers is a great singer but most of the songs feel manufactured. Kind of like a lot of today’s music where it is a bit too perfect. It’s music for people who aren’t really into music. Some nice guitar work but not enough to make me want to put this on again.
3
Feb 20 2025
Bubble And Scrape
Sebadoh
I really liked this one. It sounds like a combination of Dinosaur Jr, Mudhoney and Husker Du with some Captain Beefheart thrown in for good measure.
5
Feb 21 2025
Risque
CHIC
Fun and funky
4
Feb 22 2025
Getz/Gilberto
Stan Getz
5
Feb 23 2025
Achtung Baby
U2
Pretty solid. The last U2 album that I could car about.
4
Feb 24 2025
Viva Hate
Morrissey
It’s Morrissey.
3
Feb 25 2025
Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots
The Flaming Lips
4
Feb 27 2025
D.O.A. the Third and Final Report of Throbbing Gristle
Throbbing Gristle
Suddenly Yoko Ono doesn’t sound so bad. I like Zoogz Rift, Magma, CAN, Brian Eno and Captain Beefheart 100x more than this.
AB/7A is the only redeemable track. I’m still only giving the album a 1 for the overall pain it instilled on my ears
Avant-Garbage.
1
Feb 28 2025
Cut
The Slits
I want to like this more than I do because I know it is important to the history of punk rock and the predecessor to the riot girl movement but it just doesn’t so a lot for me. I think it is the reggae sounds. I’m not much of a fan of reggae and Ari’s singing style is very much inspired by that.
3
Mar 01 2025
Band On The Run
Paul McCartney and Wings
5
Mar 02 2025
Autobahn
Kraftwerk
A very influential album for a lot of artists but I always end up tuning out quickly.
3
Mar 03 2025
Private Dancer
Tina Turner
Overall good due to Tina’s performances. Song selection is interesting as there doesn’t seem to be a consistent theme. Not that there has to be but a few songs felt odd next to each other. The big hits are the best tracks in my opinion and the last song, 1984, sucks. I can’t figure out what the point of that song was. Was it going to be used for the 84 Olympics or Ronald Reagan’s reelection? I’ve never heard a song so focused on a particular year without a good lyrical narrative. It sounded like someone came up with a rhythm and sung -“Nineteen Eighty Four” over that and said “There’s the chorus! Now add a few tossed off phrases and, ta-dah, we got another song!” Baffling.
4
Mar 05 2025
Casanova
The Divine Comedy
Sounds like a bunch of parody songs for an Austin Powers movie but none of it is catchy enough to make the cut.
2
Mar 06 2025
Music for the Masses
Depeche Mode
4
Mar 07 2025
Smile
Brian Wilson
A lot of this album feels like demos and there are good reasons they weren’t released. However, there are a lot of highs that fit right in with the Pet Sounds era too. It’s an interesting listen.
4
Mar 08 2025
xx
The xx
The production choice to bury the vocals on some of the songs was absolutely maddening. I was cranking up the volume trying to hear the vocals over the heavy bass and ambient noise and then guitars would come in and rip my head off and I had to turn it back down. And then more vocals but this time legible and boring. Almost every song is sung like they are bored and talking at their feet. Some of the music was fine but the singing ruined it.
2
Mar 09 2025
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
It’s a classic. However, while it was groundbreaking in 1969, it was completely eclipsed for heaviness by Black Sabbath a year later. This album borrows heavily from the blues and there are complete rip offs here. If I am going to pull out a LZ album it would normally be 2,4 or Houses of the Holy. It still set the template for hard rock for years to come though so I still have to give it a 5.
5
Mar 10 2025
Ragged Glory
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
Really cool. Has a nice mix of old 70s Neil and Ceazy Horse mixed with some grungy 90s sounds. I’m surprised this album isn’t more well known. A good addition to this list!
4
Mar 11 2025
Morrison Hotel
The Doors
Overall great. There are some dumb lyrics but damn near every album has some depending on your viewpoint. I’ve never understood the derision for this band. I’ve liked them since I was a kid so maybe I’m just nostalgic for them. Or maybe their combination of rock, psychedelia and blues just works for me.
5
Mar 12 2025
That's The Way Of The World
Earth, Wind & Fire
Fun and funky with some unexpected soul. Only real criticism is that “All about love” had a strange production choice at the end where it sounded like the song was over and then it went back into the opening instrumental again for no reason. It would make sense if the intro but was an intro track and then this was the last track of the album and it was appearing to all start over but it didn’t make sense in the middle of the album. The track isn’t strong enough to be an opener so overall placement makes sense, I would have done away with the outro/intro revisit though.
4
Mar 13 2025
Heroes to Zeros
The Beta Band
3
Mar 14 2025
Stephen Stills
Stephen Stills
The leadoff track, Love the One You’re With is definitely the most well known piece here but I think it is a pretty empty song. Catchy melody and chorus but lightweight. Thankfully, the rest of the album is more interesting. It shows Stills range from folky, singer-songwriter tunes to more funky blues and hard rock.
Favorite songs: We are Not Helpless, Go Back Home, Old Times Good Times and Love the One You’re With (it’s an earworm). Least favorite: To a flame. It’s that ethereal 70s dreamy soft rock type of song that does nothing for me and never will.
Overall an enjoyable experience.
4
Mar 15 2025
Nevermind
Nirvana
Hard to be subjective on this one. This album was the soundtrack of my youth. Came out when I was in 8th grade. They are still my favorite grunge band although Mudhoney is right up there too. I still love the raw energy of Bleach but the songs are just better on this album. A bit more mature and better produced. Five star every day.
5
Mar 16 2025
Beauty And The Beat
The Go-Go's
Love this album. All the girls played really well and Belinda Carlisle’s voice has the perfect amount of sweetness without being squeaky and she can drop down enough to keep it interesting. Some timeless pop classics.
5
Mar 17 2025
Don't Come Home A Drinkin' (With Lovin' On Your Mind)
Loretta Lynn
Good but not really my thing. Very provocative lyrics for the time which is really cool to hear.
3
Mar 18 2025
Black Holes and Revelations
Muse
Great mix of industrial, synth pop rock. Lots of layering, a lot going on in every song. Most songs are just busy enough.
5
Mar 19 2025
The Joshua Tree
U2
I like U2’s early music well enough but Bono’s voice wears on me. Not sure why. The big hits are my favorites on this one. Tracks 1-4 are the hits. I also like track 6. The rest, I cannot recall now and I just listened to the album 30 minutes ago. That sums up my feelings on U2. Like most people, I like the big hits, that’s why they are hits. The rest are forgettable and that’s why they are not hits. They don’t have that X factor that makes them stand out. Sadly I would say that also sums up all their releases over the past 20-25 years. Even forcing an album on everyone via iTunes didn’t make those songs resonate with anyone. They are known more for humanitarian affairs now than their music.
3
Mar 20 2025
Vanishing Point
Primal Scream
A lot going on in most songs. Nice mix of horns, strings, synths, sound effects and fuzz guitar. Very good but nothing overly memorable. I think many songs just have too much happening and that is why none of it sticks with me.
4
Mar 21 2025
The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn
Pink Floyd
Love the whimsy on this album. The band lost that aspect after Syd left but I don’t think they would have ever hit the worldwide popularity that they did with him. This album is a great example of psychedelic-space rock and led the way for later acts like Hawkwind. So even though it doesn’t sound like their later albums it was highly influential and they were one of the hottest acts of the time in England. Classic.
5
Mar 22 2025
Madman Across The Water
Elton John
Solid album.
4
Mar 23 2025
AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted
Ice Cube
Solid early 90s gangsta rap.
5
Mar 24 2025
Fire Of Love
The Gun Club
3
Mar 25 2025
You Want It Darker
Leonard Cohen
He’s a good songwriter but I would rather hear someone else sing most of his songs because he doesn’t have much range. Most of the musical compositions here are pretty simple. I think I would generally rather listen to Nick Cave if I want to listen to a singer with an ultra-low voice sing songs of pain. His compositions are more interesting.
3
Mar 27 2025
Colour By Numbers
Culture Club
Screams 80s. A couple big hits but some pretty forgettable tracks too. Nothing awful.
3
Mar 28 2025
Wild Gift
X
I find that a lot of X’s songs sound the same. I’ve listened to Under the Big Black Sun and Los Angeles and I liked Los Angeles the best because it was a bit more raw. This just isn’t memorable to me.
3
Mar 29 2025
Bossanova
Pixies
Another fantastic Pixies album
4
Mar 30 2025
A Night At The Opera
Queen
I think Queen will always be a greatest hits band for me. I’ve liked a few non-hit tracks from this album, Sheer Heart Attack and Queen II but not much else that isn’t on a greatest hits comp. I think it’s the schizophrenic nature of their albums where it goes from hard rock to camp to classical and then back to rock that throws me off. If the campy show tunes were removed or limited to one interlude per album then I might have a more favorable view of their albums. I generally like the music outside of those tracks.
3
Mar 31 2025
Countdown To Ecstasy
Steely Dan
I like most of the music. They can definitely play but a lot of their vocals are too soft and melodic for me. I get bored with that smooth delivery. But then in songs like Show Biz Kids where they added female backing vocals it really works because they add an upbeat pop tone that makes for a fun dance song. Also My Old School has that propulsive tempo plus even better backing vocals that lift it up to be a hit. Also some tasty guitar work. More of that please!
4
Apr 01 2025
Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire)
The Kinks
Really fun album. I have heard about this album for years but never listened to it for whatever reason. I need to get my own copy now.
5
Apr 02 2025
Dusty In Memphis
Dusty Springfield
4
Apr 03 2025
Jagged Little Pill
Alanis Morissette
I don’t have the nostalgia for this album that I have for many others of this time period. I think it’s a combination of overplaying and it being a favorite of an ex girlfriend of mine. But beyond that, a lot of her vocals are just grating. She makes a lot of weird noises like she is having convulsions and then sings with a harsh nasal twang that pierces through my brain. Add to that a lot of dated production and buzz saw guitars and effects and it just wears me out.
3
Apr 04 2025
Definitely Maybe
Oasis
Pretty good. Not as many big hits as their next album but still quite solid
4
Apr 05 2025
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Definitely still finding their sound. The best songs here are the hits. The rest either sound like other bands, Van Morrison and Bruce Springsteen come to mind or sound like demos. They are just missing that one extra thing that American Girl and Breakdown have.
3
Apr 06 2025
My Generation
The Who
A nice start for this legendary band. Some of the songs are dated but you can hear where they would go. The drums are the standout for me on most tracks.
4
Apr 07 2025
Since I Left You
The Avalanches
It’s fine background music. Not something I would think to put on.
3
Apr 08 2025
Surrealistic Pillow
Jefferson Airplane
The songs where Grace sings the main vocals are the hits and they really stand out compared to the Marty Balin led songs. Some of these songs feel quaint compared to Somebody to Love or White Rabbit. It’s good that Henry left the folk stuff behind.
3
Apr 09 2025
En-Tact
The Shamen
Not good
2
Apr 10 2025
Court And Spark
Joni Mitchell
4
Apr 11 2025
Brothers In Arms
Dire Straits
5
Apr 12 2025
Grace
Jeff Buckley
3
Apr 13 2025
Yeezus
Kanye West
2
Apr 14 2025
Back In Black
AC/DC
Yep. It’s great.
5
Apr 16 2025
GI
Germs
Raw, early hardcore punk influences.
4
Apr 17 2025
Teenage Head
Flamin' Groovies
Sounds about like early 70’s Stones
4
Apr 18 2025
Planet Rock: The Album
Afrika Bambaataa
Quality
4
Apr 19 2025
Darkness on the Edge of Town
Bruce Springsteen
Solid
5
Apr 20 2025
This Is Hardcore
Pulp
4
Apr 21 2025
I’ve Got a Tiger By the Tail
Buck Owens
3
Apr 22 2025
The Score
Fugees
Solid
4
Apr 23 2025
Back to Basics
Christina Aguilera
4
Apr 24 2025
The Doors
The Doors
Classic and it sounded like nothing else at the time.
5
Apr 26 2025
Bad
Michael Jackson
4
Apr 27 2025
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
3
Apr 28 2025
Cafe Bleu
The Style Council
2
Apr 29 2025
Can't Buy A Thrill
Steely Dan
Probably my favorite Steely Dan album. It’s got a lot more blues and funk to it than some of their later albums.
5
Apr 30 2025
Tuesday Night Music Club
Sheryl Crow
2
May 01 2025
Triangle
The Beau Brummels
Interesting. Folky but with some rock elements like the Grateful Dead
3
May 02 2025
Let It Bleed
The Rolling Stones
5
May 03 2025
Pornography
The Cure
4
May 04 2025
The Hour Of Bewilderbeast
Badly Drawn Boy
Big nope for me. I’m bewildered at how this made the list.
2
May 06 2025
Tommy
The Who
Epic
5
May 07 2025
Are You Experienced
Jimi Hendrix
Hell of a start
5
May 08 2025
You Are The Quarry
Morrissey
4
May 09 2025
Crooked Rain Crooked Rain
Pavement
Cool
4
May 10 2025
Songs From The Big Chair
Tears For Fears
Outside the hits, not much here
3
May 11 2025
Steve McQueen
Prefab Sprout
2
May 13 2025
Who's Next
The Who
My favorite Who album. Solid all the way through.
5
May 14 2025
Raising Hell
Run-D.M.C.
Classic
4
May 15 2025
Hot Rats
Frank Zappa
My favorite Zappa studio album. Peaches en Regalia is one of the best instrumentals ever set to record.
5
May 16 2025
Smokers Delight
Nightmares On Wax
Music to ignore.
2
May 18 2025
Goodbye And Hello
Tim Buckley
Pretty cool
3
May 19 2025
Like A Prayer
Madonna
Pretty cool
4
May 20 2025
Tapestry
Carole King
5
May 21 2025
Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret
Soft Cell
Way better than I expected. A bit weird and very new wave but that works for me.
4
May 22 2025
Shaft
Isaac Hayes
Sounds like a 70s soundtrack for sure. Considering it was 1971, I would credit Hayes as being the progenitor of this sound. Theme from Shaft actually doesn’t fit the rest of the album in my opinion. It feels funkier than most of the other tracks with the exception of Do Your Thing. Still enjoyable but I expected a few more upbeat tracks and less silky instrumentals.
4
May 23 2025
Channel Orange
Frank Ocean
Interesting. I enjoyed most of it
3
May 24 2025
People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm
A Tribe Called Quest
4
May 26 2025
Superfly
Curtis Mayfield
4
May 27 2025
Pet Sounds
The Beach Boys
5
May 28 2025
Metallica
Metallica
There is a reason it sold so many copies. It’s more approachable than their earlier work but still hard edged enough for most of their fans to get behind. Never mind the dickheads who say anything after “..and Justice For All” is crap. They are just butt hurt that they now have to share their favorite band with others.
5
May 29 2025
Heroes
David Bowie
It’s Bowie so it’s definitely not bad but it’s not that memorable either. Except for the title track. The instrumentals are good and interesting but I generally gravitate towards songs with words and on a lot of those, Bowie sounds a bit tired. I prefer Low or Lodger as far as the Berlin trilogy is concerned.
3
May 30 2025
Axis: Bold As Love
Jimi Hendrix
4
May 31 2025
Dookie
Green Day
Classic pop-punk. It’s just fun all the way through.
5
Jun 01 2025
Honky Tonk Masquerade
Joe Ely
Pretty cool. Nice mix of honky-tonk and ballads. Reminds me of Dwight Yokum mixed with Jerry Jeff Walker.
4
Jun 02 2025
Disraeli Gears
Cream
Fantastic mix of blues and psychedelia.
4
Jun 03 2025
MTV Unplugged In New York
Nirvana
The best unplugged album. My favorite versions of some of these songs. So much expression in Kurt’s voice. I like most of their covers better than the originals too.
5
Jun 04 2025
Forever Changes
Love
3
Jun 05 2025
Hunting High And Low
a-ha
3
Jun 06 2025
Lust For Life
Iggy Pop
Iggy’s best solo record. A lot of Bowie influences since Bowie produced it but that’s not a bad thing.
5
Jun 08 2025
The Pleasure Principle
Gary Numan
Interesting. Reminds me a bit of Kraftwerk but also Devo and other new wave bands like the Buggles. Overall I liked it.
4
Jun 09 2025
All Mod Cons
The Jam
4
Jun 10 2025
Stand!
Sly & The Family Stone
Funky but still a wats to go.
4
Jun 11 2025
Elephant Mountain
The Youngbloods
Just ok.
3
Jun 12 2025
Sea Change
Beck
A very pleasant sounding album that has good musicianship but nothing as hooky as his earlier works. For that reason, the album doesn’t stand out for me.
3
Jun 13 2025
The Beach Boys Today!
The Beach Boys
Some great songs and some lesser ones but even the lesser Beach Bous songs are still pretty good. Nothing in their catalog stands up to Pet Sounds but this is still pretty decent. The last track is a throwaway though.
4
Jun 14 2025
Synchronicity
The Police
Even though I have all of the Police’s albums, they still remain a greatest hits band for me. I just feel in general, their hits are really great and the other songs are much lesser. The second half of this album is much better than the first half but unfortunately the last couple songs show where Sting was going. Adult contemporary isn’t my thing. I prefer their earlier works that were more edgy even if they were still a mixed bag. But the hits are still great so I can’t go below a 4.
4
Jun 16 2025
The White Album
Beatles
4
Jun 17 2025
She's So Unusual
Cyndi Lauper
3
Jun 19 2025
In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida
Iron Butterfly
Pretty forgettable outside of In-a-gadda-da-vida. The album track is way too long. I like some prog and psych jams but this one bored me.
2
Jun 20 2025
Something/Anything?
Todd Rundgren
Nah.
3
Jun 21 2025
Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)
Wu-Tang Clan
Pretty great.
4
Jun 22 2025
New York Dolls
New York Dolls
Pretty great. I’m surprised more of these songs didn’t get radio play.
4
Jun 24 2025
Machine Head
Deep Purple
Classic.
5
Jun 25 2025
Woodface
Crowded House
It’s fine but not essential. Seriously, why is this on this list?
3
Jun 26 2025
Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
A solid start for his solo career
4
Jun 27 2025
Bug
Dinosaur Jr.
4
Jun 28 2025
Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea
PJ Harvey
4
Jun 29 2025
Never Mind The Bollocks, Here’s The Sex Pistols
Sex Pistols
5
Jun 30 2025
Halcyon Digest
Deerhunter
3
Jul 01 2025
The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady
Charles Mingus
I can dig it
4
Jul 03 2025
Trans Europe Express
Kraftwerk
Krautrock at its finest
5
Jul 04 2025
At Folsom Prison
Johnny Cash
5
Jul 05 2025
1984
Van Halen
5. There is no other correct score.
5
Jul 06 2025
D
White Denim
4
Jul 07 2025
Water From An Ancient Well
Abdullah Ibrahim
3
Jul 08 2025
After The Gold Rush
Neil Young
Probably my favorite of his solo albums
5
Jul 09 2025
Juju
Siouxsie And The Banshees
5
Jul 10 2025
Millions Now Living Will Never Die
Tortoise
3
Jul 11 2025
Femi Kuti
Femi Kuti
3
Jul 12 2025
The Band
The Band
Their best album. Period.
5
Jul 13 2025
Isn't Anything
My Bloody Valentine
4
Jul 15 2025
Violator
Depeche Mode
Pretty good. Maybe their best album?
5
Jul 16 2025
Skylarking
XTC
A weird mess with the exception of Dear God. That song felt like a treat at the end of the album for getting through the rest of it.
3
Jul 17 2025
Loveless
My Bloody Valentine
3
Jul 18 2025
Something Else By The Kinks
The Kinks
4
Jul 19 2025
In Utero
Nirvana
5
Jul 20 2025
I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight
Richard Thompson
Very folky.
3
Jul 21 2025
Arise
Sepultura
Fantastic thrash album
5
Jul 22 2025
Abraxas
Santana
Some very good stuff but also some really drawn out jams that don’t really do much.
3
Jul 23 2025
Slayed?
Slade
4
Jul 24 2025
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath
Classic. Very timely since Ozzy died today. I just listened to the first 3 Sabbath albums today in tribute.
5
Jul 25 2025
C'est Chic
CHIC
3
Jul 26 2025
Eliminator
ZZ Top
Starts strong but runs out of steam. Classic material on side 1 but side two is mostly forgettable
3
Jul 27 2025
Paul's Boutique
Beastie Boys
5
Jul 28 2025
Tank Battles
Dagmar Krause
Big nope.
2
Jul 29 2025
Bringing It All Back Home
Bob Dylan
Classic, early Dylan. Still had that folk thing going where a lot of the songs sound similar but the topics are different. Nothing objectionable, just not something I would listen to often.
4
Jul 30 2025
Spy Vs. Spy: The Music Of Ornette Coleman
John Zorn
The sound of a mental breakdown.
1
Jul 31 2025
When I Was Born For The 7th Time
Cornershop
Not what I was expecting. Not terrible.
3
Aug 01 2025
The Clash
The Clash
Classic
5
Aug 02 2025
With The Beatles
Beatles
Pretty solid. Even though it has a lot of covers, I still prefer their covers over some of the originals.
4
Aug 03 2025
Vauxhall And I
Morrissey
Better than I expected. More upbeat than a lot of his material I have heard before. Pleasantly surprised.
4
Aug 04 2025
Imperial Bedroom
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3
Aug 05 2025
Head Hunters
Herbie Hancock
4
Aug 06 2025
Vol. 4
Black Sabbath
5
Aug 07 2025
It's Too Late to Stop Now
Van Morrison
3
Aug 08 2025
Foxbase Alpha
Saint Etienne
Does nothing for me
2
Aug 11 2025
Eagles
Eagles
4
Aug 12 2025
Raw Power
The Stooges
Fantastic
5
Aug 13 2025
Roger the Engineer
The Yardbirds
Pretty cool. Great guitar but the vocals aren’t great on many songs.
3
Aug 14 2025
Live / Dead
Grateful Dead
I really want to like the Dead more than I do. Some of their songs sound too much like noodling in a practice space and not real compositions. Live albums are generally worse about this because it is about jamming and doing what feels right at the moment. In person that can be a lot of fun because you are experiencing something unique with others and you can watch it form. On record though it just meanders and turns into background noise. The musicality is impressive for sure but the guitars seem mic’d louder than everything else and I had to turn the volume down on my phone multiple times because the guitars were getting painful. Live sound is hard to get right but it seems like they could have leveled it out a little more on record.
3
Aug 15 2025
Black Metal
Venom
Pretty funny. So over the top with the fake satanic imagery. It’s like a sixteen year old writing the most offensive things they can think of to displease their parents and then combined with some ok musicianship and a singer who growls and yells his way through it. I know it was important at the time because it was heavier than Sabbath or Priest but most of it sounds amateurish now. Slayer did it better but someone had to do it first so I will give them credit for that.
3
Aug 16 2025
If I Should Fall From Grace With God
The Pogues
4
Aug 17 2025
Brothers
The Black Keys
4
Aug 18 2025
Butterfly
Mariah Carey
Meh
2
Aug 19 2025
Off The Wall
Michael Jackson
Great slice of disco pop r&b whatever.
4
Aug 20 2025
Run-D.M.C.
Run-D.M.C.
.
4
Aug 21 2025
Vulnicura
Björk
Anyone who says they are a big fan of Björk…. I would love to see their record collection. I don’t see how anyone can get into this.
This album in particular lost my interest quickly. Songs that drone on and on and appear to end and then come back but usually the same as before they left. Was there no one around to edit this? Was the motto, “play until you have played too long and then play a little longer”? Or “Let’s take a few good ideas and drag them out until no one likes them anymore”?
I can’t imagine playing this in the car or working out to it or cleaning the house to it or putting it on at a party or falling asleep to it or ever wanting to hear this. It is confused, angry music for someone who feels like no one understands them and they can put this on and draw angry spirals on their notebooks while wearing all black and hating the world. I can see pouty, goth, teenage girls listening to this while plotting revenge. That’s about the only use there is for this. And even for those girls, I think they would get out of their funk and never go back to listen to this again. Just unpleasant.
1
Aug 22 2025
A Short Album About Love
The Divine Comedy
3
Aug 23 2025
At Fillmore East
The Allman Brothers Band
I like the Allman Brothers but some of these jams were just too long. I’ve seen them live a few times and it’s always different when you are in the room. On record I find that these long jams just don’t hold my attention. Great song and great playing though.
4
Aug 24 2025
Bat Out Of Hell
Meat Loaf
2
Aug 25 2025
Bitches Brew
Miles Davis
5
Aug 26 2025
Rust Never Sleeps
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
Powerful live performances. I actually wish it was a longer set.
5
Aug 27 2025
Fun House
The Stooges
Fantastic. The roots of punk. Every track is a banger except the last one which reminds me a lot of late-stage Black Flag. Iggy’s screams and moans sound a lot like Rollins and the guitar freak out of Ron Asheton sounds a lot like Ginn. I’m sure this was an inspiration to both Ginn and Rollins. Rollins calls Iggy the undisputed heavyweight champ of rock n roll and on this album, that is hard to dispute.
5
Aug 28 2025
Surf's Up
The Beach Boys
3
Aug 29 2025
BEYONCÉ
Beyoncé
3
Aug 30 2025
Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)
Eurythmics
A bit of a slog. Other than Sweet Dreams, not a lot to get excited about.
2
Aug 31 2025
Snivilisation
Orbital
If hell is real, then this is on the jukebox there. Unless you are a club DJ and need to know what backing music you have to work with, who would ever choose to listen to this? When would they listen to this outside of a dance club or rave? 1001 albums to listen to before you die and this was picked? Seriously? I would rather listen to an instructional video on vacuum repair. Awful.
1
Sep 01 2025
...And Justice For All
Metallica
4
Sep 02 2025
Pink Moon
Nick Drake
3
Sep 03 2025
Grievous Angel
Gram Parsons
Pretty great
4
Sep 04 2025
Songs Of Leonard Cohen
Leonard Cohen
3
Sep 05 2025
Scum
Napalm Death
To the author of this list, Fuck You. Nothing with pig vocals ever needs to be listened to. The instrumentation is mostly good but the vocals are absolute trash and make this unlistenable.
1
Sep 06 2025
Mothership Connection
Parliament
4
Sep 07 2025
Franz Ferdinand
Franz Ferdinand
Good stuff
4
Sep 08 2025
Beautiful Freak
Eels
Meh
2
Sep 09 2025
Cheap Thrills
Big Brother & The Holding Company
4
Sep 10 2025
Sticky Fingers
The Rolling Stones
4
Sep 11 2025
The Stranger
Billy Joel
A solid album full of hits. I’m usually not in the mood for the ballads but I can’t deny that they are still catchy.
4
Sep 12 2025
Live Through This
Hole
Good. Grungy as expected. I hadn’t listened to this album in at least 10-15 years. Way better than I expected. The songs I like the best sound a lot like Nirvana. No surprise there.
4
Sep 13 2025
Pump
Aerosmith
4
Sep 14 2025
Sulk
The Associates
Interesting. It feels like there are a lot of good moments but few of the songs really have a memorable hook.
3
Sep 15 2025
Electric
The Cult
Good dirty blues rock. Similar to Aerosmith and Guns N Roses with some New York Dolls swagger thrown in.
4
Sep 16 2025
Hot Fuss
The Killers
Very cool. More hits on it than I remembered. No bad songs really.
5
Sep 17 2025
Tigermilk
Belle & Sebastian
2
Sep 18 2025
The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators
The 13th Floor Elevators
Serviceable psych at best. The bubbling sound on a lot of songs is terribly annoying and kills some really decent tunes. You’re Gonna Miss Me is the only real standout here.
2