469
Albums Rated
3.34
Average Rating
43%
Complete
620 albums remaining
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
1970s
Favorite Decade
Singer-songwriter
Favorite Genre
other
Top Origin
Wordsmith
Rater Style ?
97
5-Star Albums
32
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
D.O.A. the Third and Final Report of Throbbing Gristle
Throbbing Gristle
|
5 | 1.88 | +3.12 |
|
Chelsea Girl
Nico
|
5 | 2.63 | +2.37 |
|
Space Ritual
Hawkwind
|
5 | 2.68 | +2.32 |
|
Medúlla
Björk
|
5 | 2.72 | +2.28 |
|
Basket of Light
Pentangle
|
5 | 2.76 | +2.24 |
|
Warehouse: Songs And Stories
Hüsker Dü
|
5 | 2.86 | +2.14 |
|
A Walk Across The Rooftops
The Blue Nile
|
5 | 2.86 | +2.14 |
|
I See A Darkness
Bonnie "Prince" Billy
|
5 | 2.97 | +2.03 |
|
Introducing The Hardline According To Terence Trent D'Arby
Terence Trent D'Arby
|
5 | 2.98 | +2.02 |
|
Fever Ray
Fever Ray
|
5 | 3 | +2 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
good kid, m.A.A.d city
Kendrick Lamar
|
1 | 3.61 | -2.61 |
|
Stankonia
OutKast
|
1 | 3.55 | -2.55 |
|
Parachutes
Coldplay
|
1 | 3.46 | -2.46 |
|
A Rush Of Blood To The Head
Coldplay
|
1 | 3.44 | -2.44 |
|
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
Kanye West
|
1 | 3.42 | -2.42 |
|
The Slim Shady LP
Eminem
|
1 | 3.29 | -2.29 |
|
Beautiful Freak
Eels
|
1 | 3.28 | -2.28 |
|
Emergency On Planet Earth
Jamiroquai
|
1 | 3.27 | -2.27 |
|
Bongo Rock
Incredible Bongo Band
|
1 | 3.26 | -2.26 |
|
Are You Experienced
Jimi Hendrix
|
2 | 4.16 | -2.16 |
Artists
Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| David Bowie | 5 | 4.6 |
| Beatles | 3 | 5 |
| Black Sabbath | 3 | 5 |
| Pink Floyd | 3 | 4.67 |
| Queen | 3 | 4.67 |
| Talking Heads | 3 | 4.67 |
| Björk | 3 | 4.67 |
| The Flaming Lips | 2 | 5 |
| Led Zeppelin | 2 | 5 |
| Simon & Garfunkel | 2 | 5 |
| The Smashing Pumpkins | 2 | 5 |
| Radiohead | 2 | 5 |
| The Beach Boys | 2 | 5 |
| Roxy Music | 3 | 4.33 |
| Bob Dylan | 3 | 4.33 |
Least Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Coldplay | 2 | 1 |
| OutKast | 2 | 1.5 |
| Elvis Costello & The Attractions | 2 | 1.5 |
Controversial
| Artist | Ratings |
|---|---|
| Peter Gabriel | 2, 5 |
| Stevie Wonder | 2, 5 |
| Leonard Cohen | 5, 5, 2 |
5-Star Albums (97)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
Hawkwind
5/5
Now this is music!
I went to buy a suit today (very not Hawkwind, I know), and the suit guys plied me down with several glasses of scotch before lunch. I left, feeling like a million drunken bucks, popped in my headphones, and walked around Manhattan for the next two hours, enjoying a glorious autumn day, propelled by Space Ritual. Far fewer ultimate scenarios exist in this life.
16 likes
Metallica
5/5
Whenever I listen to this album, I wish it was the first time. Totally metal.
1 likes
Fever Ray
5/5
I’d heard favorably of Fever Ray, but mentally conflated them as Sugar Ray (very different), so I never sought their music out. This appeared as my album today, and I was prepared not to care. A few seconds in, I was like, hey, this is pretty cool, definitely not like Sugar Ray. The vocals kicked in and I thought, wow, this band is really influenced by The Knife. Five seconds later, I was like hold-up, this IS The Knife!!!
How did this album slip under my radar for more than a decade? Circa 2009, Silent Shout held a perpetual slot in my car’s cd changer (remember those?). I’ve always held Silent Shout as a perfect album of which I base the quality of all other albums to. My friend even went as far as to say she wanted her eventual funeral to simply be a closed casket listening party of Silent Shout, as these songs could convey to her family and friends everything that she was in life. The Knife albums after Silent Shout have all paled in comparison to me, but suddenly, dropped at my feet, is the true sequel (and equal) to SS. Less dancy and more atmospheric, this achieves everything I would’ve liked in a follow up. Thematically, I even see continuity between songs- think Concrete Walls and From Off to On, both featuring at-home ennui with TVs on at all hours.
After only two listens, I know already that I’m adding this to my mental collection of baseline go-tos, right next to Silent Shout.
9th review here, and so glad to have found something so valuable to me so soon. This is the very reason I started following this list.
1 likes
The Undertones
5/5
Used to listen to this all the time but forgot about it. I forgot about it so much, that when this album came up, I was like ‘who are the undertones?’ Then as I played through it, all the songs came back to me. It was like awakening from amnesia. Wow, I love this album.
1 likes
1-Star Albums (32)
All Ratings
James Brown
3/5
This is a freight train of energy, as to be expected. Like stepping back in time.
Electric Light Orchestra
3/5
A barbershop quartet of the future. I hear the beginnings of Daft Punk here, but also vestiges of the Beatles and The Bee Gees. First track starts off strong, a real feast for the ears. After, it slows, and with the exception of some great and evocative sounds, I stopped caring until Summer and Lightning. Overall, it’s a technically strong album that doesn’t quite narratively hold together for me. It’s lacking a bit of soul and it’s all over the place, jumping around in style even within songs. I’d rather listen to similar contemporaries, although I do acknowledge this album’s influence and importance. The Simon-esque spaceship receives a thousand points in my book.
MGMT
5/5
This album was recorded over a decade and a half ago now, and although it sounds very of its era, there’s something perpetually new and fresh about it. I’ve heard the singles from this album a million times, but they never get old. Perhaps it’s the liquid youth that emanates from these songs. The lost boy vibe of never wanting to grow up maybe froze time itself within its wax. Or maybe, I hate to say it, music simply hasn’t evolved as dramatically as say it did in the fifteen year gap between 1969 and 1984, so it feels newer in relation to everything else that’s come out since. Thank you Spotify algorithmic market research!
The second half of this album is weaker than the first, but those first five songs are a powerhouse. 5 stars, and I’d give five more.
Leonard Cohen
5/5
Like a more biblical Bob Dylan when it comes to the surrealist imagery. Otherwise, this album stands out as a unique experience. The vibe is so calming while also somehow tortured. Each moment is so perfectly calculated, even as some lines leave you in perplexity, wondering if the onslaught of images mean anything at all. It’s crazy to think that LC spent months composing some of these tracks. These songs are like manna from heaven, perfect for a rainy day or a candlelit evening.
The Flaming Lips
5/5
Back when I was a dopey midwestern kid, completely devoid of culture, who thought the only music out there was what was on the radio, I went to a coffee shop in Cleveland. They were spinning Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots. My mind was blown in myriad ways. First off, you’re going to sing about how she’s taking vitamins to defeat evil-natured robots? I’d never heard anything so goofy set to music. What an observation! But then other lyrics, all we have is now, do you realize, they all opened my little world just a bit. Secondly, it’s never occurred to me that anyone would sit and listen through a whole record in its entirety until that point. It was this record, and perhaps its cohesion, which sent me on my journey to listening through albums, not just the singles, and it was the coolness of that moment in the Cafè that prompted me to buy a record player and start my own collection. Needless to say, this album was pivotal to me.
Returning to it now, it’s hard to be objective. The sound is still big, yoshimi’s shrieks still curdle my blood, and I still hold this album on a pedestal over the other Lips albums. Eventually, I went on to see them in Grant Park at Lollapalooza and was literally rolled over by Wayne Coyne in a bubble. I’ve never seen a show so crazy since. Thank you Yoshimi.
Not to mention, as well, how fitting the theme is in today’s climate of rapid AI production. What is human, what is love, and do we fight when the moment arises?
Fifth album reviewed from this site.
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
3/5
A total classic. Young Neil’s Helpless. Our House and Deja Vu are all astounding. There’s a song about a little thing that’d just happened the year before called Woodstock. The harmonies, as always, are impeccable. If an epic like Judy Blue Eyes had been on this, it’d be even more of a monument than it is. That said CSN seem very separate from Y on this. It’s like two bands stuffed onto one album.
A friend left this record at my house like a decade ago and never came back for it. Considering I’ve only spun it once since then, I feel that shows my level of connection to it. As I said, a total classic, but its not quite my vibe, so three stars due to personal taste. Neil would go on to greater things, and CSN have better showings as well.
Sixth album reviewed here.
The Incredible String Band
2/5
I was born a generation after ISB’s glory days, but in my twenties I went through a hippie phase. I steeped myself in ISB for a few years, and even preformed some of their songs for friends on occasion (Chinese White at Christmas is a perfect song). Revisiting this album now though, from a sober, critical point of view, I find the first half a little grating. I hate to say it, but I was irritated. Even on the Minotaur’s Song, which I used to think was so fun and interesting, I’m just kind of over it. A Very Cellular Song takes the tactic of those before it on the album of having zero repeating structure, exploring and rambling to the point of incomprehension. My interest simply has nothing to grasp except for a poetic line here or there. I’m left wondering, what’s the point?
The second half delves into very eastern-inspired sessions which reach for spiritual places, so I do feel some redemption there. But overall, I see this album as more of a snapshot of an era than an album I’d turn to for enjoyment. Maybe my opinion will change ten years on, but right now, I feel a bit curmudgeonly, like a parent forced to watch their child’s hour long self-produced play.
I will say that the case of Licorice McKechnie’s disappearance is fascinating, and I’m surprised Netflix hasn’t run a deep-dive investigation documentary on her yet. I hope she’s alive out there, living a very normal life as someone’s very normal grandmother.
PJ Harvey
2/5
I’ve never loved PJ Harvey, I’ve never hated PJ Harvey. I didn’t love this album, but I didn’t hate it. It was sufficiently heavy, and she does tear it up. I’m sure she puts on a good show. At the same time, maybe because of how she tends to sing/speak, all of these songs kind of sound the same. This was her debut, and better albums do come along. I probably won’t put this on again, but I wouldn’t be upset if someone else did.
8th review.
Fever Ray
5/5
I’d heard favorably of Fever Ray, but mentally conflated them as Sugar Ray (very different), so I never sought their music out. This appeared as my album today, and I was prepared not to care. A few seconds in, I was like, hey, this is pretty cool, definitely not like Sugar Ray. The vocals kicked in and I thought, wow, this band is really influenced by The Knife. Five seconds later, I was like hold-up, this IS The Knife!!!
How did this album slip under my radar for more than a decade? Circa 2009, Silent Shout held a perpetual slot in my car’s cd changer (remember those?). I’ve always held Silent Shout as a perfect album of which I base the quality of all other albums to. My friend even went as far as to say she wanted her eventual funeral to simply be a closed casket listening party of Silent Shout, as these songs could convey to her family and friends everything that she was in life. The Knife albums after Silent Shout have all paled in comparison to me, but suddenly, dropped at my feet, is the true sequel (and equal) to SS. Less dancy and more atmospheric, this achieves everything I would’ve liked in a follow up. Thematically, I even see continuity between songs- think Concrete Walls and From Off to On, both featuring at-home ennui with TVs on at all hours.
After only two listens, I know already that I’m adding this to my mental collection of baseline go-tos, right next to Silent Shout.
9th review here, and so glad to have found something so valuable to me so soon. This is the very reason I started following this list.
Sam Cooke
3/5
First thing I notice is the fluid change between Sam’s speaking voice and his singing voice. He really is one of the greatest singers who ever lived, and you can hear it right in that transition upfront. His tone is just awesome. Also, this show, his stage presence, the song list, is all so excellent. He covers most of his hits. I can imagine everyone dancing and doing the twist, not just sitting back and watching this performance. It would have been great to attend, I’m sure.
I find the aside interesting when he asks guys to consider not hitting their girlfriends. He leads in like that would be the most common thing to do in the world for a man who suspected infidelity. Times have improved in some regards, it seems!
Led Zeppelin
5/5
A five before even giving it a relisten. Like a lot of others here, I know this album by heart, and every movement is carved into my soul. Reminds me most of being a teenager, sneaking beer, and shooting pool in my parent’s basement.
Contrary to some others here, I’ll say Battle of Evermore is one of the greatest Zep songs. Could you imagine any other song leading into Stairway? I bet you can’t.
Also five stars to the old man with the lantern on the inside cover. I had him on my favorite tee shirt back in those pool shooting days.
Patti Smith
3/5
I first listened to Horses about two years ago. Patti had once worked at the Strand Bookstore in New York, and so had I about twenty years after, so I felt some sort of arbitrary necessity to become familiar with her music based on that tenuous connection alone. I remember being really enthralled by the album, with the raw power and poetry, the transcendence of Birdland, the mashup of her own poetry with rock classics, like in Gloria.
So, I was excited when this came up as my album of the day. Today, though, I must not have been in a receptive mood. What I’d interpreted as transcendence two years ago felt like forced transcendence this time around. Her voice which I’d found interesting last time, grated on me this time. I still enjoyed getting caught up in the surrealistic sweep of Horses (the song), and I understand this album’s place in punk history, but it’s certainly not an album for all occasions. Must the greatest albums be for every mood? No, of course not. But this one involves a patient mind who’s also ready to rock, and I was neither today. Maybe next listen this will be a five? Right now, it’s a three in my book.
The Prodigy
3/5
Am I a moron? My whole life, I thought Smack My Bitch Up was Snap My Picture. Suddenly, the track seems so much more aggressive.
Well, The Prodigy aren’t lyrical Wordsworths, but there are some clever play on words moments, like Mindfields, etc. None of this is really about the words though, unless it’s to deliver a brief incendiary message. It’s about mixing metal and edm and raving like it’s 1997. I was only ten when this came out, but I was immediately transported back in time vibe-wise.
When I put this on, my partner was like ‘Ooh! Firestarter!’ And I had no idea what she was talking about. I felt so out of the loop. I’m more in the loop now that I’ve listened to this and read on The Prodigy, but don’t really care to be. If I put this album on again, it’ll be for background music when I want to get hifi.
The Waterboys
2/5
Roxy Music
5/5
The Prodigy
3/5
Air
3/5
Like a more boring Daft Punk. If you were in the mood for super-chill, this does offer some great textures and bass lines. It’s certainly a vibe. To me, a perfect 3.
Little Simz
3/5
3/5
Pearl Jam
3/5
Donovan
3/5
Steely Dan
3/5
Peter Gabriel
2/5
This was weirder than I thought it’d be. At first I was tentatively into it. Solsbury Hill is a classic, for instance. Then Excuse Me came on and it might be the worst song I’ve ever heard. Nothing after redeemed the album. I was expecting more of a In Your Eyes experience, and I wish this is what we got.
George Harrison
3/5
OutKast
2/5
Joe Ely
2/5
Nirvana
2/5
Boards of Canada
3/5
The Birthday Party
1/5
Wow, this was truly awful. Who would ever listen to this on purpose? Absolutely belongs in a junkyard itself, sorry Nick Cave.
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
2/5
This album makes me violently want a Pepsi.
Buena Vista Social Club
5/5
A great relief after getting Junkyard and Trout Mask Replica back to back. It’s been expressed in other reviews, but please someone get me a cocktail. I could listen to this all day! (And I did, on repeat!)
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
Great poetry and a perfect blend of excitement, emotion, and chill. I feel that amusement park in his memories, I feel that longing for the road, I feel that need for freedom. You can’t fake these things.
John Coltrane
3/5
Coldplay
1/5
When Coldplay really had their moment twenty years ago or so, they were everywhere. My roommate played them all day long, my good friends played them in their cars. I even remember when Paradise came out years after I thought we were finished with them, and a buddy sat me down and was like ‘listen to this!’ all excited, cranking up the volume.
I will always hate Coldplay. It has nothing to do with the songs themselves, some are really quite good. But it’s that voice. That grating, sickly, whiny voice, and he uses it in the worst way in every song. The only time it ever worked for me was on this album, on the song Yellow, because to me, that’s the color of his voice. His jaundiced, ear-scraping voice. That’s the only song I’ll tolerate from them, and even then, in small doses.
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
4/5
This is an album I’d never heard of (although I swear I’ve listened to Sacred Heart before, either as a sample, a cover, or just out in the wild). But, this is an album I’ll return to. I put it on again immediately after my first listen, which I think really says something.
Bill Callahan
2/5
Paul Simon
3/5
Marvin Gaye
4/5
This always shows up on greatest albums lists, topping rolling stone’s 500 in one edition. I’ve always thought this album was just okay. I appreciate the vibe, and I like the fluidity, where the first side is basically one continuous song. I like the overall message- like, we’ve got radiation in the ground, wtf people? And, Gaye’s world hasn’t changed much, just as he feared, cops are still out there shooting innocents. But, maybe it’s because I wasn’t born yet when this came out, I just don’t understand why this album is always cited as ‘the best.’ It doesn’t have much to tick against it, but it also doesn’t have much that brings me back to it on my own. I only listen to it when going through lists like these. What am I missing?
Pink Floyd
4/5
Genesis
3/5
Track one was a banger- I definitely hear guitar sounds that Grizzly Bear would go on to rip-off verbatim. I thought immediately, oh, this one’s a strong 5. Then, despite all the proggy glory and medieval references, it lost me along the way. I gave it a second listen, and felt exactly the same about it. I’d give it a 2.5 for being meh, but I’ll up it 50 cents for how awesome track one would most definitely sound live. Can’t believe I haven’t heard this track before.
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
3/5
Shack
2/5
Kelela
3/5
David Bowie
4/5
Prince
4/5
Cowboy Junkies
4/5
Massive Attack
3/5
The Go-Go's
4/5
Queen
5/5
The Sonics
3/5
Chicago
2/5
Chicago’s a great town, but their namesake band is no Boston.
There were points on this album where I was into it, but overall, this is overlong and over-indulgent. I also couldn’t get out of my head a documentary I watched about this band a few years ago. They fired one of their longtime members for coming late to a rehearsal. Apparently, they were in the UK and he went to visit a castle with his wife, which made him late. The doc then showed a one on one with each of the band members bashing this guy for going to look at castles, like a loser. Methinks something deeper and unaddressed in the documentary was going on, and they were blaming one event after their storied multigenerational careers for letting this guy, who probably wrote a lot of the music they were rehearsing and could play in his sleep, go. Very fresh, considering their first hit, which is on this album, is literally about not caring what time it is. Really, think about it. You ask a guy for the time because you might be late for an important meeting, and the asswipe is like ‘does anybody really know what time it is, like philosophically, dude?’ I’d punch him in the neck.
Little Nicky has this right. Chicago has a clean facade, but look deeper and you’ll find what’s really up.
Soundgarden
4/5
Roxy Music
4/5
Randy Newman
2/5
The Smiths
3/5
LTJ Bukem
3/5
Dire Straits
3/5
Hawkwind
5/5
Now this is music!
I went to buy a suit today (very not Hawkwind, I know), and the suit guys plied me down with several glasses of scotch before lunch. I left, feeling like a million drunken bucks, popped in my headphones, and walked around Manhattan for the next two hours, enjoying a glorious autumn day, propelled by Space Ritual. Far fewer ultimate scenarios exist in this life.
Billy Joel
4/5
2/5
Madonna
4/5
Michael Jackson
5/5
Christina Aguilera
4/5
Quicksilver Messenger Service
3/5
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
4/5
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
Stereo MC's
2/5
Richard Thompson
5/5
Beatles
5/5
Brian Eno
3/5
There’s something very incredible about St. Elmo’s Fire. The rest of this, I wish was as enchanting. I really love Eno’s contributions on Bowie’s Warszawa, but other than that his songs are just sort of Eno-land for me.
X-Ray Spex
2/5
Wow, that was annoying
De La Soul
3/5
Jerry Lee Lewis
2/5
Fun to learn this guy was a incestual pedo who wrecked his car into Elvis’s front gate.
Tom Waits
2/5
I don’t trust Tom Waits fans.
Simon & Garfunkel
5/5
Cat Stevens
4/5
George Michael
3/5
Aimee Mann
3/5
The vibe takes me straight back to the 90’s, hanging out in the college town with a cup of Joe in hand.
John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers
2/5
Booker T. & The MG's
4/5
Not a bad moment on this. Great for background music.
Napalm Death
2/5
Beach House
5/5
Joy Division
4/5
Alice Cooper
4/5
The Cure
3/5
Destiny's Child
2/5
Ray Charles
3/5
Jane Weaver
5/5
Finally, something brilliant.
Adele
4/5
Solomon Burke
5/5
ZZ Top
3/5
Tres stars for tres hombres
New Order
3/5
The Avalanches
4/5
Amy Winehouse
3/5
Coldcut
4/5
This was a lot of fun!
Britney Spears
3/5
The Offspring
4/5
The Offspring used to shoot a fire hose into the crowds of their shows on hot days, and I remember getting hit point blank by the lead singer when I’d crowd-surfed to the base of the stage. Also, I’m sure I got a majority of my teenage speeding tickets because I drove a lot with this album in the CD changer. Interesting to be reminded that I used to be young and I used to be more of an asshole than I am now.
Brian Eno
3/5
Madonna
3/5
The Velvet Underground
5/5
I used to have vinyl parties. This was pretty much a nightly thing. My friends and I would go to Cincinnati’s magnificent Shake It Records, pick up something interesting, and then go spin it. As the night wore on, The Velvet Underground and Nico would inevitably be played. All of us were obsessed with this album. It’s the wildest, most entrancing collection of songs I think I’ve ever heard. An absolute classic.
Joni Mitchell
4/5
3/5
Not quite as whimsical (believe it or not) as my go-to Kinks album The Village Green Preservation Society, and not quite as rockin’ as Lola Versus Powerman, Arthur sits squarely in the middle for me. It has bangers like Victoria, Drivin’, Australia, and Shangri-La, but this isn’t an album I listen to straight through like the others bookending this one. I also can’t help but notice how similar Drivin’ sounds to Picture Book on VGPS.
Sonic Youth
3/5
On a different day, or in a different era of my life, this would’ve been five stars. Nowadays, I can’t find objective access in. They don’t seem to be transmitting much value aside from a ‘we’re weird and different, therefore, we’re cool’ vibe. Although, I don’t doubt they would have been a part of a very vibrant scene and would have been very exciting to see perform. An ex of mine’s mom used to tour with Sonic Youth, and she made it sound like the ultimate. For meetups with the in-laws in those days, we’d go see Lydia Lunch speak, rather than have like a standard brunch with the folks. Jamming was always fun, and usually bled into these noise rock sound collages like heard on Evol. It is all a lifestyle and mindframe. I guess I’ve moved on.
Supertramp
3/5
Aphex Twin
2/5
The Thrills
2/5
Whoa, these Flaming Lips-adjacent vocals are like nails on a chalkboard. The songs themselves are well-played, but somewhat boring. Also, why don’t these guys just move to California already instead of writing ten songs-worth of straight fomo? Cringy.
Kraftwerk
5/5
The Verve
3/5
If the middle of this album matched the beginning and the end, then it would’ve been truly epic. Instead, they fell asleep.
Roxy Music
4/5
David Bowie
4/5
Steely Dan
2/5
Tom Tom Club
5/5
Bob Dylan
3/5
Adam & The Ants
3/5
Queen
4/5
Sonic Youth
3/5
Lou Reed
3/5
5/5
Orbital
3/5
Television
4/5
Gene Clark
5/5
Various Artists
4/5
Eurythmics
4/5
Black Sabbath
5/5
Happy Mondays
4/5
Jeff Buckley
5/5
Neil Young
4/5
Suede
3/5
1/5
If you look in my dictionary, you’ll find this album under the word S-U-C-K-S. I’d never heard anything from XTC other than the song Making Plans for Nigel, which bops, even with its weird lyrics. Like, just let Nigel be Nigel. Do something for yourself, dammit. But, with that song in mind, and when initially confronted with this album’s pretty cool cover art, I expected I’d be in for a treat. This is the first album generated for me in 2025, after all, so it should’ve been ceremonious! It seemed like it could be a fresh, new-to-me, gem. What I got was hot shit. Like my dog’s diarrhea squeezed through my fingers, shit. I hated this. There are bad albums on this list, but in a way, they’re a calculated bad. They’re unique. Like Junk Yard, Trout Mask Replica, or that Napalm Death album. This one actually thinks it’s good though, and good for everyone, not just a small niche, which makes it by far the worst album I’ve confronted so far on this site. Through conventionality, it actually seems to have convinced people that it’s good too, which is the weird part. Maybe others already had a deeper context with XTC to work from? Fond memories and such? Since I come from a place of supreme objectivity, I’ll ask anyone who loves this album to defend its quality, which aside from the orchestral moments, is as bad as my friend’s dad’s garage band. I implore you to attempt saying any of these lyrics aloud while keeping a straight face. I urge you to consider the song where he laments about not being able to own a woman, and then halfway through the song, tries to explain what he really means by that (just use a different word than ownership, man). We need to erase this album from the heritage of humankind, because frankly, it’s embarrassing. Future archaeologists will laugh at us.
Massive Attack
3/5
The Doors
5/5
Carole King
5/5
Motörhead
2/5
Gorillaz
3/5
Deep Purple
5/5
When I think of golden age classic rock, this is it.
Dolly Parton
5/5
The Yardbirds
4/5
Boston
5/5
Maybe the first album I ever listened to in full. My dad was a fan, and would often crank the volume to the max whenever we drove anywhere. Later on, I liked to put this on when shooting pool. If not for nostalgia alone, 5 out of 5, and glory to Boston.
Frank Sinatra
4/5
Elbow
2/5
Made me want to put my elbows in my ears.
Joan Armatrading
3/5
Ghostface Killah
4/5
Led Zeppelin
5/5
The Undertones
3/5
Kendrick Lamar
1/5
Fela Kuti
4/5
When I was younger, I spent a lot of time at a hookah bar in Ohio. The owner played nothing but Fela Kuti, so FK hits a very specific vibe for me. I can’t imagine how incredible this would have been to see live. These songs are each an odyssey, ten minutes of crazy drums and horns, introduce Fela and his back up singers, and rinse and repeat all day long.
Everything But The Girl
4/5
Nick Drake
4/5
The Byrds
4/5
Aretha Franklin
3/5
Eminem
1/5
No
The Who
2/5
The Undertones
5/5
Used to listen to this all the time but forgot about it. I forgot about it so much, that when this album came up, I was like ‘who are the undertones?’ Then as I played through it, all the songs came back to me. It was like awakening from amnesia. Wow, I love this album.
Stevie Wonder
2/5
Cheesy Stevie. I understand this album/ Stevie Wonder stands on a high pedestal in some people’s hearts on here. But, I’m not a spring chicken and I can’t tell you unflinchingly that this is dated, and dated in a bad way. I get SW’s influence on music, but I’m never Jonesing to listen to SW. I can never see an instance where I’d naturally throw on a SW record. And, if I did feel the urge, it wouldn’t be this one.
The Smashing Pumpkins
5/5
It’s the 90’s. I’m on campus. I’m full of angst and stupid overwhelming sadness. I need catharsis, but despite all my rage, I’m still just a rat in a cage.
Even if nostalgia wasn’t tied up in this, the music demands reaction. Mellon Collie dredges up all the feels in me.
The Verve
2/5
The xx
2/5
4/5
The Killers
4/5
Drive-By Truckers
3/5
Motörhead
3/5
The Isley Brothers
4/5
Talking Heads
5/5
The ravings of a madman
Cyndi Lauper
5/5
I love the eighties
The Stooges
2/5
Bob Dylan
5/5
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
1/5
I’m glad I listened to this. Now, I have an escape plan when guests overstay their welcome at my place. I’ll just put this on.
Talking Heads
4/5
Elliott Smith
3/5
Great, if you want to fall asleep and have sad dreams
Throbbing Gristle
5/5
All these squares giving this album a low rating probably voted for Trump.
Returning to this, it’s easy to see how influential this was to underground music. About ten years ago, I often found myself in a particular warehouse in the old part of town, where I’d see bands from across the US perform music just like this. To me, that was the scene, and everything else was weak or pandering. True industrial.
SAULT
3/5
N.W.A.
3/5
The Rolling Stones
3/5
Creedence Clearwater Revival
3/5
Billy Bragg
3/5
Herbie Hancock
2/5
Saint Etienne
3/5
OutKast
1/5
Arcade Fire
3/5
The Arcade Fire album ‘Funeral’ held great significance to me. I was living in the suburbs, going to a community college, seeking culture desperately, but finding none. When I heard the Arcade Fire, I realized I’d found my vibe. There was darkness on that album, there was longing, but ultimately, there was triumph. This album (and the early ep) was in my cd rotation for years, even long after I moved to the city and found my scene. I’ve listened to it thousands of times and it still can bring tears to my eyes. It was the anthem of an era in my life.
Neon Bible came out and I was already in a better place. But that’s not why that album didn’t achieve the same status in my heart. The Arcade Fire had mostly eschewed triumph to heighten the darkness of their sound and lyrics. That album still had some bangers, but despite my high hopes for Neon Bible, I had to press my hopes for future releases and write this one off as an intermediary album.
Then, it finally came. The Suburbs. An album themed around the ennui I felt which immediately drew me to Arcade Fire in the first place. The Suburbs brought Arcade Fire into a new level commercial success and fame. No longer did they have that underground, artsy mystique. In making an album about the homogeny of our capitalist modern world, they embodied the very enemy they wished to portray. Basically all of the triumph from the Funeral days was traded out for misery. There are no fun moments on The Suburbs. The only moment I feel that energy which drew me to them in the first place is at the very end in The Sprawl II, easily the best song on this overlong and monotonous album. This one can make me cry and actually feel that old youthful Arcade Fire spirit, that immense longing to escape normality and enter a realm of unhindered expression.
The Suburbs is where I gave up with the Arcade Fire. They’d grown as a band, but to me, in the wrong direction. That being said, this isn’t a bad album per se. The lyrics are simple and repetitive and actually pretty repetitive across their entire body of work, but at least they’re trying to pinpoint actual concerns that ‘keep people up at night,’ be that (even fifteen years ago) the threat of artificial intelligence, legacy and purpose, and overcoming cultural suppression. To me, it can’t be higher than a three, but it can’t be lower either.
R.E.M.
2/5
Pet Shop Boys
2/5
Queens of the Stone Age
2/5
Black Sabbath
5/5
Where’s the 10/5 button?
Neneh Cherry
3/5
Beck
3/5
Nitin Sawhney
2/5
Not as bad as some of the reviews here would make it seem. But, this album’s not great either.
Thelonious Monk
4/5
Björk
4/5
Bjork is more human than all of us. Who could leave Bjork? Who’d want to make Bjork feel all the things she had to transmit on Vulnicura (because this felt more like a cathartic need than an artistic opportunity grab)? This one is sparser than her other material and feels so private and so painful, it doesn’t go down as my favorite Bjork album, and I’m sure returning to this state of mind wouldn’t be her favorite thing to do either. Still, this is a shade of Bjork, and therefore magic is contained within.
Duke Ellington
2/5
Nas
4/5
At a cafe while visiting Paris, the waiter asked where I’m from. I said ‘Queens,’ and his response was, ‘Ahh, like Nas!’
What I like about this album is that it’s short and sweet. It isn’t overpacked like a lot of other rap albums. Every moment is iconic.
Go Queensbridge!
My Bloody Valentine
4/5
Miles Davis
4/5
Beatles
5/5
Aerosmith
4/5
Pink Floyd
5/5
Cream
4/5
The Clash
3/5
Parliament
5/5
T’was a bland and bleak existence. Then came the funk…
The The
2/5
Alice In Chains
4/5
Neil Young
3/5
Talk Talk
4/5
Luxury music
Neil Young
3/5
Ravi Shankar
3/5
Bebel Gilberto
3/5
Bill Evans Trio
3/5
R.E.M.
4/5
ABBA
4/5
Common
2/5
Prince
5/5
The Zutons
2/5
John Grant
4/5
Culture Club
3/5
I really like Karma Chameleon, and a little peak into the ‘80s is always fun, but overall, this album feels like being in a musty vintage shop. Some people like shopping vintage. I find the whole ordeal itchy.
Nine Inch Nails
5/5
This album was one of those moments in music history where everything went from interesting to REALLY interesting.
3/5
The La's
2/5
R.E.M.
4/5
Simon & Garfunkel
5/5
Simon and G-Funk for the win!
Pere Ubu
3/5
This is the best album to put on if you want to get laid. Especially the last track.
Metallica
5/5
Whenever I listen to this album, I wish it was the first time. Totally metal.
Leonard Cohen
5/5
David Bowie
5/5
The return of the thin white duke… This isn’t my favorite Bowie album, but it’s still better than 99.99999% of all the other albums ever made. The title track retains a position in the top ten of all Bowie songs. What a treat.
PJ Harvey
2/5
Sigur Rós
5/5
I urge you, if you have the means, to one day find a secluded country road, preferably somewhere in the mountains, and wait until the stars are out. Make sure your car has a killer sound system. Crank ‘Viorar vel til Loftarasa’ to the max and drive.
When that bowed guitar hits, be careful that you don’t launch into space. Be careful that if you become space, you stay on the road.
Norah Jones
5/5
A lot of reviews here shitting on Norah Jones for being nothing more than corporate coffeehouse background music. Hey man, I love coffee (and owning Starbucks stock)! More so, I love chill vibes, and NJ delivers that. Her voice is so calming and clear. For the last twenty years, if I’ve wanted to turn off the noise, NJ has been a go-to. Her debut is one of her best albums too. I really enjoyed revisiting this, even though I just listened through her discography again a month or so ago.
The Beta Band
2/5
Julian Cope
3/5
This album mostly sucks. However, if you listen to the two hour long deluxe version, the tripped-out second disc is actually really good. I wasn’t expecting that. In fact, I’d give the actual album a one and I’d give the deluxe bonus material a five. So, this comes to a three.
This really shows how an artist can be either excellent or dull depending on delivery. I truly wasn’t expecting to come around to Julian Cope after the first few songs. The second half is just so dramatically different, and perhaps more to my taste. I’m suspicious about that toy car collection though… I bet this guy’s a real creep.
Beatles
5/5
I mean, this is Revolver. Five immediately.
Having been born long after this album made a splash and revolutionized culture and the possibilities of rock and pop music, I can say from a song by song basis, and feeling how the tracklist flows or doesn’t flow together, I prefer their later work. Abbey Road is the best Beatles album, then White Album, then Peppers. Stop saying Revolver is the best. This album is the launch-pad to the greater state. It is not in itself the greatest state. When I listen to Revolver, it makes me want to listen to the later albums (sans Let it Be). Listening to the later albums doesn’t make me want to listen to Revolver. Discuss.
Still, Revolver is better than 99.9% of all other albums the world has produced. Just take Taxman, for instance. Taxman is supremely badass, and not just because of its witty lyrics about taxing your feet. This is literally The Beatles doing battle against a supertax that would’ve wrung them dry. They didn’t sit back and accept it, especially as the tax in question would be allocated for military use. George, as you can guess from his later ‘Within You, Without You,’ was not so keen on the idea of going bankrupt to fund instruments of death. So he wrote a song about it, risking the group’s massive popularity across party lines, and in the end, won. Sorry Mr. Heath, but you’ll forever be known as an absolute douche. You don’t go up against the Fab Four.
Fred Neil
4/5
As mentioned by others here, albums like this is why I started this daily listening project. If I’d heard of Fred Neil before (due to Midnight Cowboy), I’d forgotten about him. His life story is amazing. It sounds like the shape of music as we know it would not become what it was without him. He gave Bob Dylan a shot, influenced Dylan and the scene by apparently writing the first major Greenwich Village protest song. Dylan went on to do his thing, and in turn influence the Beatles, and the rest is history. Nilsson’s version of Everybody’s Talkin at Me is one of my favorites from the era, so to think that song wouldn’t exist without Fred Neil, who I’d never even registered before, is bananas. Then, after, he went on to influence Jefferson Airplane, etc. This guy lived a life.
As for the album itself- super chill and super vibing. Not epic classic status, but I’d definitely put this on again. At first, I thought he was an Elvis copycat, but as the album went on, I felt more of an aura of the era. Truly, he was the king of the Village folk scene.
I think it’s time for a Fred Neil renaissance. Let’s bring this music back into public awareness. Why’s this guy mostly forgotten?
Songhoy Blues
4/5
Giddy-up, this is the sort of thing I hoped to find on this list. I probably never would have heard about Songhoy Blues otherwise. Great sound, great story. Yeah, this goes on some playlists.
Muddy Waters
3/5
The Mothers Of Invention
1/5
Like a depraved episode of Scooby Doo.
We are the other people, we are the other people, we hate the Beatle people, we are the Scooby Doo.
(Apologies to scoob and the gang. Hippy hating Zap wouldn’t dare be associated anyway.)
Me, I’d rather listen to real music Mr. Christgau, like say, Sgt. Pepper’s, other than this horse shit. Sure, the Beatles recorded Pepper’s in large part to make money, but hey, that’s capitalism, and the result would not have been what it was if the Beatles didn’t actually care about their product or their legacy. Zappa is a jealous zealot, talented in a less soul-striking way, and uses the accusation that others (like the Beatles) are only in it for the money to, well, try ‘n make some money…
One album (Peppers) stands the test of time and will probably be cherished for centuries. The other has a track called Hot Poop. Which is more worthy of my heart-investment? Fuck Frank Zappa.
The Flaming Lips
5/5
Long ago, long enough ago that I had a camcorder and not an iPhone, some friends met at my place to collectively ingest some sort of now-forgotten psychoactive drug. As the effects began to kick in, we sat in the living room, I turned on the camcorder, and someone popped The Soft Bulletin on the vinyl player. When Wayne sang ‘Lifted up the suuuuuun,’ my friend flailed his arm like a windshield wiper, erasing the real world and revealing the rainbow-soaked cartoon world behind everything. At one point, a cow riding a bicycle collided into me. I felt it gently on my cheek.
Years later, I found that camcorder and replayed that video, and saw mostly a bunch of giggling kids. No miniature cows on bikes, sadly. This album encapsulates that experience to me. It reminds me of a time in my life where I was young and the world was vast and full of imagination and opportunity. At the same time, I was old enough to know that the way one imagines the world does not actually reflect the world at large, as it is. You can internally feel this psychedelic wonderland, but looking at it later with objectivity, you’d feel silly noticing the discrepancy between what was firing off in your mind as opposed to the actual reality of sitting on a couch at home. And this album seems to know this, as it begins with whimsical high-energy love songs and descends into steadily darker places. The beginning tracks against the second half becomes an understated conflict against forces- the free-form will against what’s actually possible with our frail human frame, happiness vs depression, existence against nonexistence. But, even with that gash in your leg, Wayne says you have to power on. (By the way, ‘The Gash’ was my profile name for a lot of websites at this time, so I’ll admit to being a fan.)
I can see why people might not get this album. It has a song about bugs crashing into windshields (which is excellent). It is childish in its sound. But its subject matter is crushingly heavy. Not even Superman can lift it. That freaks some people out. But to me, The Lips are simply real. These guys get it. And they’ve made some killer art by shucking off all fear, be that of rejection or infinity. It seemed to have caused a chain reaction…
Long live The Soft Bulletin!
Aerosmith
3/5
I find it interesting to see what the album generator gives you on milestone days. I got Scum by Napalm Death on my wedding day, so that was a fail. But, yesterday was my birthday, and I got Rocks. Back in the Saddle Again is not a bad song to blare first thing in the morning on your birthday.
This album does Rock with a capital R. We get no prolonged soft moment of reflection. It’s just, keep rocking and don’t stop. I respect that.
I’ve heard Rocks before, but always choose Toys. I think my unfamiliarity with the songs after the first track contributed to this blowing past me. I’ll put this on again later, and perhaps my opinion will change. For now, I’ll say it’s a solid rock album without many standouts after Back in the Saddle.
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
Bruce doing as Bruce does.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
The Who
3/5
I appreciate the recurring musical themes, but I’ve always felt like this album was way too long. I’m glad they did it, Tommy created the rock opera after all, but I don’t need to hear a song about a bully or a kiddie fiddler. I don’t care about Tommy as a character in the least bit, so in that way, they really failed. Basically, the Who take us on a journey where this boy becomes a cult leader. We don’t need all of that, or at least I don’t. It’s too much. Show us one thing that’s real and be done with it.
Points for the song Pinball Wizard, an absolute classic if not slightly unclimactic. l also liked the Christmas song, beyond all logic. The overture and underture were nice. The rest, meh. This rock opera has very few rock-out moments.
Miles Davis
4/5
Always transports me to a particular state of mind. I can feel its age, or at least its place in time, but it’s also still feels fresh seventy years on. Great to have a coffee with, while watching the rain from a cafe window.
Deerhunter
4/5
Started off slow, but I really got into this after the fourth track or so. The complexity and beauty creeps up on you. I’m surprised such a subtle album was noticed enough to make this list.
Peter Gabriel
5/5
Pulp
3/5
Iron Maiden
3/5
50 Cent
4/5
Maybe I just don’t like good rap? Maybe I really love bad rap? I don’t know. This seems to be an unpopular album with rap junkies, but I loved the vibe. I had a good time. Even though this is an hour, I was still into it by the end of the runtime. With most really lauded rap albums that people say I absolutely need to hear, which win tons of awards and are lifted up on this pedestal (looking at you Kendrick and Kanye) I just don’t give a damn. Give me a 50 cent bag of chips over nutritious veggies any day!
PJ Harvey
4/5
This is my favorite from PJ Harvey so far. It’s focused, unique, and powerful. I’ll put this on again, whereas I don’t know if I’ll revisit the other albums I’ve heard from her.
Santana
3/5
The Temptations
3/5
Sinead O'Connor
3/5
Somehow both not as good as I expected and better than how I thought it’d be. I’d only heard Nothing Compares 2 U, and that song gives me flashbacks to a blur of a trip to Manila where for some reason it seemed to be playing everywhere.
That last track, I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got, taught me that just because you don’t have a drum kit with you, or a piano, or a guitar, that doesn’t mean that I don’t want it. Sure, her voice is beautiful, and this track is almost a study for how long a good voice can sustain interest. But since there’s little complexity and pretty stupid/bad lyrics, I found myself getting so impatient. Even angry. So I was glad when the song was over. That’s not a good place to be.
Missy Elliott
4/5
With the exception of the slightly annoying Busta Rhymes intro, there is little to fault on this album. It’s smooth, it vibes, and is of its time in the best way. Made me want to drop back in to ‘97.
Pixies
5/5
Growing up in Ohio, one of the rare joys was the occasional sighting of a Deal sister. A friend of mine has a story involving them dancing on a pool table, but me, I only caught them as they stopped in local Dayton or Cincinnati bars to catch a fledgling act or two. Kim and Kelley were both super nice, super down to Earth. Listening to the Pixies, I sometimes get frustrated at Black Francis for being such a jerk to Kim. On Surfer Rosa (the better album, in my opinion) BF even goes as far as to tell Kim she should die. Whether that’s innocent banter or not, you can tell by BF’s general energy and lyrical content that he was probably not the most stable individual to join up in a band with. Still, you can’t doubt, there is an energy to Doolittle (and Surfer Rosa). Whenever I listen to either album, I find myself wishing that all music was this cool. The early Pixies have always been a go-to for me, and they always will be. I mean, Monkey Gone to Heaven, Here Comes Your Man, Hey- there are so many underrated classics here. You hear Pixies songs everywhere, they percolate within you, then you listen to a full album and it’s like ‘hey, I know all these songs.’ If you released a greatest hits album, it would just be Doolittle and Surfer Rosa stacked together.
Lenny Kravitz
2/5
Keith Jarrett
4/5
A very pleasant background to work this morning. Despite reading that most of this was improvised, I’m not sure what separates this from other general piano music though.
Pink Floyd
5/5
I mean, it’s dark side…
The Cult
2/5
Interesting to see that this came out the week I was born. Things have changed in the music industry!
Aside from some interesting guitar moments, this was pretty forgettable and stereotypical classic rock.
Kings of Leon
2/5
I remember when this came out, and my mom played Sex on Fire, and I thought both ‘Wow, why does my mom know who Kings of Leon are?’ and ‘Wow, it’s really unpleasant listening to a guy shout ‘your sex is on fire’ while in the car with your mom.’ Seriously, who thought those lyrics were cool, or well, sexy? I’ve never told a woman ‘your sex is (fill in the blank)’ because no matter what you say, you’re going to sound like a damned fool.
I understand now that Kings of Leon needed to make this move in order to escape the fate of the typical early aughts indie band, that is, to be forever lost to time. And frankly, though mostly bland, this album is truly well produced. Caleb Followill has a unique and very good voice. This whole album is pleasant.
Still, it also, to me, sort of harolded the end of underground rock. You can hear the transition here, especially on track 5, of the dawn of the music streaming algorithms feeding market research to bands to help them churn out the least offensive, most familiar sounds possible, so as to appeal to the largest audience. Therefore, there is wide appeal here and this album did meet success. But will it stand the test of time? I think it already fails to do so. It’s a soulless compilation with two tracks that will remain in the public zeitgeist and nine songs which won’t.
Fatboy Slim
3/5
Isn’t this the most 90’s album to ever 90?
Sex Pistols
3/5
Of all the albums to get the morning you have a headache…
The Shamen
2/5
Omega Amigo was pretty good. The rest of it didn’t quite appeal.
Happy Mondays
4/5
I thought this was pretty great. My first listen, and I’ll definitely revisit Madchester again.
The Mamas & The Papas
4/5
a-ha
5/5
What an ‘A-Ha’ moment!
Despite the really cringy tracks ‘Living a Boy’s Adventure Tale’ and ‘And You Tell Me,’ this album is quite sophisticated. It’s deliciously eighties, but in a way that made me wish the eighties style never left. Re-listening to bands of a similar style and era, like Culture Club, have lately made me feel like I’m in a musty thrift shop. But, listening to A-ha felt both of its time and timeless. I’d only heard the first track (which, like everyone, I’ve heard a million times). I never thought to dive further into their catalog. I’m glad I did. This music is like the sound of my early childhood, which is basically an eighties synth wonderland. I’ll definitely be putting this on again.
Def Leppard
3/5
Paul Weller
1/5
Definitely not my thing. The best parts are the instrumentals, when he’s not singing. What’s weird is that his voice is pretty good, so I’m confused. I sense a lack of spirit, perhaps?
Creedence Clearwater Revival
3/5
Daft Punk
3/5
Daft Punk would eventually come to rule my heart, but the Homework era has always seemed like proto-daft punk to me. There are some bangers. Everyone knows Around the World. And I’m sure that this opened a lot of new doors when it came out. But, it’s better suited as background music due to its persistent repetition. Wake me up when it’s time to listen to Discovery.
Finley Quaye
1/5
My friend asked me, what are the worst albums you’ve had to listen to through that 1001 generator? And, I mentioned a few that came to mind, but as we discussed, I could see an argument for why they were on this list. They either sold a ridiculous amount of records (Kid Rock) or they changed the shape of music in some way. I finally came to the conclusion that I like music, I’m here to expand my knowledge of music, and I’m not as picky or particular as some others using this site. I don’t really fancy myself a critic. I’m willing to personally not like certain choices on this list. Then, the generator heard me, said hold my beer, and gave me this album the very next day.
Maverick A Strike has absolutely no business being remembered or honored. What a stupid waste of my time from a violent non-Jamaican imposter. Let’s, as a society, forget this was ever made, please.
The Who
4/5
A-side, although classic, is a Beatles knock off.
B-side, where they really showed the world who they are.
Belle & Sebastian
5/5
I used to listen to Belle & Sebastian all the time. In the Stone Age, back when I used iTunes, I’d literally filter the Belle & Sebastian discography every evening and just let it play all night. The output of this band is such a vibe, and going back to Tigermilk brought back so many memories. It’s impossible for me to rate objectively, and for that, I’m blessed.
Marilyn Manson
1/5
I understand why this is on the list. It was a cultural phenomenon of a sort, or at least Marilyn Manson was. I’d never actually listened to any of their music before, so for the sake of education, sure. But, despite loving Halloween and heavy metal, there simply wasn’t much for me to grab onto here. The hour of fuzz and screaming eventually just made me feel nauseated. I guess that was the point? Well, that sucks. Big no from me.
Foo Fighters
3/5
Growing up, everyone liked the Foo Fighters, but nobody listened to the Foo Fighters. My punk friends never had a Foo Fighters CD in their disorganized piles of music covering the floor. My goth friends just didn’t think Grohl was dark enough, despite playing the devil in Tenacious D. My preppy friends serenaded girls by playing Everlong on their acoustic guitars, but otherwise only rocked out to Dave Matthew’s. I knew the core Foo Fighters songs from the radio, but I always wondered, who is this for? Who’s listening to this? Yet, here we are, thirty years on, and these guys are still selling out shows, playing SNL, spitting out records. Who’d have guessed it?
This debut album is impressive considering it was composed solely by Grohl in a state of grieving. I always marveled at how different the Foo Fighters were from Nirvana, how cheerful, triumphant, and poppy. This album is sort of like the missing link from how we got from Nirvana-state to Foo-state. Glad I listened to it for that bit of education, but doubtful I’ll put it on again.
The Smiths
4/5
As has been stated here in myriad ways, Morrissey sucks. His politics are extreme, his racism is unforgivable, and even his lyrics here cause many an eye-roll (he really wishes you just the worst freaking birthday). But, this album, like all Smiths albums, is such a vibe. Luxury music. If you knew nothing of Morrissey, how would you rank this? I’d say at least a four. So, four it is!
Big Brother & The Holding Company
3/5
Janis gets her earned accolades as one of the greatest voices in rock. You can hear an entire generation of imitators on these tracks. But, I want to point out how ahead of the time the guitar playing is on here. I mean, the tones are always incredible. The solos can only be described as ‘sick nasty.’ This is hardly an underrated or overlooked album, but the actual band themselves are often overlooked.
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
2/5
About halfway through, my sole thought was, gee, this is a lotta beefheart.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
3/5
Many years ago, a new restaurant opened down the street from me, and it was the talk of the town. Despite my proximity, I missed out on the opening weeks, then I forgot about it, and even though the restaurant opened with great fanfare and media coverage, had great reviews, and I heard multiple word of mouth ravings, eventually I stopped hearing about it. Then, a year-on I heard the place was going to close shop. Feeling tremendous fomo, like I’d missed out on a vital cultural event, I made a reservation during its last few death-throw days. I had trouble finding people who wanted to come with me (and although that could be because I’m a wretched, hated individual, I’m going to blame the restaurant). The service was abysmal, but the food semi-decent. Still, the decor was top notch, and overall I couldn’t find too much wrong with it. I asked myself, why is this place closing so soon? What brought about its failure?
Then, I noticed the music in the background. They only played Red Hot Chili Peppers. Songs repeated, sometimes back to back. It all became clear.
In all seriousness, Californication isn’t the worst album of all time or anything. I actually saw the Chili Peppers in my youth at Lollapalooza, and it was fairly epic. I crowd-surfed the distance of like three football fields and wound up dumped in a tight mosh-pit of sweating naked bodies. Really, it was a Dante-esque experience. But, I’ve heard these songs so many times under so many horrible contexts with so many horrible people, it’s hard to listen to this objectively. My point of reference will be the songs I didn’t know so well on this album. They were actually pretty good. So, a four for the songs I didn’t know, and a two for the associations with the songs I knew too well. I’ll give it an even Steven three.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
4/5
There was an era where I listened to this album every day. I don’t remember much about that time in my life. Other than Hey, Hey and Powderfinger, I also didn’t remember much about the songs on this album!
Butthole Surfers
1/5
Like listening to hell’s circus.
Genesis
5/5
Haven’t listened to a lot of Genesis. It’s time I change that.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
3/5
I’ve always loved that bass-line in Stir it Up. Some decent jams here. Actually sounds more sad than you’d expect from reggae. Overall, it’s deec.
The 13th Floor Elevators
3/5
Like unironic Austin Powers jams.
Iggy Pop
4/5
I’d never heard this album somehow. Glad it’s now on my radar for those Bowie Berlin binges I find myself on from time to time.
Jethro Tull
4/5
My dad loves Jethro Tull (he says they were his first concert), so I recently listened to Aqualung to celebrate his retirement. Strange I got it on the generator so soon after!
The flute is a choice for a prog band, but JT went hard at it. Also, the lyrics on the tracks about the homeless- what the hell were they thinking? How odd! ‘Hey pedo-masterbating crippled hobo, don’t worry, it’s just me!’ Still, overall a pretty great listen, especially on the later tracks. It’s like the English folk/heavy metal bridge.
Radiohead
5/5
I’ve always felt that Radiohead are far darker, far more sinister, and cast an aura of evil and doom at a stronger, more authentic register than your typical ‘dark’ bands. There’s something about Thom Yorke’s voice that feels like it can spread cancer like a virus. Goth, metal, and the like are all in league with the lord of darkness, but Hail to the Thief-era Radiohead are satan’s heart incarnate. Case in point, there’s a song on this album where Yorke says he’ll eat you alive over and over and over. And even if this is a commentary on the war on terror, a big part of me does believe that Yorke sucks young blood.
Hail to the Thief is rarely cited as anyone’s favorite Radiohead album, but if it weren’t for The Bends, Kid A, or In Rainbows, this sure would be. In other words, this is a damned fine album that’s often overlooked among their repertoire. When I listen to this, I sometimes wonder if this is the most personality-defining album by Radiohead. The upheaval of Kid A and Amnesiac have settled, but they hadn’t quite matured to the point of In Rainbows. HttT is an entity in between, while also still offering its own worlds, its own distinct style. When I listen to HttT, I usually find myself wondering if it’s my favorite Radiohead album. It may not be the best one, but yeah, it may be my favorite. The jury is still deliberating.
Oasis
3/5
1/5
Overall, without a doubt, this album is a huge waste of time. When this came out, I was in the eighth grade, and everyone was listening to nu metal and hip hop, spiking their hair with like a tube of gel a day. But, there were the kids who knew Limp Bizkit were stupid, and there were the kids who thought Limp Bizkit were the coolest shits in the world. I belonged to the group who thought they were stupid, and some of my best friends praised them. This division literally tore my eighth grade friend group apart. For a while, I was adrift, without friends, because I couldn’t limp with the Bizkit. All of those in the LB fan group however had a lot of trouble ‘launching’ after high school, so… funny how that worked out.
I can admit that this album is pretty hilarious sometimes, and there are head-bangable moments. Just like, that’s maybe two minutes out of the hour or so run time. Stay in school kids, and don’t listen to the limpy biscuits.
Isaac Hayes
4/5
Walk on By is excellent. Then, it’s some buttery soul. When we get to Phoenix, I’m not sure if the structure is brilliant or simply way too much for its own good.
The Young Rascals
4/5
Pretty great stuff. How Can I Be Sure was one of my favorite songs as a kid, but I’d only hear it when my dad played the classic rock station. I’d forgotten completely about it! Then Groovin’ came on, and I understood immediately how this album got a slot on this list. A lot of people here have shrugged this off as a forgettable Beatles imitation. I think there’s more here than that. If anything, it was good to hear a band I didn’t know about, who surprised me with two hits that sent me back to childhood.
Supergrass
2/5
This is Alright and not much else.
The Zombies
5/5
Hard to rate this objectively because I’ve always loved The Zombies. Ah, what the hell, it’s the time of the season to dish out a fiver.
The Modern Lovers
3/5
Proto-emo masshole jams.
Tears For Fears
5/5
One of the most epic of the epic. Immediate five.
The Beach Boys
5/5
Jesus, (maybe-not-so-random) 1001 albums generator. The day after the death of the legendary Brian Wilson, you give me a Beach Boys album I’m entirely unfamiliar with, which contains a Brian Wilson track called ‘Til I Die. You have devastated me, and I gently applaud your sneaky reverence. About half way through Surf’s Up, I had to stop everything (all the urgent emails and work Teams chats be damned), and read the lyrics to this album as they were sung. This album is super dense, and without concentration, the whole beauty and magnitude will blow by you. Now I’m going to have to listen to the entire Beach Boys discography. Despite having loved them since childhood, I’ve pretty much only listened to the Endless Summer compilation, Pet Sounds, and Smiley Smile. Surf’s Up has shown me at even deeper level than Pet Sounds, where they were willing to take their artistry. Well done album generator. Well done Beach Boys.
Blur
3/5
I only knew the second track, which is the one everyone knows. I had it on a mix CD I made in high school, so it was one of my cruising the neighborhood rock out tunes. In the back of my mind, I always thought I should listen to the full album, so I was happy to see this prompt. The rest of the album lacks the energy of Song 2, however, so I was disappointed. The vibe really settles in on the last few tracks, and there are some good vibes and sounds, but for the most part, uneventful.
Minutemen
3/5
It’s happened several times lately, like within this month, where I’d think about an artist or a particular artist (not even google them) and then the random album generator prompts me to listen to that group or album the next day. Get out of my head, album generator!
In this case, I assumed Double Nickels was on the list, but I want 100% certain, and I thought to myself that I should really make some time to finally listen to it. Lo and behold, the generator said ‘now you must listen. Do not put it off. This is your homework!’ So, I was happy and shocked to see it come up. The timing was also perfect because what had deterred me from ever getting past the first few songs was the length of the album. Yesterday, I’d decided I was going to make gumbo, which meant I’d be whisking a roux for 45 minutes or more. Why not spend that time with the Minutemen? At one point, they even ask ‘what are you making?’ And even though I missed the context and they could’ve meant anything, I thought, wow, perfect gumbo making music.
A good friend of mine loves punk and ska and has recommended this album for years. I could never get past the vocals or the feeling that it was too unpunk to be punk. I’m really used to the aggressive Black Flag and Clash style of punk, or even the poppy radio hit Green Day/Blink 182 era. The Minutemen are so different from either, they’re practically their own branch of the genre. I have to say, I did enjoy it once I got on board. However, not much stuck with me. I may need to revisit this to really let it sink in. For now, my assessment will be, on first impression, a more positively intentioned than bland, 3/5.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
5/5
About fifteen years ago, a crew would consistently come by my place for vinyl parties. Those were the days in my life where I look back already and say ‘those were the days.’ People would bring their new vinyls, but we’d also spin a lot of classics. ‘Everybody Knows This is Nowhere’ was a constant. If ever I felt critical of its jammy nature, I’d just keep nursing the joint and the instrumental sections suddenly seemed too short. That melody from Cowgirl in the Sand still floats around in my mind at random times. Truly just an incredible album. I never understood why he shot his baby when she could drag him over the rainbow, but he sure turned the trauma into an epic song. Way to go, Neil.
Thin Lizzy
2/5
Billy Bragg
2/5
One can only endure so many songs about unions from a brambly singer songwriter before one starts wishing they’d shut up. This album is like an hour long, and to what effect? There’s very little variation. Some of the melodies are straight lifts from Dylan and Nico, which, sure, pay homage, but like with the cover on this, it made me wish I was listening to the originals.
The Adverts
3/5
I’d never heard of this band. Was glad to stop in and have a listen. Probably won’t come back to them, but through no fault of their own. This is just someone else’s thing.
Goldfrapp
4/5
Like the ghost of Jessica Rabbit post-suicide.
Willie Nelson
5/5
Classic Willie
2/5
I feel like I’m the man Loretta’s always singing about. I’m guilty of everything she’s frustrated or upset about in all of these songs. Mostly, this album just reminded me of how much of a dick I am.
Nina Simone
2/5
The community here really loves this album. What am I missing, David Bowie???
David Bowie
5/5
I’ve listened to Hunky Dory more than any other album. I’ve probably listened to Hunky Dory more than any other human who’s ever lived. There may be better albums, but this album is my childhood, my twenties, and my now. It’s never grown old. It’s at times silly and at times deeply philosophical. It always bops. It always makes me feel a certain way. It’s simply magic.
The Flying Burrito Brothers
1/5
Bleh, basic cowpoke music posing as hip.
Sebadoh
4/5
The music I’d been listening to (as well as the music recommended to me here), I just realized, has all been from the sixties or earlier for like a month. I really love music from the sixties. But I was feeling music fatigue. This is something nobody should ever feel! I was bored of music!
Finally, the generator decided to lift me from my rut by throwing me headfirst into the 90’s indie scene. Thank god. This was such a balm, such a remedy. I’d never listened to Sebadoh before, but I was immediately into it. Bubble and Scrape, I will be back!
Public Image Ltd.
3/5
The Rolling Stones
3/5
The Afghan Whigs
3/5
Growing up in Cincinnati, one hears about The Afghan Whigs. I’m actually from the lead singer’s hometown, although I just found this out via Wikipedia. There isn’t a plaque or anything. People in Hamilton, outside of the guitar store, have no clue this band exists. And, I think that tracks, because even though, as I said, Cincinnati cares, few in Cincy actually listen to or discuss The Afghan Whigs. All the years I lived there, you’d hear there was this moderately famous band in the nineties, and after that, The Heartless Bastards, and then unless you count 98 Degrees or the band Why?, nobody. So, people respect that someone from our little city succeeded in some capacity, but there aren’t like Afghan Whig parties. The music isn’t celebrated. Listening now, I understand why that is. I don’t mean Gentlemen is bad or anything. The instrumentation is great. The music’s just kinda meh. It lacks dancability and sing-alongability. Anger glazes over and there are some head bang rock out moments, but otherwise, angst.
I did have a friend record at the home studio of one of the Whigs, which sounds like a cool time. And, giving AW my first listen, I can certainly hear a strand of influence to the future (current) Cincinnati sound. Those minor scale bass lines driving you deeper into misery, that r&b/rock crossover, that self loathing lyrical strain, that’s all still there. So, it’s interesting to finally stop by an AW album. Not quite my thing, but cool to pay reverence to a local ‘somewhat’ hero.
Echo And The Bunnymen
5/5
100% my thing.
Lynyrd Skynyrd
5/5
Was perfect to get this in the summer, because is there any better grill out music in existence? Naturally, Tuesday’s Gone is best suited for playing golf with a hockey stick, and Freebird’s good no matter the season or setting.
CHIC
4/5
I was so overjoyed in hearing rapper’s delight at the beginning of this album (that I’d never heard of), that at after work drinks, I exclaimed, “guess what album was on my album generator this morning?!” I then promptly started singing the bass line. When nobody knew what I was doing, I then started singing the vocal part as well as I could, which was abysmal. The crowd of work colleagues looked at me like “shut up, drunk man!” and now that overjoyed delight I felt in the morning has been turned to shame, a shame that will return to me in the quiet moments before I fall asleep for the rest of my life. I’m sure this album has inspired many such similar situations in others.
Eels
1/5
Back in the early 2000’s, everyone used iTunes. It was a flex in the college dorms to have an extensive iTunes library. I therefore stole (as did everyone) the libraries of my friends. This was great because I ended up stacked with tons of artists I’d never heard of before.
Someone I stole from had everything the Eels had ever produced, so my Eels game was wicked. I even remember my friend’s brother saying, as he scrolled through my tunes, ‘wow, you really love the Eels. Nobody loves the Eels this much.’
The fact is, I was intrigued by this giant block of Eels in my list of music, but I was also intimidated. I sampled a few songs here and there, and never really liked anything I heard, so I never ventured further. Time went on, iTunes made way for Spotify, and I forgot all about the Eels. Until now! What wonders was I missing from that giant block of iTunes albums???
My feeling is, after finally delving into Beautiful Freak, the Eels are definitely not my thing. They sound like if the Flaming Lips lost all color. But, because of iTunes, this album did make me remember those days of having sex in a dorm room while my roommate was trying to study. Beautiful Freak reminded me of the endless beer pong matches, of getting bong-ripped to better appreciate the twirls and transformations of the milkdrop visualizer until six the next morning, of laughing at buddies who blacked out and pissed their pants. Beautiful Freak reminded me of the time some neighbors down the hall cooked a human turd in the microwave, and of the smell that never really left the halls for the rest of the year.
Thank you, Beautiful Freak, for these memories. Thank you Eels, for being so inaccessible, that I never listened to you and developed further associations. Music really is a Time Machine.
Sly & The Family Stone
3/5
AC/DC
4/5
I got Back in Black on the 4th of July. These Australians made the most American freakin’ album of all time. No more appropriate album exists for this day.
Kings of Leon
3/5
Jack White
2/5
Jack White has always been meh to me. Some of the White Stripes hits are classics, yes, but I usually change the song if one pops up randomly. Guess I just don’t care/ get the fuss. This album is pure Jack White, so… meh
Fleetwood Mac
3/5
Crazy that they spent an almost gilded age level of money on this. Where did the cash go? I’ve heard more cohesive, better sounding albums recorded at people’s homes.
Not the greatest or many people’s go-to FM record, but still of its era, and a nice background listen.
Jazmine Sullivan
2/5
The Gun Club
2/5
Hüsker Dü
5/5
Without the Du, there’d be no Foo.
Don’t care what you say, they inspired Green Day.
Like flora to fauna, Husker Du fed Nirvana.
A harder REM? Listen back to an arcade that’s zen.
Weirdly, I was listening through the Husker Du discography, and I was about to put on Warehouse when the generator dredged it up. HD are pretty incredible if you’re open to the tone and the lack of convention. Warehouse is the perfect length and energy to put on during a weightlifting sesh. I’ll definitely be returning to the full discography again, wishing all the while I’d seen them in Minneapolis before I was born.
Coldplay
1/5
This transported me back to the early 2000’s, a magical time where I had to listen to this shite everywhere I went- the background music at stores, my friend’s cars… Coldplay is what made me stop listening to the radio. There was literally no escape, no reprieve.
More like no-ldplay, moldplay, or coldstop.
GZA
4/5
How can you not be a fan of the Wu?
Lorde
3/5
I wonder how random this generator is… I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again!
I wrapped up watching the show just last night (‘Too Much’) which details the breakup of Lena Dunham and Jack Antonoff. Great speculation is that the girl who steals Lena’s hubby is supposed to represent Lorde, as Lorde actually lived with the couple in their Brooklyn apartment as they made this album! Melodramatic indeed. Jack and Lorde swear their relationship was always platonic, where Lorde was actually into Jack and not the other way around, but having been a young dude cohabiting with select women in my time, I’ll politely turn my head and cough the word ‘bullshit.’
The show is not something I’d recommend. My wife made me watch it. Melodrama, though, is something I might suggest if someone was unfamiliar and for some reason trying to immerse themselves in the sounds of the last decade (which honestly haven’t evolved so much- thank you algorithms). I’d heard most of Melodrama before, also thanks to my wife. She might rate this a five. I think it’s more three-ish.
Miles Davis
2/5
Barry Adamson
1/5
The idea is interesting, and it’s executed well enough (although I wish it told more of a story, in a sense). With the exception of the Alfred Hitchcock track though, I didn’t find it interesting to listen to. Really, who is this for? Hollywood producers, apparently? I mean, I’m a huge film buff. I love crime movies and film noirs too. The fact that I thought this was self indulgent and for no actual listener, and I’m the prime target for this sort of thing, says a lot about how it should probably just be swept into the dustbin of history.
Suzanne Vega
1/5
Woof. These are the types of songs that you write as a young twenty-something, thinking they’re immensely profound, and then years later you look back on them with a degree of shame so pronounced that you want to hurl yourself over a bridge in embarrassment. There’s a reason I’ve never heard of Suzanne Vega, I guess.
Leonard Cohen
2/5
The Beach Boys
5/5
After the death of Brian Wilson, I decided to make the summer of 2025, my summer of Beach Boys and listen through the discography. I’ve always revered their style, and their songs have had an enormous impact on my appreciation of music in general. The earliest memory I have of intentionally listening to music of any kind was of sitting in front of my dad’s enormous sound system and popping in the Endless Summer compilation CD. Still, I’ve listened through the discographies of The Beatles and Dylan, but why not The Beach Boys? I thought this could be a project that could take me All Summer Long (see what I did there?).
I’d just listened through their Christmas album (in July, no less) when the album generator gave me Pet Sounds for homework. Being somewhat ocd, I decided to power through The Beach Boys Today, Summer Days, and Beach Boys Party before turning on Pet Sounds, even though I’ve already heard Pet Sounds a million times. What I got was a tremendous dose of chronological Beach Boys all at once. For the first time, I really saw what a treasure and a breakthrough Pet Sounds was (is). This is The Beach Boys at their most mature to this point, and was the apex of their career. I mean, God Only Knows, Sloop John B, I Know There’s An Answer…
I couldn’t stop there, and moved on to Smiley Smile, the Smile Sessions, and Brian Wilson presents Smile. They’re all great, but each leave you with a heavy feeling of defeat, or of what might have been if only. Mostly, you get a sense of what the enormous pressure, coupled with the drugs and fame and expectations, had on Wilson. You see a genius crack like an egg under the system, under social demand. It’s a tragedy really. Not that Wild Honey or Surfs Up or the later albums are bad, they just, you know, aren’t the same. They lack that special feeling that was captured best in Pet Sounds.
Man, what a thing.
Aerosmith
3/5
Sometimes grating and cringe and I want to give it less than a one. Other times, I admit, I get swept up in it and find myself rocking out. It has two undeniable classics and some interesting transitions between songs. But it also has a lot of harmonica and ugly trucks on the cover. Was this the beginning of the end for rock? Hard to say. Going middle of the road on this one.
Incredible Bongo Band
1/5
I usually like a little funk in my coffee. But this hour-plus instrumental odyssey driven by bongos just really didn’t do it for me. Despite some of these covers being of excellent songs, and despite an addition by the Grandmaster himself, I just couldn’t get excited about this. Out of all the albums I’ve heard so far from this list, this (THIS!) was the first one I had to stretch out over five days or so. My body rejected this music. It was a literal chore to sit through.
Duran Duran
5/5
Holy eighties Batman! This is what I call luxury music!
I once had a friend named Ken who would, with a fake, but passable, Scottish accent, introduce himself to new people as Darren. If they happened to ask him for his last name, he would tell them Darren. They would inevitably then say to this random Scottish dude in America, ‘so your name is Darren Darren?’ After which he would say ‘yes,’ and leave it at that.
Weather Report
1/5
In college, I had some friends who were really into this era of jazz. We’d sit around listening to farty bass sounds all day, smoking joints and playing go. Hearing Weather Report or Mahavishnu Orchestra, I immediately am primed to want coffee, like a whole pot’s worth. But, even though I indulged my jazz loving friends, I never took to this. It’s crazy stuff, and Jaco revolutionized how the bass was played (we’d have no modern Metallica without this, believe it or not), but I just really can’t. Not only is it SO dated, there’s literally nothing for me to grasp onto here. I can appreciate that they played a lot of difficult chords quickly, I guess. I can appreciate that the musicians made some choices… they just weren’t the right choices for, you know, pleasing my ears.
Black Sabbath
5/5
Absolute classic. The Wizard? N.I.B? The actual Black Sabbath, itself? This was the beginning of it all. I’d say RIP Ozzy, but we all know you’ll rise again to reap your vengeance.
Years spent in torment, buried in a nameless grave.
Now he has risen. Miracles would have to save,
Those that the beast is looking for…
Solange
5/5
My first thought was, wow, great voice, excellent production… how have I never heard this before? This is beautiful. Well, I’m really out of the loop, so the second I read Solange is Beyoncé’s sister, I was like, ahh crap. She must be riding the coattails. But, to Solange’s benefit, even though there aren’t many bangers on here, I think I’d rather listen to this in full than any of Beyoncé’s albums, and that’s saying a lot! A major criticism I see about ‘A Seat at the Table’ is that it’s flat, and all the songs are too similar. I’d argue that it makes for a super chill and consistent listen. The interludes start to come off as preachy, but they hold together the overall theme and style. It’s an overall vibe, and it’s very unlike her sister’s.
Snoop Dogg
4/5
A classic- funnier than I remember. Laiiid back…
U2
4/5
Paul McCartney and Wings
4/5
Sir Paul rarely disappoints. I’ve had Band on the Run in my vinyl collection for years, but listening now, I realize I’m very unfamiliar with the album after the first two tracks wrap. ‘Let Me Roll It’ is a stand-out to me, as are ‘Picasso’s Last Words.’ Overall, these songs feel good to be in.
It’s interesting to me, because I have extreme familiarity with the Beatles and the member’s solo albums. So, coming to Band on the Run without much context is like a free extra solo album to get to know!
Steely Dan
4/5
I was never a Steely Dan fan, even against all there is to them that makes them excellent. They’re profoundly skilled musicians, who sing on profound themes. Whenever they come on the radio though, I feel this invisible synesthesia tighten around my stomach. They have a vibe that I simply don’t dig. Still, not even a naysayer like I can dog this hit-packed debut. This is Steely Dan at their steeliest. Track after track, it’s banger after banger, classic after classic.
Fats Domino
3/5
David Crosby
5/5
Despite obviously knowing CSN and CSNY, and having listened to pretty much all of Neil’s solo albums, I’d never listened any of the solo Crosby, Stills, or Nash albums. ‘If I Could Only Remember My Name’ struck me as so excellent, I couldn’t believe I hadn’t dug into Crosby’s solo work. This is take drugs by the campfire music. It sounds of its time, but I would argue it doesn’t feel dated. This is the sort of jammy music my friends and I will play on long nights in the woods, feeling spiritual, but probably sounding somewhat incoherent to onlookers. Coherency doesn’t matter to me here. Beyond lyrics, vocal delivery, and technical prowess, music is nothing more than a vibe, and this vibe resonates with mine.
I also went on to listen to the high-profile post- Deja vu Stills and Nash solos. Steven Stills definitely had the most commercial appeal, but aside from the opening track, which was enough of a hit that I knew it, that album feels a little much to me. It lacks soul. Nash’s first solo is excellent, however, although it lacks the pure experimentation of If I Could Only Remember My Name. Aside from Neil, I think Crosby’s the winner for me! I’ll be sure to return to this and expand on his discography.
4/5
I would have loved to have been in this band. That last track was definitely not what I was expecting, but I was totally on board the starship!
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
2/5
Ja basic
Hanoi Rocks
3/5
I can really see this band actually being a group of muppets.
Jamiroquai
1/5
Big hats, bad music. I can’t get behind this on a million levels.
Jimi Hendrix
2/5
‘Are You Experienced’ put Jimi Hendrix on the map. Jimi Hendrix is a force of nature who single-handedly changed the way rock guitar is played. He experimented with stereo (admittedly creating a distant-sounding vocal, usually shoved fully to the left or right, an element which has bugged me since childhood). I’ve spent many days and nights rocking out to these tunes, trying and failing to play them, and for that, I understand why this album has such a high rating here. It’s beloved the world-over. When I started this album generator project, I unconsciously envisioned the albums I knew would have to be included: Abbey Road, Led Zeppelin IV, What’s Goin’ On, and of course, Are You Experienced. It seems like a milestone to have reached this album while listening through on this journey. One critic even compared this album to Joyce’s ‘Ulysses,’ and having read Ulysses multiple times, I can safely say that this guy’s wrong, but I see where he’s coming from.
With all of these accolades, with tracks like Purple Haze, Foxey Lady, and The Wind Cries Mary, how can this album be anything but locked-in at a ‘god’ status? For many, I think this is probably an automatic five stars, and I dig that. But, when listening through this (literally facing the music), I realized that, beyond the mythology, I don’t really like listening to Jimi Hendrix so much. He’s raw energy, and I’m sure he would’ve been a force to see in real life, but the vibe is just so, I don’t know, not chill or something. I rarely put on more than one JH song at a time, if I put him on at all. His sonic language, influential as it was, is not my love language. The breathing weirdly in my ear, the turning the volume up and down at random intervals, the seeming constant feeling of being about to rush out of cohesion- it’s just all a little much. He has a place in history, and on some days, I might give this a three. But seeing how high the global rating is, I feel I have to do my part to be the hand of justice. I want to ask people to listen to this album and try to strip away the storied mythos. Try to strip away your knowledge of what it influenced. Do you still like it? If so, great. But, I said yes, I’d be lying to myself.
Pentangle
5/5
Fire and fleet and candleleet…
Many moons ago, I was having dinner at my ex’s mom’s place. My ex’s mom was really cool. She’d played in a band that used to tour with and open for Sonic Youth. This woman’s record collection was insane. For dinner, I was tasked with putting on some music. Now, I hate playing the dj, because nobody ever likes what I put on, not ever. That fateful dinner, I threw on a random record from a band I’d never heard of before. Turns out, I’d taken a chance on Pentangle’s Basket of Light. By the time the Lyke-Wake Dirge came on, I had the family throwing bread at me asking what the fuck I was doing putting this horseshit on during dinner.
I eventually made the right choice and departed from that whole situation. But, it seems that Pentangle have come with me, leaving behind the forgotten back of that woman’s record bin. I still listen to Lyke-Wake Dirge at least once (in secret) whenever I visit the UK. I sometimes think of my footwear as hosen and schoen. I often secretly call obstacles ‘the brig of dread.’ Perhaps it’s my love of medieval folk? Perhaps it’s my love for sixties folk? I don’t know, because I hold Basket of Light in higher regard than those Vashti Bunyan and Fairport Convention albums which I also so revere. (Cruel Sister is even better than this album, if you ask me. So, if you haven’t heard it and liked Basket of Light, check out the follow-up. Also, Alistair Roberts does a great version of Lyke-Wake).
I just gave a hyper-beloved, classic, god-status album two stars (sorry Jimi), and I’m about to give this one five because it’s more badass than people tend to say. Disagree with me? Then, the fire will burn thee to the bare bane!
Neu!
2/5
Hero is my new go-to karaoke song.
Arcade Fire
4/5
‘Discovering’ Arcade Fire back in college was a big deal. Growing up, my musical world was built of whatever was force-fed to me by the radio. I didn’t live near any quality record stores. Those franchises served up the usual suspects anyway. Then iTunes and Napster came along and suddenly the internet started to show you more variety in what was out there in the world. For the first time, I could choose what I wanted to hear in a real way. The indie thing was largely a product of anybody’s music being able to reach anybody for the first time. Some weird and daring stuff emerged (and also some really bad music- thank you SoundCloud).
Arcade Fire’s pre-Funeral ep and Funeral itself defined this explosive era to me. That album, along with say music from The Decemberists and The Knife, helped allow me to define myself. It musically allowed me to draw a dividing line between my childhood and adulthood- what my parents and society said was important, ‘good’ music, and what I thought was important.
Then Neon Bible came out, and I’ll admit, I was disappointed. Arcade Fire didn’t pop the balloon, but rather, allowed the air to leak out slowly. I recall listening to this in the college dining hall, shrugging halfway through, and switching to the new, more exciting Animal Collective album that’d just come out. Intervention was a stand-out for sure, but whereas in Funeral, the sorrow evolved into joy track after track, Neon Bible stays dark for the most part. The slapdash homespun quality of Funeral made way for the clear and smooth sound of Neon Bible. In essence, everything I loved about Arcade Fire was suppressed on this album.
Still, I had friends who obsessively listened to Neon Bible for months after its release, and so, if only to see what the big deal is, I’ve revisited it over the years. I do appreciate The Well and the Lighthouse and Black Wave. Where Win Butler was never one for a good lyric, I do think they excel on these tracks. I do enjoy the melodies that come and go on those tracks, undulating like waves on the ocean. There is quality here, and there is a message that I can get behind, as in, the failure of organized religion (and organized society as a whole) to provide the spiritual calm that they promise. Having given it the space of nearly twenty years (damn, I feel old now- this is like my dad talking about Jethro Tull in the nineties!) I think I’d notch it from a three to a four. This album was almost the beginning of the end for one of my favorite bands (The Suburbs improve upon Neon Bible, I believe), but it still has more to say to me than many other albums out there.
The Cure
4/5
I seem to always say this about New Wave, but this is ‘luxury music.’ I can never think of a time when this wouldn’t be great to have on (maybe only at a dance party?).
This was the first album by The Cure that I got as a teenager, trying to use an extensive CD collection in my car to look cool. I didn’t appreciate this album then, but some of my friends did. I’m glad I’ve seen the light.
Funkadelic
3/5
This wasn't easy to find. It wasn't on Spotify, and I had to 'watch' a video of each track on Youtube. Youtube showed me an ad that began with a loud fart noise, and then an elderly woman talked about a magical product that could help free the stuck poop from her colon. I didn't understand that one, until I did.
Björk
5/5
Out of chaos, the universe produced Bjork. What are the chances! Is Bjork proof that an underlying cosmic plan exists, and that the goal of that plan is for happiness and beauty to proliferate?
I knew a few selections from Debut, but despite being a Bjork fan, I was unfamiliar with this as a whole. I fully expected to underrate this, maybe as a four, as there’s no way it could be as good as Homogenic or Medulla. But, I was blown away. This is totally a five out five for me. I can’t wait to listen to this again and again. Thank you, Bjork!
Janelle Monáe
5/5
How have I never heard of this before? Discovering great albums that are off my radar is the reason I’m here. Big score. Zero complaints. Beautiful music.
Tim Buckley
4/5
Considering the only Tim Buckley album I’m familiar with is Starsailor, Happy Sad was, believe it or not, a little more mild and, well, normal than I expected.
I liked this more than it seems most people on this site do. It’s not something I’m going to rave over, and it’d be a rare thing to recommend to anyone, but it was pleasant enough and just weird enough to be interesting.
Big Black
3/5
There are some excellent (dare I say epic?) beats on here, and some very interesting sounds, moods, and moments. The vocals and lyrics somewhat undo it for me. But mostly, it’s that I feel like, when I listen to this, I’ve eaten too much salt and my heartbeat’s gone crazy.
Anita Baker
3/5
The windchimes, the soft yet powerful voices, the chill vibes… All of this reminds me of the adult contemporary that my dad always put on (and still does) during a lazy afternoon. Usually a candle would be lit, flickering somewhere. In a way, this is the sound of my childhood.
I’m not sure if this particular collection of songs are necessarily stunning or memorable or anything, but they are pleasant. Not sure I had to listen to this before death, but I’m not upset about it.
Queen
5/5
I used to live in a cramped Brooklyn apartment with five roommates (actually, at one point, it was eighteen, since everyone had a significant other living with them, and one girl also had her boyfriend, her parents, her grandparents, her sister, and her sister’s boyfriend all in one tiny room, but I digress). At night, we’d get drunk and put on music. Everyone was allowed to add to the queue, so the mix was eclectic. By two in the morning, our party will always have devolved into a sloppy singalong. The only main through-line is that you knew that at some point, Bohemian Rhapsody was going to come on, sometimes twice, and that everyone was going to sing their heart out, often driving themselves to tears.
Perhaps the rest of A Night at the Opera isn’t at the same level of BR, but any album containing a song that can achieve that condition has entered the realm of immortality. Therefore, coupled with a thousand memories (including one of my dad on stage lip syncing the opera section of BR), I have to bestow this gem with a five out of five.
I should also add that the production quality here really stands out. People may not love the song about the drummer being in love with his car, or the vaudeville tracks, but damn do they ‘sound’ good! Also, I have to give a shout out to the overshadowed Prophet Song, which is truly epic. Love of My Life is searingly beautiful. You’re My Best Friend? There really is a lot here, oceans worth of gold, in fact. It makes me live, now honey.
Robbie Williams
1/5
I’d never heard of Robbie Williams. After some research, I’ve gathered, he sounds like Oasis, but isn’t Oasis. He dated a Spice Girl, so he was definitely ‘around’ in the UK in the 90’s. His next door neighbor was Jimmy Page and they got into a scuffle over home improvement projects. Robbie is friends with Elton John, further showing he’s interested in building his own fame profile by associating himself with other British musical celebrities. Robbie has had scurvy. Robbie believes in aliens and almost bought the skinwalker ranch. One of Robbie’s many ailments is that sometimes he’s considered obese, although googling ‘Fat Robbie Williams’ shows you a picture of a normal looking middle aged man. Robbie’s music is boring. I think I would hate this guy if I met him.
I spend a lot of time in the UK, working with Brits, and nobody has ever brought up Robbie Williams in a conversation. I’ve never once heard any of these songs. No American will ever consciously listen to these songs unprompted. I literally had no reason to listen to this other than through the sake of education. I will never think about Robbie Williams or this album again.
The Kinks
5/5
Do you remember, Walter, playing cricket in the thunder and the rain?
I burned this album to a CD when I was in high school, and it stayed in my car’s music rotation for maybe a decade. Listening to it again now brought me to tears. All the memories associated with these songs, which are about nostalgia, was so freaking, well, nostalgic. I was overwhelmed. Pictures of your mop-mop, pictures of your pop-pop. I mean, I love each and every song, each and every moment. This is a top three of all time album to me.
So, God save strawberry jam, and all the different varieties!
Beck
2/5
I’ve always liked that Sun-eyed Girl song. Beck has some solid standalone songs. But, like all of his other albums, my interest fades out over the span. I always thought he was just ok, and Guero embodies that trend.
Spiritualized
2/5
This was like two feet off from being right up my alley. But for how close that two feet was, each inch in between may as well have been an infinity. Many, many times, I felt myself switching from rock-out mode, to literally saying out loud, ‘what is this horseshit?’ Maybe I have to give it another listen? I don’t know. The effort seems more difficult than it’s worth!
Jorge Ben Jor
5/5
How? How have I never heard this before? How have I never heard of this before?? This was awesome!
Thank you album generator. You’ve done marvelous work today.
Tracy Chapman
3/5
I grew up relatively poor, surrounded by the stereotypical poor people problems. Relatives were disgruntled alcoholics. Friends died of overdoses. The power was cut from my first apartment multiple times. I’ve seen neighbors get evicted. I was never homeless myself, but I knew the names of the homeless in my neighborhood. The surrounding mentality is that there’s no winning this game. A good friend of mine often spoke of a revolution that is bound to erupt. This Tracy Chapman album, for obvious reasons, made me remember my friend and these hard times.
Maybe occupy Wall Street was that revolution, and maybe the fact that nothing came from OWS is why I don’t hear people talking about revolt anymore. Maybe I’m just on better footing in life and surround myself with more stable people. That’s a longwinded way of saying, I know the people in these songs, and I’m familiar with the pain that TC’s communicating. I also resist that mentality because I know what a trap it is, and while in the world of these songs, I feel that trap closing-in around me. It really got me down.
There is an artistry here, transmitting a feeling of defeat and oppression. It’s not a feeling I love sitting in. Art doesn’t have to be cozy, just powerful. TC’s power is subtle. For these reasons, I’m glad I’ve heard the album, and I understand its place here. It’s achieved the aim of true art. I will probably not be returning to it, though, because it relates a whole world, a whole mentality, that I spent a decade trying to rise out of.
Sarah Vaughan
3/5
I love the silly interludes. You really feel like you step back in time putting this on. I want to sit on the stair bleachers at Kelly’s. The place appears to be long gone, sadly.
Van Morrison
5/5
What an absolute classic. Without ever having listened to Moondance, I already knew and loved every track on here. Van’s meandering vocals can get tiresome in large doses, but just as I was beginning to tire, the album ended. A perfect length for an excellent and unique artist.
The Go-Betweens
4/5
I’d never heard of this band before, and what a jewel of an album! My first impression is a 4/5. I’ll add this to my rotation, and see if it grows in esteem from there.
Dr. Dre
3/5
The perfect crusin in your car with the windows down album. I’ve been doing it since the 90’s and I did it today. Light up a blunt and go start a fight.
Peter Tosh
1/5
Does too much weed make you boring?
Eagles
4/5
For all those people following the dude and hating on the Eagles, take it easy. This band is excellent, and you know it. You’ve probably just over-listened to these songs. That’s because, well, they’re good. The sound of the Eagles are basically threaded into the dna of America. What would any roadtrip be without a peaceful easy feeling? What Seinfeld binge would be complete without Witchy Woman?
Buffalo Springfield
4/5
Last month, I went through a Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young solo albums rip. I’d heard a lot of Neil’s albums, but not the others, so I felt I needed to familiarize/ educate myself. I’m already familiar with the first Buffalo Springfield album, but if I’d heard ‘Again,’ (probably when I listened through the Rolling Stone 500), I had no recollection of it. For some reason, I put ‘Again’ off last month.
That’s for the better because I’m a city guy, but I’m spending this week out on a farm in western Massachusetts. My wife’s brother, a 50 year old who smokes more pot than a 19 year old, stopped by, and the album I was recommended by this generator was Peter Tosh’s ‘Legalize It.’ Then, the next day marked my first year into this project, and the Eagle’s first album was generated. For this pioneer era setting, such a quintessentially American album was a perfect marker for an anniversary here. Now, today, still chilling at the farm, I got ‘Again,’ the album already lingering in the back of my mind to put on. What a perfect slew of random albums!
Some moments of ‘Again’ were absolutely gorgeous to listen to while watching the sun rise over the hills while walking your husky through an old maple forest along long-spanning stone walls. I can’t say it’s the greatest album of all time- if I’ve heard it before, there’s a reason I don’t remember it. But, it’s a great proto Neil and Stills album, full of excellent moments. It’s totally a vibe, one that I may not have appreciated over the hubbub of the subways and the rat race back home.
Bob Dylan
5/5
I was dating this Dutch girl, who always tried to prove to me that she was hip and ‘knew’ America by playing Freewheeling over and over. We took a roadtrip to Nashville, so I put on Nashville Skyline. She was like ‘what is this shit?’ I said, ‘it’s Bob Dylan.’ She said, ‘shut up, that isn’t Bob Dylan,’ then she turned off Nashville Skyline and threw Freewheeling back on. Usually, I prefer Nashville Skyline, but on that trip, I felt like Bob on the Freewheeling album cover (we did start our roadtrip from Greenwich Village) and she was that smiling, cozy girl on my arm. Hell, I didn’t care what we were listening to.
Blowing in the Wind is no longer a Bob Dylan song. It’s an American folk song. It was the rallying cry for the sixties, and without it, we’d have no Beatles Revolver. We’d have no future eras of Dylan as he tried to reinvent himself to stay relevant (he’s had so many eras that watching Taylor Swift’s Eras tour is like watching a woman change clothes twenty times and then sound kind of the same on the next song). If you don’t like this album, too bad. It’s not going anywhere. It’s in everything that you listen to already. Try listening to Freewheeling forty times on a roadtrip, and the lyrics will begin to set with you. Then, a decade on, you can play it again and it’ll feel like a lost part of you returning. Just an idea for a project if you’ve got the time and an encouraging Dutch girlfriend.
Dylan’s debut was a great album, but Freewheeling is a GREAT album. It’s a legend. Although Dylan went on to possibly greater heights, he never caught the ineffable ‘something’ that exists in Freewheeling again. It’s a monument of a time, a vibe, and an attitude.
Bauhaus
4/5
I already knew this, but Mask reaffirms. The 80’s are my era.
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
Stan Getz
5/5
‘Chef’s kiss’
The Rolling Stones
2/5
I know the Stones are beloved by millions, and are rock gods. Still, I’ve never warmed to them. They have great singles, yes. They have ‘great’ albums that have gone down in rock history as essential classics (like this one). I just can’t, well… I just can’t and never could.
Alongside the 1001 albums generator project, I’ve also been listening through essential discographies. I’ve listened through all the Beatles and their solo records, all of Sabbath and Zeppelin, everything The Beach Boys did, and I’m 30 albums through Dylan. I gave up when I tried the Stones though. I gave it the old college try, and I failed with them. I just don’t see the appeal.
The Smiths
5/5
Luxury music
Dirty Projectors
2/5
Bitte Orca, for all its stupidity and annoying vocals, does belong on this list. For a moment, it perfectly encapsulated an entire scene. For some, this album was sacred. I recall hearing Stillness is the Move for the first time (separately from the album as a whole). The song was so perfectly descriptive of the sound everyone was going for, it actually brought tears to my eyes. When hearing it later, followed by Two Doves, the pair of songs were (and still feel) like excellent compliments of each other.
However, barring select musical moments, interesting instances in an otherwise tiresome forty minute jumble, those two songs are pretty much all that remains worthwhile to revisit here.
Violent Femmes
4/5
It’s been a really long time since I’ve listened to this. It brought back memories of chilling outside with the porch jammer (an acoustic bass we kept in the mud room), smacking out Blister in the Sun over and over. That riff is so damned infectious. Next, I couldn’t believe I forgot Kiss Off is track two on here. I sing it all the time. (Sing it all the time). Rock out then to a few killer jams and you get to Gone Daddy Gone, and you’ve gone n got a classic album!
Ozomatli
2/5
There was a track with a rapper, who I’d swear was the kid from Chocolate Rain.
Björk
5/5
I’ve always thought that Bjork is on a different plane than us. Humanity doesn’t deserve her. Every time I listen to this very perfect album, I feel like I enter a different, very specific, realm. If this is the purpose of high art, then Bjork is a master artist, perhaps a divinity. In Medulla, we enter the marrow of cosmos. We visit ancestors and ocean deities. And all of this is purely cast forth into the world through voice alone. Seriously, wtf?
I’m not surprised, but slightly heartbroken, that the score for this album is so low here. It’s non traditional, yes, but it’s quite a force.
The Stooges
3/5
This is a good one to put on during weightlifting seshes AND all night beer bashes.
Iggy Pop
5/5
The album generator gave me back to back Iggy. I suppose it doesn’t register Raw Power from The Stooges as being from the same artist. However, this was a happy accident, since this didn’t sound like the same artist. And, technically, since Bowie was so heavily involved, one could define The Idiot as being a ‘Biggy’ album… Hmm, looks like that name’s already notorious. Either way, it was great to hear the contrast between The Idiot and Raw Power. They’re miles different. I personally think this is a flawless album, so I rated this one higher. Sorry Iggy? Maybe?
M.I.A.
2/5
Ok, but repetitive. I’m sure if you were a part of this scene, it was exciting, and these tracks definitely take me back to that early aughts vibe. MIA really reached her peak with the single Paper Planes, which utilized my regular sandwich bodega in its music video. The best part of Arular for me was prompting me to revisit Paper Planes, and thus recall all the swirly drug induced memories that song conjures, while also firing finger pistols in the air. Love doing that cock/reload thing with the finger gun. Like I know how firearms work.
The Police
4/5
The Boo Radleys
2/5
Whiny vocals, wimpy lyrics, and irritating non-triumphant guitar noises. I can see how this may have influenced the oncoming wave of indie rock (I especially hear death cab in the vocals), but I doubt I’ll listen to this in full again.
The Smashing Pumpkins
5/5
A perfect classic. This album always brings me back to my youth.
Jefferson Airplane
3/5
I’ve always been a ‘Somebody to Love’ champ, and less in the ‘White Rabbit’ camp. But relistening to Surrealistic Pillow today, it really caught me how profound a song like White Rabbit would’ve been at the time. It’s the mid sixties, and you’ve got surf rock and innocence, then here comes this bold belter, like an Amazon battling complacent culture, shouting at the kids to take magic mushrooms, advertising drugs with Alice in Wonderland like the Camel cigarettes cartoon. I’m into it.
The story about Grace Slick and Abbie Hoffman trying to dose Nixon is also an insane rabbit hole to go down. If someone tried that in this day of age, they’d be taken out by a sniper. It was a different time, and I get the sense America wasn’t ready for the late sixties.
The rest of the tracks are ok. You get very strong Simon and G-Funk vibes. Some skippable blues. To me, this is a two track ordeal. Scroll through the reviews here if you don’t believe me. Even if people mention the tracks other than the obvious Slicks, they’re alongside longer, more glowing, mentions of Somebody to Live and White Rabbit. Casualties among classics.
Beastie Boys
4/5
I’m a high (high) plains (plains) drifta (drifta)…
Robert Wyatt
1/5
I used to play the jukebox every night at the bar next door. I’d without a doubt throw on ‘Move on Up,’ and usually some Talking Heads. But, once, I put on ‘Heart It Races’ from Architecture in Helsinki, and an old guy hunched over his beer yelled at me and told me to stop Wyatting the jukebox. Turns out ‘Wyatting’ is whenever you put something esoteric, meaning bad, on the juke, and forcing the bar to put up with your snobby bullshit. Listening to Shleep, I get it now. You’re not going to get any shleep with this racket on, not with all that grating dissonance. I’ll admit, I was charmed by the first track. I thought I was in for a good ride. But everything quickly dissolved from there.
Out of curiosity, and because I love suffering perhaps, I then put on Wyatt’s adolescent band, The Soft Machine. It’s more generically psychedelic, and more pleasing. I can see why he’d have a base following. One of the songs on the self titled Soft Machine album did come from the perspective of someone complaining that people didn’t think the lead singer deserved their wealth and prestige. Sounded autobiographical, and like a pretty weird and braggy topic to sing about. Wyatt’s bio also places him in this somewhat privileged, albeit bohemian, milieu. As a child, he knew the famed poet John Asbury, for instance. When he was in Soft Machine, he hung out a lot with Keith Moon. I’d argue that Wyatt never quite reached the artistic heights of either, yet he was privileged (or lucky) enough to be around them. I sense in Shleep, therefore, an over-inflated ego who probably doesn’t deserve the popularity and prestige it’s acquired. This ego does deserve, however, with their nails on a chalkboard sound, to be forever tied to a term that designates any annoying song played at a bar to the dismay of everyone present.
Astrud Gilberto
2/5
I really like the Jobim and Getz bossa nova albums featuring Astrud. Those seem like works of art, crafted for timeless listening, and Beach Samba seems more accessible and of its time. This was reminiscent of Francois Hardy, with one or two really killer, moody, timeless songs that can still haunt and send chills down the spine- but the rest of the album after is kitschy sixties daytime TV price is right bullshit.
How many parades CAN you list, Astrud? Jezus.
Now that that’s out of the way, I will say that for the most part, Beach Samba is pleasant and sometimes the backing music is surprising and complex. Astrud is sweet on here, and the album does its job, whatever that job is. In other words, I didn’t hate this, but I probably won’t pick it up again, not over ‘The Girl from Impanema.’
Joni Mitchell
2/5
A Joni Mitchell album I’ve never heard before. I didn’t recognize a single song! Maybe it wasn’t the right day for me to come to this? Maybe I’m too old to appreciate unheard Joni songs? Maybe the pale yellow on the cover was off putting to me? Whatever the case, this didn’t thrill me. It washed over me and then was gone. I’m shocked to read this is her best selling album! Maybe people expected more because of her other outings? I’m confused on this one.
The Notorious B.I.G.
5/5
This gets a lot of criticism for glorifying abuse, homophobia, and crime, and we can all agree that Biggy was probably not the nicest dude. But, I mean, it’s Ready to Die, what else would you think this would be? I actually like the overly hypersexed skits. This album wouldn’t have such a sense of humor without them.
I’m tremendously not a fan of rap, but every time I play Ready to Die, I always wonder if it’s the best rap album ever made. No other album from any genre feels so deeply autobiographical. You know who Biggy is after listening to this. And, despite the crazed world Biggy lived in and conveys here, his word choice is always so spot on, you can’t help but smile even when he’s describing something terrible. I always hear something new on each listen too.
Biggy would tell all naysayers against Ready to Die to go take dirt naps. I won’t go so far, but I will say, this is worth the hype. Spread love, it’s the Brooklyn way.
Derek & The Dominos
3/5
Jesus, Derek! That’s my wife you’re talking about! It’s embarrassing how obsessed you are.
Hole
2/5
Definitely transports you straight to the 90’s. More of a fan of the earlier Hole albums.
The Temptations
2/5
Nothing like being told I’m just a scared little kid who’s not tough enough for the city. Great song topic, guys.
I love the early hits of The Temptations, so I find listening to some of their albums interesting. But, maybe because my ears aren’t trained on these songs, or maybe because this is the funk/motown crossover album, or maybe because these songs simply aren’t as good as the tried and trues, I simply found this to be a forgettable experience. Not bad, but not grand.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3/5
Very sad, but very nice.
Deee-Lite
3/5
This is totally a sample of its time. Nice for a workout, and made me feel like I was back in the nineties. I was glad to hear a hit late in the track listing. Might not ever revisit this in full, but hey, if ever I’m throwing a nineties themed party…
Lou Reed
5/5
One of my top fives of all time, and completely etched to my core. I still remember where I was when I heard that Lou Reed had died, and that’s because of this album, more than the Velvet Underground stuff, which is saying a lot about how much I revere this.
My favorite memory is putting Transformer on while shooting pool with my cousin. I’ve always respected his opinion, but this time we really differed. He was like ‘this guy’s singing about honey bears losing baby hair? What the $&@* is this shit?’
If only he could see the truth.
Doves
1/5
I’d never heard of Doves. The intro to this album got me pumped. I thought I was in for a treat. Then the lyrics came and they were like a bunch of weenies saying a bunch of stupid shit. I kind of glazed over after that and chalked this up to the Brit bias on this list in action. The only truly interesting song here is actually just King Crimson’s Moonchild with different lyrics. This band sucks.
Lambchop
2/5
When he goes falsetto, I just see a muppet.
Air
3/5
Very excellent mood setting for an excellent movie. Not sure if it stands alone in the way that a traditional studio album would though.
Johnny Cash
4/5
Even though he’s not a convict in the least bit, my grandfather is a rugged country dude, and this album always reminds me of him. Similar energy. Tough as nails. Cash embodies a surefire manliness that just doesn’t exist anymore. He sings about killing a dog for chrissakes. Seeing as how this is all held at a prison, and most of these songs aren’t hits per se (with the exception of the opener), but are in fact purely songs about murderers and lowlifes, there is something completely Wild West about this. You wouldn’t see this type of glorification much of anywhere else in this time period, celebrating the miserable and the rotten, the cocaine users, the convicts. It’s hard to fathom how crazily influential this album was across all genres, in and outside of music. Dude was a beast. Metal before metal’s time. Giving this a four because it’s not something I’ll typically put on, although I respect it.
Wild Beasts
4/5
I’d never heard of Wild Beasts, and I was really excited by the intro, and like many others here, immediately put off by the vocals. As it progressed, I got used to the voice, and began to embrace the album. It comes from an era of indie where everyone was trying to ‘out-weird’ each other, so I do hear major Architecture in Helsinki, Dirty Projectors, Grizzly Bear, and Clap Your Hands, Say Yeah influences. In certain moments, I seriously wondered if I was in Vekatimest or Bitte Orka. ‘We Still Got the Taste of Dancin on our Tongues’ is a very gross song name, but I dig the song itself, and the title is reminiscent of ‘Dance Yourself Clean’ by LCD Soundsystem. Perhaps all art is a product of its time and genre, and coming to Two Dancers so late, I hear how strongly the indie atmosphere effected the sound of this album more than the individual personality of the band itself, which remains a step distant for the full run. Still, I found it a nice relic dredged from right up next to the death of indie, and perhaps the death of guitar driven music in general, as heralded by the near contemporary ‘Merriwether Post Pavillion,’ and I’d argue, ‘Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer.’ I’ll be back to Wild Beasts, and for now, on first impressions, I’ll throw down a solid four, simply because this ultimately delighted me.
Koffi Olomide
3/5
Sucks this guy’s a sex offender. T’was some happy shoulder shakin music.
Love
1/5
Love has a better album than Da Capo, one that actually has a hit that stood the test of time (you’d recognize it if you heard it). Da Capo is pretty bad though. There’s something inauthentic about it. I know all public art is performative by nature, but this feels performative in a way that’s trying to sound like contemporaries and accomplish a similar attitude already bottled by the most unhinged musicians of the time. This is still pretty early for the punk influence it projects, so it’s interesting in that respect. Doubt I’ll listen to this on purpose again though.
Caetano Veloso
2/5
The last twelve or so albums I’ve received have been lackluster meh albums from bands I’ve never heard of (which would fulfill the purpose of why I’m listening through all of these if they weren’t all meh), or they’re the second or third best albums of bands I kind of know but never really liked. In other words, I’m going through a dry spell. This didn’t fish me out of that.
Grant Lee Buffalo
2/5
I waited a day to review this, and I’ve got to say, I’ve already forgotten everything about Fuzzy. I’m fuzzy on Fuzzy. I sense a lingering vibe of maybe hanging out at a truck stop or something? Cajun food? The songs weren’t terrible. There was certainly a pleasant 90’sness to it all. But, aside from that, it left a fairly inconsequential impact on my life. Like less than a grain of salt in the soup that is my experience. A fuzzy grain of bland salt.
Soul II Soul
2/5
A nice look into the eighties club scene, but not really a corner of that great genre I’ll check into again.
Marty Robbins
5/5
Yippee ki-yea!
Wu-Tang Clan
4/5
“I’ll sew your asshole shut and keep feeding’ ya, and feeding’ ya.”
This is an album that was on constant play at my friend’s house in college. We called money dolla dolla bills back then. We called each other ‘god,’ as in ‘s’up god?’ Around that time, I camped at a music festival, and as the dawn broke, a bunch of crust punks on acid started freaking out, pointed to the sun, and with fear and reverence, called it ‘the wu’ over and over. They then threw a full trash can at someone’s tent.
So, coming back to this absolute classic, I feel dirty and exhausted. Still, the Wu-Tang Clan ain’t nothin to fuck with.
Pet Shop Boys
3/5
Eighties in the best way possible. High production value, cynical lyrics, great beats. The only issue I have is that nothing really stands out. I’d probably need to listen to it a lot more to rend out the personality, and frankly, I’m probably never going to do that.
Primal Scream
1/5
Although I can hear some possible influences to Radiohead (possibly?), this was bad and I hated it. I wanted this to not be on the whole time it was on, which is actually quite impressive in its own right.
Nico
5/5
Wow, I can’t believe the hate I’m seeing for Nico on this site. Chelsea Girl’s been a go-to rainy day moody album for me for years. These Days? Fairest of the Seasons? How can you not love this album? Then again, I have a big soft spot for weird female vocalists, the Joanna Newsoms and the Vashti Bunyans of the world. Maybe I’ve got a type?
Does anyone else remember when Wes Anderson put These Days in the Royal Tenembaums, and then every indie artist under the sun covered it? Is that why all the hate? What an arresting moment, the second that guitar kicks in as the camera zooms in on Margot. Five stars just for that. Five more because this is a great album. And, if I could give five more on top of that to balance out the haters, I totally would.
The Replacements
4/5
This is an album I feel I’ve heard a lot about and have actually listened to several times, but have basically no recollection of. What a treat to hear it like the first time again! Makes me want to check out Colin Meloy’s 33 1/3 book on ‘Let it Be’. It’s hard to see how this influenced The Decemberists, but less difficult to see how the Replacements contributed to the make up of Tarkeo.
Pere Ubu
1/5
Fug this fugly fugger. This makes me embarrassed and ashamed to be an Ohio native. Definitely not as interesting (and dare I say cutesy?) as Dub Housing, there’s literally nothing to take away from The Modern Dance, except maybe a headache. Christgau says the lows are worth the highs on this album… what highs? The high pitched ringing that’s ruined my ability to forever hear certain tones? The sounds of smashing bottles in my ear? The depraved ravings of a lunatic? What track would I even save for my 1001 playlist? I’d be embarrassed if I was in a room with another human being from any walk of life and any song from here came on. This one is more like pere no-bu. Humanity should agree to collectively forget this album ever happened. Why are we celebrating this on this list?
Run-D.M.C.
3/5
I always liked side A of Raising Hell. It takes my brain back to a simpler age. Also, considering the sheer amount of hours I logged in the early 2000s playing SSX Tricky, I’ve probably heard variations of Tricky more than any other refrain on any other song in existence, and I still like it! That’s a testament to quality.
Then, there’s that dumb girl song on side B. I can’t spin that while my wife’s in the room. She’ll forbid me from playing the album ever again! What a stupid song.
Fairport Convention
4/5
Michael Kiwanuka
3/5
Fine, but sleepy.
Jungle Brothers
2/5
Dr. John
3/5
Haunting- great for spooky season.
The Chemical Brothers
4/5
Pixies
4/5
Is she weird? Is she white? Is she promised to the night?
Talking Heads
5/5
I was in a bad mood when I turned this on yesterday. In fact, I was furious. I work for a company with messed up people, and I consistently see the worst people get promoted. Those who should excel on merit tend to go nowhere. A particular dweeb I know just got put in charge of managing an entire country, an office of hundreds of people. So, taking my dog out, I threw my headphones on, cussing under my breath like a psychopath. Any album I put on was doomed to receive unfair judgement. I really love the Talking Heads, and I have for decades. I already knew this album, although admittedly, I’m far more familiar with other TH albums. As this started, and I was still having a rage-fueled freak out, I had no patience and spent the first few tracks thinking this must be the weakest TH album. Then, Found a Job came on. It perfectly reflected what I was feeling. I played it again and looked at the lyrics. The notion is simple- if you don’t like what you see, if your work doesn’t make you happy, then something’s wrong. Take matters into your own hands. This track gave me the perspective I needed at the time I needed it. It literally flipped my mood back to a good place. I’ve heard of music effecting people like this before, but for all the countless hours I’ve spent listening through album after album, this was the first time I’d ever been struck in such a way, reminded of the simple solution, gifted perspective, and improved because of it. Five stars, bitches.
The Electric Prunes
3/5
Pretty fascinating psychedelia. I can’t believe I’ve never heard of this band or any of these songs before. They’re great samples of this time and scene, and as someone who’s listened to a lot of songs from the sixties, the Prunes are deserving of being remembered. The reason I expect I’ve never heard of this band, and the reason their songs are mostly forgotten, I’d say is probably because of their band name, though. The Electric Prunes is admittedly kind of lame, and might have worked better in the nineties when irony was king. Also, things started to step into silly land with that medieval song about a king. I could accept that track. But then we went way too far with that damned trolley song. Whose idea was that? Why didn’t anybody stop them?
Siouxsie And The Banshees
4/5
What a perfect album to get during spooky season.
John Martyn
3/5
I’m 400 and change albums into the list, not even halfway, but I’d been feeling real music burnout. The generator is also giving me a lot of middling albums I’ve never heard about or care to hear lately. When I saw this bullshit 70’s album cover pop up, I threw my hands in the air and took a two week long break from this. Coming back this morning, I did so mostly because I was super hungover and didn’t have to energy to listen to a podcast while also compiling a report for work. What I discovered is that One World is super chill, and great when you feel like shit. It wasn’t anything like I expected it’d be, when reading about it prior. Dude sounds as sick and exhausted as I feel, so it really was well placed for me on this journey here. That being said, t’was pretty forgettable too. Now, on to the real stuff!
Tortoise
3/5
Great listening for when in mindless spreadsheet land.
The Youngbloods
2/5
Intensely middling. Not much to hate on other than a few irritating guitar tones. But, I just finished this album twenty seconds ago and I’ve already forgotten about it for the rest of my life.
Miriam Makeba
3/5
Interesting and chill. Reminds me of Ravi Shankar’s album where he’s explaining to all the dumb westerners how Indian music is played. Makeba’s just like, nah, you can’t pronounce this click word.
Portishead
4/5
A classic that I always love when it’s on, but often forget about. It makes me want to cruise in the backseat to a car cruising through the city at night.
Alexander 'Skip' Spence
1/5
Years ago, I was really into this edgy, artsy chick, and I put up with a lot, trying to get into her pants. The trials involved hanging out with her ‘friends’ one afternoon at Washington Square Park. It was like the grifteriest grifters in the city all converged at that park at the same time each day, and she gravitated there to be with them. These dudes were of all ages, none had bathed in at least a year, they hit their flasks and partook in some ridiculously hard drugs in the open, in public. We made ‘art’ with garbage, and one guy showed me his very scary rusty knife. They were all extremely mentally ill, and it was sad to see. I think this is why the chick I was after hung around with them. She thought she could help, or she thought she got some street cred hanging with these people. But, alongside the sadness, a few of them obviously had the potential for violence. They hovered right at the breaking point, shooting out these sickly, very strangely intense vibes. Listening to Oar brought me back to that weird afternoon. I should’ve left earlier than I did then (but hey, I was trying to get laid!), and similarly I should’ve left Oar after track three. Both experiences left me feeling dirty and scratching for fleas.
Oar is interesting as a relic, but there is no content here. I understand why this was immediately dropped from the label. Interestingly, Alexander’s birthday was the day after mine, and his death day was the day before my birthday. It’s like he ‘skipped’ my day with his most important ones. Sounds fine by me- stay away from my shit, psycho.
Oh, and to wrap up the story, I never slept with that girl even after all of that. I probably dodged some crabs. I did see those grungy dudes all through the city for a few more weeks just walking around. It’s weird to have a random homeless dude in nyc ask you if you remember hanging out.
The Blue Nile
5/5
As I listen through these albums, I’m learning what I always knew deep down. 80’s synth-pop is my sweet spot. I’d never heard of The Blue Nile, and I’m so glad to have found them. The lyrics are a tad schmaltzy here- the dude proclaims in pretty much every track that he’s in love (with who or what, I guess it doesn’t matter). But, the musicality makes it all worthwhile. I’d fallen a bit behind, so the other albums I listened through today are Echo and the Bunnymen, The Police, and Kate Bush. It’s like a tour d’80’s! Blue Nile, a band I’d never heard before up until today, beat them all in my opinion, and these are some of my favorite artists!
Os Mutantes
4/5
Extremely strange and playful. My only criticism is that sometimes the playfulness becomes tedious. I love the sort of motley, renaissance sound to a lot of this.
The Police
5/5
Basically a greatest hits album. Classic after classic. A true diamond in the rough, and a great time from start to finish. All you Sting haters, be stung.
Fairport Convention
5/5
I love this whole Fairport Convention, Pentangle, Vashti Bunyan 60’s English folk scene, particularly when they lean into Medieval English musical roots and avoid American blues. There’s a lot of Americana on Unhalfbricking, and sometimes they hit you over the head with it, especially in that Cajun romp. Regardless, they romp well wearing their Americana suits, and the end result still leaves me smiling. I wish I knew about this album long ago.
Kate Bush
5/5
This is luxury music. Kate Bush is the only popular musician I can think of who I legitimately wish I was best friends with.
Stevie Wonder
5/5
Worthy of its classic status. I was never a fan of Stevie Wonder, per se, but I can see why people might call this the greatest album of all time. I don’t agree that it is, but it’s undeniable that the first disc is hit after hit, and the second disc begins with one of Wonder’s career-top songs. This is a must own, and my only qualm is that it feels ‘musty’, as in I’ve heard this so often in thrift stores, I associate the vibe with moth-eaten clothes. That’s a me problem though.
The Fall
1/5
Like a toothache, but in your ear. It’s confused and disjointed, without confused disjointedness being a natural center to their identity.
Baaba Maal
2/5
Pretty nice to put on in the background when doing work. Good vibes. Otherwise, I’m so removed from the context, it’s difficult to determine if I really ‘liked’ this.
Blur
4/5
So charming, cynical, and fun innit, jus loik yer blokes down at the pub!
Echo And The Bunnymen
4/5
Today felt as cold as this cover art. I can always use a dose of the 80’s, no matter the weather.
John Prine
4/5
‘While digesting Reader’s Digest in the background of the dirty bookstore…’
‘I’m just trying to have me some fun, well done, hot dog bun, my sister’s a nun.’
There’s also a line about a topless dancer with a trick up her sleeve somewhere in this. With lines like these, even haters of country have to crack a corny smile. Prine is a wholesome charmer from a time and milieu very particular to those of us who grew up in the Midwest. This guy could’ve been my uncle or my baseball coach. I’m not sure if this exact sort of personality type exists anymore, since ‘the kind and simple homesteader’ in middle America has been replaced by the ‘unstudied yet seethingly aggressive political conspiracy theorist,’ thanks to social media. But, listening to Prine takes me back to those better days, and reminds me that ‘simple’ is a deception. One can find ample poetry, feeling, and protest in these songs. I do speculate that Dylan had so many kind words to say due to the blatant influence Prine shows from Dylan’s work. He was flattered. I’m sure it made Dylan feel as though this was evidence in the flesh that he was shaping the course and sound of folk music. Would we still listen to Prine without Dylan’s endorsement? It’s difficult to say, but despite the obvious baton-taking, this is probably the third time I’ve listened through this John Prine album, and I’m always pleased all the way through and after.
The Icarus Line
2/5
I’d never heard of this band, which is crazy because in 2004, this was the exact type of music I was listening to. Admittedly, a lot of rock music sounded like this at that time, which probably contributed to the flatlined-dead state of rock that we live in now. Penance Soirée is hardly listenable, and even if you allow yourself to bop your head to a segment in the middle of a sprawling nine minute song, not enough joy is supplied to prompt a revisit. There are no singles here. It wouldn’t be defined as ‘artistic’ by the majority. For the most part, it’s drudgery. I will say, however, that in the most literal sense, it ‘rocks.’ This whole album is loud and intense and chock-full of guitar freak-outs. It’s not a representative sample of this era’s rock music. It’s more of a deep cut, so I do appreciate the exposure via this generator. In 1001 albums, I want to get knee deep in different eras and genres, not just listen through the same classics I’ve already heard a million times.
It’s obvious the singer was a led zep/ Jack White fan, but apparently the guitarist was enough of a Stevie Ray Vaughn fan to break a display case at a Hard Rock Cafe and steal his guitar. So, mirroring their music, his actions were insufferable, but then again, despite how psychotic causing a scene at the Hard Rock Cafe is, it technically does ‘rock’. Dude plays for NIN now, so at least someone saw value here.
Fishbone
3/5
When I think ska, I don’t think Van Halen solos and hair metal wails. I was pleasantly surprised to hear much of this here! Of course, you get ample ‘normal’ ska as well.
Badly Drawn Boy
4/5
I had this album in my sprawling iTunes list back in the aughts. So, even though I’ve never listened to this straight through, I do remember some tracks from when they’d come on in the shuffle-play. It really took me back! Strange that I remember these quiet little lo-fi songs so well!
It looks like this got the boot from the 1001 list when a new edition came out. I’m sad to hear that. I actually liked this quite a bit.
Simple Minds
3/5
I was telling my wife that as I progress through these 1001 albums, I’ve realized that my favorite era and genre is probably 80’s synthpop. I’m a baby from the 80’s, so perhaps it brings me back to preconsciousness or something. The 1001 generator must have overheard me. It said ‘hold my beer’ and then gave me the most 80’s album of the 80’s. I mean look at that album cover. Jesus. Literally.
I don’t doubt that this probably deserves several listens to be appreciated. I trust Simple Minds enough that perhaps I’ll give them that benefit someday. But I don’t quite understand, after one listen, why this is revered. It seems almost there, so close, but not. The vocals are so damn subdued. Nothing stands out. It’s like a glaze of soft 80’s noises, and then it’s finished. Hmm, yes, I’ll need to come back to this….
The Pogues
4/5
As always, listening to this made me feel crusty and hungover.
Orbital
2/5
Thirty years ago, I would’ve said that electronic music has no future. I live next to an arena, and year after year there are four or five huge raves that they throw. The legacy of Orbital and the like is unmistakable. I’ve been to a few of those raves in the arena, and I can attest that since I’m like the only one not on ecstasy, they’re boring as shit. They completely lack emotion, thus your brain can’t practice empathy. It’s just background music to trip to. You can have the same experience on acid listening to your vacuum cleaner. I suppose these events give people a reason to trip together en masse.
But on a record, Jesus Christ, why did they have to torture us with those two minute long vocal loops?
fIREHOSE
3/5
Being from Ohio myself, I can attest that nobody there talks about this album. I’d never heard of it until today, even being a minor fan of The Minutemen. In fact, a good pal of mine, also from Ohio, is a tremendous Minutemen fan, and even he’d never heard of this! It tracks though, since we came of age long enough after this touched down to be forgotten. It’s subtle, low-production, and doesn’t foster enough to have ‘epic legacy’ status, but it is a fun and chill listen. It makes me want to skateboard, and that’s literally something I’ve never done before. I’m glad I got to hear this album, and learn the story of the little guitarist who could, fromohio.
Bonnie "Prince" Billy
5/5
If you haven’t seen it yet, find ‘Williamsburg Will Oldham Horror’ on YouTube. It perfectly describes the status Bonnie Prince Billy had ten years ago or so. And it’s freaking hilarious.
Bonnie Prince Billy himself, however, is far from funny. This dude is serious. There’s literally a song on this album about how we’re all going to die one day no matter what we do. It’s bleak, and it’s real. Frankly, I love it. The vibe on this album is totally ‘cozy cabin in a snowy pine forest at night, contemplating meaning and the absurdity of existence.’ He’s the musical equivalent to Sartre.
Prior to today, I’d never heard this album. I’m very familiar with ‘The Letting Go,’ and I can attest that every time I’m in Louisville, I hear a stray BPB song on local radio. They revere him in his hometown, and it’s deserved. This guy is an artist, through and through.
All hail the Bonnie Prince!
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
1/5
Although this was a loud album, I had a lot of trouble hearing it. The vacuum-packed sucking sound of the million vaginas drying up around me, from how utterly unsexy this is, really blotted out the tinny guitar riffs and supposed artful screams.
Kanye West
1/5
More like con-nay. I hated this when it came out, and I hate it even more now that Kanye’s praising Hitler and shit. I never understood why he has fans, really. You want to listen to a guy aggressively talk about how great he is at you for an hour (how much better he is than you, by the way), and then conjure poetic images centered around his balls. I don’t want to listen to something that’s going to make me think about someone’s balls. Fuck this guy. People here praise the production value- well, of course it has a high production value. He threw like a billion dollars at it. You can heavy produce a turd, but at the end of the day, you’re still just squashing a turd into your ears. We should uncancel cancel culture to wipe this scum from human memory.
The Triffids
4/5
Before listening, I read the reviews here for this album/band. I’d never heard of them prior. My consensus after listening is that they’re getting a lot of undeserved hate here. I thought this album was pretty ok, if allowing for a little cheesiness, for the whole runtime. It reminds me of music my dad would put on on a lazy Sunday, so I found some comfort there. And it sounds weird to say this, but I also sensed a bit of that Australian sun in there. You have that unmistakable Aussie flair. Sure, remind me of relaxing afternoons and Australian vacations- I’m in! I’ll set this as a four, when I might usually say a three, to do my microscopic part to skew this rating higher. To be fair, I did save most of this to my 1001 playlist. Kanye only got one track added to that yesterday, so I guess that says something about how uncool I’m becoming in my old age.
3/5
Muse became popular when I was a freshman in college. People in my college didn’t listen to or discuss Muse at all, but when I visited home, my high school aged little brother would blast it in his car everywhere he went. So did his friends and classmates. I remember immediately thinking that although their technical talent was impossible to ignore, Muse amounted to plastic radio bullshit with no authentic voice, and thus, was music with little for me. I was on to higher music by that point, after all. Muse became ‘little brother’ music to me.
Here we are decades later, and I’m going through this 1001 album project with diligence, concentration, and the benefit of no prejudgement. When I got this Muse album, my first thought was, let’s see what people saw in this. My assessment: this is plastic radio bullshit with little authentic voice, but great technical mastery. I can’t believe how similar this vocalist sounds to Thom Yorke. Interesting that when I looked this up online, the consensus is confusion and outrage that people accuse Muse of sounding like Radiohead. Personally, it seems like Muse are an overt rip off, but delivering less actual feeling and content. Some of these songs do truly ‘rock’ though, and one does feel moments of glory at moments. I can’t believe see why this was popular. I probably won’t return to Muse-land again (as Radiohead is better), but I feel a lift of a weight I didn’t know I had on me, now that I’ve checked in and given Muse a look around.
Afrika Bambaataa
3/5
I always wondered why Rage Against the Machine had the audacity to claim they had anything whatsoever to do with funk, especially claim they were renegades of the genre. The riddle has been solved! The arrangement makes far more sense in this context.
This is an excellent early hip hop album. I personally love old school hip hop and approach the later manifestations from a close distance. The original pioneers not only had a message, they wanted to party and have fun at the same time. This thing has been sampled to death, proving its influence simply in how ingratiated it’s become in musical culture. To those here saying they don’t like it because it sounds dated… well, everything will sound dated at some point. I like to come to music from the perspective that it’s new, if it’s new to me. How would people have heard this when it dropped? It would have sounded like the future. And simply, it was, hence the prevalence of rap in popular music over the last few decades.
Then, there’s the issue about the sexual assault, the known secret from anyone with any connection to Afrika. Dude. I mean, Jesus, dude. This raises once again the eternal question about the separation between art and the artist. Can someone who’s watched and loved all of Woody Allen’s work still come unbiased to say, a viewing of Manhattan, knowing he’s done what he’s done? Can someone appreciate the great performance of OJ in Roots, knowing he’s a murderer? Do I even need to bring up Michael Jackson? Is the guy an immortal, or someone society should try to forget? Ughhh. You just don’t throw away gold like Thriller or Billie Jean. But, the victims were real, and one feels as if they’re participating in the suppression of the victims when they enjoy art made by any of these freaks.
A big part of me cannot separate the art from the artist. If I could, I’d rate this as a four. If I were to stand by the victims, I wouldn’t rate this at all. Instead, I’ll default to a neutral three, which is what I do for absolute classics that are more ‘mandatory listens’ rather than albums I actually like, like say Fats Domino.
Terence Trent D'Arby
5/5
I’m seeing so much hate for 80’s production in these reviews. That’s so sad to see. To me, this is absolute comfort and peace. I had to play ‘Let’s go Forward’ like a dozen times after I finished the album, and I’ll definitely be getting this on vinyl.
Not sure I like D’Arby’s hubris in saying this was better than Sgt. Pepper’s. This album couldn’t be more different. But this really does hit the spot in a less showy way than Pepper’s.
My wife said, after we played this, that she wished we’d heard this before we were married so we could have played some of these songs at the wedding. I agree. This is true love music, as cheesy as that sounds.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
2/5
Maybe the most palatable EC album I’ve heard, mostly due to the bass, but I still don’t understand the cult of Costello. His voice feels restrained or something. It hurts my throat when I listen to it.
Guided By Voices
3/5
Being from Dayton(ish), GBV conjures the music of my youth. When I hear these tracks, so many parties and hours spent smoking cigarettes on couches at friends’ houses resurface in my mind. Everybody in Dayton still talks about GBV like royalty. Everybody has a story. The earlier the story occurred in history, the more authentically cool and Daytonian you are. I’m too young for any direct stories of my own, and I’d left before their resurgence, but I get the picture. And, frankly, everyone in Dayton should be proud. GBV are an awesome band. They’re so cool, they don’t have ‘full’ songs. Their whole scene is brevity, of catching the fleeting idea like a firefly in a jar, and then moving on to the next idea. Because of this, to me, GBV lack an essential, cohesive narrative line. The band do get points for being unique, though, working in this manner, but to me, no matter how good these snippets are, they can’t pull into a five star category. In other words, their music is fantastic. What a vibe. But, with their commitment to brevity, one feels an aversion to identity. I sense, in their commitment, an aversion to commitment itself! Great for the Daytonian memories, personally, but there’s little else to latch onto, by design.
10cc
4/5
This was like a proto- Of Montreal. It was so weird and fun. When searching for deep cuts throughout rock history, this is the sort of Queen-reminiscent gem one hopes to find.
Radiohead
5/5
Every time I listen to a Radiohead album, I decide it’s my favorite album of theirs. So many memories are tied to In Rainbows, though. It came out at a pivotal time in my life, musically, and frankly, it dominated music for a long time after, until King of Limbs dropped. While still dark, this is nothing as sinister as say, Amnesiac. The songs are smooth and chill, for the most part. Even years on, this feels like the pinnacle of production and cool. Case in point, I live across the street from Forest Hills Stadium, known for their Dylan concerts, etc. In the summer, when they’re doing their sound checks, they play In Rainbows at full blast all the way through from start to finish. The songs haunt my neighborhood and float above the streets. Whoever uses this for sound checks doesn’t change the album. Year after year, it’s always In Rainbows, and I’m never mad about it. I see it as one of the perks of living where I do. Like minds, I guess.
The War On Drugs
4/5
I saw The War on Drugs in a small dive bar many years ago, and it was a really amazing set. I didn’t notice at the time how freaking similar this guy can sound to Dylan or Springsteen. In the flesh, I thought he sounded unique!
Dead Kennedys
2/5
I always seem to get aggressive punk rock albums on days when I’ve woken up enraged by one thing or another. Didn’t help my mood.
Prefab Sprout
2/5
Though seemingly innocuous at first, lyrics like ‘I’m turkey hungry, I’m chicken free,’ and ‘Horsin’ around is serious business,’ place this firmly south of middling to me. I can’t argue with 80’s chime synth, but the reverbed harmonica just kills everything good that came before.
Dizzee Rascal
4/5
‘Queen Elizabeth don't know me, so how can she control me, when I live street and she lives neat?’
Wow, a lot of hate here for poor Dizzee Rascal. I’d never heard of him before, but this totally amped up my morning.
The Byrds
4/5
When the Byrds spread their psychedelic wings…
The Black Keys
3/5
I love seeing yet another band from my home state represented. I wonder what the percentage is of Ohioans on this list. Unfortunately, other than the three hits here (which are tremendous), I always found this album to be a little repetitive, over long, and boring. I was never one for delta blues, and the Black Keys are buckled into that whole sound.
Elvis Presley
5/5
I know people love early Elvis (I do too), but late Elvis really evokes a feeling that was missing before. He’s experienced. He’s got real topics to sing about. In the Ghetto and Suspicious Minds are two of his best songs (along with Burning Love on Fool, another late-stage song) and they’re placed back to back here. Much of this album could be seen as fluff until the second act, sure, but it’s really nice fluff to just have on in the background as you go about your day. The king knows what he’s doing, man.
Speaking of Suspicious Minds, my favorite part of any song in music history is when they fade out and then fade back in. They make you think the song is over, just like the relationship referenced in the song, but when it comes back, I’m hit with just how killer this song is. It doesn’t matter how many times I hear this song. He can’t walk out, he loves her too much. The song is made better, more precious, when you know what you’re about to lose. Long live the king.
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
2/5
Even though to many, this is Qawwality music, and Nusrat comes in strong with gusto and energy with every moment, I doubt a time will ever come where I, personally, as a westerner concerned that this list and similar such lists exclude much non-western music, will ever get a jonesin’ to put this on. In fact, making it all the way through the hour and a half was a testament, I believe, to the love and devotion I’m showing to this 1001 project. My only hope is that now I’m not on some FBI watchlist for choosing a Pakistani artist for today’s musical deluge instead of someone like, say, Taylor Swift.
FKA twigs
3/5
This started really strong. I couldn’t believe I hadn’t heard this album before, and I thought I’d found a new forever album. The first few tracks were definitely worth saving to the playlist. As it went on though, I got tired of it. Actually, annoyed might be the word. I’ll give it another chance for sure, but I’m sad it didn’t keep up the strength of the beginning.
Sparks
4/5
I’d never heard of Sparks before this. I was pretty on board. Sounds like a proto-Of Montreal.
Mike Oldfield
3/5
I have a million similar musical experiments saved to my computer. None of them end with a sea shanty though. I suppose that’s the difference between Mike Oldfield and myself.