I can’t speak from experience, but I figure it must be very difficult to make a swansong album. On top of knowing your end is at hand (mentally and physically), but you must also leave your fans with something good to remember you by. I remember David Bowie’s passing somewhat well, but never heard that he released an album two days prior to his death. I’m regretfully not well-versed in Bowie’s discography to say whether or not it’s the perfect end for him, but as a stand-alone album, it is a great swan song. Lazarus in itself feels like a proper emotional goodbye to a legendary artist. Blackstar in its entirety presents classic Bowie with hints of art and experimental jazz. The result is an album that as haunting as it is reflective. I can’t say it was perfect, but for what it is, it works well. It’s a very fitting goodbye for someone such as David Bowie. Favorite track: Lazarus Other hits: I Can’t Give Everything Away, Dollar Days, Sue (Or In A Season Of Crime), Tis A Pity She Was A Whore

I’m gonna tell it straight. I don’t care that this album is over an hour long. I don’t care if the final few tracks were objectively weaker than the rest of the album. I don’t care if some of the songs sound weird. This is the shit. They’re something about this album that just pulverized my g-spot. Nearly every song put me in a high. It isn’t just Mr. Blue Sky. It’s either peak 70’s pop with a touch of disco in the likes of Turn to Stone and Sweet Talkin’ Woman (every time the phrase “slow down” is sung, it sends me places) or slow impactful tunes like Big Wheels and Starlight. It did lose a little steam at the end, but fuck it. Making a hour album not feel like a chore is a fucking achievement is its own right. Thanks in part to the production bringing out the O in ELO and the more unique elements such as the backing vocals and the Electronic elements, this is a double album that could have gone for hours and I would have still loved it. Favorite track: Mr. Blue Sky Favorite track that is not Mr. Blue Sky: Sweet Talkin’ Woman Other hits: Turn to Stone, It’s Over, Night in the City, Starlight, Big Wheels, Sweet is the Night

Mad props to this generator for giving me a 80-ish minutes live album on one of my busier days of the week. Extra thanks for it being a jam band live album, so I get submitted to a meandering experience that threatens to persist until the heat death of the universe. There are some good parts to this album (lost probably somewhere in the solos), but jam band concerts are perhaps better experienced in person. Not on record. Favorite track: Hot ‘Lanta Other hits: Everyone other song that is not more than 10 minutes.

I feel like describing Elephant as a Oreo cookie feels like a weird analogy for such a well-regarded album, but my stupid brain feels like it fits. It has a hard opening structure, a soft part in the middle, and ends as hard as it started. Everyone knows about it and has heard it (Seven Nation Army specifically), but you’ll be hard-pressed to find much of anyone who hates it. And after listening to it, I finally get the hype. This is such a collection of bangers from just two people. It feels like this bizarre classic rock album that stays modern enough to not feel like it panders to nostalgia. And Jack White is so talented, carrying the electricity through songs like Seven Nation Army and There’s No Home For You Here, while toning it down for You Got Her In Your Pocket. And Meg’s great too in In The Cold, Cold Night. I’m very glad this album is now a little more than just the Seven Nation Army album to me. Favorite Track: Seven Nation Army (I know, basic bitch pick, but it’s infectious) Other hits: Black Math, There’s No Home For You Here, You Got Her in Your Pocket, In the Cold, Cold Night, The Hardest Button to Button, Girl, You Have No Faith in Medicine, Well It's True That We Love One Another

The thing about jazz for me personally is that it is difficult for it to sustain my attention for most albums. I usually have just little problems with jazz albums, such as songs that might take too long or most of the album sounding much of the same for its duration. I feel that, for me, these are issues that prevent me from giving Kind of Blue a perfect five rating. However, I would be remiss to not say that this is more than likely the quintessential jazz album. Miles and each of his company are at the top of their game on this album, each perfecting their craft to give one of the smoothest jazz albums in existence. Seriously, Blue in Green has to be one of the chillest jazz songs period in my opinion. As I mentioned, I personally can’t say that this was one of my favorites, but I do recognize the acclaim that this album has received and that’s good enough for me. Favorite Track: Blue in Green Other hits: So What, Flamenco Sketches, Freddie Freeloader

The Man Comes Around: Slightly upbeat but somber. Good start. Hurt: Contender for highlight of the album. Give My Love to Rose: Sad, classic country song. Brigade Over Troubled Water: Has a nice 70’s vibe to it. Fiona Apple adds a nice touch. Album has a nice variety while maintaining it somber, reflective tone. Really digging it. I Hung My Head: Sad story, sounds a little bit like Hurt First Time I Ever Saw Your Face: One of the slower songs on the album. Basic love song, but very emotional Personal Jesus: Very nice Depeche Mode cover. Probably the most poppy of the album, but given the original song, that’s expected In My Life: Great cover of this somber Beatles song. This song reminds me of a personal moment in my life and Cash captures that essence perfectly Sam Hall: Nice country song to deflect again from the sadness for a bit. Need a little bit of a break lol Danny Boy: One of the older covers on the album. Feels like a funeral song (it pretty much is). Is saying it’s sad overkill at this point? Desperado: Gonna be honest, never heard the original Eagles song, so this actually sounds like a country song more than a rock song. Good song though. Adding Henley as backup was a great move. I’m So Lonesone I Could Cry: Of course there’s a sad country song. Nick Cave is good backup. Tear Stained Letter: Such an upbeat song for such sad lyrics. Even the happy songs are sad lol Streets of Laredo: ok there are a good chunk of sad country covers here. They can be a bit similar to each other, but Johnny Cash does a good job keeping my attention. We’ll Meet Again: Fitting last song title, considering Cash’s circumstances. Great final song to cap off a legendary artist. Overall: Very somber album, which is no surprise given it to be the last released in Johnny Cash’s lifetime. Though mostly consisting of covers, they all perfectly represent the artist’s moment in time: reminiscing the past and living the last moments in the present. A great final effort. Favorite Song: Hurt Other highlights: The Man Comes Around, Personal Jesus, Bridge Over Troubled Water, In My Life

I have vague memories of seeing promotions for this album when it was coming out. ( I was really young at the time) I’m definitely aware of the hits this album after hearing them on the radio for years, specifically Wake Me Up When September Ends and Boulevard of Broken Dreams. Gotta say though after hearing the whole album for once, I really dig this one. Punk rock isn’t really my favorite rock genre (though at this point calling Green Day punk rock feels weird. Honestly I feel more inclined to think of Bad Religion or the Dead Kennedys and even that feels surface level) but this album has a great balance between punk and modern rock. I have a soft spot for the hits, but I also really liked some of the lesser know tracks like Give Me Novacaine and Letterbomb. The 9-minute songs were pretty good, not my favorites though. But overall, this was really good. Favorite Song: Wake Me Up When September Ends Other hits: American Idiot, Holiday, Boulevard of Broken Dreams, Give Me Novacaine, She’s A Rebel, Letterbomb

Can’t say I’m super familiar with the Kinks, but I enjoy this type of 60’s rock/pop. Some of the songs are more memorable than others. I like the minor elements of some of the songs though like the psychedelic elements in Phenomenal Cat and the subtle dark parts of Sitting by the Riverside. Overall, this was pretty good. Favorite Song: Picture Book Other Hits: Do You Remember Walter?, Starstruck, Phenomenal Cat, People Take Pictures of Each Other

I’ll guiltlessly admit that my first exposure to Muse was during the hay days of the Guitar Hero fad, primarily Knights of Cydonia from Guitar Hero III. Well honestly, it was mostly me watching my brother play because I sucked at the game. We also ended up purchasing Supermassive Black Hole, but only because the song was easy to play and finish 100% without over or under strumming or as the term is, full combo (FC). I considered Knights to be one of my personal favorite tracks from that game, but I wasn’t sure if that would apply for the whole album it’s on. I’m pleased to say, however, that I thoroughly enjoyed this whole album. I’m admittedly a sucker for, I guess that over-the-top grand rock and Black Holes and Revelations delivers for me. From the rapid fire of Assassin, the steady beat of Supermassive Black Hole, and the softer tunes of Starlight and Invincible, this was a rare album to hold my attention for its entire duration. Knights of Cydonia acts as the perfect cap off to the album, and seems like a personal full circle moment to me, considering it was how I even heard of Muse. I won’t say I in particular that Muse is my favorite band or even one of my preferences, but this album feels like the peak for them to me. Favorite track: Knights of Cydonia Other Hits: City of Delusion, Starlight, Invincible, Supermassive Black Hole, Exo-Politics, Assassin

I’ll admit that the 50’s is certainly not my favorite decade for music. While there are exceptions, most 50’s songs to me just feel the same to me. I only occasionally listen to the “oldies” at special family events, it seems. Despite this, I found Fats Domino to be among the exceptions. He had such a smooth voice for a big guys and it shines, whether he singing the slow blues tunes such as Blueberry Hill and Troubles of my Own, or the fast jumping jives such as La La and Honey Chile. This was a short but sweet package. Hope all the 50’s albums are like this. Favorite Track: Troubles on my Own Other Hits: Blueberry Hill, La La, Blue Monday, So Long, Trust in Me

Really neat funky album. I think I heard That Lady enough times in commercials to get sick of it, but most of the other songs are bangers. I personally really love their Summer Breeze cover. I heard the original one enough times (my mom loves soft yacht rock, so it comes on a LOT), but the Isley cover keeps the vibe from the Seals and Croft version, while adding it’s own funky rock elements to make it stand out. Some of the album started to blend together a bit too much for me, specially the middle. So it feels like a 3.5 to me personally. But 3 is too low, so a 4 feels better. That and I loved that funky electric guitar. Favorite track: Summer Breeze Other Hits: That Lady, The Highways of My Life, What It Comes Down To, You Walk Your Way

This album seems to be important to its genre and to those that are fans of hip-hop, but I can’t say that this was an album I enjoyed much. I’m honestly not the biggest fan of hip-hop. It’s either something I can enjoy or something that can bore or even annoy me. This album kinda got boring to me at times. There were good spots, though. One of the popular singles “How I Could Just Kill A Man” was good and I enjoyed “Psycobetabuckdown”. I appreciate the influence this album had. But for the most part, this was not exactly my cup of tea. Favorite track: How I Could Just Kill A Man Other Hits: Psycobetabuckdown, Hand on the Pump

I have never heard of Ms. Dynamite in my life prior to this. Honestly just like Destiny’s Child to me in some ways. This was…ok I guess? Most of it is just standard early 2000’s r&b-hip-hop and for a hour-long album, it sort of drags. I liked a few of the songs, but otherwise it’s an album that seem to have had its glory days. This is only here because it won a Mercury Prize, which I have no idea how meaningful that is because I’m not British. Favorite Track: It Takes More (Bloodshy Main Mix) Other Hits: Afraid 2 Fly, Krazy Krush, Gotta Let U Know (also the usages of 2 and U is annoying, stop it)

You know an album’s good when the instrumental song on it is a banger and not some transitional track or some forgettable portion of the album. Full transparency, I’m not even a big Rush fan (Geddy Lee’s vocals can sometimes get on my nerves), but this album has some of my favorite songs, imo. As mentioned, YYZ is a wonderful instrumental song and Tom Sawyer and Limelight and classics for a reason. I like the first side better than the second side, but this album overall satisfies that Prog rock urge of mine. Favorite track: Limelight Other Hits: YYZ, Tom Sawyer, Red Barchetta

My father was a Beatles fan first and a Rolling Stone fan second. It’s a close relationship (I think he loves both equally), but as a child, I was mostly most exposed to the Beatles and as such, have a preference to them. With that being said, I think this list is going to have a good chunk of Rolling Stones albums. So I’ll make up for my lack of Rolling Stones experience down the road on this journey. I will say that this album was a perfect start for me personally. The amount of blues and country influences in this album surprised me, but it helped really make this album flow. I couldn’t help but to just get lost in it, even if the lyrical content was more humbler than some other Rolling Stones songs I heard. From the jumping start of Gimme Shelter to the smooth title track to the angelic and bopping You Can’t Always Get What You Want, this was a very pleasant 42 minutes. Favorite track: You Can’t Always Get What You Want Other hits: Gimme Shelter, Let It Bleed, Love in Vain, Country Honk, Live With Me

I have to be honest, I was a little weary to get a second hip-hop album from 2002 very closely after getting A Little Deeper by Ms. Dynamite. After enduring that album for a hour of my life that I’m not getting back, I didn’t know how this album would go. Thankfully, it seems like the generator wanted to make up for giving that previous album because this was so much better. The titular five give the album a great flow while also maintain socially conscious without having too much edge. I have no idea how I never heard of these guys. The album did lose a little steam at the end (the six-minute sample song at the end just felt out of place and took me a bit out of it), but this was a very pleasant surprise. Favorite Track: Thin Line Other Hits: Freedom, High Fidelity, A Day at the Races, Sum Of Us, If You Only Knew

Jazz feels like a fucking hard genre to evaluate. It’s either going to be hip and cool or put me to sleep. This album was nice, but felt like background music. Like at a high-end city bar or something, this would be great. But I only have my backyard for this album today, so it just doesn’t have the same vibe, I guess. I respect the talent. The call and response from the saxophone and bass can be great, but for a little over 30 minutes, this one was just fine for me. Favorite track: Samba de Uma Nota Só Other hits: Desafinado, Samba Triste, Bahia

I feel like describing Elephant as a Oreo cookie feels like a weird analogy for such a well-regarded album, but my stupid brain feels like it fits. It has a hard opening structure, a soft part in the middle, and ends as hard as it started. Everyone knows about it and has heard it (Seven Nation Army specifically), but you’ll be hard-pressed to find much of anyone who hates it. And after listening to it, I finally get the hype. This is such a collection of bangers from just two people. It feels like this bizarre classic rock album that stays modern enough to not feel like it panders to nostalgia. And Jack White is so talented, carrying the electricity through songs like Seven Nation Army and There’s No Home For You Here, while toning it down for You Got Her In Your Pocket. And Meg’s great too in In The Cold, Cold Night. I’m very glad this album is now a little more than just the Seven Nation Army album to me. Favorite Track: Seven Nation Army (I know, basic bitch pick, but it’s infectious) Other hits: Black Math, There’s No Home For You Here, You Got Her in Your Pocket, In the Cold, Cold Night, The Hardest Button to Button, Girl, You Have No Faith in Medicine, Well It's True That We Love One Another

What a weird bizarre surprise this album was. This is not even close what I expected, given the album cover and year of release. Honestly sounds like a proto-Talking Heads album. It’s a good mix of some soft songs with some nice guitar heavy romps. Not quite perfect, but very great. Favorite track: Re-make/Re-model Other hits: Virginia Plain, 2HB, The Bob (Medley), If There Is Something, Chance Meeting

I’m going to be honest. I’m not really into Elvis Presley. I like some of his songs (particularly Can’t Help Falling in Love With You), but I just can’t get into him. To be honest, I’m not a fan of 50’s rock n’ roll, despite rock being my favorite music genre. To be fair, this debut album has its place in history. Obviously, it put Elvis on the map and made him the proclaimed King of Rock n’ Roll. But it’s honestly just ok. My biggest problem is that his voice doesn’t sound like is hit his stride yet, so he sounds a little off in some of the songs. It’s a debut, though, as his voice did get better with age. But outside of Blue Suede Shoes and Blue Moon, the album was only decent. It almost feels like 2 stars to me, but I think 3 will do. It’s mostly is a 2.5 for me personally. Favorite track: Blue Suede Shoes Other hits: I’m Counting on You, Blue Moon, Money Honey

I have a confession to make. I really don’t like The Doors. I don’t know what it is, but outside of a few songs, I sorta can’t stand them. Maybe it’s Jim Morrison’s voice or the fact that the hits on this album are 7-8 minutes that end up on the radio and linger for 40% of my car-riding experience. It’s weird, they just piss me off. My dad likes The Doors, but my mom doesn’t, so I guess I picked up my apathy for The Doors from her, along with Tom Petty. This album doesn’t change my perspective much. As mentioned, I don’t like either of the 7-minute songs (L.A. Woman or Riders on the Storm) and the deep cuts don’t do much to change my mind. There are a few things that stop this from being a 1-star, mainly because I’m not that insane, but I can’t say I found this enjoyable. If there are more Doors albums on this venture (and I’m 99% sure there will be, ugh), I hope at least one will be at least decent to me. But this is my trash opinion and I’ll stick with it. Favorite track I guess: Hyacinth House (it was nice and short, I actually kinda liked it.) Other hits: The Changeling, The WASP (Texas Radio and the Big Beat)

(I know it’s been pointed out by others, but the album shown is actually a double album, consisting of both Devotional Songs, as well as another album called Love Songs. On Spotify, only the second disc is mentioned in the actual book. This can help spare you from spending 90 minutes on one album.) I had zero idea what I was getting into with this one. I have never heard of Nusrat before and I had no idea knowing whatever the hell Qawwali even was. Apparently, Nusrat was immensely talented and was highly regarded even to this day. And I’ll confess that I can see that through this album, as I surprisingly kind of enjoyed it. The songs are long and a tad repetitive for my tastes, but the rhythms in the tracks are enticing. They’re really infectious and Nusrat gives every track his all. Devotional is certainly the word for it. I can’t say this album blew me away, but it was good through and through. It’s a 3 from me, but it feels more like a 3.5. I wish we could do half stars. Favorite track: Yaad-E-Nabi Gulshan Mehka Other Hits: Allah Hoo Allah Hoo, Ali Maula Ali Maula Ali Dam Dam, Ni Main Jogi De Naal

It’s about as classic as punk rock can get. A classic debut for a classic band. All the aggression, rage, and socially rebellious lyrics parceled nicely in a 35-minute package. Get in, cause havoc, leave. I’l admit that the tracks are a tad repetitive, and Police and Thieves felt a little out of place for me. But these are very minor complaints. Punk rock albums all have similar sounding tracks and lyrically Police and Thieves fits very well. Overall, it a near perfect effort. Favorite track: London’s Burning Other hits: Janie Jones, Career Opportunities, Remote Control, 48 Hours, Garageland

The more I look at this band, the lamer they look. There’s something about a band dressing up like revolutionaries and singing bubblegum pop that seems uncool even in the 60’s. But to be honest, that could have been way worse. The singer is a bit better than he has any right to be and I think this album feels like a guilty pleasure. The lyrics are a little lame though (wtf even is Little Girl in the 4th Row), so it was a close call between 2 and 3 stars. But in the end, I’ll give it three…barely. Favorite track: (I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone Other hits: Kicks, All I Really Need Is You, Melody For An Unknown Girl

You know, I can’t tell how much of the Paul Simon songs I heard were with Garfunkel or were part of his solo efforts. Regardless, he is definitely one of the greatest singer/songwriters of all time and this album is one of the highlights of his career. It is a big collection of varying styles, from classic folk rock, to reggae, to even some Brazilian samba. Yet the album keeps a very somber, very personal tone throughout its runtime, as seen in the likes of Duncan and Run That Body Down. It does feel likes it drags near the end a little, but this is a very good album overall. Favorite track: Me and Julio Down By the Schoolyard Other hits: Duncan, Peace Like a River, Everything Put Together Falls Apart, Paranoia Blues, Mother and Child Reunion

Talking Heads is one of those bands that I keep hearing about, but have not really heard much of their music. Outside of Psycho Killer and Once in a Lifetime, I haven’t heard much from them. I’m hoping this list will change that…assuming the generator’s nice to me. However, this album is kind of what I expected from the little of Talking Heads I heard. I admire how accepted Talking Heads is with the music world given how experimental they are. David Byrne is the perfect paranoid vocalist, as he anxiously decides on what city he’ll live in, wonders why he can’t persuade people, and verbally assaults animals for thinking that are better than us.(lowkey that ridiculous track is my second favorite from the album) Always bizarre, but never ostracizing, this is Talking Heads at what they are good at: balancing the line between commercially safe and abstract. Favorite track: Cities Other hits: Animals, Life During Wartime, Drugs, Mind, Paper

I had two questions in my head when this album popped up on my list: “Who the fuck is Todd Rundgren?” and “Why in god’s name is a double album on this list?”. This is a behemoth of an album, length wise, and I’ll be honest, it took me two sittings to get through this. That being said, I’m going to regurgitate what I saw on Wikipedia, and state that the album is divided into four parts, which makes the listening experience more manageable. The first part is standard pop. The songs were good, but I was nervous that it was setting the tone for the rest of the album; safe and maybe monotonous. Fortunately, the second part is more abstract and experimental (expect Marlene), which helps Todd sustain my attention to the halfway mark. Honestly, I was hoping the rest of the album would be like this. However, the third part was a bit ambiguous, as it felt more… rock inspired? Wikipedia says this part is where the “kid gets heavy” but it only felt like half the album was more heavy. The other half just felt like more first part rejects. Then the last part was sort of a garage section, complete with banter between Todd and his band. This part has its charm, I’ll admit. I say this, there are plenty of good songs on this album, such as the hits like I Saw the Light, and Couldn’t I Just Tell You, along with some lesser known songs like Torch Song and Wolfman Jack. You can pick a good selection of tunes from this double album. But for a package that makes Tool albums feel short by comparison, it’s only ok. And honestly, ok for a 90-minute album is not very good. The quality of the songs, however, as well as Todd Rundgren’s vocals, do save this album from being rated too low. It’s a good album, but maybe not for 90 minutes. Favorite Track: Couldn’t I Just Tell You Other hits: Hello It’s Me, I Saw the Light, Slut, Wolfman Jack, Torch Song, Breathless, Saving Grace

If you were to ask me what genre of album Cafe Bleu is, I would respond “yes” without a hint of irony. Wikipedia says it is sohisti-pop, which sounds like a bullshit genre. Just call it jazz pop or something. But this album goes so all over the place that those two genres don’t even describe half of Cafe Bleu. It’s one thing that half of the songs are instrumentals and the other half are sung. But this album goes everywhere. One minute it’s the Weather Channel (Blue Cafe), then Paul Weller is serenading me with his voice (My Ever Changing Moods, The Whole Point of No Return), then it’s high energy jazz(Dropping Bombs on the Whitehouse), and then Paul decides to rap (A Gospel) and I die a bit inside. I am very conflicted on this one. Obviously the album’s lack of focus kind of hurts it for me. Variety is good, but this feels a little too much. However, I did really enjoy some of the songs, mostly the slower ones. The aforementioned Weather Channel vibe hits in a good way. Mixed with Paul’s vocals, I almost considered this album a guilty pleasure. I kind of wish that is was the whole album, I probably would have enjoyed it a lot more (and it would have spared me from some god-awful rapping). As is, I give this a 3, but it’s more of a 2.5. Favorite track: My Ever Changing Moods Other hits: You’re the Best Thing, The Paris Match, Blue Cafe, Strength of Your Nature (this song is kinda stupid, but I kinda dig it, even if the lyrics are literally two sentences)

They say you should always separate the art from the artist in the case of artists who are assholes. Sometimes that can be pretty hard, especially if the artist is considered one of the best guitar players of all time. But in the case of 461 Ocean Avenue, I don’t have to deal with that because this album is just shit. It’s a collection of mostly blues covers and none of them are remotely listenable. They’re just dry and boring and uncomfortable to listen to. There is barely a memorable song on this album. So I don’t feel so bad crapping on an artist who is racist, anti-vaxx and overall a talented asshole. I especially don’t feel bad crapping on some shitty covers of black artists by said racist. Seriously that cover of I Shot the Sheriff is balls. “Favorite” track- Please Be With Me (the most tolerable of the album, and solely Clapton’s) Other “hits”- Let it Grow, maybe

So… I have a confession. I’m one of those people whose Radiohead experience is only “Creep”. Yep, I’m one of those people. So I’m hoping this project will put an end to that and it appears that day has finally come. And came so soon too, as this is my 25th album, so lucky me. I wasn’t sure going into this how I’d react going into this past what looks like Woody from Toy Story having an orgasm. Truth be told, I was fearful that the album would be esoteric and highbrow and I would be indifferent to it. But fortunately, that wasn’t the case at all. In fact, I shocked at how much I loved this album. It’s surprisedly easy to get into, mainly just being top notch 90’s rock. Thom Yorke has incredible control of his vocals, and the album has a great mix of soft-ish rock, to studious arenas to even touches of grunge. I’m really kicking myself for not going past “Creep” with these guys, since all the songs here are great, specifically Fake Plastic Trees and High and Dry. That track really got to me. To be fair, I’m not sure how the Radiohead albums will go. This was the album after their debut Pablo Honey, so I don’t know how experimental this band got overtime. This could be as assessable as they get. And I don’t know when that will be, assuming the generator wants to stop giving constant 70’s crap. But this is how my Radiohead venture starts and I think it couldn’t have been more perfect. Favorite track: Fake Plastic Trees Other hits: High and Dry, The Bends, Street Spirit (Fade Out), Planet Telex, honestly the rest of the album while I’m at it.

I’ve only known two Supertramp songs in my life up to this point: The Logical Song and Give A Little Bit. And I’m not particularly a fan of either of them. So I wasn’t expected much from this album when it popped up for me. But holy fuck, did this one get to me. There really isn’t that hint of cheese that I heard from my prior Supertramp experiences (all two songs worth). There some good shit in this prop-pop mixture and some of this even gave me some emotional vibes. Not really too much of a fan of Dreamer, though, the popular track of the album. Personally, I was more into Hide in Your Shell, and If Everyone Was Listening. Overall, this was a very nice expansion into Supertramp’s discography for me. Favorite Track: Hide In Your Shell Other hits: If Everyone Was Listening, Crime of the Century, School, Asylum, Rudy

I’m going to cut to the chase. Is this album a five out of five for me personally? No. I do feel that the album gets a little monotonous after Respect, and a bit too much of the tracks sound a little like each other. I’m also not really the biggest fan of soul. But with the negative stuff out of the way, it’s still a half hour of Aretha Franklin serenading your ears, and that’s probably better than maybe more than half of the albums on here. Favorite track: Respect Other hits: Soul Serenade, Baby,Baby,Baby, Good Times, Do Right Woman,Do Right Man, Save Me, A Change is Gonna Come

Mad props to this generator for giving me a 80-ish minutes live album on one of my busier days of the week. Extra thanks for it being a jam band live album, so I get submitted to a meandering experience that threatens to persist until the heat death of the universe. There are some good parts to this album (lost probably somewhere in the solos), but jam band concerts are perhaps better experienced in person. Not on record. Favorite track: Hot ‘Lanta Other hits: Everyone other song that is not more than 10 minutes.

I have been aware of this album, like most, due to 21st Century Schizoid Man. The sheer mayhem of its funky riffs and the barrage of saxophones are legendary in their own right. It’s definitely one of the heavier 60’s tracks in existence for sure. Until today, I have never ventured deeper into Screamy McScreamFace’s Venture Through Hell until now. And I have to say this album was absolutely not what I was expected. The album never quite gets as vicious as that first track, becoming somewhat more mellow in some areas. But despite that, it never loses its focus and it never disappoints. I Talk to the Wind is a perfect breather to the previous Schitz Fitz that still keeps a very slight feeling of unease. Epitaph then takes that unease and runs with it through a dystopian soundscape, as it’s subject tries to hold a small hint of optimism, but can’t (If we make it, we can all sit back and laugh. But I fear tomorrow I’ll be crying). Then comes Moonchild, which feels like an apology from the generator for giving me the meandering At Fillmore East and showing me that songs that seem to stretch out past 10-minutes can be bangers. It’s such a weird, bizarre miracle of a song that never overstays its welcome. Then comes the climax with The Court of the Crimson King, a powerful end that brings back some of the chaotic vibes of 21st Century Schizoid Man. I feel progressive rock is a love-it-or-hate-it genre for some and this album is considered essential for its progression (no pun intended). I’m still not sure what I think of prog as a whole, but I what I can say is this is a hell of an album. Favorite track: 21st Century Schizoid Man Other hits: the rest of the album

Seeing the reviews for this album, there appears to be two sides to this album: “Fuck Coldplay” and “Fuck you for hating Coldplay”. Personally, I feel rather indifferent to Coldplay. I’m not inclined enough to particular care for them. And that applies very much to Parachutes, but to be honest, I’m a little disappointed too. The first two tracks (Don’t Panic and Shiver) had this kind of alternative rock vibe that I was digging. I thought that maybe Coldplay was much more of a different band at this beginning stage, like more of an actual rock band rather than whatever they became today. I was a little nervous I might actually like the album (god forbid). But then the album softens and it just becomes a Coldplay album. It doesn’t help when Chris Martin’s vocals get a little grating when he goes for the high notes. I still don’t know what I honestly think about Coldplay and that even applies to the roots of the band’s discography. Favorite track: Yellow Other hits: Don’t Panic, Shiver, Sparks

The thing about jazz for me personally is that it is difficult for it to sustain my attention for most albums. I usually have just little problems with jazz albums, such as songs that might take too long or most of the album sounding much of the same for its duration. I feel that, for me, these are issues that prevent me from giving Kind of Blue a perfect five rating. However, I would be remiss to not say that this is more than likely the quintessential jazz album. Miles and each of his company are at the top of their game on this album, each perfecting their craft to give one of the smoothest jazz albums in existence. Seriously, Blue in Green has to be one of the chillest jazz songs period in my opinion. As I mentioned, I personally can’t say that this was one of my favorites, but I do recognize the acclaim that this album has received and that’s good enough for me. Favorite Track: Blue in Green Other hits: So What, Flamenco Sketches, Freddie Freeloader

I shit you not, before this album, I only knew Janelle Monáe from her bit part in We Are Young by Fun. All 10 seconds of her before Nate Ruess banishes her to the background. Then here comes this album, my first from the 2010’s. How have I gone so long without hearing anything about this? It’s a masterful blend of genres that Janelle transitions through each and every one of them smoothly. The suite suite was mostly very good, even if I felt it was a few tracks two many. The third suite, however, is a five star effort in itself. It really leans into its futuristic, psychedelic themes with the likes of Wondaland and Make the Bus. It’s also a wonderful r&b album, with the fantastically moving Say You’ll Go. In parts presenting an epic dystopian future and in parts keeping the pop vibe that was present in the 2010’s, this album is making kick myself for deeming Janelle Monáe as the Na Na girl for that one Fun song. Favorite track: Say You’ll Go Other hits: Cold War, Tightrope, Make the Bus, Wondaland, Neon Valley Street, Come Alive (War of the Roses), Oh,Maker

Listen, I consider hard rock/metal my favorite genres of music. Seeing artists such as Megadeth, Anthrax, and even Sepultura on this list peaked my interest. One of the things I’m a bit curious about is just how this list of albums treats such a heavy genre that is specifically made to be not very assessable to the general listener of music. Observing some of the reviews from some of the metal albums on here, most don’t seem to rate higher well, usually getting around about 2.5, with one of the lowest rated albums being Scum by Napalm Death, a grindcore. From what I see, most of those who partake in this album venture don’t seem to care for metal. It could be the metal bands doing their job; only making music that opposes mainstream tastes. But there is one band who crossed the picket lines and became something the metal genre seeks to resist; becoming mainstream. I have somewhat awaited the day to get a Metallica album. Of course the first Metallica album I get from the generator is the Black Album, the very album that gave Metallica their biggest success, for better or worse. Let me cut to the chase right now, this is not my favorite Metallica album at all for a few reasons. One, all the hits come at the beginning of the album. Save for Nothing Else Matters, the latter part of the album really doesn’t do too much for me. This is a problem when the album itself is a hour long, which makes the Black Album feel lengthy. Two, I feel that a lot of the thrash metal charm for Metallica’s earlier albums is not quite here. Being more broad in scope and commercial viability, it sort of lacks the edge of albums like Ride the Lighting and Master of Puppets. And third, this is where the band started to dip in quality. I mean, that feels like a common opinion, but like really, did Metallica do anything of much value after this? The closest things honestly are “Fuel” and maybe Death Magnetic. To me, this album feels like the point where Metallica reached that point of no return. The point where they became the metal band normal people listen to when they tell people they like metal. And that’s not very metal for Metallica. With that said, it’s incredibly difficult to hate this. The hits this album spawned are some of the band’s most diverse and it’s honestly impressive how well they manage to weave between mainstream rock and thrash metal and some of it really is among the band’s best work. Nothing Else Matters shows the band’s softer side with a very rare ballad. Wherever I May Roam powers the band into groove metal territory while Holier Than Thou and Through the Never keep the band’s roots firmly in thrash. And while it’s far from my favorite track, I somehow never get tired of Enter Sandman. The Black Album is a complicated album for me. This is not peak Metallica. That time was well past by the time this album came out. And even since it, some might say it was all downhill. But its success probably exposed many people to the genre of metal, making it a gray starting point to a polarizing genre. And getting to hear this in its entirety, I can see why. Favorite track: Tie between Nothing Else Matters and Wherever I May Roam Other Hits: Enter Sandman, Sad But True, The Unforgiven

There’s a belief I have with movies that I also have with albums. I don’t care how long or short it is, as long as it is enjoyable in relation to how long it is. A long boring movie is just as bad as a long boring album. That logic goes double for two types of albums: live albums and double albums. These albums tend to clock in at nearly 90 minutes in most cases (or god forbid more) and seem to never have enough material to justify listening to them. I will probably lose interest around halfway in and the rest of the album will be a slog. Now however, here’s a unique case. It’s a punk double album, meaning most of the album is filled with short songs. In addition, Minutemen bring a nice variety to the tracks, experimenting with multiple styles which should help to keep the album fresh through its nearly hour and a half runtime. I kind of like this concept, since it could make this double album actually listenable. And to be fair, most of it is. This was a refreshing change of pace for a punk album, trading the hard rock elements for more acoustic vibes while keeping the anti-establishment edge through its tracks. It seemed to work in retaining my interest… for some of the album. Look, there is good shit on this album, don’t get me wrong. This is perhaps one of the better double albums out there. But it still has that old familiar problem: I got bored halfway. The vibe went from “This is pretty good” to “Dear God, there’s still more”. That sucks because I appreciate this effort. It’s the closest a double album has gotten without losing my interest. I get why people would like this album. It’s just too long for me to consider great. Favorite track: Corona Other hits: History Part II, honestly most of the songs are too short to really single out.

I remember hearing Elton John on a classic rock radio station and had a weird debate in my head: Is Elton John really rock or was he more pop? His music never fully came across to me as “classic rock”. Maybe it’s because his weapon of choice was the piano, as opposed to the tried and true guitar. But I come to realize that debating whether Elton John fits the classic rock vibe was pointless. Because Goodbye Yellow Brick Road shows that Elton John was above simple labels. He travels across many genres and excels at each of them. (except reggae, maybe don’t do that one again. Looking at you Jamaican Jerk-Off) I will admit that around parts 2&3, the album’s power fades a little, which I’m learning is probably standard for double albums or any album longer than a hour. But the songs that hit have an immense impact. The singles spawned by this album have followed me for all my life, even if I never was around when this album was released (I’m in my twenties, so I have my parents to thank for exposing me to this album, along with other 70’s music). The memories of summer barbecues with Bennie and the Jets blasting from the speakers is the kind of shit that will follow me for the rest of my life. It’s the impact of those songs that elevate the album for me. So to answer my previous question, is Elton John classic rock or pop, I would say who gives a fuck. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road is iconic and that’s good enough for any radio station. Favorite track: Goodbye Yellow Brick Road Other hits: Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding, Bennie and the Jets, Candle in the Wind, Saturday’s Alright (For Fighting), Roy Rogers, Grey Seal, This Song Has No Title

This is the first Neil Young album I have been given and I’m conflicted. The first side of this album just felt very one note. All the songs sounded the same and Neil just comes across as “old man yells at punk rock kids and obsesses over nature”. Most of it is fine, some of does sound good, but there is very little variety between the songs. And honestly, I’m not a fan of Neil’s voice. It’s that weird high-pitched folky voice that either you like or can get on your nerves and I’m the latter camp. The second side brings in Crazy Horse, but it doesn’t fare much better. Welfare Mothers and Sedan Delivery did nothing for me. They’re both ridiculous and not in a good way. There are two saving graces, however. Powderfinger is probably one of the best songs about someone getting obliterated by a gunboat ever. Niche genre really. But for real, this was a nice song. But the real highlight was Hey Hey Me Me (not to be confused with My My Hey Hey, the starting track). I think the bookend song idea is cute, but I really enjoyed the last track more. It really did bring out the Neil’s emotions toward the approaching trend of punk and the decline of tradition rock more so than the first track. Really, it’s Powderfinger and Hey Hey Me Me that save this album for me. Other than that, this doesn’t really bode well for the other Neil Young albums to come soon. I hope he gets better…please. Favorite track: Hey Hey Me Me Other Hits: Powderfinger, My My Hey Hey, Thrasher

There are some things in life that feel simplistic, but can become something more with creativity, like a slice of pizza or a hamburger. To me, Hard Again doesn’t break new ground. Some of the songs here rely on some well-known blues riffs. I mean, that “duh-da-duh-da-duh” riff on Mannish Boy is in virtually every blues work. But it’s the way Muddy Waters and his band perform the songs that give this album its kick. The mix between the electric guitar and the harmonica kicks so much ass and along with Muddy’s finely aged vocals, take what could have been a simplistic collection of blues tracks and spices them up. I’m not even a big blues fan and I found myself getting lost in the groove of it. Muddy doesn’t need to reinvent the wheel to take you for a ride. Favorite Track: Crosseyed Cat Other Hits: Mannish Boy, Little Girl, Deep Down in Florida, I Can’t Be Satisfied

Putting to words what this album is a little difficult for me, but I’ll try anyway. To me, this album is a moment in time; a last glimpse of rock as a dominant mainstream genre within the music industry. Back when the M in MTV meant music and not… whatever the fuck it’s supposed to mean now. A moment of authenticity through a live album that stays away from the greatest hits (for the most parts) and opts for covers, such as a then unknown David Bowie song and three Meat Puppets songs in a row. Kurt Cobain’s raspy-vocals fits really well with the pseudo-acoustic sound from his band mates. As a result, some of these songs are the best versions of themselves. Unplugged About A Girl feels more natural than Bleach About A Girl, and Dumb and On A Plain sound just as good as their original album counterparts. And I didn’t know The Man Who Sold The World was David Bowie. It’s more Nirvana’s now than Nine Inch Nail’s Hurt is to Johnny Cash. But this album is more than a live album; it’s a sense of finality. The world wouldn’t see the likes of a performance that has no hint of Smells Like Teen Spirit or many heavy-hitters. It’s a showcase of a band using their platform as a homage to their roots. A display of a band doomed to die at its prime, released months after Kurt Cobain’s passing. It’s perhaps the last gasp of rock as a mainstream force before the end of the century. It’s is, in essence, a moment. Favorite track: About A Girl Other hits: The Man Who Sold The World, On A Plain, Come As You Are, All Apologies, Dumb

This is as classic as thrash metal can come. Masterfully produced by Scott Burns, the bad boys of Brazil unleash their fury as they materialize their hellish soundscape of death and corruption. This is my favorite kind of thrash metal; vicious with some kickass solos to bridge the tracks together. However, and to piggyback off one of the popular reviews for this album, I agree this was the oddest choice for Sepultura over Choas AD. That album is probably considered more iconic and feels more “necessary” to listen to. Arise is great, but the band hasn’t reached their peak yet, as some of it feels too standard for thrash. That does cost it a star, but it’s still important for the band, and it a good showing of their work. With that said, I eagerly await the day the generator gives me Roots. Favorite track: Arise Other hits: Dead Embryonic Cells (try saying that title in front of your parents), Subtraction, Altered State, Desperate Cry

Peter Buck says that this album was inspired by the themes of loss and mourning associated with turning 30. As someone approaching 28 and a half, I didn’t need to heat that. Let me get this out of the way, The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite doesn’t belong here. I get that it’s a breather on a downer of an album, but it’s too much. Even the band believed so, but it’s still a good song though. Otherwise, this dive into darker territory is among R.E.M.’s best work. Honestly, the real emotional part of the album for me was Nightswimming. (Everybody Hurts is great, but overplayed these days) That sense of reflection over “the good old days” in a world that seems to have moved on really gets to me. I won’t call this album a tearjerker, but it’s heavy and I certainly feel the weight. Favorite track: Man on the Moon Other hits: Nightswimming, Everybody Hurts, Ignoreland, Find the River, Sweetness Follows, Try Not to Breathe

This feels like a weird album to get for my first David Bowie album. People seem to really like Station to Station, but I couldn’t really get into it. It’s fine, but this isn’t my favorite David Bowie material. Most of it is average and it doesn’t help that 5 out of the 6 songs go over 5 minutes. The songs are pretty good however, and I like the diversity of it. Golden Years is a pretty good funk/disco romp and TVC15 is a solid art rock track that has Bowie tap into something like the Talking Heads. It’s a 3.5 for me, as four seems too high. Favorite track: TVC15 Other hits: Golden Years, Stay, Wild is the Wind

It’s a 50’s rock n’ roll album. It’s got the “doo-wap” backing vocals and all the high energy legally allowed in the late half of the decade. It is everything that represents 50’s rock n’ roll. Just one problem: I don’t really like 50’s rock n’ roll. I don’t hate it. It’s just not my cup of tea. It’s all hokey and cheesy to me. But the trade off is that the albums from this period are usually short, so they are not the worst. I cut the album some slack because it is influential and Buddy Holly is one of the most revered tragic figures in music history. And I did enjoy the softer songs. Favorite track: Not Fade Away Other hits: That’ll Be The Day, It’s Too Late (I’m not putting Oh Boy here, too cheesy for me)

Oh god, the day has come to delve into Kanye West. Rap/hip-hop is not my favorite genre, so my knowledge of Kanye’s music is almost non-existent. I saw this as a blessing considering how Kanye (or Ye, whatever the fuck he wants to be called) is nowadays, or just plain any point of his career with his 1001 controversies. But I was told that this album is a landmark achievement, and it’s from 2010, so it’s easy to look at this as a reflection of a high point of Ye’s career before the wires in his head became fried. And this project is meant to challenge my tastes in music, so I’ll be fair… to an extant. Let’s start with the good: the production’s great. Surface level complement, I know, but anything that makes a hour of Kanye bearable to me is a miracle. The songs sound really good, as it’s the type of hip-hop that’s more groovy than annoying, which is usually my vice for the genre. I couldn’t help but get lost in the likes of beats of Devil in a New Dress and All of the Lights. And the guest artists all add their weight to the album. (Though I agree Chris Rock greatly overstays his welcome in Blame Game) In a rare instance, I actually think Nicki Minaj is my favorite, as her part in Monster might be a contender for highlight of the album. As for Kanye himself… he’s fine. It’s Kanye. There’s good lyrics mixed with some self-indulgence. It’s tolerable. But here’s the weird thing: I have no desire to heard these songs again. I don’t really have it in me to listen to anything from this album. Most of the songs feel bloated to me and don’t have replayability to me. The closest song I can think of is Runaway, but that’s it. This album does nothing to sway my opinion of Kanye West: I can still care less. It’s the production and talent not nicknamed Ye that made this album not feel like a slog. I hope that if there is another Kanye West album in this project, it’s several hundred albums from now. Favorite track: Runaway Other hits that I thought were neat: Monster, All of the Lights, Devil in A New Dress, Dark Fantasy, POWER

This album frustrates me. I honestly thought this was going to be mid and it both was and wasn’t. When The Waterboys fuse their Irish folk with some modern (for the 80’s) sound, its works surprisingly well. I particularly loved World Party and We Will Not Be Lovers for this. But in the second half of the album, it veers too much into traditional and loses its appeal. Except for The Stolen Child, that was fucking awesome. There are also some other things too that knock it down. And A Bang To The Ear is way too long and Sweet Thing has this weird segment where they inject Blackbird by the Beatles in it. It’s really awkward. I really wanted to love this, since I rated 3 on three albums in a row. I see it as a 3.5, but that’s still a fourth 3. Damn. Favorite track: World Party Other hits: We Will Not Be Lovers, The Stolen Child, Strange Boat

I can’t speak from experience, but I figure it must be very difficult to make a swansong album. On top of knowing your end is at hand (mentally and physically), but you must also leave your fans with something good to remember you by. I remember David Bowie’s passing somewhat well, but never heard that he released an album two days prior to his death. I’m regretfully not well-versed in Bowie’s discography to say whether or not it’s the perfect end for him, but as a stand-alone album, it is a great swan song. Lazarus in itself feels like a proper emotional goodbye to a legendary artist. Blackstar in its entirety presents classic Bowie with hints of art and experimental jazz. The result is an album that as haunting as it is reflective. I can’t say it was perfect, but for what it is, it works well. It’s a very fitting goodbye for someone such as David Bowie. Favorite track: Lazarus Other hits: I Can’t Give Everything Away, Dollar Days, Sue (Or In A Season Of Crime), Tis A Pity She Was A Whore

This has to be punk at it’s absolute gloomiest. The reverb of the guitars, the depressed nature of the lyrics, the agony of it all, beautifully expressed by Ian Curtis. Imagine a very depressed Misfits. That’s this album. I won’t consider this a masterpiece. The gloom can get a little too off-putting at times. And it is an acquired taste for punk, lacking the high-energy in favor of dredge. But I really do jive with this darkness. It feels ahead of its time, influencing the likes of industrial and gothic rock, which I’m admittly a sucker for. It takes a bit of effort for any form of media to disturb me. This is one of the few that managed to do so. Favorite track: She’s Lost Control Other hits: New Dawn Fades, Insight, Disorder, Shadowplay, Wilderness

Let me start by saying as someone going into Billy Bragg blind, I don’t think his singing voice is bad. Yeah, it is aggressively British, but it kind of works here. He is not a great singer, however, so the more the album progressed, the more he started to lose me. Honestly, my biggest gripe with this is that it gets somewhat monotonous as it goes on. The songs started to blend together, as they feel too similar to one another; the same style of folk with Bragg’s divisive vocals. The saving grace of this album is the lyrics, balancing between love songs and political leanings. This leads to some great lines like “Something that every football fan knows, it only take five fingers to form a fist” and “Sometimes it takes a grown man a long time to learn, just what it would take a child a night to learn”. Well-versed and unapologetic, this album makes up for its shortcomings with its politically poetic bite. Favorite track: The Home Front Other hits: Greetings to the New Brunette, The Marriage, There Is Power In A Union, Levi Stubba’ Tears, The Passion

I’m thoroughly convinced that I subconsciously don’t give a shit about The Black Crowes. For whatever reason, I don’t really enjoy their songs. Maybe it’s Chris Robinson’s vocals or maybe it’s because I’m not a huge fan of southern rock, but I just don’t care. All of their songs sound literally the same, with little differences. And every single song, my attention span keeps waning before the songs are halfway done. I kind of like the hits (Hard to Handle, Jealous Again, She Talks to Angels), but I just don’t like going through Black Crowes albums. If the Southern Harmony and Musical Companion is on this project, I’m going to be very miffed. Favorite track: Hard to Handle Other hits: She Talks to Angels, Jealous Again, Twice as Hard, Sister Luck

This might seem like a minor detail to point out, but the little ambiance in the background of this album is such an interesting aspect. The clatter of the plates and glasses, the inaudible noises from the crowd. How do you think it felt to be a part of this experience? Sitting at a nice venue with some cool jazz. It’s probably a lot better than sitting in your room, trying to get your daily album done during your busy life. All jokes aside, this is some chill stuff. The trio of the piano, bass, and drums mix together very well, and this would make some amazing lounge music. While I’m not a fan of an album being primarily background music, this is a good showcase of early 60’s jazz. I just wish I can put it in the right atmosphere. Favorite track: Alice in Wonderland Other hits: Gloria’s Step, My Man’s Gone, Jade Visions

Ok, I have a question. Why are the streaming versions of this album missing songs? Most of the reviews talk about the album being 22 minutes. No, there’s missing songs. Like, is it for legal reasons or some other bullshit? So I had to use YouTube for this album, which already rubs me the wrong way. Honestly, it’s was probably too much effort for, of all things, a live album. Where most of the songs aren’t even Jerry’s. Hell, half of the album, is just Jerry doing whatever noises he can muster to pad the set list. But the dude’s got energy (probably the nicest thing I said about a racist pedo), so he gets two stars instead of one. Yippee. Favorite track: Money (That’s What I Want), I guess Other hits: I honestly didn’t give a fuck about the rest of this

Gotta hand to Frankie. This is an interesting concept album. Taking the same song and tweaking it for 15 songs is not something I seen before. Truly nobody like Frank Sinatra can match such a feat. Ok, jokes aside, this album should be a 3 from me. It REALLY lacks variety. But it’s still Frank Sinatra. And to me personally, he’s my favorite performer from this decade. His voice is timeless and at the very least, it’s good music to chill and loosen my mind to. And it’s probably the best the 50’s will get for me, so I’ll be nice and rate on a curve. Just this once. Favorite track: You Make Me Feel So Young Other hits: Idk man, just pick anything else. They sound similar.

I feel like this is as cozy as late 60’s folk rock can be. It’s a nice slice of rugged Americana that doesn’t swing into country or come off as hokey. I could probably do without the Lost Cause nostalgia, though. Especially on The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down. That Gone With The Wind type shit. But besides that, this was fairly relaxing. Favorite track: The Unfaithful Servant Other hits: Whispering Pines, King Harvest (Has Surely Come), Rockin’ Chair, Up On Cripple Creek

So this is basically an indie-fied Coldplay. Truth be told, it’s alright. It’s better than my last Mercury Prize winner (A Little Deeper by Ms. Dynamite). But the songs just go on for a while. Like why are there so many 5-minute songs? It makes the album feel a bit padded out. Honestly, this whole Mercury Prize shows me the British have a mid taste of music. Favorite track: One Day Like This Other Hits: Weather to Fly, Friend of Ours, Grounds for Divorce, Mirrorball

This has to be one of the more masterful punk rock albums I have ever heard. It’s a great 33 minutes that never comes across as repetitive or grating. There’s something about X that gives off a different energy than other punk bands. I kind of get a Sonic Youth / Violent Femmes vibe, probably due to the female vocalist. It’s easy to see why they are considered so influential to the scene. Favorite track: White Girl Other hits: In This House I Call Home, When Our Love Passed Out On The Couch, We’re Desperate, Back 2 The Base

I don’t know if it was the production or the quality of the music, but I swear R.E.M. never sounds like an 80’s band. Seriously, It’s The End Of The World As We Know It could have been released in the 90’s and I wouldn’t call it out of place. Maybe it Michael Stipe’s vocals or the Scott Litt production that give R.E.M. their sound. Document has to be one of the more cryptic, but refreshing albums of the decade. I think this might be the band’s most consistently good album to date. Everyone does their due diligence, from Bill Beery’s backing vocals to Peter Buck’s shredding, and the result is an extremely fun album. I tethered between a 4 or a 5 for this one. The score will show a 4, but it’s more of a 4.5. Favorite track: It’s The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine) Other hits: The One I Love, Finest Worksong, Fireplace, Welcome to the Occupation

I have to get this off my chest: Led Zeppelin is one of those bands that I never really seemed to love. They’re one of those artists that get celebrated to the Moon and back, but I just can’t seem to love their work. It’s probably due to every classic rock radio station playing their songs over and over again, and making me fatigued. Honestly, I was prepared to give a ok review of this album at best. But then something happened: it clicked. I think it might have to do with the fact that I don’t recall hearing any of the these songs before. The only familiar one is Dazed and Confused, and I actually like that song, so I didn’t mind hearing that again. Other than that, it was a fresh experience and it helped me grasp as to why Led Zeppelin is so well-beloved by every classic rock radio do in existence. Babe I’m Gonna Leave You is a fucking beautiful song, You’re Time is Gonna Come is a great gospel tune about a dishonest woman, and Black Mountain Side is short, but hella sweet folk. Robert Plant comes right of the gates swinging with his iconic vocals, sometimes sounding like he’s climaxing more than singing. But he gives the songs his distinct touch, which is vital for an album full of blues covers. This has to be one of the best debuts for a band, as it quickly established Led Zeppelin as a rock mainstay. I can’t say if the other Led Zeppelin albums will completely change my opinion of the band, but I think it’s a miracle I liked it this much. Favorite track: Babe I’m Gonna Leave You Other hits: Dazed and Confused, Black Mountain Side, Your Time Is Gonna Come, Communication Breakdown, Good Times Bad Times

Around the time I reached the legal age to drink, I had the brilliant idea that Coke can be mixed with any type of liqueur. With that logic, I decided to mix Coke with Bombay Sapphire Gin. When I tasted this unholy concoction, my reactions were all over the place. I was mostly disgusted, but tried to troop through it thinking it had to work. But the combination just didn’t work. Ultimately, I ended up dumping it. That’s exactly how I feel about Fear and Whiskey. The bizarre combination between punk and country isn’t the worst thing I ever heard and it feels like it almost works at times. But the mix of the harmonicas and electric guitars and punk vocals just never hit me right. Like the gin and Coke, it never clicked with me. I did finish the album, unlike the gin and coke. But I still can’t get the taste out of my mouth. Favorite track: Hard to be Human Again Other hits: Country, Darkness and Doubt, Abernant 1984/5

Peter Gabriel is an artist I was interested in exploring his discography. He always sounded like a unique artist and I liked the songs I heard from him previously (Solsbury Hill, Sledgehammer, nothing surprising). This was a very unique album to get through, and I mean that in a good way. It’s an arty take on 80’s pop music with many catchy tracks, most tackling political themes in creative ways. Family Snapshot was my personal favorite. I love how the song for its majority increases slightly in intensity, but suddenly softens near the ends. It was probably one of the bigger emotional whiplashes I heard in a song. Considering its background of being based on the memoir of a would-be political assassin who admitted he was looking for attention, it was perhaps the most intense track on the album. That doesn’t subtract from the other hits on the album that hit that activist itch, such as Biko and Games Without Frontiers. Peter Gabriel 3 is a well put together experiment of an album; not too abstract to drive away, but not too safe for commercial appeal. I hope if any of the other Peter Gabriels make this list, they sound at least as good as this. Favorite track: Family Snapshot Other hits: I Don’t Remember, Lead A Normal Life, Biko, Games Without Frontiers, Intruder

You know, Primal Scream is a very misleading name for a band. How many people would look at this album and assume that it’s going to be something like an alternative metal album or something similar? Thankfully, I was aware of the band prior to this to keep my expectations in check. Anyway, this was pretty middle of the road for me. Some of this was pretty good for what mostly feels like more of a psychedelic vibe with a nice industrial touch. But some of it just kind of goes on, without leaving much of a personal impact. I guess I’m not really a fan of albums that seem to be more for playing in the background and “vibe” too. Favorite track: Kowalski Other hits: Get Duffy, Stuka, Medication

I honestly have zero idea why it has taken me this long in my life to fully indulge in the Pixies. The only excuse I can think of is perhaps I wouldn’t “get” it. Maybe I’d go through an album and not understand what would make it that special. Like I would finish it and go “OK, but I don’t get it. Why is this acclaimed?” But that didn’t happen here. I get it now. This album feels like one of the very few so far that might actually be essential to listen to before you die. It is the blueprint for much of alternative rock to come within the following decade. I mean, most of this album sounds like a beta version of Nirvana around the time they only had Bleach to their name. It’s also one of the most well-balanced albums I heard so far. It feels pop-oriented, but touches upon other genres (Country for Silver, surf rock for Here Comes Your Man, even punk for Crackity Jones) to never feel slate. It’s definitely indie in nature, but never feels alienating or pretentious. The tracks stick to you and refuse to let go. Maybe it Francis Black’s vocals, coming out stretchy and torn before Kurt Cobain made it cool. Or how Kim Deal’s bass riffs perfectly intricate their ways through the songs along with the guitar riffs. How the hell did it take me this long to finally listen to these guys? Favorite track: Here Comes Your Man Other hits: Debaser, Monkey Gone to Heaven, Hey, Wave of Mutilation, Gouge Away

Every year since about the time I was born, me and my family would take a summer trip to Long Beach Island. It’s a little beach town on the east end of New Jersey, about a hour away from Atlantic City. Starting in the early 2000’s, my parents would have a mixtape of songs that would sedate us through the car ride to LBI. The first half consisted of songs that were more recent… at least for the early 2000’s. A hodgepodge of songs like I Try by Macy Gray, It Wasn’t Me by Shaggy, a censored The Real Slim Shady by Eminem and some other stuff. It’s the second half of the mixtape, however, that is relevant to the album. That side consisted of songs from the 60’s and 70’s, with the likes of the Carpenters, Dionne Warwick, The Fifth Dimension and more. It was when I heard songs like Rainy Days and Mondays, California Dreamin’, Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head, and even Sweet Caroline. But the first song of this side was always What’s Going On. Thanks in part to the song being a part of one of my School Spirit Days, where all the grades of my school had to perform a synchronized dance routine to a chosen song, I was always familiar with What’s Going On (the song). It has always been a part of my life, being played every year on that drive down to vacation. I mean, maybe a song denouncing police brutality isn’t the best song to hype up for some fun in the sun, but I didn’t make the mixtape. Besides, Marvin’s silky smooth vocals with the serenading orchestra behind him was always relaxing to me, no matter the mood the song carried. For more than 28 years, I have not ventured past that song to hear the other tracks on this album… until today. I can confidently say that, in my opinion, this is the pinnacle of soul in the 1970’s. I know I not giving a hot take by saying that, but it is 1000% true. Never has an album addressed multiple issues of the time, from the aftermath of the Vietnam War, to life in the ghettos and even to the environment, with a sense of concern and subtle optimism. The flow of the album is remarkable, as Marvin seamlessly travels from one track to the next, never missing a beat. There always a nostalgic feeling along the album as Marvin ponders what the future will hold, something that somehow still applies to this day. We all try to keep a sense of some optimism despite looking at the world around us and wondering what else can go wrong. And even though Marvin may be a bit too dependent on the power of God (which he probably does a little too much), his message for love is much needed for all people. As of today, me and my family still go down to Long Beach Island, though we now go down in September rather than in the midst of summer. And while things have certainly changed, we still listen to the same songs on the way down. And while we never know how many years we got, I know that every year I’ll be hearing that familiar Marvin Gaye song again, just as I have for the last 20-something years. Favorite track: What’s Going On Other hits: Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology), Wholy Holy, Save the Children, Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)

I feel bad sometimes when I have to do international albums. On one hand, I love the challenge of finding some music in areas I never would have thought of looking. Not every banger has to be sung in English. But then when I get this types of albums, they don’t really keep my attention and this album is no different. There are parts of this album that I liked. I actually did enjoy some of the more dates aspects of the album (the synth effects and everything else that makes this album unapologetically 90’s as hell). But none of it could keep my attention for long, and I just lose interest before the final track. Baaba Maal is talented. I can’t deny that. But that can’t justify this nearly hour-long slog. Favorite track: Olel Other hits: Sy Sawande, Toro, Hamady Boiro

This has to be noise rock at its most melodic, accessible, and thankfully at its best. I love how the albums alternates between Thurston Moore’s more simplistic vocals and Kim Gordon’s sometimes subdued, sometimes vicious vocals between songs. It keeps the album fresh and stops it from becoming stale. Considering its length, the noise did get somewhat grating the more it went on, but this is still a good piece of grunge coming from Sonic Youth. Though so remain curious about the albums prior to this one. Favorite track: Sugar Cane Other hits: Wish Fulfillment, Drunken Butterfly, Chapel Hill, Youth Against Fascism, 100%

So, has anyone seen those images online where it says something like “Damn Homie! You Got The Whole Squad Laughing!” and it’s just people staring at you stonefaced? That’s my experience with this album. It’s bad satire that constantly thinks it’s making some kind of statement. Like yeah Frank, you showed them. I don’t know who the fuck “them” is (hippies I guess) or why half this album is animal noises and playing with your voice pitch until you sound like the missing fourth member of Alvin and the Chipmunks, but… you really stuck it to them. Also, “Nasal Retentive Calliope Music” and “The Chrome Plated Megaphone of Destiny” are the most painful songs I ever heard. Literally cringeworthy. Like I actually physically cringed during both songs. And I mean that with no irony. Favorite track: lol no nothing here this time

I feel like the generator is apologizing to me for giving me We’re Only In It For The Money by The Mothers of Invention. Like “Sorry for that shit. Here’s some actual good music from 1968.” I admire the sentiment, I mean Jimi Hendrix is legendary. There is no denying that. But I don’t think this is his magnum opus. Frankly, it kinda of suffers from a few problems. The biggest ones are its length and its lack of focus. Being double album sized and not bringing your A-game makes for kind of a meandering experience. Not that Hendrix is boring at all. There is some good shit here, especially near the end. Those last two tracks are godlike. But the two longer tracks, Voodoo Chile (not the return, that’s amazing) and 1983, overstay their welcome, especially 1983. Hendrix here is great in parts on this album and I was kind of hoping it would be more than that. Maybe I’ll get that from Are You Experienced. But Hendrix can still provide the goods even in he doesn’t fire on all cylinders. Favorite track: Voodoo Child (Slight Return) Other hits: All Along the Watchtower, Crosstown Traffic, Burning of the Midnight Lamp, House Burning Down, Have You Ever Been (to Electric Ladyland)

I haven’t hit 70 albums yet and I’ve gotten my third R.E.M. album. Not that I’m complaining, they have been consistently good up to this point. And Green is no exception. Actually, this might even be my favorite from them so far. I don’t know if that’s a hot take or not. But this is a really good mixture of some bubblegum pop with some serious asides. I’ve read that the pop was supposed to be ironic and satirical, but the band just ended up making some good pop themselves. Funny how that works. Though songs like Orange Crush and World Leader Pretend add a nice contrast away from the pop. Honestly, this feels like the send-off for R.E.M. as an outliner from the mainstream. This was the last album before Out of Time, which would make the band no longer a cult band. While I think Document is the last pure essence of R.E.M. as who they originally were, Green feels like the swan song to those days. And to me, they went out with a bang. Favorite track: Stand Other hits: Orange Crush, Pop Song 89, Get Up, Turn You Inside-Out, World Leader Pretend

I feel sometimes I forget that one of the more exciting aspects of doing this project is finding music that I never would have found on my own. I don’t know how obscure k.d. lang is in the musical landscape, but she wasn’t ever really on my radar. The genres for this album alone are all over the place. Pop, country, folk, jazz and apparently new wave? What is this shit, I asked prior to jumping in. I wasn’t expecting much at all. But this album blindsided me. This album is smooth, mostly thanks to k.d.’s outstanding vocals and the stellar production. I understand that most will find this kind of stuff boring or background material and I respect that opinion. I might even say that some of the middle tracks did kind of drag a bit, hence why this won’t be part of my 5-star gang. But in my opinion, it’s a lot better than what I was expecting. Favorite track: Constant Craving Other hits: Save Me, Season of Hollow Soul, Miss Chatelaine, Outside Myself

I’m going to be honest: this album didn’t do anything for me. Most of the songs rely on samples that are usually repeated over and over again. I get what it was going for. It an electronic vibe/dance album, so it’s part of the beat. But it mostly just kind of sounded annoying to me. I couldn’t get into it outside of a couple of songs. Honestly, Frontier Psychiatrist was the only track that sounded like a song. Everything else basically a lyric, repeating it over and over again, changing up a little for variety, and call it a day. If this is your sort of thing, that’s fine. But it’s not for me really. Favorite track: A Different Feeling Other hits: Frontier Psychiatrist, Etoh, Electricity, Two Hearts in 3/4 Time

Was it really worth going through a double album of discomfort, as Eric Clapton plays through the blues despite his racism just to get to Layla. Maybe, I mean it’s the one song in the title of the album. Honestly, it’s the other song to give a shit about. The rest range from ok to forgettable. To be blunt, I’m getting sick of getting double albums. Especially those made by terrible people. Favorite track: Layla Other hits that are not Layla: Bell Bottom Blues, I Looked Away, Thorn Tree in the Garden

I came into this album not having a clue about Fiona Apple and having no clue what to expect. I have to say that this is a very unique album and I mean that in a good way. There is a delicate balance between the beautiful nature of the tracks with some powerful lyrics. She written all this in her teen years? Damn. Looking through the reviews, I glad someone singled out Never Is A Promise. I don’t know what it is, but that was my favorite from this album, even more so than the singles (which are still very good). That song was fucking beautiful, a slow and empowering song. Favorite track: Never Is A Promise Other hits: Criminal, Sleep to Dream, Sullen Girl, Shadowboxer, The First Taste

Well, here we are. So, full disclosure, rap and hip-hop are not my go-to genres. Being more of a rock guy, I don’t tend to do really any rap. That means that I have yet to listen to any of the most beloved rap albums. This project, however, is a good entry point to some of those albums to see how I would react to them. This is one of them. I heard many great things about Nas, but never listened to his music before. All signs pointed to this being one of the most important hip-hop albums in existence, so the expectations were high. I will say that Nas is very talented. The flow within the songs is amazing.(god I hope I’m using that term right) Everything just goes smooth and the samples are on point. I can see why many consider him to be one of the greatest rappers. I also enjoy the focus on growing up in Queens and the various factors that affected Ana’s, especially the focus on the lives of those come to Nas and how growing up surrounded by gangs and drugs had a big impact. It gives a nice personal edge to the album. It’s a nice touch for a rap album to see about things other than fame, money, and sex, in that order. However, my biggest issue with this album is that not many of the songs had an impact on me. I kind of felt that most of the album sounded similar for most of its runtime. As someone who isn’t that big into hip-hop or rap, this didn’t particularly sway me. I can see what many like about it, but for me it didn’t really do much. Favorite track: It Ain’t Hard to Tell Other hits: Life’s A Bitch, N.Y. State of Mind, The World is Yours

I’m a bit surprised at how much I enjoyed this. I mean, the songs are both long and repetitive. And I never really cared a lot for Le Freak, the most popular track on the album. And yet, I found this one to be very enjoyable. The production is solid. The bass adds the right amount of support and I didn’t know Chic was the type of band that would use electric guitar, which sounds incredible. My favorite track ended up being Savior Faire, a very soothing instrumental. Favorite track: Savior Faire Other hits: I Want Your Love, At Last I Am Free, Le Freak, Sometimes You Win

I’m glad that Tiny Tim was able to get his indie band project started. If only he could find an audience for it because it sure as hell ain’t me. To be honest, I almost feel like I could have enjoyed this album. The ambiance isn’t bad. Actually the atmosphere is pretty good. But then the Tiny Tim vocals come in and threaten to tip-toe through those fucking tulips. If not for that, the album is mostly boring. It just comes off as repetitive and I lost interest near the end. Such a shame. Favorite track: All the King’s Men Other hits: We Still Got the Taste Dancing On Our Tongues, Two Dancers

This album doesn’t reinvent the wheel or do much of anything special. It’s basically a half-hour does of classic rock. These aren’t the most amazing songs I heard. But for what it is, Bad Company works well. There is a nice variety and I enjoyed a little more than I thought I would. So at least it’s consistent. Favorite track: Bad Company Other hits: Seagull, Movin’ On, The Way I Choose

You know, I’m a bit happy that the first Leonard Cohen album I get is his debut (I assume there will be others) because I wasn’t a huge fan of this. It’s far from bad. Cohen’s voice makes this a cozy album to listen to and his songwriting is most certainly his strong point. But a lot of the songs kind of felt…one note. They just feel similar as Cohen sings through them, not really adding any variety to his vocals. It becomes more poetry to me than music, which is alright. But I’m not really into that and I want to brush if off on the fact it’s his debut. Maybe some of that will change deeper into his discography, but as is, this one was ok. Favorite track: So Long, Marianne Other hits: Hey, That’s No Way To Say Goodbye, Suzanne, Sisters of Mercy, One of Us Cannot Be Wrong

This generator has a sick sense of humor. The last album I got was Songs of Leonard Cohen, the debut for Leonard Cohen, and I stated in the review for that I was interested in hearing Cohen’s other work. Then the next album I get, it his fucking swan song, complete with him singing with the last remnants of life he had left. Life’s got a sick sense of humor. Honestly, this was haunting and I have to make the inevitable comparison to Blackstar, David Bowie’s last album before his death too. In the same year. They’re both haunting reflections from artists who are more than aware that they are living their final days (though it’s more obvious in Leonard than David. Not that I would want to compare the pain these two felt. I’m not a psychopath). However, Blackstar feels like Bowie giving the masses one more round of himself before Ziggy returned to his home planet. Leonard here is just ripping the band-aid, as his gravelly vocals, ripened with his age, as he seems to be having a passionate one-on-one with God. I’m still not 100% certain I’m the type who might be into Leonard Cohen. As I mentioned in Songs of Leonard Cohen, he comes off to me as more of a poet than a singer. I think his songwriting is great, but I can’t get into his songs as a whole, mostly due to his voice. However, right from the first track, I saw that problem is greatly reduced here. His vocals here add to the mystic of the album. An aging man talking to the deity he followed his whole life, and is preparing himself to meet him, while giving his parting message to his listeners. There is a lot of memorable lyrics that stuck with me, but my favorite has to been the refrain for Steer Your Heart: “Year by Year, Month by Month, Day by Day, Thought by Thought”. Make of life as much as you can. You only have less of it as you go along. Favorite track: You Want It Darker Other Hits: Steer Your Heart, Treaty, If I Didn’t Have Your Love

I think the “sensational” in The Sensational Alex Harvey Band does a lot of heavy lifting. This was just diet AC/DC, as they sing sleazy songs, usually about sex, as they push the envelope on what they could get away with. But while AC/DC can make their songs work, the same cannot be said for Alex Harvey. Their songs just come off as stupid. The lyrics are really dumb, and the vocals can get very annoying. I almost felt like I could get behind a song or two (especially between The Faith Healer and Vambo Marble Eye), but it never happens. It’s a 35-minute album that feels like an eternity, which is not an easy feat. Favorite track: The Faith Healer, I guess Other hits: parts of Vambo Marble Eye and Gang Bang

I have always been aware of Janis Joplin and his iconic voice. That raspy loud growl that rivals the likes of Led Zeppelin and Axel Rose. What I was not aware was that she was involved in a band, especially a blues rock one. I figured she was mostly a folk singer. Shows what I knew about Janis. And I’m also kicking myself for never hearing this before. This is almost exactly what I want from a late 60’s album; embracing the underground counterculture that came with the end of the decade and the state of the world at the time. This feels like one of the stepping stones that would eventually lead to the punk and hard rock acts of the next decade. The biggest X-factor of the album is of course Janis herself. Her growl, mixed with the rest of the band and even the facade of crowd noises, made this album a kickass barrage of high energy. I kind of wish that was more tracks. I feel Ball and Chain drags a bit long, and it feels a little short with only 7 tracks. But for what it is, it’s still a near perfect effort. Favorite track: Piece Of My Heart Other hits: I Need A Man To Love, Oh Sweet Mary, Ball and Chain, Summertime

I didn’t even know they made blues albums in the 1980’s, let alone near the 90’s. I am not familiar with John Lee Hooker or his music. From what I could gather this is pretty late into his career, and was successful enough to provide him with money for his late years. To be real, I agree that the most common problem is that there are too many songs that contains a special guest that doesn’t really amount to anything. I don’t really hear Los Lobos on Think Twice Before You Go and there is no sign of George Thorogood on Sally Mae. (Though for me personally, that’s a good thing) The only guests that work are The Healer with Carlos Santana and I’m in the Mood with Bonnie Raitt. These actually feel like they add to their respective songs. As for the rest of the album… I don’t know, dude. It’s a typical blues album where most of the songs have a similar vibe for its duration. The 80’s production is hit-or-miss and I found myself drifting into boredom too often. This was honestly only ok. Two stars feels harsh, so I give it three. Favorite track: The Healer Other hits: I’m in the Mood, Think Twice Before You Go, Cuttin’ Out, The last 3 songs where John plays alone (Rockin’ Chair, My Dream, No Substitute)

This one borders a bit on being background music, but there’s a nice energy to it that makes it listenable. Some of the songs elicit a comfortable vibe to them, which stops it from feeling boring. However, not much of this really stuck past that. There really wasn’t anything memorable for me here. It’s good, but not much past that. Good to hear more of Van Morrison past Brown-Eyed Girl, though. Favorite track: Into the Mystic Other hits: And It Stoned Me, Brand New Day, Caravan, These Dreams of You

You know, I’ve been looking at the “controversial artists” portion on my summary and thought what band would probably even go in there. What type of band would even fit that category where I would like and hate albums from the same band? Today, I found out that U2 might fit that bill. I don’t care for U2. Anytime a radio station play a song from them, I change it. It’s mostly because of Bono’s borderline whiny voice. But, I don’t completely despise U2. That leads to this predicament; I didn’t hate this. I feel that this might be the band’s best material. Now that’s not going to say a lot. Bono is still a whiny twat on this album and this album fizzled a bit as it reached the end. But this is as tolerable as U2 can get for me. Honestly, the three opening tracks alone seal the deal and make up for the inferior second half. I don’t know when I’ll get another U2 album. I know there will be another, hopefully at least 300 or more albums from now. But I’ll pretty sure this is the peak for U2 for me. If not, I think I have a problem. Favorite track: With or Without You Other hits: I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For, Where the Streets Have No Name, Running to Stand Still, Red Mill Mining Town, One Tree Hill

This is a hell of an oddity. I was expecting a 40-plus minute exercise of tedium. Nothing but ambient guitars and background noise, like what the reviews were saying. However, after listening to it, I’m torn. Some of the songs were ambient guitars and background noise, like the first track ‘she found now’. But the others… how do I explain this? See, I actually enjoyed the vibe of some of this songs. They feel weirdly nostalgic and for what it’s worth… it is good background music. But the songs don’t stick. Like after a song ends, my mind won’t absorb it. There’s nothing memorable. I wanted to like this. I was really getting into it. But an album that can’t stick with me is only ok. Favorite track: who sees you Other hits: the ones that sounded somewhat normal (is this and yes, in another way, new you) idk this one was hard

I never thought that I would like a dance album. They feel so niche, like they need to be play in clubs or parties to have any entertainment value. But this one surprised me. It sounds at times like a fusion between 2010’s dance and 80’s synth pop and the result was amazing. I found myself getting into the groove for most of these songs. I don’t know how to explain it, but I felt weirdly nostalgic listening to this. Maybe it’s because it came from the early 2010’s and it takes me back to my high school days. It’s got that vibe. It does have some dance jank, where it relays on random noises to make up the beat. But it’s at a minimum. This was a great surprise. Favorite track: Ends of the Earth Other hits: Flutes, These Chains, Don’t Deny Your Heart, Let Me Be Him

Well, this was unexpected. My reactions to this album are all over the place. For starters, I feel that the tone of the album is inconsistent. The intent with this album was to stand apart from the other rap albums of the time by focusing on love and peace rather than violence, drugs, and all the other fun stuff Dr. Dre and other were rapping about at the time. The result, however, feels like an album that feels cheesy for most of its runtime when it’s trying to be serious at other times. One song, Fishin’ 4 Religion, is an ambiguous song about how some churches preach the wrong values; teaching on being passive rather than changing. Then, there’s Children Play with Earth, a corny song telling children to touch grass. The Nintendo Joystick lyric made me want to roll my eyes into the back of my skull. And most of the album constantly refers to starting a revolution. I’m aware this is a socially conscious album, but it’s a little on the nose. Honestly, the saving grace of the album are the beats of the songs. Despite the somewhat cheesy tracks, the songs are fun and funky. It’s easier to pick this album apart for the best bits. Which is good, because this album is a bit on the long side. Overall, I thought I was going to hate this, but it was rather ok. Favorite track: Tennessee Other hits: Mr. Wendal, People Everyday, Fishin’ 4 Religion

This wasn’t as good as Let It Bleed to me. The hits on this album (Brown Sugar, Wild Horses) aren’t really my favorites from the band. Can’t Hear You Knocking drags a little too long. And I can do without The Rolling Stones saying You Gotta Move ever again. Still, you can’t go wrong with The Rolling Stones, even if it isn’t peak. Favorite track: Wild Horses Other hits: Moonlight Mile, Bitch, Brown Sugar, Sway, Dead Flowers

My knowledge of Arcade Fire is very surface level. As in, I know them by name only. Honestly, I thought they were a rock band. So, it surprised me to hear a very indie sounding album. That’s on me and my misconceptions. But overall, it’s a indie album. It feels like music people listen to in order to feel smart. There’s an aura of pretentiousness to it, like most indie albums who use Victorian-ish art for their cover. Seriously, that art style is so overused for stuff like this. I don’t know the evolution of Arcade Fire’s sound over the years. Hell, I don’t even know if they have anymore albums on this project. If they do, I hope it’s a little better than this. Favorite track: Wake Up Other hits: Rebellion (Lies), In the Backseat, Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)

Allow me to go on a tangent here. I remember believing for many years that the song Cherry Pie by Warrant was an 80’s song. I mean, if you heard it, it’s a fine example of hair metal; loud and usually about wanting to fuck women. It wasn’t until not too long ago that I learned that the song was released in 1990. I mean, I get it. It’s the first year of the decade. You can’t expect change that quickly. But then I thought about some other albums that came before Nevermind. There’s Use Your Illusion by Guns an’ Roses, For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge by Van Halen, Waking Up the Neighbors by Bryan Adams (which came out the same day) and even Metallica by… Metallica, who sacrificed some edge for mainstream success. It really makes me wonder: what would have music looked like had Nevermind never reached the audience it did. I’m not going to bore you with the obvious. Everybody knows this is where 90’s music became 90’s music. Rock stopped being about long-haired face-painted men singing about their libido and started delving into darker territories like angst and frustration. Alternative became the mainstream and would pave the way for grunge to be one of the most dominant genres of the decade. I think everyone knows that. I am also not capable of resisting the urge to join in on the acclaim for this album. It is my favorite album? No. Is it my favorite grunge album? No. Is my favorite 90’s album? No. But without it, those probably wouldn’t exist. Would bands like Alice In Chains or Stone Temple Pilots or Soundgarden experience the levels of success they saw without this? Probably not. And to be fair, it is a great album on its own merits. The hits are the hits. Everyone’s heard Smells Like Teen Spirit a million times and stuff like In Bloom and Come As You Are are also as known at this point. What I was surprised was with Breed and Territorial Pissings. I didn’t know Nirvana ever tapped into punk, let alone on Nevermind. And I love the darker tracks in Polly and Something in the Way. It’s shows the depth of the album to me that’s escalates it past the album being “I’m iconic because Smells Like Teen Spirit”. An album’s impact is one thing. Nobody can question the importance of this album and is does indeed fit the category of “must do before you die”. But impact is second to the quality of the album itself. What does impact mean if you don’t like the album? I don’t know if Nevermind ranks in my top 5 of all time. Maybe the middle portion of the album was a bit weaker than the rest of the tracks. But it’s not a deal breaker. This album is too damn important for me to be a contrarian about it. Favorite track: In Bloom Other hits: Smells Like Teen Spirit, Come As You Are, Lithium, On A Plain, Breed, Polly, Something in the Way

I had some low expectations coming into this album. It seemed like a blotted electronic album and the score/reviews for this didn’t seem promising. I thought I was heading for almost an hour of background music. But holy fuck, was I wrong. To be fair, the album is long and the two remixes at the end didn’t do much for me. But for most of the album, this was shockingly good. This wasn’t so much club electronic music, but rather lounge-ish. Some might find that boring and I thought I would too. But between the smooth ambiance and Tracey Thorn’s vocals, this was more tranquil to me than sleep-inducing. If it was a little shorter, I might have given it a 5. Favorite track: Walking Wounded (original) Other hits: Wrong (original), Single, Mirrorball, Big Deal, Before Today

I need to know what drug some 80’s album cover artists were on. Like, whose idea is it to put your face in a rectangle window in a void. And why is Phillip Oakey staring at me with that much eyeliner? Anyway, I’m a sucker for 80’s synth. It’s a guilty pleasure of mine that gives the decade its standalone vibe. It’s a weirdly nostalgic feeling… which is weird because I was born in the 90’s. It is a bit synth overkill here, and the tracks do get a little repetitive. But it’s perfectly serviceable for what it is. Honestly, I didn’t expect to get some sinister sounds from the likes of Darkness and I Am The Law. It’s different from what I heard from the Human League before… which was really just Don’t You Want Me. Really, the beauty of this generator is making me listen to albums from bands I heard one song from, just so the song I was familiar with all along ends up my favorite. Still, this was pretty fun and I certainly got into the vibe a couple of times. It’s 80’s as hell, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. Favorite track: Don’t You Want Me Other hits: Open Your Heart, Darkness, I Am The Law, Love Action (I Believe In Love), Do or Die

I never considered myself a fan of Common. I’m not a fan of hip-hop or rap in general, but for some reason I specifically never liked Common. I think it might have been back when Glory from the movie Selma won for Best Original Song at the Oscar’s, which felt like it won because it was close to Eric Garner’s death, as well as the Oscars So White controversy. I remember hearing the song and thinking it was ridiculous that the song won since it was basically just a chorus repeating the word Glory over and over again. Now this was a decade ago, so I was younger and stupider, but it made me think Common was this straight edge, social justice rapper who was more notable for his activism than his songs. I was low key dreading doing this album as it popped up. Fortunately, this was not as bad as I thought it would be. However, I wouldn’t call it great. The album has great production and it’s nice to hear Kanye West before he completely lost his mind. And I didn’t know John Legend was singing around 2005. I mean, I was nine at the time this came out and I really didn’t know John Legend until All of Me. I know, I’m really ignorant. Anyway, most of the album is good Chi-rap. It covers all the bases lyrically; rapping about the problems facing the black population in Chicago with a semi-positive outlook. Most of it is good, but nothing particularly mind-blowing. And Common does like rapping about the cops a lot. I mean, I sympathize with him, but it’s a little repetitive. Overall, this wasn’t bad. I take back that beef I had with Common a decade ago. Favorite track: They Say Other hits: Faithful, Testify, It’s Your World, Go!

As someone who doesn’t really consider himself a fan of hip-hop or albums that last more than an hour, it feels like a miracle to just say how much I thoroughly enjoyed this album. I’ve heard many things about this album and how influential it is and its reputation is certainly proven to me. It’s a fun ride that never really loses steam as it goes on. Between the little game show theme and some of the synergy between the trio in the more comedic tracks, it’s a nice trip. If I had to criticize, there are moments that maybe the album can come off as a little immature. I mean, De La Ogree was a little annoying. Though I not sure what I expected with that track. It’s not a five from me personally, but it came really close. And for me, a hip-hop album that gets nearly five stars deserves my respect. Glad it’s finally on streaming services. Favorite track: Me Myself and I Other hits: The Magic Number, Eye Know, Say No Go, Plug Tunin’, Tread Water, Buddy

I appreciate how smooth some of the tracks sound. But for me, that’s about as far as this album goes. Every song just sort of blended together for me and made this 40-minute album feel like an eternity. The songs do have their moments, which makes this album more decent than bad, but it’s nothing special for me. Favorite track: Johnny is Dead Other hits: We Fight/We Love, Shaka, Move, Life is Better

I didn’t know this generator automatically gave you this album on Christmas Eve. That’s cute and makes a lot of sense. So I’ll admit to being a bit of a sucker for Christmas music. On the day after Thanksgiving (and not a day sooner unlike some people), after Santa caps off the Thanksgiving Day Parade, any music playing from the radio will always be Christmas music. It’s been like that ever since I was a kid and I’ve been here for 28 Christmases. And I anticipate doing it for at least 28 more. For those in the state of New York, there’s a radio station: 106.7 Lite FM. Every December, they play Christmas music constantly until the end of the holiday. It’s what I’ve listened to every Christmas season, as I would spend a holiday weekend with my family in Manhattan or enjoy the big day at my grandparent’s house in Brooklyn. There are so many Christmas songs that have been a part of my life at this time of year. Christ knows how many versions of Sleigh Ride and Winter Wonderland I heard. Yet I never considered the impact this album had until getting it today. I believe that this album is the reason many artists even do Christmas albums in the first place, giving their own twist to some classic carols much like what was done here. I usually spilt Christmas music into two categories: crooners and everything else. Sounds lazy to do that. It get probably go deeper but I’m simplifying. A majority of Christmas music that 106.7 plays are usually the works of Frank Sinatra, Gene Autry, Andy Williams, Dean Martin, Perry Como… you get the point. Many of there are classics in their own right and it wouldn’t be Christmas without them, but playing them back-to-back tends to feel… monotonous. They start to blend together. But after this album, I feel this is when the crooner era ended and Christmas music entered a more modern iteration. I recognized a majority of these songs. The only ones I wasn’t familiar with were the Bobb B. Sox and the Blue Jeans songs, Parade of the Wooden Soldiers, the Darlene Love version of White Christmas and Silent Night. (I’ll get to that) Many of these tracks to me are the most memorable versions of these classic songs. From the little intro in Santa Claus Is Coming to Town to the “ring-a-ding”ing in Sleigh Ride (which became a staple), each track has something that make each carol stand out from the 15 other versions out there. That can be attributed to the Wall of Sound, which makes every song sound grand. The orchestral backings sound epic in scale to match with the vocals and there is a constant vibrant energy. All the artists on this album are great, but this album belongs to Darlene Love. His songs are objectively the best and her own song Baby Please Come Home is a classic. If there is anything to knock the album for, I could say that the tracks do somewhat sound a bit similar to one another, probably thanks to the Wall of Sound. And there is the elephant in the room that this album is headlined by a convicted murderer. That makes the last track, Silent Night, age like milk when Phil Spector comes on the record with his creepy voice. It’s…unfortunate to have a name like his attached to these classics. But I won’t let that diminish the work of the artists who were a part of this and I say the honor should go to them. Many of these songs have been around for me every Christmas season. Honestly, Christmas has started to feel different each year. After the passing of my grandfather and my grandmother entering late stage dementia, I no longer go to my grandparents for Christmas. This has left somewhat of a hole to fill for my holiday season as things have certainly changed over many Christmases, as we all probably experience. But if there is one constant every year, it’s that the music will always be there. And while there are other Christmas songs out there that mean a lot to me, like Last Christmas, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, and even All I Want For Christmas Is You before everyone made that song annoying, the songs on this album also share a place in my heart every December on 106.7 Lite FM. Favorite track: Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) Other hits: The other Darlene Love tracks (White Christmas, A Marshmellow World, Winter Wonderland), Frosty the Snowman, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Parade of the Wooden Soldiers, Sleigh Ride, Santa Claus is Coming to Town, I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus

Out of all the hard rock acts I have heard, I have for some reason never listened to Fugazi. While I’m certain 13 Songs has to be on this list (I hope it is or I look really stupid), I see that this album is just as highly regarded. Truth be told, I think this is my favorite kind of punk: high energy, messy but organized, loud. I think I really enjoy this post-hardcore stuff. The only thing against it is that some of the tracks do get a little repetitive. But I overall really enjoyed this. Favorite track: Turnover Other hits: Merchandise, Sieve-Fisted Find, Shut the Door

One of the biggest issues I have with 70’s rock, or dad rock as some would call it, is that the vast majority of songs tend to be overstuffed with guitar solos. And not really structured solos, but more jam-like solos. The kinds that meander for a bit too long and inflate tracks to lengths in the 5-minute range. It gets a bit tiring to hear rock albums from this decade because of it. But Santana is built different. His guitar playing mixed with the Latin music elements give him a very distinct sound. The result is smooth (no pun intended) and gives the album this unique serene lounge like vibe. Honestly, there are only two dad rock songs on the album (Mother’s Daughter and Hope You’re Feeling Better). If it weren’t for those two, this might have been a perfect album. But as it is, it is miles better than a majority of dad rock albums. Favorite track: Black Magic Woman/ Gypsy Woman Other hits: Oye Como Va, Incident at Neshabur, Samba Pa Ti, Se A Cabo

I know an album is probably going to suck when I don’t even care for the big track on the album. Given how much the Beatles have been a part of my life, I’ve been eagerly awaiting the day I get a Beatles album. Go and figure that the first crumb I get is one of John Lennon’s solo albums, where all of John’s ego and artistic bullshit can go unchecked. As mentioned before, I don’t really give a fuck about Imagine. It’s a surface level peace song that’s overplayed as much as it’s pretentious. It doesn’t even mean much on the album. Hard to preach about peace when you put a Paul McCartney diss track on it too. But the big problem I have with Imagine is that almost none of the songs are worth anything. I Don’t Wanna Be A Soldier is a 6-minute repetitive nuisance, Oh Yoko made me feel uncomfortable and Gimme Some Truth is just surface level political commentary. The only song I kinda liked was Jealous Guy. Honestly, most of the songs just felt like they used the same lyrics over and over again. I wasn’t a fan of this one, which sucks as a Beatles fan. Hopefully, it’s one of those albums I see John Lennon again. Favorite track: Jealous Guy Other hits: Oh My Love, How?

Listen, generator. We need to talk. It’s the last day of 2024. Everyone is doing stuff to celebrate, whether they are partying or jerking off. Or both if they are in an orgy. Why the fuck are you giving me an hour-long album by a band I have never heard of and threatening me with genres like “shoegaze”, “britpop”, and “indie”? I mean, it wasn’t bad. Surprisingly, it just a mixture of harmless alternative 90’s music and semi-wannabe My Bloody Valentine. But I have two questions: 1. What about this is “must-do before dying” material? 2. Why a fucking hour? It’s way too much. It’s eventually going to drag. Look, it’s been nearly 100 albums. You given me some good stuff and some questionable stuff. I don’t mind that you given me two Leonard Cohen albums back-to-back. I don’t care that you gave me a lot of live albums. But I do care when you give me long albums on holidays, especially mid ones. So please, in 2025, be nicer to me. Here’s to a new year of music. Favorite track: Wish I Was Skinny Other hits: god, I guess Hang Suspended, Lazarus, If You Want It,Take It maybe. You think I fucking remembered them all?

Those reviews calling this a Bond album weren’t kidding. That’s exactly the feel I got from this. The whole album feels like the soundtrack to some 60’s action movie, complete with an orchestral score to boot. From the first track, I was hoping it would be kickass. But as the songs went on, the impact definitely lessened. I think it have to do with the production itself. There’s a bit too much reverb in the vocals and the whole experience feels overproduced. That feeling of being a kickass vigilante faded and the album became a bit monotonous. Kind of a shame really. I thought I’d have more praise for it. Favorite track: The Age of the Understatement Other hits: Standing Next to Me, My Mistakes Were Made for You, The Chamber, The Meeting Place

I think this album broke me. I had no idea who Laura Nyro was prior to this. She gave the 5th Dimension a hit, but it wasn’t Aquarius, so that didn’t help. Going through it, I went through a roller coaster of feelings. Here was this wonderful voice singing some nice 60’s pop. The slow songs were wonderfully smooth and elicit the best of the decade. But then, some of the songs got annoying, especially the first two with her practically repeating the song titles over and over. For the entire duration, it kept going back and forth between these two moods. In hindsight, this was a bit frustrating. I think if the album was more focused and a lot of the big-Broadway elements were axed, it would be perfect. As is, I mentally bounced between a 4 and a 3 for this. In the end, I leaned generously toward a 4. I think ultimately Laura’s singing saves the album, even when the songs get annoying. It was more pleasant than aggravating, but this has to be the most frustrating 4 I ever gave. It could have been more, but I don’t hate what it was. Favorite track: Lonely Woman Other hits: Timer, December’s Boudoir, Emmie, Sweet Blindness (I’m not putting Stoned Soul Picnic here. That was one of the annoying ones)

I feel like out of all the musical genres to exist, reggae is the most middle of the lane genre of them all for me personally. I don’t actively dislike reggae, but I don’t really enjoy it. Being the figurehead of the genre, Bob Marley is the epitome of this feeling. I respect the dude. I respect everything he did. I respect the way he’s able to subtlety inject political commentary into his smooth rhythms and have them coexist with some nice love songs. I respect that calming tropical vibe each track has. But this isn’t stuff that I find myself coming back to. Most of the songs sound similar to each other and the island-like vibe gets tiring after a while. Bob Marley and reggae to me are two sides of the same coin. I don’t have too many negative feelings that might influence my opinion unlike other genres (country, rap and hip-hop specifically), but after the final track finished, I don’t see myself listening to any of it again. Favorite track: Stir It Up Other hits: Concrete Jungle, Kinky Reggae, No More Trouble, 400 Years

I swear these jazz albums prove how musically illiterate I can be. I can read sheet music thanks to years of playing trumpet in school, but I never got into stuff like music theory or how people create music. I just learned how to play it. So every time I got a jazz album, I try to engage with it in a meaningful way, only to get lost somewhere. Maybe it’s because the tracks tend to be longer than “normal” music and thus easier to get lost in the groove. I get that’s the point, but it’s not my preference. That leads me to this album. The first two tracks were a miss to me. The title track felt a little too…experimental. Like jazz is more free lance, but this felt weird. Then, Ba-Lue Bolivar Ba-Lues-Are was way too long for what I felt was background noise. I feel that’s kind of the problem with jazz for me. It’s set it and forget it music. If I can’t get into it, it just sort of meanders around. Honestly, I felt the saving grace was the second side of the album. The tracks there were more catchy, especially Bemsha Swing, which can get stuck in your head. And I Surrender, Dear was a very nice, soft piano piece. I feel given there are 5 songs on this album, I’ll give a star for each song I liked, which amounts to three. Favorite track: I Surrender, Dear Other hits: Bemsha Swing, Pannonica

I deal with foreign language albums the same way I deal with foreign language movies. I’m not letting the fact I have no idea what they’re saying deride me from the experience. Though they haven’t found a way to give subtitles while you’re listening like in movies. Maybe someday… I like that there are albums that like to take me out of my comfort zone. The “world” albums I’ve gotten so far tend to do that. This one is perhaps the most accessible. Speaking as a white dude with no trace of Latin blood in me (my mother’s side of the family has a lot of origins. Can’t say Cuba was one of them), this album really does invoke the sense of relaxing on a beach or at a nice restaurant. It truly is a unique vibe that only an album like this can bring. The thing is though, that after a while, most of the tracks started to blend together. There is a good mix between love songs and traditional Cuban songs. And Pueblo Nuevo is a really good jazz song. But I can’t say it clicked with me. I enjoyed it, but I not dying to go back to any of it. That’s a personal preference problem with me, it seems. I still respect this, however, and I hope those who listen can look past not understanding a damn word being sung to find more enjoyment than I could. Favorite track: Pueblo Nuevo Other hits: Chan Chan, Candela, Buena Vista Social Club, El Carretero

Round three of David Bowie for me. I think this might be one of the better ones I done so far. For 1977, these songs sound close to what 80’s music would sound like. The electronic elements really work well for Bowie, as these are probably the most fun I had listening to Bowie. Having the second side of the album be mostly a long instrumental was… a choice. It wasn’t too bad, though. It didn’t feel too much out of place. I thought Moss Garden was the best part of it, since it felt so mellow to listen to. I still trying to expand my palette for David Bowie. I’ve never really hear a lot from him, outside the obvious hits like Space Oddity and Changes. So far, this was my favorite, though I’ll see how long that last. Favorite track: Heroes Other hits: Beauty and the Beast, Moss Garden, The Secret Life of Arabia, Blackout

I’m starting to think that the author of “1001 albums to hear before you die” is a massive electronica fan and wants to subject as many people to it as he can. It’s the only reason I can think as to why there is so much electronic shit on this list. Because who in the fuck would know about Red Snapper? And of course, it’s almost a hour and pretty much acts as background noise. It’s not the worst album, but like… what about this was so groundbreaking to be put here? I put this on during my ride home from work. Do you know how many other songs I could have put on instead? Do you think having the phrase “I want the kind of night that I read about” repeated over and over before being told to lick someone’s clit is vital hearing material? Actually, don’t answer that. Just let this album stay in the year 2000 where it belongs. Favorite track: The Rough and the Quick (out of sheer irony, but because of quality) Other hits: Belladonna, maybe. I got almost nothing else.

The concept of mixing samples into tunes is something that feels it would be hit-or-miss to me. I remember loving Paul’s Boutique by the Beastie Boys (which has to be on this list), but that album actually has a lot of original contributions from the Boys themselves. In that regard, Endtroducing is different, pretty much consisting of mostly samples. I feel like I don’t enjoy albums that are mostly instrumental, unless the tracks really hook me in. Up to now, not much of those albums have really hit me. But this one was special. While not perfect, the melodies from the samples really stuck with me. It didn’t feel like a standard hip-hop album or a collection of vintage 60’s pop lyrics put with record-stretching and drum beats. The vibes Endtroducing gives are chill without totally receding into the background. I particularly liked Changeling and Midnight in a Perfect World in that regard. But then there’s Stem/Long Stem. Such a beautifully experimental song. The fast parts in the first half sound just as hard as any metal riff I heard, which was unexpected. I was overall surprised with Endtroducing. I was expecting a hour long meandering soundtrack. But thankfully I got a lot more. Favorite track: Stem/Long Stem Other hits: Changeling, Midnight in a Perfect World, What Does Your Soul Look Like (Both 1 & 4)

105 albums in and I finally hit my first Beatles album. This feels like the perfect starting point; the transition away from the days of Beatlemania and into the development of what would make them perhaps the greatest act in musical history (in my incredibly biased opinion). If I can start with the negative, I don’t see Rubber Soul as their best effort. Most of it still has some of the band’s early sound on it, so there was still some things to iron out. Songs like You Won’t See Me and What Goes On are just kind of on the album to pad it out. Truth be told, this album would probably be a solid 4 if it weren’t for some of the better songs on the album. Norwegian Wood is a fun little song with a nice little hook in the main melody. Drive My Car is the perfect segway between the band’s past and future. Nowhere Man is practically ingrained into my brain thanks to its part in the Yellow Submarine movie (I must have watched it a thousand times as a kid. My parents had to keep renewing it from the library they got it from. Yes, I’m that old, I guess.) And then there is In My Life, which is probably one of the most beautifully songs I have ever listened to. It’s become one of the songs to have a deep emotional impact on me, as I used it in a video montage I made for one of my uncle’s funeral’s. It’s not an easy listen for me, but it’s a wonderful song when I do. There are other albums by the Beatles that probably deserve a 5 more than Rubber Soul, but the songs that I like elevate it to that level. I feel it can only go up from here, as I tend to love the band’s later output more than their earlier works. But none of that would be possible without Rubber Soul, so that alone to me justifies my score. Favorite track: In My Life Other hits: Nowhere Man, Drive My Car, Norwegian Wood, Think For Yourself, I’m Looking Through You

I wasn’t sure if I was going to like this when I first turned it on. It felt like it was going to be an experimental album from someone who sounds like a store-brand David Bowie. And there were parts of the album that were kind of annoying, particularly Driving Me Backwards. But for the most part, it was actually entertaining. The various elements in each track add up to a weird but fun experience. It never goes full experimental nor over my head. It stays fairly accessible while breaking some conventions. I’m aware Brian Eno was a pivotal force in producing some very successful musical acts, such as Talking Heads (which this album absolutely influenced). It’s east to hear through this album that he knows what he is doing. Favorite track: On Some Faraway Beach (probably a weird pick, but I loved the slow synth ambience of it Other hits: Baby’s On Fire, Cindy Tell Me, Some Of Them Are Old, Needles in The Camel’s Eye, Dead Finks Don’t Talk

So this is my second Roxy Music album I’ve gotten. The first one was their debut, conveniently titled Roxy Music. I remember really enjoying that album, as it felt unique and ahead of its time. I felt the same way about this album. But for some reason, I wasn’t into this one as much as the debut. It’s still pretty good, don’t get me wrong. Prairie Rose and The Thrill Of It All are bangers. And the variety displayed here is impressive. No two tracks really sound alike. But these tracks didn’t really stick with me as I thought they would. They mostly get a “that’s neat” from me. Though that might be for the best considering the album cover. I don’t think I want to listen to something and have that image on my phone for anyone in a 3-foot radius of me to see. Favorite track: Prairie Rose Other hits: The Thrill Of It All, All I Want Is You, Out of the Blue, Casanova

Back in the year 2020, I decided on a whim to listen to all the albums Rolling Stone listed as part of there 100 Best Metal Albums. I don’t know why I thought that was a good idea, but I did it. For the life of me, I attempted to understand who would be a fan of certain types of metal. I know sludge is usually for stoners and black is for depressed Norwegian teenagers who shouldn’t be trusted with matches. But I can’t figure out the fans of the more… abstract stuff. Now Slint was nowhere on this list, obviously. This is more rock than metal. But I felt the same listening to it as I did Neurosis or Isis; I want to like this, but I’m just apathetic to it. I definitely feel this album’s influence. It feels like a punk album, but slowed down to illicit more feelings of isolation and sadness rather than rage and rebellion. It hard for me to think that there was anything like it in 1991 or before. But no matter how hard I try to get into it, I just can’t. It could be because the songs drag on for too long or that parts of this sound like a spoken word album, but with guitars blaring over the voice. I hope I’m not the only one who had trouble listening to the lyrics. I really wanted to like this one. The grim ambiance and heavy guitars made it feel like it would be good. But it just didn’t break through. Favorite track: Good Morning, Captain Other hits: Breadcrumb Trail, Nosferatu Man

So round 2 for Paul Simon, first with Art Garfunkel. I heard this was a concept album, but that only really applies to the first half. That’s probably why the two sides sound a bit jarringly different. Side 1 has a more mellow, but somber feel to it while Side 2 feels more lively. It’s a bit weird, but the songs regardless are great. The Side 1 songs like America and Overs are sung beautifully. The reprise of Bookends almost got to me emotionally. Could have done without the weird Voices of Old People, though. It’s interesting, but a little abstract and a little on the nose for the side’s theme of the life cycle. Side 2 contains the more familiar sounds of the album, especially Mrs. Robinson. They provide a nice break from the more heavier nature of the previous tracks. Overall, the sides balance out. Bookends is pretty good, though it remains to be seen if it’s better than Bridge Over Troubled Water. Favorite track: Mrs. Robinson Other hits: America, Overs, Bookends Theme (Reprise), Fakin’ It, At The Zoo

I’m gonna tell it straight. I don’t care that this album is over an hour long. I don’t care if the final few tracks were objectively weaker than the rest of the album. I don’t care if some of the songs sound weird. This is the shit. They’re something about this album that just pulverized my g-spot. Nearly every song put me in a high. It isn’t just Mr. Blue Sky. It’s either peak 70’s pop with a touch of disco in the likes of Turn to Stone and Sweet Talkin’ Woman (every time the phrase “slow down” is sung, it sends me places) or slow impactful tunes like Big Wheels and Starlight. It did lose a little steam at the end, but fuck it. Making a hour album not feel like a chore is a fucking achievement is its own right. Thanks in part to the production bringing out the O in ELO and the more unique elements such as the backing vocals and the Electronic elements, this is a double album that could have gone for hours and I would have still loved it. Favorite track: Mr. Blue Sky Favorite track that is not Mr. Blue Sky: Sweet Talkin’ Woman Other hits: Turn to Stone, It’s Over, Night in the City, Starlight, Big Wheels, Sweet is the Night

You know, I do love a good-90’s alt-rock album. This is as standard as 90’s alt-rock can get. It kind of sounds like if R.E.M. and the Foo Fighters had a baby and this was the result. It’s fine. I mean the songs end up being a tad bit repetitive lyrically. The songs tend to devolve into repeating the title again and again, like an AC/DC song. But I have one question: why the fuck is this on the list? It’s standard 90’s rock. There had to be another album to take its place. What’s so special about this? It’s alright, but nothing worth showing up here. Favorite track: If I Can’t Change Your Mind Other hits: Hoover Dam, The Act We Act, Hopeless, Man on the Moon

I want to start with a confession: I have a soft spot for the god-forsaken genre known as nu-metal. The sad, grimy metal genre that came out of Bakersfield by a certain vegetable named band, it has remained a guilty pleasure of mine. From Slipknot to early Linkin Park to Deftones and Korn, I enjoyed a fair share of the metal genre that never left the late 90’s. When I was a kid, I thought Rollin’ was the coolest shit ever. It was back around 2002 when my friend who got me into wrestling showed me the Undertaker. It was during his American Badass phase where he would come out on a motorcycle with Rollin blasting all over the arena. It felt electric. I still sort of like Rollin’. It’s a fun stupid song. But in all honesty, this album being here is funny. The Wikipedia section here pretty much calls the album mid and literally states that it’s not even in the newer editions of the book. Like the authors went “What the fuck were we thinking making people listen to Limp Bizkit?” Truth be told, that’s a good point. Chocolate Starfish has nothing that qualifies as must-hear. Most of it is basic rap-metal as Fred Durst pushes the use of the word “fuck” like a tween who just started rebelling against his parents. It’s artificial edge without any purpose or visceral. I felt weird playing it in my car on the way home and I’m pretty shameless on what I play on the radio. I felt this album was drifting into a 2-score territory for me, as the Durst show was starting to wear a bit of my sanity down. Hot Dog was an affront to God especially, as Durat has nothing on Trent Reznor to riff on Closer. As least Nine Inch Nails is considered relevant. But I later reconsidered for two reasons: 1. After The One, most of the songs started to get better. There was less emphasis on “fuck everyone and everything” and more depth, which saved the album. 2. I believe there are actually worse albums on here. There have been hour-long albums and double albums that felt like a waste of time. This album is trashy, but I can’t say it was boring. There have been albums like Our Aim Is To Satisfy by Red Snapper and Layla and Other Assorted Songs by Derek and the Dominoes that were so one-note, so tedious that they make this album look like Sgt. Pepper. I feel that even if you hate this, it will at least make you feel something. This album doesn’t belong here. It’s a product of its time and even back then, it wasn’t really cool. But it left an impression on stupid young me, and there are a few guilty pleasures (My Way, especially). At the very least, it gave me Rollin’ and that’s more value than most albums I’ll get. Favorite album: Rollin’ (Air Raid Vehicle) Other hits: My Way, The One, Hold On, Boiler, It’ll Be OK, My Generation

I feel saying that, as a rock fan, saying that Run DMC is personally one of my preferred hip-hop group feels like it’s cheating. Next to the Beastie Boys, Run DMC paved the way for a relationship between rap and rock. I mean, Walk This Way was practically a rap song disguised as a rock song. It just took some time for someone to realize it. Besides that, everything else on Raising Hell is infectious. It’s Tricky has had real estate in my head since I was a kid since I first heard it in SSX Tricky.(awesome game series by the way. EA should bring it back if they didn’t suck dicks) The other songs are great too, especially You Be Illin’. There’s a little mid-80’s hip-hop cheese here, kind of like the Beastie Boys vibe with License to Ill. But the influence and quality of this album can’t be denied. It’s a classic for a reason. Favorite track: It’s Tricky Other hits: Walk This Way, You Be Illin, Raising Hell, My Adidas, Proud to be Black

You want to hear a funny yet morbid tangent for this album? In the 115 albums I’ve done, I have two from 2016. They are Blackstar by David Bowie and You Want It Darker by Leonard Cohen. They are two albums made by popular artists who would later pass away, leaving them to be their swansongs. Both acted as the caps to legendary, influential careers. This album has that same aura, but in a more tragic light. Blackstar and You Want It Darker were made with the end of the road for both artists in sights. Bowie and Cohen were already having health problems that left them time to reflect on their iconic legacy. I have never heard of Nick Drake prior to getting this album. Researching him shown that he only became influential after his death, with this album being his swansong after his fatal overdose. It’s not a reflection of a successful career (sadly the contrary) and there is a slight air of that in Pink Moon. It’s simple and short, with Nick, his acoustic guitar and a backing piano as the ensemble for the tracks. Nick has a voice that is weak, but deep and profound. I don’t think too many artists in the 70’s sounded like this. Given the context of his life, there is a melancholic, yet gentle feel to this album. It demands your attention as Nkck takes us on his own journey. He doesn’t care if anybody listens to it or not. He’s just putting his mind out on the record, which tragically would be the last he would do it. In one of life’s greatest cruelties, Nick would never live to see the legacy he would have and the artists he would influence. Unlike Blackstar and You Want It Darker, Pink Moon is not a reflection of an iconic career. But it does stand as a testament against the stigma of popular music and how the industry sometimes misses actual talent. Hell, in Nick Drake’s case, it suppressed it. Fortunately, Nick got the recognition he deserved and I’m happy outlets like this give people the opportunity to listen to him. While I wish the album was a little longer, Pink Moon is still a haunting and mesmerizing gem of an album. Favorite track: Which Will Other hits: Pink Moon, Road, Things Behind the Sun, Free Ride, From the Morning

So, when I first started this album, I wasn’t sure how it would go. The first song I Love Your Lovin’ Ways just felt like regular 60’s pop, complete with female backing vocals. I felt that this would end up something that wouldn’t leave an impression on me. That feeling was flung right out the window when Four Women came on right after. Nina grabbed my attention and refused to let go. She was in firm control as she took me through the gauntlet of emotions. She brings power through on Four Women, tackling racial stereotypes with authority. The ending where she boldly sings “My Name Is Peaches” gave me goosebumps. She brings passion to the love songs. The title track and What More Can I Say touched me in a way not many love songs have before. But most importantly, she brings raw emotion to the sad songs. In particular, Lilac Wine nearly broke me. The pain in her voice just hits differently. And I know that phrase gets tossed around a lot, but I can’t think of anything close to it. This is extremely close to a five for me. I feel the only thing that takes it a bit down are the more poppier tracks like I Love Your Lovin’ Ways. Other than that, this blew my expectations. What a remarkable talent. Favorite track: Lilac Wine Other hits: Wild is the Wind, Four Women, That’s All I Ask, What More Can I Say, If I Should Lose You

This one wasn’t as good as Doolittle for me personally, but this was still a great time. The tracks feel a little weaker than some of the hits from Doolittle, but they are still very catchy and have the band’s charm. Velouria and Is She Weird especially are earworms. And it feels like the perfect transition between the 80’s and the 90’s, carrying the hard arena guitar sound from the prior decade and the more experimental, weird sound from the latter decade. It’s not the peak Pixies, but it is still the Pixies. Favorite track: Valouria Other hits: Is She Weird, Dig for Fire, Stormy Weather, Havalina, Allison

For a time, my summary stated that psychedelic rock was one of my worst genres. I wasn’t sure if that was entirely accurate, but if this album is anything to go by, it just might be. To be fair, I thought the album was alright in the first few tracks, even though the electric jug was a little grating. Imagine a pigeon cooing as it drowned. Now imagine that for a majority of the album. After Splash 1, the album started to wear me down. It just sounded loud. I don’t even think it would sound good high. The electric jug would just give me anxiety. I was flirting with a three, but after Fire Engine and Monkey Island, that seemed too high. Favorite track: Splash 1 (the most bearable) Other hits: Roller Coaster, You’re Gonna Miss Me

This is a great example of some mellow folk music gems. No matter if the songs are energetic or slow, there is a calm vibe throughout the entire album. Cat shows some incredible songwriting and know how to make some catchy beats. Wild World and Father and Son in particular are bonafide classics. If I had to knock a star, some of the middle gets a little hazy. But it’s still a nice piece of east listening at the end of the day. It’s hard not to feel as least some emotion when it ends. Favorite track: Wild World Other hits: Father and Son, Where Do The Children Play, But I Might Die Tonight, Longer Boats, Into White

I had to find this album on YouTube to listen to it, so I’m hoping I didn’t miss much. I think I got the main part of the album. The little bonus EP, though, I’m not 100%. The times weren’t very accurate there. And honestly, it was a little forgettable. It didn’t have much of the steam from the main tracks. So I don’t really consider them part of this. Honestly, a funk album that isn’t on streaming and runs for about a hour sounds like a terrible time for me personally. A lot of the tracks have long times and somewhat rely on repetition. But believe it or not, I really dug this. There is a nice variety in the tracks so that the songs sound different. Groovalligence has a slight reggae influence and Who Says a Funk Band Can’t Play Rock convinces me that they can indeed play rock and play it well. And the funk itself is great too. If it weren’t for the EP, this would be a perfect package. And maybe it wouldn’t hurt to put this on Spotify or something. Favorite track: Who Says A Funk Band Can’t Play Rock Other hits: One Nation Under A Groove, Groovalligence, Into You

Rio by Duran Duran is pretty much the 80’s distilled in an album. From the cover to the use of synth in everything, it encapsulates the whole ten years. But Rio has many things that make it stand out from the other 80’s albums that had a mandate to use synth. Rio is the perfect bastard love child of new wave, pop, and rock. It takes all the elements from the genres and mixes them very well. Simon Le Bon sounds like he is the living definition of “supersonic” and his fellow band members know how to accompany him. But the biggest praise has to go to the bass. It’s that meaty bass that just slaps. I don’t know the exact term for it, I kind want to call it Seinfeld-like. Whatever it is, it literally escalates songs like New Religion to classic status. My only gripe is that a couple of the songs on side one sound a little similar to Hungry Like the Wolf. They come off as a little samey. But outside of that, this is as peak as new wave-pop can get. Awesome album. Favorite track: Hungry Like the Wolf Other hits: Rio, New Religion, Save A Prayer, The Chauffeur, My Own Way

Oh Christ, it’s Mariah Carey time. Listen, there are only two things that are relevant to me regarding Mariah Carey; the song “Always Be My Baby” which I think is really neat and her tyrannical rule of the radio airwaves in December. Past that, I don’t really care about her music, so I pretty much went in blind. I think are a few legitimately great songs on this album. I like the title track and Whenever You Call has some serious power. But oh my god, the rest is straight up nothing. Most of the songs don’t stick as she basically makes noises for most of the songs. Like I get it, you’re talented. Apply it to the songs by singing and not flexing. It’s really just a bad mix of r&b and some hip-hop that just ends up making some bland 90’s music. A whole hour of it too. Honestly, this is just a big case of wasted potential. I don’t know if Mariah Carey has anymore albums on this project (whether that’s a good or bad thing is up to you), but if there are, I hope they are better than this. Favorite track: Whenever You Call Other hits: Butterfly, Breakdown, Outside

I always find debit albums to be hit or miss. Either a band/artist comes out of the gate swinging or it’s a weird stepping stone that would lead to better albums later. For the Talking Heads, I think this falls into the latter. Don’t get me wrong, I think this is overall a good album. It’s still has the standard quirkiness and charm, mainly provided by David Byrne’s one of a kind vocals. And there are good songs. Psycho Killer is a classic and Don’t Worry About the Government and Who Is It are fun. But compared to the band’s later input, it didn’t leave much of an impact on me. The songs just came and went in some places. My only prior Talking Heads album on this project, Fear Of Music, provided me with a better time. And I’m sure the future albums on this project will do so too (Remain In Light HAS to be here). But this to me is merely a step in the Talking Heads legacy. A crucial one into starting an iconic discography and worth checking out, but there are better albums from them out there. Favorite track: Psycho Killer Other hits: Tentative Feelings, Who Is It?, Don’t Worry About the Government, No Compassion

First things first, Cult of Personality is probably one of the best opening tracks to any album I heard. It pretty much defines what Vivid is going to be: high energy, catchy, and bombastic. From the memorable opening riff to Corey Glover belting the song title syllable by syllable, it might be a contender for my top ten 80’s songs. But everybody knows about Cult of Personality. What about the rest of the album? I’ll admit, the rest of Vivid doesn’t really reach that level Cult sets in the beginning. It does set a very high bar, so the task would be difficult. And some of the lyrics in a few of the songs are a little silly (Glamour Boys especially). But outside of that, shit still slaps. It feels differently apart from the other numerous hair metal bands at the time, outperforming them in the fields of guitar and whatnot. Some might say this album is only worth it for “that” song. I think there is more to like on it. Favorite track: Cult of Personality Other hits: Open Letter (To A Landlord), Glamour Boys, What’s Your Favorite Color, Which Way to America, I Want to Know

Considering my only kind of -gaze like album was m b v by My Bloody Valentine, I wasn’t sure if I would enjoy this. I figured it might be boring at worse or background music at best. But this album was s o o t h i n g. Like holy shit, this is the type of vibe that exists in dreams (which is why this is considered dream pop). It didn’t come off as boring, but rather therapeutic. It’s literally had the ability to calm me to a mellow state of mind. Nothing like m b v where is was catering to a specific genre. This album felt easy to get into. My only complaint is that most of the tracks do sound similar to one another, making it hard to know which is which. But overall for the length of the album, this was a pleasant experience. Favorite track: Iceblind Luck Other hits: Heaven or Las Vegas, Pitch the Baby, I Wear Your Ring, Wolf in the Breast, Frou-Frou Foxes in Midsummer Fire, Fotzepolitic

This is like my fifth or sixth jazz album I gotten so far, and if I’m being brutally honest, I’m starting to realize that jazz albums do nothing for me. I give every album generated for me a fair chance, but for most of the jazz albums, my attention always wanes and I can never remember any of the tracks I listened to. There might be exceptions further down the line, but I’m starting to doubt it. This album is an example of that. The album makes for some cool background noise and can definitely spice up a number of occasions. And I know Miles Davis is one of the best jazz players to live. His Kind of Blue did leave an impression on me. But unlike that album, this one didn’t leave me with much. Just a collection of recordings from various years. Nothing really to me that sticks out as memorable. I don’t know how many jazz albums are left for me. There might as well be around 100, it seems. That’s probably gonna be a lot of 3’s in the future. Favorite track: Boplicity Other hits (if I had to pick): Moon Dreams, Rocker, Venus De Milo

You know, I wasn’t really expecting post-hardcore to be represented in this list. It’s one of those genres that feels very broad, to the point where I can’t really pinpoint what it is. Apparently, some bands that I listened to such as My Chemical Romance and AFI count as post-hardcore (according to Wikipedia). Personally, I think of At The Drive-In when it comes to post-hardcore, specifically Relationship of Command (which probably isn’t on this list, but should be). This album sounded like a clear influence to Relationship. It has a similar sound and structure, as well as the same vicious vocal delivery. But I feel there is a lot of missteps here. Many of the songs are stretched out and rely a little on repetition to pad things out. This is really noticeable on Luau, which lyrically sounds a little stupid. Some of the songs do have moments where it feels like it clicks like Super Unison and New Math, but I wish it was more consistent. I wanted to love this album, since I never even heard of Drive Like Jehu. But it is still influential, so I do still respect it. Favorite track: New Math Other hits: Here Comes the Roman Plows, Golden Brown, Super Unison, Sinews

I’m getting a wannabe Misfits vibe from this band. It’s probably the similar horror aesthetic. To be fair, there are probably other punk rock bands I ended up preferring over these guys. Stuff from the Dead Kennedys and Black Flag that came up around the same time. I think it has to do with the psychobilly part of the album. I can’t tell if I find it annoying or not. It just leads to fast-paced music with a lot of loud noises. And as someone who actually like his hard rock and metal, it takes a lot to make me uncomfortable at loud noises. Some of the tracks are fun, though, such as Strychnine and The Mad Daddy. And I do like me some early 80’s punk, so this one just turned out to be okay. But really, I think I just want the inevitable Misfits album. Favorite track: The Mad Daddy Other hits: I Was A Teenage Werewolf, Strychnine, Zombie Dance, Mystery Plane, TV Set, What’s Behind the Mask

Well, here it is. The lowest rated album on the site, next to Throbbing Gristle. I don’t know if I was mentally prepared for this one. Experimental music always felt like the “we make some random shit, let’s see how it make you feel” genre. It’s not made to be consumed like regular music. It’s made to provoke a reaction. In this particular case, I was willing to give the album a chance and sort of grade it on a curve. With that said, here’s my take. It’s mostly a bunch of noise being made from banging various things along side some angry German screaming. It is mostly not very pleasant, and some of it made me physically wince. Honestly, some of the screaming acted as audio jumpscares, which probably makes this a terrible album to play while driving. The fact alone that this album makes me actually cringe should warrant this album into getting one star. However, there are some things going for this album. 1. It’s experimental, so that’s kind of the point. 2. I actually liked a song (god forbid), the title track. Yes, the longest track on the album. The rhythm was good and it wasn’t a complete tirade on my ears. And 3. This album provoked more reaction from me than some of the hour long snooze fests I had generated prior, particular some of the electronic ones. Would I listen to this again? Hell no. Do I think it’s the worst album I had generated? Also no. But I completely understand why it is rated like this. And honestly, I don’t even really like it. Being experimental doesn’t mean being immune to being called shit just because it’s weird. But I feel there’s worse than this, so I’m giving it an extra star. Most tolerable track: Kollops Other tracks I didn’t hate: Jet’m, Sehnsucht

I don’t know why I was surprised to see a pre-Rubber Soul album on this list. I think I was hoping for the big stuff, you know. Abbey Road, Sgt. Pepper or anything like that. Don’t get me wrong, pre-Rubber Soul Beatles is still great. I just like later Beatles better. Coldest take in the universe, I know. Anyway, I think it’s between this and Help! that I believe are the best albums from the Beatlemania era. There are the classics, like the title track, Can’t Buy Me Love, and And I Love Her. Then there are the lesser know songs, which are mostly pretty good. I mean, I didn’t really care for the country-ish I’ll Cry Instead and some of the songs structurally feel similar. But even in their early stages, the Beatles had an energy that made them stand out. With songs that fly under three minutes, it’s comes hit after hit. It helps that this is the first album with all original songs, which feels like a rarity for 60’s albums. At the very least, it’s a stepping stone that would eventually led to the legendary later efforts of the band. But as it is, it wouldn’t be fair to sleep on the earlier albums like this. Favorite track: A Hard Day’s Night Other hits: Can’t Buy Me Love, If I Fell, And I Love Her, I Should Have Known Better, I’ll Be Back, When I Get Home

So, by this point in the project, I was flirting with the possibility that I might hate electronic albums. Especially the ones around the late 90’s/early 2000’s. They always seemed to be a hour long and are filled with some of the most repetitive tracks. Most of the ones I went through tended to be very boring and felt more like background music. So seeing this album pop up, and not only having a hour’s worth of content, but mixing the blues into the electronics, I was fully prepared to hate this album. But I think Moby here might have cracked something because despite the odds, Play ended up becoming my favorite electronic album so far. Moby somehow found a way to take 5-second blues samples and integrate them in a way that doesn’t make it annoying or slow. The tempo is just right enough to cater to the beat. It feels less like a “party” electronic album and more like an actual ambient electronic album. But not in the way that it might fade into the background, like so many other electronic albums do. It’s ambient in the way that it sends you places. To me, the strongest aspect of Play is its ability to shuffle between the more jam-like tracks (Honey, Find My Baby) and the more chill tracks (Porcelain, Everloving). About more than halfway into the album, the blues mixing goes away and the album takes a calming, sort of more somber tone. Pianos become the dominant instrument and the drum beat and record scratching recede. I think this is the album’s vice is that the second half of the album takes away from the blues influence. Many of the tracks feel a bit like filler. Hell, the trinity of Everloving, Inside, and Guitar Flute and String take up 10 minutes of ambient filler. But personally, it’s not that bad. It adds to the album’s charm. Honestly, my biggest praise is that the album didn’t bore me. Looking through the reviews, some believe the album is mostly filled with generic, repetitive slog made for car commercials. I can see why they think that. The album can stretch into that territory. But for me, this album tapped a lot of emotions. From the smooth trip hop of the first half to the calming aura of the second half, Play didn’t fall into the point of no return other electronic albums have done prior to this. I never got bored and I never lost interest. It kept me invested for a hour. It might not be mind-blowing in any capacity, but it’s very enjoyable. And it didn’t annoy me, so it’s already leagues above the majority of electronic albums I listened to and will listen to. Favorite track: Porcelain Other hits: Honey, Find My Baby, Rockbody, Run On, Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad?, South Side, Inside

Okay, let’s get this out of the way. Sunshine Of Your Love carries the album for me. It’s the only song that I legitimately like on this album. The rest range from okay to ugh. The good ones range from Outside Women Blues and Tales of Brave Ulysses, which made Clapton easier to digest and appreciate since he’s teamed with Bruce and Baker. They emphasize the psychedelic spirit of the album. But then there are some annoying songs, like Blue Condition and We’re Going Wrong. And if I ever have to hear about the tree outside the window in World of Pain ever again, I’ll have it cut down. Maybe then you will stop singing about it. Mother’s Lament was a bit jarring too, but it’s at the end of the album and was probably the band fucking around, so I’m not going to go too hard on it. Overall, this is okay. Probably as good as an Eric Clapton effort will be for me. As an aside, can Clapton please stop showing up under different bands? This is the third time he has shown up under a different project and I haven’t even hit 150 albums yet. Calm your racist ass. Favorite track: Sunshine Of Your Love Other hits: Strange Brew, Outside Woman Blues, Tales of Brave Ulysses, SWLABR, Take It Back

I feel that I need to put some context to this review. Prior to starting this project, my knowledge of Radiohead was minimal. As in, all I knew really was Creep. Yea, I was that guy. This is my second Radiohead album. The first album I got was The Bends. It became one of the few albums I gave five stars to and I might go as far as to call it one of the best alternative music albums of the 90’s. It felt like a good starting point as someone unfamiliar with Radiohead. So naturally, this album was next. I understood that this was a couple of albums away since The Bends, but figured I would probably still enjoy it just the same. Here’s the problem: I didn’t love In Rainbows. Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t hate this album. There are good tracks, such as Bodysnatchers, Nude and Videotape. But compared to what I expected from Radiohead, this was a bit of a disappointment. Maybe I should have got OK Computer or Kid A prior to this, since it felt way different from The Bends. It was more softer, kind of similar to Coldplay (which may or may not be a good thing). I mean, I get it. It wasn’t the nineties anymore and Radiohead obviously evolved as a band. But personally, it didn’t click with me. The second half of the album felt like the same mellow song, just tweaked over and over. Honestly, I feared that perhaps I over-rated The Bends on account that it was Radiohead and re-listened to that only to discover that I still enjoyed that album. Maybe you’re reading this and thinking it’s stupid to compare those albums. You’re probably right, but that’s all I have to my Radiohead experience. I feel like this disappointment might be on me, since maybe OK Computer or Kid A could have helped prepare me for this album. But as is, I only thought this album was ok. It’s better than most, but for a band like Radiohead, it’s kid of a letdown. I hope I don’t feel the same with more of their albums down the road. Favorite track: Bodysnatchers Other hits: Nude, Videotape, Weird Fishes/Arpeggi, House of Cards

The first track of an album is very important. It sets the mood for the rest of the album and needs to hook the listener in. A bad first song can have a negative impact on the remainder of the album and it can be hard for it to recover. This album seemed to be nearly an example of that. La Femme d’argent is a weak opening track. It’s a seven minute slog that would be too boring for the Weather Channel. As it went on, I feared that the rest of the album was going to be the same thing. Fortunately, that was far from the case. Past the first song, the rest of the album is a great mix of quirky and calm. I especially liked the Beth Hirsch collabs the best. I think I’m starting to like this downtempo form of electronic music. I had Play by Moby generated earlier in the week and I had pretty much the same feelings for this album. Just some smooth electronics focusing more on establishing a vibe than keeping up a beat. Honestly, if it weren’t for the first song, this would be near perfect. Thankfully, this album proved itself more as it went along. Favorite track: All I Need Other hits: Sexy Boy, Remember, Kelly Watch the Stars, You Make It Easy, Ce Matin Là, New Star in the Sky