I admittedly did not listen to this as thoroughly as I would’ve liked but I really enjoyed it and would definitely return to it. I like that I can hear the influence of jazz here; I know that jazz obviously was a precursor to R&B but I feel like on this album I can really Hear it in a way I haven’t been able to hear it before (specifically on “Yearnin’ Learnin’” and “Africano”).

This album is nostalgic to me because I used to listen to it when I was a kid a lottttt, it was one of my go-tos once my parents taught me how to use their record player. It holds up pretty well and I still really enjoyed it! I feel like a lot of his songs come really close to being great and then have one element that isn’t as good which prevents it from being truly great, but I still had fun. I definitely like the songs on the first half a bit better than the last few, although I am a sucker for the end of the album reprising the beginning so that was a redeeming quality of the last track for me. Favorite tracks: Movin' Out, The Stranger, Vienna

These are so technically well-made and I felt like the first ~half of the album was super compelling, but then it started to feel like the songs went on a little too long for me. I think an hour is a bit long for an electronic album for ME...but it was good music for the background while working. A lot of the songs were super interesting and I can see why this is such a seminal album for the history of electronic music for sure and overall I would say I definitely enjoyed it.

I liked it! I don’t have a lot of thoughts about it tbh and don’t really feel strongly about most of the songs. However the song about how amazing is was so funny what’s the deal with that were they being sponsored by Australia’s travel bureau or something Favorites: Brainwashed, Shangri-La

I love when someone that's been built up as such a legend actually lives up to the hype. This album had a lot more variety among the songs than I remembered and I really enjoyed the whole thing. I can't imagine what it would've been like to hear music like this when the record came out. Favorite tracks: Fire, May This Be Love, Stone Free

I was hoping that on another listen through, different songs would stand out to me than the last time I heard it, but that didn't quite happen. The same songs that I got hooked on last time were the standouts again, and all on the first ~1/2 of the album. I think the album gets pretty repetitive by the end, and even the songs themselves are a bit repetitive by the end of their runtime. Though it was a bit tedious by the end when listening to it together as a complete body of work, I think that most of these songs would stand out to me as fun and interesting if they were mixed in with other artists' songs, so I still really enjoy this album overall.

That was reeeeally good. I usually don't like albums longer than an hour but this felt so quick because of how much variety in the songs there is. The samples and features were great, the skits were entertaining even if a little ridiculous sometimes, and just overall really enjoyable.

this was pretty boring to me. it wasn't technically bad I guess...it just felt like a pastiche of other bands that do it better and this didn't really bring anything interesting or new to it.

I really wasn't into this album and about half way through I was actually going to call it quits because I just couldn't foresee the remainder being good enough to redeem it for me. I didn't really like the reggae/ska (?) elements and it felt hokie. This is already the second Elvis Costello album we've gotten despite only being on our ninth album in this challenge and while I enjoyed the other one we listened to, I wasn't sure if I was really getting why he was considered such a big deal. I was researching on his Wikipedia and saw this: "Costello's debut album, My Aim Is True, is widely considered one of the best debut albums in the history of rock music." I read on about how it influenced so much of punk rock and new wave, and read excerpts from a variety of artists across genres (and other professions within entertainment) who have been influenced by him. Suzanne Vega has said that he's one of the "melodic geniuses" whose music she listens to in order to "stretch [her] sense of melody". This shifted how I listened to the rest of the album; I appreciated the melodies and compositions a lot more, and I could see why this is technically a good, well-made album. I still don't think it's for me and I far prefer "This Year's Model", but I can see now why this has been influential and can recognize when something is good but not my taste.

I had no idea this was considered such an important album in music history but sure. It's hard to hear this for what it is since it's so strongly associated with a very specific Vibe from being a tween/teen during the time following its release but I can totally see how Music Appreciators could've found this to be a really interesting and pioneering album. I've listened to a lot of 60s psychedelic rock lately for one of my other ~listening challenges~ (specifically Jefferson Airplane, Love, 13th Floor Elevators, etc.) and hearing this album after those definitely makes me appreciate the evolution (or maybe even reinvention) of that sound for the digital age, and for a totally different audience. None of the non-singles particularly stood out to me. I think that's partially because it's hard to truly assess those songs when they're up against ones with which I have such a strong familiarity, but I also think the singles just had that oomph factor that made them so iconic that the others, despite being interesting, didn't quite have. Fav tracks: kids, electric feel

This album was really beautiful. I don't know a lot about Indian music, or what the Western cultural landscape was in relation to Indian music at that time so I don't know if I can fully appreciate this for its impact or craft, but I appreciated it nonetheless. It's wikipedia page explains "Conceived as a suite, the instrumental album follows a day in the life of an Indian shepherd from Kashmir, using ragas associated with various times of the day to advance the dramatic narrative". This reminded me a lot of how my piano teacher used to explain the storytelling in classical music I was learning, and now to understand an unfolding narrative in a purely instrumental body of work.

horrible. some fine political messaging but it doesn't matter because i can't listen to that

Ughhhh i don’t wanna listen to this I don’t care about these guys at all. I listened to half of it but it’s not my fault their albums are so long

I actually really enjoyed this. I like the band-like groovy sound with all the horns. I'm not sure it's something I'd return to as a whole album, and the songs were a bit long to throw into a playlist, but there were a few tracks I really liked. Fav tracks: Introduction, South California Purples

I reeeeally enjoyed this. The descent from the more energetic songs at the beginning into the meditative ones at the end was really impressive; I feel like I didn't notice a jarring shift while listening and then all the sudden I was at the last song and listening to something completely different from where I started. By This River is probably one of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard also. Fav tracks: No One Receiving, By This River

This was so beautiful; she sounds so effortless when she sings. I love the moments where she's interacting with the crowd and worked self-deprecating lyrics into the song when she messed up -- an extremely natural performer and I'm sure seeing her live would've been so cool.

yeah that was good. not much else to say i haven't listened to this probably since high school but it still hits

this wasn’t for me. I’m not really into punk music so i feel like I can’t really judge this one because I don’t have a frame of reference or appreciation for it. but I can see why people would be been into this I guess

This is another one that just isn’t really my style, and exposure to this album didn’t really pique my interest in the band/genre. It sounds to me like a lot of the other indie folk that I’ve heard (through no effort of my own) throughout the last ~15 years and I’m not necessarily saying this to write off the album; I’m assuming it’s very possible that since this is considered one of the best albums of the 2000s / best debut albums of all time that it’s a trendsetter, and that so many things sound similar to it because of how influential it was. However it’s not something I’d ever reach for other than two songs at the end that particularly stood out to me as more unique sounding than the rest and very beautiful. Fav tracks: Meadowlarks, Blue Ridge Mountains

That was fine but not that special for me. I don’t think there was even one song I saved or wanted to add to a playlist but it wasn’t like actively bad.

This was so great!! Enjoyed basically every song. I’m not sure which part specifically to even say worked well because the whole thing just felt really well made and interesting.

Loved it

I really didn’t want to listen to that. I think I only listened to the first 2/3. Even a Kate bush feature couldnt save this

The first song was pretty. I wish the bridge over troubled water cover was just Fiona Apple and not Johnny cash with her in the background. The in my life cover would’ve been charming to me if someone’s old granddad or uncle sang it at a family gathering or something. I stopped listening after that song :/

Very beautiful!

I actually didn’t mind this too much. It felt a little too long which is maybe saying something because the album is less than 50 mins. It sounded a little dated to me but I did like the overall vibe of most of the songs - they felt kind of melancholic but uplifting like they’re from the part of a movie soundtrack where something poignant is happening which I do love… definitely won’t listen to this again though. Fav tracks: Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)

Sorry I only listened to one song

That was really cool. I don't know a lot of Animal Collective but their music is super interesting and I think I'd probably appreciate this album even more if I had been paying more attention for the first half (I was doing laundry and walking in and out of the room). This feels like an in-the-background album for me personally because I don't foresee a situation where I'd listen to any of the songs individually / out of context of the album, but I think it would be really good and stimulating music for focusing on another task because of the different sounds / ambient style of a lot of the tracks.

I think this is one of those times where I realize that there's some music that just isn't for me because I'm not someone who really listens to lyrics much. I was getting the vibe that it had good lyricism in the way that someone who doesn't know a lot of technical info about music might hear something complex and be like yes hmm sounds very impressive even if I don't know why... I know this is odd because I do in fact speak English and should be able to understand the level of intellect of lyrics in English but alas. I do feel like this is one of those cases where I’m close to being able to connect with the lyrics so maybe upon a relisten it would strike me more, and the last song was really great especially!! A really perfect album ending actually. The music itself was good although I struggled to adjust to how his voice sounds at the beginning. But by the end I didn't mind it as much and I was just happy he was expressing himself with what God gave him <3 so thank you mr. pavement that was overall a pretty enjoyable experience.

i'm sorry i just can't handle any more indie folk than what i've heard thus far in my life. im not demure enough for this

all the songs really sounded the same to me...maybe it's my untrained ear because I don't know much about playing electric guitar but it really did sound like the same kind of playing/accompaniment in almost every song. sometimes a new song came on and it literally sounded like the song that just ended. but i do think this would've been cool to see back in the day live. i can picture the crowd jumping around to it and going crazy just based on how the music sounds and i do think that counts for something.

I really enjoyed this!!! Just a really interesting sound with a lot going on throughout the album.

To me this sounds like a combo of British Invasion music and 2000s alternative rock like Franz Ferdinand or something...maybe I'm talking out of my ass but it reminded me of both (and I liked it!) I don't know if I get why this would be on a list of albums you need to hear before you die because it just feels like a very good iteration of the style I just described, rather than anything really revolutionary or shapeshifting or innovative. I still enjoyed listening to it, however the last song was so bad that it kind of spoiled it for me so I'm trying to channel how I felt during the rest of it up until that point in order to write this review.

I feel like I could really hear the source of so much rock music in this album. People often talk about the impact of soul and black artists on rock n' roll and I feel like this performance really made me understand that connection deeper. The live albums we've heard so far have a really palpable energy between the performer and audience that I really appreciate too. I like how even through a recording, you can feel that they were feeding off of each other.

This was really cool. I especially liked the second half; it didn't feel as old as the 70s, but maybe that's because a lot of modern music is reminiscent of this and that's why it's sounding modern to me. I also just think it has kind of a classic sound that doesn't go out of style so that's probably it too.

i just couldn't do it i listened for maybe 30 seconds

this was really interesting! it made me focus on the thing i'd had trouble focusing on all day so i feel like it must have some effective hypnotic quality so that's cool.

i guess it wasn't NOT enjoyable but it wasn't that interesting to me and i didn't really care about that at all...it's no thoughts head empty for me. bye

i like this album more and more each time i hear it! just so groovy and fun and beautiful, and has so many different kinds of songs while still maintaining such a distinct and cohesive style.

though not technically bad it was too hokie for me...kind of like joke music

WOWWWW that was so beautiful. i am not someone that typically pays attention to lyrics but i was very moved by the lyricism of this album, particularly Behind the Wall, Across the Lines, and Baby Can I Hold You. The political themes are unfortunately pretty timeless and universally applicable, and the music itself doesn't sound dated or trite -- it feels really fresh and different than anything else I've listened to -- so I see why this album is considered such a classic.

that was good but I wasn't like blown away or anything. although that last song was KILLER so it's leaving me with a good taste in my mouth.

girl what the hell. i guess i don’t really know the “use case” (for lack of a better/less-nerdy term) for this kind of music. is this something people are listening to just to chill in their house or is it oriented around industrious live performances? it feels too sprawling to be the former but not interesting enough to be the latter. i really don’t want anymore Yes albums… pleek….pleek…….…

that was awesome. and it was also crazy…

I didn't listen to the whole album but I listened to most and feel like I got the gist of it. It's easy listening and peasant enough but not super interesting to me.

hmmm I didn't really love this so much. it wasn't bad but I just got kind of bored because the songs blended together pretty quickly to me. I've enjoyed other Dusty albums so maybe this one just isn't for me.

i liked it but i don't really have any strong feelings about it. i love the song sultans of swing and was hoping something would give it a run for its money but none of these were as good :(

I really liked this too! I think I liked the other smiths album better but really enjoyed both. it’s a little late for my “you guys should check out the smiths they’re really good” phase because i’m not fifteen but alas here we are.

yeah it’s gonna be a no from me dawg…on the first track when he’s screaming “rome plows” i really thought he was saying “bob ross” so that was fun for a minute. but then i didn’t really like anything else

awwww I really like this album. i don't know a lot of the smiths but this is the only one I've heard before and I do think it's very pretty and melancholic and evokes a really specific kind feeling that i can't describe....

I liked this! I think it started off really strong and then got a little stagnant throughout but I really enjoyed their sound and it ended on a high note with a really beautiful final track. fav tracks: Quiet Life, A Foreign Place

That was fine; definitely not as bad I was expecting. It didn’t feel as “metal” as I expected and leaned more towards hard rock. It definitely reminded me a bit of Led Zeppelin so I can’t really say I didn’t like this without being a hypocrite…I still think some of the theatrics of this kind of music are a bit silly but I don’t think this music is bad or anything.

i enjoyed it! i don't know a lot of latin jazz besides bossa nova which feels more like jazz that has latin influence rather than this, which is more latin music that has a jazz influence. i basically think this kind of music is really hard for me not to like because i'm never going to think it's bad. yay!

i have zero thoughts on this actually. the only actual real thought is that it sounded a lot like Queen. i don't think i needed to hear this before i died

very lovely! i can't say it's something i'd really return to but it was really pleasant listening while i was working. i like the organ/clavinet/???? that was on a lot of songs, which definitely did make it kind of sound elevator-music-y but not in a bad way, just in a soothing way i guess.

I got the gist after a few songs. Not for me but it’s fine

obviously amazing. there is just SOMETHING in the music that even without hearing the lyrics makes me cry...to the point that when some songs start i get choked up even though NOTHING HAS EVEN HAPPENED YET but i know what's coming and i'm emotional just from the anticipation of it. that being said this is one of the rare cases where i do care a lot about the lyrics, and like any of the artists that penetrate my typical inability to hear lyrics, it makes them all the more special to me. there's something about the way the words roll off her tongue that feels so inextricable from the melody itself, like the words are begging to be sung a certain way rather than her writing lyrics to fit a tune. But also the inflections in her voice feel so natural and effortless that it's hard to tell which she came up with first, or if it was even a conscious process at all rather than an organic outpouring of emotion. it really is as good as everyone says it is.

This is not really for me but I can tell why people like it. There’s something about it that just isn’t very….interesting? to me? I feel like there’s a lot of music that I tend to find uninteresting to me despite it having a lot of raw energy and being very stimulating and I’m not sure how else to describe it or why it is I feel that way. Maybe I just don’t like listening to men sing…

I honestly didn't hate that. But I also didn't like it. I thought some of the music was catchy and kind of groovy even (Take the Power Back) but unfortunately the lyric delivery is a bit too silly sounding for me to take it seriously. It's like the silliness of beastie boys’ delivery but with the self seriousness of metal. I understand metal as a vehicle for political music because they want the energy and abrasiveness of the music to match their rage (ha ha...) expressed in the lyrics. Personally that isn't a necessity for me to connect with political music but I get the instinct. Unfortunately I think their style of singing/rapping feels too goofy and only works in a context where they aren't taking themselves so seriously which is not what's happening here.

loved ittttt. just very groovy and cool and catchy and interesting. there were some moments that made it feel like a precursor to Pink Floyd (1983…(A Merman I Should Turn To Be)) and it’s always fun to feel like I’m putting the pieces together to understand the broader context that famous music came out of, and to hear the sound evolve over time throughout movements/bands. fav tracks: Crosstown Traffic, Burning of the Midnight Lamp, All Along the Watchtower

me at the start of the other dire straits album: i don't want to listen to diuh stwaits. me at the end of this album (wearing dad jeans and a hawaiian-style tourist shirt and aviators): i think i'm stawting to like diuh stwaits...

i loved that. i've listened to tricky's solo music before but haven't heard massive attack so it was cool to hear the precursor to it. just very cool and fun....will definitely be coming back to a lot of these songs

sorry i have no opinion on this so i guess it was fine. historically im kind of no thots head empty about pere ubu but maybe i should google why they are included in this list

that was cute and fun. it sounds a bit dated to me though. it had a lot of leftover stylings of her 90s music but with some of the sort of early 2000s techno flourishes on it which made it really sound like a time capsule of that era in a way that i think did not age super well. i think that's typical of pop and it doesn't make it bad music, it just doesn't sound fresh in the way that some of her (even older) music still does. fav tracks: Runaway Lover, Gone, Impressive Instant

This one is really hard to listen to for what it is because it's so iconic and I've heard so many of these songs a million times, and even the songs I don't know have a really distinct ABBA sound that is so familiar. Regardless of the rest of my opinion on the album, ABBA is technically indirectly responsible for the grip that Swedish production has had on American pop music for the last ~30 years so it's totally logical to me that they have albums on this list. I think their music is actually quite well made even if it doesn't sound like the most interesting pop music to 2024 ears. There's something they tend to do with the chords, where they follow a super over the top, positive, happy-sounding section with a melancholic twist, which I love. This is also what I've always loved about Max Martin's early work as well, which I'm sure is no coincidence given that Sweden was inadvertently turned into a hub for pop music production because of ABBA's success. I remember in the episode about Stockholm in the docuseries "This Is Pop", they talked about the isolation of Sweden/Swedish people (they didn't really go into why, other than their physical distance from much of the continent), which is responsible for this melancholic twinge in a lot of otherwise upbeat Swedish music. I think regardless of dopey lyrics, that musical twinge is always going to get me; it just scratches an itch in my brain and it feels so good to listen to. The layers of accompaniment also create a fullness in a lot of their music that feels really robust, with a lot of fun bass lines balanced with twinkly flourishes. I appreciate that it borrows some of the successful aspects of disco music and turns it into something different (even if I still think disco as a genre is better). By the second half of the album I was getting a little tired of their voices (one of the women has pretty annoying vibrato if you listen for too long), but that's okay because I think this kind of music isn't meant to be consumed as a full body of work. Some music is just for having fun and dancing which is totally fine, and this definitely does a good job of that. Even though I started this by saying it's hard to separate the familiarity from the music itself, there's something to be said for a song like Dancing Queen having such strong cultural ubiquity that we're not even paying attention to the song but rather how it makes us feel! (Which is that it makes us want to dance! And I can't be mad at that!)

I enjoyed how cinematic this was, especially the instrumental tracks. I don't foresee returning to any individual songs from this because they feel really connected to the album as a whole; it doesn't feel like these were meant to be listened to separately. I think it's cool that he changed his sound so much throughout his career and I enjoyed learning about this kind of experimental ambient moment he had that I didn't know about. Fav tracks: What in the World, Speed of Life

no thoughts head empty on this one. i didn't mind it but it was a little harder sound than i usually go for

UGHHHHHHHH!!!! (in a good way) every time i hear this album it's even better than i remember...just so many interesting things happening here. right off the bat opening with a song that says "are you gay?" and then calling him a ladyboy...and of course fuck me pumps is theee internalized misogyny anthem of all time ("without girls like you, there's no nightlife / all those men just go home to their wives" YEOWCH). like what a crash entrance into music for this to be the first thing people ever hear from you!! but also just musically there's so many interesting production choices -- In My Bed and What Is It About Men have such a sleek (hip hop inspired maybe?) 90s sound which is sooo different than the classic jazz sound of Amy Amy Amy or You Sent Me Flying. so many tender moments too (No Greater Love, Cherry, I Heard Love Is Blind)...like the range is just crazy on this album. every listen gives me new favorites and new thing to notice. I LOVE YOU AMY <33333

Idk that just wasn’t hitting for me. Kinda monotonous and not as interesting as I’d expected. Sometimes there’s only one big song from an album for a reason….