Sep 25 2024
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Parsley, Sage, Rosemary And Thyme
Simon & Garfunkel
Some choice hippie music here. Side A has more known singles, side B is a little more out there. Lots of juxtapositions between sweet-sounding vocal harmonies and anti-war rhetoric. Good times.
4
Sep 26 2024
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Dusty In Memphis
Dusty Springfield
It's...okay. She has a great voice, but most of the songs were just boring.
2
Sep 27 2024
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Off The Wall
Michael Jackson
Very good album, and amazing start to his real solo career. Love the funk and disco influence. Basslines are amazing.
4
Sep 28 2024
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Born In The U.S.A.
Bruce Springsteen
I'm sure this is beloved by a large swath of Americans, but...eh. Doesn't do much for me. The title track is soooo boring and monotonous, as are most of the non-single tracks. His voice is pretty grating. I guess I'm just not the target demographic. Some sweet saxophone soloes though.
3
Sep 29 2024
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The Marshall Mathers LP
Eminem
Oh man, I used to jam this album non-stop back in the day. Very well put together, flawless production. The first half has some genuine chart-topping hits, and deservedly so. The second half is pretty difficult to listen to, lyrics-wise. He was quite an angry fellow back then.
4
Sep 30 2024
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The Cars
The Cars
Only knew one song before this. Great album! Seems ahead of its time, I thought this was an 80s release before checking the date. Lots of great tracks, really a good listen all the way through, with serious musicianship throughout, especially guitar and keyboards.
4
Oct 01 2024
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So
Peter Gabriel
Sledgehammer is great. All the tracks have interesting percussion, solid bass, and varied, engaging synth work. A few tracks go on a bit long and a few are just boring. But overall a fun and interesting listen.
4
Oct 02 2024
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Fear Of A Black Planet
Public Enemy
I appreciate the level of artistry involved in this album, even though I find it difficult to enjoy. The sheer volume of layers of samples sometimes makes it sound like 'noise', even when there is a constant backbeat. And not being part of the culture that produced this album makes it hard for me to really get into. However, I can definitely see why it has such a legacy.
3
Oct 03 2024
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We Are Family
Sister Sledge
I of course knew the singles on the album, but haven't listened to much else by this artist. I enjoyed the whole thing, only a couple tracks were a bit slow, but the rest was high energy and funky. Bass work was super groovy. Overall an enjoyable listen.
4
Oct 04 2024
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Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music
Ray Charles
Not a big fan of big band or country music. That said, this is a well-made set of albums, and I can see the historical significance. Ray Charles had a great voice and energy. While I get that he was trying to put his own spin on these tracks, and that's why these are all big band arrangements, few of the songs (even in their original versions) actually seem like "country" to me. Perhaps those terms just meant something different back then.
2
Oct 05 2024
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The Gershwin Songbook
Ella Fitzgerald
Yep, this is exactly what I expected it to be. Ella has a lovely voice, all the orchestration is superb. And it's all totally boring. Nice for background music I suppose. Just not for me.
2
Oct 06 2024
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NEU! 75
Neu!
I like the more ambient first half, as sort of background music. The "singing" in the second half is just absurd and not pleasant. It feels ahead of its time for 1975, with all the synth work and the sort of punk-ish feel. The drums and bass were pretty repetitive and boring, even in the higher-energy second half. Songs seemed like they just went on for too long, like this was a long jam session that was recorded. Overall, I can see how later artists might have been influenced by this, but I didn't super enjoy it.
2
Oct 07 2024
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Heaven Or Las Vegas
Cocteau Twins
Airy and ethereal, every instrument is drenched in flange, phaser, chorus, reverb, or all of the above. Lyrics are impossible to understand for me, as the vocals are just as wet. Of course, after looking them up, they don't make any freaking sense anyway. Overall, pretty pleasant to listen to, but just a bit over-layered, which makes it sound jumbled.
3
Oct 08 2024
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Odelay
Beck
A classic album, though this is the first time I've listened all the way through in one sitting. Beck is a master at smashing together a bewildering array of samples and genres. At times noise rock, country, punk, folk, electronic, it's hard to define. The singles get stuck in my head forever, and even the lesser known tracks are never boring.
5
Oct 09 2024
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Want Two
Rufus Wainwright
Didn't know anything about this artist before listening, only heard a couple of tracks. It's pretty interesting, I enjoy his combination of baroque classical, piano, folk, and pop. His voice is a little whiney and not something I'd typically listen to. Reminds me a bit of Thom Yorke actually. Hard to really classify what genre this is, but enjoyable
3
Oct 10 2024
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Illinois
Sufjan Stevens
Didn't know this artist at all before this. Quite interesting musically, all kinds of different things going on from track to track. The Illinois concept is fun, although I didn't pay too much attention to the lyrics. Pretty good, not something I would typically listen to, but I'm glad I did.
4
Oct 11 2024
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The Slider
T. Rex
Eh, not bad. Pretty standard blues-rock to my ears. Marc has a unique voice for the genre, the album is decently rocking. Just not much stands out or hooks my attention. Overall it sounds like 70s rock.
3
Oct 12 2024
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Disraeli Gears
Cream
Not a fan of Eric Clapton as a person, but I can see how people hold his guitar playing in high regard. Sunshine of Your Love is catchy and gets super stuck in my head. The rest of the tracks are enjoyable as well. Nothing mind-blowing, but a solid blues-rock record.
3
Oct 13 2024
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Deep Purple In Rock
Deep Purple
A foundational album for hard rock and heavy metal for sure. Over-the-top singing, crunchy Hammond organ, monster riffs, it's all there. It's a completely different sound from the usual blues-based rock that many other bands were using at the time. There's no 12-bar progression, no formula, just chunky riffs chugging along with the organ tying it all together. Ritchie Blackmore is amazing.
5
Oct 14 2024
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Songs The Lord Taught Us
The Cramps
Ugh. Having a hard time coming up with anything redeeming about this. I guess the whole psychobilly schtick is interesting, but man is it unpleasant to listen to. Vocals are impossible to understand, the guitars sound like they were recorded over AM radio with a broken speaker. Just not for me at all.
1
Oct 15 2024
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Definitely Maybe
Oasis
Yep, sounds like Oasis. Not as familiar with this album as their next. It's fine, all the Oasis stuff is there, just nothing pops out at me. His voice is a bit whiney. Solid, but forgettable.
3
Oct 16 2024
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I'm Your Man
Leonard Cohen
What the fuck was that!? I'm clearly not the target market for whatever this is. Creepy weirdo talk-singing about nonsense while cheesy 80s synth-pop plays in background is not my cup of tea.
1
Oct 17 2024
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Alien Lanes
Guided By Voices
I mean...I guess some people like listening to garage ramblings of drunken 20-year-olds. There's maybe a certain charm to it, in an outsider-music kind of way. But I feel like I could have lived my life without ever hearing this and I wouldn't have missed anything. Guitars are out of tune, drums are off beat, it just sounds like a bunch of dudes who have no idea how to put together a cohesive song.
1
Oct 18 2024
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To Pimp A Butterfly
Kendrick Lamar
I enjoyed the overall flow of the album, and the bass work was exquisite. That said, it's not for me. I just don't relate to it, and that's fine, I'm not the target market.
3
Oct 19 2024
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The Dark Side Of The Moon
Pink Floyd
An absolute masterpiece. Sure, I've listened to this albums hundreds of times, but every single time it just gives me chills. Gilmour's guitar work is just achingly beautiful, the lush sonic soundscapes of Wright's keyboards transport the soul to another plane. The lyrics are imminently relatable, melancholy and timeless. I could go on forever.
5
Oct 20 2024
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Paul's Boutique
Beastie Boys
Sampling is on-point here. The construction is quite coherent, varied, and interesting. The boys seem like hilarious people to hang out with, the lyrics falling dangerously close to parody. Enjoyable, but not something I'd really choose to listen to. The voices get pretty grating at times, like they're shouting at me the whole time.
3
Oct 21 2024
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Bone Machine
Tom Waits
Strange dude. It's like an album recorded in a dungeon, with the skeletons keeping rhythm and Tom is in the corner growling about craziness. Percussion stuff was interesting. Quite a singular record, though not something I'll probably listen to again.
2
Oct 22 2024
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Dookie
Green Day
A classic album. Listened many times in high school, but then they got "too popular" and it wasn't cool to like them anymore. Still, I can sing every word of Basket Case. A very energetic, in your face album for the most part. I particularly enjoy some of the bass lines, there's a lot more going on than you might think.
5
Oct 23 2024
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Moving Pictures
Rush
Just a monster of an album. Crazy talent from all three musicians. I've seen most of this album performed live, and it's just unbelievable that this much sound can come from only three dudes. I find myself humming one of the tracks from this album quite frequently. Some people are going to hate on Geddy's voice, and I get it, but...it just wouldn't be Rush without it. One of the best albums of all time, period.
5
Oct 24 2024
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Stripped
Christina Aguilera
Not too shabby. She does a lot of genre exploration on this album, tracks are all over the place. Kind of lacks coherency because of that, although it is interesting to hear her try out many different sounds. It's all _very_ produced though, clean and sparkly. I'm not particularly enamored with pop music, so this doesn't really speak to me, but it is a solid effort, and I respect her decision to maintain tighter creative control and explore.
3
Oct 25 2024
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Timeless
Goldie
Never heard of this artist. I dig the drum n bass/jungle groove, and the instrumentation on top of the beat is quite varied and interesting. Some really nice piano parts scattered throughout as well. It makes good background music. There sure were a lot of seagull noises though.
3
Oct 26 2024
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Hounds Of Love
Kate Bush
Pretty good all in all. Love Running Up That Hill obviously, and the rest of the album is enjoyable. Her voice reminds me a lot of Tori Amos. The Irish jig on the second half was unexpected and fun. Definitely need to listen to more of her stuff.
4
Oct 27 2024
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Le Tigre
Le Tigre
I couldn't get through listening to this. I'm sure the political messages resonate with people, and that's great. But it was just not pleasant for me to listen to. I didn't like the vocals, I didn't like the music, I didn't like the drums. It sounded like something that a bunch of kids would put together from random instruments laying around the house.
1
Oct 28 2024
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...And Justice For All
Metallica
One of the formative albums of my youth. I had a tshirt with this album cover on it back in junior high. And what an album it is. Front to back, just pure thrash metal goodness. Yes, it's dumb that the bass is turned so low it's practically gone. But other than that everything is stellar. The lyrics are thought-provoking, the guitars are pure metal bliss.
5
Oct 29 2024
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Songs Of Leonard Cohen
Leonard Cohen
Eh, it's alright. Better than the last Cohen album I heard. It just doesn't resonate with me the way it seems like all the critics seem to think it should. Not a fan of his vocal technique, it just sounds like lazy half-singing. There is a bit of inspired guitar playing which I was surprised to hear. He just sort of comes across as a haughty, elitist douchbag, whose girlfriends keep leaving him and he's all "It's not me, they're all the crazy ones!"
2
Oct 30 2024
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Phaedra
Tangerine Dream
Some nice ambient electronic soundscapes. It's hard to believe this sort of thing existed in the 70s. The Moog synth was really a game changer. I enjoyed the album as background music.
3
Oct 31 2024
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My Aim Is True
Elvis Costello
I maybe recognized "Alison", but other than that, didn't know this artist beforehand. Pleasantly surprised. It's just a really good straight up rock n roll album, calling back to 50s era rock while infusing it with some more modern elements. His voice is energetic and ever-so-slightly over-the-top, but never grating. There's elements of rock, blues, folk, even reggae present. Will definitely be looking forward to another album by this artist.
4
Nov 01 2024
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BEYONCÉ
Beyoncé
I enjoyed the sound design and the general feel of most of the music. Certainly a subwoofer-fest on most tracks. She has a lovely voice as well. However, nothing really stuck out to me or blew me away. Several songs felt overly long. Clearly I'm not the target demographic.
3
Nov 02 2024
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Bridge Over Troubled Water
Simon & Garfunkel
Phenomenal album. It's hard to believe it was their last one, with all the good tracks on here. I enjoy the slightly less "folk-y" approach, with drums and horns and such, it gives the tracks more presence.
5
Nov 04 2024
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Millions Now Living Will Never Die
Tortoise
It's a difficult listen, but rewarding in some ways. The odd instrumental lineup (I think they have like 2 bassists and 3 drummers) takes some getting used to, and the fact that almost none of the tracks have any sort of normal musical arrangement is likewise strange. The 20+ min opener is more like 5-10 short semi-musical interludes connected by rhythmic noise. A few tracks have some genuinely interesting grooves in them, and I appreciate the constantly changing odd time signatures. Not something I would probably listen to again, but intriguing.
3
Nov 05 2024
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In Utero
Nirvana
It's hard to imagine just how big of an impact Nirvana had on music in the 90s. To the point that I genuinely got tired of hearing All Apologies multiple times every day for years. That said, it's still an enduring part of the American music landscape, as is Heart-Shaped Box, and to a lesser extent, Dumb and Pennyroyal Tea. The rest of the tracks on the album are, well, not quite as memorable or as enjoyable. But on the whole, the album is as genuine an experience as you can have.
4
Nov 06 2024
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Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea
PJ Harvey
It's alright, but nothing really stands out to me. The second half of the album has some more interesting stuff (Thom Yorke collabs, some odd time signatures). But ultimately it was pretty forgettable.
3
Nov 07 2024
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Exile In Guyville
Liz Phair
Man, this is the most early-90s sounding album I've heard in a long time. Her voice is a mixture of apathy and angst, like April Ludgate singing about how much she doesn't care about love. The guitar is almost completely clean+chorus+reverb throughout. While a nice, nostalgic time capsule, it fails to really grab my attention, and her voice gets old.
3
Nov 08 2024
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Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
There's a couple of good tracks, Breakdown and American Girl are classics. Most of the rest didn't do too much for me.
3
Nov 09 2024
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Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
Elton John
Wow, what a great album. I wasn't much into Elton John when I was younger, but the more I listen to his 60s-70s albums, the more I understand what a musical genius he is. So many great tracks on here, from the singles that everybody knows, to some of the longer, more instrumental pieces. And a couple of just flat out goofy ones. The whole thing is enjoyable front to back.
5
Nov 10 2024
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Sunshine Superman
Donovan
I did actually know a couple tracks on this album, although I'd never heard of this artist before. It's pretty good, kinda psychedelic, more sitar sprinkled throughout than I would have thought.
3
Nov 11 2024
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Car Wheels On A Gravel Road
Lucinda Williams
It started off pop and veered into country pretty fast. Eh, doesn't do much for me. Her voice is kind of grating and drunk sounding. I do enjoy some of the guitar work.
2
Nov 12 2024
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1984
Van Halen
Man, Eddie Van Halen is a monster. There are guitar sounds on this album that I still have no idea how he made. And all the other musicians are great as well, just a very cohesive, fun album. Truly a seismic shift for rock music.
5
Nov 13 2024
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Ladies And Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space
Spiritualized
Really interesting. I wasn't expecting so much orchestration from a rock band, but it was really well done. There were moments when the whole song would dissolve into a cacophony of noise only to resolve back into a coherent song again. It has a psychedelic vibe to it, but markedly different from the earlier 60s-70s era. Good times.
4
Nov 14 2024
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Billion Dollar Babies
Alice Cooper
Not too shabby. It's funny, if I didn't already know Alice Cooper's schtick, I wouldn't have picked up on it from this album, except for maybe a couple of tracks. It just sounds like a good 70s rock album. I enjoyed it, but probably wouldn't add it to my playlist.
3
Nov 15 2024
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In Our Heads
Hot Chip
Wow, this was pretty good. I really dig the combination of electronic and acoustic instruments, and several of the songs were very catchy. Will definitely be checking out other stuff from this artist.
4
Nov 16 2024
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Let's Stay Together
Al Green
Classic album. Just such a nice groovy background music. The bass and rhythm work is great, and Al's voice is pure honey.
4
Nov 17 2024
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Giant Steps
The Boo Radleys
A lot of different genres all shoehorned in here, but it works. We've got rock, reggae, country, a bit of psychedelic freakout, all swirled around together. I dig it.
4
Nov 19 2024
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Head Hunters
Herbie Hancock
Wow, that was a trip. It's jazz through and through, with all the various instruments weaving their melodies together in a chaotic swirl of sounds. You can definitely hear the funk influence in the bass and punchy drum parts. If you like jazz-fusion, this should be right up your alley. Personally, while I found it interesting, I probably wouldn't seek it out to listen again, though the musicianship is undeniable.
3
Nov 20 2024
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The Stranger
Billy Joel
Not a bad song on this whole album, and almost every one is a complete classic. Billy Joel is an incredibly talented songwriter, every track is just beautiful. And of course his piano playing is amazing, just effortlessly cool. The band he put together is great as well. All in all, highly recommended.
5
Nov 21 2024
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The Köln Concert
Keith Jarrett
Eh...he's a very talented piano player and accomplished improvisor. I just...don't want to listen to two hours of piano wankery.
2
Nov 22 2024
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Ten
Pearl Jam
I know every bit of this album by heart. Crazy that this was their debut, it absolutely rocks from front to back. Eddie Vedder's vocal stylings might not be for everyone, but I wouldn't have it any other way.
5
Nov 23 2024
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Surfer Rosa
Pixies
Well that was a strange one. I had only heard Where Is My Mind? before today, which is pretty weird by itself. The rest of the album is even weirder. I can definitely hear the roots of Nirvana and Smashing Pumpkins, even maybe a little Toadies. The fact that this came out in 1988 is crazy, definitely feels ahead of its time. The grindy guitars and batshit vocal delivery give it a manic feel, like the whole thing was created during a particularly goofy psychotic break. All in all, very interesting, although I doubt I'd listen again.
3
Nov 24 2024
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It's A Shame About Ray
The Lemonheads
I had heard the cover of Mrs. Robinson before, but none of the rest. It's fine, nothing crazy, not much that was memorable. Just generic, acoustic guitar-based 90s rock.
3
Nov 26 2024
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Rumours
Fleetwood Mac
So many great songs on here. I'll admit a little bias for Stevie Nicks, I generally like her songs better than the other band members' compositions. However even the other tracks are very good, it's just a wonderful 70s rock album.
5
Nov 27 2024
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Pacific Ocean Blue
Dennis Wilson
Decent classic rock, with the addition of horns here and there. His voice is nice, and the instrumentation is interesting. Nothing grabbed my attention though.
3
Nov 28 2024
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Buffalo Springfield Again
Buffalo Springfield
A pretty decent classic folk rock album. Nothing super memorable, but enjoyable to listen to.
3
Nov 29 2024
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Is This It
The Strokes
Sigh...I wanted to like this, since they seem like such a renowned and influential band. The production is well done, with an old-timey garage rock feel. But like...I just don't care about it at all. The drums are boring, the guitars seem to do nothing but straight 16th strumming the whole time, the vocals are all passed through a narrow band filter that makes them sit behind the mix. It just doesn't excite me at all. And it doesn't sound authentic to me, it sounds like "we spent a whole bunch of money and polish to make this sound like a garage record" with no soul at all.
2
Nov 30 2024
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Court And Spark
Joni Mitchell
Pretty good. Nothing super standout to me, but I enjoyed it as a sort of pleasant background music. Her voice is always very distinctive, and I appreciate that her lyrics are often quite personal and reflective.
3
Dec 01 2024
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En-Tact
The Shamen
Mostly this sounds like the club music you would hear in a movie set in the 80s-early-90s. It's interesting, but nothing too revolutionary. The MC on some of the tracks is...eh.
3
Dec 02 2024
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Now I Got Worry
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
Loud and abrasive. It's got some real soul to it for sure, and they all sound like they're having a lot of fun. Just...not particularly pleasant to listen to for me.
2
Dec 03 2024
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The Queen Is Dead
The Smiths
Not familiar with this band at all. Pretty unique feel, no real distortion on the guitars, pretty groovy basslines, and the singer's voice is pretty nice. Slapback delay on all vocals gets old. Kinda new-wavy, but without any electronics. Overall pleasant, but nothing standout.
3
Dec 04 2024
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Reign In Blood
Slayer
Never really cared for Slayer in the past, but I figured I'd give this an honest shot. While the guitar work is definitely top-notch, and I love metal in all it's various types, this just isn't doing it for me. I _hate_ the vocals so much. It just sounds like the band wrote a bunch of songs, and the singer came in and yelled a bunch of silly poetry on top, not even on the beat half the time. And I'd love it if the drums did anything other than blast beats 90% of the time. So...not for me.
2
Dec 05 2024
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Paranoid
Black Sabbath
Oh man, such a great album. Every single track is killer. Truly a foundational album for any metal fan. The sludgy guitar, the funky bass, the driving beats, and Ozzy's singular voice, all come together to form a monster.
5
Dec 06 2024
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You've Come a Long Way Baby
Fatboy Slim
The singles are good and catchy (though they've definitely been played to death). The rest of the tracks are interesting from a technical standpoint, just oodles of samples cut and manipulated expertly. However, most of them seem twice as long as they need to be, and the vocal samples quickly get tiresome.
3
Dec 07 2024
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Sheer Heart Attack
Queen
So many great songs on this album. I appreciate how the whole thing flows continually as well. There's a some silliness here and there, but mostly its a solid theatrical classic rock album.
5
Dec 08 2024
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Celebrity Skin
Hole
Better than I thought it would be. Kinda grungy, kinda poppy, very well produced. Enjoyed the singing as well.
4
Dec 09 2024
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The Wall
Pink Floyd
One of my top favorite albums of all time. It's a bit more meandering than, say, Dark Side of the Moon, but the story it tells is top notch. So many great individual songs, and yet it flows as an album so well.
5
Dec 10 2024
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Elephant
The White Stripes
Pretty fun. I enjoyed Jack's unorthodox guitar work. His over-the-top singing style with the slapback echo started to get a bit annoying, but overall a good album.
3
Dec 11 2024
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Triangle
The Beau Brummels
Surprisingly nice. It had a kind of whimsical, fantastical feel to it, a bit more interesting than a lot of folk rock. I would definitely check out more by this artist.
4
Dec 12 2024
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One World
John Martyn
Pretty nice background music. The guitar work was pleasant and it all had a kind of island-getaway feel to it. Nothing stand out, but not too shabby.
3
Dec 13 2024
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Lady Soul
Aretha Franklin
Really enjoyed it. I didn't realize her music could be so funky. The basslines in particular were quite groovy, and of course her voice is just amazing.
4
Dec 14 2024
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Crime Of The Century
Supertramp
A lot more progressive than I thought it would be, with a solid pop rock base. I enjoyed a lot of the more extended jams.
4
Dec 20 2024
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Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
The Smashing Pumpkins
I knew a bunch of songs from this album, but hadn't ever really listened to the whole thing at once. There's a lot to digest here, quite a range of sounds and volumes and noises, all with Corgan's screechy voice doing it's thing on top. Some really beautiful quieter songs, and some really rocking anthems. It was maybe a bit long, but overall an amazing album
5
Dec 21 2024
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Urban Hymns
The Verve
Obviously I had heard Bittersweet Symphony a million times, but nothing else by this artist. The rest of the album sounds like a kind of fever-dream of the 90s. Everything sound vaguely familiar, but not exactly memorable.
3