The fucking Ramones!!

Always reminds me of Middle Colenso and listening to this on Mum and Dad's Cd

Great album. Three stars as a whole because I'm not sure at this point if I would revisit as a whole (maybe that will change). Last track is lovely but unfortunately the colossal weight of emotion in All My Friends seems much like a imploding star, crush and devour all tracks around it's 5 star worthy artistry. As a middle aged man listening to another middle aged man singing about those early 2000s it strikes like a two chorded fork through the heart (even though weirdly I missed this track at the time)

Viorar Vel til.... That's the one Beautiful atmospheres but felt a bit tired at the end? Will definitely revisit though probably more in a Background sense than a focused listen

Works great as a complete piece of work. Reason that it misses a 5* is that it runs a little too long for me as opposed to Let It Bleed. Strong start and some stone cold classics. Playing is great and sounds like a hell of a lot of fun at Nellcôte. You can hear the party

Love it! The Old Mans Back Again, Seventh Seal, Hero Of The War, Duchess and Get Behind Me are all gorgeous. Such beautiful orchestration and song construction with a voice that has to be one of the finest of a generation. Inventive and unpredictable. Hard to listen to without absolute attention on lyrics too as you much so much of the detail. Deep listen 5*

This is the first time I've delved any deeper into The Specials aside from the first album and the ubiquitous double greatest hits CD. What a fantastic record. Very interesting mix of the original ska 2 tone with drum machines and kitschy synths dotted around. Always a sense of detachment and paranoia in the delivery yet the lyrics are completely direct in their disillusionment. You can almost feel Ghost Town forming throughout the album.. Will definitely revisit again

Went from a 4 to a 5 as the album swang along. Beautiful playing, a jubilant atmosphere and enticed everyone in the room to listen, enjoy and discuss. Surely what a true work of art is about. Will now class this as a new future favourite

First 2 tracks and last 3 are flawless but this accents the dip in the middle. Was one of 3 CDs that I took to university so it will always hold a special place but listening again showed me why I haven't revised the album in 20 years - a lot more low-fi than I remembered.

Noise as an art form - the more you throw yourself into the chaos the more you get out. Also underneath it all an amazing punk album. So achingly cool you feel uncool just listening to it but after cooler because you have

Went into this thinking a definite 3* but as the album went on realised that as a piece of work it is brave, cohesive, well written and played by a band bit willing to rest on previous Dookie laurels. Kicks off strongly and is a journey from start to finish. Like the banding of tracks together. When September Ends is beautiful. A critique of the mainstream bringing Green Day even more into the mainstream

One of the albums that defined my teenage years. Was a perfect album celebrating a vanishing Englishness which was in equal parts nostalgic but also critical and punky. Think also the artwork sums up the colours in the record. It's autumnal sounding and slightly bleak. Coxon's guitar playing is always something to behold. There's an underlying darkness behind the 'pop'. Masterclass in songwriting and Albarn deserves to be held in the same regard as Bowie Full five stars. No questions.

Incredible to listen to for the first time. Radio excerpts and sampling paving the way for so many other artists and albums. Can completely see why it is here. Inventive, ground-breaking and off it's tits in many ways. Persian Love pushed it into 4* / 5* territory but the rest of the album couldn't quite get there so sits at a high 3*. Will recommend and listen again but not hitting the heart strings enough for a four

Now I love The Beatles. This has some stone cold classics It Won't Be Long, All I Gotta Do, All My Loving, Til There Was You. For me the only thing that stops this from a full 5* is there are too many covers. The Beatles are good enough to have every song on every record theirs. Saying that it is obviously one of the first so they were finding their feet. Also my first introduction on album to the band so will always be special. Knowing what else is in the cannon means that it sits at four Surprisingly more raw than I remember and you can sense excitement, naievity, and togetherness in every note. High 4*

Hope, redemption, peace in the valley, punk, kicking against the pricks. The howling of the incarcerated bookending the songs of the outsiders - but weirdly knowing Cash can walk out. When he asks for the water... And the later call to the warden. This is cold hard social history. Even if you don't like the music. It hopefully makes you realise that there is an entire world that exists but that you maybe choose to ignore.

A fine album but so something didn't quite hit for me. The opening track is amazing - love it. The rest of the album failed to live up to it in my opinion. And A Bang On The Ear is beautiful. Unfortunately it's a 2*. Not because it's bad in anyway, just that I can think of other albums I would rather see in this list.

See why it's here. It's inventive and no doubt has been a huge influence on many artists but weirdly I've heard those same artists do it a bit more consistently across an album. Saying that the album really picks up on the second half. Maybe is a great track, The Way She Dances too. Couldn't shake the word patchy from my brain as I listened. I love The Neptunes stuff and the first N*E*R*D* record but this one left me a bit flat and cold. However there is stuff here I would revisit though so going to give it a 3* in the hope I change my mind over time? Think I expected more from such boundary pushing producers.

Didn't expect to like this as much as I did. Always liked The Who from afar but never delved past the usual suspects. It's a great record and a lot rawer than I expected. Very garagey and patchy and full of I don't give a fuck! Great playing and powerful vocals. Think the Tommy era Who always clouded my judgement but this is fierce .

I surprise myself every time I listen to a Depeche Mode album. It never fills me with anticipation or excitement but as soon as I do I wonder why they are not on a more regular rotation. Everything you want from them. Minimal, overblown, love, loss and an undercurrent of darkness always threatening to pull you under.

One of those that I know I should like it more than I do. His voice is faultless, he can play a mean guitar and the songs, when they hit right, are impeccable. It's just that it leaves me sat probably on a sidewalk in Greenwich village waiting for something a bit more... more. Run That Body Down, Duncan and Me & Julio stood out for me.

Fucking fantastic. Overblown, overkill and why the fuck not. The orchestration is beautiful. I wish it might have been a little more leading than accompanying but beggars can't be choosers

Absolute 5*. A perfect album. Can't put in words how much this record meant and means to me so I won't.

Really beautiful. Only one track around the middle of the album didn't connect (I won't say which one) but otherwise it is fantastic. So many ideas and strands of music woven into a rich tapestry that I felt enriched just listening. A solid solid 4*

Challenging. Some highlights some other bits where I felt it was playing with time signatures for the sake of time signatures. Can think of more worthy albums to be here (though they might not be as cool)

The unstoppable Iggy Pop. There is the old saying about the only survivors after the apocalypse will be Keith Richards and the cockroaches but can be damn sure Iggy will be there too. There is an unbounded decadence, depravity and ultimately joy in this record. You can hear the fingers on the strings, the missed kick drums and the sound of songs being written and recorded and served straight to your ears. Though it is not perfect I don't think it ever was meant to be which in turn makes it perfect. No wonder he's smiling

The birth of G Funk. You are witnessing the creation of a style and a sound. That whistling synth over such Funkadelic thick bass lines

I haven't been this blown away by a 'recent' record in some time. From the first note it draws you in. Every song gives more. Beautiful words. Jaw-dropping style and delivery. Production on point. A perfect album Stone cold *5

Lots of beautiful soundscapes. His voice is not the strongest point but never was a borders a little bit on those dreaded words 'pastoral' or 'whimsical'. It's proggy which used to be a huge no no for me but I've mellowed of late. Can hear Bowie's Low in here which is probably why it resonates somewhere... Fripp is fantastic when his guitar appears Worth a listen and feel better for having heard but it's a 'know why it's here' 3*

No words Genius 5*

Solid. Lush. Obviously Papa is a masterpiece but perhaps outshines. Funky Music, First Time is sublime and also Do Your Thing is actually stronger than one might think at first. Want to push it to 4 but can't quite get there but a completely deserved 3*

It's an ok album but unfortunately lacking in hooks and earworms. It went by without being too taxing but didn't leave the experience feeling anything much

How to rewrite the rules on how a record can be recorded. So diverse yet cohesive. Every track individually has the power to be a masterclass and together they create a masterpiece. When dealing with the 5* records I strangely find it more difficult to write notes as the words seem not to do justice.

It's a great pop rock and actually you realise what an influential guitarist Marc Bolan was. It's pretty rare that you can say you birthed an entire genre. But nice one. Welcome glam rock!!!

I see Monster in this. When REM got fuzzy and also the Velvets getting non-seizure inducing tripped out. It has a firm identity. It completely works as a record. Everyday should be a holiday is a formative yeah. Cal me tomorrow for a 3 or 4* tricky now it is the perfect bridge. It's this fun because of the night or is it the hangover?

A confusing one. I understand the lore around the album, the cry from the soul of a tortured artist once brimming with creativity and losing their weak grip on reality amongst a battle against psycadelics and mental health. Also it's the sound of the death of the sixties hippie ideal. I get all that but also some of it is just a bit crap. Flashes of beauty, flashes of greatness, flashes of unabashed and unburdened individuality but also flashes of rambling and shouldn't have been released. There's some 5s here and some 1s so it gets a 3

Killer opener. Can't argue. But genius over an entire album is tricky. Elton albums are different from Elton singles.

Bloody hell that's long. Amazing playing. Not a genre that I'm very familiar with but you have to tip your (Stetson) hat. Wonderful harmonies

Apart from Tainted Love and the one I will mention shortly I had not much of an idea of Soft Cell. This album I enjoyed so much more than I thought I ever would. It sounds like a Soho that is long gone but I was lucky to experience the tail end of. Sex dwarf is phenomenal but the aforementioned track is Say Hello Wave Goodbye. One of the most heartbreakingly strong breakup songs. Every line has you there standing in the rain lit by neon lights...

Obviously not the album she is most famous for but a classic nevertheless. The lyrics are honest, the delivery is fantastic and the moments of naïvety are only more heartbreaking with the knowledge of what her life had in store. There is an experimentation to the record that pays homage to the jazz that has influenced her but trying to create something purely in her mould. Something she would nail on the follow up

A stone cold classics. Changes, Oh You Pretty Things are phenomenal. Would give it a full 5 but I know I have Ziggy and Low to come which I like a lot lot more. The end of the Bowie whimsy

What a downright dirty album. I remember here this about 20 years ago and wondering what the hell was going on kind of expecting VU&Nico part 2 but with every listen it gives more and more and more. I think it took the rest of the music world to catch up too. The alt-rock scene owes so much to this record. As much jazz using feedback as a sax, to punk, to alt-rock to psycadelia to brain melting noise this is a pure 5*

From the heart of Saturday night (ISH). Although not a truly spontaneous live record it is a live record nonetheless and a beautiful Tom waits record. As much songwriting as theatre but buy the ticket and take the ride into the seedy underbelly of neon lit night inhibited by the wild side of life and the mundane flip side of existence. A genius 5*

A real soundtrack to my teenage years. Funnily fell out of love with the Chili's after Californication around Stadium Arcadium but rediscovered and reloved. Powerhouse performances and a flawless record

Really enjoyed it. At times thought I really really enjoyed it but this morning I can't seem to remember too much about it other than the overall feel. Cool sounds and great production. The lyrics were great but none stuck. A solid 3 and will probably revisit and regret not giving a 4