522
Albums Rated
2.88
Average Rating
48%
Complete
567 albums remaining
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
1990
Favorite Decade
Punk
Favorite Genre
UK
Top Origin
Perfectionist
Rater Style ?
26
5-Star Albums
32
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
Top Styles
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Bummed
Happy Mondays
|
5 | 2.65 | +2.35 |
|
Copper Blue
Sugar
|
5 | 2.97 | +2.03 |
|
The La's
The La's
|
5 | 3.14 | +1.86 |
|
Let England Shake
PJ Harvey
|
5 | 3.15 | +1.85 |
|
Machine Gun Etiquette
The Damned
|
5 | 3.16 | +1.84 |
|
In It For The Money
Supergrass
|
5 | 3.23 | +1.77 |
|
I Should Coco
Supergrass
|
5 | 3.35 | +1.65 |
|
Urban Hymns
The Verve
|
5 | 3.36 | +1.64 |
|
War
U2
|
5 | 3.47 | +1.53 |
|
Definitely Maybe
Oasis
|
5 | 3.53 | +1.47 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
The Stranger
Billy Joel
|
1 | 3.86 | -2.86 |
|
Getz/Gilberto
Stan Getz
|
1 | 3.65 | -2.65 |
|
good kid, m.A.A.d city
Kendrick Lamar
|
1 | 3.63 | -2.63 |
|
To Pimp A Butterfly
Kendrick Lamar
|
1 | 3.63 | -2.63 |
|
Head Hunters
Herbie Hancock
|
1 | 3.54 | -2.54 |
|
Stardust
Willie Nelson
|
1 | 3.39 | -2.39 |
|
The Köln Concert
Keith Jarrett
|
1 | 3.39 | -2.39 |
|
Ready To Die
The Notorious B.I.G.
|
1 | 3.36 | -2.36 |
|
Red Headed Stranger
Willie Nelson
|
1 | 3.35 | -2.35 |
|
The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady
Charles Mingus
|
1 | 3.32 | -2.32 |
Artists
Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Nirvana | 3 | 4.67 |
| Supergrass | 2 | 5 |
| R.E.M. | 3 | 4.33 |
Least Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Kendrick Lamar | 2 | 1 |
| Willie Nelson | 2 | 1 |
| Brian Eno | 2 | 1.5 |
Controversial
| Artist | Ratings |
|---|---|
| U2 | 2, 3, 5 |
| Radiohead | 2, 4, 2, 4, 5 |
5-Star Albums (26)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
TLC · 4 likes
1/5
Started off the album thinking that maybe it wasn’t going to be as bad as I was expecting.
Finished the album realising it was every bit as bad as I was expecting.
John Lee Hooker · 2 likes
3/5
Was this a reasonably enjoyable listen? Yes
Could I really tell the difference between most tracks? No
Does that matter? Not really
Will I ever listen to this album again? Probably not
Kendrick Lamar · 2 likes
1/5
Thanks but no thanks, not really my sort of thing so can’t really tell if it’s any good or not. But it sounded crap. I can only judge it on my enjoyment and I didn’t enjoy it. So there.
The La's · 1 likes
5/5
I know people seem to fall into two camps with this one. Those who think There She Goes is the only good song and those who think the album as a whole is brilliant: I’ve always fallen in the latter category.
This is a superb album with so many excellent songs. There She Goes is clearly a great song but this album is so much more than just that one song. As a whole it just works and also gives us many more standout tracks, such as Feelin’ and Timeless Melody. And it finished off with the magnificent Looking Glass.
Simply a great album.
Keith Jarrett · 1 likes
1/5
I am the music man. I come from far away and I can play. (What can you play?)
I play the piano. Pia pia piano piano piano – Pia pia piano pia piano
An hour of uninteresting piano playing. Dull!
1-Star Albums (32)
All Ratings
Johnny Cash
3/5
Black Sabbath
3/5
I get the cultural significance of this record but I just don’t think I was put on this earth to listen to heavy metal. It’s just not for me. I’d like to say I’d listen to it again but I probably won’t.
The Who
2/5
I think I prefer the later Who rather than this Beatles-esque music. Hints of what was to come but on the whole not a great album compared to what else was around at the time.
Public Enemy
3/5
I’m sure it’s great if you’re into this type of music. I can’t say I am really.
The Band
2/5
I tried but just really struggled to get into this one. Not a fan.
Coldcut
2/5
Not a big fan
Sufjan Stevens
3/5
A pleasant surprise in that there were a few songs I quite liked but also several I wasn’t so keen on. Overall far too long and rather overblown.
Soundgarden
3/5
Ok so I know this album is well regarded so was looking forward to giving it a listen. For a genre of music I don’t usually seek out it was more enjoyable than I was expecting. Probably not one I will re listen to a lot but certainly wouldn’t discard it out of hand.
3.2 from me.
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
2/5
I think my dad was a fan nearly 70 years ago. I’ve no doubt it was a big deal at the time.
Madonna
2/5
I remember at the time it was considered a ground breaking album for Madonna. Problem is whilst that may be true it doesn’t really feel ground breaking in the wider music context. Also reinforced my opinion that whilst Madonna may have been making great pop singles during her career the albums didn’t really add much.
Pere Ubu
2/5
There was an inkling of optimism initially but this just rapidly descended into something that I don’t think I could ever describe.
Gang Starr
3/5
Not particularly a hip-hop fan but some of this was alright. A bit too long though as I started to get bored towards the end.
Derek & The Dominos
2/5
Layla aside it’s pretty disappointing
Talking Heads
2/5
Couldn’t really get into this one. Most songs just grated after a while
Wu-Tang Clan
2/5
Nothing earth shattering. A lot of songs seemed to blend into each other without setting the world alight.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
3/5
Aside from providing the inspiration for a staple of the dad joke world it’s not a bad album but found myself picking up on the well known songs and not so much on the rest of the album tracks.
The Velvet Underground
4/5
Always liked this album. Not perfect but most songs I would listen to again.
Jerry Lee Lewis
3/5
Packed a lot in for just 22 minutes. Solid rock and roll.
Lauryn Hill
2/5
Just not really my cup of tea. A couple of alright tracks but I just got bored quite quickly.
Herbie Hancock
1/5
So dull, got bored very, very quickly.
Leonard Cohen
2/5
A bit too dark and slow for me.
Wire
3/5
A nice change after Leonard and some good songs
Carole King
2/5
I can see why the album is popular in certain circles but jut not really mg sort of thing.
Simon & Garfunkel
3/5
I quite like a bit of S&G but I’m not sure this album hit the heights. A few good songs but also some that I didn’t really take to.
Snoop Dogg
2/5
The music is better than the lyrics but I think really you probably need to be a fan of this music to appreciate this album.
Kendrick Lamar
1/5
Gave it a go but a real struggle.
Fishbone
2/5
So much going on here it’s a complete bombardment of the sense. Extraordinary!
James Brown
2/5
I guess you had to be there
Deep Purple
2/5
Overblown and pretentious. Just no need for it, I’m sure they have it in their locker to do better.
George Michael
2/5
Some early promise quickly descended into mid-table mediocrity
Public Image Ltd.
1/5
It sure what I just listened to here but it was terrible
The Vines
3/5
Completely missed this lot at the time. It’s alright but doesn’t strike me as anything special or different to many other similar bands of the time.
The Cars
2/5
Nothing to get the pulse racing
The Who
2/5
Didn’t really rate this one. Heard better.
PJ Harvey
2/5
The music was definitely better than the singing. Tough one to stick to and ended up with a headache. I had wondered what all the fuss was about and if I’d been missing out not getting into PJ Harvey but think it would have been better to have been left wondering.
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
1/5
Couldn’t get into this one
Abdullah Ibrahim
2/5
Don’t know enough about jazz to say if this is any good or not. Not really my cup of tea.
Amy Winehouse
2/5
Dull
The Allman Brothers Band
2/5
Inoffensive but just not very interesting
The Thrills
2/5
I remember that I wasn’t much of a fan of this band when they came out and the passing of time has not changed my mind.
Ozomatli
2/5
Couldn’t find it so no idea if it’s any good. Will be generous and give it a 2 though.
Paul Simon
2/5
I think I was expecting more from this but I just felt like it didn’t quite deliver. I’d probably listen to a couple of songs again but I think it wouldn’t bother me if I didn’t listen to most of the songs on this album again.
Ray Charles
2/5
Ok Ray can belt out a tune but this jut isn’t the type of music I would choose to listen to and couldn’t really get into it. Definitely some skipping involved with his one.
Adele
2/5
Feels a bit like another album included on the basis of what an artist has done before and their level of popularity. Adele can sing and I’m sure some of her previous songs were good for the type of music she sings however this felt a bit bland. A bit similar to previous works but just following a formula she’s found that sells without ever feeling new and interesting.
The Black Keys
2/5
I don’t know why but I was expecting something a bit more alive and edgier. Every song seemed to sound the same and it didn’t take long to start getting bored with it.
Songhoy Blues
3/5
Finally an album with a bit of spark after a real run of turgidity. If they’d kept up their initial groove all the way through this would have had a higher rating from me.
The Dictators
3/5
Not really sure what to make of this but at least it sounds like they’re having fun and it’s more entertaining to listen to than Coldplay.
Dire Straits
2/5
Bit of a strange one. Like most people I was well aware of the singles and how big they were back in the 80’s but I’d never listened to the album in full. Turns out I needn’t have bothered as all the others songs were rather dull.
Dusty Springfield
3/5
Fairly middle of the road stuff. A couple that raised themselves above average.
Jefferson Airplane
3/5
It was good in places, not so good in others.
Stan Getz
1/5
I tried but just couldn’t do it. Had to give up early. Just not for me.
Ryan Adams
2/5
I was hoping his process would throw up an album to prove to me that country music isn’t all dull, boring and bland.
This album wasn’t it though.
The Smiths
4/5
Some good tunes on here but equally a couple that didn’t quite work. A good overall album with There Is A Light a standout.
Portishead
4/5
I was never really into this when it came out. But on listening now it was so much better than I imagined. Very chilled but the musical arrangements and the vocals elevated it above some similar offerings which I would usually consider dull.
LL Cool J
3/5
I’m sure this was what the cool kids at school were listening to in 1990 to prove just how cool they were. I wasn’t a college kid so I didn’t listen to it at school. Perhaps I should have so I could have been cool as well.
M.I.A.
3/5
Another one I’m not quite sure about and can’t decide if I liked it or not. The initial attack on the senses calmed down a bit and I found myself enjoying it more the longer it went on. Still not sure if it’s good or not though so going for a middle of the road rating.
Elton John
4/5
Really enjoyed a lot of this (Jamaican Jerk aside) but did feel it could have been a few songs shorter.
Jimi Hendrix
3/5
Not quite sure what was going on with a lot of this album. Didn’t enjoy it as much as I was hoping to.
Led Zeppelin
3/5
Hmm, I mean it wasn’t bad but it just wasn’t very interesting
The Notorious B.I.G.
1/5
What a horrible little man
Scritti Politti
1/5
Wtf! Someone’s taking the piss now. This album shouldn’t be anywhere near the top 10,000 albums let alone the top 1,000!
Frank Sinatra
3/5
Frank you old charmer! Biggie could learn a thing or two from you on how to woo a woman. Anyone, if you’ve heard one Sinatra sing you’ve heard them all it would seem.
Jurassic 5
3/5
I enjoyed this more than I was expecting to but probably 3-4 songs too long
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
3/5
Once the screeching stopped the songs were actually alright.
A Tribe Called Quest
2/5
I’m afraid I just got quite bored with this. Didn’t really do anything for me.
Bruce Springsteen
5/5
A ‘hidden’ gem! I was fully expecting to find an album full of uninteresting fillers alongside the big hits but I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the whole album. A few really good album tracks as well that I’d never heard before which I really liked. So much better than a lot of that other 80’s generic rock. Will be listening to this one again before long.
Stevie Wonder
2/5
Note to Stevie if he comes on here to read these reviews. Give me an album full of tracks of the quality and funk of Superstition and you can have 5 stars.
Nina Simone
3/5
Nina can sing but just not really my cup of tea. A bit too slow for my liking.
Pixies
4/5
Never really got into the Pixies as much as I probably should have. Nothing wrong with this album though.
Morrissey
2/5
A few moments of promise which were quickly snubbed out.
The La's
5/5
I know people seem to fall into two camps with this one. Those who think There She Goes is the only good song and those who think the album as a whole is brilliant: I’ve always fallen in the latter category.
This is a superb album with so many excellent songs. There She Goes is clearly a great song but this album is so much more than just that one song. As a whole it just works and also gives us many more standout tracks, such as Feelin’ and Timeless Melody. And it finished off with the magnificent Looking Glass.
Simply a great album.
Fun Lovin' Criminals
3/5
Never got into this lot back in the day as they always seemed like a bit of a novelty band to me. On listening now that may have been slightly harsh but I still don’t really get the appeal that much.
De La Soul
3/5
Largely inoffensive and laid back vibes but just went on far too long
Hugh Masekela
2/5
Not my cup of tea. Too dull.
Miles Davis
2/5
Look for those that know about this music and like it it’s probably amazing. Not for me though. Too young still to appreciate this type of music.
Germs
1/5
I know it’s punk and it’s supposed to sound like that but my god that’s hard work. Guaranteed to give you a headache and not in a good way.
Air
4/5
Nice laid back vibes, a very welcome relief after the Germs album.
Stan Getz
3/5
Smooth samba jazz. Laid back and chilled out. Not a big fan of jazz but this has its place.
David Bowie
3/5
Quite hard to rate this one. There were elements of it I really liked and others that I really didn’t. Going hot have to go down the middle for this one.
The Flaming Lips
3/5
Not unpleasant but found myself getting a bit bored the longer it went on. Some decent stuff and fairly laid back vibes. Completely different to the only Flaming Lips album I own which had a bit more life to it. I think I preferred that album.
Aphex Twin
3/5
I can imagine this album must be amazing if stoned. But I’m not and frankly it’s just not really the sort of music I’d choose to listen to. Ok so it’s got some good laid back vibes but I just can’t listen to over an hour of the same repetitive sound. And I’m not prepared to start taking drugs in order just to get on board with it.
Doves
4/5
Really liked this one when it came out and still do. Ok not all songs keep the attention but on the whole a really good sound. Certainly an album I revisit from time to time
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
3/5
It was alright, didn’t blow me away but was decent enough. Not sure I’d listen to it again in a hurry though.
Radiohead
2/5
Just too experimental and too much of a departure from their previous music. Thom’s voice just grates on this a lot. Instrumentally the album would have been better without any vocals.
Barry Adamson
2/5
Strange one, and not necessarily in a good way. Felt like it wanted to be like ‘War of the Worlds’ in places. Not sure who the target audience for this would be. Certainly not me!
Manic Street Preachers
3/5
You can tell the difference in this and post-Richey Manics. This feels better than some of the better known later stuff. Some quite dark lyrics highlighting his state of mind at the time. Not sure if I would call it an enjoyable listen at times but not a bad effort.
Aerosmith
3/5
Sweet Emotion always reminds me of one of my favourite films, Dazed and Confused, so I was looking forward to this album based on that. Unfortunately the rest of the album didn’t really live up to my hopes with most of the songs nothing particularly special.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
3/5
Started off very strongly with Ramble Tamble but the rest of the album didn’t quite live up to that opener. Some good songs, some not quite so good.
Fela Kuti
3/5
Seems pretty standard Fela stuff
Nanci Griffith
3/5
Some of this was not unpleasant but I’m just not into the country sound.
Motörhead
4/5
I’ve come to the conclusion that metal is clearly best experienced live. Really liked this album but probably wouldn’t have as much of a recorded album.
Giant Sand
2/5
They weren’t wrong. It was a real chore to get through it. Very dull.
Pink Floyd
3/5
Quite self indulgent but a lot of it is quite good. I think.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
3/5
Not as bad as I was expecting.
Nick Drake
4/5
On the whole a lovely little album. A nice contrast to some of the other albums on here. Let down in places by the sax but a really nice find this one.
Mj Cole
1/5
Awful. I’m afraid you’re never going to convince me that this is listenable music.
Sarah Vaughan
2/5
I think you have to really be a fan of this music to enjoy it. Nice voice but just a bit too dull for my liking.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
I think having none of the big hits works well here as it doesn’t distract focus from the rest of the album. So many good songs of sufficient variety to make this a quality listening experience. Really enjoyed this one.
Peter Gabriel
3/5
I think I was going for something better but some of it was alright. Some of it wasn’t great though. Half and half. A 3 then I guess.
Madonna
3/5
Takes me back to hearing my youth and hearing some of these songs in the house. Pretty standard Madonna work at the time. Heard worse in the 80’s!
Black Sabbath
4/5
Preferred this to the previous Sabbath offering. Especially liked Supernaut.
Bonnie Raitt
2/5
Not really my cup of tea. Some nice moments but not enough. Hard to give it a good Raitting
4/5
Never really got into PJ Harvey back in the day but on listening to this I’m not quite sure why. Much better than I was expecting and will now have to go and check out her back catalogue and see if I really was wrong to overlook her all those years ago.
Lou Reed
4/5
Listened to some Velvet Underground before but not really much of Lou Reed’s music. Was aware of a few songs (Perfect Day, Walk on the wild side, Satellite of love) but wasn’t really aware of what the rest of the album might be like. Turns out I really liked a lot of it. Will be seeking out more if Lou Reed’s work.
Ali Farka Touré
3/5
Started off ok. Some nice laid back vibes. Seemed to get too laid back as the album went on and started to border on dull. Perhaps a bit too long and repetitive.
Gram Parsons
1/5
Absolutely no redeeming qualities in this one. Terrible.
Ramones
3/5
When I commented on a Bob Dylan album saying it sounded like one song with lots of pauses I hadn’t realised this one would come up. That Dylan album was extremely diverse in sound compared to this. Can only imagine the band saying to the singer “well we’ve got this one tune, any chance you can just mumble different things each time we play it and claim they are different songs?”
Beck
3/5
I never really got into Beck at the time so was intrigued to see if the passing of time would have changed my opinion. I thought this was alright but not spectacular.
The Clash
4/5
Not always been the biggest punk fan but really liked this. Punk sounds but with enough variety and musically engaging to keep me interested.
The Mothers Of Invention
2/5
Strange album. Just didn’t really feel it.
Pink Floyd
2/5
Given the hype around this band I was looking forward to giving this album a go but unfortunately it was largely unlistenable tripe!
Stevie Wonder
4/5
It’s astonishing to think this was Stevie’s eighteenth album. Most artists barely make it past one or two but to get to eighteen and still be making bangers songs is incredible. Ok so it could probably have done with being split into two great albums but can’t really knock it.
Michael Kiwanuka
4/5
Another gem from the list. I was aware of Michael Kiwanuka but had never really given him much of a listen. I’m beginning to wish I had though as this was really good and I enjoyed listening to it.
ABBA
3/5
Can’t really knock ABBA, they knew how to make ridiculously catchy pop songs. The singles are far better than the other album tracks but still a reasonably enjoyable listen.
Peter Tosh
2/5
Not my cup of tea but I’m guessing it’s alright if you’re into this type of music
GZA
2/5
Every song sounded the same and none were interesting at all
Frank Sinatra
2/5
Smooth but just very dull
David Bowie
2/5
I didn’t really like this one compared to the other albums of his we’ve had do far.
Beatles
3/5
Usual Beatles frustrations. Hits so much better than the filler songs. Enough decent songs to have made one album and without the nonsense.
The Zombies
3/5
Unfortunately one swallow doesn’t make a summer and as much as Time of the Season tries to save the album it can’t do it all on its own.
It wasn’t terrible but it felt fairly bland. There were lots of other bands at the time making similar music but just doing it better.
Cyndi Lauper
3/5
Pleasantly surprised by this one. Was expecting the usual 80’s album dirge but actually there were a number of pretty good songs. Not particularly my scene but a lot better than other similar offerings from that time. Definitely a couple of songs I may even revisit again if in the mood for some decent 80’s tunes. Album tailed off a bit towards the end though. Close to a 3.5 album this one.
Common
2/5
Just pretty dull really
Pearl Jam
3/5
Can’t say I’ve ever really been a fan of PJ as there’s something about their songs that I just can’t quite get into. It’s not terrible and I’m sure it’s a big deal in the grunge arena but I’m just not a big fan and I doubt I’ll listen to it again.
The Doors
3/5
It was alright. Nothing spectacular but decent enough
Another album that feels like it’s been included because of the popularity and past glories of a band when the album itself is poor.
When the quality of the singles is this poor the album completely struggles. At least with previous U2 albums the singles were good enough to raise the overall album. Not with this one though. Dull and bland and reflective of a band well past its best.
Faust
3/5
Pleasantly surprised by this one.
The Teardrop Explodes
3/5
‘‘Twas alright without being spectacular
Dusty Springfield
3/5
Great voice but felt like a pretty generic 60’s female singer album.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
4/5
Liked this one even more than the previous YYY offering.
The Smiths
3/5
The Smiths are one of those bands where I’m just not sure if I like them or not. Musically it’s very listenable but the sound of Morrisey’s voice just doesn’t do it for me after a while. I think it’s fine when they come out with some bigger numbers or an album broken up with a bit of variety but this one just dragged by the end.
Leftfield
3/5
This is good, for the type of music it is. I think if you’re into this type of music it’s an easy 5 stars. It’s not really my thing though so doubt I’d ever listen to it again but can appreciate it’s better than a lot of its genre.
Steve Winwood
2/5
So bland and nondescript it’s confusing to think someone has deemed this worthy of being one of the top 1001 albums of all time. It’s seems odd that it was even considered alright when it came out.
The Offspring
4/5
Even better than I remember it being at the time. The start of an interest in punk rock which had taken off with Green Day’s Dookie. An interest that has morphed into modern day punk pop through daughter’s music tastes. You can follow a lot of today’s pop punk back to the time of this album and Dookie. Good to hear this one again.
Thin Lizzy
3/5
Probably better live than enduring any of their recorded albums
Flamin' Groovies
4/5
A surprisingly enjoyable listen. I say surprisingly only because I’d never heard of them and wasn’t sure what to expect. A very groovy album with a number of decent tracks even if none really stood out as head and shoulders above the rest. Seem to have borrowed from various other artists of the era but thats not a bad thing.
Traffic
3/5
Not a bad effort. Quite enjoyed it early doors but my interest did wane the longer it went on.
Def Leppard
4/5
Dan at uni would have been all over this but we never took him and his must tastes seriously. However….
As much as this is clearly big haired, big stadium rock it is actually surprisingly listenable. Pretty much every song has melody and gets the toes tapping. Not music that’s going to change the world but got to give credit where it’s due, they created something here that is an enjoyable listen.
Sorry for doubting you Dan. I still draw the line at Bon Jovi though.
Kraftwerk
4/5
Hard not to enjoy this offering. All the beeps and blings just work and the album flows and feels eminently listenable. Will have to revisit this one I think.
Beastie Boys
5/5
Not much more can be said other than it is a magnificent album that fully deserves its place on this list. One of those rare ones that is just really enjoyable and great to listen to all the way through.
Pulp
4/5
Never listened to this one. My interest in Pulp had wained with Different Class which was a shame as His n Hers was one I really liked at the time and still includes my favourite Pulp songs.
So I wasn’t sure what to expect with this one but was fully expecting to dislike it. I was wrong. I really quite like the style of music they found on this which I wasn’t expecting. A lot calmer and musically much more interesting than the previous album. Things of similarity to Suede with their post-Britpop offering but much preferred this one.
Nick Drake
5/5
Simply a beautiful, beautiful album. So stripped back but this just adds to the beauty of the album and considering his state of mind at the time it just makes it more impressive.
I’m really liking listening to Nick Drake and I’m just annoyed its taken my until nearly 50 years old to discover this!
The War On Drugs
3/5
A few good moments, general vibe was ok, nothing that will change the world. Sounded like a lot of other similar equally generic bands from the last few years though.
Charles Mingus
1/5
An extremely tough listen. Like listening to someone scrape their nails down a blackboard 🤮
The Who
3/5
Some of this was alright but overall not a big fan. Not really the Who style of music I prefer. Despite plenty of duff numbers there are probably enough half-decent songs to bump it up to a 3 star rating. Closer to 2.75 but rounded up.
Ali Farka Touré
3/5
Nice vibes but just very repetitive
Throbbing Gristle
2/5
Wow, now that was something quite different! Not quite sure how to rate it as it’s impossible to compare with anything else we’ve had on this list so far. Musically it’s clearly a 1 star album but they’re getting a bonus point for originality.
The Roots
3/5
It is what it is, I have no real thoughts on it as it’s not really my type of music. Some nice vibes but equally lengthy and uninspiring in places. Probably a 2.64 so rounded up to a 3
The Temptations
3/5
The early funky numbers were far better thank the later songs. Evened each other out a bit.
Marvin Gaye
3/5
Wanted to rate this higher than 3 stars but ultimately just wasn’t really feeling it. Some good songs but not too many that really stood out as great. Probably a 3.2 rounded down to 3 stars.
JAY Z
4/5
Not the worst album, some songs a lot more listenable than I was expecting.
Scott Walker
2/5
All a bit too meh really
Björk
2/5
Not the worst thing I’ve heard in this list
The Velvet Underground
5/5
Quality album, up there for me. Ok so Nico’s voice get grate a bit but when the rest of the songs are as good as they are that can be overlooked.
David Bowie
3/5
Some decent songs but none that really stood out. A solid album as a whole though. Probably won’t listen to it much again though. Always going to be hard for an album like this to stand out against all Bowie’s previous works.
Paul McCartney and Wings
4/5
Best McCartney work since the Beatles! Always knew the first 2 songs but not really the rest of the album. Liked a lot of this one and a number of very good songs which I will listen to again. Felt somewhere between the Beatles and the Frog Chorus which I guess makes sense. A steady and pleasant effort.
Frankie Goes To Hollywood
4/5
What a powerhouse of an album. Like most I was aware of the singles and was expecting a lot of filler. However there are numerous other quality songs in here. The whole album feels like a bit of a runaway train, all over the place but never relenting and giving you a moment to compose yourself. So much better than I was expecting.
Mylo
2/5
I’ve never been a big fan of dance music but this album did provide a few toe-tapping moments, probably to the songs with samples where I recognised some of the original tunes.
After a while the repetitiveness of it all got me close to turning the sound down as the album reached its latter stages. The last couple of songs redeemed the situation slightly. At least it didn’t require much attention so in a way not the worse background music to work along to.
Wife walked in and heard 2 songs and hated it.
Tracy Chapman
3/5
My opinion of Tracy Chapman has always been negative based on the only song I knew of hers (Fast Car) which I have never liked and would always turn off if it came on the radio. So I was fully expecting to hate this album but was pleasantly surprised that I actually thought some of the songs were ok. I guess that’s the point of this whole exercise!
Ok so I don’t think I’ll be rushing out to buy it but I now get the cultural relevance of the whole album with a lot of the themes still very relevant nearly 30 years later. Perhaps Mylo could learn something about the importance of lyrics and how ghey engage with people!
Billy Joel
1/5
Billy Joel you say?
Well he’s a pretty big name and I know some of his work so must have some decent songs right?
Well if he does then none of them are on this album. Utter dross. So depressed right now I’m considering trying some Pere Ubu to lift my spirits as that can’t be any worse than this surely?
Willie Nelson
1/5
Come back Billy Joel, all is forgiven!
I guess you’ve got to be a fan of this music to endure listening to it. I mean, a reeeeeeally big fan!
Beginning to wonder what Jim has got me into here!
David Bowie
3/5
I really liked the first seven songs of this album and just wish the second half had followed suit. If it had then a strong score of 4 would have been forthcoming.
Unfortunately the last 4 songs were just a bit too experimental for me and brought the overall score down.
Still, easily the best album on here I’ve listened to so far.
Beatles
5/5
I’m aware this is regarded as one of the best albums of all time but does it live up to the hype? Well the answer is yes and I can’t believe it’s taken me until I'm nearly 50 to listen to it!
A magnificent album from start to finish and it feels like the culmination of everything they’d learnt making music over the years. I’ve tried listening to a couple of their albums previously but often found the big songs overshadowed the rest. This feels like more of a complete album with no tracks I wanted to skip. The Beatles body of work and progression from the start to this in only 6/7 years is bonkers.
I won’t be leaving it another 49 years to listen to it again (already on my third play today!)
Stevie Wonder
2/5
Somehow I resisted the temptation to skip songs but not sure how.
Stevie Wonder does have some funky songs to get your toes tapping. None were on this album.
Not saying these songs were terrible, I just found most of them a bit boring.
Bob Dylan
2/5
Can’t say I was a fan of this. Not sure if it was the grating voice or the harmonica or the fact the songs were a struggle to get into.
Don’t think this album will be on my playlist again anytime soon.
Stevie Wonder
3/5
Stevie’s got his funk back! A vast improvement on the previous offering of his.
Brian Eno
2/5
A bit too experimental for me, can’t say I was really a fan of this.
King Crimson
1/5
Drivel
Beatles
3/5
The problem with this is its so hard not to compare it to all the other Beatles work with so many better songs further into their careers.
I’m guessing at the time this was a popular album but now it feels like bit of a filler in-between albums and most of the songs don’t really grab the attention.
Not rubbish but given they’ve done so many better songs this album just doesn’t really do much for me.
Fela Kuti
3/5
I would likely never have chosen to listen to this and that would have been a shame. Opening my ears to music I have never even been aware of or would have sought out.
I enjoyed listening to this album but not sure I listened to it in the right environment though as I can imagine a late night chilled out session would suit it better. However it still hit all the right funk notes and was more enjoyable than I expected.
Fugees
3/5
Another album I’d never listened to as I was only aware of a couple of Fugees singles which never really tempted me into listening to any more of their songs. Therefore I was fully expecting not to like this and find it a bit of a chore to get through.
However I was pleasantly surprised that there were a few songs I thought were alright. A few listenable songs which I was not expecting. Ok my attention wasn’t quite held all the way through but far more than I thought it would.
Todd Rundgren
1/5
Let’s be honest, it was pretty much unlistenable the whole way through.
American Music Club
3/5
Fairly middle of the road stuff but was quite surprised this as an 80’s album as it had the sound of a 90’s band.
It was alright, nothing amazing but equally not terrible. Hard to completely judge in hindsight it may have been a revelation at the time. However so many other bands did this type of music but better in the years after this albums release. And I think I’d rather listen to those bands.
Duran Duran
3/5
The singles still hold up pretty well but the other album tracks don’t quite hold the attention as well. Another one that was probably big at the time of release.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
Like the Beatles I don’t think I’d ever listened to a Stones album all the way through before this project so wasn’t really sure what to expect outside of the singles I’d heard before.
I found myself enjoying some of the songs more than I expected. Ok so not all of them hit the spot and the musical sound was definitely better than the singing in a number of songs. Overall an enjoyable listen but just not sure it’s one of revisit again and again.
Rod Stewart
3/5
I was fully expecting to dislike this but I was pleasantly surprised and actually quite liked it. This was clearly before the terrible 80’s Rod Stewart and who knew he was actually quite good!
Obviously Maggie May is a class above the rest but a lot of other songs were pretty good and worth a few listens.
Another surprising win in the 1001 albums.
The Crusaders
1/5
‘Please continue to hold, your call is important to us’
I tried, I really did try. I just couldn’t do it and had to skip through most of the last 5 songs.
Not for me.
Bob Dylan
4/5
This was soooooo much better than the previous Dylan offering and I really liked it. Less harmonica, clearer lyrics and songs that actually sounded in tune.
This is the Dylan I was expecting and hoping to hear. Idiot Wind was a particular favourite and in all definitely an album I’ll relisten to.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
3/5
Not usually my cup of tea but happy to give it a listen. Better than I was expecting and a couple of songs stood out but just found myself getting more bored with it the longer it went on. Another where perhaps the circumstances of listening have an effect on the enjoyment of it.
Jimi Hendrix
3/5
It’s Jimi Hendrix so of course his music must be great as it’s the cool thing to say right!
I can’t say I’ve ever been massively into his music and this album doesn’t really do anything to change my mind. I mean it’s alright but none of the songs are really that great and it just doesn’t quite do it for me. I think it might be the singing element of the songs. I think maybe if Jimi just released instrumental tracks I’d probably enjoy it more.
The Divine Comedy
2/5
Pretty much as bad as I was expecting.
The worst part is that some people may think this is representative of British music!
Tina Turner
1/5
They should have just left this where it belongs…..back in the 80’s!
As bad as I expected unfortunately.
Pavement
4/5
An album I own but not listened to for many years so intrigued to revisit it as apart from the first two songs I couldn’t recall what the rest of it was like.
Summer Babe is still as good as I remember and Trigger Cut was also one of my favourites back in the day and that was still good. I had suspected that maybe the rest of the album didn’t hold up as well but I was pleasantly surprised how many of the other songs I also enjoyed now.
Ok so a lot of the songs followed a similar vibe but I found my toes tapping to quite a few. Definitely going to listen to this again before too long.
Probably a 3.75 rating so rounded up to a 4.
Van Halen
2/5
I’m convinced whoever coined the term MOR rock must have been listening to this album at the time.
Funkadelic
2/5
Funky but too many tracks too long. Overfunked in places.
The Band
3/5
Nothing wrong with this but also not much to get the pulse racing. Fairly inoffensive stuff. I guess if you’re into this folksy American sixties rock it’s probably quite good.
Simply Red
1/5
I can’t even be bothered.
Arcade Fire
4/5
A group that have made a lot of songs I like which I think is due to their sound, they just make music that appeals to my ears. This is an album I’ve always liked and revisited from time to time but more recent listens have just been certain songs I think I prefer. So probably the first time in a long time that I listened to the whole album in one go. What surprised me most is that I liked more songs than I realised.
As a whole album it works well with all the songs connecting and bringing something to it. A bonus is that there are some really good songs that stand out on their own, such as Lies and Power Out.
Wasn’t expecting to find this album in this list but really glad it made it in.
Aretha Franklin
3/5
There’s no doubt Aretha can sing and she has a very powerful voice. I just didn’t really get into this album, just didn’t quite enjoy it as much as I was hoping I might.
Jeff Buckley
2/5
Wasn’t particularly looking forward to this one but that was solely based on Hallelujah which is the only song of his I’ve heard before. The rest of the album was slightly better than I was expecting but still not really a fan and didn’t do much to change my opinion.
Talking Heads
2/5
It was alright in places, not likely to be I’ll revisit though.
Kings of Leon
2/5
Music was better than the singing. Not idea what he was singing.
Coldplay
3/5
Mostly as dull as I remember, the singing is just so turgid. Put me in a bad mood. Ok so in the right mood (depressed) a few of the songs may be ok but is it too much to ask for just one song with a bit of oomph, just something to give us a glimpse of hope that there is some joy in the world. Is that too much to ask for?
Considered giving it a 1 star but in reality probably nearer a 2. Generously giving it a 3 star rating as Gus’ first dance at his wedding was on this album.
Radiohead
4/5
Never really listened to the later Radiohead albums so this was a new one for me. It was better than I was expecting and I enjoyed some songs but some others felt like they were just flinging sounds into the mix hoping something would stick. Which didn’t always work in my opinion. An enjoyable listen though and one I will go back to.
Bob Dylan
3/5
This could really be any Dylan album as it’s hard to discern much difference between any of them! This one was ok but songs a bit too long in places. A few good songs though so definitely not the worst Dylan album. Just same old Dylan really.
Roni Size
1/5
Not a single track I would ever want to have to endure listening to again.
Violent Femmes
3/5
Not really sure what to make of this and if I actually like it or not. So going for a middle of the road rating.
Pet Shop Boys
3/5
Clearly a PSB album and whilst not containing the same high level bangers as their 80’s work as an album this wasn’t terrible. But can’t help but wonder why it was included as surely those albums containing said 80’s bangers would have been better. I guess we’ll have to wait and see if they come up later. So in all I guess this gives you everything you’d want in a PSB album if that’s what you want to listen to.
4/5
I have listened to this one before but not for some time. On first listen I was only invested in a number of the singles which I would include in some of my favourite Beatles songs. By the third listen I was finding a new found respect for a number of other songs that I’d probably previously thought of as album fillers and not that great. The album as a whole was much better than I had remembered. Ok so it’s not perfect and a couple of songs let the side down a bit but overall it’s definitely a good album.
Guns N' Roses
3/5
I don’t really know what to make of this one. I was expecting to find myself not liking the songs I had never heard before, expecting them to be a lot weaker than the huge singles they released. Not sure why I had that opinion. There were some weak songs but also a few that I quite enjoyed. I don’t imagine it’ll be on my playlist much though.
David Bowie
2/5
Rather disappointing this one, I’m sure there are much better Bowie albums out there.
Ice Cube
3/5
Better than some of the other similar albums we’ve had. Whichever coast this is I think it’s probably the coast I prefer for my rap.
Os Mutantes
3/5
Certainly some interesting sounds and quite a good listen. Have saved a couple of tracks to listen to again.
Bob Dylan
3/5
A few good tracks but it kind of feels like if you’ve heard one Dylan album you’ve heard them all.
Alanis Morissette
3/5
Never been much of a fan of Alanis, I just find her too whiny. But then again I suspect I’m not her target audience. However I can see why the album was popular and I’ve heard a lot worse on here!
Big Star
2/5
I can see some influences on future bands I would listen to but I couldn’t really get into it, kind of dragged. Quite surprised to find a song in there covered later by the mighty The Family Cat but not sure that was a good enough reason to raise the rating to 3 stars.
Sonic Youth
3/5
Took me a couple of listens to get into this. Nothing stood out too much but the overall sound was good.cant work out if I actually like it or not so for that reason a middle of the road score
Suede
3/5
Ok so clearly this album is overblown and pretentious but part of me admires the route they took with this as the rest of the country was hurtling headlong into Britpop. A few of the songs are decent and I’ve always had a bit of a soft spot for Stay Together and We Are The Pigs is decent. Problem is there are equally a number of songs that are just quite boring and don’t offer much. The potential for something differently interesting and good in the face of Britpop was there but it just doesn’t really fulfil the promise.
Bob Dylan
3/5
I’m convinced every album of Dylan is just one long song with several pauses in it.
David Bowie
3/5
Not one of the better Bowie albums. Some nice moments but I struggled to get into it and find an identity with it. Not quite sure what it was trying to be really. Certainly better Bowie albums out there. Probably one for the purists.
Iron Maiden
4/5
Liked this way way more than I was expecting to. Although my expectation level was set pretty low. Really got into the whole album and enjoyed it. May have to alter my perception of the Maiden.
Various Artists
3/5
Everything you could wish for in a 1960’s Christmas album.
Curtis Mayfield
2/5
Kind of got fed up of the sound of the singing quite early on. Didn’t really do much for me.
Louis Prima
3/5
A joyful swinging romp. Might not listen to it again that much but can appreciate it’s a very good listen if you’re in the mood for it.
Coldplay
3/5
Coldplay doing Coldplay things. Better than their debut album though. At least initially before it went a bit downhill. The Scientist is still probably the best Coldplay song.
Chicago
2/5
Not sure what to make of this one. Didn’t really grab me and think there was better music being made at that time.
The Replacements
4/5
I don’t recall being aware of this band before but will be investigating further. Really liked this album and will be adding this to my playlist.
Hanoi Rocks
2/5
Not a big fan of this one
Television
3/5
Another one of those ‘influential’ bands/albums that I was intrigued to listen to. Didn’t really live up to my expectations and I struggled to get into it. Musically pretty good but I think the vocals grated on me a bit by the end.
Alice In Chains
2/5
Was it just me or did pretty much every song sound the same? Just found it all quite dull to be honest.
Iron Butterfly
2/5
Promised more than it delivered.
Primal Scream
4/5
Not listened to this one for a while. Some of the songs are great with an uplifting and euphoric feel whilst others bring you back down. A couple of tracks let things down a bit, a bit too dull.
I guess this is another one of those albums that’s probably enhanced by the time of day it’s listened to and by certain substances consumed.
Tom Waits
1/5
Tom can Waits for a good review from me after this one.
3/5
This seems like the album The Divine Comedy wre trying to make but failed. This was a lot better than their attempt.
Some interesting sounds in this one. I can’t quite work out if it’s any good or not but there’s some of it I liked and it certainly raised a smile in places which marks it up in my book.
Supergrass
5/5
I’ve probably neglected to re listen to this album over the years for some reason but this took me right back to uni days. This came out when britpop really took off but it’s stood the test of time better than a lot of the albums released back then.
A full on joyful romp of an album with no real duds, even when the pace eventually subsides. I’d forgotten how many of the songs I liked outside of the well known singles. An all round superb album.
Gillian Welch
2/5
With the first song I was initially optimistic this may provide something different to get into but the longer it went on the more bored I got. Not offensive but not interesting either.
John Martyn
2/5
This was actually better than I was expecting but admittedly my expectation levels were pretty low.
AC/DC
4/5
This was alright, decent tempo and some good sounds. Songs all pretty similar but if they’re good does that matter?
Deep Purple
3/5
Nice and rocking
Electric Light Orchestra
3/5
A lot to like here, can’t help but enjoy some of these songs. Sweet Talkin’ Woman is an enjoyable number. Album far too long though and a few songs that don’t hit the mark but still a pleasant listen.
Steely Dan
2/5
Inoffensive middle-aged dad rock. And there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that if that’s your thing. Sometimes though you just need a bit of excitement in your life to feel young again. Didn’t get that here though, just quite dull.
Blue Cheer
2/5
Another day, another album on this list claiming to be the birth of heavy metal. Maybe I’m just getting old but it just felt a bit muddled and focused on making unmelodic noise to be anything particularly interesting. I’ve never played the guitar and yet I feel if someone handed me one I could probably just move my hands over it for 5 minutes and come out with some similar nondescript noise! Just felt a bit pointless. And gave me the start of a headache. Don’t think I’ll be listening again any time soon.
The Magnetic Fields
2/5
Listening to music is supposed to be an enjoyable experience, not a chore. This was most definitely a chore, a slog, an exhausting experience!
I’m sure it seemed a great idea to them at the time but the saying ‘quality over quantity’ really does apply here. There were some elements of promise but this was just swamped by the number of appallingly poor songs. And whilst it’s commendable to use various music styles and instruments it’s really not necessary to try all of them on the same album.
I’m giving this 2 stars but a large chunk of that is to reward my efforts in having to listen to it all.
5/5
Now this is a great album and a classic. Other Bowie albums we’ve had so far seem to have some good songs but not quite all the way through. This has great songs from start to finish. And whilst every song is great in its own way the album still feels like a connected body of work.
Got to be 5 stars right?
Radiohead
2/5
Slightly less experimental than Kid A but maybe an increase in the dullness stakes. Couldn’t get on board with this one.
Dennis Wilson
3/5
The problem with these long double albums is it’s hard to keep the interest going, especially when a lot of the songs sound very similar.
However this was interesting in places and not the worst listen. Was expecting it to be more like the Beach Boys than it was. Certain songs felt a bit bland but some were ok.
Mike Oldfield
2/5
I’m not really a fan of any songs where the instruments used have to be introduced to the listener whilst the song is ongoing.
It’s not great is it.
Metallica
3/5
I’m still not sure how I feel about live albums being in this list. Maybe ‘best of’ albums should also be included
Overall not the worst listen but equally didn’t feel like it set the world alight.
Rage Against The Machine
5/5
No doubt this is a quality album full of great songs. I did enjoy it but not sure having it playing in the background whilst working is the best setting for a listen. Managed to save myself from hurling my monitor out the window and flinging the keyboard to the floor and stamping on it. Which is a shame as I suspect that’s what the band would want me to do. I’m just not ready to fuck up the system quite yet. So in that sense maybe the album failed on me.
Al Green
4/5
Can’t go too far wrong with a nice bit of soul. And this was a nice album full of nice soulful songs.
Black Flag
2/5
At the risk of sounding like my mother, it’s just a lot of noise isn’t it! Hard to find too many redeeming features in this one unfortunately.
The xx
2/5
Tried to be chilled but just came across as bland. Needed a bit more oomph.
Isaac Hayes
3/5
I guess it’s alright but surely these songs are better when accompanied by the visual effect of the sections of the films they were made for? Not quite sure how I feel about soundtracks being in this list but hey, that’s not my call.
Most tracks all sounded the same. Not terrible but not particularly interesting either.
Boston
3/5
Sometime ms you’re just in the mood for some generic rock that doesn’t need you to think and puts a bit of a smile on your face. This was one of those days and this fitted perfectly. Never going to be the greatest record ever made but enjoyable for what it is.
Elliott Smith
3/5
This one grew on me the more I listened and the further it went. Very melancholic and one dimensional in places but engaging as well. In the right mood I might listen to this again.
Fred Neil
2/5
One swallow doesn’t make a summer. Similarly one alright song doesn’t mean an album is one of the top 1001 ever.
Genesis
2/5
Largely unlistenable and turgid.
The Chemical Brothers
3/5
Not quite sure how to rate this one as I was listening to it whilst working which I suspect is not the best place to be doing so. I remember these guys being very popular at the time and some of this was decent enough. A few didn’t really hit the mark though.
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
I think I prefer the Bruce songs that have a bit more life. Apart from the first track here a lot of it is a bit of a snoozefest. Some nice tracks mixed in but overall not one to get too enthusiastic about.
Neil Young
3/5
I quite enjoyed this one, had a nice vibe to it. Nothing really stood out but overall a decent album.
R.E.M.
4/5
Probably biased here with R.E.M. in my top few favourite bands but it’s a good record.
Feels like a bit of a transitional record sitting between the early more insular college rock style R.E.M. and the later more popular bigger commercial numbers. Bit of both covered on this album. Obviously a couple of standout songs but others have grown on me over the years and are good listens.
Hard to believe that this was 5 albums in and it still feels like they were just getting going.
2/5
I had to resist the temptation to leap out of my chair and start line dancing.
The Triffids
2/5
Not too much to get that excited by. Felt like they were trying to by U2 at their blandest.
Cat Stevens
3/5
Pleasant enough.
DJ Shadow
2/5
Not really sure what to make of this one. Started out ok but only so many times you can listen to a variation of the same song. Not really sure if it’s a good album or not!
Sonic Youth
4/5
Much preferred this one to our previous SY offering. Lots to like and the sound is great.
Crosby, Stills & Nash
3/5
Not unpleasant but got a bit bored with it by the end
Lambchop
3/5
Didn’t like it’s one at all on the first listen but it grew on me with a second listen. Start and end were quite good though it did still dip in the middle.
LCD Soundsystem
4/5
The songs that were good were very good but those that weren’t quite so good weren’t as good.
Liked quite a lot of this but a couple of numbers just got a bit too repetitive. Not that repetitive has to be bad. All My Friends is repetitive but in a good way. A couple of tracks were repetitive but dull at the same time.
Overall more good songs than duff ones.
Sigur Rós
3/5
Nice to have something a bit different in here. Very pleasant in places and easy to listen to in the background. Some tracks went on a bit too long but others seemed to suit the longer length.
Thelonious Monk
2/5
I don’t know jazz well enough to be able to tell if this is any good or not. Therefore I can only really judge it in whether I liked it or lot. And I didn’t.
The Damned
5/5
Well I’ll be damned! What a great album. Loved pretty much all of this one and will be listening to it plenty more times to come.
Musically pleasing on the ear all the way through.
Loved it!
Marty Robbins
3/5
This has to be the best sort of Country to listen to. Very listenable with some great storytelling allowing the listener to place themselves in the songs they’re listening to.
Didn’t think I’d enjoy it but I did.
Curtis Mayfield
3/5
Smoooooooooooooth
U2
3/5
Just not sure about this one. Never been a huge U2 fan but a few of their songs are ok.
I’m aware this album was quite a big deal at the time so was intrigued how it would pan out alongside the big singles that I knew.
As much as I hate to admit it I think I quite like the industrial sound on this album. Not saying I love it (and there were a number of songs I would skip on a repeat listen) but musically it’s certainly more listenable than I was expecting.
Gorillaz
3/5
Not the best but equally not the worst. Musically better than lyrically as Damon’s vocals were a bit grating at times.
Sugar
5/5
This one is up there is one of my favourite albums so I’m very biased.
I think this came out not too long after I started getting into music and at the time was a slight extension from what I was listening to. Possibly one of the first albums I got into that showed it was possible to play punchy guitar music that also contained catchy meoldies. The album hits you from the start and doesn’t seem to let up in pace. Every song seem to offer an earworm opportunity and overall it’s very listenable.
This album is probably up there in favourite albums so not surprisingly it gets the full 5 stars from me.
Bonnie "Prince" Billy
3/5
Quite liked this one but suspect the situation and mood when playing it may make a difference. Quite liked the more upbeat later re-recorded version of the title track but alas that wasn’t on the album.
Joni Mitchell
2/5
I know she’s one of the most acclaimed songwriters out there but I just didn’t find any of it that interesting to listen to.
Duke Ellington
2/5
As tough to listen to as expected.
Pink Floyd
3/5
I don’t think I ever got all the fuss with Pink Floyd and I still don’t really. I mean it’s ok but nothing to get all giddy about.
Aimee Mann
2/5
Struggling to see how this album ended up on this list as it seemed remarkably unremarkable. Nothing particularly stood out and it was pretty bland. Plenty of other similar bland records out there so just not sure what raised this about the rest.
Leonard Cohen
2/5
Must have been a really dull room!
There’s something about his voice on this record that almost sent me to sleep. A struggle to retain focus and interest in it.
Pretenders
3/5
A game of two halves. Fairly strong opening followed by a poor performance in the second half.
The White Stripes
3/5
I’ve always thought The White Stripes were slightly overhyped and this album doesn’t do a great deal to change my opinion.
I can’t quite decide if this record highlights the fact that by this point they’ve started to believe the hype or just started to run out of ideas.
Yes
2/5
Erm, it’s ok in places I guess. Just never really ‘felt’ it. And largely uninteresting.
The B-52's
3/5
If it’s good enough for John Lennon….
What an assault on the senses this was. I really couldn’t tell if I liked it or not. Certain songs were just bonkers but I found myself tapping my toes along to quiet a few.
If nothing else it was great to hear something very different to most of the other stuff on here and made me smile at times. So certainly bonus points for that.
Moby Grape
4/5
Really pleasantly surprised with this one and really enjoyed it a lot more than I was expecting to.
Some great tracks on here that I will be listening to again.
Isaac Hayes
3/5
Nice enough, better than a lot of other similar records
Public Enemy
4/5
Nice enough, better than a lot of other similar records. Maybe could have done with being a couple of tracks shorter. But good.
The Black Crowes
3/5
Fairly generic American 90’s rock music. Nothing bad but equally not a lot to really get excited about.
Baaba Maal
3/5
I didn’t mind this one, some nice vibes to it. Went on a bit long and therefore got a bit repetitive but not a bad album.
The Afghan Whigs
3/5
Musically started off ok but tailed off. Sound of the songs better than the singing and the lyrics.
Beastie Boys
4/5
What’s not to like, a very good listen. Maybe not as polished as some later albums but a great variety of sounds and a lot of fun!
The Pogues
3/5
Enjoyed some of this and of course one of the all time great Christmas songs is in there which gives it a boost. Equally a few numbers didn’t quite hit the mark.
Kings of Leon
2/5
Have to confess I’ve never listened to a KoL album until this project. I know the big hits but not the album tracks. Was hoping there would be more to their music than the big hits but this was sadly lacking. Didn’t do anything to make me want to listen to them any more than I did before!
Santana
3/5
Pretty enjoyable listen. Quite liked a lot of this.
Dire Straits
2/5
Just very dull! I’m sure it must have been popular at the time but it hasn’t really aged very well.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
Really liked this one. Probably the best Stones album we’ve had so far.
Prince
2/5
Before listening to this album today I was never really a fan of Prince.
And after listening to this album today I’m still not.
Jorge Ben Jor
4/5
Really quite enjoyed a lot of this. Nice to hear something different but also with some good beats and musically a lot was very listenable.
TLC
1/5
Started off the album thinking that maybe it wasn’t going to be as bad as I was expecting.
Finished the album realising it was every bit as bad as I was expecting.
Slipknot
1/5
I couldn’t hear the lyrics, it was all just noise.
Bring back Buddy Holly!
Iggy Pop
5/5
What a great album. I only knew Lust for Life and The Passenger but there were a lot of other really good songs on this album. Another one of those albums that I probably should have listened to before now but had never got round to.
I was aware of the Bowie, Lou Reed and Iggy connection and you can hear Bowie’s influence on this just like with Lou Reed’s Transformer album. The Berlin years have thrown up some good listens on this list.
Will definitely be giving this a relisten and exploring Iggy further.
Keith Jarrett
1/5
I am the music man. I come from far away and I can play. (What can you play?)
I play the piano. Pia pia piano piano piano – Pia pia piano pia piano
An hour of uninteresting piano playing. Dull!
The Young Rascals
3/5
Pretty inoffensive stuff but also not very interesting.
Richard Thompson
3/5
Pleasant enough in places.
I would say The Thompson Twins probably edge the Thompson spouses for me.
Shivkumar Sharma
2/5
I don’t think I was stoned enough to fully appreciate this one.
Van Halen
3/5
I mean it’s not dissimilar to other similar albums from the time which are alright listens (if on the right mood) but aren’t ever going to win any awards for innovation. Although maybe this was innovative and everyone else copied.
Down the middle again then.
R.E.M.
4/5
I get why some people who prefer the later are less keen on the early stuff ad vice versa but I think there’s room for both.
Listened to this one plenty of times before and it does take some getting into initially but usually after a couple of listens I'm back into it. Not an album that really grabs you on just one listen.
Some really good songs without any that really feel like the big hits of later albums but as a whole the album seems to work.
As debut albums in the early 80’s go its a darn fine effort.
The Specials
4/5
An excellent album, one of those I probably should have listened to sooner but never got round to it.
Sisters Of Mercy
3/5
Better than I was expecting
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
1/5
Sincerest apologies from the UK to the rest of the world for subjecting you to this.
Led Zeppelin
4/5
A very enjoyable listen. Not quite what I was expecting with it being much more toned down than I was anticipating. But no less of an album for that with some very good songs.
Beck
4/5
Liked this a lot more than I was expecting to. I think I almost prefer this side of Beck to his usual style. A touch of Nick Drake melancholia about this which is no bad thing.
Ok so it may be downbeat and not too cheerful but if it’s done right, like this, then it can still be a good listen.
Ramblin' Jack Elliott
2/5
Not a patch on Marty Robbins!
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
Not listened to the other EC albums yet but surprised how much I enjoyed this one. Even a couple of songs where his singing didn’t grate as much as usual.
Elliott Smith
4/5
A poignant album given what happened to Elliott Smith and the melancholic nature of it feels sincere. Another one of those albums where downbeat songs can still hook you in if done right.
A nice listen and another of those artists and albums I’d never have known about without this list.
The Smiths
3/5
Wasn’t too sure at first but it certainly grew over the course of 3-4 listens.
(Note to other artists here, it helps if your album is short so I have time to listen several times which is more likely to result in a better rating for you).
No really stand out songs but some pleasant listens here despite Morrisey’s singing. I do think the sound of the Smith’s music far outweighs his singing.
Linkin Park
2/5
Not my favourite new album experience in this project.
Talking Heads
4/5
Quite liked this with its Fela Kuti influence. Quite funky and musically pleasant to listen to. Ok so it dipped a bit towards the end but overall very enjoyable.
Sister Sledge
3/5
Not unpleasant but can’t say I’ve ever been a big fan of disco. For what it is I can appreciate it’s a good record though and I’m sure it stands out in the pantheon of disco albums.
The Last Shadow Puppets
2/5
I don’t know what it is but I’ve just never really got into the Arctic Monkeys as a band. Not sure if it’s the lack of tuneful melodies or what but I just find a lot of their songs rather boring and awkward.
As for this, it didn’t feel much different from that but if anything was even less inspiring and duller so didn’t really enjoy it that much.
Nirvana
5/5
Well this has placed me in a bit of a quandary. I have previously been vocal about my displeasure of live albums being in this list however this is such a great album I may have to make an exception here.
I’m not sure what it is but maybe it’s because it doesn’t feel like your usual live album and all the songs feel like they have extra meaning played in the way they are. You can hear Kurt’s vocals and actually how good a singer he was when the songs are stripped back in this way. You can ‘feel’ the songs in a different way.
I mean how can it not get 5 stars, it’s such a great listen.
The Temptations
3/5
Quite enjoyable listen.
Björk
3/5
Was hoping to find this better than I remember at the time and to a degree it was.
Favourite song was clearly Venus as a Boy if for no other reason than reminding me of one of my favourite films, Leon.
Serge Gainsbourg
2/5
J’ai eu un A en français au GCSE, mais cela ne m’a servi à rien, surtout parce que j’ai oublié la plupart de ce que j’ai appris.
Même si j’aime ouvrir mon esprit et mes oreilles à la musique non anglophone, celle-ci était un peu faible. Je suppose que Melody Nelson a apprécié. Elle semblait apparaître ici et là en murmurant son nom de manière séduisante. Même si elle est clairement trop jeune pour Serge. Ce qui est un autre problème avec ce disque !
The Byrds
3/5
Not unpleasant
The Stooges
4/5
I was intrigued to listen to this to see what pre-solo Iggy was like with Stooges. And I was not disappointed. Quite raw and less manicured but a great listen. Going to have to venture into more Iggy / Stooges music.
Beastie Boys
3/5
Not as good as other BB offerings. This one just seems to be the same level/tone shouting most of the way through without a lot of discernible differences between songs.
Or maybe I’m just getting old!
The Boo Radleys
4/5
A great album but probably a few songs too long. However some good sounds and a nice mix of styles. Lazarus has always been a favourite of mine but a few others I’d listen to again.
Randy Newman
3/5
Like being in the middle of a Disney film.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
2/5
Found this one a lot duller than the last EC&TA offering we had on here. A couple of good tracks but overall this one didn’t really do anything for me and I couldn’t really get into it.
Booker T. & The MG's
3/5
Can hear the influence on later music but also felt at times like I was on a seaside pier.
Radiohead
4/5
This kind of passed me by when it came out but listening now I feel I missed out. Really liked it.
Butthole Surfers
2/5
No idea how this was deemed good enough to get on this list but I will give it an extra star for being so bad in places it made me laugh.
Grateful Dead
2/5
The dead should be grateful not to have to listen to this.
Largely drab and instantly forgettable.
The Sonics
2/5
They may be Sonic but they’re not SuperSonic
Fats Domino
3/5
Nice little listen here. Probably won’t listen to it again but nice vibes for a Friday morning.
Frank Zappa
4/5
Quite liked this one.
Willie the Pimp was a real highlight. And the Gumbo Variations was also a good listen.
Perhaps dips slightly in places after a great start but overall a surprisingly nice listen this morning.
Mudhoney
3/5
It was alright but probably too long as it was hard to keep the enthusiasm going that far.
Peter Gabriel
2/5
Let’s be honest, it’s a bit dull isn’t it! This one probably should have stayed in the ‘80s
Brian Wilson
4/5
I can see why this has an overall average rating of 3 as it’s going to polarise opinions. Personally I can’t decide if I like or not but it grew on me after a couple of listens. Ok so some tracks are just a bit too out there but plenty to enjoy.
I also feel like the list giving us this the day after Brian’s passing is enough to tug on the heartstrings and that’s enough to bump it up from 3.5 to 4 stars today.
ZZ Top
2/5
AA Bottom
Michael Jackson
3/5
Distinctly underwhelmed by this album. I had been expecting so much more given the hype. Clearly a few of the singles are massive songs and I can understand how this album was lauded over when it came out. It’s not necessarily that the songs have aged badly, or MJ’s reputation, but something didn’t really click for me and I didn’t feel the hype.
808 State
2/5
There’s a time and place for everything and I’m not sure a work environment is the best setting to listen to this one.
I’m not even sure I’d class it as an album, it seems more of a random collection of tracks you’d hear in a club. No particularly good tracks of note but then I’m not on drugs. I suspect if I’d taken some and was in a club at 2am I might take a different view.
Not for me this one.
The Go-Go's
3/5
I did try to get into this a number of years back but never really did. I’m not completely sure why as on the face of it this should have been something I liked back then.
There’s something about the songs that didn’t quite grab me. My suspicion is that these songs would be great live but perhaps don’t quite have the same ‘punch’ on record. That’s not to say they are bad songs though and it was good without being outstanding.
I would say I may not leave it so long before revisiting again but I suspect I will.
Merle Haggard
1/5
I’ll have a rack of ribs and a root beer please. Oh and a side of grits.
Didn’t enjoy it.
Ella Fitzgerald
2/5
Well done to anyone who got through this. Or even as far as ‘I can’t be bothered now’ as they lasted longer than me before I couldn’t be bothered anymore.
I get Ella can sing and the Gershwins can write songs but surely no-one wants to sit through over 3 hours of the same sounding songs over and over again?
Eminem
2/5
Can’t say I’ve ever been a big Eminem fan and not sure this really enhances that opinion. The musical sound is actually not too bad but the lyrics let it down. I know this is supposed to be the viewpoint of a made up character (with some autobiographical references) but it’s just childish and unnecessarily misogynistic. Not one I think I’ll ever consider relistening to again.
Megadeth
3/5
Liked this a lot more than I was expecting to. Probably won’t ever listen to it again though.
The White Stripes
4/5
A good record with glimpses of really good songs though a couple of tracks where it didn’t quite keep hit the mark. Certainly a lot better than the previous WS offering we had and much more listenable.
Probably about a 3.75 rating so will have to round up to a 4.
Little Richard
4/5
Great little album. Did anyone do early era rock n roll better than Little Richard? You can see why he influenced so many of the great artists that came through shortly after him.
The musicianship is superb and just a fun listen all round.
Jack White
3/5
I found myself liking this more than I was expecting to. Quite a good listen this one.
Kendrick Lamar
1/5
Thanks but no thanks, not really my sort of thing so can’t really tell if it’s any good or not. But it sounded crap. I can only judge it on my enjoyment and I didn’t enjoy it. So there.
Jimmy Smith
2/5
Nice background music. Really nothing more constructive I can give this. Just not my thing.
Peter Gabriel
2/5
Apart from Solsbury Hill there wasn’t a great deal to get too excited about.
The Sugarcubes
4/5
I can’t say I was ever the biggest Bjork fan but really liked this. The sound of the songs was good enough that the grating sound of her vocals wasn’t too much. In fact the sound of her voice even complemented a lot of these songs. Maybe tailed off slightly on a couple of tracks towards the end but overall a very enjoyable listen. Good enough to revisit at some point.
Simon & Garfunkel
3/5
I do quite like S&G but didn’t really think this was one of their better efforts. Some of it was pleasant enough though in their usual gentle style. Just not enough songs that really grabbed you.
David Bowie
5/5
Really not a lot that needs to be said, this is quite clearly a 5 star album. What a great listen.
The Associates
2/5
I think I’ll sulk if I ever get forced to listen to this again.
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
4/5
Really enjoyed a lot of this which I don’t this I was expecting to. I’m casually aware of OMD through the occasional song on the radio but never thought I’d actually enjoy listening to much more of their music. Turns out I was wrong and there are a lot of tracks on this that I would happily listen to again. And I think I probably will!
Sepultura
2/5
I like to think I’m fairly open to listening to different music but I really have no idea how anyone can actually listen to this sort of noise. There was a glimmer of hope in the middle but it was quickly snuffed out again.
The Clash
3/5
Thought I knew what to expect but I was completely wrong. Wasn’t expecting all the ska, reggae, jazz etc influences and was expecting it to be more angst driven like the opening track. Grew on me a bit after a couple of listens but would have liked it a bit punkier and more like what I was expecting.
The Strokes
4/5
Ok so most of the songs on the album sound very similar but if they’re good does that actually matter? A really enjoyable listen with not really any poor song in there.
The Electric Prunes
2/5
Strange album. Not quite sure what it was trying to do. A couple of really odd songs in there. Don’t think I’ll listen again!
Sheryl Crow
2/5
As dull as I was expecting.
The United States Of America
3/5
Good and bad in equal measure but also bonkers in places.
Nirvana
5/5
One of those rare albums where there isn’t really one song I would skip. It still sounds as good today as it did back then. Superb.
Rush
3/5
Probably one of the more enjoyable ‘prog’ rock albums we’ve had on here so far.
Iron Maiden
3/5
Of course I’m going to hate this album, this isn’t my sort of thing.
Turns out I was wrong! This is more listenable than I expected with melodies that complimented the heavy riffs. I’m not sure the lyrics will win any songwriting awards but it’s a good listen, better than I ever imagined it would be.
Black Sabbath
5/5
RIP Ozzy
Ryan Adams
2/5
The first song had a hint of promise, the one where he tried to sound like Dylan, but after that it was a bit pants.
Oasis
5/5
The best Oasis album and one that I loved at the time it came out. And still do. Live Forever is still up there as one of my favourite all time songs. But so many others on the album still have me hooked. Slide Away, Columbia, Bring It On Down etc. Another one of those rare albums where there isn’t really a track I would skip. Still as listenable today as it was back then.
Massive Attack
4/5
A nice chilled listen with Unfinished Sympathy the clear stand out track. Some nice vibes and perfect in the right setting I’m sure.
Run-D.M.C.
3/5
Ok so some of this feels a bit dated but it’s still pretty good. Rock Box is the stand out track, possibly because it’s the one that sounds different from the rest, a lot of which all sound quite similar.
Nirvana
4/5
Always found this a tough one to get into, probably not helped by following the masterful Nevermind. I know it was a deliberate attempt to get away from the previous album but I make no apologies for saying it’s still not the easiest listen at times. Not necessarily in a bad way as the songs have something about them individually. It’s just that the whole album gets a little tiring to listen to be the end, waiting for a melody or something to hook you in.
Cornershop
4/5
Initial thoughts were there were some good moments but unfortunately it all felt a bit too disjointed with so many different styles of song.
But then I listened to it a second time and it grew on me. More songs sounded like they worked.
Third listen I was really starting to enjoy a lot more of it. Ok so a couple of songs still seem out of place and I think had a few songs been chopped and the album slightly shorter it would have been even better.
One to revisit for sure.
Radiohead
5/5
Always preferred The Bends but this is equally as great.
A classic, not much more needs to be added.
A Tribe Called Quest
3/5
Some nice chilled vibes
Beach House
3/5
I’ve decided dreamy pop perhaps isn’t really my sort of thing. I mean its alright but just isn’t very exciting is it. But then maybe that’s the point of it, it’s not supposed to be exciting? So now I’m not sure, perhaps it is quite good. But still probably not one I’ll be listening to again in a hurry so back to where I started.
Manu Chao
4/5
What a great little album. As always with this type of album it’s hard to judge the lyrics so the sound takes centre stage. A great sound to most of these songs and how can you not smile and enjoy it.
Bongo Bong!
Tim Buckley
2/5
Musically the sound of some of it was alright and could have been promising. But it was hard to get past the awful singing that accompanied it.
Patti Smith
4/5
One that I was aware of but never listened to. Really liked a lot of it so annoyed that I haven’t taken the time to listen to it before.
Kate Bush
4/5
I’m kind of glad it took me until this list to listen to this album as I don’t think am 18 year old me would have appreciated it. However as a 50 year old I really liked this a lot.
Apart from the classics a lot of the others were really listenable and grew on me the more I listened. As an overall album it really is very good.
The Stooges
3/5
Very good start but tailed off a bit (which is surprising given it was a short album). Not a bad effort.
Fleetwood Mac
4/5
Possibly one of the trickiest albums to date so far. Given its lofty position at the top of the global ratings it has a lot to live up to and comes with a certain number of expectations.
Having listened to this album a number of times previously it has always grown on me each listen, finding new things to like each time. It’s another album that an 18 year old me would have scoffed at but as my ears have aged and my music tastes have changed it has become more appealing. I’d probably still give this a few stars if Go Your Own Way was the only song in it.
I do like a lot of this for what it is but I’m not quite at the ‘this is amazing’ stage as there are a few songs I wouldn’t be fussed about skipping.
Scott Walker
2/5
I really don’t like The Divine Comedy and therefore I don’t like this as this is clearly where they got their influence. In fact it’s not even an influence, the music, the lyrics and the tone of his singing is basically identical.
Anyway. This was not that much of a fun listen.
Pulp
3/5
Better than I remember it being but still not overly bowled over by it. I did quite like His n Hers but there was always something about this one I didn’t really care for. Unfortunately time hasn’t really improved things. It’s alright but not brilliant and I don’t suppose I’ll be revisiting it anytime soon.
CHIC
3/5
Is this the sort of album and music I’d choose to listen to? No! Can I appreciate that it’s great at what it does? Absolutely.
A disco classic with some great tunes. Just because it’s not really my cup of tea I can still appreciate it as an album.
Sonic Youth
4/5
Enjoyed this album and clear to see the influence they had on later bands. Maybe could have done with being slightly shorter and a bit more variety in the songs but still a good listen.
Eagles
2/5
I don’t mind Take it Easy but the rest of this is just bland and soooo boring.
Magazine
4/5
Took a bit of time to get into but grew on me more with each listen. A lot to like in this one.
Miles Davis
3/5
Not a big fan of jazz and it was hard to keep enthused with nearly 2 hours of it here. I mean it wasn’t bad and as jazz goes probably better than a lot of other efforts but I’d be lying if I said I was ever going to listen to any of this again.
Parliament
3/5
Super funktastic!
The Birthday Party
2/5
Not many, if any, redeeming features to this one.
Hawkwind
4/5
Far too long but great fun to listen to. Enjoyed this way more than I was expecting to.
Rod Stewart
2/5
I thought the previous Rod offering on this list was alright but this one is a lot more meh!
Metallica
3/5
Metal-tastic
Janis Joplin
4/5
Never listened to any Janis Joplin, or so I thought, but recognised a couple of these and had never realised it was her. Was interested to listen to this though as was aware she was highly regarded by a lot of people. And it didn’t disappoint. Enjoyed this one a lot.
New York Dolls
4/5
Really enjoyed this one
Dolly Parton
3/5
Can’t really knock Dolly can you
Willie Nelson
1/5
Willie get a good review from me?
No
The Prodigy
4/5
Ok so for some reason I never really got into this, or the Prodigy in general, at the time. I’m still not sure I would have got into it back then but listening to it now I’m regretting not listening to it sooner. So the singles are instantly recognisable but I hadn’t expected to like as much of the rest of it as I did. In fact I think I preferred more of the album tracks than the big hits themselves. Overall a very good record.
Run-D.M.C.
3/5
Started off stronger than it finished. Some of it has stood the test of time, some less so. Relatively enjoyable to listen to.
The Beach Boys
3/5
I think I prefer the uptempo Beach Boys more than the ballads but whichever the song you can’t knock those harmonies.
PJ Harvey
4/5
A really good album with some great songs. Another artist that I really should have taken notice of sooner!
The Gun Club
4/5
Quite enjoyed a lot of this one, certainly much more than I was expecting to. A couple of tracks I skipped on the third run through but overall one I will probably revisit at some point.
Yes
3/5
Feared the worst but pleasantly surprised how much of this I actually quite enjoyed.
The Smashing Pumpkins
5/5
So, so good. As good today as it was back in the day. Probably deserves more than 5 stars but my hands are tied there.
The 13th Floor Elevators
3/5
Interesting sound. Better than some other similar albums we’ve had from the time. Not a bad effort.
Dr. Dre
2/5
The sound was alright but hard to get past the lyrics. I’m sure this is a big deal for people into rap but I can’t say I’m a big fan.
Little Simz
3/5
Was aware of Little Simz but never listened to any of their stuff. The album was a good length and had a decent flow to it. Very listenable as well which surprised me.
Girls Against Boys
3/5
Quite liked the sound of some of the songs on this album which is just as well as I don’t have a clue what the chap was singing.
The Go-Betweens
3/5
Pleasant enough in places and largely inoffensive. As a result it was also pretty bland and overall nothing much to set the pulse racing.
Neil Young
4/5
This one grew on me a lot the more I listened to it and I really quite liked a lot of it.
Devendra Banhart
2/5
Very little rejoicing from me here, whether in the hands or elsewhere.
Kelela
2/5
Not for me this one.
Solange
2/5
I guess you really need to be American to enjoy this sort of thing.
The Verve
5/5
Another one of those albums where the singles feel like they’ve been so played to death that I’ve ignored the album for many years. I couldn’t remember what to expect but having listened again it’s a great album with a number of really good album tracks that will be going on the playlist. I really liked a Northern Soul and this is a continuation of that sound but it all just feels a lot bigger. Won’t be leaving it so long to listen again.
Soul II Soul
3/5
Some nice vibes but I struggled to really get into it.
Eels
3/5
This album is alright but just feels a bit lacking and unexciting and just doesn’t really stand out as a great addition to the 90’s musical offerings.
Burning Spear
3/5
Never really been into ravage particularly but can usually appreciate it for its place in music. I actually quite enjoyed this one as it flowed nicely and had a good sound.
Hole
4/5
Really enjoyed this one, better than I was expecting.
Billy Bragg
4/5
This is the sort of thing I love discovering through this project. An album I don’t suppose I’d have ever listened to otherwise which would have been a real shame as I really liked a lot of it.
Think Wilco probably edged it for me but I liked the alternative, different styles between them and Billy. California Stars is a great track.
Stereo MC's
1/5
Wish they’d disconnected before making this album.
Christina Aguilera
2/5
Like listening to radio one again! I could see why the hits were hits but the rest was pretty poor.
The Mars Volta
3/5
Not sure if the ringing in my ears is from my existing tinnitus or from listening to this. It’s not terrible but I couldn’t really discern one track from the next. Nothing particularly stood out.
Marvin Gaye
2/5
Got slightly better as it went on but didn’t find it anything particularly special or attention grabbing and overall rather dull.
Prince
2/5
Very long! And all very similar. Couple of redeeming features towards the end when I had all but give up hope.
Kacey Musgraves
2/5
I tried to like this but just couldn’t really. It just didn’t really do anything of note and by the end felt like it was just dragging to its inevitable conclusion.
Christina Aguilera
2/5
Look, we know CA can sing but that couldn’t really elevate this album above the mediocre.
G. Love & Special Sauce
2/5
It’s like a Fun Loving Criminals cover band, for some unfathomable reason, decided it was a good idea to try and make their own music.
Dinosaur Jr.
4/5
What a great album. Seems slightly ahead of its time and a nice mix of grunge and shoegaze, grungegaze if you will.
The more listens I gave it the more songs grew on me. Nice find and will be revisiting.
Motörhead
4/5
Well it’s a good listen. Every song pretty much sounds the same which lets it down a bit but it’s still a decent album.
Circle Jerks
3/5
Kind of fun but also bonkers.
Astrud Gilberto
2/5
Who doesn’t like a samba on the beach! Not so keen on this album though.
The Stooges
4/5
A real assault on the senses but I guess that’s the point. I really liked this album and hard to believe it was made in 1970. Another great offering from Iggy and the Stooges.
Dexys Midnight Runners
4/5
A melting pot of different styles and influences but all in all an enjoyable listen.
Mercury Rev
4/5
The only thing I really remember about Mercury Rev is the local community copper telling Sul off for wearing one of their T-shirts to college as it had a swear word on.
However listening to this now with a cheap bottle of red wine I feel I missed out a bit. Really enjoyed it.
The KLF
2/5
Probably a decent offering if you’re into that thing and a good example of that type of music from that era. Just find it hard to keep my attention with that type of album.
Happy Mondays
5/5
I don’t think I’ve ever listened to this album but it’s brilliant. I love the slightly more chilled out vibe but it’s just so melodic and catchy. Regretting not checking this out sooner.
Elvis Costello
3/5
Pretty standard ES based on what we’ve already had.
Jethro Tull
3/5
Interesting listen. Some good moments in there.
Belle & Sebastian
3/5
Pleasant in places, dull in places. Straight down the middle then.
Saint Etienne
3/5
In a similar vein to yesterday’s B&S album there were some songs I liked and others not so much.
Joni Mitchell
2/5
Dull. Not much more needs to be said.
XTC
3/5
I was initially intrigued and enjoyed the start but my attention wasn’t held all the way through. A few nice moments but equally as many that weren’t so good.
Stephen Stills
2/5
Fairly unexciting run of the mill stuff for this genre however did quite like The Treasure - Take One
Rocket From The Crypt
3/5
Surprised that I enjoyed this more than I was expecting to.
James Taylor
2/5
I’m sure most music has a place in this world but I’m not sure where this belongs. Certainly not in my world!
Alice Cooper
3/5
Like most people I was expecting this album to follow the tone of Schools Out so it was a surprise to find a varied sound throughout. Not unpleasant but of course everything is going to pale in comparison to the title track if it’s not strong enough a song on its own. Bit of a dip in the middle but finished strongly.
Jeff Beck
3/5
I mean, is it Jeff’s album or Rod’s? Some good sounds though.
Liz Phair
3/5
Quite enjoyed this one. Elements of PJ Harvey and Hole (though more musical and calmer than the latter). Probably went on a bit too long and felt liked it tailed off a bit.
SAULT
3/5
Some of this was a good listen but too many fairly bland sounding tracks. That’s not to detract from the message but I would have preferred more songs with some oomph.
My Bloody Valentine
4/5
Now I’m partial to a bit of shoegazing so enjoyed quite a lot of this. I’m sure my mum would have said ‘but it’s just a lot of noise’ and there are moments in this where I would agree. But overall I enjoyed this one.
John Lee Hooker
3/5
Was this a reasonably enjoyable listen? Yes
Could I really tell the difference between most tracks? No
Does that matter? Not really
Will I ever listen to this album again? Probably not
Nick Drake
3/5
I’ve enjoyed ‘discovering’ Nick Drake through this project but I think I slightly prefer the other albums we’ve had so far.
Morrissey
4/5
I don’t think I’ve ever listened to a Morrisey solo album in full. Obviously we all know the man is an idiot but separating the man from the music I really liked this.
King Crimson
3/5
A vast improvement on the previous KC offering we had
Everything But The Girl
2/5
Not really a fan, just couldn’t really find anything that interesting in it.
Echo And The Bunnymen
4/5
Never really got into E&TB much before but actually quite liked listening to this one. I think this project has awoken a hidden goth adjacent appreciation in me that I didn’t know was in there before. Going to go and buy myself some eyeliner now.
Eric Clapton
3/5
Big up and down. A few tracks I really liked but equally a number I probably wouldn’t bother listening to again.
Harry Nilsson
3/5
Being aware of Without You I wasn’t sure if I’d like this album but actually it was really quite enjoyable.
Maxwell
1/5
I guess they have to throw in something to keep the Americans happy, even if it’s clearly terrible!
Big Black
4/5
What’s not to love about this!
Grizzly Bear
1/5
I get so annoyed with this project when it offers up something like this. I just don’t understand what it’s doing here as I can think of plenty of better albums that haven’t made it. This one sees to have fallen into the general disappointment that seems to be music made by bands post-1990s.
So it’s a mystery. As there isn’t really anything redeeming here. The lyrics, the arrangements, the sound, the giving a shit about trying to make a decent album. It’s just….lacking. Everything.
Van Morrison
3/5
I don’t think I’ve ever listened to a VM album before and it was kind of what I was expecting.
Napalm Death
3/5
The perfect musical accompaniment to my drive into work this morning. Ok so I may have tailgated and brake checked every vehicle and ran 12 red lights whilst flipping the bird to every driver I saw. But it was a lovely journey.
Green Day
5/5
Never really listened to this album as I’d not been as keen on GD post Dookie as that album was so good it was kind of hard for them to live up to that I guess. I’d always believed that no other GD album could possibly be as good as Dookie.
How wrong I was!
I was aware of the singles on this one but hadn’t realised how well constructed the whole album was as an overall entity. A lot of the album tracks are excellent and the more I listened the better they got. Put all the songs together and it creates an excellent album. Dookie is still my favourite GD album but this is now a very, very close second. Loved it.
Joan Armatrading
3/5
Was probably slightly better than I was expecting but did fade out after halfway.
The Cure
4/5
I was 7 years old in 1982 and the 7 year old me wouldn’t have liked this. It’s no Adam and the Ants!
However as a 50 year old I can now appreciate this much more and really quite liked this.
Just a shame they’re from Crawley!
FKA twigs
2/5
It started better than it finished. A couple of nice tracks that showed promise but overall probably not something I’d seek out again.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3/5
Ok so it’s never going to win the award for cheeriest album ever made but I actually quite liked it. Nothing wrong with a bit of melancholy now and then!
Rush
3/5
It was alright, nothing special
PJ Harvey
5/5
Wowzers, what a fantastic album. Another one where I questioned why I hadn’t listened to it before. It was a great listen all the way through with the songs connecting well. By the second or third listen I was engaged with it. I also noticed each song had its own video and after seeing these out it added another level of imagery wishing only added to the overall album experience.
This one will be firmly on my playlist from now on.
CHVRCHES
3/5
Synth pop raises an element or trepedatiousness in me however it rated reasonably well on the toe-tapping scale. I would quite possibly listen to a couple of these again but potentially not all in on go.
It’s probably about 2.5 stars but as it’s the season of goodwill, and I haven’t been to chvrch for a while, I’m going to round it up.
Milton Nascimento
2/5
A bit like the Brazilian football team, not as exciting as it was back in the seventies!
Death In Vegas
3/5
Some of this was alright but I just found myself getting bored of quite a few of the songs after the second or third listens.
The Cure
4/5
The Cure have been growing on me through more exposure to them via this list.
Those felt different from the last offering we had and does feel like a band still finding their feet and building towards something. But by the third or fourth listen it had really grown on me and I’m really enjoying discovering more of The Cure.
Cypress Hill
3/5
Much more of an entertaining listen than I was expecting. Good flow and good vibes.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
4/5
Quite liked this one
R.E.M.
5/5
I’m a big REM fan but probably underplayed this one back in the day. Not quite sure why as it’s clearly a belter of an album with some big songs on it. Even outside the big hits there are a lot of strong songs. Nightswimming is a beautiful song and one of my favourites but also love Ignoreland and Try not to Breathe. Clearly a great album.
U2
5/5
Never really took the time to listen to any U2 albums even though I’ve always quite liked a few of their bigger hits.
So I wasn’t sure what to expect with this album. I certainly wasn’t expecting to find myself enjoying the album as much as I did. I think I found something listenable in every song on the album which is quite rare. This really is a great album. I still think later U2 isn’t great but maybe there’s something more I should start exploring in the early albums after this.
Siouxsie And The Banshees
4/5
Another unexpected gem of a find. Never expected to like this as much as I did.
Tortoise
2/5
Interesting concept but I can’t say I found it that enjoyable. I doubt I’ll ever listen to this again.
Pink Floyd
3/5
Ok so on the positive side it was better than I was expecting but on the negative side a lot of it was just rather boring. So many songs sounded just like the previous one. Suspect they could have switched at least half the songs and still had a half-decent album.
Miles Davis
3/5
Pleasant enough, probably won’t ever listen again, but I can appreciate it was pretty good musicianship.
David Holmes
2/5
Really not great. Cant really believe this is in the best 1001 albums ever made!
Lightning Bolt
2/5
Musically ok (in places) but lyrically very poor.
John Cale
3/5
Interesting one. Had expected something similar to his Velvet Underground sound but this was much softer and folksier. I mean it wasn’t unpleasant but hardly got the pulse racing. A few nice songs though.
The Monkees
3/5
Some very pleasant songs here some of which move away from the goofiness for which they were known until this point.
Mekons
3/5
I quite enjoyed some of this, shades of Band Of Holy Joy about it.
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
I wasn’t sure on first listen but by the third or fourth a lot of this had grown on me. Some very good songs on here and the album as a whole was a decent listen.
CHIC
2/5
Not for me this one. Jus found it very difficult to get into and actually enjoy.
Method Man
2/5
Some nice vibes but not much else of note
David Crosby
2/5
If only he could have remembered not to make this record!
Barry Adamson
2/5
It’s great that people without rock star names can make records but maybe they shouldn’t.
Talk Talk
2/5
This is not the colour of spring. Spring is about new life, reawakening after the cold, dark winter months, warmth returning, feeling like summer is just around the corner.
This is more like the colour of autumn. Grey, dark, miserable, dreary. Constant rain turning the earth into sludgy mud. More like the colour of a turd.
Ice Cube
2/5
It sounded ok but I’m not sure an album can be considered great just because it sounds ok. Didn’t engage with it much but I appreciate there will be others finding this much more agreeable than I did.
Quicksilver Messenger Service
3/5
Quite like the cover of Henry Ramsay’s Mona
Some of the rest of it was alright, better than I was expecting (which was not that much based on the album cover!)
Michael Jackson
3/5
Ok so you can see why the big hits were big hits at the time. Big sounding songs that eclipsed a lot of similar stuff released around the time. The filler songs weren’t great but less of them due to the number of big hits on this one.
Not music I’d ever listen to but can see why it has its place in pop history.
Culture Club
2/5
Just found this pretty dated and bland and probably should have just stayed where it belonged, back in the 80’s
Sam Cooke
4/5
Well this was an unexpected delight. Some great songs in here and just a general feel good vibe all round. Liked a lot of this one.
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
I’ve enjoyed discovering more of Bruce through this project but I knew this one would be coming up and it’s one I’ve previously found more of a challenge to enjoy listening to.
It’s certainly not the usual Bruce fare and the stripped back nature of it gives another side to his work. It’s still a bit of a challenge to engage with completely but an interesting listen.
The Jam
3/5
Not unpleasant but I think I was expecting something a bit more lively and edgy. I don’t think this is an album that will stay long in the memory.
Lucinda Williams
2/5
I tried, I really did but I’m sorry, I just find country music (especially this type) just very uninteresting and boring.
Raekwon
3/5
Not going to lie, I found my toes tapping along to quite a few of the songs on this.
White Denim
3/5
Pretty good. Dipped in a couple of places but quite a good listen.
Syd Barrett
2/5
Think I’d have preferred to listen to an album by Syd James rather than Syd Barrett.
Cor, blimey!
Daft Punk
2/5
Just never got the appeal of this lot and this didn’t change my mind. Was quite happy when it was over - eventually!
Aerosmith
3/5
If you don’t take it too seriously it’s kind of a fun listen in places. Certainly not a challenge to listen to!
Jane Weaver
4/5
Liked a lot of this album which grew on me with each listen. The softer side of electronic music combined with some softer, folksier vocals was a nice match. Very listenable album and really enjoyable.
The Byrds
4/5
Can’t beat a bit of jingle jangle guitar!
I get the comparisons to the Beatles and there’s the use of Dylan songs but ultimately it just seems to work. Also it’s clear to hear other bands that have been influenced by this sound in later years.
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
3/5
Not the worst listen but can’t help but feel it’s a bit dated.
Britney Spears
1/5
I get this sold a lot of records at the time but I’m not sure that’s enough for an album to make this list.
Let’s just move on and forget this ever happened.
Lloyd Cole And The Commotions
3/5
Fair to middling. Well not quite middling. Started off ok but drifted along after that and didn’t really do much.
The Stranglers
3/5
I quite liked this one. One of those that I’m sure would have been better to hear the tracks live at a gig but some good stuff on here.
Brian Eno
1/5
Duller than the dullest of dishwater
T. Rex
4/5
What’s not to like about this, a great album!
Ok so I was aware of a couple of these songs but surprised myself how much i liked the whole album.
X-Ray Spex
3/5
Quite liked this one, which I wasn’t sure initially if I was going to
Bon Jovi
3/5
Ok don’t might not be ‘cool’ to enjoy this but how can you not just go with it.
Probably one of the best examples of big hair 80’s cheesy rock there is out there!
Penguin Cafe Orchestra
3/5
Wonderfully eccentric in places. Interesting stuff, not the worst thing I’ve ever heard but probably won’t revisit anytime soon.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3/5
Perhaps not usually the sort of thing I would enjoy listening to but I was certainly drawn in by the story telling in this one. Couldn’t help but admire the audacity to put out a song like Stagger Lee. Ok so maybe by the end I was a bit murdered out but certainly enjoyed it more than I was expecting to.
The Verve
4/5
So I really like the Verve a lot and I really like this album. It was the first Verve album I listened to and 5 or 6 of the songs are still up there amongst some of my favourite songs. However, the issue u have is that whilst these 5-6 songs are amazing, I’ve never really got on board with the rest of the album. So much so that if I ever play this album I find myself just listening to the same 5-6 songs and rarely bothering with the rest. These 5-6 songs are enough for me to give this 4 stars but unfortunately because of the rest of the album it falls just short of 5 stars.
Ms. Dynamite
2/5
Ok so it’s not terrible but just not really something I can massively get into and because of that I just start to get a bit bored before too long.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
Found myself chooglin’ along to this one.
Elvis Presley
4/5
I had been anticipating this to be one of those where the hits far outweigh the rest. Obviously Suspicious Minds is a banger but I was pleasantly surprised how much more of this I actually enjoyed.
Ok, bit of a dip in the middle and a bit too country in places but overall not a bad effort. This Elvis fella may have a future in music you know.
Queen
4/5
Our first Queen album in this list and I have to say that was a very enjoyable listen. A lot of different styles and sounds on this album and yet all unmistakably Queen!
3/5
A game of two halves.
A slow start saw Dylan bogged down by excessive harmonica that left the listener feeling, at times, like they were wading through treacle.
After a half-time dressing down an electrified Dylan re-emerged for the second half and finally delivered on his promising potential.
Tears For Fears
3/5
Not too bad as far as 80’s pop goes.
The Undertones
3/5
I enjoyed quite a lot of this one. Some good tunes though some repetitiveness and probably a few I’d skip if I ever listened to it again.
Supergrass
5/5
I’d forgotten just how good this album is. It was great that Supergrass moved on from their successful first album and made something different but as good if not better. Many bands of the time followed one success with the same again. You can hear the growth they have made this album. But at the same time unmistakably Supergrass. Another 5 star effort from the lads.