Chock-full of anthems I already knew, and they're titans, but I never actually sat down and listened to the album until now. While "the hits" are the meat, the other songs aren't bad and the album flows well. That said, I still don't quite find the other songs compelling enough that I'd listen to the whole album often. Still, the guitars sound spectacular throughout, and that's what really makes the album for me. Lyrics don't seem to be Oasis's strong point, but when you sound this good, it doesn't matter. That said, I'm not sure if I'd play

Preface: I'm a big Beatles fan. I swear. That said, I've never really liked much of John's solo work, save a few tracks. And of those tracks, "Imagine" is not one of them. There's nothing musically compelling about the track for me, and lyrically, it's just a void. My issue isn't even about the hypocrisy of a rich man imploring the listener to imagine no possessions. It's that it postures as being profound, as revolutionary, when it's neither. It's just a bunch of vague gesturing. "Bad things bad, good things good." Thanks, John. I'm actually kind of glad that that stupid video during the pandemic shone a light on how empty the song is. (Jeez, it's like I'm hating the song more as I write about it!) Anyway, the title track aside, I hadn't heard anything from the album. I didn't have high expectations, but I came with an open mind. Somehow, it was even worse than I thought. This was a slog, pure and simple. Of course I have my biases. Blues rock isn't really my thing, but I think I can still appreciate it when it's done well. But "I Don't Wanna Be a Soldier" was SUFFERING. Ironically, by around the 4-minute mark, I think I wanted to fly, cry AND die. Jealous Guy is... something. It's like when you rightly criticize someone for something and they get on their knees and say "Oh, yes, I'm SUCH a terrible person, I don't deserve love, I should just go crawl in a hole and DIE." Jesus Christ. Gimme Some Truth. Did you know that... politicians lie? John knows, and he's tired of it! Look out! I will admit, "How Do You Sleep?" is a novelty. Paul not like us. A couple of good zingers. But here's the thing. It's on Imagine. IMAGINE. The fact that he included such an over-the-top mean-spirited song on IMAGINE is hilarious. It provides the perfect contrast and exposes the hippy-dippy, wishy-washy, well-wishing nonsense exactly for what it is. I was fully prepared to give this a 3, maybe a 2, until I realized over the course of writing this how much I actually hate this album. I'm actually shocked. It's terrible. Fav track: Oh My Love

Classic for me, an album I've loved for a long time. I love the shimmering guitars, the quality Morrissey's voice. Great basslines.The lyrics are clever, or at least they try to be, and even when they border on being pretentious, I can't help but find them charming. Such an ENGLISH album, and such an 80s album. Fav tracks: Bigmouth Strikes Again, The Boy with the Thorn in His Side, There Is a Light That Never Goes Out

Interesting to see this album released just as gangsta rap was gaining a foothold. This is the complete other side. Interesting sampling, really varied. Charmingly irreverent. Here, the wackier the songs, the better. Tread Water is cute with talking to all the animals. I can't imagine myself listening to this album often, but I can definitely appreciate it for what it is. Main takeaway: wash yo ass with soap. Fav tracks: Eye Know, Tread Water, Me Myself and I

I thought I would like this more than I did. I do know and like some CCR songs, and I understand the whole roots philosophy, but this album just didn't do it for me. I found the instrumentation to be bland. I didn't find the lyrics to be particularly interesting, foreboding as they were. Fav tracks: Wrote a Song for Everyone, Bad Moon Rising

Chock-full of anthems I already knew, and they're titans, but I never actually sat down and listened to the album until now. While "the hits" are the meat, the other songs aren't bad and the album flows well. That said, I still don't quite find the other songs compelling enough that I'd listen to the whole album often. Still, the guitars sound spectacular throughout, and that's what really makes the album for me. Lyrics don't seem to be Oasis's strong point, but when you sound this good, it doesn't matter. That said, I'm not sure if I'd play

Within the wider area of rock, I'm not the most familiar with metal and its origins, so it was interesting to go back to see where it was in the early 80s. I can definitely see the through line from hard rock. The guitar during the verse of Children of the Damned sounds like it could be from a Boston song. Same with the chorus in The Prisoner. I do find the themes and the general feeling of the album to be a bit one-note, and it does scratch that particular itch very well. I guess the problem is that I find myself loving either the verse OR the chorus in a given song, but rarely both. 22 Acacia Avenue is kinda cringe. But overall the album definitely does more right than wrong, and it's not a slog. Fav tracks: Children of the Damned, The Prisoner, The Number of the Beast, Run to the Hills

Whenever I listen to Arcade Fire, I feel like I'm listening to a musical, for better and for worse. Despite the really interesting lyrical themes going on, and the varied instrumentation, there's this sort of box that it seems to stay inside, like the limits of a stage. That sounds uncharitable, and maybe it is. But I think fully embracing the aesthetic, a dash of whimsy, would go a long way. As it stands, it takes itself a bit too seriously. There are some really compelling songs, but they're peppered with Indie™ hallmarks that sometimes make me groan. "No Cars Go" is a case in point: brilliant instrumentation, but there's that goddamn "HEY" that's inescapable. It's still think it's a good song, but I'd be lying if I said it didn't hamper my enjoyment. In Arcade Fire's defence: this came out in 2007, presumably before these conventions became so overused. Alas, I'm listening to this in 2024. The production is... interesting. Undecided on whether I like it or not. Sometimes it sounds full and sparse at the same time. The lyrics are where this album really shines. And I love that organ, that proper church organ. Fav tracks: Intervention, (Antichrist Television Blues), No Cars Go, My Body Is a Cage

I was quite excited to listen to this album because the premise seemed so novel. A prog rock adaptation of a Romantic piano suite? Count me in! Well, save that Nutcracker cover at the end, count me out. Alternatively boring and annoying. A mix of slow strumming, mid vocals and "hahaha synth go brrrrr" Self-indulgent in the worst way that prog rock can be. If you listen hard enough, you can hear the baby punks gestating. I can appreciate the concept in theory, but sorry, this ain't it. Fav track: Nut Rocker

Honestly, pretty fantastic! I had only listened to River Song before, which I love, but I'm happy to say that the rest of the album holds up as well. This album oozes emotional authenticity, even if it's simple. It's bluesy, it's soulful. It's got grit, it's got shine. It just feels full. Dennis only got to release one album in his lifetime. I'm glad it was this one. Fav tracks: River Song, Moonshine, Thoughts of You, You and I

Preface: I'm a big Beatles fan. I swear. That said, I've never really liked much of John's solo work, save a few tracks. And of those tracks, "Imagine" is not one of them. There's nothing musically compelling about the track for me, and lyrically, it's just a void. My issue isn't even about the hypocrisy of a rich man imploring the listener to imagine no possessions. It's that it postures as being profound, as revolutionary, when it's neither. It's just a bunch of vague gesturing. "Bad things bad, good things good." Thanks, John. I'm actually kind of glad that that stupid video during the pandemic shone a light on how empty the song is. (Jeez, it's like I'm hating the song more as I write about it!) Anyway, the title track aside, I hadn't heard anything from the album. I didn't have high expectations, but I came with an open mind. Somehow, it was even worse than I thought. This was a slog, pure and simple. Of course I have my biases. Blues rock isn't really my thing, but I think I can still appreciate it when it's done well. But "I Don't Wanna Be a Soldier" was SUFFERING. Ironically, by around the 4-minute mark, I think I wanted to fly, cry AND die. Jealous Guy is... something. It's like when you rightly criticize someone for something and they get on their knees and say "Oh, yes, I'm SUCH a terrible person, I don't deserve love, I should just go crawl in a hole and DIE." Jesus Christ. Gimme Some Truth. Did you know that... politicians lie? John knows, and he's tired of it! Look out! I will admit, "How Do You Sleep?" is a novelty. Paul not like us. A couple of good zingers. But here's the thing. It's on Imagine. IMAGINE. The fact that he included such an over-the-top mean-spirited song on IMAGINE is hilarious. It provides the perfect contrast and exposes the hippy-dippy, wishy-washy, well-wishing nonsense exactly for what it is. I was fully prepared to give this a 3, maybe a 2, until I realized over the course of writing this how much I actually hate this album. I'm actually shocked. It's terrible. Fav track: Oh My Love

Not bad. I can appreciate the old-school hip hop style. Seems interestingly out of place for 2002. Heavy on soul and funk samples. Nelly Furtado jumpscare on Thin Line. And nice Minnie Riperton sample. When it's all said and done, it's probably not something I'm going to come back to, but it's not bad. Fav tracks: If You Only Knew, Thin Line

Dark, threatening, enveloping. Spellbound by a rag doll dance. A beautiful severed head, can I take it back to the flat with me? I heard a rumour, what have you done to her? Some of the guitar on this album is mind-blowing. Like, what the hell is going on in Into the Light? Insane. I've never heard guitar like this before. The lyrics in Arabian Knights are problematic, plain and simple. But this is an album that bathes in ugly imagery and shock value. And this is an album that's over 40 years old. I don't know what else to say. This album is magnetic and it's something that I'll come back to. Or more likely, it will come to me as I sleep. Fav tracks: Spellbound, Into the Light, Monitor, Sin in My Heart, Head Cut

The joy of going through these albums are discovering these pipelines between genres, these transitory moments. Here, on Peter Gabriel's first solo album, we go from prog rock to art pop. We get some long songs, and even the shorter ones tend to feel long on the ways that they change their structure. The only song I already knew off this was Solsbury Hill, which remains an amazing song and still the best on this album. It's also the most pop, and probably represents more of the direction Peter would head in. But overall, there's a lot to like here, and I'll be revisiting it. Fav tracks: Solsbury Hill, Modern Love, Humdrum, Slowburn

Autism: The Album. Honestly, this is an album I already know and quite like. There's this nervous, anxious, playful energy that pervades it (and really, most of their discography). Nothing dark here. No distortion. Clean, plucky guitars, that often sound rather weird. Really, very unique. You can already start seeing what direction they'll be heading in. Fav tracks: No Compassion, The Book I Read, Don't Worry About the Government, Psycho Killer, Pulled Up

I have to rate this album as a measure of my enjoyment, and at the end of the day, it's not really music that has much pull for me. That said, upon reading more about this album, I have a hell of a lot of respect for it. Ray Charles covering a bunch of country songs, reaching deep into them and transforming them. Bringing other things to the surface. All this when the music industry, like American society as a whole, was segregated. Honestly, it's pretty incredible. My frame of reference is pretty small, not only to Ray Charles and his style of music, but to the songs he's covering here. Just to get a taste of the source, I went and looked up the original "Hey Good Lookin'" by Hank Williams to compare. Night and day. I do think it's the jazzier renditions I prefer. They sound more unique than the string-heavy arrangements, which seem to lend themselves to a lot of country songs more easily. And if I'm not mistaken, it seems that this kind of production would become more popular in country over the course of the decade. Perhaps it's a corny takeaway, but music does unite us all. I appreciate what this album represents.

I'd never heard of Joan Armatrading. I'll chalk it up to things not crossing the pond (westward) as easily back in those days. Overall, pretty neat. The first few songs here are definitely the strongest. Help Yourself is mellow on the bookends but has a middle part that's just electric. Love it. Water with the Wine is upbeat, but the lyrics... Jesus, how dark. Unfortunately, I find the album to gradually fall off after this. But it still made for a fun listen. Fav tracks: Down to Zero, Help Yourself, Water with the Wine

Puts the pop in punk. Very teenage, very one-note, but I can't help but like it. Songs to hate suburbia by. Billie Joe's voice is whiny, but it's a pleasant whine. There are also some great basslines on here. Yes, there's very much a formula that they stick to here, but it's rarely boring. As befitting a POP punk album, the best songs on this are the singles. They knew. Fav tracks: Longview, Welcome to Paradise, Basket Case, When I Come Around

I only have a passing familiarity with Bob Dylan's work. Really, only a few songs, and this was the first album of his I've listened to. This was released at a controversial time, when Dylan was going electric. And while it's certainly not shocking by today's standards, I can understand the backlash. It really was a fundamentally different sound, and it's what divides this album cleanly in half. I actually found myself gravitating to the acoustic side more. The lyrics on this album, overall, are interesting. I didn't sit down and dissect them under a microscope or anything, but some songs jumped out to me. I quite liked the zaniness of "Bob Dylan's 115th Dream", which is absurd throughout, but paints a picture of an America that's an insane, fantastical, incredible mess. Just as applicable today as it was back then. Columbus, good luck. Obviously, people listen to Dylan for his lyrics, not for the beautiful quality of his voice. I generally don't mind it, but I found it to get a bit too much on "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue". I liked the lyrics for this one, but I dunno, the shout-screaming kinda got to me. Or maybe it was just because it was just the culmination of 45 minutes of unadulterated Bob Dylan. I know I'll be seeing more of him on this list, and I'm looking forward to seeing his songwriting evolve. Fav tracks: On the Road Again, Bob Dylan's 115th Dream, Gates of Eden, It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)

I saw that this album was described as lo-fi, but jeez, is it ever. At their most polished, the songs feel like demos. At their least, they're vaguely melodic noise. This album is 41 minutes, yet there are 28 songs. Only five of them hit the two minute mark. None of them hit three. The lyrics are exceedingly offbeat, usually approaching word salad. This is all obviously an artistic choice, and I get it, but it doesn't exactly make for a great listening experience, at least not for a whole album length. There are times when I start to like what they're doing, but by the time I realize it it's already over. That said, there are some tiny gems on here. Frankly, they're puny! But I do like it when they harmonize. It reminds me of 60s British Invasion stuff. Despite everything, it wasn't a slog to get through. They definitely kept me guessing at every turn, and I can appreciate that. Fav tracks: Game of Pricks, A Good Flying Bird, Blimps Go 90, Chicken Blows, Little Whirl, Alright

A stunning sonic odyssey. The guitar tones on this album are unreal. It was only upon reading further that I learned about the glide technique that's Kevin Shields's trademark, where he holds the whammy bar while strumming. Chords start out of tune before falling into place. It's one of the things that gives this album a dark underbelly. This and the distorted guitars don't contrast, but mix with the subdued, dreamy vocals, trance-like beats, ethereal synths. To me, this album is sleep - the warm comfort, the tossing and turning, the recurring dreams, the still peace, the cold sweats, the primordial, subconscious things that are nearly impossible to know.

A great RnB album that sounded like a classic even when it was released. "Thinkin Bout You" is so heartfelt, and he really shows his chops on "Sweet Life". "Pyramids" is a trip... The whole thing feels like a slow, downward spiral. I think finding a non-ham-fisted way to include a DBZ reference is worth an entire stat alone. Fav tracks: Thinkin Bout You, Sweet Life, Super Rich Kids, Pyramids, Pink Matter

An interesting listen, because it seems very much to be a bridge from the 60s to the 70s. "Marrakesh Express" sounds like it could be from the Summer of Love, very hippy. And then "Guinnevere", the very next song, is dark, with beautiful harmonies, and seems reflective of the singer-songwriters that follow in the 70s. Some of these tracks go a bit into yacht rock territory, but there's enough mystery and melancholy on this album to make it compelling enough for me. Fav tracks: Marrakesh Express, Guinnevere, Lady of the Island

Here we are, the birth of post-punk, from an ex-Sex Pistol. I fully expected this to be abrasive, and it was. And I must admit, it's grown on me slightly. "Annalisa" has a pulsing beat, and this erratic, repeating guitar that suggests being possessed. "Public Image" is the only single off the album, probably because it's the only once that could be. It's the best song on it, and sums up not only the album, but the entire project as a band. It has this salty, arrogant optimism to it that's infectious. "Fodderstompf" is a song to chill and relax to. In a strait jacket. Absolutely insane. But hilarious. I know it's a stupid throwaway but I keep coming back to it. God help the next person who hands me the aux cord. Fav tracks: Annalisa, Public Image, Fodderstompf

Solid punk album, with some post-punk experimentation starting to happen. Compared to some of the other punk I've listened to from this era, the Damned seem to have traded a bit of edge for a bit more melody. There's more pop sensibility here, but they certainly don't sacrifice any energy. And it works. Actually, it's the poppier of the songs I find myself gravitating to the most. "Smash It Up" is altogether divine, from that long instrumental to that explosion of energy. Fav tracks: I Just Can't Be Happy Today, Plan 9 Channel 7, Liar, Smash It Up

Certainly an interesting album, but I'm sad to say I didn't like it quite as much as I thought I would. My biggest gripe is the length of the album. I think it's pretty bloated. At times, I honestly found it to be a bit of a slog. That said, there is some really interesting stuff on here. Very experimental. I already knew "Ms. Jackson" and "B.O.B." coming in, and they're both amazing. Absolutely legendary. Particularly on the latter, there's just SO MUCH going on. Frankly, incredible. None of the other tracks approach these two for me. I was pleasantly surprised by "Humble Mumble", it's actually a jam. "Toilet Tisha" is kind of heavy. Those synths feel almost oppressive. Great atmosphere for the subject matter. It's possible that my opinion of this album might change in the future with more listens. There's a lot here, and there's absolutely some gems. But based on my enjoyment of the whole, I'm gonna have to give it a 3 for now. Fav tracks: Ms. Jackson, B.O.B., Humble Mumble, Gangsta Shit, Toilet Tisha

Dance Music Sex Romance. This man was a purple horndog. Some interesting stuff here, but I view it more as a precursor to what would come from him later. Some of these songs are too long and become bland. Yet somehow still sexy? Blexy? I think that sums up how I feel about this album. Decent sex that just goes on for too long. For some of these songs, it feels like someone left the drum machine on and everyone forgot about it. But, I quite like a lot of the synths on the album, and Prince's wails and vocal swells are just awesome. Some good guitar solos, too, if somewhat random. Fav tracks: 1999, Automatic, International Lover

Yes, yes, the man's a lunatic, and now certifiably in the worst way, but that is not the focus of this review. Of course, he was a lunatic back in 2010, too. Megalomaniacal. It's the only kind of person that could make this album. Look at the title. Look at the lyrics. Look at everything that was happening at the time of the album's release. Delusions of grandeur are this album's bedrock. And you know what? There isn't a miss on the whole damn thing. "Dark Fantasy", the overture, mercy me. But it gets higher. The classic psych rock sample on "Gorgeous". We see the the power of a 21st century schizoid man. We see all of the lights, extra bright. We get "Monster", where somehow, in a crowded room, Nicki steals the show. And that's the halfway mark. I could keep going, but I'm not even going to continue. It's just a triumph. The triumph of a fool king, but a triumph nonetheless.