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.
The light at the BEGINNING of the tunnel.
From the first hit of this album, the drugs are flowing. Then we get a chugging, pulsating instrumental over a deadpan story of a sad man sending himself by mail and getting stabbed in the head. Then, the entrancing lobotomy song.
Insane that this was recorded in 1967, at the tail end of the Summer of Love. Abrasive, visceral, noisy.
Honestly, these first few songs are excellent. But for me it completely loses steam on the second side. Sister Ray is just too damn long, an absolute slog.
Fav tracks: White Light/White Heat, The Gift, Lady Godiva's Operation
Solid. I was kind of expecting a country album, but there are only tinges of it here. There's just as much baroque pop here, and it sounds great.
Honestly, I don't find the lyrics to be particularly compelling, and I do feel that a lot of the songs blend into each other. But it's a good vibe.
Fav tracks: Save Me, Season of Hollow Soul, Outside Myself, Constant Craving
Not at all what I was expecting from Pink Floyd's debut. I knew that the Syd Barrett era was different, but I was really not prepared. It's absolutely whimsical.
Yet, as someone who enjoys psychedelia, it just didn't do it for me. It's charming, but a bit of a slog. I picture the jammier of the tracks in particular being quite revolutionary at the time, but I feel that they've aged.
Fav tracks: Flaming, Pow R. Toc H., Chapter 24
I really wanted to like this more than I did. Don't get me wrong, the title track is absolutely iconic, but I didn't find there to be enough stylistic variation on this album. A lot of the songs seem to bleed into each other.
From reading a bit about the album, I can really appreciate what it meant to Marvin, but it just really didn't do anything for me.
Fav tracks: Let's Get It On, If I Should Die Tonight
I see that this is the highest rated album here, and part of me really wanted to just give it a 4. But, upon listening to it once again, it has to be a 5.
They really set out to make an all-killer-no-filler album, and while not every song on it is perfect (Christine McVie's songs in particular don't do it for me as much), the sum of the album really is greater than its parts. It sounds like classic rock's swan song, and it's honestly glorious.
Fav tracks: Dreams, Don't Stop, Go Your Own Way, The Chain, Gold Dust Woman
These guys are all solid musicians, and there are some great riffs throughout (and a superb drum solo on "Moby Dick"). That said, Zeppelin for me only scratches a very particular itch, and otherwise leaves me wanting. I know "Whole Lotta Love" is an iconic track, but it doesn't do much for me anymore. It's kind of boring.
I did like them more when I was younger, but over the years, Plant's vocal hystrionics have honestly come to grate on me a bit. And so much of the lyrics are "ooooOOOOOoohh W-W-W-woman pleeeEEEEAAaase". Okay. And the whole "squeeze my lemon until juice drips down my leg" isn't clever, or funny, or daring, it's just immensely cringe.
That said, they bring a confidence here that's kind of infectious, and while this album isn't a favourite of mine, it still does more right than it does wrong.
Fav tracks: What Is and What Should Never Be, Thank You, Living Loving Maid (She's Just a Woman), Moby Dick
Surprisingly solid. Don't get me wrong, the album's a bit too long, there are some cringe lyrics here and there. But it's an interesting time capsule. It really feels like a transition between 80s rap (see "Eat 'Em Up L Chill" or "Murdergram") and 90s rap (the more RnB and jazz-influenced tracks). Some of the samples on the latter are almost ethereal, definitely the highlights.
The title track stands out as well, not really fitting into either of the two categories. It's aggressive and playful in a strangely compelling way.
Fav tracks: Around the Way Girl, Mama Said Knock You Out, Jingling Baby (Remixed but Still Jingling), 6 Minutes of Pleasure
An album I thought I was going to give a 5. After all, it was pretty groundbreaking, there's no doubt about it. But it kind of drags in the later half. Of course, I might have just got knocked out after track 3. Seriously, those first tracks come out guns blazing. Absolutely legendary.
Fav tracks: Straight Outta Compton, Fuck tha Police, Gangsta Gangsta
The Beatles' swan song, and arguably their most accessible album for a modern audience.
Obviously, absolute classic. It's got two of George Harrison's best ever songs ("Something" and "Here Comes the Sun") and a massive medley that covers the album's entire second half.
This really feels like the culmination of everything the Beatles did, and it honestly feels like the end of the 60s as a whole.
A great album that displays incredible range. "Human Behaviour" defies easy categorization with its driving timpani beat. "Venus as a Boy" is luscious, beautiful, a masterpiece, full stop. A cover of a 40s pop track, why not? And a handful of more danceable tracks.
Bjork's unique vocal style (which some might call histrionics) seems to be pretty polarizing, but I generally quite like it.
It's an album that isn't afraid to experiment. "Aeroplane" and "The Anchor Song" feature discordant saxophone. It was a bit much for me. "There's More to Life Than This" is also interesting, which its shifting setting, but is a bit too Manic Pixie Dream Girl for me. Maybe it was a less-trodden trope in 1993.
Fav tracks: Human Behaviour, Crying, Venus as a Boy, One Day, Come to Me
Honestly, I enjoyed this more than I thought I would.
I vaguely knew of ZZ Top before listening to this, including a couple of the hits here. But what's interesting is their trajectory, incorporating synths and new wave elements into their music. (They cited Depeche Mode as an influence???) The 80s are here, let pop rule. I was shocked that I knew "Legs", since I figured it was by one of the plethora of new wave one-hit wonder bands, but it was these tres hombres all along!
The guitars sound great, nice and crunchy. I find the album does drag a bit at times, but the better songs manage to split it up.
Fav tracks: Gimme All Your Lovin', Sharp Dressed Man, Legs
I had zero expectations going in, but it's actually a delightful album. Hawley's influences are on his sleeve here, and it's a hodgepodge of 50s and 60s pre-hippie traditions. You can feel it from the opening croon.
It's by no means perfect all the way through, but it's suitably unique, and I have to have some respect for it.
Fav tracks: Coles Corner, Just Like the Rain, The Ocean
Actually pretty great. A dark, icy electronic album that's not afraid to venture into odd places. Dare I say, in a particularly Scandinavian way. That said, it's not particularly abrasive. If anything it reminds me of the Donkey Kong Country soundtrack! (Actually, on that note, "Dry and Dusty" reminds me a lot of a track from Super Mario Odyssey lol)
There are lots of vocal effects here, lots of pitching down and up. Sometimes they're layered on each other, in a way that reminds me a bit throat singing. And the synths are great, love the bell synths on "Triangle Walks".
Anyway, great vibe, something to put on at night and get lost in.
Fav tracks: When I Grow Up, Dry and Dusty, Triangle Walks
Nina Simone has such a unique voice, it's captivating. And it's her voice that carries it, it being an album largely of covers.
The one song she penned here, "Four Women", is far and away the best. It's a harrowing song, where you can feel the pain in her voice, ending in a massive crescendo. It's these mournful tracks where I think she shines.
Fav tracks: Four Women, What Can I Say?, Wild Is the Wind
I have a decent appreciation for Steely Dan and that laid-back jazz fusion sound that they nail, but I didn't end up liking this album as much as I thought I would.
Fav tracks: Rikki Don't Lose That Number, Any Major Dude Will Tell You, Barrytown
A good album overall. Dark, cool, sensual. Interesting samples. Elements of electronic, rap, dub. Martina Topley-Bird, who sings on most tracks, has this kind of vulnerability in her voice that brings an element of danger. And there's a Public Enemy cover on here, which is just fascinating.
I can recognize this as a good album, and it has a good vibe, but I do find that it's a bit too long. And while it there are elements here that are fresh, even for 2025, it probably was more so in 1995, and it's something I would probably only put on for background music.
In short, solid, but I didn't gel with it as much as I thought I would.
Fav tracks: Overcome, Ponderosa, Suffocated Love
60s psych rock done right. The organ in the title track is INCREDIBLE, and it perfectly sets the stage for the show to come.
There are some psychedelic jams here that fly up and away, but unlike, say, Pink Floyd's debut, there's seems to be more of a deep grounding in pop. This defines the first half.
Now, when I first listened through the second half of the album, I found it a bit irritating. But listening to it again, I embraced the whimsy and the jabberwocky, and I actually found the narration stops juuuust before the line of being excessive. Excellent, and something I'll listen to again.
Fav tracks: Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake, Afterglow, Long Agos and Worlds Apart
Part of the joy of listening to these albums is getting exposed to types of music I wouldn't have otherwise. This is tango album #1!
Honestly, it sounds great. The vibraphone, the sliding strings, the piano, the... bandoleon? Yeah!
Sometimes slow and soothing, sometimes frantic and discordant, always a vibe.
Fav tracks: Milonga Is Coming, Vibraphonissimo, Laura's Dream
A funky album about crime and urban decay in America. You need not look further for the album's themes than its sleeve.
I can appreciate its messages, and I can appreciate the music to an extent, but it's not really for me.
Fav tracks: Hard Times, Love to the People
I hate to sound like I'm uncultured, or I don't have ears, but I found this a bit hard to get really into. I am generally unfamiliar with jazz. In fact, like a lot of people, it's probably one of my biggest musical blind spots.
If I close my eyes and focus, I can sort of vibe with it, but it gets rather exhausting for me after a while. Maybe it takes a while longer to really "get" it. Maybe repeated listenings will uncover more. But for now, based on my enjoyment, I can't give it more than a 3.
Fav tracks: Diminuendo in Blue
I was worried that an entire album of salsa would bore me, but this was actually great.
Funnily enough, it begins a disco inferno before the salsa simmers down. It may well be satirical, adding to the songs commentary of the shallow, materialistic, soulless upper class.
My Spanish isn't the best, but I made effort to read the lyrics, partially in translation. Make no mistake, this is a very political album. It's about the emptiness of consumerism and the injustices of the world order as it stands. It's an ode to Latino beauty, the struggles Latinos face in both Latin America and the US, a call for unity among Latinos to preserve culture, and indeed, to preserve more than culture. When they're talking about throwing away the plastic, they're not just talking about the plastic of the soul. Look at the cover.
This album's got energy, and it doesn't dwell on musical passages for too long. The horns sound great, and I love the vocal harmonies, too. Overall, I think this was a great introduction to a genre I'm not particularly familiar with.
Fav tracks: Plastico, Pedro Navaja, Maria Lionza
A solid folk-rock album. Actually, it's a bit more varied than I thought it would be - there are some baroque pop string flourishes, huge gospel choruses. Even a sitar makes an appearance!
There are songs with some interesting ideas, but there are others that bog the album down. All in all, it's good, if not great.
Fav tracks: Do for the Others, To a Flame, Cherokee
A very odd album. I should say, odd in the niche that it occupies. It's like an abrasive post-punk band got so abrasive that they hit a wall, and riccocheted off it so hard they found themselves back at pop. Brain damaged pop.
The lyrics sometimes seem like pure id, messily delivered, half-sung or shrieked. The music is just as melodic as it is discordant. They'll get into a riff or a groove and stay there for a while, synchronation and harmony being incidental. It's trancelike.
Like, it's not entirely pleasurable. The first time around, I didn't get much. But I listened to it a second time, and by the third time I found myself fully vibing to some of this weird shit.
Fav tracks: What You Need, Spoilt Victorian Child, Paintwork, I Am Damo Suzuki
Unfortunately, I didn't vibe with this as much as I thought I would. Don't get me wrong, Hendrix was a spectacular guitarist, legendary. But a lot of the music here simply doesn't interest me.
I've heard that "Little Wing" is one of Jimi's most enduring tracks. After my initial listen of the album, I went back and listened to the song four times in a row. The guitar in it is good, but I don't know... I tried, but didn't suck me in. If anything, I found myself drawn to the light touches of the glockenspiel.
Perhaps it's just that these jams don't sound fresh to me, listening in 2025. I'm sure they were decades ago.
I think my favourite track here is actually the most pop of the lot, "Wait Until Tomorrow". There's something about the steady beat and the vocal harmonies that stabilize the song, establish a point of focus, for Hendrix to run circles around. Ironically, I found it to be where his guitar work shone the most.
At the end of the day, what I find interesting only shows up in snippets, and it's not an album I loved.
Fav tracks: Wait Until Tomorrow, Castles Made of Sand, Bold as Love
Overall, solid, but not really my type of music.
I think part of the fact is that I'm used to albums containing all, or almost all, original songs, while this is still the era in which covers rule. Don't get me wrong, Otis puts a great spin on "My Girl" and "Satisfaction", but I'm sad there aren't more originals. That said, I was actually shocked to learn that this is the original version of "Respect"! Yes, Aretha did it better, but it's still a great song.
Fav tracks: Ole Man Trouble, Respect, My Girl
Not as good as The Queen Is Dead, but still excellent.
Morrissey's croon can border on grating sometimes, but other times it just yanks emotion from me. There's this desperation in his voice in "I Want the One I Can't Have" that just pulls me.
"That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore" is a sorrowful oddysey. It's a song that's easy to get lost in.
"Barbarism Begins at Home" milks a single bassline for nearly seven minutes. Luckily, it's one of the best ones I've ever heard.
Fav tracks: I Want the One I Can't Have, That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore, Barbarism Begins at Home
This leaves me very conflicted, since I have a soft spot for 60s girl groups, but generally hate Christmas music. That said, this Christmas music is some of the most tolerable for me. Love that wall of sound.
Fav tracks: White Christmas, Santa Claus Is Coming to Town, Sleigh Ride, Winter Wonderland
This is the second Bob Dylan album I got on this list, after "Bringing It All Back Home". This was released just over a year later, albeit with an album in between.
I haven't listened to Dylan's music enough to be a fan, and I'm certainly no Dylan scholar, and I've not sat down to dissect the lyrics of all of the songs. What I do see if that he certainly hasn't lost his penchant for these wacky, incomprehensible metaphors:
Now your dancing child with his Chinese suit / He spoke to me, I took his flute / No, I wasn't very cute to him, was I?
See the primitive wallflower freeze / When the jelly-faced women all sneeze / Hear the one with the moustache say / "Jeez, I can't find my knees"
A good half of the songs don't do much for me. The romp of "Rainy Day Women #12 & 35" doesn't get me feeling much, but I can't help but that juvenile, tongue-in-cheek call. Everybody must get stoned! Keep scaring the hoes, Bob.
"Just Like a Woman" is filled with this restrained venom that I find hard not to like.
Musically, it actually seems by this time Dylan had been warming up to more explicit pop structures. I especially see this on "I Want You". I actually really like the songs that more prominently feature organ, they tend to be my favourites here.
Fav tracks: One of Us Must Know (Sooner or Later), I Want You, Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again, Just Like a Woman, Sad-Eyed Lady of the Lowlands
A solid album that has some real sparks of brilliance. That said, I didn't end up gelling as much with it as I thought I would.
Kiwanuka draws on a lot of tradition here, mainly 60s psychedelia and chamber pop. But there are enough elements here that don't make it feel dated, like the synths on "You Ain't the Problem".
I found myself more drawn to the earlier songs on the album. They're exciting and gives the beginning of the album a real push. The first track is electric, and "Rolling" is an amazing modern take on 60s psychedelia that sounds fresh.
That said, as it goes on, I find that it loses a bit of momentum, it drags a bit. The strings come on a bit too often, a bit too heavy. There are some interludes that feel too long. I understand that some "down time" is needed, especially given some of the themes of the album, but I find that it makes it drag. The second half, despite having some amazing guitar work, largely floats into the background for me.
Again, this is not to day this is a bad album, not at all. It's just not something I'd put on and listen all the way through except for the standout tracks. It does interest me in checking out Kiwanuka's other music, though.
Fav tracks: You Ain't the Problem, Rolling, Hero
Here we are. The First Punk Album.
Is it basically the same song over and over again for the entire album? Yes. But that's the thing - their goal wasn't range. There is no range. It's one-note, and that's the whole point, the audacity of the album. No nuance. Harmonious aggression, forever (for 29 minutes).
Does that mean I'll put this on often? Probably not. But there's something so satisfying about this primordial spark. And before you know it, it's over, anyway.
Fav tracks: Blitzkrieg Bop, Beat on the Brat, Judy Is a Punk, 53rd & 3rd
The only Jethro Tull song I knew before listening to this was the title track (which is a spectacular odyssey - thanks, Rock Band 2!). So I wasn't quite expecting the FLUTEMANSHIP to follow. It goes HARD. The flute gives these songs a sort of otherworldly, pastoral feel, best heard on "Mother Goose".
The album is just as folksy as it is proggy, entirely to its benefit. And on top of that, there are some strong riffs in some of these songs.
It's also a reflective album, one that spends quite some time pondering the nature of God (seriously) and empathizing with poor, sad figures. "Cheap Day Return" is a wee, wistful slice of life, almost like a haiku.
Overall, excellent.
Fav tracks: Aqualung, Cross-Eyed Mary, Cheap Day Return, Mother Goose, My God
This is my second CCR album on here, after Green River, which came out just over a year earlier, albeit with an album in between. I wasn't a huge fan of it. I was pleased to find this one better.
As "Ramble Tamble" started, my expectations weren't high, but it goes into this ethereal, markedly un-bluesy instrumental in the middle. Love it.
Even their bluesier songs, which I didn't enjoy on Green River, are better here. "Travelin' Band" has some great sax. Of course, there's "Run Through the Jungle", which transports you straight to Vietnam. There's even a cover of "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" with an extended jam.
So, while still largely being something I wouldn't put on to listen to, I quite enjoyed it. More variety. Exceeded expectations.
Fav tracks: Ramble Tamble, Lookin' Out My Back Door, Run Through the Jungle, Up Around the Bend, I Heard It Through the Grapevine
An absolute masterclass in pop. Very 80s. Very British. A whimsical, psychedelic feast.
Honestly, there's so much to devour here. The electric, brimming "Summer's Cauldron" leading seamlessly into the beautiful (and scandalous?) "Grass". "The Meeting Place", making a dreary industrial landscape lush. The precious "Ballet for a Rainy Day" turning on an instant into the manic "1000 Umbrellas".
It's very much an album of it's time, but it's perennially fresh, and never dull.
Of course, there's "Dear God", their massively successful single that was hastily slapped on the end of the album after release. It was a song that I really gravitated to when I discovered this album in high school, in my rather cringey anti-theist phase. It's still a good song and all, but over time it's lost a bit of its lustre for me. I actually think it's weaker than most of the other tracks. I prefer to end it on "Sacrificial Bonfire".
All in all, an enduring classic. Absolutely love.
Fav tracks: Summer's Cauldron, Grass, The Meeting Place, That's Really Super Supergirl, Earn Enough for Us, Big Day, Mermaid Smiled, Sacrificial Bonfire
Absolutely stellar. (Lunar?)
Electronic, but heavily indebted to classic pop from the 60s. Sophisticated, but not pretentious. "La femme d'argent" makes this clear from the beginning. Lush, otherworldly, fundamentally retro. Undisputed classic.
Fav tracks: La femme d'argent, Sexy Boy, All I Need, Kelly Watch the Stars, You Make It Easy, New Star in the Sky
Country music, one of my largest musical blind spots. I know "Jolene", a handful of Johnny Cash songs, and the occasional modern pop-country crap I have the misfortune to actually hear. That said, my expectations weren't totally rock bottom. I didn't know any of his music, but I knew OF Willie Nelson, and he just seems like such a chill guy. Surely it couldn't be that bad.
And it turns out, it's not bad! I was pleased at how sparse these songs are. Most of them are just Willie's voice and his guitar. For whatever reason, I imagined his voice would be a bit gruff. His voice is actually kind of... the word that comes to mind is pretty. And that kind of caught me off guard.
There's a mix of covers and original songs, mixed together to make a vague sort of narrative. I'm not sure if I followed it all the way through. But the lyrics to the title track is so bonkers, I love it. Bitch, don't touch my horse.
Fav tracks: Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain, Red Headed Stranger, Just as I Am
A delightfully weird album. Pure unadulterated 60s psychedelia that leans quite a bit into blues rock, among other things.
There's actually quite a bit of range on display here. We go from the sweet harmonies on "I'm Glad" to the vocal performance on "Electricity", which is certifably insane. At one point it sounds like he's actually getting electrocuted. It's absolutely captivating.
Very creative, kinda fun, though also very of its time.
Fav tracks: Call On Me, I'm Glad, Electricity, Plastic Factory
Not super familiar with The Cure, save a couple of their hits, which I do quite like. I certainly knew that they were post-punk (which I generally love) and gothic, so I was looking forward to this.
Unfortunately, I didn't particularly enjoy this. The album feels emotionally one-note throughout. The opening track, "One Hundred Years", I actually found to be quite annoying.
I was really kind of expecting something more like Joy Division. Something catchy, even if discordant. It's all atmosphere here, but the atmosphere puts me to sleep.
It isn't completely awful, though. I love the driving bass on "A Short Term Effect". And those ridiculous horror-movie synths actually gives "Cold" this great vibe.
Fav tracks: A Short Term Effect, The Hanging Garden, Cold
I found this to be a really interesting snapshot in time. By no means is this punk, and it's clear that Elvis Costello takes a lot of influence from the rock and roll of the past. But there's this sort of acknowledgement that punk is here, and it feels that just a dash of it is sprinkled here. It's punchy, it's poppy, it's clever, and sounds really well-formed for a debut.
Fav tracks: Welcome to the Working Week, No Dancing, Alison, (The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes, Less Than Zero, Watching the Detectives
Neil Young changing with the times! There's the hallmark folksy stuff here, but there's also a lot of distorted guitars. Really interesting to hear this side of his music.
Fav tracks: My My Hey Hey (Out of the Blue), Thrasher, Powderfinger, Sedan Delivery, Hey Hey My My (Into the Black)
Cool album. Funky, but oddly enough, not nearly as funky as I thought it would be. Solid.
Fav tracks: The Cisco Kid, City Country City, Four Cornered Room, Beetles in the Bog
Some rather odd 2000s post-punk. Really angular guitar melodies. And bizarre falsetto vocals. I can picture a lot of people disliking this, but I actually found it entrancing at times. Not altogether bad.
Fav tracks: The Fun Powder Plot, All the King's Men, We Still Got the Taste Dancin' On Our Tongues
The Beatles, arguably at the peak of their early stage.
At the time, I'm sure they sounded very fresh. There's certainly some tight songs on here, and it's clear Lennon and McCartney already had a strong knack for songwriting.
But, for me, it's still just very simple, very teenage pop, nothing more. And there's nothing wrong with that. I'll listen, I'll tap my foot, I'll move on.
Though, I must say, the lyrics are rather grating.
Fav tracks: A Hard Day's Night, Can't Buy Me Love, Things We Said Today
I hate to rate this so low, because I recognize what this music is supposed to be, I can see the originality of it, I can appreciate the artistic intent behind it and I know that it's influential.
This is, simply put, music that isn't meant to be actively listened to. Certainly, not with intention. That in itself is kind of fascinating. You don't have songs here. You don't have any semblance of a structure. These are soundscapes.
That said, even as background music, I didn't really enjoy this. I expected to feel kind of at ease listening to 1/1, but I began to feel this weird sort of dread whenever that sequence of piano notes popped up again.
2/1 and 1/2 perhaps the most unpleasant with those synth vocals. Perhaps they were novel in 1978, but they aren't now.
I much preferred 2/2 as a soundscape. Perhaps if the rest of the album was more like this, I would like it more.
All in all, it is fascinating as a piece of art, and it's a pioneer in ambient music. And I appreciate that. But I didn't find it enjoyable, and I likely won't put it on again, even as simple background music.
Fav track: 2/2
This is one of those albums that could easily be mistaken for a greatest hits album. There's no filler here at all. And it perhaps isn't the most thematically cohesive, but who cares?
Joel brings this sort of theatre to his songs that's hard for me not to like. As expected, they're largely piano-driven, but there's also more guitar here than I expected.
Also, "Movin' Out" is straight fire.
Fav tracks: Movin' Out (Anthony's Song), The Stranger, Scenes from an Italian Restaurant, Vienna, Only the Good Die Young
An album that I actually rather liked on first listen, but after a few times... ehhhnnn. I will admit that she has quite a voice. And there's a nice mix of influences here. There's jazz, those classic crooners, RnB, bossa nova.
But holy shit, most of the lyrics on this album are so goddamn CRINGE, literally from the word go. Enough that it actually overshadows the good parts.
On top of that, there's not much of a structure to the album, and I feel that it kind of drones on.
Would have been a 3 if not for the lyrics.
Fav tracks: You Sent Me Flying / Cherry, In My Bed, October Song
An album that's grown on me since first listen. I'm already familiar with Village Green, and this is another concept album in the same vein. And the theme's writ large on the cover.
What I love about the Kinks is that they can perfectly ride the line between pining for a past that's long gone, and having a laugh at people who spending their time pining for a past that's long gone. On first listen, the vocals on the two opening tracks I found to be quite grating. But I didn't realize he was singing in character as a nostalgic, rather dopey Victorian.
There also seems to be a bit of musical development here, too. There are a lot more jammy sections here. Though they don't go quite as far as the psychedelic contemporaries, it's still interesting to see.
Fav tracks: Yes Sir No Sir, Some Mother's Son, Brainwashed, Australia, Shangri-La
I really wanted to like this more than I did! Because this album actually has a vibe I love, real 90s East Coast hip-hop, with old samurai and martial arts movie samples. Often slightly discordant piano or synths, punches of brass. I really enjoy it playing in the background.
But I suppose that's part of the issue. Most of the songs tend to blend together. And it's a bit too long.
Fav tracks: Liquid Swords, Duel of the Iron Mic, Hell's Wind Staff / Killah Hills 10304, I Gotcha Back
A fun, quirky album. Though sometimes a bit quirky for its own good. It's chamber pop, there's some channeling of crooners here. Which in and of itself is fine, but "Everybody Knows (Except You)" is a bit... much.
That said, "Someone" is divine, and the lyrics of "If..." need to be heard.
Fav tracks: In Pursuit of Happiness, Someone, If...
On first listen, I thought this was pretty decent. On second listen, I have decided to renounce my citizenship and pledge allegiance to the United Funk of Funkadelica.
It's an oddysey. It's ethereal. It's psychedelic. It's stupid. It's hilarious. And, Jesus Christ, is it funky. Insanely good. Fried ice cream is a reality.
Fav tracks: One Nation Under a Groove, Groovallegiance, Promentalshitbackwashpsychosis (The Doo Doo Chasers), Into You
I feel strange about this album.
On paper, I feel like it's something I SHOULD like. I mean, there's some legitimately good songwriting here. And there are a lot of legitimately interesting elements that I like. The jazzy rhythm section in "Novocaine for the Soul" that abruptly shifts, the strings in a handful of songs that are used tastefully and not heavy-handedly, the jazzy piano in "Susan's House", the weird fuzzy guitar-mixed-with-vocals solo in "My Beloved Monster", the choir in "Flower". When I listen to these things, I really like them.
Why, then, when I step back, am I filled with ambivalence about this album? I don't know. I really don't. It's a good album. It does not speak to me. I think it should. It does not. Perhaps, ironically, it's Novocaine for my soul.
Fav tracks: Susan's House, Rags to Rags, Flower, Your Lucky Day in Hell
This is... something. It's kinda cool, I guess. Also kinda boring. Also kinda rapey.
There are actually a handful of decent tracks on here but the album is just way too long.
I do actually appreciate the weirdness of it, though, even in terms of flow. There's no reason that "Earth people, New York and California / Earth people, I was born on Jupiter" should work as a chorus. But... somehow, he makes it work?
Frankly, I don't think I'll ever listen to this again, but it's transgressive in a way that I have to respect at least a bit, even if there's a lot of cringe here too.
Fav tracks: Earth People, No Awareness, I'm Destructive
Some pretty good prog! Yes, there are some long tracks here, and they meander, but they never stay in a place for too long. It doesn't go overboard with self-indulgence. Which, unfortunately, a lot of prog tends to.Like, if we're making comparisons, I got ELP's "Pictures at an Exhibition" earlier, which came out in the same year, and it's ASS by comparison.
There are some killer bass lines here, too (especially on "Yours Is No Disgrace"). It's enjoyable as music to focus on, but even playing in the background.
Fav tracks: Yours Is No Disgrace, I've Seen All Good People, Perpetual Change
If I were to rate this exclusively based on how much I enjoy the music, I'd probably give it a 3. It's pleasant. It doesn't exactly transfix me, but it's just nice to listen to.
But there are two things that bump it up to a 4. First off, it really is better than the sum of its parts. Altogether, it's just such a comfy album. Like a warm hug. I'm not familiar with most of these songs, but I don't even need to be told that they're standards. They have this kind of nostalgia to them.
Secondly, in reading about this album, it took some gall on Willie's part to go through with this product. He was already the king of outlaw country by this point, and he pointedly went against his label - ONCE AGAIN - to record an album of pop standards. Willie just doing figure eights around these suits. Gotta respect it.
Fav tracks: Stardust, Georgia on my Mind, Unchained Melody, September Song
I am a simple man. I hear Hammond organ, I like.
I was not expecting a fully instrumental album, but it was actually pretty good. In all honestly, hearing a full album of blues without the vocals felt refreshing. I found myself liking "Twist and Shout" here more than the Beatles version!
Obviously, the title track stands head and shoulders above everything else. And they knew it. They even go back for seconds a few tracks later. But I can't imagine how FRESH this sounded in 1962. Good shit.
Fav tracks: Green Onions, Twist and Shout, Comin' Home Baby
Good shit. Immaculate vibe. Hits the right spot between gritty, sexy, sophisticated. Amazing beats, and great vocal performances throughout.
If you focus on it too much, it can drag a bit in parts, but it doesn't detract much from the experience. Put it on and just let it take you away.
Though, I must say, the cover of "Light My Fire" at the end was a bit weird. Certainly an odd inclusion. It doesn't gel with the rest of the album.
Fav tracks: Protection, Karmacoma, Three, Better Things, Sly
An interesting concept here: a soundtrack for a movie that doesn't exist. The result is essentially a varied sort of soundscape. It's not so much an album as it is a listening experience.
It's actually quite varied. There's some rather bombastic jazz at some points, and at other times there's this very harsh noise.
This isn't something you just put on on a whim, but at the same time, it's something that you can't really intentionally focus on either. You'd go insane. It's almost as if you have to be specifically dedicated to listen to this in the background. It's ridiculously niche.
I can appreciate it for what it is, and I'm glad I experienced, but I probably won't be listening to this again.
Fav tracks: Under Wraps, Sounds from the Big House, The Most Beautiful Girl in the World
I'll start by stating the obvious: "Riders on the Storm" is a legendary track. It's ominous, it's threatening, it's mysterious, it's cool. And it stands head and shoulders about any other track on this album.
Not that the rest of the songs are bad, not at all. They lean very heavily into the blues, which I'm admittedly not the biggest fan of, but they have elements that make them more interesting. The guitar solo on "The Changeling" sounds otherworldly. There's a lot of organ action on "Love Her Madly".
It's a solid album for sure, but not something I'd put on and actively listen to, save the last track.
Fav tracks: The Changeling, Love Her Madly, Riders on the Storm
An album that's very punk and very pop, but doesn't make any compromises in the process. The noisy "Scentless Apprentice" ends, and suddenly you're at "Heart-Shaped Box".
The lyrics are full of the disturbing imagery that Kurt was known for. He said that the songs on this album were impersonal and unemotional. I can't listen to "Pennyroyal Tea" and imagine that's true.
Maybe my view is coloured by his suicide that followed, but I feel that there's this palpable anguish here. At its most straightforward, at its most abrasive, at its sweetest, at its wryest. It cloaks everything.
Fav tracks: Scentless Apprentice, Heart-Shaped Box, Rape Me, Pennyroyal Tea, All Apologies
I'm a big city pop guy, so it's natural that I would like something like this. All the elements are there. Great, groovy basslines. Drenched in synths. Sax! There's even just a sliver of this vaguely British "darkness" to it.
But I dunno. I'm tapping my foot to all of these songs, and there are a lot of awesome grooves. But the album kinda falls just short of coming together. It feels like there's something missing. A bit of soul? I don't know, it's kind of intangible.
It's ALMOST amazing. So frustrating!
Fav tracks: Show Me, Poison Arrow, Valentine's Day, All of My Heart
One of my favourite albums of all time, hands down.
Make no mistake, this is a punk album, through in through. But it does away with punk's rejection of so much of the past, embracing all kinds of different styles, from classic rock and roll to reggae... is that harmonica? Point is, it did to punk what punk did to everything else. And that's as punk as you can get!
This album is very much a snapshot of its time and place. I'm hearing music from another time. But it reverberates into the present. Nuclear war, drugs, crime, urban decay, fascism, racism, social isolation, alienation, rampant consumerism.
This is one of the few albums I know that really talks about the things that matter, and it hits me in a way that few others do.
Fav tracks: London Calling, Hateful, Rudie Can't Fail, Spanish Bombs, Lost in the Supermarket, Clampdown, The Guns of Brixton, Death or Glory, The Card Cheat, I'm Not Down
Soulful. A warm hug. Music for spring cleaning, or a rainy day.
Fav tracks: I Feel the Earth Move, It's Too Late, Where You Lead
I think this album is a microcosm of RHCP as a whole. There are a couple of legitimately great tracks here, a couple more decent ones and... a bunch of annoying shit. I mean, even some of the better tracks are annoying. "I know, I know it's you / DING DING DONG DONG DING DING DONG DONG DING DING"
Also, did you know that these guys are from... California? All the name drops are a bit much. The exception is the title track, which isn't exactly profound, but a solid enough song.
"Scar Tissue" is amazing, with its trio of guitar solos.
Fav tracks: Around the World, Scar Tissue, Californication
An amazing hip-hop album. I can see this being an absolute trailblazer when it came out in the 90s. Excellent beats, samples from martial arts movies, solid chemistry between the members.
My only problem is... unfortunately, like a lot of hip hop albums before a certain time... it seems to drag. I have to take a star away for that, but it's not to diminish it's influence.
Fav tracks: Bring da Ruckus, Shame on a Nigga, Wu-Tang Clan Ain't Nuthing ta F' Wit, C.R.E.A.M. (Cash Rules Everything Around Me), Protect Ya Neck
This is the second Ray Charles album I've gotten. I can absolutely understand his influence, but ultimately, it's just not my kind of music. It doesn't do much for me.
It's kind of neat that this album functions as a two-in-one deal, with the brassy big band songs on the first side and the string-heavy ballads on the second. And he's a great singer, hands down. But I hear this music, and I don't feel anything. If anything, the big band songs actually annoy me a bit. They can be a bit predictably bombastic. The ballads are better.
Fav tracks: Just for a Thrill, Don't Let the Sun Catch You Cryin', Am I Blue
I really tried to go at this with an open mind, but I just don't like this. The congas get old quite fast. The call-and-response thing is cool for about a minute, but then it drags and drags and drags. I like some of the guitar work, I guess.
This is not an indictment of rumba. This is just definitively not for me.
Fav track: El Cumbanchero
Listen, I'm not pretentious. I've never listened to a KISS album, but I had a rough idea of what would follow. "Roooock!" I knew it was going to be bombastic, ridiculous. The Las Vegas Strip in band form. But, honestly, this wasn't as HARD as I thought it would be. Even for 1976.
While we were listening, my partner mentioned there's something vaguely ABBA about them. And I realized, holy shit, she's right. This is a pop quartet through and through.
Of course, they're not half as good as ABBA. There are some Big Rock Riffs(TM) here, and they scratch that particular itch well enough. But there's no meat to these songs. They're paper thin. Not just lyrically, but musically.
I will shout out "Detroit Rock City". Not a GREAT song per se, but it has a good classic riff, and while the subject matter is a bit crass, you find songs like this in pop music all the time. Sometimes an edgy story really elevates a pop song.
Anti-star for whatever the fuck "Great Expectations" is.
Fav tracks: Detroit Rock City, King of the Night Time World, Flaming Youth
A solid folk album. I already knew "Suzanne" and "So Long, Marianne" and love both of them. They're still far and away the two highlights for me, but the other songs by and large didn't disappoint. That said, "Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye" sounds much too similar to "Suzanne".
I know Cohen is more of a poet than a musician, but I'll be honest, I didn't dissect the lyrics of every song. I might explore them in more detail in the future.
Fav tracks: Suzanne, Master Song, The Stranger Song, So Long Marianne
Excellent album. Out of the several trip hop albums I've got so far, this might be the best.
Vocalist Beth Gibbons is kind of the star of the show, and delivers performances that are really tuned to the songs. She manages to hit just the right spot the song calls for, whether it's a sort of desperation in her voice, a kind of wistfulness, smokiness, sexiness.
And these tracks, the samples here, the beats, are incredible. It feels like a blend of hip hop and old film soundtracks that's absolutely seamless. This sounds fresh to me now, I can't imagine how fresh it did in 1994.
Fav tracks: Mysterons, Sour Times, It Could Be Sweet, It's a Fire, Glory Box
There are many things I could say, but I'll stick to this: if you actively dislike this, you are anti-fun.
Fav tracks: 52 Girls, Dance This Mess Around, Rock Lobster, Lava
Frankly, incredible. There's some real punk here. There's actual attitude. It's energetic, it's sexy.
Midway through, the album more or less shifts to be a bit more new wave, but it's absolutely seamless and doesn't miss a beat.
I had heard of the Pretenders, but not really listened to them before. I'm shocked at how spectacular this is.
Fav tracks: Precious, Up the Neck, Tattooed Love Boys, The Wait, Stop Your Sobbing, Kid, Private Life
This is the second Cure album I've got, after Pornography, which I wasn't a huge fan of.
On first listen, I certainly found this better, but had a few gripes. I felt that, while it was very atmospheric, most of the tracks were just a bit too meandering. I would have said that the Cure is at their best when they're at their poppiest, when they get to the point, and to an extent I still think that's true. The first song that jumped out at me was "Lovesong", and it's a banger.
On listening a few more times, I've come to appreciate the more textured, atmospheric tracks a bit more. I can close my eyes and get lost in both "The Same Deep Water as You" and "Untitled".
Fav tracks: Lovesong, Lullaby, The Same Deep Water as You, Untitled
I really wanted to love this. It's so musically varied, there are a lot of ostensibly interesting things going on here. Yet, I find it just... okay.
Yes, the production is excellent. But lord, is it dated. This might actually be one of the most 80s albums I've ever heard.
After listening to the car album, I was looking forward to see where he would go. I get going pop, but this is really overshooting it.
It's pleasant, even beautiful in quite a few spots. There are some interesting instruments throughout. Neat dabbling into international genres. It's just a shame that it feels right at home on the shelf with 80s shlock. Or with 90s Disney soundtracks. It's someone's jam, but it's not mine.
Fav tracks: Sledgehammer, That Voice Again
Not really a big blues rock person, but I have to say, did Janis Joplin ever have some chops. I liked this more than I thought I would. The backing band is energetic, and they get some real grooves going on at some parts. And Joplin's free-spirited personality shines through. There's a tinge of sadness, knowing this was posthumous.
Fav tracks: Cry Baby, Half Moon, Mercedes Benz
