122
Albums Rated
3.25
Average Rating
11%
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967 albums remaining
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1960s
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15
5-Star Albums
4
1-Star Albums
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You Love More Than Most
Albums you rated higher than global average
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| System Of A Down | 5 | 3.26 | +1.74 |
| American Pie | 5 | 3.28 | +1.72 |
| Live And Dangerous | 5 | 3.32 | +1.68 |
| Parachutes | 5 | 3.46 | +1.54 |
| 3 Feet High and Rising | 5 | 3.46 | +1.54 |
| Zombie | 5 | 3.47 | +1.53 |
| Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots | 5 | 3.58 | +1.42 |
| Superunknown | 5 | 3.66 | +1.34 |
| Deja Vu | 5 | 3.7 | +1.3 |
| Violator | 5 | 3.7 | +1.3 |
You Love Less Than Most
Albums you rated lower than global average
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Marshall Mathers LP | 1 | 3.49 | -2.49 |
| In It For The Money | 1 | 3.23 | -2.23 |
| This Is Hardcore | 1 | 3.14 | -2.14 |
| Funeral | 2 | 3.57 | -1.57 |
| Queen II | 2 | 3.49 | -1.49 |
| Imagine | 2 | 3.45 | -1.45 |
| Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs | 2 | 3.39 | -1.39 |
| Led Zeppelin IV | 3 | 4.36 | -1.36 |
| Fragile | 2 | 3.32 | -1.32 |
| 1989 | 2 | 3.27 | -1.27 |
5-Star Albums (15)
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Popular Reviews
Jazmine Sullivan
3/5
Fav song: The Other Side
Some really great production on this album and amazing features, especially from Anderson .Paak.
I think the lyrical content is by far the weakest part of this album and at times it provides this almost bizarre juxtaposition of feelings when typical mumble rap lyrics about sex and money are shoehorned in between some actual poetic lines at times. Not to mention how surprisingly deep and heartfelt some of these instrumentals feel - especially 'The Other Side' - which is my favourite song from the album. The instrumental is sooooo good and some of the lyrics are really nice, but singing about buying a new bootie is the bungie rope that snaps me back out of the immersion.
1 likes
R.E.M.
4/5
Fav song: Laughing
I've always really loved the way R.E.M albums sound. They have this summertime dryness to the production. I also adore the way Michael Stipe sings, his voice is amazing. One of the greats for sure. I'd have given this album a 5 stars but I don't think any of the songs really massively stuck out as killers to me, but the R.E.M vibe alone deserves a 4 at least.
1 likes
Pink Floyd
5/5
Fav song: Don’t Leave Me Now/Vera/Comfortably Numb
HOW have I never listened to this before. Absolutely amazing album. Truly art. Part 2 left me speechless in multiple places!
1 likes
1-Star Albums (4)
All Ratings
The Flaming Lips
5/5
Fav Songs so far:
Ego Tripping at the Gates of Hell
Do You Realize??
Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots Pt.1
It's Summertime
Super interesting and forward thinking production for the time period. Fun from start to finish. Way ahead of its time!
Derek & The Dominos
2/5
Fav songs so far:
Why does love got to be so sad? - features some more unusual rhythms from this era of classic rock. Sounds a bit more like the Doors with some extra guitar solos thrown in. Good combo. I’m not really a fan of classic rock so this album hasn’t really been my cup of tea but this song is great!
Like previously mentioned, rock from the 70s isn’t really my cup of tea.
James Brown
4/5
Fav songs:
I Don't Mind
Great performance from James Brown and his band. Amazing sounding live recording for 1962!
OutKast
4/5
Not my favourite work from Andre 3000 but probably the best Outkast album. Fav tracks are Humble and Bombs Over Baghdad (and MS Jackson ofc)
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
5/5
Fav songs:
Deja Vu - absolutely beautiful piece of music. Mind blowingly good stuff.
Big Brother & The Holding Company
3/5
Great performance from Joplin on this album. Fav song: Piece of My Heart
The White Stripes
4/5
Fav song: Hardest Button to Button
Jack White is one of the most forward thinking and unique sounding guitarists of his generation. Listening to him play is an enlightening experience. Meg White’s performance on this album made me audibly laugh a few times though bless her.
Steely Dan
3/5
Fav song: The Boston Rag
I feel like this album just didn't have any stand out HITS - a bit filler for me.
The Cure
5/5
Fav song: Pictures of You
AMAZING album with fantastic sounding guitars and synths the whole time. Some of my favourite work from Robert Smith.
Funkadelic
3/5
Fav song:
Into You
Proper 70's funk is a little bit lost on me, but I can definitely appreciate what it is for the time period. Some of the lyrics on this album are WILD (especially the entire song which is basically an allegory for listening to trash music dressed up as taking a big poop).
Amy Winehouse
3/5
Fav song: In My Bed
SUPER classy production on the entire record - really reminds me of east coast hip hop on a lot of the tunes with the sampled drums and the instrumentation having that resampled quality to it, reaching from a lot of the same influences like Bossa and Jazz. Some of the instrumentals give me that Nujabes feel.
Amy Winehouse is FAR from my favourite singer (I often imagine she's one of the biggest contributing factors to the 'singer's accent/baby voice' that modern pop singers do now) but man she absolutely KILLS it, she has this versatility that really shines through on this album.
Can
3/5
Fav song: Bel Air
SUPER COOL experimental stuff for the time period - really modern sounding and pleasantly surprising. These guys were waaay ahead of their time. Kudos to the drummer for holding down tempo changes so well in the 70s before recording to click became gold standard.
Antony and the Johnsons
4/5
Fav song: For Today I Am A Boy
I am a bit bias cos I listened to a ton of this band in highschool, but I really do think it’s a great album. A very honest depiction of pain and longing with great instrumentation (for the most part) and a really unique sounding singing voice - not to mention surprising cameos. I was pleasantly surprised when Rufus Wainwright suddenly appeared!
John Lennon
2/5
Fav song: Imagine
Personally I feel like without Paul and George, John gets waaaaaay too lost in the sauce. I'm probably never ever going to listen to 'Oh Yoko' again for as long as I live.
That being said, I really love Imagine as a song (even if John can't follow his own principles, I still love the message and the sombre feelings) and Gimme Some Truth was pretty cool too.
Björk
4/5
Fav song: Like Someone In Love
Trying and failing to resist falling in love with Björk after listening to this album. It’s cutesy and charming but has this super ice cool edge. I LOVE the 90s rave inspired instrumentals to some of these tunes and how they’re thrown in with tracks like ‘Like Someone In Love’.
I LOVE how in ‘There’s More To Life Than This’ she dims the instrumental to make it sound like karaoke from outside the booth. I will not become a Björk stan(repeat for infinity)
Jazmine Sullivan
3/5
Fav song: The Other Side
Some really great production on this album and amazing features, especially from Anderson .Paak.
I think the lyrical content is by far the weakest part of this album and at times it provides this almost bizarre juxtaposition of feelings when typical mumble rap lyrics about sex and money are shoehorned in between some actual poetic lines at times. Not to mention how surprisingly deep and heartfelt some of these instrumentals feel - especially 'The Other Side' - which is my favourite song from the album. The instrumental is sooooo good and some of the lyrics are really nice, but singing about buying a new bootie is the bungie rope that snaps me back out of the immersion.
Michael Jackson
5/5
Fav song: Off The Wall
The sheer class and production quality of this album is off the chain! Regardless of how you feel about Michael Jackson on a personal level you can't deny the absolute magnitude of musicianship that went into creating this album. The drum track alone on each song had me squinting - not to mention the bass player(s).
Fantastic album, amazing musicians, great writing. A smash hit imo.
Pantera
3/5
Fav song: Fucking Hostile
Not usually the type of thing I’d listen to but really fun album to listen to. Super surprising amount of half time breakdowns for 1992, but I’m a little bit disappointed in the production especially in the drums - these drums sound like they were produced in the mid 80s making this album sound a bit dated despite it being early 90s. Maybe these type of high fundamental/verbed out snare drums was standard for metal at the time and I just haven’t heard enough, but I’ve heard enough of it on this album to know it works against the overall sound.
But production gripes aside I do think the album is good. I could imagine some of these tunes on Tony Hawks Underground!
Eminem
1/5
Fav song: The Real Slim Shady
This album aged really badly. The singles are still good - I see why they were picked as the stand out release tracks. It feels a little bit like an episode of South Park with no jokes in it at it's worst and a sub-part west coast gangster rap album at it's best. I was really looking forward to giving this one a full listen because I LOVE hip hop but this one really misses for me. Maybe it was 'you had to be there' type of thing.
Moby
4/5
Fav song: Bodyrock
An important album in electronic music history! Lots of great sampling and creativity. Love the singles from Play, especially Porcelain.
David Bowie
4/5
Fav song: Young Americans
I love the singles on this album! I just wish Bowie would have stayed away from the saxophones again on this one, they tend to cheese up anything they touch where Bowie’s involved. That Beatles cover is also properly terrible. Still a fantastic album regardless though!
Radiohead
5/5
Fav song: Street Spirit (Fade Out)
I feel like I should preface this by saying that Radiohead are my favourite band. The Bends isn't my favourite album by them but it is still one of the all times greats of the 90's and a fantastic example of a band that only gets better over time (I don't really like their first album at all).
I really love how you can hear the development of the way they write their songs with songs like Street Spirit, Bullet Proof and all the slower tunes more sombre tunes and then going to listen to OK Computer, it feels like such a natural progression.
I LOVE this band.
Don McLean
5/5
Fav song: Till Tomorrow
Beautiful, beautiful album. Really exceeded my expectations. This album is what I'll think of whenever I think of Americana from now on.
Nina Simone
4/5
Fav song: Four Women
Beautiful, powerful voice with some amazing and important messages in the 60's. This is my first time listening to a Nina Simone album from start to finish and I see now why she is considered to be legendary.
Yes
2/5
Fav song: Mood For A Day (Roundabout close second though)
I think this album is super interesting, especially for the time period. I would have rated it higher but it's just a bit too lost in the sauce in places for me personally. The production is solid though, especially in the low end. That bass really packs a punch. Not to mention the performance! The technical skill from each band member is extremely impressive. But yeah, just waaaaaay lost in the sauce!
Side note: the 10 minute songs are actually kinda sick and interesting, especially America.
Cocteau Twins
2/5
Fav song: Otterley
This album has some really great ideas - it seems like an early progenitor of shoegaze, a genre I really, really like. But there's one absolutely glaring flaw that I just cannot seem to see past.
The production on any of the tracks that include that awful, awful drum machine. They chose the bottom of the barrel, worst sounding drum samples they could and just soaked them in reverb. It makes most of the album down right unlistenable for me.
That being said, tracks like Otterley that didn't have any drums sound really great. Those guitar tones are lush, the melodies sombre and the vibe is perfect. Thank GOD they didn't put drums on this one.
Supergrass
1/5
Fav song: It's Not Me
Unfortunately I found this album to be absolutely dreadful, which is a shame because I really like Gaz Coombes' solo stuff a lot! I didn't properly like a single song on here really - It's Not Me was the one I thought was the best, but man, the bar was low. Supergrass - and this kind of Britpop in general is something I've never been able to personally stomach. I find it a bit bland and lacking any meaningful attitude.
Janis Joplin
3/5
Fav song: Get It While You Can
Janis Joplin's voice and performance is amazing. Taken far too young </3
Lynyrd Skynyrd
3/5
Fav song: Free Bird
I was gonna give it a 2 stars because I'm not exactly a big rock n roll fan and nothing was sticking out to me much about this album (with the exception of Simple Man). Then Free Bird came on!!!!
Coldplay
5/5
Fav song: Sparks
I listened to Coldplay properly for the first time this year (funnily enough, this album). I was expecting it to be bad because of all the stereotypes and the crazy pop collabs - but this album is amazing. Beautiful from start to finish with great production to boot. I WISH I could have been in the room listening to the end of “Trouble” for the first time. Wow.
As for people who reject this album immediately on the principle that it’s Coldplay - I’m convinced society has this weird perception that listening to Coldplay is both uncool and unmanly, so there’s a lot of insecure people coming out of the woodwork to prove how cool and manly they are lol. Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of reasons to hate Coldplay, but rejecting THIS album because “it’s Coldplay” is just insane to me. I don’t even like Coldplay. But this album is wonderful.
De La Soul
5/5
Fav song: Buddy
CLASSIC and ICONIC east coast hip hop for the soul (De La of course). One of my favourite genres of music of all time, and one of the all time greats, this De La Soul album has all the strengths that made hip hop in NYC so great in the late 80’s that would persist throughout the whole 90’s. Not taking itself too seriously at all, keeping its samples classy and having some bomb ass features from rappers lik le Q-Tip.. this album was never going to be anything but a 5 star from me. Added to my daily rotation of hip hop albums.
Run-D.M.C.
2/5
Fav song: It’s Like That
Another super important album in the world of East coast hip hop. Some great singles on this one but man, the production on the majority of this album is terrible - the drum samples are dreadful and a lot of the songs consist of just rapping and drums.
Fun Lovin' Criminals
2/5
Fav song: Bear Hug
Kinda fun album. Reminded me a lot of the soundtrack for Malcolm in The Middle haha. I prefer this kind of stuff when they sample into it more though, and this album seems to have more of a recorded and sequenced feel to it which makes it sound like it’s aged a lot worse in my opinion. Maybe a liiiiiittle bit too angsty for me too.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
3/5
Fav song: Porcelain
Amazing singles!! I think RHCP are at their strongest when singing instead of doing that weird funk rapping. Scar Tissue is one of their best songs ever.
Muddy Waters
4/5
Fav song: Hoochie Coochie Man
Fantastic recording quality and production value for an absolute LEGEND of blues music. Incredible performances from the entire band and just a joy to listen to from start to finish. Muddy Waters is one of the GOATs for sure.
Aphex Twin
4/5
Fav song: Heliosphan
Another album I listened to a LOT in college. I love ambient music and Selected Ambient Works 85 - 92 might be a big reason why. The production sounds a little bit dated these days, but it’s interesting to go back and listen to where Aphex Twin got his start and how he evolved his sound over the years. Don’t listen to anyone who says otherwise - Richard D James is a genius.
Roxy Music
2/5
Fav song: A Really Good Time
Kinda weird, kinda cheesy in that super early Bowie way - just no where near as good. Still, it wasn't BAD, just not very good!
Little Richard
4/5
Fav song: She’s Got It
Man this album is so much fun to listen to even all these years later! Fantastic performance from the entire band in an era where track recording was in its absolute infancy. A proper music time capsule and just great album all round.
The Cult
2/5
Fav song: Peace Dogs
It's ok. I think the most interesting thing about this album is hearing the late 80's production transitioning into what would be the iconic 90's rock sound. I also like Wild Flower, that one was pretty good!
Louis Prima
3/5
Fav song: Nothing’s Too Good For My Baby
Really fun album! With music from this time period it’s really important to take the overall performance into account because it was recorded before the emergence of modern production technique - most bands were recorded all at the same time usually in the same room. So with this in mind, the performance becomes the forefront element, and Louis Prima’s band is sooooooo great. Not to mention there’s not a note out of tune on the vocals.
Doves
2/5
Fav song: Sea Song
Not a bad album, a little bland in places but had some interesting tunes. I like how much the singer sounds like Dave Grohl at times and how sometimes the instrumentals are reminiscent of Radiohead, but I feel like this is another band from the 2000’s who struggled to find their identity. Maybe they got better in later albums.
Led Zeppelin
3/5
Fav song: Stairway To Heaven
No one does like Zep. So cool to hear the influence they've had on modern music while going through their back catalogue. One of the best rock bands of ALL time - but I find the none-singles a little bland in this one. Stairway To Heaven is still one of the best rock songs ever recorded.
Primal Scream
3/5
Fav Song: I'm Coming Down
Man, Happy Mondays really did a number on the industry in the UK. That being said, this album was fun and had some great production to boot. It's late enough into Britpop's lifespan that it wasn't bland, but early enough to retain that iconic 90's British sound.
Taylor Swift
2/5
Fav song: Clean
I would have given this a 1 star but you can hear it's been composed and recorded by the best team money can buy - the hits are arranged immaculately, and there's no denying how dominating the singles were in the charts. The reason why I give it such a low score though is mainly down to the dated production sound, instrument choice and down right almost embarrassing lyrical content. I cannot stress how exhausting it is to listen to an album where the lyrics are about almost the exact same thing in every song. I don't care about the highschool drama lifestyle and dating life of teenage girls and I don't understand why Taylor seems intent on singing about it ALL THE TIME.
That being said, if these songs were sung over Country instrumentals they'd probably sound MUCH better, although I know Country isn't what teenagers want, and this is a $$$$$$$ album. The toplines and chorus hooks of each song are amazing though melodically speaking.
Bill Evans Trio
3/5
Fav song: Alice In Wonderland
Flawless performances from incredible and very obviously highly experienced jazz musicians. This is what I think of when I think of proper Jazz. I’m not the biggest jazz head so I’m not as good at seeing the intricacies of each song, and as such find that it tends to blend together a little bit. That being said, it was a really enjoyable listen either way.
Holger Czukay
2/5
Fav song: Hollywood Symphony
Probably a bit too experimental for me personally. Oh Lord, Give Us More Money was also pretty interesting, but I find the vocals just a little bit too difficult to listen to.
Soundgarden
5/5
Fav song: Superunknown
What a band. One of the most important bands in the 90’s with a sound so unique that you can EASILY point out when you’re listening to Sound Garden even when you’ve never heard the song before. RIP Chris Cornell, one of the greats of his generation.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
4/5
Fav song: Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
Great performance, great recording, great album. I love how when I listen to Neil Young I can hear his influence in so many of my favourite artists today. Great listen, will definitely be revisiting this one.
Nine Inch Nails
4/5
Fav song: Hurt
Gritty, industrial and forward thinking, as expected from Trent Reznor. Great production and songwriting all round and disturbing lyrical content throughout. Great listen, an iconic 90's album.
Serge Gainsbourg
3/5
Fav song: Melody - Prise Complète
VERY difficult vocals to listen to if you’re like me and have misophonia. Also quite the disturbing subject matter lyrically - but a concept album is just that, a concept (and I’d just finished listened to NIN, so talk about weird disturbing lyrics lmfao).
BEAUTIFUL strings, guitar and drum work all over this album. And I love the deep cut Beck connections too.
Pulp
1/5
Fav song: A Little Soul
This was apparently Jarvis Cocker’s horny album. There’s not much I like at all about this album, not a fan of the performance and delivery of the lyrics, not a fan of the flimsy sounding production, and generally I find Pulp’s sound to be a bit cheesy. Combined with the horniness of this album it all turns into a big old ball of things I just plain don’t like.
Pretenders
4/5
Fav song: Brass In Pocket
This album was pleasantly surprising to me. In equal measures of punk AND great writing. This type of vibe usually isn't my thing but I'll be revisiting this one for sure!
Happy Mondays
2/5
Fav song: Hallelujah (club mix)
“I first saw Happy Monday at the battle of the bands at the Hacienda. They came in last place. I signed them anyway.”
This is a band that make great singles but fill their albums with slop. It’s probably great on a dancefloor in the 90’s when you’re all pilled up though, can’t den that.
Shaun Ryder is just absolutely dreadful but suits the music perfectly in his weird way. The production isn’t great, lots of washed out reverb without a lot of changes to the dimensions of it between songs makes the whole album sound like it was recorded in a disabled toilets one song after another.
All this in mind, I HEAVILY respect Happy Mondays. They never try to be anything other than what they are and they don’t ever pretend to be anything else.
Adele
3/5
Fav song: Lovesong
It's ok. The songs are well written and very well performed but I can't help but feel like it's playing it a bit safe with the production and arrangements - very basic ballads with little else to hook into your brain. Still, love that the Cure cover.
Lou Reed
3/5
Fav song: The Kids
Interesting album, I don't personally think it's Lou Reed's best work but I can definitely hear the Bowie influence on this one. I think some of the song writing sound a little bit basic for the most part though, and I wish he could be a bit more musical at times with the vocals.
Booker T. & The MG's
3/5
Fav song: Mo' Onions
Great performance and fantastic production for the time period. It's amazing how Green Onions has stood the test of time, still wracking up millions of plays even all these years later!
Finley Quaye
3/5
Fav song: Maverick a Strike
I really like all the reggae bits on this album, but I find the rest of it to be a bit of a miss. I will say though, the way he mixed down other genres but with a Reggae style mixdown is pretty cool and fun to listen to.
Lyrically I personally find it a bit tiring when there are too many songs about the exact same thing on one album, and he sings about love a LOT. But other than that, it's inoffensive and totally fine.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
2/5
Fav song: When I First Came To Town
It's a little bit too 'broadway' for me I think. Really not a huge fan of the lyrics either, just a touch too musical theatre for me to take any of it as seriously as the music seems to take itself. Some great instrumentals though - Nick Cave has definitely got a great band.
Dire Straits
3/5
Fav song: Why Worry?
Great guitar work and fantastic tones on this one. Some of the songs go on a little bit too long and are a little bit dated with their choices of instruments/production styles. But either way, great writing and performances all round. Money For Nothing's random out of pocket homophobic slurs really took me off-guard though, and I get that it's written from the point of view of an ignorant scumbag but it still surprised me!
Billie Holiday
4/5
Fav song: The End of a Love Affair
Amazing performance and incredible band from Billie Holiday. Hauntingly beautiful voice and great lyrics. A gem of her generation.
Various Artists
3/5
Fav song: Santa Clause Is Coming To Town
I wish modern Christmas music still sounded like this! I love The Ronettes’ accent and how Santa Clause Is Comint To Town sounds lowkey quite threatening.
Fela Kuti
5/5
Fav song: Zombie
I was initially very apprehensive after seeing the length of the songs on this album but was SUPER surprised by it. I just wish there was more!!
So much respect for waiting 8 minutes before the vocals start. Great fun to listen to from start to finish.
Depeche Mode
5/5
Fav song: Enjoy The Silence/Policy of Truth
This is my sign to finally give Depeche Mode the time of day! I always really liked the singles but never took the time to listen to a full album but man, so glad I finally did. This album and band are soooooooo good!! The only thing I don’t like is the dated sounding MIDI - still evoking the mid 80s in 1990.
SO many amazing earworm Melodie’s on this album. I’ll be humming Policy of Truth’s melodic hook for weeks.
Adam & The Ants
3/5
Fav song: Los Rancheros
Not too bad for an album full of vocal stimming! Very strange across the board but pretty fun overall. I liked the songs that sounded like other bands that I like so can’t say much on how I feel about the writing.
Deerhunter
4/5
Fav song: Helicopter
Moody and interesting the whole time. I enjoyed this one a lot, really up my street.
Black Sabbath
3/5
Fav song: Supernaut
Interesting mix of production styles on this one, but some sound objectively bad (Cornucopia for example). Overall done classic sounding guitar tones, great riffs and awesome vocal takes from Ozzy.
The Stooges
3/5
Fav song: T.V. Eye
Drug fueled pure rock n roll from the end of the 1960's. Not much else to say really!
Kings of Leon
4/5
Fav song: Cold Desert
Really well written songs for the most part. A couple of filler-sounding ones in here, but the singles are heavy hitting titans for sure. Top notch production and some fantastic guitar hooks and tones!
Soul II Soul
4/5
Fav song: Keep On Movin’ - M Beat Bonus Mix
Seriously loving the classy 90’s house feel to this album, even despite some of the dated sounding drum samples. In love with the jungle mix of Keep On Movin’. That one is going straight into my playlists.
Michael Jackson
4/5
Fav song: Speed Demon/Man In The Mirror
The vocal stacks on Liberian Girl are sooooo amazing for the time period. Michael Jackson’s sound is SO iconic - in part due to the production from Quincy Jones. I felt like some of the more ballad style tracks pulled the momentum of this album as a whole work of art though. But man. The singles on this album are insanely powerful and well written.
Green Day
5/5
Fav song: When I Come Around
Never noticed before just how great the drums sound on this whole album! Such a solid production and great 90's sound. SO many timeless classics on Dookie - even the weaker tracks like Pulling Teeth are still fantastic. I still listen to When I Come Around all the time so it was so nice to have an excuse to give the entire album a listen again for the list.
Billy Joel
3/5
Fav song: Movin’ Out
I enjoyed the singles a lot but the other songs were a bit filler-y I think. The lyrics were really great though, and the production was good for the time period - kinda reminded me of the work Bowie was doing at the same time.
Jethro Tull
3/5
Fav song: Wind-Up
Really great production sound and forward thinking writing for the 70s! Reminded me a lot of Jojo's for some reason lmao. Usually classic progressive rock really isn't for me but I liked some of the tracks on this one a lot, especially the slower ones.
Barry Adamson
2/5
Fav song: Intensive Care
Seems like it's written for as an OST for a movie right? Either way, I really love the sweeping ambient pieces a lot, but I feel like there's a lack of consistency of both quality and general aesthetic for me to really enjoy the flow of the entire album. Really cool production elements for the time period though - kinda reminds me of Portishead or early Massive Attack in places.
Frank Black
4/5
Fav song: Headache
Good production, great lyrics, proper punk vibes. Love Frank Black’s apathetic attitude in his vocals. Most of this album just reminded me of Scott Pilgrim Vs The World OST.
R.E.M.
4/5
Fav song: Laughing
I've always really loved the way R.E.M albums sound. They have this summertime dryness to the production. I also adore the way Michael Stipe sings, his voice is amazing. One of the greats for sure. I'd have given this album a 5 stars but I don't think any of the songs really massively stuck out as killers to me, but the R.E.M vibe alone deserves a 4 at least.
The Kinks
3/5
Fav song: Big Sky
Classic UK sound for the time. You can definitely tell how influenced everything was by The Beatles around this time but none the less, still a good listen through with fun lyrics and cheerful overall vibe.
The Beta Band
4/5
Fav song: Eclipse
Reminds me SO much of Hot Chip who are one of my favourite bands so naturally I loved this album. Fantastic from start to finish - but sometimes gets lost in the sauce.
Def Leppard
2/5
Fav song: Photograph
Really not my favourite type of music! But still, at least it's well produced.
Sex Pistols
4/5
Fav song: Anarchy In The UK
REALLY solid production for the time period and revolutionary sound in terms of the progression of punk in the UK. Sex Pistols are the best UK boy band ever.
Digital Underground
3/5
Fav song: Gutfest89
Fun production and lyrics that don't take themselves too seriously. I generally prefer this type of stuff to the more aggro sounds of gangster rap.
Buzzcocks
2/5
Fav song: Moving Away From The Pulsebeat
Despite being one of the bigger UK Punk bands, I feel like Buzzcocks just kinda lack any attitude personally. Production sounds a bit weak and the lyrics didn't really hit home for me either.
Beth Orton
4/5
Fav song: Devil's Song
Thin Lizzy
5/5
Fav song: Still In Love With You
One of the GOAT bands ever to exist. Amazing live and in studio!!!
Elvis Costello
2/5
Fav song: This Is Hell
Some cool ideas on most tracks which are quickly ruined by Elvis Costello’s ability to sound incredibly smarmy in every possible situation. Ironically the other songs I liked on this album all sounded like him trying to sound like David Bowie, so there’s that I suppose.
Steely Dan
4/5
Fav song: Through With Buzz
Truly a musician's band. So many interesting textures in every single song, and the production on this album is so great too, especially the drums.
Pink Floyd
5/5
Fav song: Don’t Leave Me Now/Vera/Comfortably Numb
HOW have I never listened to this before. Absolutely amazing album. Truly art. Part 2 left me speechless in multiple places!
Arcade Fire
2/5
Fav song: In The Backseat
A little bit bland and boring for me. Not a lot of stand out songs or lyrics and generally uninteresting production style.
Public Image Ltd.
2/5
Fav song: Attack
A bit of a load of bollocks for the most part really. Johnny was really lost in the sauce for this album.
Peter Frampton
3/5
Fav song: Baby, I Love Your Way
It's ok. Really well played for a live album but the actual musical content isn't really my cup of tea - but fair play to Frampton, some of these songs are really well written and developed from their Blues inspirations.
Siouxsie And The Banshees
3/5
Fav song: Halloween
Really cool sounding guitars on this one. The arrangements and the vocal melodies are so intensely 80s sounding it's hard to ignore - sometimes for better, sometimes for worse. I kinda love that floppy sounding 80s style drum production though.
System Of A Down
5/5
Fav song: Spiders
Personally I prefer SOAD's more serious side. That being said basically every song on this album made me wanna throw my nan out of the window
Queen
2/5
Fav song: Sone Day One Day
Never been the biggest fan of the whimsical side of classic rock. Some tracks were OK and quite impressive productions for the time period, especially with all the guitar stacking!
Prince
4/5
Fav song: The Ballad of Dorothy Parker
SO many modern artists owe so much to Prince. Such an iconic sound, REAL lyrics, and amazing guitar skills to boot. A proper musical pioneer.
LL Cool J
4/5
Fav song: Around The Way Girl
I was expecting not to like this album but was really pleasantly surprised! Around The Way Girl is SUCH a banger. I loved the production on this album and that early 90s vibe.
The Offspring
4/5
Fav song: Self Esteem
Classic punk album from one of the GOATs of American punk music. Shame how hard they fell off later in their career but it doesn’t stop this album from being legendary.
Elbow
3/5
Fav song: Mirrorball
Pretty good album! A bit vanilla in a lot of places, but very beautiful in other parts. Friend Of Ours is a big stand out in particular. Also love the lyrics.
Morrissey
2/5
Fav song: Margaret On The Guillotine
I generally find Morrisey really hard to listen to - and then he has an occasional moment of absolute brilliance. Unfortunately, these moments are few and far between, and are punctuated all too often with ridiculous songs about crazy things.
Michael Kiwanuka
4/5
Fav song: Piano Joint
This album reminds me of so many things I love about alternative music - i'm always hearing little bits of Air, Beck, Leon Bridges... really great album. Amazing voice, great lyrics and fantastic production value.
Cee Lo Green
2/5
Fav song: Sometimes
Cee Lo Green's voice is super annoying to me when he raps. I like his singing a bit more but I find him quite obnoxious. I liked all the tracks with Pharrell on em tho!
Amy Winehouse
3/5
Fav song: Tears Dry On Their Own
LOVE the production style. Unfortunately though I feel like a lot of these songs sound like filler for the singles.
Throbbing Gristle
1/5
I appreciate contemporary art for pushing the envelope of their respective art forms. You have to look at these things through the lense of cultural context - like with how serialism changed the way people thought about harmony etc.
But a lot like serialism, looking back at artists like Schoenberg and Throbbing Gristle, it stops making sense in the modern day. If you find me one actual real life normal human with real life ears who thinks this album sounds -actually- good I’d be impressed.
Deee-Lite
2/5
Fav song: Groove Is In The Heart (random Q-tip jump scare)
It's ok, some classic sounding 90's dance house music but mostly just quite forgettable, a lot of structures harkening back to the days of turntablism with the super long intros and endings with little variations. The Q-tip cameo was my favourite part of the entire album. Song nice vocal hooks here and there though :)
Talking Heads
3/5
Fav song: Air
Talking Heads were ahead of their time. So fun and interesting but a few tunes lost in the sauce on this one. Can’t believe this was pre-80’s. Madness.
Joy Division
4/5
Fav song: Disorder
Pretty haunting album. So insane to think it came out before the 80's. I went into it thinking it would be kinda overrated but I think it deserves the praise honestly.
I don't really like the sound of the production for the most part, and some of the songs feel like they kinda get a bit lost and don't go anywhere, but the stand outs are really great.
Knowing what Ian Curtis did really recontextualises the whole thing too, and I think it's impossible to remove the relation between the artist and the music in this sense, creating an almost emotionally disturbing listen. Pretty good.
Dexys Midnight Runners
2/5
Fav song: Geno
A little bit bland, but quite fun to listen to I guess. I was never the biggest fan of Dexys Midnight Runners, always had em down as a Temu version of The Specials.
Saint Etienne
2/5
Fav song: Like The Swallow
Kinda mid, not really a lot that stands out to me and the production sounds dated. Some of the synth sounds are quite nice though.
Beatles
4/5
Fav song: All I've Gotta Do
Pretty good! The vocal harmonies on this album are supreme. Not the best Beatles album, but a banging one none the less.
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
3/5
Fav song: Both Sides Now
It's ok, they're very very good players and that's always a joy to listen to. But man, this album is WAY too long.
Carpenters
3/5
Fav song: Close To You
Karen Carpenter had one of the most amazing voices in the industry. Such a special musician. RIP.
Foo Fighters
4/5
Fav song: Big Me
Honestly, it's probably my favourite Foo Fighters album. I love how all the influence for every later album is here - and how a few songs (Exhausted in particular) even sound like Sparklehorse. Really enjoyed this one.
Arctic Monkeys
4/5
Fav song: Riot Van
Good production and awesome debut for one of the biggest indie bands on the planet. Definitely a product of its time and I find it hard to see past the 'me and the lads are cooler than you' aesthetic now I'm in my 30s, but I'd wager they probably feel the same way too.
Elton John
3/5
Fav song: Tiny Dancer
Starts really strong but I think Elton John's song writing is a little lost in the sauce. It kinda feels like it goes too many places while at the same time - going nowhere at all. The production and instrumentation is absolutely amazing though, maybe one of the best sounding records from the 70's ever made.
Count Basie & His Orchestra
4/5
Fav song: Double-O
FALLOUT
Wild Beasts
2/5
Fav song: This Is Our Lot
Fantastic instrumentation but I cannot stand the musical theatre injection of vocals. Sometimes they really nailed it with the softer vocals, but it was too few and far between. Definitely can tell it was made during the era that The Temper Trap were popular.
Tori Amos
2/5
Fav song: Tear In Your Hand
90's to a PAINFUL degree. I found this one a very difficult listen. Silent All These Years made audibly laugh out loud when it went from the part after the first chorus into that spooky piano part again.
The Divine Comedy
2/5
Fav song: Timewatching
Honestly this was kinda dreadful. I can't give it a 1 star because it was well performed, but man, someone needed to remind this guy that Sinatra already did Sinatra. Like 40 years before him.
T. Rex
4/5
Fav song: Hot Love
Usually rock music of this era is lost on me, but there's something about the 70's glam that works really well for me. I love the campness lmfao.
Gillian Welch
4/5
Fav song: Everything Is Free
Slow, reflective and sombre Americana. Amazing harmonies, great lyrics, fantastic guitar playing and just all round a very satisfying listen. Loved it.
Flamin' Groovies
2/5
Fav song: Whiskey Woman
Categorically not for me. Also that song about shooting your girlfriend because you think she cheated on you is just weird lmfao
David Bowie
3/5
Fav song: Life on Mars?
I love David Bowie. This one's got some BANGERS but it's also just a biiiiit too polite sounding. Crazy that just one year later we got the spiders from mars!!!
Daft Punk
4/5
Fav Song: Da Funk
Not my favourite Daft Punk album but still pretty good. I think some of the more DJ tool-ish songs get a bit repetitive though.