372
Albums Rated
3.52
Average Rating
34%
Complete
717 albums remaining
Rating Distribution
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Rating Timeline
Average rating over time
Ratings by Decade
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When do you listen?
Taste Profile
1990s
Favorite Decade
Grunge
Favorite Genre
other
Top Origin
Wordsmith
Rater Style ?
37
5-Star Albums
2
1-Star Albums
Taste Analysis
Genre Preferences
Ratings by genre
Origin Preferences
Ratings by country
Rating Style
You Love More Than Most
Albums you rated higher than global average
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | 5 | 3.04 | +1.96 |
| Porcupine | 5 | 3.08 | +1.92 |
| Dirty | 5 | 3.11 | +1.89 |
| Vespertine | 5 | 3.16 | +1.84 |
| Goo | 5 | 3.23 | +1.77 |
| Liquid Swords | 5 | 3.28 | +1.72 |
| Meat Is Murder | 5 | 3.31 | +1.69 |
| The Man Machine | 5 | 3.32 | +1.68 |
| Rock 'N Soul | 5 | 3.36 | +1.64 |
| It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back | 5 | 3.37 | +1.63 |
You Love Less Than Most
Albums you rated lower than global average
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Destroyer | 1 | 2.86 | -1.86 |
| Born To Run | 2 | 3.64 | -1.64 |
| New Forms | 1 | 2.53 | -1.53 |
| A Rush Of Blood To The Head | 2 | 3.44 | -1.44 |
| Nebraska | 2 | 3.32 | -1.32 |
| Fever To Tell | 2 | 3.29 | -1.29 |
| American Beauty | 2 | 3.24 | -1.24 |
| Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo | 2 | 3.13 | -1.13 |
| Lady Soul | 3 | 4.05 | -1.05 |
Artist Analysis
Favorite Artists
Artists with 2+ albums
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Beatles | 4 | 4.5 |
| The Smiths | 2 | 5 |
| Sonic Youth | 2 | 5 |
| Jimi Hendrix | 2 | 5 |
| Radiohead | 5 | 4.2 |
| Led Zeppelin | 4 | 4.25 |
| Nirvana | 3 | 4.33 |
5-Star Albums (37)
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Popular Reviews
The Cure
5/5
This album has an atmosphere unlike any album i’ve heard before, incredibly ethereal in a sinister, dark kind of way, it’s almost as if it’s an entirely ambient/instrumental album but with the occasional (more than occasional but does feel this way a bit) vocal interruption from Robert Smith who’s voice works so well to fit this sound and is mixed in such a way that feels like it is being drowned out a bit by the instrumentation which really adds to the atmosphere i’m talking about. The album cover as well feels perfect for that lost, distorted, dreamlike feeling. There are no skips on this album as it is should definitely be experienced as a complete run, every track belongs and each one adds to that atmosphere in a different way (even the more pop focussed “a forest” still fits with the narrative), the first song is one of the best introductions to an album i’ve ever heard, it instantly creates that tense mood with the repeated piano motif and jangly guitar which is only struck like a few times but really adds to the overall sound along with the wailing voices in the background then followed by a weirdly upbeat song in comparison but still with that kind of depressing sound with the guitar and bass. It then kind of drifts back into a more ambient sound fir the next songs. The second side also starts with an instrumental, this time a bit more atonal and confusing leading into an upbeat tone once again before then following a similar path to the first side. Honestly this album is kind of a masterpiece and has such great instrumentals with how the bass and guitars are used and changed from jangly to a clear distorted sound, there’s a lot of variety throughout but there still remains the overall sound and with Smith’s vocals it is made even better, I didn’t even mention the lyrics which also perfectly fit with the theme. Favourites: all. Overall, wasn’t expecting to give this but 10/10.
2 likes
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
Only just falls flat of a 5 for me, awesome album with awesome grooves and lyrics, 9/10
1 likes
Sonic Youth
5/5
Soooooo goooood! I had no expectations coming into this album based off my lack of knowledge of the band but I was blown away by how entertaining and just interesting this was. From what I’ve heard, sonic youth were very experimental in their albums before this, with this focussing more on grunge but there was definitely some experimentation going on here aswell and I think all the ideas are used so well. Most songs on here were amazing with some, in my opinion, slightly less amazing but what I liked so much about this album is how there was always at least parts of a song I really liked even if I wasn’t a massive fan of the whole run time for example “shoot” which I didn’t like the pace of especially how it’s a longer song with not much change throughout but I really like the distorted guitars coming in through the breaks in vocals. Overall though there weren’t many songs I didn’t like anyway which means it’s hard to give my favourites because it’s genuinely hard to pick but my favourite track for sure is chapel hill, I loved the guitar riffs, the drums were perfect, vocals perfect and the part about mid way through where the tempo speeds up was really cool. This reviews getting too long though so I’ll give my verdict: 9/10.
1 likes
Sade
3/5
Pretty good throughout, smooth, funky and jazzy with great vocals. A bit generic maybe but that’s fine, what lifts this from being too generic though is the epic saxophone. The only thing keeping this from being 4 stars is simply that there wasn’t enough sax. Favourites: smooth operator and hang on to your love. Overall, 6.5/10.
1 likes
1-Star Albums (2)
All Ratings
Depeche Mode
4/5
Buena Vista Social Club
5/5
Solomon Burke
5/5
Dire Straits
5/5
Deep Purple
4/5
Lauryn Hill
4/5
Milton Nascimento
4/5
Echo And The Bunnymen
4/5
David Bowie
4/5
Minutemen
3/5
Feels very messy, it has 43 songs but all pretty much under 2 minutes to make up 1hour 14, kind of chaotic in a good way but also just stupid in some places, the songs themselves are good sometimes but sometimes random with just grunts and stuff, guitar work is solid not really my thing overall but it is pretty good, 5/10
4/5
The Cure
3/5
Nirvana
4/5
Brian Eno
4/5
Pixies
3/5
The Smiths
5/5
50 Cent
3/5
Linkin Park
3/5
Amy Winehouse
3/5
Led Zeppelin
4/5
The Incredible String Band
3/5
Tori Amos
3/5
Bob Dylan
4/5
Simple, acoustic guitar and singing for all songs with some harmonica in some, very good plus it’s Bob Dylan
The Fall
2/5
OutKast
3/5
Preferred Speakerbox
Megadeth
3/5
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
Metallica
3/5
The Allman Brothers Band
4/5
Sam Cooke
5/5
Ghostface Killah
4/5
The National
4/5
Creedence Clearwater Revival
3/5
Rage Against The Machine
4/5
3/5
Funkadelic
3/5
Trippy, title song was pretty goated, the rest was weird but pretty good
Pink Floyd
4/5
👌
Electric Light Orchestra
3/5
Generic poppy ahh but still pretty good, instrumental was the best
The Killers
3/5
The United States Of America
3/5
Very experimental for 1968
The Band
3/5
The 13th Floor Elevators
3/5
Nitin Sawhney
4/5
Paul Simon
4/5
Really good, every song was at least good, most were class plus it had ladysmith black mamboza
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
3/5
Leonard Cohen
3/5
Neu!
3/5
Thelonious Monk
3/5
The La's
3/5
Röyksopp
4/5
Very good electronic album, no misses, flows together very well too, chill atmosphere
Beatles
4/5
Pretenders
3/5
Nirvana
4/5
Pavement
3/5
Solid 5.5
Lynyrd Skynyrd
3/5
The Byrds
3/5
Queen
5/5
10
4/5
Neneh Cherry
3/5
Various Artists
3/5
AC/DC
4/5
Stevie Wonder
4/5
It’s Stevie Wonder
Dusty Springfield
3/5
Teenage Fanclub
3/5
Muddy Waters
3/5
k.d. lang
4/5
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3/5
The Louvin Brothers
3/5
Generic country album, every song sounds very similar but good for its time
David Bowie
3/5
Second half all but the last song is ambient tracks which is pretty cool and unexpected, Kraftwerk inspiration on V2 as well,first half is also good, follows very classic 40 minute rock album standard with 5 songs a side but the actual content is unique
Jimmy Smith
3/5
Organ jazz 👌
Ministry
2/5
Nice riffs but most of the songs I wasn’t really a fan of.
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
3/5
Only 25 minutes😮
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3/5
Mj Cole
3/5
Tortoise
3/5
Instrumental
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
3/5
Lenny Kravitz
4/5
Very strong start got a bit weaker on the second side for me but still good
Leftfield
3/5
Diverse styles with Middle Eastern type beats
The Verve
3/5
Wasn’t a massive fan tbh, mostly generic 90’s pop but doesn’t deserve 2 stars so I’ll give it a low 3 (5/10), best song is come on with wah pedal but is kind of ruined by the fact it has a hidden track at the end which takes like 10 minutes of silence before it starts
Janelle Monáe
3/5
Random mix of genres and random features but quite unique and flows well in some parts, others not as much but overall was a solid 6/10
T. Rex
3/5
Feels like a more guitar heavy and psychedelic rock version of Bowie which is cool, pretty standard rock songs, all of them at least decent, solid 6.5/10
Michael Jackson
3/5
Ray Charles
3/5
Exactly what I was expecting but in a good way
Arrested Development
3/5
Sex Pistols
3/5
Simon Ferocious
The Who
3/5
Pretty standard live performance tbh
Sinead O'Connor
3/5
Aretha Franklin
3/5
Emmylou Harris
3/5
Fleetwood Mac
3/5
Magazine
3/5
Circusy feel
Meat Loaf
4/5
Already heard it, banger
Kendrick Lamar
4/5
Goated
The Teardrop Explodes
3/5
Sounds very echo and the bunnymeny but they did have close ties with them so makes sense, pretty poppy but quite good
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
Different feel to this years model, I actually prefer this one though
Ms. Dynamite
3/5
Bob Dylan
3/5
Voice sounds a lot different to 60’s, not as good as freewheelin but still good
Leonard Cohen
3/5
Kacey Musgraves
3/5
Pop ahh
Sigur Rós
4/5
Every song feels like I’m transcending, the ambience at the end of some songs with everyday noises really puts you back into reality for a bit, it’s like it has to remind you your still there
Ramblin' Jack Elliott
2/5
Well firstly his name is pretty accurate but it’s easy to see how he inspired the likes of Dylan and such, the guitar work was good but the lyrics hold nothing really plus the actual singing was really goofy at times, I can understand this being an influential album to some extent but it doesn’t really hold well today and just amounts to a collection of campfire songs, not bad but not deserving of a 3
The Lemonheads
3/5
Pretty good jangly poppy alt rock, suffers a bit from being a bit generic but changes it up enough throughout the album with a few softer songs
Isaac Hayes
4/5
Would be a 5 with the first three tracks being so awesome especially the second one but the 9 minute ramblin’ Jack ahh beginning on the last one brings it down, the rest of the song is fine but still weaker than the others
Pink Floyd
5/5
Malcolm McLaren
3/5
Not what I was expecting at all from the sex pistols manager, random mix of genres with different world music and hip hop, felt quite messy but it was very unique especially with hip hop in 1983 in the UK.
Talking Heads
4/5
Banger
Metallica
3/5
Fine
Arcade Fire
3/5
Pretty decent all the way through, no cars was really good though
Robert Wyatt
2/5
Wow this really is rock bottom, more like Robert why did you make this album. This feels like if revolution 9 was an album, musically it’s actually pretty good in parts, especially alifib and alife despite his annoying breathing throughout the entire song in the former, but this album feels like a mess, I have to give him credit for the circumstances of his spinal injury and his voice isn’t too annoying but the lyrics feel like an alien trying to speak english most of the time. 2 stars mainly because it actually hooked me a bit musically
Killing Joke
2/5
Very repetitive, basically carried one riff throughout the entire song each time, the riffs were pretty good though but there wasn’t much to this
Beastie Boys
3/5
Pretty goofy, best songs are the bouillabaisse
The Pogues
3/5
🍀 sea shanty, tavern type music, pretty banging to be fair, the broad majestic Shannon was literally fairytale of new York 2
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
2/5
More like no no no’s
Machito
4/5
The Byrds
3/5
American Beatles ahh
The Divine Comedy
3/5
Just kinda feel good poppy ballads really, enjoyable though, the end of if… was pretty cool with a sudden change into a dramatic ending. This guys obsessed with animal metaphors as well.
The Velvet Underground
4/5
Wow ahead of its time especially the murder mystery which is a chaotic but awesome experimental song with two vocals interjecting with one another, not a bad song on here other than Jesus which was pretty mid.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
Only just falls flat of a 5 for me, awesome album with awesome grooves and lyrics, 9/10
Fiona Apple
3/5
It’s aight’
Led Zeppelin
4/5
Iconic and ahead of its time despite some alleged plagiarism from Jimmy Paige.
Simply Red
3/5
Pretty good but dips a bit for me pretty much every other song across the album, thought some were way too generic especially the two popular ones moneys too tight and holding back the years, but the deeper cuts were nice, best one was the first song for me and Jericho was second. The last three songs were highlights as well but not to the same degree.
A Tribe Called Quest
4/5
My least favourite out of the OG 3 but still an awesome album, the use of samples and drum stop and starts is exceptional. Only thing that brings it down for me is the lack of Phife Dawg and some of the songs are a bit weak compared the rest most notably Bonita Applebum for me despite it being a single.
The Stooges
3/5
David Bowie
4/5
The Zombies
3/5
Grateful Dead
2/5
No thanks, basically a worse version of sweetheart of the rodeo by the byrds, slow ahh songs as well
Nirvana
5/5
A perfect live album really, quality is amazing, performance is amazing, highlights was pretty much the entire album, I actually prefer most of the acoustic versions here than the studio ones. The covers as well were awesome especially the man who sold the world and lead belly.
Metallica
3/5
My favourite from the three Metallica ones I’ve got so far (justice and black), falls just below a 4 for me only really because I’m not the biggest fan of thrash metal or even Hetfields voice to an extent, instrumental and battery were the highlights for me
Wire
3/5
Vocals were a bit hard to adjust to at first but eventually did, instrumentals were really good, chaotic in a good way with short songs and some more normal length ones, the build up on some songs in particular like pink flag was awesome. Overall pretty good, falls a bit below a 4/5 for me
ABBA
4/5
Half the album is basically greatest hits, other half lesser known, all good but didn’t expect any less cause it’s ABBA.
Pixies
3/5
Not as good as dolittle but still pretty good
Willie Colón & Rubén Blades
4/5
Salsa.
Herbie Hancock
4/5
Loved the mix of funk and jazz, for 1973 this feels incredibly ahead of its time especially the watermelon man with the quality of the drums.
Stevie Wonder
3/5
Stevie wonder man, not as good as inner visions for me by quit a bit
4/5
Siberian khatru goat, close to the edge is an iconic prog song, and you and I brings the noise down with its softer tone, America is a good catchy “short” song( short for the album). Overall a solid 8/10
Lou Reed
3/5
Optimus prime ahh album
Roni Size
1/5
Stinky album, felt like the entire thing was the same repetitive drum loop obtained by pressing demo on a keyboard, all the songs felt pretty much the exact same, not a single one on here I found enjoyable other than maybe the first one which was ok at best, the only album I’ve struggled to finish as well. overall 💩/10
Kanye West
4/5
The Jesus And Mary Chain
3/5
Feel good pop, pretty good, nothing really to say about this as there’s nothing crazy unique about this or anything, although I will say this seems a bit ahead of this time, it feels like something from the 90’s like Cocteau twins but it comes a few years before which is cool. Standouts for me are pretty much the singles and the fall.
The Go-Go's
4/5
Feel good new wave pop done really well, could be argued it’s a bit samey but not too much for me, standouts for me is most of the album but especially automatic, Tonite and the final two songs. 7/10
Ramones
3/5
Jane's Addiction
3/5
Woah it’s like the first half and second half were 2 completely different albums with the first being a collection of shorter, catchier songs (which I wasn’t the biggest fan of but they were alright), and the second half being much longer (up to 10 minutes). The first half was fine, not great in my opinion and I wasn’t a fan of the vocals, the guitar solos were the best parts and the slap bass on the second song was very nice but this album is much better on the second half, with its longer more progressively advancing songs which were much more complex and I found I preferred the vocals more on these ones for some reason, probably due to his shift in vocal style in a more softer tone. Three days and of course were my personal favourites, I feel these show what the band could really do when they had more time to include more ideas on the songs, then she did was pretty good as well. The last song not so much but doesn’t bring down the quality of the second half really, it was still pretty good. Overran I feel this doesn’t quite deserve a 4 just for the fact that half the album really lived up to that level for me with the first half not quite so much so I’ll give this the highest 3 I can give (6.5/10)
3/5
Shame it’s not on Spotify, there’s a few songs that I really liked, very beatlesesque with a more orchestral sound, some songs were especially Beatlesy, favourites were the Easter one and the harvest festival one, all of them were pretty good though, the blending of the vocals into the trumpet outro in the last song was also really cool. Overall a high 3 (6/10).
Kraftwerk
5/5
Masterpiece. Space lab goated
The Clash
4/5
Wasn’t expecting to enjoy this so much, usually not the biggest fan of punk but every song on here was good pretty much this feels like a much better version of the sex pistols album. High 4 (8.5/10)
The Rolling Stones
4/5
Really good, it is the Rolling Stones so expected, for me personally it dropped in enjoyment with the three country songs on the album although dear doctor I actually quite liked so only 2 songs I wasn’t a fan of, the rest were really good. 7.5/10
Robert Wyatt
3/5
Going into this after Rock bottom I had low expectations but I was pleasantly surprised at how decent this was, it definitely wasn’t great but there was quite a few things I enjoyed about this album: the violin in the first half in some songs, the jazzy elements incorporated into some of the songs especially September the ninth which was essentially a jazz song, the lyrics in free will and testament were actually pretty deep and blues in Bob minor was actually a banger, the first song of the album was pretty good too. However, I feel Robert tries too hard to be artsy sometimes and just comes off as a bit pretentious especially the second song which was just awful and was exactly the kind of thing I hated from Rock Bottom of just incoherent nonsense, Robert’s vocals as well don’t really do his own songs justice for me personally as it’s kind of annoying at times and I find they could be better with another vocalist but I respect he does it himself, overral, I was going to give this a 2 but I’ll bump it up to a 3 just in regards to the 2 I gave rock bottom as this one is much better. (5/10)
Arcade Fire
4/5
Really really good, every song on here was likeable, some clearly better than others in my opinion but the majority of these I really liked, highlights being the first three songs and from half light 2 to deep blue. Month of May was awesome, my personal favourite. The only thing that brings it down for me personally was it sometimes felt a bit too generically feel good but that’s not necessarily a bad thing it was just a bit too much on some songs. The theme of the album was cool with the whole suburban sprawl thing and the cover I like as well. Overall 8/10
Skunk Anansie
3/5
From the first two songs I was expecting a really good alt rock grunge album but that only ended up being half the story, other half was basically generic radio friendly power ballads which I wasn’t a fan of and it was disappointing because if it was full alt rock it would have been really good album based on how good those songs were like Charlie big potato, the skank heads and the second last song. Tracey’s flaw sounds like a generic power ballad but top notch vocals, Lately is such a radio ahh song, Secretly felt like it was teasing a break out into grungy distorted guitars which never came other than the guitar solo which was too short anyway. The vocals were 10/10 though throughout but that’s not enough to bring it higher than a 6/10 for me, good but disappointing album for what I was expecting. Don’t know what those two random moments of jungle music drums were as well, random.
The Good, The Bad & The Queen
4/5
Really good, most of the songs I liked other than a few which were a bit boring, highlights were history song, 80s life and the title track at the end with the nice vocal part and the 4 minute or so outro which was cool. Alien fart ahh bass on northern whale though. 7.5/10
Missy Elliott
3/5
Pretty good but I was expecting a lot more rapping, it ended up being like 90% soul and R&B and sounded pretty samey throughout as a result but still decent. (6/10). Also Busta rhymes featuring was pretty cool.
Radiohead
4/5
Listened to this one twice before making a judgement, mainly cause I was ill the first listen and fell asleep for some songs. This album was pretty goated, started off strong with a more accessible rock song and delved into a bunch of cool Radiohead shenanigans from there, i like pretty much every song but my favourites were the last two. However, there were some songs that I wasn’t really a fan of like sit down stand up, we suck blood and the gloaming which weren’t bad I just didn’t really get them, had a similar situation with other songs on here on the first listen but like them on the second. Overall a very strong 4 (8.5/10)
The Adverts
3/5
Pretty good but pretty standard punk album, highlights were one chord wonders, New church, Gary Gilmoures eyes and Bombsite boy which had a cool buildup. Rest of the songs were generic punk which was decent. Overall a high 3(6/10)
Charles Mingus
4/5
EVIL 😈 Album, the theme of dancers in which the numbers increase throughout the songs was cool and the acoustic guitar with the flamenco parts was really unexpected in the last two songs but was really great, also again the evil mixed with the not so evil parts was a cool dynamic which definitely fits the name of the album. Very awesome 8/10
The Band
3/5
Pretty good, for 1968 the quality is really good, the songs themselves are quite generic to put it bluntly, basic American rock songs with the classic background vocals, not entirely my thing usually but I found them quite enjoyable still. Although, there were some bangers on here, the first song was my favourite as it felt unique to the rest of the album and the second song was good as well, chest fever was a cool song as well with a nice riff. The cover I really like as well. Overall 6/10
Scott Walker
3/5
Feels like a 50’s Sinatra style album but this is from 69 so don’t know what he’s playing at here. Other than that, most of the songs are generic ballads, he has good vocals but most of the songs are just quite boring musically and lyrically. However, I did really like hero of the war and the bass on his most popular song (old man’s back again) slaps, get behind me was good as well. Was originally gonna give this a high 2 but those songs are good enough to lift it up to a low 3(5/10).
R.E.M.
3/5
Pretty good, nothing special really just pretty good guitar pop/alt rock, wasn’t a big fan of the last two songs or the more calmer songs, they were fine but felt a bit too long for what they were. Highlights were world leader pretend and orange crush. Also cool how this made Cobains top 50 albums i can see the influences I guess. Overall 5.5/10.
CHIC
4/5
Entire album is great, Nike Rodger’s absolutely kills it on guitar and Bernard Edward’s the same for bass, I can see how some people say it gets a bit repetitive especially with good times being 8 minutes but the guitar and bass was all that was needed to keep me hooked for the entire run time, vocals were classic disco style, all that was needed but the funk brought by the instruments is what makes this album for me. Overall 8/10.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
I mean it was alright, after listening to beggars banquet I was expecting to enjoy this a lot more than I actually did, it was just pretty standard bluesy rock with some random country thrown in which they seem to like doing for some reason. Brown sugar was good musically but the lyrics were just weird, wild horses was good, can’t you hear me knocking was a really good long song which had jazz in it which was cool, sister morphine was another highlight both instrumentally and lyrically. Rest of the songs were pretty mid to be honest, other than sway which I re listened to after, it’s also good which boosts my rating a bit. Overall 6/10.
Dirty Projectors
2/5
Not a fan of this one, it’s not necessarily bad, just weird and I didn’t really enjoy it. I agree with the other reviews about it being needlessly offbeat and random notes and backing vocals thrown in for the sake of it, I actually like quite a few parts about this album: the acoustic guitar throughout is really nice, the strings in some parts as well and my favourite part is the transition from stillness is the move to two doves which the latter is definitely my favourite from here and the former is probably second. Other than that the rest of the songs I didn’t really like as it mostly consisted of drums which didn’t even feel like they were part of the songs and vocals mostly in falsetto for some reason repeating the name of the song a multitude of times with female backing vocals thrown in. Overall a 2 but a high 2 (4/10).
The B-52's
3/5
Quite enjoyable, I feel like it carried the same shtick across the entire album and it got a little repetitive with the same riff being carried across the whole of the songs but it had enough to the tracks that helped keep it fresh. I thought the male and female vocals working together worked really well, highlights were lava (my favourite), dance this mess around and the moon one which was a goofy song lyrically but it was good in that way (same with the lobster one). Overall I thought this was quite a fun album so a high 3 (6/10).
Curtis Mayfield
4/5
Funk! This was really good, every song on here was good although I wasn’t the biggest fan of when seasons change or Jesus but they weren’t bad by any means I just feel they weren’t as good as the others. The bass throughout is incredible and the funky guitar is awesome. Vocals maybe not perfect but I thought they worked really well. Lyrically as well this album had a good message. Overall 7.5/10.
Adam & The Ants
3/5
Very stupid album thematically and lyrically but quite enjoyable, I really like the whole persona of the band with the outfits and tribal inspiration. Musically I thought it was cool with the double drum and the vocals were exactly what it needed. Highlights for me was ants invasion and the magnificent five. The rest of the songs were quite mid but not exactly bad. The Jolly Roger song was very random as well. Overall 5.5/10.
Tracy Chapman
4/5
This was really good. I like pretty much the entire album but wasn’t a massive fan of the more generic radio ahh songs like behind the wall but they were still good. Favourites were talking about a revolution, across the lines, why?, mountain of things and she’s got her ticket. Which is quite a lot of highlights which reflects in the rating. Also, the overall messages on these songs were powerful which is why I wasn’t a massive fan on the ones which were more simplified love songs. Overall, 8/10.
Fela Kuti
4/5
I was considering a 5 but I’ll go with a high 4 just because Egbe Mi O didn’t live up to the standard of the other songs, it wasn’t bad by any means though I just felt it lacked as much personality and enjoyment the other songs had. Other than that this was a really great live album which honestly made the songs feel a lot shorter than they actually were. Ginger Baker and Tony Allen do an awesome job throughout on drums but especially on the last few minutes of ye ye de smell which is my second favourite on here behind let’s start. I’m not including the drum solo in the rating as well just because it’s a bonus track of a later CD reissue plus it’s from a completely different concert 7 years later (It was good though). Overall this was just a really fun and enjoyable one to listen to (8/10).
Adele
3/5
Most mid album for me, exactly what you would expect is exactly what you get, Facebook globalisation ahh music. This was filled with piano based ballads and some more energetic yet still incredibly radio friendly songs. None of them were bad by any means but nothing I found personally exciting or unique especially as most of these songs were played on the radio back in the day anyway, I think the thing about Adele is that she’s obviously a really good singer and her hits are actually good unlike a lot of constantly played radio songs but delving in her backlog doesn’t really provide too much else in variety which isn’t necessarily a bad thing if you enjoy that kind of thing but I think her voice could be good for a bigger variation of music. Overall, 5/10.
Traffic
3/5
The first song I really liked, it was very Beatles-esque, after that it was decent blues rock throughout, nothing amazing but there were a few other highlights like here we go round the mulberry bush which was a fun one and medicated goo. The guitar work through was really good and the organ obviously by Steve Winwood. Overral a solid 6/10.
Marianne Faithfull
3/5
In contrast to the negative reviews of this album saying it’s only on this list because of its context, although this Definitely helped with the decision, this was definitely an enjoyable album and quite unique albeit containing some more generic bluesy rock in some parts. Her voice, i thought, works well in most parts with the lower tone and crackly voice giving a bit more of a sinister vibe which definitely worked well for the songs aiming for that kind of concept. However, the constant voice cracks in some parts most notably on brain drain were not particularly pleasant to listen to when she was attempting to enter a higher register, I think her voice worked really well on the last song in comparison where she sounded bitter and angry. Musically I thought it was engaging throughout the album for the most part with a cool spin on new wave and punky themes. Overall, a three but a high three (6/10.)
Funkadelic
4/5
Can’t believe this is 71, feels really ahead of its time, not only as a funk record but rock as well. Every song on here was good although I wasn’t a massive fan of the last one, partly because of the interesting but artistic choice, I’m sure, of putting fart noises and such in it. The first track was a great long introduction and had a really great Hendrix style solo intertwined with a smooth arpeggio and was followed by “normal” length songs which were just great funk songs. Overral, a high 4 (8/10)
Nightmares On Wax
4/5
This was a really good mindless listen. 7/10
The Jam
3/5
Pretty good punk album, highlights were the first 2 songs and David Watts. Overall 5.5/10.
Bob Dylan
5/5
Crazy to think this is only 2 years after freewheelin’, they seem like albums from 2 completely different artists mainly because of the use of electric guitar and the the incorporation of a more rock and bluesy sound made from the appearances of other musicians being involved. Many people claim this is a masterpiece and it’s easy to see why, every song on here I thought was really good: like a rolling stone is obviously an undisputed classic and the entire track list was both lyrically and musically engaging, my personal favourite though is desolation row which, despite its 11 minute run time, didn’t feel like it overstayed its welcome and is actually the closest sounding one to the old Dylan’s style of pure acoustic guitar and harmonica, plus it was the most hooking one lyrically for me. My only complaint is that sometimes the harmonica pierces through my soul with its loud shrillness and I also thought the title track was slightly weaker than than the rest of the songs personally. Overall a 9.5/10
The White Stripes
3/5
High 3 (6/10)
Morrissey
4/5
Despite Morrissey being a hateful person, he does make good music, I thought this album was actually really good especially the first 3/4 although for me it got a bit worse towards the end and fell off a bit but not by too much, I just think it fell into a bit of a more boring, kind of generic phase in the album. Highlights were America is not the world, The first of the gang to die and pretty much the entire album other than the ones mentioned before. Overran 7/10
Terence Trent D'Arby
3/5
Like picking Mario in Mario kart, if I ordered a default 80s rock/soul album this would be the end product. It wasn’t bad but like other reviews say it’s just got the most basic 80’s production with the synths and drums and the songs themselves were, for the most part, extremely radio friendly, I would happily listen to it again though if I had to, he’s got a good voice and it was engaging enough.
Marvin Gaye
4/5
Iconic and powerful, too much of a focus on Christianity in my personal opinion though. Overall, 8/10.
Ian Dury
3/5
The music was too good for this guys vocals and weird lyrics most of the time, best song was blockheads because of how chaotic it was and all of the songs definitely had some good elements to them, mostly the guitar and keyboards all done by Chas Jankel and the bass from Norman Watt-Roy, drums were fine as well, this is a low 3 for me mostly because the instrumentation I thought was really good. Overall 5/10.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
Best songs were the first and last as everyone else says, this one definitely has weaker deep cuts than the other stones albums on the generator, live with me and the title track I did like as well though. However, the other ones didn’t really do it for me all too much especially country tonk, I liked the experiments with different types of music in the songs though. Overall 6/10.
Rahul Dev Burman
3/5
As a soundtrack album goes this is really good, I liked pretty much all of the songs other than the one two cha cha cha which just felt really repetitive, the dialogue one was also a bit hard to enjoy just purely based on it being mainly spoken word. Favourites were the title track, countless caper and the last one, they all had their strengths though, especially the female vocals on some of them which were powerful. Overall a high 3 (6.5/10)
Radiohead
4/5
Really good, out of all the Radiohead ones I’ve heard so far(all except moon shaped pool, king of limbs and amnesiac as of this point) this falls above Pablo honey and the bends but below in rainbows, ok computer and all hail to the thief(which is my personal favourite), still in the same ball park as them all though(other than Pablo Honey which is the only 3 star Radiohead album in my opinion as it’s the weakest). Favourite tracks were quite a lot of the album to be honest other than the first 3 tracks and in limbo but my favourite favourites were idioteque, HTDC, motion picture and untitled which was just a short closer but really good. The fact this album is the most experimental of the Radiohead albums I’ve heard so far means it has some of the highest highs of their discography(of which I’ve so far heard), and some (not necessarily lowest but lower) lows. Overall a strong 4 (7.5/10).
Jane Weaver
3/5
Bit of a hard one to rank to be honest, I thought there were some really strong songs on here like did you see the butterflies, slow motion and the architect which, when I listen to, make me consider giving this a 4 but the rest of the songs on here aren’t up there with them. I really like the feel of the entire album though, chill with wispy vocals and nice instrumentation for most of it with some Kraftwerk inspired electronicy ones like the lighting back (which was a little boring to be honest, not bad though). Overall a strong 3 (6/10).
Belle & Sebastian
4/5
Really liked this one, essentially 60’s style kind of like velvet underground but with a very distinct 90’s style especially with the electronic additions. Favourites: expectations, she’s losing it, my wondering days are over, I don’t love anyone. The flamenco inspiration on expectations was really cool, I thought all of the songs were well made but I just wasn’t a big fan of all of them. Overran 7/10.
Guns N' Roses
4/5
If I were given this at the start of this generator I probably would have given a 5 due to its iconic nature and how many hits there are on this debut album but out of personal preference for the songs over time I’ve come to my own opinion that the use your illusion albums are peak guns, this one is obviously still a classic and enjoyable but I can’t really say I like every single song on here. The first half is superior in my opinion as the second side has a few songs that aren’t as strong in my opinion like think about you and anything goes (not bad though). My favourite songs are nighttrain and mr brownstone (and paradise city as a guilty pleasure), sweet child of mine is one of those annoying hits that isn’t really fair to rate, jungle has one of the coolest intro riffs. Overall a strong 4 (8/10).
The Waterboys
3/5
First Song is one I’ve heard plenty of times in the car back in the day, The drum fills are really satisfying on the second song. Third song is a nice change of pace with some nice violins, don’t know why I’m going through each song I don’t really want to do that so favourites: world party, jimmy hacket, bang ear and Dunfords fancy. I really liked the mix of Irish pogue type songs with a more classic rock style in some and the violin throughout was a nice way to keep it fresh and unique. Overall, 6/10.
Sonic Youth
5/5
Soooooo goooood! I had no expectations coming into this album based off my lack of knowledge of the band but I was blown away by how entertaining and just interesting this was. From what I’ve heard, sonic youth were very experimental in their albums before this, with this focussing more on grunge but there was definitely some experimentation going on here aswell and I think all the ideas are used so well. Most songs on here were amazing with some, in my opinion, slightly less amazing but what I liked so much about this album is how there was always at least parts of a song I really liked even if I wasn’t a massive fan of the whole run time for example “shoot” which I didn’t like the pace of especially how it’s a longer song with not much change throughout but I really like the distorted guitars coming in through the breaks in vocals. Overall though there weren’t many songs I didn’t like anyway which means it’s hard to give my favourites because it’s genuinely hard to pick but my favourite track for sure is chapel hill, I loved the guitar riffs, the drums were perfect, vocals perfect and the part about mid way through where the tempo speeds up was really cool. This reviews getting too long though so I’ll give my verdict: 9/10.
fIREHOSE
4/5
This was surprisingly really good, after seeing it was a group formed by members of the minutemen I was skeptical as nickels by the dime was quite mid, butt I can say after listening this is much better than that. The guitar and bass is so much better on this album in my opinion, the drums are good in both but the actual songs I thought were so much more enjoyable. Unlike nickels, this album is very short with longer songs rather than the rather messy many short song style nickels used. I liked many songs on this album but my favourites were the first 2 mostly because of the jangly guitar, the drums solos were a cool edition (my favourite being the second one). I wasn’t a massive fan of some songs though like the third track and what gets heard despite its cool bass line, the vocals just didn’t really do it for even though I think the vocals are consistently good elsewhere on this album. Overall 8/10.
Duran Duran
3/5
Pretty good, I don’t like when the hits are my favourites in an album but it was the case this time, I feel this is one of those albums which has really good hits surrounded with decent deep cuts, they were all consistently decent though although I personally took a liking to hold back the rain. That, Rio and probably hungry like the wolf (basic ahh take) were my favourites. Bass was really good throughout, definitely a standout, other instruments just really did their job other than the synths which were good but they kind of had to be based on how much the songs revolved around them. Overall a strong 3 (6/10).
Lou Reed
4/5
After giving transformer a 3 I wasn’t expecting this to be so good, especially considering transformer is meant to be his best. The storytelling is so good on this, the theme of a sinister, dark mood with a very uplifting ending was really well done. Musically it’s not the best all the time but Lou Reed is mostly known for his lyricism and storytelling (I assume) but it wasn’t bad by any means, his guitar work was good though and the drums were a strong point at multiple parts. There were quite a few moments where songs would drift into the next seamlessly but my favourite was definitely from the quiet, acoustic, dark “The bed”, into the ironically named, orchestral, uplifting “Sad Song” which was a great ending to the album. The Caroline dongs were definitely a strong point as well, other favourites were “men of good fortune” and “Oh Jim”, this album definitely works better as a complete package listen though. Overral 7.5/10.
UB40
3/5
Didn’t need to be over an hour long but still good nonetheless, with reggae it’s hard not to make it sound repetitive but I thought they did a good job with keeping it a bit fresh, although making the album shorter would have helped to be honest. Favourites: Tyler, 12 bar, 25%, signing off and Reefer madness, mostly found the instrumentals to be the best ones evidently. Overrall, 6/10.
The Who
4/5
This was really good, not the generic “dad rock” I was expecting, it feels really ahead of its time especially in baba o Riley with the marimba organ, also used in some of the others. Favourites: the hits, bargain, love ain’t for keeping, getting in tune and going mobile, pretty much all but 2 which I felt were a bit weaker and not as enjoyable for me. Overral 8/10.
GZA
5/5
Excellent, every song was really good, my only exception was hells wind staff which I didn’t like the sample of too much and the 1 minute skit at the beginning was a bit annoying, I’m of the mindset that all albums with skits should make them separate tracks to make them easier to skip on relistens and to make listening to songs a better experience without having to listen to an unrelated story first. That’s not an issue with this album as much though, there weren’t many long skits and the skits it did have I actually liked to be fair. Another slight nitpick is in shadowboxin’ with the repeated “oh man” sample which was a bit repetitive but not as bad as the black sheep “the choice is yours”revisited sample which made it much worse than the original version in my opinion. Other than that it was a perfect hip hop album in my opinion which had such good production from RZA with his samples and such. Overall, 9/10.
The Flaming Lips
4/5
Really wish it carried on with the robot battle theme I think that was the best part of the album for me (part 1 especially), still good nonetheless, really like the mix of electronic and a more accessible poppy acoustic sound, very chilled and dreamy, wasn’t a fan all the time, sometimes it felt a bit too poppy mostly on “its summertime” and “do you realise??”, liked all of the songs a lot other than that though and the loose themes not revolving around yoshimi and the robots were still pretty cool. Overall a strong 4 (8/10).
Creedence Clearwater Revival
3/5
Pretty standard southern rock tbh, nothing that really stood out to me just what you would expect from a Creedence album, guitars were good though. Favourites: tombstone shadow and the two instrumentals at the end. I really like the album cover as well. Overall, 5/10.
4/5
I really liked this one, I’ve always been a fan of the kinks, probably my favourite British Invasion band other than maybe the beatles(unfair match up though) but I’ve never actually heard this one. All the songs were great but my favourites were: Victoria, Mr Churchill says, Brainwashed(which felt weirdly punky for the 60’s) and some mother’s son. Overall 8/10.
New Order
4/5
Liked this a lot more than my unwarranted preconceptions had me thinking, thought this would be a generic 80’s electronic new wave album which it kind of was to be honest but it was a really good one, very 80’s sound to it though maybe making it a bit dated. I wasn’t a fan of the perfect kiss or this time of night but other than that I liked all of the songs especially sunrise with its use of guitar. Overall 7.5/10.
The Crusaders
4/5
Started off with a great long funk song which was definitely my favourite of the album and went off into full jazz awesomeness, definitely not the best jazz I’ve heard (a little too simplified maybe) but still really good throughout, not a bad song on here. Favourites: street life, my lady, carnival of the night. But really all of the songs I could consider my favourites. Overall 7/10.
Jimi Hendrix
5/5
This was originally my least favourite Hendrix album but after listening again I don’t even know if that’s a thing, they’re all definitely 5’s, every single song on here is just so good, Mitch Mitchell on drums goes insane and obviously the guitar is peak, even songs I didn’t like as much on previous listens like if 6 was 9 I completely changed my perspective on especially as the drumming goes particularly hard on that one. Also, the intro “exp” was a lot funnier than I remembered. Overall, I may as well just give it a 10.
The Temptations
4/5
Other than the generic love lyrics in like all of the songs, this was really good vocally and musically, bass was really nice throughout as well as the drums and the psychedelically aspect of the guitar on runaway child (despite it being one of the weaker songs on here for me). I wasn’t a fan of their rendition of grapevine as well, much worse than Marvin Gaye’s one but I think that mostly comes down to it being a much shorter version with less care put into it. Other than that I like all of the songs but my favourite was the first one by far. Overall 7/10.
Love
3/5
It’s fine I guess, mostly pretty generic 60’s psychedelic rock but with good drumming. It clicked for me with the penultimate two songs but then went onto an almost 20 minute song which was actually pretty good but also just not at some parts. Not nearly as good as forever changes. Overall 5/10.
Frankie Goes To Hollywood
3/5
Hmm… I like this one, it starts off strong with a long epic, has a very nice cover of war, two tribes is a strong single, San Jose is a very random divergence but a good one, then my other favourite two songs come near the end of the album with black night white light and the only star in heaven. Those were the highlights of the album for me but the entire thing is still enjoyable, my main complaint is the length of the power of love which overstays its welcome as a kind of generic love ballad. Overall, a very strong 3 (6.5/10).
Beatles
4/5
Kind of hard to rank this as it’s really good since it’s the Beatles but it’s definitely my least favourite from the ones I’ve heard(which is pretty much all of them by this point), it still has some good songs though like the first one and pretty much the entire second side of the album, definitely not their strongest though but I’m still gonna give this a low 4. Overall 7/10.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
Almost up there with natty dread, Peter Tosh on two of the songs was cool aswell. Favourites: pretty much all of them to an extent although I wasn’t the biggest fan of the last song or “baby we’ve got a date”. Overall 8/10.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
Don’t really know why this is included other than the fact it’s their first album, just a solid collection of covers with lots of harmonica. Route 66 is done exceptionally well by them though. Overall 5/10.
Cat Stevens
4/5
No surprise but it’s a very good album, some of the songs have really easy to play chord progressions but the way he makes the songs around them makes them feel so much more complicated and interesting, it starts off strong strong with the first song and kind of drops off a bit for me with the next 3 songs, nothing drastic but they weren’t as enjoyable as the rest of the album, wild world isn’t a favourite of mine aswell. Fortunately though all of the songs after I consider to be much better. Favourites: longer boats, on the road to find out and father and son is a certified classic. Overall, 8/10.
The Gun Club
2/5
Not a fan really, quite boring to be honest, the first song I quite liked, the next 2 felt like they had nothing really going on. She’s like heroin to me was a good punk one (felt very pixies), the other one I liked was ghost on the highway which was also very pixies. Other than that, the others were not my thing especially when it went full bluesy on songs like cool drink of water blues which was a bit of a drag. Also casually dropped the n word twice. Overall, 4/10.
Beck
4/5
A really nice toned town album, the acoustic guitar was kind of the main driving force of the songs with some strings in the background, it kind of reminds me of Nick Drake songs on Bryter Layter sometimes especially on the song end of the day which is probably my favourite from the album, not too much variety in the whole album other than the difference in some of the singles with a more larger sound to the choruses but that’s not a bad thing when it’s done well, which it was. Favourites: the first 3, end of the road, round the bend, already dead and the last song which also is linked to roads for some reason. Overall, 7.5/10.
2/5
Uhhh it was ok I guess… saw a review saying it’s like an inside joke you’re not apart of and I have to say that’s pretty accurate, very goofy, not necessarily bad but not enjoyable for me. I also felt like there wasn’t much to it, the vocals were also kind of annoying sometimes, the Rolling Stones cover was not very good aswell but certainly unique and in their style I have to say. Overall though a 4/10 still decent at some points I guess.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
4/5
Really liked this one, haven’t actually heard any of the songs from it before so not affected by hearing some of these over and over again, the guys vocals took like one song to get into but it was easy to adapt to. Favourites: scar tissue, get on top and the last song which was a nice change of pace from the rest of the album. The guitar was one of the highlights of the album but I think the chemistry of the entire band works really well aswell. Overall 8/10.
Foo Fighters
4/5
Crazy this was all Dave Grohl, definitely had some nirvana influences and it really felt like there was a lot of emotion to the songs. Favourites: this is a call, I’ll stick around, good grief, floaty, weenie Beenie and oh George. Overall 7/10.
Ute Lemper
3/5
I quite enjoyed this one for the most part, really like the Weimar Germany influences with the cabaret and themes of nightlife in Berlin, emphasised by the fact it has a song from Kurt Weill, some of the songs were quite boring though as they were very much like generic 60’s Sinatra type songs in which the divine comedy usually has a passion for and the last song especially was a drag (did not need to be a song yet alone over 10 minutes), favourites: passionate fight, the Kurt Weill one and split. Overall 6/10.
Arctic Monkeys
4/5
Really liked this one, very energetic with the drums and the guitar riffs. Favourites: the first three, still take you home, the last three and the two songs with abnormally long titles for some reason. Overall 8/10.
Faith No More
3/5
It was decent, I liked the mix of genres with the heavy metal, softer rock and hip hop, although the guys vocals maybe weren’t the best for hip hop but he does sound very metally like the dude from Helloween or something, although my favourite song was definitely the one without any vocals as heavy metal instrumentals are always good it seems (nothing against his vocals). The War pigs cover was also good although I prefer Ozzy’s vocals personally, falling to pieces and the morning after were my other favourites. Overall 6/10.
Bee Gees
3/5
I feel like this is only included in the list just to show the Bee Gees before disco but it’s quite boring, although once you settle into the album it does get a bit better I think. Basically sounds like Beatles b sides mixed with the moody blues but just objectively worse, the vocals as well just don’t sound good sometimes most notably in when do I which sounds like he’s purposefully singing a bit goofy at points. It does have its moments though, the first song is a good start, the title track is good and sounds like George Harrison a bit, it’s just the way is good as well and sounds very moody blues, which is what I mean by my previous point, the best parts are when they are close to the band it sounds like they are trying to replicate. It’s not a bad album overall though and the cover is also really cool. 5/10.
Rush
4/5
First song is definitely the best but didn’t need to be one whole song, could have been split especially as the title was each of the Individual segments anyway. Side two was also good although I felt it drifted into more of generic rock in the last two songs, the others though were just good rock songs, not as proggy as the first side. Overall, 7.5/10.
Public Enemy
5/5
Already familiar with this one but gave it another listen to determine my rating, I was originally thinking giving it just below 5 stars but after another listen it’s definitely higher than that, it’s just that good. Every song is really good, the only ones I didn’t like as much are party for your right to fight which is a little repetitive and she watch channel zero which is a little extreme but I guess that’s kind of the point. This album is also dated but in the best possible way, it’s of its time with the explosive, energetic rapping and flavour flav doing his thing, he’s also got one of my favourite rap verses on this album with cold lampin’. Definitely deserves a 5 as it’s also an iconic album. Overall 9.5/10.
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
3/5
You know, this is actually enjoyable to some degree. Other than the fact that it’s complete rubbish it definitely holds some artistic value as the entire thing is meticulously planned out and took a lot of work (and starvation) from the musicians involved. It’s also chaotically good st times, not all of it is incoherent nonsense, there’s guitar riffs, bass lines and drum fills that are actually really good but just all piled on top of each other. It’s also just humorous and random. The songs without any instruments and only consisting of Beefheart shouting random poetry though are not enjoyable at all but that was only on a few occasions, this album definitely thrives on the organised chaos of the instrumentation. Despite the album being terrible, it’s more fun and enjoyable than some of the other albums on this list, although it definitely isn’t the masterpiece some people say it is (mostly as either or joke or just to seem different), and though this rating may not really represent anything other than the album being fun and enjoyably chaotic, favourites: all and none, overall, 5/10.
Leonard Cohen
3/5
Great storytelling, less great musically but really all it needed at minimum to keep with his softer tone of voice while he basically recites his poetry. First two songs were my favourite, the strings in the first one were really nice and the second one had my favourite lyrics which were matched perfectly with the tone of his vocals along with the acoustic guitar. The rest are just standard Cohen songs with maybe a little too much croaky frog instrument in there. Overall 6/10.
Sly & The Family Stone
5/5
Such a good blend of psych rock, soul and funk, there were great more pop-orientated songs like Stand! And everyday people and more longer songs like sex machine which is such a great instrumental with nice bass. The guitar throughout the album is amazing as well, I’ve never heard a guitar sound like that, literally sounds like it’s talking sometimes, I can’t tell if they’re doing that guitar against the throat trick or just playing it like that somehow but it’s really cool nonetheless. There were no weak songs on here, the only I didn’t add to my liked songs was the second one but only because that’s the type of song I wouldn’t really listen to other than for the album experience, still a good song though with great guitar and a strong message (maybe too long for what it is though). There wasn’t also an interesting addition of harmonica on here as well. The two bonus tracks not on the original album are great as well. Overall, I was gonna give this a 4 but after consideration I see no reason why this doesn’t deserve a 5 (9/10)
Dolly Parton
3/5
Not the biggest fan of country but I liked this, great vocals obviously and some really nice storytelling. Wasn’t blown away by the instrumentation most of the time but that’s understandable when the songs are basically carried by Dolly Parton’s vocals and guitar as-well to be fair (and the lyrics), it sounded a little like generic country but just much better for the most part and for 1971 it has definitely aged well. Also, 1 minute shorter than pink moon which is crazy. Favourites: the first two songs. Overall, 6/10.
Count Basie & His Orchestra
4/5
I really like the more upbeat songs on this, wasn’t as big a fan on the more slower tempo ones as they felt quite repetitive with the same baseline but that wasn’t the case for a lot of these songs, my favourites were pretty much the entire album but there were some standouts: the first one, fight of the foo birds, teddy the road and Whirly-bird. Overall 7/10.
Jefferson Airplane
3/5
Felt this one was quite mid to be honest, a lot of it comes down to generic 1967 summer of love songs with a kind of weird sound to this album that I wasn’t a massive fan of, although I did think it worked for some of the songs. Wasn’t bad though mostly because of the hits which really lift this such as somebody to love and white rabbit. Other songs I liked the most were also the more popular ones like embryonic journey which was a really cool interlude and plastic fantastic lover. Overall 6/10.
Frank Sinatra
3/5
Exactly what you would expect from both the artist and the title of the album, a bit samey throughout but that’s to be expected, it was all good though and the cover of anything goes by Cole Porter was a cool addition at the end. Wasn’t any particular favourites as they were all swing love songs with no specific standouts. Overall, 6.5/10.
Rufus Wainwright
3/5
Going into this I thought what most people would probably think going into this, sounds like a Thom Yorke clone and even as far as a Radiohead clone for some songs but I wasn’t deterred by that, he also mixes it up a bit with his own style consisting of opera and cabaret which is quite cool. I did think it was quite… boring to be honest and maybe a bit pretentious for the most part, it’s not something I’m keen on listening to as a whole again but 3 songs definitely caught my attention: the one you love was a catchy single, peach trees was basically a Radiohead song and executed well with some good lyrics and crumb by crumb. I thought the lyrical content was unique throughout aswell. Overall, 5.5/10.
Joan Baez
3/5
Simple but in a good way, great voice and nice acoustic guitar. The lyrics were hooking as well for the most part. Favourites: Mary Hamilton, the Spanish one and rake and rambling boy, I thought quite a few of them could be favourites though but those were what got my attention for some reason. Overall, 6.5/10.
Jethro Tull
5/5
Another one I’m familiar with, but after another full listen I like it even better than I did before, the criticisms of organised religion and using religion as a means for committing atrocious acts is so well done as this is a recurring theme within the album, there’s also another kind of storyline focussing on the harsh realities of the world with whole aqualung storyline which is loosely carried onto the next song after the opener. No skips on this, it has such a good variation between full on rock with awesome riffs and going crazy on the flute and quieter acoustic songs to break up the pace a bit, the last song being a perfect showcase of this within just one song. Despite liking all of the songs, my personal favourites are: aqualung, hymn 43, wind up and locomotive breath, although after this listen that’s expanded to include pretty much all of the songs. Overall, a solid 9.5/10 which is not what I was expecting to give it before but it seemed to really click with me on this listen.
Animal Collective
4/5
Really enjoyed this one, felt really unique and ethereal at times, the first song had a great explosion of sound in the second half after 3 minutes of music which felt perfect for sailing a boat in an enchanted forest or something. Other favourites include: summertime clothes, daily routine, bluish and taste. The album cover is really cool aswell, really matches the sound of the album. Overall, 7.5/10.
Marilyn Manson
2/5
Too long, felt like a bit of a chore to get through but it wasn’t necessarily a bad album. I was also probably affected by the contextual knowledge of the artist himself as he’s not a great guy. The actual music itself though had some great riffs and drums but as industrial rock usually does, it was a bit overproduced. The vocals were fine but the actual lyrics were just cringe sometimes with how edgy they were but I guess that’s kind of the point with the whole theme and storyline of the album. Overall, it was fine but way too bloated and I’ll probably never come back to this also due to context of the artist. I don’t really want to give it 3 stars so I’ll go for a high 2 (4.5/10).
The Beach Boys
5/5
Somehow my first time hearing this all the way through and it was amazing. There’s pretty much no skips on this, a few were a bit weaker in my opinion (you still believe in me and don’t talk) but not by much. I really liked the instrumental ones on here aswell (pet sounds and let’s go away for a while.) Both sides of the album kick off with an awesome single as well, I went into this assuming my favourites would be those very singles but sloop John B took me by surprise and is probably my favourite song on here. Iconic album as well and doesn’t deserve anything less than a 5 in my opinion although not quite a 10 for me, mostly due to a bit of personal preference and also a bit of over use of fading out tracks rather than bringing them to a close. Overall 9/10.
Sade
3/5
Pretty good throughout, smooth, funky and jazzy with great vocals. A bit generic maybe but that’s fine, what lifts this from being too generic though is the epic saxophone. The only thing keeping this from being 4 stars is simply that there wasn’t enough sax. Favourites: smooth operator and hang on to your love. Overall, 6.5/10.
Baaba Maal
3/5
Bit too long maybe but it was enjoyable. Great instrumentation, the vocals were nice but sounded weirdly Middle Eastern for a Senegalese album, there was definitely still some more traditional west African inspired vocals in parts though. The xylophone like percussion was a nice feature, sometimes the Melodie’s were a little repetitive but the way they developed across the songs was a nice way to freshen it up a bit, the actual mood of these Melodie’s themselves though are rather laid back, obviously I have no idea if this relates to the themes in the lyrics but I’m mostly judging it based of sound. Favourites: salminanam and Kobe wine mayo(9 minutes long but had such a cool acoustic guitar motif carried along the song which developed really nicely. Overall, 6.5/10, was gonna give it a 7 but the last song brought it down a little for me, the vocals pierced my ears.
Radiohead
4/5
Probably my second favourite Radiohead album behind hail to the thief, although it’s quite hard to compare the 2 based on them being 2 completely different experiences. Where hail to the thief is more experimental and electronic with more focus on variations between songs, more like a collection, in rainbows works more as a complete album experience with the songs having very similar feelings. It makes it perfect to either zone out and just enjoy the instrumentation or to fully concentrate and listen to the layers in the songs and the lyrics. This could also be seen as a complaint with the songs sounding too similar which I admit, I leant towards on my first listen but after a full second experience they are much more varied than seems, this is shown clearly from body snatchers to nude or from all I need to Faust arp for example. Although, this also means there are less standout tracks on this album, which is the opposite to HTTT where it has some really strong songs mixed with some weaker ones in my opinion. Favourites: body snatchers, Nude, weird fishes, Faust arp, jigsaw. House of cards and Reckoner are quite underrated on here as well, I pretty much just named 80% of the songs but I guess that shows this is a good album. Overall, 8.5/10.
Miles Davis
5/5
I can see why this is such a celebrated jazz album, not only from the star studded cast but also the easily accessible music which has no crazy changes to its structure but instead flows together so well, sounding like fully planned, meticulously crafted sessions rather than a spontaneous idea. There’s no weak elements to this album, every instrument has its moments to shine and you don’t even notice the length of the songs because they don’t feel long at all. There’s also plenty of variety between the 5 different songs with each song developing in a really nice barely noticeable way with really nice motif’s in the songs which are carried through in cool ways, like when it’s played by the sax and then changes to be played by the piano when the sax goes into a new melody. Can’t be less than a 5 even though it’s a bit of an NPC album but for good reason. Overall, 9.5/10.
808 State
3/5
Surprised to see this was rated so low when I checked the reviews after listening, I thought this was quite a fun and innovative electronic album. It’s got some really nice drum loops and a really cool “wet” sound to the synths, which sound like something out of the early 2000’s rather than 1989 (genuinely surprised me when I checked the date of this album like halfway through). There’s also plenty was also an interesting addition of bird chirps to pacific 202 which I thought was cool. It’s not something I’ll be rushing to listen to again but I certainly enjoyed it and wouldn’t mind hearing it again. Favourites: Ancodia, Pacific 202 and 808080808. Overall 6/10.
ZZ Top
3/5
Kind of boring and uninspiring American 80’s rock. Feels mostly like an American AC/DC with the simple drums and main focus on guitar and vocals but just no where near as good. The vocals are significantly worse than a Bon Scott or Brian Johnson and the guitar holds nothing to an Angus or Malcolm Young. It wasn’t bad though just extremely mid and not something I would ever really want to hear again unless it was playing somewhere, the hits are pretty good though I guess especially the first one. Also, the guitar tone was quite weird aswell, it felt like it was muted sometimes and the lyrics were just really generic and pretty awful, not as charming as other in your face rock acts like AC/DC again. Overall, 5/10.
Janis Joplin
4/5
Man didn’t realise she died before this release, what a great vocal performance all through the album though, it’s a little bit rough sound wise sometimes but nothing too serious, this album also has some great hits with some good deep cuts around it aswell. I’m usually not the biggest fan of American blues music but Janis is an exception I guess cause that was pretty great, the instrumentation was also neat especially the purely instrumental song. Overall, 7/10.
Iron Maiden
4/5
Already familiar with this one, I’ve heard every maiden album and this may be my favourite one. It’s kind of hard to compare this with the Bruce Dickinson ones though because Bruce basically is the voice of Maiden but this album feels like maiden before maiden and Paul Di’Anno does a great job here. This also feels a lot more punky than any other maiden album especially with Paul’s voice. Starts of with one of my favourite Maiden songs, prowler which has a great riff and uses wah pedal which is an automatic win, then goes into a much more mellow song with remember tomorrow which breaks into loud screams from Paul with great guitar shredding. Running free is a catchy song which is probably their least metal sounding song (sounds very rock n roll), phantom of the opera is a 7 minute epic with loads of nice guitar and different sections culminating in a song deserving of its name. Transylvania is an instrumental track which are usually a very strong highlight for metal albums which is very much the case here. Strange world is another more mellow track on here with surprisingly poetic lyrics for this era of maiden and one of the reasons I like this album so much compared to their others due to the 2 softer songs which bring more diversity. The last 2 are actually my least favourites but still good, Charlottetown harlot is quite provocative but has a really nice break, iron maiden is a catchy pure heavy metal song. Overall 8.5/10.
Lightning Bolt
2/5
This really was just pure unfiltered noise but I didn’t even really dislike it to be honest, there were some great moments with some nice guitar riffs and such. Probably not something I would consider ever listening to again though, cool cover though. Overall 3/10.
PJ Harvey
4/5
Unsettling cover (dry lips are the worst) but great music. Maybe I’m just biased because I seem to really like grunge but PJ Harvey does it so well. For a debut aswell this is great, vocals are on point and the guitars are nicely distorted and there were really great riffs throughout. The acoustic song (plants and rags) was also so good and really changed the pace of the album towards the end. I do think the album ended strangely though, it should have been plants and rags to end it off with fountain before, water maybe just leave out (it wasn’t great).Favourites: oh my lover, O Stella, Dress, Victory, Joe and Plants and rags. Overall, 7.5/10.
Neil Young
3/5
Definitely not as good as his work with crazy horse but this was still quite enjoyable. It started off with a very catchy opening and basically went into a very bluesy guitar focused theme with folk and country aswell. A lot of it was a bit generic or just outright not good (for the turnstiles for example) but on the beach really stood out to me, it’s 7 minutes long and it felt very pink flloydy to me, it’s hard to explain but it’s the way the his vocals are and the drums, it kind of sounds like a song from wish you were here. After that though a more mellow folk song and then an 8 minute bluesy track which was quite a nice closer. Favourites: walk on and on the beach. Overall, 6/10.
Massive Attack
4/5
This was great, first massive attack experience for me and it was definitely a great one, great production and instrumentals and the variety of songs was really nice and refreshing throughout. Favourites: protection, Karmacoma, weather storm, euro child and heat miser. That’s just highlights from a first listen though, there’s a lot to like about the rest of the songs aswell. Overall, 8/10.
Mott The Hoople
3/5
I’ve always known this as the band that Queen supported during Queen’s early years so it’s cool to finally hear some of their music, it’s easy to see why Queen were considered the best part of the show and why they didn’t achieve too much success though, not to be harsh or anything, it was decent but it didn’t really have much to make it stand out and really just sounded like a subpar version of Bowie and T-Rex, after Bowie got them a huge hit it seems they lent in to the glam rock style snd once again they didn’t fail at or anything but they felt very much like copycats more than anything. The best part ironically for me was the last song (“I wish I was your mother”) which wasn’t glam rock style all but rather a kind of parody on Bob Dylan which I thought was good and matched the vocalist a bit more (that’s another thing, the vocalist wasn’t amazing). Favourites: I wish I was your lither. Overall, 5/10.
M.I.A.
3/5
After the first two songs I wasn’t feeling confident this would be a good listen but it hooked me after. A lot of catchy instrumentals and verses with some unique instrumentals. It had a lot of different drum sequences aswell throughout which was a nice way to change it up. Favourites: Amazon, Bingo, Sunshowers, Fire Fire. Overall 6/10.
Johnny Cash
4/5
Cash has always been my favourite when it comes to country, i’m not the biggest fan of the genre usually but artists like him and the other highwaymen for instance make it great. This album in particular is particularly daunting for obvious reasons (RIP Johnny Cash) but the sound of the album really makes it this way as well, it’s incredibly stripped down with a heavy emphasis on the intimacy of just Cash and his guitar for the most part, the sound of the acoustic guitar on this album is amazing by the way, it’s so shiny when he strikes a chord and i love that sound of guitar (great production as well). Cash mostly covers pretty random songs to be honest but he puts his own unique style on all of them and rivals the originals in many ways (hurt for instance but that’s been said a million times), i say random because never in a million years would people have thought he would be covering Depeche mode or even the beatles to be honest until this album came out. Nick Cave and Fiona Apple make an appearance on here as-well which is cool. Favourites: almost all to be honest, a few maybe not. Overall, 8/10.
Afrika Bambaataa
4/5
Dated but really great, I feel like this is one of those albums put on the list mostly for its context but it’s actually really good aswell. It has such a fun, jumpy atmosphere which feels like it definitely inspired public enemy with their debut 2 years after and other hip hop groups around this time. The samples used were great aswell, Kraftwerk especially. A lot of this wasn’t even really rap other than who you funkin’, it was mostly chanting with great beats. Favourites: all but go go pop really. Overall, 8/10.
Ash
5/5
This was an amazing album out of nowhere, pure grunge with really nice fuzzy distorted guitars and tinny drums which come together to create a really nice “blanket” of sound which is the best way to describe how I felt this album sounded like, it also all flowed together so well with great transitions. What a great debut album, generally one of the best I’ve heard. My only criticism is the start if side b with “oh yeah” which felt quite out of place with the rest of the album, sounding a bit too poppy, even the other singles which have a more catchy atmosphere still fit in with the album, I also wasn’t a massive fan of the actual song itself. Other than that though every song was great so will be a waste of time to name my favourites. Overall, 9.5/10.
OutKast
5/5
Wow! I’ve obviously heard of this being one of the best hip hop records of all time but I was a bit skeptical after only being subject to speakerboxx/the love below in which I believed to be only really decent and too long, this though I can safely say is miles better. The variation in music genres all mixed together just works so well, there’s jungle, funk, hip hop, rave music and even gospel I think in some parts and both Andre and Big Boi perform amazingly with some of the best flows I’ve heard especially on songs like B.O.B (which was actually insane), the beats aswell were great in every song (Barr maybe one or two of which I wasn’t the biggest fan of). The album also starts in an amazing way with gasoline dreams which instantly showcases the high energy levels of the album and is one of my favourites especially with the wah guitar. I also really appreciate the album separates the skits from the actual songs, although I still don’t really see the need for skits at all, at least they’re short though and some of them are pretty funny. The context of this album is really cool, basically gathering musicians from around there Stankonia studio (which worked a charm cause the features here are great), they were also influenced by the local music scene with rave music and jungle which is clear in some of the songs (some of the drum samples especially and obviously B.O.B). Record scratching aswell, always a win for me. Favourites: all but I’ll call before I come and the last song (too long and a bit boring to be honest. Overall, 9/10.
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
4/5
Liked this more than I thought I would, it’s basically a better version of the byrds when they turned country but with more rock n roll and a combination of moody blues like harmonies. Lots of catchy songs and a great cover of Joni Mitchell. Some really nice guitar playing throughout aswell. Favourites: carry on, helpless, Woodstock, our house and 4 + 20. Overall, 7/10.
Fela Kuti
5/5
It’s a 5 with and without the bonus tracks for me, its a perfect Afro-beat album and has probably the best (and horrible obviously) contexts to an album I’ve ever seen which really emphasises its message. Overall 9/10.
Coldplay
2/5
From what I’ve heard this is when Coldplay was actually somewhat good but to me this was quite boring and monotonous. There’s really just not much to this for me other than some really nice chord progressions sometimes especially in the scientists and Amsterdam ( the latter of which being the best song on here as it was actually likeable as a whole). However, the majority of the album is just filled with boring songs which really don’t vary and seem to aim too hard to be accessible to a wider audience which based on Coldplays influence of creep era Radiohead makes sense but it just doesn’t succeed in being actually enjoyable (although the Spotify stream numbers seem to disagree). I also just actively dislike Chris Martin’s voice which lowers my view on this album even more. Favourites: Amsterdam and green eyes, overall, 4/10 (sorry Coldplay).
Beastie Boys
5/5
Not what I was expecting after only listening to Paul’s Boutique from them but this was actually amazing, much better in my opinion. They did loads of random genres and did them all so well, every song for me was really good and had so much variety, even some random punk interludes. There were also loads of really smooth transitions between songs which made it a much more seamless album experience. Vocals were also messed with in a cool way for a few songs although sometimes making it a bit harder to hear the lyrics. Q-tip feature aswell is nice addition. Overall, genuinely blown a way a bit, not quite a perfect 10 though (close enough though). 9.5/10.
Beatles
5/5
This might be a perfect album to be honest, every song is so good and it even has its fair share of experimentation and use of the sitar with George’s eastern inspired influences. It’s also super influential of course and has super ahead of its time techniques with how they used recording techniques. It’s also a contender for my favourite Beatles record but it’s hard to say. Favourites: all of them but favourite favourites: Taxman, she said she said, good day sunshine, and your bird can sing, for no one and got to get you into my life. Overall, 10/10.
Rufus Wainwright
3/5
This is very similar in quality to want two which I got first, I can respect he has his own theatre play, broadway style of music and aims for an album experience with big explosive chord changes which sound like a Disney soundtrack but for me it’s just pretty good at best. I think this has a slight edge over the second one though as it sounds more original as he doesn’t sound like a Thom Yorke clone as much. I also wish they just put these two albums together as the double album rather than taking up two spaces on here but oh well, he definitely deserves to have at least one on here though. Favourites: I don’t know what it is and movies of myself. Overall, 6/10.
Elvis Costello
3/5
With Elvis Costello you know what you’re getting into and I have to respect that of all his albums I’ve heard of him so far, they have all matched pretty much in quality which is really good if you’re a fan of his style of music of which I’m not but I still enjoy it and like it fire the most part. I think this might be a bit weaker than his work with the attractions as the instrumentals aren’t as good or powerful but it still definitely has the Elvis Costello feel, he also lives up to his first name ( which he changed to) with his own version of jailhouse rock with his own lyrics and title (mystery dance). Favourites: welcome to the working week, blame it on cain and sneaky feelings. Overall, 6/10.
The War On Drugs
3/5
Felt like the drums were the exact same beat every time, just at different tempos, anyway decent album, nothing special in my opinion, it’s got a nice mellow feel and sound to it like you could easily just get lost in it to calm down or something but didn’t really have that affect on me it was just a bit boring. No standout songs aswell as they felt pretty similar. Overall, 5/10.
Richard Thompson
4/5
I really liked this, great album cover aswell. Both of their vocal contributions add a lot to the differente songs, lyrically aswell I felt this had quite a lot to say. It also hit different feels well, the soft, mellow folky songs like the end of the rainbow, the cavalry cross and withered and died; the more poppy rock sound from the first song and the title track and a more kind of orchestral sound from the last song. All of which are my standouts. A great album overall with great instrumentation aswell I would like to add. Overall 7/10.
Radiohead
4/5
I feel this is very similar quality to kid A which actually surprised me a bit because I thought this was more like throw away material from Kid A completed to make an album but it’s more like the second half to a double album that never was. Although it’s not as fluid and thematic as Kid A it definitely has a similar every feeling with a focus on experimentation and electronic music in the mix. I do feel this was a slightly better album (on the first listen) as it felt like I could get into the songs without multiple listens like Kid A. There was however definitely some weirdness to this album which is to be expected for experimental music like this, most notably on pull/pull revolving doors with that strange way of vocalising in the song, but once again it definitely is experimental. Favourites: pyramid song, you and whose army, I might be wrong, knives out (great 3 song run from those three), hunting bears and life in a glasshouse. Overall, 8/10.
Jorge Ben Jor
4/5
I feel like any music with a strong emphasis on percussion like African inspired or Brazilian inspired music is an automatic win for me and this album is heavily focused on Brazilian percussion with African style backing vocals and it works really well. It’s very energetic and catchy and though I can’t understand the lyrics it really doesn’t matter because it only really acts as an instrument itself. The electric guitar aswell as a western inspired funk addition really makes this album aswell, it’s carried by both this and the percussion, I read this is Jorge’s first time using an electric guitar for his albums as well which is clearly a good decision on his part, although it would be interesting to see hear his more acoustic ones in comparison. I noticed a Herbie Hancock watermelon man whistle noise on a lot of the songs aswell which was cool. Anyway, a very fun album, overall, 7.5/10.
The Young Gods
3/5
Definitely an interesting one, there were no standouts with this one but I thought as an album it was cool and interesting, nice riffs and some nice samples, I can also definitely see the influence it most likely had on industrial rock acts like mine inch nails and such. Vocals took a little bit of getting used to although I guess it didn’t help that I couldn’t understand the lyrics. Overall 5/10.
Bee Gees
3/5
I don’t know why this and Trafalgar are both on this list, I get the point of showing the bee gees in this era of their music pre disco but it really annoys me that they get 2 placements of their 60’s albums but the moody blues get none especially when this is so obviously influenced by at least days of future passed (which definitely should have been on this list at least) with the whole orchestral sound, especially on the last song which felt like a song straight out of the mentioned moody blues album. This is a pretty good album though and is better than Trafalgar, although felt very similar in its change in quality with the first half being a bit dull and boring but the second half showing the album in a state which feels like it’s actually settled in and is essentially a better version of what the first half was trying to be. I mentioned the moody blues influence but this is also clearly inspired by pretty much all of the major British Invasion groups and the beach boys with the harmonies and such, also with some American country and folk in the mix as well, it’s actually quite a varied album in a way but also feels quite samey. Also, I would like to mention how the album cover is rubbish for a concept album (loose concept album anyway), Trafalgar has the really nice painting of the ships at sea which would have fit this so much better given this albums theme of the fictional ship lost at sea, although it doesn’t really follow this concept all too much. Anyway, favourites: lamplight, give your best, seven seas symphony and never say never again. I thought there was quite a bit to like about some of the other dongs aswell, the instrumentals were also nice but maybe a bit overdramatic sometimes and also a bit out of place as it just kindled of comes out of nowhere and blasts. This album is maybe a bit too long aswell, cut in half this could actually be really good but given it does have the boring first half, overall 6/10.
Björk
4/5
Very unique pop and she has a great voice aswell. There was a clear focus on electronic beats (which were so well made and produced) and a bit of a divergence with like someone in love which showcases Bjorks more gentle instrumental side (I know she didn’t write it but I mean the amazing harp and the decision to add ambient noises in the background). Favourites: crying, like someone in love, big time sensuality, one day and come to me. Overall, 7.5/10.
Joy Division
4/5
Haunting and incredibly immersive, I think Ian Curtis is the only person who could have delivered his lyrics the way he did on this album, hopeless yet powerful. Speaking of the lyrics it’s clear what kind of state of mind he was in when he wrote them acting as a kind of suicide note (although I guess it’s subjective). Musically, the bass and the synths (the latter mostly in the second half) completely made the atmosphere of the album and made it sound as dark as it did with the drums making it feel mechanical, especially with the way they recorded the cymbal and kick drum separately for instance and used reverb for some if the drums, just the way they used drum machines was really cool to be honest. The whole sound of the album definitely sounds unique as-well which is made from a culmination if those cool techniques they used to made this (and Ian’s voice). Favourites: isolation, passover, a means to an end, heart and soul, twenty four hours and the eternal. Overall, 8/10 (maybe 9 though).
Leonard Cohen
4/5
Basically a superior version of his second album which I heard first, he’s a great storyteller and the acoustic guitar works so well as background noise, I find you can either go deep into Cohens lyrics or just simply enjoy the tame sound of his voice with the music in the background, favourites: master song, the stranger song, sisters of mercy, stories of the street and one of us cannot be wrong. Overall, 7/10.
Echo And The Bunnymen
5/5
Is this better than ocean rain? Maybe, although my rating states it is but maybe I rated ocean rain too low, I thought this was an amazing album with no song really being weak at all , maybe it’s a bit samey and less varied than ocean rain but I think it’s not a problem when it’s all good. It’s kind of dark and gloomy but also not, it’s kind of weird like that but I guess that’s their whole sound, catchy new wave with a dark, psychedelic twist although if I am comparing ocean rain this one is a lot more upbeat, the rhythm guitar and bass is so good throughout aswell. Overall, 9/10.
Led Zeppelin
4/5
I think this might be slightly better than the first one, maybe not the third though, they are quite interchangeable though I have to say, great guitar from jimmy page, acoustic and electric, nice variation in songs, I like how they have an acoustic guitar, softer focussed song like tangerine on led zeppelin 3. Favourites: most of it to be honest although I wasn’t a fan of bring it on home (too weird) or the lemon song (too long for what it was), some generic rock lyrics aswell but that’s to be expected. Overall, 8/10.
Dinosaur Jr.
3/5
Decent grunge with some nice riffs and the drumming is very grunge-esque aswell, my main complaint though is the sound quality and lack of direction a bit as it sounds like the songs are a bit generic but with distorted guitars and loud drums to sound grunge, it also doesn’t really sound like it’s mixed all that well but maybe they intentionally did it that way to sound more raw but it sounds too raw as if it was was just straight up recorded in a garage, which again might be the intention. Not bad though, overall 5.5/10.
Santana
4/5
An album I’ve seen but not listened to before, I actually have it on vinyl passed down to me. I have to say it’s a shame it took me this long to actually listen to it cause that was pretty amazing, pure energetic Latin jazz fusion with some western rock in the mix a bit aswell, the entire album was great with the first song acting as a great soft introduction and then breaking into one of the lead singles and then just going on an amazing run till the very end with a short instrumental to end it off. The guitar playing was amazing aswell by the one and only Carlos Santana and the organ in some parts aswell was awesome. Overall, 8.5/10, my way of singing its praises but keeping it just from being a 5.
Songhoy Blues
4/5
One of the coolest titles for an album based on context I’ve ever seen, basically a middle finger to the jihadist group that caused their exile and ban of music in the region. Musically it is also holds up to the cool standard, because it’s really good basically, incredibly catchy, instrumentals were actually insane sometimes, especially percussion and obviously guitar as it is technically blues music. Only thing I can’t really comment on is lyrics as I don’t understand Songhai unfortunately but that doesn’t matter at all really because the musics so good and the vocals just act as another instrument really. Favourites: all but maybe the last two. Overall, 8/10.
Joni Mitchell
4/5
Very diverse, wasn’t actually expecting that as i guess i just assumed Joni to be a country/folk artist but this had a lot of different genres, obviously the classic country/folk is still their but there is also a lot of jazz and even electronic music. Every song feels very different to each other minus the similarities in styles obviously, one of the most unique ones here for me was the jungle line which had jungle style drums (hence the title) and a very cool electronic bass line. A big part of this album is the lyrics as well which of course are great as Joni shines in this aspect. Production wise this album sounds amazing aswell. Favourites: the first 4, title track, the boho dance and harry’s house/centerpiece. Overall, 8/10.
Black Sabbath
5/5
The 4th album in which might be the best 5 album run ever (arguably it could be 8 but in my opinion it drops off a bit from post sabbath bloody sabbath), originally this wasn’t going to be a 5 but after another listen this album is quite flawless, it has such a good intro song with a great instrumental section towards the end (one of the longer sabbath songs), changes (an out of place yet totally fitting soft piano song), fx which I have no idea how that came about and probably could be considered a bit filler but it is a really cool instrumental in my opinion, Laguina sunrise (maybe my least favourite of the acoustic Iommi songs but still amazing) and under the sun acts as a great closer with a doom like riff similar to how master of reality closes with into the void. Of course all the ones I haven’t mentioned follow a more familiar sabbath formula, all of which may have my favourite Tony Iommi riffs second only to master of reality and maybe paranoid. Vol.4 out of the sabbath discography for me falls around 3rd in my favourites, although is interchangeable with anything below master of reality and paranoid depending on how I feel to be honest. I also think the sound quality of this and production marks a bit of a change from the previous three which is carried on for the following albums, probably due to Iommis role in this aspect. Finally, of course R.I.P to the legend Ozzy Osbourne 💜, none of this, including this album could be done without you.I appreciate how this generator takes into account things like this and gives a suitable album for it. Overall, 9.5/10.
Paul Simon
4/5
Love how innovative this is for an early folk album from Paul, he does folk great but there’s already ideas pushing through here that make up something bigger especially with the organ and melodies in songs like the first one and run that body down (the latter without the organ but with a very cool jazzy feel). The hit single off this sounds like something that would come out of graceland which is what i mean by his more experimental (in a poppy way) ideas coming through. His guitar playing is great as well, just a great folk album in general, wasn’t as big a fan of the more country orientated songs like papa hobo or paranoia blues as much though. Favourites: mother and child reunion, Duncan, Everything put together falls apart, Run that body down, Me and Julio and peace like a river (and the instrumental). Overall, 7/10.
Radiohead
5/5
Wow who would’ve thought this album would be on here. In all seriousness though despite the album’s grandmaster npc status it deserves the praise it gets, it really is a one of a kind, super influential album with a perfect track list and run time, completely changed the British scene of music st the time and was super ahead of its time in its cultural and political theme present in its lyrics and overall message. I personally prefer Hail to the Thief (despite the fact I gave that 4 stars, wish you could change reviews on this) but this is definitely a close second and probably objectively the better one (HTTF is a bit messy in its track list and more stripped down). Also, I find it crazy how this followed the more guitar rock orientated the bends, that’s one of the great things in Radiohead’s discography, nit one of their albums are the same. Favourites: all. Overall, 10/10. (Nooo npc take).
Blood, Sweat & Tears
3/5
I can appreciate this albums variation in styles and genres with the different instruments, very jazzy in some places with sax and organ, very rick and roll in some, funky as well, especially in spinning wheel which basically showcased all of this. I did feel like it wasn’t very focussed as a result but i guess it’s messy in a good way. The variation on the theme from Erik Satie was really cool to both start and end the album with as well and actually one of my favourite parts of the album. I thought the lyrics overall weren’t really all great however as they were very surface level and generic but for 1968 this does feel musically ahead of its time at least. Sone of the eongs I wasn’t a fan of, mostly the slow love focussed ones like you’ve made me so very happy and god bless the child although i can appreciate the organ in both. Blues part 2 was quite decent and had a very clear reference to sunshine of your love which was cool i guess. Favourites: the two variations as mentioned, smiling phases and soinning wheel. Overall, 6/10.
Common
4/5
This was needlessly bloated both in album length and a lot of the song which were extended with repetitive aspects or pointless skits (mostly pointless) but other than that was was a good album, the second half was what especially shined for me personally but the whole album had great production and decent flows at least throughout, some familiar features aswell. Favourites: time travellin’, dooinit, the 6th sense, Thelonius, payback is a grandmother, Geto heaven pt2, and a song for Assata (my personal favourite, loved the storytelling). Overall, 7/10.
Marvin Gaye
4/5
Very different feel to what’s going on, less gospel inspired and a lot more groovy funk songs, all of which all have a very clear theme. I really liked this, funk is one of those genres which is an automatic win for me, especially if it’s a singer like Marvin Gaye, each song seemed to have a use of an instrument which hooked me funk wise, whether it was muted electric guitar, a type of drum sound, the bass line or saxophone which were all made even better by the great vocals. I do wish this was a bit longer though to be honest. This is also his first funk album which is crazy. Favourites: let’s get it on, please don’t stay, keep gettin’ it on, come get to this and distant lover. Overall, 8/10.
Supergrass
4/5
Incredible energy matched with really nice riffs and a nice mix of different instruments and styles. This is an example of an album that is very different to what the big hit single would have you believe, the songs were catchy yet found a way to change it up throughout to not make it boring. The energy died down for the final 4 songs which was a cool way to bring the energy down and end the album (even had an outro dong to say goodbye), i think they are much better with the quick tempo style though, although i fid really like the second last song. Favourites: I’d like to know, caught by the fuzz, mansize rooster, strange ones, sitting up straight, she’s so loose and sofa (of my lethargy). Overall, 8/10.
Jeff Buckley
4/5
Good to finally listen to this, very good I have to say, Jeff has an incredible voice shown right at the beginning of the album with the first song which perfectly showcases his vocal talent. This definitely inspired Radiohead as well to an extent, some of these songs sound very Bends-esque, especially songs like Lilac Wine (although this was a cover), so real and dream brother. Also, the the change from the traditional song into the heavy eternal life was a really cool moment, he definitely has a range (tragedy this is his only studio album). I have to say though i’m not a fan of his hallelujah cover, it’s not bad just not great and way too long. Favourites: Grace, last goodbye, Lilac wine, so real, Lover, you should cone over and Eternal life (my personal favourite). Overall, 8/10.
Slipknot
4/5
I actually really enjoyed this despite my preconceptions of this type of music before listening. This was clearly more accessible than other albums in the same category though due to its mix of death metal like vocal screams with anger behind it and a more poppy choruses with much clearer, singing vocals (especially with snuff which was essentially a love ballad out of nowhere). The lyrics were a bit cringe and edgy sometimes which I guess is to be expected for a band like slipknot but for me it wasn’t about the lyrics, more its riffs and instrumentation (especially the drumming and guitar), the melodies and the vocals were also nice. There were no standout songs for me, I thought the whole album was quite concise and had no clear drop offs or highs really. Overall, 7/10.
R.E.M.
4/5
I liked this a lot more than Green, the songs were a lot more interesting and had more variety between them, this also felt more serious and depressing to be honest than the carefree poppy sound of green which is a good thing. There was also more prevalence of acoustic guitar led sea shanty type music which was interesting but I really like it, this is most notable in try not to breathe and find the river. This album also has the well known songs man on the moon which I quite like and everybody hurts, which I actually don’t like so much which might be crazy but I think it’s way too long and actually quite boring but that’s just me. Also, the instrumental was great. Favourites: drive, try not to breathe, the sidewinder sleeps tonite, New Orleans instrumental 1, Monty got a raw deal, ignoreland, man on the moon and find the river. (Would have been quicker to name the ones I didn’t consider favourites. Overall, 7.5/10.
Korn
2/5
No thank you, not terrible but really not enjoyable, especially for its bloated run time. This reminds me of Linkin park which is a negative comparison in my view, the best part was the feature from Ice cube as at least it sounded a bit like an Ice Cube song with Korn as the feature, the rest of it was mostly cringe nu metal with the vocalist making the most annoying noises ever with his goofy beatbox he does for some reason, his voice wasn’t terrible though, kind of sounded a bit like the dude from helloween but not as good, but he barely used that vocal inflection anyway. The instrumentation was nice sometimes which is the most positive thing I can say about this album, but it was mostly boring, annoying and too long, it wasn’t unbearable to finish but I will definitely never listen to it again, it also had some blatantly homophobic lyrics which were definitely just not needed. Favourites I basically mentioned were the songs with the hip hop features (other than Fred durst but the fact he’s a feature says everything), overall, 3/10.
Happy Mondays
3/5
The sound and production to this album was really good, not that I’m an expert on production techniques or anything but it sounded so clear and was easy to distinguish between the different layers of instruments, the bass and drums were highlights with the deep bass flowing alongside the booming drums (I felt this style of drum sound was used a bit too much though) and the electronic am elements working well to keep each song a bit fresh. The vocals however were my least favourite part of the album, not only were they a little drowned out by the instrumentals but the vocalist sounds a bit annoying sometimes especially with the lyrics which were clearly intentionally comedic but still took away from the album being better. Favourites: mad Cyril (the best example of this albums nice production) and lazyitis (liked the desert like guitar), Overall, 6/10.
Fleet Foxes
4/5
Glad i gave this 2 listens, definitely clicked with me on the second one. They clearly have their distinct sound with the rich, shiny folk sound and constant use of harmonies (which got a little old). The guitar sounded really nice and was layered nicely with other guitars, pianos and backing vocals and what i assume to be percussion played on guitar a bit as-well. The album cover is a highlight as well and really matches the feel of the album. Production clearly a strong point too, felt quite immersive, although some of the songs got a bit repetitive and felt like repeats of some of the others a little, wasn’t a fan of the more acoustic based songs like meadowlarks and Oliver james as it felt too stripped down for their sound, the harmonies don’t work as well without being layered with instruments. Favourites: Sun it Rises, White Winter hymnal, Ragged wood, Tiger mountain peasant song, He doesn’t know why and heard them stirring. Overall, 7/10.
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
This album started out each side with a great song and then kind of petered out a little, there was also some random saxophone which was actually kind of funny to me cause it appeared out of nowhere for like 2 songs as a solo and never used again. A pretty good album though, a lot if it was kind of the same thing though with piano led songs bursting out into the classic 4/4 time signature drums, I wasn’t a fan of the long ballad ones (something in the night and racing in the street), they were kind of boring and bloated. There was also surprisingly a lack of guitar on this album but i guess this was more piano focussed with the random saxophone which and the harmonica at some points, the guitar solos that were here though were decent. Favourites: Badlands, Candy’s room, the promised land and factory. Overall, 7/10.
The Cure
5/5
This album has an atmosphere unlike any album i’ve heard before, incredibly ethereal in a sinister, dark kind of way, it’s almost as if it’s an entirely ambient/instrumental album but with the occasional (more than occasional but does feel this way a bit) vocal interruption from Robert Smith who’s voice works so well to fit this sound and is mixed in such a way that feels like it is being drowned out a bit by the instrumentation which really adds to the atmosphere i’m talking about. The album cover as well feels perfect for that lost, distorted, dreamlike feeling. There are no skips on this album as it is should definitely be experienced as a complete run, every track belongs and each one adds to that atmosphere in a different way (even the more pop focussed “a forest” still fits with the narrative), the first song is one of the best introductions to an album i’ve ever heard, it instantly creates that tense mood with the repeated piano motif and jangly guitar which is only struck like a few times but really adds to the overall sound along with the wailing voices in the background then followed by a weirdly upbeat song in comparison but still with that kind of depressing sound with the guitar and bass. It then kind of drifts back into a more ambient sound fir the next songs. The second side also starts with an instrumental, this time a bit more atonal and confusing leading into an upbeat tone once again before then following a similar path to the first side. Honestly this album is kind of a masterpiece and has such great instrumentals with how the bass and guitars are used and changed from jangly to a clear distorted sound, there’s a lot of variety throughout but there still remains the overall sound and with Smith’s vocals it is made even better, I didn’t even mention the lyrics which also perfectly fit with the theme. Favourites: all. Overall, wasn’t expecting to give this but 10/10.
5/5
A perfect album in all aspects in my opinion, iconic and every song is a masterpiece in its own right, super ahead of its time (especially with the effects and tape manipulation on songs like Lucy in the sky and for the benefit of mr kite) with incredible variation from the inclusion of many influences and styles of music. Not much I can say that hasn’t probably been said a million times but this is definitely my favourite Beatle’s album, although not by far (Revolver a close second). Favourites: all. Overall, 10/10.
R.E.M.
4/5
Out of the three I’ve heard, this is my favourite R.E.M album, it’s not as varied as green or Automatic for the people but more of a complete album experience with the songs being of similar quality throughout (good quality that is), it’s mostly very catchy guitar indie rock with jangly guitars and soft drums, it’s kind of like garage rock I guess but without the distortion and loud drums but it works really well and culminates in a great album. It’s also lifted by the great vocals and lyricism by Stripe who has a very unique voice which helps separate this band from others. Favourites: Radio free Europe, Laughing, talk about the passion, catapult, sitting still, 9-9 (probably my favourite), shaking through, we walk and west of the fields. Overall, 8/10.
Billy Bragg
3/5
This album had a strange feel to it, I think it’s because I’ve heard Yankee foxtrot hotel from Wilco already and so going from indie rock into this was a bit unexpected and strange even though this actually came out 4 years before. The actual album itself was decent but nothing special for me, sounded like pretty generic country folk songs with a bit of a more modern twist, most notably on Wilco’s half of the songs, Billy Bragg makes it sound more like what Woody would have done if he made them. I do like the ideas of the album though, to bring more of his work to light from his vault of like a thousand songs or whatever. The lyrics were good and political as to be expected and had good meaning behind some songs, others were about generic “yearning for my lover” type storylines. Favourites: she came along to me and I guess I planted. I’m actually going to add a least favourite aswell which is hoodoo voodoo which had a good instrumental but the vocals actually hurt to listen to because he kept cracking his voice for some reason. Overall, 5/10.
Beth Orton
4/5
I really like this one, great voice and lyricism intertwined with simple yet also complex instrumentation (in some aspects), mostly folk but with definite trip-hop elements most notable in songs like ‘Stars all seem to weep” and the last song (a remix of an already established song previously on the album), both of which feel slightly out of place but culminate in what are probably my favourite songs of the album as they really seperate thus album from other folk ones. It also bas a great, catchy intro song which is always a good thing to immediately hook you to the album, followed by less energetic folk songs with some really nice acoustic guitar and strings, there was actually quite a few instruments i noticed in each of the different songs which definitely added some variety. Also, once again the lyrics throughout were really nice and quite deep. Favourites: the first three, stars all seem to weep, love like laughter and the last three. Overall, 8/10.
Pearl Jam
4/5
I thought this was pretty good, one of those albums I’ve seen many times but never heard. The use of wah was very nice and the guitar throughout was one of the best parts of the album (despite some bloated guitar solos particularly on the ballads), the dudes voice was kind of annoying but it also kind of worked (like he was doing a parody of that kind of voice) but it was definitely powerful. The description of this album genre wise is pretty accurate to the sound, very classic rock inspired grunge which I wish maintained itself throughout but it shifted to love ballads a few times with black and Alive which I wasn’t a massive fan of despite their odd popularity (definitely overrated compared to the other songs), the last song also had a whole like 3 minute outro after like a minute silence which I thought was a strange choice and kind of not needed. Favourites: once, why go, oceans, porch and deep. Overall, 7/10.
Sugar
3/5
Ok first of all the mixing on this was pretty awful, the distorted guitars were nice and all but took up like 70% of the entire mix with the vocals and drums being drowned out, it was very hard to understand the vocals and the drums were even more hidden and felt very obsolete sometimes which is a shame. Not to say this is a bad album though, it was decent but felt like if you pressed alternative rock on an automatic album generating machine. Some parts sounded a bit like early R.E.M which was cool but just inferior. I was considering giving this 2 stars if it didn’t have any standout songs but hoover dam was great, the rest were quite standard, none were necessarily bad though. Overall, 5/10.
Kate Bush
5/5
Wow! I knew this would be good, but I didn’t imagine it would be this good. Such an innovative album, especially for a pop album, progressive pop is such a rare thing in mainstream music so it’s really cool to see it done so well. The first half (“hounds of love”) was more singular song focussed with each song being it’s own thing, i did prefer the songs on this side by themselves but the second side (“the ninth wave”) was a really unexpected flow of songs to make up a whole story, with some really unique techniques especially in songs like wake the witch and jig of life (the latter being super random but was really good), the instrumentation, especially with the reversed vocals in wake the witch and watching you without me, were done so well also, it just felt super unique and definitely feels like it inspired people like Bjork showing how ahead of this time this album was. Also, it’s really cool to see how appreciated this album was when it came out, despite how experimental it was compared to other pop albums Favourites: all. overall, 9/10.
Eminem
3/5
What really makes this album for me is obviously Dre on production and the fact that Eminem is just a good rapper, i’m not a fan of a lot of the lyrics, especially with the blatant homophobia or the way he obsesses over his aggressive delivery on most songs but it is clear that this is a parody of itself shown by the way he uses humour throughout or the blatant cartoonishly evil beats when he rhymes about violence like on the last song or “kill you”, also when he vocalises over the beat which seems to be common for him.only a few skits as-well which i actually appreciate, one of them was very weird though. I thought it was pretty good though but there was only a few songs i actually liked enough to want to listen to more, favourites: Stan, the way I am, drug ballad and the one with Snoop. Overall, 6/10.
4/5
Very fun, fast paced and actually varied punk album and genuinely one of the best albums I’ve heard from this list, it’s definitely inspired by Ramones but in my opinion is better than their work as it feels a lot more varied and not too one note like a lot of punk albums seem to fall into sometimes. This also feels very pixies to an extent which i like. The rockabilly vibes also give this album a unique sound along with the old style rock. I guess my only complaint is sometimes the vocal mix gets a bit fuzzy when the vocals get a bit loud but maybe that’s part of the sound. In summary, great riffs, great vocals from both of them and really great energy throughout along with a nice variety between songs. Favourites: almost all bar a few like the first 2, white girl and the penultimate one (just personal preference really). Overall, 8/10.
Jimi Hendrix
5/5
The GOAT of electric guitar himself also on production with one of the best drummers of all time and a great bassist , a recipe for a perfect album which is exactly what this is, seriously though this it’s crazy how good the Hendrix discography is and is one of the great tragedies of music that it is only limited to three albums (during his lifetime anyway), this album in particular is seen as his best which I can’t argue with (I struggle to have a favourite though as they are all perfect for me, although it is the longest so maybe it is). The intro song is like a portal to “electric ladyland” which works so well with the follow up song as like a dream like song introducing you to this random psychedelic experience place and then followed constant amazing songs. This album also features the 2 longest Hendrix songs, one of which being one of the best jam sessions ever and the other being a cool story about going back to the ocean as a merman. The techniques on this album as well are so cool with the effects made from distortion, guitar sounds and recording techniques, super ahead of it’s time and with obviously incredible guitar playing, I feel like Hendrix takes a bit of a backseat with his classic fast guitar style here though, it’s obviously still prevalent but there’s a lot more slowed down, immersive guitar on some songs. Voodoo Chile (slight return) is such a perfect ending as well following the iconic Dylan cover. Favourites: all. Overall, 10/10.
Soundgarden
4/5
This is like a superior version of pearl jam, incredibly heavy and Chris Cornell is a great vocalist, probably the best i’ve heard for this genre of heavy grunge. Great riffs, vocals, drums and production was clearly on point to make it sound as heavy as it did. Maybe a little bloated as it was a little samey but it had a clear sound it was aiming for and maintained it throughout so i guess that’s only a small nitpick (although it did have 1 song which changed it up a bit “half”). I thought the vocal delivery and lyrics were very much like Kurt Cobain in some aspects, like a heavier version of nirvana. Favourites: Let me down, New wave, fell on black days, Superunknown, kickstand, 4th of July and like suicide. I did feel like all of the songs were consistently good though. Overall, 8/10.
Christina Aguilera
4/5
Honestly better than i thought it would be, I was expecting generic pop ahh but this was a lot more unique and innovative than that, the first half and second half feel really different as well. The first half’s sampling is really good which made for a lot of cool beats and instrumentals, varying from funky guitars and hip hop style drums and record scratching which was really nice, paired with really great vocals (which sometimes felt like she was showing off a bit sometimes with the long sustained notes), didn’t feel like it overstayed its welcome as well as the second half feels quite different. Really liked the message dedicated to her fans at the end of the first half as well. The second half was a lot less sampling, a lot more orchestral and cabaret style with even better vocals in my opinion, the intro with the circus style was a nice introduction and then followed by the cabaret style music (especially i got trouble which definitely hit its intended feel of sounding like a song from the 1920’s) and then ending with songs with an emphasis on Aguileras voice which was certainly an epic way to end it. I feel this deserves more than a 3 so overall, 7/10.
Daft Punk
3/5
Definitely feels like what the context suggests, a bunch of songs the pair made to be released as singles here and there but instead put them together as an album. Not to say that makes it bad or anything, i quite enjoyed this despite its repetitiveness and length of the album being probably too long. I thought mostly the singles were the best anyway, a lot of the others felt like filler as they didn’t really have much going for them other than a repeated beat which continues for like the whole song but I guess you can say that for all of them to an extent. Favourites: Revolution 909, Da funk, Fresh and Alive. Overall, 6/10.
The Clash
5/5
Wow this album is actually flawless, annoying it took me this long to hear it for the first time. My usual complaint with double albums is that they are usually too long for what they are but this doesn’t have that issue, genuinely every dong was great. Incredibly varied as well, many influences taken from different genres but they did well to incorporate this without losing their distinct punk style, it all flows together so well also, there’s no merging of songs or anything but it just fits despite each song being unique which is a crazy feat for 19 songs. Also, for London calling to be probably my least favourite song on the album shows how good this lineup of songs are. I do think it may be a bit of a stretch to call this a punk album though even though it still contains punk elements and is made by the clash. Favourites: all. Overall, 10/10.
The Offspring
4/5
Feels like a kind of thrash punk version of Nirvana which feels especially true with Gotta get away which sounds like about a girl by Nirvana and the lyrics used seem very similar to Cobain’s self loathing style in some parts. The actual album itself was good though, nice riffs, high energy and good vocals. I thought the sound was a bit weird though, I think it was the drums, they just sounded a bit tinny and quiet. Also, so glad i waited like 6 minutes on the last song to get a 1 minute middle eastern ahh beat, what was that about. Anyway, favourites: Gotta get away, come out and play, it’ll be a long time and what happened to you. Overall, 7/10.
Kings of Leon
3/5
Started off strong but the rest was generic southern twang garage rock with some pretty annoying vocals at times. A lot of the guitar work felt very simple and mostly played the same few notes or riff over again (other than some nice solos here and there), this is nothing like their later work like only by the night which surprises me why this album was picked of all in their discography. Also, i’ve already mentioned the annoying vocals but this is definitely apparent in Trani cause what was that. Anyway not bad but just quite generic with only a few highs. Favourites: Red Morning Light and Genius. Overall, 5/10.
Little Richard
4/5
Of its time but really great, Tutti Fruity is probably my favourite song from this period and this genre. Little Richard is the G.O.A.T when it comes to rock and roll in the 1950’s and has an amazing and iconic voice and this album shows it but it does get a little repetitive for a 28 minute album, especially with some of the songs sounding like reskins of others ,although he practically helped invent this style of music so exceptions can be made. Favourites: pretty much all except maybe the slower love ones which were still good but not as much as the fun ones (most of the album is the fun ones fortunately). Overall, 8/10.
Morrissey
3/5
Morrissey is such a strange guy. On the one hand he stinks and is a pretentious, racist loser who thinks he’s superior to everyone else (the latter of which seems to make up the brunt if his political and moral attitudes) as clearly demonstrated on this album with Bengali in platforms, a clearly racist song advocating for the concept of immigrants not belonging and telling them to shelve their “western plans” and also portraying the hosts as “only wanting to embrace the culture” (really makes that clear with his Islamophobic comments). He then has the audacity to include a song on the same album called “treat me like a human being” which portrays him as a caring person telling you to “leave all your hate behind.” Maybe you should listen to this sentiment more Morrissey and actually apply it to other people. However, on the other hand I respect his attitude to animal welfare and vegetarianism (despite him using this as the basis to make more racist rhetoric) and his attitudes to Margaret Thatcher, shown by the last song on this album which I wholeheartedly agree with. I realise though that I’m turning this more into a review about Morrissey so anyway, the music was pretty good, felt like a subpar version of the Smiths as there is no Johnny Marr. A lack of Mike Joyce was prevalent as well as I actually disliked the drum sound on this album, felt very airy and kind of empty as well as the bass which without Andy Rouke felt like it was purposefully made quieter to hide the inferior quality, no shade to the musicians though it just felt like Morrissey’s voice was the main draw to this album (and his lyrics i guess). Favourites: Alsatian cousin, Suedhead, Break up the family, I don’t mind if you forget me and the last one as previously mentioned. In comparison to you are the quarry this was a bit worse (and had more blatant racism). Overall, 6/10.
The KLF
4/5
Not easy to get on streaming but luckily they released a lot of their stuff after the fact and some helpful person made a playlist which may not be completely true to the original but looks close enough to me. Anyway, really enjoyed this, the first half I preferred a lot more to the second as it had more of the guy rapping which was my favourite part about this admittedly but throughout it had good beats and engaging instrumentals. The second half was mostly focusing on the electronica side of it which was still good but slightly repetitive. The last one was really good though. This album feels definitely like a product of its time but it’s aged well enough I would say and is still very enjoyable. Favourites: the entire first hslf and the last of the second. Overall, 7 maybe a 8/10.
Nas
5/5
There’s no way this wouldn’t be a 10, one of the most iconic and amazing hip hop albums of all time. Perfect sampling (with some of the greatest minds of hip hop production, especially Q-tip), perfect flows from Nas complimented by his choice of lyrics highlighting the theme of his childhood in NY. Honestly everything just compliments each other so well and culminates in a perfect album with every song fulfilling this level. Personally this isn’t my favourite of all time but it’s up there. Also, if anything, 39 minutes is too short. Favourites: all. Overall, 10/10.
Wu-Tang Clan
5/5
One my first hip hop albums that got me into the genre, it’s got some of the best sampling you will ever hear and the energy levels are off the charts, I don’t even need to mention how influential this is as well, an amazing start to the whole Wu Tang music lore as well and I think it’s really cool how this was the introduction before all if them making solo albums (some of which even add up to the quality of this one). They must be one of the only groups with that many members to have every one have verses with each bringing their own personality to the songs. The skits, despite being needlessly long sometimes and me not usually bring a fan of skits being attached to the songs, weren’t as bad as I remember to be honest, they add personality and don’t drag like I thought but I still think they can be annoying but honestly it’s worth it to hear the songs even if you can’t skip them. Favourites: all. Overall maybe not quite a 10 which feels a but strict but it’s just how I feel, 9/10.
Randy Newman
2/5
Wow it’s the Toy Story guy, who said the n-word 4 times in the first song. I get it’s meant to be satirical as that’s clearly his style and to be critical of both the north and south for their role in slavery, he’s obviously not actually racist or anything but there was no need to include that at all. The whole album though was a bit boring, it was basically the same thing the whole way through for the most part with the only difference ls being the speed of the song, with some slow ballad type ones and quick rock/country ones. I also find it hard to separate his voice from Pixar and I honestly feel like they should have put like the Toy Story soundtrack over this album as this album has no real reason of being here other than the critical acclaim it received in comparison to his previous albums. Favourites: Mr. President, Naked Man (which sounded like ob-la-de ob-la-da by the beatles by the way). Overall, 4.5/10.
Norah Jones
3/5
This album is definitely an album album if you know what I mean, it has the same feel throughout, so much that a lot of the songs definitely sound the same, other than a couple standouts. Definitely the kind of record you would stick on for lounging or to listen to on a solo road trip on an empty road or something. Not to take away from the artistic nature behind it or anything, it’s definitely meant to serve this purpose as she even described it so as a “moody” album. Mostly jazzy inspired pop with gentle acoustic guitar and piano with soft vocals with not much variety but still good except maybe too long as it doesn’t have enough ideas to justify the length. Overall, 6.5/10.
Ali Farka Touré
4/5
The acoustic guitar on this album is amazing, even with some of the songs being talking blues, which i’m not usually a massive fan of, the guitar work by Touré absolutely made them so much more better and enjoyable. The rest was the same with the quality of guitar but better in my opinion with the more singing based vocals. The whole album basically followed the pattern of a focus on the acoustic guitar with light, distant percussion and Touré either talking or singing with backup singers in the background. It’s quite a simple premise for the whole album but Touré is clearly a master of his craft which makes it stand out to other desert blues or blues as a whole. Also, a good album to go out on, he claimed it was his best but artists saying the album they just released or are about to release isn’t always reliable as they may just be wanting sales. Overall, 7.5/10.
LCD Soundsystem
4/5
Didn’t know what to expect but their name is quite accurate to their music to be honest, the electronic parts anyway. There was also a clear influence of post-punk/ new wave kind of like talking heads with the way it sounded with the rhythm guitar and the vocals sometimes. There was also the electronic aspect as mentioned which was a bit like daft punk or something mixed with punky/ new wave elements. There was also indie rock mixed with like indie dance. It was definitely a variety anyway, most of it was really good, it got a little repetitive sometimes especially with the length of the songs, some of them mixed it up well and kept it interesting with progression within the instrumental like north American scum or all my friends, the latter of which had a repeated piano motif but the drums and electronic parts got more potent and changed towards the end. But some definitely felt a bit more samey throughout the song like someone great or the first song which definitely wasn’t helped by the fact they are on the longer end of song time. Favourites: Time to get away, North American scum, All my friends, Us vs them and watch the tapes. Overall, 7/10.
Willie Nelson
3/5
One of the few country artists I am familiar with and can actually appreciate due to his role in the highwaymen(and his solo career I guess). This album had some great storytelling and acoustic guitar, both of those things is basically what the album consisted of but it was done well, especially with Nelson’s iconic country vocals (second only to Johnny Cash), their was a few instances of other instruments like piano, drums and harmonica, this was especially true for the instrumentals, which were probably my favourite of the album, mainly due to the fact that it had more of a focus on engaging instrumentation as it lacked the vocal aspect, the album length is a nice change of pace as well, clearly not bloated and focused on telling what he wanted to tell, although it did sound a bit like generic country sometimes and was a bit repetitive with the way he delivered vocals and the guitar as well despite being played really well, had that country twang to it which made it feel more of the same, although Wilke Nelson was one of the innovators of this style of music so I guess it’s fair. Favourites: Just as I am, O`er the waves, Down yonder and remember me. Overall, 6/10.
KISS
1/5
Booooooo!!! 🍅🍅🍅 I actually hated this. bland, uninspired, generic, boring rubbish. I knew I wouldn’t like it as it’s kiss, a band who focus on looks and live stage presence rather than quality of music, their looks don’t even match this music and also Gene Simmons. Seriously though there’s barely anything redeemable about this, the mix/production is so terrible, it sounds muddy and is like you’re listening to an amateur live band playing nearby with terrible sound quality, . At least it stops you hearing them playing their instruments a bit as every aspect of instrumentation is the most generic thing, boring riffs and drums which isn’t helped by the fact that they can clearly only come up with 30 seconds of a song before just repeating the same thing over and over again with the most random and awful lyrics they could come up with. The only thing keeping this being even lower is that the first song is a little better than the rest (despite the 2 minute bike intro) and the strong point Beth is at least ok. I don’t even know what genre you would call this, it’s not hard rock or metal, more like rubbish soft/glam rock with distorted guitars, vocals were quite bad as well. Really did not like this but at least it was on the shorter side of albums, favourites: none. overall, 2/10
Randy Newman
3/5
No not woody again. All jokes aside, I enjoyed this a lot more than Good old boys as it had a lot more variety in the songs. It had like a mix of Circus music (for some reason), American casino style cabaret and piano led ballads. I also felt this didn’t sound as much like Pixar music as the last did, due to the change up in styles unlike the other one which was very repetitive, this one was still a little repetitive but not nearly as much, although, musically it didn’t exactly hook me all the time. This guy is definitely a good lyricist, especially with his political commentary on songs like political science and sail away, however his vocals and instrumentation (the latter being less of an issue) leaves a bit to be desired for me personally. Also, with the album being remastered in 2002 it made it seem like the song Dayton Ohio-1903 was suggesting in the title that the place somehow died in 2002 which was pretty funny. Favourites: Last night I had a dream and political science. Overall, 6/10. (Also, I had to rewrite this review as the site randomly died for some reason).
The Smiths
5/5
Doesn’t make it to the masterpiece status of Queen is dead but it’s a somewhat close second and an amazing album, it has the best bass from any of the albums in my opinion with pretty much all of the songs, Johnny Marr doesn’t hold back also with the layered jangly guitars which have a kind of electronic synthy sound sometimes with that tone. Mike Joyce is as good as ever, the only thing that doesn’t stand out to the other albums is Morissey’s vocals which are maybe the weakest compared to the others mostly due to the production which make it sound like he’s singing in the shower sometimes as I saw someone else say but that is more of a nitpick as the vocals are usually fine throughout,. This album like TQID also has no skips which the others albums don’t have I think, rushholme ruffians a little bit of a weak link for me but it’s still a decent song, the title track I admit I didn’t appreciate much when I first heard it but it’s become a personal favourite not just due to its strong message, which is one of Morissey's only good takes, but the instrumental is haunting especially with the animal noises which despite maybe being a bit long definitely drive home the message. The disco like influence on Barbarism begins at home is great as well and has such a good bass line, Morissey matches the dance energy with his goofy monkey noises as well. Favourites: all. Overall, 9/10.
a-ha
3/5
Essentially an album with 3 singles surrounded by mostly filler, decent overall but kind of boring. It starts strong obviously with take on me but really falls off after that, it also has the stereotypical 80’s production especially with the synths and the drum sound which basically make up the entire sound of the album, the vocals are very 80’s new wave as well, I like what they did with the synths sometimes but there wasn’t enough variety in the songs to keep me engaged, the mix felt a bit flat as well probably due to the sound I already mentioned, it was just a bit bland mostly but definitely has some strong moments. Favourites: take on me, the sun always shines on tv and I dream myself alive. Overall, 5/10.
The Stranglers
4/5
Punk done well with an organ to make it so much better. They definitely have a unique sound just because of the implementation of the organ and they also have a kind of spooky vibe to them sometimes which is cool. Honestly even the vocals are quite good, they may actually be the weakest part due to the energy of the drums and the bass to match. The guitar sound is such a good fit for the sound of the organ to play alongside it when the solos happen and the riffs aren’t amazing or anything but they work as a thing to build on with the other instrumental elements which is what they did. It could get a bit repetitive sometimes and some of the songs weren’t my thing but a good album overall. Favourites: the first 2, Hanging around, Get a grip, the medley and choosey susie. Overall, 7/10.
Blur
3/5
Horrible histories ahh. Most of this seriously sounded like something you would hear on CITV (especially bank holiday) It was ok at best and way too long for not a lot of good songs but there are a few highlights which at least made it worth a listen. The guy’s vocals were kind of annoying, especially when he was trying to hit high notes., the instrumentals were sometimes punky, sometimes poppy, I liked the electronic dance effects in some songs (like the first one despite the overall cheesiness of the song), the other instruments were nothing special bar a few guitar riffs and licks which were nice. I think in summary the album definitely suffered from them sounding like they weren’t taking themselves seriously enough but when they did it was good which I think reflects in my favourites from here. Favourites: The debt collector, Trouble in the message centre, Clover Over Dover and This is a low. Overall, 5/10.
Alice Cooper
3/5
I feel it’s open to interpretation whether he’s taking himself seriously as a “shock rock” act with edgy lyrics or more like a goofy halloweeny feel, for me it felt more like the latter so I mostly enjoyed it, definitely fits the season I got it in. Although, I find it funny this type of music was so controversial at the time and that it apparently horrified parents as other than the last song it’s just scooby doo vibes at its most extreme. The actual music itself was pretty cool and spooky which helped fit the vibe, especially on unfinished sweet with the ghostly chase ahh bass and the haunting guitar, the vocals were goofy but good and I could picture a cartoonish skeleton singing which pretty much sums ip the vibe I got from this album. Other thsn a few standouts though it was a bit generic or sometimes just weird (especially with the weirdness of sick things and the last song) but was pretty good in general. Favourites: title track, unfinished sweet and Generational landslide. Overall, 6/10.
John Lennon
4/5
I expected a little more for some reason but it’s a good album, politically charged, good lyrics and a variation between the songs by quite a lot actually, not one song sounded the same. The only song I’ve actually heard is obviously the title track so it’s good to hear the complete thing, it feels completely different to the Beatles but that’s to be expected, definitely some John Lennon weirdness as well which helped add to the variety and kept it unique, the instrumentals especially some guitar parts and some of the piano mostly. Favourites: Imagine, Gimme some truth, Paul diss, and Oh Yoko! Overall, 7/10.
The Associates
3/5
First of all, great cover. The music was definitely intriguing and unique, both in a cool, strange way and an annoying, weird way. The vocals were good for the most part but also one of the most annoying parts of the album in other parts with the screeching falsetto he does sometimes. He sounds a bit like David Bowie sometimes though and he’s overall a good vocalist that fits with this kind of music. Honestly the blend of post punk, pop and electronic music was really cool although I felt a lot of the songs were just too strange but I can definitely appreciate it’s uniqueness, I feel like I haven’t heard an album quite like this one and the feel of it was actually haunting yet majestic, unfortunately the songs themselves don’t really all fit with this all the time and aren’t the best overall. Favourites: Arrogance gave him up, Gloomy Sunday, Skipping, it’s better this way and Grecian. If only more of the songs were instrumentals, they seem to be the best ones. Overall, 6/10.
David Crosby
3/5
Song with no words is like all of them I swear. Cowboy song felt like one of the only completed, thought out songs, the rest felt mostly like jam sessions. They were quite good though, felt quite jazzy and bluesy but ruined a bit by the annoying vocals with the wispy harmonies which felt like they struggled to reach those notes a little. It would have been better if it had been purely instrumental to be honest. The one that was purely an instrumental (Tamplais high) shows it would have better this way in my opinion, either that or more songs like cowboy song. The last 2 were such a strange way to end the album as well, this album lacked consistency. Favourites: Cowboy song and Tamplais High (as mentioned). Overall, 5/10
Johnny Cash
4/5
A really good live album, the songs by themselves are pretty good but it’s the context and the comedy act that make this so good, there’s few artists that can pull off a prison act like Johnny Cash, especially with some of his discography which just matches so well with the scenes he plays in. Favourites: wanted man and I walk the line. Overall, 7/10.
Buzzcocks
4/5
Feels a bit different to punk in the traditional fashion with the vocals and the sound of the album. It still has the fast riffs and kind of pulsating drums punk usually has but it sounds more fun in a way rather than aggressive and angry. The vocalist also makes it sound a but posh sometimes which culminates in a differing punk album to something like the clash or Ramones. I enjoyed quite a bit though and I thought the way the drums and distorted guitar riffs came together like a marching band almost was great, definitely a good, somewhat ahead of its time punk album (felt a bit 80’s in some ways). Favourites: Fast cars, get out on our own, I don’t mind, fiction romance and autonomy. Overall, 7/10.
Bill Evans Trio
4/5
Very enjoyable, I actually unknowingly listened to the 1 hour deluxe cd version assuming the different takes of the songs were purposefully added to show variation in takes of the same song and, although it wasn’t the case for the original release, that’s still how it cane across for me and I liked it. The actual album felt incredibly professional all the way through, you can tell they’re close knitted as a trio because everything compliments each other well and the ability to keep in time and play like that is masterful. Also, other than the piano being amazingly played, the bass player was a phenomenal, it felt a bit like he was holding himself back at parts, especially on Gloria’s step. This actually doesn’t even feel like a live album as well as it’s so well recorded and made, the clapping and quiet taking in the background with gentle clinks of tea cups adds to the calm atmosphere. I haven’t even mentioned the fact that this is so good without any brass as well, pulling that off is crazy. Favourites: all. Overall, 8/10.
The Undertones
4/5
Great, fun punky new wave. I feel like it doesn’t take itself too seriously and just focuses on being energetic and kind of goofy which works really well. There were some variations in styles with some songs being quite pop-rocky and focusing on the generic themes of love and stuff, others being a bit more slow and booming (with the drums). The best though, in my opinion is where it is more punky and fast paced which is more in the first side, this will probably be reflected in my favourites. Favourites: There goes Norman, Hypnotised, see that girl, Tearproof and What’s with Terry. Overall, only just a 7/10.
Sonic Youth
5/5
The second Sonic Youth album i’ve gotten which has blown me away, it’s quite similar to dirty as it’s got some grungey influences to it but it mainly focusses on the noisy alt-rock sound with amazing guitars, it’s also not as raw because of this which I think is most notable in the more quieter drum sound and the blend of rough distorted guitars with the more cleaner sounding ones, it’s simply great noise with a good message behind it all done amazingly well. The fact this comes right before dirty as well is incredible, although I slightly prefer dirty. Favourites: all (Tunic maybe mot as it was very much based on talking but it had such a great instrumental behind it). Overall, 9/10.
The Everly Brothers
2/5
Generic rock and roll with really dated lyrics, it’s fun at times and some of the songs were quite good but for the most part it’s boring and a bit repetitive despite its short length, it’s got too many slow, dreamy lover songs rather than the fun rock and roll ones which they are actually good at. Although I can see how it might be influential for groups like the beach boys (with the vocal harmonies) and the beatles so there’s that. Favourites: Donna, Donna and Cathy’s clown. Overall, 4/10.
Brian Wilson
4/5
Despite feeling like a shell of what could have been, it’s a great album with a lot of great songs. There are some parts that just feel glued together though which makes it seem a bit unfinished (which given the context makes sense) but overall it actually all flowed together really well and in a way that made it fresh all throughout. It’s got the distinct Brian Wilson sound to it with the bright, shiny sounding production and the obvious use of harmonies, although it definitely sounds a bit off due to his voice changing after over 30 years. It feels a bit like a kind of compilation album with how it includes songs from other albums and the cover as well just seems like something that would be in a compilation album. Favourites: Roll Plymouth rock, Wonderful, song for Children, Child is father of the man, on a holiday, Mrs O’learys cow, Good Vibrations and heroes and villains. Overall, 7/10.
Arcade Fire
3/5
Arcade fire have had a varying run of quality for me, after now being given all the first 3 albums this is probably slightly better than neon bible as it has a lot of the same issues of repetition especially with some of the melodies, it’s not very varied either which is why I liked the suburbs so much in comparison. That being said it’s still a decent album with some strong moments, it starts quite strong with a powerful, almost orchestral without the orchestra sound which continues throughout with the obvious indie alt rock sound from the guitars and rather simple drum beats. There seemed to be a loose theme with the album as well evidenced by the 4 neighbourhood songs (some of the worst to be honest) but it was hard to concentrate on the lyrics as the vocals were just sometimes unintelligible (another issue I had with this, the vocals were kind of annoying sometimes) and some of the instrumentals weren’t really engaging enough in the first place, this is again where the suburbs takes the upper hand. Favourites: the french one, Haiti and Rebellion. Overall, 6/10.
Bruce Springsteen
2/5
It sounds so generic, every song is the same thing with a slow build up and then a booming drum sound into a loud and explosive rhythm. It genuinely sounds like a cheesy musical with every chord used being the most obvious major chord with no variety. His vocals are kind of annoying as well. I don’t know maybe this is more of an American thing although badlands was miles better than this as it actually had some variety and interesting songs. It kind of sound just like a worse version of meatloaf with the repetitive piano keys and the booming drums to give it that passionate, energetic sound. Favourites: none really other than the last song only because if the admittedly awesome instrumental in the middle with the saxophone, even born to run wasn’t even that great given its popularity. Overall, feels a bit harsh considering the popularity of this album but 4/10.
Donovan
4/5
A cool mix of folk and psychedelic rock with eastern influences (a sitar was used), I enjoyed it and feel as if this was quite ahed of its time especially it coming out the same month as revolver and also including similar sounds to love you to. It does have that sound to it that makes it sound older and more medieval in a way which was a really cool production choice or maybe just a result of it being old. The lyrics were interesting with its inclusion of legends and folklore, it really does just sound like a medieval album sometimes. Favourites: title track, Ferris wheel, Bert’s blues, Season of the witch, the trip, celeste, Breezes of patchulie, superlungs for my supergirl and the land of doesn’t have to be. Overall, 7.5/10 (close to 8).
Deee-Lite
4/5
What in the scooby doo is that album cover. This felt very native tongues which is fitting with the Q-tip feature which came out of nowhere (I was already familiar with the song but had no idea he was on there), something like de la soul or jungle brothers comes to mind a bit with the beats as they had that kind of funky, fun sound that early native tongues albums had. Obviously though this was missing the rap part of that as it focused on dance beats but it did still have great vocals which really kept it fresh which I really appreciate. This also felt ahead of its time with the more electronic dance aspects in some parts of songs but I thought this was mostly quite goofy fun which I don’t mean in a way that takes away from the artistry as it is clearly well made but it was clearly made to be fun which it was. Favourites: Dee-Lite theme, Try me on, Smile on and Groove is in the heart. Overall, 7/10.
4/5
I really like this one, definitely felt very kinksy with the satirical Ray Davies - like lyrics. I felt this was just a better version of parklife with more interesting and fun songs without that horrible histories feel despote it being in similar style and production in most ways. Favourites: For tomorrow, Star shaped, Chemical World (mostly due to that great intermission), Sunday, oily water and Villa Rosie. Overall, 7/10.
Venom
3/5
This was pretty good and I can see how it was influential to the overall theme of black metal, introducing the name and the style of playing plus the theme of the lyrics (which were very stereotypically satanist). It doesn’t hold up amazingly as it isn’t as powerful as more modern day metal although that’s obvious but has the energy and the nice riffs which define the genre. It is however, quite repetitive and feels like it overstays its welcome a bit given that the songs follow a very similar formula and all focus on satan being amazing and stuff, it’s a bit goofy as a result but still decent. Favourites: none really. Overall, may seem a bit low but also reflects my opinion on the genre: 5/10.
ZZ Top
3/5
Basic but that’s not to say it’s bad. It’s better than the more mainstream “eliminator” as it focuses on classic blues rock more which they are clearly good at. It’s a little repetitive but mainly because it’s just one genre, it is relatively short though which actually makes it better as it prevents further repetition. There’s nothing really groundbreaking or unique to this but they are just good at what they do, the guitar’s great, drumming is all it needs to be, bass also all it needs to be and the vocals are decent but fit the music well. Favourites: move me down the line. Other than that there were no standouts but all the songs are consistently decent at least. Overall, 6/10.
Holger Czukay
3/5
This was a cool experimental experience in a genre I like quite a bit. It had some really nice instrumentals but it’s obviously harder to judge individual songs when there are only 4 that make up the album. The shorter ones (first and third) I really liked as they were essentially more focussed and condensed versions of the other 2. The longer ones were very chaotic for good and for bad, a lot of random sampling with movie clips (hence the title I guess) and electronic noises with some interesting vocals. I liked it but it was a bit too weird but I guess it’s to be expected from the CAN guy, I definitely appreciate his creativity though. Favourites: Cool in the pool and persian love. Overall, 6/10.
Screaming Trees
4/5
In a weird way this felt like it didn’t do anything crazy or unique but they did their style well which made it a great, mostly consistent listen. Honestly I feel like the feel of the album made it great with the blanket of fuzzy guitars in a a lot of the songs which is what I liked about Ash’s 1977 so much, this is quite a bit different though as it has a more grungy feel with some folky and bluesy influence which definitely gives it a unique blend of songs throughout but unfortunately doesn’t hook me as much when it diverges into a folk acoustic guitar song like traveller compared to the more heavy ones. It’s a good album though, favourites: All I know, Dying days, Make my mind, Witness and sworn and broken. Overall, 7.5/10 (just because I was in between a 7 and an 8).
Flamin' Groovies
3/5
Very straightforward blues rock, fun and obviously inspired by the Rolling Stones, it’s even said to be a more well done album than Sticky fingers by Mick Jacker himself (he said something like that anyway), I’m not sure I agree but it’s actually quite close. It feels like it doesn’t take itself very seriously which fits their style well of playing, mostly fast-paced drums and guitar with generic rock and roll vocals. I actually listened to the entire 1 hour album without realising the original only has 10 songs but I’m glad I did as the extra songs had some good stuff, it doesn’t change the rating as well due to the album being quite consistently inconsistent in quality, meaning I thought there was a few great ones and quite a lot of filler in varying calibre throughout including the extra songs. Favourites: Have you seen my baby?, yesterday’s favourites, Whiskey Woman and Shaking all over. Overall, 6/10.
The Beach Boys
4/5
Woah this wasn’t what I was expecting even with the unusual cover for a beach boys album. This was super weird but amazing nonetheless, the messages of environmentalism were great for a start but musically it was so engaging due to how unique and psychedelic it was, it has the classic beach boys sound in there with the harmonies and obviously the distinct voice of Brian Wilson but it’s completely altered with the production and overall sound of the album, the effects on the vocals, the wah sounds I would never normally associate with the beach boys and the weirdness of some of the songs (like the tree one) really create a surreal environment. Honestly in some ways this is better than Pet sounds and is arguably better dated but it doesn’t have the consistency of pet sounds due to how experimental it is and I personally prefer the former anyway. This album as an example of not being consistent has songs like take a load off your feet and feel flows which a feel a bit too odd for my taste. However, when this album hits (and it does quite often) it hits hard especially for a first listen. Favourites: almost all other than the ones mentioned. Overall, 8/10 (maybe 9 but not quite from a first listen point of view).
The Mamas & The Papas
3/5
I honestly was expecting a little more just by seeing it had California dreaming on it but it was still pretty good nonetheless. It felt a bit repetitive and I’m not really a fan of their style of constant harmonies basically making up the whole song. I liked how the vocalists changed though and despite how constant the harmonies were, they did vary a bit in how they were delivered for each song, despite this though it was still repetitive but with some variation in instrumentation which I can appreciate. Favourites: I call your name, California dreamin’ and Somebody groovy. Overall, 6/10 (maybe a bit too nice).
Gene Clark
4/5
Wow that was great, can’t believe the lack of promotion and dropping of the album considering how good it was. It’s not like it was even not accessible enough or anything, this is catchy stuff with some really unique instrumentation and arrangements for a country folk album. It definitely has some of the Byrds feel especially the early area at their best and I’ve definitely come to respect Gene as a musician given this album and his work the Byrds although short lived. Shame about the cover though I have to say, not the best. Favourites: Silver Raven, Strength of strings, From a silver phial, some misunderstanding, True one and lady of the north. Overall, 8/10.
The Beta Band
3/5
Kind of cool spacey trip hop. It felt very empty though as a lot of it was harmonies with some songs a bit more full with instrumentals and sounds yet also lacking a bit with the vocals which felt a bit droney and repetitive. The album cover is a bit horrendous as well I have to say, it has like no link to the actual music. Favourites: squares and dragon. Overall, 5.5/10.
Blur
3/5
I personally prefer their Brit pop Kinks- inspired era but this had some great songs on there which really derive from their usual sound, something I can respect although I don’t know too much about their publicity struggles and why this album helped to get them more popular in a way. I actually didn’t like side 1 all that much other than the first 2 (the hits) and the last one on there. Side 2 was better in my opinion with some more interesting and unique songs. That’s something I like about Blur, in the 3 albums i’ve heard from them they like to change it up as they go through an album. There was a clear focus on American indie rock as was the intention which was executed fine but didn’t really interest me in comparison with the more blasting punky songs on here, I guess that’s because it fits what I like about Blur. Although, as I said, the last song on side A was really great and sounded very American Indie rocky, it specifically reminded me of Yo La Tengo and even more specifically their “I can hear the beating heart as one” album. Mostly though I liked a select few songs and the rest were just ok. Favourites: You’re so great, Death of a party, Chinese bombs, Movin’ on and I guess the first 2 although not something I would actively listen to myself as they get played quite a lot anyway. Overall, 6/10.
Tangerine Dream
4/5
Wow that was great. ethereal, spacey and just kind of mesmerising to be honest and that’s without any crazy headphones which I’m sure would have made it even better. The sequencer and synthesisers create such a trance like sound which is further encapsulated by the random sound effects from what I believe is a mellotron and a keyboard for some parts. It feels alien-like as well for mostly side B with the wispy voices which almost sound like wind, sometimes it sounds like being lost in a blizzard which kind of fits what I interpret the album cover (like an imprint in the snow). I’m not used to ambient albums too much but this was excellent. Favourites: all. Overall, 8/10.
Michael Jackson
4/5
It’s great and starts really strong. For me it gets a little lackluster mostly on the second side with the slower, more ballad type songs although with Michael’s voice it’s hard for any of these songs to be bad or even mid, they’re all good to a certain extent. The first side though was pretty perfect with the first song being one of my favourite Michael Jackson songs and the following ones having some amazing funky instrumentals. The bass on “Get on the floor” and the guitar on Working day and night” for instance were prime examples of this. The last song on side B though brought it up again to that level and made for a great ending. I feel like this is a kind of build up album to Thriller in some ways as it’s a less perfected and produced album with some less great songs but it’s better than Bad in my opinion. Favourites: (as i mentioned) the first 4 and the last song. Overall, 7/10.
MGMT
3/5
It’s a decent album but I guess i’m not affected by the nostalgia factor for this. There’s definitely stuff I recognise like kids and Time to pretend but those I find hard to take seriously as I’ve only really heard them on Minecraft nostalgia posts on instagram or something and I’m not actually a massive fan of them, they are definitely iconic though. The rest were ok, I liked the synths and electronic elements mixed with the catchy pop time signatures but they were mostly just ok to me. The album cover isn’t great as well, looks like an advertisement for a modern fashion brand or something. Favourites: Weekend wars and that’s it really, there were no bad ones though. Overall, 6/10.
Culture Club
3/5
Mostly filler to be honest, without Karma Chameleon this would probably be lower but it is a pretty great song. The rest is generic 80’s pop, none of it’s bad but it’s quite boring, there’s just not much going on and it all sounds quite the same throughout. It kind of sounds like a worse version of George Michael maybe due to how Boy George sings. Once again though that’s not to say it’s a bad album, it’s decent but is saved a bit by the hit single. Favourites: Karma Chameleon and Storm-keeper if I had to pick my favourite from the rest. Overall, 5/10.
Barry Adamson
2/5
It’s a cool concept I guess but it’s just not something that’s engaging enough to be its own thing, it’s just exactly what it wants to be which is a mock movie soundtrack. It definitely fits the vibe of an old crime thriller and there’s some cool parts to it but it mostly feels like something you’re not a part of like some kind of society where they are sharing their passion for movie soundtracks and you’re just there being forced to listen in. The vibe is there though but it would work better if it was just in a movie which I guess is what it was trying to be. Favourites: hard to name one. Overall, 4/10.
Public Enemy
4/5
I haven’t heard of this one as much as their previous 2 so wasn’t expecting to be up to that level, it definitely was though albeit slightly worse as there are a few duds here (in my opinion). Mostly the Flav solo ones, I really like Cold Lampin’ with Flavour in their 2nd album (and is actually one of my favourite P.E songs) so this was a bit surprising to me but I only really liked the diss track to the New York post one of the 3 Flav ones on here. It could be cause the others are more slower paced which doesn’t fit their style as well or maybe just the style of the rest of the album. Chuck D is amazing as always on here though, definitely one of the greatest and most influential MC’s of all time. The beats on here are crazy good as well and the drum samples even better to be honest, they’re so powerful and carry a lot of energy and mixed with great rapping to top it off. Forgot to mention the great lyricism and political commentary as well. Not only is this album influential to the genre, I would argue it’s not even dated as some people say it is, almost every song is pretty much as timeless as early 90’s hip hop can be. Favourites: almost all other than ones mentioned + By the time I get to Arizona snd the Anthrax one). Overall, 8/10 (very close to a 9 though).
Led Zeppelin
5/5
This blew me away a bit. Probably cause I wasn’t expecting it to be better than 1,2 and 3 (haven’t heard 4) but it was and by quite a lot. It’s difficult to make a double album with only bangers but this did it with only a few less so but still good songs. The diverse influence of genres, the mastery of each member’s respective instruments and honestly the mix as well made this amazing to listen to. Plant’s vocals can be a little in your face and annoying sometimes but there isn’t a moment on here where I can say that, once again linking to the mix which was done in such a way where you can easily here how each instrument builds to the songs and doesn’t put Plant too much in the spotlight, with more emphasis instead being on the powerful, booming drums. I feel like this would be a great album to take inspiration from for drum players. Favourites: all but the first and last 2 (which were still pretty good). Overall, 9/10.
Jacques Brel
3/5
It’s kind of hard to rank an album without being to understand one of the main aspects of the artists talent (being his lyricism) as it is in French. However, I can appreciate the passion he puts into the vocals and the theatrical instrumentation. I can also see how he influenced artists like Leonard Cohen (with the way he delivers the vocals in a poetry-like manner) and Bowie (with some of the way the songs sound. Because of this it is easy to say it is ahead of its time and influential but for personal enjoyment-wise it was decent at best. It was short though which I can appreciate as it doesn’t overstay its welcome. Favourites: none really. Overall, 5/10.
Bruce Springsteen
2/5
There really isn’t much substance to this. I prefer it to the repetitive piano led rock from born to run but this is also incredibly repetitive. It’s kind of like campfire songs but from someone whose voice doesn’t work for the quiet vocals. The acoustic guitar is quite nice but simple and the harmonica is honestly annoying for the most part as it really cuts through the silence and destroys your ears. I will praise the storytelling though as it is definitely the strongest aspect of this, with each song telling a story of different people in crime and remembrance of their past but it suffers from being the most generic American sounding tales. I don’t know why he thought it was a good idea to leave the E-street band out of this, it probably would have sounded a lot better with some actual instrumentation. Also, why is this even on here? I’ve already gotten what is seen as his “best” albums so this just feels like a waste of a space. Favourites: none. Overall, 4/10.
Heaven 17
3/5
Repetitive and honestly sounded like a bunch of retro game sound effects for a lot of it. The bass was great on the first few songs and some of the synth sounds were cool, especially the “wet” synth sounds which I just love for some reason. There was some funky moments as well with the guitars (and the bass again) especially on the second song which I wish was more representative of the rest of the album as the female vocalist was great. I don’t really understand why this was on here though as it literally says this didn’t chart at all and doesn’t have any cool context to justify it here otherwise other than it being “an important outing”. At least it was a decent one though but only with a few major highlights for me. Favourites: title track and Let’s all make a bomb. Overall, 5/10.
10cc
3/5
A fun album which has basically a different genre for each song, kind of like Queen but a lot more goofy and parodical. They also don’t really apply the ideas all too well in comparison as it feels like they don’t have a clear song set out and instead just incorporate all the ideas in a convoluted way. The guitar tone is pretty awful as well, sounds like something out of Kiss. When the ideas work though they work well but there’s only a few songs on here that really do. All in all though it’s clearly a non-serious parody album for the most part which sounds like they’re mostly just having fun and even claiming themselves to be the worst band in the world. Favourites: The wall street shuffle, Hotel (despite the questionable lyrics sometimes) and Oh Effendi. Overall, 6/10.
Dr. John
3/5
Feels very Zappa and Captain beefheart but I guess that’s because it’s kind of goofy psychedelic music. A lot of it is random chanting and noises (vocally) but to be fair the calm, jazzy instrumentals in the background were consistently nice but maybe a bit repetitive. The sound quality is a bit lacking but it was made in 68 so it’s more understandable. The feel of the album is where it’s most unique but unfortunately for me it just isn’t as engaging with the actual content of the songs. It is quite short though so it definitely works as a condensed album and I appreciate him not making a double album or something out of this like trout mask replica or something. I liked the context of his name as well being based off a voodoo doctor which really fits this psychedelic, trippy sound. Favourites: Mama Roux and Jump sturdy. Overall, 6/10.
Björk
5/5
Wow. This album is basically a masterpiece based on just the sound and production alone, it genuinely sounds like no other album I’ve heard. It’s so ethereal and rich sounding with amazing electronic elements making every single song sound unique and fresh. To top it all off it also has angelic backing vocals to go with the already amazing main vocals from Bjork. I also just love how each song feels so well crafted and weird (in a good way), it’s definitely one of those albums that feels like a piece of art rather than just a bunch of songs put together. To top it off even further, the amount of instruments used in the songs such as the strings, harp (I think) and the the music box sounding parts (which probably are just straight up from a music box) just really develop the ethereal, enchanting sound this album does so well. Favourites: pretty much all. Overall, 9/10 (maybe a 10 but not quite).
Merle Haggard
3/5
Decent but very repetitive musically and thematically as it is mainly droning, broken heart songs. Also, I swear all country songs that focus on this theme have the same kind of vocals. It had 2 more fun songs which were based on the more outlawish side of things (well one of them anyway) which were good and actually changed it up a bit. Other than that it’s quite 1 dimensional and kind of sounds like the louvin Brothers but without the harmonies. Favourites: title track and Skid Row. Overall, 5/10.
Oasis
4/5
I feel like this is an album that doesn’t do anything crazy or out of the box but just absolutely slaps with what it does do which is basically Brit pop based on rock n’ roll rather than punk or new wave like other Brit Pop releases of the time. It’s catchy, loud, energetic and performed really well with a great overall sound to the album. I think I prefer Liam’s voice to Damon Albarn in Blur which also makes this more enjoyable than the Blur ones i’ve gotten but maybe not so much with the variety of the songs (felt the need to compare this with Blur). However, that again doesn’t really matter so much here as most of these songs are great and the riffs are awesome especially with the amount of distortion they use, it’s just a very full sounding album as a result matched with the energy of the drums. Favourites: Rock N’ Roll Star, Up in the sky, Columbia, Bring It on Down, Digsy’s dinner and Slide Away. Overall, 8/10.
Underworld
3/5
I thought it was a bit too long but actually rather varied in its sounds and electronic beats despite this. Even though most of the songs were on the longer side, they did a great job of keeping it fresh, even sometimes the repetitiveness it did have worked in its favour when some of the electronic parts changed around the same drum loops. I think as a whole though it’s not something I would want to listen to much in deep concentration but it’s great to have in the background or to listen to on a journey or something as it was a still a good listen. Favourites: Banstyle/Sappys curry and Blueski. Overall, 6/10. (If it was less bloated it would probably be in the 4 star area).
Earth, Wind & Fire
4/5
Took me way too long to hear my first EWaF album, this was really great. Funk is something I really enjoy just based off the instrumentals a lot of the time, this being the case here with the groovy bass and smooth guitar playing to match. The overall energy of the album was energetic mostly but with some smooth jazz moments which makes for a great combination. Love the vocals as well, the variation from the smooth falsetto in the more slower paced songs mostly (other than some which had this despite being quicker paced, very upbeat songs) and the deeper chest voices in other parts with of course the powerful harmonies all make the songs great. Favourites: Shining Star, title track, Happy Feelin’, Yearnin’ Learnin’, Africano and see the light (pretty much all of them). Overall, 8/10.
Louis Prima
4/5
The jungle book guy! I don’t really have a lot to say, it was a fun listen, great jazz instrumentals and some goofiness as well with the gibberish lyrics. The back and forth between the vocals was a nice concept as well and they were both great and the backing vocals. It also feels like it has held up very well given this is one of the earliest releases fir this album generator. Favourites: just a gigolo and Body and soul. Overall, 7/10.
Big Star
3/5
This was an incredibly mid album. I’m not sure what makes this so special as it seems quite generic and like it’s got some great ideas but they weren’t really used well here. It was quite catchy in some songs, the playing from the members was fine but it, again, felt like generic American rock with a more pop-orientated sound and jangling guitars. Kind of like a soft rock version of ZZ top or something. I guess it could be seen as influential and there were a couple songs I quite liked but overall it was a bit repetitive and formulaic. Favourites: Ballad of el goodo and in the street. Overall, 5/10.
The The
4/5
A bit of a weird one to rank as there is a lot I really like about this: the politically dystopian lyrics about 80’s Britain and being critical of US foreign policy in the middle east, the 80’s synth sounds and production (for the most part, i’ll get to that in a bit), the bass and low end in general was great, the guitars were also pretty great and the features from Neneh Cherry who really added a lot despite not being there too much. What I didn’t like so much was some of the vocals from the guy, he was good mostly but sometimes it delved into a bit of weirdness, he sounded a bit like Nick Cave when he was doing the kind of ‘talking singing’ but he also sounded a bit goofy sometimes. The drum sound as well was weird in the way that it didn’t feel like it should work for these songs, it had the classic heavy, airy 80’s booming sound which I didn’t like too much. I did think though that the drums weren’t that big of a contributor to the full sound of the songs themselves though so it kind of worked but when it was mostly vocals and drums (a bit like in the first 2 songs) it didn’t seem to fit. I do think though that maybe it was their intention as their sound seems to be a cool mix of new wave, punk and 80’s synth pop. Those aren’t big enough criticisms to make me dislike the album or anything though, I enjoyed this quite a bit. Favourites: Heartland, sweet bird of truth and Slow train to Dawn. Overall, 7/10.
Frank Ocean
3/5
Ehhh it was pretty decent, I was close to giving it 2 stars but it doesn’t deserve that really. Starting with what makes it good is mostly some of the production and the vocals, I actually think the interludes were the best parts and some of the ambient sounds within. Some of the wet synthy sounds were great as well like on Lost and Pyramids ( a song that felt a lot shorter than it actually was to be fair), the drums on crack rock were great (just because it was a sample of little miss lover) and some of the bass lines were really groovy. What makes it not so good for me is that it’s just not very exciting of an album in terms of musical diversity or sounds, a lot of it is genuinely quite boring to be honest with not much substance. I guess it’s just got that mainstream radio sound to it. That takes me onto my next point about the sound: I did praise some of the production but it’s mostly very lofi and downbeat which isn’t inherently bad but I find that there’s always an element to a song that sounds like it’s coming from underwater if that makes sense. Like the drums on the first song and Sierra Leone for instance or the bass on sweet life or Forrest Gump. Maybe a weird criticism but I genuinely couldn’t stop noticing how some of the mix sounded like it was being played by the fishes or something. Favourites: pyramids, Lost and I guess crack Rock. There were parts of songs that I liked which I mentioned but most of them I didn’t like as a whole. Overall, 5/10.
Pixies
4/5
Very raw and almost shrill but that’s what makes this great. It kind of makes it sound like you’re there in the recording session as a result, in some cases it’s too raw because of the dialogue they included between band members and sometimes the songs can be a bit too chaotic as the production makes each instrument kind of blare out with loudness, which again is super awesome for the most part but I felt for some songs it was a bit too chaotic. The guitar sound is so distorted in the best way, the drums sounds like it’s straight up recorded in a garage, the bass is looming in a kind of dark way and the vocals are very in your face and angry at points. It all comes together in either a culmination or clash of sound which both work very well. It also has that song that’s used everywhere. Favourites: Break my body, something against you, Broken face, Gigantic, River Euphrates and Brick is red. Overall, 8/10.
The Mars Volta
4/5
I’ve always been a fan of prog-rock with Kansas especially, this album feels like it has some similarities. It’s a very dramatic album and feels like it takes itself seriously as storytelling albums usually do, although it was quite hard to understand the story as the lyrics weren’t easy to catch. Not a big deal though as prog-rock albums like this are great based on the amazing instrumental sections and how the vocals are delivered as an instrument in itself, and they were definitely good vocals. I feel like I’m basically describing this as any prog-rock album could be described but I believe that this is because it’s just a well done album in this genre, it’s got the varying and diverse instrumentals with the different influences from flamenco sometimes to what sounds very much like Afro beat music in it’s jumpy and energetic style with the drum sounds. The guitar is so good as well, Flea is a random member here but a welcome one as the bass playing is also awesome. Just an overall fun and energetic listen with the instrumental storytelling which makes prog great. Favourites: pretty much all other than the intro and the last song which was bit of a weird way to end it. Overall, kind of torn between a 7 and an 8 so 7.5?
Peter Gabriel
4/5
Genesis was a lot better with this guy in it in my opinion and this album reinforces that for me. He is clearly a great artist and unique in the way he writes and structures songs which is prevalent in both this and the early genesis albums, which felt very artsy in comparison with the later more in your face sound with Phil Collins. This album is definitely experimental to an extent with some strange and unpredictable sounds and blends of genres, his influences feel diverse with the best examples and my favourite songs being the change from No self control, which was a diverse one in itself with the quiet mandolin section into a rocky section with distorted guitar and some Bowie-like vocals (these changes fit the title I guess). Then I don’t remember, a more catchy one and Biko, a slow and moving end which was a great way to finish and send a message. I feel like with more lessons I will appreciate the other songs even more but this is based off one listen. Favourites: the three I mentioned. Overall, 7/10.
Dwight Yoakam
3/5
I like the instrumentals quite a bit as it is very similar to old style country but more poppy and catchy. I really don’t like the vocals much, they’ve got that overly-emotional voice-cracky tinge to them which a lot of country artists seem to do. It’s not unbearable or anything but it’s just kind of annoying, it worked for like 2 songs which I’ll mention later. The lyrics were also pretty awful as a lot of them seemed to focus on him being annoyed at his partner cheating and him being way too aggressive about it and threatening murder which is a bit extreme. I much prefer the lyrical focus on old-style country themes in here like Floyd County snd streets of Bakersfield. It was a decent album but nothing I’m dying to go back to barr like 2 songs I liked. Favourites: Floyd County and Streets of Bakersfield. Overall, 5/10.
Turbonegro
3/5
Guitar was great, riff-wise and solo-wise especially on humiliation street for the latter, it honestly would have been so much better if the whole album was more of this. It’s a high energy album which again is mostly created by the great guitar and I guess the drums, although the mix doesn’t sound like it’s from the late 90’s more like the 80’s or something. The vocals were decent but the lyrics were pretty awful, it’s way better to just ignore them as they’re so bad, very immature and not in a good way at all. Although they’re a Norwegian band so maybe some slack is fair. When there’s no lyrics and just guitar though it’s pretty awesome. Favourites: Selfdestructo Bust and humiliation street. Overall, 6/10 (maybe a bit generous).
Fishbone
4/5
Wow that was really great, such a good mix of genres. PUNK?!!! It literally comes out of nowhere but it’s done so well. Of course the other songs are done so well as well but less punky obviously. I feel like this could easily be a mess of genres in each song or just having one song dedicated to a specific one like 10Cc or something (no shade to them, they do that quite well) but it blends together seamlessly with the funk, reggae, soul, blues and even ska working together in a really fun and energetic way (eclectic even). I guess the punk doesn’t blend so well as it kind of jumps out at you from nowhere but it only makes those two occasions more crazy. There’s also the more heavy rock ones like the first song, these ones don’t fit the overall sound as much but they were still great and carry over a bit to the other songs in guitar riff form. I love albums that change it up every song like this and do it so good. My only criticisms are that sometimes the production sounds a little flat to what it should sound like ( the guitar tone sometimes and some of the drums for example) but that’s probably more to do with the time it was released. I also wasn’t a massive fan of the last song but it was a good message to end it on and changed it up again. Favourites: all but the last. Overall, 8/10 (very close to a 9 but not quite polished enough).
System Of A Down
4/5
This album generator has made me respect and appreciate more recent metal a lot more, although only with this and slipknot so far, Korn was not a great experience. This is my favourite of those though, I thought this was very fun and goofy in a good way with great instrumentals and powerful yet playful vocals. It doesn’t sound like the more kind of mainstream sound from their later stuff which I like cause the heaviness made this great. The screaming vocals i’m never usually a fan of but it wasn’t too bad here and wasn’t done to an extreme, the energy was matched nonetheless by the guitar and drums though which were both very powerful, the bass worked really well in the quieter moments as well. Favourites: Spiders and Ddevil although all of them had some great riffs. Overall, 7/10.
Run-D.M.C.
4/5
Great to finally hear this, I’ve known how influential this was for a while but never listened to it until now. I thought it was really good but definitely dated which is to be expected but still brings the album down a bit, for 1984 though it feels like it should have sounded more dated than it actually did. It feels very Beastie boys at times with the punchy rhythms and back and forth between the 2 mc’s (obviously inspiration to them). The political commentary was cool as well and I could see how this could have led to these themes being brought across into future hip hop albums, that and the concept of diss tracks and hardcore hip hop. The blend of rock elements with the guitar on Rock Box and the synths help keep it fresh although it did sound a bit plain sometimes with just drums and vocals but it did make it sound more punchy. Favourites: all. Overall: 8/10.
R.E.M.
4/5
I think R.E.M are one of the bands that deserve to have this many entries on this list because this is the 4th album i’ve gotten from them (I know the losing my religion one is gonna be on here so that makes 5 in total) and each one has felt very unique in its own right whilst also having that signature catchiness that R.E.M seems to do so well. They feel very tight as a band and work really well together, Michael Stripe also has those inflections to his voice that make the vocals great. Not to single him out of course, throughout this entire album the band perform really well and, given this album is heavier than the others in sound, can be heard in the different guitar sounds and solos with the drums and bass complementing it well. This may be my favourite one from them but it’s close between this and their debut, again they are very different as R.E.M changed it up between them but this is an album where each song is good. Although, I wasn’t the biggest fan of The end of the world as we know it as it felt very out of place compared the rest of the album and didn’t even feel like a song from them, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing but I think the song is a bit annoying as well to be honest. Favourites: all but the one I mentioned. Overall, 8/10.