189
Albums Rated
3.47
Average Rating
17%
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900 albums remaining
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1960s
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UK
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Wordsmith
Rater Style ?
17
5-Star Albums
3
1-Star Albums
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You Love More Than Most
Albums you rated higher than global average
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reign In Blood | 5 | 2.96 | +2.04 |
| Close To The Edge | 5 | 3.19 | +1.81 |
| Low | 5 | 3.55 | +1.45 |
| Pink Moon | 5 | 3.65 | +1.35 |
| Bayou Country | 5 | 3.66 | +1.34 |
| Remain In Light | 5 | 3.67 | +1.33 |
| Bright Flight | 4 | 2.68 | +1.32 |
| Violator | 5 | 3.7 | +1.3 |
| Station To Station | 5 | 3.7 | +1.3 |
| The Low End Theory | 5 | 3.7 | +1.3 |
You Love Less Than Most
Albums you rated lower than global average
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots | 1 | 3.58 | -2.58 |
| (What's The Story) Morning Glory | 2 | 3.84 | -1.84 |
| Bad | 2 | 3.8 | -1.8 |
| 21 | 2 | 3.69 | -1.69 |
| Cee-Lo Green... Is The Soul Machine | 1 | 2.66 | -1.66 |
| Aftermath | 2 | 3.39 | -1.39 |
| Nevermind | 3 | 4.37 | -1.37 |
| This Year's Model | 2 | 3.33 | -1.33 |
| The Slim Shady LP | 2 | 3.29 | -1.29 |
| Since I Left You | 2 | 3.28 | -1.28 |
Artist Analysis
Favorite Artists
Artists with 2+ albums
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Creedence Clearwater Revival | 3 | 4.67 |
| David Bowie | 7 | 4.14 |
| Johnny Cash | 2 | 5 |
| Beatles | 3 | 4.33 |
5-Star Albums (17)
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Popular Reviews
Cee Lo Green
1/5
Peak mid 2000s dross. The exact sort of thing I couldn't be arsed with even when I was 6. I'll give it that there's a couple decent beats here and there, but they're mostly lost in a needlessly 65 minute album that feels like it's never going to end. CeeLo Green's voice is grating right from the start let alone having to listen to it for over an hour
A 1 is probably a bit harsh but I've not given one yet and I need to signify somehow that this is the worst thing I've heard to this point. I did not need to listen to this before I die
Highlight: All Day Love Affair
1 likes
Lou Reed
2/5
Transformer was OK, but Lou Reed isn't for me I think. There are a few decent songs, Oh Jim is good and the second half of Sad Song reminded me of later Swans a bit
Not really into how this is produced, its pretty muddy and chaotic. At points it feels like they just threw in as many instruments as they thought they could fit and it just feels like a mess
Lou Reed's voice is quite drole, hes always singing in the same key. He sounds half asleep on The Kids. That one actually reminded me of something Pink Floyd might do, but I just wished I was listening to them instead
Not for me
Highlights: Oh Jim, Sad Song
1 likes
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
2/5
I've tried to get into Nick Cave a few times but it's never grabbed me and to be quite frank, I don't think is going to change that as I'm finding it a little boring. It's almost entirely a showcase for Nick Cave's voice with minimal piano, guitars and drums backing him and I don't actually like his voice that much. It's fine, I don't hate it, but I don't like it enough to really enjoy it being front and centre. That serious lack of variety makes it feel like a slog. I found Far From Me to be the only time there was any sort of switch up as the instrumentation picked up the intensity a little bit
I agree with another comment on here that said this feels like an oscar winning movie that people feel that they have to like but to each their own. 2.5
Highlights: Far From Me
1 likes
Nina Simone
4/5
Nina Simone's voice is very commanding and demands the listeners attention. The instrumentation is grand and the swells add to the emotion of the singing and lyrics well. Some parts are a bit hokey, e.g. "my name is Peaches." Probably not very fair considering this was released in 1966 but it doesn't flow very well as an album, and some songs just abruptly stop which is quite jarring
Highlights: I Love Your Lovin' Ways
1 likes
Jimi Hendrix
5/5
Got to give this 5. Blues rock isn't usually my favourite but Hendrix blends it seamlessly with psychedelic rock. The guitar playing is sort of raw but everything feels absolutely perfectly placed and executed at the same time. I also like little moments like Jimi saying "how was that?" at the end of Red House that were caught on mic and left in, it adds a lot of character to both the album and the band
It's so clear how influential his guitar playing was on countless acts that followed him. I'm a big fan of stoner rock so I get a kick out of what is an extremely early root of the genre here as well
Also have to mention his great vocals and the drumming. Everything comes together perfectly to create a seamless, unbeatable 38 minutes (going by the UK release)
Highlights: Foxy Lady, Fire, Third Stone from the Sun
1 likes
4-Star Albums (83)
1-Star Albums (3)
All Ratings
Nina Simone
4/5
Nina Simone's voice is very commanding and demands the listeners attention. The instrumentation is grand and the swells add to the emotion of the singing and lyrics well. Some parts are a bit hokey, e.g. "my name is Peaches." Probably not very fair considering this was released in 1966 but it doesn't flow very well as an album, and some songs just abruptly stop which is quite jarring
Highlights: I Love Your Lovin' Ways
Jimmy Smith
3/5
My immediate thought within seconds of pressing play is that this sounds like something that would play over a montage of Jimmy carrying out a scheme in Better Call Saul
Nothing too crazy, just a nice relaxing time that settles into the background (in a good way). I find it quite hard to articulate what I like and dislike about jazz so I'll just say I appreciated the emphasis on the organ. If I had to guess, Jimmy Smith played a part in a lot of prog rock bands that followed shortly after this adopting the organ
3.5
Highlights: Back At The Chicken Shack
Muddy Waters
4/5
I enjoyed this more than I expected to. Sounds surprisingly good for a live album in 1960. I had a preconceived idea that this was going to be quite slow so I was pleasantly surprised by the energy, like on I've Got My Mojo Working. It maybe does blend together a little bit but that's probably down to me having little exposure to this sort of blues
Highlights: Tiger In Your Tank
Beastie Boys
4/5
This is the first album I've heard before, though not that familiar with it and always meant to listen to Beastie Boys more. I like the variety in sounds between hip hop, funk and hardcore punk. It keeps the album from getting repetitive or stale and it still flows quite well
Highlights: B-Boys Makin with the Freak Freak, Flute Loop, Heart Attack Man
Jack White
3/5
I heard Sixteen Saltines on Rocksmith 2014 and liked it so expecting good things.
Didn't like it as much as I remembered (still liked it though) and not a huge fan of the album as a whole. Often went in one ear and out the other. Felt somewhat derivative as well, e.g. Love Interruption is a bit like a weak knock off of Led Zeppelin III. Not bad overall though
Highlights: Weep Themselves to Sleep, Sixteen Saltines
Creedence Clearwater Revival
5/5
I don't need to listen to this to give it 5/5, it's been one of my favourite albums for a long time (I did anyway though). I wish they had done more psychedelic stuff like Ramble Tramble
Highlights: Ramble Tramble, Lookin' Out My Back Door, Ooby Dooby, I Heard It Through the Grapevine
Queens of the Stone Age
4/5
2 of my favourite bands in a row. Love this album, I've always thought of it as a bit of an overlap between Kyuss' heavy stuff and QOTSA's later catchy sound, with a little bit of Josh Homme's weirder side coming through like on I Was A Teenage Hand Model and You Would Know. Plenty of crunchy and off kilter riffs that I associate with Josh's style of guitar playing. I personally wish they had gone with the earlier version of If Only from the Kyuss/QOTSA split EP though.
Highlights: Mexicola, Regular John, You Would Know, How To Handle A Rope
The Allman Brothers Band
4/5
Ordinarily I find long, jammy live albums quite boring but this was good, great performances and it didn't feel too overdone. Nice as a bit of relaxing background music (in the best way possible, not an insult). I'd give this more of a 3.5 but I'll round up to a 4
Highlights: Trouble No More, In Memory of Elizabeth Reed, You Don't Love Me
Fleetwood Mac
3/5
One of those acclaimed bands I never put the effort into listening to. Don't think I recognise any track titles but a little wary of it being a double album
Not a huge fan really. Nothing particularly grabbed me and I caught myself checking when it would be over a couple of times, though to be fair I only managed a couple or listens. Maybe needs a few more listens
Highlights: Sara, Sisters of the Moon
Marvin Gaye
4/5
Pretty good, not really got that much to say. I'll need to come back and give this a few more listens
Highlights: What's Happening Brother, What's Going On
Stephen Stills
3/5
Good lord another double album, struggling to catch up after a busy week as it is
This is fine enough but it just makes me wish I was listening to the Allmans. And of course it drags on for far too long
Wu-Tang Clan
4/5
Fleetwood Mac
4/5
Another classic album I've never listened to for whatever reason. Liked this one a lot more than Tusk, didn't realise how many songs on it I had already heard
Highlights: The Chain, Dreams, Gold Dust Woman
N.W.A.
4/5
Sigur Rós
3/5
Only a few tracks in but I don't think this is really my thing. As often as I found something I liked, something else I disliked kind of ruined it. I liked the drums around halfway through Ny Batteri, but the brass parts were sort of annoying and put me off the song again
Not my thing and I'm not feeling compelled to put it on again. Respect it and see why it's acclaimed though
Highlights: Olsen Olsen
The Darkness
3/5
A bit of daft fun, hardly the most original thing in the world but nothing to take too seriously. Justin Hawkins' vocals can be pretty funny but I'm guessing that was intentional, the whole thing feels pretty tongue in cheek. I doubt I'll come back to this anytime soon and the more I think about it I don't really understand why it's even on the list, but there's nothing actually wrong with it
Highlights: Stuck In a Rut, Get Your Hands Off My Woman, Love on the Rocks with No Ice
John Coltrane
4/5
I don't know anywhere near enough about jazz to articulate what I like and dislike about it, but I really like this. That's all you're getting
4.5
Highlights: Part 2, Part 1
The Doors
4/5
Hadn't listened to this one in a long time and expected to like it a lot less than when I was a teenager, but it's still class. I think my biggest issue with it is the gulf in quality between some of the best tracks and the weaker ones, it seems pretty big. I could remember exactly how most of the album sounded, but there were a few where I had no idea. Not that those tracks (like Take It As It Comes) are bad, just a noticeable dip from the likes of Break On Through and Soul Kitchen. There seemed to be a bit of a recent trend of dunking on The Doors but after listening to this again I don't think it's warranted at all
Highlights: Break On Through To The Other Side, Light My Fire, Soul Kitchen
Morrissey
3/5
This started pretty well, quite liked the first 2 tracks (especially the heavy surf rock kind of sound on the first) but it kind of trailed off and I wasn't as interested. Picked up again a bit on the last couple of tracks. This doesn't like The Smiths either and I could be making it up but I feel like I've heard the exact vocal melody of We Hate It When Our Friends Become Successful on a Smiths song. Not a Smiths expert though so maybe I've actually heard that same song before
Hearing "England for the English" on National Front Disco is also a bit uncomfortable with the sort of stuff Morrissey has been saying in recent years
Maybe more like a 3.5
Highlights: You're Gonna Need Someone On Your Side, Tomorrow, Glamorous Glue
The Flaming Lips
1/5
I'm trying my best to write up something at least vaguely insightful on each album but this is just boring rubbish. The only song I felt actually stood out and I even slightly wanted to go back to is Part 2. If Do You Realise?? is supposed to be one of their most popular songs then I just don't get the appeal.
I would write more but I just can't muster a second listen
Highlights: Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots Part 2
Neil Young
4/5
I wasn't keen on this in the first couple tracks but it picks up. I think it's because of Young's quite shrill voice, which is front and centre, that I find off putting on the title track. That's not to say I don't like his singing, I generally do on the rest of the album. He kind of reminds me of Chris Goss a little bit, especially on Don't Let It Bring You Down too
I think the variety in sounds and instrumentation give this, between the piano and it prevents the album from becoming stale but none of it feels out of place. The guitar playing is inventive and Young plays some nice, catchy licks
Might need to come back to this later, really enjoying it
Highlights: Don't Let It Bring You Down, Til The Morning Comes, Southern Man
Mudhoney
4/5
I've never listened to Mudhoney, so I was hoping this would be more in the vain of Soundgarden grunge than Pearl Jam. Pretty simple and punky, the range is pretty limited but they're good at this style. A lot of people seem to compare this to The Stooges but I don't really hear it, it reminds me more of early 80s hardcore and early Nirvana. Good either way, surprised at the quite low average score
(I listened to the 1988 track listing which is only 23 minutes)
Highlights: Chain That Door, In 'n' Out Of Grace
GZA
4/5
Hip-hop that goes for a cinematic style and utilises old film samples are so satisfying to me
GZA's smooth style juxtaposes with the aggressive and angry lyrics but I quite like that, the whole album is more lowkey in presentation than I imagined. Tracks like Cold World are maybe a little bit overly complicated but they're still captivating, the simple, repetitive beat on that track could have backfired and gotten tedious but actually gives a more hypnotic effect
Highlights: Cold World, Duel of the Iron Mic
The Specials
3/5
Don't know how to feel about this one. It's well done but it just feels too daft and silly, like half of the songs with the vocals removed would be the soundtrack to hijinx in some sitcom. I couldn't have said who A Message To Rudy was by but I've heard it in so many adverts, such a Sainsbury's ass song. Not sure if that's reflective of ska as a whole but if it is, it's probably not for me
Highlights: You're Wondering Now
Beatles
5/5
I'm a bit torn between 4 or 5 so I'll go 5 and say it should be a 4.5. Kicking myself for not listening sooner, there's a couple lesser known (as far as a Beatles song can be) that I don't think I've heard, like Something. I Want You (She's So Heavy) is right up my alley, providing a change of pace with smooth, slick verses and massive, atmospheric guitars in the second half. The clanging metal on Maxwell's Silver Hammer seemed like a good idea at first but it quickly grew annoying and it would have been a lot better without it. Octopus' Garden is a decent song, just a daft little thing but it's noticeably weaker than the rest of the album. Quite liked the second half as well which a lot of people seem to put down. There maybe aren't any particular standouts (though I like Sun King quite a bit) but it flows really well and offers enough variety to prevent the album from getting tiresome. Also, the production is class, George Martin was a genius
Highlights: I Want You (She's So Heavy), Something, Sun King
Talking Heads
3/5
I like Talking Heads quite a lot but I never want to come back to this one. There's something kind of annoying about it, With Our Love comes to mind, as the verses kind of put me on edge (which I'm guessing was probably on purpose) in a way I don't like and it's not enjoyable to listen to. The first half relies a bit too heavily on staccato guitars and so a lot of it sounds quite samey. The album picks up a bit in the second half though, tracks like Take Me To The River are a lot better
The subsequent 3 albums are leagues better overall though. 3.5
Highlights: The Good Thing, Take Me To The River, Artists Only
Elton John
3/5
I groaned a little when I saw this was a double album as I feel more often than not, they don't warrant being that long. Saturday Night's Alright caught my eye though, a GTA V classic
I appreciate the pretty broad variety in sounds between songs, but I find the gulf between the best and worst tracks pretty huge. Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding is a winding prog pop epic, Bennie and the Jets features some great driving piano and synths and Saturday Night's Alright is a cool hard rocker. The honky tonk stuff towards the end made me roll my eyes and unfortunately, Elton John also succumbs to the "white English guy doing reggae" on Jamaica Jerk-Off which I find so stupid (also what a name). Unsurprisingly, if this wasn't a double album with a lot of fat trimmed off I would probably rate it pretty highly. 3.5
Highlights: Funeral for a Friend/ Love Lies Bleeding, Saturday Night's Alright, Bennie and the Jets
Slayer
5/5
I'm not the biggest Slayer fan in the world but this is a bona fide classic. A pummeling, nonstop 28 minutes that continuously beats you down, and when it's done, you want to put it back on. Whilst it picks one lane and sticks to it, the brief runtime prevents it from becoming stale, it's a bit like how short a lot of old hardcore albums are, brief but it serves the music
This is absolutely the best-produced 80s thrash album, it sounds fresh and punchy without sounding too sleek and lifeless like a lot of modern metal does
This also deserves respect for the massive influence it had on death metal (side note, Pleasure to Kill by Kreator should be on this list for the same reason) and setting such a high bar for thrash metal (along with Master of Puppets and Rust in Peace) that everyone has tried to meet for nearly 40 years
A must listen within the metal genre
Highlights: Jesus Saves, Raining Blood, Piece By Piece
Foo Fighters
3/5
I've always felt that I should like Foo Fighters but their music too often feels a bit too safe to me and lacking in a bit of personality. I quite like a few tracks here and whilst most the rest are decent enough, I just don't have much desire to listen to them again. Unsurprisingly, I gravitated more towards the heavy and chaotic stuff on this like Weenie Beenie, which is class
There is something quite charming about this being recorded nearly solely by Dave Grohl though. I appreciate Dave a lot but more for the work he's done with other bands (QOTSA especially) so I feel like I'm missing out
Highlights: Weenie Beenie, Wattershed, Good Grief
Talk Talk
4/5
This should appeal to me and whilst it's not bad, it does feel a little bit unengaging. I appreciate how multilayered it is. Not a huge fan of the vocals but they do blend in well with the music and avoid distracting from it, which I suppose maybe was the point. This was a bit of a challenge so I can see this being the kind of album that needs quite a few listens to really get into, so I could see myself enjoying this a lot more later
I wrote all of the above on the first couple of listens and was going to give it a 3 but I'm currently on my 3rd listen and it's clicking much more. I actually quite like it now
Highlights: Living In Another World, Time It's Time
Coldplay
3/5
This is alright. There's some decent hooks and I quite like the production. Not a big fan of Chris Martin's voice at points, especially falsettos, but I wouldn't say he's a bad singer. It does feel a bit plain after a point, I've probably trained myself to let Coldplay go in one ear and out the other though
Highlights: High Speed, Don't Panic
Suzanne Vega
2/5
This came across a bit amateurish to me, like it was trying too hard and only further emphasised Suzanne Vega's inexperience. She does a weird talk singing with such awkward and stilted vocal melodies that just annoy me
I read this described as stripped back but it's anything but. There's synthesisers and all sorts of effects all over that drown out the singing a little bit and take away from the lyrics. Especially on the first track, everything is just drowned in reverb to the point of distraction
I'm not diametrically opposed to what Suzanne Vega tried to do here, the guitar parts are decent and the bass lines are quite good. I like how her voice sounds and there are some ambitious moments utilising various instruments but it comes off as sloppy. I could see myself liking some of her later stuff if those issues were polished up a bit
Highlights: Neighborhood Girls, Freeze Tag
Fleet Foxes
4/5
Nice and pleasant. Well produced, especially for a debut. It sounds intimate but the slight reverb on the vocals helps give it a bit of a larger and more dramatic sound. A nice use of different instrumentation and creative harmonies too
There is just something that's not quite grabbing me and compelling me to listen repeatedly though. I would've liked maybe slightly less emphasis on the vocals (which are good, mind you) and more instrumental sections to provide a bit of variety, give some breathing room and break the album up a little bit. Still good though
Highlights: Your Protector, Quiet Houses
Depeche Mode
5/5
My favourite pop album and probably one of my 10 favourite albums ever. Depeche Mode built on their very strong synth pop foundations and by giving a more prominent role to the guitars which adds that little extra something that was maybe missing from previous albums (which I love too, to be clear). Absolutely zero filler and is a joy to listen to from front to back. Very evocative through the moody and dark, but also kind of uplifting tone
Best album I've had so far and one of the easiest 5's I'll give
Highlights: literally everything but especially Enjoy The Silence, World In My Eyes, Personal Jesus, Policy of Truth, Clean
Penguin Cafe Orchestra
4/5
I had never heard of Penguin Cafe Orchestra and had no idea what to expect going in. It's pretty bizarre but there's a sort of simplistic and sober beauty to parts, like Giles Farnaby's Dream, a jolly little ditty, contrasted with some quite awkward and maybe even unsettling moments (Milk and Pigtail come to mind)
Experimental music often turns me off because it's usually either pure wankery or the creator was obviously trying too hard to make something unusual but this comes across as sincere, like they really were just trying things to see how they sounded
A challenging listen, but I enjoyed it. I can't imagine 'I want to listen to Music From The Penguin Cafe' will pop into my head too often so preferably I'd give a 3.5. 3 seems too harsh so 4 it is. Also I love the album cover
Highlights: Giles Farnaby's Dream, The Sound of Someone You Love Who's Going Away and it Doesn't Matter
Soul II Soul
3/5
This is fine, nothing special. Feels like something I've heard a long time ago but I don't think I actually have. A lot of it just started sounding the same after a while. The female vocals are quite good though
I really don't have much else to say about this unfortunately
Highlights: Back To Life
The Offspring
3/5
I do try my best not to make sweeping statements like 'I don't like x genre' but The Offspring's brand of punk is not for me and it never has been, even when I was an angsty teenager. I've always gravitated towards hardcore stuff like Dead Kennedys, Minor Threat and Black Flag so I was pleasantly surprised that there are some moments like that on here, for example, Bad Habit. Gotta Get Away has quite a bit of Nirvana in it too, that one's decent. It did get a bit tired towards the end though, it was starting to go in one ear and out the other and I was just looking forward to it being finished about 3/4 through
The vocals are passable for the most part, but sometimes I can't really stand them. What Happened To You? came on and immediately reminded me why I don't really like this 90s style of pop and skate punk. Smash uses that awkward strained style of punk vocals that I can't stand
I don't see the point of the narrated parts either. I thought they were going to go for a Songs for the Deaf thing (why the hell isn't that on this list, by the way?) where it would recur consistently, but it's only at the start, once at the end of Genocide and at the end of the album. It didn't add anything and just felt like an afterthought
Not a bad album but nothing special either
Highlights: Bad Habit, Gotta Get Away
Serge Gainsbourg
3/5
Musically this is quite decent, nothing mind blowing but for 1971 it was probably quite fresh. The drummer performs some nice fills and that weird, off kilter thing he does on En Melody is interesting. I like the bass too, some fun, prominent bass parts and the tone is good too. The strings add a bit of variety and dynamism so I'll give it that as well
My main issue is the spoken word vocals whispering right inside my ear. I don't mind them when he actually sings but when he's just talking it sounds like a French car advert. It's also pretty annoying hearing 'Melody Nelson' every minute or so. Like I mentioned, I liked the instrumental of En Melody quite a bit (the drumming and bass are great) but the laughing and squealing halfway nearly ruin it
I see why people really like this but I can't rate it very highly because of the incredibly distracting vocals
Highlights: En Melody
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
2/5
I've tried to get into Nick Cave a few times but it's never grabbed me and to be quite frank, I don't think is going to change that as I'm finding it a little boring. It's almost entirely a showcase for Nick Cave's voice with minimal piano, guitars and drums backing him and I don't actually like his voice that much. It's fine, I don't hate it, but I don't like it enough to really enjoy it being front and centre. That serious lack of variety makes it feel like a slog. I found Far From Me to be the only time there was any sort of switch up as the instrumentation picked up the intensity a little bit
I agree with another comment on here that said this feels like an oscar winning movie that people feel that they have to like but to each their own. 2.5
Highlights: Far From Me
Traffic
3/5
This is okay. It isn't really anything that you couldn't find plenty of other 70s bands doing, besides maybe the organ, but even then Deep Purple did a much better job of blending organ into hard rock
Credit where it's due, Traffic did make use of instruments atypical for rock at the time (flutes, organ, saxophone) so that does provide some variety. Everything is executed well enough, the writing just isn't that compelling or memorable. In fact the most memorable part is how alike Steve Winwood's voice is to Peter Gabriel's, especially on Empty Pages. That could be viewed as a compliment but to me I'd rather just listen to Genesis
Highlights: Glad
Fiona Apple
4/5
I was very surprised to read that Fiona Apple was 18/19 when she wrote and recorded this. She displays a lot of maturity through her songwriting and the performances here. Tidal is full of classy, driving piano interplayed with Fiona Apple's husky style of vocals. She incorporates songwriting elements that keep the album engaging, for example the dissonant piano at the end of Criminal. Very cool that she was willing to try a few different things on her debut, and more often than not, they work well.
Higglights: Carrion, Sleep To Dream, The First Taste
Bonnie "Prince" Billy
4/5
I complained about sparseness previously with Nick Cave, but I like how Will Oldham uses it here. The space that the minimal guitar, bass, drums and piano creates a melancholic and introspective atmosphere that builds upon the lyrical themes and Oldham's vulnerable vocals. The instrumentation isn't always necessarily sparse, for example Nomadic Revery (All Around) actually has a pretty cool guitar solo towards the end, it's just unusually hidden behind Oldham's voice. Another Day Full Of Dread also features a solo, this time front and centre, which sounds full of potential to be a shredder but it's as though the player can barely get through it (in a good way, if that makes any sense, in that it adds to the downtrodden tone). Sorrowful but stunning at the same time
I liked this quite a lot, it seems like something that may take a lot of time to sink in and could hit pretty hard at a low or vulnerable point for the listener. Wish this was on Spotify so I could listen to it from start to finish without stupid Google adverts completely ruining the atmosphere
Highlights: I See A Darkness, Madeline-Mary, Another Day Full Of Dread
Big Star
3/5
This is decent enough, but it feels like something is missing and I can't put my finger on it. It starts fairly strong but I lose interest by the end, which isn't great for a 37 minute album. Don't Lie To Me sounds a little bit like The Murlocs so I like that one. Feel is cool too, a little Zeppeliny to begin with and segues into what could be a Ziggy Stardust era Bowie glam rock tune
I like In The Street musically but the vocals on the verse are pretty annoying, a nasally kind of wail that overpowers everything. I don't think I'd say I dislike anything but there's too much that doesn't hold my attention to rate it highly.
Highlights: Don't Lie To Me, Feel
Depeche Mode
4/5
For me, this is where Depeche Mode really hit their stride. Some Great Reward and Black Celebration before are great too, but Music For The Masses is where they really figured out their sound. I love the variety in sound, between catchy, straightforward pop tunes like Strangelove to more downbeat and morose tracks like The Things You Said. Never Let Me Down Again is pretty much perfect, I can't think of a better driving song and it's a little glimpse into where the band would go next. The album eventually leads into some quite eery tracks in the second half, like To Have And To Hold. I can see where Nine Inch Nails took influence from Depeche Mode here
Excellent stuff. 4.5
Highlights: Never Let Me Down Again, Sacred, Strangelove, Behind The Wheel
The Rolling Stones
2/5
I've heard 2 or 3 Stones albums before this list and I've mostly liked what I've heard, but I've never heard this one. This seems to be where they really found their footing and established themselves, but I was disappointed by it. I'm sure it was pretty notable when it released, but most of the album felt like second rate Rolling Stones, the sort of thing they would do later and do better.
I always liked when the Stones do the country/southern rock sort of thing elsewhere so Doncha Bother Me is pretty decent. Paint It Black is a classic but I'm a bit tired of hearing it now. The lyrics on Stupid Girl are fucking shite. Gone Home was good for the first 5 or so minutes but it just kept going and felt like rambling nonsense at a point
Overall a letdown. I have higher hopes for the others on the list. 2.5
(I listened to the US version)
Highlights: Doncha Bother Me, Paint It Black
Super Furry Animals
3/5
This is a bit mixed for me, theres some kind of boring, early 2000s indie kind of rock like Presidential Suite that I'm not too fussed about, but then you get some more weird and interesting tracks like Receptacle for the Respectable that starts laid back and sleazy and turns a bit gritty towards the end. You can't fault the dynamism, they definitely added plenty of layers and things going on
A bit inconsistent in quality. Alternate Route to Vulcan Street is a cool, dynamic opener then I'm not crazy for anything for a few tracks until Receptacle. Good overall though, could be a grower
Highlights: Receptacle for the Respectable, Alternate Route to Vulcan Street
Isaac Hayes
3/5
A bit odd to see a soundtrack on here, didn't think there would be any. If this is the only one, why are there no others?
I feel bad giving this a 3 because it's not bad. Overall it's a fine soundtrack and to be fair, I haven't seen the film, but detached from the visuals, it fades into the background and I find myself not paying much attention to it. If I were actually watching the film I would surely appreciate it much more. Even still, I know that Theme From Shaft is considered classic but it just reminds me of the Simpsons for whatever reason, feels a bit daft.
I will also mention that I very rarely listen to soundtracks independent of the media they accompany, even if I really like them, so that will mark this down automatically for me. Again, don't really understand why this is on here
Highlights: Do Your Thing
Amy Winehouse
4/5
I liked this a lot more than I expected. I was never very fond of Rehab, think I've just been far too exposed to it for nearly 20 years and got sick of it. Nothing else was familiar though
Amy Winehouse was clearly very talented, the gritty honesty of her lyrics coupled with the 50s/60s R&B, swing and blues throwback instrumentation (without blatantly copying it) come together very well. You can see where the influences on this came from but it still feels fresh, perhaps in part to Mark Ronson's punchy and dynamic production. Amy's voice and the instruments sound quite spacious, giving everything a bit of space to breath and distinguish itself, also adding to that atmosphere
I'll say 3.5 for now
Highlights: Some Unholy War, You Know I'm No Good
XTC
4/5
I really like this kind of pop. I thought I could remember listening to XTC a couple of years ago and not being into it at all but this is great. Doing my best to avoid seeming obnoxious but there's an esoteric flair to it that keeps it interesting but catchy. Each track is distinct enough but they manage to maintain a consistent atmosphere through the album
A few other people have commented saying this sounds like worse Tears for Fears, and I suppose you could draw some comparisons as they were contemporaries in the same genre that both utilised synths, but that descriptor just feels lazy to me. XTC don't really sound like Tears for Fears at all, at least not on this album. They play around with more progressive, 'quirky' (for the lack of a better word) ideas, compared to Tears for Fears' bigger, almost epic style
Great stuff. I want to come back to XTC's other stuff at some point
Highlights: Another Satellite, Summer's Cauldron, Big Day
System Of A Down
4/5
This was always my favourite System of a Down album, because they focused on what I feel they were best at. Their chaotic, angry and heavy side is what they were far more suited to, later on they frequently slip into a melodramatic sound that I'm really not keen on (it's because of this I always preferred the other respectable nu metal band, Deftones, who should absolutely be on the list). They do do it on Spiders but that's it really, pretty easily overlooked
That doesn't mean I don't enjoy the quiet-loud dynamic. They do it well on tracks like Darts or the intro of Mind, where heavy, chaotic segments are contrasted with quieter, but still eery, mood-building moments
There's also no lead vocals by Daron Malakian here (that I'm aware of) thankfully, as I can't really stand his voice and he really ruins songs for me on later albums
Peak SOAD
Highlights: Suite Pee, War?, Know, Sugar
Mj Cole
2/5
Pretty boring and generic, really. This just sounds like something that would play on basically any UK radio station (absolutely not a compliment)
There are some interesting ideas, like the stop start acoustic guitar at the start of Tired Games or the jazz fusion style organ on Sanctuary but these unique moments are often quickly brushed over for more bland house beats. On the point of how bland it sounds, the 'strings' (if that's what they're meant to be) on Crazy Love sound directly ripped from a Sims soundtrack. It's pretty repetitive, if you listen to a handful of tracks you've basically heard the whole album. I swear I had already heard that exact intro when Slum King came on. And of course, as an early 2000s album, it's far too long
Won't be returning to this
Highlights: Rough Out Here
David Bowie
5/5
Station To Station and the Berlin Trilogy are where I feel like David Bowie reached his artistic heights. I like his glam rock stuff and recognise how influential those albums were, but I always come back to these albums far more
The first half of Low is a bit like some of Bowie's previous catchier work, filtered through Brian Eno's keys. Despite the lyrics about trying to kick his drug addictions, the first half is a nice set of avant-pop. I love the little sounds that are just scattered throughout the album that add a lot of character, like the one in Sound and Vision that I've always thought sounded like a burning log crackling in a fire
Brian Eno really comes to the forefront with the ambient second half. There's an eeriness to these tracks, especially Warszawa and Subterraneans, which are desolate and cold, even alien sounding. Bowie isn't even all that present on these tracks, only adding some vocalisations here and there, but that only adds to the atmosphere of the half
A perfect album. It's crazy to see just how broad a range of artists this one album influenced
Highlights: Sound and Vision, Speed of Life, Warszawa, A New Career in a New Town
Aphex Twin
4/5
I regret not listening to this sooner, always thought I wouldn't like it for some reason. A bit hard to describe why I like it as it's not 'musical' in the same way the rest of the list is. It's just some very nice ambience to have playing whilst doing something, it doesn't need to my full attention to be enjoyed
Despite being pretty minimal, it's very dynamic and moves around various sounds and styles. Kevin James manages to switch the tone from laidback and relaxing to add a bit more tension and sort of sinister very easily between tracks, We Are The Music Makers into Schottkey 7th Path for example
Some of it reminds me of the music Limmy makes between Limmy's Show and his streams so that probably helps endear it to me too
4.5, could be a 5 with repeat listens
Highlights: We Are The Music Makers, Ptolemy, Xtal
American Music Club
3/5
I was hoping for more of a country sound, opening with pedal steel guitar on Firefly. Instead, this is more of an indie rock album with some sprinkling of country throughout. I don't really find much of this that unique, particularly the opener. To be fair though, it probably was for the 80s as I never would've guessed it was that old. Still, much of the album actually reminds me a fair amount of Wilco, who I'd prefer to listen to. More lowkey moments like Laughingstock and Pale and Skinny Girl are quite strong and manage to have some personality though, I wish there was more of that style.
The vocals are okay, but they occasionally have a strained sound that I find slightly annoying when he's really belting out the lyrics (Now You're Defeated immediately comes to mind). Again, more toned-down moments like Laughingstock are where Mark Eitzel's vocals are at their best
Not a bad album, just not that noteworthy
Highlights: Laughingstock, Pale and Skinny Girl
Goldfrapp
4/5
This is pretty nice, I really like the lush production and atmosphere. There's a kind of familiarity to the style, although I think that's because I'm sure my mum used to play Goldfrapp in the car when I was little. It is kind of reminiscent of Cocteau Twins too
My main issue is probably the pacing. The vibe stays pretty consistent throughout so it does sometimes feel like it's coasting a little bit, but I think the energy picking up a little bit towards the end and the runtime prevent that from being a dealbreaker. Alison Goldfrapp's airier vocals on tracks like Eat Yourself aren't my favourite either, although she does show quite a good, versatile range across the album so it doesn't bother me too much
3.5, pretty good
Highlights: Happiness, Road to Somewhere
Common
3/5
I've never even heard of this, but then I'm not that well versed in hip hop
Got a bit nervous with some Owl City esque sounding keyboards on Be (Intro), thankfully that didn't come back. It's maybe vaguely in the Kanye pop-rap realm (unsurprising since he produced it), where I tend to prefer stuff like ATCQ, MF DOOM, but I like Common's voice enough that it kept me engaged. Kanye is/was pretty genius at sampling too so that helped keep my attention as well
To be fair, I am a hipster with a humanities degree so it's unsurprising that I like this
Highlights: Go!
Tom Tom Club
3/5
I didn't go into this with expectations of how it might sound like Talking Heads but it does feels like a bit of a cheap copy. Obviously Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth played their part in forming the sound of Talking Heads but without David Byrne, it feels kind of second rate. Other than Genius of Love, the first half is quite weak. Wordy Rappinghood is pretty bad, very dated and kind of cringe 80s funk/hip hop thing. The second half is a bit better though
Tina Weymouth isn't anything special as a vocalist. She's not particularly bad or anything but it feels like she's trying to replicate the awkward charisma of David Byrne and it doesn't really work for me. I much prefer when she just sings plainly like on Genius of Love
Also I've heard Genius of Love somewhere before, like a game or film or something, but I can't figure it out for the life of me
Highlights: Genius of Love, On On On On...
Jimi Hendrix
5/5
Got to give this 5. Blues rock isn't usually my favourite but Hendrix blends it seamlessly with psychedelic rock. The guitar playing is sort of raw but everything feels absolutely perfectly placed and executed at the same time. I also like little moments like Jimi saying "how was that?" at the end of Red House that were caught on mic and left in, it adds a lot of character to both the album and the band
It's so clear how influential his guitar playing was on countless acts that followed him. I'm a big fan of stoner rock so I get a kick out of what is an extremely early root of the genre here as well
Also have to mention his great vocals and the drumming. Everything comes together perfectly to create a seamless, unbeatable 38 minutes (going by the UK release)
Highlights: Foxy Lady, Fire, Third Stone from the Sun
Elvis Presley
3/5
A lot of this is quite generic 60s rock and roll and country. I suppose that's because of Elvis being a bit older here so he wasn't a pioneering force of music at this point, especially when The Beatles had already come and (nearly gone) by this point and Led Zeppelin and The Rolling Stones were coming up
I like the keys/organ backing Gentle On My Mind and Wearin' That Loved On Look that adds a different sound to the album and gives those songs a more layered and unique sound
This is right enough, just doesn't feel like anything too notable
Highlights: I'm Movin' On, Gentle On My Mind, Suspicious Minds
Steely Dan
4/5
Steely Dan's mixture of poppy hooks and vocal melodies with interesting chord changes and quite technical instrumentation have always made them an interesting but easy going listen for me. Normally I find 70s soft rock pretty boring but they know how to keep my attention, it slips into my subconscious very easily
There's some real highlights on here, like Reelin' in the Years (which is apparently a big hit but I don't think I had heard it until now), which reminds me a lot of Thin Lizzy. Brooklyn's country style lap steel twang also adds a nice bit of variety
The album maybe limps over the line a little bit with Turn That Heartbeat Over Again, it's probably my least favourite on the album
Highlights: Reelin' in the Years, Fire In The Hole, Midnite Cruiser
Deee-Lite
3/5
I thought this was going to be peak shitty europop based on the name and album cover
I do have a fondness for Daft Punk (one of my first favourite groups) so the house beats appeal to me. I'll give it up the album is pretty groovy and it can be quite infectious
Unfortunately a lot of stuff on top of the beat feels a bit hokey and drags the songs down. There's too much going on, I think this would've worked better if it was a little bit more stripped back or downtempo. Some of the added layers like the ascending and descending bells (if that's what they're supposed to be?) on Smile On sound juvenile (I can't think of another descriptor that doesn't sound so pretentious)
There are some good uses to these though, like the oldschool synth sound like Kraftwerk or early Depeche Mode on tracks like What Is Love? and ESP, or the funky guitars on Who Was That?
The vocals aren't poorly done, but they're a bit schlocky and daft. I suppose to a lot of people these components are part of the appeal, but not to me unfortunately
Highlights: What Is Love?, ESP
The Last Shadow Puppets
4/5
I was expecting this to pretty much be an Arctic Monkeys extras album. The cinematic, western style sound that runs through much of the album caught me off guard, in a good way
There are probably glimpses of where Arctic Monkeys would go on tracks like Calm Like You, which I don't mind since I actually like their later stuff. My biggest complaint is that some tracks like Standing Next To Me can maybe be a little bit repetitive, but it isn't really a major issue
3.5
Highlights: The Meeting Place, Black Plant
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
Lot of people criticising Bruce's singing, but I quite like how raw it is. Lot of passion behind them
There is a bit of a cheesiness to this but I think that's just to be expected with 80s rock. Although it can sound quite dated at points (the synths on Working On The Highway, for example)
Pretty good, 3.5
Highlights: Born In The USA, Dancing In The Dark
PJ Harvey
4/5
I really like the spacious production, it makes the album feel big and sort of raw. I've never listened to that much stuff produced by Steve Albino (maybe The Jesus Lizard) but this makes me want to go and look at what else he's done, which hasn't happened with any other producer on this list
PJ Harvey's vocals can be very rough and harrowing, in a good way, like on Legs. Other times they're very smooth and catchy like on 50 Foot Queenie. I could've sworn I'd heard a cover or interpolation of the latter by the way, but I can't find anything like that anywhere
Enjoyed this quite a bit
Highlights: Hook, Rub 'Til It Bleeds, 50 Foot Queenie
Cee Lo Green
1/5
Peak mid 2000s dross. The exact sort of thing I couldn't be arsed with even when I was 6. I'll give it that there's a couple decent beats here and there, but they're mostly lost in a needlessly 65 minute album that feels like it's never going to end. CeeLo Green's voice is grating right from the start let alone having to listen to it for over an hour
A 1 is probably a bit harsh but I've not given one yet and I need to signify somehow that this is the worst thing I've heard to this point. I did not need to listen to this before I die
Highlight: All Day Love Affair
Johnny Cash
5/5
One of my favourite live albums. The whole thing is dripping with atmosphere, between the crowd, Johnny's jokes and anecdotes and the warden announcements. There's something darkly funny about him singing "I shot a man in Reno just to watch him die" and doing coke and shooting his wife and the crowd going wild, whistling and applauding. All of this could've detracted from the album but it actually tops it off and completes it
The actual performance sometimes isn't perfect either, but that just adds to the genuine atmosphere and the character of the whole thing, especially when Johnny laughs in the middle of a song. A lot of the performances on here are the definitive versions of these songs, like Folsom Prison Blues
Highlights: Folsom Prison Blues, Cocaine Blues, Jackson
CHIC
4/5
Enjoyed this, good vibes all round. Nile Rodgers' guitar playing is great, no surprise there. The band added those extra little flourishes that round off their sound, like the piano and string parts, I really like that. It almost has a city pop style at moments
I did think one or two tracks could get a bit repetitive, I'd occasionally check my phone thinking it was somehow repeating again but it wasn't a major issue
Pretty good overall. Glad I heard it
Highlights: Good Times, My Forbidden Lover
Blood, Sweat & Tears
4/5
This is pretty fun. Instrumentation is tight all round, the bass player especially is a beast. I'm really fond of the use of Variation on a Theme as the intro and intro for whatever reason
Some parts are vaguely similar to early King Crimson, with the flutes and brass, though this came it before ITCOTCK so maybe Robert Fripp heard this? Could also be because Steve Katz sounds ever so slightly like Greg Lake on Sometime In Winter
Does occasionally feel a bit underwritten, like on And When I Die. There are nice ideas but it gets a bit repetitive, like they hadn't finished figuring out how to fill out and construct the song and keep it interesting. Blues Part 2 interpolating Sunshine Of Your Love was a bit distracting as well, though that's quite a nitpick
3.5
Highlights: Sometimes In Winter, More and More
Iron Butterfly
3/5
I forgot this would be split down 2 channels so I had the one earphone in and thought the first track abounded like absolute shite until I realised. Much better from there
I think you could draw some comparisons to The Doors musically, maybe with a bit of the Beatles. In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida is indulgent, wild and messy but it's good fun
The impenetrable, dense production on this that you might find on Piper at the Gates of Dawn or even something like Raw Power has always kind of put my head in a spin. I've never been able to decide if I like that style, but here I'm may be leaning slightly towards disliking it. Everything is kind of buried beneath the guitar in one ear and ear piercing organ in the other and gives a bit of early fatigue. Thankfully the album is pretty short
Good album, though I imagine it would be 10x better if you were absolutely baked
Highlights: In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida, Termination
Van Morrison
4/5
Pretty shortly into And It Stoned Me I had a feeling that most of the album was going play out the same way, a decent enough folky tune
Moondance got me by surprise, that's a nice jazzy number. It distinguishes itself nicely without being so outlandish that it sticks out like a sore thumb. It does kind of revert more back into the style of Ant It Stoned Me, but I also really enjoyed Into the Mystic. The saxophone adds a really nice additional layer to the folk style (which goes for the whole album, not just that song)
Liked this more than I expected
Highlights: Moondance, Into the Mystic
Culture Club
2/5
I'm often a fan of synth heavy stuff that has a clearly 80s sound. This feels very dated and left behind though, rather than the likes of Depeche Mode, Pet Shop Boys, Tears for Fears that are charming and people still talk about
I've never liked Karma Chameleon, always felt like a hokey novelty song. Thought the album was going to pick up with It's a Miracle which has a nice hooky chorus but Black Money pulls it back down again, the vocal melody on the chorus is so annoying for some reason. I think that's a bit of a recurring issue throughout the album, Boy George sings with kind of weird and annoying inflections that, coupled with the very repetitive lyrics, result in annoying and tedious songs
Church of the Poison Mind offered something a bit different though, I liked that one
2.5
Highlights: Church of the Poison Mind
Sebadoh
2/5
This mostly swings between mopey and uninteresting and chaotic and grating. Often feels like a second rate Nirvana
I appreciate that they seemed to try doing a few different things but largely it feels poorly put together. The songwriting is mostly uninteresting to bad. Fantastic Disaster is an absolute mess, which I suppose may be the point given the name but wow I don't want to listen to it again. I also got so tired of the vocals by the end, just your pretty standard bland 90s alt rock voice
The guitar and bass tones can be good, the drumming shows some strong flashes too
No idea why this is on the list
Highlights: Telecosmic Alchemy
Beastie Boys
4/5
I've listened to a few Beastie Boys albums but not this one for some reason. It's cool that somebody managed to make an album like this before record labels got so greedy about sampling
The amount of samples is just ridiculous, I was going to try and pick out as many as I could but I couldn't be bothered. Because of the amount of samples, this feels very dense and pribably needs a lot of listens to really peel back the layers, especially because the vocals are weirdly somewhat low in the mix
Some parts can feel a bit repetitive, like Johnny Ryall, as did High Plain Drifter a little bit (the weird moaning sample on that one is pretty annoying)
It's probably not my favourite Beastie Boys album, I prefer their punkier style which there isn't much of on here. I did feel a little bit of fatigue too, but that's probably partly due to how dense it is like I mentioned
Highlights: Car Thief, Egg Man
The Jesus And Mary Chain
4/5
The descriptions calling this post punk, shoegaze etc had me expecting something much noisier but it's more an indie rock/power pop style. The guitars are a bit shoegazy at moments, like on Nine Million Rainy Days
A bit morose and moody but in an easygoing kind of way. Nice as some chilled out background music. Full of nice vocal harmonies and guitar hooks
I can imagine this being really nice on a rainy day, which makes sense since they're from East Kilbride
3.5
Highlights: Down On Me, Fall, Nine Million Rainy Days
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
2/5
I'm incredibly torn with this one, I think it's the most I've had to say for any album so far. I can always appreciate art that pushes the boundaries and tries something new, and nobody could claim this isn't original. On the other hand, I don't see myself ever willingly wanting to listen to this album again.
I appreciate that the way each instrument plays in a different time signature is extraordinarily difficult to pull off, the issue is it often sounds fucking dreadful. Difficult it may be, that doesn't change that, to me, it sounds like individual tracks from different songs smashed together into an incoherent mess. The prime example is Frownland, though to be fair it probably skews perception being the opening track, and it usually doesn't come close to being that incoherent again. That's not to say it isn't an issue again; as another example, Pena is just horrible. Just complete nonsense. There are moments where I can hear a good track buried, like Dachau Blues (hate the insensitive lyrics on this one) or Hair Pie Bake One, but it's lost in a sea of complete nonsense (though to be fair, I found it quite funny that they just buried what sounded like a decent, normal song with erratic screeching on the latter)
There are a few songs I can somewhat appreciate. Sugar and Spike and Ant Man Bee are sort of good, still has the ramshackle feel but it kind of works on those. The closest I'll get to actually liking anything is Moonlight on Vernont and Ella Guru, though I can't really put my finger on why they stand out compared to the rest
Beefheart's vocals just become exhausting eventually as well, he does show he can actually kind of sing at various points throughout but it's frequently grating. I admittedly skipped Orange Claw Hammer, just got so sick of his gibberish
The length is also totally unnecessary as well. I went in with pretty negative preconceptions, actually found myself somewhat appreciating it, if not enjoying it, but felt like it was never going to end and I started hating it again. I guess it was just meant to be an endurance test or something
I think I can see why some would enjoy this, maybe in an ironic way and/or out of awe of the utter insanity (I love The Shaggs, for example). I will say I get why it's on this list, and it's earned its place over several other albums I've listened to so far
Highlights: Moonlight on Vermont, Ella Guru
Funkadelic
3/5
I hadn't heard this but I've heard Maggot Brain which is really good. I feel like I should like this more but there's something about it I can't out my finger on. It just feels like there's not much for me to latch onto. I think the stupid tongue-in-cheek lyrics and humour puts me off a bit. It just feels a bit stupid
My issue could be the sort of repetitiveness or lack of tracks changing it up a bit, those make the album feel like it's dragging on. I wasn't even halfway through Into You but it felt like it should've been nearly finished. There's some wacky guitar soloing going on on that one but it's faded into the background and so doesn't feel like the song is really going anywheren maybe like songs that contain good ideas but weren't actually completed
It's definitely well performed though
Decent enough, just didn't click with me
Highlights: One Nation Under A Groove
2/5
I've never liked Oasis. I've always thought they were boring, bland, Beatles rip-offs. Probably doesn't help that both Gallaghers are bellends and so many young guys around me growing up acted like Liam clones
Given those 2 are such provocative arseholes you'd think their music would have a bit of bite to it but it's so tame. Hello is the closest it gets to having any grit, and Roll With It is a decent follow up but the album just becomes so bland after that. It's not terrible music, but I just find it so uninteresting
During Don't Look Back In Anger, I reminisced on when I played in a band at uni. We played a variety of alt rock and heavy metal and thought we needed a crowd pleaser, so started rehearsing that one off the cuff. Maybe halfway through, everyone stopped all at once and agreed it was boring, and it was immediately dropped. Haven't changed my thoughts 6 years later
Boring laddy pub rock dross. 2.5
Highlights: Hello, Roll With It
R.E.M.
4/5
On the one hand, I was enjoying these songs well enough but some of them felt far longer than they actually are, particularly The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite and Everybody Hurts. They're not bad songs, but I suppose I subconsciously decided they maybe should've maybe been a chorus shorter. Drive is a great opener though, I like the strings that back up the instrumental and add an extra layer
A good album, enjoyed the first half more on subsequent listens but still think I enjoyed the second half more
Highlights: Ignoreland, Drive, New Orleans Instrumental No. 1
David Gray
2/5
The opening track and Babylon are vaguely familiar, I think I remember hearing it when i was really young. I wonder if my mum used to play this in the car. The chorus on the latter is decent
A lot of elements sound incredibly dated, like the drum machines. Strip it back and it be a pretty basic singer-songwriter album, as it is it's a fairly dated 90s poppy rock album. I actually thought it did get a bit better in the second half, Silver Lining and White ladder stood out to me.
I see this was quite a big hit when it came out, but it's been largely forgotten so I don't know if it's really worthy of being on the list. It's just fine
Sad background music that plays during the Misunderstanding in a romcom
2.5
Highlights: Babylon, Silver Lining
Pink Floyd
5/5
I don't listen to Pink Floyd as much as I used to and this was never my favourite album but I still like it a lot. Giving it a 5 despite that speaks a lot for how good some of their other stuff is. Kind of had me forgetting how good it actually is
I think of the album's biggest strengths is the variety in styles. Between the spacey, long winding SOYCD, the bluesy, rocking Have a Cigar (with one of Gilmour's best ever solos, imo), the sombre, folky title track and the sort of eery, electronic Welcome to the Machine, each track clearly stands apart and has its own identity. That with the order of vocalists (Waters-Gilmour-Roy Harper-Gilmour-Waters) adds to that and, to me, helps give the album a clearer structure
The title track is a bit overplayed but I would never say I don't like it. I just never really feel like putting it on
Stellar stuff
4.5
Highlights: Have a Cigar, SOYCD (Parts 6 - 9), SOYCD (Parts 1 - 5), Welcome to the Machine
Leonard Cohen
3/5
This is fine. I'm not really that into folk other than a few artists like Nick Drake, probably because it usually emphasises lyrics and I've never paid particularly close attention to lyrics (I should probably pay more attention to them). The album felt pretty samey throughout because of that. For example, I'm sure the vocal melodies on Hey, That's No Way To Say Goodbye are almost directly lifted from earlier in the album
I also find some of the swells in Cohen's voice mildly annoying but I can't really explain why, like on Suzanne
Not bad but not that amazing either
Highlights: Master Song, So Long Marianne
Van Halen
4/5
Classic hard rock. Everyone is great in their role - EVH's riffs are catchy and flashy and the rhythm section are as tight as can be. David Lee Roth seems like such a sleezeball but he's really entertaining. The band can be cheesy at times like on Ice Cream Man but it's in a fun, laid back and (to me) tongue in cheek way. I think they knew what they were doing
The album remains (mostly) consistent from front to back, switching between more laid back tunes like Runnin' with the Devil (which is a perfect opener) and Little Dreamer, and more energetic ones like I'm the One and Atomic Punk
Eruption is probably my least favourite track. I'll listen to it when I've got the whole album on, but it's never been something I've wanted to listen to in isolation. It's just too wanky and over the top, it kind of just passes me by without me really taking it in. There's a fine line for me with technicality (I love many prog bands, Opeth, Death, Gojira etc) but here it's too much. I much prefer when solos like that are incorporated tastefully into a full song
Not my favourite Van Halen album (that's probably Van Halen II or 1984), but it's a classic for a reason
Highlights: Runnin' with the Devil, I'm the One, Atomic Punk
SZA
2/5
Not going to have a go at it but I'm not into it, just seems like fairly standard modern R&B. Only moment I thought I particularly liked the instrumentals were during Normal Girl and Doves In The Wind
The singing is sort of irritating. It feels pretty out of place with the acoustic instrumentation, especially with the heavy autotuned moments. Travis Scott feels like a pisstake on the second track, suppose that's how he usually sounds but I don't like that heavily processed style at all. I liked Kendrick's feature though
Not going to knock how sexual the lyrics are, I don't really care. Women get a much harder time for that than men, as if it's invalid or somehow more vulgar. I had Van Halen yesterday and it's funny that nobody mentioned the sexual lyrics on that
Not my thing, not particularly interested in hearing it again
2.5
Highlights: Normal Girl, Doves In The Wind
Booker T. & The MG's
3/5
This is decent, pretty laid back rhythm and blues. The organ has a bit of a churchy or basebally vibe to me
Whole style becomes slightly stale after a while, just guitar and organ playing off each other with little to break it up or add some variety. Because of that, and the whole thing being instrumental, it does feel quite samey. Behave Yourself slows it down quite a bit so that does help break it up a hit
I do like the title track but it's become advert music, or the sort of thing you hear during a montage to indicate the passage of time or some hard work being done
3.5
Highlights: Green Onions, Behave Yourself
Calexico
4/5
Reminds me of Wilco a little bit, whilst bringing in Latin influences and little extras that add dynamics. The mariachi style comes through, for example, on Close Behind. They do also try out some different stuff as well, like Attack! El Robot! Attack! and Güero Canelo
I like the open, big production style from the reverb on the drums and acoustic guitars. Crumble is cool, very noir and jazzy
This is the kind of stuff I'm pleased to discover from the list as I've never heard of Calexico
Highlights: Crumble, Attack! El Robot! Attack!
Jacques Brel
3/5
This is exactly the sort of cliche French music that people think of in stereotyped cartoons or films or whatever. It does have a cinematic feeling. Very Wes Anderson. Also kind of reminds me of Frank Sinatra at points too
I dont have a huge amount to say really, I'll be getting much less out of this as I don't speak a word of French unfortunately. Still cool to see something that isn't in English on the list
Highlights: Le Plat Pays
Kid Rock
1/5
This is dreadful. Cowboy had me extremely worried, it is actually awful. Thankfully, the album never gets quite that bad again, at least not until Only God Knows Why. Wow.
The only positive I think I can give is that the guitars are sometimes decently heavy and have a decent tone. Like there's something very vaguely resembling Rage Against the Machine hidden buried under utter shit. In fact, Kid Rock also vaguely resembles Chris Cornell at points, like on the screams on I Am The Bullgod and the melodic vocals on Roving Gangster, making it sound like an absolutely terrible Audioslave cut they left on the studio floor
Otherwise it's full of shitty nu metal clichés- turntable scratching, shitty rapping and excessive use of that fucking filter effect on the vocals. The lyrics are dreadful. Kid Rock tries to copy boastful rappers but comes across like an utter tool. "I swing low like a chimp" shut the fuck up. "Can drink about 15 Heinekens" wow, hardcore. The hard n-word as well on the last track, what a cunt. He seems like such a loser, trying to simultaneously portray himself as a poor Detroit kid like Eminem, but also a good old southern boy, whilst apparently growing up well off. Just embarrassing
Also, like most 90s and early 2000s albums it's way, way too long. Why did it not occur to anyone that just because CDs mean you can stuff it with that much music, it doesn't mean you should?
Guantanamo Bay torture music
Highlights: Batwitdaba
Janis Joplin
3/5
Honestly not that keen on her singing on some tracks. Didn't really like Mercedes Benz at all. Better on others like My Baby
Instrumentation is usually cool. Psychedelic and tight, sometimes crunchy. The piano refrain on Half Moon weirdly reminds me of something yous hear in an 80s city pop tune. Little things like that are what grabbed my attention
A decent album but not really my thing, mostly due to the vocals
Highlights: Buried Alive in the Blues, Half Moon
The White Stripes
3/5
I get that the White Stripes were huge in bringing this style of garage rock back to the forefront so I get why it's on the list, but it doesn't feel that special to me. I didn't grow up with the White Stripes and they didn't get me into rock so it sounds like quite standard garage rock to me. Black Math sounds a lot like Wolfmother, though that's largely due to Jack White's voice, which is alright but not amazing. Other parts also sound quite like Death From Above 1979 so it doesn't feel that fresh to me
I'm pretty tired of Seven Nation Army, never even particularly liked it that much. Ball and Biscuit is just blues mediocrity, it lacks much restraint and slows the albums pacing right down. Well It's True That We Love Each Other was kind of annoying too
As a positive, the guitar tones are pretty excellent. The heavier parts (like Little Acorns) sound like the kind of thing you find in stoner/doom metal which I'm a big fan of. The production overall is pretty good, it catches that dirty sound that fits garage rock very well
I feel like I'm being too harsh, I would say I like this album more than I don't. I think I like the presentation but I'm just not too crazy about the writing
3.5
Highlights: The Hardest Button to Button, Little Acorns
Talking Heads
5/5
Very cool and creative, weird but a lot of fun too. Much of the album has a chaotic, nervous energy, there's so much going on each track that I usually notice something I didnt pick up on on previous listens. Cool that a western band used African polyrhythms, that's not something you hear very often so it helps them stand out
The turn from more danceable and upbeat to slower, more eery and sinister tracks on the second half reminds me a little bit of David Bowie's Low, at least in terms of structuring (not that anything that is particularly upbeat)
I had More Songs About Buildings and Food previously, which I do like but to me they took what they were trying to do previously and perfected it here
4.5
Highlights: Once in a Lifetime, Houses in Motion, Born Under Punches
George Jones
4/5
Another one that sounds like it could've been on Better Call Saul or Breaking Bad
I found it strangely quite comforting, despite the lyrics mostly being about heartbreak. I think that might be due to the abundance of lap steel, which I'm weirdly fond of. I think it could also be much of this sounds like it could've fit right in on K-Rose in GTA San Andreas and I'm nostalgic for it as a result. George Jones also has a great voice, he's exactly what I imagine when I think of older country like this
A couple more energetic tracks like The Weatherman towards the end help change up the pace and add a bit of variety. Thank goodness it's also quite brief, I really enjoy this kind of country but I imagine it could overstay its welcome quite easily
Highlights: Darlin', Who Will I Be Loving Now, Pass Me By (If You're Only Passing Through)
Frank Zappa
4/5
One of those albums where I can't really put what I like about it into words. I used to think it was prog rock but I never really used to get past Willie The Pimp when I tried listening when I was younger. It's far jazzing than I remember and I expected vocals for more than just minutes
I always thought the vocals on the sleazy
Willie The Pimp were bizarre, of course it turns it to be my pal Beefheart (unrelated but he should've sounded like this on Trout Mask Replica, would be more bearable). Son of Mr Green Genes has a weirdly whimsical kind of sound. I also like Zappa's solo on that one a lot
The Gumbo Variations went so long that I kind of stopped paying attention and it went immediately out the other ear, but that's probably a me problem
Highlights: Peaches En Regalia, Son of Mr Green Genes
Talking Heads
4/5
I find this to be the Talking Heads album that lingers in my mind the most
You're thrown headfirst into Talking Head's style of weirdness with I Zimbra, pulling from afrobeat styles and utilising Robert Fripp's unconventional guitars
Deapite the usual weirdness and frenetic style, I thought there was a bit more emphasis on more conventional rock elements, particularly big guitar parts, like the riff on Paper. There are also some disco rhythms like on Cities. I think this helps the album stand out to me more compared to some of their previous work, because of the way the band draw on several different elements and effectively incorporate them into their style
Electric Guitar is a bit monotonous, it just plods along and it's pretty repetitive, both musically and lyrically, and it get tedious quickly, but that's probably the only song I don't really like
Highlights: Life During Wartime
Peter Gabriel
4/5
I tried listening to this when I was much younger and was out off by how impenetrable I found it then, I only really remember liking Intruder and I Don't Remember (which is actually a banger, ironically I had forgotten that). I like it a lot more now, the resemblance to Berlin era Bowie endeared it to me a lot
I like the range of the album. There's a huge gulf between the sinister paranoia of Intruder to the groovy I Don't Remember, as well as the Afrobeat style of tracks like No Self Control. The whole thing has a lot of atmosphere, it feels quite eery throughout
I had forgotten Robert Fripp played guitar on this until I Don't Remember when it immediately came to mind, it sounds exactly like his playing on Scary Monsters & Super Creeps. I had no idea Tony Levin was playing Chapman Stick on I Don't Remember either, little wonder why the bassline is so memorable
There's a couple songs I'm not that keen on (mostly Family Snapshot) which is keeping me from giving a 5 but still a very good album overall
Highlights: I Don't Remember, Intruder, Not One Of Us
Peter Gabriel
3/5
Not enjoying this as much as Melt. Still sounds like Peter Gabriel but the more sinister edges have been cleaned up, and with it I think a bit of the distinctiveness. This kind of just went over me as I was listening, it's not bad but just didn't provoke much of a reaction. I used to be really into prog rock and have really gotten into 80s pop in recent years so this should definitely appeal to me but I dunno, there's just something not clicking
Sledgehammer is a classic, I can't argue that. Others like Red Rain just feel a bit pompous, I just don't really get what's so great about them
The album does pick up a bit towards the end, I liked the last few tracks a bit more. Wish the rest of the album was more like those, I felt they stood out a bit more
Probably more a 3.5 but I'm still disappointed
Highlights: Sledgehammer, This Is The Picture, Big Time
FKA twigs
2/5
The sort of artist I see a lot of people talk about online and I never took any interest in, and I feel vindicated. Glitchy chopped up random noises for the beat, stick FKA Twigs doing standard whispered vocals over the top and repeat for 40 minutes
FKA Twigs can clearly sing when she isn't doing the hushed, breathy babyish voice, only letting it show for flashes like on Two Weeks. Maybe this vocal style was more innovative in 2014 (I can't really remember, I think it was actually) but it's been pretty heavily abused since so this doesn't sound particularly original for a first time listener
Some tracks also feel too spacious to the point of feeling as though they're actually unfinished, such as Lights On. It felt like there was meant to be something in those pauses that go on for just a little bit too long
Give Up felt like the closest thing to a fully put together song
Not for me
Highlights: Give Up
Harry Nilsson
4/5
My immediate thought was this sounds like the Beatles, which Harry Nilsson was apparently known for
Nilsson covers quite a broad range in styles and vibes in a succinct timeframe, the key example being Without You followed by Coconut (Coconut is stupid and I don't like it, but it's the most stark example I can give). He makes these shifts work though, it never feels like it shifts at a breakneck or jarring pace
Didn't know who Harry Nilsson was, but I'm glad I heard this
Highlights: Gotta Get Up, Jump Into The Fire
Led Zeppelin
4/5
There are much bigger Zeppelin fans than myself, though I really like them when I do listen to them
It's hardly an original point, but Led Zeppelin really stood out because every member was so good at their respective role. I especially love John Paul Jones' prominent and chunky basslines, he defied the standard role of following the guitar and made himself known on every tune
There's more diversity in the songwriting than the debut (plagariased from a wider variety of artists maybe, I'm not sure) and the dynamics are perfect, switching from the raucous Whole Lotta Love to the more downtempo and subtle What Is And Should Never Be. Thank You is a nice, sentimental track and Ramble On introduces some of their folkier side prior to III
I'm not crazy about The Lemon Song, it's mostly a pretty straightforward blues tune that just dodders about (besides the killer solo). Not a bad song, but not a highlight. Moby Dick is cool in the context of the album, it provides something different for a change of pace, but I'd never listen to it in isolation. A bit like VH's Eruption
A really strong album overall
4.5
Highlights: Whole Lotta Love, Thank You, Ramble On, Heartbreaker
4/5
I love David Bowie but I've never fully understood why this album is so lauded. I do like it so I don't want to sound like a contrarian or anything, but I think he's got plenty of more creative and interesting albums (Low, Station To Station, Blackstar etc). Some of the deeper tracks (like Soul Love and Star) aren't as strong as the more well known ones, for me anyway. That keeps it from being top tier
I think part of it is his vocals as well. After this, he adopted a lower style compared to the more shrill and kind of nasally style that he uses on here. I much prefer how he sounds from Young Americans onwards
Just so I'm not shitting on a beloved album for the entire review - the big hitters are fully deserving of the praise. Ziggy Stardust and Starman are huge antyems and Suffragette City is a banger. Mick Ronson's slick guitar playing is absolutely stellar as well. There's also signature Bowie weirdness to be found, like the pennywhistle around 2 minutes into Moonage Daydream
Something has just never clicked with me, half of the album is perfect, the other half is just decent. Definitely belongs on the list though
Highlights: Suffragette City, Ziggy Stardust, Starman
The National
4/5
Initially, I just thought this was okay, but I liked it the more I listened. It has a southern kind of feel on some of the guitars which I enjoy, like on Terrible Love. The reverb on the vocals adds a spacious feel, that adds to the melancholy atmosphere. The album is good at keeping that tone pretty consistently throughout
The vocals can get a little bit monotonous, they're performed in a very similar tone and timbre throughout so they don't often change much
Very solid overall, glad I heard this
Highlights: Afraid of Everyone, Terrible Love, Anyone's Ghost
Neu!
4/5
I was expecting some pretty wacky krautrock like Can but it started very pleasant and chilled out on the first half. The first half sets the tone and builds a nice atmosphere
The second half picks up the pace and is much more abrasive. Hero is quite punky (it seems it was pretty influential), whilst E-Musik is very driving and tight until it transitions into a somewhat eery close with wind and what sounds like somebody hitting something in the distance over some sparse piano. After Eight is something of a release after tension has built through the album, another rough around the edges punky tune
Ordinarily I favour noisy and abrasive sounds but I think I actually prefer the first half. The second half maybe doesn't feel fully formed, like there was some tweaking that could've been done to bring those songs up a notch. My only gripe with the first half is Leb Wohl felt a little bit repetitive since it's centred mostly around the same 2 piano chords and goes for 9 minutes, but it's still a nice song
Really enjoyed this
Highlights: Seeland, Isi, E-Musik
Steely Dan
4/5
Think I preferred Can't Buy a Thrill. I could be completely talking out of my arse and displaying my ignorance but this does feel really similar. It's still cool, I just didn't find find it as strong and there isn't as much that feels as stand out as that album. The big exception is Monkey in Your Soul, which has cool dirty bass contrasted with the smooth and sleek organ
East St. Louis Toodle-Oo feels kind of disruptive, felt like a daft little thing that kind of interrupted the flow of the album and stood out slightly awkwardly
Another thing that wasn't a deal breaker but did mildly bother me was the thought that this is kind of too perfect. I never thought that with Can't Buy a Thrill, but the sleek production and flawless performances did weirdly (and very mildly) frustrate me. A weird point, not entirely sure what I'm trying to say
I could see myself moving to a 3, but I'll say it's a good 3.5 and give it 4
Highlights: Monkey In Your Soul
Paul Simon
3/5
I've not heard a lot of Simon and Garfunkel but I've not been keen on what I have so I didn't have high expectations. This is some decent folk, nothing mindblowing. It's not fully grabbing me, I'm not that keen to return to it after a couple of listens. It's more diverse than I expected though so I'll give it that
Run That Body Down is nice, reminds me of Pink Floyd's Meddle a bit. Armistice Day kind of reminds me of Nick Drake but I'm not entirely sure why. I really like the twangy guitar playing on Peace Like a River
Decent, could grow on me if I gave it another chance
Hoping for something not from the 70s tomorrow
Highlights: Run That Body Down, Peace Like a River, Armistice Day
The Stranglers
3/5
That's 7 of my last 10 from the 70s, come on now
I was having a bit of trouble reconciling the flashy organ sound with the gritty punky sound of the rest of the instrumentation initially, I found it quite jarring. Think it still is with Sometimes, I'm not too keen on that one. I prefer when the organ is a bit more subtle and plays a more accompanying role, like on London Lady. The long jam in Down in the Sewer goes against that, it's pretty cool but it's hardly as straightforward punk as much of the album
This list is so funny for reminding me of songs I haven't thought about in a long time. I instantly thought of Driver Parallel Lines when Peaches came on (very niche reference, I know). I couldn't decide then if I liked it, still can't decide nearly 20 years later
Decent. Probably can't give it more than a 3 when there are quite a few songs I'm not that keen on
Highlights: London Lady, Down in the Sewer, (Get A) Grip [on Yourself]
The Avalanches
2/5
I'll give credit for the creativity of the sampling, I just didn't feel it particularly compelling. Just washed over me. A Different Feeling was probably the highlight for me, I thought it kind of had a Daft Punk feel
Repetitive vocal samples can work but often they're pretty irritating, like Avalanche Rock which is thankfully more an interlude or intro than anything. The use on Flight Tonight is kind of annoying, it feels like a club track that just isn't that appealing outside of that context. I was a bit annoyed that the vibe turned into weird cinematic nonsense around Pablo's Cruise
There's another song I've heard with Frontier Psychiatrist. It does an instrumental hip hop thing but i thought it was far too busy, far too many vocal samples and random noises like horses neighing and parrots and scratching (pretty creative to make scratching sounds out of a parrot sample though, to be fair)
I can appreciate this but I'm just not that into it, personally
2.5
Highlights: A Different Feeling
Johnny Cash
5/5
I listened to this album years ago and liked it a lot, but I like it even more than I remember now
Johnny emphasises more introspective and emotional lyrics over the rebellious, gunslinging themes of a lot of his older work, though that isn't completely gone either. His aged and weary voice suits the album's melancholic and the production also feels intimate, all of which results in a very moving and emotional performance
I think the fact the album doesn't stick to one mode throughout helps elevate those songs, for example the title track, Personal Jesus and Big Iron are a little bit more upbeat (as much as they can be on an album like this) that gives more weight to the likes of Give My Love to Rose and I Hung My Head. The guest singers also help to add a bit of variety. Despite slagging him off a little bit previously, I particularly liked Nick Cave's appearance on I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry
I know everyone says it but it is pretty special that he took a song that's a million miles from his wheelhouse and made it his own. I don't think Hurt is one of my favourites but he definitely superceded Nine Inch Nails. I think I prefer Marty Robbins' version of Big Iron, but he comes very close to topping that too
4.5. I'd normally round down to 4 but I'm rounding up to 5 this time
(I listened to the original double LP version which includes Big Iron and Wichita Lineman)
Highlights: The Man Comes Around, Give My Love to Rose, Big Iron, Wichita Lineman, I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry
Fats Domino
3/5
A nice short one to start the week
I wasn't really expecting much, thought it would be just fine, standard 50s rock n roll. It's a fun listen and has something of an ageless quality and Fats had a great goice. But it also feels pretty simple because of not only how many other rock n roll artists were inspired by him, and how much the genre has grown since. That's not me trying to put the album down, I would say it's perhaps a case od the original being so copied to the point that he himself doesn't seem that original. I imagine it sounded very cutting edge and unique at the time, and it definitely deserves to be on the list if he inspired Elvis and The Beatles
This isn't on Spotify so I had to listen to a user curated playlist, which i hope used the same versions that appear on the album (it also ends with Fourth of July by Surfjan Stevens for some reason)
3.5
Highlights: So Long, Troubles of My Own, What's the Reason I'm Not Pleasing You
My Bloody Valentine
4/5
Funny that this came up, I was just thinking yesterday that I want to try more shoegaze and MBV are a band I've not really tried
The production is quite cold if that makes sense, 'icy' was what came to mind, especially regarding the guitars. It can be quite dense as well, which isn't surprising since this is an early form of shoegaze, there are plenty of those ethereal, hazy and dreamlike moments that the genre has become known for, but there are some cool, noisy and driving sounds like on Nothing Much To Lose. Feed Me With Your Kiss was immediately my favourite, the loud, dirty bass won me over
I thought they were using a drum machine, at least in the first track and the really fast snare hits on Nothing Much To Lose. I thought they gave quite a mechanical, post punky sort of sound. Sueisfine was also like that, with the very driving bass
The vocals might be my least favourite part of the album, they don't sound very strong or confident. Suppose it doesn't really matter when they frequently blend into the deluge of the instrumentation but I kept thinking they seemed kind of weak compared to the powerful guitars
Highlights: Feed Me With Your Kiss, Nothing Much To Lose
Michael Kiwanuka
4/5
For me so far, the albums from the last 15 or 20 years have been pretty bad but this is great and I had never even heard of it. It moves through all sorts of genres and eras, it's hard to really pin down, which I found really refreshing. It's unpredictable because of that and it made me keen to continue listening. Living in Denial is a good example, with the horns and choir vocals (?) giving a big band kind of vibe before shifting to quite lowkey vocals backed by subtle guitar arpeggios
Michael Kiwanuka is a great guitarist, I really appreciate his diversity and creativity. I love the psychedelic distortion of the guitar on tracks like Hard To Say Goodbye, and the way the guitar slowly descends into noisy chaos on Hero as the rest of the song continues as it started. Starts with a bang on You Ain't the Problem and Rolling. The kind of western riff on Rolling is cool, along with the accompanying flutes.
There are also more sparse and atmospheric moments to break things up and add variety. The soulful Piano Joint builds an atmosphere with minimal instrumentation outside of the pulsing beat and piano, I thought that was cool
A pleasant surprise, got to be the best post-2000 album I've had to this point
Highlights: Rolling, Hero, Hard To Say Goodbye
The Specials
3/5
My thoughts on this are pretty similar to the first album - to me this mostly sounds like the kind of music you hear in a Sainsbury's advert. I think I do slightly prefer it though, it has a bit more variety and does a few things that they didn't on that one (that I can't remember, anyway) and that saves it for me
I quite liked the more smooth and lowkey reggae parts, like Man at C&A. That has a sleazy, kind of sinister vibe from the creepy guitars and the Halloween-esque organs. International Jet Set is a bit weird too, the strangeness of that was appealing to me. Rat Race and Sock It to 'Em J.B. are decent too
Other than my Sainsbury's complaint, I like the style and presentation of Steretype/Stereotype Part 2 but it felt like it was going on forever, but it's only 7 minutes long. I don't know why I felt the length with that one when I quite liked it
I think I would give this a 3.5, better than the debut
Highlights: Man at C&A, International Jet Set
A Tribe Called Quest
4/5
ATCQ are right up my alley, though like I said with Fear of a Black Planet I struggle to put into words what I like and dislike about hip hop. I can say I prefer this to that album though, and this style more generally. I like listening to them when I'm sitting about not doing too much
Phife and Q-Tip are some of my favourite rappers, their flows are really smooth and, with the jazzy beats they use, sort of relaxing. Q-Tip is excellent right from the start, it never seemed like he had to grow into his role and knew what he was doing immediately
This is a great album, and this set them up well on their way to creating a masterpiece like The Low End Theory. It's just not quite as memorable or creative as that album, maybe a bit overlong too (I think with the drumming lacking the variety to go over 60 minutes), but it's still really good. Just needed some fine tuning
Highlights: Can I Kick It?, Luck of Lucien, Description of a Fool
Joni Mitchell
4/5
Joni Mitchell's voice is great, she makes everything seem effortless and there's a slightly aloof quality to her voice, in a good way. Like she could sing like this all day with ease
This takes a few nice creative turns. Her vocal melodies are sometimes a bit unusual but I liked that, it's kept me on my toes and engaged with the album. The end of Car on a Hill really reminded me of early King Crimson, I immediately enjoyed it because of that
Twisted has that classic pop sound and whilst it's a good song it's a bit of a weird choice as a closer because it doesn't feel very climactic or cathartic, it just kind of stops. That's probably my biggest complaint with the album though
Classic stuff like this that I've never gotten around to is partly why I enjoy doing this so much
Highlights: Car on a Hill, Help Me
Nick Drake
5/5
Ordinarily this style of a folk singer accompanied only by an acoustic guitar doesn't do much for me, but Nick Drake somehow made his music so moving in a way that, for me, nobody else can
Drake comes up with all these interesting little guitar parts that none of his contemporaries would dare try (that I know of anyway), like Road (like the vocal harmonies on that one too) and Know. I think this is sparse and understated done at it's absolute best
The lack of any backing band on this compared to his previous album really emphasised the lonely and hollow atmosphere. The single piano accompaniment on the title track is so simple but it's so memorable. His vocals are sort of in a way that adds to that too. Despite the forlorn and sorrowful tone, it's also a strangely soothing listen
A folk classic
Highlights: Pink Moon, Road, Know, Horn
Led Zeppelin
4/5
The generator has been cooking recently
Despite previously having a bit of a go at folk, I like some of the folkier influences that Led Zeppelin played with here that are found on tracks like Friends, Tangerine and That's The Way. They utilise it well and it gives this album character and it stands out in their discography because of that
There are also other styles that give the album variety. Celebration Day has a pretty wacky riff that is very memorable, sounds like something Primus might even have come up with. The guitar playing on the bluesy Since I've Been Loving You is very David Gilmour-esque, and the organs are reminiscent of Deep Purple. Immigrant Song is a bit overplayed but I still like it too
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp unfortunately reminds me of that tragic stomp clap trend from 10 or so years ago. Not their fault but I can't help but hear it and that spoils the song for me. I don't think I can give this a 5 because of that
Highlights: Celebration Day, Since I've Been Loving You, Friends, Out on the Tiles
Dolly Parton
4/5
This is very nostalgic for me, my mum and granny like Dolly Parton
I wasn't sure if I liked the vibrato she puts in her voice initially but I came around on it, it helps give her voice more character I think
A very good classic country album and a breeze at only 27 minutes, doesn't overstay its welcome at all
Highlights: Early Morning Breeze, Traveling Man, Here I Am
Michael Jackson
4/5
This is produced immaculately, one of its biggest strengths. Very slick and smooth, but not in a way that's too squeaky clean that it feels sterile
Woman Be Startin' Somethin' is probably my favourite track, I like the horns and lot. But also doesn't help the rest of the album to start at it's highest point
Have I heard a different version of Beat It before this album? I thought the synths sounded more dated than I remember. Not really a complaint as it was still one of my highlights, just a bit odd
Highlights: Woman Be Startin' Somethin', Beat It, Baby Be Mine
The Who
3/5
I wish Spotify would put up the original versions of these albums if they're going to also include extended versions, I got to Young Man Blues thinking it was nearly done but that's actually the start of the album and there's tons of extras in between the original tracks, pain in the arse
Agree with some people about live albums being included, I'm a bit iffy on it. They probably shouldn't be unless they're really revolutionary/influentual in some way like At Folsom Prison or Nirvana's but oh well
The rhythm section are excellent as expected, I'm not that well versed in The Who but I always thought Keith Moon and John Entwistle were the best parts about them. I like the extended version of My Generation, thankfully they show restraint on most the rest of the album as that style of extended jamming can get tiring quickly
It's cool enough, I would've enjoyed seeing a show like this but it doesn't feel special enough to be on here. It should be a compliment, but it sounds good enough that I sometimes kind forgot it was a live album but for me that actually takes away from the concept, it doesn't really capture that live energy or vibe that the best live albums do
A fun listen, but not something I'll be really keen to return to
Highlights: My Generation
Brian Eno
3/5
I'm not really familiar with Brian Eno outside of his work with the Talking Heads and David Bowie, which includes some of his best ever albums. The only thing I had heard from this was QOTSA's cover of Needles in the Camel's Eye
This is a pretty weird album. There were some points where I thought that I would never guess it was from the 70s. I said something previously about experimental and avant garde tags being a bit of a red flag but i can't really fault it here. I found the last 30 seconds of Dead Finks Don't Talk actually kind of disturbing, capping off what was already a weird song with that weird yelping throughout
The Paw Paw Negro Blowtorch sounds like proto-Talking Heads, if that wasn't an influence on them I'd be very surprised. Especially because Eno went on to work with them
The album does feel like it trails off a bit after Dead Finks, the last 2 tracks are just okay but they felt meandering
I'm not too sure about a rating, I respected the album more than I enjoyed listening to it. Maybe I would change my mind with repeated listens
Highlights: Needles in the Camel's Eye
Fever Ray
4/5
When I saw Swedish electronic I had a hunch that I wouldn't really like this but it's actually pretty good
The music is layered, and there's more to peel back but I appreciate the subtleness of this album, it would've been quite easy to make these songs overbearing and too busy by just adding a little more to them. If I Had a Heart sets quite a moody tone that remains throughout, it's got an eery quality that I imagine would suit winter really well
There are some pretty synths on tracks like Dry and Dusty that remind me a little bit of Depeche Mode's mid to late 90s sound. Triangle Walls is also sort of reminiscent of something Peter Gabriel might do
I'm not crazy about the vocals at point, but I don't hate them. It didn't feel like they always matched the intensity (or lack of) of the music, like the first minute of Seven, that felt slightly jarring. I prefer how they sounded on Concrete Walls, that feels more in keeping with the tone of the album
The higher registers remind me of Bjork, who controversially I'm not a very big fan of. Now's the only time I know I actually quite liked them though, maybe because they stick to a lower key that I find suits their voice a bit better
A pleasant surprise
Highlights: If I Had a Heart, Concrete Walls, Now's The Only Time I Know
Morrissey
3/5
His voice has the same timbre for pretty much the entire first track. His voice is smooth but the whole thing is just pretty boring. I wouldn't have picked that to open. It's a bit up and down, Why Don't You Find out for yourself is alright but it felt like another dip
That engine noise or whatever it was on Speedway is obnoxiously loud, so is the end as it swells, why is it mixed so much louder than the rest of the album? You can do a swell like that without making it so loud. It's a decent song but that was quite an annoying way to end the album
An okay album, a few good standouts but it's just kind of drole and samey. Wasn't keen on how it opened and closed either. There are some good moments, Spring-Heeled Jim was my favourite song
Highlights: Spring-Heeled Jim
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
Green River is a collection of very good, but not excellent, CCR tunes, I wouldn't say there are clear standouts. It's my least listened to CCR album besides Mardi Gras, but it's still a great time. As with most of their music, it's simultaneously of its era and timeless and it's full of their personality and character that you'd expect
It's maybe not as diverse as Cosmo's Factory and Willy and the Poor Boys, they focus mostly on their characteristic swampy sound. This is probably them at their most CCR, if that makes sense
I don't think I would ever really choose to put on Bad Moon Rising, it's a good song but it's like a national anthem for my hometown and you hear it in every bar and at nearly every function so I'm a bit tired of it
Highlights: Green River, Commotion, Sinister Purpose
David Bowie
3/5
It feels sacrilegious but this has never been high on my list of David Bowie albums. There's something I can't pinpoint that I'm not crazy about, it could be the pomp and too much theatre for my taste. Other than that, I have similar issues with his voice that I did with Ziggy Stardust, it being more shrill and nasally than how he sounded from the mid 70s onwards. I would normally avoid making such a direct comparison, but I know that I love his voice from around Young Americans onwards and before that I'm not as fond of it.
I'm bashing it but this is a good album. I can definitely appreciate that he was trying different things though, as he always did, it just doesnt really resonate with me the same way a lot of his later stuff does
3.5
Highlights: Andy Warhol
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
2/5
I don't want to be one of those people that complain about Elvis Costello purely for how many albums he has on the list but I didn't really like this
No Action was giving me pop punk vibes which was a bit of a red flag for me, partly because of the vocals. He doesn't really do that style again but I'm not keen on his voice either way. He has this weird, breathy and overenunciated style I found annoying, which was most noticeable on Little Triggers
The only thing I really liked was the little flourishes the keyboards added here and there (like on Living In Paradise even though I didn't really like the song otherwise), they're occasionally Doors-esque as well. And the bass tone was cool
2.5
Highlights: Lipstick Vogue
Tom Waits
2/5
The only exposure I've had to Tom Waits is his guest appearance on Tommy the Cat by Primus. He sounds so much like Captain Beefheart
Didn't like this. Saving All My Love For You and On the Nickel are pretty crap, they sound like the big tough guy showing that deep down he's a sensitive soul in a Disney film. Ruby's Arms was also goofy. For me his voice doesn't suit what is supposed to be these sentimental and emotional tracks, and while I was going to write that he should be doing crazy stuff, I initially like his voice on songs like 'Til the Money Runs Out but quickly get tired of it before it's even done. So maybe I don't actually like his voice as much as I thought
Probably says a lot then that the instrumental In Shades was easily my favourite
Highlights: In Shades
T. Rex
3/5
I'm a bit back and forth with this one. There are some great tunes like The Slide and Baby Boomerang and I like the guitar tone throughout
There's something kind of flat about the production though, it doesn't feel very energetic and can make some songs feel a bit plodding, like Rock On. I liked that one initially but it felt like it was repeating the same ideas over again. Metal Guru is a bit I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday for me
Decent enough
Highlights: Baby Boomerang, Buick Makane, The Slide
Blur
4/5
I've always wanted to get more into Blur so happy this came up fairly early on
A lot of people seem to complain that they just copied American alt rock and grunge on this but I like that they did that and managed to retain their own personality. It does sound a lot like those styles, but it stills sounds like Blur to me. I'm Just a Killer For Your Love is a good example
There's a good amount of variety too. Beetlebum has an airy, carefree quality, while Country Sad Ballad Man has a bit of a lofi twang. Everyone says they're sick of Song 2 but I don't feel like I actually hear it that much. I love the thick chunky bass and the riff is cool, doesn't bother me that it was supposed to be a bit of a pisstake because it's a great tune
The album is maybe slightly too long and could've been slightly trimmed, (I'd probably say M.O.R. and On Your Own, I wasn't too fond of those) but it's not too big an issue
Highlights: Song 2, Country Sad Ballad Man, Beetlebum I'm Just a Killer For Your Love
Neil Young
4/5
A classic I probably should've heard by now. I knew I liked older country before starting this project but I'm surprised how consistently I've rated it. The occasional use of slide guitar like on Harvest and Old Man obviously gets my approval
I wasn't expecting anything like A Man Needs a Maid or There's a World, that was surprising but i liked the cinematicness grandiosity of those. That switchup from the more straightforward rocking, country tunes does a lot for the variety and keeping my attention without feeling like they disrupt the flow
Like with After the Gold Rush there are spots where I'm slightly put off by Young's voice, but I didn't find it to happen so frequently. I've maybe gotten more accustomed to it after that album
This could go up to a 5 with repeat listens I think
Highlights: Ready for the Country, Harvest, Old Man, Heart of Gold
Muddy Waters
3/5
I think I wrote on another blues album that the progressions felt pretty predictable, which I'm realising just seems to be a blues thing. I wrote that I had heard the progression on Mannish Boy before but I think I can say that for much of the album, they same goes for Jealous Hearted Man
That progression on Mannish Boy must come from that song originally, but I've heard it a million times to the point of cliche. I like the presentation of the song but the writing is pretty repetitive
Does also feel like they don't really know how to end songs, they seem to all sound very similar outro wise
Muddy Waters is obviously very good and I appreciate the enormous influence blues had on music, it just doesn't do much for me (and I think that probably goes for most of the genre)
Highlights: Walkin' Thru the Park
Steely Dan
4/5
I can't really verbalise it but this just feels more tight and focused than Pretzel Logic. It's very immaculate and sleek feeling, not a single note feels out of place and the production is sleek. They create several layers and textures with organs and horns, but it never feels too busy. Those little flourishes remind me of city pop or Japanese jazz fusion like Casiopea, that helped endear the album to me
It does maybe get a little bit samey after a while but I think that would be my only real complaint, it's not that bad
4.5
Highlights: Aja, Black Cow
David Bowie
4/5
I've written on more than one David Bowie albums that this is where I felt that he grew into his voice and I stick to that, he largely drops the shrill, nasally style. It's not completely gone, he still kind of does it when he hits higher notes, but the baseline for his voice seems much lower. His voice also suits the soul style, and I really like the backing vocals, which compliment his really well
There's a bit of a grand, cinematic quality, like on Somebody Up There Likes Me but especially Win. That would fit in perfectly in some rainy city landscape with lights reflecting off of the wet pavement. I rarely have such specific mental images from music (outside of nostalgia or memories) but that was vivid
Fascination is so nostalgic for me, I loved when it came on on the radio in GTA IV. It's pretty high up in my list of Bowie's best stuff
Highlights: Fascination, Win, Fame, Young Americans
Tangerine Dream
4/5
Another discovery of the generator - I like ambient music
Obviously not musical in the traditional sense, lacking harmonies and traditional rhythms and hooks but it does what it sets out well, being a spacey ambient trip that builds and atmosphere. This doesn't feel dated, very impressive for a 50 year old electronic album
The swirling synths and repeating Moog notes built a weird sort of intensity and anxiety, especially from about 9 and a half minutes onwards of Phaedra, with the rising synth. They also create what feels like an eery wind or voice effect at the start of Moments of a Visionary
I liked how they used traditional instruments to achieve that sound as well, like the muted guitar picking on the title track helps reinforce that vibe well. That one in particular feels very well constructed, everything is very carefully placed. It doesn't come across as random noises just placed wherever (not that anything on the albums does)
Highlights: Phaedra, Moments of a Visionary
White Denim
4/5
This is great. They bring together a lot of sounds meld them well, it doesn't feel slapdash or poorly put together
River to Consider kind of reminded me of King Gizzard a little bit; psychedelic, a little bit proggy, flute (in fact there are other moments that sound like them too, like the midsection of Burnished and Bess St.). Is And Is And Is has a kind of classic rock sound, and there's an acoustic country twang in the guitars on Keys
The instrumentation is tight, and songs often take unexpected turns that keep my interest, like that last third of Bess St., where it goes from rowdy psych rock to technical and winding
Thank goodness this is 37 minutes, it went by quickly and I actually wanted more when it was finished. That goes a long way for me
A great listen
Highlights: River To Consider, Bess St., Is And Is And Is
The Adverts
3/5
Very much a 70s punk album. It's good and everything is done competently enough but it doesn't do that much to stand out for me. I will say that I liked the middle section of On the Roof though, that stood out
I can't really think of much else to say
Highkights: On the Roof, Bored Teenagers
Jorge Ben Jor
4/5
I hoped this was going to be bossa nova and was slightly disappointed when I discovered it wasn't, but had a great time with it anyway. I never would've heard this without the generator
I have no idea what the sound or instrument or whatever that sounds sort of like a monkey that's on tracks like Taj Mahal is called but I love it, reminds me of old games like Super Mario Sunshine (upon further reading I think it's a cuica). Such a unique instrument that is never used in western music
For anyone automatically giving this a 1 for not being English (or any album, for that matter), grow up
Highlights: Ponta De Lança Africano
Beatles
4/5
Once again feeling like an idiot for never bothering to really explore The Beatles
This is a consistently good album but I didn't feel like anything in particular really stood out. A very good showcase of the band's innovation and how influential they would be though, an example being the vaguely CCReqsue guitars on What Goes On and the use of sitar on Norwegian Wood (I'm fond of western bands incorporating that)
Highlights: Michelle, Norwegian Wood, Drive My Car, If I Needed Someone, What Goes On
Joy Division
4/5
I'm going on holiday today so not really the sort of vibe I was looking for
The first thing that stood out to me is that while it's well produced, I wish it had the same cold, melancholic production style that Unknown Pleasures had
I like this more when it's more sparse and builds an atmosphere, like The Eternal and Decades. This one isn't really depressing the way Unknown Pleasures is until the end where it pulls you right down. Particularly on the intro of The Eternal, when the piano comes in the songwriting immediately has a heavy, sorrowful tone
Isolation is a bit like proto-New Order or Kraftwerky. I'm kind of fond of that one because of that, but it's a bit rough in execution. That one, along with A Means to an End, shows (to me) that Ian Curtice was actually kind of a bad singer. Sometimes his voice can just sound pretty poor, but I find it does suit the music well
Highlights: Twenty Four Hours, Decades, The Eternal
Donald Fagen
3/5
A pretty nice listen. Sounds pretty similar to Sterly Dan, unsurprisingly
I like the little jazzy flourishes and the subtle synths, that gives it a bit more character than other soft rock of this type
It doesn't change up that much so it kind of blends together after a point. At least it isn't too long
Good, not great
Highlights: Green Flower Street, I.G.Y., New Frontier
Nirvana
4/5
I never used to like Nirvana because I thought they were all poppy tunes under a veneer of rock guitars, but since listening to a lot more grunge this year I've found I like them after all. I realised they (and grunge more generally) are a bridge from hard rock to sludge/stoner/doom that I just skipped. I didn't really get why Melvins are sometimes labelled as grunge until I heard songs like Blew and Mr. Moustache
I still prefer the noisy and chaotic moments, like Scentless Apprentice and the guitar solo on Serve the Servants. The softer moments suffer a bit for me because of Kurt's voice, sometimes I find it offputting and grating. Not always though, the verses on Heart-Shaped Box work
I could also tell Steve Albini produced this purely by the sound of the drums on Scentless Apprentice
I don't like Rape Me though, it's a level of edgelord that ends up quite cringe in my opinion. The riff also sounds like shitty self-plagarisation of Teen Spirit
Highlights: Scentless Apprentice, Pennyroyal Tea, Heart-Shaped Box, Milk It
The Triffids
2/5
This is so absurdly bland, why is it on the list?
The songwriting is so safe and predictable, it never goes anywhere I didn't expect. Musically, it's pretty toothless. It it just feels so safe. It nearly does things to pull me in, put gives up and goes back to being safe. E.g. I was kind of enjoying the country twang on Hometown Farewell Kiss but its pretty subtle and it eventually gets dropped entirely. The performances are generally fine but nothing to make a fuss about. Bury Me Deep in Love sounds ripped straight from the sad scene from a Dreamworks film
At least David McComb's voice is pretty good (he shows that off pretty well on Unmade Love) and it has the 80s drums sound that I'm fond off
Highlights: Unmade Love
Fatboy Slim
3/5
This came out the year I was born and I remember hearing quite a bit of this album into the mid 2000s, so a lot of this is quite nostalgic like Praise You and The Rockafeller Skank. Gangster Trippin is quite like the Beastie Boys, I liked that one because of that
Fucking in Heaven is actually quite good instrumentally, but the stupid vocal refrain spoils it. Kalifornia is kind of annoying, kind of 'kiddy'. Love Island sounds like some schlocky pisstake that Limmy would make on Ableton
Good, but gets a bit tiring and repetitive after a while
Highlights: Gangster Trippin, The Rockafeller Skank
Adele
2/5
There's this kind of percussion that I used to hear in adverts all the time. I can't put into words why, but i absolutely detest it, and that's all over this album. I don't know if it has a name (I doubt it) but it totally distracted me
Rolling in the Deep used to be absolutely everywhere in the UK so I'm already tired of that one before even starting the album
A lot of this has just permeated pop culture round such a degree that I think "oh yeah, it's that song" when I hear it after hearing them on countless programmes, films and adverts
Didn't expect the banjo or accordion though, that was nice
I didn't find much of this very emotionally impactful, maybe im just a cold Hearted bastard
I can't argue Adele has an incredible voice, I just wish she used it for more interesting songs. She must be doing something right though, this has sold so many copes and it's just not for me
Highlights: He Won't Go, I'll Be Waiting
David Bowie
4/5
Haven't listened to this one on years so I forgot how much crazy stuff is on it, like the piano part on the title track (reminds me of King Crimson in a way), congas on Panic in Detroit. I think that's because of it opening with Watch That Man, which is pretty familiar Bowie glam rock. Not a bad song but maybe slightly misleading
Cracked Actor has a cool, simple sleazy riff that serves as the basis for the whole song si that's probably my favourite
Now that I think about it, his might be my favourite of Bowie's glam era (although i quite like Diamond Dogs too)
Highlights: Cracked Actor, Aladdin Sane, Panic in Detroit
David Bowie
5/5
One of my favourite David Bowie albums. Kind of a bridge between Young Americans and the Berlin Trilogy
Between the title track's weird blend of krautrock, prog and disco, the funky Golden Years, upbeat TCV 15 and soulful Word on a Wing, Station to Station covers so much ground without overstaying its welcome. There are instances of his stranger, experimental side, but with hooks and perfect production its still pretty accessible, maybe besides the length of the title track (but that flies by so grow up)
I've written it a million times already but I think this is where his singing hit its heights. That shrill, nasally style he used previously is mostly gone. Word on a Wing and Wild is the Wind are two of his best vocal performances in his entire career
I think this might also be my favourite Bowie albums cover too
Highlights: Golden Years, Station To Station, Stay, Word on a Wing
Elliott Smith
3/5
This is alright, I thought Elliott Smith was like a 90s Nick Drake and this was going to be the most miserable, wretched thing with the way people write about him. I wouldn't call it a happy album but it definitely isn't that either. Maybe his other stuff is like that
I'm not keen on a lot of the creative choices. He has an objectively good voice but I'm not keen on the airy, breathy cadence he uses, feels like he's right in my ear and breathing down my neck
The repeated vocal harmony on Everything Means Nothing to Me mostly spoils that song, I especially liked the drums but can't really get by the voice. I'm also not into the honky tonk piano on In The Lost And Found
It's ok though. Could maybe grow on me
Highlights: LA, Pretty Mary K
Nightmares On Wax
3/5
I thought this was going to be some kind of Snoop Dogg knock off but it's not that at all. I enjoyed to an extent, but it felt very much like background music. Much of it went in ear and out the other, but it filled that role pretty well. A lot of it sounds like PS2 menu music which gives it a bit of a nostalgic quality for me
There's weirdly quite a few sounds that remind me of random, non-musical things. There's a sound (a guitar bend I think) that repeats on Bless My Soul that sounds like Lego Yoda dying so I had to write that one off, that's all I could think about. Cruise (Don't Stop) has a ping throughout it that sounds like the gates opening on the Glasgow subway which was kind of distracting too
Decent. Also too long, unsurprisingly
Highlights: Dreddoverboard, When I'm Feelin (Good)
Rod Stewart
3/5
I remember at uni one of my friends was really into Rod Stewart, who I mixed up with Cliff Richard, which really annoyed him.
His music does actually have a bit of punch and urgency to it, not the granny music I expected. Especially didn't realise how raspy his voice is. Also didn't expect the folky/bluegrassy sound
I overall like the style, but the songwriting isn't hugely compelling, it rarely grabs my attention
Highlights: (I Know) I'm Losing You
Curtis Mayfield
3/5
The way the horns play off the guitars and organ are my favourite part of the album, most prominent on So In love
He has a good voice but it does feel kind of samey and one note at a point. He sings in a similar high pitch so much that it makes the songs blend together a little bit
Nice, just would've liked a little more variation (and more horns)
3.5
Highlights: So In Love, Hard Times
Beatles
4/5
I'm thankful for this list showing me that I actually like the Beatles a fair amount. I was kind of indifferent beforehand, didn't hate them, appreciated their influence but I wouldn't have said I was a fan. I didn't realise how weird they could get until I'd heard the albums on this list
Some really nice stuff like While My Guitar Gently Weeps and Blackbird, the sort of stuff I think of when I think of The Beatles. Back In The USSR is a fun rocker. I love Helter Skelter, just dirty and noisy proto-metal
I think it's pretty obvious that tensions were high during the recording, as the songs really feel like they're by each individual member. It also feels like a weird compilation of odds and ends so the flow is a bit strange
There are a few duds that let it down for me, and the way the album ends is a bit limp. The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill and Rocky Raccoon are just weird little oddities that I don't really enjoy (the former is particularly repetitive and annoying). Revolution 9 is mostly nonsense and completely out of place and I'm not keen on Good Night, it's like some traditional pop or some film score. It feels weirdly out of place too
A very good album containing some of my favourite Beatles songs
Highlights: Helter Skelter, While My Guitar Gently Weeps, Blackbird, Back In The USSR, Glass Onion
Mott The Hoople
3/5
Feels like a knock off of David Bowie or Elton John. Whizz Kid is such a blatant example of that, wow. I'm not keen on the voice, he's clearly trying to emulate Bowie but lacks the personality to pull it off successfully. He has a kind of whiny quality at times that's a bit annoying as well
Violence is one of the few moments where they actually put across a bit of personality. I quite liked the second half of Drivin Sister and I'm a Cadillac/El Camino Dolo was good. Otherwise not much stands out to me
I wouldn't say this is a bad album, but it doesn't feel like an essential listen for anyone but the biggest glam rock fans
Highlights: Violence
JAY Z
2/5
I'm not really a fan of Jay-Z's style of rap, without trying to sound like an utter wank I'm not that keen on mainstream, radio pop hip-hop. The only track I felt went against that was Takeover. The Five to One sample was a bit jarring and distracting to begin with but I eventually liked it
I didn't pay that much attention to the lyrics but Girls, Girls, Girls was very dated and a bit cringe
I will say the production has a large, grandiose style that is quite nice. There are some decent beats too but they just get a bit repetitive
Probably didn't help my enjoyment having an Eminem feature near the end of the album, I can't stand Eminem
Kind of boring really. I can see why people would like it but it's not my thing
Highlights: Takeover
Radiohead
4/5
I knew how revered Kid A was, but I've never bothered listening to it because whilst I thought Radiohead were good, I didn't buy into them nearly as much as most do. Having heard it now, I like Kid A but clearly not as much as everyone else, I wish I got it in the same way. It's very good, but I'm kind of struggling to see how it's one of the best albums ever recorded
It's labeled as rock but its not really that, it's not even conventional, mainstream music in terms of structuring which makes it pretty interesting
I hope with time I'll come to love it the way others do
Highlights: The National Anthem, Morning Bell
5/5
I was really into prog in high school and I don't listen to it near as much as I used to, but I still love coming back to classics like this. The 'down by the river' refrain has been in my head for over a decade
Chris Squier's driving bass might be my favourite thing about Yes, it really helps set them apart from their contemporaries by adding a greater feeling of energy and intensity
It's a real skill and a testament to their abilities as songwriters to write such long songs that move through several phases and moods, but still fly by
Highlights: Close To The Edge, Siberian Khatru, And You And I
The Chemical Brothers
3/5
Not got a huge amount to say about this one. I like a lot of the beats, they can be pretty creative. A lot of the songs are pretty repetitive and just repeat the same ideas too many times. The songs (and the album) get a bit too long and repetitive because of that (It Doesn't Matter, for example)
I would've also liked one or 2 moments where it brought the intensity down as a bit of a reprieve, especially given the length of the album
Highlights: Lost In The K-Hole
The Beach Boys
4/5
A good bit of fun, plenty of charm. I really like the vocals and harmonies, instantly recognisable and iconic
It does sound a bit dated in some ways but I'll let them off with that, not much from the 60s that doesn't sound dated nowadays. It's probably quite easy to underestimate how ahead of their time the Beach Boys were in the way they wrote their songs. The lyrics are a bit crap but ah well, I never pay too close attention to them anyway
I listened to the mono version on Spotify which is definitely the best one. The production is so cavernous on the remaster and stereo version, it doesn't suit the style of music at all. The kind of thing you'd hear on an early Melvins or Swans album
Highlights: She Knows Me Too Well
Tracy Chapman
4/5
This goes against my generally lukewarm feelings on folk because it actually incorporates other creative elements, like the fretless bass (or are they keys?) on Across the Lines and the Runescape ass keyboards on Mountains O' Things. Helps make the album more memorable and gives it personality. I like Tracey Chapman's husky voice, she can fairly belt it out
I can't necessarily relate to the lyrics (not American and wasnt around in the 80s), but I do appreciate them. One exception is Behind the Wall where they're so direct, I found them just kind of off
Highlights: Across the Lines, Mountains O' Things, Fast Car
The Human League
4/5
Incredibly 80s sounding, with the synths and gated reverb. These are normally features that people complain about but this kind of synthpop is so satisfying for me for whatever reason
I think the second half is probably better, the songs are stronger and more memorable
I never take this stuff as some serious bit of high art, it's just some sugary fun
Highlights: Love Action, Don't You Want Me
Baaba Maal
3/5
Baaba Maal is a talented guitar play and writes some interesting arrangements. There are some interesting varieties in sound, I particularly like the baroque feel of Daande Lenol
Towards the end I was getting a bit fatigued and a lot of it was starting to blend together, doesn't help that I have no idea what hes singing so it'll feel more samey because of that
Highlights: Daande Lenon, Hamady Boiro
David Bowie
4/5
I thought of this as a slightly more mainstream counterpart to Low, with the art rock first half and ambient second half
Here the second half is a bit less eery than Low. I like it more than I remember (haven't listened to the album in a few years), I especially liked Moss Garden. The koto backed up by swirling synths and the occasional rocket sound (?) is nice and calming, the Japanese sound probably appeals to me as a dumb weeb as well
Of course everybody knows the title track
I like that they album ends on a bit of a more energetic note with Secret Life of Arabia, it kind of helps tie everything together a bit more than Low, where both halves feel very clearly segmented
Probably battling with Station to Station for my favourite Bowie albums cover
Destiny's Child
2/5
Starts ok, the singles at the start are decent enough. I don't know if I would say I actually like them though, theyre just fine but I can see the appeal. The album falls apart after that point, this is so front-loaded
Independent Women Part II felt like a weird, twisted parody of Pat I
Although the blatant tie-in to Charlie's Angels with Independent Women Part 1 is ridiculous
I kind of like the Edge of Seventeen sample on Bootylicious but the lyrics are so dumb
Nasty Girl also gives a bit of whiplash with the puritanical tone following previously empowering lyrics and a track called Bootylicious. It feels all over the place and manufactured, trying to pander to two different crowds at once
Fugazi
4/5
Fugazi could easily be one of my favourite bands if I'd listen beyond this album, but I never do. Their catchy but aggressive aound satisfies a specific itch for me
The sound of this album is impeccable. Their energy is captured so well, it makes me wish I had seen them live
The album starts and ends very strongly, theres a slight dip in the middle for me but there's nothing I dislike
Very close to a 5, could by brought up in future
Highlights: Repeater, Merchandise, Turnover
Van Halen
4/5
Van Halen updated for the 80s, adding some shiny synths which brings an additional dynamic to their sound. I think it's a pretty common opinion to be sick of tracks like Jump and Panama but I'm not at all. Every band member is in top form here, I think these may be the best collective performances of their career
I love the production, the first thing I think of with this album is the sound of the kick drums on Hot for Teacher. Just perfect. I appreciate the brevity as well, this just gets in, hits you with some rocking tunes and gets out
I get that not everyone will be into this sort of stuff, but it's cheesy and goofy cock rock. It shouldn't be taken so seriously. I have no idea how one of the top reviewers can't distinguish this from Bon Jovi and Poison, it's just Van Halen with some synths added. I would actually like those two if they had riffs like this
Highlights: Hot for Teacher, Panama, I'll Wait, Jump
Sam Cooke
3/5
This is decent. Sam Cooke had a good voice and great stage presence, im just not too crazy about this style. The production also isn't very good, it's chaotic and impenetrable, his voice overpowers everything. You can hear the guitar and drums a bit but it's a bit exhausting, and the album isn't even that long
A good listen but I doubt I'll come back to it again
Highlights: Twistin' the Night Away
Creedence Clearwater Revival
5/5
My favourite CCR album for a long time, this sees the band at their swampiest I think. Graveyard Train is probably the epitome of that, a grimy 8 minutes of twanging guitars and harmonica. This album exudes exactly what I think of when I think CCR
John Fogerty is as personable as he always is, with his funny pronunciations all over. There are great, creative guitar parts all over this album. I especially love the vaguely psychedelic guitar on Born on the Bayou
Hard to go wrong with Creedence (other than one obvious exception)
Highlights: Born on the Bayou, Proud Mary, Keep on Chooglin', Bootleg
Prince
4/5
I was a bit wary going into this. I've not heard much Prince but ive not been blown away by anything I've heard so I thought a double album could be iffy
I really like the sound palette used on this album. The title track is an unusual opener, very murky and lowkey, especially as the album takes a much more energetic shift immediately. I like it though. The Ballad of Dorothy Parker is good too, the strange synths remind me of some game I must've played like 20 years ago but I can't figure it out
Other than If I Was Your Girlfriend, I dont like the Camille tracks, Housequake is pretty bad. Its almost like an early hip hop track with the drumming machine backing it but it just felt so rough
I'm going to settle on a 4. There's a lot to dissect and digest, I could see this going up or down with repeated listens
Highlights: The Ballad of Dorothy Parker, Sign O the Times, The Cross
Dagmar Krause
3/5
I can't really tell if I actually like this or not. Its's certainly different, I can't imagine there's anything remotely close to this one the rest of the generator. It does appeal to me in a way though, Weimar Germany is fascinating to me and was the focus of my dissertation. It captures the uneasiness of the Weimar period. Song of a German Mother portrays the extreme division and tragedy of the period really well
There are some quite jarring and odd moments though, for example Mother Beimleim is very strange
I think saying I like or enjoy this album isn't right, but I do appreciate it. I think I would enjoy the German version more, I the German vocals were a bit more fitting and worked for me better
I listened to the English version since that seems to be the version in the book. It's not a fault of the album but because of the short track lengths, I was constantly getting ads on YouTube ruining the flow and atmosphere
Highlights: Lied von der Belebeden Wirkung des Geldes (The Song of the Invigorating Impact of Cash), The Ballad of the Slacksingers, Chanson Allemande
Lou Reed
3/5
I'm not a fan of Velvet Underground so I wasn't sure if I would like Lou Reed solo, but this is good. I immediately thought the production sounded like David Bowie's glam stuff, unsurprised to find that he and Mick Ronson produced it
I like Perfect Day since it's in Perfect Days, which is one of my favourite films. I like the orchestral style, its probably the most standout track on the album. Satellite of Love sounds like it could've been a Bowie song so I like that one a fair bit too
Highlights: Perfect Day, Satellite of Love
Fela Kuti
4/5
I knew Ginger Baker had been involved in some afrobeat stuff but I couldn't have named this. It's great though
Smooth and produced really well. Everything is clear but there's a great sense of atmosphere
Unsurprisingly fond of the Hammond organ, my old prog sensibilities coming to the surface listening to this. Ginger Baker's drumming is obviously very cool too, his appreciation for African music was obvious in how he knew how to fit in with this style
Black Man's Cry is pretty lowkey and builds tension for over ten minutes, and whilst the payoff at the end is only a minute or so, the saxophones and trumpets are worked in so well that its really satisfying
Highlights: Ye Ye, Da Smell, Black Man's Cry
ZZ Top
4/5
I've spent most of the generator complaining that I don't really like blues but I like ZZ Top a fair bit, I think because they take the blues and give it a bit of character. It's perfect beer drinking music
Billy Gibbons has the uncanny ability to make anything he plays sound easy, and I love his voice too
There are a couple tracks I'm not keen on but there's nothing I dislike. Just a good time
Highlights: Precious and Grace, Master of Sparks, Waitin' for the Bus
3/5
Incorporating different elements helped keep my interest, rather than being a straightforward punk album. I liked the female vocals too, they add something different. The male vocals work well when harmonising but were a bit bland on their own, fine but unremarkable
This is good but it didn't stick with me that much after a couple of listens. 3.5
Highlights: In This House That I Call Come, We're Desperate
The Killers
4/5
Didn't realise The Killers were adjacent to that early to mid 200s post-punk revival, I thought this was going to be fairly bland pop-rock so I'm very pleasantly surprised. I only knew Mr Brightside by name but I already know half of this album by osmosis
Of course theres plenty of driving bass, that always appeals to me. The use of synths and keyboards brings a lot to this album, they really add another layer and help tie up songs like On Top. There's also the trumpets on Believe Me Natalie
All These Things I've Done is a little Beatlesy too, they were definitely trying a few different styles rather than picking one and sticking to it
My attention was maybe slipping a little bit on the last couple songs but overall this is very good
Also didnt know they were American, thought they were English for the longest time
Highlights: Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine, All These Things That I've Done, Smile Like You Mean It
A Tribe Called Quest
5/5
I still can't really put into words what I like and dislike about hip hop but this is exactly the style I really like. Cool, classy boom-bap beats (especially backed with double bass)
The quite simple production is very appealing to me, the repeated beats are quite entrancing, but not to the point of being tedious and boring. Its kind of sparse, I rarely put hip hop on as something on in the background as it is usually very attention grabbing, but this can easily be listened to in the background, or focused on through the lyrics
Highlights: Show Business, Buggin' Out, Excursions, Check the Rhime
Cream
3/5
Somewhat unremarkable after the first 3 tracks. Those 3 are very good but after that the album is competent but not particularly memorable (apart from maybe SWABLR, that sounds like something Masters of Reality might have done)
Clapton is a good guitarist but again, not that remarkable to me. Ginger Baker is the star of the show, hes very good at switching between subtle, atmospheric playing to hard-hitting and in your face
Get why this on the list but I'm not crazy about it
Highlights: Strange Brew, World of Pain, Sunshine of Your Love
Oasis
3/5
I like this more than their other album. There is more of a bite, it's a bit more exciting. There seems to be more emphasis on riffs (Cigarettes & Alcohol sounds like T Rex) and there are some good solos like Bring It On Down. The muddy production probably helps as well, if feels more sleazy and probably gives it a better sense of personality than a squeaky clean, sleek style
The production is a bit of a double-edged sword though as after a while a lot of it starts getting kind of samey as the instruments are constantly muddled together. The way the end of words is stretched out is sort of annoying too, like Live Foreveeeeaaaaaaaaaah
This is a decent album, and I didn't expect to say that because I started the generator not liking Oasis at all. I wasn't there when they were the biggest band in the world but even people younger than me idolise this stuff so I have to just admit I don't really get it
Highlights: Rock 'N' Roll Star
Michael Jackson
2/5
Not near as good as Thriller. It's just too sleek and saccharine, which I didn't I would write since Irave about 80s synthpop. There's a lot of similar sound palettes so the songs sound samey. The bass playing is pretty good but it think that actually contributes to that issue
The album is also peppered with those vocal affectation that are beyond parody at this point. Not the fault of the album necessarily but those are incredibly distracting
I was going to give this a 3, but Smooth Criminal is the only song I liked so I'm going 2
Highlights: Smooth Criminal
Kings of Leon
2/5
Rawer than I expected, I thought it had some things in common with early 2000s indie bands (similar chord patterns maybe), but with a bit more of a southern flair
Not keen on the vocals, very slurred and have that dopey delivery that's found on punk stuff
OK, but no that inventive and the vocals kind of ruin it for me
2.5
Highlights: Red Morning Light
Black Sabbath
5/5
My favourite Sabbath album. For the longest time I just thought it was decent but at some point it just clicked and I've loved it since
Everyone is on point here. Cool chunky riffs from Tony, frantic and busy drumming from Bill, creative basslines that don't just follow the guitars from Geezer. Ozzy gives such a sinister performance on the title track, probably one of his best ever
Despite knocking blues consistently throughout the generator, there's definitely traces of the values throughout this album. But I think they manage to keep it interesting, it feels planned out and not totally random (I suppose that goes against the ethos of jamming but that's how it comes across to me). Sleeping Village and Warning are quite jammy but I don't get bored of them and they never feel repetitive. Especially the latter half of Warning, but I think that's just the magic of Tony Iommi
Easy 5 stars, no hesitation. RIP Ozzy
Highlights: Literally all of them but I'll pick Black Sabbath for my playlist
Lou Reed
2/5
Transformer was OK, but Lou Reed isn't for me I think. There are a few decent songs, Oh Jim is good and the second half of Sad Song reminded me of later Swans a bit
Not really into how this is produced, its pretty muddy and chaotic. At points it feels like they just threw in as many instruments as they thought they could fit and it just feels like a mess
Lou Reed's voice is quite drole, hes always singing in the same key. He sounds half asleep on The Kids. That one actually reminded me of something Pink Floyd might do, but I just wished I was listening to them instead
Not for me
Highlights: Oh Jim, Sad Song
The Clash
3/5
I'm on a contrarian streak now. I just can't really get into this album and have never been able to. I don't think there's actually anything wrong with it, it's creative and utilises a lot of different sounds (I noticed a lot of ska elements throughout and there were even some vocal parts yhat reminded me of Jello Biaffra) and it's kind of a bridge between 70s and 80s punk.
Despite that, it just doesn't appeal to me. I know I'm missing out. I don't dislike it so I'll give a 3
Highlights: Lost in the Supermarket, The Guns of Brixton
Silver Jews
4/5
No idea why this is so polarising. It's not the most innovative thing on the planet but it does what it sets out to do very well. David Berman's voice is a bit unusual to begin with but he fits the music really well. It helps build the melancholy tone without coming across as overly mopey or performative. There's a meandering feel to the music but Bergman's delivery helps bring a compelling sense of urgency at the same time
I like the subtle country elements like the slide and twangy guitars. The organs also help add an additional dimension
Highlights: Slow Education, Friday Night Fever, Transylvania Blues
Bonnie Raitt
2/5
This is a bit of a weird mishmash of 80s stuff, I was getting a bit of Sledgehammer in Love Letter. I normally have a fondness for very 80s sounding music, but here it feels like a pure distillation of that sound and production, it's almost bordering on parody. That chime keys immediately comes to mind, that's a hallmark of 80s pop
I also wondered why this was labeled Americana during the title track but Thing Called Love slapped me across the face
I think her singing is pretty good, but this is just a pretty plain listen overall. It's fine but I won't be rushing back to listen to it again
2.5
Highlights: Nick of Time, I suppose
Incredible Bongo Band
3/5
It's pretty cool hearing bongos incorporated as a core component of a bands sound. I can only ever think of it being used in a "woah, so trippy dude" way during psychedelic breaks or freakouts by psych and prog bands
I definitely feel like I'm familiar with Apache, feels like the kind of thing youd hear on 90s and 2000s British tv
Some of these songs feel like vocals have been lifted out of them. Last Bongo in Belgium feels like it should have vocals harmonising with the horns and keys, so it feels weirdly incomplete. Vocals on even just a couple songs would have done the album some good, I think
A fun listen
Highlights: Apache
Rage Against The Machine
5/5
Nirvana
3/5
I might have written this on my In Utero review, but I used to not like Nirvana and I have no idea why. This is maybe my least favourite of the 3 albums which is controversial but I tend to prefer their more aggressive and weirder sides, thinking Territorial Pissings on here where Kurt is screaming his head off by the end
This one has a bit too much of the poppy, 'mainstream' (for lack of a better word) sound that just isn't my favourite. Breed is an example, the vocal melody on the chorus is almost that skate or pop punk sound that I don't really like, despite the beefy bass. That would've been a favourite if not for that vocal melody
I do still like this one though. 3.5
Highlights: Come As You Are, Territorial Pissings, Stay Away
Soundgarden
4/5
I can't believe I thought I didn't really like Soundgarden when I was younger. I listened to this for the first time in maybe a decade and it's class
They show an impressive range, between rockers like My Wave and Spoonman, more downtrodden tracks like Black Hole Sun and doomier stuff like Mailman and 4th of July. That variety helps maintain interest over a lengthy runtime (along with very good and interesting songwriting, of course)
I like how they manage to hide complicated time signatures, they sound catchy or simple but when you dig a bit deeper into how the songs are written they're more complicated than they appear
The title track is just ok, you could probably take it out and the album wouldn't suffer. Kickstand is alright too, it's not long but it's pretty basic and doesn'tadd much to an already quite long album.
4.5, just held back from a 5 by a couple weaker moments
Highlights: Mailman, Fell On Black Days, Limo Wreck, Let Me Drown, 4th of July
Eminem
2/5
I don't like Eminem at all, and I never have. He's technically a good rapper, but I find his nasally voice annoying. Some of these beats are good but I can't overlook his voice
I'm not above stupid or nonsense humour, but this is juvenile in a way you find funny when you're 14 that you quickly grow out of and cringe at in retrospect. I know Slim Shady is a character but he just comes across as an edgelord that you would find making offensive jokes on 4chan. I thought he was maybe 20 when he recorded this, but he was the same age I am now. Embarrassing. Man, grow up
Highlights: If I Had
fIREHOSE
4/5
This is actually great. I thought it was ok but I would probably move on quite quickly but I liked it more as it went, especially with the vocals, which I wasn't particularly fond of but they grew on me. I'm not keen on the opener, I don't think it introduces the album very well
The guitar playing is cool, I like the frenetic yet tight style. Mike Watt's bass playing really brings this sound together. He does a lot of different styles, sometimes kind of Primusy on Mas Cajones and What Gets Heard I'm sure I've heard Time With You before
This album is another reminder of what makes this challenge enjoyable
Highlights: Whisperin' While Hollerin', Let The Drummer Have Some
Circle Jerks
4/5
A classic of my hardcore days as a teenager.
Just pure dumb fun, I find the thought of seething with displeasure at this funny. I had a good time being one of those teenagers desperate to fit in with an obnoxious anti-establishment crowd, pretending to enjoy a disgusting screamishly loud aesthetic and inflicting misery upon myself.
Highlights: Operation, World Up My Ass, Live Fast Die Young
Brian Eno
3/5
I've come around more an ambient music in the last year or two, with the previous Tangerine Dream album and the occasional dungeon synth but this one doesn't really work for me
2/1 and 1/2 give me "ancient structure built by a long dead civilisation" in something like The Elder Scrolls rather than airports. It even stops for a second like the song is restarting. It's pretty annoying. It works for building atmosphere in that context but less so when I'm sitting at my desk working, I found myself wanting it to end. I like some of the piano work on 1/2 like I did with 1/1 though
I was going to go 2 but I like at least half the album and parts of 2/1 so 3 is fine
Highlights: 1/1, 2/2
Keith Jarrett
3/5
This is okay. It's a pleasant enough listen, especially as some background music but I don't really enjoy the piano enough to listen to a solo piano performance for over an hour. There are some nice progressions like the start of Part 2 but it's not really for me. I won't come back to this
Highlights: Part 2