339
Albums Rated
3.02
Average Rating
31%
Complete
750 albums remaining
Rating Distribution
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1950s
Favorite Decade
World
Favorite Genre
US
Top Origin
Wordsmith
Rater Style ?
36
5-Star Albums
17
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Gris Gris
Dr. John
|
5 | 2.88 | +2.12 |
|
Don't Come Home A Drinkin' (With Lovin' On Your Mind)
Loretta Lynn
|
5 | 2.97 | +2.03 |
|
Os Mutantes
Os Mutantes
|
5 | 2.98 | +2.02 |
|
Duck Stab/Buster & Glen
The Residents
|
4 | 2.03 | +1.97 |
|
Immigrés
Youssou N'Dour
|
5 | 3.08 | +1.92 |
|
Dig Me Out
Sleater-Kinney
|
5 | 3.08 | +1.92 |
|
New York Dolls
New York Dolls
|
5 | 3.12 | +1.88 |
|
Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo
Devo
|
5 | 3.13 | +1.87 |
|
A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector
Various Artists
|
5 | 3.28 | +1.72 |
|
Bitches Brew
Miles Davis
|
5 | 3.3 | +1.7 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
(What's The Story) Morning Glory
Oasis
|
1 | 3.84 | -2.84 |
|
Hot Fuss
The Killers
|
1 | 3.74 | -2.74 |
|
Definitely Maybe
Oasis
|
1 | 3.52 | -2.52 |
|
The Marshall Mathers LP
Eminem
|
1 | 3.49 | -2.49 |
|
The Band
The Band
|
1 | 3.37 | -2.37 |
|
25
Adele
|
1 | 3.36 | -2.36 |
|
Risque
CHIC
|
1 | 3.27 | -2.27 |
|
Truth
Jeff Beck
|
1 | 3.16 | -2.16 |
|
Street Life
The Crusaders
|
1 | 3.09 | -2.09 |
|
The Lexicon Of Love
ABC
|
1 | 3.08 | -2.08 |
Artists
Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Pixies | 3 | 4.67 |
| Prince | 3 | 4.67 |
| Black Sabbath | 3 | 4.33 |
Least Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Oasis | 2 | 1 |
| Emerson, Lake & Palmer | 2 | 1.5 |
| The Band | 2 | 1.5 |
| Radiohead | 4 | 2.25 |
| The Byrds | 4 | 2.25 |
Controversial
| Artist | Ratings |
|---|---|
| Todd Rundgren | 1, 4 |
| Red Hot Chili Peppers | 2, 5 |
| Van Halen | 2, 5 |
5-Star Albums (36)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
Dr. John
5/5
This album was some super fun swamp rock with great jazz, blues, and funk influences. Definitely excited to revisit this-I could see this creeping into 5 star territory. Love the voodoo swamp vibes. 4.5 stars
3 likes
Kanye West
3/5
Don’t like the man’s politics, obviously, though I do like his music. This isn’t as strong as some of his other albums, and I can’t in good conscience return to it, but it’s a pretty solid album.
1 likes
Brian Eno
4/5
Maybe it’s because I am walking through a funky fog of desolation after losing my house to a wildfire, causing me to pause this noble listening project…but coming to this album was very soothing. Ambient, cinematic, pleasant, interesting to listen to. If I was in my right mind, I’d maybe give it a three, but ima give it a four because it felt like what I needed on this day.
1 likes
Emmylou Harris
3/5
After listening to Eminem’s violent and hateful LP, this was a welcome breath of fresh air, even though I’d likely not revisit it-wasn’t really my cup of tea. Title track was my favorite.
1 likes
1-Star Albums (17)
All Ratings
The xx
3/5
I think this is what the kids call "shoegaze" or "bedroom pop." Nice to work to. "Infinity" recalled to mind Chris Isaak's "Wicked Game" and "Smalltown Boy" by Bronski Beat. I listened to this album 2x, and then their latest release from 2022; I preferred this self-titled album over their new album.
Kendrick Lamar
3/5
I listened to this album when it came out several times, but didn't revisit it. I really want to like Kendrick Lamar more than I do; I appreciate so much about the production, the samples, the instrumentals, the references, and the message/concept (it's interesting to read people's comments--I get the sense that they're not really getting the lyrics or listening to them; there's a lot going on here). For whatever reason, none of his albums really stick with me--I love certain tracks and admire what he's doing with this dense album, even if I don't feel like it moves me as I feel like it should. "King Kunta" and "Alright" are still my favorite tracks off this album.
I'd give this a 5 for all of the good points I listed (objectively 5 stars?) but I can't see myself revisiting it in the way I do (so not 5 stars for me, personally?). I'll give it a 3, I guess.
The Rolling Stones
2/5
1969 Let it Bleed - has two iconic songs ("Gimme Shelter" track 1 -- the classic "I am watching a movie about Vietnam" sound -- and "You Can't Always Get What you Want," last track), which still stand up. As I have gotten older, the misogyny and white-boy British blues sound of the Rolling Stones has become less and less tolerable to me. The songs in the middle feel mostly like filler. It prompted me to listen to <i> Sticky Fingers </i> which holds up better, as well as revisiting Andrew Hickey's podcast (ep. 129 "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction") which reinforced the misogyny and white-boy blues sound opinions I have. (I paraphrase a quote here about how white boys in Britain took the sound of the blues and stripped it of its context. What was "I'm a Man" with a subtext of "so you better not call me boy, cracker" transformed into "I'm a man" with a subtext of "so mummy you can't tell me to tidy my room anymore." He doesn't recall where this quote came from, but I loved it-it encapsulates the growing irritation I have with the Stones in particular - the twisting of the feeling of the blues towards a sort of ugly cocky misogyny.)
Pixies
4/5
Doolittle is my favorite Pixies album; this was the first time I listened to Bossa Nova multiple times in its entirety. I would definitely revisit this one; I'm not sure if it's a 5 for me (and to be fair, Doolittle is likely a 4?), but I could see this growing on me to be a 3-4. More on the grunge side of Pixies, which I like; the first track (2 tracks) are leaning heavily into that harsher sound, and the rest feels very much like a good Pixies album.
John Coltrane
5/5
A perfect Sunday morning album; one of my favorite John Coltrane albums. Worshipful and beautiful.
Talking Heads
3/5
I am already positively biased toward the Talking Heads, as they are one of my babyhood bands. Listening to this album, though, I find that I prefer the live versions of "Life During Wartime," "Heaven," and "Cities" off of Stop Making Sense. This is a solid Talking Heads album, but definitely not my favorite.
LCD Soundsystem
3/5
I liked this album when it came out-fairly upbeat, nice to drive to--though the title track ("Sound of Silver") is actually pretty boring (even if its one lyric is pretty funny). I'm still listening to many of the songs on this album to this day--though I don't think it's by any means a mind-blowing album. It feels like a good spring-to-summer transition album.
Stevie Wonder
2/5
I had this album on vinyl in college and remember listening to it inconsistently; I remember wanting to like it more than I did, since it's a classic. I'm excited to revisit it.
"You are the Sunshine of My Life" - I want to like this song, but I find it hard to listen to ("easy listening" is not for me). I know it's a classic, but man...it feels pretty cheesy.
The second song redeems it ("Maybe Your Baby")--a good slow funky groove that I can sink my teeth into.
"You And I" is--to me--cheesier than the first track. I appreciate the change in dynamics and tempos between the three tracks, but I can't really deal with the slow/easy listening vibe of this song.
"Tuesday Heartbreak" also feels cheesy to me--the horns are very easy-listening that distracts me (like some late-night TV talk show; not into this horn sound.)
"You've Got it Bad Girl" also feels cheesy and slow; the higher-pitched synth lines (flute-adjacent?) are also distracting to me.
"Superstition" is what we're all waiting for, right? The funky bass line, the horns that aren't weirdly cheesy...
"Big Brother" I suppose is a protest song? It feels a bit milquetoast and cheesy. I am divided on the harmonica use.
"Blame it on the Sun" is also painfully cheesy, like a torchlight (I think that's the phrase) song? It feels like something a middle aged man would sing self-indulgently at karaoke (I'd kind of like to see that). The ending with the woman singing "your heart blames it on you this time" is especially cheesy.
"Looking for Another Pure Love" is another slow/easy listening jam. It makes me feel like I'm in a dental waiting room in the 1970s.
"I Believe (When I fall in Love it will be forever)" opens like a song I'd expect to hear in a musical (and I don't really like musicals); also cheesy--and then moves into gospel and funk (so I kind of like the end).
This album has two songs I really like, and the rest feels like cheesy filler.
"You are the Sunshine of My Life" - I want to like this song, but I find it hard to listen to ("easy listening" is not for me). I know it's a classic, but man...it feels pretty cheesy.
The second song redeems it ("Maybe Your Baby")--a good slow funky groove that I can sink my teeth into.
"You And I" is--to me--cheesier than the first track. I appreciate the change in dynamics and tempos between the three tracks, but I can't really deal with the slow/easy listening vibe of this song.
"Tuesday Heartbreak" also feels cheesy to me--the horns are very easy-listening that distracts me (like some late-night TV talk show; not into this horn sound.)
"You've Got it Bad Girl" also feels cheesy and slow; the higher-pitched synth lines (flute-adjacent?) are also distracting to me.
"Superstition" is what we're all waiting for, right? The funky bass line, the horns that aren't weirdly cheesy...
"Big Brother" I suppose is a protest song? It feels a bit milquetoast and cheesy. I am divided on the harmonica use.
"Blame it on the Sun" is also painfully cheesy, like a torchlight (I think that's the phrase) song? It feels like something a middle aged man would sing self-indulgently at karaoke (I'd kind of like to see that). The ending with the woman singing "your heart blames it on you this time" is especially cheesy.
"Looking for Another Pure Love" is another slow/easy listening jam. It makes me feel like I'm in a dental waiting room in the 1970s.
"I Believe (When I fall in Love it will be forever)" opens like a song I'd expect to hear in a musical (and I don't really like musicals); also cheesy--and then moves into gospel and funk (so I kind of like the end).
This album has two songs I really like, and the rest feels like cheesy filler.
ZZ Top
3/5
I was initially not excited about this album, as all I can think of with ZZ Top is "Sharp Dressed Man," which was sadly used as the theme song for the show Duck Dynasty. I was thinking maybe this was some music for my boyfriend's dad (of the long beard, aesthetically appropriate), but ready to be open minded about it. BF predicted this album would come in at a 2 or 3 for me after I told him that I was "pleasantly surprised" that I didn't hate it, lol.
My favorite tracks are "Waiting for the Bus" (with a nice transition into "Jesus Just Left Chicago"--I am a sucker for a good transition), "Move Me On Down the Line," which is what I imagine the Rolling Stones wished they sounded like when they play white-man blues, and obviously the classic "La Grange." The rest of the songs are pretty good-a driving, blues-inflected album that is a decent listen all around. I also learned that Billy Gibbons has a 5-octave + 5 note vocal range, which is bigger than that of Freddie Mercury, Axl Rose and Mariah Carey.
Todd Rundgren
1/5
Couldn't make it through this one--a pity, since I really like A Wizard/A True Star. This was unbearably cheesy yacht rock, for the 1970s dental waiting room. I got most of the way through and listened to the first 5-10 seconds of the last 5 songs.
Radiohead
2/5
I didn't like this album when it came out, despite being a Radiohead fan; I found it pretentious and self-indulgent (given my age at the time, this seems like it should have appealed to me, lol, but clearly it did not). Everyone, it seemed like, was listening to it. All my friends loved it. They might still love it-I should ask them.
I still found this album to be pretentious and self-indulgent; it feels like listening to the inside of some college student's head as they smoke Gaulouise cigarettes and contemplate existential philosophy for the first time while staring at their poster of Van Gogh's Starry Night. The two songs I thought were all right were the same ones that are the most popular: "Everything in its Right Place" and "How to Disappear Completely." Many of the other tracks sound like they're trying too hard to be intellectual ambient music (which I guess could also be said of the two most popular tracks as well).
I seem to recall liking the follow up to this album ("Amnesiac," aka "Kid B"), but haven't listened to that since it came out, either--so it will be interesting to revisit it, assuming it is on this list.
Buena Vista Social Club
4/5
I loved this album when it came out-it inspired my interest in jazz guitar that wasn't hopelessly cheesy. All of the songs on this album are solid--nothing really stands out, though. I would give this 5 stars, but think I'm saving my "5 star" albums for things that I absolutely cannot live without (desert island discs).
Isaac Hayes
2/5
I got this album on vinyl, but didn't listen to it very much. I find the songs to be a bit too long/boring for my tastes. The funk is there, but it feels like this album drags. The first two tracks are my favorite, but overall I think the album is in need of an editor.
Nine Inch Nails
2/5
I loved this album in 9th grade, when I was an angsty teenager; I associate this album with the dark days of my teenage-dom (not a time I really want to revisit, though some of the music I listened to then I still listen to now). Returning to this album feels like returning to a time I don't want to revisit: full of seeming edginess, depression, anger, and darkness. (This, I believe, is the path to the Dark Side). The lyrics have not aged well at all, and make me cringe with their edgelord vibes. The music itself holds up well, albeit as a relic of this 1990s industrial sound; the sound itself is impressive, even if I can't really bring myself to revisit this album again after this re-listen for this project.
Sam Cooke
4/5
I love Sam Cooke and have never listened to any of his live albums. This was a fun listen--the gritty soulfulness of his voice comes through in a way that studio albums don't capture. The medley with "For Sentimental Reasons" and "Bring it On Home" were special delights. I listened to this album twice and would definitely revisit it; it's not my favorite of Sam Cooke's (and not in my top live soul albums), but a great album nonetheless. I dock it one star because it makes me jealous that I wasn't there.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
3/5
I really liked their first (?) album, Fever to Tell; I didn't really listen to the rest of their stuff after that, so it was nice to revisit this band. This album was all right; it definitely sounds like the group has "matured," if that makes sense; it sounds like an album made by older people. To that end, it lacks the rock-grittiness that I found appealing in the first place, which is a pity. However, this album is pretty solid, and worth a revisit.
The Sabres Of Paradise
1/5
I couldn't even with this album. It put me to mind of this toy I got for my partner a few years ago--the Orba 2, which you could play with to make little electronic songs/loops/beats and use as a MIDI controller. My partner made more coherent and interesting songs in the 10-15 minutes playing with it than I found on this album. I don't even know how they got Portishead involved--I had high hopes for that, but they were cruelly dashed upon the shores of this \"album.\" It's the sonic equivalent of a page of a middle schooler's notebook filled with doodles.
The Byrds
3/5
I wasn't sure what to expect with this album--I was familiar with "8 Miles High" and "Mr. Tambourine Man." I found this album of western-swing influenced country folk pleasantly surprising. I'm not sure if I'd revisit it or put it in heavy rotation (and I was also confused by some songs--are they Christian? Making fun of Christianity? Doesn't really matter, in the end), but it was a pleasant album to listen to.
Stan Getz
3/5
This album is the perfect soundtrack to your 1960s cocktail party. Not a terrible album, but nothing that’s really gripping or singing to me either. a solid three stars.
Nirvana
5/5
Some heavy nostalgia- it’s difficult to be objective here, because this was a formative album for me that introduced me to a lot of other music and down deep music rabbit holes. I guess there’s one song that could be cut (“oh me”), but it’s still a great song. 4.5.
Megadeth
3/5
This was a pretty straightforward thrash metal album-about what I was expecting. I prefer this over the Metallica I am familiar with. Like many metal bands, I wish the singer was different-not quite sure how, but I always feel like (most) metal singers really don’t do it for me. I didn’t finish listening to it, but it wasn’t because I couldn’t (like that Todd Rundgren album or the Sabre Projectors). I have sense of where it’s going and can’t imagine any song really changing my opinion of it. A pretty decent album overall; I’ll probably revisit it but doubt it’ll be a favorite. (2.5 stars)
Hole
3/5
It was fun to revisit this album, which was a revelation to me when it came out; this was the first time that I heard a woman singing in a style that was raw and aggressive. (The only other women I knew in music at this time in my life were like Enya. No slight to Enya, but my love of grunge was deep.) It kicked me off in other directions that I am thankful for. I didn't realize that I knew almost all the lyrics to every song. It's got great dynamic range and tempo changes, and I think Courtney Love got a lot of undeserved flak and drama for making this album. Not every song is amazing (I'd say that the best one is the first track, "Violet," and the album could end on "Softer, Softest"--the other songs I don't really care about), but it has a great consistent sound. It's hard to separate from my nostalgia, lol.
Marvin Gaye
3/5
I own this album on vinyl--the first track is obviously iconic, and the rest of the album continues in the same hyper-sexy vein. Very smooth. I never feel very comfortable hearing people moan sexually in songs; perhaps this is my prudishness coming through--so "You Sure Love to Ball" is definitely cringe-inducing for me (it's feels like the same sort of embarrassment I feel when I watch a movie with my parents in the room and there's a sex scene. Gross).
Overall, a solid album with consistent sound, though it's not my favorite Marvin Gaye album (probably because of the above. Is it too sexy for me? Too smooth? Too smoothly sexy? Too sexily smooth? Probably.)
CHIC
1/5
This album opens with the iconic “Good Times,” which is 5 minutes too long for my liking, despite its importance in musical history. “Can’t Stand to Love You” was probably my favorite track on this album-it’s the funkiest. Still, I couldn’t get through it-it’s too disco for me. Learning about this band and its influence and later works by various members was fascinating though!
Red Hot Chili Peppers
2/5
I had this album when it came out and thought I listened to it a lot. It turns out that I managed to blank roughly 2/3 of this album out. If I never hear the hits off this album again, it will be too soon. There are some good funky bits in here that harken back to older RHCP, but overall this album is not good-it marked the definite end of this band for me.
Minor Threat
2/5
A solid punk album. I find that I am either in the mood for this sound or it grates terribly. There is no in between. I like Minor Threat and could see myself revisiting this when I am in the mood. Much like Megadeth, I give this 2.5 stars.
Willie Nelson
5/5
I listened to this album three times today, after not having heard it for several years. This was the album that convinced me to vote Willie Nelson for president. I love the recurring themes and story telling and overall vibe of this record. It’s nearly perfect-I will round up to 5 stars, even though it’s probably a true 4.5 for me.
Adele
1/5
This is what I expected it to sound like. Great singer, strong production, and songs I couldn’t care less about. 1.5 stars.
Dr. John
5/5
This album was some super fun swamp rock with great jazz, blues, and funk influences. Definitely excited to revisit this-I could see this creeping into 5 star territory. Love the voodoo swamp vibes. 4.5 stars
Pixies
5/5
Revisited this classic, which took me right back to when I first listened to it. I listened critically to it to see if there was anything that would make this less than a 5. I can happily report that this album has aged well for me, and it is still a five.
Johnny Cash
3/5
There’s a lot of good stuff on this record, though I kind of want to make a super cut of all the America recordings so I can have just the tracks I like off each of them (c.f. “rowboat”); many of Cash’s covers I like as much or more than the original (his version of “Hurt” has aged way better than the original). There is a deep sadness to his voice on these last recordings that is almost heartbreaking at times.
That said, there are plenty of tracks on all of these America albums that I don’t particularly care about-they aren’t bad, but nor are they mind blowing. This is a solid album overall-probably the best of this series, but not my favorite Cash. I’d give this 3.75 stars if I could.
Paul McCartney and Wings
2/5
I tried to go into this album with an open mind, as I tended to think of McCartney’s solo career as unbearably cheesy, though I recognize his contributions to the Beatles. This album reminded me that the Beatles are better as the sum of their parts. I felt like the whole album had a sort of “Day in the Life” vibe, where all of the songs have a pretty disparate feel to them, jumping around through many different genres (I always forget that I like the beginning of the title track, but the chorus makes me want to punch it in the face). Mrs Vanderbilt is a fun track, ruined by cheesy sax. bluebird is cringe worthy. Let me Roll It, Mamunia, and 1984 are not bad, though nothing remarkable. I hated how the last track recapitulated bits from all the other songs-it felt needlessly self indulgent.
I wouldn’t revisit this, but it’s not awful. I listened to it twice to make sure of my opinion.
Goldie
1/5
Have you ever danced with the devil in the rave’s black light?
The Kinks
5/5
What a treat. I had really only listened to Kinks’ compilations, so it was fun to listen to a whole album. The theme and concept are well executed, there’s a nice range of materials, and the writing is catchy and funny. I could see this being a 5 star album; as is, I give it 4.5 stars.
Burning Spear
3/5
A good, straightforward reggae album. Nothing mind blowing, but a nice chill album to listen to.
Kraftwerk
3/5
I was unaware that there was a 20+ minute version of Autobahn. Unlike the first 20 minute track on Timeless by Goldie, however, I found this one to be varied enough to keep me entertained. The rest of the album is also pretty fun; a nice ambient electronic album that still sounds fresh after 50 years. I don’t think this is my favorite Kraftwerk album, but it’s a nice album to have on in the background, and I appreciate the innovation. I’d give it 3.5 if I could.
Van Halen
2/5
Well, I listened to the whole thing, so it would therefore rank higher than a 1. If I never hear “Jump” again, I’ll be happy. “Hot for Teacher” will always have a special place in my heart, and “Panama” is a silly classic. A lot of filler-“I’ll Wait” is a great contender for a Weird Al parody (it already sounds like one). This is what I thought Van Halen was, so wrote them off (until I learn their first album, which changed my mind). Thankfully this album is short, so I could listen to other stuff. Very 80s, very white, very silly.
Don McLean
2/5
I had never listened to this album, as I did not like the title track-easily 4 minutes too long with boring lyrics. However! The other tracks on this album were pretty good-very late 60s folk. Stripped down acoustic guitar and vocals. Some of the tracks were worth a revisit (The Grave and Babylon I liked) though overall this album isn’t really my jam-a bit too saccharine/sentimental for my liking. I’m torn between 2 and 3 stars. I don’t think I’d revisit this in full, so I give it a 2.
Crosby, Stills & Nash
2/5
This album was all right. The songs that made it into the “Best of” album are good (Suite: Judy Blue Eyes, Wooden Ships, Teach Your Children Well-though I don’t like the version on this album), and their harmonies and playing are fine. CSN really benefits from having a Y though-Neil Young wrote this band’s best songs and brings a better energy to the group overall. Kind of snoozy, this one. 2.5 stars, probably wouldn’t revisit.
Kid Rock
1/5
I tried to listen to this with an open mind, reasoning that this had some importance with regard to pioneering a genre. I was familiar with “Bawitdaba,” only tolerable for its inclusion as a joke in a Workaholics episode.
While I suppose the blending of country, rap, and rock is supposedly noteworthy, this album just felt like a shitty imitation of groups who’d already done it better, performed by some wannabe rich white boy who wants to pretend he’s “hard.” The music is uninspired, the lyrics are juvenile at best and intolerable and offensive at worst. This is coming from someone who used to listen to Easy-E’s “fuck my baby’s mama” regularly (to be fair, E tags the end of that song with “wait, hold up, this is messed up”), along with any other number of degrading misogynistic shit. I don’t like Eminem, but at least the man is both genuine and can rap (and will regularly call out his predecessors in the genre).
Also autotune country, wtf.
I kept waiting for him to drop the N word. I was hoping maybe he wouldn’t, but given how this trash went, I was disappointed but not surprised by the last track-12 minutes of recycled stereotypical narrative BS complete with the N word.
This album is some straight garbage, made by a man who has continued to prove himself garbage. The phony and the fake you can’t hang with, Mr Rock, is indeed yourself.
Carole King
2/5
Straightforward singer-songwriter album; Carole King is clearly talented as both a singer and a songwriter, even if this music isn't really what moves me. This album feels like a good Sunday morning album (though maybe not for me). I'd give it 2.5 stars if I could; I don't imagine revisiting it, but I appreciate the skill involved. A nice break from the terribleness that was Kid Rock the previous day, lol.
Daft Punk
2/5
Has this album when it came out; really only ever listened to a handful of tracks when I owned it. It’s not terrible, but I’ll likely not revisit it-I’d give it 1.5 stars if it was possible.
UB40
2/5
This album was pretty chill; I had low expectations given that I only knew “Red Red Wine,” but appreciated the social messaging and overall chill vibe. Probably wouldn’t revisit, but not bad-2.5 stars.
The Offspring
3/5
I didn’t care for the Offspring when they came out and were all over KROQ. I decided to come to this (after a slew of meh albums) with fresh ears, and felt like I have softened on this band and can appreciate what they’ve done here. So I was pleasantly surprised, though doubt I’d revisit this album. I’d give it 2.5 if I could; feels like it is more deserving of the rounding up than the last one I rounded up on (UB40).
T. Rex
4/5
There are so many bangers on this record. Overall, I think the Slider is a better album all around (no filler/fat), but this has some of my favorites on it.
Cream
4/5
There are some iconic songs on here: Sunshine of Your Love; White Room; Tales of Brave Ulysses. Blue Condition is a fun feeling drunken sounding dirge, SWLABR is great, and I throughly enjoy the throwback Mothers Lament. There’s no bad song on here, but there’s a few I don’t really care about. I’d give it 3.75.
The Temptations
3/5
I wasn't sure what to expect with later Temptations--I associated them with the song "My Girl," and admit I'd never heard the song "Cloud Nine." That said, the first few tracks on this album are pretty spectacular; the rest are somewhat uneven (examples: "Love is a Hurtin' Thing" is pretty skippable; "Don't Let Him Take Your Love from Me" is pretty great). I'd probably honestly give this a 2.75, but I round up for the overall sound and production.
Derek & The Dominos
2/5
I tried to come to this with an open mind- I never cared for the song Layla, so was hoping there would be some hidden gems on here. It sounded like a lot of the same, over and over again-white blues with some noodley jam band bits thrown in. Technically not terrible, didn’t shut it off, but nor would I choose to revisit this. I guess I don’t like any non-Cream Eric Clapton. Unnecessary Little Wing cover was also wanky.
Metallica
3/5
I was only familiar with the Black album, which I never particularly cared for, so wasn’t sure if I was going to like this one. I was pleasantly surprised by the music-instrumentally Metallica does some interesting stuff and I found myself engaged for the whole album. I don’t like thrash metal vocals at all and never cared for Hetfield’s voice-I still don’t.
Was also reminded they decided to fight against Napster. What tools.
The Flaming Lips
2/5
Not terrible, but also not amazing. Kinda boring-lead singer sounds like a shitty version of the Eels lead singer mixed with a muppet, which was distracting. Would not revisit. Some interesting instrumental stuff?
Jefferson Airplane
3/5
I liked this album more than I thought I would, especially all the songs up to and including White Rabbit. Plastic Fantastic Lover is skippable; the rest is not bad blues inflected psychedelia, definitely of its time.
Lupe Fiasco
3/5
This album was pretty good, though some of the tracks I found a bit boring/ repetitive. Instrumentally interesting and worth a revisit; would likely be 2.5 stars but I’ll round up.
Various Artists
5/5
This is one of my favorite Christmas albums; I have it on vinyl with the creepy Phil Spector dressed as Santa Claus picture on the front. “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” is probably a highlight, but this is in my top two Christmas albums (the other being Sharon Jones). This is a 5/5 for a Christmas album, one I don’t revisit except around the holiday season (so truly a 3/5).
Os Mutantes
5/5
This album is a sheer delight. I knew many of the songs from the Best Of collection, but the rest were all solid jams too. I’d definitely give this a closer relisten; would likely be a 4 but am gonna round up.
1/5
I never listened to this whole album. I'd say that you don't actually need to listen to the whole album--if you've heard the hits off this record, the rest of it sounds like a rehash/retread of those songs, with potentially more moronic lyrics (She's got a sister/ And God only knows how I've missed her/ And on the palm of her hand is a blister). Coupled with Noel Gallagher's massive ego, this is a total pass for me. I listened to the whole thing (so this would rank it potentially higher than Kid Rock's "Devil Without a Cause"), and it definitely defined the sound of 1990s Britpop, but if I never hear it again, it would be too soon. It's not bad enough to be on my personal soundtrack in hell, so I guess that makes it a 2, though it's properly a 1.5 (for me, dawg).
R.E.M.
3/5
This album's first four songs are the strongest, I think; the rest of the album is a bit more uneven, but still listenable. This isn't my favorite REM album, but still pretty good. Everybody Hurts/New Orleans Instrumental/Sweetness Follows give Eels vibes to me (I know the Eels came later, but still).
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
2/5
Not the first prog-synth cover I’ve heard of this music, but definitely not the best. Not bad, would maybe listen again, but not amazing either. There’s some noodle-y wanky bits that I’m not a big fan of. Overall, prefer the Isao Tomita of this piano suite if you’re gonna do weird synth stuff.
OutKast
4/5
When I first got this album, I listened to The Love Below far more than Speakerboxxx-it feels more coherent and has a better arc as a (stand alone) album. It was nice to do a deeper dive into Speakerboxxx. Both albums have a lot of great stuff on them, but also filler that could be trimmed-I feel like it’s a good example of why these two work so well together (and not as well as stand alone artists). Still, the tracks that are good are really really good, and the filler has good stuff in it.
Talking Heads
4/5
Some of my favorite Talking Heads' tracks are on this album: Psycho Killer and Sugar on My Tongue. Overall, I like this album better than Fear of Music--a better overall sound and arc for an album, though still probably not my most favorite of theirs.
Siouxsie And The Banshees
3/5
Really liked so much about this album-great sound and overall good songs. A solid 3-3.5, but the last track is pretty anti-climactic, so rounding down to 3. Iconic dark wave sound.
Ramones
5/5
I love everything about this album-it brings me so much joy to hear silly fun music. One could argue that the Ramones know three total chords and write the same song over and over, but I still love it. Every song is a delight from start to finish 29 minutes later. The only real negative is the slight vocal shift in the first part of 53rd and 3rd.
Bill Evans Trio
3/5
A nice chill cool jazz album. Enjoyed the Alice in wonderland rendition. A nice album for listening to in the background-nothing mind blowing.
The Beta Band
3/5
A pleasant album to revisit-some gentle trip-hop/Beck vibes. Nothing mind blowing, but nice to have on in the background to uplift your mood gently.
Grateful Dead
3/5
I liked all the songs (except for Operator) on this album-the songwriting and instrumentation are solid. I don’t care (and never did) for the vocals on this album. It’s a nice lazy Sunday morning in a cabin in the Santa Cruz mountains kinda album.
Black Sabbath
4/5
I listened to this album twice-my first Black Sabbath album! I like the tempo shifts and the overall vibe and songs on this album. That said, I never particularly cared for Iron Man (possibly overplayed?), but it is still a solid and delightful mash up of blues, hard rock, and Proto-metal. I’d give it a 4.5 if I could, but will likely round down.
Neil Young
4/5
Solid songwriting and a delight to listen to.
The Byrds
2/5
All these songs sounded more or less the same; like an extended Tambourine man. Not bad, would give 2.5 if I could, but gonna round down as I am unlikely to revisit.
The Clash
4/5
Lots of fun stuff on here, a solid album with little filler.
AC/DC
2/5
Bon Scott is my favorite lead singer; Brian Johnson sounds like rockin’ Rod Stewart. That said, there are some classic jams on here, even if this album presages butt rock/hair metal of the 1980s.
X-Ray Spex
3/5
This was a really fun album overall, though it lost a bit of steam for me with “Germ Free Adolescents” (title track) and the following songs. I did listen to its twice though, and could definitely see myself revisiting many songs!
Brian Eno
4/5
Maybe it’s because I am walking through a funky fog of desolation after losing my house to a wildfire, causing me to pause this noble listening project…but coming to this album was very soothing. Ambient, cinematic, pleasant, interesting to listen to. If I was in my right mind, I’d maybe give it a three, but ima give it a four because it felt like what I needed on this day.
Led Zeppelin
4/5
Most of the songs on this album are solid-a few that I don’t ever need to hear again (not because they’re bad, but because I maybe played Kashmir one too many times in high school) and a few that feel like a bit of filler, but overall a strong album. 3.5 stars.
Peter Gabriel
2/5
This album was a bit weird for me; I love Peter Gabriel from childhood, so I thought I’d be positively inclined toward this album. The big hit “Games without Frontiers” is not my favorite of his songs. I liked some of the other songs in this album-overall a bit weird/discordant (the sax was not my jam on this particular disc), but appreciated the experimental nature of it. It was hard to pay attention to.
Queens of the Stone Age
3/5
While not as strong as some of their other albums, this one has a lot of fun songs. I was always a sucker for “I Was a Teenage Hand Model.” There are a few songs that are a bit clunky, but overall a strong album. 3.5.
Funkadelic
3/5
I had this record in on vinyl, and it burned in the fire. It’s not streaming. It’s got good jams on it, though isn’t my favorite Funkadelic album.
Dinosaur Jr.
2/5
This album had some good stuff on it, but also felt kind of long, not really my favorite.
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
According to Neal, “not the greatest songwriter, but good at sounds.”
Steely Dan
2/5
Well, this was an album. I still think “Dirty Work” is a hilarious song for a grumpy mild life crisis dad pulling the garbage down to the curb.
John Martyn
1/5
The most tolerable songs were Cant Love you More and Dancing, but I’d be happy to never hear this album again. It’s the soundtrack to either an outer ring of hell or a deeper ring of purgatory. Couldn’t make it through most of the songs.
Run-D.M.C.
2/5
Not bad, though quite repetitive. I may have crashed my car while listening to this album, so there’s that association. Not my favorite era of hip hop/rap, though I can see its importance.
The Cars
4/5
I love almost every song on this album. I mean, they kind of also all sound the same, but when they’re all bangers, that’s all right by me. “All Mixed Up” is kinda skippable though. 3.75 stars.
Solomon Burke
3/5
There are some straight bangers on this album and some duds. Starts strong with “Cry to Me,” and then is somewhat uneven for me after that, but overall strong. 3 stars alone for that song. The rest of the album is not bad-probably 3.75 overall.
Joni Mitchell
3/5
I started listening to this last night, and found it kind of sleepy/dull. Upon listening to it more closely today, I found a lot to appreciate musically and lyrically, even if this isn’t my favorite of her albums. I’ll probably check it out one more time.
The Undertones
3/5
Teenage Kicks is my most favorite track on this album. It has all the wavering-voice horny angst of a teenager. The rest of the tracks are all right-sort of Ramones/ punk sound-fine for a background listen.
Fugees
3/5
This album has some good stuff and some stuff I don’t really care for. There are some solid tracks but a lot of stuff I can easily skip. Well produced, and Lauryn Hill has a great voice. Wyclef kinda gets on my nerves, and I can’t hear “killing me softly” without thinking of this perverted guy at summer Y camp insisting it was a song about pleasuring a woman, so…yeah.
David Bowie
3/5
I enjoyed this album more than I thought I would-some solid songwriting and Beatles-influenced music. It’s not my favorite Bowie album, but it’s a mature, well produced, tightly written album. 3.5 stars.
Jorge Ben Jor
3/5
This album was a lot of Afro-Brazilian fun.
Peter Gabriel
4/5
I actually loved this album and was pleasantly surprised by it. It’s all over the map, genre-wise; has some Randy-Newman-esque songs, the classic Solsbury Hill, the funky dark opening track…easily 3.5 stars.
Elvis Costello
4/5
Liked this more than I thought I would; throwback vibes and strong songwriting.
Shivkumar Sharma
4/5
Regarding the Spotify link: Couldn’t make it through this one. I typically like music of this sort, and there’s some interesting stuff, but it’s really best for falling asleep or something.
Edited to add: I found the whole proper version of this album on the YouTube. I highly recommend it-solid classical Indian jams. I can see why it was influential.
Public Enemy
4/5
Maybe not as great as Fear of a Black Planet or It takes a Nation, but still solid and driving. My mom asked me to stop playing it when I was in the car “despite liking Public Enemy,” which added a certain juvenile joy to my listening experience.
The Who
3/5
This album was not quite what I was expecting. I hated all the blues covers, found the Kinks/Beatles type songs fun. Overall, not bad.
Ice T
3/5
This album is very much of its time-somewhere between NWA and LL Cool J. I like this sound, even though I didn’t finish the album.
Deep Purple
2/5
I ain’t got two hours of my life to give to live Deep Purple. That said, vocals give Jethro Tull vibes, so I guess I’m not mad about that?
Dolly Parton
3/5
Not quite my thing, though I love Dolly Parton as a person.. there are some good tracks on here and some skippable ones; doubt I’d come back to it, but maybe I will? 2.5 stars.
Marty Robbins
5/5
I had this album on vinyl. It burned in the fire. I loved it. I’m not sure if it’s really 5 stars, but I love it anyway. My favorite was listening to this album with my dad, who is in his 80s, on the way to IKEA. As a lover of western movies, He was blown away. Look, just listen to it. It’s got some bangers and I am a sucker for the clean sound of Robbins’ voice-like a teen idol, but it’s all songs about killing dudes in Rosa’s Cantina.
Iggy Pop
2/5
Nightclubbing is the best track on this album, followed by Sister Midnight. The rest of it is pretty whatever.
Anita Baker
2/5
Had to find this one on YouTube. She’s got a good voice, but these jams are way too smooth for this rough, calloused human. I couldn’t make it through. I would never revisit this, though I guess it has some artistic merit for pure talent? I hesitate to give it a 1, but this just isn’t for me.
Calexico
3/5
This album kind of grew on me-liked all of the Mexican influences and horns. The lead singer sounds like a drip of a white wanky indie rock tool, but the instrumentals were pretty good. Glad I listened to the whole thing-not sure I’d revisit, but it wasn’t as bad as I was expecting. I’d give it 2.5 if I could.
David Bowie
4/5
Shades of Radiohead, Nine Inch Nails, James Blake, acid jazz, hip hop beats, some overblown theatricality. Interesting experiments-definitely more avant garde than Next Day. Really liked the “Girl Loves Me.” I could see revisiting this album; kind of fun to see how Bowie pushed himself for this swan song of an album. Didn’t really care for “Tis a Pity She’s a Whore,” but found something to enjoy in the rest of this album.
The Residents
4/5
I mean, you do have to be in the mood for this brand of nonsense, but it’s some real delightful nonsense. We’d not have Primus or Ween without this band, I’d wager. Thanks, Residents. You’re a lot of fun.
Meat Puppets
3/5
This album has the classic jams on it, and has a fun grungy crunchy energy. Maybe my favorite Meat Puppets album. It’s probably properly a 3.5?
The Killers
1/5
I thought maybe a relisten would “change [my] mind,” but “believe me Natalie,” it did not. I always hated the hits off this album and continue to find this a boring, trite product of its time. I couldn’t make it through. It’s marginally better than the other one-star albums I listened to (side eye to you, Kid Rock), but based on the “I can’t even listen to this whole thing,” it gets a 1.
Fiona Apple
3/5
I have some deep nostalgia for the first half of this album (up to and including criminal), but feel like the second half kinda drags a bit. She’s got a great voice and solid song writing.
Deep Purple
2/5
Thankfully short, even with some long ass songs. Sounded derivative of lots of other bands of the era. Kinda rockin, but I wouldn’t revisit it.
Led Zeppelin
4/5
Listened to this a few times yesterday. Very little fat, straightforward blues influenced rock. A solid album.
The Stone Roses
2/5
This album was inoffensive, kind of all same same. Not terrible, not mind blowing.
Jimmy Smith
3/5
Here I was wondering why Jimmy Cliff released a jazz album. I’ll blame fire brain. 😆
This album was all right. Not my favorite or anything, but a solid listen.
Sheryl Crow
2/5
I have some nostalgia for “All I wanna do,” and she’s a decent singer and songwriter, but I didn’t really care for this album. Also, what’s with the weird RHCP sounding song? Anyway, she’s a great lady Tom Petty. The first track was my favorite.
Black Sabbath
4/5
FX was unnecessary, rest of the songs are all right. Not as bangin as their other albums, but Changes is hilarious, Supernaut is pretty fun, and the album art is iconic.
1/5
Oh saxophone, thou foul cheese on the charcuterie board of euro-pop-trash new wave, why must thou torture mine ear holes so?
I mean, this album was good for a laugh, and I could see clearly the trajectory from disco to euro-pop through this album that surrounds a one-hit wonder with more of the same same. “Poison Arrow” made me straight up giggle.
Still, I will not revisit this. Because it was good for a lol, it’s properly a 1.5, but it left me wondering what the hell the 1001 record guy was thinking. He probably made out with his big-haired girlfriend to this utterly forgettable album or something.
Missy Elliott
3/5
Solid jams throughout, even if it’s a bit cheese ball at times. “Work it” and “Gossip Folks” are songs I often listen to to hype myself up before something scary (like a job interview). So far, it’s worked. Thanks, Missy. 🥰a proper 3.5.
Simon & Garfunkel
2/5
Meh. There was a brief period in high school where I tried to get into Simon and Garfunkel. They’re all right, but kinda drab and boring to me. The opening track and Voices of Old People were unnecessary. The only song I can still stand is “Mrs. Robinson.” Bangles’ version of “Hazy Shade of Winter” has all the drama and drive I want out of that song-lacking in the original. Some boring Beatles/Dylan wannabe songs.
Sonic Youth
4/5
Really enjoyed all of this. Master-Dik was my least favorite, but everything else was solid-I’d be tempted to give it a 5. Listened to it a few times today.
Sister Sledge
2/5
Well, I never thought I’d be here as an adult, living with my parents, working a part time job. I’ll blame the fire (it was the fire’s fault).
It’s been rough. So I wasn’t excited to hear disco, which I never ever dug.
However, this album mildly lifted my otherwise ash-colored spirits, so I’ll give it a 2. I won’t revisit it, but I was grateful for it in this time.
The Byrds
2/5
Some fine, straightforward folky psychedelia of its era. Pretty whatever. The Moog Raga was hilarious. I would not revisit.
The Band
2/5
Meh, I wasn’t into it. The lead singer sounds like an old man straining to sing; gives very Jerry Garcia vibes. The cover of “Long Black Veil” does nothing to add to one of my favorite murder ballads. “The Weight” is obviously a classic. This is properly 1.5 stars for that song. I made it through the whole thing (ignoring extended extras), so I guess it gets a 2.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3/5
Achingly beautiful at times, and very cheesy at others. “into my arms” and “west country girl” are my most favorite. “green eyes” is unnecessary (skippable/annoying). Nick Cave has a great voice and song writing ability, though this album feels a little uneven in quality (as a Nick Cave fan, I think I’d say this about all his albums-now that I listen more critically to them.) properly a 3.5 for me.
The Cure
3/5
I liked the dark moodiness of this album, and it was fun to revisit-a good overall dark/goth vibe. I don’t know if it’s my favorite, and there are some clunky bits on it, but it’s strong overall. Not quite strong enough for a 4, but not terrible or anything.
Joan Armatrading
2/5
Neal’s album today was ZZ Top’s Eliminator. This was a welcome breath of fresh air after that. It’s not really my jam, but she’s got a nice voice and some decent songs. Water in the Wine gave some date-rape vibes I wasn’t so into though.
Beck
3/5
This album was fine. It’s not his best, and it kinda drags in the second half. It kind of reminds me of late Wes Anderson-“still got the vibes, but now we’re just parodying ourselves.” I’d likely not revisit it past this listen. This is really properly a 2.5, but not offensive to round down, I’d be ok with it in in the background.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
1/5
I’m a wanky doodle dandy
I’m a wanky doodle do or die
A really long, meandering song
That should be cut to a minute five.
Terrible lyrics from your store-brand Pink Floyd, wanky pretentious jams, and execrable 50s white-boy-early-rock songs to round out the album.
Nein, danke. Properly 1.5 stars, rounding down.
Fatboy Slim
2/5
I really like picturing the youf wondering at the image on the cover of this album, which is definitely an insistent product of its time. Better than some of the other DnB/EDC/electro garbage I’ve endured in this project, but also not great. I didn’t finish it, but it’s all right to drive around to.
Supertramp
2/5
A melange of Pink Floyd, the Who, Elton John, and a pinch of saxophone. I only knew “Breakfast in America” and “Bloody Well Right” by this band before I listened to this album. I was pleasantly surprised, though I can’t imagine revisiting it.
The Youngbloods
3/5
A pleasant album with nice songs. No complaints, would listen to again.
The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy
2/5
If I had never heard Public Enemy or Gil Scott-Heron, I’d probably think this was better than it is. I want to like it more than I do. Sadly, as it stands, it’s a budget Public Enemy at best…a Private Enemy, if you will.
Big Brother & The Holding Company
4/5
Solid album all around.
Steve Earle
2/5
Meh. I guess this album is all right if you want some softer, more countrified Bruce Springsteen/Tom Petty/something else I can’t think of at the moment.
Would not revisit.
Taylor Swift
3/5
Competent pop music. I am positively inclined toward Taylor Swift as a human, even if this music isn’t for me. I found it more enjoyable than I expected though, though I doubt I’d revisit it.
Franz Ferdinand
2/5
Very meh, much blah. Better than the Killers, though. Would not revisit, but not awful.
Aretha Franklin
4/5
Fantastic Aretha! Nearly perfect, could be a 5, but would need to listen to it more.
Manu Chao
4/5
Very fun, love the Galaga sounds.
Youssou N'Dour
5/5
After this banger, I was disappointed when I skimmed the rest of his catalog. But this was a treat to listen to!
Foo Fighters
3/5
This is probably the best of their albums, probably because of the proximity to their time in Nirvana. I hate that somehow Dave Grohl is the face of rock and roll now; all FF music sounds more or less the same to me.
Joan Baez
3/5
I mean, it was fine, but not really my thing. I like an earthier vocal sound, but I am a sucker for old folk tunes-Silver Dagger really resonates with my own mommy issues, lol. The cover of House of the Rising Sun was unnecessary. I didn’t finish this record, but I could see how I could maybe enjoy it in the right mood? I’d give it a 2.5 if I could, but will round up to 3 for quality of vocal talent and song choices (for the most part).
The Crusaders
1/5
So…easy listening disco isn’t my jam. This made me want to go back and give Chic another star. I don’t know why this album is on here—I guess I could research it, but man, I don’t need 5-10 minute smooth disco jams in my life. SAX! CHIMES! Smooth bass!
The Doors
2/5
First two tracks are great, rest of the album is a drag. Jim Morrison gives some major sleaze ball vibes. Would not revisit.
Dusty Springfield
3/5
Pretty competent singing of good songs written by other people-a good Motown sound, even if it’s a white girl from the UK. A bit long for my tastes; I could see some of these going on a mix, even if they’re not the straight banger that “son of a preacher man” is.
Mudhoney
3/5
Very fun, definitely need to be in the mood for the drunken sloppy vocals (which I am sometimes and sometimes not). Would revisit, though not likely high on the list.
Jeff Beck
1/5
Why is there a version of Greensleeves on this album? Why is there Rod Stewart? I couldn’t finish it, despite him being technically decent. Apparently this album was a precursor to heavy metal, but it mostly sounds like more white man blues. I don’t want hear more white man blues.
Nick Drake
5/5
Not even the saxophone could ruin this album.
Hole
3/5
I like the snarl and violence of Live Through This more than Celebrity Skin, which feels like it drags a bit. That said, it’s not a terrible album by any means-pretty much what you’d expect from a more mature-sounding Hole. Really would give it a 2.5, as I’d likely not revisit this album, but I don’t hate it.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
2/5
This album kinda dragged. While I was pleasantly surprised by the previous, if derivative, Elvis Costello album, this one was not a winner for me. Never like hearing a white man use the n-word in a song, regardless of his “political statement” in doing so. I did listen to the whole thing, but wouldn’t revisit it. Properly 1.5.
Paul Simon
2/5
Ah, white reggae. The music no one ever needed. This first song is already an inauspicious start to the record. The rest of the songs are pretty bland vanilla jams. Would not revisit, even though I listened to the whole album. Thus it would garner a 1.5 properly. Better than Kid Rock, so I guess it gets a 2.
The Cure
2/5
Favorite tracks:
Play for Today
In Your House
Then some experimental noises and some boring tracks.
Stevie Wonder
4/5
Way better than Talking Book-a ton of variety and great songs. My only issue is that, at almost 2hrs long, there is too much weight to avoid some adult contemporary flab. Overall, though, a great album and probably my favorite of his.
Anthrax
2/5
Well hilarious. A song about Judge Dredd and one plea for world peace off a butt-rock thrash metal alum made me giggle. There’s some decent punk rock energy on this record. The musicianship isn’t nearly as high as I was expecting for a metal album on this list-is call don’t know why it’s on here. But I listened to it and laughed. Will likely not revisit.
ZZ Top
2/5
My ex husband refused to let me walk down the aisle to “Legs.” This should have been the final red flag, but that’s why he’s an ex (albeit smaller than some of the red banners in the Soviet parade of this relationship, but still.)
A closer listen of this album yields nothing but the same same sound. There are some party hits, but overall boring. 1.5 if I could, but 2 to spite my ex.
5/5
Really dig this one, even if she looks like a school librarian on the cover. No real fat, a solid old school country sound that I dig.
Gillian Welch
3/5
Very nice-I loved Gillian Welch when I first heard her. I was feeling in kinda of a sad mood when I listened to this though. Kinda sleepy. Not bad though.
M.I.A.
2/5
It’s not my favorite of hers, but it’s still pretty fun. Would likely not revisit though.
Muddy Waters
4/5
No fat, all the songs were solid. Could easily be a 5-will need to revisit.
David Holmes
2/5
Not the worst techno of the 90s I’ve had to endure on this journey. Not the best, but definitely not the worst. Probably would not revisit.
Frank Sinatra
3/5
I prefer a sadder Sinatra myself-more September of My Years than Swinging Lovers. That said, the plug for safer sex in Making Whoopie is pretty hilarious. Man’s got some chops, that’s for sure. Properly 3.5.
Prince
4/5
This isn’t my favorite Prince album. It’s got some real bangers on it, though. It’s almost a 5?
50 Cent
2/5
What did 50 cent say when Eminem made him a sweater?
Gee, you knit?
George Harrison
3/5
The first third of this album is amazing. The random other versions are unnecessary. They’re not terrible, but it feels like so much bloat weighing it down-like I can’t even finish it. But the first third is so good, so I round up to a three. (I thought this album would be higher until I realized I had to listen to all this other stuff.)
Skunk Anansie
2/5
This album was kinda all over the place. One or two tracks I dug, but overall not really for me. Interested to see what their other stuff sounds like though. Properly 2.5 stars, but rounding down since I’d likely not revisit it.
Ray Charles
3/5
I do like Ray Charles. I don’t really care for American Standards in general, and there’s stuff on here that feels like we’re firmly in the land of cheese (as in cheesy music, not as in France). Still, Charles’s voice and piano are strong-the musicianship on this album is also solid. It just feels like a lot of cheese to me. Properly a 2.5; I don’t think I’d revisit this, but also feel like an ass if I gave it less than a three.
Stephen Stills
2/5
I went from thinking “hey, this album isn’t as bad as I was anticipating” to “bleh, this album is really dragging.”
The Gun Club
4/5
I love the energy and sound of this album. The first half is stronger than the second, but it’s still great. Skip all the alternative takes. I lost this record to the fire.
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
5/5
Take my five stars!
Fairport Convention
3/5
Some mild and inoffensive folk adjacent music. I didn’t hate it, but would likely not revisit it. Musically competent. Likely a 2.5 in all honesty.
Laibach
2/5
There were some things I appreciated about this album-the clear influential industrial sound (though there are more industrial influential bands I prefer) and the line “ha ha get me a light beer.” The backstory is cool, but the irony doesn’t sound, uh, I dunno, that ironic, which makes me uncomfortable. Album cover is cool. If this album was like 1/3 as long I’d probably rate it higher.
Guided By Voices
3/5
I listened to this straight after Laibach, which felt like a breath of fresh air. Then I found it annoying and shut it off. Returning to it, though, I find it better than I thought. Some annoying bits, but overall not bad.
The Band
1/5
Still don’t like the pretentiously named band. Don’t need to record “the night they drove old Dixie down,” boo hoo the south. Meh I say. Couldn’t finish it. Thus 1 star.
Gary Numan
4/5
Unashamedly love this album, even if it’s a little same-same and Asylum could be skipped.
Tim Buckley
2/5
This album was pretty mid and sleepy. His son is better. Buzzin’ Fly is a pretty good song. This is the end of my book report.
Harry Nilsson
4/5
There are some great songs on here, but also ones I don’t jive with so much. The Point is still my most favorite of his albums. Gotta Get Up was my alarm jam for many years off and on.
Weather Report
2/5
The album itself is smooth as duck shit. Not a fan of that, even if it’s technically competent. I was going to skip the expanded version, since I wasn’t into the album itself, but the live stuff is GREAT. Easily a 4 for the live stuff. I’m giving it a 2 for the actual album though.
The Byrds
2/5
What a surprise, another Byrd’s album. I think Sweetheart of the Rodeo is my sleeper favorite. This is better than the Fabulous Byrd Brothers and Mr Tamborine Man. I dug the horns and percussion on So You Wanna Be A Rock n Roll Star. Renaissance Fair was hilariously stupid. Would not likely revisit, but better than their other 2 albums I’ve listened to on this list (but not as good as Sweetheart…)
Spiritualized
2/5
Well, that was soporific. More like Lazer Guided Lullabies. But not awful or anything. Really 1.5 stars.
Queen
4/5
I’d probably attend the opera more if it sounded like this. Bombastic theatricality combined with silly seaside songs? Fuck yeah.
There are some classic Queen jams, some silly Queen jams, and some less than classic Queen jams, but this is a very strong album overall. I’d be tempted to give it a 5, though I feel it’s properly a 4. Like a 4.5?
Prince
5/5
Well. I had this album on vinyl, and vinyl melts when subjected to high heat, so I lost this album when I lost my house. I miss this album, and it sounded great on vinyl.
The first track is the weakest, with some cringey lyrics. (Actually, there are a lot of silly lyrics on here, but the first song has the most cringey ones). The rest is pretty fantastic, near perfect. 4.99 stars.
Britney Spears
1/5
My little sister loved this album, I think. She also loved N*Sync and Backstreet Boys. I never got into those bands (descendants of NKOTB), but I recognize this as part of my sister’s formative musical journey. Her taste is far more sophisticated than mine now, and her tolerance and appreciation for modern pop is also much higher than mine. I assume it is the Britney effect.
I can’t give this album a fair shake because I can’t make it through any songs past the title track. I’m sorry, Britney. The first song is a classic though.
“toxic” is my favorite Britney jam (late stage Britney).
David Bowie
3/5
I remember getting a bunch of Bowie on vinyl, and this was the first one I listened to and realized that maybe I didn’t like ALL of David Bowie’s discography. There’s some good stuff on here and some definitely throwaway stuff (meandering ambient noise tracks). Better than some of the other stuff on this list though. It’s probably worth a relisten, so I’ll bump it up to 3?
The Stooges
5/5
I had this record on vinyl (since lost to the fire). All the streaming services had two remasters-the Bowie mix and the Iggy mix. The Bowie mix felt closer to my memory of the album, which is a solid album, no skips. I really hope the Iggy mix doesn’t represent what Iggy wanted out of the album, because it’s really not great.
This album is a 5 star album for me, but the mix can really change that (it loses at least one star for the Iggy mix, if not more).
Elvis Presley
3/5
Pretty meh. Elvis is the king of the single-a whole album is a bit much. Probably 2.5-don’t think I’d revisit.
David Bowie
4/5
Better than Heroes. I think Lodger is my favorite in this trilogy (bout would need to revisit it). This album is a mood, and one that I’m not always in. I gave Heroes a 3, and this was better than that, so I guess a 4? Really a 3.5 but I’ll give it the ol’ Bowie bump.
Neil Young
3/5
I bought this album on CD at Costco when I was in high school. It was my first Neil Young album. I have some nostalgia for it because of that, but it’s by no means my favorite. Not one I revisit, but it’s solid from an album standpoint I suppose.
David Gray
2/5
Folktronica is a genre that doesn’t need to exist. This album sounds like the background music I’d be irritated to hear at a Cheesecake Factory. Still, blandly inoffensive. Would never revisit.
Donald Fagen
2/5
Music for the waiting room between purgatory and hell. Boring, smooth, dumb lyrics…it’s got it all! Technically competent, like all of this man’s output.
Prince
5/5
I love this album. I love many of Prince’s albums, and so I always feel like kind of poser to say something like “Purple Rain” is an amazing, five-star album.” It’s kind of like saying that a peanut butter and jelly sandwich is 5 stars. Of course it is. Are there more exotic sandwiches? Can we dig deeper into the sandwich discography to find other, more esoteric 5-star sandwiches? Of course we can. Will it take a star away from PB&J though?
Thus I give you a totally expected five stars, Prince, for your album Purple Rain.
Public Enemy
5/5
A seminal album. My mom claims she likes Public Enemy, but asked me to turn it off while I was driving. This merely adds to the joy of listening to this banger.
Peter Tosh
3/5
Regardless of whether or not it has been legalized in your state, Peter Tosh has been doing his part and successfully has ensured it was advertised.
Listened to this a few times today; really enjoyed the first two go arounds, but the third in headphones was less enjoyable. Otherwise competent.
The Velvet Underground
2/5
So I guess this is what heroin sounds like?
First song is a classic (though ends with a bunch of noise).
I don’t really care for spoken word story tracks more than once, so wouldn’t relisten to this weirdly accented and predictable stories.
The next three songs are all right.
Sister Ray is far too long and boring. It could be cut to 1/6th of the length and maybe it would be ok.
Would not relisten-sad I didn’t enjoy this more.
Curtis Mayfield
4/5
A solid, short, funky album.
TV On The Radio
4/5
I really enjoyed this album, though I don’t think it’s 5 stars. I listened to it twice and always enjoy listening to this band’s music.
Radiohead
3/5
Well, this album took me right back to high school. Technically competent, but I’ve definitely grown out of the whiny teenager melodies of Thom Yorke. Man needs a punch in the face, he does.
Kanye West
3/5
Don’t like the man’s politics, obviously, though I do like his music. This isn’t as strong as some of his other albums, and I can’t in good conscience return to it, but it’s a pretty solid album.
Stephen Stills
2/5
Well, he’s still Stephen.
Songwriting isn’t bad, and apparently there are some heavy hitting performers on here but it’s not for me.
Jack White
4/5
Better than I was anticipating, would consider revisiting!
The Slits
4/5
Super fun. It’s giving Siouxsie, it’s giving Bjork, it’s giving punk, it’s giving weird. Would relisten. Easily 3.5, maybe a 4. I’ll round up for the album cover.
Radiohead
2/5
This album would be vastly improved if Thom Yorke was kicked in the shin and replaced by Cartman.
musically, it’s not terrible, but my lord is it boring.
Herbie Hancock
5/5
A classic. 10/10 would listen again.
The Hives
2/5
The best thing about this one-note album of boring sameness is that it is 28 minutes long. And that’s still too long. Live, they pose as arrogant assholes, which I guess is their whole schtick/vibe, but they overplay that joke as well. Hives, stop trying to make the Hives a thing. On the whole, though, still not as bad as Kid Rock.
Air
3/5
Ranges from pleasant background electronica to inoffensive elevator music. Good for working.
Kings of Leon
2/5
Not as bad as I feared, not as good as everyone made it out to be. At least it didn’t have “Sex is on Fire” song. Properly 2.5, but I wouldn’t revisit this.
The Jam
2/5
This album was fine? Not mind blowing or anything. Not terrible. Nothing particularly stood out, and I don’t know why it’s on this list, but it’s all right. I’d maybe revisit it.
Beyoncé
2/5
I listened to most of this album. She’s good at what she does, though this isn’t my favorite of hers; I wouldn’t likely revisit it.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
3/5
As a white person, I believe I am obligated to like the music of Mr. Petty. This album has a little bit of everything. Would go well with a white person backyard barbecue and some Newcastle Brown Ale. Probably wouldn’t revisit, so it’s like a 2.5, but also could see myself throwing it on if they ever bring Newcastle back.
Mudhoney
3/5
Pretty fun grungy music.
Robert Wyatt
2/5
Uhhhhh…kind of ok shading into grating experimental noise that maybe could be ok if I was in the mood. I was not today.
Still better than Kid Rock though.
Cocteau Twins
4/5
I love this album. It is perfect for flying on a plane. That said, upon closer critical listening, I would say that the first half (including Heaven of Las Vegas) is slightly stronger. Still, pretty close to perfect 💕
The Who
4/5
This was my first favorite Who album (expanded edition). That said, the covers of “Summertime Blues” and “Shakin All Over” aren’t that great (the Mose Allison cover is all right, but also not my favorite). So this would be 4 stars from me, either with or without the expansion.
Television
5/5
Loved this album when I first heard it. I revisited it with a more critical ear and still love it. Works well as a total album, works well on single song level as well. Weird rhythms and fun sounds.
Beatles
5/5
When I was in elementary school, we learned both “Octopus’s Garden” and “Yellow Submarine” in music class. When I taught at the same elementary school, one of my (most favorite) 4th grade students discovered to song “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer” and was belting it out before she stopped midway and said “Why do those ladies want to free Maxwell?” And then pondered serial killers and their fans for a few hours. Thankfully she didn’t go down some true crime rabbit hole, though listening to her talk with her friend about the insanity that is women wanting to free a killer was pretty delightful.
Anyway, this album has some great songs on it and it works really well as a whole enchilada. Maxwell’s Silver Hammer and Octopus’s Garden kinda break it for me (as does the strained singing on “Golden Slumbers”-I love that song but there are parts of to vocals that aren’t my most favorite). Overall, probably one of my favorite Beatles’ albums, even though I’ll likely not revisit it again (being etched in my brain as it is).
CHIC
3/5
Liked this better than I thought I would, and it’s more consistent than the other Chic album in that regard. Some of the songs are tedious, and disco ain’t my thing, but this was pretty solid overall. Properly 2.5 stars (would not revisit), but gonna round up for being pleasantly surprised.
Christine and the Queens
3/5
Pretty fun, though I thought it ran really long, which I found grating. It reminded me of things I like about a small number of female pop artists, and I obviously listened to both albums, so didn’t find it that terrible. I could see a few of these tracks making it on to my workout mix.
Coldplay
2/5
The first part was more tolerable than I expected, but I got really bored a song or two after Clocks. They should have ended the album there.
N.W.A.
3/5
This album is important in the development of the West Coast/G-funk hip hop history. It's not my favorite NWA album, and I have aged out of being ok listening to music that extols misogyny and violence, so it's hard to ignore the lyrics to focus on the music. However, I think it's important to address the content in music--lyrics are part of what makes the song the song. I was occasionally able to disassociate from the lyrics to hear what was going on musically.
There are some good things happening musically on here; ignoring the stuff that sounds like early rap (simple beat with rhymes atop), there's some great funky samples and examples of Dr. Dre's iconic style.
Still, I wouldn't revisit this album. I feel sad for my younger self, staunchly listening to degrading music about women in the name of being open minded. We have a lot of other better hip hop to draw from; this is historically important but not an excellent example of the possibilities of the genre.
Dinosaur Jr.
3/5
I mean, it’s kinda fun, kinda one note, gives some cut rate Frank Black vibes. I don’t hate it, but I don’t love it, either. I’m not sure why it’s on this list; it doesn’t feel like it’s particularly noteworthy. I remember liking their other albums more. I guess it’s a 3?
Aretha Franklin
5/5
Amazing.
Brian Wilson
4/5
This was a hard one for me. There’s a lot of genius on here, and a lot of experimental-sounding or half-finished stuff that is interesting if you’re in the right mood, or like an irritating fever dream if you’re not. I definitely think it’s worth a listen, and I’m interested to hear the 2011 version. I don’t know how to rate this, so am putting a placeholder 4 (for the uneven genius in this record).
Brian Wilson was a tortured artist and in many ways a true genius. I hope he found peace and happiness in the end. RIP.
Fats Domino
5/5
Fuck yeah Fats Domino.
Girls Against Boys
3/5
Well, my mom asked me to turn it off in the car because it was “disturbing, distorted, and weirdly quiet,” and also “bad.” So obviously this gives it at least one extra star. I feel like this album has some potential. To blow up a Winchell’s? No, but still kinda cool. I’d revisit it.
Ride
2/5
This album goes nowhere. inoffensive, yet boring.
AC/DC
3/5
Not as beloved for me as High Voltage, but still fun. Got pulled over for speeding once while blasting Highway to Hell, so I’ll always giggle at that memory.
Marvin Gaye
3/5
As a happily divorced person, I found this album pretty delightful. It’s not my favorite of his-kind of uneven-but the theme and execution are a joy.
The Jesus And Mary Chain
4/5
I liked it, and would revisit it. Some fun post new wave noise pop.
Haircut 100
2/5
The saxophone on this album makes me feel like I’m in a dental waiting room. Cheesy with a side of new wave. At times, worthy of a terrible tropical oasis party held by Boomers. Would not revisit, though it’s not the worst I’ve heard on this project.
Sex Pistols
4/5
Had this on cassette tape. It was a revelation then. It’s still great now, though I don’t return to it very much.
Public Image Ltd.
2/5
“Sssssborin’ Sidney.”
Justin Timberlake
2/5
Ugh. There are some decent pop songs on here, but I am not sure why wannabe Michael Jackson made it onto this list. I dug a few of these songs after this album came out, but I’d hardly rank this as anything worth putting on a 1001 albums you need to listen to.
A Tribe Called Quest
4/5
I love this group and this album, though I don’t think it’s as strong as their subsequent albums. It’s a really solid debut with some classic jams, but there is a little unevenness in the overall work. I really want to give it a 5; it’s damn close, but not quite.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
There are some straight bangers in here (like a good chunk of their greatest hits), but also some stuff I could do without-a few extended jams, Travelin’ Band. Still, almost perfect. I love how swampy CCR sounds, when they all hail from sunny CA.
Miles Davis
5/5
I worked on the interminable insurance inventory for all the stuff I lost in the wildfire to this album. It made the heartbreak a little less painful (even as I recall losing this album to the fire as well. RIP album. RIP house.)
It’s a good album, though you do have to be in the mood for it. This was initially hard for me to get into when I got into jazz in high school, but it grew on me. It was the only jazz album my mom owned, lol.
New York Dolls
5/5
This album is a whole lotta perfect dumb fun.
Jethro Tull
2/5
When I was in high school, I tried to get into Jethro Tull. I bought the Greatest Hits and listened to it a bunch. It reminds me of Renaissance Faire drama nerds going hard. (Full disclosure: was said nerd.) not terrible, but not really my cuppa tea, either.
The Who
4/5
Well, I didn’t expect to like this album as much as I did. What a fucking delightfully weird and silly album.
Everything But The Girl
2/5
Music for a 1990s coffee shop. Mild and inoffensive.
Eminem
1/5
I have tried to appreciate the “humor” and talent of Eminem since high school. I couldn’t do it then, I can’t do it now. I can’t ignore these awful, hateful, juvenile lyrics. I cringe at my high school girl self trying to make it through this album because he was “talented” and worked with Dr. Dre. I can’t even appreciate RBX’s appearance on this album.
The only things I’ll say for this “artist” is that he was 1) produced well and 2) took the opportunity when inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (a joke in and of itself) to list all the legitimately good rappers and hip hop artists who actually deserved the induction in his place.
I was originally going to give this album a 2 (as it has a better overall sound than Kid Rock), but it rightly deserves to be given a 1 for its stupid juvenile hatred and incel vibes.
Emmylou Harris
3/5
After listening to Eminem’s violent and hateful LP, this was a welcome breath of fresh air, even though I’d likely not revisit it-wasn’t really my cup of tea. Title track was my favorite.
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
3/5
There are some amazing classics/singles on here, but it doesn’t really feel like an album per se. and this doesn’t affect the rating, but these dudes look like middle aged bankers (not so much Buddy Holly). The singles are important, but I wouldn’t rank this as a whole album worth listening to.
Silver Jews
2/5
This songwriting was all right, I think, but I could NOT stand this vocalist AT ALL. What a depressing bore (which I guess fits my mood for today.)
Arcade Fire
2/5
Appropriate title for this particular “holiday” (July 4th).
Album itself isn’t bad-liked it better than I thought, though I’d likely not revisit it. Had some weak songs. Properly 2.5.
Supergrass
3/5
This felt like a lot of influences thrown into a blender. Maybe it warrants a closer listen; it felt very derivative, but not unpleasantly so?
The Black Keys
2/5
Not bad; not my favorite. Derivative and repetitive, but not as offensive as some other white ppl blues we are subjected to. Better just to listen to actual blues.
Arcade Fire
3/5
I’ve now gotten three of this band’s albums. I don’t get what the big deal is. Like a glum-sounding Spoon. It’s not bad, but it’s not blowing me away either.
Janis Joplin
3/5
Only 33 minutes! A breeze to get through. I learned through Andrew Hickey’s excellent podcast “A History of Rock in 500 songs” that Janis Joplin performed each song the exact same way for every take. Carefully rehearsed blues. I don’t think it takes away from her performances-though I don’t quite know what to make of that fact.
There are some classics on this album. There are some live versions I prefer more, and “A Woman Left Lonely” isn’t the strongest track. Overall, this is a strong album though. “Buried Alive in the Blues” really doesn't doesn’t do much for me at all, nor does it feature what we came for (Ms. Joplin). Still, the classics are quite classic. Really 3.5 I’d say.
Terence Trent D'Arby
2/5
I didn’t think I knew of this artist’s music at all. Then “Sign your Name” came on and I was transported back to the orthodontist’s office, having my braces tightened to the adult contemporary sounds of K-OST 103.5.
The Mars Volta
2/5
The concept was interesting, the set up promising, but the vocals are very much nails on chalkboard. So very difficult to get over. Musically I think there’s some cool stuff in here, but that vocalist is giving strong whiny emo vibes.
Amy Winehouse
3/5
This album has a good throwback sound and she’s got a great voice. It’s not really for me (would likely not revisit), but I wouldn’t give a fan some side eye for liking her. 3?
Incredible Bongo Band
2/5
I was initially excited about this. I’ve been doing taiko for about 2 years now, so am more positively inclined to listening to percussion-forward (or even percussion only) music than before. Also! So many of my favorite hip hop artists have sampled stuff off this album! Always a thrill to recognize a sample.
That said, I couldn’t make it through this. It’s good for a laugh, but the joke goes on for an hour and 17 minutes, like listening to a kid whose discovered one of those “101 ______ Jokes” books and then reads the entire thing to you on the bus. A couple of zingers, but mostly just me listening politely until I can leave.
Todd Rundgren
4/5
I loved this album when I first heard it, and I still love it. It’s got some glam, some 50s doo wop, some Moog-ly bits, some drama, some silliness. I wish all of his albums were like this (side eye to YOU, Something/Anything). Would 100% revisit. I kinda wanna give it a 5, but feel like maybe it’s not quite a 5? Definitely a solid 4-4.5.
Beastie Boys
3/5
When this album came out, I thought it was annoying AF. I loved the use of rock samples and production (for the most part), but their voices and lyrics made me want to punch them all in the face. This album always put me in mind of white boys I knew who would try to rap-such an embarrassment, honestly. Suburban white dudes, amiright?!
I wrote them off for years after that. I came back around when I sat down and listened to Paul’s Boutique (though actually the first album that made me interested in revisiting this group was the all-instrumental In Sound From Way Out). It’s nice to know that this talented group was able to evolve beyond this dated, misogynistic sound and make music that I could enjoy both in spite of-and even occasionally with-their voices.
It really wavers between a 2 and a 3 for me. I gave Straight Outta Compton a 3 and had similar issues with the content, so I think I’ll give this a 3 as well-it works as an album, even despite its dated sound and content.
Ananda Shankar
2/5
I wanted to like this more than I did. The cover of Jumping Jack Flash was fun-as was the combination of sitar and electronic instruments. The last (or next to last) piece with the spoken word was not engaging-overall the album has potential but was uneven and-for me, at times-boring. I am glad I listened to it, but probably wouldn’t revisit it. Properly 2.5, but as I cannot see returning to it, will round down for now.
Tim Buckley
2/5
Like his other album, pretty mid Ren Faire jams. Not terrible, but not particularly moving to me either.
Primal Scream
2/5
I heard the name of this band many times. I didn’t know what I was expecting-from the name, I was picturing some sort of new wave band. Then I saw this album was from 1997. It sounds like it’s from 1997, though not in a good way. Despite all the noises, it succeeds in being wallpaper music for a PlayStation snowboarding game. Not terrible, but nothing that excites me, either.
Depeche Mode
3/5
Not bad, but not as good as Violater. The synthesized breathing/moaning on “ I want you now” was hilarious. “Never let me down again” is probably my favorite on here.
The Flaming Lips
2/5
I guess I like this better than their other one, but the dude sounds like a muppet. I’ve fallen asleep to this album twice, so I don’t know if I’ve properly “listened” to it, but I don’t think I could do a round three in good faith. I don’t hate it, but it’s not for me.
Donovan
2/5
Season of the Witch is amazing. The rest of this album is pretty whatever to cheesy. It gets one extra star for Season of the Witch.
Stevie Wonder
4/5
There are some amazing hits on this album. Like all Stevie Wonder (for me), there’s always something shading slightly (or heavily, depending) into that terrible swamp of “adult contemporary,” but overall, one of my favorite of his albums.
Johnny Cash
5/5
I can’t really be objective about this album, because it’s one of my favorite Johnny Cash albums. All the songs are great. The humor and the interstitial bits make it really unique. God bless Johnny Cash for bringing some joy and music to incarcerated folks.
Black Sabbath
5/5
I love this album: a great blend of psychedelic, hard rock, and proto-metal. Also the album cover looks both evil and like a renaissance faire fantasy.
Sleater-Kinney
5/5
Every time I listen to this album I think “man, what an amazing energy and sound.” Then I forget all about it. Glad this project reminded me of this solid record.
Arcade Fire
3/5
There was a hot moment for a few weeks when I thought Reflektor was amazing. I got over it. I don’t get why this band has so many albums on this list. This album isn’t terrible, but I’m kind of sick of this overblown hipster sound. It feels so slick as to have no feeling, despite being quite whiny. How many more of their albums are on this list? Really like a 2.5, but I guess I’d only be mildly annoyed if someone put this in on a car ride or something.
Jacques Brel
2/5
Pros: rolling French Rs are never not funny to imitate, album is under half an hour. Clearly a talented chanteur.
Cons: not really for me, no thanks.
Garbage
4/5
I loved this album when it came out-checked all the boxes for all the music I loved at the time, plus Shirley Manson was both an icon and crush for me. Coming back to it, I still love it-a fun blend of so many things I love. It sounds like both a product of the 1990s but also still feels as fresh as it did when I first heard it. Gives very “My So called Life” vibes.
It’s not perfect, but it’s still a delight. #nostalgia #90skid
The Specials
2/5
I get why this album is important in the history of ska. I made it through the whole thing. I don’t think it’s a particularly great album-it feels thin and very white bread. Some of their songs are fun, but this whole album felt flat in the whole.
4/5
I love how divisive this album is. It’s either brilliant or awful. I definitely am in the former camp: I love the raw energy of this proto punk live show. I celebrate the jagged vocals and the clangy crashing sloppy fast instrumentals.
That said, the spoken word bits of Starship are completely unnecessary. Nearly perfect apart from that.
OutKast
4/5
There are so many classics on this album that are legitimate 5s for me. I love the Sly/Funkadelic influences, too. These are interspersed with interludes that I find boring/skippable, and the misogyny on this record feels like a step back. I’m not sure if it was done in jest or as a send up of the genre, but it doesn’t sit so well with me. The album as a whole is consistent, but I think I love their other stuff a lot more.
Paul McCartney
3/5
I was pleasantly surprised by this one; I didn’t really care for that Wings album. That said, the last track was pretty unnecessary (noises, breathing, drums, ok, I got it) and the songs felt kind of like some stuff that didn’t make it onto a Beatles album (which is probably why I liked it), just reminding me that I still think the Beatles are best together.
Everything But The Girl
2/5
This is the SECOND Everything But the Girl album this list has subjected me to. I have no idea why this white bread adult contemporary easy listening music is here. It’s like Pat Boone playing Sade. I could not wait for this album to be over.
Still, it’s better than Kid Rock. I want to give it a 1, but it’s not as terrible as Kid Rock. It really is like a 1.5, but I’ll give them a 2, like their last album (which I described as mild and inoffensive mid 90s coffee shop music.)
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
4/5
“He’s my Elvis.” - Jeff Buckley.
Amazing-though definitely need to be in the mood for some long jams.
Sufjan Stevens
2/5
Tried and tired. I tried to listen to this, but quickly tired of it. This wasn’t my first attempt to listen to sad sack white boy music, but it will be my last.
Soundgarden
5/5
I have some very heavy nostalgia for this album. Despite some songs being massively overplayed, it’s still damn near perfect to me. So I give it a very biased 5.
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
I grew up familiar with the Boss’s greatest hits, as my mom was a huge fan (at least, of the hits). This album was a pleasant surprise. I’d first listened to it as part of a “Deep Listening” project (one album suggested by a group member per week, required you to listen fully, and then provide comment). I can see why someone wouldn’t like this, but the somber intimacy of it is moving (to me, obviously). I’d recommend this album to a select group of friends, though I doubt it would move the needle for any Bruce Springsteen haters.
Duran Duran
2/5
This album had “Rio” and “Hungry Like the Wolf” on it. There were also other songs that sound a lot like each other, some of which I liked more than I expected. I don’t really get the hype around this band though.
Beck
4/5
I feel like this album is really good up to Readymade; the last few songs are kinda throwaway. I do appreciate that it was fairly forward-thinking for its time and still sounds good decades later. It’s really like a 3.5 for me, but I’ll round up for 90s nostalgia purposes.
Sonic Youth
2/5
I’ve tried a couple of times to listen to this band. I know they’re important or something. But I just found it a lot of noisy boredom. Definitely something you need to be in the mood for; not sure if I’m ever really in the mood for this. Sorry, youf.
Thelonious Monk
4/5
This one has some, but not all, of my favorites.
Oasis
1/5
Definitely not.
Genesis
2/5
Tried to get through this prog rock Brit swamp. I could see how this might be appealing but the songs were far too long for my liking. Would not revisit.
5/5
Today I learned this album came out in 1978, and yet I think of it as the quintessential 80s album in all their best ways. Delightfully weird, wonderfully produced, silly and musically sophisticated at the same time.
Post - punk for the win.
Bob Dylan
5/5
Bon Dylan is good at songs and bad at singing, which is a cliche, I know. A solid album overall if you can ignore the voice.
My Bloody Valentine
2/5
Had to find this album on YouTube, as there was only one song on Spotify. It really didn’t feel like it was worth it to find it-this album was a snooze fest. But kind of interesting, I guess? I wouldn’t revisit it, that’s for sure.
Ian Dury
2/5
This guy is pretty hilarious. “Sex and Drugs and Rock and Roll” is the standout highlight; honestly, you don’t really need to hear the rest of the album because it kinda drags. Wouldn’t revisit.
Led Zeppelin
4/5
Such a solid sound for the first 3 tracks; seamless transitions. The rest of the songs on here are also good, though less even overall. Not my most favorite Zeppelin album, but it’s still pretty good.
U2
2/5
I was really into this album for a hot minute in middle school (it came out well before I was in middle school, but clearly appealed to an angsty tween). Bono’s vocals are giving a blend of David Bowie, Thom Yorke, and something the National-adjacent, with a smattering of 80s emotional sensibilities. The album itself feels like a middle school feeling: overblown reactions to first-time feelings, but it’s not necessarily bad, I’d say. I find Bono and U2 pretty insufferable now, so it’s hard to set that aside-but I don’t think I ever need to revisit this album. I’d properly give it a 2.5, but am rounding down since I’d not go back to it.
Thin Lizzy
2/5
This band looks like they should be making some sweet metal (or at least big hair metal). But no-they did “The Boys Are Back In Town.” I don’t know what this adds to the musical canon, except for another Boomer-rock anthem I could do without. Not the worst thing to assault my ears, even though this is like Eagles-adjacent. Will not revisit.
Pulp
4/5
This was the first Pulp album I got, mostly because I was curious about the band William Shatner covered (“Common People.”) I loved this weird album then, and remember preferring it to Different Class, which I finally got some years later. It’s a better Bowie-influenced album than any Arcade Fire album (including that one Arcade Fire album with Bowie on it). I’m looking forward to revisiting this again, especially as coming back to it like 15 years after I first heard it feels new and fresh.
Electric Light Orchestra
2/5
Far too long. Perfect for your 1970s vacation home on the beach, seducing a lady on the shag carpet with a jug of pink wine.
Cypress Hill
4/5
Great samples, silly lyrics, very 1990s.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
3/5
Not my favorite Bob Marley album, but still pretty solid.
Femi Kuti
3/5
If I didn’t know about Fela, this would likely be a better album. As it stands, I’d rather listen to Fela, 27 wives and all.
Booker T. & The MG's
2/5
Green Onions is a classic. The rest of this album is fine, though I found it to be a bit boring and same-same. Would not revisit as a result.
The Stooges
4/5
Pretty great, with some classic jams. A bit uneven at times, but still solid and raw sounding.
4/5
This album was great. I’m not a fan of Thom Yorke, so that was a bit of a miss for me, but there are some great songs on this album that show an evolving PJ Harvey (I like her early stuff a lot too)
Björk
3/5
Interesting, but not my favorite Björk. Probably wouldn’t revisit, but not bad as background Björk.
Slint
3/5
I can hear how this band influenced a lot of other music-mostly bands I find mildly interesting but not grabbing for very much. There’s some cool rhythmic stuff going on here. All the instrumental / spoken song stuff on here is a bit soporific, so it can be hard to appreciate the nuances in the music. But overall not bad.
Talking Heads
4/5
This was pretty fun. Not my favorite of theirs, but it’s solid and has some good hits.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
5/5
This album is still pretty good, even though I’ll probably not listen to it again, having heard it so many times before. Probably peak RHCP, though I’m having a hard time giving it 5 stars. I mean, I wouldn’t take it on a desert island with me, but it’s a solid album top to bottom.
Talking Heads
4/5
Super fun, even if not my favorite Talking Heads album. Some cool experimental stuff.
Unnecessary Memphis cover, too much Rockin Rod Stewart for my taste. Would not revisit white ppl blues. Not terrible, but also not amazing.
Dire Straits
2/5
Th first two tracks on this album are pretty good/iconic. The rest shades into a sort of sax-driven smooth jazz that I could not abide.
Elvis Costello
3/5
I mean, it sounds like an Elvis Costello album. Weirdly timeless - I was kind of hoping he was gonna try to make a grunge album or something, you know, to be hip with the times, but nope. It’s an Elvis Costello album. Nothing amazing, nothing particularly interesting either. I didn’t hate it.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
4/5
In 2003, I was convinced there was no more good music to be had. Then I heard this album and a handful of other bands and revised my opinion.
This album is still a solid album, despite me not having listened to it since like 2006 or so. The band has moved on and gotten way more popular, and everything has changed.
Still, a fun, snarling, rock n roll romp.
Iron Maiden
3/5
Like a combination of thrash metal and hard rock. Not quite what I was expecting. Not terrible, but would likely not revisit it. A true 2.5 stars.
Lambchop
2/5
Don’t dig the vocals - either the boring dude or the Miss Piggy (though picturing Miss Piggy singing these songs made it marginally better). I’d never heard of this band so was excited to try something new. It looks like my excitement was premature. Couldn’t get through it, which would render it a 1, but I could see they were trying to do some interesting stuff, so a 2
Radiohead
2/5
I thought I was going to hate this more than I did. I only mildly hated it. I managed to get all the way through it.
Neneh Cherry
2/5
I mean, this was of its time. Not bad musically, but nothing I’m gonna revisit.
Elton John
3/5
I didn’t make it through this album. It has some classics. The first half of Funeral for a Friend is an amazing piece of prog-rock. Jamaican Jerk Off is not a good look-goes up with his red face track off of Madman Across the Pond.
He’s a good musician though and there are some classics on here. For me it’s more of a 2, but I will bump it up for the classics.
JAY Z
3/5
It's definitely a product of it's time. There's some good production and sampling on here, but I couldn't make it through. I was angry when I was listening to this album, and it didn't really improve my mood. I feel like I should revisit it to give it a fair shake, but I probably won't.
Bruce Springsteen
2/5
According to another reviewer, I am likely a Communist for not giving this album 5 stars, but I am pretty sure that having a difference of opinion is supposed to be not just allowed, but celebrated here in the United States (at least on paper).
I loved the song "Born to Run" as a baby child. I still like that song, but this whole album wasn't really my thing. Nebraska resonates with me much more. It's not the worst album I've ever heard, but I wouldn't revisit it. I still contend this is music for middle aged dads.
The Temptations
4/5
I think this is the second Temptations album I had on this list so far-not at all what I was expecting. A surprisingly delightful and funky set of songs, if uneven. Definitely worth a relisten-really like a 3.5 but I’ll round up.
Tom Waits
4/5
This was a fun album to revisit, some classic songs on here. Kinda drags at points, so not as beloved to me as his other works, but still pretty solid. 3.5.
Alice Cooper
4/5
What a surprising delight. What I knew before this album: title track; pronunciation of Milwaukee; Satanic Panic.
What I learned: Iggy/Stooges/Dolls with show tunes and prog thrown in for good measure.
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
This recapitulates Neal's central thesis that Jimi Hendrix is "good at sounds, not so good at songwriting." The Bob Dylan cover is iconic, and the guitar playing is unparalleled. As an album, it has a good structure, but overall isn't very strong with regard to songwriting.
Sonic Youth
3/5
I want to like Sonic Youth. The truth is that they don't really do much for me. This album has some good stuff on it, but I wouldn't revisit it. I can hear why it's important, and I'm glad I made it through, but it's a meh for me dog. Kinda noisy and meandering post-punk stuff. Maybe if I was in the mood for it it would rank higher?
Leonard Cohen
3/5
Some of my favorite Leonard Cohen songs, and also some that I could do without (don't like this slower version of Joan of Arc, can do without the reggae-inflected Diamonds in the Mine). When Cohen is good, he's great. Truly like a 3.5.
Lloyd Cole And The Commotions
4/5
Very fun, very 80s. Some weak / slow spots, but overall a nice surprise.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
I dig this sound, and there are some hits on here. Some misses too, but nothing egregious-a solid 3.5. Will round up for VIBES.
Billy Joel
2/5
Could not finish. In fairness, I tried to listen to this while working out. It mostly made me mad in the same way as Steely Dan does, but not the good kind of anger that propels you to work out like a beast.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
3/5
It’s all right, not my favorite.
Beastie Boys
5/5
All bangers, no mash. Beastie Boys at their finest.
Tom Waits
4/5
I could see how this jazzy stand up album wouldn’t be for everyone. However, I enjoyed it.
Van Halen
5/5
I have a very sentimental attachment to this album. I feel like parts of it are cheesy, but it’s mostly perfect dumb fun.
Pixies
5/5
Amazing from top to bottom.
Brian Eno
4/5
Really enjoyed this: had a nice mix of weird and chill music. Could see why it would not be everyone’s cuppa tea, but it was great for this sick rainy Monday spent making linoprints.
Bob Dylan
4/5
Always amazed at how good of songwriter this guy is. I know it’s cliche. Also cliche to whine about his annoying voice, but there you have it. A solid album overall.
Steely Dan
2/5
I couldn’t even with this one. I’ll take it over Kid Rock I suppose, so I’ll round up to 2.
The KLF
2/5
I didn’t really give this a fair shake-got about 10 minutes into it, but had to turn it off. Had to find it elsewhere than Spotify. I am interested to learn more about this band though, even if I guess I had to be there to “get” the music. Doubt I’d revisit it. Sorry KLF.
The Stranglers
4/5
Super fun, with some classics (“Peaches.”) a bit uneven, but a solid album overall-properly 3.5 stars but rounding up for fun.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
Some classics, and also some gross stuff (TW: underage sex 🤢and white man blues).
Morrissey
2/5
Was originally going to write “I don’t know who I want to kill more, myself or Morrissey (the answer is always Morrissey),” but this wasn’t as awful as I was anticipating. Still don’t like the man or his music though.
Rufus Wainwright
3/5
Really loved this album when it came out (and a lot more than Want One)-lots of beauty and theatrics. Upon a re-listen, it doesn’t quite hold up, but it’s pretty good. Really like 2.5 stars.
Stan Getz
4/5
A classic. The thing that saves this from going too far into the deep end of cheese is probably the singing in Portuguese, lol. There are other jazz albums I like more, but this a pleasant summer album to enjoy a banana pancake brunch to.
Ms. Dynamite
2/5
I’d never heard of this artist before this project. I was hopeful, but found myself disappointed. She’s got a good voice, clearly has some decent messaging, and has some fun beats and samples, but it just didn’t grab me. The slower R&B stuff wasn’t at all what I was into. The rap was better but nothing I’d come back to.
Raekwon
4/5
Enjoyed this one quite a bit, though probably because it’s just Wu-tang adjacent.
Spacemen 3
3/5
This album is a good one for sleeping on the plane to. Wouldn’t really revisit.
The Strokes
3/5
This was fine. Pretty middle of the road meh rock.
Afrika Bambaataa
3/5
This was ok. I know it’s groundbreaking. More fun than I expected but probably wouldn’t revisit?
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
3/5
This is also an important album, even if it’s not my hip hop cup of tea. More disco-inflected than I was expecting, and also more fun than I expected. The Stevie Wonder song was cheesy, but I was still pleasantly surprised by the album overall.
Pink Floyd
5/5
I haven’t listened to this album since high school, a revisited it with headphones while building my Lego Halloween wreath for our Christmas decor (because I am a grown ass adult). I went in critically, as I wasn’t sure it would hold up. While it’s not my favorite Pink Floyd, the structure and thematic arc hold up-a solid rock opera fo sure.
Happy Mondays
2/5
Dunno why this mid-rate British 80s new wave band was on here. The album title was good. Nothing memorable on here, would not revisit.
Erykah Badu
3/5
This feels like something perfect for a wake-and-bake alarm clock on a summer Sunday. That’s not a bad thing-Badu has a great voice and there’s a lot of funky R&B influences I’m not mad at. It’s not really my thing, but it’s a solid sound.
The Smashing Pumpkins
3/5
This album has some ok songs; it sounds pretty much all the same to me, though. Not bad, but I find myself having a harder and harder time returning to this band.
The Modern Lovers
3/5
This album has some fun stuff-I think there are other versions of these songs that I prefer, but overall it’s a fun romp. Properly 3.5 stars.