349
Albums Rated
3.21
Average Rating
32%
Complete
740 albums remaining
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
1950
Favorite Decade
Punk
Favorite Genre
UK
Top Origin
Wordsmith
Rater Style ?
30
5-Star Albums
9
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
Top Styles
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
If You're Feeling Sinister
Belle & Sebastian
|
5 | 3.18 | +1.82 |
|
Figure 8
Elliott Smith
|
5 | 3.33 | +1.67 |
|
Music From Big Pink
The Band
|
5 | 3.35 | +1.65 |
|
Pretenders
Pretenders
|
5 | 3.35 | +1.65 |
|
It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back
Public Enemy
|
5 | 3.36 | +1.64 |
|
War
U2
|
5 | 3.47 | +1.53 |
|
Disraeli Gears
Cream
|
5 | 3.47 | +1.53 |
|
Parsley, Sage, Rosemary And Thyme
Simon & Garfunkel
|
5 | 3.62 | +1.38 |
|
The Queen Is Dead
The Smiths
|
5 | 3.66 | +1.34 |
|
Dummy
Portishead
|
5 | 3.71 | +1.29 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
The Marshall Mathers LP
Eminem
|
1 | 3.48 | -2.48 |
|
Live Through This
Hole
|
1 | 3.29 | -2.29 |
|
Clandestino
Manu Chao
|
1 | 3.23 | -2.23 |
|
The Real Thing
Faith No More
|
1 | 3.21 | -2.21 |
|
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath
|
2 | 3.82 | -1.82 |
|
Electric Prunes
The Electric Prunes
|
1 | 2.72 | -1.72 |
|
Californication
Red Hot Chili Peppers
|
2 | 3.7 | -1.7 |
|
Slipknot
Slipknot
|
1 | 2.67 | -1.67 |
|
Venus Luxure No. 1 Baby
Girls Against Boys
|
1 | 2.65 | -1.65 |
|
Follow The Leader
Korn
|
1 | 2.65 | -1.65 |
Artists
Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Led Zeppelin | 3 | 4.67 |
| Pink Floyd | 2 | 5 |
| Beatles | 3 | 4.33 |
| The Rolling Stones | 5 | 4 |
Least Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Eminem | 2 | 1.5 |
5-Star Albums (30)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
Sebadoh · 1 likes
2/5
• 2/5
• A couple of good tracks, but album is inconsistent
• Vocals are a weak point
1-Star Albums (9)
All Ratings
The Rolling Stones
3/5
3
• Overall 3/5
• Some great singles (Paint it Black, Under My Thumb)
• The more melodic tracks are strongest; the original Blues-formula tracks are pretty weak
• The misogyny is off-putting; fairly easy to ignore when Under My Thumb is heard in isolation, but the thread through the album is a serious demerit
The Smashing Pumpkins
5/5
• 5/5 - Siamese Dream is a straight up 4 that gets a 1 point bonus for being a touchstone of my 20s
• Several great singles that hold up after 30 years of play, especially Cherub Rock and Today.
• By the end of the album the distortion and Corgan's voice have run their course, but we're left sated, neither overstuffed nor wanting.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
• 5/5 - maybe the greatest Rock album ever
• Stairway isn’t even the best song on the album!
• They knew it was so good it didn’t need a name . . .
Isaac Hayes
3/5
• 3/5 - Not my jam
• Lot's of paradigmatic soul grooves, but the extended song length and ponderous spoken elements feel self-indulgent and my attention wanders
• Walk on By is a nice reminder of how versatile Burt Bacharach tunes can be. Who's been covered more than him - maybe Dylan?
K - tracks are too long for my limited attention span. Had a hard time getting other versions of the songs out of my head.
Little Richard
4/5
• 4/5 - 2.5 for the music, 1.5 for its place in history and influence on the genre
• Tutti Frutti and Long Tall Sally are deservedly loved. The innovations of tempo, arrangement, and vocals are apparent and created a new template for rock and roll to follow.
• Unfortunately, the rest of the songs on the album follow that template as well. It's monotonous and detracts from the key singles.
Buck Owens
2/5
• 2/5 - not my jam
• Opening track was fun, upbeat hillbilly rock (with questionable lyrics); but the rest of the album was just variations on the formula
Frank Sinatra
3/5
• 3/5
• aside from being morose and sleepy, I couldn’t say this album was any real innovation or break from The Chairman’s prior or subsequent work
• it’s a testament to Old Blue Eyes’ voice and artistry that a downbeat album consisting solely of covers could be considered for this list (and still earn 3 stars from me)
• if it were one of his Xmas albums I’d give it 5 stars!
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
2/5
• 2/5
• The album represents a garage-y turn for NY, so points for creative range, but that doesn’t make it especially good
• NY’s best tunes are master judo moves that turn his god-awful voice to his advantage. This is a judo-free album.
• Love the fuzzy 90s guitar work, though. The album is epitomized by Over and Over Again, where I started to groove on the guitar opener only to have the mood ruined when the vocals came in.
• This album might best be listened to in Karaoke mode
Johnny Cash
5/5
Arcade Fire
4/5
Primal Scream
4/5
Skepta
4/5
• 4/5
• Grime is probably my favorite flavor of rap/hip hop and Skepta is among the best
• Favorite tracks: Konichiwa, Shutdown, and That's Not Me
Stan Getz
4/5
• 4/5
• Girl From Ipanema is magic; the rest of the tracks could be death metal and I’d still give it a 3
• The bossa nova is cool and jazzy; a bit repetitive, but at 34 minutes it doesn’t overstay the welcome
The Doors
5/5
• 5/5 - Deserving of all the accolades
• Manzarek and Kriegler at their best; Morrison before becoming too self-absorbed and/or wasted
• I normally find psychedelic rock tiresome, but not this album; masterful balance of hooks, jams, and lyrics
• More organ!
Lorde
3/5
The Rolling Stones
5/5
Dexys Midnight Runners
3/5
• 3/5
• Not a deep album, but worthy of the list for Dexy’s unique sound and Come on Eileen
• I hadn’t heard their cover of Jackie Wilson Said before and liked it a lot - now I can say I like two of their songs . . .
The Streets
2/5
• 2/5
• I like this genre of hip hop. I don’t like this album.
• The tracks generally have good beats, hooks and production
• The flow, when its not strained, is pedestrian
• The lyrics bounce between insipid and inane. The tracks are reminiscent of Kate Tempest, but he’s no poet . . .
Jefferson Airplane
4/5
• 4/5
• White Rabbit and Somebody to Love are fantastic and make the most of Grace Slick
• I was surprised at the variety in the tracks: not solely psychedelic, but acoustic, blues, etc. Some good tracks but not at the level of the iconic singles
Pixies
3/5
• 3/5
• Love the driving guitar, surf influence, hooks, and overall post-punk proto-grunge vibe
• Demerits for the vocals
Thundercat
2/5
• 2/5
• Enjoyed some of the rhythms and instrumental elements; didn’t care for the falsetto vocals or lyrics
The Electric Prunes
1/5
• 1/5
• Curious why this made the 1001 list. Maybe as an exemplar of psych-era manufactured pop?
• Should be the soundtrack to a mockumentary . . .
PJ Harvey
3/5
• 3/5
• An album full of good tracks but none that hooked me
• Love her sound - the punk/indie/grunge aesthetic married with her excellent vocals. You can hear Steve Albini’s engineering at work
Lynyrd Skynyrd
5/5
• 5/5 - The prototypical Southern Rock/Blues album
• makes you want a cold beer on a hot night
B.B. King
4/5
• 4/5
• Great standards, great live performance
• More swing/jazz in the arrangements than I was expecting (in a good way)
• Would love to have seen that performance live
Culture Club
4/5
• 4/5
• Liked the album better than I had expected - not a masterpiece but thoroughly enjoyable
• Strength not limited to the singles
• Clear gospel, R&B, Ska, and Caribbean influences make for a fun a creative mishmash
• Production was rougher than I recalled
Manic Street Preachers
3/5
Franz Ferdinand
4/5
• 4/5
• Height of UK indie from the first few years of the century
• Great singles with Jaqueline and Take Me Out and strength across the rest of the tracks
• I can hear the UK post punk/early New Wave influence of The Jam, etc.
Beastie Boys
4/5
• 4/5
• Hardly high art, but fun throughout
The Band
5/5
• 5/5
• Beautiful album - The Weight is obviously the highlight, but every song holds its own
• Practically the Platonic ideal of Americana/Roots Rock
• The engineering is so in the background that it almost feels live, and they sound like they're having a ball playing together
UB40
3/5
• 3/5
• Quality songs, though none that particularly stand out
• Pretty impressive and fully formed reggae sound for a new band on their first album
The Damned
4/5
Serge Gainsbourg
3/5
• 3/5
• Love the arrangement and photo-trip hop sound
• Not a big fan of the spoken word vs. singing component
• If I could understand the French, the subject matter would make me like it a lot less . . .
The Beach Boys
5/5
• 5/5 - Maybe #1 all time; definitely top-10
• set aside that it represents a critical turning point in modern music, every song holds its own and makes the whole better
• So much complexity - headphones are best
David Bowie
4/5
• 4/5
• Love the singles (Fame & Young Americans)
• Enjoyed the blue-eyed R&B in between, but not really standout tunes
• Very adept pivot from the glam rock era
Pentangle
2/5
• 2/5
• Not a fan of folk or ancient music and this seems a blend of both
• Admirable musicianship though, especially the percussion
Various Artists
4/5
Sebadoh
2/5
• 2/5
• A couple of good tracks, but album is inconsistent
• Vocals are a weak point
R.E.M.
4/5
• 4/5
• Great album from their mature period
• Favorite tracks: Drive, Man on the Moon, Nightswimming
• The Atmos/Spacial Audio remaster is fantastic - so rich
George Harrison
3/5
The Triffids
2/5
• 2/5
• Ugh - don't like it; the lyrics and delivery of same are so unimaginative that some of the songs sound like they come from SNL skits
• There are reflections of other Aussie acts of the period (INXS, Midnight Oil, Hoodo Gurus) but this album can't keep pace
Eurythmics
3/5
Pink Floyd
5/5
Dire Straits
4/5
• 4/5
• Poppier than I prefer from Dire Straits, but solid tracks throughout
Tracy Chapman
3/5
T. Rex
2/5
• 2/5
• hasn’t aged as well as Bowie from the same period and with a very similar sound
Skunk Anansie
3/5
• 3/5
• first listen; glad I was introduced to them
• not my favorite genre, but really well executed
• love Skin’s vocals; seems like a big influence on Evanescence a few years later
Bob Dylan
2/5
Björk
3/5
• 3/5
• liked it better than I remembered from the original release
• I like the overlay of her sensibilities over the house/dance influences
Norah Jones
4/5
• 4/5
• Lovely blend of jazz, country, folk, and pop delivered with a torch singer aesthetic
R.E.M.
4/5
•4/5
• firmly in their mass-market pop phase, it felt a bit like a sellout at the time, but it’s still a really good album
• Stand and Orange Crush are undeniably catchy, but I prefer You Are the Everything and Get Up
Le Tigre
4/5
Dr. Dre
3/5
• 3/5
• Love the G-Funk sound; appreciate the flow and delivery of the lyrics (especially by Snoop); don’t like the lyrics at all
Al Green
3/5
• 3/5
• pretty anodyne outside the title track, but what a title track
• wacky to hear a gospel-ized version of a Bee Gees tune (How Can You Mend a Broken Heart)
Songhoy Blues
2/5
• 2/5
• Love the guitar work, but not the vocals
• the tracks largely sound alike
The Everly Brothers
3/5
• 3/5
• sappy pop, but influential
• surprising that the best tracks are on side B
Gene Clark
2/5
• 2/5
• exceptionally well executed unexceptional folk rock
• wild that it went #1 in Holland and never caught on anywhere else - what’s with the Dutch?
Otis Redding
4/5
• 4/5
• the template for great soul music
• hadn’t realized he penned Respect
Linkin Park
4/5
• 4/5
• apex of the nu-metal/rap rock heyday; not my favorite genre, but great in moderation
Massive Attack
4/5
• 4/5
• Classic from the godfathers of trip-hop
• Strong throughout- Unfinished Symphony is the standout track
CHIC
3/5
• 3/5
• can’t help but love Good Times, but not as fond of the rest of the album
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3/5
• 3/5
• not a big fan of indie goth rock or of Cave’s vocals, but the songwriting and arrangements on a number of the tracks are great
• particularly enjoy There She Goes, My Beautiful World
Suede
3/5
• 3/5
• all the elements of a great 90s britpop album present, but doesn’t quite hit the mark
• overwrought, over-orchestrated, and too precious by half - Suede trying to out-Oasis Oasis
The Cure
4/5
• 4/5
• coherent and cohesive mood throughout and every track is listenable
• a couple of standout singles (Lovesong, Fascination Street), but the overall dour mood tempers my enthusiasm
Nina Simone
2/5
The Divine Comedy
2/5
• 2/5
• not sure the world needed a revival of Bacharach-esque 60s orchestral pop - at least not this one
Kings of Leon
4/5
• 4/5
• not my favorite KoL album (Aha, Shake, Heartbreak) but consistently good tracks with a few standouts
• more produced and orchestral than their earlier work
• I like Crawl and I Want You better than the highlighted singles (which are also good)
Tears For Fears
5/5
• 5/5
• Bonus star for being a favorite of my formative years
• excellent songs throughout., especially Shout, World, and Head
The Smiths
5/5
Public Enemy
5/5
• 5/5
• exhausting sustained energy and breakthrough production - a great album
• especially enjoy Don’t Believe the Hype, Bring the Noise, and Rebel Without a Pause
Faust
2/5
Girls Against Boys
1/5
Quicksilver Messenger Service
3/5
Amy Winehouse
4/5
• 4/5
• retro but somehow original and idiosyncratic
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
Kings of Leon
4/5
• 4/5
• good debut, though I like the refinement of AHA Shake better
Grizzly Bear
3/5
Echo And The Bunnymen
4/5
Lou Reed
3/5
The Rolling Stones
4/5
Manu Chao
1/5
Fred Neil
2/5
Jamiroquai
3/5
Earth, Wind & Fire
3/5
Stevie Wonder
2/5
• 2/5
• inoffensive, but nothing remotely memorable on this album
Ian Dury
2/5
Rufus Wainwright
4/5
Booker T. & The MG's
3/5
Aretha Franklin
4/5
• 4/5
• tour de force
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
Hole
1/5
Dexys Midnight Runners
2/5
The Kinks
3/5
Beastie Boys
2/5
Bob Marley & The Wailers
5/5
Korn
1/5
Dinosaur Jr.
4/5
Alice In Chains
2/5
Red Hot Chili Peppers
3/5
Nine Inch Nails
2/5
3/5
Ice Cube
3/5
Cornershop
3/5
Steely Dan
3/5
Supertramp
4/5
M.I.A.
3/5
Dusty Springfield
4/5
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
4/5
Miles Davis
5/5
4/5
Steve Winwood
2/5
G. Love & Special Sauce
2/5
Ravi Shankar
3/5
ABBA
3/5
5/5
Iggy Pop
4/5
• better than I remembered it, if somewhat uneven in the back half
• love the two big singles (though I prefer Soiouxie’s rendition of The Passenger)
• he presaged punk with the stooges and indie/new wave with this album
Stephen Stills
3/5
Faith No More
1/5
• both derivative and poorly executed
• the cover of War Pigs is well executed, but not an innovative interpretation
Eagles
4/5
The White Stripes
4/5
Kraftwerk
3/5
Not my jam, but an extra star for innovation, historical relevance and for what they accomplished with primitive instruments.
Black Flag
3/5
Queen
4/5
• 4/5
• Amazing diversity, yet everything is well executed, interesting, and fun to listen to
• hadn’t realized until listening carefully the extent of Freddie’s self-accompaniment through multitrack
Fela Kuti
2/5
Johnny Cash
3/5
Primal Scream
4/5
Ramblin' Jack Elliott
3/5
Chicago
3/5
• 3/5
• pretty much the only Chicago album I like - so much better than the insipid ballady schmaltz that came after
• they own their sound and do it really well, but the length and self-indulgence is trying
Sarah Vaughan
4/5
• what a beautiful voice and sensibility for using it
• some of the arrangements felt overly repetitive, especially Just One of Those Things, but the album is strong front to back
Sly & The Family Stone
3/5
Paul Revere & The Raiders
2/5
• 2/5
• wholly unoriginal
• sounds like a second derivative of the Monkees
Ms. Dynamite
2/5
• 2/5
• Meh. Liked Dy-No-My-Tee but the rest didn’t stand out and quality of tracks and production was uneven.
King Crimson
3/5
Eminem
2/5
• can appreciate the flow, but no like
Beatles
4/5
Marvin Gaye
4/5
• great depth - a couple standout singles and quality songs throughout
• love the lyrical content and song-cycle quality; if I were a bigger fan of the orchestration and genre it would be a 5
Alice Cooper
2/5
Fishbone
2/5
• 2/5
• props for trying out the ska/funk/punk/prog approach- let’s call it a failure and move on . . .
Frank Zappa
2/5
Santana
4/5
• 4/5
• breakthrough Latin prog sound, masterful guitar work from Carlos, a couple of great singles, enjoyable listening throughout while not so long as to be self-indulgent
• if the best tracks were originals rather than covers, I’d probably give an extra star
AC/DC
5/5
• 5/5
• So good - every track holds its own. Maybe the best hard rock album after Led Zeppelin II
Pink Floyd
5/5
• 5/5
• 4 stars for the album and one for nostalgia
• last of the great rock operas
• interesting throughout with some fantastic tracks
Yes
4/5
• 4/5
• seen All Good People is the standout for me, but every song is good
• one of the rare albums of non-ponderous prog
John Coltrane
3/5
• 3/5
• deeply felt and technically masterful
• not especially fond of modal jazz, and the utter lack of repetition or unifying melody or chord progression is impressive but leaves me feeling lost - I think that’s why it doesn’t resonate the way Davis’s Kind of Blue does
Steely Dan
4/5
• 4/5
• what a great debut album
• multiple memorable singles and the remaining tracks are all accessible (not necessarily true of later albums) if uninspired
Madonna
3/5
• 3/5
• it’s fine, I suppose. Well crafted, polished production, but kinda boring . . .
Megadeth
3/5
• 3/5
• Model of thrash metal genre. Technical virtuosity, particularly lead guitar and drumming.
• Vocally and lyrically weak relative to the instrumentality and production. A half-step (maybe a whole step) inferior to Metallica.
George Michael
3/5
• 3/5
• impressive solo breakout album shifting from teen pop to more of a blue eyed soul sound
• outside of Faith and maybe Father Figure, I don’t think it’s aged especially well
• synths on some of the songs make the production sound tinny
Radiohead
5/5
• 5/5
• brilliant album - the launching point of the Radiohead sound and a bridge from grunge to the indie rock of the new century
• a few outstanding singles (High and Dry, Just, Fake Plastic Trees), and no wasted tracks
U2
5/5
• 5/5
• U2’s best album and the height of their post-punk phase
- loaded with great tracks, especially New Years Day, Sunday, Two Hearts and 40
Elvis Presley
3/5
• 3/5
• Stylistically varied and polished performances, but nothing that really stands out
Jimmy Smith
3/5
• 3/5
• Enjoyable but not remarkable. Not sure why it made the list, unless it’s because of a breakthrough in Hammond organ jazz.
Elvis Presley
3/5
• 3/5
• slick production and an impressive artistic shift/reinvention for Elvis
• I like the country soul sound, but none of the songs really stick; if Suspicious Minds had made the album instead of being released as a separate single, it would be a solid 4+
Jeff Buckley
3/5
• 3/5
• the best tracks have lovely sparse arrangements; harder songs are less interesting and more derivative
• side A songs feel unbalanced, with an overemphasis on top-of-the-range volcals/falsetto
• Hallelujah marks a shift and is a beautiful standout
Electric Light Orchestra
4/5
• 4/5
• wonderfully crafted, if overwrought, prog-pop
• acknowledging that it doesn’t really live up to its grand pretensions (Jungle … really?), the album is so full of great pop hooks (even on the lesser songs) and the singles are so great that it earns a bump up from 3
Dr. Octagon
2/5
• 2/5
• like the innovative production and trip-hop beats, appreciate the flow, but find the lyrics to be inane and a major detractor
James Brown
3/5
The Beach Boys
3/5
• 3/5
• a few enjoyable tracks, but overall impression is of The Beach Boys self-consciously trying not to sound like The Beach Boys
Simon & Garfunkel
5/5
• 5/5
• beautiful, eclectic, and packed with great tracks
• timeless
Yes
3/5
• 3/5
• love love the baseline on Roundabout, but don’t find the rest of the album enjoyable - too experimental/prog/self-indulgent
Mylo
3/5
• 3/5
• it’s fine, but nothing that really stands out
• curious why it made the list
Shivkumar Sharma
3/5
• 3/5
• unobtrusive - I kept forgetting that I was listening to it
Ray Price
2/5
• 2/5
• Good as a lounge act, but not worth an album
• Nearly every song sounds the same
Depeche Mode
4/5
Red Hot Chili Peppers
2/5
• 2/5
• never understood popularity of this album. It’s essentially two songs: one funky/rappy with the same beat each time and no great innovation in the wordplay or flow; and one funky/ballady. If the album were 10 minutes long it might be 4 stars, but the repetitiveness kills it for me
My Bloody Valentine
4/5
• 4/5
• A great shoegaze revival from the original masters
Gorillaz
3/5
• Mixed bag: a few really good tracks, a few fun and interesting experiments, and some filler that should probably have been left off
Foo Fighters
4/5
• 4/5
• No monster single, but several playlist worthy and every track is good
• A testament to Cobain’s talent that Grohl was overshadowed in Nirvana, and a testament to Grohl’s talent that he was able to credibly define a post-grunge sound of his ownp
The xx
4/5
• 4/5
• Nicely catchy dream pop from Romy and Sim that stands above the rest by virtue of being built on the scaffolding of Jamie’s beats
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
4/5
Sade
3/5
• Fully realized sound and mood and several good singles
• maybe it’s a victim of overplay, but I didn’t like it as much as when it first came out
The Flaming Lips
3/5
• Good but not great. It’s the album where they established the sonic foundation for what woukf become Yoshimi.
Bill Callahan
2/5
• zzzzzzzzz . . . Apnea inducing
Nirvana
4/5
Portishead
5/5
• 5/5
• The exemplar of trip-hop that excels in every component, beginning with the vocals and through to the beats, jazzy elements, fuzzy guitar, and mellow-yet-unsettling mood
• A great listen all the way through, with a few fantastic tracks; Sour Times should have been the theme for a Bond film (in the best, Shirley Bassey way)
Slipknot
1/5
• 1/5
• Some catchy riffs and song structure left drowning in overwrought noise
Tom Waits
2/5
• 2/5
• Sort of an extended performance art project from Waits, but the backing jazz band is legit and he’s entertaining
•It might be fun to see the imagined show live but I don’t need to hear the album again
Coldplay
4/5
• 4/5
• Iconic post-Britpop and a phenomenal debut album
• Several playlist-worthy singles and Yellow is still a gem after hearing it a billion times
• Only real criticism is that the pace of the songs Is so uniformly slow that grows monotonous by the end - the whole is a bit less than the sum of the parts. Still wonderful though.
Jurassic 5
3/5
• 3/5
• Propulsive and creative, with a few catchy standout tracks (A Day at the Races, Thin Line, Sun of Us)
• Love Cut Chemist’s beats and samples and Chali2na’s voice
• Nearly a 4, but a bit monotonous by the end
The Allman Brothers Band
3/5
• 3/5
• Hadn’t realized that they were such a jam band
• Fun listen and wild to hear some Blues standards expanded upon in such a southern rock / jazzy way
The xx
4/5
• more expansive, less subdued sound than their debut album
• good throughout and ends with the best tracks
Belle & Sebastian
5/5
• 5/5
• Indie chamber-pop at its best. The album is stacked front to back with great singles, and holds together sonically and thematically without feeling monotonous.
• Such stripped down production
Minutemen
3/5
• 3/5
• Liked it better than I remembered
• if only they could sing . . .
The Rolling Stones
4/5
• 4/5
• Stones at the peak of their early years - dirty yet polished, so loose yet it all fits together perfectly
Fatboy Slim
3/5
• 3/5
• A bit uneven, with some monotonous tracks, a few fun grooves and, of course, the one track that elevates it all: Praise You
Janis Joplin
3/5
• 3/5
• That voice . . . Hard to believe she was only 27
Black Sabbath
4/5
• 4/5
• The classic of the genre.
• Packed with great tracks. The only Sabbath album I like listening to all the way through.
David Bowie
3/5
•3/5
• Golden Tears is good but nothing else stood out
Run-D.M.C.
2/5
• Walk This Way is fun. The rest haven’t aged as well . . .
Johnny Cash
3/5
• 3/5
• A fun listen and Boy Named Sue is great
• I liked Folsom better
10cc
2/5
• 2/5
• Art rock maybe? If so, it’s dogs-playing-poker art
• Weird Al meets Yes vibe.
Def Leppard
3/5
• Quality hair metal (or is that an oxymoron)
Fiona Apple
3/5
• 3/5
• I like the title track and a couple others in isolation.
• Unfortunately, the repetitiveness of the rhythm, percussion, vocal cadence, etc across tracks dilutes and degrades the overall listening experience.
4/5
• 4/5
• wonderful, memorable, and the model for concept albums since - but still too hokey and backward looking for a 5
The Cars
4/5
• 4/5
• Pretty much a Cars greatest hits album
Adele
3/5
• it’s fine
• obviously a wonderful voice, but the songs are overwrought and pretty much all sound like they were meant to be interlude tracks for some Netflix series
Fugazi
3/5
• 3/5
• Some great riffs and tight rhythm and guitar work, but the vocals drag it down for me
The Black Crowes
3/5
• 3/5
• Talent and energy abound, but the sound is so derivative. Eminently listenable, but not memorable.
Elton John
3/5
• 3/5
• A good listen, but far from Elton’s best. Tiny Dancer is great, Levon is good, the rest are forgettable (except Indian Sunset, which is affirmatively bad)
Miles Davis
3/5
Venom
1/5
• 1/5
• Sounds like the soundtrack of a death metal mockumentary
Oasis
4/5
3/5
• 3/5
• can’t recall ever hear The MC5 before, but I like the album
• title track is the highlight and the remainder is a step down but still good blues/rock
Cream
5/5
• 5/5
• A tad uneven, but Strange Brew, Sunshine, Ulysses, and SWLABR carry the album to 5 status
Elliott Smith
4/5
Wire
4/5
• 4/5
• Super tight suite - better as a whole. So many post-punk threads across 21 tracks.
• How have I not heard Ex-Lion Tamer before?
Dolly Parton
2/5
Paul Simon
3/5
• 3/5
• Two great singles (Mother and Child, Me and Julio) and the rest is forgettable, if inoffensive
Fugees
4/5
Led Zeppelin
5/5
Jimi Hendrix
3/5
The Young Gods
2/5
• 2/5
• Do I like it? No; Do I appreciate that they are at the vanguard of sampling and industrial when it came out? Not deeply; Do I dislike it as much as Korn? Not at all (maybe Korn should sing in French)
• Sounds a bit like Manhattan Steamroller went goth and scored the basement rave scene in Blade
The Velvet Underground
4/5
•4/5
• deceptively loose and unrefined, but the songs are great and they hold together so well
• love the album even though my favorite version of each song isn’t the original
Beatles
5/5
Blur
3/5
Astrud Gilberto
2/5
Kraftwerk
2/5
Jethro Tull
3/5
• 3/5
• maybe it’s the vocals but a lot of the songs sound similar . . . Except Aqualung is better
Joan Armatrading
3/5
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
4/5
Radiohead
4/5
The Killers
4/5
Led Zeppelin
4/5
Nick Drake
2/5
Nick Drake
3/5
Giant Sand
2/5
• 2/5
• not offensive, but not engaging
Japan
3/5
• 3/5
• Not great, but a fun throwback to the early new wave, syth-pop sound
• I don't think I'd heard Japan before, but clearly Duran Duran had . . .
Scissor Sisters
3/5
Public Enemy
4/5
Joy Division
3/5
Mudhoney
2/5
• 2/5
• The raw, garage-grunge sound is cool, but the songs lack hooks
N.E.R.D
2/5
• 2/5
• Sophomoric R&B: musically simplistic and lyrically inane
Leftfield
3/5
Frank Sinatra
3/5
Fleetwood Mac
5/5
Bonnie Raitt
3/5
CHIC
2/5
Ozomatli
3/5
David Bowie
2/5
• Didn't really like anything other than the title track
Prince
3/5
• 3/5
• After the first few singles, it gets pretty repetitive (with the exception of Lady Can Driver)
LCD Soundsystem
4/5
System Of A Down
2/5
• 2/5
• Skillfully done, and Sugar is a good listen under the right conditions. I don’t need to hear the rest ever again.
Simply Red
2/5
AC/DC
3/5
Snoop Dogg
2/5
Dirty Projectors
2/5
• 2/5
• one good single (Stillness is the Move), but the rest is too art-rocky for my taste
Dinosaur Jr.
3/5
The Chemical Brothers
4/5
The Stooges
3/5
• 3/5
• Fun photo-garage / photo-punk sound. Sesrch & Destroy is a quality single, but I didn’t love the rest.
• The production is noticeably awful
Ray Charles
3/5
• 3/5
• Like how the selections highlight his voice
• Much prefer his rock/R&B work to the swing and orchestral pieces on this album
Christina Aguilera
3/5
• 3/5
• Straight forward R&B/Pop. I suppose it's good, but doesn't resonate with me.
• The tracks sound like they were written by committee - very polished, but uninspired and lacking a unique voice
The Icarus Line
3/5
Kate Bush
3/5
• 3/5
• Didn't much like this when it came out, but side one has grown on me (especially Running Up That Hill); side two is still arty for me
Depeche Mode
4/5
Neu!
2/5
Scott Walker
2/5
• 2/5
• Nobody needed translated covers of Jacques Brel songs . . . Next!
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
• 4/5
• A bit uneven, but the jams are great and Proud Mary is exceptional
Bob Dylan
4/5
Marvin Gaye
3/5
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
3/5
Tom Tom Club
2/5
Alice Cooper
2/5
R.E.M.
4/5
John Lennon
3/5
The Saints
4/5
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
The Divine Comedy
2/5
• 2/5
• Insipid
• Sounds like the soundtrack to a mockumentary
Radiohead
3/5
The Clash
3/5
Rahul Dev Burman
2/5
Hookworms
4/5
Aerosmith
3/5
The Who
3/5
The Pogues
3/5
Haircut 100
3/5
Living Colour
2/5
Radiohead
4/5
New Order
4/5
Alexander 'Skip' Spence
2/5
Gotan Project
3/5
Beth Orton
4/5
Duke Ellington
3/5
Beastie Boys
3/5
William Orbit
3/5
New Order
3/5
Grateful Dead
2/5
Queen
3/5
Curtis Mayfield
3/5
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
TLC
2/5
Weather Report
3/5
David Bowie
2/5
Nirvana
5/5
Youssou N'Dour
3/5
Calexico
3/5
The Auteurs
3/5
Neil Young
4/5
Dire Straits
4/5
k.d. lang
3/5
White Denim
4/5
Cocteau Twins
3/5
Elliott Smith
5/5
Michael Jackson
3/5
2Pac
3/5
The Birthday Party
2/5
Flamin' Groovies
3/5
Janelle Monáe
3/5
Stevie Wonder
3/5
The Rolling Stones
4/5
Massive Attack
4/5
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
3/5
Buena Vista Social Club
4/5
The Kinks
3/5
Public Enemy
3/5
Tom Waits
2/5
• Hadn’t realized how much Fiona Apple’s Fetch the Bolt Cutters owed to Waits. While not the original, I like Apple’s album far better . . .
4/5
Fela Kuti
3/5
Sigur Rós
3/5
Joni Mitchell
3/5
Peter Gabriel
4/5
Fleetwood Mac
3/5
Black Sabbath
2/5
Leonard Cohen
3/5
Madness
4/5
Boards of Canada
3/5
Sly & The Family Stone
3/5
The Clash
5/5
The Teardrop Explodes
3/5
Arcade Fire
4/5
GZA
3/5
The Smashing Pumpkins
4/5
Stevie Wonder
3/5
2/5
2/5
Stevie Wonder
4/5
Rush
4/5
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
2/5
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
Eric Clapton
3/5
Marty Robbins
3/5
Sam Cooke
3/5
Pretenders
5/5
The Soft Boys
4/5
Miles Davis
3/5
Supergrass
4/5
Love
2/5
The Doors
4/5
Eminem
1/5