Long time fan of this band. Their greatest hits stay on rotation for me, and though this album doesn’t hit as hard as Licensed to Ill, it’s still pretty solid. The run time is a bit long, and I’m glad I had to take a break about 2/3 of the way through because as much as I love the sampling and DJ cuts, it tends to make a song feel longer and not shorted. There’s a lot of density to the musical production, which I dig, but it also means that an hour run time can hit like 8 genres and 20 styles and still not be done. I had 3 songs going in saved and added another 3 to keep on my playlists. It’s not my first listen but I have found they hit harder with their greatest hits than they do as an album run. Still, I enjoyed them and I enjoyed this. There’s something so charming and genuine and passionate about how they make music and I love their organic blend of punk and hip-hop elements. Part of the run time is devoted to a few instrumental tracks and I think that actually ups the value. They know how to mix really well and it lets the raps breath a bit to have some space in between.

Pretty solid for a mindless punk album. I actually like their sound quite a bit. Not too many songs stood out as unique but I saved a few including Selfdestructo Blast, Are you Ready, and Monkey on your back. I’m not surprised Steve-O and Pontius fuck with them enough to pick a song from here as their theme song for WildBoyz (though I have no idea what song it was). It seems like one of those punk bands that think trashing a hotel room is the end goal and not just some shit that happens along the way though.

If you gaze long enough into the Bjork, the Bjork gazes also into you.

It lives up to the hype. The lyrics are powerful and Nas is on his flow the whole time. Dude can spit. I didn’t realize this was from 94. I thought maybe 98 at the earliest. Wild he was rapping like this while other people were still on that “I hip, I hop, when I have a dollar I go to the shop” type shit. I have always seen this touted as one of the best/most influential albums and I mean yeah. His flow and style was years ahead of the game. Years ahead of Jay-Z (I still have to listen to the Blueprint, likely will tomorrow now). Biggie and Pac were contemporary and are their own animals, and OutKast started cooking around this time too but you can really see a shift in the game I think after this album. It almost feels like the standard flow that even if you had nothing interesting to say you could still spit and make it sound appealing. Nas had the flow and something worth saying. Idk if you guys have ever read Dune but when I did it felt derivative as fuck. Turns out it’s just so influential that decades of media owe a tribute to it. It feels suspiciously familiar but that should be seen as a compliment and not an accusation.

The music is pleasant to hear. The lyrics have accessibility and individually each song isn’t bad on its own, but as an album run it blurred together for me. I used to find the cynicism entangled with romanticism charming but then I heard more than 3 songs he ever wrote and that wore off. If he wasn’t so convinced that his is the pinnacle of existential dread, then maybe he could rely on subtlety or variety more, but almost every song has at least one line about how he’s smarter or lonelier or deeper than everyone else. Even his love song is about how his lover thinks the same as him. Even when he values another’s opinion it’s because it’s the same as his. Morrissey could read his own diary in a double-blind experiment and still be convinced that no one has ever felt the way he does. And then he’d write 3 songs about it. Idk how to rate it but I give it a 2.

Chill vibes and I saved a few songs to stay in my rotation. Very much a band that found their sound but maybe doesn’t want to stray too far from it. There were a few times you could feel more energy creeping in and it’s almost like they noticed and intentionally went back to being blasé or nonchalant about it because that’s cooler. This is a headphones on in a crowded room album so that when someone asks who you’re listening to you can say you probably haven’t heard of them. Cigarettes and black coffee and the newest iPhone.

Not my first listen, won’t be my last. Obviously it starts with two certified hits but for a short album it’s really solid. Doesn’t feel preachy when she talks about revolution or reform and you really feel the experiences that have shaped her are genuine. Tracy Chapman is the type of person others pretend to be.

Part 1. I’m starting this review 2 songs in. I’ve never really liked Metallica. I don’t like the dudes voice, I don’t like the tone of the guitar, and I don’t really like the guitar riffs or the drum pacing. I am very singular in my metal tastes and I’ve tried a few times but Metallica has never done it for me. This album so far has not changed my preconceived notions. It’s a bias I can’t turn off because Metallica in particular has been a band I’ve built my musical tastes in direct contrast to. It’s fine I guess if you’re into them. A 9 minute song that doesn’t build that hard is wild, and if the titular song only delivers that much I’m not sure the rest of the album will sway me. Part 2. “One” is at least different. Finally some variety and melody. Still not my style but at least they finally played something besides choppy ass power chords. I skimmed the last few songs. They hardly stray from their core sound and it’s one I don’t care for. The whole thing reeks of body odor and Natty Light as far as I’m concerned.

Zed Zed Top both know how to and thoroughly enjoy rocking out. You can tell that some of the music is almost effortless for them. They find their groove repeatedly throughout the album and Sharp Dressed Man never gets skipped on my playlists. Southern Blues rock is hit or miss for me generally but they do it very well. Their style is iconic and idk who else was singing about 69ing in the 80’s but these dudes just ooze swag. The popping funk bass in Thug? They could’ve just stuck with their classic style but no, funk breakdown mid album. They can’t be stopped. I love some variety in skill and expression and they’re having fun with it the entire time. Like who tf writes a song about TV dinners but doesn’t phone it in. It’s a filler song clearly but it’s still groovy as hell. It’s a very strong 4 or a slightly hesitant 5. No flaws but I have other albums I would still put above it. Fun fact apparently my uncle who lives in Houston was their accountant in some capacity back in the day. I think they played his wedding lol but I could be mistaken it’s been forever since I heard the story. He’s got some connection though.

No emotion, no passion. I didn't even detect a running musical theme. The Taut and the Tame shows they kind of know what music is actually supposed to be which means the whole album was deliberately in the opposite direction. Whack af. “Overproduced, underproduced, a bad song’s a bad song” -Ice-T

As an earlier emo band I can see how people would be ride or die for this band, especially in 88. It has a little bit of that industrial kind of tone that is a bit harsh but is also kind of the point. Some of the melodies are pleasantly haunting and I feel like they both make music for others but also for themselves. I love a rhythm guitar that feels effortless, even if the riff is just hitting the same chord 16 times because even though it’s not perfect, it’s less wrong than the others, and you’re getting closer to what it is you feel. Overall it’s solid enough that I would go around again as an album. I wasn’t blown away really but enjoyed the ride.

Who hurt you Barry Gibbs. I googled it and I still don’t know. Pretty mild album with a few surprising songs. I’ve saved Remembering, When Do I, and Lion In Winter for future listening. I did seriously google each member and their potential divorces trying to figure out who made The Bee Gees so sad but in the process I found out they didn’t really get their iconic sound until about 6 years after this album so it’s not surprising to me that my favorite songs on this album are when they up the energy and lean into it more. A bit melancholy but perfect for staring at an old painting of a boat.

This is exactly the type of album I was hoping would be on this list. I have listened to it before and I likely will again. End of the World and The One I Love are just good songs. The album itself has some variety of sound and some clear devotion to a particular sound. If that makes sense. Like they know where they struck gold and mined strategically around that area. It just sounds good to me even before I dig into the creativeness of the music or lyrics or pairings therein and whatever. A band that can let its bassist shine is in my opinion one that has more than one ace up its sleeve. Individually the songs hold up and collectively I want to re-listen just to understand the political side of the lyrics more. It perhaps would be a 5 if I had reviewed more or even less albums but currently it’s a strong 4. Very solid with no notable flaws, but I tagged 5 songs I really like. I’ve got albums with 8-10 or more and I think I need to leave room for being blown away and not just impressed.

I mean it’s Led Zeppelin. They don’t miss. Stairway is a masterpiece and I mean that in the truest sense of the word. It’s the magnum opus of a band so talented that off the top of my head I could list 15 songs and 5 albums that are all amazing. Jimmy Page is a creep with underaged girls but he’s a guitar god. Robert Plant is a soulful sorcerer and JPJ and Bonham always deliver. I assumed I missed most of the well known stuff on this list but it is refreshing to no longer be debating what a 5 star album is. I’ve listened to this one 20 times at least and I’ve learned several of the songs in part or in whole on guitar over the years. I only do that with songs I love. It almost feels weird for me to type anything to try to justify 5 stars as it seems so painstakingly obvious in my soul.

Can one be objective when one’s sense of self and view of the world is so heavily influenced by the subject? I’m almost honor bound to just give a 5 just by looking at the track list. Unique sound, voice and lyrics. Not the most complex guitar or drums (Grohl admits he basically just bit a bunch of disco tracks but it’s still unique to apply them in such a way) but the bass does drive a lot of the music. Their impact is evident and there’s a reason a lot of people come across Nirvana early in their musical journeys. I’ve listened to this album a few times and while I have some songs I don’t keep on rotation I think that particularly because of the sound and aura that is Nirvana that songs like Breed kind of should be semi-indecipherable noise at times. It’s the song that keeps playing while you grab a drink after the mosh, the one you actually start doing work to when you convince yourself that music was all you needed to get motivated. You write it off until it’s over then you kind of wish you listened more attentively. I had 5 songs I had in rotation before this listen and I’m up to 6. It’s a frontloaded album for sure but as Archimedes said “give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it and I will move the world”.

What if Michael Caine had to recreate Sgt. Peppers from memory with nothing but the Muppets band? It’s weird and I’m not sure there’s any real depth to it but it’s kind of fun. It’s kind of groovy and the highlight so far me has been Clever Trevor but even then it’s like wtf are you talking about dude is this even a real person or are you just rhyming something with a name and calling it a song. He’s got a dope flow at the beginning of the song though. I think I’d like this whole album a lot more if it had some direction. Feels like they got close to a hit song with Wake up and Make Love to me and knew that there was something shiny in their sound but kept swinging and missing trying to find it. And I think that’s because none of it is serious or real. Pretty sure that was a fart noise in Blockheads. Some of the slurs in Blackmail man are not on the same level as the others lol. Plaistow Patricia should've been the song they built an album around and not the outlier.

I mean it’s music. I felt it started stronger than it ended and I saved the titular track and Down where the Drunkards Roll to see if they grow on me. I felt like those two had some legs. It’s within my style, and I would generally prefer it over silence lol that’s harsh but it’s just not reaching me all that much. Even though I think they’ve put some energy and passion into it it just doesn’t resonate with me the way I would want it to. Glad I listened once, won’t be listening a second time.

I love Bob Dylan and because his work is so prolific I tend to stick to my own playlist of like 15-20 songs and only that. It’s nice to hit some of the other songs that really help define his sound and style as well. Torn between a 3 and 4 simply because it’s good but bc it’s Dylan it doesn’t vary a ton. Bumping to a 4 because I already had 5 songs saved from this album and it ends on Goodbye Baby Blue which is one of my favorite songs by him. Just the passion he sings about the blues fading from popularity itself is such a poignant love letter to the genre. I’ve listened before and I’ll do it again.

Aretha Franklin is often about vibes to me. The album starts with Respect, an all time banger, but the rest is kind of just vibes to me. It could be on loop for 3 hours and I don’t think I’d be able to pick out more than 2/3 songs but I’d also be enjoying myself the whole time. She’s an artist I refuse to be underwhelmed by. If a song didn’t hit me the right way, I’m wrong and I missed something, or I need to recalibrate my sensors or something. It’s like no listen again and humble yourself bc Aretha is a goat for a reason. I’ve listened before, probably will again. Love the artist more than the specific song selection of this album.

I only know Sigur Ros from the Game of Thrones soundtrack where they did a version of Rains of Castamere. Kind of cool hearing a full album. Obviously I didn’t understand a word but it was cool background music to work to. Haunting and melodic is a great mix, and I actually fuck with music in other languages. It’s great to work to like I said and because I don’t speak Swedish my brain wants to match the speech patterns regardless so you end up having thought provoking music that is not too distracting. Saving it for a future work sesh where I don’t want silence but can’t devote too much headspace to the music. I dig the vibes. If Aretha Franklin was a high 3 this is a low 3. Hers was a better album but I can’t say I disliked this album at all so a 2 is out for me.

Bauhaus is alright. There were 3 songs I saved to maybe try again in the future. I get the appeal it’s just not for me and while I respect the depth of some the lyrics (Mask in particular) it’s hard to get into this music fully when I am not actively being rejected by both sunshine and society. And then wtf is Harry lol I didn’t think I’d be skanking at the warehouse vampire rave but here we are. Almost tempted to go to 3 because I appreciate variety and depth of skill and expression but it’s so out of place. I would’ve like them to meld their differing styles a bit. Feels like they all had caffeine and a good breakfast one day and forgot they were supposed to be gloomy but left it on the tracklist anyways. Maybe it’s the drum machine that takes me out of it. Their music overall feels disjointed and like it’s lacking some soul or talent. Like I can’t believe they were emphatic about any of the drums. Maybe it’s meant to feel hollow and inhuman or something but to me it’s lackluster and indicative of a lack of vision or execution.

The author of this list is an English guy who was raised in the 80’s and fucking loved the Blade soundtrack. I went back to Metallica after this to see if I was too harsh on them and I think I was. I still don’t care for them but now that my ire is directed at someone else I can see more merit in Metallica. There’s this thing called Poe’s Law that more or less describes satire that is so on the nose that it cannot be discerned from an actual endorsement of the thing it is trying to critique. Ik this metal band probably thinks they’re thrashing the shit out of Christianity by chanting praise Jesus again and again but post irony exists. I fucking hate Hitler and maybe I’d write a song about it but I wouldn’t say Heil him 10 times in a row ironically. At that point it just seems like you’re kind of on board. Even if everyone knew it was a diss track I still wouldn’t want to chant some shit I vehemently disagree with. Jesus and a hotrod in the same song? I don’t care what the deeper message is supposed to be, it’s a whack ass aesthetic to envelop your message in.

Usually you do a double album because you’re on fire and are just pumping out the jams. This is a double album because they thought every word and jingle jangle they came up with was worth recording. Feels more like an unedited home movie than an actual studio production. They obviously have technical chops but lack any nuance or variety in their expression. Writing 25 songs in the exact same style and cadence has diminishing returns. It wasn’t worth it for me to try for a favorite song because it’s honestly just all the same. They could’ve snuck the same song in there 8 times with a different title and there would be no way to know. Fine background music but I like some thought and consideration out into a tracklist.

Halfway through I realized these are all covers. I thought some of the titles were familiar. Sunny side of the Street was on that bluegrass album as well. All of Me was particularly lovely and it’s not surprising to me that it’s a Billie Holiday song. It’s kind of a sleepy album and I think that’s just Willie’s style. Very mellow, almost melancholy. Aside from my personal subjective taste I can’t say there’s a flaw to it, it’s just not for me. It’s pleasant, but it’s like looking at someone else’s memories. I appreciate the beauty but I’m not connected to it very deeply. Some of the original versions of these songs go hard and I think I would’ve preferred a compilation album of the originals than Willie’s versions.

Loved the last song. I generally prefer some New Orleans style jazz over the more bluesy stuff but this wasn’t bad. Hard for me to catch the real rhythm or groove of some of the songs but that’s very typical for me with this genre. Long enough for them to get into it, short enough that I’m not going crazy waiting for a song to end. Diminnuendo in Blue is definitely my favorite here. High 2 low 3.

My line between 2 and 3 has blurred so heavily. Idt I liked this album but I enjoyed parts of it. I felt like their lyrics were purposefully repetitive, which is fine for a song or two but when it’s throughout the album it loses some luster. Like it’s meant to convey a deep emotion or thought that’s resonating but if in the course of 12 songs you have that several times it kind of diminishes the power of it. I enjoyed the music behind the lyrics more than the lyrics themselves though. Glad I listened but likely won’t return.

This album was amazing. I never did a deep dive on Billy Joel before, I really only knew a handful of songs which I really liked and always wanted to check him out in depth at some point.

I’ve always loved how Sinead does not hold back. She’s not afraid of showing how heart broken she is, or how pissed off. Everything she says she says with her chest. Her power of will with politics has always been admirable. “they laugh ‘cause they know they’re untouchable, not because what I said was wrong” I’ve had the album on repeat I think 4 times now. I’ve listened before and I’m happy to be back. It’s beautifully haunting, and as poetic as she can be she will sometimes lift the mask off of the metaphor because it’s just such a pure emotion, and needs to be expressed directly and simply. Eirinn Go Brach

First album after an almost 2 week hiatus has found me unfocused and unserious. I can’t fairly judge this album as I barely functioned as my weekday self/in my weekday routine today. The vibes were cool, I think I’ll circle back at some point because I enjoyed it more than not, but I think it’s a combo of my brain being at 60% and this album being super chill that it blurred together for me. It’s a nice sound, and I think if I had had coffee before the album I could’ve told you which songs or lyrics I liked, but as it is, and within the constraints of the info I retained from listening, it *feels* cool. I liked what I heard and aside from the double sided coin that is a constant and chill vibe, I have no complaints.

Weird but I liked it. In my head I call this type of sound “Circus-Rock”. It’s ephemeral but in a low-gravity sort of way and not a “spirit of the forest” kind of way, if that makes sense. It’s bouncy and catchy and at first I was pleasantly surprised and thinking a 4 but if I can also describe the album as tedious then I have to take that into consideration as well. A 3.5 would be more accurate but alas.

You’d think a supergroup would have a little more variety in their songwriting. “Song without words” was just not good. By the end I was surprised you could mess up just going “La la la” and “du du Dudu” but one of them was sounding so dumb with their nonsense it was hard to take it seriously. I thought I actually liked them as a group but as a band that has been on my “gotta give them a deep dive” list, I am a bit disappointed overall. At least 5 of those songs were the same thing. We get it, you can harmonize. Maybe without Neil Young they don’t hit as hard.

When it was good it was great but when it was dragging it was a chore. I knew “Once in a lifetime” already and I really enjoy this song but overall the album did not have a ton of parts that made me want to focus in more. High 2 but a 3 doesn’t feel correct.

Another weird one. I can’t say it resonated with me deeply and the language barrier did not help in that regard either. Kind of groovy and fun but it was also a bit chaotic to listen to. Not quite enough to be a 3 for me though.

I was unfamiliar with Aimee Mann but this was quite a pleasant introduction. Thought provoking lyrics are sometimes a lot harder to find than you’d think but when you hear something that’s actually deep you know it. I saved 5 songs for future listening. Really solid album and I’m happy to listen. I’m reviewing a few days past so unfortunately this is less detailed than it would have been but solid album.

Loved the groovy upbeat bits. It’s got some character to it. Saved a few songs but probably won’t be itching to re-listen too much.

So here’s the thing. This was MY band for half my life. The Chilis and Sublime all day, everyday, living, breathing them. Up until the last few weeks it’s been probably 2/3 years since I listened to a single song. I’ve always tried to live my morals and I genuinely try to not support or endorse people or companies that I think have done bad things. It’s why I vote blue and went vegan/vegetarian and it’s why I stopped listening to artists I loved like Kanye. It’s why I prayed every night and always tried to be a good person in my own way. I feel compelled to do something at all times on the moral front, even and almost especially if it’s imperceptible. I’ve read Scar Tissue probably 5 times, and I’ve listened to every album pre 2020 probably a dozen times each. Musically they are and will forever be Zeus in my pantheon. Frusciante is the best guitarist I have ever heard, as is Flea on bass. Chad rocks. I’ve always loved Keidis’ poetry and lyrics, but I took a hiatus because I realized that hey maybe that story in his memoir about banging a 14/15 year old should be taken more seriously. So I blacklisted him and by extension the Chilis. ‘Twas a dark day indeed my friends. Like I said, it’s been about 2/3 years and for a variety of reasons, this album project included, I’ve been deeply considering a lot about my view of the world and by extension how I should operate within it, and in the scope of this album specifically how I should go about judging Keidis for something that I believe is way over the line. With his own fucked up history with sex and inappropriate age gaps (if you don’t know he lost his virginity at age 12 by his dad’s gf in a “throw the kid a bone” type deal. There were other weird ass stories that just feel very LA in the 70’s as well) I often wonder if I’m too harsh on him having this relationship when he was about 18/19. I don’t think I am but I also have to consider the cycle of things. At this point in my life and moral journey I’m trying to focus on the here and now because litigating the past sucks and it’s a constant uphill battle with little to no pay off or sense of justice. It’s important to me that you guys all know this because I can’t understate how much this band has meant to me throughout my life. My best friend of 25 years couldn’t be bothered to get his shit together enough to come to my wedding, but when I listen to My Lovely Man it’s him still in my heart. Sir Psycho Sexy is the track I fucking nailed while playing Rock Band with my brother and friends. Under the Bridge is the first time I really, really tried and learned a song that was way above my skills on the guitar. Like, genuinely proud of myself. All of my teen and young adult angst and creativeness and passion can be linked at some point to this band and this album. I guess I should wrap this up. I own it on vinyl and CD, had 13 songs already liked an on playlists, I’ve seen the doc, I’ve read Scar Tissue and am just now remembering I bought Acid for the Children and need to read it (Flea’s memoir) and would that I had had $150 in highschool without a gf to spend it on I would have a Chili asterisk tattoo with a lyric from Scar Tissue somewhere on my body. Anyways, thanks for letting me be part of this so I can just get that all off my chest at least once in my life. Told y’all it was going to be an essay.

Another banger of an album. I had 3 songs saved from a previous listen going in and I have 8 going out now. It gets better on a re-listen. Running up that Hill is obviously awesome but Cloud Bursting and Jig of Life are my next faves. It’s musically a very fun album for me. The drums and violins throughout add such an element that you don’t always get. It feels like a soundtrack that is cohesive and foreshadowing at the same time. Her voice is angelic and mysterious and other-worldly and I think you could go through the lyrics multiple times and still get something new each time. Slow and quiet parts of songs can sometimes be a let down or drag on too long but I think here, with the massive waves of energy and crescendo of drums and strings it works really well to have some songs exist in a diminishing space for a while. I’d like to listen again and I really like a handful of the individual songs but love how they come together. Not going to overthink this one.

I’ve always fucked with the Doors but they are very much a band that oscillates between killer and filler tracks. I’ve heard this album a handful of times and the 5 songs I had going in are the same 5 going out. They are very much a greatest hits band and not an album by album band. No shame in that bc their bangers bang indubitably but it makes an analysis difficult. I’m leaning 4 because the tentpole tracks are so solid but then again I could do without half the album entirely. Light my Fire rips, Break on Through, Alabama Song and Backdoor Man are all solid songs that balance out the album, and The End is just a haunting masterpiece of wait wtf did he say about his mom? Oh he inherited a Native American soul whilst driving by a car crash so he’s spiritually on another plain? Cool let him ramble then. I would agree that this is an album that should be heard as I think it drives its own unique sound and vibe into the world, and as a member of the 27 club Jim Morrison is forever cemented in rock /music history. Giving a 4 with a caveat that this is an essential listen due to its impact and not necessarily because every track is amazing.

I think this album would grow on me more if I listened again and again. First pass through it had a cool punk sound. I didn’t have particular tracks that really stood out to me but overall I enjoyed it. No complaints, not blown away. Might try it again down the road. 3

Sinatra/big band/bluesy Jazz is just lost on me. I can hardly distinguish one song from another let alone an album or artist. I fuck with New Orleans style Mardi Gras-parade jazz, or someone going absolutely nuts on a horn but all that is to say I can’t even fairly rate this because my brain just doesn’t decipher it the way I do with other musical genres. It’s a 2 for me because it was fine I guess but it could have been amateur as hell and I wouldn’t know the difference. It’s a me problem.

My best friend in highschool and I used to have a constant debate if Van Halen or Jimi Hendrix were the better guitar player. I still think it’s Hendrix. I’ve listened to this album in the past and it’s got a few really solid tracks but a surprising amount of filler for a 33 minute album. I prefer their self titled album but this one holds up relatively well. It’s surprising that Jump is so good despite having almost zero guitar from a band renowned for their guitar god. After Panama and Hot for Teacher there’s not left for me here. Maybe the archetype has changed with the times but a song about someone having hot legs feels so ancient. Hot for Teacher is a classic but even the lyrics feels like the Greasers in Greese talking about Danny Zuko’s summer fling.

I definitely enjoyed several of these songs. 43 minutes is kind of long for this guy’s style imo. Ending on a slow 10 minute song is a bold choice. It is overall poetic and the piano is beautiful. I got some Billy Joel vibes for sure but it dragged on at times. I had to look up the Blues for Billy Whitecloud because that shit felt like a turn and if it was purely David Ackles making up a ballad about some Native dude I would’ve rated this lower. Turns out it’s referencing some short story by a Native American guy so I guess I’ll let that “he was okay for an Indian” line slide because I assume it’s a direct reference and not just a hot take. I enjoyed the first 6 songs but couldn’t keep my interest up much longer. High 2, low 3

Honestly I didn’t finish both discs but after only having about half an hour a day for this particular album and going into day 3 I’m calling it. It’s a nice sound and I definitely rocked with it more than I thought I would. Nothing life changing but solid background music for 2 day mini-bursts but I need to move on. Would listen again maybe in 1 disc increments.

Elephant in the room is We will Fall for being a very weird vibe shift. 10 minutes of a mantra on a punk album is a wild choice. The rest of the album is cool enough. I dig punk as a genre and while I’ve heard some Stooges and solo Iggy Pop stuff I never really gave them a fair go. Happy for the ride and while I appreciate the cobble stones that the Stooges laid on the path I’m content not returning too frequently. Maybe on a mix tape but that one song was so out of place it fucked with the momentum of the album.

I never really knew Arcade Fire that well. I really like their use of crescendo. It’s a seldom overdone musical technique in my opinion and I was pleasantly surprised by Intervention in particular. The album overall didn’t blow me away but it has intrigued me into listening to this band more. Feels like a band and maybe even an album that pays off the more you listen to them/it. Probably going to return at some point.

It’s widely regarded as one of the best albums of all time and I think that’s fairly apt. I’d be amazed if it wasn’t on this list. It’s not a perfect 1000/1000 or even a 100/100 for me but 5/5 I think is fair enough. A lot of variety, a lot of passion and musical talent and just good songs. It’s got running themes and as a hip-hop album goes it both samples and has since been sampled which I think says a lot about it. Sampling Sister Nancy (Bam Bam) is one thing but getting some Frankie Vallie in there is another. Lauryn Hill makes both work. Not surprising because she’s basically hip-hop royalty and this album is apparently good enough that she hasn’t bothered putting out another one since. The Fugees are goated and it’s clear that Ms. Lauryn Hill pulled her own weight. She can sing, rap, produce and write. Her lyrics are poetic but accessible though I think some of the references are lost on me but I attribute that to time and my sometimes limited understanding of hip-hop and black history. Can’t mark her down for that. I’ve listened before and probably will again.

Not gonna lie I didn’t even finish this one. Ik it was ‘89 and maybe this was influential overall but I just can do another 20 minutes of predictable rhymes. A tisket, a tasket, I wonder what’s in that basket. Like what dude

New band to me. I was getting heavy Arctic Monkey vibes so I looked it up to confirm and it is the frontman from AM here too. They’ve got a good sound and I feel like each layer has something to offer in most of the songs. They are a supergroup but I only know the AM portion but looking forward to exploring them more. Torn between a 3 and 4. It’s got a lot to offer but I didn’t feel a huge hit from too many particular songs. Intrigued for sure though.

Quintessential 80’s vibes. Really liked a few songs including Colours Fly, New Gold and in particular Glittering Prize. Fun bass lines and groovy and hypnotic synths throughout. Not surprised they have one of the biggest hits of the 80’s. Feels like a band that actually just jams out well together and knew they had a good sound. 80’s pop has such an upbeat and optimistic essence to it and this band nails that. I saved this album for later because it was fun to work to. High 3 low 4.

It doesn’t have the hits the other Door album had but the quality of this album is a lot more consistent. The hits were hittier there but this album is albumier here. Feels more like a completed project and not a playlist on shuffle. I hit the Doors pretty hard in highschool so I’ve heard this album a few times but I really enjoyed it this time around. I don’t think I appreciated this as a unit back in the day as much as I do now, which is funny to me because it doesn’t even have like 1 of my top 10 Doors songs on it. Some albums are just a market for you to pick out hits and deep cuts, but this is an album that I think really should be listened to in one sitting. 4 for me with the caveat that I might have some bias

Cool. Much like Alec, this band understands that “The Funk” is a force of nature and that it cannot be defeated.

ABBA never disappoints. I haven’t listened to a full album in a long time bc Blair has a playlist she keeps on repeat and of course Mamma Mia is watched like 4 times a year in our house so I don’t get outside of the core tracklist a lot. This album delivered and I’ve got another 3/4 songs to add to our ongoing playlist. There's passion, storytelling, talent, fun, and variety and it’s just sounds and feels good. I couldn’t really ask for more.

Maybe I’m jumping the gun starting this review 4 songs in but it’s pretty corny right? I also cannot believe the Spotify bio on this man. “A sneering spitfire, the smartest and meanest singer/songwriter in the first wave 1970’s punk rock”. He’s singing about a clown strike with “la la la” in the background. Joe Strummer is rolling in his grave. I guess the next bit of his bio talking about how he bounces around genres is true enough because the contrast of that opening sentence and this album couldn’t be any starker in my mind. I only knew Costello from the “We are the world” video and idk what I expected but I’m still disappointed. He just feels pretentious. I can’t deny the songs and lyrics have some complexity to them but it’s the way he overemphasizes his singing. I can see the talent but it’s all hidden by the way he chooses to sing and arrange the music. He’s too giddy to be singing about anything deep yet it seems he insists on trying to do that. 20% amnesia at least sounds kind of punk. I would’ve preferred an album of that style. I can’t fuck with the rest.

These guys rock. Another band that just pumps out the jams and this album goes hard. Even the songs that never made it to hit status they give their all. Their slowest song is either “Shook me All Night Long” and it still makes you want to party and fuck all night, or “Rock and Roll ain’t noise population” which is an instant rock anthem. Not even counting Shoot to Thrill or the titular Back in Black this album is solid. Went in with 5 songs saved and walked out with 7. Legends.

Recognized 2 songs which is always cool when you don’t recognize the name of the band. Felt very 90’s and wasn’t surprised that they were on the Clueless soundtrack. Good sound, good listen. Probably won’t be back but I enjoyed the ride.

The clustering of this list is so weird sometime. This album was solid enough for a 3 for sure. Had a few songs I really like so I’m tempted to go to a 4 but maybe it’s the fatigue of listening to the same band. I got my fix on the last album and while I enjoyed parts of this I got lost at parts. I don’t smoke weed anymore so I’m plenty aware of when a song lasts longer than 5 minutes. High 3 low 4.

I have a weird hang up with a lot of 90’s alt/indie/grunge music. I am very attached to the bands I grew up with but find the ones I didn't to be facsimiles or posers. It’s irrational and I’m aware of it, and it ignores that influence is a reflection and many bands and artists get my love while others get my disdain for the same reasons. I love Pearl Jam, can’t stand Soundgarden. I love Rage Against the Machine, I can’t fuck with Audioslave. This band unfortunately hits me the wrong way. I can’t help but hear them as trying to be other bands. I fuck with other songs and bands that are angsty annd alt but idk why I just cant connect with this one. The voice sounded too whiny, the music felt too familiar to be original. I think it’s a me thing. His voice does that screeching thing and I don’t love it but it did remind of a a song that I can’t place my finger on. Idt it’s this band but I swear it’s this singer. Who knows. I’m biased with this era. Maybe I was just a contrarian who had to define myself against other shit in highschool, idk.

Feels very Sgt. Peppers. I enjoyed it and saved a few songs. Solid psych rock album. Pleasantly surprised. I likely won’t be back to the album but I might dabble with a song or two on some playlists.

Fast, quick, dirty, punk. I always wanted to get around to listening to the Minute Men properly and while I won’t be going back to this long ass album I have saved half a dozen songs and recognized 2. Mostly for how they’ve been sampled. As mentioned, the Jackass theme song. Who know it had words. Also idk if y’all deep dive Sublime but “Waiting for my Ruca” samples History Lesson Part 2 off this album. Punk rock changed our lives.

Hands down one of my favorite albums of all time and I would contend it’s in the running for best album of all time. It delivers on every front. Each song is unique, as is every member of the band, and while they each shine through in their own ways, they also have a way of knowing how and when to let someone else take the stage. The lore of the notorious relationship of Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham is obviously critical to this album’s success, but I think that’s also because, like most great art, it’s not just about aesthetic or technique. The perspective that drives the artist is what vitalizes their work into something transcendent. Christine and John McVie were going through it as well while Stevie and Lindsey want nothing more than to tear each other apart. Mick Fleetwood just trying to keep the band together. I fully count Silver Springs as part of Rumours even though it was not on the original cut. Super Deluxe version all the way. Go Your Own Way is absolute perfection. I have a rule where I play it back to back every time, unless I’m doing a strict purist album run like today. It’s actually a song I have listened to for hours straight when I want inspiration or when I fucking lock in on something. If I am ever dying just punk this straight into my veins. The Chain has one of the most boss bass line breakdowns ever. Pure rock. Lindsey’s finger picking in Never Going Back again is insane. I will learn it in full some day but he’s basically rocking two separate time signatures with his thumb vs his other fingers that is unusually difficult for hand picking in general. If you all didn’t listen to Silver Springs as the 12th and final sign to this album please reward yourself with maybe the greatest vocal crescendo you’ll ever hear. She fucking hates that man lol. The lyrics alone would make that song goated but her performance is just mystical. Sing it out at the top of your lungs and tell me that is not the most accurate encapsulation of romantic torment you’ve ever felt. Songbird was Blair and I’s first dance at our wedding. We considered every song on this album one by one and we had a case for each, but for obvious reasons we wanted one of the more hopeful songs. 5/5. 100/100. Flawless in every way. Iv’e listened to it probably once a month for the last 10 years. I have my mother’s vinyl copy and I consider it a family heirloom.

As an album it feels pretty repetitive and monochromatic. Individual songs and parts are cool but idk if yall know this band also did the theme song for House. So as an album, meh. As a collection of songs to show that you’ve got theme song material and you should be in the running for a show that has yet to be written, but will be dramatic and thought provoking, it’s pretty solid.

Starts off with a banger and fades out pretty quick. Maybe I’d like it more on a second listen but even at 36 minutes I was checking the time left. I usually want variety but it felt scattered in terms of what it was trying to deliver. Underwhelming as an album and even with a solid hit I think a 2 is really the best I can do here.

I didn’t hate it as much as the last album. I find that I do actually like his style and sound it’s just certain lyrics rub me the wrong way. There were far less lyrics this time around that I notably hated, though there were still some. He’s still pretentious and the only person in the world who matters according to him but it’s 12 years in the past from “You are the Quarry” and so I think he just grows more insufferable as he ages. This wasn’t bad, especially given how annoying I found him last time. I do get the appeal and I think I’m going to only listen to his old stuff if I ever do.

Pretty long album for long winded and slow singing. Parts were very beautiful but it’s a bit of a grind. I like her overall but not a ton of variety with the pacing here.

This album goes so hard. The first 4 songs are all jams, the first 3 of which are also masterpieces. For an album of 8 songs, to have 3 all be too charting hits is crazy. The album is 36 minutes and 34 of those are Foreplay/Long Time. You could teach a class on how to perfectly execute a guitar riff as a bridge with almost any song in this album. It’s a band that really knows its strengths and plays to them.

Fun album. I already knew a few tracks but What’s Golden stays on my playlists. High Fidelity, A day at the Races and I am Somebody all hit too. I’m a big fan the of rap group style. Even just a duo hits hard but they’ve got 4 MCs and it works for me. Good beats, good lyrics, good vibes. It was a bit long but had me nodding along the whole time. Fun to listen to and had some depth.

Pretty solid for a mindless punk album. I actually like their sound quite a bit. Not too many songs stood out as unique but I saved a few including Selfdestructo Blast, Are you Ready, and Monkey on your back. I’m not surprised Steve-O and Pontius fuck with them enough to pick a song from here as their theme song for WildBoyz (though I have no idea what song it was). It seems like one of those punk bands that think trashing a hotel room is the end goal and not just some shit that happens along the way though.

It’s alright. Feels like a lot of Morrissey’s work isn’t as essential as this list maker seems to think it is. They obviously just love him. Ik it’s the Smiths this time but it didn’t really feel much different than his other albums. I still enjoy the actual music and his singing style is fine for a while but it’s feels like overkill at this point. It’s hard to actually consider any of it great because he has the same approach to every song. He’s made an observation and coined a metaphor, and then he’s written a song about how mundane it is. Which honestly gets pretty fucking boring after a while. Even the upbeat stuff is bitter in one way or another. It’s hard to unsee the personality once you realize you don’t like it.

I liked this album and feel it is very emblematic of indie rock in the late ‘00s/early ‘10s. Trying to find new bands around that time was like walking through a forest of palm muted guitar riffs and whispered lyrics. That being said it is a good album. Melodic and haunting is a wonderful combo and while I noticed the singers sing like they’re falling asleep the whole time, it works for their sound. I particularly love two singers singing at each other/having a conversation/singing different lyrics at the same time and over each other and in between the other’s lyrics. They nail that. Leaving the album on a loop was a nice experience and I cannot say that about all of these albums or artists. I’ve got a few songs saved and I plan on listening to their other stuff.

Nice little album. If I had this on vinyl I could see myself listening to it while I made breakfast on a Sunday or something. Son of a Preacher man is obviously the tentpole here. The rest of the album, while pleasant, did not really stand out to me. I did not even notice until the album had looped until Preacher Man came on a second time. Solid 3 but not quite memorable enough for a 4 from me.

Long time fan of this band. Their greatest hits stay on rotation for me, and though this album doesn’t hit as hard as Licensed to Ill, it’s still pretty solid. The run time is a bit long, and I’m glad I had to take a break about 2/3 of the way through because as much as I love the sampling and DJ cuts, it tends to make a song feel longer and not shorted. There’s a lot of density to the musical production, which I dig, but it also means that an hour run time can hit like 8 genres and 20 styles and still not be done. I had 3 songs going in saved and added another 3 to keep on my playlists. It’s not my first listen but I have found they hit harder with their greatest hits than they do as an album run. Still, I enjoyed them and I enjoyed this. There’s something so charming and genuine and passionate about how they make music and I love their organic blend of punk and hip-hop elements. Part of the run time is devoted to a few instrumental tracks and I think that actually ups the value. They know how to mix really well and it lets the raps breath a bit to have some space in between.

I first came across this band by means of the song Valerie as covered by Amy Winehouse (which is fantastic btw). The Zutons performed the original and I listened to another album of their’s which I remember enjoying a fair bit. This album has a lot of components I like, and definitely a few songs but it also felt like they were still trying to find their sound. I also disliked a lot of components and songs. Miss me entirely with “Zuton Fever”. Unless there is some double meaning I am missing I think that’s an unfortunate and misguided way to start an album. Had I not already known this band a little bit that would’ve soured me going in pretty heavily. Mixed bag for sure with this one. Ups and downs even out at a 3. Intrigued, but a little disappointed. Felt like it was missing some direction.

I appreciate that this is just 2+ hours of rocking out, however sitting in my office chair while not being in a crowd in front of a live band, not drunk, not high, and not sweating while headbanging is making me aware that this is 2+ hours of rocking out. Some really cool parts but not a lot of moderation. It’s hard for me to judge this because it was good but it was kind of boring after a while. A double album with two repeats is just self-indulgent. I would read a fantasy/sci fi novel based on the lore of the lyrics though. High 2 low 3.

It’s been 75 years since this was released and as true as it was then, it remains true to this day that Nazis can go fuck themselves. Artistically it’s always interesting to hear one artist perform the works of another. Hanns Eisler apparently didn’t even care for the modern music of his day so the bones of this album are rooted even deeper in history. It sounded distinctly German to me, and while I would describe the style as haunting and creepy, I wonder how much of my predilection to do so is influenced by post-war analysis of that era. The influences of classical music, the brass and strings and percussion of marching bands, the sullen silences and crescendos. Music and movies and media since WW2 have purposefully mimicked a lot of these motifs to invoke the rise of fascism, so even when Eisler is condemning it, my brain is flooded with a montage of imagery from Nazi rallies. I suppose if the takeaway is to learn from it all then it is effective.

I have always felt The Rolling Stones go from rock gods to corny in the blink of an eye. The first two songs here are such a strong example of that. Mick Jagger should not be allowed to write songs while horny. It’s just whack ass lyrics and misogyny. He also probably shouldn’t be allowed to be horny in general because he’s got a litany of accusations against him. I remember clocking “Under my Thumb” as weirdly abusive in high-school and I stand by that. “Stupid Girl” is an insane track to write as well. As a lyricist Jagger seems to rely on repetition a lot, and if Keith Richards isn’t going off then a lot of their music is just meh. Greatest hits band. I’d take a Beatles album any day.

James Brown could read the ingredients to a shampoo bottle and I’d probably give it 3 stars. That being said I’m not quite at a 5 for this one. I didn’t really have a stand out song or two that I loved. But it was a fun listen and I might come back. I love his style and the way his band gets down. Or gets up. Whichever direction they’re getting I’m with it.

Felt like it got better as it went on. I think I like this band more when they’re rocking out than when they’re going for an indie/pop thing. Saved a few songs and I enjoyed the album a fair amount. Didn’t blow me away but didn’t disappoint. Safe 3.

Maybe I just need to listen to more metal. This had some surprisingly good songs. The bass line on Dawn Patrol is hypnotic. I also fucked with Take no Prisoners and Lucretia. Overall it was pretty solid. I could see it growing on me more and opening me up to other, unnamed and perhaps harshly rated, metal bands.

If you gaze long enough into the Bjork, the Bjork gazes also into you.

I was debating a 4 or 5 for this one because I really liked it and feel like the Talking Heads just deliver nonstop. There’s so much fun and and creativity that you feel the passion and goofiness in every song. I was thinking a 4 but realized it was because I didn’t know any of the songs and didn’t have any attachments coming in, but I couldn’t find a single fault. It was solid all the way through and had several stand out songs and variety but felt like a coherent project at the same time. I would def relisten multiple times and even let it loop 2/3 on Friday.

Torn between a 3 and 4. It’s not Ziggy Stardust but I suppose not all albums can be. Fame is both weird and haunting and groovy, right in Bowie’s sweet spot. I wasn’t blown away by the rest though I did enjoy it. It’s just sometimes I fucking love David Bowie and I didn’t really get that a ton here. I’m going to go with a 4 because I think I love his hits so much that it’s skewing my perception of how much I like his other stuff. Def going to relisten

Mixed bag. After reading the bio of Brian Eno it sounds like he’s great at producing so some of these songs were really cool or had parts I really liked but for his own artistic expression there were parts I hated that I think I can only contribute to his choices. The way he sings on Driving me Backwards drove me insane. I really disliked the first half of Dead Finks Don’t Talk but really enjoyed the second half. Enough to get over the first half even, but not enough to get over Driving me Backwards. I could see someone liking that song for the same reasons I dislike it so I think it’s a taste thing but I can’t get over it. Would’ve been a 3 otherwise.

Solid 3 that I will likely listen to again. I think Bowie in general has actual depth to his artistry so I think he gets better the more time you allot to his work. Wasn’t blown away but my intrigue has grown. Saved a few songs for later including Time and The Prettiest Star.

I liked the songs that have music in the background. Not sure I needed 9 versions of the other stuff though.

Great funk album. I had high hopes seeing it was a Temptations album and they didn’t disappoint. Papa was a Rolling Stone is always longer and better than I remember it. I saved several other songs but could also just go for the ride for the full album again. Real strong 4 but I think there was a bit of a lull from the high energy at a point.

Not my first time listening but it’s still mostly lost on me. This is like THE jazz album and I just can’t follow it super well. I absolutely enjoyed parts as well as disliked parts but I am confident that my opinion on this should be taken with a grain of salt. 3 for neutrality because I don’t think my uncultured, Neanderthal-forehead ass has any ground to critique Miles Davis.

Mixed bag for me. I generally enjoy the band but have never loved a drum machine. It’s really one stylistic choice however it’s a choice with an album long implication. For me that dampens the sound overall. Maybe it’s mean to feel a little grating and out of place considering the band, in which case well done. Still not a bad listen. I probably won’t be back for the full run but I saved A Punch up at a Wedding and A Wolf at the Door for shuffle purposes. High 2 low 3.

Not the most banger heavy album but I can always kick it with the Beastie Boys. Even their lesser known stuff can still pique my curiosity and it’s always nice to add a few tracks I typically skip over into the rotation.

It’s just a good album. Starts really strong and has a unique sound that also isn’t overplayed. I generally think you get a better sound and more creativity when you don’t have a rhythm guitar. It both forces and allows the bass to be way more involved. Rush is a very solid band and even the songs I didn’t remember from last time around I enjoyed and found new love for.

I definitely see the country aspects of this album though if it wasn’t titled as such I may not have. I wasn’t blown away but I think that’s also because I prefer a different type of album. 75 minutes or so of 3 minute songs in the same style is a lot and I’ve chastised other artists for doing the same. Maybe the anthology style has faded out with time but going back to it always feels tedious. I liked a lot of these songs in general but couldn’t give you a single standout. Still, you could do worse than to listen to 20+ songs that you’ve never heard by Ray Charles. I give this a 3 as it was not bad by any means, but just didn’t grip me either.

It’s a solid album. I think it has a cohesiveness that I weirdly want to break up and have the songs sprinkled throughout different playlists rather than listen in one go though. Maybe that’s because some of it started sounding too similar, especially around the middle, and in particular with the drum beat and bass combo. But I still enjoyed it and saved like half the album for future listening. I think Beck just shines more when you catch a single song here and there. Feels like his uniqueness loses something when compared to himself. I’ve listened to this album before and likely will again. A lot of really good songs here I am excited to again.

So I imagined this list would have 1 of 2 kinds of albums. The first being albums that are fundamental to a genre or movement, or the history of music, or just such a work of art you should make the time to appreciate it. And the second being one-hit wonder bands and the corresponding album. This is the latter as far as I’m concerned. It’s a fine album. It’s not amazing, and even the parts where it felt like they actually had some personality didn’t really intrigue me all that much. Franz Ferdinand being the obvious exception. It feels like a very generic album and sound considering the decade it came out in, and that they were really just fighting for a big hit and not a good album.

Glad I finally got to see what all the fuss was about for Arcade Fire. It was pleasant for sure but not exactly my style. I saved a few songs and would be happy to revisit them. Respectable 3.

Look Snoop is a legend and Gin and Juice alone basically grants this album a 3 but I can’t fuck with some of these songs. I’ve listened before and I forgot how low-brow some of the content is, and early 90’s rap still has a lot of those corny rhymes to it. For its influence, for Gin and Juice, and for its production it’s a 3. Can’t go much higher on an album that’s mostly about a 19 year old describing his party lifestyle with little tact. High highs and low lows.

Going with a 3 because the production and just sound is sweet but an hour of cuts and samples is a lot. I had a similar issue with the Beastie Boys album. Individual songs are solid but hip hop has a come a long way and as an album run it’s long and I hate to be dismissive, but after a while it’s like I get it.

Bit repetitive but I suppose I’m overthinking it. This album hits all of its goals. 1. Get D’Angelo laid. 2. Get you laid. 3. Get D’Angelo paid by getting you laid. 4. Profit.

Surprising energy, pretty fun for a quick and dirty album. Might be back.

I like Neil Young a lot. I don’t know a ton by him but he was always on the radio when I grew up. It’s ingrained in me and so this album hit. I think I am hesitant to give a 5 just because my list of 5’s is so small but I don’t have a single complaint about it. It felt cohesive yet still interesting and unique from song to song. A strong 4 and a slightly generous 5.

Classic Album. This could be a template for hip-hop albums in general. It still has cuts and samples and variety but isn’t waterlogged by the need to put every technique in every song. The Fugees are a great group and each member has shown their talents as a solo artist. This album is really the only one I listen to because it’s really always been enough. It’s catchy, deep, it goes hard. It was one of my first vinyls and it’s just a great example of what an album could be.

I’ve been listening to a lot of Bruce Springsteen recently and wanted to try some more Bon Jovi. This album hit me at a time when I would likely appreciate it more than other times. Not quite a 5 but very solid given the catalog. Added a couple new songs to the setlist but mostly it’s the big 3 here, and that’s okay because they’re all bangers.

I always felt like the Cars were underrated and wanted to listen to them more. I think this album was great, easy 4 given the early start of 3 hits, but not quite a 5 because while I found 2 new songs I liked, it’s definitely a front loaded album. Love their sound. Feels uniquely them and they’ve got some iconic songs that showcase it really well. Moving in Stereo was a fun surprise. Really strong album to showcase the band and something I think definitely deserves a place on this list.

Leaning 4. I’m definitely new to Minor Threat but have heard them on random radio-playlists from time to time. They sound how you want a punk band to sound. It’s a bit thrash, a bit exasperated, a bit melodic but not too much.

I really love certain U2 tracks. I’ve listened to a few albums and they’re always solid but I think they’re a greatest hits band. I dig their sound and this album was a good listen. Strong 3.5 for me but going with a 3 because there’s not a ton of stand out tracks aside from SBS

OutKast albums are always solid and to go out on a double album where each member gets to really showcase themselves as both a primary and secondary is like a love letter to fans. It’s long but it’s good. Obviously some huge hits but it’s also just got really good lesser known songs. You can tell real talent when you gen the shit you’ve never heard of goes hard and is musically dope as well. Double albums should only exist if you can really fucking bring it and they’ve nailed it.

I’ve got a pretty solid Bobby D playlist. Roughly 20 songs or so mostly from the 60’s, 70’s, maybe some 80’s. It’s always interesting to hear him in each decade. Not my favorite album of his by a long shot but glad I listened. It feels a bit more musically driven with some variety in the guitar playing, especially compared to classic acoustic Dylan. Kind of long and droning and I while I think I have a high tolerance for his sound and style, I could definitely see this album dragging if you weren’t keenly interested in hearing how we progressed into the 90’s.

It’s always cool to hear the context of a one hit wonder. I think given the pop nature of Karma Chameleon as well as how trendy they are with then contemporary fashion, it’s safe to say they were fishing for a hit and not just making music for the love of it. Which is fine, pop has its place and I’m happy with what they came up with, but I do think that was the goal of this album. Cool listen but I probably won’t be back.

Really good. Elton John is one of those artists that you realize has a lot more recognizable songs than you thought. I think either so many hits and just the level of artistry it’s an easy 5. I’m not crazy familiar with his body of work past the hits but this is known to me as an iconic album and I get it.

Maybe it would be easier to start with the Clash albums I wouldn’t give 5 stars.

You ever start telling someone the plot of a movie you really like when you were young to try to get them to watch it with you? I did this once with the movie Black Knight, starring Martin Lawrence. I said “so Martin Lawrence 2001 gets transported back to the medieval ages…” and they cut me off saying “so that’s like the whole movie right?” And it was. Solid film, but there is nothing else to it than Martin Lawrence is now just in 1600 England. You get it, you know the type of humor and shenanigans that will unfold, the love interest, the villain, the resolution, etc. Anyways 3/5

True story. I once met a nun who told me she lived on the same street as Santana in the 60s or 70s and that she turned him down when he asked her out. I imagine it was the raw sexual energy that leads one to try banging a nun that fuels an album such as this.

I knew Dave Navarro from his stint with the Chilis and always meant to give Jane’s Addiction a proper listen. Very classic Alt-rock sound with some grunge and punk and funk to it.

Love this era and band and sound and style. It grows on you the more you listen and there’s depth and emotion and a passion for the musicality of it throughout. Going with a 4 because while it’s a very solid album I try to save 5’s for something that blew me away or is so stacked with hits you can’t ignore them.

It lives up to the hype. The lyrics are powerful and Nas is on his flow the whole time. Dude can spit. I didn’t realize this was from 94. I thought maybe 98 at the earliest. Wild he was rapping like this while other people were still on that “I hip, I hop, when I have a dollar I go to the shop” type shit. I have always seen this touted as one of the best/most influential albums and I mean yeah. His flow and style was years ahead of the game. Years ahead of Jay-Z (I still have to listen to the Blueprint, likely will tomorrow now). Biggie and Pac were contemporary and are their own animals, and OutKast started cooking around this time too but you can really see a shift in the game I think after this album. It almost feels like the standard flow that even if you had nothing interesting to say you could still spit and make it sound appealing. Nas had the flow and something worth saying. Idk if you guys have ever read Dune but when I did it felt derivative as fuck. Turns out it’s just so influential that decades of media owe a tribute to it. It feels suspiciously familiar but that should be seen as a compliment and not an accusation.

The album cover gave me some John Cougar-Mellancamp mixed with Bruce Springsteen vibes. I should have clocked the Abercrombie bracelets sooner but it just felt soft to me. It’s a fine album I suppose but it is absolutely not for me. It felt like the lyrics and singing and even a lot of the music is meant to feel passionate but I’m not sure if it was. It’s just far too safe for me to enjoy it. He leaned pretty country in the second half but still didn’t feel like he was singing about anything. Maybe a 3 is the objective rating but it’s a 2 because I was just so underwhelmed.

I’m usually not super keen on cover albums. It’s a 50/50 whether I think the artist is actually bringing something new to the table. That being said, Otis Redding is one of the few artists to whom I will always give credence. I’ve never heard a song I disliked by him and I’ve gone through several albums. Easy 5. I think he did justice to the originals, added to them in a meaningful way and made the covers his own.

“Isn’t this where we came in?” I was a philosophy major and a history minor in college. I wrote a A LOT of 10+ page essays, often many times a week, and in my senior year almost daily. Aside from the Vitamin String Quartet covers which were plentiful, familiar, and wordless, the only music I could listen to consistently while writing was The Wall. Perhaps because it is a masterpiece in of itself, it works perfectly on a loop, it has reoccurring themes and natural crescendo and lulls, etc etc. Or maybe because I listened to it a dozen times in high-school. I can tell you for a fact, and this fact is derived from my ITunes account which tracks your listens, that by the time I graduated from college I had listened to this album over 50 times while just in college. That was 10 years ago, and though my essay writing days are mostly behind me (excluding this comment), my Wall listening days are not. It’s still one of my go-to albums to get into a working mind space. I think I’ve listened another dozen or two times since then, but suffice to say this album is my shit. It’s probably top 3 greatest albums in my mind. It IS the template for a concept album, and while Dark Side of the Moon is obviously dope af too, I’ll die on the hill that the Wall is Pink Floyd’s greatest work. It’s a full fucking rock opera, and while the movie is great as well, and a big part of the legacy of this album, the soundtrack doesn’t actually line up 1:1 with this album. Not just omissions from this album but they include a few other Pink Floyd songs as well. Plus all of the ties with England and I believe both the affects of WW1 and WW2. It’s art. It’s opera. It’s theatre and poetry and shredding rock solos and creepy child choruses (peep the music video for Another Brick in the Wall for a sense of the movie’s visual style). It’s beautifully haunting and such a deep and valuable insight into what isolation and depression and hatred and anger and addiction and sadness and love and hope all are. Plus it fucking rocks. The music is so solid, and while it’s Pink Floyd it’s almost entirely Roger Waters driving the whole thing. The format and track-list order is also deeply important with the themes and anyone who listens to this shit on shuffle is deranged. There’s the mood shift at the halfway point as an intermission and then the downswing of the second half of the album gets darker and darker. Another Brick in the Wall has 3 pts because he keeps building the Wall. How should we fill the Empty Spaces? The ending loops into the beginning as a full circle, which is just screaming about how cyclical things like depression and addiction can be. Even when you think you’re out you can find yourself back the beginning “isn’t this where we came in?”

I liked this better than Birth of the Cool. Still not sure if my opinion on jazz is worth anything or maybe it’s growing on me but I actually found myself enjoying this instead of just wondering what was happening. The second half in particular was more my speed. Going with a 4 to differentiate from my previous 3 rating ad I definitely enjoyed this more.

Really fun vibes and energy. I enjoyed several songs thoroughly despite not speaking any Portuguese. Split between a 3 and 4 because while I was vibing heavily at first it felt like the middle part was running together a bit with less distinction. It came in swinging though. That first song woke me up.

Okay Johnny take the bass for walk, and when I give you the nod give it Greyhound ticket to Phoenix. Billy the Sticks you keep an eye on the time like your a kid on the last day of school. Raspberry Jones here on the piano is going to blend the ivory and ebony so well all y’all fine folks in the audience will forget there was ever any racial tension in this country to begin with. And Big Al, well Big Al and the Boys you’re gonna do whatever the hell you want anyway so just try not upstage me alright? Alright.

I think a re-listen is warranted. Definitely see the appeal but as it is with punk, you don’t always get the full content or depth of the message unless you’re understanding all of the lyrics. From what I did pick up though it was cool. Easy 3, almost a 4 but maybe I need more time to pick out favorite songs.

Mixed feelings about this. I found it sounded quite pleasant at times and enjoyed listening, however I couldn’t hear a fucking word half the time. I get what they were going for and maybe once you know the lyrics it becomes a really cool way to listen to a song but as of now it seems like the levels were not mixed well at all.

The hits sure do hit don’t they. It feels like a lot of this album is him just messing around and having fun because I don’t think anyone makes “In Heaven” in the hopes that it gets radio play. It’s a DJ with some songs that get pretty repetitive, to the point I was almost starting to sour on the style. But “Praise You” brings it all back around. Rockefeller Skank is great and iconic, but Praise You just has such uplift to it. Highly recommended checking out the source material, Praise You by Carmille Yarborough. I think the pacing of the album with the hits positioned as they were gave the rest of the album time to make a nice background music, that was begging for some soul, just in time for Praise You to hit.

Tangled up with Blue and Shelter from the Storm stay on my Bob Dylan playlist. Conveniently they truncate this album pretty well. It’s a solid album, though not as varietal as his catalog would suggest. But I think because Dylan is so prolific for him putting out on album with a similar sound is like most other people writing 2/3 songs in the same style. It’s an easy 3, probably closer to a 3.5 than a 4 for me. Nice way to spend an hour and I added a few lesser knowns so I’ll go with a 4.

Eh. Felt pretty heartless. Like people making music because they like the idea of being a musician. Felt similar to their last album in that it’s basically the same drum pattern throughout. Uninspired lyrics too imo. I honestly turned down the volume because it was more enjoyable in the distance.

Chill and groovy. Probably won’t be back on my own I could be convinced to.

Easy 5 stars. Straight poetry and art the whole way through. It just feels very measured and deliberate and he captures so many angles of his life and experience and the culture he grew up with in really a small amount of time. “If I told you I killed someone at 16 would you believe me” is a great line that I think highlights that a lot of gang life and hip-hop and black culture is all about optics. Because if you believe him, what’s that say about you? Are we assuming any kid from Compton is automatically capable of doing drive-bys? And if we don’t believe him, why not? Would someone really make up all this wild shit that they said they lived through? “If I told you a flower bloomed in a dark room would you trust it?” Flips it and makes you want to believe that someone who grows up embedded in violence can still rise above it all and see the beauty that others can’t. And any album that can make you think and feel that deeply and still drop bangers and bars is on another level.

I went in with 8 of the 10 songs already saved, and knew the other two from other listens. It’s a great fucking album. Possibly his best, and that’s saying a lot. It deserves all the love. The world could stand to hear his message more.

Not my usual style but fun for a while. Buscando Guayaba stood out as particularly cool.

Honestly I was into this an a lot more than I thought it’d be. Saved 4 songs and did an extra half listen. Very upbeat and enjoyable. I might have to make a gardening playlist now.

I’ve been on a very heavy Jack White kick for a while so I’m absolutely in the mood for this album. I was planning on doing a full album run eventually so it’s cool to be back to this one. A lot of good songs and just weird music but I’m here for it. Alternatively my review can be summarized as: MORE FODDER FOR MY JACK WHITE PLAYLIST ;)

There’s some really crisp beats and his ability to actually rap is very solid. Not sure if it was really a Raekwon album or just a Wu Tang album with Raekwon focus. Looking at the tracklist it’s all Wu features. I enjoyed it for the most part but it could have been trimmed by 20 minutes. It started getting pretty repetitive. “Politicking” came up a lot, as did a few homophobic slurs. After a while the beats sounded similar, the raps sounded similar, the songs and lyrics sounded similar. 1 hour 13 minutes is a long run time if you run out of stuff to say. 6 songs with no features, 12 with Ghostface Killa on them, 9 of which had multiple features. Cool experience but it’s just Wu Tang lite at that point.

I don’t see how this is an album that needs to be heard. Particular songs? Maybe but honestly it’s the same song. Same snare heavy electronic drumbeat, mostly the same artist or two for a hook, shitty repetitive lyrics as only a DJ can craft them. Just feels like another album fishing for one specific radio play. You can’t tell me this dude made this many songs for the love of the game.

I might let this one look to see if it grows on me more. I dig it, I just don’t know it. Curtis Mayfield has some really iconic songs so I know for sure I like what he’s about, and I have faith that if I listen more I’ll like it even more. Could almost be a 4 but a solid 3 for now.

Quite pleasant. I wasn’t gripped the way I am by some piano performances, and I’ll admit that the grunts kind of soured me early on. But overall I enjoyed listening, and a high 3, maybe a 3.8 would be my rating, however as it stands most of my 4 star albums are ones I want to return to again and I just prefer different artists for this type of music. That’s a personal preference and not a statement on this performer.

A bit more melancholic than the last REM album. Pleasant and chill throughout, though I did miss the upbeat energy I usually associate with them. For a band I really don’t know much by, they have a very unique sound. Which is weird because they feel very middle of the road in terms of their era and genres, but something about them is just distinct. Maybe if it was raining out when j listened this would be a 4.

Pretty cool single listen album for me, so I was surprised by how much I liked Kerosene. That shit had me going and is on several playlists now. Made me look at the whole album with a bit more interest. I can’t say I had a second stand out song but I am going to keep my eye on this band.

The Beatles were big believers in listening to and creating music in album form. Abbey Road is arguably the most well known album/album cover and I don’t think many people question its legacy or impact so without even digging into it pretty deep it’s a safe 5. I am at this point well through my Beatlemania phase, so listening to this album now is increasingly nostalgic and less of me being amazed at it as a work of art. I still think it is, but after 20+ listens and as many years, I listen to it differently now. I think about the 55 years of musical and cultural influence this album has had. I’m not 17 anymore so I no longer feel like I understand the Beatles on a deeper level than most, and like many, many people I went through a Beatles phase pretty early on in my musical journey. So at this point I’m not smug about them, but I kind of feel like a grandfather or a teacher who is both proud and amused by a young person’s fascination with a topic I am well versed on. It’s hard for me to separate what is special about this album in terms of musicality and my own memories because it was a foundational part of my budding appreciation for music.

They had me in the first half but while it got groovy at times, I couldn’t help but feel like there was a discordant element to it that made me feel like I was awaiting a change that never came. Like it felt like it would be building to a a rhythm switch and then just never drop or jump to it. I wanted it to be a 3 but I just wasn’t feeling anything much after the first song.

High 3, low-ish 4. First listen is tough for me when I only know one album by him and have listened to it alot. So it feels familiar but off form what I think about his music as. Still I enjoyed it and I trust on a relisten I’ll like it more as the lyrics stick more and more.

I was leaning towards a 3 because I think he does actually understand how to make music but after him dropping an n-bomb in what I am sure he thinks is a Bob Dylan-Hurricane way, and Two Little Hitlers I have to be critical. At some point the music has to match the lyrics, and if your point in 2020 is that there are two Hitler-sequel figures who are bound to make on another snap and do something horrible, maybe play a fucking minor chord eventually. I did actually enjoy Green Shirt enough to save it. I found it catchy but I think it’s an outlier because I find most of his other stuff as over crafted. I think being a prolific songwriter comes with a cost, and that cost is that not all songs are good songs. I’m not sure if he writes anything and doesn’t produce it to a full track and through it on an album. Per Google he’s got 51 albums. That’s too many albums.

Despite not a lot of standout songs it was still a pretty enjoyable album. Makes me like the band more and that’s always a successful album in my eyes. Feels very representative of their sound, though I will say I’m missing whatever it is that kicked Sex on Fire into another level. This album could use a shot of tabasco

I’m curious to see if any of you guys rated this a 5. Solid 4 for me. Really enjoyable, great representation of them as a band, has some hits and some hidden gems and it’s a good run length. Nothing really wrong with it, and the more I type the more I’m questioning why not a 5. It comes down to how much I’d want to re-listen and if I’d want more out of it. I would but I’m just not sure if I’d find myself picking this over albums when I wanted to listen to a great album. So very high 4, low 5 but I think it’s iconic enough to bump it to a 5.

High energy music for sure. Not quite sure how to listen to it without my mind racing from espresso. I think I get the appeal but I could also live without it

More variety than I would have expected from a Kiss album. I think it’s fair to know them just by their more electric songs a la AC/DC where every 3rd song has “Rock” or Lightning/Thunder” in the title. Wasn’t blown away but still cool to hear what they’re like before they do their morning cocaine or whatever.

Groovy ass album. Epoca and La Del Russo have me Goldeneye pause music vibes and I was digging it.

I dug this a lot more than I thought I would. They hit the folk/almost bluegrass style well and I only knew Steven Winwood from Higher Love so this was a surprise for me. Tight little album, not sure if/when I’d pick it over something else but it was a good ride while it lasted.

Though I started listening to Muse to impress Maria DiMarzio in high school, I have found very high highs with their songs. I probably listen to Starlight once a week and it’s a never-skip for me. I’ve got 5 songs saved coming out of this listen and am happy for the trip down memory lane here. Oh Maria. What could’ve been.

Another quintessential 80’s synth pop sound. 2 pretty big songs on an 8 track album is solid. Idk what else to say. It’s good but 2 songs is also plenty to kind of get it. Feels like someone should be strutting through a carpeted mall with a windbreaker.

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Loved it. It was a 4 without Bohemian Rhapsody and that alone is potentially THE Song of Songs. Added a few tracks and likely will be back.

Idk what to call it but the rhythm riff style works well for them but it does get a bit monotonous after a while. I couldn’t really tell. A huge difference between the songs form just the music. Lyrics were cool enough overall but I felt like I should be working out in a basement to get the most out of them. Between a 2/3. Nothing really bad about it I just wanted some variety or emphasis on the different things those instruments can do.

After Changes as the opener I felt like the album quickly lulled. I assumed it was just early Bowie, and while I dug the notion of a fascination with Mars, I was like oh it’s early 70’s, Bowie hasn’t gotten weird yet, he’s still a contemporary musician carving his own path. Turns out that both 1. Space Oddity predated this by 2 years. The spaceman was here all along and 2. The album gets weird in the second half. It’s a 4 objectively, a 3 subjectively as I still wanted a bit more edge from the man to be known as Ziggy Stardust. The album feels nice and fleshed out by the end and it’s got a good balance to it, I wa shuts thrown by the early pacing after starting off with a banger of an opening.

With legacy points I’ll say it’s a 4. There are some really good songs that hold up to this day, but there is also an almost rudimentary feel to some of it. I think it’s safe to say that its legacy and impact is why their sound has been built on so much, and therefore the original seems basic in comparison. But I maintain that this is proof of its influence.