Jul 08 2024
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Exodus
Bob Marley & The Wailers
Lovely album to start this with.
5
Jul 09 2024
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The Number Of The Beast
Iron Maiden
Bought this CD at FYE when I was in Middle School. Maybe one of the first albums I bought with my own. Loved it then and love it now. Melodic, precise, and those riffs and solos. Got me into classic and thrash metal.
5
Jul 09 2024
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The Dark Side Of The Moon
Pink Floyd
B side is flawless. Smoke a J for track one, settle in and enjoy the ride.
4
Jul 10 2024
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Deja Vu
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
Classic.
5
Jul 15 2024
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Oracular Spectacular
MGMT
Fantastic. Time To Pretend, Electric Feel, Kids - what was college without these songs? Aged well too.
5
Aug 07 2024
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Bryter Layter
Nick Drake
So, possibly unpopular opinion, but this is my favorite ND album. One of the owners of Action Music when it used to be in Arlington, VA, told me about ND when I expressed an interest in fingerstyle guitar and alternate tunings. He was not wrong. He recommended Pink Moon, which I love and is hopefully on this list too, but I gravitated towards the songs on Bryter Layter, and still love them the most. Fantastic album.
5
Aug 09 2024
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In Utero
Nirvana
Nirvana doesn't have a bad album. I'm a huge fan of Kurt Cobain and his songwriting and musical arrangements. It seems so trite to write that, but, Nirvana shaped and continues to shape my musical tastes - what I listen to, what I play, how I play it, etc. Heart Shaped Box, Dumb, Pennyroyal Tea, and All Apologies are among my favorite songs.
5
Aug 13 2024
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Dirt
Alice In Chains
Catching up on this list and going through albums that I know I'd rate as 5's. This is one. Jerry Cantrell is a guitar idol of mine. His punchy complex and melodic riffs and solos that combine metal and grunge and rock and funk and thrash with Layne Stanley's vocals...hard to beat.
5
Aug 26 2024
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Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
The Smashing Pumpkins
Okay so I guess all the albums I can quickly mark as a 5 are grunge from the late 80's and 90's. Task: follow Siamese Dream. SP: Bet (to quote Gen Z). It's as good, and maybe Butch Vig gets as much credit as Billy Corgan. As with some of the other grunge albums I rated a "5", this has half a dozen songs that are among my favorites, and that never get old. Those songs single handedly make this a 5, and the rest is gravy (very good gravy).
5
Aug 27 2024
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American Idiot
Green Day
I professed to hate this album when it came out, because I believed the rhetoric that Green Day had sold out. I took me revisiting Green Day's discog in my 30's to realize that the rhetoric was wrong and so was I. This album is excellent, there's not a bad song on it, and it represents the authentic growth (that perhaps took my own growth as a person to fully realize) of a band that is among my favorites, if not my favorite.
5
Sep 09 2024
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Elephant
The White Stripes
Oh boy. If White Blood Cells got thinking Jack White is the greatest guitarist of all time, this album cemented that belief. Let's have a ball, girl, and take our sweet little time about it. Ball and Biscuit is one of my favorite guitar and vocal tracks of all time. Hardest button, got her in yr pocket, air near my fingers, black math, no faith in medicine, just don't know what to do with myself. One of my favorite albums of all time.
5
Sep 11 2024
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Nebraska
Bruce Springsteen
Possible unpopular opinion, not my favorite from Bruce. I love Bruce's storytelling and how he can conjure a complex vignette of feelings and images in my mind with simple lyrics and music. To me, Nebraska was that concept taken to the extreme, and it leaves me wanting every time I come back to it. It's great, but it's not his best, and maybe could have been better.
4
Oct 31 2024
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Wish You Were Here
Pink Floyd
Wish You Were Here (song) is among my favorites. Shine On You Crazy Diamond (all parts) are tutorials in guitar creativity and excellence.
4
Nov 04 2024
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At San Quentin
Johnny Cash
This is a fun time and Johnny Cash is pretty fucking cool. I go back and forth on whether he's phony or not but I tend to think he's more authentic than not and I suppose I'll give him the benefit of the doubt. Some bangers on this.
4
Nov 05 2024
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Let It Bleed
The Rolling Stones
Flawless. Threw this on the old record player for an immersive listen. Good as ever, and cohesive in a great way. Love listening to this like watching a good movie or reading a good short story. The cacophony of sound that lifts you to the fucking rafters at the end of You Can't Always Get What You want is just such a great ending.
5
Nov 06 2024
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Licensed To Ill
Beastie Boys
Seminal album in more ways than one. Never gets old for me.
4
Nov 07 2024
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The Only Ones
The Only Ones
Loved this. Sick guitar and sad and overall sound.
4
Nov 08 2024
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Fulfillingness' First Finale
Stevie Wonder
Solid. Loved the harmonica and funk.
4
Nov 13 2024
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Time Out Of Mind
Bob Dylan
Solid album overall. A bit overproduced, and a bit too long (could have ended at Make You Feel My Love - which I wasn't previously aware that he wrote - and maybe I'd like it better). Glad I listened to it in full, particularly because I hadn't previously listened to Love Sick or Standing In The Doorway, both of which I enjoyed quite a bit. Probably 3.5/5, but since it's Dylan...
4
Nov 14 2024
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The Modern Dance
Pere Ubu
I liked this more with each subsequent listen. Non-Alignment Pact, Modern Dance, and Street Waves are excellent. Recorder-sounding intro to Laughing takes me back to elementary school music class. Gang of Four, Joy Division, Pixies, Husker Du, Ween - I hear it all in Pere Ubu. This album is punk as fuck. *Added to library and shared with people who give a fuck about music.*
4
Nov 15 2024
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Led Zeppelin III
Led Zeppelin
First time I’ve listened to a Led Zeppelin album in full. Love the wide range of styles, especially vocals and guitar. The blues through-line particularly appeals to me and makes what would otherwise be a somewhat scattered mix of songs cohere.
Listening notes: (1) I was today years old when I realized that “Immigrant Song” is not by Rush (lel). (2) Celebration Song sounds like it could be on White Stripes’ self-titled (‘99); I never appreciated the LZ influence on Jack White. (3) Tangerine <3.
5
Nov 18 2024
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Head Hunters
Herbie Hancock
He’s clearly talented and the songs are well done. Fine background music. Not really my thing though. Glad for the listening experience, but, next…
3
Nov 19 2024
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Pretenders
Pretenders
Brass in pocket, we all know it, yeah yeah yeah. Precious, phone call, up the neck, the wait, space invaders, mystery achievement - these are where it’s at. Love the hard hitting, simple guitar riffs, ever present bass, and casually unapologetic vocals. Unpopular opinion: A side > B side. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
5
Nov 20 2024
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Bug
Dinosaur Jr.
Not their best, but even not their best is amazing and a solid example of why Dinosaur Jr is one of my favorite bands and J Mascis is one of my guitar idols. Glad this was included on this list. Hope more DJR is.
5
Nov 21 2024
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The Köln Concert
Keith Jarrett
Keith can really tickle the ivories. Nice hearing his emotion too. He’s clearly very talented. I’m sure this was spectacular to witness live. That said, listening at home, I just felt like I was in a room with Peanuts on in the background. It’s fine but not my thing.
3
Nov 22 2024
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That's The Way Of The World
Earth, Wind & Fire
Perfect.
5
Nov 25 2024
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White Blood Cells
The White Stripes
“I never said I wouldn't throw my jacket in the mud for you / But my father gave it to me so maybe I should carry you / Then you said ‘You almost dropped me’ so then I did / And I got mud on my shoes”
So badass.
Also this album made want to play guitar like Jack White. Among White Stripes’ best.
5
Nov 26 2024
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Brothers In Arms
Dire Straits
Solid album. I haven’t listened to much Dire Straits except for their popular songs. Really enjoyed the guitar and drums and late solos and breaks.
4
Nov 27 2024
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Arc Of A Diver
Steve Winwood
Never listened to Steve Winwood before. Probably won’t listen again. But enjoyed a few of these.
2
Nov 28 2024
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Guero
Beck
Liked it more the second time around.
3
Nov 29 2024
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Van Halen
Van Halen
This album rocks. Had no idea “you really got me” was by VH. Listened twice through and thoroughly enjoyed it all both times.
5
Dec 02 2024
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Songs Of Leonard Cohen
Leonard Cohen
Very pleasant to listen to. Haven’t listened to much LC before and will probably revisit this. Suzanne, So Long Marianne, and Teachers.
3
Dec 03 2024
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Murmur
R.E.M.
Pulled out the Vinyl for this one, cooled down the beers, and let Hank (son) hear what pure unadulterated rock n roll sounds like. Thoroughly enjoyed it, as I do every time. Not a song on this I don’t love. Perfect.
5
Dec 04 2024
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Cosmo's Factory
Creedence Clearwater Revival
lol, oops. the murmur review was supposed to be for this. Blame the beer.
Pulled out the Vinyl for this one, cooled down the beers, and let Hank (son) hear what pure unadulterated rock n roll sounds like. Thoroughly enjoyed it, as I do every time. Not a song on this I don’t love. Perfect.
5
Dec 05 2024
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Butterfly
Mariah Carey
I struggle a bit with these albums that are fine but they I don’t care about.
3
Dec 06 2024
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Stankonia
OutKast
André 3000 is as talented a musician as the other greats on this list. Hard to follow ATLiens (their best IMO, and hopefully on this list) but it’s solid. BOB, Ms. Jackson, So Fresh & So Clean, Gasoline Dreams, Snappin & Trappin w/ Killer Mike, yeah.
4
Dec 09 2024
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Live!
Fela Kuti
Groovy and some cool jammin’. I dig the simplicity, feels real, like a fun time. End it after Carry Me and it’d be a 4. I couldn’t get through the 16 min drum solo…
3
Dec 10 2024
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Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music
Ray Charles
Some of these renditions are fantastic, particularly because they’re so different than the “usual” versions (“You are my sunshine” being the obvious/well-known example, but also “Born to Lose” and “your cheatin’ heart” - both of which I loved). Cool idea and excellent execution, but the relevance is lost on me and I struggle to find when I’d listen to this? But man, Ray, dude’s so good.
4
Dec 11 2024
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Our Aim Is To Satisfy
Red Snapper
I only really liked Don't Go Nowhere. Reminded me of This Will Destroy you or Panama or something. Keeping Pigs Together was pretty good too. The rest was just meh.
2
Dec 12 2024
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If You Can Believe Your Eyes & Ears
The Mamas & The Papas
Not really my style.
2
Dec 13 2024
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Getz/Gilberto
Stan Getz
Pleasant and intriguing. I could imagine being in a swanky bar with this on or being played live.
3
Dec 16 2024
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Pet Sounds
The Beach Boys
Not really my thing.
2
Dec 17 2024
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Can't Buy A Thrill
Steely Dan
Really enjoyed this album. Previously had only heard Steely Dan when a song would come on. Loved nearly everything about this though. And had a few “oh, I didn’t know was them” songs. Tough to rate, but I’m going to round up and go…
5
Dec 18 2024
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Tapestry
Carole King
Follow up Steely Dan they said…
I never intentionally listened to Carole King before. Thid blew me away. Love the vocals and songwriting. Love the guitar - acoustic and electric. And the sax. This has it all. Really enjoyed Way Over Yonder and Smackwater Jack (and all the others).
5
Dec 19 2024
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Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle
Bill Callahan
Eid ma clack shaw
Zupoven del ba
Mertepy ven seinur
Cofally ragdah
Eid ma clack shaw
Zupoven del ba
Mertepy ven seinur
Cofally ragdah
Yeah, I liked this a lot.
4
Dec 20 2024
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Since I Left You
The Avalanches
Not really my thing.
2