I had never heard of Mekons and am glad that I have. I have a feeling they may start making the rotation in the up coming new year. An interesting mix with country influenced music in behind the music at the forefront. Happy new year!

Glad to finally listen to the full album. Lesser known songs are better than the (overplayed?) hits.

I admit I may have missed the boat on this one but can’t get into it now.

Every song sounding the same had me looking forward to the ad breaks. Made me think of Johnny Cash “The Man Comes Around” but pales in comparison in every metric. That album I have listened to over and over, this one I struggled through the whole thing. Give it a miss.

Mercifully short and thank god I had my dog to play with while listening. Certainly other people’s cup of tea but definitely not mine.

So much better than the jazz and crooner nonsense of the last albums. Straight ahead folk/ rock in the vein of Neil Young but a lesser version. Bobo Neil Young.

Perfectly pleasant and innocuous pop music. Nothing challenging but nice to hear some of the less played songs. Particularly the title track.

One of the albums and songs that I can still remember the exact first time I heard it. I hadn’t listened to the whole album in a while and am pleasantly surprised how it holds up.

Ugh, noodling jazz at is most noodling.

I can’t say I was ever a MJ fan. I find most of the hits tired and overplayed by this point. Overall fine for background music but not something I would put on just to listen to.

I don’t know why but I was hoping for a big revelation on this album. Unfortunately to me it just sounded like an early U2. Not bad but I won’t be revisiting it.

Not my favorite style of rap but can clearly see( hear) the how this album influenced the genre. Probably not an album I would revisit but also did not dislike the experience.

I’ve always heard about the Smiths but have never actually listened to any of them. I can see returning to the Smiths in the future.

I could take or leave the first few songs but by the time I hit the last song I was hooked. Halfway through the final song I got a message that a long time client who I had just negotiated a release from jail had died. He was 61, homeless and a lifelong alcoholic. How fitting.

Just as good as the first time I heard it. I can listen to the whole thing through and be happy with every song.

Easy to listen too, like a familiar piece of cozy clothing. First song is the most interesting and best.

Lots of songs, hooks and beats I recognize. It obviously has had an impact on music going forward but even though I enjoy the ones that took from this I don’t see revisiting it. I was interested to hear the variations in song style while still all remaining a cohesive album.

Decent album for what it is. I can’t see returning to it but it was enjoyable. Who copied who werewolves of London by Warren Zevon or this? Could hear traces of their most famous song throughout. What’s with all the talking parts?

Funk will never be a favorite of mine but I can hear the building blocks within it and find myself singing along to some of the songs so I can’t hate it.

Sonically interesting. Not enough lyrically for me. Hero’s is the standout and the only track I would seek out to listen to again.

Was dreading this listen but found it enjoyable. Maybe it was just the mood or what I was doing at the time but I didn’t hate it.

I remember the first time I tried to get into the Roots. My cousin lent me this album and I listened to it several times. It didn’t take then and it still didn’t now. I like some of the raps and the DJing but the throwbacks to funk and soul just kill the vibe for me.

The iconic songs are indisputable. The rest are best left for a soul fan. I’ll wait to hear the best on compilations and scores. I don’t need to listen to a full album.

Again I did not know what to expect but I had hoped for something a bit more listenable. Challenging but not in a good way.

First Nirvana album I ever owned(cassette) and first live album as well. Kurt Cobain’s voice, the stripped down sound, the song choices all come together for a perfect album. I listened to my cassette on unending repeat and I could likely do the same now. Truly a must listen for me and influential on my musical taste going forward.

An interesting listening experience. This was the first time I had listened to the Liars in particular and “noise rock” in general. The use of noise or samples as an instrument changed with the songs depending on how pleasant it was. Simple lyrics often used similar to the noise was effective. It will be interesting to see where this genre evolves.

Otis Redding singing covers of early rock sounds makes this album a fun listen. I enjoyed the faster paced songs better so side two (especially satisfaction) was the go to listen.

No surprises here, not necessarily a negative but there was nothing that brought it out from just background music.

This album is the least enjoyable one to date. Even if it were a soundtrack to a real movie that movie would be insufferable based purely on this representation. Meandering and annoying.

A classic from tip to tail. A few songs get a little slow but it’s easily balanced out to make a near perfect album. One of the albums that I could listen to it on repeat without getting bored.

I’m not as much of a fan of the slower songs but the more uptempo ones more than make up for it. The weight itself would carry the album.

Good if you like Christmas music, I don’t. Even listening to this on Christmas morning was a chore but the rest of the house liked it.

Nice and pop-y with lyrics that actually tell a story. Not exactly my wheelhouse of music but I could/ would happily revisit the album.

This is true easy listening but not in a bad way”doctors office” way. The lyrics, voice and melodies mix together for a pleasant and easy and enjoyable experience.

This album is definitely of a time, that does not mean it still gets your heart rate up even on a sleepy holiday evening. However I came to realize that the happiness at hearing some of the better known tracks and remembering the general time of when it was relevant makes me realize it is nostalgic but not timeless.

A one track album in that you should listen to superstition and then skip the rest. Repetitive lyrics, slow pace and scatting. Pass

Not the most entertaining Flaming Lips album in my opinion but still listenable. A bit more atmospheric than my regular fare. Interesting

I had never heard of Mekons and am glad that I have. I have a feeling they may start making the rotation in the up coming new year. An interesting mix with country influenced music in behind the music at the forefront. Happy new year!

First time hearing of or listening to this band which is too bad because if it had found its way to me around release time I could see being into them in a big way. I enjoy the mix of genres and having ambient with lyrics is nice. I can see listening to them again, in the right situation.

Shiver, Satellite and others that were more melodic and often had female backing vocals were enjoyable whereas the monotone talk singing became tedious. Overall I enjoyed the album on the whole.

A classic classic. Even though I own the album this is the first time I think I’ve listened to the whole thing and certainly all in a row. I was very impressed by the final song and wish it got more play possibly in place of the title song because admittedly if you listen to the right (wrong?) radio stations it can get tedious with overplaying.

I am torn on this album. I liked the songs, the style the vocals everything. That said there were no songs that stood out in such a way that I thought I would seek them out again, but should they come up again I would not be unhappy. Maybe I will come back around to them again but I cannot see why that would be.

Like other of the era, the Hives just get you going, even on a sleepy Sunday Night. This best of / compilation album is a great reminder of the band for those that were around when these were originally released and probably a great primer for those who were not. This album will likely find its way into my rotation.

A great album led mostly by two very strong songs, kids and time to pretend. Upbeat music contrasted with the actual lyrics. You can just allow the songs to wash over in happy pop or pay attention to the lyrics for an alternate experience. A great album.

First time ever hearing this band and by extension album. The chill out music and vibe is cut with enough selections of samples, vocals and more to keep it from getting too sleepy and boring. Two songs were immediately put on my regular playlist. Glad for this recommendation.

An interesting listen. I wasn’t sure what to expect having only heard the name but not the music. I ended up having an enjoyable experience with this album although I didn’t listen to the lyrics too intently. I didn’t think I would like it as much as I did.

Another 5 star for Bowie. Never having done the dive into Bowie that I should have it is a revelation to hear the albums now. Looking forward to more Bowie albums on this journey.

This album was a surprise. I was expecting something more soul-y but it had a lot more funk. “Don’t call me ****** whitey” was a revelation and I have tried to look at o see if there was a story behind it because it seems powerful but I found nothing yet. A fun album.

I love her voice and Doo Wop (the thing) will never not be great. That said I just don’t enjoy this album. As good as Doo Wop is “Nothing Even Matters” is why I can never get into this style of music. But then it’s followed by Everything is Everything and I wish for an album made up of similar songs.

From top to bottom a very listenable album. It would not be a go to to play/ listen to and will never be in the rotation of what I regularly listen to but it has its place. Enjoyably listenable.

Absolutely classic album. From the first track through the last, the hits remain great and even the “lesser known” songs are great. Heavy and driving throughout, this album moves from start to finish. Too classic.

I would have expected to like this album more but found it to be just okay. Not an artist I will seek out. Could be interesting as a soundtrack but on its own it’s not enough.

I like old school rap as much as the next guy but I just don’t see what’s special about Gangstar or even this album in particular. The beats were as expected the rhymes and flow predictable. If this was the first of its type or a throwback to this sound I could perhaps see the relevance however it is from the time period it sounds like, and that’s not a good thing. There are others I would rather listen to when I want to listen to old school rap.

From the linked Wiki page… “Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water was listed in the book for 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, but later removed in recent editions of the book.” From the tired “look how many times we swear” fake edginess to the “borrowing” of other popular songs lyrics this album is better left in the past. Forget it.

A revelation! I’d only ever heard “One of these things first” from his other album on a compilation but didn’t know until I heard the voice. I think was hoping each successive song was longer. The stripped down sounds of just voice and guitar made the songs so much more interesting and intense. Amazing. I will be looking for this album.

Maybe it shows my age but this album and type of music just reminds me of boring background noise. Sort of like the elevator music for a new generation. I remember some of the hits of everything but the girl being on the radio and music compilations but I don’t think I ever enjoyed it then either. I can’t see how this is an album that anyone needs to hear. I’m sure there are people who enjoy it, but should everyone hear it ? no.

I don’t think they were the first of the Nu-metal bands or even if that’s how they would be categorized. Having had the chance to listen to this within days of limp bizkit it shows how much above LP is/ was above the others. To have this as their debut album is something. They were not a group I listened to when they came out and only got in through the Jay-Z mashup album and moved backwards, but I think they were the top of the genre at the time. It would have been interesting to see how they would have evolved if Bennington had survived. Not only at the top of the sound at the time but still a great album to this day.

I only wish I could give this album more than 5 stars. An absolute must, was likely my foray into any hip hop and responsible for making me a life long beastie boys fan. Bought every album after and the earlier ones I had missed. Even the instrumentals don’t bother me. I still miss my old scratched up green cd.

I genuinely enjoyed the songs with lyrics and would have enjoyed an album full of that. That said an album where the majority of the songs were without lyrics was not something I could enjoy.

Sonically interesting but li found it to be lacking in connecting that with the lyrics. It could be that the actual meaning of the lyrics were the known to this far after the release but I had hoped that the “…approach reflecting an anti-establishment, leftist political stance” would have been more clear. I can see how it influenced some music down the line but that was not enforced my own subjective enjoyment.

If only the whole album sounded like Lucky Man and Bittersweet Symphony this would be a stellar album. Unfortunately the rest is okay, not good, not bad but just okay. Fine for background listening.

Without Dreamer and Bloody Well Right this album would rate even lower on my scale. I’m not even sure those songs are even that good but they have a strong nostalgia factor from the radio as a youth. They would have been old even then but were still on our limited options for rock radio stations. I’ll be happy to stumble along those two tracks in later years for the same reasons but I would not seek out anything more from this album or the album as a whole.

I was hoping that I would enjoy this album as much as I liked Pink Moon. I found that the extra background accompaniment took away from the vulnerability of the songs. I don’t know if I would have liked it better if I hadn’t had the other one to compare it to, or if it was just a mood tonight. I will likely try the album again or hear some of it while listening to other Nick Drake music so I hope it grows on me over time. If it doesn’t I still have his other work.

Aside from Song Two which I still cannot fairly assess due to its being so overplayed when it first came out. You honestly couldn’t turn around without hearing the song. Unfortunately it ruined it a by association made me dislike the band without going deeper. Therefore this was my first time listening to the full album (or even partial). The songs were pleasant enough if not too memorable and I can see how people liked them. Unfortunately they sound “ of a time” and listening though pleasant would not be something I did without a project like this one.

The first song was promising but it went quickly downhill from there. Unfortunately the 80s sound just sounds so dated, more so than older music which can sound timeless. I think because of that music like this is does not have the staying power of music without such a distinctive era based sound. It also means that if you are like me and do not enjoy thie sounds of this time period all the music sounds so similar and unenjoyable.

I enjoy the sound of the 50s early rock and roll and you don’t get much better than Buddy Holly for that. You can hear the early building blocks of rock and roll which spreads to music of today.

Much more interestingly pleasant and melodic than I expected by the name of the album and songs. Moody but peaceful with lyrics to match. Might not be good if it doesn’t match your mood at the time but great when it does.

Undeniably great album. Well known and lesser known songs are likewise interesting in their lyrics and musically rocking. Can have it on as the only thing you’re paying attention to or as enjoyable background to dip in and out of. So far I have yet to find a Dylan album I don’t enjoy.

Trying to put myself into a place to think what it would be like hearing this album for the first time. From the opening welcome to the jungle through Mr Brownstone and sweet child of mine. Now classic it’s hard to imagine how hard they would have hit the first time. Even after repeated listenings throughout my life they’re still great if not a bit overplayed. Solid album.

Boring. It’s not new, it’s not challenging it’s not even noodley and angering. It’s just nothing. I wouldn’t even want it as background noise.

This was a slog. And long. Saying more would be too give more time to an album that has already taken enough of it.

This would not be an album or music that would ever be on my radar if it weren’t for this project. I enjoyed listening to the album for something new but would not return to it for listening pleasure. That said it wasn’t bad but I would have liked it more if the songs were shorter.

Enjoyed it for the nostalgia but other than Where is my Mind I won’t be returning to it.

Nice and mellow. I would happily have the Byrds playing at most times. Certainly a good listen.

This album was okay. I enjoyed the music much more than the lyrics and vocals, but at the same time wouldn’t want it only as an instrumental. Perhaps for Elvis Costello fans this is an important album but I admit I don’t get it.

Beautiful voice and songs.

Great and unique album. Even this many years after the success of the album there is no other band that has had the sound and associated success as the Gorillaz.

A fine album. Despite not understanding the lyrics (obviously) it was a good background.

I feel like anything I could say about this album would have been written 10,000 times before. It’s a masterpiece, a solid album from start to finish and an experience the first time or the hundredth.