340
Albums Rated
3.33
Average Rating
31%
Complete
749 albums remaining
Rating Distribution
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Taste Profile
1980s
Favorite Decade
Metal
Favorite Genre
UK
Top Origin
Balanced
Rater Style
59
5-Star Albums
22
1-Star Albums
Taste Analysis
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Ratings by genre
Origin Preferences
Ratings by country
Rating Style
You Love More Than Most
Albums you rated higher than global average
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cupid & Psyche 85 | 5 | 2.38 | +2.62 |
| Haut de gamme / Koweït, rive gauche | 5 | 2.61 | +2.39 |
| Shalimar | 5 | 2.66 | +2.34 |
| Group Sex | 5 | 2.74 | +2.26 |
| Merriweather Post Pavilion | 5 | 2.9 | +2.1 |
| Fred Neil | 5 | 2.93 | +2.07 |
| I Against I | 5 | 2.93 | +2.07 |
| The Dreaming | 5 | 2.96 | +2.04 |
| Fever Ray | 5 | 2.99 | +2.01 |
| Wild Gift | 5 | 3 | +2 |
You Love Less Than Most
Albums you rated lower than global average
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thriller | 1 | 4.22 | -3.22 |
| Bad | 1 | 3.8 | -2.8 |
| Off The Wall | 1 | 3.78 | -2.78 |
| The Suburbs | 1 | 3.51 | -2.51 |
| Parachutes | 1 | 3.46 | -2.46 |
| Fleet Foxes | 1 | 3.43 | -2.43 |
| If I Should Fall From Grace With God | 1 | 3.34 | -2.34 |
| Sea Change | 1 | 3.33 | -2.33 |
| The College Dropout | 1 | 3.32 | -2.32 |
| American Beauty | 1 | 3.24 | -2.24 |
Artist Analysis
Favorite Artists
Artists with 2+ albums
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Talking Heads | 3 | 5 |
| David Bowie | 4 | 4.5 |
| Led Zeppelin | 2 | 5 |
| Portishead | 2 | 5 |
| Kraftwerk | 2 | 5 |
| Nirvana | 2 | 5 |
| The Cure | 2 | 5 |
Least Favorite Artists
Artists with 2+ albums
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Michael Jackson | 3 | 1 |
| Grateful Dead | 2 | 1 |
| Bruce Springsteen | 4 | 2 |
5-Star Albums (59)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
Portishead
5/5
Wow, talk about being stuck under a rock. I’ve seen this album several times, usually on lists of best/popular albums. And I don’t know why but I never really looked into this album and that was a major mistake this album is great, it’s haunting and beautiful. The instrumentation is wonderful and of its time but in a pleasant way. Honestly I go on and on about this album. Go give it a listen.
2 likes
The Who
3/5
No doubt this album is a rock classic. Super influential album with a lot of fans, however I may not be one. My favorite songs are the first track and then the last 3 tracks. All 4 of those songs are awesome and super memorable. That’s the problem, the meat of this album the middle three albums are just so meh. Sadly forgettable, I do think this album is worth listening to in its entirety. I just don’t think I personally care for anything other than those few songs.
2 likes
The Crusaders
3/5
After listening to the worst Nick Cave album, this album was like drinking a cold glass of water, completely refreshing. The instrumentation is amazing and the vibe and grooves are great. I really loved the first song, it really carries the whole album. By that is sorta the problem, after that first song it’s constantly downhill. Not drastically downhill, like falling off a mountain into boring noise. It’s more like they had one absolute banger in that first song and then didn’t bother putting as much effort into the other songs. They all just feel like a let down after that first song. Honestly though, this album is insanely short and I love that. Definitely worth your time, it won’t take much of it and it’s a great lounge around the house kinda album. Just put it on, jam to the first song then kinda just bop to the rest and forget that it’s even on.
1 likes
Jefferson Airplane
4/5
I went into this album misremembering how many songs were on it and that was really my only major negative is that the album is packed. There’s a lot of tracks on this album and I think the album would’ve benefited from slimming down. But the tracks on this album that work and that are major hit songs are truly iconic. The amount of movies and tv shows that use this song cause it’s so iconic for its time is endless. Seriously this album is an all time great….just a little bloated though.
1 likes
Raekwon
3/5
I think this album deserves more time to get a review. It has only been one full day since I listened to this album but it feels like a lot of this albums charm and appeal comes from really getting to know it. Like all my favorite rap are my favorite because I know them so well. Knowing the bars and keeping up mentally is like the whole appeal of rap music. So when it’s brand new, it’s never gunna hit as hard as it does when you have been listening to it for years. I guess what I’m saying is I like the beats, I like the lyrics that I understood, but I just need more time with this album for it to sink in. I can’t find any fault with it other than it didn’t completely blow me away.
1 likes
1-Star Albums (22)
All Ratings
Led Zeppelin
5/5
Classic, almost no skips.
Thin Lizzy
5/5
Phenomenal live rock album. I’m a huge Thin Lizzy fan so I was already familiar with the album. But this would be the perfect album to get into Thin Lizzy cause it’s a super clean live album with a crazy good tracklist.
T. Rex
5/5
Great guitar tones, chill choruses. Super underrated classic.
Janis Joplin
4/5
Great album only lacking in variety of sounds. But the one sound that’s on the album is clearly heavily refined and clean. This was a good introduction to Janis Joplin.
Thelonious Monk
3/5
Great jazz album. Jazz isn’t my first pick, and it is definitely not my favorite genre. However I really enjoyed this album. It was really great music to get work done to. I only wish I could give it a score somewhere between a 3-4.
Ray Charles
4/5
I was not familiar with Ray Charles (except for a few massive hits) and I was intrigued by the title. As it turns out, it is NOT a country album(or at least not a modern country album), which is a great turn. And the production on the album is spectacular. Like it basically sounds like an old school movie soundtrack cause the orchestra and instrumentation on this album is like butter on hot pancakes, it is silky smooth. Overall I wasn’t sure what to expect which I think helped the album, but ultimately it is truly a one in a million album even if it’s not chalk full of hit songs. Truly loved relaxing with this album and a nice joint.
The Fall
2/5
This album was interesting. It is a very early British punk album but it sounds so watered down (for lack of a better word). I liked the guitar playing a lot, but some of the songs were painfully repetitive in both lyrics and instrumentation. I really enjoyed L.A. but I didn’t really love the album as a whole.
Steely Dan
4/5
This album is a great yacht rock album. If you like other Steely Dan albums, you will probably love this album. I really like this album and my favorite thing about this album was its length, it’s fairly short so it doesn’t overstay it’s welcome. If someone hadn’t heard of steely dan before and they could not find a best of album, I would recommend this one cause it is very chill.
Fugees
4/5
A hugely influential and impactful jazz-rap/R&B this album is a classic. It’s not my favorite genre but holy shit is this album great. It’s so smooth and catchy, and features a few huge hit songs. This is the album I’d recommend to people who are not familiar with R&B classics, cause there’s no doubt this album is a classic. It does feature a skit that would offend the easily offended, but that’s not an issue for me. Overall a top ten R&B album.
Peter Tosh
2/5
So just off the cover I had a pretty good idea of what to expect from this album which I think both helped and hurt it. For example, I knew it was gunna be a groovy reggae album based off the cover and album title, which put me in the right expectations but it also limited the album. Because it is the most stereotypical reggae album out there, the title track is the first song and musically and instrumentally it doesn’t steer very far from that first song, which I liked but after 5-6 songs it started to get tiresome. And by the time I hit the pseudo-religious song I lost all interest in the demos and remixes that were 2/3 of the album. So honestly I really enjoyed it at first and then I got “reggaed” out. I just couldn’t finish the album. I did in my defense listen to all the original tracks, I just turned it off once I got to the demos. Overall this was a forgettable album, but a chill and relaxing forgettable album.
David Bowie
5/5
Super powerful album about a man struggling with his mortality and the existential nightmare surrounding him. I fucking loved this album. My only critique is that I preferred the later part of the album despite all the “hits” (⭐️ and Lazarus) being at the front of the album. Girl loves me, Sue, and dollar days being my favorites. Can’t recommend this album enough, definitely check it out if you haven’t.
CHVRCHES
3/5
I liked this album. It’s very pop rock, but I liked it cause it has the tinge of indie rock. The singer has a great voice and the music is great. I feel like it was alittle bloated. Like a lot of the songs were a lot of the same, which I makes the album feel longer. I did like that they had two singers, which adds some nice variety, however the female singer was still the stand out star of the album. I would definitely say that I enjoy it, but I wasn’t blown away to the point of looking into their other work. However on the plus side, if I saw this album on sale I’d have a hard time not buying it. Overall a strong 3.
Small Faces
4/5
Ok I’m alittle biased because I adore psychedelic rock/metal, those are probably my favorite genres. And while this is a very early psychedelic rock album, it genuinely holds up today. It is not very heavy or dark, but it’s whimsical and free sounding. Obviously with psychedelic rock you get a healthy dose of crazy good instrumentation and that is no different here. Overall I thought the album was a great hidden gem that I had never heard of before and now I have a brand new artist for myself to look into. Idk if there were enough like “hits” on this album to give it a perfect 5 but this is definitely an above average 4.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
So I don’t have a lot to say about this one. I like Elvis Costello but I don’t love his voice. So for a pop rock band to have a singer who is just ok makes those songs that are not catchy hit songs even more forgettable. This album just kinda disappointed me, I was excited for what it was gunna sound like cause it has a GREAT album cover. But ultimately I just wasn’t really blown away. Perfectly in the middle not bad and not great just kinda forgettable. Weak 3/5
David Bowie
5/5
I’m super biased cause I adore David Bowie, but this is probably one of his more mainstream albums. This is a total classic, maybe two skips, but a nearly perfect album all round.
The Slits
4/5
Very surprised by this album. In a vast contrast to the Peter Tosh album, this album sounds nothing like I would’ve expected. It was kinda ska and also punk. It had a lot of forgettable skips, but the 3-4 songs that stood out were great. Really enjoyed the vocals on their songs and my favorite thing was how random and silly the instrumentation is. There’s slide whistles mixed ska guitars, wild stuff. Big fan, definitely gunna check out their other albums.
Animal Collective
5/5
LOVE THIS ALBUM. I was introduced to this band by a former coworker during a secret Santa gift exchange. I played this album on repeat for several weeks after that. This is not a word I use to describe music very often, but this album is truly hypnotizing. It definitely works best in the background while you’re working on something cause it can be super super repetitive if you’re paying too much attention, but it’s infectious. Like it grows on you and gets better and better with every listen. Definitely check this album out, it’s my personal favorite of their whole catalog.
Portishead
5/5
Wow, talk about being stuck under a rock. I’ve seen this album several times, usually on lists of best/popular albums. And I don’t know why but I never really looked into this album and that was a major mistake this album is great, it’s haunting and beautiful. The instrumentation is wonderful and of its time but in a pleasant way. Honestly I go on and on about this album. Go give it a listen.
Massive Attack
4/5
Very good album. Wasn’t blown away but I did really enjoy it. It’s got some pretty great songs on this album but it definitely has a lot of skips as well. I liked the beats and the production on this album, as well. I looked into some of the bands other singles and this band’s composition really shines. Definitely check them out.
Anita Baker
3/5
I enjoyed this album. This is not a genre I listen to often, but when I saw that Whitney Houston was a big fan of Anita’s I was definitely excited to listen. I always say how much I love short and well produced albums that are not bloated to pad out run time. And this is a great example of how short albums can make the experience better. If there was ten more song this album would be grading. But overall I really liked this album and while I won’t be able to listen to it on streaming, I enjoyed searching for it and finding it.
The Saints
4/5
I had never heard of the saints before and I was definitely impressed. This punk/alternative rock band is wonderful. Their instrumentation is super fun and usually pretty upbeat. They have a couple really catchy songs on here. It is a bloated album however with a TON of forgettable songs that all kinda water each other down. But the beginning of the album is super strong and I would definitely recommend. But the album unfortunately overstays its welcome by being WAY too long.
The Isley Brothers
5/5
Man what’s there to say, classic r/b album. Velvety smooth instrumentation, and some funky hit songs create a nearly perfect album.
Suzanne Vega
3/5
This album is very folksy but despite that I really enjoyed a few songs on the album. There’s plenty of songs that didn’t really make an impression but I really enjoyed the songs that did make an impression.
New Order
4/5
This is a super fun and silly new wave album. Nearly to the point of being comedic. Loved this album, added a lot of songs from this album onto my main playlist. Definitely worth your time.
Cream
2/5
I was very excited for this album. I had never listened to the full album, just the huge hit song off the album, so I was excited to find some other gems and I was sadly disappointed. It’s not a terrible album but there’s no variety. You get one core sound throughout the whole album and it gets dry very quickly. I’d still recommend this album to somebody who had never heard of them or “sunshine of your love”, but I wouldn’t buy the album and I did not add any songs off the album to my main playlist. So ultimately, not great, not terrible.
Herbie Hancock
5/5
This album is definitely a “where have you been all my life” album. It’s a psychedelic funk album…. What’s more to say? It’s fucking awesome and your wasting time by not listening to it right now!
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
2/5
This album was fun and it was funky, both positives. But for a short album such as this, I expect/hope that the vast majority of songs are great. Sadly this album only had like 2 great songs and the second one was pseudo religious and that’s always a huge turnoff for me personally. So overall I thought the song that worked was great but if an album is being carried by ONE song, it has to be one of the greats, and sadly “it’s nasty” is good but not one of the greats.
A Tribe Called Quest
4/5
This album is great! I love the beats and the production on this album. I was blown away that this was debut album. Genuinely an amazing rap album. You will definitely know the hit off this album “can I kick it?”, but there’s a ton of gems on this album especially “I left my wallet in El Segundo”. If you are a rap fan (especially alt rap) you will love this album.
Beatles
4/5
This is a super underrated Beatles album. It’s not my favorite but it’s still worth your time. I never liked this one as a kid but it’s aged well and has grown on me. There’s a bunch of good songs on this one even if you don’t like the big hit on this album.
k.d. lang
2/5
This album is hard for me. The singing is excellent, the production is crystal clean and inspired, the instrumentation is creative. But despite all these things I just love this album. It’s too slow for me which is more an indictment of myself than the album. I liked the last song on the album and also the first song. But ultimately I just wasn’t a huge fan of the album as a whole.
Ryan Adams
2/5
Just not for me. I hated the sound of the production almost immediately. It’s just so radio friendly and boring and it basically put me to sleep. The only thing stopping this from getting a “1 star” is the one hit song on this album is ok. But honestly the whole thing is easily forgettable.
Supergrass
3/5
I liked this album. Fun and punky, the first half of the album is better than the second half but I enjoyed it, overall a good album that’s just a little bloated with too many forgettable songs. Just good enough to not be a 2 star.
The Cars
5/5
LOVE THIS ALBUM!!! It has something really special about it. It was technically released in the seventies but it sounds quintessentially “80s” which says a lot about how influential the album was at the time. It’s wildly catchy and fun. The production is excellent, and it’s definitely dated but in the best possible way. Nearly everything on the album is a “hit” song. This is probably The Cars best album (the two following this one are both great) so definitely worth your time. Oh and it’s like the perfect length, does not overstay it’s welcome at all, not bloated just to pad the run time. Perfect album!
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
3/5
If you like classic “rock n roll” then this album is definitely for you. I grew up listening to Elvis Presley a lot as a kid so this type of music is super nostalgic. I wasn’t blown away by the album necessarily but I saved a few songs off the album. Overall a good rock n roll album with a few hits.
Bruce Springsteen
1/5
Ok wow. So this is the first album I’ve gotten, after 34 straight albums, where I actually hated it. The songwriting is so boring and cliched, the production is clearly well done but his voice is not mindblowing and it’s not horrible, it’s just completely unremarkable. Honestly I had alittle hope a few songs in cause I like the instrumentation of “worlds apart” but that quickly falls apart cause once you get to the self-righteous lyrics and boring vocals the song just fades away into the repetitive mess that the rest of the album contains. I’m just so disappointed by this album. It’s also super long with 15 songs that make for a nearly hour and a half snore-fest. Honestly if you remember how bad radio music/rock was in the early 2000s, this is just more of that. Just skip this album, it’ll save you an hour of your life.
Bob Dylan
3/5
I’m not much of a Bob Dylan fan, but i definitely enjoyed this album. The production is great, Dylan is a great musician which really shines in this album. His voice is still pretty grading, but enjoyed a lot of the album. Definitely worth checking out, this album has most of his biggest hits so it’s a good jumping off point into the rest of his career.
Buffalo Springfield
4/5
I was not familiar with Buffalo Springs as a band until today. I had heard a few of their largest hits before however (one of which is on this album). But I really enjoyed this album. It has a lot of variety for an album from the sixties. The song “good time boy” was a super refreshing diversion from the rest of the albums sound and is probably my favorite song on the album either next to or behind “Mr.soul” which is also an amazing song. The album really screams the 60s for better or for worse, but I’d still definitely recommend it to someone who likes softer psychedelic albums.
The Prodigy
5/5
This album is fucking tits! It is so good and I had heard of prodigy before but i definitely regret only discovering them now. Wow this album is so much fun and it’s fast. Super fun dance album but also like a perfect 90s hacker movie score. I wish I had a better way of describing how great this album is, but trust me if you like electronic music or dance music, you will adore this album!
Kraftwerk
5/5
What’s not to say about Kraftwerk?! This legendary band does NOT disappoint. They have one of the most original sounds of all time and nearly 50years later, no one sounds like them. Yes they sound alittle stereotypical for electronic music but that because they literally created the genre. And this album is probably their most popular album. Super atmospheric and entrancing, this album will have your brain going on a sci-fi adventure across the future with robots and huge neon cities. This is not my favorite album by them but it’s definitely the most accessible. And we are all thinking it so I’ll just say it. Anyone who doesn’t enjoy this album doesn’t know how to have fun.
Os Mutantes
4/5
Well, considering this is a French album. It kind of limits how much I can process. Like I have no idea what any of the songs are about. Literally the only thing I can even critique/comment on is the music and instrumentation. Thankfully psychedelic rock has a long history of being performed by wildly talented musicians and that is no different here. The music is engaging and creative without being silly necessarily. There’s variety, not a lot, but definitely a lot of variety for its time. Honestly this album ages super well and it’s because the music and instrumentation is so good. Just a few songs in and you think you might have a good idea of what this album has to offer and then you realize don’t when you get to “Adeus Maria Fulô” which I can only describe as jungle-rock. It’s so fun and enjoyable, I’d highly recommend this album to somebody with tolerance for not understanding the actual lyrics/message and an interest in psychedelic music.
Stevie Wonder
3/5
The album is actually pretty slow for me. I always struggle with slower songs. But the upbeat songs like “boogie on reggae woman” are great, those were by far my favorite tracks on the album. Even the songs I don’t love have great production and sounds. Overall this album is jammed pack with funk, r/b, and soul. But sadly half the album was alittle too slow for me personally. (Small side note: GREAT album cover!)
Le Tigre
5/5
Wow this album is great!!! Definitely not for everyone, but this album is why I started following this list. This album is an all time great for me now and yesterday I had no idea who they were. If you like things that are weird and different you will like this. My only complaint is I can’t give this album a 6 out of five.
Bob Dylan
3/5
This is my second Bob Dylan album that I’ve actually listened to front to back. And it wasn’t as grading as I thought it would be, but it also didn’t blow me away. Like I can appreciate the political commentary being made on the album but sonically the album is a lot of the same. The tone changes throughout the album but the sound doesn’t. My favorite song on the album is the biggest departure in sound out of the whole album, honey just allow me one more chance. I really liked how this song seemed whimsical and silly while the rest of the album was somber and pointed. This seemed to be the only song that was almost aimless, and I appreciate that. Sadly I can’t rate the album off of one song alone.
Def Leppard
4/5
If you like hair metal, this is as good as it gets. The album is chock full of hits. This is Def Leppard at the absolute height of their popularity and power. Great album with catchy lyrics and music. Honestly this is what I listened to when I was a kid so it’s kinda hard to rate cause I’ve definitely outgrown it but I still appreciate it.
Genesis
3/5
So I was pleasantly surprised at first, not because I dislike Genesis (I actually LOVE the invisible touch album) but because I didn’t expect this album to be so psychedelic and progressive. I really liked the first like 6ish songs but like most albums this long (23 songs!) it’s just bloated and too long. Like it really overstayed its welcome. I had to try and listen to the second half of the album twice cause I thought maybe I was being too critical but the later part of this album doesn’t really add anything substantial, where I. Contrast the beginning of the album is great. Honestly had this album been edited down to just like 12-14 songs that would’ve pushed the album to a four.
Nirvana
5/5
This album is one of the all time greats! Almost every track on the album is hugely popular and influential. The production on this album is shockingly clean, and the lyrics are as raw as it gets. Genuinely one of the best albums ever, if you haven’t heard this album go listen to it.
Judas Priest
5/5
Absolute classic. This album has two of Judas Priest’s biggest hit songs and the other songs on the album are good but not great. They kinda feel like filler unfortunately. That’s what makes this album really hard to review, it has music that I grew up listening to and loving a lot, but the album as whole is not perfect. It gets alittle stagnant after “living after midnight” but honestly I’d still recommend it.
Eagles
3/5
This album is chock full of hits. For a debut album, this album is stellar. The problem is I can’t review this album unbiasedly, because this is one of those albums where it contains songs that were played over and over throughout my life. So despite how catchy and memorable the songs on this album are, I am just sick to death of them. I can appreciate how solid this album is and I found a few songs on it that I didn’t know and I liked. However this album is really hurt by the radio effect, so many of these songs are just so over exposed that it makes the album tiresome.
John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers
4/5
this album is stacked with talent. From one of the greatest guitar players of his generation (Clapton) to Ray fucking Charles this album is bursting at the seams with talent. And there’s a bunch of catchy songs on this album, but really this album shines in the instrumentation. The guitar playing is so remarkable you could cut out all the other instruments and singers and this album would still be amazing. Seriously if you like old school rock n roll, this album is for you.
Fatboy Slim
5/5
This is why I follow this list. This album is awesome! And even though I’m familiar with a few songs idk if I ever would’ve listened to the full album in its entirety. And this album is amazing, it’s fun and silly and really creative. Honestly this album is just a no skip experience. Go listen to it.
The Who
3/5
No doubt this album is a rock classic. Super influential album with a lot of fans, however I may not be one. My favorite songs are the first track and then the last 3 tracks. All 4 of those songs are awesome and super memorable. That’s the problem, the meat of this album the middle three albums are just so meh. Sadly forgettable, I do think this album is worth listening to in its entirety. I just don’t think I personally care for anything other than those few songs.
Meat Loaf
5/5
This album is one of the greatest rock operas of all time. Every song is memorable and epic in scale and tone. The instrumentation is insane, there’s a whole orchestra essentially on this album. As always I struggled with the slower ballads cause I don't typically latch onto slower music, but not a single song is worth skipping. This is basically white people gospel music.
Sly & The Family Stone
3/5
I was not very familiar with Sly & The Family Stone, like I had heard of them but I never heard their music. Well this album is a great jumping off point cause it’s super funky and powerful. There’s some songs in this album with VERY powerful lyrics and topics. But the thing that grabbed my attention the most was the music. The music is so good I would’ve been cool with the second half of the album being instrumental versions of all the songs on the album. Even though it wasn’t like a perfect 5, I’d still recommend this album to someone unfamiliar with it.
Goldie
3/5
So to preface, I am not very familiar with drum and bass music. When I was a kid exploring music on newgrounds, the drum and bass music section always seemed repetitive and boring. So ever since then I’ve never taken time to listen to any professional/established d’n’b artist, until I got to this album. And I really enjoyed the first song. It’s TWENTY ONE MINUTES LONG, but it somehow manages to not over stay its welcome. It has a multitude of beat switches and tone changes, and it keeps finding ways to maintain your attention. Genuinely a great song. I also liked the third and twelfth song, but this is where the problem comes in. In-between those 3 songs are just a mess of the same sound. Like it’s not nails on a chalkboard offensive to the ears, but it’s so atmospheric that nothing stands out about the other tracks. They all blend together to create an hour and 18min long loading music for the 35mins of music that’s truly remarkable. Strangely however, I don’t hate this album, it’s very relaxing and “sound-scapey”, it’s grand and epic in tone. I just think that the atmospheric background music just overstays its welcome. Like if the album was 6 songs and just under an hour long, I think this album could’ve been a 4 or even a 5. But I think this album is definitely worth your time if you already are a big fan of drum and bass or if you have never really listened to it before. Goldie is probably the way to go for an entry into the genre.
Scritti Politti
5/5
Ok I’m alittle biased cause I LOVE 80s new wave, like there’s just something about it that scratches an itch for me. My biggest problem with this album is I don’t LOVE the singers voice, it’s perfectly fine, but not like memorable or remarkable. This album is ALL about the instruments! I would buy a record of this with just instrumentals and I would probably enjoy that better. But regardless of the singer, the music is awesome! Super funky and of it’s time, I can’t believe I’ve never heard of this band before. (Just looked it up, they were huge in the UK, that explains that). But seriously if you like new wave, this album is for you.
Dusty Springfield
5/5
I had never heard of Dusty Springfield before, so I was not sure what to expect. I didn’t have anyone in my life that was a big enough fan to show her to me, but she is wonderful. Her voice is so pleasant and soothing without being showy or dramatic. Genuinely love this album from start to finish there was almost no skips at all. Plus the production on this album is insane, it sounds so heavenly and also mildly psychedelic at moments. Also I had actually heard one of her songs before, the song called “son of a preacher man” is actually super popular and you might have heard it before it’s very old school but that works in its favor. Definitely check this album out, it made me a big Dusty fan.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
3/5
I was stoked for this album originally cause I got “the yeah yeah yeahs” confused with “the gimmie gimmie gimmies” (which you should look into if you like female singer rock bands). But despite the mild confusion, I loved the first 3 songs. It kinda fell off after that. But it’s still a solid modern rock album. The singers voice is great, really liked what she brought to the songs and I also liked the instrumentals. Really my only complaint is the album as a whole is kinda forgettable. Love the album artwork as well but ultimately this is a solid 3.
John Lee Hooker
3/5
Going into this album I was not familiar with John Lee Hooker at all. I had never heard his music before so I had no idea what I was in for. And I really enjoyed the music. The instruments are all so sharp and clean. You can hear everything it’s so clean. And the production and number of musical celebrity guests is crazy! Bonnie Raitt, Santana, George Thorogood, just to name a small few. My only problem with this album (and it’s a big one) I don’t really like John’s voice. He doesn’t have a voice with a great presence and there’s not a lot of diversity to his vocals. Honestly this album is worth your time and if you are a blues fan, this is an essential album. But honestly the guests and instrumentation wasn’t enough to make up for the lack of vocal charisma.
The Shamen
2/5
So right off the back I really liked this album. It starts really high with by far the best song on the album and everything after that is downhill. I actually counted how many songs I liked enough to add them to a playlist I listen to, and how many were like nails on a chalkboard repetitive, and 2/3rds of the hour long album were not just forgettable and skippable, but they were actually grading to listen to. It’s really a shame because based off of the first two songs I thought this album would be a “dancey” new wave album. It is not really new wave sounding after the first two songs (maybe the last one too, that song has a new wave vibe to it). But ultimately if it weren’t for the 5songs I did like this album would be my second album to get a one star review.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
2/5
I wasn’t really blown away with this album. I guess you could say when I saw it was a Bob Marley album I was excited cause I don’t listen to him and I’m not familiar with very many songs. And I found a couple songs on this album I liked to its credit. But the problem I have with this album is sonically it’s very one note. There’s not a lot of variation of sounds on this album, and that always hurts an album for me personally. Along with the other type of songs I struggle with, slow songs. There’s a lot of slow songs on this album. So I feel like despite everything this album had going against it, I still found a few songs that I liked. I’m not sure if I would recommend this album however.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
5/5
Wow this album is great! I have gotten a yeah yeah yeahs album already through this list (it’s Blitz!), and I liked it but I felt like most of the album was forgettable and didn’t stand out. With this album is entirely unique and intriguing. I love the singers voice, they work so well with the modern rock instrumentals. But that doesn’t take away from the music, which is stellar. My favorite thing about this album is the variety! That’s probably the most important thing to me (which is also why my favorite band is ween) but this album has plenty of variety while also not losing its identity. This album honestly is a nearly no skip album. It’s also a great length at 12 songs for 36mins. I love short but sweet albums.
Ice Cube
4/5
This is probably one of ice cube’s best solo albums. The samples are powerful and entertaining. The beats are super chill, and the rapping is super memorable and almost catchy. Not to mention this album contains one of his biggest hits “it was a good day” which is also my personal favorite song of his. My only complaint about this album is it is not a no skip album. Despite how much I like the samples, they take the place of interludes in this album and a lot of them overstay their welcome. Near the end of the album I started to think “should I find a playlist of this album that excludes the inserts?” Which was only because I wanted to give this album a higher score. But that wouldn’t make sense cause it’s a core part of the vibe of the album. Overall I think even if this album didn’t have the inserts (or just less of them) it’s still as close to a 5 as you can get without actually being a 5 star.
Billy Bragg
3/5
So I had never heard of Billy Bragg before, and honestly I had mixed opinions. I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of variety on this album. There’s some rock, country, slower ballads, etc. my only real complaint is that his accent is so distracting. Genuinely I had to listen to this album twice cause I felt like the first listen I was being unfairly harsh cause I was so distracted by how thick his British accent is. But on a second listen I started to enjoy it more. Really the star of this album is how great the guitar and piano playing is. I think if you are looking for something alittle different and slightly challenging, this is the album for you. Very interesting album.
Michael Jackson
1/5
I refuse to listen to or review this garbage.
Saint Etienne
4/5
This album was great. Super chill and atmospheric. This is an ideal album to put on while working or cleaning cause it’s super relaxing. It’s not a perfect album. It doesn’t have a lot of variety and sonically it’s very specific and doesn’t deviate from its sound. Also there’s a few skips so not a perfect give unfortunately. I think if it had a little more variety or if it had one really adventurous, out of the box song that really deviated from the norm it n this album it could’ve easily been a five. But I think this album is totally worth your time, and I’ll be on the lookout for this album on vinyl.
Fleet Foxes
1/5
Nails on a chalk board. Obviously reviewing music is subjective, like I could listen to this album maybe on another day when I’m in a better mood (for the record I’m not in a bad mood I’m just not in a jubilant mood) and maybe I’d be more open minded about grading folk rock. But I hated it, I played it twice in one day and then I waited a few days before reviewing it so I could listen to it once more to see if I truly did hate this album as much as I thought. But at the end of the day this is an edgeless album. It’s just fluff and sorbitol, no natural sugar. I really mean that, this whole album is boring and melodramatic. It reminds me of people who are narcissistic sociopaths who don’t realize how shallow and vain they are. The most accurate description of this album that I could give to convey both the music and the whole vibe around it would be: “you remember the character from animal house that’s sitting on the steps of the fraternity trying to swoon college girls with his acoustic guitar before Bluto uncontrollably smashes it to pieces. Yah imagine if bluto never saved the day and that same guy got a full studio to make an album. That’s this album.
Foo Fighters
3/5
This is actually kinda embarrassing, I had no idea that the Foo Fighters had a self titled debut album. For some reason I genuinely thought the colour and the shape was their debut album. So I was excited to learn there was FF music I hadn’t heard yet. But like all wildly successful radio rock bands, I actually was already familiar with a few songs on the album. “Big me” is an all time classic rock song. I love that track as well as floaty and watershed. However I thought as a whole the album was underwhelming. It definitely peaked 3 songs into the album and only just recovered with 2 more songs of note. They do sound like they are trying to discover themselves which is fascinating to listen to, and they definitely have a strong garage rock sound on this album. My biggest complaint is there wasn’t enough variety on the album, which made some of the songs forgettable. But I still think, despite this not being one of FF best albums, that this is a solid modern rock album.
Run-D.M.C.
2/5
One time while I was working a minimum wage job in college I had an argument with a coworker over the beastie boys. His problem was that he thought the beastie boys were slow and terrible rappers who weren’t musically gifted. This is obviously a terrible take but I always assumed it’s just because to him, someone who grew up listening to modern rap music since he was in grade school, he saw the fundamentals of what the BB did in their music done faster in the music he liked. Like how when you hear the original blues version of a classic rock n roll song and it just sounds slower and “less fun”. That’s how I felt about this Run-D.M.C. Album. You can so clearly see the building blocks in this album that will get used to nauseam by other artists. It’s genuinely fascinating in that sense cause you can hear the history and imagine how the other artists discovered this music and then basically sampled it to death. But that’s sort of the problem. I can’t see past that or imagine myself in a world where this music hasn’t been sampled and borrowed from to death. The album came across as exhausting and boring. I’m sure this album was revolutionary for its time, being one of the first actual rap albums but sadly this grape did not age into a fine wine but into a box of raisins that are warm from being left in the car. If you love rap and rap history, this album is for you. If you love modern rap music and what that sounds like today, skip this album. TLDR: the album is dated AF.
Sonic Youth
3/5
Big fan of sonic youth. Great band but I’m not super familiar with their discography outside of goo. But clearly I’ve been missing out cause this album is great. Shockingly haunting for a punk album but that’s really more of an accomplishment than a deterrent. Seriously if you are not familiar with SY I’d highly recommend them, but I would not recommend starting with this album. This felt like a more challenging album than others. It had a lot to offer to the listen as far as variety and creativity. But it’s still not the most accessible album to new fans. Really the only criticism is that I felt the middle of the album sort of meandered. Honestly though, this album is worth your time, super different.
Taylor Swift
1/5
Yah this is not for me. It comes across as shallow and narcissistic. It’s so vein and yet also so “lowest common denominator” that I don’t understand how people could obsess over this music. It’s so lifeless and melodramatic. This is a nice reminder that maybe the deaf DO have it better.
Elliott Smith
2/5
So I had a lot of conflicting feelings about this album. For example, I appreciate that for a folk album, there was a lot of different instruments and the music was very melodic. But the main singer uses a filter on his voice for most of the album and I hated that. In fact,I specifically hated the way the instruments sounded with this fake sounding voice tone. And as always I struggle with songs that are slow, and a good majority of these songs are slower. The biggest positive of this album is the guitar playing. It’s so smooth and flowing but also pointed when it needs to be.
Raekwon
3/5
I think this album deserves more time to get a review. It has only been one full day since I listened to this album but it feels like a lot of this albums charm and appeal comes from really getting to know it. Like all my favorite rap are my favorite because I know them so well. Knowing the bars and keeping up mentally is like the whole appeal of rap music. So when it’s brand new, it’s never gunna hit as hard as it does when you have been listening to it for years. I guess what I’m saying is I like the beats, I like the lyrics that I understood, but I just need more time with this album for it to sink in. I can’t find any fault with it other than it didn’t completely blow me away.
Kate Bush
5/5
Ok wow, I need to start listening to Kate Bush cause this album is crazy. Like sonically it sounds like someone made this album high on adhd meds cause it’s wild. It’s kinda silly at parts, and at other parts it’s very brooding and emotional. And what Kate does with her voice on this album is super unique I’ve never heard an album that sounds like this and I ADORE it!
Rush
5/5
Classic progressive rock album. No skip album. A lot of people may claim bias, but honestly I never grew up with rush. But if you like progressive rock, this album has it all. It’s got my two of my most important aspects of an album, it’s relatively short, and most importantly, it’s got variety. If someone had never heard of rush or progressive music, this would be the album I would give them.
Fela Kuti
3/5
I was replay blown away by the first two tracks. I’ve never heard afrobeat music before so I was blown away by the horns and the drums. My biggest problem with this album is that it’s a lot of filler. Everything after the first two songs were alittle over repetitive and forgettable. But I loved the energy of the album.
Lucinda Williams
3/5
First off, great album cover, I really love how wholesome and nostalgic this cover is even though I’ve never been there. But with that out of the way the album didn’t blow me away, but I was super interested in the artist herself. It inspired me to look deeper into her as an artist as a whole and she seems like a super cool cat. My favorite songs on the album are drunken angel, 2 kool 2 be 4-gotten, and can’t let go. Honestly this album would probably be higher on my list if I could tolerate country for long periods of time. But this album was nearly a full hour long and that’s just a lot of country for me.
Hole
4/5
I had very mixed opinions going in the same way I have mixed opinions about Courtney Love. And that’s sorta the sad thing is that she is such an infamous person that her personality/controversies dominate all the music. That aside, I really liked this album. I was expecting cringy vanity project or clear copy cat of the more prominent grunge bands. And I was pleasantly surprised to learn that I was wrong. Right off the bat it has my two favorite things, it has a respectable amount of variety in sound, they might not be trying to write a ween album but for a Seminole 90s grunge album is does have a lot of variety. The second thing this album has is it’s short but not too short. This album kinda flew by but on the second listen it seemed like the perfect amount of time before I wanted to listen to something else. Once again I have mixed feelings about Courtney, but I actually kinda love this album.
Janelle Monáe
5/5
I’m amazed I’ve never heard of Janelle Monáe. This woman is wildly talented. There’s so much going on in this album. Genuinely there are so many things to address in this album. The biggest and most important thing to me when it comes to an album is variety. It doesn’t have to be nonstop changes in genre like a ween album, it can be as simple as a punk band throwing in a ballad or trying their hand at a ska song. Just something to change the tone from time to time. And this album EXCELS at that. Sometimes not even for the better, but it doesn’t matter how little interest I have in 57821 because I appreciate the risk involved in making “weird” songs. There’s so many on here that are noteworthy, for instance it starts with an interlude that leads into a fast bombastic dance song with squeaky clean production that could clean your dishes, then there’s like a “Latin rock song” (for lack of a better word) called “come alive” that’s wildly different than everything else on the album, and it even ends on a sharp turn when “BaBopByeYa” comes on and becomes a spy thriller opening number. All the weird stuff is what I fell instantly in love with, however the actual “hit” songs on this album are what’s going to interest most people cause they are legitimately catchy pop songs that have been all over the charts. And while those songs didn’t really blow me away I could appreciate that these are the songs that actually sell the album. But seriously this is a super underrated album. Its clearly part of the vision behind the album from artwork from the gatefold to the actual cover, but it honestly sounds like an amazing and epic soundtrack to a movie that doesn’t exist. It’s got alittle something for everyone.
Coldplay
1/5
If you’re struggling to sleep. Here’s your solution. Exhaustingly droning vocals surrounded by edgeless and uninspiring instrumentals. Honestly I feel like I went into this album with a good attitude. I was excited to hear their debut album, but my god thiw album is so shallow and boring. Seriously a great sleep aid if you need one though.
Gang Starr
4/5
This album is super old school. I love early 90s rap cause there’s this intense nostalgia for it. Even in the case such as this where I’ve never heard this album before but it still somehow reminds me of THPS soundtracks and Sonic adventure soundtracks. That being said this album is not faultless. When I say it’s old school I mean OLD school. When you compare this to modern rap music, the biggest difference is just the tempo and speed. This album almost feels like crawling it’s so slow. While I enjoy the slower pace I could see how younger people could see this as just “boring”. Honestly that’s really the biggest takeaway, if you like old school simpler rap music then this album is for you. If you prefer modern huge production rap, sadly I don’t think this album is for you.
Eminem
4/5
So as most know, this album comes out with a bang! Like that’s first song isn’t just the best song on the album, it’s also one of Eminem’s best. Great super catchy rap song and along with most of the album the humor still holds up. It thankfully hasn’t become like cringey and uncomfortable. The production on this album is also really extraordinary. It’s so crystal clear and sharp. My only complaint about this album is I feel it slowly burns out as opposed to an explosion. I feel another aspect holding this album back is the tone. There’s some pretty dramatic changes in serious and comical moments. That’s not necessarily a negative though, it just shows that this album is a rollercoaster. It doesn’t have a lot of variety but that’s to be expected on most rap albums of this time. Seriously though this album is an all time great.
10cc
3/5
I was very impressed with this album. It has two of my favorite things: it has a lot of variety and it has a reasonable runtime. I wasn’t blown away by every track and there was like a few tracks that weren’t as strong as others. But this made me look deeper into this band and they are definitely interesting. That being said by the next day I had forgotten most of the songs on this album. Still enjoyed it but wasn’t life changing.
Bauhaus
3/5
I didn’t immediately love this album. I had to listen to it in full like 2-3 times. I saved a few songs off the album but what I really appreciate is how far ahead of its time this album is. A goth album in ‘81? That’s kinda crazy to think about. My biggest problem with this album is the ambition of it surprisingly. This album is the definition of style over substance. They have a very specific vision of what they want to sound like and they put all their eggs in that basket. They didn’t try and right like a catchy song or a “hit” punk song. Like had they just added alittle variety I think that would make me happier but I’m positive that would have compromised their vision so what do I know. At the end of the day I’d only recommend this album to people who were already fans of goth punk and wanted to see where it all came from.
OutKast
5/5
This album is unbelievable. It’s a nearly no skip album and it has a ton of tracks. It also has a ton of interludes and they are not all super memorable, but I really loved this album. It’s crazy funky and that’s pretty consistent throughout the album. The album also has a couple underrated gems like “snappin & trappin”, “gansta sh*t”, and “red velvet”. This is a must listen album for sure.
Jurassic 5
4/5
I felt like I had heard of Jurassic 5 before but wasn’t sure where, but then when I went to put on the album I noticed I already had a song saved from this album (A day at the races) and I knew I’d be in for a treat. I really loved this album. The sampling and the beats are amazing. As with all my rap album reviews I really feel like you need more time to fully digest them, like with a catchy pop song, your brain is fully digesting it on the first listen cause it’s simple and catchy. However rap music takes more time to fully process. I don’t really have any major complaints, just needed more time for these songs to become iconic.
Amy Winehouse
4/5
Wow I had the wrong impression of Amy Winehouse. I never really heard any of her music, I only knew girls who were obsessed with her and let’s just say those women are not the most endearing representation of Winehouse. Based off my wrong impressions I kinda thought she was a low effort, low talent, singer who manifested a specific image cause I thought it was just an image. But I was clearly wrong, she is wildly talented. Her voice is incredible and she clearly likes to show some range cause there’s a shocking amount of variety in this album. It’s almost a perfect album, I do feel there’s a few skips on this album so it can’t be 5 but this album is as close as you can get to perfect album.
Slipknot
4/5
I’ve never been a huge Slipknot fan but I’ve always been a massive metal fan since I was a kid. So I’m very nostalgic for a bunch of their singles like “duality”, “before I forget”, “psychosocial”, etc. But here’s my biggest critique of them as a band: they are not great at making an engaging full length album. They tend to jam their albums full of filler and songs that sound like more walls of sound. However, their self titled album is the exception to this rule. It’s the most complete package. It feels like it had real direction and creativity as opposed to the later albums where it feels like they are trying to regurgitate themselves. It reminds me of KISS in the sense that a lot of their music is trying so hard to keep their established fan base happy that they box themselves into specific ideas for what the band is supposed to sound like and how far their sound can grow in any direction. This album is a nice view of what this band was like before the “box” was in play. It’s not a perfect album however. For example there’s plenty of skips and filler on even their best album, but it’s still a solid staple and foundational pillar in the metal community and for good reason.
Beastie Boys
5/5
Genuinely a masterpiece. From start to finish it is fully original and authentic. The beats are amazing and the sampling is super creative. Basically a perfect rap album. I don’t know that it’s my favorite beastie boys album, but it’s definitely in the running.
Tom Waits
4/5
I like Tom Waits even though I’m not familiar with his whole catalog, just a few songs here and there. However, I can tell that even for him, this album is a real hard left turn. It’s sonically super weird and different. I can’t pretend like it’s catchy or get stuck in your head, but it’s genuinely fascinating and intriguing. Because of the bold music choices, this album has a ton of great variety. Despite only saving a few songs from the album, I’d say the album as a whole was a great listening experience. I’d definitely recommend this album to people who want something super weird and different.
Lynyrd Skynyrd
3/5
Now this is a hard album to review. It’s very polarizing to me. It’s an album chock full of huge hit songs that are timeless classics. However I’m super biased and I hate Lynard Skynard. I band members are douchebags, their unapologetic love for the south is a huge turnoff, and most of all they have the most overrated lead singer of all time. But despite all of that, this album is a genuine classic and the songs on this album are classic and super nostalgic for millions of people. I’m even guilty of being super nostalgic for tuesdays gone because of Happy Gilmore. But regardless of your reasons, this is probably one of the greatest debut rock albums of all time.
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
I’ve been spoiled lately cause I’ve gotten a lot of album I’m already a fan of, this one included. It’s got a lot of influential psychedelic rock and the guitar tones and solos are earth shattering. The thing this album doesn’t get enough credit for is how good the band is, like the drumming and bass playing are stellar and probably way ahead of their time. Honestly this album has a few too many skips, but I still love this album.
The White Stripes
4/5
Absolute classic. Tons of hits. One of the white stripes top 3 albums easily. It still is super bloated and long however. But still a must listen, and most likely you already have.
Buena Vista Social Club
5/5
The album was a pleasant surprise. I had no idea what to expect with this album. It’s fun and loud and also emotional and moving. It’s instrumentally perfect, the music is like drinking water it’s so smooth. Honestly I don’t have the vocabulary to fully describe what makes this album special outside of being an amazing Cuban band that plays Latin music. Seriously though, if you are not normally a Latin music person I still think you should listen to the album, it’s honestly a lot of fun and I think that aspect of this album is universal.
The Good, The Bad & The Queen
2/5
I’m not sure what to say about this album. Sometimes I feel like I don’t have the vocabulary to fully explain why something doesn’t work. It’s much easier to describe why something is good as opposed to finding fault with it. So here’s the positives, this band is a super group you might have never heard of before but it features the lead singer from The Gorillaz. Which is great cause he brings a great vocal performance. But that’s where the positives drop off. I actually spent two days listening to this cause I disliked it so much on first listen I thought I should give it one more chance in case maybe I was just in a bad mood for listening to new music. However I found the music to be grating and sonically I didn’t find the it original or interesting. I didn’t think this album was garbage. But I genuinely never plan to listen to it again.
Deep Purple
4/5
This is an absolute classic. If you like hard rock and early metal you will love this. It starts with one of the greatest rock songs of all time highway star. And then it also contains the most played chords of all time with smoke on the water. I’m pretty positive that what like 80% of people learn on guitar first. Great album, they got a lot to offer other than the two massive hits. Don’t sleep on this classic.
Pulp
3/5
I really liked the music and instrumentals. But I wasn’t really blown away by anything. I also wasn’t really into the singers voice and I didn’t connect with the lyrics. This is a hard album to review cause I don’t have very strong opinions on it one way or another. It’s not great but it’s also not terrible. I find albums like this very difficult to review when I either haven’t added any songs off this album, but also didn’t hate it. I feel like 1s and 2s are for albums I either don’t like or I can find objective faults with it. This album doesn’t fall into those categories. But this album is super forgettable.
Siouxsie And The Banshees
3/5
So I wasnt familiar with Sioxsie and The Banshees outside of one song I had saved to my phone (“Monitor” off Juju). But I always thought that song was super ahead of its time. And that applies to their debut album as it turns out as well. It’s not a no skip album, in fact a lot of the songs sonically sound very similar to each other. But the songs on this album that do stand out feel like they could’ve been written last year. They legitimately sound like modern alt-rock, which is wildly impressive. I feel like this is an incredible debut album but not a perfect album. This album is a great jumping off point though cause now I want to go listen to their other albums in full. Definitely check this band and album out totally worth your time.
Moby Grape
3/5
I had never heard of Moby Grape before but I had an idea of it might be and not surprisingly it’s an early psychedelic rock band. The stuff I liked I really loved but some of the other parts were just ok. Honestly I thought it wasn’t a perfect album but I really enjoyed a lot of it. I haven’t had enough time with it so go in depth but I’m sure an album like this would really grow on me over time. We will see.
The Cure
5/5
So I had a very strange experience listening to this album. I know for a fact that I’ve never listened to The Cure before, mainly because I have a family member who loves them but I never took the time to listen to them. Frankly it’s because they are a teenage girl and the image of the band is clearly angsty, so that kinda put me off for a long time. But this album taught me once again that you should never judge a book by its pre-teen cover. This album is musically just butter slowly melting on a burner barely turned on. It moody and emotional but it’s so smooth and effortless sounding. This is kinda cliche but it sounds like beings ready to take a nap and a nice heavy dose of rain starts coming in, but instead of being at home in your bed, you are in an open well lit abandoned screw factory with lots of gothic light pillars coming in from the windows. Honestly this album is so easy to get lost in. The vocals might not be for everyone but that’s just personal preference. A lot of albums I feel tend to lose me in the interludes but all the interludes meshed so perfectly with the music so well and was still distinct enough to keep my attention which is really saying something. The most shocking thing about this album is the fact that it is actually a no skip album.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
2/5
Well this is why people hate jam music. It’s just way way way too much. I liked the jamming on “The Old Castle” and some of “Blues Variation” and the real highlight for me was “The Curse Of Baba Yaga”, but it doesn’t all work but for people who don’t like jam music this like having a stroke. My biggest critique outside of it just being too jammy is that if you are just gunna jam for 38 straight minutes, you have to put in severe tonal shifts. This album is just way too much of the same crap over and over and over again. By promenade pt3 I was vomiting into my lap and asking the ride operator if I could get off please?!? The only reason bands like Ween and KGLW get away with so much jamming is that have such a vast wheelhouse of sounds. They both have really heavy songs both emotionally and in the metal sense, but then they also have country songs and other wild genres so that they can mix it up. Honestly I didn’t go into this album with any kind of prejudice towards EL&P, honestly this is the first and only album that I have heard of theirs and I wouldn’t be opposed to hearing more, but I know I won’t be listing to this album anytime soon.
Baaba Maal
4/5
This album is awesome. It sounds like it comes from an alien planet but not in like a silly cartoony way, it’s more like there’s nothing to compare it to so it may as well be alien. The magic of this album is it is made by a traditional African musician who recorded this album in Paris with electronic music weaved in. Honestly it’s so pleasant and atmospheric. I obviously can’t comment on the lyrics cause I can’t understand them obviously but the instrumentation is what makes this album really special. It’s not a no skip album and some of the vocals can be grating and uncomfortable. However I still really enjoyed this album and I’m already recommending this album to people I know who have a very open mind musically.
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
3/5
Great jazz album. Love the cover design and the artwork. Lots of great musical talent on this album. The song that really grabbed my attention the most was “Take Five”. That song is everything that’s right with jazz. It’s smooth and sophisticated, it is pleasant and atmospheric. It hits like a nice drag of a joint after sipping from a glass of whiskey, that perfect cradle of warmth. The song is actually super popular, I knew the song instantly even though I had no idea what the name of the song was or where I heard it. The album also display the worst about jazz, which is the fact that it can kinda be just a mess of sound that’s not really memorable. But it does give off a very casual and relaxed vibe. This would be a great album to listen to when you just get home from work and you are going through your routine to unwind. But there in lies the problem, cause that one song really carries the whole album. So it’s almost like I’m reviewing the album based entirely off that song but then I have to take away points to account for all the other songs that don’t get literally stuck in your head. So while I think that the “take five” song coincidentally is a five, I think the album as whole is more of a weak 3. The other tracks do continue the pleasant casual vibe but they don’t do anything to add to it or elevate it. If you like jazz though this is probably a pillar of the genre, I wouldn’t know. Go listen.
Joy Division
4/5
I really loved this album. I was only familiar with one Joy Division song prior to this album (Warsaw from substances). But I was completely misunderstood about what they sounded like cause Warsaw is more of a traditional punk song and the rest of their music, especially this album, is more post-punk and is more emotional and dramatic. The other big difference is that the music is more electronic and melancholy than what punk music was at the time. This album is way ahead of its time to the point where it almost sounds modern, almost. Seriously though I loved this album, I think with time I’ll grow to like this album more and more over time.
The Auteurs
2/5
Just have to bring attention to this first, when I started the album, that first song has a hard cutoff. Like opening riff it just fades out real fast and abrupt. Which comically made me lean over to see the notification/text I must’ve gotten on my phone only for the music to cut back in the second I saw that the music had tricked me. So there’s that, this album can trick phone monkeys into thinking they got a msg which is kinda funny. Outside of that I was super bored with this album to be frank. The vocals are the biggest turnoff cause they feel average/unremarkable but that’s in stark contrast to the guitar playing and overall production. Honestly the music is truly original and interesting, the only thing watering that down is the vocal performance. There’s probably a big following for this album but sadly it’s not for me.
Laura Nyro
3/5
For an artist I had not heard of before, she really has a great voice. Obviously when a music group/artist goes by the lead singer’s name, they are trying to bring as much attention to the singer as possible. That’s clearly the smart choice hear cause her voice is incredible. It’s very loud and charismatic while also being subtle when it needs to be. The album also showcase a light range of music for her voice to shine on as well. Sadly they can’t all be “Eli’s Comin’”, which is a stone cold classic, but there are other songs on this album that will grow on you and leave an impression. That being said I don’t think the album was perfect. For example they could’ve expanded that range of music further and added more dynamic tone changes. Honestly even though I only saved a few songs off the album, I really enjoyed it and the album just flew by. Definitely listen to this one.
R.E.M.
4/5
This is definitely my second favorite R.E.M. album and that’s not a knock against it, it’s truly a great album. It’s super poignant and methodical. This is definitely a love or hate band though. Like I could easily see why people don’t like their sound. They have a very specific and original sound that’s wholly their own and that can be very decisive for people. Totally great album, just not literally their best.
Fever Ray
5/5
So this is embarrassing. I’m casually familiar with Fever Ray. I have a few of her bigger hit songs saved in my phone and I’m a big fan of those songs. This is the embarrassing part, one of the few times I went to look into her other stuff I saw the album cover for her debut album and I hated it and came to the conclusion that it would be clunky and rough. Well I was clearly wrong cause this is an amazing album. The production and completely unique and original sound are the biggest stand outs but the songs themselves are just intoxicating. I adore this album, it’s a no skip album.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
1/5
I’ve never heard anything from Nick Cave but I’ve only ever heard good things. And when it came to Nick Cave’s voice I was not disappointed, his voice is spectacular and full of nuance and subtlety. That being said I have nothing positive to say about this album outside of Nick’s vocal talent, well that’s not true I can tell that the band is wildly talented as well. The problem is I just hate the direction of the album. I don’t like the cover, I don’t like the production decisions and I hate the sound of the album. It actually made me go through his other work briefly cause I was stunned at how much I hated this album. Needless to say he has a lot of other sounds that I ended up liking more and some I liked less. It is also clear that the band has a clear intention to always try to do something different which I can deeply appreciate. But ultimately that just makes me more comfortable saying how much I hate this album. If you’re interested in Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds just try sampling alittle of each album and you should find something you like. For instance I liked the “Let Love In” album the best personally. So ultimately this album might be for you, but I’d still recommend skipping it.
N.W.A.
4/5
Good album with great lyrics. One of the greatest rap albums of all time. Great beats and stellar samples (even though they are few). I don’t think every member of NWA carries their weight. I think some members are more talented than others. And for a rap album, there’s a good amount of variety. This is a must listen to album.
The Crusaders
3/5
After listening to the worst Nick Cave album, this album was like drinking a cold glass of water, completely refreshing. The instrumentation is amazing and the vibe and grooves are great. I really loved the first song, it really carries the whole album. By that is sorta the problem, after that first song it’s constantly downhill. Not drastically downhill, like falling off a mountain into boring noise. It’s more like they had one absolute banger in that first song and then didn’t bother putting as much effort into the other songs. They all just feel like a let down after that first song. Honestly though, this album is insanely short and I love that. Definitely worth your time, it won’t take much of it and it’s a great lounge around the house kinda album. Just put it on, jam to the first song then kinda just bop to the rest and forget that it’s even on.
The Blue Nile
3/5
Wow I really fell in love with the first two songs immediately. I love how weird and challenging they are. The production choices are bizarre but have a sense of profound creativity. Honestly after those two songs the album fell off hard. None of the other songs stood out the same way, and none of them felt like they were trying to achieve that same vibe or that same creative vision. I honestly think this could’ve been an easy 5 if they had just gotten wilder and crazier and more experimental as the album went on, but either way I felt the first two songs carried the whole album. Ultimately a full day later, those two songs are the only ones I remember which I think says a lot.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
4/5
I truly enjoyed this album. It’s sweet and relaxing. It starts with the best song on the album and probably the song you will recognize the most. But it doesn’t overstay its welcome, and it’s definitely not too long. The only real problem is several days later after listening to it, the only song I vividly remember is that first song. But that doesn’t mean the other songs are bad or boring, they just don’t have that catchy factor. I think the strongest aspect of this album is that over time I can inly see this album becoming more endearing over time and really growing on me.
Paul McCartney and Wings
4/5
I really enjoyed this album. I think it’s becoming more and more clear to me that McCartney might be my personal favorite Beatle cause he has the most variety in his career. He’s got great solo albums AND he has other projects like this one that’s genuinely an all time rockband even if The Beatles didn’t exist. But that being said this album is like a rollercoaster of opinions to me. For example I think album starts off REALLY strong. The first 5 songs were all really great until the 6th song “mamunia”. I HATED this song, and the other songs felt lost in the shadow of that monstrosity. But I can say the album had one more bright spot before it ended, “Helen Wheels” is a great song and probably should’ve been the last song of the album cause I don’t care for “Country Dreamer” either. Honestly the stuff on this album that doesn’t work ends up being nearly horrible, while the stuff that does work could easily be in a “best of classic rock” playlist without controversy. Definitely worth your time.
Ramones
3/5
This is a hard album to rate as an adult. It’s actually kind of devastating to listen to something you haven’t really listened to since before high-school and realize that it’s not really what you remember. The “hits” on this album both do and don’t age well. They are radio classics, but if you are my age or older I’m sure you are sick to death of these songs being absolutely everywhere. Amusement parks, fairs, malls, sporting events, grocery stores, literally anywhere they play music in public you are gunna hear this music. Which doesn’t help the album at all because the songs that are not like massive punk classics are just blatant filler tracks. Songs that even the members of the band don’t care about or remember. That being said, the filler songs and the whole album it self is incredibly short. So even if you don’t love this album, it won’t waste your time. And for those rare few people out there who have never heard The Ramones before, this album is actually great and will probably really win you over.
The Thrills
3/5
While I was listening to the album I had moment I enjoyed and a few I didn’t enjoy, but the whole time I was really blown away by their sound as a whole. I wasn’t sure how I was going to describe it cause it does very from song to song but for the most part they are truly original sonically. However, by the time I got to the end of “One Horse Town” I think I came up with a good comparison or explanation as to what they sound like. Imagine if the bands Pavement and Jet had an Irish baby… that’s The Thrills. The guy kinda sounds like the singer of Pavement but sonically they sound like a softer more artsy version of a pop rock band from the early 2000s (like Jet). Seriously though, despite my silly analogy, I highly recommend this album if you are looking for something truly original. They even squeeze in a rockabilly song, yes an Irish easy rockabilly track, that’s guaranteed to be something you haven’t heard before.
Amy Winehouse
2/5
So the last time a Winehouse album appeared on my list I admitted that I had the wrong impression of her and I was shocked at the amount of variety on the album (Back to Black). It wasn’t a perfect “5” but it was genuinely very good and I was super won over. So maybe I went into this album with too high hopes which were kinda shattered when the very first song’s message rubbed me the wrong way. There were songs on this album I liked, but I really disliked a lot of this album. I appreciate what this album is trying to do, but I don’t think this album accomplishes that. Coincidentally I think what this album is attempting is perfected on “Back to Black”. I think, based on how this album sounds, that a lot of love for this album comes from the blending of rnb and jazz, which is like peanut butter and jelly, however this is also about as original as peanut butter and jelly. So despite not having an original sound, you hear that Amy is trying to carry the album on her vocal skills. Whether or not she does carry the album is up for debate, but ultimately I think the album starts on the wrong foot and doesn’t recover.
Bruce Springsteen
2/5
Right off the bat, I can say this project is way better than the last Bruce Springsteen album that this list gave me (The Rising). Plus, musically I enjoyed it but once again I come to the same problem with Bruce. This is an entirely personal and subjective opinion, but I don’t care for his voice at all and I find the man to be incredibly preachy. The good news for this album is that it’s not quite as preachy as his other work. And as always I appreciate that his point of view on a lot of these songs are not what they appear to be. Much like how dumb republicans think “Born in the USA” glorifies America, I could easily see those same people listening to “Factory” and thinking to themselves “yah factory jobs! That’s what we need, bring those back!” So I can appreciate the album for that, but honestly it’s just not for me. Politically, Bruce seems like an intelligent and compassionate person, but I just don’t really like his music. To be fair I tried.
Richard Thompson
2/5
The album starts with three great songs that really give you a clear sense of what kind of music is on the rest of the album cause like most country albums this album has almost no variety in sounds. Which is always a big problem for me personally, as well as the songs just being slow which I always struggle with. But the craftsmanship that went into this album is very evident and I honestly had a lot of love for the title track. Oh and I almost forgot, I think this was very eye opening for me, I didn’t like the production on the album. It’s way way way too clean for this music. That’s just a personal opinion obviously but I realized it when I got to the end of the album. There are three live recordings. One for a song that must have been a hit or a cover cause it’s not on the album, and two songs from the album. And those two songs are infinitely better live. While it’s a super clean and sharp live recording, you really hear how this music (country in general honestly) only works live. I don’t think I ever would’ve liked or come around to country if it weren’t for hearing country music live. It still pales in comparison to almost all other music, but I think live country has a little charm that you can only get live and it obviously exposes those who are not really gifted musically. But with my country music rant aside, the middle of this album, all the songs between the first three and the last three is not for me. It felt meandering and boring, edgeless. Honestly had this just been a short EP with the live tracks as the b-sides this could’ve been a near 5, not a perfect five but a strong 4.
The Boo Radleys
3/5
Right off the bat I was excited for this album for two main reasons: First, I had no idea who this band was, never heard of them. And second, I adore the album cover. It feels psychedelic but not like in a fun, colorful way. It is colorful, but it’s like dower muddled colors and it feels depressing. Which I was all very interested in. And aside from the cover my biggest praise of the album is that the production decisions and the overall sound of the album is wholly unique and intriguing. The problem, however, is that out of the 17 songs making up over an hour of music, I only liked 4 songs enough to save them (Lazarus, take the Time Around, Wish I Was Skinny, and my favorite track, Rodney King - Song for Lenny Bruce). Overall I find it hard to dislike this album despite so much of it is forgettable and skippable. It’s just so creative and most importantly DIFFERENT. Nothing sounds like this album and I can really appreciate that a lot. That being said I’m not going to remember this album until I stumble upon it in a record store, and that is IF I stumble upon it in a record store.
Johnny Cash
4/5
This is probably Johnny Cash’s most popular and well rounded album. It’s filled with covers that are tastefully done and respectful of the original work but also has its own personality. I think the only real problem with the album (and this definitely won’t be a problem for everybody) is that the vocal delivery is the same thing for every song. I know that’s a big part of Cash’s unique vocal delivery is his signature. But I think in the terms of an hour long album, I’d appreciate some variety with like a guest singer for a song or even a duet woulda been a nice curve to throw in. But honestly this is his most approachable album and it’s a great jumping off point for his original music. Definitely a must listen.
Eels
4/5
The best way I could describe this album is it is the most gentle grunge album I’ve ever heard. It’s so easy on the ears and it’s quiet and soft. It’s actually kinda fascinating cause grunge is usually associated with deep emotional wailing and screaming a lot of the time. But this album is an exercise in the opposite, it’s gentle and fragile. It kinda makes me think of Pavement which is obviously a huge complement. The only thing I struggled with is I didn’t immediately love the lead singer. It took like a full day and a half for his voice to start to win me over. To be frank, on my first listen, I don’t think I got the album. I didn’t really enjoy it that first play through. But by the next day I started to really mesh with it. It might not be for everyone but it’s definitely the soundtrack for gentle moshing. Joking aside, look into this album if you are a Pavement fan, kinda similar.
Paul Simon
5/5
This is an amazing album. I knew the big hit off this album very well. So I wasn’t expecting a lot other than that one hit carrying the rest of the album (like a lot of albums on this list) but I was pleasantly surprised. The album is incredibly short which is always a positive for me. There’s a good amount of variety. Honestly I really love this album and I had no idea this album was so solid. I don’t say this lightly, but this is also a no skip album, which is extremely rare but even the demos and unreleased music that was included in the version of this album I listened to were no skips. In fact the unreleased version of Paranoia Blues is my favorite version of that song. Seriously go find a hammock on a nice day with some shade and put this album on. Maybe sip a whiskey sour with it, just a suggestion.
The Smiths
4/5
I really liked this album. I wasn’t sure what to expect other than that Morissey being the lead singer of the band. I never really loved anything I heard from him but I almost always like the production. And that’s no different here, his unique vocal delivery totally works for me, and on top of that they really make the most of his voice by making it sound like the music revolves around him and not the other way around. Sonically I loved how “80s” sounding it is which the synths and the production style. If you like that “80s” sound then this album is right up your alley. And if you are from The US then chances are this band is completely new to you (The Smiths are way bigger in the UK but I can clearly see why, they are great).
LCD Soundsystem
5/5
Im incredibly biased on this review. I’m a huge LCD Soundsystem fan. This is probably my second favorite of their albums. But to be fair I’ll start with all the criticisms I could see. The first and biggest is that the music tends to be fairly long and repetitive but that’s just sort of the nature of dance music in general, and make no mistake, this is a band that (as far as I know) invented the dance-punk genre. So yes the album as a whole is pretty repetitive, and maybe somebody out there doesn’t like cool synth shit. Idk, I honestly can’t find anything else to complain about this album is fucking awesome. If you like punk music and you are interested in something that’s totally different and entirely honest and true to itself, listen to any LCD Soundsytem album (preferably this one, this is happening, or debut self titled, you can’t go wrong).
Missy Elliott
3/5
I wasn’t blown away by this album but I didn’t hate it. The few songs that I saved off the album were not especially memorable. But the big highlight is the music and production on this album are buttery smooth. If you like r/b, this is a must.
Eminem
4/5
Probably Eminem’s magnum opus. If I was only give one album from all of his collection that I could take with me to deserted island it would probably be “The Eminem Show”. Joking aside, this is album is great. My only real complaint about the album is that in the later half it gets alittle dated because it starts showing signs of homophobia. Despite that being rampant in the rap scene up to this point, it still doesn’t really age well. It does however kind of become funny when you realize how often he’s telling the listener through the album to suck his dick when a good majority of his fans are men. Make of that what you will, but seriously this is probably Eminem’s best or second best album um. Totally worth your time.
Talking Heads
5/5
I’m incredibly biased on this album cause I am a huge Talking Heads fan and a huge David Byrne fan. This is probably in the top 5 Talking Heads album. It’s not as iconic as Remain in Light, ‘77, or Speaking in Tongues. However it is probably the most under appreciated album in their catalogue. You could make the argument that the most underrated is More Songs About Buildings and Food which I could see cause it definitely doesn’t get the love it deserves, but Fear of Music I like better personally. Seriously if you have never heard the Talking Heads you should check out this album as well as the other 4 I mentioned and then go watch True Stories, that movies really crazy and really funny.
The Doors
3/5
This is another case of “how much can a few songs carry a whole album”. This may be a controversial opinion but I think the vast majority of this album is filler. There’s like 3-4 songs on this album that are good. Two of those 3-4 songs are spectacular, but ultimately I feel like this album is a slog to get through. It pays you for getting to the end with the best song, but you do have to earn it. Sadly this album was kind of a let down.
Hole
3/5
I was excited about this album cause I was surprised by “live through this” which I didn’t expect to be so good. And I knew the song Malibu which is definitely my favorite song by hole. But the problem is not a lot in this album stood out other than Malibu and a few other tracks like dying, and awful. But the rest of the album I found to be forgettable and on the second listen I found a lot of the songs to be skippable. Idk it feels weird to give this album sort of a underwhelming review when one of the tracks on the album I think is their best. But yah if I’m being honest about the album as a whole (no pun intended) I’d say this album is pretty forgettable. Just listen to those 3 songs I listed and then put on Live Through This.
The Cure
5/5
I really wasn’t expecting to like The Cure so much. I had never listened to them before starting this list and I have to say they are one of the bands that I’m the most won over by. There’s so much good music on this list that a lot of the bands that only have one album on the list kinda get lost in the shuffle when you are listening to a full length album everyday. But both of The Cure’s albums that have popped up for me have been stunning. Like production and music is haunting and emotional. The whole sound of the band is so original and uniquely them, even though I could see someone criticizing it for sounding very contemporary for the time (it does have that inherent “80s” sound) but it works so well juxtaposed against how bright and colorful people seem to remember the 80s being. Honestly I really struggled with what to rate this cause I almost never seem to be in the mood for sour and sad music. But if that’s what you’re in the mood for this album hits like heroine.
Dennis Wilson
2/5
I’m a pretty big fan of The Beach Boys so I was fairly excited when I learned about this album. But the problem is that this album doesn’t really have a gem to me. I can hear the craftsmanship and talent that went into this album, however nothing really stood out as super memorable. It wasn’t bad though that’s what’s hard to get across. This album is not offensive to the ears, or patronizing, or disingenuous, it’s just completely forgettable. Not bad, nor great, not memorable. Definitely a huge disappointment though.
Belle & Sebastian
3/5
I was alittle underwhelmed by this album. I had a few songs by this artist saved already, and after I listened to the album I went and listened to those songs again and I felt like those individual songs were better than this album as a whole. I didn’t hate it, it wasn’t bad, it just kind of never really grabbed me UNTIL “Judy and the Dream of Horses”. That’s the stand out of this album. It totally made the whole album worth my time. In fact I ADORE that song! The only thing that bothers me is that the only other song that I remember is “Me and the Major” which I also liked but the album as a whole is a little forgettable. Seriously though if your curious just listen to those two songs, they are so good I’d actually buy this album just for those songs.
Arctic Monkeys
3/5
It took me a LONG time to review this album. I’m usually good about listening to an album in a day and maybe listening to it again in the morning before making the review. But this album really had me stumped. I sincerely couldn’t decide how I felt about the album. So I guess I’ll just list my pros and cons. Pro, they have a really great refined clean garage rock sound that I don’t think I’ve ever heard from them outside this album which I appreciate. Con, I don’t really love the singers voice, it’s not like grating but it’s very sonically the same from one song to the next. Which kinda ties into another con which is there’s not a lot of variety on this album. It’s pretty much just that garage rock sound all the way through which for some is not a negative but I like alittle mix of different flavors. Pro, this album has a raw element to it (probably from being a debut album) which I find very endearing. Honestly the biggest con is that a week later from listening to the album, I had to relisten to the album for probably the 13th time cause I couldn’t remember the individual songs, just how I felt about them as a whole. I know this sounds like a mostly negative review but it’s not. This album gave me a new appreciation for Arctic Monkeys, I always saw them as that super catchy chick band that my sister and gf love. But this album doesn’t fall into that assumption of them. This album shows a real energy that I haven’t seen or heard from them on other more memorably catchy albums. Seriously though if you like them and haven’t heard this album you are missing out. This is probably their “Pinkerton” album, which I know only makes sense if you are a die hard Weezer fan but that’s the best way to describe it. Also go listen to Pinkerton which is a much better album, but I digress. This is a stellar modern rock album that definitely doesn’t get enough love.
Nas
4/5
Wow, definitely should’ve listened to this already. I’ve seen this album get lots of praise but never got around to listening to it. But this is an all time rap album. Literally one of the greatest ever. It’s a no skip album easily. Also very short which is always a winning strategy for me.
Bob Dylan
3/5
While I do feel like Dylan is growing on me I do still find his voice to be grating during the full length of an album. Like I’m always on board at first and then I slowly start to get bored of his delivery. That being said just like his other albums I’ve reviewed so far, this album’s strength really is the instrumentation. It’s just so clean and beautiful music. I always wondered how much popular Dylan might be if he had gone the “Burt Bacharach way” and had more guest singers on his albums. For me personally I think that would’ve helped me with giving alittle more variety in sound. But regardless of that “Maggie’s Farm” is probably my favorite Dylan song I’ve heard so far.
Simple Minds
3/5
So I’m always biased towards 80s bands cause I really enjoy the cartoony synths they use a lot in 80s music. And this album has a very interesting sound, very of its time which I think dates it and maybe will turn some people off, but I enjoyed it. Definitely not for everyone but if you like “Dead or Alive” type sounds, then this album will be a goldmine.
Jethro Tull
2/5
This is a tough album to review because I do really love progressive rock and psychedelic rock but this album is both all the good things and all the bad aspects of those two genres. First off this album has a lot to like, for instance it starts with the best track on the whole album and that’s not even debatable, it’s just objectively the best song. Plus, I liked “Cross Eyed Mary” and I liked “Up to Me”. And all three of those songs are classics, but the rest of the album is so annoying and forgettable. A couple things I have massive problems with, that flute over stays its welcome real fast. I thought it was kinda interesting at first, different sound for sure, but it got old really fast cause it’s in almost every single song. It would’ve been more effective to just pepper it into a few songs lightly but this is way way too much flute. Which kinda leads into my next major problem with this album, why did they feel the need to put the same song on the album twice, WITH NO WAY TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THEM. Like is one supposed to be a live recording? How am I supposed to remember which is the boring version and which is the silly dog barking version? Is it supposed to be a different interpretation of the song? Does this add literally anything new or interesting to the album? And sadly I only have an answer for the last question, no. That being said It is hard to review this album cause it is another case of the whole album being held up but only a few tracks. Sadly in the case for this album, I think if I’m reviewing the album as a whole, the grading tracks on this album really really pull this down a whole number from where it probably should be. So sadly, it’s gunna be a 2 for me dawg.
Talking Heads
5/5
If you have seen my reviews, you know that I love Talking Heads, and that I’m very biased towards them. This album is no exception. This is probably my favorite or second favorite album by them. There’s a lot of variety as always. And the only skip on the whole album is the very last song that’s mostly just ambient anyways. Seriously if you haven’t heard of Talking Heads, this is a great entry point.
Patti Smith
4/5
Ok so I went into this album with admittedly the wrong attitude. I knew this was a big “artsy fartsy” punk album so I felt an immediate disconnect with the album but I listened to it and a couple of the songs I really liked, and I LOVED the live cover of My Generation live at The Agora. And that cover made me want to listen to the album a second and third time before I left a review and I gotta say it’s already starting to grow on me. I like the tone and the instrumentals. There’s a few slower songs that I couldn’t connect to, but the songs that work are some of the all time greatest punk songs. If you are an open minded punk music fan, this should be required material.
John Lennon
2/5
This was not for me. It was way too slow as a whole but honestly it felt like wildly short in a bad way. It also only had one song that interested me and it felt wildly repetitive so even the song I liked I had problems with. Honestly I’m a fan of The Beatles and I like a lot of their individual solo projects, but this is a definite skip from me. The only thing stoping this album from being a 1 is that I enjoyed the guitar playing throughout the whole album even on songs I didn’t like, it really shows how wildly talented Lennon is instrumentally, but this album is a huge miss for me.
Dire Straits
4/5
Funny misconception I had, the song “Walk of Life” I would’ve bet money l that it was written by a early 2000s band akin to like “send me on my way” by Rusted Roots. I know that doesn’t matter as far as the review goes but it felt weird learning the song I thought was 20 yrs old is actually 50yrs old. But that aside, this album has aged very well. It’s nearly a no skip album. Lots of variety and talent on this album. This is just a personal thing but I don’t love the lead singers voice but the instrumentation totally makes up for that and then some. It’s a definite must if you like classic rock. (In hindsight, the fact that I thought one of the songs was only 20 yrs old shows how well specific songs have aged).
Nightmares On Wax
2/5
This is another case of an album being super long and really testing my patience. For example, there is a song (“What I’m Feeling”) that just sounds like a 2 and half minute long ringtone. I’m not being mean or exaggerating, it has like a constant ringing noise that makes it sound EXACTLY like a ringtone. It’s one of the most painful songs I’ve ever heard. Genuinely, I hated that song. But then the first two tracks are absolutely stellar and I also really liked “Bless My Soul” and “Rise”. (Small side note, I so appreciate the fact that “Rise (reprise)” is labeled with “reprise” cause after listening to Aqualung just a few days ago I got so annoyed they have two tracks with the same name but no way to distinguish them, but I digress). Honestly there’s so much to like about this album like it’s incredible artwork and it’s super chill vibe. The only problem is that there wasn’t enough for me to grab onto to really have a strong emotional attachment to this album, and that is not a knock against it being an instrumental album, I think there just wasn’t enough to keep me invested when there’s actual trash to sift through on this album. Still I can’t say I hated it or that I didn’t enjoy the experience of hearing the album for the first time. Sadly that will definitely be the last time I listen to it in its entirety, but I did save a song or two from the album that I liked, but definitely can’t recommend this.
Mike Oldfield
4/5
I was very surprised by this album. First off, part one of tubular bells is like a fever trip. It’s wildly challenging at first, just in how repetitive it is at the beginning. But as the song goes past the exorcist theme you realize that it’s just bouncing off the walls if different ideas and constant changes. I guess I didn’t realize going into it that it was going to develop into a progressive rock album and that was a pleasant surprise. Where the album really wins me over though is in part 2. It starts softer and feels significantly less like a nightmare (I don’t mean that in a negative way). It still super progressive and leads into some guitar solos that are fun. It even gets alittle silly near the end (which I’m always a huge fan of when bands don’t take themselves too seriously). The only reason this album isn’t a 5 is because the last two really short tracks just feel like nothing, and I don’t mean they are not long enough. I just mean they have so much less to offer and are pretty forgettable, frankly. But those first two OVER TWENTY MINUTE LONG songs are great and super fun and interesting. If you have a lot of free time to listen to incredibly long progressive rock music, this is like an early gem of the genre.
Elton John
5/5
This is MOMCORE at its best. Joking aside, this album is flawless from start to finish. There’s no skips and every other song is a massive hit song. And the ones that are not massive hits are not skips, they are actually really good and add a lot of variety to the album like “Jamaican Jerk-Off”, “Grey Seal”, “Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding”, etc. Honestly this album is amazing and has aged really well. Please give it an honest chance and try not to associate this song with your mom.
Big Brother & The Holding Company
4/5
This is a great well rounded psychedelic rock album. Sometimes they can be alittle heavy handed and dramatic and this album has those moments but I think they are well balanced with a variety of other sounds. Honestly I was really impressed by this album. My only real problem is I find Janie can be a lot, like her vocal delivery is very distracting from time to time. I’d say this is probably my favorite of her albums. Her self titled would be just under this album just cause this album has more to offer.
Miriam Makeba
4/5
Wow this album really grew on me in just a day and a half. I went from not really vibing with it to thinking it’s the cutest and most adorable album I’ve heard in a while because it’s so honest and sincere. The slower songs lost me alittle cause I always struggle with slower songs. But there were so many songs that I saved off this album cause it’s just so charming in every way. The highlight for me being “The Naughty Little Flea”. The whole album has Disney soundtrack levels of production and cleanliness to it, it just sounds so welcoming. Honestly this album is just so endearing, I’m already looking for a copy on discogs.
The Mamas & The Papas
4/5
So I discovered The Mamas & The Papas, like many people my age did, through the Jackass tv show. That was the first time I heard California Dreamin, which is definitely their best song. So when I listened to this album I was excited cause I knew that song was on this album. And I had two takeaways, the first being the album isn’t really as heavy I thought it would be. The second thing I realized is that this album not really being a heavy psychedelic rock is totally fine cause they are so talented and gifted singers that they can compensate for how formulaic the music is. The album as a whole had some skips but they were perfectly spaced throughout the album to not lose my interest. After every song I didn’t care for there was usually another song I did like either immediately after or after one other song. So the pacing of the album is on point for someone like me who was expecting more of something else. The only other negative thing I have to say is that the “Mamas” are more gifted singers than the “Papas” but that only hurts like 2-3 songs where the boys take the lead. Honestly if you don’t like harmonic singing or late 60s music you are gunna struggle with this album, but you won’t struggle with “California Dreaming” cause that song is untouchably good.
Public Enemy
4/5
Super fun, super loud album. This is the original “scaring the hoes” type of album. It’s made to piss off the right people for the right reasons. Honestly I was super on the fence about this album at first (not if it’s bad or good, but if it’s good or great). I listened to this album quite a few times before deciding how I felt cause like a lot of rap music, sometimes it might take several listens before I can really follow the lyrics. And that obviously could be taken as a positive or a negative thing depending on how you look at it. But in this case I think it’s less of a case of them not annunciating enough and more so that there’s so much noise and speed to this album that makes it feel full of energy. The samples and beats are really the highlight on this album. And that’s not an anomaly, I think terminator x is one of the most under appreciated djs ever, and he is at the top of his game on this album. Seriously everyday I think this album ages alittle better and better. Definitely go check this album out if you have never heard Public Enemy cause this is a great jumping off point.
Calexico
2/5
Ok sim I’ll get the negative stuff out of the way first. To start I think this might be one of the worst album covers I’ve ever seen. I just hate the cover it’s ugly and boring and doesn’t give you anything to be excited about or curious about. The other main problem I have is ai don’t love the singer. I appreciate his subtly delivery but his actual voice is underwhelming and not soft and powerful. Those things being said, this album is very inter and unique musically. There’s a lot of genre blending, like I loved and appreciated the instrumentals so much that I gave this album several “relistens”. There’s a lot of blues rock and a lot of Latin rock. I leaned towards liking the Latin sounding songs the most. I didn’t care for the first several songs, I was really turned off by the beginning of the album but then they really started to show their talent and more importantly there was more instrumentals which I personally liked way more than the songs with lyrics. As whole I can’t rate the album very highly but I can say that the three songs I saved from the album (close behind, attack el robot! Attack!, and güero canelo) I really loved. Like those three songs on a single would be a must have for me. But sadly the other songs really weighted down my opinion of the album as a whole.
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
3/5
I appreciate how weird and different this album is. I thought it was a fun experience. But my biggest gripes with the album is it’s so of it’s time that it’s a detriment. And I felt like the humor was lazy and cringey. If this had tried alittle harder in the technical aspect of like the guitar playing and tried maybe a few psychedelic songs I think that could’ve bumped it up alittle. I do think this is like the best band that my dad would love that he’s never heard of. But it’s sadly not really for me.
The Band
4/5
I really love this album after the past few days. But it did take a few days to grow on me. The instrumentations are stellar and the harmonies are super clean. I didn’t love it right away cause I thought it was alittle slow and it kind of was a lot to digest in one sitting. But I’m glad I gave it time cause it really won me over by the end. Definitely worth checking out if you want to see the very bedrock foundation of psychedelic rock even if it’s alittle watered down compared to what we have today.
John Coltrane
2/5
This is an incredibly hard album to rate cause I objectively didn’t like it, but I can appreciate the actual talent and craftsmanship that went into this. I appreciate a super technical guitar solo that goes completely over my head and almost sounds like a mush of noises and notes, but if it goes on for almost 30mins that could be exhausting. I know that is not a fair comparison cause there are so many instruments being orchestrated by immensely talented musicians, but as someone who was never classically musically trained, I can say first hand that most of this goes over my head and I don’t even truly appreciate what makes this so special. But I can say that just because a ton of work and talent goes into a beef Wellington doesn’t mean I’m actually going to like it. The same applies here, I didn’t love the somber atmosphere it gave and I couldn’t appreciate it on the level a gifted musician would. So I can’t give this album a good review but I can appreciate that my opinion on this doesn’t matter cause I’m not someone whose opinion of jazz should matter.
Sonic Youth
4/5
This is only the third full album of Sonic Youth’s that I’ve listened to and I’m not surprised that I like this album so much. Goo is obviously their magnum opus, but this album I would say is their runner up to that title. It’s got a lot to sink your teeth into. With the deluxe version this album is over 2 hours long, which is way way too long but thankfully you could just stick to the original track list and I think that benefits the experience just from being more focused (that being said I really like “The destroyed room”, “Hendrix Necro”, and “personality crisis”). I don’t really have anything negative to say about this album, I do think Kim is their best vocalist but I like variety, and having several different people sing brings a lot of variety to an album. Definitely check this album out, I think this is one of their more accessible albums.
Jazmine Sullivan
2/5
I had really high hopes for this album but sadly it is incredibly short. And that’s coming from someone who likes and prefers shorter albums. This album I felt didn’t get enough time to get warmed up. In fact I normally really love creative interludes but I feel in this album those interludes take away from the rest of the album cause then there is less time for actual songs. And that being said, there were ALOT of interludes. I did really like the two songs that I saved from the album but sadly those were the only two songs that I liked. I do think this album has an audience but it is not me.
Electric Light Orchestra
4/5
When I saw this was my album I was alittle disappointed cause I already knew I’d give it a 5. But then I decided I should listen to it again from front to back before I do that. And sadly that affected my opinion alittle. It’s a nearly perfect album. It’s great, and I adore this album but it is bloated. It’s alittle long and there’s a few skips, but that’s good problems to have. Ultimately I think this is as close to 5 as you can possibly get. Go listen to this album but maybe make sure you have a roadtrip or something cause it’s pretty long.
Garbage
4/5
I was not aware of this artist at all. Never heard of garbage but despite the obvious puns, this album is definitely not garbage. Bah dum tssh! But seriously I loved this album. It’s super melancholy and mildly depressing but in a good way. Definitely an album I’m gunna try and find a copy of in the future. The only small problem I have with this album is there are a few tracks that are slower that I don’t click with as much. But this is another case of getting as close to a 5 as you can possibly get. But I can’t stress enough that this album is worth your time, it may not have been my favorite album of all time but this is a HIGH 4.
2/5
I thought this album was gunna be super grating and insufferable like the first several tracks, but then I was surprised with a band! I do think I like Dylan the most when there is a band supporting him. Those tracks where it is just him I find to be the most challenging to me. That being said there was a couple tracks in this album I saved, but I honestly have no idea what this album is doing on this list. It was like an ok greatest hits album.
Duke Ellington
2/5
This is a REAL challenge if you are like me and don’t really love jazz. I’ve found I only like jazz if it’s mixed with other things. Funk, singers, psychedelics, etc. But entry level, basic jazz, like Coltrane and Ellington, I really struggle with. Sometimes I can appreciate it cause it might sound pleasant or atmospheric to the point where I can enjoy it. But as a whole I’d have to say jazz is the genre I chemically don’t mix with. But that being said I can appreciate the immense amount of talent on this album. Duke is literally constantly introducing amazing musicians who have amazing timing and technical skill. But after over TWO HOURS I didn’t have any songs saved. So this album basically did nothing for me but I respect it for what it is.
The Dandy Warhols
4/5
I was underwhelmed by this band at first but as the album went on I started to really fall in love with it. It also gets psychedelic at parts which was a very pleasant surprise. I’d say psychedelic rock is probably one of my all time favorite genres, so this album was actually interesting. It definitely had song that took me out of it cause they were either alittle too slow or just way too depressing (orange). But most importantly this album made me really want to look into more material, similar to how I felt after hearing Garbage by Garbage for the first time. I’m now going to spend the next several hours looking into both of those bands extensively, I suggest you should do the same.
You know what? I mean this sincerely, I really face this album a chance. I ruined my algorithm to give this album a shot at not being horrible preachy bullshit. Sadly it wasn’t meant to be. It’s kinda frustrating too that I agree with bono politically on almost everything but his music is so god awful that it actually ruins the points or arguments he’s trying to make. I tried several times to finish the album, I did eventually, but it took several tries before I could actually stomach this garbage. Honestly giving out one stars is incredibly rare for me. If I can find even ONE redeemable aspect of the album or if I can see real talent and creativity being displayed, I’ll give the album a 2. Which I think clearly shows that I didn’t like the album but it has redeemable qualities or it could be just a situation of this isn’t for me but I could see what others like. I don’t feel that way about this album, in fact the only time I’ve felt so confident in giving out a flat out one star is when I heard Bruce Springsteen’s The rising. Which says a lot about how bad this album is because that album was completely irredeemable and this album is somehow worse in every conceivable way. This is probably one of the ONLY albums I’ll say this about, JUST SKIP THIS ONE AND GIVE IT A ONE STAR. It literally doesn’t deserve your time or attention.
Chicago
3/5
I had mixed opinions honestly. Right off the bat, I really enjoyed that this album incorporated a lot of psychedelic rock and a large number of instruments. It did give the album a live sound which adds a lot of charm. I just felt like this album was a test of patience. A lot of times either a song wouldn’t interest me at the beginning but then near the end or like 5mins in, the song will do something really wild or creative. But the problem as a whole is that it kept losing my interest or songs were just way too long and didnt do enough to keep me invested. I didn’t hate this album, didn’t love it. Perfectly forgettable album but not cause it’s bad but because it doesn’t do enough or take enough chances.
Talking Heads
5/5
So this was the only Talking Heads album from their “prime” that hadn’t listened to. Just coincidence honestly cause there’s still a handful of their records that I haven’t listened to yet. If you have seen any of my previous reviews for them you know that I’m a huge fan of them. This album was kind of a surprise. I didn’t expect an album I had never heard before to be one of their most solid, well-rounded albums. There’s a good amount of variety as always. And the amount of creative vision and energy is almost unmatched. This is a STELLAR album, definitely worth your time.
Haircut 100
3/5
I wish I could review this album solely off one song, cause if I could then Lemon Firebrigade would get a perfect 5/5. That song is so heavenly and enjoyable and it has a bunch of cool ideas through together in a really creative way and it also has this magic ability to sound timeless. Like a lot of this album for better or worse sounds of its time, super 80s. But LF sounds like it could be an indie pop hit. Seriously though the album did feel like it was alittle bloated. It felt like there was plenty of filler on this album. But that being said the songs that I liked on this album I LOVED. It just wasn’t like chalk full of hits.
Stephen Stills
2/5
Sadly this album did nothing for me. The moments I liked were drowned out by filler and mediocre tracks. I gave this album several full listens cause I respect the amount of musical ability and talent that’s in this album. And production wise, this album is as clean as the inside of a container or tide. It’s very musically relaxing and enjoyable but the vocals and lyrics do nothing for me at all. I just found the album as a whole really boring.
Marvin Gaye
4/5
Yah I had very mixed feelings about this album. Like genuinely strong feelings both positive and negative. Like right off the back, I totally prefer the b sides. Like the second half of the album I like way more than the first half. Really the only songs I actively didn’t enjoy was the religious songs. But I don't have constructive criticism for that, I just don’t like religious songs. But there’s literally nothing else you could even possibly criticize. The instrumentation is heavenly and buttery smooth which could also describe his perfect vocals. I totally understand why this album is always in lists of greatest albums of all time, it’s so endearing. I didn’t love it immediately, it did grow on me over time, but man this is an all time classic.
Emmylou Harris
2/5
I really love her voice, it’s very angelic and heavenly. That being said I don’t have a lot of patience for slow music and I also have very little tolerance for country music. So needless to say, this album has a lot of both. It had a song I really enjoyed enough to save (Bottle Let Me Down) but as a whole I didn’t get a lot out of it. I’ll probably forget about this album soon. But I will say for a debut album, this is a very impressive country album, I just don’t like country.
Pink Floyd
5/5
Yah this would be one of those several times where the list gives me an album I don’t even need to listen to again cause I know it extremely well just from being a massive rock n roll and heavy metal fan. It’s very hard to go this long in life without hearing this album at some point. Now I should preface this by saying I’m not a Pink Floyd koolaid drinker. I think they are great but I don’t think they are/were the best. That being said this album, as a whole and as a front to back experience, might be their best album. It’s definitely the most famous album not just of their discography but also of all time. It’s completely iconic and mind blowing. The only real criticism that I will say, is the album works so well as a whole that individually the songs are not as powerful. Like the only song I’d listen to off this album by itself is money. That’s the only real self contained song. But I don’t think that hurts the album very much.
The Beach Boys
3/5
As a Beach Boys fan I can say this album isn’t perfect but it is overlooked for sure. There’s a few “hits” on this album but there is also a lot of filler. I would say that the first half of the album is infinitely better than the second half but I still think this is essential listening if you are a beach boys fan or are interested in getting into them.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
This is an all time classic blues rock album. It literally starts and ends with two of the greatest rock songs of all time. My only problem with this album is a few songs are just alittle too slow for me. But this album is the foundation of all the music I love and listen to today. Seriously one of The Rolling Stones absolute best albums.
Sabu
3/5
So here’s the highs and lows, very quick album to review. The highs, I really loved the instrumentals and the vocals were very charming and endearing. The percussion really takes the spotlight on this album. The lows, it’s very repetitive and the most repetitive songs are some of the longest. So this album has plenty of filler, like 50/50 margin.
Air
3/5
I really loved this album immediately. Like the first to songs were so good that I started looking for copies of the album to buy. The problem is that the album falls off super hard after literally the first two songs. The only other song that I saved was “Ce matin-là” which was a fun song. That’s really my only criticism is that the bulk of the album wasn’t bad or lazy, it just didn’t grab me like the first two tracks did. Still worth listening to for those tracks and a chill vibe.
The Flaming Lips
5/5
It’s crazy that this band has been around since the 80s and their best album is from 2002. Like this album has everything, it’s got silly lore, amazing cover art, a couple huge hits, super psychedelic feeling jammy parts, etc. This album is a no skip album which I think says a lot coming from a short attention spanned adhd individual. Seriously this album is somehow super fun and silly but also incredibly chill and relaxing. Definitely go listen to this one.
Bruce Springsteen
2/5
I felt very similar about this album as I did about “Darkness on the Edge of Town”. Which is that I appreciate the instrumentation and the composition of the music, I can even appreciate that there’s a couple songs on both albums that are MEGA hits, but I just don’t like Bruce’s voice. It does nothing for me and I find it annoying and grating. I really wanted to like this album but I just couldn’t. I’m sure this list will throw more of his music at me so… maybe next time.
Koffi Olomide
5/5
Ok I’m ready to die for this album. At first I saw the album cover and I got excited cause I thought “omg is there outsider music on this list?! I fucking LOVE outsider music!” Unfortunately I don’t think this can legally be called outsider music in any way, but it did not disappoint at all. Imagine a low budget/low-fi Disney soundtrack set in Africa. Bang! That’s the album, that’s literally what it sounds like. It’s so joyful and happy, it’s fun and exciting. While also being extremely lowfi to the point where it’s comedy, like legitimately funny. But in the most endearing and adorable way possible. But I don’t want it to sound like I’m talking down to the album. Yes it has moments that are funny and cute, but it’s also legitimately good music. When I compare it to a Disney soundtrack I don’t mean that lightly or as a slight against it. It is a wildly energetic and euphoric album with so much life to it. I don’t think that is an easy accomplishment. I think to make something like this that’s so honest and pure without coming across as fake or sleazy is incredibly difficult. I’ve become a Koffi Olomide fan just from this one album. I have no idea if his other work is as good or if it’s even the same but I do know that I’ll be on the hunt for a copy of this album because it might be one of my favorites now.
The Pogues
1/5
Oh my god I hated this so much. I kept trying to convince myself that it’s punk and that I’m just not getting it, but no I get it. It’s Irish folk music, no edge to it just old Irish folk music. Nothing to get excited about. I kept trying to tell myself, no it’s not terrible, it’s just like that Maybe it’s me, I’m willing to admit that. Maybe it’s my fault that this music burns like holy water. I just have no attachment to Irish folk music and I think it’s objectively grating.
Radiohead
3/5
So this was an interesting album. I’m very much a surface level Radiohead fan so I was excited to learn alittle more, especially cause I never would’ve picked this album from the bunch cause the cover artwork is underwhelming. But I think it starts great. The first two tracks are great, and I really enjoy where those two songs go. But I kinda lost interest in the milk of the middle of the album. It was all alittle to subtle and quiet and slow for me. But the good news is that my favorite two tracks on the album are the last two. So the album saved face at the end. Both of those songs are kind of what I want more out of Radiohead, which is sort of mildly silly songs that are just kinda fun. Like both of those last two tracks feel so far from what I think of when I think of Radiohead. Overall though I did enjoy this album even if the middle and bulk of the album wasn’t my favorite of their material.
Wild Beasts
2/5
This wasn’t for me unfortunately. I appreciate the musical talent on this album but it was really slow, and it had all the vibes of the pop music that I hated as a kid cause it was everywhere. Very “Coldplay-esque” so if that’s your thing you will probably love this. That being said I liked this way more than Coldplay. In fact I saved the songs “all the kings men” and “the fun powder plot”. But yah at the end of the day this just isn’t for me.
Circle Jerks
5/5
So I was familiar with the track “Wild in the Streets” but I had not heard of anything else from Circle Jerks. That ring said I’m definitely more of a fan now. This album is super super short, insanely short. Literally 14 songs in 15minutes! Even for punk music that’s a real accomplishment. But this album has that energy and angst of like an all time punk album. It’s so creative too. Punk music has a tendency to lean on simple riffs but this album has a lot of cool ideas and it’s got a surprising amount of variety for a punk album. Honestly this album the more I think about the more I love it. GO BUY IT!!!
Run-D.M.C.
3/5
This is the best Run DMC album by a long shot. It’s chock full of hits from them and it’s got all their best songs except tougher than leather. Honestly this is basically a greatest hits album for them. But that’s also kinda the problem. It’s super dated rap music so it’s very “80s”. I enjoy the beginning of the album but it starts to fall of into filler near the end of the album. Honestly it’s their best album but it’s still alittle underwhelming.
Yes
4/5
This album is everything I LOVE about psyche rock. It’s so imaginative and fun. There’s amazing instrumentation, and the album is a staple in the genre. This is easily top 3 Yes albums. If you like KGLW this album is for you. Also this album has a meme in it! That’s pretty crazy and weird right? I don’t even know how Roundabout became one, but when you listen to the album you will hear it right at the beginning. Awesome album!
Santana
5/5
Holy shit this album rocked my world! First off I just knew Santana as that guy who made that song with Rob Thomas that you could escape in the early 2000s cause it was EVERYWHERE! (Which is a guilty pleasure now cause it’s so nostalgic for that time in my life) But seriously, this album fucking rocks! It’s got a lot of crazy impressive and emotional guitar playing and instrumentation. Like I know this is Santana’s band and it all built around his playing, but he has some great musicians in his band to accompany him. I knew I liked black magic woman, and I knew I liked “oyo como va” cause both of those songs have been saved in my phone for as long as I can remember but I never listened to the album as a whole actually better that way. There’s so much going on in this album you really gotta give it a try. It’s fantastic!
The Roots
3/5
I definitely enjoyed this album. I didn’t love all of it. I lost interest at moments here and there. I thought a lot of the stuff I didn’t like felt like filler. But I will say the thing I liked the most about the album is that it had a good variety of sounds on it. There’s legitimate hard left hand turns and those were my favorite songs usually. I just didn’t feel like it really stood out much overall and I’m afraid I’ll forget about this album pretty soon.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
Genuinely my favorite LZ album. I’m a massive Stan for this album, I have nothing negative to say. Totally biased. This album has so much variety and creativity. You could tell that this is a band firing on all cylinders and at their top of their game but also completely fearless in making something truly unique. This album is (just my personal conspiracy theory) what probably inspired all of the music that I love like Ween and stuff. I’ll never get tired of this album.
Traffic
3/5
I went into this completely blind. I didn’t know the band or have any idea what kind of genre to expect (but somehow from the name I had this premonition that it’d be a UK band, go figure). The negatives are pretty simple, alittle dated (no shit it’s from ‘68) and it’s got a lot of filler. And the second one is the most the bigger problem. Out of the fifteen tracks on the album, I’d say I could remember 6 of them but only saved 4 of them. So make of that what you will. But this album is impressive. It has a massive hit song that went on to be timeless and a commercial hit ( literally it's in a TON of commercials). It has a bunch of other tracks I saved cause they are just classic blues rock, and they have this nostalgia to them even though I’ve never heard them before. And I think that’s a symptom of growing up when blues rock was still everywhere. This album is seriously a classic blues rock. I only wish I liked the bulk of the album but I do think a lot of it is filler.
The Hives
3/5
I was stuck on this one for awhile cause this is a band that immediately makes me think of my childhood and Weird Al (for the record, I like Al’s polka cover more than the actual song). And this album is a STAPLE of early 2000s radio rock. This album is as radio friendly as it gets. And I think that in itself is what holds this band back from being an iconic classic band. Their sound is so homogenous with the radio rock sound at the time that it feels completely watered down. Like the album as a whole is super short but when you listen to it and you hear the same distortion on the guitars and the same sound on every single song, it makes the albums a whole feel like a chore. When I was a kid I would’ve told you that this is a classic album. But as an adult with this album being out for over 20 years I can say it hasn’t aged gracefully and sadly it becomes less and less relevant every year. Still, for a band with seemingly no edge, super squeaky clean production and sound, that first track is an absolute banger.
Stevie Wonder
3/5
This is another album that I struggled with cause I just have a hard time with slower songs. That doesn’t mean that I don’t appreciate the artistic talent and craftsmanship that went into the album, in fact I LOVED “You Are The Sunshine Of My Life”. But that being said I wanted like way more “Superstition” and more “Tuesday Heartbreak”. Those two songs were my favorite tracks. But yah as a whole I didn’t really connect with it like I was hoping to.
Ice T
2/5
So going into this I had really gotten into the first track. It’s just an interlude it’s not really like a traditional song. But I genuinely really liked it and but that set the bar way too high. I didn’t like any song on the album as much as I liked the silly first song. So that’s not great. I didn’t hate it necessarily but I was not enjoying the album honestly. I didn’t get anything out of this album. It’s one of the only times I was actively checking the track list to see when it would be over.
Bob Dylan
4/5
Ok so I went into this album with the same mindset I do with all Dylan albums, which is it’s gunna be a lot of just an acoustic guitar and one guy whining, I gotta look past how grating it might be to see the craftsmanship and appreciate the talent that went into it even though I don’t actually really love it. That’s how I felt about the last 3 albums of Dylan’s that this list gave me. Not bad just an acquired taste I hadn’t quite achieved yet. But the good news is that I think this was the big payoff for constantly giving Dylan another chance and not giving up on it. Cause this album is actually great. And for a Dylan album, it is very accessible. It’s almost, ALMOST, rock music. Mind you I haven’t heard a lot of his albums other than the three others to appear on this list so far but I’d say this is his heaviest musically and my personal favorite so far. I was really won over by this album, and I feel like I appreciate his work a little more now. I’ll probably go listen to the other three albums again so see if I’ve changed on how I feel about those. Kinda wish this list would let me give a re-review of these albums after I’ve had a few months to sit on them. But regardless, this might be my favorite Dylan album yet.
LL Cool J
1/5
Yah this album did nothing for me. The beats are bland. The rapping is bland. And worst of all everything is so clean and edgeless. I’ll say it over and over, clean rap is so redundant and boring. I guess the big hit is “kinda” right. It should be called “mama said put you to sleep…with boredom”.
Violent Femmes
5/5
One of the greatest debut albums of all time. One of the greatest punk albums of all time. And one of my top ten albums of all time. Cant recommend this album enough. It’s completely unique and completely timeless. This is definitely the best album I’ve been given from this list so far. Please go listen to it!
Jane's Addiction
3/5
I’m very nostalgic for this album cause I was a kid when this album was huge. And I think it’s another one of those albums where it’s painfully of its time but that’s not always a negative thing. This is undoubtedly my favorite Jane’s Addiction album but that doesn’t say much cause I’d say as a whole I’m not really a fan of theirs. And I’m not really fond of the lead singers vocals. But despite that I do enjoy this album. The only other negative thing I’ll say is that the only half of the album I like is the second half. But that second half is pretty great.
5/5
Ok wow. I was only familiar with their one single “Los Angeles” (which is probably the greatest punk song of all time IMO). So I was blown away by this album. I had no idea that they had such a stacked catalog of music. This even led me to discover not only their debut album which contains the song I love by them so much, but I also discovered a lot of their other albums in’s that I really enjoyed as well. So not only was this album great on its own but it’s also a great gateway to their other music.
Beck
1/5
I have a bunch of Beck songs saved, and I own my favorite two albums (mellow gold and odelay). But I unfortunately hated this album. It did nothing for me. I think the problem is that the beautiful angelic music just doesn’t mesh well with his vocals. In a song like hot wax his vocals fit perfectly. But on this album they felt so melodramatic and distracting, while the actual music of the album was enjoyable and relaxing. Honestly I hope Beck’s other albums are on this list cause this is like one of the absolute worst to start with.
The Beach Boys
4/5
So I’m familiar with a lot of The Beach Boys work because they were one of my first memories of hearing and liking a band. My grandmother gave me a few best of cassettes and a golden oldies cd and that was my earliest memory of music. But that being said I never actually got into their actual studio albums cause I grew up WAY after their prime and compilation cds were everywhere. But my point is that this entire album I had never seen or heard before. The cover is so dark and gloomy, my immediate assumption was that this was from their branching out period where they strived to get psychedelic with their sound and I was so happy to be right. That first track “don’t go near the water” how have I never heard this/never been on one of their best of albums. The song subject matter is still relevant to this day, it’s kinda dark and gloomy, but it’s also so creative and with that wholesome BB charm. Honestly this whole album really blew me away. I assumed this era in their history was underwhelming or embarrassing cause music documentaries and album sales would make you think that The Beatles were just annihilating them and they are always pitted one another in “music textbooks”. But honestly this is equally good. The amount of talent and creativity is all over this super fun album. My only problems are as always I struggled with some of the slower songs, so there are just a few skips. And because it’s the BB and they have their super nostalgic and crystal clean harmonies, which I enjoy in all their pop hits, but for their “edgy” psychedelic album they should’ve taken risks with the vocals. Don’t try and sound like other bands, keep doing what your doing but maybe less falsetto harmonies. I think that would’ve added a cool dynamic to this album, but what do I know. But to end on a positive, this album did force me to dive deeper into their catalogue to find more gems like this album. Definitely go give this album a listen.
The Temptations
4/5
I really loved this album. Even the songs on this album that have sad topics are really upbeat and positive to the point where they sound joyous. That’s actually the best way to describe this album, it’s really just trying to be a great time. This would be an ideal album to put on when people are over and wanna have a festive atmosphere. Honestly for that alone it should a be a classic. The only negative I can say is that the cover is pretty boring and that there’s not a dramatic amount of variety in sounds. But that’s a pretty great problem to have when the only issues an album has is the cover and alittle variety. People used to really revere bands that had a good established sound that you don’t deviate from (ie. Kiss is basically the greatest example of fans loving one particular sound). Seriously though super fun enjoyable album.
Liz Phair
2/5
So when I first started the album I didn’t care for it. The first for songs I found told me be grating and I didn’t enjoy Liz’s voice. What slowly started to win me over was the guitar playing. She must be like a prodigy or a virtuoso cause that’s the real highlight for me is how good the guitar playing is. I still struggled with a vast majority of the album cause this is a packed album with 18 songs. The two that really blew me away though and earned my respect was “Shatter” “flower” and “Johnny sunshine”. I think those three songs were my favorite on the album and flower especially is super weird and fun sonically. I don’t think that this album is really for me even though I found things I liked. But that being said Liz is super talented and I’d be excited to see another of her albums come up on this list.
Wu-Tang Clan
3/5
Ok so my hot take is that this is not my favorite rap album. That’s really the only criticism I have is that it wasn’t really for me. Like I feel out of the members the only two that really stand out are ODB and MM. There’s nothing wrong with the other members, I just think they get completely overshadowed to me. But there’s some classics on this album, and it’s regularly brought up when talking about greatest rap albums of all time. Just for me, it’s a solid rap album, but it’s not an “all-timer”.
The Incredible String Band
1/5
Yah I hated this album. It was torture to sit through. I kept thinking it would get better but it’s so grating to have such overbearing strings that never go away and never get overshadowed by anything else. There’s absolutely no variety in this album. Almost every song on the album sounds exactly like the previous song. I can appreciate how talented these musicians are, but this is the greatest example of having too much of one sound and it waters down and drowns out the rest of the album.
Kendrick Lamar
4/5
This album was initially very hard to review. One reason was cause it contains really polarizing songs. For example, “backseat freestyle” is easily one of my favorite Kendrick songs EVER. But the contrast is that I hate “poetic justice”. Which I don’t say lightly. The only other main criticism is for me personally, I don’t really care for introduction into the album and I think the last four tracks are also super forgettable. But the heart of this album, the real meat, are tracks 3-5, and 7-9. Those songs are truly great and amazing, and they so full of life and energy. They really feel like fun songs that, while being taken very seriously, are refreshing and exciting. Honestly if you took the tracks I liked off this album it would probably get a perfect score, but I appreciate the imperfections and I think it’s nearly a perfect album which is more than you can really ask for.
Radiohead
3/5
So this album is probably Radiohead’s most popular, which in itself is sort of a hard thing to determine. You could make that argument for several of their albums, but at the very least this is probably their most recognizable album cover and it is super iconic and probably one of the most memorable album covers in all of rock. Sadly, however, I don’t think this is their strongest album. What I do appreciate is that this album is very clearly trying very very hard to distance itself from Pablo honey. In fact I’d say this is the moment they became the Radiohead that we all know today. Like the massive immediate success of Creep created this extreme desire to be something different than what they thought they were being seen as. But for better or worse I think that desire resulted in most of their most impressive and creative projects. I just think this album is a step in the right direction but not far enough. I think this album doesn’t age quite as well as their other albums. That being said there are positives. The instrumentation is excellent and the production is like clean cold water smooth. It’s so easy on the ears and relaxing. But that being said I only saved “Just”, “street spirit”, and “the bends”.
Tom Waits
4/5
I didn’t immediately love this album. It took like two full run throughs to fully digest it. This is a super long album. Which I think sort of hurts it. But to start with the positives, this album is so atmospheric. There’s stories and poems, and there’s so much creativity and originality in this album. I just adored the first 2/3rds of the album. That’s really my only complaint is I think the length of this album hurts it alittle. The last 1/3rd of the album I think is the weakest portion. But I can’t stress enough how much I loved this album. This album would be perfect if they just trimmed like 5-6 songs. Like anything after midtown, excluding union square and anywhere I lay my head, could get subtracted and it wouldn’t hurt the album, it would only focus it more and make it better. Seriously though this as close to 5 as you can possibly get!
Beach House
2/5
I was really disappointed by this album cause I have friends who are fans but this album was just not for me at all. I felt like I was falling asleep but not in a good way. I have a hard time giving a bad review when I like the guitar playing and there’s definitely excellent guitar all throughout the album. But I honestly just didn’t care for the singer at all and the lyrics weren’t doing anything for me cause the only part of this whole album I enjoyed was the guitar. So kudos to the chef for that ultimately I’m never going to remember this album sadly.
The Mothers Of Invention
2/5
I’m usually very high on Zappa cause I’m a huge fan. But this album was very exhausting and challenging, which says a lot cause the album is only 39mins. But the biggest problem is this feels so hypocritical. Let me explain, the main reason I like Zappa is two things; One, he tends to be a little silly and goofy which I’ve always liked cause it tricks you into thinking that he doesn’t take himself too seriously. Second, his music tends to be intentionally challenging and either abstract or avant-garde. The way in which this album is hypocritical is in the fact that I think this album exposes the worst aspect of Zappa’s personality and musical personality, which is he DOES take himself seriously and he is the ultimate contrarian musically. So much of this album feels like a punishment to people to like popular simple music. Like it’s so angry and spiteful towards like good taste that it feels like he’s trying WAY TOO HARD. There are so many ideas or sounds on this album that I liked that I wished he had given more time to. But if he had done that he would’ve been making music that was too conventional for him. Which also points out this albums other flaw which is it feels narcissistic. Like this album feels like it was made to feed his ego and remind himself that he’s an avant-garde master. But again I think most of this album comes across as trying way too hard and not being whimsical or silly like I usually enjoy in Zappa’s music. That being said it’s nowhere near bad enough to be a 1. That’s for special pieces of garbage or garbage people. No this album is a very disappointing and unfunny 2. Sorry Frank, still love ya.
Kanye West
1/5
Yah you’re not getting my attention when you praise hitler and nazis. Especially when that is becoming a bigger problem everyday. Even if this music was good (which it’s not, it’s mediocre at best) this album and all of his music is now an echo chamber for hate and ignorance to grow. There shouldn’t even be a “well he’s a terrible person, BUT….” Like but what? He’s a mentally ill narcissist with too much money and exposure. Only bummed I couldn’t give negative stars.
The Flying Burrito Brothers
2/5
Ok this is probably the greatest disappointment in modern history. Joking aside, giving this band a comical name does nothing for this band. Like it severely hurt my first impression of the band. I had to give it several chances and it never recovered from my disappointment that it wasn’t a comedy band. And then for the reveal to be that they are a country band is almost as devastating. The redeemable part of this album is knowing that this album is super influential and innovative and basically created “country rock” as we know it today. Country rock may be FAR from my favorite genre, but I can appreciate that I wouldn’t have “Tuesdays gone” or “hang on loosely” (obviously my favorite county rock songs) without this album. So for that alone it gets a solid 2, but had they just added some comedy or just a few whimsical silly songs this album could’ve been a 4 or 5.
TLDR: kind of a disappointment but still valuable to the growth of country and southern rock.
The Undertones
4/5
Not life changing, not instrumentally mind blowing, not a cavalcade of comedy or variety. And yet it still somehow wins me over. I’m always a sucker for a fast and short punk albums and 16 songs at just under 35 minutes is what I like to see. Yes this album is not reinventing the wheel, but not a single song will overstay its welcome. This is a no skip album, but not because the album is chock full of masterpieces. It’s just the perfect length for every song. I might not have saved every single song. But I was never tired of a song or needed a break from an annoying riff or beat. This album held my attention for the full time and I enjoyed it. What more could you say?
Soundgarden
4/5
So I have a cute little backstory with this album. When I was a kid my mom was super into garage sailing, and every summer we would drive down a lot of the same neighborhoods and streets. There was this house that I would get excited about cause they must’ve had a son who was just alittle older than me and I ALWAYS found the coolest things at their sales. I got expensive skate shoes my parents wouldn’t have bought if they were store prices, I got skateboards, and video games from this house. And one magical day they had a big stack of cds, and the only one I can vividly remember getting was “Superunknown”. This album blew me away. It was heavy and dark but not overly depressed by like a lot of grunge tends to be. And Chris’s voice is once in a lifetime. But that’s also a small thing that hasn’t aged well, which is that his songs about suicide are not enjoyable. They have become overtly depressing. But that’s also just a recent take. Had you asked me a few days after I bought this cd as a kid I would’ve told you it’s one of the best ever. So even though I know the kid in me wants to give this album a perfect score, I just can’t cause that last track (and frankly some of the other lyrics throughout the album) are so depressing and sad that it has tainted the album slightly. But it’s still Soundgarden’s biggest radio success cause this album is a no skip album full of some of their biggest hits. Definitely give this album a chance.
David Bowie
4/5
So I wasn’t sure what to expect with this album but I was still pleasantly surprised. The obvious huge hits at the beginning and ending of this album are both amazing but they definitely overshadow the bulk of the middle of the middle of the album. But that being said I really enjoyed this album that was very clearly designed to be a straight soul album. I don’t think this album had the variety that I adore Bowie for, but I think the fully realized soul album was a very cool change of pace for him. As far as which songs I saved it was kind of a perfect split down the middle. Four of eight. I didn’t care for the slower songs like right and can you hear me. But I loved the two huge hits and Somebody up there likes me along with Across the universe. Honestly this album is a total gem even if I technically wasn’t blown away by half of the album.
Black Sabbath
5/5
Honestly what is there to say? Black Sabbath has one of the greatest debut streaks of all time. Their first four albums have zero skips and are completely original and inspired. They literally invented a genre of music while also perfecting it. I adore Ozzy’s solo career, like a lot, but there’s truly something special about his musical chemistry with Toni Iommi. They were just born to play together cause they each make the other sound even better than they already are. Honestly I could go on and on about this album, but if you need any further convincing, this album contains OZZY’s most emotional and hard hitting songs that actually ages like fine wine (changes). Seriously this album is amazing!
Adam & The Ants
4/5
Wow this album is something. It’s silly and stupid. It’s not trying to be taken too seriously while still being a cavalcade of creative ideas. There’s so many tracks that are just kinda fun and silly which fits the “of it’s time” 80s sound. It’s just kinda got that 80s stink to it but this is a very stinky old aged cheese that’s all soft and mushy. But it’s so good no one else at the party got even a bite cause I was the only person interested in it.
The War On Drugs
2/5
This one is a real contradiction to me. I truly liked the instrumentation on several songs and was super won over but then slowly lost interest cause I just do not care for the vocals at all. He’s not a bad singer by any means, but listening to this album made me feel like this is what Future Islands would sound like if they had a singer I didn’t care for. He just sounds too much like other singers I don’t like (ex Bruce Springsteen). But I would recommend this album to somebody if I knew they liked both Bruce Springsteen and Future Islands.
Madonna
2/5
Be warned this album is an infectious disease. It won’t make your life better and it’s probably bad for your overall health but only this album will grow on/in you. Joking aside I really thought this album was trash at first but then the second listen it got funny, and then it got funnier and funnier. Really this album is “so bad it’s good”, the room of music if you will. There probably should’ve been a sign on the studio for keep Madonna away from the dj equipment cause some of the songs on here are so silly and of their time that you don’t even have to look to see if it was made in 2000, you just immediately KNOW it is from 2000. Yah i definitely can’t pretend like I like this album legitimately, but I will still make my friends listen to this album on repeat for the foreseeable future.
Kraftwerk
5/5
This is probably my favorite Kraftwerk album of the ones I’ve heard. It’s just so atmospheric and almost haunting. The album is alittle challenging at the beginning cause it has a very repetitive opening that’s stripped down and isolated. But that’s what is going to make or break your opinion about Kraftwerk. If you can get past the repetitive nature of the music you can see that this band was obviously so ahead of there time, but also mastering their own genre. Like the amount of growth on this album compared to a few previous albums is very evident. But the other thing Kraftwerk doesn’t get enough credit for is how iconic every aspect of the band is. For example, you can describe something as “Kraftwerk-esque” and people familiar with the band will have a pretty good understanding of what to expect (plus that is not limited to music, their look and their music videos are all so original and stylistic that there’s just so much to this band and their overall style). I understand when someone doesn’t care for them, they can be challenging at times. But I think this is their most accessible album and it’s definitely one of their best.
Jefferson Airplane
4/5
I went into this album misremembering how many songs were on it and that was really my only major negative is that the album is packed. There’s a lot of tracks on this album and I think the album would’ve benefited from slimming down. But the tracks on this album that work and that are major hit songs are truly iconic. The amount of movies and tv shows that use this song cause it’s so iconic for its time is endless. Seriously this album is an all time great….just a little bloated though.
Simon & Garfunkel
3/5
I was really impressed with this album. I’ve seen it for sale at garage sales for dirt cheap and I never picked it up cause I thought it was a less successful album for whatever reason, but this album is great. It is definitely a slower album like a lot of their work, but there’s a good amount of variety on it as well. While I don’t think it’s either of their best album, I do think this album might be under appreciated by people who have a similar first impression as I did when I saw the cover. That’s also my only major complaint is I don’t love the cover. I know portraits are kinda their thing when it comes to album covers, but I just find it boring. Either way this album is definitely a “don’t judge it by its cover” type of album.
The xx
2/5
This album was very disappointing. I gave it several chances listening to it front to back and just NOTHING stood out. The problem with hating this album though is that the instrumentation is excellent and the production is so amazingly clean and crisp. It’s just that the lyrics do nothing for me, the vocals do nothing for me, and too many songs are too slow for the instrumentals to carry the songs. And that’s really the problem at the end of the day. This album is so boring and edgeless. There’s no danger to this album. This is a bit of an exaggeration but this album almost sounds like an attempt to just make songs that will get picked for commercials. Like obviously no one would pick “performance” for a commercial, but the album as a whole is just a boring bland slice of modern indie pop white bread. Snore.
Lloyd Cole And The Commotions
4/5
Once again I’m super biased towards new wave in general. It’s my favorite thing to come out of the 80s and this album is not exception. This is album contains a lot of my most important qualities for an album. The first being it’s super short and is really boiled down to some solid tracks with very few skips (two to be exact). The other thing is this album has that I love is it has a great variety of sounds on it (especially for a new wave album). There’s slow songs, there’s super poppy fun songs, and thens there’s this running theme of amazing guitar playing. Like of all the things in this album that really pop the biggest has got to be guitar playing, it’s just so creative and clean. Even if you don’t like new wave you should hear the guitar playing on this album, it’s great. But yah if you don’t like new wave this won’t be for you, unfortunately.
Elvis Costello
2/5
I was kinda disappointed when it’s this album. Or maybe it’s just how I feel about Costello in general, I’m always just alittle underwhelmed. I don’t love his voice but I do love that he essentially just rights old school rock n roll. But he doesn’t quite have the pipes to make the music pop and explode like it should. But I will say I do love this album instrumentally. The old RnR sound is super nostalgic for me but it kinda just makes me want to listen to other bands as opposed to more of his music. That being said the diamond in the rough for this album is “mystery dance”. The song is super silly and that makes it really endearing to me, as well as being the only song I saved off the album. Make of that what you will.
Cheap Trick
3/5
I don’t know if this is a topic of a lot of discussion or not but here is my hot take: LIVE albums should not be on the list unless that live album has an entirely original set/track list. Like this album is basically just a greatest hits album recorded in japan. There are a lot of things to praise about this album. For example, the production is super clean and clear. The actual playing is perfect, super clean as well. And even the tracklist itself shows how many hits Cheap Trick had under their belt by this point. Honestly it’s a great album, and much like the live Thin Lizzy album I gave a 5 to, it just kinda feels unfair to have this on the list. ESPECIALLY if the studio albums that contain these songs are ALSO on this list. Because at that point it’s like what am I reviewing? Their ability to play these albums to the studio quality? I mean yah I guess that is impressive when you think about it. But it feels like a cheap excuse to include this music/band without actually picking a studio album. I’m sure I might be in the minority but I’ll say it again, live albums do not belong on this list.
Aimee Mann
1/5
I don’t want this to come across as a lazy review, I genuinely listened to the full album 3 different times. And I just took nothing away from it. Like it made no impact, I don’t remember the songs, I don’t remember the lyrics, I don’t even remember what she sounds like. This album is just so powerfully underwhelming. I don’t know what else to say other than I don’t think this album is for me.
Dr. Dre
3/5
Controversial take, I don’t love this album. I definitely don’t hate it, it’s got some great tracks. But people act like it’s a no skip album which I don’t agree with. The album’s greatest strength, I’d say, is the beats. I don’t know if it’s live instruments or very clean samples, either way the instrumentals are my favorite aspect to the album and I think that’s the biggest reason this album is so successful. Genuinely the beats are so original and creative to the point where you can hear their influence in current rap music. My biggest gripe with the album is that the whole second half of the album I’m does nothing for me and feels like filler. Ultimately I enjoyed half of the album I just wish it was shorter.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
Yah this album is jammed pack with massive global hit songs. The three mega influential hit songs on this album (brown sugar, wild horses, and can’t you hear me knocking) are easily some of their best work, and their most culturally significant. Honestly if you really forced me to pick their best album I’d probably pick this one. But that doesn’t mean it’s perfect. There are a few tracks that are skips for me personally. Honestly the only real complaint I have of this album is kinda silly and it’s a “me problem”. I just personally like a lot of variety spread across a full album and this is strictly a blues rock album. Obviously nothing wrong with that, they were literally pioneering this genre, but yah personally I’d like a few songs that sound different and feel like risks. But seriously this is probably one of their best albums and we are talking about one of the greatest rock bands of all time, so that’s saying something.
Sarah Vaughan
4/5
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it ad nauseam, LIVE ALBUMS SHOULDN'T BE ON THIS LIST THEY SHOULD HAVE THEIR OWN LIST. Just the concept alone is so starkly different than a studio album that I don’t understand how you hold them to the same standards. Like sometimes live albums can basically be “greatest hits” albums, which feels unfair. And also sometimes the live nature of the event won’t have the best audio quality or there might even be actual mistakes that don’t get corrected. I don’t understand how you can compare that to a studio album where they can hone and perfect a sound. Regardless of my rant, this album was so charming and adorable. It felt nostalgic despite never hearing this album before. The performance was so clean and charismatic I immediately started listening to Sarah Vaughan’s other work. Wildly talented singer, with an exceptional band to back her up flawlessly. I know I commented earlier about live albums having mistakes but this album is flawless. It’s so clean and smooth it’s amazing even on a technical stand point. Now as always, even in the face of immense talent, I did struggle with the slower songs. I always struggle to pay attention to slower songs. The last bit that I wanted to note, is that last song is so adorable and charming, I almost don’t want to find out if it was scripted or if she just kinda improvised that song but it’s literally my favorite song and I’d argue the most impactful song on the album.
Jeff Buckley
2/5
I was very excited to start this album. This is an album I’ve seen everywhere my whole life (especially on best albums lists) but I’ve never taken the time to actually listen to it before. Well the waits over and I’m a little disappointed. I think what’s clear is that this album was super ahead of its time, like this sounds like a lot of the alternative music that came out and became popular following this album. Another clear positive is that Jeff was insanely talented. Like his vocals are impressive and subtle, and there’s a few moments on the album like the middle/end of the title track Grace he starts to really belt it out, and it makes me realize he would’ve been an amazing front man of a rock band (despite how corny and cheesy that sounds). There are moments that are like dipping your pinky toe into psychedelic rock and those were my favorite parts of the album. The biggest highlight that saved the album for me was “Eternal Life”. But that’s the ultimate negative that I have to address which is I just didn’t care for any of the songs other than “EL”. The cover of “Hallelujah” isn’t bad, I just personally HATE gospel music. So I’m biased towards what most would call the greatest song on the album. And I also think you can’t pretend like the album as a whole is stellar if the biggest song is a cover, that means that despite your vocal abilities, your original music pales in comparison to en established “classic”. Sorry to the Jeff Buckley fans, I just wish he made different music.
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
Yah there’s a reason this is the most well known Simon and Garfunkel album. It’s packed full of amazing talent and super soft ballads. Honestly my only complaint personally is that I don’t like slower music as much as I like the more “rock” stuff. For example, I appreciate the bridge over troubled water cover (although I do prefer the Elvis version). But my favorite song on the album is definitely either Cecilia or Keep the Customer Satisfied. If I’m being blunt I think I just like Paul Simon and his music a lot more than I like Garfunkel’s. And that’s what I think holds down this album is Garfunkel’s contributions. Idk if that like the consensus on their work/relationship but it’s definitely mine.
Suicide
2/5
The immediate impression I got from this album is that, in a few different ways, this music is intentionally challenging. It is super repetitive and lowfi, and that’s coming from someone who truly loves outsider music, so lowfi doesn’t normally bother me. In fact my favorite aspect of the album is the lowfi sound. The worst to me is how painfully repetitive some songs are. Even the tracks I listen ended up liking and growing on me are also super repetitive to the point of abuse. The two songs I saved off this album were “Ghost Rider” and “Johnny” (the later being my favorite song). I definitely needed to warm up to GR but Johnny I loved immediately. I wanted the album to be alittle sillier like that song. The real positive about this album is I’ve looked into their other music and I’ve found a bunch that I really like cause they are really creative and bold. But this specific album didn’t really do much for me other than peak my curiosity, and while that does deserve it’s credit, I don’t think that makes it a very good album as a whole.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
This band almost never missed. They were around for such a short time and yet they wrote massive hit songs NONSTOP. The only fault I have with this album is not everything can be a massive hit, which is barely criticism. I just think a lot of the songs on this album are completely overshadowed by BMR and GR. But I did discover two songs of theirs I had never heard before but really loved (“Tombstone Shadow” and “wrote a song for everyone”). I guess the only other criticism is that I like a lot of variety in albums and this album is one specific sound but they have completely mastered that one sound. So the good thing is if you like the title track (which is obviously in this case the first track to listen to) you will like the rest of the album. But if you don’t like that song and are looking for a different sound to come from this album you will be disappointed. Seriously though, this is one of CCR’s best albums. Cant recommend this album enough.
Willie Nelson
4/5
I definitely don’t really like country. I grew up hearing a lot of it and I don’t like most of it. But this album is not just country, it’s also alittle bluesy. Plus it has really really great production and the songs that don’t sound like country song so really loved. As always I struggle with slower songs, so there were plenty of songs I didn’t get a lot out of. But the songs I did like I’d say are some of my favorite country songs. Everytime I go to a yard sale or any kind of used record stores, I’m gunna be looking for this album.
Minutemen
5/5
Yah I didn’t remember this album being 43 damn songs long, but holy shit it FLEW by. There’s so much creativity and inspiration in this album. In a lot of ways this album really feels like an accomplishment for punk music. Not a single song is 3 mins long which is crazy cause this album was made when radio was still important to making money. But like I said this album is so creative and silly that it’s just an absolute joy from start to finish. Despite having 43 incredibly short songs, non of them feel like skips, they all feel important and original (even the ones that are just instrumental interludes). Honestly this album might be like top 3 greatest punk albums of all time. If you like sarcastic and musically inspired punk bands like The Dead Milkmen, you will LOVE this album.
Joni Mitchell
3/5
This is another difficult review. Mainly because Joni is so wildly talented and it’s very clear. But if I’m being honest I didn’t save very many songs off the album but I had a lot of appreciation for almost every song. The big songs off this album for me are Coyote, Hejira, and Black Crow. I always struggle with slower songs and the vast majority of the album are slower songs that had my attention but I didn’t feel that inherent need to save them. The real standout that made me wish Joni only made psychedelic music was Black Crow. That song fucking rips. It’s so good and it made the whole album more worth my time cause I’d say that’s definitely my favorite Joni Mitchell song ever. Seriously this album is totally worth your time. Don’t let my number review discourage you. This album wasn’t made for me specifically, that is ok.
Sex Pistols
2/5
So I obviously knew the two massive hit songs on this album, but I had never heard the rest of the album. I honestly could’ve stayed that way. The whole album is so boring and lazy. I get that they were pioneers, but this hasn’t aged well at all. If you took the two hit songs off this album, this album would be a 1/5. That’s how forgettable and boring this album is. Punk got better thankfully cause this is not worth your time if you already know the two hits.
Marty Robbins
4/5
Yah most people will know this music from a few Fallout games (or maybe it’s only in one, I didn’t fact check) but its also the greatest exception to “don’t judge a book by it’s cover”. This album IS the cover. It’s literally a cowboy album! What’s not to love!?? Well actually here’s the small list of negatives. The first being it’s an album from 1959 so variety isn’t a word that existed yet. The whole album sounds like a western movie, and yah that is either gunna sell you on the album or completely turn you off. Like after the very first song you are gunna know how u feel about the rest of the album. The only other negative thing about this album is because there’s not a lot of variety in sound, the album could be grating to some. In fact, the songs that are not the massive hits can get totally buried by El Paso and Big Iron ( also while we are on the subject, why the fuck is there two versions of El Paso with no distinction between the two in title and only small differences in the song itself?!). For me personally, the only songs that I didn’t save on this album that didn’t really blow me away were the mildly religious songs and the slower songs just cause I always struggle with slower songs and religion. But regardless of those small issues, this is an album that 100% belongs on lists like this one. Now excuse me, I gotta go play through FNV again for the hundredth time.
JAY Z
2/5
I apologize in advance to the Jay-z fans. But I’ll rip off the bandaid first. I don’t like jay-z’s vocal delivery. I think his voice is grating and his flow slightly off. I don’t think he’s lacking talent. He has very clever bars, but I think he is just oil and water to the BEAUTIFUL beats. But that’s the big positive i want to highlight. His actual music/beats are immaculate. That should be his legacy is how great his actual music is. The best example for me is Renegade. This exemplifies my whole point, which is that Eminem steals the show on this track. I think I’d probably enjoy the whole album more if there were more features. But seriously Jay-z does nothing for me, I think I’d be one of his biggest fans if he was more of mc/dj where he could rap here and there but focused fully on the music and got other people to drop his bars. But that’s my hot take on Jay-z. Like if someone else did the vocals for this album I bet I’d love it.
Tina Turner
4/5
Wow this album blew me away. I don’t think I realized how much TT’s music is pretty rock heavy. I incorrectly assumed she was more of like a Whitney Houston type where it was more pop/rnb driven. But this album is nearly a heavy metal album, well not heavy metal but definitely like a glam/hair metal album. I really loved this album and I love how punchy the keys are. Honestly I’m really smitten with this album. I think it might grow on me even more over time but as of right now it’s gunna be a concrete 4 only because the last few songs on the album didn’t do much for me. The first majority of the album absolutely rocks though.
Harry Nilsson
2/5
Wow this album was very interesting to say the least. For starters I had no idea there was a version of the “coconut and lime” song where it sounds COMPLETELY different from the cover that’s much, MUCH, more well known. Like it’s almost disorienting because your brain is trying to fill in the spots where “DOCTOR!” should be in the song. I also really liked the opening track which got my hopes up cause I didn’t really care for this album as a whole. I listened to this album several times cause I thought it’d grow on me. But sadly, as of right now, this album has not grown on me at all. I just find the whole album to be pretty underwhelming despite his impressive vocal range. In fact, that’s basically burying the lead. The real standout aspect of this album is his vocals are incredible. I just wish there was more memorable music on this album.
Elvis Costello
2/5
I’ll admit it, I’ve had 3 Elvis Costello albums come up so far on this list and I’m getting tired. I enjoyed the first one but I had a few reservations, then the second album came on and I appreciated the old school rock n roll sound, but his voice started to get alittle grating, and now at the 3rd album I’m just to tired of his voice. He’s not a bad singer but I don’t find his voice endearing like other “not a singer” type singers. I will say that this album once again had great instrumentals with the super vintage rock n roll sound. But that’s all I get out of this album. I only ended up saving 2 songs out of the whole album.
Songhoy Blues
3/5
This album starts with a great start. The first 4 songs on this album I really loved. The simplistic playing and rhythmic singing blended really well together and created really original sounding rock songs that felt fresh and creative. Obviously there’s a bit of a disconnect cause I didn’t translate the songs so I have no idea what they were singing about, but I loved it regardless. I do feel that the language barrier hurt the later parts of the album cause they slow down and play more ballad like songs, but I always struggle with slow songs. So those two things combined made the 2nd half (majority) of the album forgettable. Despite that, I think this is a solid rock album that’s completely original and fresh.
Public Enemy
3/5
This is easily my third favorite Public Enemy album following Fear of a Black Planet and It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back. You can tell they are still on the height of their popularity and skill, this is a great album. There were a few skips but not enough to hurt the album significantly. Honestly the thing that does hurt this album the most is how low effort and repetitive a few beats are. The first track is a great example of how grating the beats can get when you don’t change it up significantly throughout a song. The first 2 mins it doesn’t even dawn on you but by that last minute all you hear is EEEEEWWWWWE EEEEEEWWWWEE. It was driving me absolutely nuts, and a few other songs have that same problem.
Earth, Wind & Fire
4/5
This is such a hard band to review sometimes cause at the end of the day they just harmonize so well and they sound so angelic and relaxing. The only complaint I have is that there are a few skips/filler songs that don’t add a lot to the album but they don’t really water down the album cause there are so few of them on such a short album. As always I prefer when an album has some genre variety, and while you won’t find that on this album, you won’t be thinking about it cause you will be so distracted by the heavenly music that Earth, Wind & Fire continue to create. I also think this album is heavily carried by Shining Star but that is ok, it’s literally a flawless song.
Portishead
5/5
So this is only the second Portishead album I’ve listened to, and while it’s not as perfect and flawless as Dummy is/was, this album still delivered their insane technical skills and songwriting as well as the insane vocal performance by the lead singer. This album wa so close to being as good as the original that I ended up just listening to their whole discography. The greatest positive to come out of this “1001 album” list is that Portishead is now apart of my life, making it statistically better. So yah I’d say I enjoyed this album.
Caetano Veloso
3/5
Wow so let’s start with the obvious, this is easily a greatest of all time type of album cover. The colors and artwork are so influential to their contemporaries and even to this day this style is synonymous with psychedelic rock. And with this obvious W out of the way we can talk about how great the actual music is. There’s a ton of variety for the late 60s, as well as insane execution on all the different sounds. The biggest disconnect for me was obviously the language barrier, I didn’t translate the songs so I have no idea what they are about other than some light context clues. But that’s always gunna hurt an album to some extent, but I also think some of the album was alittle slower and lost some of my attention. But that’s always gunna being said I think this is an incredibly impressive debut album, and it definitely makes me want to look into the rest of their career to see how their sound matured and changed over time.
The Rolling Stones
2/5
So this just isn’t my favorite RS album. It’s not near the bottom but it’s probably right in the dead middle. Like it’s not awful, there’s a few RS albums where it felt like they were phoning it in or just coasting. I don’t necessarily feel that way about this album, I think this is still during their peak. I just think this is their “worst peak” album, if that makes sense. It’s not chock full of hits like some of their other albums, but it also doesn’t have any like MASSIVE hits on it. It’s just a perfectly solid acceptable album from on of the greatest bands of all time. Like if a mediocre band put out this album it would be so much more impressive than one of the greatest bands ever releasing a “good” album. You know what I mean?
Genesis
3/5
So I was excited for this album cause I realized it’s one of the early Genesis albums where they are still trying to be a psychedelic band but they have their superior second singer, Phil Collins. Which was a recipe that led to “The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway” which is probably my second favorite Genesis album ever. Sadly this album doesn’t quite live up to those expectations. There were a few songs I liked and saved but as a whole I was alittle disappointed honestly. It’s not quite adventurous or wild as I wanted it to be. I do think this might be one of my favorite Genesis albums but I’m not sure we’re yet cause I’ve only heard a few albums. Seriously though if you like Phil Collins check out this album cause it’s got ya boy on it!
Rufus Wainwright
2/5
I really appreciate the immense talent that this man has. Like his voice is incredible and flawless. His lyrics are sharp and clever. His instrumentation, while subtle and understated, manages to be incredibly powerful along side his incredible voice. The song Gay Messiah was fucking awesome, and I also liked The Art Teacher to a lesser extent. I think the album cover is also sick. The problem though is just that this music isn’t for me. It alittle too quiet and subtle for me most of the album. And I always struggle with slower songs and there’s a lot of slow songs on this album. This is just one of those times where I’m wildly impressed and I even looked up a couple of videos of his playing live cause I was so interested in his singing. But sadly this album specifically didn’t do a lot for me, there wasn’t any songs that I connected with and sonically this album is just too slow and depressing for me to truly connect with it. So don’t take this star rating very seriously, this dude is wildly talented, it’s just not for me sadly.
Badly Drawn Boy
4/5
I was really impressed with this album. I had never heard of this artist before so i went in blind with no expectations at all. It is a slower album which I definitely struggle with normally but alot of the the songs on this album had some real life and creativity to them. I saved almost every other song which I think is genuinely really impressive. The only songs that lost me were the slowest songs. This albumas a whole made me very excited about listening to his other music cause this really won me over. If you look at my stats you will see I have a statistical difficulty with singer/songwriters typically, but Badly Drawn Boy is a breath of fresh air in a genre I traditionally really struggle with.
Dolly Parton
2/5
So the title track is wildly powerful, and this album has a bunch of gospel songs on it including the title track. The only problem is I have a personal issue with gospel music and religious themes in music. I think that’s a major problem I have with country in general, but not every country song has to be religious and yet somehow they ALL are somehow. It doesn’t feel like pandering with Dolly cause it feel genuine the same way it feels genuine when Elvis sings gospel, I just have no space for gospel music in my life and I like it that way. That being said, traveling man might be my all time favorite Dolly song of all time. I had never heard it before. I also think I’d like country more if it was closer to this (rockabilly sorta). I really like country music when they pick up the tempo and bring in some electric guitars. If the whole album was music similar to Traveling Man I think this album could’ve been a 5. But I do have respect for this album and the production quality. I just think there’s only like one song on the whole album I truly loved.
The Associates
3/5
This album was immediately weird and different even for the 80s which caught my attention. I was super stoked off the first song but sadly this album has TONS of filler. I did end up liking several songs and the songs I liked were sick and unique. But the problem is the filler. This is a long super bloated album, the last four songs in particular are just ambient music that feels like they checked out early. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate what they were going for, they wanted to make an album that sounded like a soundtrack, and not only did they succeed in that, they also have a few instrumental tracks I really loved. I just felt like there was an exhaustion or tiring at points in the album, this could easily have been a solid 4 if you trimmed it down alittle here and there. The best thing about this album is that I’ve never heard of this band before so I have more stuff to look into now.
Madonna
2/5
So this is, in my humble opinion, Madonna's most underappreciated period of time in her musical career. This is a very weird time for her based off this album and the album that follows this one (Music). They both feel so desperate and bold that even though they kinda fall flat on their face as a whole, they both have moments of accidental renaissance. For the album music, it was the song called "Don't Tell Me" which felt like this desperate country pop hit that was never a hit but I found hilarious and super endearing. Well this album is alittle different than that. I don't know the origins of the "early 2000s future sound", but I'd imagine that since this album came out in '98 you could make the argument that she started that movement with this album (I obviously don't remember if the backsteet boys and nsync came out before this but they definitely were all going for the same sound aesthetic). Honestly I don't truly believe this album belongs on this list AT ALL. But i can admit when I find something is entertaining even if it is for the wrong reasons, like this album.
Miles Davis
2/5
Jazz I feel does not get the attention it deserves on this list. To explain, I’m surprisingly religious when it comes to listening to a new album everyday, and with that I usually (sometimes I can’t decide how I feel so I’ll give it a few days/replays) only spend a full day with the album. Sometimes that means I only listen to it once or twice, which I think hurts Jazz music and Rap music the most. Both for similar reasons, that being that the enjoyment from jazz comes from knowing the song so well you know what notes/sequence come next, and for rap, knowing the lyrics and bars and trying to keep up with the song. But yah what im getting at is that I haven’t had enough time with this album, I also feel the same way about Johnathan Coltrane’s A Love Supreme cause I gave that album a bad review as well. But I can acknowledge that there’s an unbelievable amount of talent that went into this and that album. But I feel like both of these albums don’t have a lot to grab onto, it just feels like you’re drowning in music. But as I got my second and third full play throughs I started to actually recognize that he songs more and more. Sadly I just got sick to death of the same atmospheres sonically over and over again so I had to move on. I think over time this album could grow on me and I could see myself regretting this star rating. But sadly it’s not really for me right now.
Lauryn Hill
2/5
If I was strictly rating this album off of production quality and how clean the sound is, this would definitely get a 5. This album just does nothing for me. The best song on the album for me is To Zion. I really loved the guitar parts of that song. But that’s as far as the compliments go. I just feel the album is boring for lack of a better word. Despite how clean and buttery the music may sound, there are times where it’s just a wall of harmonizing tracks that don’t feel as angelic as they are intended to be, and end up feeling overwhelming and drowning. Oh the other positive is that I appreciate the interludes with the classroom. Those are actually endearing and cute. I think I might be harsh on this album, but it’s just nowhere near as good as the Fugees album this list had me review already. I guess I was just disappointed. Nothing on this album hits like “killing Mr softly with his song”.
Steve Earle
2/5
Right off the bat I can appreciate that this isn’t boring classic country. There’s a real sense that Steve Earle is trying to write pop-country-rock hits. While the combination of those three words makes me physically ill. Now, I can appreciate that for the country community, his music leans pretty heavily towards rock music, it is not quite far enough for me to get into it. I think his lyrics on songs like “lil rock ‘n’ roller” are adorable and endearing, so he’s a talented lyricist. The real problem is I just don’t really care for country and this is like crowd pleasing, classic country with light rock elements. Honestly it’s not for me but it’s not offensively bad.
Björk
2/5
Right off the bat, I gotta give credit where credit is due, Björk continues to create wildly original and creative music that sounds completely unique to her. Specifically I really adore “Debut” and “Post”. Which leads me to the actual review, I have to say the first several times I listened to it, I didn’t “get” it. I still might not get it. But I will say the first two songs really grew on me and I ended up saving both of those. But that’s the problem with this album for me. It’s alittle too slow and orchestral for me. Like everything after those first two tracks didn’t really do a lot for me. I can appreciate how crystal clear the production is, and I actually really liked the music in “mouth mantra” even though I didn’t love the song as a whole. I do think this is an essential album to listen to if you are gunna try and get into Björk, I just won’t be able to relate if you fall in love with this one.
The Clash
2/5
I’m a huge fan of London Calling, but honestly before this album, I don’t know how many songs I’ve heard of The Clash’s except of course their massive hits that everyone has heard. So I went into this with possibly too high hopes. I found this album to be mildly underwhelming. It has a few memorable tracks that I liked, 4 to be exact. The biggest problem is so much of the album feels like filler. Usually the criticism is that the forgettable tracks were “skips” not meaning like you don’t listen to them, but that you skip them after actually knowing them and knowing it’s got nothing for you. Well this album has an even worse version of that which are just forgettable. Like you put them on and they just sound like a wall of noise or they just sound so identical to the last song that your brain doesn’t even realize a new song has started. The best way to avoid this is with variety, but this album has very little variety. But if you like old school early British punk rock, then this is required listening. But inevitably you are gunna find better punk albums as you explore. This is just alittle too vanilla.
New Order
3/5
I’m starting to realize that I not only really love new wave, but that I’m actually a pretty big fan of New Order and Joy Division. This album is no exception. It has super punchy and memorable production even if it’s very much of its time. Seriously, if you have a biased against 80s music you are gunna struggle with this album, is super “80s” sounding. My only big complaint is that I didn’t enjoy their most played song off the album “Elegia”. It was super epic and enjoyable near the end but the first 2 minutes of the song are really grating, and honestly just sounds like a wall of noise cause it’s so abrasive. That being said I do really enjoy this album, to the point where if I see it in a record store I’m gunna snag myself a copy. Honestly it’s hard to hate on this album in any major way, cause my album for today (I got low-life a few days ago and are catching up) is The suburbs by Arcade Fire, and that album is trash, so in comparison, this album is like a true work of art.
Arcade Fire
1/5
Talk about snooze fest. This was so boring and safe. It’s just mindless pop rock with no direction or soul. This album reminded me a lot of bands like U2. Which is like one of the worst things I can say about a band. Totally put me to sleep, nothing interesting, save your time and skip this one. Chances are if you have listened to the radio or heard music playing in public, you have probably heard this big hit off this album and I’m sorry you had to suffer through that. I also feel traumatized from how mediocre this album is.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
I really loved this album. I do struggle with albums that are hardcore to one sound, but there are times, like this one, where that works regardless. Much like all their albums, this contains a ton of actual hit songs mixed with a few hidden gems. Honestly my only problem with this album is that there was alittle filler but easily one of their top 3 albums.
Queens of the Stone Age
5/5
PERFECT ALBUM.
Happy Mondays
3/5
Ok so the biggest complaint, and I think it’s my only real complaint, is that the album is horribly bloated. There’s way too many songs that just come across as filler. I did like a good solid number of songs off the album but the vast majority of it was forgettable. That being said the parts that were good, were great. Lots of creativity and originality on this album. Solid recommendation.
Jane Weaver
4/5
This is another one of those albums that totally blew me away. I might’ve had low expectations when I saw the underwhelming cover but wow I was not expecting this at all. It is electronic, psychedelic, and also indie rock all at the same time. I really loved the completely unique sound. This made me look into a bunch of her other albums cause I loved this one so much. My only complaint is I don’t like the second half of the album as much as the first.
Yes
4/5
Yah I’m starting to realize that while im not a die hard Stan for Yes, I might be a pretty big fan nonetheless. This album was nearly perfect, only a few songs that I didn’t care for, but 6/8 is a good ratio. As always they are just sorta fun and silly while coming across like they are taking themselves seriously. I also think a big part of that is because they take the instrumentation so seriously and it shows cause as always the best part of Yes is the music. The vocals are perfectly acceptable.
Beatles
4/5
Yah I was very much ready and expecting to give this album a 5 cause this album contains some of the greatest songs of their entire discography. And those songs truely are all time greats in just music in general. But I did not remember how unbelievably long this album is. There are some really grating tracks that take away from the experience as a whole. The Beatles were definitely one of the best bands at making solid front to back albums, and this is definitely that, but there are a bunch of duds hidden behind the massive stars. Seriously though, not my absolute favorite album by them but probably in the top 5.
Miles Davis
3/5
This was definitely a challenge. I always struggle with jazz but this had a mild psychedelic vibe to it that I liked. It hilariously gave my partner a mild panic attach cause she hated it so much. But honestly it took a while for it to grow on me and even then I really have to be in a specific mood to listen to this. Still fun though.
The Police
4/5
So the first few songs I didn’t love, I had high hopes for synchronicity 1 but it was just meh. But then you get to the meat of the album. Pretty much everything from Mother all the way to Wrapped Around Your Finger was great. All those tracks were solid. I did think the last two tracks were also meh. I’ve never done a deep dive on The Police. I only know the majority of their hit songs and a few others. But this album clearly shows they were a powerhouse. This album contains both major huge hits as well as a few less known gems like Miss Gradenko. Seriously I still need to hear more of their albums in their entirety, but this might be one of my favorites.
Grateful Dead
1/5
This album is so boring. It’s just the same sound over and over and over again. I don’t think the problem is that they’re a jam band. I think the problem is that they are a horribly overrated jam band. Nothing interesting happened throughout the album. And I had to put the album on several times cause each time I’d lose interest/attention and have to start over. It actually played through twice without even realizing it, that’s how homogeneous and boring this album is. HARD PASS.
Hawkwind
2/5
I might have gotten my hopes to high with the cover and the promise of space psychedelic rock. But honestly it was just alittle boring for me. And a lot of it was forgettable or underwhelming. I do think the biggest thing that hurt this album is it doesn’t have a sense of fun or humor. It’s just so bland.
Throbbing Gristle
2/5
Ok wow this is obviously tryin to be grating and chalk and it succeeds. I can’t say if this required an amazing amount of talent to create cause it was hard to even comprehend what the goal was outside of being avant-garde. I was super looking forward to this album cause it has such terrible reviews on this website, but I guess you should be careful about meeting your idols. Sadly this album really is that bad. It’s just such a try hard artsy fartsy noise album that I can’t really get behind it and it doesn’t ever go far enough to be memorable.
ABBA
4/5
Yah there’s a reason that ABBA is one of the greatest bands of all time and why they are so popular. Their hooks are catchy, their harmonies are spotless and angelic, the songwriting is clever and witty, and the music is poppy and bubbly. Honestly I understand if this isn’t for you, it’s not my favorite but I like it, but you have to appreciate the level of perfection in their songs. It’s music that we would share with intergalactic beings cause it’s so objectively wholesome and like-able. One of the greatest pop bands ever with an album chalk full of hits.
Eurythmics
4/5
I was really surprised by this album. I thought for sure that it was gunna be a classic case of an untouchable legendary song is holding up the whole album, and it kinda is in the sense that it casts a huge shadow over the rest of the album. But there are plenty of real hidden gems on this album. Sure it had a few skips, I’d say the biggest chunk was the let down after “This City Never Sleeps” there wasn’t anything after that song that I felt was memorable until the very last track. So honestly this album might’ve been a 5 if it had trimmed down alittle bit. But honestly this album was a pleasant surprise, if you are a big fan of LCD Soundsystem like I am, you will see a lot of inspiration and similarities in a few songs. Seriously don’t sleep on this album.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
I really enjoyed this album, it might be my favorite RS album, if not then it’s let it bleed. But regardless it starts with one of the greatest rock songs of all time, and while it doesn’t maintain that level of perfection through out, there are several gems on this album. As always, they are incapable of writing an album without there being a fairly massive hit or several respectable hits. This album is no different and it’s one of their absolute best.
Public Enemy
5/5
One of the greatest rap albums of all time. Super influential and iconic, full of hits, and super memorable and unique. This is literally my favorite public enemy album.
Sepultura
4/5
Yah this album took a few years to get into. I’ve always been into really progressive and psychedelic metal music, and comparatively, I always thought this band came across as simple sounding and boring. But that just ended up being how I feel about Roots Bloody Roots. Idk why but I’m just super bored with that one song. That being said the album as a whole is sick. There are all these haunting moments throughout including sick parts with really interesting sounds drums. Honestly I really love this album. It’s just barely not a 5 but it’s as close as it gets.
Tim Buckley
2/5
Yah I gave this album a bunch of chances cause I did like the instrumentation but the vocals were such a turnoff for me. I was never blown away with his vocal ability and I didn’t think he ever did anything interesting or difffernet with his voice. Honestly I just thought the whole album was wildly boring. Not bad, just unmemorable.
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
If you have seen my other reviews you know I am not impressed or interested in Bruce Springsteen. I’ve never really cared for his voice and I think a few of his early albums are overrated. BUT, and this is a big one, this album is pretty much untouchable. Like I could say how sick I am of these songs that I’ve heard all my life, and I could complain about how it’s definitely more pop than it is rock. But it wouldn’t stop the fact that this album is a non stop massive hit machine. I’ve literally heard every single song on this album at some point or another because the album is that prolific! I can concede the fact that if my star rating was based of off success and pop culture relevance this album would deserve a 5. I think my absolute favorite part of the album is actually the widespread misunderstanding about the title track song. Like when I see people singing that song patriotically or using it for like a war propaganda type video, that’s hilarious. Like the song is very clear about how it feels about life in the US and yet people just won’t listen. But regardless, I think my biggest problem with the album is that I just find it to be like almost a joke. I’ll explain, if you look at Bruce’s other albums his persona is very clear but it’s more subtle and nuanced. This album is like if he was trying to parody himself. Every aspect of his songs sound like he’s almost making fun of how he is being seen, and it just totally backfired and it just made people double down on how they saw him (which you could easily point out is true because that is literally what happened with the title track, the true meaning of that song is lost on far too high a number of people). But seriously this album is like a best of or a greatest hits album. I’m sure you have already heard it honestly.
Nirvana
5/5
This is once again a case of “WHY ARE LIVE ALBUMS ON THIS LIST?!?” This is the best example of how you can’t compare studio albums to live albums, they are just completely different in every way even if they are playing the same music. I think if your an amazing band the live albums always have an edge to them and if you are a bad band than a live albums always exposes that. That being said, and believe me I could go on and on about how live albums DON’T belong on this list, I do have to give this album a review cause it is on the list.
This isn’t even a hot take, but this album is probably the greatest contribution that Nirvana gave the music world. It’s basically a greatest hits album while also being an acoustic album. BOTH of those things really add a lot to the emotion and weight behind a lot of the songs. Yah I’m still digging and there’s like nothing I can critique about this album. It’s a perfect tracklist with most of their “best” songs, it has their best performance, and it’s an iconic mtv unplugged. In fact it probably was the biggest since the kiss unplugged. Seriously though, probably one of the top 3 greatest live albums ever.
Isaac Hayes
3/5
Wow I was not expecting to be so into this. So to start, I know who and what shift is, but I’ve never seen any of the shaft movies so I wasn’t familiar with the actual music, just familiar with what it was going for. And it nails that sleazy and action packed “blaxploitation” r/b soundtrack. Honestly the biggest complaint is that while the music is perfect and ambient, there’s only two songs with Isaac Hayes’ voice featured on them and that feels like a missed opportunity. I know most of these tracks are strictly background material, but his voice is just so wonderful and smooth that I wanna hear it on every song. But that’s not a real criticism, I just think the album being a soundtrack makes it less strong as an album as opposed to a full studio release. But at the end of the day all there is to ask is: Who’s the cat that won’t cop out when there’s danger all about? SHAFT! Right on.
Mj Cole
3/5
I wasn’t sure what to expect with this album. But its cover kinda does a good job of giving you a heads up in hindsight. The cover (if u don’t know) is a shopping bag on fire sitting on a clear glass table. Which is funny cause it really sounds like elevated mall music. Like every single song on this album would be so at home inside a Calvin Klein or Hollister, etc. But don’t brush it off, it’s actually really really good. Like at first I was underwhelmed but by like the second half of the album I was totally sold on it. It’s great work or cleaning music. I can’t pretend like it blew me away or changed me life, but I liked it.
Stevie Wonder
3/5
These songs are so funky and silly that it’s hard not to be won over by their charm. There’s some songs that vibe with me cause they are alittle too religious for me, and there were a few that were slow that I didn’t like. But man, the songs that are good go so hard. Obviously this goes without saying but “higher ground” is easily one of the greatest songs of all time. So that song does alot of heavy lifting but I also really liked “too high”. I do wish the album was alittle sillier and had a sense of humor but that’s just me.
Radiohead
3/5
I was definitely more into this album than other Radiohead albums so far. It wasn’t perfect, I didn’t love the first half as much as the second half but the songs that work are haunting and wonderful. I really struggled with what to review this album but honestly it just didn’t quite click with me enough to get a crazy good review, but there were several tracks that were really impressive and interesting. I just know that if I’m going to suggest Radiohead in the future I’ll probably recommend this one.
DJ Shadow
5/5
This shit was so smooth and relaxing that I fell into such a deep slumber that I drifted off into another dimension. Whizzing by planets and galaxies til I landed on the planet Gorkon 11 which is where I met the Kraglons. They begged and pleaded that I save their elvish princess. Now I know what you are thinking, why would the Kraglons have an elvish princess? They are an asexual race of blob creatures. And what does this have to do with the album? Well first of all that was a little racist towards the Kraglons, I’m not sure what they did to you to elicit that kind of response. And yes they are slightly blob like but they are deeply offended by that comparison. Anyways, after the princess was saved, they rewarded me with their greatest jewels and berries. Believe me when I say that you have never tasted a jewel as delicious and juicy as a Gorkon 11 Lamex. And the berries you can sell for goods and services or get set into a ring or necklace. Great weekend!
Guided By Voices
4/5
Went into this one completely blind, and I think that was the way to go. This album is kind of a lot. I could see several ways in which this album could turn people off, the biggest being its song length. The whole album is filled with songs that rarely make it past 2 minutes. But as a massive Ween fan, this album felt very brown. It felt like they just sort of threw everything they had at the wall and just kept going and worried about what stuck later. But that’s not a negative, I wish more albums were this bold and risky. There’s a couple songs that are less than a minute but they are so creative and inspired that they feel more quality than most songs that are 3 mins long. Honestly the album was very pleasantly surprising. The best analogy for this album is that it’s very similar to sketch comedy, they can’t ALL be winners. Just by the nature of the medium it’s always gunna be hit and miss, but I will say these are mostly “hits” (figuratively). Seriously though this album is pretty fun and has good energy in it.
Nick Drake
4/5
Wow this is an amazing debut album. The level of craftsmanship on this album is mind blowing. The only real thing stopping this from being a perfect album for me is that it’s a very somber album and it stays in the vibe throughout. I like alittle more variety in a 5 album. But that being said the biggest thing that won me over the most is the guitar playing is AWESOME. No other word for it, it’s just so good. This album made me excited for more of his work to show up on the list. Crazy talent.
Nick Drake
4/5
Small side note, it’s a crazy statistical feat that I got two Nick Drake albums back to back. But that being said I’m gunna compare this album to his debut album a lot because I just heard it yesterday obviously. So this album feels so cohesive and fluid that it’s almost difficult to tell when one song ends and the next starts. But that’s not a negative, it’s like a lullaby. It kept trying to put me to sleep, but this time, once again, I genuinely mean that in a positive way. This isn’t important to the music but the album cover is literally an ALL-TIME GREAT COVER. It’s so iconic and it’s really fitting with the material. I think if it wasn’t for Bryter Layter this would be my favorite album of his.
Rahul Dev Burman
5/5
This is why I follow this list. This album fucking ROCKS!! It’s so badass in every way. It’s got some variety, it’s got action, it’s got romance, what’s not to love. This not only gave me a super obscure vinyl to look for it also gave me a movie to look forward to watching. I’m not joking or being sarcastic I loved every single second of this album. I just want more weird shit like this please! 🙏
Michael Jackson
1/5
I refuse to listen to or review this garbage.
The Killers
3/5
So obviously I know this album, I know several songs on this album. But until yesterday I don’t know for a fact that I had ever sat through the whole thing. And I know now why I don’t remember most of it, the second half of the album is completely forgettable. You could argue that the A side is so strong that it makes the mediocre B side look worse. And I think that’s pretty agreeable. The second half isn’t bad it just isn’t memorable at all. But those first 4 songs are untouchably good. To be fair, the first half of this album is so good that it contains most of the biggest rock songs of the 2010s. Easily a great album that’s only slightly weighted down by the second half but not enough to turn it off.
The Zutons
4/5
Yah I grew up with early 2000s rock music like Jet, The Offspring, The White Stripes, etc. so this album was very welcoming. It just has that early 2000s rock production sound to it. Very nostalgic, which is kinda weird cause I’ve never heard of them before. But there was a lot to dig into on this album. They even included my FAVORITE thing which is a good variety of sounds. I always get alittle turned off when an album tries to sound alittle too homogeneous. That being said there were skips on this album, and they are kinda random throughout, but what’s important is that it held my attention and I didn’t get bored and start thinking about other things. I’ll definitely have to give their other albums a listen.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
3/5
Yah this album is interesting to talk about legacy wise. So right off the bat, this album is HUGE, and for them, it might be their most important album for becoming a household name. If I was giving a rating based off of how culturally important this album is it would get a 5, no question. But for my personal taste, I think it’s alittle lopsided on the A side. Nobody remembers the b side tracks on this album because most are skips, the only huge stand out is purple stain which I enjoyed. But honestly think as a whole this is a horribly overrated pop rock album that wows u with huge hits upfront and then meanders for the remaining 30-40 mins. Iconic rock album, with an ok tracklist.
Oasis
2/5
Pretty mixed feelings on this one. For a debut album it’s super impressive. Tons of hits. But as a whole I just found the album grating. The sound is super homogeneous and not in a positive way unfortunately. I just felt like the sound got so stale so fast. It wasn’t garbage or terrible. I was just massively underwhelmed.
Van Morrison
2/5
I was mildly underwhelmed by this album. It had really pretty production and the sound throughout the album is so refined. I just found it to be alittle too slow for me, as whole I was kinda bored, but Moondance is an all time great song! I just think the album is just ok.
AC/DC
4/5
Yah this is one of the greatest hard rock/early heavy metal albums of all time. It literally starts with one of the greatest songs in all of rock music, which is truly saying something. I do think it hasn’t aged perfectly, but that’s mostly because of the music mentality at the time. For example when I was a kid and all I listened to was AC/DC, KISS, Aerosmith, Poison, etc. you can hear very clearly that the goal is to find a sound and refine it but NOT to stray from that sound ever. I think the two biggest and best examples of that is AC/DC and KISS. They both riddled out their rock sound and never tried to truly stray from it. Now financially they clearly knew what they were doing. But in hindsight, when you are listening to an album where every song is intentionally made to sound like the last song, it gets stale quicker than 14 yr old me would like to admit. Once again, literally one of the greatest straightforward rock albums of all time. But yah don’t go into expecting variety.
The Band
4/5
I have very similar feelings about this album as I did the last, in fact nearly identical. I felt like the music was a bit slow for me and little too southern sounding. But the genuine talent in the band is insane. Like the guitar playing and song writing is spectacular. The only real criticism is that it’s alittle slow and southern for me and I didn’t love every song. But it’s a very endearing album with excellent craftsmanship. I just wish they had wrote a rock song or two. Still a seriously good album.
Parliament
5/5
Yah this album is fucking perfect. It literally brings the party AND its own catering. It’s everything you could ever ask for, it’s probably one of the greatest albums of all time let alone greatest funk album. Seriously this album is all that and a bucket of funky potatoes. More music needs to be this much fun!
Erykah Badu
4/5
I definitely wasn’t expecting to enjoy this album so much. My biggest problem honestly, and this was why I wasn’t expecting to like it, the album cover is so boring. I feel it doesn’t really convey what’s on the album and personally I don’t think it’s a good representation of said album. But that’s ok cause the album is fucking awesome. There’s a ton of variety in sound and tone. There were a few songs I didn’t like that were slower but it never once lost my attention, it had me hooked from the first two songs which are probably the best two on the album but it doesn’t feel like downhill after that. There are a ton more songs in this album that are fun and worth your time. Seriously this is a great cruisin’ album. Just hop in the car, no real destination in mind, and just drive around listening to this album. You will like it!
Fred Neil
5/5
Wow I had never heard of Fred Neil before but this album is so magical. His voice is so perfect and gruff it reminded me of my favorite attributes of Elvis’s voice, which is as high praise as it gets. His songwriting and guitar playing are just immaculate (I obviously am not sure if he is literally playing the guitar or if it’s one of his band members, but regardless it’s amazing guitar playing. The sound on the album isn’t stale and consistent, it’s got variety sonically and each song feels legitimately different than the last. I can’t believe how much I fell in love with this album in a day, like I’m a die hard fan of his now. Seriously how is this dude so unrecognized in a general sense. Like I know he’s a musicians musician, but he’s so wildly talented it’s crazy he never found that wider audience, never too late!
Willie Nelson
3/5
Ok here are the complaints right up front, three tracks are the same song, there are 5 interlude tracks, two tracks are “red headed stranger”, with a total of 15 songs under 33mins. Now this isn’t a complaint about how short the album is, I typically prefer shorter albums. The complaint is that of those 15 songs there’s actually only like 7 original songs, that’s kinda crazy. Like so much of this album is very clearly just ambient tasters. I do like the vibe but as a whole it makes the album feel alittle too cohesive and it just flies by. It’s another album where I listened to it several times over because I wouldn’t catch the ending, and it just flows seamlessly that you don’t even notice 8 songs just went by. Honestly this is a classic country, and I’ve always struggled with country, I found most of the tracks on this album to be pretty boring and lackluster, I feel that the last Willie album I got (Stardust) was wildly superior to this album in every way. But that being said I really loved “hands on the wheel”, “Denver”, and “I couldn’t believe it was true”. I think Willie Nelson is a timeless treasure with a lifetime of hits and awesome collabs. But this album specifically I think is one of his most overrated. Not bad, not great, just overrated and pretty good.
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
1/5
TWO HOURS….TEN MINUTES….I will never get that time back. I hate the cover with the traitor flag! The music was awful and grating from the very beginning, and TWO HOURS AND TEN MINUTES later it was still grating. I think I deserve a cookie at the very least cause I actually listened to this album and didn’t give up. You can’t say I don’t take this list seriously cause I just kept telling myself it was gunna get better or that I was eventually gunna find something I like. I was wrong and I should be ashamed of myself for lying to myself like that. Ok, joking aside, this is by far one of the worst albums I have listened to because of this list. This album was so bad I had to see if this band ever did anything I would appreciate in any capacity and sadly they only got worse over time. This album is totally garbage but they pop country songs they released in the 80s should be a crime. Seriously, avoid this religious garbage at all costs.
The Chemical Brothers
3/5
I can’t tell if I loved this album or if it was just such a perfect palette cleanser after the god awful “will the circle be unbroken” album. I don’t think I’ve heard anything I hate as much as I hate that hot steaming pile of shit. This album had some of the same problems most electronic albums have which is it tends to be painfully repetitive at times. That’s sorta just the nature of the beast. There were a few skips because of this, in fact one song gave my partner anxiety cause it sounded similar to like an alarm breaking, and she just desperately needed to turn it off. But I will say this is an incredibly original album. Sonically it’s completely unique. I’m definitely interested in hearing more of their music because I was super impressed with this album even if it wasn’t like mind blowing. Definitely check this album out if you like electronic music though, you will love this!
The White Stripes
4/5
The greatest rock band of my generation, with one of their biggest commercially successful albums. What’s not to like about this album, really just one thing and that’s “little ghost”. It’s just a personal taste thing but I hate it and I can’t stand it. It is always an immediate skip. But that being said, despite not liking that song, it happens to be a great example of the variety on this album. Like there’s the classic “white stripes” sound that flows throughout the album, but there’s also pretty bold swings like “the nurse” and “I’m lonely (but I ain’t that lonely yet)”. There’s even a really cool interlude near the end of the album that I enjoy. And I don’t normally even comment on interludes which says something. Really the songs I was the least interested in were the songs that “sounded like white stripes”. For example, I find the most forgettable song on the album to be “instinct blues”. But I digress, this is a CLASSIC album. This album is easily one of their best and a culturally important rock album which is saying something considering it came out in the early 2000s.
Cee Lo Green
2/5
I’ll say positively this wasn’t the worst album I’ve ever heard. It doesn’t deserve a 1 for sure. But it’s not doing much better than that. I was frequently bored and uninspired by this album. I found it to be pretty generic boring pop rap music. Some of the beats were interesting but Cee Lo Greens voice is so annoying and grating. Even though I liked a couple songs like “childz play” and “soul machine” there just wasn’t enough of that to keep me invested. You might like this, but you won’t be blown away by it.
Muddy Waters
3/5
Good album. Hilarious name and cover. The only things that I think hurt this album is just sort of the way classic blues music has aged. If you are like me and you grew up with classic rock and stuff like that, than you are intimately familiar with the classic blues chord progressions. Which is iconic, but also hearing that same riff over and over again my whole life has made it lose some luster. I really enjoyed all of the album, like I never felt that skip urge. However I didn’t save a lot of songs cause they were so homogeneous and similar only like 3-4 songs ended up getting my attention. If I knew someone liked classic blues/rock I’d definitely recommend this album….AFTER I recommended my favorite blues rock band, Geese.
Sonic Youth
4/5
Yah this list is making me into a pretty big sonic youth fan. Before I started the list I genuinely only knew the song kool thang. But now I can say all theee albums from this list have been excellent! This album started slow, for some reason I don’t care for that starting track, but for the most part this is a no skip album. Great instrumentation as always from them. The only critique that I always have for this band is I just find Kim Gordon to have the more interesting voice and vocal performances. The other singer isn’t bad just pales in comparison. It’s like the Ozzy vs Dio debate. Yah Dio is immensely talented and awesome and a super nice guy, but Ozzy’s energy and vocals somehow just work better with the sound of the band than Dio does. That being said yah I can’t actually hate on the album for having 2 singers, it adds variety which I can appreciate. Honestly the only thing holding this album back from a perfect 5 is I just don’t have that personal connection to it. I loved all the songs but I didn’t have that moment with a song where I thought it was perfect. This is another example of getting as close to a 5 as possible without achieving one.
Crosby, Stills & Nash
3/5
I had very low expectations for this album. Not because the artist is bad but because the cover was boring and underwhelming combined with the fact that I didn’t know any of their music and their name makes them sound like a country band. The good news is that they are not a country act. But sadly they are also not far enough away from being a country act. Most of the album is slower songs that didn’t really click with me. I will say however that what blew me away about this album is that there are some touches of like psychedelic rock, which were not only welcome changes to the sound but also stellar music. Like the three songs that I liked (marrakesh express, pre-road downs, and wooden ships) were all legitimate psychedelic bangers. I just wish there was more of that, specifically, on the album. Still great craftsmanship though, even on songs that I didn’t care for, they typically on all the songs have crazy good guitar playing. So this album definitely belongs on this list but it’s just kinda not entirely for me, has some highlights I like but you will probably like this more than me.
The Undertones
4/5
Ok so the last time I got an album for The Undertones it was their debut album. Which I really liked and was interested in, but didn’t blow me away. This album was better than the last but definitely more of the same (in a good way). One of my biggest praises of their first album rings true with this album as well, namely being that the album is short, fast, and sweet. 15 songs at 38mins? That’s what we like to hear! Also I saved almost every song on the album where with the last one I think I only saved about half. Great album, definitely excited about maybe hearing more from them. Also small, side note, under the boardwalk is a great song and their cover is awesome!
Morrissey
2/5
It’s weird, I don’t know if my expectations were too high or what but I was pretty disappointed by this album. It wasn’t bad, I mean as much I hate Morrissey, the dude has an incredible voice. I just wasn’t really blown away. I thought the album was overall a little underwhelming. The production isn’t bad I just found everything to be bland, like there wasn’t anything quirky, or silly. Like say what you want about the “80s sound” of The Smiths, I just prefer that sound coupled with Morrissey’s voice.
Bill Evans Trio
2/5
This is the type of jazz I struggle with. It’s just so dry and meandering. I don’t think there’s a lack of talent or that this album is a waste of time, I just think this isn’t really for me. I listened to whole album front to back a couple of times in a row, and aside from being super chill and atmospheric, this album did almost nothing for me. And despite listening to it several times, I forgot most if not all of the tracks on this album. Perfectly competent jazz album, but also a super dry dated version.
Fela Kuti
3/5
So my biggest gripe with this album is the songs have a lot of buildup. Sometimes it takes up to 4 minutes for the song to hit its stride. I always struggle with aggressively repetitive music, which typically only is a problem for electronic dance music. That being said once the songs got going, they were GOING. Super fun and kind spirited, this would be the type of jazz I’d put on to try and get a younger kid into jazz. This is much more fun and accessible as opposed to like a traditional sounding jazz band like Bill Evans Trio (which coincidentally was the album I got before this one, which also highlighted how much funkier and sillier this is than regular jazz. Definitely check this out if you struggle with most jazz artists, I think this is much more fun and accessible than most traditional jazz artists.
Jorge Ben Jor
4/5
I was pleasantly surprised by this album. I didn’t have low expectations, I just had zero expectations at all cause I had no idea what this was. But as I’ve learned this is some sort of Brazilian artist, who is wildly musically gifted. That’s the big stand out as someone who doesn’t speak the language is that the music is excellent. The wide range of instruments combined with the super fun and party atmosphere, I just really liked this album. I have no idea what went of the songs are about cause I didn’t really look into it, so there a small disconnect obviously. But I don’t think that’s a huge negative because the instrumentation is so colorful and bright that I mostly just get lost in the great rhythm. That being said it is one vibe throughout so there’s a few songs that don’t punch as hard as others, and I didn’t save everything on the album, but if you like Brazilian music, this album is a must!
The Byrds
1/5
I didn’t have any expectations going into this album and yet somehow I was let down. I really liked the cover, but that’s where the positives end. The lyrics did nothing for me, the vocals were underwhelming, and worst of all I hated the instrumentals. Honestly a miserable experience from start to finish.
The Velvet Underground
4/5
I honestly have never heard any of The Velvet Underground’s music before so I had no idea what to expect other than the fact that Lou Reed is in the band. I do know a few Lou Reed songs here and there. But anyways, I really enjoyed the opening of this album, the first three songs were the strongest. I do think it’s kind of ironic that the song called cooling it down is where the album starts to lose me. The rest of album isn’t a waste though cause the last three songs and “lonesome cowboy bill” are all great songs. The others didn’t really blow me away but that’s a healthy majority of the album that I enjoyed. Obviously I’d always like more variety of sound but it’s a super iconic album with an iconic cover. Totally holds up.
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
I think that while Jimi Hendrix is obviously the most overrated guitar player of all time, he doesn’t get that incorrect moniker for no reason. He was so ahead of his time instrumentally and like the other album I’ve reviewed of his so far (are you experienced?) this album suffered from a lot of forgettable tracks that are completely overshadowed by the songs that were so objectively great that they are insanely huge hits and permanently ingrained in American pop culture. Like seriously the songs on both of these albums that are hits are songs I’ve been hearing since I was a child. They don’t go away cause they are too good to ever truly fall out of popularity. There’s still kids in highschool now that continue to wear Jimi Hendrix shirts, that’s how influential he truly is. But again it’s not a perfect album, it’s got some filler here and there, but still an ALL TIME GREAT in rock music and just music in general.
Big Star
2/5
This album I find to be incredibly infuriating. I’ll explain, the vast majority of the album does nothing for me. It’s too slow and the songs don’t get my attention in anyway. Honestly if it wasn’t for three specific songs I would’ve hated this album, easily would’ve given it a one star. But then there’s the three songs I really liked which were “Kizza Me”, “O, Dana”, and “Downs”. But the problem with these tracks is they do the opposite of redeem the album, they indict the album. The songs show how they could’ve made something I liked but instead went in an entirely different direction. “Downs” especially is so wildly different from everything else on the album and shows some crazy creativity and talent. It just really highlighted how much I hated everything else on the album.
Joan Armatrading
2/5
Ok wow lots of musical talent. Like instrumentally this album is stunning. My biggest glaring problem with this album is I just didn’t like Joan’s voice. Totally a personal and subjective take but there were only a few tracks I saved cause I truly didn’t enjoy her voice on these tracks. I would however, love to hear more from her cause musically I’m definitely a fan of what she creates, but put off by the vocals unfortunately.
Ghostface Killah
3/5
This album is kinda a mess, but I think that is part of its charm. The kits are forgettable interludes, but that’s ok cause there’s great track spread throughout the album. But that’s sort of the problem/quirk of this album which is it feels like going through someone else’s mess. There’s junk everywhere and you have to dig to find what you like. I think most of the time the skits just kinda got in the way of the music and didn’t add a lot the experience. But here’s the cheat sheet, if you just wanna skip to the good stuff, here are the 4 tracks that make this album worth listening to: The Champ, 9 Milli Bros, Be Easy, and Three Bricks. Those 4 songs are great. You could probably skip the rest.
Dexys Midnight Runners
2/5
Yah I went into this album thinking it was gunna be chock full of hidden gems that got over shadowed by THE song, but sadly outside of one track I didn’t end up saving anything else. I should preface by saying I think come on Eileen is easily one of the greatest songs ever, and it’s wildly catchy chorus and lyrics are timeless. But that being said, that song does ALL of the heavy lifting on this album. Nothing has that charm or magic like COE does. Also if there wasn’t a timeless classic song in this album I’d say it’s probably one of the worst I’ve listened to on this list so far. Like 3 songs I realized that the lead singer might have the most grating and despicable vocal delivery I’ve ever heard. It’s just wailing and hitting the same note over and over again. Seriously if it wasn’t for COE this album would get a spiteful and angry 1. But sadly I can’t do that to COE,it’s literally too perfect of a song.
The Police
4/5
I’m not sure why, but I must always have pretty low expectations for The Police, because I’m always surprised by how much I like the album. It wasn’t perfect, it has some skips, but the songs that weren’t skips, were definite “saves”. Not to mention this album has one of their biggest songs ever. Which is saying something cause they pumped out hit songs regularly. My biggest complaint is I kinda over time get sick of Sting’s vocals. He is not a bad singer, just something about his voice gets grating by the end of the album. But honestly this was totally worth my time, good album.
Michael Jackson
1/5
Pedophile, not worth my time…
Abdullah Ibrahim
2/5
Weird coincidence, the only two songs I saved from the album are the opening and closing tracks. The first one got my hopes too high that I might connect with the rest of the album, unfortunately I didn’t, but that last track was a nice reminder I do like jazz, but I might be picky. Because the heart of this album does nothing for me. And the goofy song at the end which reminded me of Ed, Edd, and Eddy was by far my favorite track on these tracks album. I guess when it comes to jazz I want something either sorta silly and full of life/joy or something really funky and wild. Also, on one last negative note, I think the album cover is totally boring and lifeless. If it wasn’t for the opening and closing tracks, I’d literally hate this album.
Crowded House
3/5
I wasn’t blown away by this album but I could say that I was pleasantly surprised. I didn’t know this band going in, but this album is super chill and fairly short. The first time I played the album I got to near the end of the album before I realized how much of the album had gone by. So it’s a completely inoffensive album as a whole but also big stretches of it are a little boring/safe. I did appreciate their attempt to add some variety in sounds to the album, I enjoyed those tracks the most. Honestly as a whole, my biggest problem is just that the album is slower and I always struggle to connect with slower music. Loved the album artwork as well, I know that’s not important to most people but I think it’s important and I enjoy this album cover a lot. At the end of the day if I saw this album for under $20 I’d buy it in a heartbeat.
Sufjan Stevens
3/5
Ok so this is kinda tough. This is another example where I wish I could just rate the album based off talent and nothing else cause this would easily get a 5. The instrumentation and composition on this album is stellar and flawless. Musically it’s one of the most engaging albums I’ve had from a singer/songwriter type album. Plus I think not only is the cover totally iconic for the genre but the adorably long song titles are really endearing. I love just about everything about this album, but I just didn’t click with it. I never felt an instant personal connection with it like I have with other albums on this list. And there wasn’t quiet enough variety in sound to fully hold my attention between the interludes, which are soft and angelic, but also sleep inducing. Honestly the biggest problem with this album is that it’s coming from such a honest and emotional place that I can’t connect with it cause it doesn’t have any sense of silliness or joy. No joy might be an exaggeration but I do like alittle comedy to my music. Not cause I need to laugh, but in order for me to connect with the music I need to see that you don’t take yourself too seriously as an artist. Honestly, like I said previously, this album is a total flawless piece of wildly honest and emotional musical talent on display that even glows during interludes, but I just didn’t personally “click” with it, but I will admit this album will probably grow on me, and if we are ever given the ability to edit our reviews, this one might look different in the future.
Megadeth
5/5
Yah this is like a breath of fresh air. Metal is just hands down the best genre for me. Like the second I saw the album I got excited cause I haven’t listened to this album from front to back since like highschool. In fact, I was pretty worried at first cause lots of stuff from highschool don’t age well. But this is hands down one of the greatest metal albums of all time. Megadeth’s biggest criticism, that frankly is valid for most albums, is that Fave Mustain’s voice is very grating or at the very least it’s an acquired taste. However, I think specifically this album and peace sells are great examples of where his voice works perfectly. And frankly I think if ur problem is his voice, this album and peace sells are probably going to be the only albums you like cause they have some of the best vocals by him. But at the end of the day, if you are looking to get into Megadeth, and for whatever reason you can’t find a copy of Peace Sells, this is the best option to start.
5/5
I super underestimated this album. I didn’t know anything about PJ before listening to this album but based off the two tracks featuring Thom Yorke I was afraid the album would be intentionally difficult/challenging and maybe even a little avant-garde. Thankfully that intuition was wrong. This album is surprisingly heavy and a little Rock focused. All of which I think helped the album become more accessible to me. That being said one of the four songs on the album that I didn’t end up saving/liking was one of the Thom features (Beautiful Feeling) and the other three weren’t offensive or bad, just underwhelming or forgettable. But honestly I really love this album. This is an album I look forward to finding and adding to my collection. Easily a classic of whatever genre you call this.
Roni Size
3/5
Ok so I need some brownie mirror points after this one. It wasn’t the must difficult album I’ve ever listened to, but it’s definitely the longest. Originally I was only going to listen to the tracklist from the very first release of this album. But I got caught up with work and let it play through for the rest of the work day. Honestly I couldn’t believe it went for almost 6 hours. Like I’d check in and out as the album went on and I ended up saving a few songs here and there and this is my take away. It’s a lot. Like for better or worse it’s an awful nsanely long album with a ton of tracks. Some underwhelming ambient tracks, and some more impactful songs that were a lot easier to digest and get into. But honestly if you are looking for like “house ambient” music this is it. It felt like I was living in the future but from the perspective of the “90’s future”. I know that doesn’t make any sense but ultimately I didn’t love this album but I also didn’t hate it.
David Bowie
4/5
Ok so negatives upfront, biggest problem is I hate the cover. It shouldn’t matter but it looks so dry and sterile. Like I’m looking at an autopsy. The makeup is iconic but I just hate this weird portrait picture. That’s the end of the negatives cause this album is fucking sick. It shows David Bowie definitely wanted to focus on his crazy wild ballads about fictional characters (which I’m so totally here for), but he still found the nerve to give us an all time iconic classic rock song in Jean genie. Which kinda blew my mind cause I thought it was Jean Jeanie my whole life. But the star of this album, and frankly it’s the aspect of the album that ur either gunna love or hate and that’s the keyboard playing. Like holy shit it can be distracting. That’s obviously the point, the keys take center stage for a lot of the beginning tracks on this album and it’s just crazy complicated playing that’s super inventive. But I could see why people hate it. Needless to say this is a great album but definitely not David Bowie’s best, not top 3 either, definitely top 10 though.
Waylon Jennings
1/5
Didn’t grab my attention, put me to sleep. And worst of all his vocal performance and just the sound of his voice in general is so boring and underwhelming. Albums like this make me think I hate country until I hear stuff that’s actually good.
Django Django
5/5
To start with, this album has one of the most important qualities an album could have on this list and that’s being completely unique. I didn’t look into the artists other work yet to see if this album is a one off/ if every album sounds like this/or this album is really just a gem hidden in the rough. It’s so unique and different. If I had to simplify it I’d say it’s like a percussion focused electronic album. Super inventive and mildly repetitive, this album totally had my attention from the get go and I saved most if not every song on the album. It’s super fun, has a great cover, and I’ll definitely be looking into their other work cause this album just works so well for some reason. Seriously if you like electronic music you definitely gotta check this out, it’s super cool.
2/5
Ok so this album has the same problems as the last oasis album I reviewed for this list (definitely maybe). It’s just so sonically homogeneous and alittle boring. The hits really hold the whole thing together. They are fairly well spaced but sadly there’s only like 4 on the whole album which is literally only 25%. For the album to only be memorable or note worthy
a quarter of the time is not good. Honestly I’m starting to think Oasis is possibly one of the most overrated bands, at least of my generation.
Peter Gabriel
3/5
Yah I didn’t realize how great of a voice Peter Gabriel has. And I also was super blown away by the production and instrumentation quality. Like it’s so clean and crisp, and it’s got that 80s funk to it which I love. It’s embarrassing how many of the songs on this album over heard a thousand times and always thought it was Phil Collin’s for some reason. I kinda think they sound similar. But regardless, the only problem I had personally with this album is I only ended up saving like 3 songs and those were the massive hits. The rest of the album isn’t bad just forgettable. Also the strongest aspect of his entire career is how sick sledgehammer is and how inventive and mind blowing the music video is. I don’t think I’ve ever complimented a music video in my reviews so far because I don’t think it’s important/relevant to my review. But honestly it might be hands down one of the greatest music videos of all time. It’s so iconic and fun that you could show it to someone of any age and any background and they will find something about it to enjoy. But at the end of the day I feel this is another album held up solely by the 3 massive hit songs on the album. Make of that what you will but go watch the Sledgehammer music video!
MGMT
3/5
Definitely super into this album. My only real issue is these songs were so massively popular that I got sick of them a few years after they came out cause they got overplayed everywhere. But that doesn’t change the fact that there are 3 MASSIVE hits on this album. And even more incredibly there are hidden gems on this album because the hits overshadow the rest of the album pretty severely. Like there’s even a song that gets mildly psychedelic which is very unexpected. It’s also crazy to me that this album came from mostly just two people. That’s crazy impressive. That being said, I didn’t love all of it. I think the biggest problem with this album is it feels super safe and mainstream. Like it doesn’t feel like they took and dangerous or bold chances. Definitely a solid album regardless.
Alice Cooper
4/5
I was definitely already a huge fan of Alice Cooper before listening to this album to review it. But I thought it’d be like most of his albums where it’s good but it’s carried by the one or two massive radio hits. This album is not like that, it’s very well balanced. Not perfect, but very very good. There were a few forgettable songs, like sick things, and I actually HATED Unfinished Sweet. It should be illegal to use the sound of dentist drills in music without a trigger warning!! No joking aside, I actually did get repulsed by this song because of the drill noises. But aside from that, it’s a stellar hard rock album that holds up very well. I’d even go as far to say this is probably his best album, it’s definitely the most well rounded.
Alice In Chains
5/5
This was a really hard album to review cause I’ve sort of grown away from it over the years. But in highschool I was obsessed with this album as well as Soundgarden’s Superunknown. But as the teenage angst has faded away from my life, some of these songs don’t hit the same anymore. I still recognize that this is a STAPLE in the grunge community, like a totally unstoppable masterpiece. Possibly even Alice In Chains best album. But aside from not relating to the music as much as I did before, I gotta say it still holds up really well. Like easily one of the best albums I listened to in hs. The only fault I have now as an adult is that there are a few skips, not a lot, but a few like I don’t care for damn that river. I also wish there was alittle more bold experimentation, like the only song on this album that sounds like they tried something vastly different sonically is Angry Chair and that album I think has become my favorite on the album. But at the end of the day the problem with reviewing this album is that it truly does deserve a 4.5 stars. It’s not quiet perfection but it’s definitely higher than a 4. So I guess by the laws of rounding it’s gunna get a 5, which feels less egregious than giving it a 4.
Doves
4/5
I was really impressed by this album. Like I honestly had no idea what to think but I was very pleasantly surprised. The first 4 tracks were untouchable, if it had continued that perfectly it easily would’ve been 5, but it did start to fall off after the first 4 tracks, I also liked cedar room, and catch the sun. Honestly I didn’t dislike the other tracks they were just silly too slow and sad for me to get into, but I could definitely appreciate how musically gifted this band is cause every track was relaxing and soothing in a way. Definitely worth your time, but it is a lot slower that what I normally like.
3/5
I enjoyed this album but I’d put this below the other 3 Yes albums I’m familiar with ( fragile, debut album, and 90125). It’s just alittle too much. Like all of their albums are wild and overly complicated whether for good or bad. And usually I’d say it works and that’s part of their charm, but this album definitely challenges that. Mainly the song that really stands out the most, the opening track, has this repeating key progression in the background of like the first several minutes and it became grating pretty quick, but I did enjoy Siberian Khatru the most. Also this isn’t necessarily a complaint just an observation, there’s like several different versions of this album and each one is pretty wildly different which is kinda crazy. But I do believe this specific version with 7 tracks is my favorite version. But if you like yes this is a must listen, but if you already know u don’t like Yes than this will be torture cause it’s a lot even for them.
Elvis Presley
4/5
Yah I’ll admit I’m biased, I’ve always loved Elvis since I was a very young child. My dad was a fan my grandmother was a massive fan, he’s basically been a family member in my house. This is also one of his most well rounded albums as well as being one the albums where he really got to show his range and his unique singing style. It’s also kind of a weird album to review because it’s so fundamental to all music that came after it. Reviewing this album is like reviewing cavemen banging on drums in a cave. It’s such a fundamental building block to ALL music. Also this album follows one of my favorite traits to a great album, and much is it doesn’t over stay its welcome, the whole thing is just under 29 mins. My only problem with this is his personal life, I think aligning himself with the colonel and blindly trusting him was the greatest mistake of his life behind pursuing Priscilla, which I think hurt his legacy almost as bad. But, that being said I’m biased, I love Elvis music, Sue me.
The Beach Boys
4/5
Ok so let me get the negatives out of the way real fast. This album has an annoying amount of releases. And there doesn’t seem to be a consensus on which is THE version to listen to. For example I thought the way to go was listening to the version that has both mono/stereo versions, but the problem with that one is that it has almost all the songs doubled up which makes the tracklist super confusing. But both the stereo version and mono version are missing songs, in particular my favorite song on the album (hang on to your ego). So that my biggest problem with the album, there are a few songs that don’t blow me away or hold my attention but for the most part the album is stellar as always. It’s hard to go wrong with a BB album because they always do specific things perfectly, like harmonies, adorably innocent song writing themes, and production quality. And this might be one of their best albums on top of that. Definitely worthy of this list!
Christina Aguilera
1/5
I went into this with a positive attitude and mood. But sadly this album is just objectively not for me. I didn’t care for the songs, I didn’t care for the music, and I know her biggest claim to fame is how amazing her voice is, but here’s my hot take, she’s grating. Like her skill level is high, but I HATE the vocal delivery. Like the way she decides to sing I think undermines the great production, any musical talent on the instrumentation, and it also overshadows how talents he is cause her voice is full of range but it’s always being done so over the top that it’s not enjoyable. There’s NOTHING about this album that’s subtly or nuanced, it’s all just loud annoying early 2000s pop music. Totally waste of time, doesn’t belong on this list.
A Tribe Called Quest
4/5
Yah this is just another example of ATCQ being easily one of the greatest rap groups of all time. This album has just got so much spunk to it and it’s got its own sound. The only other group that sounds similar to this is De La Soul, but they changed their sound pretty drastically after their first album. Still I’d say this is easily one of the best rap albums of all time. It has great beats and production and it also has super infectious and catchy lyrics. Seriously, wish I could give this album a 4.5 cause I don’t think it’s a perfect 5/5 like 3 feet high and rising, but it’s so close to being there. Personally it’s just shy of a 5.
Pixies
4/5
This is a band that I always assumed was a one hit wonder, because the “fight club” song is so popular and genuinely on another level. Like it’s easily one of the greatest alt rock songs of all time. So I assumed there wouldn’t be a lot else going on this album, which is completely inaccurate. This album is definitely being carried by “where’s my mind” but it’s got a lot of other great songs buried on it. The stand outs for me that really felt like bold risks were “broken face”, “gigantic”, and “cactus”. It’s so close to being a no skip album but there are a few forgettable tracks on this album. But despite that, this is a totally stellar album. Totally deserves to be on this list and definitely worth your time if you like alt rock.
Scott Walker
4/5
I have no idea how I’ve never heard of Scott Walker in my whole life. The dude has got PIPES. Like his voice is the definition of caramel. It’s so rich and creamy, he might have one of the greatest singing voices I’ve ever heard. The production is also smooth and serene like butter. There are not enough food comparisons I can make here, the album is a total masterpiece. The only thing stoping this from being a five is that I didn’t connect with every song, there were a few that didn’t hold my attention because they are so slow/sad, which I always struggle with. But this album is so good that I hope there are more of his albums on the horizon.
Bad Brains
5/5
This album fucking rips. It’s so good and it has so much energy in it. There’s so much I wanna say about this album I’m probably not gunna remember it all. There’s just so many positives. The intro is sick, the guitar tone throughout the whole album is “chef’s kiss”, the lyrics still hold up to this day, and best of all they are wholly original. NO ONE sounds like bad brains. Which is good cause no one else could make this sound work. It’s just an all time great band and this is easily one of, if not, their best album. I could listen to this album on repeat for hours!
Grateful Dead
1/5
Another example of, it didn’t matter how good of a mood I was in, or how excited I was for the music, I still think the Grateful Dead are the most overrated band of all time. The vocals are worse than mediocre, there are brief moments where the guitar playing becomes interesting but it’s usually pretty short lived and buried under meandering song structure. The amount of time you have to invest to get to the “good” parts is exhausting and I felt for one of the only times while doing this list that this was time I could never get back. Which only leaves one question, is the Grateful Dead the name of the band or the feeling you get when the music is finally OVER?!