Journey in Progress
Discovering music one album at a time
240
Albums Rated
3.03
Avg Rating
27
5-Star Albums
22%
Complete
849 albums remaining
Rating Speed
5
Per Week
333
Days Active
Reviews
236
Written
98%
Review Rate
vs Global
-0.33
Avg Diff
3.03
Avg Rating
Rating Distribution
How you rate albums
Rating Timeline
Average rating over time
Ratings by Decade
Which era do you prefer?
Activity by Day
When do you listen?
Taste Profile
1950s
Favorite Decade
Jazz
Favorite Genre
US
Top Origin
Harsh
Rater Style
36
1-Star Albums
Taste Analysis
Genre Preferences
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medúlla | 5 | 2.72 | +2.28 |
| Sail Away | 5 | 2.97 | +2.03 |
| Smile | 5 | 3.06 | +1.94 |
| Surf's Up | 5 | 3.31 | +1.69 |
| Brilliant Corners | 5 | 3.33 | +1.67 |
| Come Away With Me | 5 | 3.39 | +1.61 |
| Aftermath | 5 | 3.39 | +1.61 |
| At Fillmore East | 5 | 3.39 | +1.61 |
| Green Onions | 5 | 3.4 | +1.6 |
| Tidal | 5 | 3.45 | +1.55 |
You Love Less Than Most
Albums you rated lower than global average
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Back In Black | 1 | 3.86 | -2.86 |
| Black Sabbath | 1 | 3.83 | -2.83 |
| Parallel Lines | 1 | 3.76 | -2.76 |
| Vol. 4 | 1 | 3.75 | -2.75 |
| Boston | 1 | 3.71 | -2.71 |
| Bayou Country | 1 | 3.66 | -2.66 |
| The Number Of The Beast | 1 | 3.59 | -2.59 |
| Machine Head | 1 | 3.59 | -2.59 |
| Gorillaz | 1 | 3.53 | -2.53 |
| Tusk | 1 | 3.46 | -2.46 |
Artist Analysis
Favorite Artists
Artists with 2+ albums and high weighted score
| Artist | Albums | Avg | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Rolling Stones | 3 | 5 | 4 |
| Beatles | 3 | 5 | 4 |
| The Beach Boys | 2 | 5 | 3.8 |
Least Favorite Artists
Artists with 2+ albums and low weighted score
| Artist | Albums | Avg | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Sabbath | 2 | 1 | 2.2 |
| The Cure | 2 | 1.5 | 2.4 |
5-Star Albums (27)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
Frank Ocean
3/5
It's impossible for me to review Frank Ocean and this album objectively because I don't understand it. I have a friend who insists good popular music ended around the turn of the century. I think he's wrong. Popular music just changed direction radically and many of us just don't understand or accept that change. I'm one of those people. I just don't understand most of this music (except for occasional forays into marginally decent r&b). Therefore, it doesn't affect me. I'll give it three stars as a neutral, non-understanding rating. Popular music has left me behind. I have left it behind.
2 likes
Echo And The Bunnymen
2/5
Musically simple and uninteresting. Lyrically puerile. Just bored me.
2 likes
LL Cool J
3/5
Not much to say, except I really enjoyed listening to this. It’s out of my wheelhouse, but it’s interesting musically, intelligent and has a consistent and great groove. Love it.
1 likes
The Strokes
2/5
Back to basics rock. Influences seem to come from early white rock. Very New York attitude and sound. Pleasantly listenable.
1 likes
1-Star Albums (36)
All Ratings
The Who
5/5
Beastie Boys
4/5
I had no expectation of enjoying this album so much. The breadth of music genres coexisting throughout this work is brilliant and refreshing. What a treat!
Janelle Monáe
3/5
She's a massive talent, incredible voice and vocal range and a great songwriter..The production is just a bit too slick for me. Not my cup of tea.
Harry Nilsson
4/5
Prince
3/5
Nick Drake
5/5
I don't know how or why I missed this one.
Pink Floyd
3/5
To my mind, this pales in comparison to The Dark Side of the Moon, but still a great album.
Echo And The Bunnymen
2/5
Musically simple and uninteresting. Lyrically puerile. Just bored me.
The Jesus And Mary Chain
4/5
Well constructed. Great rock & roll.
Elvis Presley
3/5
I don't know how this album made it onto the list. His first album after getting out of the Army and all the magic is gone. His voice is still there, but the rawness and passion is gone.
Little Richard
5/5
Killer album! Every cut is a classic. So many rockers owe so much to this guy.
The Smashing Pumpkins
4/5
Powerful. Loved it.
The Rolling Stones
5/5
I think this album defined their sound for the remainder of their career. My five favorite Rolling Stones albums all predated this one, but I still think Exile is genius and it deserves no less than five stars. I could listen to Sweet Black Angel all day long.
Travis
1/5
Soft pop. Lethargic, boring and uninspired.
Björk
5/5
What a brilliant and beautiful album! The rich and dense vocals, complex rhythms and overall musicality make this a joyful listening experience. OMG!
Queen
3/5
I loved this album when it came out. Still love Bohemian Rhapsody. Unfortunately, I no longer get much enjoyment from their music. Brian May is an amazing guitarist and Freddy Mercury was a brilliant singer.
The Cure
2/5
Simple, persistent, heavy rhythms. Minimal harmonic progressions. Ethereal keyboard backgrounds. I assume this is what fans are drawn to. This is not a negative appraisal of the music. It's just not for me.
King Crimson
4/5
I guess this is the progenitor of all the great progressive groups that would appear in the next few years. Such talented and inventive musicians would add to the canon of King Crimson and continue to produce great music up to the present day.
Liz Phair
2/5
I liked a few of the songs, but there were many that just sounded like first take demos. Minimalism has its place, but these tunes just bored me.
Django Django
1/5
Uninteresting
Uninspiring
Unimaginative
Simplistic
Boring
Wu-Tang Clan
3/5
I can see why these guys made such a big splash and became so influential. This is some powerful music with a whole lot to say.
R.E.M.
4/5
I enjoyed this very much. Great songwriting. Interesting melodic lines, harmonies and syncopation. It just had a very unique feel. Love it!
Pixies
2/5
Straight ahead rock. Did not do anything for me. I think it's simple and boring. Not for me.
Kings of Leon
2/5
Not much here for me. Different spin.
Gram Parsons
4/5
Great album. Too bad he threw it all away due to his drug habit. One of the most important things he did was discovering Emmylou Harris.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
3/5
John Fogerty is very talented and the driving force behind Creedence. Too bad the boys couldn’t get along. He wrote some great songs, but I never felt compelled to buy any of their music. It was/is Ho hum to me.
Franz Ferdinand
3/5
Quite enjoyed this one.
Jorge Ben Jor
4/5
very funny. Beautiful music.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
3/5
All these years later and I still find them lacking. Can’t put my finger on it.
PJ Harvey
4/5
Good writing. Great energy. Interesting musically. I’m only 30+ years late in discovering her, but I’m happy I did.
Ramones
2/5
Simple, straightforward, head banging punk. “Let’s Dance” is my favorite. Otherwise, ultimately bores me.
Elvis Presley
2/5
Elvis lost me when he joined the Army. The Colonel sabotaged his career, putting him some mostly awful movies and making other bad career choices for him. Elvis' voice is still powerful here, but the music and arrangements never let him cut loose like he was capable of. The Army robbed Elvis of his "kick ass."
Fatboy Slim
2/5
Well done, but too repetitive for me.
Boston
1/5
Excessive, soulless drivel.
Fiona Apple
5/5
This album is wonderful! Musically sophisticated, lyrically insightful beyond her years. Stellar through and through.
Neil Young
2/5
This album has not aged well for me. I remember being ambivalent about it at the time. I enjoyed some of it, but was mostly underwhelmed. I guess I feel the same about his entire oeuvre.
OutKast
4/5
Great blend of hip hop, funk, jazz, electro-pop and more. This is a very interesting and listenable album. I can see why it's rated so high.
Ryan Adams
3/5
Some good to great songwriting. Some good to great rockers. I found it derivative. So much had already been said. It did not captivate me.
George Harrison
4/5
I haven't played this for many years, but listening to it now is like hearing from an old friend. Still hear the joy he felt after breaking away from the Beatles and unleashing all the great music he had stored up. I would give this five stars but for the unnecessary and self-indulgent inclusion of the boring jam on the third disc. Oh, well. He'd been anxious to break away from the stifling atmosphere of the Fab Four for a long time. So, a little self-indulgence may have been warranted and, certainly, forgiven.
Turbonegro
2/5
Not what I expected. Just great balls to the wall rock. If this is death metal, then I like it.
Iron Maiden
1/5
Never liked heavy metal. Musicianship is undeniable, but it doesn't do anything for me.
Frank Sinatra
5/5
Great album! I think the Nelson Riddle arranged albums are his best.
Badly Drawn Boy
3/5
Great songwriting and unique and interesting arrangements and aural landscapes. I need to spend more time with album. Love it.
Johnny Cash
3/5
I remember what a big deal this was for a major artist to make a live album at a high security prison. The group played well, but Johnny's acoustic guitar was horribly out of tune when he played solo. Weird someone in his group didn't whisper in his ear. But, his unique voice, songs and performance shine through.
Nightmares On Wax
1/5
Languid and spiritless.
R.E.M.
3/5
Pleasant enough album. I like Man On The Moon, but everything else doesn't move me.
Booker T. & The MG's
5/5
Every time I hear Green Onions I feel bliss. This album opened me up to a whole new world of music. Takes me back to the best part of my youth. Thank you Booker T & The MGs.
The Damned
1/5
Noise, Noise, Noise. That about sums it up for me. Didn't like it.
Syd Barrett
1/5
Sloppy, unengaging writing and performance.
Sister Sledge
2/5
The musicianship is good and the music is often funky. But, the insipid string lines floating above are the reason I thought disco was so soulless.
Stan Getz
4/5
Getz and Byrd nailed it on this one. Every tune is a delight. I was too young to appreciate this in 1962. But, when I started delving into jazz a few years later, this Brazilian influenced jazz really caught my ear. Just brilliant!
Iggy Pop
3/5
Just great, kick ass rock and roll. Sorry I didn't listen to this in its day.
U2
4/5
I love Bono's voice and the Edge's atmospheric guitar sound. Great listening.
Coldplay
2/5
I've enjoyed some of Coldplay's music, but this didn't impress me.
The Beau Brummels
2/5
I didn't pay much attention to the Beau Brummels back in the day. This album just seems dated psychedelia to me now. Interesting contributions from Van Dyke Parks and Randy Newman. The use of French horns and bass trombone is interesting as well. One of the horn players, Gale Robinson, was my teacher for a short time in the early 70s. Who knew?
The Doors
4/5
I loved the Doors. This has some great tunes and performances and some that are fairly weak. I collected all of the Doors albums and, unfortunately, they were all uneven. But, when they shined they were untouchable.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
1/5
I didn't like CCR then and still don't like them. This first album sounds like a second rate garage band. I've had to suffer through three of their albums so far. I'm sure there's more to come.
The Specials
4/5
Enjoyable album. Lot of great songs, great playing, singing and loads of humor. Love it.
Steve Earle
4/5
I love Steve Earle's music. I hadn't heard this one before, but I'll be listening to it again. He's a such a great writer and performer.
Keith Jarrett
4/5
Just an amazing album. He's a genius.
Elvis Costello
3/5
Great rock'n'roll. Gotta love it!
The Temptations
4/5
Great vocals, beautiful and funky songs, incredible productions. Magnificent!!
Eagles
3/5
The first side of this album is great with four very strong Top 40 hits. Turn the record over and it just (imo) peters out. I guess that's the reason I was never a huge fan of the Eagles. I always felt their output to be very inconsistent.
Hanoi Rocks
1/5
Tight band. Their music just doesn't do anything for me.
Ice Cube
3/5
This is powerful music. I didn't give it a fair chance when it came out. Which is a real shame because it is so brilliant, insightful and moving. But, I love and appreciate it now.
David Bowie
3/5
Doing his full on Anthony Newley voice here. More piano based. I enjoyed it, but not my favorite Bowie.
Fleetwood Mac
1/5
This iteration of Fleetwood Mac was horrible. Christine McVie was its only saving grace. She could sing and wrote decent tunes. Otherwise, they were rubbish. Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac was a brilliant and memorable band. I never understood this band's attraction.
Arctic Monkeys
3/5
When I started listening to this, I thought it was sounding fairly uninteresting. But, I ended up enjoying it quite a bit. I love Turner's lyrics and delivery (love his Sheffield accent) and the band kicks. I'm sure their live performances must be exciting and fun.
The Lemonheads
3/5
Great album! Dando writes insightful songs and has a great voice. Too bad he got taken down by substance abuse.
Screaming Trees
4/5
Unfortunately, I've never even heard of these guys. What a pleasant surprise! A collection of really thoughtful, well-written, well-played and engaging tunes. Sometimes psychedelic, grunge, and hard rock played to perfection.
Nina Simone
4/5
Beautiful album. Nina was such a powerful singer, performer and activist. This album is very moving. Love it.
Kraftwerk
2/5
I get nothing from this music. To me, it is completely lacking in warmth and soul. I acknowledge and appreciate their musicianship, but it just sounds lifeless to me.
Scott Walker
2/5
The orchestration and lyrics were a bit busy, clunky and disjointed. Nothing seemed to flow. A very talented artist, but this was disappointing effort.
Tina Turner
4/5
Great artist! Great album! She had some of the top musicians and producers on this date. She kills it, as always. Overcame a hard life and an asshole husband and blessed us all with her gift.
Thank you, Tina!
John Martyn
4/5
What a great album! Another artist I missed completely. I don't know how to describe his music other than singular. Coming from the British folk tradition of the sixties, he then drew from Jamaican music, jazz, funk, blues and developed a new style of music all his own. Now I'm going to have to explore his entire catalog. What a happy surprise!
Billy Joel
2/5
I can't deny his talent, but I've never enjoyed his music. It lacks dynamism, depth, tension. Sounds contrived to me.
Stevie Wonder
5/5
An amazing album! His classic albums made during 70s are the epitome of creative songwriting, performance and production. I haven't listened to this in ages. I need to get back to his catalog. This music fills my heart with joy. Love you, Stevie.
Fats Domino
3/5
The original album was issued in 1956 with 12 tracks (6 more than offered here) with the two bonus tracks added in 1957. I love Fats Domino, but this is kind of weak.
Destiny's Child
3/5
Incredible singing with tight harmonies, great production and all-around wonderful performances throughout. A pleasure to listen to, although this type of music is not my go to genre. That being said, "Happy Face" lifts my spirits high. I'll be adding that to my Happy Tunes playlist.
Drive-By Truckers
1/5
I'm just not a fan of a lot of Southern rock. This just bores me.
The Clash
3/5
Great album! So much more here than I expected. I didn't like punk in general, so didn't even give this a listen at the time. How wrong I was! This is just fantastic rock and roll. It covers so many styles of r'n'r and does them all well. Wish I didn't have such a closed mind.
Metallica
1/5
Great playing. Unfortunately, it’s just noise to me.
Carpenters
1/5
Utterly soulless. The Carpenters were very talented, but this music is cringe-worthy.
Soul II Soul
1/5
Drum machines, insipid disco strings, monotonous rhythms and vocals. It's all great and appropriate for dancing and dance clubs. So, it's perfect for that. But, I never went to dance clubs because I don't enjoy dancing. So, this music just bores me.
Shack
3/5
Generic pop rock. Pleasant enough.
Ray Charles
4/5
Brother Ray could do no wrong! This is perfection. Love it!
Stevie Wonder
4/5
All of Stevie’s albums in the 70s were part of my constant listening during that decade. So much consistently brilliant music from this phenomenal musician. Every song on this album is genius.
Death In Vegas
2/5
This, mostly, sounds to me like incidental soundtrack music. Pleasant enough, but it’s not very interesting.
Small Faces
4/5
Great album. I didn't listen to it back then and I don't know why. Probably because it wasn’t given much airplay in the U.S. I was too lazy back then. What a shame.
A Tribe Called Quest
3/5
Sophisticated rap, great writing, wonderful grooves and Ron Carter to boot. Great listening to start my day.
The White Stripes
4/5
What a wonderful album. Jack's guitar sound is so biting and sensual. It just amazes me the sounds and textures he brings out of his guitar. Meg's minimalist drumming is so solid and vital. The album is a joy to listen to.
Queen
2/5
Formulaic, bombastic, soulless. Maybe just victim of some of the more excessive progressive rock trends of their time. Brian May’s brilliant guitar chops were wasted here. Plenty of talent throughout this band, but it got lost in marginal music.
Sex Pistols
3/5
Hated this album, and Punk in general, when it came out. Now it strikes me as just great, basic, honest, in your face rock’n’roll.
Isaac Hayes
2/5
I liked Isaac Hayes, but this album is kind of ponderous and lackluster. Not a whole lot of excitement here.
Napalm Death
2/5
Chaotic, intense, loud, repetitive. Ultimately, boring. I enjoyed listening to this once. There will be no repeat listenings.
Prince
3/5
Great musician, composer, arranger. But, this is mostly tedious. And drum machines are like fingernails on a blackboard to me. A few listenable songs is the most I can say.
Norah Jones
5/5
This is a beautiful, soulful album. When this was released, I remember being so blown away by her beautiful voice and stunning arrangements. She has continued making great albums through the years and she just keeps getting better.
Slipknot
2/5
Very intense throughout. Some of it loud, angry, negative, brutal. Other times introspective, sensitive, beautiful. I could listen to this again to find more. But, mostly, it’s too dark for me.
The Strokes
2/5
Back to basics rock. Influences seem to come from early white rock. Very New York attitude and sound. Pleasantly listenable.
The White Stripes
4/5
I just love Jack's guitar playing, so raw and punchy. This is basic rock and roll at its best.
Arcade Fire
3/5
Interesting, unique orchestrations. Not what I expected at all. I need to listen to more of their work. Nice surprise.
Beatles
5/5
Brilliant album. Brilliant group. The best rock and roll music ever. I love everything they did. In my mind, no one can top them.
Belle & Sebastian
2/5
The vocals are weak and the musical arrangements are simplistic and unimaginative. Not very engaging. It just strikes me as weak pop. Disappointing.
Brian Wilson
5/5
Beautiful album. Almost forty years after it was first attempted by the Beach Boys, Brian finally finished his masterpiece. Most of these tunes send shivers down my spine.
The Flying Burrito Brothers
4/5
What a great band! Too bad this first iteration of the group imploded so quickly. Gram Parsons just couldn’t get out of his own way. Chris Hillman never got enough recognition for his contribution to country rock. I’ve closely followed his career from The Scottsville Squirrel Barkers to the Byrds, FBB, The Desert Rose Band and all his solo work.
Johnny Cash
4/5
Johnny’s last album released during his lifetime. A moving recording at the end of his illustrious career. This a heartfelt and beautiful record. His voice and dilivery are still strong and emotive. Love it.
Green Day
3/5
Nice album. Straight rock and roll. Got a little repetitive and mundane for me, but an enjoyable listen.
The Dandy Warhols
3/5
Repetitive drones, killer guitar riffs, boring drives that morph into decent tunes, uplifting songs about heroin use, sometimes evoking Pink Floyd, but being less clever, ...I like it, but probably won’t listen again.
David Bowie
4/5
Another trendsetting album from Bowie. You could never identify him with any particular musical niche. He was forever changing it up. Bringing in Brian Eno and Toni Visconti was just genius.
Wilco
4/5
I hadn't heard this album before. I'm just amazed at the soundscapes Tweedy puts together. Just genius. Love it.
Herbie Hancock
4/5
I was all over this album in 1973. Herbie was at the forefront of the jazz/funk/rock fusion movement at the time and Head Hunters was blasting from every turntable. Chameleon and Watermelin Man were ubiquitous. Sounds somewhat dated now, but still an innovative move forward at the time. Herbie is one of my top musical heroes.
Ella Fitzgerald
4/5
What a perfect voice. She nailed every one of these songs. Over three hours of beauty.
Sinead O'Connor
3/5
A strong voice, but often grating to me. At other times it forceful and adds great emotion and strength to her songwriting. Unfortunately, her music comes off as a bit to self indulgent for my tastes.
Christine and the Queens
1/5
Great voice. Very emotive. I just don't like synth-pop.
James Taylor
3/5
I've always been a big fan of James Taylor. Great songwriter, guitar player and singer. But, although this is a very good album, I don't think he had hit his stride yet. For me, that wouldn't happen until a few albums later. That being said, this is still a brilliant album.
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
I like his music and this is a good album. I saw him in concert a few years ago. He puts on a great show and his band can't be beat. That being said, this particular album did not rock my world.
Michael Kiwanuka
3/5
He has a beautiful, powerful voice. The music is simple, but very emotive. The overall soundscape is moving. I liked it to a degree, but not enough for repeated listening.
Laura Nyro
4/5
She was a great musician and songwriter, but her voice was not that good (especially her upper register). Nevertheless, other artists interpreted her songs to great effect. For that alone, she gets 4 stars.
The Pogues
4/5
The Beach Boys
5/5
Brilliant! Genius! One of my favorite albums of all time. I get chills every time I listen to this. Sadly, Brian is gone now, but he left us with little slice of Heaven.
The Smiths
2/5
I like the music because it’s good rock and roll. I do not care for Morrissey’s voice. It’s just dull.
Violent Femmes
2/5
The music, lyrics, performance are all subpar. Didn’t like it. I can understand why teenage outsiders would strongly relate to this, but it doesn’t move me.
Suicide
1/5
I don’t find anything worthwhile in this music. But, after listening to many albums over the past few months, I’ve come to the realization that the parameters I have set for what’s good music are extremely narrow. I’ll listen to something that I think is completely useless, then ask someone what they think of it and be told that it was a life-altering event for them. I just wish I could be more open to varying types of music. I’m going to try to be more open.
Joni Mitchell
4/5
One of my favorite Joni Mitchell albums. Deep, introspective songwriting and stunning musical arrangements are helped along with some of the best musicians around. Jaco Pastorius’ fretless bass playing is always a delight to hear. Beautiful album.
The Replacements
3/5
Great rock’n’roll band. Too bad chart success evaded them due to bad decisions on their part. Enjoyed this quite a bit.
Fugees
3/5
Interesting album. Lauryn Hill has such a great voice. “Fuck the sheriff, I shot John Wayne.” Classic. Love it.
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
5/5
This is a classic. Considered one of the best jazz albums ever. I agree. Brilliant from start to finish. Brubeck was a trailblazer and just a very fine person. This album makes me believe there is still hope for us wretched humans. God bless you, Dave Brubecj.
Brian Eno
4/5
I love this album. Ambient, funky, beautiful music. Eno is always interesting and forward thinking.
Kacey Musgraves
1/5
The lyrics are juvenile, the musical accompaniment is unchallenging/puerile and her voice isn’t particularly pleasing. This is really boring. It’s kind of like The Carpenters if they’d used a steel guitar. Or like most Nasville country music these days.
The Only Ones
4/5
Great album! Great rock’n’roll! The songwriting is clever. The band sound really kicks it. I’m surprised they didn’t have a longer career.
Elliott Smith
3/5
Nice songwriting. Just didn’t grab me.
Willie Nelson
4/5
I remember listening to this when it was first released and gaining a new appreciation and admiration for Willie’s talent. He’s not just a great Country star, but a genuinely stellar musician. Five stars!
Fleet Foxes
2/5
Lush harmonies, great musicianship and good songwriting are there. Unfortunately, it all started sounding the same after a couple of songs and I lost interest.
LL Cool J
3/5
Not much to say, except I really enjoyed listening to this. It’s out of my wheelhouse, but it’s interesting musically, intelligent and has a consistent and great groove. Love it.
Randy Newman
5/5
This album blew my socks off back in 1972. Still does. Such brilliant and unique songwriting and arrangements. Newman’s wicked and biting sense of humor floors me. The best.
Rush
1/5
I find nothing the least bit interesting or musical about this. I like some prog rock, but this ain't it. Full disclosure, I find giving any acknowledgement or credence to Ayn Rand extremely offensive.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
They really switched it up by Jimmy going more acoustic guitar centered on this one. And John Paul Jones shows off his great talent as a multi instrumentalist. Just a brilliant album!
Leftfield
1/5
"Hello! This is Mega Company, Inc. Your call is important to us. All of our agents are busy assisting other customers. Your call will be answered in the order it was received. Thank you for your patience." And then this music starts playing. Maybe I could relate to it if I enjoyed dancing. But, I don't. This is just bad elevator music to me. Insipid, boring, uninspired, repetitive, mind-numbing...I could go on. This is the first album I couldn't make it through. Life is too short!
Drive Like Jehu
3/5
So this is emo. So many music styles I never listened to. This has been a real education for me. This album is very interesting musically with its odd time signatures, polyrhythms, outside melodies and lyrics. Little too intense for my tastes, but intriguing nonetheless. Well played, boys!
Megadeth
2/5
Very talented musicians. I just don't care for most heavy metal. The studio album is listenable. But, like a lot of live albums, this one is muddy.
Johnny Cash
4/5
This was Johnny at the height of his popularity. Seems dated to me now, but this is where I began to have a greater appreciation for country music and other types of music. I was just listening to rock and pop. Then I started hearing Johnny Cash, Miles Davis, Anton Dvorak and others. My musical palette exploded. Thank you Johnny.
Jeff Buckley
3/5
Tragedy that he died so young and needlessly. This is a very good album. He was a very talented musician. Some of these songs are a little too pop oriented for me, but the heavier rock songs are killer.
Joe Ely
4/5
Another incredible artist and album I totally missed. This is country at its best. Real. Not Nashville. I need to go back and listen to his entire catalog.
Linkin Park
3/5
Visceral. Intense. Engaging. At times, beautiful. "In the End" is my favorite tune. I can see why they became huge from the beginning. Can't say it won me over, but I'll listen again.
JAY Z
2/5
I expected to be more impressed. Didn't do anything for me.
Cream
2/5
This sure didn't age well. Starts with a couple of great rockers, followed by some horrible psychelia, then a couple of nice blues tunes. An album with four decent tunes and seven stinkers does not belong on this list. Sad.
Jack White
4/5
What a brilliant album! White goes in so many different musical styles and he inhabits them all so effectively. I especially enjoy Little Willie John's "I'm Shakin'".
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
Springsteen is right up there with Bob Dylan and John Prine in his genius of writing about and for the Everyman. His writing is simple and cuts right to the bone. This album is genius.
Black Sabbath
1/5
I bought this album when it came out in 1970. Didn't like it then. Don't like it now. They did create the template for heavy metal, but this pales to the explosive bombast that the genre became. This is no more than heavy rock. The band members are all very good musicians. But, I just don't find any emotional intensity in any of it. RIP Ozzy.
Bob Dylan
4/5
Fantastic album! A return to form after several years of sub par albums. Dylan reminds me of Miles Davis in his penchant for changing his musical approach and, in so doing, moving music into new and exciting directions. Or some such bullshit.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3/5
Nice album. Great writing and musicianship. Just bored me.
Van Morrison
4/5
What a classic! I forgot there were so many brilliant and well known tunes on this album. A true innovator.
Jah Wobble's Invaders Of The Heart
2/5
Interesting music and timbres. Excellent musicianship. But, it got a bit repetitive after awhile.
Janis Joplin
4/5
She was a powerhouse singer. This is an iconic album. Every song is perfect. But, until now, I never paid enough attention to Richard Bell’s piano playing. It just fits perfectly and adds as much to the funky feel of the album as Joplin’s singing. The whole band is a monster.
Public Enemy
3/5
I rejected hip-hop out of hand when it first appeared because I didn’t understand it. My understanding began to change when I heard this music in Spike Lee films. I began to recognize its significance, relevance and beauty as a musical form. Listening to this for the first time free of my former biases made me realize how much I was missing. This is a beautiful album.
The Rolling Stones
5/5
This was the first Rolling Stones album that really knocked my socks off. However, this was one instance that I like the U.S. over the UK version. But, I could never understand why the U.S. companies edited the UK versions to make an extra buck. That aside, this had some brilliant tunes-Mother's Little Helper, Lady Jane, Under My Thumb, Paint It Black (on the U.S. version). But, the two tunes that still kill me every time are Flight 505 and High and Dry.
The Smiths
2/5
Bottom line-I just don't like Morrissey's voice. It sounds whiney and lacks finesse. The songs are well written, the music is performed well. In the end, I just find them bland.
Hole
2/5
Decent rock and roll, but her voice is so annoying to me. Don’t like this at all.
Radiohead
3/5
Hybrid of rock and electronic music. It works well. Sonically pleasing. Intelligent without being overbearing. I can see why this did so well.
Iron Maiden
3/5
Not what I expected. I thought they would be more heavy metal. Just sounds like high-powered, guitar driven rock’n’roll to me. I’m impressed. Well done.
Judas Priest
2/5
Pedestrian music. Sophomoric lyrics. Rocks pretty hard, but does not move me at all.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
I have so much respect for this guy. Besides being a great musician and musical innovator, he was just a good, selfless human being. Can’t say enough good about this man and his music.
Ice T
4/5
I love this album. Ice-Ts lyrics are so intelligent and thought provoking. And his music is so sophisticated and refreshing. I didn’t know he also does heavy metal. “Body Count” is amazing!
His brilliant quote, “I feel sorry for anyone who only listens to one form of music“ is so true. I have to constantly remind myself that every kind of music has meaning and connects with someone. And if I don’t like it, tough shit. If it connects with someone, it’s wonderful and worthwhile music.
Björk
4/5
She is so incredibly talented. Tying together so many music genres in every outing. She never ceases to amaze me. And her voice just gives me chills and thrills of delight.
Anthrax
1/5
It’s just painful noise to me. Medley: A.D.I./Horror of It All began with some subtlety, but descended quickly into bombast. Yuck!
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
This is the first Springsteen album that got me to start listening seriously to what he was doing. Great music, great writing and seriously great rock’n’roll.
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
After all these years, I still deeply regret the untimely death of such a great artist. He was just getting started. In this album, he had almost totally moved beyond psychedelia and into blues rock and later into straight blues. Who knows where he would have gone, but I’m sure it would have been earth shattering.
Janet Jackson
2/5
Very slick. Great voice. Great songwriter. She’s a very talented musician. But, the production is just too over-produced for my tastes.
Cat Stevens
3/5
I enjoyed this back in the day, but it’s dated now. Simple, well written tunes. Dated, hippie worldview that I embraced at the time. Seems quaint now. But, he hit the mark for his time. I still enjoy some of the tunes.
Dexys Midnight Runners
2/5
I liked some of the music. But not enough to think it deserved to be on this list.
Amy Winehouse
3/5
Another great artist lost to substance abuse. She brought together soul, r&b and jazz and made a powerful mix that was brilliant. She left a lot. She could have done do much more. What a shame.
The Stooges
1/5
Raw and in your face. Sorta tame compared with what was to follow, but unique and shocking for its time. To me, it’s just simple hard rock’n’roll not played very well.
The Police
5/5
Their five albums between 1979 and 1983 were some of my favorite rock albums of all time. But, this album was the first that got me hooked. Andy Summers is one of my favorite guitarists. Such brilliant melodic ideas and great finesse.
Gorillaz
1/5
As innovating as their virtual artistry may be, their music is mind-numbingly boring.
Primal Scream
3/5
I like this. Great writing and musicianship. Rock ‘n’ roll, electronica, ambient sounds, psychedelia and more. Kept me interested throughout the album.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
Wonderful album. Religious songs on Side 1 and love songs on Side 2. Bob's vocals are brilliant and the band smokes. Thoroughly enjoyable listening.
Curtis Mayfield
4/5
Brilliant horn arrangements, tasty guitar licks (love those wah-wah pedals), great vocals and insightful social commentary all make for a wonderful album.
Les Rythmes Digitales
1/5
Electro-pop. Drum machines, mind-numbing repetitiveness. This music has its place. Just not anywhere near me.
Duke Ellington
4/5
One of the greatest live (although some of it was recorded in the studio) Ellington big band albums ever. Ellington, Cat Anderson, Russell Procope, Johnny Hodges, Paul Gonsalves, Clark Terry, and more of the biggest names in jazz at the time. This album revitalized Ellington's career and he stayed at the top of his game for the rest of his life. Brilliant!
Red Snapper
2/5
This is a group of really talented musicians. Synthesis of different styles of music. I understand its appeal, but it is still too repetitive and ambient to hold my interest.
The Black Keys
3/5
Stripped to the bone rock'n'roll. Enjoyable to listen to for awhile, but then it got a bit boring. Not essential for me.
Radiohead
3/5
Their music is a bit more musically complex, avant garde and interesting than a lot of other rock. Unfortunately for me, Thom Yorke's voice is an annoying distraction.
The Last Shadow Puppets
1/5
The orchestral accompaniment is saccharine and boring. The lyrics are mundane and the singing is grating. This was a tough one for me to get through. Pretentious rubbish.
The Rolling Stones
5/5
A great album that looms large in my listening history. This was a major change in the Stones musical direction and it took a bit of getting used to for me. Pared down to two guitars, bass and drums (mostly) this is a rawer version of the band. Mick Taylor was a perfect foil for Keith. Too bad they weren’t able to keep Mick around. He didn’t fit the bad boy image of the Stones but he was, in my opinion, the best guitarist they ever had. Moonlight Mile sends shivers down my spine every time I hear it.
The Monks
1/5
Tried listening to this with my 1966 ears. I don’t think I would have given it any credence back then. I understand how it could be considered influential. But, all my 2025 ears hear is simplistic, uninteresting music.
Blur
3/5
Britpop. Another category I totally missed. This is one of the reasons I enjoy this list so much. Without going into specifics, I just enjoyed this album very much. Very refreshing. I look forward to exploring their other albums.
Pretenders
4/5
Just great rock’n’roll. That’s all.
The 13th Floor Elevators
1/5
If I was going to host a psychedelic party, I’d use this as the soundtrack. Fortunately, I’m never going to host a psychedelic party. This is horrible!
Sly & The Family Stone
4/5
What an epic group. Sly Stone was a genius who never got his due. This band and album were a precursor to so much exciting and innovative music to come. Love it!
Frank Ocean
3/5
It's impossible for me to review Frank Ocean and this album objectively because I don't understand it. I have a friend who insists good popular music ended around the turn of the century. I think he's wrong. Popular music just changed direction radically and many of us just don't understand or accept that change. I'm one of those people. I just don't understand most of this music (except for occasional forays into marginally decent r&b). Therefore, it doesn't affect me. I'll give it three stars as a neutral, non-understanding rating. Popular music has left me behind. I have left it behind.
AC/DC
1/5
I never had much use for AC/DC. Brian Johnson's voice really grates on me. Hard rock, arena rock leaves me flat. No subtlety.
Solomon Burke
3/5
Powerful voice, great performances and brilliant songs. The background accompaniments are simple, but effective. It's no wonder he was copied so extensively.
Simply Red
2/5
I bought this album when it came out, and I quite enjoyed it. That enjoyment faded pretty quickly. I guess I got bored with the synthetic quality of the music (a widespread sin of many groups during the 1980s). I like Hucknall’s voice, and (at its best) the band can be quite soulful. But the music often sounds synthetic and soulless.
Bad Brains
4/5
Wow! Totally unexpected. These musicians are so good and the music is so intense. Love it.
Deep Purple
1/5
Bombastic, boring, uninspired
The xx
1/5
I appreciated some minimalist music, but not this. There has to be something interesting musically happening and I can’t find it here.
Green Day
4/5
What a great album! Top to bottom, just killer rock’n’roll.
TV On The Radio
2/5
This isn’t bad per se. It's just very lifeless to me. Love Dog is ok.
Blondie
1/5
Trivial pop rock. I never saw the allure of this band.
The Beach Boys
5/5
'Til I Die and Surf's Up are sufficient for this album to qualify as being rated 5.
Miles Davis
5/5
Just the best selling jazz album of all time. Brilliant music based on brief modal sketches by Miles. Every cut is a masterpiece. So What is the most creative and soulful tunes I have ever heard.
Radiohead
4/5
I really enjoyed this album. Great songwriting and interesting melodies. These guys are top-notch musicians. I expected some pretentiousness and, instead, found thoughtfulness and profoundly listenable ballads and biting rock and roll.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
4/5
I saw Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers in concert right after this album came out. I didn't know anything about him. I was underwhelmed by the music and walked out. I imagine he played this music that night. It's mostly average rock and roll with the hits standing out (American Girl is my favorite song by him). I love everything that came after this and still kick myself for walking out on him all those years ago. My youthful pretentiousness caused me to miss out on his burgeoning genius.
Faust
3/5
The first track was long and boring. I thought I was in for a long, annoying slog through some uninspired shit. But, it turned around soon after and began to get interesting. I won't be putting this into my regular listening rotation, but it is an early example of forward looking musicians trying to move on from the mostly boring standard fare of rock and roll at the time. Surprisingly good.
k.d. lang
4/5
Beautiful voice, brilliant songwriting and musical arrangements. I'm a sucker for smooth, emotive female voices like k.d.'s. Sara Watkins, Sarah Jarosz, Aoife O'Donovan, Becca Stevens, Joan Armatrading, Joni Mitchell and Petra Haden come to mind. This was a treat. Not paying attention to k.d. lang for all these years was a boneheaded move on my part.
The Isley Brothers
4/5
Just great music. Whether doing their own songs or interpreting other writers, these guys are so soulful and rocking. Love every second of this album.
James Brown
4/5
I'm sorry I never got to see him live. I had a ticket for a show, but he died before the concert. One of those lost opportunities. His music is so soulful and funky. His band was so tight. This album was a high water mark. Brilliant!
Malcolm McLaren
1/5
Kudos for being an innovator and creative champion for unrecognized and unrepresented in the art and music community. But, he was self-serving and exploited many of the artists he produced. His nihilism just left me with a bad taste in my mouth. I like some of the music on this album, but that is tempered by my negative opinion of the man. The music has good qualities. The man didn't.
Slint
2/5
"Atypical rhythmic meters, harmonic dissonance and irregular song structures" do not necessarily make for good music. Most people gave this music a rating of 5. It comes across as boring and lifeless to me. I don't get it.
The B-52's
3/5
What's not to like about the B-52's?Quirky, clever, fun. I always enjoy hearing their music. They remind not to take myself too seriously.
The Cure
1/5
I love this list because it gives me the opportunity to discover bands/artists that I missed over the years. It's a revelation when I discover I like one of those albums. Unfortunately, too often I find that I was right to dismiss an artist/band/album without a listen. This is one of the latter. This is boring, depressing and just bad music.
Black Sabbath
1/5
Ponderous
The Residents
3/5
I think we might need this sort of thing to keep us from taking ourselves too seriously. Interesting and clever, but I'll never listen to it again. Well, maybe I will.
Slipknot
3/5
I can't stand screaming vocalists. It just grates. Otherwise, there's some decent music happening. Great drumming. I'll never be a fan, but there's a modicum of inventiveness here.
4/5
I didn't listen to this album back in the day. The only song I'm familiar with is "Victoria". This is in the vein of a lot of concept albums happening (especially in England) at the time. This is unique among them. Kudos to Ray Davies for some brilliant songwriting and a great band performance. I'd give it a 5, but it sounds dated to me and, therefore, not an album I want to listen to on a regular basis.
Lou Reed
3/5
I know that he was very influential and brought a whole new perspective to rock and roll, but I was never much impressed by his music.
Thelonious Monk
5/5
Perfection! I could listen to Monk all day.
Ananda Shankar
2/5
Very dated. Didn't do anything for me. Two stars for effort.
Aretha Franklin
5/5
This album is flawless. Lot of hits and great performances from Aretha and her stellar backing musicians. What a voice!
Scissor Sisters
2/5
I guess this is something if you like to dance. I don't like to dance, probably because I don't like to be subjected to this type monotonous, puerile drivel. I liked Music Is the Victim. I'll give the album 2 stars for that.
The Allman Brothers Band
5/5
I saw later line-ups of this band in concert and they were fantastic. But, the original group could not be touched. Great musicians and music.
Beatles
5/5
I love this album so much. So many great tunes. A Hard Day's Night, If I Fell (Oh, the John/Paul harmonies), And I Love Her, Can't Buy Me Love, You Can't Do That. But, it ends with Lennon's brilliant and complex I'll Be Back (for instance, he employed Picardy thirds to great effect without having any knowledge of music theory) which foreshadowed greater things to come. Sixty one years later and hearing this album still fills me with joy.
The Black Crowes
3/5
Great album. At times it sounds as if they were taking cues from the Sticky Fingers/Exile On Main Street era Rolling Stones. If so, not a bad pedigree. Good stuff.
Roxy Music
4/5
I don't particularly like Bryan Ferry's voice or songwriting. But, I love Brian Eno. So, I'm sort of 50/50 on this one.
Christina Aguilera
3/5
Christina has a brilliant voice, but I just don't like this kind of slickly produced pop.
Supertramp
2/5
Bland. Uninteresting music. Not for me.
Alanis Morissette
4/5
Love this album. Her writing is so personal and intelligent. Powerful voice, raw emotion, explosive direction changes. She’s a unique artist. We need more like her.
Rocket From The Crypt
2/5
Great rock’n’roll band. A friend tells me they’re exciting in concert, which I can understand. But, it doesn't’t do much for me.
Bill Callahan
1/5
Hauntingly boring. The only tune I find to be vaguely interesting, musically, is Invocation of Ratiocination. Faith/Void is painful to listen to.
Faith No More
2/5
Frenetic rock’n’roll doesn't’t do it for me. I did like Edge of the World.
Marvin Gaye
4/5
The Let’s Get It On theme permeates the entire album which is, definitely, part of its allure. Gotta love Marvin’s beautiful voice, his soul, songwriting and great mastery of the studio. I especially enjoyed listening to the great bass work of James Jamerson on this recording.
Beatles
5/5
All the Beatles albums (except for Let It Be, maybe) get a 5 rating. I don't have a favorite album, but Abbey Road comes close. It's perfect in so many ways. Songwriting, singing, playing, production. I'll be a happy man if I listen to only Beatles albums for the rest of my life.
Paul Simon
5/5
Paul Simon is a national treasure. He has produced so much brilliant music. One of the greatest living songwriters.
The Hives
2/5
Kick ass rock'n'roll and I understand the appeal, but just noise to me.
Mercury Rev
3/5
These are some really talented musicians and their compositions are quite sophisticated. I'll have to listen to them and explore their albums more. As good as I think they are, at first listen I didn't hear anything that really grabbed me, although the last couple of minutes of "Delta Sun Bottleneck Stomp" were pretty cool.
Blur
1/5
Plodding, uninteresting, depressing. Sometimes I think the scope of my musical interests must be incredibly narrow because I find the majority of the albums on this list not to my liking. People have told me I'm a musical snob. Probably true. On the other hand, I'm always listening to music of one sort or another. I listen to rock, jazz, classical, country, bluegrass, and much more. A lot of the music presented here just bores me. Still, it exposes me to music I wouldn't have otherwise paid any attention to. Is it giving me exposure to different types of music or am I just wasting my time? I don't know.
Oasis
4/5
Another group I didn't pay enough attention to when they started out. This is a wonderful rock'n'roll album.
Beck
4/5
Very eclectic musician. This is a great album. So much going on. Gotta go back and listen to his whole catalog.
The La's
4/5
Great pop. Well constructed songs. There She Goes is a beautiful tune. I enjoyed this album immensely.
Cypress Hill
2/5
This doesn't reach me at all. The lyrics are clever but, unfortunately, I can't relate. The music is monotonous, overly simple, boring. I'm the wrong audience for this.