Funny, I've avoided this for ages because I can't bear to hear Hallelujah. But you forget how much of the record sounds like Zeppelin. Also, dynamics-- loud louds and soft softs. On the whole, I enjoyed it more than I expected to, and the Hallelujah thing isn't his fault.

Relentless. Complicated. Joyless. One of those things where I can appreciate how perfect it is, but I can't love it. Is this what goes on in the heads of lapsed Christian Scientists? Is metal the counter reformation to the punk reformation? Can I please listen to the stooges now?

Another one where it's hard to get past the baggage, but I'm happy I listened. So much rawer than I remembered. And what about those instrumentals?

Sometimes, Adele just stops me in my tracks and I have to listen. But then it goes away. More of a Dusty Springfield guy, I guess. You can't deny that she's really, really good, of course. I have nothing but respect, and I wish I liked it more.

Never listened to a Deep Purple beyond Smoke on the Water and Space Truckin'. Much more fun than I expected.

Another record I've never listened to... Wow, get some South Africans, tone down the trippy production and that second track could be on Graceland. The old people thing is odd. Maybe it would be more meaningful if I were more focused.

This album made me buy an electric guitar. It was like the big fish of rock and roll was in the bottom of the boat almost dead, but with a mighty kick of its tail leaped back in the water to survive another day. And I will always have a crush on Meg.

Somehow, I missed this when it was new. It's very much of its time, but that was kinda my time, so I dig it. And mixed in with that are tabs amounts of Neal Young, which is also up my alley. And psychedelia! And Galaxie 500-ish sounds! So where was I in '97?

Wow. Never been a hip-hop guy, but there's so much to unpack here. And I know that he's kinda problematic, but this is a really good record. I guess it's all about being problematic, in a way, about what it's like to be Kanye, with some thoughts about how he got like that, but how everyone wants to be on his record anyway. Was he forgiveable in 2010?

For me, it's music to do stuff by. Pleasant, but didn't really get my attention. There may have been other factors at work though, and I think I'll give it another try sometime.

Look, I am not an electronica person. Not a hater, it just seems like something there's a lot to know about, and I never cared to learn. But I'm going to walk around all day listening to this on headphones.

My life was saved by rock and roll.

I wanted to listen to this with fresh ears, but honestly that was too hard. Great songs, a classic, etc. I suppose it deserves 5 stars, objectively, but for my own listening, not quite.

Very cool, though I liked the stuff Spotify played after more, with a rawer sound. Was a pleasure to listen, after a bad day.

Ouch. Kind of unpleasant, except for Season of the Witch.

I can listen to this. 1001 is a lot of records. I can believe that this makes the cut.

New to me. I wasn't put off, but not especially pulled in either. Deserves another chance.

Fine. My friend John liked this band a lot. I wonder how he's doing these days.

So this is what makes this exercise hard. Even though it's not exactly my thing, there's no denying that there is greatness here. This record doesn't sound like anything else, and if I gave another record 5 stars, this probably deserves 6.