It was so cool to see Tracy at last year’s Grammy’s after all these years. The hits have definitely stood the test of time, and the rest of the album too, as it fleshes out Tracy’s laser sharp commentary on the social problems of the day. Making this album almost essential listening; nothing’s really changed and the subject matter sadly is still relevant to this day. I don’t think it’s a perfect album, maybe it’s one weakness is it does stay stoutly within that lane, but I give it a 4 out of 5 stars partly for how smart it is. Favorite cuts for me are “Talkin’ Bout a Revolution”, “Fast Car”, “Across the Lines”, “Mountains O’ Things”, “For My Lover” and “If Not Now…”.

Now THIS is why I’m doing this challenge, to find music that’s new to me and hopefully discover some gems. Today I hit the motherlode; I’m a new fan. I don’t know what I expected but the mix of Louisiana gutbucket blues, 50s soul & R&B, 60s rock and just about everything else they could throw in works. There’s even a track that sounds like the roots of what will become Punk. Every track is so different than the next that I find myself sucked in, waiting to be surprised. And how can you go wrong when the lead singer sounds like a buzzed Wolfman Jack?I know their next release has the famous “fish face” on the cover; if it’s anything like this I’ll be smiling.

Not horrible but not great either. A couple of good songs but sounds like middle-of-the-road tunes that are easily forgettable.

This… sucked. I just couldn’t find a pathway into its vibe, and the songwriting which should’ve been its strength left me cold.

Welp, on my first album I get a perennially loved album… that is just “okay” in my eyes. It started strong for me, especially the songs focused on the need for social change, but toward the latter half of the album the songs became a bit repetitive to me.

The greatness of Miles is over the course of his long career, he had no interest in creating art that was what was expected by his audience. It may be apocryphal, but the story that a fan approached Miles at a hotel to say that they loved his music, but some of it was too "out there" and if he'll be making more music that fans can "get". Miles' response said it all: "What, I'm supposed to wait for you to catch up?" And that's the power of this essentially compilation album. It's fascinating to hear where he was at this time, especially concerning the sound he was chasing. Here we have more traditional bop, but you can hear that his Magnus opus Kind of Blue was on the horizon. This is special for the time it was created, the musicians playing with Miles at the time, and the simple quality of the songs. A mini-classic.

This album is beloved… by others, not me.

After doing this 1001 Albums Before You Die challenge for a bit, I’m regretting not sticking with my high school and college. But even fumbling through what words I could pick up, the music carried me through. Two things immediately jumped out at me: The name of the album is based on a real members-only social club located in Cuba and secondly, that Desi Arnez was associated with the group before making his way to America and marrying Lucille Ball of I Love Lucy fame. The musicians on the album spent multi-decades playing together, and it shows. Apparently American guitarist Ry Cooder was partly responsible to the groups international fame in the 90s by recording and producing this album after being exposed to the music and group during trips to Havana. I feel you Ry; I’d want to share this to the rest of the world if I personally discovered them too. It’s all about those rhythms! They move between traditional Cuban traditions, but also have flavors of Afro-Cuban rhythms and other styles such as Latin Jazz. Favorites from the album are “Pueblo Nuevo”, “Dos Gardenias”, “¿Y Tu Qué Has Hecho?”, “Veinte Años”, “El Carretero”, “Candela”, “Amor de Loca Jueventud”, “Murmullo” and “Buena Vista Social Club.” This album is a winner.

I loved it. Maybe it’s because right now Paul is my favorite Beatle (which doesn’t mean too much since that title tends to change between all four members, depending on when you talk to me), but this was a fun listen. It’s a weird thing with a lot of fans: somehow certain artists’ most commercial release is viewed by them as “lesser than” just because it’s popular. Sure, it can be mind-numbing to hear the same two or three songs from an album… but that’s just a reason to move beyond listening to singles; put the whole album on! You’re rewarded here if you put in the effort. Anyway, this is a great album, despite being Paul’s most commercial one as a solo artist. I liked all the songs except for two: “No Words” and “Picasso’s Last Words (Drink to Me)”. Because I like so much of the album I was debating giving it 5 stars…but I think it’s more of a 4-star album to me. Maybe it’s because Paul through all of his work has set the bar so high, I’m grading on a bell curve.

I appreciate Neil but I’m very much only surface level fan. I think the center of it for me is that what is its strength of showing Neil’s comfort in being able to handle a wide spectrum of genres, is a weakness for me. He and the band jump from grungy rock to acoustic and a lot of genres in between. And that strikes me that I may have the weakness and need more time with this release for its critically acclaimed status to wash over me. Or not. Having said that my favorite cuts are “My My, Hey Hey (both versions) and “Sail Away”. Since most of the album left me cold I give this a 2 out of 5 stars.

We have crappy, snowy weather today in Colorado. And what a great album to listen to in such conditions, staying warm by the fire and away from the cold. While I love Joni’s earlier work, this was more of a challenging listen. And I mean that in a good way; you just don’t get the lovely nuances in the instrumentation and chord progressions, which are typical Joni. Like a lot of music that demands deeper focus and attention. She doesn’t disappoint, especially in the writing, but it’s the band that gives this a cohesive vibe. Having said that, it’s that necessary deeper listening that goes against the idea of a 1001 albums challenge with one new album coming at you every day, that makes this one a harder than usual case. I’m rating it a 3 of 5 stars today, but I get the sense it’ll provide rewards for me if I revisit it regularly. My favorite cuts are “Coyote”, “Furry Sings the Blues”, “Hejira”, “Song for Sharon”, “Blue Motel Room” and “Refuge of the Roads”. My copy is from the Asylum Albums (1976-1980) box set released last year from Rhino Records, a great way to get an overview of her later work. < EDIT > Yup, it’s said that this album is a grower and damn if that experience didn’t happen for me. I listened again as if it was calling me to reconsider its merits, and I gave a focused listen with no distractions and I fell in love as if the universe was opened up to me. Not only a five star album, but a stone cold classic.

Is that a Theremin I hear in the mix on several tracks? I love the experimentation if that’s the case but still, I didn’t connect with many of the songs. Just when some of the ethereal quality and melodies that have an almost lullaby nature to them would pull me in, I’d get bored as the song continued on. The album is rated pretty highly in knowing circles but it’s a 2 of 5 stars for me

Wow, this was a bit of surprise how much I loved this album! My bad, I have to admit Arcade Fire has never been on my musical radar despite their success, but after hearing this I think I’m going to dive deeper into their full discography. It’s a five star album; I pretty much liked every song except a couple. My favorite on first listen is probably “Empty Room”. I’ll be revisiting this album a lot.

Nice! Nine albums into my renewed 1001 Albums to Hear Before You Die and I get a stone cold classic. What I love about Led Zeppelin is they have one of the best hard rock discographies of all time. I mean come on, how many bands can say their first six studio albums are ALL five star classics? Ok, Black Sabbath too but not many bands beyond that. Most bands either come out of the gate with a great album or two and then slip a bit beyond that, or they need some time and a couple of releases to find their sound before they’re hitting on all cylinders. I’d say this is my favorite Zeppelin album… except that changes every day, their output is consistently so good. The only knock on them is they could’ve given a bit more public love to their obvious influences, Chicago blues masters like Willy Dixon, Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf. My favorite cut is “Ramble On” (one of my first songs to learn on guitar so it’ll always have a special place in my heart), but the whole album is filled with bangers. Maybe only “The Lemon Song” and “Moby Dick” strike me as a bit meh. No need to waste any more words; this is the easiest five out of five stars I’ve had so far.

Ah, this one brings back memories. In a world where we have WAP on the radio, it’s funny to remember the general public’s shock that Alanis had a song where she sang about doing naughty things in theaters. It’s amazing how this album definitely captured the zeitgeist at the time, sort of as a radio friendly version of angsty pop with a small sprinkling of riot grrrl energy. Sure, the production is a bit dated but I like it. She has the songs. I give it 4 out of 5 stars, with my favorites being “All I Really Want”, “You Oughta Know”, “Hand in My Pocket”, “Right Through You”, “You Leran” and “Ironic” (which she eventually admitted the stories in the song aren’t ironic at all). Who cares. It’s art.

I’m starting to think that if I hung out and went to more heavy metal concerts with some of my high school buddies, I may have surprised myself with how much I liked some of the bands. Iron Maiden in particular. The two guitars attack hits hard, but the band is also pretty melodic. Almost prog-like on several tracks, and it works. I surprised myself how engaging it was throughout. It’s a 4 out of stars for me. Favorite tracks are “Remember Tomorrow” (probably my top track from the whole album), “Running Free”, “Phantom of the Opera”, “Transylvania”, and “Strange World”.

First, we have to acknowledge that the Beatles aren’t four lads from Liverpool, but four aliens sent here to enlighten us with their music. How else to explain the way they changed the world in seven short years? And it’s as if they were gonna show all the musical ways they had changed the direction of music through their previous ten albums in one sprawling, messy, gumbo slop of a double album. I do think it may have benefitted from some editing to make it a tighter single disc…maybe. While there’s clearly no singular theme with just about every musical genre represented in some form or fashion, the songs from all four songwriters (go Ringo!) are just so good. Except for number 9; I’ve tried to dig into its avant garde vision but I can’t do it. Though my favorite three Beatles’ albums can change daily, The White Album is always in the mix. The easiest of five stars yet.

Not trying to be a hater but CCR has always struck me as being musical mimics. Great mimics, but still sort of copies of their influences. Doing a full album listen, I have to give it to them; they definitely are more than that. There’s a few covers here, but to use an overused, American Idol-like comment, CCR “make the songs their own.” Probably my favorite example of that is the enticing menace they bring to their version of “I Heard It Through the Grapevine.” The album starts a little slow, but once I got to “Lookin’ Out My Back Door”, I liked every track to follow. It’s a 4 out of 5 stars for me.

Man, these guys were pissed! I wonder who hurt Mick & Keith, leading to a somewhat misogynistic listen. Having said that, the songs are solid, especially with this being the first album of theirs that’s all original songs, no covers. For a band that’s been active for decades now, they have multiple “eras” that allow you to dive into their discography at multiple inroads, ranging from their early Blues influenced albums to more pop-based eighties sheen and everything in between. This stage isn’t my favorite (their early/mid seventies apex would be my choice), but I definitely respect their growth from their roots. You can almost sense what was to come. Here, the album strikes me as uneven. But the highlight go high. Favorite cuts for me are “Paint It Black”, “Under My Thumb”, “Doncha Bother Me”, “Flight 505”, and “It’s Not Easy”. I give it 3 out of 5 stars.

I can hear their influences, especially on the production side of things. They bring their own style no doubt, but to me they sound like Public Enemy’s Bomb Squad if the Bomb Squad smoked a ton of weed in the production room while making the album. Listening to this with the distance of time means some of the subject matter is a bit grating, but there are undoubtedly some bangers that had me bobbing my head. Also, I definitely recognize their influence on mixing rap with Latin sounds, which would expand from here. Favorite cuts were “How I Could Just Kill a Man”, “Hand On the Pump”, “Hole In the Head”, “Light Another”, “Psycobetabuckdown” and “Latin Lingo”. I give it 3 out of 5 stars.

It was so cool to see Tracy at last year’s Grammy’s after all these years. The hits have definitely stood the test of time, and the rest of the album too, as it fleshes out Tracy’s laser sharp commentary on the social problems of the day. Making this album almost essential listening; nothing’s really changed and the subject matter sadly is still relevant to this day. I don’t think it’s a perfect album, maybe it’s one weakness is it does stay stoutly within that lane, but I give it a 4 out of 5 stars partly for how smart it is. Favorite cuts for me are “Talkin’ Bout a Revolution”, “Fast Car”, “Across the Lines”, “Mountains O’ Things”, “For My Lover” and “If Not Now…”.

Damn, I’ve been missing out! This is a five star album for me. They’re so much more than a couple of hit songs, and I slept on them back in the day, assuming as much. I love the blend of genres built on a retro style of funk, with some rock and pop thrown in. The rhythm section is killer; I loved the horns and quirky synthesizers. Sure, the lyrics can be a little out there at moments but it all just gels. I like every song on the album except one (“Whatever It is, I Just Can’t Stop”), and even that track is not skip worthy. This is exactly why I’m doing this loooong challenge because it uncovers some unknown to me gems along the way. This album is a gateway drug to dive deeper into their entire discography for sure.

A bit disappointing for me, this one. I was thinking I’d like it more than I did. The highs are high, but the “mehs” are more. The cuts I like were slamming, but there just wasn’t enough of them for me. But when the songs hit they hit hard (the drums are amazing). My favorite tracks were “Tick”, “Black Tongue”, “Pin”, “Y Control” and “Modern Romance”. I give it a three out of five stars.

It’s a teenage boy’s wet dream (and cautionary tale) played out in a rock opera and I love it; it’s five stars for me. You got a little of everything here: 50’s style rock & roll, Springsteen-like horns, Rocky Horror Picture Show flourishes and all pulled together by Meat’s lusty drama club vocals. I like every track but “Bat Out of Hell” and the closer “For Crying Out Lous”. There’s little out there before or since that’s like it, all to the good.

Wow, two Beatles albums already as part of my 1001 Albums journey! I love this album… just nowhere near as much as several other Beatles albums; this wouldn’t even make my top three, probably landing at number five. And it’s interesting to see how it’s Baroque-style theme has fallen a bit out of favor over the years, once often landing at at least top five albums of all time if not number one on Rolling Stone’s lists, but often struggling to stay in the top 25 these days. Personally I like every track except “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” (both versions), “Fixing a Hole” and “She’s Leaving Home”. The reality is there’s not a discography like the Beatles; not a single album is bad or even mediocre. Because of this I’m open to being called nuts but I may be grading this on a curve, giving it four out of five stars.

I didn’t love it, more appreciated it than anything. The songwriting is solid and the songs about urban decay and with a melancholy view of the world at large did stick, but there were just as many songs that were just okay. I will say this original version of “Everybody’s Talkin’” is more of my liking than the cover by Harry Nilsson. It’s a respectable three out of five stars for me. Besides the aforementioned, the other songs I like are “The Dolphins”, “That’s the Bag I’m In”, “Everything Happens”, “Sweet Cocaine” (Eric Clapton would be proud), and “Green Rocky Road”.

I had heard that Shuggie was “Prince before Prince”, at least from the perspective that he was writing, arranging and producing his albums himself since he was 15 years old. At first that sounded like blasphemy but after I heard this, I get it. He’s in a more traditional lane than the more adventurous Purple One. But like Prince, he mixes styles from R&B to psychedelic soul, calypso and nuances in between. I love the whole album (except the palate cleanser “Happy House”, with the steamy vibe of “Aht Uh Mi Head” probably my favorite. Now in his 70s, I think Shuggie is still performing. If he’s ever in Denver, I have to see him. I’m lucky to have a 1974 original pressing (actually a DJ promo copy) that I picked up crate digging for a couple of dollars. Definitely worthy if you can find it! I give this one four out of five stars.

It’s my favorite of album of MJ’s and Quincy’s trilogy. Sure, what came next would bring him to heights I don’t think even he could’ve imagined, but here Michael sounds more joyous than on any solo album he would make. And he should, it’s a damn near perfect album. Every cut is essential (okay, “Burn This Disco Out” could’ve been left on the cutting room floor), and several songs are masterpieces of the post-Disco and R&B era. A big part of that is his voice. It’s like MJ had realized the scope of what he could produce just with his vocals; the hiccups and squeals that would become part of his trademark sound and are a rhythm instrument all on its own really started here. Just listen to the opening of “I Can’t Help It” (probably my favorite track on the album, and it’s not just because Stevie Wonder wrote it): his breathing alone instantly brings you into the song. I could go on and write a novel on why I love this album so much but Instagram isn’t the platform for such things. Instead I’ll just go listen to this classic again. I do have two solid options to listen with a physical copy, the U.S. and UK original pressings. Interestingly, because of a mastering mixup neither copies have the handclaps that are on “Rock With You” and are on most following pressings and even streaming. Once you know it, you can’t “un-hear” it. I might have to look at getting a later repress; I NEED my handclaps. It shouldn’t even need to be said, but this is a five out of five.

I don’t get it. At least not as much as the effusive praise it’s shown by critics and the general public alike. I thought the themes of loss and fighting addiction would pull me in, and they do on a number of songs, but I never fell in love with it. Looking at the songs I liked it’s actually quite a few and may suggest I should rare this a bit higher but I don’t know… I just don’t think I’ll be revisiting this one much. Not all classics are classics to everyone. It’s a three out of five stars. Songs that I did like were “Alameda”, “Between the Bars”, “Pictures of Me”, “Punch and Judy”, “Angeles”, “Cupid’s Trick” and “2:45 a.m.”.

Well, it had to happen eventually over the course of trying to listen to 1,000+ albums. My first one star album. The Parisian mix of Moulin Rouge soundscapes mixed with baroque instrumentation doesn’t work for me. And I don’t think it’s an issue of not knowing the words; it’s a slog to get through from start to finish. The only song I think is interesting is the album closer “Pas Mal” and the more I think about it, I may like it just because it ends the listening pain.

I usually don’t like live albums. I find that the studio albums sound better, and a recording just makes me sad that I’m not at the show since live music is the ultimate experience. But there are exceptions, and this is one of them. I think part of the enjoyment is the audience often brings just as much energy as James does. And all the hits are here. I like every song except the medley toward the end of the album. Toward the end of “I Don’t Mind” James sings the impassioned lyric “You’re going to miss me”, and coming from the audience a enraptured woman chimes in response “Yes I will, baby”. All these years after his death, she ain’t lying. I got to listen to this on King Records 1966 repress, which sounded great. I give it five out of five stars.

I tried, but this isn’t for me. I just couldn’t find any angle to connect with the album. Coming from that context there’s not much to say. Out of the original and deluxe editions the only song I like is “No One Has”. It’s probably no surprise; it’s a one out of five stars for me.

George Clinton is a genius. When most artists are ecstatic if they can make themselves successful, have one or two hits, this guy was leading two genre-defining groups. And producing major hits with both, each with their own distinctive style. I didn’t realize how much depth the album has, being more than a dance vibe. Funkadelic pushes the buttons of conservative America by challenging limitations around music, politics and social norms, all while delivering the funk and Hendrix/inspired guitars. It’s an easy five stars for me.

Nina is fierce. I’ve known her mainly from her fiery rebuke of those opposed to the civil rights era in the song “Mississippi Goddam”. That, and her ongoing support of black empowerment in the sixties and seventies always spoke to me on how much righteous anger was always percolating in much of her music. But it’s not all she was; her classical music training and love for folk music stands out here. This album still has her fiery side, as “Four Women” is a prime example, but she also shows her heart here with tunes of heartache and yearning. It’s apparently an album of leftover tracks from her most recent album, but they’re still pretty solid.

The great thing about the solo careers of The Beatles is each of them expressed different aspects of their artistry and personalities than what they provided in the group. In John’s case we get his vitriol towards the world (and his BFF Paul), as well as his raw vulnerability and sensitivity in equal measures. This album is a gem; every song (except “It’s So Hard”) an amazing track, and several attaining classic status. No matter how many times I hear it, “Imagine” never gets old.

Now THIS is why I’m doing this challenge, to find music that’s new to me and hopefully discover some gems. Today I hit the motherlode; I’m a new fan. I don’t know what I expected but the mix of Louisiana gutbucket blues, 50s soul & R&B, 60s rock and just about everything else they could throw in works. There’s even a track that sounds like the roots of what will become Punk. Every track is so different than the next that I find myself sucked in, waiting to be surprised. And how can you go wrong when the lead singer sounds like a buzzed Wolfman Jack?I know their next release has the famous “fish face” on the cover; if it’s anything like this I’ll be smiling.

I fell in love with them after seeing them in concert several years ago. That concert is easily in my top three concerts of all time. Having said that, this isn’t in my top tier of favorite albums from their discography. I actually prefer their later albums. That doesn’t mean this isn’t a banger; their mix of pop, alternative and hip-hop is amazing and innovative, especially for the time it came out. And all from a “fake” band that’s built a whole para social cinematic world that only enhances the music. In a world of Spotify driven A.I. playlists it’s clear Gorillaz were showing us a peek into the coming future.

Of course I had to try it. The band denies it, but the infamous “Dark Side of the Rainbow” synced up with The Wizard of Oz is strangely aligned at multiple scenes. It’s like an art rock experimental experience…enhanced if done with recreational substances. But even without doing the rainbow experiment, the album is worthy and a classic for good reason. It just sucks you in from the first note to the last. Another one where it’s rating may be slightly lower since I like a few other Pink Floyd albums just a bit more, so I give it four out a five stars.

This album is praise as a step forward into the future of Motown on side one, while keeping solidly in their traditional, doo wop styled songs that carried them successfully through the bulk of the sixties. I wish they would’ve dived fully into the future; the songs that kick off the album are fire. The second side is just mostly boring except for a few exceptions.

I’m just not a huge fan of the industrial pop genre that dominates the release. “Closer” may be played out at this point, but it’s still a banger.

There’s some good songs here, but the 90s alternative production is a bit of a turnoff. Overall it’s a middling album.

I think the level of enjoyment for this album is hugely based on where your exposure to jazz begins. If you’re a fan of “traditional”, big band jazz you’ll probably love this as an innovative release that came at the end of that era. But if you prefer the shift to more modern styles of jazz such as cool or modal jazz, this becomes a bit more meh. I’m in the latter category.

The hits on this one bring back great memories, and the album hits hard out of the gate with all the big songs coming in a row. The rest of the album is okay, but the album is let down in a sense because the best songs are just that much better than what comes next. But those hits are SO good that it makes this release a top tier release.

Nothing to grab me, pull me in. Just as things did get interesting, the vocals would push me out. Just a bit too emo for me.

I’m buying into Kate’s mystical, dreamy side. And her quirkiness too; a unique blend that helps the album stand out.

A stellar album, start to finish. The imagery created in the songs is almost cinematic, covering so much more territory than was typical in rock music at the time. It’s not just that; it’s more than an archival piece capturing an innovative moment. The stories just pull me in. A classic for sure.

I like Tom Waits… I hate this. He sounds exactly like what he’s referencing with his characterization of a drunk crooner, it just comes off more as comedy and performance art instead of engaging tuned.

He’s apparently a first class asshole but damn it, he can make an a-class album. The album is mystical, romantic and sexy all at the same time. To me, this is the yin to Astral Week’s yang; both essential but here you get more polish and clarity in the tracks, less unknowable yearning. And it works here; the vibe throughout is palpable. For some reason “Moondance” reminds me of Fall in New England with the leaves changing color, which is always a nice thought.

Ah, the beauty of 80s synth and sax, blown out hair, and day glow clothing. And Duran Duran captured all of that in their music. But they’re not just all style and no substance by any means, the album totally holds up. And the album art and music videos are iconic for a reason. Give me my hair gel and Duran Duran and I’ll be happy jamming away.

It’s amazing how this sounds in 2025; it’s still as innovative as it was when first released. He’ll, even today it sounds like music that is from the future. It’s lost none of its potency, all driven by the star of the show, Jimi. Mind blowing that most of the tunes are based off of simple blues riffs, just turned up to eleven and coupled with solid production techniques that were cutting edge at the time.

I love R.E.M.’s indie “jangle pop” leanings and arrangements when the tracks hit (like “Stand”), but there were a few songs that were kinda “meh”.

Simply not my cup of tea. I like several of the songs that were more traditionally structured as a song cycle of AABA, but the operatic cuts left me cold.

More than young or old Stones, I’m a fan of “middle aged” Stones so this is solidly in my favorite era of their long career. How can you not take notice with a first track like “Gimme Shelter”, one of the best tracks of all time much less one of the best album openers. I love how they pull in gospel, country, folk, etc. but keep it all under their beloved idiom of blues based rock, and it works. Chef’s kiss of an album.

Surprised myself how much I like it. The only bits I didn’t like were when they pull influences from the 50s like the cover of the Everly Brothers but other than that, I’m all in on the singer songwriter vibes and Art’s incredible vocals.

I listened to the complete album but not much jumped out of me and ends up being largely forgettable.

This strikes me as “intelligent” pop that comes from anything but a traditional pop angle. I’ve always heard Big Star has a few masterpieces including this album. Glad to have finally heard this.

I couldn’t hang with this one. He sounds as if he’s doing a Vegas-styled Tom Jones act for the middle America crowd. Not that that’s inherently bad, but not for me.

I remember growing up there was some rumblings in music publications that Fogerty’s singing style was “musical appropriation” since they sounded in the singing and music like they were from some gut-bucket part of Louisiana but weren’t in reality. So what; the songs here are so catchy and engaging that the thought doesn’t stick. True, there’s moments when Fogerty sounds a bit forced as he reaches for the spirit of old black blues singers but only for moments.

An easy one to love. The ingredients are a perfect gumbo: fantastic songwriting expressing every form of yearning and sex, top notch arrangements sung by on of the best voices in all of music. Not one track should be skipped. A classic.

Nothing stood out and both the lyrics and music come across as pretty generic

The hits hit hard, but the theatrical nature of the middle of the album did too.

This was pretty “meh” throughout. Sounds like watered down Coldplay, with all the songs being their throwaways. And all sound similar, creating a boring listen.

I love Solomon’s voice, despite moments where I think he overdoes it in his phrasing. This album was released in 1964, but it sounds like it’s an old soul & R&B album from a decade earlier, and that’s a good thing. There’s an authenticity that shines throughout. Having said that, the weakness of the album is the mixed song choices. Some songs hit, but there’s a bit of filler too.

The energy and anger of this was great. And much more “intelligent” than I expected, considering the social commentary throughout. The only knock is the songs at some point started to sound pretty similar with little variety.

This album isn’t as bad as his modern, racist politics but it’s not much better. A few good songs mired in a lot of twee singing.

What a great, nostalgic listen! U2 gets a lot of hate today but I still love them, maybe because I found them during their early days. Either way, this was touted as a critically acclaimed shift to a new sound for the band at a time that their sound was getting stale. And it hits for me, start to finish. While the whole album is great, I gotta call out “One” as one of the best songs of the 90s; the songwriting is so sublime that it can make me cry depending on my mood. Like all great art it resonates on multiple levels, from romantic and personal to socially conscious and universal. “Mysterious Ways” is nearly as good.

Ok, I’m rating this on the music alone, as I rarely read the Wikipedia page for every album. Wow, I picked a whopper of an album to change up my habits. The guy seems like a piece of shit. Having said that, the music is “okay”, as it reminds me what you would hear if you were boarding a Carnival Cruise trip. In that environment it’s pleasant enough (especially with a drink or two), but I’ll never go back to it in any other environment.

What is there to say about this album that hasn’t already been said? I’m not hating on that, it deserves all its accolades. It’s not often that a piece of art is so accessible but nearly avant garde at the same time. Anyone who wants to be exposed to modal jazz on an innovative front but isn’t a traditional jazz fan I can’t think of a better entry to the genre. It’s sublime; Blue & Green has actually made me cry. A classic.

Stunning album! Interesting to learn it was created in a Rumours-style situation where everybody hated each other. Beauty created from hate and anger apparently.

This one brings back memories. Can’t believe it’s 25 years old 😱😱! Erykah just puts you in a mood with her jazzy yet funky inflections. An album for the dance floor and at times bedroom.

I appreciated being in synth heaven and there were some interesting texture, but the songwriting was a bit weak. Except for “Don’t You Want Me Baby” which is a stone cold classic. More of an album I respect than love.

I enjoyed it more than I expected. There was a bit of pop sheen (but not too much) on what I expected to be all punk fire and brimstone. Not something I’ll go back to frequently but still a fun listen.

It's the same recipe of angsty guitars with melodic hooks as their previous album, maybe just a tad less catchy. There's some bangers, but more filler than before. Knowing Kurt will end up committing suicide there's a certain dour vibe that sits over the album, but the songwriting and sounds carry it through.

Wow, for all the acclaim for this album I was underwhelmed. A few of the tracks were engaging but most of the album left me cold.

Stevie in his imperial stage where he could do no wrong. The beauty of Stevie’s 70s/early 80s output is every day you can choose a different album as his best and never be wrong. For the social commentary alone this would rank high but throw in an all time classic like Living for the City and it’s often a favorite for the title.

Not what I expected regarding the country rock theme. I wish it drifted just a bit more in the rock lane.

This one has the beats and production values, maybe a little too diverse even. But when it hits it holds up despite being over two decades old.

A masterpiece. I remember playing this one to death; everyone was. It had captured a zeitgeist of those looking for an album equally rap and hip hop as much as it was pop/r&b, and Lauryn delivered. Some since have called it out as a bit preachy and even hypocritical at times, and I hear that, but the heart and authenticity that is behind each song gives it a pass.

I don’t know, I just don’t get the overwhelming universal love for these guys. A few of their songs stand out and one or two may even reach classic status, but I think there’s a lot of filler too. A mid-tier band/album for me.

I get that it’s an influential release, but all I heard was noise rock with minimal hooks or melody. Not my jam.

Since I love Nirvana and Kurt often raved about these guys I expected a bit more. Good, but also a bit underwhelming.

I didn’t love it, but I get why Dolly is known as one of the premier songwriters of her generation. The stories stand out. Maybe if I was more of a country fan I’d appreciate it more, but even so Dolly’s power as a storyteller excels.

Soft rock? Yacht rock? Nah, I don’t hear it. What comes across instead is some surprisingly funky rhythms with complex yet accessible chord progressions. Throw in some tunes that talk about the grungy side of life and not typical pop topics, and I’m all in.

I don’t care what their cheesy reputation is, “Dancing Queen” is a stone cold, Beethoven inspired classic. The whole album is melodic and catchy; they clearly inspired Max Martin who owes them a lot.

Just as good throughout as it was back in college. Maybe a bit silly in places but ultimately it adds to the albums charms. Sure, it’s great to roll with BDP and Public Enemy but at times it’s cool to roll with the smart and creative nerds.

Gotta respect how it was created and its status as a genre-defining album, but just a bit too much bedroom noodling for my taste.

Wow, this one was all over the place for me. I was totally into the pre-punk energy, but they lost me with the weird Indian meditation-like track in the middle of the album.

Nothing else on the album is as iconic as “Looking for the Perfect Beat” but on the flip side the whole album is quality.

It’s the polyrhythmic drums and Fela’s charisma that carries the day. The whole album just makes you wanna dance.

It appears I like R.E.M.’s past more than their future. This was way more my liking than Green. Having come to this after floating through Green it was the surprising grooves and instrumentation and melodies that sucked me in.

Not horrible but not great either. A couple of good songs but sounds like middle-of-the-road tunes that are easily forgettable.

This… sucked. I just couldn’t find a pathway into its vibe, and the songwriting which should’ve been its strength left me cold.

“Aaahhhhhh!!!!” from the lead singer was a highlight as well as the drummer but that’s about it.

Love the punk sensibility of the music, less enthusiastic about the poetic songwriting.

This one is like the Batman villain Two Face: the first half of the album is just okay venturing on ugly, but the second half is transcendent.

Sounds like a barbershop quartet singing over Logic Pro bedroom beats 🤷🏾

Not much grabbed me with this one. Very forgettable.

This one was a slog to get through; so many of the songs sounded similar.

It sounds like a quirky group of barbershop 💈 singers singing about inane daily activities. A few of the tracks are okay but overall besides the instrumentation on the best cuts there’s little that’s enticing.

It’s his flow. He sounds like an overweight dude mixed with some amazingly detailed rhyming that illustrate scenarios that float from deadly graphic to comical seamlessly. A shame how he was shot down in his prime. At least he gave us this classic.

I didn’t know it beforehand, but as I was listening I had the thought “hmmm, this sounds like it came from another era, like Woody Guthrie or something” which it is. Apparently it’s a number of unreleased songs, and like many unreleased stuff, it’s often unreleased for a reason. A few songs stood out based on the pathos and harmonies, but I can’t say I loved it.

The Beatles are one of those bands where if you ask me what my favorite album from their discography is, it just depends on the day. Having said that, I’m a huge fan of their “middle era” which includes this gem. Beyond that, there’s not much to say; millions of reviews have been written about Revolver.