Welp we’re back with the Dan and quite possibly their best album. Feels sacrilegious to say but hot damn is this all killer no filler from a band that wasn’t even sure if they could sing on their own songs yet. Sure, Steely Dan would refine their sound and reach absolute pinnacle of production later in the 70s. But this highlights their songwriting on a ton of different levels, and that’s not to mention what a bop all these songs are. And there’s never been an album that captured the malaise of the 70s beyond this one. I have nothing bad to say here. Sheer perfection, even the songs that aren’t the greatest.

Look I’ve only taken a spin at one full album by The Cure and there’s a reason this one is it. It’s so rich and tremendous in scope while the melodies and tones feel like a fragile flower. And yeah, it’s dated, but not in a way that hurts. “Plainsong” and “Pictures of You” still hold as one of the best 1-2 punches to kick an album off, ever. Whole album is shoegaze before anyone really knew what it was, which also, see The Cure. But still the arrangements going into this are so much deeper than anything they did before or after. Lovesong is still such a sneaky great dark love song. Robert Smith had a way of making love songs or pop songs desperate, sexy and sinister at the same time. Annoying when they play it on the radio all the time but perfectly placed in the album. Lullaby is a masterpiece of gothic horror, bless you Robert, you absolute weirdo. Fascination Street is the closest to metal The Cure ever got but hot damn is it fantastic. One of their best. Also the way that the album just continues to descend into darkness and loneliness and despair - yes there’s some same-iness but there’s a concept here and I dig it. Someone could score a film to this album and it’d be pretty damn good. OK I’ll admit once we hit “Same Deep a water as You” it’s a little samey, things moving a bit slow. Second half drags though Robert is a desperate sad boy. “Homesick” is lovely though. And “Untitled” has its moments. The first half is so solid; the second wanders off instead. But still some of the most lush, intricate arrangements The Cure would ever do.

HA. My father’s love of classic rock has led me to this moment. First of all, AC/DC was always better with Bon Scott at lead vocal, so this album, while solid, doesn’t scratch the itch that the 70’s albums do. First of all GOD the double entendres are a lot. It’s like Angus and crew wanted to make a whole album of “Big Balls” and then a couple of solid rock songs. If you ignore the lyrics, the riffs are still really good. Angus Young is one of the few rock guitarists who had his own tone and feel, even if it was bar rock supreme. “Hell’s Bells” is still a fucking great opener; “What You Do for Money Honey” has awesome riffs and chorus. The second side has a lot more impact than the first though - starting Side 2 with “Back in Black” and “You Shook Me All Night Long” is inspired. One thing you notice on listening deeply is they really beefed up the production - you hear a lot of buzz and noise on the Bon Scott albums and this sounds pristine. And for AC/DC, I don’t think it’s a good thing. This just misses how propulsive and powerful the band was in the 70’s. Beyond just the hits, the band straddled the line between punk and arena rock, and this album firmly put them in the latter. Still, “Rock and Roll Ain’t Noise Pollution” remains one of my favorites of theirs and a consummate album closer. The slow build, the crowd effect - it’s a fucking awesome rock tune. And a fitting tribute to the lost rock legend at the front of the band. I just wish the whole album had that vibe.

It’s hilarious I’m listening to this after everyone has aired their grievances, lol. Reading into this a bit it’s objectively hilarious that they picked this as part of the Stones’ canon. This feels like them desperately trying to find their voice. I actually love “Mother’s Little Helper” as a satire of how much speed had saturated normal life, it’s genuinely good and a decent tune. And then, abject idiocy. This band wrote some legitimately great tunes what are they doing with “Stupid Girl”? “Lady Jane” is begging for someone other than Mick to sing this song. I feel like Brian Jones thought this was a good idea but Mick is the absolute wrong person to sing this tune. The music is kinda gorgeous though - almost gives the same impression as “Golden Brown” by The Stranglers. “Under My Thumb” still slaps with the overfuzzed bass and the marimbas, which is the only saving grace cause yeah what in the actual fuck were you thinking, Mick. Some of this is almost worse than the more objectively criminal lyrics because it’s sung like it’s absolutely ok. Blurf. “Doncha Bother Me” is just the Stones doing their early blues schtick with a few more bells and whistles but like - they did so much better just two years later, why is *this* seminal listening? “Going Home” is a snoozefest after the first verse and there’s 11 minutes but OK. I’ll just go listen to Ten Years After jam on “I’m Going Home” for 11 minutes at Woodstock instead. Anyway while they’re fucking around I will say - there is an element of this that is fascinating to hear a band figuring out their sound. However I would not call it something that’s required listening; just interesting for fans of the band itself. Brian Jones is doing so much heavy lifting here. They’re still going with this bullshit jam god bless them. What trash. “Flight 505” isn’t terrible, though it’s way overproduced with the organ - it’s indicative of a ton of the problems with overproduction on this album. They don’t have a George Martin to tell them “no that will sound bloody awful boys”. Also lol they just wrote a song about crashing a plane into the ocean. Cool, great ending. The fucking rich irony of writing a song like “High and Dry” after being an absolute fucking monster the rest of the album. “Out of Time” is the second legitimately good song on the record, the doo-wop skewering works and the harmonies actually work. Mick’s range is actually on display here. Even if it is about telling a woman she’s frumpy and bad because that seems to be the theme of the album. Boys. The song ended a minute and a half ago. C’mon now. Again THE IRONY OF SINGING THAT IT’S HARD TO BE ALONE. GEE I WONDER WHY. I do love “I Am Waiting”, a genuinely beautiful song with incredible harmonies and a gorgeous sentiment. “Take It or Leave It” is also incredibly solid, damn did you figure some shit out? Some legitimately great tunes here at the end. Nope there we go with another gaslighting song. Fuck off man. I can think back to what a fucking sack of donkey shit you were the rest of this album. Christ what a spiteful album, except for a handful of gorgeous tunes.

Hell yeah, the album where Zeppelin let loose for a bit. Led Zeppelin was the first band I was ever like “whoa you can do this with music?” band and they’re still an all time fave of mine. This is a weird one since it’s an album and a half and then some rarities, but it’s a band who had burned so bright so fast and then just wandered down another path for a second half. This album is the peak of them just being like “hey what else can we do besides blues”. Said a lot of this in the chat but this is an album of extremely high highs and extremely mid lows. The songs that I love from this album are some of the band’s best, and then there’s a lot where I wonder if it could just get released later on the box sets. “In My Time of Dying” is still Top 3 of their work, just absolutely blasting blues better than anyone of their era. So dark, so hardcore, so punchy. John Bonham is KILLING it on the drums. It’s truly an incredible tune, one of my faves. Also on my good list is “Houses of the Holy,” “Down by the Seaside,” “Ten Years Gone,” and “Black Country Woman.” “Sick Again” gets an honorable mention because what a fucking riff but yeesh the lyrics. Down at the bottom are “Trampled Under Foot,” “Night Flight,” and “Boogie with Stu”, but that’s splitting hairs because I’m still bobbing my head to all of them. Anyway, I can’t fully divorce the nostalgia and vibes of Zeppelin, but this definitely isn’t their peak, and I totally get some of the lower ratings that’ll come.

The sheer level of Dad Rock™️ has been off the charts but the one note here is we have something a little different to listen to. Some origins of metal here even if it’s DEFINITELY dated. First of all, shout out to the organ running through a rock amplifier. Such a good sound. “Highway Star” is absolutely predicting Judas Priest and Iron Maiden, though with a slight prog twist with the organ going all over the place. The twin leads solo is super fun but a little sloppy (which means you know these dudes were doing it for real). Song rocks, even if it’s incredibly dumb. “Maybe I’m a Leo” is…certainly a follow-up. They can certainly rip but this blues riffing is a) nonsensical and b) boooooooring. Real momentum killer here. “Pictures of Home” gets back in the groove and sweeps me back. It’s missing the edge and deeper groove of the Sabbath greats but have real “Children of the Grave” vibes, with a prog twist. Much better, and should’ve been the second song. Side note: some of these solos fucking rule; they’re not perfect, but that makes them all the more enjoyable. You feel like you’re listening to the cool older kids shred while you’re watching. It’s a neat vibe. Sigh, and then we’re back to the blues funk stuff which is just not good. “Never Before” is just more boring generic dad rock. It honestly makes me wonder if this album is gonna be back and forth the entire time. Also, is this a song about their estranged mom? Cause it sure sounds like a whiny teen. Ah, yes, “Smoke on the Water.” The first song anyone learns on an electric guitar. Though it should be an organ given this album. Anyway that fucking bass is DANK and the organ distortion is just perfect with the guitar riff. Plus, it’s a legendary rock story too. Classic song, perfect riff and a banger of a chorus. Again - everything in this album sounds like dudes just fucking jamming out with little to no effort to refine. I kinda love it. “Lazy” goes hard on the organ to start, which is always fun…and then it goes back to bullshit blues jamming. HOW DO THEY KEEP GETTING AWAY WITH THIS!!! Now I do know of “Space Truckin’” and I love it. Because it sounds like a song a trucker in space would love. Does what it says on the tin. Simple as. I’m not including “When a Blind Man Cries” for my review but general notes: 🤢🤢🤢 This is a deeply stupid album that I somehow mostly enjoyed. A very dumb rock band but they know it and I appreciate that and love that journey for them. Keep it up boys.

Ok for all our complaining about dad rock this might be the worst dad rock offender of all. Buncha white dudes just blues riffing while the blandest kids discover that maybe black music is cool but attribute it to Clapton and spray paint “Clapton Is God” on walls. Yuck. Hey how do you make Ray Charles boring???? Asking for a friend.

First of all, thank fuck for an album that isn’t dad riffs. Sure it’s dad jazz, but I’ll take it over everything else we’ve been listening to. “Amsterdam” is worth the price of admission here, with such understated power arranged behind “Greensleeves”. It’s a stunning tune, with passion and swagger for days. It’s hard to dive too deep into some of the other songs as they can feel a little same-y; “Les vieux” and “Les plat pays” are both excellent but some of the songs at a little chintzy. Still, there’s no denying the power here. I give it a 3 rounding down from 3.5; if there were more standouts I’d go higher. Breath of fresh air from where we’ve been though.

God I love Steely Dan. This is definitely not their best but there’s still a ton of magic to go around. High points are “Rikki Don’t Lose That Number”, “Any Major Dude Will Tell You”, “Barrytown” and “Charlie Freak”. Low points - look we can do without the Duke Ellington tune for no reason boys. This is really a band in transition, moving from a rock band with jazz influence to a jazz band with rock sensibilities. They’d really hit their peak by The Royal Scam and Aja, but still a worthwhile record. 4/5. Not my fave of theirs but still so many good moments.

I pushed through this one quick and didn’t have a lot to say. Nas is…fine. He’s an incredible technical rapper and his beats are metronome precise but there’s always just a little missing oomph and this listen didn’t catch me. 3/5 on this one.

Yes is a band I haven’t spent a whole lot of time with but as I’ve kicked around the edges of prog now and then (and recognized their hits) I’ve felt like they’re a band I would enjoy. And here is a delightful example of that. Yes, this is all very noodly and goofy and no I wouldn’t think everyone loves it. But the sound, the directions they’re pushing, the mix of folk, organ, rock, shuffle, metal - it’s a heavy dose, and it’s really, really solid. One of those few albums where you go “oh no dig deeper dudes, there’s a lot more to get to.” “Yours is No Disgrace” has this funky country twang and picking under a truly fuzzed blown out bass, clean licks and a truly punchy organ. There’s a lot going on, but in a good way. “Clap” is more folksy and a bit of an outlier. It’s pretty but it’s not doing a whole lot here. “Starship Trooper” fucking rules, especially the last third. When the organ comes in at the end with a roar to back the riff, we’re deeply into prog metal and it’s absolutely perfect. Seminal tune. “I’ve Seen All People” is the one song I definitely knew from this album. The first movement is honestly the better half, as the chorus, church organ and band builds behind the refrain and pulls together. The rest of the song runs more as an extended jam riff, but it’s not as powerful as the first half. “A Venture” is a jazzy little number that’s got a lot of fun twists and turns, even if it feels a bit like carnival music sometimes. BTW, among all of this, the lyrics are SOLID. There’s real poetry here among the prog, not just weird fantasy images that some attribute to the genre. These are real brainy tunes, but not in a way that’s over the top. “Perpetual Change” is a little more ponderous and wandering than the earlier tracks. And then THAT part happens where the polyrhythmic split happens and…ok well now we’re into the full limits. This band knows how to BUILD. Really cool album. Love digging deeper on these dudes, can’t wait for more.

A beautiful and jazzy debut, full of fun and smirking nightclub joy. This feels like Miriam being brought to a nightclub to create whatever set she wanted, and her taking full advantage of the opportunity. It’s no wonder this is deemed a classic. There’s really only one weak track, “One More Dance”, that’s taken over by an overbearing duet partner who laughs the whole way through. Without context, it just fees out of place in an otherwise perfectly cohesive set. This one will be a return trip for me for sure. Belongs in the “perfect vibe” stack of albums. Really solid.

Here we go - an album I have zero real conceptions to offer. “Green Light” has a solid build, lots of good twists and turns. There’s a lot of that 2010s piano pop but with a disco beat building. Nice way to start. “Sober” is fine, a little on the nose lyrically. Also yeah I can REALLY tell this is a Jack Antonoff joint. That sound is so hit or miss, it’s though he is so committed to highlighting the artist that if the song is weak it only reveals that weakness and feels cheap. When the song is good, it adds a bright layer. It’s noble, but there’s very little that his production enhances. “Homemade Dynamite” is better with a little more passion, but hoooooo boy that chorus is rough. I will admit, my initial blush on Lorde was always tied to “Royals” and how much whisper singing she did. There’s a lot more here, but her vocals still stay on a single level a lot. “The Louvre” is also solid, but god these lyrics. Right when she has me hooked she throws in “broadcast the boom boom boom” and I’m lost again. Some of these songs seem allergic to a real cathartic build, for the sake of a dance breakdown. It’s frustrating, cause there’s a lot good but it’s always undercut. “Liability” stands out perfectly because it’s fully stripped back. It’s not insisting in the production. She writes great songs, it’s just getting messy in the production.

I haven’t spent a deep amount of time with Zappa and have had it on the list for a while. And this album…look it’s jazz funk fusion wankery but god is it done well. I think the thing that keeps me into all of this is how propulsive the tunes are. There’s a LOT going on, and that makes sense for Frank, but it’s always moving forward. It’s a continuous groove, which keeps you in the rollercoaster. The first side is probably my favorite, with “Peaches en Regalia” as a perfect table setter for Beefheart’s cameo on the riff-fest that is “Willie the Pimp”. But “Son of Mr. Green Genes” is my favorite of the whole album - it just has a gorgeous groove and counterpoint, with the chorus feeling like a psychedelic big band. The second half is a bit less cohesive, though “The Gumbo Variations” builds really well around the funky swampy vibe. For an artist whose output is both prodigious and intimidating, this is a heck of a great album to dive into. Not perfect by any means but this is one I’d return to if I needed to just vibe out. And it makes me want to explore more of Zappa and the Mothers.

I had a LOT to say cause there’s a LOT of album but it’s 5 stars, holy shit, what a record. While they will never admit it the band is absolutely throwing all those raw emotions in a blender and then sequencing them as though the fight is ongoing between everyone. The songs are on point, ranging from angry whimpering to gorgeously sad. Lindsey Buckingham is an absolute asshole but his guitar and harmony are so on point, and he’s not attempting to hide that at any point. “The Ledge” and “I Know I’m Not Wrong” are totally on point for him, the latter sounding like something R.E.M. would be cooking up a few years later. Stevie is absolutely in her witchy vibes here with some gorgeous tunes. “Sara” is the standout hit, and it’s easy to point to why, but “Storms” is easily my favorite. She’s deep in the vibes and bringing the raw emotions she always does. Christine McVie gets a lot of shine too, with “Over & Over”, “Think About Me” and the absolute heartbreaker, “Never Make Me Cry”. She’s a perfect counterpoint to Stevie’s drama with thoughtful, direct lyrics and her stunning voice. Also, there’s “Tusk”, which just explodes like a bomb right at the end. Just a total maniacal release of the infighting, the emotional aftermath, of everything that had occurred before and during Rumours. This is a band doing therapy through songs and my god did they put some good ones together. It may not be perfect for everyone but it’s perfect to me. 5/5.

I hate to say this for a legend like Monk but this album just feels so unremarkable. Nothing here really grabs me, no hook. None of the tracks particularly stand out, and though there’s some good moments, there’s nothing here that would really keep me plugged in. Just feels very generic, and not in a way I need to hear again.

OK now we’re in the real dregs of dad rock. Bad Company was always a band that just felt a little too safe and tame for me with classic rock radio. That said, I’ll soldier through a new listen here to see what comes up. “Can’t Get Enough” is such a classic rock standard it’s almost cliche to play it now. Everything about this guitar tone is the most generic sound you’ve ever heard. This song is literally only for teenagers in 1978 smoking weed in their trans am outside the Dairy Queen. Because no one would actually be seduced by this song. Maybe make out to it. God this song is so unsexy. “Rock Steady” loses any momentum immediately after the cowbell kicks in. These dudes think they’re so cool and they sound like such dorks. It’s pathetic. Led Zeppelin I’m ashamed of you for making this band part of your label’s repertoire. “Ready for Love” is actually a pretty good song, which is funny learning IT WAS ALREADY A MOTT THE HOOPLE SONG. Gee, wonder if maybe you four shouldn’t have been writing songs. Some of this hate is absolutely the production. It’s as though they recorded this album and said “let’s make everything sound like it’s played into a wall of carpets and make sure the guitars aren’t too loud so we don’t make our mom mad.” There’s no attack on the guitar, no punch to the drums, no nothing. It’s really frustrating for rock songs that should be dynamic to get absolutely leveled to nothing by bad 70s production. “Don’t Let Me Down” is actually a solid ballad, would be better if the first couple of songs hit harder. Didn’t hate it. “Bad Company” is the one song I actually love from the band. The structure and minor tones are cool as hell, and it feels super cinematic. Plus they actually let the guitars rip for once, which makes it the most rocking song. They’re redeeming themselves a bit after some rough patches to start. Although, my god, there’s so much reverb. Please, stop the reverb. “The Way I Choose” is…OK. I don’t really love it as a weird dudes in a garage ballad, nor with this guitar chorus. But as a song, there’s a lot good here. Would love a more stripped back version with less overproduction. “Movin’ On” is the first song I’ve heard that feels like an actual early 70’s classic rock jam. Guitars are bright and up front, drums are tight and grooving. Rodgers voice is nice and pointed, and the mix is just a little rough around the edges. If this is what the first half of the album sounded like, this would be much more tolerable. “Seagull” is here, a folky ballad that would’ve been better served for someone else’s album. This is the problem with supergroups - too often they’re just throwing shit at the wall because it’s dudes jamming and feeling good and not thinking about a cohesive product. It’s not as bad as it could be but it’s not great. And mostly, it’s what sounds like a killer live band ruined by squashed production. I love “Bad Company”; hate “Can’t Get Enough”; and find the rest just kinda blech. 1.5/5 but it’s rounding down.

Teenage Fanclub dares to ask “what if Big Star had shoegaze guitar tones” and does it near flawlessly. Power pop of the highest order with slacker lyrics and vibes. These guys walked so Blur and Oasis could run, but there’s something about these songs that feels totally outside of time. Some of the tunes can hang around a bit too long for sure. There’s some tunes that feel a bit like filler when we could have made a perfect 10 song record. But songs like “The Concept”, “December”, “What You Do To Me”, “Star Sign”, “Alcoholiday” and the shoegaze perfection of “Is This Music?” are triumphs. Maybe not for everyone but this was a delight to listen to the first time. 4/5.

Psychedelic, messy, raw, disheveled blues rock with a powerhouse belting on the mic. This one is a time capsule of the highest order, sounding like a blues band for an acid bar. “Combination of the Two” goes on a real journey between acid freakout and blues band, all the while driving ahead. Janis isn’t as featured here but it’s a real fuckin’ stomper of the highest order and a great kickoff. “I Need A Man to Love” is straight up blues and now we’ve got Janis in full feature. You get a sense of how sloppy and raw the band is here, but that’s kinda the point. They swing, they groove, even if the guitars and bass are drenched in reverb and sound like they’re being played through a wall. Janis’ whispering howls build and build, though this is a taste of what’ll come. The arrangement of “Summertime” might be one of my favorite things ever. Cribbing greatly from one of the all time greats, Nina Simone’s version of “You’d Be So Nice To Come Home To” at Newport, the guitars perfectly frame Janis’ plaintive whispers for a gorgeous retelling of Gershwin’s classic. It’s an absolute powerhouse performance. But it’s nothing compared to “Piece of My Heart”. Perhaps the most utterly vulnerable belting you’ll hear committed to record, Janis Joplin cemented her legend right here. Her voice reads pure desperation with the band at full power. The chorus is worth the price admission alone. It’s just an amazing tune and she’s absolutely incredible singing it. Godspeed sweet Angel. Side 2 kicks off with “Turtle Blues” to keep things a little more mellow, and it’s not as great. Janis is in full bar singer mode here with clinking glasses but it’s a bit strange to kick things off with a stripped back blues song. But oh well, she’s good nonetheless. “Oh, Sweet Mary” goes full freak-out which is probably to be expected, and while the guitar sounds great, this is just not a good fit all around. This band is better when they’re going full blues and then wrapping it in crazy colored LSD packets. Going psych rock just feels weird. “Ball and Chain”, the only ACTUAL live song, gets us back where we need to be. The guitar intro is just face melting in the beat way possible, letting you know that yes, you are listening to a Big Mama Thornton tune, but no, it is not gonna sound like a normal backing band is playing. And if you thought Janis sounded desperate before, buckle your fucking seatbelt. She’s channeling all the energy of the women coming before, and her voice is perfect to match the song here. Her whole range is on display here, over all 10 minutes. It’s a fitting finale for a sloppy yet powerful record that birthed a shooting star. This is not gonna make a top 10 of all time lost, and it might not be a must listen for everyone. But if you want to hear the blues done by a woman who ACTUALLY sounds like she feels them, you owe it to yourself to check this one out. The guitar shreds, way more than one can say for some of the rock gods of the era. And it’s a real document of the era. 3.5, but knocking to 3 for the dragging 2nd half and the messy production choices

The bedrock of post punk to come in the middle of the fertile NY scene. And an album I just hadn’t gotten to spend a lot of time with. “See No Evil” is a great album starter and sets the tone that a) yeah it’s a rock album but b) it’s gonna be so much weirder than that. I’m not a huge fan of Verlaine’s vocals here but he more than makes up for it in his guitar, which is as precise as it is wildly unique. The band has a fully formed sound and that’s always a good sign. “Venus” is a great take on 50’s and 60’s rock, mixing in all sorts of angular rhythm around a pop song. It’s like they’re dismantling sounds and rearranging them altogether. “Friction” isn’t my favorite but it’s fun listening to these art dorks try to be a cock rock band and failing in the best way. “Marquee Moon” is the absolute highlight here, a sprawling, cinematic piece that has jazz, math rock, post-punk, and drama for days. It’s continually building on itself and echoes all the great post-punk jams to come. A real show-stopper that could have easily been the album closer. “Elevation” is a bit of a letdown after that, though it’s a solid song. In fact I can say this - even if I don’t love the song, you can tell this is a band that’s operating on its own level of skill. They’re a fully formed band, reminding me of Wire in just how tightly coiled they are, ready to pounce. “Guiding Light” seems like their attempt at a deconstructed ballad, which is…ok. It’s plodding along a bit and with Tom Verlaine just howling through it doesn’t quite work. I do have to say - a different singer would work sooooo much better. I just am not a fan of his vocals. Hate to say it because his guitar playing is phenomenal. “Prove It” is definitely better, might have been a better Side B starter to be honest to keep the momentum. I can also get some Pavement vibes from this, though it’s also harkening back to Verlaine’s days with Richard Hell. This one grows on you with its blend of angular riffs and swing beat. Lastly we have “Torn Curtain”, which sits firmly between a torch song and rock anthem. This one’s another bit of a letdown, at least as an album closer. The musical power of Side A feels like it fizzles on the other side, dragging a bit. It’s undoubtedly a solid album and Television is a great band, but there’s a lot I wish they had done differently. I’d do 3.5/5 but 3 feels right for a thoroughly uneven album.

I feel actively dumber and less alive for having to listen to this edgelord bullshit. I would spend an entire review blasting each song but honestly, fuck you Alice Cooper, you’re not worth the effort.

This album is on so many quaaludes and I mean that in the best possible way. Dion is the dude that gave us “Runaround Sue” and “The Wanderer” with a sort of Jersey edge to the 60s doo-wop sound. But here, he’s doing pop tunes at 3/4 speed with all the wall of sound reverb you need. It’s an absolutely bonkers combo that somehow works perfectly. To be fair, there’s some songs here that drag things back a bit, but from the opening thunder of drums in “Born to Be With You” to the desperation of “Make the Woman Love Me”; from Phil Spector’s batshit production on “(He’s Got) The Whole World In His Hands” to the gut punch of “New York City Story”, this one is a real hidden gem.

Look, there’s some solid music here, but unfortunately this is a victim of the “let’s fill the cd with music” era. Everything runs together and nothing really gets to stand out. There’s no flow or shift in dynamics in the album, and it leaves me less curious to know the background of the songs. It’s a 2/5 for me; I recognize the skill but there’s just not a lot to love.

This album is a perfect reminder that all metal dudes are the biggest fucking dorks, and it’s a real fine line if that dorkness is the good and enjoyable kind or the icky kind. Somehow, Iron Maiden presents us with both. First of all, I’m not a huge power or new wave of British metal fan. I like the Sabbath groove and octave down guitars; I love drone and doom and that’s where I like to live. But it’s fun as shit to rock out to classics and this record is certainly a classic. The problem here is the lyrics, and particularly “22 Acacia Avenue” and “Run to the Hills.” The first is maybe the worst woman-hating, whore-Madonna complex ass song I’ve heard committed to tape. And the latter, which fucking RIPS as a song, can’t make up its mind if it’s a song about native atrocities or celebrating the way settlers attacked. It’s really a topic Iron fucking Maiden didn’t need to broach, especially with a riff that hard. Still, the dudes shred, in every possible way, and Bruce Dickinson is a force of nature with his vocal range. Real highlights are “The Prisoner,” “Number of the Beast,” “Run to the Hills” (it fucking goes, I just pretend not to see the lyrics) and “Hallowed Be Thy Name”. It’s gonna get a 4 from me, rounded up from 3.5. It’s more than influential, it shreds, and it’s harder than a ton of stuff that tried to imitate their sound. But god, please, fix your lyrics boys.

Girls fucking rule. The Go-Go’s write fantastic pop rock that could have come out of 1966 or 2076. They bring a pink edge to bubblegum pop that’s been the inspiration for tons and tons of acts after them. Their two hits, “Our Lips are Sealed” and “We Got the Beat” are classics for a reason but there’s so many other gems on here. “How Much More” and “Can’t Stop the World” keep the beat rolling along while “Lust to Love”, “This Town” and “Fading Fast” take a darker edge with vibes of the Shangri-Las. And it’s not just the songs - this is just an incredibly solid band, right on beat, always in sync, perfectly working together. Zero bad things to say about this album.

This is…a rough listen. The Doors are already an acquired taste, and as time goes on Jim Morrison is deteriorating right into your ears. Which is a shame because this is one of the most cohesive records they did, the band sounds great, there’s a good groove and mix of different styles. But Jim just sinks it with his mumbling. It’s hard to know how to feel about this one, but I’m going 3 because of how good the rest of the band is despite their frontman starting to sink into his own addictions.

This record undeniably rips, shreds, slays…and then Joey Belladonna starts singing. Look I enjoy thrash metal as much as the next guy but the melodic singing is just not vibing, and the songs sound like they were written by a bunch of nerds in a basement. Which like, yeah that’s all metal bands but still. The songs are still good, and a hard thrashing metal record still gets some recognition. “N.F.L”, “I Am the Law” and “A Skeleton in the Closet” get the most here. But if this is Anthrax’s finest moment I can do without more.

Welp we’re back with the Dan and quite possibly their best album. Feels sacrilegious to say but hot damn is this all killer no filler from a band that wasn’t even sure if they could sing on their own songs yet. Sure, Steely Dan would refine their sound and reach absolute pinnacle of production later in the 70s. But this highlights their songwriting on a ton of different levels, and that’s not to mention what a bop all these songs are. And there’s never been an album that captured the malaise of the 70s beyond this one. I have nothing bad to say here. Sheer perfection, even the songs that aren’t the greatest.

Sits somewhere in the intersection of Steely Dan, Yes, ELO and bar rock, with their own unique spin. Some of these songs wander off in ways that feel like a whimper more than a bang, but when the songs hit, they HIT. “Bloody Well Right” and “Dreamer” are familiar, upbeat hits and rightfully so. But the rest of the first half is solid as well: “Hide in Your Shell” and “Asylum” bring the drama and dynamics to perfection. And there’s clarinet for days in “If Everyone Was Listening” that makes me swoon. I didn’t have time to look and see if this was a concept album but if it isn’t it’d make a hell of a musical. I’d go 3.5 if I could, but I’ll bump it up to a 4. There’s a lot to dig into here if I had more time.

nothing I could say here can match the love I have for this album. Every time I hear this it makes me feel good, sad, beautiful feelings. 5/5.

Who allowed these annoying dipshits to make a shitty disco cover of Pink Floyd? Who is responsible? What a boring album. Can’t utterly hate it but it’s just so boooooring.

It’s very funny having a connection with this album, having bought it based on a video I saw for “Turn” on impulse. There’s nothing grand or incredible about this record, but that’s kinda ok. The songwriting is good, and when Coldplay burst on the scene in 2000 I remember feeling like they were just copying Travis. “Driftwood” and “Turn” are hits for a reason, and “Slide Show” is a gorgeous tune at the end. Nothing great, but also nothing terrible. Solid 3.

This is the most generic album I think I’ve ever heard. Painfully so. “Love Plus One” is a decent song, but these dudes have zero direction and zero depth. I want to give them some credit for participation but this is just so booooooring. It’s a 1 for me dawg.

An album that absolutely should be a mess considering the backstory but wound up being pretty great. It was near impossible for The Who to follow Tommy, though Townsend had an even bigger concept album planned in Life House. They recorded a ton of the songs live, kept pushing, Pete had a nervous breakdown, the band tried to pick up and recover, and somehow put something together from the ashes. “Baba O’Riley” is still maybe the greatest opener in rock history, an instant anthem for the teenage wasteland. Other standout hits include “Behind Blue Eyes” (accept no substitutes) and “Won’t Get Fooled Again,” but “Getting in Tune”, “My Wife” and “The Bargain” are classics too. Still, they left off some of the greatest songs like “Water”, “Pure and Easy”, and “The Seeker” to emerge as one off singles or rarities later. Daltrey is in peak vocal form here, with some of his best singing. Entwistle is as grooving and brilliant on base as ever, and Keith Moon is able to take his madcap energy to different anthemic moments just as well as the rockers he’s been playing to this point. If there’s any weak link, it’s Townsend, who sounds every bit as strung out as he was in real life. Only in the highest moments of “Baba O’Riley” and in the powerful thrumming of “Won’t Get Fooled Again” do we really hear his signature sound. They’d peak one last time after this with the mod opera Quadrophenia, but this was a band in crisis, and out of it made a hell of an album. It’s just not their best.

There was a moment where Elvis Costello was sort of a personal hero, which is a bit dangerous, because the dude had a real rough go early on and was not the greatest dude to be around. Still, it made for some incredible music, including this punk-adjacent cynical vision of late 50s rock and early 60s British Invasion. Costello’s a master of matching pop sensibilities with bitterly acid lyrics, and everything he touches on this album feels on edge, ready to unleash wrath at any moment. Only Costello does it with his words more than his music, though the mix of organ and guitar feels sneering and sinister. While this lacking the raw energy of his debut and the refined songwriting of later albums, this album shows a master iconoclast at the peak of his powers, and a hell of a backing band. And it rocks, so that’s always a plus.

Is this record good? Not particularly. Is this record funky and fun? Yeah, kinda. I dunno, there’s a LOT going on here, and some of its great and some of its just mleh. Hard to get a handle on it. It’s too cheesy to be new wave, too funky to be New Romantic, and too jazzy to be punk, but it’s also not in any of those categories either. I have a soft spot in my heart for “This is the Day”, but other tracks like “Giant” and “The Sinking Feeling” are truly great. Others have their moments, not particularly my favorite but still solid. I’d go right down the middle but alas, this site won’t let me, so I’ll put this just on the positive side and go 3/5.

In a word: perfection. I didn’t know how I’d feel as I both love ECM but sometimes want to fall asleep out of boredom. But this is a triumph. To know that Jarrett was improvising all of this makes it all the more awe-inspiring on the soul and depth of his playing. It surpasses technical skill - these songs sway, swing, punch, lilt, and ultimately hover and linger in brilliant melodies and rhythms. Part 1 is my favorite, but 2 grew on me more on a second listen, and I anticipate there will be many more listens to come. 5/5, no doubts.

Somewhere between the ferocity of Minor Threat’s first seven inches and the melodic focus of Fugazi’s debut lies this oddball of hardcore. It’s not the best as the songs and lyrics don’t have the power just right; they’re still being mixed like a live hardcore band. But there’s a glimmer there. MacKaye’s vulnerability is what shines through on this record, pushing beyond the straight-edge manifesto of “Out of Step” and into deeper feelings. There’s ambivalence where there was once dogma, and it’s like watching someone grow up on real time. Unfortunately that means that the songs are scattershot in quality. “Look Back & Laugh” and “Out of Step” are classics, while “Betray” and “Little Friend” capture some of the hardcore vibes. But the value here is seeing a band in flux, and that’s not enough to get a ton of stars.