Journey in Progress
Discovering music one album at a time
295
Albums Rated
2.77
Avg Rating
8
5-Star Albums
27%
Complete
794 albums remaining
Rating Speed
6.4
Per Week
322
Days Active
Reviews
120
Written
41%
Review Rate
vs Global
-0.55
Avg Diff
2.77
Avg Rating
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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
2000s
Favorite Decade
Indie
Favorite Genre
other
Top Origin
Harsh
Rater Style
20
1-Star Albums
5-Star Albums (8)
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Genre Preferences
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Rating Style
You Love More Than Most
Albums you rated higher than global average
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes | 5 | 2.93 | +2.07 |
| Deloused in the Comatorium | 5 | 3.2 | +1.8 |
| The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady | 5 | 3.32 | +1.68 |
| Blue Lines | 5 | 3.38 | +1.62 |
| Either Or | 5 | 3.38 | +1.62 |
You Love Less Than Most
Albums you rated lower than global average
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Out Of The Blue | 1 | 3.63 | -2.63 |
| Hybrid Theory | 1 | 3.38 | -2.38 |
| Smash | 1 | 3.37 | -2.37 |
| Ready To Die | 1 | 3.37 | -2.37 |
| The College Dropout | 1 | 3.32 | -2.32 |
Artist Analysis
Favorite Artists
Artists with 2+ albums and high weighted score
| Artist | Albums | Avg | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radiohead | 2 | 5 | 3.8 |
Popular Reviews
Kanye West
1/5
This clown doesn’t deserve the credit from a single stream.
1 likes
4-Star Albums (50)
1-Star Albums (20)
All Ratings
Deep Purple
4/5
Classic early blues rock album. Early metal vibes for sure. Smoke on the Water, Space Truckin, and Highway Star are the classics but Maybe I’m a Leo stood out to me. Cool groove.
Blur
3/5
In the 90’s I knew park life and Boys and girls but I don’t think I’ve ever listened to the entire album. Not impressed on the first half. Some of the deeper cuts are ok. Bank holiday is almost punk. Debt collector is polka. Ha. Jubilee is interesting but the melody on verses sounds familiar to me. Clover sober and London loves might be my favourites
Massive Attack
5/5
Landmark album.
Pixies
4/5
In ‘88 I was too much of a metal head to appreciate the pixies. It took me a few more years. Surfer Rosa is a classic album, the groundwork for indie/fringe/grunge whatever you want to call it.
4/5
Frank Sinatra
3/5
I can’t say I’ve ever listened to an entire Sinatra record before. Everything sounded familiar.
Cheesy? Sure. Dated? Yep. Timeless? Maybe. Can something be dated and timeless? I think so.
The big band horn swells after each line is a little much. The performance is great and Frank’s velvety vocals are spot on.
Listened to it twice and that’s enough
3/5
Duke Ellington
3/5
Never listened to Duke before this album is long. It’s also live and I like all the little noises Duke uses to cheer on his band. Especially during the ripping sax solo in Dimineuendo And Crescendo In Blue, 27 bars apparently; it’s a long solo but fitting. It’s considered a huge album in jazz history. I enjoyed it more than I expected. Big band swing isn’t my go to but the significance of this recording wasn’t lost on me.
3/5
The Pogues
3/5
Over an hour of Irish drinking/fighting music is a bit too much for me. Lots of this sounded familiar but could be because it all sounds the same.
Enjoyable and I was doing a stupid jig in the car which my daughter hated.
3/5
Leonard Cohen
2/5
Sorry Lenny. This is bad. Beautiful, but bad. You’re a pretty cool guy I imagine. The irony of the meaningful well written lyrics overtop the cheesy pop beats may be on purpose and tongue in cheek but it doesn’t make it any better
The Killers
2/5
Overrated. The popular songs were ok. Catchy. But not exciting. The rest was forgettable
2/5
Kate Bush
2/5
I thought being older and wiser and much more open in my taste. that I would get it. didn’t like you in th 80’s and I didn’t really like now. Sorry. I’m sure you’re a lovely person
Elvis Costello
3/5
Late 70’s. I’ve heard this called pop-punk which i disagree with. It’s catchy but not pop music. It’s angst filled sardonic vocals but enough to want to pick you up and let you go dancing. Not disco dancing but a nerdy guy letting loose and doing what feels right
3/5
Creedence Clearwater Revival
3/5
Didn’t blow me away but it’s really good. Love the swampy, blush, garage sound.
3/5
Hawkwind
4/5
Psychedelic space travel? Sign me up
Talking Heads
3/5
Rush
2/5
13th of 1001 albums to hear before I die
Rush. 2112. Here we go. I am supposed to like Rush. I’m Canadian. Like rock and metal. Play drums. Yet… I really don’t like them. This old lady I used to work with loves rush. Her son did and she did because of that. She thought I did and would always talk about Shane loving this band so much. However , I do not love this band. Song songs are great. Geddy is a great bassist and Peart is obviously amazing. But I never really liked them or listened to them much. I actually thought 2112 was the same song at the beginning of frizzle fry. But I was wrong. That’s YYZ. Great song but not on this album. I found this one boring tbh. Greatest musicianship. Boring
2/5
Kanye West
1/5
This clown doesn’t deserve the credit from a single stream.
Judas Priest
3/5
I never really listen to priest in my youth. I know most of the singles and never loved them, but hot damn those deep cuts are great.. Great example of the NWOHM that influenced a lot of thrash bands in the 80’s
Grinder is so good; love the heavy bridge breakdown. Least favourite is red white and blue. What a terrible way to end an album.
Portishead
4/5
Great album start to finish
The Verve
3/5
A few good songs. I think my favourite is the last song
Elastica
2/5
Meh. I give it two stars. Sounds very generic and formulated. I guess i didn’t make the connection
Baaba Maal
3/5
I would lying if i said I listen to a lot of world music I do have a few that I like though. I appreciate the difference sounds and different beats. This is pretty good. I’m big on drumming on world music and this one doesn’t have as much as I’d like.
Some synth sounds are dated b
My favourites: Diniibe. Gidalem
Terence Trent D'Arby
2/5
Introducing The Hardline According To Terence Trent D’Arby (if that is his real name) Uninspiring. Was hard not to skip tracks. I understand he had some singles off this but it’s all just boring
2
Ray Charles
3/5
Mutha Fn’ Ray Charles!!
John Martyn
2/5
I have never heard this; or even heard of John Martin. It was fine. Did I NEED to hear this? Probably not
Robert Wyatt
2/5
Another unknown album. It was ok.
Electric Light Orchestra
1/5
I know two Elo songs (don’t let me down and witchy women) I guess from the radio when I was in a car as a kid. Those songs are terrible. These songs are terrible.
I think it’s my first 1. It’s really terrible.
The Allman Brothers Band
2/5
Great jams.
Portishead
3/5
Good. Not as good as dummy.
T. Rex
2/5
Better on the second listen. Some good tunes.
Pixies
2/5
Not as good as surfer Rosa or Doolittle. Are 3 pixies lps really needed?
Miles Davis
3/5
If I’m putting this against other essential Miles albums I’ve got to give it a 3/5. I enjoyed this record but I know there are a better ones out there
Beatles
2/5
Not their best work
The Offspring
1/5
I had to stop as soon as I self esteem came on. Couldn’t take anymore
Eric Clapton
2/5
Clapton may be a right wing racist douchebag but he sure can play the geetar. Unfortunately this album is a bunch of white washed cover version of better songs
Kate Bush
3/5
Another Kate bush album. Damn. I feel like I’m running up a hill.
50 Cent
2/5
Gangsta pop
Coldplay
3/5
I don’t like Coldplay but this is a pretty damn good album. Too bad it all went to shiite after this
Keith Jarrett
5/5
It’s a 5 obvs. All this is improvised after a really shitty day. It’s just phenomenal
David Holmes
1/5
The Notorious B.I.G.
1/5
Not enjoyable
Simon & Garfunkel
3/5
It was fine
Harry Nilsson
2/5
Awful schmawful
Baaba Maal
3/5
Prob a 3. Which for me is a good rating. I have been trying to listen to more world music and this album generator is a means to that. It’s my second Baaba Maal lp and I’d say it’s fairly consistent but this one sounds a little more traditional as it’s not overloaded with 80’s sounding keyboards
Radiohead
5/5
Love it
White Denim
3/5
Suede
1/5
Terrible
OutKast
2/5
Too much Hank
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
2/5
It’s well played. But I don’t care
Fiona Apple
2/5
The Rolling Stones
3/5
It was fine. Some nice bluesy stuff. Lots of typical stones stuff
R.E.M.
4/5
Hey kids, rock and roll
Nobody tells you where to go
Britney Spears
1/5
Imagine my dismay when this came up. I lived through it once already, isn’t that enough
Slipknot
2/5
There is something about these guys that I just don’t like. I hear some cool riffs, some heavy parts but nothing really grabs me.
Maybe it’s the marketing - maybe it’s maybelline.
Curtis Mayfield
3/5
Funkalicious. I dig it but Curtis has other lps I’d rather listen to
The Zutons
3/5
Not terrible. Not great.
Another 3. Prob says as much about my mindset as it does this album. It was ok. I didn’t hate listening to it. That is all.
King Crimson
3/5
Anita Baker
1/5
Ugh. Boring.
Meat Loaf
2/5
Apologies Mr. Loaf.
I do not like it. I’ll give a two because you were in rocky horror and fight club.
AC/DC
2/5
I think the bullies from grade 8 would beat me up If they knew I gave this a 2. Bon Scott is the superior singer and these early albums show some blues influence, I guess. But it’s not great. Not terrible. It’s just ok.
Air
3/5
Cool
Paul Simon
4/5
A later career masterpiece
Iron Butterfly
3/5
One song stands out. The rest does not. That one song is half the album
Prefab Sprout
2/5
Unknown pop album. Boring. Typical. Did I say boring? Hard pass
John Lee Hooker
3/5
I was getting ready to not like this because of all the collabs and didn’t seem genuine to me for some reason. Up on my high horse saying true jazz needs suffering and the commercialization isn’t the real deal.
I listened to it… it’s friggin John Lee Hooker!!! Of course it’s good
Miles Davis
4/5
The The
1/5
Sometimes if an album doesn’t catch me right way I leave it playing quietly and go about my day occasionally checking in to see if anything sparks an interest.
Someone it does. Sometimes it doesn’t.
Sometimes on my second play, I listen a little intently and get a good feel for it.
Sometimes I just decide it’s rubbish after a song or two and staying present for an entire album is a huge choir.
Sometimes I can stick with it.
Sometimes I can’t - this is one of those times.
Meat Puppets
3/5
Queen
3/5
I’m not really a fan of big, over the top, operatic, pop rock; but queen are pretty much the ‘king’ of this style.
Do I rate it high because of its influence and importance as an album launching a huge career? Or mid for my personal opinion?
Decisions, decisions…
Dire Straits
3/5
This is definitely an album you should listen to before you die.
TV On The Radio
5/5
And I will be your one more time
If you will be my one last chance
The Isley Brothers
4/5
Blowing’ through the Jasmin of my mind
So much soul, so much funk
So smoooooth
A Tribe Called Quest
4/5
Smooth like butter
I don’t really like a lot of rap or hip-hop or whatever (my stats in this will confirm) But I really like this. I guess it’s all the new shit I dislike.
Steely Dan
2/5
Just the other day I saw a listing for a Steely Dan cover band. I said to myself “really? They have enough songs that people care about to warrant a cover band. ?”
So, as it turns out, I have a lot of these songs before. They’re ok. Not great, not terrible.
John Martyn
2/5
The Go-Go's
2/5
God I hate pop.
Cyndi Lauper
3/5
Not my cheese but I guess I do respect Lauper for what she’s done with this. She seems pretty cool and it’s better than most pop from that time
T. Rex
2/5
One good song and it’s probably overplayed
Mike Oldfield
4/5
Talking Heads
4/5
Yeah yeah yeah
Yeah yeah yeah
Yeah yeah yeah
Yeah yeah yeah
We are vain and we are blind
3/5
I can’t imagine ever saying, “Holy crap. Check out this Beatles album”
It was fine, I guess
Tim Buckley
3/5
“I went down to the meat rack tavern”
The opening line on this album gives no illusion of what we’re in for.
MGMT
4/5
Great album
Dizzee Rascal
2/5
I actually liked some of this. Some of the beats were cool. Some of it was annoying.
OutKast
3/5
The Mars Volta
5/5
Reckless. Breaking boundaries. Giving no fucks. Taking no prisoners.
Charles Mingus
5/5
“Stop! Look! And Sing Songs of Revolutions!"
This was so good. Dark, uncomfortable at times. Brilliant
Neu!
3/5
Nicht großartig, nicht schrecklich
The White Stripes
3/5
Daa da da da da da daa
Daa da da da da da da da da
His voice can sound a little grating after a while
I like Black Math and Ball and Biscuit the best i think.
Blondie
3/5
I have a much respect for Debra Harry and Blondie. Liked some of the deeper cuts as well. Like “I know but I don’t know”
Sonic Youth
4/5
Linkin Park
1/5
I fucking hate Lincoln park. I’ll try to get through this. God, it’s terrible
Pixies
4/5
The seminal Pixies album for me.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
First song is a classic. A few others are ok but country honk is utterly terrible.
Kings of Leon
4/5
Lynyrd Skynyrd
3/5
Garbage
4/5
Stevie Wonder
3/5
PJ Harvey
4/5
Amazing debut album
Love it
Peter Gabriel
3/5
Bueno
Beatles
2/5
Meh
Fever Ray
2/5
Meh
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
So freaking good!!!
Beck
3/5
David Crosby
2/5
Killing Joke
3/5
Todd Rundgren
2/5
Elliott Smith
5/5
Tragic. Beautiful.
Nick Drake
4/5
Hüsker Dü
2/5
Too long and not as good as their other stuff
Dolly Parton
3/5
I must be getting old. I rated this way higher than I thought I would have
Japan
2/5
Orange Juice
2/5
Didn’t hate it. Didn’t love it.
Leonard Cohen
3/5
I liked it better than his other album on here. You like it darker is a pretty cool song
Merle Haggard
2/5
Madonna
1/5
Garbage. Techno country with video game noises and major autotune. No thanks
Run-D.M.C.
3/5
Def a 3 or a 4 for me.
The Young Rascals
2/5
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
4/5
Brilliant
The Youngbloods
2/5
Fine. Prob I’d give it a solid 2-1/2 but so I’m gonna give it….
3
No 2
Lauryn Hill
3/5
TLC
2/5
The xx
3/5
Television
3/5
Bauhaus
3/5
Red Hot Chili Peppers
4/5
Probably the last good album by these guys before their slow, terrible descent into dad rock
Laibach
3/5
Scared German band
Billy Joel
2/5
Ravi Shankar
3/5
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
3/5
David Bowie
4/5
Can
4/5
Holger Czukay
2/5
The Rolling Stones
2/5
I thought I would like this more than I did. 1 good song out of 11 does not equal a good album imo.
Bob Dylan
3/5
Enjoyed this more than I expected.
Spiritualized
3/5
Good. Quite enjoyable .
Manu Chao
3/5
Muey bueno
Sigur Rós
4/5
Enjoyed this more than I expected.
The Stooges
4/5
Rod Stewart
2/5
Gil Scott-Heron
2/5
Deep Purple
3/5
Enjoyed this more than I expected.
Willie Colón & Rubén Blades
3/5
Shack
2/5
The Police
3/5
Emmylou Harris
2/5
Brian Eno
3/5
The Rolling Stones
2/5
Neil Young
4/5
Black Sabbath
3/5
John Lennon
2/5
Talking Heads
4/5
Facts are useful in emergencies
Slint
3/5
The Black Crowes
3/5
The Beach Boys
3/5
The Clash
3/5
Bruce Springsteen
2/5
The Prodigy
2/5
Ok in small doses. Wears thin after a while.
Radiohead
5/5
Sonic Youth
3/5
Lucinda Williams
1/5
Bob Dylan
4/5
Shivkumar Sharma
2/5
Fred Neil
2/5
Carole King
3/5
G. Love & Special Sauce
3/5
The Yardbirds
2/5
New Order
2/5
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
2/5
Carpenters
2/5
Gotan Project
3/5
Led Zeppelin
2/5
Dinosaur Jr.
4/5
Ella Fitzgerald
2/5
The Doors
3/5
Earth, Wind & Fire
3/5
Koffi Olomide
2/5
A Tribe Called Quest
3/5
3/5
Coldplay
3/5
PJ Harvey
2/5
I like PJ Harvey a lot but I found myself listening to other albums if hers. This one didn’t do a lot for me.
3/5
The Beach Boys
3/5
I hate that super happy pop crap. Was planning on a 2 but I guess I gotta give credit where credit is due.
I go up to a 3 and that’s it
The Everly Brothers
1/5
Stereo MC's
2/5
First song was decent
Led Zeppelin
2/5
Beth Orton
2/5
The Flaming Lips
4/5
Sparks
2/5
Johnny Cash
4/5
The Charlatans
1/5
Pink Floyd
3/5
Aretha Franklin
3/5
Miriam Makeba
3/5
Black Sabbath
4/5
Fitting…
Primal Scream
2/5
I was expecting some primal screams.
Arcade Fire
3/5
Steve Earle
2/5
PJ Harvey
4/5
Jurassic 5
3/5
Beatles
3/5
My Bloody Valentine
2/5
Marvin Gaye
4/5
Green Day
3/5
Meh
Crowded House
2/5
Ray Price
1/5
Guns N' Roses
2/5
I didn’t like it when it came out. I don’t like it now.
David Bowie
4/5
Fatboy Slim
2/5
Nick Drake
4/5
The Specials
3/5
Brian Eno
3/5
Sarah Vaughan
3/5
The xx
2/5
Scissor Sisters
2/5
The Human League
2/5
Fleet Foxes
3/5
Neil Young
4/5
The Beau Brummels
1/5
The Vines
3/5
Donald Fagen
2/5
Public Enemy
3/5
Blur
3/5
The Mothers Of Invention
3/5
CHIC
2/5
Richard Hawley
2/5
Napalm Death
3/5
Nightmares On Wax
3/5
Music to fall asleep to. Which isn’t an insult. I’m always looking for something new (to me) that I can wind down to
Deerhunter
4/5
Thelonious Monk
4/5
Fleetwood Mac
2/5
Sleater-Kinney
4/5
The Doors
3/5
Jorge Ben Jor
3/5
Stephen Stills
2/5
Def Leppard
1/5
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
3/5
Marilyn Manson
2/5
The lady doth protest too much, methinks
Oasis
3/5
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
4/5
Bebel Gilberto
3/5
Van Halen
3/5
Sonic Youth
3/5
Prince
3/5
Ice Cube
3/5
David Bowie
4/5
Led Zeppelin
3/5
I got wordle in 2 guesses. I used clown as my first word and blunt for my second guess. 3*
The Smiths
3/5
The Waterboys
2/5
Circle Jerks
4/5
Brings me back to my youth. One the bands that inspired my first band. We named our selves O.M.O.L (one minute or less. - clever , right?)
Anyway, we had to change our name early on because one of our songs was too long.
Good times tho
4*
Michael Jackson
3/5
Bad Company
2/5
The Who
2/5
4/5
The Undertones
2/5
Started off Meh…. then got worse.
Louis Prima
3/5
Fugees
3/5
2/5
Steely Dan
2/5
CHIC
3/5
Arctic Monkeys
3/5
Gorillaz
4/5
Beatles
3/5
The Case for Dissonance: Why The Beatles and The White Album Fail to Resonate
The Beatles hold an undeniable, monolithic position in modern musical history, yet their immense influence does not automatically translate into universal personal appeal. While recognizing their revolutionary impact, a critical listener may find their extensive catalogue, and specifically the sprawling 1968 double LP The Beatles (commonly known as The White Album), lacking the cohesive artistry or authentic emotional depth found in other rock contemporaries. For many, the band’s aesthetic often prioritizes stylistic range over substance, culminating in a sound that can feel more saccharine or experimental for the sake of it, rather than genuinely compelling.
The primary hurdle to appreciating The Beatles lies in what some perceive as a foundational lack of necessary grit or ambiguity, particularly in their early work. Their sound, often characterized by bright harmonies and relatively straightforward melodic structures, can feel too polished or overtly cheerful, failing to engage with the darker, more complex psychological landscapes explored by artists in the late 1960s. Their ubiquitous presence and cultural mythos further contribute to this detachment; the sheer weight of expectation and overexposure can diminish the music's ability to surprise or resonate on a deeply personal level. While their studio innovations are lauded, the resultant sound occasionally lands closer to clever novelty than enduring emotional truth.
This critical detachment is crystallized in the challenging experience of listening to The White Album. Far from a unified artistic statement, the album is a notoriously fragmented 93-minute patchwork, reflecting the internal division and growing autonomy of the four band members at the time. It is precisely this lack of centralized vision that becomes its biggest drawback. The record whiplashes between starkly different moods and genres—from the acoustic tenderness of "Blackbird" to the raucous proto-metal of "Helter Skelter," and ultimately, to the impenetrable eight-minute sound collage of "Revolution 9."
This jarring juxtaposition creates a profound sense of incoherence. Instead of showcasing the synergy of four geniuses collaborating, the album serves as a document of four individuals competing for space, resulting in an uneven collection where the brilliance of tracks like "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" is undermined by the inclusion of songs that feel like unfinished B-sides or self-indulgent sonic explorations.
In conclusion, while the historical significance of The Beatles is beyond dispute, their music, especially in the context of the messy grandeur of The White Album, fails to connect with those who value stylistic consistency, emotional depth, or unified group performance. The album, often celebrated for its breadth, is more accurately characterized as an exhausting anthology of disparate ideas. Ultimately, the personal dismissal of The Beatles is not a denial of their place in history, but a simple rejection of a specific aesthetic that, despite its polish and fame, simply misses the mark for contemporary, critical listening.
Thanks Gem, we agree on something
Wire
2/5
Joni Mitchell
2/5
Fela Kuti
3/5
The Police
4/5
Röyksopp
3/5
Songhoy Blues
3/5
Sister Sledge
3/5
Kings of Leon
3/5
Talvin Singh
2/5
LTJ Bukem
3/5
I liked it
John Lennon
2/5
Arcade Fire
3/5
3/5
Tangerine Dream
3/5
Fela Kuti
3/5
Violent Femmes
2/5
Megadeth
3/5
Prince
3/5
Nirvana
4/5
Big Star
2/5
Bee Gees
1/5
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
Dusty Springfield
2/5
Ramblin' Jack Elliott
1/5
The Velvet Underground
4/5
Ray Charles
2/5
The Louvin Brothers
1/5
The Cure
3/5
Iron Maiden
4/5
The Beta Band
2/5
Alexander 'Skip' Spence
3/5