My 1001 Albums Journey

Album	You	Global	Diff
Devotional Songs Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan	5	2.58	+2.42
69 Love Songs The Magnetic Fields	5	2.85	+2.15
Talking Timbuktu Ali Farka Touré	5	3.13	+1.87
Mermaid Avenue Billy Bragg	5	3.17	+1.83
Lady In Satin Billie Holiday	5	3.23	+1.77
Peter Gabriel Peter Gabriel	5	3.23	+1.77
Dance Mania Tito Puente	5	3.27	+1.73
Fragile Yes	5	3.31	+1.69
Fear Of A Black Planet Public Enemy	5	3.34	+1.66
Neon Bible Arcade Fire	5	3.35	+1.65

Album	You	Global	Diff
The Queen Is Dead The Smiths	1	3.66	-2.66
Different Class Pulp	1	3.42	-2.42
Music for the Masses Depeche Mode	1	3.38	-2.38
Meat Is Murder The Smiths	1	3.32	-2.32
Channel Orange Frank Ocean	1	3.31	-2.31
The Undertones The Undertones	1	3.26	-2.26
Repeater Fugazi	1	3.12	-2.12
Suede Suede	1	3.1	-2.1
Murder Ballads Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds	1	3.08	-2.08
Make Yourself Incubus	1	3.07	-2.07

Artist	Albums	Average
Jimi Hendrix	2	5
Pink Floyd	2	5
Bob Dylan	5	4.2
Creedence Clearwater Revival	3	4.33

Artist	Albums	Average
The Smiths	2	1
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds	2	1.5
Kings of Leon	3	2

Artist	Ratings
Paul Simon	1, 3, 5
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band	4, 1
The Velvet Underground	4, 1, 2
Beatles	2, 5, 4, 5

Miles Davis

3/5

Excellent musicianship, of course. Structure with no structure. I’m guessing this set the stage for great jam bands of the 70’s and beyond. But, in the end, jams are indulgent & you have to be willing and ready to go along for the ride.

Murmur

R.E.M.

3/5

This album introduces the REM sound. But they refine that sound in later albums. It’s a good effort, but here they sound like a very interesting and talented bar band that hasn’t yet figured out what its point is.

Low

David Bowie

3/5

Another “here’s a new sound” album. Listening to Bowie is always interesting and a joy. But he hasn’t yet come into his own on this album.

The World is a Ghetto

War

3/5

Fantastic opening and closing with some high points in between. Not a “must have” as an album because it’s a bit overindulgent in places. It actually feels like the soundtrack to an interesting stage-play. Great, but not as funky as WAR can get.

The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill

Lauryn Hill

5/5

Beautiful, musical, & sharp from beginning to end. Has a strong through-line (like an album should). Everything is Everything, and this album is everything. Desert-island album.

She's So Unusual

Cyndi Lauper

4/5

Cyndi Lauper can sing!! I don’t necessarily love her voice — but lady hits those notes, every time. This album so very creative & it showcases Lauper’s huge & diverse musical range — it could have been named “She’s so unusually talented” Also, the album made an important contribution to female empowerment in the 80’s through 90’s — not to mention its influence on the lgbtq movement. The album could also have been named “Everyone is so Unusual & Just Wants to Have Fun (show them respect)” This is a powerhouse compilation with some great songs. I’m not the target audience and, i prefer smoother vocal styles, so it’s not a desert island album for me. But this is creative transgressive and well executed pop music. Great album — much respect.

Automatic For The People

R.E.M.

3/5

This album is politically active & eerily prescient. REM foresees the growing corruption of politics into warring factions weaponizing misinformation and the cynicism & disdain for political engagement that results. It may also (unwittingly?) encourage the anti-intellectual nihilism (“If you believe they put a man on the moon”) that started in the Reagan 80’s & came to define American politics in the 2010’s. If Murmur suffers from REM not yet having found its purpose, Automatic for the People suffers from the opposite — its delivery is a bit too “on the nose” and earnest. The lyrics are all audible, and in some cases, there is no effort to be poetic. This is a moment where an edgy band lost its musical edge for a moment. There is inspired music here, though. If you Believe is *such* a great song! A solid album that people should hear for its insightful political commentary — but not “great” as an album.

Gentlemen

The Afghan Whigs

2/5

What you get when you mix whiskey, red bull, & misogyny in an angry & maybe not-so-nice “bro”? This gets a 2 (“Did not need to hear this but I got all the way through”). There are a few good grooves, and some interesting lyrics. And the album clearly inspired a decade+ of imitators. But, most of the tracks sound similar — guitars layered over a sinister bass drone (which never achieves the dark vibe of, say, Deep Purple) with gravelly-voiced dude belting out his anger/pain/wounding. They do a good job doing what they do— i can understand why this is an influential album — but it’s overwrought, humorless, and repetitive.

Fear Of A Black Planet

Public Enemy

5/5

Sonic wonderland! Sharp rhymes, cutting insights, slick samples, non-stop rhythms with tight transitions. Serious messages wrapped in creativity and humor. What more can you ask from an album? An essential classic.

Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music

Ray Charles

3/5

I can’t hear Ray Charles sing without smiling. And this album is influential because it was such a departure from Charles’s usual genre. But the arrangements on this album — all sweeping strings & stilted choruses — are super dated and out of place. The same kind of arrangement works and sounds so natural on the Billie Holiday album in this collection— but here, it’s a painful distraction from a great performer. It’s a 3 on the strength of Ray Charles’s singing and playing and on execution of the concept—reinterpreting country/western songs in a very different style.

The ArchAndroid

Janelle Monáe

3/5

So much diversity on this album that it’s hard to find a throughline. It opens with a great rap piece (Dance or Die) and migrates through some really smart R&B (Locked Inside), though it’s hidden under a too standard pop melody and production. Then we’re on to what might be a Bond theme (Sir Greendown) + some very proper-sounding British torch songs (Oh, maker). Symphonic pieces are mixed in with tunes that give Pharrel (Tightrope) & Outkast a run for the money. Definitely hear some of Bowie’s influence, which is well applied. It’s a lot. But, Monáe is so talented, her delivery is so energetic, and the production is generally so interesting, that it makes me want to stick with it and understand what she’s up to. It’s a high 3, verging on a 4 — but I might come back to this and raise the score.

Vol. 4

Black Sabbath

4/5

How did i miss this growing up? I guess I was just put off by Ozzie’s shtick? (And I’m not a big fan if his voice). But man, this album rocks! Tremendous licks & great musicianship all around (but, Ozzie’s voice 🙄). Black Sabbath was clearly leagues beyond the many imitators that followed. Needed to hear this great album before I died (4⭐️), but not sure it’s coming to the desert island with me. But maybe…?

Fleet Foxes

3/5

Nice sounds, nice songs. This album is in my core genre, but there’s not a lot that’s surprising about it. I like it (3) but, I’ll take Neil Young to the desert island instead.

Bummed

Happy Mondays

1/5

Tasting notes include The Clash, INXS, Peter Gabriel/Genesis, and do i detect a whiff of LCD Soundsystem? But this doesn’t hold a candle to any of those artists. I could not get through this album, but that might be partially due to my current setting — if i was dancing at a party, club, concert, I’d might appreciate this sound. But, listening to it closely for musical entertainment, as a whole album, straight through — no thanks. (1). [note — this listening experience stuck with me in a bad way, so i had to come back to downgrade.it to a 1).

Rhythm Nation 1814

Janet Jackson

3/5

Some bangers in here. Production is highest level. The youthful flip flop between sexual naivety and aggression comes across as a little dated now. We’re living in a different world musically. A three for me.

Let's Stay Together

Al Green

5/5

You can tell this album is a 5 in the first :30 seconds

Lady In Satin

Billie Holiday

5/5

That voice! She could sing the phone book and it would be a 5. But it’s a great album in its own right — nothing is forced. Even the dated orchestral arrangements are on point and work well with her delivery. I can’t say how influential Ms Holliday has been, because frankly, there’s never been anything like her before or since. This is coming to the desert island with me. An emphatic 5.

Tommy

The Who

4/5

A great concept album that’s well executed. The music is great too, although a lot of the pieces are there simply to move the plot along. Undeniably influential on rock operas and concept albums that followed (eg, the Wall).

Music For The Jilted Generation

The Prodigy

3/5

Seems like a great and influential classic in the rave scene. Very interesting samples mixed over endless industrial beats. But this is not music for sitting around and listening to — it’s music for dancing. Hard to score against music intended fir a different purpose. I’ll give it a 3, but could be a four based on its influence in the club/dance/rave scene. Or it could be a 2 because you just can’t listen to a whole album of this stuff repeatedly.

Meat Is Murder

The Smiths

1/5

Ugh. I hate this sound. I think the Smiths might be a major reason that I stopped listening to pop music in the late 80’s and 90’s. I mean, the instruments are played well and the underlying music is fine. But that crooning, preening, emo “tra la la,” talk-singing that is the same on every song is SO grating. Plus, you can tell the lead singer doesn’t care about the rest if the music as his vocals are disconnected from the rest of the mysic in almost every imaginable way (rhythmically, at the sound mixing level, melodically). It’s a 1.

Ctrl

SZA

1/5

Straight porn lyrics seemto have become a trend among female R&B/Rap acts over the past 1-2 decades. I don’t need the graphic play by play of sex acts with my R&B. Not sure what got this on the list other than shock value. I realize many many bands have nasty lyrics and themes — but the metaphors, word play, & double entendre usually make then more interesting than this. Can’t imagine too many scenarios where I’d want to listen to this. A 1.

It's A Shame About Ray

The Lemonheads

3/5

Good fun rock and roll (Alternative Rock) Sounds like an (better) inspiration for the Rembrandts. Maybe it laid the foundation for the “Garden State” sound? Guitar work sounds very Boston (the band/album) to me. Also, the REM influence is clear, but with “surf rock band” energy.

British Steel

Judas Priest

2/5

Cartoonishly simple music and overwrought lyrics. Most songs sound the same and the others are barroom anthems. Lead singer has pipes, but almost all lyrics are spoken rather than sung. Still, it’s better executed than i thought it would be.

Faith

George Michael

3/5

This is a great album — sounds better in headphones than i imagined it would. Good studio artistry happening here. Not really my style of music — over-earnest, overproduced, too poppy. It’s a 3.

Only By The Night

Kings of Leon

2/5

Kings of Leon have a sound. The sound is layered guitars over propulsive rhythms. Sometimes they do really good things with that sound — other times it’s boring.

Life's Too Good

The Sugarcubes

2/5

Important because… early Björk. Lyrics are kinda hilarious. She’s great and the music is interesting. But not sure I’ll listen to the whole album again. Afraid this is a 2. (Downgraded after listening to other albums)

Raising Hell

Run-D.M.C.

4/5

A classic. So influential on the rap and rock that followed. Rhymes and rhythms are *tight*. On the downside, it’s definitely “of an era” that’s passed, so a little dated. But it’s still great! A 4. Will listen to it again.

The Grand Tour

George Jones

2/5

A crooner, with an influential sound. Seems like the basis of a lot of modern country that i do not like, though this is basically just songs from a singer/songwriter. Doesn’t stand up against Johnnie Cash, Merle Haggard, or Hank Williams.

The Who Sell Out

The Who

2/5

The Who really love the concept album. Unfortunately, their songwriting does not always reach the heights of their imagination. There are some gems here, and the sound effects prefigure autotune and digital voiceovers. I’m down with the anti commercialization, but I’m not buying this album. It’s a 2.

You Want It Darker

Leonard Cohen

4/5

Cohen is a master songwriter. This album, written as he anticipated his death, is a set of observations on life and death that crystallize regret, sadness, and disillusionment. I’d call them sharply “cynical,” but his pain is too well earned to dismiss as simple disappointment. This guy lived a good life, with all the perks of tolerable levels of fame — if he’s seeing this much darkness, then what’s in store for the rest of us? These songs are a modern set of blessings for life and death — but the reality they anoint is a dark one. On the other hand, would he have bothered to write this album if he found no redemption at all in the end? Cohen is telling us how it really is at the end — or maybe (maybe) this is his final warning to us: Live life as if all life matters, or life will cease to have meaning at the end — cultivate the light, not the darkness. I can’t play this album too often, but I’d like it to be there for me in the darkest moments.

Make Yourself

Incubus

1/5

The musical definition of the phrase “take a chill pill.” Bombastic rap rock by bros that takes themselves way too seriously. One of these songs, with their multi-layered assault of power chords + hip-hop scratching might have been interesting. But a whole album? It all sounds the same — predictable and way too earnest.

I Am a Bird Now

Antony and the Johnsons

3/5

Musically interesting. Mostly torch-songs. Worth another listen.

Safe As Milk

Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band

4/5

This album is extraordinarily creative music, laid over a blues-rock chassis. I feel like every rock/modern pop song i’ve heard since this album is somehow contained in these songs. Not all the songs are easy to listen to, and Vleit’s voice is not super pleasant. But this is good — really good!

Brothers

The Black Keys

5/5

In the early days of Pandora, I found that the playlist for all my stations would converge to the Black Keys. I liked what I heard, but never chose to listen to them proactively. Why?!?! The Black Keys are like Doritos for my ears — designed in some chemical laboratory in New Jersey to be the perfect mix of rock, blues, and soul. Always grooving hard, but remaining in the pocket. Nothing is forced. 5 stars.

Blood On The Tracks

Bob Dylan

4/5

A great album of fantastic songs. Dylan is unmatched in the song-writing department. But he definitely is matched in the singing department, which is why so many of his songs become popular hits when covered by those who can sIng. It’s a 4, for sure — almost a 5. But, I would only play this album once through, at any one time; I would not put it on repeat or shuffle. So, I’ll stick with a 4.

The Stranger

Billy Joel

3/5

The sound track of my childhood, this album still generally holds up. Mostly great (though occasionally lazy) song writing, with inspirations from the Beatles and disco mixed with the obligatory sax that became a sonic meme for most of the 80s. Respect that Joel is a writer of tight songs, respectable piano player, and reasonably good vocalist — a complete package. On the downside, it’s hard to ignore the inflated self-image & bravura of a 20-30 year old boy here. This was a feature. Joel was speaking to the boys & young men of newly middle class suburban families who were, let’s say — dramatic romantic hotheads. The cheese was en pointe. The album is so influential that it became the model for much of the less well-crafted easy listening and lounge music that came after. But, in the end, this album is like a cuatro formaggio pizza — too much cheese. It’s a 3

Fear Of Music

Talking Heads

4/5

Fantastic album. So creative rhythmically and melodically. Joyful. This is a four star.

Blood And Chocolate

Elvis Costello & The Attractions

3/5

Elvis is the Bob Dylan of the garage-pop genre. A truly amazing song-writer. He’s not a tremendous vocalist but he’s better than many and the passion he has fir his characters is obvious and endearing. This album lacks the recognizable hits on many of his albums — but he’s channeling Roy Orbison, REM, and others into his world of loveable ruffians. It’s a 3, but might be a 4 on a second listen.

Vespertine

Björk

4/5

This is really interesting music —orchestral, ethereal— and that voice is … something else. Everything, from the rhythms, synth landscapes, to strings, and vocals is well crafted & intentional. It’s not music i want to listen to every day, but I’m glad I listened to it (at least once) before I died. Rating this a three might suggest I’m ambivalent about it, — I’m not. It’s too engaging. But a four might imply that I “like” this sound and will listen to it a lot — I probably won’t (too much work). I give in — it’s a 4.

Suede

1/5

This is not good. The vocalist makes it basically unlistenable.

With The Beatles

Beatles

2/5

Here we have a very good Bar Mitzvah band in 1963. They play songs that are tight and arranged in the style of the day. But, if you strip away all that the Beatles do after this album, there’s nothing exceptional or highly creative here. It’s fine — there’s nothing wrong with it. But, aside from a few really fun tracks, there’s little about this album that I had to hear before I died. It’s a 2.

Juju

Siouxsie And The Banshees

2/5

Many energetic performances here. But. it’s too much of the same thing — and that thing is angsty-anger. They have a particular sound and it’s a lot.

Talking Heads 77

Talking Heads

3/5

Energetic, creative, wry, and funny party music. But not the pinnacle of the Talking Heads art. It’s a 3 — might be good to listen again, when not on a plane.

Bryter Layter

Nick Drake

3/5

Good and interesting music. Southern California morning songs for the Laurel Canyon set. Sort of a male Joanie Mitchell with orchestral arrangements (but not as necessary to my music collection as Joanie). 3 or 4, depending on the weather.

Emperor Tomato Ketchup

Stereolab

2/5

Electronica overlayed with French-fairy lyrics. Most of it is happening at the same pace — and it relies too much on the notion of melody as rhythm. It’s danceable, but it’s hard to take it seriously musically. A lot of noodling around for effect. 2

Take Me Apart

Kelela

2/5

This is a good example of the modern R&B sound. Singer has a nice voice; songs sound good. Not sure why it’s an album i needed to listen to before i died, but now I have.

Vento De Maio

Elis Regina

2/5

I think I’m at a disadvantage because (a) i don’t understand Portuguese and (b) this particular album was only available on YouTube, which sucks as a portal. But, while it sounds original and well-produced and the vocals are great, this is basically just a pop-album that seems to have led down the dark path to smooth latin jazz. Not something I really needed to hear in any language. It’s a 2.

The Band

4/5

I love The Band. But this is not their very best album — the Last Waltz is the touchstone for Americana. And I’m surprised the critics who made this list wouldn’t have put Music from Big Pink on the list, since that’s “where it all began” for The Band.

Call of the Valley

Shivkumar Sharma

4/5

My ability to rate this suffers from my limited exposure to the form I’ve listened to Indian music for a long time, but I’m not a student. This music is so expressive, soothing, exciting. Always tasteful. Just beautiful— now I have a new artist to follow! Still, I think there are Indian musicians that I’d listen to before I listen to this album — Ravi Shankar, Roop Verma, and Arjun Verma come to mind.

Sound Affects

The Jam

2/5

Derivative. Derivative of some good stuff, so not objectionable really — just not captivating. It’s a 2 or a 3 — depending on the mood.

The College Dropout

Kanye West

4/5

Kanye is a sick man. But that doesn’t change the reality that the music is the highest quality. Still I’m not taking a self-described Nazi to the desert island. The rhymes are political, creative, tight. The musical backing is great. Still the seeds of Ye’s illness are apparent. Between some if the amazing tracks, are lazy and indulgent tracks. At times, he’s riding the line between revealing the lives of his characters (eg, the kids choir — which is hella funny) and exploiting them. Looking back with 20:20, it’s clear that sometimes (eg, Slow Jamz) he’s mocking his subjects. He might not have meant that at the time — but that’s where it went. Too bad, because this Kanye is super-talented and has important things to say. It’s a 4 — would have been a 5 with some more editing discipline.

Devotional Songs

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan

5/5

Indescribably fantastic. I have no context for the music. But every time i hear these ragas and Khan’s chanting, I smile. Must have this music in my life. Five!

GI

Germs

2/5

Very good raw punk power. But punk is not my thing. Played like this, it’s just too repetitive at multiple levels. The pacing and rhythm are one speed. But it’s quality work in that genre, as far as I can tell. A 2.

Walking Wounded

Everything But The Girl

3/5

You can wear this to work or to the club. Listenable and danceable. Sadè-like (but not Sadè, of course). It’s a 3.

Boston

5/5

I am simply amazed by how well it holds up. The craftsmanship is fantastic and its influence on rock undeniable. Unfortunately, so many albums, groups, and whole years of rock and roll attempted to replicate the joy & passion of this album but lacked the musicality, authenticity, and talent of the original. The studio work (arrangement, mixing) is impeccable. The harmonies soar; the guitar hooks groove hard, but remain unforced. A favorite & part of the desert island collection.

La Revancha Del Tango

Gotan Project

3/5

Electronica meets vaguely “world music.” Interesting samples and overlays. Good as cafe music, to create a vibe — or slower pieces in ecstatic dance, I guess? Creative and interesting enough to earn a 3.

Manassas

Stephen Stills

2/5

Listening to this album allows us to hear Stills’ hard charging blues influence on CS&N. There are some good songs here — classic Stephen Stills funky guitar licks & a great rhythm section. His voice sounds good, though I’m surprised he had an old man tamber even this early in his career. But there are some duds on this album too — several not great “country” songs. And even the better songs sound familiar at this point. Maybe this is where the Stephen Stills sound started (?) but it’s a well trodden path. As an album, it’s a 2 for me.

Moon Safari

Air

2/5

Like air, there’s not much here. It’s listenable, usually inoffensive, and ultimately forgettable. It’s almost the perfect definition of a “2,” but sometimes it verges close to a “1” for repetitiveness & lack of creativity.

Beyond Skin

Nitin Sawhney

4/5

This is a really good album. Trip-hop and sampling aren’t usually part of my listening diet, but here, it’s mixed seamlessly with middle-eastern and Indian music. The combination is more than the some of its parts. The artist is very talented and i look forward to exploring more of their discography. A four (which might become a 5 with more familiarity).

Unknown Pleasures

Joy Division

2/5

Sounds flat, heavy—but not in a good way— and repetitive. The mixing is not great —“singer” sounds disconnected from the musical backdrop. And, the vocalist is mainly talking through the lyrics. A 2, but on the edge of a 1.

Rain Dogs

Tom Waits

4/5

I’m not so into the burlesque sound of some of this album. But the blues tracks rock! I appreciate the creativity. Definitely want to give this another listen.

Rage Against The Machine

4/5

This is a fantastic album. An essential tool in the box for political advocates, the band synthesizes the frustration, anger, and critiques of punk, metal, & some strains of rap. Speaking of rap, the flow is unique — a staccato that is timed with the rhythm so the words actually hit you. The rhythms are propulsive and swaggering. While it’s political, this music puts you in your body. There are flaws. A few of the rhymes are lyrically strained. And this is not music I can listen to for too long, like I could have 30 years ago. But, it’s still essential and relevant — and it rocks!

Talking Timbuktu

Ali Farka Touré

5/5

Beautiful, complex, moving, juicy music. The artists are masters, fully in command of the sound and their audience. I could listen to this all day! A 5.

At San Quentin

Johnny Cash

3/5

I love Johnny Cash. And this album really shows how big his heart and soul were. The connection he makes with his audience is intimate & empathetic. Musically, this is not his best work -/ it’s hard to get the best in any live venue performance, let alone in a prison hall. Also, the dialogue is all interesting and touching, but, if you’re listening for music, the talking becomes a distraction (think of listening to this album twice in a row). It’s a 3. I hope there are other Johnny Cash albums to review on this list.

Back In Black

AC/DC

3/5

AC/DC’s sound is iconic & their influence is immense. They set the standard for the bad boys of rock & roll. Some of their songs are fantastic, but others are repetitive and/or sound the same. The vocals are epic at times & just screechy at other times. This is a three.

Live At The Harlem Square Club

Sam Cooke

5/5

I would give anything to have been at this show. The sound quality is great for a live show of that era and the band & Cooke’s voice are so perfectly tuned. Alternately joyous & moving. A five.

Jazz Samba

Stan Getz

5/5

Filled with classic jazz/samba pieces. This is the soundtrack to a happy life. Five.

Tragic Songs of Life

The Louvin Brothers

2/5

Provides insight into the origins of modern country & Americana, though i’m not sure this is the best example. The harmonies are great — the folk and gospel influences are clear. Good for studying roots of modern popular music, though, again, I think there are other better examples of the same influences. It’s a 2 or three.

You've Come a Long Way Baby

Fatboy Slim

4/5

This is really good. Club/party music is not in my wheelhouse, but FBS has produced an accessible, yet really interesting, album worth of beats, riffs, and samples that are designed to keep your dance floor hopping. It’s fun & listenable, very well crafted, and showcases the artist’s talent & sharp instinct for what keeps the flow flowing. Four.

Dance Mania

Tito Puente

5/5

Fantastic! Diversity of sounds; excellent musicianship. Fun!!

Siamese Dream

The Smashing Pumpkins

2/5

There’s a fine line between an album that represents a cohesive sound and one where the artist shows too much of their range & produces an incoherent set of (possibly very good) songs. This album demonstrates the other end of the spectrum: when the focus on the band’s sound results in a bunch of songs that all seem the same. The sound here is recognizable (probably because it was pouring out of every radio & speaker in the late 1990’s), but it’s hard to tell one song from the next. Testosterone-driven lyrics over a wall of guitar power-chords — got it, don’t need to keep listening.

Nick Of Time

Bonnie Raitt

4/5

I’m not the 30-60-year-old-middle-class woman demographic on whose concerns this album focusses (a slightly different group than the subject of her most famous song, “Angel from Montgomery”). But the songs are obviously great — lyrically, musically, and vocally. The songwriting artfully (though narrowly) skirts sappy sentimentality and stereotypes. And Raitt’s vocals and guitar playing are superb. The album holds together as a single work of art. My only reservation is that the album seems overproduced— I’d like to hear these songs as an acoustic set live, without the synthetic drum tracks and vocal backing chorus. I’ll always welcome a Bonnie Raitt song though — so it’s a 4.

Machine Head

Deep Purple

2/5

Imagine being a band of great instrumentalists who jam really well together. All you want to do is jam out, trade solos, and ROCK! But, your A&R man says you need songs — you can’t just jam. So you write some songs , just so they’ll let you jam. Although two or three of the songs are really good — most exist simply to provide a funky base line & space for soloing. That imaginary band is Deep Purple. The guitar work, organ/synth, and base lines are propulsive & fun! Richie Blackmoore’s talent is undeniable. And, Ian Gillen is among the best Rock vocalists ever. Songs like Smoke on the Water & Child in Time (not featured on this album but one of the top 10 songs in the history of rock) are iconic. But most of the songs (eg, Space Truckin’) have no reason for being, except to organize the band musically. Unfortunately, the songs as a collective effort make this a 2.

Duck Rock

Malcolm McLaren

3/5

Groundbreaking in the 1980s Hip Hop scene, those tracks sound dated now. But the fusion of street party vibes with international music is fun and lively— precedes and paves the way for the 90’s world music craze. Need another listen (airplane), but this could be a 3 or a 4.

3 Feet High and Rising

De La Soul

4/5

So much fun! The rhymes are from a different era (and often a little juvenile). But the party vibe is timeless— turn this in at a party now and people will think: “that guy/gal throws a great party.” Will listen again when I’m not on a plane. At least, a four.

At Folsom Prison

Johnny Cash

4/5

A great album! Cash is in his element in front of a prison crowd. Listening to this made me realize that Cash is best known for sympathetic songs about really bad people. It’s a little creepy that he’s celebrating murderers who “killed a man in Reno, just to watch him die,” for instance. But, I’ll leave psychoanalysis of American culture for sometime when I’m really Jonesing for a hit of depression. Jonny Cash is an icon, and an American Original — and this album shows us why. His voice, delivery, and personality are all on display. But, unlike the other Cash-goes-to-prison album(s) on this list, the music takes center stage here. And the music is great. It’s a four.

Shaft

Isaac Hayes

4/5

A masterpiece! Combines funk with the symphony to define a whole sound of the 70s. Will want to relisten because of airplane background noise. A four, for sure.

Here, My Dear

Marvin Gaye

3/5

Marvin Gaye’s voice and signature sound always bring a smile to my face. But these are barely songs — more like musings that he’s chosen to sing and set to music. Not necessarily bad, but disappointing given the man’s talent. It’s a three, at best.

Amnesiac

Radiohead

4/5

I really enjoyed this, my first exposure to Radiohead! I am told that their earlier tracks are overwhelmingly emo & self-loathing, an approach to music I do not like at all. But i don’t see much self-loathing here. The album has some very interesting songs, beyond the traditional molds for pop songs. It features polyrhythms & complex layering of samples and soundscapes. Very creative, engaging, and musical. It’s a four, for sure — but with more exposure, I might move it to a five.

The Blueprint

JAY Z

4/5

This is great listening! Jay Z has superior skills in front of the mic, as well as in production. The rhymes and flow hit hard and the storytelling is masterful. My only complaint is that the range is limited to battle-rap & misogyny. I’m not offended, but I can tell Jay-Z can say & do more. It’s a four, but I wish it was a five.

Pyromania

Def Leppard

2/5

Because of this project, I’ve learned that Def Leppard is purely derivative of Judas Priest. In some ways they might be better than the original because their hooks are better. But it’s pretty simple music with juvenile themes. Three of the songs are bangers, but the rest miss (particularly the first track). As an album, it fails.

Veckatimest

Grizzly Bear

3/5

Grizzly Bear is what happens when Crosby Stills Nash and Young join forces to write songs with Steely Dan that are performed by the Flaming Lips. The sound is not as good as those bands, but not bad — it’s highly creative and melodic, but lacks any hooks. A three for now, but could be a four if I became more familiar with the music.

Superunknown

Soundgarden

2/5

The foundation of grunge, though you can hear the other influences so clearly. I’m not a big fan of grunge and all these songs sound the same to me — muscle and testosterone. Good hooks, but they’re all hook, with no space to reflect and contemplate between the riffs. Still, Soundgarden influenced pop rock for a decade, which is impressive and probably led to something interesting. As an album, it’s just too 2-dimensional. It’s a 2.

What's Going On

Marvin Gaye

5/5

A Classic. Such a distinctive, soulful sound that has never been replicated. These are great songs, unlike the M. Gaye album i reviewed earlier, which was all his sound, without the song. A five.

Fuzzy

Grant Lee Buffalo

2/5

It’s fine, often verging on good. But did I need to hear this before I died? No, I don’t think I did. A two.

E.V.O.L.

Sonic Youth

3/5

This album is really interesting and creative. Not my kind of music — their sound is tortured, post-punk. But it’s clearly very well done and makes a statement. A three for now, but i may come back for another listen.

Urban Hymns

The Verve

2/5

I listened to this album a lot during a very down period — it did not make my life better. Obviously, because I listened to it frequently, I won’t say it’s not a good album — in fact, it performs best because it is an album. But if i wanted to listen to the Lament of the Heroin Addict, I’d listen to Pink Floyd instead. This is a two.

Document

R.E.M.

4/5

On the border between 4 & 5. It lacks much of the mystery and depth of feeling of their earlier (but not earliest) work. Life’s Rich Pageant and Fables of the Reconstruction are, to my ear, their best albums. “The one I love” is such a tremendous merger of passion and cynicism, on par with “Boots of Spanish Leather” that it almost tipped the whole album into the 5 zone. But, there are definitely a song or two i could skip and i think it’s too straightforward to be an REM “5”. They can do better. It’s a four.

Oracular Spectacular

MGMT

4/5

Has several hallmarks of music i don’t like. Techno, high pitched waffly male singer, etc. But this is really good! Seems strongly Bowie-influenced in a great way. Despite its techno roots, this album is (intentionally) underproduced and sounds homemade/DIY. Also, the tracks have a high degree of musicality, which I appreciate— it’s FUN listening. A four.

Hearts And Bones

Paul Simon

1/5

I hate this album. I am actually angry that I listened to it. I like Paul Simon, and previously regarded him as a savant. But this is pure trash! This album actually sounds like it emerged as a joke, or a dare (“you can’t write, record, and produce an album in under 5 hours”), or as a threat from his accountant (“You’re broke! Put out an album, STAT!”). The first song is about his allergies. I shit you not. It sounds like it was written by a pre-teen. And there’s an intensely earnest instrumental section and a guitar solo that are completely at odds with the lyric. Then there’s the song about writing a song that sounds like it was made up on the spot. Several other songs are total dogshit. The title song is very good, and I’m told it’s about his failed marriage to Carrie Fisher. It’s endearing and thoughtful, but it cannot save this album. The only mitigation for this monstrosity is that it is the album before Graceland (which is brilliant) and, if you see it as warm up finger exercises for that album (the characters and storylines are similar), then maybe it’s ok that he put this utterly awful collection when he really should not have. Why it’s in the 1001 list is really beyond me though.

Arrival

ABBA

2/5

I had fond memories of singing ABBA with my dear departed mother on long road trips. I wanted to like it again. But i do not like it now. The songs are trash. Overly serious for such mundane and even silly topics (“i kissed the teacher;” “dancing queen”). The lyrics are simply dedigned to rhyme and scan — the story they tell is often internally inconsistent (“there us nothing we can’t do” & breaking up is “the best I can do”?? — weak!) & always delivered as if everything depends on *this one song*. There’s no snap to this pop — it’s all hyper-orchestrated and soulless. I guess they harmonize well enough. A two bordering on a 1.

Want One

Rufus Wainwright

2/5

Troubador with a good voice and sweeping orchestration. Couldn’t make heads or tails of it and will need another listen. But i didn’t hear anything that made me want to give it another listen. It’s a 2.

Goodbye And Hello

Tim Buckley

1/5

Over -earnest, over-wrought vocal of affected lyrics. Orchestration, similar, though some pieces jam a bit. Overall, annoying.

Crime Of The Century

Supertramp

3/5

Supertramp have a sound —springy organ synth, choral harmonies, loopy 58-pound weakling lead singer— that I don’t hate. But even though each song is internally creative, they all sound similar — that Supertramp sound is pervasive. This whole album, while somewhat entertaining, sounds derivative of itself. It’s like every song could be in a sonic sequel to Tommy.

What's That Noise?

Coldcut

3/5

I can’t find this album anywhere. I listened to a few tracks. Good DJ’ing. Good jams. Don’t know that I’d want to hear a whole album as a sitting experience l. But i give it a 3 — provisionally.

Strange Cargo III

William Orbit

3/5

Interesting (and early) electronica. Great for dancing, good for the gym. Not really sitting-around-listening-to kinda music. Three.

Live Through This

Hole

4/5

Why did no one tell me that Hole is this good?!? I had the impression that Courtney Love was just some Kurt Cobain hanger-on. Why? Oh yeah, because white men (most music critics) pay a lot of attention to other white men, overstating their talent and importance on the regular. This is better than any Nirvana I know (and granted, I don’t have much Nirvana exposure). In fact, f—k the comparison to other bands. This is epic in its own right. Courtney Love’s vocal and guitar performances SLAY and the rest of the band is up to the task. Excellent drumming; driving bass. The style outside of my usual tastes, which makes how impressed I am even more impressive. A revelation! A solid 4.

Ready To Die

The Notorious B.I.G.

4/5

Killer! BIG’s flow is not just a complex mechanism for delivering lyrics (and it would be legendary, even if it were only that), it is his message. That flow, that voice — it’s his instrument. The music here would get a 5. The skits in between the tunes are really important and tell a story, but they won’t improve on repeated listens. Not to disrespect the spoken parts— they are epic (though I could have done without the one with the sound effects of BIG getting down with his lady). But, those kinds of non-musical pieces are things i would skip if I put the album on repeat. It’s a solid 4, though.

Highly Evolved

The Vines

3/5

Good, straight up rock and roll. It’s a little too loud and angry for me, but i might get used to that on a re-listen. It’s a 3, for now.

Natty Dread

Bob Marley & The Wailers

5/5

Easily a 5. Creative, so mysical, fun(!) and yet packs a message. I don’t know of another musician who dominates their genre the way Marley does. He defines the reggae sound, especially the upbeat musical themes. (A lot of reggae and Jamaican culture is much darker — as in “Them Belly Full”). A classic that I would gladly play over and over — especially on a deserted island.

A Rush Of Blood To The Head

Coldplay

4/5

Coldplay was inescapable there for a while. But I never intentionally listened to them. They’re good. The U2 influence is very clear (sometimes too much) — they’re like a happy version of The Verve, but better. This is really good though. I’ll listen to it again. A 4.

We Are Family

Sister Sledge

3/5

Really good disco album. Lots of fun and obviously worthy of the attention it got back in the day. Though the sisters’ family vibe adds a lot of charm and consistency to this album, I don’t think it pushed the boundaries of disco — just cemented it’s legacy of influence in the 70s and beyond. Good album! A 3.

Dare!

The Human League

1/5

There is 1 good song on this album, and you already know what it is. The rest sounds like it was written by 12 year olds who just learned a few chords on a keyboard. As for influence, it’s possible that this album was a breakthrough to the genre of wingey, woe-is-me, nihilist British bands that I truly despise. So, negative credit on the influence score. Don’t need to hear this album again and didn’t need to hear the whole thing the first time. It’s a 1

The Joshua Tree

U2

5/5

This is the kind of album that makes the distinction between a 4 & a 5 very clear. The songwriting and performances are excellent and varied. Yes, U2 has a sound — and at times (after this album) that sound might occasionally become repetitive. But here they mix up the singles-designed-to-chart with songs (Bullet the Blue Sky, Trip Through Your Wires) that galvanize the whole effort into a singular achievement, rather than just a compilation of songs. The Edge is a genius of layering guitar parts and rhythms to achieve an ocean of sound. Adam Clayton’s bass playing is impeccable; Larry Mullen Jr’s drumming is always tasteful, often driving the melody, ever on point. Bono can sing. Listening to it now, I realize that this is a road trip album, pivoting from very earthy songs (Red Hill Mining Town & those previously mentioned) to songs that express quest and epiphany. This is a great ride & a spiritual reboot. Makes me happy to give it a 5.

Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

Wilco

3/5

Good. Well constructed and well-produced. But I’m not sure how much i like their distinctive, laconic sound. This album seems a bit repetitive & I’ve heard other Wilco that I like better. A 3 for now, but I’ll give it another listen.

Either Or

Elliott Smith

3/5

This is good. Really well-crafted songs that ache with loneliness. Sounds like The Shins and was probably influential on that whole turn-of-the-century sound. Very mellow & a bit depressing. It’s a 3, but might be a four on another listen.

Paul Simon

3/5

There are some classic songs on this album. But the rest are mediocre. One pretty good song is structured too much like “The Boxer” from his S & G days — it sounds like he’s just working with a good formula to churn out modern Odysseys. Elsewhere, Simon falls into his habit of recording songs he really should have left behind or should have worked on to make them more compelling. The great songs are great, but a few great songs doesn’t justify a four for the whole album. Also, in comparison to his albums that have brilliant songwriting throughout (Bridge Over Troubled Water; Graceland), this album is just a 3.

American IV: The Man Comes Around

Johnny Cash

4/5

This album is quite an accomplishment. The first three tracks set an incredible mood — truly amazing. There are some weaker tracks on this album, Cash is not always singing, and all the songs are covers— so it can’t be a 5 in my book. But on the strength of the first three tracks alone (+ some other excellent covers sprinkled throughout) it’s a four.

Will The Circle Be Unbroken

Nitty Gritty Dirt Band

4/5

This super-important album brings together generations of country & bluegrass artists. It’s the foundation of modern bluegrass, americana, and what remains of good country music in the modern day. For this, i give it credit. This is a double album and it’s long. The music is great, but in a way, it feels more like an encyclopedia than a great work of fiction — a resource, rather than a single work of art. Some of the songs are fantastic though. As a “sit down and listen to this double album all the way through” experience, this is a 3. As a resource and historically influential giant, it’s a five. On the whole (and because it really is a compilation of different independent artists, not a cohesive band), it’s a 4.

Abbey Road

Beatles

5/5

🐐

Queen II

Queen

2/5

Queen is great. This is a Queen album. But it’s not a great album. All the elements of the sound are here, including the quirky interludes. But here, the sound hasn’t congealed into a masterpiece. It’s dramatic and fun of course, just not as fantastic as Queen can be.

Loveless

My Bloody Valentine

2/5

Unremarkable, although it seems to be a precursor for bands like the Cranberries, on the one hand, and Coldplay, on the other. But they’re not as good as either. Not offensive, but didn’t need to hear this. A 2.

Arular

M.I.A.

2/5

Very danceable. Very early “girl power” sound. But very repetitive. Sounds like an “album of the summer” from whatever year. This would be fun as accompaniment to a party or on the dance floor — there’s no way I want to listen to it from beginning to end. And, now that I’ve heard a few tracks, I’m not aching to listen to them again either (as a listening experience). It’s a two — i did not need to hear this whole album before I died.

The Velvet Underground

4/5

I’ve known about VU forever and heard and loved Sweet Jane, etc. But I always avoided diving in because I suspected they were too “arty” for me. So i was pleasantly surprised how much I loved the first few tracks on this album, and, of course, Sweet Jane. It would have been a strong 5, but there were a few parts that were too experimental for me (i don’t go much for atonal, in pop music). It lands at a pleasantly-surprised 4 — I’ll definitely listen again.

3 Years, 5 Months And 2 Days In The Life Of...

Arrested Development

4/5

These rhymes and rhythms still sounds fresh and really fun. They are complex and thoughtful, but the groove emerges organically. The message is timeless (unfortunately) and important — sometimes (rarely) the message doesn’t fit within the rhythm and the rhymes are a little forced. Really a great album. A four — but could potentially be a 5 if i listened to it enough to become familiar.

Live!

Fela Kuti

4/5

An amazing performance by two iconic (and egomaniacal) geniuses. This is platinum-standard stuff for any jam band or funk performer. Slight downgrade because of the dialogue that’s a part of most live recordings— and the fact that you can hear the tension between the two marquee names in Fela’s comments (hushing the crowd after he intro’s Baker, giving a sing he “wrote for Ginger Baker” a derogatory title, … etc). A very solid 4.

21

Adele

3/5

The lady has pipes! She goes for it. I appreciate that. This is an album full of torch songs designed to feature Adel, and the instrumentation is broad brush and not too complex. The songs are mostly good, a few are really engaging. But this is not an album I’m gonna listen to straight through again. It’s a 3.

Grace

Jeff Buckley

3/5

Jeff Buckley’s music is more engaging & better executed than his father’s music. He’s got a strong voice with great range & his songs are less self-obsessed — he’s revealing his inner world, and it’s full of the pain that is in many lives from time to time. Highly relatable. I hear the precedent for Gavin Degraw and other muscular male musician-vocalists. I hear Freddie Mercury as an influence, which is interesting. I’m sure this album is a crossroads of influences and influenced. But there’s something that doesn’t fit — something is forced. It’s not bad, i should listen to it again. A three.

Music for the Masses

Depeche Mode

1/5

This music is simple/simplistic; the lyrics are also simple/simplistic & often forced. The delivery is very consistent — disaffected, can’t be bothered; nihilistic. I’m glad there’s music for every crowd. But it’s not my kind of music. I’d prefer not to hear this album or almost any of the individual songs again. It’s a 1.

Iron Maiden

3/5

Better than I thought it would be. In general, the musicianship is very high quality. The drumming, in particular, was impressive. Mostly it’s a steady diet of speed metal with overwrought and preening lyrics on top of guitars on top of guitars on top of guitars There’s a little variation in the pace of the songs, but not much. All in all — I’m glad I listened to it and it’s legit to claim that one should hear a great speed metal album before they die. Now that I have listened—I won’t need to hear a whole album like this again (except that there are probably more like this in the 1001 list). It’s a three.

Young Americans

David Bowie

4/5

Wonderfully fun. Bowie is in peak form as a crooner. This is a 4.

Another Music In A Different Kitchen

Buzzcocks

3/5

I’m not a fan of punk, but this was musical and interesting. The band is really tight and talented. I enjoyed it more than I thought i would. A solid 3.

Yank Crime

Drive Like Jehu

1/5

I do not like the scream I hear; I do not like it in my ear. Stop screaming young man; your voice is not nice. Your anger is so hot; I must put this on ice. I’d be really annoyed if I was stuck in traffic listening to this. It’s a 1. (Have i mentioned that I don’t like punk?).

If You're Feeling Sinister

Belle & Sebastian

3/5

This is really creative. I did not like the first track at all — lyrically annoying. But by the end of the album, I was grooving on their fast, self-reflective and revelatory lyrical delivery. The music is good too. It’s a 3 for now, but might be a 4 on a second listen.

My Aim Is True

Elvis Costello

4/5

Elvis is a great songwriter and performer. He takes tried-and-true rock-and-roll motifs and adds nuance and complexity. His lyrical cleverness is unsurpassed in the pop genre. Always enjoyable listening. This is a 4.

Pretenders

4/5

Chrissie Hinds is a queen and the band is excellent. Some of the songs are a little too in-your-face for me — maybe I would have gravitated to that sound when I was younger. But, many tracks are just brilliant lyrically and melodically — and when Hinds’ delivery lines up with the right song, it’s magic! There are some absolute classics here — it’s a four.

The Score

Fugees

5/5

This is a fantastic album — full of meaning and full of fun. The delivery is fast and smooth. The music is great. Sometimes the cultural references distract from the message. And some of the skit pieces could be shorter — but they are more entertaining than most rap album skits. Overall, it’s a 5 — the second Lauren Hill album to make it to my desert island.

Surfer Rosa

Pixies

4/5

I’d heard of, but never listened to, the Pixies. They’re great! The music is a little on the edge for me. But, it’s creative and delivered with talent and confidence. Could be a three, but it makes it over the threshold to a four.

Logical Progression

LTJ Bukem

2/5

This is not music for sitting around and listening — it’s a very particular kind of (trance-y, rave-y) dance music. I’m not opposed to dance music, but, as an album, this super repetitive. Also, I wonder if music that’s supposed to move your body and help you reach a higher state can be produced without any physical instrumentation or live players? This is all concocted in someone’s brain, and then manifested in a computer/laboratory. As a result, it’s pretty sterile. I’m told it’s an influential album/band — a great example of drum and bass. I’ll give it a 2, but I’m not going to listen to it again unless I’m at a ravey scene.

Peter Gabriel

5/5

Two of my favorite songs ever are on this album. Other songs are fantastic. But some of the theatricality is not for me on some days — it’s not always a five. But, I must have the album with me on a desert island. It’s a 4.5; what to do? I’ll give it a 4 for now. —> UPDATE: OK, that’s 👆🏼ridiculous, I would totally play this album back-to-back on my desert island, without question. I’ll go with a 5.

Smile

Brian Wilson

2/5

I’m sure this is brilliant and I’m just too much of a heathen to understand it. But to my primitive ears, it sounds like Wilson is trying way too hard (“Oohh, lyrics in the native Hawaiian tongue”) 🌺. And at the same, time, it’s very predictable. I’ll pass. It’s a 2 — maybe a 1, but he just died, so … 2.

In The Court Of The Crimson King

King Crimson

5/5

I have loved this album for a long time, so it’s hard to disconnect it from youthful memories. This art-rock is so creative, fun, and of its time; I still love it. The musicians are exceptional, deftly and cohesively weaving together jazz & rock & elements of klezmer — the overall effect is serious, humorous, very sad, and often beautiful. Most importantly, they only got a little carried away with themselves & self-indulgent (on “Moon Child”) and were not gawkily theatrical like many art-rock bands get sometimes. This is a five for me.

A Nod Is As Good As A Wink To A Blind Horse

Faces

3/5

This is a pretty good, important album featuring a young Rod Stewart. Noisy British garage rock (in a good way). It’s a 3.

A Short Album About Love

The Divine Comedy

1/5

I assume the album is a send-up mockery of love songs? Even at that, it’s super-over the top. The arrangement is all drama & the lyrics/vocals are all schmaltz. There’s occasionally some interesting music happening in the background. But it’s too much. The music could be a 2 but the overdramatic lyrics and singing make it, clearly, a 1. One song i thought was going to be good, devolved into silliness, with lyrics like “if you were a horse, i’d clean the crap out of your stable; if you were horse I could ride you through the fields at dawn…through the day, until the day was gone. I could sing about you in all my songs as we rode away into the setting sun.” 🤮 And “if you were a dog I’d feed you scraps off of the table, though my wife complains...” This is one of the better songs. In other words, it sucks. It’s a one.

Transformer

Lou Reed

3/5

Several classics on this album. Also several forgettable songs. Some of the more artsy tunes sound like he didn’t want to write something meaningful or enjoyable. Very Andy Warhol. I’ve become more of a fan of Reed and the Velvet Underground through this challenge. But, as an album, this one gets only a three.

Spy Vs. Spy: The Music Of Ornette Coleman

John Zorn

3/5

I’m usually not a fan of squeaky, avant- garde jazz. So i was surprised by how much i liked this. This album has structure and direction and some incredible sac playing (and harmonizing). Not my favorite music to listen to, but I can see why it’s on this list and I’m glad I heard it. It’s a 3.

Aha Shake Heartbreak

Kings of Leon

2/5

This album has a different sound than “Only by Night,” which I reviewed earlier. But it’s still mid, at best. Very repetitive, within its own sound. This album may be more misogynistic than that other album — I can’t remember (which says something). I’m sure there are great albums (5s) with lyrics that are even *more* demeaning, but the lack of nuance in the repetitive delivery of the not-so-good vocalist renders these offensive lyrics really just offensive. I’m annoyed that KoL has two albums in this list. I did not *need* to hear this or the previous album. This is a 2.

Bluesbreakers

John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers

3/5

Straight blues-rock. The band is obviously influential and has withstood the test of time. The musicianship is exceptional and the non-lyrical parts are the best parts of the album. Clapton is talented, of course, but here, it’s hard for me to separate art from the narcissistic cretin who created it. The music’s strength is mitigated by the vocals. The singer is fine — hits the notes, mostly — but his voice is wavering and high-pitched/falsetto, with none of the gravitas or gravel I appreciate in really good blues/blues rock. The singing is humorless and unsexy. Put the same lyrics in Robert Plant’s mouth and it might make you blush; Mic Jagger’s tongue-in-cheek delivery would make you smile, despite the misogynistic lyrics (which are characteristic of the genre). But, here the lyrics come across as leering, stalkerish, and creepy. On the whole, this is a super influential album; presumably that’s why it’s on the list. But I’d rather hear the amazing guitar-driven blues-rock and great vocalists that came afterwards. It’s a 3.

Paul's Boutique

Beastie Boys

3/5

I’m not a Beastie Boys fan. The sound of their voices and bombastic delivery is usually a turnoff. So, I was surprised how much I enjoyed listening to this album. I learned that the BBs signature includes delivering lines in unison, as opposed to solo or in harmony. Also, their use of samples is very creative and fun. But the nasal voices still irritate me and the delivery is too consistent and repetitive. It’s really the samples & beats that distinguish their tunes, not the flow. Still, I enjoyed it and the BBs were clearly influential in 80s/90s rap. It’s a solid 3, for me.

Let It Bleed

The Rolling Stones

5/5

Merry Clayton’s vocals on Gimme Shelter are so scorching, so era-defining, i could almost give this album a 5 without listening to the rest. But i wouldn’t do that … (The Stones are in peak form on this track too — after all these years, it’s stunning!). I’m more familiar with later versions of some of these songs. Country Honk is an early version of what becomes, Honkey Tonk Woman. — this slower version sprawls a little, but it’s really good. Mic’s vocals on Let it Bleed are initially too affected, as a man from the US south. Chill out Mic — people dig your voice even if you’re not originally from blues country. This take on Rambling Man rambles a little too much at times, but makes up for it other times. Monkey Man is an underrated banger. You Can’t Always Get What You Want seals the deal. Definitely hear the Joe Cocker influence here. (It’s interesting that the two strongest tracks on this album feature back up vocals prominently). This is a 5!

Green River

Creedence Clearwater Revival

4/5

This is truly an amazing album. Almost every song is a classic. I listened to CCR a lot in my younger days; and the musical protests and social critique are apt for today’s stormy social climate. Today, I don’t think I’d listen through the whole album by choice (much less repeat it every few days) — Fogerty’s iconic vocals grate on my nerves a little. With much respect to the songwriting and performance, this is now a 4 for me.

Buena Vista Social Club

5/5

Such a beautiful album. Relaunched several careers for these amazing Cuban musicians. Ry Cooder deserves a Nobel Prize. A must-have on any desert island. It’s a five.

Fromohio

fIREHOSE

3/5

This was really good and interesting. Folk-inflected post-punk. Really excellent musicianship. Could be a 4, but i’ll have to come back for another listen. I’ll go with 3 for now.

Truth And Soul

Fishbone

2/5

Fishbone is nothing if not eclectic. They’re really talented and their music is wide-ranging, and hyper-energetic borrowing from multiple genres. But that becomes a problem for this album — it’s so sprawling & trying so hard to be edgy, that it’s hard to tell what the point is. Why are all these songs on the same album? In some cases, the band seems to be trying to be weird— it’s like fingernails on a chalkboard. There’s a lot of talent here, and even more ideas — too bad they didn’t have a producer who could focus all that energy. As an album, this is a 2

Stripped

Christina Aguilera

3/5

There’s no doubt Aguilera can sing. But she does all the R&B tricks on every song. Some of them are catchy tunes — Fighter makes best use of her vocal acrobatics. But some are just simple & predictable vehicles for another dozen trills and frills. Pretty boring after awhile. Lots of drama (too much) in this R&B-light, early girl power album. But props for singing about her Puerto Rican pride in Spanish — not necessarily a marketing gimmick in the early 2000’s. It’s a 3, based on the strength of her voice and two pretty good songs. Probably should be a two.

Foo Fighters

3/5

Q: What do you call it when grunge is all cleaned up and well produced by people who have their shit together? A: The Foo Fighters They’re talented and this sounds fine. But it’s not something I’ll come back to again and again. It’s a 3 (maybe a 2).

Live At Leeds

The Who

3/5

The Who are the band equivalent of the 98 lb weaklings who get picked on and then they go into body building and learn Karate. Awkward, violent, prep school boys, with something to prove. Unfortunately, they’re enmeshed in the system they’re trying to rebel against— prey in the spider’s web. They’re the kind of boys who are sad and isolated and who take it out on the nearest stray cat. Which is not to say I don’t like The Who — I do. Pete Townsend & Keith Moon dominate the speakers with unmatched rhythmic intensity. They sound great. But the lyrics and song structure — awkward, striving to be the bad boys, but using the language and manners of middle class British Society. God save the queen! Once, this would have been a 4 or 5 for me, now it’s a solid 3.

Speakerboxxx/The Love Below

OutKast

4/5

This was my first listen to the whole double album. It’s really fun, for a while — but it’s a bit long and starts to drag about 1/2 way through the second side. Production & creativity are top notch. The flows are spotless and varied — influences from Jazz R&B psychedelia— super funny! I’ll listen again But this double album gets to be overindulgent at points. After awhile the fixation on gIrls and relationships gets boring. And, though it’s funny, sometimes they’re trying too hard for the laugh line. It’s a little forced. The time investment means I wouldn’t spin it all the way through immediately after playing it. It’s a 4.

25

Adele

2/5

She uses her voice to great effect; the backing music is simple and minimal. Some of the songs are good, but most are sappy.. I wont be mad if someone wants to play it, but i wouldn’t play it myself again. As an album, it’s a 2

Dirty

Sonic Youth

3/5

This is not my kind of music, but i respect the creativity and i can hear the influence this band had on music that came after. The lyrics on some songs are really bad. But other pieces are really good—the anti-fascist number is right on time, these days. Respect. It’s a 3.

L.A. Woman

The Doors

2/5

The Doors annoy me. I think they’re overrated. Listening to this album made me realize that they would have been a good blues band. There are a few good tunes here. But the circus-organ sound kills the vibe for me whenever it arises. It’s a 2.

Rum Sodomy & The Lash

The Pogues

3/5

Really energetic and lively, but with a punk delivery, which is not my thing. I’m listening to get away from aggressively cynical, this is that. Still, there are some wonderful moments, and the sound is iconic. The instrumental pieces and songs with female vocals, I will listen to again. High quality recording and mixing — everything is clear as a bell and not a muddled mess (I’m realizing how much pop music suffers when the mix is not right for the music— here, it is). I probably won’t listen to this whole album again (usually a 2). But it gets a 3 for creativity, authenticity, energy, the occasional memorable moment, and the quality of the mix.

Pink Moon

Nick Drake

4/5

An exceptional album. I’d heard Nick Drake before and liked his sound. But i feared it would become cloying over the course of a whole album. It didn’t; I really enjoyed listening to this album. The tunes are varied, within a cohesive framework. Drake’s singing is a little high for my tastes. But i might get used to it — he’s not forcing anything. An easy 4, but i can see this becoming a desert island album after a few more listens.

Grievous Angel

Gram Parsons

3/5

Great songs, great singing. Emmylou Harris’s voice is sent from heaven. Many songs on this album have been re-recorded and made famous by others. I think it’s more than meets the eye. But sometimes the sound borders on church camp — potentially grating, a little reminiscent of Donnie and Marie. I need to give this another listen. It’s a 3 for now.

BEYONCÉ

Beyoncé

3/5

My first experience of really listening to the Queen B. She’s incredibly talented, great vocals and nice flow on the raps. The production value is off the charts & the rhythms are varied and interesting. But the subject matter —lust & drama— is for a younger crowd. Also, it doesn’t sound very empowering for women, which is interesting coming from such a powerful female presence. I love her voice and rhythmic intuition, but i’m not likely to listen to this whole album again. It’s a 3.

Moondance

Van Morrison

5/5

This is genius. A truly exceptional album. This was a favorite during my early college days. Care free good times for me. It’s impressive how fluent he is in different genres (jazz, gospel, blues, folk-rock) and more impressive how he blends them. Morrison creates a genre of his own here. A desert island mainstay. It’s a 5.

Neon Bible

Arcade Fire

5/5

I like this. I’d never intentionally listened to an Arcade Fire song before. The music is big, symphonic and sweeping, but not overdone or maudlin. The songs have rhythm, energy, and meaning— they’re a bit dark and brooding. I’m interested to hear more. [Note: I couldn’t get this album or other Arcade Fire albums that Spotify served up out of my head. So I cane back to give it a 5. They’re the real deal!]

New York Dolls

2/5

If the Rolling Stones trued to imitate The Clash, but Mic Jagger wasn’t available, it might sound like this. It’s interesting, but I won’t play it again. It’s a two.

No Sleep 'Til Hammersmith (Live)

Motörhead

3/5

Speed metal — it’s not my favorite. At all. But, I’ll give these guys their props as they seem to have been major innovators in the genre. They’re obviously talented, even though they use their talents to make unpleasing noise. I should give them a two (i don’t like it), but i can see why this should be part of a list of pop music that you “must hear before you die.” (Phew, glad I got that out of the way!). It’s a three, but speed metal that comes later will not fair so well.

Different Class

Pulp

1/5

I just don’t like the Brit Pop sound. This band sounds pretty self-absorbed, which is par for the genre. This is a 1, for me.

Eagles

3/5

This album has some of the Eagles trademark tunes. They’re bangers. If any of any of those classics come on the radio, I’m singing along and tapping my toes. But listening to them back to back diminishes them. They’re a little too perfectly planned; they wear down over time. The rest of the songs on the album are mid — there’s a reason those filler songs aren’t in heavy rotation. Overall, despite the classic hits, this album isn’t that special as an album. It’s a 3

Wild Is The Wind

Nina Simone

4/5

Simone’s voice and presence are commanding. Many of the pieces are beautiful. In the end, there’s a little too much drama in the presentation, which feels a little stiff. Still I’ll likely play this again and I’m willing to bet that familiarity will soften the few edges. It’s a 4.

Astral Weeks

Van Morrison

3/5

On the one hand, this is a great album — as background music while preparing dinner for a hot date, for instance. It’s romantic and lyrical and spiritual. On the other hand, it’s sprawling, unfocussed, and indulgent— as romantic, lyrical, and spiritual things can be sometimes. It’s got few of the hooks and little of the songiness of Moondance. On the whole, I think it’s a 3. It’s great for a specific application, but not a very versatile album. It's a 3 for now. I’ll listen to it again & see whether familiarity gets me by the self-indulgent tendencies of this album.

Channel Orange

Frank Ocean

1/5

I like R&B — it’s a genre where I’m easy to please (I’d rank any reasonably good R&B a three, at least). I like the sound and the ethos. But this is just not good. He’s got a nice voice. That’s it — that’s the best i can say. The album is amateurish. His delivery is terrible; forcing the words into the rhythm and lazily mumbling the key words and syllables. The musical backing is simple; the best that a producer with a bunch of Mac music programmers can deliver. Many of the songs are super-repetitive— they need editing (if not complete rewriting). This is a 1. I have no idea how it made the 1001 list, and many of the individual sings are annoying.

Live / Dead

Grateful Dead

2/5

This is not the best live Grateful Dead album — of the mass marketed, readily available albums, I’d give that honor to the Europe ’72 double album. But this version of St. Stephen is powerful and commanding. And this performance of Turn on Your Lovelight is maybe the greatest live jam on a mass market offering. Starting the album with Dark Star is a losing proposition. It’s great fun at a show, but is not a good intro to an album for anyone other than insiders. Great performances don’t always add up to a great album. This is a 2.

Gorillaz

3/5

Good. Interesting at times, but not that memorable (like I enjoyed listening to it while driving this afternoon, but it’s early evening now and I can’t remember anything i listened to). I’ll go with my 1st impression and give it a 3 — glad I listened, but it didn’t capture my interest.

The Queen Is Dead

The Smiths

1/5

No, Morrissey, you don’t “know how Joan of Ark felt.” You are not that important, or important to culture or history at all. You’re super-self absorbed, and it shows in your singing. Really too bad your lyrical delivery obscures the rest of the band, which actually sounds great. Smiths without Morrissey might be a 4. With Morrissey, it’s a 1.

New Forms

Roni Size

1/5

I listen to albums while working out at the gym. Today, the gym soundtrack must have been titled “The Very Best of the Very Best Soul, Funk, and R&B” because they were playing double shots of Curtis Mayfield, Gladys Knight, Chaka Khan, Sly, Aretha, Ray Charles… it just kept going. Meanwhile, I’m listening to this electronica album. I don’t know whether to say it was a little ok, or a lot not good, but I could not ignore the comparison with the gym playlist… 😬 I took at as a sign and just stopped listening to this album after 3 tracks. Sorry Roni Size… thank you for playing. It’s a 1.

Paranoid

Black Sabbath

4/5

Really good! I’m sorry I didn’t listen to them earlier. Though i can hear that it might have made a younger me feel isolated and angry. Ozzie’s schtick turned me off. But he’s really talented. His delivery is great, especially considering that the lyrics are super simple — childlike. The musicianship is great; they create a mood that holds throughout the album. This is a four.

Murder Ballads

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

1/5

Ugh! This is terrible. Like someone trying to imitate Tom Waites’ dark burlesque sound — poorly. I don’t want to hear how “…all god’s children must die...” repeated for 5 minutes. This is a 1.

Tidal

Fiona Apple

4/5

A very impressive debut album. Great songs, singing, and arrangement. I’m not the target audience of the character who’s singing these songs (seems to be a tough-as-nails, world weary, late-20’s mid 30’s woman, who’s cynical about love), so the lyrics all run together after a while. I wish there was a little more variance in the character. It’s a 4.

Play

Moby

4/5

This DJ accomplished so much with his sampling and mixing. He nails every track and the tracks are so varied. A real achievement. Can it be that this is a 5? No, not quite. It’s really good, but a bit directionless aside from the hooks. It’s a 4.

Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots

The Flaming Lips

4/5

A really wonderful and imaginative album. The songs sound deceptively simple, and I’m not sure what to make of the overall theme (though it’s certainly more resonant now than it was when it was released). I’m torn as to whether it’s a three or a four.

Graceland

Paul Simon

5/5

Can confirm— Graceland is (still) genius. Easy 5. The musicality and complexity within and across songs is extraordinary on Graceland. These tunes are mostly not confined to the standard song structure that is Simon’s bread and butter. These are musical narratives; the album is a travelogue of songs. It’s a stunning accomplishment. I cannot fathom that this album was written/performed by the same artist who wrote the self-titled “Paul Simon” (a 3 for me). Certainly this is not the same Paul Simon who released “Hearts and Bones” (a 1, in my book), although the characters and plots overlap a bunch. I’m guessing he did a lot of mind expanding drugs to get from Hearts and Bones’ “Allergies” & “Cars are Cars” to sublime creations like “I Know what I Know” and “Diamonds on the Soles of their Shoes”. Either that, or we have a “Paul MacCartney is dead”-level conspiracy on our hands! Or maybe, a washed up post-Garfunkel Paul Simon met a fiddling demon at the Crossroads, and made a deal?!? A note on violating the boycott of Apartheid South Africa to make this album (which others in this challenge are raging about): I think it’s well established that Paul Simon is not such a great person; that’s true of a lot of (most?) great musicians. If I rate music by how big a jerk the musician is, then (a) most music on this list is going to fair poorly AND (b) I’d have to know how big a jerk each musician is, otherwise I’m just downgrading the music of individuals I know, and not downgrading the musicians I don’t know. That’s not a very helpful rating system. So, I’m rating the music/album, not the musicians.

16 Lovers Lane

The Go-Betweens

2/5

This is fine, but not in any way exceptional. Singer sounds a little like Lou Reed, and is probably doing his best impersonation. But, like Lou Reed, he can’t sing that well and, Lou Reed he is not. The band is good; the songs are ok. I don’t know why it’s on this list. It’s a 2.

The Undertones

1/5

Punk is not my thing, but happy overproduced sing-along punk is the worst. This what I imagine a punk album by the Monkees or the Partridge Family would sound like. It’s very annoying and earns a 1.

Coat Of Many Colors

Dolly Parton

4/5

Dolly Parton is a national treasure. Her voice is rich and sweet without being saccharine. Her sings are well crafted and humorous. This is a really good album — a 4.

The Clash

4/5

This is so good! I wish i hadn’t been turned off to punk by so many less talented imitators. There’s no *yelling* and raging and bad sound mixing here. Probably not going to be part of the regular rotation (I’m still not sold on the sound), but out of respect for their originality, creativity, and influence, it earns a 4.

The Chronic

Dr. Dre

3/5

There’s a lot of obvious talent here. Love hearing early Snoop earn his reputation — his delivery is unmatched. But all the energy and talent is, to me, wasted on the anger of young men directed at the system that oppresses them (richly deserved) and the woman they treat like trash (not deserved). After a while, the anger and misogyny get boring without some deeper analysis. There are some catchy and well crafted hits but much of this material hasn’t aged well, to my ears. It’s a 3. I would love to hear how these guys would do this album today — how much deeper would the analysis be with the perspective of time & experience?

Ramones

3/5

Respect to the Ramones and their influence on others. Their sound is iconic and brings a smile to my face, even though it’s not my favorite. Listening to this entire album, I realized that the delivery and sound are too homogeneous. It all starts to sound the same. Influential & talented, but not enough variation to keep me interested for a whole album. It’s a 3.

Axis: Bold As Love

Jimi Hendrix

5/5

I hate not to rave about this album, but words cannot capture its creativity, talent, breadth of styles, or influence. Listening is sheer joy, always. And, in a not-so-subtle nod to the Desert Island Album selection committee, there is even a sing about sand castles. An easy 5. Strong candidate for 🐐.

Protection

Massive Attack

3/5

Interesting variety, from shoegazing to ecstatic dance. The female vocalist on most songs has a really nice voice. I like that they mix up the vocalists and the beats. The cover of “Light My Fire” is worse than the original— unlistenable. This is an influential and creative album, and I do not object when my wife plays it. But I would not choose to spin it all the way through myself. A three.

Brutal Youth

Elvis Costello

2/5

Scoring this album reflects that (a) I am reviewing the album as a whole, and (b) that Elvis has 6 albums in the 1001. I really like Elvis Costello, but when there are 6 of his albums and none from other artists I love, the premium I might unintentionally give to a favored artist rather than the album, is gone. Expectations are the price of mass adulation. This album is a good, but not great, example of Mr Costello’s work. He’s a great songwriter and a talented musician. The songs sound … like Elvis Costello songs, and that sound is well represented on the 1001 list. There’s nothing remarkable on this album and I wouldn’t play it by choice. Maybe I’d come to like it if i listened to it a few more times. I don’t know why it’s on the 1001 list. Judging it as I would any other album here, it’s a 2.

Untitled (Black Is)

SAULT

4/5

Really good! Diverse styles and presentations. This album is dedicated to black empowerment, and the timing of its release (in the depths of Covid lockdown and rising racial justice protests of summer 2020) is poignant and almost prophetic. This album is giving a lot of modern Sly and the Family Stone energy. On the downside (musically) there are several spoken parts that are preaching important messages to a particular audience. This interrupts the musical flow and makes it clear that the music, however beautiful and intriguing is not intended for me — I can’t just go around singing these songs without feeling like a poseur or that I’ve appropriated someone else’s anthem (That’s fine — I don’t need to be the target market for every album; just observing that targeting a demographic tends to exclude other demographics). On the whole, this was a really enjoyable listening experience. Many of the tracks are beautiful. I’ll certainly listen to it again — a 4.

The Cars

4/5

Despite the fact that The Cars were my second-ever concert (mostly at my friend’s urging), I’ve never lived them. Their sound is a little bit annoying, with overtones of toxic masculinity — and this seems to be intentional. But this album is full of classics and is super-well executed. Hard to imagine my mid 50’s self choosing to play the whole album through, but it’s not in any way a middling achievement. This album earns a 4.

1999

Prince

4/5

Prince is the King. His talent is off the charts and these are great songs but they’re not as rich or well produced as his later work. This is Prince at a party, keeping it light (except in the sexual sense, which was never light with that man). Long live Prince. It’s a 4.

Meat Puppets II

Meat Puppets

1/5

Truly terrible. The first track sucked so bad, i could’ve scored it right there. But i pressed on, not wanting to be too hasty. Now I want the extra 12 minutes of my life back. The bass sound is atrocious. Only the vocals are worse. Who allows such music to go into wide distribution? A 1 for the ages.

Can't Buy A Thrill

Steely Dan

5/5

This is an exquisite compilation of outstanding tunes. Everything about it is finely crafted and well executed. The instrumentation, playing, production, and lyrics are all en pointe. These are great songs that don’t all sound the same and that fit together — it’s a cohesive album. A classic 5.

Real Life

Magazine

1/5

Ugh! Sounds like a newly formed high-school band playing songs written for a never-to-be-made vampire action TV series on one of the legacy networks. Also, not a fan of lead singers who can’t sing. It’s a 1.

The Soft Bulletin

The Flaming Lips

4/5

As Robert Plant once sang “I don’t know what it is that I like about you, but I like it alot!” That’s how I feel about the Flaming Lips. I’ve liked FL for awhile (off the strength of Yoshimi). But i couldn’t figure out why. Normally i would not like the vocalist’s sound & the songs are at times video game material (or movie about a video game). But now I know: the drummer, the engineer, and their producer make the band special. The drum sound — the tension between the cymbals and bass that makes the mic distort a little— is genius! And then, switching back to a very tight clean drumkit sound, mid-song — amazing! Really catches my ear — I like it… alot! Still, my 4 rating is a mystery to me. On most metrics this would be a 3 or less. But I will definitely play it again — the hallmark of a 4.

I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight

Richard Thompson

3/5

The credit on the generator seems to be an error. This is a co-production with Linda Thompson. They were an important sing-writing folk power duo. The music is fine and was influential. But modern British bar ballads are not my thing. It’s a 3.

The Wildest!

Louis Prima

4/5

Lots of swing-jazz pop classics. Some tracks are outdated, but most still sound fresh and fun. I get the feeling there’s a lot of appropriation going on here — but, I’m not enough of a scholar to understand what borrowing was appropriate and what was not. It’s engaging & important listening. A four.

White Light / White Heat

The Velvet Underground

1/5

There are some interesting experimental elements here. The guitar drones and propulsive bass lines are creative & engaging. But it’s not *that* interesting. Between the casual description of date rape, the repeated use of feedback as an instrument, the really bad lyrics & singing, & the rampant indulgence of every musical whim, I’m glad to put this album in the rear view mirror. it’s a 1.

Highway 61 Revisited

Bob Dylan

5/5

Dylan is so creative with his lyrics and song structure. Each of these songs sounds different and tells its own unique story. It holds up and is still musically and socially relevant, almost six decades later. Truly exceptional. 5 stars.

Stand!

Sly & The Family Stone

4/5

Sly and the Family Stone shattered so many musical and social constraints — fusing musical forms and cultures to demonstrate what their lyrics say: the forms are not real and all people are real people. Their social and musical influence is immense. The music is often, but not always, great, too. Some of the tracks are among the best pop has to offer. Some are forgettable (not bad, just not as surprising and delightful as the hits). This is a 4.

Live 1966 (The Royal Albert Hall Concert)

Bob Dylan

3/5

A really good live album that features acoustic and electric Dylan, side-by-side. Some of the tracks (eg, Visions of Johanna) are amazing. On other tracks (eg, Mr Tambourine Man), Dylan’s lyrical delivery is like every parody of his delivery. He is certainly a lyrical and musical savant, and he gives a great performance here; but he also displays his main weakness— he really has no idea where to put the emPHAsis on his lyrics. Recalls the scene from the documentary about the making of “We are the World,” in which Stevie Wonder shows a confused Bib Dylan how Bob Dylan woukd sing his assigned lyric. This is a provisional 3; could be a four on another listen, if I decide the gems here outweigh Dylan’s awkwardness vocally.

Pearl

Janis Joplin

5/5

I love her voice and more importantly her passion and delivery. She makes the right choices. And her band matches her grit and grind. An amazing and influential album. A desert island five, for sure.

Ananda Shankar

2/5

I love the sitar sound and I really enjoy it Indian classical music. I like when it’s fused with western pop music (eg, the Beatles) or when guitarists let the sitar influence their sound. There are a few good tunes on this album (Jumpin Jack Flash), but it’s mostly a gimmick. The sitarist is too often simply plucking out the melody note for note. I get that it’s early days of sitar in western music, but it’s boring. Light My Fire is no better here than in its original incarnation (i don’t like the Doors, as a rule). This is a 2 — the artist can do much better.

Heroes

David Bowie

2/5

I’m of two minds on how to rate this album. It seems like two albums to me — one part songs, another part ambient. With the exception of the title track, the songs are not good and feature a side of Bowie’s vocal style which i can only describe as “screechy”. The ambient music side is interesting and enjoyable. *As an album,* I’ll give it a 2. I didn’t hate it, but did not necessarily *need* to hear it (despite its influence on pop music that came afterwards).

Country Life

Roxy Music

3/5

My review suffers from having listened to Bowie’s “Heroes” right before I listened to Roxie Music. Too much experimental and over *performed* music in one day. I can tell this is good, though. I’d need to listen to it again, but for now, it’s a 3.

Coles Corner

Richard Hawley

2/5

An uninspiring trip down a well-trodden path. Laconic country’ish crooner — a little Johnnie Cash mixed with Frank Sinatra and Roy Orbison. But boring. Sounds like the kind of music a male movie lead would listen to as he sipped his 🍸 overlooking the Hollywood Hills at dusk. A two.

Tres Hombres

ZZ Top

4/5

This is really good! A few weaker tracks sprinkled among some absolute classics. A four.

Heaux Tales

Jazmine Sullivan

1/5

I don’t need to hear someone narrate their sex life, set to music while I’m driving around town, cooking in the kitchen, working out at the gym, or pretty much ever. This artist has a nice voice, R&B stylings are nice (but standard), rap flow is good (but not special) — the subject matter just not something I’m gonna be singing around town. This is not very interesting or creative. I’m giving it a 1 and now I’m gonna go back and downgrade that Sza album, which i gave much the same review.

I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You

Aretha Franklin

5/5

Anyone who rates this album lower than a 4 needs help. Aretha’s iconic voice, performing foundational songs, with such passion — this is an outstanding performance! A five.

Tuesday Night Music Club

Sheryl Crow

4/5

Sheryl Crow’s music has been inescapable for the past few decades. I was skeptical that I’d like this album, because the songs might have become played out. Nope. She’s a great songwriter and performer and the tracks are vary in style, but not in quality. This is a 4. Glad I listened.

From Elvis In Memphis

Elvis Presley

3/5

Never listened to an album by “The King,” before. He’s obviously a talented singer & musician— no complaints musically. The songs are dated (the production choices, choruses and strings are clearly of an era — although laying R&R over it was probably novel) and sometimes incredibly cringey (The Ghetto, yikes). But it’s pretty clear that his heart is in the right place. The songs strike me as though they were written by Forest Gump — simple, simplistic, naive, but not coming from a bad place. Given that he’s a white man from the 1940s-1950s deep south, Elvis might even be considered progressive (w/r/t the culture that produced him). This is interesting, influential, entertaining (if you can not listen to some of the lyrics). and worth a listen, for historical purposes if nothing else. A three.

I’ve Got a Tiger By the Tail

Buck Owens

2/5

The odd-album that (a) I certainly “needed to hear” to understand evolution of the country sound (making it a 3 or above) and (b) i did not like at all (making it a 1). I do not like the repeated bending of notes, on guitar and vocally. It’s a trick/technique that can be great, when used sparingly. But it’s not used to great effect here and they do Owens does it throughout the album. Influential, yes; but not a good influence on the country genre.

Tarkus

Emerson, Lake & Palmer

3/5

Prog-Jazz, from 3 immensely talented performers. This was more fun than I thought it would be. But it won’t make it into the rotation because: (1) the repeated incorporation of classical themes treated as nursery rhymes got old, and (2) i noted several places where Emerson couldn’t execute his ambitions, and he wound up muddying the rhythms. Palmer is the star of the show, his rhythms, counter-rhythms, polyrhythms, and arrhythmia seem flawless and keep the mix interesting. A three.

Mothership Connection

Parliament

4/5

This is great! So much funk. Love it! It’s a 4, but could become a 5.

Wish You Were Here

Pink Floyd

5/5

Now that’s a proper fookin’ album, mate! I played this one to death 40 years ago. I thought I’d grown tired of their lament-of-the-heroin-addict cynicism. But the band is just fantastic — that is really what I think — oh by the way, which one’s Pink. Extremely well-conceived, flawlessly executed. Amazing. A 5.

The Good, The Bad & The Queen

2/5

Meh. It’s not bad, per se. But I really didn’t need to hear this. Modestly better than some moany-groany, woe-is-me brit pop. But not great. 2.

Led Zeppelin

5/5

I thought, “This will be fun! Zeppelin 1 is not my very most favorite Zeppelin album, so it’ll be cool to hear how it stacks up.” Now I need to downgrade almost all of my other album scores. Jimmy Page’s guitar wizardry and studio alchemy is well known. And Robert Plant’s absolutely maniacal, but always perfectly placed, wailing is the stuff of rock legend. (What gave a 19-year old kid the idea that he could come into the studio and sing with such abandon? It could have gone so wrong.) But what’s really most amazing on this blusiest of the Zep campaigns is Bonham’s drumming. Sure he’s beating the crap out of his kit. But his drumming is also extremely artful, tasteful and creative. He’s really the best rock n roll drummer that has ever been. This album, an homage to American blues, is like nothing that came before it. Hands down, a 5.

Appetite For Destruction

Guns N' Roses

3/5

GnR simply does not fair well following Zeppelin I. Yes, there are 3 good songs — I like them and am happy to hear them. But musically, except for some of Slash’s solos maybe, they’re pretty simple. Axl’s whaling is fine, but not as soulful as Robert Plant, for instance. The lyrics and song structure are 2D. The drummer is several steps removed from Bonham. Taking out the, perhaps unfair, Zep comparisons, the good songs are fun. But a lot of this album is the raging of an angry heroin addict — not fun. Overall, it’s a 3 (which, remember, means it’s important and pretty good too — just not great).

The Fat Of The Land

The Prodigy

4/5

This is really good festival dance music. Beyond that, it’s also pretty listenable in other contexts. Varied influences include Rap-Rock (like Rage…). Some parts brought me back to The Matrix I (they were part of the soundtrack). An impressive album I’ll listen to again. A four.

John Barleycorn Must Die

Traffic

3/5

An important album as Traffic was influential in that 70’s rock scene and Stevie Winwood has gone on to produce popular tracks for decades. But i have trouble w/ little Stevie’s vocal quality these days. It’s a 3 for me now.

Off The Wall

Michael Jackson

4/5

A top notch R&B album. Listening made me painfully aware of how much Michael hid himself — he didn’t live his life “Off the Wall” or “work the 9 to 5” and I don’t think his two heartbreak romance songs about women probably reflect his own experience. So, a very good album, that is key to understanding MJ’s career and influence. But not his best work — that was yet to come. A 4.

Vulgar Display Of Power

Pantera

1/5

Nope. I think this probably influenced a whole gaggle of imitators, because this sound was everywhere in the late 1990s. But even in its original form (?) it’s annoying, & boring. I just don’t want to hear a guy vomit angry lyrics onto the microphone for a hal hour. The drumming is intense, but not artful. The guitar playing — stock. I don’t need to hear this again, though I’m sure I will. I’ll be aggravated when that happens…

Haut de gamme / Koweït, rive gauche

Koffi Olomide

3/5

Nice. Good in the way that West African pop rock is always enjoyable. That irrepressible guitar sound over lovely melodies and great vocals telling a story that sounds interesting, even though it’s in a language you don’t understand. Unfortunately, this album is a little too poppy and not so creative (it becomes redundant at times). There’s definitely better Afro-Pop in the world. It’s a 3.

OK

Talvin Singh

2/5

Great tabla playing, but trying way too hard. The artist is way too conscious of and thirsty for a very niche audience — the new age+rave crowd? It’s leads to overdramatic, self-conscious music. Not a good look — or a good listen. A 2.

Cloud Nine

The Temptations

4/5

Great album. Broadens the horizons of the Motown sound beyond the classic pre-packaged pieces.i’ll play it again.

Electric Ladyland

Jimi Hendrix

5/5

This album doesn’t hold together as an album as well as Axis Bold as Love holds together. But with All Along the Wachtower & Voodoo Chile —two of the very best rock and roll pieces ever produced, it’s still a 5. The music is exceptionally great.

Dig Me Out

Sleater-Kinney

4/5

I keep saying: I don’t like punk. But I like this! What’s the difference? It’s *musical* punk. And, the lead singer can sing. I’ll listeagain, but this is a high 3 (it’s a little shrill at times) or 4. I’ll go with a 4, for now.

Blood Sugar Sex Magik

Red Hot Chili Peppers

3/5

The Chilli Peppers have a distinctive sound. I like the sound and the band has fun with it. But they fall into the trap of not venturing too far from their sound. They’re better when they play against type — their iconic rambunctious sound is good but their slower songs are better and they need to mix it up more on this album, which is a 3.

This Is Fats Domino

Fats Domino

5/5

If you’re driving on a dusty highway searching for a radio station and suddenly you can tune in to any of these songs, you will be psyched. This is the bridge between blues and pop that must be crossed to get to rock and roll. A 5.

Rio

Duran Duran

3/5

Now that I have experienced the wealth of Britpop on this list (ugh!) I can appreciate Duran Duran for making that music interesting and listenable. This is highly produced pop for the masses, but it’s more enjoyable than other Britpop (which i generally despise). I won’t spin this, but it was influential in the pop-songs-must-be-videos movement. I won’t mind as much as I once would have if someone else plays it. A 3.

Blur

2/5

Sounds like a (good) tribute band to several other bands/artists. I hear The Beatles, Bowie, Nirvana, the Monkees, & others. It’s not bad, but I just don’t hear anything influential — just a lot of influences. A 2.

Hounds Of Love

Kate Bush

3/5

Good, but I’m not sure this is even among the top Kate Bush albums. It’s interesting and creative, but parts of it sound repetitive— same approach to lyrics, same vocal effects settings. I’m glad I listened but probably will not listen to the whole album again. A three.

Come Away With Me

Norah Jones

4/5

Nora Jones makes jazz singing fresh, modern, and accessible. This is not the most amazing jazz performance of all time (the range is a bit limited), but few jazz singers of make their audience so hcomfortable. Her voice is a warm & fluffy blanket on a rainy day — listening is a joy. A 4.

Doggystyle

Snoop Dogg

3/5

Undeniably great flow & great rhymes. But I don’t really need to hear about your private sex life unedited. And I definitely don’t need to hear constant denigration of women. I’m not a puritan — there’s a place for it all; but if you can’t relate to women any other way for a whole album, you might have a problem. Definitely worth listening and definitely influential. But only a 3 for me.

Disintegration

The Cure

2/5

The sound is dark and rich. I like this much more than the Smiths, but it suffers from the same problem — whiny, complaining lyrics sung in a holier-than-thou British accent. The vocals range between bad and really really bad (eg, the title track). Too bad — because the band has a really lush brooding dark sound. A 2.

Skylarking

XTC

1/5

I don’t get it. Like, what’s with the overdramatized singing about non-dramatic topics with non-dramatic backing music? I actively did not like this — it’s like listening to a self-absorbed self-important version of Squeeze. Or like Joe Jackson (who I like) trying out for his high school play. A 1.

American Idiot

Green Day

4/5

I keep saying I don’t like punk, but Sleater-Kinney and this album are proving me wrong. This is at least a 3, but it’s better than that. The singer actually sings and sings well. Plus, they’re the hometown band, which gets them a boost. A 4.

Ágætis Byrjun

Sigur Rós

4/5

Because I don’t understand the words, this is pure ambient music, to me. It’s good in that function. A 3 or 4. Probably a 4.

Junkyard

The Birthday Party

2/5

No thanks. Talented players trying too hard to be weird and edgy. I can hear the influence they had on a certain kind of thrash metal (?). But it’s not music I’m at all interested in. 1 because I don’t want to hear this again, but 2 because of the talent and originality.

Bayou Country

Creedence Clearwater Revival

4/5

Undeniably talented songwriters and performers. These songs demand your attention. I can’t listen to John Fogerty’s intense vocal stylings for a whole album, otherwise it might be a 5 based on songwriting, performance, originality, and passion. It’s a 4.

Who Killed...... The Zutons?

The Zutons

4/5

This is very good. The crafty hooks and throwback sound reminds me a little of the Stray Cats. Energetic and enjoyable. Definitely worth another listen. A 4.

Violent Femmes

4/5

This is great. The songs are do catchy that the not so great musicianship and DIY aesthetic becomes a feature not a flaw. I always forget how much I like the Femme’s.

Homework

Daft Punk

2/5

I dunno what to do with albums like this. The beats and sound effects are creative, but it’s “meta-music” — no one is actually playing those drums. The music is designed to facilitate group experiences, in a rave setting. As a result, it’s simple and repetitive. Not really something to sit around listening to. I’ll give it a 2 — even though I can’t get through an entire album of it as a pure listening exercise.

Searching For The Young Soul Rebels

Dexys Midnight Runners

3/5

If i grew up in Ireland, I’m sure I would have been a big Dexy’s fan. The band is tight, and the tunes pop, but the singing is kind of whiny and strained. A 3.

Fragile

Yes

5/5

A masterpiece. One of my very favorite albums as a teen, I’m glad to report that it still holds up. This band is so so tight — Bill Bruford is the best drummer of this era and he and Chris Squire make an amazing rhythm section, which Steve Howe matches and adds to with his precision guitar playing. I love their experimentation with tone poetry and how they pack several ideas into each song. They also break up the mix with diverse efforts, but maintain a consistent identity. A 5.

Connected

Stereo MC's

2/5

It’s fine. I objectionable. But 1/2 hour later, i could barely recall what it sounded like. So why? Why is it on the list? A 2.

Fly Or Die

N.E.R.D

3/5

Early Pharrell. He’s a master of the hooks and this album blends rap, rock, and R&B sensibilities seamlessly. It’s fun but he’s trying a bit too hard. It’s a 3, but could be a 4 on a second listen.

Dear Science

TV On The Radio

3/5

Good! Sounds like if Prince, Bowie, and Andre 3000 formed a band. But the influences are a little two obvious & the Art Rock-iness is a little too much for me. A 3, but could be a 4 on another listen.

Ellington at Newport

Duke Ellington

4/5

The music is a 5, but as an album it’s just a 4 because the talking introductions are interesting once, but they break up the musical continuity.

Power In Numbers

Jurassic 5

4/5

Amazing! Old, but gold. This style of rap sounds a bit dated now, but it’s delivered SO well, with confidence and conviction, that it’s still a pleasure to listen to. These guys knew how to tell stories in rhyme and how to make space for each other. They were a crew — a form that seems out of style now. Jurassic 5 makes me wish that style would come back. A 4.

Mermaid Avenue

Billy Bragg

5/5

Really great musicality, singing, song choice& magnificent performances. California Stars is amazing — you can hear Woodie singing the lyrics as he wrote them. A four that might become a 5 after another play or two. A 4 (for now). Edit: ok, I listened again. Now it’s a 5.

Illmatic

Nas

2/5

I must be missing something… but his flow always sounds the same to me. The rhymes are good, but they follow a pattern that becomes repetitious too. This is a 2 for me — fine, but I didn’t *need* to hear it. 🤷

Talking With the Taxman About Poetry

Billy Bragg

4/5

I had this and his collab with Wilco in short succession. I loved discovering Billy Bragg through the challenge He might be tge only British vocalist that I like when he sings with a British accent. Great songwriter and performer. A four.

The Velvet Underground & Nico

The Velvet Underground

2/5

Some very good tunes mixed with some clunkers. Nico can’t sing, which makes some tunes hard to listen to. A 2.

Darklands

The Jesus And Mary Chain

3/5

Good. They have an appealing and unique sound. It didn’t jump out and grab me though. A 3.

Deep Purple In Rock

Deep Purple

2/5

Deep Purple has so much talent. Ian Gillan’s voice is unparalleled in the rock pantheon. But their talents did not include songwriting or restraint. Even their occasional really great songs (Sweet Child in Time, for instance) are unnecessarily bloated. There’s no need to have 3 crescendos in one song, much less four!!?! I love some of what they have to offer, in limited doses. But as an album, this is a 2.

Electric

The Cult

3/5

This band is great. A blend of of AC/DC and van Halen, but i might like it s little better than either of those bands? The singer’s voice is memorable. The instrumentation is well-executed and muscular. Not quite a 4, but a strong 3.

Eternally Yours

The Saints

2/5

I appreciate the energy here. The band is talented. But they’re commitment to a particular punk sound gets tiresome over the course of this album — too repetitive. Plus, it’s punk. A 2.

Blonde On Blonde

Bob Dylan

4/5

Legendary album by a legendary songwriter. It’s the quintessential Dylan sound, with some really good guitar licks and harmonica playing. Visions of Johanna is among my favorite Dylan song. But let’s face it, Dylan is not the easiest singer to listen to for extended periods. At 1:12, it’s a lot, and I wouldn’t play it on repeat. It’s a 4.

Repeater

Fugazi

1/5

This sounds derivative to me. Maybe it came before all the other post-punk bands with faux angry frontmen, wanting to sound dangerous. But original or not, this is not a sound I need to or want to hear. A 1.

War

U2

4/5

Very good. I know people think that U2’s earliest albums were their best, but I don’t think this is as good, varied, or nuanced as The Joshua Tree. It’s a bit too much of one sound and approach. Very good, but not great. A 4.

Exile In Guyville

Liz Phair

3/5

I don’t like talk-singing through an album when guys do it, and now I know that I don’t like it when women do it either. I’m sure Liz Phair can sing — you hear it sometimes on this album — but it’s mostly talk-singing of lyrics that don’t scan. I think she sings out of her range on the low end. Also, not a big fan of angry songs about angry sex. This album is creative, I’ll give it that. But I can’t give it more than a 3 — it is perhaps a 2. But I’ll stick with three for now.

Sheer Heart Attack

Queen

3/5

Queen is such an amazing band. Theatrical, choral, + raging rock and roll. This album is a good example of their sound. But the theatricality drowns out the rocking-ness a little too much. There’s 1 or 2 bangers, and other would-be bangers get smothered by production and drama. A 3.

Songs In The Key Of Life

Stevie Wonder

4/5

What a joy this album is. It’s a little too joyful and has a bit of an agenda (an agenda I support, but nevertheless, one that is a little distracting). Stevie Wonder’s compositions are wonderfully complex and musical. And the man can *sing*. A joy, but not one I’d leave on repeat because it may be too joyful for my tastes. A 4.

Peace Sells...But Who's Buying

Megadeth

2/5

Speed, ego, and attitude. Talented, but i just don’t find this sound enjoyable. A 2.

Achtung Baby

U2

3/5

“One” is a singularly great song. There are other good songs here, but the band is more laid back than usual. Their passion is what sets U2 apart, so this is not their strongest effort. Bono talk/sings through several songs, which is weak. And a few if the sings are not very strong/sappy. Still, it might be worth another listen. For now, it’s a 3.

The Poet

Bobby Womack

3/5

R&B from an influential veteran. But it’s a pretty standard R&B sound. I don’t hear anything super-novel here. It’s good but not great. A 3.

Southern Rock Opera

Drive-By Truckers

2/5

These guys are good. Their sound is good. But it’s such a standard “southern rock” sound, it’s hard to see much new in that sound or arrangement. And then there are the omnipresent references to Lynard Skynard, Ronnie van Zandt, 38 Special etc. There’s even an all-talk track, that provides a history lesson as an introduction to another track. This album made me think about “southern rock” and its connection to White Male grievance that dominates US society today. Southern Rock dwells in historical grievance and entitlement, whenever it’s not rationalizing and celebrating “boys will be boys” antics. It all seems pretty juvenile and tiresome. This album is at least politically progressive. Maybe that novelty is why it made the list? But it left me flat because it’s too obsessed with the past. I’ll give it a 2 — I didn’t need to hear this sound, again.

Trout Mask Replica

Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band

1/5

“Dang, I left the recorder on while we were tuning up… again.” I’m all for experimentation. But you don’t get credit from me for not being able to discern that your experiment didn’t work. I don’t know why this is on the list. But I most definitely did not *need* to hear it before I died. 1 of 1.

Bat Out Of Hell

Meat Loaf

4/5

I appreciate the creativity and humor of these (sometimes sappy & overly romantic) songs as well as the bravado with which they are delivered. Clearly gave rise to rocks greatest cheerleader, Jack Black. Fun. A 4.

The Köln Concert

Keith Jarrett

4/5

Masterful piano playing & improvisation. Great tunes. I’ll have to give this another listen or three before it can come to the desert island with me. But i *will* listen to it because it’s so interesting and i know there’s more to discover. A classic 4.

Lost Souls

Doves

4/5

This was really good. Not my usual style — vocals over ambient, multilayered soundscapes — but the musicality and creativity are winning. I’ll listen to it again and have a feeling it will get better with more familiarity. A 4.

Surrealistic Pillow

Jefferson Airplane

5/5

A fantastic album that holds up very well. It’s imaginative, creative, playful, and well played. Grace Slick’s voice is amazing, Jorma Kaukenen’s guitar & Marty Baliss bass playing are exceptional. Fun to listen to, after all these years. A 5.

Unhalfbricking

Fairport Convention

3/5

Interesting to hear a traditional british folk sound electrified. Sandy Denny’s vocals are fantastic. A 3.

Inspiration Information

Shuggie Otis

2/5

This sounds good. Some of the tracks are classics. But it could have benefited from Quincy Jones’s hand to harmonize the album — this sounds like a bunch of different songs played back-to-back, not a cohesive coherent unit. Some of the pieces needed a stronger hand to add some discipline— many of the pieces sound experimental. I think Curtis Mayfield and Isaac Hayes do a better job bringing off the overall sound (“light funk”? “Psychedelic Improvisational R&B”?) it’s a 2 — enjoyable, with some classics in the 2nd half, but not strong as an album.

Lost In The Dream

The War On Drugs

3/5

The sound is a little too ambient and sunshiny for me. But i can hear that there is more to this. Many of the songs seem to go on too long. I’d like to give it another listen, but for now, it’s a 3.

In Rainbows

Radiohead

3/5

Meh. Radiohead can write and perform a number of sounds — the sound of this album is just not my cup of tea. It has too much of a windgey male falsetto, woe-is-me vibe. I’ll give it a 3. It’s not over the top whiney and the band is obviously influential and masters of their element. Their confidence is inspiring and comforting

The Hour Of Bewilderbeast

Badly Drawn Boy

2/5

Double meh. There are some good ideas here and even some interesting songs. But it’s aimless and needs editing. A 2.

Out of Step

Minor Threat

1/5

Standard high-speed punk. No like. Also, not sure what makes this “music” unique. A 1.

Blue

Joni Mitchell

5/5

You know it’s a 5 at about :25 — that’s when Joni starts singing. It helps that I know the album well. But after hearing so much overproduced, precious music on the list, it’s refreshing to hear on artist who sounds like she’s playing in her living room in Laurel Canyon & is just killing it! Sure, some of it is a bit sappy … but I think it might suffer from its association with earlier generations’ adoration of Joni. The adoration was well earned— but can you really love your mom’s favorite artist the same way as something that’s particular to your own generation? The answer is “yes!” Perfection is perfection. It’s a five.

Chirping Crickets

Buddy Holly & The Crickets

4/5

Amazing! Hard to overstate how influential this album and artist are on Rock and Roll. The overall sound is a bit dated for me, the toxic masculinity is over the top, and the topics don’t show much range. But it’s *still* an amazing contribution to pop music. A 4 for me.

Mama Said Knock You Out

LL Cool J

2/5

Sits at the transition from hip-hop as fun party music to the social commentary of hard-hitting, technically demanding gangsta rap. With its simple rhymes and beats and fixation on lame puffery, this is not the best of either world. I was tempted to give this album a three because it represents an important moment in hip hop. But it’s not enjoyable and i wouldn’t want to listen to the whole album again. A 2.

Celebrity Skin

Hole

3/5

Ms. Love continues to impress. This album is poppier & less raw than the previous Hole album I rated. But it’s still very strong with interesting lyrics and characters. It’s a 3, but could become a 4.

Bringing It All Back Home

Bob Dylan

5/5

This is a five from beginning (Subterranean Homesick Blues) to end (It’s All Over Now Baby Blue). With classics like Mr Tambourine Man and Maggie’s Farm mixed in, this album is clearly one of the most important of the last century. Listening to it, I was amazed again at how creative and varied Dylan’s story telling and song construction are. He can sing a thousand songs and they’re all unique and none of them are simplistic or trivial. Dylan is truly in a class by himself. A 5.

Metal Box

Public Image Ltd.

1/5

Sounds like an inspiration for the Smiths. But even the Smiths sounded prepared to be in the studio — ie, had songs, could play their instruments, could hit the vocal notes. The bass player can play/is talented, but the exception proves the rule in this case. Ugh. A 1.

The Atomic Mr Basie

Count Basie & His Orchestra

5/5

Beautiful. The band’s confidence is a match for their precision and cohesiveness. A 5.

The White Album

Beatles

4/5

Back in the USSR is an amazing opener. Followed immediately by the lovely deceleration of Dear Prudence. Blackbird is incredibly beautiful and well constructed; the same can be said of While My Guitar Gently Weeps. But it’s hard to sustain that kind of quality through a double album. The White Album features a number of very experimental pieces, and those contribute to its lore and influence. But some of those experiments, while interesting, are not so listenable — like would I listen to this twice in a row? Would it work to have these tracks on “random” during a party? Some of the experiments become a little self indulgent. That’s fine, I appreciate the effort. But it does not necessarily make for a superior listening experience. This is a fantastic, amazing, and influential album it’s a spectacular 4.

In Utero

Nirvana

3/5

This is pretty good; several memorable tracks. But i can’t really get behind a band encouraging rape. Smacks of being desperate for attention. It’s a 3.

Time (The Revelator)

Gillian Welch

4/5

Gillian Welch’s voice is fantastic — as much control as Emmylou Harris, but with more grit & character. The harmonies on this album are great but there’s a little too much twang. I’m not sure that all the songs are exceptional; some seem fairly simple and most are very slow moving. I’d have to listen more, but I’m interested in listening again. It’s a 3 for now, but might become a 4 with more familiarity.

Let's Get It On

Marvin Gaye

4/5

Sets a standard for Rhythm and Blues that few other artists can even approach. Influential in that it opened the door to straight talk about sex in pop music. That might have had some unfortunate outcomes (pop lyrics that are basically porn), but the influence is undeniable. I was about to give this a 5, but then changed my mind because some of lesser known tracks sound the same as the better known tracks. It’s a good sound, but there’s not a lot of diversity on this album. A 4.

Red Headed Stranger

Willie Nelson

3/5

Willie Nelson is a national treasure. His songwriting and singing voice are so expressive. Nothing reached out to grab me on this album — no songs i recognized or needed to hear again immediately. But the album is cohesive and wonderful and represents Willie well. A 3.

69 Love Songs

The Magnetic Fields

5/5

I don’t like Brit pop or dudes singing about their troubled love lives in British accents. I also think it’s hard to sustain quality through a double album, much less a triple album! This album broke me — in a good way. It’s an amazing, and sustained execution of a worthwhile vision. Truly an accomplishment! These love songs are fantastic: — creative, musical, varied, and not trite. Unlike most Brit pop**, there is humor! About 3 parts humor, 2 parts cynicism, 2 parts poignant observations about love, life, and relationships in general. It’s an excellent blend. The musicianship is on point and no song sounds like another — there are at least 5 dozen different sounds across the these three albums. And, the male vocalist sings in a baritone and is not a loser, so even though his delivery is often similar to Morrissey, he is not annoying or windgey. The female singer is excellent and provides a refreshing counterpoint, not found in the nihilistic realms of so much Brit pop. And, these songs are short — bite size nuggets of quality — they don’t overstay their welcome. There was an editor in the room. But, it’s 3 albums. Long for any single listen. What to do? The quality is consistent and I want to hear the whole thing again, maybe an album at a time this time. I’d also happily play it on random or repeat. It meets my criteria for a 5, and that’s what I’ll give it! 5. **I am told this is not Brit pop, but Chamber Pop or Baroque pop — close relatives. The singer/creator is not British, but American.

Songs For Swingin' Lovers!

Frank Sinatra

5/5

Two albums of love songs in a row. You’d think I’d be done with them after listening to all 69 on the so-titled Magnetic Fields album. But the love songs on this album are all classics, delivered in the best possible way by an excellent vocalist. The arrangements are stellar and timeless, all brass and strings — but tgey’ve aged well. This album can play on repeat at a cocktail party or serve as an enjoyable concentrated listening session on a desert island. A five.

Fire Of Love

The Gun Club

1/5

Briefly interesting variation on punk. Energetic, with slide guitar/country influences. But in the end, it’s repetitive, like most punk derivatives. Then come the unspeakably racist lyrics… Automatic disqualification. This album caused me to formulate a new rule: if the lead singer cannot sing as well as I can, then i did not need to hear it before I died. It’s a low bar. But not one that is exceeded here. A 1.

Revolver

Beatles

5/5

An all time classic. Revolver has outstanding songs that are varied, experimental, playful, and yet restrained. These are tight compositions and each one has its particular place in this album. The songs are evocative character studies, sometimes in the third person, sometimes in the first person, and sometimes they paint a picture of a whole town’s worth of people. The arrangements are sublime. A phenomenal piece of art. 5.

Superfly

Curtis Mayfield

3/5

Great, genre defining sound! But hard to escape or forget that this is a soundtrack to a movie. It doesn’t work quite as well as a stand aline listening experience. Could become a 4 (like after i watch the film), but for now it’s a 3.

Back to Basics

Christina Aguilera

2/5

Aguilera has a chip on her shoulder. Most of the songs on the first album are confessionals about how and why she stands up for herself. This is fine, but she said all that on “Fighter,” a track from an earlier album. The last track reveals that all this bravado might stem from an inferiority complex — playing a mix of fans thanking her for being her, as a way if saying “thanks” to her followers is cringey in its indulgence. The second album shows some range in different pop styles — but there’s still a self-absorbed, tough gal attitude that comes through. Aguilera doesn’t need to be so defensive. She’s got an amazing voice. But she flaunts it unnecessarily, making her tunes about her rather than the music. Her lyrics are guileless, which in this case is not a compliment. These songs could use a little mystery and metaphor. In the end, it’s fine. She’s got a sound, a style, and a great voice. But it’s not an album I needed to listen to. A 2.

The Dark Side Of The Moon

Pink Floyd

5/5

One of the strongest albums of all time. The songs are tight and fit together seamlessly. The guitar work, lyrics, and vocals are extremely well executed. A drummer friend pointed out that the drumming is pedestrian at best. But i think that’s a feature not a flaw in this context. The very steady, uneventful, not-so-creative drumming evokes the status quo “machine” that Pink Floyd rails against. Even their weakness is a strength. A 5.

Lam Toro

Baaba Maal

3/5

I’m so glad I heard this. I’ve heard about Maal for a while, but had no idea about his music. The vocals are a little too high in the register and intense for me, and I think the artist might be trying a little too hard for a “western fusion” sound sometimes on this album, but I definitely wouldn’t mind sampling more Babba Maal or hearing tracks from this album in a mix. A 3.

Court And Spark

Joni Mitchell

3/5

I recently listened to “Blue” again, as part of this challenge. I’m really familiar with that album and gave it five stars. I’m less familiar with Court and Spark, so it doesn’t land the same way for me. It’s creative and the singing is amazing. But, i can’t escape the sense of her privilege and entitlement as a much admired and courted white lady. I’m not judging Joni — she’s a fantastic artist — but the songs come from a fairly narrow point of view that is hard to relate to in the 2020’s. It’s a 3 for me — maybe it woukd become a four with more listening.

Club Classics Vol. One

Soul II Soul

1/5

The tunes are straight pop. I don’t know what’s so influential about this. I would normally give an album like this a two (fine, but i didn’t *need* to hear it). But the male vocalist is off key so frequently, it really distracts from the album’s overall unremarkability. A 1.

Odelay

Beck

3/5

I’ve missed most of Beck’s work. I’m enjoying hearing more of his stuff lately. He’s super-talented and creative. This album is interesting and fun, but it’s trying too hard to show the artist’s range of ideas, so it sometimes doesn’t work as an album (my unit of measure). I’ve heard some other Beck pieces that I think I will like better. Like many 3’s, it could become a 4 with more familiarity and deep listening, but for now, it’s a 3.

Being There

Wilco

2/5

I really enjoyed the Wilco collaboration with Billy Bragg featured elsewhere in this challenge. Americana is my thing. But this bored me, and I listened to it twice just to be sure. If you shoot to create a carefree everyman sound, it’s quite possible you’ll come up with a character like the neighbor who you only see at the community block party, who talk your ear off about failed romances and college football. That’s a bit harsh, so let’s just say that Wilco, as in “Will Comply,” is sometimes aptly named. A 2.

Good Old Boys

Randy Newman

3/5

Challenging album. Hard to justify a white artist making the N-word a focus of their art. He’s using unacceptable language to describe characters who would drop the N-word or antisemetic slur without thinking twice — the satire is heavy. How can you describe racists in the first person without sounding racist? In the end, the critique of southern racists on “rednecks” is unsparing and almost as dehumanizing as those the characters are oppressing… almost. But of course, it’s a choice to platform racists in the 1st person to begin with. If art’s job is to make listeners’ uncomfortable, Newman has done his job. The music is excellent and Newman can sing well enough. If I didn’t listen to the subject matter, this might be a 4. But, as I said, the content is problematic and makes me struggle with the purpose of this art. It doesn’t make me feel good, but it makes me think. A 3.

Abattoir Blues / The Lyre of Orpheus

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

2/5

Musically interesting and creative — dark and sultry. I love the backup singers! But Cave’s vocals and presentation are two melodramatic for me. It makes the musical arrangements almost comical — a straight delivery would have been better. The first album would have been a 3. But add a second album and the effort to overwhelm the audience with overwrought vocals and dramatic storytelling succeeds. It’s too much. A 2.

Emergency On Planet Earth

Jamiroquai

2/5

Fun & funky, but not exceptionally creative, except for adding the dijeridoo, which is nice. The comparison to Stevie Wonder’s sound is apt, but this is a poor imitation. It’s very listenable, but not that impressive. It’s jazz pop; a fun band you might see at your lical jazz club. A 2 (it could be a 3, but I really don’t want to listen to the whole album again).

Youth And Young Manhood

Kings of Leon

2/5

I’ll hand it to Kings of Leon, each album I’ve heard has a different sound. They have range. I just don’t like their music. Here, they appear to be biting off a Red Hot Chili Pepper sound. It’s not great. Frontman still can’t sing, and I’m not interested in his whining. Still, it’s better than some of their albums that I’ve heard previously in this challenge. But not much better. It’s a 2.

Felt Mountain

Goldfrapp

3/5

The singer has a fantastic voice. The sweeping orchestral, burlesque, ambient sound is not my favorite, but I can hear the artistry and believe it was probably influential (eg, Portishead). I don’t need to spin it myself, but I’m glad I heard it. A 3.

1984

Van Halen

3/5

There’s a lot of adolescent preening and technical flamboyance here. Sometimes it hits (Hot for Teacher; I’ll Wait), but often it misses (Girl Gone Bad, Panama, the title track). The synth sound and playing is bad. The guitar and drums are excellent, of course, but they would have been better if they stayed in the pocket rather than showing off. So clearly the Template for Guns and Roses, who brought a harder sound and none of the humor found here. A 3.

Cosmo's Factory

Creedence Clearwater Revival

5/5

CCR is such a great band. The songs and sound are unique and the stories are engaging. It’s hard to give it a 5 because of Fogerty’s intense delivery and voice. But it’s also hard not to give it a 5 because this album is so unique and creative. It’s a 5.

...And Justice For All

Metallica

3/5

These guys are talented. Their timing is like clockwork. But all the songs sound the same — 2nd person narratives, threats about something really important. It’s all drama and no humor or humanity here. And the songs are internally repetitive. I know they’re very influential and tgey are masterful technically. That gets them a 3.

Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness

The Smashing Pumpkins

2/5

There are some interesting pieces here. But not enough to warrant a double album, much less one I needed to listen to (as a complete album). Lots of drama — although I give them credit for showing range on a few tracks. Some tracks are unlistenable. A 2.

Red Dirt Girl

Emmylou Harris

2/5

EH’s voice is impeccable. Her phrasing and delivery often lands like a teardrop or a longing look. But these songs aren’t great. The musical backing often sounds pre-programmed and the lyrics are a little too naive and simple for me. This is not Emmylou’s best work. A 2.

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