Jan 22 2025
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Moon Safari
Air
This album gets significantly better when they don't use the vocoder vocals. "New Star in the Sky" gets a pass because of those strings and guitar chords, but good lord do they take a song from good to alright. I would 100% listen to "You Make It Easy" again. It reminds me of "Sketch For Summer" by The Durutti Collection if it was produced by Everything But The Girl. Actually, whenever Bitch Hirsch makes an appearance, the whole vibe turns very EBTG. Which I'm not super mad at, just an observation. All the songs after this one will probably get played again.
3
Jan 23 2025
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Mothership Connection
Parliament
Listening to this and this is pure grooves. The fourth track, "Supergroovalisticprosifunkstication" is the first track where I got hooked. The synthesizer being such a prominent instrument losing it's mind as the bass lays the foundation has now been engrained into my brain chemistry. As I keep listening I keep having the same thought, "Is funk just another iteration of jazz?" Grooves will come in and out, but there will always be a foundation groove to hold onto. As I near the end of this album, I see why it was included in this list. A lot of artists that came after this either interpolated, sampled, or found inspiration from Parliament and Funkadelic. Would I listen to this album again? Probably not, but the roots that this album planted are everywhere.
3
Jan 24 2025
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My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
Kanye West
I already love this album so this is easy. This is the album where Kanye finally figured it out. There's no skits thank god, but almost everything else you love from Kanye is here. Hard-hitting, sample-heavy beats? Check. Decadent verses that paint perfect pictures of the highs and lows of fame? Check. Tounge-in-cheek humor interspaced throughout? Super check. Not only does Kanye do some of his best rapping on this one, but the features all understand that we are here to make some of the best raps ever. Except Hov, I don't know why his verse on "Monster" is bad, but it's just lackluster to me. Other than that, everyone else kills it. My favorite track is probably, "Devil In A New Dress." The Smokey sample, the bassline, the breakdown with the strings losing their minds, how Rozay comes in after that insane Mike Dean guitar solo. Just everything. Is this Ye's best? No, but this is his purest album. I used to say this album was too perfect. Everything you'd want from a rap album is here, you don't need much else.
4
Jan 27 2025
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The Velvet Underground
The Velvet Underground
Obviously I've heard of The Velvet Underground before. The Warhol cover is inescapable, but I had only listened to that album. Mostly for Nico's vocals, I mean, "Femme Fatale" is incredible. So, going into this, I sort of had an idea of what I was going to get. With a lot of 60s rock albums I expect to hear what I can only imagine the most cliche 60s vision is. You and a bunch of smelly hippies piling into a VW bus and hitting the road from your podunk small town to head to Woodstock. That's what the first three tracks sound like. As the album goes on, every song starts to sound the exact same. Until you get to "The Murder Mystery." I have never heard a song like this before. They mixed different vocals to two different audio channels so the different vocals are talking over each other and my brain can't decide if it likes it or not. All that to say, I'll probably never listen to this again, but you can always appreciate something that laid the groundworks for an entire genre.
1
Jan 28 2025
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Doggystyle
Snoop Dogg
It's so weird hearing and looking at Snoop during this era. He looked so cool, sounded so smooth yet menacing. Then, compared to now where he feels more like a commodity rather than a person. We often say Snoop is doing various side quests, but recently it just feels like he's become a walking product. Trying very hard to stay "hood," but its very easy to see through this persona. I think the ad for the smokeless fireplace really did it, because nobody needs that, but of course, its a check so Snoop did it. So hearing this version of Snoop who was pretty much feared and villainized by a majority of America is a bit of a culture shock. This is authentic Snoop, his flow is silky smooth, his wordplay is insane and his visual storytelling is A1. Hearing young and hungry Snoop over prime Dre beats is a match made in heaven. It's weird to hear them try to capture this magic time and time again and it falls short every time instead of just moving forward. I see why this is the only album Snoop still talks about, this is his blueprint. I just wish he'd stop trying to recapture the flame he had over 30 years ago. "Gz and Hustlas" is probably my favorite track on here. the beat being built of that hard hitting piano/guitar combo, then that synth coming in? Wow. It sounds like a dulcimer or harpsichord, whatever it is it's incredible. It sounds like something The Alchemist and Hit-Boy would make now.
4
Jan 29 2025
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The White Album
Beatles
Fully expected to come into this and hate it, but I swore I was going to keep an open ear. Thankfully I did because this album has some hits on it. The band fully wears their inspirations on their sleeves because this album is chock full of blues and black rock and roll sounds throughout most of the tracks. My favorite songs are "Martha My Dear," "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Di," and "I'm So Tired." Man, am I glad I actually listened to this. Not being a Beatles fan, I felt kind of left out of a lot of music conversations, every loves them. Now, when these conversations arise I can join in and actually know what I'm talking about. Will I go out and listen to their albums on my own? No. But, this is a good album. I wish we could give half ratings because this album is a good 3.5/5, so kinda disregard the stars.
3
Jan 30 2025
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All Hope Is Gone
Slipknot
Yeah, so, I've never been a fan of Slipknot. Never even heard a single song because I don't like metal. So take everything with a grain of salt. This is perfect Smackdown Vs. Raw 2008 music. I haven't looked up the soundtrack, but I would be so surprised if a song form this wasn't on either '08 or '09. Especially "Vendetta," that song sounds perfect for running down the ramp and putting Big Show in a chokehold. As I sat there and listened to "This Cold Black," I really had to think "What am I doing listen to this?" Its not enjoyable to listen to this. Its just noise. "Snuff" stuck out because it actually sounded like they cared about what it sounded and it wasn't just a cacophony of sounds thrown together with unintelligible yelling thrown on top. Would I ever listen to this again? Absolutely not.
1
Jan 31 2025
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Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret
Soft Cell
This album, man. Ever since I first heard "Say Hello, Wave Goodbye" in that Master of None show, I've been hooked to it. I press play on the whole album and turns out I already knew "Tainted Love" from that Rihanna song that sampled it a long time ago. Cool, right. Listening to the entire album and man, it's so 80s. If I had to picture the early 80s before rap took over and everyone had gigantic hair like Pat Benatar, random exercise clothes and leg warmers on, dancing extremely hard to songs like "Frustration" and "Sex Dwarf." It is very easy to have this playing in the background while you're doing other things. And that's very positive. I ran this album back 3 times before I realized I was still listening to the same album. These two set out to make a classic and they did just that. Take this as a 3.5/5.
3
Feb 03 2025
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Home Is Where The Music Is
Hugh Masekela
This one is tricky, I mean, its jazz. I love jazz, but I haven't heard a jazz album outside of anything by Cortex, Piero Piccioni, or Archie Shepp that has necessarily moved me. While this album is good, it doesn't feature any tracks that made my eyebrows raise or my ears perk up. I wouldn't listen to this again, but that doesn't mean it's bad, just that its not for me. It got to the point where everything started to sound the exact same where the drums would crash really hard and Hugh would be playing in a super similar way, and a whole hour of that is not what I want to hear, ever. Definitely an album picked to seem deep, but it's just...jazz.
1
Feb 04 2025
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Raw Power
The Stooges
You know about Iggy Pop, that man is inescapable. 50 years later and this man is still acknowledged as one of the greats, but going into this, I had no idea what to expect. This is pure rock, shake your ass and do weird dance moves like that swimming dance people used to do in every movie. You know the one. Where they hold their nose and lower to the ground? That one. "Your Pretty Face Is Going to Hell" is so danceable, to the point where you can be teleported to a shitty club where The Stooges are playing in your mind and it makes perfect sense. The piano crescendo with the guitar on "Penetration" is awesome. I already knew/love "Shake Appeal," too. So, this whole album is groovy as shit!
4
Feb 05 2025
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Now I Got Worry
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
My actual thoughts listening to this:
"What the fuck?"
"Is this whole song just screams?"
"Oh, I get what this is gonna be."
"An Elvis impression...okay."
"Oh, he's still doing it..."
This is the music your kid would listen to if you were a parent in the 90s that would make you yell, "Turn that ruckus off!" at them. There were some good moments but they'd last for 10 seconds before the lead singer would start screaming or the drums would glitch out.
2
Feb 06 2025
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Billion Dollar Babies
Alice Cooper
Great cover, great tunes. It's wild to hear songs on this that I've known my entire life, but never knew who the artist was. "No More Mr. Nice Guy" and "Generation Landslide" are both songs I've 100% heard before but, to find out who actually made them is sick. Every song on here is great, except "I Love the Dead." That song...if I can even call it that. Sounds like a sleazy slimeball redditor is whispering in my ear trying to justify necrophilia while constantly adjusting his fedora. I would 1000% listen to this again, but definitely not that song.
4
Feb 07 2025
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Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not
Arctic Monkeys
This album is boring. I can't say much else about it. Every song sounds the same and every song sounds like music you'd hear while shopping at an f.y.e in 2007, and I don't mean that positively.
1
Feb 10 2025
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Crime Of The Century
Supertramp
Didn't know what to expect when I went into this one, but I was so pleasantly surprised. This one is good, and that is no understatement.
4
Feb 12 2025
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Gorillaz
Gorillaz
I was expecting to come into this and rate it a 4/5, but good lord, this album is a trek. At 18 songs and clocking in over an hour long, this one is a doozy to try and make it through in one sitting. By the time I got to "Latin Simone" I checked the tracklist thinking I was almost done, but boy was I wrong. Some of the songs on this one just absolutely drone on and on. "Dracula" is one of them. Great groove, its just, shorten in down, man. I can understand why people were skeptical of the band at first, if this is your first outing then you get into the headspace that they overstayed their welcome a bit on this one. But it was also 2001, so every album was like this, which is crazy. Anyways, yeah, still a good album, but the rose-tinted goggles are off.
3
Feb 13 2025
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Darklands
The Jesus And Mary Chain
This is just good. Not much more to say about it. Doesn't overstay its welcome, doesn't try to wow you with unnecessary theatrics, just presents good music and gets outta there in 36 minutes. Perfect.
4
Feb 14 2025
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Debut
Björk
I now see why people still talk about this album 30 years later. This as a proper debut album is beyond insane. It's a couple songs that miss on here, but songs like "Venus as a Boy" and "Come to Me" are very solid tracks that stand the test of time. I have no idea what she was on when she made the hits on this album, but I need some of it.
3
Feb 17 2025
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At Newport 1960
Muddy Waters
Never been a big fan of blues, and this isn't the album to get me into it. I get that its influential, but its still not that interesting.
1
Feb 18 2025
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Abraxas
Santana
Dude...this album? Oh my god. I see why Action Bronson raps about Santana on a consistent basis. "Samba Pa Ti" and "Oye Como Va" are two certified slappers. Love it.
4
Feb 19 2025
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Kenya
Machito
Man. this album is loud. I'm sure its very influential to who its influential to, but to me, its just loud. Apparently there was a swing revival in the 90s and that's all this album reminds me of. Like that dancing scene in The
Mask, its cool for the context, but deafening loud and almost any other circumstance. And every song sounds exactly the same.
1
Feb 20 2025
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Gasoline Alley
Rod Stewart
I'm not completely sure why this album is on here. This is just not good. I don't know why Rod Stewart is famous, never heard a song by him, but this is a terrible introduction.
1
Feb 21 2025
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Born To Run
Bruce Springsteen
I would definitely listen to some of these again. Especially "Jungleland" and "Born To Run." The saxophones and guitars together are an insane combo. Good tunes. Its weird with rating systems that are odd numbers, because there's no middle ground so you have to be definitive. So this is a 2, but its really a 2.5. Middle ground.
2
Feb 24 2025
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Natty Dread
Bob Marley & The Wailers
This one was cool, not enough to get me into Bob.
1
Feb 25 2025
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Seventeen Seconds
The Cure
Will probably never listen to this on my own ever again. If a song comes up on shuffle, it won't get skipped, but I got my five songs I liked from it and I'm happy with that. Not too much to say about this album, I just didn't enjoy my time with it.
1
Feb 26 2025
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Veckatimest
Grizzly Bear
Perfect album. Not too much to say, everything was perfect.
5
Feb 27 2025
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Imperial Bedroom
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
This might be one of the most boring albums I've ever listened to. Had to tap out about 75% through it because my brain couldn't take it anymore.
1
Feb 28 2025
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Destroy Rock & Roll
Mylo
Yeah, this was phenomenal. I cannot believe I didn't hear about this when it first came out. I would've loved this as a kid. I've never had 55 minutes pass by so fast and blissfully. Stellar album. I need to find this on CD.
5
Mar 04 2025
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Let It Bleed
The Rolling Stones
This one was boring. It's two songs on it that are okay, but I don't like Vietnam War draft dodging theme music. As soon as I hear a fiddle on a song from British people, i'm out.
1
Mar 05 2025
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Halcyon Digest
Deerhunter
Couple good tracks, but not anything on here that's life changing.
2
Mar 06 2025
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Private Dancer
Tina Turner
Tina has one volume, loud. Even when she tries to sing lower, she's way too loud. I'm also not the biggest fan of power ballads, and every song is a power ballad. Nope.
1
Mar 07 2025
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Os Mutantes
Os Mutantes
Not as bad as thought it was gonna be, but I would never listen to this again
2
Mar 10 2025
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Let's Stay Together
Al Green
Classic, but a lot of the songs sound the exact same.
2
Mar 11 2025
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London Calling
The Clash
Classic. I love this fuckin' album. Ever since hearing "Death or Glory" in Skate 3, I had a soft spot for it, but songs like "Lover's Rock" and "Lost in the Supermarket" sent me over the edge. It's great. Just overstays its welcome a tad, but other than that? Great.
3
Mar 12 2025
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Abbey Road
Beatles
Once again, I wish you could give half ratings on these. This album is a good 2.5/5 for me. Not my favorite thing ever, not even close, but it has some redeeming qualities. Especially the sequence from "Golden Slumbers" to "Her Majesty." I'm a sucker for strings and these filled every checkbox. "Oh! Darling" satisfies my inner love of doo-wop and fascination with being a teen in the 50s. It sounds like a prom in 1950s California. The harmonies on "Octopus's Garden" are sick, the drums on "The End" are insane. Yeah, I think I still like The White Album more, but that sequence puts up a hard fight.
2
Mar 13 2025
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American Beauty
Grateful Dead
Once I got over the hump of thinking, "Oh my god, this is gonna be another hippie VW bus album, isn't it?" I was able to hear elements of things that I enjoyed. Not lyrically, but instrumentally. If these come on shuffle I won't skip. Especially "Attics of MyLife."
2
Mar 14 2025
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Pink Flag
Wire
Eh. This isn't bad per se, but boy is it not good.
1
Mar 17 2025
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Endtroducing.....
DJ Shadow
This is kinda everything you'd want from a late 90's beat tape. This and Tribe's Beats, Rhymes, & Life and more importantly Dilla gave way to those groups and producers that sounded like Jet Set Radio on steroids. Love to the pioneers who paved the way for everyone to be as weird as they wanted and have a group and a sound to call home.
4
Mar 18 2025
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The Clash
The Clash
I think this thing has caught onto the fact that I like The Clash. I've gotten this one and London Calling and have enjoyed both of them. I already own Combat Rock on CD, maybe I'll add these two to the collection as well. "Hate & War" and "Remote Control" are two favorites.
3
Mar 19 2025
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Safe As Milk
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
Another one where I'm not entirely sure why it made the cut. This being an album I "Have to hear" is insane because my life hasn't changed after this, in fact it's pretty much the same. "I'm Glad" is cool, but it would probably sound better from an actual black person, much like every single song on here.
1
Mar 20 2025
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Heartbreaker
Ryan Adams
Well, I started this and liked the songs I heard, but then I was informed that this guy is a major creep, so I stopped listening.
1
Mar 21 2025
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Pieces Of The Sky
Emmylou Harris
This album was great. A solid 4.5/5.
4
Mar 24 2025
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Chirping Crickets
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
Am I the only person, probably because I'm insane, who can't hear this music outside of the context of black people getting harassed in the background? No matter how fun this music might sound, I can't not picture that. Anyways, these are some solid tunes.
2
Mar 25 2025
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Harvest
Neil Young
This was pretty good! Only thing keeping from being a 5 is a couple tracks and the overall feeling, but if this came on again I wouldn't skip it. I'm from the South so this one feels like home to me.
3
Mar 26 2025
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25
Adele
So I didn't remember this, but apparently I had banned Adele from car rides with my gf, but after actually listening to her, I'm gonna have to rebuke that. This lady can sing, dude. All of these songs are full of life and passion. I can't wait to belt these with her on road trips.
4
Mar 27 2025
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Kind Of Blue
Miles Davis
Quintessential. Everyone showed up ready to play and make history, impeccable album.
5
Mar 28 2025
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The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter
The Incredible String Band
This is legit, without a doubt, one of the worst albums I have ever listened to. I really hate 60's hippie music, and this is the epitome of it. This sounds like, "We love the Beatles and hate showering, let's make a band and make some of the worst music anyone has ever heard in their entire lives. I don't know why this album was included or why I "had" to hear this before I died, but this sucks. This is really a zero out of five.
1
Mar 31 2025
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Brothers In Arms
Dire Straits
This album was whatever, not anything insane, but not necessarily boring, either.
1
Apr 01 2025
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Automatic For The People
R.E.M.
Went into this not expecting anything but, i'm not gonna lie, I wasn't mad at this one. Songs like "Star Me Kitten" and "Nightswimming" brought it up from a 1 to a 2 for sure.
2
Apr 02 2025
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Devotional Songs
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
Okay, so I fully went into this thinking, "There's no way I'm gonna like this. Pakistani music? Nah." But I listened to it, and after I got through the first track, the final 20 seconds of the second track made me sit up in my seat. Then, my ears tuned in, and man I have no idea what they're saying on any of these tracks, but they put nothing but passion into it and you feel it. I loved every song after the first one. Don't let the runtime scare you, this one is very very good.
4
Apr 03 2025
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Joan Baez
Joan Baez
Folk music reminds me of home, but that can only last so long. Joan's voice is super shrill on almost every song is marred by her weird delivery.
2
Apr 04 2025
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Olympia 64
Jacques Brel
Yeah, this is exactly what I thought it was going to be. You imagine Jacques standing on a stage silhouetted by a spotlight, singing his heart out. That's exactly what I got, but there were a lot of songs where it sounded like he was up there playing around, even though I know that's not the case. I enjoyed two songs, but wouldn't recommend this to anyone.
1
Apr 07 2025
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At Fillmore East
The Allman Brothers Band
Yeah, nah man. I'm good. My favorite part of the Logan's experience has always been the food. Never the music, and I don't necessarily want to bring Logan's music outside of the establishment.
1
Apr 08 2025
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Hot Buttered Soul
Isaac Hayes
Fantastic. The only thing holding this back is the length of the songs. The last track is upwards of 20 minutes. But, this album came out in the 70s, that's how things were done back then.
3
Apr 09 2025
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Ellington at Newport
Duke Ellington
Listen, I'm sure this was insane to hear in the 50s. There wasn't anything else to do back then so I'm sure listening to a 2 and a half hour album was amazing, but now? Now, all I can think is, "Wow, the songs are really good, why do I have to hear him introduce the songs and talk about the weather? I really don't care."
2
Apr 10 2025
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Surfer Rosa
Pixies
This guy's voice and the delivery...they almost made me tap out. There are some cool songs, then I found out this is the same band that made "Debaser" off the Skate 3 soundtrack, so that's cool. It would take a lot to get passed bro's voice, though.
2
Apr 11 2025
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American Gothic
David Ackles
With this album, my main question is, "Where do you play this?" Most of the songs, aren't really songs. Just talking over the same piano variations, and orchestral stabs littered throughout. Seeing that Taupin produced this makes it make more sense. This sounds like rejected Elton tunes with American themes put over them. This album, isn't good. I have no idea what context you'd play any of these songs for someone.
1
Apr 14 2025
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She's So Unusual
Cyndi Lauper
I didn't know much about Cyndi before listening, not much except for "Time After Time," and MJ looking at her disgustedly when they were recording "We Are The World." After listening, I understand why he looked at her like that. It's not even really like Cyndi is singing. She's really just hollering on almost every song. This album is only 38 minutes, but good lord are those 38 long, and loud minutes.
1
Apr 15 2025
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Funeral
Arcade Fire
Damn near perfect album, only thing that takes it down to a 4 is "Rebellion." Just not my cup of tea.
4
Apr 16 2025
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Back In Black
AC/DC
These guys are from Australia and they call them WHAT?!
4
Apr 17 2025
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Phrenology
The Roots
Okay, this one is tricky. Objectively, yes, this is a good album. But, good lord does it drone on and on, and when you realize, "Oh man, Thought is gonna rap for the entire duration of a bunch of 3 to 4 minutes songs." You start to dread the albums over an hour runtime. I love Black Thought, but good lord can he rap for a long time.
3
Apr 18 2025
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I See You
The xx
Very good album. Everyone showed up to play and remind everyone why they are the xx. I think "Say Something Loving" is my favorite. Jamie and Romy's voices are made for each other. Their harmonies are like audio honey. Love it.
4
Apr 21 2025
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Sunday At The Village Vanguard
Bill Evans Trio
It's jazz. Not much else to say, but it's jazz.
3
Apr 22 2025
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Franz Ferdinand
Franz Ferdinand
Man, I listened to this not expecting to like it at all. I mean, early 2000's indie can only go one of two ways, either its really good or it's runoff made to die over the PA systems at Hot Topics in middle America. This? This is different, it just hits all the right spots. Doesn't overstay its welcome, establishes a sound, but once it does, all the songs use the formula in different ways. That way it never gets stale. Yeah, I need this on CD.
5
Apr 23 2025
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Colour By Numbers
Culture Club
Yeah...
5
Apr 24 2025
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I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You
Aretha Franklin
This one is fine. Just fine. I can understand why its iconic, but after hearing all the songs my entire life in commercials, the impact is softened.
3
Apr 25 2025
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Vincebus Eruptum
Blue Cheer
Maaaaaaaaan turn this bullshit OFF! Blokes went into the studio, hit record and just did fuckall for 38 straight minutes. Absolutely not.
1
Apr 28 2025
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Neon Bible
Arcade Fire
Am…am I an Arcade Fire fan…?
4
Apr 29 2025
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Licensed To Ill
Beastie Boys
Nostalgia does a lot for me. We listened to this all the time with our dad as kids, but hearing it in full now, I hear a bunch of kids fooling around. Which is sick, but it sounds unpolished, they hadn't figured it out just yet, but you can feel that they have it.
3
Apr 30 2025
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1977
Ash
This album is okay, it just overstays its welcome a little too long. If it was 30-40 minute, it would be a 4. But 50 minutes is actually insane for anybody.
3
May 01 2025
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Sheet Music
10cc
I don't know if the stereotypical theatre kid existed in the 70s, but if they did, this was probably their bible. Sounds like a bunch of theatre kids making music for other theatre kids.
2
May 02 2025
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Giant Steps
The Boo Radleys
Not bad at all! Great music to have in the background while you're working or cleaning or whatever.
3
May 05 2025
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Deja Vu
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
While this isn't bad at all, it's not necessarily my cup of tea. While it isn't Vietnam War draft dodging music, it's not exactly folk, either. At time it hits that sweet spot ("Helpless" & "Deja Vu",) but other times I'm just left sitting there. Thankfully, it's only 36 minutes.
2
May 06 2025
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Parsley, Sage, Rosemary And Thyme
Simon & Garfunkel
Paul Simon being the catalyst behind everyone making Renaissance Fair music in the late 60s kind of makes me resent him, but this is okay.
2
May 07 2025
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Scott 4
Scott Walker
This one was super solid, I loved the use of strings. Only reason why this isn't a 4 is because it didn't hold my attention the entire time, but still super solid.
3
May 08 2025
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There's No Place Like America Today
Curtis Mayfield
I loved this, but I wouldn't buy it on CD but Curtis' voice is so awesome. He's one of the greatest.
3