205
Albums Rated
3.06
Average Rating
19%
Complete
884 albums remaining
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
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1950s
Favorite Decade
Grunge
Favorite Genre
US
Top Origin
Wordsmith
Rater Style ?
17
5-Star Albums
13
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Ramones
Ramones
|
5 | 3.58 | +1.42 |
|
Hard Again
Muddy Waters
|
5 | 3.61 | +1.39 |
|
Mothership Connection
Parliament
|
5 | 3.61 | +1.39 |
|
A Love Supreme
John Coltrane
|
5 | 3.63 | +1.37 |
|
Master Of Puppets
Metallica
|
5 | 3.73 | +1.27 |
|
Appetite For Destruction
Guns N' Roses
|
5 | 3.74 | +1.26 |
|
Arular
M.I.A.
|
4 | 2.83 | +1.17 |
|
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath
|
5 | 3.83 | +1.17 |
|
Songs The Lord Taught Us
The Cramps
|
4 | 2.84 | +1.16 |
|
Ten
Pearl Jam
|
5 | 3.91 | +1.09 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Amnesiac
Radiohead
|
1 | 3.41 | -2.41 |
|
The Slim Shady LP
Eminem
|
1 | 3.29 | -2.29 |
|
First Band On The Moon
The Cardigans
|
1 | 3.29 | -2.29 |
|
System Of A Down
System Of A Down
|
1 | 3.27 | -2.27 |
|
I See You
The xx
|
1 | 2.99 | -1.99 |
|
Os Mutantes
Os Mutantes
|
1 | 2.98 | -1.98 |
|
A Wizard, A True Star
Todd Rundgren
|
1 | 2.83 | -1.83 |
|
Rejoicing In The Hands
Devendra Banhart
|
1 | 2.82 | -1.82 |
|
New Boots And Panties
Ian Dury
|
1 | 2.7 | -1.7 |
|
Casanova
The Divine Comedy
|
1 | 2.67 | -1.67 |
Artists
Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Pink Floyd | 2 | 5 |
| Jimi Hendrix | 3 | 4.33 |
5-Star Albums (17)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
OutKast
3/5
It is a fun album, a bit longer than necessary. Like all art, knowing when to stop is part of the job. This would have been a much better album if the cuts were made to make one incredibly strong album. The double album just screams "self-produced vanity project". An objective producer could have tightened it up a bit.
4 likes
George Michael
4/5
Hit after hit. An album I definitely enjoyed listening to. In retrospect, I guess some of the lyrics are a bit problematic (father figure?). But genuine bops nonetheless.
3 likes
Justin Timberlake
2/5
like a room temperature bowl of water, I have no feelings about this at all. It exists, and I don't care either way.
2 likes
The Specials
4/5
As a survivor of the great ska scare of the mid-nineties, I have mixed feelings here.
A message to you Rudy is a bop, I can hear the Costello influence on the whole album.
Clearly the best of the genre. It is a comfortable blend of punk and reggae, as opposed to the rock/pop influences of later bands.
The specials want to change my mind about ska music. They don’t, but it was close.
1 likes
1-Star Albums (13)
All Ratings
Ramones
5/5
Hey ho let’s go! The punk bank that defined the genre.
Angst and indifference meet cynical humor at a relentless pounding beat with constant growling guitar and fat bass driving the melody. Catchy punk rock tunes that stick with you long past the 30 minute album stops spinning. The album cover that was imitated thousands of times over the next nearly fifty years is the perfect artwork for this classic.
Al Green
4/5
Immediately recognizable vocals of the legendary Al Green in a soul/pop crossover album.
Best listened on a speaker vs in-ear backing vocals can be mixed a bit heavy and the occasionally hard panned brass can be distracting.
Let’s Stay Together is a great pop start, then a handful of solid soul tracks, The cover of How Can You Mend a Broken Heart by the BeeGees is genius - so heartfelt where the original was a bit cheesy.
Metallica
4/5
There is so much to listen to here.
One is of course the big hit single, but deservedly so - the track shows off everything Metallica has to offer. Storytelling, relentless beat like he’s getting paid per strike, melodic bass and beautiful guitar work, and the vocals carry the emotional weight of a truly unique piece of music.
The remainder of the album is a bit more straightforward metal, done by the best.
To live is to die shows off their musical artistry.
Only down side for me is the production compressed the music so heavily where the dynamic range is practically nonexistent- to hear a live version will take the listening experience to another level!
Fatboy Slim
2/5
Hard to listen to in one sitting- moments of funky edm, but mostly just annoying. Praise You is the most listenable track. Not a fan of the genre, clearly. Why does it sound like the dentist's drill?
System Of A Down
1/5
Inarticulate anger. I get it. I’m a woman in Trump’s America. I’m angry, but not this angry. It’s just raw energy and no outlet. I don’t get the catharsis that should come with angry music, I just get angry that I’m listening to this.
Elton John
5/5
Absolute classic. So listenable
N.W.A.
4/5
Strong rap album.
The Specials
4/5
As a survivor of the great ska scare of the mid-nineties, I have mixed feelings here.
A message to you Rudy is a bop, I can hear the Costello influence on the whole album.
Clearly the best of the genre. It is a comfortable blend of punk and reggae, as opposed to the rock/pop influences of later bands.
The specials want to change my mind about ska music. They don’t, but it was close.
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
4/5
A historically important moment for the music industry. 2 guitars, multitracking were innovative for the time. The fat double bass and the loose snare drum made “rock and roll” a sound.
All the songs are short and catchy for optimal radio play. Buddy Holly had a unique sound and a big personality. This is the model the music industry mimicked for decades.
Terence Trent D'Arby
2/5
Gospel album produced like an 80s pop album. Undeniable vocal talent, very indicative of 80s pop music.
Beastie Boys
4/5
Not the best Beastie Boys album (Paul’s Boutique). This is a bit all over the place, which I understand was intentional and kind of a trend at the time. Bands didn’t want to be limited to a single genre, so albums like this happened. Little bit of rock, little bit of rap, couple of funky jazz songs- shows off the range but creates a disjointed listening experience.
Sure Shot and Sabotage are A++ songs that make the album worth the listen.
The xx
1/5
It sounds like what you would hear when watching a Hallmark movie where the main characters are in a band, so they have original music created for the movie and everyone acts like they are the most talented band ever, but we as the audience have to suspend disbelief for the sake of the storyline because the music is objectively bad.
Mike Ladd
3/5
Had to listen to this one twice to appreciate it. Not a fan of the lofi choice, but the jazz/hip hop sounds were great. I wasn’t sure if I want to describe it as eclectic or “all over the place”
Aretha Franklin
5/5
Chills. More emotional resonance in one note than some artists have in their entire discography. This album is a gift, and I am grateful for it!
The Cure
3/5
Enjoyable at times, but occasionally devolves into grating and atonal sounds with no direction. Title track was the worst offender. Cold is the most listenable song on the album.
Ella Fitzgerald
4/5
A monster of a listen. An absolutely beautiful anthology clocking in at well over 3 hours. Ella Fitzgerald elevates the music of Gershwin with her immaculate vocals. The production is clean, and the collection is beautiful to listen to. The only downside is that this isn’t so much an album as a collection of work- a legacy piece. I’m not sure what the criteria are for this list, but I would argue that anything more than a double album is not really an album.
Germs
2/5
I’m aware of the historical significance of the album and its influence on following punk albums and bands in the US. That being said, I’m not sure the music is best served recorded. I think the true value of the band really only came across live. The album was fine, well produced and clean, but that’s not very punk rock, is it?
Marvin Gaye
3/5
The popular tracks are popular for a reason- great songs. Deep with significance to the political climate of the time. The more obscure tracks are obscure for a reason also. Something about a jazz flute solo that just sends me to a dark place.
Alanis Morissette
3/5
I forgot about the great harmonica resurgence of the mid 90’s! Angry woman music, but also Canadian so not too rude about it.
Fairport Convention
2/5
Part of the great folk uprising of the late 60’s (British Version). Thinking lace bell sleeves and lots of swirling around in a field.
Pink Floyd
5/5
A cinematic listening experience. It’s dramatic and sweeping and feels like one whole piece of art instead of a collection of pieces. This album is best listened to in its entirety, but the middle tracks are great on their own as well.
Marty Robbins
4/5
A truly entertaining listen. Storytelling at its peak! “Old western” style country music where horrific tales of violent death are set to a jaunty tune.
Os Mutantes
1/5
Feels like an experimental art piece. The production is a hot mess, levels and distortion that is so obvious and irritating it has to be intentional? The artist seems to also be a big fan of ambient sound and features it is most songs. Not a fun listening experience
PJ Harvey
4/5
I would not have clocked this as a debut album. The vision is so clearly executed beginning to end. Growling bass definitive of grunge era, but this is more indie rock with a feminist bent, but I can hear the grunge to come in tracks like Victory and Sheela.
Prince
3/5
David Bowie
4/5
Not my favorite Bowie, but Changes is a classic! This is a piano forward Bowie, less guitar - an amazing talent and creator.
The National
4/5
Is intelligent rock a genre? The Dessners come up with unique and unpredictable melodies, The Devendorfs love a syncopated rhythm and the vocals of Berninger pull it all together. Kind of a downer if that’s what you are into, but a solid album
Thin Lizzy
3/5
Live recordings feel like an oxymoron. The albums just don’t capture the live experience, at best, they can make you feel like you wish you were there to experience it live, but it is never a better listening experience than a studio recording, and never as exciting as a live show. I’m sure this was a great live performance?
The Sugarcubes
4/5
Unexpectedly enjoyable. Peppy-depressing-rock-punk hyphenate. Bjork’s vocals are ethereal and raging in turns. Birthday is a highlight
Happy Mondays
3/5
Eh. Not my jam, but some people like it.
Goldie
2/5
Ugh. Another British Electronica. This one is more of an atmospheric thing. Great for being high, or for soundtracking I guess.
Pearl Jam
5/5
10/10 Generation-defining album. Intense debut album blending grunge with classic rock. Thirty years later, it still sounds fresh.
Mudhoney
3/5
Uneven hard rock album. Strong baselines. Some songs are very listenable, others, not so much. I personally don’t find the sound of feedback very musical, but to each their own.
Cocteau Twins
2/5
Reverb is the fourth band member.
Muddy Waters
5/5
Classic. They way the harmonica sits with the guitar and bass, and then Muddy Water’s vocals that are smooth and growling at the same time. A masterpiece
Guns N' Roses
5/5
Best intro to a rock album ever - this album broke us all out of the glam-hair-metal of the late 80’s and brought rock back.
George Michael
4/5
Hit after hit. An album I definitely enjoyed listening to. In retrospect, I guess some of the lyrics are a bit problematic (father figure?). But genuine bops nonetheless.
George Jones
2/5
Great vocal quality. A style of music I don’t particularly enjoy, and don’t find memorable at all.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
Classic blues album. Cohesive, fits together beginning to end.
Ravi Shankar
3/5
Educational with Ravi going over and explaining the common tempos and progressions of popular Indian music at the time. Informative and enjoyable
Bob Dylan
3/5
I think I would enjoy reading Bob Dylan much more than listening to Bob Dylan. The harmonica shoots straight through my head like a nail. And his vocals are just not appealing. Musically, I can’t get on the bandwagon, but the poetry is great.
Stan Getz
4/5
The most soothing musical listening experience I’ve ever had.
Method Man
4/5
Solid hip hop album. Steady strong beat, great samples. Layered lyrics that deserve more than a single listen.
Death In Vegas
2/5
I enjoyed it and loathed it in turns. Great background music or the most annoying sound on earth depending on the track
Johnny Cash
3/5
Not a huge fan of a live album, but as far a Johnny Cash goes - Folsom Prison is the better. Not sure why this one was chosen (assuming FP isn’t also in the list). Great set list, recording quality comes and goes, it’s ok.
Ray Charles
3/5
It is the genius of ray charles - a spectacular talent who sings like he means it. The recording isn’t the best, but a decent listen.
The Byrds
2/5
Absolutely not. I thought I was listening to a parody album for the first few tracks. It had all the elements of early country but exaggerated to comical levels. The lyrics were embarrassingly simplistic, they went in for the extra twang, and for some reason decided the fiddle wasn’t highlighted enough, so an entire track was dedicated to this tedious screeching. Later in the album, if you can stick around, you hear the Byrds that they are known for: folk/rock/hippie music that wasn’t bad, but not supremely memorable.
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
2/5
Orchestral feels like a misnomer. First track seems as though they tried to make the most sonically unpleasant music possible. The synth is just screeching with a droning beat and I forgot about the early 80’s Plinko sound that was in everything - what even is that? A few pop style songs Interspersed with someone playing around with the new synth sounds and drum tracks on their Casio.
Harry Nilsson
4/5
So unserious- just an enjoyable record to remind you that not everything has to be deep. A legitimate good time.
Weather Report
2/5
Talented musicians, bassist is killing it. I get that it is a popular/was a popular record, I just don’t find it enjoyable to listen to at all. Back half of the album is much more interesting than the first. The electronic instruments are just tedious.
Frank Sinatra
4/5
Like listening to velvet. A soothing album made more interesting because of Jobim. Excellent pairing of artists
The Zombies
3/5
It’s fine? I think I’m just getting real tired of this era of music - there are a lot on this list.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
Enjoyable, blues driven rock album.
Brian Eno
2/5
Pass
Tracy Chapman
4/5
So good. An honest and authentic folk rock album with a distinctive vocal that sticks with you long after it is finished.
Dr. Dre
3/5
Solid opening, Snoop and RBX going hard, “Nothin’ But A “G” Thang” just an A+ song. Not suitable for all audiences, but that is absolutely the point.
Elbow
2/5
Never heard of this artist, or maybe I have and don’t remember, because I just finished this album and I really don’t remember anything about it.
Carole King
4/5
Great album front to back, storytelling is strong, music is catchy while being original and honest
Circle Jerks
2/5
Punk, best I can say is, It’s short?
AC/DC
4/5
Classic. That being said, there is validity in the criticism that all of the songs sound the same.
David Ackles
3/5
Very musical theater, but in a good way? Never heard of this artist before and took a few songs before I got on board. Great vocals and storytelling Lost me again with Billy Whitecloud, but chalk it up to the times, I guess?
Arcade Fire
3/5
Great cleaning-the-house music. Enjoyable but not memorable
Led Zeppelin
4/5
Album 1 is a classic rock masterpiece- Album 2 feels more like a passion project where they dig in to their blues preferences.
Minutemen
3/5
Really short songs, punk vibe with a killer bass. Took a few songs to hit its stride, but love the groove it sat in for the majority of the album. Feels a little disjointed at times with sporadic live recordings of dubious quality and varying recording quality throughout.
4/5
Maybe a concept album, or an album with a concept written after it was recorded- doesn’t really matter. It’s a unique album that builds as it moves from track to track. suffragette city is the star track - chef’s kiss of a song. Rock n roll suicide is so musical theater, it gives off the rock opera vibe!
Mekons
1/5
Unpleasant to listen to
Bob Dylan
4/5
OK, so there are lots of famous male singers that are really not good singers (lookin' at you Billy Corgan and Dave Matthews), I guess the appeal lies in the music and lyrics?
I love this album, but when I think of the songs, I smooth out the vocals, or maybe just sing over them? When I sit to listen, Bob's voice is as grating as his harmonica. I am a study in conflict, because these songs are great.
For optimal enjoyment, get the lyrics and sing along (loudly).
Lloyd Cole And The Commotions
2/5
Very eighties pop-rock. Intellectual or pseudo-intellectual lyrics with strong synth melodies. It is decent, but not terribly memorable.
Tori Amos
4/5
A favorite album of mine. I love the way the lyrics are heavy and the instrumentation is light. The writing, while hitting very uncomfortable topics come over so authentic and honest. A very brave debut album
The Smashing Pumpkins
4/5
Very dramatic sometimes with sweeping arraignments, sometimes straight up rock gems. corgans vocals are not great, but certainly unique? If you want a 90’s rock album, it’s a great one even if it seems to have leaned heavily into its own importance.
Orange Juice
2/5
First of all, “post punk” couldn’t be more of a misnomer for this genre. “Not related in any way to punk” would be more fitting. “Hey listen to this funny sound I can make with my keyboard” would also work, as would “saxophone solo out of nowhere” or “aggressive background vocals that are very much in the foreground”.
It’s a very typical example of the genre albeit with a self deprecating sense of humor like only the Scottish can do.
Ray Charles
3/5
The title is a bit confusing, as it is an early R&B/pop/jazz/rock - literally anything but country. The Ray Charles versions of these songs are so popular, I didn't know that these were originally country songs. RC is a unique talent that makes every song he sings sound like it was written for him.
Iron Maiden
4/5
So Dramatic! Who knew the heavy metal crowd was so emotional? Musical theater and heavy metal combined to produce this unique sound. It is a genuinely entertaining piece of work.
King Crimson
3/5
Nope
Nick Drake
2/5
Very calm, soothing, pleasant and ultimately forgettable. Folk/jazz with extra soft vocals. A few instrumental tracks. On the whole, I’m completely ambivalent about this album.
New Order
3/5
Very much what you expect from mid eighties English rock. Generally enjoyable, vocals aren’t great when he is belting, but otherwise, ok.
Frank Sinatra
3/5
It’s Frank. It’s good, but so were the last two Frank Sinatra albums on this list. Not certain of the significance of this one.
X-Ray Spex
3/5
Kind of embarrassed I had never heard this before. Definitely an album I should hear before I die, even if I never choose to hear it again.
This album had so much energy! The vocals are great- punk, but also melody. A squeaky sax is not my favorite, but it works really well here. A surprise find for me!
Ian Dury
1/5
“I don’t want to make you, I’ll let the fancy take you” That’s creepy as hell. I get it’s supposed to be funny, but - ew.
Missy Elliott
4/5
Legitimately fun album. I think the vo/explainers were unnecessary, but the whole album is so well produced and every track is a bop. Worth the listen!
Crosby, Stills & Nash
3/5
The falsetto harmony is so grating. Unfortunately, it’s their signature sound. “Song with no words” is unforgivably irritating. While I loathe the vocals, the instrumentation is fantastic. The guitars and Leslie amp on the keys get that psych-rock vibe down, the drums are crystal clear and the bass leans on funk and pulls it all together.
Patti Smith
3/5
A poet who is not a singer
Bobby Womack
3/5
Enjoyable soul/r&b. Not overproduced, but a clean recording that preserves the rawness of the vocals.
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
Clearly stereo was fun and new with this recording as the engineer sweep-pans the instruments back and forth throughout the first track. That fun trick aside, Hendrix was a phenomenal guitarist and his talent is on full display here.
Killing Joke
2/5
Heavy metal but not really? Not great.
Joni Mitchell
4/5
It’s a jazzier Joni Mitchell, but still very sleepy and soothing. Absolutely pleasant to listen to while not exactly life altering.
The Black Keys
4/5
Solid rock album. "Howlin for you" is a star on the record
Queen
4/5
Not the best Queen album, but the you can hear glimpses of future Queen and where they were going to take their sound. The musical talent is undeniable, the theatrical quality is beginning to emerge, vocal arrangements are already complex, with multi-layered harmonies. This must have been a stunner when it first came out, I can't imagine there was anything like it at the time.
Faith No More
2/5
I can only assume that this album made the list in spite of the vocals and lyrics. Honestly, the vocals and a wild choice and not in a good way. Is this the precursor to the Emo bands we were assaulted by the following decade?
A shame, honestly, because the bass and drums are absolute stars on this album.
I’m hearing strong Red Hot Chili Peppers, Queensryche, and Living Color “influences” here.
A cover of Epic with a strong vocal is hopefully in the works somewhere.
Foo Fighters
4/5
A solid rock album that threads the needle between grunge, punk, and metal. It felt like a Dave Grohl solo album, but a fantastic start to what was to come.
Paul Simon
4/5
Not sure I'm qualified to speak on the appropriateness of a moderately wealthy American white guy "highlighting" the street music of apartheid era South Africa on his hugely popular record with his name at the top. For context, all music at this time that wasn't english speaking western music was called "World Music", so clearly there was some work to do there.
A very listenable record on the whole. Upbeat, catchy Diamonds, Al, and Graceland are the big bops on this one
Thelonious Monk
4/5
It’s Thelonious Monk, but it’s also Rollins, Henry, Terry and Roach that bring the vision to life. If you like jazz, you will love this. If you hate jazz, buckle up for the jazziest jazz record out there.
This is a treasure of an album, songs played by the absolute best at what they do.
M.I.A.
4/5
Every few weeks I get an album that reminds me of why I am doing this project. I have heard of M.I.A., but never listened to M.I.A. - I didn't know what I was missing. Lots of layers/cultural influences, strong beats. I really enjoyed this. Paper Planes was the radio hit, and much more laid back than the rest of the album.
Garbage
4/5
Great 90's grunge rock. It is extremely well produced, which might be to its detriment - feels a bit slick? Garbage was popular, but also kind of lost in the push of similarly marketed bands. I was happy for the opportunity to give it another listen, because it really is a good record.
The Police
3/5
In the year of our lord 2025, I am not confident in discussing the questionable taste of a band named "The Police" naming their album "White Reggae." Hindsight, am I right?
I'm let off the hook a bit by the fact that this is not reggae - white or otherwise. It's not not there, but more of an homage than a straight up appropriation. Maybe I'm making excuses, I don't know.
Message in a Bottle is a solid start to the album. Walking on the Moon - I just love the guitar riffs on this, with the strolling beat - a classic. No Time This Time is a hard skip, and really out of place here.
The Chemical Brothers
2/5
It’s ambient background music- it’s good ambient background music, but background nonetheless.
3/5
A soul/funk jam band. Not the party-hippie jam band, more like a jazz jam band. The recording is tight, sounds amazing. Glad I got to hear this one.
Nick Drake
3/5
Soothing. More lullaby than folk, Nick Drake is the og Jack Johnson.
Nanci Griffith
2/5
Very light and feminine(?) country. Nothing especially memorable, but pleasant to listen to
Todd Rundgren
1/5
Well, that was something. I have no idea what it was, but it was definitely something. Self described as "hallucinogenic inspired", about as interesting as someone describing their "weird" dream to you. Hard to get invested in whatever he is trying to do here.
Blue Cheer
2/5
The first Heavy Metal album. OK, I guess? I'm not getting Heavy Metal here, but the covers - which is half the album, are certainly hard rock with a big blues influence.
Arcade Fire
2/5
I fear this album suffers from being crushed by the weight of its own gravitas.
It's fine, but is trying so hard to be meaningful that it comes off as just insufferable.
Metallica
5/5
SO good, lots of layers - you hear something new each time, so it never gets old.
Hanoi Rocks
3/5
Absolutely refreshing after so many depressing "message" albums in a row. Just stupid fun rock.
Oasis
2/5
Oasis has escaped me thus far. I found it self indulgent with an unsubstantiated sense of self importance back then, and time hasn't changed my mind. Maybe I'm missing something, but its just mid rock with delusions of grandeur.
The Verve
2/5
So depressing.
The meds-aren't-working, existential crisis kind of depressed.
Shot-the-heroin-and-didn't-die kind of depressed.
If this is a favorite album of yours, I'm calling in a wellness check.
Eminem
1/5
sigh.
Eminem is a fantastic rapper - his wordsmithing isn't exactly highbrow on this album, but his writing can be brilliant.
The Slim Shady persona was supposed to be shocking, saying things you "can't say". But, as it turns out, this is exactly what incels sound like. There is a frightening number of people who feel Slim Shady gave them permission to think this way about women - that they weren't alone in their violent fantasies.
I don't want to be a downer here, but I'd much rather listen to another eminem record.
The Flaming Lips
4/5
I love this one and completely forgot about it. It's just so dang pleasant to listen to. Kind of dreamy, sweeping and quietly dramatic. It is best listened to in the whole while there are a few tracks that stand great on their own. Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots pt1 is my favorite and will be stuck in my head all day!
Bill Callahan
3/5
I have never heard of this artist before. His voice is soothing while his lyrics are absolutely not. I saw it was categorized as country, but it would fit better in a dad-rock/existential crisis category.
I am also a child of "linger on" and I feel the Lou Reed influence here.
"I put God away" is a wild way to end...
Not sure if I am adding any of these to my personal playlist - I wouldn't want to drive off a bridge - but I was glad to have listened to it.
Janelle Monáe
4/5
I guess it is a concept album, but it feels like a soundtrack to a movie I would love to see. Janelle Monae is an extraordinary talent.
The Smiths
2/5
I try to keep an open mind. I really do, but I just can't with this. Why is he moaning? Is it the man flu? Existential ennui? Good lord, pull it together.
There is decent music behind the moaning, so that's something.
The Byrds
2/5
I liked it better than their previous folk albums. I'm guessing this wanted to be more of a psychedelic record, but it kind of flops all over the place between folk, experimental and psychedelic. Three Mile High is a decent song but the sitar-sounding guitar bits are a little tedious. Hey Joe was an unnecessary cover.
Arctic Monkeys
3/5
Just a really good brit-rock album. It's so consistently good throughout the album, that no track sounds better or worse than another. A Certain Romance is my favorite - great bass lines, strong guitar and the classic Arctic Monkeys vocal.
Ice T
3/5
Old school west coast rap is so listenable. Ice T was super progressive at the time. Bitches 2 is practically a feminist anthem (for the time). Legitimately though, he’s funny, topical, and the beats are strong.
John Coltrane
5/5
An album you can get lost in. Just a beautiful piece of music.
Bob Dylan
3/5
Starts off great with "Like a Rolling Stone", love "Ballad of a Thin Man". I have a personal grudge against whoever gave this man a harmonica - that sound goes through your head like a nail.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
Such a pleasant listen. This is roots reggae at its best - social and political message delivered - not offensively or defensively - but rather, just truth of what is. Musically, the Wailers are riding the groove and don't slip the entire album - absolutely solid.
The Allman Brothers Band
3/5
I have big feeling about live albums, and they aren't good. It's like someone telling you about a really good show you didn't see. At best, you don't care. At worst, you feel like you missed out on something special. The live experience can't be captured which is why it is so special.
This album tries- and this is the band to try it with. This is a live band, each night a little different, each jam having its own life. Sorry I missed the show.
Teenage Fanclub
2/5
Thank god for Nirvana, because this what what we were going to get for 90's rock.
It's fine for what it is, not particularly groundbreaking or interesting. Kind of a garage band feel, but with occasional surprising harmonies or violins. The jangly-out of tune guitars are a bit much after a few tracks, and FYI -feedback isn't an instrument, so the minute-long feedback solos are not fun to listen to.
OutKast
3/5
It is a fun album, a bit longer than necessary. Like all art, knowing when to stop is part of the job. This would have been a much better album if the cuts were made to make one incredibly strong album. The double album just screams "self-produced vanity project". An objective producer could have tightened it up a bit.
King Crimson
2/5
It is sonic, but not always music. I don't hate it, but I'm also not high enough to enjoy or appreciate it.
This album makes me uncomfy. Maybe that's the objective, but I don't see why it should be.
Buena Vista Social Club
4/5
An absolute delight to see this one pop up on a Friday after a long week. So pleasant and infectious, a mood-changer for sure.
R.E.M.
4/5
Enjoyable album, lots of radio hits on this one, but Find the River is a favorite
Bob Dylan
3/5
124 albums in and this is the third Dylan album. I fear he is over-represented on this list.
SHB is a classic and great start to the album.
I like this album the best of all of his so far, but for the love of my eardrums, why with the harmonica?
5/5
I have nothing to add that hasn't been said.
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
Normally, I get super irritated by the number of double albums I am presented with here. Not this one. Just an amazing presentation of talent, passion and creativity. It is rock, blues, maybe some jazz and some soul - but it all sits together as a whole listening experience. Just extraordinary.
Amy Winehouse
5/5
I could listen to this a million times and never tire of it.
Rage Against The Machine
3/5
It's rage, for sure, but the bass makes it music. The earnestness is a bit exhausting, hard to listen to the whole thing in one sitting. Saved by the bass
The Prodigy
3/5
Relentless electronic dance music. This album was super popular at the same time amphetamines made a huge comeback - makes sense.
Devendra Banhart
1/5
Stop it right now. The guitar is nice, but the vocals? holy god, stop.
Deerhunter
2/5
"oh why oh why" indeed.
This is what I imagine the inside of Perry Farrell's head sounds like when heavily medicated.
Paul McCartney and Wings
3/5
McCartney is a hitmaker. A pop icon if you will. Not a dud on the album. Is it groundbreaking? No. Is it the Beatles? Of course not. It's still a great listen.
Pet Shop Boys
2/5
Upbeat dance music. Instantly forgettable.
The Beach Boys
3/5
"This is the worst trip I've ever been on"
Concept album (ugh). Groundbreaking masterpiece at the time, but maybe you had to be there? Reminds me of circus/carousel music but make it trippy.
Enjoyed a few tracks - Sloop John B and God Only Knows, and the stereo versions are much more pleasant than the mono.
Joan Armatrading
3/5
This is great - not my preferred style of music, but undeniably the best I've heard in the genre. If this is what the rest of 70's folk music sounded like, I wouldn't hate it so much. Tall In The Saddle is a great song
Electric Light Orchestra
2/5
ELO is doing too much. This album has so much going on in each song - instrumentation, effects, vocals - it is exhausting after about 10 minutes. Mr. Blue Sky is a great song, and one of my favorites, but if I had to listen to an hour of this before I heard it, I never would have made it. Self-produced albums are so easy to spot.
Supergrass
3/5
it's "Alright"
Yes
3/5
But for the vocals, I think I enjoyed this album. It is very bass forward and the guitar is excellent. The ten minute songs are interesting enough to keep me listening. I dunno, I get it.
Nightmares On Wax
3/5
I'll need to remember this album when I need to have background music on, but don't want to be distracted by it. I'm not sure "easy to forget it is even playing" is a ringing endorsement, but I didn't hate it.
The Cardigans
1/5
Hated this. Viscerally. Lovefool is catchy, but -by far- the best of the album. Iron Man is a crime and charges should be filed.
Drive Like Jehu
2/5
I keep hearing glimmers of legit musical talent, then someone starts screaming (indecipherably, but he feels some type of way to be sure). Followed almost immediately by feedback that threatens to shake your fillings out. It's 10AM, I just can't.
Beck
4/5
Oh my god, who hurt you?!? This is not the fun, quirky "loser" Beck. This is a Beck that has been through some shit. Lost Cause is an immediate add to favorites - heartbreaking.
Super Furry Animals
3/5
Strikes me as one of those 90's bands that "don't like to be labeled" as far as their music goes. This shit is all over the place - I don't hate it, I'm just not sure what the plan is here. Starts off rockin', slides into a jam-band sound, was that a flute solo? Now here's one that sounds like a Social Distortion coverband.
I can't figure it out. Points for making me try though.
Madonna
2/5
Musically, it all sounds like a club remix of an original I've never heard.
It is almost cartoonish how stereotypical this point of her career was. 40 year old wealthy white lady "discovers" Kabbalah and yoga- can't stop telling everyone about it.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
Sympathy for the Devil is an A+ song.
As an inhabitant of the American South, I am so amused by English folks' impression of country music. Adorable.
Keith Jarrett
4/5
I listened first, then read the Wiki - improvised !?!
This is a beautiful captured moment of extraordinary musical virtuosity. Whether or not this is your type of music, it is absolutely something you need to hear, and I am glad the list made room for it.
M.I.A.
4/5
This is a complex album. On the surface, the beats are a bit repetitive, and the vocals are also a bit plain. After a few tracks, the repetitive becomes catchy, the vocals become political statements, and the layers of musical sounds become very interesting.
I enjoyed this so much more than I thought.
Giant Sand
3/5
OK. I didn't enjoy it, but I didn't hate it
David Bowie
2/5
Not every Bowie album is a must listen.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
Great to hear the origins of the band with this one. This is the music that they drew their inspiration from, and hearing them do authentic and underproduced covers of great blues music highlights the bands musicianship.
The Coral
2/5
Oh, for the love...
early aughts "rock" that leans heavily on reggae, hold on - make that 60's psych, no... wait - polka? Ugh. it's a soup of mid rock that is trying to find a sound that sticks, but does not. None of it is bad, but none of it feels authentic.
4/5
Muse is a big sound. It is so slick-the music equivalent of a Marvel movie. But just because it it crazy slick and hella produced doesn't mean it is bad. If I need to feel the motivation on the treadmill like I am running through a dystopian, evil-robot filled landscape, this is the music to get me there!
The Chemical Brothers
2/5
Gah- not for me. It's catchy at times, but in the way a jackhammer is catchy after a while.
Laura Nyro
2/5
Not for me. One of those voices that sets my teeth on edge. No shade on this artist, it was a popular sound at the time.
The Who
5/5
I could have sworn I didn't like The Who, but I can't think of a reason why - I guess I was just being contrary, because this is a phenomenal album.
Snoop Dogg
2/5
Magazine
3/5
This is hard to review, because I never want to hear this again, but there was nothing notably wrong with it.
Kendrick Lamar
4/5
Unmatched talent. The album reset the bar for the possibilities of the genre.
Public Enemy
3/5
would have been a 4 but I had Kendrick Lamar yesterday
Massive Attack
2/5
I liked the beats and the instrumentation, but the soft jazz sounding vocals (it was a popular sound at the time) took me out.
Hole
3/5
Starts strong, some real bangers here. The nasal 90's grunge vocals get tedious after a bit.
Iggy Pop
4/5
Love this album. Nothing earth shattering, just enjoyable as hell.
The Cramps
4/5
Mad fun album
Grateful Dead
2/5
The value of this album eludes me.
Elvis Presley
4/5
Has the "seasoned performer" Elvis with a legit Memphis style blues band - some real bangers on this one. Suspicious Minds is a killer.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
3/5
It's a vibe.
Boards of Canada
2/5
I can't think of a single scenario where anyone would sit down and listen to this by choice. Downer electronica is not it for me.
Yes
3/5
A couple of truly great songs and a fair amount of noodling.
Cream
3/5
This felt like a chore. 33 minutes felt like 2 hours. Started out great with Strange Brew and Sunshine, but I could have stopped there.
Django Django
2/5
Couldn't do it. I was so disinterested in what this album was doing, I couldn't make it through.
1/5
Why? Stop it.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
3/5
OK, they are not ALL great songs, but Breakdown and American Girl are worth the listen.
Parliament
5/5
It's fun, funny, undeniably funky and a great listen.
Black Sabbath
5/5
Riffs on Riffs. Every part of this combines to create something special and unique. I get it.
Suicide
2/5
Ahead of its time- Interesting, experimental and a little weird, the originality/historical significance makes it cool. First track, Ghost Rider, was the best. A few were not listenable, but I see the vision. Worth hearing (once) because it certainly inspired (better) music to come.
The Cure
3/5
Very chill album, mostly instrumental moody music.
Jimi Hendrix
5/5
no notes
The Velvet Underground
4/5
I love and hate the music on this album in turns. I can't with Nico, at all. Heroin and I'm Waiting for the Man are all-time favorite songs, but there is a fair amount of experimental art-house stuff that is hard to listen to. extra points for inspiring artists to come?
Otis Redding
4/5
The covers are great and there are only a few originals, but great ones at that. It's recorded well - clean, but keeping a natural live sound. A classic that is always listenable.
Nirvana
4/5
Seems like two goals were attempted separately -
1. money train keeps rolling with the radio ready hits (A+ great songs)
2. "I'm not a sell-out even though I sold A LOT" musician ego fed with the f-you feedback screaming rage songs (visceral, I feel it, we are pissed about some shit).
Nirvana was a monolith at this point (clearly not the artists' choice) They could have recorded anything and the critics would have said it was the best ever recorded.
Pixies
3/5
Not always an enjoyable listening experience, but there is something special in the water. The Pixies were "alternative music" before it took over the industry for a decade. You can hear the influence they had on the mega bands to come.
David Gray
3/5
Groundbreaking? No.
Enjoyable? Absolutely.
Folk music with electronic beats is just hard to take seriously.
Nirvana
5/5
So vulnerable and sad and intimate. The beauty is in the imperfections. It is a rare moment of authenticity brought to you by the world's least likely source - MTV.
Manic Street Preachers
3/5
Nothing bad to say, I'm just indifferent to this album.
Simple Minds
2/5
Ugh, what a chore.
Violent Femmes
4/5
Gen X Roll Call!
Quiet rage, sarcastic self-deprecation, kind of inappropriate, and a bit off-key. Good stuff.
Tortoise
2/5
If there was a soundtrack for a head cold this would be it.
Robert Wyatt
1/5
I appreciate a good experiment, I just don't want to participate in this one
Radiohead
1/5
whining is my absolute least favorite sound.
James Brown
2/5
An extraordinary entertainer. Live album, not so much.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
I usually like Elvis Costello, but this one didn't hit.
Pink Floyd
5/5
It's a whole thing.
Fugees
3/5
Nice groove, the album has a listenable flow throughout
Billy Bragg
2/5
As a project, it is interesting. Billy Bragg and Wilco were hand-picked to give life to Guthrie's words, and they did a good job. I just didn't particularly enjoy it.
Pixies
2/5
Not the best Pixies album, by a lot.
Ghostface Killah
3/5
not for me
Wu-Tang Clan
3/5
Excellent for cleaning the house.
Paul Simon
3/5
Short and pleasant.
The Divine Comedy
1/5
This isn't a parody album? BSFFR. This 1001 album experiment might just end here.
Duran Duran
3/5
Enjoyable - Rio is catchy as hell and just a great pop hit.
The Band
2/5
ugh. the trend when male vocalists had to sound like they are in agony to have gravitas. Fortunately, the vocals are drowned out by the keys, so there is that.
Justin Timberlake
2/5
like a room temperature bowl of water, I have no feelings about this at all. It exists, and I don't care either way.
Beastie Boys
4/5
Love it
Fela Kuti
3/5
Energetic, great beats, not my vibe, but I get it.
Sister Sledge
3/5
Fun - infinitely sampled, and for good reason. A feel-good album. It is not a life-changer, but it is a bop.