Bowie does his best attempt at soul without abandoning his glam/pop rock sensibilities. Relative to all music, Young Americans is fun, short, and inoffensive. Bowie takes a back seat in favor of the music, and to his credit the instrumentation/orchestration is well done. However, I think Bowie's contributions get overshadowed by the other vocalists and performances. It is nowhere near the best that the genre has to offer, and, frankly, what Bowie has to offer. Can't be a hater if this is an album you really enjoy, but I was largely unmoved. A+ album cover though.
3.5/5
Not my jam, but I see why a generation loved it.
A lot more intense than Judas Priest, and for that, it gets a bump. With a genre like metal, the intensity and extremity are to its benefit. While I am always a fan of genre blending, diversion from the core ideas begins a tightrope walk that few artists successfully traverse. This is bread and butter heavy metal. Flirtations with glam rock begone. Still not my jam. Across the board, terrible album art. 3.5/5
An album full of so much life. Emblematic of the time and the psychedelic movement. Backed by great, blues-based instrumentation, Janis absolutely owns the album. I never doubted her place in the pantheon of vocalists, but she really is phenomenal. I could feel her physically owning the space in the concert of my mind. This is especially incredible considering how vibrant the genre is. A lesser performer would have been washed out by the music. Really only held back by the fact that I'm not the biggest psych rock guy. Nevertheless, they're undeniable.
Favorite Track: Ball and Chain
8/10
Too jangly. I know there's a dad out there that gets transported to the peak of his 20s listening to this.
Favorite Song: Forest Fire
5/10
The prog bois just fuckin around. Don't know how I feel about it being keyboard driven. Interesting concept but flawed, boring execution. Feel like it should be harder to make prog rock boring.
3.5/10
Favorite Song: Blues Variation
Experimental and inaccessible. If your only reference point for Kate Bush is Hounds of Love (which was the case for me), this is certainly a jarring record. Haters are understood. However, I really enjoyed the soundscape. It was like a dream with nightmares waiting around the corner. Maybe more accurately it felt like one of those really weird dreams where you're not necessarily scared, but you are disturbed and largely confused. Certainly not better than Hounds of Love. I mean, generally, speaking there are few albums that are. However, I appreciate when an artist lets their wildest ambitions run wild in spite of accessibility, particularly when it's this theatrical. Flawed? Sure. Difficult? Perhaps. Authentic? Absolutely.
7.7/10
Favorite Song: Suspended in Gaffa/The Dreaming
I feel like I'm missing something. It may just be the lack of context, but outside of a handful of songs, this felt like nothing particularly groundbreaking. Not to say it's bad by any means, but I don't get why it's so lauded. I've never found Mick to be particularly captivating on records and the songwriting doesn't compensate for me. Good, not great.
Rating: 7/10
Favorite Song: Monkey Man
I'm sorry this either needed more PCP or more black people. It's music like this that makes the exorcisms at Elvis shows make sense. Pleasent layered vocals and some catchy hooks, but if I'm going to listen to something white from this era, why not just throw on Rubber Soul or the Beach Boys. Like can you imagine watching Jimi Hendrix open for these jingle jangle, step side to side and snap mfers. Nothing bad about the music, but I'm just like this is what y'all listened to when you wanted to have a good time?
Rating: 6/10
Floydian with distortion. Kinda insists upon itself, but I'm not offended. I would rather listen to its component sounds/genres than listen to their synthesis.
7/10
Favorite Song: Cop Shoot Cop...
You know I can't say I'm surprised. This is the first album we've gotten that has any black people involved, and I went to check the top reviews. Lo and behold they're fairly negative, which is fine on its face. Then you see its "technically music" or that it "shows its age." Yeah, that's almost all music you dumb cunt. You're telling me you listen to Vivaldi and you're like "did this come out in 2018?" Fuck off. Art is stealing. Color me surprised that there's music now that sounds similar but "better." Unless I hear them say a bunch of slurs, I'm not going to take "it sounds like when it came out" as a serious criticism. Shoutout the review saying it "shows its age[,] could only be from 92-95." Reading skills are preferred but not required I suppose. I'm not saying this is a paragon of quality, but why do you have to question whether its music all of a sudden. I don't even particularly love this album, but I will go to war for it.
A fun synthesis of sounds from African, Carribean, and African American culture. Just great vibes. Not do coke vibes (shoutout Belly), which may have been expected from a dance album in the 80s, more like keeping a good groove going in the dance hall vibes. It's a marathon not a sprint. And suck my dick, this has a timeless quality.
7.8/10
Favorite Song: Back to Life (I mean what else could it be)
Get it twisted. You will never become a generational singer-songwriter. Your talents and efforts mean nothing to a cold, indifferent universe that will send Joni Mitchell to mog the ever-living shit out of you. You think you're safe, hiding in your genre. Sitting there thinking to yourself "I don't make folk rock; she can't hurt me." Then out of nowhere, like she's serving a warrant, Joni kicks in your door and says, "I learned jazz bitch." She proceeds to give you a tight, all killer no filler project. Just spitting hot lead for 37 minutes. Pay attention folks. This is how you blend genres. Sad to see it didn't win AOTY, but if you're going up against peak Stevie, I get it. Joni and Stevie battling it out in '75. Can you imagine? In the year of our lord 2025, I've got to seriously consider if Jacob Collier is going to win a Grammy. We used to be a country.
9/10
Favorite Song: Free Man in Paris/Trouble Child
A chill vibe incorporating sounds largely abandoned in the 70s mainstream. A revival if you will. Mark Knopfler has interesting vocal moments on the album paired with punchy riffs and some fun solos. Setting out for good vibes, not to reinvent the wheel. However, I can see how the schtick got stale. At some point we must clap for the piano playing dog because he's good at playing the piano, not because he's a dog. Also, I must say it is funny hearing Brits play roots rock. What's a polar bear doing in Arlington, TX?
Favorite Song(s): In the Gallery/Wild West End
Rating: 6.8
It's 1997. Tony Blair, head of the Labour party, was just elected PM. Britain and the rest of the western world are welcoming a new age of globalism, advancement, and technology. Fears of these are present, but they are exclusively the thoughts of a minority. Hope is in the air. Within the same time, Radiohead is coming off the heels of The Bends. A commercial and critical success that cemented Radiohead as a band with more to offer than one hit song. True artists who can move the masses, both figuratively and literally to the music store. The label was perfectly happy to be in a position to push another grunge/alt rock followup and rake in the cash. An act to place alongside other great bands like U2 Nirvana and Pearl Jam. Hope was in the air.
In the face of all this optimism and excitement, Radiohead secluded themselves in St Catherine's Court and recorded a defiant piece of work, leaving behind a singular masterpiece. A cold, anxious, and dejected synthesis of alt rock and their electronic era to come. Musically it is dense, layered, and practically epileptic at moments. Lyrically, through somewhat elliptical storytelling, Radiohead predicted the quiet horrors neoliberalism and globalism would wreak on society. A culture of apathetic worker drones propped up by opiate technology and anti-depressants. Even to this day we are seeing Thom Yorke's words come to life. A torchbearer of postmodern thought in popular music, capturing a moment that only exists in retrospect. When only the jester could see Hannibal at the gate.
Truly one of the most moving things I've ever listened to. It perfectly captures the feeling of the 00's politics and the dawn of the Internet Age. It provides an artificial ice that encapsulates my feelings about the 21st century. An illusory projection of feeling. The ghost of human society trudging about. I can't say much more that hasn't already been said. A basic answer, but it's my favorite cut from Radiohead. A desert island album even.
Favorite Song: Let Down
Rating: 10/10
You ever get so horny you start layering sting instruments with electronic production? Bjork solidified her place in the Asian-looking but not Asian HOF with this one. I prefer Post but can appreciate the interesting genre combinations on Vespertine. Intimate in a very peculiar way. It's certainly your favorite artist's favorite album, but I'm not your favorite artist.
Rating: 8.4
Favorite Song: Frosti
A case of where context drives a lot of the assessment. As the first hardcore LP, it cannot be understated how important this album is. As the sub-genre began populating various scenes across the US, one has to assume the first long form recording played a role in such propagation. If you want a good idea what the hardcore is, it certainly delivers the core concept. Freneticism.
Even as a fan of the sub-genre, I find myself wanting more. I really can't stand Crash. I can't really explain why. With plenty of bands following shortly after, I can't say this album is my first choice. Maybe a little too much Johnny Rotten for something that should be more intense, or maybe I've been spoiled by the guttural vocalists that followed him. For better or worse his vocals certainly serve as standard punk fair. It's the rest of the band that really carries the album for me. Pat Smear shows why he became a seasoned performer in the alt-rock scene and Lorna Doom deftly executes bassline after bassline. All of this topped by an incredible studio team. I mean Joan Jett, props. This is how you record and mix bass.
Rating: 7.8/10
Favorite Song: Lexicon Devil
Wouldn't have learned it without this album generating, but kinda crazy he's responsible for the basic set up for a band (two guitars, bass, and drums). With everything going on kinda spooky we got a singer plane crash victim. A fun album, but there's plenty of music I'd rather listen to. Shoutout Buddy though. We wouldn't have gotten so many cool whites without him.
Rating: 7/10
Favorite Song: That'll be the day
I think I've found a nuanced and novel critique for Mr. Dylan. My most original thought. I don't like his voice.
Don't go gay Bob
Rating:5/10 (Full points for writing, -5 for the voice)
Favorite Song:
Why does the album cover kinda remind me of Britt Lower in Severance? That aside, what a debut. Drawing on various inspirations to form a real heater of an alternative album, Supergrass effectively capture lightning in a bottle. They embody youth in such a highly effective manner without sacrificing musical virtuosity or technicallity.
Rating: 8.3
Favorite Song: She's so loose/Time
I will certainly give it props for how daring it is. In retrospect, its revolutionarily daring. I see why Warhol took special interest. Be it because my ears have been sullied by its progeny or I'm not giving it the fairest shake, it only teeters on great. Lyrically, I don't find Lou to be my favorite writer. Musically, this album just doesn't move me. Maybe it's a little too "proto." Not quite the defined alt sound I want and not quite the polish the band would quickly develop into. A "to each their own" moment I suppose. I acknowledge its importance to a lot of the musicians I praise and genres I enjoy, but my personal enjoyment trumps context.
Rating: 7.7/10
Favorite Song: Heroin
For a live album you'd expect the energy to get across, but it didn't. Could not for the life of me tell you why. I'm sure this went crazy in-person, but a somewhat muted mix coupled with a genre I'm only interested to the extent it merges with punk is not a good equation. I'm sure someone could explain to me how, at the time, this was a high-quality live recording especially for a genre like this, and I would believe you. But you fail to consider that I don't give a shit.
Rating: 5.7
Favorite Song: Bomber
Doing a vocal jazz album (I know it's not exactly a jazz album) is a tall task. You don't have to just be a good singer you have to be captivating. Nothing less. Otherwise, you have a perfectly agreeable vocal jazz album. This is especially true when we're talking about covers. This is a truly bizarre sentence, but, unfortunately, Norah Jones is a good singer. I'm Really only like two degrees of Kevin Bacon away from Amy. But boy do those two Bacons count. The album tries to trick you into thinking its more than it is by mixing genres, but it fails to be outstanding in either melding or execution of a singular sound. It's like fireworks. You had my attention for a little, but once we're on minute 27 you gotta show me more. Someone very well may be along for the ride for the whole 40 min show, but that ain't my ass. I've seen fireworks before. No shade to Norah. She made an enjoyable album, which is better than most. However, I'm supposed to be putting this shit up against absolute bangers.
Rating: 6.85
Favorite Song: Come Away with Me
Fuck Morrissey. Stupid cunt
Rating: 8 (The worst person you know makes a good point)
Favorite Song: There is a Light that Never Goes Out (If only for the bus-based jokes)
People are generally split 50/50 on Prince's greatest work. I fall squarely in this camp. Whereas Purple Rain is a contained, all killer mainstream dream, Sign O' the Times bends the bounds of genre. It's musically inventive, daring, and still a really fucking good time. Its track after track of jaw-dropping virtuosity that cemented him as a peerless composer, especially when you consider a fair number of tracks were spit out at an alarming speed. It may not have his catchiest lyrics, but if that's what you're looking for, go buy a greatest hits album. I'd also argue he rivals Michael as a performer here with how incredible his work in the upper register.
Also, it feels almost ancillary given how amazing the music is, but it should be mentioned this album is easily Prince's most successful attempt at being political. It's not complicated, but it never needs to be. The album showcases that his strongest political statements were made via stories of existence and survival, not straight recitations of political statements (I'm lookin at you Welcome 2 America). Androgyny was certainly not a foreign concept in rock/pop, but Prince truly played jump rope with the gender binary, especially on this album. The scrapped Camille tracks offer an interesting dimension to the album and push the boundaries of a gender binary. Prince historically matched the likes of Bowie, but Camille upped the ante. The coolest rockstar artificially pushed his already-falsetto delivery to replicate as much femineity as possible. I'm glad that Third Man Records is planning a release of the remaining recordings, but we are lucky Prince already decided to give us a taste of his alter ego.
In short, I can't heap enough praise on this album. A tour de force that perfectly summarizes Prince as an individual. Funny, profane, horny, audacious, and singular. Game, blouses.
Rating: 10/10
Favorite Song: Sign O' the Times /If I was Your Girlfriend/Slow Love/ Hot Thing
Ms. Vega does little to step out of the shadows of her inspirations. I enjoyed the conversationalnism of it all, but I'm not particularly dazzled by any particular component. As an aside The Queen and the Soldier kinda gave Kacey Musgrave
Rating: 5.9
Favorite Song: Straight Lines/Neighborhood Girls
The fact this came out in 98 is crazy. There is almost nothing going on. It's just a wall of hard rock (derogatory). It doesn't even have context to help support lackluster and uninteresting musicianship. You had decades of rock music to work off of and this is what you come up with? As for the vocals, has Josh Homme considered adding any life to his delivery? I'm not even sure if drugs would help this one.
Rating: 4/10
Favorite Song: Avon
The Smashing Pumpkins hold no particular place in my heart. Amongst the alt-rock acts of the 90s, they rank towards the top, but the gulf between my favorites and everyone else is incredibly large. As such, I similarly find no particular love for this album. It exudes Gen-X to such an extreme degree, and it just doesn't resonate for me. It's got good songwriting and a cool blend of soft melodicism and harder grunge cuts. I don't love Billy's voice, but any misgivings about it are balanced by an enjoyable sound. As someone who frankly doesn't care for destroying squash of any variety, I don't need 2 hours. If you do, fantastic.
Rating: 7/10
Favorite Song: 1979
Greatest swan song of all time? Well, it's either him or Dilla. It's truly incredible that as his body was failing him, Bowie thought of music. He thought of us. Looked death in the eye and said I've still got it. Not only that he's still got it but that he was capable of reaching his upper echelon. Not threatened by new challenging artists but instead galvanized. Whatever you may think of this sound or its quality, you must admit it's a testament to what an artist should be. Openminded, unbridled, and thankful for anyone who would lend them an ear.
Rating: 8
Favorite Song: Lazarus
Not a bossa nova head, but shout out to Stan Getz.
Rating: 7.5
A good time. Nothing more or less. Energetic rhythm guitar, funky basslines, and great sax playing throughout. Although exciting and new for the US, not necessarily for everyone else. Paradoxically, it's when they stick to this tried-and-true jazz fusion that I find myself enjoying the record more. Really didn't need the pop sensibilities. I'll give it props for taking an efficient journey on a well-trodden path. I certainly prefer when the Japanese do it. At least that way you don't have some British bloke in your ear. I hate to punish a fun record for being uninventive. There are certainly worse crimes; however, it's a notable one in an "all-time" list.
Rating: 7.4
Favorite Song: Kingsize
I really couldn't get the image of the hip-hop dance class bit from Bob's Burgers out of my head.
Rating: 5
Favorite Song: Nothing can stop us
Lowkey when he was like "tubular bells" and then he started playing the tubular bells, I kinda popped off. A close second was when he said glockenspiel and then started playing glockenspiel. Musical wallpaper, otherwise.
Rating: 4/10
They replaced better songwriting with flashy accoutrements. Very good. Not their best.
Rating: 8.75
Favorite Song: Time
Bowie starts cooking
Rating: 8.0
Favorite Song: Life on Mars
I too know what a loop is. Feels like an album that would appeal to someone who would make an album I like. Appreciate new ideas, but I still need to enjoy the song. No shade to Suicide.
Rating: 3/10
It's not like critics and fans alike have not lauded a healthy amount of praise on Neil Young. I just worry that as time passes, he won't have as much staying power as other artists at his level (If Bob gets a biopic, Neil should too). He doesn't exactly have the personal intrigue for an everlasting legacy, but he has the discography. This album is certainly front and center as evidence. At this point Neil Young had the money and success to record an outsized album. Instead, he opted for something seemingly off-handed. Simplistic even. The return for such a decision? His most human record to date.
Much ink has been spilled reflecting on the grief and sadness of this album. While it is sad, I can't literally relate to Neil. I'd prefer to talk about it generally. This is the afters. This is returning home drunk. This is staggered, but it's trudging along and through the door. It's sitting alone. Pondering where you are. A singular slice of time. The past and future color the borders, but this moment is owned by the present. Feeling the weight of your mistakes. The yoke of the night on your shoulders but embracing life nonetheless. A real paradox of an experience, but not one unfamiliar to any listener.
Rating: 9/10
Favorite Song: Borrowed Tune/Tired Eyes
I get it. I just don’t have space in my heart for it.
8.9/10
Favorite Song: Stairway to Heaven
As an LP, this is a new one for me. Not CCR's best, but, at the very least, they continue to deliver a good time. To be fair, it's hard to fuck up something called swamp rock. Can't afford an air boat, but I'm sure a Jon boat will do.
Rating: 7.7/10
Favorite Song: Good Golly Miss Molly/Penthouse Pauper
An incredibly percussive album. It feels as though every sound, Fiona included, is used as an extra pad on a drum machine. The least discordant industrial album? Or the most nauseating pop album? I guess the polarizing reviews on this evidence this dichotomy. I get that the mixing and mastering is rough, but I think that lends itself to such a raw sounding record. Bolt cutters don't need to be polished. If it's anything, it's probably not the best introduction. Not my favorite Fiona album, but if it's yours, more power to you. Always appreciate when a piece of art is created in a more DIY fashion. It gives some hope to someone who is only marginally creative. If Fiona Apple can make something this good on Garageband, why can't you.
7.9/10
Favorite Song: Shameika/Fetch the Bolt Cutters/Under the Table
I forgot how much of this is a blues album. The origins of metal are certainly in here, but to me it's still exceedingly proto. Aside from some riffs and lyrical aesthetic, it's sort of a blues/rock album to me. I see why Christgau and Bangs, two critics I respect the hell out of, found them to be hacks, but I think in retrospect they were wrong. I don't love metal, but I need Sabbath to be a little more metal before I can wholesale sign off. As it stands, they are a blues band with edge.
7.5/10
A redefining record for Mrs. Carter. I mean this in the most objective way possible. It sounds very much of its time, and that's a testament to the fact that this helped define it. For such a front-facing r&b/pop artist to embrace alternative sounds is admirable. It's an enjoyable lap for Beyonce fans, but I found myself wanning slightly from Mine through Flawless. Otherwise, a bombastic, blended offering from one of the greatest stars in entertainment history. Also, shoutout to the user base. Y'all really hate music made by black people until it's co-opted by white people and then you think it's good music in retrospect, but you still prefer when the white people do it. For example, only liking a song because John Mayer covered it, but still liking the John Mayer version more. But hey, at least you're consistent.
7/10
Favorite Song: Rocket/Superpower/Blue
I do wish more artists did this. I understand that a label might blowup its hq before it lets any artist that isn't someone at Willie's success level try to release a record of just covers, but a boy can dream. Maybe if there was a publication that paid for the recording an EP of artists covering songs they love. The triple J "Like a Versions" are nice, but I want it in an album format, not a playlist of youtube videos or a 14 hour playlist. Do it like a KidzBop album. It really feels like Willie's love letter to other songwriters. He's in dialogue with other great artists. Jackie Chan boxset you know what Im sayin. While paying ode, Willie reworks some classic pop cuts to create an intimate atmosphere. This record spills over with love as a fan, and from one fan to another, thank you Willie.
7.8/10
Favorite Song: Moonlight in Vermont
It is not lost on me they're good, but they don't make the jump.
8.5/10
Favorite Song: Wild Horses
Important? Sure. But so was Mussolini. Certainly not as evil or abhorrent, but can you make 90s pop music that is? If so, it would at least be more interesting than this. Aside from a couple tracks, this album feels like an attempt by the production team to prove they are competent musicians. Really no shade to Britney, because if anything is to blame for the mediocrity or schlock on this album, it's the everlasting wisdom of a label. Christgau said it best. Madonna next door.
3.5/10
Favorite Song: ...Baby One More Time
Enjoyable but musically unremarkable. If I'm being frank, I didn't give this one my full attention, but even then, I was happy with the lyrical writing. However, it is the music, which didn't require much concentration, that leaves me unimpressed. It feels like paper-thin jazz fusion that could have benefited from commitment to its component genres. At no point was there a rhythm that got me moving or a melody that had me swooning, but I'm willing to chock this one up to taste.
6.75/10
Favorite Song: Hallelujah
Really feels like an album a 40-year-old dad would be disappointed to learn their son enjoyed. It's very odd and almost in a way that feels too performative. I won't say it necessarily crosses that line, but I could see the universe in which I find myself annoyed by someone who really enjoys this album. It seems like I'm gearing up for a terrible score, but that's not the case. It clearly avoids the cardinal sin of being boring (for the most part), which at least puts it above a 5. I can say with certainty I enjoyed a lot of the musical ideas, but for whatever reason my reflexive feelings for this album conjure hypotheticals of disappointment and loathing. I suppose the most neutral way to express this sentiment is that it struggles to transcend the greatness found in its fanbase.
7/10
Favorite Song: Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Pt. 1
It's really hard to envision a world that hasn't already been shaped by George Clinton and his P-funk collective. While I don't think this is P-funk's highest high, it gets pretty damn close. I can't imagine what it was like listening to this in the 70s, particularly someone who hadn't listened to much funk to begin with. The sheer vibrancy and groove this album carries is remarkable. What I'd give to go back and sit in on a studio session.
8.25/10
Favorite Song: Mothership Connection
Kinda remarkable I get to say this. Not nearly his best live album. I'm sure we'll come across it at some point, but for now, the list offers a solid prison visit. I truly adore Johnny Cash, but it is in these live albums that I found love for him as a person. There's witticism, romance, whimsy, and most importantly, compassion to be found throughout. I've said it plenty of times about plenty of people for plenty of different reasons; THIS is an artist. Johnny said get me to God's country, and he visited Him in prison.
As I prefaced, this isn't exactly his best showing. However, who the fuck cares. As he says on the album, it was not for me and you. It was for the people languishing but cheering in San Quentin. That is why "he plays the same song twice" you stupid cunt. That is why it doesn't matter what my opinion of the album is. For a brief sliver of time the prisoners of San Quentin were free. The hoots, hollers, and boos of San Quentin produced a perfect song that only those in that cursed cage could hear. You listen to a shade of it on the recording, but in spirit, it is a pale imitation. Considering how much was taken from them, I for one am perfectly happy to let them keep the real thing.
San Quentin, may you rot and burn in hell
May your walls fall and may I live to tell
May all the world forget you ever stood
And may all the world regret you did no good.
7.75/10
Favorite Song: San Quentin (There is like 50 years of future political theory baked into this song, so yeah, I'd love to hear it TWICE)
Aggressively Horny. Didn't quite click though
7/10
Favorite Song: Nighthawkin
Scott Walker proved to me he's a very good musician. In a display that can be described as swooning and operatic, Walker delivers a short and sweet LP of ballads. For whatever reason, I just don't feel he puts the ball over the goal line, so to speak. It may just be I wasn't thrilled with the performance of songs I enjoyed. Regardless, partial marks to Mr. Walker
7.5/10
Favorite Song: Seventh Seal
I'm not exactly a bannerman for downtempo music. Historically, my journey with electronic music was largely within the realm of what might be in a club or what building someone decided was cool enough to be made into a club. It seemed antithetical to think that I would enjoy a slower, atmospheric version of the pulsating synths I'd come to only occasionally enjoy. While not a foregone possibility, it certainly is no probability.
This remains true, but the good folks on the Boards of Canada may be an exception to the rule. This debut album is rich, textured, and surprisingly warm. I won't sit here and tell you that I was attentive for a full hour (a shave of 10-15 min probably would've helped), but I enjoyed it. Sue me. Such as it is, my divided attention found itself enveloped in a playful medley of synths, hip-hop samples, and inadvertent bird noises. If I were more musically gifted, this would certainly incline me to make my own music.
7.5/10
Favorite Song: Roygbiv
I'd been vaguely aware of Jurassic 5, but I had not made the leap. Upon stepping off the edge, I can't say I was disappointed. Creative, yet simplistic beats, paired with skilled rhymes. It's not particularly revolutionary, at least not as much as it's cover seems to display. But as someone who loves hip-hop, their love for the genre is apparent. Unfortunately, Jurassic 5 are great artists who didn't make a great work this time around. Nonetheless, they got a couple tracks in the playlist. Considering higher rated albums didn't get such distinction, I think this may be a higher compliment than a number.
7.5/10
Favorite Song: One of Them
As classic Southern Rock as it gets. Just good American fun
7.8/10
Favorite Song: Free Bird
I like the Pixies. Maybe not an inordinate amount, but enough to feel comfortable making that statement. I really appreciate what they're doing here. It's like if you put on waterproof eyeliner before your wetsuit.
Problem is, I don't surf.
7.4/10
Favorite Song: Hang Wire
Singular and ever defiant. In a genre that is inherently contrarian and marginalized, De La would come to define a sound and voice in hip-hop that was contrarian and marginalized. I can't say they are my favorite or that I necessarily agreed with their issues with gangsta rap, but their contribution to hip-hop is unimpeachable. I like to think they stand for the idea that every space should welcome varied expression. I imagine all the black kids that didn't see themselves in the hardcore gangsta rap of the late 80s but still loved the genre. De La made sure they knew hip-hop was still for them. A monolith rebuked and a plurality embraced.
This is their Plymouth Rock. No doubt about it. But it's never been my favorite. I prefer their more cutthroat approach on Stakes is High, but I won't speak on it like this isn't just my opinion. R.I.P. Trugoy
8/10
Favorite Song: Eye Know
Much has been said about Elliott Smith. Much of it sad. While an inordinate amount of his music is about heroin, I'll choose to focus on how talented he was. I mean from a skill standpoint he was a one-man band, recording pretty much all his own instruments. Maybe a jack of all trades, but most people are bad at only one instrument so who's to judge. He was, however, a master songwriter. For my money one of the greatest, if not the greatest singer-songwriter. It's astounding how his genius slaps you in the face in every project. From his humble beginnings with Roman Candle to a major label-backed Figure 8. At best he is a serviceable singer, but I don't care all too much. Elliot provides an authenticity that would only be mudded by technical ability. A wispy honesty unique to him.
With critical acclaim and money backing his wildest ambitions, Elliott does not hold back. Continuing his layered instrumentation from XO, Figure 8 delivers the same level of songwriting while providing a more dreamlike experience. It's not my favorite, but in my mind, it's still undeniable. Whenever Either/or gets spit out by the generator, the glaze will continue. I mean can you blame me? He changed my life.
8.8/10
Favorite Songs: Everything Reminds Me of Her/L.A.
Once you hear the reggae influences, the Police become an infinitely funnier band. With the exception of a handful of songs, I've always found the Police to be a prime example of a sound that I'm not particularly interested in hearing, at least in the back half. Not really an admonishment of the quality
Rating: 6.5/10
Favorite Song: Synchronicity II
Idk it was better than when I heard the live versions, but retroactively I'm rating the live album lower b/c I listened to the lyrics more carefully this time and they're incredibly dumb.
Rating: 5/10
Sure. Why not
Favorite Song: Physical (You're So)
Rating: 6/10
I truly believe Jack White is extremely underrated. He does not get nearly enough credit for carrying garage rock through the early 2000s. The number of artists he indirectly created by the White Stripes is nothing to scoff at. They weren't all necessarily good, but they can't all be winners.
Favorite Song: Seven Nation Army
Rating: 8/10
PJ is just bread and butter good. Not her best, but quality nonetheless.
7.85/10
Favorite Song: The Mess We're In
In an effort to do addition by subtraction, Neil does a god job. It's just not quite After the Gold Rush. He'd refine it by the time he hits Tonights the Night. Some really great cuts on here, but its not his best work.
8/10
Favorite Song: Old Man
Very few do it like Joni. Top tier songwriting. I’m always shocked at how relatable yet personal her lyrics are. Also, maybe the most accurate album title of all time. I’m not particularly a Joni stan but she’s got bars.
9/10
Favorite Song: California
Favorite Song
It is insanely hard to believe that at one point Tom Waits was appropriately grouped with Billy Joel. Post-Rain Dogs, he consistently sounds like an alcoholic pirate with kids all across Southeast Asia. All of Waits' influences come together on this album, forming a stumbling cacophony of storytelling. Bizarre doesn't even begin to describe this album.
8.85/10
Favorite Songs: Singapore/Rain Dogs
The 80s were such an inventive time in music. I have to say my familiarity with New Order was largely limited to Power, Corruption & Lies, which was significantly closer to their Joy Division work. While not totally divorced, I was not anticipating Jellyfish Rave on the intro track. Entertaining for sure.
7.5/10
I am the panopticon of music your dad enjoys. No take escapes me. The wheel remains unchanged, but I'm not convinced there’s anything wrong with that. It rips without any major hiccups.
7.7/10
Favorite Song: Walk All Over You
Kendrick lost the beef. I mean Not Like Us is a great record, but it’s no Poor Boy
8.5/10
Favorite Song: Poor Boy
I’m starting to see a revolving problem. Lots of proto that’s too proto
7.5/10
Favorite Song: The Nazz are blue
Music by committee strikes again. Largely uninventive and par for the course pop r&b. Aside from its standout singles, this album is a wash of mediocre to bad song writing with performers stronger than their material, and to boot, it lasts 20 minutes too long. In light of the sea of pop r&b that developed in the 90s, more is required. I won't be fooled by an enjoyable cookie cutter. A cookie in the shape of a dinosaur is fun, but if there's no sugar in it, what is the point? But at the end of the day, I get it. It's an enjoyable genre, so enjoy this flawed child of it if you so choose. My rating is certainly on the nicer end of the band of reasonability. I just won't lie to Farrah Franklin, Michelle Williams, and the other one.
5.5/10
Favorite Song: Dance with Me
Just some really fun pop rock. Would love to be a woman in '81 just gettin turnt up with my bitches to this record.
7.5/10
I mean it's fun. I just don't need this much. They find a bassline and say let's sit here for five minutes.
7.25/10
One of the few albums I enjoyed as a kid that actually wasn't a flaming pile of garbage. It's not a magnum opus by any means. However, with what passes as marketable pop punk post-Green Day, this is a paragon of quality in comparison. Also, guys can we stop with the wake up this guy after September jokes. Homies dad literally died.
7/10
Favorite Song: Give Wake Me Up When September Ends
An imperfect understanding of the talent available. A tad long, but hey there's a great album in there somewhere.
7.78/10
Favorite Song: Killing Me Softly with his Song
So much talent in one shitty human being. Very literally the vampire Coogler envisioned. Oddly enough on the right side of Gaza. So, I guess word to Eric Clapton in a very limited sense.
7/10
Favorite Song: Willie and the Hand Jive
Really breaking my Tom Waits only every once and a while rule. It's like all too much too often.
8/10
The Talking Heads never really clicked for me. That remains true but less so. Can't say what it was this time around. Ask me how I feel about them again in 5 years. I might be a talking head talking Talking Heads.
8/10
RHCP makes me sad in such an odd way. There is clearly a talented group but, for whatever reason, never put it together. Great songwriting is paired with incredibly mediocre songwriting.
6/10
Favorite Song: Californiacation
I think this album stands as a testament to the notion that ability is not what makes music. It's a lesson in emotion and delivery. A geriatric Cash, who was never the best guitar player and God knows never the best singer, delivers an album full of life. Not in the sense of jovialness or vibrancy but in a life fully lived. Joys, scars, and everything in between. A full human being on display. One who has seen it all.
10/10
Favorite Songs: The Man Comes Around/Hurt/In my Life/I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry/We'll Meet Again
This band really tests my patience sometimes. Just because you can doesn't mean you should. They rock. It's undeniable, but diminishing returns are a concept gentleman.
7.8/10
The best intro track? The best left turn in music history? The best Radiohead album? There is an argument that the answer is yes. In such a subjective pursuit, that's the ball game. While not my favorite album, it is pretty fucking great.
9/10
Favorite Song: How to Disappear Completely
Neil and the gang get lightly too self-indulgent
7.75/10
Straight out the motherfuckin dungeons of trip-hop. Shout out Portis and shout out Head. Those whites were on to something. Also, go listen to Beth Gibbon's solo LP from last year.
9/10
Favorite Songs: It's a Fire/Roads/Glory Box
Have you ever wanted to be transported back to the 90s but in a really matter of fact way, not like in a cool nostalgic wet dream kinda way? Well, this gets pretty damn close. It is far from moving the needle. Nothing about it screams innovate or singular. It serves as a great signpost for time travelers more than anything. There were hundreds if not thousands of albums that didn't reach these heights, so Alanis can die happy to some extent.
6.4/10
Favorite Song: Right Through You/ You Learn
They're certainly an enjoyable band, but I've never really gotten the level of praise they seem to get. I certainly was not going feral for the reunion tour.
7.5/10
Favorite song: Champagne Supernova
Really threaded the needle here Trent. A truly ambitious project of industrial pop and rock that's too good sonically to get caught up in the fact that some of the lyrics are a tad cringy at times.
8.85/10
Favorite Songs: Hersey and Eraser
The shit porches are made for
6/10
A great example of untapped potential, showcasing how creative and dark the group could get. Far from perfect, but it is hard to say it's not at least interesting. RIP Brian Wilson
6.85/10
Favorite Song: Surf's Up
This motherfucker don’t know nothing about nothin
9/10
This is such a strange album in Miles’ discography. Not squarely cool jazz but also not squarely bebop. It’s not like an album doing two sub genres at once is particularly novel, but it’s not something I associate with Miles. Overall, it's punchy, fun, and a good taste of what was to come.
Favorite Song: Move/Rouge
8/10
Really an underrated band. Hope TikTok gave em the boost
Favorite Song: Tick
8/10
