Nov 13 2024
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The Dark Side Of The Moon
Pink Floyd
Easy 5 star. This is my favorite album of all time and I think there's so much to love about it thematically and musically. The cover art is an all-time classic and was definitely a poster on my dorm room wall. Everything just flows so well together from song to song. Time and Money are everyone's favorite tracks, but there's just something hauntingly beautiful about Great Gig in the Sky that gets me every time I listen to it. Us and Them is a song that encapsulates everything Pink Floyd is about to me and it's crazy how much hasn't really changed in the world when looking at this theme. Brain Damage/Eclipse wrap up the album perfectly and I've definitely spent too much time thinking about the meaning of the final audio in Eclipse: "There is no dark side of the moon, really. Matter of fact it's all dark." Perfect album that grips your attention from start to finish. Like what has been said already, I wish I could go back and listen to this for the first time.
5
Dec 28 2024
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Psychocandy
The Jesus And Mary Chain
Man, did they record this with a static TV blaring in the background? It started off fine, but Taste The Floor was hard to listen. Hated the mumbling vocals there. The following song was less intense, but then the fuzz returns in a bad way with In A Hole. Sowing Seeds was probably my favorite track of the album.
This album isn't all bad, but some of the songs here are brutally bad, at least in my book. It's enough to knock it down to a 2.
2
Dec 29 2024
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Myths Of The Near Future
Klaxons
I feel like this one was a 3 through and through. Nothing off-putting and it was enjoyable to listen to. If it grabbed my attention more with one or two great songs, it could've gotten into the 4 conversation.
3
Dec 30 2024
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Suede
Suede
Another basic-ass British pop-rock album. The singer kind of sounds like a poor man's David Bowie. It was a fine though unspectacular listen. 2.5 stars...low 3 territory.
3
Dec 31 2024
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The Atomic Mr Basie
Count Basie & His Orchestra
Pretty fun jazz record. It was good background music when I worked. Solid 3.
3
Jan 01 2025
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Fever Ray
Fever Ray
Pretty boring listen for me if I'm being honest. 2 stars that almost bordered on a 1.
2
Jan 02 2025
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Chocolate Starfish And The Hot Dog Flavored Water
Limp Bizkit
Whomst among us did not have a short-lived Limp Bizkit phase? I have a vivid memory of 10-year-old me borrowing this CD from a friend and jamming to it on my Walkman while we were travelling for a ski trip. Good times...
My Way was and still is my favorite song in this album. Rollin' is a close 2nd. The next few songs kind of drag (even on the Xzibit feature!) until we get to Take A Look Around, which takes its riff from the Mission Impossible theme. Forgot how much I liked that song.
This is definitely a tough one to score depending on how seriously you take Limp Bizkit, but I actually thought this holds up better than I thought. It has its high points and low points, but for the most part jams fucking hard. I'd probably score it at 3.5 stars and bump it to a low 4 for nostalgia.
4
Jan 03 2025
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Sheet Music
10cc
Wall Street Shuffle and Worst Band In The World were a great way to start the album. Then after Hotel it starts to get sort of weird. Then Clockwork Creep makes it very weird. Even with the weirdness, I thought the music and production were really good throughout.
Feels like a solid 3 and would've merited consideration for a 4 if I liked another song or two from the back half of this album.
3
Jan 04 2025
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Let Love Rule
Lenny Kravitz
Considering this was Lenny Kravitz, I was expecting more. The first 2 songs were good, but everything afterwards was boring or just sounded off. I'm pretty surprised I landed at a 2 with this one.
2
Jan 05 2025
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Amnesiac
Radiohead
I was really into the first half of this album. The opening beat on Pakt was super intriguing and cool. Pyramid Song was dark and haunting with the piano and Thom's singing - beautifully produced. Pulk/Pull was a bit odd, but ended up liking it. I thought the back-to-back of I Might Be Wrong and Knives Out was one of my favorites in this album.
I don't know if the 2nd half of the album worked for me fully. I felt a bit disoriented and nervy listening to it. I feel like Spinning Plates could be background music for a scene in a movie where a character is hurdling back through time or something like that. Strange song.
Life In A Glasshouse was a strong finish though. It's bluesy with the piano and horns, and pretty haunting. I can't explain it, but I just liked it a lot better than songs like Dollars/Cents and Spinning Plates in the back half.
I think I'm landing at 3.5 stars after a couple of listens. Willing to round up to a 4 though since I can see myself coming back to listen to this again.
4
Jan 06 2025
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Armed Forces
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
I was enjoying Oliver's Army until Elvis was out here dropping the HARD R N-WORD. The fuck?!
Kind of like the other Elvis Costello albums, the music itself is good enough to warrant a 3, but I feel like Elvis's vocals really drag the quality down here. 2 stars
2
Jan 07 2025
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Maverick A Strike
Finley Quaye
I gather this is some new-age reggae, or a poppy take on it? I think there were a couple hits here. Sunday Shining is a cool jam and The Way Of The Explosive was more of a traditional reggae track that I liked. Everything else was either forgettable or not very good. I think this feels like a low 3.
3
Jan 08 2025
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Junkyard
The Birthday Party
From the album art to the music itself, this album is a fucking mess. How did this get critical acclaim???
1 star
1
Jan 09 2025
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Meat Puppets II
Meat Puppets
Going from punk to bluegrass in the opening of this album was certainly a choice. Kind of represented just how all over the place this album felt. Oh, Me felt like the best song on the album, but that was about it for me. Don't have it in me to give this a 3. 2 stars.
2
Jan 10 2025
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Woodface
Crowded House
The epitome of average 90s rock. Landing on 2.5 stars, but begrudgingly will give this a 3.
3
Jan 11 2025
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Rings Around The World
Super Furry Animals
Just an album that was truly all over the place. It was like 50/50 if I liked a particular song. No Sympathy was intriguing because I was digging the song and then it hard turned to a fiasco ending. I think there's enough I liked to give it a solid 3. Almost a 4...
3
Jan 12 2025
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I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You
Aretha Franklin
Can't say I've heard anything outside of the Respect before. That said, Aretha Franklin's voice is stellar here. The backup instrumentals are solid. Pretty hard not to give this anything lower than a 4.
4
Jan 13 2025
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In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida
Iron Butterfly
The title track is a classic, obviously. Everything else is pretty mid, but at least the album overall was short and easy to listen to. Feels like a 3 in total context.
3
Jan 14 2025
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Live Through This
Hole
I'm not going to pretend to know much about Courtney Love, but she's giving a lot of fuck you energy in this album. Very tough and gritty with some good headbangers. I think some it works for me, but not enough to get it up to a 4. Solid 3.
3
Jan 15 2025
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Led Zeppelin III
Led Zeppelin
Zeppelin is one of my favorite classic rock bands of all time, so it's pretty hard not to give this 5 stars. However, I feel like this one doesn't have hit after hit like some other Zeppelin albums have. All my favorites - like Immigrant Song (straight jam), Since I've Been Loving You, and Tangerine - are kind of spaced out. The other songs in between are deeper cuts that I'm not as familiar with.
I agree with everyone that I'd put this one on the 2nd tier of Zeppelin albums. Strong 4.
4
Jan 16 2025
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The Lexicon Of Love
ABC
This one surprised with some of the upbeat, funky tunes in the 1st half. I enjoyed Show Me, Tears Are Not Enough, and Look of Love Pt. 1. The rest of the album seems to lose steam once All Of My Heart comes on. I still rank this as a low 4 though since it kept me engaged and grooving pretty much throughout.
4
Jan 17 2025
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Automatic For The People
R.E.M.
I dig R.E.M. and have definitely listened to a few songs on this album before, but never the full thing. The obvious tracks like Drive, Everybody Hurts, The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite, and Man On The Moon are all great. Solid 4 from me.
4
Jan 18 2025
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The Healer
John Lee Hooker
That first song with Santana...whew, that was nice. Also liked the George Thorogood feature. I'm not really the biggest blues guy, so I found the rest of the album just ok. Solidly a 3 in my book though.
3
Jan 19 2025
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After The Gold Rush
Neil Young
Neil Young shows off his range with the folksy rock ballads here while also foreshadowing the "grunge" rock he became more known for. I like it all and really enjoyed this album. Southern Man is such a jam and a cool way to break through from the folksy/melancholy start. The guitar solo towards the end just slaps. Other than that song, there weren't many standouts that could push this to a 5 for me. I'll list Tell Me Why and When You Dance I Can Really Love as honorable mentions. Solid 4.
4
Jan 20 2025
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Kilimanjaro
The Teardrop Explodes
Other than Sleeping Gas, I thought the first half of the album was enjoyable to listen to. Then the second half really dragged. I'm caught between a 2 and 3 here, but ultimately feeling like this deserves at least a low 3.
3
Jan 21 2025
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Birth Of The Cool
Miles Davis
Really solid jazz record. Miles Davis is one of the greats for a reason.
4
Jan 22 2025
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Your Arsenal
Morrissey
I think every Morrissey album is going to inevitably vary somewhere between a 2 or a 3. Too bad this site doesn't do half stars.
The music itself is good and I can take or leave the vocal stylings of Mr. Morrissey depending on the song. Low 3 for this album.
3
Jan 23 2025
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Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim
Frank Sinatra
Sinatra's voice is truly timeless. This album made me want to kick back, pour a glass of whiskey, and just relax. It was such a pleasant album to listen through. I don't really know if I had a favorite track other than the opener because I wasn't paying close attention, but all the songs sounded good to me. Solid 4.
4
Jan 24 2025
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Qui sème le vent récolte le tempo
MC Solaar
I enjoyed the first half, but the last half I felt kind of over with it. I don't really know how to appropriately grade something I didn't really understand. After googling MC Solaar and seeing his impact in the French music scene, I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt and just give it a 3 and move on.
3
Jan 25 2025
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Run-D.M.C.
Run-D.M.C.
Seeing as this was the debut album from Run-DMC and that this was the early days for hip-hop in general, I have to give this a 3 even though it was a fairly boring listen. Most of the beats sounded the same, but at least the lyrics were good.
3
Jan 26 2025
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Master Of Puppets
Metallica
I feel like I should've been listening to this while doing something useful like working out and not...working. But whatever, it was a kickass album. I feel like the only moments of chill were like the first 30 seconds or so of Battery before things go beserk. Master of Puppets is probably my favorite track (prob a boring take), but I also really love the instrumentals of Orion. Metallica is just the GOATed thrash metal whatever you want to brand them as rock band. Like everyone else...easy 5/5.
5
Jan 27 2025
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Achtung Baby
U2
Solid 4 here. I don't love U2 necessarily, but I respect and like a lot of what they do. This album isn't on the level of Joshua Tree though still very solid. Mysterious Ways and One are classics. Love is Blindness was a nice closing song. I enjoyed listening to this one even though most of the deeper cut songs weren't really my favorite.
4
Jan 28 2025
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Darkdancer
Les Rythmes Digitales
Honestly giving this 4 stars for Music Make You Lose Control and Disco II Disco alone. Fun, weird album
4
Jan 29 2025
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Imperial Bedroom
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
Don't have a strong take on this one. I listened to this while working on something and tuned out most of the singing, but I thought the instrumentals were good. Agree that Shabby Doll was the best song on the album.
2
Jan 30 2025
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Paris 1919
John Cale
Some good, some boring...that's a 3 for me. I thought the title track (Paris 1919) had a similar sound to an Electric Light Orchestra song, which I really liked. Graham Greene is a funky track. Last song sucked. Overall, pretty good classic rock album.
3
Feb 01 2025
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Hail To the Thief
Radiohead
I really did not like this on first listen, but saw some of the other positive reviews and decided to give this another run at a different time when I could focus on it more.
On second listen, I think I got it more, but still didn't like the songs where Thom is mumbling the same lyrics over and over (Sit Down Stand Up and The Gloaming come to mind) or were just straight electronic-sounding (Myoxmatosis is another example). The shit just sounds so jumbled and creates a few down points on the album.
I much preferred the songs that had that a good blend of electro with rock like There, There or 2+2=5 or Scatterbrain. Sail to the Moon and We Suck Young Blood are really haunting tracks that sounded a lot better after a relisten.
All in all, some of this album worked for me and some didn't. Strong 3, but couldn't get it quite to a 4 for me. I'm glad I relistened to it though and might come back to it once I get more Radiohead albums under my belt.
3
Feb 02 2025
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I’ve Got a Tiger By the Tail
Buck Owens
Half the songs gave the vibe like it was something you'd hear in a Coen Brothers movie (like O'Brother Where Art Thou) and the other half was sad country songs. I dug some of the upbeat songs enough to give it a 3.
Also, David Bowie definitely stole this guy's "Wham Bam Thank You Ma'am" bit for one of his songs. I hope ol' Buck got some royalties for that...
3
Feb 03 2025
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Copper Blue
Sugar
I thought I listened to this band before when I saw the name come up, but I was really thinking of Pepper. Not too far off on the name/genre I guess. However I definitely prefer Pepper to these guys. They have decent sound and I like the track Hoover Dam, but nothing else really stood out to me. They sound very generic for 90s rock, imo.
3
Feb 04 2025
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The Hissing Of Summer Lawns
Joni Mitchell
I almost gave this one 4 stars but I felt like the 2nd half of the album drags and doesn't have the same energy as the first half. I don't think I've ever listened to a Joni Mitchell song, much less an album, but I've definitely heard the name before. I can't describe exactly why but I get why people really enjoy Joni's music just from listening to this album. Great voice paired with really easy-listening music.
3
Feb 05 2025
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Emergency On Planet Earth
Jamiroquai
Really liked the vibe on this album. Had to look them up and their Wiki page had their genre classified as "acid jazz" which I did not know existed. Good enough to get a high 3, but I can't quite give it a 4.
3
Feb 06 2025
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Heaux Tales
Jazmine Sullivan
How about the Anderson .Paak feature?! That guy is so damn good and was a pleasant surprise to show up here. Price Tags was a banger and easily my favorite song here. Pick Up Your Feelings and Put It Down were really strong tracks too. Gotta say, this was a pleasant surprise. Obviously, Jazmine really shines through the album as a great artist with her vocals and songwriting.
On top of some quality music that balances R&B and Hip-Hop very well, I appreciate the structure of this album where you had a woman telling a story followed by a song hitting on that theme. The structure reminded me somewhat of what Kendrick did with Section 80, which is one of my favorite rap albums ever. I really enjoy albums that try to tell a story and integrate music with skits or other ways that connect the songs together (in this case it was tales), and I thought it was a really well-produced album in that regard.
Lastly, Heaux Tales is an A+ name. Strong 4 from me.
4
Feb 07 2025
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Strangeways, Here We Come
The Smiths
Very down the middle music.
3
Feb 08 2025
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Dig Your Own Hole
The Chemical Brothers
This was a pretty wild ride. I liked a lot of the beats and it was great background music while I worked, but the songs themselves were also pretty long and dragged out the whole album.
Setting Sun sounds like a cracked out version of Tomorrow Never Knows by the Beatles. Not a dig, just an observation. I really liked the songs with the groovy bass like Blockin Rockin Beats and K-Hole. Solid 3.
3
Feb 09 2025
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You Are The Quarry
Morrissey
Being new to this, I am not Morrissey-fatigued like the rest of you, but after the first 3 songs feature weirdness about America and Jesus, I get where you all are coming from.
After a not-great start, I think this does improve especially with the production and instrumentals. Morrissey's singing style can really ruin some songs, but does work elsewhere. I actually thought First of the Gang to Die was not bad, but that might've been because it was the most "pop" sounding, catchy song. Thought I wouldn't like How Can Anyone Possibly Know How I Feel based on the title, but kind of digged it.
The production value takes this from a 2 to a low 3.
3
Feb 10 2025
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The Soft Bulletin
The Flaming Lips
This was a really enjoyable listen. Definitely enjoy it's spacey/psychedelic vibe that keeps things fun and fresh through a long-ish runtime. The highlights for me were the opener Race for the Prize and Feeling Yourself Disintegrate.
Definitely a dense album that I'd really like to come back to. Feels like something you would appreciate the more times you listen to it. Solid 4.
4
Feb 11 2025
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Aja
Steely Dan
Steely Dan is one of my dad's favorite bands, but even though I do like a lot of music that my dad does, SD never really did it for me. This album changed my tune. I'm willing to say I probably enjoy these songs more now that I'm older.
I really enjoyed the smooth jazz instrumentals throughout the album. I felt like I was in the back of a 70s jazz club just vibing to these guys. Great background music.
I'm not sure I can quite give it 5 stars, but maybe like 4.5? Strong 4.
4
Feb 12 2025
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Caetano Veloso
Caetano Veloso
For not being able to understand much of anything, this was better than I was expecting it to be. Really enjoyed the opening track. Low 3.
3
Feb 13 2025
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BEYONCÉ
Beyoncé
1st half of this album is very strong, but with over an hour runtime it does feel a bit bloated. There are a lot of good songs on here (XO, Drunk in Love, Rocket, Pretty Hurts) and obviously it's Beyonce, so the floor of this grade is high to start. Low 4 feels fair to me.
4
Feb 14 2025
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Lazer Guided Melodies
Spiritualized
Maybe I was in the wrong mindset for this one because it almost actively put me to sleep. That's not really a knock on it and maybe more of a compliment? I hope that's how it comes across. This was a good listen, but can't say I really liked it. Solidly a 3 in my book.
3
Feb 15 2025
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Odessa
Bee Gees
Haven't really forayed into the Bee Gees before, tbh. But boy this album (or I guess, double album) felt like a lot. That's the thing with concept albums (my favorites that come to mind from that era are The Wall, Sgt. Pepper's) is when they work, they can be great. When they don't, they sound a lot like this. I like to relisten to albums sometimes to get a better feel for them, but I just couldn't with this one. There might have been 1 or 2 tracks that I enjoyed and the rest felt like filler.
2
Feb 16 2025
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Electric Music For The Mind And Body
Country Joe & The Fish
It started off sounding like a knock-off Beatles album but then got worse as they went to the instrumental stuff. The 7-minute song that featured the synth and harmonica blaring sounds at the same time was rough on the ears. I literally had to skip over Section 43 and it really didn't get better after that. This shit was bad for my mind and body...
1
Feb 17 2025
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Mask
Bauhaus
I don't think the production on this was that bad, but all the music felt all over the place and erratic-sounding. Hollow Hills was a high point and didn't really like much after that. That song's baseline sounded so similar to Nirvana's Come As You Are. Low 2.
2
Feb 18 2025
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Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
I'm curious if anyone out there has a strong opinion on Tom Petty. Like if anyone has him as a S-tier musical artist. Because I feel like he's generally well-liked (like A or B tier) but don't think many people consider him as one of the great artists of his generation.
Anyway, that kind of encapsulates my feelings about this album. It was enjoyable listen at a tight 30 minutes. American Girl is a classic. Breakdown was another one I've heard quite a bit over the years. Also enjoyed Anything That's Rock n Roll and Mystery Man. Solid album all the way through.
4
Feb 19 2025
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Chore of Enchantment
Giant Sand
Stealing this from one of the global reviews: listening to this was a chore...
1
Feb 20 2025
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The Bends
Radiohead
This was easily a lot better than the previous Radiohead album. Or at least this felt more cohesive, direct, and had just plain good rock music.
The thing I liked most about this album was the balance between the upbeat, heavy-guitar rock jams and the slower ballads. Throughout I thought the guitar instrumentals were top notch, especially on the songs Just, My Iron Lung and my favorite song from this album - the last one - Street Spirit. Street Spirit is such a banger: from the opening instrumental to the haunting vocals from Thom (If you want a laugh, listen to Ali in the Jungle by The Hours and tell me that it doesn't sound eerily similar in the beginning). The back-to-back between Just/Iron Lung was kickass and up my alley. In that same vein, Planet Telex was an awesome opening song.
High and Dry was my favorite of the more subdue/slower songs. Fake Plastic Trees and (Nice Dream) grew on me after repeated listens. There was something about both songs that made me feel a mix of emotions while listening to them.
Great album and one I'll be returning to again in the future. 5 stars
5
Feb 21 2025
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New Wave
The Auteurs
I didn't actively hate any of the music by the band, but I did actively HATE the vocals. I think the best example of this is on American Guitars (ironically enough) where any absence of the lead guitar playing makes the song sound dull. I kept waiting for a song to come on that would change my mind, but it just never happened.
I don't know, if I take the vocals out of the equation, this is perfectly fine alt-rock music. Still nothing really that special though. Thought about giving it a 2 for the instrumentals alone, but I'm just left wondering why this generic album was included on the list when there is so much more interesting/better alt rock out there.
1
Feb 22 2025
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Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)
Wu-Tang Clan
WU-TANG CLAN AINT NOTHIN TO FUCK WITH
That’s it, that’s the review
5
Feb 23 2025
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Palo Congo
Sabu
I got a fever and the only prescription is more bongos lol
This was fun to listen to and bang your hands on your thighs with the beats. If I ever need any good island music in the future, I might throw this on.
3
Feb 24 2025
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World Clique
Deee-Lite
I would say I mildly enjoyed this one. A lot of the beats were catchy, funky, and felt like something I would enjoy in a club on 90s night or whatever. I did feel like it was dragging until Groove Is In The Heart came on, which was the obvious standout. Also liked the opening song and Power of Love. Low 3.
3
Feb 25 2025
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Pink Flag
Wire
I wasn't really feeling this one at first, but as the album went on and I got used to the frantic quick hitters I started to like it more and more, especially once it got to the title track Pink Flag. From there I really liked it and then listened to it a second time and thought it sounded a lot better.
Very punk and sounded like it was recorded in someone's garage, which made it sound more raw and authentic. I really dug the track Strange, which added some spooky background noises to the grungy rock riff.
I think it did enough to earn a low 4 from me.
4
Feb 26 2025
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A Seat at the Table
Solange
All due respect to Solange, Beyonce's younger sister, but I wasn't really feeling this album. Cranes In The Sky was solid and the track with the Lil Wayne featured I liked, but most of the other tracks sounded too similar and slow.
I know I said in a previous review that I like albums that have skits/interludes that enhance the album or help tell a story. I think here they really bog down the album, especially since there is one between almost every song.
All in all, I think I'm giving this 2.5 stars and I'll just bump it to a 3 because this was a pretty mid R&B album.
3
Feb 27 2025
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Tago Mago
Can
I was into the first half of this album and even the 17-minute song Halleluwah kept me hooked. Then it gets weirddddd starting with Amugn. Listening to it plus Peking O feels like you're on a bad acid trip or something. I think this is firmly a 3 for me.
3
Feb 28 2025
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L.A. Woman
The Doors
I have heard Love Her Madly and Riders On The Storm here and there in the past since they were classic singles, but the rest of this was new to me.
Really digging their sound on this record. It's bluesy but features a lot of upbeat rock music. The title track L.A. Woman was a jam. I enjoyed all of the other songs too, maybe with the exception of Cars Hiss By My Window. I would put this solidly as a 4.
4
Mar 01 2025
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Heartattack And Vine
Tom Waits
I don't think the music is terribly bad or anything, but Tom Waits voice just isn't for me. On a track like Downtown that's bluesy, it works for me. On others like Saving All My Love For You or Til The Money Runs Out or On The Nickel, it doesn't. Jersey Girl is another one where it sounds like he's doing a bad Bruce Springsteen impression. In Shades feels weirdly misplaced.
There were more lowlights than highlights in this one and I landed on giving it 2.5 stars. I'll bump it to a low 3 since the music itself was good.
3
Mar 02 2025
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Space Ritual
Hawkwind
Never heard of these guys. Definitely giving off a Yes (the band) vibe based on the song length and never-ending, sonic-inducing instrumentals. I SHOULD like this more than I did on first listen. But 2 hours is a long-ass time and I had to fragmentally listen to this album. Also it being live recordings made some of the lyrics hard to understand (in the first disc at least).
There are elements here I really enjoyed and I vibed to the songs Lord of Light and Space Is Deep, while the 2nd disc was more of a mixed bag. I couldn't quite get to a 4, but solid 3 though.
3
Mar 03 2025
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The Chronic
Dr. Dre
“This should be played at high volume. Preferably in a residential area.”
A true classic. This was Dre at the height of his producing prowess and Snoop Dogg's coming out party. Together they put out this West Coast rap sound that would define early 90s rap. My favorite beats from this album (no order in particular): Fuck Wit Dre Day, The Day The Niggaz Took Over, Nuthin' But A 'G' Thang, Deeez Nuuts, A Nigga Wit A Gun, Lyrical Gangbang, Rat-Tat-Tat-Tat.
Nuthin' But A 'G' Thang might be arguably the most timeless Hip-Hop/Rap song of all time. It holds up so well, especially when compared to some other stuff from the 80s.
If you've never blasted Lyrical Gangbang in your car on a nice day in Surburbia, you haven't lived.
Admittedly, it does lose some steam after the Doctor's Office skit. Enough for it to move it down from a 5? Nope. Even after multiple listens across my life, there are still so many songs I come back to.
5
Mar 04 2025
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Greetings From L.A.
Tim Buckley
Very meh about this one. 2 stars.
2
Mar 05 2025
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Real Life
Magazine
Really interesting album. Sounds like they take a lot of elements of British rock and make it work. Lot of good guitar work here and some songs feature that synth/sonic sound with the keyboard. Drums and bass were good. I couldn't quite put a finger on who exactly they sound like. Maybe like David Bowie or Genesis influence? I don't know...
Anyway, I enjoyed it all the way through. Shot By Both Sides was one of my favorites, along with My Tupla and Burst. A lot of the album is upbeat and fun to listen to, but even on the change-of-pace songs I still enjoyed it. I can see myself coming back to this album again. Pretty solid 4.
4
Mar 06 2025
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Emperor Tomato Ketchup
Stereolab
I started off being into this album, enjoying the beat-building rides of both Metronomic Underground and Cybele's Reverie. Then I found myself getting bored with the middle songs. And in the back third there wasn't really song that grabbed my attention other than the title track. Even on a second listen, it didn't improve much in my eyes.
Probably would score this one as a low 3. Just wasn't totally feeling it.
3
Mar 07 2025
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Sunshine Hit Me
The Bees
*Gob Bluth voice* BEEEEEEEEEES (any Arrested Development fans out there?)
Definitely an indie vibe straight off the bat with Punchbag. Sunshine is a fun, trippy instrumental. A Minha Menina is definitely the jam of this album.
There were a few good moments in this one and the various instruments used across the album are pretty cool. I need to make a reminder to listen this one when the sun is out...or the next time I get high. I'm giving this one 3.5 stars, but willing to bump to a Low 4 for future listens.
4
Mar 08 2025
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Safe As Milk
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
I stopped at track #12 since the wiki page said tracks 13-19 were bonus ones. Just for the record.
This is pretty harmless blues music that is fairly easy to listen to. The opening song had some juice to it. Also enjoyed Yellow Brick Road. Nothing earth-shattering or anything. Fine = 3 stars.
3
Mar 09 2025
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People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm
A Tribe Called Quest
I've been loving all the classic 90s rap we've been getting lately. Haven't really dove into Tribe too much outside of their popular albums (Low End Theory, Midnight Marauders). And the only song here I know is Can I Kick It, so I'm excited for this album.
Pretty damn solid for their debut album. Not a lot of bangers outside of Can I Kick It and Left My Wallet (I also liked Luck of Lucien quite a bit), but most of the songs here are still fairly good. The beats throughout are laid back and cool.
This doesn't reach the heights of their later works, but it was enjoyable from start to finish. Solid 4 from me.
4
Mar 10 2025
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Low
David Bowie
This one doesn't really get going for me until Sound and Vision comes on. Great song and the highlight of the album. The next song, Always Crashing..., was cool and had a really good guitar solo finish. Be My Wife feels like a very introspective song and one that resonates really well.
Everything after that feels so unlike Bowie, which makes sense once you read about the backstory behind this album. It is quite a bit of electronic-sounding instrumentals. Not quite what I was expecting at all. I like most of Bowie's stuff, but most of this album wasn't for me. Still a solid 3 or 3.5 at the end of the day.
3
Mar 11 2025
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Marcus Garvey
Burning Spear
Definitely misread the artist/album thinking Marcus Garvey was the name of the artist only then to google that he was a famous political activist in Jamaica. Oof... felt like I should've known that lol
Anyway, I usually enjoy listening to reggae. This album seems to draw on a lot of Jamaican culture and history. All in all this was a good, not great album. It felt like the songs all carried the same vibe and theme, so nothing really stood out to me. Good listen though. 3 stars.
3
Mar 12 2025
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Kings Of The Wild Frontier
Adam & The Ants
I actually thought this one started off pretty good and was better than what I was expecting, but it definitely became less enjoyable as I listened. I don't know, I feel like just settling for a low 3 here.
3
Mar 13 2025
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Something/Anything?
Todd Rundgren
At first I was annoyed about having to listen to 25 songs, but then I saw that Todd was from Philly, so he gets a pass.
Gotta say, this was pretty darn good. I thought my favorites tracks were in the beginning (I Saw The Light and Wolfman Jack were jams). The second part of this album (which I consider after Intro) felt inspired by the Beatles or maybe some other British rock. Carousel was a highlight there. And then the back third, starting around Song of the Viking (really fun listen) featured a lot of piano.
Not all of the 25 songs were hits, but there were a handful of really good songs and then plenty of above-average songs to keep me entertained through the whole runtime of the album. Even Slut at the end was a better-than-expected song.
I'm willing to put this solidly as a 4. It's just full of music styles that I really enjoy.
4
Mar 14 2025
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Pieces Of The Sky
Emmylou Harris
Few songs in and I can already tell I am not into the sad country/folk stuff.
Yeah definitely not my scene. Emmylou has a good voice, so this deserves at least a 2.
2
Mar 15 2025
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Happy Trails
Quicksilver Messenger Service
Haha, very clever with the song titles in the first half of this. Wasn't sure what to expect, but I would say this exceeded expectations. Landing on a 3.5 stars and willing to bump up to a 4.
4
Mar 16 2025
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Let England Shake
PJ Harvey
So much glazing about England (Is it me or does whoever made this 1001 albums list have a weird bias towards English artists?).
But seriously, this wasn't half bad. The vocals varied from song to song. They were enjoyable on The Glorious Land and Words That Maketh Murder, but were irritating on England and some others. Feel like this one was a low-to-mid 3.
3
Mar 17 2025
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The Poet
Bobby Womack
Enjoyable, short-and-sweet album that kept me hooked the whole way. Firmly a 3, but didn't quite have enough to bring it up to a 4.
3
Mar 18 2025
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Get Rich Or Die Tryin'
50 Cent
I feel like 50 Cent owned the early 2000s rap scene, especially on the radio. Heard so much In Da Club and Candy Shop growing up (could've sworn Candy Shop was on this, but it's on his following album). I've listened to about half of the songs on this album, but never did a start-to-finish listen before.
What Up Gangsta is a great opener, while Patiently Waiting (even with the Eminem feature is just ok. The back-to-back of Many Men and In Da Club is unmatched. Baller songs. Some other favorites were If I Can't, P.I.M.P, and 21 Questions.
For as much commercial success as 50 Cent has had, I've never thought of him as a top rapper or amongst the best of all time. He has some strong hits in his bag, especially on this album, but the other filler songs on this album feel like very generic rap. Overall, I would put this firmly as a 4 though.
4
Mar 19 2025
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When I Was Born For The 7th Time
Cornershop
One of those albums that was definitely all over the place. Some hits, some misses.
Good Shit and Candyman were favorites of mine later towards the album (I want to say Candyman was in a sports commercial...that beat sounds so familiar). Any song that featured the sintar was kind of fun.
I think overall there's not enough here to warrant giving it a 4, but I think it lands at a solid 3.
3
Mar 20 2025
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Teenager Of The Year
Frank Black
I got bad vibes from the album cover, so hopefully the music is decent.
I would say this is similar to the last album we had. Not in style of music obviously, but just my general feeling of the songs. Some were good, some were meh. I thought the music itself was decent throughout but sometimes the vocals made the songs worse. However, there wasn't many songs that I particularly loved, so I would say this was a low 3.
3
Mar 21 2025
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Ingenue
k.d. lang
I was a bit worried this was going to be chock full of slow jams based on Save Me, but luckily it got better from there.
Miss Chatelaine was a fun, upbeat song that I wasn't expecting after the mood from the first song. So It Shall Be was another one I liked. The rest of the songs were kind of forgettable, but I appreciate that it wasn't full of slow country and that there was some variety from song to song.
I would put this solidly as a 3.
3
Mar 22 2025
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Peter Gabriel
Peter Gabriel
I agree with the consensus about the variety of music in this album. And since it was his debut album, maybe it was more about finding what works. The first 3 songs - headlined by Solsbury Hill (a classic I've heard a bunch over my life) - were really solid. I don't know if I really liked another song until Down the Dolce Vita and that one was so different from everything else on the album.
I like Peter Gabriel, so I'm struggling between giving this a low 4 or high 3. If half stars were a thing, it would just be a straight 3.5, but I'm willing to push this to low 4 territory.
4
Mar 23 2025
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69 Love Songs
The Magnetic Fields
Oh this is literally 69 songs...not nice. I guess what I'll try to do is just type out which songs I like per disc and just grade it from there...here goes:
Disc 1: All My Little Words, I Don't Want to Get Over You, I Think I Need A New Heart (heard this one before and it's in The Bear season 2 finale for anyone curious)
Disc 2: When My Boy..., No One Will Ever Love You, Epitaph For A Heart
Disc 3: Underwear, Bitter Tears
Out of the 69 songs, I only really liked 8. The rest were pretty good though, but I did hit skip on at least 3 or 4 (like I Shatter) that were bad. I don't know what to do with this one other then give it a straight 3.
3
Mar 24 2025
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The Rising
Bruce Springsteen
Ok, so this is a tough one for me. I am a Bruce fan but have not kept up with him religiously. I think listened to one post-2000 Bruce album and it was pretty average. That's where this one falls for me.
Add in the context that this was written as a post-9/11 tribute and I feel like this was definitely a cash grab. Some of these songs were written in 90s and just re-recorded for this album. My City Of Ruins was originally written about Asbury Park and repurposing it here feels inauthentic. Countin' On A Miracle sounds like a song they'd play one of those celebrity telethons (when those were a thing).
Average + inauthentic cash grab makes this a lower than expected score I thought I'd ever give on a Bruce album. 2 stars.
2
Mar 25 2025
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Oedipus Schmoedipus
Barry Adamson
I frankly do not know what to do with this one. There was some stuff here I liked (everything before Business As Usual mostly), but other parts dissolved into sounds that will become the soundtrack of my nightmares. The last few songs on here were pretty good too. I'm just giving this 3 stars and probably won't come back to it.
3
Mar 26 2025
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Madman Across The Water
Elton John
Looking at the tracklist, I think I've only heard of Tiny Dancer - one of my favorites from Elton - and Levon. Interested to see if I can find some other songs I like here.
I think I've heard Indian Sunset in some movie or something else...but I can't place it. Those 3 songs carried the weight of the album, imo.
This may not be one of Elton's best albums overall, but I'd still grade it as a Low 4.
4
Mar 27 2025
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Fear Of A Black Planet
Public Enemy
I've never delved into this Public Enemy album, which feels like a miss by me.
The opening instrumental and then lead-in to Brothers Gonna Work It Out...fire. 911 Is A Joke...fire. Welcome To The Thunderdome...fire.
However, after a while all the beats feel like they run together and sound the same. Don't get me wrong I like this style a lot and you do get a huge payoff with Fight The Power as a closer, but you do get the same style of song and message over and over. Honestly it's more of a minor critique from my point of view and since I'm more of a 90s rap guy it doesn't bother me but I could see it being repetitive for other folks. Some of the skits and interludes helped break up the album pretty well.
This is a 5 for me. Maybe on the lower end of a 5 and behind some other great rap albums that are a better listen, but Public Enemy's cultural impact with this album can't be ignored here. And there are some straight heaters here too.
5
Mar 28 2025
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Moby Grape
Moby Grape
Non-offensive 60s rock. Can't say I loved it or anything like that, but it was pleasant background music. 3 stars.
3
Mar 29 2025
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The Notorious Byrd Brothers
The Byrds
Wow I could almost copy and paste my review from the Moby Grape album.
I actually liked this album slightly better, but overall it still lands as a solid 3 for me.
3
Mar 30 2025
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Tank Battles
Dagmar Krause
Pretty bad listening experience from having to track this down on Youtube (with ads!) and then trying to figure out what was going on in general. I think I made it halfway through before I called it quits. Sorry, but this is a 1.
1
Mar 31 2025
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Youth And Young Manhood
Kings of Leon
Pre-"Sex On Fire" album from a band I've never been into. Feels like some other albums we've had where the instrumentals are pretty good, but the vocals drag down so many of the songs. 2.5 stars (lean closer to a 3).
3
Apr 01 2025
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Deloused in the Comatorium
The Mars Volta
Pretty impressed with this one off the rip. Ineratic ESP shreds. Also, pretty wild that Rick Rubin is listed as a co-producer and that Flea is on bass for this album. Random as hell star power pulls.
Ok, so I definitely had to give this a few listens because I felt like it was a lot to absorb after the first one. I'm into this style of prog rock, but I still felt like I couldn't pinpoint who these guys reminded me of. I also couldn't have guessed that this album was a story about "a man who enters a week-long coma after overdosing on a mixture of morphine and rat poison." Just a wild concept, but I'm here for it.
There weren't too many down moments for me on this record. Even the weirdness of This Apparatus Must Be Unearthed grew on me. Gotta say, this was a surprisingly great listen and I'll probably go back to this one again. For now, I'll give it a high 4, but it could hit a 5 for me on another day.
4
Apr 02 2025
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Cross
Justice
The opener Genesis was definitely used in some luxury car commercial...Mercedes I want to say? Whatever the case, it's a banger for sure. DANCE is a good track but I wasn't feeling super thrilled with this album until I got to The Party (was Ke$ha featured here or something?). From there it ends really strong. DVNO was a late standout. I think it helped that I was doing some work and it helped me get in the zone to actually get my shit done.
I was thinking this would be a 3 after the first half, but the 2nd half of the album helped raise this to a low 4.
4