Feb 10 2025
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Let's Stay Together
Al Green
Great album overall. I love how the title track and first track is also the album name, makes it easy to keep straight. The organ is the unsung star of the show, along with the guitar and... Okay, the whole arrangement is wonderful here. Al has so much underlying strength in his vocal he smoothly lays it down. I love Al Green, what a great first review for me. It's also really cool when a "Whal Greens" has the light on it's WH go out; makes it seem like free advertising.
4
Feb 11 2025
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Home Is Where The Music Is
Hugh Masekela
I typically am not into jazz music. I can fuck with this though. The initial groove is strong in each song, and he/they tend to do some individual solos and come back to that initial groove which is nice. Occasionally it goes off the deep end into super jazzy form-free stuff but not too much which is probably what makes me like it more than most jazz stuff.
3
Feb 12 2025
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The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Not typically a Dylan fan. I'm still not, but this is the best version of himself I think. How can I think I don't like this album if I love John Prince so much?
4
Feb 13 2025
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Neon Bible
Arcade Fire
Better than expected. Lots of tasty melodies and unique vocals.
3
Feb 14 2025
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Sheer Heart Attack
Queen
Freddie Mercury is so good you forget about Brian May. This album is where Queen stops being weird art Rock and leans more into rock. The guitar on this whole album is BIG. So many guitar players come AFTER Brian May. Not a heavy metal album, but it was trying to lean that way. They really may not have known what they were tapping into.
3
Feb 15 2025
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Parachutes
Coldplay
I've got a soft spot for this album. Given when it came out and it's themes it's surprising I don't love it more, but how could I? "If you want me to change, I'll change for you, and I want you to know, that you'll always get your way". If Chris Martin doesn't sound like a young married man in love I don't know what does. Married and young in the year 2000 sounds very much like me.
I heard yellow on the radio on the way to the mall, got there and bought the album at Sam Goody. I had to hear this song again, and every other song these guys had made. I called home to my new bride and told her not to worry, my military training would be done soon. It was.
I flew home to see my wife home over Thanksgiving and remember vividly playing Spies (track 3) and being cuddled and warm under blankets. "Feeling so bad, cause you know, spies hide out in every corner".
The album shines by its midsection, yellow was probably the catchiest and very likely might be the catchiest thing ever. They literally had no idea what they were doing by connecting so many people with simple lyrics and charming melodies. With grunge just about out of the picture and pop music still not done recovering this music made it okay to enjoy things everyone likes again. I didn't and still don't care how main stream it is. People like this, and we should, mostly because it's great.
Google tells us the band was inspired by U2, REM and the Beatles. Yeah, but what about the Beach Boys?
The album literally defined coming of age for me. For that reason it's a five star for me.
5
Feb 16 2025
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The Beach Boys Today!
The Beach Boys
I've heard pet sounds and various versions of Smile. This is actually what the Beach Boys are/we're. That's like, my opinion man. Before Brian Wilson went off the deep end he helped his buddies sing good and make nice music together. I hear Smile and pet sounds and I think of the very sad after for Brian Wilson, this to me sounds like some buddies having fun.
3
Feb 17 2025
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Lam Toro
Baaba Maal
Not my style but I respect it.
2
Feb 18 2025
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Nilsson Schmilsson
Harry Nilsson
His voice is undeniably clear and smooth. The song writing is spot on and just generally great to listen to.
4
Feb 19 2025
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Vol. 4
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath with cocaine. Not their best work. But that's okay, still a Black Sabbath album.
3
Feb 20 2025
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Orbital 2
Orbital
Not my thing but I respect it.
2
Feb 21 2025
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The Specials
The Specials
White kids go to Jamaica and get inspired. This is nice but not something I would go running to. These guys are out here inspiring so many bands that I wouldn't come around to for another 20 years. They heard what they heard and added in what they already had. Boom, presto, a new genre of music is born.
3
Feb 22 2025
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The Fat Of The Land
The Prodigy
3
Feb 23 2025
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Sunshine Superman
Donovan
Not my thing. But I understand. The Beatles did this along with many others for a song or two, but this guy went full bore with this. Season of the Witch is a banger, sounds kind of like Lynyrd Skynyrd in a weird way.
There's a spot on the rolling stone 500 for a compilation of pysidelic rock, this would be better.
2
Feb 24 2025
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A Girl Called Dusty
Dusty Springfield
2
Feb 25 2025
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From Elvis In Memphis
Elvis Presley
Better Elvis. Not as dated and dry as earlier stuff. This is almost the version of Elvis I like the best.
4
Feb 26 2025
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Beauty And The Beat
The Go-Go's
3
Feb 27 2025
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Selected Ambient Works 85-92
Aphex Twin
Not my thing but I get it.
3
Feb 28 2025
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Faust IV
Faust
Not my thing. We could probably burry this and that would be fine with me.
1
Mar 01 2025
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At San Quentin
Johnny Cash
Johnny's showmanship is great. 😊
4
Mar 02 2025
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The Nightfly
Donald Fagen
Yeah. As you would have guessed, sounds like Steely Dan.
3
Mar 03 2025
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Celebrity Skin
Hole
The problem with hole and with Courtney Love in general is that Kurt cast such a big shadow. Hole could have come back with anything and everyone would have hated it. Courtney didn't care and did her own thing and everyone thought she was nuts. Celebrity Skin, Malibu and North Star are all great songs. This album had the hot red headed bass player show up (Melissa Auf der Maur) and she really shines on backup vocals too. For what it's worth this is a solid album.
4
Mar 04 2025
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Straight Outta Compton
N.W.A.
4
Mar 05 2025
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Signing Off
UB40
2
Mar 06 2025
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Broken English
Marianne Faithfull
Blondie and Gwen Stefani before they were cool. Not bad either way.
3
Mar 07 2025
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Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo
Devo
The de-evolution of man kind. It rocks regardless. It's just not an all the time listen for me.
3
Mar 08 2025
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Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire)
The Kinks
Meh...
2
Mar 09 2025
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Back To Black
Amy Winehouse
5
Mar 10 2025
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Kid A
Radiohead
I get it, just not for me.
3
Mar 11 2025
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Queen II
Queen
3
Mar 12 2025
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A Seat at the Table
Solange
4
Mar 13 2025
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Disintegration
The Cure
5
Mar 14 2025
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Ladies And Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space
Spiritualized
3
Mar 15 2025
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Hot Rats
Frank Zappa
3
Mar 16 2025
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Kick Out The Jams (Live)
MC5
2
Mar 17 2025
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Quiet Life
Japan
Better than expected. Anyone who likes Durand Durand needs to be made aware of this. This kind of seems like a good chunk of this was stolen by DD. It's quite good, would listen to again and/or put into rotation.
4
Mar 18 2025
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Paul Simon
Paul Simon
If course this is wonderful. It's a special guy under circumstances that couldn't have been better to strike gold with.
4
Mar 19 2025
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Odessa
Bee Gees
2
Mar 20 2025
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Close To You
Carpenters
It's cheesy but it is exactly what it is. It's straightforward easy listening, but it's got soul. Karen Carpenter's vocals are top notch, and so are the percussive pieces, probably because she's awesome.
4
Mar 22 2025
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Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
OutKast
I don't know if this is how the story went but here's what I always imagined happening. Big Boi and 3k had just been together too long. They decided to give the other creative control for their half of the album. Speakerboxxx is half hearted and boring minus the way you move. The love below goes off, Andre 3000 has finally gotten in his spaceship and been given the flexibility to fly away. The first half of the album is a 3 star at best and the back half is 5 star with a bullet. It's a four overall.
4
Mar 23 2025
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Risque
CHIC
This is a thing, it's just not my thing.
3
Mar 24 2025
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Heaux Tales
Jazmine Sullivan
Better than expected
3
Mar 25 2025
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Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea
PJ Harvey
It's for someone, just not me.
1
Mar 26 2025
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Little Earthquakes
Tori Amos
It's really not what people think it is. You don't have to listen to the lyrics or be personally involved with what Tori is writing/singing about (although it's deep and meaningful). To me the arrangements, tempo changes and fearlessness in the instruments other than piano make it glimmer. The piano is obviously the star, but it's more than just a sad girl shrieking and singing loudly.
4
Mar 27 2025
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Rip It Up
Orange Juice
2
Mar 28 2025
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Axis: Bold As Love
Jimi Hendrix
3
Mar 29 2025
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Buena Vista Social Club
Buena Vista Social Club
Sounds like the soundtrack for any movie set in a Latin country. Very soulful, well done.
3
Mar 30 2025
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Abraxas
Santana
You have to love Santana as a genre-setting virtuoso-laden standard bearer. 4 very easy stars.
4