I'm not as into Amy Winehouse as a lot of people seem to be, but I can recognize her obvious talent.

One of my favourite albums of 2205, if not THE favourite. I am 100% the target audience for Sufjan's ex-youth group-kid, introspective, intricate yet twee songwriting. I bought the CD my first trip to Chicago from Canada, and listened to it on the train all the way home.

U2 were my absolute favourite band when I was in high school (in the 80s, when it was still cool to like U2). All their early albums are classics to me.

I got into hiphop a little too late to appreciate Wu-Tang Clan at its prime, but I do know this is a classic album, and it was great to listen to it in its entirety. Protect Ya Neck!

smooth chill vibes. Could be very soothing in the right context, but not so much my thing.

I didn't realize how heavily orchestrated this album was. And of course Preacher Man is a classic song.

Great to listen to an early album from one of my favourite bands. I think "Take Me to the River" has gotten faster in subsequent performances.

Oh, those 80s synth and drum sounds. MJ was a masterful entertainer, though, no denying it, and these are classic pop songs.

Great to really listen to these classic rock tunes with focus, and be reminded of why they endure.

I listened to this album the day after Canada won the 4 Nations Hockey tournament, and I was, indeed, Bored with the USA. Great cathartic punk rock!

A little intense to revisit this on a Monday morning at work, but also very cathartic! I immediately followed this up with the Johnny Cash version of Hurt, and was not disappointed.

The Fall is a band I haven't really spent much time with, so it was good to give this album a focused listen. Some interesting tracks (Service, The League of Bald-Headed Men), but overall not so much my thing.

I had never heard of this guy (now I know he was in Can) and this album definitely sounds like a product of its time and place. I'm not really into this particular Euro-electronica, but I do appreciate the musique concrete nature of its composition, and I always like voice samples.

One of my favourite non-Canadian bands from the mid-2000s indie rock scene. Great to revisit this album.

A masterclass in swing at any tempo. Fond memories of performing Splanky and L'il Darlin (and maybe Whirlybird?) with the BU Big Band.

Joan Armatrading is a performer I haven't paid much attention to, and I was really impressed by this album. Great songwriting, funky grooves, and impeccable guitar chops.

This album totally matched my mood on the day I listened to it: aggressive and taking no shit. PJ Harvey rocks.

Noise rock is not so much my thing, so it's hard to evaluate this album objectively. It might be a great example of the genre, but I can't tell. I did like the bird sounds in the last track.

I really liked this. I've always thought I should listen to more Common, and now I know I should.

Absolutely love this album. Walter Becker and Donald Fagen are consummate musicians, and Steely Dan doesn't deserve its dad/yacht rock reputation (if you consider that to be an insult, which I don't). Those chord progressions! Those session players! Wayne Shorter!

I mean, undeniably she has amazing pipes and these songs showcase them. It's not so much my thing, but it's a very well-done pop album and I salute that.

yeah yeah yeah this is the stuffffff

classic blues (sung by a white guy) and folk songs, and even some yodeling. That's alright by me.

My AM radio childhood is all coming back to me. No complaints--these are classic tunes. Also a good reminder of what an epic tune Crime of the Century is.

A double album was a lot of Nick Cave for me, but there's definitely some good songwriting here.

a little chill Brit electro-pop goes down well on a cloudy Monday morning.

I didn't know what to expect from this, but it was really enjoyable. The band cooks! 3.5 stars, actually

a little bombastic rock n roll and one of the best voices in music? All this AND Bohemian Rhapsody? Yes, please!

The early-to-mid 2000s are my favourite era of Bjork. Delicate electronica with that signature Bjork weirdness.

Classic soul/R&B by a classic voice. Great to really focus on these tunes and appreciate the artistry here.

The problem I have with Fela Kuti's music (and this genre of African music in general) is the repetitive aspect. I realize there's a meditative quality and intention to sitting a groove for a long time, but even if the band is great and has kickass horns, I don't want the same groove for 12 minutes. I acknowledge this is a "me problem," though.

I'm down for any Steely Dan album, anytime. Listening to this reminded me of how much an old boyfriend of mine loved the tune "Night by Night." And this is probably the only "rock" album to include a Duke Ellington tune.

I think I respect Neil Young more than I actually like his music, but this album is a good example of why he deserves any music-lover's respect. Keep on rockin in the free world, Neil.

No one plays the piano like Thelonious Monk, and this band is stacked. A classic album, and Bemsha Swing is a tune for the ages.

I confess that I'm a bit sick of Imagine, but that's not the song's fault. On the other hand, I Don't Wanna Be A Soldier, Mama and How Do You Sleep are down and dirty jams.

RocknRollllllllll

I've got my spine, I've got my Orange Crush, I've got my early-20s angst reframed as nostalgia, and I'm not mad about it.

oooweeeeOOOOO synth-y goodness. Eyeliner. Warily regarding a glowing pyramid. Caaaaaars.

I mean, I know they were influenced by the skiffle trend in the UK at the time, so I really should have expected it, but I was still pleasantly surprised at how blues-y this first album is.

The horn arrangements are the things that impress me the most on this album. It was truly a golden age of horn sections. And how about those bongo solo breaks in "Don't You Hear Me Calling You"?

Yeah, I'm not really into Little Richard (I just find shuffle beats and the standard blues progression a little boring at this point) but I acknowledge that he had an important place in rock n roll history.

Me, having never listened to Black Sabbath before: Ooh, there's harmonica on Wizard! And a llllong-ass guitar solo on the last track.

I feel like these guys would be friends with Sparks.

There are some really solid pop tunes on this album. Cool to hear the breadth of Eno's talent in addition to the ambient stuff he's more known for.

Good early 80s indie rock takes me back to probably the most exciting period of musical discovery in my life. Great to hear these tunes by an iconic band.

Great soul-influenced pop tunes by a great vocalist.

I'm not as into Amy Winehouse as a lot of people seem to be, but I can recognize her obvious talent.

I never realized how jazzy this album is. Plus, guest vocals from Tracey Thorn, and some early-80s rap on A Gospel. When are you going to find the strength of YOUR nature?

No one has a voice like this smooth operator. jazzy-funky-smooth vibes. And you know it was recorded in the 80s because there's a tenor saxophone.

Can't beat these classic tunes. They make me want to drink some cranberry juice on a skateboard

I just started reading Miles' autobiography, so this album was a perfect companion. Also, in music school I transcribed Wyn Kelly's piano solo in Freddy Freeloader and I was pleased to discover I could still sing along with it although I haven't listened to this album in an embarrassingly long time.

I never really got into Sonic Youth when they first got really big, and I kind of thought I wouldn't like them, but I enjoyed this more than I expected to. Shadow of a Doubt is a great tune.

Well, these are just pleasant little twee-ish pop songs, aren't they?

I've never listened to much Pulp and thought I wouldn't really be into them, but there are some seriously epic tunes on this album.

I know Television is a band I should like in order to be a true music snob. This album is alright, I guess. The guy's voice reminds me of Violent Femmes.

Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard is exactly the kind of upbeat tune you need to hear on a cloudy Monday morning. Paul Simon is a hell of a songwriter.

What can you say about this album? Such a classic. I found myself really appreciating the ballads on this listen: I'm On Fire, My Hometown. Amazing songwriting.

I was unfamiliar with Dagmar Krause, and as soon as this album began I thought "wow, holy Kurt Weill influence!" And then I learned that Krause was a known interpreter of Weill's music. This was an enjoyable discovery and a good listen.

It's May, it's May, it's Justin Timberlake Day. This album is fine, for a white guy appropriating black cultural forms.

I would like to thank my prog rock-obsessed 90s boyfriend for introducing me to classic albums like this, in all their multi-metre glory--and including a cover of one of my favourite Paul Simon songs.

Oh, this takes me back to the mid-2000s golden age of indie pop. Shout-out to CBC Radio 3, where I probably first heard all the hits off this album.

One of the best big bands at one of the best jazz festivals. I'm grateful that this was recorded and that we can hear it.

Well, there are some real bangers on this album, aren't there? Good to hear the original version of Walk This Way, and some nicely overwrought Alice Cooper-esque strings on You See Me Crying. Quality rock all around.

I mean, the songs on this album: Marrakesh Express, Guinnevere, Helplessly Hoping. If you ever listened to AM radio in the 1970s these songs are imprinted on your brain.

a masterclass in the blues.

Every junior high jazz ensemble learns Chameleon and Watermelon Man for a reason. This is an electro jazz/funk primer.

Well, this is a little "twee" for me, but I guess it's the music that twee came from. A Sailor's Life is a decent jam, though, but I'm not sure they should have gone with Cajun Woman. That didn't really work for me.

I loved this album when it first came out. I was just getting into Celtic/folk music, and this bunch of British louts was the perfect introduction.

I've never really listened to krautrock so I didn't really know what to expect (bleeps and bloops, I guess), but this was a very pleasant listening experience--very prog-rock in some places. Also, that is some beautiful manuscript paper on the cover of this album.

What to say about this album? A pop genius gone before his time. And these songs are EPIC. Even the massively over-played "Hallelujah" sounds amazing in the context of the album (and he always had the best version). Also, I'd forgotten how much "Eternal Life" rocks.

I’m not really into extended guitar solos, but of course Neil Young is one of the best songwriters we’ve got.

I'm not sure I have enough listening experience to offer critical analysis on hip-hop albums--and I was distracted when I listened to this--so I'd like to just let this one go, but I have to give it some stars in order to move on, so don't take my rating as a critique.

Classic live album. It was also interesting to hear Cash's banter between songs, and the apparent enthusiasm of the audience. I hope they enjoyed it as much as they sound like they did.

Great bass playing on the first track. Some of this gets a little shaggy for my taste, but it's still enjoyable enough.

One of my absolute favourite bands, and one that I want to keep loving, despite the allegations against Win Butler. Arcade Fire played the best concert I have ever seen in my life, on Sept. 30th 2005, and I have logged many miles running to Keep the Car Running. This band rules, no matter what, and I think this is my favourite of all their albums.

Adding Neil Young really made this a rock album, didn't it?

This album is very long.

This album makes me [ba-da-bamp-bump-ba] very happy. The horns! David Clayton Thomas's voice! Plus Erik Satie, what? If it were possible to wear out CDs, I would have worn out my copy of this album when I discovered it as a university music student in the early 90s.

What can you say about Prince? He was the GOAT. It was great to listen to this album again and appreciate the tracks that I don't know as well--The Cross, the jam at the end of I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man, and a taste of the phenomenon of Prince live with It's Gonna Be a Beautiful Night.

Of course Eric Clapton is an amazing guitarist, but it really feels like the days of guitar dominance in rock bands (extended solos on every track, etc.) is over--or at least it's less common than it used to be--and I honestly am not too sorry about that. Thorn Tree in the Garden is kind of a nice track, though.

Great to listen through this album again--imho, the one that first revealed Radiohead's greatness.

Pretttty trippy instrumentation sometimes (it's amazing how much mileage you can get out of tabla, sitar, and bass), but the songs are interesting. I enjoyed hearing a clarinet in at least one track.

This sounds like the essence of The Cure in its most distilled form: that guitar sound, the bass, Robert Smith's voice, and nothing else.

David Crosby on his own is prettttty trippy (and bluesy), isn't he?