Great stuff. Various musical styles, but lyrically pretty melancholy. From "On the Beach,": I need a crowd of people But I can't face them day to day, Though my problems are meaningless That don't make them go away.

Yet again I realize jazz really just isn't my thing. I appreciate the ability and the intelligence. I just don't really LOVE it.

This one plays a huge role in my musical education. First heard in a smoke-filled living room in Scarborough, getting drunk on beer at a teenage party. Of course it was the sort of party where about half a dozen of us sat silently listening to this, like we were in church. I can't be objective about this, at all. The whole thing just transports me to a different place. Sometimes (but not always) it's that smoke-filled living room, with a stubby bottle of Molson Export Ale in my skinny hand.

Pretty sure I bought this one back in 1988. Tracy Chapman was gonna be HUUUUGGGEEE! So what happened? Nice to re-listen to this after so long.

This is solid all the way through, which surprised me for a "disco" album. Many bangers on this one. Four stars!

Wow! I'd known of this record since I was a kid, but just listened to it today. Great stuff! Their own stuff and (most of) the covers are both amazing. It feels exactly like a 1970 record, too, bridging the two decades. The stage banter is self-deprecating and funny, too. It starts to drag by Side 2, though, and we see some of the proggy elements that would make The Who significantly less good in the 1970s.

Sadly, apart from "When Love Breaks Down," and maybe one or two others, I found this too mellow and the mid-80s production sounds really dated to my ears.

First two songs are classic singles, but I'd never hear the rest of the album, and it's surprisingly solid. Will definitely revisit!

It's almost a dead heat between this one and Reckoning as far as choosing my favourite R.E.M. record. I love the cover photo on this one so maybe it gets a slight edge.

Loved this as soon as it came out. Neil referencing Johnny Rotten told me he was one of the good ones. The live album (Weld?) is also amazing, as is the film.

So many hits from this one. Of course it's a classic.