My 1001 Albums Journey

Album	You	Global	Diff
Deep Purple In Rock Deep Purple	5	3.32	+1.68
The Marshall Mathers LP Eminem	5	3.48	+1.52
Surfer Rosa Pixies	5	3.5	+1.5
Head Hunters Herbie Hancock	5	3.55	+1.45
Machine Head Deep Purple	5	3.58	+1.42
Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) Wu-Tang Clan	5	3.61	+1.39
Superunknown Soundgarden	5	3.65	+1.35
Master Of Puppets Metallica	5	3.72	+1.28
Axis: Bold As Love Jimi Hendrix	5	3.78	+1.22
In Utero Nirvana	5	3.82	+1.18

Album	You	Global	Diff
(What's The Story) Morning Glory Oasis	1	3.84	-2.84
Born In The U.S.A. Bruce Springsteen	1	3.7	-2.7
Born To Run Bruce Springsteen	1	3.63	-2.63
The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan Bob Dylan	1	3.62	-2.62
Definitely Maybe Oasis	1	3.53	-2.53
Rust Never Sleeps Neil Young & Crazy Horse	1	3.52	-2.52
Paul Simon Paul Simon	1	3.51	-2.51
Aja Steely Dan	1	3.47	-2.47
Get Behind Me Satan The White Stripes	1	3.4	-2.4
Urban Hymns The Verve	1	3.36	-2.36

Artist	Albums	Average
Deep Purple	2	5

Artist	Albums	Average
Bob Dylan	4	1.5
Brian Eno	3	1.33
Oasis	2	1
The Verve	2	1
Bruce Springsteen	2	1
Steely Dan	3	1.67
Joni Mitchell	3	2

Beatles

3/5

On m’a toujours vendu Revolver comme l’album qui a sorti les Beatles de la pop à fifilles. Dans le contexte de l’époque, sûrement novateur, il y a un avant et un après. Mais la je le réécoute sans grand engouement malgré les 2/3 hits qui sortent clairement du lot, sans pour autant souffrir. J’attends Sgt. Pepper…

Harvest

Neil Young

4/5

Malgré une vibe country/folk que j’apprécie généralement peu, je considère cet album comme une belle réussite du style. La chaleur du son, la voix limitée mais pleine d’émotion de Young, la guitare parfois brouillon qui laisse entrevoir la facette rock du canadien, quelques harmonies vocales avec les potes,…. Ça sent la liberté, la route, un peu la nostalgie aussi. C’est simple, sincère, et ça touche comme un bon blues. Un classique que n’a pas cherché à l’être.

The Score

Fugees

2/5

Un album de pop rap qui participe à signer la fin de l’âge d’or du style, entre autres avec cette reprise de killing me softly - succès énorme qui m’avait tellement saoulé à l’époque - ou celle de Bob Marley alors à nouveau hype. Le rap entre définitivement dans le domaine de la musique populaire. Reste la pâte caribeenne de Wyclef Jean et la voix de Lauryn Hill (qui, après Queen Latifah, a eu le mérite d’être l’une des toutes premières femmes à s’imposer dans le rap), mais tous 2 feront, selon moi, bien mieux par la suite et chacun de leur côté. Perso, Cowboys et Fu-gee-la en principaux highlights, le reste m’ennuie un peu et les textes ne sont franchement pas dingues.

Get Behind Me Satan

The White Stripes

1/5

A lot less “garage” than I expected, based on what I know of the band. Less energy too, and fewer killer riffs to mask the minimalism. On the plus side, the lyrics are nice, and the whole thing is easy enough to listen to. But I couldn’t shake the feeling that a real drummer and a solid bass wouldn’t have hurt—and that Jack White could have made the same record alone in his bedroom. In the end, meh.

Rust Never Sleeps

Neil Young & Crazy Horse

1/5

Neil Young has always interested me because despite being a successivement folk veteran in the ’60s, he later chose to embrace a dusty, rugged rock sound, going against the grain of most of his peers. Both sides of him are present on this album, but being more « into the Black » than « out of the Blue » myself, I’m left frustrated—especially since the acoustic parts are disappointing. The whole “better to burn out than to rust” spirit comes through more clearly in latest parts of his discography. This record, however, feels unbalanced and rather unremarkable to me.

Club Classics Vol. One

Soul II Soul

1/5

The only song I know from this album is Back to Life. It embodies everything I don’t like about ’80s music. Here, everything is a lie, jazzie’s Groove doesn’t sound groovy or jazzy, African Dance doesn’t sound African (though I do like the flute), and the rap is depressingly bad. Despite good videos showing drums, piano or guitars, it relies heavily on machines, only to prove how huge tech progress have been since 1989. The beats are repetitive, and the vocals are unbearable to me. I get why this album is on the list—its sales, its role as the dance music of the time—but I gain absolutely nothing from listening to it, and I find it particularly painful. As a teenager in ’89, I have depressing memories of all those kind of hits which were absolutely everywhere … and the result for me was to dive more deeply into alternative music. I understand that this era had to happen to pave the way for more mature movements. If we have to talk about soul, De La Soul released their debut the same year—and it was in my opinion much better.

Electric

The Cult

2/5

« Drop peace, baby baby, yeah, Yeah! Baby!!» ! Haaaa!! Born to be wild… No!!! Come on guys…you just lost a point because of that. I don’t know The Cult at all, only by name. Not the only band to have lost its guts in this decades. But this album is less glam rock than expected (which is good), and I kind of like the voice - lyrics are useless though and 70s rock bands influence is too obvious in the music - this is absolutely unoriginal. Nevertheless, after reading about them and listening to this album, I feel kind of motivated to dig in their previous Goth work which is supposed to be more ambitious.

Guero

Beck

3/5

I hadn’t listened to anything from Beck since Odelay in ’96, and I’d been telling myself for a while that I should catch up, especially since his albums generally still get good reviews. Well, I finally did it—and it’s cool. So, it’s from 2005, but it sounds like the ’90s, and in the end, it’s quite similar to Beck’s albums from that era. Still offbeat, sometimes haunting, original… but logically no longer groundbreaking. That said, the influences are varied enough that you never really know what to expect from one track to the next, and that’s something I appreciate. Overall, it’s an easy and nice listen, and I enjoyed the experience— some songs are a bit weak but some are also surprisingly good in my opinion : « Rental Car » has been stuck in my head ever since.

Is This It

The Strokes

2/5

Raised on alternative rock, I completely snubbed The Strokes when they came to fame. To me, everything had already been done in the genre, and the essential quality of this band was that they played a part in ending the Britpop movement. And yet, I was never objectively indifferent to The Stroke’s sound, so this is exactly the kind of album that this project allows me to revisit with a fresh perspective. Well, I think I preferred their next album, especially the excellent « The End Has No End ». While some moments are exciting, « Is This It » as a whole feels more flat to me, lacking the intensity I was hoping for. Their sound, though, really stands out and really makes me want to like them. But throughout the album, I keep waiting for something to click, and it rarely does. All in all, I feel more disappointed than really negative.

All Things Must Pass

George Harrison

2/5

Very flat for me on the first listen—way too long as well. I just have to accept that I’m not hippie enough to endure this endless parade of songs in a state of ecstasy … and to enjoy the album cover. That said, a few tracks do stand out fairly quickly (Beware of Darkness, Let It Down, Wah-Wah, or Hear Me Lord). It goes down easy, with a blissful smile—like honey: smooth, a little syrupy, maybe even a bit sappy. More often than not, this sounds like The Beatles… just, well, not as good. And Harrison is no Lennon nor even McCartney when it comes to singing. I get the context on why people might give it 5 stars - the shadow of The Beatles, Harrison’s songwriting talents finally recognized, Clapton and Dylan in the mix—but honestly, I’ll save my high scores for albums from the same era that actually shook me. As one reviewer put it, … and that perfectly sums up how I feel : “There’s probably a 4 or 5 stars album buried in here, but I’ll be damned if I’m gonna spend another 2 hours trying to find it.”

Paul Simon

1/5

There you go, another thing that excites nostalgics from Rolling Stone magazine and maybe old campfire enthusiasts. Even George Harrison feels punk in comparison to this. I can’t tell one track from another—at best, it works as background music for a nap. Since I don’t give a damn about Paul Simon’s sexual awakening or road trips, I also find the lyrics boring. Same for his voice.

Aladdin Sane

David Bowie

3/5

I’m familiar with the previous Ziggie Stardust album, but from this one, I had only listened to The Jean Genie, which I really like. It’s still avant-garde and sometimes chaotic, but what a chaos! ! (the piano on Aladdin Sane is brilliant). Finally, some challenge, some eccentricity—I enjoyed it, even though I prefer some of Bowie’s other work.

Lady Soul

Aretha Franklin

4/5

One of Aretha Franklin’s finest. Aside from the somewhat average production quality, everything is flawless. This album - among few others from her - blows away all the pale imitations up to today—who, by the way, readily acknowledge that Aretha was and remains THE queen. On top of that, blues and soul fuse in a way rarely heard since in soul music. An ode to love set against a backdrop of resistance to racial and gender oppression. To me, a landmark of the genre and I really enjoy it.

The Doors

4/5

Morrison, the perfect poster boy for every teenage crisis—the “tortured poet” (“back door man” is an example he wasn’t) who flew too close to the sun. Theoretically not my cup of tea, but this debut album is clearly more than just Morrison. From the first listen, it transports you straight to the late ’60s while still feeling quite relevant today. The keyboards are blending seamlessly with the guitar, a sound that is instantly recognizable. But The Doors always seemed a bit overrated to me … and they are quite bad when they try their hand at blues. Yet it is the band at their best, an exceptional debut and a great classic when it comes to the few really amazing songs.

This Year's Model

Elvis Costello & The Attractions

2/5

I took a vague interest in Elvis Costello after seeing him perform in the series “Treme”—a show centered on the New Orleans music scene, where he plays himself with great enthusiasm. At the time, I downloaded a good portion of his work, but not a single track has stayed with me from that experience. My feelings have not changed since then: no song stands out, it is too polished. While not unpleasant, his music just washes over me without leaving any impact.

Bandwagonesque

Teenage Fanclub

3/5

Drowned in the early ‘90s alternative rock wave, Teenage Fanclub only popped onto my radar when I first heard “Fallin’” (a cool collab with De La Soul) in ‘93. I’m now diving into this album that’s jam-packed with all the retro goodies I love from that era—including this touch of melancholy and even plaid shirts. It’s straightforward, heartfelt rock with some pretty neat vocal harmonies. That said, it doesn’t hit me quite as hard as it might have back when I was into bands like Pavement or Dinosaur Jr. Still, despite the album being a bit inconsistent, I kind of dig it! Alcoholiday yeah!

Signing Off

UB40

1/5

Being quite unreceptive to reggae, approaching UB40 is somewhat akin to listening to Pierpoljak, especially knowing the height of UB40’s career was into the reggae-pop of “I got you babe”. The social dimension of their first album might have appealed to me, but the saxophone, the vocals, this damn reggae rhythm, the ultra-naive denunciations set against music made for smoking spliffs… It might be good within its genre, but I’m not even sure, especially when compared to more authentic works. It lacks of magnitude, listener is never surprised or impress. I just can’t get into it… except “Food for thought, the only tune I kind of like, but only because it reminds me childhood times.

Green River

Creedence Clearwater Revival

3/5

CCR were Leftist Southerners from the US—just for that, they’re exceptional. The band’s music is easy to listen to, surprisingly groovy, socially conscious, and warm like a good wood fire in winter. They didn’t invent anything new and this might also not be their finest work but what they do, they do wel,l it rocks and it is soulful.

At San Quentin

Johnny Cash

2/5

I only know Cash’s later period—dark, even haunted—which I kind of like. Here, it’s about lighthearted tunes, relatively basic country music. Still, it’s hard not to be impressed by the charisma and voice of Johnny Cash, his humor, and the surprisingly fluid rhymes. I usually don’t enjoy this type of music, but I had pleasure listening to this live recording, punctuated by “beeps” for every swear word, where Cash holds the prison audience in the palm of his hand.

Here, My Dear

Marvin Gaye

1/5

I laughed a lot just by listening the intro and the following song since it is a hell of a cliché. If I understand correctly, the guy divorces and releases a 14-track emotional outlet. This isn’t exactly what I like the most from Marvin, but there’s some kind of emotion if you relate to Marvin’s romantic troubles and If you’re not already tired of hearing the word “love” every ten seconds. It’s vaguely suitable as a soundtrack for sex. Yes, there are few good grooves, but this album mainly left me with a sense of fatigue after so much sentimental outpouring

Basket of Light

Pentangle

2/5

Another British album on this list that seems to have reach success only in Great Britain. I was completely unfamiliar with them, but this is finally an interesting discovery. Once you get past the surprise of the vocals, the music sounds mostly pleasant, and the patterns are well-constructed and relatively rich. Listening with headphones, one can discern the folk-jazz mix, the medieval influence, as well as occasional Indian and Oriental touches. At first, I could hear some Cranberries, Alan Stivell, or Dead Can Dance in it, but it progressively switched to more uninteresting folky stuff. Whatever, I understand that the drummer has performed with Bowie or Aznavour, and It’s likely I’ll give The Pentangle another try.

A Walk Across The Rooftops

The Blue Nile

1/5

No sensation, not even rejection. This thing only worked in England. Total emptiness to me

Head Hunters

Herbie Hancock

5/5

Being yet another classic from the master Hancock, this album is, without a doubt, a definitive work—not just in jazz-funk, but in music as a whole—owing to its vast and enduring influence. It’s not only fun and unpretentious, but also creative and fiercely groovy. At just 40 minutes and 4 tracks, with Chameleon and Sly both stretching past 10 minutes, each could have easily been 30 minutes long, and I would have still wanted more. Transcending genres and eras, Head Hunters remains one of my all-time favorite albums.

Catch A Fire

Bob Marley & The Wailers

2/5

Reggae has always been too slow and repetitive for my taste. Also, the emotions it conveys feel almost otherworldly, as if they come from a place where men preach peace and tolerance while shooting each other and father 28 children with 28 different women. It’s just not something I relate to. Maybe I would if I lived under palm trees, spent my days barbecuing, and having sex while smoking pot. That said, Bob Marley is undeniably a legend who always struck me as someone who could transcend the genre, giving it a pop sensibility while remaining true to Jah, football and freedom. Listening to this album for the first time… well, ...except for few tracks, it doesn’t make it the expected way. Not unpleasant, but still mostly good as a song track for a backyard BBQ. The lyrics have a certain philosophical quality if you are high— ex : “Their minds are confused with confusion.” Still, there are some solid grooves here and there.

Welcome To The Pleasuredome

Frankie Goes To Hollywood

1/5

The first of only two albums, a band that barely plays on its own recordings, lyrics about gay sex which I hardly relate to. The hits are, however, fun to revisit, and there is an iconic voice, but beyond that, it’s not exactly groundbreaking except in the fact it came out in a conservative British era with outrageous lyrics. The whole thing is a well-packaged marketing product - a symbol of its time, but ultimately, a very artificial one. One of the worst overproduced excess of the 80s with “The power of love” sounding very delicate comparing to any other songs.

Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)

Wu-Tang Clan

5/5

A unique work of dark, hardcore garage rap, where each member of the collective had to earn their right to rap through battles, giving it a very special raw spontaneity and yes, it’s fun. Only Onyx, emerging at the same moment and on the same scene, gave me similar chills. A definitive reference, one of the top album ever made in rap. Absolute fire.

A Rush Of Blood To The Head

Coldplay

3/5

Coldplay’s radical shift towards dance-pop is shit, but it literally highlights their two first albums. These were highly accessible yet imbued with an alternative sensibility and a dark, ethereal quality. Among others songs, “A rush of blood to the head“ ‘s fierce intensity and introspective spirit struck a deep chord with me back then. Clearly not a revolution in music, it has been overplayed and it sometimes also carries an annoying, whiny dimension, but it remains a good album that I enjoyed revisiting.

Fragile

Yes

3/5

Yes is exactly the kind of prog band I want to dive into, but their music demands attentive listening so it’s perfect that this album dropped on a Friday! The sound is more rock-oriented than expected; it took me some times to get used to the vocals, but I immediately loved the instrumentation. If you take the time to truly get into it, the experience is rich. I truly enjoyed it, and I am pretty sure I’ll enjoy it more and more.

Moving Pictures

Rush

3/5

Two back-to-back prog albums aren’t easy to digest! I’m kind of discovering Rush—I only really knew Tom Sawyer before. And funnily enough, it’s the song I like the least on the album with the last one. The whole thing flirts with FM rock at times, but never enough to be off-putting and some riffs are actually very good. I really like it… but man, that voice is horrible! So much so that my favorite track is the instrumental YYZ. It’s such a shame… How did they end up with that voice? The guy’s an amazing bassist, but why, oh why, did he have to sing??

Black Metal

Venom

2/5

So yeah, it had a huge influence on metal, yeah, it was shocking, and yeah, it hasn’t aged all that well. Some solid thrash and hardcore punk dynamics, for sure, but not that many, and the over-the-top cliché satanism—probably a reaction to the conservative climate of the ’80s—can (and should) now make us smile. “Sacrifice, oh so nice!” Take it with about fifteen layers of irony—unlike our Norwegian friends— and, at the end, it is quite funny.

Another Green World

Brian Eno

1/5

There’s definitely talent behind this, and the production is solid, but no matter how hard I try, I just can’t find a soul in it. Feels like a homework made by top-of-the-class students, a boring soundtrack, with, however, a few surprisingly modern highlights (the Daft Punk-esque The Big Ship, or Golden hours for example). Overall, I didn’t like it.

Countdown To Ecstasy

Steely Dan

2/5

Only know the band by their song « do it again ». Cool music to start the workday—light, upbeat, and easy on the ears, maybe too easy as it seems quite forgettable at the end. Kinda gives me Chicago (the band) vibes because of voices harmonizing. Could use a bit more intensity and atmosphere, but there’s some good technical work and a nice jazzy, groovy touch.

Back At The Chicken Shack

Jimmy Smith

3/5

The “incredible” Jimmy Smith—just in case any skeptics need reassurance. I liked it a lot. A laid-back Blue Note album with a nice touch of Soul and the distinctive sound of a Hammond B-3 organ (if Wikipedia is to be believed), which I love for its warm tone (Minor Chant solo, case in point). But… the double bass is quite discreet, I even didn’t hear it through headphones, only with good loudspeakers. Drums are also extremely discreet and that rhythmic void is hard to ignore for me. Bam! One star down!

Songs From The Big Chair

Tears For Fears

2/5

It seems to me that they’re one of the few bands from the ‘80s synth-pop wave to have had a lasting influence. Some of their tracks are brilliant, but the second half of the album is rather forgettable. Overall, they bring a semblance of soul to a decade I find pretty dull musically, but this album is a bit too inconsistent for me.

(What's The Story) Morning Glory

Oasis

1/5

After the major shake-up in rock during the early ‘90s, I never really get the hype around Britpop in general and more specifically around Oasis. Apart from their working class bad-boy attitude, musically, it’s honestly not good or ambitious. Production with added violins cannot hide the monotonous and annoying voice of Liam and the songs structures and the technical complexity are those of a local pub’s band. This is easy, risk-free, and hollow rock. To me, it’s a big scam, almost an affront to the Beatles and to rock. But I guess you had to be English and to read tabloids to really grasp their impact. In 95, I was embracing The Bends from Radiohead instead.

Damaged

Black Flag

3/5

Henry Rollins, it’s a minimum 3 stars!! Maximum subjectivity, but I’ll give it a shot explaining. The man is inspiring to me … and as it must be the only Black Flag record on this list, I got no choice (even though ‘My war’ is better in my opinion). Coming from a troubled childhood marked by abuse, Rollins has become an iconic symbol of sobriety and maybe of wisdom in the US—he became stand-up comic, radio host, publisher, anti-racist and pro-LGBT/human rights activist, author, actor, spoken-word artist, and the champion of reason. None of this would have been possible without his wild stint as frontman (I cannot say singer :)) with Black Flag, the hardcore punk powerhouse, where his stage presence was legendary, like a rising psychopath in the making. Five years of raw violence with Black Flag that earned Rollins his punk cred and gave his later initiatives a unique touch. ‘Damaged’ can never quite capture the band’s fury; and the lyrics mostly tell stupid tales of drunken escapades and brawls, but this is a wildly cathartic outlet. Mayhem!!!

Pills 'n' Thrills And Bellyaches

Happy Mondays

1/5

I had never heard of this band, and I just found out that Manchester, in 1990, could give birth to a group that sounds like it’s from 1985. I understand that they make sense because it vaguely contributed to the early days of the local electronic scene.Their most prominent member is a dancer/maracas player who can neither dance nor play the maracas. This album is supposed to be the peak of their short career.

Led Zeppelin III

Led Zeppelin

4/5

When Led Zep tones down the epic stuff just a little, it’s still nothing short of phenomenal. Some songs here perfectly embodies their roots and the direction taken : a direct link in between blues and hard rock. A blues which stays heavy thanks to John Bonham - you don’t just hold back the man, you can bring out all your acoustic side, he’ll still lay down rock-solid grooves on top of it. Just 4 stars only because Led Zeppelin managed to top this on a handful of other albums.

Elephant

The White Stripes

3/5

More fun to listen to than ‘Get Behind Me Satan’, their other album we’ve been previously exposed to. Surprisingly, the rhythmic shortcomings don’t drag it down as much here. When this album goes garage, it really goes garage — the riffs stick with you way more, and there’s just enough bluesy nuance to make the whole thing an acceptable ride. Still their sound is a bit tiring at the end.

Third

Portishead

3/5

I like its darkness and creativity, even if it still carries a lot of what I used to hold against Dummy back in the day : it rarely takes off and tends to stay locked in the same mood. Still, there are some nice guitar touches, and the atmosphere manages to move beyond the band’s original trip-hop roots, which keeps it from being just background music. Despite that evolution — and the 14 years between the two albums — you immediately know it’s Portishead. That’s one of the marks of the greats.

Nick Of Time

Bonnie Raitt

1/5

I just don’t get what’s supposed to be so special about this album. It’s like being stuck in a Tennessee steakhouse listening to the house band. Sure, there are a few glimmers of greatness (very few), but the country vibe and that ultra-slick ‘80s production are like a brick wall for me. And don’t even get me started on that lady’s haircut.

The Only Ones

3/5

At first I thought this album was a total miss. That wannabe Lou Reed / Bowie voice really threw me off, especially on the slower tracks where it just sounds awkward. But as the album went on, it really won me over. It’s sharp, well put together, and often delivers some proper post-punk energy while keeping a raw, punk edge. A really solid find in the end … but with an unpleasant voice.

I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You

Aretha Franklin

4/5

Great listen. Loved it!

Blonde On Blonde

Bob Dylan

2/5

The icon who, for some reason, represents boomer’s pinnacle of musical poetry. Well, it had to happen sooner or later. Only two octaves to his name and a damn harmonica he somehow manages to play without using his hands. Where most hear the “rock era” of the master, for me only “Stuck Inside of Mobile…”, “Obviously Five Believers”, and “I Want You” (which my hippie aunt used to blast on loop when I was a kid) ever managed to break the weak blues and folk monotony. I’ve managed to reach the end of Blonde on blonde without too much suffering.

Chemtrails Over The Country Club

Lana Del Rey

2/5

A pleasant surprise. I only knew one pop track (Summertime sadness) by Lana Del Rey, and here comes this slow, melancholic alternative pop album with hints of Lorde or even Agnès Obel, and it’s actually going down pretty well, … but now I want to return to something more energetic.

Punishing Kiss

Ute Lemper

2/5

A bit too long. Tracks 2, 6, 8 and clearly 11 (with some French for the latest) stood out for me. When she sings softer songs, Ute’s voice reminds me a bit of Patricia Kaas. The vibrato gets a bit tiring after a while, but when she pushes it, it’s actually quite nice. The musical foundation is interesting — you can clearly hear the signature style of the artists involved. It’s a well-produced mix between jazz and film music, an interesting experience, but honestly, it got a bit monotonous in the end. I really wish the lyrics were available on Deezer. Maybe with more time, I could have appreciated it more.

Dr. Octagonecologyst

Dr. Octagon

2/5

Never listened to this before, but I did know Dr. Dooom from the same Kool Keith. With a talented and open-minded producer like Dan the Automator who’s worked with everyone from Gorillaz to Mike Patton, RZA or the Black Keys, I was at least expecting something original and off the beaten path. And yep, this is definitely the opposite of commercial rap. I’m really into this psychedelic, jazzy production. That said, even though there are some real gems in there, it’s a bit long, uneven, and not always the easiest to get into. Also, Kool Keith’s flow often feels a little too dated for my taste.

21

Adele

2/5

« Rolling in the Deep” was a massive hype when it came out, so I gave the rest of the album a shot, but I think it often drowns in too much drama for me. I get tired of those big-voiced singers pretty quickly, can’t help it. You can feel the vocal talent, but the songs sometimes feel a bit too polished. It clearly speaks to a wide audience—girls especially—it’s inclusive, smooth, and radio-friendly enough to please pretty much everyone, myself included… up to a point.

Foo Fighters

2/5

This is so far from In Utero, a bit too cheesy to me. An ok follow-up to Nirvana with some really good songwriting. Foo Fighters (actually Grohl alone) have proved they could last 30 years and keep winning people over long after the grunge era faded away… and that’s already saying something. Seen them live back in the 90s and it was really boring, so I am not very enthusiastic.

Time Out

The Dave Brubeck Quartet

4/5

Some parts of the album feel like a blend of classical and jazz, sometimes it makes me think of Gershwin with a ’50s twist. That’s probably why the funky edge of hard bop, which was all the rage at that time, is pretty much absent. It’s simply a “white jazz” kind of vibe. That said, some of the tracks are absolute classics, and even if I’m not qualified to judge their technical merit, it’s a real treat to rediscover them in this setting. A very nice album to me.

Surfer Rosa

Pixies

5/5

What a good surprise to see this album in this list! Back in 1988 came Surfer Rosa, this total UFO of an album that totally flopped when it first dropped… but which has since proved to have been a game-changer in music. To this day, this unique, proudly weird, wildly inspired…and even occasionally gorgeous album rivals anything garage rock has produced since. However, it isn’t their most accessible work.

Trout Mask Replica

Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band

2/5

Damn… They really must have taken some seriously hard and illegal stuff to come up with something like that. I understand this is a very technical work but “Dali’s Car” and those a capella vocal horn noises are still hurting me too bad. In an attempt to stay mentally safe, I didn’t go through the whole 80’ of this trip. 2 stars just for the experience of listening something really unconventional which sounds like the thoughts of a drugged schizophrenic mind.

Parachutes

Coldplay

3/5

It’s pretty and sweet, and after Trout and the Captain it sounds like honey, but unlike its follow-up, I kinda struggle to listen to it without getting fed up.

A Hard Day's Night

Beatles

3/5

My mom’s favorite album right up there with Claude François and Sheila, and probably the only time Ringo Starr ever looked halfway decent in photos. Not a single ball hanging out … after a hard day, no smashing things, just a hug and it’s all better. With lyrics the same level than 2be3, it somehow ended up shaping rock history more than the Kinks ever did. I guess it was just easier to twist to this while screaming in a plaid skirt and a turtleneck. Simple and efficiently crafted.

Paul's Boutique

Beastie Boys

4/5

Hardcore punk skater messed-up kids turning to rap couldn’t drop anything less than a wild, ironic, and eclectic gem. The lyrics are hilarious, and the high pitched flows are iconic. Great stuff to me, especially for the 80s. « Looking down the barrel of a gun » or « Shadrach » for exemple are far ahead of their time.

The Stranger

Billy Joel

3/5

Nice surprise! I barely knew the name, and I was expecting some 60s rock’n’roll vibe but instead I got bouncy Supertramp-like grooves and Elton John-style mid-tempos. Super clean and maybe a bit too polished, but honestly, there are some really good tracks. Totally works for me today!

Rubber Soul

Beatles

3/5

Often (but not always) more exciting than its predecessor, and less cheesy, it’s still an easy and enjoyable listen. That said, the ultra-short 2-minute ‘hit’ format gets frustrating, it feels like a bunch of underdeveloped melodic ideas. Ttracks like “What Goes On” really could’ve been left out. Still waiting for the post-Revolver albums…

(Pronounced 'Leh-'Nérd 'Skin-'Nérd)

Lynyrd Skynyrd

3/5

It’s greasy, it’s stereotypical rock, it’s rock for bars. Sure, they were racist rednecks pricks, but damn did they knew how to crank out some killer boogie, and it is surprisingly good for a first album. “Free Bird” is my personal “headbanging in car” gem with Jas a few years back. Hell of a 9 mn long track which instantly made me forget all about those damn two-minute ditties we just had Thursday. I’m a simple man.

Deep Purple In Rock

Deep Purple

5/5

Deep Purple was my first rock live show ever with @Jerou back in 91 and before that, In Rock simply blew my mind at 13. Nothing as Fierce as an opener as Speed King has been done before. Maybe the best hard rock album up to the end of the 70s. “Child in Time” is an all-time anti-war classic. Ian Gillian is the greatest rock singer ever, Ian Paice the greatest drummer, John Lord and Ritchie Blackmore the best solo duets ever, … Best cover and lyrics ever. Sabbath and Led Zep made lullabies compared to this. The Beatles couldn’t ever dream about being that good. Am I going a bit too far? Yes I am biaised, so what?

Endtroducing.....

DJ Shadow

3/5

I first discovered DJ Shadow with its work in UNKLE’s Psyence Fiction. That album played a significant role in shaping my musical journey toward atmospheric rap. I hadn’t listened to this particular record before, but I can definitely recognize UNKLE’s vib, especially in the drums and the saturated bass. And what a surprise, Dan the Automator is once again involved. It’s alternative rap, and it really resonates with me. If some tracks are not that creative, I globally enjoy it.

Smokers Delight

Nightmares On Wax

1/5

Surely already heard in the afternoon or evening, at some rooftop or beach bar, somewhere. Wouldn’t even make the cut for my elevator if I had one.

Liege And Lief

Fairport Convention

1/5

Not as exciting as Pentangle. The few songs I have tried to listen were repetitive, without the jazzy touch I actually liked in Pentagle. Totally forgettable but not that bad comparing to Dylan.

American Idiot

Green Day

2/5

Musically, it might not set the world on fire, but this album definitely shaked things up a bit at a time when no one else was even trying, and it did it while going full mainstream. The song American idiot is still used as an anti-Trump song these days. That being said, I don’t really like pop punk.

Bad

Michael Jackson

3/5

In the flood of ’80s pop, this album stands out for being more polished and eclectic, even with its slick, synthetic sound. Like it or not, I ended up absorbing half the tracks and I’ve got to admit, some still hit hard these days (Dirty Diana, Smooth Criminal…).

Emergency On Planet Earth

Jamiroquai

4/5

It was love at first listen with Jamiroquai when my sister came back from her Erasmus in Brighton with this album. A truly unique band that brought jazz-funk back to life right in the middle of the grunge wave and even sparked a whole new generation of didgeridoo fans. A little rough around the edges, sure, but the album’s organic vibe was a great breath of fresh air after the synthetic sounds of the 80s. Great music all around, both technical and danceable, with even the non-charting tracks shining. The first two albums by the band are totally my jam.

Illmatic

Nas

2/5

Nas lyrics, which I’m reading for the first time, flow smoothly and are full of images. But still, my first feelings about Illmatic back in the 90s haven’t really changed. To me, it often feels like he’s just talking over beats that sound kind of flat and lifeless. His voice stays on the same tone, there’s no real anger here, no humor like in West Coast rap. It feels more like a well written documentary about his hood in NYC than a full, exciting piece of music.

Sex Packets

Digital Underground

1/5

After Nas came the laid-back West Coast vibes. This album is supposed to have helped shape the local funky sound but less than a year before Dre’s The Chronic, and after De La Soul, it already feels pretty dated. And it drags on… way too long, and with weird lyrics. Kinda boring despite few good grooves.

Definitely Maybe

Oasis

1/5

I really cannot stand the voice and the lack of originality.

Moondance

Van Morrison

3/5

Easy to listen to thanks to its warm voice and cozy production. In fact, I think the real strength of the album is the voice and all the emotion it carries. Van Morrison sings like a rock or soul artist, and even a folk song that might seem bland at first suddenly feels powerful. His voice also ties everything together, even though the influences are pretty mixed. A very pleasant listen, a welcome laid-back break, especially with this lovely weather!

The Blueprint

JAY Z

2/5

This is heavy stuff, the peak of commercial and pop rap. But it still has real qualities. The production is excellent (Kanye West is involved, so that makes sense). Some tracks have surprising and original mixes, like D.O.A., which is eclectic but works. The lyrics are good, like with Nas, there’s some irony behind all the talk about money. But Jay-Z’s voice is flat and emotionless, which is a total letdown to me. Still, it’s a much better album than I expected, with nice surprises in terms of the features. Too bad it’s Jay-Z doing the rapping…

Freak Out!

The Mothers Of Invention

3/5

That’s the beauty of this exercise, I start putting things into perspective. After Captain Beefheart, the other wild project Zappa was involved in, this album feels surprisingly accessible. It playfully runs through all the phases of rock from that era, with sharp, irreverent humor. But unlike Beefheart, it’s clean, tight, and much easier to follow. It also really helps to get some understanding about Zappa’s talent and why he has such a cult following. The talent is obvious, and I find it just as interesting, maybe even more, than other albums from the same time, because it is very well written and has that extra dose of irony.

Ogden's Nut Gone Flake

Small Faces

4/5

I had no clue who they were, Rod Stewart is somehow related. But what a nice surprise in between funny talks! The music is quite exciting, it makes me think of a mix of the Toy Dolls and The Who, a few tracks really hit hard for that time. Without major hits, it still really puts the whole British scene of that era into perspective again. Loved it.

Aja

Steely Dan

1/5

Without the surprise of the first album, I find this one super bland and boring. It’s not bad, it just feels one more time like the kind of music I’d play in my elevator… if I had one.

The Wildest!

Louis Prima

3/5

Happy music isn’t really my thing. But if I had to choose, I’d probably go for this kind of swing which is packed with good vibes and warmth. Sure, in this album, the exaggerated joy can get a bit tiring after a while and it’s hard not to picture an orangutan in his quest for fire, but the music and the groove are strong enough to totally make up for it.

Haut de gamme / Koweït, rive gauche

Koffi Olomide

2/5

After a German artist, Koffi is only the second non-English-speaking artist we had. Congolese rumba fits surprisingly well under this grey sky, but I would have preferred a more organic sound. The tracks are long, and listening to the whole album in one go gets tiring, though I’m not very familiar with the style and I am pretty sure I could get used to it. I especially enjoy the more nuanced songs like “Conte de fées.”

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road

Elton John

3/5

I really like Elton John’s music from the 70s, and even after that. His songs have a great sense of melody and are easy to enjoy, which makes them seem simpler than they really are. But his music hits harder during that 70s period. I realize that what I really look for are the buildups, often very well done, between the slower, quieter parts. I love that clear, warm sound and the little bouncy groove he often has.

Here Come The Warm Jets

Brian Eno

2/5

Sometimes noisy and offbeat, with occasional similarities to the Velvet Underground’s use of distortion. It sits somewhere between glam and pop, with just the right touch of experimentation. Unfortunately, it’s not always successful, despite some strong moments. Very close to Bowie, perhaps too close, but ultimately less compelling.

Dire Straits

4/5

Even though I prefer Communiqué, I also really like Dire Straits’ first album. It’s hard to explain or justify, and I know they didn’t invent anything, but this band helped me at a young age, while I was growing up with Miles Davis only, not to fear guitar bands. It was a brilliant debut album, totally anachronistic in the middle of the punk wave. However, to me, both of those first albums feel very close to very good blues. They’re laid-back and still have enough variety and surprises to keep me interested, and of course, there’s a unique, soulful touch in the guitar playing. A simple track like Six blade knife still sounds like honey to me.

Here's Little Richard

Little Richard

2/5

Good vibes but a bit boring old rock ’n’ roll. Too bad the production sucks, the sharp sound makes it tougher to really enjoy.

Better Living Through Chemistry

Fatboy Slim

2/5

Underwhelming… it feels a bit lifeless. His next album is much stronger, as are the ones the Chemical Brothers made before this one.

Mama Said Knock You Out

LL Cool J

2/5

A typical example of a pivotal album from the early ’90s transition period, but when hairy chests were still a thing :). Quite innovative on tracks like “Mama Knock You Out” and “Eat ’Em Up L Chill,” where the flows finally start to loosen up. Clearly not my favorite from that era, but still a solid and influential record.

The Idiot

Iggy Pop

2/5

Some Bowie stuff, written by Bowie, sung by Iggy “Lou Reed” Pop during their little redemption trip together. Sure, you can hear the influence it had on bands like Joy Division. But honestly, even “China Girl” sounds much better when Bowie sings it. Most of the tracks are just slow variations on the same little tune. It gets boring. What’s left is the vibe of the time, a haunted sound and a few scraps of genius Bowie was kind enough to toss to his friend.

Achtung Baby

U2

4/5

I’m one of those people who had a hard time accepting the big shift in artistic direction that started with this album. And yet, I have to admit the production on Achtung Baby was really innovative for 1991. This album is still incredibly relevant today, and overall, I think it’s a very solid record and one of the best U2’s effort. Paradoxically, at the time it came out, it’s also the album where Bono’s voice finally wore me out and pushed me to stop following the band.

Metallica

4/5

Clearly not my favorite one from the band … but yet. It’s one of the landmark rock albums of the ’90s, which helped bring metal into the mainstream by taking Metallica to an unprecedented level. Saw them twice on that tour: unforgettable live memories with my buddy Jerou in 91, …and 1,6 million Russians awakened to freedom with this album when Metallica played live in Moscou. Wherever I may roam is a personal favorite and Nothing else matters is one of the best song ever written according to Elton John. Not trash anymore, but quite a rough rock gem.

The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan

1/5

No matter how hard I try, I just can’t get into it. More than ever, I feel Dylan’s strength has always been much more literary than musical. But musically, it does nothing for me, except maybe give off this vague sense that the guy and his songs were supposed to mean something in the US back then, but even that’s probably just the result of the constant, forced idealization of Dylan. I might feel differently if I had grown up in the US and in the 60s, …but I didn’t.

Hot Shots II

The Beta Band

2/5

There’s a lot to take in, some Beck vibes, a bit of Air, psych phases that flow nicely into solid little grooves, with a touch of art rock… At first, I got a bit carried away after randomly landing on some much cooler tracks by the band … but they weren’t from Hot Shots II. The album itself isn’t exactly groundbreaking. It ends up feeling a bit too smooth for my taste. Yet, an interesting discovery.

Pet Sounds

The Beach Boys

3/5

I don’t find the whole thing consistently strong or inspired, but it clearly feels more ambitious than their previous pop formats. Nevertheless, from them, I mostly like the surf rock hits and those pop vocal harmonies that sounded so definitive : I wanted “Wouldn’t It Be Nice”’s energy across all 13 tracks! Here, unfortunately, the attempts to intellectualize only work on a few tracks, like God Only Knows. It’s certainly an influential concept album I probably needed more time to fully absorb, but this isn’t my first attempt since childhood. To me, Pet Sounds ultimately stands as an inspiration but also a proof of the greatness of Sgt. Pepper.

Black Holes and Revelations

Muse

3/5

Muse is a paradox that both attracts and repels me.I admire their epic ambition, the way they brought the urgency and intensity of metal into pop music, and their image. At the same time, I can’t stand their grandiloquence or Tom York style’s voice for too long. As often with Muse, this album is too dense and overwhelming, a sonic and overproduced deluge that ends up working against them. Few nice tracks.

The Dark Side Of The Moon

Pink Floyd

4/5

A beautifully haunting classic from one of the most influential band ever…. but personally, I lean more toward Wish You Were Here.

Tusk

Fleetwood Mac

2/5

I’ve only listened to Rumours, so I don’t know any of the 20 tracks on this album. Nothing really stands out or explains why it’s considered special. From Rumours, I only find a few rock elements in Sisters of the Moon. The rest bores me deeply. It feels like plain American pop music.

Junkyard

The Birthday Party

2/5

Nick Cave like I never imagined him : wild, punk, and chaotic. Super interesting, and honestly, pretty listenable as long as you’re not allergic to garage rock. It’s not exactly groundbreaking (it’s basically Joy Division mixed with Killing Joke), but definitely surprising and fun! I see it’s in the top 10 of the lowest-rated albums here. That’s not really fair, even if it’s not something I’d play every day, it is still better than some other post-punk stuff we’ve faced till now.

Suzanne Vega

2/5

Folk with a modern twist, the kind of melodies you could easily imagine turned into electric versions, and they would probably sound better. Suzanne Vega has often had that subtle alt-rock vibe, a bit edgier than she first lets on. Still, this first album is super easy listening, the kind of stuff you would hear in cozy coffee shops before Norah Jones or Dido came along. Pleasant, sure, but not exactly what you would call innovative. Why is it here?

That's The Way Of The World

Earth, Wind & Fire

4/5

I think I’ve only listened to compilations from the band before. It’s not easy diving into such a legendary group with so much music, some of it a bit hit or miss. And let’s be honest, their album covers aren’t always exactly inviting. But yeah, this one’s really good and I’m loving every bit of it (except « All about love » which sounds too Marvin). You can totally hear the lasting influence this band has had and still has. Prod and vibe are excellent.

Chirping Crickets

Buddy Holly & The Crickets

1/5

Listening to this feels a bit like watching a football match from the 50s on TV. You can tell there was talent, but this is not that watchable anymore. “Maybe Baby” is basically “Love Me Do” before “Love Me Do” so credit where it’s due: Buddy helped invent pop and 2 mn long tracks. And those sweet little backing vocals? Valalala, vala, valalala… kind of charming, really! From the same era, Halley, Richard, Berry sound better to me. Good music for Christmas though.

3 + 3

The Isley Brothers

3/5

It’s full of love-love vibes, super sweet, but there’s some serious groove going on, and it totally works. The real surprise for me? The release date. With such slick, modern production and rich instrumentation, I would have bet anything this album came out in the late ‘70s… certainly not 73! Nice one!

Nixon

Lambchop

1/5

When I saw “alternative country,” I freaked out a bit. Luckily, the band seems to have moved on from that. Some tracks like « Grumpus » or « Up with People » are actually really cool and have real soul. That said, the singer doesn’t really have a voice even though he’s trying unsuccessfully high pitched singing, and I find it hard to believe this is considered top-tier music as this is quite unoriginal. To me, it sounds like one of those albums by aging stars who have lost their spark and, in a desperate search for credibility, end up making bland music that’s easier to pull off on tour.

Marquee Moon

Television

2/5

Not without interest and maybe influential, but not as obviously influential as some other bands from that era. Solid guitar work, no real duds, but nothing that truly stands out either. Kind of a letdown after everything I’d read about them because, to my ears, the Stooges in 69 and a bunch of other artists from the earlier New York punk/rock scene just sounded better.

The Atomic Mr Basie

Count Basie & His Orchestra

3/5

Count Basie and Sidney Bechet were always playing at my parents place when I was a kid, and back then I saw them as old-fashioned and a bit dull. Listening to this album now is a surprise and it changes my perspective. It’s a solid swing record, full of life, with a few quieter, more intimate moments that add a nice balance. Still, it started to bothered me a bit at second listen, mainly because I never been so much into big band stuff, and it will not become a favorite of mine in that style of music. An overall nice experience though.

Infected

The The

1/5

I’m skipping over the cold digital vibe that defines pop this decade because the songs just don’t hold up. This album feels like a snapshot of a very specific moment in British culture that I just can’t connect with. Listening to it leaves me totally empty. If anything, it makes me respect The Smiths or The Cure even more.

Play

Moby

4/5

Massive electro-blues album that took the world by storm back then. I still remember every single track, and it still holds up beautifully, but that old sense of fatigue from the radio and movie overexposure creeps back in quickly, though. Funny thing: I saw Moby live just before this album dropped, fronting a punk band opening for Soundgarden. Says a lot about the guy’s range and open-mindedness.

All Hail the Queen

Queen Latifah

3/5

The first female rapper to get massive exposure (with support of huge names like KRS One ou De La Soul). It’s still got that very 80s vibe, but personally, I think it still works really well, those warm jazzy or reggae samples are super smooth and she’s able to mix very well with various styles. The dancey mixes, with tracks like Come Into My House, sound way better than Soul II Soul, in my opinion. A major album, totally feminist, and a real milestone. Wrath of My Madness inspired every female rapper who came after. Big up even though that’s not a favorite of mine.

Pretenders

4/5

Chrissie Hynde is another strong figure of female empowerment in music and I’ve always loved her voice which I consider both feminine and mature, punk yet sensitive. The instrumentation on the album is solid (the build-up on “The Wait” is excellent and shows the band could go beyond the usual pop structure). The moods shift naturally, from punk vibe to “Lovers of Today.” A great debut album, especially mature, and one that has aged quite well.

After The Gold Rush

Neil Young

2/5

I’m not a big fan of this album as a whole. To me, it feels way less warm than Harvest. Neil Young’s voice here is higher-pitched, even kind of screechy at times, and the songs are often pretty mellow, which doesn’t really do it for me. The two more rock-ish tracks are really nice, but that’s not enough to make the album a success in my eyes.

Eternally Yours

The Saints

3/5

The horns are unexpected, the sound is a bit too polished, but the punk attitude is there. It’s not groundbreaking, but I dig it.

Risque

CHIC

2/5

Too polished, and often too soft, the album loses impact even though the bass is solid and even though Nile Rodgers sometimes shine. But it feels like funk taking a wrong turn to me. The choruses just repeat, there are no surprise or so few. It’s basically the dance music from that era and I struggled to find excitement in it.

S.F. Sorrow

The Pretty Things

1/5

It’s like the best of the worst of the Beatles after Revolver. Apart from a few rare good vibes and riffs (quickly drowned in hippie nonsense with bloody sitars, boring vocal harmonies, and LSD inspired structures) It’s tough for me. Really tough. And the mix is absolutely terrible, making the whole experience being a bit painful. Do we have listen to every single British band just because they started a thing?

Master Of Puppets

Metallica

5/5

Back in the 80s, at the height of glam and a decade drenched in glitter and shine, thrash metal dragged music back to its punk roots, with raw and primal rage. It’s violent, no doubt, but it’s not glorifying violence, it’s calling it out. And beneath all the fury of this album aimed at war and injustice lies a celebration of meaningful lyrics, sharp precision, and masterful composition which make it one of the few gems of the 80s and a relevant album up to today (see the incredible youth reaction to Master of puppets after it was featured 38 years later in the TV series Stranger things). Even tracks that might seem secondary hide killer riffs and solos that still hit hard. Nevertheless, and to be honest, Master of Puppets isn’t my top pick from the thrash era, nor from Metallica. Yet, it blew me away back then and I still enjoy it today. It is easily one of the few Metal albums everyone agrees on, a true cornerstone of the genre, its influence unquestioned, and still the most popular of them all.

On The Beach

Neil Young

3/5

Another Young again ??? This one’s better produced, Neil’s whinny voice works well and the electric blues tracks like Revolution Blues and Walk On are really cool. The ending gets a bit too emotional for my taste, though I enjoyed a lot Vampires blues and On the beach. Nice overall, deep, not necessarily a masterpiece, but Young never really tried to make one,

The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter

The Incredible String Band

1/5

What if Frodo had started a band after a mushroom trip with his Shire buddies? Well, the wild Scottish lads of The “Incredible” String Band have tried to answer that tricky question with the help of happy pills. The result is an amateurish album that sounds like shit, something Castle Old Fart Preservation Society might perform dressed as medieval serfs in front of a handful of puzzled locals to raise funds. Today, my open-mindedness reached its limits. So far, the “worst album” to me, hands down.

Ambient 1/Music For Airports

Brian Eno

1/5

We already got our dose of elevator music from Eno, so why put us through this again? That ambient music wasn’t really made to be listened to, but to be played in the background while doing something else. With that in mind, I’m not sure why this album deserves a spot in the “1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die” list. Yes, it’s the first album that defined ambient, but it’s probably only here for that reason because nobody actually bought it except maybe some SPAs. After the first album of medieval junkie folk we just had, I’m starting to suspect this list is an excuse to include every “first” in music history. In short, things aren’t looking good.

Cosmo's Factory

Creedence Clearwater Revival

4/5

Just discovered the track Ramble Tamble and it’s awesome. Overall, that’s not my favorite CCR album, but it goes down easy, like always with them. Just the right mix of blues, soul, and rock, with a bit of Marvin.

Music for the Masses

Depeche Mode

3/5

God knows how much I hate synth-pop. But Depeche Mode represents its darker side, deeper, more refined, blending alternative and gothic vibes, and still hugely influential today. One of the best albums of popular music to come out of that damn decade. Some tracks give off a cold, dark atmosphere that is truly unique. But Violator did it even better, seamlessly bringing in the sound of the 90s.

3 Feet High and Rising

De La Soul

3/5

The opposite of gangsta rap, it is warm, jazzy, light, and funny. A classic of the genre and great memories for me. Their next album is much better though.

The Hissing Of Summer Lawns

Joni Mitchell

2/5

This album is packed with high profile features (but no Jaco yet)! The influences go way beyond her early folk stuff, one track even has a Björk vibe (The Jungle Line). A lot of it leans into that smooth jazz bar sound that became her musical future. What a voice! The production is beautiful, though too smooth. The songs tell stories, often painting pretty pictures like she’s singing about fancy neighborhoods in San Francisco. It’s lovely, artsy… kinda feels like music for upscale hipsters. All around a bit too flat.

Vol. 4

Black Sabbath

3/5

Overall, I prefer this album to Paranoid. I really like its sludge/stoner edge and some grooves are impressive for 72, thanks to Tony Iommi. A miracle since the band was deeply into drugs at that time. But Ozzy’s nasal, limited voice is just awful and somehow ruins what could have been a great album. Now that he’s gone, I can say that his personal success has always been a mystery to me. Was it pity? Was it confusion? The guy had been funny sounding, unintelligible and off-key for decades, and honestly came across more like a tragic pathetic junky clown than a rock icon to me.

Scott 4

Scott Walker

1/5

I never heard of him, but this Scott Walker’s fourth album feels totally out of place at the end of 69, especially when you think about how exciting and fast-moving the music scene was back then. It might be his best solo work but it kind of feels like it’s only in this list because his previous band was a hit in the UK. It is super boring most of the time, except for a couple of slightly more lively tracks (like Get Behind Me).

Red Headed Stranger

Willie Nelson

1/5

Slow country music. I just can’t get into it. Remember Me is the only one that feels kinda bluesy and cool, with a nice little piano solo. Otherwise, all I can picture is the Coen brothers movies and their ironic vibe, redneck music.

Who's Next

The Who

4/5

As my daughter would say while fixing her verbs: presque parfait

Live At The Star Club, Hamburg

Jerry Lee Lewis

3/5

The energy feels unreal for that time.

Tom Tom Club

1/5

It’s clearly inspired and ahead of its time for 1981 (Wordy rappinghood is surprising with its humorous rapping at a time when rapping was far to be trendy), but it’s still a string of long, repetitive tracks. Kinda boring.

What's Going On

Marvin Gaye

3/5

The love/save the children’s side merges beautifully in the Soul. Shitty lyrics, but overall, quite a nice vibe.

Garbage

3/5

Back in the day, this album broke free from the tired clichés of alternative rock and brought a fresh, welcome mix of styles. It’s not perfect though, a bit uneven here and there, but some tracks have become classics that still sound great today.

The Velvet Underground

3/5

I really enjoyed listening to this Velvet Underground album I had never heard before. The subtlety in both the soft songs and the more rock ones is surprising, and Lou Reed almost has a voice

Jack Takes the Floor

Ramblin' Jack Elliott

1/5

Son of a NYC surgeon, I understand that this man had everything lined up for success, and somehow his big move was to go full redneck rambling cowboy. Makes no sense… which might be the whole point of him being in this list. Even more over-the-top than the yelling cowboy archetype. No!

Synchronicity

The Police

3/5

Even though it has a few weak spots (including Jazz-rock influences which I am not fond of) and doesn’t include my favorite songs from the band, this album is, to me, The Police’s best work and one of the most inspiring records of the 80s.

The Healer

John Lee Hooker

3/5

Thanks to this list, I discovered Bonnie Raitt’s glorious perm, and thanks to her and to Santana, the king of features, Hooker had a bit of a comeback and landed a spot here. It’s clearly listenable, even nice, but there’s way better blues out there, even in Hooker’s own catalog. Kinda disappointing that this is the first blues album the list throws at us.

Stankonia

OutKast

3/5

First, they were one of the most original rap groups out there, though I think they’re out of the game now. Back in 2000, this album managed to keep an alternative edge and a weird vibe while still being hugely popular. Nice to hear B-Real featured. André 3000’s voice can get on my nerves sometimes, but I still enjoy the mix and enjoy most of the tracks. I had’t listen to it for at least 15 years but is still kicks ass.

Siamese Dream

The Smashing Pumpkins

5/5

Siamese Dream is a one-of-a-kind masterpiece in its style. The band never managed to recapture that same burst of energy and emergency which feels spontaneous but was actually painstakingly crafted by Corgan layering dozens of guitars and by Chamberlin dense and groovy drumming. By far the band’s best work, a unique mix of melancholy and the searing intensity of guitar saturation, and, to me, one of the finest and most recognizable alternative rock albums ever made. I might not be entirely honest, because this album is clearly part of the soundtrack of my teenage years …but fuck it, especially after all the shit we had in this list #Eno #Frodoandhisband #fucking80spop.

Rumours

Fleetwood Mac

3/5

One of the highest-rated albums on the list and, on paper, an anormous and influential success. Yet I’m totally missing the whole Fleetwood Mac hype (kind of like with the Eagles or Greatful dead). That said, Rumours is much better to me than their previous album we tackled, thanks to the presence of a few classic rock staples. It goes down easy enough, with emotion and some solid melodies.

War

U2

3/5

It’s hard to ignore how much this album shaped my big sister’s musical taste, or to separate it from everything that happened to the band afterwards, to take War as it must have sounded back in 83. Stripping away any emotional bias, I hear an album that was remarkably mature for its time, but beyond its two timeless tracks, it’s clearly not U2’s peak. Still, two of its singles and some more songs have won over my wife, my daughter and myself, and honestly, that alone makes it a win.

Veckatimest

Grizzly Bear

3/5

At first, the band’s whole vibe made me think their music could be very interesting, partly thanks to those shifts in intensity (like in Fine for Now). But pretty quickly, the backing vocals turned into a total buzzkill. They add nothing, except, unfortunately, a Disney-like touch that’s a dealbreaker for me. Overall, it’s not downright bad, but it just doesn’t win me over stince most songs fall flat. Joni Mitchell didn’t win me over so I’ve decided to give Grizzly bear another try, and I finally enjoyed their music more this time. I now get their 60s influence and I even feel a QOTSA’s vibe. I finally give them 3 stars.

Blue

Joni Mitchell

2/5

I’ve been familiar with Joni Mitchell for quite a while now. But I’m much more into her later albums, the ones where her voice had lost some range but gained a lot of depth. From Blue, I have pretty much the same issues I had with the previous album on the list: those are stories for American yuppies. This time, I’ll add one more gripe : those damn “youhoo” glissandos, sometimes crammed into a single word, shooting up into an unbearable high note. They feel more like a vocal flex than anything that actually serves the song. In short, beautifully written and lovely when she keeps it calm, but the fact that I start dreading her unpredictable high-pitched leaps kinda ruins the experience for me.

Live At The Harlem Square Club

Sam Cooke

3/5

I only know 2 or 3 of Sam Cooke’s hits which are kind of basic and radio-friendly. But in this live show, he’s on a whole different level. Soul back then had so much class: raw, stylish, and Cooke’s voice is just insane. “I don’t want you operator! I want my babyyyy!!!” Then I found out he died in shady circumstances, with a story about kidnapping and an attempted assault… well, this record still rules, but all these romantic lyrics suddenly sound very fake.

Like Water For Chocolate

Common

3/5

Strangely, I didn’t know him, but if he’s backed by Kanye West and calls himself family with The Roots and Questlove, he can’t be bad. Like with Nas, the monotone flow can get a bit tiring, but those warm jazzy samples and (mostly) well-written lyrics are really cool to follow. The little duet with Mos Def and « 6th sense » are the easiest tracks to get into otherwise it’s better to read the lyrics to keep up. I’m into this whole « conscious rap » vibe, and I’ll definitely come back to it.

NEU! 75

Neu!

3/5

Never heard about that German band before. It started off rough… with the almost ambient Leb wohl, I nearly gave up. But the second half of the album is way more gripping right from the start, obsessive, even tortured. Suddenly I get what Neu! brought to bands like Joy Division or Killing Joke. I can hear shades of Johnny Rotten or even of The Edge in the guitar landscape, I see industrial wastelands and crumbling walls. I’m fully tripping, even with the coldness and the repetitive edge of the music. In the end, the album takes on a whole new dimension with its two radically different halves, making it a seriously interesting concept piece for 1975. Knowing these guys musical roots (Brit rock, swing, jazz or Pakistani music) make this effort an even better surprise.

The Rolling Stones

2/5

With only three rather underwhelming original songs and a bunch of covers that pale next to the originals (ex. « Carol » or « Can I Get a Witness »), this album falls pretty flat. Jagger’s still-developing voice doesn’t do much to save the experience either, though you can already catch a glimpse of his future greatness in a song like « Walking the Dog ». All in all, listenable, but nothing remarkable for me.

Cheap Thrills

Big Brother & The Holding Company

4/5

Janis Joplin has always freaked me out because she’s just too much: too soul, too rock, too in-your-face, too not-beautiful, too stoned. But this album is simply incredible. The chemistry with the band is fantastic. It’s raw, it’s intense, and they totally own it. A string of classics mixed with a few wild trips that probably only make sense on certain substances. A gem so dense it’s hard to take in all at once.

The Notorious Byrd Brothers

The Byrds

3/5

The Beatles but not as good, nice, pretty, poppy. Not love at first sight, but yeah, it must have influenced. Vocal harmonies sound nice, and some songs like Tribal Gathering are excellent with a delicate touch of rock. Kinda too folky for me… especially since Cheap Thrills, we just had yesterday and from the same year, feels much more exciting. Yet I might give it another try.

Kings Of The Wild Frontier

Adam & The Ants

1/5

Didn’t have the time to go all the way, and honestly, no motivation either. I tried to get a better grip on the impact of the “Burundi beat” on the post-punk scene, but even that wasn’t that interesting. Really not my cup of tea, it just goes all over the place with sometimes chaotic instrumentation that doesn’t click with me. A few good vibes here and there, but not enough to make me want to dig deeper, even though there were some promising punk roots

A Northern Soul

The Verve

1/5

I didn’t like their next album when it first came out, so I gave this one some extra attention to see if age or … maturity might soften my initial impression of the band. It just came off again like some generic Brit shoegaze / pop with absolutely nothing standing out. Not that I really dislike it, it just leaves me completely numb. Every time Ashcroft sounds a bit off-key, I remember this is supposed to be a “must hear before you die” album, but honestly, it feels more like another dodgy Brit thing that might finish me off before I make it to the end of the list.

The Velvet Underground & Nico

The Velvet Underground

2/5

Critics have been hyping this album forever as one of the most important in music history. I guess to really get why, you would have to put yourself back in 1967. But I don’t want to get this approach on this album, because I know that the lyrics only gave it its groundbreaking dimension. If I just play it as it is, the innovation doesn’t exactly jump out at me and it is quite an average album. “I’m Waiting for the Man” does give a glimpse of how Lou Reed will sound on Transformer, sure, but aside from that, I’m not blown away. Honestly, I prefer their third album, which we already listened to in this challenge, and definitely some of Lou Reed’s solo work.

There's No Place Like America Today

Curtis Mayfield

2/5

Before this, the only Curtis Mayfield I knew was Super Fly wich is all funky grooves, soulful energy, and a more “normal” singing style. This album is way slower. I kinda wish it had more punch from the bass and drums, but musically it still flows really well. What doesn’t totally click for me is the high-pitched voice he uses most of the time. It’s just not my thing, and sometimes it flattens the nuance to the point where certain vocal melodies, like on « When Seasons Change », are hard to catch. If Marvin Gaye had been singing here and if I had time to dig deeper into the lyrics, I might have given it an extra star.

Drunk

Thundercat

3/5

Suicidal Tendencies may be known for crossover thrash, but they have also been a surprising launchpad for eclectic, jazz-influenced musicians like drummers like Eric Moore (TRAM) or Thomas Pridgen, for example. Thundercat spent nine years in the band, which I had absolutely no clue about. His solo work is a whole different world without thrash in sight, but I think that surviving on stage with those lunatics must have left some lasting marks. Out of his four albums, the one I landed on is apparently the least celebrated, at least according to some critics. Yet, It is wildly eclectic and definitely exciting to explore, though I’m not always sold on the electronic textures, and I often wished the bass felt more raw and upfront. Still, the vision is clear, and as an album it totally works with influence ranging from Pastorius to alternative rap. It left me curious enough to dig deeper into his discography and to dive into the whole West Coast Get Down collective as well.

Get Rich Or Die Tryin'

50 Cent

3/5

I enjoy the heaviness of the beats, and the album flows well (apart from a few tracks that lose the sense of urgency). It feels more raw than I remember. Despite their commercial and opportunistic nature, the features actually give the record good energy. His articulation struggles (I believe linked to a bullet he received in his cheek) paradoxically create a unique, slow but fluid flow. Not a groundbreaking album, but definitely a marker of 2000s rap and the kind of success that 50 Cent will never be able to repeat.

A Little Deeper

Ms. Dynamite

1/5

While music as a whole is so rich, it feels a bit pathetic to see so many albums on this list whose only distinction is simply being on it. I really liked the single Dy-na-mi-tee when it first came out and hoped for an alternative Brit rap album, but I quickly got disappointed. It sounds like overproduced Aaliyah with a heavy dose of Alicia Keys, in fine a well packaged product. Unpretentious R&B pop, not necessarily unpleasant (though sometimes it is), but in my view it doesn’t belong here.

Natty Dread

Bob Marley & The Wailers

3/5

I can’t really tell a reggae masterpiece from a mid-tier record, so I’m not the best judge here. But according to me, compared to the last Marley on the list, this one hits harder with a tighter production, raw roots vibe and no fluff. The best part is that I can actually tell the songs apart in the middle of all those damn skanks. I still don’t relate and will never, and I still don’t like those skanks, but I could see myself playing this one again under the sun, so I’ll just base my judgment on that :)

From Elvis In Memphis

Elvis Presley

3/5

When I was younger, I wanted to keep my head clear of any kind of pop, whether from the 50s or later. I didn’t succeed but it made me scrupulously avoid Elvis. I kind of picture truck cabs and wolf-print T-shirts when hearing songs from the man. This album, though, is quite nice. The rock n’roll vibrato feels less unbearable, the pop carries a strong identity, and it adds a surprisingly good vibe to the daily commute. Except for few tunes (including the single track), I can handle the album quite well. Still, those sudden mental flashes of Joe Dassin’s perm, Johnny’s glittering stage costumes, or ridiculous lookalikes keep me from giving it that extra star.

Apple Venus Volume 1

XTC

2/5

My daughter hijacked my headphones on her way to school, so I had to listen to this album through the tiny office speakers, at a volume far too polite to do justice to this ultimate British band. To make things trickier, the record isn’t even on most streaming platforms, despite being one of the 1001 most influential in music history. All I got from it was a faint whiff of the Beatles or Phoenix, and honestly, I should probably refrain from giving it a score. I think 2 is fair since I heard some nice harmonies here and there

Born To Run

Bruce Springsteen

1/5

Wolves and trucks again :) Springsteen comes across as a good guy, a sort of blue-collar poster boy, but his music just doesn’t do it for me. The rock routines feel flat, the sax solos don’t move me, and the forced enthusiasm gets tiring. It’s polished rock made for live-shows, pretty boring.

Mott

Mott The Hoople

3/5

When a band’s big break basically comes down to one hit written by someone else (and honestly, that’s the only Mott song I knew), you can tell they are not exactly the greatest band in history. And on top of that, it’s British glam rock, double handicap! But hey, after all of Bruce’s redneck rock, a little flamboyance actually feels refreshing. Their glam vibe is also way less cheesy than I expected (except maybe on Drivin’ Sister). In the end, it’s a pretty solid rock album, well-balanced with some fun twists in both lyrics and solos. I dig it, and I might even give their other stuff a shot…

Abattoir Blues / The Lyre of Orpheus

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

2/5

It started off well, the choirs really add something to Nick Cave’s usually monotone delivery. But apart from a few nice surprises, the album just drags on and to me, feels way too monotonous overall.

Pink Moon

Nick Drake

2/5

The Ray LaMontagne of the 70s, best played like a Bill Evans album, half-asleep on the couch. Nice voice, a bit too gloomy, with lovely melodies. Too bad the songs don’t build up, which makes it feel more like a boring fireside background album. Still, I’d take this over Paul Simon or a nasal Dylan any day. I sometimes even feel moved by the atmosphere, knowing the man would take his own life shortly after recording this record.

The Nightfly

Donald Fagen

1/5

It’s a pretty generic 80s jazz-pop album. Some solos, some little tunes, nothing Jonasz would be jealous of. The jazzy stuff might be fine, but the rest is just okay. The sound is too slick overproduced, no warmth, no bass rumble, no real drum depth.

Electric Prunes

The Electric Prunes

1/5

Depending of the song, The Doors or The Stooges came to mind, even if this band is far from having their talent and attitude. In fact, it’s only “garage rock” in the sense of practicing in a garage, and it often struggles to break free from the weight of 60s conventions. Despite some inspired moments, with shifts in rhythm and mood sometimes within the same track, I end up listening to the whole album without much enthusiasm. The mix doesn’t help either with the vocals often pushed too far forward while the rhythm section is too far back, which kills the overall dynamics. I really wanted to like it, but I just don’t.

Justified

Justin Timberlake

2/5

Lol… seriously? The only thing saving this album is The Neptunes, they carried the production and wrote half the songs, like “Rock Your Body.” Meanwhile, I’m just wondering why N.E.R.D’s In Search of…, which dropped right before, isn’t on this list instead. Way more deserving. Without them, Justin’s debut would have been pure generic music. With them playing Cyrano, though, he ends up with one of the best pop records of the early 2000s. On his side, Justin looks good on the cover and dances well in videos, which is basically what people expected from him anyway.

Otis Blue/Otis Redding Sings Soul

Otis Redding

4/5

Once again, after the Stones one, here comes an album made mostly of covers, but with such maturity and instrumentation that it feels completely re-owned, even on classics like Satisfaction. Wild, tender, rocking : an absolute treat.

The World is a Ghetto

War

3/5

I’m discovering the unlikely story of the British singer behind “The House of the Rising Sun” who first teamed up with the L.A. ghetto guys of War. But this album which seems to be their best, came after Burdon had left. It mixes funk, soul, rock and jazz in a way that feels raw, very real and that reflects 70s America street spirit. It may not be as timeless as some other classics from the same era, but it’s totally my thing. I wasn’t aware of this funk-rock period, and I’ll definitely dig deeper into it.

The Specials

4/5

Finally, we’re getting to the real stuff. Forget all those post-punk bands who just jumped on the hype and ended up making bland or poppy tracks. Nothing beats a good old The Specials to me, they’re right up there with The Clash. Nobody’s done it better, even in the second wave of ska-punk. The voices aren’t pretty, sometimes it’s rough, but the energy is contagious, and the attitude is great. After War and this, I’m hoping for Bad Brains and RATM.

Sign 'O' The Times

Prince

3/5

Back in high school, I had two friends who were hardcore Prince fans. Under their influence, I gave it a try, but honestly, not much stuck with me. I’m kind of closed off to it, I can’t really get past that 80s production. Of course, I respect him as an artist, producer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist… but his music doesn’t hit me that much. Still, I don’t dislike it. On this album, I enjoyed Slow Love, Hot love, Forever in My Life or the very rock The Cross, where I think Prince’s voice sounds amazing. Overall, I’m not totally on board, but I’m not giving up. One way or another, I’ll come back to this incredible character that is Prince and I might even like it.

Live!

Fela Kuti

4/5

The mix is surprisingly good for a live show from 71, the warm sound is super pleasant. The jazz-funk-Afro rhythm crossover works so well, full of joy, and it feels more like a festive jam than a technical showcase. The groove is spot on but it doesn’t seem to be Kuti’s very best, yet I love it. Only downside: a few stretches with those typical live interludes that drag a bit. What else? Kuti had a fabulous life of freedom fighter and had married 27 wifes simultaneously. Playlist straight ahead!

Sunday At The Village Vanguard

Bill Evans Trio

3/5

Easy to slip into, like fireplace jazz. But if you listen a little closer and let yourself drift without getting lost, you start hearing the progressions, and behind the great Bill Evans, there are the loose yet free bass lines (I’m just discovering the amazing Scott LaFaro, who sadly died at only 25 not long after this live set), and a very delicate drumming. There is a real magical chemistry between the 3 musicians, a chemistry where each of them can shine. It’s also live, and the recording is stunningly well captured. Pure joy … as long as you’re in the right mood for this type of very smooth jazz.

Nevermind

Nirvana

4/5

Nirvana weren’t the first, and maybe not the best, but they were the ones who carried the torch of disillusion after a decade of glitter. The streets, unemployment, drugs, no future… you can blame them for being popular, but the brilliant In Utero which came next (a loud, saturated act of self-sabotage) proves they were genuine, and that Nevermind only really suffers from its glossy production. Not my favorite band of that era, but the era itself was an amazing time for music. I can’t deny the huge influence they had on music in general, and on me too. Nirvana also never made a single bad song, it had to be said.

Joan Baez

2/5

One of my mum’s favorite singers. She does folk covers with a nice voice but, at the end, is just a bit less tiring than Joni Mitchell’s. Another hippie icon, pretty only for few songs and then I find it tedious. Listening to her House of the Rising Sun only makes you realize how The animals does it better. It needs more layers and mood to me.

Green Onions

Booker T. & The MG's

3/5

The tone is set right away, with a joyful vibe sprinkled with Louis Prima-style bluesy grumbles that kick off a kind of humorous boogie groove. It’s light, warm jazz/R’n’B, nice, even really nice to listen to, though to me, not quite as intricate as pure jazz.

Youth And Young Manhood

Kings of Leon

3/5

Apart from a few tracks I stumbled on by chance, I only knew this band by name. On first listen, I really dig the southern rock / garage vibe, with that very raw, laid-back voice that has such a unique tone… not to mention their terrible look for 2003. I get that the band has changed a lot over time, and this debut album definitely managed to spark my curiosity. I immediately jumped to their 3rd and 4th records (apparently the start of their worldwide success) but the smoother production didn’t grab me as fast. That said, it’s clear I enjoy this way more than most of the other garage stuff from the same era, and I’ll be happy to come back to this album and the next ones..

Live At Leeds

The Who

2/5

I would enjoy it more with the video. Without it, I just get bored. The tracks are uneven, with a few uninspired covers, the guitar sounds rough, and I mostly end up fixating on Keith Moon’s endless fills. He’s the real star here. I’m glad I gave it a listen, and it’s definitely not uninteresting because it’s still a good snapshot of The Who’s energy, but I don’t see myself coming back to it.

Grace

Jeff Buckley

4/5

A subtle alt-rock album, standing apart from the grunge scene that ruled the time, yet echoing its more introspective and nuanced side. A Persian rug of sound, not as pop as it might seem at first, with a sensitivity a bit too obviously exposed. Led by a clean, emotionally charged androgynous voice, I’ve always linked Jeff Buckley’s production to that of Blind Melon, and not just because of their parallel tragic paths. In the end, almost all of them met a tragic fate anyway… A single truly striking album, poetic and beautiful in its own way.

Buffalo Springfield Again

Buffalo Springfield

3/5

At first, I felt disoriented by this mix that almost feels incoherent, it’s a melting pot of psychedelic rock, folk, hard rock, and even soul, with Young singing only from time to time and Stills changing his voice, which adds to my confusion. Taken separately, some songs are actually very good, especially in the middle of the album (Bluebird, Hung Upside Down…), but as a whole, the record leaves me rather uncertain.

Tommy

The Who

3/5

I’ve never felt so much like I only skimmed through an album. I’m biased by the only two Who songs I really know (I’m Free and Pinball Wizard) which share that same riff reminding you it’s part of a concept. My single listen was clearly not enough to take it all in. I often get the awkward feeling that the music is just there to serve the lyrics, rather than the other way around, whereas what I usually love about The Who is their musical energy. It’s still fairly easy to listen to and must have been pretty revolutionary back in 69, but in 2025, I struggled to make it to the end but I could come back to it.

xx

The xx

3/5

I bought this album when it first came out and instantly had a soft spot for it. Listening to it again while working, I can still feel that intimate atmosphere with sweet vocals, the melodic progressions built on a minimalist but emotionally powerful foundation, and that subtle alternative edge I’ve always liked. There’s a real sense of sincerity and restraint here, the kind that rewards quiet listening. The production is understated but precise, letting the textures breathe and the emotions come through naturally. It’s not a record that tries to impress with excess, instead, it grows on you, revealing its depth little by little. It’s not a game-changer, but within its style, it definitely left a mark and I enjoyed listening to it again.

Elvis Presley

3/5

Elvis… it’s impossible to separate this album from its context. For a 1956 production, it’s a real gem, and you can easily imagine how some of those iconic tracks must have made an impact, maybe even shocked people, at the time. One of the few moves that truly influenced music history. Beyond that, it’s nice and legendary, but it’s not something I’d listen to every day.

Blood On The Tracks

Bob Dylan

2/5

I still can’t stand Dylan’s half-speaking, half-singing thing and the nasal twists, the fading talk style, all that stuff. But this album shows a less jaded, more alive Dylan than on his folk records. He even gets fired up at times, like on Idiot Wind. For me, it kinda works as background music, nothing more, it’s a bit less unbearable than some of his other stuff.

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

2/5

The album sounds a bit thin and stiff. The guitars and drums lack energy and Petty’s voice is sometimes harsh and flat, without much feeling. It has a couple of good songs, but most of it feels flat and dated, totally unoriginal. Decent debut, forgettable album.

Band On The Run

Paul McCartney and Wings

3/5

I had a very negative reaction at first listen, but I changed my mind the second time. There are still some weaknesses, the songs are uneven, but I ended up enjoying a few of them. Of course, the shadow of the Beatles hangs over the album, it’s hard not to think of them, but tracks like Jet or 1985 stand out enough, and do it with real talent.

Frampton Comes Alive

Peter Frampton

2/5

I have come back to this live album a few times over the years, a very similar approach I had with someone like Steve Miller. Both dudes came from the same era and have made few hits. What’s funny about Frampton is that his biggest success is actually this live/compilation. The rest of his stuff is not so great (just look at the I’m in You cover and you’ll get the idea). Here, the FM rock sound can be off-putting at first, but it’s always saved by a nice classic rock/folk vibe or a surprising laidback groove. Add a few truly iconic classic rock tracks, and you’ve got a pretty honest easy listening live album.

Dusty In Memphis

Dusty Springfield

2/5

Misled by the name Springfield and that awful cover, I went into this album expecting some country/folk stuff. Turns out it’s soul, clearly not Aretha’s level, but it’s sweet and kinda sexy. Still, she’s not a songwriter and this album was made to boost her sales, so it’s a bit too polished, pop-shaped, and soulless. It will make a perfect fit as family music for Christmas. Mum will love it!

Pretzel Logic

Steely Dan

2/5

Of all the so-called “rock” albums by Steely Dan we’ve talked about so far (including The Nightfly solo project), this is the first one that actually sounds kind of rock. The production is a bit less clean too, without all that slick jazz-rock polish. Still, it mostly ends up sounding like a weak mix between Supertramp and the Eagles and ends up as a generic record. Yet, it is by far more listenable to me than the others Steely Dan on this list with some nice instrumentations, but honestly, I can’t imagine it ever made much of a splash when it came out.

Brothers

The Black Keys

2/5

Early 2000s, I stumble upon the track Busted by The Black Keys, a dirty, fuzzy blues straight out of the RL Burnside school, and I’m hooked. Their early stoner-blues albums totally did it for me. But this list, as usual, misses the real gems and goes for the band’s best seller which is just another garage rock record in line with the White Stripes vibe. Not my thing at all. The raw magic’s gone, and it’s just lame.

Brothers In Arms

Dire Straits

3/5

I loved this band, and I loved this album. It was one of my very first CDs, a gift I treasured when I was nine. It’s the record that got me into guitar bands. Looking back, I’m much more drawn to their earlier stuff. By 85, the band had already evolved over several albums toward an arena-rock sound that is not really my thing. Moreover, even though Money for Nothing and especially the gorgeous Brothers in Arms are undeniable classics, the rest of the album feels too uneven for me to give it four stars… even though I was tempted to at first!

Private Dancer

Tina Turner

2/5

A classic 80s album with attitude. Tina sounds great, but not every song works. When it does, Private Dancer is really good. Too bad the 80s prod still bugs me too much to enjoy it fully.

OK Computer

Radiohead

5/5

Certainly one of the most iconic albums of the 90s and one of the last true great rock albums. To me, it marks the true end of Britpop, it is a record that deliberately reaches for something more ambitious, darker, and more claustrophobic. There’s an introspective tension, the music and the voice pull you down, only to lift you back up just long enough to breathe. It’s brilliant, original, and inspired, full of subtle, intricate constructions, without a single weak moment. Still, I tend to prefer The Bends or Kid A. They feel more cohesive, more digestible as a whole. With OK Computer, I sometimes found myself waiting for the big surges to arrive. But when it does open up, when it gets emotional or dives into its rock impulses, it strikes deep, and often hits harder than either of them.

Who Killed...... The Zutons?

The Zutons

2/5

It feels both messy and unfocused, yet also too familiar compared to other early 2000s indie rock bands. The saxophone gimmick adds some color, but it can’t hide the weak songwriting and repetitive tunes. It’s an album full of energy but lacking in substance.

Dirty

Sonic Youth

4/5

It’s true, this is probably the most accessible album from the band and not their best, but even here, Sonic Youth stays the ultimate noisy reference. They were brilliant for almost 40 years, making almost every garage-rock attempt sound like pop in comparison. Kim Gordon on swimsuit issue or Shoot is more grunge than grunge itself, and yet the music is full of emotion, nuance, and that beautiful sense of transgression, thanks to Thurston Moore and his dreamy guitar layers. Punk, post-punk, grunge, always raw, always on the side of the streets, and always against America’s puritan morals. A true benchmark, at least for me, though not that easy to get into. Listening to Chapel Hill again, I can’t help but think we haven’t done much better in the genre since.

Bitches Brew

Miles Davis

4/5

Miles Davis went through several creative phases, and like On the Corner a bit later, Bitches Brew is both groundbreaking and divisive. I really love the sound. If there’s any rock influence, it’s mostly in the electrification but it still feels raw and visceral, unlike most traditional jazz-rock. There’s a lot of improvisation; the album could’ve used a bit more structure, but the control and build-ups are fantastic. A major jazz fusion record, mostly worth it for its innovative spirit. There would be more effective ones later on in jazz-funk. But this one broke the ground for jazz- rock and, in my opinion, it is far better than later albums in that genra.

Fear Of Music

Talking Heads

2/5

Talking Heads are an important and influential band I’ve listened to and tried to get into in the past. Still, their mix of moods and influences, from dark and gloomy to quirky and humorous, all tied together by that cold post-punk sound, kind of leaves me puzzled. It works really well on some tracks, but often I’m not fully convinced, especially when they bring in Afrobeat vibes that make them unique but, to me, not all that appealing. I don’t dislike them, but I’m not exactly a fan either. I think that I might enjoy more their first albums but I didn’t dig that much into them this weekend.

Superunknown

Soundgarden

5/5

I wrote a long piece trying to explain what this album means to me, but I’m giving up on that. It’s a much more ambitious record than it first seems, and way harder to grasp than most of its peers’ earlier releases. Coming off an uneven beginning in the 80s, the music here feels heavier, more mature, grounded, and thoughtfully put together… and I just love it, flaws and all.

Toys In The Attic

Aerosmith

3/5

I had never listened to a full Aerosmith album before. The little I knew didn’t really grab me, I’ve always preferred the epic vibes of good old Led Zep and Deep Purple over Aerosmith’s less ambitious hard rock. But this was a nice surprise. Some tracks are genuinely brilliant, the bass grooves hard, and Tyler’s vocals totally sell it. The whole thing holds together well enough that I could actually listen the album again, even if some parts lean a bit too glam or old-school grand-pa’s rock. Walk this way, dropped in the middle of those bluesy riffs, sounds shockingly modern. Not revolutionary, but definitely warm, punchy, and fun enough.

Raw Power

The Stooges

4/5

Awesome, barely a flaw on this album. Super garage vibes! I just learned the current version was remixed in the 90s because Bowie apparently did a messy job at first, which probably made the album even rawer. On the commute, it makes me wanna smash everything and hate every bit of pop, a very similar feeling than with hardcore punk. So urban and trashy!

A Date With The Everly Brothers

The Everly Brothers

1/5

Pop from another era that anyone under 80 probably wouldn’t know. Claude François, the early Beatles, even Dorothée, that’s what this record reminds me of. After two songs, I was already bored.

Nilsson Schmilsson

Harry Nilsson

2/5

An album with a shitty cover by a hit-making drunk, whose only song I know is the one Mariah Carey covered, and who’s apparently famous for drinking with Lennon. Well-produced pop that leaves absolutely no trace after three listens at work. And yet… it goes down easy. But I won’t be coming back to it.

Rio

Duran Duran

3/5

Every time I have tried getting into Duran Duran, it was mostly because they seemed to have influenced so many different artists. But usually, after two or three songs, I had enough. Still, being part of this project means I actually have to put things in perspective and listen to the whole album, and honestly, after Frankie Goes to Hollywood and other similar nonsense, it’s clear these guys are playing in another league. At times I can hear a bit of The Smiths (Lonely in Your Nightmare), a touch of Queen (Hungry Like the Wolf), even some of that glossy FM rock that was just around the corner. A track like Rio feels way more ambitious than anything FGTH ever did, and pretty modern for 1982, to be fair. The synth-pop side still drives me nuts, though, so I won’t start worshipping Duran Duran anytime soon. But it’s a pleasant surprise, with good bass lines, and way more rock and interesting than I expected.

Hybrid Theory

Linkin Park

3/5

I bought the album when it came out. Back then, rap-rock and nu metal, bands like Korn or Limp Bizkit, were already kind of fading, and I still don’t get how Linkin Park became that popular (and still are today). Listening again now, I realize how badly their music aged compared to older records in the same genre. There are a few good tracks, sure, but the whole thing is so smooth and popified that my early excitement faded pretty fast. These days, and even though this album has its moments, I can barely listen to it anymore. White Pony, which came out the same year, is way better and way more mature.

Tapestry

Carole King

3/5

This one completely slipped past me. On paper, this folk-scene regular shouldn’t have caught my ear. But somehow, her pop-rock comes with a soulful twist. She even co-wrote songs sung by Aretha, including Natural Woman, which she covers here. Sure, there’s that inevitable folk touch, but the sound is warm, groovy, and even throws in a few decent riffs and solos. It goes down surprisingly well, and her voice, not exactly remarkable, has the good sense to stay neutral enough not to grate on me like Joni Mitchell’s.

american dream

LCD Soundsystem

2/5

Typically one of those bands whose name I know really well, but whose music I actually don’t know at all. The first tracks from their debut album scared me off a bit, so I gave in and tried this latest one, and here it’s airy, pretty post-punk, with a touch of dream pop. Once again, it works quite well, though the instrumental side could have been stronger, with more obvious buildups. Still, it’s pleasant to listen to, perfect as background music or while commuting … until the last few, more dance-oriented tracks, which really aren’t my cup of tea. Their atmospherical side is worth exploring further.

Axis: Bold As Love

Jimi Hendrix

5/5

Hendrix, damn god almost at his best, backed by Mitchell’s incredible groove… what else can you ask for? Because it is usually overshadowed by his guitar genius, people rarely talk about Hendrix’s voice, even though it’s a huge part of the Experience’s vibe for me. It’s not his greatest album, but even here, it’s pure and definitive rock: fluid, raw, and organic, only held back by those little psychedelic detours. What a vibe, some grooves are just insanely good!

It's Blitz!

Yeah Yeah Yeahs

3/5

Another perfect example of how clueless I was about the 2000s. Sure, I had seen this band’s name around before, but my total lack of enthusiasm for the whole early 2000s rock scene kept me from even giving them a try. I listened to this album and their debut, and I’ve gotta admit that I really like it. They’ve got a really nice pop / punk balance going on. Super easy to listen to, very accessible, but way more subtle and well-written than it seems at first. Great vocals, some occasional synthetic rhythms that add this melancholic vibe, and the singer can totally lose it … and that’s just cool. Discovering that David Sitek from TV on the Radio (which I love) is involved is not surprising considering their sound on this album. I’m definitely coming back to this, as a kind of guilty pleasure.

Fishscale

Ghostface Killah

3/5

Good vibes on this album I’m discovering. The lyrics often have a touch of humor, and the groove is heavy but smooth. I love his flow, but I kind of wish his voice wasn’t so high, a darker tone would’ve been amazing. The Wu-Tang DNA is everywhere thanks to the features, and that’s cool. I need more time to really make the whole thing mine, but I’ll come back to it.

GI

Germs

3/5

What a surprise to see this here! Honestly, Germs aren’t anything amazing, they might be on this list because they were one of the very first hardcore punk bands, and maybe because of Pat Smear, who somehow ended up in Nirvana and then the Foo Fighters ten years later. This isn’t Dead Kennedys or Black Flag, it’s more like GG Allin style self-destruction. For a Californian band, it is quite something. Great raw hardcore energy, this is pure punk, but nothing that original.

Aqualung

Jethro Tull

4/5

A blues-and-jazzy band gone rock, kind of like a proggy Lynyrd Skynyrd with a cool flute! I only knew the title track before, but I’m actually enjoying the rest of the album even more. Overall, a super fun listen. Without being significantly special, they have good riffs, a good hard rock vibe without being too clichée, and I really enjoyed the day listening to them.

The Stone Roses

2/5

I’m really torn about this band and this album. I’m stuck somewhere between admiration and total rejection. I admire the best parts the same way I admire the best of The Smiths. I Wanna Be Adored is a great opener, Waterfall is awesome… but then most of the rest leans way too much toward an Oasis vibe, and that just puts me off. So I’m reminded why I never really dug deeper into this band. Since most of the album doesn’t do much for me, I probably won’t come back to it, especially after that Simon & Garfunkel cover… In the UK, the revolution started by My Bloody Valentine a year later seems way more interesting to me.

Blur

3/5

Blur has always been more creative and more fun than the other britpop bands, even if most of their music is basically pop I never liked. This album is at least a moment of clarity. I read that main influence would be Pavement… yeah, maybe a tiny bit. The guitars finally open up, the sound is less clean, and it is by far less … British… from that creepy Oasis era. Easily their best album, and the only one I can listen to without pain from the whole Britpop scene.

White Ladder

David Gray

1/5

Basically the 90s equivalent of Ed Sheeran, only even more boring. Tailored for the romantically-starved housewife, this is one of the most generic and bland things I’ve ever heard.

You Want It Darker

Leonard Cohen

2/5

This one is basically a spoken-word album by an old man on the edge of the void. A Jewish guy, carrying the full weight of his faith on his back, and honestly, that part throws me off a bit. I don’t really feel like following him all the way down, like some accidental witness to a stranger’s private moment. The pieces about the twists of relationships are genuinely touching. The album as a whole is listenable, for sure, but that deep, cavernous voice wears me out after a while. I can totally acknowledge the guy’s got real writing chops, but overall the album just leaves me kind of uneasy. Still, compared to David Gray’s yesterday album, it’s a massive upgrade and at least I’m feeling something. If I ever come back to this record, though, it’ll be when I’m old. Like, really old.

Don't Stand Me Down

Dexys Midnight Runners

1/5

A one-hit band with « Come On Eileen » … and this damn list throws at us the worst crap Dexys ever made. Honestly, that fake-soul voice and the whole parody vibe… the horns and everything… The only thing going through my head while listening to this album is the feeling of accidentally walking into some depressing KTV room, where a guy is going all-in in front of three half-asleep people, fully convinced he’s nailing a Carpenters track. But why did all these Brits who started out as punks end up making such improbable stuff? It feels like the whole ’80s machine whith the shiny sound, the plastic synths, the overblown production… all sucked them in.

Born In The U.S.A.

Bruce Springsteen

1/5

On this album, the song Cover Me feels like a hidden gem … which says a lot. The whole thing is insanely hard to sit through, pure 80s rock essence. Those big « shalalala » choir parts make me want to puke. On top of that, the lyrics about the miserable lives of American masses are sometimes just pathetic. The few good vibes here and there don’t save it for me. And that sax… nope.

The Bends

Radiohead

4/5

The guitarist in this little band I played in after high school swore by The Bends. He’s the one who got me into Radiohead, at a time when the band was getting crushed in sales by the whole Britpop wave. And that’s when I learned something important: the tormented, the introspective, even when it’s a hundred times better and totally accessible, will never beat the simple, the direct, the populist. Radiohead helped me to accept that, and even feel good about my own listening choices. The best stuff is rarely the most accessible. Because honestly, long before they became massive, comparing The Bends to any other British rock record wasn’t even a thing. This album is a landmark, a flawless stroke of greatness, sometimes raging, always vulnerable. For me, a beautiful rock album, often rougher than OK Computer and almost as flawless.

Diamond Life

Sade

3/5

This album is pure 80s, but somehow one of the rare ones that actually aged well. The occasional synth pads still stick out, but the rest is so warm and organic that it never feels cold or overprocessed. And that voice… instantly recognizable, one of those singers you can identify before the first line even settles. I’m not a huge fan of where her later discography drifted, slowly turning into something a bit too bland for me, but this record is just nice. I don’t listen to it all the time, yet every time I do, it lands just right. And honestly, it’s one I know I’ll keep coming back to. And I was in love with her when I was a child.

In Utero

Nirvana

5/5

Maybe it’s just the Nevermind overdose talking, but honestly there’s no contest. Strip away that overproduced Geffen sheen and you’ve got a band actively trying to sabotage their own commercial momentum, crashing straight back into their garage-level noisy punk roots, all while they were at the peak of their fame. What’s wild is that the melodic instinct is still there, totally intact, and the collision of all those elements ends up creating something ridiculously thrilling and confrontational. Not a single throwaway track. It’s bleak, it’s feral, and it makes you want to sweat it out in a pit somewhere. Brilliant.

Slayed?

Slade

1/5

The music, the vocals, and the lyrics are perfectly matched, at exactly the level of the album cover.

Automatic For The People

R.E.M.

3/5

R.E.M. is such a surprising band, a mutant that evolved from the alternative scene into the biggest pop-rock act in the world with Out of Time and then this album, before drifting into a kind of soft grunge with Monster and eventually sinking into bland mush. Back then, R.E.M. was peak American-hipster hype, the kind of music you’d hear in TV shows like Friends, but it was good music: sensitive, well-crafted, and relatively rich. It’s a solid album that, in my opinion, helped define modern pop rock. I can listen to it without really getting hooked, but there’s a nostalgic layer now, a few memories attached. Still, too much impactful stuff was coming out at the same time for this kind of music to really leave a mark on me back then. I maybe appreciate it a bit more now.

Machine Head

Deep Purple

5/5

This was the first CD I ever bought, and probably one of the albums I listened to the most when I was in my early teens. It’s basically Deep Purple’s own Led Zep IV, a definitive hard-rock statement. Sure, the lyrics are clunky with this wink of self-mockery running underneath and it’s more straight-lined than In Rock, but there isn’t a single note from the keyboard or guitar that’s ever left me. Everything is razor-tight with the Mark-2 and then there’s Lazy, a showcase which still hits hard. I was honestly scared I’d find this album disappointing with some distance. But no, it’s almost even better now.

Millions Now Living Will Never Die

Tortoise

3/5

I struggled a bit at first because those long, very long atmospheric stretches feel a bit like prog self-indulgence, or a rehearsal jam that doesn’t end. But then tracks like Glass Museum and The Taut and Tame finally bring some breathing room with clear tones, real grooves, and musical technique that actually shines. That part is genuinely great. So I’m pretty torn. But it’s the kind of record I can come back to and I will, along with their other albums.

Be

Common

4/5

This one hits me more than Like Water for Chocolate which we had earlier on the list. The flow feels more fluid and emotional, and the samples lean heavier into soul. It stays organic, never really aggressive, and it reminds me of Nas in the way it steps back to look at the streets and at hip-hop, it’s honest, uncompromising, but never overly dramatic. “We write songs about wrong ’cause it’s hard to see right.” Chi-City ou Real people drops you straight back into the 90s. There’s a real nostalgic vibe running through the whole album. It is a real joy to listen to.

69 Love Songs

The Magnetic Fields

2/5

I really didn’t see this coming. It’s basically 69 love songs played as jokes, with super simple lines like “The day is beautiful and so are you, my car is ugly but I’m ugly too… but I got wheels.” I smiled a few times, sure, but the whole thing feels too long, and it’s not just a feeling, it is damn long. Also, the constant second-degree mood, in the lyrics and the light, almost toy-like music, makes it hard to me to take this album seriously. The title “69” and the constant nods to alcoholism say everything about how seriously this project takes itself. Funny, but nowhere near what I expect from this list.

Young Americans

David Bowie

3/5

First listen of this album, and I only knew one song before. I see that some critics describe it as a commercial but original approach to Black music, which I don’t really understand. Blues among others has already been reused and transformed in every possible way. I can hear the funk influence, that’s true, but Bowie’s style is still very clear through the way the songs are built, his slightly strange imagination, the odd touches he adds here and there. It won’t be one of my favorite albums of his, but it’s still Bowie (and Lennon), and that already makes it better than at least half of the albums on this list. Overall, a very nice listening experience, I actually really enjoyed it.

Live And Dangerous

Thin Lizzy

4/5

This band always intrigued me back when I was a teenager digging into the 70s rock and hard rock scene. I could never quite find the hook that would really pull me in, even though I liked the less flamboyant vocals (which is a good thing) and the tight, bluesy instrumentation. I still feel pretty much the same today, but this live record definitely confirms the positive impression I always had of the band. In the quieter moments, like Still in Love with You, they really gain in nuance. On the other hand, tracks such as Don’t Believe a Word or Sha-La-La quickly put things back into perspective in terms of raw energy. This is solid rock all the way through, and even more since some Soul appears sometime. Lynott is great both as a vocalist and a bass player, the guitars are sharp, the drums are spot-on. The only real flaw is that the band never quite delivers a true anthem beside The boys are back in town. I know, it’s not that much comparable, but ar the end, I definitely like it more than the earlier live of The Who we had.

A Love Supreme

John Coltrane

4/5

Recorded in a single session, apparently, at a time when albums followed one another quickly. That’s always impressive. I’ve never really explored Coltrane beyond Blue Train and a few mixes or playlists, so this felt like a good opportunity to approach him differently. The opening of the first track leaves me fairly indifferent, then I slowly drift in, carried by the music’s almost celestial beauty. There’s an incredible amount of vibes here, and a real variety of moods. Still, even if I get what it’s trying to express, Psalm disappoints me, even if I understand it’s part of a concept album centered on faith. In the end, it’s really the two central tracks that genuinely excited me, even moved me, on first listen. Because of that, I struggle to give it five stars at first listen, but I’ll come back to it. I actually really enjoyed it, and I might change my mind later.

Eagles

2/5

Slick, soupy pop-rock clearly shaped for an American audience. There are a few decent rock tracks, a bit cliche like Chug All Night and Take the Devil. Not as bad as I expected. But the choirs, the banjo, the themes… since I don’t drive much in the US recently, I don’t see myself putting this back on my turntable anytime soon.

A Night At The Opera

Queen

4/5

Queen are undeniable. Flamboyant, creative, instantly recognizable. Mercury’s voice, May’s guitar, the choirs : everything sounds like Queen, no matter the style. Not everything works, though. “’39”, with its Take Me Home, Country Roads feel, is weaker, and the album can feel uneven. Still, it’s ambitious, weird, and full of great moments. The guitar harmonies and prog excess are unique, and even after a few listens, it still surprises. You can feel these guys were really deep into their music.

Low

David Bowie

2/5

Two years after the funky Young Americans, Bowie comes back with something different, but it still very much sounds like Bowie, and I expected something colder and darker. The electronic elements are pretty light during the first half, and there’s still a lot of organic, groovy material. I think I would’ve preferred something more radical, more Berlin-style. The second half leans more in that direction, but it feels closer to film music without the rock elements and you can clearly feel Brian Eno’s touch. Slightly disappointing since I was expecting something closer to Neue! (a band I really enjoyed). I don’t dislike it but I don’t like it either.

Surrealistic Pillow

Jefferson Airplane

2/5

I only really like the songs sung by Grace Slick, maybe three or four on the whole album. That’s not much out of twelve tracks. The rest bores me, it sounds like weak Beatles leftovers. Two stars, just for Grace’s vibe, Go to Her, and the two singles.

Murmur

R.E.M.

3/5

Merry Christmas! I’ve always liked this album without really knowing why. Maybe it’s just my contrarian side. It feels like the more garage-rock, alternative face of R.E.M., far from the band’s smoother 90s period, when everything leaned more toward synths. The bass is great, and Michael Stipe sounds perfectly balanced between post-punk edge and pop ease. Like a good The Smiths, it grows on you slowly and then sticks. No real hit, nothing spectacular, it just works to me.

Heroes

David Bowie

3/5

Coming right after Low, it’s hard not to compare the two. I prefer the rock side of Heroes, which grabs me more straight away. Still, I was more taken by Low’s instrumental tracks than by the ambient parts here. Eno-style ambience has never really been my thing. Overall, though, it’s an interesting and surprising album, and you can tell it really shook things up at the time. Like Low, it’s one I should probably spend more time with.

Ágætis Byrjun

Sigur Rós

4/5

Album recommended by a Reykjavik record store clerk when traveling in Iceland, and he was clearly tired of Björk. Some kind of floating, haunted post-something that works perfectly as road music on the country’s only usable highway. Beautiful and somehow I remember every track.

Talk Talk Talk

The Psychedelic Furs

4/5

I’m running late and ended up listening to this album two days after the fact. Gio’s review pushed me to actually take the time to sit with it. Despite the ambient chaos at home, the very first notes of the intro immediately caught my attention. The album really keeps a punk vibe throughout, probably thanks to the vocals, the garage sound, and a rhythm section that stays pretty fast most of the time. In the end, I think it’s a very solid post-punk record, genuinely enjoyable as a whole. Raw and fairly rich. A really nice surprise for an album from that period.

Smile

Brian Wilson

2/5

I’m not really a Beach Boys fan, and I don’t feel connected to all the drama around Wilson and this project. It sounds like pre–Pet Sounds surf pop: lots of harmonies… but a very clean 2000s production, so clean and conceptual it mostly feels like a musical. I keep waiting for a straightforward rock moment, but it never arrives. Some songs are genuinely nice and creative, but overall it’s too polished and overworked for my taste. The lack of spontaneity kills it a bit.

The Marshall Mathers LP

Eminem

5/5

“Steve Berman” says it all. With this record, this young white kid flips and makes fun of everything, with a great flow and a rare mix of emotions, from cynicism to melancholy or rage. It’s very funny, offbeat, openly provocative but it is still over the top rap. A real bomb, consistent from start to finish, and one Eminem will struggle to match again. Loved and still love it.

Brilliant Corners

Thelonious Monk

3/5

Pleasant for a commute to work. That said, even if I can hear how innovative the album was in terms of structure back in 1957, the production is very much of its time, and some instruments sound rather unpleasant, the mix too, assuming there even is a mix. Still, I do enjoy the celesta on Pannonica and the slightly outdated atmosphere, but this one won’t make it into my jazz pantheon. Bemsha swing is great though.

Music in Exile

Songhoy Blues

4/5

I was skeptical at first when I saw the names Albarn and Casablancas in these Malians background, and when some reviews insisted this wasn’t really world music. I expected something stripped of local character. Instead, it turns out to be genuinely Malian electric music, with strong John Lee Hooker vibes. Naturally, it works perfectly for me. Malian blues, less rigid and less binary than its American counterpart, pretty much guaranteed to hit the spot. I also tried their last album made last year, and it is even better. Still, it’s a shame the lyrics and their translations aren’t easily accessible. Given their troubled background, I would have really liked to read them and not only understand few French words.

Horses

Patti Smith

2/5

Clearly not the best of Patti Smith. Despite her amazing voice, I felt disappointing by the lack of punk vibe.

Crooked Rain Crooked Rain

Pavement

4/5

This bunch of lazy college kids never had any pretensions, not in their message, not technically, not artistically…and probably should have stayed in their garage. But while grunge was sinking into disillusionment, their simplicity, humor, and lightness made them the real alt rock and witnesses of their time. Pure “fuck it” attitude, with that little nostalgic, almost melancholic touch I’ve always loved about them. In the end, yes, Pavement are bad, but their music wouldn’t have been this fresh and relevant if they’d been good.

Melody A.M.

Röyksopp

2/5

recognize pretty much all the singles here, and honestly, I don’t have a jaded memory of them. A few tracks even flirt with a light trip-hop vibe, which is actually quite nice. Still, this kind of music is never going to feel truly essential to me, apart from a handful of exceptions. That said, I can imagine it finding its way back one day, maybe…

Purple Rain

Prince

3/5

Some greatness and some 80s shit. Better than the previous one we had in my opinion, but aside of the hit singles, I really struggled to end the listening. But I will go back on it and digest it better. I want to understand was the man has been seen as a genius.

Dummy

Portishead

4/5

When it came out, I’d already heard Massive Attack and I’d also gone through the even more claustrophobic Music for the Jilted Generation. So Dummy didn’t hit me as hard as it should. That poisseuse slowness became a classic, ultra popular, everywhere at the end of my high school, played to death, almost to the point of nausea. And yet, the album never really loses its beauty. Still, it’s huge. Dark, tired, gloomy in exactly the way it’s supposed to be. Not a shock for me, but a landmark all the same.

Appetite For Destruction

Guns N' Roses

3/5

Funny, I played this album to my daughter about a week ago, and it was the first time I’d listened to it in almost thirty years. Back then, Guns N’ Roses clearly ruled the glam rock / metal scene. The intro to Appetite for Destruction is legendary, and some songs like It’s So Easy still hit hard. The downside are most of the other songs, … well, overall it’s clearly not my kind of music. Still, as a genre peak, this album does the job, and with at least three massive hits, it leaves some pretty solid memories. But I don’t like Axl Rose’s voice and the many cheesy riffs though…

Hejira

Joni Mitchell

2/5

Still pretty monotone and self-important. On part of Hejira, Pastorius’s bass brings urgency and depth that Joni Mitchell hadn’t explored before. That’s where the album works best. But overall, the songs feel loosely built and tend to drift by, which just reminds me that clear, solid song structures usually exist for a good reason.

Time Out Of Mind

Bob Dylan

1/5

Theoretically, this is a comeback album from Bob Dylan. At 56, he croaks like an old man through melancholic, sometimes bitter lyrics that can still land. Without the voice, the music is dull. With it, it’s still not pretty.

Blackstar

David Bowie

3/5

I remembered this album more fondly when it first came out. Listening to it again, my reaction really depends on the track. The electro-rock / free-jazz mix doesn’t always work, but when it does, it’s genuinely powerful. It feels like the kind of record that needs time… more time than I can give it right now. The arrangements are ambitious, and whatever its flaws, there’s real experience and maturity behind it, in service of an honest creative intent. Right up to the very end, Bowie remained fascinating.

Unknown Pleasures

Joy Division

4/5

Hypnotic and cold. A classic, and a foundation for a huge part of the alternative and gothic music that came after. The band’s short life only makes it feel more mysterious and legendary. I won’t listen to it every day, but it’s so minimal and so haunted that it’s perfect when you want to drag your mood down or ruin a party.

Fifth Dimension

The Byrds

3/5

I don’t know why I started this record with such a strong negative bias, but I did. I’m still not sure it really deserves to be called an essential or to sit so high on this list. Still, on a quick morning listen, it goes down pretty easily. Nothing feels over the top. The melodies on 5D, What’s Happening?, and Eight Miles High are genuinely nice. Even the psychedelic and raga parts are well blended and actually help the songs. For once, the album feels fairly coherent … and clearly less boring than their other records we’ve had to endure. The slight Dylan touch doesn’t ruin the mood. The problem is that I can already feel this enthusiasm won’t last.

More Songs About Buildings And Food

Talking Heads

2/5

How much I enjoy this kind of band really depends on my mood. I don’t have any emotional connection to them, and their sound feels pretty generic, not in a bad way, just neutral. This album is lighter and more upbeat than the next one, and that makes it easier to listen to. Still, the sound, the guitars, and the voice feel a bit cold and repetitive, and end up wearing me out. I finish the album without being excited, but not annoyed either. I don’t know what else to say. Not much excitement.

Peter Gabriel

3/5

This album goes up and down. Some tracks are excellent, others just don’t really work for me. Still, I like the overall vibe. It’s ambitious, a bit prog, and the guitars are well used. When they come in, they really build the tension and make the songs feel bigger. So yes, it’s uneven. But it’s still a very good album, and I’m clearly still into this kind of sound.

Coat Of Many Colors

Dolly Parton

2/5

She’s got a voice… but to tell stories about being a poor redneck girl, in the exact opposite way of any kind of feminism. When I listen to this kind of music, I picture some hillbilly sleeping with his sister after church, social and moral misery. I just can’t get into it. The small bursts of energy, some cool harmonies, and a few bass lines catch my attention, until a Ford pickup truck or a Winchester quickly comes back to mind. I really can’t get into it … but I give it 2 stars because even this beats The Incredible String Band or Eno’s airport trips. Maybe also because of her tits, damn!

A Girl Called Dusty

Dusty Springfield

2/5

I preferred her voice on that earlier, more soul album we already had. But while it sounded smooth and kind of fake there, here she’s clearly in her element with these yé-yé tunes. It works as background music, with a raised eyebrow whenever you recognize the original Claude François covered. My mother would love it, listenable but far from unforgettable.

American Gothic

David Ackles

1/5

I really tried. This feels like a folk album, a bit crooner, with a touch of New Orleans that vaguely reminds me of Tom Waits, but without the depth. There are a few intense, almost thrilling moments… and then the rest just wears me out. It’s honestly not bad. You can feel the good intentions. But I’m not American. And I’m starting to get tired of albums that only speak to Anglo-Saxons. It’s like forcing Cabrel, Sacha Distel and Brel on a bunch of Americans and expecting them to feel it. And on top of that, I read that this record barely sold. So… why?

Pearl

Janis Joplin

4/5

Dusty’s soul attempts suddenly shatters, god fearing Dolly must have hated Mercedes Benz, and Amy is reduced to just another page in the book. Vocally, it’s so intense and fun it actually becomes exhausting. Sure, but come on. When Move On isn’t even considered a single, you know you’re dealing with something special.

Destroy Rock & Roll

Mylo

1/5

I honestly don’t understand why this album is on this list. It feels completely generic and basically pointless to me. Rikki and Otto’s Journey are straight-up bad, and the rest leaves me totally indifferent, except for Guilty of Love, which is the only track that really sticks. But then again, I’ll admit it: when it comes to dance music, I’m probably the worst judge. I just can’t tell the good from the bad.

Franz Ferdinand

3/5

I see this album as the UK’s answer to The Strokes, just more dance-friendly, and I have to admit it works. The Talking Heads influence is obvious on Tell Her Tonight, and a few tracks are so well written they’ve earned their place in the indie hit pantheon. That said, by the end I feel worn out. The sound is dry, sometimes almost shrill, the instrumental parts feel a bit too clear, and overall it lacks the warmth I usually look for. I won’t skip it if it comes on, but there’s little chance I’ll ever put this record back on by myself. After Brit-pop, it was a good move still.

Urban Hymns

The Verve

1/5

I really dislike their previous record on the list. Here, I just hate them a little less. It’s a vaguely more subtle, but it often sounds as bad as Oasis (The Rolling People, Weeping willow…). The production is also way too clean and I still hate the violins there. Still, this is a side of britpop I can tolerate the most. Less Parklife, less Supergrass. More grey, less lad energy. The supposedly “generational” track, The Drugs Don’t Work, is completely unknown to me, which makes me think I really missed something back then. Or maybe not, because I find it terrible. I wanted to give it 2 stars, just so I can feel justified giving 1 to Pulp, Suede, …. But no… the second half is too depressingly generic.

The Lexicon Of Love

ABC

1/5

A huge moment of emptiness. Synthpop always feels like having basic emotions thrown in my face, with zero nuance. I close my eyes and reopen them to a vision of a doll with a sketchy perm, sucking on a cherry. There are still a few groovy moments here, slightly more mature than what their peers were doing at the time. That’s about it.

The Chronic

Dr. Dre

4/5

Dre has a voice I really like, but his flow is pretty weak. Luckily, he’s surrounded by the right people — the production is flawless — and gangsta, even rap as a whole, was never the same after The Chronic. Diss tracks, misogyny, self-praising taken to a whole new level… If G-funk were really my thing, I’d probably give this a perfect score. This is heavy, classic stuff.

Autobahn

Kraftwerk

2/5

Honestly, I always preferred the krautrock side of Neu! and their other stuff, but Autobahn feels smoother and more fluid than I remembered. It works surprisingly well both as ambient background and as something you can actively sit with, and it doesn’t feel as cold to me as it did back then. I can totally admit how important this record is, and it’s way easier for me to connect with now than when I was younger, but it still doesn’t go that much further for me. The flute parts, the more organic side of the album, actually feel weirdly complex once you get past the slightly toy-keyboard, Bontempi vibe.

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