My 1001 Albums Journey

222

Albums Rated

3.31

Average Rating

20%

Complete

867 albums remaining

Rating Distribution

Rating Timeline

Taste Profile

1980s

Favorite Decade

Post-punk

Favorite Genre

other

Top Origin

Wordsmith

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5-Star Albums

1-Star Albums

Breakdown

By Genre

By Decade

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Albums

You Love More Than Most

Album	You	Global	Diff
Soul Mining The The	5	3.17	+1.83
I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got Sinead O'Connor	5	3.25	+1.75
Meat Is Murder The Smiths	5	3.32	+1.68
My Aim Is True Elvis Costello	5	3.35	+1.65
Urban Hymns The Verve	5	3.36	+1.64
Ágætis Byrjun Sigur Rós	5	3.37	+1.63
Debut Björk	5	3.37	+1.63
Synchronicity The Police	5	3.42	+1.58
More Songs About Buildings And Food Talking Heads	5	3.42	+1.58
Strangeways, Here We Come The Smiths	5	3.44	+1.56

You Love Less Than Most

Album	You	Global	Diff
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy Kanye West	1	3.42	-2.42
Doggystyle Snoop Dogg	1	3.38	-2.38
The Slim Shady LP Eminem	1	3.29	-2.29
Master Of Puppets Metallica	2	3.73	-1.73
Californication Red Hot Chili Peppers	2	3.7	-1.7
Sheer Heart Attack Queen	2	3.65	-1.65
Follow The Leader Korn	1	2.65	-1.65
Pictures At An Exhibition Emerson, Lake & Palmer	1	2.64	-1.64
good kid, m.A.A.d city Kendrick Lamar	2	3.61	-1.61
Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) Wu-Tang Clan	2	3.61	-1.61

Artists

Favorites

Artist	Albums	Average
The Smiths	3	5
Radiohead	4	4.5
Pink Floyd	3	4.67
Oasis	2	5
Neil Young & Crazy Horse	2	5

Controversial

Artist	Ratings
Björk	5, 2

5-Star Albums (30)

View Album Wall

Never Mind The Bollocks, Here’s The Sex Pistols

Popular Reviews

good kid, m.A.A.d city

Kendrick Lamar

2/5

I start to disengage from rap music when I hear words like bitch, ho, dick, pussy, motherfucker, and the n-word. Sorry. The beats are great, I like his rap style, and I can appreciate the social commentary/theme of the album but as a middle-aged white guy it is heard to give this repeated listens. It's not for me and not intended for me.

2 likes

Sunshine Hit Me

The Bees

3/5

After 20+ albums into this journey this is the first album and artist that is completely new to me. Eclectic, easy listening, and fun. It's a list of 1,001 albums to listen to, not 1,001 groundbreaking, genre-defining, launched-a-thousand-band albums. Thanks for the introduction. I needed something new and enjoyable today.

2 likes

Chocolate Starfish And The Hot Dog Flavored Water

Limp Bizkit

1/5

Ugh. After 20+ albums this is the first one I couldn't get all the way through. I tired but everything about it screams: Florida man.

2 likes

Definitely Maybe

Oasis

5/5

Another no brainer five stars. I have a soft spot for this album as I was in England when it came out and experienced all the hype ahead of everyone else back home.

1 likes

1-Star Albums (7)

Chocolate Starfish And The Hot Dog Flavored Water

All Ratings

Hounds Of Love

Kate Bush

4/5

Nice to start off this project with a familiar album from the '80s. I've always misheard what she says after "deal with God" as "get him to swallow druses." Whatever that could mean. Anyway, the hits are undeniable but what stands out to me listening to it now is the mix of beautiful, quieter songs like And Dream of Sheep and Watching You Without Me and wackier experimental songs. The transitions are great and make it a true album experience.

People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm

A Tribe Called Quest

3/5

(What's The Story) Morning Glory

Oasis

5/5

I really connected with the debut album and at the time I preferred it to this one. But, start to finish, this is a fantastic album. No filler. Yes, it was everywhere. And yes it was/is overplayed, as were the numerous covers of Wonderwall, but it is timeless and up there with the best from the Beatles and the Stones.

This Is Fats Domino

Fats Domino

3/5

Had to listen to this on YouTube with commercials, so the experience was choppy. Very enjoyable songs. More bluesy than I expected but I can see how this might be a transition album from rhythm and blues to rock and roll.

Highway to Hell

AC/DC

3/5

Forty-one minutes of pure joy (except maybe for the creepy last song). A perfect antidote to the shitty weather and shitty news. I'm so used to hearing only the hits on the radio, so it was nice to listen to the entire album.

Remain In Light

Talking Heads

4/5

I love the funk and Fela Kuti influences on this album. Great rhythm and bass and quirky singing on side one. A chiller, more electronic feel on the second side. The last song sounds like a slightly less intense Joy Division.

Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret

Soft Cell

3/5

Never Mind The Bollocks, Here’s The Sex Pistols

Sex Pistols

5/5

It might sound a little tame now, but you have to give five stars to the album that launched a thousand bands.

good kid, m.A.A.d city

Kendrick Lamar

2/5

I See You

The xx

3/5

This is not the xx album I would have included in this list. I love the first one.

The Bends

Radiohead

5/5

One of the greatest sophomore albums of all time.

Oxygène

Jean-Michel Jarre

4/5

Might sound a little dated now, but I bet it was pretty awesome when it came out.

The Clash

5/5

I haven't listened to this full album in decades but listened to it so many times in my teens and twenties that I remember every second of it. A great album that had a huge influence.

Music for the Masses

Depeche Mode

4/5

Songs Of Leonard Cohen

Leonard Cohen

4/5

The Real Thing

Faith No More

3/5

"Epic" is an epic song but not enough of a draw for repeated listening to the whole album.

Queens of the Stone Age

2/5

Not really my thing and I likely won't choose to listen to it again. So, two stars.

The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady

Charles Mingus

2/5

OK, so this one is a little "out there." I like Mingus but based on my criteria of will I listen to this again, I have to say, no. I hate to do that for my first jazz review.

Queen II

Queen

2/5

Too prog for me.

Out Of The Blue

Electric Light Orchestra

3/5

Hot Buttered Soul

Isaac Hayes

4/5

Rhythm Nation 1814

Janet Jackson

3/5

Didn't think I'd like this as much as I did. I hear a lot of Prince in it, which I liked.

Green River

Creedence Clearwater Revival

4/5

I don't think I've ever listened to a proper CCR album before. They've always been a singles and greatest hits type band to me. This one is great.

Joan Armatrading

3/5

Fun House

The Stooges

3/5

Hotel California

Eagles

3/5

Physical Graffiti

Led Zeppelin

3/5

The Genius Of Ray Charles

Ray Charles

4/5

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road

Elton John

3/5

Violator

Depeche Mode

5/5

Make Yourself

Incubus

2/5

Rejoicing In The Hands

Devendra Banhart

3/5

Quirky AF. But some very nice guitar work and the overall vibe (including the artwork) make it a repeat listen.

Cosmo's Factory

Creedence Clearwater Revival

4/5

Hard not to role your eyes at the cheesy cover and dismiss this as another lame middle of the road seventies classic rock album. I only know CCR through greatest-hits CDs roommates played at University and heard on the radio but the bluesy first two songs grabbed my attention and the I Heard it Through the Grapevine cover is way better than I expected. A surprising four stars.

Californication

Red Hot Chili Peppers

2/5

The first half is really good but this one doesn't hold up for me as an overall great album. I started losing interest near the end and didn't immediately want to hit replay like I've done for my higher rated album from this project.

Apocalypse 91… The Enemy Strikes Black

Public Enemy

3/5

Not the PE album I would have expected to be on this list and one that I am less famliar with. But it is solid. I Don't Wanna Be Called Yo Niga, By the Time I Get to Arizona, and 1 Million Bottlebags are up there with the best of their stuff. I really wish there were part stars because this three-star rating is on the cusp of a four.

Sunshine Hit Me

The Bees

3/5

Chocolate Starfish And The Hot Dog Flavored Water

Limp Bizkit

1/5

Ugh. After 20+ albums this is the first one I couldn't get all the way through. I tired but everything about it screams: Florida man.

A Hard Day's Night

Beatles

3/5

I've heard most of these songs through osmosis and compilations but haven't listened to this as an album before. Thirteen songs in 30 minutes? Nice. And a few lesser-known ones I hadn't heard before. I know this is an important one since it is the beginning of everything changing in popular music but it's not a Beatles album that I'll return to for repeated listens.

Aftermath

The Rolling Stones

3/5

I've never listened to this as a proper album before. So, it's another introduction to the early work of a very well-known band. Under My Thumb stands out as a taste of what's to come. And the bluesy songs sound more like their own take on the blues than just covers of older songs.

The Downward Spiral

Nine Inch Nails

4/5

I haven't listened to this in a long time. So freaking intense. I don't think my old ears can take regular repeat listens but it deserves four stars.

Bryter Layter

Nick Drake

4/5

Germfree Adolescents

X-Ray Spex

3/5

Long before there were streaming services and fancy vinyl reissues I carried around a very worn piece of paper with a list of albums I'd read about and wanted to find in used record stores. This one was on that list and I never did find the album. But a few songs were on compilations. I love what this brought to the late seventies UK scene: female voice, horns, and some keyboard.

Zombie

Fela Kuti

5/5

I first heard Fela Kuti on the local college radio station while driving a fan as a gopher for a theatre production company. I've been a fan ever since, collecting any vinyl I could find in used record stores. He deserves five stars for inventing an entire genre of music.

After The Gold Rush

Neil Young

4/5

Soul Mining

The The

5/5

One of my favourites from the 80s. I love everything about The The. The music. The lyrics. THE VOICE. What a genius. This Is the Day, Uncertain Smile, and Perfect. Three classics that put me in a good mood anytime I hear them.

Joan Baez

3/5

It must have been something to hear that voice in a small club in New York in the sixties.

Atomizer

Big Black

3/5

Another one that is totally new to me. This is a great sounding industrial record. No wonder Albini when on to produce a lot of great albums.

Either Or

Elliott Smith

4/5

Apple Music sums it up well: bleak but beautiful.

The Slim Shady LP

Eminem

1/5

Sound of Silver

LCD Soundsystem

4/5

Like Matt Johnson and The The, James Murphy is a one-man band genius.

Lam Toro

Baaba Maal

3/5

Haunting vocals and lovely, melodic guitar work.

Faith

George Michael

4/5

I know most of this through radio, music videos, and movies and never actually listened to the album as a whole before. It wasn't what I was into when it came out. But it has held up surprisingly well, from start to finish. Songs like Hand to Mouth and A Last Request are new to me and pretty good. A very surprising four stars.

The Dark Side Of The Moon

Pink Floyd

5/5

A no brainer.

The Low End Theory

A Tribe Called Quest

3/5

Brothers In Arms

Dire Straits

3/5

The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter

The Incredible String Band

1/5

Yikes! I want whatever they were smoking when this was recorded.

Siamese Dream

The Smashing Pumpkins

3/5

A Rush Of Blood To The Head

Coldplay

4/5

Definitely Maybe

Oasis

5/5

Another no brainer five stars. I have a soft spot for this album as I was in England when it came out and experienced all the hype ahead of everyone else back home.

Lady In Satin

Billie Holiday

3/5

I'm a Fool to Want You sets the tone for this very melancholy album. It's an end-of-career album from a great singer who has lived a hard life.

Madman Across The Water

Elton John

2/5

Welcome To The Pleasuredome

Frankie Goes To Hollywood

3/5

Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music

Ray Charles

3/5

Fulfillingness' First Finale

Stevie Wonder

2/5

Fragile

Yes

2/5

Good Old Boys

Randy Newman

2/5

A Girl Called Dusty

Dusty Springfield

3/5

Off The Wall

Michael Jackson

3/5

Heaven Or Las Vegas

Cocteau Twins

4/5

Crooked Rain Crooked Rain

Pavement

4/5

The Madcap Laughs

Syd Barrett

2/5

My Aim Is True

Elvis Costello

5/5

Urban Hymns

The Verve

5/5

One of the all-time great lead tracks on an album. This is a perfect album listen. Start to finish. If this was Britpop's swan song as Apple Music suggests, then what a great way to end it.

Parsley, Sage, Rosemary And Thyme

Simon & Garfunkel

4/5

Doggystyle

Snoop Dogg

1/5

Melodrama

Lorde

3/5

I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You

Aretha Franklin

5/5

Master Of Puppets

Metallica

2/5

There's No Place Like America Today

Curtis Mayfield

4/5

Maybe it is because I listened to this on the first sunny day we've had in weeks, but I feel like a better person for having listened to it.

Frank

Amy Winehouse

3/5

The Velvet Underground

4/5

Blood Sugar Sex Magik

Red Hot Chili Peppers

2/5

The Queen Is Dead

The Smiths

5/5

Another no-brainer for me.

Dummy

Portishead

5/5

How can you not give a genre-defining album five stars?

E.V.O.L.

Sonic Youth

3/5

Not a Sonic Youth album I was as familiar with as others. It was chiller than I expected and a good preview of what is to come from the band.

Close To The Edge

Yes

4/5

I'm really surprised how much I like this album. I'm not a prog fan but this has the right amount of noodling excess.

Pet Sounds

The Beach Boys

4/5

Nice to get this one to review a few days after Brian Wilson died. It's timeless.

Songs For Swingin' Lovers!

Frank Sinatra

3/5

Appetite For Destruction

Guns N' Roses

3/5

Hearts And Bones

Paul Simon

3/5

I like when this project introduces me to an album I hadn't heard of before. That's the case with this one and it was perfectly ok.

3 Feet High and Rising

De La Soul

3/5

Halcyon Digest

Deerhunter

3/5

(Pronounced 'Leh-'Nérd 'Skin-'Nérd)

Lynyrd Skynyrd

3/5

Another band that I only know via hits on the radio and in movie soundtracks. Was prepared to hate it but I didn't. Solid three stars.

Otis Blue/Otis Redding Sings Soul

Otis Redding

4/5

The Colour Of Spring

Talk Talk

3/5

Hunky Dory

David Bowie

5/5

Sunday At The Village Vanguard

Bill Evans Trio

3/5

Rubber Soul

Beatles

4/5

Neon Bible

Arcade Fire

3/5

Dig Me Out

Sleater-Kinney

3/5

I’ve Got a Tiger By the Tail

Buck Owens

3/5

Surprisingly enjoyable!

John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band

John Lennon

3/5

This Year's Model

Elvis Costello & The Attractions

4/5

The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan

5/5

Sheer Heart Attack

Queen

2/5

Not a big fan of this. But I did learn that Neko Case's "Misfire" is a cover, which I did not know until listening to this album.

Gentlemen

The Afghan Whigs

2/5

Rust Never Sleeps

Neil Young & Crazy Horse

5/5

Ramones

5/5

American Idiot

Green Day

4/5

The Köln Concert

Keith Jarrett

3/5

Kala

M.I.A.

2/5

I love "Paper Planes" and a few other songs are very good but I don't think I'd go back to listen to the whole album very often.

Stardust

Willie Nelson

3/5

Cloud Nine

The Temptations

4/5

White Blood Cells

The White Stripes

4/5

Tonight's The Night

Neil Young

4/5

Vol. 4

Black Sabbath

3/5

A Wizard, A True Star

Todd Rundgren

2/5

Well, I made it through one listen. This project has introduced me to a lot of prog rock. Some good. Some not so good. Most of this album sounds too much like insane show tunes to me. The last song Just One Victory was worth the struggle of getting through the earlier songs. But, full marks for creativity and doing his own thing and for a crazy cover that perfectly matches the crazy music.

Moondance

Van Morrison

4/5

L.A. Woman

The Doors

4/5

A Short Album About Love

The Divine Comedy

3/5

Another first time artist and album for me. Thanks for the introduction!

Fishscale

Ghostface Killah

2/5

Great raps. Great beats. Usual issues I have with rap with the unnecessary interludes and language. Deserves a higher rating but not something I'll listen to again.

Electric Ladyland

Jimi Hendrix

3/5

Some awesome songs, obviously, but kind of a mess of an album overall.

It's Blitz!

Yeah Yeah Yeahs

3/5

She's So Unusual

Cyndi Lauper

4/5

The subtitle of the 30th anniversary reissue is a great summary of this album: a celebration. This is smart, fun, sometimes-cheesy, early-eighties music. I think it holds up, but I'd be curious to know if someone who wasn't around back when it first came out would agree.

My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

Kanye West

1/5

My first instinct was to give this a hard pass but I'm committed to giving every album a chance. Made it halfway through. There's no denying the talent and the production; it's just not for me. And I don't need to listen to a jerk boast about how great he is. There's enough of that in the news these days.

Homework

Daft Punk

3/5

No Other

Gene Clark

2/5

Blonde On Blonde

Bob Dylan

4/5

This was the gateway Bob Dylan album for me. I wasn't interested in Dylan when I was younger and only heard the hits that were played on the radio and in movies. So this was the first full album I eventually listened to and I went backward and forward from it ever since.

The Wall

Pink Floyd

4/5

Superfly

Curtis Mayfield

4/5

One of the best soundtracks.

Low-Life

New Order

4/5

Strange Cargo III

William Orbit

4/5

This came after a string of albums I was very familiar with, so it was a nice change to be introduced to something new that I really enjoyed. You know it has made an impression when you restart it right away and then stream other stuff from the artist.

Deja Vu

Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young

4/5

Synchronicity

The Police

5/5

Grievous Angel

Gram Parsons

3/5

I really like this but man it can be depressing listening.

Suede

2/5

This is too overly dramatic for my taste.

Strangeways, Here We Come

The Smiths

5/5

This is their best overall album. It is certainly my favourite. And I remember being heartbroken listening to it when it came out knowing it would be their last.

Heroes

David Bowie

4/5

The Fat Of The Land

The Prodigy

2/5

Hot Shots II

The Beta Band

3/5

Don't Stand Me Down

Dexys Midnight Runners

2/5

I was pleasantly surprised but this one but the talky interludes and quite starts got in the way for me.

Kick Out The Jams (Live)

MC5

3/5

Kick Out the Jams is a monster song and Motor City is Burning sounds like a very rough version of something you'd hear on a Hendrix album. And I love many of the bands this influenced. And it is great that the live album captures the insanity and energy of the band. BUT as an album, the quality of the recording just doesn't lend itself to regular repeat listens.

Odessey And Oracle

The Zombies

3/5

Bridge Over Troubled Water

Simon & Garfunkel

4/5

Jack Takes the Floor

Ramblin' Jack Elliott

4/5

Never heard this guy before. Is it folk? Country? Blues? All three? I don't know. But it's great!

Fromohio

fIREHOSE

4/5

If I met the devil at the crossroads I'd make a deal to be able to play the base like Mike Watt.

Virgin Suicides

Air

3/5

Hail To the Thief

Radiohead

4/5

The xx

4/5

Brothers

The Black Keys

4/5

Rings Around The World

Super Furry Animals

2/5

Natty Dread

Bob Marley & The Wailers

5/5

Disraeli Gears

Cream

2/5

I'm not sure if it is the sleepy singing or maybe the production is muted, but I'm surprised how boring I found this.

Foo Fighters

3/5

Heroes to Zeros

The Beta Band

3/5

Franz Ferdinand

4/5

Bossanova

Pixies

3/5

This isn't the Pixies album I'd expect to see here. But maybe that is why it is on the list: to shed light on an otherwise overlooked album. It's good but there are others I'd gravitate to for repeat listens.

Exile On Main Street

The Rolling Stones

4/5

Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)

Wu-Tang Clan

2/5

Channel Orange

Frank Ocean

3/5

Miriam Makeba

3/5

The Wildest!

Louis Prima

3/5

In Rainbows

Radiohead

4/5

The ArchAndroid

Janelle Monáe

2/5

Fleet Foxes

3/5

Let It Be

The Replacements

3/5

Pictures At An Exhibition

Emerson, Lake & Palmer

1/5

I tried to be open to this but it is the kind of progressive rock that I struggle with and find really self-indulgent.

Ágætis Byrjun

Sigur Rós

5/5

In A Silent Way

Miles Davis

3/5

I'm not a big fan of Davis's fusion era but this is a nice transition into it. In his vast catalogue I often forget about this album so it was nice to have the project shine a light on it.

Clube Da Esquina

Milton Nascimento

3/5

This one is new to me and requires more listens than I can fit into one day to truly appreciate it. There are moments when it completely grabbed my attention and moments when it grated on my nerves. Probably suffers from being too long but has a crazy mix of vibrant music.

Ritual De Lo Habitual

Jane's Addiction

3/5

Green Onions

Booker T. & The MG's

3/5

Purple Rain

Prince

4/5

Paul Simon

3/5

Follow The Leader

Korn

1/5

NOPE

Os Mutantes

3/5

Shadowland

k.d. lang

3/5

Great voice. Great slide guitar. Great antidote to the Korn album I had to listen to the day before.

Sign 'O' The Times

Prince

3/5

Head Hunters

Herbie Hancock

4/5

Abraxas

Santana

3/5

Dig Your Own Hole

The Chemical Brothers

2/5

Debut

Björk

5/5

Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere

Neil Young & Crazy Horse

5/5

Meat Is Murder

The Smiths

5/5

Low

David Bowie

3/5

Meat Puppets II

Meat Puppets

4/5

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

3/5

OK Computer

Radiohead

5/5

No brainer: Five Stars.

Mothership Connection

Parliament

3/5

G. Love And Special Sauce

G. Love & Special Sauce

2/5

A unique sound, for sure, but it annoyed me more than it wowed me.

My Generation

The Who

4/5

The question is always, The Beatles or the Rolling Stones? My answer is: The Who. My grade school exercise books were littered with Union Jacks with The Who written in the crosses. The kids are indeed alright.

Reign In Blood

Slayer

2/5

10 songs in 29 minutes is impressive but too intense for me.

Smash

The Offspring

4/5

Wish You Were Here

Pink Floyd

5/5

Approaching its 50th anniversary in a few weeks and this still sounds fresh and interesting. A true classic.

Microshift

Hookworms

3/5

Kings Of The Wild Frontier

Adam & The Ants

3/5

Pump

Aerosmith

2/5

Parachutes

Coldplay

3/5

Rock 'N Soul

Solomon Burke

3/5

Great blend of blues, country, gospel, and soul.

Cupid & Psyche 85

Scritti Politti

2/5

A good example of the cheesy-synth-and-vocal sound from the early to mid eighties, which holds up for a song or two but gets repetitive and boring pretty quickly as an entire album. All you need is "Perfect Way" on your eighties compilation.

Live And Dangerous

Thin Lizzy

2/5

I appreciate that you can hear the audience and songs blend together like an actual live show and not a collection of songs that were played live. It is a product of its time and the eye-rolling joke after the first song dates it. Not a repeat listen for me.

Alien Lanes

Guided By Voices

3/5

Lady Soul

Aretha Franklin

4/5

Tracy Chapman

5/5

Future Days

Can

3/5

There's a primal feel to this that humanizes the electronics. Not easy to listen to in places but I can see how it influences a lot of music that followed.

I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got

Sinead O'Connor

5/5

I know Nothing Compares to U is the big hit but the five songs before it are incredible.

Let's Get Killed

David Holmes

3/5

With The Beatles

Beatles

4/5

Early Beatles albums like this one are cool for the mix of covers and originals. To see their influences and vast musical knowledge and how they are starting to apply that to their own songs.

Stankonia

OutKast

2/5

Safe As Milk

Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band

2/5

A little more accessible than Trout Mask Replica but still weird enough to annoy.

Water From An Ancient Well

Abdullah Ibrahim

4/5

I can't believe I've never heard of Ibrahim until now. This was fantastic.

Made In Japan

Deep Purple

2/5

Wasn't looking forward to this one but then the first song rocked. Maybe this won't be the over-the-top seventies self-indulgent rock music I thought it would be. Wrong.

Arrival

ABBA

3/5

More Songs About Buildings And Food

Talking Heads

5/5

Vulnicura

Björk

2/5

This is one of those albums that might need lots of listens to appreciate.

Don't Come Home A Drinkin' (With Lovin' On Your Mind)

Loretta Lynn