Ananda Shankar
Ananda ShankarThis was remarkable top to bottom. Really enjoyed the vibe here and will certainly return. 5 stars.
This was remarkable top to bottom. Really enjoyed the vibe here and will certainly return. 5 stars.
Incredible disco record. Love the "quit your job and just dance" vibes of "He's the Greatest Dancer" "Lost in Music" and "Thinking of You" Obviously, "We are Family" is the most popular song on this record with the public, and I think it's good but not as good as some of the other songs on this record. It works less well when they slow it down for "Somebody Loves Me," and the B side is weaker than the A side. Still, a very enjoyable disco listen.
Funk gold. 5 star guitar album. Let's go.
A little slow and sparse for my taste in Jazz (at least, as of 2/25). The highlights are Miles on the piano and Bill Evans/Wynton Kelly on the piano. My favorite song off of the record is "Freddie Freeloader," which has Kelly on the piano and is the most up-tempo song. Overall, solid enough but a little slow for me.
Really enjoyed this record. It felt like an soft introduction to a hard rock/punk sound. Shirley Manson's vocals really carry the day here, highlights are Stupid Girl, Supervixen, Only Happy When It Rains, Milk. The softer songs I liked better. All of it rocked, though. Very good record.
Solid late 60s war protest and more general Rock N Roll. I enjoyed "Victoria" and the guitar solo in "Australia" the most, the band sounds really good. Not really a record I would probably go back to regularly but a pleasant listening experience.
Epic rock album. "Hotel California" is legendary, as is "Life in the Fast Lane." "Wasted Time" comes at the right time in the record to slow things down a little bit, and the vocals are very strong in that song. The guitar on this record just shines through from start to finish, you go Joe Walsh. "Pretty Maids All In a Row" and "The Last Resort" don't quite work as well as many of the other songs on here for me on first listen, but overall great record.
This album rocks so hard. Dolly's versatility is remarkable. "Coat of Many Colors" sets the tone so well as a gut wrenching, emotional ballad. The twist at the end of "Traveling Man" is straight up gold, amazing song. "She's Never Met a Man (she doesn't like)" is another very fun song. "Here I Am" is a highlight on the second half of the record. "Mystery of the Mystery" is a little bleh, and the second half of the record doesn't live up to the first. But the one two punch of "Coat of Many Colors" and "Traveling Man" is so good this is a five star record for me, and there are a bunch of other good tracks on her. Deeply enjoyed this.
Solid but unspectacular big band jazz record. Some cool songs, like "Whirly Bird," "Splanky" and "Fantail" that go to a very cool place and utilize the whole orchestra, and really enjoyed the trumpet solo in "Flight of the Foo Birds." An enjoyable listen but unlikely to return to this one.
Incredible disco record. Love the "quit your job and just dance" vibes of "He's the Greatest Dancer" "Lost in Music" and "Thinking of You" Obviously, "We are Family" is the most popular song on this record with the public, and I think it's good but not as good as some of the other songs on this record. It works less well when they slow it down for "Somebody Loves Me," and the B side is weaker than the A side. Still, a very enjoyable disco listen.
A very engaging introduction to reggae for me. Highlights are "Marcus Garvey," "Old Marcus Garvey" "Live Good" and "Resting Place." This record sounds great, with a funky blues vibe full of protest songs. There was a bit of sonic sameness on here for me, but overall very good record I enjoyed.
An okay/solid rock record. The Killers sound is a little too slick for me overall, and the second half felt like a lot of the same. That said, “Smile Like You Mean It” is a total banger and by far the best song on this record. It’s a great song. And like any good millennial, I’m a fan of “Mr. Brightside” — the defining party song of our generation? I don’t think I understand “Somebody told me” but I think I enjoy it. And on the B side “Change Your Mind” is good.
I’ve never heard anything like this (derogatory). Way too out there and avant- garde for me. First album I struggled through in this experiment.
Not really for me but a fun vibe in parts. “Passin Me By” and “Otha Fish” are the highlights.
Electro-pop, speak singing nonsense.
Really good anti-drug funk album. Highlights are "Freddie's Dead," "Give Me Your Love" and "Think - Instrumental". Slows down a bit in the middle (particularly "Eddie You Should Know Better" and "No Thing on Me." Overall, kind of an odd, funky, enjoyable listening experience. Love the instrumentation and Mayfield's falseto.
I was really hoping that I would love this, since generally I like piano-forward rock and roll (like Billy Joel). And while there are some really good tracks on here, it never really hit a higher level for me. I was really energized by "Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding" at the start and hope it would carry me through the album, but unfortunately I think that is the best song on here. I liked when he goes a little more upbeat on the B side of the second LP, with "Your Sister Can't Twist", "Saturday Night's Alright" and "Social Disease",but alot of the middle blends together. Good but not great album.
Solid punk record, music was good, vocals were not. Songwriting was solid, enjoyed "Gotta Get Away" and "Self Esteem" Overall, not an album I will return to but this was a fine listening experience, even if I won't seek out this band in the future.
This was way worse than I hoped it would be. I liked the blues-y "Doncha Bother Me" but overall did not enjoy this record. Maybe it's in part because I am sick today, but not a fan. "Stupid Girl" and "Under My Thumb" get particularly low marks.
I really enjoyed the music on this, especially the saxophone-forward songs like "Genetic Engineering." But I didn't enjoy the vocals or really understand what she was singing. So not a record I will be returning to, but I didn't hate it.
A musically okay, vocally terrible record that I find rather forgettable. Was hoping it would end.
Another album I liked well enough musically but just could not vibe with the vocals, especially when they floated over into more “screaming” than singing.
Classic rock for a reason. Really good music. Particularly enjoyed "Black Dog," "Rock and Roll", "Going to California" and "When the Levee Breaks." And of course, "Stairway to Heaven" is great, especially the guitar work. Plant's vocals are a little hit or miss for my taste, and "The Battle of Evermore," "Misty Mountain Hop" and "Four Sticks" didn't really work for me. Overall, good.
A fun listen! Good 90s hip-hop. Highlights are "I left my wallet in El Segundo", "Bonita Applebum", "Can I Kick It?," "Youthful Expression" and "Mr. Muhammad"
Maybe this is the 00s nostalgia talking, but always have had a soft spot for Green Day. This is a good pop punk album, with the clear highlight "When I Come Around." Enjoyed it!
Very enjoyable folk album, Drake has a lovely voice and the instrumentation was elite. “River Man” and “Saturday Sun” are highlights. This is an album I will revisit, and it has the potential to move to 5 stars as I spend more time with it.
This was painful. How did it make the list? The most vapid, bland pop rock imaginable.
Enjoyable folk/rock album. “Hey Hey, My My” clear stand out
I really enjoyed this instrumental dream pop, impeccable though a little forgettable background music.
Absolute gold, no doubt 5/5. Redding has a remarkable voice and all of these songs are great. Highlight: “A Change is Gonna Come”. This is the kind of album I’m doing this experiment to listen to. Amazing horn section.
Amazing guitar and drums on this get this album up to a 4 star for me. Enjoyed the softer rock songs like "I'll Stick Around" and "Big Me." Did not like the more scremo songs like "Weenie Beenie." Overall, enjoyed it but not one I will seek out again probably. Would be 3.5 stars if that was an option.
Exceptionally mediocre uninspired pop rock. I did like the instrumental "Firesuite" but otherwise was unsure why this is on here.
This just didn't do anything for me. I didn't hate it but definitely did not find it particularly engaging.
A very strong album musically, lyrics are a little out there on some of the songs but overall a very good album. Instrumentally, the guitars, saxophone and keys were extremely strong, I liked listening to this.
I found this pretty painful to get through, in general I like synth-forward songs but there's definitely a line where it becomes much too much. This album really struggled to overcome what I believe is really weak music.
Really smooth hip hop album, highlights are "Go", "Be" and "Love Is." Loses points for "Faithful". Overall enjoyable listen but don't love.
Perfectly fine, a little monotonous but catchy riffs. "You Shook Me All Night Long" is the clear standout.
Doesn't really work for me, not really into the Beatles I don't think. Felt longer than the 32 minutes. I did enjoy "Got to Get You Into My Life" though, which saves this from being a 1 star.
Enjoyed the sound and music of this, less so the songs. Don't fully understand much of the lyrical content here but enjoy the sound enough to get it to 4 stars.
Just as a guitar record this gets a 5 star. Really great listening experience, "Smoke on the Water" is iconic, but I also really enjoyed "Maybe I'm a Leo." Enjoyed this way more than I thought I would.
Totally fine but forgettable pop rock. Did not really make an impression on me in any way.
One of the greatest albums of all time. I can't stress how great it is. No skips, strong top to bottom, "Thunder Road," "Backstreets", "Born To Run", "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out" all legendary. Clemmons' saxaphone is absolute fire. Amazing.
Very good R+B, easy listening. "I Wish" is a total classic. I think this would have been better served by being 1 LP, since it dragged at times. Overall I really enjoyed it though.
Hip hop that I didn’t really enjoy listening to but was fine.
Pretty voice, but for an artist in my usual favorite genre of singer-songwriter folk, didn’t grab me as much as I would hope. I enjoyed “Peach Trees”. Solid record.
Totally fine, straight down the middle glam rock. Enjoyable at times but never spectacular.
This is fine. "Blackbird" is very good. Better than the other Beatles album this has forced me to listen to. Okay but will not revist this.
Absolute gold. “Don’t Come Home A Drinking” is a country classic for a reason, but this record is extremely strong top to bottom. The vocals are remarkable, and the songwriting clever. Other highlights are “Saint to Sinner” and “Get Whatcha Got and Go”.
Very fun. Enjoyed the energy and frantic-ness of the vocals. “Whole Lot of Shaking Going On” is the highlight. Strong piano throughout.
“Girls Just Want to Have Fun” is the perfect pop song. “Time After Time” is also great. “I’ll Kiss You” and “When You Were Mine” are also fun. Lauper’s voice is a bit of an acquired taste and overall the record drags in the middle a bit (“She Bop” in particular). But still very enjoyable pop. Somewhere between 4 and 5 stars.
“Ms. Jackson” is great, and overall this solid but much too long. “Gangsta Shit” and “BOB” are also good; “We Love Deez Hoes” is not.
This was totally fine. Some good beats but pretty forgettable
This album was just overflowing with joy. The B side especially is exceptional. Great stuff.
I like Green Day. This is a very strong album, especially “Wake Me Up When September Ends”, “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” and “American Idiot”.
Odd, disconnected noise. I didn't disdain it, but it didn't do much for me.
This completely rocks. Surprisingly so. The horns are great, many of the songs are great. “Clap Hands”, “Midtown” and “Gun Street Girl” “Downtown Train” are highlights. Loved it.
This was surprisingly slight for a record that features the legendary "Nothing Compares 2 U." Her soaring vocals on that song are remarkable, and I did enjoy the social commentary on "Black Boys on Mopeds." But I felt the songs themselves and the instrumentation on the rest of the album was pretty stale.
I surprisingly really enjoyed much of the music on this album but not the vocals or songs much. "Crying" was particularly good with the vibraphone. This is fine but not for me.
Perfectly solid, light emo. Songs are alright, music is good.
Grating background noise. Not a fan.
I don't know why Elton doesn't fully move me. I like "Tiny Dancer" and the sound of a few others on here, like "Razor Face," "Rotten Peaches", "All the Nasties." But overall I don't feel too connected to these songs, and while I like the piano, in general I don't feel too inspired by this album.
This sounds like a soundtrack to a Rom-Com in the best possible way. There’s depth to the songs, the vocals sound great. “Pass in Time” is a truly amazing song. Good stuff!
Enjoyed this musically, especially the psychedelic/jam band energy. Unofrtunately none of the songs were particularly good. This is alright.
Didn't really do much for me. It was mostly fine, but felt pretty surface level. The songs were just okay and the instrumentation basic. Not for me.
This underwhelmed my expectations. I really enjoyed the sounds and vibes of this album, especially "Let's Get Crazy," "Take Me With U" and of course "Purple Rain." But a lot of the songs in the middle were kind of middling, especially "When Doves Cry" and "I would die for U". Somewhere in the high 3 star, low 4 star territory.
Nothing about this interested me, musically or lyrically. Just nothing. The songs are poorly constructed and uninteresting. Didn’t hate it as much feel complete apathy toward it, though the more I listen the less I like it. I do like the sound on “Dream Attack” so it’s not all bad.
Enjoyable! I liked this better than McCartney’s stuff with his previous band. Highlights are “Let Me Roll With It”, “Bluebird”, the saxophone on “Mrs. Vanderbilt”, and “1985” has a great groove and I think is the best song on this record. Strong four star record.
Great record! Love the instrumentation throughout this record, and the songs were very fun. Highlights are "Proud Mary", "Born on the Bayou", "Graveyard Train". Bluesy guitar throughout was great.
Loved it. So bluesy, great guitars, and Janis Joplin is remarkable. Highlights are "I Need a Man to Love", "Piece of My Heart" and "Turtle Blues."
Milquetoast 80s rock. Enjoyed the guitars generally but the songs were pretty flat and souless. Couldn't find too much to like or dislike in here, it's fine.
This was alright. Instrumentation and instrumental tracks i liked, but the singing and songwriting fell flat. Somewhere between 2 and 3 stars for me, was pretty grating at times.
This kind of sputtered out for me after a great start with “break on through to the other side.” Other than the starter, nothing really stood out as particularly inspiring to me. I had high hopes and was a little disappointed
This was pretty boring and uninspiring. Didn’t do anything for me. Not offensively bad, just bland
Very enjoyable electronica. "Royksopp's Night Out" is what elevates this from a three star to four star album. That song told a whole story all by itself, with no words. "In Space" is an upbeat highlight, and "She's So" is a more slowed down beat that I enjoyed. This is in high three star, low four star territory, but I'm feeling generous today.
Eh. The scremo bits on this really rubbed me the wrong way, as do "Tourette's" and "Rape Me." The instrumentation is good and "Heart Shaped Box" is great, but this is only going to get two stars for me, I really did not enjoy it much.
This was remarkable top to bottom. Really enjoyed the vibe here and will certainly return. 5 stars.
I really liked this. It doesn’t really push any boundaries but was really enjoyable rock n roll. Guitars were great, the organ when it was used added a lot. Starts off very strong with “More Than A Feeling” and “Peace of Mind”. Good album.
Eh. Pretty monotonous, but overall fine. I liked the guitar though it basically sounds the same on nearly every song. Album ended strong with “We’ll Meet Again” and “Shes Got a Way”. Generally I don’t really like big harmonies when it comes to the number of people involved. Fine album but won’t seek out to listen to again.
Exceptional album top to bottom. Incredible songs, great vocals, musically interesting. The first bars of "Rehab" immediately pull you in and then its banger after banger. Great.
I liked this a lot. A fun part of this experience is seeing how often the best song is the most popular, and on this record, "Thirteen" is both. The whole record feels very high school but in a good way, and while the songs are often a little corny, they are nice/good. Highlights are "In the Street", "When My Baby's Beside Me" "My Life is Right" "Give Another Chance".
Liked this more than I expected. Songs were compelling, instrumentation was strong, vocals were very good. Highlights are "Awful", "Malibu", "Dying" and "Boys on the Radio". Low four stars, not sure I will revist with any frequency but still an enjoyable album.
I feel like after listening to this I finally "get" Led Zeppelin. Amazing guitar, the songs pull you in and toss you around and rise and rise and rise to a great guitar solo and screeching Plant vocals. "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You" is my favorite.
Meh. One of my musically pet peeves is vocalists who don’t annunciate, and I felt like I didn’t really understand much of what this album was about. The two songs before the finale were good musically though.
This sounds good, I like it even though obviously I don't understand the lyrics as I don't speak arabic. Fuck "Imagine" though, this may have been 4 stars if not for that. With this not on Spotify, I'm not sure if I listened to it 100%, but definitely got enough of the songs to count it in my book.
Syrh-heavy 80s pop/hip-hop is usually not my favorite but I thought this was pretty good at points. It drags by the end but “Buffalo Stance”, “Kisses On The Wind” and “Inner City Mama” are all quite good.
Some good songs on here, like "Duncan," "Armistice Day" and "Paranoia Blues". But didn't grasp me, really.
Nice, low-key acoustic folk music that I liked
Solid/fun hip hop record. "It's Nasty" is a highlight, but it losses a star for the robot voice in "Scorpio". No robots!
Extraordinary pleasant. Made me feel very grounded and happy. No notes. Five stars despite Ruth's "elevator music" allegations.
Funk gold. 5 star guitar album. Let's go.
"American Pie" gets this to five stars right off the bat. "Do you believe in rock n' roll? Can music save your mortal soul? And can you teach me how to dance, realllll slow" Does the rest of the album live up to that song? No. But it's greatness on its own gets it the 5 star rating. I liked "Everybody Loves Me, Baby" and "Empty Chairs".
My five star streak coming to a brutal end — this was horrible. Couldn’t wait for it to end. Instrumental songs were way better than the “singing”? The punk and hip hop songs sucked, but the jazzy instrumentals helped. Somewhere between one and two stars.
I really liked this! Lovely, dreamy, emotional. "Crminal", "Slow Like Honey" and "Shadowboxer" are highlights. Four stars
Iconic. One of my absolutely favorite albums, incredible from top to bottom. All hits, no misses.
Bad punk. Did not enjoy. Some ok guitars at times though
I didn't like this. Everything sorts of blends together, the songs are nothing special, and it's unremarkable. In general the "British invasion" period + Beatles are just not a sound I really enjoy.
When this started, I thought I would hate it and I actually didn’t? Would I seek this out in the future, no, but I did vibe with “Robots” and some of the more instrumental tracks. Solid album, three stars. Happy I listened.
Meh. Uninspired and uninspiring. Doing very little for me.
This is a very good rap album. A bit too long and on the low side of 4 stars for me but it gets to the 4 star territory. It sounds good, is funny at times. Good stuff.
Fantastic album. "Big Iron" is undeniable. Other gems on this are "They're Hanging Me Tonight", "The Master's Call", "El Paso" and "Saddle Tramp". Barely misses being 5 stars as it is a little monotonous in parts. Amazing voice though adn the songs are good. Really good stuff.
This sounded nice enough but since it was mostly in Spanish I didn't get much out of it.
This album is why I am doing this experiment. The vocals were awesome, the instrumentation was strong. It covered folk, blues, touches of funk. Absolutely loved this one.
This didn't really move me in any way, pretty bleh. Bohemian Rhapsody is cool, but the rest of it is meh. Sorry Queen!
Pleasant enough to listen too but pretty corny. This is fine.
I can’t listen to any more bad British music from the 80s. Please make it stop.
Ahhhh I said I didn't want to listen to any more bad British music from the 80s ahhhhhh stop stop stop ahhhhh. Sex Music for Ant People? Any Music for Sex People?
Short, sweet, to the point, solid rock n roll, Jump is good, enjoyed it but unlikely to revist. The lowest 4 star album possible.
Not my cup of tea but gets an extra star for being more sonically interesting than the group's other effort.
"The Scientist" is a great song. I like Coldplay well enough. Some monotony on this album (as in their general music overall) but I enjoyed it well enough to get it to four stars. Will I revisit Coldplay with any frequency? No, but it was pleasant Sunday morning listen.
This was okay, didn't really pull me in but wasn't bad either. "Nightswimming" was a highlight. Unlikely to revisit, but fine.
This rocked. I love the sound of this, Irish Folk Punk absolutely rocks. Low 5 stars.
I really liked this one! Good California pop rock/indie sound that I enjoyed. Good stuff.
Again, fine, but I don’t like this sound that much and can’t believe I’ve already gotten three Kinks albums. The keys on “You’re Looking Fine” get this from two to three stars.
What a delightful, sonically interesting album. "Without You" is obviously great, I also really like "Gotta Get Up". Interesting songs, great voice. "Let the Good Times Roll!" Somewhere either extremely high four or low five stars. Probably will go 5.
Okay, maybe I do like the Beatles a little bit. "Oh Darling" is great, as is "Come Together", and "Something". The more bluesy the Beatles get, the better, "I want you" is also really great. And "Here Comes The Sun" is also awesome. I'm pretty shocked I'm giving this five stars, but I am.
Eh, fine but not great. Liked her voice more than the beats or lyrics, but pretty boring and bland overall. Didn’t hate it, but bleh.
Nice piano Jazz. Not too exciting but enjoyable. Though less energetic than I usually prefer. I want more Jazz, I feel like there’s not that much on this list thus far
RIP Brian Wilson. Unfortunately, this doesn't work for me, similar to The Beach Boys work as a group with harmonies I can’t find a better way to describe than annoying. Much of this album is bizarre. Sorry!
Pleasant enough background instrumental music.
Extremely pleasant music. Gaye has a wonderful voice, and I love the use of the saxophone on so many of these tracks. Great record.
I enjoyed the sound and songs of this but it was much too long and loses a star for unnecessary length.
I’m okay with Kiss. They sound pretty good but I don’t love. Solid.
Okay, I like the sound of this a bit, going to get 3 stars for sound but lyrics not doing too much for me.