Double albums don’t usually hit the mark for me. This one is an exception. Excellent album. Love it from beginning to end. 5/5.

🤘Yes! Van Halen’s debut album. This will be an easy one for me to rate. I’m a Van Halen fan and like a majority of their discography including the Van Hagar tenure. Their debut album is absolutely jam packed with great songs. Yes, Eddie shreds on the guitar but it was the backup harmonies on a lot of their songs that put it over the top for me. It adds a layer you don’t expect from a “hard rock band.” Yes, Dave could get a bit campy with his lyrics and act but that’s not really found on this record. Ice Cream Man is the closest to that here but it’s still a jam. I’ve always appreciated Jamie’s Cryin’ and Little Dreamer from this album. Underrated gems in my opinion. There’s only one song on Van Halen that I’m not crazy about and that is the closer, On Fire. I don’t care for the vocals on that one but it won’t hurt my rating. Van Halen by Van Halen gets an enthusiastic 5 from me. 5/5

In Rainbows is an absolute gem of an album. It has become my favorite Radiohead piece of work. I was late to the party with In Rainbows too. I’d liked All I Need for some time before I finally checked out the whole album. Instantly loved it. For this listen, I walked around our neighborhood and it was great accompaniment for my little jaunt. But this album is really good for any occasion, in my opinion. This is an easy 5 rating for me. 5/5🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈

Solid album. Would listen to this album again. Slamming Bass lines for days! Knew the hits. Never listened to this album before. Did add the album to my library after listening to it. Definitely like some deep cuts that would add to playlists in the future. Love New Religion, My Own Way, Last Chance on the Stairway. Didn’t really care for Chauffer and Hold Back the Rain. Possible 4 rating

I understand the importance of this album so much so that I already had it in my library. First off, I really dig the guitar tone on many of the tunes. However, I only like certain songs from the album and not the album as a whole. Love Disorder, Shadowplay and Interzone and to a lesser extent, New Dawn Fades, She’s Lost Control and Day of the Lords. The rest I can do without. To actually sit and listen to the whole thing is not something I really care to do. Unfortunately, that knocks this down a few stars for my rating.

This album is fine. Nice. Calm. If you’re in the right mood, it is quite pleasant. It’s good background music. The music doesn’t illicit any kind of real feeling or emotion for me. I don’t love it. I don’t hate it. It’s just there. 3 stars seems right.

Ah, the Wu-Tang. I was always aware of Wu-Tang Clan but didn’t spend a lot of time with their music which is a little surprising given my love and appreciation for 90’s hip hop. I’ve revisited their catalog later in life and come to appreciate it more. My biggest issue with many hip hop albums from this era were the “skits” and added material outside of the actual songs. Most of the time, I found it tedious to get through an entire album. For this album, I do enjoy the Kung Fu material but some of the other “skits” I wanted to end sooner than they did. However, the songs, beats, and vibe of this album are great. This whole group should not work. 9 members? No way. But it does. And works so well. Wu-Tang Clan ain’t nuthing ta F wit! Extremely strong 4.

I’m not going to waste a lot of words here. I’m not a big Elvis fan but I tried to listen to this with an open mind. Nope. Hot garbage. There’s maybe two songs I can kind of tolerate and that’s pushing it. Have no desire to hear this again. Ever!

This is another one where I knew the hits but had never listened to the album. It has two of my favorite Hendrix songs, Little Wing and Bold as Love. Strong solid album. Don’t understand the opening track. Didn’t like it. Outside of the opener I enjoyed all but two of the other tracks. However, the good outweighs the not as good here and I would still give this a 4.

Double albums don’t usually hit the mark for me. This one is an exception. Excellent album. Love it from beginning to end. 5/5.

There were things I liked on this album and things I did not like. Enjoyed the beats and enjoyed GZA’s delivery. Didn’t really get into the kung fu aspect of the album. It’s another one that I didn’t hate or love. Not sure I would make a point to put this on. If it was on in the background I wouldn’t mind either. Have to go 3/5

Actually didn’t mind this album. Reminded me of a few other artists. Some Bowie, Psychedelic Beatles, and Weezer just to name a few. Will probably wind up adding this to my music library. Listened to the whole thing a few times just to try and get the full experience. I’m giving this a 4.

Not a bad track on this album. It’s such a vibe. Didn’t hurt that I got this album while we were at the beach. I already had this one but I’m always down to jam this again and again. Easy decision here, 5/5.

This has been the hardest album for me to review and rate so far. I like early Beatles music. And I don’t like early Beatles music. The “boy band” era for them is fun, peppy, and, for me, sometimes tedious. A lot of the songs start to sound the same. So “With the Beatles” was a test. I’d never listened to it. Wound up going through it twice. Honestly, I enjoyed a majority of the album. Starts strong with the first four songs. “Little child” loses me, but the next six are good. “Devil in her heart” and “Not a second time” are okay. And then it ends really strong with “Money (That’s What I Want).” I’m pretty sure I would play this album again and could see it making it into my rotation. I’m going 4/5

Bit of a chore to find this album. Finally got it on You Tube. I did not like this. I tried to give this a chance but to no avail. It was a struggle to finish. There had to be a better album to put on this list. No thanks. 1/5

My Kings of Leon history goes like this… I got interested in Kings of Leon. I really liked Kings of Leon. I hated Kings of Leon. I’ve ignored Kings of Leon. Revisiting this album after not listening to it by choice for over ten years is interesting. The singles are damn catchy. You can’t deny it. It helps that I’m not hearing them all the time anymore. Positives: The opener is hands down my favorite track. The creepy, spooky vibe is a delight. Revelry is probably my second favorite. It reminds me of My Morning Jacket. Honestly, tracks 1-6 are pretty good. Negatives: I can’t stand 17. The young girl infatuation songs by grown men are just gross. Skip. As catchy as Sex on Fire might be, I don’t particularly like it. The back half of the album isn’t as good as the first half. (Notion is a decent song.) I can see myself listening to some of these songs from time to time but to play the whole album…I just don’t see that happening. Sometimes absence doesn’t make the heart grow fonder. 2/5

Never heard of this group or album. There are songs on here that I could listen to again if I was in the right mood. Elements in some of these songs are interesting. The horns popping up in some of these songs are a nice and unexpected touch. I can kind of understand the appeal and why this would make the list. I don’t see myself putting this whole album on again though. 2/5

I’m in the U.S. so that is the one I’m rating and reviewing. However, I wish Mother’s Little Helper and Out Of Time were on the U.S. version to replace Stupid Girl and Goin’ Home. That would’ve bumped my rating up a 4 or maybe 5. I always appreciated the Stones bluesier and grittier sound over the Beatles(especially early Beatles). That style is highlighted on Aftermath. My favorite stretch on the album is tracks 5-8, Doncha Bother Me to High and Dry. Paint it Black is one of my all time favorite Stones songs and a great opening song. It just sucks that Stupid Girl and Lady Jane follow that up on the track listing. Under My Thumb is musically great, lyrically not so much. To rate Aftermath as a whole, I have to go with a 3. It’s not a great album but it is one I can put on with some minimal skipping of certain tracks. 3/5

I will admit up front that I am biased on this one. During the summer of 1994, I drove from Lubbock, TX to Temple, TX almost every weekend. This album was my accompaniment for those trips. I’d missed the boat on Soundgarden’s previous album Badmotorfinger but jumped on board with Superunknown. Fell on Black Days and My Wave are my two favorite tracks but every song is great on this album. Even Kickstand, which I always found fun and silly. The only “filler” on this album is the short next to last song Half but it’s just a little over two minutes long so I can let it play through with no issue. It doesn’t hurt my rating here at all. I still enjoy this album regularly. 5/5

I respect Bonnie Raitt and think she has a great voice. But, this album is a big ol’ helping of NOPE for me. Even the blues songs on here feel over sanitized. It feels like a Hallmark movie had a love child with a bad 80’s or 90’s rom-com. Bless your heart. No desire to hear any of this again. 1/5

Whew! All Things Must Pass is tough to rate. That was a lot of music to get through. It’s my biggest issue with double, or in this case, triple albums. Too much material. Take the best songs, put them together and make a classic album. To be fair though, a majority of this project is pretty good. It wasn’t until the very end where I started skipping through songs. I get it. First album after the Beatles break up. George had a lot to say and probably prove. That’s fine. Getting your ideas rejected while being in the most famous band in the world surely takes a toll. I did enjoy the “Wall of Sound” production. It’s an added piece that kept me engaged. At the end of the day, I just don’t know if I would listen to the album again, much less, many more times. I’m leaning no, to a slight maybe. So noncommittal. Right or wrong, I’m going a middle of the road 3 for this one. 3/5

I’ve known about So since it came out. I was 13 years old in 1986. A constant MTV viewer, so the videos for Sledgehammer and Big Time are ingrained in my memory. Same with the boombox scene from Say Anything and In Your Eyes. These three songs have stayed with me to this day and I still enjoy them fairly frequently. However, I never really spent much time with the whole album. I knew Red Rain, Don’t Give Up and Mercy Street but for whatever reason they didn’t resonate with me as well as the “hits.” So, no pun intended, to revisit this album all these years later was actually a delight. I found it to be musically and sonically very pleasing. I read that Gabriel explored his love of R&B and soul for this record so I listened to it with that in mind. Clearly, my younger self couldn’t appreciate musical nuances presented in many of the songs. I enjoyed this album a lot. I can’t give it a 5 as it doesn’t hit that category for me but a really strong 4 feels right. 4/5.

Let It Bleed is one of my top Rolling Stones albums. For a long time, all I owned was a Greatest Hits Collection for the Stones. I seemed content with that. A few years back, I decided I would check out some of their albums and one of them was Let It Bleed. After listening to it again for this particular project, it seems my thoughts are still the same. Gimme Shelter and You Can’t Always Get What You Want are monster songs. Epic in their own right. I don’t mind the country songs but I do prefer Honky Tonk Woman over Country Honk. The “cream on” line in Let It Bleeds always creeps me out a little. And I’ve come to really like Monkey Man and Midnight Rambler the more I listen. It’s a great album by The Stones and gets a 4 from me. 4/5

I’d heard Wake Up and Rebellion (Lies) and had both songs in my music catalog. After listening to the full album, I still only like those two songs. Not much else on Funeral that I could get interested in or enthusiastic about. The word milquetoast comes to mind. It’s really about a 1.5 for me but I’ll say 2 out of the kindness of my heart. 2/5

I like the title track to this album and the Mrs. Robinson cover. That’s basically it. There wasn’t much else that I could get into. And, I read the Simon & Garfunkel cover wasn’t even on the initial release so points lost there too. Maybe I’m being too harsh but I really didn’t care for this album. I’m giving it a 1. 1/5

I knew The Jam but I’d never heard this album or any songs from it. With that said, I quite enjoyed All Mod Cons. It felt very British so I’m sure I missed a lot of lyrical references. Doesn't matter though because this was just fun to listen to. As a fan of both The Clash and The Police, I’m a little embarrassed I don’t know more from The Jam due to some of their shared musical styles. I would definitely listen to this again. I’m giving it a 3 rating but only because I’ve only heard this the one time. If I spend more time with All Mod Cons, I could see that number going up. 3/5

I didn’t mind Nilsson Schmilsson. It definitely had a variety of musical styles throughout. Turned out I did know a few songs from this album; Coconut, Without You, Gotta Get Up, and Jump Into the Fire. While I didn’t mind this album, I’m still on the fence on if this is something I would own and listen to again. A few of the songs are a tad campy. However, the only song I didn’t care for at all was the closer. It’s another middle of the road ranking for me. I’ll go 3 for Nilsson Schmillson. 3/5

In my music listening history, I’ve only dipped my toe into the world of Jazz. I’d focused mainly on the work of three artists John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk and Miles Davis. Birth Of The Cool is one of the albums of Miles that I’d checked out with my Jazz curiosity. I really enjoy the around three minute runtimes on each of the songs. I’m also a sucker for a stand up bass. I can’t speak intelligently on Bebop vs Cool Jazz or the importance this record had at the time. I just know I do enjoy it, so I’m giving Birth of the Cool a strong 4. 4/5

🤘Yes! Van Halen’s debut album. This will be an easy one for me to rate. I’m a Van Halen fan and like a majority of their discography including the Van Hagar tenure. Their debut album is absolutely jam packed with great songs. Yes, Eddie shreds on the guitar but it was the backup harmonies on a lot of their songs that put it over the top for me. It adds a layer you don’t expect from a “hard rock band.” Yes, Dave could get a bit campy with his lyrics and act but that’s not really found on this record. Ice Cream Man is the closest to that here but it’s still a jam. I’ve always appreciated Jamie’s Cryin’ and Little Dreamer from this album. Underrated gems in my opinion. There’s only one song on Van Halen that I’m not crazy about and that is the closer, On Fire. I don’t care for the vocals on that one but it won’t hurt my rating. Van Halen by Van Halen gets an enthusiastic 5 from me. 5/5

I did not care for this at all. Wound up skipping through most of the songs. It’s a 1 rating for me. 1/5.

I like the first song, Movin’ On Up, on Primal Scream’s album Screamadelica. Nothing else. This is a 1 rating. 1/5

Björk is very interesting and unique. Her vocal style alone can keep me interested in a song even if I’m not digging the music. So, it’s a bit of a bummer to not like Debut as much as I think I should. I want to like it more, I really do, but I can’t seem to get there. Human Behavior and Come To Me are my favorite tracks. Then there are four songs I like, followed by the rest which are either okay, or I don’t care for at all. (So sophisticated with my explanation) I’ve landed on a 3 for my overall rating. 3/5

I had a hard time with Joni Michell’s Court and Spark. The music sounded dated. Very seventies, but not in a good or even nostalgic way. I like a lot of music from this decade but I could not get into this album. Joni’s vocals over some of the music just didn’t fit. It was like trying force a square peg into a round hole. And I had an issue with her vocal style and pattern on many of the songs. One of the descriptions I read for this album said Joni was in between her folkie past and jazz rock future. I think that is fitting. Court and Spark feels indecisive and bumpy like being on a flight with tons of turbulence. You’re never comfortable and you want it to end. There were only a few moments that I found intriguing, but at least those few times convinced me to bump this to a 2. 2/5

Two Joni Mitchell albums in a row? I do have some better things to say about Blue than I did for Court & Spark. I’m still not crazy about Joni’s vocal style but there are at least full songs on Blue that I can say I enjoyed. (Little Green & River). Plus the music flows much better and makes more sense on Blue than Court & Spark. If someone else did the vocals for some of the songs on Blue, I feel I’d actually like those songs. As it stands, I don’t seem to be a fan of Joni Mitchell based on these two albums. While I did find Blue more tolerable, I still can’t get above a 2 for my rating. And please don’t make me listen to three Joni Mitchell albums in a row! Kidding. Not kidding. 2/5

Something Else By The Kinks starts off pretty good. I enjoyed the first track David Watts. After that, it really lost my interest. In fact, I found the rest of the album to be rubbish. Music…Rubbish. Vocals….Rubbish. Lyrics…Rubbish. Alright, Waterloo Sunset is a decent song. Something Else By The Kinks is considered a classic British pop album? Sorry, don’t see it. Very forgettable. I like other music by The Kinks but this album gets a 1 rating. 1/5

I had a moment with this album back in the 90’s. More specifically the song Scooby Snacks. Not sure Come Find Yourself by Fun Lovin’ Criminals has the same effect as it did on someone in their early twenties. Actually, I know it doesn’t. With that said, this is not a horrible album. It has a few moments. For example, the opener is fun. And there are a couple of other halfway decent songs. BUT, there is also a lot of nonsense and bad songs here. I’m actually surprised this album made the list. Basically, this has been a long winded way to say there is a reason I haven’t listened to Come Find Yourself since the late 90’s. Yeah, I found myself and it didn’t involve the Fun Lovin’ Criminals. It’s a 2 for me. 2/5

I thought the only Dusty Springfield song I knew was Son of a Preacher Man. After hearing A Girl Named Dusty, it turns out I knew a few more! This was an absolutely lovely listening experience! I had no prior history with A Girl Named Dusty. But I will have future encounters with it. I added this album to my music library as soon as I was done. And I didn’t know she was British! I learned all kinds of things thanks to this album. I really like her voice. Covers or not, this was a delight. A very strong 4 for me. 4/5

Maybe in an alternate universe there is a version of me that likes The Velvet Underground & Nico. In this current timeline, I find this album quite annoying. So freaking annoying. The music is uneven and tiresome. It sounds like a bunch of middle school kids in their first jam session as a band. Lou Reed’s voice is quite grating. He sounds like a bad Dylan impersonator. And the other vocals aren’t really any better. I mean, sorry, but The Velvet Underground & Nico is absolute shite. Okay, so it’s “groundbreaking” due to some of the lyrical content. But I can’t enjoy the content because it’s unlistenable, experimental garbage. I guess you have to do lots of drugs to enjoy this nonsense. I’ll stop because I have nothing good to say here. It’s a 1 rating officially but really a big fat zero. 1/5.

Most of The Beach Boys sound is very dated to me. That is the case for their album Today! It’s perfect music if you are “going to a sock hop,” or wanting to ask your gal to “go steady.” Listening to this in 2025 as an adult is not something I would do on my own accord. For me, it does not translate to current day and I have no nostalgia for most of their music. I had a short stint with their music in my junior high days but that was about it. Nothing against their talent and musicianship. I just don’t particularly care to listen to their music. This is a 2 rating. 2/5

While I do like electronic music, listening to a lot of it at once can be a bit taxing. I’m afraid that’s the issue with the hour and eleven minute run time for Better Living Through Chemistry by Fatboy Slim. I know Fatboy Slim and have some of his songs in my music library. However, the only tune I knew from this album was Getting Out Of My Head. Unless you’re out at the club and dancing, the repetitive beats and sound effects on these songs starts to get old pretty quickly. (10th and Crenshaw was super annoying). There are some interesting songs on Better Living Through Chemistry. Mainly, First Down, The Weekend Starts Here, and Going Out of My Head were my highlights. The rest was…meh. I’ve got to go with a 2 for my rating. 2/5

Well that was a hoot. Just a jolly good time was had by all. I had no knowledge of Machito prior to checking out his album Kenya. And I have to say, this is one of the reasons I signed up to listen to 1001 albums. So I could get introduced to artists or albums I have no previous history. I was bummed when Kenya ended. I was really enjoying the rhythms, beats and horns. I might’ve even danced around in my living room a little bit. That was fun. This is a 4 for me. 4/5

“I can’t believe life’s so complex. When I just want to sit here and watch you undress.” I don’t know why, but that opening line to This Is Love gets me every time. And with the crunchy guitar riff as the accompaniment…I mean, chef’s kiss, in my opinion. I have Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea by PJ Harvey already in my library. So I’ve spent some time with the album prior to this listen. It really is a great collection of songs. Sadly, I feel like this is an album I take for granted. After running through it for this project, I asked myself why I didn’t listen to Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea more. I couldn’t come up with a good answer. I really like eight of the songs on this album. And the only song I don’t really care for, in some capacity, is Horses In My Dreams. Will try and get this one in the rotation more often. It’s a great album by PJ Harvey. This is a 4 rating for me. 4/5

I was excited when I saw that Siamese Dream by The Smashing Pumpkins was my album for the day. What a great way to start off the week. This is another one of the those 90’s albums that stands the test of time. I’d argue Siamese Dream has even aged like a fine wine. I can play this now and enjoy it more than I did back in the 90’s. It’s the only Smashing Pumpkins’ album I feel this way about. Such a perfect mix of quiet and loud. Plus, sweet and angsty feelings. Sometimes in the same song! Billy and the band really knocked it out of the park on this one. Cherub Rock is one of my all time favorite songs! And then there’s Quiet, Rocket, Soma, Geek USA, Mayonaise, Silverfuck. (Those are my faves) Siamese Dream is just a no skip sensation. I have absolutely no qualms with this album. A mosh pit slamming 5 rating! 5/5

Well, I didn’t know Smokers Delight by Nightmares on Wax prior to this listen. And I think I’m okay with that now that it is over. This album started off with some promise. The first few songs I was vibing with a little bit. Unfortunately, it just kept going on, and on, and on. Eventually, I started to get bored and lost my interest. If a song or two popped up in a shuffle I would be okay with it. I just can’t listen to over an hour of mostly instrumental laid back trip hop tracks. At first, I thought I could get to a 3 but I’ve settled on a 2 rating. 2/5

Is this the soundtrack to Oceans 11? Are Danny Ocean and the boys about to rob a casino? That was my first reaction when I started Moon Safari by Air. (I liked the Oceans’ movies, by the way) Speaking of movies, I feel like I heard Sexy Boy in one but can’t place it right now. That’s gonna bug me. I’ve got to look it up. Hold on. *playing Air for hold music* (See what I did there? I know, it’s not that clever) It was 10 Things I Hate About You! That’s where I heard Sexy Boy! Glad I cleared that up. Anyway… Moon Safari is a decent album. It was a fine listen. I don’t mind some downtempo electronica, but, at best, this is probably just background music. Maybe a late night hang out vibe? I could see that. I will add this to my library for just such an occasion. And if I’m being honest, I could see this album growing on me more over time. It does have that potential. For the here and now though, Moon Safari by Air will get a 3 rating from me. I have the sudden urge for a crepe. 3/5

It’s been quite some time since I listened to 3 Years, 5 Months and 2 Days in the Life Of...by Arrested Development. I’d pretty much relegated them to the group who does the song Tennessee. A song I still enjoy from time to time. I remember when this came out in ‘92. I even owned the CD for a while. It was different, funky and had something to say. And while I liked it, the majority of the music didn’t seem to stick with me long term. Part of the disconnect, I think, was I didn’t feel the music was really meant for a twenty something white boy. And I was probably too immature to appreciate it. So after listening to 3 Years, 5 Months and 2 Days in the Life Of... for this project, I think my appreciation did improve. The funky beats still land. The album still flows nicely. The message still feels positive, but also a little preachy. It sounds 90’s, but not dated. All in all, I do still like it. However, while my appreciation might’ve gone up, I still don’t feel like I’d play this album any more frequently than before. Therefore, 3 Years, 5 Months and 2 Days in the Life Of... by Arrested Development will get a 3 rating for me. 3/5

In my opinion, it’s hard to not like the man in black. No matter your music taste some Johnny Cash in it just makes it better. A real man of the people. And the fact that he would go and play at these prisons was such an interesting concept. Now, I’d never heard At San Quentin before this listen and thought it was pretty good. Johnny was funny in between songs. The highlight for me is A Boy Named Sue. There were a few instances where I felt like he might lose the crowd. But then Johnny would ask for requests or do his song about San Quentin and bring them back. It just felt tense a few times and that’s just from the audio. I like this album and appreciate it, but I’m not sure it’s something I would put on a lot. As much as I do adore Johnny Cash, I just feel the best I can give At San Quentin is a 3 rating. 3/5

It will not take any Pretzel Logic to come to my conclusion on this Steely Dan album. Which is kind of a bummer. The opening track Rikki Don’t Lose That Number is one of my top five Steely Dan songs. It’s followed by Night by Night, another good song, and I thought we were off to a good start. Unfortunately, it was all downhill from there. The only other song I like is the title track towards the end. The rest of Pretzel Logic reminded me more of songs better meant for a B-Sides release. Just not good material. This is a 2 rating for me. 2/5

Swordfishtrombones by Tom Waits is a big ol’ negative for me. I thought I might be able to get something out of a couple of songs. And I did almost come close a few times. Mainly, I’m just annoyed I wasted part of my night listening to this and I cannot get that time back. This is a 1 rating. 1/5

I’m glad to see that Vivid by Living Colour made this list. This is such a great album. When this came out back in ‘88, there was really nothing else like it. It kind of blew my little fifteen year old mind. All these years later and Vivid holds up like a champ. I listen to this album regularly. There are no bad tracks or funny vibes either. I feel like Living Colour should’ve been a bigger band too. Vivid is an easy one to rate. This is a colorful, slamming, and glamour 5. With a wicked guitar solo to boot! 5/5

The abrasive nature of The Downward Spiral is what makes it unique. It’s unapologetically all up in your face and personal space for most of its one hour and five minute runtime. And, unfortunately, it’s the same reason I have a hard time listening to it. It’s not that I can’t enjoy some aggressive music because I can and do, but The Downward Spiral just couldn’t do it for me. This also came out during my college years and you couldn’t go out to any club without hearing Closer. That song was everywhere all the time. It honestly started getting on my nerves. Still, to this day, I will skip Closer if it comes on. To some degree, Hurt was the same way. Not as bad but it’s right there. I respect what Reznor was trying to do with The Downward Spiral but if I’m going to listen to some Nine Inch Nails, there are other albums I would chose over this one easily. There are a few songs I can pluck off here when necessary but to get through the whole thing is not something that will happen. This is a 2 rating for me. 2/5

The Cure are a band where I know a lot of their songs but haven’t spent very much time listening to their albums. Outside of Wish and then later on Disintegration, I seemed content with a Greatest Hits collection. Firing up Pornography caught me a little off guard with the driving, industrial rock like drums on the opener One Hundred Years. And these same tribal like drum beats continued through the next two songs. Not a bad thing, just a bit unexpected. The stand out track for me is A Strange Day. I really like that one. The rest of the album is really good. The haunting keyboard in Cold was great. I felt like I’d heard that somewhere before. I actually ran through Pornography twice because I felt like I needed to do that just to grasp the full experience. And with the two listens, the only song I didn’t care for was the closer and title track for the album. Pornography is an album I will add to my library. This is a strong album that I will add to my rotation. I’m giving this one a 4 rating. 4/5

Sometimes albums I have a long history with seem to be the hardest reviews to write for some reason. That is the case with Appetite For Destruction by Guns N Roses. This album has been in my life in some capacity since I was fourteen years old. My high school years would’ve been prime GNR time. This album was just different from the other hair metal out at the time. More raw and dangerous even. Dangerous sounding for a teen. However, even all these years later, I think Appetite for Destruction holds up for the most part. Yes, I have some issues with lyrical content. Specifically, the misogyny. Do I listen to this regularly? Not really. I’ll take songs from it for sure but a full play doesn’t happen a lot. I still think it was an important album at the time and giving this a good 4 rating seems right. 4/5

Probably not an album I would spend much time with. This is a 2 rating.

I know of Belle and Sebastian but haven’t listened to any of their albums. I would say Tigermilk was pretty much what I expected. Soft, jangly, indie pop music. Which is fine. It’s just not something that grabs my attention or is very memorable. None of the songs stand out to me. Just forgettable type music. Tigermilk will get a 2 rating. 2/5

I started trying to check out Lana Del Rey’s music about six months ago. I hadn’t got around to Chemtrails Over The Country Club yet so getting this album was perfect timing. First, is this considered sad girl music? I don’t say that disparagingly because I wound up liking this album. Lana has a distinctive vocal style that I do mostly enjoy. The airy voice in parts of White Dress weren’t my favorite. I also got a bit of a Joni Mitchell vibe from Del Rey on this album but where Joni would lose me, Lana is able to pull me in. There were only two songs on Chemtrails that I wasn’t too crazy about, White Dress and Yosemite. But, they wouldn’t stop me from playing the whole album in its entirety. In fact, I ran through Chemtrails Over the Country Club twice because I was so intrigued. The really strong material by Lana got me to give this album a four rating. 4/5

Public Enemy is one of the most distinctive groups, not only in hip hop, but in music history. Chuck D’s memorable voice, the Bomb Squad’s beats and, of course, Flava Fav. And Fear of a Black Planet is an extremely important album. I’m not going to say I listen to this regularly, although it’s increased due to the most recent election. This is just a classic album. Period. The significance cannot be denied. This is a 4 rating for me. 4/5

I will admit right off the bat that Bitter Sweet Symphony is one of my least favorite songs ever. (I also find the music video just as annoying.) So, when I saw that Urban Hymns by The Verve was my album for the day, I didn’t expect this to be a pleasant experience. Based on my disdain for Bitter Sweet Symphony, I never took the time to listen to this album before today. About halfway through Urban Hymns and this is not as bad as I expected. Some decent songs on here. I’m not crazy about Ashcroft’s voice but it’s not a deal breaker. I knew of a Ben Harper version of The Drugs Don’t Work. I didn’t know this was a Verve song originally. Whether this is a fair assessment or not, my initial reaction to Urban Hymns is that it reminds me of a mix between Oasis and The Stone Roses. Overall, there are songs on here I don’t mind but I’m not sure this a full album I want to listen to again. I’m going with a 2 rating. 2/5.

I was disappointed while listening to Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This) by the Eurythmics. I really like Love Is A Stranger and the title track but unfortunately, the rest of the album was very underwhelming. I kind of liked The Walk but that was the only other song I cared for here. Kind of bummed honestly. This is a 2 rating for me. 2/5

I was not familiar with Jimmy Smith or any of his music prior to this listen. And I have to say, Back at the Chicken Shack was a very enjoyable experience. I always worry about songs with long runtimes but I didn’t get tired of any of these. I saw a good amount of people say this is good background music but I tend to think Back at the Chicken Shack is better than just background music. I really enjoyed the organ and just the overall musicianship throughout the album. Not a bad track on here. I will add this to my library. It’s a 4 for me. 4/5

At first, I was digging the energy of Fun House by The Stooges. It started to wane about song three, TV Eye. Then Dirt brought me back a little bit but the end of 1970 lost me. It just became noise. Fun House, the song, seemed to go on way too long. And the sax was exhausting. I was definitely ready for it to end. But then L.A. Blues started as chaotic as Fun House ended. Nope. It was straight up annoying. I had high hopes for this album but the only song that stuck with me was Down on the Street. The rest was just chaotic, driving noise. Gotta go 1 rating. No desire to hear this again. 1/5

War is a band I’ve wanted to know more about so I looked forward to The World is a Ghetto. I knew The Cisco Kid as well as the title track but I’d never checked out the whole album. And, unfortunately, The World is a Ghetto came up short. Outside of the two songs I knew, the only other one that resonated with me was Where Was You At. The over thirteen minute instrumental City, Country, City couldn’t end fast enough and there wasn’t much to Four Cornered Room to get me interested. The final song was really forgettable. I could maybe play this as background music but that’s about it. I have to go with a 2 rating here. 2/5

Cocaine is a hell of a drug! And Black Sabbath Vol 4 is one hell of an album. Damn this thing rocks! As I type this part I’m nodding my head to Supernaut. That guitar riff is fantastic. I know some Black Sabbath but not this album. So listening to this was like opening an awesome present on Christmas morning. Just banger after banger. I will say the back half of the album slipped a little but was still very strong. I thought the transitions from Cornucopia to Laguna Sunrise to St. Vitus Dance seemed weird and forced. If the track listing moved around some it would flow better, but I digress. The only real misstep is FX. It just seems to be a bridge preparing you to get smacked in the face by a wall of metal after the beauty and calm of Changes. I will take getting smacked in the face by Vol 4 by Black Sabbath any day. This is a great record that I’ll give a 4 rating. 4/5

In Rainbows is an absolute gem of an album. It has become my favorite Radiohead piece of work. I was late to the party with In Rainbows too. I’d liked All I Need for some time before I finally checked out the whole album. Instantly loved it. For this listen, I walked around our neighborhood and it was great accompaniment for my little jaunt. But this album is really good for any occasion, in my opinion. This is an easy 5 rating for me. 5/5🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈

Exile in Guyville didn’t start off great. Not digging the vocals. This same thought carried through song 4. I do like Never Said. Where was this same energy in the first four songs? The songs directly after Never Said were more tolerable. Well, until Canary. Lost me again. I get Liz Phair is trying to do this sparse type sound but it’s just not working for me. This sounds like a demo tape and not actual sussed out material. I’m just perplexed by this album. The only song I like is Never Said. The rest of it is extremely forgettable and, quite frankly, annoying. I want this listening experience banished out of my head. This is a 1 rating. 1/5

Dear God this album bored me to death. Not even the harmonies, which I’m usually a sucker for, could save this one. Some post hippie BS. I have nothing good to say about If I Could Only Remember My Name by David Crosby. Many thumbs down. A 1 rating is too generous, but there you go. 1/5

It’s clear from the jump on Tracy Chapman that the singer wanted to bring to light some serious and heavy issues. Realized this is not a typical “pop” album. I only knew Fast Car and I’ve always liked that song so to dive into the full body of work was interesting. Tracy is very concise with her songs, meaning she says what she needs to and you’re in and out in like three minutes. Three other songs really stood out to me besides Fast Car here; Talkin’ Bout A Revolution, For My Lover, and For You. The rest of the album is good. I was afraid I might have an issue with the recording production and the producer making it too slick and sanitized. But, they allowed Chapman’s earnestness and energy to shine through. At first, I leaned towards giving Tracy Chapman a 3 rating but the back half of the album was strong and swayed me up a point. This is a 4 rating for me. 4/5

I am an Alice In Chains fan but unfortunately I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with the album Dirt. The songs on here that I like, I really like. That is about half the album. And the songs I don’t like on Dirt, I really don’t like. In further contrast, Would is my favorite AIC song while Sickman is my least favorite song. I’m speaking only of the Layne era here. (However I do like some of the albums post Layne as well.) Listening to Dirt for this project didn’t change my mind on this feeling. Even a few of the songs I like just hit different now that Layne is no longer with us. Feels weird actually. Especially with Them Bones and Rain When I Die. My biggest struggle with AIC has always been the despair and drug references. When done well, like Down In a Hole for example, it works for me. But a song like Junkhead or Hate To Feel misses the mark. Overall I have to give Dirt a 3 rating. I’ll keep listening to the songs I like but a full album play just won’t happen. 3/5

I know of T-Rex but I haven’t spent any time with any of their albums. I was curious to see what Electric Warrior was all about. Not crazy about Cosmic Dancer or Jeepster. First part of the album is slow going. Do know Bang a Gong (Get It On). Fine song that gets lots of FM radio play. Back half of the album is pretty bland. Nothing on here grabs my attention. There is a meme of Colin Farrell shrugging his shoulders. Not sure what movie it is from. That’s how Electric Warrior makes me feel. Just a shrug of the shoulders. No real substance. Just blah. If this was the beginning of glam, I’m just not seeing it. Found this quite silly and lame actually. Electric Warrior does nothing for me. This is a 2 rating. 2/5

An over twenty minute opening song that just seems to go on and on and on is not a great way to get me engaged. But, alas, that is what one is expected to do when firing up Autobahn by Kraftwerk. I’d try to listen to this album before and had the same hard time trying to get through it. I do appreciate what Kraftwek did sonically that others took and implemented into their own music. Kraftwerk walked so others could run. I just can’t get into this album. There’s no chance I would ever fire this up for any reason whatsoever. This is a 1 rating for me. 1/5

My first two years in college, there was a girl who I had some classes with who loved The Doors. It was my first real introduction to the band outside of just songs played on the radio. I eventually got a greatest hits CD and seemed content with that. In the years after college, I had moments where I really liked The Doors. That included loving the movie with Val Kilmer as Jim Morrison. However, the older I got, I found myself listening to The Doors less and less. I’d run through Morrison Hotel before plenty of times, but it had been a loooooong time since that happened. So, revisiting this album was actually quite enjoyable. I like Morrison Hotel. This is a darn good album. I mean, Roadhouse Blues is a jam and a great way to open an album. But it’s not just Roadhouse, there are so many good songs on Morrison Hotel. I love Queen of the Highway and Maggie M’Gill the best after Roadhouse. Ship of Fools to The Spy is just a treat musically. And honestly, only Indian Summer feels like a weak spot on this album. But it’s not a bad song. For too long I’ve had a no vacancy sign up for Morrison Hotel and Doors music in general, but I think I’ll change that back over to just vacancy and allow them into my rotation again. (I know it’s a bad pun and certainly not original) The final verdict for Morrison Hotel will be a 4 rating for me. 4/5

Beggars Banquet by The Rolling Stones is a pretty bluesy album. The music here is fine but not great. The two top songs are, of course, Sympathy and Street Fighting Man. The rest of Beggars is just okay. Or in the case of Dear Doctor and Factory Girl, quite silly. There’s not much here to get very excited about for the album as a whole. As such, I can only get to a 3 for a rating. 3/5

I like the blues and I can also get bored with the blues pretty quickly. It’s the repetitive nature of the music. (Not that repetition doesn’t happen in other music because it does.) That’s why I get bored with electronic music too. Anyway, Muddy Waters live at Newport flirts with my boredom early on but wins me over in the end with the performance and sound quality. A little annoyed that Mojo was performed twice but I understand he’s doing it for the audience. It’s a nit pick by me. Overall, this was a fun listen, and I’d definitely fire it up again. I’m giving this a 3 rating. 3/5

Three songs in and I’m having a hard time with the vocals on this Roxy Music album. The instrumentation is chaotic as well. Editions of You had some promise. I was really enjoying the guitar but the sax and keyboard noise ruined it. The rest of For Your Pleasure was not a pleasurable experience either. There isn’t anything on here I could take away as a positive. I just wanted this to end as soon as possible. I have to give For Your Pleasure a 1 rating. 1/5

I appreciate that Bjork has a certain vision on her projects. I don’t always like the music but I respect the world she creates. Vespertine seems a charming place. Easy going. Calm in its ambiance. And Bjork’s voice guides you along the way. I like how you flow from one song to the next. I enjoyed the journey Bjork takes you on this album. I liked the first half and last three songs on Vespertine best. The middle portion got a stale. The stand out song for me was It’s Not Up To You. Not sure I would play this album very much but it is a great work of art. I think a 3 rating is where I’ve landed. 3/5

I have to admit, I was surprised to see a Deep Purple live album as part of this list. I like Deep Purple well enough but a live recording by them was not expected. Live albums in general are not my favorite anyway. There are a few I like but for the most part, I avoid them. Made in Japan is one I would’ve avoided. Just a lot of unnecessary excess. I don’t need a 5 minute keyboard solo or a twenty minute version of Space Truckin’. Almost every song I wound up skipping through. This is a 2 rating for me. 2/5

Bryter Layter by Nick Drake is another middle of the road album. The music is fine. Nothing to get worked up about, good or bad. I thought I was going to have an issue with the vocals based on how the opening song started but, again, it was fine. I’m reminded of a quote from High Fidelity for this album. It’s when we meet Jack Black’s character Barry for the first time. He comes into the record store and starts bashing the guys for what they are listening to. (It’s Belle and Sebastian). In the argument Cusack’s character, Rob says, “I don't wanna hear old sad bastard music, Barry, I just want something I can ignore.” Bryter Layter is something I can ignore. I don’t dislike it, it can just be on and illicit no real feeling or emotion. Therefore, this album gets a 3 rating from me. 3/5

I know of Louis Prima thanks to the HBO show Treme. The song they used was Buona Sera which I really liked and wound up adding to my library. However, I hadn’t done any other exploration of Prima’s music beyond that song. So, I was pretty stoked to check out The Wildest!. I knew of Just a Gigolo and Jump, Jive An’ Wail! thanks to David Lee Roth and Brian Setzer. I’m also a really big fan of New Orleans music so this listen was just a delight. Jubilant and fun are the words that come to mind. The album cover is absolutely accurate. I have no bad things to say about The Wildest!. I had a great time with this album. I give this a 4 rating. 4/5

I have to admit, I was not a big White Stripes fan, so when Jack White started doing solo projects, I only kind of paid attention. I do know some of the songs off Blunderbuss but never heard the whole album. It’s weird, there isn’t one thing I can point to that I don’t like on Blunderbuss. I just know I don’t want to listen to these songs over and over again. The music is good. The production is good. The lyrics seem good. However, this album just doesn’t grab my attention. I think Jack is talented and I feel like I should like and appreciate his art more and yet I just can’t seem to get there. Blunderbuss is a 3 rating for me. 3/5

Just based on the song Up On Cripple Creek, which is the only song I knew from The Band’s self titled album, I thought I would enjoy this record. Unfortunately, The Band was very underwhelming and I only liked four songs total. The call back to older Americana just didn’t do it for me. I can only get to a 2 rating for this album. 2/5

This is my third Joni Mitchell album for this project and I was pretty convinced that I do not like her music. Hejira had me questioning that sentiment three songs in. I like the instrumentation on these songs, especially the bass. I still struggle with Joni’s vocal style in places, but the good overrides the bad. Hejira is the most consistent Mitchell album that I’ve heard from beginning to end. It kept me engaged throughout. I could see myself listening to this again. I keep going between a 3 or 4 on my rating and I think I’m landing on a 4. Hejira has some staying power to come back to multiple times and probably get something new from it every time. I guess I don’t dislike all of Joni’s music after all. 4/5

The only Prince album I have is Sign O’The Times. The rest of his music that I have in my library is a greatest hits/B-sides compilation. So I never spent anytime with his actual discography. Now, the first three songs on 1999, I do know and they are all great. I love Delirious. Little Red Corvette reminds me of a water park I went to as a kid because they played this song constantly. The rest of 1999 was all new material to me. And it was about a 50/50 split on songs I liked and didn’t like. The stand out tracks here were Automatic, D.M.S.R., and Free. Most of Lady Cab Driver was cool. Didn’t really care for the simulated sex part though. International Lover was a bit hokey. Some of the songs I didn’t really care for came down to the lyrics more than the music. I get that Prince was a very sexual being but 1999 seemed like music you’d play at an orgy. I mean, c’mon man! We get it already. Ha ha. That does affect my rating because I don’t think I could listen to 1999 in full without skipping through some songs. I gotta go with a 3 rating here. 3/5

First off, what an album cover. Wow. It really caught my attention. It’s sad that 50 years later this is still relevant. Now to the music, I know some Curtis Mayfield material but I’d never heard There’s No Place Like America Today. This album starts off really strong and continues a wonderful soulful journey over the next six songs. I really love the musical arrangements on these songs. And combined with Mayfield’s vocals, they allude a profound and heartfelt sentiment. I found myself appreciating There’s No Place Like America Today more and more as I listened to it. I would add this to my library. A very good album. I’m going with a 4 rating. 4/5

Let England Shake by PJ Harvey is not an album that I particularly enjoyed. I didn’t really like the song arrangements, material, lyrics or vocals very much. I skipped through the back half of the album pretty quickly. There were a couple of songs that might bring me back at some point to give this album another try but for now this is a 2 rating for me. 2/5

So, I knew Three Girl Rhumba from Wire’s Ping Flag album but this was a fairly recent thing. And that was because someone was talking about Elastica ripping this song off. (Yeah, pretty spot on with that assessment) I’d heard people talk about Wire but never took the time to listen to their music. Pink Flag is a fun album. Fun in the sense that I enjoyed listening to it. It reminded me of Minutemen’s Double Nickels on the Dime. And yes, I know the Minutemen came later. I’m just talking about my listening experience. Quick, concise punk songs. Yes please! This is a 4 rating for me. 4/5

I’ve heard different people and music critics reference Pet Sounds by The Beach Boys as a definitive album in history. I’m not a big fan of the band myself but I was interested to see what this album was all about. Right off the bat you notice the sound quality and production. And I do like Wouldn’t It Be Nice. Good album opener. A little rocky with songs 2-4. Although I did enjoy That’s Not Me. The sweet spot for me on Pet Sounds is from I’m Waiting For The Day to Here Today. That little stretch is quite good. The last three songs are okay. I think I can understand why this album receives so much praise. I would listen to this again. A 4 rating from me. 4/5

Even early on a Sunday morning, drinking coffee and trying to ease into the day, Africa Brasil by Jorge Ben Jor got me tapping my foot, swaying and dancing in my chair. Well, not so much dancing but wiggling around a bit. The beats and rhythms are just too damn infectious. The language barrier makes no difference. I really like most of the album. There were a couple songs that were just okay. They were close to the end of the album. The standout track for me was Xica da Silva. This is a pretty easy 4 rating for me. 4/5

I’ve had Green Onions in my music library for quite some time but never had the full album experience. Even as talented as Booker T & The MG’s are, I still have a little trouble getting through a whole record of just instrumentals. I do love that organ, but probably in smaller increments. Not 12 straight songs. Again, I think these guys are really talented but listening to this whole album multiple times probably won’t happen. This is a 3 rating for me. 3/5

So I thought the vocals by Marley were a little different on the first few tracks from other music of his. His voice sounds different. Maybe it was just me. It didn’t affect my feeling of Natty Dread though because I really liked the album. The No Woman No Cry was different from what I’m used to as the version I have from a greatest hits album is a live recording. Probably prefer the live version better but the Natty Dread album version is good too. The title track and Am-A-Do weren’t my favorite but they are okay. Not deal breakers by any means. There is something about Marley’s music that soothes the soul. It’s nice to kick back and listen. I’m going with 4 rating for Natty Dread. Would add this to the rotation. 4/5