Mar 04 2025
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Blunderbuss
Jack White
I adore this album. There was a point somewhere in history where I could play every guitar part on this album because I was just obsessively listening to it. The last few songs aren't as strong as the rest of the album which is the only thing keeping this away from a 5 for me. Great album, love Jack, hope we see him again on here.
4
Mar 04 2025
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Cheap Thrills
Big Brother & The Holding Company
I have never purposefully listened to this band or Janis before, here we go. This is a very solid blues/psych rock album honestly. Not what I would go for in casual listening but I definitely see the appeal and why this is on the list. Janis definitely takes a minute to get used to but she is a phenomenal vocalist. The marge simpson comparison is apt. The piece of my heart cover is iconic if not only because of that 30 rock episode where they make fun of it. I don't know man I like this album. I just gave blunderbuss, a clearly better album a 4, but this is like the lowest four I can give.
4
Mar 06 2025
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You Want It Darker
Leonard Cohen
In the words of Jeremy Bolm, I’ll go to L. Cohen to answer my questions cause Ian Curtis was dead. Truly powerful album, just a man dying on a mic. Introspective, scary, and celebratory idk it's the ideal album to come out 17 days before you die.
4
Mar 07 2025
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Purple Rain
Prince
Alright this is wonderful but I got bored during the first half of it. Let’s go crazy rules and the when doves cry to purple rain run is phenomenal. Everything after let’s go crazy but before doves sounds like it exists solely for the accompanying movie. Great movie though.
4
Mar 08 2025
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Songs From The Big Chair
Tears For Fears
Preemptive review - I love this album and it’s getting a 5 before I even listen to it.
Actual review, this might be the best full synth-pop/new wave album of all time. Unbelievable song writing, arrangements, and mixing. Im really in awe of how they got the mix to sound how it does. The first four songs are incredibly strong. I believe is the first part of this album that starts to lose interest but I can’t deny it, for I am a Virgo too. The energy is immediately picked up by broken, which is a perfect intro into head over heels, the best song on the album. Listen is a perfect soundscape anti Cold War protest song album closer if one ever did exist. Im going to call Liam’s mom to talk about this album, my mom was more into INXS.
5
Mar 09 2025
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Timeless
Goldie
This is a perfect example of something that I’m sure in the right context/setting is great but that context is not at my desk while I’m playing pokemon. Very cool to see where drum and bass originated but thank god artists have been able to make it significantly more interesting as time has gone on. State of mind was great, the sensual vip mix is a crazy track name but also pretty good. One positive is the album does a great job dropping in motifs throughout the mix and call backs to 45 droning minutes ago. Not my thing but a good history lesson.
2
Mar 10 2025
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Strangeways, Here We Come
The Smiths
This is a great reminder that The Smiths really don't do it for me. The album starts of great with A Rush but then takes a nosedive into some of the most average songs to come out of this band. It turns around with Last Night I Dreamt Someone Love Me (a song that would be better without its 2 minute intro) but is immediately followed by one of the worst lyrically written songs I've ever heard in Unhappy Birthday. "I've come to wish you an unhappy birthday because you're evil and you lie" followed by "It should be this way? I say No, I'm gonna kill my dog" The last three tracks amp back up to an enjoyable listening experience but leave me teetering between a 2 and a 3. I'm landing on a 2 because I Won't Share You reminded me that I'd much rather be listening to REM's Document that came out the same year and is infinitely better.
2
Mar 11 2025
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Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs
Derek & The Dominos
This is that kind of album that my dad puts on and goes "shit my dad loved this shut up and listen" and he is correct. Eric Clapton as a person aside, this album is so tight. Vocally, harmony-ly, guitarly, what have you all solid. Even the self indulgent guitar parts manage to be interesting almost all the way through (Key to the highway and Have You Ever Loved a Woman excluded). Solid version of Little Wing, and of course Layla rules but could be 2 minutes shorter. Not necessarily something I would seek out to listen to but a very comfortable sound.
4
Mar 12 2025
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Gunfighter Ballads And Trail Songs
Marty Robbins
This shit rules. Songs to listen to with my grandmother.
4
Mar 13 2025
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Bitte Orca
Dirty Projectors
This band has been highly recommended to me for years by a friend from college who was homeschooled and in private cello lessons since he was 3. The first four tracks didn’t do a lot for me on first listen but for whatever reason Two Doves was a turning point that I really enjoyed. It made me realize they’re capable of more than I was giving this album credit for. I let it run and loop back after that and really loved the first four tracks too. Maybe a real grower of an album, I will definitely be returning to it.
4
Mar 14 2025
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Let It Be
The Replacements
Perhaps not for my grandmother but this is another example of shit rules. Such a sick album to come out when it did. This is close to my brand of 80's "post-punk". I remember listening to this in high school bc Tanner made me and thinking eh but since becoming an REM fanboy this really stands out more clearly as a great album. Gary's Got a Boner is so good. I'm happy the list made me relisten to this as I will continue to relisten to this.
4
Mar 15 2025
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Hybrid Theory
Linkin Park
I can't express the how genuine the "fuck yes" that escaped my body when this album popped up after submitting yesterday's review was. Linkin Park is one of those bands that was everything to me in like 2006 but has not aged along with me; I'm guilty of immediately skipping any time one of their songs come on because I just don't need to hear In the End for the 2823rd time in my life. That being said, just a phenomenal album all the way through. Is it cringe? Is it shit rap rock? Is it everything I love to make fun of? Yes, but goddammit if these songs don't slap harder than anything else. I'm ecstatic I had to hear "FROM THE TOP TO THE BOTTOM" today as an assignment. With You and By Myself are low points compared to the rest of the album. I think Cure for the Itch is a solid instrumental but doesn't have much replay value. The only criticism I really have is I think the track order could have been better; it's confusing to end on the only instrumental track followed by an average tier song. In closing, if you've never seen Luckybucket's RSMV (Runescape Music Video) for In the End that is required viewing to cap off the day of listening to this album. Since I can't go 4.5 I will skew up to 5 because I think it's deserving of that.
5
Mar 16 2025
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Snivilisation
Orbital
Is this an album you need to listen to before you die? No. Is it great? Kinda. It runs the same thing all 90's electronic music does where it's unnecessarily self indulgent and long, but a lot of the sound design here is great. The album feels like a long primer for Are We Here? a song that I think outlives this project as it comes up in all electronic music textbooks at this point. I really enjoyed the Alison Goldfrapp contributions and I suspect that we'll get an album or two of Goldfrapp eventually which I'm excited for. In all, a good listening experience and sound design but not something I'll return too unless I'm really in the mood for it. There's better drum and bass on here than on the goldie album.
Sorry that I'm a linkin park enjoyer I will do better.
3
Mar 17 2025
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xx
The xx
I've meant to relisten to this album, I don't think I've heard it since maybe 2012. Intro is cool. VCR is cute and great. Crystalized is a really great song immediately followed by Islands which is just as strong. If it was just these four songs it would be a 4/5. The album starts to nosedive a little after Islands for me with each track progressively getting worse. The MIDI harp on Heart Skipped a Beat hurt me. Fantasy is a great idea but a bit of a snoozer, I'm sure it's stronger live. Shelter rights the ship slightly but there is only so much Direct In Reverb Guitar I can take and it never really reaches the climax it was building to. Basic space gave me false hope again that they were going to pick it up but nah. Infinity did bring an improvement finally, though those claps were infuriating. The melody is the same as Party All The Time by Eddie Murphy. Night Time is like a good attempt at making a band focussed Crystal Castles song, I liked that. Stars is another song that I want to like but the idea is so stretched out that it's difficult.
I think if I listened to this album nonstop all day I would come around to like it, it definitely needs to grow on you. There is a lot to like about the songwriting on this. I often see people cite The XX as a gateway to Dreampop which I did not understand listening back to this. I don't think Cocteau Twins or Loveliescrushing is going to magically make sense to you after listening to this if it didn't before. I think the main appeal of Dreampop's lofi sound is that there is such strong intentionality and production behind those bands where this xx album feels like they just didn't know how to record and instead of learning to mix they called it lofi. I'm probably being too harsh, it can take this light 3 and we can move on.
3
Mar 18 2025
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Low
David Bowie
Our first of I assume 57 Bowie albums finally hit. As a lifelong Bowie indifferent person, this is was a great experience. God this album is so strong. The first two tracks are great, and then the Iggy Pop collab just runs away with it. I don't love Sound and Vision, Always crashing is a little sleepy but really solid, and Be my wife rules. Such a beautiful shift on A new Career where the rest of the album went almost fully ambient. It's so good. I love you, Brian Eno. Those ambient tracks are so good oh my god. I think sort of disliking one song makes this a 5, right?
5
Mar 19 2025
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The Chronic
Dr. Dre
White man review here, white man reviewing! My dad put this album on our family shared iPod when I was like 6 and that was the earliest I heard it and I listen to it maybe every couple years. I have been told by Mr Lamar that this is an excellent cultural representation of the west coast at that time, but I am not here to speak on that. I am here to say musically this album is incredible. The beats, sampling, and playing on it are mind-blowing honestly. Dr Dre as a producer, true chef's kiss moment. What I love most about Dre solo albums is he lets other people really shine. Snoop is the obvious star of this album. The fact that this album is cited as so culturally important, musically impressive, and doesn't take itself seriously at all are all very impressive.
I do have to comment on how misogynistic this album is and how hard it is to get into when he's just spouting hate/violence towards women and gay people. Snoop makes an interesting argument for this that they're just rapping about what they know and that's what they knew growing up but that's the easy way out of not addressing the issues with the lyrics. I don't think anyone needs to apologize for rapping about their life experiences or what they're about within reason, but I don't need to agree with it. That aspect of this album has really aged horribly. Lyrics aside, I'm really enjoying this whole project.
Also huge shout out to the dude who reviewed this album a 1 and said this album decimated the neighborhood of Salisbury, Midlothian, Va when it came out. I grew up in the neighborhood truly right next to it, just a life changing review please go seek it out.
4
Mar 20 2025
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Cupid & Psyche 85
Scritti Politti
Imagine if Wham! sucked ass. The word girl was painfully boring. I was begging for small talk to end. Absolute finally has a cool instrumental but is 20 years long. Right back to boring for a little knowledge. Don't Work That Hard at ripping Prince off, am I right? Perfect way is listenable but again, 5 minutes? Lover to Fall asleep, am I right? Wood Beez is alright but I feel like I'm truly trapped in hell at this point. Hypnotize is fine and perhaps the only song that didn't feel like it overstayed its welcome. I hope I never have to hear anything on this album ever again. Garbage.
1
Mar 21 2025
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Leftism
Leftfield
Really trying to stare another electronic album in the face and get through it right now. All I can really say is I'm sure this went hard in a club in 1995 but it's 30 years later now and we have the Macarena. Song of Life and Original were pretty good. This album is another example of the purgatory of drum loop torture that this list seems to love.
2
Mar 22 2025
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Can't Buy A Thrill
Steely Dan
#1 Steely Dan apologist right here. Bought this in a used bin freshman year of high school and never looked back. Potentially the most pretentious band of all time but I'll be damned if Do It Again doesn't slap. Do It Again unironically domino effected me studying music composition in college and led me down the demon path of AV, all thanks to the steam powered dildo. The hits on this album hit and the fodder are all fun. I won't lie and say they're all incredible, but I love this album all the way through.
5
Mar 23 2025
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Rubber Soul
Beatles
I don’t love the Beatles, I have never been a fan. I understand their impact, I understand it’s pretentious to write off the fucking Beatles, but that’s where I am. It’s good but it sounds like children’s tv show music so often. In my life is a great song. Great song writing, amazing harmonies, just really not for me. I like them more at the beginning and end of their career than this point. I’ll give a strong 3.
3
Mar 24 2025
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John Prine
John Prine
I went into this ready to hate it but I am so surprised by how much I enjoyed it. Is this what they mean when they say country used to be good? Dude’s got strong one liners, great stories, and really hates the Vietnam war. Sam Stone is one of the most devastating songs I’ve ever heard. The instrumentals aren’t amazing but they’re exactly what this needs. A perfect example of an album you need to hear before you die, especially if you wouldn’t have otherwise like I wouldn’t have.
5
Mar 25 2025
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Surrealistic Pillow
Jefferson Airplane
Really solid musicians and good songs but just boring. Nothing really stood out to me as a gotta come back and listen to this. Somebody to love maybe. More a single you need to hear before you die, not an album.
2
Mar 26 2025
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Guitar Town
Steve Earle
Bruce if he was terrible. So sparse, so boring. Appreciate his outspoken socialist views, wish he was better at making music. He’s got back to back shows at tin pan in Richmond coming up, might have to add a rule that if the list subjects me to an album I have to go see the artist if they’re in town.
1
Mar 27 2025
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Chicago Transit Authority
Chicago
There are parts of this that slap and there are parts of this that are so boring I wanted to quit. Questions 67 and 68, a slap. Free Form Guitar, legitimate torture material. The skill of the group is undeniable, Terry Kath is absolutely one of the greatest guitar players to ever live, but the songs ain't really doing it for me. This is the most 3 star rating I can give.
3
Mar 28 2025
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Kala
M.I.A.
I guess I wasn’t ready for this yet when it came out. This is a densely textured nightmare of sound in a very positive way, a really cool predecessor to the sick computer music that is still coming out now. I can’t believe this was made in 2007 on Logic. It’s not all hits, there are some misses on here but the aesthetic choices are so sick that it saves it. Shout out paper planes of course.
4
Mar 29 2025
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The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady
Charles Mingus
Man, that is some jazz music. Compositional wonder, amazing playing, incredible piece of art.
5
Mar 30 2025
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Eliminator
ZZ Top
This album starts playing the moment you enter Fredericksburg. Billy Gibbons is such a solid guitar player and riff crafter, but damn if the lyrical content doesn’t suck. Almost every single song on here is about bangin women and how hot women are but they won’t let me hit sometimes so I gotta jerk. Tv Dinners is at least funny simply in that it’s not about that. Hand the instrumentals to Steve Earle and we solve everything wrong with both bands, might even have a 4 on our hands. 8 out of 11 of the songs had a fade out on a guitar solo, just play the one and end the song man. Overall really disappointed, waste of great guitar.
2
Mar 31 2025
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Parsley, Sage, Rosemary And Thyme
Simon & Garfunkel
This album does a lot with only a 28 minute run time. I didn’t grow up with these boys, this is my first time purposefully listening to music of theirs other than sound of silence. Good writing, fun instrumentals, I get it. It makes full sense to me that this came out the same year as revolver and pet sounds. I don’t think I’ll come back to much if any of this album but it is deserving of the list.
3
Apr 01 2025
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Home Is Where The Music Is
Hugh Masekela
Hard for me to get into a trumpet/flugelhorn driven jazz album. Obviously, the musicianship is top tier and those chord changes are incredible. I found myself often wishing that this was a solo piano album as my boy Larry Willis was really holding down my interest in this album single handedly. Inner Crisis immediately stood out to me as sick and if you look up the writers, who wrote it? Larry Willis. Minawa also sticks out as killer with it's piano intro, maybe I just only like Jazz piano. The drums on Blues for Huey are incredible and the outro piece ties the album together while really demanding that you focus on it in the end. I do think this falls onto this list well, I just wish I was sitting with every Jazz instructor I've ever had so they can explain the nuances of it to me.
3
Apr 02 2025
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A Girl Called Dusty
Dusty Springfield
Listen, this isn’t devoid of musical value. It sounds so much like a parody of the 50s that I can’t tell if that makes it a good love letter or if it’s an insult to how easy it is to make music that sounds like this. I understand that it was common for artists to cover other artists all over the place, but there’s not a single song on here that Dusty is either the original songwriter or even performer of. For that reason alone I don’t think this deserves to be on this list.
Easy listening, great vocalist, but artistically next to nothing of value. I want to slap this with a 1 but I think that’s too harsh, this 2 is a 1.5. That mockingbird cover was doodoo.
2
Apr 03 2025
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Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge
Mudhoney
My brain is tuned to love all 90s rock that sounds like this. The unfortunate truth of mudhoney is that they’re good, just not as good as every other band from Seattle at the time, and when you have Soundgarden why do you need mudhoney? It is a great grunge album. Superfuzz Bigmuff is stronger, hoping it’s on the list too.
3
Apr 04 2025
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Only Built 4 Cuban Linx
Raekwon
I don’t know, I forgot I was listening to this multiple times throughout its runtime. So homophobic. Guillotine was good I guess. I sure didn’t enjoy this one. Good flows but boring.
2
Apr 05 2025
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In The Court Of The Crimson King
King Crimson
Excited to roll this, I’ve been told forever it’s the best album ever by Twitter.com. An insane debut album, so good and so influential to all the prog that came after for good reason. I really loved the arrangements on this and how unafraid it was to be sparse at times. There are a couple moments on here where it fits its reputation of "I listen to this bc I'm a music guy, i really love music man I listen to prog rock, those time changes bro???" but I feel like even if you listen to this because you want to be cool you're gonna find out quickly that it rules. Really high 4.
Isn't it crazy that the Kingdom Hearts Dearly Beloved/Kayne's Stronger mashup wouldn't exist without this album?
4
Apr 06 2025
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Heartattack And Vine
Tom Waits
Really easy to rag on his voice, and I plan to, but this is one of the best examples of how you don’t have to be a “good” vocalist to make great music. I am shocked by how much I love this album. I have listened to it five times today and I’ll probably do it again tomorrow. Great songs, he’s funny, he’s got great stories, impeccable chord progressions, really got it all. If you all hybrid theory me on this one I will cry.
5
Apr 07 2025
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Deserter's Songs
Mercury Rev
I have never heard of this band or this album. Pleasantly surprised, we’re on a nice lil streak of good music. It’s like sparklehorse but every once in a while they press the random noise button and the last thing you could ever guess starts playing. Danny Elfman esque but not as purposeful. I need help immediately ass bonus track. Definitely a if I listen to this 3 more times it’ll be a 5 but we’ll leave it at a 4.
4
Apr 08 2025
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Pretzel Logic
Steely Dan
THE DAN RIDES AGAIN!!!
I love the Dan. Not my favorite of the Dan. Rikki don’t lose that number is a top five Dan though. When the Dan hits, it just hits. Not as strong as can’t buy a thrill but still the Dan continues to provide jams in only the way that the Dan can, bite sized morsels of incredibly tight pop jazz.
4
Apr 09 2025
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There's A Riot Goin' On
Sly & The Family Stone
It’s alright. An enjoyable listen but monotonous at times. I’m sure lyrically and stylistically this was amazing in the 70’s but it doesn’t still stand on its own as a paragon of the genre. Especially with maggot brain coming out the same year before this.
3
Apr 10 2025
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Parallel Lines
Blondie
This was my first college roommate’s favorite album. Played it truly every day. I like him but this is listen 300 something of this album.
That said, phenomenal album. Debbie Harry is such a good vocalist and an icon for good reason. The fact that she is effectively a pop, punk, and rnb singer on this album is a feat, especially because she’s a perfect fit for every style.
Quick shout out to Clem Burke who died literally today, great drummer, rip.
5
Apr 11 2025
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Paranoid
Black Sabbath
I always forget how much I love Black Sabbath (the Ozzy Osbourne years), especially this album. Tony Iomi is such an incredible guitarist. They’re all amazing musicians and from a historical standpoint point this shit is so innovative to what was going on at the time, but simultaneously is an incredible album that stands on its own today. Hilarious that this was heavy back then and we have like Full of Hell now. I don’t know, I’d take this over a cream album almost any day.
5
Apr 12 2025
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OK Computer
Radiohead
Hard to say anything about this album that hasn’t been said before. It’s perfect. Whatever secret formula Radiohead tapped into they’ve sure got it. This is a top 100 album ever. I listened to this like 4 times and then spent the rest of the day listening to the entire Radiohead discography. This is definitely their shining achievement but I'm still excited for the onslaught of 4s and 5s they'll bring when we roll the others.
The tourist has a part that has the same riff to we begged 2 explode, love u Jeff.
5
Apr 13 2025
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En-Tact
The Shamen
Our run of great albums had to end at some point. We really had like two weeks there of mostly 4s and 5s. The opener to this sounds like when a sitcom parodies a DARE psa hip hop group but the eighth listen of it I’m finding it enjoyable in a making fun of it way, I think. This album has the target demo of Elementary school P.E. Coaches and the band that made the Macarena.
Maybe it’s because I’ve loved almost all of what we’ve been listening to recently to then get hit with HUMAN NRG put at the same “you must hear this” importance as fuckin War Pigs is insane. I’m trying to give this a 2, we’ll see how I feel when the time comes.
1
Apr 14 2025
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Club Classics Vol. One
Soul II Soul
What club is playing these classics?
2
Apr 15 2025
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Boston
Boston
I have always liked this album. The playing is phenomenal, the songs are fun and cheesy, and it’s not UK Electronic music. Some of the most iconic riffs and guitar parts of all time. Similar to hybrid theory, the hits on here are skips if they were to ever come up due to overplay fatigue but I still really like them. Rock and roll band does not stand the test of time, it’s a bad song except for one cool moment in the chorus, and the other non hits (something about you, let me take you home) are weak compared to the rest of the project.
Thanks Boston for making a pretty good album that got milked to death by radio.
4
Apr 16 2025
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Live 1966 (The Royal Albert Hall Concert)
Bob Dylan
I think it’s lame for any live albums to be on this list. I really want to rate them a 1 by default but let’s give it a chance.
Speaking on Bob - not a fan and never have been. I get the appeal but give me Tom Waits if I have to listen to a terrible vocalist with good lyrics. This starts so gratingly boring and is so grinding to my ears it was really a slog to get through. Truly 7 or 8 listening sessions throughout the day and the first time I'm finishing an album in a time crunch. I am arriving on Side B at 10pm...
Thank God for the second half. Without it I would have review nuked this into the ground. I'm sure the first half is sick if you're a fan of the man, but truly did not enjoy anything until The Band (lol) started playing. Complete 180, became a great listening experience. Evolves into something you absolutely need to listen to before you die, historically and musically. Too bad that first half is torture. Not an album you need to listen to before you die, but absolutely an improperly labeled bootleg to listen to the second half of and also read the wikipedia page for context before you die.
3
Apr 17 2025
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Suicide
Suicide
So cool for this to exist in 1977. I’m sure this is absurdly ahead of its time experimental, ground breaking, inspirational, and life changing to young upcoming artists who drew from this unique at the time album. Too bad it’s boring as hell.
I have to note that Frankie Teardrop rules. Saves this project from a 1, especially because it’s a third of the run time.
2
Apr 18 2025
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Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim
Frank Sinatra
It’s college jazz band rep time! Frank is great but I do agree with the general consensus that it feels like he wanted to cover bossa nova music because it’s the cool thing to do at that moment. The original arrangements kick the shit out of these but we got these on the list because it’s Frank. I’m sure we’ll get more Frank that’s better than this, and in the meantime go listen to the Getz/Gilberto album that a lot of Jobim's original compositions are on.
Which of the five girl from ipanema recordings on this album is YOUR favorite?
2
Apr 19 2025
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Out Of The Blue
Electric Light Orchestra
Inoffensively okay. I would rather listen to the Beatles, Queen, or Pink Floyd than all of them at the same time. Mr Blue Sky does go hard. Musicianship and arrangements are so good and the talent is obviously there but my enjoyment sadly wasn’t.
Steve rating: 4.5/5
3
Apr 20 2025
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Let's Stay Together
Al Green
“Banger alert” I whisper to myself as we roll the album. Let’s stay together, a perfect song. Impossible to live up to the single but good vibes and immaculate guitar playing throughout this whole project. Short as hell too, can’t beat that run time for how tight this is.
This is all before the “Personal life” section of his Wikipedia (highly recommended reading) so the multiple assault charges don’t need to be discussed yet.
4
Apr 21 2025
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Another Music In A Different Kitchen
Buzzcocks
I get why this is like the holy scripture for every punk band in the 90s. All it’s missing is stronger, more distorted vocals and this is just every Tony Hawk Pro Skater soundtrack band. The production is phenomenal for a 70s punk release, shout out Martin Rushent. I love it, I think it’s pretty perfect. The only things that would make it stronger either didn’t exist mechanically or stylistically yet. I also aced while listening to this so +1.
5
Apr 22 2025
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Songs Of Leonard Cohen
Leonard Cohen
He’s alive this time! This is good. Goat lyricist, instrumentals ranging from bad to sick. This album started really sleepy and boring but it really picked up for me at Stranger song. That and sisters of mercy were so good. Everything after those two held my attention.
Maybe I just need to warm up to Leonard when I listen to him, idk, the first three were better on the run back than I remembered. I like the death album more but this is great. I love the random instruments he sneaks in. It’s a high 4, I might need to re rate the death album a 5 and make this a 5 too. TBD.
4
Apr 23 2025
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Dummy
Portishead
So good. So sampled on every rap record in the last 15 years. I love portishead, they will always get a 5. “We want to make spy music with hip hop beats” yeah you did it.
5
Apr 24 2025
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Sincere
Mj Cole
I like this a lot more than the usual bs electronic music albums, but it’s still bad.
2
Apr 25 2025
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Tellin’ Stories
The Charlatans
Is this what people who don’t care that much about fall out boy feel like when they hear panic at the disco? It’s the exact oasis formula over and over. This is like Dr Bob. To say, maybe if I understood oasis better I would understand this at a different level, interested to see what Liam says. Inoffensively a 3. “My melody will set you free” should get your record deal burned on the spot.
3
Apr 26 2025
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Aja
Steely Dan
Oh boy. The only worthy successor to Can’t Buy a Thrill’s throne. I don’t need to gush about the Dan again, it’s the third time we’ve gotten them in 50 days, you know how I feel.
5
Apr 27 2025
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The Healer
John Lee Hooker
I hope this was hype when it came out. It falls a little flat for me, I like it when Jack White does the same thing but maybe it’s because his is upbeat, distorted, and poppier. Good blues but just didn’t do anything for me except for no substitute.
2
Apr 28 2025
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Tigermilk
Belle & Sebastian
Pleasantly surprised by this one. I previously only knew Fox in the Snow by them, which I adore. First song is so good, really set the tone for the rest of it. It really only gets better as it goes too, weaving a lot of prominent genres of the time together while also sounding a lot like the indie rock that was yet to come at this point. My best reference point is to describe it like a better Arcade Fire way before Arcade Fire existed. This is such a strong debut album. I will be listening to this all day.
5
Apr 29 2025
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Moondance
Van Morrison
I thought this was going to be a load of garbage. It seems I wrote off Mr Morrison too early, this album is some great easy listening. There was nothing on here that I didn't like but nothing on here that blew my mind. Obviously Moondance is the stand out but every song has its own charm. This may be due to the fact that there is a very apparent songwriting formula on this album where everything is sort of interchangeable with each other but I did like the one song they created so whatever. The only complaint I really have is that Glad Tidings (1970) is truly just Brown Eyed Girl (1967) but with different lyrics, like same key same riffs same post chorus (he doesn't say Sha on the la's, I guess it is a different song). All in all I can see playing this on a 5 hour car ride and being happy it's on.
4
Apr 30 2025
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Highway to Hell
AC/DC
I really do see how this was bad ass and cool when it came out. This album was “life changing” for my dad, just doesn’t hit the same anymore. Great guitar, great attitude, great songs, just heavily out classed by like 62 other bands that came decades later. Love highway to hell and beatin round the bush. Beatin round the bush is like if Van Halen was a good band. Lots of “didn’t I already hear this one?” to the point where the autoplay at the end of the album ran 3 more songs of theirs before I realized the album was already over.
3
May 01 2025
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Songs Of Love And Hate
Leonard Cohen
He’s back. I think I just really like Leonard cohen. I don’t have a lot to intelligibly say about this one. Just like it.
4
May 02 2025
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(What's The Story) Morning Glory
Oasis
It’s time for me to admit that I’ve never listened to this album. Here we go. Not a bad track on here, but not all of them held my attention all the way through. Hard to rate this anything less than a 5 when three of the best songs ever written are on here. Meme as it is, Wonderwall rules, Champagne Supernova is a masterclass, and Don't Look Back in Anger has to be one of the best choruses of all time. I did not delve into the extra two hours of the deluxe edition but maybe I will as the day progresses. Good job, Oasis brothers. Hope the reunion tour doesn't blow up.
5
May 03 2025
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...And Justice For All
Metallica
Ugh. Is this the album where Lars was a giant tool and demanded his drums sound like shit and to delete the bass parts out of existence? (it is!) This is one of the worst mixed albums I have ever heard if not the worst. I don’t care how groovy, metal, in the pocket, whatever this album is, it sounds like shit. I am not a fan to begin with but this was an incredibly painful hour. Even the remastered version is ass. I don’t get it. I guess the songs are okay. The parts where they are not just three minutes into the same chord grooving and when James is not singing I like most of it. I’m sure if Josh Homme made these I’d think they’re great, but this is just not my brand of big muff distorted chugs. One stands out as a genuinely good song, shout out guitar hero three. Definitely sounds a lot like Kyuss at times, a band I enjoy, but Kyuss has well mixed albums. I’m torn between a 2 and a 3. It really isn’t so bad that it deserves a 2 and I fully understand the appeal. Just know this is the lightest three possible.
3
May 04 2025
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Rock Bottom
Robert Wyatt
This is really not what I was expecting to hear from a 1974 album. I almost want to refuse to do any research on this. It just sounds like a dude having the time of his life in his studio. I love this. It’s experimental, it’s engaging, and it’s good. Nothing stands outs as the hit single but I don’t think it’s supposed to. This rules. Easy 5.
5
May 05 2025
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Pictures At An Exhibition
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
How is a live album covering Mussorgsky a top 1001 album. This is not something you need to hear before you die. Mussorgsky’s original is barely something you need to hear before you die. This is a big “fine” for me. Musical value, 2-3. But inclusion on this list is a big 1. The nutcracker encore was absurd.
1