189
Albums Rated
3.18
Average Rating
17%
Complete
900 albums remaining
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1980
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1-Star Albums
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By Genre
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By Decade
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Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Tubular Bells
Mike Oldfield
|
5 | 3.09 | +1.91 |
|
Let It Be
The Replacements
|
5 | 3.25 | +1.75 |
|
If I Should Fall From Grace With God
The Pogues
|
5 | 3.33 | +1.67 |
|
Music in Exile
Songhoy Blues
|
5 | 3.33 | +1.67 |
|
Sulk
The Associates
|
4 | 2.35 | +1.65 |
|
Sincere
Mj Cole
|
4 | 2.38 | +1.62 |
|
Follow The Leader
Korn
|
4 | 2.66 | +1.34 |
|
Dr. Octagonecologyst
Dr. Octagon
|
4 | 2.69 | +1.31 |
|
Doolittle
Pixies
|
5 | 3.74 | +1.26 |
|
Peggy Suicide
Julian Cope
|
4 | 2.77 | +1.23 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
I See You
The xx
|
1 | 2.99 | -1.99 |
|
Physical Graffiti
Led Zeppelin
|
2 | 3.91 | -1.91 |
|
With The Beatles
Beatles
|
2 | 3.66 | -1.66 |
|
Brothers
The Black Keys
|
2 | 3.57 | -1.57 |
|
The Wildest!
Louis Prima
|
2 | 3.53 | -1.53 |
|
Songs For Swingin' Lovers!
Frank Sinatra
|
2 | 3.52 | -1.52 |
|
Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music
Ray Charles
|
2 | 3.49 | -1.49 |
|
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
|
2 | 3.39 | -1.39 |
|
Led Zeppelin IV
Led Zeppelin
|
3 | 4.35 | -1.35 |
|
Neon Bible
Arcade Fire
|
2 | 3.34 | -1.34 |
5-Star Albums (5)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
Sigur Rós · 1 likes
3/5
Atmospheric, ambient almost synthy electro.
Some guitar/folk jazz elements on Hjartad hamast
Actually, soft rock elements throughout. Is this shoegaze?
Title track reminds me of Coldplay, so soft indie?'
Not too bad
Best track - Flugufrelsarinn, title track, Olsen Olsen
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers · 1 likes
2/5
This is pretty dross. Generic high school rock with some country aspects. Not doing much for me. And Freefallin isnt even here!
And nearly every track ends with a fade-out...
And a song about a murderous black guy... jeez
Best track - Luna?
2 stars
Dr. Octagon · 1 likes
4/5
Hip hop with electro, with medical/scifi imagery. Seems to straddle a space between Beastie Boy/Public Enemy and Eminem, but also foreshadowing Gorillaz. Lots of scratching like nu metal used soon after.
Some other house/dnb/jungle influences in there too.
Overall quite impressive.
Rock/metal crossover in I'm Destructive
Best track - Earth People, Real Raw, I'm Destructive
4 stars
4-Star Albums (47)
1-Star Albums (1)
All Ratings
The Rolling Stones
4/5
Surprising range, country, jazz, latin influences. Slow songs remind me of Floyd
Best track - Can't you hear me knocking
Last track Moonlight Mile a good closer
Kendrick Lamar
3/5
Rap/hip-hop with ambient jazz/other conceptual elements.
In places breathless and claustrophobic.
Builds up to quite intense thematically by the end
Reminded me of Floyd's The Wall (trip in hotel room, track called Momma).
Not my cup of tea but interesting
Best track - The Blacker the Berry
Another fun track is 'i'
Arcade Fire
2/5
Folksy soft rock with synthy/ambient orchestration, ahead of its time (considering Mumford and Sons and Lumineers coming some years later).
Springsteen-esque in places (Intervention).
Killers-like too
Not enjoying much in particular though..
Best track - No cars go
Lauryn Hill
3/5
R&B/ hip hop with soul influence
I don't really get it - better on a second listen!
Interesting instrumentation - brass, latin guitar, harps and harpsichord?
Best track - Forgive them father, lost ones
John Coltrane
3/5
Instrumental jazz album, sounds like standard jazz to my ears?
Best track - Pt. II - Resolution
The Who
3/5
At first sounds boring and standard 60s rock. Not much to note until My Generation. Then I notice different influences more: surfer rock, rock and roll, ragtime pianos, funk, barbershop style vocal harmonies. Some good guitar work, reminiscent of the Shadows
Best track - The Kids Are Alright
Black Flag
2/5
Hard rock/punk/metal mix.
Introspective personal lyrics, more reminiscent of later post-punk and even nu metal
Best track - TV Party
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
Interesting pop/soft rock.
Sounds kinda 80s without the electro sounds
Best track - I dont want to go to chelsea
Fleet Foxes
4/5
Another early folksy rock preempting Mumford and Sons, Lumineers. This time with pseudo medieval elements.
Better than Arcade Fire
Best track - White Winter Hymnal
Waylon Jennings
4/5
Country/western but really good actually.
Am I crazy or does surfer rock have some similarities? Slides and harmonicas?
Best track - Honky Tonk Heroes/Omaha
The xx
1/5
Just awful. Reverb-heavy, sequenced drums, synthy, clean guitar instrumentation, with the breathy bright clean vocals. Terrible naive lyrics, the whole album seemingly about a relationship? Awful cringey rhymes, like written by a child. It's like Ed Sheeran's Shape of You but a whole album and worse.
1 star
Best track - Dangerous/Replica
Common
3/5
Rap/jazz/soul fusion.
Not for me and not much standing out.
Some commentary on feminism and women in African American culture
Best track - Payback is a Grandmother
Frank Sinatra
2/5
What's to say, it's Sinatra. Classic big band with crooning. Not really my cup of tea, most tracks sound the same to me..
Best track - Anything Goes
Kraftwerk
4/5
Such an important album. Pioneering electro work. Can hear the legacy in everything from club music, Rammstein, Owl City. In some places reminds me of 8-bit/chiptune.
Sounds a bit naive by modern standards and the vocal performances are a bit choppy.
Best track - The Model clearly, but will choose Neon Lights for playlist as it's a great new track for me.
Ray Charles
2/5
Bit slow/repetitive. First track full of energy then it falls off a cliff. Kind of jazzy big-band in places, can see the progression from Sinatra yesterday. But still, I find it quite boring... expected more upbeat exciting stuff from Ray Charles
Best track(s) - Bye Bye Love, Hey Good Lookin, Oh Lonesome Me.
Shivkumar Sharma
3/5
Instrumental Indian music. Spotify version is not right one! Needed to re-listen!
Indian classical music, very relaxing. Can see the influence in works to come!
Best track - can't choose since all blend to together and not on spotify
Added another version of Ahir Bhairav
The Police
3/5
Rock/pop. In some places I'm reminded of much later stuff - It's Alright for You reminds me of QOTSA.
Also, Caribbean/latin/reggae influences - c.f. Walking on the Moon
Some post-punk in there too
Best track (ignoring previously known) - The Bed's too Big Without You
Thin Lizzy
4/5
Okay, this is 'heavier' than I expected. Definitely metal. Can see link between this and thrash and glam to come afterwards
Cowboy Song sounds like metal Springsteen
Pretty good really, and a live album too! With super tight performances
Best track - Emerald?
Sly & The Family Stone
3/5
Funky/rocky/souly. Incredible wah on e.g. Dont Call Me N*****, Whitey
13 min mainly instrumental funky jam on Sex Machine
Pretty interesting album
George Jones
2/5
Generic country... pretty dirgey. Not much for me to enjoy here.
Best track - Our Private Life (at least it's upbeat!)
Christina Aguilera
4/5
Feminist themes, something about Fred Durst?
Latin infused hip hop/neo soul pop
Bit of gospel too
Funky elements on Underappreciated
Source of Fighter, which is a banger!
A bit warbly at times..
Best track (previous unknown) - Cant Hold Us Down
ZZ Top
3/5
80s rock, bit glammy, bit hard, country elements.
Bit too Aerosmithy in places for me
Best track - TV Dinners/ Sharp Dressed Man
Coldplay
3/5
Mellow indie rock - Don't Panic is a great opener!
Britpop style vocals in places (Shiver) following up from Oasis/Pulp/Blur tradition
Yellow reminds me of the Snow Patrol slow indie to come
Best track - Don't Panic
Little Richard
3/5
50s rock n roll. Some good tracks, fairly standard otherwise. Lots of 12 bar blues
Vocals are pretty impressive. Precursor to James Brown and that style
Best track (other than Tutti Frutti) - Rip it Up
Pixies
5/5
Grungey post-punk with some 80s new wave and goth (a la The Cure) sensitivities. Also lots of dissonance and shouty vocals.
Mr Grieves even seems to pre-empt later indie a la Libertines/Franz Ferdinand
Gets better throughout! Crackity Jones has a cool frantic energy!
Best track - Here Comes Your Man/ Mr Grieves/Crackity Jones/Gouge Away
Spiritualized
2/5
What is this? Light rock, some tinges of psychedelia. Bit of electronic. Britpop ish. Kind of bland, ambient almost.
Really starting to drag around the halfway mark
Reminds me in parts of Tubular Bells
Best track - Angel Sigh
Bob Marley & The Wailers
3/5
It's Bob Marley, classic reggae sound.
Lyrics range from 'political' about typical rastafarian topics to love songs
Best track - Baby We've Got a Date (but maybe i just recognise the riff, Ring of Fire?, similar but not)
The Rolling Stones
3/5
Rock of course. Lots of country/western influence in this one
Some rock n roll and even gospel bits (you cant always get what you want)
Best track - let it bleed/ midnight rambler is fun
Bob Dylan
3/5
Country style, (or maybe more folksy?), but more laid-back in places, almost Velvet Underground/Lou Reed style of almost spoken word vocals (She Belongs to Me)
Maggie's Farm is a Bob Dylan song???
Famous poetic lyrics, bordering on surreal.
Musically not doing much for me.
Best track - It's Okay Ma, I'm Only Bleeding
Red Hot Chili Peppers
3/5
Funky rock, interesting industrial sound on Breaking the Girl!
I could have lied is nice, reminds me of Zephyr Song in arpeggios
Can see how this came out of left field! Even with funk influences there's nothing else that sounds like RHCP
Give it away is a masterpiece
Best track (new to me): The Greeting Song? Breaking the Girl?
Does start to drag, at 1hr 20
The Byrds
3/5
Folksy, hippie rock. Beach Boys meets Simon and Garfunkel. Not a huge fan..
Also country style (Mr Spaceman)
Trying to be the Beatles in places? Or does it precede?
Interesting dissonant end to I See You
Best Track - 8 Miles High, a moody, atnospheric track
Picks up from 8 Miles High
John Riley is nice
Cream
3/5
How to describe this? Is it funky? A bit country? Psychedlic? How can it be be all? (Post note: Blues is word I was looking for rather than country)
Fuzzy sound, mid tempo funky rock.
In some places singer sounds like generic 60s crooner (World of Pain)
What is Mother's Lament? Some cockney pub piano song? Weird
Best track - Outside Woman Blues
Prince
4/5
This fun, very quirky experimental songs going on. Housequake is nice and funky, fun
It's Gonna Be a Beautiful Night is funky and fun too!
Best track - Housequake or Sign o the Times or It's Gonna Be a Beautiful Night
Beatles
3/5
Interesting mix of styles. E.g. Dear Prudence is half traditional 60s ballad, half psychedelic, drone(sitar) inspired prog rock
And self referential too (Glass Onions)!
Something unsettling/unhinged abouy this album. Like a subversive parody of pop
Rocky Raccoon is a funny parody of country
Helter Skelter pretty heavy
I like Mother Nature's Son
Best track - Blackbird or Mother Natures Son
Deerhunter
4/5
Indie, with psychedelic sound. Nice atmosphere. Reminds me of Beatles in places but more psychedelic. Some folk elements.
Some places sounds like KGLW Oddments with slow reverb heavy psych songs (Helicopter)
Best Track - Helicopter/He Would Have Laughed
Röyksopp
4/5
House/trance, but more laid-back with indie elements.
Pretty good!
Best track - Poor Leno or So Easy or Eple
LCD Soundsystem
3/5
Synthy electro. First track reminds me of OMD but with that modern closeup breathy vocals.
Kraftwerk a clear influence.
Very 80s in sound and feel.
Ooh I like the end of I Used To, with the guitar!
Some indie elements too, like Change Yr Mind
Some of the synth lines are so good (back half of How Do You Sleep), but they're too sparsely placed for my taste.
Vocals are reminiscent of The Cure
Best track: I Used To or How Do You Sleep or Oh Baby
Eminem
3/5
Eminem, you know what it is. Fast, high quality rhymes. Commentaries on fame, causes of violence in children, accusations of stealing black music, other traditional rap topics. Mummy/women issues.
Best track (other than Stan/ Real Slim Shady) - Amityville or Criminal?
The Black Keys
2/5
Indie rock, soul/rnb inspired vocals.
Bluesy guitar lines. Funky influence too, wah and fuzz heavy tracks etc.
Slower tempo with big basslines remind me of White Stripes.
Not very exciting for me.
Best track - Black Mud?
Fiona Apple
3/5
Piano vocals solo, a la Regina Spektor.
Bit of neo soul style too, say Florence Welch.
Industrial/dark sounds incorporated.
Not my cup of tea but it's fine
Best track - Cosmonauts
Funkadelic
4/5
Rocky, proggy mid tempo funk? Interesting. Could be influence to RHCP or even RATM?
Chunky nice basslines
Best track - You and Your Folks, Super Stupid, Back in Our Minds
4 stars
The Zombies
3/5
Poppy rocky, bit like the Beatles?
Nothing else much to say?
Best track - A Rose for Emily or Butcher's Tale
John Grant
4/5
A real collage of an album. Mainly soft slow rock, kinda 70s psychedelic style, Queen style guitar solos in Sigourney Weaver
Semi-nonsense lyrics
Also reminds me of softer Opeth parts
Synthy bits
That's the Good News is a Kraftwerk homage and fun
Best track - Marz or Chicken Bones
4 stars
Country Joe & The Fish
3/5
Psychedelic country? Not doing much for me
Even sounds like early funk in places
The Masked Marauder sounds like The Doors
Best track - Section 43 or The Masked Marauder
3 stars
Simon & Garfunkel
3/5
Folksy, semi psychedelic. Almost medieval in places. Harpischord too.
Multi layered
A Simple Desultory Philippic sounds like Bob Dylan
Best new track (other than Scarborough Fair)- Cloudy/Patterns
3 stars
Iron Maiden
3/5
First real metal album. Properly metal, can hear influence in thrash, melodic metal, metalcore to come later
Best track - Phantom of the Opera/ Prowler
Borderline 3/4 stars
A Tribe Called Quest
3/5
Hip hop/rap. Stripped back/jazzy instrumentals. Lots of real instrumentation. Bass on Buggin Out sounds likes double bass, in the jazz tradition, interesting.
Political side about blackness and black origins and Africa
Verses from the Abstract has instrumentation reminding me of Ice Cube It Was a Good Day
Some parts remind me of Crooklyn Clan
Best track - Verses from the Abstract/What?
3 stars
Fleetwood Mac
3/5
Country music, slides abound in first track. Not keen if all is like this!
Sara is more like their later stuff, more shimmery and layered
That's all for everyone has a nice feel
Gets better throughout
Best track - Sara/ That's all for Everyone/Sisters of the Moon/Not That Funny
3 stars
Elton John
3/5
First track - Funeral for a Friend - interesting instrumental! Kinda proggy, rocky, synthy, operatic, almost even metal at one point
Quite samey throughout otherwise, rock with piano lead
Production is nice and guitar tone sounds very modern for 1973
Back end is quite country/western
Best track - All the girls love Alice/Funeral for a Friend would be best if it were separate
3 stars
The Black Crowes
2/5
Generic rock, with some blues too. Twice as Hard sounds like an early harder Nickelback. Definitely sounds later than it is (1990).
Could I've Been So Blind reminds me of Slade etc in places.
Not that impressed overall, mix of Slade and Nickelback! Quite mediocre, except for the era it was recorded when glam, grunge were dominating rock scene
Like a more polished version of KGLW Flight B741
Best track - doesnt matter at all, call it Struttin' Blues
2 stars
Dinosaur Jr.
4/5
Post punk, rock, hardcore. Very ahead of it's time!
Got a QOTSA feel in places
Also reminds me of early Blink 182 with more melodic elements
Production is great
Although it's very interesting, not many standout songs
And a Cure cover, showing influences
Ooh that distorted tone on Just Like Heaven reminds me of early Slipknot (MFKR) tone. Bit OTT and clippy
Best track - Sludgefeast or Little Fury Things
4 stars
Christina Aguilera
3/5
Neo soul, pop. References back to older soul, rnb and funk.
Lots of caterwauling gets tiring
Bit more experimental/jazz influenced, e.g. Still Dirty
Lots of gimmick tracks
Disc 2 more orchestral, showy
Best track - Slow Down Baby
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
3/5
Classic rock n roll/rockabilly. Already know a few tracks
Prefer the faster tracks to the ballad style songs
Best new track - Not Fade Away
3 stars
Yes
4/5
Experimental, proggy rock. Not sure what to say. Think Supertramp vs the Beatles with some more experimental bits.
Pretty good, borderline 3-4 stars
Best track - A Venture, Your Move
Peter Frampton
2/5
Generic rock, with some questionable lyrics (It's A Plain Shame)
Nothing special here.
Precedes glam, and glam revival.
Vocoder guitar on Do You Feel Like We Do is fun
Best track - I Wanna Go to the Sun
2 stars
Earth, Wind & Fire
3/5
Disco and funk. None of the big hits on the track list.. are there any hidden gems?
Some soul and ballads too. Not exciting me much
Jazz mixed with funk on instrumental Africano
Best track - Africano
3 stard
The Beach Boys
3/5
First track Do You Wanna Dance sounds familiar! Chorus I've heard before and the verses have the naivety and voicing of a Blink song..
Otherwise sounds like Beach Boys - surfer rock/rock n roll with the characteristic multi-vocal parts and harmonies
All tracks in the first half seem pretty solid but nothing jumping out at me.
Back half is too ballad heavy, not a big fan.
In The Back Of My Mind has some interesting elements - brass, slightly psychedelic
Best track - Do You Wanna Dance
3 stars
Johnny Cash
3/5
What to say, the concept is one of the most famous concerts of all time.
Cash and his classic outlaw country.
Best track - A Boy Named Sue/ I Walk The Line
Stevie Wonder
3/5
Classic Stevie Wonder sound, album with Superstition on it. Maybe Your Baby has a similar funk sound.
Interspersed with slower ballady songs, like You and I
Best track (other than Superstition) - Maybe Your Baby
The Teardrop Explodes
4/5
Already know Reward and Treason from this album. Alt rock with post punk influences from early 80s. Also some experimental instrumentation (synth brass and organish).
Some similarities with The Cure (guitar line on Poppies)
When I Dream has a nice synth line
Strange House in the Snow has a nice creepy industrial feel
Solid album overall - 4 stars
Best track (not Treason or Reward) - Went Crazy or Books or When I Dream or Strange House in the Snow
Sigur Rós
3/5
Atmospheric, ambient almost synthy electro.
Some guitar/folk jazz elements on Hjartad hamast
Actually, soft rock elements throughout. Is this shoegaze?
Title track reminds me of Coldplay, so soft indie?'
Not too bad
Best track - Flugufrelsarinn, title track, Olsen Olsen
The White Stripes
3/5
Indie rock, quite bluesy.
Not much for me otherwise
Best track (I hate Seven Nation Army) - Ball and Biscuit? Hypnotize
3 stars
Amy Winehouse
3/5
Neo soul with jazz elements and in places hip hop beats. No doubt about AW's vocal skills. And the stripped back instrumentation is nice.
Not really a AW fan but I can appreciate this
Best track - Stronger than Me, Fuck Me Pumps, What is is About Men, Amy Amy Amy
Almost 4 stars but not quite my taste
The White Stripes
4/5
On first track already appreciate this album more than Elephant. Dead Leaves and Dirty Ground has good riffs.
More garage-y than Elephant.
Also more variety, seems more memorable to me.
Best track - Dead Leaves and Dirty Ground or We're Going to be Friends or I Think I Smell a Rat
4 stars
Brian Eno
2/5
I am not keen on this. Ambient/atmospheric slow tempo piano plus vocal pads for 50mins. What is the point??
Best track - 2/1 (shortest, otherwise they all sound the same!). No, 2/2 is slightly more tolerable and just slightly longer
2 stars
Tim Buckley
4/5
Soft rock/psychedelic, with folk elements. Reminds me of Jefferson Airplane or The Byrds, also a bit Simon and Garfunkel.
Better than expected so far (track 3)
Hallucinations has a lovely sound, sitars etc.
Goodbye and Hello is a crazy collage of songs.
Best track - No Man Can Find the War or Pleasant Street or Hallucinations or Phantasmagoria in Two
Leonard Cohen
3/5
Moody folksy soft rock. Same poetic vibes as Lou Reed or Bob Dylan.
Interesting at first but it does grate after a while.
Best track - You Know Who I Am
3 stars
Jefferson Airplane
3/5
Psychelesic rock. Bit disappointing, expected more from the two songs already known (Somebody to Love and White Rabbit). Nothing else standing out far.
Best track - Go To Her or 3/5 of a Mile in 10 Seconds
3 stars
Steely Dan
3/5
Soft rock. Do i hear mild latin/caribbean influences? Quite easy listening.
Not as bad as I expected, but not stellar either.
Best track - Only a Fool Would Say That or Do It Again
3 stars but it's almost 4.
Thundercat
4/5
Very experimental, funk and jazz elements (basslines, vocal harmonies, jazzy pianos in Uh Uh). With synthy/electro elements. Some chord progressions remind me of Animals as Leaders, so quite unusual keys?
Weird lyrics. Is quite draining to listen to the whole album
Best track - Uh Uh, Lava Lamp, Them Changes, Where I'm Going
4 stars
Steve Winwood
2/5
Pop/soft rock. First track sounds like Phil Collins but not as good.
Second Hand Woman has that sound famous in Valerie. Is is a guitar with heavy FX or a synth with bends?
There's not much else here of interest though
Best track - Second Hand Woman
2 stars
The Clash
4/5
Punk and post-punk rock. Clear precursor to later alt rock/post punk - Hateful sounds like proto-Pixies!
Some ska influence too (Rudie Can't Fail), seems to presage pop punk/3rd wave ska (e.g. Offspring)
Actually more variation and interest than I expected.
Some Cure-like parts too.
Does start to sound samey after a point
Best track - Hateful or Rudie Can't Fail
Bit samey but still 4 stars for quality of standout tracks
Nirvana
3/5
Had big hopes knowing Heart Shaped Box, Rape Me and All Apologies
Some faster tempo tracks (Very Ape) and Dumb was pretty good
It's a shame I knew the three best tracks already, rest feels not as good
Best new track - Dumb
Beatles
2/5
Can immediately hear that 50s rock and roll/doo-wop influence. But why such aggressive panning on track 1? Very distracting
Otherwise not very groundbreaking
Some covers as well
Nothing special at all
Best track - Money (That's What I Want) but is it a cover? I Wanna Be Your Man
2 stars
Air
4/5
Instrumental, gentle rock/funk/pop/electro. Nice basslines. First track reminds me of Changes by KGLW.
I recognise Sexy Boy, but not sure where from
Getting some Daft Punk energy from vocoders (also French!), but also reminiscent of Mylo.
Best track - Femme de l'argent, Kelly Watch the Stars, You Make it Easy, Ce Matin-la
4 stars
Blur
3/5
Half is as expected - britpop (which itself is blues inflected post-punk?). Other half is more experimental, sounds like Gorillaz.
Best tracks are singles, otherwise have - London Loves and Trouble in the Message Centre
Mj Cole
4/5
Stripped back house/dance with acoustic instruments and soulful vocals
Like the piano on Introduction
Nice easy listening throughout
Strung Out reminds me of Thinking it Over by Liberty X 2 years later...
Some bits are more experimental (Rough Out Here)
Disk 2 is just remixes
Best track - You're Mine/Introduction/Sincere/Slum King
4 stars for general mood
Public Enemy
3/5
Ah so this is what Limp Bizkit ripped off more than a decade later.
Those sampled beats and the high-pitched whistles/brass with the rap. C.f. Beastie Boys
It gets grating quickly, but rhymes are good.
Too many 'Yeaah Boy!'s!
What?? A Slayer sample in She Watch Channel Zero?!
Best track - She Watch Channel Zero
3 stars
The Mamas & The Papas
3/5
60s folk/soft rock. Not much special here other than the singles.
What to pick as best..?
Best track - You Baby
2 stars? Or 3?'
SZA
2/5
Already don't like the first song, weak lyrics on a cliche topic. Musically not very interesting.
Not a fan of this trap/dream pop and the lyrics are too distracting.
Best track - Drew Barrymore
Outro synths to Garden (Say it Like Dat) are quite nice
2 stars
Carole King
3/5
Soft, folk rock and soul solo C.f. P.P. Arnold
Quite a nice chilled out sound (It's Too Late instrumental).
Does get old quite quickly
Best track - It's Too Late
3 stars
3/5
Country and Western of course. First track is title track, quite a feminist track! And catchy too!
Lyrics alternate between female empowerment and love songs - which isn't fully contradictory.
Otherwise it's not too bad. Easyish listening.
Best track - title track
3 stars
The Clash
3/5
Punk rock, not bad for 1976/77. But not as good as London Calling album
Still some reggae/ska influence (Police and Thieves)
Best track - White Riot, Janie Jones
3 stars
4/5
Rock with blues inflection, with a dark, moody sound. Nice vocals too.
I like this sound.
Strong opener but rest of album is more of the same?
Best track - Big Exit, This Mess We're In, Kamimkaze
4 stars just for the 1st impression. Not the albums fault it's too much of a good recipe
David Gray
3/5
Blue eyed soul with some indie rock, with Babylon and This Years Love. Is anything else as good as these singles? Recognise Sail Away.
It's easy listening but nothing inspiring really.
Best track (other than those known) - Silver Lining
3 stars (2.5 but I'll round it up)
Black Sabbath
4/5
Early metal. I know I should like it, but compared to what was to come in metal it just sounds a bit weak and flat. Nice vocals though, and it's good to let the bass have space.
Interesting how the lyrics have that fantastical/morbid side, probably quite unlike what anyone else was singing about then.
Production is good too (yes this is a remaster but the tracks must have been well separated to remaster this well)
Actually, with 4/8 songs very good, with others just not my style, I'm appreciating this more.
Best track (other than Paranoid and Iron Man) - Electric Funeral, Fairies Wear Boots
4 stars
Pink Floyd
3/5
Early Pink Floyd. It's a bit out there. Totally crazy, too much so.
Oh the panning and levels are so distracting..
Best track - Lucifer Sam (it's short and structured like a real song!)
3 stars
The Rolling Stones
3/5
Blues rock, standard Stones stuff with country and gospel vibes in places.
Didnt do much for me
Best track - Torn and Frayed, Shine A Light
3 stars
Marvin Gaye
3/5
Slow soul. Political compared to previous popular soul music. Some jazz elements too in Save the Children.
Not my cup of tea but okay. Not many hooks, mostly ballady.
Tracks flow together which is nice
Best track - Mercy Mercy Me, Right On
3 stars
TLC
4/5
Quite impressive for 1994. Has the neo-soul sound of much later. But in places also has that late 80s/early 90s hip hop sound. Some funk elements in there too.
Best track - Creep, Sumthin Wicked This Way Comes
Gonna say 4 stars as it's still a refreshing sound and would have been moreso when released
Pavement
4/5
Some kind of post-punk, proto-emo?
Also has some grungey and indie elements, even Cure-like?
This album is like a missing link, quite interesting
Shame it's more interesting than catchy or fun...
Silence Kid has vocal melody similar to Everyday by Buddy Holly?
Best track - Silence Kid, Cut Your Hair, Gold Soundz
3 stars? Bump up to 4 for 3 songs I actually really like
The Replacements
5/5
80s post-punk. Ramones/Clash with some pop sensibilities. Can almost hear pop-punk coming through. Also like Black Flag in places.
Androgynous is a nice little LBQT+ piano ballad.
Ooh, also got some rock/glam sounds on Black Diamond.
Sixteen Blue is almost like Springsteen. This band is very versatile and executes all this perfectly!
Best track - We're Coming Out (very punky), Androgynous, Black Diamond
Post-note - Black Diamond is a cover of Kiss, so I'll disregard it for best track even though it is very good
Gotta be a 4 star album, maybe even 5 stars, yeah call it 5
Parliament
3/5
Funk concept album. Solid album, all tracks are consistent and pretty good.
Best track - Unfunky UFO, Supergroovalistic..., Give Up The Funk
3 stars
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
2/5
This is pretty dross. Generic high school rock with some country aspects. Not doing much for me. And Freefallin isnt even here!
And nearly every track ends with a fade-out...
And a song about a murderous black guy... jeez
Best track - Luna?
2 stars
Sonic Youth
3/5
Mix of rock, post-punk, indie/garage. Not a bad sound, but not hugely distinctive.
By the end it was quite a lot of noise..
Best track - Kool Thing, Titanium Expose
3 stars
The Stranglers
4/5
New wave with post punk. I like this!
Really punky in places.
I like the bass sound.
Have I heard Peaches before?
Go Buddy Go is a send up of rockabilly/50s rock n roll
Best track - Sometimes, Hanging Around, Peaches, Go Buddy Go
4 stars
Nas
3/5
Rap/hip hop with jazz backing. Similar to A Tribe Called Quest but more explicit.
NY State of Mind has nice chill backing with good rhymes - quite a few tracks like this
Michael Jackson samples in It Aint Hard to Tell
Best track - NY State of Mind, One Time for Your Mind
Quite good in places, but overall 3 stars
Michael Jackson
4/5
First album on the list I've already listened to in full. Classic album, definitive pop with the disco roots. On a revisit are there any relatively hidden gems?
Best track (not known before) - Workin Day and Night
Some real bangers, 4.5 stars. Round it down to 4 for the few slower numbers I'm not a fan of
Beck
3/5
Indie/garage rock? Hip hop elements in Que Onda Guero
Electro in Girl, so very eclectic!
Country elsewhere too, with slide guitar like in Farewell Ride
This sound (bouncy garage with semi-spoken lyrics) does get tiring quickly.
Doesnt seem so special for the year either?
Best track - Que Onda Guero, Hell Yes, Scarecrow, Rental Car
3 stars
Mike Oldfield
5/5
Ah, first album on the list I regularly listen to already. Classic instrumental, weaving its way through so many moods.
Best track - can't put a 25min track on the playlist, and know it inside out already, so let's just say the single version of Tubular Bells
5 stars
Björk
3/5
Down-tempo electro + strings. Think trap with a string quartet and bjork's trademark vocals. On paper I should hate it but it's so well done it's okay.
Kinda like a movie soundtrack
Best track - History of Touches, Atom Dance, Quicksand (at least it's short)
3 stars
Isaac Hayes
3/5
Soundtrack album, havent had one before! Funk/soul with big band/orchestral arrangements.
Best track (not all on spotify) - Cafe Regio, Walk from Regio's, No Name Bar
3 stars
The White Stripes
3/5
3rd White Stripes album!? It'll have to be special
Blue Orchid is strong, Nurse has an African feel? Actually interesting
Okay, all songs are decent. This is probably the best of the White Stripes albums on the list (so far!)
White Moon and Instinct Blues bit more boring, typical Stripes
Best track - Nurse, The Denial Twist
3 or 4 stars? Call it 3 in the end
Depeche Mode
3/5
Industrial tinged synthy new wave. Smiths style singing in The Things You Said
It's a good sound, but I could use some more variety or hooks
Bit disappointed, had higher expectations. It is well produced and written, just a bit samey.
Aggro mix of Never Let Me Down Again is good
Best track - Strangelove, Nothing
3 stars
The Who
2/5
It's just The Who live.. what's so special? Doesnt even sound good...
Best track - Substitute
2 stars
Dr. Octagon
4/5
Hip hop with electro, with medical/scifi imagery. Seems to straddle a space between Beastie Boy/Public Enemy and Eminem, but also foreshadowing Gorillaz. Lots of scratching like nu metal used soon after.
Some other house/dnb/jungle influences in there too.
Overall quite impressive.
Rock/metal crossover in I'm Destructive
Best track - Earth People, Real Raw, I'm Destructive
4 stars
Janet Jackson
3/5
Pop, with the funk/soul/disco roots, similar to later MJ. With heavily political/social justice lyrics.
It's okay, but the pounding drums and heavy handed subject matter is a bit relentless. With the interludes and seamless transitions, I guess it counts as a concept album?
Livin in a World has a powerful ending
Escapade has a classic pop feel, could be Madonna or something
Lonely is interesting, latin infused pop/neo soul, about 10 years before it became huge!
Second half of the album is generally more pop/love songs.
Best track - Livin in a World (They Didn't Make), Escapade
3 stars
Elton John
3/5
Standard Elton - soft rock driven by the piano. Not much else to say. I don't even like Tiny Dancer...
Nice and concise album though, doesn't overstay its welcome.
Best track - Madman Across the Water
3 stars
Sade
3/5
Soft 80s pop, with soul background. Sax-heavy, latin-inspired rhythms on When Am I Going to.... It's alright, not mind-blowing.
Jazzy sax solo in Sally.
Why Can't We Live Together is a nice slow track with inclusive aspirational lyrics.
Best track - Cherry Pie (not for any reason), Why Can't We Live Together, When Am I Going to Make a Living
3 stars
The Doors
3/5
Bluesy rock with psychedelia and country elements (Maggie M'Gill) That classic Doors sound without the organ so much front and centre. Not as good as their classic album. Morrison sounds old and gravelly in places.
Best track - Peace Frog
3 stars
The Pogues
5/5
Okay this is pretty awesome. Folk witb a punky edge. I knew I liked folk metal, but I really just like a good celtic folk song. Has Fairytale of New York too which is one of the best xmas songs.
Eastern influence in Turkish Song of the Damned
Metropolis is a crazy instrumental track, from celtic folk to big band/jazz?
Halfway through and no bad tracks
Even Mariachi in Fiesta?!
The Broad Majestic Shannon is like a prototype Fairytale of New York
2nd half definitely feels 'safer', less crazy energy and fusion of genres.
Musicianship and songwriting is insanely good.
Best track - Metropolis, Bottle of Smoke, Turkish Song of the Damned
4 or 5 stars. First half is so good! 5!
Led Zeppelin
2/5
Blues rock. Again... with country elements too?
It's really boring.. not even unique or special for the era
Trampled Under Foot has a funky feeling, reminds me of Franz Ferdinand indie style
Kashmir has a good tense strings riff, feel like I've heard it sampled somewhere before..
Bron-Yr-Aur is a nice instrumental
1hr 22 though... way too long
Best track - Trampled Under Foot, Kashmir
2 stars
Beastie Boys
3/5
Hip hop style rap vocals with sampled rock/funk instrumentals. Tongue in cheek. Can hear suggestions of e.g. Fatboy Slim rock/soul/funk remix aesthetic. Unique technique of multiple vocalists panned wide apart with different/complementary roles.
Some decent riffs and rhymes in here.
Best track - Johnnu Ryall, Egg Man, Looking Down the Barrel of a Gun
3 stars
Steely Dan
3/5
Soft smooth soul/rock (easy listening?), with jazz elements. In places sax solos get quite jazzy indeed. Aja end with long improv section?
Some latin elements again. Harmonies/chord progressions are notable, not typical sounding. Not sure I like though.
Reminds me of KG's Changes or Sketches, but without so many hooks.
Some instrumental bits are good but vocals are meh.
Josie is good funk riff, then ruined by those ambiguous/jazz chords.
Decent length album too.
Best track - Home At Last, Aja, Josie
3 stars
Blue Cheer
3/5
Psychedelic rock blues, with fuzz - sound reminds me of Cream. With some newer (what must have been cutting-edge) electric guitar techniques. Experimental compositions with extended/improv sections.
It's quite avant-garde. Sounds like a drunken mess at times in Doctor Please.
Best track - Parchment Farm (nothing stands out really)
3 stars
Public Enemy
3/5
Sample-heavy hip hop/rap. Seems more sample-heavy than It Takes A Nation of Millions. Funk/soul/rock samples predominantly over fat beats.
Actual singing on I Don't Wanna Be Called Yo Niga!
Better than It Takes A Nation of Millions! Seems more cohesive with a set style and aesthetic. Also more political? See intro to By The Time I Get To Arizona. Which also has some gospel, just to add to the musical breadth!
How To Kill A Radio Consultant has that Gorillaz style trumpet sample. Quite nice!
2nd half is a bit dull, not so many hooks.
Another metal track, with Anthrax. Interesting.
Best track - Can't Truss It, I Don't Wanna Be Called Yo Niga, How To Kill A Radio Consultant.
3/4 stars - go for 3 based on disappointing 2nd half
Julian Cope
4/5
Soft indie rock with bluesy parts. Kinda Coldplay-ish in places. More folksy in others. Not much jumping out early in the album.
Punk sound on Hanging Out and Hung Up On the Line
Semi-spoken word on Safesurfer.
I guess quite unique for a solo effort in 1990 but not much overwhelming today.
Still has potential for a great track somewhere in the 2.5hr double album length.
You... is interesting - it's like new-wave/ska/blues/jazz.
Fun marimba in Not Raving but Drowning. Truly a multi-instrumental/multi-genre album
Beautiful Love has nice trumpet pieces.
The American Lite sounds like a very 80s new wave song.
Who is Julian Cope? Sounds like The Stranglers?
Disc 2 is 2009 deluxe edition only, so will not listen.
Best track - Hanging Out, You..., Not Raving, Beautiful Love
4 stars, definitely a grower
Meat Loaf
3/5
You know Meatloaf. Operatic hard rock, with blues influences. Like Springsteen/Elton John meets glam rock. Some gospel/choir in there too.
It's less hard rock overall than Meatloaf is stereotyped as. Really sounds like Springsteen with a whammy bar in places.
Even some funky bit in Paradise By The Dashboard Light
Each track is a mini album in it's own right, which makes it hard to love any of them..
Great Boleros of Fire is a nice instrumental interlude.
Overall it feels a bit too manufactured, not much authenticity. But it's clear showmanship and basically set the standard for a genre so it deserves respect for that.
Best track - All Revved Up, Paradise
3 stars
Louis Prima
2/5
Big band/jazz do-wop. Nothing special here for the 50s?
Banana Split For My Baby has some humour! Unexpected!
Best track - I'll Be Glad When You're Dead, Banana Split for My Baby
2 stars
Soundgarden
3/5
How to describe the sound? Like blues rock melded with grunge. Overall result sounds kinda generic.
Spoonman is like QOTSA meets Pearl Jam.
Best track - Superunknown, Spoonman, Half
3 stars
Portishead
3/5
Moody atmospheric electro-indie. Some eastern influences on Sour Times.
Hints of later trap and dream pop?
Female vocals quite soulful.
Scratching/samples in Wandering Star
Really not a fan, but I can't fault it technically.
Best track - Biscuit, Glory Box
3 stars
Grizzly Bear
3/5
First 15 seconds, a jazz-country mix?? Interesting..
Otherwise it seems to be mid-tempo folk-indie.
Bit of light garage psychedelia in Cheerleader
Not for me really. Could use some more upbeat moments.
Best track - Southern Point, Fine For Now
3 stars
Billie Holiday
2/5
Old school female crooning. Decent voice, inspiration for Winehouse?
It gets old so quickly
Spotify version has bonus tracks.. not listening to those thanks!
Best track - any, they all sound the same... picking Glad to Be Unhappy since that's how this album makes me feel.
2 stars
Ms. Dynamite
3/5
Immediate dancehall x rnb vibes. Quite like it.
Female empowerment themes.
Other hip hop/reggae blending.
Best track - Put Him Out
3 stars - wanted to love it, but didnt live up to its potential given its stylistic origins.
Elliott Smith
3/5
Folk indie. Reminds me of Simon and Garfunkel, in places like Beatles. Some post-grunge inflections (guitar tones in places)?
Cupids Trick definitely grunge!
Don't know why this is needed when S+G already existed.
Don't mind the music, but the vocals are a bit annoying
Good musicianship. Seems like a timeless style (in that it doesnt feel dated)
Best track - No Name No. 5, Rose Parade
3 stars
Japan
3/5
Early new wave. Great use of synths with post-punk basslines and hooks.
Even some avant-garde sounds in there.
It's pretty good!
XTC vibes from 2nd track (Fall In Love With Me)
Hooks do seem to get losf halfway... in favour of vibey tracks
Did not listen beyond track 8 (original album tracklist)
Fall In Love With Me also has a Nirvana feel in the bridge?
Best track (other than Quiet Life) - Fall In Love With Me, Alien
3 stars - wanted to like it more (almost 4)
Don McLean
3/5
You know American Pie. But what is it? Rock with a folksy side.
AP known so well it's hard to listen critically.
2nd track - definitely folk.
Oh, I've heard Vincent before but didnt know it was Don McLean
Nothing special for me here. Decent folk, but a bit uninspiring.
Actually Vincent and The Grave are very good songs.
Babylon has good instrumentals and a nice round.
Best track - Vincent, The Grave, Babylon
3.5 stars, call it 3
Alice Cooper
3/5
Blues/hard rock, but with an unexpectedly avant garde side. Sounds like a concept album or rock opera?
Elected sounds like Sedated?
Not as interesting throughout as I'd hoped. More Pink Floyd than Alice Cooper a la Poison or School's Out
Best track - Billion Dollor Babies, Unfinished Sweet, Sick Things
3 stars
R.E.M.
4/5
You know REM... indie rock style dominated by Stipe's unique vocals. Folk elements too. Almost grungey in places (I Remember California)
2nd listen You Are The Everything is a very sweet song.
Best track (not Stand or Orange Crush) - You Are The Everything, The Wrong Child, Hairshirt
Fuck it, 4 stars for a great band with some great tracks
Fiona Apple
3/5
Soulful vocals over various genres of piano-based music (some jazz, rock, soul).
Like a better version of Adele. Or older version of Regina Spector.
Some hip-hop style beats.
Much better than the other of her albums I listened to.
Criminal is a good song, great ending section.
Latin elements on The First Taste.
Album is much more varied than other one on this list.
Best track - Shadowboxer, Criminal
3.5 stars, almost 4 but it's just not my style
Rod Stewart
3/5
Bluesy rock, with some country elements. Very multi-layered, with clean and mildly overdriven guitars in there. Harmonies and lines interweaving nicely. Not bad.
Some gospel influences here and there, seems more 90s in places.
Lady Day makes me actually enjoy country/slide guitar. Lots of nice little embellishments.
Best track - Gasoline Alley
3 stars
Joe Ely
3/5
Country/western with blues and even jazz/big band elements. Some rock n roll too. Quite interesting (Cornbread Moon)
Interesting fuzzy electro sustain sound on Boxcars
Generally nice instrumentals/transitions between songs
As album progresses I'm seeing less of interest.
Best track - Cornbread Moon
3 stars
Billy Bragg
3/5
Soft post-punk/indie rock. I like the distinctive vocals. More folk/country by the end?
Some Spanish horns in The Marriage.
Lyrics are quite on the nose.
Honky tonk style in Honey...
Other country on Sin City
Best track - Greetings to the new Brunette, Help Save the Youth of America
3 stars, almost 2
The Rolling Stones
4/5
Sigh, more Stones...
60s rock and roll/blues rock with more edgy lyrics than contempories (Stupid Girl)
Harpsichord on Lady Jane is an interesting choice for the time.
And marimba on Under My Thumb. But lyrics are scary! Hopefully tongue-in-cheek!
Quite mature for a young band.
Flight 505!
Out of Time is a fun cover. Wait, it's not a cover!
Best track - Under My Thumb, Going Home, Think, Out Of Time
4 stars, borderline. I can appreciate a d actually enjoy a fair amount of this
Queen
4/5
Operatic/multi instrumental rock/glam. Nice guitar work/solo on Brighton Rock.
Generally hard rock (like Zep) but with psych folksy/vocal harmony parts
Eastern influence on Flick of the Wrist
Nice rock riffs in general
Stone Cold Crazy nice metal riffs.
Actually a decent variety and well-executed.
Best track - Flick of the Wrist, Stone Cold Crazy
4 stars
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
3/5
Soft folk/country rock. Quite nice really. Lyrical themes of American indigenous peoples.
2nd half is much more rock styled. Prefer the 1st half.
Best track - Pocahontas
3 stars, but had potential
Gram Parsons
2/5
Another country/western album. *sigh* not even fun outlaw country. Middle of the road stuff.
Bit of humour in I Can't Dance
Otherwise nothing to note at all.
Best track - I Can't Dance
2 stars
Isaac Hayes
3/5
Funk/soul slow tempo. Instrumentals on Walk On By are nice. Fuzz, orchestral.
Hyperbolic... has great instrumentals and funky beat
Best track - Walk On By, Hyperbolic...
3 stars, but Hyperbolic... is great
Metallica
4/5
80s thrash metal, with the acoustic interludes that make Metallica Metallica.
Some bits with clear blues influence. Some bits sound like a precursor to metalcore.
The thing that should not me seems to give the link between e.g. Sabbath and Metallica
First two tracks are best by far
Heavy tracks are a nice blend of harmonic/melodic and chromatic
Best track (other than title) - Battery
4 stars (just for title track alone!)
Metallica
3/5
As expected for Metallica, decent riffs, guitar harmonies, solos. Solo on Blackened is quite melodic in places, reminds me of Dragonforce.
More reminiscent of Black album (Enter Sandman) in places (And Justice for All). More emphasis on rhythms (Eye of the Beholder)
Not as much raw enery as MoP
The Frayed Ends of Sanity starting with that chant! Also has some metalcore style harmonies towards the end.
Rhythm riff on To Live Is To Die feels like if could be on a Rammstein album.
Best track (other than One) - Blackened, The Shortest Straw, Harvester of Sorrow
3 stars - except for One, other tracks aren't so memorable
Happy Mondays
3/5
Not sure what to expect. First track is a pseudo-country song (aptly called Country Song)
Moving In With is indie/britpop style. Some new-wave feeling in there too. Fat Lady Wrestlers is almost Cure-like.
Nice soundscapes but not much in terms of hooks or standout melodies
More obviously new wave post-punk than i expected (XTC-like in places), but you can hear the britpop/madchester that will come later.
Best track - Mad Cyril
3 stars
3/5
Funk/reggae. Very nice unique sound!
Rest seems to be more standard funk/soul.
Interesting to have a long instrumental on track 3.
Four Cornered Room is slow and atmospheric.
Jazz jams in title track. Nice.
Best track - The Cisco Kid
3 or 4 stars, first track was an eye-opener. 3 overall but a strong 3
Dwight Yoakam
2/5
Standard C+W... what's so special?
Streets of Bakersfield has some Mariachi/folk in there.
Best track - Streets of Bakersfield
2 stars
Derek & The Dominos
3/5
Soft rock/blues rock. Like KGLW Flight B741.
I am yours has some world music elements too. Nice.
Otherwise nice enough but not outstanding. Quite easy listening.
Best track - I Am Yours, Anyday
3 stars
Stevie Wonder
3/5
Smooth soul, mix of love and religious themes. Not my kind of thing but you have to respect Wonder.
Bit more of a groove on Boogie On Reggae Woman
You Havent Done Nothin has that trademark SW sound
Nice piano on start of They Wont Go
Bird of Beauty has a nice sound.
Overall very good objectively, but not my style.
Best track - Boogie On Reggae Woman, You Havent Done Nothin
3 stars, but with 4 star moments.
Television
4/5
Very interesting. Intersection of rock/punk and new wave.
Riff in Venus reminds of Sweet Child of Mine.
Some parts even sound post or even pop punk/emo.
Marquee Moon has indie/bluesy feel.
Album does feel ahead of its time!
Jam section on Marquee Moon is incredible.
Every song is decent in its own right!
Best track - Venus, Marquee Moon
4/5 stars
Simon & Garfunkel
3/5
Unexpected sound on Save the Life of My Child. More instruments, with fuzz bass than expected.
Otherwise the usual folk with hints of psychedelia.
Voices of Old People is just literally old people talking
Best track - Fakin It, A Hazy Shade of Winter, At The Zoo
3 stars
King Crimson
3/5
Prog rock with jazz. Tight performance and meandering tracks. I'd heard good things...
Epitaph and Moonchild remind me of clean Opeth, but Moonchild has meandering outro, not a big fan
Impressive prog for 69 but not as mind-blowing as I had hoped
Best track - Epitaph
3 stars
Jurassic 5
4/5
Hip-hop/rap with soul and jazz samples, political lyrics. Nice hooks and samples, nice flow, mellow sound.
The effect does wear off a bit but the premise is solid. Rhymes are tight throughout.
Is that Quest in there?
Thin Line is a nice conventional track about relationships
One of Them is homophobic, but tongue-in-cheek I hope?
Similar to Gorillaz in places. I guess because of funk/soul samples with rap.
Fun eastern sample on Acetate Prophets
Best track - Freedom, If You Only Knew
4 stars
The Stone Roses
4/5
New wave/post-punk meets indie. Some REM style in there too with prominent basslines and jangly guitars.
Every track is pretty good in its own right.
Thought I didnt like Stone Roses but this is decent.
Elizabeth My Dear is a cover of Scarborough Fair?
I Am The Resurrection has some nice instrumentals halfway through
Best track - I Wanna Be Adored, She Bangs the Drums, Waterfall (but did I know it?), This Is The One
4 stars?
Skunk Anansie
3/5
I've heard of Skunk Anansie but what is it? First track is like nu metal instrumentals with a decent singer (soul vocals). Ooh, some proggy jazz chords too! Nice
2nd track follows the same formula, but more funk rock.
Some grungey (Black Hole Sun) style guitars.
I quite like it, surprisingly. But not much is totally standout catchy.
Strong start but the effect wears off.
Best track - Charlie Big Potato
3 stars
Massive Attack
3/5
Not sure what you call this.. ambient electro? With hip-hop/rap influences?
Mid-tempo electro elements (e.g. sequenced synths) with acoustic (pianos, strings).
First track isn't doing much for me.
Karmacoma has a decent beat but vocals/lyrics aren't all that.
Whatever it is, it's done well. Just not my scene at all. Instrumentals are generally good.
Best track - Karmacoma, Euro Child
3 stars
Arctic Monkeys
3/5
Garage/indie rock. Angular chord progessions amidst more standard power chord riffs. And characteristic vocals. Not bad actually.
The style is decent and doesnt get old, but not overwhelmingly good.
Best track - The View From The Afternoon, Fake Tales of San Francisco, Red Lights..., When The Sun Goes Down
3-4 stars
Korn
4/5
You know Korn, nu metal with themes of childhood, abuse, and trauma.
Hadn't appreciated before that this album dropped even before Slipknot self-titled, and yet the sound is so well-developed already.
On a close critical listen am I getting influences from funk and even disco?
Ice Cube on Children of the Korn is cool!
And then you have All In The Family, clearly the apex of nu metal
My Gift To You sounds like a Slipknot track in places
Best track (other than Freak On A Leash, Dead Bodies Everywhere and All In The Family) - It's On!
4 stars
Dolly Parton
3/5
Hmm, actually decent for C&W. Coat of Many Colours is sweet story, Traveling Man is a humourous track.
Oh, falls off a cliff after track 2 - generic C&W dirges.
Best track - Traveling Man
3 stars for 2 decent tracks
Elvis Costello
3/5
Early new-wave, with plenty of do-wop/50s rocknroll influences.
It's almost a complete 50s revival!
Interesting sound, but not grabbing my attention.
Waiting for the end of the world is proper post-punk/new wave
Best track - Welcome to The Working Week, Mystery Dance, Waiting for the End Of The World
3 stars
Songhoy Blues
5/5
Blues rock with African language vocals. First track just grabs your attention, instruments so crisp and well-mixed and the vocals fit amazingly!
Are there non-standard time signatures in Al Tchere Bele?
2nd half seems more traditional, folksy, with an acoustic, clean sound.
Excellent technical playing and mix is so clear.
Best track - Soubour, Irganda, Al Hassidi Terei, Jolie
4-5 stars, brilliant album with some amazing standout tracks.
Fuck it, give it 5!
Suede
3/5
What is this? A 70s prog rock/new-wave/britpop mashup?
Sounds like Bowie in places.
Don't know why, but I get pretentious vibes..
It's so 70s in vibe, not sure in a good way? Not sure what I'm meant to be impressed by?
The Asphalt World is like prog meets grunge, not bad.
Still Life is a bit overblown! Sounds like it's from a stage show!
Best track - Daddy's Speeding, The Asphalt World
3 stars - I get what it is but it doesn't resonate with me
Brian Eno
4/5
Experimental/art rock/pop. Interesting instrument choices and fx.
Early use of synths, but in a more naturalistic, less robotic context than Kraftwerk.
Many instrumental/atmospheric pieces. Some tracks (The Big Ship) has Mike Oldfield vibes.
It's actually quite a nice album to let wash over you.
Best track - In Dark Trees, The Big Ship, Golden Hours
4 stars, it grows on you
Depeche Mode
4/5
Later Depeche Mode, synth pop/new wave as expected with that darker sound. More experimental, more polished, accomplished, better production.
Some guitars too, adding balance to the sound.
Still sounds great, not dated at all!
Despite this and some great ideas, standout tracks are not forthcoming.
Best track (other than Personal Jesus and Enjoy the Silence) - Policy of Truth
4 stars (mainly for incredible ideas and production rather than wow factor on any given song)
B.B. King
3/5
Old-school blues. Sounds old-fashioned until guitar solos come in, then you can hear the influence on later, harder blues rock.
Not much to say, I guess production is decent for a live album from 1965?
Best track - Please Love Me, Woke Up This Mornin
3 stars
UB40
3/5
UB40 classic style, moody reggae/ska if that's fair to say.
None of the big hits on this album.
Nice sound, but no standout tracks really...
Reefer Madness is more like 2-tone ska, a la Specials
Listening again to my picks for best track I get quite a great run of tracks, so there is good stuff in amongst the 1hr record.
Best track - Food for Thought, Signing Off, Madam Medusa, Reefer Madness
3 stars, pushing 4 in all honesty
Arena rock. On a closer listen, Beautiful Day is actually a cool song, with hints of indie to come (reminds me of Killers and Coldplay). Also maybe even the indie-adjacent emo (instrumentals could be straight from The Used or AFI!)
2 tracks in, 2 very good. Exceeding expectations!
Elevation is similar to Muse?
After Elevation, seems to get stuck in a rut
Peace On Earth is a mawkish attempt at a Christmas song?
Shame, it starts so strongly, and then peters out in a stream of ballads.
Best track - Stuck in a Moment..., Elevation
3 stars
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
As expected, theatrical rock, with country elements.
Despite its predictability the tracks are still catchy and compelling.
Country elements are more pronounced here than other Springsteen albums..?
Second half is almost grungey in places.
Effect definitely gets old...
Best track - Lonesome Day, The Rising
3 stars
Keith Jarrett
3/5
Piano concert, as you might expect, with jazz passages. I suppose it's all live, maybe even improv, so quite impressive.
Some really lovely phrases and passages.
Best track - Part I, even though it's long!
3 stars
Led Zeppelin
3/5
Blues rock, only so much I can take..
Thank You has some vestige of Stairway to Heaven
Moby Dick is a relatively fun instrumental - oh it descends into a drum solo...
Bring It On Home is remarkably similar to KGLW's Daily Blues
Best track (other than Whole Lotta Love) - Thank You, Bring It On Home
3 stars
3/5
Multi-genre, experimental rock concept album.
Moonage Daydream has nice instrumental interlude.
Hang On To Yourself is punky.
I did expect a bit more of this album..
Best track (other than Starman) - Moonage Daydream
3 stars
Super Furry Animals
4/5
Mix of sample/electro/indie/punk. Bit like intersection of Blur and Gorillaz.
Some pop-punk in there too (Drawing Rings Around the World), which also seems to have some inspiration from Status Quo Rockin All Over the World??
Ooh... Receptacle for the Respectable goes a bit metal!!
No Sympathy has proper synthy, almost jungle/dub
Very accomplished album
Best track - Drawing Rings Around the World, Receptacle for the Respectable, No Sympathy
4 stars
The Monks
4/5
60s psych-rock. Doors/Jefferson Airplane adjacent. Not bad
Shut Up even has some punk attitude in there. Garage too.
Compilation is also very proto-punk
Best track - Monk Time, Higgle-Dy
Only We Do Wie Du available on Spotify
4 stars
Beatles
3/5
More Beatles... 60s pop rock. Maybe it broke ground then, but it's just boring today...
Best track - I'm Happy Just to Dance With You, And I Love Her, Tell My Why
3 stars
Animal Collective
2/5
Atmospheric, vibey proggy. Like Pink Floyd with a synth..
Not a fan of the consistent slow vocal delivery..
Vocals also reminiscent of pop-punk in places.
Ugh, Daily Routine is such dirge...
Guys Eyes is like The Beach Boys on drugs..
Best track - Summertime Clothes, Bluish, Brother Sport
2 stars
Femi Kuti
4/5
African music. Jazz, funk, soul, ska/reggae elements in there. Pretty good!
Nothing absolutely grabs the attention, but great hooks, riffs and basslines throughout with a great danceable energy.
Best track - Survival, Nawa
4 stars
Astor Piazzolla
3/5
Jazz x tango?? Not sure how to describe this. All inatrumental, sounds interesting enough.
Nice if you like this kind of thing, but doesn't wow me personally.
I can appreciate the musicality and skill though.
Best track - Vibraphonissimo, Operation Tango
3 stars
Sufjan Stevens
3/5
Eclectic mix of experimental pop with orchestral/country/jazz flourishes. Soft vocals are a bit grating though, like it was recorded in a bedroom trying not to wake up the rest of the house.
Seems a bit self-indulgent/opaque. Not sure what it's about or what the point is.
Best track - Jacksonville, Decatur
3 stars
Led Zeppelin
3/5
Another Zepp album...
The Battle of Evermore has that Stairway feel I prefer to their 'harder' stuff.
Oh, Stairway is actually here.
Going To California has a nice sound, reminiscent of much later soft folk indie.
Best track (other than Stairway) - The Battle of Evermore, Going To California
3 stars
The Smiths
3/5
Indie alt rock/post punk with Morrisey's distinctive vocals.
A Rush and a Push has a good rhythm.
Paint a Vulgar Picture is interesting, about selling out, but who is it about?
Overall it's kind of fun, but a bit overhyped as it's just an album for teenage contrarians in the 80s..
Best track - A Rush and a Push, Death at One's Elbow
3 stars
Goldfrapp
3/5
Folk/neo-folk with classical/orchestral/synth elements.
Some interesting chord progressions, but those breathy vocals aren't good for me..
Little Bird has a 70s prog/experimental feel. Ooh, also breaks out into almost psychedelic.
Instrumentals are actually really good.
Halfway it gets a bit boring. Not sure if the music gets less interesting of if I got bored of it.
Really cool in places, boring in others. Could have been great, but on average it's average..
Best track - Little Bird, Happiness
3 stars
Blondie
3/5
Poppy post-punk with DH's classic vocal delivery. Some rock n roll in there too. Already knew 4 tracks so can anything here surprise me?
Ah well it seems the best tracks are the ones I already know. Still those ones are great!
I'm Gonna Love You Too is a nice rock n roll diversion!
Best track - I'm Gonna Love You Too
3 stars, but with some 5 star tracks.
PJ Harvey
3/5
Moody/experimental indie(?) Detuned instruments in Let England Shake.
Lyrics deal with war/WWI
It's not bad but not blowing me away. Shame as first track is very interesting.
Best track - Let England Shake, In The Dark Places
3 stars
Radiohead
4/5
Atmospheric indie rock with electro/synth elements. Jazz influence in there too with some chord choices?
Drum n bass drums in Sit Down. Stand Up
Go To Sleep has that style of finger picked/arpeggiated chord progression I love
For me it's at its best with a decent beat, not so aimlessly atmospheric.
And I can't forgive Thom Yorke for making so many people copy this vocal style.
A Punch Up at a Wedding has a nice funky bluesy soul feel.
Myxomatrosis has great fuzzy bassline.
2nd half of album definitely picks up!
Best track - Go To Sleep, There There, A Punch Up At A Wedding, Myxomatosis
4 stars, just about enough interest and good songs to bring it up
Sonic Youth
3/5
Alternative rock/punk/post punk. It's pretty good but it's generally too much on the punky side and less melodic/hook driven than I would prefer.
Nice riff on Total Trash, almost presaging pop-punk.
Best track - Cross the Breeze, Eric's Trip
3 stars
Elvis Presley
3/5
Famous sound: rock n roll with 12 bar blues base. With ballads too. Not much else to say, obviously important at the time, but dated today.
Some tracks more country than 12BB, e.g. Just Because
Best track (not already known) - One-Sided Love Affair
3 stars
Tears For Fears
4/5
Ah, 80s electro new wave. Classic songs Shout and Everybody Wants to Rule the World. How can it get less than 4 stars?
Listen has similar initial melody to Talking Loud and Clear by OMD
Actually beyond the big singles the rest here is more of a vibe than a collection of songs.
Best (new) track - Broken
4 stars
Jimmy Smith
4/5
Instrumental organ-driven blues with jazz saxophone. Track 1 mainly blues (reminds me of The Doors), track 2 mainly jazz (a la Coltrane)!
Minor Chant is nicely in between the two extremes! Few passages/transitions raise my eyebrows and a smile!
At it's extremes the jazz is too opaque, and the blues too predictable. But when balanced well it's magic.
Best track - Back at the Chicken Shack, Minor Chant
4 stars
The Rolling Stones
3/5
Eclectic rock mix. Sympathy for the Devil still sounds fresh today with interesting percussion, backing vocals and piano driven groove. Mix is good.
Other tracks have deep south/delta blues style.
Style does get predictable after a few tracks..
Lyrics of Stray Cat Blues are pretty nasty..
Factory Girl has nice almost folksy instrumentals.
Album ends on a gospel inspired section which is nice.
Best track - Sympathy for the Devil, Prodigal Son, Factory Girl
3 stars
The Velvet Underground
4/5
Experimental/psychedelic/low-fi pop/folk/rock? Sunday Morning has a 50s/60s ballad feel in the flow and instrumentation.
I'm Waiting for the Man also has an old-fashioned feel for the time, but with almost spoken word lyrics brings it the 70s feel. But it is 60s! Ahead of its time then!
Ah, moving through we keep seeing that 60s instrumental with subversive, punky vocal delivery/lyrics.
Venus in Furs comes from left field as a psychedelic experimental folk song, which I'm a sucker for.
Run Run Run is like a standard 60s song but with that psych/dissonant/low-fi edge.
All Tomorrow's Parties is a nice balance of folk/psych. Instrumental Interlude is very nice.
Heroin is also great, changes in tempo and dynamics with great effect. Oof end is hard to listen to though, with screeching/feedback sounds.
There She Goes Again is another great subversion of the standard 60s pop rock song.
Best track - Sunday Morning, Venus in Furs, All Tomorrow's Parties, Heroin, There She Goes Again
4 stars, actually much better than I expected
Sugar
4/5
Grungey pop-punk. REM in places, Alice In Chains in others, but also like Blink or Sum 41 (or even Smash Mouth!) to come later. Quite impressive for the time, but the sheer number of copycats means the sound doesnt hit the same way in 2026.
Ooh, If I Can't Change Your Mind has a gorgeous, explosive starting hook!
Best track - A Good Idea, The Slim, If I Cant Change Your Mind
Pretty special, even without a lot of mind-blowing moments. Still 4 stars
The Associates
4/5
80s synth-pop/new wave, with an avant garde flavour. But I've never heard of The Associates before!
Start sounds strong for the genre!
2 mins in and no vocals, is this an instrumental album?
Ooh, No has a nice moody feel. Feels a bit 'naive' musically but I like it. Vocals come in like a proto-Radiohead!
Experimental side, derived from XTC style indie?
Gloomy Sunday has nice synth hooks, with live piano. Nice combo.
It is interesting, but for me it's pushed just a little bit too far to the avant garde. I would have liked a few ideas to be properly worked through; the elements of classics are present.
Party Fears Two has a Cure-like bounciness which is very nice.
Best track - Arrogance Gave Him Up, No, Gloomy Sunday, Skipping, Party Fears Two, Club Country
4 stars - just about, it has enough of interest to enjoy and I'd listen again!
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
3/5
Indie/garage rock with a punk bent. Not much special on Rich
Not much throughout to blow me away in fact
Y Control has a disco-ish drums, track is like an anti-Blondie!
Modern Romance is a nice slower number.
Best track - any.. say Maps, Y Control
3 stars