The Doors are one of those bands I wish I could hear without the context of their present-day influence. Even just with the first track on this album, it evoked modern bands that strive for this sound as their identity (looking at you Black Keys). But that also means that they did it well enough for that influence to last all these decades later. Obviously the Doors weren't the only artists making bluesy rock music in this way, but their sound is more timeless than some other efforts from that era. Conversely, though, it's also interesting to think about the time that has passed since this album (released 1971) to today (50+ years later), and that at the time it came out, it was already decades after the blues music that influenced it. Songs like Cars Hiss By My Window really drive you back to those earlier eras, while, like I said above, the more modern sounding blues rock influence can come from other tracks. To be clear, I am a blues rock fan. I've never really loved the Doors or listened to them outside of their more famous songs, but this album was a perfect introduction to their full-length efforts for me. It hit the right feel of blues, but also rocked. It had variety between slower songs and some with more pep. I don't consider Morrison to have otherworldly vocal talent, but he still was able to do some impressive things with his voice here. It's one of those situations where the artist fits the song and gives it exactly what it seems to need. I'm not sure another voice would've brought the songs to life as well. The lyrics weren't necessarily amazing, but you could feel what he was singing with them. I mean, who can't appreciate the emotion he put behind "I've been down so goddamn long, that it looks like up to me" in an angry growl. He's gritty, he's angry, he's sad, he's expressive, he's contemplative; he wants you to feel what he feels as he's singing. I definitely like that aspect to a singer rather than the more pop/accessible method that makes things more generic. I also enjoyed the music. It pulled off a good bluesy rock sound. Guitar-driven tracks will almost always pique my interest, and this album had a lot of that. I felt there was a balance to the instrumental focus. It had plenty of guitar, but also a lot of keys. Solid drums and bass holding it down. There were times when it seemed like maybe they could've done more, but the songs didn't feel lacking even though they didn't. They switched it up a bit for Riders on the Storm, going with a jazzy feel, which was a nice change at the end. For the negative, some of the songs just weren't as good as others. I wanted to like L'America and Hyacinth House, but didn't get that much from them (especially compared to the rest of the tracks). Their lyrics were the weakest of the album to me. I felt like they brought down some of the following tracks too, since they all felt more similar than some of the vibes on the first half. To add to that, I do think the album would've benefitted from some more variation in style. As much as I loved the sound, the last half really could use something to mix it up. That eventually happened with Riders, but it was a bit late at that point. To me, this was a really solid album with good blues rock roots and interesting vocal work. It was underwhelming in parts, and probably a little too one-note to be considered an all-time great. Still, a very good one. Overall: 4/5

Pleasant, comforting sound with good vibes.

Some good, some meh, overall not bad.

Kinda meh, bland, boring; it didn't hold my attention. I didn't really care for it.

Not a big fan of Neil Young's voice, so listening to it for the full album was a bit of a struggle. I think I would've liked the songs more with a different voice, and preferred the ones where he was harmonized/paired with less grating vocals. Highlights: Southern Man, When You Dance Overall: 2/5

Jazzy fun. Not something I'd listen to on a regular basis, but I can see why people who are into this type of music enjoy Coltrane. Very talented musician, just the wrong genre for me to appreciate as much as I otherwise could. Overall: 3/5

I'd describe this as a "cool" sound, especially considering that it came out in 1991. It is neither overly complex nor too pop-ishly simple, but covers a lot of the ground between those types of production. It has some funk elements and unique technique, but also has the hooks and stylings of songs that would play on the radio today. Overall, a fun listen, though I don't know that I'd say I love it or that it was my favorite. Overall: 3.5/5

I don't have a great feel on this one- my playback volume started super low and had inconsistent levels as I tried to listen, which caused me to have to adjust it multiple times. It was distracting and took me out of the best mindset to evaluate the album. That said, what I was able to hear clearly didn't really make me want to go back and re-listen to what I missed. Nothing was bad, necessarily, but it also didn't appeal to me all that much. I think it's another one that I just found somewhat boring. Overall: 2.75/5

I liked this better than the other suggested Neil Young album I've gotten (After the Gold Rush). I found his voice less grating- maybe the music suited it better. I also enjoyed the music style more, which maintained some of the folksiness but also had more rock to it. I'd guess it's the addition of Crazy Horse instead of solo NY that made the difference for me. That said, beating the first one was a low bar to cross. I'd consider this album fine to good, with the last few songs being the best part. Overall: 2.75/5

This album is a lot of fun and is very vibe-heavy in a good way. Something you can listen to and jam with both as your main focus or while doing something else. That said, one factor I put weight on that I question for this album is its repeatability. I'm not sure it's something I'd want to listen to in full with frequency, whereas I could see myself revisiting individual songs more often. It also lacks some range/depth that can really hammer home the impact of certain tracks (and what I think really helps make an album "great"), opting for the aforementioned vibes instead. Even with these qualms, it's a very solid album. Overall: 3.4/5

I found this one interesting (in a positive way). Definitely a bit different than my usual listening, but I enjoyed the variety it offered. I thought the album worked well as a whole, maybe greater than the sum of its parts. Not sure I'll come back to it with much regularity though. Still, a solid album. Overall: 3/5

Pleasant, enjoyable jazz. Simple as. Overall: 3/5

As a Bowie fan, I realized listening to this album that the only "record" of his I've ever listened to in full is a greatest hits CD we had in the car growing up. It helped me go into this one with a more open mind rather than already knowing it or having some other to compare it to. Perhaps that was the reason, but I was a bit underwhelmed by the album. Definitely some good ones on there, but others that didn't hold me like Bowie normally does. Overall: 3/5

Solid all the way through. I like the duo better than the either musician individually, and this album showcases how well they make music as a unit. It's mellow, folky, and a bit melancholy, but enjoyable. It also works well as a whole, even though the songs are good on their own. Overall: 3.8/5

Fun and lively album. The songs were short, but didn't seem to be lacking from the brevity. The diverse mix of instruments remained clear in the composition. This was an enjoyable listen, even if it wasn't my usual style of music. Overall: 3/5

I found this one to be a little too melancholy for my taste. While I didn't dislike the album, most of the songs felt like they should be listened to on a rainy day while curled up under a blanket. That has its place, of course, and isn't a bad thing, but does detract from the impact the album had when judging it as "great" or not. I think adding more variety/mixing up the vibes a bit would have made it a much more memorable album all the way through. Overall: 2/5

Pretty good rock album. Maybe it's due to hearing it in today's music environment instead of when it came out almost 25 years ago, but I wouldn't say it's more special than that. It would be interesting to hear it in context of the music that was out around the same time when this style of rock was starting to take off; probably would feel much more fresh after a decade of 80s radio rock than listening to it in the 2020s. That's probably my biggest critique of the album, since as a whole it's solid. Overall: 3/5

Solid if unspectacular; plenty of good and some meh. Nothing that I'd say stood out as great. Overall: 2.75/5

Honestly, really enjoyed this album. It was long, but kept me engaged. Good vibes, fun songs, enjoyable music. I can see myself coming back to it again. Overall: 3.6/5

This one was a lot of fun. I usually feel a little limited when rating jazz albums; I don't love the genre enough to give them high ratings, but don't feel it's fair to knock one down solely for that reason. I really didn't run into that issue here. I think the groovy-ness really helped me get into it even if it wasn't my usual style. The frenetic energy of the songs kept me engaged too- it a situation where I was able to visualize the band ripping it up while the songs were playing. My biggest critique of albums I've had with this generator so far is that they lose my interest or have some meh/boring stuff on there, but that really didn't happen with this album until the end. Unfortunately, the last song was a little slow and felt a bit underwhelming after the energy of the first few. Still, very very solid. Overall: 3.5/5

Really solid album. TLC was getting radio play when I was a little kid, but I can't say I appreciated it much at the time based on my age and interests. I enjoyed this one and thought it was good all the way through. I would say it felt a little dated in some ways; it's hard to describe, but it's almost like you can hear the 90s in the music. I didn't hate that, though. Overall: 3.6/5

Really did not care for this album. The music didn't really impress me, the vocals didn't hold me, and the lyrics didn't seem to say anything all that interesting. As a result, I found it bland and lacking an impact; it was just kinda lame. I felt like the band themselves sounded bored a lot of the time. It did get slightly better as it went on, but the majority of the album suffered from these issues to me. I don't see myself coming back to this one. Overall: 1.25/5

A nice jazz piano album. Couldn't really get into it as it's not my style, but I was able to enjoy it as some background listening even if it didn't lock me in fully. Overall: 2.5/5

I enjoyed the album all the way through, even with being less attuned to the genre compared to my usual listens. I also thought the songs worked well altogether as a whole, which I always like in an album. It felt like there was a lot of variety even if the style was the same throughout, and it didn't seem too bloated even though there were 16 songs. Maybe one negative was how late 80s/early 90s it sounded; I actually thought it contributed in a good way to the feel of the album and found it to be fitting with the messaging, but does take away from the "timelessness" aspect I find a lot of great albums to have. Overall: 3.5/5

Found this one fun and enjoyable. I liked the music styles and how the songs were composed. It had good vibes and worked as a whole. My knock on it is that nothing really stood out as "great" - just a lot of "good". Overall: 3.25/5

Another one I'd call "fun", but also another one that I wouldn't consider "great" even though I enjoyed the album and thought it was a solid listen. As someone who doesn't listen to much instrumental hip hop, I found the compositions and use of sounds interesting and well done. I can't say much more about it, though. That probably has to do with the style of music; it's something I could enjoy having on in the background while doing other things, but not something I'd necessarily have on as my main focus for its hour+ runtime. Overall: 3/5

Not sure exactly why, but I really wasn't impressed by this one. It just seemed... sterile? Generic? Uninspired? Like it was made to be played on radio without much more creativity/thought beyond that. Which, to me, meant that while it was not bad, per se, it was not good either. Just middle-of-the-road in every way. I don't think I'll remember a single song off of this album tomorrow. Overall: 2/5

Despite having seen the artwork (what seems like) a million+ times in my life, I had never listened to this album in full. I had heard a couple songs in various contexts before, so I wasn't completely blind to it. Even so, I was caught a bit off guard from my expectations- in a good way. This one felt like a well thought out, complete album. All the pieces came together to make something impressive and impactful. What weak spots there were blended away into another solid, good song. The music composition wasn't particularly complex or intricate, but seemed perfectly fitting for what each song was. A great example of not overdoing it (which seems to plague a lot of music production). When there was something extra on top, it was complimentary (chaotic strings, for example) and added to the experience rather than distracting from it. Reed's vocals fit the content very well, even though I normally don't love his tone. I actually preferred his effort's to Nico's, for whatever reason. Importantly to me, the album held my attention all the way through. Songs that had long runtimes didn't get old. Songs that were short left me wanting them to go on a bit longer. There were a few negatives; it did seem repetitive at times, and certain songs definitely were weaker than others. It also trended almost too much toward simplicity, and some parts felt like they could use a bit more emphasis or complexity to bring it out. Even so, this is one that I would say is a great album as a whole. I will be coming back to it for another listen. Overall: 4.2/5

This is a strange time to be listening to--and praising--a Kanye West album, but I have to give him credit here. I'll also preface this review by saying that I am decidedly NOT a Kanye West fan, and never really have been, other than enjoying an occasional single. My opinion of him, at least as a person, has only lowered over the last few years. At a time when he was perhaps just starting to show the side of him that would eventually lead to the downward descent he finds himself in now, he released this album. And what an album it is. Every song is well-crafted, full, and meaningful. There are interesting blends of style/effect in songs and throughout the album, and some callbacks to some of his prior efforts. It felt like a culmination of all the music that came in the decade or so before while still being forward-looking. Even where the amount of things going on made me think it should feel bloated or overproduced, it still worked really well. There are songs that are brimming with artists and their contributions, dozens of instruments and effects, and multiple messages, but they are somehow better as a result. He does a great job of placing emphasis in the right spots to make the songs hit as they should, without wasting anything or leaving the lighter parts feeling empty. And let's not skip over the lyrical content- it gets deep and meaningful, even where it covers some heavily-trod ground in music (and this genre, especially). Even the more "generic" songs (like "All of the Lights") get into some pretty heavy topics. You can tell that it isn't just pandering or a product for the masses, but a personal perspective or experience that is being told. I found the weakest part to be "Blame Game", perhaps at least partly because I generally don't enjoy John Legend; combining him and Kanye is a tough one for me. Either way, the song didn't do much for me. The Chris Rock outro went on way too long and felt like a weird amount of self-praise jammed in unnecessarily. Other than that song, I would say that I don't find Kanye's "singing" voice to be very good, and really noticed that at the times he used it instead of his usual style. In sum, this album had powerful content, well-composed instrumentation/music, and was strong both in its separate parts and as a whole piece. I can see myself coming back to it and enjoying it again. There were some parts or aspects that didn't appeal to me, but even so I would call it a great album. Overall: 4.5/5

Not sure what I was expecting here, but it definitely wasn't a head-on funk/soul effort with some songs I might hear on a disco floor. I'm guessing this album had a lot more impact when it was released and Bowie was still known for Ziggy Stardust-type productions than it does in out-of-context listening here. As it is, there are some solid tracks that show Bowie at his best. Unfortunately, there are also plenty of tracks that are rather unimpressive. I guess I have to give him credit for taking on a new genre and style, but I can also criticize that effort for its faults. I can't help but think 90% of the album would've been better had an actual soul singer been performing instead of Bowie. I'm sure the fact that it was Bowie is what made it popular, though. The strongest songs are the ones I've heard before- Young Americans and Fame. The rest ranged from fine to weak. And what was that Beatles cover? It wasn't awful, just weird. Overall: 2.5/5

Nice little album. Songs very short and whimsical. You can hear the 50s in the sound, but also hear some influences it would pass on to later music. Honestly, it didn't really hold me or seem very memorable, but it was fine for what it is. Overall: 2.5/5

Definitely different from my usual listening, but I did enjoy it even if I don't love the style all that much. This is another album that I'd probably never have picked on my own, so I am glad it came up on here. I felt like it would be good to have on in very specific settings, such as while doing meditation or with fog machines and lasers in an art space. I can't say it is something I'd just put on and listen to, but strangely enough I really dug it. I liked the way it flowed and worked as a whole. The negatives are that it does seem a bit niche and replay-ability isn't high for me. I'm not sure I'd call it great, but it was definitely good. Overall: 3.4/5

I have been wanting to explore more SP, so I was happy to see this one come up. Unfortunately, I was left feeling a tad disappointed with it by the end. You can tell all the parts are there- crashing, loud guitars; vocals that range from screaming-in-your-face to lullaby-esque softness; various topics and concepts to keep things interesting. Even so, the overall product felt underwhelming for the most part. It was a solid album as a whole. It had songs that worked both by themselves and together with the rest. It started strong with Cherub Rock. I think the rest didn't live up to that high, however. It also felt long in a way that's difficult to nail down, as the runtime wasn't really the problem. It just got a little tedious or something. Maybe I would've liked it more if it were a song or two shorter? I feel like that was a lot of negative analysis, but that probably comes from having somewhat high expectations. I can say the album was a solid "good" even with the critiques above. I should probably come back to it again later and give it another try. Overall: 3/5

An all-around solid 90s rock album. Nothing particularly special about it, but that is kind of why it's special (if that makes sense). It is what it is, and doesn't try to do anything else besides get in your face and rock out. It has some bangers and some OK songs, but is never boring. Overall: 3.4/5

This was my third 90s rock album in a row, but this one was definitely my favorite of the three. I already was familiar with Incubus and knew (and liked) a number of songs on the album. I had not heard the vast majority, however. While the style was very clearly late-90s rock/metal, it still had some uniqueness and freshness more than two decades after release. It also had varied themes, and felt a bit abstract in how it presented different topics. The vocals were good and kept you engaged. I also like the instrumentality and how it added some different elements than you might normally hear on a rock album. It ranged from the loudness you'd look for to some more quiet, nuanced moments. I think the weakest song was its most popular, "Drive". Not that it was bad, but it just didn't grab me like the rest did. Maybe it felt a little out of place, even though I did like that it changed up the pace a bit from the rest of the album. It could be one of those songs that is strong on its own, but is hard to place on an album. I could see myself coming back to this one and enjoying it every time. I'd say it was at the high end of good. Overall: 3.9/5

What on its surface appears to be a hardcore punk rock album is in fact a hardcore punk rock album. Which really is the essence of punk- it is what it is, and is as in your face about it as it can be. If this is what you're looking for in music, you'll definitely find it here. The album does what it does well. But does that make it one of the greatest of all time? Is it one of the greatest punk albums of all time? It definitely seems to have had a wide influence, as the sound and style persisted and can be heard in some music today. Part of its strength is in its brevity; only three songs run longer than 3 minutes and the whole album is barely more than 20 minutes long. I think if it had gone on longer, it could've gotten tiresome. Even so, it's appeal is likely limited by the aforementioned style and there being little diversity in the energy of the songs. Overall, I have to give it a 2.75/5. Because, while not necessarily great, it's good. And while not bad, it's not great. I would probably rank it higher if I was more of a punk.

I'm already a Led Zeppelin fan, so this one was a bit of a familiar treat more than a new experience. That said, I had never listened to the album in full before. Since I already knew a number of the songs, I tried to expand my critical focus beyond what I might have upon hearing it all for the first time. The album is lengthy- it's a 15 track double album that runs over an hour and 20 minutes long. Throughout that runtime, it covers a pretty diverse range of musical ground. The album has full-on rock songs, some more epic pieces, acoustic tracks, and even a country song. LZ are at their best when they're making a blues-oriented rock song, and that's clear when you compare those tracks with the rest of the songs on the album. The other tracks aren't bad, but do fall short of what they're able to do in their breadbasket. They are divided fairly well; once you get through some of the more subtle tracks, another big rocker comes up. That is, until the end. It felt like things started to cool off by the time you get to side 4, though those songs are still good and might be better without hearing them after the other 3 sides. I think my biggest gripe with the album has to do with its capacity. It just felt like there were one or two songs on there that could've been left off and made the album stronger by omission. My other complaint would be lyrical content. While Plant did have some range and usually does a good job when getting into the abstract and fantasy, far too often it seems he only wants to sing about love and sex. Getting more depth and diversity in the lyrics would have made the songs themselves more interesting. There are many positive things to say, and they outweigh the negatives by a longshot. Sides 1 and 2 are fantastic. The album starts strong with Custard Pie--a cool rock song--and keeps up that quality for a long time. I also liked how the songs ending 1 and starting 2 each have a bit of spiritualism in their themes- one about dying, and one about the heavens. Plus Houses of the Holy is just a fun track with a great groove in general. Kashmir is one of their most famous, and most epic, tracks. The album does slow down a bit on sides 3 and 4, but they still have some really solid tracks too. The instrumentation and composition is fluid but well done, as is to be expected from LZ. They work incredibly well as a unit to make their music come together. They sound great as a whole, and probably are one of the most cohesive bands in terms of the sum of the parts. This is one of their later albums, so they'd had time to perfect their methods too. In sum, this is a great album. Not because it is perfect, but because it is memorable, well-crafted, and showcases the talent of its contributors in a way that created something great. It was a bit slow at times and probably could've been a tad shorter, but those are small complaints compared to the things it does right. As a LZ fan, I may be skewing high, but I found it to be an example of a group at their peak making music like they're good at. Overall: 4.5/5

As an occasional Frank Sinatra enjoyer, I just couldn't get into this one. I think it was too slow/moody for me. Really needed a few upbeat tracks to break up the melancholy slowness of the album. Without that, it all kinda blended together. Positive- none of the songs were bad, really. I could see any of the songs having an appeal on their own, but hearing all 16 in a row was way too much. Overall: 1.75/5

Frank Ocean was a bit of a blind spot for me. I'd heard of him, and probably heard some of his music before without really knowing. I had never sought him out or paid much attention to him, though. Gotta say, I wish I had done so a while ago. Really enjoyed this one musically, really liked the artistry and composition. It felt like an ALBUM, you know? Like it was produced as a cohesive work to be listened to and enjoyed as a whole. The music was diverse, but well done; the rolling drums on Crack Rock transforming into a electronic dream on Pyramids was a good example of just how different the feels could get in a two-song span. The lyrics were loving and harsh, deep and shallow, literal and mystic at different points. Whatever the song called for, they provided. Also, the songs hit. The slow ones were purposeful and meaningful. The more upbeat ones were full of feeling. Some were incredibly simple, others very complex. I can't give him enough credit for bringing the songs to life the way he did. For the negatives, I have to bring it down a bit for the lyrical content despite how strong it was at times. Some of the content just seemed to be bordering on pandering to a lifestyle instead of sticking with the sincerity in the other tracks. The description of the girl we got on Lost, or the girl in Monks, were a bit much for example. It wasn't as over the top as some artists can be, but it still just seemed a little generic. The vibes were definitely geared towards intimacy for listening, so it makes some sense. But it does take away a bit when you're just listening to the album without that setting. The album also felt a long. While of few of the tracks aren't actual songs but bridges between songs, there are still 17 listed tracks running over 55 minutes. I was expecting it to wrap up at one point and saw there were still four songs left. Those last few songs seemed weaker, but maybe that was because I was ready for it to end by that point. Either way, the payoff for continuing to listen wasn't anything special. So, I'd say it's a cohesive album of diverse, well-composed songs with lyrics that range from great to unimpressive. It starts strong, but dwindles toward the end. Even so, it's a very good album. I'll listen to it again. Overall: 4/5

I feel like maybe I've not given Queen enough credit (and Brian May in particular). Which sounds weird, since they're often in the conversation of greatest rock bands ever (with one of the greatest rock guitarists). While I never thought that opinion was wrong, I've always personally knocked them for a variety of reasons- inane lyrics, gimmicky songs, etc. This was actually the first time I've listened to an album of theirs all the way through, and maybe that's been the issue. I immediately enjoyed the first track (Death on Two Legs) and thought it was pretty awesome. Second track less so, but then the guitar in I'm In Love with My Car brought it back to good. And so it went, with the rest of the album, that I really enjoyed the majority of everything on it. The music was pretty great and sounded like it could've been composed in the present, decades later. I even enjoyed some of the change-of-pace tracks that I was not expecting, like '39. Of course, I still feel like the lyrical aspect of the songs just underwhelms on a number of tracks. For as much vocal talent they have in the band, I wish they were singing about more complex topics and a greater depth of emotions more often. The songs are written by different members of the band, so it's not one person's fault as far as I'm aware. There's also some of the compositions I just could not get into- Lazing on a Sunday Afternoon and the show tune-esque Seaside Rendezvous, for example, really did nothing for me (conversely, I enjoyed Good Company). The "opera" concept they fed in really was a bit much at times too; it took me until the drop off into the rock riff for Prophet's Song to not consider it an easy skip. Obviously, though, that's more subjective, and the concept worked amazingly on Bohemian Rhapsody to bring the whole thing together. What the album does well, it does incredibly well. Most of the rest is fine at worst. There are a few parts I would say are not good, but mostly because they they didn't stand up to what they did well on the rest of the album. Even so, the album worked as a whole and did a good job of bringing some unique parts together. Definitely something I can see myself coming back to for repeat listens. Overall: 4.2/5

Much like the previous PE album I got, I enjoyed the album all the way through. I again thought the songs worked well together as a whole, which I always look for. They did a good job with interludes and effects to blend the tracks into an overarching work. This album also had that late 80s/early 90s hip hop sound, and again I thought it contributed in a good way to the feel of the album and found it to be fitting with the messaging. In the same sense, though, it does take away from the "timelessness" aspect I find a lot of great albums to have. It also felt long, though the 1 hour runtime wasn't anything over the top. I think it was just a barrage that made it a bit tiring by the time it culminates in Fight the Power. I can see myself coming back to this one. It's a solid listen. Overall: 3.5/5

I'm not really sure why this one is on the list. I don't see anything particularly notable or good about it. The music is bland and uninteresting. The lyrics are boring and generic. No single aspect did anything beyond being basically competent. Everything seemed to lack sincerity and feeling. On top of that, for as short as the album is (10 songs, 37 minutes), it got old quickly. I was tired of it by the time the third song ended. There were some peppier moments later on, but they didn't do much to improve the listening experience. I'm also unsure if they were actually decent songs, or if they just seemed like it because of how little I liked the songs around them. I'd say this one is pretty close to bad. Nothing special or interesting there, just meh pop music. Very forgettable. Overall: 1/5

What an interesting listening experience. I'm a fan of funk, there's plenty of grooving happening on this album. There's also familiar samples from many future efforts, so it's kind of fun to see them in an early form. It feels like this was an influential album in general, which makes sense given the release year. The musical range was also interesting. There were electronic soundscapes, piano pieces, and standard funk instrumentations depending on the track. Vocal styles varied as well, with some soulful singing juxtaposed with group rap. You never knew what was coming next. For the negative, it did feel dated and as early-80s as it could get at times. There's not much they could do about that, though. I'm sure at the time it sounded cool af. It appears that the playlist I used had some tracks from the extended addition and not just the original album, so I'll do a sort of two-part critique here. For the original 7 songs, the diversity of songs and composition was really well done, as mentioned above. It culminated in a serious (but strangely fun) "Message", which punctuated it nicely. The extended tracks kinda bloated it, even though the added songs weren't bad. I can understand why they weren't included on the initial release. I'd say the album is good, especially considering where it came on the musical timeline. But, for me at least, it was not something I'd consider a level up at great. It's fun, funky, and enjoyable, and I would listen to the songs again. I don't know that I'd want to play the whole album with frequency. Overall: 3.5/5

This one started off strong with Hanging on the Telephone, but devolved quickly into more bland, boring songs. It stayed in that zone for most of the rest of the album. While it never really got "bad" necessarily, very little of it was better than fine. It offers what you would expect from a pop record. The instrumentation is pleasant, but mostly unimpressive when you listen a little bit closer. It does what the song needs, so maybe it's more of a writing problem than a technical one. The vocals were also nice to listen to without really having a lot of substance to their content. All the songs seemed to have similar vibes and simplicity. I found it a bit interesting that some of the songs felt more like old pop than I would expect in 1978. There was an almost 50s-esque sound, just with updated production, on a couple tracks. The album worked as a whole given the details mentioned above, but there are definitely songs I'd rather hear again than the others. Heart of Glass is one of those, though was a song I was already familiar with and liked (brought down by this version having an extended "disco" edition that was unnecessarily long). Was the album fun? Yeah, mostly. Do I see why people like it? Absolutely. Is it anything special? I don't think it is. Overall: 2.75/5

This one didn’t do a lot for me. It’s hard to pinpoint any specific reason why. I didn’t dislike it, but I just didn’t really like any of it. Maybe Costello is just one of those artists that aren’t for everyone. I kinda felt about it the way I do Bruce Springsteen. I can listen to one or two of his songs and enjoy them, but any more than that and I’m over it. There’s something grating there that I can only stand for so long. Having to hear 15 of his tracks in a row over 57 minutes was too much for me. The length was definitely a negative, as I was ready for it to end with several songs left. Also, a lot of it sounded the same. Maybe that’s on me, but I can only recall a few songs individually from the whole thing. Nothing really stood out as something memorable or good (or particularly bad for that matter). It instead was a big blend of mediocre. Overall: 2.1/5

Strange listening experience, but I didn't hate it. There were a few songs I liked (Song of a Baker, Rollin Over), most likely because of the more rock-based sound. Others I didn't care for, even if nothing really stood out as bad. The shift to a narrative on the last half was interesting, though I'm not sure it did much for me. I feel like I'd need to give this one another try at some point, and maybe I'd appreciate it more. Based on just this listening, I'll give it an OK. Overall: 3/5

The Doors are one of those bands I wish I could hear without the context of their present-day influence. Even just with the first track on this album, it evoked modern bands that strive for this sound as their identity (looking at you Black Keys). But that also means that they did it well enough for that influence to last all these decades later. Obviously the Doors weren't the only artists making bluesy rock music in this way, but their sound is more timeless than some other efforts from that era. Conversely, though, it's also interesting to think about the time that has passed since this album (released 1971) to today (50+ years later), and that at the time it came out, it was already decades after the blues music that influenced it. Songs like Cars Hiss By My Window really drive you back to those earlier eras, while, like I said above, the more modern sounding blues rock influence can come from other tracks. To be clear, I am a blues rock fan. I've never really loved the Doors or listened to them outside of their more famous songs, but this album was a perfect introduction to their full-length efforts for me. It hit the right feel of blues, but also rocked. It had variety between slower songs and some with more pep. I don't consider Morrison to have otherworldly vocal talent, but he still was able to do some impressive things with his voice here. It's one of those situations where the artist fits the song and gives it exactly what it seems to need. I'm not sure another voice would've brought the songs to life as well. The lyrics weren't necessarily amazing, but you could feel what he was singing with them. I mean, who can't appreciate the emotion he put behind "I've been down so goddamn long, that it looks like up to me" in an angry growl. He's gritty, he's angry, he's sad, he's expressive, he's contemplative; he wants you to feel what he feels as he's singing. I definitely like that aspect to a singer rather than the more pop/accessible method that makes things more generic. I also enjoyed the music. It pulled off a good bluesy rock sound. Guitar-driven tracks will almost always pique my interest, and this album had a lot of that. I felt there was a balance to the instrumental focus. It had plenty of guitar, but also a lot of keys. Solid drums and bass holding it down. There were times when it seemed like maybe they could've done more, but the songs didn't feel lacking even though they didn't. They switched it up a bit for Riders on the Storm, going with a jazzy feel, which was a nice change at the end. For the negative, some of the songs just weren't as good as others. I wanted to like L'America and Hyacinth House, but didn't get that much from them (especially compared to the rest of the tracks). Their lyrics were the weakest of the album to me. I felt like they brought down some of the following tracks too, since they all felt more similar than some of the vibes on the first half. To add to that, I do think the album would've benefitted from some more variation in style. As much as I loved the sound, the last half really could use something to mix it up. That eventually happened with Riders, but it was a bit late at that point. To me, this was a really solid album with good blues rock roots and interesting vocal work. It was underwhelming in parts, and probably a little too one-note to be considered an all-time great. Still, a very good one. Overall: 4/5

I really wanted to like this one. And some parts I did. But that was the problem- it was only in parts. I don't think there was one song I liked all the way through; some started good and went bad, some started rough and improved, and others oscillated between the two. Anything else was in the "OK" territory of neither good nor bad. To me, a lot of it felt disjointed. Like the guitar was playing one song and the percussion another, and they didn't really match up to make something cohesive. Or the vocals were in one space and the music was in another. It was like they had a ton of ideas for songs when writing the album, but instead of ditching the worst ones, they kept them all (and combined them) anyway. I'm guessing that's what they were going for, as it was definitely pervasive and was the sound of the album. If so, I'd say they accomplished their goal. I'll give them credit for that. I'll say I was underwhelmed, but not turned off. I appreciated it more than some of the super bland stuff that I've gotten on here, as they tried to do something different. It was definitely interesting. But still, I can't say it was good. Overall: 2.5/5

This one had a few good parts and mostly not good parts. A number of tracks sounded dated to me. Some of the songs were decent, but there were also some that were just bad. Unfortunately for Love, this is about albums as a whole, not just the certain songs on them that are good. I think the album was dragged down by the mellow-ness of certain tracks. When the songs had more bite to them, they were much better. It was also an interesting choice to have the last song be 18+ minutes of jamming. It was an enjoyable jam, but it kinda seemed like they just needed to fill space instead of having a whole album's worth of songs. As a whole, it wasn't great. I don't think there are many situations that I would choose to put this album on and enjoy it all the way through. The couple songs that were good were good though. Overall: 2.25/5

Well, that was intense. Overall: 2.5/5