353
Albums Rated
3.58
Average Rating
32%
Complete
736 albums remaining
Featured Review
Tonight's The Night
Neil Young • 5/5
Currently one of the top reviews for this album on this site mentions that this is what a shitty bar in the 70s would sound like and they would not want to go to that bar. I fully agree that these are the sounds of a 70s bar, but we clearly don’t like the same sort of establishments because I would absolutely love to spend time in this bar.
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
1960
Favorite Decade
Jazz
Favorite Genre
other
Top Origin
Wordsmith
Rater Style ?
86
5-Star Albums
14
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
Top Styles
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Kollaps
Einstürzende Neubauten
|
5 | 1.92 | +3.08 |
|
They Were Wrong, So We Drowned
Liars
|
5 | 2.12 | +2.88 |
|
Trout Mask Replica
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
|
5 | 2.29 | +2.71 |
|
Dub Housing
Pere Ubu
|
5 | 2.35 | +2.65 |
|
Shleep
Robert Wyatt
|
5 | 2.5 | +2.5 |
|
Movies
Holger Czukay
|
5 | 2.71 | +2.29 |
|
Atomizer
Big Black
|
5 | 2.73 | +2.27 |
|
Alien Lanes
Guided By Voices
|
5 | 2.75 | +2.25 |
|
One World
John Martyn
|
5 | 2.81 | +2.19 |
|
Go Girl Crazy
The Dictators
|
5 | 2.84 | +2.16 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Doggystyle
Snoop Dogg
|
1 | 3.37 | -2.37 |
|
The Chronic
Dr. Dre
|
1 | 3.32 | -2.32 |
|
The College Dropout
Kanye West
|
1 | 3.31 | -2.31 |
|
The Slim Shady LP
Eminem
|
1 | 3.28 | -2.28 |
|
Dig Your Own Hole
The Chemical Brothers
|
1 | 3.11 | -2.11 |
|
Very
Pet Shop Boys
|
1 | 2.94 | -1.94 |
|
The White Room
The KLF
|
1 | 2.79 | -1.79 |
|
American Idiot
Green Day
|
2 | 3.77 | -1.77 |
|
Take Me Apart
Kelela
|
1 | 2.75 | -1.75 |
|
Konnichiwa
Skepta
|
1 | 2.74 | -1.74 |
Artists
Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Radiohead | 4 | 5 |
| David Bowie | 5 | 4.6 |
| Led Zeppelin | 3 | 5 |
| Neil Young | 3 | 5 |
| Steely Dan | 3 | 5 |
| Janelle Monáe | 2 | 5 |
| The Velvet Underground | 2 | 5 |
| Funkadelic | 2 | 5 |
| Beatles | 6 | 4.17 |
Least Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Pet Shop Boys | 3 | 2 |
5-Star Albums (86)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
Sabu · 2 likes
4/5
Now this is what I wanted to hear when I had the Incredible Bongo Band generated a while back! Incredibly interesting, almost trance like rhythm and percussion, and unique guitar playing that reminds me a bit of Khurangbin. Thoroughly enjoyed listening to this album and will absolutely come back for more!
Led Zeppelin · 2 likes
5/5
Most people argue that IV is the best Led Zeppelin album, but they're all wrong! Physical Graffiti is the absolute best Led Zeppelin album! This is peak Led Zeppelin; their magnum opus! Also, while In My Time of Dying and Kashmir both deserve all the praise they get, I think In the Light, Down by the Seaside, and Ten Years Gone are all criminally underrated, epic tracks.
Wu-Tang Clan · 2 likes
5/5
It genuinely makes no sense how 9 different rappers can come together and record an album that’s this good. You’d think with that many cooks, they’d have spoiled the broth for sure, but somehow it all came together.
I love the minimalist approach, the gritty beats, the kung-fu samples, the pop culture references, and all the different rappers. Everyone brought a different personality to the table and it somehow works without becoming an incoherent mess.
You can really feel this album’s influence on modern hip hop too. I feel like this is the album that so many rappers have been trying to recreate in their own way since they first heard it.
Tom Waits · 2 likes
5/5
"He's got his piano in the kitchen, and he only uses the kitchen range to light his cigarettes, and then there's this refrigerator where he keeps his hammers and wrenches and nuts and bolts and stuff like that. He opened the fridge door and with an absolute poker face he said, 'I got some cool tools in here.'" - Bette Midler on Tom Waits
There's no other artist out there that makes me want to hop a train in the middle of the night to join a circus, drink whiskey, and eat cigarettes for breakfast.
Seriously, though, Swordfishtrombones is already one of my all-time favourite albums. This is the album that really shifted him towards his junkyard persona and I love everything about it from his gravelly, whiskey-soaked, smoke-filled voice to the experimental sounds and song structures.
Tracy Chapman · 1 likes
3/5
I enjoyed it, but probably not enough to listen again.
Favourite tracks: Talking About a Revolution, Fast Car, Mountains O’ Things
1-Star Albums (14)
All Ratings
Miles Davis
4/5
Great way to start this 1001 Albums project! It’s probably not something I want to listen to every day, but I love this album! Definitely very cool!
Janelle Monáe
5/5
I don't know what I was expecting from this album, but this was not it at all. Not really my normal genre, but I am surprised how much I am liking this. Only song I've heard before was Tightrope, which is a pretty good song, but I also really enjoyed the middle section with Oh Maker, Come Alive, Mushrooms & Roses. Not a huge fan of Wondaland or Make the Bus; they might grow on me, but they're a little annoying on first listen. The last song, BabopbyeYa is absolutely amazing. I really wasn't expecting to like this album!
Oasis
2/5
Honestly, the longer I listen, the lower my rating is getting. The playing is decent, although maybe a bit boring and generic, but I just can't stand Liam's voice or affectation when singing. Favourite track was probably Rock 'n' Roll Star. It just went downhill from there.
Beatles
5/5
This album was in constant rotation in my early high school days when all I wore were classic rock band t-shirts from previous generations. I really haven’t revisited it much since that time because I overplayed it so much, but this is undoubtedly a masterpiece of an album. And screw the haters, Revolution 9 is magnificent!
Favourite song(s): Back in the USSR, Dear Prudence, Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da, While My Guitar Gently Weeps, Happiness is a Warm Gun, Blackbird, Rocky Raccoon, Yer Blues, Everyone’s Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey, Helter Skelter
Booker T. & The MG's
3/5
Listened to the 1962 mono version. Green Onions - the whole album, but more specifically the song - reminds me of jamming with my friends in high school. We weren't nearly as cool as this album, though.
Favourite song(s): Green Onions, Mo' Onions, Behave Yourself, Comin' Home Baby. I kind of wish the whole album was just Green Onions/Mo' Onions for 35 minutes.
Violent Femmes
5/5
I’ve heard bits of Blister in the Sun hundreds of times. I don’t know if I’ve ever heard the whole song and I definitely haven’t heard the whole album, but holy shit it just keeps getting better and better!
Favourite song(s): Please Do Not Go, Confessions
Dolly Parton
4/5
I have been adamantly anti-country for most of my life because I'd only really been exposed to modern country, but over the past few years I've started exploring more traditional country and alt-country acts. This is my first time listening to a Dolly album and it's wonderful!
Favourite track(s): Coat of Many Colours, Travelling Man, Early Morning Breeze, Here I Am.
The Vines
3/5
This came out when I was in high school and I think I avoided listening to it because of how over played Get Free was on the radio. In fact, I might have to take a star off just because that song is stuck in my head already after only reading the track list.
Favourite track(s): Highly Evolved, Country Yard, Factory
AC/DC
3/5
I don’t always listen to generic hard rock, but when I do, I want to listen to the legends of generic hard rock
Favourite tracks: Highway to Hell, Beating Around the Bush, Night Prowler
The Jam
4/5
I grew up wishing I could have experienced the 60s music scene, but I’m starting to think what I really missed out on was the 80s punk/new wave scene.
Favourite tracks: Pretty Green, Start!, That’s Entertainment, Music for the Last Couple, Scrape Away
Jeff Beck
3/5
I wish I knew of this album in high school so I could have been an even more insufferable classic rock nerd
Favourite tracks: Shape of Things, You Shook Me, Ol’ Man River, Blues Deluxe, I Ain’t Superstitious
Creedence Clearwater Revival
3/5
Yet another nostalgia trip inducing classic rock album. It makes me think of warm summer days in high school; getting high, jamming, going for a swim in the river close to our jam space, inevitably waking up my friend’s parents by playing drums too loud past curfew.
Favourite tracks: Born on the Bayou, Proud Mary, Keep on Chooglin'
Super Furry Animals
2/5
I was expecting electronica based on the band name, the album name, and the cover art, but was immediately surprised when I started listening. I enjoyed Alternate Route to Vulcan Street, but the second track was at least a minute too long and then I genuinely disliked the third. The fourth and fifth did not get any better until the outro of the fifth song. I did enjoy the instrumental sixth song, A Touch Sensitive, but then the 7th and 8th songs were entirely forgettable. Starts getting interesting again at No Sympathy (there's the electronica I was expecting!), then we go straight off the rails (in a bad way) with Juxtapozed with U. I kind of checked out after the last one, but Run! Christian, Run! was actually pretty good. Probably my favourite on the whole album.
I want to like it, I really like the background noise and instrumentation, but I just can't stand the singing, the lyrics, or the songwriting. Overall, I think what I've learned most during this project so far is that I don't like britpop.
Also, I was surprised to see the Paul McCartney made a cameo on this album, but turns out it was just some samples of him eating carrots and celery? Yeah, that tracks.
Favourite tracks: Alternate Route to Vulcan Street, A Touch Sensitive, Run! Christian, Run!
Lambchop
3/5
This album is yet more evidence that I shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, or music based on the band name. I don’t know why but this isn’t at all what I was expecting from a band called Lambchop.
I was fairly indifferent for most of this album, but I enjoyed Up with People, the Petrified Florist, and Butcher Boy. Probably not enough to ever revisit this album though.
Favourite tracks: Up with People, the Petrified Florist, the Butcher Boy
Van Morrison
4/5
Great album! I'd probably give it 5-stars if it was a little shorter; I feel like they could have cut a few songs to make this absolutely outstanding. That said, Caravan and Cyprus Avenue are both phenomenal and these renditions alone are making me consider giving an it extra star!
Favourite tracks: Ain't Nothing You Can't Do, Into the Mystic, I've Been Working, Domino, I Just Want to Make Love to You, Bring It On Home to Me, Caravan, Cyprus Avenue
Tracy Chapman
3/5
I enjoyed it, but probably not enough to listen again.
Favourite tracks: Talking About a Revolution, Fast Car, Mountains O’ Things
Les Rythmes Digitales
1/5
I genuinely tried to listen to this, but I only made it to Disco II Disco and just couldn’t take any more.
The fact that this album made the list over any Modest Mouse or Yo La Tengo album is depressing.
The Velvet Underground
5/5
I wouldn’t be surprised if this is a rather divisive inclusion on the list, but I absolutely loved it.
Favourite tracks: the Gift, Sister Ray
Red Hot Chili Peppers
2/5
As a card carrying RHCP hater, I have been dreading this one since I started. I did enjoy it more than I expected, by which I mean I made it through the whole album, but I still never want to hear it again.
Honestly, it's just the rap singing and lyrical content/songwriting that sinks it for me. The bass, guitar, and drumming are all are pretty great, I was just sick of listening to Kiedis by the time Suck my Kiss came on and was ready to turn it off by the time Give it Away came on.
Wow, I thought Give it Away was bad, but Sir Psycho Sexy is making me physically cringe. Why is this album so long?
R.E.M.
3/5
Every time I hear Michael Stipe sing, it immediately makes me think of Gord Downie. There absolutely needs to be some Tragically Hip on this list! That would be a hard choice between Day for Night, Road Apples, and/or Fully Completely.
Anyways, I enjoyed this R.E.M. album and have no major complaints. I'm feeling a solid 3-stars from me.
Favourite tracks: Radio Free Europe, Talk About the Passion, Moral Kiosk, 9-9
Supergrass
3/5
I enjoyed the first few tracks quite a bit. Fairly generic rock sound with the addition of a horn section. However, the album started losing some steam for me around Sun Hits the Sky, which I feel like is when some classic britpop tropes started to reveal themselves too much for my tastes.
That being said, I am surprised Oasis was the more popular band as I enjoyed this much more than the Oasis records I've listened to.
Favourite tracks: Tonight, Late in the Day, Cheapskate, Hollow Little Reign
T. Rex
4/5
Wow! I can't believe I haven't listened to this before now. I loved every minute! Bang a Gong (Get it On) is the only track I had heard (I'm pretty sure everyone has probably heard this song at least once) and it's not even close to the best song on the album! Definitely going to be coming back to listen to more T Rex in the future.
Favourite tracks: Mambo Sun, Cosmic Dancer, Bang a Gong (Get it On), Girl, Rip Off
Elvis Costello
3/5
Growing up my best friend's dad was really into this kind of music. Although, I don't remember if he listened to Elvis Costello specifically. I was fairly indifferent to it then, and I am fairly indifferent to it now. Is it good music? I guess, it's not bad at least.
Favourite tracks: Waiting for the End of the World, Watching the Detectives
Alice In Chains
3/5
Had I heard this album as a teenager, I would have absolutely loved it and would probably rate it higher now. That said, I did enjoy listening to it and it's not bad, it's just not really my jam and I can't see myself giving it another listen.
Favourite Tracks: Them Bones, Dam That River, Rooster, Angry Chair
Jane's Addiction
3/5
I had to listen to this one a couple times because the first time through, I struggled with the first 4 songs quite a bit. They really aren't my preferred genre and seemed somewhat poorly produced to me. But then all of a sudden there’s a major shift with Been Caught Stealing. It almost sounds like an entirely different album. A lot tighter and cleaner and less of the shredding guitars. I see from Wikipedia that the tonal shift from the first half to the second half of the album was a deliberate choice. It’s still not really my preferred genre, but I did actually enjoy the rest of the album quite a bit.
Favourite tracks: Been Caught Stealing, Then She Did, Of Course
Patti Smith
5/5
Well this one opens strong! Probably my favourite cover of Gloria I've ever heard; she really made it her own! I hear a lot of Velvet Underground influence, which makes sense considering John Cale produced the album. Not really what I was expecting from a "punk" album, but I really enjoyed it nonetheless!
Favourite track: Gloria, Birdland, Kimberly, Land
Led Zeppelin
5/5
This is an easy 5 stars for me!
Favourite tracks: Battle of Evermore, Going to California, When the Levee Breaks
Leonard Cohen
4/5
Some very subtle, but complex instrumentation on this album. Dark, beautiful songs. A classic folk album without doubt.
Favourite tracks: Master Song; So Long, Marianne; Hey, That's No Way To Say Goodbye; Teachers; One of Us Cannot Be Wrong
William Orbit
2/5
I’m not huge into electronica, but I actually enjoyed this more than expected. My 2-year old also enjoyed dancing to it while I was making breakfast this morning, which was honestly my highlight for the entire album.
The Sugarcubes
4/5
I honestly haven’t actually listened to any of Bjork’s work, so I had no idea what to expect from this, but I thoroughly enjoyed it!
Favourite tracks: Birthday, Delicious Demon, Mama, Blue Eyed Pop, Sick for Toys. F***king in Rhythm & Sorrow, Dragon
Jethro Tull
4/5
This is another one of my favourite albums from when I was a teen that I haven’t listened to in over a decade, but it absolutely kicks ass! Flute is an absolutely under appreciated instrument in rock music!
Favourite tracks: Aqualung, Cross-eyed Mary, Mother Goose, Locomotive Breath
David Bowie
5/5
Oh hell yeah, I was literally just thinking about putting this album on because it had been a while since I last listened to it! It’s amazing that Bowie was still at the top of his game right up until the end. Rest In Peace Starman!
Favourite tracks: like all of them, but if I had to pick Lazarus, Sue (or in a Season of Crime), Girl Loves Me
Gorillaz
3/5
Clint Eastwood has been one of my favourite songs since I found it on Big Shiny Tunes 6, but for some reason I’ve never actually checked out the rest of the album. It's a pretty unique mix of electronica, rock, and hip hop that feels a bit disjointed at times. Overall, I enjoyed listening to it, but don’t have any real desire to listen again.
Favourite tracks: Tomorrow Comes Today, New Genius (Brother), Clint Eastwood
Bill Callahan
5/5
I was not prepared for this absolutely beautiful album this morning. Ethereal but dark folk / alt-country sound. The strings float beautifully over his deep baritone voice. Simple acoustic guitar strumming / finger picking. I am loving this album!
Favourite tracks: honestly, just all of them
3/5
I’ve had 34 albums generated so how am I already getting the second Oasis album out of the 1089 albums on this list?
That being said, I am liking this one a lot more than the last one and a lot more than the other britpop albums I’ve received. I feel like they’ve really improved their songwriting and instrumentation since Definitely Maybe. Or maybe it’s just the nostalgia factor of having listened to this album in high school?
Favourite tracks: Cast No Shadow, Morning Glory
Paul Simon
3/5
Overall, I didn’t hate it, but I’m probably not going to give it another listen. Some decent singer-songwriter music that leans just a bit too far into cheesy 80s vibes for me. And then there’s Cars are Cars; I’ve never heard a song that simultaneously makes me doubt someone songwriting and mechanic abilities.
The Specials
4/5
Reminds me of partying with the punk kids in high school. Solid album! I don’t listen to a lot of ska any more, but maybe I should listen to more.
Favourite tracks: A Message to You Rudy, Blank Expression, Stupid Marriage, Too Much Too Young
Elton John
3/5
A bit long, but I understand why everyone calls it Elton John's magnum opus. Overall, it's a pretty great album (aside from Jamaica Jerk-off, which feels borderline offensive).
Favourite tracks: Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding, Bennie and the Jets, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting
Bad Company
2/5
Generic 70s rock. Not bad, not good. I can't complain, but I won't listen to this again.
That said, is this really an album that you need to hear before you die? There are dozens of other albums that encapsulate 70s rock better and there’s really nothing all that special about it. Overall, I did like it, but I think I'm docking at least 1-star from the rating solely because I don't think it deserves to be on the list.
The Undertones
4/5
This was a really fun listen!
Favourite Tracks: There Goes Norman, See That Girl
John Grant
4/5
One first listen, I’m not sure I fully understand this album. There were some tracks I ireally enjoyed (Sigourney Weaver, Chicken Bones, Silver Platter Club, Queen of Denmark) and some tracks that I just don’t get (Marz).
On second listen, this album makes me think of a mash-up between Father John Misty and the latest Viagra Boys album, viagr aboys, that I’ve had on repeat for a few days.
I don’t know, some days is just chicken bones
Nick Drake
4/5
I've seen Nick Drake recommended time and time again, but I've never actually sat down and listened to one of his records. This was clearly a mistake.
Favourite tracks: Hazey Jane II, One of These Things First, Poor Boy, Northern Sky
The Smiths
3/5
The Smiths are a band I pretended to like in high school because I thought that cool kids listened to the Smiths. Luckily I no longer have to pretend; their music, aside from a few random songs, just isn’t for me. That’s not to say it’s bad, I just don’t really like it. I do like Johnny Marr’s guitar playing, but I much prefer it in Modest Mouse.
Cocteau Twins
3/5
For some reason I’ve always thought the Cocteau Twins played electronic music, so I never bothered to check them out. Honestly, I don’t think I was really missing much. This album is fine, but I’m really not compelled to ever listen to it again.
Elton John
3/5
Great songwriting, great piano playing, a few major standout tracks. Overall, a pretty great album, but by the end I was getting a little tired of the whole Elton John piano ballad thing.
Favourite tracks: Tiny Dancer, Madman Across Water
Lou Reed
5/5
Already one of my all time favourite records. Deserves a 5-star for Perfect Day, Walk on the Wild Side, and Satellite of Love alone.
Jimmy Smith
3/5
Groovy, funky jazz! This one has a similar feel to Green Onions, which I really enjoyed, but the longer track lengths gives them more time to breathe and explore each track, which overall makes it feel like a much tighter and better record.
Elliott Smith
3/5
Great songwriting and I can see why this was so influential for a lot of people. I also dig the lo-fi and fairly simple production. However, while I did enjoy the album overall, it's just not really for me. I probably would have been a pretty big fan had I heard this earlier in my life.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
I’ve had this chord progression I’ve been messing around with for a while now and it’s been so familiar, but I just couldn’t place it. Turns out it was Tangerine. I wish I could have actually written it instead of ripping it off by accident. Great song and a great album!
While this isn’t my favourite Zeppelin album, I’m pretty sure they’ll all get a 5/5 from me as they were one of my first musical obsessions.
Germs
4/5
I posit that one of the least punk things you can do is cut the grass of the house you own. It’s right behind working a corporate job or paying a visible minority to cut the grass for you. You know at some point some marketing exec for John Deere or something realized that all the farmers already owned tractors, so the best course of action was to start targeting suburban dads by making them compete with their suburban dad neighbours over who has the nicest lawn and the fastest lawn mower. It was probably the same marketing exec that’s fighting against the rights to repair now.
Anyways, I listened to this album a couple times while cutting the grass. Thoroughly enjoyed it and it improved the experience, but probably not something I’ll be listening to regularly.
Favourite track: Shut Down (Annihilation Man)
Metallica
2/5
6:30AM on a Sunday morning is entirely too early for this nonsense, but I bet it would have been pretty epic to see live.
Fleetwood Mac
4/5
Well you can’t deny this is an absolute classic album
Favourite tracks: Dreams, Never Going Back Again, the Chain, Gold Dust Woman
The Incredible String Band
2/5
Eclectic, psychedelic folk music using a variety of weird instruments. On paper, this should be right up my alley. In reality, I don't think I'm quite high enough to fully appreciate this album. Overall, there were some good moments on it, but it was just a bit too out there and I don't think I'll be seeking this one out again.
Favourite track: Nightfall
As an aside, Rain by Dando Shaft started auto playing after this album finished. I had never heard of them before, but I'm checking out their debut album, An Evening with Dando Shaft, and it absolutely deserves to be on this list. This is the psychedelic folk music I signed up for! I'd give it a 5/5 so far.
Adele
2/5
This album literally reminds me of having my teeth cleaned because this is the type of inoffensive music they play at my dentist office.
I honestly tried to go into this album with as open of a mind as I possibly could, but admittedly I was fully expecting to dislike it. I was actually pleasantly surprised by the first couple songs, but then utterly bored by the end of the third song and ready to turn it off by Set Fire to the Rain.
She’s a great singer, so I won’t give her a 1, but it’s all just safe, generic, boring. Nothing new, nothing exciting, not pushing any boundaries.
AC/DC
3/5
I had this before joining the group and my thoughts remain the same now, so I’ll just copy and paste them below:
I don’t always listen to generic hard rock, but when I do, I want to listen to the legends of generic hard rock
Editing this because I wanted to add some more thoughts. I feel like I have done a disservice to some bands by only knowing their greatest hits. The best example of this is David Bowie for me. Going into this project I only knew Ziggy Stardust and his greatest hits, but I did a deep dive into his back catalogue after listening to Blackstar and he's now one of my favourite artists with Blackstar being my favourite album from the project thus far. I can't believe the music I had missed out on! However, I don't feel the same about AC/DC. They're a perfect candidate for a greatest hits album. All the tracks sound pretty similar, so just give me the best of the best; you're really not missing much by only listening to the greatest hits.
Favourite tracks: Highway to Hell, Beating Around the Bush, Night Prowler
Fela Kuti
5/5
Holy shit, this is so good! This is some of the most energetic, captivating, and fun protest music I've ever heard! I'll definitely be checking out more of his music
Laura Nyro
3/5
I had never heard of Laura Nyro before, but this was some fairly enjoyable 60s pop.
Favourite track: Poverty Train, Stoned Soul Picnic, Once It Was Alright Now (Farmer Joe)
The Last Shadow Puppets
3/5
There doesn’t seem to be any understatements in this album, but I’m down for some Arctic Monkeys with a bit of a Western flair. Overall, I’m happy to have listened to this, but not really interested in listening to this again.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
If I was asked what my favourite Rolling Stone album was, this probably wouldn't be it, but it's pretty damned good. That said, it's been a long time since I last listened to the Rolling Stones, so I don't think I even have a good answer to that question in the first place. I guess I'll figure that out once I have a few more Stones albums generated.
Favourite tracks: Sway, Can't You Hear Me Knocking, You Gotta Move, Sister Morphine, Moonlight Mile
The Associates
3/5
I’ve been flip-flopping as I listen to this album. There’s parts that are experimental 80s post punk/new wave that are clearly influenced by Bowie that I enjoy quite a bit, and then there are parts that are just cheesy 80s synth pop that I just don’t really enjoy at all.
Overall, I enjoyed it, but I don’t think I can see myself reaching for this album again; I’d rather just listen to some Bowie.
Justice
2/5
Damn, I wasn't even through the second song and I was already wishing this album was over. I get that this is some breakthrough in electronica, and there were a few aspects of it I enjoyed, so I won't give it a 1-star, but it's just not for me. Honestly, dance music and electronica for the most part just aren't for me.
The Fall
2/5
I really struggled with this one. I want to like it. I like punk music. I like post-punk music. Overall, I like the post-punk feel and attitude of the album. I like the instrumental parts and the backing tracks. I just don't like the singing and it's making the album completely unenjoyable to me.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
I haven't really listened to the Rolling Stones since high school and now I've had 2 albums generated in less than a week!
In my Sticky Fingers review I stated that it's probably not my favourite Stones record, but I'd figure that out when I had more generated for the project. Both records are great in their own right, but Exile On Main Street feels like the more polished and arranged record, whereas Sticky Fingers seems to have some of the bigger hits and felt more in-your-face rock and roll. I'm enjoying the second half of Exile a lot more than the first half and it might be squeezing out Sticky Fingers a bit.
Favourite tracks: Sweet Virginia, Sweet Black Angel, Loving Cup, Ventilator Blues, I Just Want to See His Face, Let It Loose
Pere Ubu
4/5
Noisy, experimental post-punk is exactly what I signed up for!
Favourite tracks: Laughing, Over My Head, Sentimental Journey, Humor Me
Neil Young
5/5
Currently one of the top reviews for this album on this site mentions that this is what a shitty bar in the 70s would sound like and they would not want to go to that bar. I fully agree that these are the sounds of a 70s bar, but we clearly don’t like the same sort of establishments because I would absolutely love to spend time in this bar.
Eminem
1/5
I was enjoying this more than I expected, but the longer it went on, the more I just couldn't stand it. The beats are good and he's undeniably a good rapper, but the lyrics are just so cringy and immature. It's just over the top violence, misogyny, and homophobia. The tongue-in-cheek rap battle against his conscience was pretty clever and somewhat funny, but I kind of lost all interest by the time we get to the part where he's rapping about taking his infant daughter to bury her mother at the beach. That's just not even remotely funny to me. In part it feels like he's exaggerating his real life experiences and frustrations, but it also feels like he's just trying to be edgy for the sake of being edgy and I really just don't have time for that nonsense.
Big Brother & The Holding Company
4/5
I had no idea Janis Joplin was in a band prior to her solo work. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but you get pretty much exactly what is advertised; a Janis Joplin fronted psychedelic blues band. Overall, I enjoyed it, but it’s probably not something I’m going to reach for all that often.
Donovan
4/5
“Donovan? Who is this Donovan? Yeah, right away I hate him!”
I don’t actually think Dylan hated him, but the clip in Don’t Look Back where they’re playing songs in a hotel room does feel a bit petty and spiteful on Dylan’s part.
Anyways, this is actually a wonderful album, but I’m usually pretty biased towards 60s psychedelic and folk music. This album actually has some of the best uses of sitar and tabla I’ve heard in western music; it doesn’t feel nearly as cliche or gimmicky as others.
Favourite tracks: Sunshine Superman, Three King Fishers, Ferris Wheel, Bert’s Blues, Season of the Witch
Blondie
4/5
I knew very little about Blondie going into this, but I’m enjoying it quite a bit more than I expected. I had heard parts of One Way or Another, but I’ve never heard the whole song and there's A LOT more going on here than I realized! Some of the songs lean a bit too far into the pop realm for my preferences but, overall it’s well worth the listen!
Favourite tracks: One Way or Another, Fade Away and Radiate, I Know but I Don't Know, Heart of Glass
Elliott Smith
4/5
This is the second Elliott Smith album I've gotten from the generator and I enjoyed it a lot more than the first, Either/Or. I thought the songwriting was great on Either/Or, but I didn't really connect with the angst or melancholy in the lyrics. Those feelings are still here on this album, but I feel like the songwriting really took a step forward, especially as the simple, lo-fi production has evolved to a much more complete and complex sound.
Favourite tracks: Son of Sam, Somebody I Used to Know, Junk Bond Trader, Everything Means Nothing to Me, Colorbars, Can't Make a Sound
Kate Bush
5/5
This album gives me nostalgia for a period of time I never actually experienced. Genuinely surprised how experimental some of this is for an 80s pop album. I really wish all pop music was this good!
Favourite tracks: Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God), Cloudbusting, Waking the Witch, Jig of Life
The La's
3/5
This project so far has taught me that I don’t really enjoy britpop and this is the fifth britpop album I’ve gotten in the 72 albums that have been generated so far. That being said, I actually enjoyed this one quite a bit more than I expected. It’s probably on par with (What's The Story) Morning Glory for me. Not sure if that’s just because my expectations have gotten really low for britpop, but this one feels a lot more original, more raw rock and roll, and less derivative like some of the others.
Nirvana
5/5
Live albums aren’t usually my favourite, but this one is an absolute classic! I really appreciate the reminder to listen to this album more frequently!
U2
3/5
My dad had a couple U2 CDs that we listened to growing up and I liked them enough, but not enough to listen to on my own. The fact that this is "their most transformative album" makes me curious about how different their earlier works were. It's not that its bad, it's just not very exciting.
Wire
4/5
Not something I’ll reach for everyday, but I thoroughly enjoyed it and will absolutely throw this on when I’m in the mood for an all around solid punk album.
The Beach Boys
3/5
Well, I guess I finally have to admit, I just don’t get the Beach Boys. The only reason I’m going to give this another listen or two is because I’m desperately trying to understand what I’m missing.
Alright, three listens and it’s growing on me for sure, but still not sure it lives up to the hype I’ve heard surrounding Brian Wilson and the band.
Beatles
5/5
It’s wild that an album this good is only my 5th or 6th favourite Beatles album
Beastie Boys
5/5
I’m currently hungover and I knew this album was either going to immediately get on my nerves or bring me back to life. Luckily, I’m ready for round two!
R.E.M.
4/5
I’ve never been able to get into REM for some reason. They’ve always seemed like a band I should like, but they’ve just never clicked for me. I do like their hits and Man on the Moon is a great song. Overall, this album is enjoyable and I’ll probably give it another listen in the future the next time I try to get into REM again.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
Most people argue that IV is the best Led Zeppelin album, but they're all wrong! Physical Graffiti is the absolute best Led Zeppelin album! This is peak Led Zeppelin; their magnum opus! Also, while In My Time of Dying and Kashmir both deserve all the praise they get, I think In the Light, Down by the Seaside, and Ten Years Gone are all criminally underrated, epic tracks.
De La Soul
4/5
Rap and hip-hop is a major blind spot for me, mostly because I’ve really struggled to find artists I actually enjoy. At this point, the only hip-hop artists I actively listen to are Aesop Rock, Beastie Boys, and MF Doom. However, I think I’ll be adding De La Soul to that list! This album is so much fun and feels to be the opposite of a lot of the rap trends that I can't stand, and after reading their wiki, it seems that this was actually a large focus of their music. It really sounds like they were having an absolute blast making this album!
Burning Spear
4/5
I really haven't listened to much reggae beyond the obvious choices like Bob Marley or Toots and the Maytals. Honestly, this album by Burning Spear is as good as any Bob Marley record I've listened to and I'd definitely give it another listen in the future when I'm in the mood for some reggae.
Tom Waits
5/5
"He's got his piano in the kitchen, and he only uses the kitchen range to light his cigarettes, and then there's this refrigerator where he keeps his hammers and wrenches and nuts and bolts and stuff like that. He opened the fridge door and with an absolute poker face he said, 'I got some cool tools in here.'" - Bette Midler on Tom Waits
There's no other artist out there that makes me want to hop a train in the middle of the night to join a circus, drink whiskey, and eat cigarettes for breakfast.
Seriously, though, Swordfishtrombones is already one of my all-time favourite albums. This is the album that really shifted him towards his junkyard persona and I love everything about it from his gravelly, whiskey-soaked, smoke-filled voice to the experimental sounds and song structures.
Beatles
3/5
I am very familiar with psychedelic era Beatles, but really haven't spent much time with the early Beatles era. It's genuinely wild referring to these as different eras considering it was only a few years between this album and when they started getting into psychedelic music. Incredible evolution over such a short career!
Overall, I enjoyed this album. It's not something I'd listen to all the time, but I can see myself throwing it on from time to time.
Sade
3/5
I enjoy the smooth, jazzy backing tracks, but her singing doesn’t do a lot for me. It’s not bad, just nothing exciting either.
Duke Ellington
4/5
Well this was a super enjoyable listen while making coffee and breakfast on a Sunday morning.
Jazz isn’t really my go to genre, but I’m much more familiar with more avant-garde jazz artists, so it was nice to dip my toes into some big band stuff.
Radiohead
5/5
This has always been my favourite Radiohead album and I'm happy for an excuse to listen to it today! I fully understand that the shift from Ok Computer to a much more ambient, atmospheric, and experimental sound isn't going to be for everyone, but I absolutely love it!
Favourite tracks: Everything in it's Right Place, The National Anthem, Idioteque
Muddy Waters
3/5
I really enjoyed the first half of this album, especially the opener Mannish Boy, but started getting a bit bored while listening to the second half. This might be a bit sacrilegious for a guitar player to admit, but I can only listen to so much blues.
MC Solaar
4/5
I was a french immersion student through elementary and high school. We were all pretty terrible students and didn't really take it seriously, but one of my favourite projects that was frequently assigned was exploring french media. This would have been a wicked album to bring to class had I known about it back then (and if I could have seen past my classic rock blinders). Honestly, this was a great album and it might go into my regular rotation just for some exposure and practice with my french because I am very out of practice.
Minutemen
5/5
I saw the number of tracks and overall length of this album and was a bit weary that a punk album this long might start feeling stale, but after three solid punk songs, Cohesion really came out of left field! Then the drumming on the next track, It's Expected I'm Gone, is tight and jazzy! Somehow with the short track lengths and the mixing of genres and styles, it still feels totally cohesive and very fun. This is the kind of punk music I am here for! I absolutely loved this album and will be returning to it frequently.
Little Richard
3/5
This is a fun record that really transports you to a specific time and place. I can only imagine how life changing this record would have been to people hearing it for the first time in the 50s. I'm happy I've listened to it, and I fully appreciate Little Richard's influence on pretty much all of the music I listen to now, but it's not something I have any real desire to listen to again.
Living Colour
2/5
This felt like fairly generic 80s hard rock with some funky bass lines. A couple tracks on the second half felt almost like early nu-metal influences. Overall, not for me.
Fever Ray
3/5
I enjoyed this a lot more than I expected I would. It’s electronica, but skews more toward weird and ambient than dance-y beats, which I appreciate. It’s still probably not something I’m going to really seek out in the future, though.
Arctic Monkeys
3/5
This is a shot of pure nostalgia. I had this album on constant rotation in high school. It was one of the albums that got me out of the classic rock hole I was stuck in. My tastes have definitely changed since then though, as I can’t see myself returning to this album too frequently, if ever. When this came out I absolutely loved the stop-start guitars and how they played with the bass and drums. It’s still fun to listen to now, but I definitely don’t connect to this music the same was as I did back then.
I still listen to Modest Mouse from time to time, which was the other band that saved me from only ever listening to classic rock. It’s a shame they’re not on this list.
Talking Heads
5/5
Talking Heads were always a band I felt I should like, but I never really clicked with their music beyond the singles I heard from time to time. That changed a couple months ago. I’m not sure what changed exactly, but they finally made sense to me and they became one of my most listened to bands.
I love the funky guitar and the focus on the rhythm section. Such a unique sound. I find it surprising that these guys were regulars at CBGBs because they don’t quite fit my image of the bands I thought played there
The Chemical Brothers
1/5
This is genuinely awful. I’m only two songs into this album and I swear it’s been going on for 2 hours already. I don’t understand how anyone can listen to this music outside of people in a club. Seriously every single one of these songs needs to be 3 minutes shorter at a minimum.
The Slits
3/5
Fairly interesting early punk record with some ska/reggae flavours. Her voice got a little annoying at times. Overall, I didn’t hate it, but I didn’t love it either.
Arcade Fire
3/5
I’ve tried several times to get into Arcade Fire, but have never really succeeded and I’m not sure why because this is a perfectly enjoyable indie rock record; it just doesn’t really do anything for me personally.
GZA
3/5
I really enjoyed the beats and sampling quite a bit, the whole album had a great vibe and atmosphere, but the rapping wasn’t my favourite. That said, in general I’m not an huge fan of hip-hop, so that’s not a huge surprise. Overall, I enjoyed this album and am happy to have listened to it, but I’m probably not going to listen to it again in the future.
M.I.A.
3/5
I’m so confused right now. This album seems to be a fusion of things that I generally don’t like all that much. Electronica, dance music, hip hop, and her voice is incredibly annoying (the upward inflection at the end of most of her bars is infuriating). But somehow it seems to all work together? I think I like this album? Probably not enough to really ever listen again, but a lot more than I expected.
Snoop Dogg
1/5
I really dig the beats and overall production on this album, but once again, I just can’t stand the rapping or the lyrics. It’s just standard gangsta rap cliches; drugs, bitches, mfers, n***as, and blatant misogyny. Maybe I’m just grumpy because I’m on a string of bad albums and this is the third hip-hop album I’ve had in a row.
David Ackles
2/5
All I really got from this album is that this guy wishes he was born in the Bible Belt. It’s just a bunch of piano ballads that sound kind of similar to Neil Diamond or Elton John. Doesn’t really do much for me.
Drive-By Truckers
2/5
Does a 90 minute, 2LP, southern rock concept album about Lynryd Skynyrd appeal to you? Then this is the album for you!
It doesn’t really appeal to me. I’d probably rate this higher if it wasn’t a double album, but I got pretty tired listening to this by the end.
Sister Sledge
3/5
Disco definitely isn’t my go to genre, but I absolutely love the super funky guitar and bass and the beats definitely make you want to dance. The slower songs aren’t my favourite, but the more upbeat ones are pretty fun. Overall, happy to have listened to it, but unlikely to return to it on my own. That said, I will definitely hit the dance floor at a wedding when We Are Family inevitably comes on.
Dr. Dre
1/5
I think I just going to copy my review of Doggystyle by Snoop Dogg from a few days ago because it’s still applicable here:
I really dig the beats and overall production on this album, but once again, I just can’t stand the rapping or the lyrics. It’s just standard gangsta rap cliches; drugs, bitches, mfers, n***as, and blatant misogyny. Maybe I’m just grumpy because I’m on a string of bad albums and this is the fourth hip-hop album I’ve had in a week.
Ok, the flute solo on Lil Ghetto Boy was pretty sweet.
Fucking hell, I almost shut it off during the Doctor’s Office.
Motörhead
4/5
I’ve never listened to a Motörhead album in its entirety, but I knew exactly what I was in for when this album was generated and it didn’t disappoint. 36 minutes of pure, driving rock and roll that doesn’t let up for a second. It’s not something I’ll always be in the mood to listen to, but definitely something I’ll listen to again in the future when I’m in the mood for some rock and roll.
Joy Division
4/5
I’ve always enjoyed Joy Division, but need to be in the right mood for it. I love the instrumentation, but the dark and gloomy lyrics and singing can be a bit much at times.
Coldplay
3/5
Immediate groans when I saw this generated this morning, but I tried to give it as unbiased of a listen as I could and honestly it’s really not bad at all. I’d even go far enough to say it’s pretty decent. Sounds very much like Radiohead with all the rough edges sanded off and polished until it was shiny.
Favourite track: High Speed
The Verve
3/5
The album starts strong with possibly one of the best songs ever recorded and also the only Verve song I know (or so I thought). Why have I never dug more into the Verve considering I actually really like Bittersweet Symphony?
Unfortunately, it’s kind of a step down in quality after Bittersweet Symphony. Nothing really stood out to me and a lot of the tracks just sounds like generic and derivative britpop (I genuinely thought Lucky Man was an Oasis song; the second Verve song I apparently knew). The tracks that did stand out just got annoying. For instance, Catching the Butterfly sounds interesting, but then he just keeps saying the same line about catching a butterfly in lucid dreams over and over for 7 minutes.
All that being said, this isn’t actually a bad album. It was enjoyable to listen to, it just didn’t live up to the expectations set by the first song and it ends up sounding like every other britpop album on the list.
Bonnie Raitt
3/5
If there was one genre of music I couldn’t stand while growing up, it was 80s pop music. Close second would be country music. While I was open to weird experimental music, I was incredibly closed minded to anything I perceived as being commercial and 80s pop seemed to be the epitome of commercial music in my mind. I definitely missed out on a lot of music because of that. This album in particular probably isn’t something I’d return to frequently, but it’s pretty enjoyable, if somewhat straight forward pop with a bit of a bluesy and country flair.
Khaled
2/5
Reading up on the history of rai music has been incredibly interesting, but I’m genuinely curious if this is the best example of rai music out there? The samples and drums sound like bog standard stock sounds out of a shitty Casio keyboard. I’d be much more interested in hearing some earlier rai music rather than this more modern pop rai sound.
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
A masterclass in songwriting in a surprisingly short album. Scarborough Fair / Canticle is an obvious classic, but I really enjoyed Patterns and the Bright Green Pleasure Machine. Also as a major fan of Bob Dylan, I loved A Simple Desultory Philippic (or How I Was Robert McNamara’d Into Submission). My only complaint is that some of softer, dreamier songs are just a bit too soft and sweet for me and they somehow start sounding like parodies of Simon & Garfunkel.
Neil Young
5/5
We were visiting with my grandma one day and she mentioned that some guy had hired them to bring a car out to Omemee. He was going to drive the car to Massey Hall to play an show and they would bring the car back home again. This was mentioned incredibly casually, but my dad was immediately asking, “I’m sorry, who is this guy? Is his name Neil Young?” And, again, as casual as a grandma can state, “oh yes, that’s his name”.
So yeah, my grandma has a picture of her, her partner, and Neil Young on the mantle along with the pictures of all her grandchildren. Turns out he was a very nice man and had some concerns with how the engine was running.
Anyways, I’ve been on a huge Neil Young binge lately and this one is in the running for my favourite album of his, so this is a pretty easy 5/5.
Amy Winehouse
3/5
I’ve always known Amy Winehouse was a great singer who died tragically, but I’ve never listened to her music before. I really enjoyed the jazz and soul spirit of the album and her singing was pretty good, but I found some of the lyrical content to be quite shallow. Overall, it was a good album and I can see myself returning to a few of the songs, but I probably won’t be returning to the entire album again.
Prince
2/5
I’ve always understood Prince was one of those revolutionary pop artists that everyone is supposed to enjoy, but I did not enjoy the first few tracks at all.
1999 was just awful 80s pop garbage, Little Red Corvette was slightly better but it was still pretty awful, and Delirious was at least a minute too long and that synth line is grating. I was gearing up for a long, tough listen, but I did end up enjoying the middle section even if the tracks were still surprisingly long. A lot more fun, funky tracks like Lady Cab Driver and All the Critics Love U in New York and some absolutely wild and experimental tracks like Something in the Water (Does Not Compute). Let's Pretend We're Married and DMSR are probably the horniest songs I've heard; the last few verses of Let's Pretend We're Married in particular are pretty wild. Unfortunately, the album ends on another sour note with International Lover that is more awful 80s pop garbage.
I gave the album a second listen to make sure I wasn't missing something, but other than a few tracks in the middle, I'd prefer to never listen to this again.
The Byrds
3/5
This is just an all around solid psychedelic folk record full of great harmonies and interesting sonic experiments that never felt out of place. Thoroughly enjoyed listening to this one, but probably not going to return to it ever.
Black Sabbath
4/5
I’ve spent embarrassingly little time with Black Sabbath in the past. I’ve known the big hits, but not much beyond that. I figured today would be a good day to rectify this oversight of my musical knowledge and I spent the day not only listening to Vol 4, but also their self-titled debut, Paranoid, Master of Reality, and Sabbath Bloody Sabbath.
Their self-titled album was by far my favourite. It’s not only the debut of Black Sabbath, but of heavy metal itself. The Wizard alone deserves a 5/5.
Paranoid and Vol 4 were probably my next favourites. I actually knew most of the songs on Paranoid, but only really knew Changes on Vol 4. Changes is also one of my all time favourite songs. Thoroughly enjoyed both of these and will return to them the next time I want some good hard rock. I’ll give these both 4/5.
Master of Reality and Sabbath Bloody Sabbath were probably my least favourite of the bunch. They were still good, but almost felt too polished compared to the earlier albums. I did enjoy the acoustic tracks on Sabbath Bloody Sabbath. Maybe I was just getting a bit burnt out on Black Sabbath after listening to them all day, but I’d give these two 3/5.
Prince
2/5
I'm genuinely confused as to why Prince is so well regarded because I'm not a fan of this. I guess it was a Sign 'O' the Times...
Seriously though, I was about to dismiss this album as entirely forgettable until we got to I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man, the Cross, and It’s Going to Be a Beautiful Night. The latter of which was my favourite track on the album and stood out well above the rest.
Björk
5/5
Generally, I am not a fan of electronica or mainstream pop music because it can be so bland and repetitive, but this is definitely not that! This is the kind of album that I immediately started playing a second time after it was finished because I felt like I had more to discover. She has such an iconic and unique voice and I appreciate mixing various genres and instruments with electronic music.
Lucinda Williams
3/5
I’ve never been much of a country fan, but I ended up enjoying this one way more than I was expecting. It was a pretty good listen. I actually did know Metal Firecracker through the Tallest Man on Earth’s cover album, Too Late for Edelweiss. Still fairly unlikely that I’ll seek this out on my own in the future though
R.E.M.
4/5
After receiving 2 R.E.M. albums from the list (Murmur and Automatic for the People) and one outside the list (my in-laws gave me their vinyl collection, including a copy of Green), I think R.E.M. have finally clicked for me. I really enjoyed this album and might have to go back and have another listen to Murmur and Automatic for the People now.
That said, I still can’t get past how much Michael Stipe sounds like Gord Downie and every time I listen to R.E.M. it makes me want to throw on some Tragically Hip instead.
Janis Joplin
4/5
I think everyone knows what they're in for when they get a Janis Joplin album; just solid, gritty, blues rock with an iconic voice! While I can understand that her voice might not be for everyone, I personally love it. That said, this still isn't really an album that I can see myself throwing on all the time, but I did thoroughly enjoy listening to it.
The Dictators
5/5
I've never heard of the Dictators before, but I had a great time with this album! It's simple, fun, sarcastic early punk music that really doesn't take itself too seriously. I love the cover of I Got You Babe.
I also hadn't heard the term protopunk before starting this project, but I'm finding I really enjoy every band with that label. I'm excited to get more early protopunk albums I've never heard, and I'm sure there's tons of it!
Funkadelic
5/5
Oh hell yes! I always have some time for more Funkadelic in my life!
Elvis Presley
4/5
I saw Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds on their recent tour and they played a staggering version of Tupelo describing Elvis' birth into a Biblical storm in Tupelo, Mississippi. Prior to the performance, Nick Cave spoke about how much Elvis inspired him. I kind of found this surprising because I didn't see a lot of parallels between their music, but I honestly wasn't familiar enough with Elvis to really make an informed opinion.
Listening to From Elvis In Memphis now, I actually do see some similarities in their singing styles and some of the gospel aspects of the tracks although Nick has definitely twisted this sound into a much more menacing sound. I dug into it a bit further and according to the Red Hand Files this was Nick's favourite era of Elvis' music, and he even mentions a few tracks off this albums as his favourites, so it's starting to make a lot of sense.
Anyways, while I really enjoy digging into my favourite bands influences, I also enjoyed listening to From Elvis in Memphis a lot more than I was expecting. Not that I was expecting to dislike it, but I was expecting a much more dated rock-and-roll sound and for some reason I have an impression that Elvis is a bit corny and gimmicky. However, the production on this album is actually pretty amazing and it felt surprisingly timeless. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this album.
The Velvet Underground
5/5
This is yet another incredibly influential and incredibly divisive albums that's full of droning, dissonant and atonal noise, and feedback. It won't be for everyone, but I absolutely love it! I'm Waiting for the Man, Venus in Furs, Heroine and the Black Angel's Death Song are huge highlights for me. Heroine is honestly a perfectly crafted song.
Grizzly Bear
3/5
Ok, I gave this one a few listens. The first couple listens didn’t do much for me. It seemed like a perfectly good indie rock record with technically great playing and songwriting, but something just wasn’t clicking. However, I could tell there was something there and there wasn’t anything I disliked about it, so I threw it on a couple more times throughout the day and by the end of the day I was really quite enjoying it. It’s full of dense and complicated arrangements that still somehow come across very dreamy and chill. You can tell a lot of time went into the production of this album.
Buck Owens
3/5
Classic country sound, which is not my preferred genre, but I do love a twangy Telecaster. I enjoyed this, but not quite enough to return to it ever.
Coldplay
3/5
While my wife and I were out for dinner at a fairly fancy restaurant in the city before going to a concert we overheard one of the waiters excitedly telling another table about his summer plans to see Coldplay at all 4 of the tour dates in our city. He went on to explain how he’d already seen them dozens of times and wants to see them at least 100 times in his life. I love music and love going to concerts, but that kind of commitment to one artist is genuinely baffling to me.
Anyways, I feel much the same way about this album as I did for Parachutes. Less groaning this time as I did genuinely enjoy Parachutes so I’m coming at this one with a bit less bias than last time. That said, there still were a few groans of ‘ugh, it’s this incredibly overplayed song’. Overall, it was a decent album, but I’m yet to be truly converted to a Coldplay fan and I’m definitely not planning on seeing them 100 times in my life.
Van Halen
2/5
Van Halen was a band I tried to get into in middle school when I was learning guitar because Eddie was supposed to be a guitar god and all pre-teens learning guitar think they can grow up to be guitar gods too. Well, I quickly learned that the gimmicky 80s pop infused hard rock with all its soulless guitar shredding just wasn't for me.
If you hadn't guessed, I went into this one with a pretty hard bias against Van Halen, but I tried to put that aside and honestly, I was fairly surprised. This wasn't nearly as gimmicky or soulless as I remembered. It was actually kind of a fun listen! That said, it does feel like music that only someone who is stuck in memories of their prime high school days in the 80s would listen to regularly.
5/5
I’m not familiar with this album, but I am familiar with Drum’s Not Dead, their self-titled, and Sisterworld, which from what I remember were all a bit less experimental and abrasive. I could be wrong though as I haven’t listened to Liars in ages.
As with any experimental or noise rock, They Were Wrong, So We Drowned is a bit challenging to listen to, but is rewarding when you give it a chance. Overall, this album was actually pretty fun with the tribal aspects of the drums and the Brocken witch concept. I think I might have to dive back in to Liars music today.
Slipknot
1/5
Jim Root's Guitar Moves interview was one of the most enlightening videos I've watched recently and helped me start looking at the fretboard differently. He seemed like a laid-back, down-to-earth kind of guy.
I tried to listen to some Slipknot after watching that interview and their sound compared to the guy I watched in that interview were so diametrically opposed. I don't think I made it through a full song.
Listening to this album now is honestly painful. The lyrics that I can understand beyond the angry screaming are cringy at best. Not only do I have a disdain for annoying screaming ruining an otherwise good song, but I've also always had a disdain for the overuse of the double bass drum in metal music. It's akin to shredding guitar solos; congrats you can play really fast, I guess, but I don't want to hear it in every song.
5/5
Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band is one of those albums that is so widely praised that it just has to be overrated, right? Honestly, no, I don't think so. It's a genre defining psychedelic rock album that is solid front-to-back and ends on one of the best songs ever recorded. Honestly, I don't really have anything else to say about it.
Linkin Park
2/5
I was a huge fan of Linkin Park when I was a kid. I’m pretty sure I played this album on repeat on my Sony Walkman for weeks when I was like 10 or 11. Listening to this now, I have no idea why I liked it. I wasn’t particularly angsty or angry or anything. I think it was mostly my attempting to figure out my music preferences. It doesn’t quite hold up for me now, but I think the nostalgia alone is saving this from a 1/5.
Billy Bragg
3/5
I’ve put on a few of Billy Bragg’s songs in the past thinking I must like him because I love the idea of a folk punk artist and I’m a huge fan of his work with Wilco on the Mermaid Avenue project to put music to some unheard Woody Guthrie lyrics, but I’ve never been able to get past his voice/accent. I understand that it’s very much part of his persona and is a way to connect with the working class, but it just isn’t really for me.
That said, I actually ended up enjoying this album quite a bit when I got into it with songs like Train Train, Levi Stubbs’ Tears, Honey I’m a Big Boy Now, There is Power in a Union, Wishing the Days Away being highlights for me.
DJ Shadow
5/5
A couple years ago, I was watching an interview with the Tallest Man on Earth and he mentioned loving this album when he was growing up. Naturally I was intrigued because I always love looking into my favourite artist’s inspirations. So I threw it on and was so confused; it wasn’t at all what I was expecting as an inspiration for an indie folk artist.
Listening to this now and I find myself surprised again. Electronica and hip hop have been some of the worst genres for me to explore on this list, but I actually really enjoyed this. You can tell a lot of time went into collecting and arranging these samples. It sounds so much more natural than the standard 4 on the floor dance beats that every other electronica album has had so far and the instrumentals have been the best parts of several of the hip hop albums. It honestly feels closer to a jazz album than an electronica or hip hop album.
Nick Drake
4/5
Another wonderful album from Nick Drake! This one feels more intimate and less upbeat compared to Bryter Layter. The songwriting is still absolutely phenomenal, but I do think I preferred the more upbeat and complex arrangements on Bryter Layter.
Missy Elliott
2/5
Usually when I don't like an album, it's pretty clear why, and if it isn't clear, then I usually try to find a reason. However, I don't like this and I don't even care enough to figure it out.
Jurassic 5
5/5
Another great discovery from the list! I'd never heard of Jurassic 5 before, but this is absolutely the kind of hip-hop I'm into. Great beats, fun samples, and awesome flow and the last song is phenomenal! Absolutely not surprising in any way that I prefer alternative/underground hip hop.
The Cure
3/5
I mostly liked this album, but the whole gothic, full of dread and despair feeling kind of gets tiresome by the end. Not something I'm going to return to frequently unless I'm feeling particularly bummed about something.
Heaven 17
2/5
80s synth pop with poorly charting singles? To say I went in with low expectations is an understatement, but I was surprised and actually enjoyed the first few tracks. Unfortunately, it quickly went downhill from there. I’ll give it some points for the incredible bass playing on the first few tracks and the sadly still relevant lyrics throughout. Other than that, I really don’t understand why this is an album I needed to hear before I die.
Tricky
4/5
I’m sure there is a super specific genre name for this brand of downtempo, atmospheric electronic beats / hip hop. I don’t know what it is, but I do actually really dig this, so I should probably figure it out.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
As a stoner in high school, Bob Marley was basically constant background music for everything we did. I rarely listen to Bob Marley now, but every single time I do I am reminded that I need to listen to more Bob Marley.
Ananda Shankar
3/5
Considering this is an attempt to capitalize on the raga rock trends of the 60s, I was expecting it to be more of a gimmick, but the sitar and Moog synth actually work really well together. Incredible production and great playing all around. Probably not something I’ll listen to every day, but I thoroughly enjoyed it
David Bowie
4/5
I absolutely adore Bowie, but this is probably one of my least favourite Bowie albums on the list. That’s not to say I dislike Hunky Dory, it’s still a great album, but it feels more so like an attempt for Bowie to find his voice and the songwriting and production feel a bit inconsistent. Life on Mars?, Changes, Queen Bitch, and Oh! You Pretty Things are some of the best songs Bowie has ever written. Quicksand and Bewlay Brothers are also phenomenal deep cuts. The other songs on this album just don’t move me at all no matter how many times I listen to them.
The B-52's
5/5
The B-52s were a band that my friend's somewhat eccentric and absolutely hilarious dad always listened to. As a kid, I honestly didn't really get it. I didn't dislike it, but I definitely thought it was weird and I was always too cool and/or embarrassed to join in to Rock Lobster dance parties in their living room.
Giving this a proper listen some 25 years later and I absolutely get it now. That said, I'm also gearing up to be the same kind of somewhat eccentric and hopefully hilarious dad, so I guess it makes sense. It's coming full circle. I hope my son is ready for Rock Lobster.
Lauryn Hill
2/5
I've seen this album pop up all over the place recently and it seems to be portrayed as some kind of masterpiece, but I don't know, I just didn't really like it. There were maybe 2-3 tracks that I enjoyed, but the time spent between those tracks was boring and far too long.
Nanci Griffith
4/5
Seems the list is teaching me once again that it’s not all country music I dislike; it’s specifically modern country music that I can’t stand. This album was actually quite enjoyable.
UB40
4/5
I didn’t realize how much I actually like reggae, but I’ve yet to get a reggae album from the list that I’ve disliked and this is another solid reggae album. I really enjoy the dub aspects to it and the saxophone parts too.
Public Enemy
3/5
Sadly this is just as relevant now as it was when it was released. It's angry, aggressive, and important. Excellent turntablism and use of samples. Honestly, Chuck D's rapping isn't my favourite, but it's still pretty good. Flavor Flav on the other hand I find incredibly annoying. Overall, I enjoyed it, but it's not quite for me.
Super Furry Animals
4/5
I had this album before I joined a group and I did not like it at the time; I gave it a 2/5. I almost didn't even bother listening to it again today, but I'm happy I did because I'm having an entirely different experience with it. Least favourite song is still Juxtapozed with U, favourite song is still probably Vulcan Street or Run! Christian, Run! Have I warmed up to britpop a bit?
The Byrds
3/5
I’m sure tons of bands have done it, but I’ve always found it kind of weird that they named their album after a Bob Dylan cover. Almost feels inauthentic, like they’re trying to ride Dylan’s coattails. It doesn’t help that this album actually does sound a bit like they’re trying to sound like the Beatles and Bob Dylan at the same time. I would honestly prefer listening to either of the others, but overall this was still an enjoyable listen. I think I actually liked this one a bit more than the last Byrds album I got from the list.
Not sure if there really needs to be this many Byrds albums on the list, though.
This and the Joshua Tree are the two U2 albums that I remember listening to growing up. Listening to All That You Can't Leave Behind now, there are definitely some pretty solid tracks like Beautiful Day, Elevation, Walk On, and New York, but I really don't remember the rest of the album; it’s kind of just forgettable. It's not bad, just nothing really stands out to me.
Honestly, I think U2 are just a solid greatest hits band for me. Great singles, but forgettable albums; just give me an album of the singles.
Guns N' Roses
2/5
I fully understand why this album is included on the list, it’s a solid hard rock record with great playing all around, but damn, the singles are overplayed to death, the songwriting is shallow and basic, and I can’t stand Axl Rose’s singing. This is another one that I loved as an early teen, that just doesn’t do it for me anymore.
Cheap Trick
3/5
Cheap Trick and Alice Cooper was the first real concert I ever attended in 2005 when I was 14. Honestly not sure why my dad got us tickets because I don’t think either of us were massive fans of either band, but it was still an incredible experience.
Listening to Cheap Trick at Budokan now immediately took me back to that show. 27 years after Budokan and I’m pretty sure they had a very similar set in Toronto at the Docks. I wonder if they already had the 5-neck guitar in 1978.
Overall, this was an enjoyable listen, but I still don't think Cheap Trick are going to be my favourite band or anything.
The Louvin Brothers
3/5
Some proper old timey country music full of heart break and murder. Definitely not something I would normally listen to, but I actually enjoyed this quite a bit.
Frank Zappa
5/5
Damn, this is a great album! Zappa is such a unique and weird guitar player and a phenomenal composer! Also Captain Beefheart is a perfect addition to this album. I ended up listening to this a few times today and then branched out and gave Safe as Milk a spin for good measure!
Big Black
5/5
I got really into Big Black (and most of the other bands featured) after reading Our Band Could Be Your Life by Michael Azerrad many years ago, but at some point this abrasive, atonal, industrial noise fell out of my regular listening rotation. I am so happy to be diving back in today and I might need to re-read the book and dive back into more of these bands.
I had a similar thought while listening to Double Nickels on the Dime by the Minutemen, who were surprisingly one of the few bands in the book that didn't fully resonate with me at the time. I absolutely loved listening to them for this project though, which also led me to think I should revisit the book and the bands it covered.
Calexico
4/5
This music wasn't really grabbing me on the first listen until we got to Attack! El Robot! Attack! Something about that song made everything click for me and I had to go back for a second listen. I really, really enjoyed it on the second listen; not sure what I was missing the first time through, but the fusion of indie rock / alt country with mariachi music and jazz is unexpected and amazing!
Orange Juice
3/5
My only real complaint is that at times this sounded like the Talking Heads got drunk and tried their hands at David Bowie impressions. Seriously, that singing voice does not match a single face on that album cover.
Other than that, I surprisingly had a really good time with this album. A Million Pleading Faces and Hokoyo are probably the stand out tracks for me, but the sax solo on I Can't Help Myself absolutely rips.
Amy Winehouse
4/5
Rehab is tragically a bit too ironic now, isn't it?
Overall, I liked this album a lot more than Frank. It's still jazzy, bluesy, and soulful and her singing is still great, but this album feels much more grown up all around. Better production, better songwriting, more introspective and less shallow.
George Michael
2/5
I was expecting a much more corny 80s production on this one, but was surprised that wasn’t really the case and I actually enjoyed a few tracks. That said, it’s still not for me and I was honestly just wishing it would end for at least half the album.
Boston
4/5
I’m of half a mind to rip on this album for basically sounding like a cliched meme at this point, but there’s a reason modern pop culture has made these songs prevalent just about everywhere and I honestly had a great time listening to this album. That said, I cannot fucking stand More Than a Feeling at this point.
Also it’s absolutely wild that this was recorded in a basement while they were running an elaborate ruse to convince the record label that it was being recorded in LA.
Arcade Fire
3/5
Honestly, I feel the exact same way about this album as I did the Funeral. It's a perfectly good indie rock record, it just doesn't really do anything for me personally.
David Bowie
5/5
Station to Station is in my top 5 Bowie albums. It might even be in top 3.
It’s still got some funk and plastic soul from Young Americans, but we’re also starting to see some of the Krautrock influences and electronic experimentation that drove a lot of the Berlin Trilogy.
There really isn’t a bad song on this album. Mind you there are only 6 songs, and at 38 minutes it doesn’t overstay its welcome at all either.
Ice Cube
2/5
Surprised I actually enjoyed this one a lot more than I was expecting. I actually really enjoyed the "ugly" beats and samples; the backing tracks almost remind me of industrial music at times. Ice Cube's rapping is definitely angry, but I dug it. The political songs are still relevant and important, but the misogyny has aged incredibly poorly. Also, I've said it before, but I can't stand Flavor Flav.
Booker T. & The MG's
3/5
I originally had this album generated on day 5 of the project before I joined a group with some friends. I gave it a 3/5 then and feel about the same now.
Green Onions is undeniably cool, but I also feel like someone imposed a 3 minute time limit on these songs and it really limited where the album could have gone. As a whole it feels more like a demo tape for a band rather than an actual album. If these songs could have been fully fleshed out to at least 5-6 minutes they would feel much more complete, but as it is they all fade out in what feels like the middle of a song.
Steely Dan
5/5
I thought I knew Steely Dan, but I was not prepared for such smooth, funky, jazz rock when I first listened to this album. It really makes you want to sit back and relax on a yacht with a nice glass of whiskey.
This is a really solid album front-to-back, the production and the playing are all next level. I Got the News is the track that really stood out to me; I absolutely loved the staccato, off-kilter piano line.
Goldie
1/5
This was not an album I needed to hear before I died. There were elements I liked, but they were repeated ad nauseam. Every single song went on several minutes too long and they used the same beat in every song. It literally just reminds me of the music that the goth kids in Letterkenny dance to.
Depeche Mode
4/5
Depeche Mode are a band I’ve overlooked because I always thought they were just another soulless 80s pop group, but I was clearly wrong; wrong about both Depeche Mode and a lot of 80s music in general. I thoroughly enjoyed this album. It’s maybe a bit too brooding for my tastes, but it sounds a bit like an earlier, more pop-y version of Nine Inch Nails. I’m looking forward to checking out some of their other work now.
The War On Drugs
5/5
I spent my morning snuggled in a reclining chair with my toddler watching the sun rising above a lake while listening to this album. So that’s going to factor pretty favourably into my review.
The War on Drugs have been a long time favourite of mine. I’ve always thought they kind of sound like a mix of Springsteen and Dylan with Wilco as a backing band.
Neil Young
5/5
On the Beach is one of the top 3 of Neil Young’s solo albums for me; I would honestly be hard pressed to pick a favourite between On the Beach, Tonight’s the Night, and Harvest.
There’s really not a bad song on On the Beach, but For the Turnstiles and Ambulance Blues are the stand out tracks for me. I’m incredibly happy I got to catch him on his current tour with the Chrome Hearts where he actually opened with Ambulance Blues and he’s absolutely still rocking at 79 years old!
The Rolling Stones
3/5
I definitely like early Stones more than their later stuff, but they definitely haven’t found themselves at this point. This was interesting to listen to, but probably not something I’ll revisit too often.
Slade
2/5
There’s a couple tracks on here I did really enjoy, but overall I don’t think this album is for me, mostly because their singing is incredibly grating to me. You can definitely feel their influence on the hair metal scene, which I’m not sure is necessarily a good thing in my eyes (or ears, I guess).
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
3/5
I was expecting this album would feel dated and that that was going to put me off a bit, but honestly it doesn’t feel nearly as dated as I was expecting and I actually really enjoyed it. This is some proper rock and roll and you can hear how this went on to influence so many musicians.
Also, that album cover is hilarious. Looks like 4 proud dads showing off their newborn guitars.
Sheryl Crow
3/5
I haven’t even listened to this yet and All I Want to Do is already stuck in my head. It’s going to be stuck in my head all week.
Ok, I enjoyed that a lot more than I expected. There are actually some really good tracks on here. It might not make it into my regular listening rotation, but I wouldn’t be upset hearing this again in the future.
Skepta
1/5
I guess we’re adding grime to the list of hip-hop sub-genres that I can’t stand. How in the hell did this beat out Blackstar for the Mercury Prize?
Radiohead
5/5
I've long considered the Bends as one of my least favourite Radiohead albums, but I honestly haven't spent a lot of time with it or Pablo Honey, so I'd be hard pressed to actually choose a least favourite between those two albums.
That said, I think I may have been overlooking the Bends quite a bit because this is pretty damned good! I can totally see how some fans would prefer the earlier guitar driven songwriting over the sonic experimentation that came with the later albums. Their sound on the Bends almost sounds like a different band compared to what comes after Kid A.
I definitely still prefer their later work (Kid A in particular is one of my all time favourite albums), but I have a much, much better appreciation for this album now.
Hawkwind
2/5
Live psychedelic space rock? Lemmy Kilmister on bass? Extended guitar, flute, and saxophone solos and wild synth experimentation? This is right up my alley. It sounds like it’s a direct influence for King Gizzard’s metal albums (Infest the Rats Nest and PetroDragonic Apocalypse). What could go wrong?
A lot apparently. I’m not sure if it’s just the mix or if the band just isn’t really tight enough, but it sounds like they’re just playing on top of each other rather than actually playing together. It all builds into a wall of sound, but not in a good way.
That said, I didn’t hate the album. It’s a great concept and all the pieces are all there; it just didn’t really come together. I was going to say I think I like more space and less rock in my space rock, but I love the aforementioned King Gizzard albums and they’re definitely more rock than space.
Overall, I’m happy to have listened to it, but I can’t see myself returning to it.
John Martyn
5/5
Holy shit, what was that?! I hadn't heard a single song off this album; I've never even heard of John Martyn. Based on the Wikipedia description, I was expecting some generic blues rock with some reggae influences thrown in, but that is not at all what we got on this album. The guitar work and use of echo and delay is incredibly unique. At times his voice sounds like a much less gravelly Tom Waits. The whole album is hypnotic and sounds way ahead of its time. Discoveries like this is exactly why I'm completing this project!
Bob Dylan
5/5
This is peak Bob Dylan. The culmination of his 60s rock era and a response to the backlash he experienced after going electric on Bringing It All Back Home and Highway 61 Revisited. The lyrics are poetic, witty, and surreal. Robbie Robertson and the rest of the session musicians are at the top of their game. The instrumentation is masterfully arranged. It somehow doesn't overstay its welcome even though it's a double album; I honestly didn't even realize this was a double album until reading the Wikipedia link this morning.
The piercing harmonica and nasally voice obviously won't be to everyone's taste. Hell, I grew up with the absolutely mistaken "Bob Dylan can't sing" crowd. I didn't find an appreciation for his work until much later when I happened to sit down and watch the Rolling Thunder Review. I don't even really know what possessed me to watched it. There was just a nagging voice at the back of my mind that was telling me I should probably check out some Bob Dylan. I was immediately hooked and have gone on to explore a good chunk of his back catalogue, bought the complete Bob Dylan songbook, and dusted off my harmonica.
Pulp
4/5
Had you asked me yesterday if I knew who Pulp was, I would have said, "I don't really listened to their music, but of course I know them." Apparently, that would have been untrue. Embarrassingly, I think I may have actually been confusing them with Blur.
Anyways, I really enjoyed this album after a couple listens. Common People is great and I've definitely heard it somewhere before. There were a lot of interesting influences throughout the album from disco to 70s pop to 80s new wave and it all built to a pretty over-the-top sound. There was also a pretty clear Bowie influence throughout the album that I enjoyed up to a certain point, but it did get to a point where it seemed like he might be trying too hard to be Bowie.
And when he wasn't trying to be Bowie, he was trying so hard to be sexy, but his whisper singing just comes off as creepy. The awful lyrics in Pencil Skirt didn't help. I've seen it pointed out that he's playing a character and being sarcastic, but it doesn't change the fact that his singing at times makes me think, "man, I really want to punch this guy in the mouth."
Incredible Bongo Band
2/5
This wasn’t bad, it was quite well done, but it was incredibly gimmicky and I don’t know if I really needed to hear a bunch of cover songs featuring a lot of bongos before I died.
Lynyrd Skynyrd
3/5
I loved this album growing up. It’s a great album with solid songwriting and playing all around. However, at some point I really grew to dislike Lynyrd Skynyrd and most southern rock. It all reminds me of “good ole boys”. Probably happened around the time I learned more about the symbolism of the Confederate flag.
I enjoyed listening to it again today, but it’s not something I’ll ever seek out to listen to in the future.
The Kinks
5/5
The only Kinks song I knew coming into this was Lola, which is a great song, but has pretty much become a classic rock cliche at this point. It's an absolute shame I hadn't explored these guys earlier because this is fantastic! Incredibly catchy songs, immaculate production, some weird 60s psychedelic experimentation. It kind of feels somewhere in between Bob Dylan and the Beatles. Thoroughly enjoyed this and I'm excited to check out more!
Meat Puppets
5/5
Noisy punk music with a bit of a country twist? I absolutely love it! I can see how this went on to influence Kurt Cobain and I'm kind of disappointed in myself for not having looked into Meat Puppets sooner as I was a huge Nirvana fan growing up.
Magazine
5/5
Oh man, another great post-punk discovery! I can't believe I'd never heard of Magazine, but this is an absolutely amazing album! I feel like this album really straddles the line between angsty post-punk and gothic new wave, which is just perfect for me and is made all the more impressive considering they’re one of the early post-punk/new wave acts.
Nina Simone
5/5
My introduction to Nina Simone was through Warren Ellis' absolutely wonderful book "Nina Simone's Gum". The book is an exploration of the symbolism we can place in something through Ellis' life and his relationship with found objects. The focus is on a piece of gum that Nina Simone left on her piano following a performance as part of a festival organized by Nick Cave. After the show, in a state of awe, Ellis snuck onto the stage, wrapped the gum in Nina's stage towel, dropped it in a Tower Records bag, and then kept it there for 20 years as a sacred totem.
Listening to Wild is the Wind now, I absolutely get the state the Warren must have been in following Nina's performance. Such powerful, captivating singing and piano playing! The two live tracks (Wild is the Wind and Black is the Colour of my True Love's Hair) and Four Women were the standout tracks for me. What a wonderful album!
Steely Dan
5/5
I realized while listening to this album that if CSNY played jazz rock instead of folk rock, they'd sound a lot like Steely Dan. To make a more modern comparison, some of the singing and composition on this album remind me of Geordie Greep on the New Sound (which better be on the user list by the time I make it there!). Anyways, as a suburban dad in his 30s, I approve.
Steely Dan
5/5
Apparently the generator has decided to get me into Steely Dan this month. Earlier last month I had Aja, which is peak jazz rock fusion. Yesterday I had Pretzel Logic which felt like they were honing their jazz rock craft. Today is Countdown to Ecstasy that feels more so like they’re flexing their rock chops, but there’s still a bit of jazz here and there throughout. It’s feels a lot more accessible and straight forward than the last two, but still very enjoyable.
I’m going to be disappointed if I don’t get Can’t Buy a Thrill tomorrow.
The Crusaders
2/5
Funky jazz with solid production and playing, but unfortunately it’s rather generic, formulaic, inoffensive, and forgettable. It’s doesn’t really seem to do anything for me at all.
Janelle Monáe
5/5
I was originally generated this album on day 3 before I joined a group and it set the tone for the entire project by forcing me to challenge my biases.
Janelle Monae is an artist I wouldn’t have even considered listening to in the past. I fully expected a generic pop / R&B artist and I don’t generally enjoy that music. However, I ended up listening to this album a few times that day because I couldn’t understand what was happening. This is definitely not generic in any way! I came out realizing that this is a damn fine album and it’s still in my regular listening rotation today.
I still absolutely love the middle section with Oh Maker, Come Alive, and Mushrooms & Roses, as well as the final track, BabopbyeYa, but I’ve also come around to Make the Bus and Wondaland, which I originally found kind of annoying.
Overall, this has been my best discovery so far
Norah Jones
3/5
Pleasant and relaxing album. A bit bluesy, a bit jazzy, a bit folky, and she's got an amazing voice. Unfortunately, it does all start sounding the same and it kind of drags on by the end. I did enjoy it, but I’m not going to return to it unless I'm looking for some calm background music to create a relaxing atmosphere for something
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
4/5
As with most world music that is completely new and foreign to me, I was expecting I'd enjoy the experience of listening to the album more than I enjoy the music itself, but that absolutely wasn't the case here. The rhythms and chanting are absolutely hypnotic and I was immediately drawn in to the songs.
I could only find the combined Love & Devotion album that includes the album Love Songs on the first half and Devotional Songs on the second. I figured I'd start with Devotional Songs first since it's the album on the list, but enjoyed it so much that I went back and listened to Love Songs too.
Then reading through his Wiki, I saw mention of more experimental, fusion work like Mustt Mustt and knew I had to give that a shot as well. I've got to say, Mustt Mustt absolutely deserves to be on this list too. It's an incredibly cool East meets West fusion that works surprisingly well. The same hypnotic singing and rhythms, but with some jazzy guitar and bass. That said, I wouldn't replace Love & Devotion on the list with Mustt Mustt as I think the more traditional side of Love & Devotion should be acknowledged as well.
Honestly, this has been a great rabbit hole to explore! I'm going on to listen to Night Song next! I'm giving this entry on the list at least 4 stars based on this rabbit hole exploration alone!
Also, aside from the music, the album covers for Love & Devotion, Mustt Mustt, and Night Song are amazing!
5/5
Seems that this is another instance where I've overlooked a band because their most well known hits have become somewhat of a cliche and appear all over popular media (or maybe I've just watched Dazed and Confused a few too many times?). That said, I absolutely love both Low Rider and Why Can't We Be Friends?, so I'm not really sure why I never bothered looking any deeper into this band.
Disappointed I've been overlooking them because, holy hell, The World is A Ghetto is astonishing! Groovy, funky, jazzy, soulful. I am already on my third listen and might just keep listening to this all day.
Miles Davis
5/5
Hell yes, this is one of my all time favourite albums! Experimental jazz with some top tier musicians performing at the peak of their craft. I totally get how this will be too far out there for some, but I absolutely love it!
Maxwell
2/5
This is super smooth, funky, sexy R&B. Maybe a bit too smooth and sexy. It feels like the sonic equivalent of soft core porn. It’s honestly a bit too boring for me
The Only Ones
5/5
Another great discovery! I’d never heard of this band, but I thoroughly enjoyed this album! Solid early punk rock with some jazzy breakdowns and if this list has taught me anything, it’s that I’m a sucker for proto-punk and jazz, so I guess I’ll keep handing out 5s like they’re candy.
Jack White
4/5
The White Stripes were one of the few bands outside of classic rock that I would listen to growing up, but by the time Jack White’s solo career came around I was pretty burnt out on guitar rock and was mostly listening to industrial, noise, or ambient music. That said, I did see him live when he was touring this album because a friend had an extra ticket and it was a pretty great show!
I really enjoyed listening to Blunderbuss this morning; it feels like I might finally be ready to appreciate this kind of music again. This pretty much feels like what you’d expect; it’s guitar rock similar to the White Stripes, but it’s not as striped down / is more complex.
Q-Tip
4/5
I was kind of struggling to get into this album at first. Something about his voice was getting on my nerves; I think it's just a little too high pitched for my tastes. However, something clicked during the track 'You', I think it was the bassline specifically, and I started to really feel the jazz-y, soulful tracks and appreciating his smooth flow. By the end of the album I was totally invested and ended up enjoying it quite a bit. I went back for a second listen and thoroughly enjoyed the whole album. I guess it just took me a minute to get into it.
Sigur Rós
4/5
I went through a post-rock phase late in high school and every once in a while I like to dip my toes back in those waters. That said, I never really got into Sigur Ros back then. I knew of them, but I liked the more punk rock aesthetics of bands like Do Make Say Think, A Silver Mt Zion, and Godspeed You! Black Emperor. I'm genuinely surprised there's not a Godspeed album on this list.
Ágætis Byrjun is a great album. Standout tracks for me are Ný batterí and Hjartað Hamast (Bamm Bamm Bamm). The only thing that might hold it back from full points for me is that I need to be in the right mood to listen to an hour plus of ethereal, ambient, and atmospheric post-rock.
Beatles
4/5
This isn't my favourite Beatles album, but it feels like a major turning point in their discography, so I totally get why it would be included in the book. There's a bit more experimentation with different instruments, recording techniques, and song structures that hints at the direction they start heading following this album. Interesting that this is the first album they recorded without concert, radio, or film commitments.
Joni Mitchell
5/5
My intro to Joni Mitchell was via the clip of her playing Coyote in Gordon Lightfoot's apartment during Bob Dylan's Rolling Thunder Review (apparently that was the debut of the song, which she had written during the Rolling Thunder Review). I was immediately taken by Coyote and ended up listening to, and loving, Hejira shortly after watching the movie. However, my budding Bob Dylan obsession quickly took over and I never really got a chance to do a deeper dive into Joni Mitchell's work beyond Hejira.
Court and Spark feels much more accessible and pop oriented compared to Hejira's jazz-y experimentation, but Joni Mitchell's poetic inclinations still shine through on this album and some of that jazz-y experimentation starts to come out in the last few tracks. The way she crafts a song and a melody is totally unique; it stands out to me compared to all of the other folk acts of the time.
Frank Ocean
2/5
Things I like: the interludes especially the PlayStation and Street Fighter samples in Start. The instrumentation in general is pretty solid. I dig the drumming and bass throughout. There’s a couple nice guitar solos like on Pink Matter.
Things I dislike: the modern hip hop / poppy R&B vocals. I just can’t stand it. It also overstays its welcome quite a bit.
Public Enemy
4/5
I actually liked this one a lot more than the last Public Enemy album I had on the list (Fear the Black Planet). Apocalypse 91 felt a bit less chaotic and I didn’t find Flavor Flav nearly as annoying this time around. Also, the song with Anthrax at the end was just wild. I might actually have to go have another listen to Fear of the Black Planet now.
Joan Armatrading
4/5
Wow, I can’t believe I’ve never heard Joan Armatrading before. This is a bit bluesy, a bit funky, a bit jazzy, and very soulful singing. Thoroughly enjoyed this!
The Beach Boys
5/5
Ok, what is up with the horn at the end of You Still Believe In Me? I understand that Brian Wilson was obsessive about every single sound in this album, so I am picturing him sitting at the mixing console with a nearly finished track just looking for that one last thing to make a perfect track and somehow he settled on a little 'honk-honk, honk-honk'?
Anyways, on to my actual review. I stated that I don't really get the Beach Boys in my review of the Beach Boys Today. It's not really the band or their music that I don't understand, it's the lofty praise thrown around in any discussions of the Beach Boys, Brian Wilson, and Pet Sounds in particular. "Genius", "masterpiece", "redefining pop music", etc.
After three listens of Today, it was growing on me, but I still wasn't really understanding the hype. After listening to Pet Sounds, though, I'm starting to get it. Today was fine, but Pet Sounds is a great album. The tracks are finely crafted and catchy, the production is immaculate, you can feel how meticulous Brian Wilson was in putting this all together.
I'm on my second listen now and I feel like more and more of the album is revealing itself. I'm finding something new in each listen and the more I listen, the higher the rating is getting.
Jeff Beck
3/5
I originally had this album generated on day 11 before I joined a group and stand by my review from back then.
Had I known about this album back in high school, I would have loved it. Some solid blues guitar driven classic rock. Unfortunately, I’ve become a bit burnt out on the whole genre and I don’t love Rod Stewart’s singing. He kind of sounds like a budget Robert Plant.
Massive Attack
3/5
Very interesting combination of genres. Some hip hop, some electronica, some funk, some soul, some reggae. Overall, I enjoyed the vibe, but there were a few elements that didn't quite hit the mark for me. Specifically, I didn't love the vocals and some of the reggae elements seemed a bit out of place.
Iron Maiden
4/5
My knee jerk reaction on my first listen of The Number of the Beast was, “damn, this is some corny as hell 80s metal”. I was ready to give it a 2, maybe 3, but I was convinced to give it another listen. Turns out it’s actually a damn good time! The guitar playing, the bass playing, and the drumming are all great! I even started to appreciate the singing by the end. I kind of wish I grew up as a metal head in the 80s now.
Pere Ubu
5/5
I previously enjoyed the Modern Dance when it was generated, but I don’t remember it being as weird as this. I remember the Modern Dance was a solid noisy post-punk record, but Dub Housing sounds like a surreal mix of the Talking Heads and Devo, which is kind of perfect for me right now as I’ve been exploring Devo after watching the Devo documentary and have been obsessed with David Byrne for awhile now.
I really want to know what was in the water in Ohio in the early 70s to produce these wildly avant-garde bands. Well, probably a lot of rubber by-products and too much lead actually.
The Fall
4/5
The last Fall album I got from the generator was Live at the Witch Trials, with which I really struggled. I wanted to like it and enjoyed the post-punk feel of the backing tracks, but I just couldn’t get past the singing. This time around with the Infotainment Scan everything feels much more accessible and the singing isn’t nearly as grating to me.
There’s a pretty weird progression to this album too. It starts off with pretty straight forward post-punk, but more and more electronic and dance elements start to reveal themselves. A bit of a strange mix, but it kind of works.
Overall, I enjoyed this one and I might need to give Live at the Witch Trials another spin to see if it was as difficult and unenjoyable to listen to as I remember.
The Zombies
5/5
I am genuinely surprised that their label could fumble this album so bad that it wasn't well received when it was released. It sounds like a mix of the Beach Boys and the Beatles and there's not a bad track on here. It's just a solid psychedelic baroque pop album from front to back!
Gil Scott-Heron
5/5
My introduction to Gil Scott-Heron was through the song Me and the Devil off his more recent album I'm New Here. I had that album in my rotation for a long time, but it's been a while since I've given it a listen.
I absolutely love the jazzy electric piano riffing with Gil Scott-Heron's heavy soulful singing on Winter In America. The Bottle is a killer track; the flute soloing is amazing. The spoken word blues/jazz poetry of H2O Gate Blues is also phenomenal and is sadly incredibly relevant even with its outdated references.
Also, I don't want to diminish Winter In America, but I do have to say that I'm surprised Pieces of a Man isn't in the list as the track the Revolution Will Not Be Televised is absolutely amazing and rather important historically as it’s considered one of the predecessors to modern hip-hop.
I think Winter In America is going to lead to a bit of a deep dive into Gil Scott-Heron's work again today.
The Stooges
5/5
What the hell have I been doing with my life? Why haven't I taken a serious deep dive into the Stooges music? I've known how influential and beloved they are by many other artists that I love. I've listened to and absolutely adore Iggy Pop's later work like the Idiot and Lust for Life, but for some reason I've never bothered to go back further than that.
I genuinely can't believe this album came out in 1969. It's just so much more noisy, aggressive, and savage than anything I expect coming out of the 60s.
I also gave Fun House a listen for good measure and absolutely loved it as well. They're both 5/5s!
Ash
2/5
Other than enjoying some of the aggressive guitar tones at the start and finding some of the samples amusing, this album does nothing for me. It's kind of an interesting combination of indie, pop punk, and britpop, but overall the singing and composition is kind of just a bland flavour that's not to my taste.
David Bowie
4/5
The Next Day feels like one of the more accessible Bowie albums. On most of his albums he's trying to explore new territory: krautrock on Low and Heros, soul on Young Americans, industrial on Earthling, pop on Let's Dance, etc. The Next Day doesn't really feel like it has the same direction; it's not Bowie trying to shapeshift into something else. It just feels like Bowie wanted to make an album for fun after his time away from music and I can't fault him for that. Knowing Bowie, he probably had a ton of material collected and written from his time out of the spotlight. All that said, there are some hints at what's to come on tracks like If You Can See Me, which honestly wouldn't feel too out of place on Blackstar.
The Next Day isn't my favourite Bowie album, but overall I do enjoy it and it's impressive how he was still firing on all cylinders so late into his career.
The KLF
1/5
The only thing available on streaming is the “Director’s Cut”. I started listening to that, but saw the tracklist was completely different compared to the original, so I wondered how different the original album sounded. I found the full album on YouTube (https://youtu.be/kjqb9_OEySY?si=2pZpIZ561hcnIUeX) and they’re entirely different.
Anyways, this isn’t the worst electronica album I’ve heard on this list. It is at least a bit dynamic and varied. There’s even a slow slide guitar break in the middle of the album. That said, it’s still pretty close to the worst. The pulsing bass on several of the tracks literally evokes the same sensation behind my eyes as a migraine. I can’t imagine ever wanting to hear this music outside of a rave and I never want to attend another rave.
Tears For Fears
5/5
Tears for Fears was a guilty pleasure for me back when I only listened to classic rock and despised anything from the 80s. Even back then I couldn’t deny that songs like Shout and Everybody Wants to Rule the World were great songs.
Now I can confidently say this is just an all around solid album that I need to listen to more often!
Bob Marley & The Wailers
5/5
If this list was reduced to a single album for each genre, Exodus would be the album that remains for reggae. It perfectly typifies reggae music and is an all around great album.
Jean-Michel Jarre
2/5
I appreciate that this is a pivotal piece of early electronic music that helped revolutionize the use of synthesizers in popular music and I can appreciate the ambient atmosphere of this album, but if I'm being honest, it just feels a bit dated and boring. It's not bad, it's just not something I can see myself returning to in the future.
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
I knew Hendrix was coming along from the generator eventually and I’ve honestly been a bit wary of this day. Not that I dislike Hendrix; quite the opposite actually. In high school my three favourite artists were Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, and Jimi Hendrix. They were pretty much all I listened to other than a few other classic rock staples, but since then I’ve become completely burnt out on classic rock and guitar heavy music in particular. Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd have returned to my listening rotation, but I haven’t listened to Jimi Hendrix in roughly 20 years now, so I was worried it wouldn’t hold up.
There’s definitely a ton of nostalgia listening to this album again, and fortunately, it mostly holds up in my books. I don’t think I’m ready to bring it back into my regular listening rotation, but it’s still a great album and I enjoyed listening to it again. I don’t think this is my favourite Hendrix album, but some of my favourite Hendrix tracks are on her like Little Wing, If 6 was 9, and Spanish Castle Magic.
Ice Cube
2/5
I'm not sure if Ice Cube hates institutionalized racism or women more. I was actually enjoying this album despite it having a lot of the gangsta rap cliches that I can't stand (e.g. excessive violence, over use of the n-word, calling all women bitches, etc.), but Don't Trust 'Em pushed it too far for me. There are a couple good tracks and the content of the album addressing racism is sadly still very relevant, but overall, this album isn't for me.
The Who
4/5
Seems that the only editions of this album available on streaming are incredibly long and include many, many extra tracks compared to the original 1970 track listing that was only 6 songs in 38 minutes.
I decided to start by editing down the 1995 edition (1 hour 23 minutes) to only the original 6 songs and it was absolutely amazing! I genuinely forgot how good the Who were and this album has me excited to dive into their work for the first time in at least a decade! I might give one of the longer editions of Live at Leeds a spin later, but I'm going to have to go re-learn My Generation on the bass first. We used to jam that song all the time and I forgot how fun it was to play!
I actually saw Roger and Pete perform as the Who in 2006 when they were touring for the Endless Wire. It was one of the first concerts I'd ever been to and I wasn't even that big a fan of the Who at the time, but it was probably one of the best shows I've ever attended. They somehow had so much energy and drive for a band that peaked decades earlier. I would have loved to see their original lineup with Entwistle and Keith Moon.
Dinosaur Jr.
4/5
Before Dinosaur Jr, you got to choose between a Stratocaster, a Telecaster, or a cheap classical guitar when you wanted to learn guitar. After Dinosaur Jr, the Jazzmaster became one of the most popular choices for a first guitar. Maybe you’d even luck out and your parents could find you a J Mascis signature Squire Jazzmaster. Although, I doubt it because those things get flipped for way too much now.
Anyways, this album is just full of fuzzed out, jangly, noisy, early indie rock. Solid album through and through.
Megadeth
4/5
When King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard started releasing metal albums I was a bit disappointed because I just wasn’t that into it and I wanted more microtonal bananas. Over time though, I’ve grown to love those albums just as much, if not more, than some of their other work. Seeing them play some of those tracks live absolutely helped.
Megadeth feels like a direct inspiration to Infest the Rats Nest all the way down to the themes of environmental awareness and nuclear Armageddon. It’s a bit corny, but it rocks and it’s fun! Heavy guitar riffs, solid drumming, decent singing.
I’m still not exactly a metal head, but I’m coming around to it for sure!
Pretenders
4/5
This is an interesting coincidence as a couple days ago in my review of the Who’s Live at Leeds review I mentioned seeing them in 2006. Well, who opened for them at that concert? The Pretenders! At the time I had no idea who the Pretenders were; I didn’t even catch their name during the show, so it wasn’t until years later that I figured out who I had seen that day. I remember they put on a good show, but not much else from that time.
Listening to their debut album now and I really quite enjoy it. It's a solid pop-punk album. There's maybe a bit too much 80s pop flair for my tastes on a couple of the tracks, but not enough to turn me off the album.
Neneh Cherry
3/5
I enjoyed this a lot more than I was expecting. The whole album has a corny late 80s / early 90s vibe that is incredibly dated, and yet, I kind of find it endearing; like, this kind of sounds like a John Hughes movie or something. Also, Buffalo Stance is legitimately a great song, but the quality drops off a bit after and the album is definitely dragging on by the end.
Slayer
4/5
I wasn't sold on my first listen of Reign In Blood and I ended up giving it a 2/5 due to it being a lot heavier (more guitar chugging, more double bass drumming, less melody) and darker (themes of Satan, murder, dismemberment, and Josef Mengele) than the other metal albums I've come to enjoy from the list.
Well, I've been revisiting Iron Maiden, Megadeth, and Metallica a lot lately and figured I should give this one another go. Not sure if I'm just in a better mood for it, but I enjoyed it enough to come and edit my previous review!
Christina Aguilera
2/5
Immediate groans when this was generated, but after the first couple of tracks I was thinking, "huh, this actually isn't that bad". Honestly, I always thought she was more of a bubblegum pop star along with Britney Spears, but it seems this album was specifically trying to steer her career away from those allegations. To be fair, when this came out, I avoided pop music like the plague, so it's not surprising that I had no idea about it. That said, I'm only like 6 tracks in and I am starting to lose interest.
Overall, Christina Aguilera is a lot better than I expected. She's got a solid voice and there are some R&B and rock elements to this album that I did enjoy. However, this album is all over the place and some of the jumps from pop to R&B to rock can be a bit jarring (I thought Beautiful to Make Over was jarring, but Dirrty to Stripped Pt2 to The Voice Within is so much worse). On top of that, this album is way too long and the longer it goes on, the more I find myself wishing it would end. If this was edited down to a more cohesive package, I’d give this a better rating.
I also cannot stand the tracks Beautiful or Dirrty.
Curtis Mayfield
3/5
This album is a smooth, soulful, funky, groovy good time with lyrics that paint a vivid picture of what it was like being black in the 1970s. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to it, but it's probably not something I'll return to frequently. I don't know, there's nothing in particular I disliked about it, but I guess I'm just not really in the mood for this kind of music right now.
Sugar
3/5
This really sounds like a heavier, noisier R.E.M. or a sanitized version of Husker Du. After a second listen, I’m hearing a lot of Nirvana influence too. Overall, it kind of comes together as a fairly generic 90s alt-rock sound, which isn’t at all bad, but it’s not exactly something I generally love listening to. Honestly, I’d probably just prefer to listen to Husker Du.
The Darkness
2/5
I dig that these are a bunch of guys who grew up listening to hair metal / glam rock and said “fuck it, I want to do that”, then they actually went and did it!
It’s admittedly not my preferred genre at all, but there’s tons of passion and enthusiasm in this album and it’s undeniably fun. That said, holy hell I cannot stand his singing. It’s like nails on a chalkboard after a couple songs. By the end of the album, the novelty had worn off, so I just wanted it to end.
Bill Evans Trio
5/5
The atmosphere on this album is incredible and all three of them are next level musicians!
While Bill Evans is obviously masterful on the piano, his smooth jazz style of piano playing doesn't really excite me all that much. It's very pleasant and there's nothing I truly dislike about it, it just doesn't really stand out to me, which isn't necessarily a bad thing as it leaves a lot of space for me to appreciate the other musicians in the trio.
The drumming by Paul Motian on the other hand stands out by being perfectly present and in sync with the music, but never quite taking over. He's always there keeping time, but seems to fade in and out of the tracks with ease to suit the direction of the music; he gets louder when he's needed to be louder and quieter when he's needed to be quieter. Not to mention, he's just a great drummer and I absolutely love jazz drumming.
The real stand out on the album is the bass playing by Scott LaFaro. Some of the best bass playing I've heard on a jazz album and I was surprised how much focus the album had on him. That is until I read the Wikipedia afterwards and learned about his tragic death 11 days after these sessions. The tracks were reportedly selected to best feature LaFaro's playing and it absolutely shows.
The Roots
3/5
As someone who only knows the Roots as Jimmy Fallon's band, I am so confused right now. I always assumed all the late night talk show bands were just generic house bands put together for the show. Are all the late night talk show bands actually legitimately good groups?
I feel like a broken record, but I was enjoying this album quite a bit despite it having a lot of the rap cliches that I can't stand (e.g. excessive use of the n-word, questionable views on women, etc.). The band, the smooth rapping, the composition of the backing tracks, and the experimentation makes up for a lot of the rap cliches.
The Water and Something in the Way of Things (In Town) were the standout tracks for me. I was not expecting the almost ambient electronic sections in the Water, but I really enjoyed the whole track and the weird jazz-y, spoken word poetry on Something in the Way of Things (In Town) was phenomenal and I'll return to this track for sure.
On the other end of the tracks-that-stand-out-to-me spectrum, what the fuck is up with the Seed 2.0? What a great song ruined by some truly awful lyrics. "I push my seed into her bush for life"? And this is considered one of the best songs on the album? Seriously, just what the fuck?
This album would be a 5/5 for me if all the tracks were closer to the Water and Something in the Way of Things (In Town), and with a little more !!!!!!! thrown in too, but I feel like it's dragged down by rap cliches and a couple awful tracks like Seed 2.0, so I guess we'll average it out to a 3/5.
Iron Maiden
4/5
My knee jerk reaction when listening to Number of the Beast a few weeks ago was that this is some corny as hell 80s metal, but after a couple listens I started coming around to it and found myself enjoying the album overall. Listening to their self-titled debut album now and I can confirm I am a full convert! The melodic, ripping guitar solos, the driving bass lines, and tight solid drumming. I also love when a metal band slows down like in Remember Tomorrow and Strange World. This was a great time and I am happy the generator has opened my eyes to Iron Maiden.
Flamin' Groovies
4/5
Like many, I misread this entry as the Flamin' Groovies by Teenage Head, not the other way around and, wow, the Flamin' Groovies is just a terrible band name.
As for the music, I dig it, it's pretty solid blues rock that doesn't overstay its welcome (at least the original track listing of 9 songs in 30 minutes doesn't). Seems this is frequently compared to Sticky Fingers since it came out the same year and Mick Jagger was a fan. I get the comparison because this sounds like a bit of a rougher and more natural Rolling Stones with a bit of Elvis thrown in for good measure.
I'd throw this album on again when I'm in the mood, but I'm probably not going to do a deep dive through their discography as it's not quite my preferred genre of music any more.
Beck
5/5
Now here’s a nostalgic album for me! Beck was one of my mom’s favourite artists when I was growing up; Odelay and Guero were staples in our house.
Odelay is an absolute hodgepodge of genres: there’s alternative rock, blues, country, hip-hop, jazz, and tons of experimentation. You never know what the next track has in store for you, let alone the rest of the current track, but somehow the ever shifting genres manages to be surprisingly cohesive as an album and the tracks are incredibly catchy.
There’s really not a bad song on this album. Where It’s At in particular is one of my all time favourite songs
Sabu
4/5
Now this is what I wanted to hear when I had the Incredible Bongo Band generated a while back! Incredibly interesting, almost trance like rhythm and percussion, and unique guitar playing that reminds me a bit of Khurangbin. Thoroughly enjoyed listening to this album and will absolutely come back for more!
Ute Lemper
3/5
Seeing songs by Nick Cave and Tom Waits on the cover of this album had me excited to this one, but I came away a bit disappointed. It wasn’t bad, it just didn’t really click with me. Parts of it did sound like the weird, experimental cabaret I would expect from Tom Waits or Nick Cave and Tango Ballad reminds me of a Geordie Greep song, but then there were parts of it that were kind of just boring and generic. I really wish Nick Cave or Tom Waits would have actually featured on the album.
Lorde
3/5
I listened to Solar Power a few times when it came out and remember enjoying it at the time. Listening to Melodrama now, I understand how Solar Power got mixed reactions because, from what I remember, it's a very different feel than Melodrama; Solar Power is a mostly fun, summer album about getting stoned in the sun and talking about philosophy and Melodrama is a sad, angsty, dark album about getting over a break up.
Overall, the production on Melodrama is fantastic and there are some catchy hooks for sure, but I just don't really relate to it. It's not a bad record, just not something I'm going to listen to again.
OutKast
2/5
Based on only having heard Hey Ya!, I always assumed OutKast was one of those gimmicky, shallow party bands and since I'm not really into hip hop and I'm definitely not into party music, I never had a reason to check them out before. I fear that a 2 hour and 15 minute double (triple? quadruple?) album might not be the best intro to any group, though.
Speakerboxxx (disc 1): Honestly, I'm enjoying the first disc a lot more than I was expecting. There's so much going on in each track and the production is great! Lost me a bit on Tomb of the Boom, which devolves into awful gangsta rap tropes, but overall, I kind of dug this half of the album.
The Love Below (disc 2): Wow, ok, so this is a totally different album, huh? I love the psychedelic, jazz-y feel of this side, but the interludes and themes are incredibly cringy. I get that he's trying to tell some love story, but God and Where Are My Panties are just not enjoyable to listen to at all. Neither is Roses. Honestly, I'm struggling to finish this half.
Overall, I found that Speakerboxxx was more consistently enjoyable, while the Love Below had higher highs and lower lows and unfortunately those lows out numbered the highs quite significantly. I wish they had edited this down to even a standard length double album; 2 hours and 15 minutes is just too much to digest. It almost as if I wish these two guys made one cohesive album rather than slapping two individual albums together and calling it a day.
The Notorious B.I.G.
2/5
Seems the hip hop albums always hit me back to back. I had a stretch of like 2 weeks in the summer where every other album was a hip hop album and now this is the third hip hop album I've had in the past week.
For the first half of Ready to Die, I was actually enjoying it a lot more than expected. Still full of tired gangsta rap tropes I can't stand and can't relate to (questionable views on women, violence, overuse of the n-word, absolutely terrible interludes, etc.), but it sure is smooth and the Notorious BIG was a great rapper.
Unfortunately, it really wore out its welcome for me. By the time "Me and My Bitch" came on I was so tired of this album and I just wanted it to end.
Eurythmics
4/5
In the past I would have classified the title track as a guilty pleasure. I used to abhor all forms of 80s pop music as I believed it was all shallow and vapid, but I still couldn't deny that Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) was a great track. Minimalistic drum programming, a simple synth and bass line, and just catchy as hell.
Now, years later, I've expanded my taste in music considerably and I've been finding that I actually enjoy a lot of 80s music, this album included. I preferred the second half of this album to the first half; it was a little less pop-y dance music and a bit more weird and experimental synth-pop with some solid guitar playing. Either way, I definitely don't feel guilty listening to this any more.
Santana
4/5
As someone who grew up idolizing hippies and 60s psychedelic music and having watched the Woodstock documentary dozens of times, I'm embarrassed to say I've never listened to this album or really any Santana beyond the hits. For some reason, Santana just didn't resonate with me back then. That said, I have heard several of the songs on here.
This album is a great Latin, jazz, blues fusion. The Latin percussion is infectious and makes you want to move and the guitar playing is obviously next level. I really enjoyed this one and clearly missed out not listening to more Santana in the past.
Hüsker Dü
3/5
It’s weird that when I hear Bob Mould I immediately think of Michael Stipe and when I hear Michael Stipe I immediately think of Gord Downie, but I don’t think of Gord Downie when I hear Bob Mould.
Anyways, I mostly enjoyed Sugar’s Copper Blue when I had it generated a couple weeks ago, but I came away thinking I enjoy Husker Du more even though it’s been awhile since I listened to them. Now listening to Warehouse: Songs and Stories, I’m questioning how much I even enjoy Husker Du. This isn’t a bad album, I did enjoy it, but it’s long, the songs are all quite similar, and nothing really stood out to me.
For my sanity, I threw on Zen Arcade. Now that’s the Husker Du I remember! There’s much more of an edge on Zen Arcade, the songs are all so much more ferocious and they’re really experimenting and pushing boundaries on several tracks. Warehouse honestly sounds almost bland in comparison.
Again, I did still enjoy Warehouse: Songs and Stories, I just don’t understand why it’s included in the list over Zen Arcade.
Warehouse: Songs and Stories - 3/5
Zen Arcade - 5/5
Pet Shop Boys
3/5
As someone who saw Destroyer twice this year and spent a good amount of time listening to his music, I find it hard not drawing comparisons. There’s the same relaxed lounge singer vibes all over this album, but it’s missing a lot of Dan Bejar’s weird and surreal lyrics and at times it feels really dated.
I knew almost nothing about the Pet Shop Boys going into this other than maybe having heard their name mentioned in passing a couple times, so I had no idea what to expect from this album, but I kind of dug it. I don’t think I’ll ever really listen to this again though, whenever I’m in the mood for this kind of music, I’d just throw on Kaputt or Rubies instead.
A Tribe Called Quest
5/5
One thing I've noticed going through this list is that I either absolutely love or completely hate the hip hop albums on this list. There's very little middle ground for me and, unfortunately, the hip hop albums I've disliked seem far more common than the ones I've liked.
The Low End Theory won me over from the first few notes. Not only is it falling into the hip hop I love category, but I think this is my favourite hip hop album from the generator so far. I absolutely love the jazz vibe and the rapping is incredibly smooth. I could, and probably will, listen to this all day. I wish I had checked A Tribe Called Quest out much earlier!
The Byrds
4/5
This is the third Byrds album I’ve been generated from the list. I enjoyed the last two, the Notorious Byrd Brothers and Mr. Tambourine Man, but nothing really wowed me on those albums. They were both solid psychedelic albums, but I just didn’t enjoy them enough to want to revisit them. Honestly, it was enough to elicit groans when I saw that I had another Byrds album to listen to today.
However, I was pleasantly surprised this time around. I’m honestly not sure what’s different about this album, other than some absolutely weird experimental bits like the backwards talking and guitar, but I really enjoyed this one. I think I might need to go back and listen to the other Byrds albums to see if something has finally clicked for me.
Alexander 'Skip' Spence
4/5
I knew nothing about Skip Spence coming into this album. Honestly, even Moby Grape has totally passed me by. Reading up about the "fire axe incident" that lead to him writing this album while committed in a mental hospital and his subsequent decline through addiction and schizophrenia is incredibly tragic. I'm sure this comparison has been made a thousand times before, but his story is reminiscent of Syd Barrett.
As for the actual album, I enjoyed it quite a bit. Solid bit of raw, warm, psychedelic folk music, which is right up my alley. I only listened to the original track list (first 12 songs of the Deluxe edition, which seems to be the only edition available on Apple Music), but I enjoyed this enough that I might go give the extended tracks a spin.
The Band
4/5
The Band is yet another band where I am incredibly familiar with their more well known songs, but not terribly familiar with their back catalogue. This is clearly because I've watched the Last Waltz several times, but never stopped to listen to any of their studio albums.
This album does have several of the well known Band tracks like Rag Mama Rag, The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down, Up on Cripple Creek, and King Harvest (Has Surely Come) and honestly, those songs alone are going to drive a pretty high rating for me.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
I’m annoyed that the UK version of this album opens with Mother’s Little Helper and the US version of this album opens with Paint It Black as those are two of my favourite Stones songs and should be on both versions of the album.
After listening to the UK version of this album, I am starting to question whether I do enjoy earlier Stones more than their later work as I stated in my review of their self-titled. I do like the more raw, psychedelic sides of this album quite a bit, and it's interesting as they're definitely finding their sound on this album, but it does kind of drag on a bit. I probably should have stuck to listening to the shorter US version of the album.
I’m honestly starting to think that the Stones might actually be more of a greatest hits band for me. They’ve got a lot of tracks I enjoy, but I’m never really drawn to their full studio albums. That said, I do still like this album, I just can't see myself returning to it too frequently.
The Doors
4/5
I was a huge Doors fan in high school, but at some point I completely fell out of love with them. I don’t think I’ve listened to any of their music in nearly 20 years.
Listening to L.A. Woman now brings back so many memories, but somehow still feels kind of fresh and new to me because it’s been so long since I’ve heard any of these songs. Jim Morrison’s voice is amazing and the band are on fire. I really enjoyed listening to this one and I’m going to need to go do a deep dive through their albums again.
Also, to the reviewer who claims that both L.A. Woman and In Utero by Nirvana would never have been as popular if they weren’t the final releases of beloved musicians, what are you on about, man? We clearly hear music incredibly differently.
Tim Buckley
4/5
I absolutely love the fusion of jazz and folk on this album. The vibraphone and drawn out, slow style of singing give this album a relaxed and chill atmosphere. It was really enjoyable to listen to and would be a great album to sit back and relax with. Unfortunately, the slower songs and some of the lyrics push this album a bit too far into sad and maudlin territory, which is probably the only thing holding it back from full marks from me.
The xx
2/5
For some reason, this album kind of reminds me of Broken Social Scene, but not really in a good way. Where I find Broken Social Scene lively, complex, and interesting, I find The xx is more dull, muted, and boring. I think the similarities I see/hear is just because it’s indie music from the same era; I could absolutely see The xx playing at the Toronto Island Concerts back in the day or the more recent Field Trip Festivals at Fort York.
Anyways, is there any Broken Social Scene on this list? There should be, and if there’s not, I’d trade this album for You Forget It In People.
Caetano Veloso
3/5
Serious Vigo the Carpathian vibes from the headshot on the cover. As for the music, it was interesting and I'm happy to have heard it. Subtle psychedelic sounds mixed into samba / bossa nova. It's definitely not something I would have ever listened to outside of this list. I also can't really see myself ever returning to it other than the last two songs, which I actually found myself enjoying quite a bit.
Fun Lovin' Criminals
3/5
At times it feels like they're trying to emulate Beck, other times it feels like they're trying to emulate the Beastie Boys, and they have some underlying attempts at being gangster and hard. There were elements of this album I enjoyed like the solid production and the smooth and funky band/backing tracks, but not enough of them to ever want to hear this again.
Buena Vista Social Club
4/5
This is an album I'm very happy to have experienced as it instantly transported me to a different place that I've never been before. Very enjoyable at the start, it dragged a bit through the middle, but it picked itself back up near the end.
I think I'm going to have to make a couple mojitos or El Presidentes this weekend now as I have a sudden craving for some rum.
Also, to all the reviewers who left 1-star reviews because “this album isn’t in English”, what the hell are you doing here?
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
5/5
An album I've heard about countless times, but never sat down to listen to and, man, was I ever missing out! Smooth jazz that seem to fluidly evolve over the course of a song, but keeps calling back to a central motif or theme. I do tend to appreciate more avant-garde jazz, so his experimentation with time signatures is right up my alley, and I absolutely love jazz drumming and Take Five is just an extraordinary jazz drum solo!
Listening to the first song, Blue Rondo a la Turk, I hear some passages and ideas that clearly influenced some of Frank Zappa's work. I had to go look up to see if the Dave Brubeck Quartet was ever cited as one of his influences and it seems that they likely were, which is pretty cool.
Elvis Costello
5/5
I originally had this album generated on day 21 before joining a group. I was fairly indifferent to it then. I didn’t like it, but also didn’t dislike it, so I gave it a 3/5.
Well, it hit different this morning. Something about his blend of pop and rock really works well and I’m starting to see why so many people seem to love his music. It’s really starting to grow on me.
Stereo MC's
3/5
I listened to this album first thing in the morning, but got interrupted before I had a chance to write a review. Now, 6 hours later, I don’t remember anything about it other than the fact that the rapping and vocals felt quite dated, but I still enjoyed it more than I was expecting.
Arcade Fire
3/5
My third Arcade Fire album from the generator. I think this is the album of theirs that I was most familiar with going into this project. As with the Suburbs and Funeral, this is perfectly enjoyable indie rock that I’m just not too fussed about. It’s weird because I really feel like I’m supposed to like Arcade Fire because I’m generally a fan of indie rock and I don’t dislike it, but I don’t exactly like it either.
Erykah Badu
2/5
There are some seriously funky and jazzy R&B rhythms and grooves throughout this album, but I've been finding that I apparently just don't really like pop R&B vocalizations. She's got an interesting and fairly unique voice, which I'm usually drawn to someone whose singing is outside the norm, but I just find it starts to get on my nerves the further into this album I get. And, man does this album drag on.
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
5/5
It’s been said that you need to listen to this album at least 7 times before you really start to get it. I think I’m on my 5th or 6th listen since I first heard it a couple years ago and I am definitely still peeling back layers. There’s something new to take away every time you hear it.
Do I enjoy listening to this album? Maybe not in the way that I enjoy other albums. This is a dense, difficult listen that demands your attention. The guitar playing is jagged, fractured, and frequently following a different rhythm than the drums and bass. The lyrics are almost completely nonsensical for large parts of the album and aren't always in sync with the music because Van Vliet recorded them while barely being able to hear the instrumental tracks from one of the studio windows. It is most assuredly “fast and bulbous”.
The story of the rehearsals and recording of the album are just as bizarre as the album itself. The band lived communally in a house in which they were restricted from leaving for months where Van Vliet “asserted complete artistic and emotional domination of his musicians”, including verbal abuse and physical violence that frequently reduced members to tears. They practiced for upwards of 14 hours a day and barely had any money or food to eat. The scene was described as cult-like and Manson-esque. I genuinely cannot fathom why the band stuck around for as long as they did, but I am happy they did as this album has gone on to influence countless artist that I love (Tom Waits, Mark Mothersbaugh of Devo, David Lynch to name a few) and is the gold standard of experimental and avant-garde music.
Einstürzende Neubauten
5/5
So work has been a bit shit lately; loads of stress and frustration. The other day I was headed into work dreading a presentation while simultaneously lamenting the fact that I didn’t even have time to give said presentation with all of the actual work I needed to do. Well, I’d been listening to a lot of early Nick Cave at the time, but somehow even the Birthday Party wasn’t able to cut through the mood I was in. I ended up putting on Halber Mensch by Einstruzende Neubauten and suddenly I felt a weight off my chest. I followed Halber Mensch with Kollaps and Kollaps with Tabula Rasa. I don’t know what it is about their music specifically, but it gave me the catharsis I needed to right myself and keep pressing on.
For a more light hearted aside, I absolutely love that someone thought it was a good idea to have Einstruzende Neubauten open for U2 during their Zoo TV Tour. They were apparently thrown off the tour after the first show when they threw an iron bar into a booing crowd. Personally, the only thing I find surprising here is that they were given the opportunity to open for U2 in the first place. Like, there aren’t many bands that would even have iron bars available to throw into a crowd in such a situation, but obviously Einstruzende Neubauten would.
Anyways, this is an album that I love. It’s also an album that I would not recommend to most people, but I will still argue it absolutely should be on a list of 1001 albums you should hear before you die. It's a bit of a paradox.
Jeff Buckley
4/5
So this was not at all what I was expecting from Jeff Buckley. I don’t know why, but I genuinely thought he was just another blues rock guitarist. There are probably a number of factors in my confusion, including his dad, Tim Buckley's music career, but Grace is definitely not just some blues rock guitar album. It's actually a pretty solid 90s alt-rock album, which isn’t quite my preferred genre, but it's still good. Jeff Buckley also doesn’t quite sing in my preferred style of singing, but I'll readily admit he is absolutely a phenomenal singer. At times this reminds me of Chris Cornell/Soundgarden, others it reminds me of Thom Yorke/Radiohead. Interesting to see that his singing actually gave Thom Yorke confidence to sing in falsetto.
Stephen Stills
4/5
I went through a huge CSNY phase this past summer. It was mostly listening to Neil Young albums, Deja Vu, and CSN, but I also explored some of the other members solo works including this one. Overall, this doesn’t quite hit the same highs as CSNY or CSN and I don’t like it quite as much as I do Neil Young, but it’s still pretty damned good!
Django Django
3/5
This feels like a modern psychedelic band that is in the same vein as MGMT and Tame Impala. Genuinely surprised I’ve never heard of them before, but I’ve never really been able to get into this type of music, so I guess it’s not that surprising. Overall, this was a good album, I enjoyed listening to it, but I doubt I’ll return to it much, if ever.
Pink Floyd
4/5
There was a long period of time in high school where I called Pink Floyd my favourite band, but at this point it has been years since I gave this album a listen all the way through.
There are some top tier tracks on this album, but the Wall isn’t even close to my favourite Pink Floyd album. I’d much rather have Animals or Meddle on this list, but I do fully understand why it’s here. It’s basically the benchmark for concept albums, the production is immaculate, and Gilmour’s playing is phenomenal. That said, this album is incredibly long and somewhat bloated. Honestly, I think I much prefer experiencing this album through the film, which I should really watch that again sometime.
Holger Czukay
5/5
This is such a wild evolution of krautrock with some amazing use of samples and inspiration from 80s pop/disco and world music. I’ve only recently started exploring Can’s music, so it’s interesting to see the direction one of the founding members took. Honestly, the more I listen to this, the more I like it. It's just so weird in such a fun way.
Red Snapper
2/5
This album was half chill, fun vibes and half annoying sounds and vocals repeated ad nauseam, but there are a few moments that absolutely shine. Like the last track, They’re Hanging Me Tonight. If the whole album sounded like this last track, I’d rate it quite a bit higher.
I actually just went back through the track list again, and the tracks I had the most issues with were the ones featuring other “artist”. Seriously, cut out the 21 minutes of tracks with features and this actually would be a pretty tight and satisfying 36 minutes.
Various Artists
3/5
It’s hard to rate this album the same way that I’ve rated the others on this list. The production is obviously immaculate and all of the artists’ performances were amazing, but it’s still Christmas music, which is basically only acceptable in small doses at a specific time of year.
I am happy to add it to the fairly short Christmas music rotation along with Christmas From the Heart by Bob Dylan, Songs for Christmas by Sufjan Stevens, and a few others, so I guess that’s something.
ABBA
3/5
Saccharine, danceable 70s disco music. Honestly, it’s not bad in the right situation, but it’s definitely not something I ever want to listen to unless I’m a few beers deep at a wedding reception.
Pulp
4/5
I’ve spoken pretty poorly about britpop throughout this project; I even groaned when I saw it was another britpop album this morning. Luckily, when I threw this album on, I was reminded that Pulp are probably the britpop act I’ve enjoyed the most so far. There’s definitely a lot more of a Bowie influence that I can hear in Pulp than a lot of the other britpop acts.
The Stranglers
5/5
Once again I am finding that I just absolutely love these early punk / proto-punk bands. This album was a great time!
It's kind of funny, my summary has punk listed as my favourite genre from the generator and yet, I don't think I've really gotten a single true punk or hardcore record. Several proto-punk and post-punk records, but no Ramones, Sex Pistols, Black Flag, Minor Threat, etc.
The Offspring
4/5
This band is pure nostalgia for me. It’s 1998, I'm 7 years old, and my neighbours just got a PlayStation. We’re sitting there playing Crash Bandicoot and the older brother puts on the Offspring’s Americana. I’m blown away as this is the first time I’m really hearing music other than what my parents normally listen to and it’s just so damned cool! Smash and Americana went on to become the soundtrack to playing PlayStation at their house that summer.
Marvin Gaye
3/5
Honestly, not much to say about this one. It’s smooth funky soul music. I enjoyed listening to it, but it definitely overstayed its welcome a bit especially with the whole theme of complaining about his divorce. There were a few individual tracks I really enjoyed, but I can’t see myself returning to this one as whole in the future.
Radiohead
5/5
Rocking in the New Year with some Radiohead and a nasty flu. I don’t have the energy to think of something witty or interesting to say about this album. It’s just a great album
Pet Shop Boys
2/5
This is some incredibly cheesy 80s synthpop. It’s well done; great beats, great production, but just too cheesy for my taste.
Moby
3/5
Had I been asked if I’d ever heard anything by Moby before, I’d probably would have said, “maybe, but I couldn’t be sure”, but it turns out I actually knew several tracks on this album.
Also surprising that I might actually like this? As far as electronica goes, this was pretty enjoyable as it was a lot more than just repetitive dance beats.
Terence Trent D'Arby
3/5
I am surprised how much I enjoyed this album. The 80s production is incredibly dated at a few points and some of the songs are incredibly cheesy, but there are also some pretty great tracks on here. In particular, the opening track If You All Get to Heaven and the closing track Who’s Loving You both do the rocking soul thing pretty well. And the singing in As Yet Untitled was phenomenal
The National
5/5
Back in 2008, I bought tickets to see R.E.M., Modest Mouse, and the National. I was mainly interested in Modest Mouse, but I knew a couple R.E.M. and National songs, so I was fairly excited for all three. It turns out the National were by far the best band on stage that night, which ignited an obsession that lasted a few years.
High Violet isn’t my favourite National album, but it is up near the top. Probably top 3 at least. And it has some of my favourite National songs on it like Lemonworld and Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks. I still think Alligator or Boxer would have been a better pick for this list.
Queens Of The Stone Age
4/5
Another band that I used to absolutely adore when I was younger, but it just doesn't do all that much for me now. It was fun revisiting this heavy, sludgy desert rock, but I don't think it's convinced me to return any more frequently. Still a solid album though!
Femi Kuti
4/5
Not quite as magical as his father's work, but still an absolutely fun listen! I am always down for a little bit of afrobeat!
fIREHOSE
4/5
Hell yes, this is why I’m doing this project! So far two of my best discoveries have been the Violent Femmes and the Minutemen. Both were bands I’d been aware of, but had never really explored. Firehose on the other hand, I’d never even heard of, but they sound like a mix of the Violent Femmes and Minutemen. Great album!
Silver Jews
4/5
I've been a fan of the Silver Jews for a while now. They've got a great alt-country/indie rock vibe, but I feel like I need to be in the right mood to listen to their music. This album is a bit on the dark and depressing side, which doesn't always make for the best listening experience.
Fatboy Slim
3/5
Another electronica album that I actually enjoyed a lot more than I was expecting. It helps that I actually knew a few songs on here, like Praise You and Right Here, Right Now. Both of which are nostalgic songs that remind me of listening to Big Shiny Tunes CDs growing up.
That said, I was getting pretty tired of the repetitiveness of the album about halfway through. So yeah, a few awesome songs on here, but I still don't love electronica
Tim Buckley
4/5
This album has a pretty different vibe than the last Tim Buckley album that was generated. Where Happy Sad was a maudlin folk and jazz fusion, Goodbye and Hello has a lot more psychedelic and fantasy/renaissance influence and feels a bit happier. Overall, enjoyed this one quite a bit. Probably a little more than Happy Sad even.
Dusty Springfield
4/5
I honestly wasn’t expecting to like this one at all, but I was pleasantly surprised. It was really quite an enjoyable listen and Son of a Preacher Man is such a classic!
Stan Getz
4/5
My only experience with bossa nova music is knowing the Girl from Ipanema like basically everyone else in the world and using the bossa nova setting on the funky little 1970s drum machine I own. Overall, this album feels like a great introduction to bossa nova music. It was an enjoyable and very fun listen, but I felt it was a bit repetitive near the end and was maybe a bit too easy listening at times. Luckily, it really doesn't overstay its welcome at all.
CHIC
3/5
This is the third or fourth album in the past couple weeks that I was fully expecting to dislike, but came away pleasantly surprised. I love the jangly, funky guitar and the bass is super smooth. However, some of the songs get a bit too repetitive and long; At Last I Am Free in particular was getting on my nerves by the end.
There’s definitely a time and place for this music. That said, if I ever magically happened to find myself in a disco club in the late 70s, I’d hightail it out of there and head straight to CBGBs instead
Marvin Gaye
4/5
I enjoyed this one a lot more than Here, My Dear. The same smooth, funky, soul music, but this time it's more sexy and less resentful divorcee. Also a much more manageable run time to this one.
Kanye West
1/5
Well, I'll do my best to separate art from artist here, but there is a lot to separate. I’ve been avoiding Kanye since long before he became a Nazi; I just cannot stand his narcissistic and egotistical persona.
How am I not even halfway through this album yet? This album is too long. Ugh, and just when I thought it was done with annoying skits, another one pops up. Seriously, why do rap albums need skits? I'm also not a fan of this whole "chipmunk soul" style; something about pitched and sped up samples just gets on my nerves after a while.
Ok, ok, I'll try to be a bit more positive. I did like this a lot more than some of the previous hip hop albums I've been generated. Lyrically, it's a lot more interesting and it doesn't just devolve into generic gangsta rap cliches. A few tracks stood out too. In particular, I did like School Spirit and Two Words quite a bit.
Oh my god, I thought I was almost done, but noticed the last track is almost 13 minutes. I'll say it again, this album is way too long. Oh good, it’s
a 13 minute long autobiographical rant/rap? Just what I wanted to listen to from a narcissist. Holy shit, this track just destroyed any positive feelings I had for this album. I genuinely hated that.
I tried, but this just isn't for me and Kanye is a fucking tool.
Michael Kiwanuka
4/5
Damn, this is great and is a refreshing treat after yesterday's album! I can't believe I'd never even heard of Michael Kiwanuka! Such a smooth, cool, soulful vibe, but with very interesting instrumentation that somehow feels both modern and straight out of the 70s at the same time. I'm definitely going to check out more of his music.
Robert Wyatt
5/5
This was a pretty interesting listen, but I don’t even really know how to describe it. It’s somewhere between jazz and progressive/psychedelic rock with a bit of folk thrown in for good measure? At times it reminded me of David Bowie, others it reminded me of David Byrne’s solo work. Anyways, I’m always up for music that’s on the more experimental end of the spectrum.
Johnny Cash
4/5
It’s absolutely wild that they managed to actually record this! A man singing about cocaine, whisky, being arrested, murder, and spitting in the warden’s eye while on death row to an audience of actual prisoners. The live setting, from Cash’s mistakes and banter to the warden’s announcements to the audiences enthusiasm and energy, is what absolutely makes this album shine.
All that said, I am admittedly more intrigued by Johnny Cash’s persona as the Man in Black than I am with his actual music. Not that his music is bad; I do enjoy it and can absolutely appreciate his influence, but it’s not really something I seek out to listen to everyday.
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
Whoa, I was not ready for the opening couple tracks on this album! I was expecting pleasant folk music, which is exactly what is setup by Bookends Theme, and then Save the Life of my Child comes straight out of left field with chaotic synths and an incredibly psychedelic sound.
I feel like I'm surprised by Simon & Garfunkel every time I listen to them and this album is no exception. Their music is always more complex and experimental than I'm expecting and I always enjoy listening to it more than I expect that I will, but for some reason, it never occurs to me to actually listen to their music.
Because the "life cycles concept" is only on the first side of the album, it feels unfinished and it makes the second half of the album feel a bit like an after thought, but I don't think it really detracts too much from the overall experience, so I'm not going to dig too deeply into it.
Wilco
5/5
I had always been somewhat aware of Wilco, but I was fairly late actually discovering them. I only really started listening to them after seeing them live in 2018 (thanks Ben!), but Wilco, Jeff Tweedy's solo and side projects, and his earlier work with Uncle Tupelo all quickly became some of my all time favourites.
This album in particular perfectly encapsulates what I love about their music. It's deep, complex, and surreal music masquerading as simple folk and rock songs. Each simple song has been fully deconstructed and rebuilt multiple times by Jeff Tweedy and Jay Bennett in the studio with Jim O'Rourke's mixing and were made more complex with Jeff's obscure lyricism, Glenn Kotche's complex drumming, and found sounds / music concrete samples added throughout. The Conet Project samples that led to the name of this album in particular are some of my favourites.
If you have the time to listen to the deluxe version you can hear why the recording process nearly destroyed the band with Jay Bennett and Ken Coomer being fired in the end. There are multiple different directions that members of the band were trying to push leading to multiple album titles all with different mixes of the songs. Would this album have the same legacy if they had released it as The Unified Theory of Everything, American Aquarium, Here Comes Everybody, or Lonely In the Deep End?
U2
3/5
I've been curious to hear some of U2's earlier work after seeing Achtung Baby described as their "most transformative album" when it was generated early on in the list. Achtung Baby wasn't bad, it just wasn't exciting to me either, but seeing that their earlier albums were generally described as harsher, post-punk albums did excite me.
Well, the earliest album of their on the list has finally been generated and, it's fine. The first few tracks I've heard countless times on the radio growing up and they honestly do nothing for me at this point; they just sound like generic U2 tracks.
It does start to get interesting through the middle of the album with Drowning Man, the Refugee, and Two Hearts Beat as One. Maybe it's because I've never heard these songs, so they're still a bit new and fresh to me? They definitely do have a bit of a harsher sound (in a good way) to them than what I normally expect from U2.
Unfortunately, the last couple tracks lose their edge (pun intended) and return to the somewhat generic U2 sound that really does nothing for me.
Overall, I enjoyed this one a lot more than Achtung Baby and All the You Can't Leave Behind, but I still don't think I've been convinced to be a U2 fan.
Joe Ely
1/5
Yeah, this one’s not for me. Boxcars was a decent song, but other than that I just wanted to turn this off.
I guess I’m just not a fan of the whole honky tonk sound or song writing style at all. This isn’t quite as bad as modern country, but it’s not far off.
Actually I take it back, the last few songs are just as bad as modern country. There’s nothing cornier and more inauthentic than a country singer singing about their truck and tractor.
The Temptations
4/5
God damn, the first few tracks were cool as hell! It loses a lot of steam through the middle with the slower more soulful songs. I much prefer the more upbeat, funky songs.
George Michael
2/5
Freedom! ‘90 was a pretty great song and I’ve definitely heard it somewhere before, but nothing else really stood out to me except maybe Soul Free. It mostly all kind of sounded the same by the end. That said, I did enjoy this more than the last George Michael album that was generated, but not sure if that’s really saying all that much. Overall, it was fine as far as smooth, soft pop rock goes.
Turbonegro
3/5
It’s pretty clear that you’re not supposed to take this music seriously. It’s just a bunch of Norwegian dudes making stupid punk rock music with pretty terrible lyrics. It was kind of fun, but I have no desire to listen to this again. Overall, I don’t hate it, but I definitely don’t love it either.
Green Day
2/5
Green Day, and this album in particular, were huge when I was in middle school, which was a time in my life where I would only listen to classic rock and "punk". You know, the kind of punk that got played on classic rock radio stations from time-to-time? Comically, I think Green Day are literally the kind of punk that gets played on classic rock radio stations now.
Anyways, at the time, Green Day's brand of pop punk felt like the most corporate sellout and least punk music I'd ever heard. Now, I realize teenage me was a closed-minded idiot, but admittedly, I'm still struggling a bit to get past those feelings while listening to American Idiot now.
I can hear the punk influences and the societal commentary is right in your face, but it feels so hollow, fake, and safe. Paint-by-numbers punk music with no real edge. Honestly, this kind of feels like my generation's U2. An uber popular band with decent songs, but it just doesn't really do it for me. Am I still just being a closed-minded idiot? I don't know, probably. Maybe I'll come around when Dookie is generated?
Van Morrison
4/5
I originally had this album on day 15 before joining a group and gave it a 4; the only reason it didn't get full marks was the length.
Revisiting it now and I feel about the same. It's a great album with surprisingly good production for a 1970s live album and solid performances from the entire band. Unfortunately, it's still just a bit bloated and there are a few weaker songs and covers that could have been cut to make this a more manageable and enjoyable length. Side three in particular with the slower songs is honestly a drag to get through.
Siouxsie And The Banshees
5/5
Yet another post-punk band I clearly should have listened to long before now. I'm halfway through a second listen and am completely hypnotized. Noisy post-punk is my favourite kind of post-punk and this album absolutely delivers on that front! I love the sharp, jagged guitars with the heavy flanging modulation! And the driving, pounding drums!
Also, I feel a bit thick having not realized that Siouxsie Sioux is pronounced Susie Sue.
The Doors
4/5
This is just a quintessential psychedelic rock album full of unique, fuzzed out guitar, some haunting organ, and Jim Morrison’s absolute insane weirdness.
Break On Through is probably one of the strongest album openers ever and the End is probably one of the strangest closers.
Once again, it’s been ages since I’ve listened to the Doors, but I loved diving into this again!
Funkadelic
5/5
This is just funky, psychedelic, weird, and experimental in all the right ways. Absolutely loved it!
While listening to Promentalshitbackwashpsychosis Enema Squad (The Doo Doo Chasers), I realized that Funkadelic is the band that Frank Zappa would have formed if he was influenced by funk instead of classical music.
It’s a shame licensing disputes keeps albums off streaming, but all the more reason for me to go find this one on vinyl.
Wu-Tang Clan
5/5
It genuinely makes no sense how 9 different rappers can come together and record an album that’s this good. You’d think with that many cooks, they’d have spoiled the broth for sure, but somehow it all came together.
I love the minimalist approach, the gritty beats, the kung-fu samples, the pop culture references, and all the different rappers. Everyone brought a different personality to the table and it somehow works without becoming an incoherent mess.
You can really feel this album’s influence on modern hip hop too. I feel like this is the album that so many rappers have been trying to recreate in their own way since they first heard it.
Guided By Voices
5/5
I’ve heard the name Guided By Voices for years, but I don’t think I could have attached any context to the name; I couldn’t have named a single song, what genre they were, or even what era they were from. So, this is yet another huge oversight because this is right up my alley. Dirty, dusty, gritty, lo-fi, noisy, fuzzy, experimental, grungy, indie rock. I think I’m going to dive into the rest of their discography today too.
Charles Mingus
5/5
Damn, this album was an experience! I absolutely loved that!
I love avant-garde and experimental jazz, but I’ve got embarrassingly little knowledge of the genre as a whole. There are a lot of blind spots in my jazz listening history, so I really appreciate that this project is slowly filling them in.
The Afghan Whigs
2/5
I really enjoyed the instrumental side of this album, but the lead singer is an insufferable twat and his lyrics are pretty terrible. Not that the songwriting is bad, I get that the point of the album was trying to "explore the dark psyche of the 90s male", I just found very little to be relatable or enjoyable about his concept of the 90s male.
The 13th Floor Elevators
4/5
Great psychedelic rock album! Honestly, the only bad thing I have to say about it is that the "electric jug" sound quickly got annoying. Other than that, they've got everything I love about psychedelic rock music.
Lloyd Cole And The Commotions
2/5
I'm not sure if this album really deserves to be on a list of 1001 albums you need to hear before you die. It wasn't bad per se, but it just didn't really do anything for me. It was inoffensive and quickly became background music. I'm usually waiting for an album to end when I dislike it or wanting to hear more if I liked it, but this is right in the middle.
Kraftwerk
4/5
Electronic music is one of my worst rated genres in this project, but this isn't the same boring and soulless dance beats repeated ad nauseum. Kraftwerk are the godfathers of all electronic music and somehow they managed to infuse so much warmth and emotion into their music.
I also have to respect the skill it would have taken to orchestrate, perform, and record this music using the tools available to them at the time.
Rage Against The Machine
4/5
I haven’t listened to Rage Against the Machine in decades, but as soon as I saw this album generated, I immediately had Killing in the Name stuck in my head.
I don’t think there’s ever been a better time for a new Rage Against the Machine album. We need more of this angry, revolutionary energy today.
The Pretty Things
5/5
As someone who has spent a lot of time listening to psychedelic rock, I can’t believe I’d never heard of this band! This sounds like the version of the Wall that Pink Floyd would have wrote if Syd Barrett was still in the band. Or maybe what The Who’s Tommy would have sounded like if the Beatles had written it. And to top it off there’s some straight up early Black Sabbath-esque heavy metal added to the mix.
The White Stripes
4/5
The White Stripes came along back when all I would listen to was classic rock and they helped open my ears to modern music. I loved the simple, but catchy rock songs, especially the absolutely fuzzed out and distorted guitar playing. It really made it feel like anyone could write and record this music. Pretty much all of the high school bands I was ever in covered at least one of their songs. I ended up getting into a ton of garage rock revival bands through them, which eventually led to listening to a wide range of newer music.
Over time though, the White Stripes, and the genre as a whole has lost its luster for me. I still enjoyed returning to this album now, but I don't think it's going to make it back into my regular listening rotation.
Pet Shop Boys
1/5
How are there three Pet Shop Boys albums on this list? I have liked each album I’ve heard less than the last and this is no exception. I can’t stand this.
Little Simz
4/5
I'd heard the name Little Simz before, but outside of this list, I would have never considered listening to her music. I was missing out though, because this was honestly great! She's got great flow and the backing tracks were funky and well done.
Two of my major gripes with hip-hop are the overuse of the n-word and bloated, long track lists filled with skits and interludes. Little Simz does unfortunately overuse the n-word, which took me out of it a bit, but it was quite refreshing to have a concise, brief track list that really didn't overstay its welcome.
Sufjan Stevens
5/5
I don't even know where to start with this album. It's one of my favourites, but I do need to be in the right mood to listen to it. It's incredibly ambitious to try and write an album about all 50 States. You would think that such a project would result in a lot of half-assed, patriotic gimmicks, so it's even more incredible that an album this elaborate and unique came out of it. The orchestration is complex and beautiful and the lyrics are deep with references to the history, culture, art, and geography of Illinois. Seriously, who else could pull off such a beautiful song about John Wayne Gacy?
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
5/5
Hell yes! 322 albums into this project and I finally get a Nick Cave album, and not just any Nick Cave album, but probably my favourite Nick Cave album!
Abattoir Blues / The Lyre of Orpheus showcases pretty much everything one comes to expect from a Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds album. It starts off with some high energy, gospel infused rock and roll with the Bad Seeds firing on all cylinders on tracks like Get Ready for Love and There She Goes, My Beautiful World, Cave's twisted storytelling is highlighted on tracks like the Fable of the Brown Ape and Lyre of Orpheus, and it ends with some more restrained and delicate moments like Breathless, Babe, You Turn Me On, and O Children.
A double album is always a bit daunting due to its length, and may not be the best starting point for someone who is unfamiliar with an artist, but admittedly I didn't realize this was a double album until recently despite having listened to it in its entirety many times in the past. I feel that the sequencing and arranging of Abattoir Blues / the Lyre of Orpheus is done so masterfully that I never noticed how long it was. Not to mention there's really not a bad track on this entire album.
Kraftwerk
3/5
I love how retrofuturistic this album feels. When this album came out people were definitely saying that this is the kind of music that people will dance to in clubs in the future. They weren’t exactly wrong either.
Japan
4/5
I wasn’t expecting to like this at all, but was pleasantly surprised. Synth pop and new wave seems to be very hit or miss for me, but this one is definitely a hit.
Beastie Boys
4/5
While I love the Beastie Boys and I do think this is a great album, it’s not my favourite Beastie Boys album. I love the Zeppelin samples, but overall, it just has a bit too much of the frat boy party rock vibe for my tastes.
Pixies
3/5
I saw the Pixies on the 2011 leg of their Dolittle tour and that show is actually in my bottom 3 live experiences. There was little band chemistry, stage banter was non-existent, and there was just no energy in the room. Their playing was good, but I left feeling like I was better off just staying at home and listening to Dolittle on my own. Overall, it felt like no one wanted to be there and the whole experience soured me on the band; I haven't listened to them since that show.
Well, 15 years later and I'm happy to be listening to the Pixies again. Bossanova is a solid indie/alt rock album with their classic surf rock twist. Thoroughly enjoyed listening to it this morning and am finally ready to dive back into this band.
John Cale
3/5
As a long time fan of the Velvet Underground and Lou Reed's solo work, it's surprising I've never looked into John Cale's solo work. Honestly, I don't really have much to say about it. It was enjoyable enough, but nothing really blew me away.
I don't usually listen to bonus tracks or extended editions, but I accidentally left this one playing a little long. I've got to say, the drone mix of Hanky Panky Nohow sounds much more interesting to me than the actual album version.
Beatles
3/5
This is the Beatles really coming into their own as songwriters with all original compositions and some all-time great songs like A Hard Day's Night and Can't Buy My Love. That said, other than the hits, I don't really love the dated pop sound. They are starting to sound like the band I love here, and I do appreciate the incredible influence they had on music, but they just haven't quite gotten there yet. Overall, it is a good album, just not one I reach for too frequently.
The Stone Roses
4/5
I've heard the name, the Stone Roses, but I've never heard any of their music before today and I really, really enjoyed this one. It's an eclectic and poppy mix of psychedelic rock and indie rock that sounds like it could be released today to great acclaim. It's genuinely surprising that this came out in 1989.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
2/5
I dislike this in the same way that I dislike Van Halen’s guitar wankery, but instead of someone flexing on guitar and playing as many guitar notes as possible, it’s a bunch of guys flexing weird time signatures and playing as many synth and organ notes as possible. Somewhat bizarre complaint from me as I usually love artists experimenting and exploring weird time signatures, but there’s just so much going on in each of these songs that it takes me out of it. I think this comes down to the Jeff Goldblum quote from Jurassic Park, “[they] were so preoccupied with whether they could, they didn’t stop to think if they should.”
Jazmine Sullivan
1/5
I spend a lot of time listening to music, searching for new music, reading and watching album reviews, reviewing year end lists, etc. Admittedly, hip-hop and pop music isn’t my focus and I usually gloss over it, but still if a modern album deserves to be on this list, I’d imagine I’d have at least heard of it or of the artist behind it. Yet, I have never heard the name Jazmine Sullivan, but I guess it’s not the first time something on this list went completely under my radar.
Actually listening to this album, I don’t understand why it would be included on this list either. I am all for female empowerment and have positive views on sexuality, but this just comes off as immature. The skits/interviews are annoying at best. The actual production is so simple, which I could get behind if the rapping was able to make up for it, but it isn’t even close. I didn’t enjoy any of this album at all.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
This is my 5th Rolling Stones album from the list and I think it may have been my favourite so far. Sympathy for the Devil and Street Fighting Man are two of my favourite tracks from the Stones and there's a couple deep cuts that I don't know if I've ever heard that I enjoyed a lot like Prodigal Son and Salt of the Earth.
That said, I think this has solidified the idea that the Stones are a greatest hits band for me. While I enjoyed listening to this album, and the hits are great, it just doesn't do a lot for me as a whole and I can't see myself ever really returning to anything beyond the hits.
Fishbone
3/5
I saw that this was listed as metal, funk, and reggae and got incredibly excited, but right out of the gate I realized it might not actually be a fun mash up of genres I was imagining. I'm not a fan of the genre of metal on the cover of Freddie's Dead; much too 80s metal/pop oriented for me. Luckily, they follow up Freddie's Dead with some fun ska tracks and excellent horns and the album really gets going. Then the punk comes out on Deep Inside! Bonin' in the Boneyard and One Day are the genre mash-ups I was hoping for; funky, metal, reggae tracks that work really well. And then more punk/metal on Subliminal Fascism!
Overall, this is a fun ska record with a really interesting blend of genres and influences, but there's maybe a bit too much 80s production for my taste and a couple tracks fall a bit flat. Personally, I prefer the Bad Brains blend of reggae/punk/metal, but it's not surprising to see that both bands travelled in similar circles.
Manic Street Preachers
4/5
For some reason, every time I've seen the name Manic Street Preachers, I've pictured a ska band. No idea why, it just seems like such a great name for a ska band. Anyways, this clearly isn't ska. This is a really solid alternative / post-punk album with a lot of songs that feel all too relevant today. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this one and am definitely going to dive a bit deeper into their discography.
I can't believe that this album came out the same day as Definitely Maybe; I am so disappointed in the generation that let Oasis gain more popularity than this band.
Throwing Muses
5/5
Another hard one to find on today’s streaming services. I managed to find a full album upload on YouTube: https://youtu.be/E1Xd2jY3zWQ?si=fpB9Vdmh3P_aY_Yt
So, this is a post-punk, early indie rock act with a front woman who has a singing style reminiscent of the B-52s and they went on to not only be a major influence on indie rock, but also helped shape a prominent indie label into what it is today? How have I never listened to them before? I absolutely loved every minute of this album!
Carole King
3/5
Growing up, my dad listened to a lot of James Taylor, so I've heard his version of You've Got a Friend dozens of times, but until today, I didn't realize his version was actually a cover. I'm not sure if it's just the nostalgia, but I think I prefer James Taylor's cover over the original.
Overall, this was still enjoyable. It's an easy listening, 70s pop album. She's got a soulful voice and the piano is well played. I've got nothing bad to say about it, but it didn't exactly blow me away either.
Machito
4/5
Big band jazz with Afro-Cuban rhythms? Yeah, this is an incredibly fun album and it’s impossible to sit still while listening to it.
Scott Walker
4/5
As someone who gravitates to singers with a baritone, and often weird, singing style, I’ve had Scott Walker recommended to me multiple times, but I’ve never been able to get into him. I’m just not really into the whole 60s/70s pop crooner type of music.
That said, listening to this album now and the stories and lyrics are so much more interesting, sarcastic, snarky, humorous, and stranger than any others I’ve heard in this genre. I am definitely not well versed in this style of music, but normally when I think of the crooners, I always think of kitschy love songs, but this reminds me more of the weird creeps that Geordie Greep sings about on the New Sound. I don’t know how often I’ll return to this album, but I really enjoyed it.
Fats Domino
3/5
Another hard one to find. Also a bit confusing as it seems there are multiple albums with similar names, but luckily someone completing this journey put together a YouTube playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLowQCq3Ss89h_zdP0-wIycRkVk-nAh6i9&si=bxBwlFUcsPlB6FYG
As for the actual listening experience, it was fine. I appreciate Fat Domino’s influence on modern rock and roll and I enjoyed listening to this album, but am I going to revisit it ever? Probably not.
Peter Gabriel
5/5
Hold on, I've always thought that Peter Gabriel was pretty much synonymous with generic 80s pop, but this is actually fantastic? There are some pop elements to it, but its more akin to post-punk and new wave and there's a ton of experimentation throughout.
I've always loved Games Without Frontiers, but I honestly didn't know which artist was behind it. I honestly avoided looking into this song in the past because, back when I thought all 80s music was terrible, I would have classified Games Without Frontiers as a guilty pleasure (along with other top-tier tracks like Psycho Killer, Once In A Life Time, or Burning Down the House by the Talking Heads and Fame by David Bowie). Now I don't subscribe to the notion of guilty pleasures and I've also learned that there's a ton of amazing music coming from the 80s, many of which have become some of my all time favourites.
Also, ending with Biko was a masterstroke. It's such a great closer!
Soundgarden
3/5
When I saw Soundgarden generated, I got pretty excited. Unfortunately, I kind of forgot that they're one of those bands that I like in theory, but they never quite live up to that theory when I actually listen to them. I'm a fan of grunge and hard rock, everyone in the band plays incredibly well, Chris Cornell was one of the best singers out there, but in the end I just get tired of it so quickly. There are a few standout tracks (Black Hole Sun, Spoonman), but the rest all sound way too similar to me. It doesn't help that this is a really long album too. They're apparently a perfect candidate for a playlist band, but unfortunately, I don't really listen to playlists any more.
Happy Mondays
4/5
As someone living outside the UK, I'm genuinely curious how britpop became so popular outside the UK and not madchester? This is the second madchester album I've gotten from the list and I like it so much more than any of the britpop albums that have been generated. Maybe it's just because it's new to me and I haven't heard it thousands of times like Oasis and Blur? Would I feel differently if madchester managed to break out of the UK and britpop didn't?
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
I always avoided Bruce Springsteen because of his image as an all-American every man. As a Canadian, I just had no interest; I'll stick with my Gord Downie and Neil Young, thank you very much! It wasn't until recently with his criticism against a certain orange buffoon and his criminal circus that I realized he was actually the kind of true American patriot that I could get behind.
Born to Run has great songwriting and playing all around, but the big production gets a bit tiring to me. Everything is just so loud and in your face (struggling not to make the obvious joke stereotyping Americans here), which does give the album an urgent feel as it builds to the title track, but it's not something I can see myself listening to frequently. I much prefer the stripped back sound on Nebraska, but overall, I still enjoyed Born to Run
Billy Bragg
5/5
This album warms the lover’s glass like a friendly wine. One of the easiest fives in the whole list.
David Bowie
5/5
I love Bowie and his Berlin albums are my absolute favourites. Heroes is a phenomenal album, another easy 5/5 for me, but I’ve got to say, including both Heroes and Low in the list is just a lazy decision. They’re both influential albums, and yes the title track on Heroes is probably one of the best songs ever written, but Low is still the better album and there’s no need to have two albums from this period of Bowie’s career on the list.
N.W.A.
4/5
I don’t like the genre that Straight Outta Compton spawned, but I can’t deny that there’s an incredible energy behind this album and it actually feels important. I do have a lot of the same complaints about this one as I do with the rest of the gangsta rap albums I’ve had generated so far, but I enjoyed this one.
Otis Redding
3/5
I feel like I've been learning that, while I appreciate the importance and the influence of blues and soul singers, I just don't really care to listen to them. This album isn't bad, there's nothing I dislike about it, it just doesn't really excite me all that much and I'm unlikely to ever return to it.
Sleater-Kinney
5/5
I love that this project is finally forcing me to actually take a minute to listen to all these amazing artists who should have had my attention for years. Sleater- Kinney is yet another band whose name I've heard endlessly, but I just never got around to listening to. I love the punk ethos with short and fast songs that don't overstay their welcome, the lo-fi production, the sharp and snappy drumming, the catchy and distorted guitars riffs. Her voice takes a minute to adjust to, but once you do, you realize it's ferocious and warbly in all the right ways.
Kelela
1/5
Neither the R&B side, nor the electronic side of this album really brings anything special to the table. On top of that, I feel like I've been listening to the same song for 53 minutes. Overall, it's painfully generic, boring, and utterly forgettable. It sounds like the kind of thing I should be hearing in a hip corporate coffee shop, not on a list of 1001 albums to hear before I die
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
5/5
I honestly don't really know what to say about this album. It's got a bit of everything you expect from Neil Young & Crazy Horse. Ragged electric rockers through acoustic folk poetry. It might not be my favourite Neil Young album, but it's pretty close.
ZZ Top
3/5
This album sounds like the 80s. It’s flashy, it’s gimmicky, it’s a bit dirty, and there’s just so much cocaine. Anyway, I enjoyed the hits, not sure if I really wanted to stick around for the whole album.
Everything But The Girl
2/5
I’ve never heard of this artist, which isn’t surprising as I’m not from the UK and this feels like a “you had to be there in the 90s” kind of artist.
The first track, Before Today, was actually pretty interesting and I kind of dig the drum track in it. Unfortunately, it’s followed up by just an awfully boring, 4-on-the-floor electronic dance track and then slips into some awfully boring easy listening music. There are some interesting beats and electronics that appear from time to time, like on Flipside, but nothing that made me think that this was an album that really needed to be heard before you die.
Radiohead
5/5
In Rainbows was my first exposure to Radiohead. Prior to this release, I'd probably heard a few songs here and there, but was never really receptive to their music. After In Rainbows was released, I became absolutely obsessed for a time and quickly sought out the rest of their discography.
Now, almost 20 years later, I honestly don't return to In Rainbows frequently. Whenever I feel like listening to Radiohead, I always go straight to Kid A or OK Computer, and if I feel like listening to their newer work, I tend to reach for the King of Limbs, which I think is severely underrated.
That said, even after ignoring In Rainbows for years, I still feel intimately familiar with all the songs on this album and there are some great songs on this album! Jigsaw Falling Into Place and Weird Fishes / Arpeggi are the two tracks that really stand out to me. It feels great to be returning to this album today.