321
Albums Rated
3.25
Average Rating
29%
Complete
768 albums remaining
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
1950
Favorite Decade
Funk
Favorite Genre
other
Top Origin
Wordsmith
Rater Style ?
45
5-Star Albums
25
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
Top Styles
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
The Who Sell Out
The Who
|
5 | 3 | +2 |
|
Live 1966 (The Royal Albert Hall Concert)
Bob Dylan
|
5 | 3.14 | +1.86 |
|
Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo
Devo
|
5 | 3.14 | +1.86 |
|
All Mod Cons
The Jam
|
5 | 3.25 | +1.75 |
|
Let It Be
The Replacements
|
5 | 3.25 | +1.75 |
|
Sound Affects
The Jam
|
5 | 3.26 | +1.74 |
|
This Year's Model
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
|
5 | 3.31 | +1.69 |
|
The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady
Charles Mingus
|
5 | 3.32 | +1.68 |
|
Live At Leeds
The Who
|
5 | 3.32 | +1.68 |
|
Brilliant Corners
Thelonious Monk
|
5 | 3.33 | +1.67 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Appetite For Destruction
Guns N' Roses
|
1 | 3.71 | -2.71 |
|
Boston
Boston
|
1 | 3.7 | -2.7 |
|
Rio
Duran Duran
|
1 | 3.5 | -2.5 |
|
Blood Sugar Sex Magik
Red Hot Chili Peppers
|
1 | 3.48 | -2.48 |
|
If You Can Believe Your Eyes & Ears
The Mamas & The Papas
|
1 | 3.43 | -2.43 |
|
Crime Of The Century
Supertramp
|
1 | 3.4 | -2.4 |
|
Hybrid Theory
Linkin Park
|
1 | 3.39 | -2.39 |
|
Homework
Daft Punk
|
1 | 3.29 | -2.29 |
|
Shake Your Money Maker
The Black Crowes
|
1 | 3.28 | -2.28 |
|
Close To The Edge
Yes
|
1 | 3.19 | -2.19 |
Artists
Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Beatles | 5 | 5 |
| David Bowie | 4 | 5 |
| Bob Dylan | 4 | 4.75 |
| The Who | 4 | 4.5 |
| The Jam | 2 | 5 |
| Fleetwood Mac | 2 | 5 |
| The Band | 2 | 5 |
| Led Zeppelin | 2 | 5 |
Least Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Fatboy Slim | 2 | 1.5 |
| Tom Waits | 3 | 2 |
5-Star Albums (45)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
Supertramp · 5 likes
1/5
I think there's been a mistake. I believe this one is from that other list - 1,001 Albums No One Should Ever Have to Hear Again.
Sam Cooke · 4 likes
5/5
I can't listen to Sam Cooke without thinking of my mom. She would quote lines from his songs as she went about her business. "Cokes are in the icebox" comes to mind - Sam and my mom were the only people I knew who called the fridge an icebox.
Those memories alone would lead me to give the record 5 stars but man what a voice he had.
Orange Juice · 4 likes
3/5
I fell asleep during the first song and woke up during the last song. The nap was excellent. I don't know about the record.
KISS · 2 likes
1/5
Imagine if Kiss were even halfway decent musicians or songwriters. They would be the most fun band ever. Unfortunately they suck.
OutKast · 2 likes
3/5
the bangers are bangers. otherwise not so much
1-Star Albums (25)
All Ratings
The Clash
4/5
A classic from my teen years. I loved it, then I thought it sucked, then I dug it again. A few duds - Remote Control, White Riot - but mostly killer tracks. Benefits significantly from the remaster - now you can hear Mick Jones playing as if he were in The Sweet or Queen. The UK version is missing two of my favorite tracks from the US version - Complete Control and White Man in Hammersmith Palais. Would get 5 stars if they were on the album.
The Jam
5/5
G. Love & Special Sauce
1/5
Charles Mingus
5/5
Beatles
5/5
Aretha Franklin
5/5
everything about this is amazing - singing, songs, production and band. While Aretha's vocals are the story here, the bass playing is particularly excellent.
Cocteau Twins
4/5
Fleetwood Mac
5/5
King Crimson
4/5
Bob Dylan
5/5
David Bowie
5/5
What a great band! Stay, TVC-15 and Golden Years are all excellent and the other three tracks are awfully good.
Elvis Costello
5/5
Linkin Park
1/5
NFW
Snoop Dogg
2/5
More lyrics about having one's balls licked than any other album (so far).
Bert Jansch
4/5
I love the spooky medieval stuff. Also gateway drug to Roy Harper if one is so inclined.
Wire
4/5
Sam Cooke
5/5
I can't listen to Sam Cooke without thinking of my mom. She would quote lines from his songs as she went about her business. "Cokes are in the icebox" comes to mind - Sam and my mom were the only people I knew who called the fridge an icebox.
Those memories alone would lead me to give the record 5 stars but man what a voice he had.
Booker T. & The MG's
3/5
some killer, some filler
Dinosaur Jr.
2/5
Songs are mediocre as is the playing. The Cure cover only reinforces the weakness of the band's original material.
Beatles
5/5
Public Enemy
4/5
5/5
Listen to the production. Listen to the bass parts. So much good stuff - in many instances, it formed the vocabulary for pop and rock music. Yes it isn't as good as Revolver - it's still awfully good.
Nirvana
2/5
The "yeah yeah"s at 2:13 of All Apologies are great. Overall album is pretty weak.
Supertramp
1/5
I think there's been a mistake. I believe this one is from that other list - 1,001 Albums No One Should Ever Have to Hear Again.
Cee Lo Green
2/5
Boring.
Frank Ocean
3/5
Good but it didn't grab me.
John Lennon
3/5
George Harrison plays some great slide guitar on a couple of tracks. Phil Spector's production is terrible.
FKA twigs
3/5
I took a 5 star nap for most of the album.
The Crusaders
2/5
They don't make 'em like this anymore.
Blur
3/5
Twee-est grunge ever
Pixies
4/5
This is a song about a superhero named Tony
Radiohead
4/5
Knob twiddling noodlage at its finest.
Os Mutantes
2/5
Interesting Relic
David Bowie
5/5
Two EPs really. The first one rocks - great band in a groove that wins the fight with over production. The second is Eno ambient-adjacent knob-twiddling. Not for everyone but I am into it.
Dusty Springfield
4/5
Brian Eno
3/5
Like I got a massage but my muscles still ache.
OutKast
3/5
4 for Speakerboxxx, 2 for Love Below
Air
3/5
Started out strong - I like the sound, especially the bass parts. Unfortunately several later tracks are unbearably drippy which caused my opinion to diminish.
The Soft Boys
4/5
But if they can't be rabbits, they'll be friends.
The War On Drugs
2/5
Pros: Not the Kings of Leon.
The Black Crowes
1/5
Is there a word for a cover band that plays originals?
Joni Mitchell
3/5
Nirvana
3/5
A moment in time.
Grateful Dead
4/5
Friend of the Devil is a great song. Several other good songs on the record. Overall the tempo is too languid for my taste. However studio Dead will always be far superior than the live mush in my opinion.
Kendrick Lamar
4/5
I listened while on a long drive which is a good way to take the album in. The density demands attention and listening without distractions lets you feel the connections across the album.
The Human League
2/5
Time capsule. Well executed but so many bands did synthopop better.
OutKast
3/5
the bangers are bangers. otherwise not so much
Pixies
4/5
Michael Jackson
4/5
I had to deduct at least one star for The Girl is Mine. Shockingly wretched.
The Band
5/5
Great songs and performances.
Pet Shop Boys
2/5
Grant Lee Buffalo
3/5
Isaac Hayes
4/5
Klaxons
3/5
2/5
Last couple of tracks had some good bits. Otherwise not my jam.
4/5
I expected to not like this for reasons I can't articulate. I really liked it - the songs rock and a bunch are surprisingly catchy.
The Rolling Stones
2/5
Not the best era of the Stones. Many better blues bands in the UK during the same time.
Public Image Ltd.
2/5
LCD Soundsystem
5/5
All criticisms are valid. Nonetheless when he gets it right, examples on this album being "Someone Great" and "All My Friends", I find it hypnotic and cathartic. Full body exorcism of emotional turmoil.
Jimmy Smith
4/5
Sheryl Crow
2/5
Beatles
5/5
Def Leppard
3/5
Like many other 60 year old white American men, I enjoy some Def Leppard. Unfortunately this is not their best work. Pyromania is the apotheosis of the slick Mutt Lange iteration of the band while On Through the Night showcases the rough and ready version.
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
3/5
The Beach Boys
4/5
Marvin Gaye
5/5
when I look at the world, it fills me with sorrow
Sebadoh
3/5
The Verve
2/5
Green Day
2/5
I listened while scraping paint with a heat gun. I thought that this isn't too bad. Then I put on music I enjoy and realized that I like scraping paint with a heat gun more than I like this album.
Sonic Youth
2/5
Rufus Wainwright
2/5
Prince
5/5
Steely Dan
3/5
cocaine is a hell of a drug
Stereo MC's
3/5
MDMA is a hell of a drug.
Duke Ellington
5/5
Wow. Not sure what I expected but this is great.
Jimi Hendrix
5/5
LSD is a hell of a drug.
My least favorite of the Experience albums but you can see why this blew people's minds.
I love Mitch Mitchell's drumming. I remember walking by the house of my friend Hairboy (not his real name) and listening to him practicing his drums Fire was one of his favorites and you could recognize it from the drums alone.
Hendrix's guitar playing is so pleasurable to listen to. Every note in his solos is distinctly articulated rather than speedy licks without intent. His rhythm playing draws on his roots backing soul singers and supports the song structure.
Songhoy Blues
4/5
Touré de force
Tina Turner
3/5
Tina is undeniably a great singer and performer. This album however is most notable for showcasing the shortcomings of 80s arrangements and production.
The covers of I Can't Stand the Rain and Let's Stay Together hurt me. The originals have that sweet sweet groove of the Hi Records band and Willie Mitchell production. The covers sound like they were recorded in a space capsule with a band made entirely of shoulder pads and triangular haircuts.
UB40
3/5
Stan Getz
3/5
Cypress Hill
3/5
Fiona Apple
4/5
Super Furry Animals
3/5
Duran Duran
1/5
Fuck these guys.
Curtis Mayfield
4/5
Tom Waits
1/5
The Pogues
4/5
Some great lyrics about the immigrant experience. Must have been a rocking live show.
The Velvet Underground
3/5
Pere Ubu
3/5
Echo And The Bunnymen
3/5
Second best band ever from Liverpool. You can hear what they will become but they are not quite there yet. 3.5
Rod Stewart
4/5
The Doors
3/5
I listened to a lot of the Doors when I was teenager because I thought I was supposed to.Then I concluded they were embarrassing especially Jim Morrison's shaman poet circus performer routine.
This is a roundabout way of saying that I fully expected to hate this record and I didn't. First side of the record was not bad at all then it did descend into a fair amount of jimbabble.
Band sounded good and for at least part of the record, they were actually trying to write songs.
The Temptations
4/5
Gorillaz
3/5
Nanci Griffith
3/5
To give you an idea of how much of a grudge holder I am: A friend of mine got divorced thirty years or so ago after her husband cheated on her. Her ex-husband likes Nanci Griffith. I hold it against Nanci Griffith.
Also sounds like a NPR tote bag would sound if it were music.
Solomon Burke
3/5
Deep Purple
2/5
Skip this and listen to Machine Head. The world does not need a 20 minute Space Truckin'.
The White Stripes
4/5
some good songs and the guitar sounds great. I don't love his singing. 3.5
Stevie Wonder
5/5
Black Sabbath
4/5
What would the world be like had there been no Sabbath? Supernaut is a great track.
The Cure
3/5
U2
3/5
Can't get past Bono's bombast.
The Cure
3/5
Janet Jackson
3/5
I forgot how oppressive the late 80s - early 90s drum machine sound could be. In this case, it undermines what is otherwise a strong record.
Little Richard
4/5
The studio doesn't really capture what makes Little Richard great. Giving it 4 stars because it's Little Richard. No Little Richard, no Beatles. No Little Richard, No Prince. No Justice, No Peace.
Bonnie "Prince" Billy
3/5
Beatles
5/5
Far better than I expected it to be.
Of course I have listened to a ton of early Beatles - my mom had all these albums - and I enjoyed them when I heard them back in the day. However, I had forgotten how incredibly tight the band was and how much energy there was in their performances. John's vocals in particular on this record are impressive.
Such a striking contrast between this record and the early Stones record we got a few weeks ago. This sounds great and that sounds like something me and my high school buddies would have recorded in Hairboy's garage. (Still not his real name.)
Alice Cooper
3/5
4/5 for the music; 1/2 for the lyrics. Strong early 70s glam-ish sound; the shock jock vibe is just stupid.
I find it interesting that both Alice Cooper and Black Sabbath state that they are influenced by horror films yet come up with such different expressions of that idea. Is the difference post-WWII US vs UK? Or just the individuals in each group?
Kid Rock
2/5
The hits are catchy. The vibe is douche-y.
The Smiths
4/5
Musically Morrissey is an acquired taste. In general, not my cup of tea. For whatever reason I enjoyed him today and the music is quite good.
Aerosmith
4/5
Toys
Toys
Toys
Other than the final song on each side (both of which are dogs), the album is filled with certified rockers.
Hypocrisy note: I must note that I am full of shit for giving Black Crowes a 1 but this album a 4. The two bands have more in common than I would like to admit.
Can
4/5
groovy
Miles Davis
3/5
would benefit from some song structure
Morrissey
1/5
actually miserable
Common
4/5
Genesis
4/5
probably should be a 3 because of the needless double album but I like the music. If I had listened closely to the lyrics, I probably would have taken off a star.
My Bloody Valentine
4/5
It sounds a lot like their older stuff. Not a bad thing.
Pixies
2/5
Not very good.
B.B. King
4/5
I have never been a big fan of BB King but this was an interesting listen. It was nice to hear his younger, more supple voice. His guitar tone and phrasing is, as expected, excellent. The song themselves are solid but not spectacular. 3.5
The Who
5/5
One of my favorite albums. Pop psychedelia informed by Townsend's wit (pre-pomposity). Tattoo is a great song, many others are close.
Traffic
4/5
Hippie dippie but I like it
Deep Purple
2/5
Dreadful really.
ABBA
2/5
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
The Jam
5/5
Probably a 4 rather than a 5 but I have to give it for old time's sake.
I bought this when it came out and it was my favorite Jam album for a long time. If you asked me now, I would probably say All Mod Cons.
You can see in this album why Weller felt the need to dismantle the Jam. At this point, they had done all they could have done as the Jam. They were exhausting the possibilities of making young, angry, punchy music.
Some great songs on this album - Different Now and Scrape Away come to mind.
Iron Maiden
4/5
An individual Iron Maiden track can be wonderful. An entire album can be a bit too much.
Incredible players - Nicko and Steve may be the Sly and Robbie of 80s British metal.
Run for the Hills is a classic. First heard it when I was 40 - I couldn't believe that I had somehow missed til then.
Devendra Banhart
2/5
I made it about halfway through the record. Not for me.
Soft Cell
3/5
Kinda dug it. Tries too hard to be shocking in a way that doesn't feel very shocking any more but decent synth-pop dance music of a certain vintage.
5/5
Mick Ronson guitar crunch sounds great to this day.
Willie Nelson
4/5
Easy listening in the not pejorative sense. Great songs and a lovely voice with arrangements that let you enjoy the songs and the vocals.
Massive Attack
3/5
not terrible but not my jam
5/5
Thelonious Monk
5/5
The Psychedelic Furs
4/5
Rocks harder than their singles. Pleasantly surprised.
Deep Purple
4/5
Highway Star and Space Truckin' are all time greats.
The Beach Boys
3/5
Will my kids be proud or think their old man is really a square?
Massive Attack
3/5
I gather Massive Attack were a big. deal in the UK when this book was written. The moment passed me by.
I find the record inoffensive but not particularly compelling. Might have been different if I had been a young person in the UK in the 90s. Having never been a young person, I can't know.
Michael Kiwanuka
4/5
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
4/5
Creedence Clearwater Revival
3/5
Starts out strong - I have always dug the solid groove of Born on the Bayou. Maintains its energy most of the way but by the end I was hoping that he would stop chooglin'.
The Mamas & The Papas
1/5
Schlock. Laurence Welk in hippie clothes.
The Modern Lovers
4/5
Jonathan Richman is sui generis and this is our introduction.
Steve Winwood
1/5
I don't like this album. The keyboard sound is annoying and the songs are drippy. One exception: the song Arc of a Diver isn't half-bad. Not enough to get this past one star.
The Dictators
1/5
I get it. They are taking the piss and having a laugh. Doesn't mean that it doesn't suck. Give me the Ramones or the Tubes for better versions.
The Prodigy
2/5
I felt bludgeoned listening to this. I it 2 stars because I recognize that the group are technically proficient at bludgeoning.
Sufjan Stevens
4/5
Lots of good stuff on this album. Too long and not all the songs work but the top tracks sound great to me.
Cyndi Lauper
4/5
Orange Juice
3/5
I fell asleep during the first song and woke up during the last song. The nap was excellent. I don't know about the record.
Minor Threat
4/5
1234
Leonard Cohen
4/5
Leonard Cohen has grown on me over the years. I first found his bohemian ladies man persona kind of slimy and I still do but now his observations resonate more with me. Also his tempo and mine are now about the same. Several good tracks on this record and the dated syntho production ends up working for him.
I also noted a lyrical similarity between Tower of Song and Pulp's recent single Spike Island.
Tower of Song:
I was born like this, I had no choice
I was born with the gift of a golden voice
Spike Island:
I was born to perform
It's a calling
I exist to do this
Shouting and pointing
Sung somewhat tongue in cheek in both instances. Jarvis is a big fan so it is no surprise that he would invoke Leonard Cohen.
If you are interested, you can listen to Jarvis's interview with Leonard at the link below. I think I will do that now.
https://archive.org/details/jarvis-cocker-march-28-2010/Jarvis+Cocker+-+January+29+2012.mp3
Leonard Cohen
4/5
The album is like a dish that's too rich to eat in one setting. Here's some palate cleansers:
The Jarvis Cocker radio show where he speaks with Leonard Cohen is quite good. Leonard has a dry sense of humor to accompany his wisdom. The highlight of the show, however, is Betty LaVette's version of Sleep to Dream. Check it out.
Leonard Cohen's paternal grandfather was born in the same town in Poland - Suwalki - as two of my great-grandfathers (one Catholic, one Jewish, both fleeing Cossacks conscripting young men into the Tsar's army.) The area is known for having the shortest distance between Belarus and Kaliningrad. This chokepoint is of great strategic importance to NATO.
My former therapist did a 10 day silent retreat where it turned out one of the other retreaters was Leonard Cohen. The experience of sharing space with one of his heroes without being able to speak to him had meaning which I have forgotten.
Back to the record itself: so many good songs, taken all together a bit overwhelming.
Joe Ely
4/5
good stuff
ABBA
3/5
Gang Of Four
2/5
I remember liking them more than I did after listening to this. Johnny One Note.
Talking Heads
5/5
Not their best but still awfully good.
Tom Waits
3/5
Not a bad way to spend an hour.
Echo And The Bunnymen
3/5
Killing Moon is a great song. Some of the other songs are quite good. Some are not so good. The absence of a full drum set is noticable.
Cream
4/5
I listened to Cream a lot in my teens. I think for the most part, this album stands the test of time. Yes, it sounds like it was recorded using a tin can and a string with a layer of mud in between. Nonetheless, the songs and performances come through.
I can't stand anything Clapton recorded after 1970 but I enjoy his playing here. The solos are short and organized. SWLABR is probably my favorite example.
I'm a big fan of Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker. Jack's singing and bass playing come through really well but Ginger's drumming is buried in the mix. (the less said about Ginger's singing, the better.)
T. Rex
4/5
I think you have to be from the UK to fully get T Rex. Great sound but gets a bit repetitive after a while.
The Specials
4/5
I enjoyed this. Probably my favorite of the two tone bands of this era. Unfortunate that the two tone moment in the UK spawned the US ska phenomenon whereby we were subjected to the likes of Bim Skala Bim.
Sonic Youth
3/5
They do what they do well. It was a struggle for me to make it all the way through the record.
Fela Kuti
4/5
Aerosmith
4/5
Their best album.
Wilco
4/5
Could have been an excellent single album. Too many undercooked songs as a double album 3.5
Fleetwood Mac
5/5
Probably a 4 but I am going to succumb peer pressure. The performances are strong. Songs are uneven but many are good.
Paul Simon
3/5
Didn't grab me the first time and it doesn't now either.
1/5
At least we got punk rock in response to this.
Suede
2/5
It must have been the moment because I don't get it whatsoever.
Supergrass
4/5
A welcome antidote to Suede.
Soft Machine
1/5
Started off very noisy and I was tempted to quit. I persevered and found myself liking it. Then it kept going. On and on and on. Finally I realized that no one was forcing me to listen so I stopped after about an hour. I would given it more stars if they hadn't insisted on this being 2 hours long.
Fats Domino
4/5
Radiohead
4/5
Noodly and a bit adrift but not at all unpleasant.
Miles Davis
2/5
People have been telling me for decades that this is a great record. Still not there yet.
The Jesus And Mary Chain
3/5
Iggy Pop
4/5
David Bowie
5/5
Carole King
4/5
George Michael
3/5
Better than I expected but not particularly compelling in the end.
Rush
3/5
First side I enjoyed. Falls apart thereafter.
Bauhaus
3/5
Run-D.M.C.
2/5
Sounds dated.
Peter Gabriel
4/5
I was skeptical of this record because it was so omnipresent in my early 20s. Pleasantly surprised at how good it is. The playing - particularly the bass - is excellent and the songs are for the most part strong.
Alice Cooper
4/5
The Velvet Underground
2/5
influential? yes. my cup of tea? not so much.
CHVRCHES
2/5
I added a star because the singer has the same last name as my mom.
Ray Charles
4/5
The Waterboys
3/5
Lively but struggles to maintain my interest over the course of the full album.
Wilco
4/5
I know many are inclined to hate on Wilco because they are the soundtrack for a certain class of chino-wearing, fleece-vested white middle-aged dude. Fair enough but I'm bigger than that (in the best version of myself).
I have to give this 4 because I gave Being There 4 and this is better than Being There. That said, I would say AM and Summerteeth are both better than the two that are on this list.
Some of the songs are excellent but several others are adrift and adorned with needless knob-twiddling.
The Who
4/5
I listened to this record a ton in high school 40+ years ago. Not so much subsequently, although the hits are inescapable. Holds up pretty well.
Little Simz
3/5
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
1/5
Fuck this poser.
Joy Division
3/5
The t-shirt that launched a thousand ships.
Fatboy Slim
1/5
In the middle of the night
It feels alright, but then tomorrow morning,
then you come down, oh what if you never come down?
Everything But The Girl
3/5
Benefited from its juxtaposition with the Fatboy Slim album.
I also must confess that I always confused them with Swing Out Sister despite the two having little in common. Perhaps it is the singer's hairstyle? In any event, apologies to EBTG.
The Clash
5/5
I bought this the day it came out. I was initially disappointed because it didn't sound like Give 'Em Enough Rope (and because some of the songs weren't "rock").
For the first time, the production doesn't stifle the band. The band sounds alive and full of purpose.
There's a couple of dud songs but these are offset by the shout along anthems.
This record represents the band at its peak from which it came down rather quickly. Happens to the best of us.
Eels
3/5
Records from the 90s have noticeably better production than those from the 80s. This is a good example.
The songs themselves are rather monotonous and solipistic. The first and last tracks were the standouts for me.
Gang Starr
3/5
The Cars
5/5
Etched into my consciousness. So uncool that it's perfectly cool.
Michael Jackson
4/5
Thi would get 5 stars but for the number of lousy songs. the production and performances are excellent - particularly Louis Johnson on bass.
Throbbing Gristle
2/5
It throbs.
It's grisly.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
1/5
I could not bear the thought of listening to this shit so instead I took off all my clothes and spent the day with only a sock on my dick. I was cold and nobody thought it was funny.
The Youngbloods
3/5
Dated but not bad. A bit like me.
James Brown
5/5
I would give this 5 stars for I Go Crazy alone.
Waylon Jennings
4/5
Sigur Rós
4/5
Ultimate nap soundtrack.
Heaven 17
3/5
The Go-Betweens
4/5
I need to go back and revise my ratings - they're all bunched up. This is probably a 3 but I gave it a 4 because I gave Heaven 17 a 3 and I like this better.
I did like this record - not sure I would listen again and not sure that it was wildly influential outside the Commonwealth. Whatever - it's Dimery's list not mine.
Van Morrison
3/5
It was always going to be a challenge for me to review a Van Morrison record. So much overexposure to his hits - may I never hear Brown Eyed Girl again - and then his bizarro personality. On the latter, I have been able to separate personality from music with others (eg, Michael Jackson) so I think I can do it here.
Anyhow, overall the album has a nice vibe. The band is loose and the arrangements have a Memphis-y R&B feel.
The songs have a certain sameness and his singing becomes tedious over the course of the album.
And It Stoned Me is the song I like best despite the use of the word jellyroll in the lyrics which I find jarring regardless of Van's intent.
Beach House
2/5
avocado music
Caetano Veloso
3/5
Steely Dan
4/5
Johnny Cash
4/5
KISS
1/5
Imagine if Kiss were even halfway decent musicians or songwriters. They would be the most fun band ever. Unfortunately they suck.
Oasis
4/5
Best worst album ever. Or maybe the other way around.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
4/5
One of the pleasant surprises of this list. Never listened to this before and it hit the spot.
The Who
4/5
Derek & The Dominos
2/5
The moment the 60s became the 70s. Self-indulgent and overlong twiddling.
Manic Street Preachers
2/5
this seems to be a UK thing. This album didn't do it for me but I listened to some other tracks from their later (and more popular in the UK) albums that were good.
Queen
4/5
How I want prog to sound.
Lou Reed
3/5
R.E.M.
3/5
Muy snoozando
Finley Quaye
3/5
5/5
This is the one that I will never be objective about. Got me through Hawley Junior High. Yeah yeah yeah yeah yehyehyehyehyeh yeah!
The Stooges
2/5
If I was in my 20s and I walked into a bar and this version of the Stooges was playing, I would push up to the stage and seeing a 7/8s naked Iggy writhing on the stage. I would be totally into it and get even more into it while I knocked back a dozen beers over the course of the evening. After the bar closes, my buddies and I would spend the rest of night trying to score something - booze, weed, whatever - to keep the night while yelling to each other about great the band was. We would push ourselves to stay up all night and then sleep until the next night arrived and we would try to replicate that same experience.
As it happens, I am 60 now, I haven't had a drink in 15 years and I go to bed at a sensible hour.
The Stone Roses
4/5
Tim Buckley
2/5
Drug-addled hippie
Boston
1/5
I don't think anyone from Massachusetts identifies Boston as a true local band. Aerosmith, Cars, Modern Lovers - absolutely. Boston (the band) is a soulless, placeless disgrace.
The Smiths
3/5
music is very good. could live without the singer
Curtis Mayfield
4/5
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
4/5
This list has made me into a bit of a Nick Cave fan. Go figure.
Frank Sinatra
2/5
The voice is still the voice but I don't like these arrangements.
Simon & Garfunkel
3/5
Gil Scott-Heron
4/5
King Crimson
3/5
some wonderful heavy moments with Fripp and Bruford both sounding great. A lot of dreck as well
The Who
5/5
I did a DNA test a few years ago. No big surprises on my genetic makeup. However, the test somehow determined that 23% of my hearing loss is directly attributable to listening to Live at Leeds through headphones at max volume between the ages of 15 and 18.
Elvis Costello
4/5
Sulky Girl is a top song. Attractions are a killer band. That said, not sure why this album is on this list.
Santana
4/5
Fatboy Slim
2/5
better than the other one
A Tribe Called Quest
4/5
Metallica
3/5
The rat-a-tat-tat drumming really wore me down over the course of the album, diminishing the things that I did like.
4/5
Doves
4/5
I enjoyed this.
AC/DC
2/5
Listen to Highway to Hell if you want the Mutt Lange / ACDC experience.
Bon Jovi
2/5
Electric Light Orchestra
5/5
Blue Cheer
1/5
Scissor Sisters
3/5
I didn't realize that this album was so huge in the UK. Roughly 10% of UK households bought it. That's astounding.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
5/5
My fave Elvis record. Attractions are such a great band - now with more methamphetamine! Tight songs, great performances.
ZZ Top
2/5
A friend of mine went to see Aerosmith a few years ago. At some point, he realized that most of the people were there for the "new" stuff - ie, early 80s on. He was deeply disappointed.
This is ZZ Top's "new" stuff - vastly inferior to their initial iteration but wildly popular.
I was inclined to give this a 3 but then I heard (and then read) the lyrics to I've got my 6. While I recognize that performative male sexual desire and rock lyrics are deeply intertwined, those lyrics stand out as extraordinarily stupid.
Neil Young
3/5
The Band
5/5
Arctic Monkeys
4/5
I'm a sucker for a Yorkshire accent and a snarky attitude.
Hawkwind
2/5
There's some decent hard-charging rock music underneath all the sludge and pretentious blather. You need to slog through a lot of crap to find it.
Small Faces
2/5
Not everyone has a concept album in them. I always heard that this was a great album and I like the Small Faces but this was far too music hall for me.
Bob Dylan
4/5
I saw Robyn Hitchcock play Visions of Johanna about 10 years ago - it was a revelation. Fantastic song.
Band sounds great.
Would benefit from culling a few tracks
TV On The Radio
3/5
Iron Butterfly
2/5
Should be a 1 but In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida. Man.
Eurythmics
3/5
Radiohead
3/5
Undercooked.
Fela Kuti
4/5
Deducted a star for 27 wives at the same time.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
4/5
Crosby, Stills & Nash
3/5
I can picture this record in my mom's collection. I was a big fan of Marrakesh Express when I was 7 or 8.
Stills's bass playing is better than I remember.
Stills's current wife is from Maine and her mom taught our daughter ice skating.
All that said, those harmonies, although we'll done, get on my nerves.
The Damned
1/5
In no way interesting.
Stephen Stills
2/5
Listened for about a half hour. It was ok but there was no reason to go on.
Jeff Beck
3/5
Listened to this a lot in my high school years. I hold Jeff Beck in high esteem as a guitarist. Great feel and tone. This does not hold up particularly well. His playing is often great but the tunes are mostly generic blues rock arrangements.
Stand out tracks - Shapes and Beck's Bolero.
Bob Dylan
5/5
I could quibble but I won't
Led Zeppelin
5/5
LZ needed to be better about attribution but my two faves - Communication Breakdown and Good Times Bad Times - are all their own.
Nas
3/5
Erykah Badu
2/5
Too long and too much of the same.
The Last Shadow Puppets
2/5
Not my bag
Bruce Springsteen
2/5
Came in skeptical. Heard the first song - better than expected. Then every song after it sounded like the first song but not as good. Gave up after a half hour or so.
Pink Floyd
2/5
I will never be able to separate this album from the time it came out and its popularity with my peers. I was 14 at the time and in 9th grade (final year of junior high). It was a miserable time which was in no way helped by being surrounded by emotionally and intellectually underdeveloped people chanting "we don't need no education" while wearing t-shirts saying "Nuke Iran." I feel confident in saying that they would in fact have benefited from education.
Of course, it is unfair to judge this album solely through the lens of my peers' selective appropriation of its message. Therefore I have made a list of pros and cons.
Pros:
- David Gilmour's guitar playing. I am certain that many fans are drawn to this album for his solos and don't particularly care about the half-baked concept. Roger Waters insistence the album is all his because he wrote the (completely pedestrian) songs is laughable.
- The record taught me the British meaning of "meat" and "pudding."
Cons:
- Plodding tempo
- Far too long which is a function of using the "concept album" to justify repeatedly hashing the same music (and playing the songs at a tempo that suggests overconsumption of cough syrup)
- the failure of the "concept" itself. Compare the record with its contemporaries wrestling with alienation from consumer culture as well as childhood trauma. Waters' take is purely individualistic - while I agree that we all should break the walls that prevent us from emotionally connecting, there should also be an accompanying critique of consumer culture and its role in our collective alienation.
Anita Baker
4/5
Buck Owens
3/5
I want to show my support for Buck Owens but the album itself isn't that great.
Harry Nilsson
3/5
Willie Nelson
5/5
Todd Rundgren
3/5
Kings of Leon
1/5
I expected not to like this but was pleasantly surprised to learn that it was different than their stuff I already knew. Then I listened more and it sucked.
Johnny Cash
4/5
the British documentary can be found on YouTube. worth watching.
Koffi Olomide
4/5
I never would have heard this record without doing this exercise. I am glad I got a chance to listen.
Ash
2/5
Neneh Cherry
3/5
Blondie
4/5
The Incredible String Band
1/5
Solange
3/5
Led Zeppelin
5/5
My fave Zep
Kelela
3/5
Beck
3/5
Depeche Mode
3/5
Soundgarden
5/5
Yeah it's too long but boy does it rock.
Elliott Smith
5/5
Mope-tastic
Hot Chip
3/5
Killing Joke
2/5
The Verve
2/5
These guys do not merit 2 albums on this list.
Paul Simon
2/5
Allergies is hilarious - 'Where do allergies go when it’s after a show and they want to get something to eat?' plus Al Di Meola's only in the 80s fusion solo tacked on.
I do not understand how this album can be something one must listen to before one dies. I would have been just fine never having heard it.
Tom Waits
2/5
Try as I might, I am just not a Tom Waits fan.
Laibach
1/5
the random generator is on a terrible run. who the fuck wants to listen to this shit?
Burning Spear
4/5
3.5 rounded up to 4 by not being crap like the previous few.
Meat Puppets
4/5
Probably a 3 but I am giving it a 4 because it is the only Meat Puppets record on the list and I want to give them their due. I like "Up From the Sun" better but this one has some gems.
The Mothers Of Invention
1/5
Sleater-Kinney
3/5
Wanted to like it more than I actually did.
Sonic Youth
4/5
Jurassic 5
4/5
Keith Jarrett
3/5
A staple of my parents generation. Somewhere between Vince Guaraldi and George Winston.
The Byrds
4/5
First two songs alone worth the price of admission. Remaining songs good with the exception of the two written by David Crosby.
Love
4/5
Time capsule.
Brian Eno
4/5
Listened to this a lot in the 80s. Advances in technology likely make this sound antiquainted but I am sufficiently antiquated that I can't tell.
Taylor Swift
2/5
This was a COVID album and in many respects it mirrored my experience of COVID.
When I first learned that this would be the album, I was bummed but I decided to give it a shot.
I was initially surprised by how much I enjoyed it, finding it warm and cozy.
After a while, everything felt the same and blended together.
Finally I wondered when it would ever end.
Joan Armatrading
5/5
I always respected but never dug Joan Armatrading when I was younger. Listening to it now at 60, it sounds great. Great voice and interesting compositions. The band swings with a sly groove.
Simply Red
2/5
Stevie Wonder
4/5
William Orbit
3/5
Nap gem
Guns N' Roses
1/5
Now I feel bad for giving Black Crowes 1 star. This is equally as derivative but shittier in execution.
If you want blues-based hard rock, listen to 70s Aerosmith. If you want Sunset Strip sleaze, listen to Motley Crue.
Daft Punk
1/5
Brutal pounding. Pretty much unbearable.
Rocket From The Crypt
2/5
Singer sounded like Graham Parker to me and I found that confusing.
The Police
3/5
This album lacks what I like about the Police - the juxtaposition of Copeland's and Summer's jazz / prog / reggae influences and Sting's pop aspirations. Instead the hit songs are all Sting while the rest of the album is bits and pieces from the other two.
The Monkees
3/5
Solid tunes and playing
The Replacements
5/5
So happy when this appeared.
Songs that should have made them superstars but they couldn't handle it so instead we got the Goo Goo Dolls.
The Jesus And Mary Chain
2/5
Drive Like Jehu
2/5
Todd Rundgren
3/5
Less is more. Should have been pulled down to one album.