5/5 - A devastating series of personal observations where the promise of America is wholly undelivered to a large segment of our population. Each song laments in very straightforward and simple phrasing what should be but isn’t the reality for many people in the land of the free. The saddest part is that all the pathos of social and economic injustice in 1988, when America was at an economic peak, is even more bleakly present in 2025 as we stumble towards a precipice.
I always thought I liked Rage Against The Machine, but after listening to the entirety of this album, I actually realized I do not. None of their songs or music really engaged me. I found it to be more noise than coherent musicality and meaning.
I listened to most of their later albums, and with the exception of Bulls On Parade, the rest left me uninterested as well.
I am just realizing that what I always liked was Bush, not RATM.
I was born in Texas, and this music connects me back to that raw rock/bluesy sound that feels right at home.
Impressive guitars and rhythm across the album, but also somewhat homogeneous and lacking range.
The standout is the studio version of La Grange - just tight, syncopated heat that sets a mood.
Some great Led Zeppelin tracks in Houses of the Holy and Trampled Underfoot, but the piece de resistance is the powerful, persistently building masterpiece of exotic mood and music, Kashmir.
A fantastic album filled with fresh music, arrangements and vocals, and featuring some of the most iconic and period defining songs, especially Wonderwall and Champagne Supernova!
I found this album generally uninteresting. I like some other Smiths tracks, especially How Soon Is Now, but I found this album dull and fairly one note in terms of style or variety. I know this is the album that put them on the map, but now 40 years after it's debut, I feel it's urgent and strident message feels faded and ineffectively delivered.
Not a big Sinatra fan. The songs on this album for the most part were pretty ordinary, with simple lyrics, and uninteresting music that didn’t bring out the greatness Frank is capable of and lauded for. If I never hear this album again, I will not care one bit.
Good basic honest rock and roll, but no tent-pole tracks
Can’t believe I never heard of thus group or any if their songs and music. Really enjoyed the album in general, and I Wanna Be Adored, This Is The One, I Am The Resurrection, and Fools Gold specifically. This is all too new for me to consider it one of the great albums, but it’s very listenable, will have a place on my goto playlists, and I can see how their sound and style was influential on many of the later Britpop supergroups. A seminal effort.
Fabulous sophomore album with period defining global hits Rolling In The Deep and I Set Fire To The Rain. Adele is an original voice filled with nuance and emotion, often sad and wistful, but ultimately powerful and triumphant through all heartaches.
Joyous Classic! Louis Prima at the top of his form. Would give it 5 stars except for the fact that the music style and songs are just a bit too old style for my taste.
I've never been a deadhead and now I know why even more than I did before.
Dull, meandering purposeless music across this whole album. Not sure if there is an industry award for musical sound editing but this album could really use some heavy editing.
I audibly sighed with relief when the album was finished.
Okay album. I was never that interested in the RS, but I did see them live in 2024 and gained a big appreciation for their musicianship and ability to deliver a great show. Mick Jagger is still amazing and incomparable.
That being said, this album has Tumbling Dice, but the rest of the tracks are solid R&B and soul but relatively uninteresting.
Skillfully and artfully crafted original, just not my taste
A masterpiece that largely defined the soundscape of popular music in the late seventies.
Decent album from Bowie, although short (only 6 songs, 38 minutes, more than 10 minutes alone from the title track Station to Station).
Golden Years is the whole reason to listen to this album.
Pretty solid SD album, anchored by Rikki, a definitive song of the seventies.
All around good rock and roll, but none if the songs are significant or memorable. You can never really know what’s going to carry a song or album to the big leagues, and The Saints never figured it out either.
It’s a hard pass for me. Just not interested in this genre.
Yeah, not a fan. I do not understand the appeal of this band or album. Killing Me Softly is the only listenable track, and it can’t touch Roberta Flack’s masterpiece.
Not really that familiar with sonic youth. Pretty solid album across all the tracks. None of them really grabbed me beyond a pleasant listen.
I can’t deny the high craftsmanship of the various musicians. Duke was a masterful bandleader and ran a great showcase for the style in Newport. I just don’t care at all for jazz, especially the older, band-style of the genre. I would avoid any elevator that played this music and just walk up the stairs. But 4 stars for their talent and artistry.
Out Of The Blue is one of the outstanding rock/pop albums of all time. Jeff Lynne delivers musical expressions of love, heartache, promise and bliss in an orchestral masterpiece acrisd vocals, music and arrangements. A defining album of the late seventies.
Probably a good album but since I don’t have any appreciation for this style of music I can’t really say.
This is why I listen to the 1001 Albums list. I am not a fan of country music and I've never heard of Buck Owens. Turns out he is in the Country Hall of Fame and used to rule the airwaves after the Great Depression with his simple (and short avg. 2 minutes) songs with plaintive lyrics and twangy honky-tonk music. A real treat to listen for something completely different than I typically enjoy. Well crafted and performed songs, great voice, and overall a delightful listen once you adjust to this style of music from a bygone era.
Solid rock ‘n’ roll, but nothing memorable or worth listening to over and over again.
Different. Kinda of cool, but somewhat expressionless and no really engaging. Not sure if there is supposed to be some type of story coming through, if so I think I missed it.
Very different and not unpleasant album. Some innovative music and themes. Not riveting, but quite listenable in the background
Bowie delivers great work as always.
Changes, Oh! You Pretty Things, and Life on Mars anchor a defining style and sound of unique, thought-provoking tracks. Bowie’s deep catalog puts him in the Pantheon of the all-time greats, with this album a solid part of that oeuvre.
Kind of run of the mill, and not even all heavy metal. No standout songs in my not very knowledgeable opinion.
Very different, very enjoyable.
I’m sue this is skillfully crafted music but I didn’t understand or relate to it at all
Not for me.
A standout album by an original artist and voice (often shrieking).
Never heard them before but really good stuff, great guitar and drums, great vocals, and interesting themes.
I enjoyed this overall, and will listen again to get more familiar with them.
Very pleasant and unusual music soaring vocal harmonies and interesting rhythms. I enjoyed listening to it but it’s quite unfamiliar and I’m not sure where it fits in my music library
Bob is an originator and has a unique voice, albeit thin, nasal and grating. I honestly have never enjoyed his music and songs, and re-listening to this album reinforced my opinion.
Truly evocative funk from the 70s. almost impossible to listen to without accompanying psychedelic trippy visuals, like Saturday morning animated cartoons featuring cultural and astrological voyages.
Not really my cup of tea, and hard to just listen to the album on it's own. I can't imagine what going to a live performance would be like, unless accompanied by one hell of a light show or some choice psychedelics...
Could not relate to this album at all.
