234
Albums Rated
3.26
Average Rating
21%
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855 albums remaining
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1950s
Favorite Decade
Jazz
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Top Origin
✍️ Wordsmith
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27
5-Star Albums
10
1-Star Albums
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You Love More Than Most
Albums you rated higher than global average
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bone Machine | 5 | 2.86 | +2.14 |
| Millions Now Living Will Never Die | 5 | 2.87 | +2.13 |
| Copper Blue | 5 | 2.96 | +2.04 |
| The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway | 5 | 3.08 | +1.92 |
| Junkyard | 4 | 2.16 | +1.84 |
| Nothing's Shocking | 5 | 3.17 | +1.83 |
| Fisherman's Blues | 5 | 3.2 | +1.8 |
| Spy Vs. Spy: The Music Of Ornette Coleman | 4 | 2.22 | +1.78 |
| L'Eau Rouge | 4 | 2.32 | +1.68 |
| Joan Armatrading | 5 | 3.33 | +1.67 |
You Love Less Than Most
Albums you rated lower than global average
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pet Sounds | 1 | 3.93 | -2.93 |
| The Marshall Mathers LP | 1 | 3.49 | -2.49 |
| Smash | 1 | 3.37 | -2.37 |
| Court And Spark | 1 | 3.35 | -2.35 |
| The College Dropout | 1 | 3.31 | -2.31 |
| The Slim Shady LP | 1 | 3.29 | -2.29 |
| Smile | 1 | 3.06 | -2.06 |
| Bad | 2 | 3.8 | -1.8 |
| L.A. Woman | 2 | 3.67 | -1.67 |
| With The Beatles | 2 | 3.66 | -1.66 |
Artist Analysis
Favorite Artists
Artists with 2+ albums
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Black Sabbath | 3 | 4.67 |
Least Favorite Artists
Artists with 2+ albums
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Eminem | 2 | 1 |
| Joni Mitchell | 2 | 1.5 |
5-Star Albums (27)
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Popular Reviews
Jeff Buckley
5/5
I've loved this record since before it was officially released (record store days - we got promo copies before the release date). Still think the title track is one of the best songs ever written. Truthfully, the opening track (Mojo Pin), and album closer (Dream Brother) are, in my opinion, the weakest on the record, but otherwise the whole thing is flawless. Not to mention what is possibly the best version of "Hallelujah" ever recorded - better than even Leonard Cohen's original version.
It's a tragedy that this is the only fully realized album he got to release.
So, yeah, an easy 5 from me.
1 likes
Frank Ocean
2/5
I don't get it. Maybe it's just me. I don't get how this won so many awards. Some songs aren't awful (though some are laughably bad in my opinion), but most of the album just feels very low-effort.
1 likes
4/5
I figured we'd be getting to The Beatles eventually. I think I've heard every single song by The Beatles at least a hundred times. I have the utmost respect for everything they did with their short time, moving music forward by leaps and bounds, but I've never felt the need to listen to albums by them. I've heard the songs enough.
So, other than compilations (in the record store days), this was my first full album run-through for them. I think i knew nearly every word to at least 3/4 of the songs on Sgt. Pepper's. My impression of the album as a whole is that they took the time to make it a whole, and not just a bunch of individual songs. There was definitely thought put in to the sequencing and mixes. So much so that, even though I'm a bit tired of many of the tracks singularly, as an album, it kept me interested throughout. Bit surprised by that, but then I guess that's why they're legends.
...and "A Day In the Life" has got to be one of the most well written songs of all time.
1 likes
Iron Butterfly
3/5
The title track is a classic of epic scale. Love the drum solo. Love the whole song.
Side one is so of it's time that it nearly sounds like a parody of psychedelic 60s music. How many times can he say "Girl, I just know I love you"? Side one not as awesome as side two, but still pretty damn good.
1 likes
1-Star Albums (10)
All Ratings
The Stone Roses
3/5
Three catchy tracks to open, then 1 that would have been better as a b-side. Descent middle, then a few more good and great ones to finish off.
Favorites - "I Wanna Be Adored", "Made of Stone", "I Am the Resurrection."
I remember when this album came out. The band hit so big on the college/alternative scene so fast that it kind of soured me on them, though I've always like "Adored." Glad I was given a reason to revisit the album. I wouldn't call it an all-time classic for me, but a solid debut, which helped usher in the Madchester scene to America.
Miles Davis
3/5
There's no denying Miles Davis' talent, and with so many other huge names (Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, Tony Thompson) along for the session, of course this is a top notch jazz album. Little surprised at the choice of album, only because he has others that are more universally well known (Bitches Brew, Kind of Blue, Birth of Cool). The only negative for me was the occasional transition between song parts felt a little abrupt. Aside from that one minor thing, a great listen.
Elliott Smith
2/5
Meh. Just meh. I enjoyed the music, but couldn't get past the vocal delivery. Not an awful album, just didn't get me. Wouldn't listen to again.
Bob Dylan
3/5
My previous experience with Dylan has lead me to believe he is one of the best song writers of all time, but a less-than-stellar vocalist. I went in to this one trying to keep an open mind. Honestly, a good album. The writing, both lyrics and music, is of course top notch, and his voice doesn't distract like I expected it to. Can't say I'd run out and buy a copy, but I wouldn't be upset if someone put it on while I was around.
Ella Fitzgerald
4/5
Ella 5/5. The band 5/5. The songs: 5/5. The only issue, as many others have pointed out, is the length. It's a fantastic set, but I'd be far more likely to put on the "best of" before I'd listen to the whole 3+ hours. Still, that's not a knock on the quality of the full set, more a knock on my own attention span and need for variety.
Jamiroquai
4/5
Always up for the funk. I've been a fan of Jamiroquai since Traveling Without Moving hit during my record store days. Never went deeper until now. Great album, with a couple of absolute killer tracks ("When You Gonna Learn" and "Revolution 1993")
Burning Spear
4/5
Not a fan of Marcus Garvey (the person), though I understand his status in Jamaican culture. I am, however, a fan of Burning Spear (the living legend). Enjoyed the album throughout. Best tracks (imo) are near the end - "Jordan River", "Red Green & Gold"
Black Sabbath
5/5
There is nothing I can say about Sabbath that hasn't already been said by better writers than me.
Maxwell
3/5
At it's heart, it's a bedroom album. A well written, produced and performed album, but not really my taste. I would have loved for the band to stretch out a bit and go a little heavier into the funk, but every song is just kind of mellow.
Joan Armatrading
5/5
I've heard of Joan Armatrading many times over the years, but have never listened to her prior to this. Absolutely wonderful album. I'm a bit shocked I'd never heard it even in my record store days.
Favorites: "Love and Affection", "Join the Boys", "Like Fire", but then they're all great.
Throbbing Gristle
2/5
Definitely at the "challenging" end of the musical spectrum. Not for everyone, and honestly not really for me. That said, I do see the artistic merit in the work, so I won't criticize. They created something I couldn't have created. Not going to rush out and buy a copy, though.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
4/5
I was a little surprised this album started out so mellow. The stuff I've heard before with Crazy Horse has been far more rocking. Great album, though. Just a bit thrown 'cause it's not what I expected.
Favorites: "Hey Hey My My", "My My Hey Hey", "Welfare Mothers"
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
3/5
You can definitely feel the joy come through in these songs. To my ears, they all sound a bit too similar. I didn't dislike any of them, and yes I could tell them apart, but being that I'm not particularly familiar with qawwali music, they didn't sound very different. The end result for me, I enjoyed the listen, I get why people love his music, but I likely wouldn't put it on again.
Favorites: "Yaad-E-Nabi Gulshan Mehka"(had a little different sound than the rest, so it stood out)
Merle Haggard
2/5
First, I will say that country has never been a draw for me. There are a few artists that I do like (Johnny Cash, Lyle Lovett, Willie Nelson), and knowing a bit about Merle Haggard's backstory, I can respect the man. The (I'm assuming typical) 60s production on this album kills any chance of me enjoying it. The backing vocals, the steel guitar (a little goes a long way), and worst for me, the abrupt fade outs just when the band starts kicking. For f*** sake, let's hear them stretch out a bit.
I'll give it a 2, just because Merle doesn't deserve a 1, but I won't be listening to it again - unless someone has the original master tapes and can release the full songs without the unnecessary fades.
David Bowie
4/5
All hail The Sovereign of the Guild of Calamitous Intent!
Best: "Young Americans" (an absolute classic)
Worst: "Can You Hear Me" (string section made it sound like it was intended for Barbra Streisand)
Joni Mitchell
2/5
I was over half way through the album when I realized I couldn't recall a single lyric or note from what I had already heard. At no point was I wanting to stop listening, but also at no point did I want to listen closer. It was just. . . forgettable. At least up until "Blue Motel Room". The lyrics in that one were so cringe inducing. "Hanging on your boom boom pachyderm"? "tell them you've got Gerrrrman measles"? Yeah, this one's not for me.
Iron Butterfly
3/5
The title track is a classic of epic scale. Love the drum solo. Love the whole song.
Side one is so of it's time that it nearly sounds like a parody of psychedelic 60s music. How many times can he say "Girl, I just know I love you"? Side one not as awesome as side two, but still pretty damn good.
The xx
3/5
Not much to say about this one. I liked it. Didn't love it, didn't hate it. Some songs verge on trip-hop (which I like), but others got a bit too typical modern pop. Did like the interplay of the two singers.
Favorite: "Brave For You"
Leonard Cohen
3/5
Loved the title track. Loved the closing track. Everything in between was great writing, great lead vocals, but overproduced. Unfortunately, that has long been the case for Leonard Cohen. I haven't listened to him since the 90s, and that's the main reason. Disappointing.
John Martyn
3/5
Loved the music. Not so much the vocals. At times they were ok, but he seems to purposely not enunciate on certain songs, and it distracts from the music. I'm assuming that was his artistic choice, but it just didn't work for me. Really wanted to like this one, because like I said, the band was kicking.
The Police
4/5
Here's one I've listened to many many times in my youth. Honestly, I'd have to say it's my least favorite of Police albums, but that's not saying it's bad. Just not a good as their previous efforts.
Favs: both title tracks, "Oh My God", "Tea in the Sahara", "Murder by Numbers"
Worst (by far): "Mother"
Liked "Walking In Your Footsteps" back in the day, but today, lyrics are clunky and heavy handed. Music is still good, though.
Radiohead
5/5
Not a bad song on it. I haven't listened to this one as much as OK Computer or Kid A, but it's still a favorite.
Jazmine Sullivan
2/5
Modern R&B has never done anything for me. The old stuff from the 60s and 70s - absolutely! But the newer stuff just doesn't click with me. I gave this album a try, having never before heard of the artist, and, still not my thing. She me be talented, but to my middle-aged ears, it was just generic background noise.
Soul II Soul
3/5
I remember when this one first came out. Didn't listen to the whole thing back then, but always liked "Back to Life." Nice to hear the whole thing. Not a flawless album, but an enjoyable one.
Favorites: "Back To Life", "Feel Free" (Do'Reen has a powerful voice)
2/5
Not doing much to change my opinion of Dylan. Still can't deal with his voice, and some of the songs on this one are much more poorly written than what I've heard from him before. This is the beginning of the "Dylan Goes Electric" thing, so I get the importance of the recording, but damn it's a tough listen for me. Dreading the (I'm sure) many more Dylan albums on this list.
Fatboy Slim
3/5
Much as In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida was of its time, You’ve Come A Long Way is very much a 90s album. A good 90s album. I could listen to any of the songs any time, but the album as a whole I probably wouldn’t. Interesting that this was our follow up to Soul II Soul. They’re both dance albums that would be great in a club, but without folks shaken’ what they got, they’re a bit less interesting.
Joni Mitchell
1/5
Joni Mitchell, from everything I’ve heard, is a wonderful person. Nothing against her. Her music, on the other hand. . . There’s a special ring of hell made just for me where they play her music on repeat. This album is well produced and varied, and I hope to never hear it again.
Devendra Banhart
4/5
This is why I wanted to take part in this project. I’ve heard of Banhart before, but have never listened to him. His voice is a bit quirky at times, but it works well with the somewhat minimalist music. Reminds me a bit of Tallest Man on Earth or Keaton Henson. Loved this album. My only issue is that several of the songs are too short
Red Hot Chili Peppers
4/5
An interesting one. Back in the day, it would be an instant 5 stars. Given what I know now about the personal life of one of the band members, it's hard to separate art from artist. When I can do that, it's still an amazing album. Rick Rubin's input took the band to a whole new level. Maybe a touch too long overall, but a mighty good listen.
Eminem
1/5
I gave it a try. I did. But, god I fucking hate Eminem. As much as I could get through was just a misogynistic mess (in my opinion).
Suzanne Vega
3/5
A good album. Not something I'm going to run out and buy, but I'd have no problem listening to it again. The only major negative is the vocal delivery on the opening track. An odd choice, but that's ok I guess.
Fiona Apple
3/5
I've heard this one several times before, but not for a while. Some of my coworkers at the record store loved it when it came out, so it got played quite a bit back then. I've always liked the opening track, "Sleep To Dream", but other than that didn't remember much of the album.
I've always felt Fiona Apple has a lot of talent, but also has an ego that is much larger than the talent, and that keeps me from paying much attention to her career.
Going purely from the music, and laying aside her personality, it's a good album. Solid songs, well produced and well performed.
Fave is still "Sleep To Dream", "Criminal" is pretty good.
I found "Shadowboxer" and "Never Is A Promise" lyrically pretty week compared to the rest.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
4/5
Damn good album. I have the same complaint about it that I’ve had with a few others on this list. What’s with the quick fades? Let the songs breathe a bit. Let the musicians jam a bit. Several of the tracks on this one clock in at less than 3 minutes with a fade ending. Maybe that was done to make them more likely get airplay? Bad decision if you ask me. The songs were too good to be so short.
The Kinks
3/5
Enjoyed the album, but still have that same criticism. Fade outs before the songs feel finished. Would love to hear the full takes of many of these songs.
N.W.A.
2/5
Having not grown up in the same situation as rappers of this era, I’ve never listened to much of the music, but always had respect for the likes of NWA, Public Enemy and the like. After listening to this one, I actually have less respect for NWA. I was expecting some hard hitting tracks, but what I got was, by today’s standards, rather sophomoric repetitive lyrics with forced rhymes about being the greatest, and not caring about anything else. I stopped counting how many times someone said “I don’t give a fuck”. Bottom line, I get that it was a massively influential album, bringing in the Gangsta Rap era, but listening to it without that in mind, it just comes of as juvenile.
Keith Jarrett
5/5
Forgive me for not being eloquent, but I enjoyed the shit out of this one. Jarrett is a supremely talented pianist.
Koffi Olomide
3/5
I’ve grown to like some world music over the years. Can’t say I know enough about the style to give a wordy review, but I can say I liked this one.
Eagles
3/5
Ah, the Eagles. I was a big fan back when I was a kid. Been a long time since I’ve listened to this one, so it was interesting to revisit. I’d say “Life in the Fast Lane” still holds up, as does the classic title track, though I’ve heard that one so many times I don’t really need to hear it again. Everything else on the album is a bit too mainstream 70s yacht rock for my current taste. Well written and immaculately produced, but not what I’d listen to today.
Dire Straits
3/5
Janelle Monáe
3/5
I first heard this album shortly after it was released. Listening to it again now, my opinion hasn't changed much. Monae is a very talented musician. I like the concept of the album. It constantly feels so close to a great album, but the production seems to strangle the life out of every song. I'd love to hear some more raw demos or a rougher overall mix. So close, but it just ends up bland in the long run.
Portishead
4/5
Love Portishead. Haven't listened to this one as much as their first 2 albums. I'd say this one is worthy follow up to those.
The Offspring
1/5
I heard this album upon its release back in my record store days. My reaction back then was, "Wow - this is absolute crap!" Listened to bits of it again, just to see if my opinion would change, and no. How an album of such generic reductive punk-but-not-too-punk, like this one gets on a list like this I don't understand. All of the bands that Offspring are ripping off deserve to be listed as influential, but this band doesn't have an original idea anywhere to be found. Utter dreck.
The Zombies
3/5
This one, like the Iron butterfly we had a while back, is so 60s it’s nearly a parody. But I don’t mean that to sound like a bad thing. It’s just very set in its time. Obviously the big hit here is “Time of the Season”, and it’s probably the best track on this, but I did like many of the others as well. Many songs feature vocals that start to verge on Beach Boys territory- but only if The Beach Boys didn’t annoy the piss out of me. Bottom line - I like it. Not enough to run out and buy a copy, but I’d listen to it again.
Flamin' Groovies
4/5
Did we really need yet another 6+ minute cover of "Louie Louie"? Other than that, though, I did enjoy this one. A solid garage rock jam.
Bert Jansch
3/5
Supergrass
3/5
This one's a bit of a grower. The first few tracks hit me like a fairly standard 90s Brit Rock album. A good one, but nothing too special. After a while it started to grow on me. By the end I was really enjoying it. Might have to go back and listen again. Maybe I'll like the first few tracks more the second time.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
5/5
Brilliant album. My only negative would be the cover of "Ooby Dooby". I was never a big fan of that song, and didn't really need another version. Still an overall great album, though.
Green Day
4/5
My relationship with Green Day is complicated. I loved Dookie when it came out. Wasn't overly impressed with the follow ups. Had pretty much given up on them by the time this one came out.
These days, everything I hear from them just makes me think they're a group of aging musicians who are trying to hard to act like they're still teenagers. Awesome as Fuck? Father of All Motherfuckers? I know I'm getting old and jaded, but Jesus guys, act your age.
Rant over. What about American Idiot? I'd heard the big singles ("Blvd of Broken Dreams" & "Wake Me Up When Sept Ends"), and wasn't overly impressed with them. Other than that I'd only listened to the album once or twice many years ago and didn't remember much about it.
Today's thoughts: Its not bad. Still don't really like the big singles, but several others are quite good. The title track, "Jesus of Suburbia", "Homecoming" all good extended concept rock. Overall a good listen. Still won't bother with the recent stuff, though.
Everything But The Girl
2/5
I've heard this one many times before. The best I can say is it just exists. It's not exactly bad, but not particularly good either. It's an easy one to ignore when they play it overhead at work.
The Prodigy
4/5
Heard this album many times at the record store. Always liked it. A bit stuck in its time, but then that was my time too. Would be more of a 3 1/2 if we could give half stars.
The Louvin Brothers
3/5
Didn't hate it. Not something I'd likely go back to, but it was alright.
Le Tigre
4/5
Didn't think I was going to like this one, but it grew on me. Sounds like a group of (musically talented) friends having fun in the studio. Lo-fi and eclectic. I dig it.
Sugar
5/5
An easy 5 for me. Loved this album since it came out. The Beaster EP (recorded at the same time as Copper Blue) is awesome, too.
Faves: "If I Can't Change Your Mind", "Hoover Dam", "A Good Idea"
Beck
4/5
I've always liked Beck. Always liked his everything-but0the-kitchen-sink approach to music. Definitely a talented guy.
This album I wasn't too familiar with. I've seen the cover many times, but never heard the music before. I liked it quit a bit. Not sure I'd buy a copy, but wouldn't mind the songs popping up on my playlist.
Favorites: "Girl", "Broken Drum", "Rental Car"
The Kinks
2/5
Some good songs ("Do You Remember Walter", "Johnny Thunder"), some not as good, and some WTF? ("Phenomenal Cat", "Wicked Annabella")
Overall, just OK.
Manu Chao
3/5
Not a bad album, just not something I'd listen to again. It's rare that a world music album hits me, and this one didn't.
Gorillaz
3/5
This one's not as long as the Ella Fitzgerald Songbook, but by the end it kind of felt like it. At no point was it bad - but it just kept going. Might have been a stronger album with a little bit of editing.
Isaac Hayes
4/5
A great album with a great story behind it. Isaac (at the time a songwriter and background musician) didn't want to make the album, so he demanded total creative control - and this was the result. Interesting that he was known as a songwriter and only put one original on the album, but he sure makes the covers something completely different from the well known versions. Loved it.
Mercury Rev
3/5
I was listening to these guys back when their first album, Yerself Is Steam, came out. Still love "Chasing a Bee." I remember when this one came out. It was such a different sound for them. The band had matured quite a bit since those early days. It's a good record. My only issue is that, though the music is more mature and (dared I say) mainstream, the singer's vocals are a bit jarring. It worked well on the early weird stuff, but not as much on these tracks. Still not too bad, though.
Favorites: "Opus 40", "Goddess On a Hiway", "Delta Sun Bottleneck Stomp"
Brian Wilson
1/5
I get that Wilson is considered a musical genius. I've always hated the Beach Boys "constant wall of harmonies" vocals. It seems his approach to music didn't change at all over the years. He have been a genius, but to my ears this was torture.
T. Rex
4/5
A classic. Not sure I've ever listened to the album as a whole before, but I knew just about every song by heart.
The Rolling Stones
2/5
So, the group that would go on to be considered one of the greatest rock bands of all time apparently started out as a very by-the-numbers cover band. There's only one Jagger-Richards composition ("Tell Me") on this debut, and it's by far the worst song in the batch. Many of the covers are just bland as well.
It's certainly not an un-listenable album. It has some good moments. Loved the tremolo on "Mona."
I've never been the biggest Stones fan, though I've also never disliked them. I find it hard to believe this is anywhere near their best, though.
Soundgarden
4/5
Not quite as great as Louder Than Love of Badmotorfinger, but still a really good album.
The Temptations
3/5
I've always been a fan of 60s and 70s soul music. Particularly the Motown and Stax catalogues. I hadn't heard this one all the way through, but knew several of the individual songs. A solid album - the first after the departure of the legendary David Ruffin, and the first to venture into psychedelic soul.
Enjoyed the whole album, but I'm hoping we get another one at some point, as I really like both their earlier "classic 5" era, and their later, more psychedelic era. This one was more of a bridge between the two.
Elvis Presley
3/5
Not bad. Never been a huge Presley fan. Never listened to a whole album from him before, but this wasn't bad.
The National
3/5
I'd heard really good things about The National in the past. I was hoping for the best, but I can't say this one blew me away. It was alright, but didn't really get me.
Liked: "Bloodbuzz Ohio", "England"
Really didn't like: "Lemonworld"
Waylon Jennings
2/5
As stated before, I'm not a big fan of country music. Nor am I a fan of 70s country production. Thankfully, this mostly avoided the terrible wall-of-backing-vocals, excessive slide guitars, and unnecessary string sections. Well, up until the last track, which is so schmaltzy with strings that Jennings should be ashamed to be on it, but I guess he isn't since it's the only song he co-produced, and noted on the front cover artwork.
Overall, it's just ok for me. Nothing I would likely revisit, but it wasn't a pain to get through either.
Best: "Black Rose", "Low Down Freedom"
Worst: "We Had It All"
R.E.M.
4/5
Heard this one many many times in my record store days. Always liked it. Not my favorite R.E.M. album, but up there.
Faves: "Ignoreland", "Try Not To Breathe", "Everybody Hurts"
Least fave: "Star Me Kitten". Never been a huge fan of "Man On the Moon" either.
King Crimson
4/5
Liked it. Can't say it blew my mind or anything, but I definitely liked it.
Faves: "Talking Drum", "Larks Tongues, Part 2"
Johnny Cash
5/5
Stripped down and raw. Singing about dark subjects in front of a crowd of prisoners. It doesn't get much better than this.
I've mentioned before that I'm not the biggest fan of country music, but Johnny is one of the few that gets beyond the "country" label. A legendary performance by a legendary musician.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
Hard to believe this is the same band that had that lackluster debut album only 2 years earlier. The big songs on this one are classics. The lesser tracks are musically interesting, but lyrically a bit meh. Leaps and bounds over the self-titled album, though.
Faves: "Mother's Little Helper", "Under My Thumb", "Doncha Bother Me"
Meh: "I Am Waiting", "Stupid Girl"
Rush
5/5
Easy five stars. Love Rush, and this is among their best.
Kate Bush
4/5
I've loved "Running Up That Hill" since it came out - way before that TV show made it huge again. The older stuff of hers that I've heard, "Wuthering Heights", "Man With the Child In His Eyes", "Babooshka" have all been. . . not favorites, so I avoided trying any whole albums. Pleasantly surprised this was great throughout.
Faves: "Running Up That Hill", "Big Sky", "Jig Of Life", "Mother Stands For Comfort"
There weren't any tracks I didn't like, but I don't think "Waking the Witch" would work outside the context of the album, so I guess that's be the least favorite.
50 Cent
2/5
So I have to say I didn't hate it as much as I thought I would. That's not saying I liked it, though. I would never go back and give it another listen of my own accord. So tired of every rapper claiming to be "the best ever" over and over again. If you were truly that good, you could find something else to rap about. I'd say this is, for me, very slightly better than the Slim Shady junk we had to sit through, but not by much - and of course Eminem himself shows up for a few tracks.
Admittedly, I (little past middle aged white guy from a small town) am not the target audience here, but since we're judging these based on our own tastes, I'll go with a 2.
Pretenders
4/5
Not a single bad track on it. I'd only heard the one big hit prior. Glad to have heard the whole album.
Faves: "Precious", "Space Invaders", "Brass In Pocket", "Mystery Achievement"
Sam Cooke
4/5
I'd heard covers of many of these songs before, but never sung by Sam Cooke himself. Loved his voice. Loved the performance. The only negative was a few of the between song cuts. Some were quite jarring. Makes me wonder if a full concert recording exists of this show, and if so, why hasn't someone released it.
Faves: "Cupid", "Somebody Have Mercy On Me"
Scritti Politti
1/5
"Perfect Way" has always been a good track for any cheesy 80s playlist, but even by cheesy 80s standards, this album as a whole is bottom-of-the-barrel generic junk. I get the feeling some music exec walked up to a random musician and said "I'll give you a big bag of money if you write and record an entire album over the weekend . . . And don't you dare take any singing lessons before you do it!"
After hearing the entire album, I'm not sure I can even enjoy "Perfect Way" anymore.
4/5
I figured we'd be getting to The Beatles eventually. I think I've heard every single song by The Beatles at least a hundred times. I have the utmost respect for everything they did with their short time, moving music forward by leaps and bounds, but I've never felt the need to listen to albums by them. I've heard the songs enough.
So, other than compilations (in the record store days), this was my first full album run-through for them. I think i knew nearly every word to at least 3/4 of the songs on Sgt. Pepper's. My impression of the album as a whole is that they took the time to make it a whole, and not just a bunch of individual songs. There was definitely thought put in to the sequencing and mixes. So much so that, even though I'm a bit tired of many of the tracks singularly, as an album, it kept me interested throughout. Bit surprised by that, but then I guess that's why they're legends.
...and "A Day In the Life" has got to be one of the most well written songs of all time.
Willie Nelson
3/5
Love Willie. Love his voice. Much prefer him singing his own songs. This wasn't bad, just not as good as his own material. On top of that, a few songs fell victim to the dreaded 70s country production. Overall OK but not great.
Dr. John
4/5
"I Walk On Gilded Splinters" is an absolute classic. The rest of the album is pretty damn good, too. Would have loved to see a live show from Dr. John and his band.
Queens of the Stone Age
4/5
I've liked everything I've heard from Josh Homme over the years (QotSA, Desert Sessions, Them Crooked Vultures, that album he did with Iggy Pop), but I had never listened to the first Queens of the Stone Age album until today. Loved it. Might have to hunt down a copy, hopefully with the original cover artwork.
Nine Inch Nails
2/5
I can respect what Trent Reznor has done with this, but Nine Inch Nails has never been a favorite of mine. I kept an open mind going in, and the album does have a few highlights, but for the most part it just sat there.
Faves: "March of the Pigs", "Hurt"
Worst: Nine Inch Nails fans. My god, they are insufferable.
Tom Waits
5/5
In my top 3 Waits albums. Might be my favorite from this phase of his varied career.
Faves: "Earth Died Screaming", "I Don't Wanna Grow Up", "Goin' Out West", "Jesus Gonna Be Here"
Minutemen
4/5
A fantastic and eclectic collection of DIY punk/rock/funk/jazz/experimental everything. Maybe a bit on the long side, but there was never a dull moment.
David Bowie
4/5
Bowie is another one where I know all the hit singles, but haven't listened to many of the full albums - except those that came out while I was at the record store in the 90s. Nice to hear this one after only knowing a couple of the tracks on it. Could maybe have done without the Rolling Stones cover. It wasn't bad, just kind of took me out of the "Bowie" mood. "The Prettiest Star" didn't do much for me either. Other than those, though, great throughout.
Talvin Singh
3/5
After reading up a bit on Talvin Singh and the recording of the album, I can see its cultural significance. There are a few tracks on here that I really enjoyed ("Traveler", "Ok"), but for the most part it was just background music. Nothing bad about it, just nothing that really caught my attention.
The Birthday Party
4/5
Early Nick Cave noise rock? I'm in!
Joan Baez
2/5
My review for this one will be much like my reviews of Joni Mitchell's albums. I have the utmost respect for Baez as a person, and love what she has done with her celebrity - the causes she has championed. Her albums, however, just aren't for me.
The music is fine, I do like a good folk song, but her style of singing just seems to pull all emotion/life out of the lyrics. Its fine in the quieter moments, but when she goes for the loud, high notes (which is often), its like nails on a chalkboard to my ears. I know a lot of people love it, and that's great, but as I said, its not for me.
Again, no disrespect intended toward Ms. Baez, but I won't be returning to this album.
David Bowie
3/5
First, WTF is with that cover? As someone who went to college for art, I'm offended that someone got paid, I'm sure a huge amount of money, for that lazy reductive bunk. Most cheap bootlegs have more interesting covers.
As for the music, it was good. Not Bowie's best, but good to great by other artist's standards. Not real sure why it's on the list. Its not like the music is a huge departure from other albums he did in the same time period. Seems like the slot could have been used to expand the variety of musicians a bit more. Not that I'd ever be upset at listening to a Bowie album.
Willie Colón & Rubén Blades
3/5
Nice. Wasn't expecting it to start out with that little disco riff.
faves: "Plastico", "Siembra"
The Doors
2/5
Tried to go in with an open mind. I've long considered The Doors to be one of the most over-rated bands in history. Not that they were particularly bad, just they weren't anywhere near as amazing as they seem to get credit for. For the most part, I can enjoy the musicians - Denzmore, Krieger and Manzarek - but Morrison was a college-level wanna-be poet at best.
All of that being said, I did really enjoy the opening track, "The Changeling", a straight-up blued rocker. I've heard the three massive hits ("Love Her Madly", "Riders on the Storm" and "LA Woman" with it's cringe "Mister Mojo Rising" line) so many times I'm just bored with them.
Most of the rest of side one was good. Side two, not so much. "L'America" is awful, "Hyacinth House" was meh. "Crawling King Snake" some of the worst lyrics so far. . . well, until "WASP" kicks in.
Bottom line: Side one is descent, but "Love Her Madly" and "LA Woman" are over-played. Side two has so many cringe lyrics I barely got through it. "Riders On the Storm" is a good song, but again over-played.
Television
4/5
Another one I've heard about many times, but never listened to until now. Loved it. Verlaine's vocal delivery reminds me of Patti Smith, and that's not a bad thing. The guitars from both Verlaine and Lloyd and fantastic. Not sure what else to say.
Faves: "Friction", "See No Evil", "Marquee Moon"
Slade
3/5
Led Zeppelin
3/5
If you haven’t heard Les Zeppelin, how could you possibly have enough of a musical background to even find this list? “Immigrant Song” is one of the best rock songs ever. The rest of the album is classic, but loses a bit from the over-played status of Zeppelin.
Foo Fighters
3/5
Grohl”s first post-Nirvana album. Doesn’t exactly break new ground, but not a bad listen. At times sounding a bit like Nirvana, at other times hinting at the new direction he would go.
Sade
3/5
Definitely a mood album. I liked the British Soul vibe of the whole thing, but would have to be in the right mood to give it another spin.
Gene Clark
2/5
Sinead O'Connor
4/5
A classic, if slightly uneven album. Equal parts quiet and loud, but not much in between. Don’t get me wrong, I love nearly every track on it, but her debut, The Lion and The Cobra, flows better.
Tracy Chapman
5/5
Loved it then, love it now. This came out at a time when the women singer/song writer genre had a huge resurgence. Indigo Girls, Michelle Shocked, Suzanne Vega all had hits around the same era. Tracy, in my opinion, is the best of them.
Deerhunter
3/5
Of the modern (past 20 years) albums we’ve listened to so far, this is definitely the best one. Not that I found it to be an absolute classic, at least not on first listen, but I enjoyed it all the way through. A couple songs made it to my favorites list. Overall I’d say really good, but not instantly great. That opinion may change given another listen or two.
Black Sabbath
4/5
Brilliant. For some reason I always thought “Changes” was a solo Ozzy track. Never really liked it, but in the context of the album it works. Could have done without “Laguna Sunrise”, though. I’ll give them credit for trying something different but it didn’t work for me. Other than that one a fantastic album.
Cowboy Junkies
3/5
Another “ mood” album. Worked out this time, as I was in the mood for it. Though I will admit it’s a bit of a 1 trick pony. Margo’s voice never moves out of the quiet, slightly breathy vocal, and that’s great for each of the individual songs, but an entire album of it is not likely to merit multiple listens. That is, of course, unless I’m in this mood again.
The White Stripes
4/5
Well produced yet maintaining a sense of rawness. Enjoyed the hell out of it.
The Beach Boys
1/5
I will never understand the appeal of the Beach Boys. I tried. JFC, "Sloop John B" has got to be the worst song ever recorded.
Mott The Hoople
3/5
Glam but not too glam. I liked it. Probably would like it more if it were a bit more glam, but that may just be my taste.
Elton John
3/5
First off, good stuff overall. Critical bits: could have done without the white-boy reggae ("Jamaica Jerk-Off") and the slight country twang in "Roy Rogers", and while "Candle In the Wind" is a classic, it's also overplayed and the 70s production is a bit cringe at times. But three skippable songs in a 17 song set isn't bad.
Elton John
4/5
I'd say better than Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (IMO). They only small criticisms would be the backing vocals on "All the Nasties", and the main character's name in "Razor Face". Kept thinking about Tazer Face from Guardians of the Galaxy.
Beatles
2/5
Meh. Much like the early Rolling Stones albums, the second Beatles album is packed with unnecessary cover songs. The originals are good, but most have been overplayed through the years. The six(!) cover songs are nothing special. Maybe they should have released an EP instead.
Boston
3/5
I get why so many people love the album, but it's not really my thing. Well produced and performed (lyrics a little shaky at times), but ultimately just sits there for me.
Janis Joplin
3/5
Seems like I've been saying this a lot this week - a well produced, well performed album that just didn't catch me. No doubt Janis Joplin is a legend, and some of the songs caught my attention and were fantastic. Many of them though, I can understand why people are so infatuated with her and her voice, but as great as they are I just didn't get in to them like I had hoped. Not trying to damn with faint praise. I would have no problem listening to more of her music (even the songs on this album) again, but I'll likely not listen to this album as a whole again.
Sheryl Crow
2/5
I've heard this album more times than I cared to. Back in the record store days, a couple of my co-workers were really into it. I thought it was just boring then, so wasn't looking forward to hearing it again.
I was a little surprised a couple of the lesser known tracks ("Run, Baby, Run" and "Solidify") I liked more now than I did then. That's about it, though. The rest of the album still sounds like generic snooze rock.
4/5
I'll admit the first few tracks sounded a bit too similar, so I started thinking as much as I liked them, this was going to turn into a bit of a slog. Thankfully, things did change up and by the end it was fantastic. Loved it. Energetic insanity.
Louis Prima
5/5
Absolutely had a blast with this one. Most fun I've had listening to an album since I began this project.
Traffic
3/5
Huge respect for these guys, but his one just didn't move me. Not by any means bad, just alright.
1/5
How the hell can anyone justify THIS being on a list of must-hear albums? There are no words strong enough to describe just how bad this is.
The Byrds
3/5
I don't know what it was about harmonizing in the 60s - The Grateful Dead, The Band, and at times The Byrds harmonizing just sounds like screeching cats to my ears. Maybe I'm not the right amount of drugs to get it.
Thankfully, The Byrds keep the screech-harmonies to a minimum here. They still pop up once in a while, but for the most part the vocals are good.
As for the music, the four(!) Dylan covers are all great, and the Gene Clark penned tunes are mostly great. Never did like anyone's version of "Bells of Rhymney", the lyrics are so repetitive.
The album, from what I understand, was a huge step forward for American music, post British invasion. Got to respect that, but listening to it today, while it is quite good, it's not without its faults. I'll give it a 3.
Beatles
4/5
Interesting. Early enough in their career to still have some references to their pop love songs, and while sounding much more mature and experimental, they're not quite in full psychedelic mode yet. Good stuff.
As with all Beatles albums, certain songs have been overplayed through the years, but for the most part I enjoyed the whole album.
Songhoy Blues
4/5
This is why I like this project. Never heard of this one before, and it absolutely rocks!
Badly Drawn Boy
3/5
I liked it. It didn't blow me away at any point, but was far better than many of the more modern (I guess 2000 isn't all that modern anymore) albums I've heard.
Ray Charles
3/5
That Ray Charles is a genius - no doubt. The 50s production on this album - not so much. I did like it, but all the strings and full choir backing vocals were just a bit too schmaltzy for my ears. They can work well in small doses, but a full album worth is far too much. To his credit, Charles does elevate the songs above the typical album of the era, but that only gets it so far.
Ryan Adams
4/5
I had heard his name many times, but never listened to his music before. This is a really solid album. I'd be curious to hear the double album version he originally intended.
The Mothers Of Invention
2/5
I had a friend in high school who was really into Zappa. I just did not get why. As an adult, I grew a respect for his musicianship and that of the people he chose to work with, so I was happy to see this pop up so I could listen with the respect I’ve grown to have. I guess adult respect is not what this album needs. Holy crap. It’s just as juvenile and annoying as it was to me back in high school. It’s the musical equivalent of giggling teenagers in my store. And here’s something I never thought I would say in a review… enough with the fucking kazoos already.
Ray Price
3/5
A bit too much pedal steel for me, but otherwise at the better end of 60s country albums. Hell of a backing band, too: Willie Nelson, Johnny Paycheck, Floyd Cramer all had massive careers of their own.
Eminem
1/5
No. Just no.
Jeff Buckley
5/5
I've loved this record since before it was officially released (record store days - we got promo copies before the release date). Still think the title track is one of the best songs ever written. Truthfully, the opening track (Mojo Pin), and album closer (Dream Brother) are, in my opinion, the weakest on the record, but otherwise the whole thing is flawless. Not to mention what is possibly the best version of "Hallelujah" ever recorded - better than even Leonard Cohen's original version.
It's a tragedy that this is the only fully realized album he got to release.
So, yeah, an easy 5 from me.
The Human League
3/5
As far as 80s synth-pop goes, this is on the better end. Nothing I'm going to rush out and buy, but an enjoyable listen.
Guns N' Roses
3/5
Ok, so I guess if I was in the mood for simple head-banging music, this would do the trick. I get why so many people are really into it. For me, I absolutely love Slash's guitar work, and the rest of the band are pretty good, too. It's Axel I can't get behind. The vocals are fairly standard for the style of music, and the lyrics are for the most part week. I'll admit I still love "Welcome To the Jungle", but the rest of the album doesn't do much for me.
Portishead
5/5
1994, the dawn of Trip-Hop. This album, Massive Attack's Protection, and slightly later (Feb 95) Tricky's Maxinquaye. Hell of a trio to kick of a new genre. Love all three of them.
Led Zeppelin
3/5
It's Zeppelin. I think anyone who likes rock music knows exactly what they're getting when they put on a Zeppelin album. My opinion - very good, but overplayed.
Blondie
4/5
I was never the biggest fan of "Heart of Glass", but have liked most other Blondie songs I've heard. Fully enjoyed this piece of classic New Wave nostalgia - other than the one song.
Derek & The Dominos
3/5
Sounded like standard blues-rock of the era. Not bad, but nothing special either. The length of the album, and the fact that it's Clapton (never been a fan) didn't help.
The Specials
4/5
Loved The Specials, though I'll admit some of their songs are aimed at the live audience and kind of fall flat in the studio setting. I'd say there's more hits than misses on their debut album, though.
Incubus
2/5
I've heard so many great things about this band. Now that I've listened to one of their biggest albums, I'm not sure why. They're not bad musically, just typical 90s rock. The lyrics, however, are just bad. Worthy of maybe a high school rock band, but not a record released on a major label.
Jimmy Smith
3/5
As far as jazz albums go, it's certainly not bad. Problem for me is I've never like the sound of the Hammond B3. Always think I should be watching a Zamboni smoothing out a patch of ice. So, Jimmy Smith is admittedly a legend, but for me this is not one I'd go back to.
Gang Starr
3/5
Another one where I'm familiar with the name, but have never listened to them before. This was Guru's group before he started doing the solo stuff. Always liked his Jazzmatazz albums. This was a good listen. Again, probably not one I'd rush to hear gain, but I'd be ok if it popped up somewhere I was at. The music is good (reminded me a bit of early De La Soul), the lyrics are alright, though a bit too much "I'm the greatest lyricist" stuff - typical of the era.
Fela Kuti
5/5
Absolutely brilliant. I didn't really start listening to Afro-beat until later in life, and have known that Fela is an absolute legend, but haven't heard much of his music before. The original 2 song album would have been a 4, but the 2 added tracks on the remastered CD (particularly the live recording of "Mistake") bring it up to a 5.
Korn
1/5
Pointless, generic "Nu" Metal from a group that desperately wants to be seen as edgy.
Michael Jackson
4/5
This album was massive when it came out. Hard to say if the sound/production was influenced by the 80s, or if the 80s sounded the way they did because of this album. Definitely belongs on the list but, it's a bit too mainstream for my taste.
Neu!
4/5
Loved it. Haven't listened to much Krautrock, but I loved this.
Pantera
2/5
Meh. I wasn't awful, but it could have been better if the vocals didn't sound like every other metal vocalist of the time. That, and the fact that thrash has never been something I really got into. Not one I'd go back to again.
Neil Young
3/5
Thought I would love this one. Not so much. It wasn’t bad, but his voice just kind of grates on some of the songs, and several sound like unfinished thoughts.
The Who
3/5
The Good: absolute classics like "The Kids are Alright" and "My Generation", Keith Moon's drumming is incredible.
The Bad: completely unnecessary covers ("Please, Please, Please" and dare I say the whitest cover ever of "I'm a Man")
The end result: More good than bad, but the bad was enough to make the album not great.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
2/5
This one surprised me. Unfortunately, it surprised me by how much I didn't care for it. I've heard so many people rave about it, but I found it rather annoying. There were some sections of the title track that I kind of liked, and I really enjoyed "A Time and A Place", but other than that it just wasn't for me.
And on a completely different note - wtf is up with that cover art?
James Brown
4/5
James Brown showing why he is a legend. The only thing keeping this from being an easy 5 is it's way too short. He must've done more than a 30 minute set. A bunch of short (2 minute) songs, followed by one 10+ minute song, a medley, and his latest hit. That's it.
Songs: 5
Performance: 5
Album: 4
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
3/5
I liked it. Didn't knock my socks off, but I liked it. One thing I dislike about this project is the 5 star rating system. This one would probably be better than my typical "3", but not really a "4", especially after I just gave James Brown a 4. James Brown this is not. So, in my mind, this one's about a 3 1/2.
Def Leppard
2/5
As I listened to this, I was trying to figure out why, back in the day, I liked Pyromania (can still listen to that one, albeit with a bit of nostalgia) but I always disliked Hysteria and pretty much everything that came after it. Then it hit me - Def Leppard had by this point become a pop band with slightly louder guitars. There's no rawness (not that Pyromania was particularly raw). The whole album feels sterile and produced-to-death. You could change out the vocalist and release it as a Bon Jovi album.
System Of A Down
3/5
This is becoming a mantra - didn't hate it, didn't love it. I like several of the songs from SoaD's later albums, but wasn't familiar with the debut. Musically I liked it, but there was too much of the "loud growl" vocals. Always comes off as someone trying too hard to say "look how INSANE I am!" If those had been kept to a minimum, I might be willing to give it another listen and see if the rest grows on me.
A Tribe Called Quest
3/5
Enjoyed this. A bit long. Could have done with dropping a few tracks to tighten the album up, but overall I liked it.
Cocteau Twins
2/5
Gotta give them credit. They do have a style all their own. One of their songs starts playing and you know immediately it's Cocteau Twins. Ethereal, haunting, other-worldly, and like nails on a chalkboard to my ears.
I only know of two groups that have tried singing made-up words. Sigur Rós's "Hopelandic" songs, and Cocteau Twins' syllables that sound good, but don't mean anything. My assumption (and I could be wrong) is that it's meant to make the vocals more like another instrument, and not the center-piece of the songs. Problem is the lyrics are the song.
If another band takes the lyrics and writes different music for them, that's a cover song. But, if they take the music and put different lyrics over it, it's either a parody, or a new song based on the original one.
Like it or not, the lyrics matter, and to me at least, making up your own meaningless "language" comes off as hugely pretentious. /end rant
So, for me, Cocteau Twins have always been a really talented band that loses me in all the pretentiousness. They're talented and original enough that they don't deserve a 1, but I wouldn't ever listen to them again by choice, so I can't go higher than a 2.
Big Star
3/5
Another band I've heard raved about for ages. Gotta say, I didn't like the vocals.
Barry Adamson
3/5
A decent start to his solo career, but not nearly as thought-out and mature as later albums like Oedipus Schmoedipus, As Above So Below, or Back To the Cat.
Charles Mingus
4/5
Charlie Mingus could do no wrong. Brilliant album. Up there with The Clown and Mingus Ah Um and Mingus Plays Piano. . . and Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus. . .
Mike Ladd
3/5
Never heard of the artist or album before this, so wasn't sure what to expect. Didn't rock my world to the core, but I quite enjoyed it.
Sly & The Family Stone
4/5
Always love funk, and Sly was one of the best.
Black Sabbath
5/5
Before this project, I hadn't listened to much Black Sabbath. They have always been l;umped in with "heavy metal" and there wasn't much of that genre that I got into. Always respected Sabbath, just never listened to much, though I of course knew all the big songs.
I thoroughly enjoyed the previous Sabbath we listened to (which had many of the songs I already knew), but the debut I wasn't as familiar with. Glad I had a reason to listen to this one. My thoughts while listening were - this isn't so much "metal" as it is louder blues-rock, and that I can get into.
Genesis
5/5
Great album by Peter Gabriel era Genesis. For me, personally, I'd put Nursery Cryme slightly above this one - but only because I grew up listening to that one, and Foxtrot, and didn't hear Lamb until my college days. That being said, there's nothing on Lamb that would make me give it anything less than a top rating.
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
Never been a huge fan of Springsteen, but never hated him either. I hadn't listened to Nebraska all the way through before and was a bit surprised by how many songs I already knew from other people's cover versions. Gotta say I like the quieter, more introspective side of The Boss.
Faves: "Atlantic City" (The Hold Steady do a great cover), "Mansion On A Hill", "Highway Patrolman" (Johnny Cash himself covered that one), "My Father's House"
Tortoise
5/5
Holy shit. I spent the 90s working at a record store. How did I miss this band? This is one of the biggest surprises I've had with this project. Top notch album.
The War On Drugs
3/5
I'd put this one at the better end of average. I didn't hate anything about it, but it didn't really move me at any point either. Good, but nothing more than that.
Herbie Hancock
5/5
Been a damn good week for the generator.
Alexander 'Skip' Spence
3/5
An interesting listen. Didn't love it, but it wasn't terrible. I liked that it didn't sound like the other albums we've listened to, and the writing was good, but didn't care for many of his vocals.
Beatles
4/5
Hear me out - I've never been the biggest Beatles fan. I've always respected what they did for music, but have heard their songs too many times and have always liked, but not loved, most of what I've heard.
I will say this double album has quite a lot of great songs, but it also has some filler (which could be forgiven since they were experimenting with new styles/sounds). It also had many of the over-played hits, which while great songs, I don't need to hear them yet again.
If we were using a 10 point scale, I'd probably give the album a 7 or 8. Since we only use a 5 point scale, I'll go with a 4.
Bobby Womack
3/5
The funk never fails. I've heard some Bobby Womack before, and this one seems a bit less funky than what I've heard. It also suffers at times from the early 80s production. But the songs are strong, and Bobby is always great.
Julian Cope
2/5
I was kind of surprised at how little I liked this one. I've heard a few of Julian Cope's songs over the years ("World Shut Your Mouth", "Trampoline", "All The Blowing-Themselves-Up Motherfuckers...") and I like those. I've heard Peggy Suicide referred to as his masterpiece. The band he's got on here is fantastic - loved the music. Unfortunately, the lyrics kind of killed it for me. Maybe it's because I wasn't British in the 90s? After reading up on the album, there is apparently quite a bit of political commentary going on, but I didn't really catch that. So, I guess, mad respect for him and the album, but it's not my thing.
Fever Ray
2/5
I seem to be saying this a lot - liked the music, didn't care for the vocals. The music was interesting and inventive. Almost wish it had been an instrumental album. A rare occasion where the heavily-processed vocals worked better than the rawer ones, to my ears anyway.
Duran Duran
4/5
A classic.
Goldfrapp
2/5
I remember when the first Goldfrapp album came out. Some of my co-workers at the record store loved it, so I heard it a few times. Didn't think that much of it myself.
Going in to this one I was hoping their later stuff would be better. Starting in to the opening track, I thought maybe it was. A couple more songs in and, nope. Still not my thing.
fIREHOSE
4/5
Loved it. Slightly more mature and polished than Watt and Hurley's previous band, Minutemen, but still rough and garage band-esque.
Fleetwood Mac
5/5
Fleetwood Mac has never been my thing. Always like them, but never really got into them. On top of that, this album is full of songs that I've already heard so many times before, I don't really need to hear them again.
Even with all that in mind, listening to the album again, there's just no denying it's a near perfect pop album. The only song that made me cringe a little was "Oh Daddy". Always creeps me out when someone refers to their partner as "Daddy".
I would give it 4 1/2, but since we can't do halves, I'll give it the full 5.
Goldfrapp
2/5
We had another Goldfrapp album just 3 days ago. Didn't like it. Big shocker - didn't like this one either.
I will say I did like the first track, "Lovely Head", quite a bit. Sounded to me like a spaghetti western theme with a bit of sci fi influence. Thought maybe this album would change my opinion of the group. Then the second song kicked in, and pretty much every song after. Can't say it's an awful album, just boring to my ears.
Supertramp
2/5
Once again, I'm surprised by how little I liked the album. I am, of course, familiar with all the big singles from Supertramp. I know I've heard parts of Breakfast In America and liked it. This one, though, didn't like it.
Opening with a song about not liking school was kind of an eye roll right away. Things didn't seem to get much better from there. "Dreamer" is still a classic, but wasn't enough to save the album.
Sonic Youth
4/5
Love Sonic Youth. One of their best. Not much more to say.
David Bowie
3/5
Loved the first half. Side 2 was unexpected. Very moody and very few vocals. Love the moodiness, but miss Bowie's vocals. Seems almost like Eno had a huge hand in that side.
3/5
Definitely liked this one more than the other Kinks albums we've listened to. Still not something I'm going to gush about, but not bad.
Abdullah Ibrahim
2/5
This one just sat there. Nothing bad about it, but nothing caught my attention, either.
Curtis Mayfield
3/5
Maybe I just wasn't in the right mood today. I love Curtis Mayfield. Political and social commentary with a heavy dose of funk - right up my alley. The first track, "Billy Jack", started things strong, but then things got mellow and seemed to stay that way. I don't mean this as any sort of slight on Curtis, but it was just a bit too much of the mellow for me.
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
5/5
Love this album. Loved it since I first heard it many years ago. Four musicians at the top of their game - Brubeck, bass player Eugen Wright, saxophonist Paul Desmond and for me the piece that holds them together, drummer Joe Morello.
Flawless performance. Flawless album.
The Undertones
3/5
Terrible cover, but fun album. Wouldn't put it at the top of my list, but it was a good listen.
Funkadelic
5/5
I've said it before - the Funk never fails. And Funkadelic is the top of the Funk Pyramid.
I'd give Maggot Brain an edge over One Nation, but that may just be personal taste. There's no filler on this one, either.
Bob Dylan
2/5
Not much to say that I haven't already said about Dylan. Great songwriting. Descent music. Terrible vocals.
And to top it off, it's a double album, so the nasal vocals just keep going.
Fugazi
4/5
A classic. Loved Minor Threat, loved Fugazi.
The Waterboys
5/5
I've been a fan of The Waterboys since the mid-80s. My first listen to this album, shortly after its release in '88, I wasn't sure what to make of it. I already liked some Celtic folk music, but it was a huge departure for the band whose previous releases were far more typical alt-rock.
Over the next bit of time, and several more listens, it quickly became a favorite and has remained one of those always-go-back-to albums in constant rotation.
I could go on about each and every classic song, but I'll stop at "an easy 5 stars from me."
4/5
U2 is an interesting one. I don't think I could stand to be in the same room as Bono's ego. But, I do still enjoy many of their early albums, up to about the Rattle And Hum/Achtung Baby era. Those had their moments, but not many, and everything after that hasn't moved me in the least.
Joshua Tree was huge in its time. I still enjoy it, though having listened to some live stuff from the era has tampered the enjoyment a bit. The songs are still great, but it's hard to look past the pomposity at times.
The Monkees
3/5
Their third album, but the first where they were allowed to actually be a band, play their own instruments and write several of the songs. I hadn't listened to this one all the way through before. Happy to hear some of my favorites on it. Over all a good album, not stunning, but a good listen.
Faves: "Randy Scouse Git", "For Pete's Sake", "You Just Might Be The One"
Least fave: "Shades of Gray" - sounds like they're trying to sing notes that aren't natural for their voices.
Echo And The Bunnymen
4/5
Another one of those bands I've known of for years, have always liked their singles, but have never listened to the albums. Really like this one. The opening track, "Silver" is killer. Some songs better than others, but nothing approaching bad anywhere around.
Faves: "Silver", "Killing Moon"
Ian Dury
3/5
Prior to listening to this, I was only familiar with Dury's work from a few covers by other artists, and the track he did with Madness ("Drip Fed Fred"). Now having listened to his most famous album, I think I'd like him, but in smaller doses. Each song had its good points, but as a whole it was a bit much of the same shtick for me.
Faves: "Wake Up And Make Love With Me", "Blockheads"
Joy Division
3/5
Dark and moody. Some songs I really enjoyed, others were alright, and one, "Insight", was so bad it was humorous.
Faves: "Day Of The Lords", "She's Lost Control"
Sonic Youth
4/5
Another good one from Sonic Youth. I'd put this one slightly above Daydream Nation, but still slightly below Goo in my opinion.
I am a fan of Sonic Youth, but do we really need 3 albums from them from the same time period? If you don't like the first 2, why would the third one change your mind?
The Cardigans
2/5
I remember some of my fellow record store employees were absolutely gaga over this album. Years later, it's still just a little too cutesy for me.
Frank Ocean
2/5
I don't get it. Maybe it's just me. I don't get how this won so many awards. Some songs aren't awful (though some are laughably bad in my opinion), but most of the album just feels very low-effort.
The Dictators
3/5
A fun album. Not sure I'd go back to it, but enjoyed the listen.
Michael Jackson
2/5
Never been the biggest Michael Jackson fan, but never hated him either. His output was just to mainstream for me.
Even as far as Michael Jackson albums go, this is not his best. Michael trying to be "edgy" just doesn't work for me.
There are, of course, the many hit singles. Those for the most part are descent, but nothing so special I'd want to hear it again. So much of the rest of the album is just flat-out filler.
Björk
5/5
I've been a fan of Björk since her Sugar Cubes days. One of the most unique talents in modern music.
Her first post-Sugar Cubes solo album is a varied mix of dance, jazz, ambient, etc. taking her far away from the rock roots of her previous band.
The Smashing Pumpkins
4/5
It's been a long time since I listened to Mellon Collie all the way through. Listening to it today reminded me of why. It's mostly really good, but so damn long.
I love both of their previous albums. This one has a lot of great songs, but in my opinion it could have been better overall if they had pared it down just a bit. I'm not saying make it a single album, just jettison some of the lesser tracks and make the double a bit shorter.
Orange Juice
4/5
I've listened to some of Edwyn Collins solo work before, but never his prior band. Loved it. Not mind-blowing or anything, but fun and very well written, produced and performed.
Faves: "A Million Pleading Faces", "Breakfast Time", "Louise Louise", "Tenterhook"
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
3/5
A legendary band, with good reason. A legendary album that, for some reason just didn't connect with me as much as I thought it would. There were a few tracks that I really liked ("Teach Your Children", "Carry On"), and one that really didn't ("Our House" - can't help it, I've never liked that one). The rest were okay.
Big Brother & The Holding Company
3/5
I listened to this one for the first time a couple years ago. At the time I didn't really get into it. It connected a bit more with me this time. Still wouldn't call it an all-time fave, but I enjoyed it quite a bit more this time.
Circle Jerks
3/5
A good hardcore punk album. Wasn't expecting this.
I like punk, but typically listen to random songs as they pop up on random. Not sure I'd listen to the whole album again, but I'm good with the songs popping up now and again.
Public Image Ltd.
3/5
I'm more familiar with PiL's Album and Happy era. It was nice to dive into one of their earlier, more experimental, albums. I like the Dub-influenced post-punk vibe of the album. Some songs ("Albatross", "Swan Lake", "Careering") I really enjoyed. Others were good, but I'd be more likely to revisit Happy again before giving Metal Box another full listen.
Brian Eno
4/5
What a bizarre album. Completely unexpected given that I've only heard Eno's quieter ambient (Note - that's Eno as a solo artist. Obviously his work with Roxy Music wasn't ambient) work prior to this. Equal parts experimentally forward thinking and juvenile. Enjoyed quite a lot of it, but sometimes the more childish bits got annoying. May have to give it another listen to see if it grows on me.
Prince
5/5
I had this album back in my high school days. Loved it at the time, but haven't gone back to it in ages. My memory of it was some excellent tracks, and some songs with "meh" lyrics ("Computer Blue").
Listening to it again - the musicianship is even better than I remembered. Price and the Revolution absolutely slay on every track. The occasional lyric is still a bit bland, but what a fantastic album.
Slayer
3/5
Never been a thrash fan, so I don't feel I'm the best qualified to review this one. That said - if it was between this and some Madonna or Eminem crap, I'd go for this again in a heartbeat.
Crosby, Stills & Nash
4/5
Faves: "Suite Judy Blue Eyes", "Guinnevere", "Pre-Road Downs", "Wooden Ships"
Not so faves: "Lady Of The Island", "Helplessly Hoping" - both felt like unfinished ideas for songs.
Overall, a solid album.
Kanye West
1/5
I went in to this one trying not to think about the current state of Kanye. I'd heard so many times about what a game-changing album this was when it was released. I was surprised by how it just felt like another standard hip-hop album of the era. Typical raps about being a drug dealer, and being the greatest rapper, etc. Those horrible unfunny skits between songs.
I'll admit there was a time when I started to enjoy a song, "Spaceship", but then I noticed I hadn't heard Kanye in a while. Seems I can appreciate his guests far more than I care for him.
Basement Jaxx
2/5
An album very much set in its time, and not even one of the better ones from that time. Not a horrible album, but nothing special either.
Cream
3/5
Better than other Clapton related albums I've heard. Still not something I'd likely go back to, but I can see why it's a classic.
LCD Soundsystem
3/5
Enjoyed this one. Was a bit surprised by its inclusion - with This Is Happening being a much more well known album for them.
Started strong, ended strong. There were a few songs in the middle that didn't do it for me, but nothing so bad that it killed the album.
AC/DC
5/5
Most AC/DC albums have a handful of absolute bangers, and a handful of filler. On their first post-Bon Scott album, the band forgot to add any filler. Every songs on this one is a hard rock classic.
Neneh Cherry
2/5
Disappointing. I like Neneh Cherry. Loved her Homebrew album (the follow up to this one), and many of the other songs I've heard from her over the years. The The's "Slow Train To Dawn", her cover of Marvin Gaye's "Trouble Man", "7 Seconds" with Youssou N'Dour.
This, however, sounds like music that badly written teens from the wrong side of town would be listening to in a made for TV movie.
Caetano Veloso
2/5
Didn't do much for me.
The Cure
4/5
Maybe not my favorite Cure album, but up there.
Dire Straits
3/5
I can respect Dire Straits for having their own sound. Well written, produced and performed. Just not a style I've ever gotten in to.
Wouldn't mind if someone had this on in the background, but wouldn't request it either.
Lou Reed
3/5
Some absolute classics on this one, but some that aren't. For me, Lou Reed's voice only works for some songs, and several of these are ones that just don't work for me.
Tops: "Walk On the Wild Side", "Perfect Day", "Vicious"
The Teardrop Explodes
3/5
Liked it. Wouldn't mind hearing it again.
Dusty Springfield
3/5
I get that albums in the 60s had lots of covers on them. I love Dusty's voice and her performances on these. I just don't think an album of songs originally made famous by other acts - literally every song on this album - can really stand on its own as a classic. In my mind this is a covers album, not an original album. One of the best cover albums I've heard, but not on the same level as musicians performing original material - or even performing songs written for them.
Brian Eno
3/5
Liked this one probably a little bit more than Warm Jets.
Faves: "Sky Saw", "Sombre Reptiles"
Least fave: "I'll Come Running" - not a bad song, but one they play at my work often, so not one I want to hear in my spare time.
Jane's Addiction
5/5
I've listened to this one hundreds of times. One of my favorites from the college days. An easy 5.
Wilco
3/5
Liked it more than I thought I would.
The Jesus And Mary Chain
3/5
I liked it, but it didn't knock my socks off.
Ozomatli
4/5
I've been looking forward to this one. Loved Ozomatli's self-titled debut back in the day, but haven't listened to much else by them. Really liked this one.
Billie Holiday
4/5
Billie Holiday was a rare talent. Every song on this album is absolutely gorgeous. But - if I'm being honest - it's a little too much of the same. Torch songs are great, especially with a voice like Billie's, but for an album, there needs to be some contrast. You need some lights to make the darks pop. A little bit of orange to make the blue more intense.
Every songs on the album is beautiful, but they're all roughly the same tempo and same sound, and that's why, in my opinion, the album as a whole falls short of absolute brilliance.
B.B. King
3/5
Riley "Blues Boy" King is a master. Little disappointed this didn't have much of his guitar work on it, and it would have been nice to hear a full show instead of edited down bits of two shows, but still a good listen.
Fatboy Slim
2/5
While not a particularly bad album, it seemed an unnecessary one. We've already had one Fatboy Slim album on the list (one with several hit singles), and this one didn't sound all that different.
Quickly became nothing more than background noise to my ears.
Air
4/5
Haven't listened to Air before. Haven't seen the movie. Thoroughly enjoyed the album. May have to give the movie a shot now.
The Clash
5/5
I've long been a fan of The Clash. This is one of their best efforts. Sprawling, eclectic, and note perfect throughout. I can see an argument for maybe editing it down a bit, but for me it's perfect the way it is.
Emmylou Harris
4/5
Emmylou's voice just gets better with age. After thirty years in the business, her songwriting came into its own with this album. A wonderful batch of tunes from start to finish.
The only low points (for me) were the lyrics of "One Big Love" (which also happens to be the only song Emmylou didn't have a writing credit on), and the strange decision to use programed drums on several tracks. Distracting with the quiet folk sound of the album.
Other than those little things, I loved the album.
Underworld
4/5
Back when Beaucoup Fish (the follow up to Second Toughest) came out, it was in heavy rotation at my store. I grew to love that album. It wasn't until quite a bit later that I realized these were the same guys that had a minor hit with "Underneath the Radar" a decade earlier. Liked that song, too.
After many many plays, I got pretty tired of Beaucoup Fish, so I wasn't sure what my reaction to this one would be.
This sounded nearly the same as the album I'm more familiar with. I liked it for a while, but as it kept going (it is really long) I started growing tired of it. Thankfully, the album closer, "Stagger" came on and saved it. "Stagger" fits the album well, but it so different from everything leading up to it that the contrast ups the whole affair.
This would be a solid 3 1/2 for me, but of course we can't give 1/2 stars, so I'll be nice and up it to 4.
The Young Gods
4/5
Great album. Loud, angry (I assume - have no idea what he's actually singing), eclectic. Loved it.
Never would have listened to it if not for this project.
The Smiths
3/5
The band that helped create some of the most annoying people in every college dorm. Militant vegans.
That aside, Johnny Marr's guitar work is so damn good that it kept Morrissey's whining from bothering me too much. A good listen.
Ghostface Killah
3/5
Admittedly, I haven't listened to all that much rap. Of what I have heard, I'd say this is mid-tier. I did like the music. Far better than a lot of the crap out there. Lyrically, though, it's thematically so typical it's basically a cliche.
Earth, Wind & Fire
3/5
A good album. I probably would have gotten into it more if it had been a bit funkier. Loved the first three tracks, and "Africano" was quite good, but the rest didn't do much for me. Not bad, just not great.
Prince
4/5
Top tier Prince. One of his best. The only way it could have been better is if they extended a few more of the songs and let him and the band jam a bit. Musicians like Prince shine brightest one the extended jams.
Just my opinion though. I'd still put Purple Rain slightly above this one, but Sign O' the Times is certainly no mediocre album.
Duke Ellington
3/5
Sir Duke is a legend, but big band was never my thing. This was good as far as big band goes, but it didn't really get me at any point.
Hookworms
3/5
Good for what it is, but it's another one that just didn't grab me.