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3.02
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16
5-Star Albums
7
1-Star Albums
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You Love More Than Most
Albums you rated higher than global average
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Post Orgasmic Chill | 5 | 2.99 | +2.01 |
| Deep Purple In Rock | 5 | 3.33 | +1.67 |
| Haunted Dancehall | 4 | 2.37 | +1.63 |
| Live! | 5 | 3.44 | +1.56 |
| A Rush Of Blood To The Head | 5 | 3.44 | +1.56 |
| Straight Outta Compton | 5 | 3.51 | +1.49 |
| Brothers | 5 | 3.58 | +1.42 |
| Maggot Brain | 5 | 3.6 | +1.4 |
| Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) | 5 | 3.61 | +1.39 |
| Van Halen | 5 | 3.63 | +1.37 |
You Love Less Than Most
Albums you rated lower than global average
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Velvet Underground & Nico | 1 | 3.62 | -2.62 |
| Nebraska | 1 | 3.32 | -2.32 |
| Rum Sodomy & The Lash | 1 | 3.25 | -2.25 |
| Purple Rain | 2 | 4.02 | -2.02 |
| Joan Baez | 1 | 2.96 | -1.96 |
| Otis Blue/Otis Redding Sings Soul | 2 | 3.93 | -1.93 |
| Elephant | 2 | 3.86 | -1.86 |
| 69 Love Songs | 1 | 2.85 | -1.85 |
| Disintegration | 2 | 3.85 | -1.85 |
| In Rainbows | 2 | 3.84 | -1.84 |
5-Star Albums (16)
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Popular Reviews
The Jam
2/5
Not bad, but it was a pretty standard British rock band, bordering on the new punk wave.
1 likes
The War On Drugs
2/5
It was just aight for me. Red Eyes was the only song that I clicked with, and the rest of it just felt like filler, Bruce Springsteen-esque. Red Eyes really hits the indie rock sound of that era.
1 likes
Creedence Clearwater Revival
5/5
The first couple songs of the album, in my opinion don't quite warm you up for the awesomeness of the rest of it. Traveling band, Lookin' Out My Backdoor, Run Through the Jungle, should I just list all of the rest of the tracks because there's more bangers than not.
1 likes
Derek & The Dominos
3/5
That was quite a lot of 12-bar blues. Not bad, but a lot of blues. When I heard Layla, I was wondering who wrote it, these guys or Clapton? Turns out that this was Clapton's prior band. The blues played on the album was really good at moments, but it kind of ran together.
1 likes
1-Star Albums (7)
All Ratings
The Smashing Pumpkins
3/5
I already knew that I liked a few songs from this album, primarily 1979. Overall, I'm not a big fan of the sound of the vocalist. I can definitely see how it influenced artists that followed and it's an interesting inflection point between punk/grunge into emo, post punk, and alternative rock. I probably can't give it a fair evaluation since I don't enjoy their specific sound. I can't say whether the album had much of a flow to it either, since I kept getting interrupted while listening to it at work. 2 out of 5 stars, I get it, but it ain't for me.
Talking Heads
4/5
Very catchy, good groves, and psycho killer is a certified timeless banger
Joan Armatrading
3/5
That was a great little discovery. It wasn't listed on Spotify, unfortunately, so the experienced may have suffered from the commercial breaks on YouTube. Altogether, I enjoyed it a lot, the sound was soulful and occasionally funky rock with a flair for the melodramatic. The first three songs on the album left me wondering what box to put this artist into, then it hit its peak with Love and Affection, but I was totally in on the vibe by the end. It was good, not great, so I can see how this artist flew under most people's radars. But I would not be surprised at all to see a charting hit happen with the right cover of any one of the songs.
ZZ Top
3/5
Good album, one true hit song.
Radiohead
5/5
Holy shit, now this whole album is iconic. The previous days have been collections of songs by artists. This album is an album of songs that play into each other, recurring themes and high-to-low energy transitions. Thom Yorke really made waves that appeared in other artists. I'm giving it 5 stars because it truly is one of the greatest of its kind.
Bruce Springsteen
1/5
It was aight, I can see how he had a broad appeal, but I think it just doesn't hit the blues space with much musical novelty. He had a unique vocal style with that, it's kind of a depressed Elvis thing. But it wasn't up my alley.
Adele
3/5
Great writing and musical composition for this album. Powerful voice, she deserves the flowers she's received.
The Stone Roses
3/5
It was surprising, the first song of the album was pretty thematically different from the rest of it. It put me on my heels in trying to pin down a genre, but honestly, I really enjoyed what started playing in the auto-generated playlist after the end of the album. So while I don't know what it was, I'm pretty sure I like it, haha.
Teenage Fanclub
2/5
Pretty gener-ock, no hits to speak for either. But some catchiness here and there. Not garbage, but not ground breaking.
Gillian Welch
3/5
Very folksy bluegrass, exceptional talent within the genre. I had listened to her in the past, actually. Despite not being in the mood for the genre, it was an easy listen.
Waylon Jennings
4/5
It was actually solid, old school country music. Good songs, unfortunate shout down for SF, haha!
Diddyo considers it to be a good one, and now I do too.
Prince
3/5
Pretty good, I preferred the disc 2 of the album.
The Velvet Underground
1/5
Pretty generic hippie rock. I think there may have been some novelty in the mixing of the album, but I wasn't paying quite enough attention to truly say.
Shivkumar Sharma
4/5
Really chill, awesome world music with primary sounds from India, but there seemed to also be some Spanish guitar riffs and possibly Latin rhythms.
Queen
2/5
Not bad, but no hits really.
Miles Davis
4/5
I'm going to be listening to this more. Really good, complex, and complete feeling.
The Damned
2/5
Good punk album, it's a quick listen and had some moments that hit well. Altogether though it was too short.
Jeru The Damaja
4/5
The mixing of the first few songs is meh, and as always Jeru is quite preachy, even in the sub-genre of conscious rap. But when My Mind Spray comes on, the production is on point and the flow is impeccable. There's a reason he's well known in the hip-hop head genre. The beats for the next two songs, Come Clean - E New Y Radio and Jungle Music, are also fresh.
Fela Kuti
5/5
Damn! What a strong opening, great vibes so far. It's Jazz, it's world music, it's danceable.
The White Stripes
2/5
I've listened to this one before! In fact, 7 nation army was the first song I ever played on an open mic night.
But hardest button to button is my favorite track.
Was the album ground breaking? Not especially, does it flow well? Not particularly, is it alright? Yeah it's solidly alright.
CHVRCHES
4/5
Very well produced album, but I can't decide if I love her voice or dislike it. It varies from song to song.
Willie Nelson
2/5
It's not bad, but it feels like it lacks individuality or distinction. That's not helped by the cover song. But his overall sound was almost anachronistic feeling. Like an older sound being mixed with newer sounds in a way that didn't mesh super well.
Dr. Octagon
4/5
Such a dope album, Dr. Octagon is a weird but extraordinarily lyricist and rapper. It's almost surprising that he doesn't come up more often in Hip-Hop legends conversations. I knew Earth People previously, and I would recognize Blue Flowers, but honestly there's not a real hit on this album. It flows together really well and has some good moments, so totally worth the listen. Okay, hold up, turns out Dr. Octagon is Kool Keith, he DOES come up in conversations about greats of hip-hop! I'm going to dig in further.
The Who
4/5
It's an icon for a reason. There's several hits, it flows well, and it has moments that totally hold your attention.
Roxy Music
2/5
It's pretty good, the vocalist reminds me of The Talking Heads, Parquet Courts, and I don't know. I like it, the music is pretty good, but there's haven't exactly been any moments that made me think "damn that's good."
The Band
3/5
Not a bad album, certainly one worth having on in the background. But it's not one that I think I could dive into. At least, I couldn't dive into it today.
Pretenders
2/5
Not bad, punky Rock
The Jam
2/5
Not bad, but it was a pretty standard British rock band, bordering on the new punk wave.
Johnny Cash
5/5
Lol, Flushed from the Bathroom of Your Heart. This album fully deserved its iconic status. That was a fun listen. Johnny Cash might be one of the coolest dudes to ever live, that's just my opinion but it's true.
Linkin Park
4/5
This is probably the first GOOD album that I ever owned. But I can't remember if I bought Meteora or Hybrid Theory first. I would condiser HT to be the better of the two regardless. When I think of Nu Metal as a genre, I consider Linkin Park to be the icon or GOAT, RIP. Also, the remixed album of this was phenomenal.
The Strokes
3/5
Really great rock album, I feel like it was maybe the end of an era. I struggle to think of any rock albums since this that compared. Certainly not many with commercial success.
Tim Buckley
3/5
I liked Buzzin' Fly, made me think of like a very chill hippie song but folksier. This guy makes full use of the xylophone in this album. Also, it's interesting to note that he died at 28, maybe counts as a part of the 28 club. His son was the singer/songwriter Jeff Buckley.
ZZ Top
3/5
I actually liked this one a lot better than the Tres Hombres album. Also, this is the first instance of a second album by an artist that has already appeared on my 1001 albums generator. I feel like the mastering on this album was significantly better than the previous one. Even if it did feel like it was targeting a more mainstream sound, shoot maybe that's why I liked it more.
Talking Heads
2/5
Not bad, I enjoyed one track on the album more than others.
The Pogues
1/5
Not my jam
Dolly Parton
3/5
This is a quaint little album, really feels like looking into another lifetime. But I know Dolly is one of my mom's favorite people so I suspect that it can't be too far removed from present day. I think the messages are pretty timeless, even if the specifics are a little dated.
The Birthday Party
2/5
The vocals remind me of Tupelo by Nick Cave. It's pretty musically strong, some good jams in there.
Weather Report
3/5
Birdland really sounds like the soundtrack to something, like a 90s sitcom or something. Rumba Mama came out of fucking nowhere, hahaha. Turns out that Birdland was a cover of the original version by Maynard Ferguson.
Faust
2/5
Not bad, musically it was pretty solid.
Louis Prima
4/5
This is actually really pleasant to listen to. Love Banana Split for my Baby.
Incredible Bongo Band
4/5
This album goes way harder than it has any right to. It slapped. It was great.
Justice
2/5
I actually just passed up on the chance to see this band in concert. I think I may have made the right choice, they have a couple of songs that I really like, but most of it doesn't quite click with me.
Leonard Cohen
3/5
This is one of the most unusual albums so far. He takes it so seriously, and earnestly, but it's like the album is unaware of how niche it is. His dark and raspy voice is perfect for noir. But I'm still not sure what through line to draw for this album. What's its story and theme?
Dexys Midnight Runners
2/5
It's like the predecessor or missing link between the British invasion and Ska. These vocals are all over the place, melodramatic and loopy. Musically it's not bad, but I'm just not feeling this incomprehensible impression of The Talking Heads. But then again, them horns are pretty dope in Tell Me When My Light Turns Green.
The White Stripes
4/5
This is the best White Stripes album, IMO. Fell In Love With a Girl, it's like the first post-punk rock song, a return to rock. I can tell that we are gonna be friends? Yes, yes I can tell. Because the world needed that song, and it's innocent and so relatable.
Cowboy Junkies
2/5
This album is mostly just background music, to me. I think they aim for a saloon ragtime thing, but the singer's voice lacks the body or bass to hit the sultry feel that I'd be expecting. I feel like her voice is better suited for the blues songs at the end of the album. Walking After Midnight, classic 12 bar blues, but with a cajun harmonica zest.
Garbage
4/5
I'm actually really digging the vibes midway through the album. This is pretty cool psyche/grunge/rock with that 90s acid-rock kind of sound.
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
Legendary artist, crosstown traffic, voodoo child, and Jimi's cover of All Along the Watchtower are must know songs for classic rock.
Todd Rundgren
2/5
It's kind of a lot... I could see it being cool. But it's all over the place, it's more like a random list of musical ideas than an album of songs. Just One Victory is pretty cool.
David Bowie
3/5
Good album, it flows together, it has a track that was a hit. But it also has some moments that kind of take you out of the album such as in Neukoln. It made it hard to come back in on The Secret Life of Arabia. Heroes and Sons of the Silent Age though are awesome.
Dinosaur Jr.
2/5
This album crawled so that other indie rock albums could walk and run. It was mostly fine, but not particularly catchy in my opinion. Which is a little surprising, because I love indie rock. I just didn't love this indie rock.
Public Enemy
3/5
I've listened to this album before, can't say that I'm the most familiar with it though. It's good, it has some hits. Despite not flowing super well, it hits flows between a few songs at a time and then segues with skits. I like conscious rap, but I know it's not for everyone. I think "It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back" is a better album, so hopefully it's coming on the list.
The Sabres Of Paradise
4/5
This was actually a very good electronic album. It's not even lo-fi, it's just lower fidelity because of it's age, and I dig it. I couldn't name any tracks off of it a few hours after listening to it, but I would listen to it again. It doesn't really hit a pleasant groove until Duke of Earlsfield, though.
Keith Jarrett
4/5
I did not realize until the end of the first track, that it had been one continuous track-26 minutes long! So yeah, this is a piano concert album, it's not bad. It was a beautiful album, very peaceful. I enjoyed it. Yesterday's album and today's album both generated AMAZING algorithm based playlists after they finished playing on Spotify. That's the goal of this whole endeavor, to escape the algorithm dead-end.
Grateful Dead
2/5
It's fine, not a particularly exciting live show. But that's also their reputation, as the original jam band.
Pet Shop Boys
3/5
It's pretty chill, ambient electronic music. Makes me think of Moby, but a lot more vocals. It's also its own thing, kind of pop-y. Young Offender, what video game did they sample for this song??
R.E.M.
3/5
I really liked Sweetness Follows. The album is good, very chill 90s alt rock. I don't really know what genre R.E.M. is, to be honest. But they're iconic of the era. I can see why, but I can't exactly say why. They have this approachability, catchiness without crossing into pop. Melancholy, but not sad sound.
Kate Bush
2/5
This album didn't catch me nearly as well as Hounds of Love does. It's kind of hard to listen to. I do enjoy Kate Bush, and as far as difficult albums go so far in this endeavor, this was certainly not the hardest. I just didn't get anything out of it from two listens.
Tito Puente
4/5
This was pretty dope, really classic Cubano music. Excellently performed. I enjoyed it so much that it made me want to rewatch one of my favorite feel good movies, Chef.
Brian Wilson
3/5
This sounds like the beach boys, *looks up Brian Wilson*, ah because it is. I don't know why, but his specific sound doesn't hook me very well. Despite that, I can't deny the musical complexity and impressiveness of his work. This album goes easily, with an air of silliness, but it's not bad at all.
Otis Redding
2/5
That was a bit of a flash in the pan album, only lasted for 33 minutes. I don't know, certainly not as good as a full temptations album.
Elbow
4/5
I wasn't sure until I got to the bones of you, this is dope. The voice and general sounds is kind of dreamy, and calming. Lots of harmonic sounds in the songs. How appropriate that the last song is an actual lullaby.
Neil Young
3/5
Old Man isn't just a classic song, it's timeless. I think Neil Young's voice pairs perfectly with the content of this song. Whereas Heart of Gold has been covered well by other artists, ie Charles Bradley. Overall, this is another album that's so short, only 37 minutes long. But it does flow together decently and has some hits.
Nick Drake
2/5
Not a lot to say about this album. It was surprisingly musically deep/well composed for how relaxed it was.
Joan Baez
1/5
What a beautiful voice, and it's so clear too. There's nothing novel about it musically, but she was definitely gifted. There's a lot of covers of classic songs, unless she was the original writer of them in which case holy shit, she wrote some widely covered songs. Okay, so I looked it up, and there's 13 covers of traditional folk songs... so yeah no wonder haha.
Joni Mitchell
2/5
It didn't really do anything for me
Gang Of Four
3/5
I was feeling the album, and digging the vibe and then Damaged Goods came on and I was like, oh heck yeah I know this hit. Super solid British Punk album.
Metallica
4/5
This is one of the greatest albums of all time. In high school, Metallica was probably my favorite band. It's still incredible.
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
Much better than the first Bruce Springsteen album that I listened to.
The Black Keys
5/5
Great album by one of the greatest indie rock bands. So many hits from this album already have a permanent home on one of my best playlists. So... Yeah, it's great and I recommend it.
Radiohead
4/5
Once again, Thom Yorke knows how to make an album, not just a sequence of songs. It flows together seamlessly, it hits really interesting musical ideas. It's catchy. Just another solid album.
Donald Fagen
2/5
Quite a long, synthy pop rock song to open the album with, but it wasn't super poppy, just a little poppy. Maxine had some great saxophone in it.
Simon & Garfunkel
2/5
Super short, but it does have Mrs. Robinson
Judas Priest
3/5
Despite only having one big hit on the album, it was overall great. It had a cohesive sound and it is distinct sound.
Paul Simon
2/5
I've listened to Graceland tens of times, but never actually listened to this album before. And I love Me and Julio. But now I also enjoy Armistice Day.
Jeff Buckley
4/5
Wow, this album was fantastic. It was dark and heavy with uplifting moments. It felt pretty real and raw.
Alexander 'Skip' Spence
2/5
It was fine, but nothing special. It had some quiet moments where it was just vocals over low bass maybe and it reminded me of some of the transitions in a song by Melvins.
Coldplay
5/5
Man, such a nostalgic album for me. I think I previously commented on Hybrid theory that it was the first good music that I enjoyed, Coldplay was pretty contemporary with that. But I can thank John, my brother, for getting into Coldplay because of his interest in piano. I was trying to think of what made this so good at the time that it came out, and I don't have a smoking gun answer. Chris Martin did take the singer/songwriter form and made it rock. What's interesting about Coldplay is that they used elements: synth and distortion, that had been explored by other bands in rock genres to push out more extreme sounds but Coldplay felt like the pendulum swinging back inwards to approaching these elements with a softer touch. Basically, what if a singer/songwriter sang about love and used a synth to compliment the piano? Then what if they had a rock band that knew when to go heavy and when to keep it soft? Alright, then apparently you will have a band with generational sound.
Bob Dylan
3/5
Bob Dylan sure knew how to write a song, they oughta give that feller an award or something for it.
Shelter from the Storm has a special memory for me. Idiot Wind was fun too. Solid album.
Super Furry Animals
3/5
It was pretty good, even if there wasn't anything that particularly stood out to me as a hit. It's a long album, especially if you're listening to the 20th anniversary version.
Manu Chao
2/5
Not bad, it was a nice mix up from what I typically listen to.
Van Halen
5/5
The answer to all world religions is Van Halen.
Mudhoney
2/5
Punk rock, wasn't bad
LCD Soundsystem
4/5
LCD has such a cool and unique sound.
Beatles
3/5
Yeah, this album isn't bad at all, but it does feel like the advent of pop. Don't get me wrong, I love the Beatles, but I think this album kind of blends into their discography, aside from the two biggest hits.
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
Damn, this author sure loves Bruce Springsteen. The album wasn't half bad, by that I mean that half of the album was good.
2/5
Despite having a couple of catchy songs, LB is just too cringe for me.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
Perfect album. Led Zeppelin nails that bluesy rock sound. They're just weird enough, but their sound is universal. GOAT album by a GOAT band.
Pink Floyd
4/5
Another great band, known for their great albums too. However, I think this album crosses a little too far into skits territory. It ain't bad at all though, and it's still so relevant IMO.
Fiona Apple
3/5
That was a pretty odd album. Not bad but odd.
Eagles
3/5
I enjoyed this a lot more than I expected. I generally think hotel California is over played. But I listened to it with an open mind and quite enjoyed it.
Stan Getz
3/5
It was good, but the automated playlist that started afterwards was even better.
Sabu
2/5
It wasn't bad, but it didn't speak to me like some of the other world music albums have. It was like a good jam session.
Paul Simon
5/5
I already love this album! I think it's one of the best singer songwriter albums of all time. I appreciate the use of world music sounds in his songs, I think it really takes it over the top.
Björk
2/5
That was a strange album, not bad but strange.
The Beach Boys
4/5
I think this is a solid album. The Beach Boys were great, and I will die on that hill!!
But for real, you can throw this on for a pleasant listen.
Nitin Sawhney
3/5
What an interesting album, it's like an Indian R&B album. But also with sound samples of Oppenheimer's "I am become death" quote. Some of it was amazing, but some of it was like a Disney soundtrack. I don't even know what to say about it.
Ms. Dynamite
3/5
Excellent hip-hop album!
Cyndi Lauper
3/5
Some great hits on this album
Everything But The Girl
3/5
I was really surprised when I saw the year that this came out. Their sound was ahead of its time imo.
Black Sabbath
3/5
This made me want to listen to early metal. It's good, didn't blow me away, but it's good.
Supergrass
4/5
Damn, I really liked this album, but I feel like I barely got to listen to it. I'm tempted to repeat it tomorrow. full disclosure, I've just been too busy to really listen closely to the albums for the past week or so. I might address this by listening to the same album the next day instead of starting a new album. The goal is to discover new music, and it feels like some of these are flying by me.
The War On Drugs
2/5
It was just aight for me. Red Eyes was the only song that I clicked with, and the rest of it just felt like filler, Bruce Springsteen-esque. Red Eyes really hits the indie rock sound of that era.
Underworld
4/5
I actually totally dug this album. It was that old school hacker shit kind of techno that you could never really dance socially to, haha. It made me want to download a car.
The Magnetic Fields
1/5
This album is apparently 4 discs at 2 hours and 52 minutes long. I'm livid, hahaha. It's also rife with mediocrity and laconic vocals. Sardonic social commentary, it's instrumental selections are all over the place. I feel like it had some nuggets of good musical ideas, but they just published ALL of their musical ideas in a single album. I'm being a jerk about it, and I kind of leaned into that. it probably isn't all that bad, but it came at terrible timing with how this endeavor feels a bit laborious right now.
R.E.M.
3/5
I'm not the biggest R.E.M. fan, but they're alright and their hits are a deserved.
Madonna
2/5
This album is all over the place. The first song was so bland that I almost gave up, but then the second song hooked me. Then the 3rd and 4th songs were like a totally different sound. She's just totally unpredictable. And then she covers American Pie? with synths and shit? and it ain't wholly terrible, though it's also not better than the original.
Buzzcocks
2/5
So far, a few songs in and it's pretty boilerplate brittish punk rock. The rest of the album didn't stand out either. This is like the 5th punk album the author has recommended that wasn't good, haha. I like punk, or at least I thought I did.
The KLF
4/5
As bad as this author's taste is in punk, it's as good in techno/early 2000s party music. This album is pretty dope it's like an intersection of hip-hop and electronic music, the kind of synergy that wouldn't be seen again for a decade or two later. It's not the best thing I've ever listened to in my life, but I definitely like the ideas that are being presented in it. It's just a genre-bender of an album.
The Jesus And Mary Chain
3/5
Not a bad album, I could forget it, but I certainly would like having any of it appear again out in the wild. April Skies does hit the mood of that era and genre so well. It's got this hazy 80s ambiguous rock vibe that would be fitting for a movie soundtrack. It did make me wonder... when will Guns N Roses be coming up... because it MUST be on the list. Turns out Appetite for Destruction was released the same year as Darklands.
Eminem
4/5
This album hit the ground running. It's so iconic, several huge hits, great skits, and incredible talent.
The Pogues
2/5
The Pogues don't really do it for me. But this author is totally down with 'em. They're not bad. I do wonder if the author intended this list to be all 5 star albums in their opinion. For all I know, this could be the absolute undeniable best album of the Celtic Punk genre, and to be fair, it probably is. Nothing stood out to me though, actually I take that back. They said an offensive word in Fairy Tale from New York. Different times and all that, but... it certainly detracts from any 'cool punk vibes' they may have been going for.
Radiohead
4/5
For me, this album doesn't really begin until High and Dry. The mood is set by that song, and it makes the rest of the album better. It leads in well to Fake Plastic Trees and I feel its similarity in (Nice Dream). Although, I don't love this album as much as the other two that I've had so far, it was still very solid.
Lupe Fiasco
3/5
It's a really solid rap album. Kick push was a huge hit. Daydreamin' was an amazing cover. I would recommend it for fans of conscious rap.
Throbbing Gristle
1/5
The pioneers of industrial music did not perfect industrial music. I would argue that it's not even good industrial music. It was bearable, but just barely. Once again, the algorithmic generated playlist that started after the album ended was better than the album, haha. This is the point though, I am doing this project to improve my algorithm.
The Smiths
3/5
It was aight
The Byrds
3/5
It was pretty good, very psychedelic flower rock. I could totally dig it and have listened to and enjoyed similar sounds from more recent artists.
Blur
3/5
Of course I knew Song 2 was a banger. I first got introduced to Damon Albarn through his other project Gorillaz. He's incredibly talented, and I love how Gorillaz let him try new things out that didn't necessarily fit Blur. So it's cool to finally circle back to actually hear what the band was that didn't match the sound of the newer work he wanted to release as Gorillaz.
But M.O.R. was pretty great too. On Your Own is too. A few songs in, and it's clear that Blur has a distinct vibe from Gorillaz, but yeah it's still unconventional. Some of the songs just felt like they were another genre just for the sake of it, despite that they weren't bad songs. The songs weren't bad at all. The album however didn't flow, didn't have a theme. So that kind of holds it back, but it IS new/unique and well made. I would listen again but probably wouldn't recommend it except to fans of Damon Albarn.
Beatles
5/5
I sure do love this album. Is it the most popular album of all time? Idk maybe, probably close to it. Every other track is an iconic song.
Rufus Wainwright
2/5
Halfway through the album, it sounds pretty good. The vocals remind me of Matt Bellamy or Thom Yorke. But at the end of the album, I'd say this is an okay melodramatic singer song-writer ballads album. Nothing stood out to me. Well except for the abrupt switch to a reggae finale.
Milton Nascimento
4/5
I really like how this album flows together and how the artist has layered in the harmonies so well. I realized at the midway point, San Vicente that it had been building towards a crescendo for a while. It's hard for me to say "this song is a hit" when it comes to world music. It's more about the vibe and the aesthetic when I listen to it. So by that metric, this hits quite well. It feels like a movie score. It has such ups and downs, moments that feel like anticipation and moments that feel like a celebration. I found the album overall to be very good. Totally pleasant.
Blur
2/5
I like blur, weird that they came up for the first and second time in such quick succession, but okay. This album doesn't hit nearly as well for me though. It does establish a 'signature sound' for the band. But the content just hasn't blown me away at 2/3rds through the album. This is a Low was a good song though.
Thin Lizzy
4/5
I was skeptical at the start... but they indeed played a hell of a concert. This is an album that should be listened to as an album, of course. Let it get you into its groove.
Orange Juice
2/5
I gotta be honest, it was kind of all over the place. I can see the uniquity of it. But it felt goofy.
The Specials
3/5
Is this the original ska band?? It sure sounds like it, and I don't mind it.
Guns N' Roses
4/5
Such a great album with like 3 epic bangers on it. The rest of the album isn't bad either. The 80s was such a golden era for hard rock.
Bob Dylan
3/5
It wasn't bad, but I was super distracted while trying to listen to it.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
5/5
The first couple songs of the album, in my opinion don't quite warm you up for the awesomeness of the rest of it. Traveling band, Lookin' Out My Backdoor, Run Through the Jungle, should I just list all of the rest of the tracks because there's more bangers than not.
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
2/5
This guy actually wrote a blues rock song about a gang bang?!? Who the hell is this guy? The album was kind of all over the place with the subjects of each song, but the songs were fully committed and well written. I don't think I would play the album for guests.
Bruce Springsteen
2/5
I hope this is the last Bruce Springsteen album. We get it, the author loved Bruce Springsteen. I don't love BS, I don't even like him, but I don't hate him either.
Dennis Wilson
2/5
It wasn't bad, I would put this on in the background if I had guests over.
2/5
It's a short album, nothing to write home about imo. But I think their sound of a classic rock paired with punky vocals is kind of cool.
MGMT
3/5
Great album, several huge hits in only 40 minutes. Also the nostalgia factor was huge on this one.
N.W.A.
5/5
Damn, I can't believe that I've never listened through this album before. I do love old school rap and this is as iconic as it gets, in my opinion. It slaps, it captures rap culture of the time-and some of it hasn't aged well. But overall, the hooks are rock solid, and the rap is good.
Portishead
3/5
I wasn't really feeling the album until We Carry On, it was super dope and kind of put me into the mood for the band's unconventional sound. They've got an electronic industrial sound paired with these delicate, melancholy, and aria-esque vocals that create a strange combination. So I don't think it works for every song, but it is a fully unique and cool vibe when it does.
Tangerine Dream
3/5
So this has to be one of the first electronic synthesizer bands in the world. Their first album came out only 3 years after the Moog synthesizer hit the markets. This is certainly early pioneer sounding synth wave, but it also isn't bad at all. It's very ambient and chill. Kind of chamber synth sound.
The Cure
2/5
It's pretty melancholic, and I don't think I was in the mood for that today.
Klaxons
4/5
So the first couple of times I tried to have it on in the background during a car ride and I couldn't really listen to it. I recognized one of the songs as a radio hit though. I then truly listened to it and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It's a little bit mainstream but it was still solid and with its own sound.
Radiohead
2/5
I don't know why, but this album doesn't really do it for me compared to other Radiohead works. It's too chill without ever building to a deeper emotional moment like the others do. It does build to a change in sound but it just lays on the harmonics at that point, but it didn't really make me feel anything.
Rush
2/5
It wasn't bad but not much stood out to me about it. Although it's kind of wild that it was released in 1976, I didn't realize just how long Rush had been around. So they were pretty mold-breaking when they started.
Slade
2/5
Glam rock for sure, and relatively obscure, haha. The album isn't bad but nothing stand out about it so far. It was indeed an album.
Stevie Wonder
3/5
Wow, so many notable songs came from this album. Also I had no idea that Gangster's Paradise was built off of a sample, a sample from Stevie Wonder no less.
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
3/5
Not bad, a whole lot of bluegrass and gospel standards. I also realized that the grand ole Opry is the Apollo theater for white people.
Sade
2/5
This should be right up my alley, but I didn't quite click with it. I enjoy Smooth Operator, but much of the album just struck me as being too pop.
Buena Vista Social Club
3/5
Not bad, it's that classic Latin music. So easy listen, but it didn't wow me.
1/5
Where do I get my "I survived the Spy Vs. Spy album" T-shirt? It sounded like someone threw a couple of jazz bands down a 40 minute long staircase with just a few flat spots to play music during. Like I get it, they had a concept and they hit it, but it was not all that fun to listen to.
Foo Fighters
2/5
I do like the Foo Fighters, this album sounded like they hadn't quite broken the mold, but they had their own sound. I'm glad that they continued recording from there, but this was a good start.
Elliott Smith
3/5
He's got a very chill vibe, fits right into that time period. I think the music is actually a bit more interesting and layered than it initially presents itself as. I think I enjoyed Easy Way Out more so than the more popular songs at the beginning of the album. It's worth noting that I've never listened to Elliot Smith before today. But my coworker saw that I was listening to him and asked if I was okay, lol. Apparently he has very cathartically sad music.
The Byrds
3/5
It was pretty good. I really liked their cover of Hey Joe.
Pantera
3/5
Solid thrash metal album! I kind of wanted a little more bass, but it still was good. Too bad dime bag Darrel was such a piece of shit.
Prince
2/5
This was a pop album for sure, but it was not bad. Prince was a weird and cool dude, huh?
Aerosmith
3/5
I think was a great rock album, I can absolutely see why it had mass appeal. It rocked just enough to be cool, but not enough to be offensive, hahaha.
Cream
3/5
It was very good, the Tale of Brave Ulysses is such a banger. Love it.
Traffic
2/5
Kind of a nothing-burger album. It wasn't shitty, so it's not a one-star album, but it was forgettable for me. I'm sure it holds some nostalgic value for some.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
4/5
There so many bangers on this album. It fully excuses the lack of flow from song to song. RHCP are such an amazing band.
Supergrass
4/5
Finally, the author of this book has selected a good punk band. Now I have to rate it 5 stars so that it looks like I don't hate punk lol.
Alanis Morissette
5/5
This album goes so fuckin' hard. Probably the goat of the pop grunge-rock genre. Several iconic hits, and it has a consistent mood with a distinct artist sound.
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
3/5
Hell yeah, that album was a lot of fun. Just good ole hip hop. So pure, it wasn't so self-serious. But it also had some real gem moments.
Laibach
2/5
What a strange and surprisingly catchy album. I don't know how to categorize them, but there must be some overlap with the RAMMSTEIN fandom.
David Bowie
2/5
It was aight, but nothing stood out to me about it.
De La Soul
3/5
Very creative, maybe a bit unrefined. But if you like old school hip-hop and rap, it's fun.
The Byrds
3/5
This album flowers together much better than the first one. It's still not incredible, but it was good enough, haha.
Deep Purple
5/5
That rocked way harder than I expected, the first song had a little bit of a slow start but then the rest of the album rocked out. This album must have melted many pre-marital head faces when it was released.
Skunk Anansie
5/5
This is one of those albums that makes me glad I'm doing this project. Because I've never heard of this band. And even the first sound didn't hook me, but just minutes into the album and I get it. Their sound is amazing, mostly clean vocals with a bit of rage on high quality metal tracks. No idea how I hadn't found them sooner.
Amy Winehouse
4/5
Great album, what a killer voice she had. She also had a great sound with her band. It's a real shame that she burned so bright and so briefly.
The Stooges
3/5
That was a brief album that showed glimmers of promise. It wasn't mind blowing, but it was probably way ahead of its time. I can see how this paved the way for punk. Kind of interesting how they used the saxophone though, you don't hear it played that way very often.
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
3/5
It was okay, but none of the songs stuck with me. Despite 3 of the songs being among the band's top 5 hits.
A Tribe Called Quest
4/5
The only thing holding back this album, in my opinion, is the lack of more stand alone hits. But the album flows so damn well and it's got a great sound.
Peter Gabriel
3/5
I really don't even know what to say. He sounds like Phil Collins but the album was so far out there.
Tears For Fears
4/5
The album was over before I realized it. I was surprised by how much instrumental music there was. In fact, if felt like there was more instrumental music than vocalized songs. Oh but I must mention the two absolute bangers on the album. I think the hits are so good, that it elevates the whole album, but the album without the hits wouldn't be somewhat unremarkable.
10cc
2/5
There was one small hit, but otherwise the album did have an interesting novel sound. I just didn't think it was all that good.
Van Morrison
3/5
It was a solid live album, I didn't recognize any of the songs but it was a good listen.
Aimee Mann
2/5
A country album.
Steely Dan
3/5
Steely Dan is so hard to put in a genre box. Is it jazz, is it rock, is it pop? It's a bit of all of those things.
Queen Latifah
3/5
She did great rhymes on a production that sounded so familiar. Turns out Prince Paul of De La Soul helped produce her album, and it totally shows. It hits all those 90s transition rap sounds. Everyone in the 80s had synths, she tapped on a straight up house beat.
Arctic Monkeys
4/5
I really enjoyed the album, despite not checking the names of tracks as they stood out to me. I think they have a great sound that is distinct. The album gelled well from song to song.
R.E.M.
3/5
It was very chill, it was a jam band album. I think it only took me somewhere with a couple songs, and Orange Crush was one of them.
Blondie
3/5
Pretty solid album, I was surprised by the year it came out. I would have thought it was more recent.
Rod Stewart
2/5
On the artist bio page it said "Rod Stewart has one of the finest voices of his generation" which is hilarious because my first impression of this album is that the guitar playing sounds high skilled but these vocals aren't all that great. He does have a unique rasp in a high register, but it's not like he's wielding extreme control or range. (I Know) I'm Losing You is actually fucking great, and I don't feel like I've heard this before, no idea how.
Björk
2/5
Still not my jams.
Traffic
3/5
I don't know what that album was about, but I did like the way it sounded.
Missy Elliott
3/5
It has several bangers.
Count Basie & His Orchestra
3/5
I have heard Lil' Darlin' before in media somewhere. I do love this old style jazz.
The Vines
3/5
Get Free is the only real hit from the album. It wasn't bad overall, just didn't stand out for its genre imo.
Wu-Tang Clan
5/5
One of the greatest albums of all time. It's aged well, it was well produced, and it's culturally relevant. It demonstrates exactly what make WTC so special. Their collaboration makes them a super group.
Kendrick Lamar
4/5
Another incredible rap album. I am among those who consider Kendrick Lamar to be the greatest rapper of all time. It's interesting to look back at this album versus his more recent albums. I think his lyrics reveal and criticize the gangster lifestyle. What I think makes Kendrick so legendary is his ability to perfectly hit the vibes of rap that feels good with party/club level production. Then his lyrics can hit some highly introspective insights. Later albums feel like they spun out of notes from therapy sessions. He bears his soul in his work.
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
Simon and Garfunkel were incredible. The songwriting, the music, the new-ness. Some songs are so heartfelt and sensitive. Some songs are just fun. It's kind of wild that the album is only 36 minutes long, but I guess they did what they needed to, haha.
Slayer
3/5
That album is a lot. Raining blood is cool and everything, but most of it just makes me want to listen to other thrash metal.
Derek & The Dominos
3/5
That was quite a lot of 12-bar blues. Not bad, but a lot of blues. When I heard Layla, I was wondering who wrote it, these guys or Clapton? Turns out that this was Clapton's prior band. The blues played on the album was really good at moments, but it kind of ran together.
The Teardrop Explodes
2/5
Nothing particularly stood out about this one.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
3/5
Not my favorite CCR album, but it does have some hits. CCR is one of my loved classic rock bands.
2/5
It wasn't bad but didn't click with me.
Dirty Projectors
3/5
I discovered Dirty Projectors through the NPR Tiny Desk Concert series. They have a super unique sound, it doesn't always work, imo, but I thought it worked really well in Stillness is the Move.
Small Faces
3/5
Very quirky album, but it was good. I enjoyed the little whimsical skits
Beatles
3/5
Just a couple hits, but a good album.
Black Flag
3/5
It was a punk album, nothing stood out to me about it, but it was pretty alright.
Wilco
2/5
I did not know that Wilco was so country. In fact, I previously thought that they weren't country.
Thelonious Monk
4/5
Exceptional Jazz.
Jefferson Airplane
3/5
Two of the songs from this album are absolute hits, Somebody to Love and White Rabbit. The album overall wasn't bad, but man do those two songs stand above the rest of it.
Run-D.M.C.
3/5
Hard times is still do relevant
The Rolling Stones
3/5
Wild Horses, Can't You Hear Me Knockin', and Dead Flowers all stand out on this album. I think the hits are definitely iconic. The album challenged its band's genre by some of the borrowed sounds from other genres like country and blues. All-in-all, it's a good listen and worth knowing.
Metallica
4/5
This is one of my favorite albums. I would argue that it is THE thrash metal album. Many hits that are so iconic that they're still frequently used today. It's also a pretty complete album in terms of flow between tracks and distinct sound.
Stan Getz
4/5
This was a great album. It makes me wonder if bossa nova is considered a sub-genre of jazz? It's very smooth with a melodic flare.
The Everly Brothers
2/5
They packed in so much incel energy in just a few songs, lololol. Also, I was a little surprised that it was recorded in 1960, it feels much older in style than that. They're like the transition point from crooners to rock and roll.
Pixies
2/5
What a doodoo album by a decent band.
Laura Nyro
4/5
I was really surprised by this one. It's far off the beaten path of soul/funk. But it had these Motown style backup harmonies on a flashy style that just worked. Definitely a unique sound, not great background music though imo. There also wasn't a track that made me think "hit."
Santana
3/5
Santana was truly skilled. This album was heavily instrument focused. Great to put on in the background.
Funkadelic
5/5
I fucking love this album. I actually just listened to it last week. It's trippy and catchy and funky in all the right ways.
Ice Cube
3/5
Despite having some clear messaging and great hits, the album didn't quite flow together super well. I would still recommend it, but only to fans of old school rap.
Tom Tom Club
3/5
At first I thought this album was very conceptual and odd. Then they played the origin of the hook for Mariah Carey's "Fantasy" and I was like okay, they did have some solid musical ideas here. They're still not many people's cup of tea. I'd call them concept 80s synth pop.
Beatles
3/5
I never knew the name of the Norwegian Wood song, not that I had particularly tried to find it. But yeah, another decent album. The Beatles were a pretty good band lol.
Pet Shop Boys
3/5
Pet shop boys are no doubt catchy.
Miles Davis
4/5
Really solid Jazz, but good lord is it a long album. Great to put on in the background.