Apr 15 2025
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Superfly
Curtis Mayfield
Funky, bold and simply great music. Excellent.
4
Apr 16 2025
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Wish You Were Here
Pink Floyd
A beautifully progressive mixture of just enough rock, contemplative atmosphere and striking lyrics.
5
Apr 17 2025
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I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You
Aretha Franklin
Cohesive, soulful and thematically bold. Aretha's voice and her chorus are beyond excellent and the instrumentation complements it perfectly. Starting with a song as powerful as Respect makes it fizzle out a bit after that song. Great closer.
4
Apr 18 2025
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Heaven Or Las Vegas
Cocteau Twins
This album is a mood perfectly distilled into a musical project. Atmospheric and innovative, it can feel monotonous at times.
3
Apr 19 2025
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Highway 61 Revisited
Bob Dylan
A landmark record, perfectly weaves stories and concepts into creative lyricism. Never dull and filled with catchy rock-and-roll tracks that complement Dylan's unmistakable voice.
5
Apr 19 2025
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Live At The Harlem Square Club
Sam Cooke
Great vocal work by Cooke, you can feel the rawness of his singing and his ability to connect with the crows. That being said, beyond Cooke's exceptional singing, not much else was a standout.
3
Apr 20 2025
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Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs
Derek & The Dominos
A great Blues Rock album, Clapton's guitar playing is simply amazing and Layla is one of the great rock songs of all time.
4
Apr 21 2025
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More Specials
The Specials
I didn't actively dislike it but it just felt very derivative and unpolished at times (although that might be part of the point with Ska). Stereotype is a stand-out, but several other songs could've used some polishing (eg. I can't stand it). Overall, just not my cup of tea.
2
Apr 22 2025
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Licensed To Ill
Beastie Boys
I love Hip-Hop and this album's influence is undeniable.
It remains an interesting and occasionally hard-hitting blend of Rap Rock,
but it hasn't aged perfectly and has serious gaps.
The obvious example is "Girls", which is lyrically very poor, the production is frankly appalling and it essentially cuts the album in half as some sort of low-quality interlude.
"The new style" and "Posse in effect" remain good, but the rest is just a bit too much "Party Rap", and while it was innovative back then, it hasn't help up that well for me.
2
Apr 23 2025
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The Idiot
Iggy Pop
A bold, innovative piece of rock that remains interesting and very weird at times. It might be too strange at times, and Iggy's singing, while unmistakable, is also very imperfect. But on the good side, it just works when leaning into rocks weird side, with instrumentation that would clearly influence a lot of the future of the genre. "Mass production" is the standout track for me.
4
Apr 24 2025
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Sound Affects
The Jam
It's a nice album, very fitting of the UK postpunk sound, mixed with some touches of funk. "That's entertainment" is obviously the most popular song, but it also contains a couple of "hidden gems", like "Set the house ablaze" (which would later be sampled by Bloc Party) or "Scrape away", which was my personal favourite. While I found it a good album, it didn't blow me away.
3
Apr 25 2025
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Cupid & Psyche 85
Scritti Politti
It's 80s pop in a very distilled, focused way. Love the instrumentation and the vocals, but for me it doesn't stand out from the sea of 80s pop out there.
3
Apr 26 2025
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Sea Change
Beck
I really liked this album, it has lovely guitar passages, great singing by Beck, and it just feels so personal and vulnerable. I also loved the production, mixing folk with more experimental sounds finding a great balance. "Lost Cause" is the obvious standout.
4
Apr 27 2025
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Sex Packets
Digital Underground
The production is simply amazing, the innovative mix of hip-hop and jazz, the sampling and the small musical moments like the ending of "Freaks of the Industry" are really good. Musically, this album is simply flawless. Shock G is great, charismatic and creates an interesting character in Humpty. The lyrics and flows are also very well crafted, and the group's talent, particularly Shock G's are undeniable.
The biggest flaw I find with the album is the execution of the concept. The concept in itself is interesting enough, and the album cohesively builds around varied commentary about sex. But not all of it has aged too well. While the parody and exaggeration are certainly a big part of the concept, I feel like they miss the mark with the tone in some parts, for example, the women in cages in "Gutfest '89".
There is relevant commentary about safe sex for example, and it's an interesting exploration of sexuality through a concept album, which is far ahead of its time in my opinion. To do this in an album that's musically so good should merit 5 stars. But I can't take away from the fact that what was an forward look on sex in the 80/90s, today just feels outdated in places that are too relevant to ignore.
4
Apr 28 2025
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Welcome to the Afterfuture
Mike Ladd
While Mike Ladd can certainly write good lyrics, and can create very ambitious and moving music (To the moon's contractor), the album wasn't really that enjoyable. I get the experimental spirit, but the production felt lacking to me. The flows of Ladd also weren't my cup of tea, and there slightly off tune singing moments felt so jarring (Takes more than 41) that I just couldn't really get into the album. The best track for me is Airwave Hysteria, with ambitious but tight production, great verses from Ladd and just enough experimentation to push the genre but at the same time create a good song.
EDIT: Over time, I've reflected on my initial review, and frankly, this record is a one star. There's very little that's salvageable here and with time it's just gotten worse. To add insult to injury, I've become aware that while this album is included, "Madvillainy" is not, which feels criminal to say the least. To be honest, off the top of my head I can think of 20 Hip Hop albums better than Mike Ladd's.
I therefore retroactively adhere to the french theory: "Mike Ladd est le fils de Robert Dimery".
1
Apr 29 2025
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Dirt
Alice In Chains
Dirt is truly a great album, one of the hallmarks of Grunge and Hard Rock, and has stood the test of time flawlessly. The vocals are crisp, well delivered and hard hitting. Remarkably, the vocal range allows for catchy rock choruses like "Rain when I die" and mellow moments like the beginning of "Down in a hole". The instrumentals are also great, with a powerful guitar with an exquisite distinctive Grunge tone. Drums, bass and the mix work perfectly too.
There are a couple of moments that take away from the album. The singing on the "God Smack" verses doesn't fully stick the landing with that vibrato-y delivery. After that, we get "Untitled", a weirdly placed interlude that feels a bit out of place and mostly breaks the momentum towards the end.
The standout tracks for me are the excellent "Would?" and "Rain When I Die".
4
Apr 30 2025
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Guitar Town
Steve Earle
Country music is not my favourite, and while this record isn't bad, it certainly isn't my favourite. It feels like the soundtrack you'd play wandering around rural United States. It's not too dense and doesn't overstay its welcome, so it's definitely an accessible record. Earle's songwriting isn't bad, and the instrumentals are exactly what you'd expect out of a country record.
In terms of songs, my favourite was "Think It Over", it made me feel like listening to the Fallout New Vegas country radio again. The worst one by far for me was "Little Rock n' Roller", super boring, sappy and overlong.
2
May 01 2025
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For Your Pleasure
Roxy Music
This is a good album, no doubt about it. The instrumentation is great, balancing catchiness and boldness. The sax and keys are very good too. My only drawback, but in occasion a big one, is the singing. I like Ferry's lyrics, but the vibrato-y singing gets a bit too much, in "Strictly Confidential" it's just excessive.
My favourites were "In Every Dream Home a Heartache" and "The Bogus Man", bonus points for being in succession and just for how well they blend calm moments with grandiose instrumentation, the ending of both songs are very well executed. The delays in "For Your Pleasure" are also so well done.
3
May 02 2025
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Before And After Science
Brian Eno
Eno is just super talented and his vision for this project is so interesting, particularly the second half. Instrumentally, this album is impeccable. It starts as more upbeat, and slowly transitions towards more laid back and more experimental songs, which is where the album shines the most.
In this second half, I also appreciated much more how Eno's voice worked with the instrumentation. My favourite song was "Julie With", a delicate song where the synthesizers and Eno's voice mix perfectly, with a beautiful guitar towards the end.
Overall, I found it a very good album, specially thanks to it's second half.
4
May 03 2025
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The Number Of The Beast
Iron Maiden
While I'm not a super fan of Iron Maiden or this record in specific, I can see why it's one of the most influential albums for Heavy Metal. The songs are well composed and it's a very consistent album. I liked McBrain's drumming, and while Dickinson's singing isn't my favourite, it works very well and remains iconic.
In terms of themes, I liked how varied they are and how much commentary they offer, although they could be connected a bit better between each other. Also, the patronizing take in "22 Acacia Avenue" hasn't aged very well in my opinion, which is kinda sad because the song in itself is very good.
My favourite song was "Run for the hills", which remains a classic, hard-hitting heavy metal with interesting (and critical) lyrics about colonialism.
3
May 04 2025
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Steve McQueen
Prefab Sprout
This record hit me like a ton of bricks, what a beautiful album. It's my favourite record so far that I've discovered here.
Almost the entirety of the album is just pure pop bliss, the songwriting is so beautiful and their singing and lyrics hit just right. I loved the synths and the mixes too, they set the ambience perfectly.
Honestly, from "Bonny" to "Desire As" is just an unskippable run of great songs. My 2 absolute favourites were "Bonny" and "When Love Breaks Down". My only criticism is that neither the opener nor the closer are as good as the rest of the album, which takes away from it just a bit.
Overall, it's a great album, a criminally underrated pop gem.
5
May 05 2025
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The Next Day
David Bowie
Bowie is a great songwriter, I liked the Rock vibe and how he manages to still keep it experimental even in his 25th record. I didn't find it a landmark record, but it's certainly not a bad one.
The lyrics are bold and interesting takes on varied topic, going from Love to The Fall of the Berlin Wall, passing through School Shootings and War.
My favourites were "How Does The Grass Grow?" and "The Stars (Are Out Tonight)".
3
May 06 2025
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Electric Ladyland
Jimi Hendrix
This album is a masterpiece. It's been said a thousand times before, and it's still true.
The songwriting is great. He touches topics ranging from sex to loneliness, mixed with some mysterious cosmic imagery at times. For all of these, he writes and delivers with a distinctive style that works just great with the instrumentation.
And the most important part, the music. Hendrix's guitar ability is legendary, and it's on full display in this album, gracing the different songs with varied solos, mixing styles and effects, always to great effect. The other instruments are all on par too, excellent drumming and the organ playing is also top-tier.
The album is filled with great songs (and some short interludes). My favourite was "Voodoo Chile", a 15-minute masterpiece that displays all of Hendrix's talent, and is also one hell of a song. "1983" and "All Along the Watchtower" are amazing too.
If I had to pick a least favourite, I'd say "Little Miss Strange" wasn't as good as the rest (or maybe it's because it comes right after "Voodoo Chile"). A bit too light, pop-oriented when compared to the rest of the record. Also, I didn't like Redding's singing too much.
Hendrix's style and musicality are just top tier, and this album showcases it throughout the whole record. A testament to Hendrix's talents.
5
May 07 2025
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Darklands
The Jesus And Mary Chain
I found it a very short and simple record, a very consistent 80s UK indie rock/pop sound, instrumentation and vocals just on par for the genre. It's not bad, but it's certainly not outstanding either.
It's very stripped down, a bit minimal even. My favourite song was probably Darklands.
2
May 08 2025
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Want One
Rufus Wainwright
Want One is a bit dramatic and grandiose, it's ambitious and bold, and feels personal too. It does feel a bit too much at times, and at other times, it felt a bit boring.
"Go or Go Ahead" was pretty interesting, a very powerful song about addiction, Wainwright delivers it well with his distinctive singing style and the backing vocals are pretty good, specially during the chorus. "14th street" was nice too.
2
May 09 2025
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Hybrid Theory
Linkin Park
I love Rap and I really like Rock, but Rap Rock has always been a genre I don't really like. With this in mind, I had mostly avoided Linkin Park, as I had already heard a couple of songs by them and never really liked them. This is my first time listening to a Linkin Park record front to back.
I gotta say that I expected worse, but I wasn't converted. The instrumentals aren't bad, they manage to get pretty heavy guitar lines going and the drums aren't bad either. The little electronic touches and the scratching didn't really add much for me.
In terms of the singing, I found Shinoda to be really lacking. His delivery is very flat, and he's repetitive and very simple in his lyricism. I don't think he's good as a singer, a rapper, or a writter (at least in this record). Bennington, on the other hand, while not my favourite vocalist, has a much higher level, more varied delivery, and really brings the songs alive. I liked how open about their struggles the band is throughout the lyrics and topics of the songs, although the lyrics are a bit simple.
I think my favourite song was "Points of Authority", I felt like Shinoda's contribution didn't break up the flow of the songs that much, the chorus is pretty good and the metallic snare during the chorus was a pretty cool detail. Dislike the scratches but they're all over the album so not much to do about that.
While I understand that part of the appeal at the moment was the whole rapping over a metal-ish track, I think that this record would've been much better if they just went full nu-metal with only Bennington as a vocalist. For what it is, I think there are better records I'd rather revisit than this one.
2
May 10 2025
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Ellington at Newport
Duke Ellington
Ellington and Company are simply spectacularly jazzy in this record, the performances and compositions here are excellent. Ellington is obviously great, but many others shine as well in different songs. My favourite was "Festival Junction" and "I Got It Bad" was also excellent, loved the slower vibe and the sax playing by Hodges is perfect, same with "Jeep's Blues". Gonsalves is also excellent in "Diminuendo in Blue". My least favourite moments where when the record gets more "swing-y", like in "Newport Up". It's not bad, just not my favourite.
As an album, it's a bit different than most other records, it's more than 2 hours long, and being a live record, it has a lot of interludes in the form of talking, presentations and crowd interaction. The complete edition also has a fair amount of repetition in the second disc. Having this in mind, I think you have to have at least some taste for jazz and a bit of patience to enjoy the record cover to cover. I also found opening with "The Star Spangled Banner" was a bit too much.
Overall, this is a historic piece of jazz, and justifiably so. But as an album, it still has a bit of room for improvement in terms of flow and removing some of the repetition.
4
May 11 2025
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Parachutes
Coldplay
Looking back, it's hard to grasp the change Coldplay have had, and it's a bit difficult to separate their work from the image they've built over the years (not too loved by music fans, I'm no exception). That being said, I tried to be as objective as possible.
Parachutes is a very 2000s mix of folk, pop and a bit of rock at times. I have to say that I expected to dislike this record more than I did. I feel the record works best when it leans into more simple compositions. Martin has some good vocal performances, especially when he sounds a bit more raw (like in "Shiver" or "We Never Change"). This, coupled with the acoustic guitar, is the strong point of the album for me, when it turns almost into folk, feeling more personal and almost vulnerable.
I think my favourite song was "Shiver", good performance from Martin, good chorus and a nice guitar riff. "Trouble" was good too. Starting with a simple piano ballad, the song remains almost minimalist until we reach the chorus, where it's a bit crammed but still not bad.
"Yellow" is a very difficult song to judge, as it has been overplayed until it developed a life of its own. Within the record, it's one of the most energetic tracks. The chorus is as catchy and memorable as ever, although the lyrics are overly simple for my taste (as in most of the songs, being honest).
Most of the other songs, I didn't particularly care for. I didn't actively dislike them (besides maybe "Spies" and "Everything's Not Lost"), but I found them bland and forgettable.
Overall, it's a pretty tight record, a consistent sort of folk-pop with not too deep lyrics. Besides having pretty big radio hits that remain catchy, I don't think it's a particularly remarkable record, but it's also not as bad as Coldplay's fame would suggest. I think this record, while not spectacular, does suggest Coldplay could've had a life beyond the often overproduced and saccharine pop they chose in later projects.
2
May 12 2025
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Music From Big Pink
The Band
I liked it but I didn't love it. I didn't find it particularly outstanding, but not bad at all. Its a mix of rock/americana, with some interesting choices from time to time.
Looking at it now, it's nothing you haven't heard before. But, I think an important part of the value of this record is its moment in time, in 1968 this was innovative songwriting and composition. Clapton mentions this album as inspiration for "Leila", and several other bands were deeply influenced by it.
By far my favourite song was "This Wheel's on Fire". Great songwriting and storytelling, and the instrumentation is so innovative and ahead of its time, the use of the Rocksichord is so weird and interesting. "The Weight" is also outstanding, a classic track. "Tears of Rage" is also good. I also liked Dylan's influence in the songwriting.
3
May 13 2025
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Different Class
Pulp
This album is britpop distilled. It feels like a landmark of the genre, and it would clearly influence more recent acts like "Arctic Monkeys" in style and delivery.
I really like Cocker's singing, very distinctive UK britpop style. His whole attitude too is refreshingly brazen, finding a mix of sleazy, insightful and sometimes energetic.
His songwriting and delivery are also super interesting, especially in "I Spy", the mix of singing and whispering displays great range and creativity.
I really liked "Disco 2000","I Spy", "Monday Morning" and "Underwear". "F.E.E.L.I.N.G.C.A.L.L.E.D.L.O.V.E." was also amazing, grandiose and I loved the strings here and in "Something Changed". I actually liked most of the songs.
At first, I thought I'd give this record 4 stars. It doesn't really feel like a "masterpiece" or like a truly cohesive classic album. But I've been listening to this on repeat for the past +24 hours and it turns out I really really like it. To me it feels like an album that might be a bit imperfect but that you like so much you're willing to overlook its flaws.
Don't expect a perfect album, but expect the catchiest and most insightful Britpop has to offer. For me, that's worth 5 stars.
5
May 14 2025
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Made In Japan
Deep Purple
I've never been much of a fan of Live albums but I have to say this one is very very good. They really perform the hell out of these songs, the album flows pretty well, and particularly Disc 1 (the original release) is pretty a easy and rewarding listening of hard rock.
What makes this album stand out is how excellent they were live. They work really well together, the solos are absolutely amazing and the vocals are up there as well.
This is something that could only really happen on a Live Record, different solos and performances from the studio version that take it somewhere else. Every song has an extra 2 or 3 minutes that make that specific version unique and interesting.
I listened to the 2014 Deluxe edition, and I felt that maybe three versions of "Black Night" and two of "Speed King" in Disc 2 were a bit too much.
But the original release is probably one of the best live albums ever made, simply because of how powerful the performances are and how good Deep Purple were at that moment.
4
May 15 2025
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Midnight Ride
Paul Revere & The Raiders
It's not a bad album, very classic rock and roll, sounds a bit Beetle-esque at times. It wasn't great, but it wasn't bad at all. They mix slow ballads with more energetic tracks pretty well, the former being where the record works best for me. They're also not afraid to get a bit weird. They're really innovative, particularly for the 60s.
My favourite was "Ballad of a Useless Man" and "I'm Not Your Stepping Stone". I also loved "All I Really Need Is You", the guitar is pretty weird and the scale they use is quite interesting. Same with "Louie, Go Home".
"Melody for an Unknown Girl" is very pretty, it's also funny with the whole "this songs has no words...".
3
May 16 2025
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Vanishing Point
Primal Scream
I really liked this album, it's a very interesting mix of progressive/experimental rock and some sort of trip hop/dub. It works really well, the instrumentation and the production (particularly the effects) are excellent. The singing also tends to add an interesting character to the songs.
The most remarkable aspect of the album for me is how innovative they are and how they really push for a niche that works.
I must say that with a name like "Primal Scream" I expected Heavy Metal or something more akin to the name. Also, I didn't really care much for Gillespie's previous work with Jesus And Mary Chain, so it's nice to see a change in style.
My favourites were "Burning Wheel" and "Trainspotting", loved the mixing of the drums on the latter. "Kowalski"'s bassline is also pretty good. "Medication" felt a bit out of place, it was a bit too straightforward when compared to the rest of the album.
4
May 17 2025
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Vol. 4
Black Sabbath
This is a great record, Black Sabbath show great range and versatility. They're able to go heavy on tracks like "Under the Sun", but also write these beautiful slow moving pieces like "Laguna Sunrise".
Really liked the lyricism and topics: wealth, religion and apparently a lot of drugs. Osbourne really gets personal at times and it serves the music really well.
My favourites were "Changes", which manages to find the middle ground and also make a catchy classic, and "Under the Sun/Every Day Comes and Goes", which is super heavy.
Ozzy's distinctive voice works well within the tracks. The production and instrumentation are just right, mixing both well for laid-back tracks and making harder tracks hit even harder with great tone for the guitars and the drums. The drumming is also excellent, particularly in "Under the Sun/Every Day Comes and Goes".
Overall, I really liked it, a very complete, versatile and consistent record.
4
May 18 2025
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Country Life
Roxy Music
I found Country Life to be a much better record than "For Your Pleasure". Here, they lean much more into the rock side of their music. They also manage to keep the record interesting and innovative but accessible at the same time. The first half of the album was the strongest for me.
It does get a bit weird around the middle, but it still works for me. No Brian Eno also means that the weirdness isn't as experimental as before, but this also helps keep the record grounded in Art Rock territory.
One big improvement is Ferry's singing, he manages to complement the music much better, dialing down the excessive vibrato singing heard in "For Your Pleasure".
My favourite track was "Out Of The Blue", and "Prairie Rose" was great too, the guitar work on both tracks is excellent, and the drums are pretty good.
4
May 19 2025
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The Chronic
Dr. Dre
A classic hip-hop record, Dr. Dre's production is the obvious standout, pushing G-Funk to new heights. This aspect of the album is top-tier: fat basslines, sharp drums and Parliament-Funkadelic samples work perfectly to add some funk to the tracks.
Rap-wise, Snoop Dogg plays a major part, and he's in top form here. Dr. Dre, while not particularly remarkable as a rapper, delivers good verses with proper flow that fit the music perfectly.
Content-wise, this is Gangsta Rap at its prime. While not particularly deep, it does capture an image of their life and struggles: the beef with Ruthless Records, the violence they're immersed in, and occasional mentions of the L.A. riots.
Of course, being '90s Hip-Hop, not all of the lyrics have aged well, as the glorification of gun violence and misogyny were a significant feature of the lyrical content. "Bitches Ain't Shit" is the most obvious culprit for the latter, being both a controversial closer and an excessive, almost 5-minute track of degrading women one way or another. It's been discussed a lot over time, and while I think there are more complex takes on the topic (See bell hooks "Sexism and Misogyny: Who Takes the Rap?"), it doesn't take away from this track being a textbook example of misogyny in rap.
It's difficult to pick favourite songs, because it has some classic tracks. "Nuthin but a G Thang" is probably one of the best hip-hop songs in history. Aside from that, I loved "Let Me Ride", especially because of the production and the sample. The "$20 Sack Pyramid" is a great skit. The sex skit, on the other hand, is completely unnecessary.
Overall, it's a great album. It's a classic that pushes hip hop into a new direction, perfectly encapsulating all that G-Funk and Gangsta Rap represent.
4
May 20 2025
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I Should Coco
Supergrass
The record is nice, but I didn't find it groundbreaking. I like the vibe, it's an interesting mix of alternative rock and pop punk.
The first half of the record is very energetic, although it feels a bit monotonous. Besides "Alright", the first half doesn't have much variation in terms of sound. The second half mixes more moods, and I feel the record works the best when alternating between more laid-back tracks like "Time To Go", or even "She's So Loose" and the other high energy ones.
The performances are pretty good, some nice drumming and solid guitar playing. The keyboard can be a bit much, like for example in "I'd Like To Know". The vocals are very fitting for the Britpop vibe, and the lyrics are good enough: nothing groundbreaking but not out of place either. I did find it remarkable that Supergrass were very young when they put this record out, yet they were great instrumentally and very cohesive with their sound.
As for favourites, "Alright" is a classic, and deservedly so. But the one I liked the most was "She's So Loose". "Strange Ones" was also good and pretty catchy.
3
May 21 2025
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Arise
Sepultura
Being thrash metal, the album is very high-tempo and intense. The performances are very technical, and the album feels relentless in its intensity.
In terms of instrumentation, the drumming is very demanding technically, and it’s very well done. That being said, the constant double-bass drumming gets a bit old after a while. The guitar parts are great, pushing the intensity, while also sounding great. The vocals I didn’t like much; Max Calavera’s growl-ish harsh vocals can be a bit much.
Lyrically, it doesn’t get too complex, but the topics are very grim.
The “Subtraction” and “Altered State” combination back to back was for me the best moment of the album; I liked the bass solo in “Subtraction”, and the tribal drums in “Altered State” were interesting too. I felt like here they varied more their sound.
While I can see its merits, particularly technically, I can’t say I liked it as an album. I might revisit a couple of songs if I’m really in the mood for some heavy thrash metal, but not much more.
Nice having a Brazilian band here. And I hated the cover.
2
May 22 2025
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Highway to Hell
AC/DC
It's a rock classic, obviously. It encapsulates very well the AC/DC sound, and it's very consistent with it.
The tracks are pretty high energy, good instrumentation and pretty compact and well written. The topics are varied and pretty light, very on par for the genre without getting too deep. Scott's singing is very distinctive and intense, the delivery is good although at times his tone can be a bit much.
My favourite song was probably "Highway to Hell", it's just a classic and it remains as good as ever.
Overall, the album is pretty cohesive and works well, it doesn't outlive its welcome but instead just powers through for the whole lenght.
4
May 23 2025
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Risque
CHIC
Rodgers and Edwards are geniuses and the album is just exquisitely well done.
The instrumentation is just heavenly. The guitar playing by Rodgers is perfect for the vibe, and the bass lines are so good, Edwards was a truly amazing bass player. The singing is also just right. And the strings parts are well written and bring the tracks together.
In terms of favourites, the album just starts so strong: "Good Times" is an amazing dance tune, and it's immediately followed by "A Warm Summer Night", which is just a beautiful composition. “What About Me” is also great, just super vibes.
This is probably some of the best disco has to offer, and it's pretty damn good. The record can be a touch repetitive at times (maybe that’s just part of how Disco goes), and doesn’t quite match strength of its opening, but it’s nevertheless a great and cohesive record.
4
May 24 2025
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Doolittle
Pixies
Great album, just pushing the alt rock limits in all sorts of directions. Super bold, great instrumentally, and even though the singer has a distinctive voice it doesn't get annoying.
The record just captures that 90s angst sound so well (even though it's from '89). Just the right mixture of energy and weirdness.
Favourites: "Here Comes Your Man" is a great track, but my absolute favourite was "Hey". The album is packed with great songs. "Silver" was a bit underwhelming on the other hand.
4
May 25 2025
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Funeral
Arcade Fire
It's a good record, a very artsy variation of indie rock, they're not afraid to mix different instruments and they build very beautiful musical pieces, specially with the strings sections they include. It also encapsulates a sort of nostalgia with the music and lyrics. The whole concept from the first part is interesting enough.
That being said, while I appreciate the album, I didn't really connect with it that much. The best song for me was the very well known "Wake Up". "Neighborhood #3 Power Out" was also pretty good, with a higher intensity than the other tracks.
3
May 26 2025
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Bossanova
Pixies
I liked the record but I didn't find it groundbreaking or particularly interesting, it's a nice Alt Rock album, doesn't overstay its welcome and doesn't really push too far away.
It's very difficult not to compare it to Doolittle, which I liked much more as they were bolder and the music was overall more interesting.
Despite this, it's not at all bad, a bit more laid back and straight forward than Doolittle.
My favourite song was "Hang Wire".
3
May 27 2025
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On The Beach
Neil Young
This was a great listen, loved the mix of folk and blues, it feels like nostalgic or melancholic, Young's voice delivers that emotion even stronger. I really liked it, it felt really cohesive (although his lyrics are a bit amnbiguous at times).
I felt the second half worked particularly well, it encapsulates the vibe really well, with songs that are a bit more fleshed out. The last 3 songs back to back are great, beautiful and moving. It's very difficult to pick a faovurite out of the 3.
4
May 28 2025
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Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
The Smashing Pumpkins
A great album, very grungy and mixes very well loud with quieter moments. I loved the dirty, distorted tone of the electric guitars and Corgan's singing, they create such a grungy vibe. The album also works when slowing it down a bit, like "We Only Come Out At Night", a much more mellow track.
This album is packed with amazing songs, I loved: "Zero", "Here Is No Why", "1979", "X.Y.U", "Porcelina Of The Vast Oceans", "Bodies", "Bullet with Butterfly Wings" and "Tonight, Tonight". These were the standouts, but there are many great songs. The whole first half of the first album is just back to back perfection.
That being said, I find double albums are always hard because you have to make a project that's cohesive and interesting throughout the whole duration (2 hours here). In this case, I understand why they did it, with the amount of material they had it's justified for it to be so long. But, it does get overlong, having a couple of fillers and overall not all the songs are that strong. I feel that if they had just picked the absolute best songs, they could've had a 5 star perfect album.
It's still a very good album, and I really liked it, but a more focused version of the album would've been perfect.
4
May 29 2025
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Tonight's The Night
Neil Young
Compared to "On The Beach", this record have the same impact, and it didn't feel as polished. I felt it didn't stand out as much, although there are some good songs. My favourites were "Mellow My Mind" and "New Mama". While it was an easy listen and it's very on par for Young's work at the time, I wouldn't call it his best work.
3
May 30 2025
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Maxinquaye
Tricky
I really like Triphop, but this album didn't feel particularly groundbreaking for me. It's very moody, experimental and weird at times, which is good and works, but there aren't many moments that truly standout for me.
The best songs for me where "Hell Is Around The Corner", which is pretty good but it's also difficult not to compare it to "Glory Box" by Portishead, which uses the same sample (and is arguably better). The other song I found really interesting was "Strugglin'".
In terms of performances, the production as I said gets pretty weird and interesting. The vocal performance by Tricky are good, but Marlina Topley-Bird is the absolute highlight, her voice and delivery are flawless and fit the Triphop vibe perfectly.
3
May 31 2025
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Natty Dread
Bob Marley & The Wailers
This is a pretty chill record, very much a classic Reggae record. It's an easy listen, the sound is pretty consistent but Marley and co. manage to keep it interesting enough for the entire duration of the record.
The themes are mostly about love, politics and some sort of life-philosophy stuff. It doesn't take away from the record, but at points Marley's views come across as very classic/conservative (e.g., "Every man needs a woman"). Given that it was the '70s, it's not surprising, but of course it hasn't aged that well.
It's also interesting to note Marley's voice, which I find was a bit more developed in later records, here he sounds a bit more rough but not worse at all.
My favourite songs were probably the classic "No Woman No Cry" and "Natty Dread", the chorus was pretty catchy.
Overall, I'd say it's a pretty easy-listening, a cool record, but it didn't stand out much in my opinion.
3
Jun 01 2025
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The Genius Of Ray Charles
Ray Charles
It's a very good record, I loved the big arrangements and how stylish they sound. It's interesting though that even though Charles' went in a more "swing" direction with this record, he manages to blend it with soul and his more R&B sound.
Charles' voice is crazy good, his delivery is so powerful and stylish.
The opening track, "Let the Good Times Roll", is so good, big and very energetic. The string arrangements on "Don't Let the Sun Catch You Cryin'" are beautiful too, same for "Am I Blue".
Overall, it was pretty good, easy listening, soulful and energetic at the same time.
3
Jun 02 2025
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Parallel Lines
Blondie
I really like Blondie, their hits are absolutely fantastic. This album is super energetic pop rock. While it's not too pop, it does lean heavily into making catchy songs while using some fast paced rock instrumentation.
I really liked the guitar lines, they work very well and set the mood for the songs. The standout of the band is obviously Harry's singing, she has a great, powerful voice which allows her to both work in the pop choruses and raise the energy when the record is more power-pop. On the other hand, the male backing vocals could really use some work, I didn't like the tone or the delivery at all.
My favourite songs were the obvious classics "One Way or Another" and "Heart of Glass", which are truly great and clearly stand out. Aside from that, my favourite was "Will Anything Happen". Besides these though, I found there was a gap in quality between the best and the rest, some songs being pretty forgettable.
This album has very high highs, but its lows feel pretty standard and unremarkable. While they're not bad, it's certainly not a consistent record, particularly around the middle of the record. It hurts me to say it, because I really like Blondie, but I don't feel this album is as good as its best songs.
3