This is one of my favourite albums from the 1990s, and listening now gives me such nostalgic feelings. Pulp are very much influenced by Ray Davies. Slightly more waspish in their lyrics but definitely fits that Kinks are The Village Green… vibe. I also hear a bit of Scott Walker in there too. Really enjoy this slice of life in a northern town, and I think Common People, Sorted for Es and Whizz, Disco 2000 and even Mis-shapes are still absolute bangers! If you know, you know.

Not listened to this one in a few years, and it’s better than I remember. It’s consistent, It Ain’t Easy notwithstanding, and it’s cohesive. This is one the best and most influential albums ever. What else is there to say?

This is totally in my wheelhouse, and I have been a fan of this since it was released; back in the day, before we knew anything about Urban Hymns. I enjoy the dreamy shoegaze landscapes and RA wailing over soaring guitars. It’s got an abrasive, unpolished sound, which I really love. Lyrically it’s very angsty, and that suits the low-Fi sonics. However, it’s long and a bit flabby. It starts off well, but then runs to fat in the middle. It picks up again with History and No Knock on My Door, then loses me again at the end. Overall though, I still enjoy it.

I absolutely hate this. Not one note of this makes any sense to me, and it feels like it goes on and on for no good reason. On the plus side, Syd Barrett’s tendency towards whimsy saves this album from the full blown pomposity and conceit that Roger Waters will shower over Floyd. TPATGOD really is of its time. That’s not to say it’s dated necessarily, but it is a product of the psychedelic age. It was undoubtedly influential in its time. but that doesn’t necessarily make it good. For me it is the sound of a drug addled and confused mind, obvious Kinks influence notwithstanding.

It’s fine. It’s not wildly different from his first album, and I feel like it doesn’t really go anywhere. I listened to it three or four times and kept waiting for it to take off and was disappointed that it didn’t. Hazey Jane II is a highlight.

I already own this one. His vocal is very high in the mix. Some songs could be shorter because they start to feel too long. Overall it’s a rollicking affair, and enjoyable enough. Not sure it’s essential listening, though. It just expands on Bringing It All Back Home which for me is the better album

This is my first listen because hip-hop isn’t my genre. However, it’s there is a lot of jazz and funk on it. I love his powerful lyrics and the challenge they throw down, particularly on The Blacker the Berry, which was a highlight. The album is KL’s self awareness and understanding of the social and political environment he is living in, which comes to a point on Mortal Man. While the album wasn’t made for me, it’s an excellent piece of social and optical commentary.

It’s light. It’s fun. It has some tasty guitar licks. It also reminds me of something for the old timers at the North Pier in Blackpool. I didn’t like it much. I can see how it influenced southern rock, and there is a real bluesy feel on a lot of the tracks, but the organ becomes wearing after a while. It should be in the book because it does something new, but it isn’t for me.

I was a young teenager when this came out, and I remember the fuss it caused. There are a lot of cliches on it, and some of the lyrical content sounds outdated now. The album is mostly a lot of nonsense, but there is a joy in it. It’s party rap. It’s about having a good time which is reflected throughout, most overtly on Fight For Your Right I have no idea if it’s technically good or not, but I like it in a way I have never really liked the Beastie Boys again. Whether that’s nostalgia or because it’s really good, I neither know nor care!

Big voice, big talent, but this album is a big disappointment. It’s polished and it’s over produced. There are some great tracks - Hello is the clear standout - but it’s very safe and predictable. It’s 21 lite, and it’s not even half as good.

I heard this album for the first time about a year ago, and I really quite like it. I like the half arsed, demo quality and its low-fi sound. I’m not really a GBV fan, but I enjoyed this offering

A shoegaze, sonic experiment, that reminds me of all the bits of 1997 that I can remember. There are some beautiful tones on this album, and there is a huge amount of layering on each track. It’s a collection of genres that intermingle well with each other, but it’s long. The final track, a 17 minute sonic journey that left me feeling the tiniest bit exhausted. As much as I enjoyed this album, I did find it a bit inflated and lacking any more substance than pretty soundscapes.

This is sounds exactly like the late 1970s. It’s filled with colourful, glossy tunes and a very polished and smooth production. The tunes are pure disco funk and so much fun. I think the album is pretty front loaded, side two is not so uptempo, and I think that lets it down a bit. It’s a great album and it’s the start of MJ’s meteoric rise to pop mega stardom, but it’s not for me.

I really struggled with this one and I didn’t like it. The singer does that Bob Dylan inflection in his singing, which is an unnecessary affectation. The album is described as mystical folk rock, but that hobbits and elves vibe doesn’t really kick in until after Magic Hollow, but there doesn’t seem like the band feels any conviction to it. It should sound a bit whimsical,like early Pink Floyd, or a less committed Led Zeppelin , but it doesn’t. This makes the album start to feel really long on side two. The album floats along at a fairly sedate pace, but while the band plays with the folk rock genre, and pulling out the harpsichord and psychedelic strings, it’s a pretty lacklustre display.

Let’s be real here. This isn’t really a Byrds album. It’s the album Gram Parsons made when he stole The Byrds for a backing band, and took Chris Hillman home as a souvenir. The album is fine, it’s inoffensive and the players are really good. It just doesn’t excite. Hickory Wind notwithstanding. I recognise the importance of the album as a crossover and an experiment, and while it’s far from terrible, I will never deliberately listen to it again.

Not listened to this one in a few years, and it’s better than I remember. It’s consistent, It Ain’t Easy notwithstanding, and it’s cohesive. This is one the best and most influential albums ever. What else is there to say?

I have had this album since it came out back in the day, and it’s hard to review this one without nostalgia. It’s a decent enough listen. A bit safe, but the Charlatans weaved some nice melodies. Better than a lot of their contemporaries , this album is a pleasant way to spend 40 odd minutes.

Mystical jazz dronings that go on for what seems like astral weeks! Hated it. I’ve tried a few times over the years to get into it, but it’s just not for me.

I don’t mind a bit of shoegaze dream pop or whatever, but I do mind when it’s safe, samey and on album that feels long than 40 odd minutes. Every track sounded like a minor revision of the one before, and they lack any rough edges. It doesn’t surprise or enthral , but it’s not terrible. On the plus side, it’s gentle and soothing, and the lyrics don’t really trouble the brain much. Better Times was probably less not great than the other songs, and it has a floaty feel about it. I also liked 10 Mile Stereo because it reminded me of MGMT being played at half speed. Overall, though, it ain’t for me.

I don’t like Sting’s voice and I’m not a fan of his cod reggae, which I find becomes offensive at times on this offering. Not for me at all and not required listening in my view

Actually better than I remember it being. The piano is relentless, and gets a bit wearing after the halfway mark, but I liked more than I didn’t like. I reminds me a lot of Leonard Cohen’s Songs of Love and Hate, which isn’t a bad thing. Some of the lyrics are uncomfortable, and he sounds quite detached, but I like the melancholy and the sparse sound.

I always want to like the B52s more than I do. That’s not to say I don’t like them, they always just sound like the aural equivalent of a 1950s B movie. This album is a lot of fun though and I enjoyed the quirky vibe throughout. I like they have taken the post punk aesthetic in a totally different direction than every other post punk struggler. However, the last track is fairly horrible and the album, generally, tends to tip into self-aggrandising their weirdness. I like the album well enough, but not that much.

It’s a decent album, but it’s nothing really to get over excited about. VU have made better albums, but it was pleasant enough listening. Not keen on The Murder Mystery and hated it after near 9 minutes. It doesn’t seem to fit on this album, it’s got more White Light/White Heat vibes. Huge fan of Candy Says and Pale Blue Eyes. And the Moe Tucker closer is an underrated classic. It’s a pleasant enough effort, and although I have a copy it’s rarely in my rotation selection.

There is nothing really wrong with this except that it’s uninspired and, frankly, a bit dull. He’s got all his famous pals playing on it, and it still doesn’t excite. It’s a no from me. I will never listen to this album again, or if I do, I will forget it half an hour later.

Unremarkable for the most part. The exceptions being American Pie: rambling, nonsensical, epic; Vincent: sad, slow, a bit self-conscious; and Everybody Love Me Baby: ridiculous (with Don doing Dylan inflections throughout); really quite bad.

Is it prog? Is it rock? It’s not a million miles away from Tarkus by ELP, and there is an early Genesis vibe on Tears. It has a very long opening track, which I was expecting to absolutely hate, but didn’t. I don’t love it either. I’m just not fond of the subject matter. And at the 14 minute mark, I was exhausted. The rest of the album is not quite so exhausting but doesn’t do anything particularly remarkable. It covers much the same ground as ELP and Genesis, and sounds more like indulgence than innovation.

This album is all samples and layers and I don’t particularly like it. It’s incredible how many samples there is, and that’s where the innovation is. The problem is that PB is not as good as 3ft High and Rising. It’s also very long and the shouting gets wearing after about 40 minutes. It was okay. I didn’t hate it and technically it’s very accomplished. I wouldn’t turn it off if I heard it, but it would not make my play rotation.

This is totally in my wheelhouse, and I have been a fan of this since it was released; back in the day, before we knew anything about Urban Hymns. I enjoy the dreamy shoegaze landscapes and RA wailing over soaring guitars. It’s got an abrasive, unpolished sound, which I really love. Lyrically it’s very angsty, and that suits the low-Fi sonics. However, it’s long and a bit flabby. It starts off well, but then runs to fat in the middle. It picks up again with History and No Knock on My Door, then loses me again at the end. Overall though, I still enjoy it.

Back in my wheelhouse. I really like this album but its inclusion in the book is mystifying. The album plods along nicely, and it’s fairly standard 90s alternative fare. It’s got a grunge feel, and GLP, lyrics and vocals suit that grunge vibe. If you crossed Neil Young with early Radiohead, this is what you would get. I can see why people find this album bland and/or stodgy because there is nothing that truly excites, or is innovative, which is why I don’t think it should be in the book, but it’s consistent and warm and I will listen to it many more times.

This album is fine. It’s rough around the edges, and DG shows off his musicianship and grunge roar adequately. I like the songs for the most part. They have a decent energy and catharsis. However, there isn’t much variety on there, and the beat is relentless. It sounds very much like the cheap band you booked because Nirvana were too expensive. It’s pretty front loaded and drags a bit towards the end, but on the whole it’s a decent listen. I like it well enough, and it’s probably the best offering from the Foos. It’s just not that innovative or inspiring.

ABBA do exactly what it says on the tin. They make well crafted, upbeat (for the most part), pop tunes. Sometimes the lyrics are a bit silly, but the music is constructed in such a way as for that not to matter. I don’t understand why people get all snotty about them. ABBA are not going to make political songs, they are not going to spiral into a 25 minute sitar solo in the middle of Dancing Queen. They ARE going to make a 40 minute album of delighted pop music, and they are no less good, or important because of the genre of music they make. This album is upbeat, unpretentious and joyous. It opens with momentum and it takes that energy through to its conclusion. Dancing Queen isn’t my favourite, but it goes with the vibe on this album. It’s perfect pop music delivered by fantastic performers.

This is like the Brian Eno of the fusion jazz world. I’m sure the players on here are proficient, and may well be gifted, but I found it wholly soulless. It just sounds like bland, background music from wine bars in the 1980s. The cover is more interesting than the 37 minutes of music and it didn’t engage me at all. I never want to hear this album again and I’m pretty sure I didn’t need to hear it before I die either.

This is my first (and last) listen because this is really not music that was made for me. Some really nice samples, and it is a very slick production, but my god he goes on! Not a fan of his style, his constant grunting would have been better turned into some kind of melody. Also not a fan of his or amazing ability to praise himself. The album is at least 20 minutes too long and I almost gave up listening 4 or 5 times. Maybe it’s a grower, but my ears could stand giving him the chance. Definitely won’t listen again. Will not listen

I am a big fan of this album. I love SB’s voice and this selection really shows it off. There are a lot of church phrasings and lyrics in there, which I enjoyed. The album could possibly have been a bit more polished in the production, but I love those rough edges that are on there. So that under produced vibe really works for me and especially with his voice. Weird to think this isn’t a greatest hits, because there isn’t a consistent sound on the album, and because it’s got the big hit Cry To Me on there. Love it.

Until about 6 months ago, the only thing I knew about Sparks was this Town Ain’t Big Enough… and that they are bit quirky. Then I listened to this album for the first time time. I love this album. It’s punchy, it’s upbeat and it’s ever so slightly deranged. Such a vibe! Some of the songs are similar in sound but, for me, that doesn’t detract from its off kilter charm. I really like it a lot and listen to it often.

First time listen and I thought it was fine. Nothing spectacular, nothing terrible. Just fine, if occasionally annoying. Wouldn’t listen again though. The 21st Century psychedelia feels a bit like a modern age Pet Sounds. It is essentially fairly harmless background noise.

I’ve heard this one before, and I still don’t like it. Tiny Dancer is great, but the rest just bleeds into one. It’s mercifully short however, which saves it from a one star score. Elton builds his style to vaguely glam and vaguely pop, but this album seems more vaguely prog, and doesn’t hold my interest being the first two or three tracks. Won’t listen again and I know there is at least one better album he has made.

As a Scot, I am familiar with the Blue Nile and I’ve got a nostalgic affection for Tinsel Town in the Rain. However the pretentiousness of this album, is not lost on me. It sounds dated, and as smooth and polished as it is, it still sounds like 1984. The songs feel long, even though the album is relatively short. The album desperately wants you to love it, but it’s actually just an okay listen.

This is not my genre. There is nothing really wrong with it, it’s just not for me. The production is very slick, and the album is very smooth and polished. However as uptempo and decent as the songs are, it gets a bit samey. That’s said I find it easier listening than many other disco tinged funk albums. I didn’t hate it, I see the influence of it, but the album doesn’t interest me, and I neither the music or the lyrics, as good as they are, connect with me.

I have long familiarity with this album, and while it’s fun, I wish it didn’t have so many skits in it. That game show theme wears a bit thin for me. The album is fun and poppy, a bit cheesy at times, but it has some great sampling on it and the tracks are groovy and a bit trippy. Probably can be described as the hip hop Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. It’s a fun album, it’s got a relaxed vibe, but the skits could be fewer. It’s obviously influential and deserves its place on the list. I would listen to it again, it just wouldn’t be in my heavy rotation list.

One of two EC albums I enjoy. I like the punchy pop punk of this one, and I was actually quite surprised to find that I liked it. It’s maybe not as accessible as My Aim Is True but I think on the whole this is a better album. The songwriting is great, I like his pathos and balance of the social and the personal. The music is fun, and catchy. I liked it a lot. Definitely will listen again and should be included on the list because it has influenced a lot.

Generally not a fan of The Kinks past their early blues band days. However, I am a big fan of this slice of quintessential Englishness. Ray Davis’ ability to capture aspects of his culture and turn them into charming and ironic pieces of song is far beyond that of anyone before or since. I own the deluxe edition of this album which includes the mono version of the album, which gives in a cold and more distant quality which works quite well. The Kinks, and particularly TVGPS, is so influential on 1990s acts. I can hear a lot of the influence on Blur (who try the same thing less well), Pulp who do with more waspish wit, and on Belle and Sebastian who also use that vignette style storytelling with more pathos. More accessible than the Beatles and less cool than the Stones, The Kinks are the quintessential English band.

Where to start with this one? I don’t like it, and I have heard it so many times over the years that it starts to make my ears want to bleed. Edwyn Collins is the world weary Morrissey of early 1980s Scottish pop, and I just can’t get behind it. The songs are a mish mash of genres, and none of them done particularly well. Conga drums, jazz elements, horns, it’s just a horrible intersection of Haircut 100 and The Velvet Underground; and The Smiths and Chic. Not for me but escapes a score of 1 because they are Scottish and I am biased!

I like this album. It’s quiet and chilled, and I like his quiet low-fi rage. It’s not as good as some of his other offerings but it’s worth a listen. His voice is either something you like or something you don’t, and I like it because of its unpretentiousness. His lyrics are vague and indirect swipes at the political and the personal alike. Definitely an album I revisit every once in a while, but not his best effort for me.

First time listen for me, and there are some decent noises on it, but it could have been a bit more interesting and a bit less wearing. I’m sure it’s all very innovative and arty but most of it is discordant and occasionally shrill. Maybe it’s a grower, but it isn’t something I have any interest in hearing again. Overall it was nothing better than fine, but I won’t listen to it again on purpose and I don’t think it is (or was) essential listening before you die.

Horrible pseudo-jazz themed howling from Jeff Buckley’s dad. Okay, so his voice is pretty good, and he reminds me often of Jeff when he’s singing. Sadly, I can’t get excited about his lyrical musings. The songs are long and a bit dull, and the album feels much longer than the 45ish minutes. I was hoping at one point we were half way though, but it turned out it was just going onto track 3! The shorter songs were better, and I did particularly like the tone in his voice on Sing a Song for You. Still, it was a slog to listen to it, and made Nick Drake seem quite lively. I won’t ever listen to this again, I’m sure it doesn’t need to be on the list.

This is my second ever listen, and it’s inoffensive, occasionally charming and largely unexciting. There is nothing particularly edgy or challenging about any of it. It’s just Yousef/Cat with his guitar and some decent lyrics. It’s an intimate album, and there is al folkie kind of sound. Father and Son is a highlight, but otherwise I found little to excite me. It’s an album that you listen to when you have had too much to drink and you are in a reflective mood. Whack this on, and you will cry the sad tears of nostalgia and lost innocence. It’s fine.

This is a banger! I have loved this album since it came out and I think it’s a solid debut, certainly better than their second offering, which is similar but less good. The vibe reminds me a lot of The Strokes, it’s got that loose garage sound, and it’s pretty stompy for the most part, which I really enjoy. Some tracks are a bit pretentious, and it’s kind of front loaded, which lets it down a wee bit. I still really enjoy it, though, and it gets an airing in my house every so often.

This is my first listen, and it’s both how I expected and not how I expected it to sound. It’s got the usual Thom Yorke wails, which are standard Radiohead fare, but it’s a lot more tuneful than I expected it to be. I prefer Pablo Honey era Radiohead, when they were noisy Nirvana wannabes (Creep notwithstanding) but this offering is pleasant enough. A little bit distant and emotionless, but I expect that from them. The vocals are mixed too low down, and the rhythm is quite bland so there’s nothing interesting there. I think that’s the influence that Radiohead have had on contemporary popular music. The songs are also quite similar which makes the vibe dull, and I think it totally loses its way 3/4s of the way through. The last couple of tracks are dreary and protracted. On the whole though it’s better than I expected. It’s influenced future music but I don’t think I’ll be listening again too often.

Even separating the album from the subject matter, this is still horribly creepy. Serge’s perv whispering, and Jane Birkin’s nubile gasping really made this the most uncomfortable listen so far. The music on the album is far and away the best thing about it, and even it’s not that great. It’s pseudo jazz tinkerings, and menancing guitar chords hovering on the sidelines. Serge whispering and performing fellatio on the mic ruins what could be vaguely listenable. I found the whole thing nightmarish, and nearly gave up with it. Thankfully the album is short and my unease was over with a half hour. I fail to see why this should be on the list, and I definitely won’t be listening again.

I am not a huge Aretha fan, but the first time I heard this album, I was so knocked out by it, I went straight out and got myself a copy. I don’t think I fully appreciated how talented she was until I heard this album. It is sublime, her voice is tremendous and it’s nice to hear her interpret other people’s songs. I love the ‘church’ phrasings in the way she sings, and she boots the arse out of soul music. Her voice on A Change is Gonna Come is perfect. This album puts all other soul albums to shame. Great great album, and a worthy addition to my collection. This should definitely be on the list because the entire album is faultless.

Well that’s two hours of my life I will never get back! Horrible space prog with ridiculous lyrics and noise that went on forever. There are no riffs and there is no groove. This is what happens when you want to be Emerson Lake and Palmer, but all you have is Lemmy and too many drugs. Hated it!

This wasn’t great for me. It wasn’t terrible either. I just find Santana boring. He hasn’t changed his sound ever, and as good as he is, he’s not particularly remarkable. The debut album is probably are more persuasive example of his work. I’m just not into this one. I didn’t enjoy this, and I’m not convinced that it’s essential listening before you die.

Okay, so this is where we are at. John Lennon, angry man, is recording his primal scream therapy sessions, and allowing the listener to hear them as a nice treat. Pfft! Mother starts off reasonably well, then descends into a howling tantrum that would get a toddler banished to the naughty step. And this appears to be the general theme of the album. A track starts off vaguely, gets a bit good, then ends in a howling tantrum. Good one, John. Glad you feel a bit better. However, I don’t need your trauma. It wasn’t the worst thing I’ve listened to. It’s pretentious and self-indulgent and I will never deliberately listen to this again.

I hated this album when it first came out, but after hearing my brother playing it a lot, I started coming round to it a bit more. After 28 years, I like it marginally more than I don’t like it. Sonically odd with lots of layering and screaming guitars; TY doing his weird wailing; and words that seem to have been chosen for their sound rather than their meaning, it’s quite good. Radiohead have never been shy about experimenting, and they have really gone experimental in this. There are loads of weird sounds on this, but it’s a bit overloaded with sound. The tracks start well, mostly, and some are decent, but they descend into noise which I don’t like. I think these dips into sonic experimentation are to disguise the fact that this album isn’t half as good as they think it is.

Not at all bad. Liked it but didn’t love it. I love the social commentary and the deep, gold soul these guys have. I wasn’t put off by the funk aspect because it sounds quite cool. I think I like this better than their smooth soul. I like the grittier edge. However, I didn’t really like the jazzy kind of vibe that’s on there. It seems a bit out of place somehow. Overall though, it was well worth a listen and I will listen again because I think it’s a slow burn grower.

I really like this album. I know it is technically punk, but it’s more fun and less angry than some earlier punk bands. It’s a good album and there is more going on than it at first seems. It takes a swipe at some other punk tropes. Pretty varied and inventive for punk, and more produced than most punk albums. Enjoy this, own the original of this without Gary Gilmour’s Eyes. Cracking album.

This is kind of like a greatest hits album from a band that you don’t really know that well. 4 half the songs are out and out classics, and the other 4 aren’t all bad. I like Skynyrd’s sound. They have a nice southern groove about their music. I’m less keen on Van Zandt and his posturing when he gets his socio-political, but his voice suits the laid back southern sound. I have this album and I listen to it regularly, and I think it deserves a place on the list.

This is my second listen, and I will admit to having totally forgotten everything about it after the first listen. It’s noisy, angry, postmodern punk and very much in the vein of Fugazi. I think I probably would have enjoyed it 30 years ago, but now it’s just too much noise about nothing. The album is okay, but the tracks are too long and I can’t connect with them. It obviously influences a lot of bands going forward so probably deserves to be on the list, but I just don’t like it much.

I really don’t like Talking Heads beyond some of there hits. This album was more art school tinkerings with no consistency of sound or feel. The influence on Franz Ferdinand is especially evident on this but I just can’t get into it. I’m not even that into acknowledged “classic” Once in a Lifetime. Too many noises, too many different styles, and no cohesion.

Was half expecting a Beach Boys album today, after the passing of Brian Wilson yesterday. This is probably my favourite incarnation of the Beach Boys. It’s likeable, feel good, sunshine rock and roll. A bit of Spector-esque wall of sound orchestration and a lot of layers, so you see how that developed into their future sound. The songs are bit samey, and relentlessness of side one’s uptempo tracks gets a bit wearing. The ballads on side two get a bit wearing too. It would have been nice if there had been more balance between uptempo songs and ballads. Overall a nice summer time vibe.

It is 1997. Noel Gallagher has effectively killed Britpop and The Verve record the sound of the comedown. I have never considered The Verve to be Britpop, because they never had that hedonistic vibe. They tend towards shoegaze and a much heavier sound than the swirling, jangly guitars of the Britpop vanguard. While I enjoy this album on the whole, it’s not perfect by any stretch. The pattern is very similar to A Northern Soul - album is too long and loses its way round about the middle, where there is a lot of excess fat, bit it brings it back just in the last couple of tracks. For me, not as good sonically as A Northern Soul. It sometimes gets a bit self-conscious in its gloom. Space and Time has the sort of guitar swirling that Oasis would have killed for, I have an abiding fondness for Velvet Morning, and Bitter Sweet Symphony is a perfect opener.Its just that everything else is a bit samey and missing a vital spark. Overall though, this is completely in my wheelhouse, and I enjoy this album a lot.

I’m really into this album, and this kind of stripped back Americana. So this one is on my rotation list. Gillian Welch is a the love child of Emmylou Harris and Lucinda Williams, and I really like her ability to tell a simply constructed story, even if she is heavy on the metaphor. This album sparkles and twangs. It’s got a rough, early recordings vibe to it, and that really suits the style of music. Her voice is great but occasionally sounds a bit thin for what she is trying to do, and David Rawlings harmonises, it gives the moment more punch. The album gets stronger as it progresses, and my only minor niggle is that I Dream a Highway could be shorter. Overall, it’s a great album, although depends on my mood as to how great I consider it to be.

I was filled with mild horror when this showed up as today’s album because I have a general aversion to prog rock. However, I endeavoured to listen to it and was quite surprised by what I heard. Not to the point that I enjoyed it, because I didn’t, but it was kinder on my ears than I thought it would be. The 3 tracks on this album are typically inflated and baroque, and the title track is an 18 minute play in 4 acts. However, it feels less self-aggrandising than a lot of progressive rock. There is relatively little showboating on the whole album, and there is a definite commitment to brevity. The entire album is under 40 minutes. That said, I cannot connect to the pomposity of the album, the pipe organ or the themes a in book I have no desire to read. It reminds me a lot of early Pink Floyd, without the whimsy, because it has that smug “Art” vibe on it. This album is the musical equivalent of reading Kafka in the original language. I will not deliberately listen to this album again.

I don’t like this album. The first track puts me off right away. I don’t mind Tis a Pity She is a Whore apart from the mad jazz backing, and Lazarus is fine. The last track is the pick of the bunch. I get he was making a concept album about dying,but I find the mix of genres quite jarring and I feel like it tries too hard to be remarkable. If it were not for the fact that this is very obviously a farewell album it would not be in the book at all. David Bowie has been a million times more influential, more progressive, and more innovative than this. It’s a no from me, I’m afraid.

Oh dear me, no! The Tarkus Suite is prog indulgence at its most gluttonous. Side two has horrible organ noises on it, and Infinite Space feels like it! Are You Ready, Eddy? is nearly good but offers far too little, far too late. Hate everything about it.

This album is very average. Some good tracks are cancelled out by some bad tracks, and you can see how Faith No More influenced Limp Bizkit, and the other one that was around at the same time. I think the album is pretty front loaded. Out of Nowhere and Epic are the big hitters, and the next two tracks are fine. The second half of the album is not so fine, although The Morning After is decent. The War Pigs cover is pretty much a carbon copy of the original, so what was the point? And the last track is too jazzy. It’s an average album and gets a bang average score.

The Albumator has kept me in a prog rock abyss for the past few days, so this is a welcome change. I really enjoyed this album. It’s concise, it’s upbeat and it’s really dancey. A bit of a change from Power Corruption and Lies, but I love the vibe on this album. Bernard Sumner’s vocal style isn’t for everyone, but I love his loose style. Great album from a really influential band.

I really struggled with this one. It’s my first listen and it was a bit too samba/ funky disco samba for me. He has a good voice and the guitar is really fresh and crunchy but I didn’t really connect with it. Nice to listen to once, and nice to hear more samba and less bossanova, but I won’t be checking it out again.

I think this is my first listen. I may have heard it once before but I am in no way familiar with it and don’t really know what to think about it. It is both awful and brilliant at the same time. The vocals, the harmonies and the production are so stripped back and don’t have that fat sound that the Beach Boys usually go for. Although Feel Flows has that fatter sound. The songs are ridiculous: Take a Load Off Your Feet, Student Demonstration Time and A Day in the Life of a Tree. Disney Girls (1957) is an unexpected slow waltz which jars the flow of the album. It gets a bit psychedelic for my tastes on side two and dips into that Pet Sounds vibe. It also has the fatter sound that I associate with the Beach Boys. I really can’t decide if the album is genius or junk but I would listen to it again.

This album starts with a ten minute trance, that kept making me think of Billie Jean, and it gets worse from there. It’s 6 sides of discordant noise with John Lydon groaning and howling in the background. Albatross would probably be better if it was shorter. In fact all the songs would be better if they were shorter. Is it meant to be taken seriously? I can’t decide if it’s mocking Joy Division or being influenced by them. Either way, I don’t like this album and can’t see myself choosing to listen to it ever again.

Love this album. Probably my favourite Pumpkins album and have played it regularly since 93. The album is so intense and tortured, and Billy Corgan pours so much emotion into everything. The production on it is lush and the sounds are deep and fat. Absolutely adore this album.

I enjoyed this charming slice of concept psychedelia. It’s very polite and it’s very English but it’s got some catchy tunes that don’t intimidate the listener.

Not Wilco’s best effort. It’s a fair enough album, but I spent most of the time listening to it waiting for something to happen and it never did. It’s got a gentle vibe, but it doesn’t excite. For all the experimentation on it, it doesn’t light any fires.

Ah, Bon Jovi, the poppiest of all pop metal bands, and here they are before they became the blandest of all stadium rock bands. It’s very difficult to excited by this album because it lacks any grit or edge. It’s just pop music with guitar solos. It lacks attitude, and it really hasn’t aged well. It was over-hyped in the 1986, and listening to it is still like being mauled by a toothless tiger. The songs are pop standard and is it quite fun, but there is nothing to really blow your mind.

This is one of my favourite albums from the 1990s, and listening now gives me such nostalgic feelings. Pulp are very much influenced by Ray Davies. Slightly more waspish in their lyrics but definitely fits that Kinks are The Village Green… vibe. I also hear a bit of Scott Walker in there too. Really enjoy this slice of life in a northern town, and I think Common People, Sorted for Es and Whizz, Disco 2000 and even Mis-shapes are still absolute bangers! If you know, you know.

This album is supposed to be “fun” rather than just pure irritating, and it’s meant to be meta, which is why every song is in the style of either Queen or Sparks, Buggles and at some points the Beach Boys. 10cc obviously wanted to show off how terribly talented and clever they are, which is never a good idea. If an album can be smug, then this is it. At one point these oddball, pop rascals sing “don’t want to annoy you…” Sorry, lads, you have very much annoyed me!

I haven’t listened to this album in years, and it’s pretty much as I remember it. It is sonically and lyrically better than Nevermind, although you can tell that the singles were remixed because they have a smoother, more refined sound. I enjoy this album, and I think it shows both pop and punk sensibilities. It’s an above average album, with a bit of bite about it, but overall, I think Nirvana are a bit underwhelming. Come for me!

There are so many things about this that i hate. It’s jazz, it’s scatting, it’s repetitive, it’s pretty bland and I feel like she is completely underprepared. On the plus side, her voice is great and the glissandos she can produce with her vocals are awesome. Not for me.

My heart sank when I saw the albumator had thrown this one up. I’ve heard it before and I wasn’t all that impressed. I don’t connect with funk music, and I find jazz funk that doesn’t let up for over an hour even less relatable. The musicianship of Fela Kuti and the band is undeniable, but I didn’t find anything to savour. There is also really good energy on all the tracks. It’s not that anything on here is bad, because the album is a brilliant fusion of jazz, funk and soul with Afrobeat. It’s just not the album for me.

Well this is a load of shit. It’s just trashy screaming and saying controversial things for the sake of being “shocking!” The concept - mad rockstar demagogue starts the apocalypse - is not just a cliché, it’s laughably banal. The album is over 71 minutes long, and comprises that tired 90s trope of “the hidden track.” His look is Alice Cooper with a blue contact lens and no eyebrows. And if he wasn’t such a rapey creep, he would be a pure joke. Nothing on here wasn’t done ten times better by NIN and Trent Reznor. It’s contrived, unoriginal and tired shite.

KISS: purveyors of sleaze metal for the pre-teens. The one mercy of this album is that it is short. It’s short in length, it’s short or lyrical prowess, it’s short on innovation, short on originality and it’s short on any real talent.

I have heard this album a few times over the years, and I never feel like i am fully satisfied with it. It is a pleasant listen, laid back, chilled out folk rock music. I think Young adds something a bit more exciting, because CSN are duller without him. It’s technically a very accomplished album and the tracks are decent. They harmonise well together, and it’s a distinctive sound. It just doesn’t quite hit the mark for me.

This was better than I remember it being. The first track is a bit odd, and I’m not a great fan of his voice, but it grows into a better than average background sound album. While I am not rushing out to buy a pristine copy, I would listen to it again. A nice, pleasant album that grows into its sound.

This didn’t age at all well. It’s vey 80s, with all that synth, and over production. I like his voice, but I can’t help feeling it wouldn’t sound so good in a live setting. This is not my kind of music, and it sounds very dated.

I don’t understand jazz. I don’t know what makes it innovative, or controversial, but I know Miles Davis is an accomplished musician. To my ears this was just 38 minutes of noodling guitar and gently brushed percussion, and a bit of trumpet. It is audibly not just cobbled together nonsense, and parts of it reminded of the fade out of the Doors’ Riders on the Storm, but ultimately I just didn’t like it.

I haven’t listened to this beauty for a few years, and it’s better than I remember it being. However, I find that repeated listens can wear you out, which is probably why I haven’t listened to it for a few years. This is the intersection between pop, shoegaze and post grunge, which is a delightful, sludgey Britpop-esque noise. It reminds me a bit of Sonic Youth at their more poppy, and Super Furry Animals, which is no bad thing. I love the soundscapes on their shoegazey tunes, and I the swing to catchy tunes makes it a good listening experience. It’s more cohesive than their debut but doesn’t have quite the same rawness. The last two tracks are entirely unnecessary, which make the album too long, but a lot of albums were in the 90s. Overall I enjoy the vibe on the album, and I can connect with (most of) it.

The trouble with Stephen Stills is he never elevates himself above fine. This is four sides waiting for something to happen, and it never does. The music is decent, he is talented enough but this is a sprawling concept album that is pretty average.

Generally speaking, I'm a fan of 90s Nick Cave, but I do struggle with these Murder Ballads. Some of them I really like, but others, I just hate. I don't mind the disturbing and weird feel of the album, and i quite like a wee murder ballad. I think Nick Cave's voice is a taste that I have acquired, and his style is a bit quirky which I enjoy. Tbe album is a grower, and I've listened to it a few times recently, prior to the albumator throwing it up today, and liked it a tiny bit more each time. This album is so long, and there are only so many times you can be battered to death with a fucking really big brick, which sometimes what this album is akin to. Nick Cave also has a tendency to sound like a depraved serial killer at times, which puts me off. All in all, there is as much that I like, as I dislike. I don't think the album is essential listening however. There are better Nick Cave albums.

This is the musical equivalent of bread sauce. It’s boring (in that all tracks are kind of the same), it’s uninspiring (in that it’s all just a wee bit dull) and it’s unnecessary. It’s also far far too long, and the vibe feels more like Iowa than Illinois.

Very dated and ultimately underwhelming. Tim Buckley is only retrospectively acclaimed because he is Jeff’s dad. He is a mediocre musician at best. I reviewed Happy Sad and thought it was dull Hello Goodbye is no better. The only thing I like about this album is his voice, which is pleasant on the ear. Otherwise there is no way this is essential listening. I won’t be listening again.

I absolutely hate this. Not one note of this makes any sense to me, and it feels like it goes on and on for no good reason. On the plus side, Syd Barrett’s tendency towards whimsy saves this album from the full blown pomposity and conceit that Roger Waters will shower over Floyd. TPATGOD really is of its time. That’s not to say it’s dated necessarily, but it is a product of the psychedelic age. It was undoubtedly influential in its time. but that doesn’t necessarily make it good. For me it is the sound of a drug addled and confused mind, obvious Kinks influence notwithstanding.

Big Harry did not make this album for me. It’s pretty meh in a Beatles-esque way. There’s nothing really bad on here (okay Coconut is outright bad), but there is nothing standout good either. He can sing, and the songs are fine, but his can’t be arsed attitude to getting dressed for the cover art is probably the best thing about this album for me. This fact is counteracted by the drum solo in the middle of Jump into the Fire which I didn’t care for at all. I’m hugely indifferent towards this album.

Points for being the Tin Pan Alley political satire department, but I can't say I enjoyed this album. Newman's whiny voice grates on me and while I think he is a decent lyricist, I would rather he let someone else sing. This album isn't for me, but its competent enough.

Not as good as Kraftwerk, and infinitely easier on the ear than Tangerine Dream. It takes itself very seriously but for one guy in his own makeshift studio in 1976 it is pretty innovative. For me there is too much phaser and flange, which makes it too swirly for me, especially on side one. Side two is better and Oxygène 5 is what Bolero would sound like if Maurice Ravel had a synth! I can’t do cosmic laser for 40 minutes, it makes my ears hurt, but there is nothing overly offensive about it. It just makes me think of a Vangelis soundtrack track. I get why it’s on the list, and its influence on electronica is evident, I just found it too space agey and naive. It is ultimately accessible though

First listen and I’m underwhelmed. It’s an okay listen but nothing outstanding. I’m a fan of that dreamy, shoegaze sound that opens the album. I love the jangly guitar on Memory Boy, which reminded me of Stereolab and 80s indie pop. But it gives it a slightly inconsistent feel - some tracks are lazy soundscapes and others are a bit more uptempo. It’s the sort of band you stay to listen to in the student union. I really don’t find much of the album to be remarkable, but it’s decent enough and a pleasant listen.

I first heard this album years ago. Possibly around the time it was released on CD, and I hated it. In the intervening years, I have tried it a couple of times and it has grown on me. It’s very much a “be in the right mood” album. It’s not background music, it’s music to turn in on yourself with. Sitting down and actually listening to it today, I think I appreciate it a bit more for what it is. It’s the sound of a disappointed man reaching his breaking point. It’s rough around the edges which adds to the rawness of the emotions he is channelling, but it’s still a very consistent chill album. On The Beach (track) goes on a bit too long for me, and the low-fi mood continues throughout side two. I enjoyed side 2 less, and got shades of Sister Morphine by the Stones from Ambulance Blues. Including the length. Overall, it’s a bit of a mixed bag for me. It starts off well, but loses me at the end.

Haircut 100 are Orange Juice with sax breakdowns and fluffy cloud pop hooks. It’s clean-cut jazz funk pop, nonsensical lyrics (albeit with an impressive list of vaccines), and very little substance. Fantastic Day was my favourite song when I was about 8 and everything on here is pretty much geared toward the indiscriminate ears of pre-teen girls and grandmothers. There is no way this is essential listening because it’s just not that good.

First listen, although if someone said that I had heard it 10 times before, I wouldn’t be surprised. There is nothing really bad about this album, it’s just instantly forgettable and some of the lyrics sound forced. Johnny Ace is probably the pick of the bunch. I don’t know why this is in the book. I could have died without hearing this. As it is, I will probably forget I have heard this before I die.

Normally, I can’t really be doing with Elton John, which is why this album is a first listen for me. I know the hits and they don’t really put me up nor down. Much to my surprise, I really enjoyed this album. There is a lot to like on it, despite its vaguely prog aspect. It’s got a good mix of genres, from ballads, to rockers; prog to boogie woogie, and it’s really light. Even the album title is a nice piece of self-aggrandising fun. Reginald himself might be a prize wanker, but this is a damn fine album.

As iconic as this album is, it’s really just three massive hits and a couple of other decent songs. As a debut album it’s really solid, and none of the tracks are awful. I just find side one to be really, strong and side two only has Sweet Child… I have scored it for the times it brings to mind rather than reasoned critique, and I do still give it a spin every so often.