The hat trick is complete, this makes three psych or psych-adjacent albums in a row, and damn me to hell, I liked all of them, spoiler alert for this review I guess. The main impression I get from Love, a band I hadn't really heard of before this, is that they *must* be (secretly) wildly important in the grand scheme of rock music. This album just has that feeling, this is some very ahead of its time early psych. The psych pop songs here are about a year ahead of their time, with Orange Skies, Que Vida!, and She Comes In colors (coming, themselves from '66) sounding straight out of the summer of love. These songs are colorful and breezy and pleasant, but they aren't the most interesting part of this album to me. That would be the more rock cuts, Stephanie Knows Who, The Castle, and *especially* Seven and Seven Is. These songs all highlight extremely forward thinking rock songwriting and aesthetics, and tie it all together with intense performances, especially Arthur Lee, who absolutely *rips* into these songs with his vocal approach. This is all best exemplified on Seven and Seven Is, an absolute proto-punk barn burner. The bottomless well of covers of this song (by artists such as Alice Cooper, Rush, Robert Plant, Deep Purple and more) go to show how much impact this song had on the development of rock music as it leaped into the '70s. Now, this is all well and good, but these songs are all on the first side of the album, the second is one song, Revelation, an 18 minute monster of a psychedelic jam epic. When half of your album's runtime is a single song, that song better be *good* and Revelation delivers. Lee's vocal approach slowly cranks itself to eleven between an onslaught of creative and compelling solos from the entire band. I don't have much else to say, its really that simple, and its awesome, never before has 18 minutes passed this quickly. This album is a lot better than I expected, I can't tell if I just like psych, or if I'm just getting really lucky.

Illmatic has its reputation for a reason. Honestly, the reason this is so good boils down pretty simply, this is 40 minutes of engaging, detailed storytelling over unbelievably consistent beats. I'd even say Illmatic as a whole is about as consistent an experience as they get, there's really no space for me to complain. There aren't any lazy verses, or so-so interludes, or annoying features, or throwaway cuts. Illmatic is lean, and it reflects the care and attention to detail put into it. If Illmatic sounds like it took 4 years to write, that's because it did. Nas would make other good albums, but never again anything like this. This is a one of a kind piece of perfect rap music, from front to back.

It's interesting to hear the first album from a band that would become very popular. Sometimes it's the only opportunity to hear them before they are forced to contend with the weighty expectations of celebrity culture. Kings of Leon are a band that, anymore, I can only really think of as offensively inoffensive. Like it feels like they are as "just fine" as any band could be, and the big question I had going into this was if they were any more interesting on their debut. At this time, Kings of Leon kind of seem to sit in with the other kind of indie/garage rock bands of this time, but with a little more of a Southern Swamp Rock sound. Unfortunately, even here, I don't think they could really keep up with their contemporaries. They aren't as powerful and scuzzy as The White Stripes were, they didn't have the energy of something punkier like Yeah Yeah Yeahs at this time. And they didn't have the melodic sensibilities or performance of The Strokes, who they sound most similar to otherwise (they kind of both have the same "dry" sound that I wish I could put a finger on). Their sound is also just a little more "generic 2000s rock" than any of the former bands. I would like to mention the vocals here though. Caleb Followill digs in pretty hard on his delivery, and there are some standout moments, but his performances still somehow feel too restrained and never quite connect all the dots. This isn't bad per say, but like their later music, it just isn't interesting (let alone essential) in the landscape of rock they existed in.

I’m very pleased with this as my first Simon and Garfunkel album. It’s a lush, pretty and witty folk album, that has aged well and shown me a side of an artist that I wasn’t aware of. Aside from some songs that I just couldn’t connect to, and the closing track which feels a little heavy handed and clunky (if somewhat effective) in its messaging in 2025, I thought this really comes together and creates a super immersive experience.

At the end of the day, this is a good singer-songwriter/rock album that is harmed by being tethered to The Beatles. Imagine is more self serious, less adventurous and less colorful than The Beatles best, and it shows that The Beatles really were a balancing act between four individually flawed men. Despite this, I did enjoy Imagine, it’s fairly consistent and hits a high streak during the run of its last 3-4 songs. Some of the political commentary on this has aged awkwardly in the way that a lot of political music of the early 70s has, but a lot of these songs do present their topics in an interesting way. Overall, not bad.

This is a super cool album I probably wouldn’t have checked out otherwise. You’ve Come A Long Way Baby kind of secretly has its fingers in a lot of different pies. The aesthetic base here is Big Beat/UK techno, but on a few levels, it delves into some really interesting spaces. You have some clear hip hop influence, as well as jungle, which all still kind of slots nicely together, however the way this album incorporates sampling has a really unique effect. Some of the sampled passages on here are in-tact enough that they can kind of be enjoyed as they would have been in their original context. This results in moments across this album that I can enjoy like (for example)a funk, psych or surf rock song, in a way that almost reminds me of plunderphonics. This is all incorporated into some super fun, groovy songs that are consistent across the project. I think I see how something like this could be seen as repetitive, but while the arcs of the songs are kind of repetitive, they transform subtly in a way that rewards close listening. Not to mention how dense and detailed this is on a moment to moment basis, so I didn’t think this was too repetitive at all. In Heaven is maybe a little annoying if you aren’t that into vox, but I think that even that song has a strong core. Ultimately, this was a really fun, exciting and rewarding listen.

I was excited to hear this, I have a history with swing dance, and I wanted to hear what a bona-fide big band swing album released in the era of hard bop, modal jazz and free jazz sounds like. I am pleased to say it sounds very good, this is effectively a perfect swing album, with incredible performances and great pacing. Most importantly, this release captures the joy of swing as an artform very nicely. I’m kind of torn on what to score this, but I’ll settle on a 4, although it’s a 5 if I’m listening to it while dancing.

While I love Nick Drake and have listened extensively to pink moon, I’ve just never had a chance to give Bryter Layter a shot. While it may be my least favorite Nick Drake album, that’s almost a completely meaningless thing to say. For anyone who was somehow unaware of Nick Drake before this, the story is that he was chronically underrated while alive, released only 3 albums, then died tragically young. To the right person (as I’ve just discovered: me) these 3 albums are about as close as anyone has ever come to creating a truly spotless discography. In a sea of English folk singer/songwriters in the ‘70s, Nick is set apart by his unique presence, his intricate fingerpicking, and most importantly, his absolutely *incredible* songwriting chops. His singing and guitar playing has a distinct chilly-ness and purity that lends his recordings a certain difficult to define quality. On Bryter Layter, in an effort to pull off all the stops, Nick is contextualized by incredibly lush backing that really emphasizes his classical and jazz influence. The compositions and arrangements are surprisingly intricate and dense, and the result is absolutely gorgeous. All the while, that subtle chill that Nick brings gives these songs a distinct tension, and for some reason, it makes me think of a windy spring day. At its best, this album’s approach gives us songs like Northern Sky that are almost supernaturally beautiful. All that being said, I do think this may be my least favorite of his 3 albums yet I still truly think I want to give a 5 on this one.

It's always been an uphill battle to get myself to listen to a Steely Dan album for whatever reason. I have no reason to be Steely Dan averse, they've done nothing to me, and I even like a lot of their bigger songs, but frankly, I'd rather just think about the insane origins of their name than actually listen to them (look it up if you're curious). Anyways, sometimes the generator wills it, and here I am. Honestly, this wasn't bad, there are some really great highlights like Rikki Don't Lose That Number, Night By Night, and Charlie Freak, but as a whole I just kinda think this was pretty good. This isn't to say that I think Steely Dan sounds generic, they definitely have their thing going on, I just that I can't see what makes this essential listening in the wide world of '70s rock. Anyways, its a matter of time before the generator conjures more Steely Dan, so we'll meet again someday.

What is most striking to me about Seventeen Seconds is how far removed it is from Three Imaginary Boys. In just one year The Cure went from a relatively normal post-punk band to a fully fledged goth rock group. I bring this up in part because of how easy it is to forget. Seventeen Seconds makes perfect sense in the context of The Cure's whole discography, especially because it's the first album in a semi-official trilogy that repeatedly doubles down on the sound here, but when considering The Cure's origins, it feels like a small miracle that the atmosphere distinctive of their other early goth albums is largely nailed down here. From start to end, Seventeen Seconds sounds mysterious, dark, foggy and strangely pretty all with The Cure's sort of X-factor holding it together. Additionally, stand-outs like Play For Today, At Night, Seventeen Seconds, and especially A Forest (one of their best songs ever) make this essential listening for anyone into The Cure. That being said, I do have a couple of nitpicks. Firstly, this may just be me, but I don't love the drum sound here, it sounds a little tinny, and I think the drums could benefit from some extra 'oomph'. I also think the sequencing and pacing is a little odd, for example, Three and The Final Sound being sequenced next to each other makes it pretty clear that they are both sort of mood pieces as opposed to full songs. Also, this album is a little back loaded, the last four songs contain most of the album's best songs. While there are some Side A stand-outs, I think the first half of this album is generally a little less memorable and impactful. Individually, these wouldn't really be an issue, but all together I have to deduct a couple of points. That being said, I still think this is a fantastic album, and if this website let me give it a 4.5 I would.

I had never heard of this band before this, which was honestly surprising when I saw how popular they are, maybe they just never really escaped the UK. Post Orgasmic Chill is largely an alt metal/alt rock album, and this is kind of a genre of music that's very hit or miss to me, and that I think has a capacity to age really awkwardly. That being said, this album certainly has some flaws to me, but there's a lot it does that is super unique and interesting too. Firstly, a lot of the late '90s alt metal staples are here, quiet/loud verse chorus structure, crunchy riffs, and some more melodic ballad tracks, but Skunk Anansie also brings some distinct UK flair, there are songs here where they seemingly incorporate UK techno and trip hop influences and they actually meld really well into this sound when they show up. I kind of wish these influences pop up more because of how well they work, but I'll take what's here. I'm also a fan of the performances here, everyone sounds great, but the real stand-out star in this band is their vocalist, Skin. She is an incredibly talented singer and a really compelling figure, and has a lot of really interesting lyrics across this album about her intersectional experiences as a Black, Queer woman in living the UK. Her presence on songs is unique and genuinely exciting, and she keeps me invested during moments where this album almost loses me. Speaking of which, I did say I think this album has some flaws: Firstly, the production on this is *very* clean, and while it gives a lot of these songs a kind of arena rock feel, I think the heavier songs on here could have benefitted from a little bit of a dirtier sound, even though these songs themselves are good. Second, this album has quite a few more melodic, ballad-y tracks that I alluded to earlier, and on their own, they're all at least decent to great, if occasionally carried by Skin. A bigger problem is that a lot of them are bunched up near the end of the tracklist, and when several are put next to each other in a row they can kind of run into each other. There are a good few I kind of can't keep separate in my head, and I honestly think that one (*maybe* two) of the weaker ones could be cut. That being said, it certainly doesn't ruin the album, and I can see the justification for putting this on a list like this. I am glad I heard it, and there are some tracks I can see myself going back to.

As most of my Yeah Yeah Yeahs experiences have been with Fever To Tell, this one took me a minute to adjust to. This is effectively an electro-pop album with sort of a punk-y tone, and I think it more or less works. That being said, I can't fully divorce It's Blitz! from what I was wanting from a Yeah Yeah Yeahs album, so part of me certainly wishes this had some more teeth. Despite this, what is here is catchy, groovy and focused, and I did enjoy my time with it.

Todd Rundgren is a name I probably could've pulled out of a hat before this, but I don't think I had heard a single song of his, and didn't even *really* know what his thing is. As I queued up Something/Anything (after some very brief cursory research) I was tentatively excited about the kind of art pop aspect, and at least a little scared of the 90 minutes and 25 songs long aspect. I am pleased to announce that, even for the length, this one was well worth my time. Before I dive into what this actually sounds like, I did a little more reading while listening and it helped contextualize this a little bit. Firstly, in modern publications, it seems to be required that I mention the influence of Ritilin on this album, which Rundgren claims is how we ended up with a 90 minute, 25 song long album in the first place. Additionally, Todd recorded everything on the first 3 sides himself without session musicians, so in some circles this is sort of hailed as a DIY adjacent achievement. Finally getting to the music, there's a very particular structure to Something/Anything that Todd lays out in the liner notes. The 4 sides of this album (as it would be experienced on vinyl) are all loosely themed and all veer into some different ideas. This is laid out mostly in the sides' titles, which, after listening, I think I can approximately lay out. Side A is mostly more conventional '70s pop songs. Side B is more of an art pop sound, embracing some strange, psychedelic sounds and odd structures. Side C is a little looser, but it seems to have a sort of jam slant, and side D is a self-contained mini rock opera with a rawer, live studio sound and a full band. In this framework, a lot of ground ends up covered. Throughout this thing, you get pop, blues rock, psychedelic, R&B, an occasional smattering of avant-garde, and some stuff I'm sure I missed. The fact that this all sounds more or less natural on here (if not necessarily cohesive) goes to show the interesting place that the pop world was in at the time. And if you take this lens further, you can kind of see this as the world of early '70s popular music in a microcosm. Given this all, I am amazed at how good a most of these songs are. Through the (again) 90 minute runtime, this album doesn't ever really lose me. In fact, of these 25 songs, I can probably count the misses on one hand and have a spare finger or two. While I probably can't give it a 5 (yet at least) the ambition of this project, coupled with its variety and incredible consistency has won me over, and I am very glad to have discovered this.

It's a question as old as Hotel California itself: What *is* Hotel California? Is it purgatory? Is it addiction? If you ask me, I'd say it's a 1976 studio LP by American rock band Eagles. With that out of the way, I can't say this was truly terrible, I just really don't care about Eagles. I mean, to list some positives, the title track is really great, yes its kind of played out, but it really is sort of an all-timer. Evocative lyrics and a hell of a guitar solo seal the deal, but I don't have to tell you this, you have definitely heard this song. While I don't agree with the seemingly extremely common belief that this is the only good song on the album, I think the gap between it and second place, Victim of Love, is noteworthy. Victim of Love is a pretty good rock song, it's catchy and driving and whatnot, it's just no Hotel California. Aside from this, Pretty Maids All in a Row is a pretty decent ballad, but the rest of the album just doesn't really do it for me. Eagles hit a kind of perfect commercial rock sweet-spot on this, as far as generating hits goes, but it's just not a formula that I think results in a particularly interesting album.

It turns out that this sort of easy listening music is not really my thing. Maybe its just this album, since there are some weird things with this one, but we'll get there. Firstly, I looked into Dion, and he seems to be mostly known for '50s and '60s Doo-Wop albums (I listened to some of it, this stuff is actually pretty fun), but on Born To Be With You, he slows things way down and focuses on writing heartfelt songs with some (admittedly) very nice vocals. However, this album is probably more well known for being produced by Beatles collaborator and genuine menace to society Phil Spector. While there are moments where his production *sorta* works here, he was a bizarre choice for an album like this, and it really doesn't do it for me. Most notably are songs where, to my ear, it really feels like Phil decides to assert himself, (He's Got) The Whole World In His Hands stands out in particular. It really feels like he just kinda brickwalled it, and while the result is interesting, almost psychedelic, it just is not what this album needed. I also sort of have an issue with a lot of the songs here on a sort of construction level. For the length and slow pacing of a lot of these songs, they just aren't strong enough to carry the album. There are moments that stand out, like I mentioned earlier, I like his vocals, and I think the sax parts on this are great. I also remember a lot of the lyrics being pretty interesting. This isn't enough to carry the album though, from what I've read, it seems that Dion himself has kind of disowned it. I didn't absolutely hate this, I just don't really see myself returning to it.

I am aware of The Beastie Boys, just about everyone is, and I love just about everything I've ever heard from them. However, due to some trespass against all things good and kind, I had somehow not listened to this album from front to back before this, and I am *very* glad that the album generator spirits made me. Firstly, I'd like to start by saying that while listening to this, the revelation that no one really thinks of the Beastie Boys as "white rappers" struck me. Like, at this time, you had Vanilla Ice getting bullied constantly by the hip hop community (rightfully so, if I may add), and even when Eminem broke big, the "white rapper" shtick was something he certainly leaned into, but The Beastie Boys were able to just kind of completely stay out of these discussions (to my knowledge). I think I've decided the reason for this is that they jumped into hip-hop with an understanding of, and respect for the culture, without really changing who they were or trying to be people they weren't. And, of course, being unbelievably early to the game, and thus helping to shape the culture helped. Although, with all that said, the bow on it all is just they they were fucking *good*. I'm gonna show my hand early, this is a damn near perfect hip hop album, and if you have any interest in the genre whatsoever, you owe it to yourself to spin this one. Ill Communication sounds very distinct from hip hop at large at this time, like it really feels like the Beastie Boys kind of paved their own road into the '90s, they still kind of have an '80s thing going on in a way that hip hop at large at this time didn't, and their kind of punk origins are incorporated in some really cool ways, from their super energetic delivery, to their approach at writing some of the more rap rock songs here, and even a couple of straight punk tracks. It's not even an album that really fits into what rap rock would settle into shortly after this, Beastie Boys were really in their own lane here. The Beastie Boys' energy is genuinely infectious across Ill Communication, their intense delivery, distinctive flows, and great lyrics just completely grab me. And even though they aren't exactly the most technically gifted rappers in the world, they are witty, thoughtful, and genuinely funny, and its just a blast to hear them do their thing. I also absolutely need to talk about the production here, these songs sound groovy, and super organic. I know there are some live overdubs on here, and its obvious on the rockier songs, but it really sounds like some of the other parts are recorded as overdubs too, like I really don't know where the samples start and stop here, not to mention the incredible scratching here. This all even makes the instrumental songs exciting and interesting. Also, I am required to mention Sabotage, the biggest single here, I can almost guarantee you've heard it. Even though it may be a little overplayed, hearing it in the flow of the album totally revitalized this song for me. There is a real argument that Sabotage is the best rap rock song ever recorded, maybe its just been hitting today, but the energy is incredible, I'm ready to mosh here, now, alone, in my bedroom. I don't know what to score this, on one hand, I can't really think of any real problems I have here over the hour long runtime, but on the other, I just don't know if I want to jump straight to a perfect 5. I'm settling with a 4 for now, a very *very* high 4, but if I revisit this a couple times and I'm still this excited, I'll probably just bump it up. Edit: This has just been sticking in my head for so many reasons, to hell with it, I'm still calibrating what a 5 looks like on here, but I think this is in the club, its just cool as Hell. Honestly, the clincher here is in the details, the Q-Tip feature, the drop from Sabrosa into The Update's *insanely* good drum groove, the beat switch on Bodhisattva Vow, the Beastie Boys' chemistry, etc: it all just works. Also, quick aside "Perfect hip-hop album" may have been incorrect on my part, its almost more of a perfect alternative album in some ways. The foundation here is hip hop, but there is real crossover appeal here just with how The Beastie Boys have incorporated their very wide range of influences.

Oh wow, this was kind of a jumpscare. I Knew Sgt. Pepper was in here, I just didn't think it would come up so soon, but it seems I now find myself reviewing one of the most awarded, acclaimed, and discussed albums *ever*. I find myself wondering if it is even possible to say something original about The Beatles in 2025, let alone *this* album, although my delusions of grandeur have carried me this far, and I see no reason to pull on the reins now. Although I have some hope in my heart that I can at least get close, somehow, I have never heard this album from front to back. I've heard some songs from it, and I've heard other Beatles albums, this one has (shockingly) just escaped me. Anyways, while I get why The Beatles are so often considered the greatest band ever, they've also historically done less for me than they seem to do for others. You may say I'm something of a Beatles skeptic, and as such, this album's reputation is sort of head turning to me, and I'm very interested in seeing how I feel about it. With all that said, it turns out that Sgt. Pepper *is* very good, however it is nowhere near the top of the list of my favorite albums ever. A lot of this album's reputation is based in its historical significance, but I think the reason this has stayed so potent for modern listeners is because, if you get The Beatles' sort of pop music, this is pretty close to 13 flawless pop songs in a row. That isn't to say I think its perfect, but it is to say that there really aren't many failed ideas or executions anywhere here, and I understand how someone could think it to be perfect. The overall sound of this album is pretty much iconic, the super bright, psychedelic atmosphere, the incredibly dense arrangement, and the kind of (generally) light, fun, and bubbly Beatles songs across this are pretty much the sound of a generation or two. Songs like Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds and With A Little Help From My Friends are incredibly tight and catchy. Songs Like Fixing A Hole and Being For The Benefit of Mr. Kite! are really interesting experiments with sound palette. And while this album's brightness and optimism is almost overwhelming at times, it can usually swing the pendulum back a little with some more tense passages and intricate songcraft. My favorite example of this is on When I'm Sixty Four, when we start with the pluckiest, bounciest little Paul McCartney ditty, and just before it almost loses me, it swings back with a super compelling sort of B section, and this makes the whole song just work incredibly well. That being said, there are songs here that just don't click for me. I'm not that into Getting Better, the melody just doesn't do it for me, and while I'm sure it would have been read differently at the time, I just don't buy the lyrics in 2025, knowing what we know about John Lennon. I also think Lovely Rita is just fine, and Good Morning Good Morning doesn't feel like it adds much here except for the fascinating intro. That being said, the worst song in my opinion, and the only one that I would argue may actually have anything wrong with it is Within You Without You. I love George Harrison as a songwriter, but I am just not that into his songs where he experiments with Indian music. The dense atmosphere is extremely cool, but for this song's length, I kind of think it may be a little under-developed. Although, I will say that Sgt. Pepper definitely sticks the landing. A Day In The Life is my absolute favorite song on here, its basically perfect, and ending the album with it is genius. At the end of what is so often considered The Beatles' psychedelic masterpiece, they bring the listener back to Earth with A Day In The Life, its earnest and almost sobering. After the experience of the rest of this album, The Beatles put you back into a realer world, acknowledging the sadnesses and beauties of day to day existence. Overall, I understand the reason this album is regarded the way that it is, and while it doesn't *quite* get me where it seems to get a lot of people, I do like it a lot!

I don't believe I hadn't heard of this. This is absolutely in my wheelhouse, I love strange, raw music earnestly exploring uncomfortable emotional states, and Oar fits this description to a tee. Alexander Spence came from the world of psych, and at the time, the dominant culture in this space was optimism and righteous anger and bacchanalian consumption of psychedelics. However, a figure like Spence highlights the darkness running underneath it all. His story (much like the more well known Syd Barrett's) serves as a grim reminder of the casualties of this culture, people who broke down under it all and were left to be forgotten at the fringes of society. This is why albums like Oar and other more formal outsider albums are so important, they provide a voice to their creators who may well not have one otherwise. With that being said, what does this album actually sound like? It is a fragile, occasionally haunted and surprisingly varied singer-songwriter album encompassing folk, psych, and late '60s rock music. For the reputation this album has, the songs are actually very good. If you can get into the kind of performances that are across this album, the music at the core here is well written and consistently interesting, with really compelling lyrics. Some of this stuff sounds pretty ahead of its time too, a couple of songs here sound uncannily similar to the music that Leonard Cohen would later make, and this may just be me, but some of the kind of slanted rawness here almost makes me think of the kind of thing that some lo fi indie songwriters were trying to achieve in the '90s. But honestly, the performances are what makes this come together for me, difficult as they may be. I really feel that Spence is baring his soul across this, and the cumulative result, within the context of his life, is kind of profoundly sad. I have a lot of respect for the list's inclusion of this, placing an album like this in the sort of publication that "1001 Albums..." is works towards legitimizing it in the broader music world and, ideally, will help people to see this as a worthwhile piece of art even without its context. I really love this.

The hat trick is complete, this makes three psych or psych-adjacent albums in a row, and damn me to hell, I liked all of them, spoiler alert for this review I guess. The main impression I get from Love, a band I hadn't really heard of before this, is that they *must* be (secretly) wildly important in the grand scheme of rock music. This album just has that feeling, this is some very ahead of its time early psych. The psych pop songs here are about a year ahead of their time, with Orange Skies, Que Vida!, and She Comes In colors (coming, themselves from '66) sounding straight out of the summer of love. These songs are colorful and breezy and pleasant, but they aren't the most interesting part of this album to me. That would be the more rock cuts, Stephanie Knows Who, The Castle, and *especially* Seven and Seven Is. These songs all highlight extremely forward thinking rock songwriting and aesthetics, and tie it all together with intense performances, especially Arthur Lee, who absolutely *rips* into these songs with his vocal approach. This is all best exemplified on Seven and Seven Is, an absolute proto-punk barn burner. The bottomless well of covers of this song (by artists such as Alice Cooper, Rush, Robert Plant, Deep Purple and more) go to show how much impact this song had on the development of rock music as it leaped into the '70s. Now, this is all well and good, but these songs are all on the first side of the album, the second is one song, Revelation, an 18 minute monster of a psychedelic jam epic. When half of your album's runtime is a single song, that song better be *good* and Revelation delivers. Lee's vocal approach slowly cranks itself to eleven between an onslaught of creative and compelling solos from the entire band. I don't have much else to say, its really that simple, and its awesome, never before has 18 minutes passed this quickly. This album is a lot better than I expected, I can't tell if I just like psych, or if I'm just getting really lucky.

I absolutely love Joanna Newsom's whole thing. I am more familiar with Milk Eyed Mender, but I have heard this before, and I think this album is spellbinding. Firstly, and most controversially, I love her voice. I can see it being grating, but it just works for making the music seem like its in its own self contained world. This is the Ys' strongest factor to me, it is like Newsom builds this fey kingdom and invites the listener in. This is further achieved with the instrumental palette, all harp and violin and accordion, to name a few. Not to mention the detailed, lengthy compositions and vivid lyricism. I have no complaints about Ys, and I absolutely love it.

Dookie did not invent pop punk, not even close, but was a before and after moment for the genre, and it's a perfect encapsulation of the appeal of it. If someone wanted to know what pop punk is, you could do a hell of a lot worse than just showing them Dookie. This is a record full of frustration, anxiety and suburban ennui. Songs are about getting crushing boredom, getting mad at your parents and trying to find your way in the world. Billie Joe Armstrong sounds distinct and snotty and maybe a little bit obnoxious. And the songs are perfect little blasts of pop songwriting: simple, catchy and energetic. Basically, Dookie is the perfect album to capture the attention of a wide audience of disillusioned teens. If you found this in the right place, at the right time, I can see it being an all time favorite for you. That being said, while I understand the appeal of Dookie, and I do like it more than I don't, pop punk just kind of isn't my thing, but I can understand that this is a masterpiece of the genre. Besides, I can throw it on and bob along from front to back, so I can't complain too much.

The Doors have never sat in my mind as a band that fit nicely into the musical landscape of the '60s. Often, they just kind seem to me like a good bluesy psychedelic rock band, but they have some songs where their kind of obscure mystical image seeps a little deeper into their music and they get pushed into being one of the most interesting bands of the '60s. That's kind of how this album feels to me in a nutshell, we have a good current of bluesy rock here that is occasionally put into overdrive. These songs define this album to me: Break On Through has some real momentum to it, Light My Fire is allowed to grow into something greater than its pop appeal and End of the Night sounds woozy and disorienting. Of course, The End is the centerpiece of this album. It really feels like The Doors tap into something dark and esoteric here. Jim Morrison's vocal performance is incredibly dynamic, and the song's release of its slow building intensity is one of '60s rock's defining moments, in its own strange way. Overall, while I understand the importance of this, its underlying blues rock aesthetic only does so much for me, but every once in a while something here is truly fascinating to me. Read this score as a pretty high 3.

While it's kind of interesting to hear The Stones at their earliest, and this is technically fine, the fact that its mostly a covers album kind of makes it tough for me to rate this highly. The covers are fine, if not especially transformative, and the performances are pretty good. Like, they are tight, and I like the harmonica, and that is clearly Mick Jagger, but it only does so much. The three original songs on here (two are written under a pseudonym) are kinda duds, which really doesn't help this album's case. Compared to their later works, there just isn't much of value here, and I'm not sure its position on the list is fully justified.

I've never quite settled on an opinion on dream pop, but I've heard some songs from this, and I was pretty confident I would like, but not necessarily love it. However, Cocteau Twins proved me wrong. From the start, the sound of this hooked me, Heaven Or Las Vegas sounds glassy and almost futuristic. It just has a kind of ethereal sheen that I liked a lot more than I thought. Although what I really ended up staying for here is the songs. I had a slow, creeping realization that song after song, Cocteau Twins were sticking the landing. The worst songs on here are engaging and catchy, and the best are really genre defining. The bow on the whole thing is that we end with one of the stronger songs, Frou-Frou Foxes In Midsummer Fires. One other thing I'd like to mention is that the vocals and "lyrics" here are fascinating. The vocals are *very* ethereal, to the extent that almost no lyrics are comprehensible, and in fact, the lyrics aren't published anywhere (again as far as I know). This frames Elizabeth Fraser's voice as an instrument in a way that I usually see in more extreme genres of music with less conventionally sung vocals. Hearing something like this in a context like dreampop achieves a really interesting effect. I really don't have more to say, I was shocked by how much I loved this.

Illmatic has its reputation for a reason. Honestly, the reason this is so good boils down pretty simply, this is 40 minutes of engaging, detailed storytelling over unbelievably consistent beats. I'd even say Illmatic as a whole is about as consistent an experience as they get, there's really no space for me to complain. There aren't any lazy verses, or so-so interludes, or annoying features, or throwaway cuts. Illmatic is lean, and it reflects the care and attention to detail put into it. If Illmatic sounds like it took 4 years to write, that's because it did. Nas would make other good albums, but never again anything like this. This is a one of a kind piece of perfect rap music, from front to back.

I expected to like this, and I just kind of don't. It's almost frustrating, like I can't really articulate why. I think I'm finding out that the style of blues rock that runs through this isn't really my thing. That being said, I honestly can't say its bad per say. I like a lot of the lyrics across this, and I see the appeal of these songs. Despite this, the parts of this album that appeal most to me are the little detours, the more folk or country moments mostly work for me, but that also may have something to do with the greasy Bob Dylan fingerprints that seem to be all over these songs in particular. Of the bluesy-er songs here, I will say I do like Chest Fever quite a bit, and I think the New Orleans blues passage comes out of no where, but really works. Regardless, this whole thing has moments, but it doesn't really work for me as a whole.

While the cover art did not make me expect good things, I do like Goodie Mob and Gnarls Barkley, so I expected to have at least a little fun here. Unfortunately, I just did not like this, and I think there is a reason this isn't brought up a ton any more (at least in spaces that I'm around). Like I said, I feel like I should at least be having a little fun here, and a lot of these songs aren't terrible, but there's almost *always* something bugging me about this thing, just getting in between me and enjoying this almost constantly. Firstly, the overall sound of this is *very* dated, this is not my era of music, and it isn't quite old enough or good enough that it sounds truly classic to me. This probably wouldn't be a problem if one of these songs came on in public or in a car or something, but when listening to this as a whole, it really becomes apparent how stiff and sort of awkward even some of the better beats sound. Now let's discuss CeeLo Green himself, I do not like his presence on here. It feels like his approach should be interesting, he is kind of getting into a pocket with a very sing-song-y cadence and a lot of push and pull. However, to sell some kind of soul adjacent persona, he gets like really growly in a way that's sort of hard to explain, but as a consequence his annunciation on here is awful, especially when he hits faster flows, and it all just turns to mush. Additionally, he is usually mixed *bad*, like way to low, it feels like he is competing for space in the mix with the beat most of the time, which compounds with the cadence to make his presence *super* grating. Additionally, his singing voice itself is really not that good, sometimes it sounds fine, but on a song like All Day Love Affair, he doesn't sound confident and, sometimes, especially on the first verse of evening news, I'm not even sure if he's in key. It's also worth noting that his lyrics don't do much for me, he isn't saying much that's especially interesting, and especially when he's in double time flow he even gets into a "spiritual lyrical miracle" pocket every once in a while (on I Am Selling Soul he kicks off with "I am the actual and factual supernatural sight and surrounds..."). Also, it feels kind of weird and awkward whenever he tries to get kind of sensual on here because of his allegations, it just rubs me the wrong way. Now, usually, only one of these things is bugging me at a time, but there are a couple of songs here that are, at times like *bad*. Some minor offenders include the off singing on Evening News, and the extremely obnoxious, blown out chorus on Scrap Metal. However, the worst song on here is *easily* Childz Play. I understand this is going for a particular tone, but it just isn't pulled off well, and I think it sounds *awful*. The like, toy store xylophone beat is grating and unnecessarily busy, and the effect is like jaw dropping, it's like circus music, I'm baffled. Then CeeLo comes in with mushy double-times for like the whole song, and he even hits what sounds like a Carol of the Bells interpolation in the chorus. Even more annoying, the Ludacris verse buried on this song is one of the very best verses on the entire album. He is charismatic and fun, and there's like a beautiful 30 seconds during his verse where the worst tendencies of the beat drop out and its like the only part of the album that I can just enjoy. Speaking of Ludacris, the other features on here are *all* better than CeeLo Green, with the notable exception of Timbaland, who starts his verse with "Here comes Timbaland, I'm also from the South" which is one of the most clunky, inelegant ways anyone could ever start a verse. This album's final crime is the 75 minute runtime, which is not warranted, especially after you realize that there are really only like two main types of songs here. Like I said, most of these songs aren't independently terrible, but as a whole, there is almost nothing here that I can just sit back and enjoy. While I am calibrating the lower end of my scale, I found this a *lot* less enjoyable than the 2s I've been giving, I think this may really get a 1 from me.

I am very excited about this, Black Sabbath is one of those bands that just lives in my DNA. And while I can play Paranoid and Master of Reality in my head if I think hard enough, its been a minute since I've given Vol. 4 a spin front to back. Vol. 4 is smack in the middle of Sabbath's classic era, and sort of feels like a conclusion to the first arc of their career, it just feels like a conclusion to their artistic evolution at the time. That being said, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath and Sabotage are also both excellent, just more essential for Sabbath converts than a general audience. Anyways, to provide some context, I would like to quickly trace Sabbath's career up to this point. The Self titled is the iconic birth of heavy metal, with a foot still sort of in the '60s, but the Pandora's box has been opened. Paranoid is a galvanization and expansion of the metal sound, and an absolute classic, it served as something of a launch pad for Sabbath's contemporaries including (to my ears) the New Wave of British Heavy Metal that was coming over the horizon. On Master of Reality, Sabbath rocket past just about everything else happening at the time, this is plodding, thick and *heavy* and is more or less the formal birth of doom metal, a genre whose existence would finally catch up to this in the late '70s and early '80s. And finally, we have Vol. 4, on which Sabbath both once more double down and make some of their heaviest songs yet, and radically expand their sound. At this time, Black Sabbath were a *fantastic* band, the rhythm section is in perfect lockstep, Geezer Butler anchors this music and Bill Ward can throw fills with the best of them. Not to mention Tony Iommi's fantastic guitar work and truly iconic riffs. Ozzy Osbourne sits atop all of this, and establishes himself as one of the greatest front-men of all time with his charisma and distinct wailing. This is all on display on Vol. 4. The compositions here are among Sabbath's most intricate, these songs twist and turn through plodding chugs and spidery runs and on Supernaut, even an unbelievably groovy rhythm break. The lyrics here are also shockingly good, where previous Sabbath albums had very literal, often narrative lyrics, here Ozzy looks more inward, writing compelling songs about addiction and psychological torment. Some of the best songs here are among Sabbath's best ever, songs like Snowblind, Under The Sun, Cornucopia and Supernaut. These are all exciting, blazing and again *heavy* tracks even today. Some of the shorter songs, like Tomorrow's Dreams and St. Vitus Dance have been consistently growing on me as well. Most interestingly, even the more experimental songs here pretty much all work. Laguna Sunrise is a beautiful and lush instrumental piece, and FX seems kind of inessential, but I think it is vital as a transition between Changes and Supernaut. Speaking of Changes, it is truly fascinating, it is a bona fide ballad, and it is actually really good. I will say, that it feels a little odd tonally, but the more I listen to this album, the more everything seems to slot together. I don't want to be hyperbolic, but I *love* Black Sabbath, and this is a super exciting listen, with many of their best songs ever. Any complaint I have almost seems to work as a "more than the sum of its parts" thing, this whole album is just spectacular.

After an onslaught of albums that I feel very strongly about, it's almost nice to get something that I find vaguely pleasant. There is a theatricality to these songs that I don't totally gel with, and the sound feels fairly consistent from front to back. So, consequentially, this album is kind of "in one ear, out the other" but while its on, I think it's fairly enjoyable. Laura Nyro is obviously a fantastic singer, and the performances and arrangements are clearly detailed, regardless of how I feel about them. My favorite tracks here are ones that play with a different sound palette, like December's Boudoir, they just kind of stand out. Overall, this is an enjoyable album!

God, between this and getting Sabbath a couple days back, I'm getting a lot of albums that I have some history with. I was kind of raised in metal, so to me this is an absolute classic (but not quite my favorite Maiden, that's probably Powerslave). To me, this is kind of archetypal "Heavy Metal" so much so that I almost can't put the sound of this into words, its just metal to me, but I'll try. Basically the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM )is *one of* the earliest genres of metal that very specifically held itself separate from hard rock in a post Sabbath world (note that while Sabbath was *very* important to this movement, this sounds totally different from Sabbath, whose best music often slots a little neater into Doom Metal which would get more established later). Iron Maiden formed in 1975, when the genre was still kind of being hammered down, but their first album got released in 1980, when everything was a little more established. Maiden's sound kind of lands between more melodic metal at the time, and what was thought of more as speed metal. Maiden operates at an energetic gallop, but they never give up a catchy chorus as a consequence of it. Some of the things that distinguished Iron Maiden from their peers was *a little* prog influence, which mostly showed in their song structures, riff writing, and later, high concepts. Additionally, Maiden had two lead guitarists at this time, which allowed them to play with guitar harmonies. As a consequence, the solos on this are *awesome* with Dave Murray and Adrian Smith playing the aforementioned harmonies at some times, and trading dueling passages at others, the effect is electric. Honestly, the whole band is super tight, Steve Harris' bass work is mixed high, and is very distinct and enjoyable, and Clive Burr may not be Maiden's most iconic drummer, but he holds down the fort on this album. I also have to mention Bruce Dickinson, he's a super charismatic frontman with a very distinct and powerful voice. The songs on here are consistently energetic and exciting, and while the A Side here is great in its own right, the B Side here has some classics, The Number of The Beast, Run to the Hills, and Hallowed Be Thy Name are all iconic Maiden songs. Some lines on Run to the Hills have aged a *little* awkwardly, but overall *I* think it has aged a lot better than I think something like this could have, especially because, at the end of the day, it's Maiden's earnest attempt at making a song calling out British Colonialism. Anyways, the song is driven by an iconic galloping lead riff, catchy melodies, and a soaring chorus. Number of the Beast is a wonderful blast of hokey Satanism, conjuring grim rituals and tall shadows, and also it just absolutely rips. And Hallowed Be Thy Name is Maiden's grandest statement here in its lengthy, multi-phased structure and lyrics about a death row inmate in grim denial. It is filled with incredible passages, and epic riffs and is one of Maiden's greatest songs ever. The rest of the tracks here may not consistently reach these highs, but they are pretty great songs in their own right. I will say I've seen people complaining about the lyrics here, but they are good enough to yell along with at a show, and I think that might be what really matters here. Overall this is just cool, Maiden has an iconic metal sound, and they consistently deliver great songs, its a blast.

This was a major blind-spot of mine, and I'm glad I got this. I am honestly more familiar with Debbie Harry's work in weird movies (Rock & Rule, Videodrome) than in Blondie, which is at least a little funny, but I think also emphasizes how she was a figure who could really transcend scene, connecting pop charts with the punk world with the arthouse scene. This is reflected in this album's sound, Parallel Lines was very much an influence on the way that new wave would sound in the '80s. This is a combination of immediate pop songwriting, punk attitude and credibility, and an aesthetic that is a careful mix of rock, and the kitchen sink. Honestly, a lot of ground is covered here, the two songs I knew from here (One Way Or Another and Heart of Glass) sound like they could have been by different bands. I was really surprised at just how easily this hooked me, Hanging on the Telephone is a good-ass song, and I know it isn't an original (it is a cover of a song by The Nerves, a band which released almost nothing during their very brief existence) but Blondie really sell it here, I love the jittery little synth lines. Moving onto One Way Or Another, I viewed this song as overplayed, but it sold me in the full album context, in large part due to the instrumental bridge, which I'm pretty sure is usually cut from the radio, but it's like the best part of the song. Listening to this, I was waiting for a song to really lose me, but it never really happened, everything on here is at least good, and even better, these songs are all catchy, and distinct. Other favorites of mine are Fade Away and Radiate, 11:59, Will Anything Happen, and of course, Heart of Glass. Heart of Glass is kind of a weird song to be this album's biggest hit, but it is *really* good, there's something kind of futuristic and crystalline about it, and Debbie Harry's idiosyncratic singing absolutely sells it. Even the worst songs here are pretty good, Sunday Girl is not a bad song, its just a little less interesting than this album's best in my opinion, and the Buddy Holly cover, I'm Gonna Love You Too works in the context of the album, but I could see myself skipping it if it just sort of came on. Realistically, I'd like to give this a 4.5, its really fantastic, alas, I have to choose. I'm not sure if this is yet in my pantheon of 5s, and if you must have an official reason, I'd say its because Hanging On The Telephone, like a top three song here isn't original, which compounds with some of the songs I'm less into here. Despite this, I'd like to emphasize again that this is like *really* good, and it honestly caught me off guard.

It's too bad that Tical is a victim of circumstance. As has been said many times, Method Man was sort of the star who broke out after the release of Wu Tang classic 36 chambers, and this album was very hotly anticipated. Unfortunately, being the first Wu Tang solo album after 36 Chambers meant being very directly compared to it, and it would have been nearly impossible for Tical to meet this astronomical expectation. Additionally, the year after (1995) saw the release of Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx *and* Liquid Swords: By Wu Tang members O.D.B., Raekwon, and GZA respectively. Liquid Swords and Cuban Linx are often considered among the best rap albums of all time, and in comparison, Tical was a little raw, a little weird and a little rough around the edges. But it doesn't even get the underdog crowd, since O.D.B.'s "Return..." is *much* rawer, *much* weirder, and *much* rougher around the edges, making it the cult classic. This leaves Tical as a middle child: a really great album in a run of all-timers. That being said, this *is* a really great album. Tical achieves a very consistent tone: the beats, the lyrics and the delivery all serve the purpose of making a consistently eerie, gritty vibe that just permeates this album. And this is one of Tical's greatest strengths and weaknesses, the consistency of tone makes this a really absorbing, atmospheric listen, but it also makes some of these tracks run together a little, especially because a lot of the deep cuts here are a little light on hooks, which I don't really consider an intrinsically bad thing, and it does serve the album's overall tone, but it does mean I have a hard time keeping some of these songs straight in my mind. That being said, Method Man is a compelling character across this, and his lyrics show a level of craftsmanship and care that I would expect of Wu Tang at this time, and I do have some stand out songs. All I Need incorporates some romance into the album without sacrificing the tone. Meth Vs. Chef has some great dueling verses with the Raekwon feature. Release Yo' Delf features an I Will Survive interpolation that steadily grew on me, and I now think its an endearing, catchy, and unique addition here. Mr. Sandman is a classic Wu Tang posse cut. And while the Method Man remix at the end here is just a remix of the 36 Chambers song, it *is* still hard to complain about. Overall, even though this is one of the less interesting projects in the classic Wu Tang run, it is still a consistently great rap project that shows a lot of Method Man's character in a very atmospheric, tonally consistent context.

I would like to preface: I am an absolute noise fiend. I love thoughtful lyrics and beautiful arrangements and potent songwriting as much as anyone in kinder society. However, among the quickest ways to my heart of hearts is total sonic obliteration, and given this album's reputation I was ready to dish out the cut and dry 5: but does it truly earn it? We shall see. While artists had been experimenting with noise elements and pop songwriting prior to this, Psychocandy is, in the eyes of many, the archetypal noise pop album. The Jesus And Mary Chain push a vaguely goth-y vibe and simple, theoretically sugary post punk songs into uncharted territory by really overdriving the aesthetic here. This album has, more or less, two types of songs: firstly, songs like the standout opener Just Like Honey which harness unprecedented, "recorded in a cave" reverb into a dark and super dreamlike atmosphere. This content on the album was a large influence on the development of later genres like shoegaze. The other type of song here is where the album earns the "noise" descriptor. These moments, like The Living End and In A Hole get a little punkier, and drive the aesthetic much further. Here, the guitars sound like an explosion in a sheet metal factory as the band attempts to wrangle the searing feedback into the approximate shape of catchy riffs. Overall, these two facets of the album's sound work in a very complementary way, and I love the result. Everything just sounds huge and powerful and a little bit dangerous, like I can't emphasize enough just how much I like the sound of this thing. Unfortunately, there are some things going on here that didn't quite click with me. Firstly, the vocals on here are *extremely* deadpan, and its kind of hit or miss for me, there are songs where it works and songs where it doesn't. I will also say that the songwriting on here isn't spectacular. Without the album's aesthetic, I don't think these compositions could keep this from running out of steam. That being said, the aesthetic *is* here, and besides, these songs very rarely run longer than 3 minutes, so it isn't like you have a ton of time to get bored. Overall, I don't think this is the 5 that I was ready to hand out, but it is *really* good. The sound of this is still distinct and super cool, and the songs are a great vessel for delivering the experience of this album's sound to you. I like this a lot!

I'm always at least a little scared when I get a real canon classic on here. It always comes with a kind of difficult game of balancing influence and storied circumstances and any of the other proceedings with the inclinations of one's personal taste. I think I've settled on a kind of healthy skepticism that at least lets me take a step back to decide if I even like these albums, because the truth of the matter is that almost no one will truly *love* all of them. And Are You Experienced is about as canon as classics get. This is often cited as, perhaps, the single biggest turning point in rock history, and Hendrix may be cited as the greatest ever guitarist more often than any other single person. And it helps that he kind of invented the "guitar hero" persona, his whole aesthetic and performance style was striking and extremely bold. With that being said, *damn* this is good. Is Hendrix the greatest guitarist ever? I honestly don't know. Detractors may mention more technically proficient guitarists, and on the other end of the scale, you have people talking about Hendrix like some kind of wizard without saying anything insightful about his playing. Honestly, its gotten to the point where, before listening to this, I couldn't have really told you what his playing sounds like, the myth has just escaped the music that much. The thing with Hendrix is that he kind of re-invented the guitar, and how it could be used in popular music. Since starting this list, I've heard quite a few '60s albums, and it has put into perspective just how much Hendrix was in his own league. In one word, I'd say his playing is "organic", this album seems to work similarly to jazz in a lot of ways. A lot of these songs have a kind of baseline riff or motif that is established, and that Hendrix and the rest of the band seem to use as an anchor, but they often kind of play it loose. If you really focus, especially on Hendrix's guitar and Mitch Mitchell's *ultra* underrated drumming, the moment to moment shapes of their instrumental lines are really hard to make out. Everyone here has an ebb and flow, and Hendrix's performance is emphasized by his equally revolutionary fuzz guitar tone. As a result, Hendrix sounds bold, exciting and dynamic, even today, and that carries into the album as a whole. The sound across Are You Experienced borrows a lot from blues rock, soul, and psych without ever really *completely* fitting into any one of them. The only genre that really feels right is "rock", just general "rock", in part because of just how archetypal the sound here is. Additionally, this has some *classics* on it; Purple Haze, Hey Joe, The Wind Cries Mary, Fire, Foxey Lady, and we've already hit nearly half of the tracklist. Everything else here is just as good, Manic Depression is a soulful, bluesy rock song with some great lyrics. Third Stone From The Sun is an engaging jam. Are You Experienced is a fascinating closer, taking a lot of very bold psychedelic elements and blending them seamlessly with the album's sound. Yeah, this one deserves the praise, it's just got everything: iconic songs, exciting performances, *wide* influence. I've got to give this one its flowers.

Deep Purple is a band that constantly reinvented themselves with varying levels of success. Deep Purple In Rock is the start of Deep Purple Mk2, the most acclaimed and arguably best era. Here, Deep Purple makes the leap from quality psych act to iconic early metal band with remarkable grace. They get a lot right here, thick guitar tone, exciting solos, wailing vocals, this is truly an underrated piece of classical metal canon that probably should be mentioned with bands like Black Sabbath. I will say, the lyrics here are a little silly and some of these songs don’t quite earn their length, but this is still a really great album. The songs have some great parts: great melodies, great solos from everyone, by the end I was even sold on the synth organ. I honestly don’t have a ton to say, it’s pretty great. I’ll give this a very high 3. Edit: I think I may have scored this a little how for how generally positive I feel about it. Besides, I think the performances, solos, and guitar tone here justify a low 4 soundly enough.

Here we go, my first Britpop album from the list. I've gotta say it isn't really a genre I'm especially interested in, which isn't to say I haven't enjoyed anything in the ballpark. I can get into some of the classic bands that have transcended the genre, most notably Blur and The Stone Roses. However, what we have here seems to be a real deep cut, I was kind of taken aback when I saw that this band only has 23,000 listeners, initially because that is *pretty* underground. But after my listen of this, I'm more surprised that this band doesn't have more, I think a lot of people would be pretty into this. That being said, I only sort of liked it. To my ears, this album is one with a couple of great songs, a couple good ones, and everything else is sort of just fine to me. The opening hat trick of Natalie's Party, Comedy, and Pull together is pretty good. All of these songs are at least good, with Pull Together being pretty great in my mind. These three songs are all catchy and well written, and Pull Together has a subtle melancholy and some faint electronic elements that push it above and beyond for me. Overall, this is a strong enough start to the album, all things considered, but it kind of loses its footing pretty quickly for me. It takes until Streets of Kenny and its kind of baroque, shanty-esque feel to even get remotely as interesting as this opening salvo again, and even then, I don't know if I think it quite reaches the heights of those first three songs. Then we have another run of songs that don't do it for me, before ending on a high note with what may be, in my eyes, the album's best, Daniella. After some of the lower moments on this album, which I think somewhat often gets a little too twee for me at times, Daniella is a refreshing joy. It is stripped back and earnest, and stands out here as an especially well-written folk/singer-songwriter song that I could see entering my regular rotation. Also, I'd like to note that even though I think this project is a little uneven, the palette of it is overall pretty interesting. Acoustic guitar, violin and the vocal stylings all contribute to a sort of baroque atmosphere overall, which, as I mentioned earlier, occasionally shifts into kind of a shanty-like space. Additionally, the electronics on this are usually welcome. There may be too many good songs for me to go a 2 here, and I'm also not sure that the lows are low enough, so I'm gonna settle on a pretty low 3. This was fine for me, if pretty uneven, but your mileage may vary.

This is some great stuff! I wouldn't say this is Sly's masterpiece, that's *probably* There's a Riot Goin' On, but this is a really excellent listen regardless. This is a really great soul and funk album that captures a lot of the tension of this era. Stand! has its fair share of both optimistic and pessimistic moments, reflecting the uncertainty of the times, as the hippy movement started collapsing and the Civil Rights movement was embroiled in a bitter fight. This album doesn't mince words, Sly says what he means. The 2nd track here, whose title I do not feel is for me to reproduce, is a really bold example of this. There aren't a lot of different lines here, but there doesn't need to be. The song's confrontational simplicity serves its purpose, and conveys Sly's righteous anger over a driving funk rhythm. But on the other hand, this album's biggest hit, Everyday People is an empathetic call for unity and understanding that truly seems to believe in a better future. This all balances out, the optimism here isn't blind, and the pessimism isn't nihilistic. The cumulative effect is an album the feels real and honest, with a message driven home by its energetic performances and great songs. The Soul songs here are impassioned, and the funk songs powerful. I will say, I like the nearly 14 minute jam, Sex Machine, but its probably not making it into my rotation, and I think it harms the pacing a little bit. That being said, This is still pretty awesome from start to end.

Hmm, so the funny thing about this is I think that Radiohead is overdiscussed, overrated, and at least a little funny to jeer at, but you can see my score for this as plain as day. Overrated is relative, there are two Radiohead albums that I think are effectively perfect (the other is Ok Computer), but there seem to be a *lot* of people out there on the internet trying to convince me there more. Also, I will say that while I absolutely love Kid A and Ok Computer, I can't say that I *quite* love them equally. I think the last thing I'll say on this is that, in a nutshell, if you have more than one Radiohead album on your top 20 of all time, you should *probably* listen to more music. Anyways, that's enough of antagonizing people over the internet today, let's discuss the album. Firstly, you've heard the narrative "greatest album ever" "greatest left turn in music history", and so on and so forth. In short, a lot of people *really* like this album, and I am one of them. Kid A just does such a fantastic job of building a world and immersing you in it. Radiohead's further incorporation of electronics into Ok Computer's sound mutates this album into something really fascinating. The tone here is eerie and cold and apocalyptic, and it suits the themes here of irreversible environmental annihilation, anxiety attacks, and other such ideas. This album really sounds like its cover art, and it nails the tone immediately. If Everything In Its Right Place sounds like the surface of the moon, then the following title track could be sung by its denizens. The National Anthem then opens up the sound palette a little without sacrificing any immersion. This song is anchored by an incredible bassline, then slowly devoured by the brass section. How To Disappear Completely is an all-timer, a rare and bitterly sad moment of raw humanity on this project. And it never really lets up. Other highlights include the absolutely beautiful Motion Picture Soundtrack, and Idioteque, which may be the album's absolute best song. Idioteque combines a jittery, disorienting, evolving loop with Thom's vocals which ride on a razor's edge between being subdued and manic. The result is genuinely scary in a kind of way, if you are of a certain mind about it. Anyways, there isn't much on here that I can really consider a low point. A couple tracks are a little lower key, but they suit their purpose. I'm gonna say something controversial, these Radiohead guys may just be pretty good at making music.

I like jazz quite a bit, which is why it's weird to me that I kind of have a hard time writing about it. What I love about the genre is often some nebulous interplay of performances, virtuoso ability, and vibes, so bear with me here. Anyways, I liked At Mister Kelly's a lot. This is a vocal jazz live album by Sarah Vaughan, and the fact that it is live is very important, I'd go as far as to say that this may be in the conversation about all time great live albums. This feels exactly as it should: intimate and warm, with little things like the introduction and crowd noises and recording quirks that really put you in this little jazz club while you listen through this. Firstly, as one might expect, Sarah Vaughan is the star here. She is a fantastically talented vocalist, and her voice is beautiful to boot. She is confident and charismatic on the mic; she has great annunciation and a distinct voice as well. She hits incredible vocal runs, and can express a wide range of emotions too. She even flubs with grace and humor, cushioning the audience with a little humor on How High The Moon and Willow Weep For Me. Her backing band is incredible as well. There is a pianist, a drummer and a stand-up bassist here and they are incredible musicians. The band is always locked in and tastefully improvising, giving Vaughan the space she needs while simultaneously making themselves known through their performances. There is serious talent in this much restraint. The only thing holding this album back is that these are pretty much all jazz standards instead of originals. However, that's not as much of a problem in jazz where interpretation and improvisation are so much of the genre's DNA. Ultimately this is great, it's sweet, and cozy and displays some real ability from everyone.

There is a weird sort of magic to early synthesizer music. It requires something special to be determined to make truly great music with technology that feels, now, so limited. After looking into how this was made, it seems like a small miracle that it exists at all. There is an interview with the band where a member recounts taking 11 days to record approximately 6 minutes of music. Although, conversely, the meticulousness required to make something like this at the time results in an early ambient album that feels incredibly detailed, and lovingly assembled. I also think that the abstractness of this type of electronic music actually aids in its aging, Phaedra almost seems to exist out of time if you are in the right headspace while listening to it. The music on here is *intrinsically* synthesizer music, it couldn't really have been made the same way on anything else. This is an album shaped by rhythms and arpeggios and arguably most importantly, texture. And with these elements, Tangerine Dream conjures vast expanses: The sky, the sea, and whatever lies beyond. Also, for how abstract this is, it is remarkably accessible (in my opinion). This is valuable as one of the most important albums, by one of the most important electronic bands of all time, but it is also a stellar example of the capabilities of early electronic music technology and the possibilities for ambient as a genre. Wonderful.

Rest In Peace Brian Wilson. If you've forgotten where the narrative of Brian Wilson as a genius comes from, this album should remind you of everything you need to know. It's funny, for one of the most acclaimed albums of all time, Pet Sounds is still kind of an underdog, largely because it seems to be compared to Sergeant Pepper, possibly more than any other single album (not by the Beatles). It kind of makes sense, both are ambitious, intricate and daring pop albums, but honestly, at the end of the day I may prefer Pet Sounds. One of the biggest things Pet Sounds has over Sergeant Pepper for me is the incredibly unique tone. Pepper oozed flower power optimism, but Pet Sounds was different. The production and instrumental palette has a bittersweet, dreamlike quality: the songs expanded with accordion, violin, toms, and vibrant flashes of psychedelia. And the lyrics here are, honestly, deeply sad. These songs are about alienation, longing, regret, and anxiety. The result is a very complex, yet understated emotional palette. And, of course, none of this would work if not for the fantastic songs. The Beach Boys' distinct, beautiful harmonies sit atop songs which pioneered techniques like complex chord progressions, moment-to-moment flourishes, dense arranging and more for the world of popular music. These songs are all pretty much, in one way or another, perfect '60s pop tunes, but I can list some stand-outs. Wouldn't it be nice is a mega hit and exemplifies everything great about this album. The song is built around an unbelievably catchy accordion line, the vocal melodies are perfect pop music, and the jubilance of the song's aesthetics are counter-balanced by the subtle sadness of the lyrics. Don't Talk is one of the album's sweetest moments. God Only Knows makes the genius move of starting, as a love song, with "I may not always love you", which as was bold and frank and subversive as any of this album's other greatest moments. I'd also like to shout out Sloop John B, I Just Wasn't Made For These Times, and Caroline, No for bringing some *incredibly* honest, vulnerable sadness. This has its reputation as a beautiful, intricate, and boundary-pushing pop album for a reason, and it has aged with remarkable grace. In light of Wilson's passing, I may be feeling a tad generous, but I think I do stand by this as a 5.

While I like folk music a lot, this didn't do a ton for me. To say some positives, the lyrics have an interesting spirituality to them, and I like Yusufs' (Cat Stevens') voice. Additionally, these songs aren't bad, but there are only a few I can really say I like a lot, my favorites being Hard Headed Woman, Wild World, and Father And Son. There are moments of songwriting genius across this, but it just doesn't really do it for me. Frankly, for folk songwriting of this era, some of this is pushed a little too pop for me, and I prefer a rawer take on this genre in general. Like I said, not really bad though, and I can imagine a lot of people would be really into this. I'm kind of between a 2 and a 3, honestly, this would probably be, most honestly like an exact 5/10, but I had to choose. Anyways, still give this a listen, I think this is for a lot of people. Edit: Thought about this a little more, 2 is probably a little harsh.

While I am deciding that I am not that into late ‘60s and early ‘70s blues rock, but there is something here. A lot of people claim this has proto-punk energy, but I’d rather say this is sort of garage rock. Anyways, this does have some real energy that propels it along, and I like it well enough! I don’t have a ton to say about this honestly, it’s alright!

Talking Heads had a very interesting evolution during their existence, but I am glad to say they were still fully-formed and confident and exciting on their debut here. While I do believe that the next several Talking Heads albums are generally more interesting than the material here, these are still great songs, and also impressively, all of the weird little nooks and crannies in what would become Talking Heads' sound are pretty much all here, just a little bit more subdued. We see Talking Heads here exploring the elements of funk, angular post punk, and futuristic textures here, but just to a lesser extent, and often in a different way than they would appear later. An interesting consequence of this is that pretty much every other Talking Heads album sounds more like each other than this, so it kind of feels like a unique treat in their discography. Some of the little experiments here are totally unlike anything that would appear later, like the steel drums on Uh-Oh, Love Comes to Town. Also, I must mention, that David Byrne is as fascinating and idiosyncratic as he ever would be here. His voice is not exactly deadpan, but it is more spoken than sung most of the time, and he is kind of riding a line between nervous and manic in a way that captures the really interesting energy that he is known for. The lyrics also have all the Byrne-isms that we know and love, if you don't know what I'm talking about, just read some, it'll explain better than I can. A lot of the themes here are about anxiety and alienation and neuroticism, but the images are obsessed with objects and buildings and business-men, and the rules of English grammar are largely adhered to. Anyways, there is a fair share of highlights here. The jerky, click-y Who Is It? is a sign of things to come. Uh-Oh, Love Comes To Town is groovy in a way the band would never really be again. The Book I Read and Don't Worry About The Government are both great Talking Heads deep cuts with some of the best lyrics on here. And lastly, Psycho Killer wasn't a hit at the time, but any song this good is bound to find its audience. Ultimately, even though Talking Heads would grow substantially after Talking Heads 77, this is still pretty great at a lot of its moments. There are some tracks that I don't click with, but I am very pleased with this as a whole.

I will say, I have more than a little skepticism towards covers albums, but this is really good. On Stardust, Willie Nelson plays stripped back, intimate interpretations of American pop standards, and he does a damn good job at it. These interpretations sound tender, heartfelt and lovingly assembled, a far cry from the reputation of the covers album as nothing more than a cash grab or bait for discography completionists. Nelson's band sounds great, proving themselves while giving him room to breathe and take center stage. And good thing too, because Willie Nelson is a really strong presence here. His guitar playing is pretty and crisp and understated, and his melodic gruffness grants this project some gravitas. I think the best run here is from Stardust to Blue Skies, with Blue Skies as my personal favorite song from the whole project. There are some lulls though, I don't know if the strength of this opening run is matched at any other point in the project. Also, while Unchained Melody and September Song are very good, they are also among the lowest energy songs on the album, and sequencing them together causes some pacing problems for me. For as hard a sell as "Willie Nelson's classic pop covers album" is, this really delivers, and I liked it quite a lot, despite some unevenness here and there. I'm gonna settle at a high 3, but I'd also like to give some unofficial bonus points to the fantastic album art.

N.E.R.D does some decent work here. N.E.R.D is probably most well known as Pharrell's old band, and they are a neat combination of hip hop, rock and RnB. The more "Pharrell-y" songs on here show a lot of promise, and are generally pretty good. However, the production choices, and some of the songwriting in general sounds kind of dated, especially on the more rock leaning tracks. This did kind of slowly win me over during the course of its runtime, and by the end I was having fun, but I don't think I'll really revisit it, and even the best songs here are only fine by my taste. This is a hell of a lot better than the CeeLo Green album I had earlier with Pharrell on it, to the extent that this almost makes it make a little more sense. However, I'm still only so into this.

This is one that I'm gonna have to spend more time with. I can listen to this and very plainly see that Brilliant Corners is full of extremely intricate, emotive jazz compositions, and I can understand that Monk is considered among the greatest jazz composers/musicians ever for a damn good reason. Just listen to the title track for everything great about this in a nutshell: it's really a staggering song. However, I regret to say that I have yet to really digest and connect to these songs, but I can definitely appreciate what I'm hearing on some level. I'm gonna give this a healthy 4, because I really can't imagine giving it anything lower.

Prior to So, Peter Gabriel seemed to have one foot firmly in the art world and another firmly in the pop world. If that is the case, then on So, he seems to walk around a bit, and end up with one foot in the art-pop world and another just in the pop world. To put it differently: this is the one with the hits. Sledgehammer, In Your Eyes, Don't Give Up, and Big Time were all, on some level, a hit. However, this album is also known for achieving this without sounding like Gabriel is trying to "sell out", the songs here all feel very distinct and personal, and he keeps his art cred intact. Especially since the deep cuts here do *not* sound like they were made for the radio. Mercy Street, We Do What we're Told and This Is The Picture all sound thickly atmospheric, future-forward and mysterious. My personal favorite on here is This Is The Picture, Laurie Anderson (check her out by the way) appears and performs an incredible vocal duet with Peter Gabriel. Not to brush by the singles, they are mostly great as well. Sledgehammer, for example is iconic for a reason: funky, catchy, and just a *touch* art damaged. The only song on here that I specifically don't like is Big Time. It just sounds kind of on the nose and silly to me, but I would like to give credit where credit is due to the bass-work. I overall enjoyed this quite a bit, but I get the sense I may personally get more out of Peter Gabriel's earlier work.

Iggy and the Stooges’ legendary Raw Power is certainly aptly named. The performances, energy, and production (more on that in a minute) of Raw Power makes it both crawl towards punk, and capture rock at its most exciting and unpredictable. This is compounded by the reputation Raw Power has due to the conditions of its creation: frankly it’s a miracle this got released at all. In short, the legend goes as such: David Bowie saw fit to get Iggy Pop's next album financed and released, and a few bizarre decisions later, as Bowie tells it, he had to mix the album in a single, day long session from only three tracks (reportedly, Iggy's vocals, and the lead guitar both had their own track, and everything else was on a single track). Even with the talents of Bowie, this resulted in a mix that sounds raw and shrill, but it ended up capturing the album pretty well. It's also worth noting that in 1997, Iggy Pop was brought in to remix the album himself for a reissue, and the result is a mix wherein everything is as loud as possible, to the point of clipping, but the low end is a lot better. Consequentially, there is no definitive mix of Raw Power. Bowie's mix captures some real lightning in a bottle, but he seems to have left the bass behind, and Pop's mix fixes the bass, and has a little more impact, but it loses some of the charm of the original, and maybe more importantly, it has a dismal dynamic range, the whole album has the faders jammed as far as they'll go, and it proudly displays its digital clipping. I think there are merits to both, and I would like to go on record to say that I think there is something beautiful about the fact that after 25 years of reflection, hindsight, and experience in the professional recording industry Iggy Pop still seems to think that the best way to experience this is as loudly as physically possible, at all times, without relief. To discuss the music on here, it's sick as hell. Basically, this is just shy of 35 minutes worth of rock music threatening to fly off the handle at all times. There are two slower songs, but I wouldn't say they are filler, they're honestly pretty good, so this thing feels lean, not really a wasted minute. The rhythm section turns into a wall of noise, Pop shouts incoherently, and the guitar solos sputter inarticulately. It feels bold and chaotic, and like I said earlier, exciting. I love this thing, and while I'm not giving it a 5 yet, I think there may be room to grow.

Well shit, this is like *really* good. I don’t have an incredible history with Britpop, I like some of the classics, but the genre at large doesn’t really do it for me, but Different Class by Pull is an extremely well written pop album with a unique aesthetic and great execution that stands head and shoulders above the genre at large in my eyes. This is full of flourishes from the rave scene, orchestral arrangements and there really isn’t a bad song here. We start off strong with Mis-Shapes, a song where Pulp’s incredible talent for chorus writing becomes immediately apparent. Before mentioning other highlights here, I would also like to mention the lyrics here, there is a fascinating combination of class consciousness and horniness in a way I’m really not sure I’ve heard anywhere else. The album as a whole paints an honest and pretty grimy portrait of England at the time, full of class conflict and ennui. I bring this up because the second song here is Pencil Skirt, which is an almost transgressive view of cheating that feels gross in a pretty interesting way. The next song is a pretty staggering highlight: Common People is about class consciousness by way of romantic flings, touching on themes of upper-class disconnect and the fetishization of the working class. This kind of romantic wistful pop song transforms in a really interesting way, with the narrator becoming increasingly angry with the class tourist woman chasing him, and the almost imperceptible build here is glorious. I Spy is another personal favorite, with the post punk vibes and whispery vocals, it’s just sonically fantastic. Other highlights include Live Bed Show, Sorted For E’s & Wizz, FEELINGCALLEDLOVE, and Monday Morning: really we have most of the album here. I stand by there not being a bad song here, but some just don’t do quite as much for me, Underwear and Something Changed in particular. Despite this, this still may be my favorite Britpop album, and if you’re skeptical of the genre you owe it to yourself to at least give this a shot. This is a pretty high 4.

When I say that I remain skeptical of Brit-pop, albums like this are why. (What's The Story) Morning Glory is one of the most acclaimed albums in the Brit-Pop space, one of the best selling as well, and it's an absolute hit parade too. However, I just don't really like this album. Oasis' game here seems to be simple, elegant pop song writing, with a massive chorus on every song. For me, the problem here is that by swinging for the fences every time, Oasis often misses. A lot of these songs seem engineered to be the most effective arena rock songs possible, but it feels like Oasis doesn't earn a lot of these choruses. On the other couple of Britpop albums I've heard through this project, there were always some surprising little detours to expand their sound, but there really isn't much that surprised me here at all. I'd like to note that this approach to songwriting isn't intrinsically bad for me, but there really isn't anything about Oasis that sells me on it here. There isn't anything exceptional to me about the singing here, or the playing for that matter. There isn't much of an exciting rock edge here, but Oasis also doesn't sell me on the melodicism here. There weren't really any lyrics that stand out to me, and I don't really find the Gallaghers to be compelling figures either. There just isn't anything I find really interesting about Oasis' sound to sell these huge songs. I will say, there are a couple of songs that help out quite a bit here, but first I would like to briefly acknowledge Wonderwall. Wonderwall is kind of a fine song at the end of the day, but it may be in the running for the most played out singular song on the entire list. If not for this list, I could have probably gone the rest of my life without intentionally listening to this song. With that out of the way, let's discuss some positives. Hello and Morning Glory are both songs with some fun, driving energy and end up pretty decent and help give the project some momentum. Don't Look Back In Anger is one of the only choruses here that I really buy into, it kinda hits. Also, Champagne Supernova highlights one of the merits to this songwriting style. Despite being 7 minutes long, it feels as brisk as anything else here as it builds from chorus to chorus, it helps that this song has some of the best melodies here. However these songs can only help so much, and I still feel that a 2 is appropriate here.

Doggystyle is an undisputed classic hip hop album by Snoop Dogg, and it is very possibly Snoop's only undisputed classic. However, you would be hard-pressed to find someone who appreciates hip hop as an artform who would deny Snoop this one. After Dr. Dre's The Chronic proved that G-Funk, and the West Coast hip hop world at large had a real chance in the mainstream, and Doggystyle followed up on the potential. Produced in full by Dre, and featuring a West Coast who's who feature list, Doggystyle saw Snoop become fully realized as one of the most endearing (and enduring) personalities in hip hop. Snoop's flow is unbelievably smooth, and he harnesses an effortless "cool" that aided a lot in acclimating a more general audience to West Coast hip hop. Also helpful are Dre's beats here, which up the fun factor present on his debut. The basslines are *fat*, the sawtooth synths are sugary and iconic, and the bounce on this project is non-stop. Regardless of if the West Coast is your thing, this is still one of the best collections of beats *ever*. Gin and Juice is a generation defining ultra-hit, The Shiznit's bassline is incredible, and on songs like Murder Was The Case and Serial Killa, Dre even conjures some sinister tones. Of note is also Lodi Dodi, one of hip hop's only real covers. Snoop pays his respects to Slick Rick, and Dre's beat sounds right at home under Rick's verses. It's also worth noting that while this album, in the eyes of many, marks the early signs of the hip hop mainstream moving away from lyricism, the lyrics here absolutely are worth discussing. Snoop paints such a vivid picture of LA at this time, and the people and places that comprise it. While talking about lyrics, I would like to mention that this album often finds itself at the center of conversations about misogyny in hip hop, and while I do not think these conversations are often started in good faith, I do think there is a real discussion that can happen here. From what I have read of other reviews of this album on this website, there seems to be a lot of pearl-clutching about hip hop, while the equally grave crimes against women committed by the music industry at large seem to frequently go unpunished. It just sort of feels like a double standard, and I don't think it really gets to the core of the systemic misogyny that does exist within hip hop culture and within the music industry at large. All that being said, some of the lines about women here are *crazy*. There is a particularly high density of shockers on Ain't No Fun. I think some of these lines may well be indicative of problematic attitudes towards women that some of the artists here may have held, and I think artists should be held accountable for this, but acting like this is a problem that starts and stops with Snoop Dogg just isn't helpful. Despite this, I think this album can still be held as a classic. As I mentioned, this album paints a picture of the world it was created in, and Snoop Dogg shows us the good, bad and ugly of this world, whether he knows it or not. It is always responsible to have a critical relationship with art, and one should be able to acknowledge the greatness of a piece while acknowledging how the good and bad of the personalities that created it shaped and the art itself, instead of holding them as wholly separate entities. Anyways, at the end of the day, I do think these lyrics detract somewhat from my enjoyment of this album. There are also a couple of other minor complaints I have, mostly that I am not huge on the skits here. Despite all of that, I do still consider this a classic and regard this very highly. This is a ton of fun, it also sounds great in the summer, and it's a real piece of hip hop culture. Great stuff!

It really feels like Stevie Wonder's very best is music that no one dislikes. In particular, his work from 1972 to 1976 is solid gold, and Fulfillingness' First Finale lands in the middle of this run. I will say, this has a hard time living up to its surrounding albums, but given the incredibly high quality ceiling here, that isn't exactly a damning accusation. This is still an excellent album full of really great songs, many on the same level as Wonder's best. The sound that Wonder is known for, combining soul with funk, motown, R&B and more is on full display here, and the topics discussed here are focused and consistently interesting. These songs are about love, religion, spirituality, hope and the occasional jab at Richard Nixon. There really isn't a bad song here, but highlights include Heaven Is 10 Zillion Light Years Away, which explores Wonder's relationship with religious faith, the breezy Bird Of Beauty, and the politically minded You Haven't Done Nothin, featuring The Jackson 5. I would like to make special mention of They Won't Go When I Go, which captures a tone heard nowhere else here, and carries some real gravity. It is one of Stevie Wonder's best songs ever. I will say that I don't think I connect to every song here, but I can understand that this is fantastically constructed from front to back. There is just something joyful and transcendent that Stevie Wonder's music is often steeped in, and that X-Factor is on full display here, making this a truly valuable project.

I listen to quite a bit of extreme and bizarre music, but I must admit, this one took a couple of listens. This was Robert Wyatt's first solo album after leaving Soft Machine, and also his first after becoming paralyzed from the waist down. The process of teaching himself a new way to write, perform and record music shows here, Rock Bottom sounds nothing like any of Wyatt's prior work, and frankly, I'm not sure that I have heard another album quite like this full stop. Rock Bottom is considered part of the Canterbury Scene, just from the lineup here, but it doesn't quite fit neatly into that sound. The only other music I can think of which is enjoyed in approximately the same way is some stuff by Coil, Comus, and to a lesser extent, Kid A by Radiohead (which is often cited as being the most noteworthy album to take inspiration from Rock Bottom). What does this sound like? It has some of the attributes associated with the aforementioned Canterbury Scene, but just feels different from prog at large. These songs are ethereal and sour complex, taking more from modal/free jazz than from prog, and featuring a mix populated both with more conventional rock instruments as well as synths, drones and other alternative instrumentation. I honestly think the first two tracks here may be the most challenging, although they are both very good nonetheless. Sea Song is a particularly bizarre love song to his wife (the similarly fascinating Alfreda Benge) and Robert's understated but intentional vocals move like a fairly conventional ballad at times. However, the song as a whole sways and stretches, the chord progressions always threatening to resolve, but seemingly never quite making it there. This is executed to great effect, feeling genuinely disorienting in a way that is really interesting. A Last Straw really shows off the jazz influence, as well as the incredible talent on this album: our lineup includes Mike Oldfield, Fred Frith, Laurie Allan, Soft Machine's very own Hugh Hopper, and more. These are largely scene legends, and the chemistry here is incredible (of note is also that Pink Floyd's Nick Mason produced this). These two songs are very good, while remaining utterly subsumed into Wyatt's world. But what is really noteworthy here is that, in my eyes, the remaining four songs are effectively perfect, while *still* refusing to dial back the strangeness here. Little Red Riding Hood Hit The Road and Little Red Robin Hood Hit The Road seem to be sister songs. The former being devoured by a brass section and ending in a brief recitation of a poetry passage. The latter, closing out the album, doubles down on the poetry, as Wyatt allows Ivor Cutler and his beautiful harmonium playing to close the album out. Both are incredible songs. Between them, is, in my opinion, the album's greatest achievement: the suite of Alifib and Alifie, together forming the other gloriously weird love song to Wyatt's spouse on this album. For as abstract as these songs are, they resonate deeply with me. Alifib is a beautiful song, modality is heard at its most expressive, and we slowly build into the intensity of Alifie, which then ends with a passage by A;freda Benge (his wife) who puts a bow on everything and the cumulative statement is really beautiful. The most fascinating thing about these songs may be the lyrics: they are straight-up Dada poetry. Wyatt uses words and sounds non-representationally, just exploring them as ideas separate from the objects they are typically connected to, and it is done *very* well, sold with super dynamic delivery. I get if you don't like this, it is *truly* bizarre, especially if you don't really have any frame of reference for this at all. And even if you do, it is stubborn in the unfamiliarity of its content and execution, really resisting attempts to get into it. However, I would urge you to give it a shot, there is something really exciting and beautiful here. I don't know if this album is technically perfect, but what very few rough patches are here, I think I'm willing to overlook. This is rapidly growing on me, and I am willing to award bonus points for this quite possibly being the only album that feels and sounds like this ever recorded. It is a rare and beautiful beast, and I am willing to give it a 5.

What sticks out to me most about this is that Joan Armatrading can *sing*. She’s fantastic on here, an extremely powerful presence. Unfortunately a lot of the songwriting doesn’t stick out to me all that much, but I do like the country leaning stuff on here. Save Me is one of the best songs here, dusty and tender. I’d also like to mention Like Fire’s incredible guitar work. Join The Boys and Tall In The Saddle are also highlights here. All in all, I can put this on pretty happily, and Armatrading herself is is fantastic, but I only get so much from this as a whole.

This album is frustrating, because it’s almost pretty decent, but there are just a few things with U2’s sound that I kind of just can’t do. Either way, I’m not sure this has earned the classic status that it is often given. I will say that if you heard this when it came out, I can kind of get it. At the time, I could have seen the Edge’s signature tone and effects being atmospheric and kind of futuristic, but unfortunately, time has not been kind to The Joshua Tree, and this guitar sound is, to me, synonymous with advertising, which really is too bad. That being said, it is sorta U2’s fault, if your signature guitar effect is a delay pedal, then you can’t complain if it doesn’t sound all that exciting to future generations. Something I can more confidently blame on U2 is Bono’s performance here. Something about the way he sings makes me feel like a cat being pet backwards. His pitch isn’t always there, he tries ducking off into expressive little detours that just don’t feel right to me, and when he gets a little growly, it kind of sounds like he has something stuck in his throat. A lot of the songs here, on a writing level, are at least melodically decent, if melodramatic, but what often really makes or breaks an individual song for me is Bono. For example, on I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For, he plays it pretty straight and let’s the melody speak for itself, and as such, it’s one of my favorites on here. Conversely, Bullet The Blue Sky is pretty good, until Bono starts doing his thing, and I’m immediately sucked out of an otherwise atmospheric song. I would also like to note the baffling Trip Through Your Wires, which stuns me with Bono yelping to no particular gain, and harmonica playing which feels as though it has no place on this album. Although, I did actually like the subdued approach of the last two tracks here: Exit and Mothers Of The Disappeared. They both tone it back and let the atmosphere speak instead of trying to coat then in obnoxious vocals and huge choruses. Overall, this was actually kind of interesting to me, I just didn’t like it that much. But I do think there’s value of some kind here.

Every true music curmudgeon has one mid to late ‘60s underground rock band that they claim secretly sort of invented punk before anyone else. And as quite the curmudgeon myself, mine has been The Monks for some time now. While The Monks may have been limited by the music aesthetics of the time and the technology available to American GIs in Germany in like 1966, the punk spirit is alive and well on Black Monk Time, and frankly the sound isn’t as far as you’d think. The songs are repetitive and simple and sorta pummeling in their own sort of scuzzy garage rock way. The lyrics are blunt, angry and often politically charged. And a kind of energy rarely seen in rock at this time courses through the album. Also, this is a particularly brisk ~30 minutes, well suited to the kind of stuff here. There’s some really cool drum work here too, and I was pleasantly surprised by the organ incorporation that could have only been here in 1966. This is some really unique, exciting rock music, and I’m glad the 1001 albums list gave it some love.

For much of my life, I kind of thought most Reggae sort of sounded the same, although this was, as they say, a skill issue and some time last year it finally clicked with me. That being said, I didn’t really follow up on this revelation in any meaningful way. All of this to say this is the first Reggae album I have listened to from front to back and it’s *really* good. Bob Marley is an icon and with music like this he really deserves the status. The unfortunately underrated Wailers are also fantastic, elevating these fantastic songs and Marley’s performances and Melodies into an album that earns its place among the greats. Marley is a super dynamic vocalist, and he serves as a great counterpoint to the super tight, rhythmic reggae grooves across the album. It's also refreshing to hear his lyrics in a world where Bob Marley, as a pop culture figure, has been sanitized. Songs like 400 Years, and Slave Driver are angry, intelligent and deeply political. He also has compelling lyrics about romance, religion and more on here. I'm glad the generator finally twisted my arm into checking this stuff out, I had a fantastic time.

From what (admittedly little) research I did, Hugh Masekela seems deeply important to the landscape of jazz, and this is seemingly regarded to be among his best. While I can tell this is a detailed, sophisticated piece of jazz, I'm not sure I can entirely speak this music's language. I enjoy jazz quite a bit, but my comfort zone usually hovers around the hard-bop, swing and (to an extent) free jazz world. Home Is Where The Music Is has some distance from these touchstones, and while I enjoy this while it's on, I often just don't have the ear to tell you exactly what is spectacular about it. Although, this is still a pretty great album to just sort of drift through, even if I can't take it all in. Although there are some moments here that I feel I can fully appreciate. The Drumwork in the second half of Blues For Huey is really incredible. I also love the second half of Minawa. And Ingoo Pow-Pow brings in some really interesting percussive and vocal components that really set it apart. Also, I would like to note that while Hugh Masekela's name is specifically on this, it feels more like an ensemble piece than a solo exhibition at many times (although he certainly has some fantastic flugelhorn solos on here). Overall, this is pretty great and I enjoyed it quite a bit, I don't know if I see myself coming back to it anytime soon though: maybe someday.

This is pretty interesting, but kind of inessential. Doves kind of set themselves apart from other similar indie acts by really embracing their house roots and by accentuating the late night "moodiness" that so many people reference in regards to Lost Souls. This results in a couple of really good songs: I like Sea Song, Lost Souls, The Man Who Told Everything, and some other moments dotted around quite a bit. However, sometimes this album feels a little style over substance, and the very singular atmosphere makes some of these songs run into each other. Although, this at least makes Lost Souls work well as "vibes" music. Despite this, I am not sure I can really see myself returning to this one, I kind of wish it took the "moodiness" further, we are kind of sitting in a weird middle space with Doves as they are. Sometimes they don't push their ideas dark enough, sometimes they don't have enough songwriting chops to counterbalance the darkness that is here. Although I did enjoy this while it was on, I just kind of find it vaguely pleasant most of the time. This score should be read as a low 3.

I'm the wrong kind of gay for this, George Michael doesn't exactly have a lot for the sapphics. I'd probably be able to tag along for the ride, but the '80s are also one of my least favorite decades for mainstream pop music, and this is an album that features a lot of the production attributes that usually drive me away from this era. Everything has that sort of cheesy sheen that a lot of '80s pop music seems to. And the songs are kind of campy, but not in a way I really resonate with. The result is that these are catchy, well written songs, and George Michael is a strong presence, but I just don't really like much of what is here. The Title Track sort of grew on me, Hard Day is sorta funky, and I like Hand To Mouth. Although, I really don't see myself returning to any of the songs here. Although I would like to make a special mention of I Want Your Sex (Pts. 1 & 2), which I can't say I love, but it is genuinely fascinating. This is a 9 minute epic about, you guessed it: sex, which features a little break where we get lyrics like "sex is natural, sex is fun, sex is best when it's one on one" which sort of makes me feel like I'm in some bizarre sex education class in high school or something. I understand that this would have seemed a little more daring at the time, but now it is just sort of bizarre and quaint. It baffles me that this is a song on an album that sold 25 *Million* copies. Anyways, as much as I don't really like this album, I can't really feel any negativity towards it. It's just sort of having a good time, and who would I be to stop it. Plus, I'd like to give some bonus points to George Michael for making such an unrepentantly gay and horny album for the mainstream in 1987, I have nothing but respect, even if I can't entirely resonate here.

Mark E Smith is a fascinating individual and one of the most difficult men to ever pick up a guitar. His contempt for his bandmates, contemporaries, and audience is pretty apparent in most everything he did, said, and made. This band has had 66 members during its lifespan for a reason. Although, people attempted to put up with him for a reason: the man was kind of, sort of a genius in his own weird way. Live At The Witch Trials is an extremely interesting debut. The Fall can be lumped in with the other post-punk bands at the time, but no one did it like this. This isn't to say that The Fall was far ahead of the rest of the scene, but they were kind of a singular, inimitable thing. For a band that really isn't *that* aesthetically extreme, there is something disproportionately alienating and caustic about The Fall's music. I think a lot of it may be that it seems like Smith had very little interest in keeping the band's energy from hurtling off the tracks, especially for how intricate some of these songs come across as. It kind of feels like everyone is pulling in a different direction, but the forces all balance out. And on top of all of it, Mark E Smith is *ranting*, it almost feels like he's trying as hard as possible to keep everyone from settling into a groove. And as a result of all this, The Fall's sound feels chaotic and nervous. I will also say that The Fall is really not for everyone, and they really don't seem to care that a not-insignificant portion of the population is left in the dust here. Despite that, I would really urge everyone to give this one a shot, it probably isn't The Fall's best, but it is *very* good, and is honestly probably one of their most accessible. It's really the kind of thing you struggle to find anywhere else.

2112 is a truly great album that I usually kind of need to be dragged into, kicking and screaming. I do like Rush, but my forebrain often forgets this fact. Also, Rush makes the kind of prog that I rarely feel the need to listen to. Despite this, I do think they make really great, incredibly intricate music. And by some metric, 2112's title track may be the greatest, most intricate song Rush ever recorded. Side B of 2112 is worth discussing, but we are really here for said title track. 2112 is one of the most important longform concept pieces in rock history. It is a 20 minute dystopian epic comprising the entirety of side A, and frankly, it has been discussed to *death* so I may try to keep this brief. 2112 tells the story of someone in a dystopian future finding a guitar, immediately mastering it, getting it destroyed by the high priest collective, then possibly dying by their own hand. I think it's a reasonably compelling narrative, but I do have complaints. Generally, I think Rush's lyrics are a little weak, usually nothing *terrible* just very, very literal, and that usually isn't a problem. However, this is a 20 minute long sci-fi narrative, and some real cheese seeps into some of it, but your mileage may vary. Also, we have quite a bit of Randian influence here, which is rarely good, but Rush manages to harness it in a way that isn't immediately distracting. Lyrics aside, the composition here could probably convey the story as an instrumental, which speaks to just how good Rush are at composing: it's very impressive, and the whole affair is consistently engaging and shockingly brisk. Let's now discuss side B. These are 5 disconnected rock songs that are all at least good. More great song writing, and very literal lyrics abound (really only distracting on A Passage To Bangkok and The Twilight Zone). A Passage To Bangkok is one of the best here (if you can overlook a *little* exoticism), but they did decide, for some reason, to interrupt the otherwise great song, not once, but twice, with the "Asian Music" sting, which kind of grinds everything to a halt and jumpscares me, as a modern listener. The Twilight Zone is another musical highlight here. But again, none of the songs are bad. Like I said, I do have some complaints with 2112, but I do still think it's great. Just the fact that they were able to execute something so ambitious and epic as well as they were deserves accolades. But more importantly, the album still has great songs, it isn't just a writing exercise, honestly this rocks pretty hard, which is kind of Rush's magic spell. Again, it's not always one I'm in the mood for, but I'm down for a spin of 2112 now and then.

Boston is kind of a fascinating case study to me. They are a band who was led, in part, by Tom Scholz, who was an absolute studio wizard who invented all sorts of pioneering recording techniques and home studio devices, however, what they used all this innovation for just doesn't feel like especially interesting music. Boston just kind of sounds like the cleanest, catchiest, most accessible arena rock possible, like this really feels like archetypal "dad rock" to me. And honestly, that audio engineering skill clearly went somewhere, this album does sound really good. Making an album sound this immaculately, spotlessly clean is no small feat, and even though I don't really like Boston, it's hard to argue that the work didn't pay off. Just about every song here was a hit on some level. A lot of them still get airplay on local classic rock stations across America (and beyond) to this day. And the songs are also there, like yeah, everything here kinda, sorta sounds the same, but every song does hit real arena rock highs. Depending on where you live, you would be hard pressed to find someone who hasn't heard More Than A Feeling, it's just unbelievably catchy. Honestly, if you're into this, more power to you, because you are probably having more fun than me, just in general.

It's interesting to hear the first album from a band that would become very popular. Sometimes it's the only opportunity to hear them before they are forced to contend with the weighty expectations of celebrity culture. Kings of Leon are a band that, anymore, I can only really think of as offensively inoffensive. Like it feels like they are as "just fine" as any band could be, and the big question I had going into this was if they were any more interesting on their debut. At this time, Kings of Leon kind of seem to sit in with the other kind of indie/garage rock bands of this time, but with a little more of a Southern Swamp Rock sound. Unfortunately, even here, I don't think they could really keep up with their contemporaries. They aren't as powerful and scuzzy as The White Stripes were, they didn't have the energy of something punkier like Yeah Yeah Yeahs at this time. And they didn't have the melodic sensibilities or performance of The Strokes, who they sound most similar to otherwise (they kind of both have the same "dry" sound that I wish I could put a finger on). Their sound is also just a little more "generic 2000s rock" than any of the former bands. I would like to mention the vocals here though. Caleb Followill digs in pretty hard on his delivery, and there are some standout moments, but his performances still somehow feel too restrained and never quite connect all the dots. This isn't bad per say, but like their later music, it just isn't interesting (let alone essential) in the landscape of rock they existed in.

This is the first Velvet Underground album without John Cale, and for better or worse (depending on who you ask) his absence is felt. Without his shrieking weaponization of the cello, The Velvet Underground's sound feels a little less "punky proto noise rock" and a little more "art pop/rock classic", and this has resulted in this album being one of The Velvet Underground's most accessible, with noteworthy results. This self-titled is kind of a perennial favorite, mostly for those who (understandably) couldn't get into White Light / White Heat. And, while they did dial it back here a little, a lot of the best songs here still show some echoes of their avant-garde roots. On What Goes On, Jesus, Some Kinda Love, and I'm Set Free, a lot of the drone-y minimalism of the band's older stuff still appears in a more tamed form. And, while I don't know if it's one of the band's more successful avant pieces, The Murder Mystery is pretty cool, if slightly long winded. But there are also moments here that very successfully capture more conventional songwriting. Pale Blue Eyes is a wildly successful, very tender love song. After Hours is vulnerable and sparse. And, say what you will about Lou Reed's personality, with its ups and downs, but Candy Says is an incredibly empathetic, very sweet song aiming to capture the experience of transness in a way that I truly appreciate. Unfortunately, there are some songs that don't fully sell me here. I think side 2 is generally the weaker one here. I don't really like Beginning To See The Light, That's The Story Of My Life's kind of country feel doesn't really fully sell me, and as interesting as it is, The Murder Mystery is an overlong mixed bag. Ultimately, there's a lot of good here, and while the second half is a little spotty, I think The Velvet Underground's first venture into more accessible music was very successful. This is justifiable as an essential, and I am glad I heard it.

This checks a lot of *very* specific boxes that I am looking for in indie folk. The low fidelity production, the unique vocals, the kind of esoteric woodsy vibe, the poetic lyrics. I am also a huge fan of how this album plays it musically loose, it sounds organic without feeling sloppy to me. Basically, this is one that kind of feels like it was tailored to my tastes a little. I will say that while I like every song here, I am not confident that there is anything truly amazing enough from a songwriting perspective to give this the lauded 5, but songs like The Body Breaks, Poughkeepsie, Fall, Insect Eyes, and Autumn's Child really try.

There was a time when this album was chronically overrated in online music spaces, and while I never really dug into it, a part of me is kind of resistant to wanting to listen to Arcade Fire, in part because of this. The whole situation with Win Butler a couple of years ago also doesn't particularly make me want to listen to Arcade Fire. Now that this album has a couple mental shrouds for me, I'm curious if I can enjoy it. It turns out that I can, I still hold that at its critical peak this album was pretty overrated, but this is still a standout indie project. I've seen Side A called the neighborhood suite, and I think it's where this project is at its strongest. These songs have a strong conceptual throughline, some neat baroque instrumentation, and strong, varied songwriting. Tunnels builds in a really dynamic way that kicks things off very well. Laika has great melodies, and really neat jangly textures with the xylophone and the accordion. I'd also like to highlight Power Out, which has a stand out electronic pulse, and kind of makes me think of a mid-late era Modest Mouse song, which in this instance, is a good thing. Side B feels a bit more disjointed, but it still has really strong songs. The run from Wake Up to Rebellion (Lies) in particular stands out to me. Wake Up in particular is ultra catchy. This is an album that incorporates a lot of the early 2000s indie-isms really well while maintaining a super accessible sound, and I think it paid off, Arcade Fire is huge now. I think pretty much every song on here pulls its own weight, and I can see myself returning to some of these songs in the future, even if the whole album may not make it into my regular rotation.

For as good as they were at it, the first 4 White Stripes albums had a pretty simple thing going on. Their powerful, scuzzy and loud interpretation of blues rock simply rocked *hard* (and their impeccable eye for aesthetic didn't hurt). As such, Get Behind Me Satan feels like a very intentional series of left turns and odd tangents. We kick off with Blue Orchid which very much feels like a normal White Stripes song, and a particularly good one too. It is catchy, groovy and heavier than you'd think, and starting here feels like a very intentional play to lull the listener into a sense of security. Immediately afterwards, we get The Nurse, which is *very* far removed from a normal White Stripes song, maybe more-so than anything else here. This song is built around a marimba part which is occasionally punctuated with a noise freak-out, and I think it's awesome. My Doorbell jerks us once more, into a piano and percussion led song with some incredibly catchy vocal melodies. With these songs, we experience most of the territory Get Behind Me Satan Takes us to. And this was probably a good idea, by defining a ball field to play in with these new textures, The White Stripes still give us a really cohesive sounding album. Not to say there aren't surprises from here on out. Little Ghost is pure, earnest Americana executed without an ounce of cheese and it's a highlight here. White Moon and I'm Lonely (But I Ain't That Lonely Yet are pleasant, well written piano ballads. Also, there *are* some more conventional White Stripes songs here: Instinct Blues, along with Red Rain, and the aforementioned Blue Orchid are all highlights. The scarcity of this sort of song here makes me think they made sure that any they attempted hit. And these three songs *hit* especially surrounded by chiller sounding material. I think these songs along with a lot of material here honestly, are really held together by Meg. Her thundering stomp really gives this album some impact. I think every song here is pretty great, and aside from some minor nitpicks and maybe a song or two I could have done without, there really isn't much for me to complain about here, and I could see myself spinning this again. The White Stripes played around a little here, but I think they really stuck the landing.

Every time I check out The Stones part of me is convinced that I'll finally have some kind of revelation and see what so many others seem to see in them. The only major success I've had thus far is figuring out that Gimme Shelter and Paint It Black are really fucking good (and there are a couple of other Stones songs I go back to as well). Although, going into this, I was feeling pretty good, this album *is* held in extremely high regard, and I could only imagine there must be something here. And in short, there are things about Exile On Main Street that I like, but this is largely an hour plus of music I don't feel very strongly about. Firstly, I'd like to say I think I get what The Stones were going for here, this very much feels like a "sum of it's parts album", but it just never really came together for me. I do like the overall production aesthetic here, there's plenty of rock and roll grit, and I think everyone is doing what they need to do to achieve the sound. I'd like to single out Mick Jagger's vocals in particular, for being a kind of loose and mushy that makes it seem like he's using his voice more like an instrument than anything. I think this all works best on songs like the opener, Rocks Off, which is probably my favorite here. They really sell their particular rock sound, and there are some really great lines here, "The sunshine bores the daylights out of me" hits in particular. However, nothing else here quite reaches this high again, although there are some other songs I like: Ventilator Blues and All Down The Line, among others are also pretty good. Although my biggest issue I think is that I just don't really like The Stones' brand of blues rock. I think my problem may be that while I have no doubt The Stones truly love the (predominantly black) art that they are inspired by, their mode of appreciation seems to be to attempt to clone it so exactly that their whole shtick feels way more put on (to me at least) than I think it would have otherwise. I actually think it may be more distracting here than on some of their other stuff I have heard, like it really feels like they want me to think they're from New Orleans or something. Anyways, aside from this, I do have some other more tangible complaints about this album. It feels like they're trying to do the "song fragments that create a coherent work" thing, but some of these "fragments" are like 3 minutes long so they just feel like underdeveloped songs. I Want To See His Face has a cool sound, but it may be the most egregious example of this I can think of here. It also feels like The Stones don't know how to end a song. A trick they pull out again and again is repeating a couple bars of music and maybe a single line for slightly longer than you want, then abruptly stopping. It happens quite a bit, and feels really awkward to me. Like I said, there is some stuff I appreciate here, I like a couple of songs, I like the production quality, it just doesn't come together for me. I did at least add a couple of songs to "The List of Rolling Stones Songs I Like" so I got a little out of this. But I really can't tell if I'm closer or farther from figuring The Stones out, maybe it'll happen someday, maybe it won't, we'll see.

Fishscale is nearly 15 years away from Wu Tang's golden years, and while I don't think this is essential from front to back, Ghostface Killah does prove that he sort of still has it. He has super dynamic flows, and really engaging story-telling across Fishscale. And the beats here have a lot of variety, with a few incredible selections, and a few that don't do it as much for me, but I think that the beats are much better than they aren't. While talking about the overall aesthetic here, this album is stuck in a weird place, in some ways it's stuck in the '90s, but there are some 2000s-isms, like a lot of the beats. The best instrumental showing here may be from J Dilla, who produced Whip You With A Strap. Ghostface is also in incredible form on this song, he pulls off vulnerability very well. Some of my other favorite beats here are on Shakey Dog, R.A.G.U., Dogs of War, and the end of Barbershop. These are also songs where Ghostface is pretty incredible too. I'd also like to mention 9 Milli Bros, which features a rare (and exciting) Wu Tang reunion. We also have a rare and similarly exciting Biggie feature on album closer Three Bricks. The biggest problem I have here is just the consistency. This album is over an hour long, and it isn't really a slog or anything, but it is certainly a little bloated. Some songs here are kinda whatever to me, and a lot of the skits don't do all that much for me. But the core is here, and Ghostface Killah makes himself heard, he's (more or less) still got it, we we get a pretty great album out of it.

Bob Mould is most well known for creating some of the most daring, unique punk of the '80s, so I have to say I'm pretty disappointed with Sugar. Despite being very commercially successful (relative to his previous releases) Sugar is just kind of a largely toothless alt rock band on Copper Blue. While I like a lot of early '90s rock, informed by grunge and punk and '80s alternative, alt rock was admittedly kind of oversaturated at this time. The success of Nirvana, Pixies, Smashing Pumpkins, and many many more gave us a resultant B-cast of similar underground bands. Some are interesting and worth excavating today, but many are just not worth it. Sugar is definitely the latter for me, they just lack the intensity, slick songwriting, personality, and uniqueness of the bands who pulled it off. The first song here, The Act We Act is the only song here I really like. The riff is crunchy, there's a good solo, and the melodies and chorus are pretty good. But even here, this song isn't giving me anything I can't get better from someone else, there's just nothing setting it apart. After this, Copper Blue just can't get its footing. Changes and Man On The Moon try their best, and end up alright, but similarly, I can get this in better form elsewhere. A Good Life kind of sounds like a Pixies song, but the chorus is pretty grating. Hoover Dam goes for something a little psyche-y at first, but I just don't like the melodies. Fortune Teller goes for something punk-y but doesn't sell it (to me at least). And there doesn't seem to be much else here that feels like I have a ton to talk about. We just have some more alt rock songs I don't really like. After some consideration, I think I may be tempted to give this a 1. It isn't awful, but I just don't really enjoy much here. I don't like the songs, the performances feel kind of non-descript. And perhaps most damningly, I feel that Mould is capable of better. Maybe this would have been fine in a world where this was just the zeitgeist, but as a member of Hüsker Dü, Mould made music that stands today (and I would like to urge you to check this music out), and Sugar is so trapped in its time that I really don't get anything from it as a modern listener. Besides, if you dig, there are *tons* of more interesting underground alt rock bands from this time: Lungfish, Silkworm, Arcwelder, Love Battery and Morphine to name a few. If you don't mind a little grunge: Paw, Skinyard, Mad Season, and Tad are also worth checking out. Point is that it isn't exactly a scene I am in want of. For how little I get out of this and how much talent went into it, I feel that I may give Copper Blue the 1: sorry Bob Mould, it isn't anything personal.

This is the easiest 5 I've given yet, and I'm not sure that there's an easier one on the list. I do believe that the classics need to be interrogated a little bit before being handed the perfect score, but I've danced that dance with The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars (as it is christened in full) long ago and all that's left for me to do is gush about it for as long as I deem necessary. Ziggy Stardust has earned its reputation in so many ways. The songs are all *at least* great, and most are much better even than that. The concept is innovative and transformed how the idea of "persona" can be handled in a rock context. The performances are legendary, Bowie brings this album to life in a way that no one else could have. Additionally, this is almost certainly the greatest glam rock album ever recorded. Bowie pushed the gaudiness of the genre into genuine grandiosity by mastering an alchemical process which seemingly converts style directly into substance in a way that has not been equaled by any other album prior to, or since the release of Ziggy Stardust. During the first four songs here, from 5 Years through Starman, this is quite possibly the best album ever recorded, and the "drop off" after this point only exists in relative terms (everything else is still great, and the last three tracks just about reach the same highs again). 5 Years is just incredible: Only Bowie could have so successfully captured the weight and existential vastness of the realization of the inevitable, premature end of everything through the medium of a glam rock song. It's really sold by Bowie's vocal performance on the song, which is among the best ever. Soul Love took some time to grow on me, but the smoothness, grooviness and subtle beauty of it is nearly as good. Moonage Daydream is pure Bowie, big and catchy and kind of quirky. And Starman is in the competition for best song here. It is truly quintessential glam. The song's writing serves its hugeness, and there is something subtly sour about it that just makes it sound so bold and interesting. It Ain't Easy is technically the closest we have to a low point here, but like I said, it's all relative, it is still a really great rock song, with just a little more blues influence that feels slightly distinct from everything else here. It is also a cover of a Ron Davies song, which explains why it feels a little different from most of the content here. But it isn't really distracting, Bowie makes it his own here, and frankly, it would be a highlight on most any other album. The pattern continues from here, every song is truly essential and completely distinct. I don't want to just review this track by track, but it is hard not to when everything is *this* good. Lady Stardust is rich and beautiful, Star is a fantastic, driving, piano centric rock song, and Hang On To Yourself pulls from somewhere almost a little punky. After this, the album is just solid gold again. Ziggy Stardust is the closest we have to a title track (I don't think a song toting the album's full name would get quite the airplay) and it is effectively the theme song for Bowie's titular character here. The writing is incredible, it's damn near a character study contained within an album that already has such a strong sense of concept. This is as natural a point I can find to discuss the lyrics across this album, which are consistently fantastic. Bowie has such a strong, consistent voice in his writing, and every song has real stand-out lines. As we close the album out we get Suffragette City, which may be the most fun song here, in the right setting I think the chorus could compel spontaneous dance. And we stick the landing at the end, Rock 'n' Roll Suicide is one of the best album closers of all time. It carries immense gravity, and very neatly ties up all the ideas on the album in a bold way that isn't afraid to explore the subtle sadness of the ideas at the core of Ziggy Stardust, while leaving room for hope and joy at the very end. In a world where I think the idea of a "perfect album" has lost a lot of its meaning and power, Ziggy Stardust is very nearly *truly* perfect. It is nearly perfect as a whole, as a collection of songs, and even on a moment to moment basis. David Bowie was truly one of a kind, and he pulls off a truly generational achievement here.

Going into this, I didn't know how to approach reviewing a Kanye album in the present day. His political and social "extracurriculars" as of late are inexcusable and unignorable, and to me his embrace of fascist ideology and imagery casts an *awfully* dark shadow over his discography. I like quite a bit of Kanye's music, but anymore I just don't really want to hear it. That being said, I don't think "art vs artist" conversations are especially helpful, art is shaped by the good and bad of a person, and I think people need to embrace analyzing great art by bad people by confronting how the bad in a person effects the art we love. That being said, I do like this album, and I do plan on reviewing it by its own merits with regards to Kanye as an individual. Besides, my capacity for harm here is pretty limited, anyone still enthusiastically on the Kanye train at this point is pretty much conclusively too far gone, and no one willing to hold him accountable will put that notion aside because I (an individual with no meaningful platform) said that My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is good. And as I said, it *is* good, granted I also think it is sorta overrated, but listening through this, there is a lot to love. The first thing to remember about My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is that it was created with the intent of being good enough and extravagant enough to win back a public that soured on Kanye after the fated Taylor Swift VMAs incident. And, considering this, I think it was really smart for Kanye to take, what I think of as a director's role here. He does appear on pretty much every song here, but to be honest, Kanye's writing and rapping leaves something to be desired at times. He has all the Kanye-isms, but that is a *very* "your mileage may vary" thing, and it hinges a lot on how invested you are in Kanye (personally I'm not *that* invested, and I can't see that really changing any time soon). This feels like the first album where he is really embracing the "asshole who is kind of relatable at the end of the day" thing, and while we have quotables here and unique flows, it isn't a schtick I really buy into. Frankly I'd rather have the Yeezus "I'm just an asshole and I think you should all hate me" thing at this point. In fact, in the presence of features, Kanye is very rarely the best verse on his own songs here. But where Kanye really succeeds on MBDTF is in curation, artistic vision, and production. He pretty much formed a camp of artists, rappers, singers and producers to orchestrate the creation of this thing. Consequently, every song has like 4 features and 15 producers and writers, but the album still very much feels like Kanye's. So in a lot of these songs, Kanye isn't necessarily a strong vocal presence, but he is still felt very strongly. It allows the listener to disconnect the album a little bit from Kanye, while still allowing him to retain all of his creative control. And the results are pretty great, this album really feels like a blockbuster, the sound is rich and maximalistic, and Kanye successfully bridges the pop and rap sound in a way that ended up extremely influential on the development of mainstream pop and rap thoughout the 2010s. We leap straight in, Dark Fantasy is rich and grand and catchy, it is an effective mission statement for the album as a whole. Shortly afterwards, we get a few really incredible "pop" Kanye tracks, POWER and All Of The Lights are pretty much unimpeachable. They are both incredibly detailed, incorporating all kinds of sounds and collaborators from Kanye's pool. POWER seems almost tailor-made to be played in Gatorade commercials, but in a way that isn't obnoxious. All of The Lights is similarly driving in a glitzier way, with big horns and *surprisingly* dense drumwork. We then get, perhaps the most iconic more pure "rap" tracks from the project in Monster and So Appalled. Both songs have incredible production, and strong verses, tons of quotables and great, distinct flows from their many *many* features. After Devil In A New Dress, we get Runaway, which I see frequently cited as the greatest achievement here. Honestly, I do think Runaway is a little overrated. It is a very interesting declaration of self awareness from Kanye, that I think he may not be capable of making at the current point in his career. However, he has some really *obnoxious* Kanye lyrics here, and the autotune solo is kind of self indulgent. On some level, I do at least sort of like every song here (or at least parts of every song), but I so have several complaints across this album. I'm not sure I'm into the vocal processing on Gorgeous, and I am not entirely sold on Devil In A New Dress. I think the verses are whatever, and it I think it's kind of overlong. Hell of A Life has a great Beat, but the lyrics are Kanye in "sex" mode and it is apparent that he just *might* have an unhealthy relationship with sex, anyways, I can see the lyrics being compelling to the right person, but again, it is awfully "your mileage may vary". The song I have the biggest problem with though is Blame Game. If only because it ends in a 2 minute, 31 second long skit that I just hate. It is too long, the implications about how Kanye views women are ugly, and I just don't think its funny. Regardless of all of this, and how I feel about Kanye and his -isms and everything, I do like this album, maybe even more than I want to. A lot of these songs are really great, and the resultant project is very strong as a coherent work, and I can appreciate that. I am officially giving this a *high* 3, it's like a 7/10. Like I said, there's a lot of good here, but realistically, there are a good few songs on here that I'm never tempted to return to, even if they're still pretty good. Besides, the real problems I do have with this album have compounded a little with the fact that I am not feeling especially generous towards Kanye for obvious reasons. But I will say, I can see the importance of this, even if I don't really get the argument that it is one of the best albums of all time.

In the present day, it feels like Cypress Hill is underdiscussed in the context of early West Coast hip hop, maybe due to their rock crossover appeal that they would eventually lean into, but their self-titled debut came out in '91, and they existed in some form since '88. This puts them on the scene at the same time, maybe a *little* later than people rightfully held highly as the progenitors of West Coast hip hop, like Ice Cube, Eazy-E, Tupac, Dr. Dre and more. Just for reference, this came out about 16 months before The Chronic. And it took some time, but by now I think this album's influence can be heard pretty widely. I don't want to say Cypress Hill invented "weed rap" but I'll say that I don't know who else would have. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if this album, on some level, inspired the direction that artists like Snoop Dogg would explore a little later. Even so, Cypress Hill sounds pretty singular. At this time, Cypress Hill was B-Real, Sen Dog, and DJ Muggs, and this line-up achieved a really interesting balancing act. DJ Muggs may be the star of the show here on some level, the palette and atmosphere of his beats were *extremely* important to this album. He made a kind of spacey, funky, almost psychedelic beats that still went pretty hard. And B-Real and Sen Dog both brought something unique to this sound. B-Real has a nasally, idiosyncratic sound, leaning into the more quirky, left-field aspects of the sound, and Sen Dog had a gruffer, more conventional delivery that helped to keep the sound of Cypress Hill sort of grounded. This combo gives us songs like Hand On The Pump, which has a weirdo vox beat, sing-song chorus and lyrics as gritty as anything else coming out of the West Coast at this time. And Cypress Hill's sound is just as bold and unique across this whole album. Pigs has kind of an offbeat, almost goofy presentation, but it's just about as strong a statement as something like Fuck Tha Police, it just has a very different presentation. This kind of exemplifies, lyrically, what is different about Cypress Hill, they rapped about a lot of the same stuff, but they did it with a left-field sense of humor, and an almost stylized sort of imagery and word play. It comes across as fun, almost playful at times. How I Could Just Kill A Man is another highlight, with its electric guitar sample, ultra-effective chorus, and beat switch. And Cypress Hill is just as effective, funky and unique through its whole runtime. Stoned Is The Way of The Walk is kind of like the group's mission statement, Psychobetabuckdown is as psych-y as they get, and Real Estate is centered on a super funky bassline, just to name a few. This is a really under-appreciated classic, and it's still a super fun listen with great rapping, a great beat selection, and a super cool aesthetic and vibe.

I wish I had a chance to give this a second listen, unfortunately it just couldn't happen today. Second Toughest In The Infants is some really detailed, texturally interesting electronic music that I got a lot out of. The compositions here are lengthy and almost trancelike, with a kind of melancholic, chilly atmosphere. The sounds are tasteful, and the way the compositions evolve is really organic and makes these songs go by pretty quickly for how long they are. For example, Juanita : Kiteless : To Dream Of Love and Banstyle/Sappy's Curry are *both* longer than 15 minutes, and they are brisk and engaging throughout, as long as you are kind of willing to be carried away by the music here. Karl Hyde's vocals fit in nicely too, with some surprisingly good melodies. The only problem I could really have with this album is just that depending on mood, this can be better background music than something to actively engage with, but it works well like that too. Underworld come through with a really cool project here, and I could see it growing on me more, I will almost certainly be coming back to this in some certain settings.

So, I meet Steely Dan again, far quicker than I anticipated as well. My last steely Dan encounter was with Pretzel Logic, an album that I think is just sort of fine. However, my general ambivalence towards Steely Dan aside, I *do* get the sense that they have something interesting for me somewhere. Let us see if it resides on Can't Buy A Thrill. We actually start really strong here, I really like Do It Again. The Latin influence here complements Steely Dan's soft rock really well. And for how immediate and catchy it is, there are some cool arrangement tricks here. The percussion here is really interesting, and the synth organ solo at the end feels sort of proggy. I will say that I don’t think any other song on here is quite as good, but there are plenty of decent tracks, and I thought Can’t Buy A Thrill was overall pretty decent. I actually liked it quite a bit more than Pretzel Logic, it just seemed to have a bit of a stronger sense of aesthetic, and I thought the songwriting was more consistent. There are actually a good few songs that stand out to me. Midnite Cruiser is some really chill, well written soft rock. Reeling’ In The Years hops along and its verses kind of make me think of The Boys Are Back In Town, which is a good thing. Fire In The Hole is as effective a Vietnam song as there ever has been, and it’s got a great piano line too. I can’t say it’s enough to push us over the vast gap between 3 and 4, but I do feel that it’s a *solid* three (as opposed to Pretzel Logic, which I waffled about a little), so we’re getting better, and my Steely Dan quest goes on.

This album really soundly embodies the kind of aesthetic that I think people are trying to tap into with '80s nostalgia stuff. It's clean, sort of futuristic, and its lineage can be traced back to new wave. The synth usage here is *very* '80s, and the sound comes together. Although what this album is most well known for is *undoubtedly* Take On Me. Just about everyone has heard this song, and it is overplayed, but it *is* good. Also, it has a pretty killer video. Everything else here is largely decent synth pop and new wave. The songs are catchy, the production is good, and if you like '80s pop, you'll love this. However, I don't really like that much '80s pop, but I still think there's something here.