War Pigs and Paranoid are both songs I’ve heard a ton - wouldn’t have been able to tell you the artist or the album though. Plus, Iron Man of course. And that’s just Side A.

Never been a huge Bowie fan…this didn’t really change my opinion much.

Ugh.

Definitely have heard some of these. A fun take on some classics and standards. Nothing earth-shattering, but a good listen.

It’s fine. Teach the Children just doesn’t work for me. Feels preachy and self important.

Initial reaction was “ugh” because I never need to hear One or Mysterious Ways again. But the deeper cuts hold up (and honestly I didn’t remember the latter 1/4 of the album at all.)

Obviously Lust for Life and The Passenger are great songs, but the lyrics for songs like Sixteen and Turn Blue are pretty rough listens.

Brutally depressing. Also getting tired of albums about heroin addiction.

Painfully dull.

Initial reaction was negative. But this is much, much better than I recalled. Except for The Trial. That song is terrible.

Straightforward rock and roll. Nothing really sticks in my head after a few listens. But it settled in nicely in the background.

Garden of the Witch is a great song. Sunshine Superman is a good listen as well. But Legend of a Girl Child Linda is a complete slog…who made this the 2nd track?!?

It’s hard to really tap into what made this so revolutionary at the time it was released. But it’s still fun.

4 stars for the album. 0 stars for Kanye.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I’m reserving true 5 stars for the albums that are really special, but this would be 4 1/2 - the first one that will stay in my library and I like it more than my previous 4 stars. Had only vaguely maybe heard of this band, but this record is right up my alley - punk with a female lead + grimy sax? Sign me up.

Very enjoyable - a lot of strong songs. 3.5 stars, but I’m rounding down. Like it but don’t love it.

If the list was 100,001 albums I should listen to before I die, this still shouldn’t be on it.

I was going to say this was cut-rate Beatles style psychedelia influenced by Sgt. Pepper’s, but a friend told me that timing didn’t quite work and Eight Miles High was kind of like this too (my Byrds knowledge is pretty limited.) Either way, it’s fine. Goin’ Back might stand out to me the most and that’s a cover so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.

Fantastic record top to bottom.

An absolute classic. But then I loved Britpop - still do - so that’s an influence. But this is a masterpiece and a formative album for me. Sparkles of pop genius throughout and then This Is a Low brings the house down.

I sometimes feel like I just don’t understand jazz. This is technically brilliant and I like it, but I don’t love it. And that’s how I generally feel about jazz.

Fine. That’s all I’ve got.

If I was high as a kite, coming home from the club at 3am, sweaty, dehydrated, trying to come down so I could get some sleep as the sun comes up, this might be fantastic. But I’m 48 years old, commuting into my office job, desperately needing more coffee and this is putting me to sleep. But, I love the French horn in Ce Matin-La and that song will make my regular rotation. The songs with Beth Hirsch are also beautiful.

Not as familiar with this one as Pet Sounds or Smile or Surf’s Up - but The Beach Boys - and especially Brian Wilson - are brilliant here too.

I love Britpop, but this record never quite connected for me in the ‘90s like Blur and Pulp and Oasis and others…and still didn’t this time. Good, but not great.

Like so many others I’m sure, the VW ad featuring Pink Moon brought Nick Drake onto my radar. Consistently a good listen, perfect for soundtracks and a melancholy mood.

This is a stone cold classic, but has never been a favorite. Also, the squeal sample on every track gives me a headache.

Fine, but nothing really stands out, even on a second and third listen.

Fine.

The Police are fine. I find them hard to get very excited about and Sting is kind of difficult to take.

This album is wild. I didn’t realize glam rock was a thing in 1974. Talent is an Asset is a gem.

54 minutes of my life I will never get back. We need a 0 star rating.

There’s no doubting the classic status of this one. The debate for me is 3 or 4 stars…and I keep bouncing back and forth. Love Heart of the City and had never heard it before - but honestly, that’s as much the sample as anything.

Look ma! Samples! An exorcism! Is it good? Well……….. This isn’t as bad as my 1 star albums, so I’ll round up 1.5 to 2.

So happy to have something listenable vs some of the junk I’ve gotten lately. That said, it’s not the Beatles best of course. But All My Loving is classic McCartney. 3.5 stars, but 4 feels too generous so I’ll round down.

Wasn’t on Apple Music for some unknown reason, so listened on YouTube. Not exactly a Friday album…

Like CCR, but musically, this isn’t my favorite of their albums.

Astounding voice. Incredible talent. A travesty this is her only album on the list. A 4 star album by a 5 star artist.

I know she influenced Tori Amos, but at least Tori added melody. The breathy vocals and general sheen of pretentiousness are not working for me. Deeper Understanding was ahead of its time though. But it’s still not GOOD. And then it surprises me with This Woman’s Work which I actually know and sort of like. 2 stars.

Egg Man, Sounds of Science, Shadrach - all classics.

Perfectly enjoyable, great musicianship, but please, please don’t sing along with guitar solos, no matter how good your voice is. Length of songs doesn’t bother me - I’m a DMB fan. 3.5 stars, but it won’t stay in my library, so rounded down to 3.

Amazing how much better Paranoid (started 4 months later) is than this.

A blast from the past - and I do mean a blast. It’s hard to believe how much of this I remember from my original CD copy. I don’t think I’ve listened to it in 30 years. Also, for those using streaming services, don’t listen to the linked director’s cut version. Search for the original album uploaded on YouTube.

Easy to admire, hard to love.

Not much new to say about this one. Just a classic.

Darling Nikki into When Doves Cry is a jarring juxtaposition. This is why albums had sides… I like Prince (who doesn’t), but I’ve never loved him. This probably deserves 4 or 5 stars, but it just doesn’t quite hit that spot for me.

Meh. The Rolling Stones have never really connected for me. It’s fine. It’s also way too long and nothing really sticks apart from Tumbling Dice. It’s not bad. It’s just there. Which feels like a weird thing to say about an album this widely heralded and famous.

This one’s on the list for one reason only and it ain’t Big Brother and the Holding Company. 3 stars for Janis Joplin making it something way greater than it otherwise is.

Some great songs, some clunkers - ambitious, but too long.

3 all-time classics and 7 hair metal by the numbers songs = 3 stars.

I’ve always loved this period of GBV albums (familiarity seems to definitely impact my ratings - although it can also breed contempt haha), but the best one is Bee Thousand. That should be on the list and sadly is not.

Sweet Emotion is a classic. Walk This Way is better with Run D.M.C. Big Ten Inch Record is awful.

57 albums in and 3 of them have been CCR. The Brits love them some Creedence don’t they?

No.

Why was this so well reviewed? I don’t hear anything special.

Pleasant grooves. Good chill listen.