Rhymin’ and Stealin’ (10/10) The New Style (9/10) She’s Crafty (8/10) Posse in Effect (7/10) Slow Ride (9/10) Girls (7/10) Fight For Your Right (10/10) No Sleep Till Brooklyn (10/10) Paul Revere (8/10) Hold It Now, Hit It (8/10) Brass Monkey (9/10) Slow and Low (8/10) Time to Get Ill (8/10) 8.5/10

Intruder (5/10) No Self Control (6/10) Start (8/10) I Don’t Remember (8/10) Family Snapshot (7/10) And Through the Wire (7/10) Games Without Frontiers (10/10) Not One of Us (6/10) Lead a Normal Life (7/10) Biko (7/10)

The New Stone Age (6/10) She’s Leaving (6/10) Souvenirs (8/10) Sealand (4/10) Joan of Arc (8/10) Joan of Arc (Maid of Orleans) (7/10) Architecture and Morality (2/10) Georgia (7/10) The Beginning and the End (7/10) 6.1/10

Chan Chan (7/10) Da Camino de la Verada (6/10) El Cuarto de Tula (5/10) Pueblo Nuevo (3/10) Dos Gardenias (7/10) ¿Tú Qué Has Hecho? (6/10) Veinte Años (6/10) El Carretero (6/10) Candela (8/10) Amor der Loco Juventud (6/10) Orgullecida (6/10) Murmullo (5/10) Buena Vista Social Club (5/10) La Bayamesa (4/10) 5.7/10

Missing Pieces (5/10) Sixteen Saltines (6/10) Freedom at 21 (7/10) Love Interruption (7/10) Blunderbuss (6/10) Hypocritical Kiss (6/10) Weep Themselves to Sleep (7/10) I’m Shakin’ (3/10) Trash Tongue Talker (4/10) Hip (Eponymous) Poor Boy (3/10) I Guess I Should Go to Sleep (3/10) On and On and On (5/10) Take Me With You When You Go (5/10) 5.2/10

P-Funk (Wants to Get Funked Up) (3/10) Mothership Connection (Star Child) (4/10) Unfunky UFO (5/10) Supergroovalisticprosifunkstication (5/10) Handcuffs (5/10) Give Up the Funk (Tear the Roof Off the Sucker) (8/10) Night of the Thumpasorus Peoples (5/10) 5/10

Initially thought I was being pleasantly surprised by a genre I rarely give the time if day, but after almost half an hour of the same droning beat carrying over multiple tracks, I was reminded of why that is. Leave Home (7/10) In Dust We Trust (5/10) Song to the Siren (2/10) Three Little Birdies Down Beats (5/10) Fuck Up Beats (N/A) Chemical Beats (3/10) Chico’s Groove (7/10) One Too Many Mornings (6/10) Life Is Sweet (5/10) Playground For a Wedgeless Firm (1/10) Alive Alone (5/10)

‘Stand’ would go insanely hard on Warning by Green Day. Pop Song 89 (7/10) Get Up (7/10) You Are the Everything (8/10) Stand (9/10) World Leader Pretend (8/10) The Wrong Child (6/10) Orange Crush (10/10) Turn You Inside Out (7/10) Hairshirt (6/10) I Remember California (7/10) Untitled (7/10) 7.5/10

Chuck D is a phenomenal rapper. Outstanding flow, great lyricism, and perfectly balances an aggressive tone with a bouncy, rhythmic, and often melodic musicality to his voice. However I feel on this record particularly, he’s let down by tiresome, repetitive beats. And the less said about Flava Flav the better. Countdown to Armageddon (N/A) Bring the Noise (8/10) Don’t Believe the Hype (7/10) Cold Lampin’ with Flavor (4/10) Terminator X to the Edge of Panic (5/10) Mind the Terrorist (N/A) Louder Than a Bomb (8/10) Caught, Can We Get a Witness? (6/10) She ‘Em Whatcha Got (N/A) She Watch Channel Zero?! (8/10) Night of the Living Baseheads (8/10) Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos (8/10) Security of the First World (N/A) Rebel Without a Pause (10/10) Prophets of Rage (8/10) Party for Your Right to Fight (6/10) 7.2/10

Fair play for recording the same song 12 times with slightly different lyrics and convincing everyone you’ve written one of the greatest albums of all time. Tutti Frutti (8/10) True, Fine Mama (6/10) Can’t Believe You Wanna Leave (7/10) Ready Teddy (7/10) Baby (6/10) Slippin’ and Slidin’ (7/10) Long Tall Sally (5/10) Miss Ann (6/10) Oh Why? (5/10) Rip It Up! (5/10) Jenny, Jenny (6/10) She’s Got It (6/10) 6.2/10

4 albums in 4 years is impressive regardless of quality. Being the only Smiths album I’d never heard, with no major/stand-out singles, I wasn’t expecting much. It’s still got a quintessential Smiths sound and the songwriting, while not as catchy as their earlier work, left me neither surprised or disappointed by this effort. It’s pretty good, doesn’t overstay its welcome, and still manages good performances from Morrissey and Marr. A Rush and a Push and the Land is Ours (8/10) I Started Something I Couldn’t Finish (7/10) Death of a Disco Dancer (6/10) Girlfriend in a Coma (9/10) Stop Me If You Think You’ve Heard This One Before (7/10) Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me (8/10) Unhappy Birthday (6/10) Paint a Vulgar Picture (8/10) Death at One’s Elbow (6/10) I Won’t Share You (7/10) 7.2/10

Tell Me Why (7/10) After the Gold Rush (5/10) Only Love Can Break Your Heart (6/10) Southern Man (8/10) Till the Morning Comes (N/A) Oh, Lonesome Me (6/10) Don’t Let it Bring You Down (5/10) Birds (5/10) When You Dance I Can Really Love (7/10) I Believe In You (6/10) Cripple Creek Ferry (N/A) 6.1/10

Shania Twain meets Joan Jett and writes a perfectly decent pop-rock album. Bit of a weak start, definitely gets better as it goes. Precious (5/10) The Phone Call (6/10) Up the Neck (6/10) Tattooed Love Boys (8/10) Space Invader (5/10) The Wait (9/10) Stop Your Sobbing (7/10) Kid (8/10) Private Life (6/10) Brass in Pocket (8/10) Lovers of Today (7/10) Mystery Achievement (9/10) 7.6/10

This is, by fad, the worst album I have ever endured. Very little going on musically, and what little there is - is so buried in the mix that it’s a strain to even make it out. Non-sensical rambling lyrics delivered in the most uninterested, lazy, sloppy manor that if I heard someone talk like this in real life I’d want to physically hurt them to make it stop. If that was what these cunts were going for, bravo. You’ve made something so purposefully shit that it lives in an incredibly fine margin - not ‘so shit that it’s good/funny’, but genuinely, puuuuuure, irredeemable dogshit. Fuck off. Ladybird (Green Grass) (3/10) Lost in Music (2/10) Glam-Racket (1/10) I’m Going to Spain (3/10) It’s a Curse (1/10) Paranoia Man in Cheap Sh*t Room (1/10) Service (2/10) The League of Bald-Headed Men (2/10) A Past Gone Mad (1/10) Light/Fireworks (0/10) 1.6/10

Ain’t No Fun If the Homies Can’t Have None is the most misogynistic song of all time… Bathtub (N/A) G Funk Intro (7/10) Gin and Juice (8/10) The Shiznit (7/10) Lodi Dodi (5/10) Murder Was the Case (7/10) Serial Killa (7/10) Who Am I (What’s My Name)? (9/10) For All My Niggaz & Bitches (7/10) Ain’t No Fun (If the Homies Can’t Have None) (10/10) Doggy Dogg World (6/10) Gz and Hustlas (7/10) Pump Pump (7/10) 7.3/10

After shit-talking live albums literally 3 days ago… To be fair, not a bad live performance at all, I’m sure it would’ve been a blast to see these shows. Not to mention this was pretty much just about as heavy as it got for the time period, and you can hear the influence Richie Blackmore had on a lot of rock and metal guitarists for years to come with some pretty damn good shredding during this performance. I don’t see a point rating the songs individually, as being a live album, it’s essentially just a compilation. So I’ll just give the whole thing a 7/10.

The cheek of starting an album with an all time classic about ‘the day the music died’ and subsequently filling the rest of the album with some of the most uninspired, tired folk songs ever committed to record. Also, does Dimery understand the concept of an all time great album? Starting to question if he does or if he just kind of went ‘oh yeah, American Pie’s a good song, slap the album on there!’ The album’s fine I guess. American Pie IS a banger though. Weird Al’s version might be better. American Pie (10/10) Till Tomorrow (7/10) Vincent (7/10) Crossroads (5/10) Winterwood (6/10) Empty Chairs (6/10) Everybody Loves Me, Baby (6/10) Sister Fatima (4/10) The Grave (5/10) Babylon (7/10) 6.2/10

Station to Station (7/10) Golden Years (5/10) Word On a Wing (7/10) TVC15 (6/10) Stay (6/10) Wild is the Wind (6/10) 6.2/10

How on earth have I never heard of this band before? It’s pretty straight forward proto-punk but I can admire the attitude which is pretty raw for its time period. And the vocal delivery is both coveted and poorly replicated by punk bands worldwide to this very day. Musically it’s not gonna blow anyone’s mind, other than possibly hearing that it came out 4 years before even The Sex Pistols - but it’s an enjoyable listen with enough catchy songs on it to make it feel worthwhile. Personality Crisis (9/10) Looking for a Kiss (7/10) Vietnamese Baby (7/10) Lonely Planet Boy (6/10) Frankenstein (7/10) Trash (9/10) Bad Girl (7/10) Subway Train (7/10) Pills (8/10) Private World (8/10) Jet Boy (7/10) 7.5/10

This album is bogus, man. Do the Strand (6/10) Beauty Queen (7/10) Strictly Confidential (6/10) Editions of You (7/10) In Every Dream Home a Heartache (6/10) The Bogus Man (5/10) Grey Lagoons (8/10) For Your Pleasure (6/10) 6.4/10

Not gonna lie, when I saw that 3 songs on this album ended in the word ‘blues’, I shouted ‘Oh Fuck Off!’ Out loud (to no one in my empty flat). First half of this album is fairly listenable. Second half is utterly bland and forgettable. Some of the guitar work was fun, and Neil is a good singer. But yet another early 70s artist cranking out album after album of pure mid who would have been far better served dropping and album ever 2-3 years and actually saving the ‘good’ tracks for a better album. Do we really need an 8 minute track about riding in a fucking ambulance?! Walk On (7/10) See the Sky About to Rain (7/10) Revolution Blues (7/10) For the Turnstiles (7/10) Vampire Blues (5/10) On the Beach (5/10) Motion Pictures (For Carrie) (5/10) Ambulance Blues (5/10) 6/10

Chameleon sounds like the music that’d be in the background of a GTA stealth mission. Watermelon Man is a fucking mess. Sly is a very solid, enjoyable Jazz song. Vein Melter reminds me of the Mastermind Theme song. So to answer Barry B Benson’s question, I guess the answer is no, I do not ‘like’ Jazz. Chameleon (6/10) Watermelon Man (2/10) Sly (7/10) Vein Melter (3/10) 4.5/10

Initially thought Dimery was about to have even more blood on his wrinkled, god-forsaken hands for suggest a 70s movie soundtrack with a 19-minute penultimate track written and performed by a known scientologist. But, as it happens, this is pretty damn good. Didn’t make me want to actually WATCH Shaft, but certainly rekindled a yearning for the days of soundtracks before Trent Reznor and Hans Zimmer fucking ruined them seemingly permanently (no shade on Reznor’s actual music. Full shade on Zimmer though, fuck that old skunk). Also, how incredibly cheeky to release a deluxe edition of this album and the only change is to put the opening song in there again but at the end. Like not even a reprise just basically the same fucking track again. Jokes. Theme from Shaft (8/10) Bumpy’s Lament (8/10) Walk from Regio’s (6/10) Ellie’s Love Theme (8/10) Shaft’s Cab Ride (7/10) Cafe Regio’s (7/10) Early Sunday Morning (7/10) Be Yourself (6/10) A Friend’s Place (7/10) Soulsville (8/10) No Name Bar (7/10) Bumpy’s Blues (7/10) Shaft Strikes Again (6/10) Do Your Thing (4/10) The End Theme (7/10) 6.9/10

I, too, once had a fetish for some booty. This is a very strong album. Great lyrics, great flow, well produced beats. There’s not a single ‘banger’ on here as I find is usually the case with a rap album, but every song is of a decent to high quality and the album as a whole listening experience was thoroughly enjoyable. Somehow spawned a song with ‘Date Rape’ in the title and yet there’s still a song in existence with that in the title that I prefer?? Big up Sublime. Excursions (8/10) Buggin’ Out (9/10) Rap Promoter (7/10) Butter (8/10) Verses from the Abstract (8/10) Show Business (9/10) Vibes and Stuff (8/10) Infamous Date Rape (7/10) Check the Rhime (8/10) Everything is Fair (7/10) Jazz (We’ve Got) (8/10) Skypager (7/10) What? (8/10) Scenario (9/10) 7.9/10

I’m sure in some dingy, smokey club in the 50s in America with 2 fingers of whisky, this shit would slot in perfectly. Impressive performances, as is standard from the genre, but this album is exactly the kind of aimless, meandering wankery that puts the vast majority of people off Jazz in general, myself unfortunately included. It is, at best, background music, and just in no way the kind of thing I’d ever actually want to sit and actively listen to. Brilliant Corners (3/10) Ba-Lue Bolivar Ba-Lure-Are (3/10) Pannonica (4/10) I Surrender, Dear (2/10) Bemsha Swing (3/10) 3/10

Not much to say about this one other than it’s a decent album that has decent songwriting and is a reasonably good representation of its time. Fairly run of the mill, all in all. Can’t discredit it too much as it would have been quite cutting edge when it was released, and displays some influence on artists to come for the late 60s and early 70s, but even still rock music quite quickly moved away from this sound once heavy metal started to dominate. Lost Women (7/10) Over Under Sideways Down (7/10) The Nazz Are Blue (8/10) I Can’t Make Your Way (6/10) Rack My Mind (6/10) Farewell (7/10) Hot House of Omagararshid (5/10) Jeff’s Boogie (6/10) He’s Always There (6/10) Turn Into Earth (8/10) What Do You Want (6/10) Ever Since the World Began (6/10) 6.5/10

If Radiohead decided to do an acoustic alternative album to follow up OK Computer, I’m certain this is what it would have sounded like. Oh What a World (6/10) I Don’t Know What it Is (7/10) Vicious World (7/10) Movies of Myself (7/10) Pretty Things (7/10) Go or Go Ahead (9/10) Vibrate (7/10) 14th Street (8/10) Natasha (6/10) Harvester of Hearts (7/10) Beautiful Child (6/10) Want (5/10) 11:11 (6/10) Dinner at Eight (6/10) 6.7/10

Album’s fine. Vocal melodies and harmonies are nice as always with Beach Boys, but nothing in the track listing here really stands out. None of it’s bad, none of it’s great. Perfectly listenable. Don’t Go Near the Water (7/10) Long Promised Road (7/10) Take a Load Off Your Feet (6/10) Disney Girls (1957) (6/10) Student Demonstration Time (7/10) Feel Flows (6/10) Lookin’ At Tomorrow (A Welfare Song) (6/10) A Day in the Life of a Tree (6/10) ‘Til I Die (6/10) Surf’s Up (7/10) 6.4/10

I literally only learned who Beck was because of Kanye West. This album’s sound draws the comparison that Beck is to Eddie Vedder what Rufus Wainwright is to Thom Yorke. The Golden Age (8/10) Paper Tiger (7/10) Guess I’m Doing Fine (8/10) Lonesome Tears (7/10) Lost Cause (6/10) End of the Day (7/10) It’s All In Your Mind (7/10) Round the Bend (7/10) Already Dead (7/10) Sunday Sun (6/10) Little One (7/10) Side of the Road (7/10) 7/10

Part of the reason for doing this was to open up new musical horizons, and hear stuff I never usually would - this album perfectly fits into that bracket. Really great songwriting and performances. Long songs, but they rarely feel that they’re overstaying their welcome and they nicely suit both active and passive listening. Some beautiful guitar work throughout, and the vocal performance is mostly great as well, if a little wild and off kilter at times. Really enjoyable and glad I was able to listen to this, as it’s by no means the kind of work I’d stumble across organically. Immigrés/Bitim Rew (7/10) Pitche Mi (8/10) Taaw (6/10) Badou (7/10) 7/10

I realise the last 3 albums now have all gotten a 7/10, I promise this is purely coincidental. Decent album, but feels like Brian May is desperately trying yo be the main character of Queen while it’s blindingly obvious that it always was and will be Mercury. Always thought Killer Queen is one of their best songs, Stone Cold Crazy is pretty great too. Otherwise, it’s just a pretty fine 70s rock album. Brighton Rock (6/10) Killer Queen (9/10) Tenement Funster (7/10) Flick of the Wrist (7/10) Lily of the Valley (7/10) Now I’m Here (7/10) In the Lap of the Gods (6/10) Stone Cold Crazy (8/10) Dear Friends (6/10) Misfire (7/10) Bring Back That Leroy Brown (5/10) She Makes Me (Stormtrooper in Stilletos) (8/10) In the Lap of the Gods… Revisited (8/10) 7/10

Considerably more enjoyable than Exile, just a year earlier. Suffers from none of the bloat, with more memorable tracks; Can’t You Hear Me Knocking is a classic and Moonlight Mile sounds like a straight up Smashing Pumpkins song 25 years ealier. Brown Sugar (7/10) Sway (6/10) Wild Horses (8/10) Can’t You Hear Me Knocking (9/10) You Gotta Move (7/10) Bitch (8/10) I Got the Blues (7/10) Sister Morphine (7/10) Dead Flowers (7/10) Moonlight Mile (8/10) 7.4/10

Not much to say about this one, mostly covers with a pretty slapdash recording sound. Decent performances, will give it a blanket 6/10

Starts well, but apparently there’s a very fine limit to how much ABBA I can take before becoming irrationally annoyed. Thank God I’ve never been made to watch Mama Mia. The Visitors (8/10) Head Over Heels (7/10) When All Is Said and Done (8/10) Soldiers (7/10) I Let the Music Speak (6/10) One of Us (6/10) Two for the Price of One (5/10) Slipping Through My Fingers (6/10) Like an Angel Passing Through My Room (6/10) 6.6/10

Don’t actually have a problem with Coldplay. Used to be overrated, now overhated, but they’re just fine. And so is this album. Chris Martin does have a twatty voice though. Don’t Panic (8/10) Shiver (5/10) Spies (5/10) Sparks (6/10) Yellow (8/10) Trouble (7/10) Parachutes (N/A) High Speed (6/10) We Never Change (6/10) Everything’s Not Lost (7/10) 6.4/10

Should’ve been called the Meh Meh Meh’s. Zero (7/10) Heads Will Roll (8/10) Soft Shock (7/10) Skeletons (6/10) Dull Life (8/10) Shame and Fortune (6/10) Runaway (5/10) Dragon Queen (7/10) Hysteric (6/10) Little Shadow (6/10) Faces (7/10) 6.6/10

I’ve had enough 12 bar blues for one lifetime now, thanks. All Your Love (6/10) Hideaway (5/10) Little Girl (6/10) Another Man (3/10) Double Crossing Time (3/10) What’d I Say (4/10) Key to Love (6/10) Parchman Farm (5/10) Have You Heard (4/10) Ramblin’ On My Mind (3/10) Steppin’ Out (4/10) It Ain’t Right (5/10) 4.5/10

So unbelievably cheesy that you can’t help but smile. Also were they sponsored by Big Fast Food or something? Peter Piper (7/10) It’s Tricky (9/10) My Adidas (7/10) Walk this Way (8/10) Is it Live (7/10) Perfection (3/10) Hit it Run (4/10) Raising Hell (7/10) You Be Illin (5/10) Dumb Girl (4/10) Son of Byford (N/A) Proud to be Black (8/10) 6.3/10

Probably at this point in his life Cohen would’ve been better served penning scores and soundtracks than studio albums. I found it very difficult to engage with an album that fosters the same drab, depressing, overly throaty vocal delivery in every single song. But the music was pretty nice. You Want it Darker (5/10) Treaty (4/10) On the Level (6/10) Leaving the Table (5/10) If I Didn’t Have Your Love (5/10) Travelling Light (6/10) It Seemed the Better Way (5/10) Steer Your Way (5/10) String Reprise/Treaty (5/10) 5.1/10

Exactly the kind of album I imagine Quentin Tarantino is listening to while casting the lead actress for his next film based solely on their feet pics. Shocked to see that this is getting quite mixed ratings, it’s a very strong album. Luckie (7/10) Lu (7/10) Sweet Blindness (8/10) Poverty Train (7/10) Lonely Woman (9/10) Eli’s Comin’ (8/10) Timer (6/10) Stoned Soul Picnic (7/10) Emmie (7/10) Woman’s Blues (7/10) Once it Was Alright Now (Farmer Joe’s) (8/10) December’s Boudoir (7/10) The Confession (8/10) 7.4/10

This is a very good album. I can’t quite call it the classic that it’s frequently made out to be, and parts of it left me wanting, but there’s simply nothing ‘bad’ about. It’s just lacking that final cutting edge to really push it into legendary 5/5 status. I’ll probably listen to it again in a few weeks and change my mind utterly. Good Times Roll (7/10) My Best Friend’s Girl (8/10) Just What I Needed (9/10) I’m in Touch with Your World (6/10) Don’t Cha Stop (7/10) You’re All I’ve Got Tonight (8/10) Bye Bye Love (7/10) Moving In Stereo (10/10) All Mixed Up (8/10) 7.8/10

Too slow, too long, too meandering. Nothing grabbed my interest on this album the way that it did on Youssou N’Dour’s, other than a few nice moments of sweet guitar work. Otherwise utterly forgettable. Lam Tooro (2/10) Loodo (3/10) Muudo Hormo (3/10) Salminanam (4/10) Maacina Tooro (3/10) Djam Leelii (3/10) Bibbe Leydy (3/10) Sehilam (3/10) 3/10

Album’s fine. Doesn’t particularly do anything that by that point in time hadn’t already been done - but, does what it aims to do well in a relatively succinct and crisp manner. Across the Great Divide (7/10) Rag Mama Rag (5/10) The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down (7/10) When You Awake (6/10) Up On Cripple Creek (6/10) Whispering Pines (5/10) Jemima Surrender (6/10) Rockin’ Chair (7/10) Look Out Cleveland (6/10) Jawbone (6/10) The Unfaithful Servant (5/10) King Harvest (Has Surely Come) (6/10) 6/10

Wasn’t entirely sure what I was looking for or rating here so just followed the in-site link to the Spotify ‘album’. Album itself is decent, starts quite well but gets boring quite quickly, just glad that only 13 of the supposed 19 are on Spotify or it could have easily felt like another Exile on Main St. Kizza Me (7/10) Thank You Friends (8/10) Big Black Car (7/10) Femme Fatale (7/10) Holocaust (6/10) Stroke It Noel (6/10) For You (7/10) Nightime (6/10) Blue Moon (6/10) Take Care (7/10) Nature Boy (6/10) Till the End of the Day (6/10) Dream Lover (7/10) 6.6/10

In agreement that this would have made a lovely ost for a cute sci-fantasy adventure game - otherwise pretty forgettable imo. Water From a Vine Leaf (7/10) Into the Paradise (3/10) Time to Get Wize (5/10) Harry Flowers (5/10) A Touch of the Night (5/10) A Story of Light (4/10) Gringatcho Demento (6/10) A Hazy Shade of Random (7/10) Best Friend, Paranoia (4/10) The Monkey King (4/10) Deus Ex Machina (5/10) Water Babies (5/10) 5/10

Yes I know what I’ll do on my rap album - start a track with a 40 second phone prank and later dedicate an entire track to the sound of me smashing someone’s back doors in, that’ll get the homies hyped! Very strong well produced gangster rap album that clearly influences so many rappers to come (for better or worse - mostly worse). Not Dre’s best work on the whole, but it’s an album that showcases his undeniable ability as a producer as well as a rapper - I only wish we had more of his rapping on the album as his voice and flow are far superior to most of the featured artists he chooses to include. The Chronic (Intro) (N/A) Fuck Wit’ Dre Day (And Everybody’s Celebratin’) (8/10) Let Me Ride (8/10) The Day the Niggaz Took Over (7/10) Nothin’ But a ‘G’ Thang (10/10) Deeez Nuuuts (8/10) Lil’ Ghetto Boy (7/10) A Nigga Witta Gun (7/10) Rat-Tat-Tat-Tat (7/10) The $20 Sack Pyramid (N/A) Lyrical Gangbang (8/10) High Powered (7/10) The Doctor’s Office (N/A) Stranded On Death Row (7/10) The Roach (The Chronic Outro) (8/10) Bitches Ain’t Shit (8/10) 7.7/10

Nice vocals, decent production, but ultimately (and I hate using this word in reviews as it feels lazy and utterly unconstructive, but it fits perfectly here) - boring. Just so fucking boring. Genuinely the only interesting thing about this album is that it’s not by an American or English artist - that said I almost flipped my shit when I saw it was a double album only to realise disc 2 is just same again but in French, which in fairness is impressive but would actually likely have enjoyed the album a touch more if it blended both French and English lyrics rather than just recording a 2nd version for us monolingual chuds. Feel like I’ve heard almost every one of these songs 1000 times over on the radio in the last 10 years, and considering I don’t listen to radio by choice, gives you all you need to know about how bland and uninspired the whole thing is. Comme si (6/10) Girlfriend (4/10) The walker (5/10) Doesn’t matter (6/10) 5 dollars (5/10) Goya Soda (6/10) Damn (What Must a Woman Do) (3/10) What’s-Her-Face (5/10) Feels so good (5/10) Make some sense (5/10) The stranger (5/10) 5/10

Strong album, fun instrumentals, great vocals. Does become a bit repetitive to have an album solely to do with love and breakups, particularly considering how done to absolute death that topic already was by that point, let alone by today’s standards - but she’s a pop singer so can’t exactly expect her to be writing about swords and dragons and shit. I Might Have Been Queen (8/10) What’s Love Got to Do with It (9/10) Show Some Respect (8/10) I Can’t Stand the Rain (7/10) Better Be Good To Me (7/10) Let’s Stay Together (7/10) 1984 (7/10) Steel Claw (8/10) Private Dancer (7/10) 7.6/10

I’m too busy listenin’ to Mmmmegadeth to pick up the phone! Dyon’t Cyall Byaaaackk! \m/ I have a lot to say about this album. Firstly, I want to highlight the mystifying guitar work from Chris Poland. Absolute guitar mastery, and it actually serves the thrash metal genre so well that he only most famously featured on these first few early Megadeth albums, as it sets it apart and gives it its own distinct character among a fairly oversaturated genre even in its time. While the production isn’t great by today’s standard, it’s fairly strong compared to its contemporaries within the metal genre, and its slightly muddier, compressed sound probably serves the album well by masking the shortcomings of Dave as a vocalist (which is probably where Megadeth as a band suffer the most). The drums and bass are top notch, several catchy basslines that stand out which again only furthers this album’s relative uniqueness particularly within thrash metal where the focal point is usually always speed and aggression. And the songwriting is close to as good as it gets for thrash metal for the most part. So many catchy riffs and hooks, with an energetic and bouncy sounds that’s heavy while still finding time for slower, melodic moments like the intro to Good Mourning/Black Friday. This album is a testament to Mustaine’s perseverance, and I only wish he’d have the clarity and self-respect to see that. While Metallica may have found the ultimate height of the genre at the same time, Mustaine’s playing and songwriting came on leaps and bounds from his credits on Kill ‘em All and Megadeth’s first album - and yet he still chooses to petulantly put Metallica down and act both high and mighty and yet somehow hard done by with an ‘it should’ve been me’ attitude. So as much as I think Mustaine’s a self-entitled, childish prick, I can’t deny he put together something special here, and not for the last time. Oh and the cover art is up there with the best of all time. Wake Up Dead (10/10) The Conjuring (9/10) Peace Sells (10/10) Devils Island (8/10) Good Mourning / Black Friday (10/10) Bad Omen (8/10) I Ain’t Superstitious (7/10) My Last Words (9/10) 8.9/10

Mewthes?! What is Mewthes?! Right, I’ve never quite been able to out my finger on why I don’t like Muse but finally being forced to listen to a full album, I have some exact reasoning. Firstly, this album itself isn’t too bad, an of all of their work is the only album I’d actually have been happy to listen to. Strong performances from most of the instruments for most of the songs. The songwriting is pretty lacklustre at times; the first half of the album particularly just has so little in the way of dynamic shifts that the album feels so one-note and samey. Matt Bellamy’s droning voice almost never sounds like he can be arsed, every song is mid-tempo in pretty much the same key, and there’s always this shadow of a threat that they *might* kick into 4th or 5th gear - but they never do! Not until the end of Knights of Cydonia, which, while I do think is a great song with a series if catchy riffs and great lyrics, isn’t enough of a satisfying crescendo to make the rest of the album worthwhile. Muse just sound like ‘rock’ music that’s been made in a factory. It’s not ‘wrong’, it’s not ‘bad’, but it lacks emotion, drive, and purpose. If this is the best they’ve got to offer then fuck I hope there isn’t another of theirs in this list. Take a Bow (7/10) Starlight (8/10) Supermassive Black Hole (8/10) Map of the Problematique (6/10) Soldier’s Poem (5/10) Invincible (5/10) Assassin (7/10) Exo-Politics (7/10) City of Delusion (7/10) Hoodoo (6/10) Knights of Cydonia (9/10) Glorious (7/10) 6.8/10

Pleasantly surprised to unearth this album, particularly on this list. It’s got a lot of really great drum grooves, interesting and noisy guitar work, vocals are raw and emotional without feeling too ‘emo’. As an album it works cohesively, but it’s long. It teeters right on the brink of being interesting and artful, or being a noisy mess - and with its length its easy to find the album a bit of a meandering slog by the end. On the whole, it has its moments, it’s a strong 90’s rock album that feels ahead of its time, and its influence on hundreds of artists I’ve grown to love since cannot be understated - but, to put it bluntly, I’d much rather listen to the groups it influenced than the album itself. Here Come the Rome Plows (8/10) Do You Compute (9/10) Golden Brown (8/10) Luau (8/10) Super Unison (9/10) New Intro (8/10) New Math (7/10) Human Interest (7/10) Sinnews (8/10) 8/10

Honestly expected absolutely nothing from this album but had fun with it. Jot the best new wave/80’s pop album by a long shot, but has enough catchy hooks and funky melodies to be engaging most of the way through. Show Me (7/10) Poison Arrow (7/10) Many Happy Returns (8/10) Tears Are Not Enough (7/10) Valentine’s Day (8/10) The Look of Love, Pt. 1 (9/10) Date Stamp (7/10) All of My Heart (6/10) 4 Ever 2 Gether (6/10) The Look of Love, Pt. 4 (N/A) 7.2/10

Really struggle to see where this album fits in among a general audience. It’s electronic but not the kind you’d play in a club. It’s rap, but with no real political or gang connection, and no drive or passion behind the lyrics. It’s lowkey and lo-fi for much of the album, but not so much so to become an album of passive listening (I couldn’t listen to this while I relax/study). I simply did not enjoy it. There was too much going on for it to feel like I could just groove to it in the background, but far too little going on to reward an in depth, proper listen. Vocals were fine but boring and repetitive by the end. Rapping was awful; sounded like they just picked the first guys walking by the studio to lay down some bars who’d never rapped before in their lives. Songs were far too long. Nothing catchy, nothing memorable, just a waste of time. Safe from Harm (5/10) One Love (4/10) Blue Lines (3/10) Be Thankful for What You’ve Got (5/10) Five Man Army (3/10) Unfinished Sympathy (5/10) Daydreaming (3/10) Lately (4/10) Hymn of the Big Wheel (3/10) 3.9/10