I LOVE this album!! I never heard of the group before, and I had no clue what to expect, even after reading up on them. This was such a great mix of pop orchestral music with just enough weirdness to keep me totally interested. I’ve added a bunch of songs to my main playlist.

I am a fan of Paul Simon’s music, both with Art Garfunkel as well as solo. This is an album I haven’t played in a long time, so it was fun to revisit. What stood out, aside from the singles being so much fun to listen to, was the more straightforward writing of his earlier years. This was more personal than many S&G songs and it was clear he was making a statement of purpose as a solo artist. The songs that stood out to me, aside from the two hits, were Duncan, Run That Body Down, and Paranoia Blues. A very enjoyable listen.

I loved this album. Have been a fan of theirs, but never gave this one a listen as I assumed it all sounded like Psycho Killer and was more minimalist than other albums of theirs. I was wrong and there was an interesting mix of sounds and styles.

I typically listen to the B-52’s on shuffle as an entire album seems too much. This was good, but again too much. Fred is fun, but I don’t really enjoy his songs as much as the ones with only Kate and Cindy.

I liked this way more than I expected to. I only knew the song “Human Behavior” Ang don’t care for it, and I was very pleasantly surprised by the beats and rhythm and fun of the sound of many of the songs.

I’m currently listening and know my opinion won’t change as the album progresses. While I like some grunge, Soundgarden never interested me and apparently still doesn’t. Chris Cornell does have a great voice, but the music is all just the same IMO.

I enjoy early Radiohead very much and this album is one of my favorites from them. There is melody with some of the atonal aspects they did more of later.

This is not a style of singing or genre I typically like, and unfortunately I didn’t care for this album. The affectation in his singing voice turned me off to the rest.

Very enjoyable musically. I rarely listen to World music and found this a fun experience.

Enjoyable, but repetitive.

Fine, but not interesting to me.

This was not for me. I found it boring and repetitive. I’m not sure why it’s on this list.

I wasn’t sure what to expect with this album. I was initially surprised by the punk-like opening song, but I loved the variety of sounds. A very enjoyable listen.

One I really liked from back in the day, but haven’t listened to in a very long time. I loved it! Right up my music alley! Power chords and harmonies. Would give 4 1/2 stars if possible, but it’s more 5 than 4 in my opinion.

Interesting, but also long and repetitive. Ultimately I found it boring. I still acknowledge the talent.

This was a tedious listen. I have no idea how it made the list.

My favorite Stones album. Feels very cohesive and love the variety of styles.

This is not at all for me. Homophobic and misogynistic. I liked it musically but not at all lyrically. I didn’t “get” it then and I don’t now. Gangsta rap was not the rap I liked.

I had no idea what to expect. Never heard of this album. I thought it was good. Reminded me of early Jefferson Airplane.

More tuneful than I expected, aside from “The Murder Mystery.” Love “Pale Blue Eyes” which apparently was meant to be a hit.

I enjoyed this. Nice mix of jazz and hip hop styles.

Love this album. Only clunker is “Mother” which didn’t get any better since 1983. Every other song is classic Police.

How did I not listen to these guys back in the day? I really liked this album a lot. The song “Darklands” is going on some of my playlists. It’s a 4 1/2 star album for me, but I’ll lower it to 4 here.

A stone cold classic. I haven’t listened to the album in over 30 years. The song that I loved this time around was “Right On.”

This was the first rock album I ever got. Around age 12. I loved it then and listening now brought back great memories. Also the first concert I ever went to. Back then it was fairly meaningless to others, but the millennials in my life think it’s so cool I got to see Freddy Mercury in his prime.

A very pleasant listen. I knew more songs than I thought. I can understand why she’s highly regarded, even though it’s not something I’d typically listen to.

I really enjoyed this album. I only know their hits, so it was fun to get album tracks. I loved the song “Reasons.” It gave such strong Prince vibes, and I have to believe they were an influence for him.

Not a fan, especially of the David Lee Roth era. I can appreciate Eddie’s talent, but that’s about it. I always disliked their drum sound. Way too sexist and way too juvenile. Disliked them back then and still do.

I love David’s voice, and I love his work with CSN&Y (in all their iterations). And one or two songs of his on those albums is the perfect amount. But a full record worth is just too much. Too meandering. Too everything. I had this album on vinyl back in the day and I’m pretty certain I only listened to it once.

I liked this much more than I expected to. I thought it would be a slog to get through. I only know the rock radio hits and never thought much of them. Some of it is dated, but a lot holds up.

This was fun to listen to again. It’s another album that I played a bunch when it came out, but haven’t listened to in a long time. Don’t Look Back In Anger was my favorite song back then, and still is. I’d give it 4 1/2 stars, but I’ll do four as i think there are some filler songs.

I’d never heard of this artist or album, but after reading some I was excited to listen. Unfortunately I didn’t enjoy many of the songs. I liked the music, especially the rhythms, but then many devolved into noise which I didn’t care for. Most of the vocals were uninteresting to me as well.

Another album I’ve not listened to since it came out. Enjoyable as a whole, there aren’t any songs that absolutely wow me individually. It was very pleasant to listen to on my drive to work. For that, it gets 3 1/2 stars that’ll bump up to 4.

This is an album I enjoyed when it was released. Either I’m having a bad day, or I’ve lost my interest in most of these songs. Just not as good now as I recalled.

I felt happy listening to the first two songs. I thought I was going to be pleasantly surprised with the album. Then I was sad, as it devolved in to maudlin folk with a couple of way way too long songs.

I absolutely loved this album. It was totally unexpected. I was a fan of the alt-country movement and this was certainly an influence on those artists.

First off I’m not a fan of The Beach Boys. At all. I find them annoying and repetitive. I wasn’t looking forward to listening to this. I did find it better than I expected, but that’s only because it’s so weird. Most of the fully fleshed songs were the stuff I don’t like, but the whistles and silliness were at least something different.

I love Neil Young, especially with Crazy Horse. This album has three absolute bangers, and the rest are very good songs as well. I could listen to this just about any day.

I enjoyed this. It was very mellow, with evocative gender questioning and confirming lyrics. Any album with Rufus Wainright can’t be all that bad. I want to listen to more of their music.

I’m not a fan of Beck. He’s fine IMO. This album is listenable. There’s talent and good production. But it didn’t make me appreciate him any more than I already did (which isn’t much). It’s another of those albums that I can’t understand why it’s on this list.

I think this is John Lennon’s best solo album. It’s got the title song of course, but such personal writing as well such as my favorite of his, “Jealous Guy.” What a great mix of styles too. I don’t love “How Do You Sleep” but it doesn’t hurt the album for me.

I appreciate the reviewers who encouraged finding the original album on YouTube, as I didn’t want to waste my time with something that wasn’t the intended product. That being said, this wasn’t for me. I was just bored, even though I can appreciate the clear talent in the music.

I’ve only heard a few songs by Lorde before and never really listened all that closely. As soon as I started this album the Jack Antonoff production was obvious, and I didn’t initially like her voice. But it grew on me as the album progressed. I ended up enjoying it quite a bit, and will now seek out her other albums.

I know the hits, but I love the mix of styles of all the songs. Not a clunker to be found.

It’s Aretha. Really not much more needs to be said. Classic. It’s a 5 and that’s that.

I haven’t listened to the entire album in a long time, but it still sounds as awesome as when it came out. Brought African sounds to the US mainstream and not in a gross white savior way.

There was a time I tried to get into jazz. Listened to lots of older and then more fusion artists. I found that I enjoyed listening to jazz way more live than on recordings. This was the same. I’m sure it would’ve been great to be there, but it was a tough listen. And very long.

Bruce is my favorite artist. That being said, I can be critical of him as well as any other musician. I hadn’t listened to the full “Nebraska” album in a very long time, and I found this to be revelatory. I’d recently read the book “Deliver Me From Nowhere” about the making of this album, and I listened and caught so many details I’d ignored or forgotten since 1982 when this album dropped. This album likely saved his sanity and led to his need to always follow the path his heart wanted and not what the masses wanted. Amazing song cycle and lots of therapy in there.

I’m the guy who did not own this back in 1983. I maybe listened to the album once. My plan was to listen with an open mind. Great opener, and then two filler tracks. But then…killer song after killer song. Amazing production. Fantastically performed. It is what it is for a reason.

The late 60’s had a few bands with a psychedelic punk vibe that I really enjoy listening to. This was a very cool record, and I had no clue what to expect from it.

What is this album doing on THIS list? Seriously?? It was trash then and it’s trash now. The non-popular songs are awful, as are the popular ones.

I love REM. Especially the early albums. They were one of my college radio favorites back when that was a thing (I assume it’s not anymore?). When this album dropped I recall wondering if they’d ever do anything essential again. Thankfully they did, but this wasn’t it. It’s 3.5 for me, but I’ll bump to 4 just because.

I never heard of Rise or listened to any shoegaze, other than a song or two. I like “In a Different Place” and “Vapour Trail” as they are more melodic than the other songs. This isn’t a bad album at all. Just not for me.

This was a lot of fun to listen to. I had no clue what to expect. I thought it would be too psychedelic or trippy, but it was the perfect mix with the grooves. I love his voice. Sorta Stevie Wonder-like. The instrumentals were good, but felt unnecessary.

This was fine. I’m not a huge fan of disco, and I don’t think of this as a great representation of the time, save for the title track. It’s not bad, but not some of the best of the era that should be on this list.

Wow!! Just wow!! This was amazing! I had no clue what to expect, and I was blown away by all of it. I’ve never really listened to him before other than a song here or there. I will do a deeper dive after hearing this album.

Listening to this album, I was struck that Queen was a band in search of themselves till “A Night at the Opera.” After that it was just more bombast and more Freddie being Freddie. I also realized that I prefer only that album by far to all their others, with a song or two here and there from other albums I can listen to. This one was fine, but I’m not a fan of prog rock and found much of it just silly.

I thoroughly enjoyed discovering her solo debut album. When this came up I was pretty excited to listen. Unfortunately for me, it’s just not as interesting an album as the previous one. The music and vibe is very same-y, aside from a couple of songs. My favorite is “It’s Not Up to You” just because it broke that mold to an extent.

I think this is a perfect album. It shows off everything great about CCR. The hits are short bursts of classic rock songs and the longer jams show off their ability to get a groove on. The album ends with one of my favorites of theirs, “Long as I Can See the Light.”

The first few minutes were cool, as I saw The Exorcist when I was way too young and this song being played on the radio freaked me out. I discovered it no longer does. The rest was just not my thing. If I was at a Ren Faire I suppose it would be tolerable, but I was listening at home. The grunts, and announcing of instruments, was just unnecessary.

I was not at all sure what to expect, as I don’t listen to hardcore punk. But when I looked and saw it was 15 minutes long I was all in for a listen. And I was pleasantly surprised. I’m not sure I’d love an hour’s worth in one sitting, but each song was in and out and did what it needed to do. I’m not jumping into any mosh pits, but I can listen to more of this.

I’m a huge fan of The Smiths. This and “The Queen is Dead” are my favorite albums from them. I haven’t listened to it in total for quite a long time, and it was fun to be brought back to the later 80’s with the music I loved. I am aware Morrissey is an asshole, but I still love his songwriting and singing.

I was very excited to listen to this. Cocteau Twins are a band I’ve always admired, but never really listened to other than a song that would pop up on the radio (back in the day) or a random playlist. I LOVED this album. It’s a perfect mix of stuff I like-atmospheric music, ethereal vocals, a chill vibe. I am a music first person, so honestly I couldn’t care less that you can’t understand the lyrics. I’m looking forward to listening to more of their music.

I have been a Joni Mitchell hater for many years, mostly based on an image of her rather than her actual music. I thought she was just a boring folkie with an acoustic guitar, warbling songs with that “annoying” voice. Boy was I wrong. I loved this album musically, as well as her singing. And her writing. I’m looking forward to more of her albums, rather than the dread I felt when I saw what today’s was. Such a pleasant surprise.

As I began listening I came to realize that this is probably the album I’ve heard the most in my life from start to finish. I was 6 when it was released and my mom was a big Beatles fan. I then became one as well. The songs I preferred then-Maxwell’s Silver Hammer and Octopus’ Garden-are now my least favorites, but this is an album I absolutely love. And it totally holds up. The band plays the hell out of these songs. Production is immaculate. And George just shines. A gem. Up there with greatest albums of all time.

70’s metal is not my thing. There’s a reason Spinal Tap exists and this is it. A very unenjoyable experience.

This album reminded me a lot visiting New Orleans, but also watching Treme and other NOLA set shows and movies (often featuring Dr John). It was a lot of fun, but for some reason I was left wanting more. I can’t actually explain it, but maybe it was the psychedelic parts that I wanted less of, and more of the Cajun rhythms. It’s a 3.5 for me that I’ll bump up to a 4.

This was a perfect listen for a Sunday morning. Way more enjoyable than I expected from reading about it. Melodic, and enough variation to keep it from being monotonous for an hour long listen.

If a hip hop group was invented just for me, Jurassic 5 would be it. This album, from start to finish, is exactly what I want and like about hip hop-good beats of course, but also social conscience and respect of women. There are great rhymes and I love the mix of voices. The samples are cool and used really well. “What’s Golden”, “Thin Line”, and “Freedom” are standouts for me. An excellent listen.

I am a fan of CSN(Y), but I’ve found most if CSN solo projects to be close to unlistenable, with the focus on the worst aspects of their songwriting and presentation. I HATE “Love the One You’re With” and expected this to all be the precious version of Stills that I can’t stand. But then there was Church (Pt of Someone) and it all changed. I loved most of the rest of the album and really gained more appreciation for Stephen Stills.

Reading about the album prior to listening, I was pretty interested to get into it. Unfortunately for me, it was mostly underwhelming. I enjoyed the last few songs the most, but overall it wasn’t as “fun” musically as I’d hoped it would be. I didn’t find it hard to listen to, but my expectations were likely a bit too high.

The best way to view this album is as a historical relic. There are clear examples of the direction each of the band members took once BS disbanded. I recall getting this record back in the 80’s when I’d see it on lists of essential albums. I’m pretty certain I listened to it only once, due to its lack of cohesion. I like a couple of the songs, but as a whole it just doesn’t work. It definitely does when seen as an artifact.

I don’t really know what to say about this album. The talent level is absolutely there. Some of the songs have very cool and interesting instrumentation. You can feel what it is that Mingus is going for with the different moods. That all being said, I’ll never listen to it again and I only really enjoyed certain parts.

I LOVE this album!! I never heard of the group before, and I had no clue what to expect, even after reading up on them. This was such a great mix of pop orchestral music with just enough weirdness to keep me totally interested. I’ve added a bunch of songs to my main playlist.

I HATED the Beastie Boys first album. I thought it was annoying and irritating and they were just brats. I assumed they’d just rinse and repeat, because why wouldn’t they. But they didn’t, and made some really cool albums with fantastic production and instrumentation, and some very witty lyrics. This album isn’t my favorite of theirs, but it’s a very enjoyable listen with lots of interesting styles.

This is a five star album. I listened to it all the time upon its initial release. Nirvana spoke to me in a way few other bands could, which I felt as soon as I heard “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” Being someone who has dealt with depression and isolation, I understood his lyrics. What I love about this specific album, beside the awesome performance, is that Cobain and the band didn’t give a fuck about pleasing MTV with a hits driven show. It was a perfect example of who they were.

I was checking out reviews of this, and boy do people hate on Simply Red. For those not around back then, I found the band to be a very fresh sound in the dross of most of what was popular at the time. Mick Hucknall’s voice is sublime. Yes, the 80’s production is dated, but his voice is timeless. And it is a sad reminder of the beginning of the end of America as we know it thanks to the Reaganomics mentioned in “Money’s Too Tight (To Mention).

Metal is one of my least preferred genres. I typically find it very same-y and boring. With silly lyrics. That was my expectation for this album. Ozzy died yesterday, so I tried very hard to listen to this critically and without emotion to his passing and I think I succeeded. I was pleasantly surprised by the anti-war theme of the album, as well as more subtlety than I’d have imagined. I did not feel bludgeoned over the head by all of it. I understand now why it has such a positive rating on this site. It’s a solid 3.5 for me, which I’ll bump up to 4 due to positive shock factor.

IMO Eagles have one great album. It is “Hotel California.” The rest of their non-greatest hits records have a few good to great songs, but the rest are filler. This album has one banger in “Take It Easy.” The other two singles are two of my least favorite ones of theirs. The album has no other memorable songs. I’ll still give it 3 stars as it’s not actually bad, but it’s not one I’d listen to again.

I recall listening to this when it first came out, wanting to like it more than I actually did. I feel that way with most of the folk/roots rock movement of the 2000’s and 2010’s. Some bands and albums are better than others, but I’m apparently not their audience. This is well made and well performed, but I only really liked a few songs.

I became a fan of The Flaming Lips when I first heard Yoshimi. I then worked backwards to this album next. I immediately feel in love with them, though their other albums for me are hit or miss. They have two masterpieces IMO and “The Soft Bulletin” is one of them. Amazing production and I love Wayne Coyne’s singing on the album. I saw them live a couple of times and they are such an enjoyable band to watch just be weird.

This was not my thing when it came out and it still isn’t. It’s inoffensive, but every song basically sounds the same. I find the guitar effects he uses to be boring, though I recall back then people were losing their shit over them. Clearly I didn’t get the memo.

I respect Ray Charles, but have never gone out of my way to listen to his songs. Reading about this album ahead of listening, I was not looking forward to it. I don’t like big band. I’m not a huge fan of “standards.” However, this is very well done. He put his emotion into the singing and it was about the best version of things I don’t enjoy that it could be. A very pleasant surprise.

I’ve never listened to the full album, but “This Corrosion” is on a few of my playlists. Alternative rock radio in the 80’s was awesome in hearing things I never would’ve otherwise. I really like the rest of the record too. I was never a goth, but I totally dug their music.

This is my second Leonard Cohen album. I loved “You Want It Darker” and gave it 5 stars. I knew this would be very different from that record, and it surely is. Initially I wasn’t that into it, but after a couple of songs I got into the vibe. Listening on my AirPods helped, I think, to appreciate the accompaniment more than I would’ve otherwise, and I found it almost a hypnotic experience. I won’t rate it above YWID, but I do get the love for his music.

I listened to this on a summer drive in Florida with my mom and daughter on vacation. We all agreed it was “nice” to listen to, but it didn’t fit the setting at all. This is a perfect rainy Sunday morning album. It’s very samey and calming. But it’s not a car drive record at all. I’m certain had I listened alone on my AirPods I’d have fallen asleep. I’m not sure how you rate an album that feels like it needs a very specific setting for it to really work. I’m thinking it’s a 3.5 that I’ll lower to 3.

I listened to this a lot when I was a teenager. Watched the movie a bunch. Saw a college stage version (long before the Broadway show). Even with all of that, I still don’t really like it all that much. I think “Who’s Next” is one of the greatest albums ever, so I don’t dislike the band at all. I just can’t appreciate this the way I’m supposed to, I suppose. Clearly I’ve tried over the years. I hoped this listen would impress me differently but it didn’t. In fact, I was skipping ahead some just to get through it. There is a lot of talent here, lyrically and musically. So I don’t think I can give it a 2 or less. It’s a 2.5 that’s going to raise to a 3.

There’s things to like on this album. His wordplay is creative and there’s clearly talent in the production. When he’s writing about social issues it’s on point. But, the misogyny and harshness of the language is just too much to make it an enjoyable album to listen to.

I went through a couple of Zappa phases when I was younger. I had an older neighborhood friend who was into him and would play the albums for me, and then again in my own album collecting days. I liked many of the albums as “different” and “interesting” but I never really listened closely. I think I’d only heard this record once before, and mostly liked it. I really like the first couple of sides, and the third and fourth not as much due to lack of clear song structure. Overall an enjoyable listen, but not one I’ll seek out to play again. A solid 4 stars. And like others have noted, an amazing achievement for 1966!!

While metal is a genre I typically don’t enjoy, this is the second album in a couple of weeks that has me reassessing that thought. I truly did not expect to like this album, aside from the song “One” which I know and figured was an outlier. Reading about this album, with words like “brutal” used to describe it, made me very apprehensive. But I liked it. I don’t care for Lars’ drumming overall, but the rest is quite good. A four star record.

Album number 89 and it’s my second Def Leppard?!?! Will there be Bon Jovi too? This is the 80’s music I most despised-supposed hard rock that wasn’t hard at all. It rocked, I guess, in the most generic way possible. I will say I tolerate it better than “Hysteria” but not by much.

I pride myself on the fact that I’ve never walked out of a concert early. I can’t say I’ve loved all the shows I’ve seen, but there’s been enough to keep me listening. I am positive I’d have bolted out of this show. No matter how high I might’ve been. Even when I used to get high, this wouldn’t be anything I’d enjoy. The only thing that kept me going was listening in the car on my drive to work, through a few construction zones no less. It is a DNF as I won’t play whatever is left.

I had no idea what to expect from this album. Reading a little bit about it left me uncertain as well. I liked some of the songs, especially the ones with a bit more rhythm. It was also my second album in a row with a weird spoken part, and like yesterday’s it took me out of the mood and decreased my interest. A solid 3 for me.

I’ve never been much of a fan of Janis and/or BB&THC. I respect her vocal talent and the emotion she puts into everything, but I just don’t really enjoy listening to it for a song much less an album. This go through didn’t change my opinion. And I don’t think musically they’re anywhere near as talented as her vocals.

I’m not generally a fan of country music, but this was so different than what is typical of the genre. I knew the song “El Paso” and have liked different versions of it, including the original. I mostly enjoyed the outlaw story songs, and didn’t care much for the ones with the harmony vocals up in the mix. Overall a pleasant surprise, but I won’t be seeking out more of his music.

This was an interesting album. It was not what I expected from a Kinks record. “Tommy” by The Who was an album from last week, and this reminded me more of that than the usual songs I’ve heard from The Kinks. It was also quite Beatlesque musically, which isn’t surprising from an album in 1969. I’m struggling to decide what I really think of it though. The songs were very listenable and some were even more than that, but there weren’t any that I remember more than others. And none I’ll save to a playlist. It’s a 3.5 but I haven’t yet decided to give it a 3 or 4 rating.

I am a fan of Paul Simon’s music, both with Art Garfunkel as well as solo. This is an album I haven’t played in a long time, so it was fun to revisit. What stood out, aside from the singles being so much fun to listen to, was the more straightforward writing of his earlier years. This was more personal than many S&G songs and it was clear he was making a statement of purpose as a solo artist. The songs that stood out to me, aside from the two hits, were Duncan, Run That Body Down, and Paranoia Blues. A very enjoyable listen.

I can’t explain why, but I’ve avoided listening to Joy Division for the most part. I love much post-punk music. I love New Order. I’m a sucker for depressing music in general. And yet… I am not at all surprised at how much I love this album. The vocals are so cool in how they were recorded, giving them almost alien feel. And now I really know where Robert Smith got so much of the early Cure sound from. A definite 5.

First off, I’ve never liked David Lee Roth and now I dislike him even more. He “stole” everything from “Just a Gigolo”, scatting exactly as Prima did. What a loser. I couldn’t believe how much I enjoyed this record. Yesterday was a Joy Division album (which I rated at 5) and today is the polar opposite of that, but will also get a 5. Just pure fun to listen to. You can hear the smiles on the performers faces. This would’ve been a blast to experience live. Not a dud in the batch. It’s albums like this that make me come back every day for another.

I’ve never heard of this, and the brief description didn’t prepare me for what was to come. This album is right up my musical alley. I’m a sucker for show tunes, regardless if they’re from an actual musical. I really like his voice and the instrumentation was very listenable. “Everybody Knows (Except You)” is now on my favorites playlist. I say this often, but records like this are what I love about doing the album a day exercise. I never would’ve heard it otherwise.

When I was a teen in the 70’s this was considered “the” live album (definitely not Frampton’s) by all the cool kids. I’m sure I’d heard it at parties or a friend’s house, but it didn’t make much of an impression. My first thought today once the album started is that this sounds like all the stuff I don’t like about late sixties and seventies hard rock, but the bass and drums kick ass. As I listened further I started to appreciate the between song banter, even laughing a few times. By the end, I caved and just enjoyed what they were giving, as the final couple of songs just kicked my ass.

Another album I haven’t listened to in a long time, but liked a lot when it came out. I read some of the reviews and it’s funny how this is referred to as a millennial record. I’m a boomer, so in theory I’m not supposed to really enjoy this. But I do. I was listening with two millennials, my daughter and her girlfriend, and this was a first time for both with Arcade Fire. They were actually more critical of it than I was. So what do we all know about such things?

I have a like/hate relationship with Billy Joel, and this album in particular. In the mid-70’s I was having my rock music awakening and my brother loved this album and played it all the time, irritating the crap out of me. And then in college I met my future (and now ex) wife, and she LOVED Billy Joel. Thanks to that fact, I’ve seen him in concert quite a few times. All of that being said, there are songs I like (and even really like), and this album has quite a few of them. When I saw this pop up today I was determined to give it a fair listen. And it f’ing won me over. One of the songs I’ve despised over the years is “Only The Good Die Young” and even that one made me not hate it as much. Damn you Billy Joel. I want to hate your music and I just can’t do it.

I was excited when this popped up today. This was an album I loved when I was young, staring at the cover art for ages and listening to all four sides of the record. Since that time I’ve enjoyed a handful of ELO songs I’d hear now and then, but none were from this album. I’d considered seeing them live the past few years but never pulled the trigger on getting tickets. Upon listening today, disappointment set in. This was not as much fun as I recalled, and I was mostly feeling bored and looking to see how many more songs were left. I don’t think it’s bad. It’s just one of those things that was better when I was younger but has lost its luster as I’ve aged and my tastes have changed. Interestingly, this is my second album in a row from 1977 where my opinions have changed dramatically from when I listened back then to now. Apparently 14 year old me is quite different than 62 year old me. Who knew?

I listened to this album a lot when it came out. The mixing of blues samples and electronic music worked perfectly for me. I haven’t heard the record in many years, and I was concerned I’d not enjoy it anymore. Thankfully that wasn’t the case, and I totally dug it just as I had back in 1999/2000. I forgot how many songs I really loved on this album (which makes sense given how often I played it back then). It’s a 4.5 that I’m boosting to a 5.

I am not a fan of Dolly Parton. It’s mainly her voice which kinda grates on me. I’m also not generally enamored of her as many others seem to be. That all being said, this was a fairly decent listening experience. I really enjoyed “Traveling Man” a lot, but it was an outlier in style to the rest of the record. There were many well written and performed songs, but by the end it sort of devolved into positive affirmation tunes that I didn’t really care for. I’m giving it a 3, but it’d be a four if I could just tolerate her voice more than I do.

Listening to this with my girlfriend and we both said simultaneously, “All of these songs sound the same.” This was especially true when they were harmonizing together, and it just felt so repetitious. Towards the end of the album there was some variety, with ballads, gospel, and a Bee Gees cover. All in all it was not my thing, and an hour’s worth was a lot.

I am a fan of Neil Young, but much prefer his Crazy Horse and rock sound than his acoustic music. I do still enjoy albums like “Harvest” but they’re not my favorite. This is still an excellent album with three of his most well known and greatest songs, but not what I will seek out when I want to listen to his music.

I respect this album much more than I enjoyed this album. It wasn’t bad to listen to, but it meandered a lot. There were a couple of songs that held my interest but that’s about it.