Such a good album. It still feels like a force hitting you in the face in 2025. For a debut album, this is top notch. Eddie vedder is insane with his vocals. The instrumentals are so tight and crisp. One of the best albums of the 90's and all time. I wish I was alive when this album dropped. Speaking of that "alive" is such a damn good song. Amazing songs front to back. Big Pearl Jam fan.
I'm pretty familiar with the Pixies, mostly the Doolittle album. This one seemed even weirder, but I can absolutely hear a lot of elements that eventually became Kurt Cobain's take on the Pixies via Nevermind. Where is my mind is the main hit, and it might be the only song off this album I'll continue to have on my playlist. It's easy to forget that this was 1988, and people weren't putting out music like this yet. Pioneers of the alternative genre and one of a handful of bands in that weird little era that bridged the gap from Guns n Roses hair metal to Nirvana grunge. So they've always got my respect. I'll stick to the main hits though, still.
Pretty sweet. Never got too into Iron Maiden so I'm glad this album showed up. Amazing bass player, sometimes doing a little too much in my opinion (specifically on Transylvania). "Iron Maiden", "Running Free", and "Phantom of the Opera" were standouts for me. Definitely hear a lot of Avenged Sevenfold. I can only imagine what people thought when this album dropped, it had to be mind blowing. FYI I have always thought Eddie was cool as fuck. If you know, you know.
Many point to this as the very first heavy metal album so this is a pretty pivotal moment in music history. I went through a decent Black Sabbath phase a few years ago, and I think they have a lot better stuff - specifically the Paranoid and Master of Reality albums. But I do get why this album is so important and essential. I really enjoy N.I.B. but the album also feels like a lot of filler and drawn out jamming. Crazy to think of what Ozzie Osbourne would amount to after this. Hoping those two albums pop up in the future.
I dont know what got me into The Cars as a kid, but I've always been a fan. Catchy melodies but oddly unique compared to everything else on KSHE 95. I hear so much Weezer in this. Pretty sure The Cars were a big inspiration to Rivers Cuomo so that makes sense to me. Just looked it up, and Ric Ocasek (singer) was a notable record producer for famous bands like Weezer, No Doubt, and many more so it's cool that he's got his fingerprints on so many notable pieces of music history. Big fan.
I can't think of anyone I would ever recommend this to. I feel like whatever this is had already been done way better prior to 1996 and way better after 1996. Wikipedia says a lot of the techniques used were groundbreaking and still used today, but sampling was used prior to this so I don't get it. Doesn't feel like it was very groundbreaking. Ambient filler music that you probably need to be stoned for. Fun fact - was not stoned for this. Did not enjoy.
What can I say except that they're the f'n Beatles, man? First time listening all the way through this album, and I loved it. Great Friday morning album. Loved the run from Sun King through Golden Slumbers where I couldn't tell where each song ended or started. I Want You sees The Beatles at their heaviest, and it's beautiful. They revolutionized songwriting and the sounds of music in such a short span of time, and this entire album exemplifies that. If you aren't listening to "Here comes the sun" and "Come Together" on the radio, I'd recommend listening to the entire album front to back any time. Highly recommend.
It wasn't bad. Sweet album cover. I've always had an odd thought process with Blur. I think Damon (singer/main writer) is a pompous asshat, but he's also a creative genius. Song 2 is my favorite track by them, but the whole song was meant as a joke to stereotypical rock radio hits. It's also not on this album. London Loves, Tracy Jacks, Jubilee, and This is a Low were the standouts for me. I appreciated the variety of instruments throughout the album. The album felt experimental, large, and daring. It still blows my mind that these guys were just as big as Oasis in the 90's in the UK. This isn't a band that strikes me as someone capable of doing that. But still, it eventually led to the Gorillaz, so I'll give it that.
Why have I never heard of these guys before? Within 30 seconds, I went from "ah man, not gonna like this" to "holy shit, this chick can sing". I loved hearing this album for the first time. Passionate, emotional, politically driven, and angry. I'm guessing this had a major influence on evanescence, flyleaf, etc. "On my hotel TV" reminds me of Rage against the machine and is probably my favorite track, but I enjoyed all of them. I also maybe hear some influence by In Living Color. Also, maybe Tracy Chapman? "We don't need who you think you are" and "Tracy's Flaw" were right up there as favorites, too. The album has multiple radio friendly hits - I'm so baffled how these guys aren't/weren't massive. Great listen from front to back. I'll definitely check out their other stuff now.
Van Morrison rocks. This album caught me at the perfect time. Had me in a great mood on my commute and morning coffee. Makes me want to cook breakfast on a Sunday morning and dance with someone in the kitchen. Highly recommend.
I've got mixed feelings on this. I enjoyed some of it, very chill. It was not the right album to wake up to and hit the gym with, so I listened to maybe the last 75% after while I had my coffee. I enjoyed it way more at that point. "Lying in the snow" was like the Beatles meeting Beach House. I really liked it. Overall, not exactly my style, but I can appreciate it. The back half was better than the front. Not bad for the summer. Probably not bad with hallucinogenics, either.
One of the original punk rockers. When reading the book "Please Kill Me", I got to learn a lot about Patti Smith. Seems like a total junkie, and I don't really get the hype. The first song or two were decent, and then it drops off into that weird 60's velvet underground sound for me. It's just not for me, but it did help move punk rock into a golden age not much longer after this so I can appreciate it in that regard.
It's a solid R&B album. It made me way too sad though haha that's the blues, baby. Not something I'm going to seek out again. "Cry to me" was super familiar, but I can't tell if I've heard the song before or the melody was ripped off by someone else.
I've never given Arcade Fire a fair shake and have always wondered what the hype was. This album definitely made me a fan. This type of music has definitely infiltrated my daily vibes in the last 9 months so I'm glad I'm hearing this now instead of 2010 when this came out. 13 year old Jake would have hated this. 27 year old Jake can really appreciate this. It still feels very modern and ages well. It reminds me of The Killers, Young The Giant, MGMT, and The Revivalists. I really enjoyed it and will probably listen to this album multiple times in the future along with their other albums.
Super interesting album. I was really into the front side, but an hour long really wore on me. I bet this was insane to hear when this dropped in 1996. The instrumentals are amazing, the vocals are perfect at times. I'm glad I listened to this, but I'm not sure how often I'll go back to this. If I do, it'll be a track or two from the front half.
Unpopular opinion - Every Beach Boys song sounds just like the one before it. I don't know what I'm missing. It's not the worst song I've ever heard, but it's not really special either. I saw a quote yesterday saying "It's not that the Beatles were better than The Beach Boys, Brian Wilson was just outnumbered" and I just don't get it. It's good clean family-friendly fun, but it's surface-level cheese, too. Stuff that preppy white boys played to try and kiss a girl after 9 pm on a Saturday night. Lame. I'll take The Beach Boys in a small doses, but even this 27 minute album was too much. I thought that about their Pet Sounds album as well in the past. Give me one Beach Boys song at a pool, and I'll give it 5 stars. Give me a full album, and you get this 2 star review.
These guys just won't go away. I'll admit that I enjoyed this album more than the last one. "Wouldn't it be nice" is definitely my favorite Beach Boys song so it was great to kick things off with. Pet Sounds was able to make it further into the album before getting tiresome of the same exact sound/song. It feels more mature than prior albums. Overall not too shabby, and I can see how the mixing approaches and experimenting led to some new developments for the Beatles.
One of my favorite rap records. Sounds great on vinyl. All three people elevate this album, but Lauryn Hill is the breakout star waiting to happen. I love the production on this. It's got the gritty NY 90's rap feel while still being mastered well. They have some features from other artists, but they are more than able to carry the album on their own which I appreciate. Have listened to this album many times before and will listen many times in the future.
Cup of coffee, windows down, long day on my way home - I didn't want this album to end. Very slow, but it hit me at the right time. Calming and soothing, Willie nailed these covers. Big fan.
Another album I wouldn't have appreciated a few years ago. Very much in line with The Cure, it's chill but alternative. Glad I listened to this.
Better than I expected. Guitar playing is second to none, but the vocals aren't it for me. Wild West End was a great surprise to me.
An inspiration to so many glam rock bands of the 80's. They've got some sleaziness to them but not too over the top like many would attempt to do. It was pretty chill for this genre. Nothing stands out to me. Get it On is a great song, but I find the band to be very repetitive.
Glory box rocks, I've had that song on a playlist for a bit now. The rest is cool but it seems like something meant for small doses. It sounds like one long droning song. There's definitely a good amount of creativity and talent, but it just never came together for me.
Decent songs that they rode for the next 40 years. "I will fall" is such a ridiculous song and in the weirdest spot on the album that I almost respect it even if I don't like it. They helped start a revolution and a million bands trying to sound just like them. Gotta respect that part.
Better than the debut album we listened to. They clearly evolved a lot, but because I already know some of the other albums, I still don't think it's them at their best. Still, I've always loved "Changes". Lot of good stuff in here.
Very poppy, fun, upbeat, summer vibes. It lacks depth in my opinion. Not that it's meant to have much. It's meant to be fun. "Lust to love" was the surprising one to me. I enjoyed it along with the singles, lips are sealed and we got the beat, which are also solid. The rest were forgettable.
Such a great album. I think I understood the story as a kid who grew up in Compton getting sucked into all of the crime before making it out and getting his life together? That was my interpretation. Either way, this is Kendrick at his peak. So many good songs. One of the best albums of the 21st century.
I really enjoyed a lot of this. Specifically, the first half. It wore on me slowly throughout, but it's a very creative sound that I can appreciate. Fun and dancy. Very Phil Collins. I'd never heard of these guys before so I'm glad I listened.
Such a good album. It still feels like a force hitting you in the face in 2025. For a debut album, this is top notch. Eddie vedder is insane with his vocals. The instrumentals are so tight and crisp. One of the best albums of the 90's and all time. I wish I was alive when this album dropped. Speaking of that "alive" is such a damn good song. Amazing songs front to back. Big Pearl Jam fan.
The west coast G-Funk sound that Dr Dre makes is maybe my favorite hip hop sound. Such a cool vibe. Snoop crushes it. It's easy to forget that he was so talented, cause 2010 and onward snoop isn't nearly as talented on the mic. But he's one of the best on this album. If you enjoy rap, this is an essential album.
What a good vibe. High energy and fun. Loved every song. Not sure what else I can say about this one. He's one of the best to ever do it.
I feel like I've heard this entire album throughout breaking bad/better call Saul. Not sure if it's accurate but that's the vibe I get. Not my vibe at all. I could see people liking it but not me.
Was excited to listen to this one. I enjoyed maybe 75% of the album. "I believe in a thing called love" will always be a masterpiece. Some other songs just didn't grab me but not too shabby overall.
I remember liking their other album, crocodiles, way more. Very much still sounding like the cure which is a cool unique vibe. This one just seems a little, odd.
Outside of the hits, I've never been super into Queen. Not totally sure why. Their songs and specifically this album sound complex and layered, but it's in a direction that I've never been too interested in. The mythical creatures and stories just don't appeal to me. Ogre battle was a decent rocker, but the rest is just not for me. This made me less of a fan. Someone tell me what I'm missing.
I've heard this album so many times before on vinyl. It's solid front to back and shows the talent that Amy had. Five Grammys in one night for this! Opened the doors for people like Adele and Lana Del Ray. It's a shame that she's not around making music. Phenomenal album.
I enjoyed it more than Parklife. Solid album, sounds a lot more like Oasis which I doubt they wanted to accomplish. I could start to hear some more experimental stuff come in that would lead to the Gorillaz. Overall not too shabby
Love this guy. I bet he knew how to party and bring the best vibes. Although it's not on this album, Pennies from heaven is an all timer song. Just a gigolo is timeless as well.
I loved this so much more than I expected. Knew that Chef could sing but does he play everything else too? Big fan, might just throw this into rotation at very random times.
I enjoy jazz, this was solid. The guy is clearly a world class musician. Just not sure how much this is my vibe. I can respect and appreciate it.
I bet this would be really cool to see live, but it was a chore to get through via streaming. The talent is undeniable, but this just isn't my thing when working, driving, etc.
It was fine. If anything, I liked it more than I thought it would. I've never been a prog rock guy. These guys are super talented, but this isn't something I'm going to listen to again.
Loved it. As I've said when the other albums have popped up on here, I think Paranoid and Master of Reality are their best pieces of work. They really bring it here on every track.
I enjoyed it. Not something I'm going to listen to every day, but I can see why people would love it. Great vibes, a lot of talent. I could see some basic elements that Motown records were doing with some of their other records at this time also (Nelly)
Is this what Queen wishes they sounded like? I loved this. Really cool transitions between songs, larger than life feel, and great vibes. I've heard all of their radio singles but never a full album. I really enjoy ELO now.
I thought it was going to like Simon and Garfunkel more. It was fine. A slower, less raspy Jim Croce maybe? It just dragged on until the last few songs. "Voices of Old People" really made it onto this album? Come on, man