I met Little Richard back in the mid 90s, so when Here’s Little Richard popped up as my next album, I must confess that I already was predisposed to wanting to like it. And maybe that brings some bias into my review, but I can’t adequately put into words how much I enjoyed listening to this record. Little Richard’s voice is infectious and makes this a truly fun listen. What’s amazing is how much energy he brings to these songs - for example listen to him basically run out of breath with 30 seconds left in Jenny Jenny. Beyond that, the piano work on various songs is great, especially at beginning of True Fine Mama and Slippin’ and Slidin’. Lots of great early rock songs on this album that delivers from beginning to end. It, like Little Richard himself, is a true force of nature, one that is well worth the listen.

He’s called the Outlaw for a reason. Imagine having the balls to perform and record a performance in a prison. Then go and do it again. I haven’t listened to this album previously, or its predecessor from Folsom. I did read some say that Folsom was better, and if that’s true, I definitely need to check that out because I thought this was great. Wanted Man was a smart way to kick this off. It is a straight forward song, but it instantly connects him with the prisoners. They are already way into this by the time he plays San Quentin. Twice. Amazing that he just wrote it the day before, and then he goes and includes both on the recording. Awesome, mainly because of the reactions from the inmates. And that’s really what makes this great. It’s not a massive feat in intricate songwriting. Quite the opposite, actually, but that’s not the point. The prisoners wanted someone just like them up there, someone to recognize them, and that’s exactly what they got. This is great because of the simplicity and all the interaction with the crowd. A must listen for anyone

This is a surprisingly diverse album. Maybe I shouldn’t be stunned since there is 25 tracks on it, but I liked that there was a mix of styles in this. Some ballads, some rockers, a bit of Motown influence mixed in. I had heard a few of these songs before, but picked up some new ones for my own personal library which I really liked, such as Black Maria, Couldn’t I Just Tell You, Wolfman Jack, and It Wouldn’t Have Made Any Difference. Giving this a 5, even if every track on here isn’t amazing for me, because of the variety, his obvious talent, and the fact that you can tell that he had a lot of fun making this album (the Intro song was such a cool add). Definitely worth the listen. Fun listen for the first one on my quest (1,000 to go!).

This is a direct quote from Apple Music: Though it was a bigger hit in the U.K. than the United States, 1995’s Scream, Dracula, Scream! remains a pivotal work of '90s rock 'n' roll. With the exception of Nirvana’s In Utero, no other album succeeded more in translating the sounds of late-'80s American indie rock to a modern radio rock setting in the '90s. In “Born in ’69,” “Young Livers,” and “Burnt Alive,” RFTC kept the spirit of Squirrel Bait and Dag Nasty for a generation that missed those bands. And despite John Reis’ cheekiness, “Used” and “Come See, Come Saw” are as rousing and inclusive as any songs by Springsteen. Let me translate: this album which didn’t chart at all in the US is evidently as important as an album from perhaps the most important artist of the 90s, brought to you by a band that neither you or me have ever heard of, keeping alive the tradition of another couple of bands that neither of us have ever heard of, fronted by a guy creating songs that are supposedly as great as those created by arguably the most important US rock singer of the last 40 years. Got it. With that as backdrop, I think I can sum this up more quickly. It was neither great, nor influential. In fact, it was repetitive and not good. And I, or really anyone, didn’t need to hear it. What a waste of a slot on a greatest of list. There is nothing about this album which provides any inkling of a reason as to why we had to hear it.

This is a surprisingly diverse album. Maybe I shouldn’t be stunned since there is 25 tracks on it, but I liked that there was a mix of styles in this. Some ballads, some rockers, a bit of Motown influence mixed in. I had heard a few of these songs before, but picked up some new ones for my own personal library which I really liked, such as Black Maria, Couldn’t I Just Tell You, Wolfman Jack, and It Wouldn’t Have Made Any Difference. Giving this a 5, even if every track on here isn’t amazing for me, because of the variety, his obvious talent, and the fact that you can tell that he had a lot of fun making this album (the Intro song was such a cool add). Definitely worth the listen. Fun listen for the first one on my quest (1,000 to go!).

I know that Paul McCartney is one of the great artists of all time, but frankly I found this album to be pretty bland. The two popular singles, Band on the Run and Jet, are alright. I liked Mrs Vanderbilt and Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Five the best. The rest of this is very average. An ok album, but certainly nothing special and not anything I would come back to.

I have this but it is has been many years since I have listened to it, so I was excited about revisiting. It’s an excellent album and is indicative of what made the Unplugged sessions great when approached correctly. A chance to represent yourselves differently musically, and Nirvana certainly did that. The coolest aspect is that they took some songs from other bands (the Vaselines, Meat Puppets) to bring into this session. It wasn’t just their original tunes. The best example: Bowie’s The Man Who Sold The World is a definite highlight of this set. What keeps this from being an 5 star album for me personally is that there are some songs on here that just aren’t that good, such as Pennyroyal Tea or On a Plain. As a result, the middle of the set wanes a bit for me. But I had forgotten about how cool some of these songs come off like Oh, Me. That all said, while I have never been as enamored with Kurt Cobain as many others (despite totally loving 90s alternative music), he is undeniably excellent throughout this set. Strong and straining (in a great way) in certain parts, restrained in others. Meanwhile, Grohl shows he can strip down his bombastic drumming style and settle in the background amazingly well. A fantastic performance from both of them.

I really enjoy a ton of 80s and 90s rock bands that are contemporaries of Def Leppard, but admittedly have never really been as big a fan of DL as a lot of others. But results are results and it’s hard to argue with a series of things: - Very few bands have sold 20m albums in their careers, let alone selling 20m copies of one record like DL did with this album. - Very few albums have a consecutive song run of hits like songs 2-6 on this album: Rocket, Animal, Love Bites, Pour Some Sugar on Me, and Armageddon It, all of which made the Top 20. - Rick Allen’s ability to adapt to playing drums with one arm is pretty incredible, and you would never know it on this album. Half of this record is still played on the radio (some more than others) so it wasn’t hard to burn through those and enjoy them. The non-singles I hadn’t heard before and each one of those was a bit of strange listen for me. They would all have parts that I enjoyed and started heading in directions that had a chance to be great, but they would all take turns that I didn’t really like as much, often into very generic choruses. As a result, I didn’t really find anything new that I have to come back to. Still, the sheer sophistication that DL creates at various points on this album and the hits that it generates sets Hysteria apart from most other albums of this age. And, to be honest, the hits hold up after all this time. So despite my lack of DL fandom, surprisingly, this album gets 4 stars from me.

I met Little Richard back in the mid 90s, so when Here’s Little Richard popped up as my next album, I must confess that I already was predisposed to wanting to like it. And maybe that brings some bias into my review, but I can’t adequately put into words how much I enjoyed listening to this record. Little Richard’s voice is infectious and makes this a truly fun listen. What’s amazing is how much energy he brings to these songs - for example listen to him basically run out of breath with 30 seconds left in Jenny Jenny. Beyond that, the piano work on various songs is great, especially at beginning of True Fine Mama and Slippin’ and Slidin’. Lots of great early rock songs on this album that delivers from beginning to end. It, like Little Richard himself, is a true force of nature, one that is well worth the listen.

Admittedly, I am a big fan of 90s alternative. There is a ton of great albums from this genre in the decade, from Pearl Jam’s Ten to Live’s Throwing Copper to Soundgarden’s Superunknown and Nirvana’s Nevermind. Lots of great music. That said, admittedly, I was not a fan of Alice In Chains when they first came out. It took me a while to come around on them, so I’ve never owned this album. Upon my first full listen to it, I realize I have been missing out all these years. The opener, Them Bones, really sets the tone for the rest of the album. It’s just in your face right from the jump. Lane Staley’s vocals are great throughout and the harmonies with Jerry Cantrell are excellent. Of course, the songs that everyone has heard like Down in a Hole, Rooster, and Angry Chair (saving Would for later) are highlights, but others like Rain When I Die help this record hold up from beginning to end. And as for that ending track, Would? is one of those songs that just defines this era of rock. A killer track that is one of my favorites of the decade, and a great end to what I found to be a tremendous album.

I love the 80s and I love rock music, which should have made this a perfect match for me and my tastes. Unfortunately, though it's a good record, I found this album to be a bit below my expectations. Certainly, this is ZZ Top's most commercially successful effort and one that appeals to the masses. It didn't hurt that their long beards made for a very original look that was best captured in the MTV video age. But chalking up their success with this record solely to that novelty would diminish what they had accomplished musically with this album. There are undoubtedly a series of catchy hooks on here. Gimme All Your Lovin, Legs, Sharp Dressed Man, and Got Me Under Pressure are all rightfully still played on radio today, which is a testament to their sound and songwriting. I looked up the chart success and this album only made it to #9 on the charts and yet, despite this, they sold 10m+ copies of it. That doesn't happen because of a flash in the pan, it happens because the songs have staying power. That all said, the rest of this album was pretty generic to me. There are a few other good tunes like I Got The Six and Thug (what they do with the bass early in this song is very cool), but then there were songs like TV Dinners which left me asking “what the hell?” That song shouldn't even be a B-side on any record. It was like the label said "we need X number of songs" or "we need it to be long enough" and the band said, "sure, let's throw that one on there." To be honest, I waffled between 3 and 4 starts because the highs are pretty high, but the lows are very low. I even gave this a couple of listens to see if it would impact my thinking either way. I ultimately landed where I did simply because while the hits are great, it is not a complete album for me.

There is certain metal bands that I like, but I have never really sought out Pantera. So I was coming into this album totally fresh, not really knowing any of these songs. There are some definite highlights here, but overall it was kind of a mixed bag for me. Walk is pretty cool tune. I guess it's their most played song on Spotify, so theoretically it's their most popular song. Does that equal the best? Not necessarily, but it can be indiciative, and if this is the best it gets, I quickly realized this wasn’t going to be a 5 star album. I liked Rise as well. I'm usually very amazed by how guitarists/drummers can play as fast as they do in certain metal songs. Rise is one of those tunes at different times. This song reminded me of Helmet's Unsung at points, which should be obvious to anyone who knows both (released around the same time). That's a tune I love, so I was drawn into Rise in a similar fashion. Meanwhile, Hollow was a cool closing track. It kind of blows me away that the album just goes along kicking you in the face the whole time, and then we get to Hollow, whose first half is a complete departure from everything else you just heard. It gives me a bit of a One by Metallica feel, even if it isn't nearly as long or as epic. Regardless, a great closer to this album. All the same, I see how people would predominantly only have two ratings on this - great (5) or truly horrible (1). With bands like these, there is limited middle ground, though perhaps amazingly that's where I landed. Some good songs. But remember when I said I’m typically amazed by really fast playing? That happened on the vast majority of these tunes, which led to some boredom, as most of this record ended up sounding pretty homogenous to me. I see how people could be into this, it's just not my thing other than in small doses. That said, it was worth the listen and I picked up a few new tunes for my own library, which means it wasn't time wasted.

This group wasn't that popular here in the US, other than I remember their song Missing being big in the early 90s (good tune). And after listening to this album, I kind of know why on both fronts. Let’s just say that the dance infusion into Missing is probably why it was a hit. The first thing that struck me on this album is that Tracey Thorn is an excellent singer who has a really nice tone to her voice. She reminded me a bit of Natalie Merchant, though Merchant's voice has more character to it while Thorn is a bit more breathy. Ben Watt is also a good signer, though not as good as Thorn, and his best moments on this album really come when the two of them are harmonizing together. The opener to this record (original release), Love is Here Where I Live, is a decent song. Breezy in some ways, though Thorn brings some nice emotion to it. As I listened further though, a lot of these songs just kind of floated along for me. They were easy listens, but they didn't really reach me that much. Many times, the song would just drift off at the end, causing a "really, that's it?" reaction. Frankly, as I listened to this album, I found myself longing to listen to Johnny Hates Jazz, British contemporaries of Everything But The Girl. Turns out I wasn't wrong for that, as evidently they both could be categorized as sophisti-pop, a genre I've never heard of before. Anyway, JHJ songs are just better, as they have more weight and are superior constructions. I would encourage anyone reading this to go find their Turn Back the Clock album, which blows this one away - Shattered Dreams, Heart of Gold, I Don't Want to Be a Hero, Don't Say It's Love, What Other Reason, and Turn Back the Clock are all better tracks than anything on this record. All the same, there are a few songs on here that I did like, such as Blue Moon Rose and Lonesome for a Place I Know. Also, their cover of I Don't Want to Talk About It, which was added to the re-release of this album, was decent. Some nice instrumentals in it. Maybe if this was the first song I heard from them, I might have really enjoyed it. But after listening to the rest of the album that sounded very similar, I just didn't care. A pretty weak album for me and probably not worth seeking out by most people. Off to listen to Johnny Hates Jazz . . .

My first experience with music was effectively just before the start of the MTV era, right around the turn of the 70s into the 80s, which means my earliest memories of Rod Stewart are Infactuation and Passion Rod (even Da Ya Think I'm Sexy). So what I heard on this album is a very different artist in certain ways. I had not found any of these songs before and this album had a pretty strong folk feel, not one of the flashy artist I am used to. A lot of this, frankly, reminded me of what I might hear on The Lonesome Jubilee album from John Mellencamp (who inexplicably is missing from this list), which is a great record. What stayed the same is Stewart's great, distinctive voice. The combination of his stellar vocals backed by a different approach (I recognize I'm the one who's not familiar with his older, less commerical stuff) makes for a very fun listen. It's far from a perfect album - It's All Over Now, very ironically, goes on for way too long - but there's a lot of great stuff on here and it's diverse enough to keep me listening. The title track and opener is a cool tune. The way his voice and the guitar compliment each other on this track is fantastic. Only a Hobo gave me a Gordon Lightfoot type of feel. The end of My Way of Giving reminded me of the beginning of Whiter Shade of Pale. Cut Across Shorty drives so well throughout that you don't realize it is 6+ minutes (unlike the afore mentioned It's All Over Now). Finally, the closer You're My Girl was a song I really enjoyed because of its great groove. What's astonishing about this album more than anything is that it didn't find a broad audience. His voice is so cool and considering that he found a lot of success just a year or two later (both solo and with Faces), it’s a bit surprising that this didn't translate commercially. As for me, I am happy to have found it this late in the game.

I've never listened to much of Earth Wind and Fire. I know the hits like September and Let's Groove, and they are good songs, I just never really dug into their catalog. Super glad this popped up as my next choice, though. This record was a very fun listen. Maurice White and Philip Bailey both have excellent voices and that alone would have made this really enjoyable, but the musicality of the group makes this great. I enjoyed different songs for different reasons on this record. Shining Star is a really catchy song with tight, good harmonies. That's the Way of the World has a nice groove to it. All About Love is a well constructed ballad. Reasons has some great vocals. Africano felt like an exercise in "how fast can we play and still sound musical" - like listening to great jazz musicians, just pure talent. Two things keep me from rating this a 5: Yearin' Learnin' I didn't really care for and I didn't think See the Light was that great a song as a closer. 6+ minutes and it felt longer. That said, the rest of this album was great for me and a fun find.

Going through these albums always makes for an exciting time. Sometimes it's an album that you have and can't wait to hear it entirely again. Sometimes it's an release with a few songs that are on the radio and you are curious about the rest of the record. And sometimes it's a record and a band that you have never heard of before, which allows you to explore something completely new. This one fell in the last camp for me. The best way I can describe this album is diverse. From it's songs to the theming to the way I felt about it. It was all over the place. A microcosm of this experience for me was Filthy/Georgeous, which is rather aptly name considering my take on this album. This is straight out of the 70s and the lead singer's voice could have fit very nicely on any of those disco records of the time. This song is totally different than anything else on the album. Fun and cool at times, and yet totally derivative and plain at others. Simultaneously georgeous and filthy, much like different parts of this record. Some of the highlights for me were songs like Mary, a song that felt a bit to me like Robbie Williams was leading it, which is a testament to the lead singer's voice. He demonstrates a lot range on this and hits all the right notes. An excellent tune. Take Your Mama is a bit of mix of Better Than Ezra and Neon Trees (Laura gave me some NT feel too). It's a well constructed song, and demonstrates that they actually have a good amount of talent. On the other end, the inclusion of Comfortably Numb on this is a really strange choice. It's not that their take on this is awful, per se, it has some interesting elements. I guess it was a big dance hit in the UK (equally as strange). However, given how epic a song Pink Floyd's original is, their version massively pales in comparison, effectively making it nothing more than filler and it an instant skip on this record for me. Meanwhile, Tits On The Radio is just a bad song, with lyrics that are pretty dumb. My daughter and I got a good laugh out of it though. Music Is The Victim is a better song, but again their lyrics are just very inferior and relatively meaningless. You can see how they think they are being cheeky with this, but it comes off as very poorly thought out. I imagine them in a room thinking "what rhymes with shotgun" and then celebrating when they finally come up with . . . "dog run"! Yes, spectacular. In addition, bringing in various cities comes across as pretty trite. To be honest, I was thinking of making this album a 2, but the record is diverse, their talent is decent, and the lead singer’s voice is interesting. Also, the fact that I grabbed a few songs for my own personal library pushes it up for me. Can't put it higher than 3 though, as this compilation is a roller coaster, with some pretty high highs and very low lows.

Second album in a row from a band I have never heard of. I guess this band is more of a folk band but had moved closer to psychedelic rock for this album. For my money, they pretty much failed. Only 29 minutes long, this is an album did not translate commercially nor does it appear to have influenced anyone. All on top of it being from a band barely anyone has heard of. I am really struggling to understand how this was included in a list of albums I must hear. Not that it’s terrible, it’s just sort of there, serving no obvious purpose. Only Dreaming Now is the highlight of the album for me. It at least heads in the direction of the intended genre. But that’s about it. A very substandard inclusion, a true head scratcher.

This is my second consecutive album which has been basically been at 30 minutes long. While the last one was from someone I had never heard of and really not good, that certainly wasn't true for this one. Tom Petty is one of the great rockers of all time. Saw him back in the mid 90s and it was a great show. That said, I don’t own much of his catalog, and I have never listened to this album at all. While I am very familiar with the couple of hits on this record, the rest of this was uncharted territory. The opener, Rockin’ Around (With You) is a great way to kick off the record. Breakdown follows and is a great tune, best one on the record for me. I wasn’t a fan of Hometown Blues, but the album picked back up with The Wild One, Forever. I quite like Petty’s voice, even if it isn’t the most technically amazing one in the business. And he’s great on this song, including in the harmonies. The yo yo continued for me as Anything That’s Rock ‘N’ Roll and Strangered In The Night were just average for me, though I liked the flipping of the guitar between speakers on the former. Fooled Again (I Don’t Like It) was a step back in the right direction, a definite highlight for me. I started listening to Mystery Man, and almost instantly it gave me an Into The Mystic feel. Since the theme is somewhat the same, and the titles aren’t that far apart, I wonder if Van Morrison’s tune inspired this one. Regardless, I really liked this song. Luna has some aspects that I liked, especially the flowing portions of this song, but the repetitive keyboard sections brought this down for me. Finally, American Girl is one of those classic 70s rock anthems and a truly great way to close the album. In summary, lots to like in this tight 30 minute set, but it’s not an album that is great from front to back. Frankly, I am surprised that this is Petty's only album on the list, either with or without The Heartbreakers. At least one of Full Moon Fever, Wildflowers, or Damn the Torpedoes warrant inclusion, if not all of them. Still, happy to have visited this album for the first time.

I've heard of the Flaming Lips but never really knew anything by them, so I was interested to see what this was like. The best way to describe this is one of two ways: 1. A crappy carnival with a few good rides, but it all started to melt. 2. A jack-in-the-box which was low on batteries. Anyway, a couple of things stood out: - They have a very interesting style, one that takes a lot of risks, which is very cool. Occassionally this is to their determent, though I generally liked this, except . . . - The singer is terrible. I'm betting he is revered by a few for some strange reason, but his voice is very inadequate. Strained but in a bad way, with limited vocal range that stays in a very annoying spot. - The lyrics might be worse. Singing fly in the air, comb your hair over and over again? Completely uninspired. I take that back, the vocals are worse. Definitely. If you want to get the gist, listen to The Spark That Bled. Some weird chords at the beginning, terrible singing, then some cool instrumentals in between more terrible singing. Unfortunately, the redeemable qualities are well outweighed by the lack of good vocals or excellent song construction. Very confident that some people love these guys, mainly because they are looking for something different. Sadly, in this case, different = very bad. Still, giving them a 2 because of the risks they take (respect). Edit: Essentially all of the 5 star reviews I have seen are from people who already love the band and/or have seen them a series of times. None from someone discovering them for the first time, which I find very interesting. This is definitely a band that you either love or hate, there really is no in between. For me, I can't get past how bad the singer and lyrics are. This album would have been much better for me as an instrumental.

I've heard of the Pixies, but I don't know a giant amount of their music and I wouldn't have been able to tell you that Frank Black is/was their front man. As a result, this ends up being another totally new album and artist for me, though this comes from an era of alternative rock that I love. First thing that struck me is that he is a pretty adept vocalist. It seems like he has toned down his voice a bit vs. what I think I remember of the Pixies, so kudos to him. There’s lots he can do with his voice, and he does a cool job of adjusting to the tone of the song. Interestingly, at certain points (e.g. I Could Stay Here Forever) he sounded like Julian Lennon to me. At others, he has a refined Bob Dylan feel (The Hostest with the Mostest). And then in other songs, he felt a like Mark Knopfler type of signer (e.g. Calistan). Bottom line is that I liked how he moved around his style. Beyond this, has a penchant for rhyming strange words with each other. I could see how people might find annoying, but I thought it really worked for this album. The album is only just over an hour, but with 22 songs, there’s a lot of variety on it. Some highlights for me were White Noise Maker, Pure Denizen of the Citizens Band, Headache and Calistan. A really solid album which I unexpectedly liked a lot.

Getting this album as my selection the day that Brian Wilson died is likely to make my review a bit more friendly. That said, objectively, this is an excellent album and I loved listening to this today. There’s a lot more depth to these songs than I would have expected. I’m so used to hearing their huge hits on the radio and they are good songs, but they all have a consistent high energy, positive vibe to them. This album shows how much more versatile as a band they were vs. what I had thought. Sure, there are the hits like Sloop John B, God Only Knows, and Wouldn't It Be Nice (all good songs), but this album hits higher notes for me on these lesser known songs, predominantly because of their depth. Songs like I Just Wasn't Made for These Times and That's Not Me are thematically and tonally a departure from the Beach Boys I am used to, which is a lot of fun to discover. The title track is like something an orchestra would conduct for a movie, which makes it a strange but pretty cool part of this album. The vocals on You Still Believe In Me are excellent, especially the way they layer at the end. All in all, an excellent record, way better than I would have anticipated.

Neil Young is an acquired taste. At least that's the true for me. Sure he had some songs that instantly struck me, like Rockin in the Free World. But his voice, however distinctive, wasn't really something I sought out. I've never listened to a single one of his albums straight through, so I wasn’t sure how I’d view this. It helped that this album started with My My, Hey Hey (Out of the Blue), an instantly recongnizable song and a classic. Thrasher is an interesting song, love the theme of it, but it just kind of sits there and then fades out. Other than the lyrics, it didn't really move me. Similar reaction to Ride My Llama, though I liked the music more and the lyrics less. Pocohontas is just a weird song - singing about the plight of the indians and then end up singing about the Astrodome and Marlon Brando? Just really strange lyrics. Sail Away I liked a lot better. I could see some people not liking this, but I thought it was just a more well constructed song than the previous few. All in all, though, an uneven first half. It's interesting how this album shifts from solo acoustic to electric with Crazy Horse for the second half. Unique and I liked the construct. Powderfinger is a cool tune, loved the lead guitar work on this. I was less a fan of Welfare Mothers, it's fine but it felt pretty basic to me. Sedan Delivery picks back up, a straight rocker with an interesting viewpoint. The highlight of this album is the dichotomy in styles from the first half to the second, underscored by the different versions of My My, Hey Hey. It's hard to say whether the Blue or Black version is really better (the distortion in the guitars at the beginning of the electric version is very cool), both are great, despite the repetition. To be honest, just focusing on the songs, I'd probably be at a 3 for this. However, given how this album has two distinct halves and the fact that he could take the same song in My My, Hey Hey and make it sound considerably different depending upon whether he goes acoustic or electric? This combines to elevate it for me, making it deserving of a 4. It's far from a perfect album though.

I have to admit that I started listening to this while mowing the lawn, which was a mistake. I couldn’t really get a good feel of it, I just knew it was different. Upon a re-listen, I will also admit that I had low expectations. What got me early on was not the creativity of what they brought into the recordings. Frankly, we can call that ingenious or innovative, but if it really only influenced future electronic music and nothing in the pop or rock realm, does it really matter? What I did like and ultimately drew me in to give this a fair shot was the rhythm of some of these songs. Sure there were some early misses like Help Me Somebody. Ok, a lot of early misses, with random screaming / narrative that might have had a place for others, but was totally lost on me. That said, songs like Regiment and Mea Culpa had something about them that I enjoyed. Unfortunately, as the album progressed, those pounding rhythms fell by the wayside, in favor of more and more randomness, which made this an opportunity wasted in my opinion. For those who might rate this a 5, I’d ask two questions: is this something you come back to repeatedly and is it close to a no skip record? I highly doubt you would find anyone to say yes to both. Anyway it’s very, very different and while different can be good, in this case it’s not. Interesting for sure, but I’m confused by why I had to hear it. Again, if it led to something that was huge, or if it was really influential on the direction of music, I could accept its place. But since it appears to have done neither, it’s just a departure that adds up to little more than noise save for a couple of highlights. Worse yet, its inclusion in a list of albums I had to hear at the expense of some tremendous records is really baffling. If you want instrumentals, do yourself a favor and go listen to something more influential and innovative that’s actually musical (and incredibly high level), like Joe Satriani.

Rap isn’t something I listen to an overwhelming amount anymore. High school and college is when I listened to it the most, mainly guys you would hear on the radio - LL Cool J, Dre and Snoop, Young MC, and later on Eminem. Never listened to Raekwon and though I’ve obviously heard of Wu Tang Clan, I’ve never listened to them much either. So I didn’t know what to expect from this, though the rampant explicit ratings certainly gave it away. To my surprise, I kinda dug this, even if I am probably a bit removed from the target audience. There were a good amount of songs I liked. Criminology felt like something off of a Public Enemy album (who I really like). Incarcerated Scarfaces had a LL Cool J type of beat to it. Guillotine was excellent. Beyond this, it has a bit of a movie type of feel to me, which tied it all together. Enjoyed this more than I thought I would.

Hilariously, my first experience with George Clinton and Funkadelic was when they, as Parliament Funkadelic at the time, popped up in PCU (a great underrated movie). Never heard anything from them before that, nor have I listened to them since. This album was totally new to me and while I’m not surprised that I liked it, I’m surprised by how much I enjoyed it. The solo that is the title track is a wild way to start an album - the way it bounces back and forth is killer. I guess this album is known for this solo, though the fact that it goes on for 10 minutes is a bit of overkill. All the same, a cool way to start off the record. The next three songs are, for me, the real high point of this album. Can You Get To That has some awesome vocals, especially the way the harmony works with the low and high voices that come in at different points. I loved Hit It and Quit It. This song just drives all the way through. Awesome. You and Your Folks, Me and My Folks sits in a great groove. Though it felt like a large departure from the prior song, I thought the contrast totally worked. At this point, I was totally sold on this album. Unfortunately, things waned a bit from there for me. Super Stupid is better than the title, but I didn’t connect with this as much as the last 3, even if the guitar work in this was great again. Back In Our Minds is best described as a very bent song. It’s psychedelic in nature and while it wasn’t my favorite, I could appreciate the musicality of it. Meanwhile, Wars of Armageddon bookends this album with another roughly 10 minute track and though I liked it more than the opener, it goes on a bit too long too. Still, a good jam. All tolled, this wasn’t something I would listen to over and over again front to back, but it was still a great listen with a series of songs I really liked. Fact is, I have been missing out all this time.

I know that U2 is beloved, but I have never been a huge fan of them, at least not nearly to the level of a lot of my friends were. I liked a decent amount of their songs (New Years Day, Angel of Harlem, etc.) and have seen them live (Innocence + Experience tour, great show), but I've never owned a lot of their music, nor do I ever find myself saying that I feel like listening to some U2. That said, I've listened to most of this album before. Everyone's heard One and Mysterious Ways, both of which are excellent songs. The Fly was a cool single as well. Some of the other singles - Even Better Than the Real Thing and Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses - I was less enamored with. The rating on this album from me was, as a result, always going to come down to the non-singles and how they hold up. Zoo Station is kind of a sleepy opener in my opinion. It just kind of sits there and never really diverges too much from the same centrally located notes. I did listen to it a few times and it did get better with different listens, but it's yet to register with me as a great song. Until the End of the World is a lot better. Lots more range, lots more heft to this tune. Really good. So Cruel and Tryin' to Throw Your Arms Around the World I liked as well. Neither is truly amazing, but both change things up enough to be interesting. Ultra Violet (Light My Way) had some cool lyrics and I loved the guitar sound in this one. I liked Acrobat for similar reasons. Finally, though this album's closer, Love Is Blindness, starts out pretty slow, the guitar work on this really carries this home. This song is almost haunting in some ways and it builds well. It doesn't quite pay off in the way that I would hope, but it's still an excellent tune. All in all, this is a really, really good album that has a lot of interesting aspects to it. Probably better than The Joshua Tree in total, but it's been many years since I listened to that album. Regardless, this is a worthy listen for anyone.

I have a much more recent Traffic album, but nothing from their earlier catalog, so I was interested to explore this record. The main thing that stood out to me was Steve Winwood's amazing voice. Dave Mason is a decent singer too, and a pretty good writer, but his voice pales in comparison to Winwood's, though most do if we are being honest. Still, having both of them on this album makes for an interesting contrast. Beyond this, throughout this album, I enjoyed the lead guitar work and the keyboards. And then there's that flute! Ok, seriously, you don’t often hear flute on a lot of songs (unless you are a Jethro Tull fan), so that was unique. A few songs which were highlights: I loved the way guitar bounced back and forth in Pearly Queen, great listen with headphones on. Who Knows What Tomorrow May Bring almost had a bit of a Motown feel to it, though this really soars because of Winwood's distinctive voice. Feelin' Alright? is a great song. No surprise it is one of their most recongizable, even if it was really made popular via the objectively better Joe Cocker version (speaking of distinctive voices). I thought 40.000 Headman was a great, great song, again carried by Winwood. Medicated Goo gives me an Almann Brothers kind of vibe. Very cool tune. Not everything on this album is great - You Can All Join In is a strange opener - but there's a lot to like. This is an excellent album.

Nu metal is division of rock that I like to a point. I was more interested in the bands which nu metal spawned from - I.e. Faith No More - vs the bands that are really in the genre at its height in the late 90s / early 2000s. Sure, bands like Linkin Park, Deftones, and Evanescence are excellent, very talented artists with really interesting mixes. Staind has some cool music and even Korn was a decent band for me in pockets, I just never listened to any of them on repeat back in the day. And on the less talented, less listened to side comes Limp Bizkit. Where to start? Maybe here: I’m still scratching my head about how Hot Dog ended up with an explicit rating. Were there any bad words in it? There were some ok songs - My Way is well constructed even if it is somewhat basic in the lyrics. But more often than not, they steal from better bands. Beyond this, when you are limited in the musicality, you really need something important to say or sing about, and LB fails massively on this front. In listening to this, three words come to mind: derivative, unoriginal, and uncool. Swearing has never bothered me in songs, I listened to plenty of metal, hard rock, and rap back in the day. But I much prefer when it is used limitedly and, more importantly, for a purpose. These guys just throw it around aimlessly and because they think it makes them seem hard. Instead, it just makes them hard to listen to.

Evidently, Nick Drake is influential to a variety of singer songwriters in the 80s. I suppose if I listen to this through that prism, I can kind of see why this album was included. In absensce of that, someone who has sold a few hundred thousand albums in the UK and was never popular in the US, simply singing and playing guitar, is pretty unremarkable. There's nothing inherently wrong with this album, it's just kind of there. Decent voice, good guitar, but just that. In listening to Nick, I found myself thinking about Jack Johnson, who has somewhat of a similar sound, though I would much prefer to listen to a JJ record. That's not to say there weren't any good songs on this. Things Behind The Sun was an excellent listen. Some of the cadence of the singing in this reminded me a lot of a song I love by Jars of Clay called Truce, so this one I really enjoyed. Others were fine, but not much more. Amazingly, though only 28 minutes long, this sounded very monotonous to me. An average album from an unremarkable artist.

I might not have appreciated this as much a few years ago, but since my son has taken up jazz band, I enjoyed this a lot more than expected. The playing on here is impeccable and in true jazz form, everyone gets to have their time in the sun. This was a great album to listen to with headphones, where you could better hear the nuances of some of the playing. It’s not just about the notes played, it’s the mood that is set, and the way they can go solo or blend together. It all sounds perfect. Love me some stand up bass. The saxes were amazing on this. The underlying drums and the off beat stuff was very interesting. And Miles Davis is a truly great player. So What was my favorite of this excellent album.

Another English artist I had never heard of. It’s interesting to me that Tricky is a rapper, but he paired up with a female singer, Martina Topley-Bird, to release his debut record (and a couple of others). This proved to be a very wise choice, as what resulted was a super intriguing album with a variety of different layers to it. I loved many of these tracks, including the instrumentals and Topley-Bird’s voice over the top on numerous songs. Right from the jump, Overcome is a great starter. It has a seductive, almost sneaky feel and it was an instant add to my library (joining Live and Better Than Ezra as the third “Overcome” in my playlist). The next two were totally different from Overcome and each other. Ponderosa has a basic but pounding rhythmic feel. Black Steel is driving rock based. Both were excellent in their own right. Hell is Round the Corner steals from Glory Box by Portishead (took my daughter to help me place it) and has a great groove to it as a result. Pumpkin felt like something off of a moody 90s alternative record. 5 songs in, all totally different styles, but all really cool songs. Amazing start. After this, the album wanes a touch for me. Aftermath is a bit of a sleepy track and is 3 minutes too long, but it’s the front part of the track that should be cut, as the random distorted guitar and flute (?) was cool. Having the two leads layered on top of each other in Abbaon Fat Tracks was great and it had an excellent groove, I just didn’t like some of the lyrics. Brand New Your Retro was similar for me in that I thought the song was interesting except for some of the lyrics. Suffocated Love was cool, gave me a bit of a PM Dawn type of feel for some reason. You Don’t had a reggae base, yet another style on this album. Good tune as well. The last three, You Don’t, Strugglin’, and Feed Me were all decent but somewhat unremarkable. What makes this record such a fascinating listen is the variety of styles. At times rap, at times sultry R&B (a la Silk), and on occasion one on top of the other. Other times it has electronic and harder rock alternative elements which borders on a Nine Inch Nails type of feel. Still others it is experimental in its sound and construction. On this effort to get through all 1,001 albums, there have been times when I was excited to dive into an artist or album I was familiar with but I hadn’t yet fully explored. In other cases, there were brand new artists which I’d never heard of, but they mostly have been underwhelming. This is the first time that an unfamiliar artist got me excited while I went through the record. It was a very cool experience. Still, some of the songs on here aren’t great, keeping me from making it a 5.

When I thought about what might make this project exciting, it wasn’t about trying to make it through 1,001 albums. It was about hearing music like this that I never would have found on my own. This is an astonishing recording. In fairness, I am a big fan of artists who are piano players. While everyone always thinks of Billy Joel and Elton John, there are plenty of others who are every bit as talented as them, such as Bruce Hornsby or Sara Bareilles (who has undoubtedly the best voice of the group too). But almost regardless of who it is, some of my favorite music comes from acts featuring lots of piano. The point is that I'm predisposed to any great piano playing and I'm bound to favor it more than others. That said, what makes this truly unique from anything I have heard before is not just that it is solely piano playing (no singing, no band), it's that it is nothing but improvisations for over an hour. With that as a backdrop, what results from this is truly jaw dropping. To know that he had something else planned, but completely shifted when the piano he requested did not show up, and then had the confidence to just play whatever came to him in that moment? And to have it come out as incredible and melodic as this does? It really speaks to Jarrett's masterful ability and ear for music. While there were a lot of highlights in this, my favorite part was from about 7:20 to just past 12:00 into the first song. I have to have listened to this part at least 10 times by now. It’s incredible to hear what he effectively created on the spot, just by focusing on the middle of the piano. Really an amazing album.

I find it interesting that I am about 30 albums into this project and this is the second UK rap / R&B / hip hop artist that I’ve received to listen to. That’s more than what I’ve received for similar US artists! That’s not inherently a bad thing, it’s just that when you consider what the US has to offer from Sugarhill Gang to Public Enemy to Eminem, East Coast to West Coast rappers, Motown to New Jack Swing R&B singers/bands, etc. there so many more influential US artists I would have been expecting to hear more of. The UK just doesn’t have much to offer from that scene to warrant a ton of inclusion in a list of albums anyone has to hear. That said, MIA’s admittance in this list is fair. Her infusion of rap, hip hop, Asian and African influences, and electronic music is interesting . . . to a point. Unfortunately, this album has a too many songs like The Turn and World Town which drag on aimlessly. Xr2’s name dropping was nostaligic but equally somewhat pointless. What’s interesting is that if you really think about her biggest hit on this record, Paper Planes, it’s reasonably different than what is on much of the rest of this album. She’s better when there’s more singing and melodic elements. Jimmy is somewhat in that vain as well, and it was one of the other songs I liked on this. Unfortunately, these were few and far between. Not that there weren’t other interesting elements at different points on this (eg Bamboo Banga), it just wasn’t strong enough throughout for my liking. All the same, credit given for all the different layers and elements she brings into this album. It’s not bad, it’s just not consistently great.

This was just an average album for me. I enjoy older rock, but there was too little here that I really loved. White Light / White Heat was a decent starter. Cool little jam song. The Gift being spoken the entire time proved to be a waste of almost 10 minutes. Lady Godiva’s Operation was one of the highlights for me and was well worth the listen. Here She Comes Now had a chance to be good, but managed to be pretty repetitive despite being only 2 minutes long. I Heard Her Call My Name reminded me of a Beatles song. Good tune. Sister Ray started off strong but just went on for way too long. So for every hit, there was a miss. I did like that this had a punk feel to it though. That’s enough to make this a 3.

This album did not get off to a good start. Admittedly, I’m not a country fan, but it wasn’t that. It’s that the opening 3 songs were all pretty sleepy and a bit slow for my taste. Low Down Freedom is when this album picked up from my perspective. The phrasing and cadence gave me a Gordon Lightfoot type of feel, even if it was a true country song. Omaha followed with some good harmonies in another well constructed song. Then came You Ask Me To, which might have been when this album peaked. Builds really well with tons of interesting guitar work. And Jennings voice really stands out on this one. An excellent song. The rest of this album is uneven. Ride Me Down Easy wore me down quickly. A boring song that’s just sort of there. Ain’t No God In Mexico picked back up and had a lot more energy to it. Same went for Back Rose, which had some cool guitar and harmonica work. The closer, We Had It All was better than some of the other slow songs on here, but still just wasn’t that great for me. Solid album, just nothing that exciting.

Fleetwood Mac is one of those bands where I haven’t owned much of their music, but when they are on the radio, I generally don’t turn away. So when this album popped up, I was genuinely excited, as I’d only heard a couple of these tracks before. This proved to be an excellent album with tons to like. I already knew Sara was an excellent song, but for the first time I really paid attention to the drums, and I just loved what Mick Fleetwood did throughout this track. Their voices blend amazingly well on many of these songs, but the harmonies on Beautiful Child and Think About Me really stood out. Other songs like the title track or What Makes You Think You’re the One were straight angry, making them interesting to hear for other reasons. Sisters of the Moon was one of the highlight for me in the tracks I hadn’t heard before. For some reason, this reminded me of Isn’t It Midnight, which might be my favorite Fleetwood song, but that could just be because it’s not one of those songs you hear on the radio from them. Even a tune like Storms, which I didn’t love, is inherently interesting because of the dichotomy between what Stevie Nicks is singing about and how amazing her voice sounds while singing it. The point is not everything on this is perfect by any means, but even when it isn’t, it’s always an interesting listen and well worth your time. A great selection.

Queen has always been an acquired taste for me. They undoubtedly have a lot of great music and are an incredibly talented/gifted band, but they’ve never been one of my favorites. What’s super interesting Queen II is that it is very much a metamorphosis album. You can hear all of these pieces which are representative of what the band will become, but they are not fully there yet, leading to a fascinating mix of straightforward rock and theatrics. For me, it’s the former that actually is a lot more appealing. All of this album was new to me, and I have to admit that it was a very good listen. Their songs are really intricate which I do appreciate. And some of the things which happen on this recording (shifting where the sound is coming from, changing of keys or even styles) are really cool. A microcosm for this album is definitely March of the Black Queen. It has all of these amazing parts, but it also has some bombast too it, much like the rest of the record. Other songs on this record were better than some of the more standard Queen fare. For example, White Queen was interesting because, frankly, parts of it didn’t sound like Queen at all. It was very much a song that fits in the middle of prog rock, which I generally love, and it was nice to hear them not be so bombastic. Some Day One Day, Funny How Love Is, and The Loser In the End were similarly non-traditional Queen - I.e. more straight forward rock songs. It was great to hear the band in this fashion, as it was much more about the musicianship as opposed to the show. Seven Seas of Rhye was a fun listen: at times Billy Joel-esque, at times straight guitar rock, still other times vocal mastery. I enjoyed this one a lot and a definite highlight. A quick additional note, it was amazing to hear how quickly the songs changed, both within songs and when moving to the next one. You almost never knew when you were on the next track, unless you heard the theme of the song change or actually looked at what was playing. In total, I enjoyed this way more than anticipated because while this was distinctly Queen at points, at others you wouldn’t know it was them at all. Meanwhile, the fact that you can start to hear what the band is going to become … it’s like listening to the teenage years of Queen as they move from boy to man. And to be honest, when it’s just about the songs and not about being over the top, as incredible as those theatrics can be, I personally like them much better. That all said, there’s no doubting the true talent and musicianship of this band, which is displayed throughout this album. For that, they earn a 4.

I know who Issac Hayes is, but I really haven’t listened to him that much. And he’s not really on the stations I listen to other than very sporadically. Well, at least the radio stations. I did know that he has a very cool voice though (trying not to state the obvious). This album was excellent. I loved Walk On By, just such a great groove, which is a consistent theme throughout this record. His baritone voice (perfect for voice acting, but we’re not talking about that) really soars on One Woman, which is another great tune. Loved the balance between his voice and the backup singers. Hyper… was another cool song, for totally different reasons. This is just down in it. Everything fits together so well (like a perfect recipe… no, don’t go there). The remake of By The Time I Get To Phoenix was my least favorite on this record. I don’t mind narration in songs, but this just went on too long and there wasn’t nearly enough to get me interested. In total, an excellent album that just didn’t finish off great. But, he gets a bonus half star because he’s Chef!!!! Damnit! I tried. The fingers were willing, but the mind was weak.

The Band. You could read that one of two ways. It could mean “that’s THE band”, as in a group who is truly great. Or it could be more like “who’s playing? I don’t know, the band”, as in “I have no clue who that is.” While I know who The Band is, this album is decisively in the latter camp for me. There is nothing that is interesting about this album. Even the hit, Up on Cripple Creek probably should have an “a” where the “i” is, because it’s an average song at best. There’s just so little here to really be that excited about. I guess at points like on The Unfaithful Servant, I could hear something that pre-dated early Counting Crows, but even that had me thinking, I could go for listening to August and Everything After right now rather than this. Evidently this is a concept album, though I would much rather listen to Pink Floyd’s The Wall or Queensryche’s Operation Mindcrime album. Just a below average album from a below average band that is unremarkable on both fronts.

Steely Dan is just an offbeat band. Their songs are generally pretty strange when compared to contemporaries. Sure there are songs that I love like Do It Again or Reeling In The Years, but a lot of their stuff is simultaneously interesting yet different enough to keep me intrigued, but not a big fan. This album proved to be no different. Really gifted musicians producing music that seems like it is slightly bent. There were some high points, no doubt. The Boston Rag had some very cool elements, including the way the guitar and piano worked together, the fact that this borderline turned into a march, etc. The closer, King of the World, also has some great guitar work, though the keyboard in the middle is aimless and sounds like something you would hear at Tomorrowland in Disney World. Surprisingly elementary given the what Steely Dan is known for. I really dug My Old School, especially the horn section. Surprised that this song was released as a single and barely charted. This is an excellent tune and happy to have found this one. Yet, the problem with this album is that this song is followed with a song like Pearl of the Quarter (both on the album and as the B side on the single release) which was just a sleepy tune and has little to offer. The guitar work was ok, but this was an instantly forgettable song, much like too many of the others on this record. And that inherently the problem with this collection. It might be technically sound, but few of the songs really grab your attention. I think this is part of the problem with this band and how they are viewed in many circles. They have a clear sound that is often an audiophile’s dream (e.g. the A’ja album), but what gets lost is that the songs aren’t inherently great on a consistent enough of a basis for them to be viewed as highly as they are. In short, they are inflated by people who want to believe they are cool, when all they are is just eccentric. This album is another example of that: an ok album with too many misses to be rated as highly as it is.

This is a direct quote from Apple Music: Though it was a bigger hit in the U.K. than the United States, 1995’s Scream, Dracula, Scream! remains a pivotal work of '90s rock 'n' roll. With the exception of Nirvana’s In Utero, no other album succeeded more in translating the sounds of late-'80s American indie rock to a modern radio rock setting in the '90s. In “Born in ’69,” “Young Livers,” and “Burnt Alive,” RFTC kept the spirit of Squirrel Bait and Dag Nasty for a generation that missed those bands. And despite John Reis’ cheekiness, “Used” and “Come See, Come Saw” are as rousing and inclusive as any songs by Springsteen. Let me translate: this album which didn’t chart at all in the US is evidently as important as an album from perhaps the most important artist of the 90s, brought to you by a band that neither you or me have ever heard of, keeping alive the tradition of another couple of bands that neither of us have ever heard of, fronted by a guy creating songs that are supposedly as great as those created by arguably the most important US rock singer of the last 40 years. Got it. With that as backdrop, I think I can sum this up more quickly. It was neither great, nor influential. In fact, it was repetitive and not good. And I, or really anyone, didn’t need to hear it. What a waste of a slot on a greatest of list. There is nothing about this album which provides any inkling of a reason as to why we had to hear it.

At first, it thought this album was ok. But the more I listened to it, the more it was the same thing over and over again. Worse yet, the singer lacks any type of range or strength to his voice. His falsetto is inferior. And their choruses are totally repetitive and uninspired (eg American Guitars and Starstruck). I’ll say it again, like I did on my last review for Rocket From The Crypt, there is no discernible reason why this album is on here. This band never did anything in the US, never had a top 20 UK album, top 40 single anywhere, nor did they influence anyone or anything. I don’t understand why this is included, and while it might be good enough to give a 2 (it’s better than RFTC), it gets a 1 because it does not belong anywhere near a list of top albums you need to hear. Go find the early albums from Live, Tonic, Toad The Wet Sprocket, or Vertical Horizon instead.

I could see some people not liking this, but I thought this was a fun selection. Curtis Mayfield has a cool voice and this album is best when the funk is present. Billy Jack was a great opener, loved the groove throughout this track. I was less of a fan of When Seasons Change, just a sleepy song that didn’t do much for me. You could make the same argument about So In Love - that it was a bit sleepy - but I liked this one so much better. It was just a much fuller song, sung with more emotion. An excellent track. Next up was Jesus, decent song with interesting lyrics, but again there wasn’t much to this song. So I liked others better. Blue Monday People was another ok track, but not great. Hard Times was much better, again because of the funk within. Love To The People was a good closer, elevated by the guitar and horn work in the song. Definitely not a complete album, but it had a series of highlights and was a good listen.

An old time Western on a record! I had limited time to listen to this but it was worth a spin. Big Iron, El Paso, and Cool Water were my favorites. A tip of the hat to Marty for being a surprisingly good singer too.

Another album which isn’t inherently bad, but shouldn’t be anywhere near this list because it is neither great nor influential, but is included solely because they are from the UK. If you listen to this album, it sounds like something straight from the late 60s with some later punk elements. Unfortunately, it’s the late 70s by the time they released it. Yes, an album that came a decade too late and the results, or lack thereof, shows. Sure, there are some highlights, such as the guitar work in the middle of Another Girl Another Planet, the construction of City of Fun (very interesting throughout). Sadly, the singer’s voice is very below average, like one of those 80s new wave bands, but without the interesting moments. And the lyrics are substandard too, eg the beginning of The Beast, which ruins what could have been an excellent song. It just isn’t, because everything about the signing is bad. When this happens, I openly wonder if this band knew that they were being held back by their front man? Then it occurs to me obviously not, as otherwise some of us might have heard of these guys before.

I had an old basketball coach who said he was front row at a Sly and the Family Stone concert and he had a terrible time because he had to hold the stage up so it wouldn’t collapse the entire time. That has nothing to do with this review and that’s 15 seconds you are never getting back. Though I will say, as I listen to this record, I would imagine S&TFS put on a great show, presuming you weren’t stuck holding up a stage the whole time. As for this album, I liked it. Stand is a high energy opener, good tune. The second song? Uhhh yeah, not touching that with a 39.5 foot pole. As this album progressed, I really liked a lot of the sonic elements, with different instruments or singers in different spots, and the overall sound of certain songs bouncing around from ear to ear. Everyday People is a genuinely great song. Short but powerful. Of course, that’s followed by the longest song on the album, Sex Machine, which was an ok jam but it just goes on too long. This is one of the lowlights, though those were few on the record. All in all, a good record and worth the time.

Another English band that I’ve never heard of. Awesome! Too many of these on this list, so maybe I went into this with some inherent bias based on the last 5+ I’ve listened to that weren’t that good. Let’s start at the beginning. Calling your band The Zutons, naming your album Who Killed The Zutons?, and then starting that record with a song called Zuton Fever? Trying to be cheeky? Making a statement? Whatever the intent, it failed. Bad song, and it barely got marginally better from there. At least I can say this, unlike the last few of these bands I listened to, the lead singer has an interesting/good voice. The band is pretty good too. Unfortunately, the song construction is terrible. Too many songs about nothing, that are aimless, with bad choruses, or all three. Havana Gang Brawl is a perfect example. When this started, I thought “finally something I can get into” only for the chorus to come up and deliver…nothing but repetition. So, Who Killed The Zutons? Sadly, no one fast enough. Anyone with a (much) quicker trigger would have sufficed. Instead, no one did the job and we ended up being stuck listening to this album. I will give a second star to this though, solely because they managed to hurdle the very low bar that is the other no-name English bands I’ve already listened to, and lumping them in with those others seems wrong.

This hasn't been a great recent run of albums for me. In the last week: The Zutons The Only Ones The Auteurs Rocket From The Crypt Add in Curtis Mayfield, Sly & The Family Stone, and Marty Robbins, that's 7 straight days of albums where I have heard a grand total of 1 of these songs before. That can be a good thing, as I like discovering new music, but for those four bands above it really hasn't been good. When this popped up, all I could think is "here we go again". But much to my surprise, I kind of liked this record. Not that it was amazing, and I expect that a lot of people will not like this (my hunch is the average rating is less than 3) since it is a bit of a bizarre listen, but at least it was different. Frankly, it's like listening to a Broadway musical album. What's interesting about it to me is that some of these songs come off as light, but they actually have a good amount of depth to them. I don't think this group takes itself too seriously, but it's not a farce, nor are they just mailing it in. There's a bombast that is reasonably enjoyable to me. Through a Long & Sleepless Night was a highlight for me, lots to this song and well constructed. 3 stars for the effort, even if this isn't normally my type of thing.

The Doors are a band that I would never seek out, but I do enjoy them from time to time when I hear them on the radio. I've never listened to a full album from them, so I was interested to see whether I would like this entire record. This is an excellent album, even if it's not a cover to cover truly great record. Certainly, there are the songs that we all know: Lover Her Madly, Riders on the Storm, the title track. All classics and these alone would be enough to make this a worthy listen. But it wasn't just the hits, there were others on here that I enjoyed as well, The Changeling most notably. I liked the way this song just drove throughout. On the flip side, there were a couple of tracks on this which weren’t that good: L'America and The WASP chief among them. I can, at least, appreciate that they brought some variety to the album. That said, they do drag this record down from being truly great for me personally. All the same, a good listen. Four stars.

I was stoked when this album popped up. Never listened to it, though I had heard a few of these songs a number of times. What really stood out to me was two things: 1. The way this album never really seemed to break, at least up through Mercy, Mercy Me. Everything just flowed into each other. I thought that was very cool. It did lead to the first part of this album sounding relatively homogenous, but since that sound was great, that didn't end up being a negative. 2. That this album has a really distinct and serious viewpoint, very pointed, and yet was light in it's approach at the same time. Excellent dichotomy. Mercy, Mercy Me is a song that I absolutely love. Admittedly, I am more used to hearing the Robert Palmer version, but the original is awesome. Great tune. Of course, everyone has heard this one and the title track too, which is a great song as well. But there were a bunch of other ones in this which were excellent like Flyin High. Right On was the one track that I wasn't really enamored with. This seemed to go on too long and wandered a bit aimlessly at times. The theme is good, no doubt, but this could have been much tighter. But that's nitpicking. Inner City Blues is a great tune, excellent way to close this album. Really great album.

Dusty Springfield isn’t typically my thing, but this album was undeniably great. Her voice is so pure, and the songs are really well constructed. Love the orchestral backing on a lot of these tracks. Highlights: The Windmills of Your Mind - This sounded almost like a Bond theme to me at the beginning. Love the way her voice moves through this song, soft and subtle at the beginning and more strong at later points as the song grows. Don’t Forget About Me - This could have easily been a song that Aretha Franklin was singing. Just a very full song, with some cool guitar work in it too. Son of a Preacher Man - the biggest song off this album and for good reason. Very soulful with a great blend of different instruments hitting at just the right points opposite her voice. The closer, I Can’t Make it Alone, is another excellent tune. Dusty’s voice is pitch perfect on this one. This was a revelation. Exactly the type of thing I hoped to get out of this project. While I wouldn’t say I loved every song on this, there are no bad ones. A truly great album, which I never would have expected to say prior to listening to it.

He’s called the Outlaw for a reason. Imagine having the balls to perform and record a performance in a prison. Then go and do it again. I haven’t listened to this album previously, or its predecessor from Folsom. I did read some say that Folsom was better, and if that’s true, I definitely need to check that out because I thought this was great. Wanted Man was a smart way to kick this off. It is a straight forward song, but it instantly connects him with the prisoners. They are already way into this by the time he plays San Quentin. Twice. Amazing that he just wrote it the day before, and then he goes and includes both on the recording. Awesome, mainly because of the reactions from the inmates. And that’s really what makes this great. It’s not a massive feat in intricate songwriting. Quite the opposite, actually, but that’s not the point. The prisoners wanted someone just like them up there, someone to recognize them, and that’s exactly what they got. This is great because of the simplicity and all the interaction with the crowd. A must listen for anyone

Neil Young has always been a political activist and regardless of your position about his views, it's undeniable that this has generally resulted in a lot of great songs. Whether it is Ohio, Rockin In a Free World (my personal favorite), or Alabama, he's had a ton of impact through his music. That alone has also meant that Neil is rarely boring. Unfortunately, rarely doesn’t equal never, as is very evident on this album, as much of it played out as very dull for me. The dichotomy of his two protest anthems on this is really a microcosm for the rest of this record. Yes, Southern Man is a great song and impactful, but that's balanced out by After The Gold Rush, which is less on both fronts. Of course, the latter might be worse simply because he sings in his higher register the entire song and that's where is voice is the weakest when it's not supported by others in a harmony. Regardless, I just didn't like that song at all. There were other high points on this album. Most notably, I loved Don't Let It Bring You Down, which was backed by some great acoustic guitar and piano. A song I was instantly drawn to. But these great songs were too few and far between. I had previously listened to Rust Never Sleeps, and that's a far superior album to this one. This was average at best for my ear.

Whew, what can you say about this album? They killed it! This album slays!! Imagine the sacrifice that went into this record. Ok, I’m done. Ooh, one more. The execution on this was amazing! This was, how shall we say it, an interesting album. At first, I just didn’t think I was going to get through an album full of songs about murder. But the more I played this, the more I appreciated it for the storytelling and how the songs were built. Is this something I would pick up and listen to over and over again? No. But taking it for what it is, this is a solid effort. Not sure I need five Nick Cave albums on this list, but at least this one got me intrigued to hear the other four.

I love a lot of Lenny Kravitz’s stuff. Whether it’s huge hits like Are You Gonna Go My Way or Again, to other stuff like Low, there’s so much of his music that I like. When this popped up, I was excited to listen to it front to back. But I have to admit that I was a bit disappointed with this. Not that it’s a bad album, per se. It’s just not nearly as good as I hoped. To be sure, there are some good tunes. Let Love Rule is great and I really liked Rosemary. And the whole vibe of this record, along with Kravitz’s voice, is very cool. Too often, though, the choruses in these songs were very basic and repetitive. It’s like the ideas for the songs were there, but he didn’t know how to flush it all out. For that reason, this ended up being just an average album for me. Would love to give him more, but can’t give it more than 3 stars.

It's interesting to me that REM is categorized as Alt Rock which took off in popularity and was the music I loved in the 90s, but REM kind of predated that and really first hit it big in the late 80s. They are a talented band, they've just never been my thing. I do like tunes like Losing My Religion, Nightswimming, Driver 8, but they have just as many songs that I don't really care for like Man on the Moon, Stand, or Orange Crush. It's very hit or miss for me and I think I've only ever owned Automatic For The People. That's a roundabout way of saying I've never experienced this album. Like anyone else, I've heard It's the End of the World As We Know It a bunch (Tommy Boy!). And because our middle school cafeteria got a jukebox installed in 1987, I am super familar with The One I Love, as that song was played basically every day by classmates at lunch. That means this album was already +2 on the love REM / hate REM count, which probably helped. That said, I actually enjoyed this record more than I anticipated. The first thing that really strikes me is how great the recording is. King of Birds is a perfect example: you can really hear all of the nuances built into this, whether it's the tweaked guitar, the varying drums, the overlapping vocals, etc. Beyond this, there are some cool songs beyond It's the End of me naming this song and The One I Love. Welcome To The Occupation was had some great harmonies throughout and is the type of song I generally really like. Oddfellows Local 151 was a cool closer, and just something a bit different, even for REM. It started to border on a harder rock song with the more prominent bass, which I don't think is the isn't super typical for their songs. Not everything is amazing on this record, and the quality of the songwriting wanes for me at times, but there's more than enough on here to warrant it's inclusion on this list.

This is a great album. When it popped up, my daughter screamed “you’re gonna love it” and she was right. Her smoky and rich voice, along with some great piano playing make for a great combination. Of course, I love piano in songs, and one of my favorite modern artists is Sara Bareilles. Apple’s voice isn’t nearly as great as SB’s, but it’s perhaps cooler and certainly strong in its own right. I already knew that Criminal was an excellent tune, but there’s a lot more which is great on this record. Sleep To Dream was released as a single before Criminal, which is too bad, as that probably would have built on or at least consolidated the success of Criminal if it was released afterwards. I loved Pale September too. Her voice sounds excellent on this tune. There’s a series of other well constructed songs as well. Bottom line is that this is an excellent album, especially for a debut. There’s an amazing sophistication about this album for how young she was when she recorded it. Really a great effort.

Not sure how to feel about this album. Randy’s a superb songwriter. This has been proven over and over again. Unfortunately, his voice is just subpar and listening to a whole album of him is clearly not for me. There’s some decent songs on here: Last Night I Had a Dream for one. Political Science is very cheeky, as is You Can Leave Your Hat On. Memo To My Son was cute and well constructed. But his voice!!!! Ugh, I don’t need to listen to 40 minutes of songs that sound like the bears from Splash Mountain. Just not my thing.

Anyone who listens to classic rock hears some of these songs on the radio regularly. And some of you are undoubtedly like me: while I don’t go seeking them out, I find myself singing right along when they come on. What was interesting is listening this album front to back, as it’s actually quite good. Paradise By The Dashboard Lights is always so much fun. That they including the Phil Rizzuto part always kills me (even if he didn’t know what it was for, which actually might make it better). But the way this track moves through different parts and phases is the true genius that drives this song. Truly great. There’s so much to like on this beyond that tune though. Right from the jump, the title track is an epic tune that’s just in your face, over the top, and really lets you know what you are in store for across the rest of the album. A great way to open. Two Out Of Three Ain’t Bad is another fun song, as is You Took The Words Right Out of My Mouth (even if the opening is super strange). The low point for me was For Crying Out Loud, which I thought was a bit boring at times. Even then, Meat Loaf’s voice is great and the orchestral backing soars at numerous points. The roll up is that this was way better than I anticipated. Meat Loaf’s voice is great and there are a lot of intricacies to these songs which make them interesting. Is it bombastic and exaggerated? No doubt, but that shouldn’t diminish how well constructed this album is.

We all know that Elton John is one of the most accomplished artists in history. I've always liked certain songs (I'm Still Standing, Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me) and his catalog is astonishingly large, but he's never been one of my go-to musicians. That said, I am very drawn to many piano playing artists, whether it's Bruce Hornsby, Billy Joel, Sara Bareilles and others. So, I figured I would like this, but I had no idea how much. This is an incredible album. Candle in the Wind is an iconic song, not much more needs to be said. I know that Bennie and the Jets is one of his biggest selling songs, but I've never really understood why. It's a good song, but there are others that are much better. For example, Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting is a much more fun song. I would rather listen to the latter than the former. The title track is another excellent tune, especially the sweeping chorus. It's almost whimsical but it simultaneously has a lot of depth. Other highlights for me beyond the hits: Funeral For a Friend / Love Lies Bleeding: Yeah, the first 3:30 of the opening track is a waste but after that, it's a great way to kick off this album. Never knew that Elton had prog rock in him! An excellent song with tons of cool layers to it. Grey Seal: reminded me of Billy Joel's Miami 2017 for some reason, though it predates Joel’s by a few years. Something about the speed of the playing that felt similar. It had a smidge of a disco feel, which it also predated (at least mainstream disco) by a few years. All the Girls Love Alice: reminded me of I'm Still Standing in the non-chorus parts, really liked this one. Your Sister Can't Twist: I think Bernie and Elton sat down and said, "what if the Beach Boys were on unlimited stimulants?" Lots of fun to listen to. I was totally struck by the fullness of the sound and diversity of these songs. From front to back, it's abundantly clear how great a set of writers Bernie Taupin and EJ are. You do not get cheated on really any of these songs. An amazing effort.

Yes, the Beatles are the biggest band of all time and for good reason, but this album wasn't an amazing record for me. The good: There’s actually a lot of diversity in the sound of a lot of these songs, at least more than I expected at this stage in their careers. And that sound is really quite great, if we look at these songs through the lens of the time in which they were written. Also, they are excellent singers and the songs are generally fun and catchy. The bad: Where there wasn't diversity? The theming. I'm going to get the girl, I am going to call the girl, I'm going to kiss/love the girl, I've lost the girl, the girl is far away, I'm with the girl . . . even where's my letter from my girl? We were halfway through the album before something different finally came on with Roll Over Beethoven. Oh and then right back to the girl: please hold me, she has a hold on me, I want to be with her, she loves me but she's the devil, I'm not giving her another chance. Mercifully, a song about money to close the album. Sure, not the greatest theme ever - I just want money - but at least it wasn't being used to get a girl! This will undoubtedly be well rated because it is the Beatles, but this really didn't get a hold on me (yes, I did just bend one of their songs). It's good, but not great.

Not surprised to see this show up today. My daughter got it too on the day of Ozzy Osbourne's passing. I've heard a lot of Black Sabbath's music, but I've never listened to this album in its entirety. I’m guessing when this came out it was unlike anything else that was out there at that time. The dark and twisted picture it paints is very cool, actually. Speaking of cool, Ozzy's voice has always been one of the greatest in rock history. Not technically speaking, of course, there are others who have greater range for example. But it's just so different from other amazing voices and perfect for their group and this album. The title track is unique and just a great song. Nothing like announcing yourself to the rest of the world with that song. As a side note, I loved how Ozzy’s voice bounced back and forth in my headphones on Wasp (etc). The rest of the tune was excellent as well, much like a lot of this album. Just a fun record to go back and visit. It’s hard to imagine that it came out over 50 years ago. RIP Ozzy.

Getting KD Lang the day after Black Sabbath is almost unfair. Sabbath brings an amazing force to their records. KD Lang is almost the exact opposite. This record has a very laid back feel. Sadly, it never really departs from that until the very end, and it ends up making this record pretty lackluster in my eyes. Save Me saunters along, almost in a very slow southern type of way. A pretty basic chorus, but there is something about this song that crawls along with just enough interesting aspects to keep me engaged. A decent start. Unfortunately, she follows this up with a series of very sleepy songs that barely hold my interest. At least until Season of the Hollow Soul, which has some nice layers to it. Frankly, this had a similar feel of the types of songs that Sting was writing around the same time (the cello helps, the la la las do not). Of course, it's then back to more laid back songs . . . Until the closer, of course. Constant Craving is, by far, her best known song and for good reason. This is a very well constructed song which shows off KD's voice really well. But this was about it for selections that are memorable. The rest of the time KD's vocals are backed by a bunch of lackluster songs that have a bit of character, but not nearly enough to hold anyone's attention.

I was really unsure of what to expect from this album. Never heard of Michael Kiwanuka and, to be honest, most of the artists they have included who are only popular in the UK have had no business sniffing this list, let alone being included. This one, however, has been a welcomed change from those other inferior musicians. It's cool to listen to artists you have never heard of IF they are deserving of being on this list, which Kiwanuka definitely is. This album has a really interesting blend between soul and rock. The best way I can sum it up is that there is just a cool atmosphere throughout this record. Frankly, as I listen to this, it feels like a toned down Lenny Kravitz with the volume lowered a notch or two. Highlights for me: - Piano Joint: Awesome, awesome song. Just loved the feel of this. - Living in Denial: A throw-back to songs from the 60s / early 70s. This could have easily fit on some of those old Marvin Gaye albums. - Hero: starts simple but grows really well. Another great tune. To be honest, I am smack dab at 4.5 stars for this, as it’s not a perfect album, but I am giving it 5 for three reasons. 1. By using that picture on the cover and self-titling this, it's as if he is saying "this is me, take it or leave it." Note: You should definitely take it. 2. Finding stuff like this is exactly what I hoped to get out of this list. 3. Something happened to me on this album which rarely happens: I got chills listening to Piano Joint the first time through. Well deserved rounding up.

I just don’t understand how there are so many Nick Cave albums on here. I get that he is unique. And no doubt that this one is cool in concept, first album is from the perspective of the children, the second from the parents. Great way of constructing. Unfortunately, the broad brush does not create a complete painting, and the individual constructions that are each song are not that good. Beyond this, Nick’s voice is not that interesting to me. This is one of those classic cases of the “experts” loving something (ie critics) while the customers don’t (ie the listeners). This is widely critically acclaimed, and yet the people on this album journey have voted this as under 3 stars. The simple fact is that this is just pretentious and boring, and it’s why it’s less than average with fans of actual music.

I like Depeche Mode. They are definitely a different sounding band, but they are accessible enough to be pretty popular. I own a good amount of their stuff around the turn of 90s, but I’ve never listened to this album, so I was intrigued about listening to this. It’s interesting in that you can definitely hear the sound that they hone in the coming years, but this is certainly a bit rawer. That said, I have to say that putting this on the list instead of Violator is a crime. This album doesn't have a whole lot of great songs. There’s a few, but those pale in comparison to World In My Eyes, Personal Jesus, Policy of Truth, Enjoy The Silence and others. Violator is vastly superior in just about every way, and I would encourage anyone reading this to go find that album. It’s a much more complete sound and listen. As for this one, an average effort at best.

Another Doors album! Good band, not my favorite though. LA Woman was an excellent record, so color me interested. This record gets off to a great start with Roadhouse Blues, a tune I've heard a bunch of times. Super fun with tons of energy. Love this song. The rest of the album doesn't live up to the opener, but in fairness that's a pretty high bar. There's still some good stuff on here, and Morrison's voice is very cool throughout. That said, it's not as good an album as LA Woman. A solid effort, but definitely an inferior album to others.

This strange album requires a bit of a different review than I normally give. The good: the instrumentation is solid throughout, the nod to Quiet Riot in the album title, the song Chicago. The bad: the singing is very substandard - airy, limited range, just no weight, adding nothing to the songs - and the lyrics aren't that good either. The ridiculous: The names of some of these songs. I do think that when an artist does what Stevens does - e.g. the theming without a real point, the extraordinarily long song titles - it’s a form of compensating for the fact that the songs aren't that good. When it takes longer to read the title than to play the whole, something isn't right. In this case, it's the songs. Not a total waste of time, but pretty close.

I remember when I first heard Green Day, I thought “yeah this is ok but they will be gone soon.” I never thought Green Day would stick around as long as they have, let alone be super popular. What I underestimated is how catchy some of these tunes are. Yeah, it could be classified as punk, with all of these short, fast-burn songs. But there's a certain appeal to their music that hits closer to mainstream rock in a way that a lot of other punk rock bands do not. Things I liked about this: - It's full of fun, well-constructed songs. I liked how some songs blended into others (e.g. Chump into Longview) - Billie Joe's signing has never been great to me, but given the style, he certainly adds to the songs. - There were a lot of things I heard while listening to this on headphones that I never picked up on the radio, especially in Welcome to Paradise. - The lyrics are good and not random / aimless like some of what I have heard from their contemporaries on this list from the other side of the pond. BTW, All By Myself was just a disturbing closer. That's all I'll say! Their still not going to be a band I really turn to regularly, and until today, I've not had any of their music in my own personal library. That said, this changed today after listening to this album, as there is no doubt that they have some fun/cool songs and that this is an excellent record.

British folk rock. Meh. This genre really produced very little music that you hear today, which should tell you about its importance in the annals of music. That said, it might have helped to spawn Jethro Tull, so bonus points there. This album is fine, though nothing spectacular. The lead singer's voice is very good. There's a touch of Grace Slick in there. Grace was certainly more powerful and rock oriented, while Sandy Denny's voice is more melancholy at times, even haunting. Really technically sound. Both are pretty distinctive. The songs here are decent, many of which are old English folk songs. Interestingly, I actually much preferred what the band created themselves (especially the harmonies on Come All Ye, Crazy Man Michael) vs. what they covered. I also liked the guitar work throughout this, better than most. Not amazing, but good enough for a listen and worthy of inclusion on this list, at least more so that some of the British bands which were included that shouldn't have been. 3 stars.

I was really looking forward to listening to this when it showed up as my next album, but I have to admit, I was a bit disappointed. Let me start with the good. Eminem has a great rapping style. I like how bounces around his rhythm a bit, but it always feels right for the song. Beyond this, he tends to have a good song construction behind his raps, even if they are simple at times. It all just fits together really well. Meanwhile, the song Stan has always been a favorite of mine. A great, great tune. What I didn't like was a few things. Let’s start with the swearing. This doesn't bother me at all, except that because it was nonstop, it made it seem like he lacked for other ideas (incredibly) or that he was trying to sound tougher / harder than he really is. Also, the song Kim is terrible. Just hideous. Finally, it’s fair to knock him down a bit for the homophobia and misogyny. Just too much of it for me. Right now I am sitting between a 3 and a 4 and, in truth, if I could give this 3.5 I would. But I am moving to a 3 because, by the end of this album, I was tired of listening to it.

I am not an Amy Winehouse fan. I find it strange that people lionize her, when her one hit was about not going to rehab, and then she died from alcohol poisoning just a couple of years later. Is it too bad that she died? Of course it is. But people make her greater than she was as a result. Admittedly, when I started listening to this album, I knew it would be hard for me to get past my predisposition, especially with Rehab being the first song on the record. I openly hate that song. To me, it represents a life wasted (seriously no pun intended). I will say, as I listened to this, it is easy to admit that she has a cool voice. Relatively distinctive. She reminds me of a rockier version of Norah Jones. I’ve seen some compare her to Adele, which is downright unfair because AW pales in comparison. But it was a good instrument that she had. This album has a major throw back feel. Not sure if I like it or not, to be honest. It is fascinating that she stuck to this style throughout, so I give her credit for holding the line. There a few good songs on this, the title track among them. For my ear, that’s probably the best song on the album. Beyond this, I was pleased to see that she diverged from the Rehab type of material. Of course, that was until she closed with Addicted, which is another song I didn’t like. And ultimately, that’s the problem with this album, too many songs about how bad she is. I openly wonder if she succumbed to the pressure of trying to live up to this persona. As for this album, it ultimately felt disingenuous to me and for that reason, I would put it at 2 stars. If there’s a bright side, that’s one more than I thought I would give coming into it.

I liked this album a lot. If I recall correctly, GF&TFF were early pioneers to use turntables to manipulate sounds like scratching, and it's cool to hear this at an early stage on this record. But they are bringing a lot more than just being pioneers on this front. They have a lot of great grooves and the commentary is excellent throughout. The song dedicated to Stevie Wonder - Dreaming - was an interesting departure from a lot of the rest of the album. Cool song. The piano and singing on You Are was awesome, really complimented each other. The highlight here is definitely the title track. The Message is a great song, powerful in its message. Loved the way the rap changed rhythms throughout. I know this has been sampled a bunch of times, but beyond this it's been very influential in setting a new direction for rap. A truly important song in the annals of music. And for that reason, this album is a must hear for anyone. Really great.

I'm a long time PinkFloyd fan and am very familiar with this album already. It's a classic. The songs on this are amazing. And though it's easier to have no bad tunes when you have a lower number of songs, this album doesn't have any missteps. It's great from beginning to end. Personally, I've always liked the way they have bookended this album with Shine On You Crazy Diamond. In my opinion, none of it is as good as the three songs in between, though that's a super high bar, and it's always interesting to hear all of the different layers in those two halves of the song. As for those tracks in between: Welcome to the Machine is probably my favorite song on this album. It's far from a traditional rock track, no doubt, and the lyrics are very ominous. But I love how all of this comes together to paint a pretty dark picture. A great, great tune. Have a Cigar is more of a traditional rock song in some ways. Love the lyrics to this, especially the "by the way, which one's Pink" line. Even if they are brief in nature, still really well written. Wish You Were Here is quintessential Floyd. A great song that couldn't have come from any other band. This is what really strikes me about this album, is how well constructed it is. Frankly, I've always preferred David Gilmour as a singer to Roger Waters, though Waters is undoubtedly the better writer and the more meaningful stuff has come from when he was in the band. Wish You Were Here as an album is a great example of this. A 5 star album, no doubt. Amazing songs, powerful, great playing, and a complete album.

This was a throwback for me. I liked a lot of late 80s early 90s rap, and though I was never into these guys, it sounded like a lot of stuff I enjoyed back then. They have a simple, straightforward style but the lyrics were strong and the package was good enough to where this was worth a listen. Reminded me a bit of A Tribe Called Quest, Eric B & Rakim, or De La Soul at different times. I really liked Step Into the Arena and Take a Rest. There’s a few other good songs on this album too. Not a great record overall, but definitely solid.

Trip hop!!!! Yes!! Ok, so I’d never heard of Trip Hop before I started blazing through these 1,000+ albums. I got Tricky earlier and enjoyed his album, so I figured I might like this. It was good, though far from amazing. It did get off to a great start with Safe From Harm. That was an excellent song. Unfortunately, they threw all that momentum away with One Love, which desperately needed to be sped up a few notches. I found this one to be very boring. Most of the rest of the album was up and down. I have to say, I kind of get why Tricky decided to go solo. He’s the most interesting voice after the first song on this record. I like the vibe of this album, and it has some diverse sounds to it, but the individual songs aren’t that great, and it’s far from complete. A solid effort all the same.

Another Queen album that I was pleasantly surprised by. We are so used to the bombastic Queen that can be heard on the radio all the time. This had a more straightforward rock feel to me, even a harder edge at times in numerous songs, and I much prefer this version of Queen. Killer Queen is an excellent song, but there’s a lot more on this record that is worth staying for. Brighton Rock is a cool opener, though I much prefer the guitar solo in the middle of this tune than any of the vocal parts. Tenement Funster is more of a traditional rock song too from the band. Liked this one as well. To be sure, there’s plenty in the “this is what we are used to” category for Queen. The two In The Lap Of The Gods songs are good examples of this. Very rock opera-ish and fun listens. I really enjoyed Misfire. This reminded me a lot of Don’t Treat Me Bad by Firehouse for some reason. Just a bunch of different styles throughout this record. Really good.

First Zeppelin album on the list for me, though I have heard a lot of these songs before. An excellent record, no doubt. Tons of great songs. Immigrant Song, Tangerine, and Gallows Pole have always been favorites from me on this record. All excellent tunes. There’s so much more to like on here though, whether it’s Bron-Y-Aur Stomp, Friends, and others. The way they all blend together is incredible, one of the great bands of all time and an amazing record.

Sorry, but this is when I get pissed. 1,001 albums is a lot, but there’s a massive amount of great music out there. Way beyond a thousand albums. And these English writers put this crap on here? It serves no point, drives no emotion, is ineffectual . . . I could go on. So let me. It has inferior production quality, poor song construction, the singing isn’t good, nor does it influence anything. If only the Sunshine hit this band and gave them an ounce of musical talent or originality. Instead, they tried to recreate a Beatles album circa the early 60s. In the 2000s. With no talent, and nothing upbeat. There have been some bad English albums on this list, but this is the worst. Why? In short, it’s boring. Shame on the authors of this book, taking a spot with this useless record. Nothing worth listening to and it certainly shouldn’t be anywhere near this list.

This album was such fun. I was lovin’ this! It’s criminal that I hadn’t listened to it before! You see what I did there? Yeah, that was about as subtle as this album was. I had actually totally forgotten about these guys. Then Scooby Snacks came on and I was like “Oh yeah, I remember this!” It’s fine. That song is cool, and there are some other good grooves on this record. Nothing that is winning any Grammy’s, but it was fine. A solid 3.

This is a weird one for me. Yes, the signing is generally subpar. The acoustic guitar and drumming are pretty basic. It wants to be punk but doesn't truly get close to that level. But that bass! And the fact that they don't seem to take things too seriously ("and your happy, this is only a guess"). It all just kind of works. To a point at least. This isn't an amazing album, but I kind of dug it for some strange reason. It's like a movie that sucked at the box office in the theaters but then achieved cult classic. It takes a while to find its audience, but when it does, that audience stands fiercely by it.

The Beastie Boys are one of those bands that probably should get more credit then they already receive. Yeah they've sold tons of records and I believe they are part of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (whatever you think of that), but they really are pioneers in different ways and have been pretty influential on many others including Eminem. This album is a prime example of what they are capable of. We've all heard Sabotage and for good reason. That's one of those songs that just hit on all airwaves, whether it’s rap, rock, alternative, or pop. It was just huge in the 90s and arguably one of the best songs of that decade. But there's a lot more to like on this record, whether it is the other song you sometimes hear on the radio (Sure Shot), a collaboration with Biz Markie (Do It), other great back and forth raps, and one cool instrumental (Eugene's Lament, which I loved). I would give this a five, but two things hold me back: 1. Though it's a way more refined sound on this record, this album isn't as good or as complete as Paul's Boutique. 2. There are too many instrumentals on here (Eugene’s Lament as the exception). All the same, a very good album.

Though I never owned this album, I remember when the various videos from this came out and were all over MTV right at the turn of the decade. But I must admit I had forgotten how many really great songs were on this record. I think I recognize no less than 7 singles off of this album, if I am counting correctly, which is pretty incredible. Personally, I have always liked Come Back to Me the best. There's something about this song, whether it's the groove or the despair / vulnerability of Janet's voice throughout, it definitely moves me more than anything else on this album. That said, the other singles are really excellent songs. And if you think about how she made huge hits out of Escapade, Love Will Never Do Without You, Miss You Much, Rhythm Nation, and others all within months of each other? Consider how different some of these songs are from each other, whether it's tempo, tone, complexity, etc. It's really quite an amazing effort, and a testament to the writing. Of course, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis have worked with so many different great R&B artists, but I think Janet wrote (or co-wrote) a lot of the big hits on this record, and she's the one that really makes them come alive. There's some other songs on here that are excellent as well. The best of these to me is State of the World. Though the theming is a ton different, the sound of this one reminded me a ton of Johnny Gill's Rub You the Right Way - Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis probably borrowed from themselves, since they wrote both. I was instantly drawn in by this one. While this album has 20 tracks, that's a bit of a misnomer since 8 of them are just interludes. The core 12 songs on here individual and collectively are great. This is easily a 5 star album for me. Frankly, this is one of the few complete albums I have listened to so far on this list.

Never listened to the Boo Radleys before and I can’t say I have been missing out all this time. This has some good aspects to it and they sound reasonably talented. I also like some of the distortion they used throughout and this is somewhat similar to other stuff I like. The problem with this is that basically every song devolves into an instrumental ending full of the same notes over and over again. This happens right from the jump with I Hang Suspended and is a running theme throughout the album. It’s almost like they had no clue how to finish songs. For that reason alone, this gets a major downgrade for me.

I think we all recognize that the Beatles are one of the great bands of all time. But this is the second time I’ve had a post Beatles album from one of the band members that I have been disappointed with. Imagine is a great, great song, but the next few on this album are really subpar. It’s not until I Don’t Wanna Be a Soldier Mama that this album picks back up. After that, it’s better but still far from great. I did think How Do You Sleep was excellent and I actually somewhat enjoyed Oh Yoko. However, that was counterbalanced by Oh My Love, which is about as elementary a song as I’ve heard in a while, which is saying something given the amount of shitty not-even-a-hit-in-the-UK English bands that I have heard on this 1,001 album list. Overall, this record was not terribly inspired other than Imagine and the few politically driven tracks. It is, at best, average for me.

Van Morrison has a series of excellent tunes. Brown Eyed Girl is one of those songs that everyone loves and I have always been a big fan of Into the Mystic. Sadly, nothing on this album remotely comes close to either of those tunes. Frankly, a lot of this comes off as the same song over and over again, becoming a repetitive bore.

Crap English Band Alert!!! Another entry from a UK act that doesn’t belong on this list. This album has very little going for it. The one song I liked was Everybody’s Stalking, mainly because it sounds a bit like Alice In Chains’ Got Me Wrong. Everything else was very bland. This guy’s voice is below average and the songs were not well built out. Better than a couple of the others who sucked on this list, but still getting 1 star out of spite.

I’ve never really listened to the White Stripes, but know a series of people who like them. And since Seven Nation Army is an excellent song, I was interested to see how this was. Unfortunately, I was pretty disappointed with this album. The songs are pretty simple with limited hooks. The singing is below par. I read that it cost less than $10k to produce this record and it shows. A subpar effort.