192
Albums Rated
3.64
Average Rating
18%
Complete
897 albums remaining
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
1950
Favorite Decade
Metal
Favorite Genre
UK
Top Origin
Wordsmith
Rater Style ?
50
5-Star Albums
6
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
Top Styles
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Untitled (Black Is)
SAULT
|
5 | 3.05 | +1.95 |
|
Dare!
The Human League
|
5 | 3.05 | +1.95 |
|
Pump
Aerosmith
|
5 | 3.11 | +1.89 |
|
Ritual De Lo Habitual
Jane's Addiction
|
5 | 3.19 | +1.81 |
|
Dry
PJ Harvey
|
5 | 3.23 | +1.77 |
|
The Seldom Seen Kid
Elbow
|
5 | 3.24 | +1.76 |
|
System Of A Down
System Of A Down
|
5 | 3.27 | +1.73 |
|
The Message
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
|
5 | 3.28 | +1.72 |
|
Meat Is Murder
The Smiths
|
5 | 3.33 | +1.67 |
|
Court And Spark
Joni Mitchell
|
5 | 3.36 | +1.64 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Beach Samba
Astrud Gilberto
|
1 | 2.92 | -1.92 |
|
Caetano Veloso
Caetano Veloso
|
1 | 2.85 | -1.85 |
|
Brothers In Arms
Dire Straits
|
2 | 3.74 | -1.74 |
|
The Infotainment Scan
The Fall
|
1 | 2.72 | -1.72 |
|
Kid A
Radiohead
|
2 | 3.71 | -1.71 |
|
Honky Tonk Masquerade
Joe Ely
|
1 | 2.68 | -1.68 |
|
Bummed
Happy Mondays
|
1 | 2.65 | -1.65 |
|
Shalimar
Rahul Dev Burman
|
1 | 2.65 | -1.65 |
|
The Velvet Underground & Nico
The Velvet Underground
|
2 | 3.62 | -1.62 |
|
We Are Family
Sister Sledge
|
2 | 3.48 | -1.48 |
Artists
Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Pink Floyd | 4 | 4.75 |
| Black Sabbath | 3 | 5 |
| Led Zeppelin | 3 | 5 |
| The Rolling Stones | 3 | 4.67 |
| Beatles | 2 | 5 |
Least Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Happy Mondays | 2 | 1.5 |
5-Star Albums (50)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
Parliament · 1 likes
5/5
Getting P-Funked up! This one hits on a regular basis. Not always the most elevated lyrics, but you can't help but smile and groove.
Pink Floyd · 1 likes
5/5
One of the best albums of the 70's, still an amazing listen in every decade since. Possibly one of the best rock albums ever made. It still brings wonder every time I listen to it, brings fresh nuance every time I buy a new set of headphones.
The Byrds · 1 likes
3/5
A fun listen. More fun to think that this may have been on the radio for my parents when they were dating or on the hi-fi of the parties they went to. Rock and Roll star and the Bob Dylan cover, My Back Pages, being the stand out tracks for me. A fun blending of psychedelia, country, rock and jazz.
Nick Drake · 1 likes
5/5
Great all the way through. Every track was outstanding.
The Velvet Underground · 1 likes
2/5
Sometimes groundbreaking albums that influenced so many bands can be mostly crap.
1-Star Albums (6)
All Ratings
Adam & The Ants
4/5
Always a good listen. Cutting edge 1981.
Cream
3/5
Some classic amazing songs, some real stinkers, even for the day. Blue Condition was painful, Mother's Lament was a bad way to end a nice experience. Thank goodness for the bonus Lawdy Mama track.
Nick Drake
5/5
Great all the way through. Every track was outstanding.
Funkadelic
5/5
So very, very good from start to finish. Some amazing funk\rock jams at the end that just made me want to start again on side 1. So fine.
The Smashing Pumpkins
5/5
So good, though I had never listened to most of this album and fell in love with every morsel of it.
Blondie
5/5
Like fine and aging wine, every time I take a sip I enjoy it more. A response to Ramones style punk and a launching pad to new wave. You can really hear the nods to Lou Reed\Velvet Underground (I'm your dog but not your pet...) and this just makes me want to listen to other CBGB bands like Dead Boys, Talking Heads, Television and Patti Smith spring to mind. A musical time capsule with a smirking angel's voice. Absolutely the best.
The Beach Boys
2/5
I was especially happy to see the Beach Boys pop up, with the passing from this world of the genius of Brian Wilson. However, while there are a couple good songs and excellent sound, most of the album is below average for a Beach Boys album. It may have been better than a good portion of the songs that came out on the year of release, it was a disappointing listen in 2025.
Arcade Fire
3/5
I've heard some epic songs from Arcade Fire and saw that this album was rated top 5 or top 3 in many cases for them. Maybe it is just the day, but I'm not feeling it. Deep Blue had a nice feel to it, a little like a muted Neutral Milk Hotel song. That said, I had to stop pausing the album to, in my mind, go do something interesting. Then eventually Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains) grabbed my attention again and I was able to push through to the end of the album.
Sister Sledge
2/5
I was ready to listen with an ear to Nile Rodgers' hand in the making of it, and some of these songs were definitely hits, but some did NOT age well, Frankie among those. So how do you stack up a release for an above-average DISCO band against the other albums we have been listening to? Should I factor in the fact that the title track has every ounce of vitality wrung out of it by overuse in advertisements and politics? Should I add points because it has been sampled so many times since release? Do the vapid lyrics drag ot down as much if this was intended as dance music? The worst of the lyrics here were still easier to continue to listen to than some of the high concept albums I've listened to in the past, does that bring it up a star?
Sugar
4/5
I think I missed Sugar completely in the 90's, but was aware of Bob Mould as a member of Hüsker Dü. I know the Pixies were heavily influenced by HD, but was surprised how much some of the songs reminded me of the Pixies and other later alternative band's songs. And this could be considered an easily digestible entry point to HD. I feel like I've heard these songs in the periphery many times before and and songs like Changes manage to take me back to places in the early 90's without me having been consciously aware of the band or the album. For some reason, as I listen to it, it reminds me of parts of The Smithereens' Especially for You album from 86, which is one of my favorites and I wonder if there was some inspiration there. I do remember hearing Helpless at some point. And like a flash this album is over with the slightly more aggressive and mildly anthemic Man on the Moon song as a nice ending point. Beaster, I'm told, is a little harder, can't wait to unpack that.
OutKast
3/5
If you ever need a smile, the opening tracks of this album will gift you one. That alone has to be worth some stars. Using a spray paint can as percussion is wacky and brilliant. Happy Valentine's Day may just be the new official song of the demi-holiday. Now if I just enjoyed all the music on the album. I do enjoy some of it, appreciate some more of it and actively dislike a few tracks. Many of the tracks would be better if they were a minute shorter. The length of the album in full made it hard to listen to, but the fact that this is art does not escape me.
Willie Nelson
4/5
I would not consider myself a fan of country music fan, but this album may have carved out one of the few exceptions. The track length and quality reminds me of The Ramones, short sweet and to the point. Lately I've been listening to albums that stay far past their welcome, this one sneaks out the window leaving you wishing for a little more and wondering where the time went.
Tito Puente
4/5
People from the 80's think they invented "World Music", but this 1957 release would like a word about that. (I know, I know, he was born in NY!) Great music, the time flew by listening to it. Perfect for getting your body moving and putting a little zip in your step.
Alice In Chains
3/5
The sonic assault begins with the first track (Them Bones) with all the early 90's grunge swagger and dirty delivery you could hope for. This is a high energy album, but one dealing with somber subjects: death, addiction and war among them. It was literally recorded during the LA riots of 1992 while the core of the band teetered on the edge of rehab. So be ready for the darkness and your descent into it. 1-800-273-TALK(8255) is the US national hotline if you need help dealing with your feelings. The album feels like a triumph over the darkness, and the members treated the songs like a purge of poison.
The Temptations
3/5
When you can listen to music written a lifetime ago and the power and validity of the music and lyrics are still in full force there you know you have a classic. That said, not every track hits.
Lou Reed
4/5
This album is supposed to be "seminal". Listening to it, I can hear echos of it in later works, and sense the hand of David Bowie in it's creation, but perhaps I'm too far removed from the before and after of this release to fully appreciate its impact. Obviously, Walk on the Wild Side has been considered gold my whole life and Perfect Day is legitimately world class, Satellite of Love has some strong moments but the songs between don't feel cohesive or impactful as I was hoping. I feel the same let down I felt with Never Mind the Bollocks, it was new\different and intentionally controversial but not as seriously good as things like The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust or London Calling. Points to it for inclusion and openness about the lives of persecuted groups.
R.E.M.
4/5
Possibly the best album from an amazing group.
SAULT
5/5
2020 was a horrible year, but something amazing came out of the grief and anger. A diamond created by the pressure and heat of the times we live in. Hold tightly to this.
Minor Threat
2/5
If I had been handed a tape of this instead of Kill 'em All back in 83/84, I wonder if my life would have been different. Make no mistake, we had a great time, but I could have used a little more of this in my life. Both are aggressive, dark and with a pinch of quirkiness. The sound quality of the original release have been "improved" by youtube fan remasters, tweaking the drums and bringing the vocals a little bit forward, which definitely helped me to understand the lyrics better. Overall, the lyrics just aren't as deep or relevant as I had hoped when I started the album. And I don't have the urge to immediately replay. I came into the album with a strong desire for it to be a banger, but am leaving disappointed.
Elton John
5/5
Elton John and Bernie Taupin as their most powerful. This is my favorite album of Elton's, and possibly one of the best POP\Rock albums ever made. To say this was Elton John's masterpiece isn't hyperbole. Strangely, the worst song on this album is still as good as his big, later hit, I'm Still Standing.
Neil Young
4/5
Now known as the Topanga Canyon sound, music inspired by the musical (and somewhat magical) conclave including various members of CSN&Y/Buffalo Springfield, The Eagles, Joni Mitchel. Linda Ronstadt, and members of Canned Heat, the Byrds and more who passed through or visited the communities there, whose interactions fueled a great deal of music created in the late 60's and early 70's. Not every song is a hit taken individually, but as a unit, they all work to guide you on a beautiful journey.
The Byrds
3/5
A good album and it still hangs together fairly well after all these years. It was fun hearing the Byrds version of Hey Joe. I think I had learned at some point that it was a cover, but I didn't realize that other famous bands had covered it prior to Jimi's excellent, slower and more mind-bending release. I love the harmonies and hearing David Crosby at what may be his sweetest and most melodic phase on this album. However, this has almost zero replay draw for me. I can't see myself ever circling back to it, it holds no place in my memories but just stands in my mind for a precursor for amazing things to come.
Stevie Wonder
3/5
Stevie was so amazingly creative during this period. The mix of vocals, harmonica and keyboard work is very high quality. It was a solid listen, but with little, personal appeal to pull me back for a repeat listen.
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
3/5
I'd tried listening to Captain Beefheart before, Trout Mask Replica, I believe and found it to be too far out there for me, I'm a simple man who likes melody more than things that combine experimental with acid jazz, as CB's later albums do. This album seems to be rooted more fully in R&B, which to me is much preferable. Ry Cooder is really laying down some great guitar riffs here. I enjoyed this early sound before Beefheart steered more towards acid jazz more than his later efforts.
Dire Straits
2/5
Dire Straits most widely known album, though nothing beats Making Movies in my eyes. If you lived through the time period where this was on the radio and in MTV rotation you may already be sick of hearing it. It was literally everywhere, all the time. This was the first album Dire Straits recorded completely digitally and to me, the first third of the release sounds somewhat sterile compared to earlier albums, but it gave them the sound quality they desired. Contributing to the "clean" sound were drums set to a click track. They were looking for the sound that ZZ Top had introduced to huge success and got it. Huge success, tons of cash and a bit hard to listen to for me. The 40th anniversary release contains live versions of songs that sound absolutely fantastic, and cover some material from earlier releases that are just beautiful.
Radiohead
3/5
I've only ever listened to Radio Head in the post album format, but as a full album it is very powerful. Atmospheric and moody. The Pyramid being well set up as a second song and gaining power in the transition from, "Packt Like Sardines....", and then sliding into a more electronically focused, staccato, revolving doors. There is beauty here, sad beauty with a silver lining of hope. The time flew quickly while listening. But I am not drawn back for another listen.
The Byrds
3/5
A fun listen. More fun to think that this may have been on the radio for my parents when they were dating or on the hi-fi of the parties they went to. Rock and Roll star and the Bob Dylan cover, My Back Pages, being the stand out tracks for me. A fun blending of psychedelia, country, rock and jazz.
Elliott Smith
5/5
I had never heard of Elliott Smith but was awestruck by how good this album is, and how it feels like it has always been with me. It is like a missing piece of my jigsaw puzzle that this album just slid into.
Pink Floyd
5/5
The final album in the amazing quartet of albums, starting with The Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here, Animals and this trippy study on isolation, nihilism and systemic and generational violence. Wish You Were Here may the best of the set, but this is second by a hair's breadth. If you can listen in true stereo headphones, you really should with the foursome of albums. I would have a hard time NOT putting this in the 100 best albums in existence.
The Who
3/5
"When my fist clenches - crack it open", good advice. This is the best full album The Who gave us. Not a wasted track.
The White Stripes
3/5
A departure from the guitar driven punk\garage rock sounds of the previous albums. Art is reaching, and they were reaching for something greater here. I'm not sure they reached it, but they gave us at least one more great track.
Black Sabbath
5/5
I was but a wee lad when this hit the shelves, but you cannot imaging what a breath of fresh air this was at the times. A dividing line between the time before and after in much the same way Sergeant Pepper's was for what could be done in the studio. This was like the rebirth of Rock and Roll. Everything on the airwaves was glitter and disco balls and this new animal was on the scene like almost nothing that had been previously seen. The birth of Hard Rock or Heavy Metal. Jazz influenced, post-psychedelic, hard rock with serious subjects and dark themes. YES, thank you very much!
Glad to be able to rate this one so soon after Ozzy's passing. This was a great catharsis.
The Libertines
2/5
Not very familiar with The Libertines, I'm getting a the vibe that they were influenced by The Ramones, The Smiths and The Clash right up front. That's a pretty good place to start.
Seeing them at a punk club seems like fun, but the lyrics, melodies and delivery don't make a huge impression on me. I keep hearing nods to different bands but I don't feel a strong impression of who the Libertines are. I think the phrase is, "no authentic voice", but maybe that's just 'cause I'm an old codger and everything old is new again.
The Pogues
4/5
A wonderful fusion of Celtic inspired folk and punk that gets my blood pumping every time I hear it. I was sadly unaware of the Pogues in the late 80's when they dropped this energy-bomb, but would eventually have it brought to my attention at some Christmastime playing of Fairytale. I fell in love with the song and have listened to it as part of my holiday mix every year since. Hearing that Elvis Costello had worked with them in the past, and they rejected him because of creative and and temperamental differences, just drew me further towards them.
This is a great album and I'd be glad to know it would be played at my wake.
Badly Drawn Boy
2/5
Pleasant, but not resonant to me.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
Hard rock that everyone in my generation cut our teeth on. Amazing drums and vocals. LZ was such a "cultural appropriator" that I hope no one ever uses this phrase in relation to the arts. Blues plus hard rock is amazing synergy and it lead me back to the blues greats that inspired it.
Lauryn Hill
5/5
This album rises above all classifications. It is simply on the short list for one of the best albums ever made.
Billy Joel
5/5
I know it all by heart.
Devendra Banhart
2/5
Every decade or so someone comes along to hearken back to an older age. I hear Tiny Tim and Redbone and The Raconteurs in here. A fun snack, but not a meal.
Caetano Veloso
1/5
The opening song may be the best song on the album, the others having some serious missteps, sour notes, overuse of repetition and that sort of thing. I'm trying to stay open to the experience, but I think it is just not my cup of tea. First album in the list where I was wishing it would end sooner.
Joy Division
4/5
You can hear the echos of this work for decades. It sometimes feels like every dark\emo\mod\goth\postpunk\punk and metal band cribbed notes from Unknown Pleasures. You can hear it strongly pulsing from the edge of the 70's and into the 90's, with ripples and waves lapping into music today. So influential, so amazing dark and moody.
Janelle Monáe
2/5
Some nice listening, one banger in the group, Tightrope was quite good. The rest feels heavily inspired by Outkast. The final tracks remind me of listening to Frank Sinatra at his peak, the lyrics are topical\universal, the sound is smooth and the timing is impeccable, but it holds no lure for me.
Marvin Gaye
2/5
Every "cool" TV show from the late 70's wanted to sound a little like this. I don't believe I ever listened to this one all the way through before, but all the grooves and hooks sound as familiar as an old friend. It missed the spark with me, but was interesting and pleasant all the way through.
The Sonics
2/5
Half the songs are covers, am I rating them or Chuck Berry, Barry Gordie? I like the fuzz, I love the un-produced sound of it. Good enough that if I heard this coming out of a local bar\pub I would stick around for a few.
Love
2/5
The opening track is outstanding and the rest are a fine example of folk\ psychedelia, but don't have huge appeal in the modern era. I'm not sure I agree this belongs in the list. Outside of the initial track (Alone Again Or), the best thing about this is the cover graphics, which are the epitome of 1967.
U2
5/5
SUCH A GOOD ALBUM! Start to finish all tracks resonate with me and suddenly my brain is on a road trip to the big city with a car full of friends in the late 80's listening to Boy and War and October and wondering why it took us all so long to twig to U2 in the U.S. This is a freedom song. Or rather, this is the soundtrack of freedom, racing towards adventure under hot blue skies.
Green Day
4/5
Pretty decent pop-punk. Pulling Teeth is a good one and not even really punk. Sandwiched between Welcome to Paradise and Basket Case you might not even notice its just a boy band song. I appreciate their adherence to the Ramone's style of punk where the songs are just a few minutes long, so even if there is a song that isn't quite as good as the others like Sassafras Roots comes along, it is quickly passed and on to a banger like When I Come Around. Plus they just give you time to look at the Mad Magazine style album cover, lots to look at! Not many soft spots in the apple like that though, consistently high quality.
A Tribe Called Quest
4/5
Love these guys and the work they did. So much music during this period was HARD, or wanted to be. Tribe could be on point without being gangster and I really appreciate it. Amazing beats, amazing lyrics, great hooks.
Suede
2/5
My wife hates Bob Dylan, can't get past the voice to get to the poetry. I finally understand a bit better.
Belle & Sebastian
2/5
This is my first listen to this work. I hear this album has been compared with works by Nick Drake, but I'm not hearing that in most tracks, I Could Be Dreaming is the exception. This feels way more upbeat than his works and feels way more electronic (typed this while listening to Electronic Renaissance, later songs perhaps less so). I'm enjoying it, but not sure it is a triumph of music. The background monologues got really annoying and didn't add much to the songs. Were they going for a Pink Floyd-esque feeling? If so, they missed the mark and just had me pausing to make sure no one was talking to me from another room. Overall, I found it pretty but forgettable.
Metallica
5/5
The absolute peak of Metallica's heavy art. While the black album was the most popular, this was their masterwork and, along with Puppets and Ride, the reason they are still considered a giant in metal despite 6 sad studio follow ups following the black album. This is the last album for which Cliff Burton would receive writing credits after his tragic passing and some of the anger and sadness embedded in this album are due to the band dealing with his loss. The soul and humor he lent to each record is perhaps the only thing missing from this production.
Cocteau Twins
2/5
First time listener. Her voice is angelic but it pulled no heartstrings of mine. The lyrics didn't pull me in, nor could I understand most of them. I do like some Cocteau Twins cuts. This is fine and likely above average, but in this context I can't see giving it high marks.
Björk
4/5
A great, eclectic album. Not every song is top notch, all the way through, but there are quite a number of outstanding tracks on this release, and even the off tracks have a brilliant sections. Crying, for instance, isn't one of my favorites but the electronic section about two thirds through elevates the track.
Black Sabbath
5/5
In the beginning hard rock and metal was a single track to two on a "heavy" Zeppelin, Cream, Hendrix, Deep Purple or Blue Cheer album. Or perhaps a single heavy song on an otherwise Prog Rock or Psychedelia album. This was the dawn of a dark, groove-heavy day. A black sun in the sky and a susurrus of dark birds blotting out the remaining light. And in this time the light in the discos dimmed a bit, the candy pop melted and dripped to the gutter. Many Shuvs and Zuuls knew what it was to be roasted in the depths of the Slor that day, I can tell you! Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn!
Steely Dan
3/5
I liked this back in the 70's, it dominated a portion of the radio airwaves and was certainly of higher quality than a lot that was being put out. Cool jazzy rock in a radio-friendly pop format. Mellow, brainy and sedate it was the soundtrack of every fern bar and Tupperware party.
Hugh Masekela
2/5
High quality Afro-jazz. I'm not a big fan of jazz but this is almost good enough for me to carve out an exception for a few of the songs.
Happy Mondays
2/5
There were a couple of good songs here. A solid 2.5.
The Fall
1/5
Subjectively bad. Repetitive, grating and challenging for me to listen to. I'm sure this is just me, but gah!
The Temptations
3/5
Papa Was a Rolling Stone is one of the very best songs of the 70's in my personal opinion and this version, while not the first release, was the best rendition. The rest of the album is fine, with some good tracks but nothing else that rises to that epic level.
Nick Drake
3/5
For some reason I always thought of Nick Drake as an artist of the 1990's, not the early 1970's. While not as good as the unaccompanied Pink Moon album, this is also very good.
Fatboy Slim
4/5
A very good album, but it could be 5% shorter with a lot of repetition removed. Overuse of repetition is my single biggest issue with the release, which is a small thing but it seems to hit in every track. Sometimes not having a creative editor is artistic freedom, other times you get this. Still above average and a fun, fun listen ...albeit with some skipping forward. :)
Gonna have a good time!
Eurythmics
4/5
The date of release says early 1983, but I know I heard some of these in 82. Such a great band, such an iconic sound, eventually we got some mind blowing MTV videos, they were the perfect package, though this wasn't a perfect album it was darn close.
The Streets
2/5
I like a lot of rap artists, I even like a few UK based rap artists, but found Blinded by the Lights to be the first good one on this release, which is four tracks in on the version I listened to. It'll be hard to rate this release above average with that W\L ratio. A couple of good hooks, a couple of good songs. Dry Your Eyes is a nice rap\pop song, it might be the standout song for me. The best thing about this is the continuation of the narrative throughout the songs, so that later songs have more emotional value.
Lupe Fiasco
4/5
Hitting hard right out of the gate, the first two tracks introduce a packed and lush soundscape. Some real standout tracks, with allusions to and inspirations from old school and a big dose of Jay Z with an all new sound, somehow.
Television
4/5
Seminal punk\alternative, so good, so fine.
Boston
5/5
Back when Albums and 8-tracks were king and there's not a bad track on the whole thing. Hard to not give it top marks, though it has been degraded by time and overplay on the radio. My most specific memory of this album in play was in 1983, in my best-friend's, older-brother's car after a light and warm rain, sliding around on the roads listening to this and him wishing in a loud yell over the lyrics that there was a Quadraphonic version for him to buy, which I don't believe ever came out in any format. I was rocking my Judas Priest Screaming for Vengeance tee shirt and feeling like I was at least adjacent to being one of the cool kids, maybe on the verge of it.
Nightmares On Wax
2/5
Three songs in until we get to lyrics and they are are just a repeated phrase. I don't hate it, but I'm not sure this qualifies as one of the best 1000 albums or the best 4200 albums.
Oasis
3/5
A couple of good tracks if you can make your way through the nasal whine. Overall this is good, but not outstanding.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
5/5
I was riveted from the first note. It is hard to understand how every song on an album that came out in 1970 can still hit so hard. Even the dreaded fourth track, with the silliest name possible, Ooby Dooby is just a quick, straight-ahead rocker with it's toes in the rockabilly pool. And in a flash we are back to some of the best music of the decade.
Aretha Franklin
4/5
Aretha was a powerhouse!
Earth, Wind & Fire
3/5
Shining Star is just amazing as is Way of the World. The rest, despite being dated sound pretty good, but those two tracks are stand outs.
Beatles
5/5
Once ground breaking, now comfort food. We know every word and chord change, but it still gives us the buzz that we got the first time we heard it. Music is magic, I suppose. It makes time travelers of us all.
Billie Holiday
4/5
I love listening to her. It isn't fair, some of these songs aren't wonderful, one or two I end up skipping out of, but I will always gravitate towards this album.
Marty Robbins
4/5
This falls between the Western side of Country & Western music and something approaching Pop\Novelty songs. I rarely listen to country and yet I know quite a few of these despite Marty Robbins barely being on my RADAR. My grandparents owned a ranch in the Livermore hills in the 80's and these songs take me to my Grandfather's soft metallic green Ford step side truck and the blanket covered bench seats and a gravelly dirt road on that ranch, the ranch-dogs barking and following in the dust plumes as we worked to clear and chop wood for the winter. And man did this go fast, I let it go in the background and it felt like it was done before I knew it. Like a good punk rock album you start it up, it rages and then ends in a flash.
Jeff Buckley
3/5
The first two songs are lit! The third (Last Goodbye) sounds like it was recorded at Paisley Park and doesn't all come together, but it would have been typical mid-90's sound and So Real sounds like a Soundgarden knock off, which isn't horrible but also not great. Hallelujah, is a good cover. Forget her has a great groove.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
While I truly love and appreciate their earliest Blues inspired tunes, this is the record where they really came into their own and bridged over from those old Blues tunes, still retaining ones like You Gotta Move, to a new sound for them.
Common
3/5
Good lyrics, nice tunes.
The La's
3/5
There She Goes is amazing, the rest of the songs aren't bad but not at the same level.
The Thrills
2/5
As someone who lives in California it is odd to hear a 2003 band from Ireland singing about Santa Cruz, Big Sur and UCLA beaches. The nods to The Monkeys and the Beach Boys are there and the songs are a refreshingly upbeat addition to my day. Glad we put a smile on your face. A good time was had listening here. Unfortunately not part of the top 250 Albums Ever Made, but glad they got this recognition.
The Velvet Underground
2/5
Sometimes groundbreaking albums that influenced so many bands can be mostly crap.
Radiohead
2/5
Too much ambient jazz repetition in most of the songs. After OK Computer they can do anything they want, but it doesn't suit my tastes.
Astrud Gilberto
1/5
The first couple of tracks are really nice and then it slides into ones like Parade, which was just bad. At the end I was done with her voice for a lifetime.
Coldplay
4/5
Hard not to like this, very well done and haunting in places.
4/5
Energizing music on dark topics. I love it.
Jimi Hendrix
5/5
We had him for too short a time. Great start of an album, without a dip in quality until Little Miss Strange, five tracks in. Almost all the tracks are interesting, seminal or mind blowing that one track notwithstanding.
Madonna
3/5
When I think of Madonna, I think of the 80's, and this release shows how unfair that is to Madonna. Here she is, at the precipice of a new millennia making some great dance music.
The Crusaders
3/5
Ushering in the 80's with a nice mix of funk and jazz. Not my thing, but enough funk to take the stank off the jazz.
Jane's Addiction
5/5
Not a bad track all through. Peak Jane's in my opinion.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
Folk, rock and blues. What more do you need?
David Bowie
4/5
Bowie is so consistently ahead of his time that I got into the habit to listening to his new work, then coming back to it 5 or 10 years later. I invariably find that while I had issues with his current works, when listening later I appreciated them much more. However this one is a little easier as it appears to be referential to his past catalog in many ways, like a tour of earlier works including Tin Machine, which is surprising. Such a good album. The stars in the firmament dimmed when he passed from our world.
Aerosmith
5/5
This was "The Black Album" for Aerosmith, marking a divide between their older releases and the new incarnation of the band and their sound, and all the awards, fame and money that came with it. It is a really good album, even if you don't consider yourself a major Aerosmith fan.
Beatles
5/5
They were already superstars, but this feels like the launching pad for the band that would be one of the greatest the world had ever heard. They came into their own and were tearing their way out of the boy band phenomenon and stepping towards a unique musical voice.
Happy Mondays
1/5
I'm three songs in and wondering if this album isn't one they put in to verify that people are really listening to each entry. I'm seriously considering skipping to "the famous tracks" because this is not my thing. Holy crap this is bad. This is time I will never get back. Instead of music, package contained bobcat. Would not order again.
David Bowie
5/5
Some of his best, and that is saying a great deal. Mesmerizing.
The Who
2/5
This has a career starting two songs on it, the rest of it could easily be thrown in the trashbin of time and nothing of value would be lost. Hard to rank a situation like this. Without the song My Generation, would the band have been a flash in the pan? The Kids are Alright is better than average, but not a showstopper.
PJ Harvey
5/5
This album grabs you by the lapels and pulls you in close from the opening track. I can't believe I've never heard the whole thing before. I'm feeling a very punk\grunge albeit a melodic presentation at play and it is working very, very well.
Roxy Music
4/5
Roxy Music is out there and ahead of their times, yet also shaping the music to come. It is a shame they were so hard to come by in the States. Fantastic stuff, but the last two tracks may have been too experimental for me.
Incubus
2/5
An early entry of the Nu Metal bands and the sound of New Years 1999, where it was hard to avoid them...try as I might. I'm listening to it again to see if taste and perspective have shifted enough to feel like I'm enjoying this. Drive and Privilege are pretty good, Battlestar Scralatchtica is amusing in its novelty and benefits from the touch of the Ozomatli DJ, but isn't great. The rest of the album just isn't that good.
Beck
4/5
I enjoy Beck's more commercial songs and try to understand his more obscure work. I fail, but I enjoy the process.
The Clash
4/5
I didn't realize the US and UK versions of this were different, but this track list is definitely different than the one I am used to. Still a great listen, top marks.
The Rolling Stones
5/5
This might be the perfect balance between the "old" more bluesy Stones and the rock band that came after. The sweet spot in my mind.
Dr. John
3/5
The prelude to most of the Dr. John music you *do* know.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3/5
Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds used to be high octane, but now he is just Tom Jones. Things change, I guess. What's new, pussycat?
Elvis Presley
5/5
Time does not diminish the power and pure fun of Elvis' music. Great grandfather of much of what you will hear in pop, punk and rock and roll. So good, so good.
The Strokes
5/5
I'm a creaky oldster, but this is an album that had the power to break through to me despite all my attempts to be blasé about new music in the early 2000's. Now nearing a quarter century old and still bursting with power and energy. I'm still in love with this whole album.
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
4/5
After Graceland we'd had our ears opened to this type of folk, a cappella sound. It is something of a best of album as well as they re-recorded many of the songs for this release. Personally, I would trade the haunting sound for a bit of drums.
Dirty Projectors
3/5
Interesting for a listen, on the verge of something grander. Not my thing this time around, but musical quality is good. I feel singularly un-hooked.
New Order
4/5
A good album, not their best, but a good listen.
Kendrick Lamar
4/5
Mostly interesting music and intriguing, challenging lyrics.
Van Morrison
5/5
Great music, interesting lyrics. I was hooked from the first song. Really, it goes too fast.... life and this album.
Grateful Dead
2/5
I like the Grateful Dead, I like a few of their early songs. I even like a couple of their studio albums. I like it when album size or desired airplay time constraints make them distill a song down to an essence of how they will play it live. I was once told if I don't enjoy Dark Star (which I don't) then I am not a DeadHead and I agree. I can listen to Jimi Hendrix noodles around all day, I can enjoy King Crimson as they do their version of improvisational, jazz based rock, but Dark Star seems like a good opportunity to check out the merch, watch girls dance or maybe get a beverage. Listening to the remastered version only solidified this for me. This is a groundbreaking, poetic and historic album I don't enjoy... except for Death Don't Have No Mercy, which is a good song.
John Martyn
3/5
Listened for a while, got bored and listened to Elvis Costello's, Next Year's Model again instead. Went back to try again and practically nodded off. Ambien on vinyl. Don't Want to Know picked things up a bit with a good message and I'd Rather Be the Devil was experimental and bluesy. Then the song, May you Never was really good and reminded me a bit of Yusuf Islam's early stuff and the album finished out pretty well.
Steely Dan
4/5
Steely Dan has a smooth sound. This is a beautiful album and they sought perfection by doing everything themselves in the studio, eventually. It came out just like they wanted it, tight and smooth. That said, for people who like a rougher sounds, like me, it loses some appeal.
B.B. King
4/5
I didn't twig to B.B. King until the 70's and am happy to hear his music from an earlier era. Very good stuff, and presented live. I can hear the roots of Santana here and can only imagine that this had a pervasive reach.
Dr. Dre
4/5
That Parental Advisory was certainly apt for this one. Starts with The Chronic, which was the song of Christmas and into the summer of the next year, owning the airwaves, and still hitting hard. The second song is one that would NEVER make it on the airwaves, but with lines that would be repeated again and again in other mixes\songs. Then back to a mostly radio friendly track with Let Me Ride. Some solid tracks and some jams with nice hooks, but misogynistic lyrics. Hard to rate this down, especially since it relaunched Dre after NWA.
King Crimson
3/5
I loved In the Court of the Crimson King, and there were a few rough spots there. This album is universally lauded, but has the most sessions where I have to physically stop myself from hitting the "skip" button.
Pink Floyd
5/5
The best Pink Floyd album, full stop.
ZZ Top
4/5
Before they were a record company product and were just a southern rock band having a grand time and making great music.
The Blue Nile
3/5
First listen: It reminds me a bit of The Talking Heads with a more melancholy performance voice, weary and faltering. It has a good sound but nothing that makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. I feel like I listened to this release waiting for the "good track" that would shift my perspective of this being a good release to something great and never found it.
Deep Purple
4/5
Classic Rock in classic style.
AC/DC
4/5
Outstanding sounds and fury! I love the sound of Bon Scott and the band was still doing fresh songs, they weren't yet in the, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" mode. Sure, a bit of it is repetitive but it still makes you want to get up and dance and bang your head.
Van Halen
4/5
I remember this being just about the last album with the original group and it is amazing. One track wasn't outstanding, but you can't win absolutely everything. A solid 4.4 for energy level and the smile. I should probably mark it down for Hot for Teacher being a bit iffy, but it got in under the wire in my life timeline and gets a pass.
Black Sabbath
5/5
Other than the song, "FX", this is a great listen. It isn't quite as heavy as their earlier releases, but Changes is spectacular and the sound is very good overall. A great listen and the time flew by.
Thundercat
3/5
Jazz\insert genre fusions are not my favorite, but the first few tracks made this feel fun, the way that Frank Zappa used to so I was able to enjoy it a bit more. This feeling wore out as we got in to deeper tracks. I'm going to chalk this up to, "Not my thang." Not a fan of yacht rock has probably hurt me, at first Michael MacDonald and other guest stars made me laugh, but then made me cringe. Luckily Thundercat has most of the tracks nice and short, so if you run into one that is unwanted it is likely almost done before you can hit the next button.
Beach House
3/5
First listen and it is from Sub Pop, so looking forward to it. The first two songs started off jaunty and energizing and I was poised to purchase it in whole. I may still grab those songs, however the tunes slowly turn repetitive and in some cases badly out of tune, not that tune is a must, but more than that...discordant. Lover of Mine in particular made me push away.
Sex Pistols
5/5
Boy bands have been around for ages, creations who sometimes transcended their intended money grab roots. The Sex Pistols were created after The Ramones swept through town, creating a frenzy for harder music and they became the centerpiece of the UK punk rock revolution and we got some great music out of it and it resonates in world music today. Love this album. Great Punk.
The Smiths
5/5
Never was a huge The Smiths fan, but this one was the one I bought back in the day. Such a great sound. The politics of vegetarianism resonate with me, I'm glad I got a chance to consider it fully before rejecting it for my life. Still enjoy the song. This and How Soon is Now is peak Smiths.
Laibach
2/5
After the first two songs, I was ready to write this off as Music for Skinheads. Then I noticed the subtle skewing of the message, the tongue slowly inching towards the cheek. This does have touches of Kraftwerk, The Art of Noise and other bands I do enjoy. However, as a whole I cannot recommend this.
Missy Elliott
4/5
Missy and Timba, a powerful combination. If it only brought us The Rain, it would be tremendous use of the 2 weeks they used to make this album. The rest is gravy...savory, delicious gravy.
My Bloody Valentine
2/5
I'm a fan of distortion. Hendrix, Nirvana, Mudhoney, Husker Du and Sonic Youth in moderation. This seems to be an album dedicated to it and was a barrier between me and the lyrics. There were a couple tracks I was on the verge of enjoying, but most set my teeth on edge.
Paul Simon
4/5
One of the great songwriters and singers, displaying that he didn't need Art to make his art. This is the sound of my early childhood and is steeped in sepia tones in my memory. Not every song holds up solidly through the passage of time, but the ones that do shine brightly.
Gorillaz
5/5
I remember listening to this in 2001 and it was unlike anything I had heard before. I immediately downloaded what I could from Napster and loved it all, so went and hit the record store to get the full sound. Picked it up and G-Sides and some single\EPs that were out at the same time. Then listened to them non stop. What a great time to be alive.
Pink Floyd
4/5
"Astronomy Dominé" along with "Interstellar Overdrive" and "Bike" are favorites here, however I find myself inclined towards skipping a few tracks that are too long or too out there. The amazing drumming keeps that from happening in most cases, but Take Up Thy Stethescope is a little much. In my mind they hit their stride in the triplet of Dark Side, Wish You Were Here and Animals. Highly recommend listening in headphones for full dramatic effects of Interstellar Overdrive.
Public Enemy
4/5
Best listened to on Vinyl or CD, streams cut out a lot of the character of the release. Great stuff, especially impressive when you know they lost (they were stolen) the original masters and had to recreate all this material fast before someone leaked the release. Such great energy, such flow and power.
Elvis Presley
3/5
When I was 7 or 8 there was an Elvis retrospective show on either right before or right after Casey Kasem and I ate it up. Now I appreciate his voice and realize this was possibly peak Elvis, but all I feel is the schlock that surrounded him now. So many tracks and so few good tracks on this release. It could possibly be better if I didn't get this entry to consider until the 26th of December, where I've been pelted by the slings and arrows of outrageous Christmas ditties for the last 2 weeks. Sorry Elvis, you were a great gateway to The Beatles, Pink Floyd and other bands that supplanted my love for you. That said, Power of My Love was surprising to revisit.
The Mamas & The Papas
4/5
We had the album growing up and it has some fantastic tracks and some that sound pretty dated. The first two tracks epitomize this. It is still great to hear the harmonies. For me, I call your name, is the definitive M&P song, with the sadness and whimsy they put into their work, the great sound they made together.
Pet Shop Boys
3/5
I loved electronic music in the 80's, but something about the PSBs just felt like just BritPop, not electronica. So it was fun to revisit 1987 and really listen past the lyrics and voice to the quality of the music underpinning it. I do say I appreciate it more now, than then. That said, still not top shelf, but quite well done.
Madonna
4/5
Some of this suffers from the fact that having lived through the heyday of this album I have heard these songs far, far too many times. I was VERY surprised on Love Song to hear the fact that this was very assuredly a duet with Prince. How did I not know about this in 1989?!
Joan Armatrading
3/5
How did I forget about this? When I saw the album cover I had zero memory of it, but the music is in my memory after all these decades. Nice stuff, not outstanding but mostly a nice listen.
Nirvana
5/5
1995, what a time to be alive. We had this gem to help us memorialize poor Kurt. What a gift he left us. Nary a bad song on the album. Even the songs I was inclined to skip in my younger years sound so great on headphones today. Like a fine wine, this performance has only gotten better.
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
3/5
Not a jazz fan, but here is an album with 2 songs I somewhat enjoy. Though I must say, I get antsy about 3 minutes into Take 5. The rest of the album is just OK.
Can
3/5
Awesome, if overly repetitive, percussion. If Santana were a German group they would be Can. I can also see a lot of this reflected in RadioHead. I think I would be tied into it more if I understood any of the lyrics. The second side seems to be more avant-garde than rhythm focused, and Zappa came to mind multiple times during the overlong performance. I finally did understand a few phrases in the final number, it did not make me feel closer to the performance.
Beck
4/5
I love it when the album starts and you are immediately launched into dance mode. E-Pro is a fantastic starter. The one thing I hate about this awesome album is the fake finger-snap\claps that sound squishy and processed and run an unwelcome finger up my spine, this is especially noticeable in Earthquake Weather.
Kacey Musgraves
3/5
The first couple of tracks promise a surprisingly listenable Pop country album. Kacey has a wonderful sound and isn't afraid to explore different musical genres. That said, they all somehow sound the same. Slow Burn was really good, Mother was a decently put together tear-jerkier. High Horse got off to a good start, then decided to be humdrum. Rainbow has the beginnings of a sad story, but you can hardly hear any human pain or emotion in Kacey's pretty voice. A very sadly missed opportunity.
Common
4/5
Great rhymes, great vibes. The Corner is especially good. Quite a few songs above average. Not all of it resonated with me and was a little too long if you have the version with all the instrumentals.
GZA
4/5
I love the sound of 4th Chamber, not all of this album is up my alley, but I enjoy the story and epic scope it serves. Such storytellers!
Parliament
5/5
Getting P-Funked up! This one hits on a regular basis. Not always the most elevated lyrics, but you can't help but smile and groove.
The Human League
5/5
I remember the moment I heard this for the very first time. We were traveling cross-country and visiting a friend of my Dad's and they had it playing in their recreation room. I stopped in my tracks from playing table tennis or something and listened, transfixed. I immediately started asking everyone what the song was. It was a relatively recent release in the US and it took me forever to find a copy. Still sounds like so little else that I had access to at the time.
Joni Mitchell
5/5
One of the best singer\songwriter folk\rock albums ever made.
Blur
4/5
Park Life is the best song on the Album. There is a punk\experimental element to much of what Blur does on this album, where there is some passage of the music intended to grate on you. I don't hate it, but it isn't early morning listening.
George Jones
3/5
He has a good voice. 70's country isn't my normal thing, but this has a good sound. That said, there is nothing here that makes me go WOW! In fact the subtle misogyny in some of the tracks was hard to hear.
The Chemical Brothers
4/5
Last time I heard the CB was in the mid to late 90's. Great dance music\electronica. This album is a bit less repetitive than some I have heard some producer did us a favor by reining them back a bit, the exception is It Doesn't Matter which is is by intent. Great bass effects on this one and great for listening to with good headphones as they play with where the music is rather than just a flat split. Elektrobank plays around in the back of my head, bouncing between left and right channel in a way that made my smile shine. The hidden track, The Private Psychedelic Reel (hidden track) is absolutely outstanding and may be worth another star in my grading.
Pink Floyd
5/5
One of the best albums of the 70's, still an amazing listen in every decade since. Possibly one of the best rock albums ever made. It still brings wonder every time I listen to it, brings fresh nuance every time I buy a new set of headphones.
Cat Stevens
5/5
I can't play this album without thinking of the friend who recommended it to me. Such a great sound and wonderful, hopeful lyrics. Great for the times we are going through now. May it ever be so.
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
5/5
One of the first full albums of rap I ever heard other than The Sugarhill Gang. It takes me back to a simpler time and people lining up to get something good played at a party. Seminal in so many ways.
Air
3/5
Not a fan of productions that are instrumentals, generally. This was pretty good music until track 10, where I couldn't listen to it all the way through. But it picked up after that. Overall an OK soundtrack. I never played the game so no heartstrings were pulled. I'm not sure I would play it, considering the subject matter.
Janet Jackson
2/5
More influential in music video styles than in the music itself, but all over the charts for a really long time. Dance-Pop meh, it does almost nothing for me now and didn't do much for me at the time.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
4/5
The remastered version is book-ended by versions of "My My Hey Hey", an absolute classic and I can only imagine how powerful it must have been in 1979, when this came out. "It's better to burn out than it is to rust..." means so much more to me now that I'm getting older.
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
His Live from Asbury Park is his definitive album for me, but this one is still a good listen. Clean and straight-forward. Such great tracks and before he got all full of himself. Not a perfect record, by any means, but significant.
Fiona Apple
4/5
She has great pipes. There is a punk feel to this, rough and home made, and some very interesting ideas to explore.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
5/5
I remember the first time I heard the songs from this album on the radio while delivering newspapers in the early morning. It felt like I had discovered an entirely new language. It really sounded like nothing else on the the airwaves. The 30 minutes runtime is fast and was over before I knew it, sadly.
Waylon Jennings
3/5
Good early blend of rock and country.
Crosby, Stills & Nash
5/5
To my ears, the true, sweet harmonies of the 60's.
The Rolling Stones
5/5
I love the early Stones music when it was still so very blues oriented. Even though this is several albums in, you can still hear it so clearly.
Orbital
3/5
The one thing that bothers me most is artless repetition so I struggled not to quit at the very first track. This does not bode well. I hear touches of Devo in these early tracks. The sound is good, though I am not a huge EDM fan. The last track had similar repetition so if you can't stand that, stay away.
The Dictators
4/5
The opening chords presage The Ramones, which would come a few years later. The Sonny & Cher cover that came up next made me snort! I instantly thought of Viva Las Vegas as done by DK. So perfect, way ahead of it's time. Loving it! Later tracks indicate this is a product of its time, Master Race Rock may raise some eyebrows, it feels very tongue in cheek, but prepare yourself.
KISS
4/5
I was in elementary school when this came out and the stir caused by this album, even at my level was memorable. Everyone was talking about it. I had never heard of the band, but anything that caused such pearl-clutching from adults and wide eyed wonder by my peer group had to be worth listening to. I started my journey in Heavy Metal.
The Who
4/5
I listened the hell out of this as a kid, but haven't come back to it in album form for a good long time. From my current perspective I can feel the yearning to make something elevated to the form, the rock opera. The story is good, but the music suffers, I feel. It is a good headphone experience, intended for quad sound, they spent some time on it.
George Harrison
5/5
If you had asked me to take a look at all the solo works from former Beatles and elect one as the official 14th album (or 18th depending on how you count them) to be elevated based on content close to the heart of what the Beatles created together, then this would be my submission. It seems created to decrease my heart rate and transport me to a calmer place. Thank you George, you are much missed.
Mekons
4/5
A punk and country and western mashup that somehow doesn't involve serious amounts of rockabilly. A very interesting listen if you are looking for something new, not sure this is a daily driver for me, but a nice occasional treat. Darkness and Doubt is a particularly fun ride, especially peppy considering the theme is surviving hard times and war.
Slayer
4/5
One of the great thrash metal albums of all time, but it can be a hard listen for those that came to thrash late. I loved MetallicA, Megadeth and Anthrax during this time period, but Slayer was always a bit harder to fully embrace, for me. Perhaps it is a leftover from my white-bread upbringing, but while I appreciated the album and loved them in concert, This was never my go-to thrash album.
Elbow
5/5
Beautiful, never heard it before. Absolutely grand. It reminds me of Peter Gabriel in the best way. Lovely. I'm keeping it.
Nas
3/5
A couple of songs really hit with me.
ZZ Top
4/5
ZZ Top's Black Album, the one most people know songs from, the one they hopefully made a giant pile of cash on because it projected them into the stratosphere and changed everything about the way longtime fans looked at them. From great American band to the company that made key chains. That said, it is a transitional album and has a few good tunes from without heavy synth\pop focus.
MC Solaar
3/5
First listen: not the intro I expected from an artist who styles themselves and MC. It has a good sound, reminding me of De La and some of the Blue Note Jazz\hip hop fusions. I just wish I spoke French. A Temps Partiel's sound and pacing reminds me a great deal of Above The Law's "Freedom of Speech". Ragga Jam feels distinctly out of place to me and is problematically repetitive. Luckily they got back into some good stuff immediately after.
Rahul Dev Burman
1/5
I see the "sound of the 70's" pervaded all the way to Bollywood. Oh good gracious, this is unintentionally hilarious. Is this a test to see if we listen, because this feels like a joke that has been played on me or more likely I am not the target audience of this soundtrack.
Drive-By Truckers
3/5
Gritty and rough, this is music that would definitely be pouring out of a yellow 1977 Firebird or a lifted mud-covered ford truck with a gun rack and a set of plastic truck nuts below bumper stickers faded past legibility.
Kanye West
4/5
The work of a slightly disturbed artist, but still an artist. I hope he can find meds and peace and still keep his artist side alive. I can only imagine trying to balance stardom\success\artistic expression and clarity. Prayers for Kanye.
Norah Jones
4/5
Beautiful jazz/pop songs about love, loss and waiting, gorgeously sung and artfully crafted in every way.
Simon & Garfunkel
5/5
This album reminds me of my Mother and the Saturday morning clean ups we did as a child. Golden light streaming through windows with dust motes hanging in the air. My favorite song on here is America. It always reminded me of the 1977 bicentennial celebration and brought a tear to my eye, but mix in the loss of my parents and the state of our country and now it brings a host of them. Thankfully it is a song of hope.
System Of A Down
5/5
When you hear something that sounds amazing and like nothing else you've heard before it is a rare treasure. Such a beautiful mash up of influences, absolutely outstanding. Because of this, this may be the only band lumped in with Nu-Metal that I truly love. Of all the exceptional music here, Spiders is a master's-level piece of art.
Big Brother & The Holding Company
5/5
Such a great album and such a great cover by Crumb. I was surprised to learn that Ball and Chain is the only actually live track, but what a scorcher that one is. The whole album has withstood the test of time.
Radiohead
4/5
One of my favorite Radiohead albums, it has a punkier feel and has a lot to talk about while still being unmistakably Radiohead. The fact that this album is still so very timely is a sad situation.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
It's great. At this point it only suffers from the amount of times I have already heard it in my life already.
New Order
3/5
The mid 80's had a lot of sounds I identify as "The Sounds of the 80's". Some bands were ahead of their times, like Bowie. Others were throwbacks like Ska and Rockabilly. This effectively ports me back to a certain time and place in 1986, mostly. Time travel does exist, in the vinyl between the tracks on this album. That said, if you don't go for this vocal style, it can be a hard album to listen to all the way through.
Joe Ely
1/5
I hear a rock\country\zydeco mix with a pinch of schmaltz. It doesn't seem to have a lot of depth and I'm having a hard time taking it seriously. This isn't my thing.
Kate Bush
4/5
Not her best but still above average and worth a listen.
4/5
A fun and quirky album that will take you on take you on a breezy ride. I was far more familiar with their second album, so this was a treat and a fun album to wake up to.
Jack White
3/5
This is a good album, but only has a couple of really good songs. Well worth a listen, but not outstanding to me.
Gene Clark
3/5
This has a tiny bit of country feel to it and is reminiscent of Niel Young in the vocal delivery and style. It is a contemplative album and takes its time. A nice listen but not earth shattering. Definitively not, "one of the greatest albums ever made." but a good listen nonetheless.
Big Star
3/5
If this fell off the list I would be OK with it. Not my thing. Best song on the album is third from the end, Til the End of the Day. It sounds like something from 5 or more years earlier and is a bouncy poppy song.
The Youngbloods
4/5
Now THIS is more like it! A nice mix of 70's early country rock, jazz, jam band action and a big ball of fun. I must say, I'm not the biggest modern jazz fan in the world, but this does seem to do a pretty good job of skirting the biggest issues I have will jazz-influenced rock and keeps things moving and not too heady, very well.