Great all the way through. Every track was outstanding.

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.

Always a good listen. Cutting edge 1981.

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.

Great all the way through. Every track was outstanding.

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.

So good, though I had never listened to most of this album and fell in love with every morsel of it.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Possibly the best album from an amazing group.

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.

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 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.

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.

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 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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

"When my fist clenches - crack it open", good advice. This is the best full album The Who gave us. Not a wasted track.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Pleasant, but not resonant to me.

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.

This album rises above all classifications. It is simply on the short list for one of the best albums ever made.

I know it all by heart.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

My wife hates Bob Dylan, can't get past the voice to get to the poetry. I finally understand a bit better.

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.