194
Albums Rated
2.93
Average Rating
18%
Complete
895 albums remaining
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1960s
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20
5-Star Albums
24
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You Love More Than Most
Albums you rated higher than global average
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Henry's Dream | 5 | 3.11 | +1.89 |
| It's A Shame About Ray | 5 | 3.12 | +1.88 |
| Permission to Land | 5 | 3.15 | +1.85 |
| Shake Your Money Maker | 5 | 3.29 | +1.71 |
| Abattoir Blues / The Lyre of Orpheus | 5 | 3.32 | +1.68 |
| Opus Dei | 4 | 2.39 | +1.61 |
| Aqualung | 5 | 3.44 | +1.56 |
| The Marshall Mathers LP | 5 | 3.49 | +1.51 |
| Violent Femmes | 5 | 3.5 | +1.5 |
| Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) | 5 | 3.61 | +1.39 |
You Love Less Than Most
Albums you rated lower than global average
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvest | 1 | 3.83 | -2.83 |
| 21 | 1 | 3.69 | -2.69 |
| Hotel California | 1 | 3.6 | -2.6 |
| Natty Dread | 1 | 3.58 | -2.58 |
| Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere | 1 | 3.55 | -2.55 |
| Rust Never Sleeps | 1 | 3.53 | -2.53 |
| Play | 1 | 3.47 | -2.47 |
| Frank | 1 | 3.45 | -2.45 |
| Blue Lines | 1 | 3.38 | -2.38 |
| Endtroducing..... | 1 | 3.36 | -2.36 |
Artist Analysis
Favorite Artists
Artists with 2+ albums
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds | 2 | 5 |
| Nirvana | 2 | 5 |
| Metallica | 2 | 5 |
| Jimi Hendrix | 2 | 5 |
Least Favorite Artists
Artists with 2+ albums
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Neil Young & Crazy Horse | 3 | 1 |
| Eagles | 2 | 1 |
5-Star Albums (20)
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Popular Reviews
Metallica
5/5
There’s not really much to critique on this record. It’s my favorite of Metallica’s body of work, and it’s been in pretty regular rotation since I first listened to it in like 9th grade. I’m creeping up on 50, and this record still gets me so jazzed.
5/5
1 likes
Frank Ocean
3/5
So, yesterday, I got Van Morrison’s Astral Weeks. For a while, at least for British markets, Van Morrison was considered at least very R&B-leaning. Then, this record pops up the day after. So, I guess R&B is on my mind a little bit right now.
I don’t really dislike the genre, at least in principle. I loved old Van Morrison stuff (admittedly, a bit of a different flavor for the genre), love Sam Cooke, Marvin Gaye, Ray Charles, Al Green, Otis Redding…but I don’t love where the genre headed in the 90’s and onward. Music is always evolving, I’m sure. And with it, genres can shift.
That’s what this kind of feels like to me. I know Frank Ocean’s channel Orange is probably a modern R&B classic, but it’s not a genre that resonates much with me these days. It isn’t a terrible record from a more objective perspective, I’m sure. But this record isn’t really something that holds much interest for me. I like that Frank can sing, but the subject matter is a little meh, the instrumentation is mostly digitally rendered as opposed to being played by musicians (although there are a few highlights here), it sounds slick, but it also feels like it takes place entirely in a studio. That’s may be a dumb comment…I guess what I mean is that with a band full of musicians, I can suspend my disbelief that they’re being recorded in a studio, because there’s still an energy to the recording. When everything is recorded using synths, 808s, samples, and a mic, that recording can feel pretty lifeless. Most of this record feels that way to me.
I guess I’m glad I listened once, cause it really wasn’t terrible. A couple songs I actually like alright, and it got better toward the end. But I don’t think I’ll come back.
3/5
1 likes
Wu-Tang Clan
5/5
Fuck yes, it’s about time this record popped up. I don’t need to listen to it to know Im going to give it a hard 5, but I’m going to.
5/5
1 likes
Green Day
4/5
Finally, after days of slogging through records I haven’t much cared for, there’s Dookie.
I don’t think Green Day has ever reinvented any wheels (though this record probably had a big part to play in popularizing the genre at the time), but they really never needed to. Dookie is full of super catchy songs played by pretty talented musicians. Billie Joe Armstrong is a great songwriter, Mike Dirnt is a bit of a gem in a genre that doesn’t typically showcase great bassists, and Tre Cool is a probably pretty underrated drummer. Everything on this record works.
More important to me is that Dookie fires off all sorts of high school nostalgia. I liked Kerplunk, Nimrod might be their best album front-to-back, and American Idiot is great, but Dookie came out at the right time and has all sorts of memories attached to it. I don’t miss high school too much, but listening to this record tricks me into thinking I do.
4.6/5.0
1 likes
Kanye West
3/5
Kanye's Yeezus sounds every bit like it should have been titled, "Portrait of a Manic Episode" or something. To me, this record sounds like he's gone full-blownsies off his meds. That's not altogether a bad thing though; there were parts of this album that I quite enjoyed. The beats on this record are interesting and not something I feel like I've ever really heard someone lean into. Regardless of how crazy he might have been in 2013, the man can still write some catchy stuff. This record is not really what I think of as his best effort, but I don't think it's his worst either, and there are some songs that I like alright, even if big parts of the album are a bit of an eye-roll from me.
I appreciate Kanye's willingness to take risks and jump unreservedly into new artistic terrain. Whether or not it always works is another question. There are some parts of this that really don't. The samples that he inserts into the middle of some songs here is one thing that comes to mind. Perhaps I'm missing the point, but I reckon the songs where he tries this out are much stronger without the interruption to the flow.
But the thing that kinda bums me out about large parts of this record is that it feels like he lyrically phoned it in for this one. "Some are leaders and some are followers, I'd rather be a dick than a swallower." Ooof. The aggressive repetition of that line makes me believe that Kanye REALLY buys into his own hype as a lyrical genius. And that's really just one instance of many that left me kind of cringing. There were large parts of this record where his lyrics feel, I dunno, disconnected from an actual point; like, when that one drunk guy at the party starts trying to freestyle, and he manages to find some words that rhyme, but they don't make a ton of sense when put together...and everyone just kinda wishes that he'd call it a night and pass out somewhere else. This record felt a little like that at points. Like, ok, Kanye, maybe we all understand that you like sex a lot, but maybe it's best to go ahead and take your meds...I think it's this lack of real self awareness or the ability to self edit which make believe that he felt like he could record just about whatever and the world would buy it. That's what I think I mean when I say this record sounds like he put a manic episode to tape.
I do think it got better toward the end, and there are some super redeeming qualities to Yeezus. But this probably isn't the record I would hand to someone from the younger generation that was curious about why the world was in love with Kanye for a bunch of years.
3.0/5
1 likes
1-Star Albums (24)
All Ratings
Lana Del Rey
3/5
Pink Floyd
5/5
Creedence Clearwater Revival
3/5
Solid work. Very familiar with their better known songs, but hadn't listened to a lot of their deeper cuts. This album sounds like classic CCR. One might wish they mixed up tempo a little bit from time to time, but it's pretty enjoyable.
The White Stripes
2/5
Jack White might be a guitar virtuoso, but holy shit, I can't finish this album. It's so boring. Jack White has always been pretty hit and miss with me, but apart from the familiar song or two from this album, it sounds like a bunch of album filler. It's not that this record is out and out bad, per se, it's that I can't keep myself engaged enough to finish it. Every song feels like background noise. Admittedly, I've always been annoyed by Meg White's drumming, but I don't think this explains why I find just about every song so grating. I like some of Jack White's solo stuff, and he really is a fantastic player, but after listening to most of this record, I still don't understand how this band has garnered the popularity and success they've achieved. This, one of their most critically acclaimed records, is a hard listen for me.
Sufjan Stevens
3/5
I've heard some of Sufjan's work over the years and always found him to be interesting and lyrically insightful, yet his music has never really "clicked" with me. At about the 1/3 point of this record, I still feel the same way. He does some really cool stuff with instrumentation and arrangement, and his lyrics have some great depth, and yet, I'm looking forward to listening to something else. I kind of wonder if this isn't one of those records that needs a couple spins before it grabs your attention? I likely won't find out, though I will put forth a concerted effort to finish this one.
Ella Fitzgerald
3/5
This one was a bit of a surprise; I thought I’d kind of hate it. Although I don’t think I’ll revisit it, I quite enjoyed the Gershwin’s music. Ella Fitzgerald is very talented, even if she didn’t feature for the first third of the record. The production is first rate. The problem is that I don’t feel like the record gives me a compelling reason to listen to it again; I guess that’s to say that, as enjoyable as its constituent parts are, I don’t care to dive back in repeatedly. They can’t all resonate with me, I guess.
U2
2/5
Ugh. I like old U2 alright, but this is the album I checked out on this band with. It might not be their fault, other than that they wrote this album full of hits that I’ve heard soooo many times that I just can’t handle them anymore. I’m probably leaving this record an unfair 2, but a 2 nonetheless; it’s just that everything on this record is just. So. Boring. And off-putting.
The Monks
2/5
The track that the Spotify linked to sounds fun, but it wasn't the full record. So, who knows if the whole record is any good, cause it seems extremely difficult to find, at least on Spotify.
MGMT
3/5
I've never sat down and listened to this record, but much of it is familiar. I don't generally love an over emphasis on synthesizers and drum machines and what not, but this record does all of that really right, and there's at least 3 tracks on here that I already revisit somewhat often. For me, this record is creeping up on a 4-star rating because I genuinely really enjoy parts of it and will listen to those tracks again. I think I give it a 3 because there aren't quite enough of those to qualify it as a hard 4, but this is probably my favorite record presented in 1001 so far, with the exception of Wish You Were Here, which is a hard 5 star record.
The Prodigy
1/5
Really just not an interesting genre for me. Didn’t finish the record.
Frankie Goes To Hollywood
1/5
First thoughts as this album gets rolling: this might require the kind of patience that I don’t have.
By Relax, I’m still not into it. Not gonna finish. Life is too short, and there’s 1000 records here.
The Beach Boys
3/5
Love The Beach Boys harmonies, but if you’ve heard one record, you’ve kind of heard all of them (Pet Sounds probably being the exception). Their hits are fun, the rest feel a little filler-y.
The Offspring
4/5
Love this record. As far as I’m concerned, Offspring could have started and finished their career with Smash (Ignition was good too, but no Smash); after that, I lost a lot of interest as Offspring really started to pander to their audience and seemed very concerned with writing hits to get them on TRL, but Smash is awesome.
Aerosmith
4/5
Big Aerosmith fan, mostly of this era (though Permanent Vacation is fun and Pump is my favorite as a whole record). This record has some of my favorite Aerosmith songs, but there are a couple tracks that bog down the record a little bit. Even still, Joe Perry is an incredible guitarist and there’s some cool instrumentation on this record; Aerosmith is the quintessential “rock star” band, and Steven Tyler is a classic front man. Toys in the Attick is a classic.
DJ Shadow
1/5
Really? This is one of the 1001 records I NEED to listen to before I die? Didn’t finish.
Count Basie & His Orchestra
3/5
This one was a bit of a surprise. I’ve liked what little Count Basie I’ve heard in the past, but never really sat down and really invested. I really like it in the background, and will probably give it another spin at some point. I wish the mix was just a bit more bottom heavy, but the music is fun and lively and interesting.
The White Stripes
3/5
Note before I start this: I don’t think I’m gonna be able to make it through this. I kind of hated Elephant, and I don’t expect this to be anything different. But, we’ll see.
Alright, this is better than expected. It’s far more varied and interesting than Elephant.
Alright, the more I listen to this one, the more I like it. Funny thing is that I don’t remember this album getting nearly as much attention as Elephant, but it feels like a more fleshed out, mature White Stripes. I recognize some of the songs, but the other songs that I don’t recognize because of the radio are so much more interesting than the filler on Elephant. I’d listen to this record again, though I don’t love it so much that I’d put it on repeat. This is probably a solid 3-star approaching 4-star record for me, which is probably high praise considering how bored I was with Elephant.
The Shamen
1/5
"Move Any Mountain" I'm familiar with, but I never much cared for the song. 90's dance music was never a genre that resonated with me at all, and this record, I can already tell, is not going to be the one to make me rethink that position. I won't be finishing this one.
The Who
3/5
I always liked the Who alright. Never been a super fan, but loved the hits. This record feels like it’s somehow avoided most of those hits. It’s not bad, but it’s easy to lose focus. I am gaining more awareness and appreciation for John Entwistle’s bass lines, which come through the mix pretty clearly. Keith Moon is a beast. Townsend is great. Still kinda bored though. Don’t hate it, probably a hard 3, but will likely never revisit just cause if I need to listen to the Who, I’ll find a different studio record or something.
Fats Domino
2/5
Honestly I’m sort of annoyed that a compilation record counts as an “album that must be listened to before I die”. That said, I don’t hate the songs on here at all, but I’ll never search them out. This record feels like the equivalent of not changing the station when something comes on that you don’t care about, but you just quit paying attention instead of putting in the hard work of changing the channel. I dunno. I feel like this is just on the cusp of being enjoyable, but just falls short for me. The only thing that would probably save this for me would be a nostalgic connection, but I don’t have that, so, maybe this is a sort of disingenuous 2 for me. I feel like it’s not actually bad enough to warrant a 2, but it’s not a 3 for me either. 2.8, maybe? I just don’t want to round up.
The Smiths
1/5
Love the music, hate Morrissey’s voice. And his persona. And his lack of interest in song structure. He’s sort of just singing his shitty poetry over jangly music; the Smiths has always felt like a band doing something totally different than Morrissey is doing at any given point. I’ve heard plenty of the Smiths over the years, but never sat down to try and tolerate my way through a whole record at once. Well, here we are. It sucks every bit as much as I remember, but now it sucks for 39 minutes straight. I don’t understand how Johnny Marr can be so badass, but Morrissey sucks so hard that he actually ruins what Johnny Marr is doing. Fuck, this is terrible. 1, and only because Morrissey’s self-absorbed caterwauling ruins all the good things that the rest of the Smiths do. Morrissey is so much worse than the Smiths are good.
Hugh Masekela
2/5
Fine in a jazz bar in the background, don’t want to listen to it for fun. Pretty bored.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
1/5
Fucking hate Neil Young’s music. Don’t need to listen to this record to know that it’s going to get a 1 from me, and I’ll save myself the frustration of wondering why the world regards his work so highly.
Destiny's Child
1/5
I was genuinely excited to start this project, but I’m about 25 records in and I’ve been less than impressed with a lot of what’s been presented.
Case in point: Destiny’s Child. Really? Does the world REALLY need to hear Destiny’s Child before we all expire? Is it really imperative that I spend an hour of my life listening to this—I’m sure—groundbreaking work? What did this group contribute to the American musical lexicon that 400 other shitty girl groups in the 80’s, 90’s, and 00’s didn’t already? Sincerely, if these girls weren’t easy on the eyes, would we have ever heard of them? I’d wager no. Are any of these songs works of lyrical brilliance or musical ingenuity? Fuck, no. Do any of the songs on this record express an artist's deep longing for meaning? Do any of the songs on this record communicate a sincere and authentic desire for belonging, or perhaps a question about the writer's existential position in the universe? No. Instead, we get lifeless, digital rhythms overlaid with these types of heartbreaking works of staggering lyrical genius: "I don't think you're ready for this jelly, my body too bootylicious for you, babe."
I'm not suffering under some delusion that art necessarily has to be profound to be art; I think that art can exist to simply entertain (although that does bring up a question of whether GOOD art simply entertains). But, Survivor is prefab, corporate dipshittery that some team of talentless hacks got hired to write and produce, then peddle to the masses via these easy-on-the-eyes industry plants. I hated this banal shit when it was popular on the radio and MTV the first time, and the 25 years since this record was released has not softened my outlook on this completely generic dreck.
Perhaps the most confounding aspect of Survivor being showcased on this platform is that I'm forced to acknowledge that this record managed to sell eleventy billion copies. I don't understand how; Survivor is just so, so bad. Truly, I don't understand the lowest common denominator of the American consumer market. Does nobody listen with discernment? Is everyone so easily entertained? Evidently, I'm the one who is out of touch.
Be that as it may, I am quickly losing faith in the critics who took part in selection process for this project. I can’t believe this record was allowed to take up a spot, even just one of 1001, over some real musician’s work. Shame on you, album generator. Shame.
Also, now I wish I could go back and readjust all the 1s I’ve given out. I don't think I'm able to give a record 0 stars, unfortunately, and so this record is flattered by the 1-star review I'm forced to give it. It's really unfair to all the other 1-star reviews I've given out, which were at least concerted artistic efforts by actual musicians, even if I found them to be largely unlistenable. Destiny's Child's "Survivor" is not just unlistenable, it's insulting that it is presented here alongside some truly remarkable records. What an unadulterated piece of shit this record is.
Green Day
4/5
Finally, after days of slogging through records I haven’t much cared for, there’s Dookie.
I don’t think Green Day has ever reinvented any wheels (though this record probably had a big part to play in popularizing the genre at the time), but they really never needed to. Dookie is full of super catchy songs played by pretty talented musicians. Billie Joe Armstrong is a great songwriter, Mike Dirnt is a bit of a gem in a genre that doesn’t typically showcase great bassists, and Tre Cool is a probably pretty underrated drummer. Everything on this record works.
More important to me is that Dookie fires off all sorts of high school nostalgia. I liked Kerplunk, Nimrod might be their best album front-to-back, and American Idiot is great, but Dookie came out at the right time and has all sorts of memories attached to it. I don’t miss high school too much, but listening to this record tricks me into thinking I do.
4.6/5.0
Les Rythmes Digitales
1/5
From Wikipedia: “Darkdancer is the second studio album by Les Rythmes Digitales, released in 1999. It peaked at number 53 on the UK Albums Chart. In 2005, it was re-released with an additional disc that included remixes, unreleased tracks, and music videos.”
Lol. “Peaked at no 53 on the UK albums chart.” Seems like another winner…
Fuck, I don’t care about this at all. Maybe someone who’s a fan of the genre would appreciate it. I’m two tracks in and so, so bored. Why is there so much edm in 1001? There have to be better options from 1999.
Anyway, for what’s it’s worth, it sounds a little different than what I expected. But I just don’t care. It’s boring and I don’t want to listen to any more of it. Skimmed through first 3 tracks. Still better than Destiny’s Child “Survivor”.
1.3/5
The Go-Go's
3/5
It’s been years since I heard this record, and when it popped up here, I really couldn’t remember it apart from the two hits. I always liked Belinda Carlisle’s voice, and there are plenty of Go Go’s and Belinda Carlisle songs I like.
But there are only two of those on this record. It’s not that the record is bad, but it doesn’t offer a ton outside of those two songs; there are a lot of mediocre and filler tracks. I guess I can understand why this record was highly touted for its time (though I am scratching my head at Wikipedia’s assertion that this was an early new wave record), but it maybe it’s a little forgettable by now.
2.7/5 - have to round up
Laibach
4/5
lol, I have no idea what’s being said, but I’m kind of digging this. Sounds industrial, sort of. And it’s sort of weird. I can’t tell if it’s a big joke. Even if it is, it’s well executed.
By track 2, I’m almost certain it’s a big joke. But I love it so far. I don’t know how many replays it’ll get from me, but I will tell my friends who are into weird shit.
Someone commented that it’s like Rammstein sung by Cookie Monster, which is pretty accurate. But it also incorporates weird synth horns and strings. It’s actually sorta catchy, despite this dude grumble-singing about someone getting him a light beer.
Honestly, this sounds a little like a Mike Patton project. I have no idea how to rate this record. On the one hand, I doubt I’ll come back for too many re-listens. On the other hand, I can’t turn it off. I feel like I’m on a journey here. This might be the weirdest 4 I rate, because 4s and 5s are usually things that I’ll listen to repeatedly, and this isn’t that kind of record, but it’s also pretty interesting in a psychotic sort of way and I respect the weirdness.
4/5
CHIC
2/5
Pre-listen notes: I fucking hate the disco genre, so I reckon this will be a big ol’ goose egg for me. But I guess I signed up for this, and disco was bound to show up eventually. I’ll be a sport and give it a shot, but I don’t expect to finish this one.
Just getting into the record: I don’t hate the bass lines and the jazzy guitar bits. The drums (riding the hell out that hi-hat) are kinda killing me; I think this is generally what makes disco a challenge for me. The unchanging repetitive nature of the drums just drone on and drive me crazy. Actually, I’m 2 tracks in and finding these songs to be overlong because of the repetition; why say in 2 minutes what can be extended to 10? Maybe that’s an exaggeration, but it doesn’t feel like it.
That said, I’m not dreading continuing this just yet. There are some redeeming qualities in the musicianship and production; this record, so far, is clean and tight. I actually like some of the instrumental sections for the jazz licks. “Savoir Faire” is a highlight.
But, this record is really not my style, I guess. Tight musicianship, and the bassist is really killer, but the music itself is pretty tough for me to get through, and I’ll not be revisiting it. Disco just sucks.
2.5/5
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
5/5
I love Nick Cave so much, but this not actually a record I’ve spent an overabundance of time on. I really love his early work, with Henry’s Dream, Let Love In, and Murder Ballads being the real sweet spot in his body of work for me. I kind of checked out with him post-Boatman’s Call, so I’m looking forward to this one since I really haven't listened to it more than once in the past, and that was probably 20 years ago.
Just finished. What a baller record. I can’t believe it’s taken me 20 years to come back and sit with this record. I checked out after No More Shall We Part. After the weepiness of Boatman’s Call (which was good, but not my favorite side of Nick Cave) and leaning more into that with NMSWP, I gave up the proverbial ghost with Nick Cave. I’d even listened to bits of late records where he just seemingly quit giving a shit about rhyme schemes and writing songs that were pleasant to listen to. But this record fits, probably most sweetly, into that sweet spot. It has balls and heart. It might be one of his most “front to back” listenable records. He has written a good many songs that surpass many on this record (though there a few that hang with the best of his songs), but this is one of his best records as a whole. I will be putting this in my regular rotation.
5/5
Machito
3/5
Latin African jazz. Dammit. Without listening yet, I know I’ll enjoy the musicianship but have my serious doubts that anything here will resonate with me.
And, within seconds, I know that I’m right. The drums might give me an actual panic attack. The horns sound like a high school marching band (to be fair, an extremely talented one). The talent here is obvious, and I don’t hate this at all, but I can’t find a reason why I would ever listen to this by choice.
Undoubtedly, this will appeal to a lot of music lovers because it really is well done. Very talented, tight musicians, and top notch recording. I am listening to something that I would never find on my own, and I appreciate that. But, this is just not my preference, and I’ll rate it as such. Solid work, just don’t care that much. These drums might give me a stroke. It’s all so frenetic.
2.8/5-too well done to not round up, but I’m doing it begrudgingly because I will never think about this record again.
The Modern Lovers
3/5
Pre-listen notes: I never really spent any time with Jonathan Richman. I know that he’s something of a cult hero, but my only real experience with him was through There’s Something About Mary and a Nerf Herder song about him (“please, God, don’t let me end up like Jonathan Richman…”. I never really understood the reference, though I do love Nerf Herder). So, I’m kind of happy to take the time here.
Listening notes: This record reminds me of a Doors-y Velvet Underground. I’ve never been a big fan of either of those bands (though I like a few songs here and there of both). So, this record is probably falling a little flat for me. But it’s not without its merits. I appreciate the groove some of these songs settle into.
More importantly, this record gives me a greater appreciation for that aforementioned Nerf Herder song, "Jonathan Richman." I always liked the song pretty good, but I did not understand the lyrics at all, and I guess I could never be bothered to look up the references. Well, they're all here in this record, and that song makes a ton more sense now. And it's actually pretty funny. Parry Gripp is a treasure, and I wish one of his records would crop up in 1001, but I kind of doubt the world sees it that way. Destiny's Child? Sure, the discriminating listener definitely needs to hear that played-out, busted piece of shit. Nerf Herder? Too silly to be taken seriously, I'm sure...
Anyway, I probably don’t have loads to say about Modern Lovers. It’s listenable, but I’ll probably never come back and revisit it. It’s probably the definition of a 3/5. There’s nothing really offensive about it, and it’s sort of enjoyable, but not enjoyable enough to invest real time with. I’m not sure why it’s in this list, honestly. But it’s definitely not the worst thing that’s been selected.
3.0/5
Randy Newman
4/5
I was not super looking forward to this one. The only Randy Newman songs I’ve ever heard were the sorta cheesy ones from the Major League soundtrack and Toy Story soundtrack (actually, in searching his catalogue, it looks like he’s put in a ton of work on a ton of different soundtracks, which I was not aware of). If I would have been pressed to describe his sound, I might have said something to the effect of, “the drunk sounding guy that plays ragtime piano.”
I still kind of feel that way. Randy Newman has a really unique voice that can be a little much (don’t know if I’d qualify it as “drunk sounding” at this point thought…yet it’s still not totally inaccurate…I dunno), and some of the music does have a sort of ragtime vibe. But I’m actually digging this record. The arrangements with the strings and horns is really great, and I like his songs when he’s not singing about how “you’ve got a friend in me”. I guess that’s to say, this record is way less cheesy than I predicted. Some of the songs would fit right in with some of Tom Waits’ early drunk jazz bar records, but with more orchestration. I still prefer Tom Waits - though, to be fair, I prefer Tom Waits to just about anyone - but I will listen to this again. I could actually see sinking into this record. The lyrics are sometimes darker than I would have expected, the music is interesting and sometimes sad, and I think there’s enough to chew on for repeat listens.
This record is a happy surprise.
4.0/5
Simon & Garfunkel
2/5
I don’t know how much I have to say about Simon and Garfunkel. I love the way they harmonize, and they’re great musicians, but the songs themselves, at least on this record, don’t do a whole lot for me. I know, I know, that’s damn near sacrilege to say. I’d probably spend some time with their greatest hits, but this record is legit pretty boring up until the last three tracks.
2.5/5 - and I’m probably only rating it this high for the last three tracks…though I’m rounding down to 2 stars. I’m really disappointed with this record, to be honest.
The Black Crowes
5/5
So, I’ve never really sat down with a whole Black Crowes record, and for the life of me, I don’t understand why not. This record released right as I was getting into hair metal, followed quickly by grunge. I always liked the radio hits in this record, but something about the southern gospel blues grooves didn’t resonate with me enough at the time for me to invest in the Black Crowes. I see now that I was a fool.
The only real complaint I have with Shake Your Money Maker is that a couple of the songs (Sister Luck and maybe Seeing Things and Stare It Cold, but I need to listen to those two again) drag a little bit for me…but they’re not even bad songs, they’re just not quite as good as everything else. This record is so solid, and I’m kicking myself for waiting til 2025 to spend some time with it. Cripes, it’s a genre I actually really like too. I guess I had to grow into it. Better late than never, I suppose.
4.8/5 - Happy to round this up, and I would say the only reason it’s not clean 5 for me is cause of Sister Luck, which might be the only track I’d skip just to get to the next one more quickly.
Joni Mitchell
2/5
This is a tough listen for me. Someone described this record as “menopause core” and I don’t know that I can come up with a better description.
Thing is, ok, these songs aren’t designed to be sung along to; they don’t follow the whole verse-chorus-verse-bridge-chorus template of pop music. They’re more like paintings set to music. I can appreciate what Joni is doing here, but I’m not enjoying it at all. It’s tough to relate to, and when I can’t relate, being able fall back on pop song structures helps. Plus, her voice kind of drives me nuts. This one’s just not for me.
2.0/5
Nirvana
5/5
Nirvana has always been a weird band for me. Nevermind was huge, and it released as I was turning into an angsty teen…also a teen that was turning into kind of an elitist jerk about music. So, I loved Nevermind up until Nirvana turned into “the voice of a generation” and got played non-stop on radio and MTV. Then I hated Nirvana; for one thing, you couldn’t escape hearing it and it got real old, but also because when the jock and rich kids in your Christian high school start really getting into a band, that band loses one of the big things that made it special to you in the first place. Of course, that’s really pretty dumb, but that’s where I was in high school.
All that’s to say, I didn’t listen to much of this record when it came out. I heard the hits, but had moved onto “cooler” pastures by 1993.
Eventually, I grew out of this elitist jerk nonsense, realizing that it wasn’t really fair to me to deprive myself of great music on the basis of other people enjoying it also. After all, there’s usually a reason why good music is popular, and why should anyone else’s enjoyment of something affect my enjoyment of the same thing? If anything, joy becomes increased when it can be shared.
So, after Kurt’s death and after growing up just a little, I followed back up with Nirvana and found that I loved them again. They’re not one of my all time faves or anything, but I do have a big soft spot for Nirvana and a nostalgic connection to them, and I’m sad that I deprived myself of enjoying them for a few years just cause I was kind of a dick.
Anyway, In Utero rules. And I think I prefer it to Nevermind (just barely) because of the rawness of the recording. This album feels angsty like Nevermind, but with more abrasive urgency or something.
Probably doesn’t need to be said at this point, but I’ll say it anyway: I still blame Courtney for Kurt’s death.
5/5
The Stooges
3/5
I’ve listened to bits of Iggy Pop here and there over the years, but never really spent a lot of time with the Stooges. I always appreciated his persona as something of a wild man and he’s a consummate performer, but the Stooges were far enough before my time that it was easy to miss the proverbial boat with them. And this is why I like the idea of 1001 albums generator, because now I have the opportunity to circle back and catch some of the stuff I’ve just missed out on.
There’s a lot to like about Funhouse for me. This record feels raw and energetic, and I bet their live shows were killer. It sounds simultaneously a product of its time, but also probably ahead of it too; much of this reminds me of the Doors at their most drugged-out and aggressive, but without the Ray Manzarek keyboardiness. I did appreciate the application of the saxophone in some of these songs, which is something I almost never say.
That said, I probably won’t rush to circle back to it any time soon. I like this record, but I wouldn’t say I love it. I like the energy, but I wish there were some changes in tempo or song structure for me to really connect with it; melody is in short supply on this record.
3.4/5
Death In Vegas
2/5
Well, I don’t hate this record, but it’s not for me. I don’t love the singers voice (at least the singer on the second track…it seems like they change), and the music might be really interesting if I was tripping balls, but that doesn’t really ever happen anymore, so I can’t see me finding out. As it stands, I’m just not super interested.
2.4/5
Green Day
5/5
Super fun record.
When American Idiot came out, I remember being not too fussed about Green Day. Dookie was a classic, and I loved Nimrod, but Insomniac was largely terrible and they hadn’t really impressed me with Warning or Shenanigans. At that point, I’d figured their best years were long behind them. And when this record was released, they had become MTV darlings (which has never been an indicator of quality for me), and besides that, I never get too jazzed about overtly political commentary from entertainers whose opinion on political and world issues doesn’t need to concern me; for instance, just because Taylor Swift can write a record that sells a billion copies does not mean that she’s qualified to weigh in on things of social or political importance, or that anyone should take her opinions seriously, even when they’re said from a stage or put to music. Of course it’s her prerogative to wax intelligent about things outside of her area of expertise—or in this case, Green Day’s—but I don’t need to support that artist by buying the record or paying any attention. So American Idiot, released sometime around the Bush election, seemed like it was going to lean in that direction, which I find obnoxious.
Im glad I circled back to American Idiot a few years later, because this record turned out to be fucking awesome. From a pop punk perspective, it’s pretty much a landmark achievement to write a punkrock “opera” concept record that works on a storytelling perspective and remains listenable…and really, not just listenable, but super enjoyable.
I don’t even care much about their “message” here, and I’m not even super sure there are more than a couple songs that are overtly political. American Idiot bleeds feelings of disenfranchisement and cynicism and confusion, but it doesn’t seem like it harps on one particular political pet peeve, thankfully.
More importantly, the songwriting is a big step forward for the band; the arrangements are interesting and the songs all flow together, but they’ve obviously borrowed some conventions from showtunes as well, which really work. It feels like everyone in the band was likely stretched here, but they still sound like Green Day. As a whole, this record is a front-to-back, no-skips record.
5/5
It’s funny, this is not my favorite Green Day record, but probably the one I’d rate the highest. I didn’t actually intend to give this one a 5-star rating when it got assigned. I loved it years ago, but thought of it as a 4-star, or even a 4.5-star listen at a push. But, after this listen, I do think it’s their best work, even if I would still probably revisit Dookie and Nimrod first. This record is a damn treasure, and probably their best effort front-to-back.
Crosby, Stills & Nash
2/5
I don’t know if I’ve got it in me to get through this whole record. I don’t understand how a band can showcase so much obvious musical competency and still be so boring. It’s like they’ve made a concerted effort to avoid catchy melodies. They’ve found a way to sing around any actual melody, yet still harmonize with each other really well. But it’s not just vocally; the guitars sound like they’re being operated by talented guitar players whose talent is primarily expressed through one player mindlessly noodling over a go-nowhere chord structure. It’s really impressive except that it’s so hard to listen to. My dad would be so disappointed with my take on Crosby, Stills, and Nash—Cripes, even their band name is painfully tiresome to say—but I’m just so tired of listening to this record, and I don’t think I’m even halfway through at the time of this writing. I’ll try to get through more, but I doubt I’ll finish. Life’s too short to waste a bunch of time on a record that I know won’t connect with me.
2.5—and I’m probably only rating it this highly because the talent behind this album is obvious. I can’t bring myself to round up though.
Fiona Apple
4/5
I like Fiona Apple a good deal and listened to this record a few times when it released. I remember liking it, but haven’t revisited it for whatever reason. So, I’m glad to revisit it now.
I still like the record—quite a bit, actually—but I now remember why I haven’t come back to it since 2020: when I think about throwing some Fiona on the headset, my go to is always When the Pawn…I’m enjoying registering to Fetch the Boltcutters, but it makes me want to throw on When the Pawn. The thing is, I enjoy things about this record that aren’t really on her others. The percussion on this record is interesting and I wish there was some of this on her earlier work (it reminds me of some of the percussion on some of the later Tom Waits work). The arrangements on this record feel more experimental and I think it works. The songs are largely great…but not as strong as When the Pawn (which I think is a 5-star record). This record doesn’t disappoint me at all, I just want more When the Pawn…of course, I don’t expect that she’s going to write the same stuff in 2020 as she did in 1999, and I think there are obviously ways that she’s grown as an artist since then.
3.9/5—this is a super solid and enjoyable effort that has its own niche in Fiona’s catalogue. There are a couple meh tracks, but she does some stuff on it that she hasn’t really done before, and which I’m not sure too many folks could pull off so well. That said, I’ve worked through Fetch the Boltcutters a few times now; there’s a number of songs that are good, and a couple stinkers, but it lacks the overall replay value of When the Pawn and Tidal. I like it, I’ll listen to it again, but I’ll be hitting up those aforementioned records first.
The The
2/5
I don’t really know how to rate this one. It was on in the background earlier, but I wasn’t actively listening. What I did hear: obnoxious and repetitive 80’s synth drums, a vocalist who sounded familiar but not in a good way, and a bunch of weird xylophone-type sounds that I think I’d probably enjoy in a different setting, but because the rest of what I heard was just not compelling me to finish the record, I guess I’ll never know for sure. This is, admittedly, a disingenuous rating. But I don’t care.
2/5
Eminem
5/5
Lol, I was just wondering the other day when Eminem would show up in my list, and here we are. I listen to Eminem a good amount already; he's one of my favorite hip hop artists. So, this is a pretty easy one to rate cause I already listen to it from time to time, though I admit that the bias will be strong with this one.
Eminem is something of a lyrical genius for me, and one of the GOATs, and he keeps getting better at it as the years go on. The Marshall Mathers LP was earlier in his career, and as much as I like this era of Eminem, I think he's gotten much better since this record—with a few proverbial bumps in the road along the way (Revival was pretty rough for me to get through). So, while I think he's pretty much perfected the art at this point, this record happened way before that.
That said, for its day, this was about one of the best hip hop records you could find. I know plenty of hip hop heads would disagree with me on this point; some people would argue that this record hasn't aged well because of its "blatant misogyny and homophobia" (I've read plenty of reviews here that echo that sentiment). Whether that's a major sticking point or not for some people, I think it would be hard to argue that—even at this point in this point in his career—Eminem is not already one of the best in the business at lyricism, wordplay, flow, delivery, punchlines, etc. The dude is—and was, even at this point—just brilliant, whether you care for his subject matter or not.
So, really, I'm rating this by holding it up against other Eminem records. He has 5-star records to hold up as something of a measuring stick for the lesser records; for me, I feel like I can really only compare him to himself, because I don't think there are many who really compare.
4.7/5—rounding up
Eric Clapton
2/5
Eric Clapton is a superb player, and for the most part, this is a decent-enough-but-leaning-heavily-towards-boring record. It's pretty standard 12-bar blues type stuff, though it's largely executed well technically.
I don't know that I'll ever revisit 461 Ocean Blvd again; while the musicianship is technically done well enough, nothing really grabs my attention in a meaningful way. Even Clapton's playing, as technically gifted a player as he is, just lacks any sort of excitement or passion or dynamic shift on this record. It has also not gone unnoticed that about half of this record is cover songs, and those covers largely feel lifeless and dull (I'm probably deducting a full point here; who records half an album of originals and fills up the space with uninspired covers successfully? I can tell you who doesn't: Eric Clapton). I'll be honest, I know Clapton is a guitar hero, but I have always struggled to find his work interesting. This record is not the exception.
2.4/5
Non-offensive but kinda boring blues rock from one of the masters.
Eagles
1/5
Ooof. I don’t think I can do it. I’ve pretty much loathed the Eagles for as long as I can remember. Can’t say exactly why either. I’ve heard a ton of their songs over the years, and I can’t get to a place where I can enjoy them. I think Joe Walsh is a great player, some of their riffs are crazy memorable, the band is obviously talented, but I don’t like them at all. I even know the lyrics to a lot of their songs. I don’t really mind when other bands cover their stuff. But, they do nothing for me. But I’m a sport, and I’ll see how far I can get.
First, the positives: I kinda like the lead guitars.
The rest of it is a slog. The lyrics are mostly inane. I hate the breezy country hippie vibes. I’m normally a sucker for harmonies, but theirs are grating on me. I feel anger, and I don’t know why. Don Henley bugs me.
1.4—rounding down, obviously. Nothing has changed for me in my opinions about the Eagles by having listened to more of this than I thought I’d be able to. Still, I’ll listen to this before I touch Destiny’s Child’s “Survivor” again. I hate the Eagles, but I can at least respect them.
The Mothers Of Invention
2/5
This is...something. I've never sat down to listen to Frank Zappa. I was always curious as he's got a reputation for weirdness. I even consider myself someone who has a decent tolerance for weirdness, and would even say I appreciate some outside-of-the-box approaches to music. But Mothers of Invention have a threshold for weirdness far beyond mine. As a whole record, it borders on unlistenable, but partially redeemed by a few songs. It kind of reminds me of what David Lynch is for tv and film. He's incredible when he's got a producer that's willing to rein him in a bit; I love his weirdness when it's a little bit constrained. I think Frank Zappa might be the David Lynch of music, because it's clear that he—and maybe only he—knows what he's doing, but I think this album would've been greatly improved by someone keeping him hedged in just a little. As it stands, this was pretty rough to get through, but not without at least a few merits. It has some kind of funny bits, and there are some songs that sort of stay organized like you'd expect an orthodox song to do. It's not like the Shaggs, where you wonder who forced these women to pick up instruments they clearly don't know how to play, but more like a hyper talented musician who just couldn't give a shit about writing something that anyone else should want to listen to. I'd liken it to what I imagine it might feel like to be stuck in someone else's bad acid trip.
1.8/5
I'd listen to this again before Destiny's Child though.
Violent Femmes
5/5
I've loved the Violent Femmes since high school. I got to see them around 1998, and it's still one of the best shows I've experienced. Im still kind of amazed that 3 dudes could fill up three hours and manage to be entertaining the whole time.
Anyway, the self-titled Violent Femmes record is probably their best effort. I love this record. They managed to maintain their charm over the years, to some extent or another, but this record is the most concentrated distillation of their talent. The nerdy guy angst of the lyrics (and the non-stop bass lines; Brian Ritchie is a legend in my eyes) always resonated with me in a way that most bands can't pull off, or at least not nearly as convincingly.
4.5/5
There are a couple of songs on here that drag just a little, but the record as a whole still scores really high for me; it's a classic for me that I revisit fairly regularly.
Adele
1/5
Sigh. I probably should’ve expected this record, but I didn’t and here it is and I’m not looking forward to it.
The upside is that I’ve heard so many of the songs on this record that I don’t have to punish myself by really trying to pay attention to them again. The downside is that I already know that this record is not for me, but I’m going to try to go through the motions here and listen to it for the sake of this project.
Ok, so Adele has a powerful voice, and this record has some slick production. Technically, it sounds great. There’s some great big pop hooks all through this thing.
But, fuck, it’s boring to me. Maybe it’s because I’ve already heard 3/4 of the record, and each song represents a dead horse that was beaten in 2011 mainstream culture. You couldn’t escape hearing most of these songs for a season of life. And, talent, slick production, and sweeping pop hooks aside, there’s really nothing of the songs themselves that’s actually interesting, at least to me. I would even say that Adele can hit a frequency that actually hurts my ears, and that note/frequency comes up often. But there are no risks taken here, it’s paint-by-numbers pop with some soul undertones. I imagine this record crops up fairly often across a Starbucks loudspeaker.
Truthfully, I hate this record. I hate it so very, very much. I know that ratings are completely subjective and that I shouldn’t feel bad for trashing this completely milquetoast effort by an admittedly talented singer (and writing and production team); she doesn’t express anything that’s lyrically compelling at all. But also, realistically, it probably doesn’t actually deserve the 1-star rating that I want to give it. The production is tight, the musicians are competent, Adele has a strong voice that’s clearly being showcased here, even if it’s not for me.
But, I also ask myself: if Adele never performed any of these songs, and if they never existed, would it matter to the landscape of American music? I don’t think it would matter at all. The closest she got to “interesting” on this record was a completely tepid cover of the Cure’s masterpiece, Lovesong. I’m honestly not sure why Adele’s 21 was on the list, but I’m really not the target audience and I’m sure there’s some folks that enjoy it.
1.4/5
Fuck it, maybe this is not a fair rating but I don’t care. Adele might be a talented singer, but after slogging through this record, I’m just angry. The music she sings is next-level dog shit that I never want to hear again, and I feel some sort of way that I had to listen to it today.
Incubus
3/5
I got off on the wrong foot with Incubus a long time ago, and I don’t really think it’s Incubus’ fault. Back before this record came out, I had a buddy tell me that I’d love this band because “they sound just like Faith No More,” but no, they don’t. And I’ve struggled to get over that comparison for years.
Make Yourself doesn’t sound at all like Faith No More, but it’s ok. Not every track is a winner, but there are a few really solid songs on this record. Brandon Boyd’s voice/lyrics can be a little much sometimes, and I don’t know how the late 90’s fad of throwing a scratch dj into a rock band ever really took off, but there is some stuff to appreciate here. A few of the songs are legit catchy, and I always liked Incubus’ guitars and bass alright (the guitar tones are usually interesting and big, and the guitar player knows his way around some weird chord voicings).
3.2/5
Incubus still doesn’t set the world alight for me, but this record does have some redeeming qualities. I’m not altogether sure why Make Yourself is on the list, but there are way more egregious inclusions.
David Bowie
2/5
I have heard a ton of David Bowie's hits—and enjoyed many of them— but can't say that I've ever sat down and tried to listen to one of his albums. And after listening to Heroes, I'm not sure that this record was the best place to start trying to be intentional with David Bowie.
Heroes meanders around a lot and never really seems to settle into a definite groove...or at least a particularly enjoyable one. Heroes, the title track, is enjoyable (though I would say that I've heard covers of this song that I enjoy more...I know, I know, that's sacrilege), and many of the songs where David Bowie sings are not what I would describe as "bad", but none of them really give me a compelling reason to start the record over either. There is also the back end of this album, which is just kind of a boring, extended soundscape. I didn't love this record, to be honest, and I've got to believe that he's put out much better ones. I hope I get to hear one of those at some point.
2.2/5
Tina Turner
1/5
Oh, lol. I’m expecting 2 decent songs on this record. Tina Turner had a super unique voice, but come on, she wasn’t writing a ton of landmark songs. I have a vague recollection of her singing CCR covers not quite as well as the originals. Welp, here we go…
I appreciate that Tina is 45 at the time of this recording, yet sounds every bit of 70...and a hard 70 at that. It probably sounds like I’m being a smartass, but her voice is the best part of what’s going on with this record. At points, she sounds like the female Tom Waits without the cool, carnival barker vibes.
The rest of Private Dancer is really pretty terrible. One might wonder how she got so popular in the 80s? Truly, I think it’s a mystery. I was alive for the 80s, and musically, this is like a compilation of the worst parts of it.
I guess I don’t hate “I Can’t Stand the Rain”, but probably more for the connection to Missy Elliot, who sampled it. Honestly, this record sucks pretty hard, and it’s very much a product of the time. The confounding thing is that there were SO MANY great artists making music at this time, but Tina Turner's Private Dancer feels like it's on a mission to dodge anything that actually made those great 80's artists great, and intentionally do the opposite. It feels like genuine, open rebellion against good taste.
Oh gosh, there’s even an uninspired cover of Al Green on here. And it has a synthesizer solo. That poor son of bitch is undoubtedly turning in his grave.
Fuck. This might be one of the worst records I’ve heard on this list. It’s better than Destiny’s Child, but maybe only because I take it marginally more seriously. It’s just so all-around fucking awful.
Oh dear. The song, 1984…if it was a movie, it would be featured on Mystery Science Theatre 3000.
0.4/5
The 1-star review I’m shoehorned into giving this record is incredibly flattering. I’m only rating this record as highly as I am because I do like that she sounds like a 75 year old smoker at 45. And because of “I Can’t Stand the Rain”. Really, nothing else on this record goes right. The lyrics are so dumb, the music is laughably bad, and I have some legitimate questions about why she was a cultural phenomenon in the early 80s. Was she? Or was she popular because her husband was a bona fide piece of shit, and she just drew media coverage because of their relationship? Was that why we all knew who she was? It couldn’t be because of merit. It wasn’t because of this record. It can’t be because of this record. As I’m listening to this, I’m actually wondering which record producer owed someone a favor or lost a bet or something. No one will be able to ever convince me that anyone actually wanted to hear this record. Private Dancer really, truly blows.
Black Sabbath
3/5
Surprise , surprise, Black Sabbath pops up the day after Ozzy’s death. Can’t say I’m too upset about this selection though, I haven’t seen a ton of classic metal through the generator yet…
Anyway, I’ve never sat and listened to a Black Sabbath record despite listening to a ton of metal in highschool; it really should’ve happened before now, particularly as this band helped start the genre.
That said, this record was a little slow to start for me. Or maybe it took a few tracks for me to click with it. I dunno, probably ought to listen to it again. The record did open up as it went on though, and by the end I was enjoying it. Tony Iommi is a player, and Ozzy is…Ozzy.
3.6/5
Orbital
1/5
lol, no.
1/5
The Cars
4/5
New Wave kinda sucks. The whole aesthetic was always lame, and the heavy reliance on synthesizers and fake drums became an obnoxious fad in 80's music. And though they helped start the genre, I always felt like the Cars transcended it.
Their debut record is almost a total masterpiece. So many of the songs on here are classics. This record is full of big pop hooks that are catchy without being cloying, the guitar work is top notch, and the synths are actually fun without being the audio equivalent of an eyesore, which is where the New Wave genre eventually headed.
4.0/5
There are a couple of duds on the record that keep it from being 5 stars for me, but it's a great album and totally worth being listed as one of the 1001 both for its ingenuity and for its listenability.
The Fall
3/5
I've never heard of this band. Granted, I'm sure there are tons of mid-80's Brit punk bands that have flown under my radar, but it still surprises me that this generator manages to churn out something that I've not heard of in a genre I actually generally like.
Anyway, I don't know that I'll have a ton of comments for this record beyond just that it's decent enough. I don't know that I feel the need to dive into a second spin through it, but I like it alright. Maybe this record has a cult following for fans of the genre? I don't know, but I could see it. For me, it's probably the definition of a 3-star record. Listenable and even enjoyable, but not compelling enough for repeat listens.
3/5
The Lemonheads
5/5
Great record. I spent the better part of my 10th and 11th grade years playing this and “Come On Feel the Lemonheads” on repeat. I have no idea how this band wasn’t bigger than they were. Everything on this record is jangly gold.
5/5
Arcade Fire
4/5
I don't know that Arcade Fire is ever going to reach the heights of Funeral for me, but the Suburbs does come pretty close. Bits of this record drag just a little, but that's just being nitpicky. For the most part, The Suburbs stays pretty interesting.
4.3/5
Lenny Kravitz
3/5
Lenny Kravitz is an interesting one. At least on this record, he’s sort of a 70s funk regen with a healthy dose of flower child sensibilities.
I don’t hate the record at all, but it’s not really my speed. I really like the rhythm and horn sections. Some of the guitar work is interesting. He has some pop sensibilities. But, sometimes he sounds like he’s whining into the mic to me. And the lyrics are mostly pretty bad; like, imagine that kid you knew back in high school that discovered pot and became a hippie for a season of life...now imagine that kid putting pen to paper and writing down his most profound high school thoughts about what the world needs (hint: it's love). That's what Lenny seems to be doing here, and this record can be difficult to listen to if you're paying any attention to the lyrics.
3.2/5
This record was a little better than I expected, but not really my style and I don’t have any reason to revisit it.
Sepultura
4/5
So, I work as a counselor, and about a week ago, I had a younger hispanic guy come into my office to talk about the guilt and shame he feels over cheating on his wife. We got to talking, and he's a musician that really loves Latin rhythms and musicianship. I asked if he'd ever listened to Sepultura's Roots. He said he'd never heard of them, so I sent him home with part of his assignment being to listen to Roots. It won't fix the guilt or shame that he feels, but this record might give him an hour of respite from those feelings because it's so badass.
I'm sort of kidding about that story. Obviously, we talked about the real issues and we're working on strategies to become more trustworthy and honest. But, for real, Seputura's Roots rules so hard, and everyone ought to hear it at least once.
4.5/5
Jeru The Damaja
3/5
Never heard of Jeru till just now. That’s not altogether surprising though; I like hip hop pretty good now, but I’ve never been a connoisseur, and back in 94 I was balls deep in strictly alternative and metal bands anyway. Save for the occasional foray into the Beastie Boys or Tribe Called Quest, I didn't really start to get into rap and hip hop until about a decade after this...and I still wouldn't say that my finger is or has ever been on the pulse of what's great in the world of hip hop, though I like a whole lot more of it now, and I've gone back to listen to the classics. So, Jeru the Damaja evidently slipped under my radar at the time, because it was pretty easy to do.
That said, I’m enjoying this record more than I expected. Nothing on this record is a reinvention of any wheels, but it's pretty listenable. It sounds like a product of that era, which I think is a good thing. It doesn't have the same gravitas as, say, Nas' Illmatic, or the repeatability of Wu Tang's 36 Chambers, or the rawness of Ice Cube's The Predator; I don't think it really hangs with some of the classics from this time, but it is pretty decent.
3.4/5
Michael Jackson
2/5
Man, do I hate disco, even when Michael Jackson’s doing it. Admittedly, Off the Wall is better than most disco records, but I’m still not really into it. Thriller is pretty solid, but I’m not really into Off the Wall.
2.5/5
Nirvana
5/5
Such a killer record. Every track on Nevermind is gold.
I loved this record when it released. It was one of the records that made me want to learn how to play guitar. It felt like a breath of fresh air compared to the slick, super produced and corporate sounding rock and metal that was big right before this era of music. This felt a good deal more authentic and artistic.
Eventually it got played out, and you couldn’t turn around without bumping into someone wearing a Nirvana t-shirt. You couldn’t turn on the radio without hearing half this record at any time of the day or night. I fell out of love with the band for a long season just from over exposure.
Years later, I picked it up again and enjoyed it, but haven’t sat down and really invested much time with it. That is, until it popped up here. And I’m glad it did, cause I’d forgotten how much I loved this record.
5/5
Amy Winehouse
1/5
Not sure how long I’ll make it with this one. People rave about her voice, but I find it kind of contrived, style-wise, and it grates on me. The lyrics are not doing anything for me. I guess she’s a strong, independent woman that likes a bad boy…maybe? Sounds like she’s slagging off slutty chicks while also kind of presenting herself as one? Eh, I’m finding that I don’t even care what she’s singing about. This feels like Starbucks radio with some slightly racey material. Frank sucks.
1.5/5
Bob Marley & The Wailers
1/5
I spent two weeks of the summer of 1995 in Jamaica on a missions trip with my church youth group. We spent most of that time in the Jamaican backcountry building a school for deaf children. The last two or three days of the trip we spent in Montego Bay.
It was a ton of fun, but there was one thing that bummed me out about the trip. The only music you heard was Bob Marley, and it was unavoidable. On a bus or a taxi? Bob Marley on the radio. Walking around in the street? Bob fucking Marley blasting over someone’s boombox. Inside a restaurant or in the hotel lobby? Bob Marley. In the hospital, Bob Marley wafting in through the open window (I know this because a buddy of mine got appendicitis on this trip). Even in the mountains, in the middle of nowhere, in a town with a population of 15 and no electricity or running water, Bob Marley seemed to be carried on the wind to grind any enjoyment you might have had for his music into the dirt.
Bob Marley is a cultural icon in Jamaica, and seemingly no one else. There is nothing else. In Jamaica, all is Bob Marley and Bob Marley is all there is.
And now, 30 years later, I still hate reggae. It’s not fair to other reggae artists. It’s not even fair to Bob Marley, who really has no control over his legacy postmortem. But I fucking hate reggae now thanks to Bob Marley and my time in Jamaica.
1/5
The Icarus Line
2/5
I was under the impression that these 1001 records were curated by a panel of respected music critics, but sometimes I come across a record that just makes me scratch my head as to why it was included. Icarus Line’s Penance Soirée is one of those for me. What impact did this record make on anyone? Like, noisy garage rock is not an unknown genre to me, and in the 20+ years since this album’s release, this is the first time I’ve ever heard of this band or album. Not only have I never heard it, but I’ve never heard anyone mention it, and my friends are music nerds that listen to weird shit sometimes. I’ve never heard of another band or publication mention them. If this was some landmark achievement for the genre, I feel like I should’ve heard of it long before now. I’m not the end all, be all of music listeners, and it’s certainly plausible that some bit of arthouse greatness slipped under my radar, but I still think it’s weird that this obscure record—that I can’t imagine has made much of an impact on too many people—has made it on this list…and especially more so now as I’m actively listening to it.
It’s not that it’s altogether bad. There are bits here and there that are interesting. But the songs kind of drone on without going anywhere. Nothing about this record really moves me at all. It’s not bad, but it’s not what I would call good either. For as much audio space as this band takes up, I don’t really find it rich or compelling in any way.
I’m mostly just curious: what about this record stood out so much to whoever curated this project that they would include it? There are many worse albums on this project, but some of those I actually understand why they would have been showcased here; this one is a head scratcher and a hard 2 stars for me.
2.0/5
Genesis
3/5
Genesis’ Selling England by the Pound is not really what I expected at all. I’m familiar with the 80s iteration of the band, which was ok, though I never really paid loads of attention. But I’ve never listened to Peter Gabriel era Genesis. It’s waaaaay nerdier than I expected, even for prog rock. But it’s legitimately pretty fun. I think there might have even been a bit where they were singing in Olde English.
I have no doubts that I won't be revisiting this any time soon, but it is fun and not a bad listen at all. Some of it is really impressive, even.
3.7/5
Buzzcocks
3/5
For me, this Buzzcocks record feels like if the Sex Pistols actually knew how to play their instruments but forgot how to write catchy songs. It's not a bad record, by which I mean, it's listenable enough. But, it didn't make much of an impression on me either; it kind of just sounds like generic Brit punk from that era (maybe they were ahead of their time? I dunno). I think I just wish there was something here that made me actively want to hear it again.
3/5
Wu-Tang Clan
5/5
Fuck yes, it’s about time this record popped up. I don’t need to listen to it to know Im going to give it a hard 5, but I’m going to.
5/5
AC/DC
4/5
I have a pretty big soft spot for AC/DC. Does every song they’ve ever written sound pretty much the same? Yep. But thankfully, that song is pretty fun. And I could listen to Angus Young solo pretty much all day. Highway to Hell is a classic.
4/5
Kings of Leon
4/5
I like early Kings of Leon a whole hell of a lot. I stress “early” because for some reason, they went from raw, lo-fi energy to overproduced radio hits that seemed geared toward sorority girls (admittedly, this era was still solid, just too slick and radio-friendly. And I guess there’s also the fact that they just seemed overly concerned with turning themselves into sex symbols, and they kinda wrote music like it), and finally landed on writing the most tepid, easy-listening nonsense ever. I know most bands mellow as they get older, but fuck, their evolution has been pretty disappointing, especially considering how fun they started out.
But this record was where it started, and this one is a keeper.
4/5
George Harrison
3/5
If I had to pick a favorite Beatle, it would be George Harrison. I was never a super fan of the Beatles; their music is ok, here and there, but I've come to learn that I'm one of the weirdos that finds them a little overrated. I think Paul is a fine songwriter, John Lennon seemed like an ass, and Ringo is probably a better drummer than the world ever really gave him credit for being. But George is alright. He doesn't knock them all out of the park (track 1 on this record being the case in point), but when he gets it right, he gets it really right...at least in my pretty limited experience.
This record kind of showcases that. The first track sucks, but the rest of this record is really solid musically. His lyrics I could often take or leave, and I don't subscribe to his worldview, but the songs are really listenable and catchy.
3.8/5
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
1/5
I’m not listening to anymore Neil Young. I heard there are like 13 of his albums on here. I tried with one record, hated it. I’ve hated his music all my life, and I’ve actually heard a fair amount of it cause I have a buddy that owns like all 113 records he’s put out. There literally is not single piece I’ve ever heard of his that I’ve enjoyed. Don’t need to hear this record to know it’s a big fat goose egg from me. Fuck you, Neil Young.
0.5/5
He gets a half a point for not writing Destiny’s Child’s Survivor.
Kanye West
3/5
Kanye's Yeezus sounds every bit like it should have been titled, "Portrait of a Manic Episode" or something. To me, this record sounds like he's gone full-blownsies off his meds. That's not altogether a bad thing though; there were parts of this album that I quite enjoyed. The beats on this record are interesting and not something I feel like I've ever really heard someone lean into. Regardless of how crazy he might have been in 2013, the man can still write some catchy stuff. This record is not really what I think of as his best effort, but I don't think it's his worst either, and there are some songs that I like alright, even if big parts of the album are a bit of an eye-roll from me.
I appreciate Kanye's willingness to take risks and jump unreservedly into new artistic terrain. Whether or not it always works is another question. There are some parts of this that really don't. The samples that he inserts into the middle of some songs here is one thing that comes to mind. Perhaps I'm missing the point, but I reckon the songs where he tries this out are much stronger without the interruption to the flow.
But the thing that kinda bums me out about large parts of this record is that it feels like he lyrically phoned it in for this one. "Some are leaders and some are followers, I'd rather be a dick than a swallower." Ooof. The aggressive repetition of that line makes me believe that Kanye REALLY buys into his own hype as a lyrical genius. And that's really just one instance of many that left me kind of cringing. There were large parts of this record where his lyrics feel, I dunno, disconnected from an actual point; like, when that one drunk guy at the party starts trying to freestyle, and he manages to find some words that rhyme, but they don't make a ton of sense when put together...and everyone just kinda wishes that he'd call it a night and pass out somewhere else. This record felt a little like that at points. Like, ok, Kanye, maybe we all understand that you like sex a lot, but maybe it's best to go ahead and take your meds...I think it's this lack of real self awareness or the ability to self edit which make believe that he felt like he could record just about whatever and the world would buy it. That's what I think I mean when I say this record sounds like he put a manic episode to tape.
I do think it got better toward the end, and there are some super redeeming qualities to Yeezus. But this probably isn't the record I would hand to someone from the younger generation that was curious about why the world was in love with Kanye for a bunch of years.
3.0/5
The Yardbirds
3/5
This record is not really what I expected. I've never listened to Yarbirds, but I know Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, and Jimmy Page all came from this group, so I'm not really sure what I expected. But, it wound up being somewhere in between psychedelic rock and blues and brit pop. Really strange, but parts of it work.
This record kinda has a rough start, but as it gets going, it gets better. And honestly, I always thought Jeff Beck was kinda boring as far as legendary guitarists go, but Roger the Engineer set me straight. Not only can he shred, but the tones he employs are pretty forward-thinking for 1966. I really enjoyed this record when they let him go nuts.
All in all, this was a lot better than I expected, and I might actually revisit it at some point.
3.6/5
Metallica
5/5
There’s not really much to critique on this record. It’s my favorite of Metallica’s body of work, and it’s been in pretty regular rotation since I first listened to it in like 9th grade. I’m creeping up on 50, and this record still gets me so jazzed.
5/5
The Isley Brothers
2/5
This seems to be something of a beloved record for many, but I feel kind meh about it. Maybe it popped up and I just wasn't really looking forward to it, and I'm trying to shake that feeling now as I listen to it. Maybe it's got enough of a disco vibe that it's putting me off. It's also got a lot of 70's soul vibes to it that have historically never really done anything for me.
The band is really talented: nice voice, solid guitar work (though he works the wah peddle too much; again, probably more of a problem with the style and time), some fun bass lines...I think I don't even dislike the songs as much as the styling. Plus, "That Lady" used to play during an ad for soap or deodorant or feminine products or something during the 80's, and it ran so often that now I can't hear that song without feeling like I'm being advertised to.
I also think 3 cover songs on an original record is a bit much.
It's a fine record, just not something I would ever choose to listen to.
2.5/5
Van Morrison
3/5
This is a weird one cause I really like Moondance, but Astral Weeks feels a little like Van Morrison’s b-sides to that record despite its earlier release. It’s not bad, but it doesn’t feel nearly as strong a record. And most of the songs go on about 3 minutes longer than is necessary.
3/5
Frank Ocean
3/5
So, yesterday, I got Van Morrison’s Astral Weeks. For a while, at least for British markets, Van Morrison was considered at least very R&B-leaning. Then, this record pops up the day after. So, I guess R&B is on my mind a little bit right now.
I don’t really dislike the genre, at least in principle. I loved old Van Morrison stuff (admittedly, a bit of a different flavor for the genre), love Sam Cooke, Marvin Gaye, Ray Charles, Al Green, Otis Redding…but I don’t love where the genre headed in the 90’s and onward. Music is always evolving, I’m sure. And with it, genres can shift.
That’s what this kind of feels like to me. I know Frank Ocean’s channel Orange is probably a modern R&B classic, but it’s not a genre that resonates much with me these days. It isn’t a terrible record from a more objective perspective, I’m sure. But this record isn’t really something that holds much interest for me. I like that Frank can sing, but the subject matter is a little meh, the instrumentation is mostly digitally rendered as opposed to being played by musicians (although there are a few highlights here), it sounds slick, but it also feels like it takes place entirely in a studio. That’s may be a dumb comment…I guess what I mean is that with a band full of musicians, I can suspend my disbelief that they’re being recorded in a studio, because there’s still an energy to the recording. When everything is recorded using synths, 808s, samples, and a mic, that recording can feel pretty lifeless. Most of this record feels that way to me.
I guess I’m glad I listened once, cause it really wasn’t terrible. A couple songs I actually like alright, and it got better toward the end. But I don’t think I’ll come back.
3/5
Big Brother & The Holding Company
4/5
Haha, my mom used to roll her eyes every time Janis Joplin came up on tv or in conversation. She just never understood the appeal, I guess. My mom’s a lovely woman, but her taste in music has always been questionable (to be fair, while she'd roll her eyes, she also wouldn't change the station on me, which was nice. She suffered through a fair amount of music I know she wasn't necessarily into because she recognized that I was).
Anyway, Janis Joplin is a legend. So much passion, so much grit. Cheap Thrills is largely a really fun record. I love the guitars, and when the band opens up, it's easy to imagine that Big Brother and the Holding Company would be an entertaining and energetic show. But Janis easily takes center stage.
4/5
Sonic Youth
3/5
I’ve heard bits of Sonic Youth before, but never sat down and listened to one, so this is a first for me.
It’s funny, the reviews on this record are pretty polarized. I guess you either love Sonic Youth or you hate them. I would say that I like this record; it’s shoe gazey and darker than I expected, but there are some subtle pop sensibilities floating in and out of it.
But I do completely understand why some folks loathe this one. It’s pretty challenging at a lot of points, particularly when we’re pretty conditioned by hooks and catchy choruses (of which I haven’t really found any).
I think what’s appealing to me on this record are some of the more exploratory guitar bits. The drums can get pretty dynamic. And I think the bass does a good job of tying it together in such a way that it’s not quite an incoherent mess. Some of the lyrics are a bit too “Virginia Woolf, stream of consciousness” for my liking, but overall, I’m not sad I heard this one.
3.7/5
For such a seemingly polarizing record, I find this one in the “pretty decent” camp. I probably won’t revisit it often, but I’m looking forward to another Sonic Youth entry.
Femi Kuti
2/5
There’s a lot going on on this record. The production is great, musicianship is tight. I don’t even really mind that every track is ten minutes long. But it sorta feels like I’m listening to bits of the Lion King score at points, and other times it feels like Latin jazz. Not my speed at all, but it was done well.
2.8/5
3/5
Ive always wondered what the draw to Oasis was back in the 90s. They wrote some decent songs, and a couple of them I like quite a bit. But a whole album’s worth of Oasis? It’s like the audio equivalent of a Full English Breakfast. I like all the ingredients, and yet I find the whole breakfast so bland. I don’t think the Brits know how to use salt or something. Anyway, that’s how I feel about this record. I ought to like everything here, but it’s just mostly bland. And I still don’t understand how they got to be as big as they were.
3/5
I’m not even sure I should rate it this highly. I feel like it’s the perfect middle of the road, the definition of mediocrity. But I also feel like it’s better than other things I’ve rated 2.5. I guess I’m giving this record a half a point extra just for “Don’t Look Back in Anger”.
The Strokes
3/5
It’s like one long extended Strokes song. If there weren’t pauses between tracks, it might be tough to pinpoint where one song ended and the next began. And I like Julian Casablanca’s voice alright, but he affects the weird cabaret singer vibe entirely too much.
“Last Night” and “Hard to Explain” are solid though. I just don’t really care that much about the rest of it. It’s ok.
2.7/5
Rounding up cause it’s not a terrible record, just not really worth fussing about, I guess. But it’s not a hard 2.
Motörhead
3/5
Motörhead’s Ace of Spades is a classic. They don’t mix it up a whole lot though; the record stays at pretty much one tempo and it’s pretty much one-dimensional lyrically. Motörhead has always seemed pretty unapologetic about the whole “sex, drugs, and rock n roll” vibe.
But I actually appreciate that about them. The guitars are fun and raw, Lemmy sounds like he’s straining while taking a dump throughout, and the whole thing sounds like the soundtrack to a barroom brawl. Surprisingly tight musicianship too.
Though it’s not something that I want to throw on repeat over and over, it’s a pretty fun record that I’ll revisit from time to time.
3.6/5
Eagles
1/5
Ugh, the fucking Eagles. I get why people like this band, I guess, but I don’t care for them. It’s like soulless pseudo country at points and soulless corporate rock at others. Sometimes it's a mix of the two. I dunno, I’ve already covered my disdain for this band on another record, so I’ll spare myself the writing exercise here.
1.5/5
This record gets an extra half a point from me just because, while I hate this band, it’s pretty hard not enjoy the solo from Hotel California…which is probably the best song they’ve ever written, and I still mostly hate it.
Incredible Bongo Band
4/5
Notes before starting: I sincerely hope this title is misleading. I fear this is gonna suck real hard.
Notes as I'm listening: alright, I'm happy to admit I was wrong about this one. It's pretty great. It helps that, while the bongos are definitely a large part of what's going on, there's enough other stuff going on to make it all work. It's pretty much the backing track to every B-boy record ever. I feel like I'm walking through the score of every 70's urban/blaxploitation film ever, but in a good way.
I might actually listen to this again, which is not something I expected. It goes on a little longer than it probably needs to, but it is pretty fun.
3.8/5
I feel like this one deserves to be rounded up.
Missy Elliott
3/5
lol, as this is starting, I realize she sounds just like a girl version of P Diddy. Same accent, same inflection, same vernacular. It’s kinda funny. I think she’s far more talented than he is, but she sounds a lot like him…except without all the raping.
I’m actually enjoying this quite a bit, which I didn’t expect. I remember “Work It” being a big deal back in the day, but I never paid much attention. I’m glad it cropped up here and I’m getting the chance to pay more attention now.
The beats are interesting and inventive, the features are great, her charisma is pretty infectious. She fills a lot of audio space, but it doesn’t feel overwhelming.
Overall, I’ve enjoyed my time with this one and might circle back from time to time. The record does peter out a little bit toward the middle-end, but overall, it's a pretty strong effort by Missy.
3.8/5
Marvin Gaye
2/5
I usually really like Marvin Gaye, although I would say I'm really more of a casual fan; I like the hits I know and his bigger records, though I've never spent the time with his deeper cuts. And, I like the subject matter of this record as a general rule; everybody loves a good, heart-wrenching "divorce" record.
But honestly, Here, My Dear is a bit of a slog. It stays much the same tempo throughout, he kinda revolves around the same key the whole time, and it all kinda washes together. His voice is incredible, but it doesn't "move around" a whole lot. If I'm just casually listening, it's tough to pick up on much passion here. Maybe I'm just not really paying enough attention. It's ok as background noise, but it's a chore to try to lock in and engage with this record cause there's nothing really terribly compelling going on.
2.5/5
R.E.M.
3/5
Solid. But, the thing I find with REM is that they’re not always great at stringing together a 10/10 record. This is one of those.
It’s a solid effort, but it’s not Out of Time or Automatic for the People. It’s not even Orange or Monster. But it’s largely decent. It has a couple of my fave REM songs, and most of the others are solid, but there are a few skippable tracks.
3.5/5
Kanye West
3/5
Overall, a pretty decent record with some fun songs. It’s got a few filler tracks and skits, and it would be a lot stronger without the faffing about, but it’s better than the “working through his mental health” era of Kanye that started a decade later.
3.5/5
Red Hot Chili Peppers
4/5
Overall, a pretty decent record with some fun songs. It’s got a few filler tracks and skits, and it would be a lot stronger without the faffing about, but it’s better than the “working through his mental health” era of Kanye that started a decade later.
3.5/5
R.E.M.
3/5
Solid record, but this is the second REM record that's popped up this week, and I'm a little burned out on them. The funny thing is that, on the last REM record I got, Document, I remember thinking that it was decent, but didn't quite reach the heights of Green, and even less so Out of Time and Automatic for the People. After listening to Green again—and it's been an easy 20 or 25 years since I've listened to either record in earnest—they feel pretty similar in terms of overall quality. Like Document, Green has some great songs, but also a handful of skippable tracks that weaken the whole effort overall. So, really, if Document is a 3.5/5 for me, so is Green.
For me, REM is a great band, but I'm realizing that a greatest hits of everything that's not on Out of Time or Automatic for the People is just fine with me.
3.5/5
The Replacements
3/5
Overall, I like the Replacements’ Let It Be. I like Paul Westerberg’s voice, and I always enjoyed the whole lo-fi, indie slacker type bands.
That said, I’m not quite sure that I understand how Let It Be got to be quite so highly regarded as an indie darling record. I imagine it had something to do with the year of its release; I imagine it was pretty counter cultural at the time. But it starts a little slow, and I almost never say this, but this record might actually benefit from some slicker production. But it is what it is, and probably represents who the band was more accurately than some polished studio production.
Anyway, it’s a pretty solid record that was probably a really big deal just a few years too early to really connect with me in a really nostalgic way.
3.7/5
Gang Starr
3/5
Gang Starr's Step in the Arena is ok. I know they're one of those foundational artists for hip hop heads, and I can understand why, particularly given the time of its release. There probably wasn't a whole lot going on in hip hop in 1991 that was easy to take seriously (although there definitely was some). Step in the Arena seems like a serious entry into the lexicon of early 90's hip hop. The lyrics are clever at points without being too goofy (although there are a few eye rolls in here). The beats are fine and straightforward without being anything revolutionary.
I guess my semi-indifference to it has to do with its never deviating from the same tempo, theme, or lyrical cadence throughout. It's tough to differentiate between tracks; it could be one 40-minute long track.
I'm happy for its existence because of its influence, but I'm happier about the great records that this record has influenced.
2.8/5
Laura Nyro
2/5
I kind of wanted to like this one when it popped up (I’d never heard of this lady before, and I like the cover art), but this one’s not for me at all. It feels like a precursor to the Amy Winehouse’s and Adele’s of the more modern era, but with less actual pop appeal. Her voice is, I’m sure, something that some people will rave about, but I just found grating. I did like the backing band, which probably earns it an extra point for me, but I couldn’t actually finish this one.
2/5
Thelonious Monk
3/5
I know Thelonious Monk was a really big deal in the jazz world, but I’d never given him much of a listen because I’m not much of a jazz guy. But, I like this record pretty good. The dude is crazy talented, even if I probably can’t appreciate all the complexity of what he’s actually doing. I probably won’t start listening to a ton of jazz after hearing this, but it’s pretty interesting.
3.5/5
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
2/5
Oh my. This record is really hard to listen to, or at least the bit I got through was really tough to listen to.
Normally, when I come across a record that I’m just not enjoying, I give it a solid 3 tracks before I turn it off. My reasoning is that life’s really too short to try to endure painful listening experiences, and maybe, for whatever reason, the band frontloaded the record with their weaker material. But the first track on this record is 20 minutes long. I just can’t do it. Maybe it gets better, but I’ll never know.
2/5
Aerosmith
4/5
Pump is my fave Aerosmith record. There are better Aerosmith songs on other records (although What It Takes is probably one of my all time faves of theirs), but this is the first one I think I ever heard. I think I was like 12 and just starting to really get into music, and so there’s this nostalgic connection I have to this record. And it’s one of their more solid efforts as a complete record.
I dunno, Pump isn’t technically their best record, but it’s my favorite of theirs.
4.5/5
Fugees
2/5
Pre listen notes: Ugh. I heard most of this record on the radio in 96, and I didn’t much care for it or understand the buzz about it back then. I can’t imagine much will have changed since then. Wyclef Jean has always seemed like a bit of a nob, and I heard Lauryn Hill doesn’t care for folks with my skin color…although that could very well be a rumor; I never much cared to check the veracity of that rumor because it wouldn’t change my opinion of this music either way.
Listening notes: Eh, if you can disregard the handful of tracks that got ground into the dirt in the 90’s, the Score isn’t the worst record. That’s not to say I’ll revisit it, or that I’m super enjoying what I’m hearing as I listen now. But it’s not the egregiously bad record that “the hits” led me to believe it was. Truth is, at least the production is solid.
But I think the Fugees made a lot of pop-culture headway based almost solely on Lauryn Hill’s presence; I guess I'm saying that the whole group feels like a novelty act. Were she not on this record, what would differentiate The Score from any other 90’s hip hop record? Would The Score be better, worse, or the same without her? I reckon no one ever would have heard this record without Lauryn Hill. And would anyone have really cared about the record at all if Lauryn Hill was just another dude, rather than an attractive, young, confident, and seemingly angry black woman? I guess that's what I mean by this record feeling like a novelty; it appealed to the sensibilities of mid-90's "girl power" culture but didn't offer much else. I don't deny that she's talented, in fact, I think she was probably better off parting ways with Wyclef and the other guy. But, I don't think there was really enough going on in this group to make this record a big deal without Lauryn Hill. Of course, I reckon the same thing could be said about plenty of other bands over the years, and it's probably really a pretty irrelevant point that I'm making, because the Fugees WAS pretty much Lauryn Hill.
Probably my biggest problem with The Score is that I just feel like there’s not a ton of joy on this record. And I’m bored listening to it.
I dunno, maybe it’s just not my speed.
2.8/5
Jethro Tull
5/5
lol, fucking flute rock. Honestly, I'm listening to Jethro Tull for the first time in my life, and I'm so glad this project pointed me to Aqualung. This record is goofy as hell, and I can't stop giggling. It sounds like a bunch of renaissance faire musicians playing at a LARP convention, and occasionally somebody drops some tasty guitar licks into the mix, all while Tumnus the Fawn dances around the whole thing with his pan flute. I'm actually pretty sure this record was a reference point for all of Tenacious D's work.
Be that as it may, Aqualung is a joy to listen to. It seems like Jethro Tull was having fun on this one. I really wasn't expecting much out of this record, but I'm so happy to be wrong.
5/5
2Pac
2/5
I never really jibed too much with Tupac. I never thought he was bad at what he did, but i never really connected with his work. Of course, there are a few tracks of his that I like, but I don’t think any of those are on this record.
This record isn’t changing that for me. It’s not bad, but it’s not really my speed either.
2.7/5
Miles Davis
2/5
Man, I know Miles Davis is a master of his craft. I know Bitches Brew is some sort of landmark achievement in the jazz world. I know that "not really getting it" makes me some sort of rube in the music nerd community. I don't care about any of that, because listening to this record is a chore. I'm sure the musicians were having fun, but this what my problem is with experimental jazz: it's fine that the musicians are experiencing joy in what they're doing, but it doesn't really translate for me. Their joy is unfortunately not contagious; rather, it feels like it actually sucks my joy from me for as long as I'm willing to listen. I find it a more joyful affair for me to just quit listening...which is what I've done here.
2/5
Led Zeppelin
3/5
Nothing that Led Zeppelin does is bad, but this isn’t my favorite record of theirs. It starts really strong with Immigrant Song and then kinda just treads water for a while.
3.6/5
Billie Holiday
2/5
Love the instrumentation, don’t love Billie Holiday’s voice. She was in her early 40’s when this was recorded but she sounds at least 70. Plus, I can hear every single one of her mouth noises in perfect clarity on this recording and it’s driving me nuts. It’s like listening to someone chew peanut butter slowly with their mouth open.
2.4/5
Metallica
5/5
So, this is the first cd I bought when I was a kid, so this album holds a pretty special place in my heart. But, nostalgia aside, I still think Metallica’s black album holds up really well.
That said, the production on the black album is super slick, and though I don’t super mind because every instrument sounds big and rich and full, Metallica really sounds great when their focus is on raw aggression. This record kind of shifted from the tone of their earlier work. Perhaps this record marks the shift from drunk kids to more sophisticated drunk middle agers…it’s still good, but it’s different. The songs got a little shorter and more radio friendly. I don’t know if Bob Rock is to blame for that (though personally, I always have blamed him…Bob Rock, as far as I recall, was known for his super slick production and turning metal bands into pop stars), but this is the last of Metallica’s great records before they tried their hand at being an alternative/grunge band.
Well, nothing gold can stay, I guess. After this record, Metallica seemed to struggle with their identity, and it has seemed to me that the magic has been well and truly gone post-black album.
Sad as that is, this record still manages to rule pretty hard. Master of Puppets was the pinnacle of their work, followed by And Justice For All, and then this. There are a lot of better songs on Kill em All and Ride the Lightning, but as a “front-to-back” album, I think this is their 3rd best.
In any case, it’s a 5-star record for me, easy.
5/5
David Bowie
3/5
Pre-listening notes: David Bowie has released eleventy billion albums; am I to believe they're all one of the 1001 records that I desperately need to listen to? I have a hard time believing that this obscure Bowie record is a classic. I've already been dealt "Heroes"—which was not very good—and now this record which retcons the Heroes cover art...I'm not expecting greatness here. I like some of David Bowie's work quite a bit, but I think he suffers from a bit of Neil Youngitis; not every thought in his head should have been recorded for posterity, and he would benefit greatly from an editor.
Listening notes: Ok, this record is more enjoyable as an overall experience than Heroes. I still don't think this is an essential listen, but at least I'm not losing respect for Bowie's art because of this record (Heroes was really pretty bad). It doesn't really stack up with what he's capable of, but I'm not dying to skip tracks or anything.
3.4/5
The Stooges
3/5
This is my second Stooges record. And while I like Iggy Pop a lot as a personality, I get sort of bored listening to the Stooges. I'm sure they put on a fun live show, but it doesn't really translate to studio recordings for me. Each song kind of drones on and on, and for the casual listener (like me), it's tough to discern where one song ends and the next starts. At least it's reasonably short.
2.8/5
Rounding up because it's still better than most of the records I've rated 2 stars, but it's not actually quite a 3-star record for me.
Little Richard
3/5
Little Richard is pretty enjoyable, but I’d prefer him in small doses. Thankfully, this record isn’t crazy long.
3.3/5
Butthole Surfers
2/5
I appreciate bands that operate a little against the grain, and when Butthole Surfers actually set themselves to write a song, I generally enjoy it even though it tends to be pretty weird. The problem is that they don't really set their minds on writing actual songs on this record very often. It strays away from actual songwriting pretty quickly and stays in this place of weird "soundscapes", which I don't have a ton of time for. So, I like that they're willing to "weird out", but I wish they'd rein it in long enough to write some cogent songs.
2/5
Kendrick Lamar
3/5
I appreciate what Kendrick is trying to do here. I appreciate it more than the actual end product. I know he can write a solid track, and there are a couple of those on here. But some of this record is just a snore.
3/5
Little Simz
2/5
I don’t hate this, but I’m not sure why it’s here. I guess I wonder that about a lot of these records. But this one just feels so…I dunno… average? I like the backing tracks alright. But I’m not sure what it is about the lyricism or flow or themes that stood out enough to include it on this project. It gets pretty monotonous pretty quick.
2.5/5
Klaxons
3/5
Never heard of Klaxons, but this was not unenjoyable. I don’t think anything on the record really jumped out at me as revelatory, and I probably won’t ever revisit this record, but it was decent.
3/5
Moby
1/5
Pre-listening notes: Shit. More techno/dance/edm nonsense.
Listening notes: For Christmas one year, my sister gave me a bar of soap that she had made for me. I was pretty impressed, as she's never made soap, at least to my knowledge. So, I asked, "wow, you made this? how?" She explained the process: she had somehow melted down her favorite soaps and combined them into one ultimate soap, reformed it into a bar state, gift wrapped it, and handed it to me on Christmas. "So, by 'making soap', you actually mean that you basically took other soaps and mashed them together to form a new bar of soap?", I asked. "Yes," she said, and we had a good laugh over how she didn't actually make anything; she just combined a bunch of pre-existing soaps into a different format of soap.
That is exactly how I feel about Moby. The difference is, I enjoyed that bar of soap. Moby's restructuring and reformatting of pre-existing music by other people is just tedious to listen to...but more than that, I cannot believe that a man as pretentious as Moby can look in the mirror and take himself seriously as an artist. He's just a re-soapmaker, but without the sense of humor.
1.4/5
Earth, Wind & Fire
3/5
I'll get my criticisms out of the way first. Folks call this "soul music", which is fair enough, I suppose. But it's a little too close to disco for my liking. Each song is about 2 minutes longer than it really needs to be. Earth, Wind and Fire leans pretty heavily (too heavily) on singing in a falsetto, which gets grating.
But, as far as disco (or disco-adjacent) goes, this is one of the better representations of the genre. I still don't love it, but parts of this record are pretty tolerable. There's some incredible musicianship on display on this record with a wide range of instruments. I'll never revisit it, but I guess I'm not sad it showed up here.
2.8/5
Janelle Monáe
3/5
Pre-listen: So, I've never heard of a R&B/Hip Hop sci-fi concept record, so this is kind of exciting.
Listening notes: I love the big-band work. Production is strong. There are a lot of moving parts to this, and it's put together really well.
I love the idea better than the execution though...though, to be fair, the genre isn't something I gravitate toward, so that might be part of my problem. Truth is, I think everything is done really well, and it's interesting, at least from a technical standpoint. I think where it falls kinda flat for me is the front half of the record. The back half picks up some, and she goes in some crazy directions musically that I didn’t expect, but the front half kind of drags.
Ultimately, I could see where this record would appeal to some people, and I'm not hating on what this seemingly really talented artist is doing here. But, as weird and unexpected and eccentric as the record is as a whole, I probably won’t revisit it on account of the first handful of songs.
3.7/5
Kate Bush
1/5
Pre-listen: So, I've never heard of a R&B/Hip Hop sci-fi concept record, so this is kind of exciting.
Listening notes: I love the big-band work. Production is strong. There are a lot of moving parts to this, and it's put together really well.
I love the idea better than the execution though...though, to be fair, the genre isn't something I gravitate toward, so that might be part of my problem. Truth is, I think everything is done really well, and it's interesting, at least from a technical standpoint. I think where it falls kinda flat for me is the front half of the record. The back half picks up some, and she goes in some crazy directions musically that I didn’t expect, but the front half kind of drags.
Ultimately, I could see where this record would appeal to some people, and I'm not hating on what this seemingly really talented artist is doing here. But, as weird and unexpected and eccentric as the record is as a whole, I probably won’t revisit it on account of the first handful of songs.
3.7/5
Nas
4/5
I like Nas pretty good, and this is a solid debut. This is probably sacrilege to say, but of the Nas records I’ve heard, this isn’t my favorite. It’s good, but from what I’ve heard, he grew over the years as an artist.
Still, Illmatic was a great start and showcased a lot of why people consider him one of the modern greats.
4/5
The Rolling Stones
5/5
Back when I was a kid, people used to ask if I was a Beatles man or an Elvis man (as it the two were mutually exclusive). I used to say Rolling Stones. Exile on Main Street is a good example of why.
Raucous, catchy, bluesy, pretty much just an excellent distillation of what rock n roll is all about. For me, this is Rolling Stones at their peak.
4.5/5
Red Snapper
2/5
Electronic music usually gets an auto 1-star from me, but this obscure band at least plays a few instruments here and there. It’s still pretty obnoxious, but there’s at least some effort at musicality put forth here, even if it’s still soundscapey and repetitive.
2/5
Pearl Jam
5/5
This album released I think during my 8th grade year, and was one of the records that expanded my musical interests from Poison and Motley Crue (whom I still love) to music with a bit more depth and artistry. This record is a front-to-back classic for me, and it holds a special place in my heart.
5/5
Jorge Ben Jor
3/5
Never heard of this guy, and can’t understand a word he says, but this record is pretty solid. The fact that I’m on vacation and have limited access to streaming and the internet means that my comments are going to be very abbreviated, but I might return to this one. I’m enjoying it.
3.8/5
Kate Bush
3/5
This one is a big improvement on the first Kate Bush record I got stuck with, “The Dreaming.” That record truly sucked, and I was not looking forward to this one.
But, Hounds Of Love is actually pretty enjoyable. Still has hints of Kate Bush weirdness, but that weirdness has been reined in and made presentable here.
3.7/5
Bonnie "Prince" Billy
4/5
I had this record a long time ago. Really solid stuff. It’s melancholy put to tape and perfect for a rainy day. It reminds me a bit of Nick Cave’s later stuff.
4/5
Jurassic 5
4/5
I used to listen often to this and Jurassic 5’s previous record. Both are pretty solid, and I’m glad this one cropped up today. I miss this kind of hip hop.
4/5
Louis Prima
3/5
Solid jazz. I don’t generally love jazz, but this is pretty fun and lively. Plus, it gives me some context for Van Halen’s early, David Lee Roth era.
3.8/5
Justice
2/5
How many of these edm records are on this project? Fuck.
I guess this one is more interesting than some on here, but it still feels like it goes nowhere.
2/5
Beatles
3/5
I’ve never really been enamored with the Beatles like so many others. I don’t hate them or anything, and I do think that they’re very talented, but I’ve never really clicked with them the way the rest of the world seems to. I’d probably rather just listen to George Harrison’s solo stuff, to be honest.
Revolver hasn’t changed anything for me on that front. As a record, it feels disjointed and a little all over the place. Some of it is enjoyable enough, but then they drop a clunker like “Love You To”. It feels like there are a couple decent tracks with filler tracks in between.
They take advantage of some studio tricks on this record, which is kind of fun. And they take some artistic risks, some of which I think pay off, particularly when taking into account the year they write this. But I don’t think Revolver is unadulterated brilliance just because the Beatles wrote it, either…recorded in 1966 or not.
In the end, Revolver is a decent, not great, record for me. I know plenty of “serious” music listeners would scoff and roll their eyes at that comment. And I don’t care. For me, the Beatles are a decent, not great, band.
3.7/5
Prince
3/5
I like Price’s hits a good deal, and he’s a stellar guitar player. But this album has a fair amount of filler. I’m not sure why it’s so well regarded as a whole. The hits are great though.
3.8/5
Pet Shop Boys
2/5
A little synthy for my liking (that’s a bit of an understatement; it’s very synthy), and they can tend to be pretty longwinded, but Pet Shop Boys can write some pop hooks. Still, a little of this goes a really long way for me.
2.7/5
Arcade Fire
4/5
Super solid record. I sometimes forget how solid this one is because it was sandwiched in between Funeral and The Suburbs, which are both great in my mind. For some reason, I’ve regarded Neon Bible as a lesser record, but it hangs in there with those other two records just fine. Glad I got the chance to related to this one.
4/5
Al Green
3/5
I like Al Green, but I’m not going to pretend like parts of this record were a little bit of a slog to get through…well, maybe not a slog, exactly. I think the problem is that it starts really strong, and then not much else is nearly as strong as the title track. I could also do with a bit of tempo change once in a while.
So, decent enough record, but being front-loaded with the best song in the record makes the rest of it look not nearly as good by comparison. And it could stand to pick up the pace once in a while.
3/5
Queens of the Stone Age
3/5
I’m not super into stoner rock, but I like this alright. The guitars are rad, and I can kind of settle into the groove of the record. Some of the songs go on a bit too long, but overall, it’s enjoyable enough.
Im also surprised to learn that Queens of the Stone Age has existed since at least 1998.
3.7/5
4/5
Reading the reviews for this one is hilarious. It’s pretty much a “love it or hate it, no in between” record. As I’m listening, I can say I don’t really understand why it’s so polarizing. It’s pretty solid and enjoyable. Granted, the first track is rough if you need a singer who is conventionally good at singing, but if you can get over that (and really just for that first track), it’s a fun record. I bet MC5 was a killer live show.
This is a tough one to rate. I usually don’t care all that much about the protopunk bands (looking at you, Stooges), but I like the energy and I’m digging the songs. I might actually throw this into the regular rotation.
4/5
Black Sabbath
4/5
Awesome record. Kind of front-loaded with the quintessential Black Sabbath tracks, but the whole thing is enjoyable.
4/5
Kraftwerk
2/5
Man, I know that Kraftwerk were super avant garde and cutting-edge for their time. and I know that they helped springboard a couple different musical genres. I know they're well respected for their work. For what it is, its recording is pristine and reflects a systematic and intentional approach to music creation.
But man, I just don't care about "soundscapes" or EDM (which this maybe really isn't, but seems like a predecessor for), or synth music. This was a hard listen for me, though I respect the talent. It's just so mind-numbing for me.
2/5
Lorde
3/5
“I am Lorde, ya ya ya…”. South Park has made it real tough to take this artist very seriously, and through no actual fault of her own. All I can think of is Randy Marsh’s creative process in making his toilet recordings into Lorde albums. I love South Park. I don’t know why they were picking on Lorde, but it was funny.
Anyway, I don’t hate this and it’s pretty catchy. But, at the same time, it sounds like it’s got Jack Antonoff’s fingerprints all over it, and I’m tired of his whole sound; Melodrama sounds remarkably similar to everything Taylor Swift produced while working with him…actually, this is better, to be fair, but I feel like you could swap out any song from this record with any song from Midnights and the casual listener would never know the difference. This makes me feel like Taylor Swift and Lorde are just the pretty-faced shills for Jack Antonoff’s girl pop projects. It’s too much.
So, I guess my problem is not that Lorde’s Melodrama is unenjoyable, cause it’s catchy. My problem is that I swear I’ve heard half these songs on various Taylor Swift albums before and, it might be catchy, but it’s played out also.
3.5/5
John Cale
3/5
I am not a great big fan of the Velvet Underground. I tend to think they were kind of up their own asses most of the time. So I wasn't really looking forward to this record today because I figure that anything that John Cale wrote was likely to be pretty Velvet Undergroundy.
I was pretty happy to be wrong about that, cause this record wasn't half bad. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't amazing; it was pretty sappy and saccharine on the front half. But, it was pretty listenable without ever getting into pretentious shitheadery. And it wasn't terribly long.
I doubt I'll ever give it another spin, but I realize that any listenability that the Velvet Underground ever achieved was likely because of John Cale.
3.5/5
Turns out, that’s not really true. My buddy is a big Velvet Underground fan and says John Cale is exactly the reason why VU was so weird. John Cale is a super weird dude, apparently. Anyway, this record is alright, despite John Cale’s predilection toward weirdness.
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
4/5
I don’t care much about jazz, but I’ve got time for Dave Brubeck.
4/5
Janet Jackson
2/5
Ha, I had this record when I was like 11. I listened to it somewhat regularly until I discovered Poison and Motley Crue, and I don’t think I’ve ever come back to it until now.
Sometimes it’s interesting when you remember your 11-year-old self’s understanding of something and compare it to your 47-year-old’s understanding of the same thing. For instance, at 11, I understood that this was supposed to be some kind of important record where Janet took on some of the day’s hot-button issues with her singing and dancing, but finding myself pretty much unmoved about the issues of poverty and education. I remember that it had a handful of songs that I preferred to the songs in between that handful of songs. I remember thinking that Janet was easy on the eyes.
At 47, I think the reason I was unmoved by these critical issues of the day is because most of these songs are really pretty dumb surface-level treatments of the topics; 11-year-old me must have understood that. I still think there are a handful of decent songs on here, but the filler is really pretty bad (and now I understand why none of those songs stick out to me now…I fast-forwarded 80% of this record when I was a kid). This record absolutely did not have any business being an hour and 4 minutes long; the fact that it takes this much time to get through is a testament to Janet’s ability to take herself too seriously. I still think 1989-era Janet is pretty easy to look at though.
The funniest bit about this record for me though is realizing that some music is truly timeless. But this isn’t that kind of music. You can tell some producers and engineers put in a ton of work on this record, but it sounds like a distillation of the lamest parts of 1989 slick studio production. I’m not sure there’s a real drum anywhere on this record, the samples are multilayered and ubiquitous, and the synthesizers are out of control. Janet can sing, but less would have been more here as far as everything else is concerned.
I appreciated the walk down memory lane here. But I also understand so well why 11-year-old me found other musical avenues to explore. I guess I can say that I appreciate Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation 1814 because it was pivotal in my discovery of better music.
2.5/5
Massive Attack
1/5
Snore. I know trip hop is technically probably different than EDM, or maybe it’s a subgenre of it or something, but I don’t really care cause this is so damn boring for me in the same way that EDM is.
1.5/5
The Police
2/5
I've never been a big fan of the Police. I guess I just don't get why they're regarded as some legendary, trendsetting rock band. I pretty much loathe reggae music, and the Police made a career out of affecting and reappropriating reggae styles, they just made it whiter (I guess they were straightforward about that with the album title...I don't even have a problem with that either, as if one culture can lay exclusive claim to any particular style, I just wish they'd chosen a genre I enjoyed in the slightest bit).
They're talented musicians, for sure. But, it's rare when I hear such talented musicians express so little passion and joy in their work (Eric Clapton comes to mind also). And for me, this joyless vibe bleeds throughout the speakers. I'm bored listening to tired guitar upstrokes (with the chorus and reverb cranked to max levels). I'm bored listening to the drummer faff about on technically proficient but annoying snare rim clicks without ever really settling in. And Sting...
Sting is a great bass player, no doubt. But, as a singer? Ugh. High, unyielding falsettos with the added bonus of an annoying Caribbean affectation to everything he sings. It's too much. Sir, you're from the northern end of England. Plus, who goes by "Sting"? It's like "The Edge" from U2. What a pretentious bit of assholery.
All that said, there are some interesting bits. "Message in a Bottle" is a great song. "Walking on the Moon" has a great pop hook if you don't mind slogging through the mundanity of the verses. "On Any Other Day" seems pretty uncharacteristic of what this band was all about, and I found it the most interesting of the whole record.
Well, I wouldn't say I hated this record, but I'm not far off.
2.0/5
Beck
3/5
Man, I don't know what it is about Beck that makes me struggle with his music. At least for his first handful of albums, he was a mishmash of styles, most of which I kinda like. His music—again, at least for the first couple of records—is catchy enough. But, I've always struggled to really "get it" with him.
I think there might be a couple of reasons for this. One is that, from about 1994-2000, it was really tough to escape hearing his music. It was everywhere, and it got played often; it was on the radio all the time, it was all over MTV, I think it was in a ton of ads. I hated Beck in high school, not actually because of his music, but because there was really not much respite from it. I think, even almost 30 years later, I suffer from Beck fatigue. Listening to Odelay now feels exhausting.
But I also never really clicked with Beck's whole vibe either. I feel like I ought to like him. For the first couple records, he kind of postured himself like a slacker burnout, though I'm not sure that's actually ever been true of him (truthfully, I know very little about him as a person...although I think I read somewhere that he was a Scientologist). But that was kind of my whole vibe in high school also, despite my not actually being into drugs. I feel like I probably should've been a huge Beck fan being sort of kindred spirits and all.
I also have never gotten him on a lyrical front. Most of his songs seem like strings of non-sequiturs. I've always kind of wondered if he was the quintessential "all style, no substance" type of musician...but I've never been able to sit through a whole record to figure that out. I feel like he was the 90's version of a hipster; there was a lot of flair to him and his work, but it never felt like he had anything really important to say. Maybe he's easier to work with if I could conceive of him as an abstract artist or something. I don't know.
I'm listening to Odelay now, and I don't feel any differently. Again, it's not that it's what I would describe as bad, and I can understand why other people like his music alright, but I find it a chore.
I don't really know how to rate it. If this was the first time I was hearing any of this, I suppose I'd give it a 3.5. But since every new track I get this new wave of fatigue setting in, I'm half-inclined to go much lower than the record probably deserves, like a 2. I guess I'll rate it in the middle, and just get on with my life.
3.0/5
Nanci Griffith
2/5
She's got a nice voice, and I like the music alright, but this record is painfully boring for me. I was hoping there'd be some country records to get into here, but, I guess just not this record.
2.5/5
Johnny Cash
4/5
It’s pretty tough to not like Johnny Cash. And this record showcases his charm and his storytelling. It’s a classic.
I do think it’s funny though, and I only noticed this time through, that like the first 6 or 7 songs could all be covered by polka artists pretty easily. But that’s neither here nor there.
Great album.
4.5/5
Beastie Boys
4/5
What a fucking rad record. I understand that it won't make everyone happy, but it makes me pretty happy. I love and miss the Beastie Boys. I still think the Check Your Head and Ill Communication era is my favorite of the Beastie's catalogue, but their debut is basically it's own greatest hits record of their early years.
It does start a little dry, but just when you start to think that they struggle to mix up tempo, cadence, style, Slow Ride starts up and then it's smooth sailing til the end.
This record just feels joyful to me. Youthful exuberance and confidence just oozes from this one, and it's a ton of fun.
4.6/5
The Flaming Lips
3/5
None of it’s bad, but very little of it is what I’d consider very good. This album was fawned over by so many people when it came out, but I never really understood why except that it was pretty different from everything else. Beyond that, meh.
3/5
Fairport Convention
2/5
Folk music largely sucks, so I wasn’t looking forward this one. And after listening to this, I still think folk music largely sucks…But if someone ever wanted to argue with me that folk music isn’t as bad as I believe it is, this would be a decent record to make that argument with.
This isn’t to say that I loved it, cause I didn’t. The songs are pretty boring (I liked “Matty Graves”alright though), and there’s something about the “folk singer voice” of that era that I find grating. But the recording is great and the band is doing something’s outside of the folksy box that are pretty interesting.
I won’t be relistening anytime soon, I’m sure, but this was ok.
2.8/5
The Police
2/5
No more Police, please. 2nd time in a week I’ve gotten one of their records. Funny thing about this project: sometimes you discover that a band you never really thought about at all is actually pretty amazing. Sometimes the opposite is true.
Unfortunately, 1001 albums has shown me that I actually kind of hate the Police. I was not aware that they were a band that I’d grow to loathe before having to listen to 2 of their records in quick succession. I’ve given my reasons in a previous review so I won’t bother here. But if I never hear another Police record, that will be just fine with me.
2/5
Jimi Hendrix
5/5
I mean, this is an easy 5/5. Jimi Hendrix is one of my all time fave guitar heroes and I listened to the absolute shit out this record throughout high school. What a legend.
5/5
Korn
2/5
Oof. I already know there’s only so much time I’ll be willing to waste on this one.
Funny thing, Korn’s debut record released right at the right time for me to gravitate toward it. I even enjoyed Life is Peachy quite a bit. Of course, I was 16 at the time, and full of angst. By the time Follow the Leader came out, I had well and truly grown out of their sound and I’m not sure that I’ve listened to Korn since.
And revisiting the band for this record makes me think I’ve made the right call for the last 27 years. This record truly sucks. I now understand what some of my buddies already understood what took me almost 3 decades to really see: Korn, while spearheading a whole new (at the time) genre of metal, probably shouldn't have. Because it's lame, and it sucks, and my friends were right to make fun of me.
I’m tapping out 3 tracks in. I just can’t do it.
2/5
The Beach Boys
4/5
This record is considered something of a landmark achievement in music production and songwriting, and while I'm not really willing to swoon over it like some folks, it is pretty great.
It sounds like a Phil Spector record; it has a kind of "wall of sound" vibe, but dialed back a bit. I love the instrumentation and even the songs that don't immediately grab my attention through pop, vocal hooks, well, they still offer a pleasant listening experience.
Beach Boys and Brian Wilson have always kind of been standouts for vocal harmonies and this record has a ton of that too. It's hard for me to think of the Beach Boys as a "rock band" like I think Brian Wilson thought of them because they've always lacked any sort of edge for me, but they're kind of their own thing that works.
I like Pet Sounds pretty good and it sounds like a ton of meticulous work was poured into it. I'll probably never be the biggest Beach Boys fan in the world, but what they do, they do really well, and it's pleasant enough to listen to even if I'll never really spin this record a bunch of times on my own.
4/5
Ray Charles
4/5
If this isn’t some sort of greatest hits album assembled by Columbia Records or something, I find it hilarious that Ray Charles would name one of his own records, “The Genius of Ray Charles”.
But, for real, this is a pretty solid record. It’s kind of just mood music for me, but it’s really enjoyable. Like, it’s tough to not feel relaxed while listening to it. It’s not something I’d throw on every day, but it’s great for a relaxing night in the study with a pipe and glass of scotch or something.
4/5
Grant Lee Buffalo
3/5
It’s alright. But the biggest point of intrigue for me about this record is how it wound up on 1001 albums. Ive literally never heard of this band and it falls into a genre I was very aware of in the 90’s. Their sound is sort of distinctive, but the songs are…well, they’re not bad, but also not something that really piques my interest either. I don’t know how this obscure record grabbed anyone’s attention, particularly during a time when there was so much great music being released. Apart from the sort of distinctive sound, nothing really stands out as exceptional at all; the songwriting is meh, the musicianship is meh, the lyrics are meh. None of it’s bad, per se, I just don’t know why anyone would listen to this record twice.
3/5
PJ Harvey
4/5
Prior to listening to this record, the only PJ Harvey I’d listened to was from Nick Cave’s “Henry Lee”, and I think a few tracks from one of her other records.
After hearing Dry, I’m kind of sad that I never sought her out more. It’s a pretty solid record; unique, forceful vocal performance, interesting instrumentation, a hint of weirdness (though I think this ramps up on later records). I like it. I’m looking forward to some of her other records, which if they don’t pop up here soon, I’ll just look up on my own.
4/5
Pixies
5/5
One of my all time fave bands, and one of my all time favorite records. It’s a little tough to review because there’s nothing I feel I can critique on this one. For me, this is a perfect record.
6/5
PJ Harvey
4/5
The random number generator of this project seems kinda fucked. I got PJ Harvey’s Dry the day before today. I notice that it does this kind of a lot. I don’t really mind in this case though. I liked Dry pretty good. And Rid of Me is shaping up to be pretty solid also. Might’ve been nice to spread them out though. Oh well.
I think what I like about PJ Harvey—more than the actual songwriting itself, which can be kind of hit and miss for me—is the actual sound she's getting out of her instruments. The studio production for this record is top-notch, sure, but it all sounds great together. It's a little bit weird at times (intentionally so, it seems), but her sound is big and unapologetic. To me, she expresses a ton of confidence, which probably helps when some of the songs aren't as catchy; they're still interesting.
I'm not sure which record of hers I like better so far, Dry or Rid of Me. But this one is a bit more..."experimental" is maybe not the right word, but maybe "creatively less restrained"? It's a pretty solid record.
3.8/5 - rounding up
Leftfield
1/5
Can’t do it. “Peace and uuunnityyyy…” over a shitty backdrop of electro blah bullshit. No thanks.
1/5
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
3/5
You know, I'm a little bit pleasantly surprised by this one...although I do stress "little bit". I thought I was going to loathe this one. But, as it turns out, I kind of liked most of the songs themselves alright, if not the delivery.
That's the thing: this could be a pretty decent album if it was not such a slice of the 80's synth wave. Man, do I hate the overuse of synthesizers during that time. The shitty, fake drum beats, the lazy synth melody lines that don't really sound like the instrument they're trying to emulate...it all sounds so inorganic and sterile and obnoxious. And this record—seemingly composed exclusively by two dudes playing synthesizers—just bleeds that obnoxiousness. It gets grating pretty quick.
So, this might actually be close to a 4-star record for me except that I just hate the overall sound and texture of the record so much. I think I can be gracious with a 3-star rating cause the songs themselves have some merit.
3/5
The Who
3/5
I still like The Who alright, and this record wasn’t bad at all, but I found myself struggling to engage with the story they were trying to tell…and while Pinball Wizard is great, I guess I felt like there wasn’t much else on this record to get really excited about.
3/5
TLC
3/5
This actually wasn’t as bad as I imagined it would be. A ton of filler? Yes…and honestly, I think at the point where half the tracks are interludes, those interludes lose their punch. But there are a fair amount of hits on here, almost none of which I love, but i understand why someone might.
Here’s my main takeaway from listening to Crazysexycool: these chicks are super into porking.
I do like the song, “Red Light Special”. The rest of it, meh. But that song jibes with me for whatever reason.
3/5
Elbow
3/5
It’s strange to me that the reviews compare this band to both Coldplay and Radiohead. I don’t think Elbow sounds at all like either. In the case of Coldplay, that’s good for Elbow, cause Coldplay truly sucks. However, Elbow could stand to sound like early Radiohead, who rule.
Anyway, I like the singer’s voice a lot; he sounds like Peter Gabriel or something. And I like the music for all its constituent parts. But, for me, the songs themselves leave something to be desired. They have all the elements I would look for in what I consider a great song, except for replayability. I listened to half this record and realized that I didn’t care if I heard the rest of it. Nothing about this music is bad at all, but it just lacks passion and direction for me.
I can’t understand most of the reviews for this one because I can’t understand why someone would love or hate this record. There’s nothing really amazing or truly terrible about it. For me, it is a record that should be great because of all the things it does right, but winds up being completely forgettable because it doesn’t really inspire anything in me.
This is probably the definition of a 3/5 record; non-offensive, but very forgettable.
3/5
Beatles
3/5
Fuck, I don’t care about the Beatles. This record has some of their hits, none of which I want to listen to for fear of getting stuck with the inevitable earworm. Fine, they’re catchy, Paul McCartney and John Lennon were brilliant songwriters, blah blah blah. I haven’t even listened to this record (this is actually first for me to not even to make an effort), and I’m ready to invoke my first true skip.
I’m defaulting to a 3 rating, but it’s not a fair one; truly, I have no idea if this is a good record or not. I’ve heard most of this album at various points over the years, so I’m not going to make myself go through the motions on a record I know enough about to legitimately feel like I won’t care about.
Probably a 3/5
Randy Newman
4/5
Randy Newman is one of my biggest surprises of this project. I love him, and I didn’t think I would.
First song out of the gate on this record, and I already know the reviews will be chock full of people clutching their pearls at his unrestrained use of racial slurs, but without any thought to what he’s actually saying, or the story he’s telling, or the point of view of the character he’s writing, or the very obvious satire going on…he’s basically the Joel Chandler Harris of the 80’s, but I’m sure people will lose their minds over it.
Anyway, l really liked this record. Bit of a concept record. It’s weird, this is the second Randy Newman record I’ve got on this thing, and I would’ve swore I hated Randy Newman until I sat down to listen to him. His records showcase some really great musical composition and some clever and biting lyricism, and I’ve found both records really relaxing for me. I did not expect to like him very much; I kinda thought of him as the modern day ragtime guy with a weird voice. But I dig him.
4/5
3/5
I love when a punk record pops up on this thing, and I'm excited that X popped up because I haven't heard a whole lot of their work.
Wild Gift is ok. The guitar work is interesting and fun and a bit more robust than simply hamfisting powerchords. The songs are somewhat catchy. The vocals are maybe not what I would have expected, but I don't mind them (the lady's voice can grate on me a little bit, but not enough to really complain about). It sounds really good, especially compared to what a lot of what was coming out in 1981 (although the remastered version I'm listening to might be doing a lot of heavy lifting here, I'm really not sure).
But, I'm still not sure that I'll ever circle back and listen to it again (although I'm not going to be sad if and when another X record pops up). The songs aren't terribly compelling for me, even though I appreciate the talent and the effort. This record probably would have connected with me more had I heard it in '81, but alas, I'm hearing it in 2025 when I've probably been more influenced by the bands who were likely influenced by X themselves. Still, a solid record.
3.6/5
Madness
3/5
I never got into Madness. Our House is ok, I guess. I can’t get psyched on listening to this one.
I gave it the ol college try. Still not into it. Plus, the Spotify link seems to lead to a playlist rather than the actual album. I’ll give this an unenthusiastic 3-star rating because there’s nothing egregiously bad about it, but I don’t really enjoy it either.
2.5/5 -rounded up
Franz Ferdinand
3/5
Actually this record is not bad at all. I wasn’t looking forward to it, mostly just cause when this record was released, there were a slew of records released that sounded just like it (the Strokes, the Hives, Jet, etc.). I’ve never been drawn to the dancey low-fi garage band vibe of these bands.
I’m still not in love with that whole sound, but I’m finding that I can overlook it a bit on this record. The songs are pretty decent, though honestly, I’m doubtful that I’ll come back and relisten to it a bunch, if ever.
Probably one of the better records of the aforementioned bunch, and I’m enjoying it enough for what it is, but I haven’t been turned to a fan or anything.
3.8/5
Jimi Hendrix
5/5
Hendrix can pretty much do no wrong for me. I say “pretty much” because the first two tracks on this record are kinda rough, but it’s smooth sailing after that. I love Jimi Hendrix so much. This might be my least favorite record of his, and it’s still awesome.
4.8/5
Sonic Youth
3/5
I’ll need to cycle back and listen to this one again; my wife decided the best time to talk to me was as this album started up. So, I didn’t hear either one of them very well.
But, from what I was able to gather, this record is pretty typical Sonic Youth: glimpses of brilliance that get a little watered down by what seems like intentional weirdness. They kind of remind me of David Lynch. He’s great, but he kind of needs a co-producer to rein his weirdness in or else his work becomes an incoherent mess. I like Sonic Youth pretty good so far as I can tell, but they would probably benefit from someone corralling and focusing their creative energies.
3.8/5
Dire Straits
4/5
I could listen to Mark Knopfler play all day. Dude has such a unique, cool style. The songs themselves are generally pretty decent, but even the otherwise meh songs are made interesting by his guitar work.
4/5
The Last Shadow Puppets
3/5
I think it’s funny that each song on the album (on Spotify) is listed as “the Last Shadow Puppets, Alex Turner, Miles Kane”. At what point do you just consider Alex Turner and Miles Kane part of the Last Shadow Puppets? They’re on every track…shouldn’t it just be the Last Shadow Puppets at that point?
Also, who the eff are the Last Shadow Puppets? I’m pretty aware of most bands who’ve released something at least somewhat remarkable, particularly during this era…and I’ve never heard of this band.
Anyway, this record is decent enough, though it feels super stylized to the point of feeling like a novelty act. Turns out, at least one of these fellas is from Arctic Monkeys, so I guess it’s a side project.
It’s not something I’ll ever listen to again, but it’s completely non offensive. I do wonder why it’s on this project; what kind of landmark achievement was this record to be considered something one MUST listen to?
I dunno, it’s alright.
3/5
Bebel Gilberto
1/5
Oooo, this is not my speed at all. Coffeehouse mellow cabaret jazz in…Portuguese? I hate this.
1/5
Neil Young
1/5
Fuuuuuck Neil Young records.
I get why this record would be on this list (as opposed to some of his more obscure records...sincerely, why are there like 13 of these pieces of shit on this project?), but I'll never enjoy even the landmark Neil Young records.
1/5
Yes
2/5
So, I knew a guy in highschool who was crazy smart, very socially inept, pretty funny when he wasn’t being obnoxious as hell. This dude looooved Yes. Talked to me about how incredible they were. I never really listened to him, cause it was 1996 and I figured that Yes probably sucked.
Turns out, I was 100% right. Yes is truly terrible. My probably autistic acquaintance in highschool had terrible taste in music, and I just confirmed it today.
It’s not that they’re unskilled. Their guitar player truly shreds; inventive, dexterous, probably a joy to listen to in his own right. The bass player is incredible. The drummer is talented. The singer blows dogs for quarters. Put it all together, and you get a band that sounds like one part Wagner, and one part a cacophony of screeching cats. I didn’t know that was possible, but Yes found a way.
2/5
The Psychedelic Furs
3/5
I don’t really know what to say about this one. It’s ok. I don’t see myself coming back to it, but it’s not terrible. I like some of the guitars (they sound like early Cure at points). I just don’t think I could handle 53 minutes of it again, cause it gets a little old, I think mostly due to the vocals. Pretty In Pink is a decent song.
3/5
Buck Owens
4/5
This is actually pretty fun. You can kind of hear the origins of folk like Dwight Yoakum (and Wheeler Walker sounds just like him, except more crass) all over this. I love the musicianship on this record, even if some of the songs are pretty goofy.
I’m rounding up on the score cause it’s markedly better than a 3-star record. It’s probably not quite a 4 for me, but I might actually listen to it again at some point, which has been one of my hallmarks for 4-star records.
3.7/5
Talking Heads
3/5
It’s pretty tough to not like Talking Heads for me. This is probably not one of their better albums, and I still kinda like it. It’s weird but catchy. I know they're capable of better, but even their worst is better than a lot of artist's best.
3.5/5
The Residents
1/5
I appreciate a good joke. But I guess a good joke has a solid setup and a punchline.
This is sort of like that, except there’s no real setup and the punchline falls flat.
There’s no reason to invest any time here.
1/5
Still better than Destiny’s Child.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
1/5
Fuck off, Neil Young. For real, how many Neil Young records are on this thing? This is like the third one I’ve gotten in a week.
1/5
The Doors
3/5
Roadhouse Blues is badass.
Morrison Hotel is pretty solid as a whole. The Doors can get a little “drugged out jam band-y” for my tastes, but this record feels a little tighter and focused. It’s pretty enjoyable.
3.7/5
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
Solid work, and a classic record. I kind of lost some steam with the "Choogling" track, but overall, this was a great record.
4/5
The Darkness
5/5
I love the first couple Darkness records. Maybe the rest are great too, but the first two are awesome, and particularly this first one is really fun.
5/5
Stereolab
2/5
French? Check. Electronic? Check. Repetitive? Check. I hate it…but it is weirder than most albums like it, so it probably ought to get a bonus point for being more interesting than most looped electronic music.
2/5
The Stone Roses
4/5
I honestly was not expecting much out of this one. I'd heard of the Stone Roses back in high school, and I even tried out a couple of tracks that I don't remember now, just that I wasn't really into them at the time. I remember thinking that they sounded much more British than I thought they would (not that that's a bad thing...I guess it's just that if I wanted to listen to rock n roll back then, I wasn't really leaning into the Beatles or Pulp or Morrissey).
Maybe my tastes have mellowed or something. I liked this record alright. It kind of has some jangle pop elements and some of the songs are decently catchy. It does sound pretty British, but not in an obnoxious Oasis-y way.
3.8/5
I'm rounding up. I might not revisit this one often, and truthfully, they lost me on a few tracks. But overall, it's better than 3 stars even if I don't feel like it quite meets the mark of a 4-star record. I did enjoy my time here, and it was a bit of a surprise.
M.I.A.
2/5
Oh good gosh. What an almost entirely unmitigated pile of crap this record is. I say "almost", because Paper Planes is solid work, and probably gives this record a full point better than the rest of it deserves. But I'm not sure that I was able to get through a whole track other than that one.
The thing that kills me is that there are these little hints that it could be an enjoyable record if she'd just rein it in with the over reliance on random sound effects and repetition. On the somewhat rare occasion when she employs some musicality, I can see the appeal. But so much of this record feels like someone programmed a bunch of sound effects to an old Casio keyboard and then recorded their toddler banging away on it while MIA very britishly shouts into the mic. It's almost entirely unlistenable.
2/5
G. Love & Special Sauce
3/5
This record got some pretty scathing reviews on this site. I’m not really sure why considering how many of the records on this site are just pure dross. And this really isn't one of those.
Granted, this is not the record I’m going to listen to with a whole lot of intentionality or revisit often. But it’s enjoyable. It’s kind of great as background music, with the occasional track that demands some of my attention.
3.7/5
Herbie Hancock
3/5
I’m not really into jazz, and thought I was going to check out of this one pretty quickly, but I like it a good deal. The record opens with sounds that I kind of rolled my eyes at, but as it built, it all kind of works.
I'm not sure I need so much of it spread across 4 tracks; letting some of the music breathe with some natural space in between movements might be helpful...with the counterpoint being "why break up a continuous flow of music?" I guess that's kind of a judgment call. But then again, there is not a whole lot of variation across the 4 songs either. Maybe I’m lucky to get the breaks that are there…
Anyway, I like this record, even if it does start to feel like a bit of a "jam band" experience and doesn’t switch up nearly enough.
3.5/5
Common
3/5
I liked it pretty good, but I don’t have a PhD in Maths, so maybe that’s why.
3.7/5
Emmylou Harris
4/5
I’ve heard her sing duets with some of my fave country artists, and always really enjoyed her, but never listened to one of her records. I’m not sure why it’s taken me this long…
What a voice. It’s hard to describe. It’s like everyone else, talented or not, sings in 480p. Emmylou Harris sings in 4k.
I don’t love every song on this record, but even the less interesting songs are made better because of the singing.
4/5
Paul McCartney and Wings
3/5
Not my fave, but not awful either. I kinda wanted to turn it off and listen to ELO though. I am willing to say this here, and I know someone will seethe to read it, but Jeff Lynne is greater than anything the Beatles, Paul McCartney, or Wings ever wrote. Hell, Jeff Lynne wouldn’t even agree with that statement. But listening to Wings just makes me sad that I’m not listening to ELO.
But, Wings is fine. It doesn’t inspire me or make me want to hear repeat listens, but it’s non offensive and I’m glad someone out there likes it.
3/5
Norah Jones
3/5
Beautiful voice, fine in the background of a homey coffee shop or something, but most of this really does nothing for me.
2.5/5
I think I have to round this up. It’s exactly middle-of-the-road, milquetoast nonsense, but I don’t hate it. It’s not good, but the production is tight, her musicians are good, her voice is nice. But oh my gosh, the songwriting is so boring. I don’t want to give it three stars, but it’s not a 2-star record at all either.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
5/5
Henry’s Dream has always been one of my fave Nick Cave records. It doesn’t really have many of his "hits" (though there aer a couple), but the whole record works for me, and I think it’s actually one of his more accessible records. I’ve always loved this one. Let Love In and Murder Ballads and Abbatoir Blues might top it, but it hangs in there with them.
Admittedly, the cover art is terrible for this one. Of course, this has no bearing on how I regard the album...but it's sorta goofball vibe gives the impression that the music will also be kinda goofball, which it really isn't; I guess there's some incongruity for me there, but whatever.
I love this record.
5/5
Frank Sinatra
3/5
I understand why people gravitate toward Frank Sinatra; this record is mellow and relaxing and Frank has a great, easygoing voice. It really is great, non-offensive background music.
It doesn't offer much more than that though, at least not for me. This is fine for a piano bar or for working on something else where I need some background noise without it distracting me. But I can't really see this as something that I'd seek out for any other purpose. It doesn't really illicit any real excitement from me, even if it is enjoyable enough.
3/5
Q-Tip
4/5
A Tribe Called Quest is on of my all-time favorite hip hop acts, but I've never really sat down and listened to a Q-Tip record. I guess I've feared that the magic wouldn't be there without Phife (RIP) and Ali Shaheed Mohammed.
And truly, Q-Tip solo isn't quite the same; I do miss the chemistry that Tribe had. But Q-Tip solo is still pretty enjoyable, and I still love his whole vibe. The Renaissance has a lot of that classic Tip flow that I love so much. It's a bit more mellow across the board than I might prefer, but I'm enjoying the record a lot more than I thought.
If I had my way, Q-Tip, Mos Def, and Talib Kweli would release a whole album together. One can dream, I guess.
Anyway, this is a solid record, and I'll be inclined to check out solo Q-Tip in the future.
4/5