My 1001 Albums Journey

Albums Rated

3.46

Average Rating

Complete

1007 albums remaining

Rating Distribution

Rating Timeline

Taste Profile

1990s

Favorite Decade

Jazz

Favorite Genre

other

Top Origin

Wordsmith

Rater Style ?

5-Star Albums

1-Star Albums

Breakdown

By Genre

By Decade

By Origin

Albums

You Love More Than Most

Album	You	Global	Diff
Vento De Maio Elis Regina	5	3.01	+1.99
I Should Coco Supergrass	5	3.34	+1.66
Heaven Or Las Vegas Cocteau Twins	5	3.38	+1.62
Born To Be With You Dion	4	2.62	+1.38
Buena Vista Social Club Buena Vista Social Club	5	3.65	+1.35
Vol. 4 Black Sabbath	5	3.75	+1.25
In Rainbows Radiohead	5	3.84	+1.16
Want Two Rufus Wainwright	4	2.84	+1.16
Red Dirt Girl Emmylou Harris	4	2.86	+1.14
Tical Method Man	4	2.94	+1.06

You Love Less Than Most

Album	You	Global	Diff
Heroes David Bowie	2	3.61	-1.61
Franz Ferdinand Franz Ferdinand	2	3.57	-1.57
...And Justice For All Metallica	2	3.43	-1.43
Stardust Willie Nelson	2	3.4	-1.4
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers	2	3.39	-1.39
Myths Of The Near Future Klaxons	2	3.06	-1.06
Coles Corner Richard Hawley	2	3.03	-1.03

Artists

Favorites

Artist	Albums	Average
Radiohead	2	5
Pink Floyd	2	5

5-Star Albums (10)

View Album Wall

Popular Reviews

Franz Ferdinand

2/5

It’s fine? That’s about as polite as I can be for this overall bland forgettable record. There aren’t enough peaks to outshine the boredom. It’s definitely produced well, tight, polished but that just spotlights the lack of rawness/depth/feeling. It’s noisy - and not in a way that’s feels authentic.

2 likes

Synchronicity

The Police

3/5

Synchronicity is in a unique position in that it’s a bad record with absolutely massive hits sprinkled in. This era of music (mostly the world music style) doesn’t do it for me but it’s hard to dismiss this one due to the hits. It mostly misses but when it hits, it’s great.

1 likes

Born To Be With You

Dion

4/5

*Important to note: Steaming platforms combine two records into one 20 song mix. “Born to be With You” is the first 8 tracks. A fascinating record in that it sounds unfinished, raw, and underproduced. Something about it feels like a forgotten art project worn by time.

1 likes

4-Star Albums (29)

Don't Come Home A Drinkin' (With Lovin' On Your Mind)

All Ratings

The Scream

Siouxsie And The Banshees

3/5

Punk, good

Ágætis Byrjun

Sigur Rós

4/5

Live!

Fela Kuti

3/5

Bossanova

Pixies

4/5

Buy

Brothers

The Black Keys

3/5

A few good tracks, feels a bit try hard and monotonous at times

Kind Of Blue

Miles Davis

4/5

Beautiful record, Miles smooth talking through brass - it’s a must own.

3 Feet High and Rising

De La Soul

4/5

Made In Japan

Deep Purple

3/5

Live record, some good songs but too many breakdowns/fills/jam sessions

OK Computer

Radiohead

5/5

Don't Come Home A Drinkin' (With Lovin' On Your Mind)

Loretta Lynn

4/5

If you love country, this is top tier. If you don’t love country, this is top tier. She’s a legend. Excellent record.

It's Too Late to Stop Now

Van Morrison

3/5

White New Balances and a convertible corvette, white boy blues rock. It was probably a great show in person but live records typically don’t do it for me. Still has some good songs though.

The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators

The 13th Floor Elevators

2/5

As much as I appreciate the impact and pioneering efforts of the band, this record is overwhelming. The jug playing is distracting and it’s vocally chaotic at times - This is exactly what you’d expect from a group of musicians on a permanent acid trip. One listen is enough.

The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan

3/5

Respectfully, I just can’t.

Let's Get Killed

David Holmes

3/5

Surprisingly good. Some tracks run a bit long and can be redundant but I enjoyed it overall. Reminiscent of montage sequences in late 90s action/heist movies.

Buffalo Springfield Again

Buffalo Springfield

4/5

Great variety of genres/sounds on this record. It never felt stale or too period specific and will have to add to the collection.

Common

3/5

A Seat at the Table

Solange

3/5

It’s a pretty good R&B record that suffers a bit from limited lyricism and overuse of basic harmonies. Some great vibe moments and good intention thematically pump this album up. Artful and expressive.

Wild Is The Wind

Nina Simone

4/5

Dark, heavy, haunting and at the same time effortlessly beautiful. It’s an incredible record that highlights Nina’s raw skill as a musician and writer. Just a wonderful expression of emotion.

At Folsom Prison

Johnny Cash

4/5

Franz Ferdinand

2/5

Stardust

Willie Nelson

2/5

This is not Willie’s best record (see: Red Headed Stranger) and I’m not sure why it’s even on this list? The covers are good but a bit of a snoozer.

Superfly

Curtis Mayfield

4/5

Absolute vibe. Easy to see why this record was so successful, it’s a top tier soul/funk record. No skips, let it ride.

Either Or

Elliott Smith

4/5

Typically not a fan of hushed singer songwriters, this record breaks the mold. The lyrics are brutal, chord progression fantastic, mood depressing, production a perfect reflection of reality. Elliot is a legend in this space and influenced many musician friends I grew up with and almost anyone in the indie rock or grunge genre. It’s not an everyday listen but if you’re feeling sad, plug in.

Hounds Of Love

Kate Bush

3/5

This album is tricky. It starts off as a pop record and then goes completely off the rails into a concept album. At first I was disappointed and dismissed as not my style/overrated until the second half of the album began. What a wild change. It’s as though Kate had to put a few commercial songs to appease the label so she could make what she really wanted: a true art project. It really is an amazing thing to experience. I wouldn’t say I’d listen on repeat but I completely respect the artistic vision and execution. The whiplash is real and the result is something completely unique. Worth it.

In Rainbows

Radiohead

5/5

This is the first Radiohead record I owned so of course it’s a 5/5.

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

2/5

A Tom Petty tribute band played at my bard three times a year for more than a decade. I know all the hits by heart at this point and honestly, they sound better live than this record. Aside from a few major hits, I found the record messy and short.

With The Beatles

Beatles

4/5

I mean, yeah. Of course this is a good record.

Ray Of Light

Madonna

3/5

This was a genuine surprise. It’s definitely background music - Very period specific to the late 90s in the techno/rave style and not what I expected from Madonna. The lyrics were garbage but the production really carried the record.

GREY Area

Little Simz

3/5

Beats are catchy and her cadence and lyricism are solid.

...And Justice For All

Metallica

2/5

Metallica was never my jam but I can appreciate their impact on the genre/industry.

Vento De Maio

Elis Regina

5/5

Funky and refreshing with incredible vocals, this record almost feels like a live interpretation of a video game soundtrack. It’s so smooth and pleasing while being technically complex. What a fantastic find - a must have on vinyl.

A Little Deeper

Ms. Dynamite

2/5

Probably a good record when it released in ‘02 but really doesn’t hold up over time. It’s a fairly basic forgettable record that has some decent tracks but those are blatantly obvious mimics of better artists. Not sure why it’s even on this list?

Tical

Method Man

4/5

Best era of rap. Not much needed to say about how great this record is.

The Velvet Underground & Nico

The Velvet Underground

3/5

Wish You Were Here

Pink Floyd

5/5

Hippie space blues for your mind stadium. Absolutely based.

Coles Corner

Richard Hawley

2/5

Odd selection. Rough start leads to a few peaks and ends well… There are some truly great songs on this record but as a whole it’s underwhelming with limited lyricism. Listening to an artist perform a homage to specific genres only works if it’s either an adaptation or complete committal to the period - this feels more like a studio recording of someone acting the style out. Hard to understand why this made the list but I appreciate the exposure.

Paul Simon

4/5

Paul Simon is a master of his craft and one of the best singer/songwriters to ever come out of the states. This record is a global sampling of genres aggregated into a light and technical composed platter of sound. It’s wonderful.

Close To You

Carpenters

3/5

Good vocals, good harmonies, a few big songs….. not my cup of tea though. Soft white lounge music is fine just not appealing.

Vol. 4

Black Sabbath

5/5

There’s not much that needs to be said about this record it’s top tier. It’s your favorite metal bands favorite band. As it should be. RIP Ozzy.

Miriam Makeba

4/5

Synchronicity

The Police

3/5

Red Dirt Girl

Emmylou Harris

4/5

Incredible voice.

I Am a Bird Now

Antony and the Johnsons

3/5

Poignant and emotional performances more in line with art than typical pop production. Respect the artist for the work even though the music doesn’t resonate with me. Vibrato can be distracting but thats just who they are, maybe that’s the point?. To each their own.

Are You Experienced

Jimi Hendrix

4/5

Harvest

Neil Young

3/5

KIWANUKA

Michael Kiwanuka

4/5

Chelsea Girl

Nico

3/5

Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs

Derek & The Dominos

3/5

Ugh, I love Bell Bottom Blues. The rest of the record is fine but that one track carries the whole thing.

Young Americans

David Bowie

3/5

Two great tracks surrounded by forgettable quasi soul songs. Eh. The hits are massive, the rest is fine. So it goes with Bowie.

Want Two

Rufus Wainwright

4/5

A surprisingly good record that only suffers from vocals that hold long loud notes a bit too long.

Natty Dread

Bob Marley & The Wailers

4/5

Bob gets at least 4 stars and this is a great record until Am-A-Do.

More Songs About Buildings And Food

Talking Heads

4/5

Something/Anything?

Todd Rundgren

4/5

All over the place but all good.

Axis: Bold As Love

Jimi Hendrix

3/5

Bookends

Simon & Garfunkel

4/5

I Should Coco

Supergrass

5/5

No skips. I wish I wrote something as cool as this when I was a teenager.

The White Album

Beatles

4/5

Adele

4/5

Of course this is one the list, of course she’s a great singer and writer, of course the production is fantastic, but the thing that really gets me is that she did all this at 21. It’s almost unbelievable. It’s not even my cup of tea but gotta give massive credit where it’s due.

Whatever

Aimee Mann

2/5

I guess a lot of folks either weren’t around or don’t recognize this is what things sounded like in the 90s. Production and songwriting are the focus of this album and those are both done well. I’m not saying it’s great, but it’s good for what it is - basic.

Blood And Chocolate

Elvis Costello & The Attractions

3/5

Costello is a great writer but I just can’t get into it no matter how I try. His vocal range is limited and it feels forced on this record. A couple have a Boss sound, a few Wilco types, but really it sounds a lot like Loud Bob Dylan and that doesn’t do enough for me. To each their own.

Myths Of The Near Future

Klaxons

2/5

A couple catchy tracks but overall forgettable. Forgotten Works is the stand out song but it’s buried towards the end of the record. It’s fine but there’s better versions of this sound out there.

Heroes

David Bowie

2/5

There’s one exceptional track in Heroes and the rest of the album is flat. A low rating surprised even me considering my appreciation for Bowie, but this record as a whole just doesn’t cut it.

Copper Blue

Sugar

3/5

It’s a fine record that lingers between alt and pop, in the sounds and style of the early 90s. Lyrically stunted and musically stagnant albeit loud and energetic. I just feel like there are better versions of this sound in the era that I would prefer to listen to.

Autobahn

Kraftwerk

4/5

Heaven Or Las Vegas

Cocteau Twins

5/5

Come Find Yourself

Fun Lovin' Criminals

2/5

No.

Go Girl Crazy

The Dictators

3/5

It’s a decent record but the rating really comes from their influence on the punk scene.

The Dark Side Of The Moon

Pink Floyd

5/5

There is nothing I can say that hasn’t already been said. Absolutely incredible, full body and mind transitory sonic experience. A musical dream like state of consciousness that has to be lived. Thank you for your time. No notes. 5 stars.

This Year's Model

Elvis Costello & The Attractions

3/5

This is a much better record than it deserves to be.

G. Love And Special Sauce

G. Love & Special Sauce

3/5

It has its place and made some noise back in the day… but a must listen? No. Nostalgia rating alone.

Buena Vista Social Club

5/5

As my first exposure to Cuban music in my teens, this record blew me away. It’s still incredible. Instantly transported to a club in a Havana, with a cigar and some whiskey, lounging, hat over eyes, without a care in the world.

Trans Europe Express

Kraftwerk

4/5

In the beginning, there was Kraftwerk…

Rumours

Fleetwood Mac

5/5

It’s rare to hear a record where every track stands out, production is mint, the vibes are immaculate, and every rational person can agree on its merits. But here it is. It’s a perfect record. That’s all that needs to be said.

Vanishing Point

Primal Scream

3/5

1984

Van Halen

3/5

I mean, this is basically a greatest hits album for Van Halen. A record full of giant hits. It belongs in a museum as a showcase of 80s hair metal and theme songs for IROC owners. Respect the musicianship, style, and skill but after working over a decade in bars, I would be perfectly fine never hearing it again.

Born To Be With You

Dion

4/5

Shaka Zulu

Ladysmith Black Mambazo

4/5

This is the type of thing I was hoping for when I started this project. It’s beautiful.

System Of A Down

3/5

Blue Lines

Massive Attack

3/5

I don’t think the vocals have really stood up to time but the production and design is fantastic. Cool to see the beginnings of the genre.

Rage Against The Machine

4/5

Only criticism is that the record was mixed/produced too “clean”… really needed to be recorded live to get the full force of sound.

Cut

The Slits

3/5

Acceptable application of reggae for punk and I dig its oddity.

Marquee Moon

Television

3/5

There are elements I appreciate but I think it’ll require a few listens to sort out the hype. Not bad at all just didn’t pull me in quite like I expected.