182
Albums Rated
3.25
Average Rating
17%
Complete
907 albums remaining
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
2010
Favorite Decade
Soul
Favorite Genre
other
Top Origin
Wordsmith
Rater Style ?
15
5-Star Albums
3
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
Top Styles
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Out of Step
Minor Threat
|
5 | 2.93 | +2.07 |
|
A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector
Various Artists
|
5 | 3.3 | +1.7 |
|
Live At Leeds
The Who
|
5 | 3.32 | +1.68 |
|
It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back
Public Enemy
|
5 | 3.36 | +1.64 |
|
Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
|
5 | 3.38 | +1.62 |
|
Sound of Silver
LCD Soundsystem
|
5 | 3.42 | +1.58 |
|
Paul's Boutique
Beastie Boys
|
5 | 3.46 | +1.54 |
|
Unknown Pleasures
Joy Division
|
5 | 3.48 | +1.52 |
|
California
American Music Club
|
4 | 2.69 | +1.31 |
|
Axis: Bold As Love
Jimi Hendrix
|
5 | 3.78 | +1.22 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Youth And Young Manhood
Kings of Leon
|
1 | 3.1 | -2.1 |
|
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
|
2 | 4.09 | -2.09 |
|
Physical Graffiti
Led Zeppelin
|
2 | 3.91 | -1.91 |
|
Electric Music For The Mind And Body
Country Joe & The Fish
|
1 | 2.85 | -1.85 |
|
Rejoicing In The Hands
Devendra Banhart
|
1 | 2.82 | -1.82 |
|
Brothers In Arms
Dire Straits
|
2 | 3.74 | -1.74 |
|
Californication
Red Hot Chili Peppers
|
2 | 3.7 | -1.7 |
|
Bayou Country
Creedence Clearwater Revival
|
2 | 3.65 | -1.65 |
|
Out Of The Blue
Electric Light Orchestra
|
2 | 3.64 | -1.64 |
|
The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
|
2 | 3.62 | -1.62 |
Artists
Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Beatles | 3 | 4.33 |
Controversial
| Artist | Ratings |
|---|---|
| Beastie Boys | 4, 2, 5 |
5-Star Albums (15)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
Country Joe & The Fish · 1 likes
1/5
I literally said "Oh fuck off" out loud when I heard the whispered "L-S-D" at the end of "Bass Strings." That was the culmination of annoyance that started building with "Section 43" and picked up speed with the LBJ jokes of "Super Bird." By the time the plodding "Grace" closed things out, my hostility couldn't be reined in. In short, I hated this. I'm sure it blew minds back in '67, but I found it un-fucking-bearable 60 years later.
Yes · 1 likes
3/5
My college roommate was OBSESSED with Yes, to the point that he covered his room in Roger Dean's artwork. At the time, my only frame of reference was their left-field '80s hit, "Owner of a Lonely Heart" (and maybe "Roundabout"). Prog isn't my thing, but this is surprisingly palatable. I don't mind it—which counts as high praise from me. I even listened to the expanded edition tracks! The musicianship is pretty great across the board, and I saved "The Clap" to my playlist of instrumentals.
X-Ray Spex · 1 likes
4/5
X-Ray Spex is one of those early punk bands I missed for whatever reason. (Maybe the sax put me off?) That's a shame, because this should be Required Listening for all budding punk rockers. Maybe I have my history wrong, but this feels like a dispatch from the early, wider-open days of punk before orthodoxy took hold. It's a shame X-Ray Spex didn't stick around longer, but it's also kind of perfect that they didn't.
Minor Threat · 1 likes
5/5
I listened to the Minor Threat discography roughly a million times in high school and had MINOR THREAT—written in Liquid Paper—on my backpack. The harDCore scene massively influenced me, much much more than the early punk of the '70s. It's unsurprising that music made by very young adults—not much older than I was when they made these songs—spoke to me so much, especially as a punk rocker who felt very much out of step with his classmates. These days, the stridency of Minor Threat is a lot, but I appreciate where they came from. Fugazi would have a more profound affect on me, but Minor Threat remains foundational.
Serge Gainsbourg · 1 likes
2/5
Can you be MeToo'd for listening to an album?
My French is too basic to understand what's being said. But the one thing I know about Serge Gainsbourg is, while he was a louche bon vivant back in 1971, these days we'd call him a creep. To wit: 1) The 1,001 book describes this as a "gloriously seedy concept album exploring the author's fascination with the unattainable teen heroine." 2) There's topless Jane Birkin on the cover made to look like an apple-cheeked child, clutching her doll. The album is supposedly from the POV of Gainsbourg's even skeevier alter-ego, "Gainsbarre." However you wanna dress this up, I'm guessing it's problematic.
And it's not as if the music compensates for that. "En Melody" is pretty great, especially the bass, as is "Cargo Culte." But Gainsbourg does the same shtick in every song. Can I get a version without him?
1-Star Albums (3)
All Ratings
Kings of Leon
1/5
I didn't expect to hate this. While KOL has never done much for me, and I really don't like "Sex on Fire" song, I don't have hostility toward them. At least I didn't until today! I couldn't wait for this to end. They're clearly good at what they do, but what they do is not my thing.
Charles Mingus
4/5
This is pretty great, not that I'll pretend it's something I'll put on regularly. But it's surprisingly melodic and easy for my brain to follow.
Beatles
5/5
Does anything else need to be said about the Beatles?
Oasis
2/5
I don't think I've ever listened to this album. When these guys blew up, I was at the peak of my punk stridency, and Oasis' rockstar bullshit was anathema to me (and I didn't think their songs backed up their egos). I also was also on Team Blur during the completely-invented-by-the-British-media rivalry between Blur and Oasis. I've softened since; I listened to the 20th anniversary edition of (What's the Story) Morning Glory a bunch of times when it came out, though I haven't gone back to it. All that said, this album still gets a shrug from me. The songs are too long for what they are—"Live Forever" would be so much better if they chopped a minute off—and the lyrics have no shortage of clichés. It's totally fine mid-'90s Britpop. I don't say this often, but 1994 me was on the right track.
Fleetwood Mac
5/5
To paraphrase what I wrote about the Revolver, what more can be said about Rumours?
Metallica
4/5
To paraphrase The Onion: Humanity still producing new arts as though Metallica’s ‘...And Just for All’ doesn’t already exist
Pulp
3/5
I've often wondered if I missed the boat on this band. Maybe not!
John Lennon
2/5
Well, it's easier to listen to than anything else with "Ono" in its name.
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
3/5
These dudes were huge among the cool indie set back in the ‘90s, but never really hooked me. Like the other album of theirs I own, this is fun but not something I seek out.
Le Tigre
3/5
Whoa, first time I've listened to a song on my own that popped up later on the day's album selection. (My daughter played "Deceptacon" in the car in the morning.) I like Le Tigre a lot, but this album's hit or miss. Among the cred-conscious, this will be a controversial take, but I think their major-label album (This Island) is better.
Black Sabbath
4/5
I bought this on CD 20+ years ago, listened to it once, found it boring, and haven't touched it since. Now I think it kinda rules?
Dire Straits
2/5
I think my affection for "Money for Nothing" and "Walk of Life" is due more to their ubiquity during my childhood than really LIKING those songs, because I found this album to be a SLOG. The songs are needlessly long—"Why Worry?" into "Ride Across the River" is just brutal—with production that makes no mystery of when it was made. That's doesn't have to be a bad thing, but it didn't help this, either.
Bonnie Raitt
2/5
I respect Bonnie Raitt as an artist, but this does nothing for me.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
4/5
This started slow for me but hooked me (?) with the shattering loss at is center. I remember this album coming out and hearing about its inspiration, but it's even more brutal than I expected. Songs like "Ghosteen Speaks," "Ghosteen," and "Hollywood" are almost unbearably sad, particularly "Ghosteen Speaks." The first songs, which reference Jesus and Mary, etc., felt laborious, but the rest cuts like a goddamn dagger.
Elastica
3/5
This could be about five songs shorter & a whole lot stronger. The best songs are great ("Connection," "Stutter," "Never Here") but there's plenty of forgettable stuff on here. And they only wrote "Connection" by shamelessly ripping off Wire's "Three Girl Rhumba," then having to pay that band for doing so.
FUN STORY: I bought this in the summer of 1995 at Best Buy with Sponge's Rotting Piñata. When the clerk looked at my ID (I must've paid by check?), she goes, "You used to be so cute. What happened?" Then proceeded to talk to me about Jesus.
The Smiths
4/5
I typically hit my limit with the Smiths (or, specifically, Morrissey) pretty quickly, but I pretty much enjoyed this from start to finish. While Moz is an icon, he's one who seems intent on tarnishing his legacy as much as possible. At least Johnny Marr has only burnished his legacy with interesting projects and music, and the guitar sound he created in this band set the template for so many who followed.
Judas Priest
3/5
Growing up in the punk scene, I always thought these guys were buffoons. (The "Breaking the Law" video didn't help.) I'm less judgmental these days, and this album is fun, though probably not something I'd return to much.
Bad Brains
2/5
Let me know when Rock for Light is the choice of the day.
The Stone Roses
4/5
Man, why have I spent literal decades thinking the Stone Roses weren't my thing? Especially because I love bands like Ride, the Charlatans, etc.? This album is great.
Paul Weller
3/5
This is very pleasant. The bluesier stuff didn't land for me, but there's a lot to like on here—especially the opening track, "Sunflower." I need to dig into Weller's discography.
Ramones
3/5
A lot of groundbreaking albums can sound a little flat when you go back to them decades later. This is a foundational text in my beloved punk rock, though I always respected the Ramones more than I actually liked them. "Blitzkrieg Bop" is an undeniable classic, and "Judy is a Punk" is awesome, though I can more or less skip the rest of this album and stick to the hits.
Joy Division
5/5
As iconic as this album is (particularly the cover), I remember it dragging. I still think it drags a bit, but it's essential listening (and cohesive if nothing else). "Disorder" is probably my favorite, though "She's Lost Control" and "Shadowplay" are among their greats.
N.W.A.
2/5
I'd forgotten just how much this falls off a cliff, but what struck me most this time around was how old-fashioned it sounds—not in 2025, but even in 1988. Songs like "Something Like That" sound like straight-up crew party rap from the '70s. (Compare this to what the Bomb Squad was doing on Public Enemy's It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, released two months earlier.) Then there's whatever "Something 2 Dance 2" is, and they smartly bury it at the end of the album. "Straight Outta Compton" is an unimpeachable classic, and "Fuck Tha Police" is right up there too, but you can stop listening after "Gangsta Gangsta" (or, if you're feeling generous, skip ahead to "Express Yourself," then stop).
Red Hot Chili Peppers
2/5
Me in 1991: "Can't wait for the RHCP show!" Me in 2025: "JFC this album won't end." These guys have been at it a million years and are good at what they do (well, Kiedis is debatable), but what they do grates on my nerves. "Give It Away" doesn't bother me as much as the rest, so that's something, I guess.
Sufjan Stevens
4/5
This was an instant sensation when it came out in 2005, and I always appreciated its artistic ambition. (Stevens planned to give EVERY state the album treatment.) I've only returned to a handful of songs over the years, though, probably because the album's a little twee. "Chicago" is chief among them, not just because it's my home, but also because it's the best song. This album is such a big swing, and I appreciate it more as a cohesive artistic work now than I did back in 2005.
Deep Purple
3/5
This is the kind of dopey—literally and figuratively—hard rock my punk forefathers rebelled against in the '70s. You could call it clichéd, except this album helped establish those clichés! All that said, I've got no beef with this. It gets wanky and deeply silly ("Space Truckin'"), but the classics on here have endured for a reason.
Bob Dylan
2/5
Bob Dylan's an icon who's adored by millions of people and has influenced generations of musicians. I'm not among either group. I appreciate what he's done and where this album stands in music history, but it does nothing for me.
Duke Ellington
4/5
I like big band music quite a bit, though I have to be in the mood for it. (I used to whip out my four-disc Glenn Miller Orchestra collection during stressful times at my first job.) The more staid tracks on here ("Tea for Two," "Take the 'A' Train") are fine, but I loved the ones where the band is really hot, baby, hot ("Diminuendo in Blue," "Skin Deep"—that drum solo, dios mio—"Tulip or Turnip"). This is a formidable performance by an icon and a neat time capsule.
Black Sabbath
4/5
I'm starting to realize I should've been listening to Sabbath a lot more all these years.
The Smiths
4/5
I think I like this a bit more than Strangeways. Enjoyable from start to finish. But I find it perplexing that Johnny Marr found Kirsty MacColl's original backup harmonies so "weird" that he instead pitched up Morrissey's own vocals for something that sound distractingly weird. Have some respect for the woman behind "Fairytale of New York," dude.
Van Morrison
4/5
I was surprised by how much I liked this. Although it gets a little same-y as it progresses, there's plenty to enjoy here.
Björk
3/5
Just like with the Sugar Cubes, I appreciate Björk for than I actually like her music. She's a singular artist across the board—her voice, her art, her personality, all of it. There's no mistaking her. It's just not my thing on an album level. I'll pop "Big Time Sensuality" on a playlist & be good.
(That said, I started listening to 1995's Post after this one finished.)
Manic Street Preachers
4/5
This is first time I've listened to an album a second time because it seemed like it should be my thing. While James Dean Bradfield's vocals aren't my favorite—maybe because they're in a higher register?—there's so much to like here. The second listen confirmed that I liked this, particularly the stretch that starts with "Australia" and goes through the end of the album. This was a lovely surprise. I'm now following Manic Street Preachers on Spotify, just a year before they celebrate their 40th anniversary. Better late than never.
Fleetwood Mac
3/5
This is the classic reaction album, zagging where Rumours zigged. I like the subdued mood, but some songs sound incomplete or unfinished. (Double albums are dangerous.) The ones that feel fully fleshed out—like "Sisters of the Moon"—are pretty great, though.
Robert Wyatt
2/5
I always like being introduced to noteworthy artists I've never heard of, even when their music is far from my thing. And Shleep is most definitely not for me. I found it relentlessly laborious, though it picked up at the end with "Blues in Bob Minor" and the ambient closer "The Whole Point of No Return." I actually kinda liked (or at least disliked less) a track from another album Spotify started playing after this one, so maybe I can find some Robert Wyatt stuff that's closer to my thing.
Patti Smith
2/5
Well, it was worth giving this another try, even though the verdict hasn't changed: not my thing. "Gloria: In Excelsis Deo" is great, though it's partly a cover. Shout out to my younger self, who bought the two-disco deluxe version of Horses, listened to it once, then never played it again.
OutKast
3/5
Revisiting this for the first time in, like, 15 years made one thing crystal clear: Big Boi's side is much stronger than Andre 3000's. It's kind of crazy that it takes the latter 3 tracks to really get going, and even then it's in no hurry. "Hey Ya!" sticks out for being a concise, focused pop song, because the Love Below is otherwise meandering and loooong (21 tracks?!). Speakerboxxx has lots of bangers and its own share of artistic flourishes, whereas the Love Below basically has "Hey Ya!" That was a nuclear bomb of a song, so maybe it all balances out?
Pretenders
3/5
Chrissie Hynde has never done much for me, though I recognize the Pretenders' place in rock history (and Hynde's role in the early punk scene in the UK). That said, I liked this more than I expected, probably because it's much closer to punk and post-punk her later stuff. While the songs blend together after a while for me, it was nice to be introduced to songs other than "Brass in Pocket" that I may return to in the future. ("Mystery Achievement" is great.)
Norah Jones
2/5
Norah Jones is clearly very talented and good at what she does, but what she does has no effect on me. Well, that's not true. I find it tedious. To my brain, this album sounds like different versions of the same song repeated over and over. It's not a bad song—I liked "Nightengale" most—but it's not my thing.
Lucinda Williams
4/5
I haven't listened to this in a while, but it's as charming as ever.
Radiohead
4/5
I find Radiohead's music to be pretty bloodless, especially post-Kid A/Amnesiac. OK Computer is where they started veering in that direction, but it feels more human to me. I've never been much of a fan, and the hype that followed this album (and the lead up to Kid A) was a turnoff. That said, there's a reason OK Computer is such a landmark, and I found it more enjoyable this time around.
Billy Joel
3/5
Funny enough, I listened to this a couple months ago on my own volition, and I've been meaning to watch the new docuseries about Billy Joel. Although I loathe "Piano Man"—thankfully not on this album—I'm not reflexively anti-Joel. "Only the Good Die Young" is great, I like "Movin' Out," and "Just the Way You Are" may be sentimental, but it works. That summarizes Billy Joel in general. There's always a good amount of cheese, but he makes it work for the most part.
The Smiths
3/5
There are nearly 1,100 albums on this list, so why do we need to cram so many Smiths ones in so early? This one is fine. And the song "Meat is Murder" offers a glimpse into the insufferable prig Moz became.
Jimi Hendrix
5/5
This is pretty great. I've never had anything against Jimi Hendrix—I got the greatest hits from BMG a million years ago, for what that's worth—but I really appreciated the deeper cuts and other songs I haven't heard a million times.
Madonna
2/5
The title track is still great, and the rest of this is...fine. It feels much longer than an hour.
Simon & Garfunkel
3/5
Aside from the synthy "Save the Life of My Child" and the spoken-word interlude of "Voices of Old People," this is pretty much what I expected. Which means it's not my thing. "Mrs. Robinson" is of course a classic, but I wish there were more like "Save the Life of My Child."
Frank Sinatra
2/5
I audibly groaned when this popped up. With the standard caveat that Sinatra's an icon yada yada, this does very little for me. I was just relieved that it's only 45 minutes.
Dire Straits
3/5
To damn this with faint praise, I liked it more than Brothers in Arms. It's still not my jam, and Mark Knopfler's playing just isn't my thing. That's not to take away from his incredible talent, though, and there's a reason "Sultans of Swing" has 1.5 BILLION plays. I'm glad this is out there.
The Bees
2/5
I always appreciate being introduced to artists I know literally nothing about, even when it turns out not to be my thing. This is perfectly pleasant but also pretty forgettable.
Sade
2/5
The smooth sounds of Sade are pleasant enough, but time has damned it to the kind of light, jazzy music that soundtracks any number of public spaces. Put "Smooth Operator" on a playlist, and you're good to go.
The Who
3/5
It's been a minute since I've listened to this, but revisiting it confirmed my memory of it being...fine. It's bookended by two undeniable classics, with "Baba O'Riley" remaining the Who's high point (even with being massively overplayed). And "Bargain" is solid. But the rest isn't nearly on the same level.
Led Zeppelin
3/5
I've never listened to this album, but I've heard it. So many of these songs are part of rock's DNA that they're almost impossible to have missed. I spent my adolescence and early adulthood deeply hostile to Led Zeppelin as the embodiment of clichéd cock-rock. I'm mostly indifferent toward them these days, but I liked this more than I expected. It's not something I'll likely revisit, though, and I never need to hear "Stairway to Heaven" again.
2/5
I know nothing of this band, but their Wikipedia page is an entertaining read. I liked more of this than I expected ("Street Worm" especially), but I wouldn't say it's my thing.
Grizzly Bear
2/5
Did my brain think Panda Bear when it saw the cover? Yes. Was I dreading an album full of Animal Collective-style bleepy-bloopy bullshit? Yes. Was I relieved that this was Grizzly Bear instead? Yes. Did I enjoy it? Not particularly. This album was huge with some of my co-workers when it came out, but its charms were lost on me. Not much has changed since. "Two Weeks" is fine, and there are other moments here and there. Hey, at least it's not Panda Bear!
Led Zeppelin
2/5
This is fine. I probably prefer IV, in part because Physical Graffiti seems to go on and on and on. This has moments, but LZ just isn't my thing.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
The more I've explored the Stones' catalogue, the more I've realized I'm fine with the hits. Obviously "Sympathy for the Devil" is one of the most iconic rock songs of all time, and "Street Fighting Man" is one of their great songs. The rest are good to hear, but won't bring me back. Well, maybe "Stray Cat Blues" to marvel at how problematic it is.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
2/5
Kudos to CCR for being prolific enough to put out three albums in 1969, but maybe this one doesn't belong on the list? The iconic "Proud Mary" notwithstanding, there are two overlong slogs here ("Graveyard Train," "Keep on Chooglin'") and an inessential cover of "Good Golly Miss Molly." I'll take "Born on the Bayou" and "Proud Mary" and skip the rest. (And arguably Ike & Tina own "Proud Mary.")
The Young Gods
3/5
Way back in HS, a friend told me I should check out the Young Gods, and now I know why. My adolescent self was neck-deep in Ministry, Skinny Puppy, Nine Inch Nails, and the like, and this would've been right up his alley (except for the vocals). I still like that stuff though, and this definitely perked up my ears a few times (except for the vocals).
Red Hot Chili Peppers
2/5
Legit question: Would I like this band if Anthony Kiedis weren't in it? Because musically there's stuff on here I appreciate, and these dudes are obviously all excellent players. Then there's Kiedis. Oh well. I liked "Otherside" for the most part! That's something, right?
Happy Mondays
3/5
I only really know Pills 'N' Thrills And Bellyaches, so it's nice to dig into Happy Mondays more. I liked this, even though it all starts to sound the same after a while. And I will take this opportunity to once again quote 24 Hour Party People:
Tony Wilson: You know, I think that Shaun Ryder is on a par with W.B. Yeats as a poet.
Yvette: Really?
Tony Wilson: Absolutely. Totally.
Yvette: Well, that is amazing, considering everyone else thinks he's a fucking idiot.
Public Enemy
4/5
This was my most anticipated album of 1990. I loved It Takes a Nation of Millions of to Hold Us Back and had been playing "Fight the Power" on a loop from the Do the Right Thing soundtrack. "Fight the Power" is one of the greatest songs of all time, "Welcome to the Terrordome" slays, and there's plenty of good stuff on here ("Brothers Gonna Work It Out," "Burn Hollywood Burn," Who Stole the Soul?" etc.). There's also a good amount of filler, and luckily my young self didn't understand the sickening homophobia of "Meet the G That Killed Me." Chuck & Flav should've known better, and that song is a stain on this album. Otherwise it's awesome.
Cyndi Lauper
4/5
I'd forgotten how many hits were on this album. That run from "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" through "All Through the Night" is amazing—the rest of the album can't help but pale in comparison, though "Money Changes Everything" is pretty great.
The Velvet Underground
3/5
Psst..hey, budding music cognoscente. You're fine with the Velvet Underground's greatest hits. They'll pluck "Pale Blue Eyes" and "Beginning to See the Light" from this album, which works. If what we'll very loosely call "hits" hook you, then take a deep dive into the albums. You may also discover, like I did long ago, that a little Lou Reed goes a long way.
Deep Purple
3/5
The Spinal Tap-esque album cover lets you know what's in store: '70s hard rock that's supremely dopey (again, literally and figuratively) but totally fun. Parts of this album play like a caricature of bloated '70s rock, only this is the BASIS of said caricatures. As much as I appreciate my punk-rock forefathers revolting against this kind of thing, I also appreciate the dumb fun.
Elvis Presley
5/5
Man, 12 songs, 28 minutes, and seismic. I've never listened to this before, but two things struck me: 1) how many songs I didn't know, and 2) how unpolished the album is. The songs sound so different based on their recording session, you can't hear each instrument clearly, etc. I believe it was all recorded live in the room, which I love. There's nothing left to say about Elvis, but it's fascinating to listen to this debut and hear where it all started.
The Cure
4/5
My most anticipated album of 1989. I was a massive Cure fan, so I couldn't wait for this to come out. While I loved it, I found it to be a bit of a slog toward the end. I still think it's overlong, but it's also full of some of their best work.
The White Stripes
3/5
Aside from "Forever For Her (Is Over For Me)," this is a steady descent after "Blue Orchid." You can hear the White Stripes pushing the boundaries of their sound, but none of that lands quite like when they stick to what they do best.
Miles Davis
4/5
I used to listen to this album a lot the way Miles Davis intended: as background music while I studied in college. Listening to it while working almost 30 years later probably isn't any better. But I remember this well, even though it blends together in my pedestrian brain. Obviously it's a landmark album, and it has a one of best titles of all time.
Bob Dylan
2/5
Some people have a genetic predisposition that makes cilantro taste like soap to them. I think I have a genetic predisposition that makes Dylan's music sound terrible to me. As part of my due diligence as a music fan & critic, I bought Blonde on Blonde on CD 20+ years ago. I listened to it once and never played it again, and now I remember why: I kind of hate it. While I respect Dylan's place in the pantheon of popular music, I was checking how much time was left by track three. (Answer: too long.)
Spiritualized
4/5
I haven't listened to this in a while, and when I do, I always think I should revisit it more often. Obviously there's a LOT going on here, and I appreciate its sprawling, overdriven ambition. I should've gone to see these guys when I had the chance.
The Band
2/5
The Band is another group whose achievements and place in history I respect, even if I'm not terribly interested in listening to their music. I know "The Weight," of course, but I'd probably change the station if it came on the radio. That goes double for "I Shall Be Released." Otherwise this is...fine.
Gorillaz
3/5
I was just thinking I need to go through the Gorillaz discography, so this is well timed. This is fun, if slight—which I guess has always been the point of Gorillaz.
The Black Keys
3/5
While I never had anything against the Black Keys (other than Patrick Carney coming off like kind of a dick sometimes), I never had any interest in listening to them, either. This is better than I expected, though I wonder how much of that is my affinity for the source material. "Never Gonna Give You Up" could've been a Stax song in the '60s, for instance. But this is enjoyable regardless, even if it's not something I'm likely to seek out.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
As 15-year-old white Catholic middle-class kid, I discovered Legend. Thus began a short, intense, and deeply embarrassing Bob Marley phase. How embarrassing? I named my first car Bob Marley. "That's not so bad," you say. That's because I haven't mentioned the rastacap I wore on a regular basis. Or my hoodie with "yeah mon"-esque messaging that was undoubtedly inadvertently racist. It is my personal mission to destroy all evidence of this period of my life, which includes eliminating any friends who remember it.
While I listened to Legend a million times—"Buffalo Soldier" still rules—I never dove into Marley's catalogue. I'm thankful not to hear the overplayed hits on this (save "No Woman No Cry"), but this felt repetitious. I liked "Lively Up Yourself" and "Them Belly Full," but much of this receded into the background for me. Sorry for letting you down, 15-year-old Kyle. I'm rounding up in your honor.
Radiohead
3/5
I reflexively bought the fancy version of this album when it came out, then probably listened to it once or twice, before selling it to Amoeba before I moved. That said, this is a step up from the bloodless, distant Hail to the Thief. In Rainbows isn't hooky per se, but it has more moments that at least qualify as grabby or adjacent to grabby. With Radiohead, that's about all you can ask for.
The Cure
3/5
This is a gloomy listen, and it sounds like the making of it was fraught to say the least. I missed this one during my peak Cure-listening years, so I appreciated the history lesson, even if it's not something I'd put on for funsies.
Willie Nelson
2/5
Willie Nelson is a justly revered icon, and I appreciate his desire to revisit the songs he loved when he was young. This is pleasant, but I disagree that I needed to hear his take on 10 standards before I die.
Prince
4/5
"1999" and "Little Red Corvette" are among the greatest songs of all time, and "Delirious" is fun, but this album steadily, precipitously drops from there. It drags, but at least it's never boring. It also has enough WTF elements (the sexy moaning in "Lady Cab Driver," the weird police-radio talk of masturbation in "All the Critics Love U in New York") to keep you guessing.
Public Enemy
5/5
This is a seismic album in my life. I forget how I came across Public Enemy as an adolescent, but this was their most recent release at the time. To hear everything they talk about on this album (and the liner notes, which I read cover to cover) as a 12- or 13-year-old middle-class white kid from Texas? It blew my goddamn mind. It was provocative, kinda scary, and thrilling, and I can still hear why when I revisit it. "Louder Than a Bomb" remains my favorite, and this album has so much good stuff on it (and a relatively light amount of filler). In short, this rules.
What DIDN'T rule was seeing them perform this album in full at the Pitchfork Music Festival in 2008. Chuck and Flav rapped over full backing tracks—with vocals. Flav wasn't even there for the first song, but his vocal track was. After he finally showed up, he was booed when he plugged his supremely awful sitcom. Years later I would go onto work with the guy who created it, and he too was supremely awful.
The Electric Prunes
3/5
This may be the first album on here where I'd never heard of the artist or any of the songs. You could've showed me the cover and told me it was from A Mighty Wind, and I would've believed you. These guys weren't a folk band, though, and what they were is harder to pin down. Which I appreciate, even if I found this more interesting/perplexing than "good."
Neil Young
3/5
I've never been a Neil Young fan, but I liked this album. After reading the Wikipedia about it, maybe I prefer the stripped-down, less produced version of Young this album captures. And normally I wouldn't be psyched for a nine-minute album closer, but "Ambulance Blues" is great. It's a new day, y'all.
Louis Prima
3/5
I had it in my head that Louis Prima was a crooner, and I was happy to be wrong. While I recognized several of these songs, listening to all of them together left me thinking a couple things: 1) Louis Prima probably knew how to have a good time, and 2) he could hang with the big-band dudes and crooners, but this music feels looser and more personality-forward. I can totally see this killing in early Vegas. I bet he was a fun, boozy hang back in the day.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
4/5
I wasn't expecting Dinosaur Jr. vibes on a Neil Young & Crazy Horse album, but I'm into it. This was all new to me except for "Over and Over," which I knew because Blake Babies used to cover it. I like loud, ragged Neil Young, even as this album kind of peters out as it progresses.
Venom
3/5
I wondered if Venom were on the PMRC's radar back in the day, and sure enough, they were among the original Filthy 15. But shockingly, not for "Teacher's Pet." I mean, this is tailor-made for a conservative freakout. Goat head and pentagram on the cover, numerous references to Satan, the occult, and virgin sacrifice, etc. Forty years later, it's all deeply silly, but the music still slays.
Beastie Boys
4/5
This could easily be half as long and be a front-to-back classic. But even at a bloated 20 tracks, there are enough bangers on here to make this one of the Beasties' best and an iconic album of the era. (And I appreciate the instrumentals more now than I did in 1994.)
FUN FACT: They recorded this, and I think all of their '90s output, at a studio like five minutes from our place in LA. G-Son Studios, represent.
The Prodigy
3/5
This is brainless party music, best enjoyed while rolling on ecstasy at a rave in 1995. It's a time capsule of mainstream electronic music 30 years ago, and I still like some of the beats and production.
Beck
4/5
Beck has never done much for me, but this was a pleasing enough way to spend an hour. All of the songs have that pastiche that Beck has made his signature, and I liked opener "E-Pro" the best. None of it feels especially deep or substantive, but I don't think that's the point, either.
Beastie Boys
2/5
I remember when this came out well. I was in fifth grade, and "Fight for Your Right" was massive. And I, even at that tender age, thought it sucked. It wouldn't be till Check Your Head that I came around on the Beasties. Nearly 40 years later, I still kinda hate this album. I can take "Paul Revere" and some other moments here and there, but as far as I'm concerned, the Beasties don't exist pre-Paul's Boutique.
Badly Drawn Boy
4/5
I know very little about Badly Drawn Boy, but somewhere around when this album came out, it was imprinted on me that he was "the British Elliott Smith," and that has stuck in my mind in the decades since. Listening to this album, I can see it (especially "Say It Again"). This sticks around a little too long, but it's solid.
Minor Threat
5/5
I listened to the Minor Threat discography roughly a million times in high school and had MINOR THREAT—written in Liquid Paper—on my backpack. The harDCore scene massively influenced me, much much more than the early punk of the '70s. It's unsurprising that music made by very young adults—not much older than I was when they made these songs—spoke to me so much, especially as a punk rocker who felt very much out of step with his classmates. These days, the stridency of Minor Threat is a lot, but I appreciate where they came from. Fugazi would have a more profound affect on me, but Minor Threat remains foundational.
Dolly Parton
4/5
I believe it's illegal to dislike Dolly Parton—and why would you anyway? Like her, this is so charming, but that's not all it is. She has the pipes, and this all comes from a real place. She's a national treasure for a reason.
Arcade Fire
4/5
I feel like this is that last Arcade Fire album that I really liked. I appreciate the mixed nostalgia for growing up in the burbs, and I suppose knowing the area of suburban Houston where Win Butler grew up helps too. (That cover photo might as well have been my house, though I was in the city, baby.) I liked this quite a bit when it came out, and revisiting it reminded me of lots of songs I liked, particularly the Régine-led ones. While Arcade Fire are a lot less exciting these days, this is a reminder of how formidable they can be.
UB40
2/5
Like most of the world, my introduction to UB40 came in the late '80s with their cover of Neil Diamond's "Red Red Wine." It wasn't until much later that I learned UB40 did something other than cover songs, and it wasn't until today that I actually listened to any of them. I love the socio-political themes here, which must've caused consternation in the UK at the time. But musically the album settles into a groove and basically stays there for an hour. It doesn't take long to get tedious, though I appreciated their take on "Strange Fruit."
Dinosaur Jr.
2/5
Dinosaur Jr's cover of "Just Like Heaven" was one of the first songs of theirs I heard, and it didn't do much for me. I didn't get hooked til Green Mind (which was post-Lou Barlow), and even then my fandom was pretty limited. You're Living All Over Me may be considered a classic nearly 40 years later, but I probably fall more in line what Wikipedia describes as "critical indifference and low sales" to its release.
Skunk Anansie
2/5
I'd never heard of this self-described "clit-rock" group, but I always like hearing bands that are huge elsewhere but not well known in the U.S. That's a little surprising to me, because Skunk Anansie would fit in well among various American/Canadian hard-rock acts doing the second-tier festival circuit. You know, the ones with other bands I don't like. While I found some parts of this interesting—and I always like seeing non-white dude-bros in this space—I was ready for Post-Orgasmic Chill (the album, not the phenomenon) to be over before it was.
Pearl Jam
5/5
I haven't listened to this front to back in years, but it was in my heavy rotation from about December 1991 and through 1992, until the overexposure burned me out on Pearl Jam. Revisiting it now, the hits still hit, and it fades toward the end as much as I remember (though I like "Release" more now). This may not get as much credit as Nevermind, but it was seismic all the same.
ZZ Top
2/5
Over decades of listening to music, one thing I have definitively learned is that electric blues and blues rock are not my thing. As a child of the '80s, I only knew ZZ Top from the Eliminator era, and it wasn't until much later that I understood how far back they went (and that they're the ones who did that "how-how-how" song). Turns out I much prefer the stuff I saw on MTV, but the live version of "La Grange" is solid.
Femi Kuti
4/5
I barely know anything about Fela Kuti, so I know nothing about Fema Kuti. And I know almost nothing about afrobeat. So I'm basically a blank canvas. Once I settled into the songs, I enjoyed this much more than I expected. It's not necessarily something I'll put on, but I found plenty to like on here.
John Martyn
4/5
I know nothing of John Martyn, so this was an enjoyable surprise. "Dealer" had me expecting British yacht rock—and it's not NOT that—but that's a lazy descriptor. I'm not sure how to classify this, which seems to be a common thing for Martyn's music. I wouldn't have expected to like this, much less save a couple tracks on playlists, but here we are. I'm gonna check out some of his other stuff too.
The Cult
3/5
1985's Love is a foundational text in the Kyle Ryan Alternative Awakening, but for whatever reason, I never really heard Electric. I was super psyched when Sonic Temple came out, even though it sounded so different. Electric would've eased the transition between Love and Sonic Temple for me. I prefer the gothier Love vs. the RAWK of Electric, Sonic Temple, and what followed, but I still like this. Ian Astbury has a great voice, though he's never had much to say lyrically, and Billy Duffy is one of the guitar greats. I would deduct a star for the inessential cover of "Born to Be Wild," but I'm not that petty.
Pixies
4/5
I haven't listened to this in ages and had forgotten about all the songs I like on it. The video for "Dig for Fire"/"Allison" was a staple of 120 Minutes back when I watched religiously. "Velouria" is a classic. "Is She Weird," "The Happening," and "Stormy Weather" are fun. There's nothing on here I dislike.
Led Zeppelin
2/5
This project keeps sending me Led Zeppelin albums and the same thing keeps happening: I don't like them. I thought their debut could have a better shot, because maybe it was rawer and the band hadn't yet gone fully up their own asses, but nope! There's still stuff on here I actively hate, like when they get slow and bluesy ("I Can't Quit You Baby," for instance). I liked the more rocking parts of "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You," but I still find Led Zeppelin insufferable. No thanks.
Fleet Foxes
2/5
This was a big deal when it came out, and I remember many of my co-workers championing it. (We ranked it #12 on our year-end list.) It wasn't my thing then, and that hasn't changed. It's perfectly pleasant and impressively accomplished for a debut (especially one written by someone who was barely in their 20s), but this style of music just doesn't grab me.
X-Ray Spex
4/5
X-Ray Spex is one of those early punk bands I missed for whatever reason. (Maybe the sax put me off?) That's a shame, because this should be Required Listening for all budding punk rockers. Maybe I have my history wrong, but this feels like a dispatch from the early, wider-open days of punk before orthodoxy took hold. It's a shame X-Ray Spex didn't stick around longer, but it's also kind of perfect that they didn't.
Brian Wilson
4/5
The Beach Boys have never done anything for me, despite my repeated attempts to get into Pet Sounds (and their more straightforward "Surfin' USA"/"Little Deuce Coupe"/"Little Surfer Girl" claptrap actively repels me). I don't remember anything being different when this came out, despite its mythical status. So imagine my surprise when I actually enjoyed it this time around? Specifically the orchestral pop songs, not the stuff that sounds like novelty circus music or Yo Gabba Gabba. What a plot twist!
Santana
4/5
While I didn't have much in the way of expectations for this, I didn't expect to like it. Although I also described it to someone else as "enjoyable background music," so maybe that's not terribly positive. But the chill vibes do settle into a comfortable place, and Santana's playing never feels wanky. It matches the song, and I appreciate his restraint when he could undoubtedly shred. An unexpected pleasure.
Willie Colón & Rubén Blades
4/5
I haven't heard of Willie Colón and Rubén Blades before, and I know almost nothing about salsa, so this was another album where I was starting from scratch. I enjoyed it even as it started to blend together for me, probably because of the language barrier. But this was pretty enjoyable.
Baaba Maal
3/5
I've never heard anything like this. Many of these guitar lines wouldn't sound out of place in a Western indie-rock song, and in the context of these songs, they sound both familiar and foreign. I appreciate the minimalism as well—there's a lot going on, even with a few instruments. It starts to blend together for me after a while, though the vocals in "Daande Lenol" and "Taara" are quite striking. While this isn't necessarily something I'd put on by choice, it was illuminating.
The Afghan Whigs
4/5
The Afghan Whigs are one of those bands I should theoretically love but never got into for whatever reason. Listening to Gentlemen, I wonder if it's because I have limited patience for louche dudes who probably worship Bukowski. (Some quick googling for Greg Dulli + Charles Bukowski turns up LOTS of results.) Not to say these songs are autobiographical, and it's reductive to classify all of Gentlemen that way. I do like this—I listened twice, once on the stereo & once on headphones, and I enjoyed it quite a bit. The book refers to Gentlemen as the Whigs' masterpiece; while I'm not familiar enough to go that far, I can see the argument.
Ray Charles
3/5
Unless covers are transformative, I get bored pretty quickly. Luckily Ray Charles is a singular presence, so even the straightforward songs on this have something extra. But I can't stand the syrupy backup vocals in songs like "I Love You So Much It Hurts," "You Win Again," "I Can't Stop Loving You," etc. They're the opposite of how the book characterizes the string arrangements, "just to the right side of cloying." I find a fair amount of this cloying, but they can't all be "You Don't Know Me."
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
4/5
It feels appropriate that this closes with "American Girl," the best song, as an indication of where Tom Petty was headed. The rest of this album is fine, but it's not particularly surprising that "Breakdown" is the only other song that broke through. While I'd argue "The Wild One, Forever," deserves more attention, most of this album sets up what was to come from Tom Petty. Noteworthy in its own right, but a preview of better things to come.
Fatboy Slim
4/5
Although I always found "the funk soul brother" repetitiveness of "The Rockafeller Skank" annoying, I was surprised by how much I liked this, particularly the closing three songs, "Praise You" (another big hit), "Love Island," and "Acid 8000." They aren't necessarily songs I'd put on just to listen to music, but they're excellent additions to my running playlist. (Currently 193 songs, 11:45.)
Electric Light Orchestra
2/5
I appreciate the craft that went into this, I'm astonished that Jeff Lynne wrote the whole thing in three weeks, but I couldn't wait for it to be over. I feel like a lot of early punk bands cite ELO as a perverse inspiration, the embodiment of bloated '70s rock that had to be destroyed. They weren't wrong. But this is all harmless if occasionally cringe ("Jungle"). And hey, I respect Lynne's iconoclasm for releasing this when disco ruled the world.
The Teardrop Explodes
3/5
I'd never heard of the Teardrop Explodes, and I'm only vaguely aware of Julian Cope. Having listened to this album, I suspect it's a bigger deal in their native England than here. It's fine. Cope's occasionally strained vocals don't do much for me, but the music has a sharper edge than I expected. I won't revisit, but nice to meet you, Teardrop Explodes. 2.5 stars.
Abdullah Ibrahim
3/5
This is lovely, and the Duke Ellington influence is pronounced, so much so that I never would've guessed this was the work of African jazz musicians. Maybe I should've listened with headphones to better hear the nuances, because this faded into background music after a while.
UPDATE: I listened on headphones, but same result.
The Mamas & The Papas
3/5
Why do I accept this, yet find Simon & Garfunkel rage-inducing? I'm not sure. Both of groups have songs that liberally use the word "groovy," which is cringey. And there's plenty of cringe here beyond "Somebody Groovy," like "Spanish Harlem." But "California Dreamin'" is an undisputed classic, and "Monday Monday" is lovely. The rest doesn't do much for me, which is to be expected. That said, justice for Mama Cass.
Michael Jackson
4/5
I'm not sure the last time I heard this album, or if I've ever heard the entire thing, but I didn't realize/remember that it's full-on disco (excepting token ballad "She's Out of My Life"). The classics earned their status, and I appreciated the deeper cuts like "Workin' Day and Night." I think it sags toward the end with "I Can't Help It" and "It's the Falling in Love," but "Burn This Disco Out" is kind of a banger.
The Vines
2/5
I remember when these guys blew up, and I'm trying to remember the knock against them at the time. I want to say it was that vocalist Craig Nicholls was shamelessly aping Kurt Cobain? And now that I check Wikipedia, yeah, they were compared to Nirvana a lot. I remember not caring for them then, and that hasn't changed 23 years later. This sounds like rote post-Nirvana alternarock uniting with post-Hives garage rock. Two great tastes that don't taste great together.
Frank Sinatra
2/5
All due respect to this icon and what was going on in Sinatra's life when he released this album, but In the Wee Small Hours sounds like 16 variations of the same song. Any of them on their own, sure, I'll listen. Put them all together on one interminable album? Ugh. The longer it dragged on, the more hostile I became. While I'd be crushed, too, if Ava Gardner dumped me, I can't abide Sinatra's crooning and the syrupy, dreary repetitiveness of this album.
Coldplay
3/5
Coldplay has been a punchline for so long it grows more difficult to remember what it was like before that time. This wasn't so long after "Yellow" was a non-mainstream sensation, so they were still new enough that they hadn't gotten dull. "Clocks" was obviously massive, but there's plenty to like on here, even as it sags in the back quarter. "Amsterdam" is a strong closer though.
Aretha Franklin
5/5
It's insane that this is her 10th album, though it makes sense that this was her first where she wasn't attempting jazz standards. What a weird fit that must've been, because this is clearly what she was made to sing. As such, it's great.
Janelle Monáe
4/5
This is a hugely ambitious debut, with the sprawl inherent to such an undertaking. Is it all essential? No. Does it need to close with six- and eight-minute songs? No. But like her hero Prince, Janelle Monáe doesn't do anything small. As with her other stuff, I'll save the songs I like and skip the rest, while appreciating the ambition that created all of it.
Blue Cheer
2/5
I'd hoped for better with this one. Maybe it's another case of a foundational record sounding tame decades after its release, but I found this to be pretty typical '60s hard rock, only looser and more lo-fi. While I appreciate the influence Blue Cheer held, I won't be coming back to this one.
Elbow
3/5
I have no memory of this album or band, though it looks like we reviewed it when I was at the A.V. Club. My friend Josh wrote The Seldom Seen Kid "perfectly distilled [Elbow's] sad-sackiness into potent pop and a keenly current sense of grandiosity." He's a big fan of British sad-sacks, so I'll take his word for it. For me, this album had some nice moments but didn't grab me. Maybe a subsequent listen on headphones would change that, but I'm not terribly motivated to try.
LTJ Bukem
3/5
I got more than the gist of this after the first half. While I found much of this enjoyable, it also kinda sounded like the same song on repeat for two hours. Obviously there's more to it than that, but this tends to wash over my untrained ears. If I were on MDMA at a rave in London in 1996, I'd be loving it.
David Bowie
4/5
Well this is great. Only in the past few years have I dived into Bowie's discography, but I hadn't reached The Next Day yet. I don't remember anything about its release, but we gave it a glowing review at the AVC, and it landed on our year-end best-of list. With good reason. Wikipedia says some critics complained that it's overlong, but this is the rare hourlong album that could've kept going for me. I'll definitely come back to it.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
4/5
I don't know why the YYYs aren't part of my musical diet more, considering I almost always enjoy them when they pop up. While I'm not sure this is among the 1,001 albums you need to hear before you die, it's very solid.
Green Day
4/5
In 2004, I was reviews editor of Punk Planet magazine. We had a policy not to review major-label releases, but Green Day's publicist pitched me anyway. I remember telling the editor, "Green Day is doing...a concept album? About politics or something?" It sounded like a terrible idea, but turned out to be their ticket back to relevance. They didn't have especially insightful things to say about post-9/11 Bushdom, but they captured the emotion of the moment, and I always appreciated their ambition. That they pulled into a cohesive sonic package is impressive, especially one this catchy. I wouldn't say you NEED to have three songs that are eight- or nine-minutes long, but good on three dopes from the East Bay for pulling it off.
Devendra Banhart
1/5
Boy, this does nothing for me, which shouldn't be surprising because of the freak-folk association. I'm not anti-Banhart, though. I reviewed one of his shows for Spin and liked it, and he was fun when he appeared on Varietopia. So maybe it's just this flavor or era that doesn't grab me. While the write-up in the 1,001 book is almost comically hyperbolic in its praise, these songs just wash over me and are quickly forgotten.
Peter Gabriel
3/5
I've never hard this album, but it sounds exactly like what an idea-machine prog-guy would do for his first solo album. To wit: "Moribund the Burgermeister," which is among the most preposterous prog song titles of all time. This is a whole bunch of sounds and ideas crammed into 41 minutes. Unsurprisingly it's a mixed bag. "Solsbury Hill" is a total banger and rightfully considered a classic. I didn't expect the stomping disco rock of "Down the Dolce Vita," or to enjoy it like I did. "Excuse Me" sounds like the Beatles at their most annoying, and lengthy blues exercise of "Waiting for the Big One" is excessive. But the greatness of "Here Comes the Flood" makes up for it. 3.5 stars.
Steely Dan
3/5
The Yacht Rock Era has given Steely Dan new life post-2000, and I'm glad for them. They're obviously masterful musicians who are the kings of this kind of smooth, jazzy rock. It's something I respect more than I actually enjoy. There's nothing disagreeable on this album; I appreciate their skill and what they pull of in these songs. But I wouldn't cue up Aja on my own volition. "Peg" is fun, but I prefer De La Soul's "Eye Know." Sorry, Jeremy.
Eminem
2/5
Two things can be possible at once. The Marshall Mathers LP is an artistic breakthrough AND inexcusably misogynistic, homophobic, and sophomoric. Twenty-five years later, this sounds like edgelord rap, basically a 4chan full-length. Eminem can talk about Slim Shady being a character and how the Marshall Mathers LP reflected his real experiences and mindset at the time. Fine. But none of this shit is OK, and I can't get beyond its more noxious moments ("Kill You," "Who Knew," "The Way I Am," "Under the Influence," etc.) Dre's production is great, Eminem is undeniably talented, and the Marshall Mathers LP sold 25 million copies, so its legacy is set.
Counterpoint: Fuck this album.
Rounding up to two stars because of "Stan," which owes as much to Dido as it does Em's lyrics.
Aerosmith
2/5
While I like some of the music on this—particularly when horns are part of it—the utter inanity of Steven Tyler's vapid cock-rock is insufferable. "Big Ten Inch Record"? Gimme a break. "Sweet Emotion" is a classic, though I prefer the version of "Walk This Way" with Run-DMC. Aerosmith is a legendary band and all that, but no thanks.
The Byrds
4/5
This is a foundational text of alt-country, but I don't think I've ever listened to it, and I definitely didn't know the story behind it. (Gram Parsons sounds like he was a lot.) I'm a sucker for this kind of thing, and I also appreciate a good artistic left turn, especially when it's so unexpected and counterintuitive. This doesn't all hit—"I Am a Pilgrim" and especially "The Christian Life" are kinda sloggy—but it's enjoyable overall, and "One Hundred Years From Now" and "Nothing Was Delivered" are especially great. This is the rare album that I willingly listened to the expanded-edition tracks (minus the rehearsals).
Neil Young
4/5
I'm now 3/3 for Neil Young albums in this project, which is causing me to rethink my previously held assumptions. It's not that I outright disliked his music, but it never did much for me. Maybe it's age or actually taking the time to listen, but I liked this quite a bit. Its legacy as a classic has long been cemented—nothing more so than "Heart of Gold"—so my late-arriving thumbs up doesn't mean anything. But I'll add my voice to the chorus singing Harvest's praises.
The Zombies
3/5
I'd hoped for more "Time of the Season"-type stuff on this, but it's still enjoyable. "Maybe After He's Gone" and "Brief Candles" stuck out for me, and the rest is solid ("This Will Be Our Year") when it doesn't veer into cutesy ("Friends of Mine").
FUN FACT: I saw the Zombies at SXSW on a bill with punishingly loud noise-rock band A Place to Bury Strangers. Those were the best kind of SXSW shows.
Beastie Boys
5/5
I have zero memory of this album coming out, probably because their label opted to promote Donny Osmond's new record instead. Back in those days I would've been dubious anyway, because I hated License to Ill. It'd be years before I heard all of Paul's Boutique, but I quickly understood how great it was. The production and craftsmanship with its myriad samples is pretty mind-blowing, and it's home to a handful of Beasties greats.
3/5
If I had been at the Free Trade Hall in Manchester for this show, instead of yelling "Judas!" during the electric set, I would've yelled, "FINALLY!" Because the electric stuff is so much more interesting to me—but that's still not saying much, because Dylan's music doesn't do a whole lot for me in general. (The Band does a LOT of heavy lifting, as far as I'm concerned.) That said, this is an important document of music history, and I appreciate it even if it's not my thing.
Beatles
3/5
There is nothing left to say about this album or the Beatles.
For me personally, it's...
musically: expertly crafted '60s guitar pop
thematically: tediously repetitive
Various Artists
5/5
Probably the best Christmas album of all time.
Queens Of The Stone Age
3/5
This is fun, if a little repetitive. Not sure this is one I'll revisit, but I do need to dig back into their discography.
Run-D.M.C.
4/5
Pay your respects to the OGs, y'all. This is definitely of its era, but that opening run of "Peter Piper," "It's Tricky," "My Adidas," and "Walk This Way" is still A+. I saw these guys in college, and it ruled. I would still go see them now, but...RIP Jay.
FUN STORY: In 2014, I had to go to Comic Con for work. I stayed at the Hard Rock Hotel, and the elevator bank on my floor had a giant picture of Run-DMC on the wall. One night, I need to grab something at the nearby CVS, but when I showed it up, it was closed. I was looking at my phone to see if there was another pharmacy nearby when two dudes walked up. They start insistently knocking on the CVS window until the clerk inside finally comes to the door. "We're closed," the dude says, understandably irritated. "Don't you know who this is?!" goes one the guys, pointing to the other. "This is DMC!" "I just need some mouthwash!" DMC said. The clerk let them in, because DMC has earned his mouthwash.
Suede
3/5
One of my good high school friends got me into Suede's 1993 debut, so I saw them when they toured behind this album—but this is the first time I'm hearing it. Back then, I remember liking them best in smaller doses, because Brett Anderson's voice skewed melodramatic for my taste. That's also the case on Dog Man Star. By the time "Still Life" rolled around, it sounded like Spotify had segued into the original cast recording for some Broadway show. That said, I still found plenty to like here, particularly "Stay Together" and "Whipsnade." 3.5 stars.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
Of the three Rolling Stones albums I've listened to for this so far, Aftermath has been my favorite. I'm probably still good with the greatest hits, but this album has more of my personal highlights than the others ("Paint It, Black," of course, but also "Under My Thumb" and "I am Waiting"). There's no reason "Going Home" needs to be 11 minutes, though.
Heaven 17
2/5
Let there be no doubt about the decade this was released, because Penthouse and Pavement practically screams "1980s!" from start to finish. There's nothing wrong with that, and I appreciated the Reagan dig (which apparently got "Fascist Groove Thang" banned by the BBC). This is an album I appreciate more than I enjoy—good for Heaven 17 for bringing biting commentary to the era's bleeding edge of electronic pop, but it's not something I'll return to.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
Given my tepid reaction to Bayou Country, I figured this would also be a shrug, even with classics like "Lookin' Out By Back Door," "Up Around the Bend," and "Who'll Stop the Rain." But I liked it quite a bit, even the long instrumental parts that would otherwise bore me. (Their 11-minute take on "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" is a little much, though.) "Long As I Can See the Light" with its horns was a nice surprise and a great way to close out the album.
Alice In Chains
4/5
I don't think I've ever listened to all of Dirt, because I was never a fan of Layne Staley's voice. "Would?" is obviously a classic of the grunge era—it's crazy that they close the album with it—and "Them Bones" is a hell of a way to kick off this album. (That riff.) I always found "Rooster" kind of comical, but the run from "Junkhead" to "Hate to Feel" is some of the bleakest music you'll find anywhere. Keep away from the hard drugs, everybody.
Mekons
3/5
Revisiting this album for the first time in decades, I was struck by how little it sounds like what we came to know as alt-country. Given it's a Leeds punk band's take on Americana, that makes sense. But 40 years later this strikes me as much more of an experimental album with twinges of country, punk, and folk than anything that would fit neatly in a genre. That's the Mekons' way, of course. But I appreciate its impact and legacy more than I actually like listening to it.
Beyoncé
4/5
Name another sprawling artistic opus that's this horny. It makes Purple Rain look like Songs for Swingin' Lovers! (Yet Jay-Z still cheated on Beyoncé a couple years later.) I'm here for both the horniness and the electro R&B, though this album is a little too much of a good thing for me. Standouts are "XO," "Jealous," and "Pretty Hurts," along with "7/11" and "Ring Off" from the platinum edition. The extra tracks also hearken back to days before Kanye and Nicki Minaj lost their minds.
Kraftwerk
4/5
It took more than four decades of my life to finally sit down and listen to Kraftwerk—and to see them perform live—which feels like a shame in one sense. But I also don't know that I would've appreciated it as much in my younger days. There's something transfixing about Trans Europe Express' elegant minimalism—there's a supreme confidence in it, as if to say they don't need to throw in a bunch of bells and whistles to flex their greatness. I need to be listening to them a lot more.
Stevie Wonder
4/5
A drawback of growing up in the '80s is thinking of Stevie Wonder as only the "I Just Called to Say I Love You" guy. Eventually I got wise, though, and this is great. "Living for the City," "Higher Ground"—somewhere out there is a person who prefers the RHCP's version, may God have mercy on their soul—"He's Misstra Know-It-All" are bangers, and there's plenty more good stuff on here. Slower moments like "All in Love is Fair" and "Jesus Children of America" don't do much for me, but the rest makes up for it.
Stan Getz
3/5
This is very pleasant, but sounds like variations on the same song (except for "The Girl from Ipanema"). If I had a cabana on a beach, I'd play this as I sipped cocktails to keep the vibes relaxed.
Waylon Jennings
4/5
Just looking at the album cover, I can smell the cigarette smoke and stale beer. These dudes undoubtedly knew how to have a good time, and it'd probably be wise not to talk politics with them. This is pretty great from start to finish, with the title track more than earning its reputation as a classic. More outlaw country on this list, please.
Peter Tosh
4/5
Good news, Peter: Pot will be legalized! The bad news? You won't live to see it.
"Legalize It" is all I remember from this album, and considering that was 30+ years ago, it's only a vague memory. Surprisingly, it didn't coincide with my deeply mortifying Bob Marley phase, that's for the best. But my middle-aged self found this pretty great from start to finish, particularly the stretch of "Igziabeher" through "Brand New Second Hand." Much like "showroom dummies," I'm going to use "brand new second hand" as a dis going forward.
The Sonics
3/5
For years I only knew the Sonics by name and reputation as proto-punk cult faves. I still haven't gone deep in their discography, so it was good to hear their debut. I'm all for loose-and-loud, attitude-heavy garage rock. This sounds like everyone was holding on for dear life as they blew through the songs, and I'm into it. It wouldn't work as well if it weren't so lo-fi, but this was a fun listen.
LCD Soundsystem
5/5
I always appreciate a reprieve for an album that I a) really like and b) already own. This is LCD Soundsystem's best, almost wall-to-wall bangers. "All My Friends" is their best song, and seeing them play it at Pitchfork in 2007 is one of my all-time favorite live moments. Even with the clunky "New York I Love You..." this gets five stars from me.
Linkin Park
2/5
Had Linkin Park broken through when I was 13, not 24, their angst-laden rap-rock may have hooked me, because Hybrid Theory sounds relentlessly adolescent. (See " Runaway.") I don't mean any disrespect to the late Chester Bennington, who clearly had real struggles, and Linkin Park achieved the respectability that evaded nü metal peers like Limp Bizkit. But it all falls under the same painful umbrella for me. I couldn't wait for this to be over. (The trip-hop vibes of the instrumental "Cure for the Itch" were a nice reprieve though.)
Nico
2/5
My knowledge of Nico doesn't go much further than her time with the Velvet Underground and some stories from books. This is the only album of hers I know by name, and I didn't realize she had a lengthy discography. This doesn't do much for me, even with all the talented people who helped make it happen. While she isn't a great vocalist, a) she was partially deaf, which affected her singing, and b) my record collection is full of people who aren't good vocalists. Maybe something else in her discography will grab me, but in the meantime, I'll stick with "All Tomorrow's Parties."
The Who
4/5
It's embarrassing that it's taken me nearly five decades to listen to all of Tommy. As with most concept albums, I appreciate the ambition even if it drags a little. But it's hard for anything to drag much when Keith Moon throws down on the drums, as he frequently does here, and of course Pete Townshend's guitar playing is never tedious. I'll need to come back to this one to fully digest it, but it won't be a chore.
Animal Collective
2/5
Oh lord. This hype around this album was INESCAPABLE among the indie heads when it came out, and it baffled me. Seventeen years later, little has changed. While I thought the ostensible hit, "My Girls," was okay at the time, now I think "Summertime Clothes" is the standout. I actually like that song, but this album remains lost on me. As does Animal Collective in general. But hey, the optical illusion on the cover is fun for a couple seconds.
Massive Attack
3/5
This is another album that was undoubtedly a bigger deal in the UK than it was Stateside, though I remember Massive Attack bubbling up among the hipster anglophiles. While the cover design drives me nuts, the music is fine. You get the gist quickly. Opener "Safe From Harm"—which the book says was "the song of the decade" ("for thousands" of people)—is the high point. It settles into a vibe and sound and stays there, which is fine if repetitive. Also, Tricky aside, some of the rapping on here sounds like Flight of the Conchords, but they aren't trying to be funny.
The Cure
4/5
The 1,001 book notes that "many" argue Seventeen Seconds is the Cure's finest work, but let's be serious, people. No way the highpoint of a prolific band like the Cure would be their second album that was 20+ years old at the time the book was published. That is to say: This is pleasingly minimal, but light on hooks and heavy on the dour mood. You expect dourness AND hooks with the Cure, you know? This is solid and warrants another listen to dig into it, but doesn't feel like one of their best to me.
Little Richard
4/5
Further proof that Little Richard was bonkers from the jump. I love how amateur the production sounds, like he recorded on a four-track in his garage with friends. That may not be far off—J&M was a tiny studio, and it sounds like they set up some tape, found some other players, and let Little Richard go. When it comes to early rock 'n' roll, I'll take his raucous energy over just about any of his peers.
FUN FACT: The space that housed J&M in New Orleans is now a laundromat, but still has the logo embedded into the floor when you walk in. When I visited in 2011, it also had some pictures on the wall of the artists who recorded there. It's both poignant and hilarious.
AC/DC
3/5
Musically, this is variations on the same song 10 times. Thematically, it's utterly brainless, with lyrics that could've been written by Nigel Tufnel or David St. Hubbins. But a) it's a pretty good song, and b) no one's expecting anything more from a bunch of drunken Aussie horndogs. I never need to hear "Givin the Dog a Bone" or "Let Me Put My Love Into You" again, but "Hells Bells" and "Back in Black" are great. So is "You Shook Me All Night Long," but I've heard that song a million times so I'm all good with that one, thanks. 3.5 stars.
Serge Gainsbourg
2/5
Can you be MeToo'd for listening to an album?
My French is too basic to understand what's being said. But the one thing I know about Serge Gainsbourg is, while he was a louche bon vivant back in 1971, these days we'd call him a creep. To wit: 1) The 1,001 book describes this as a "gloriously seedy concept album exploring the author's fascination with the unattainable teen heroine." 2) There's topless Jane Birkin on the cover made to look like an apple-cheeked child, clutching her doll. The album is supposedly from the POV of Gainsbourg's even skeevier alter-ego, "Gainsbarre." However you wanna dress this up, I'm guessing it's problematic.
And it's not as if the music compensates for that. "En Melody" is pretty great, especially the bass, as is "Cargo Culte." But Gainsbourg does the same shtick in every song. Can I get a version without him?
Metallica
4/5
I wasn't into Metallica when this album came out, and when I started listening to them much later in life, I didn't seek out the Black Album (and still don't). So it's crazy how familiar these songs are, particularly the first half of the album. I get why it's both their commercial peak and the beginning of their creative decline. There's plenty to like on here, but I prefer thrashier Metallica. Rounding up to 4.
Depeche Mode
3/5
I owned this album at one point, as well as Violator. I remember their being a bit of a slog outside of the hits. This leans that way—it really fades at the end—but DM does their thing well.
American Music Club
4/5
The 1,001 book quotes hyperbole-prone Melody Maker saying that American Music Club was "the most criminally underrated band in the world." Personally, they neither under- nor overrated for me, because I only knew the band's and Mark Eitzel's names. But California makes a powerful case for digging into their discography, because this is great. I'm a sucker for sensitive-guy Americana, and I appreciate how this dabbles in a few genres while still feeling distinct. More please.
Country Joe & The Fish
1/5
I literally said "Oh fuck off" out loud when I heard the whispered "L-S-D" at the end of "Bass Strings." That was the culmination of annoyance that started building with "Section 43" and picked up speed with the LBJ jokes of "Super Bird." By the time the plodding "Grace" closed things out, my hostility couldn't be reined in. In short, I hated this. I'm sure it blew minds back in '67, but I found it un-fucking-bearable 60 years later.
Blur
4/5
This is the Blur album I've heard the most, because I bought it for my Damon Albarn-obsessed girlfriend when it came out. I liked Blur, but was a casual fan at best back from when "There's No Other Way" was a staple on 120 Minutes. As straightforward as "Song #2" and "M.O.R." are, this album still has plenty of Blur eccentricity. I appreciate their artistry, even if it's not something I need to hear repeatedly. I saved my favorites (including "On Your Own") a playlist, and I'm good.
Nas
4/5
This is one of those albums that was so built up as a landmark that, by the time I bought it 15ish years ago, it was kind of a letdown. Not that it isn't great, but I can count on one hand the number of times I've listened to it since. "N.Y. State of Mind," "One Love," "Represent," and "It Ain't Hard to Tell" stand out for me, and it's all solid (though AZ or Olu Dara's annoying repetition of "Life's a bitch and then you die" brings down that song). 3.5, rounding up to 4.
Yes
3/5
My college roommate was OBSESSED with Yes, to the point that he covered his room in Roger Dean's artwork. At the time, my only frame of reference was their left-field '80s hit, "Owner of a Lonely Heart" (and maybe "Roundabout"). Prog isn't my thing, but this is surprisingly palatable. I don't mind it—which counts as high praise from me. I even listened to the expanded edition tracks! The musicianship is pretty great across the board, and I saved "The Clap" to my playlist of instrumentals.
The Who
5/5
The 1,001 book argues the Who was best experienced live, not in the studio—and considering that, Live at Leeds may be their best album, period. It recommended the two-hour version for the full experience, and it's hard to imagine the Who ever sounding better than this. Two hours of material can't help but blur after a while—even live, I suspect—and I could do without the covers, but those aren't real complaints. "A Quick One, While He's Away" rules (thanks for introducing me, Rushmore soundtrack!), "Heaven and Hell" is great, and the nearly 16-minute version of "My Generation" works. And even the stage banter is charming.
Genesis
3/5
This project has revealed that I perhaps have a higher tolerance for prog than I previously thought. That said, the parts of this where Peter Gabriel is affecting the voice of a character? No thanks. But this is surprisingly palatable, even if it's not something I'd return to much.
The Flying Burrito Brothers
4/5
I've only known the Flying Burrito Brothers by name and a vague awareness of their sound, so it was nice to finally dig in. First, those Nudie suits on the cover are awesome. Second, this is really solid, even as it blends together after a while. "Christine's Tune" and "Sin City" are correctly sequenced at the start of the album, and "My Uncle" and "Hippie Boy" are time capsules of the era. But yeah this feels like a blueprint for the alt-country that followed (and not the stupid Eagles).
5/5
This album is, like, their Sgt. Pepper's.
Pixies
4/5
It's been a minute since I've listened to this whole thing, and I'm struck now by how bizarre and fragmented it is. Some songs sound fully realized, while others sound like works in progress. "Bone Machine," "Gigantic," and of course "Where is My Mind?" are classics, though much of this is more curious than captivating. 3.5, rounding up to 4.
Frank Sinatra
3/5
While I'm relieved this the final Sinatra album included in this project, I was much less hostile to it than the others. Antonio Carlos Jobim is the key difference (and a lighter touch with the strings). I'm not especially interested in revisiting this, but if one of these songs popped up while I was at a restaurant, I wouldn't be annoyed. HIGH PRAISE INDEED.
Hanoi Rocks
3/5
I definitely didn't expect Hanoi Rocks to pop up on this list, but the book makes a compelling case for its inclusion. If you close your eyes, you could hear the Replacements playing some of this, or some other more melodic punks of the era (Goo Goos?). It travels down more cock-rock territory as it proceeds—"Lick Summer Love" et al.—but in general I didn't mind this as much as I expected.
Jazmine Sullivan
3/5
As with most R&B, this was all new to me—and made me grateful not to be single. The music had a lot to like, though this isn't my thing in general. Happy to have heard it and to have an introduction to Jazmine Sullivan.
The Smashing Pumpkins
5/5
I had liked Gish enough that the release of Siamese Dream was a big deal when it happened, but I didn't anticipate just *how* huge it would be. I basically played this album on a loop for months, only souring after Billy Corgan petulantly cut a show short when I saw them on the first leg of the Siamese Dream tour. The songs were and are still great, though (just as Corgan remains insufferably petulant). I loved all of them, with the lower-key "Mayonaise" being my emo-boy anthem. Nearly all of these songs belong on my Hits playlist. Essential listening.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
For me personally, the lore around this album always overshadowed the music itself, which has traditionally underwhelmed me. But it hit different this time around, in no small part because of the horns. Without them, Exile on Main Street doesn't work nearly as well. At 18 songs, it still feels long, but there's plenty to like. "Rocks Off" has to be one of their best album openers.