269
Albums Rated
3.43
Average Rating
25%
Complete
820 albums remaining
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
1970
Favorite Decade
Latin
Favorite Genre
other
Top Origin
Wordsmith
Rater Style ?
27
5-Star Albums
4
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
Top Styles
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Shalimar
Rahul Dev Burman
|
5 | 2.65 | +2.35 |
|
Scum
Napalm Death
|
4 | 2.08 | +1.92 |
|
Berlin
Lou Reed
|
5 | 3.09 | +1.91 |
|
1989
Taylor Swift
|
5 | 3.26 | +1.74 |
|
Achtung Baby
U2
|
5 | 3.3 | +1.7 |
|
Bat Out Of Hell
Meat Loaf
|
5 | 3.43 | +1.57 |
|
Stand!
Sly & The Family Stone
|
5 | 3.43 | +1.57 |
|
Hail To the Thief
Radiohead
|
5 | 3.45 | +1.55 |
|
Exile On Main Street
The Rolling Stones
|
5 | 3.6 | +1.4 |
|
Maggot Brain
Funkadelic
|
5 | 3.6 | +1.4 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
A Love Supreme
John Coltrane
|
1 | 3.63 | -2.63 |
|
Kind Of Blue
Miles Davis
|
2 | 4.05 | -2.05 |
|
Car Wheels On A Gravel Road
Lucinda Williams
|
1 | 3 | -2 |
|
Arular
M.I.A.
|
1 | 2.83 | -1.83 |
|
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
|
2 | 3.79 | -1.79 |
|
Band On The Run
Paul McCartney and Wings
|
2 | 3.67 | -1.67 |
|
Slipknot
Slipknot
|
1 | 2.67 | -1.67 |
|
Aja
Steely Dan
|
2 | 3.47 | -1.47 |
|
Frank
Amy Winehouse
|
2 | 3.46 | -1.46 |
|
Sign 'O' The Times
Prince
|
2 | 3.45 | -1.45 |
Artists
Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Radiohead | 5 | 4.8 |
| Led Zeppelin | 2 | 5 |
| The Rolling Stones | 5 | 4 |
5-Star Albums (27)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
Girls Against Boys · 5 likes
2/5
Amateur Dentistry, the Musical.
John Coltrane · 2 likes
1/5
Thoughts before listening:
Oh goddamnit. Fucking jazz. It’s so stupid.
Thoughts after listening:
It's like going to a movie, and instead of dialogue and action and narrative you get five guys all shouting random words at the exact same time.
ONE STAR
Radiohead · 2 likes
5/5
Do I even need to write anything down? It’s Kid A. Like. Dude.
EIIRP is one of the best openers of all time. One of the best needle drops man.
And the whole album is so weird and great. Yowza. This is awesome.
The Rolling Stones · 1 likes
5/5
There is something about the sound of this record.... it sounds much older than it should, in a good way. Like taking pictures on an old camera with an ancient film stock they don't make any more. The graininess adds to the charm.
If you've listened to any Stones albums that preceded this you know how inconsistent they are. They'll have a solid-gold classic one song, a complete nothing the next, going back and forth until the 9 songs are up and hey, wow, that wasn't very satisfying! With Exile there are no "nothing" songs. And it's a double! All four sides kill. One of the greats from one of the greats.
FIVE STARS
Lucinda Williams · 1 likes
1/5
if you can’t sing, maybe write a good song?
Repeating the title of the song at the end of every verse, and then immediately singing it again in the chorus…… I wanna pull my hair out. We get it. Car wheels. On a gravel road. Cool. Great. Concrete and barbed wire. We know.
And hey- I like plenty of vocalists who can’t sing. But Lucinda can’t sing in a way that I can’t deal with.
I might not finish this one.
ONE STAR
1-Star Albums (4)
All Ratings
Black Flag
3/5
Crunchy guitar tone is sick. First Rollins album. Some of the songs are fun, some of them are intentionally horrible to listen to. Not my bag but I kinda get it.
Television
4/5
Radiohead
5/5
Do I even need to write anything down? It’s Kid A. Like. Dude.
EIIRP is one of the best openers of all time. One of the best needle drops man.
And the whole album is so weird and great. Yowza. This is awesome.
Iron Maiden
3/5
Stage Two heavy metal- in that transition from bands like Sabbath and Zeppelin and Deep Purple to bands like Metallica et al. More thrashy/punky. Judas Priest. Kinda sounds like a more metal Thin Lizzy?
Not the primary vocalist. Also the only album with this particular guitarist.
Jethro Tull
3/5
Very proggy, British-folk rock. The flute is amazing, I just can’t hear it without thinking of Ron Burgundy. A couple of real bangers and some nice acoustic pieces that bridge the gaps.
I can see why people would get into this. Seems like it would reward repeated listenings.
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
3/5
OG rock and roll. Cleaner than a bar of soap. Super influential at the time, apparently, but today it just seems dated.
The amazing thing is this is Buddy Holly’s only album and it has four seminal rock and roll songs. That’s an incredible output. What he could’ve done if he had lived past 21!
Pixies
3/5
The pixies! Way ahead of their time. Rock misfits.
It’s funny this album was on the docket for me, since I’ve listened to the other main Pixies albums many times and still enjoy them- but I’ve never heard this one. And I have to say- I don’t love it. The songs sound very samey. They are mostly in a minor key, which feels darker and more menacing- which is fine- it just wore on me after 7 or 8 songs with the same rhythmic ideas all in a minor key.
Velouria, Digging for Fire, Havalina, were standouts. Ringo wasn’t even the best drummer in the Beatles, Bossanova isn’t even the best Pixies album. Of the 90s!
Tim Buckley
2/5
I was excited to listen to this one. Jeff Buckley’s dad!
This album turned out to be pretty frustrating. It has some great music and occasionally a great line. But mostly this is overshadowed by some truly ridiculous lyrics. Lots of lines about jesters and kings and queens and maybe the war is in your mind and it’s all very 60s and pretentious. Knight Errant is particularly embarrassing, as is the 8 minute title track.
On the other hand, “I never asked to be your mountain,” “once I was,” and “pleasant street,” are incredible songs.
Peter Gabriel
4/5
For whatever reason, the melodies in “Solsbury Hill” have always driven me nuts. I can’t stand them. However…..it’s a really good song! It’s well crafted- Gabriel spent a lot of time making this song work and making sure the instruments sound great and the arrangement highlights what he’s trying to say.
Every song on the album is crafted the same way. It’s a great album, with a diverse set of songs.
Yes
4/5
I’ve listened to Yes before but never a full album, and this one really surprised me. An excellent album.
Yes is different from many of the other prog bands of the time because they’re so…..chipper?! Upbeat, maybe? While listening to some prog albums feels like doing your maths at the kitchen table on Sunday night, listening to Yes feels like taking a stroll with very close and slightly goofy friends. So much fun.
Some prog bands make 9 minutes feel like 30; Yes is not that band. A good hang.
Paul McCartney and Wings
2/5
There is something about Paul McCartney that I just don’t buy into. It always feels like he’s just playing around, that he doesn’t actually believe what he’s saying. He’s just playing and singing what he knows will work for his audience, not necessarily what he’s feeling.
On the last track of this album, the band moves from a funky disco section into a church organ hymn with three part harmonies, and back again. Cool. Then at the climax of the song an orchestra builds and builds to a big final note, with a slight reference to Also Sprach Zarathustra- and then- we get a three second reprise of Band on the Run. As if to say “just kidding!”
Even Paul doesn’t buy what he’s selling, and neither do I.
Miles Davis
2/5
I knew this would happen. JAZZ.
I realize this album is a Big Deal. And I guess if you’re a jazz musician you probably eat this up, because it was a different approach to tonality, but I don’t know man. Out of context it just sounds like a bunch of dudes playing notes that have nothing to do with each other, while the drummer vamps in the background. There are melodies, I suppose, but they’re boring. And then they solo. And that’s even worse.
One of the saxes (I’m guessing it isn’t Coltrane) does have a sense of melody and his solos are actually pleasant to listen to. But most of the soloing here is just Licks, not coherent melody.
“Blue in Green” is excellent. But otherwise I really don’t want to listen to this again.
Minutemen
4/5
An inventive, funny, socially conscious album made up of tiny songs that pack a punch.
Ok that was the Minutemen-style review. Now to expand on that- this is punk rock but heavily influenced by funk and jazz. They really try everything here. And for the most part it works. Even the fact that there are FORTY-FIVE songs on the record works.
The sound of this record is also remarkable. There are only vocals, bass, drums, and guitar. Almost no overdubs, and every instrument is clear and out there in the open. No hiding.
Great stuff.
Meat Loaf
5/5
Operatic teenage angst songs sung with absolute passion. This shouldn’t work at all. But Bat Out of Hell is so full of life and urgency it’s impossible to not get swept up in its craziness.
“Paradise” is one of the most ridiculous songs I’ve ever heard. It’s campy, and funny, and exciting, and has the best lyrical left turn in all of rock music. It’s amazing.
Good times, great oldies, it’s got a beat and you can dance to it.
FIVE STARS.
3/5
PJ seems to be channeling both Chrissie Hynde and Liz Phair here quite a bit. But I found her most engaging when she was just being herself. Those are the most enjoyable tracks for me, anyways- “Big Exit,” “This Mess We’re In,” “This is Love,” “Kamikaze.” A few of the other tunes feel like they could’ve used a bit more time in the incubator.
It rocks, it soothes, it tries to scare you a little. Good times. THREE STARS.
The Stranglers
4/5
How is this possible? A punk band from 1977 that I've never heard of? And they made albums for decades? This is right in my wheelhouse!
This is their debut album, and in most cases for a punk band, that would mean a rough and tumble affair, but the Stranglers seem ready to go right out of the box. I found they pulled from other punk acts to a certain degree, but their main progenitors seem to be The Doors and David Bowie.
The vocal delivery and lyrics are hilarious; quintessential first-wave British punk. Some of the lyrics are so good it makes you wonder if the truly dumb ones are intentional or not; certainly the attitude is sardonic. The only real complaint I have here is that some of the riffs get repeated a few too many times, but overall, this is a fun stroll down the sewer.
Highlights include "Goodbye Toulouse," one of the weirdest songs I've ever heard from a punk band; "Ugly" which is the funniest song on a very funny album, and "(Get a) Grip (On Yourself)," a Bowie-referencing rocker.
It rocks, it drools, it sneers, it makes you laugh. FOUR STARS.
4/5
LA Punk! I've heard of X for years but never sat down with any of their stuff. The male-female lead vocals work really well. The guitar player REALLY wants to be in a rockabilly band. Which works- the great punk riffs are there, but he throws in rockabilly licks quite often and gives the songs a different flavor.
I can't pretend to know what they lyrics mean, since I can't focus in on the vocals well enough to hear what they're saying. John Doe has a great scream and a really good voice. An excellent rock voice! And Exene has a perfect, disaffected, insouciant punk delivery.
"Universal Corner" is the standout for me. What a riff.
It rocks, it rips, it has crazy harmonies, it'll take you to prom in the 1950s. FOUR STARS.
Stevie Wonder
4/5
I'll be honest - I've never heard of this record before! I know Stevie's big hits, but nothing off this record. The first thing I notice is Stevie's incredible voice. One of my favorite voices. And then, whenever you think you know where a song is going, it goes somewhere you don't expect.
This is a subtle record. The songs all feel like they could explode at one point but then they pull it back. Which is why maybe this record doesn't have any of Stevie's signature songs on it.
Sophisticated, smooth, chill, virtuosic. A soul classic. FOUR STARS.
Scott Walker
4/5
Cream colored silk sheets. Shag carpet in harvest gold. Dark wood paneled walls.
So you have a hot date with this girl from work and you get all prepped - hot shower, fresh shave, splash of cologne, your slickest outfit - brown suit with boots, a gold chain, a pale blue tie - and you meet her at one of those fern bars downtown. It goes well. She is delightful, and gorgeous, and funny, and most importantly thinks you're funny. You already knew each other but you hit it off. All that workplace flirting wasn't a fluke. She gives you that look after your second cocktail and third cigarette and you ask if she wants to come back to yours for a nightcap and of course she says yes. She has to pretend that she has to think about it but she doesn't really.
And you walk in the door, and pour two glasses of Lillet Blanc and she's already comfortably lounging on the oversized couch like she owns the place and you have a choice now, an important one. You walk over to the record player and start thumbing through your collection - it's gotta be in here somewhere. It hasn't been -That- long since you last brought a date home who was this promising. And there it is. Scott 4. You slip this on the turntable, run the motor, lower the needle, and Scott's music lusciously slinks out of the speakers and now, finally, you can go to her with her glass of apertif and get down to the business. FOUR STARS.
Heaven 17
3/5
I'll admit - I didn't love this album at first. But that's because the first half of this is the "Pavement" side, which consists of cocaine-fueled, overly-busy, panic-inducing electro-funk. It took some getting used. It's clear the band was growing into this sound, and wasn't entirely sure how this kind of music should sound. The mix is CRAZY, especially on "Fascist Groove Thang."
The second side, "Penthouse" is more fun (and interesting) than the experimental funk of "Pavement." The band is clearly more comfortable with straight-forward electronic pop. "Geisha Boys" makes absolutely no sense, but the rest of the songs on the B side are excellent.
I guess I'm more of a Penthouse guy. THREE STARS
Beatles
5/5
The best Beatles album, probably. Before they got too weird, but after they were done singing about holding hands and stuff.
Revolver is all killer no filler, man. Which is incredible when you think about it, because a big reason this album is one you need to hear before you die is because of the technical innovations and breakthroughs it accomplished. But even out of context, not experiencing any of that first hand, the songs here are amazing.
And with a career full of closing out albums with certified bangers, "Tomorrow Never Knows" might be the best album closer of all time.
FIVE STARS
Rahul Dev Burman
5/5
...........And now I'm shopping for a copy of this thing on vinyl.
FIVE STARS
3/5
Not nearly as trippy as the cover or title would have you believe. This is pretty straight-forward late-60s American rock with some nice Prog touches. The songs are good, and quick, and the lyrics are occasionally socially conscious. You never have to look at the track listing because the song names are always the part they sing over and over.
If you have a friend who loves classic rock and you want to get them into Prog for some reason, this is a great place to start.
THREE STARS
Aerosmith
2/5
Aerosmith is so sleazy its easy to forget they have some great musicians. And they can write a damn good rock song. But listen, man. I'm not 14 anymore. These lyrics just don't cut the mustard. Does Steven Tyler just walk around with notebooks full of double entendres? How many ways can you refer to your dick without saying the word "dick?" He sings about how horny he is for 15 minutes then pivots to a song about a girl taking revenge on her dad for molesting her? WHAT!?!?!
I shouldn't knock it so hard. It achieves what it sets out to do, so on its own term it's a very good record. I'm just too old for this shit.
TWO STARS
The Rolling Stones
5/5
There is something about the sound of this record.... it sounds much older than it should, in a good way. Like taking pictures on an old camera with an ancient film stock they don't make any more. The graininess adds to the charm.
If you've listened to any Stones albums that preceded this you know how inconsistent they are. They'll have a solid-gold classic one song, a complete nothing the next, going back and forth until the 9 songs are up and hey, wow, that wasn't very satisfying! With Exile there are no "nothing" songs. And it's a double! All four sides kill. One of the greats from one of the greats.
FIVE STARS
Ananda Shankar
3/5
Any 30 seconds of this album will fit perfectly over that scene in the movie when the British/American rock band takes drugs for the first time and their minds start to expand.
I can only take away a star here because I probably won't listen to most of this again. But "Snow Flower," "Mamata," "Metamorphosis"....... these are just excellent. The covers are fun and novel and kitschy, but there is legitimately great music here - if you're willing to brave the wild world of sitars. But the honest truth is I'm probably not most of the time.
THREE STARS
Lou Reed
5/5
I had already written up some notes about this thing, but I went back and listened to the album again because something was sticking in my craw. I was struggling with the questions - Who can make music like this? How does a person make this kind of art? Because it is sooooo bleak. The B side here is unbelievably heavy emotionally. And on the one hand it seems manipulative and on the other hand, I think Reed is able to do that with these songs (especially the final four) because the point of view he's adopted is so incredibly apathetic.
I try to think that albums are an artist's way of taking us on a journey. Lou Reed isn't taking us anywhere with Berlin so much as chucking us into the mind of a completely awful human trash bag and showing us what he sees. Which is both unbearably depressing and totally engaging.
FIVE STARS
Miles Davis
3/5
There are some nice tunes on this- and there are moments where everyone is playing together and it’s lovely and melodic. And then there are moments where dudes are soloing and I get bored.
The songs are all right around three minutes so the portions are perfect.
It’s fine
THREE STARS
Abdullah Ibrahim
3/5
If you put a gun to my head and told me I had to listen to one jazz album on a regular basis for the rest of my life- I’d pick this one.
THREE STARS
Black Sabbath
5/5
Some other reviewer on here gave this album two stars and complained that Sabbath doesn’t rock “around anything” ie a clock, a robin, etc etc and I can’t stop thinking about what a brain dead take that is.
FIVE STARS
The Dandy Warhols
3/5
Another album in my wheelhouse that I’d never listened to before. Some really strong songs on here. I can see coming back to this one as a fun listen.
…….
Welp. Now that I’ve listened to every single second of “Pete International Airport” and “The Creepout” I can say that this album is FAT. The individual songs have a lot of fat on them, and the album itself has about six songs that could’ve been mysteriously erased and no one would’ve missed them. Were they afraid they’d never make another album, so they decided to publish as much material as possible? Did they get some kind of bonus from the record company for filling up all the space on a CD? Was it something to do with royalties?
Who knows. All I know is you’ve got about 6 strong songs here, 2 or 3 them are bangers- so the verdict has to be- even though we used to be friends a long time ago-
THREE STARS
Elton John
3/5
I thought this would be one of those slam-dunk 5 star albums. I’ve heard all the hits from this (who hasn’t?!?!?) but the deep cuts were mostly new to me. And while some of them are pretty great (“Grey Seal,” “Twist”) most of them are either retreads of earlier songs or totally forgettable.
In particular, “Dirty Little Girl,” is a problem. The lyrics are aggressively misogynistic, even for the 70s, but what I find interesting is that the most intensity Elton musters up for the entire album is when he threatens to tell the world the subject is a dirty little girl. Dude, chill. Two songs ago you were singing wistfully about a sea-side resort prostitute. What the hell. And musically it’s just “Bennie” in a minor key.
Anyways. By the time I got to side four I was exhausted. Sides 1 and 2 - FOUR STARS: Sides 3 and 4 - TWO STARS
THREE STARS
Lucinda Williams
1/5
if you can’t sing, maybe write a good song?
Repeating the title of the song at the end of every verse, and then immediately singing it again in the chorus…… I wanna pull my hair out. We get it. Car wheels. On a gravel road. Cool. Great. Concrete and barbed wire. We know.
And hey- I like plenty of vocalists who can’t sing. But Lucinda can’t sing in a way that I can’t deal with.
I might not finish this one.
ONE STAR
The Doors
5/5
I can absolutely see how this isn't everyone's cup of tea. Both at the time and now. The problem with a modern audience hearing this today is that so many of the things that made the Doors so astounding have been copied wholesale by other bands, which have then been copied by other bands, ad nauseum.
But even taken out of context, these are wonderfully crafted songs. The weakest track is "I Looked at You," which is still pretty good. Everything else is excellent, especially the hits and "The End."
He's old, and his skin is cold. RIDE THE SNAKE
FIVE STARS
Radiohead
5/5
Underrated Radiohead album. I think it gets lost being smack dab in the middle of one of the greatest album runs ever. It's a wide-ranging album, with some of their strangest and most complicated songs. "Sail to the Moon" is so beautiful and strange!
Anyways. The raindrops the raindrops the raindrops the raindrops the raindrops the raindrops the raindrops the raindrops the raindrops the raindrops the raindrops
FIVE STARS
Cocteau Twins
4/5
- You can tell the songs are programmed because of the way they just sort of peter out or stop abruptly.
- I don't love the dime store drum machine sound, but it is a vibe. I'm sure this was a conscious choice (both the sound and the use of a drum machine) but couldn't they have found a drummer to play with them????
- Vocals are incredible. The lyrics and affectation of a totally alien language are kind of silly but it works, because the melodic choices are so strange and the vocalist is SO strong. Adds to the dreaminess.
- I had been listening on headphones for about 20 minutes when my wife came in the room and I had to turn off the album. It took me a few seconds to adjust. This music sucks you into it's own mad dream-logic. Everything is familiar but isn't working like you expect - words are being spoken but they don't make sense. You recognize people around you but they don't look anything like themselves. You're swimming in the air for some reason.
Nothing else sounds like this.
FOUR STARS
The Avalanches
3/5
I appreciate what they’re doing here. If you’re a musician who has ever tried to create a song out of samples you realize how hard this is. It’s so much easier to just MAKE the part you want.
The songs they make are complex, and fun! There is a joy here that’s intoxicating to listen to.
My main issue with this is the repetitive vocal phrases. I listen to people repeating themselves constantly all day so I don’t enjoy it when listening to an album.
Maxwell
3/5
Pure baby making music. It’s so good it’s practically a parody of itself.
THREE STARS
CHIC
3/5
One star for Nike Rodgers, one star for Tony Thompson, one star for Le Freak.
THREE STARS
The Birthday Party
3/5
I get what they're doing here, in that it's artistic, and unhinged, and unique, and challenging. But is it fun to listen to? Not really. I can appreciate elements of it - the wildness of Nick Cave's vocal performances, the grunginess of the riffs, the unexpected turns of the lyrics. But good lord- would it kill someone in this band to be playing WITH anyone else, not AGAINST them?
Anyways. POW POW POW
THREE STARS
Marvin Gaye
5/5
I can't believe how good this record sounds. The recording is so live and clear. It's like being in the room.
Dude's voice is perfect. Unbelievable tone. I mean - what are these performances? "If I Should Die Tonight" is unreal. He's using everything in the toolbox here. Get outta here, Marvin.....
The only downside is it’s only 8 tracks and 2 of those are kinda throwaway. Otherwise this is impeccable.
FIVE STARS
Duran Duran
4/5
Oh hell yeah.
This cover is amazing- vibrant and inviting and very much of a time. Those earrings! One of the best, most recognizable pieces of cover art.
Stand outs ----> "Rio" is on the '80s Mt. Rushmore; the groove on "New Religion" is exceptional; "Wolf" is so corny it's amazing; "Prayer" is wonderfully exotic.....
Simon Le Bon's lyrics are dog shit but who cares. Cherry ice cream smile? Lol the words sound nice together, I don't know what else y'all want.
MTV was wall-to-wall Duran Duran for a few years back in the early/mid 80s, so I can understand people who were sick of them due to their omnipresence. But that was 40 years ago, and these are some intriguing tunes, thrusting you into a totally alien world (to most of us, I believe!) of jet-setting around the late-20th century, banging super models, playing synth guitar in a Cambodian temple. I'm not sure what more you could want in an 80s synth-pop album.
FOUR STARS
Mike Ladd
3/5
Breaking new ground in hip-hop - I've heard things on this album that i've never heard before. For that alone I can appreciate what he's doing.
The textures are really interesting - and the arrangements are definitely not following your traditional song structure. A surprising album musically and lyrically.
I can understand why this is in the book but maybe I need to be in a different mood to really get grabbed by this one.
THREE STARS
Hookworms
4/5
Ok the first song got me. I thought this would be just a bleeps and bloops album but no- it actually went somewhere. I dug it. Kind of LCD Soundsystem-y. Except not as snide. Very positive.
The rest of the album is in that same vein- reminds me of Death Cab and Grandaddy. Maybe some Flaming Lips as well?
I keep trying to pin these guys down and I shouldn’t. They’re just a really good indie rock outfit with some excellent songs. Count me in.
FOUR STARS
ABBA
3/5
This is very adult music. Lots of Divorce Ballads on this one. It’s kind of tired, and a bit dark. Deffo for people with bedtimes in the single digits.
The music is complex at times- like adulthood! “One of Us” is amazing. This one needs a few listens. Good stuff.
THREE STARS
U2
4/5
Those snare cracks to open up the album. Iconic.
“Two Hearts Beat as One” is the hidden gem here. "Surrender" is also a strong track. Not having heard some of these deep cuts in a while, they're pretty fun.
This is the first truly big U2 album, in terms of viewpoint and commercial reception. Also the album where Edge relies the least on his delay pedals. It’s worth hearing.
FOUR STARS
Madness
2/5
I’m sure some theory nerd is going to tell me “oh the key changes are totally normal they’re just substituting the 2nd for the major lydian” or some shit but- hey- for real- would it kill these guys to stay in the same key while in the same section of a song? Like if the verse is in C can you just I don’t know STAY IN C until the verse is over? It mostly sounds like they don’t know what they’re doing. I found it so distracting I couldn’t really focus on the lyrics or frankly anything else.
“Our House” is a fantastic song that switches keys between the verse and chorus. And earns this an extra star. Otherwise- I think I’ll stay sane thank you very much!
TWO STARS
Willie Colón & Rubén Blades
4/5
I don’t know a lot about salsa music, but this is really good stuff. I found myself bobbing my head on every track. Some sick grooves on here- especially on “Buscando guayaba” and “Maria lionza.” The title track is - perfect. An extra star for that one. Good lord, guys. Saved the best for last!
Another reminder I need to learn Spanish.
FOUR STARS
David Bowie
3/5
I had written up a whole thing about this but I think a quote from Trainspotting is the best review I can give this thing.
At one point you've got it. Then you lose it. Then it's gone forever.
Not really sure why this album is on the list, to be honest. There is way more interesting art rock from the early 2010s, and there are MANY better David Bowie albums. What are we doing here, guys?
THREE STARS
Girls Against Boys
2/5
Amateur Dentistry, the Musical.
The Good, The Bad & The Queen
2/5
It’s colorless, tuneless, and highly polished. Gets a star for every decent melody.
TWO STARS
FKA twigs
2/5
If “I’m not like the other girls” was an album.
Bjork and Fiona Apple and Imogen Heap are weird but it’s an honest weird. They write about weird things. This girl only writes about wanting to bone.
TWO STARS
Bill Evans Trio
2/5
Starts out promisingly enough. But devolves into total bass wankery. The piano is great. SHRUG.
Robert Wyatt
3/5
The first couple of tracks did not make me hopeful. But from track three and onwards- it really gets interesting, and you settle into the madness of it.
Rock Bottom sounds like stream of consciousness reads.
Listening to this album made me realize there are two types of music just like there are two types of serial killer: organized and disorganized. Rock, pop, blues, and all of their descendants are pretty organized. Jazz and all of its offshoots are disorganized. This album seems to take the organized elements of rock and then disorganize some of them and keep some of them the exact same. It is very unusual….. I don’t love it but I see what they're doing here.
THREE STARS
The Thrills
3/5
I see a lot of hate in the reviews here and I get it. It doesn’t sound super revolutionary and it doesn’t blow your mind. But it is a strong indie rock record that is good enough to be someone’s favorite album- the album they’ve been looking for but could never quite find, and maybe by being on this list they can.
There is a charm here to these wide-eyed, completely uncynical Irish guys finding California and loving it so much they write a whole album about it. This is all youthful joy, and it’s hard to fault that.
THREE STARS
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
I know this is a weird detail to pick out but - Jimi Hendrix says "YEAH!" like nobody else in rock. Yes, I know he's also a virtuosic guitar player. And saying "YEAH" real good isn't as groundbreaking. But the dude just sells me on him having the time of his life. He's feeling this music, and his "YEAH!" gets me every time.
In 2025 Jimi has been reduced to a t-shirt—- he’s a marble man now. Idolized by generations of guitar players. Hearing this guy shred and get such an enormous kick out of it (and twiddling the stereo pans like a five year old on crack) makes him human again. And if I don’t meet ya no more in this world, I’ll meet ya in the next one, and don’t be late. DON’T BE LATE!!!
FOUR STARS
George Michael
3/5
Back in the early 90s we had a handful of tapes in my mother’s car. The three most played were a Jon Secada album, the Bodyguard soundtrack, and a mix my sister made with Harry Connick Jr and a couple of other artists. The first song on that mix was “Freedom! 90”- and I must’ve had to listen to that song 9,000 times. Of course, whenever the video came on MTV, I would stop and watch because it featured some of the most beautiful women on the planet lip syncing to the song.
So when you make me listen to it as a middle aged man, it’s like time travel. I can smell the upholstery of a 1991 Honda Accord.
What I’m trying to say is- this is what the early 90s truly felt like. We all want to believe it was Nevermind but nah- it was George Michael.
THREE STARS
Massive Attack
3/5
When this genre came out all the pornographers were like “ahhhhhh yeah we won’t have to find new background music EVER.”
This is excellent bedding music. A fun listen.
THREE STARS
David Gray
3/5
So much hate in the reviews here! Damn, kids. Settle down.
Albums are oftentimes on this list because they were noteworthy in the context in which they were released. Many of the best albums on this list will not sound new or fresh or relevant to a teenager today, because the teenager today has heard those innovative and exciting things a million times through other artists.
The sound of this record was absorbed so completely (and quickly!) that it doesn’t sound particularly special or interesting now. But it was massively successful in 2000 because it was a set of good songs with a sound that very few people were making at the time, and that sound is Very pleasant.
It is quintessential “easy listening.” There is nothing challenging about this stuff. And that isn’t bad! But people really have a bone to pick here. One guy saying he was so furious with this record because it was so popular at the time how can people like this blah blah blah like dude- sometimes people want to just relax. And this might be one of the most relaxing pop records of all time. It’s a comfortable blanket, a grilled cheese on a cold winters day, that millionth watch-through of your favorite sitcom.
There is one weak track here, but the second half of the record especially is captivating. Love the last track. And it's a smart idea - your genre is "electro-folk," so you take a classic electro track and deconstruct it into your style and make it mostly folk, and it's fantastic.
I have no idea what the White Ladder is, the album is great.
THREE STARS
The Cure
5/5
Perfect album, back to front; deep cuts, hits, they're all exceptional. I’ll compare this to a recent listen - The Good, The Bad, and the Queen. That band managed two memorable melodies across an hour of music. Robert Smith will throw five hummable melodies on top of each other for a 30 second slice of one song. If you think I'm making this up give the intro to "Untitled" a listen!
I'm not very consistent with my star rating system. Some records get an extra star or two for having a great song, or a great vocalist, or a song that really moves me. Disintegration gets a star for each Mt Rushmore it appears on- 80s records , synth pop records, goth rock records, British records, best A sides. If my math is right that's ->
FIVE STARS
Manic Street Preachers
2/5
This is one angry album. Manic Street Preachers is a super appropriate name for these dudes. If they hadn’t formed a band they would’ve been out on the street corner with //THE END IS NIGH// sandwich boards, marching up and down all night.
Maybe the Brits enjoy it, but I’m not into hearing a dude yell at me “you’re doing it all wrong! This world is THE WORST!” Yeah- maybe, but- you’re not helping.
Understanding the lead singer is a real task. I’m assuming his Welsh accent is WILD when he’s not singing. “Sex maalll-yon” is really “6 million”. The vocals are recorded very clearly and precisely- having the lyrics heard is obviously important to this band. But I’d have to listen to this album about five times with the lyrics in front of me to really get an ear for this.
The songwriter seems kind of wasted on rock and roll. Should’ve been a political science or literature professor - that’s clearly where his heart lies. He name-drops like it’s his job- Gorbachev gets mentioned at least three times. In a couple of songs he just strings names together 8 at a time. Like. Ok. Then there’s an anorexia song. And then there’s a Holocaust song! Good god!
I mean this is fine- but I think there’s a reason these guys were in my neighborhood but we never got on. Lectures bore me.
TWO STARS
Metallica
3/5
Hoo boy. A 2 hour Metallica live album. Ha! Here goes.....
Yeah this is fine. It really is just Metallica with an orchestra on top. They don’t seem to have changed the songs fundamentally they just put a layer of orchestra on top. Does it add anything? Maybe a little- it doesn’t take away too often. But- for the purposes of this list- I’m assuming the three or four seminal Metallica records are on here; is this really necessary? Probably not.
THREE STARS
The Rolling Stones
3/5
So much to talk about!
First off - musically this thing is so hit or miss. Typical early Stones. One song is unique and still holds up 60 years later, and the next is just a complete waste of time. There are some boilerplate 60's rockers, some bluesier numbers, and some country-inspired tunes. There's even a clear Beatles rip off ("Flight 505"). But most of it is pretty forgettable. "Paint it Black" (on the US cut), "Mother's Little Helper" (on the UK), "I am Waiting," "Under My Thumb," and "Going Home" are musically interesting and diverse, and will stick with you. The rest you'll forget in 24 hours.
I want to call out "Going Home" for a minute. It's so incredibly dopey for the first two or three minutes. The chorus is just so brick-wall dumb. And then....it transforms. And becomes something really interesting. It's like the joke that goes on way too long but the longer it goes on the funnier it gets. It's great.
Thematically this album is very tricky. The misogyny is a thread that runs through nearly every song. The obvious examples being "Under My Thumb" and "Stupid Girl," but just about every other song shows an adolescent hatred of women that's pretty embarrassing. I guess they were having a hard time with all the groupies they were pulling. SHRUG.
THREE STARS
Public Enemy
3/5
So I guess don’t offer Chuck D a beer when he comes over.
These guys are really fun at parties, I’m sure.
THREE STARS
Circle Jerks
4/5
It’s only 15 minutes long! This reminds of the joke about the old ladies at the restaurant. The first lady complains to the waiter about how terrible the food is. Then the second one says “And the portions are so small!”
This is a perfect punk record. Short loud sloppy blasts of teenage aggression. It absolutely succeeds at what it sets out to do. This is what so many punk bands ever since have been trying to recreate.
FOUR STARS
Justin Timberlake
3/5
JT can sing; Neptunes can produce. Timbaland writes interesting songs.
I mean- it’s hard to fault this. As pop music goes this works. It’s just - it all feels like Michael Jackson cosplay. MJ was still alive when this was recorded. Was he not available?
Justin has copied nearly every single MJ vocal mannerism and I’m only half way through this thing. The vibrato, the dynamics, the phrasing- everything is MJ. At least we get some Stevie Wonder sprinkled in here every once in a while. But where’s Justin? He hasn't quite figured himself out yet, which is fine. Some of his best songs are here, even with the awkwardness of youth so fully present.
But yeah. This reminds me of looking at someone’s high school year book, or their baby pictures. It’s fine. But hey. “You’re out of this world except you’re not green”…..who wrote that one, guys? Who’s taking credit?
THREE STARS
U2
5/5
My favorite U2 album, and one of my favorites of all time. I just love this record. It was so important to me when I was younger. Such good memories of listening to this thing. I have every song and sound memorized. If every copy of this thing disappeared I could recreate it from memory. The only song I don't love is "Trying to Throw Your Arms Around the World." Everything else is amazing. It can only be -
FIVE STARS
Beck
3/5
It sounds like someone recorded some songs and then kicked them down the stairs.
Machito
4/5
This music makes me want to drink a dry martini. Watch a movie from the 50s. Wear a suit around the house. Start smoking.
The feel is all 50s Hollywood. The percussion on this record is AMAZING. And the horn players are killing it too. A huge surprise, this one. Love it.
FOUR STARS
The Police
3/5
This is an interesting one- the A side is wildly inconsistent. The “synchronicities” are both pretty great, but the songs in between them are either forgettable or bizarre.
Then you have the B side which is wall to wall bangers. So weird. Was it a power move by Sting? Idk these guys are suing each other right now which makes me sad.
THREE STARS
Radiohead
5/5
So many great lyrics, and riffs, and bass lines, and beats, and songs! I love this album so much.
If OK Computer is Radiohead’s Sgt Pepper, The Bends is their Revolver. Before they get really weird but after they’re done with being creeps. A masterpiece. Five stars for “Black Star” alone.
Anyways. Immerse yourself in love.
FIVE STARS
Os Mutantes
4/5
This is totally my kind of nonsense. Weird but melodic. And weird in a way I haven’t heard before but also weird in that classic 1960s kind of way. Man. The Beatles really did a number on people.
FOUR STARS
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
2/5
There are some good songs on this record- I just don’t dig Elvis’s voice. He has this emphatic whine that just grates on me. By the last four songs I was just done with this guy.
I understand he’s a critics’ darling because his lyrics are a bit more literate than your average bear, but come on. Also- how does this guy get in the same bin as Patti Smith, Television, the Ramones? This is all pure pop! And I know this is him stepping towards a poppier sound, but- are the records before this that adventurous?
Anyways. It’s fine. Except for the whine.
TWO STARS
Talking Heads
3/5
Tight and dry. Claustrophobic? There is a quality to the Talking Heads sound that has always put me off. And David Byrne’s voice is fine for a few songs but maybe not a whole hour.
It’s fine.
THREE STARS
The Kinks
4/5
I’ve heard about Village Green for years but never gave it much of a go. This is excellent. The songs are catchy and varied and short and occasionally truly insightful. There were a couple of moments in the first side that really got me (sorry I had to).
The stereo mix sounds better to me. The Kinks always sound like they’re playing inside a tin lunchbox but I also know that’s part of the charm.
Lovely album.
“People often change but the memories of people can remain”
FOUR STARS
Orange Juice
3/5
Did not recognize this album on sight which is unusual…..
This first track…..Jeepers creepers it’s great. And like all songs this good, it’s the only song even remotely like this on the whole album!
Wasn’t expecting Afro-beat after that blast of indie new-wave.
This is a light, refreshing album. It’s like drinking a mojito at a beach bar on a sunny day. Delicious.
THREE STARS
Leonard Cohen
4/5
You want it darker? YOU WANT IT DARKER, BITCH? IS THAT DARK ENOUGH FOR YOU????
yeah, Leonard, Jesus Christ tone it down.
Most of these songs seem to be about Cohen’s divorce from God. And they’re mostly incredible. The title track and “Treaty” are worth the price of admission alone.
If you’ve only heard his 80s stuff where he hits the oompa pre-set on his Yamaha synth and recites his poem over it, give this a try.
FOUR STARS
The Who
2/5
The Who have always been the “I guess you had to be there” band of the British Invasion for me. Keith Moon is a legend- but their songs are always kinda dopey to me. The substance of the songs doesn’t match the style.
This album has a fun gimmick- pretending to replicate a fake pirate radio with commercials. And the songs are melodic with some very pleasant and rich harmonies. I was prepared to give this thing at least three stars but then…. The second side happened Argh. So damn boring. Just begs the question- who’s next?
TWO STARS
Kate Bush
4/5
Melodic, weird, atmospheric- it’s nice. The second side is really interesting as well. I’d normally give this a three but I can tell this is the kind of album I’ll be coming back to so I can figure it out.
FOUR STARS
Brian Eno
4/5
Solid. Surprising!
Johnny Cash
3/5
The frailty of Johnny’s voice is terribly affecting, which is why “Hurt” works so well. Song choice is so important here- and most of them are hits.
This is a great record to put on any time.
THREE STARS
The Adverts
3/5
What I love about this first wave punk stuff is that it’s basically old school rock and roll but noisier. And less earnest. It’s fun. And this is fun.
This is what the Who wishes they sounded like.
THREE STARS
Frank Sinatra
4/5
The description on Wikipedia says this might be one of the first “concept albums.” And I sort of wrinkled my nose reading that. But listening to it straight through I get it. The themes of the songs are all similar (loss, loneliness, self-reflection) as are the arrangements and instrumentation- this is very mellow, stripped-down Frank. He doesn’t have to project over a massive brass ensemble, giving the music space to breathe and letting his voice take center stage. In fact, the only brass I remember is one trumpet solo towards the end of the album.
This is another record that’s perfect to put on just about any time. Not my favorite genre, but I can see what they were attempting here and they absolutely nailed it.
FOUR STARS
Fela Kuti
4/5
Excellent. The grooves keep the songs grounded while everything around them morphs and shifts. Then 7 minutes in the vocals join in and they evolve even further.
I don’t think you have to like Afrobeat at all to appreciate Fela. Just a wonderful collection of songs. And the kicker is a 15 minute live performance. The stones on this guy!
FOUR STARS
Muddy Waters
4/5
If you like your blues electrified and from Chicago, this is your album. The sound quality and performances are wildly good. My only gripe is the harmonica is a bit much at times.
A few of these tracks sound like they were recorded live, and the recording is so clear that with the volume up you feel like you're in the room. So between the vitality of the performances and the remarkable clarity of the recording, this record just feels good to listen to. Even if you don't have the blues.
FOUR STARS
Bert Jansch
4/5
Just a man and his guitar. I love this kind of setup. You can hear every note; you can even hear his jacket rustling as he moves his fretting hand while he plays.
Oh! To be as good at anything as Bert Jansch is at finger style folk guitar!
FOUR STARS
Wilco
3/5
I have bounced off of Wilco so many times. Maybe I’m too much of an Anglophile? Maybe this time it’ll stick….
Weird coincidence- I got this album on the 24th anniversary of the band releasing it online! Ha! That’s cool.
So I know now why this has never connected with me before. Jeff Tweedy’s voice just isn’t engaging to me at all. Ironically, if his voice was worse it would be more interesting to me. Musically this is very cool- I just can’t pay any attention to Jeff or what he’s singing about.
THREE STARS
The Smiths
4/5
I’ll always love Smiths albums. The drama! Every song is like an episode of a soap opera. And musically it’s so strong and varied.
The A side and “Last Night I Dreamt….” are fantastic.
And tell me how long before the right one????
FOUR STARS
Queens Of The Stone Age
4/5
Oh brother. Wall to wall bangers.
Also, Carlo Von Sexron is my D&D name.
This isn’t for everybody. I can see how people might not love the repetition- but that’s part of the sound. This is music for robots to have sex to. It’s industrial in a very different way than any other band you would call “industrial.” And it’s metal- but- not at all like that.
While I think Songs for the Deaf and Lullabies are superior, this record sets the template for QOTSA and was a breath of fresh air in the late 90s rock landscape.
In short, Robot-boning is my business, and business is good.
FOUR STARS
Frank Black
3/5
This is cool- I love the pixies but never listened to Frank’s solo albums except for a few odd tracks here and there.
The immediate difference to me is the drumming. Significantly busier and more accomplished than David Lovering of the pixies. Otherwise musically this is Frank’s old bag of tricks (odd time signatures, bizarre key and chord changes) pushed to the limits and applied to other genres.
And I know brevity is part of Frank’s “thing” but there are riffs and ideas here that deserve to be explored but we only get to hear them for 10-15 seconds at best.
This is a very solid THEEE STARS
AC/DC
4/5
I've never heard an AC/DC album all the way through, and I have to say it benefits from pausing between the A and B sides. This is a lot of rock music at one time. And it's AC/DC - they don't do ballads, or low tempo numbers, or, well, dynamics, even. But they lay it down like very few bands can.
I really like it, actually. The first two tracks are rock radio mainstays, so I was familiar with them, but the let-off in quality I was expecting after those wrapped up didn't happen until the second to last song. Which might have just been Rock Fatigue. "Love Hungry Man" might be the worst song on the album but it is at least trying something a bit different than boilerplate AC/DC, which is fun.
Hey ya know what screw it
FOUR STARS
Donald Fagen
2/5
Did not recognize this album or artist right away, which is always fun because I have no pre-conceived notions going into it. I read that this is one of the dudes from Steely Dan, which I've never gotten into, but I know he is highly regarded.
The first few seconds of IGY are very nice, and then........it just goes downhill from there. I have two major gripes with this thing and they are 1) the sound and 2) the songs.
While I'm sure this record appeals to all the poor souls who can't stand an iota of noise in their music, it is way too clean for me. The sound of this record is so sterile you can eat off it. Donald Fagen must have the kind of OCD where you have to wash your hands 17 times before you know you're clean. There is not a dust mote living within 10 miles of this dude's house. I'm assuming every instrument on this record is electronic, which makes it sound like a well programmed preset on a Yamaha. And while that may work for Wesley Willis it does not work for Donald Fagen.
Some songs (like dare I say it, those penned by WW) are so bad they're good. These songs are just bad, and it's because there is not an authentic note in The Nightfly's entire 39 minutes. And while I don't hate it, it is the antithesis of every strongly held musical opinion I've had since I could push a cassette into a tape deck.
TWO STARS
Slint
4/5
Spiderland! This record has been recommended to me numerous times but I've never checked it out before now.
Yes. This is my bag. Math-rock, a bit jangly with some excellent heavy sections. I can't believe this was made a) in 1991 and b) by teenagers. There is a sophistication to the arrangements that really belies their age. And you can hear so much of Slint in other people's work from the 90s and into the 2000s.
FOUR STARS
3/5
The Kinks again! I'm pretty sure all we needed on this list was Village Green and Kinks, but sure- here we go-
It's quite good! The sound of the Kinks is frail and thin. But the songs are good to great; "Australia" and "Shangri-La" are excellent. There is also an overarching story which isn't too hard to follow. My only real complaint is the double-tracked vocals and occasionally the "harmonies" go beyond the limits of tension into outright dissonance at times. Otherwise- high quality British invasion.
THREE STARS
Yes
3/5
Just a note before I dive into Fragile too far: I think "Roundabout" is one of the great rock songs. Not just of prog, but of all rock music. It is tight, and rocking, and melodic, and weird, and I love it. Also, until I looked up the lyrics on this listen, I always thought it was "Marlins come out of the sky and stand there." "Mountains" makes a bit more sense, I guess? Anyways. I've always particularly loved that middle break that repeats the introductory guitar part, with the chorus sung over different chords - it's beautiful!
That being said, Fragile really could've been boiled down to an EP.
"Roundabout"
"South Side of the Sky"
"Long Distance Runaround"
"Mood for a Day"
"Heart of the Sunrise"
That's all you need, and I think you can even lose one of "Sky" or "LDR."
I really enjoyed The Yes Album so I was a bit let down by Fragile - it's got Rick Wakeman after all, and Roundabout! But overall it just doesn't hold together as well.
Oh and one more thing - Bill Bruford is a boss. Good lord, this guy. One star for him, one star for Roundabout, one star for the rest of the album combined + the artwork.
THREE STARS
The Bees
3/5
This is fine. Not particularly noteworthy; it’s just kind of shapeless, pleasant, indie rock.
THREE STARS
The Boo Radleys
4/5
TERRIBLE band name. Great album.
Somehow, as much as I love shoegaze and Britpop, I’ve barely even heard of these guys before, and never heard a note of their music.
This goes in so many different directions….. yes there are shoegazey elements but it feels like the idea was to write a ton of great songs and let the genre sort itself out.
I love it.
FOUR STARS
Elvis Presley
3/5
Elvis was super important. Nearly every major artist for the next 10-15 years benefitted somehow from Elvis's success, starting with this album.
All that being said.
This record is super inconsistent. The best tracks are the rock and roll numbers, where Elvis gives passable versions of some contemporary R&B songs. They're fun. Sprinkled throughout are some slower C&W ballads which do nothing much more than demonstrate how close country was to rock back at the beginning. Bouncing back and forth between the two, I can't help but want the rock to stick around a bit longer.
The truly weird stand out here is "Blue Moon" which I've heard about over the years as one of the worst Elvis tracks - I kind of enjoy it? It's creepy and unexpected.
It's vitally important to listen to this record to understand the development of Western pop music, but on it's own merits it's just kind of fine. The other issue is that contextually speaking, "Heartbreak Hotel" was SUPER influential, and doesn't appear here.
THREE STARS
Dusty Springfield
3/5
Blue eyed soul- let’s go.
Dusty has an incredible voice. Her tone is amazing and her delivery is clear and strong and passionate. She clearly loves soul music. And the production is excellent. It sounds like Phillips Records spent a lot of dough making Dusty sound as good as possible. She really shines with the faux-Phil Spector wall of sound going on around her.
All that being said - I hate a lot of these songs. They are just miserable. "Wishin and Hopin" drives me bananas, "Do Re Mi" has an incredibly annoying and repetitive melody, and the more well-known songs I've heard a million times against my will and bore me to tears. "My Colouring Book" is bizarre, as is the arrangment of "Mockingbird."
So overall, this album succeeds at what it sets out to do, and Dusty's voice is great. I can leave the rest.
THREE STARS
The La's
3/5
The La’s is an interesting one. Having grown up in the 90s, I know “There She Goes,” of course. But apparently this record is a cornerstone of Britpop- but I'd never heard it before.
At first it didn’t click for me. The La’s are an amalgamation of The Who and The Kinks, with some Beatles sprinkled in for good measure. That should be right up my alley, but it didn't do anything for me at first. Then during "Timeless Melody," it started to gel. By the time I got to "Looking Glass" I wanted to start all the way over so I could hear the rest of the album through new eyes (ears?), and yeah. This record is great.
If you bounce off of this one at first, give it another go. It rewards multiple listenings.
THREE STARS
M.I.A.
1/5
"Hey, hey, hey, hey, uh, uh, hey, hey, hey, hey
Hey, hey, hey, hey, uh, uh, hey, hey, hey, hey
Uh-huh-uh-huh-uh-huh, hey, hey
Uh-huh-uh-huh-uh-huh, hey, hey
Uh-huh-uh-huh-uh-huh, hey, hey
Uh-huh-uh-huh-uh-huh, hey, hey
Hey, hey, hey, hey, uh, uh, hey, hey, hey, hey
Hey, hey, hey, hey, uh, uh, hey, hey, hey, hey
Uh-huh-uh-huh-uh-huh, hey, hey
Uh-huh-uh-huh-uh-huh, hey, hey
Uh-huh-uh-huh-uh-huh, hey, hey
Uh-huh-uh-huh-uh-huh, hey, hey"
Your honor, the prosecution rests.
ONE STAR
Elvis Costello
2/5
I think it’s official. I’m just not an Elvis Costello guy. This dude could be singing the greatest song of all time and I’d hate it- I can’t get past his voice. He sounds like a cartoon dog.
His voice would probably work better if his songs were less Pop. But they are not. I actually enjoy the backing band. But like I said- I can’t get past the voice.
TWO STARS
Björk
4/5
So beautiful. Every song has a truly striking moment.
Is it possible for music to sound both warm and frozen at the same time?
FOUR STARS
Paul McCartney
2/5
Normally I would reserve "two stars" for albums I really dislike. But whether I like it or not, McCartney just isn't much of a record. These are sketches Paul made at his home studio. And that's fine, if this was released 30 years after the fact as a bonus disc. But how can you compare this to the heavy hitters?
Maybe I'm being unkind to Paul here but - it feels like he made a bunch of home recordings, the Beatles were breaking up, he wanted to put out a solo record sooner rather than later, so he threw those tracks on an album and called it a day, knowing his fans would buy an album of him reading the phone book.
So given all that-
TWO STARS
A Tribe Called Quest
4/5
Hey this is cool and all, and then- there’s a frog solo. A FROG SOLO.
Instant-
FOUR STARS
The Velvet Underground
4/5
After two very.....transgressive albums, the Velvet Underground's third is a huge departure. The dissonance is almost entirely gone, as are most of the exotic topics. There is still some experimentation going on, as with "The Murder Mystery," (which I'm honestly not even sure how to listen to), but overall these are low-key, noise-free tunes, melodic and quiet.
"Candy Says" and "Pale Blue Eyes" are some of the VU's best songs. And as much as I'm a big White Light/White Heat guy, this album is far more listenable.
FOUR STARS
Crosby, Stills & Nash
3/5
There is a magic to CSN’s harmonies. Somehow - their voices are all very different but they blend in a truly unique way. These guys did not invent harmony, but..... the second you hear them sing you know instantly who it is.
"Suite: Judy Blue Eyes" is an amazing song, and has to be somewhere in the conversation of best album openers. The rest of the album doesn't quite reach that level for me. Probably because they overuse their tight harmonies so much.
Anyways. It isn't really my bag, but it is a remarkable record with some incredible songs. I can absolutely see someone who’s never dipped their toe in these waters giving this a listen and it becoming their favorite record.
THREE STARS
The Beach Boys
5/5
Maybe I’m biased. My parents loved this record, and we’d listen to it all the time. At some point they nicknamed me JB after the Sloop John B. For some reason. Because of that, and because it's completely amazing, I’m compelled to give this one-
FIVE STARS
David Bowie
3/5
Maybe it isn't fair, but you can't help but compare this record with Ziggy Stardust, the album it immediately followed. It does not measure up well. There is nothing as memorable here as anything on Bowie's previous record.
It just doesn't stick. The hooks are not out. Listening to this while I was going about my day I noticed immediately when "Let's Spend the Night Together" came on- hey! an interesting melody! Finally! I'd have to say that song and "Lady Grinning Soul" are the standouts to me.
Perhaps - the change is perspective is what makes these songs refuse to stick. Whereas "Ziggy" was an album about that character from the viewpoint of everyone else, "Aladdin" is Ziggy giving us his point of view of the rock and roll circus. And it's bleak, and alienated.
Or it could be that he wrote all of these songs on tour and was running out of proverbial gas. I don't know. Either way, it's
THREE STARS
Billy Joel
4/5
There is an old SNL skit with Bill Murray as a cheesy lounge singer, and as a transition between sets he smarms “Don’t go changin’,” a reference to the ubiquitous “Just the Way You Are.” It was a hugely popular song. But it was never cool, just like its author. Billy Joel is not cool at all. He’s too adult, too straightforward, too clearly trying to cop the sound of other artists.
But his songs are amazing. This record has his highest density of great tracks. The A side in particular is one after another. “Scenes from an Italian Restaurant” is the Long Island National Anthem. That should earn The Stranger at least one extra star.
The Stranger is an object lesson in persisting in being who you are; what other people think be damned. Cool or not- Don’t go changin’.
FOUR STARS
Kendrick Lamar
4/5
I love a good narrative concept album. And this is one cinematic record.
Kendrick has so many gears in his delivery…..combine that with high level production and it’s hard to find fault with very much here.
FOUR STARS
Beastie Boys
3/5
Do they sound like a human being when they rap as opposed to a member of the muppets?
MCA - yes.
AdRock- no.
Mike D - maybe.
This album is 20 songs?!?!???
“Shiiiit. If this gonna be that kinda party I’m gonna stick my dick in the mashed potatoes!” Classic.
Ok but do they have to always sound like they’re rapping through a bullhorn?
“Sabotage” is amazing. Takes me back to watching the video a thousand times in high school because MTV practically had it on a loop.
But AdRock, man:…..this dude’s voice is so annoying. I can manage it for a song or two but an hour him is asking a lot.
THREE STARS
Morrissey
4/5
I've listened to Your Arsenal quite a lot and love that record, but I've never listened to another Morrissey solo record in my life. This is a good one. "The More You Ignore Me," is fantastic pop music, and quintessential Morrissey. The other tracks are excellent.
FOUR STARS
Sinead O'Connor
4/5
I was a kid when "Nothing Compares 2 U" came out and suddenly it was EVERYWHERE. And that video. Sinead, with her piercing blue eyes and totally shaved head, just staring at the camera singing her brains out. Incredible.
So while I was familiar with the big single from this album, I had never listened to it in full. My album before this was Morrissey's Vauxhall and I, and there are some striking similarities between that album and this one. I Do Not Want's... more rocking songs could easily fit onto prime Moz solo albums. The production and songwriting are especially close in tone and sound.
But the quiet moments here are devastating in a way Morrissey could only dream of. "Three Babies," "Black Boys on Mopeds," and "You Cause as Much Sorrow" are beautiful musically while their subject matter is incredibly heavy.
I have to say though, "Nothing Compares 2 U" is unequivocally the highlight. Yes, the song is great, but it's Sinead's delivery - heartbroken, headstrong, self-assured, and devastated all at the same time - it has to be one of my favorite vocal performances.
FOUR STARS
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
2/5
I'm only 100 albums into this project, and this is my third Elvis Costello record. So that means there are at least, what, 30 more on this list?
Great.
This one is ok. His voice sounds a little less goofy this time around, so that's a plus. His songs are ok. "Uncomplicated" - I've never wanted to re-mix a song so badly in my life; I can barely hear the band over Elvis's vocal. A tough way to start an album. "Tokyo" - is Elvis trying super hard to be Bob Dylan, and failing. "I Want You" is appropriately creepy. "Poor Napoleon" is kinda cool. "Next Time Round" is really quite good - why is it last???? And why does it fade out? They recorded a proper ending! What?
After this one I'm convinced the world could've lived with just one Elvis.
TWO STARS
Fleetwood Mac
5/5
Rumours! Yes! I've been waiting for this one.
As a kid I HATED Fleetwood Mac. The drums sounded like they were made out of cardboard; the bouncy, happy Adult Contemporary feel; the annoying melodies paired with cloying harmonies. And then I turned 27, and suddenly all of those liabilities became assests. Rumours was my maturity litmus test.
The songs and performances are exceptional. The guitar in "Never Going Back Again." The elliptic drums in "Go Your Own Way." The hypnotic repetition of "Dreams." People bag on "Oh Daddy" but I enjoy it. And of their best songs, "Silver Springs," didn't even make the album!
There is a trick to their songwriting - they'll employ fairly typical verse-chorus arrangements, but they'll hold back a super-strong hook until the end of the song ("Second-hand News," "You Make Loving Fun," "The Chain," "Don't Stop"). Cause when your verses and choruses are already so strong, why not throw another hook on at the end?
I have about 900 more records to go - I'm guessing there will be less than 10 records that are such slam-dunk
FIVE STARS
Dire Straits
3/5
Ok I know this is considered a classic by many, but.... it doesn't hold up for me. "Money for Nothing" is a great song, with one of the most recognizable guitar riffs of all time, coupled with a great crescendo opening. And "Walk of Life" is fun, though it always makes me think of baseball for some reason.
But these songs are fat. "So Far Away" is two minutes of music stretched out to five for some reason. "Your Latest Trick," "Why Worry," and "Ride Across the River" are all at least six and a half minutes long, and I honestly don't know why.
I was wondering why this album wasn't hitting me and then I listened to the title track. Apparently, Mark Knopfler can't sing! Like - at all! His vocal performance on that song is laughably amateurish. He can't finish a phrase to save his life. Going back and listening to the others again - only "Money for Nothing" has Mark singing with any sort of real oomph. He just sounds disinterested and tired - he's clearly pulling from the Dylan/Springsteen well here but it doesn't work for me.
This is a two-star album with a 10-star hit single. So it has to be -
THREE STARS
LCD Soundsystem
4/5
Back in 2007 I was a young-ish aspiring hipster, keeping up with The Scene as much as possible. And of course, this album was required listening at the time. You couldn't swing a dead cat without it telling you how great Sound of Silver is. So I gave it a shot and it was kinda fun, if a little rhythmically abrasive.
So pulling it up again this morning I juts sighed. I wasn't in the mood for this.
And two minutes in, I'm bobbing my head. With each track I'm bobbing it even more. By the time we're on "All My Friends," I'm totally bought in. I think the trick to this album is to give yourself a break halfway through. Otherwise it really is too much of the same all at once.
But these first five songs are stellar, and earn the album its score all by itself. I'll be firing this one back up more often for susre.
FOUR STARS
Cat Stevens
3/5
Hey it's fine. Quintessential 70s singer-songwriter/folk rock. "Wild World" and "Father and Son" are the best and best-known tracks. I found "Sad Lisa" sounded a lot like Peter Gabriel-era Genesis; Cat sounds soooo close to PG on that one.
It's fine for what it is, it just isn't my bag, baby. Also - for some of these genres - maybe we don't need a hundred examples of the style, just maybe four or five? I don't know.
THREE STARS
The War On Drugs
3/5
This was an interesting listen. Lost in the Dream is an homage to a very specific style of music, I won't even say genre: 80's male American solo artist rock. The touchstones here are Paul Simon, Bob Dylan, and more than anyone else, Bruce Springsteen. If you like Born in the USA period Bruce, you'll probably love this one.
There is also a touch of Dire Straits here as well (maybe because I just listened to Brothers in Arms?), in that the songs are many times stretched way beyond what they need to be. Empty repeating sections where nothing is added or changed, it's just another 32 bars of the same. It's good driving music.
Next time I'm on a serious roadtrip I'll probably throw this one on.
THREE STARS
Crowded House
3/5
It's fine. I don't know. Just very middle of the road pop-rock, with a couple of very nice moments. It's pleasant to listen to so I can't fault it for that. But it doesn't move any of my needles, unfortunately.
THREE STARS
Lorde
2/5
Oh god. I am disinclined to acquiesce to your request.
This album made it to #1 in the US. Apparently.
It’s just Taylor Swift. The production is the same- the rhythmic shifts in the vocals between the verses and pre choruses. The Big Choruses. Man. I’ve never heard this album before but I’ve heard it a million times. Argh.
TWO STARS
Kraftwerk
4/5
Track by track-
1. We are the robots! Apparently. Cool.
2. Spacelab- about a young spacelab and his attempts to fit in with the other spacelabs and earn their spacelab approval.
3. Metropolis- about a young metropolis sent to live with her adoring grandparents in their haunted castle, only to discover a scary metropolis secret.
4. The model- in which a model is looking good and stuff.
5. Neon-lights- this city’s made of light!
6. The Man-Machine- a tale as old as time; a man who is also a machine, and the lady machines who love him.
FOUR STARS
Barry Adamson
3/5
This album is all over the place. In a good way. I’m not sure if the “fake movie soundtrack” concept holds up but- it’s fun.
THREE STARS
Tito Puente
3/5
Mambo! Ok. I mean- it’s really well done, and it’s fun to listen to. But It isn’t touching my soul or anything. It’s fine.
THREE STARS
Supertramp
3/5
I didn't know that Supertramp has two main songwriters/lead singers. The guy who sings on all of their big hits has a VERY strange voice to me, just below Geddy Lee in terms of ridiculousness. Which is why I've tended to avoid Supertramp. The other lead singer, Davies, has a totally normal rock voice and is fine. Hodgson's distinctive voice is what sets this band apart from most; I just don't like it.
It's interesting - this is part yacht rock, part prog.... so is Supertramp just a poor man's Steely Dan?
"Hide in your Shell" is an ambitious track that survives not being terribly interesting, as do "Asylum" and "Dreamer." You have to appreciate the fact that the band takes a musical idea and tries to get as much mileage out of it as they can, throwing as many ideas at it as make sense. I like that.
THREE STARS
Carole King
3/5
If you had to whittle down the extensive catalog of singer-songwriter albums in this book to just one, this would be it. It's the quintessential 1970s Laurel Canyon singer-songerwriter magnum opus.
Carole King was already legendary years before this album was recorded. She wrote so many hit records it's ridiculous.
This album sounds like you're sitting in her living room listening to her band rehearse. Her voice is bare and unadorned, lending these sounds a vulnerable quality. It had a huge impact on the culture at the time, and it feels like if you want to write songs in this vein you MUST listen to Tapestry.
All that being said I just don't love it. It's so "brown." So adult, so shag carpet. I respect it, and it fulfills its intentions beautifully, but it just isn't for me.
THREE STARS
Gil Scott-Heron
4/5
I really enjoyed this one. Gil and Brian Jackson work together really well- I love the mellowness coupled with the poetry.
There is just a tiny hint of There’s a Riot Going On here but that’s plenty.
The highlight for me has to be “H2OGate Blues.” It’s funny and incisive- and it depresses me to no end that we’ve found ourselves back in this poem again.
FOUR STARS
Cornershop
2/5
I did not enjoy this. I actually winced when I saw this album come up; I remember "Brimful of Asha" when it came out 25 years ago and hating it back then. But I wanted to like this record..... unfortunately it has not aged well.
First off, most of the songs on this record are barely songs - they are snippets, usually consisting of a sample of an Indian song or beat alongside a sample of someone talking. The "real" songs are incredibly repetitive, limited, and insipid. I think "insipid" is a great word for the whole album. There just isn't anything here, and what IS here completely lacks any kind of complexity. The lyrics are painfully dumb. The chord progressions, also painfully dumb. Oh it's all so dumb.
However, marrying Indian musical sensibilities and rock music is cool. So while I'm tempted to give this a one, it has to be
TWO STARS
Tracy Chapman
2/5
There is nothing interesting going on here melodically, vocally, rhythmically, harmonically, or sonically. Pretty much everything having to do with sound or music on this record lacks anything to hang on to. I mean look at the album art! Even the album art is boring! She looks bored as hell posing for this picture!
Pretty much every song sounds the same- partially because of the production, partially because Tracy seems to only have one gear vocally. Everything kinda blurs together.
Ps- the “Secretary Rock” review guy is insane but he’s also wrong. These songs are not inoffensive at all. Musically yes- but lyrically absolutely not.
Anyways. I hated it.
TWO STARS
Depeche Mode
4/5
Yes! Everyone's favorite European, S&M enjoying heroin addicts! Who also happen to make music!
I really do love Depeche Mode. The singles are always stronger than the album tracks, and this album is no exception. But all of these are fun, even if the deep cuts tend to feel like they came from Dracula's Castle Playlist #1.
“Never Let Me Down” is a 100/10. “Strangelove” is a classic. It's gotta be
FOUR STARS
Moby
3/5
Ohhhhhh man...... seeing this album cover takes me back. Bliss was it in that dawn to be alive, but to be young was very heaven.
This album is THE sound of commercial music in the early 2000s, and for that alone deserves a place in this list. The songs for this record were everywhere- the radio, MTV, commercials, movies..... and yet at the same time I remember the critical response being fairly positive.
It's a pleasant listen, if a bit long. Its ability to transport me back to the year 2000 is a special trick for which it earns
THREE STARS
Radiohead
5/5
Ok. For the record, I am an OG Radiohead fan. It started when a friend loaned me his copy of The Bends, and I fell madly in love with them - then I went back and devoured Pablo Honey just in time for OK Computer to come out and blow everyone's minds. I remember listening to it on the radio and recording the whole thing onto tape just ahead of the album release. I remember tuning in to MTV2 playing all of Kid A uninterrupted as a teaser for that album, sitting in my best friend's room, mesmerized.
So when I say that I love this band and know this band, I mean - they are inside my heart of hearts.
And this is their album that I keep coming back to time and again. All of their previous work is incredible, and I still love it, but when I want to fire up a record that I love and is fun to listen to I always reach for In Rainbows. It is mature while still being exciting; it's evocative and poetic without being pretentious; it takes itself seriously and yet is clearly having a fantastic time.
The only song I don't love is "Faust Arp." But "15 Step" - how can you not love the crazy off-time beat, coupled with lovely jazz guitar and a children's chorus? The exhilarating riff of "Bodysnatchers?" The existential journey that is "Weird Fishes?" The complete angst of "All I Need?" How can you not love this record?
For me, this is a 10/10, my most-listened-to record by my most-listened-to band.
FIVE STARS
Mekons
3/5
Fear and Whiskey..... the only way to make sense of this album is to think of it as post-apocalyptic folk-punk. You might think the "post-apocalyptic" part is just a cute sobriquet added on to generate interest, but it's vital. This is the music we'll be playing after all the musicians are dead, and we're huddled around a oil-drum fire trying to stave off the thought that civilization as we know it will never return. It's the music we never got to hear in The Road Warrior or A Boy and His Dog.
I don't love it but it is super interesting. Also - why is it that every violin on a rock record is out of tune? I think the only people who got it right are The Frames..... anyways. For me it's a cool-
THREE STARS
Blue Cheer
3/5
Well here it is- the birth of heavy metal. Dude LOVES a fuzz pedal. Holy cow.
And it seems like they REALLY didn't know how to record a super-loud drummer back in 1967. This guy reminds me of Mitch Mitchell - if he were slightly brain damaged.
Sounds so much like the heavy bits of Cream if they were cranked up even louder.
I would say the style and the sound are really fun to me - but the songs are kind of lacking.
Bonnie Raitt
4/5
Oooooh this'll be interesting. My parents weren't big Bonnie Raitt fans but you couldn't avoid this woman in the late 80s/early 90s.
Oh my god "Love Letter" is the most 1980s thing I've ever heard in my life. Incredible. "Have a Heart!" I remember this one. Kinda reggae. Lots of reverb on her voice - it sounds amazing. Her slide playing is excellent on every track.
None of this is bad. It just sounds very middle of the road 35 years later. It's really growing on me as I get further and further into it, though.
Ok so this won the 1989 Album of the Year at the Grammy's. I was surprised, so I looked it up and the other nominees that year were Don Henley, Fine Young Cannibals, Tom Petty, and the Traveling Wilburys. So Bonnie fits right in with whatever the hell was going on in '88/89.
I just checked the reviews for this one and good God - poor Bonnie! Getting ripped to shreds. Hey I don't get it - ya'll LOVE Tracy's Chapman's boring-ass record from the year before, but no love for Bonnie? Ya know what? Ya'll are some spiteful motherfuckers.
FOUR STARS
Elliott Smith
4/5
Only heard a few of this guys songs- never a full album.
Had no idea he was such a Beatles guy. He knows them inside and out.
He definitely knows his way around a chord progression, as well. This album seems to alternate between acoustics numbers and full band songs with a lot of dynamic range. I like it. I’ll have to give this one another go when I have more capacity. I dig it.
FOUR STARS
The KLF
3/5
Perfectly fine electronic dance music. There are some songs here that employ lap steel guitar in a unique way.
I don’t know- electronic/house music isn’t my wheelhouse so I can’t tell you much about this other than it was fun to listen to.
THREE STARS
Taylor Swift
5/5
lol
Goddamnit.
Ok here’s the deal. I’ve heard 1989 a lot- except it’s the Ryan Adams version. I’m not looking forward to listening to the original.
****
Alright- here goes.
This really is pop music of the highest caliber. It’s just immaculate. 1989 is about as good as pop music gets.
At the same time, this is not perfect. But it certainly isn't for lack of production value or intentionality or style. It has those in droves. My issues are mostly with Taylor's victim mentality that permeates everything, her insistence on only writing songs about her close personal relationships, and her inability to be authentic or vulnerable. Now maybe you think those last two contradict each other but - every song where she's singing about someone she knows personally (which is all of them, I think) she is always in the right. The drama is never her fault. She is the anti-Fiona Apple.
But there's a run there in the middle of the album - from "Shake It Off" to "Wildest Dreams" that is exceptional. Even with all of the above flaws. In fact they may be the best examples of these flaws on the entire record! But they make incredible pop music.
So many albums in this book are fine they just aren't my bag, and I tend to give them three stars. 1989 is not my bag, but it's pretty incredible. I don't know if I can in good conscience give this a four, because it seems better than that; but I don't want to give it a five because it's Taylor Swift and she's annoying as heck. It'll be a game-time decision.
FIVE STARS
The Doors
4/5
Apart from their debut, this might be the Doors’ most consistent album. So many of their records have incredible highs and then a bunch of throwaway tracks. This one is pretty pleasant throughout.
"Roadhouse Blues" is the standout, of course. Nothing on this record is as fun or rocking as that. "Land Ho!" is pretty hilarious- the Doors version of "Octopus's Garden," maybe? "Indian Summer" was quite shocking to me - I liked it, but of course I would - I love "The End." It's just "The End" but in a major key, and half as long. That one really threw me.
But yeah. Overall a very listenable Doors record. You can put this one and not have to skip around too much. For that it earns a solid
FOUR STARS
Radiohead
4/5
Amnesiac is a strange one. When it followed so closely on the heels of Kid A, I was ecstatic. More Radiohead! And so quickly! But being released so soon after that major release, Amnesiac felt slight in comparison. Partially, that has to be attributed to its less cohesive nature. It also doesn't help that it includes a handful of sound experiments that would normally not even be released as b-sides, and a new version of an old song from Kid A.
[Speaking of - I'm pretty sure "Morning Bell | Amnesiac" is my least favorite Radiohead song of all time. It is an instant skip from me.]
Anyways. There are some amazing songs here- "Pyramid Song" is hauntingly beautiful; "You and Whose Army?" is a fun exercise in dynamics; "I Might Be Wrong" is funkily hypnotic. I really enjoy everything here (excepting the aforementioned rendition of "Morning Bell"). But I can't shake the feeling that this isn't a "real" album, on par with any of Radiohead's major releases before or since. For that it can only receive -
FOUR STARS
New Order
3/5
I don’t know how I never caught this before, but listening to this record made me realize just how much New Order and The Cure were fighting over the same territory. The first two songs here are quintessential New Order- but then right in the middle are a couple of excellent Cure songs.
I enjoyed this one. Sumner can't sing much, but he means it. One issue here is that with a couple of the tracks, the layers get so thick it's a bit too much, especially percussively. Otherwise this is some nice, tortured electronic dance music.
THREE STARS
Koffi Olomide
3/5
I was primed to really like this one, as I've enjoyed the other albums by African artists on this list. And this isn't bad at all - there are just a couple of things keeping me from completely enjoying this. The repetition paired up with the song length really bothers me - these songs *should* run 3 to 4 minutes at most, and instead they recycle themselves for 6-7. There just isn't that much music here.
The highlight to me is the second track, which is gloriously early-90s. It's incredible. Also the cover art looks like they spent about 5 dollars on it, and I kind of love that.
Koffi's voice is great, and the musicianship is nice. But the songs themselves wear on you.
THREE STARS
Queen
3/5
I think this album is getting a lot of votes for “Bohemian Rhapsody,” and not the actual album.
I’m not trying to be a contrarian but- half of these songs are in that Vaudeville/English music hall/“When I’m 64” style that I will probably never enjoy. “The Prophet’s Song” is an interminable bore. The rock songs are even a little boring by Queen standards. Don’t get me wrong- they’re theatrical and operatic, but they aren’t that interesting. The only strong songs on this record are “You’re My Best Friend,” “Death on Two Legs,” and “Bohemian Rhapsody.”
The rest you will forget before the record is over.
THREE STARS
Bad Brains
2/5
Man. I don't like this.
TWO STARS
Cypress Hill
2/5
Very reminiscent of Beastie Boys (in that one member sounds like they belong on The Muppets) and Public Enemy (the production). They can write a hook, which is fun. But they can also write a super annoying backing track (see: Hand on the Pump, Psycobetabuckdown), which looking back is a very early-90s hip-hop Thing To Do.
Its fine - isn't my style - kind of annoying.
TWO STARS
James Brown
3/5
I feel like I don't want to take down a sacred cow - but - I hate the way this is mixed. JB is ALL the way right, with the other vocalists. The horns and bass are all the way left, drums seem to be straight up the middle. It leads to a very strange, thin sound, that de-emphasizes JB's incredible vocals. Maybe I need to listen to this off-headphones....
The horns sound tired as shit, even at the beginning of the show.... and they’re sloppy as hell on the hits. Yikes.
The songs are fine. Nothing that compelling for me, honestly. And I love James Brown! He's obviously a great performer, and he whips this crowd into a frenzy by the end. But I don't really feel the same way.
It's fine.
THREE STARS
Napalm Death
4/5
The reviews for this one had me prepared for MUCH worse than this. Reading the reviews was really fun. Especially about the two dudes in Dresden. Good Lord. On a side note - I feel like some people see these albums as a creative writing challenge as much as a musical one. And that's cool. Anyways. This is one of the worst-rated albums on here? Amazing!
The first few songs just kind of breeze by. Then I looked at the tracklisting - there are 28 songs! Most of them seem to be a minute or less. Digging into the history of the album, the A side is one set of musicians and the B side is another? What? Who does that? And they apparently sound different..... Let's see -
Oh yes. Yeah. The blast beat "gimmick" they used (relatively) sparingly in the first half is the basis of every song in the second. I found the first half more engaging.
So much of my rating system is based on whether or not the musicians have a vision for their music, and how well they express that vision. Napalm Death (in two different incarnations presented here) absolutely has a sound and an idea, and they do it well. It isn't something I want to listen to all the time - but - I get it.
FOUR STARS
Santana
5/5
The beginning of this record has an amazing rainy day vibe. It's moody. I like it.
I really enjoy Santana’s playing. He has his own signature style but it isn’t flashy, it’s musical and melodic.
This band is tight. REALLY tight. Good lord. “Se a Cabo” is excellent. "Mother's Daughter" is incredible! Especially that transition between them. Those first few tracks I was thinking this was a three to a four, then "Se a Cabo" pushed it to a four, then that transition - 5. "Hope You're Feeling Better" just puts it over the top. What a build up this record has!
Whatever Carlos was paying his percussionists it wasn't enough. These guys are killing it. This was a big surprise to me.
FIVE STARS
The Black Crowes
4/5
I feel like the Black Crowes get a lot of shit but I actually really like them. They aren't cool at all- they’re trying wayyyyy too hard to be the Stones. (I mean - The Keith Richards chord is featured prominently in the first riff of the first song of their first album. If they were self conscious about being rip off artists they might have tried to dial that back a bit.)
But cool or not - I’ll be damned if this album doesn’t rock. The first two songs are excellent Stones rip offs; “Struttin Blues” is a great rocker. I actually prefer their version of “Hard to Handle” to the Otis Redding version (after hearing the way Chris Robinson hits the chorus, how can you go back?) When you take ubiquitous "Angels" out of the pub and put it back in its place on this record, it really shines.
I think context helps a little here, too. The only people doing music like this at the time were maybe Guns N Roses- who were definitely more on the metal side of things. If you wanted new music in the vein of the Faces, the Stones, or Aerosmith in 1990, the Crowes were your best option.
I can understand hating on revivalists- it’s derivative, I get it. But the Black Crowes really do seem to love this music with all their hearts, and their original songs are excellent.
FOUR STARS
Louis Prima
4/5
Wait a second- David Lee Roth quit Van Halen so he could do note for note covers of THIS guy?
Hell yeah. Respect.
This is great fun. And Keely Smith’s voice is wonderful.
Joyful. Exciting. I love it.
FOUR STARS
Spacemen 3
3/5
Ooooo I can see this one not being super popular around here. It’s too sparse, too bare, too repetitive.
I mean- there are almost no drums in the first few tracks……
Such a strange record. Minimalist shoegaze. I don’t know if it works for me. I like a lot of the ideas it just comes off as half-baked a lot of the time. This is a solid
THREE STARS
Isaac Hayes
4/5
Yes! This is great.
I see some people complaining about the songs not working outside of the movie. I just don’t think that’s true. Get some imagination! It was fun for me, trying to imagine what Shaft could possibly be doing in a scene with these songs playing in the background.
Funky, tight, excellent.
FOUR STARS
John Coltrane
1/5
Thoughts before listening:
Oh goddamnit. Fucking jazz. It’s so stupid.
Thoughts after listening:
It's like going to a movie, and instead of dialogue and action and narrative you get five guys all shouting random words at the exact same time.
ONE STAR
Pet Shop Boys
3/5
I mean this in the best possible way. This sounds like Deerbrook Mall, circa 1991.
THREE STARS
Adele
3/5
This was ten years ago now. Good Lord…..
She has a great voice. She can whisper and she can belt. Her voice sits in a really nice range, as well. Gritty tone when she wants it.
“Hello” doesn’t do it for me. “Send my love” sounds like someone else- ??? Oh god is it IMAGINE DRAGONS??? MIA? Or even worse- both? Argh. Maybe “Girls Chase Boys?” "I Miss You" has that weird, halting beat that sounds like it's off but it isn't - turns out to be a fine song. Then the album gets a bit gray and mushy for me - the middle of this record isn't bad just not particuarly memorable. Then - the last three songs things really picked up. I loved "All I Ask" and "Sweetest Devotion" especially. Not sure why they saved the best two songs or last but they did.
"25" definitely feels like a sophomore slump album (yes - I know - it's her 3rd). You spend your whole life writing the songs for your first album (or two, in this case) and then - bam - you're out of ideas. And you make something - but it isn't *quite* as good as your previous efforts. It's fine, but it feels like there was a better album before this one....
THREE STARS
Arctic Monkeys
3/5
I’ve heard the hits- let’s try the whole debut album.
Yeah it’s alright. The vocalist seems to be a bit of a one trick pony. Lyrically it’s a bit tedious for me as well- all tales of English juvenile delinquency. It’s fine.
THREE STARS
Parliament
4/5
This really holds up. It’s hard to beat George Clinton and MACEO.
FOUR STARS
Aimee Mann
3/5
Reading some of the reviews here you’d think Aimee Mann was personally responsible for the fly in their beer.
This is above average pop-rock. The production reminded me of Fiona Apple so I looked it up- yup! Same guy.
This isn’t the best album I’ve heard from this project but it’s fine.
THREE STARS
Nirvana
4/5
For me, this album came out at the very beginning of 6th grade. My family never had much money but we always seemed to be able to afford MTV, and when "Smells Like Teen Spirit" made it into the rotation, it blew everything up. If you weren't there you might think we're exaggerating but- its true.
I was a couple of years too young for Nirvana back in '91, so it took me a very long time to actually listen to this thing. Even though this is one of those Defining Records For My Generation, I didn't glom onto it at the time, and I never really have.
The songs are great, but the approach feels very one dimensional to me. There are so many times that Kurt's vocal lines follow the main riff, which is following the bass line identically. So you have three instruments all playing the same thing and it sounds very flat. I like it, it's great, but it's still just insistently, excessively abrasive to me.
FOUR STARS
Ella Fitzgerald
4/5
MY BROTHER IN CHRIST THIS IS A BOX SET. Not just a compilation, a box set. God in heaven.
The voice on this woman. Good God. Her tone is so clear and warm. Just unbelievable.
The songs aren’t really my bag, but they are melodic, and catchy. I personally can’t stand “Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off” because who says “puh-TAH-to.” Who says “URFter.” “Lurfter.” What the hell.
All this being said- this thing is wayyyyy too long. One disc is a good amount. Two is unreasonable. Three is insane. Four (the one with the alternate takes) is just cruel. Come on. Let’s swap this out for a compilation of this set. There must be one.
FOUR STARS
Aretha Franklin
3/5
Hey this is funny- in the last five days I've had to listen to Adele, Ella Fitzgerald, and now Aretha! I've never enjoyed Aretha - she's got volume and tone but she just didn't click with me at all. Having just had the Ella Fitzgerald box set, I can comfortably say that Aretha was wasted doing albums full of jazz standards before I Never Loved A Man. Soul and R&B are her genres. Ella is perfect for jazz; Aretha needs something with more oomph to back her up. She too easily overpowers jazz.
Which makes me think she would be perfect for a rock band. Yes, I know, that's heresy - but my thought is that she can cut through a band's volume, and they can push her to push her voice to those powerful places that are her bread and butter. Can you picture her on the Zeppelin version of "You Shook Me," or Jimi's "Rock Me Baby?" Or Sabbath's "War Pigs"?????? Good God.
Her voice is amazing. You can't argue with that. Maybe it's just her choices of interpretation that turn me off? Maybe its the songs themselves? The songs on this particular record are excellent, and show off her incredible dynamic range, especially the closer. But Aretha just doesn't grab me in the way that Ella does, or, in the soul category, the way that James Brown or Otis Redding do. She's amazing. Just not my bag.
THREE STARS
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
3/5
My first prog album in what seems like ages. I've owned a copy of this record for years but never put it on the turntable. Let's see what we've got here.....
Interesting. It's all over the place, isn't it? Big church organ; prog fiddling and futzing; crazy synth sound effects; a cappella singing; a classical guitar arrangement with vocals; a blues exploration; and on and on. It's a bit of a kitchen sink, this.
I did enjoy this record overall. Until. "The Nut Rocker." Good God. You'd think from the explosion of adulation after "The Gates of Kiev" that the audience had just seen Jesus Christ himself descend from heaven. I mean- they LOVED this show. Then one of the ELP's says "You want some more music!?!?!" and they all scream and holler for more. **And the band's response is to play the single lamest song in the history of rock and roll music.** It's just unbearably terrible. "WE'LL DIE IF WE DON'T HEAR MORE ELP!!!!" - "Ok! here you go!" -> *AURAL ABORTION*
It's also incredibly funny to think of this huge audience of Geordie's being SO KEEN to see this artsy-fartsy prog band play CLASSICAL MUSIC. What a moment in time this was.
THREE STARS
The Go-Go's
4/5
A Great Day at the Waterpark.
FOUR STARS
Arcade Fire
4/5
Ahhhh Funeral. It’s been a long time.
Having been quite the hipster in 2004, I of course am no stranger to Arcade Fire. This thing to the world by storm 20-ish years ago.
It’s always been an odd one to me. I absolutely love some of these songs, particularly “Tunnels” and “Wake Up.” But the others don’t hold up to repeated listens. Overall this is a generous
FOUR STARS
Dwight Yoakam
3/5
My first country album from this list! And it’s a good one.
This feels MILES away from modern country to me. Dwight sings with a twang. There are only a few instruments on each track- including fiddle, pedal steel, and accordion. There are no hip hop beats or Power Choruses. The songs tell stories.
While this isn’t really my type of music it is well made, and I find it hard not to like.
THREE STARS
Fun Lovin' Criminals
3/5
This is really cool on some levels. A hip hop group that plays its own instruments.
On the other hand, I find “Scooby Snacks” to be……stupid.
I’m also a bit confused. The songs have these laid back grooves, and then the lyrics are trying to be very gangster. It is hard to believe what they’re saying.
It’s also getting pretty repetitive. The backing tracks all sound the same, 7 songs into this thing.
THREE STARS
The Pogues
2/5
Wow. “Fairytale of New York.” I had to go back and listen to the first minute or so again- THIS GUY? This is some of the worst singing I’ve ever heard in my life. My god.
My other issue with this is that it feels so….panicky. This is not music for the anxious. This is for people who don’t have enough to worry about so they listen to this to stress out?
And it’s 19 songs? What the fuck?
TWO STARS
Pink Floyd
4/5
Haven't listened to this one in years. I bet it holds up?
So musically - the opening track has a 9 minute guitar solo to start, and then the song begins. That's a little much for me. But honestly - it mostly works! David Gilmour's playing is so expressive and lyrical. I don't even mind. And that riff that comes in at 4 minutes is excellent. The second round of "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" is a little less impressive to me, but it's pretty fun overall. The three "real" songs in the middle are all excellent musically.
My main issue with this album is the theming. Wish You Were Here seems to be about Syd Barrett and the many pitfalls of the music industry. An industry I am not defending! But I'm sorry - am I supposed to empathize with a rock band that rose to stardom at a time when rock bands had a huge amount of creative control over their work, could make tons of cash from recording as well as touring, and were often seen as gods on Earth? "But I didn't like school!!!" Oh cry me a river, Roger. "THEY WANTED ME TO GET A JOBBBBB" Jesus. Get a grip.
FOUR STARS
David Crosby
3/5
Oh man - I saw the name David Crosby, and this dopey cover and rolled my eyes. But a track or two into it and I'm enjoying this a lot more than I thought I would. It was called "psychedelic folk" in someone's review, and a contemporary review compared it to describing a dream right after you wake up - it doesn't quite make sense but while you were dreaming it did. I completely agree; this is dreamy in a unique way.
"Laughter" has some of the best harmonies I've ever heard. "Cowboy Movie" sounds like "Wooden Ships," or any of a dozen Neil Young songs.
Overall I enjoyed it.
THREE STARS
Suede
4/5
I’ve listened to the three other “big four” Britpop bands but never Suede. It’s sort of like finding a new room in the house you’ve been living in for 30 years. I really enjoy everything about this except the lead vocals. I have no idea what he’s saying- but when I can hear him his delivery is kind of parodically British.
I dig it.
FOUR STARS
Queen
4/5
Ahhh a Queen album with none of the hits….. doesn’t bode well.
Actually- this is pretty good. The Big Hooks are missing but the songs themselves are interesting and fun and much more rocking than “Night at the Opera.” Good times with Ogres.
FOUR STARS
Can
4/5
I honestly enjoyed this one. It is quite a lot to handle, true. But I came away from this asking questions like "Did Can invent hip hop?" ("Mushroom") and "Did Can invent grindcore?" ("Peking O").
I mean - this album is all over place, in a great way. I can live without "Aumgn," but even that song has its moments. This whole record is prime sampling territory. I can absolutely see why this album is here - it influenced a massive amount of music that came after it.
FOUR STARS
The Psychedelic Furs
4/5
I've always enjoyed how "Pretty in Pink" is really pretty in the verses and a bit grimy and ugly in the choruses where he actually sings "pretty in pink, isn't she?" Hmmm maybe that means something! -
Anyways. I was surprised at how strong the other songs were. That run from "Mr. Jones" to "All of this and nothing" is GREAT. The drummer in particular is just killing it.
I'm sure a lot of people aren't going to dig this because it sounds the way a dumpster looks, and the singer is so gravelly and British. But I dig it.
FOUR STARS
Dolly Parton
4/5
Dolly....I have to apologize. I was not familiar with your game.
Growing up in the 80s, Dolly was a bit of a joke. She had giant....tracks of land. That's all I knew about her, since my dad was a rock guy and my mom liked Christian music. I would never have listened to her still, 40 years later, if it wasn't for this project.
The title track is GREAT. "Traveling Man" is super fun. And then song after song it just keeps going, and....what is there not to like here?
Her voice is tremulous and vulnerable, but strong when it needs to be. Her songs are straightforward C&W, but they're just really nice to listen to. Am I going crazy? I really like this! What is happening.
FOUR STARS
Hawkwind
3/5
Ok this cover is amazing. I hope the music lives up to it. Never listened to Hawkwind before!
——-
Yeah. Wait. This is- this- it’s Queens of the Stone Age! It’s Kyuss! Josh Homme must be a huge Hawkwind fan because I hear their fingerprints all over his stuff.
________
EIGHT HOURS LATER
Good god. I did really enjoy this record. But - the songs are fat, and the album is fat. We could've done with a single album boiled down to the best moments of the best songs. This is just too much, man.
THREE STARS
Prince
2/5
This album took me 5 days to finish. I must be listening to a different album than yall. This thing is bloated, and boring, and completely lacking any cohesion, except Prince’s trademark horniness.
Do not want.
TWO STARS
Mj Cole
2/5
Little Richard
4/5
Ok for the record - Little Richard stole his whole act from another dude. Does that matter? Maybe. But why did LR make it big and the other dude is a footnote? Maybe it's Richard's delivery, his particular vocal mannerisms, his flamboyance. I have no idea. But whatever "it" is, Here's Little Richard has it. Good Lord.
I just can't argue with fun, energetic, exciting early rock and roll.
FOUR STARS
The Waterboys
4/5
Considering how much I loathed the Pogues album I had to listen to a couple of weeks ago, I didn't have high hopes for this. But - this is great. This is what Ryan Adams wishes he sounded like.
Also - accidentally, the first song I listened to was the bonus track, "You in the Sky" - and I was floored. Incredible. And it didn't even make the record? Really?
I had never heard of this band or this record, and I thought I knew what I was getting into when I saw that cover..... man. This was a fantastic surprise.
FOUR STARS
Emmylou Harris
4/5
This is not my genre at all, but I can recognize- this is excellent. Interesting textures and production paired up with good songs. ELH has a great, fragile, steely voice, with that classic country vibrato- but she uses it here in a way I’ve never heard before.
The layers of guitars are like a warm cozy blanket, and the drums are powerful and expressive. This is a very strong
FOUR STARS
Jimi Hendrix
5/5
Jimi is one of the best lead guitar players of all time- an incredibly gifted, expressive soloist. On top of that, most guitar players recognize him for his signature style and incredible rhythm playing. And then rock fans love him for his exciting songwriting and showmanship. The only thing lacking with Hendrix is the voice, but in an era of Bob Dylan I don’t think anyone batted an eye at Jimi.
Anyways. Mitch Mitchell is a fucking boss. His parts on this record are unhinged.
Out of context this album is still a four. Knowing how much it changed rock music - it’s gotta be a clean
FIVE STARS
The Rolling Stones
3/5
This thing just deleted my review! Damn!
Ok - so. This is totally fine. The performances are generally good - though Mick sounds painfully bashful at times, and Keith completely squanders a couple of solos here and there.
Their only original composition is pretty lame. But yeah. A bunch of British dudes cosplaying as Chicago bluesmen works better than you'd think it would.
THREE STARS
Led Zeppelin
5/5
So I'm 23 years old, cruising down the highway heading to a trade show with my boss, his wife, and our marketing consultant. They know I'm very much into music, so they ask me to put something on. I shuffle through my CD carrying case looking for something The Olds won't mind listening to and the pickings are slim.
But as luck would have it I had brought the first disc of Physical Graffiti, and that seems like a safe bet - the car is full of people who were alive when Zeppelin was ruling the airwaves (unlike myself), but then - it turns out they had never listened to them before. SHEESH.
They wanted me to explain what made them so good, and I struggled to convey how monumental these dudes were. "John Bonham is great! The greatest rock drummer!" But during that first track - he doesn't do a whole lot but carry the groove. Unlike probably 55 other Zeppelin songs. So - that doesn't convince anybody.
It's also during "Custard Pie" that the super annoying consultant guy wants me to explain what the song is about. IT'S ABOUT CHEWING A GIRL'S CUSTARD PIE, MAN, WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO SAY. Of course - the first CD's worth of music also includes a blasting rocker called "The Rover" and an 11 minute blues jam (neither of those are going to work on these people), but also one of Zeppelin's most-well known songs: "Kashmir." Surely they've heard that one before! Nope. And - they hated it. Man. If "The Rover," or "Kashmir," or "In My Time of Dying," can’t convince you that Zeppelin is one of the greatest bands of all time, I don't know what to tell you.
Anyways. We went to that trade show and took it over; the boss's wife was doing strip teases on the show floor; the consultant was turning tricks in the bathroom between sessions; and me. Well. I never came home. And everyone clapped.
FIVE STARS
Various Artists
3/5
I love that I got this for my first Xmas during this project. That’s a great touch!
I do enjoy this music- except for the absolutely ridiculous version of “Sleigh Ride,” which is the most popular song off of this album. There is something about the constant key changes that ramps up my anxiety. Yes- I know it’s supposed to amp up the excitement, but it’s just kind of overwhelming. I hate that arrangement.
But everything else is pretty good. Merry Christmas!!!
THREE STARS
Kendrick Lamar
3/5
I really enjoyed "m.a.a.d. city," and I've only heard good things about this one, so I had high hopes. But - I don't know - this one didn't float my boat. Maybe it was Kendrick's super-dopey character voices, or the vulgarity of the lyrics - I don't know. The jazz samples were great, and I liked the backing tracks for the most part.
My issue with listening to rap that's new to me is that the lyric-deciphering part of my brain has degraded over time, and it isn't something I do easily anymore. I mean - any new music with lyrics, it takes a massive amount of concentration for me to pay attention to them, so listening to rap now is a bit of a nightmare. I'll give this one another chance down the road but for right now it's only
THREE STARS
Steely Dan
2/5
Pretentious, boring, jazz wankery.
Drunk Shimoda: Steve Gadd
TWO STARS
Blur
3/5
So I generally like Britpop, and this is a seminal Britpop album- and yet- I hate significant portions of this album. I’m not sure why it took me so long to realize why- Damon Albarn is a horrible vocalist and generally speaking an insufferable twat. “Oh no! American culture is having an outsized impact on the world at large! Especially my precious England!” Jesus dude. There are no other topics around which to base your concept album?
There are still enough good songs on this record (“Parklife,” “This is a Low”) to justify a decent score but for me this is a verrrrry soft
THREE STARS
Lynyrd Skynyrd
4/5
OK - For the record. I hate Lynyrd Skynyrd as much as anyone. I've been going to bars/pubs/restaurants/puppet shows with live music for a while now, and inevitably SOMEONE will play goddamn "Sweet Home Alabama" and everyone goes nuts, and I throw up.
That being said - the A side of this one kills. Four excellent Southern rockers in a row. The B side is almost as good; I'd never heard any of these songs before (except "Free Bird" of course), and they were strong. I especially enjoyed "Poisoned Whiskey." But yeah. Those songs are great and then - "Free Bird." Which is a bit of a joke 50 years later, but in the context of the album - it's fantastic.
Overall - this is a very solid
FOUR STARS
The Young Rascals
4/5
This is a deceptive album. It feels like it should be a clear, run-of-the-mill 3 Star album. But it's such a crazy grab-bag of 60s styles - you've got some excellent blue eyed soul here ("A Girl Like You"), alongside snaky psychedelic rockers ("Find Somebody,") next to super-poppy Burt Bacharach cribs ("How Can I Be Sure?") - and then the joyful jam of the title track.
It's a perfect encapsulation of the 1960s rock/pop/soul scenes. If I only had one record to play for someone who had never heard any music from that decade, I'd probably throw on Revolver - but if that isn't available this is a great shout.
FOUR STARS
Antony and the Johnsons
2/5
Oooooo Captial "V" Vibrato. Like - it's kind of a parody of people who sing with too much vibrato. If every song is like this, I don't know how I'll make it through this.
Oh yeah - wow. Ok. I'm in a for a long night.
Content-wise, I can see why this is on the list; however, vocally, it's almost unlistenable. On top of which, the songs are overwrought, painfully self-serious, and monotonous in their despair. When ANOHNI wasn't singing, the music was quite nice. But that rarely happened, unfortunately.
Rufus makes a cameo, and see! A beautiful voice with a perfect vibrato! It can be done!
I'm not sure how to score this. I feel like ANOHNI (I hope you're reading that in the MATT DAMON from Team America voice, because that's how I'm typing it) made a very bold artistic choice at some point in her journey which is at least interesting, but for me it does not pay off. There is a reason most human people don't sing like this- listening to it for 35 minutes is horribly grating. But this album also isn't completely without merit. So it has to be-
TWO STARS
Dolly Parton
4/5
Wait. Hold on. You’re singing about hobos and your voices sound like THAT????
The harmonies and vocal performances are stunning here. Incredible stuff.
FOUR STARS
Bob Dylan
3/5
I gave this album a go earlier this year after bouncing off of it so many times…..
To me it just doesn’t compare well with Highway 61, which to me is near perfect. Maybe I just haven’t spent enough time with it……
Yeah - no - I don't think it's me. The bluesier numbers are pretty fun, as is the rather stupid "Rainy Day Women." "Just Like a Woman" is likewise dumb but tuneful. It's the seven minute "epics" that just don't hold any water for me, and this from a guy who LOVES "Desolation Row." They add to the monotony of this record, which in my very humble opinion has no business being a double album. Dylan is really leaning into his eccentric vocal delivery here, and it's extremely one-note. Sorry, man. I've tried to get into this thing and there's nothing there for me.
THREE STARS
Massive Attack
4/5
So it turns out- I really enjoy trip hop. Makes me feel like I’m in a dark murder-show set in London in the late 90s/early 2000s.
FOUR STARS
Fugazi
3/5
This is classic post-punk- sharp guitars, excellent bass lines. Guttural, brute-sounding vocals with political lyrics.
It’s cool.
THREE STARS
Talking Heads
4/5
Talking Heads are one of those sacred cow bands that I've always enjoyed in very small doses. A TH song on the radio to break things up is great. A whole album is ususally too much for me.
With Remain in Light, I found myself enjoying the afro-beat aspects quite a bit. "Once in a Lifetime" is the clear standout. But I also very much enjoyed the Joy Division-y "The Overload" quite a bit. That was a fun surprise.
Overall this is a very solid record with an incredible hit single.
FOUR STARS
The Killers
4/5
Ahhhhh The Killers! This record was absolutely critical to folks my age back in 2004. But I never gave it a chance - it was too popular, for one, and it didn't help that I thought "Somebody Told Me" was just a retread of Blur's "Girls and Boys," another song I can't stand.
But then - this record also has some of my favorite tunes from that time period - particularly "All These Things That I've Done."
A better than average rock record.
FOUR STARS
Kings of Leon
3/5
There’s something missing here and I can’t quite figure it out. This album sounds so….gray? The songs are all pretty good and memorable- so what’s the problem? The performances are all good as well. The songs aren’t boring as some have mentioned, or monotonous- they’re just- something’s missing! Somebody help me with this. It should be a four star but instead I can’t give any more than
THREE STARS
Tears For Fears
5/5
Oh boy. This one is near and dear to my heart! Back when I was a kid, I’d listen to this cassette while I mowed our lawn. I feel like this tape survived a number of Walkmen.
What strikes me listening to this album today is the immediacy and intensity of the songs- "Shout" is so insistent! There is such an energy to these songs, even the slower, more mellower ones. The happier songs balance out the dark, more serious ones. It's nearly perfect.
"Head Over Heels" has to be one of my favorite songs of all time. Stupendously good. And then to finish the job with "Listen" - which always sounds like the movie "Legend" to me..... incredible. Easily -
FIVE STARS
Fiona Apple
3/5
One thing this list has made me realize is that in my past, I’ve found albums I’ve absolutely loved but I’ve never followed up with that artist to dig into the rest of their work. Fiona Apple is a prime example- I adore “Pawn”- I think it’s one of my favorites of all time. But I’ve never heard Tidal all the way through- just the singles! What the hell am I doing?
That being said- Tidal is amazing- for the A side. After that first handful of tracks, the melodies dry up and the tempos drop and it just all kind of mushes together. I just can’t give it more than
THREE STARS
Funkadelic
5/5
Absolutely incredible. The title track is one of the best guitar solos I've ever heard. Incredibly emotional.
And then "Super Stupid" comes on - I've never made a Stank Face so hard in my life. What a riff and performance. This is a funk band? And they play rock better than 90% of the rock bands at the time. Good God. This is going in my regular rotation and is a stone cold-
FIVE STARS
Van Halen
4/5
Such a fun rock record. Yes - they are pretty corny. Especially David Lee Roth - but- that's part of the charm. And while Eddie's guitar is what makes this band so special, they'd be nothing without hooky, catchy songs.
They repeat themselves quite a bit by the time we get halfwaya through the B side. And The Brown Sound gets a bit tiring. But then they mix it up again with "Little Dreamer" and "Ice Cream Man" - so - it all works out in the end.
Overall and excellent debut and an excellent guitar rock album that completely changed that genre for good.
FOUR STARS
Bob Marley & The Wailers
3/5
Reggae is one of my least favorite genres. Incredibly boring. If anyone is going to change my mind, it's Bob. Right? Let's dive in!
----
Yup. The A side is pretty boring. "Exodus" at least reminds me of Fela Kuti, so that's nice. But the rest is just so bland, and repetitive, and meh. The B side has all the hit singles and is a marked improvement. I'll take the big hits and leave the rest.
THREE STARS
Elis Regina
4/5
Wonderful vibes. What is it about Brazilian music that just feels so cozy and intimate and warm? I love this.
FOUR STARS
MGMT
4/5
Side A: 21st Century Psychedelic Pop
Side B: 20th Century Psychedelic Pop
I really enjoyed this - it bounces, it's youthful. I'd heard the singles all many, many times, but the deep cuts were also very strong. The 2nd side being such a throwback to the 1960s was a surprise. I heard a lot of psychedelic-era Rolling Stones in there, as well as some reggae and Motown. Looking forward, looking back - it's gotta be -
FOUR STARS
The Temptations
3/5
The title track is great- and I was expecting the rest of the songs to be like it - exciting and chaotic. Instead, each track seems to be more conventional than the last, leaving the record to feel a lot like a run-of-the-mill soul album. Which is good! But not that good.
THREE STARS
T. Rex
4/5
Electric Warrior is a lot quieter and slinkier than I expected. As the progenitor of glam rock, I thought it would be quite a bit heavier, but it's actually perfect the way it is. The influence on Bowie was tremendous, and you can hear why. Marc Bolan's grooves are hypnotic, his lyrics hilariously juvenile, the guitar rock raucously sloppy. Fantastic stuff.
FOUR STARS
Common
3/5
I honestly expected this it to be R&B. I'm not sure why I thought Common was a singer and not a rapper. But. Here we are.
The backing tracks are fun, and very much of a piece. They all have that shag-carpet, "brown" feel to them. At times I found them distracting, particularly where there is a vocalist on the loop that the rapper is trying to rap over. Too many people talking.
I had to skip the last 30 seconds to a minute of many of these songs, as they just repeat the chorus endlessly. It's fine.
THREE STARS
David Bowie
4/5
This was an interesting one. I've heard about Low (and Bowie's vaunted "Berlin period") for years, but I've never been able to access these before. The A side is all angular, jangly art-rock, while the flip side is all synth-heavy instrumental tone poems. Setting up the album like this works really well - the balance is excellent, once you've grown tired of the prickly rock you can lay down in a soft bed of synths.
I get the feeling the more I listen to this one the more I'll like it.
FOUR STARS
Jeff Buckley
5/5
Micro review: Jesus. This fucking guy. Just.... Jesus.
Short review: I'm pretty sure my rating system is flawed. I've been giving out way too many fours and fives that don't measure up to this one. The vocal performance, songwriting, lyrics, and instrumental performances are all incredible. One of the greatest albums of all time.
Longer review: "Mojo Pin" is an incredible album opener- it tells you everything you need to know about the record you just started: Jeff has a tremendous voice, able to hit ridiculously high notes, yes, but also capable of moving from a scream to an angelic lilt in the span of a single phrase. Dynamics are key, and songs will not follow a traditional "quiet verse-loud chorus" structure. Lyrics will be poetic and impressionistic rather than detailed and concrete. Power and beauty will live side by side in the same song.
Every song feels like Jeff is auditioning for a different band. Hard rock, art rock, jazz standards, romantic ballads, fucking glee club. HE'S DOING IT ALL.
I know this guy's voice is not everyone's cup of tea. I get that. But compared to some of the other "acquired taste" singers I've heard on this list, Jeff smokes them all. He smokes pretty much every other male vocalist, barring maybe Marvin Gaye.
This one just floored me. What a talent.
Sidebar: The last lines of this album are
"asleep in the sand
with the ocean washing over"
THE DUDE DROWNED. Jesus God.
FIVE STARS
Funkadelic
4/5
I just had Maggot Brain a few albums ago so this is a fun comparison. This record is much weirder, and funkier, and longer- it’s chockfull of funky grooves and Hendrixian riffs. Excellent stuff.
I was surprised to find a live version of “Maggot Brain” close out the album, and even more surprised that it isn’t Eddie Hazel on the solo! Absolutely no dip in quality there, which is astounding. It can only be-
FOUR STARS
Air
4/5
I hadn't thought of this movie in years. Such a dreamy, haunting film, and a lot of that is evoked by the soundtrack. I had never noticed this before but there is quite a lot of Pink Floyd-ness going on here, which I like.
Overall, I found myself enjoying the music while simultaneously trying to remember what was happened in the film, and I have to say it very much made me want to fire up the old DVD player.
FOUR STARS
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3/5
Nick Cave doesn't mess about, does he? I really wasn't in the mood for this one; it just caught me on the wrong day. I wanted to listen to it more in depth but I just didn't have the capacity. I'll come back for this one another day but from what I heard its-
THREE STARS
Foo Fighters
4/5
Excellent 90s rock - post-Grunge? Is that a thing? There are times where Dave seems to be channeling Kurt's songwriting, and he does an incredible job. Then there are times where Dave seems to be going in a completely different direction, and hints at where he'll be going next.
The three big singles start the album off and are excellent. The rest of the album doesn't quite meet that level of quality but it never dips below "really good" for me.
FOUR STARS
The Teardrop Explodes
3/5
Wow! A lot of 2s for this set. Let's see how it goes.
Yeah - it's fun, interesting new wave. I had never heard of this band at all, or heard any of their music. I enjoyed most of these songs but nothing really stood out to me. It's pretty good.
THREE STARS
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
4/5
OMD is not at all who I thought they were. The only song I'm very familiar with from them is "If You Leave," which is fine - but did not prepare me for this. Lush, beautiful synths, paired with unique arrangements- what is not to love?
FOUR STARS
The Isley Brothers
3/5
We need to talk about why so many black artists from this list have albums that aren't available through streaming. I'm not blaming Apple or Spotify - but - this seems to happen a lot.
Anyways. It took me forever to get through this one since it was only available on YouTube. The vocals are great, the funky arrangements are great. This is a solid album all around.
THREE STARS
Marty Robbins
4/5
I came to Marty Robbins pretty late in life, but maybe that's a good thing. Younger, hipper, try-harder me would've shrugged him off as unbelievably uncool. Which he is not.
These songs are great - stories of the Old West, sung with feeling and panache. Marty has a wonderful voice. The guitar work is intriguing and beautiful. "Big Iron" and "El Paso" especially are masterpieces. This is a VERY strong
FOUR STARS
808 State
3/5
I’m not a techno guy- but- this was fun. “Cobra Bora,” “Pacific 202,” and “8080808” really stood out to me. Sometimes you just need the menu music to every Gran Turismo game and you need it NOW.
THREE STARS
Waylon Jennings
3/5
The birth of outlaw country! The songs are strong, the performances are great. While the Nashville production takes to the fore on certain songs, many others have a very stripped-down, bare-bones feel that I really enjoy. This is good stuff.
THREE STARS
The Rolling Stones
5/5
Anybody feel like watching a Scorsese movie with me?
FIVE STARS
SAULT
2/5
What a landmine of an album. There are pieces of art that if you don't like it some people consider you racist, and then at the same time there ARE people who don't like it because they're racist! So here goes.
Most of the music on this album is really good - strong grooves; fun, unexpected sounds; excellent vocal performances. But then you have the laughably bad spoken word poetry:
"Black is God. Black is excellence. Black is beautiful." This is fine from a middle schooler. But serious musicians/lyricists/artists would never write lines like this. And this isn't a single throwaway interlude track, this happens a number of times throughout the record. The nadir of this trend is the track "Black," on which we are treated to:
"Black
I'm black!"
And now we've veered into parody. There are two ways to view this - either Sault is hopelessly naive and artless, or unbearably cynical. They string together Black empowerment throw-pillow slogans and expect to be taken seriously. I find this whole approach insulting. There is zero nuance, or depth, or complexity to the theme of race. Unfortunate.
TWO STARS
Gene Clark
3/5
A true genre-bending album. Maybe it’s more accurate to call it genre-blending? Gene has made an interesting mix here of folk-rock, psychedelia, and country.
The vibe I keep feeling here is Tim Buckley. I wish he had sung on this album- Gene’s voice has a nice vulnerable quality to it but this music is ambitious and wide- ranging, and could’ve used someone with stronger pipes.
Somehow, Gene manages to combine the production and arrangement complexity of Pet Sounds with folk rock and I enjoy it. A strong album.
THREE STARS
Garbage
3/5
Wow - talk about a sound for a very specific time and place! This is one of the most mid-90s things you'll ever run into in your life.
Garbage were ahead of the curve a bit in the US, I think. In the post-grunge environment there weren't many bands mixing electronica and heavy rock. There is also quite a bit of pop, but that's undercut by Shirley Manson's dark lyrics. Speaking of which. Another reviewer referred to her as Garbage's version of Courtney Love. AS IF COURTNEY LOVE COULD TIE SHIRLEY MANSON'S THIGH HIGH DOC MARTEN'S. Give me a break.
The singles here are great, though I find "Queer" to be annoyingly repetitive. And a couple of the album tracks are nice - but - what was shocking to me is the quality of the bonus tracks (yes, even after listening to this over-long album I still gave the bonus tracks a shot). Why some, if not MOST, of these were left off in favor of whats on the album I have no idea. "#1 Crush" is excellent, as are most of the others. My frustration with this album came with hearing several different versions of "Only Happy When It Rains," instead of something new, and the b-sides provide that in spades.
I wish I could give this 4 stars, but I can only manage
THREE STARS
Manic Street Preachers
4/5
I absolutely loathed MSP's previous album, "The Holy Bible," which I found tediously dour. So I was leary of this one - but generally these songs are much less likely to make you slit your wrists, so that's a good start.
Sonically and musically, this is somewhere between "The Bends" and "Morning Glory," Brit-poppy, with more nuance than Oasis but more blaring guitars than Radiohead.
Overall I really enjoyed this.
FOUR STARS
Miles Davis
3/5
Miles Davis and jazz in general are not my favorite. This is my third Miles Davis album so far, and I have to admit this one was pretty good. The editing in the first track threw me off; I'm not sure why they chose to chop up the track the way they did, but it still works well, even if the transitions are a bit choppy at times. The beginning of the track "In a Silent Way" is beautiful; even though the guitar is out of tune! Anyways. A really strong and interesting jazz record.
THREE STARS
Pere Ubu
3/5
Post-punk is so interesting because there was this entire period of time, once punk had broken down so many musical barriers, when bands were trying to be weird just to be weird, and were trying to out-weird each other. And each band was trying to be weird in different ways. But it all comes out sounding- well- weird!
Pere Ubu is absolutely in that vein. Gimmicky and subversive. I don’t mind it though. Sufficiently weird.
THREE STARS
Joy Division
4/5
Ahhh Unknown Pleasures - this is a fun one. I've listened to this one quite a bit, but its been at least 15 years since I really sank my teeth it. Having another listen was interesting.
My main issue isn't that there are a ton of duds on this thing, it's just that they're right next to each other at the beginning of the album. "Candidate" is just so blah. There is nothing interesting happening there at all. And then the follow up is "Insight," which again, just kind of lies there. Cut those two out completely and replace them with nothing and the album gets a lot better.
There are just so few records that created their own genre, and Unknown Pleasures is one of them. It sucks you into its bleak shadowscape. No album had sounded like this before.
Also - why is Martin Hannett obsessed with putting clips off breaking glass on every recording he ever produced?
FOUR STARS
Roxy Music
3/5
So Roxy Music is one of those bands where if you listen to enough indie music, eventually someone will recommend them to you. So having heard about them for years I’ve checked out their singles but never been that impressed. This is my first time with a whole album.
It’s pretty good in that way where you know something is good but it just doesn’t hook you. Intellectually I like this but- it doesn’t get past that first layer of skin.
This is what you listen to when you LOVE 70s-era Lou Reed and Bowie and you’ve worn those albums out and want something in the same vein. “Out of the Blue” has a particularly cool solo. This is fine.
THREE STARS
Bill Callahan
4/5
"Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle" has a unique perspective delivered by a singer with a unique vocal style, backed by beautiful music. It can only be -
FOUR STARS
Leonard Cohen
4/5
LC's debut record, including some of his best songs. "Suzanne" is incredible, with poetic lyrics set against a tender guitar and a nice chord change. The other big hits off of this one are almost as good, and the deep cuts are nice. Not a bad Monday afternoon.
FOUR STARS
Tortoise
4/5
Haven't listened to this one in years. Used to have this in heavy rotation back in the early 2000s.
I actually like all of the songs on this record better than "Djed;" having been in many an aimless jam session, I recognize the signs, and "Djed" really should've been edited down a bit more. The transitions are excellent, but there is just too much fat on this for me. The rest of the record is brilliant though. "Glass Museum" and "Along the Banks of the Rivers" are both full of beautiful moments.
FOUR STARS
Slipknot
1/5
My thoughts as I'm listening:
<Seeing the cover> Wow, what a bunch of idiots! This is some real pre-teen rage nonsense, isn't it? OooooooOOoo I'm so disgusting! and Mean! Yeah, mean! Lady! I say the Eff word a lot! lol
<first track> ok a sample to start...... it definitely is trying to creep me out but it isn't working.
<first REAL song> yeah this sounds exactly as I expected. Incredibly angry, but about - what? Being white and young in the late 90s? Yowza. The guitars sound like a thousand asses all having diarrhea at the same time. The drums probably sound the best, but the snare sounds weak and thin - like a middle school band's snare.....
<track 2> ok - yeah, more of the same! Is there anything different about this track? The tempo is about the same, the production is the same, the riffs are completely illegible. Is it my headphones? Why can't I discern the riffs here? The density I'm sure is considered a strong suit for them but mostly it just sounds horrible.
<track 4> the chorus is actually a chorus which is nice. The rest of the song is more of the same.
<track 5> I actually don't mind the intro. The guitar wail is kinda cool - but then it just repeats ad nauseum and becomes incredibly annoying. Oh wait - I might've heard this before. I recognize the lyric, "I am the push that makes you move." SERIOUSLY. I'm the push that makes you move. Just - so lame. SO LAME. No wonder these dudes all wear masks, they're ashamed as hell to be singing this drivel in public.
<track 6> Oh my Christ it's just the same shit over and over. How long is this album? FIFTEEN FUCKING TRACKS Jesus God Christ. Let's skip to the end.
<track 15> Eeyore. I always loved Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh. Why have you put his name on this auditory desecration? A-holes.
Slipknot, what you've just played is some of the most insanely idiotic music I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent banging were you even close to anything that could be considered a musical idea. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.
ONE STAR
Harry Nilsson
3/5
Somehow the album cover fits the music perfectly. This music is charmingly relaxed. Some excellent songs - "Jump Into the Fire" is incredible. "Without You" is one of the first and best power ballads. The rest is very solid pop music.
THREE STARS
Beatles
4/5
Even "mid" Beatles is pretty great. I wish we didn't have quite so many covers, and that "I Want to Hold Your Hand" was here.
How did "I Want to Hold Your Hand" not make it! I know the music industry was different in the early 60s, even from what it would be 5 years later. But as a listener decades after this album was released it would be great to have that single on this one.
FOUR STARS
Willie Nelson
3/5
I love Willie, and I’ve heard this album many many times. These are all songs that every American should know, and I enjoy Willie’s style. But- the song selection is very uneven for me. A few I love, most I really don’t. Overall it’s gonna be -
THREE STARS
The Zutons
3/5
This was an interesting one. There are some moments here (especially at the beginning) that are very reminiscent of Queens of the Stone Age/Desert Sessions. But then it settles into a modern-Kinks sound. Everything here is totally fine, but the songs just don't stick. They should! There are some fun melodies here. Maybe this one needs some time. Anyways - for right now it's
THREE STARS
Depeche Mode
5/5
VIOLATORS!!!! Mount up.
Just kidding.
So, four of the nine tracks here are solid gold classics. They still hold up. My only gripe with any of them is that Dave Gahan sings "Enjoy the silence" at the very end of "Enjoy the Silence." Kind of on-the-nose.
But what about the deep cuts? "Sweetest Perfection" is an excellently seductive song about heroin, so - fantastic. "Halo" has some hilariously dated synth sounds but once the drums kick in you completely forget. "Waiting for the Night" is an incredible cut. Really glad I found this song. "Blue Dress" is so dark and slinky - very on-brand. And then the heavy, suffocating drums on "Clean" are an amazing way to end the record..
I was debating whether to go all the way with this one but I can't help it -
FIVE STARS
Black Sabbath
4/5
Having listened to "Paranoid" so many times, this debut feels like a dress rehearsal for that record. It's hard to hear it with fresh ears, but it completely holds up. The riffs are excellent, though I will say that by the time you get to the final track you feel like they're repeating themselves a bit. And as usual I find the guitar soloing in some sections to be a bit tedious.
Even so, no one was making music like this in 1969/70- even their heavy metal predecessors like Zeppelin and Blue Cheer didn't sound anything like this. Excellent.
FOUR STARS
The Rolling Stones
4/5
Another uneven Stones album - however - going into this I had no idea so many of the tracks (at least half?) are acoustic, country-style blues. That was a fun surprise.
Since my dad is a boomer and I haven't been living in a cave for the last 60 years I must've heard "Sympathy for the Devil" about a million times. And I don't love it. I made sure to pay attention this time, and at the two minute mark the background vocalists start with the "Woo! Woo!" malarkey, and they don't stop for the next FOUR MINUTES. Good God. That song is also so ubiquitous. Every Vietnam-era movie, tv show, and video game thinks it needs to insert "Sympathy" somewhere or the audience won't know we're in the late 60s.
Anyways. The rest of the album is good - especially "Stray Cat Strut" and "Jigsaw Puzzle." I don't think it quite reaches the heights of "Sticky Fingers" or "Exile" but it's still an excellent peak-era Stones record.
One other note here - the sound is incredible. Super punchy and crystal clear. I'm not sure who deserves the credit for that, but it sounded wonderful all the way through.
FOUR STARS
Tom Waits
4/5
Ok - “I don’t wanna grow up” just made me cry. And I don’t mean it made me tear up a little bit I mean, full on bawling. Maybe I was having a bad day (I was), or maybe it just hit me funny, but - goddamnit Tom Waits. You absolutely got me right in the heart. So I wept.
That and “a little rain” are just devastating. Wasn’t expecting that.
“Going out west” also totally rules. And “in the colosseum.” Ok- most of this album is great. It’s also very primitive, and challenging, and dissonant- but it really works with these songs.
FOUR STARS
De La Soul
4/5
I really like the vibe of this record. It's fun, and fresh, and bright. I even enjoy all the skits and throwaway tracks. My only real issue is the length. Like so many CD-era albums it's just too long, probably 20 minutes could've been cut. Save it for the next record, my dudes.
FOUR STARS
Led Zeppelin
5/5
This was my first Zeppelin album. For some reason, when I was 16 years old I got it into my head that I needed to listen to Zeppelin. My dad had missed them completely back in the 70s which means I had missed them when he was raising me, choosing instead to bring me up on The Beatles, Bob Dylan, and Billy Joel. I asked a friend who was into classic rock where to start and he said once you listen to Four you'll go back and listen to the rest, and he was right. I became a Zeppelin fiend.
I was driving around another friend of mine (yes, I had two whole friends in high school) and he was flipping through my bag of cassette tapes. "Which one is this?" Zeppelin. "Which one is this?" Zeppelin. "And this one?"......Zeppelin. "DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING THAT ISN'T LED ZEPPELIN IN THIS CAR" ......../......Zeppelin.
But yeah - this album is perfect, no skips. People hate on "Four Sticks" a bit, but I like it. The flow is perfect - two rockers, followed up by an acoustic folk tune, followed up by a huge rock "ballad," more rockers, a beautiful acoustic song, and then you get arguably the best closer in rock music. It's the most overused drum sample in history for a reason. Good God.
Inject it into my veins, hang it in the Louvre, etc. etc.
FIVE STARS
Kate Bush
4/5
I really enjoy this record - it's dream-like, and soft, and yet powerful. I think I might like this even better than "Hounds of Love."
FOUR STARS
The White Stripes
3/5
Jack White can write a song. The trouble with this record is that half the songs are just “Dead leaves and the dirty ground” but slightly worse. The other half are all over the place, in a good way. I had no idea that they wrote “we are going to be friends!” I was sure that was from the 70s.
Anyways. As with so many of the 90s/2000s records it’s way too long. I think boiling this down to the best 10 songs would’ve improved it immensely.
THREE STARS
The Style Council
3/5
Ok. Funny story.
I listened to the first 8 tracks of this record and wrote the review below. I wanted to finish it up before I got my next album, so I pulled up my phone, forgetting which track I was on. For some reason I wanted to check wikipedia instead of Apple Music, and I'm glad I did. Because none of the tracks in the Wiki matched up with what I had heard.
The dangers of listening to the Special Edition! For some reason, the makers of the special edition made the first disc NOT the original LP, but instead the mini-LP titled "Introducing.....The Style Council." So I was listening to the wrong album the whole day.
The mini-LP sounds like straight ahead synth pop to me. So imagine my surprise when I fired up disc 2 of the SE, the correct album for this project, and found that musically it is completely unrelated to disc 1! The first side of the REAL Cafe Bleu is light jazz. Then I got even more confused when the second side starts off with a terrible proto-rap song, and then spins off into all sorts of different directions before finally settling back on jazz-pop for the finale. PHEW.
For all it's ambition, I have to say this album's eclectic nature is its downfall. What kind of record do I want to put on? Cafe Bleu will never be the answer to that question because it's too many genres all at once.
Anyways. I'm not going to delete my review for, apparently, "Introducing...." because I like it and it's still valid even if its for the wrong album.
THREE STARS
###
The guy who wrote this book never met an English synth-pop band he didn't like. I think every single English synth-pop record will be on this list, quality be damned.
Not that this is a bad record. But - Jesus. I'm guessing the author of "1001 Records to Hear Before You Die" is English (obviously) and had some kind of musical Awakening in the early to mid 1980s, which means he was probably born between 1960-68. He's white. Ok now I feel like I'm profiling a serial killer.
But seriously. I think he pulled some obvious "best albums ever" from his own brain, then he grabbed every Album of the Year Grammy winner, as well as every Mercury Prize winner, and then he stumbled on a "Catalog of Synth Pop/New Wave" and just threw in the lot. And that's how we got this book.
Which is fine, because I quite like that genre. But even for me it's getting a little tedious.
Jungle Brothers
3/5
HAHAHAHAHAHAH THIS ALBUM COVER..... GAHHHH HAHAHAHA man the music had better be good. Did they commission someone's 5 year old? Or one of the band member's ex-wives or something? Good God that's atrocious.
-
Thankfully yes, the music is pretty good. Like every CD-era album, it's about 20 minutes too long. But there are some absolute bangers here, particularly "What U Waitin' 4," and you can hear the influence this had on other hip hop groups at the time.
The most remarkable thing for me is that they somehow get the tone just right. The Jungle Brothers are very Afro-centric, but they aren't preachy, they're fun. It's a very positive approach that never loses its sense of humor, which feels rare. I'd say 4 stars but for the length and the cover. Lol
THREE STARS
Boston
4/5
This is one of those classic albums I've never heard but I have. There are only 8 tracks on this album, but I've heard seven of them regularly on classic rock radio since I could ride in a car. I know every single song except the last.
And there's a reason for that - these are great rock-pop songs! The guitar is the star here, but what's really selling this for me is Brad Delp, the singer. His vocals are absolutely stunning. What range and tone this guy has!
If there's a criticism I have it's that the signature guitar tone gets a bit tiring after a while. But that's about it.
A wonderful debut album with a great story and great tunes.
FOUR STARS
Echo And The Bunnymen
3/5
I really like this band's music - but this feels half baked. Maybe I'm unfairly comparing this to their heyday, but - it just came across as a band figuring themselves out. The tunes just don't hold up for me, I'm sorry.
THREE STARS
Sonic Youth
4/5
Sonic Youth! This is why I'm doing this challenge. Sonic Youth is one of those bands that I've known about for years, but literally no one I've ever met has been a fan. So it seemed like music I'd get around to eventually, and I never did. Until now!
I was leary of this, because I know they're considered very avant-garde and noisy and dissonant. But I was pleasantly surprised by the first track - yes, it's noisy and dissonant, but it's incredibly musical. And I think that holds for the rest of the songs on Sister as well. They can be tough to listen to - but they have their own beauty that I find compelling. I liked this a LOT more than I thought I would.
FOUR STARS
Amy Winehouse
2/5
Amy Winehouse..... I remember her mostly for her torrid private life and early death. I vaguely remember "Rehab" but that song is not on this album. Let's give it a go.
-
"Stronger Than Me," is....... an interesting take. Musically I quite like it - but the lyrics are problematic 23 years later. Hey fellas - is it gay to ask your girlfriend her opinion on something that directly affects her? What about checking in? Is that pretty gay? Who is this girl.
I like that Amy has a unique perspective in all of her songs, but I don't necessarily like that perspective. Her thoughts are all over the place, and she clearly has issues with dudes. Which makes good drama.
Overall the style is jazz blended with modern R&B. Which is fun to listen to for the most part. "In My Bed" is great - I love the backing track.
But it's just not hitting with me. She lays herself bare on this record, which is great, except - I don't like her. I don't want to go on this journey with her. Sorry, Amy, it's
TWO STARS
Kings of Leon
4/5
This was in heavy rotation for me back when it came out. "Joe's Head," "Molly's Chambers," and "Trani" were highlights back then. Let's see if this still holds up.
-
Yes. My younger self was correct - this is a good record. The rockers are fun and dynamic. The lead singer's muppet voice is a nice change of pace, and is just goofy enough to be exciting. I love the way he goes hoarse on "Trani," and snarly on "Joe's Head." The album is just the right length, but by the end of the final song the Southern-fried licks are wearing a little thin.
The title is so appropriate. There's a youthful energy and cockiness here that I find endearing. I'd also like to add "California Waitin'" to the list of favorites. That song rules.
FOUR STARS
Amy Winehouse
3/5
Noooooo hahahahah dude I just had "Frank" two albums ago. That's two Amy Winehouse records in my last three albums. And I didn't love that one.
This album is better, and also, worse. I like the better production. On "Frank," Amy's voice could be excessively reedy and penetrating, and that's toned WAY down for this record. Her voice overall just sounds better.
"Back to Black" (the song) is fantastic. It gave me chills. In fact, most of the A-side is top-notch. Out of 6 tracks, 4 are excellent. And could also have been theme songs for James Bond films.
But by the b-side, the cribbing from 60s doo-wop and girl groups is just too much to bear. I mean - sampling "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" wholesale for "Tears Dry On Their Own," is just lazy. It's so on the nose! We get that you're trying to bring that Phil Spector sound back from the dead, and that's cool and all - but if I wanted to listen to Marvin Gaye, I would do that. His music is still available.
And then - every other song on the album has the exact same production and approach. Everything blurs together. So on one hand the production is great, and on the other, they ran out of ideas. It really gets boring.
All I can manage for this one is a tepid -
THREE STARS
Judas Priest
3/5
I was glad to get a metal album after what seems like forever. This one is good. Thrash is a fun genre - fast and aggresive without being overbearing. Some songs are actually in major keys! And you can sing along to them!
It's funny because I know at the time this was considered relatively fringe music, but listening to it now it just sounds like hard rock to me. Not a complaint!
Solid record.
THREE STARS
Siouxsie And The Banshees
4/5
Ok this was a surprise. My only real exposure to Siouxsie is the "Marie Antoinette" soundtrack, and hearing "Peekaboo" on the radio a few times.
This was great fun. It's exciting and invigorating unlike many post-punk albums I know of. Three things really stand out for me.
* Siouxsie isn't much of a singer and isn't great at writing melodies BUT she has a unique voice and approach, and is an incredible frontwoman.
* The drumming is exceptional. I loved the drum parts on this record and thought his execution was fantastic.
* The guitar player is out of this world. He sounds absolutely modern to me, not someone from 45 years ago. The entire A side is a showcase for this guy, with "Monitor" especially blowing me away. Wow.
Like many of the records from this time, the band seemed to run out of ideas by the end, but overall this was a dynamic record full of great songs and stellar performances. A very strong
FOUR STARS
Dusty Springfield
3/5
Ok for the record, I enjoyed just about everything about "A Girl Called Dusty" back when I had it 100 albums ago, except for the songs. The production, Dusty's voice, were all great - but the songs were just terrible. I was hoping this album would correct that.
And it does for the most part. These songs are much better, but I also found myself tuning them out. Nothing stuck with me. So is that better than an album full of songs that annoy the hell out of me? I don't know. All I know is - I thought I really liked blue-eyed soul and unfortunately, I do not.
An extra star for the drum part in the chorus of "Son of a Preaacher Man." That kills. So it's gotta be -
THREE STARS
Sly & The Family Stone
5/5
Fucking Sly! "There's a Riot Going On" is one of my favorite albums but I've never listened to Sly's other music in any depth. I've noticed this has happened to me a lot in my past life. I'll find an album by an artist and I'll love it but I won't bother looking into the rest of their discography for some reason. Sly is one of those for me.
-
Ok. So I know we all have different tastes. Sometimes very, very different tastes. But I can't help but feel that if "I Wanna Take You Higher" doesn't inspire you in some way, to dance, to bob your head, to make music of your own - I feel like you're missing out on something fundamental, something that makes humans awesome.
I'm sorry. I was going to give this album a 4 but after listening to "Higher," "Sing a Simple Song," and "Everyday People," again - it can only be
FIVE STARS
David Bowie
3/5
This was fine. I liked the first and last tracks the best, probably. It was interesting, but there was a lot I didn't love. Several of the songs felt like the music and vocals were disconnected; these floaty vocals over very tight modern art-rock.
On the final track, "I Can't Give Everything Away," I can feel that there's a good song underneath the dated-sounding production. I would say it's the only song where the production lets things down.
THREE STARS
Gillian Welch
4/5
Fantastic! Modern indie-folk is my wife's favorite genre, and I only really got into it once we started dating. Gillian Welch can be very traditional, but she can also do things like "Revelator" and "April the 14th Part 1" that feel very modern, even 25 years later.
FOUR STARS
Sam Cooke
3/5
Sam is totally killing it here. He's an amazing singer and his performance here is top-notch. The crowd loves him. And as loud as this set is, it feels intimate and personal - I feel like I'm there, in a tiny room, sweating through my button-down, dancing the night away.
My issue with this record is one that I have with a number of live albums from the 60s and 70s. *Somebody is out of tune.* It could be the bass, or the guitar, but it's someone whose job is holding the chords together and when they are off from the other instruments and/or themselves, it drives me nuts, and I can't hear anything else.
The other thing that gets me is that the set blends together after awhile. I like soul and r&B, but these songs all have a similar key, tempo, minimal dynamic range, and the same changes.
The vocal performance, the showmanship, the energy, the raw quality of the recording is all excellent. But those two issues really hold it back for me.
THREE STARS
Fleetwood Mac
4/5
Ahhhh Tusk. This has an incredibly high reputation in certain circles as the "weird" Fleetwood Mac album. Let's give it a go.
-
Ok. This album was considered very strange at the time of its release - contemporary critics harped on the experimentation and unorthodox recording methods. But I'll be honest - it just sounds like prime Fleetwood Mac to me. Not that I'm complaining - I really enjoy these songs. But when digging into the background on this album, people (including Lindsay Buckingham) kept throwing around the words "punk," and "post punk," and I just don't hear it.
That being said, this set of songs is really strong, and while the individual moments of brilliance don't live up to those found on "Rumours," it works just as well as a whole piece. Which is saying something, as there are twice as many songs here.
I really enjoyed this and will be firing it up more often.
FOUR STARS
Van Morrison
4/5
The best albums, whether I like them very much or not, have a very specific sound. There is no confusing who made them, or when - when you hear a song from them you know instantly where it comes from. "Moondance" is one of those - There just isn't another record that sounds like this. It's so..... wood-y? Maybe I'm insane. This album just sounds like a log cabin in the woods. All organic and natural and chill and dark and cozy.
Van Morrison has somehow combined soul, rock, folk, and jazz, until it becomes something else - not just a weird hybrid, but something new, and it's lovely.
Many years ago, I went to see A Swell Season play in Boston just after "Once" had come out, and they covered "Into the Mystic" - and it was amazing. Always makes me nostalgic. Anyways. This is a very solid -
FOUR STARS
The Byrds
3/5
This is fine. I think I would like it a lot more if it leaned into some of its influences even more. As it stands its sort of like luke warm water.
THREE STARS
Suicide
2/5
I listened to every minute of this record, and I spent most of it thinking of alternative titles for it. Distorted Tambourine? White Noise Egg Shaker? Fuzzy Fuzzy Eighth Notes? Because that's mostly what I heard. Super distorted eighth notes that only stop because the next song is coming on, and guess what - it also has super distorted eighth notes, played from some kind of drum machine, on a loop.
There is one song where the super distorted eighth notes disappear from a few seconds, but then - guess what? They come right back! It felt like a blessed relief to not have to listen to those damned things for a while.
Anyways. "Cheree" is a standout, as it has the most melody and harmony amongst these songs. And it clearly laid the ground work for Jesus and Mary Chain. But most songs are not like that. And good God - Frankie Teardrop. Hahahhah wow. That's.....that's a song, alright! I suppose!
I didn't hate it, but I also didn't really enjoy it at all. It's a well-deserved
TWO STARS
Pixies
4/5
YOUR BONE'S GOT A LITTLE MACHINE
I'VE GOT! SOMETHING AGAINST YOU!
Hearing this album again takes me back to being 16, riding around in my best friend's green 1995 Saturn SL, cranking Surfer Rosa, singing along with all the absurd lyrics as loudly as we could...... I'll always love this record. Always.
This album feels like the bridge between punk and grunge. It has all of that punk energy with the melodies and dynamics of really great pop music. And it's so silly at times..... and so dark! I don't think it's perfect - the last four songs don't really do much for me at all. But if "Where Is My Mind?" isn't one of the great songs of the 20th century I don't know what is.
FOUR STARS
ZZ Top
3/5
One of my recent albums made me think a lot about musical hybrids - true hybrids, where the combination of styles makes something new, as opposed to music that is a hodgepodge. "Eliminator" is definitely the latter - by combining gnarly blues-rock with new wave, ZZ Top made something aggressive, slick, and truly new. You can hear its robotic, penetrating style in bands like Queens of the Stone Age, 20 years later.
All that being said - the singles are great, and all you really need from this one. Therefore it is a solid -
THREE STARS
LCD Soundsystem
3/5
"american dream" is a classic "......but the portions are so big!" album for me. Listening to this record is like going to a restaurant and they bring you something truly delicious but it can feed like 8 people and you try to finish it off but you just can't. And in the end you leave feeling bloated and completely unsatisfied.
I like a lot of the music here. It's great. But they all seem to follow the same formula, have the same drum track, and last five minutes too long. It's fine.
THREE STARS
Paul Revere & The Raiders
3/5
Ok I think this is one of those albums where I check the reviews and people are like "Why is this album even here!??!" But I'd like to make a case for it - I can easily see this being someone's favorite album they've never heard until now. If you like early Stones records, you'll probably love this, and if you keep an open mind you might enjoy it more. It's punchy, and tight, and "Kicks" and "Steppin' Stone" are killer singles.
I'll put this one on again, for sure.
THREE STARS
Air
3/5
Such a vibe, such great sounds.... and the songs are generally pretty good. I like it. This album feels like it deserves more than a three but less than a four - I wish we had a ten star rating system, or half points, or something. I feel like 3 stars just doesn't cut it but - here we are -
THREE STARS