OVERALL THOUGHTS - A little cheesy or saccharine at times when trying to sound sincere, the production does feel dated at times but overall an enjoyable listen with inventive chord progressions and some good stylistic variety. Excellent songwriting at times, though the quality does seem to drop off towards the end. Freedom is the obvious highlight, Praying For Time, Cowboys and Angels and Waiting for That Day are also standouts. The last 4 tracks are very forgettable.
3/5
Classic pop-punk album, catchy songs, good lyrics, pretty consistent and doesn't overstay its welcome. Police & Theives, Janie Jones, White Riot are highlights, the rest is still good. Easy 4/5.
Classic after classic after classic.
Thunder Road, Backstreets, Born to Run and Jungleland are some of the best songs of the 70s.
5
Dripping with atmosphere and great songwriting. Wonderful stories in all songs, very enjoyable .
Similar issues to other Rolling Stones albums, some brilliant songs (Under My Thumb, Out Of Time, Mother's Little Helper) but plenty of rather forgettable stuff (Stupid Girl, It's Not Easy). Going Home is about 6 minutes too long as well.
Not a bad listen but when you consider what The Beach Boys and The Beatles were doing that years, they seem behind.
Essentially a Thin Lizzy Greatest Hits (minus Whiskey In The Jar) played live to a very high standard. Great mix and performances, though none of the songs become definitive versions or transcend the originals. Good fun, well worth a listen.
Aside from the classics (Their Law, Poison, Voodoo People, No Good) there's plenty of good stuff here. Break & Enter, Full Throttle, Speedway, The Heat, all good tunes. Maybe dies off a little bit after No Good and some of the songs do go on for slightly too long, but excellent overall.
Shapes of Things is an excellent opener, quality drumming and solid riffs, Rod Stewart's voice sounds great. Beck's playing is obviously fantastic, bluesy but far more creative with his phrasing and melodies than most standard bluesy players. Some beautiful acoustic playing. Beck's Bolero is a magical piece of music.
It did sort of merge in to one on first listen though, will give 3/5 for now, could grow in future.
Pleasant surprise given I generally don't like Coldplay. Don't Panic and Shiver is a good start to the album. Massive OK Computer and Grace influence, though it's not up to the standard of those albums. Yellow is a bit ruined through overplaying for me, Trouble is nice. The non-singles are genrally decent if unremarkable. Album overall has a nice laid back vibe.
Kids and Time to Pretend are classics I've heard many times before, Electric Feel is another good single, Of Moons, Birds & Monsters was the stand out of the album tracks. Creative, immaculately produced, good vibes, I like it.
Started off well, the opening track is brilliant, but the album is otherwise far too long with too few highlights. Could have been cut down by 20 minutes at least, the songwriting isn't strong enough to keep your attention
Absolutely pristine recording, especially for 1962. The band is in top form, tight as hell. Brown's voice is impeccable, easy to see why he's such an icon. The setlist itself could be a little better and, mainly longer, it feels like it's over just as it begins. I'd also love to see live footage, given the amount of screams you hear through the album. Would definitely listen again, a master at work.
Incredible, beautiful and serene music. Immediately creates a chilled atmosphere and builds on it, some of the best musicians of the 20th century.
Perfect close your eyes and listen album
Double Nickels on the Dime is 45 songs across 79 minutes and its fucking sick all the way through. Genuinely astonishing record, the aggression and fast pace (mostly) of hardcore punk, infused with jazz, funk, country and sometimes just plain weirdness. Somehow managed to be extremely diverse in style whilst having a cohesive sound all the way through. The musicianship is brilliant, all three members are clearly fantastic players but Mike Watt in particular deserves praise, if you're a bass player you need to hear this album.
I'd not listened to this album for a while and thought I was gonna give it a 4, but fuck it it's a 5. Just a fucking incredible album and fully deserving of its reputation.
It was decent and pleasant enough. Loretta Lynn has a great voice, the soungs are well written enough and the instrumentals are nice. The steel guitar in particular. Nothing really fully grabbed me though.
Old favourite of mine, every song is a cracker. Like A Rolling Stone, Ballad of a Thin Man and Desolation Row are up there with the best songs ever written. Easy 5
Not quite as good as Highway 61 Revisited but still a great album. Has some of Dylan's most well known songs like Mr Tambourine Man, Subterranean Homesick Blues and Maggie's farm. Bob Dylan's 115th Dream and It's Alright Ma (I'm Only Bleeding) are other highlights. I don't think the other tracks are quite up to the standard of Highway 61, but it's still a great album overall.
This album is so difficult to describe. It's completely unique, it's absolutely fucking mental. When you first hear it, it just sounds like directionless noise, a band where all members are playing different songs at the same time. When I first heard it I thought it was hilarious, the lyrics are out there as fuck and the vocals are wild. I still think it's hilarious but after hearing it multiple times you can actually begin to decipher grooves and melodies, as abstract as they are.
When you realise that every note of this was actually written down and relentlessly rehearsed, it makes you realise the musicians are actually insanely fucking tight.
The story of its recording is also fucking mental. The music was composed by Beefheart, who can't actually play an instrument and has no musical training. He would play a melody on piano and the band would transcribe it and turned it into a proper score. Beefheart then basically kept the band under house arrest and forced them to rehearse and record, facing endless abuse.
The hits are the obvious highlights. Some other good stuff and overall it's a pleasant listen, but feels more like something to have on whilst you're doing something else, rather than something you'd actively sit and listen to.
Disc 1 is Bob Dylan solo, performing plenty if classics. Good performances but nothing to significantly elevate the songs.
Disc 2 is where it's at, members of The Band join on stage and they're fucking sick. The anti electric Dylan people were troglodytes.
If you're having a doob with a mate, this is great, chilled out background music. In almost any other context though, it's way too one note, not something I'd ever just choose to listen to.
Can't complain though, that's obviously what the album was made for, does it's job perfectly.
The OG goths! Surprising mix of influences here, funk, disco, punk and surprisingly upbeat and fun at times for the kings of the goth style. The Passion Of Lovers is probably the highlight, but this is a solid album full stop, will find itself in my rotation.
Hadn't listened for years, used to really like the album so was curious how it held up.
Yeah it's still great, Intervention, My Body Is A Cage and Black Mirror are highlights. It is a step down from Funeral but that's one of the very best albums of the decade so no shame there.
Excellent debut for Morrissey, well written indie pop. The two big singles Suedehead and Everyday Is Like a Sunday are nailed on classics. Late Night, Maudlin Street, Alatian Cousin and I Don't Mind If You Forget Me are also fantastic. Bengali in Platforms has some potentially questionable lyrics, shame as the music is very pretty.
Interesting album. The musicianship is top notch and the music is mostly a blend of punk, funk and a bit of jazz.
The songs are well written and the basslines in particular stand out. Perfectly capture a sleazy, fun loving vibe. Enjoyable stuff.
Their rawest and most abrasive album. First half is full of classics, Where Is My Mind is the peak of their career.
Second half can't quite match up but it's still very good.
The ArchAndroid is absolutely incredible. I've no idea how this passed me by as it's one of the most acclaimed albums of the last decade, but the first listen was a bit of a revelation. The variety (rooted in soul but has full on classical, psychedelia, proggy shit, the lot), the instrumental and vocal performances, the song writing, the structure of the album is all top rate. Was honestly tempted give it a 5 but I think I need to listen to it some more first. Would definitely be getting a 9.
One of the 6 Sabbath classics, loaded with the sickest and darkest riffs imagineable and shows the band taking a more progressive approach. Wheels Of Confusion, Supernaut and Snowblind are among their very best, Changes is beautiful, Cornucopia has one of the heaviest riffs ever made, just a brilliant, brilliant album.
The big, strange brother of In A Silent Way. Keeps the same focus on atmosphere but adds a great dose of the avantgarde. Serious grooves and soundscapes, incredible playing from all involved. Does overstay its welcome slightly though. Pharoah's Dance, Spanish Key and Bitches Brew are masterpieces. Would get a 9 if I could.
Easy to see why this was so influential, all the singles are bangers and the album tracks are no slouches. Wonderful instrumental interplay and endless hooks.
If you only know Chicago from "If You Leave Me Now" you'll be in for a surprise. Straight from the first track, this album is loaded with original musical ideas, impeccable musicianship (seriously some of the very best of the era) and serious grooves. Terry Kath was one of Hendrix's favourite guitarists and it's easy to see why. Only real negative is Free Form Guitar. Basically 6 minutes of guitar amp feedback just dumped in the middle of the album. Otherwise the highlights are Introduction, Poem 58 and their cover of I'm A Man. I'll give it a 4, though I do think it's possibly an album you appreciate more if you play an instrument.
I Should Coco is a banger. The Cardiacs influence is huge, especially on the earlier songs. Boundless energy, unexpected musical turns and hooks galore. Alright is the massive hit and deservedly so, but Lenny, Mansize Rooster, I'd Like To Know, Caught By The Fuzz, Strange Ones and She's So Loose could all have been massive hits. Another that would get a 9 if allowed, it'll have to be a 4.
We need half stars, this is another 9! Beautiful, chilled downtempo. Puts me in a good, relaxed mood every time.
La Femme D'argent is an incredible piece of music to kick things off, Sexy Boy and All I Need keep the high standard going. Does drop off slightly towards the end but not by much. Lovely album and a must listen.
Circle Jerks is classic hardcore punk. Only one song hits the 90 second mark and many are under 1 minute. All songs are very fast and very agressive.
Doesn't do anything unique really but has some good songs like World Up My Ass, Live Fast Die Young and Back Against The Wall. Will be of interest if you're in to hardcore punk but will be unlikely to bring any new fans. 3/5 (would he 7)
The sound of the world crashing down around you whilst Lou Reed sings "too busy sucking on the ding dong" is peak
I dunno, maybe this just isn't for me. I can imagine this being ok in the right setting but for just sitting and listening to it did nothing for me at all.
It's reputation as a classic is well deserved. Aside from his virtuosic vocals, the song writing is top tier. The chord progressions are interesting, the use of dynamics is fantastic, this isn't your standard singer songwriter stuff. He's also a fantastic guitarist. Easy 5
An archetype of a 7 out of ten. Imagine and Jealous Man are your classics, the rest of the album isn't bad but not up to the standard of these. Nice string arrangements and solid songwriting as you'd expect from an ex-Beatle, but nothing incredible.
Has some crackers on, obvious ones being Whole Lotta Love, Ramble On and most of Heartbreaker (guitar break is shite), there is plenty of waste like Living Loving Maid, Moby Dick and Bring It On Home. The Lemon Song has some incredible bass playing but Plant's performance is obnoxious as shit, which is a bit of a theme of the album really.
I do think I'll go 4 because the good stuff is very, very good and the musicianship is generally excellent.
Never been huge on the Happy Mondays. This isn't bad by any stretch, infact there are some great individual parts and the singles are solid, but it's just not my bag. Half way through you forget you're listening to a rock band and it's like you're in a dance club, which obviously is the aim. If you like old school dance you'll probably love this.
Some quality beats and funny lines, but I don't feel the quality is consistent through out the album which is a fair downside when the album is well over an hour long. I don't find the skits enjoyable either. When it's good though, the beats are fantastic to listen to, the production is great and Kanye's flow is fantastic.
Great energy, plenty of good riffs, Karen O's vocals are great throughout, calms down as it goes on but the quality doesn't decline. Solid 4, may add to the rotation
A massive step up from their previous albums in terms of songwriting, introducing new elements, instruments and structures.
Several classics like the title track, Can't Buy Me Love, I Should Have Know Better, If I Fell. Yeah, this is the best of their pre-Help albums.
Love Is A Strange and Sweet Dreams are great, the rest is pretty average and forgettable synth pop. Worth a listen if you're massive in to early 80s pop music.
Surprised by this, for some reason I thought it'd be a rap album. Interesting album with a mix of genres, blending jazz, country, mariachi and indie rock. Some very nice instrumentals. Black Heart is a wonderful song in particular. Very pleasant surprise and will be on my rotation
Would be a 9 if allowed! Heroes is one of the greatest songs ever written, especially the 6 minute album version which allows the tension to build and build. The rest of the album is some of the most experimental in Bowie's discography, heavily influenced by Kraftwerk, krautrock and avant-garde jazz. Beauty and The Beast, V2-Schniederand sons of the Silent Age are wonderful tracks. Gets very out there towards the end with the experimental and dark Moss Garden and Neukoln.
Not bad, some good grooves and basslines. Does manage to evoke an atmosphere similar to the album cover. Not a big fan of the vocal samples though and the album does drag after a bit. Can't see this being something I'd sit and listen to regularly and it seems like background music, but certainly not bad.
It's a lovely album. Excellent lyrically and musically. Mostly folk influenced rock with a little bit of orchestration here and there. Bridge Over Troubled Water and The Boxer are the major classics and both are well worth their reputation. Garfunkel puts a virtuoso performance on the former whilst the storytelling and guitar work on the latter is fantastic.
The other tracks don't quite reach these heights but they're still very good and worth a listen if you are in to classic pop or folk.
Country twinged pop music with a slightly dreamy atmosphere.
Nothing bad here at all, but it's fairly forgettable. Kacey's voice is nice and some of the instrumentals are good but it's laegely by the numbers songwriting
Quite a departure from her previous albums, focusing largely on arranging voices in to songs rather than traditional instrumentation. Some cracking songs, Pleasure Is All Mine, Where Is the Line, Who Is It, Oceania, Mouths Cradle. But the intermissions and Ancestors do bring it down a bit for me and ruin the flow of the album. Would be a 7.
A massive change in sound from Portishead, from their chilled, melanchonic trip-hop in the 90s to this, a dark, weird, experimental masterpiece. Probably not one to listen to if you like your music upbeat, but this is absolutely dripping with atmosphere and a sense of dread. Diverse songs, from the folktronica of The Trip to the heavy industrial drumming of Machine Gun, to the distorted pulsing bass of We Carry On. Love everthing here, easy 5!
Very good album. A talented songwriter at the height of her powers. Opens strongly and continues from there. Maybe lacking the highest of highs to get it to a 5, but well worth a go for anyone who likes indie/folk rock with an artsy twist. 9/10
Lovely album, like a warm hug with impeccable musicianship. Upbeat and a joy to listen to. Consistently good all the way through, That Lady and Summer Breeze are absolute classics. Added to rotation.
Wasn't too sure what to expect with this. Ended up being a folky, piano heavy pop album with a few synths thrown in.
Opened very strongly with the first four tracks all being excellent, then went on to a bit of a dip until Jesus Hates Faggots, which picks it right back up. Really enjoyable album with some interesting ideas, lyrics, chord progressions and arrangements. Will listen again.
Has some classics on, Alison is one of the best songs of Costello's career. Welcome To The Working Week is a banger. Watching The Detectives is great. Most of the other songs are decent enough, but he would get much stronger in the coming years with the attractions. Still a good album and worth listening to. 7/10
The title track is enormous fun, an unbelievably over the top 9 minute epic with motorbike guitars and more cheese than Cathedral City, but it works, extremely well. Paradise By The Dashboard light is similar, OTT fun.
The rest is very meh, schmaltzy ballads which bring the rest of the album down.
Beautiful Day is a decent song, but the rest is a boring slog. Don't really have anything else to say.
I love this album. Perfect blend of indie pop and dance music with dry, sarcastic lyrics. Get Innocuous, All My Friends, Us vs Them and Someone Great are all masterpieces, the zenith of the genre. Masterful build ups and releases. North American Scum and Time to Get Away are great, shorter tunes and New York I Love You, But You're Bringing Me Down is a surprisingly beautiful and melanchonic closer, a real change in tone that works absolutely perfectly.
The only real downside is the two tune run of the title track and Watch The Tapes. The title track is just repetitive and dull, not helped by being over 7 minutes long, easily the lowlight of the album and the only song I consider skipping. Watch The Tapes is decent, but just a bit meh in comparison to the earlier short songs. Shortest song on the album though.
Would be a 9/10, gotta give it a 4.
Madonna goes downtempo. A great collection of artsy, chilled out pop music. Get some nostalgia from this as well as it was huge when I was a kid and my parents used to have it on regularly. Frozen and Ray of Light are wonderful pop songs. Madonna's best era.
Had quite a few albums like this where they are pleasurable to listen to, but they don't stick in your head or offer anything deeper.
Good background music, the second track was instantly recognizable from an advert I think... Wouldn't be in a rush to listen again.
I like The Warning by Hot Chip, not love it but it's an enjoyable listen and Over & Over is a great tune. Hadn't heard anything from this, it's decent enough synthpop with some good hooks, but it doesn't really do anything special or do anything to stand out. Flutes is a great song and the highlight of the album. The other epic, Let Me Be Him, treads slightly close to stomp clap hey music for me. Fun enough listen though, potential to grow on me.
The one thing I am learning from this is that I actually quite like a lot of country music. Emmylou's voice is beautiful, some of the covers here are really nice and the originals aren't too bad either. Solid 7/10
Very forgettable R&B/early rock aside from the title track and The Kids Are Alright, which are rightly regarded as classics. You can see little flares here and there of their skill, in particular Keith Moon. But like with most Who albums I've listened to, the consistency isn't there.
Bored half way through, a couple of decent riffs but I found the vocals very annoying, I can't stand Fieldy's bass style some of the tracks with guest rappers are absolutely cringe worthy. It's also way, way too long. Shit.
Masters of taking a single, simple idea, then building on it until it becomes something completely new, love this album. Metronomic Underground is a perfect opener and one of their best tracks, starts with a simple drum beat and builds in to an almighty crescendo over seven minutes. Cybele's Reverie is a wonderful little art pop song, very upbeat. The album remains strong throughout, the near one hour length isn't a chore. Great album.
Classic White Stripes, stripped down garage rock with riffs and hooks galore. Seven Nation Army, Black Math, I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself (great cover), Hardest Button to Button, all top tier White Stripes tracks. Absolute must for indie/garage rock fans.
Always like Rush and prog rock. 2112 is a classic, Rush are at their best. Extremely tight instrumentals, good songwriting, can't ask for more.
The rest of the album is decent as well but 2112 is the obvious focus and highlight.
Really not for me. I don't mind out ther, experimental and dark music. But this was just dull. Also feels like it's trying way too hard to be provocative, though it did seem to work.
Some slightly interesting ideas here or there but I have no desire to listen to any of this ever again.
I do like Big Star, their first album especially is a great collection of pretty, well written and generally quite upbeat power pop tunes. This album still has those pop tendencies, but has a much more melancholic feel. Holocaust specifically is very dark and brooding.
Quite surprised at the low rating tbh, this is mostly excellent power pop. Alex Chilton's hooks are great as ever, there's plenty of variety. Good stuff.
Really like this style of hip-hop. Upbeat with lush, soul infused arrangements and beats.
Socially conscious but trying to provide a more upbeat, hopeful message rather than an angry one. Be is an incredible opener, the album maintains a very high quality throughout. Unsurprising given it was produced by Kanye with a few entries by J Dilla. Good stuff, will listen to more Common.
Being a massive fan of Genesis and liking "So", this has been on my list for years but for some reason I've just never got around to listening to it.
I really like it, reminds me a bit of The Dreaming by Kate Bush. Wacky, dark at times pop music. The opening tracks get you straight in, thundering drums, dissonant chords but a real sense of melody. Excellent song writing. Good stuff throughout.
Acoustic folk punk for sexually frustrated teens (or otherwise!). Cracking album, opens incredibly strongly with Blister In The Sun and Kiss Off. Gone Daddy Gone, Confessions and Add It Up are great tunes too. Good feeling ends the album on a solemn note with wonderful strings. The acoustic bass playing is strong throughout, providing a real sense of drive and melody. Love it.
I do like this but it's definitely too long. They'd move on to better things with Demon Days. 19-2000 and Clint Eastwood are absolute bona-fide classics, the latter still being their best song IMO (Del Tha Funky Homosapien is insane). The rest of the album isn't bad but it does sort of mesh in to one after a bit. Could do with being 20 minutes shorter. Still a pleasant listen.
The lyrical depth is basically that of a human spread out on the surface if a neutron star - one atom deep. They wanna fuck, and they aren't going to he subtle about it. The music is decent though, very laid back R&B, some quality basslines and it's nice background music. Waterfalls is the classic. The Sexy interlude is fucking hilarious but I don't think I want to listen to it again. Not bad at all but I don't think I'd listen to this on the regular.
Really interesting stuff, reminds me a bit of Melt Banana. Makes you wanna jump around and smash your room up, proper hyperactive music. I'd heard Muse cover Dracula Mountain years and years ago on a bootleg, had no idea it was Lightning Bolt, or even who they were at the time. Does get a bit samey after a bit, I think if the vocals were a bit higher in the mix it'd help. 7/10
Unfinished Sympathy is so clear of everything else here. Absolute masterpiece, one of the songs of the decade. Safe From Harm is very good too. The rest hasn't aged too well in my opinion. Not bad music at all, it has a nice laid back vibe and is a pleasant listen, but those two mentioned songs are leagues ahead of the rest. Mezzanine is infinitely better.
One of the most iconic and influential albums of all time and for good reason. Depressing for sure but a perfectly realised album with an almost unmatched bleak atmosphere. Fantastic basslines and rhythm section, Ian Curtis' idiosyncratic vocals suit the band to a tee. Disorder, Day of the Lords, Shadowplay, She's Lost Control, just classic after classic.
Probably my favourite Britpop album. Creative instrumentals, incredible songwriting and, mostly anyway, fantastic lyrics about working class life in the UK. Their creative peak, the standout tracks Common People, Disco 2000, F.E.E.L.I.N.G.C.A.L.L.E.D.L.O.V.E., Mis-shapes, I Spy, Sorted for E's And Wizz, all top tier. 9/10.
AC/DC have never been my thing. Dunno why considering I like a lot of other hard/classic rock, but they just do nothing for me. The title track is decent the rest just melds in to one.
Ehhhhh... none of this is particularly bad but it's very inoffensive and bland. I don't mind some soft pop music but this doesn't have anything to get me hooked. Pretty forgettable.
Enjoyable, an eclectic mix of influences from jazz to folk to traditional pop. She has an excellent voice and the musicianship is great. But there's just something missing which I can't describe which would put it in to the higher tiers. Maybe something that would grow on me. 7/10.
Firstly, Axl Rose's voice is intolerable. Secondly, the big songs have been overplayed to death. Thirdly, the majority of the album tracks did absolutely nothing for me.
Some good moments of interplay with the bass and guitars, Welcome To The Jungle, despite overplay, is still a banger. Other than that though, did not enjoy this and was bored by the end.
I really like this album and was pleased to see it on the list. There is nothing that Thundercat can't do with a bass guitar. This ear for melody is also on point and the album has a proper lush, laid back vibe.
Them Changes is the one everyone knows, but Bus In These Streets, Tron Song II, Tokyo, Lava Lamp, Friend Zone, all great.
It's a bit silly (which I find is part of the charm) which may put some off, but yeah, lovely album.
