Interesting afrobeats trance-like album with quite a James Brown vibe and even a touch of Miles Davis. Ginger's inclusion seems a bit promotional, even though he plays on every track, as Africa 70 already had a very capable drummer in Tony Allen. Some great rhythms and feel even if it is hard to identify songs with 3 of the 4 tracks over the 10 minute mark. Quite fun to listen to as I had never heard before.

Felt like a by the numbers country rock album. Not familiar with Ryan Adams but can't say that Gold would get me listening to any more of his albums.

Two standout tracks, Le Freak and I Want Your Love and while the rest of the album contains some polished disco cuts and ballads that will get folks moving I can't say they are that memorable. Difficulty genre to make an album out of but this is a pretty good standard and the playing or Rodgers and Edwards is top notch. Worth a listen.

Some choice funky grooves masterminded by George Clinton with some meaty driving bass lines courtesy of Bootsy Collins. Fun song titles some of which are nearly prog running times I can see why this album did well even if it's not for me. The funk rock fusion is fun, the title track is the standout and Cholly ends the album on a high note.

I own this one. Great album, some classic tracks, wonderful production and those harmonies. Seems quite ahead of it's time for 1966. A couple of filler tracks but it really it really captures a sound for that generation. Top stuff. 4.5/5

Nice selection of country rock n' roll cuts mostly written by John Fogerty although what possessed CCR to do an 11 minute version of Heard It Through The Grapevine seems a bit off theme, even it is as a fair interpretation. Who'll Stop The Rain, Ramble Table and Up Around The Bend are standouts from Cosmo's Factory. 3/5

Another disc I own. This is a very English records with a set of songs that seemed just right for the time, you can see how it influenced bands that followed like XTC. Almost seems like a Ray Davies concept album all quite consistently good even if there are no real bangers on this one. 3.5/5

I bought this back when it was released in '85 and this was Peter Gabriel's most successful and commercial album. Really hit MTV hard with a great accompanying videos for Sledgehammer and Big Time. Excellent supporting musicians too with Levin's bass really driving this record. Hardly a bad track in sight. So that's a 4.5/5 from me

Electronica isn't my thing but this album is a bit more inventive and less repetitive than many I have heard. It's also a Kraftwerk album that strays into pop and dance which is probably why it influenced many bands and to some extent the shortly lived new romantic era here in the UK. Pretty good lift music I suppose 3/5.

Weller's songwriting grew up on All Mod Cons which is a bit of a Jam classic even if seems like a big nod to Ray Davies/The Kinks. Pretty consistent and some great singles like A Bomb In Wardour Street and Down in The Tube Station. Cutting stuff for 1978. 4/5

Not the best Beatles album but a heady mix of psychedelia, whimsy and some good pop songs, led mostly by McCartney, adds up to an experimental statement that worked out quite well. 4/5

Nice mix or country and soft LA rock off an album I've never heard. Good Sunday afternoon music. At times feels more like arrangements that songs but was worth the listen.

Interesting mix of vocal rhythms, loops, guitars and keys make for an unusual album that is hard to pigeonhole and it's much broader than their indie rock label. Takes a few listens to appreciate which perhaps isn't a good sign but it is worth the effort. Halfway Home, Dancing Choose and DLZ stood out for me 3/5.

Best reggae album ever.....probably but then I don't listen to many.

Aguilera turns to that big band sound as she echoes the James, Holiday, Franklin era. Clearly she has a great singing voice but I really didn't find anything that memorable on this double album 2/5

A voice made for Country music but just not for me. Includes a duet with the soon to be ex Tammy Wynette on Our Private Life.

Quite a tentative vocal performance from Cohen who really isn't my cup of tea.

If you like your Celtic jig then this is the Pogues album to get as you'll only need one. Has the famed duet with McColl that is now on most Xmas compilations. Lillywhite did a good job getting this performance from the group.

Haven't listened to this album much since '86 but it was fun dusting it off. Still remember the Chevy Chase video for Al. Nice mix of rhythms and sounds with so great bass and even a touch of zydeco. Brave experimental album with some nice tracks.

Top big band jazz album that really swings if that's your thing. The band sound great but the man behind the scenes, Neal Hefti, who did the composing and arranging on most of the tracks definitely deserves the name check on the cover. Feels a bit like music for films and tv at times.

Interesting mix of songs. Mrs Robinson made famous by the movie but this seems like an album for its time rather than one that endures so I wasn't that taken with it.

Listen, I will play zis only once! Experimental thrash fusion jazz with barely a melody in earshot. It might be your favourite migraine but it ain't mine.

I would class myself as a classic rock listener but I never really got this album. For all it's pioneering of that area rock sound and the massive amount of airplay on American FM rock radio, More Than A Feeling is the only really memorable song. Maybe the polished production sort of polished the soul out of this album, probably why I never bought it back in '76.

Sounds like this could be music for a film noir or maybe that's just the clever used Lalo Schifrin sample on a stand out track, Sour Times. The album is a mix of pop, tech-hop, indie and electronica which grows with repeated listening. Beth Gibbons voice is really good too.

This album has its moments and creates some interesting soundscapes rather than songs. It it is definitely a grower but I suspect as I prefer the Cash version of Hurt this is never going to be a classic for me.

This album feels like a bit of a demo tape and that's no just because of the 28 tracks or because it was recorded on a 4 track tape but if just because if seems full of some pop/rock hits and misses. I actually like the short format songs that GBV are famed for and this is probably one of their better albums. Work going along for the ride.

One of The Fall's better albums but still not a band for me. Never really got the Manc angst

A Dave Grohl solo album in all but name but this set the tone for FF and all that followed. I liked the singles on this one, This I A Call, I'll Stick Around, Big Me and For All The Cows. Likeable album but the Foos went on to write better

Remember my kids listening to this album. Quite liked the singles, Self Esteem, Come Out And Play and Gotta Get Away which had a touch of Nirvana. The rest of the album is a bit punk pop meets Metallica in an average kind of way.

The 4th album with the band at the controls sounds a bit sludgier than their previous ones but still some great tracks like Supernaut, Snowblind and Under The Sun. Maybe the drugs were taking over a bit too but still some nice cuts here

Classic Elton, Great mix of songs

Not my usual album but this is a really well written and sung collection of tracks that are pretty timeless. Pop verging on jazz at times with some really strong songs like It's Too Late, A Natural Woman. I Feel The Earth Move and Will You Love Me Tomorrow.

The title track is a classic but the rest of the album never quite lives up to it. Decent production and the band are clearly performing at a high level but I think Overkill edges this one and strangely Bomber has a couple more stand out tracks. I have the 12" single but not the album which maybe sums it up but it is still worth hearing.

Another album I bought at the time. Contains a great pop song, Jump, and catches the band on the crest of their wave. Lots of fun and great to hear hard rock n' roll with some swing.

Not my fave Radiohead album, even though I have a copy, but not a bad collection of tracks. Plenty of mood pieces, guitars and electronica means there is something for everyone. Maybe that is the flaw here, trying to please the whole fanbase.

Classic 50's/60's Nashville with the k.d.lang take on an album of cover tunes. She has a good voice for the genre and I am sure this will evoke Opry memories from the era of Cline and Lee. Not really my thing but well made and sung.

Not an artist I've heard of before so this was new. A sort of prog folk album with some very long songs. A bit inaccessible but some pleasant passages in many of the songs. Just not for me.

Electronica with plenty of sampling makes for a good dance/clubbing album. Sounds Prodigy like in places without the vocals. Doubt I will listen to this ever again

Interesting afrobeats trance-like album with quite a James Brown vibe and even a touch of Miles Davis. Ginger's inclusion seems a bit promotional, even though he plays on every track, as Africa 70 already had a very capable drummer in Tony Allen. Some great rhythms and feel even if it is hard to identify songs with 3 of the 4 tracks over the 10 minute mark. Quite fun to listen to as I had never heard before.

Some psychedelic folk/rock with country tinges from Canda's own Syd Barrett. Not an album or artist I'd heard of before. Some interesting pieces but not a record I could really get into.

You can probably trace genres like Britpop and Shoegaze to this album which is quite a mix of sounds. Just Like Honey works for me and Never Understand would be good if the tinnitus guitars were removed so a mixed bag really. Wanted to like more but got a bit fed up with it.

Brit-pop meets hip-hop. Interesting blend of music, more background than dedicated listening but this is a fun album. Clint Eastwood is burnt in for me as it was played endlessly on many road trips with the kids so this CD has some good memories too.

Some nice early Neil Young tracks and not a bad album for the time and the fact that the line up seemed to change quite a lot. Some folk. country as well as more straightforward rock make it probably the best of the few BS records

Nope

A mixed bag for me. Some nice background soundscapes at times but mostly tiresome. I'd imagine this is the sort of album an AI would pick.

Doesn't really sound like a VU album as it has more of a folk, even country vice at times. What Goes On and Beginning to See The Light sound more like it and are my fave tracks. The Murder Mystery is the token psychedelic cut but as a whole this isn't my fave VU album.

First album with Beck and Page on finds a collection of tracks which don't quite hold up to the singles that came earlier. Some great blues/rock on Over, Under, Sideways, Down and He's Always That and some psychedelia on Happenings Ten Years Time Ago. Just not consistent enough to be a great album but definitely worth a listen.

Easy to listen to album from an 80's Aussie pop band. Remembered the single Streets Of Your Your Town and while I wouldn't go out and buy the album it is worth a listen.

Lots of minor key use on the 3rd Talking Heads album which is a bit of a mixed bag. I like the experimental rhythms of I Zimba and Life During Wartime is up there with some of the best TH cuts. Heaven has to rank as one of the most melodic songs Byrne wrote with a bit of a nod to Bowie. Worth a listen.

Electropunk album from The Prodigy hits harder than a workout. I felt I needed strobe lights to really appreciate this and that would make for the perfect tiring listen. For all its energy there is a lot of repetition with the genre which I am not that fond of, but this album is a good take on it.

Proof that you can't kill a good song even if the covers of Killing Me Softly With HIs Song and No Woman, No Cry really give it a go. The rest of the album is worse. Should have skipped this one 1/5

A mixed bag of a Beatles album but still some seminal tracks from Fab Four. Helter Skelter is about as heavy and it gets, Back In The USSR is a fun Beach Boys send up, some lively ballads like Dear Prudence and Julia and we even get some Harrison songs with My Guitar Gently weeps. No real theme to this record but they could do what they like by their 9th release. 3.5/5

Great mix of songs on this Aretha album and it has the Redding classic Respect which is a couple of stars by itself. Really strong vocal performance that makes this album really worth a few listens.

Rock n' roll from the big easy. The most memorable version of Blueberry Hill and so other tracks that influenced the likes of Presley, The Stones and Zeppelin. Worth a listen.

Interesting album from Sidcup lads The Pretty Things. A rock opera that bridges British blues and psychedelia and makes an early bid for the prog space. Good mix of songs reminiscent of early Floyd and late Beatles. Enjoyed listening to this one as hadn't heard before.

Could be the greatest rapper ever but just sounds like an album full of ramblings. Not for me this one.

Debates rage about the best Oasis album but this is right up there with their debut, swapping a more polished, grander production for their initial rawness. I think it works as you get more light and shade here and a pretty good collection of songs with only the odd low spot.

While I like her worn vocal style I thought this dance rock outing by Faithfull was pretty bland.

One of the great pop/rock albums of the 80's A great set of singles of this LP and a hidden gem in The Working Hour which never gets as much airplay as the hits. Top stuff from this duo who are still going.

Dance pop/rock debut with plenty of catchy hooks. A bit post psychedelic and an album that the band could never quite match.

Nice album by the late Elliott Smith where he takes his raw indie folk (a bit like Nick Drake) into the fuller production sound of a Beatles or Beach Boys, such was his like of that era. Good songwriter and this album definitely worth a listen as I hadn't heard it all before.

MTV rock n'roll. Never really got on with Steve Tyler's vocals which is why I never got into Aerosmith. Good loud blues rock but ultimately the songs are forgettable even if the Love In A Elevator harmony chorus sticks

I think the band must have been feeling pressure after Rumours which is why they maybe went for a "White Album" next. There is a single albums worth of very good songs and Nick's voice is on top form. Worth a listen.

Best Deep Purple album and even if the live versions of these songs have even more energy this release had the band at their best. Maybe the ordeal of writing/recording the songs added to their impact. Great stuff.

Martyn shifts from his folk/rock roots into a more commercial pop sound and even experiments with dub on this album. Full of mood swings and is a record you can chill out to but ultimately it is pretty forgettable.

The pivotal Dylan album is a really good set of songs and I like the shift to blues rock while retaining the folk lyric themes. His voice is on great form and while then Byrds sort of made Mr Tamborine man theirs the Dylan original is good too. His voice is great too and this is definitely a Dylan record worth having.

More rambling over hip hop beats and soul backing tracks. Just not my cup of tea.

Can't think of any other debut albums that were recorded live but that was actually a smart move as it really captured the power of the band. An album to be played at 11.

Mellow sophist-pop which veers towards jazz at times. Nice cover of I Don't Want To Talk About it. Has a small club feel to the album and is an easy listen with Thorn's voice at its most melodic

Bossa nova played by American jazz musicians was quite pioneering in '62 and while this doesn't quite get the adulation of the Getz/Gilberto album that followed 2 years later it is a really good example of the form. Nice to see Getz a bit restrained as that makes him more melodic than full on avant garde. Well worth a listen.

A more accessible pop album from EC&TA which was big at school in '79. Some very catchy singles in Accidents Will Happen and Oliver's Army with nice layered melodies. A good listen this one.

Most commercially successful KOL album, partly down to the 2 big singles, Sex On Fire and Use Somebody. The recording came hard on the heels of Because Of The Times which was more garage rock as this had more of an arena rock tone, like U2 at times. Still enjoyable and probably one of the band's best outings

Probably that last really good U2 album. They swapped America for Europe and came up with quite a varied set of tracks from gritty to melodic and this packed a lot of hit singles too. The Fly really cuts through and So replaced 40 as their live closer. I liked revisiting this one.

Definitely one of the best Beatles album. Great mix of pop tunes plus a bit of experimentaiton too that holds together better than the White Album. A great re-listen.

Wilco became Chicago's answer to Radiohead with this release which was much more layered and creative than their earlier outings, even if this was the last for the Tweedy/Bennett collaboration. Worth a listen.

Vocal album with a mix of backing tracks and some interesting lyrical moments make this a bit more than your average rap LP. Still not my cup of tea.

Radiohead dives into electronica on this LP which is probably why I still put OK, Computer ahead of it. Still a very layered and musical album with some great tracks that still feature in their live set. Everything In It's Right Place and Optimistic standout for me on this one.

Great snapshot of James Brown from 1962 which he actually had to fund himself! Really captures the power of his live performance. Not heard before so was worth the listen.

Good collection of RnB/pop songs with a couple of big single hits. Probably not bettered by them since.

A more rock orientated album by Spiritualised which is a definite plus for me as I hadn't heard before. Some shades of early Floyd at times and good use of Gospel Choir to give it a very expansive feel. Interesting if a little avant garde.

South African twist on soul/jazz with some very melodic trumpet playing makes for a relaxing album. More arrangements than songs with some clocking in at 10 minutes, nevertheless a pleasant listen and not a record I had heard before.

Quite an accessible album from R.E.M with a mix of guitar rock and pop alongside the more folk and experimental ideas. Makes it an odd album to listen to thematically but I do like about half the songs and the record is a grower too.

Started listening to Beck later in his career so it is interesting to revisit Odelay. Eclectic mix of songs with some great singles make this a fun album to listen to. I think he has done better but this is pretty good.

An album of funky, catch songs that captured the mood of the early 70's lyrically. Great songwriting for the genre.

Another album of babbling full of 80's disco and hip hop beats. Not for me.

Like a lot of bands in this era these albums had a lot of covers mixed with some original songs. You can see how their sound was developing and the take they had on these tracks. Enjoyable second album.

Second album of electronica from Neu, a band which influenced many others in the genre. I'd heard the odd track before off this one but the album works as whole. Interesting soundscape rather than a compelling one.

Some lengthy intensive, improvised grooves from Can just don't really do it for me. The wide musical influences are interesting/quirky but aren't enough to make songs, which usually isn't the point of avant garde or experimental music.

Captures the mood of the early seventies with some great vocals and arrangements. The title track is still the standout for me on a very soulful album.

Bold mix of genres with some big hits. Hard to think of a of an experimental type of album being more commercially successful. Well worth revisiting 41 years later.

This album took hair metal mainstream. A bit too rock radio friendly for my taste but commercially very successful. A couple of catchy singles but still wouldn't make into my collection.

An album that has the feel of looking through holiday snapshots. A mix of indie pop, folk and mini orchestral pieces that sort of gel into a theme, Illinois in this case. I doubt this is a record that gets much repeated listening but I guess when Sufjan is planning to make 48 of them that won't be a problem. OK-ish

Debut album from Sheffield guitar band Arctic Monkeys has a nice early rawness reminiscent of the Strokes and Oasis. Some good singles with plenty of simple hooks make this a bit of a rocker. Worth checking out.

Lovely collection of Cuban music puts you in the heart of Havana. Some great rhythms, melodies and aged vocals with beautiful authentic production work by Ry Cooder to capture the live feel. An atmospheric and emotional album that's well worth a listen.

Well crafted set of songs with easly listening arrangements make for a relaxing album. Gray's vocal isn't quite in crooner territory and has an edge to it which keeps your listening. Nice record and worth a listen

Swing verging on pop with some great melodies and arrangements and of course Frank's voice. Great tone and made a change from the more ballad heavy albums of that era. Not the best album title ever but worth a listen

This album seemed to mark the change from being a singles band to a album one even though Our House was as big hit which stands the test of time. Quite a mix of music on this record some of which is a bit downbeat. Was never a fan of the band but this album was worth a listen or two.

A more back to basics Doors album that mixes blues, jazz and psychedelia. Roadhouse Blues must be one of the most covered tracks and while this is a Doors record I haven't heard much it was worth the listen 55 years later.

Felt like a by the numbers country rock album. Not familiar with Ryan Adams but can't say that Gold would get me listening to any more of his albums.

Funky blues rock with Joplin's raspy powerful vocals makes for a fun listen. A few ballads too with more space for her voice than previous albums makes this one to listen to.

Not sure if being "written off" was the added impetus alongside break up but this was a return to form for Dylan and while it may not have had the influence of is 60's period it is still an emotional album that works. Maybe the not most upbeat but it is a must listen.

This jazz album is given extra soul courtesy of Jimmy's hammond organ which adds that extra dimension. Makes for an easy listening record on a Sunday afternoon. Not one I had heard before but quite enjoyable with some great playing.

Great mix of new wave pop/rock for this debut album by The Cars. Punchy songs with some great guitar makes this a must listen.

Neo American experimental hip-hop with a Gallic twist. Not for me though.

Campfire stories with Willie Nelson (which seemed to be a bit of a concept album back in '75) is a mixed bag and not one for me. Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain is probably the nicest track.

Not quite Park Life but up there as Blur's best recordings. The energy of Song 2 and a mixed bad of lo fi guitars and synths make for an interesting album and reflection of the 90's

Not an album I have heard before but quite a nice collection of electro pop with a couple of experimental tracks too. Worth a listen.

Melancholic medium drama guitar pop. Sounded a bit Coldplay in places but generally a listenable Travis album