Melodic rap with a some real bops. I'm not the biggest fan of most of it, but that's just preference; I can see the talent and creativity.
Several iconic songs. And some extended jam sessions. 😂
A sad dreamy meditation.
This one really feels iconic. A lot of songs I didn't know I knew, or was at least a little familiar with.
Not a personal fave but I see what it did for rock
Intricate instrumentation and soaring vocals. Ideal weed high music.
All bangers no skips
Bluesier than I expected. Very high quality jamming.
The best I can say is it's listenable.
I know they had some bangers later, but I can tell they were young when this came out. A lot of being in love with weird sounds.
Layered, intricate songs that immediately feel classic.
Obviously a new sound, definitely a vibe.
Music for getting high to. Aumgn is great, Peking O is unlistenable.
Definitely "cool white person in 1970" funky.
Like being in a very cool alt dance club in 1990.
I don't know how to rate this as it's so very itself and I've heard bits around for my whole life probably.
Having mostly known Oasis from Wonderwall (which I have never liked), I was pleasantly surprised. It was good, if not something that personally thrills me.
So hard to rate because the music is so good and the lyrics are so misogynistic most of the time. I guess violence and posturing about violence I expect/understand, but wow do they hate women.
What a bunch of goth LARP nerds (complimentary).
This album fucking rules. I've loved it since I first heard it.
VIBES
What a voice
Absolutely love.
Not for me.
Are we sure this isn't Bob Dylan?
Melodic and somehow both breezy and sometimes plaintive.
I can hear the roots of so much modern music in this. It's often a bit busy--in a way that's very intentional, but means it's music for a certain mood for me.
Call me uncultured, but that's just noise.
A smooth voice over the highest quality elevator music.
Amazing from top to bottom. I loved every second.
Overhyped navel-gazing from a real asshole.
Cemetry Gates is kinda a bop, tho.
Just great harmonies and melodies.
Heartfelt and sweet
Fabulous and fantastical while still being somewhat grounded.
Prince was never like anyone but himself. I can imagine how different this would have felt when it first came out. Just a funky lil dude.
A lot of iconic songs...and then Smackwater Jack...😅
But honestly a really great singer/songwriter album.
I feel like I know these songs without knowing these songs, and that's probably because of how influential they were.
I wouldn't have thought this would be something I liked if you described it to me, but damn if I didn't!
I mean, listen. It's good, no denying that. But it's also unrelenting. And this comes from someone who's been known to skip slow songs.
Those sure are some songs from the late '60s.
All hits no skips, amazing voice.
Fabulous. The harmonies are tight, the melodies are catchy. One song that's iffy for me (white) to play in public these days, but the message is good.
Fabulous. Like a score to an exciting and charming movie.
So much talent, and I'm just left cold. It's my fault, but I just don't like jazz.
Rocks, but mostly didn't make an impression.
Beautiful voice; you can tell he feels the music deeply. Downgraded one star for the loooong narration on the last track.
I can't stop thinking about how much more I like The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, but that's probably not fair.
It's very good on its own! But I can't help comparing.
For that reason, Killing Me Softly is my favorite track.
Vibey, sexy, and weird (complimentary). I love her strangeness.
This is aggressively fine. I think Andy Samberg listened to it a lot growing up (but I like The Lonely Island more).
I feel like I should be sipping a cocktail in a mod apartment with James Bond while listening to this.
I agree with another listener--it just doesn't hit for me. Too moody.
I just don't want to
Musically, a 3.5. Lyrically, 1.69 (he would have liked my choice of decimal, if not what preceded it).
Three extremely talented musicians singing together in perfect harmony: what's not to love?
It's so interesting what is called "Country"-- much like Lil Nas X and Beyoncé more recently, Ray is redefines country, and it's brilliant.
I have always thought that I must have been born in the wrong year to really appreciate Elvis. He always felt cheesy to me. Wearin' that Loved-On Look surprised me! It's a real bop. The rest of the album--mostly felt cheesy.
This is probably an album that is much more impressive in historical context? It's very moody singer songwriter, before the peak glory days of singer-songwriter, I think.
I'm sure this is once again a me problem, but I mostly had a very hard time telling one song from the next. One is fun, 12 is a long time (almost) completely at one tempo.
Now this is how you maintain intensity without staying in one gear the whole album. I'm looking at you, AC/DC.
Just the epitome of that echoey 80s sound
Wow this album brought me back to college.
I mean what is there to say about the Beatles that hasn't been said? Downgraded for the horror of Run for Your Life.
About halfway through and I think I got the point about 15 minutes ago.
Sad girl music that doesn't depress.
Exactly what you think a punk album from 1984 would be.
No doubt she's a good vocalist, but I guess I don't see what's worthy of this list.
I'm so sorry to my teen self that I didn't listen to this then. I mean, I still dig it, but *man*....
Ranges from mild bop to "why was this done"....often in the same track.
More varied and interesting musically than I was expecting. I did keep thinking, "wow, these guys really want me to think they are SO DARK and EDGIER than they actually are."
Just a blast. I have to deduct one star for the one song (you know which one).
Inventive and cool--sometimes it fails, but always interestingly.
An amazing album top to bottom. I feel a profound sadness every time I hear Rehab.
I honestly have more respect for them now. I mostly knew them as Pour Some Sugar on Me and that's it. They may have been the mindless rock of their time, but it's layered and interesting musically.
Poetic and melodic
Mostly the gangbanging, woman-banging stuff that is to be expected of the genre/era, but Suicidal Thoughts hits hard and seems like it's more of a real window into his head.
A virtuoso; yet it gets kind of long-winded.
As a sheltered child when this album came out, my first introduction to it was at a cast party for a high school play, where the owner wanted us to sit and listen to it. Not the vibe, Levi! I decided I didn't like it.
Next I heard the Weird Al polka version of Closer. Obviously amazing.
Years later, I heard Johnny Cash's rendition of Hurt. I've read that Trent Reznor has even said that it's Johnny's song now.
So I came into this expecting not to like it. By and large, I did, however!
Closer is a really good song, it turns out. I did keep expecting to hear silly noises instead of f-bombs, though.
I liked this better when it was the Simple Minds album I was assigned previously.
In a lot of ways, an update of previous record on this list, Straight Outta Compton.
Very talented guys doing really impressive things with their instruments. One extra star for the sweet wildcat noise.
Basically the definition of punk.
His voice may waver a bit with age, but somehow that just makes these songs better.
His life experience and conviction shine through at every point and songs like Hurt and Personal Jesus are completely transformed in his voice.
I guess I'm not sure what makes this particularly special, but I didn't dislike the experience of listening to it.
Idk that I'll ever listen to it again, but I appreciate that it exists. I love the weirdness and the witchcraft themes.
Oh hello, ninth grade me.
Her intensely felt and creative vocals and relatable lyrics still hit.
Funky and goth at the same time.
This album screams "I'm so young and edgy", but it sounds good doing it.
Weird experimental stuff. I'm sure there's all kinds of hidden stuff in there that I'm too much of a philistine to get--or maybe not. Anyway, I mostly let it wash over me, and it was fine.
If this album consisted of "As Yet Untitled" 11 times, I would still give it 5 stars. Some of the other songs are less exciting on their own, but his virtuosic voice elevates them.
Very classic Bowie being weird and probably high.
Can't not love Dolly!
An interesting fusion style I've never heard before.
I love a good fusion style and this is great.
It's fine.
I'm not sure how I can rate this one. The first 4 songs have been ubitiquous on the radio since my youth, so I don't really have context for how unique it was when it came out.
They're so good at what they do. It's specific, but they're great at it.
I'm happy for them.
Sounds like cheesy mom music to me. WTF is with the lyrics of Second-Hand Woman tho.
I've always thought that Coldplay was Just Fine, but nothing to get too excited about, but now that I see the intense hatred some people have over them, I'm tempted to rate them higher, because I don't think they deserve that either.
Nope, still a 3.
I was going to rate this one as "okay", because the first couple songs are not my favorite Bowie. But then it got weird (complimentary).
Obviously there's a lot of non-music *stuff* around Michael Jackson. But no one can deny the talent.
I'm sorry, I'm old. The distortion gives me a headache.
A voice made for murder ballads and the band to match.
Interesting on a song by song basis, but a little samey. I felt like I was watching an artsy movie where the main character spends a lot of time gazing into puddles and shop windows.
They are a vibe. Sometimes when a whole album is a single vibe it wears a bit, and this one does drag a bit in the middle.
I can see how this would have been extremely groovy when it came out. Some bops and some weird shit (complimentary).
What a time capsule. Hello, high school.
Deserves 5 stars just for Where It's At. It was so cool at the time and just weird enough.
Felt like I should have microdosed first
Tubular!
At first I was like, this is The Cure but less interesting. But it got more interesting as the album went on.
Jangly bluesy rock. Quite enjoyable.
Amazing
As someone much more familiar with 3rd wave white boy ska, it was really interesting to hear some of the roots of that sound.
Bonin' in the Boneyard!
It's very good working music
I think I'm just not a fan of recorded improvisation for the most part. I can hear how good he is and yet.
I gotta say, In Rainbows was way more enjoyable.
*fry squinting meme* Unsure if this is better than the other two Jimi albums or I'm just more receptive today.
I still found it long.
Maybe I'm not young enough or angry enough but a whole album of classic punk is too much for me. Great politics tho!
I knew Sweet Dreams (the song) went hard but I had no idea how hard this whole album went.
I feel like Janis Joplin is the only reason this band is remembered. And I have to downgrade it for the shitty racist cover art.
Woof. I really liked Disintegration when I had that one, so I was looking forward to another Cure album, but I did not enjoy this one. It's a lot noisier & grungier (I know, grunge wasn't a thing yet).
Who knew the Lime in the Coconut guy had so many facets?
So mournful! I mostly dug it, even though it got really religious at times.
Feels like he's singing to you over a campfire.
Undeniably cool.
I feel like I should have saved this album for later in the week when it's raining. Rainy Day music if I've ever heard it.
Evokes an era for sure. The more experimental elements moving away from the poppy sounds make it more intriguing.
How do you not feel that voice in your gut?
Has it changed my life? No. But is it full of bops? Yes.
I don't understand any of this, but I'm having a great time.
Sometimes a bit too screechy, but overall a good time.
Her voice is absolutely unique and she truly used it as an instrument.
Whiny sad boi music (complimentary).
Short and sweet.
Lullabies for robot babies.
Okay there's some bits of music contained in there, but absolutely none of it was songs.
I ended up listening to this one twice before rating because I was so into it.
Inventive and cool with just enough weirdness.
Sexy and grungy and weird.
Timeless chill tunes
Inventive tunes with a hint of Broadway. Too bad one extremely creepy song lyric downgrades it.
Intricate and layered.
The sound is definitely a little samey, but I was impressed by the variety of subjects covered by the lyrics. Unfortunately they are not immune from the One Creepy Song rule.
Virtuosic singing over tradition-influenced music
It's fine for jazz. (I'm sorry that I'm a jazz Philistine, but that's just how it is.)
