This is a bang-er record. Simple Man is my jam. Iconic.
Enjoyed. Good chill jazz.
Starting a record with Sunday Morning is so brave.
I don't think I have ever enjoyed the last 2 songs.
This isn't for me. Reggae just isn't my thing.
I like the first song but not my thing otherwise.
This is grim even for a Cure record
I love this record. John Cale is awesome.
There are some good songs here, no doubt. The sound is right but I don't know if it's consistent enough to be considered a true classic.
Nothing is really standing out to me on this one other than the first song.
I don't understand why this one is considered so good. I found it to be terribly uninteresting.
It's ok. Better than the last one. Dad funk.
It's got some hits. Jams.
This is airport music. I do not hear hooks or anything that makes this stand out at all.
They're all great. Ramble Tamble is the underrated breakout.
So I first was like wtf is this. Then I understood. This record has been picked clean for samples. Very cool.
Green Onions, the song that was used to signify that a character was "cool" in movies for 40 years.
Nowadays it sounds very dated, sure. But loose blues/funk (?) really was out of place at the time.
Unfortunately, to my ears, it's never as good as the title song.
It's ok. There are a few jams (Mothers Daughter) but not really consistent.
Never heard this before. Dunno how I feel about it.
Ok listened to all of it. FL walked so Tame Impala could run.
Awesome. Without Muddy Waters, you don't get the stones, Warren Zevon, or the White Stripes. Just boppin!
Ok so this is an awesome record, no question. Great Expectations is kinda garbage but the rest.. you just can't argue with Shout It Out Loud.
I first heard this when I was 16 I think? A bombastic force for the ages.
I've heard this one before but this is the first time my brain kinda linked it to stuff like Johnny Rivers' output at the time. It's not all the songs of course but you can't say something like "Poor Side of Town" didn't have an influence on some of the slower tracks.
Anyway, this is the bridge between "Young" Elvis and "Fat" Elvis. A record that had to be made.. Elvis aging with his original fans. Being familiar with the 1968 "Comeback" Special, it's like that was a goodbye to being young and this is the embrace of middle age.
Other thoughts: From Elvis In Memphis came out 15 years after his first hit, That's Alright Mama. Cutting edge to music for your parents in 15 years, imagine if we held current artists to that standard now?
Funny looking at the cover, and seeing the Jailhouse Rock backdrop. This is real far from being in the county jail with the warden!!!
I miss when drums sounded like this but really, it all blurred together.
I was only familiar with World Shut Your Mouth before this so I was pretty blind.
I might check it out again when I'm in a different mood. There are some points where it sounds very Nick Cave.
Feels very forward for 1969.
no question this is a fuckin' FIVE all the way. Snowblind, Supernaut, Wheels of Confusion.. man if you crank the last few minutes of Wheels of Confusion you are in the zone. In. The. Zone.
Are there still Sinatra guys? I'm inclined to think the appeal is to be transported to a different time, rather than actual enjoyment of the music itself. I just find it corny, and it didn't age well. I'm sure to some, they hear class when they listen to Sinatra. I don't.
Vocals too high in the mix. I'm not gonna dunk on white guys doing blues because I think they're allowed to it and I often like it. However.. I can see why this is largely forgotten these days when you know, Are You Experienced came out a year later.
JM and the Bluesbreakers sounds so goddamn weak in comparison, no wonder Jimi made EC freak out. And the obligatory: fuck Eric Clapton
So.. it's Roxy Music. It's good. But if I was to put a RM record on, it'd be the debut, or Country Life, or even Avalon over this one.
I thought I would hate this.. but I'm into it. Wish I was at this concert!
Feels like a missing ingredient for the blue album.
So there are some bangers (first track, papa was a rolling stone), and then there's everything else. Gonna give it a 2 because the everything else really kills the mood.
Been a while since I gave this a spin. I remember there was a lot of buzz, folks thought she was the next big thing. Lots of good tunes, we don't do this enough.
5 for Dazed and Confused, and also Black Mountainside.
Did we have a stroke in 1982? Dexys Midnight Runners (to the shitter)
Not listening to this shit.
Show tunes vibes? Won't be revisiting.
I know I listened years ago, and it bounced off me. This time around, I'm digging it.
Probably the quintessential bridge between punk and hardcore.
Can I get your name? Thank you. Ok, I see you're here for 3 nights, perfect. Can we get a credit card for a damage deposit? We will just put a $250 hold on your account until you check out, then lift it. Great. Yes, it's a very nice piano. I'm glad you're enjoying it. Enjoy your stay!
Bono's Mephisto made a record. Hard pass.
Ok this is better than I remember it being. In my head, I thought the first half was really good and the rest a slog. But, there are definitely some good tunes in the back half. I think I might have been really put off by one of the REALLY slow falsetto songs that Thom insisted on.
It bops but I do feel like I'd rather be listening to the Jam
I'm sorry but I hate this. The singles are fine. It just makes me depressed in a musty old house kinda way.
All the bad reviews of this record on this site are posted by narc bootlickers
It's not clear to me what makes this record essential. It's fine but I wonder if it suffers from recency bias. THE SCIENCES would have been a more appropriate 2018 choice.
There must have been at least 2000 albums more essential..
Drags a bit in the back half but definitely a pleasure
I appreciate that this exists, because no one else was doing it like Lightning Bolt. I like the 2015 record better though.
Ok so it is the Lou Reed record with the hits, sure. Relistening to it now though.. I do think I'd rather put on The Blue Mask, New Sensations, or New York first.
It's an obvious 5 but these days I can't help but gravitate toward the deeper cuts like Head Down and 4th of July, probably my 2 favorite Soundgarden songs. Wild stuff going on, even in just the vocals.
I like this Fela but not this record so much.
I like the title song but was bored by the rest, except maybe season of the witch.
One of those seminal works that I do not get.
I've been on a real Oasis kick lately and Damon Albarn's grunge tourism is not doing it for me right now.
I have no idea if this is good or not, but I would never listen by choice.
Ah this is what heroin sounds like (I assume). I don't know if Kevin Shields was partaking but that's the vibe I get.
I feel like m b v would have had a much bigger cultural impact if it had come out 10 years earlier.
I kinda get it but I kinda don't. I'll try again another time.
To me, Dire Straits is an acquired taste but once you're hip to it, it tastes real good.
I recognize it's good. I just won't come back to it.
I wanted to like it more.
To be honest, this is better than Frank. But it's still Fallout music.
Only Cathy's Clown is worthy of note and I might be saying that only because I knew it already.
The most Zen you can be in life is moving in the sun with Isi playing very loud, like on a quiet straight road.
Obviously great. Slightly addicted to the Maggie's Farm on No Direction Home lately.
I much prefer Old Man Leonard
A lot of the work that comes from Brian Wilson sounds like circus music. Like, I'll stop paying attention to it for a minute and then something will happen that will make me think a clown is about to walk in the room juggling.
It's good.. I feel like if I was a bit younger when it came out it would have it harder for me.
Slow Burn is great and the rest of the record never gets back there.
The beginning of the Stones' Imperial phase, a 4 album run that is maybe (?) unparalleled. Absolutely bananas that Sympathy For The Devil came out in 1968.
I like the singles, except Just..I dunno the rest is ok. It's a 3 record.
I think this is a great record!
Had an out of body experience once, I'm sure of it, while listening to Light My Fire at night as I was driving home. 5.
Overrated, listen to Johnny Thunders instead
Songs get samey and it's hard to separate the guy from the music in this case
Getting this one right after Off The Wall is a real funny joke. 1 for Nazis.
Working Class Hero, great. The rest, I dunno. Maybe need more time with it.
Landing on a 3 here.. I get the historical importance but it gets old after a few minutes. Maybe just one of those days I'm not feeling very open minded.
This a 5 record. Amongst the best. Even if you were just grading the transitions between songs, it's the best.
You know what, I hated this stuff when I was a teen. I'm really not interested in engaging with it now. Everything I don't like about the late 90s/early 2000s. Just giving it my 1 and moving on.
Also, garbage album cover. Why'd they MSPaint paste him on to the moon?
The first rock record. Of course Jimi is a legend, but you gotta shout out Mitch too. He fuckin kills it on every song.
This was fun, I'll have to check it out again!
So I'm gonna give it a 3 because I'd rather listen to it than popular rap these days but it like uh.. does often sound the same throughout
Not sure I needed to hear this. I dig the energy but the songs aren't very good.
Mixed thoughts on Funeral.. I like about half of it, and it was a breath of fresh air at the time. I was prepared to go lower given the tone is a bit cringe but tunes like LIES are still huge.
Paper Planes is the anomaly here
I dunno if this is a 5... But it is certainly better than some 4s I've doled out. Five it is! As badass as you can get while begging for hugs and kisses.
The first song really put me off but the rest isn't bad. I'm kinda down with a Wang Chung or Level 42 vibe.
Imagine if Foo Fighters stuck with this Dinosaur Jr adjacent sound. Would have been awesome.
Foundational for all the productions he was going to produce.
Like taking a stroll through West-Notingham-Binghamshire-On-Kent
It's ok, I don't have a strong opinion. Was not on my radar in 95.
I found this .... crushingly boring.
It is not the best DM, but it is still DM.
I turned this off as soon as the vocals started
I like the songs that focus less on the acapella and more on the beats or whatever.
This, and Signals, are peak Rush in my opinion. Red Barchetta, baby.
My controversial take (?) is that soul music exists to make me feel bad for not finding it engaging at all, and placing it purely in the realm of background listening.
Some of the records on this list are there due to critic-brain. I'm sure I could point to better 1978 records that didn't make it (and I like other Siouxsie records)
An extra star for Freedom. The rest, pass.
I enjoyed it way more than I expected I would.. MVPs made my day
This is what John Connor listens to
3 because it feels relevant but this is also the 3rd day in a row from the same 2 year period so I am a bit burnt out
Smoke on the water is so boring. Give me highway star and lazy
I wonder if this would still be on a list created in 2025. Parts are interesting, but overall kinda meh. I like the EP that came out before this (True) more. Blood Orange produced, if I remember correctly.
I can't really tell good jazz from bad jazz
Paul Westerberg told me to come here.. a 3 because some of the tunes lack depth or whatever.
It's not so lazy as I remember it being and I can see why folks liked it at the time.
Sex and drugs and rock and roll.. very good indeed and the best song on the record
This record gives us Peter Buck and I'll Feel A Whole Lot Better. Thar gets us at least a 3.
I read the reviews of this before writing my own because I already have an opinion on this record, and someone said Sweetness Follows is the worst song on AFTP. No, there are no bad songs. And SF is maybe the best of the batch so ...
Anyway, AFTP is a demonstration of why music exists. An all timer, one of the greats, no notes. Putting this record on in the dark can take you places.
Maybe not the best QOTSA record, but the one I enjoy listening to most.
It's ok but not really standing out for me.. kinda weirded out by it being on the list tbh
Best solo wu record, and it has a vibe. I'd actually rather put this on the wutang sometimes.
I could have lied is a good song, I hadn't heard it before.
Anyway, I don't know why this was as big as it was in retrospect. It's carried by the singles.
It's ok. Overhyped. TS had a choice to continue down this path and get serious but instead we're getting songs about her boyfriend's peen.
Whyyyyyyyyyy is this an hour long?
I did not listen to Oasis in my teens because it was decidedly uncool to be an Oasis guy in those days in my area. I legit think some folks thought the band's name was "gay" and therefore, unworthy of attention. Anyway, gay or not, 5/5. Definitely not a "you had to be there" record.
I expected all ska for some reason.. better than I thought it would be!
I had to look.. there are 3 Echo and The Bunnymen records on this list. At least 1 too many.
The haters try to dunk on this record by citing the lyrics to Walking In Your Footsteps and to me, that's a weak sauce critique! The run from King of Pain to Tea In The Sahara is an all-timer.
We gotta give it to The Soft Boys. Great record for weirdos.
Cool, I liked this. A bit samey after a while.
This is not the best SD but it does feature Jimmy Page's favourite guitar solo in Reeling In The Years...
This record is making me question the 5 star rating scale I've been using. This isn't terrible but I don't see how it's noteworthy.
I don't know how but 3 feels simultaneously too high and just right, I dunno. Like, why do I need to hear this before I die? Is it impactful? Unique? I'm leaning toward neither. Honestly this entry is again making me question the recency bias on the later additions to the list. Of the records that came out in 2018 that had were better... Sleep, Mark Lanegan, Shame, Cat Power, Kurt Vile, David Nance... Etc etc. I think there should be a 5 year grace period before something enters the list.
it's not for me. It's cool that George was into this but I cannot do a whole record of it.
It's not on Spotify.. I looked it up on YouTube and uh yeah, why is this on the list haha
Sympathy For The Devil was 2 years later. JFC. Going Home is a mess. Under My Thumb and Paint It Black hold up the rest.
I liked this more than I thought I would.
A bit long without a ton of deviation from the formula, but essential in the grand scheme of things. And I will give it a three.
I feel bad, I just don't like it.
Sounds like a delightful summer afternoon on a quiet beach.
I just don't hear a 5. It's fine and maybe I'm an idiot for not clicking with it but what can ya do.
I've tried before and I just don't see what's great about it. Nothing sticks.
There are too many Bowie records on this list. I'd pare it down to 3, but keep this one. Even putting aside the timing of his death... I just feel like I'm listening to music from another planet, like what an alien thinks rock music sounds like. A true treat.
I love Pink Floyd but I do not really care for this album. I hate the nursery rhyme songs and I don't think Syd Barrett was that great. I like Bike I guess. There's a reason they only played astronomy domine and interstellar overdrive live once Dave joined. Lucifer Sam is cool too. But overall, I'm glad enough people liked it so that they could make better records.
A lotta people don't know what Britpop is. This isn't Britpop. It's also not great. I like the vibe but there aren't really good songs here
I like the vibes. Nothing really stands out though.
I wouldn't go out of my way to listen to Coldplay.
Ronald Reagan & The Chiefs of Staff
Anyway, love it. The singles are great, BH has lots of energy, the melodies pop. Crazy how sterile pop music from 58-62 would get.
I already listened to Joshua Tree this week, why not do it again?
Ok so what is so impressive about Joshua Tree, is how big it feels. It fills whatever space it's in. Music isn't better or worse now than then, but they really don't make them like this anymore.
They say this record is front loaded and while I don't necessarily disagree with that, the back half is still very engaging. One Tree Hill is a huge highlight for me.
And I don't care if Bono breathes into the mic, such a boring critique. Who cares! Oh no, the singer is EMOTING >:(
I love Buffalo Stance! The rest doesn't hit as hard.
This sucks, sorry. Worst thing to come out of Iceland.
Any major dude will tell you
I'm gonna be generous and dole out a 4 but only because I can't give a record featuring Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting anything less.
There are better SY records in my opinion
This record is on this list because everyone needs to know stuff like this exists. It's not really in my wheelhouse BUT I'm going to give it a higher rating because there is some absolute garbage on this list that needs to be at the bottom. And really, this is a fascinating document of the scene in West Berlin, and a wild contrast (or is it?) with their neighbours, Tangerine Dream.
Inside Yes are two wolves: one that wants to rock, hard (Bruford and Squire) and one that wants to wank a bit (everyone else).
Fragile is probably the best example of what Yes could do. The vocals, however, are soulless. Imagine if there was a voice on this record that actually felt like a human who cared? I think it would have taken it up like 2 notches.
I was very much into the Beatles as a youth in the 90s. This is the one record I didn't fork over 25 of my hard earned Canadian dollars for, and I still think that was a good decision. With The Beatles really created the trope of 'rushed second album to capitalise on the debut's success' which so, so many other groups have fallen into in the years since.
I'm being harsh of course, the worst Beatles record is still pretty darn good. The drop off in quality I'm sure wasn't noticed by the fans at the time because I Want To Hold Your Hand was released as a single at about the same time, which overshadowed With The Beatles save the iconic album cover.
My two favourite tracks here are You Really Got A Hold On Me and Money - two covers!
Also I don't think this record should be on this list.
Robert Wyatt's backstory (no pun intended) does make this record interesting. I'm going to revisit later but I'm rating a 3 for now.
I enjoyed it! First time hearing sparks. Nice surprise.
I don't know how something can sound so polished yet empty at the same time. It's like listening to an AI generated image
Except the guitar solo track. That sounds like someone someone ran a guitar through a trash compactor.
A very horny record but it is not my vibe today. It did get me thinking about Here, My Dear though (no shade to my significant other!)
Post Punk is cool and all the one voters need to step out of their comfort zone once in a while.
I think.. I just don't like Kendrick's voice. And from there it's hard to enjoy the affectations. And then from there it makes the rhymes annoying. The music is interesting but I know that's not the selling point. And I'm not really conflicted about it.
Enjoyed, maybe more than Machine Head? Almost feels like a different band in some ways.
I'm glad I heard this but I don't know if I'd listen again. It does go hard, I'll give it that
This record is a mess but.. you know if you know the bad seeds at all, this kinda makes sense.
Makes me feel like I'm watching Goodfellas
I'm reluctant to give this a good rating. I think I liked it alright at the time but I felt some second hand embarrassment relistening to it in 2025. In retrospect, at times, these songs might be the most juvenile songs I've ever heard. And not in the fun way.
I can kinda see how we as a society ended up with they hey ho stomp clap music a few years later and I do NOT look back at that fondly.
Morrissey, better than I expected. Maybe I enjoyed it more than a Smiths record?
Not the best 60s country but I can see the appeal.
I have to be feeling a certain way to throw on some jazz but In A Silent Way can scratch that itch. Something about it is very "night time in New York, in the rain" and I cannot for the life of me figure out why. But, it is a vibe.
It's different but not for me.
Regatta de Blanc is a fun record and Police haters are lame imo. I have this shirt.
One of the easiest records to listen to.
This might be the dumbest 5 I rate on this whole list. But 1995 me loved it and it still has hooks.
It's fine whatever but I don't think it's very essential.
Least impressive solo wutang so far imo.
It's the best Pixies record! And it still holds up.
New to me.. not bad. Another "recency bias" add to the list, I'm sure but still, enjoyable background music.
Obvious 5, a real pleasure.
I love Hendrix but this is his slightest record and shouldn't be on this list at the expense of other greats. There are some bangers of course (Little Wing, If 6 Was 9) but it pales compared to the debut, Electric Ladyland, and Band of Gypsies.
This is a great album. Haters have no style or patience.
In theory.. I like this record. In practice.. it gets old after a while. Sorry. I do like that other groups took these ideas and made them better.
I have a hard time with Mr Waits' voice most of the time but I enjoyed this!
This isn't my favourite Nick Cave record but it's up there. What a joy. Nature Boy is so soothing.
This was fine I guess, I'll give it a 3. New to me.
ABBA, 100% a singles band. ABBA Gold would have been more appropriate on this list. Dancing Queen and Fernando are the highlights.
Skits on rap records age so poorly.
Outside of the singles I find the other tracks a bit weak. But those singles.. they were so huge in 1995, and for good reason.
I would actually rather listen to a real movie soundtrack than this. Jan Hammer, Tangerine Dream, Hans Zimmer... anything else.
This is such a great era for Bowie. The title track obviously hits hard. The sound he achieves on this record is so weird.. sterile yet soulful. A great time.
It makes me uncomfortable but I can see the appeal.
It's ok. I feel like I have heard a lot of Wilco and my life and have never been able to form an opinion about them. Maybe that means I can't find anything to keep me interested, I don't know. I put this on and forgot what I was listening to after the first 5 songs.
Boring. She can sing I guess.
I feel like I have a complicated relationship with Queen. I liked them quite a bit when I was young but I've been of two minds on their "campiness" as I've gotten older. A Night At The Opera has the best and worst of that in some ways. Death on Two Legs is both very cool but also kinda embarrassing to listen to, not sure I can articulate why. Obviously Bohemian Rhapsody is the pinnacle of this dichotomy (I'm sorry I used that word): it's terribly corny but also rocks really hard. The Prophet Song is not good.
This is a rambling review but there is just this niggling theater kid energy on this record that I don't like HOWEVER ... News of the World doesn't really feel like that to me so don't discount me as a Queen hater. I'm still giving it a 4!!
I'm a Kid A guy. In Rainbows as a whole doesn't really click for me. It sounds ok but I don't really hear any hooks?
I like the first song but not really into the rest.
I knew the singles very well, much better than the rest of the album. I can see why it was a hit!
Hell yeah. I first heard this record almost 25 years ago and somehow forgot about it? So glad to revisit. What a pleasure.
The Bill Lynch version of Pet Sounds
Can't say it's bad but I wasn't really into it either.
I find that I am just not so interested in vocal acrobatics these days. Some tracks are fine I guess.
Stay and the title track are awesome and worth the price of admission. 4 stars. I wish Bowie had stayed in this era a little longer.
5. Five. All timer. Perfect.
Comparing the debuts of the Rolling Stones and Beatles.. apples and oranges. Yeah, the stones debut feels old, like I should only listen to it on an AM band, and this is not a compliment. It's fine that the band didn't arrive fully gestated like the Beatles. They played the long game. But tellingly, none of these tracks made it to the early 70s compilation Hot Rocks, which goes to show how much the band themselves thought of them. If the band themselves didn't care, then why is it represented on this list?
Anyway, I will probably never listen to this record again.
I very much like Cherry Flavoured Funk more than the rest.
I don't need this. If it's good, it's impenetrable.
Judy Blue Eyes: Great
The rest.. undercooked. Neil is the secret sauce.
I played the hell out of this cassette 25 years ago. Bill Berry is huge, the Mike Mills harmonies are wonderful.. straight 5.
I will forever love Me and Julio.
It's like someone collected all the bad parts of pre-1975 Genesis and made a whole album out of it. I'm not saying at old Genesis is bad but real Heads will know what I'm talking about.
Anyway, I felt 2nd-hand embarrassment.
I do not like this group.
Five in SPITE of Country Honk and the choir intro to You Can't Always Get What You Want. Midnight Rambler might be the quintessential Stones jam, and Gimme Shelter / Monkey Man are Scorsese all-timers.
B A N G E R
I got a letter from the government
The other day
I opened and read it
And said they were SUCKAS
Necessary music that maybe didn't need Flava Flav very much but it hits hard.
Great energy but too long
Too long, felt pretty samey. I really don't think I'm the audience for this.
I used to be obsessed with The Big Country.
I respect this record because it was pretty ahead of its time.. a 1992 sound 7 years early. And I really like Small Blue Thing. Can't go higher than 3 though.
Never heard this I don't think - I'm familiar with Geoff Barrow via his solo work (absolutely check out DROKK) and Beak so I think I had a bit of an idea what to expect. But maybe I didn't.
I can see why this is described as a sexy record. I don't know if I would describe it as such but I can see it. Definitely a vibe. It's ok.
When you remove the friction from Talking Heads
Good stuff.. maybe the most sincere Nazareth cover ever
What a great time. Wonderful grooves.
I'd love to hear the record that fans of The National hear.
I can't believe there are five people in this group.
I was prepared to defend this record but it's very front loaded, if you can believe it. Snooze.
I'm not going to add to the millions of words said about Blood On The Tracks, other than "you're an idiot babe, it's a wonder you still know how to breathe" is an ALL-TIMER BURN
I feel like I have heard 400 synth pop records better than this one.
I found this on YouTube.. quite liked it. Rare neat find for this list. I'd heard later Throwing Muses material which I liked but had never been exposed to their first record.
Chugging away in the 1001 generator mines, in the 200s.. look, there are good records that came out in the 80s. Lots of them. I don't know if I'd consider this one notable, let alone so essential that I needed to hear it before I die. The album art is neat tho.
A record that makes one feel alive.
It is boring and hookless.
I don't want to be hard on Merle but I don't think this is his best record.
Singles are strong as hell but not super into the rest unfortunately.
A record for contrarians. And reader, I'm not one of them. I can find beauty in noise, distortion, some dissonance... but not this.
Hell yeah, soundtrack my sunny land travel through Europe please
Kids today will never understand how aggravating an answering machine could be.
Hell yeah. I always have a soft spot for Supergrass.
It's a great record. I want to see the 5s from the people who gave this one a 1. Pathetic.
I very much appreciate the Can vibe. We needed Can to get to The Fall.
I like rock music very much but I do not really enjoy Janis for more than 5-10 minute intervals.
Ok so the strength of the singles are beyond reproach, let's agree with that. However, let's also agree that Brothers In Arms is terribly front loaded. It's like eating dessert before your veggies.
Alright I wrote all that before I got to Brothers In Arms, and remembered how that song can hit like a 10 tonne truck. Damn.
I found it pleasant and engaging.
Pretty good. This was the best punk era.
Not Cosmo's Factory but great!
R&B pop is straight up boring
"iconic" piece of metal history!
I certainly do not have the connection to this record a lot of people my age or older do. However, my mother taped "two out of three ain't bad" off of the local AM radio station and played it a lot when I was a wee lad, and I always enjoyed it even though it bummed me out.
The Boxer, and Cecilia. Good. The rest, not so much. Title track is corny as hell to my 2026 ears and I didn't find much to like about the rest. Not being a Paul Simon hater here but I just don't find this aged very well. I'll give it a 3 on the strength of those 2 singles but it's absolutely a weak 3.
I would have put XTRMNTR on this list over Vanishing Point, but it was probably too abrasive for the author. Anyway, VP is still pretty good.
Just because you can make a record doesn't mean you should. Didn't feel very interesting or made with intent. Maybe I am not the intended audience!
A step down from the last 2 but some enjoyable tracks. Futuresque for 1990
Sometimes I wonder if something is amiss with my genetic Elder Millenial coding because I feel nothing when listening to Van. Like, I recognize that the music is well played with lots of heart or whatever but I feel zero compulsion to dive in.
Extreme recency bias. I'm assuming this one was struck from later editions of the book.. but then I'm just generally uninterested in this genre to start with.
I'm confident this record is here on this list for the single, and for that reason I'd say.. the self imposed rule against compilations is to the list/book's detriment.
The Nuggets comp should have been present instead of this album. It's a much better representation of the garage/psych scene of the late 60s.
I am not a cowboy nor am I American. However, I can still appreciate this record. What a great artifact of a time and place.
Not his best but enjoyable. There's no Move On Up, unfortunately.
Everyone that doesn't give this a five is a cop
First time I heard this. I immediately checked to see if Bruce Hornsby is on this list and there is not..
I love the sound of Murmur. It's close, comforting, yet otherworldly.
It's an album. Can't say it was my thing. Truly can't think of anything to say about it.
"This meeting could have been an email"
"This really long album could have been a single"
They can't all be bangers. Was this even popular in the UK? I don't think I would listen to it voluntarily. Electronic music is fine but uh...
In the context of 1998, it's a great breath of fresh air. Thanks Lucinda.
