86
Albums Rated
2.97
Average Rating
8%
Complete
1003 albums remaining
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
1980
Favorite Decade
Metal
Favorite Genre
US
Top Origin
Critic
Rater Style ?
5
5-Star Albums
3
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
Top Styles
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Truth And Soul
Fishbone
|
5 | 2.96 | +2.04 |
|
Ready To Die
The Notorious B.I.G.
|
5 | 3.36 | +1.64 |
|
Chocolate Starfish And The Hot Dog Flavored Water
Limp Bizkit
|
4 | 2.51 | +1.49 |
|
Illmatic
Nas
|
5 | 3.6 | +1.4 |
|
Appetite For Destruction
Guns N' Roses
|
5 | 3.71 | +1.29 |
|
Graceland
Paul Simon
|
5 | 3.72 | +1.28 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Brothers
The Black Keys
|
1 | 3.55 | -2.55 |
|
Ágætis Byrjun
Sigur Rós
|
1 | 3.37 | -2.37 |
|
Wish You Were Here
Pink Floyd
|
2 | 4.3 | -2.3 |
|
Exodus
Bob Marley & The Wailers
|
2 | 3.94 | -1.94 |
|
The Doors
The Doors
|
2 | 3.94 | -1.94 |
|
White Light / White Heat
The Velvet Underground
|
1 | 2.89 | -1.89 |
|
In Rainbows
Radiohead
|
2 | 3.86 | -1.86 |
|
Catch A Fire
Bob Marley & The Wailers
|
2 | 3.62 | -1.62 |
|
Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
|
2 | 3.54 | -1.54 |
|
The Velvet Underground
The Velvet Underground
|
2 | 3.53 | -1.53 |
5-Star Albums (5)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
Pink Floyd · 1 likes
2/5
I'll keep myself from going full contrarian here, but I am not and never have been a fan of Pink Floyd. I grew up on American classic rock radio, so I know the hits backwards and forwards. I just don't like them. I don't outright hate them. They're not The Eagles. I'm just not moved by any of this. Like Radiohead, I think I can see the appeal, it just doesn't appeal to me. Like, I can smell the converted garage bedroom one would listen to this in. Brick weed and incense and an open bag of Cool Ranch Doritos.
1-Star Albums (3)
All Ratings
Carpenters
2/5
*sigh* Okay.
Yeah, this all just sounds like parody to me at this point. It's earnest to the point of being silly. There's obviously craft involved here, and Karen Carpenter has a lovely voice, but the overall effect is just emphatically not for me. Like listening to the fever dream of someone in a diabetic coma.
Bruce Springsteen
2/5
I get it, but it's not for me. I think I'd rather just read a collection of short stories about these characters than listen to this. Also, does anyone actually ENJOY listening to a harmonica? At no point do I ever want to hear loud, atonal blatting just farting over the entire song. It's just unpleasant.
The xx
2/5
Oh, this is ambient background music for hipster coffee shops. I feel like I missed a lot of 00s indie as it was happening, but going back much of it feels flat and rather lifeless. This is no exception, so I guess I didn't miss much.
Van Halen
4/5
OK, I get it. Dad rock bad, 80s pop shallow. This is clearly not an album for Serious Music Appreciators. Which is great, because then I can crank Panama the fuck up and chase all the dreary, try-hard, tedious wankers away and enjoy myself. Because that's the thing some people seem to forget: joy and exuberance are human experiences that are worthy of celebrating. And duh, this particular brand of dude rock need not appeal to everyone. But you know, sometimes you end up in a class with a very attractive instructor and words fail you. Well, Van Halen's got you. Just raise your hand and yell "I brought my pencil!" And that'll probably work out great.
Also, Eddie is a wizard and Dave is a genial doofus. So relax, enjoy life a little. Just reach down, between your legs... and ease the seat back.
ZZ Top
3/5
An interesting album, in that I don't ever actually need to hear any of the big hits off of it, really. They rather saturated both MTV back in the day, and classic rock radio ever after. But they're enduring for a reason, just excellent 80s pop rock. I'm not mad when they come on, you know? The album cuts are... there, I guess. "Thug" is trying to do something. What that is, exactly, I'm not sure, but the bass is wilding out and that's kinda fun.
Generally speaking, the 80s were pretty rough for the big, influential acts of the 60s and 70s. I mean, look no further than Jefferson Starship to illustrate the point. With this record, ZZ Top fared a little better than, say, Steve Miller. You can still hear that lil ol band out of Texas under all the glitzy sheen of 80s production, at least. And good for that one lady in "Legs." I assume that's a feel good story of triumph over the adversity of being unable to walk, but now she has legs and knows how to use them?
The Verve
2/5
I would have enjoyed this quite a bit more if it were a tighter experience. Not only is the album too long, but pretty much every song is roughly two minutes overlong. That said, this is a heavy vibes record, so if you're not feeling it the album will seem interminable. That said Bittersweet Symphony holds up, even if I never really need to hear it again. If I could give half stars, I would, but alas.
The Notorious B.I.G.
5/5
Ooh, my first 5 star!
The funny thing is, there isn't much left to say about it. The skits are a terrible waste of time, they've always been pointless. For some reason, it was the style at the time. But the juvenile dipshittery can be overlooked because of the sheer talent on display. The weaker tracks are only weak because they exist next to things like Gimmie the Loot and motherfucking Juicy, you know? It's a classic for a reason.
Fuck Puffy for real, though.
Frank Ocean
3/5
I'm not sure what I was expecting, but it's, you know, fine. It's not quite passive, ambient background music, but it's close. Frank Ocean is an artist I've heard a lot about, but never really sought out. I can see how this is a new direction for R&B, which I appreciate, however it's missing something. Soul? Simmering rage beneath the funk? This album feels very smooth, like there's not much being said. The only time I started to get really into a track - Pyramids - it turns out the thing is 10 damn minutes long and thus loses some steam. That said, I don't hate it. Just didn't register much. Sure do with I could rate half stars, because this is a straight 2.5 - but, it gets the benefit of rounding up.
3/5
Well, it's certainly no Skylarking, but by no means is it terrible. This is one of those records where my initial reaction is: "it's interesting!" And then after some reflection: "it's interesting!" Nothing really reached out to grab me, but I was relatively engaged throughout. I get the sense it would reward relistening, but there's not quite enough gravity to pull me back in. Oh, and that dictionary song is bad. Like bad bad. Like I worry about people who think it's good bad.
The Stooges
4/5
Oh man, the energy radiating off this thing. Definitely the cocaine to The Velvet Underground's heroin (although who are we kidding, it's clearly an all of the drugs situation). I was a little surprised at the 7+ minute long freakouts, which I could probably do without, but the proto-punk attitude carries the entire record. I doubt I would listen straight through again, but Down On The Street is a banger and I'm glad I checked this out. Good to know the roots of one of my favorite genres. 3.5 rounded up.
Aretha Franklin
3/5
Early albums like this can be difficult to rate. The way things worked were just so different then, right? Anyway, as a collection of songs, this is fine. But as a talent? As influence? R-E-S-P-E-C-T. You get it. Anyway, 5/5 as a milestone, but imma give it a three.
Stevie Wonder
4/5
On the one hand, this is the weakest of Stevie's legendary 70s run of albums. So, you know, there's only like two certified all-timers on here. This record is a bit slower, and the vibe is definitely a bit heavier. Also, You Haven't Done Nothin' still being as relevant as ever is quite the disappointment.
Rush
3/5
I've always wanted to like prog rock more than I do. And while I do enjoy Rush, it's mostly classic rock radio nostalgia. I never had a full on Rush phase... probably because I'm too impatient to really immerse myself fully in a prog rock concept album. A personal failing, I'm sure.
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
3/5
Early albums are weird and difficult to rate. This has some classic, formative songs on it. "Oh Boy," "That'll be the Day," stuff like that. Sonic wallpaper for those of us over 35. I'll probably never go out of my way to hear these songs again, but I won't mind if they're on somewhere. 2.5 rounded up.
Black Sabbath
4/5
Ah, the super random album selection today is... huh. Well good call because any Ozzy is good Ozzy, and I've actually never listened to this one! Which is a shame cuz it fucking rules. I don't have much to add to the billions of words being written about the legend, suffice to say the legend is accurate. RIP to a metal god.
Ash
3/5
Cut the overall time on this by a third and it would be so much better. Not every song has to be over 4 minutes! Still, better than I expected considering I had never heard of these guys. I assume their inclusion boils down to "semi-popular, from Northern Ireland." Not exactly essential, though. Still, cool stuff.
Guns N' Roses
5/5
Look, I was like 9 or 10 the first time I listened to this album, on cassette tape, as one did in the late 80s, and it was transformative. I don't know what to tell you, but there's no objectivity with this. Paradise City hit my impressionable brain and never left.
Even now, I dunno, there's something urgent and pressing about this record. It's gross and grimy, and real in a way their peers were not. And yeah, obviously Axl is Axl, with all that entails. But the band rips, the first half of Rocket Queen just SOUNDS like LA felt in the late 80s, and it's still one of the all time great debut albums of all time.
Nas
5/5
All timer. Incisive writing, impeccable flow. The production is a bit murky, but it also just feels one with the time and place. The atmosphere and vibe of this record are second to none. It's one of those classic debuts that the artist spends their entire career chasing, and never quite catch. Which, considering the success and accolades Nas has achieved over the years is saying something. Even with my distinct West Coast bias, this is still a great album.
Black Sabbath
4/5
This is a landmark; it is a super important album stuffed with incredible songs... that I'm not sure resonate with me much anymore. Which is wild, but the truth. Great, innovative work all around, but I never need to hear Iron Man again. Still, legendary stuff. RIP Ozzy, the world will never see another like you.
Fela Kuti
3/5
Jazz... but funky. Which makes it a better jazz. I wish I enjoyed jazz more, but generally when I hear it all I hear any more is Andy Samburg in Brooklyn 99: skiddley be bop, jazz! This at least I can put on and find bits I enjoy. The first track in particular is fun, and as people have pointed out, I bet this really shines live. 2.5 rounded up.
Madness
2/5
And here I thought Madness was a ska band. I was expecting peak British 2 Tone 2nd wave ska and get... well whatever is happening here. It's not terrible? Kinda goofy in parts, dabbling in New Wave for sure. Also, that motherfucker is for sure in brown face sitting in front of a cobra or some shit. The 80s were wild, holy shit. Anyway, 2.4 rounded down. And mostly because Our House is a bop.
Prince
3/5
It's Prince. It's like spring weather in England. If you don't like it, wait five minutes. This isn't my favorite Prince album, but it's still worth a listen. It's mildly dated, but what the hell, it's still Prince. I don't have a great deal to add, not a lot stood out, songwise. A perfectly cromulant time.
The Prodigy
3/5
So, I am by no means an electronic music conisseuer. Not a hater, just generally not for me with some exceptions. I'm definitely familiar with the hits off this record, because monoculture, but I was never spurred to dig any deeper. To my surprise, I enjoyed this! I absolutely need to be in a particular mood for it, but despite the repetitive nature of this album, it's good. Plus it ends with a sick L7 cover, which I did not expect.
Common
3/5
This one starts strong but kind of peters out and then ends with an extended... audio collage? Common is an upper echelon rapper, there's some pretty great pre-psycho Kanye production, but it just doesn't carry the momentum for me. I end up wanting to like it more than I do.
Joni Mitchell
2/5
Okay, yeah - I just don't understand folk/singer-songwriters as a genre. I didn't enjoy listening to this, and I likely won't listen to it again, just emphatically not for me. That said, I see the appeal for certain tastes, and she's and important artist in her own right. Plus, she's roughly 100x more listenable than Bob Dylan, so she's got that going for her.
Steely Dan
3/5
I get it, it's bland, mellow to the point of catatonia, arguably even dull. Steely Dan is for the technicians. For people who play instruments like an engineer. And you know, good for them, I guess. Personally, I like music based in emotion expressed a little more spontaneously. I'm impressed with the technical wizards and all, but I gotta have a little feeling in there to get properly invested. That said! Some of these songs are great - true mellow classics to kinda vibe out too. The rest are the definition of inoffensive.
Radiohead
2/5
I knew my annual attempt at trying to understand the appeal of Radiohead was coming up! Turns out... I still don't get it. I listen to so much music! So many genres and eras! I try every so often to figure this out because they are so damned revered but I just do. Not. Get. It.
There's like on medium tempo song on this thing and the rest of the tracks just feel like they're drowning. And Thom Yorke sings like he's half heartedly trying to haunt me and failing. It's warbly ghost music and I can't make myself care about it.
Neil Young
3/5
Another album I ended up liking more than I thought I would. Thanks again, Classic Rock Radio! I don't have a ton to add here. It's light rock with a slight edge to it - enough to spur Lynard Skynard to respond with a diss track. For the record, I believe this is the first time I've listened to "Alabama." Where's the lie, Skynard? Anyway, I've had "Heart of Gold" stuck in my head all day.
Raekwon
3/5
My West Coast shows whenever I talk about hip hop, I think, because Wu Tang has never quite really hit for me the way I want it to. Like this is fine. Knuckleheadz is a cool song. I don't ever really need to hear a full minute of... "dialogue" before every track, though, and the production on this record is murky as shit. The actual rapping is generally solid, at least, but sometimes it feels like you have to do sonic archeology to uncover the actual bars. Still waiting for a proper West Coast classic to pop up though, because this NYC shit is, you know, not as good.
New York Dolls
3/5
This is one of those artists that probably only really, truly hit if you were there and receptive to the vibe. I can listen to this for the first time now and hear them in dozens of bands I love, but the raw material is just that, raw. It's cool, but as more of a historical curiosity for me.
Flamin' Groovies
2/5
Is the inclusion of this album simply "isn't it weird this came out at the same time as a much better album by a more famous band?" It's fine for what it is, but what it is isn't particularly noteworthy.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
2/5
Better than expected, but I didn't expect much. This is one of those albums that starts with a certified classic and then never comes close to reaching that high again, so the entire record feels like an anticlimax. The meandering 10 minute long closing track doesn't help.
Sigur Rós
1/5
Ah, my first DNF of this project. Look, I'm doing my best over here. I'm pushing against my comfort zones, I'm trying to keep an open mind, trying new things. But my patience for extended pretentious wankery is limited. Obviously there is talent here, but these are ambient soundscapes more than actual songs, and I cannot make myself care. Miserable.
Charles Mingus
2/5
Jazz. Jazzety jazzy jim jam jazz. Yeah. I, uh, do not understand jazz. I've tried. Many times. Jazzamatazz. Jeepy joopy jazz.
Jazz.
Incredible Bongo Band
4/5
Now, I won't say my expectations were high going into this, other than I expected some serious bongo action. Well, bongos delivered. But also, this is really fun?? A whole hour is a bit much, but the first 5 or 6 tracks go way harder than they have any right to. It helps that there are songs I love that obviously sample from this. The Roots, Beastie Boys, etc. A very cool surprise.
Hole
4/5
Courtney Love is criminally underrated as a songwriter and musician, for reasons that probably have nothing to do with a loud, cantankerous woman who happened to married to one of the biggest rock stars in the world. Unfortunately, Hole was not exactly prolific - that would be the cantankerous bit - but those albums had crazy range on them. This one is quite good! It's a move towards power pop, and light years away from Pretty On The Inside - hilariously so. That said, it falls short of the heights of Live Through This. It just doesn't hit quite as hard as that record. Still, there are some phenomenal tracks here. The title track, of course, Reasons to be Beautiful, and Playing Your Song all stand out. It's good!
Blondie
4/5
Blonde rules. The two big songs off this album still hit, forty... I don't want to talk about it years later. But the rest of the album is also great. It's like one of the big supernova hits are on each side, and the rest of the tracks orbit them. But it works, they're complimentary and not filler. I could easily see superfans finding favorites on this album that aren't the two hits, which to me is a hallmark of an excellent album. Also, Debbie Harry is a national treasure.
Beck
2/5
Uh oh, another DNF. And I generally like Beck! But I am not a fan of mopey breakup albums. I'm just not at that point in my life anymore. And honestly? Even when I was I still wanted to hear angry-sad as opposed to sad-sad. After six maudlin ass boohoo songs I was done. They're really well produced and the composition is tight - strangely so for a Beck record! - but they're all slow weepies and that's definitely mood-dependant music. If you're having girl problems I feel bad for you son....
Sonic Youth
4/5
Confessions of a teenage try-hard: I wore a shirt with this cover on it all the time. I did not own this record. Sonic Youth was just a band I was trying very hard to like, because they were cooool. To be fair, I did have a couple other CDs of theirs, but the art on this one was just, you know, cooool. The point, I guess, is that Sonic Youth is very mich an acquired taste. Getting into them felt like work. But hey, now I like them so I guess it paid off?
Anyway, I eventually taped this off somebody, because the 90s. My opinion of Goo hasn't really changed since then. Not as good as Daydream Nation (not much is), not as good as Dirty, but probably better than the rest of their discography. It's like they figured out how to insert music into the noise. Somewhat. Look, your mileage is going to vary. Did you spend your formative years acquiring a taste for noisy music? You'll have a good time.
I wish I still had that shirt, though.
Beastie Boys
3/5
I remember buying this in high school - because 'Sabotage,' obviously, and being utterly baffled. And disappointed, honestly. It was just... way weirder than I expected. Especially since Paul's Boutique was (and remains) such a classic. This is way more eclectic and experimental, and as such not all of it works. Particularly when you're like 15 and want everything to hit as hard as the single.
This is the first time I've listened to this in full in probably 25 years or so. Funnily enough, I have a similar take to teenage me. Basically, this moves Into sound collage mode after the Q-Tip feature, which is the last stand out track to me. That's a shame, because I like the interstitial instrumentals breaking up the proper tracks in the beginning, but the later songs just don't hit like Root Down or Sabotage. If this were an EP, easy 5 stars. Since it's an hour long... eh. At least all the good stuff is front loaded.
Queen Latifah
3/5
I like that half the reviews for this are shocked that music from 1989 sounds like music from 1989. Like yo, of course. Listening to 80s hip hop is like listening to rock from the 50s, they were figuring things out. Black Reign is a clear improvement in both flow and production, but this album, by a 19 year old woman MC is still important. For what I would think are obvious reasons. Is it something I'm going to put on regularly? Probably not! But I'm not regularly listening to Little Richard these days either. That doesn't undermine the achievement. She's the Queen, and it's a shame she doesn't rap much any more.
Siouxsie And The Banshees
4/5
Cool ass post punk for the goth kids. I was not huge into this scene back in the day, which is too bad, honestly. It's great. Halloween is the classic song, a song that sounds like what it's about. Anxious, spooky. Obviously this album works best when you're feeling a certain kind of way, but overall this is fantastic.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
2/5
Ugh, reggae. I don't care about it and you can't make me. I get the history and importance and all that, but the music itself is just so repetitive and dull I cannot bring myself to care. I never need to hear the singles again. The other songs are basically interchangeable. The one standout song - Exodus - is only good because it's more funk than reggae. Which saves it from a one star, but otherwise meh.
Justin Timberlake
2/5
On the one hand, I enjoy pop music and am glad the genre is included on this list. On the other hand, meh. Never a big Justin Timberlake fan. The album is too long, but the real sin is that it's boring. Same rhythms and same sentiments repetated for an hour. There's two standout tracks, and you've probably heard those a million times if you were alive in 2002. As I was not a teen girl then, very little about this resonates. My nostalgia is untriggered. Brittney was better, and it's not close.
The Fall
2/5
This is a DNF - I got the gist of it pretty quickly. It's what the edgy kids were into in the late 70s and early 80s. If I had known about this band in high school, I probably would have been into it too. Listening to it just sounds like a manky semi-finished basement or garage bedroom with incense covering up the mediocre pot smoke smell. Maybe there are some interesting ideas here but listening to it is a chore and the dude sounds like a prick. I'm good.
Ray Charles
3/5
Well, it beats old fashioned sounds in country and western music. Although calling big band jump swing modern is pretty funny, even in 1962. Anyway, Ray Charles is a legend, the concept of this album is incredible and subversive (for the time), and I have no real desire to ever listen to it again (complimentary).
The Police
3/5
I like The Police, but in the 20 or so years since I bought this particular album, I think I've come to accept that I mostly just like the hits. I remember picking this up in like 2001 or something because they kept playing Synchronicity II in the store I worked at, and I was always excited to hear it. I still love that song. But then I got it home and just... it's fine. Every Breath You Take is clearly the biggest song here, and I'm pretty well over that one. King of Pain is good, Murder by Numbers is fun, but the rest of the album cuts don't do much for me.
Paul Simon
2/5
I like Paul Simon, but generally in small doses. I also prefer later Paul Simon, when he pushes past folk and starts experimenting with other genres. You can hear some of that here, for sure, but for the most part it's good ol' guitar strummin' and soft singing. It's okay.
Tom Waits
2/5
The Velvet Underground
2/5
Well, put me in the 'this is slow and boring' camp, because this is slow and boring. The couple of jangly tunes and the proto-SOAD nonsense salad of The Murder Mystery keep if from being completely forgettable, but also blah. I just kept wanting to poke it with a stick. Do something!
Cocteau Twins
3/5
I'm a hypocrite, I guess. You can find reviews from me about meandering, aimless, pretentious music made by art dorks that I just find endlessly dull. By any metric this should fall under that umbrella. But I actually like it! Now there's no real stand out songs I'm going to put on a playlist. Nothing here to sing along with in the shower. What is here is a vibe. Dreamy and ethereal, put this on if you want to space out and think about nothing for a while.
Frank Zappa
3/5
See, now this is alternative 60s rock that's actually fun and interesting. This album is definitely a work unto itself and should be listened to as such, which limits how often I'd listen to it. Nonetheless, still a good time!
Pink Floyd
2/5
I'll keep myself from going full contrarian here, but I am not and never have been a fan of Pink Floyd. I grew up on American classic rock radio, so I know the hits backwards and forwards. I just don't like them. I don't outright hate them. They're not The Eagles. I'm just not moved by any of this. Like Radiohead, I think I can see the appeal, it just doesn't appeal to me. Like, I can smell the converted garage bedroom one would listen to this in. Brick weed and incense and an open bag of Cool Ranch Doritos.
The KLF
2/5
I actually don't mind a lot of electronic music, but yo... this was just straight up dull. Not offensively bad or anything, just... boring. I think the vocals made it worse somehow? I don't know. Definitely not for me, but also not really sure why this is considered fundamental.
Brian Wilson
2/5
Is... is this a prank? This is just a goofabout, right? Like a generational long con meant to dunk on pretentious music critics? Because it's not even an album! There's barely any actual songs! The only reason it's not a 1 is because Good Vibrations exists, and it's still a bop. Otherwise? Loopy clown music.
The Black Keys
1/5
Every song is an Applebee's commercial. Well, the five I managed to get through were, anyway. Just lamest, whitest, tryhard version of the blues flung in my general direction. It's what Portland hipsters in 2010 would listen to in order to let loose after a long day listening to The Decemberists and gossiping about those sellouts at Voodoo Donuts. Just awful.
The Temptations
4/5
After this last run of albums, a breath of fresh air. No one can get mad at The Temptations. Now, while a standard Motown record would probably rate a 3 as perfectly cromulant background music, this brings in a little proto-funk, which lives up the proceedings. Fun album which unfortunately loses a bit of steam towards the end. 3.5 rounded up.
LL Cool J
3/5
Like many hip hop albums of this vintage, it's a little too long and a little too corny. And this was his big, edgy comeback! The title track is a classic, but then you've got a song that seemingly exists to demonstrate LL's encyclopedic knowledge of breakfast cereal. It's a mixed bag and there needed to be some editing, but still a decent time.
Dirty Projectors
2/5
So I put this on and my immediate reaction was "Oh, fuck off." But then I guess my brain recalibrated to the weird syncopated rhythms and off kilter harmonies, because then the album was almost over and I kind of forgot I was listening to it. Which I guess is not exactly a ringing endorsement. So yeah, annoying at first, then it turned kinda bland once I got used to it. But then I paid attention it again and came full circle. So, "oh, fuck off."
Joy Division
3/5
Look, New Order is a better, more complete band. They just are. Apologies to any 80s goth kids out there gnashing their teeth about it. That said, yo, this thing has some incredible dark vibes going. Absolutely a mood piece. It is currently a bright, sunny day in early spring. There are birds and daffodils outside, and this record is the exact opposite of all that. There's a lot to like here, but choose your moments. It's music for a desolate grey November. Skeletal thorny branches clutching the shriveled remains of your heart and all that. It's music to brood by.
Paul Simon
5/5
The presence of the song "Graceland" gets us to a 4 by itself, let alone the rest of this, which is a handful of classics and some slightly above average filler. Regardless, this is album is great of you're looking for a mellow, musically intricate experience. Paul Simon's lyrics are generally fine, if centered around the experience of a middle aged white guy in the 80s. When he pushes beyond that it gets... weird. But also, it's clear by some of the reviews that a good deal of people have no actual idea what 'cultural appropriation' means. This ain't it. You can still, like, collaborate with artists from different places. Otherwise what's the argument? Separate but equal... music? No, get out of here. This is fine, some of these songs are great.
Janelle Monáe
4/5
See, now this is what I'm talking about. Albums that I know maybe one song from but never got around to checking out, and then it turns out to be great. This record is super fun, Janelle Monae is super talented, and I had a great time listening. It's to the point where I'm a little worried I'll never put in the time to properly appreciate everything going on here. A concept album with a... retro future theme but blends a good dozen genres together? And it works? Wild work, really phenomenal.
3/5
I bet this would hit harder if I were British and like 22 when this came out. But I'm not and I wasn't so this is... fine. Right down the middle, a perfect 2.5, rounded up I guess because I can't point out much wrong other than it's overlong and wears out its welcome a bit. The front half is decent though! Eh.
The Velvet Underground
1/5
Oh this again. Really, we need all three of these? Pretty sure we get the gist of what this band is all about after the one album, I have to listen to all of them before I die to really understand music? What if I already went through my Beat phase in college? Anyway, there's not what I would classify a "song" here. Especially whatever is happening at the end of this thing. "She's busy sucking on my ding-dong?" Bro. Embarrassing. That was cringe THEN. Anyway, I'm out of patience with this band. Pretty sure Sonic Youth would have figured it out without them, and the Nirvana cover of "Here She Comes Now" is infinitely better because Kurt had a sense of like, melody and rhythm. Also, real quick, this is not the only experimental band from the 60s. But apparently enough people have decided that this is the only one that matters somehow. This band is annoying. I'm annoyed. Suck a ding-dong, Velvet Underground.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
2/5
Oh, more Bob Marley. Yaaay. File this under the Velvet Underground section of influential artists I never want to actually listen to. One record will do, I get it! Especially reggae, which just drones on and on. Look, whatever. Not for me, DNF since I know it's not for me.
The Stooges
4/5
An influential record that still manages to sound menacing and vibrant 50 years later. Now we're talking. Here's the thing: I still vastly prefer the bands that came after, but this is still listenable. You can hear where this goes in the future, but it's still a self contained thing. Kinda makes me want to take some unidentified pills, punch somebody and get an STD (complimentary).
Alice In Chains
4/5
AIC was never my first choice when it came to alternative bands that were big in the 90s. And this was 100% my era. They're heavier than the other Seattle bands of the time (excluding The Melvins), but also... sludgier. And I could never really get into slower tempo heavy music. It's a failing. That said, Dirt is by no means a slog. There are parts that bog down for me, but it starts phenomenally and ends strong with a couple classics in between. 3.5 rounded up.
Jungle Brothers
4/5
Hell yeah, this is the point of the project. This completely missed me, which is a little weird since I enjoy Queen Latifah and De La, both of whom get shouted out here and they're definite contemporaries. Regardless, this is great! Positive vibes without being corny, dope production that doesn't sound super dated, and while the bars hew a little too earnest and/or preachy sometimes, the actual flow is legit. That said, it's definitely of a time. If you don't care about late 80s/early 90s hip hop, this will not change your mind. I do, though, so this is like a fantastic new discovery. The only real knock is that it gets a little baggy in places, and it's a little overlong. But that's part for the course for the era. This rules.
Beatles
4/5
Bless all the Beatle haters, truly they are the paragon of all contrarians. The world is a richer place for them and their condescending disdain for us normies and our pop music. Alas, I think The Beatles are good. Melody, harmony, all that fundamental song craft that still maps the pattern for popular music today, yes, it's good music. This is not my favorite album from them, but whatever, it's still easy to listen to and there are still a handful of all-timers on here. Anyway, there is very little left to say, nothing really to elucidate here other than the Beatles are a good band. Shocking, subversive take, I know.
Dr. Dre
4/5
Huh, this is an album I expected ro give a 5, and am now struggling to justify a 4. On the one hand, the production is legendary. G-Funk is obviously of its time, but personally I think it still sounds great. Dre's sound is the epitome of West Coast hip hop. These beats instantly upgrade any MC rapping over them. Dre included, because the other hand is the lyrics were always bad and Dre is a mid MC at best. Also the album is heavily front loaded, skits always suck, and the last track is an embarrassment. But, like, "Let Me Ride" is a fucking all-timer. Okay. 4 justified.
Yes
3/5
Oh, I don't know. Roundabout is great, some of the rest is okay, and there's a few moments that are just Monty Python-ass clown music. Self-indulgent, yes. Fundamental? Eh. It's fine. Kinda makes me wanna watch anime.
Mekons
2/5
Oh, I don't know man. This started off as "lol what the fuck" and then turned boring with brief excursions back into wtf-land. I think the main problem is, they're trying to infuse country music into punk and/or post-punk, which would be fine but... the Brits don't exactly have a country music tradition. So this ends up sounding like a British idea of country music. Not unlike the time I had what was called quacamole in London. Maybe there was an avocado involved, maybe it was just green mayonnaise, either way it wasn't what you want. Likewise, by this point, American punk bands were already incorporating country and rockabilly elements into their music. X exists, you know? Anyway, swing and a miss. I actually put on some later albums, just to see, and they get better! Not great, but better.
The Doors
2/5
I'm not high enough for this. That's the problem, I think, I've never been high enough for this. In addition, I just straight up dislike the organ as an instrument. I think it sounds dumb. Which is a tough beat for this band, because this shit is like 80% organ. I recognize the classic songs as such, I recognize Jim Morrison as a singular sex symbol, I heartily approve of the Aldous Huxley connection. I just don't care about The Doors and never have. Not for me.
Pet Shop Boys
3/5
This was a nice, chill surprise. No real peaks or valleys, just... smooth. I could feel it regulate my nervous system, like being pet by a giant cat. To be fair, I wasn't paying close attention to it and when I did it was a bit airporty. Still, it's pleasant.
Jefferson Airplane
2/5
I can't understand a band with an actual dynamo vocalist choosing to trot out a different singer not just for a one off, but like significant portions of the album. Makes no goddamn sense. It's like, well, what if we only played Tom Brady like half the time so his backup can feel involved. Anyway, this album has two incredible songs that hinge on a phenomenal vocal performance and then a bunch of boring late sixties hippie nonsense. The downside is I've heard both those songs a million times and the impact isn't really there for me any more.
The Who
3/5
I don't know, dude - it's a live album. It's weird that it's here. And it's not even something like Frampton Comes Alive, which is pretty much the definitive version of those songs. It's just like, hey, y'all like The Who? Great, here's an oddly low-energy, extremely British show. Not sure why it's here. And I like The Who! 2.5 rounded up.
Teenage Fanclub
3/5
I have so tremendously little to say about this. I don't remember this band from the time, other than they did that song with De La Soul on the Judgement Night soundtrack. This album is essentially 60s rock tarted up in 90s fashion. It's an album that makes me yearn for a 10 point scale, because this is a 2.5/5, 5/10, exactly average experience. I'll round up since I don't want to seem like o think this is bad, it isn't.
The Lemonheads
3/5
Oh right, it's the band whose big hit was a cover. That's a tough beat, they can commiserate with Alien Ant Farm and Save Ferris. Except I'd rather listen to those other two because THIS album is middle-of-the-road 90s "alternative," of the variety that made that genre name meaningless. Anyway, another 3 that feels like a 2, but that cover of Mrs. Robinson is a bop. 2.5 grudgingly rounded up.
4/5
Thought experiment: Would Limp Bizkit be better without Fred Durst? If yes, would they be anywhere near as popular without him? Anyway, this is pure goofy nonsense that is entirely overhated. Everything here is stupid. Just so, so dumb. But dumb isn't bad, and maybe I'm just more fun in my old age, but I don't hate this. This is all juvenile idiocy, but it doesn't strike me as mean spirited. I'll take this over a lot of the other butt rock schlock coming out at the time. And you may not want to hear it, but this band's sound was deeply influential once you remove the Durst of it all. That said, I don't know man, I'll bust out "Rollin" as a goof from time to time, but I'm not really going back to this, whatever my nostalgia for my early 20s might say about it. It's also way too long and burns through the best songs too quickly. Also major demerits for invoking the fucking Eagles. Gross. And also bold of Fred to interpolate Nine Inch Nails right away. Like you wish, dude. Now im stalling because I have no idea how to rate this. I feel like I should counterweight all the self-serious wankers and their entirely predictable reactions to this lowest of hanging fruit. By which I mean deeeez nuts! Anyway, hands up now hands down.
3/5
Oh yeah, no I'm not listening this. Which is nothing against the album, which I remember liking. It just featured prominently in a time of my life I don't wish to dwell on.
Talking Heads
3/5
I think Talking Heads are one of these bands that sit alongside the likes of Radiohead (named for a Talking Heads song so I know I'm not totally off base) and The Velvet Underground that I'll just never quite get completely. To be fair I like Talking Heads quite a bit better than both those bands. But I'm still not fully on board. I think it might be the full bore David Byrne theatre kid energy, actually. But then a lot of these songs run together for me and none of them quite hit except for, well, the hits. Which makes me basic, I guess? I really wish this platform had a 10 point scale, because this is better than a 3 but not quite a 4 for me. Ugh, better give it a 4 or the professional music enjoyers will shun me at the King Crimson listening party.
Fishbone
5/5
Oh. I see. Just when I thought I was on my way out of this project they bring me back in. Now look, is this one of my favorite albums? It is not. Am I giving it a 5 out of reflexive surprise at seeing a ska album on here? Absolutely. Does this album still rule? Yes, yes it does.
Earth, Wind & Fire
4/5
I don't love the ballads, but the rest is such a groove. A good vibe album that's hard not to enjoy! It's very, very 70s, but that's not always a bad thing. 3.5 rounded up.
The Shamen
2/5
A bit cheesy-pie, innit?
Big Brother & The Holding Company
3/5
I always forget how much 60s rock stole I mean borrowed from the blues. Like this is pretty much just a blues album for white hippies, right? Janis has a super strong, distinct voice, and the band is solid, but pulled out of its time, I dunno, doesn't hit for me. That and boomers have been selling me this era my whole life so I instinctively push back. It's okay.
Peter Gabriel
3/5
The thing I like about Peter Gabriel is that he walks the line between weirdo and pop star pretty well. This album is probably his pop peak, but most the record is not pop. I'm not sure what it is, as it's not exactly avant-garde, experimental music, and it's not really prog. It's a little Gracelandy, just not as good. Big Time and the Say Anything song are still dope though. 3.5 rounded down, even though In Your Eyes Still touches a brothers heart.