176
Albums Rated
3.15
Average Rating
16%
Complete
913 albums remaining
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
1970s
Favorite Decade
Metal
Favorite Genre
US
Top Origin
Wordsmith
Rater Style ?
11
5-Star Albums
8
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Five Leaves Left
Nick Drake
|
5 | 3.47 | +1.53 |
|
good kid, m.A.A.d city
Kendrick Lamar
|
5 | 3.61 | +1.39 |
|
Pink Moon
Nick Drake
|
5 | 3.65 | +1.35 |
|
Superunknown
Soundgarden
|
5 | 3.66 | +1.34 |
|
The Score
Fugees
|
5 | 3.69 | +1.31 |
|
Appetite For Destruction
Guns N' Roses
|
5 | 3.73 | +1.27 |
|
Only Built 4 Cuban Linx
Raekwon
|
4 | 2.86 | +1.14 |
|
I’m a Lonesome Fugitive
Merle Haggard
|
4 | 2.86 | +1.14 |
|
Street Signs
Ozomatli
|
4 | 2.87 | +1.13 |
|
Innervisions
Stevie Wonder
|
5 | 3.87 | +1.13 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
Kanye West
|
1 | 3.41 | -2.41 |
|
Meat Is Murder
The Smiths
|
1 | 3.32 | -2.32 |
|
The College Dropout
Kanye West
|
1 | 3.31 | -2.31 |
|
Virgin Suicides
Air
|
1 | 3.24 | -2.24 |
|
Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle
Bill Callahan
|
1 | 3.03 | -2.03 |
|
Ghosteen
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
|
1 | 2.97 | -1.97 |
|
Disintegration
The Cure
|
2 | 3.85 | -1.85 |
|
Kid A
Radiohead
|
2 | 3.71 | -1.71 |
|
The Genius Of Ray Charles
Ray Charles
|
2 | 3.63 | -1.63 |
|
The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
|
2 | 3.62 | -1.62 |
Artists
Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Nick Drake | 2 | 5 |
Least Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Kanye West | 2 | 1 |
| The Smiths | 2 | 1.5 |
| Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds | 2 | 1.5 |
5-Star Albums (11)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
Michael Jackson
4/5
Goddamn, Quincy Jones could make some hits, man. Half of this album is bangers. I actually thought the title track was the weakest offering. The King of Pop isn't someone I listen to with any regularity, but this is very good. Big time problematic legal troubles aside, MJ's musical talent is undeniable. 4/5
3 likes
The War On Drugs
2/5
Sad white boi hours over here. It was ok, but then they used a similar drum beat for damn near every song. 2/5, did not enjoy all the bland sadness.
1 likes
Elton John
4/5
I have never listened to this album in its entirety before. What an album it was. The opener, ‘Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding’, was so good it ended up being my favorite track on the album. The hits are all still S-tier songs, but the deeper cuts ‘Grey Seal’, ‘Dirty Little Girl’, and ‘All the Girls Love Alice’ are all great. There are two duds (‘Jamaica Jerk-Off’, ‘Roy Rogers’) that keep it from being perfect, but the album is still great and I will be listening again. Solid 4/5
1 likes
Santana
4/5
It goes without saying that this is top-notch guitar playing, but Santana's backing band is really good in their own right. At times it almost felt like I was listening to a Latin jazz band. Really fun music on this one, and not a huge commitment at 38 minutes. Need to grab this one on vinyl. 4/5
1 likes
Johnny Cash
5/5
This album could just be his cover of ‘Hurt’ 14 times and I’d rate it a 4. If you search the phrase “hauntingly beautiful”, this album should be the #1 result. Cash powers up his gravelly baritone for one last ride (this would be the last album completed and released in his lifetime; he would die 10 months later, and only 4 months after his wife June), and the tracks play like a man who knows he is nearing the end. It legit feels like he’s holding a living funeral through these songs. While the album is primarily covers, he puts every ounce of emotion he has left into them, making them his own. The songs depict a man reflecting on his life, his regrets, his failings, loneliness, and reckoning with his choices, both good and bad. It’s amazing that he was able to put together one of his best albums just before his death. Listening to this album always makes me cry, and today was no different. The Man in Black truly saved his best for last, and will always be a musical legend. This album will join the top of the pyramid as my tenth 5/5
1 likes
1-Star Albums (8)
All Ratings
Beth Orton
4/5
This is like if Alanis Morrisette and Noah Kahan had an English baby. Her voice reminds me a little of Dolores O'Riordan. It was solid! Scratches my 90s itch.
Deep Purple
3/5
Very solid classic rock, but nothing to write home about. Heavy on the organ, but that's kinda Deep Purple's signature anyway. Child In Time is the obvious standout, but don't sleep on Speed King or Hard Lovin' Man. It's the wonder of nature, baby!
Ray Charles
2/5
A couple good songs, but too much big band accompaniment for my taste. Not exactly what I think of when I think of Ray Charles. 2.5/5, perfectly average album.
The Smiths
1/5
First dud for me on the list. The vocal style of Morrissey is dogshit, the lyrics are heavy-handed, and most of the songs sound the same and drag on too long. The guitar work was good, but not enough to save this album. Not for me. 1/5
Michael Jackson
4/5
Goddamn, Quincy Jones could make some hits, man. Half of this album is bangers. I actually thought the title track was the weakest offering. The King of Pop isn't someone I listen to with any regularity, but this is very good. Big time problematic legal troubles aside, MJ's musical talent is undeniable. 4/5
The Cure
2/5
If you're an angsty teenager or 20-something going through a phase, I bet this album hits like crack. If you have more mainstream tastes, this probably doesn't mean much. The sound mixing was good, and I liked a couple songs, but listening to this entire album was a bit of a slog. I can appreciate it for what it is, but to a guy like me it's just average. 2.5/5
Bill Evans Trio
4/5
A very nice listen, perfect for a sunny, quiet morning.
Ozomatli
4/5
This one was a lot of fun! High energy, good beats, nice mix of instruments and styles. Plus, I recognized one of the songs from playing Madden 05, so that was a nice throwback. 4/5
Black Sabbath
5/5
Easily one of my top 20 albums of all time. Huge hit songs, powerful riffs, and Ozzy's haunting vocals all contribute to perhaps the perfect heavy metal album. My dad gifted me his original pressing from 1970 that I still cherish and play to this day. I love this album, I'm gonna listen to it again. 5/5
Led Zeppelin
5/5
An incredible debut from one of the greatest bands to ever do it. More bluesy than I remembered it being, but it works so well. Not much else to say, just a fantastic piece of music. 5/5
The Mamas & The Papas
3/5
I'm pretty meh on this. "Hippie doo-wop" would be the most apt description of the album. California Dreamin' is good. Not a bad listen, but not something I'm likely to ever listen to again. 3/5
Ali Farka Touré
3/5
A very relaxing listen. Very good instrumentation and melodies. Language barrier is what it is, but I enjoyed this. A lot of blues influence in a lot of the songs. 3.5/5
Calexico
4/5
Felt like the soundtrack to a Tarantino movie or Red Dead Redemption 2 in parts, then Mexican jazz in others. An eclectic blend of styles, but it's very smooth and easy to listen to. I like it! 4/5
The Killers
4/5
Just on the strength of the three hits alone, this is a 4/5 for me. The album trails off after the first half, but I enjoyed most of the songs, all but two. A seminal albums for Millennials that continues to hold up.
Stevie Wonder
5/5
Fantastic piece of music, no notes other than it's great. I love it and will be listening again. 5/5
Talvin Singh
3/5
Some good beats, and a couple of them had me bobbing my head. The last few songs weren't good, but the first two thirds of the album I could dig! Enjoyed this more than I thought I would. 3/5
Meat Puppets
2/5
This is nothing special. A few good guitar songs, but the vocals are so off-putting, I can't give this more than a 2. Disco is more relevant to music than whatever this is. 2/5
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
Fantastic album, but the two 15-minute each noodling tracks bring it down to a 4/5. Jimi was at his best when he melted your face for 3-5 minutes, not letting his drummer ting on his set for minutes at a time without hearing a guitar. Also, Dylan sucks and Jimi rules; AATWT is made 1000% better by Hendrix.
3/5
I don't go deep with Oasis, but the hits are good. Solid 3/5, above average album.
Elbow
2/5
Like Coldplay, but worse. Lots of slow, monotone singing. I enjoyed one song, but the opening song was so bad I think it tainted the rest of the listen for me. A generous 2/5
Derek & The Dominos
4/5
This is the kind of album I want playing in a dimly lit dive bar that still allows smoking. And you know what, I will have a couple of those cigs because this shit rocks. Heavy, hard rock blues is how I'd describe it. A few of the songs meander a bit, and the closing song is such a bummer after the title track, but it's still a solid 4/5 for me
The War On Drugs
2/5
Sad white boi hours over here. It was ok, but then they used a similar drum beat for damn near every song. 2/5, did not enjoy all the bland sadness.
Minor Threat
4/5
9 songs, 21 minutes, the perfect punk album. I fucking loved this. Raw anger, killer guitars, really gets you going. It was so short, this was the first album on this list that left me wanting more. I will be purchasing this on vinyl. Was a tad bit one-note musically, but it's still a high end 4/5 for me.
Laibach
3/5
In the running for best album cover, look at that! This album is all industrial rock with a medieval flair. Lots of gravelly vocals in German, chanting, and trumpets. Good music to March to. I commented to my wife that this sounds like it should be in a warfare video game, and lo and behold, one of the songs was in Command and Conquer: Red Alert. I didn't want to skip anything, as a few of the songs had me giggling for unknown reasons. If you dig industrial Rock, this is for you. If not, it's still an interesting and somewhat entertaining listen. 3/5
Rush
4/5
I love their sound, prog rock gatekeeper dickheads can fuck off. These Canucks rock. 4/5
The Waterboys
3/5
I enjoyed some songs, but it was mostly just OK. Kind of an underwhelming pick to be part of the 1001 best albums ever. 3/5
Bill Callahan
1/5
Vocals were nearly spoken word poems. I hated it. 1/5
Bob Dylan
2/5
Listen, I completely understand Dylan's impact on music and the cultural zeitgeist of the 1960s. I think he's a great songwriter who can put together very impactful lyrics. That said, his voice and performance style are just awful, so whiny, grating, and unpleasant. I like A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall. This is a 2/5 for me.
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
4/5
Such a beautiful, pleasant listen. Perfect calming effect on your mood. The harmonies just wash over your brain. 4/5
Brian Wilson
2/5
It's a lot of noise with a handful of decent arrangements and harmonies. Only weirdo boomers and true music snobs will appreciate this. 2/5
Marianne Faithfull
3/5
It's alright. It's nothing groundbreaking or really special. It's just a woman with an OK voice singing over some mildly interesting 1970s beats. She's the lady in the background of Metallica's 'The Memory Remains.' 3/5 I guess.
Kanye West
1/5
Fuck kanye West, die slow Nazi motherfucker. Not listening to his bullshit. 0/5
Instead, I listened to The Fame Monster (2009) by Lady Gaga. This should have been on the list anyway, so let's dance on Kanye's grave, baby. Essentially a deluxe edition of The Fame with an EP attached, there are an insane amount of hits: Just Dance, LoveGame, Paparazzi, Poker Face, Bad Romance, Alejandro, Dance in the Dark, Telephone. What more do you need from a debut?! There are a few superfluous tracks towards the end of The Fame that could have been cut that are holding it back from being perfect, but that's the only minor note I have. I love this album, I love Lady Gaga, and cannot wait to see her next weekend at MSG. 4.5/5
Brian Eno
2/5
Well, Eno wasn't lying when he said it wasn't meant to be listened to. Just some soft sounds and piano on a loop. Nothing bad persay, but it's not good either. 2/5
Peter Tosh
3/5
Just a chill listen that kinda blends together. All the beats are very similar, but still fun. Smoke trees, baby! 3/5
Queen
4/5
Come for the Bohemian Rhapsody, stay for Brian May singing like a quarter of the songs? BR being on this album puts the floor at a high 3/5. There’s definitely some filler, but there’s also some really solid deep cuts on here, too. “I’m in Love with My Car”, “Sweet Lady”, and “Love of my Life” are all good. Queen was sneaky good at creating beautiful harmonies, but a few too many jaunty, circusy tunes keep this at a 4/5 for me.
Milton Nascimento
3/5
An eclectic mix of Brazilian soft rock, jazz, and folk. I thought it was solid! Give it a chance! 3/5
Air
1/5
I think this is the most annoyed I’ve been by the list author’s choice in the 45ish albums I’ve listened to so far. I have not seen the film, so without the context of the movie it was composed for, this is just a bunch of electronic xylophone noises over simple bass lines. Also, if film scores were eligible, where the hell are the likes of John Williams or Hans Zimmer? The scores for A New Hope & Interstellar are way more influential and important than whatever this electronic schlock is. 1/5
Röyksopp
2/5
I am growing weary, as this is my third electronica album in the last five. One of the things I’ve discovered that I didn’t know about my music tastes is that I genuinely dislike electronica/techno. I’m sure it’s technically brilliant and all that, but it’s just not a pleasant listen for me with all the beeps and boops; it just all sounds too fake to me. It was better than yesterday’s abomination of a film score, but a low 2/5 is the best I can do. Please give me something with real instruments tomorrow.
Guns N' Roses
5/5
This is the audio equivalent of shoving those nerd electronica albums into a locker. Kind of the perfect album to start your Friday morning if you are a hard rock/metal aficionado like me. Nine of the twelve songs are hits, a crazy rate for any album, let alone a debut. Listening to this is like eating a greasy cheeseburger: you know it's not good for you and it's not particularly complex, but goddamn is it tasty and fun. 5/5, this is THE hair metal album.
Depeche Mode
3/5
Not really my cup of tea, but there were some good songs on this one. Slightly above average for me, 3/5.
Judas Priest
4/5
That's some good heavy metal. Halford can really belt out a tune. 4/5
Jack White
4/5
Really enjoyed this one, never really listened to any of Jack White's solo stuff before, but this has got me listening to his others. Very cool! 4/5
Paul Simon
4/5
I am not the biggest fan of folky, singer-songwriter stuff, but this is an exception; I thought this great. Simon is very talented at both the songwriting AND the singing parts (looking at you, Bobby Dylan). A couple of meh tracks keep it from a 5, but I've already added more Paul Simon stuff to my listening list. Solid 4/5 for Mr Simon!
Madness
2/5
I would describe this as proto-Ska, with a bit of teenagers mashing on a bunch of instruments. Our House is a decent song, but the rest of it waivers between alright and god-awful. It's borderline experimental in parts, and doesn't sound good. 2/5
The Fall
2/5
This is not good punk like Minor Threat, this is quite shitty punk music made by some English weirdos. This album was a chore to get through. The vocals are grating and the song structure was all over the place, to the point of being spoken word in some spots. Some interesting instrumentation saves it from a 1, but it's still a low-end 2/5 for me.
Fleet Foxes
2/5
It's ethereal, college indie folk crap. Music for day traders who think they are interesting people. Did not like this, will not explain further. 2/5
Count Basie & His Orchestra
4/5
This was pretty good! Very high-energy swing/big band record with a couple nice slower songs mixed in. Kinda like the last gasp for big band music before it was relegated to the dustbin of history. An enjoyable listen! 4/5
Jeru The Damaja
4/5
If you like 90s hip hop like me, this is your jam. Really smooth flow, good lyrical composition. Docked a point for the simplicity of the beats, but a great album nonetheless. 4/5
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
3/5
It's got Breakdown and American Girl, but the rest of the album is really forgettable. Lots of filler, but it's still Petty, so it's not bad. 3/5
Sonic Youth
3/5
Sounded kind of like alternative punk, I dunno it was hard to pin down, especially on the songs that just droned on. I enjoyed a few songs, but most of the album was just OK. 3/5
Richard Thompson
3/5
It had some promise at the outset, the first few songs were a mixture of electric rock and folk with cool arrangements and lyrics, but then it all went downhill and devolved into standard acoustic folk music. 3/5, mainly on the strength of the first three songs.
The Police
3/5
Meh. I don't have feelings one way or the other about The Police (the band, not law enforcement, ACAB always). Their sound is just so milquetoast. 3/5, slightly above average is fine for me, as I did like Message in a Bottle and Walking on the Moon.
Fugees
5/5
A buttery smooth blend of R&B, rap, and soul, this album deserves all the praise. Found myself bobbing my head during every song, even during Killing Me Softly (although I prefer the Roberta Flack version). These guys were at the top of their game in 96, there isn’t a bad song on here. I gotta get this one on vinyl. A rare 5/5 from me, it’s great and probably a top-10 album from the 1990s.
The Beau Brummels
2/5
29 minutes of mostly bad music with a guy doing a Bob Dylan impression. 2/5
Deep Purple
4/5
I really dig Deep Purple, and this is basically a greatest hits concert when they were at their peak in the mid-70s. Absolutely ripping it up during this show, great guitar solos and psychedelic sound. Only detriment is a couple of the songs are pushing 20 minutes with unnecessary noodling. A solid 4/5
Boston
4/5
This is peak dad rock. It's not overly complicated or interesting, just lots of classic rock hits (like, a ton of hits for a debut). I wavered between a 3 and a 4, but I'll go with a low end 4/5. There's just too many jams to deny.
3/5
This was alright, nothing spectacular, but it was a moderately fun listen. 3 or 4 songs I enjoyed, but had some filler/annoying songs too. Definitely deserved to be on the list, though, as their sound was pretty unique for the 1970s. 3/5
Ash
3/5
It’s an Irish alternative rock band who are basically doing Oasis but with a faster tempo. ‘Lose Control’ was a great opening track, it was tuned down and had a more punk edge than the rest of the songs, and I wish they did more like that. ‘Kung Fu’ and ‘Let It Flow’ were good, but the bulk of the album was kinda bland. 3/5, it was good in spots, but mainly just OK.
Paul Simon
3/5
Liked his self titled album much more
Pink Floyd
5/5
This lives up to the hype. Truly their magnum opus. 5/5
The Cult
4/5
Good power rock album. Really like the lead singer's voice. 4/5
Donovan
3/5
Good but not great. Did not know this guy was the artist behind Season of the Witch, which is a song I really like. Rest of the album was pretty standard fare 1960s music. 3/5
R.E.M.
2/5
Never been a fan of REM's music, and this was no exception. Very boring sound, and the vocals are monotone. Only kinda liked the opening track. 2/5, not a good listen for me.
Nine Inch Nails
4/5
I’ve never gone further than the hits with NIN, so I was excited for this listen. This album was very good! The sound and production is top-notch, and each song has its own distinct feel. My favorite track was not one of the hits (‘Closer’, ‘March of the Pigs’, ‘Hurt’), it was surprisingly ‘Heresy’. There were two tracks that were basically noise rock that kept it from a 5, but I will give this a solid 4/5, very cool album.
The Lemonheads
3/5
This is the definition of an average album. Wasn’t bad to listen to, but literally nothing stood out either. Just kinda played in my ears, then it was over. “But Adam, what about the Mrs. Robinson cover!?” What about it indeed; I tend to change the station nearly every time it comes on the SXM Lithium channel. I don’t think it’s very good. Rest of the album is fine, but it is all forgettable. Not a great choice for this list. 2.5/5
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
3/5
Two hours and ten minutes of bluegrass/country fusion, I feel like I just lived an episode of ‘Justified’. I think bluegrass is out of all of our wheelhouses. I never seek this out, but every time I listen to bluegrass, it’s pleasant enough. There were a handful of songs on here I’d listen to again, but this was a huge collaboration album with traditional country legends, and it seems like they recorded every song in one take. Lots of chatter and improv before and after the songs, which I guess is part of the bluegrass experience; it’s basically hillbilly jam band. All that said, it was fine, but too long and way too much non-musical talking in between songs to garner more than a 3/5 from me.
Janelle Monáe
2/5
I dunno man, I just couldn’t get into this one. I kept a running list of all the genres of each song, and there were six different styles on the album: soul/R&B, rap, big band/swing, funk (with one song completely ripping off the beat from the B-52s ‘Rock Lobster’), classical, and electronica. This album doesn’t know what it wants to be, and it suffers from that identity crisis in my eyes. Some people think that makes this a visionary album, but I’m not some people. Look to The Fugees The Score for an album like this done correctly. 2/5
The Roots
4/5
Back before they sold out to become that turd Jimmy Fallon's house band, The Roots actually made really good and interesting music! Found myself grooving to nearly every song. The beats are immaculate on this album, and their use of actual instruments gives this hip hop album and edge that others lack. A very solid 4/5 from me.
Beastie Boys
4/5
Some of the beats and rhyme schemes may be a bit dated, but I still think this album holds up. The songs are fun, and the hits are still great. I'll never be annoyed if someone plays the Beastie Boys (hey, that kinda rhymed!). 4/5
Kendrick Lamar
5/5
This is Kendrick’s best, easily. Perfect mix of personal reflection, social commentary, and a bit of comedy, all brought together by excellent beats from Dr. Dre. Not a single skippable song on here. It’s on my short list of all-time best hip hop albums. This could be affected by the album being released during my senior year at IU and listening to it a lot, but I’m standing by my rating: this will be my seventh 5/5 in 74 albums.
Elis Regina
3/5
A pretty good Brazilian lounge singer from the 60s/70s. She has a good voice, and it was fine listen, just nothing to write home about. I'm sure her music means a lot to others, but I can't give this anything higher than a 3/5 simply because it didn't really move me.
Penguin Cafe Orchestra
3/5
Half the songs are soft, pretty, lo-fi arrangements that I would describe as similar to the background music in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. The other half of the songs are strange experimental pieces in the style of Zappa or something; lots of chanting, clanging, and noise. I was unsurprised to learn this was produced by Brian Eno. I really enjoyed the traditional lo-fi tracks, so I will give this a 3/5 based on those. Without the awful experimental stuff, this album would have been a 4/5 easily.
Buzzcocks
3/5
Very early English punk album, this was a pretty good listen. A little lacking in the anger and edge departments when compared to someone like Minor Threat, but I can give it a pass since this was recorded in the mid-70s. Much more polished than I expected, it’s closer to pop-punk like The Offspring or Green Day than a true punk band. Overall, I liked it and wouldn’t be mad if I heard it again. I really wish there were half ratings, because it’s better than a 3 but not quite good enough for a 4, so on here I’ll give it a 3.5/5
Johnny Cash
4/5
My grandpa almost always played Cash when we rode in his truck, so this listen came with good memories. This album is live (obviously), and there’s a lot of chatter in between songs, but I feel the chatter between Cash and the prisoners is part of the album’s charm. Only a couple of his hits are on here, but he definitely created the set list special for this show, as damn near all of the songs told stories about prison life and pining for home and freedom. Cash had a great voice and understood the plight of the common man, and he’ll always be a legend worth listening to. A strong 4/5
Fiona Apple
2/5
This was mostly bad. I would describe it as "industrial folk." Odd choices in production, including multiple songs where her dogs interrupted her recording and she just left it in. Lots of the vocals are spoken word and little chants and chirping noises. Weird, bad album. Low end 2/5
The Shamen
1/5
Complete dogshit. Electronica is bad enough, but this is the nonsensical shit that played over yogurt commercials from 1991-1996. The vocals they used seemed like joke takes they were so grating. Extremely dated and nothing special at all; does not belong on this list. It's like a parody of rave music. 1/5
Siouxsie And The Banshees
4/5
Really enjoyed this one. Kinda like Joan Jett with more edge and guitars tuned way down. 4/5
Paul McCartney and Wings
3/5
As the youth say, this was extremely mid AF. Starts strong with two good songs (Band on the Run, Jet), but the rest of the album is a pile of nothing. Boomers like my dad eat this slop because it’s Beatles-adjacent. Just because it’s Paul McCartney doesn’t mean it’s a masterpiece. This is the plain toast with butter and a glass of milk of rock and roll. A generous 3/5.
Big Star
3/5
I had never heard of this band, but apparently they are a beloved cult classic rock/power pop act. You should know the third song on the album (In The Street) as the theme song for ‘That 70s Show.’ I would describe their sound like a combination of Tom Petty & Bad Company. A solid listen, and at only 37 minutes, they didn’t overstay their welcome. Nothing very memorable though. A just slightly above average 3/5 for me.
Nick Drake
5/5
A difficult album to describe, but I’m gonna try. Hauntingly beautiful songs and instrumental arrangements put together by a deeply troubled and depressed artist (he died a few years after this album’s release from an intentional OD of his antidepressant meds). Kind of like a dark Paul Simon who plays a guitar like Guy Clark. The songs’ themes are all melancholy, but he makes them calming and lovely with his instrumentation not only on the guitar but string and woodwind instruments as well. It’s been a while since an album has hit me in the feels like this one.
I will reiterate: all this praise is coming from me, the guy who prefers metal, 90s gangsta rap, and Lady Gaga, and can’t stand folk music. This means you should definitely listen to this record. Five Leaves Left is my 80th listen; there’s so many albums to go, but this will probably remain one of the best I hear. Nick Drake joins the top of the pyramid as my seventh 5/5.
Stevie Wonder
4/5
It's not Talking Book or Innervisions, but it's still really good! 4/5
Lucinda Williams
3/5
I am familiar with her from listening to SXM’s Outlaw Country channel. This was OK. The kind of music that would play at a dusty roadside bar in the middle of nowhere Texas. The storytelling is good, but with this kind of music I would prefer Ray Wylie Hubbard. 3/5
The Smiths
2/5
A 1-star improvement from Meat is Murder. Still not good. Morrissey sucks balls.
Dolly Parton
3/5
You get a steel guitar, and you get a steel guitar! Lots of songs about love and heartbreak; classic country/western music and themes. Dolly has a nice voice and is a documented wonderful person, but I can't give this more than a 3/5 due to the simplicity of the music and basic formulas of each song.
Neil Young
4/5
I expected to like this more than I did, just something about it didn’t fully click with me. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still good, and I liked the themes and storytelling, I just had expectations that weren’t met because all I’ve ever heard was that this album was awesome and I didn’t think it quite got there. Another one where I wish that there were half-ratings because I want to give it a 3.5/5 (I’ll probably give it a low-end 4 on the actual page because I have to pick 3 or 4)
John Lennon
3/5
This was alright at best. I enjoyed a few songs (Working Class Hero, God), but most of these tracks are vanilla weirdness to me. On a couple of the songs it sounded like Dr Seuss wrote some of the rhymes. John Lennon has a lot of good stuff, but this ain’t it. A barely passable 3/5
The Kinks
2/5
Pretty much the opposite of what luckynewman13 listened to. Did not enjoy this one at all; I think I’m not a fan of the 60s “Beatlemania” type music. I think it’s bland and unimaginative. There was one good song on here (Waterloo Sunset), and the rest sounded like they were either written by an 8th grader in the throes of a crush, or they raided the dumpster behind McCartney’s flat for the songs he threw out. Not a good listen. 2/5
A Tribe Called Quest
4/5
[Gordon Ramsay voice] Finally, some good fucking music.
Smart lyrics with clean beats infused with jazz, this is great hip hop. Only minor critique I have is that a few of the sounds and references are a bit dated, which is to be expected from a hip hop album recorded in 1990, but Phife & Tip are so charming and smooth that you won’t care about any minor flaws. Super socially conscious material, humor, and the infectious grooves all combine to make this a great listen. A solid 4/5
Raekwon
4/5
A Wu-Tang solo project! All the Wu-Tang members feature on most of the songs, so it’s basically a Wu-Tang album anyway. The beats are so so good on this, RZA knows what he’s doing when producing a rap album. I didn’t like the skits in between songs, which for some reason was a staple in 90s hip hop, because they interrupt the flow of an otherwise great collection of rap songs. If you listen, just hit the skip on all the skits and vibe to the beats. 4/5
The Cardigans
4/5
Making a funk/psychedelic rock album in 1996 was a wild choice, but The Cardigans totally made it work! Interesting and infectious pop grooves mixed with a little disco and funk, this album was a true throwback in the best way. 'Lovefool' is the obvious standout, but there wasn't a bad song on here IMO. A solid 4/5
Jethro Tull
3/5
Another one I thought I would like more than I did. I think this album has a reputation it can't quite deliver on. Music was a little too medieval ren fair for me. If you're into prog rock with a TON of flute work, then this one is for you. Overall it was OK, but there was nothing I loved, not even the title track. 3/5
Ice T
4/5
Long before he was a reality TV star and even longer before he was arresting pedos on Law and Order: SVU, Ice-T was making albums that go hard AF. I’m sure many will be turned off by the blunt delivery of his rhymes, but the lyricism is so good you’ll have to overlook that. Not the smoothest flow in the 90s rap game, but there’s a lot to like on this album if you’re a fan of the genre like myself. I actually thought his best track on here was ‘Body Count’, backed by his heavy metal band of the same name that he would later go on to make many records with as their front man. This won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but I enjoyed the raw emotion and surprisingly good production. Low-end 4/5 for me
Songhoy Blues
4/5
Let’s get this corrected right off the bat: this is not “World Music.” Songhoy Blues are a blues rock band in the style of like a Stevie Ray Vaughn, it’s just the lyrics are in their native Malian tongue. I really really enjoyed this one. They are all about the art of the electric guitar, and man can they play the hell out it. Really difficult to not move my body to the grooves while here at my desk. I will definitely be looking out for these guys to tour in the future, as I feel listening to this in a club would be fantastic. Read up on their story, too, as they have persevered through a ton of hardship to get their music out to the world to try to uplift their war-torn community. Just two meh songs toward the end of the record keep it from the almighty 5, but this is a very strong 4/5. Give em a listen!
Orbital
2/5
Another goddamn electronica album. 66 minutes of the following: Lt. Cmdr. Worf saying “Time is a loop” on a loop for 2 minutes, static & silence for 2 minutes, a Super Mario 64 desert level track, a Mortal Kombat ripoff, “HEY-AH” repeating over a beat for 4 minutes, and a track with both vuvuzelas and a fucking didgeridoo. This music is not meant to be listened to, it’s meant to be in the background at a club to dance to while you’re tripping balls on molly and trying to get laid. Anyone who puts this on in their car to earnestly listen to it is a psychopath. Now, the bar for a 1 is set at “Is it better or worse than The Shamen?” It is slightly better, so it gets the lowest of 2s, but I wouldn’t recommend this to anyone.
Sonic Youth
3/5
This was better than the first Sonic Youth album I got (Dirty), but still didn’t love it. The opening song has like 30m streams but I didn’t like it because it sounded like they were doing a Beach Boys impression. The next 6 songs were pretty good hard punk, and I enjoyed these and I’m basing my score mainly off these tracks. The second half of the album devolved into noise rock, which I hate. All this adds up to a respectable 3/5. Still don’t get the hype around this band.
Mekons
2/5
Annoying avant garde experiment band with a lead singer doing a bad Robert Smith impression. One song had a kazoo as the primary instrument. It is saved from a 1 because the opening song wasn't bad, but it went downhill quickly from there. A low-end 2/5
Beatles
4/5
I've never been a big fan of the Beatles, but this was a very good listen. So many strong songs, just couldn't deny it anything less than a 4/5. Blackbird is a lovely song.
Meat Loaf
3/5
To borrow a phrase from a fellow who is also doing this list, this album is cheese of the highest order. Almost every song is about sex and/or BJs, sung in the most bombastic rock opera style possible. It's super overproduced, but also kind of fun? I enjoyed some songs, but it was so much cheese I don't think I'll shit for a week. 3/5
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
A pretty good album, I really dig the “swamp rock” sound they have. Suffers just a bit from the songs sounding similar to each other, but it’s not like it’s an unpleasant similarity. ‘Green River’ is a strong opener and was the song I put on my 1001 playlist. I was wavering between a 3 and a 4 for this one, but it put me in a good mood after listening, so I’ll bump it up to a low 4/5.
Merle Haggard
4/5
I enjoyed this listen as a fan of “outlaw country.” It’s morose and heartfelt at the same time. The songs are about hiding pain as a man, being forlorn over a woman, feeling wronged, fortunes gained & lost (monetary and otherwise), and facing consequences. It’s the platonic ideal of what country music should be. A couple goofy songs keep it from being perfect, but it’s a strong 4/5. I think only Willie might have a chance to beat this one in the country genre.
The Damned
3/5
Not a bad listen, but nothing really memorable either. I hate to call it “standard fare punk” because punk isn’t supposed to be standard, but I think that’s the best way to describe it. Good, up-tempo guitar riffs, most of the songs are about 2 minutes long, and the lead singer’s voice is exactly what you’d expect for a British punk band. I did have a hard time choosing a song for the playlist because they were all the same level of OK. 3/5
Kanye West
1/5
As you know, the policy around here is no streaming revenue for Nazi scum, so I’m listening to:
Born This Way (2011) by Lady Gaga
This is such a fun album. 12 of the 14 songs are certified bangers; if this doesn’t make you want to dance, I’m gonna question if you like music. It’s a celebration of love, the LGBT community, feminism, sex, and just being young and free. A bonus is that ‘Judas’ pissed off the religious community, which is always fun. Every time I listen to this album it puts me in a great mood, and today was no different; an excellent way to start a Friday. It won’t count in the official rankings since I will be giving the Kanye album a 1, but this will unofficially join the ranks of my elite albums as my ninth 5/5.
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
While I appreciate and applaud what The Boss stands for (the working man, equal rights & opportunities, etc.), I have never been a fan of his music. His musical style and voice is just not for me. That said, this album is pretty good. His biggest hits are on here and are far and away the best songs, as the rest of the tracks are just sorta there. I did enjoy the lyrics that went over a lot of boomers’ heads, like how the government is mostly bad and will throw you aside (‘Born in the USA’), and that you’re a loser if you peaked in high school (‘Glory Days’). On the strength of the hits, this is a solid 3/5 for me; liked it, didn’t love it.
Green Day
4/5
Ah, the days when criticizing the government was so simple and uncontroversial; they literally call Bush a Nazi on ‘Holiday,’ something that wouldn’t even register to anyone today. This “rock opera” style album was a big shift for Green Day, and I think they pulled it off quite well. The tracks all flow together, but it doesn’t lose the pop-punk sound that they are known for. This album was in heavy rotation in my high school days when all my other peers were listening to Toby Keith & AC/DC, so it was fun revisiting this after I hadn’t listened to it in years. The messaging is still topical, and the riffs are good. I’m giving this a 4/5, I don’t care, I loved it.
Solomon Burke
3/5
I have to say, I am not well-versed in the soul genre; I have no idea what makes a soul album good or bad. This was just alright to me. Mr. Burke has a good, powerful voice that delivers the lyrics with great feeling, but after a few songs, they really started to meld together. There was very little variety from song to song, both musically and thematically. I’ll give it a 3/5 because it was mostly enjoyable, but kind of bland.
Nick Drake
5/5
I was quite enamored with Nick Drake’s debut album Five Leaves Left when it came up about a month ago, so I was excited when this came across the screen today. This one is his third and final album before he passed away in 1974. This was a big time sound shift from Five Leaves Left; all the backing instruments have been stripped away, leaving just Drake and a guitar or piano (he played all the instruments himself). It’s amazing how much he gets out of such simple arrangements combined with his vocals, which truly sound like a man who is nearing the sad end of a battle with depression. His lyrics will make you feel all kinds of feels, with ‘Place to Be’ and ‘Which Will’ hitting me particularly hard. The guitar work on ‘Free Ride’ is superb. I’m not sure if I liked this more or less than Five Leaves Left, but it also might be equal because I listened to it twice in a row, so this is gonna cross the threshold as my ninth 5/5.
Iron Butterfly
2/5
Funny Simpsons jokes aside, I thought this album as a whole was mostly bad. Generic, paint-by-numbers acid rock that boils down to five tracks of “Oooo baby I love you so” before we get to the title track that has its moments, but it’s way too fucking long and goes nowhere in the middle. Very disappointing listen. 2/5
The Adverts
3/5
Another British punk album. It was exactly what I expected to hear. It was fine, if a bit boring and outdated. I really don’t have anything else to say about it, most of this early punk stuff does nothing for me. There are too many British bands on this list. 3/5
Billy Joel
4/5
Don’t get it twisted, this is not corny, looking for a paycheck because my manager stole all my money, 1980s “Uptown Girl” & “We Didn’t Start The Fire” Billy Joel. This is 70s Joel, when he still had integrity and put out classic tunes that are still great today. Seven of the nine songs are banger hits. This doesn’t get a 5 because I’m not a big fan of Joel and there are other singer-songwriters that do it better (so it’s not the best example of the genre), but this is a strong 4/5.
Adele
3/5
Adele’s voice is very good, it’s just the songs are not for me, and that might be an understatement. This is music for jilted white women. I don’t have anything negative to say about the album, I just couldn’t connect with it. It’s a 3/5 just on the strength of her voice alone.
The Saints
3/5
Got away from British punk and got sent right into Australian punk! It’s a little more polished than the last couple punk albums I’ve had. The lead singer has a decent voice and the guitar was was very good and high-energy. The opening song was an absolute banger, but unfortunately that was the height of the album. It’s gonna get the same score I give most punk albums: 3/5
The Cars
3/5
New wave classic dad rock. You can hear the 80s sound trying to break free in this late 70s album. There’s four hit songs on here that most will instantly recognize; whether or not you like them is up to you. I thought this album was fine, but a little lacking for me. Another 3/5
The Rolling Stones
4/5
There is a UK version and a US version of this album that have a lot of different songs between the two, but I didn’t want to listen to an hour and forty minutes of the Stones so I chose to listen to the US version that opens with ‘Paint It Black’. They used a lot of cool, off the wall instruments on this album that made almost every song sound interesting and different from the next. I enjoyed all the tracks except for ‘Lady Jane’, as that one sounded like music from a ren fair. I think this was the first time I listened to an entire Stones album, and it was better than I expected! I’ll bump it up to a low 4/5.
Moby Grape
3/5
I would call this album “up-tempo psychedelic country.” It has plenty of rock and roll elements, too. An interesting choice for this list, as I didn’t find anything special or memorable about this. Didn’t dislike any of the songs, but still had trouble picking a song for the playlist. I enjoyed the two instrumental tracks the most, so I settled on one of those. The closest comparison I can make is a more refined Iron Butterfly with better song structure and a bit of country influence. Liked it, didn’t love it. 3/5
Lupe Fiasco
4/5
Had a lot of fun re-listening to this debut; this and his second album The Cool (2007) were in heavy rotation in the dorm and on my iPod my freshman year. This was like a breath of fresh hip hop air, both then and now; Lupe has such a unique sound. Each track has a distinct sound and feel, the production is top-notch, and his flow and lyricism are so smooth. The lyrics are sometimes funny, sometimes serious, and each song tells a story that has you hooked from the opening bars. I love this album, I’m sad he fell off my radar; I’ll be spending the rest of the day checking out his other albums. The only thing keeping this album from an emphatic 5 is the 12:20 outro track where he’s just saying names of people he likes over a basic beat. Get rid of that, and it’d be perfect. In addition to continuing to make music, he has gotten 2 black belts in karate and wushu, 2 black belts in samurai sword fighting, and has been a guest professor at MIT and Johns Hopkins. Fuck with Lupe at your own peril! A strong-ass 4/5
Radiohead
2/5
I will confess right off the bat: I’ve never gone deeper than the hits with Radiohead. This is my first full listen, start to finish, of any Radiohead album, and I suspect that Kid A is probably the wrong one to start with. All that said: I thought this album was pretty bad. A lot of this sounded like the bad electronica artists that I continually give bad scores to, only this time it’s accompanied by Thom Yorke’s droning vocals; a double-whammy of terrible. I understand that Radiohead are artists in every sense of the word, continually changing their sound, but when the sound is bad I have to call it like it is. This is experimental noise that I have little interest in. I mildly enjoyed ‘National Anthem’ and ‘How to Disappear Completely’, so it’s gonna be a low 2/5 for me. Don’t hate me.
John Cale
2/5
Some of the most vanilla singer-songwriter stuff I've ever heard. At times he's doing an Elton John impression, then inexplicably, he has a single song that sounds like a .38 Special southern rock show. There's also elements of classical music sprinkled throughout. This album has a major identity crisis; it's all over the place musically and suffers because of it. 2/5
The Pretty Things
3/5
Sounds like Queen, The Who, the Beatles, and a little Oasis all mashed up into one concept album. It even had a couple songs that sounded like proto-punk, which were the most interesting ones. All the songs were tied together in a rock opera style. It was fine, but nothing I'd want to revisit in the future. 3/5
The Rolling Stones
3/5
Just having ‘Sympathy for the Devil’ on here (and as the opening track) put this album’s floor at a 3. Unfortunately, to paraphrase Michael Jordan, the floor is the ceiling. Wayyyy too much country influence on the rest of the tracks for my liking, and they became quite repetitive. There were one or two blues-inspired songs that were okay, but overall this is a mediocre album. 3/5
D'Angelo
3/5
Strange that they didn’t rig the app and have this come up when he died last month. Oh well, it’s here now and it’s ready to fuck (quite literally). D’Angelo is smooth as hell and this is an easy and pleasant enough listen, but it suffers from being too long (every song is 5 to 7 mins long) and too much of the same thing over and over (every single track is about sex and how good his girl looks). A solid R&B album, but nothing spectacular. A solid 3/5. RIP D’Angelo, thanks for ‘Unshaken’ on the RDR2 soundtrack
Beyoncé
2/5
What an overproduced mess this album is. Turns out having about 10,000 writers and producers on an album can mess with its cohesion! Sprinkled in are elements of disco, soul, and R&B, but the dominating sound is hip hop, which in my opinion doesn’t suit Beyoncé’s talents. She has a hell of a voice, let her sing! There were only two songs on this behemoth that let her show off her vocal talent; the rest were a lot of talk-rap over complicated beats and showy production. Dangerously In Love (2003) or I Am… Sasha Fierce (2008) are much better albums suited for this list, and it’s stupid that this was the one Beyoncé album the author chose for the list. He’s not good at evaluating pop music (but loves having 500 British bands from the 1960s on here!). Also, a second ‘fuck you’ to the author for going with the Platinum Edition of the album, making it a bloated 93 minutes. 2/5
Femi Kuti
3/5
Mr. Kuti is a Nigerian musician who specializes in a genre called “Afrobeat”, which I would describe as African jazz-fusion. There were some good tracks, but others just seemed like a lot of noise; basically how I feel about most jazz music. 3/5
3/5
This is like arthouse Alanis Morrisette, but these are Alanis's rejected songs that were released years later on a deluxe edition or something. First half of the album was more enjoyable than the second. I did not enjoy the Radiohead guy popping up on multiple songs. Overall, it was OK, but I didn't love anything. Low-end 3/5.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
3/5
Pretty good indie/garage punk. Really dig the lead singer's sound. Not good enough for a 4, but a high-end 3/5 for me.
Suede
2/5
Some of the most pretentious music I've ever heard. The lead singer is trying really hard to do a Bowie/Morrissey combo impression, but here's the thing: David Bowie didn't suck. It's saved from a 1 due to the band playing their asses off to cover up for the lead. 2/5
Arcade Fire
3/5
This was OK. I have never been into any Indie bands, and Arcade Fire is no exception. I liked a few songs, which is many more than I can say for that Fleet Foxes album a couple months ago. 3/5
Miles Davis
4/5
Really really liked this. Most of the time jazz albums have a "sameness" quality to them, but each track on this album had a distinct sound, feel, and dare I say, attitude. Super smooth grooves and fantastic instrumental work. First Miles Davis album is a winner for me, high-end 4/5
Simply Red
3/5
Mostly generic Brit Pop, but at times this also sounded like a lounge act. Kind of like Genesis but not as good. Overall, it was ok, a barely passable 3/5
The Good, The Bad & The Queen
2/5
More droning than the Obama administration. I thought this was bad music. 2/5
3/5
Kind of a funky jam band vibe. Lots of cool brass instrument work. Has almost a Latin flavor to it. Unfortunate that this album didn't have 'Lowrider' on it, but it was a fun enough listen. 3/5
David Holmes
2/5
Shitty industrial electronica. Sounds like of Trent Reznor had a massive stroke and forgot how to make good music. 2/5
The Rolling Stones
3/5
[Bill Simmons voice] Are we sure The Rolling Stones are good? This is fine, generic classic rock, but I don't understand why this album is so revered. 3/5
Talking Heads
3/5
Some really cool arrangements on this album, blending synth and traditional rock instruments. These guys are great at playing music and production, but the vocal style began to wear thin on me as the tracks went along. I’d definitely be interested to hear if their sound evolves at all on later albums. 3/5
Pavement
3/5
This is a 90s alternative band that I have heard of but never got around to listening to. This album was a bit of a mixed bag; I really liked some songs, then other songs I couldn’t wait for it to end. Their sound, at least on this album, definitely falls into that mid-90s angsty ballad rock group. This was OK, but would much rather listen to other bands from this era. 3/5
Fatboy Slim
3/5
Why must there be so many electronica albums on this thing? This isn’t even the album with his good hits on it. Mr. Slim did incorporate some rock instruments into some of the mixes, so a few of the songs were tolerable, which is about the highest praise I can give one of these albums. Still, it was too fucking long (each song is 5-7 mins, totaling almost 80 mins), and way too repetitive. This music is only useful for dancing and nothing more. 3/5 just because I could tolerate the whole thing without skipping.
The Velvet Underground
2/5
Music for douchebags who wear hemp backpacks and berets. First song was good, but it devolved from there into literal talking about nonsense over a beat, droning vocals when stupid Lou Reed actually tries to sing, and loud noise rock with no rhythm. Fuck Lou Reed.
Soundgarden
5/5
A seminal grunge album, and perhaps Soundgarden's best (although I do prefer Badmotorfinger). Powerful riffs, lots of energy and creativity, and probably the best singing voice of the era in Chris Cornell. I love this era of music so much that it's difficult for me to be objective on these albums, but it's my rating and I don't care. I've sat and listened to more crap than I ever thought I would; this album is great and is better than most of the rest in my ears, so it's getting the nod as my ninth 5/5
Harry Nilsson
4/5
Sounds kind of like if Paul McCartney and Randy Newman had a baby. Weird at times, but the talent shines through, he has a pleasant voice when he wants to. The songs were all very enjoyable. Solid 4/5
The Verve
3/5
This doesn’t have ‘Bittersweet Symphony’ on it, which was disappointing. This album basically sounds like Oasis, but only the deep cuts. Lots of these songs blended together, so much so that I had to check a few times if the track had changed or not. I didn’t find anything special about this and question its inclusion in the 1001, even though I know exactly why it’s on here (they’re British). 3/5
Ramones
4/5
14 tracks, 29 minutes, pure punk awesomeness. This album is a lot of fun, some of the most high energy stuff to come out of the 1970s. It's very difficult not to move around while listening to this. So many have been influenced by the Ramones, it's kind of amazing the staying power this short-lived band had. The only minor flaw I found was most of the songs have a VERY similar musical structure, but that doesn't take away from how much fun it is. Very solid 4/5
Johnny Cash
5/5
This album could just be his cover of ‘Hurt’ 14 times and I’d rate it a 4. If you search the phrase “hauntingly beautiful”, this album should be the #1 result. Cash powers up his gravelly baritone for one last ride (this would be the last album completed and released in his lifetime; he would die 10 months later, and only 4 months after his wife June), and the tracks play like a man who knows he is nearing the end. It legit feels like he’s holding a living funeral through these songs. While the album is primarily covers, he puts every ounce of emotion he has left into them, making them his own. The songs depict a man reflecting on his life, his regrets, his failings, loneliness, and reckoning with his choices, both good and bad. It’s amazing that he was able to put together one of his best albums just before his death. Listening to this album always makes me cry, and today was no different. The Man in Black truly saved his best for last, and will always be a musical legend. This album will join the top of the pyramid as my tenth 5/5
The Kinks
3/5
It’s pretty crazy that I’ve gotten three Kinks albums and only one Beatles. This is definitely the best of the three, but I still didn’t like it very much. The British Invasion stuff does absolutely nothing for me; I get its importance in the grand scheme of music history, I just don’t find it to be good or enjoyable. The first half of the album was pretty standard fare 60s rock, which was good enough, but the second half was a weird concept, borderline experimental album. Overall, I’ll give it a low-end 3/5. Can’t wait for like 25 more albums like this!
The Allman Brothers Band
4/5
Southern blues rock at its finest. This was somehow both easy listening and hard rocking, I really enjoyed it. The Allman Brothers know how to jam, and they can play some beautiful rock music. Minor critiques are the songs are too long (2 of the 7 tracks are 20 mins or more) and I would have enjoyed some more vocals, but the musicianship is great and I really enjoyed the album as a whole. It’s a live album, but it doesn’t feel like it for the most part. None of their hits are on here, so if that’s what you’re looking for, you’re gonna be disappointed, but I would say just let the music play and you’ll probably enjoy your time. 4/5
Radiohead
2/5
This album might be the second worst thing to happen in 2001. 2/5
Fela Kuti
3/5
African jazz fusion that was written in protest of the Nigerian military government. It was fine, good beats and instrument work. Album was only two songs long (20 mins total), so it didn’t overstay its welcome. 3/5
Scritti Politti
1/5
Holy hell, this was bad. It was like a parody of a parody of 1980s pop music. So vanilla and lifeless, I literally respect this author so much less because he put this on here. This “band” listened to a lot of Hall & Oates and Michael Jackson and said, “Hey, that stuff is too hardcore. Let’s tone it down a bit.” This album is just spamming the synth and easy listening beat and doing fuck else. Scritti Politti (god, what a shit band name) will be joining the Hall of Shame as my seventh 1/5
Kendrick Lamar
4/5
Thank goodness for KDot, I needed a palate cleanser after that last album. This album is very good, not great, more of a storytelling style of rap album than his earlier releases that I liked better (Good Kid, M.A.D.D. City & DAMN). Still very enjoyable with some really good tracks you can bop your head to. 4/5
The Avalanches
2/5
To quote the Grinch: all the noise noise noise
2/5
Elton John
4/5
I have never listened to this album in its entirety before. What an album it was. The opener, ‘Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding’, was so good it ended up being my favorite track on the album. The hits are all still S-tier songs, but the deeper cuts ‘Grey Seal’, ‘Dirty Little Girl’, and ‘All the Girls Love Alice’ are all great. There are two duds (‘Jamaica Jerk-Off’, ‘Roy Rogers’) that keep it from being perfect, but the album is still great and I will be listening again. Solid 4/5
Crowded House
3/5
Never ever heard of this band. I would describe them as “roots-pop” with a sprinkle of alternative rock guitar. Most of the album sounds like the dying gasp of 1980s pop-rock (kinda like Warrant’s ‘Cherry Pie’ was one of the last hair band hits in 1990). There was nothing bad about this album, but nothing really stood out; just had a pretty generic sound to it, stuck between eras of music. Good to listen to what else was going on in music in 1991, as Nevermind, Ten, and Badmotorfinger all releasing that year effectively buried this kind of music. 3/5
Dire Straits
4/5
This hit very nicely on a Friday morning. These guys really play well together. All the songs were good; ‘Sultans of Swing’ is the obvious standout, but the opener ‘Down to the Waterline’ had a nice groove and was also a favorite. Didn’t love it quite enough to garner a perfect 5, but it’s a solid 4/5 easily.
Os Mutantes
3/5
Brazilian psychedelic rock band. Sort of sounded like if Cream or Iron Butterfly spoke Portuguese. It was alright, but I probably would have enjoyed it more if I was stoned or took a hit of acid. 3/5
Machito
3/5
High-energy Cuban jazz. Very easy to dance to, and in many ways I enjoyed this more than “standard” jazz, but the album suffered because all the songs sounded nearly exactly the same as the one before it. Got very repetitive very fast. 3/5
Beatles
3/5
It’s The Beatles, so you pretty much know exactly what you’re gonna get when you press play. I’m sure this was a revolutionary sound back in the early 60s, but it seems so pedestrian to me here in 2025. My music tastes are just not at all into the British Invasion stuff. The hits are really good, but the glut of deep cuts on here just don’t hit for me at all. 3/5
Soul II Soul
2/5
If any of these songs were played in a club everyone would sit down. Simple late-80s beats that weren’t up tempo enough to be considered dance music, and the lyrics were mostly like socially conscious rap. Album was not cohesive at all and was boring as hell. 2/5
Tracy Chapman
4/5
A delightful listen. Tons of emotion in the songs, and her voice is perfect for what she has written. Not much else to say on it. It’s a really good album that I enjoyed thoroughly. 4/5
FKA twigs
2/5
Did not like this one at all. Best way I can describe it is “electronica hipster Doja Cat.” The vocal style she uses, a high-pitched permanent breathless whisper, really got old quickly. The minimalist beats with industrial noises in the background did not help things either. Very little I enjoyed on this album. I almost want to give it a 1, but it’s not as bad as the other seven that I’ve given that score, so it will get the lowest 2/5 I can give.
Led Zeppelin
4/5
Almost every song on this album is a 5-8 minute long epic, but it doesn’t really feel like it. Like, yeah it’s probably too long at 90 minutes, but it’s Zeppelin, man. I don’t see any Led Zeppelin album dipping below a 4/5 for me, and this is no different. I love good rock and roll, what can i say?
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
2/5
For a band called Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds, this was very boring. Almost sounded like a lounge act for the majority of the album. Lead singer (Nick Cave I presume?) has sort of a Morrissey thing going on, which I do not like. A very boring and repetitive album, all the songs are monotone vocals, piano, and a jazz drum lightly tapping. 2/5
Santana
4/5
It goes without saying that this is top-notch guitar playing, but Santana's backing band is really good in their own right. At times it almost felt like I was listening to a Latin jazz band. Really fun music on this one, and not a huge commitment at 38 minutes. Need to grab this one on vinyl. 4/5
Queen
4/5
I think someone else on here had this one recently and gave it a 5; I won’t go that far, but this was very good. A grand total of zero of their hits on on here, but it’s not noticeable at all. It’s crazy that some of these tracks weren’t popular. A fun listen; it’s cool that I keep discovering new sides to a band that I thought I knew well. 4/5
Beatles
4/5
Another Beatles album, hooray. This one has been the best of the four I’ve had. Pretty much all the songs are good, they’re all around 2 minutes long, and Eleanor Rigby is my favorite Beatles song, so this will score a solid 4/5 from me. Only like 7 more Beatles albums to go!
Small Faces
4/5
The leader in the clubhouse for most outstanding album title, this is a psychedelic rock concept album. At times weird, at times rockin’, and at times technically brilliant, I had a good time listening to this album. The title track is a great instrumental song, but ‘Afterglow’ and ‘Rollin’ Over’ were also favorites. I could have done without the spoken word intros on each song on the back half of the album, but it’s only a minor inconvenience. I’d love to give this a 3.5, but I can’t so it’s gonna get bumped up to a low 4/5.
Various Artists
3/5
It's Christmas classics, YMMV. It was fine. Merry Christmas. 3/5
Television
3/5
Never heard of these guys, but this was pretty good. Kind of like psychedelic rock, but with a bit of a harder edge to it. Not quite good enough to get to a 4 though.
Mariah Carey
3/5
Mariah's voice is excellent, but the songs on this album are bland as hell. She could have done better if she had a different team around her. Overall it was ok, 3/5
R.E.M.
3/5
Normally don't like REM, but there were some good tunes on this one. 3/5, not too bad a listen
The Flaming Lips
4/5
I'm normally not one for the indie stuff, but I enjoyed this. Kind of like if Linkin Park was softer. Cool arrangements. 4/5
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
1/5
This is my second Nick Cave album in the last ten days, and it’s somehow worse than the first one. Ambient, drippy bullshit with some of the worst vocal “performances” I have ever heard. Melancholy dogshit music. This will enter the Hall of Shame as my eighth 1/5.
Randy Newman
2/5
Did the Toy Story guy just drop multiple hard-R N-bombs on the opening track? I really don’t know how to rate this since his voice sucks, but the melodies are good. 2/5, I guess?
Prince
3/5
Didn’t like this one as much as I thought I would. Lots of slow jams, not as up-tempo as Purple Rain, and nowhere near the number of recognizable hits. It’s musically brilliant, and Prince can fucking shred the guitar, but the album was kinda boring as a whole. Just slightly above average 3/5
OutKast
4/5
This has ‘Bombs Over Baghdad’ so the floor is set at a 4/5. Really really strong album. Immaculate beats, great features (Khujo and Killer Mike really stood out), just about as much fun as you can have with a rap album. It doesn’t quite get up to a perfect 5 level due to too many interludes/skits and a couple dud songs, but this is a powerful 4/5 easily.
Lenny Kravitz
3/5
A nice mix of funk, soul, and hard rock. Lenny can really play the guitar. Nothing spectacular, just solid all around. 3/5
Germs
3/5
Pretty good hardcore punk album. This won't be everyone's cup of tea, but I do believe this is an important record. Creating this kind of sound in the 1970s is wild. Solid 3/5
Joan Armatrading
3/5
I would describe this singer-songwriter album as a more up-tempo Tracy Chapman. Some good songs with a lot of emotion (and gratuitous saxophone!), and some very generic songs as well. A mixed bag, but a pleasant enough listen. 3/5
David Bowie
4/5
Never gone deeper than the hits with Bowie, so this was my first listen to one of his albums from start to finish. It was really good! Didn’t know what to expect with a modern Bowie album, but there were really good songs on this, especially the title track, ‘Valentine’s Day’, and ‘Dancing Out In Space’. It’s a very approachable album for an artist like Bowie, but he still managed to keep it distinctly Bowie, if that makes sense. A fun listen, a solid 4/5