226
Albums Rated
3.35
Average Rating
21%
Complete
863 albums remaining
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
1960
Favorite Decade
Punk
Favorite Genre
US
Top Origin
Wordsmith
Rater Style ?
35
5-Star Albums
6
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
Top Styles
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
69 Love Songs
The Magnetic Fields
|
5 | 2.85 | +2.15 |
|
Sail Away
Randy Newman
|
5 | 2.97 | +2.03 |
|
Sister
Sonic Youth
|
5 | 3.02 | +1.98 |
|
Youth And Young Manhood
Kings of Leon
|
5 | 3.09 | +1.91 |
|
The La's
The La's
|
5 | 3.14 | +1.86 |
|
Astral Weeks
Van Morrison
|
5 | 3.26 | +1.74 |
|
Daydream Nation
Sonic Youth
|
5 | 3.29 | +1.71 |
|
Achtung Baby
U2
|
5 | 3.3 | +1.7 |
|
A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector
Various Artists
|
5 | 3.3 | +1.7 |
|
Raw Power
The Stooges
|
5 | 3.31 | +1.69 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Hybrid Theory
Linkin Park
|
1 | 3.39 | -2.39 |
|
Eliminator
ZZ Top
|
1 | 3.37 | -2.37 |
|
Back to Basics
Christina Aguilera
|
1 | 2.75 | -1.75 |
|
Jagged Little Pill
Alanis Morissette
|
2 | 3.72 | -1.72 |
|
Pearl
Janis Joplin
|
2 | 3.72 | -1.72 |
|
Next
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
|
1 | 2.71 | -1.71 |
|
Raw Like Sushi
Neneh Cherry
|
1 | 2.7 | -1.7 |
|
Madman Across The Water
Elton John
|
2 | 3.58 | -1.58 |
|
Butterfly
Mariah Carey
|
1 | 2.48 | -1.48 |
|
Ellington at Newport
Duke Ellington
|
2 | 3.43 | -1.43 |
Artists
Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Beatles | 3 | 4.67 |
| R.E.M. | 3 | 4.67 |
| Sonic Youth | 2 | 5 |
Controversial
| Artist | Ratings |
|---|---|
| Marvin Gaye | 5, 2 |
5-Star Albums (35)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
Saint Etienne · 2 likes
3/5
This was pleasant throughout, but my interest is limited by the fact I didn’t really like the vocals - her voice and the vocal melodies. I like the fact these songs seem to be created by a bass line-driven song writing process, regardless of electric, acoustic or keyboard bass. That is a strength. If I was a club guy, maybe I would have memories of doing ecstasy and dancing all night to this record, but I don’t have that rating multiplier.
Marty Robbins · 1 likes
5/5
I probably shouldn’t like this since he’s playacting a cowboy, but I love it despite the lack of true emotional depth. I end up in a mid-century fantasy world and I’m cool with that. El Paso made a nice cameo in Breaking Bad. In fact, the last episode is titled Felina, the tragic love interest in the song. No doubt they liked that it made an anagram of “finale” too.
Elbow · 1 likes
3/5
I need a few more listens and this might go up to a 4. Has a Peter Gabriel feel to me - art damaged orchestral pop.
Randy Newman · 1 likes
5/5
I’ve been a big fan of this album for years. As a nascent cynic, this one spoke to me when I first found a used copy. Memo to My Son is probably my favorite Randy Newman song.
Talking Heads · 1 likes
5/5
I’m a big fan of the record, even if the party kind of stops after the first half. I like the contemplative and atmospheric second half, even though it doesn’t have a Crosseyed and Painless or Once in a Lifetime. When I think of this album, I now think of this Onion article which, ummm, hit home. I have this album on vinyl and I’m pretty sure I’ve made my daughter listen to it. https://theonion.com/cool-dad-raising-daughter-on-media-that-will-put-her-en-1819572981/
1-Star Albums (6)
All Ratings
The Stooges
5/5
Black Sabbath
4/5
The first song is a mission statement. The new direction is apparent. When the album veers into heavy R&B, I like it less than the "scary music" they intended to make. There are plenty of other good moments but Black Sabbath (the song) is straight up bad ass. It sounds great echoing down my street in the darkness on Halloween. Beware children!
Alanis Morissette
2/5
I don’t remember her voice being this grating. Production suffers as a product of the mid 90s. Most lyrics are super facile and it’s not just Ironic. Not entirely useless given its part in the acceptance of women’s sexual agency, but I didn’t enjoy re-listening to this.
Lauryn Hill
4/5
Sarah Vaughan
3/5
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
3/5
Norah Jones
2/5
Beautiful voice but the album does not really do anything for me.
David Bowie
3/5
Keith Jarrett
3/5
Pretty and chill. Impressive that’s it’s all improvised as I understand it.
Jorge Ben Jor
4/5
This is pretty much why I’m here. Revisiting Boston is fine, but this was cool. I’m a fan of Brazilian music like Astrid Gilberto and Os Mutantes but don’t have a particularly deep well to draw from. Liked this record a lot and the samba soul sound. O Filosofo was a particularly great cut.
Elliott Smith
5/5
One of my favorite albums of any time and certainly the 90s. It still sounds great and pretty timeless to me. Ballad of Big Nothing is my favorite slacker anthem. My 21 year old daughter, who loves Elliott Smith, was born on the same day he died and likes to imagine some piece of him was reborn with her. :)
Wu-Tang Clan
4/5
I had heard this album a couple times but I am more familiar with the latter-day side projects than the source, so I’m glad this came up.
Sepultura
2/5
I don’t have enough death/trash metal depth to distinguish this from other acts or say if this is particularly good, but I didn’t hate the experience.
Haircut 100
3/5
New to me and I enjoyed the party the first time through.
Randy Newman
5/5
I’ve been a big fan of this album for years. As a nascent cynic, this one spoke to me when I first found a used copy. Memo to My Son is probably my favorite Randy Newman song.
Stan Getz
3/5
Elbow
3/5
I need a few more listens and this might go up to a 4. Has a Peter Gabriel feel to me - art damaged orchestral pop.
Dr. John
3/5
Fela Kuti
3/5
Funky and fun.
Bruce Springsteen
2/5
Waylon Jennings
4/5
Never really explored the Waylon discography much despite having multiple Kris Kristofferson, Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, etc. albums. I don’t like his voice as much as the others I mentioned, but this is a fun listen with lots of good songs. Happy to be exposed to it.
Dolly Parton
2/5
My Mom loved this album but it still doesn’t do it for me despite loving early Dolly Parton. 80s era country is not my favorite.
The Smashing Pumpkins
4/5
I hadn’t listened to it in 20 years and enjoyed the experience pretty well. They are not all great songs, but there are enough good and great ones to make that album better than I remembered.
Rufus Wainwright
2/5
Pretty, but the crooning got to me eventually.
Rod Stewart
3/5
I missed the years he was decent, so I just associate with his mostly terrible 80s stuff. And Maggie May. This is probably not going into regular rotation but was a lot better than I expected.
Yes
3/5
I have some small level of affinity towards the 70s hard rock and prog rock sound, but mostly don’t like this album. However, I’ve Seen All Good People is their best song, and it’s not close IMO. Toward the end of part A (around 2:50) the bass and organ finally come in on the last chorus and it’s a glorious moment in pop music. It raises this album from a 2- to a 3. That song is written around the vocal hooks and most of the others are not, so the virtuosity comes off as self- indulgence.
Pantera
2/5
Muscular riff work and aggression, I just don’t have enough interest in the genre to fully appreciate it, I think.
Prefab Sprout
3/5
This album shows up a on a lot of best lists, so I’ve tried getting into it a couple of times before. Got a little closer this time, but I’m not a full convert yet. I’ll try again in another 10 years. I really like Faron Young, though.
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
3/5
Happy to add context to my 80s-flavored perception of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and I really liked a few of the songs, including Keep on the Sunny Side, You Are My Flower, I’m Thinking of My Blue Eyes, and Both Sides Now. I’m a Carter Family and Doc Watson fan, so most of their songs resonated. Roy Acuff not as much. While the title track is pretty good, it doesn’t crack the top three versions of that song, IMO. For me, bluegrass is the speed metal of country music, and I have limited patience for it. This gargantuan collection exceeds those limits.
Patti Smith
3/5
I’m a big fan of the song Kimberly, and I like most of this album. The song Birdland probably moves this from a 4 to a 3 for me. Too long and too much warbling.
Little Simz
4/5
The album covers a lot of ground from drill-ish songs to jazzy arrangements that remind me of Jamila Woods. This might be a 3 in reality if I had enough listens but I was intrigued enough to spin it 3 times. I will probably listen more times to this.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
5/5
My favorite Bob Marley album has always been Kaya but that’s only because that’s the one I bought in freshman year of college. Then I bought Uprising and stopped. I stopped too soon. The amount of hits on this record is nuts.
James Brown
3/5
Marvin Gaye
5/5
5/5
It’s not even in my top 5 Beatles albums but it’s great. When I’m Sixty-Four, A Day in the Life, Fixing A hole are all kick ass songs, and none of those probably are considered a “hit” from this album. It’s hard not to grade on a curve for the Beatles, but the 5 years from 1965-1969 are the most fertile period anyone has ever had in pop music, and so even though this album exists next to Revolver and Rubber Soul and Help and Abbey Road and the White Album and Magical Mystery Tour, it’s still great.
Sebadoh
3/5
It’s inconsistent like all Sebadoh albums, which is a reflection of how they’re organized and a sort of Minutemen-ish ethos. You’re going to get ballads, noise rock, tongue-in-cheek songs and more. It’s kind of amazing that I had never listened to this album considering I really like III and Harmacy and I’ve listened to every other album. I really can’t explain how I never got to this one, but I’m glad I did. Soul and Fire is super great, and I like a whole lot more. That said, I feel like there are better versions of some of these archetypes in their catalog. Take Think (Let Tomorrow Bee) - it’s a very pretty love ballad. It’s also not as good as Truly Great Thing from III or Willing to Wait from Harmacy.
Run-D.M.C.
3/5
Forty years later, it sounds pretty rudimentary. Still some bangers on there and middle schooler in me was very happy to hear Son of Buford.
5/5
I’m a big fan of the Kinks and this is probably my second favorite album. I’m a sucker for British cultural commentary pop from this era. Australia and Shangri-La take some time to get to, but are the heart of the record for me.
Jah Wobble's Invaders Of The Heart
3/5
Jurassic 5
4/5
I listened to this several times through, enjoyed it and rounded up to 4 stars. I am an easy mark for this one because I like Digable Planets and Tribe Called Quest which they seem to have modeled their sound on. My main criticism is that they haven’t really pushed anywhere beyond their influences, but it’s a fun listen nonetheless. Incidentally, before listening to this, I kind of thought this was a jam band which is pretty funny. I had heard the name before but never listened to them…probably because I thought it was a jam band. :)
Girls Against Boys
3/5
Probably would have been 4 stars to 20 year old me, but that ship had sailed. I will need to be satisfied with Local H and Primal Scream to scratch this itch. Love the filthy grooves and while I don’t mind his growl, it doesn’t do enough to push this farther into my rotation. Glad to hear it on balance, though.
Jimmy Smith
3/5
The Who
4/5
I’ve had the vinyl of this album for years and there are six songs on it. It’s fine, but includes some of the more self-indulgent numbers including Young Man Blues and 15 mins of My Generation. I was surprised and delighted at the 14 songs on the expanded version including some on my Who favorites like Tattoo, Happy Jack and a Quick One. There’s a good mix here of pretty things and raw aggression. Btw, if you’ve never seen A Quick One from The Rolling Stones Rock n Roll circus, it’s worth your time. It’s also live and you can see what this looked like live. As I understand it, the footage was supposed to be turned into a BBC special, but the Who blew The Rolling Stones off the stage and they changed course. https://youtu.be/RJv2-_--EY4?si=Ie-MA3FelDjmHV02
Michael Jackson
3/5
Does anyone need my opinion on this album? I still have the vinyl I bought as a grade schooler and enjoy Beat It, Billie Jean, and Human Nature.
Ice T
2/5
The rapping doesn’t measure up to his contemporaries and seems really OG like Run DMC. The album is mostly notable because the extreme content.
Kings of Leon
5/5
I have always really liked the first two albums of this band where they were grimy, son-of-a-preacher-man mirrors of the Strokes. This album smells like a rock n roll dive in a very good way. They even cover some ground from sleeze blues to tight indie rockers to sort-of ballads. Everyone needs to pay their rent, so I don’t begrudge their turn to arena rock, but that band isn’t for me.
Green Day
4/5
Happy Mondays
2/5
Maybe I would get more on repeated listens, but I’m pretty ambivalent about this album on one listen. They kind of remind me of the Mekons.
Brian Wilson
4/5
I’m a fan of this album and It rewards multiple listens. Even though it is weird and uneven, there’s a lot of breathtaking stuff and new discoveries around every corner.
The Icarus Line
2/5
Meh.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
Some of that lyrical content is red flag material, which is especially unfortunate for Under My Thumb. The back half is way stronger than the first half. I don’t care for most of it besides the opener. Out of Time is great, along with I Am Waiting and Take It or Leave It.
Bill Callahan
3/5
Similar to many Smog/Bill Callahan albums, I liked it but not every song and don’t feel like I need to acquire more. That sounds maybe too negative since I enjoyed the experience.
Lambchop
3/5
I think this album suffered from our group due to the obvious similarities with Bill Callaghan - baritone and sing/talk vocals plus generally slow tempo music. I listened to this maybe 10 years ago when it was on some other beat of list and my opinion hasn’t changed. I liked it pretty well, but there is not enough to get me to go deeper. Let’s hope the National isn’t the next album.
Beatles
5/5
Duke Ellington
2/5
Big Black
4/5
I liked this way more than I was expecting. Songs about F$&king didn’t make a huge impact on me 25 years ago when I was introduced to it, but maybe I was just not ready to hear it then. Now I will need to revisit that. Lots of interesting songs here, and I especially liked Kerosene, Bad Houses, and Bazooka Joe.
Johnny Cash
3/5
Rush
2/5
I rounded up because I appreciate ambition in art, but this is not my thing. I think I prefer Rush when they sell out and are more economical.
Marvin Gaye
2/5
While nothing really offended me on this album, it’s way too long and uniform.
The Go-Go's
3/5
I’m not going to say this is punk AF, but it was more punk than I remembered. I feel like it got marketed to me as pop, but it’s pop punk with 80s stylings.
Holger Czukay
3/5
I liked more than I didn’t.
De La Soul
5/5
The Byrds
3/5
Most Byrds albums I’ve listened too are uneven. This one is too, but more solid than most.
Prince
4/5
The Clash
4/5
I enjoy this album, but I do think from London Calling on they found their voice whereas this album seems more like someone else’s voice and more typical of British punk music. That said, it has tons of great songs including Career Opportunities which is an all time great.
The Zombies
5/5
Some probably find this too precious but I’m a sucker for orchestral pop. I was introduced to this album by This Will Be Our Year which is the best song by a fair margin. Some of the tracks took time to grow on me but did with the exception of only a couple. Colin Blunstone has one of my favorite rock/pop voices of any era.
Willie Nelson
4/5
I don’t have bad word to say about Willie Nelson. This is a great album and a favorite of mine.
George Michael
2/5
After the first two songs, I really wanted to like this, but I really didn’t. In the 80s I dismissed Wham! as a limited, manufactured, corporate entity. I really enjoyed the recent Wham! documentary and that helped me realize how talented George Michael was. The guy knew his way around a pop hook and obviously has an incredible voice. This album covers a lot of styles but mostly badly. We have piano ballads, guitar ballads, folky tunes, jazzy numbers, and, um, a reggae song. The album is saved from 1 star by the first two songs, especially Freedom! ‘90. That’s a real banger.
Janis Joplin
2/5
I went through a pretty good classic rock phase in high school, so I’ve heard this before. I was curious to see if I maybe I was more ready to hear it now. Not really. This is not my thing, and I rounded up for the definitive version of Me and Bobby McGee. Cool rock/blues voice but the whole leaves me cold.
Spacemen 3
3/5
The 9 song original album is pretty good. I definitely didn’t need the 2 disc set version, or two versions of Suicide. I like the idea of the homage to Suicide more than I like the results. I have listened to and like a couple of Spiritualized albums but it was fun to hear this and how that band grew out of the shoegaze scene. I like a fair amount of the genre, so this was an easy sell to me, but not sure how much I’m ever going back. Really liked Lord Can You Hear Me.
Leonard Cohen
4/5
I feel like production held back my enjoyment of a lot of Leonard Cohen’s albums beyond the very early stuff. This one seems like the production well matches the content of meditations at the end of life. It doesn’t have a ton of spotlight tracks but definitely gets the message across so I’ll round up to 4.
The Doors
3/5
It’s got Hyacinth House and Riders on the Storm and I really like both of those. When they start blues jamming, I lose interest quickly.
John Coltrane
3/5
Songhoy Blues
3/5
I like this style of music and have listened to some Ali Farka Toure records and Mdou Moctar. It was cool to hear a different take on desert blues, but no tracks really grabbed me and I’m not super sure I will revisit this.
The Smiths
4/5
This is the best Smiths album in my view. I can’t quite pull the trigger on 5 stars since my ceiling for the Smiths/Morissey isn’t quite that high. The run on this album from Cemetry Gates through There Is a Light That Never Goes Out is pretty great.
The Divine Comedy
2/5
I rounded up to two stars due to the wit, but I really didn’t like his voice or the production. There’s an element of theater or melodrama that I like in the Magnetic Fields, but I would rather hear about electric eels under the covers rather than riding your lover like a horse at dawn.
Paul Simon
3/5
Initially I had a strong negative reaction to the production on this album and the first song, which sucks despite being very real for Paul Simon. I listened twice and liked it much more on the second listen. I’m not choosing to listen to this over Graceland or There Goes Rhymin’ Simon, but it was pretty interesting to see how some of the songs would transmute into songs from Graceland. You Can Call Me Al is a dumb, catchy song that bears resemblance to Cars Are Cars which is a very dumb song. Similarly, Hearts and Bones sure has things in common with Graceland, especially when he says “are traveling together.” The melody and phrase is really close to “my traveling companion is nine years old”. Train in the Distance has elements that sound like Under African Skies. Glad I heard it but not sure I will go back.
R.E.M.
5/5
Portishead
4/5
This was an interesting album to listen to since I’m not sure I even really like it but I definitely appreciate it. I really, really like the drums/beats used. All the instrumentation is creative and evocative. I actively dislike the vocals. I think her voice is perfectly fine but the vocal lines aren’t my thing and irritate me. I think they are going for haunting/creepy but I just find them overwrought and grating. I really like The Rip which I already knew and Magic Doors which I didn’t already know.
U2
3/5
Not a ton of depth beyond the two hits and 40. It turns out Under a Blood Red Sky really is a better “early” U2 document and there are other U2 albums that have a more cohesive and distinct idea rendered.
Teenage Fanclub
3/5
I bought this when it came out on the strength of The Concept. It’s solid and without waste tracks, but when I want something in this era of power pop I tend toward Lemonheads, Matthew Sweet or Weezer.
Depeche Mode
2/5
The Flaming Lips
5/5
I hadn’t listened to this album as a whole in at least 10 years. My memory was of an album with great singles but also filler. As a 30 year Flamingo Lips fan, I’ve admired their ability to push their ramshackle psychedelia to different places, and that always made Soft Bulletin a bigger step for me and a near perfect album. This album and the one that follows, kept playing in the same sandbox that got forged by the boom box experiments and then Zaireeka. There are a lot of good songs here besides the big three (Fight Test, Yoshimi 1, and Do You Realize) including Are You a Hypnotist?? and In the Morning of the Magicians and that got me to 4.5 stars. It’s not Revolver but it’s a really good record and it has the state song of Oklahoma (Do You Realize), which is probably the coolest thing Oklahoma has done in the last 30 years.
Sly & The Family Stone
4/5
I slightly prefer the darker energy of There’s a Riot Goin’ On but there’s a reason half the greatest hits album comes from this one. I hadn’t listened to it before and so I’m glad it’s on this list even if it is a bit uneven.
Madonna
2/5
Not enough hooks besides the title track to get me interested.
Linkin Park
1/5
This band has 52 million Spotify listeners, so I’m obviously missing something. I couldn’t wait for this to end.
White Denim
3/5
I’m glad this was on the list since I’ve never heard of this band but liked a fair bit of contemporaneous bands like Grizzly Bear and the Dirty Projectors that mixed prog rock with indie. White Denim introduces some southern rock elements that at times reminds me of My Morning Jacket and even the Allman Brothers. I was really between a 3 and 4 and might regret the score I gave this, but I don’t see myself going back to this a ton.
The Beach Boys
5/5
When I first bought this album in the 90s, it had this little extra on it which helped me understand the melodic universe that lived in Brian Wilson’s head for a little while. This is a background song on this album and it touches God. https://youtu.be/scIncjf0y0E
The Monks
4/5
Weird and wonderful. I’ve been a fan of this album for a while along with the 60s garage rock, proto-punk stuff from the Nuggets compilation more generally. I like the primitive, drum/rhythm forward sound. I also appreciate their strange back story. The front half is stronger than the back half, but still very glad this exists in the world.
Alice In Chains
4/5
If I rated this purely on the likelihood of me listening to it again, I would have rated it a 3. For some reason I have never really loved Alice In Chains despite them ticking a lot of boxes. However, I recognize this album is very good. It’s full of great metal riffs, big hooks, authenticity, a unique soundscape and production.
Prince
3/5
Starts off on a heater but loses steam after the first 3 tracks. I’m a bigger fan of two other Prince albums at a minimum.
Nine Inch Nails
4/5
I appreciated this more than I thought I would. Had not listened to it in 30 years and it held up well.
Fela Kuti
4/5
There are very few songs over 6-8 minutes that I really like, so I was pretty skeptical starting off on a four song album with an average track length over 13 minutes. The first two tracks are tight, funky and fiery. They carry this to a 4 for me. There’s nothing wrong with the latter two tracks, but the horns in the first song blew my mind.
The Band
2/5
Fiona Apple
4/5
I’m a fan of Fiona Apple. This album has her vocal style, themes and aesthetic represented with the vocal jazz-inflected pop, torch singing, etc. I think she has two better albums - When the Pawn… and Idler Wheel - and that’s probably why I’m having trouble adding another star because I’m unlikely to spend a ton of time with this one despite a fair amount of really good songs like Shadowboxer, Criminal, Pale September and Carrion.
Deee-Lite
3/5
This was a fun and pleasant way to spend 48 minutes. The big single totally dominates this record. There aren’t a bunch of other big missed singles here.
Television
5/5
It’s a great record from a super cool time and place in music that undoubtedly influenced many of my favorite bands. Tom Verlaine’s vocals are polarizing, but I really like them. The song structures are particularly strong so it’s not just kick ass guitar licks. The “hits” are front loaded but there aren’t any bad songs in my view.
Thundercat
3/5
It was hard to take this all in through one listening. I probably would have given it 2 stars but I feel like with more listening a some favorites would emerge given the musical terrain covered. I also rounded up for having a maximally idiosyncratic guest list that included both Kendrick Lamar and Kenny Loggins.
Radiohead
5/5
While I like two Radiohead albums better than this, it’s a massive change from the previous album and I love a band that doesn’t rest on its laurels. The opening of this album is wonderful. The very first noted let you know what is coming.
Dusty Springfield
3/5
I was happy to listen to this since I knew the name but had never really listened to her music. Until yesterday, I didn’t even know she was British. With that said, most of the songs that I knew are better in other versions, like the Shirelles’ Will You Love Me or Georgie Fame’s Do Re Mi. I rounded up to 3 stars on the strength of Twenty-Four Hours from Tulsa. I had never heard that and loved it.
50 Cent
3/5
I was a fan of this album when it came out but have realized over time that I like fewer songs than I did 20 years ago. His flow still sounds great, better than most current rappers. The original album was 16 tracks and that was probably too long, so pushing this out with 5 additional tracks was a poor decision.
Paul McCartney and Wings
3/5
I’ve always admired the very odd song structure of the title track. Jet is fine for me as are a few others. I liked Mamunia and it really sounds like a John Lennon song. That kind of makes me like it more, thinking Paul is channeling something he is missing. I had never listened to this album. I had owned Ram for awhile as a thrift purchase and really didn’t like that album. This one was much better to me so I’m glad it came up.
R.E.M.
5/5
I’m between a 4 and 5 on this album, but I will round up. All three of my kids (22, 19 and 11) know and love It’s the End of the World… completely independent of me. That’s kind of amazing, and fitting for what you could argue is their best song. I don’t really like the late album run of Fireplace to King of Birds. I appreciate them trying something outside their comfort zone with Lightning Hopkins, but that one in particular work. That said, lots good ones on this record and Distrubance at the Heron House is a personal favorite.
ZZ Top
1/5
I’m not a Texas Blues fan, and certainly not this commercialized, antiseptic version of it. The last song with different production could be a Motörhead song, but that’s not enough to get this album out of the basement.
k.d. lang
2/5
Pleasant voice, reasonable melodies, but not a ton to grab me.
Talking Heads
5/5
I’m a big fan of the record, even if the party kind of stops after the first half. I like the contemplative and atmospheric second half, even though it doesn’t have a Crosseyed and Painless or Once in a Lifetime. When I think of this album, I now think of this Onion article which, ummm, hit home. I have this album on vinyl and I’m pretty sure I’ve made my daughter listen to it. https://theonion.com/cool-dad-raising-daughter-on-media-that-will-put-her-en-1819572981/
3/5
Better than I expected given what I knew of Muse. It’s too melodramatic and perfectly engineered for the arena for me to like it without reservation but I suppose I admire their craft.
Björk
2/5
I have a great deal of respect for Bjork. I don’t think it’s very easy to maintain a commercially viable life in music when you are so incredibly idiosyncratic. She has an absolutely unique sound, and I like it reasonably well. That said, I’m not sure I’ve ever truly liked an entire album of hers, including the Sugarcubes, but rather I like some individual songs. The closest to liking an album is probably Vespertine, not this one.
The Thrills
2/5
I could probably accept the twee nature of this band, but I just don’t like the vocals. The guy’s voice bugs me. The name checking of various California locations gets tiresome, too. I listened to this back when it came out as I recall it being pretty well reviewed. I didn’t get it then, and things haven’t changed despite a few nice moments.
Megadeth
3/5
Sweet riffage. I like the soloing a little less, and I’m not a huge fan of Dave’s voice. The subject matter is kind of dumb but charming in a metal way.
Sonic Youth
5/5
If most of pop and rock are portraits or still lives with clear subjects, Sonic Youth is doing William Turner landscapes - moody and indistinct. They don’t sound like much else before them, and definitely bridged the early indie bands of the 80s to the 90s indie scene. That’s probably a good thing given their incredibly pretentious name. This is one of my favorite records of theirs, including the Gerhardt Richter cover. Teen Age Riot, Total Trash and the Trilogy are great. I even like a throwaway like Providence which manages to be funny and sad at the same time.
Malcolm McLaren
4/5
This was a pleasant surprise and something I had never heard before yesterday. As I mentioned in the chat, the fact that Eminem referenced Buffalo Gals blew me away. My favorites were that song, Double Dutch, and Punk It Up. As far as the cultural appropriation goes, I will outsource my thoughts to the Robert Christgau review from 40 years ago:
I wish he'd thought to mention which specific Africans contributed to which specific tracks. Culture may be collective, but (in this culture) wealth ain't.
Raekwon
2/5
I kind of assumed I would like this more since I bought Only Built 4 Cuban Linx 2 when it came out in 2009 and liked it quite a bit. This one just didn’t have enough interesting instrumentation/sampling. It’s pretty one note, even though I like Raekwon and Ghostface Killah’s rapping styles.
Nick Drake
4/5
I like three of Nick Drake’s albums, but I’m not sure I would go so far as to call any one of them great. There isn’t a lot of range going on, that’s not what he does. My favorites from this one are Way To Blue, Saturday Sun, and especially Cello Song.
The Beta Band
3/5
I wanted to hate this album after reading their Spotify “about the artist” narrative. It was so self-congratulatory, it was Trumpian. It starts off, “Arguably one of the most acclaimed and loved bands of the time,” and it goes downhill from there. I was familiar with Dry the Rain, which is great, but not a lot else. The first time through, I thought it was fine but it didn’t really grab me. I liked it better the second time and appreciate the range of sounds and influences. They are mostly atmospheric indie pop but sometimes head directly into the party and occasionally even get funky.
Sonic Youth
5/5
Sometimes I wonder why this project picks some albums by artists I like - Hearts & Bones by Paul Simon, I’m looking at you! Not in this case, though. We’ve gotten two SY albums in a week and they are my two favorite SY albums. Schizophrenia is probably my favorite song of theirs since I think trying to capture mental illness in pop music and largely succeeding is a real achievement. The story is terrifying. Going to a friend’s house and his sister is dealing with something so scary, and her brother is dismissive. It’s incredibly real. Then at the 1:45 mark the music becomes exhilarating and haunting. Kim Gordon is perfect here. Tuff Gnarl, Stereo Sanctity, Catholic Block are all great. I like finishing with a sense of humor and looseness too and really like Master-Dik.
The Magnetic Fields
5/5
This is a collection of one line drawings. There are plenty of great melodies, even if they aren’t fully worked out. There are plenty of great lines, even if they are mostly insincere. They overcome a somewhat limited sonic palette with multiple voices, musical styles, and sexual orientations. You’re bound to have some clunkers and numbers that feel like cleaning up after a brainstorming session with this quantity. That makes me want more editing but 35 Love Songs doesn’t hit the same. I’m going to round up for ambition.
Willie Colón & Rubén Blades
4/5
It was a cool, grey, damp week in Chicago, so this warmed me up at the end of it. I have no frame of reference for this music and I don’t speak the language, but enjoyed the experience. The disco to salsa transition in the first song was pretty sweet and I liked Maria Lionza a lot.
The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy
3/5
The music is better than their name, and I realize that is probably damning with faint praise. The instrumental arrangements were pretty interesting with a cool mix of styles, and often funky bass lines. I preferred the moments when you get hooks or actual rapping rather than the sermonizing, but I know that misses the point of what they are doing.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
3/5
I have very specific memories from high school related to this album. I had a friend who liked them and this conjures detailed memories of sleepovers at his house. He played Mother’s Milk a lot, and then this came out and changed their trajectory. I don’t really like RHCP, but I will give anyone props that is able to make a durable life in music while being this unusual. Why don’t I like them? Flea and Anthony Kiedis don’t do it for me, and that’s a big part of their identity. Drummer is fine, and I really like John Frusciante’s guitar playing. I rounded up because Give It Away was a milestone music video, legitimately cool and unusual. While I like other songs better, that song would be a good way to summarize what the band does well.
Supertramp
2/5
I don’t totally hate Supertramp and their prog pop sensibility. They have some singles that I like, but I’m not revisiting this album. Meh.
Paul McCartney
3/5
I liked this just fine. Enjoyed a couple songs in particular I had never heard including Every Night. I feel like two solo Paul McCartney albums is at least one to many, but I would take three albums if it meant I didn’t have to slog through Linkin Park. I’m preparing myself for the Lennon solo records. I know it’s coming.
Van Morrison
5/5
I’m a big fan of this record. I appreciate the jazz freak folk soul mashup that really pushed the limits of soul music. It’s very organic music to me, and many props to his band on this record, especially the bassist, Richard Davis. A lot of great songs but the buildup in Madame George to the crescendo at 3:35 is probably my favorite part. His phrasing at the climax is just incredible, even if he’s a giant asshole.
Machito
4/5
I enjoyed this a lot. It may have something to do with the fact that Chicago is cold and supposed to get a bunch of snow tomorrow. I may be coping here. At any rate, nice mix of arrangements and tempos, so it kept my interest, and transported me somewhere warmer.
Funkadelic
5/5
I hit my Parilament/Funkadelic jag about 10 years ago and did a deep-ish dive. This album is a great choice for this list. I don’t love the last track, but I’m on board right up to that, including the windswept guitar heroism of the first track. There are tracks that sound like Sly, and one that sounds like Jimi, and then there’s Can You Get to That, which gets a place in my pantheon.
Skepta
2/5
There were at very least a couple of better hip hop records in 2016, including Coloring Book. I feel like hip hop is where you most feel the author’s predisposition toward British artists. I liked a couple of tracks but the production and flow get repetitive to me. I appreciate the relative economy of the 44min runtime.
My Bloody Valentine
4/5
One thing I’ve noticed about my vinyl collection is that I own a lot of second or third best records of bands. This is an example. I bought this in the mp3 era and I don’t own Loveless for some reason. Someday I need to trade quantity for quality because I don’t listen to this record. That preamble makes it seem like I don’t like MBV but this is an interesting album because it feels like it is roughly divided into thirds. The first third sounds like Loveless 2.0, and sure, I’m going to like that. The middle third is more subdued and while it is not unpleasant, it is a little boring to me. The last third sure seems a lot closer to EDM, and maybe even jungle. I know Shields has liked that scene for years and this seems like what MBV sounds like fused to heavily percussive electronic music. It’s sometimes grating, but definitely an interesting new direction.
Stevie Wonder
4/5
Superstition is so good it gets the album a four stars virtually by itself. The horn arrangement is mind blowing. The funk of the bass/keyboard riff is extraordinary and pretty weird if you listen to the tone of it. The first and last songs, Big Brother and Maybe Your Baby are good, but a lot of it falls into the category of inoffensive but meh. This is another album I own on vinyl that I never revisit so I enjoyed this. I bought it at the same time as Innervisions and Songs in the Key of Life and I go to those more.
Saint Etienne
3/5
This was pleasant throughout, but my interest is limited by the fact I didn’t really like the vocals - her voice and the vocal melodies. I like the fact these songs seem to be created by a bass line-driven song writing process, regardless of electric, acoustic or keyboard bass. That is a strength. If I was a club guy, maybe I would have memories of doing ecstasy and dancing all night to this record, but I don’t have that rating multiplier.
R.E.M.
4/5
This may be the only record where the untitled track is my favorite song. I like more than I don’t, but can’t go all the way to 5 stars given that this is probably my 6th favorite REM album, and it really makes me wonder exactly how many REM albums will be on this list. I feel like this is a strange choice because it is a transitional album. They maxxed their rock band phase on Document, and haven’t gotten all the way to the art folk country pop of Out of Time and beyond. The Wrong Child is a song I don’t really like, but may give me the strongest visceral reaction on the record. I don’t buy the story they’re telling but I think the concept is an interesting one. It makes me sad, but also a little annoyed.
The Sugarcubes
2/5
Seems like an Icelandic take on the Minutemen, but more artsy and annoying. I’m ok with the Bjork parts and there are a couple of songs I enjoyed on this. I was familiar with Birthday before. When the guy starts singing, I check out.
Santana
3/5
This was much more fun than I expected. I’m pretty sure I listened to this album 30 years ago and didn’t like it, so my expectations were low. Also, maybe I’ve been softened up by Bjork
The Verve
3/5
I saw this band in 1993 at Le Bataclan in Paris. U of I had an exchange program there. The Verve opened for the Smashing Pumpkins. James Iha came on stage with a paper bag on his head and baguettes coming out of his sleeves and slinky danced. He said his name was Baguette Man. I bought the Storm in Heaven CD. I smoked weed with friends and listened to it. I listened to this album less. I’m sure I like that first album because it was my intro to the band. It’s less about Richard Ashcroft’s singing and the melody writing, and more about hazy dreamy psychedelic rock. It also didn’t have any mega hooks like Bittersweet Symphony. I’m glad the guy finally got paid for his efforts. There are a few tracks on here I like beside it as well.
Dead Kennedys
3/5
I knew California Uber Alles and Holiday in Cambodia, and liked both, especially the latter. It turns out I like a few more than that, and I like the cover art to boot. The guitar tone is great, and they are tight. The main thing that tempers my enthusiasm is I don’t really like the vocals most of the time. It kind of feels like what Jello Biafra thought punk was supposed to sound like, kind of aping Sex Pistols whine and warbling.
Pixies
4/5
I love Velouria, Ana, and Havalina. I like quite few more than that on this record. They kind of perfected their sound on this album, but it kind of makes me miss the less engineered feeling of the previous records. While they are not my favorite songs on their respective albums, I like the slapdash nature of Tony’s Theme or Hey. This album is more intentional. I also think that my introduction to the Pixies went Doolittle, back to Surfer Rosa and then Bossanova and that is affecting my perception of the relative value.
Green Day
4/5
Dookie is a little one note, but a heck of a way to announce yourself to the culture. The hook writing is kind of crazy since some of the “throwaway” songs have pretty good hooks that would have been radio material for other bands. When they occasionally stray from the formula, their results are mixed at best. They got better at that over the years.
Super Furry Animals
3/5
The guy’s got a really cool voice, and they write pretty good hooks. They remind of Supergrass a little bit. Liked the title track a lot along with some others. Might get another Star if I spent more time with it, but I gotta move on…
PJ Harvey
3/5
I’ve been revisiting this album every five or ten years since it came out, wondering what is wrong with me since I can’t really get into it. I like the guitar tone, the uncomfortable sex/violence/gender subject matter, the live sounding production (mostly), and I like her voice. After listening again, I think I just don’t get enough hooks, either guitar or vocal melody. It makes it so I enjoy the experience of the album but I couldn’t sing a single line back to you. I have two smaller gripes. First, is that I think this bassist sucks. For the most part he just plays the guitar line and rarely engages with the drummer, leaving him on an island and burying the bass in the mix under the guitar. Second, the mix sounds very live, and I like it generally, but I don’t think you can hear the kick drum and the compression/mastering is bananas especially on the first track. It’s probably intentional to get you to turn it up and split ears, but it’s crazy low. Favorite is 50ft Queenie and least favorite is Rub ‘Til It Bleeds for all the reasons I listed
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
There are a lot of well written songs on the record including the title track. I’m allergic to the production, but I grew up in the 80s, so there’s baggage with that sound. I think it’s mostly the snare I’m reacting to? I’m on Fire is probably my favorite track and I don’t think it’s an accident that the production is very different on that track, so I’ll won’t question the implications of the lyrics. It’s western music, and I like it. Dancing in the Dark leans into the 80s fully and that works pretty well, too. No Surrender would sound fine next to Thunder Road. The production on I’m Going Down is different too but that song sucks.
M.I.A.
4/5
It’s sometimes almost purposefully annoying but occasionally feels like a breathtaking new kind of music. It’s got a collage feeling, emphasizing the global south but also borrows from Modern Lovers, New Order, the Pixies, and the Clash. Like a lot of self-obsessed pop figures (see West, Kanye), she seems like a paranoid, conspiracy-obsessed creature, and ultimately kind of a tragic story of fame.
U2
5/5
I was in college in architecture school when this album came out. This album was super popular and a bit artsy so it was played a lot in architectural studios of the era. I spent a lot of time in those studios listening to it. I saw the Zoo TV tour. Normally, I would say nostalgia would be weighing heavily on my rating, but I had completely forgotten about this album and haven't listened to it in at least 20 years. I'm sure I've heard One or Mysterious Ways on the radio, but I had erased a bunch of songs on this like So Cruel, Acrobat and The Fly, which I'm pretty sure was a single. I guess having four producer/engineers involved was a good choice because the album sounds great. I like that they tried something different, apparently in large part because the Edge was listening to Nine Inch Nails and KMFDM, as well as Eno understanding the mission. If you told me you hate this album because of Bono's bombastic, over-emotive singing, I would get it. It's kind of interesting how they embraced a libertine Berliner aesthetic and got less pretentious and forced in the song and lyric writing but the singing went the other way.
Neil Young
5/5
I like this one a lot. Mostly folky with a little rawk to spice it up. This and Rust Never Sleeps are my favorite two of his eleventy thousand albums. If you can't get past his voice, though, this is gonna be a slog.
The Adverts
3/5
I had never listened to an Adverts album but I knew a couple songs from a 70s punk compilation called No Thanks! That compilation included Gary Gilmore’s Eyes, the charming story of a man that receives an eye transplant from a serial killer. That was on my Halloween mix for awhile. I enjoyed this album and liked Bombsite Boy especially, but if I’m going for this era and groove I’m probably still listening to the Buzzcocks.
Don McLean
3/5
The title track is a allegorical miracle. It's hard to think of another 8.5 minute song that I've heard as much on the radio. It's really a cool, rollicking song and I think Don made a mistake by putting the money shot in the first frames of this album, though I get it. Especially in those days, if you were an unknown, most people or disc jockeys wouldn't get to the 3rd or 4th or 5th track if the first few were duds. As it is, having American Pie first really sets you up for disappointment the longer the album goes on. The next two are pretty but downtempo and the 4th track hits turbo-snooze. The 5th track, Winterwood, would have made a good opener. By contrast, you can tell that Everybody Loves Me, Baby is gonna be lame from the way he counts in. I would be interested to know if he wrote that before or after American Pie, because it bears some resemblance and if he wrote it after, it is particularly tragic. Most of the rest of the songs are pretty and inoffensive, but I'm much more likely to listen to Paul Simon or Bob Dylan or Nick Drake if I want that.
The Electric Prunes
3/5
I only knew the two songs by this band that appeared on the Nuggets compilation. That is a pretty well known compilation of 60's garage/psych rock and totally worth a spin if you like garage/surf/spy/psych music of that era. I like that stuff, so I was happy to listen to a full Electric Prunes album. I'm more likely to revisit the Sonics or the Creation, but this album spans a fairly wide landscape of sounds, tempos, subjects. I'm not sure I totally liked them, but Sold to the Highest Bidder, The King Is in the Counting House, and The Toonerville Trolley were completely bananas songs that I was not expecting. Some points for taking wild swings at the prize, despite some whiffing.
Van Halen
4/5
This album definitely heralds a new branch of metal/hard rock. It’s brash and dumb and cool. I’m not a maximum guitar solo guy so this has a ceiling for me. I’ve been building an ice rink in my yard for 6-7 years, and made friends with a goalie in the neighborhood who does music writing for the Chicago Tribune. He has an extensive record collection and an audiophile setup with 300lb speakers, and $10,000 a piece components. He had us over for pizza, beer and loud music - he plays his music live venue loud. Running with the Devil was the first song he played and it was bitchin’.
Billie Holiday
3/5
I’ve always liked her voice but I’m ambivalent about the Sinatra-style orchestral treatment.
The Soft Boys
4/5
I had listened to this album before maybe ten years back and liked it alright. I Wanna Destroy You made a big impression. It's a great song, and if you told me that was Cheap Trick I might even believe you. I liked Positive Vibrations but lost interest after that. A second chance through gave me more to like including Tonight and The Queen of Eyes. I'm generally a sucker for jangly pop done well, so that tracks. There are too many songs that bug me like I Got the Hots and Old Pervert to go to five stars for me. Also, the metaphor for love on Kingdom of Love has to be one of the creepiest used in pop music. I saw Robyn Hitchcock in concert in college because Matthew Sweet was the opener. He was touring Girlfriend which I was infatuated with at the time.
Johnny Cash
4/5
It’s pretty great, even if it feels a little like a marketing stunt. An all time intro. Ultra badass. I think it gets a little sleepy in the middle, but I’m always happy to hear this!
SAULT
3/5
This is another album that demonstrates the British slant of the list. I liked it, especially on my second pass, but I would need more listens to go to more than 3 stars. While squarely R&B, there is some spoken word, gospel, Afro beat, hip hop, dance components that make it rich for re-listening. The timing of the holidays is making it hard for me to dive deeper.
Various Artists
5/5
One of two or three Christmas albums I wouldn’t mind listening to out of season. It’s starts off well enough, but by the time you get to Santa Claus Is Coming to Town, it’s full gas. The drumming is awesome and propulsive, bass lines are without flaw. It’s hard to separate this from Christmas dreck since it serves as the backbone to virtually all Christmas playlists, but you will be rewarded if you can.
Talking Heads
4/5
Like with Sonic Youth, they have have picked my two favorite Talking Heads records. It’s not a perfect album but it has a ton of cool songs and you get a glimpse into where they are eventually going.
I’m preprogrammed to dislike Rod Stewart, but this was pretty listenable.
Ms. Dynamite
2/5
There are too many Mercury Prize winners on this list that are questionable. I mostly enjoyed this album but I think it is a pale version of Lauryn Hill, the Fugees, and Erykah Badu. We already saw Lauryn Hill's record, so maybe the author just likes this R&B mashup style and time period a lot. We are probably going to see more of them. I might have rated this 3 stars but it was way too long. I would have cut 4 or 5 songs.
Elton John
2/5
Donovan
2/5
Donovan is really more of a singles artist. His greatest hits I can recommend unequivocally and you can find it used and inexpensive on vinyl. I have a pretty high tolerance for his hippy dippy bullshit, but this album really pushed that. I have a double album called A Gift from a Flower to a Garden which is more listenable than this when he goes Raga. Celeste was a nice discovery beyond the singles here and The Trip was pretty good. The lows are too low and obsessed with production. Strings, now clarinet, triangle?, bang, motherfucker, HARPSICHORD!
Traffic
3/5
I bought this album used years ago and sold it back awhile later because it didn’t stick. I didn’t expect much. It exceeded my expectations. I like the instrumental they open with. Winwood has a nice voice and the drummer is good. There are also not a ton of tracks that have deep hooks.
Joni Mitchell
4/5
Not my normal thing and I was completely unfamiliar with this but I liked it especially when she does things that are jazz inflected rather than jazz. I had to listen a lot for the hooks to get to me but I really like the complete vision. It is distinctly 70s and that adds something for me.
Beck
5/5
I've really liked, maybe loved, probably half a dozen Beck albums, including this one. I'm a sucker for Dadaism, I suppose. A cool thing that I got from relistening to this album this time was how much these tracks foreshadow things Beck is eventually going to expound on. There's the sexxy funk happening in Hotwax that he's going to explore at length on Midnite Vultures. Lord Only Knows feels like it could have been on Mutations. Jack-Ass has long been my favorite song on the album, but that probably has something to do with it not being a big single so it's my own little "secret".
Mike Ladd
3/5
It’s kind of funny that when this list includes an American rapper from this century, it’s an ex-pat that lives on the continent. I only listened once which really isn’t enough to understand the record. I liked the musical ambition with a pretty cool range of beats, synths, samples, and acoustic instruments. His flow is pleasing but not particularly distinctive. The cover art is cool. Right down the middle on this one. The Britney reference to begin the album made me laugh.
The Cure
3/5
I mostly like the Cure for their singles and have never been really taken by an entire album. I liked the more obviously goth feel of this early record. There weren't enough songs that I came away in love with, so while I like the grey sky aesthetic, it's missing an ingredient for me.
Joni Mitchell
3/5
I guess I'm officially a Joni Mitchell fan now over the course of the last week. I knew and liked California from this album, but added a few more tracks listening to this album including Carey and This Flight Tonight. If this came up on its own instead of in close proximity to Court & Spark, I might have given it a higher rating. I liked that one better since it had a pretty singular vision and a very specific place in time. This seems like a good folk record and I'm less likely to revisit it. Her lyrics are consistently great.
The Damned
2/5
I only really knew the Damned song Neat Neat Neat before this from the No Thanks! compilation. It looks like they referenced that one on track 8 of this record. Unfortunately, that song is better than anything on this album. I like this style and time period but this record doesn't do that much for me. I liked the first track and Plan 9 Channel 7 but most of it slid by without me really noticing.
The Smashing Pumpkins
5/5
I'm not going to have any perspective reviewing this album. I saw Smashing Pumpkins 3 times on this tour, twice in Chicago at the beginning of the tour and once in Paris while I was on an exchange program. My daughter still wears my falling-apart tour t shirt. I bought all the singles individually. From Gish to Mellon Collie, I was a super fan. Then I wasn't. While I don't know that this has aged as well as Gish, it's pretty great. I will say this was the height of Jimmy Chamberlain's considerable powers.
Isaac Hayes
3/5
This was pleasant enough, though maybe not enough to appear on this list. Be Yourself definitely references Everyday People. I don’t think that was an accident. I liked Cafe Regios too.
Portishead
3/5
The first two tracks give this a nice, noir opening. There were a few things beyond that I liked but a number I didn’t. I have trouble getting past the fact I don’t really like the vocals on most songs.
Neneh Cherry
1/5
Predictably, I really didn’t like this album. Buffalo Stance nearly made me think I was going to get surprised. I kind of like that song and faintly remember it. That might have earned this 2 stars but the shallowness of the beats and songs erased that goodwill. I think it’s telling that this was 1989 and it sounds like mid-80s production. This album was retreading ideas. Finally, why on earth is every song 5 minutes long?
Dr. Octagon
2/5
I have a pretty high tolerance for dumb and fun in my music. For instance, I like Motorhead. This was a little too much for me since probably a good 25% is gibberish and the whole thing is based on a fundamental misunderstanding of what a gynecologist does, but I guess I don't really know what alien gynecologists from Jupiter do. The music is ok, but not breaking down any walls. I'm not a big fan of his flow. I was able to listen to it twice without hurting myself, so I won't give it 1 star.
Ramones
5/5
Yep. It’s dumb and great.
Mariah Carey
1/5
The first song was a fairly straightforward R&B song, and I thought, oh, maybe this won't be as bad as I was prepared for. There were only a couple of those and I really can't get into the pop ballads or gospel pop songs that followed.
Fatboy Slim
3/5
I think I was beaten down by the string of records that ended with Mariah Carey, but I enjoyed my trip with this album, especially Santa Cruz and Going Out of My Head.
System Of A Down
3/5
I’m not entirely sure how these guys fit into Nu Metal. To my ear they sound like Tool with a sense of humor. It’s heavy and weird and I generally liked it.
Koffi Olomide
3/5
I like Afropop, so I'm always happy to be exposed to another corner of it. There are a couple of tracks on here I didn't like but mostly enjoyed the ride minus the in-your-face 80s production touches that didn't age super well.
Beatles
4/5
It's hard not to grade Beatles albums on a curve. It seems like we are going to see most of their discography and solo albums too. The hits on this one are good, but not my favorite. I'm a big fan of If I Fell, And I Love Her, and Tell Me Why. The second half is not nearly as strong.
Muddy Waters
4/5
As a Chicago resident, I probably shouldn't have such a surface knowledge of blues music, but I do. I had never heard this and I thought it was a rollicking good time. He's got a super cool voice. Like the Stones album we listened to earlier in this list, that first song hasn't aged well.
Ryan Adams
3/5
I had heard him back in the day and spent maybe 15 minutes listening to him one year at Lollapalooza, but this is the first time I really tried listening - twice to the album. He has a talent for vocal hooks without a doubt. I think his voice is good, too. If I was grading purely on his ability to write vocal melodies, this would no doubt get a 4 or 5. I just can't get away from the fact that I'm not sure I got surprised by a single thing on this album - lyrics, song structure, production, etc. It is kind of just of maddeningly normal.
Björk
4/5
This is my favorite Bjork album, though maybe I’m in for a surprise in the next 3 Bjork albums I assume we are going to hear. I like it for a few reasons. First, she achieves a complete vision. It sounds like winter, cold and crystalline. The last song kind of hints at Spring in the offing. Second, in addition to the weird meandering you would expect, there are hooks that let you establish a toe hold. Take, for instance, It’s Not Up to You. I’m not sure I could sing the verse even with an hour of study. Then the chorus hits with the simple melody and hallucinated, layered vocals and propulsive bass line. It’s pretty great. Third, this seems very much of an era, tucked between Kid A and another Icelandic band I liked, Mum. In fact, if you swapped out the vocals for Thom Yorke, I’m pretty sure you have a Radiohead album.
Big Brother & The Holding Company
3/5
I had never heard it besides the big single. I liked the heaviness of it and the bassist and drummer made me happy. I needed a few more moments on it for it to make a dent in me, and I thought the production was very weird. The guitar is super reverb’s and far away with drums and bass WAY more present. It was distracting. Enjoyed it overall.
Pere Ubu
3/5
I had listened to The Tenement Years and Terminal Tower, so I had some idea of what I was getting into, but I'm still a little punch drunk. I listened to this album twice, but I'm pretty sure I would need to listen to this 3 or 4 more times to really accurately understand it. I'm ok with the warbling vocals and the general weirdness, but probably could use some more hooks somewhere. I really liked (Pa) Ubu Dance Party, in particular, and generally that they bring elements of the 70s to 70s post-punk music which often sounds entirely outside of its era. Also, listen to On the Surface and tell me Modest Mouse sounds like it does without Pere Ubu.
Tricky
4/5
I listened to this back in the day when it came out. I'm not sure I was fully ready for it then. I like the chill of most of the album with some injections of spirit in there. Enjoyed the reimagining of Pumpkins and Public Enemy. I would revisit this.
Hugh Masekela
4/5
This was a very pleasant discovery. I love the way it sounds - it’s really well produced. There are a lot of different styles here and while I might have cut a song or two, I rarely found myself bored, and the last 5 or so songs are great. I really prefer the songs that have florid structures to the few that start/finish with a theme then spend five minutes of passing solos from player to player, but that’s a minor quibble. I will revisit this album.
Joy Division
4/5
I like the doom and gloom. Guitar riffs are great. If I'm being critical, I think they become better players later. Iconic album artwork is worth a mention, too.
Stevie Wonder
4/5
It’s overlong like most double albums, but I like his ode to black culture, and it comes in many forms on this album. I think if I had to introduce Stevie Wonder to someone, I would choose Sir Duke. It’s the best side of his genius. It has an incredible chorus hook, the descending pre-chorus is badass, and the post chorus horn solo/riff defies explanation. It is incredibly complicated and long, yet if you’ve heard the song a half dozen times you can probably sing along with it. That’s the good side. Sometimes he over thinks things like taking the subject matter of Village Ghetto Land and rendering it in strings. That was certainly a purposeful and political statement. It doesn’t land for me. So was following that song with the jazz/funk of Contusion. Then he pays it off with Sir Duke. I think you can learn a lot about him by listening to those songs in sequence. It also is a great recording - excellent production.
The La's
5/5
I had a cassette tape of this album and absolutely wore it out. It sounds great to me even if Lee Mavers never felt it properly represented. As a squarely mediocre musician I guess I get having musical ideas you can’t quite fulfill. Glad they got paid eventually. It’s just a shame it took Sixpence None The Richer to get that done.
Marty Robbins
5/5
I probably shouldn’t like this since he’s playacting a cowboy, but I love it despite the lack of true emotional depth. I end up in a mid-century fantasy world and I’m cool with that. El Paso made a nice cameo in Breaking Bad. In fact, the last episode is titled Felina, the tragic love interest in the song. No doubt they liked that it made an anagram of “finale” too.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
I bought this CD in the late 90s or early aughts. I like it pretty well, but if I'm wanting to hear Elvis Costello, I'm going to listen to This Year's Model. Until Saturday, I didn't realize that (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding was a Nick Lowe cover. This maybe deserves 4 stars because he writes good songs and his band is tight, but I really don't plan on spending a lot more time with this album in my life.
Pixies
5/5
The singles, or at least the songs with commercial potential, are all on the first half, but I like the second half, too. It’s loose and unpolished. It probably approximates Black Francis’ ideal form: unhinged and unconcerned with form, production, or commercial viability. Also, the cover b(.)(.)bs are outstanding.
Kendrick Lamar
5/5
This was my introduction to Kendrick Lamar. In my mind that was 5 years ago, but now I realize this is a classic at this point. He's released a lot of good music in between now and then, so I hadn't revisited it that much. Besides feeling really old since this is "new music" to me, I loved going back to this. The whole concept album (or short film per Kendrick) really works, including the polaroid artwork. I feel like the last track sticks out like a sore thumb, and doesn't fit on the album, but that's minor quibble. The album sounds great, his flow is awesome, and he has things worth saying. I had completely forgotten that Drake shows up on this album. I guess familiarity breeds contempt.
Christine and the Queens
3/5
I like a fair bit of electro pop acts like CHRVCHES or La Roux. I had never heard this and generally liked it. I felt this fell off the table after the first half or it might have gotten 4 stars from me.
Duran Duran
3/5
If an alien gynecologist from Jupiter asked me what 80s music sounded like, I might suggest Rio or Hungry Like the Wolf. In an era that included Michael Jackson and Madonna, these guys were the biggest thing in the world for awhile. I was looking for hidden gems, and while the other tracks were fine, I didn't find them.
Lupe Fiasco
3/5
I listened to this when it came out since he’s a Chicago guy and the album was well reviewed. Kick, Push is super great but doesn’t really have anything close to an equal.
Cocteau Twins
4/5
I probably dismissed this as music for pussies when it came out, but it turns out I'm dumb. I like the general hazy, proto-shoegaze aesthetic and there are some great songs I had never heard. The fact that she sang in gibberish also fascinates me. It could be a whole Sound Opinions episode.
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
2/5
Worth hearing but besides the title track and one or two others there isn’t enough to bring me back. There are too many stinkers.
The Divine Comedy
2/5
He gets some points for musical ambition on this album, but for the most part it allows him to suck in a variety of musical styles.
Snoop Dogg
3/5
The content is generally dumb and frequently regressive, but it is a different take on hip hop that is very west coast and, well, laid back. There are some things to enjoy besides the songs you've already heard, and since I'm Old Skool, I appreciated the Slick Rick cover. I'm surprised I had never listened to this front to back.
Pet Shop Boys
3/5
It's fine. It sounds like the Pet Shop Boys which doesn't immediately move me either way. I didn't hate it nor was I moved to become a fan.
Devendra Banhart
2/5
I've tried this guy before with similar results. I like moments and a few songs, but not enough to put up with the bullshit. I legitimately liked the first song and wondered if this album was going to be the moment I got him. Poughkeepsie definitely set me straight - that is an annoying and lazy song. It lets you know you are going to get a lot weirdness for no purpose. I also don't like that whenever he hits up bluegrass or legacy styles, etc. it's always delivered with a sneer.
John Grant
3/5
I'm reminded of Father John Misty if he were gay and lived in Iceland instead of LA. They both even use the term honeybear. I can't quibble with the lyrical content which was human, and sometimes pretty funny to boot. He writes pretty good songs. I don't like the production choices. As an example, in TC and Honeybear, the operatic backup singing kills it for me. I think that sort of kitchen sink maximalism is the part I react negatively to. The album art is kind of creepy, and I like it.
Hole
4/5
These are good songs tarnished a little bit by the production, but not fatally so.
Adele
3/5
It was a pleasant enough experience, but I was a little bored. I feel like it’s Amy Winehouse with a little less flava. The voice gets it over the finish line, but I wouldn’t mind some more chances taken.
Goldfrapp
3/5
Pretty sleepy, but it was a pleasant enough experience. I was all ready for EDM which is what I thought Goldfrapp did. If I knew their other stuff, this might have had more impact in terms of showing another side, etc.
The Prodigy
3/5
Not my thing, but I heard a fair bit of this album when it was released since a lot of my cohort liked it. It's aggressive and sounds good, so I get it if you like this. I'm sure people thought the first track title was funny 30 years ago. Hard to imagine that.
Tom Waits
2/5
I had listened to 4 or 5 of his albums but never this one. It didn't add a lot to his cannon for me. If I'm going to listen to him it's probably going to be Rain Dogs or Mule Variations. This one has a lot of the same elements - gravel voice, klink/klank percussion, alternating between pretty and challenging songs but not many that broke through for me.
Soft Machine
2/5
This was headed right for the 1 star pile, but the last two songs had moments that made me feel something. Moon in June had psych/prog rock vibes that even if I didn't out right like creeped me out a bit. The last one made for an enjoyable 8 minutes that started slow and overstayed it's welcome.
The White Stripes
4/5
I guess this means we are getting a minimum of three White Stripes albums since this can't be the only choice from their discography. It's a better record than I give it credit for and I enjoyed revisiting it since I never listen to this album. While I think they hit their peak a few years earlier, I appreciate that there are a lot of different styles and ideas here. The Nurse is a very strange song, at least from an arrangement standpoint - marimba and art metal guitar. Pretty unusual, especially leading into the single from the album which is straight from their playbook. That was an intentional pairing. There are a few too many misses on this album but I appreciate swinging for the fences.
Iggy Pop
4/5
I was only familiar with two songs on this record, so I'm glad it came up. I enjoyed the ride but didn't find a ton of discoveries on this record besides Success. Really enjoyed that one. This is a soft 4, but I would listen again.
Christina Aguilera
1/5
After Disc 1, I was ready to go to 2 stars on this, but Disc 2 and its collection of old timey pop styles drove me crazy. It was at that point that I started questioning why I spent an hour and 18 minutes with this album. Way too long.
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
1/5
I like Glam generally, but this sucked. The hooks aren't great. I find his voice annoying - listen to the last song and tell me it doesn't sound like Adam Sandler is singing in character. There's a part in Spinal Tap where Rob Reiner is reading reviews of Intravenous de Milo and it reads: they are treading water in a sea of retarded sexuality and bad poetry. Exactly this!
The Rolling Stones
4/5
The first track is on my very short list of favorite Stones songs. The last song is great, though tarnished by my association of it with Trump. I know they don’t sanction his use but it still sucks that I can picture him “dancing” when I hear it. I don’t like Midnight Rambler at all. The rest all have things going for them. In between a 4 & 5 for me.
2/5
This album made me feel things at least. Sometimes it was like I was watching the scene in Dumb & Dumber where Lloyd and Harry are driving in the van with the hitman and Lloyd says, "Do you want to hear the most annoying sound in the world?" Sometimes it was pretty exhilarating. It's no shock that I liked the close of the album (the last three songs best), with Hold Hands and It Will Happen Anyway best. That was pretty bad ass. Those three songs are the most like typical songs. My biggest complaint is that sometimes they smother the momentum they create with weirdness - maybe on purpose. Take There's always Room on the Broom, if that song has actual drums and bass, not the thin little hi hat crap, more like caveman pounding drums, that might be pretty rad. In general, this music would benefit from real drums.
Todd Rundgren
3/5
This is pretty peak 70s light rock - at least sides 1,2 & 4. I liked that he had a different theme on each record side. It's impressive he recorded 3/4 of this by himself. All that said, while I generally was fine with the experience, it didn't convert me to a follower.
The Streets
3/5
I had heard this when it came out and enjoyed revisiting it. I have a soft spot for English "white trash" music, and this was on the early side of that genre dipping into rap. I would probably go to 4 stars for their previous album Original Pirate Material for sheer brashness. This album is more considered and purposeful but I think loses some verve.
Lou Reed
5/5
Beyond the big singles of Walk on the Wild Side and Perfect Day, there are a lot of great songs full of NYC weirdos. There are a few good rockers like Vicious, but I even like the songs that go farther afield of VU like the New Orleans jazz of Goodnight Ladies or New York Telephone Conversation which is almost musical theater, I guess. I really like Street Hassle, but I think this is probably his best solo record.
The Louvin Brothers
4/5
I'm kind of a Louvin Brothers stan. I own 4 of their records on vinyl. Of those, this is the one I think is weakest, but I still could listen to pretty much all day. I think they are better the more religious fervor they bring, and this album falls into their "commercial" content. I heartily recommend Satan is Real and The Family That Prays. They very clearly are moved by the spirit even if they were hypocrites and fallen in a few ways. I love their harmonies, they absolutely tickle my balls. The tenor harmonies are what conjures the magic. Knoxville Girl is probably the classic murder ballad. It's been performed by a ton of people and originated hundreds of years ago from the old country as Wexford Girl. The words are sociopathic. If you don't like this version, check out the Lemonheads version. It's pretty faithful, actually.
Elton John
4/5
I really wish the 70s weren't so chock full of double albums. That said, this album has a lot of depth beyond the singles, the reggae song not withstanding. The title track is my favorite Elton John song, so the album has a head start from my perspective. I can quibble about the cosplay of Saturday Night or the saccharine sweetness of Candle in the Wind, but there are a lot of good songs here. If Bennie and the Jets is good enough for Tribe Called Quest, it's good enough for me. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L400S6Flz2I&list=RDL400S6Flz2I&start_radio=1
The War On Drugs
4/5
People really loved this album when it came out and I didn't totally get it. I liked revisiting it and found more to like. His lyrics are generally solid and while it hews pretty closely to the dreamy dad rock vibe, there are enough tracks that take the tempo enough to provide a little caffeine - Red Eyes, An Ocean in Between the Waves, and Burning especially.
Buena Vista Social Club
4/5
This was a favorite in the late 90s architectural design studios. I never owned it but heard it plenty of times. It's incredibly pleasant.
Caetano Veloso
3/5
I have a compilation of Brazilian psych rock called Tropicalia. It has a few Caetano Veloso tunes on it including, you guessed it, Tropicalia. It has other acts like Os Mutantes and Tom Ze who I prefer to Caetano Veloso, but I was happy to listen to a whole album which was a first for me. Pretty enjoyable, but there weren't a lot of songs that really broke through for me. I will round up for groovy album art.
Ride
4/5
While it has the haziness associated with Shoegaze, this album isn't particularly sleepy. Also, it contains Vapour Trail which is an all time great song in my view. The four songs at the end were new to me. They were all decent and I liked Today especially. With that said, I appreciate the economy of the original album.
Otis Redding
4/5
His voice is so incredibly great. I thoroughly enjoyed most of the songs I didn't know on this record. My only complaint is the choice to record versions of prominent songs already recorded by people with great voices. These versions of My Girl and Wonderful World didn't do much for me. Satisfaction is fine but not better than the original. I was familiar with this arrangement of Respect and it is great, albeit menacing. The Aretha version takes on so much meaning when you stack it up against this.
3/5
Updating Brazilian jazz with some electronic elements seems like a worthy-enough endeavor. I listened twice and mostly enjoyed it twice but didn't really come away with a lot of memorable songs and moments.
The Gun Club
3/5
I had never heard of this band and like this style pretty well. I have a hard time seeing what this band does that X doesn't do better. The lyrics to Jack on Fire are legitimately scary.
Ray Charles
3/5
I'm not sure why but I don't generally love the big band sound. Ray Charles has an incredible voice, but I was kind of bored.
Kate Bush
4/5
I'm really somewhere like a 3.5 but I'm rounding up for the album art and chance taking. There are a few songs on this that really irritate me, but more that stand up. I don't think it is just a fluke that Running Up That Hill saw a gen Z resurgence, besides being a great song, the production still sounds great on that song and this record. The title track is really good as well.
Morrissey
3/5
This was better than I expected and had a few songs I had never heard that I liked including Billy Budd and Why Don't You Find Out for Yourself. The single is a good one too, but I had heard it before.
Bob Dylan
5/5
This is not the first Dylan record off the shelf for me usually, but it's full of incredible songs, and I don't mind the more tailored sound of the record instead of free wheeling folk stance, My favorite track is Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts. That's an all-timer for me.