Wu-Tang Clan ain't nothin to fuck with, that's for sure. One of the OG hiphop supergroups coming out of the gate with a very good grasp of their own lyricism and catchy rhythms. Uncontroversially one of the finest west coast rap albums to come out of the 90s and it's aged far better than a few of its contemporaries (if you ask me, its slightly messy/dirty production and fluctuating quality between tracks gives it a lot of charming character and authenticity). Not a fan of the skits (as usual) but obviously very common considering the era. This one gets the money. (Also I swear that Breathe by Prodigy samples the same movie sample as at the start of Chessboxin'. Wikipedia seems to claim that the popularity of the song is also what brought Chessboxing into the public conscious in the 90s which is very funny if true) Best tracks: CREAM, Tearz, 7th Chamber Pt. 2

4.5/5 - Great album, moodier/more fun than I expected and way ahead of its time.

Fine soul, and mighty-fine work Mr. Redding. Groovy.

Fun one - feels ahead of its time in a lot of ways. Clean lyrical delivery (clean as in 'clear', definitely not clean as in 'suitable for a bar mitzvah) and great sample flips (never realized Can I Kick It is repurposing Lou Reed!).

Probably can't be too objective about this review as it's so entirely outside of my usual wheelhouse (which is the point of this whole experiment, I guess), but I won't be listening again.

Easy-to-listen-to big band staples to get your grandma dancing to. Charles has such character in his voice and orchestration.

"It can't be helped," he said, nodding at the bulldog girl. "This is Lucy." He laughed distractedly. "You know -- like Lucy in the sky with diamonds . . ."

Funny that a band named for such a terrible colour band would make such a terrific rock band. No wonder Dad doesn't listen to new music. Fav track: Hard Lovin' Man

Dusty has a great voice for what she does, but what she doesn't do is it for me.

Greatest contrast between album cover and track quality we've ever witnessed. Good work Maryland John Mayer. Fav tracks: The Wind and The Dove, All Thoughts Are Prey To Some Beast

Lacking Substance, but otherwise I always welcome the New Order. Very much 'of its time' in a good and bad way. Highlights of Lowlife: The Perfect Kiss

Wu-Tang Clan ain't nothin to fuck with, that's for sure. One of the OG hiphop supergroups coming out of the gate with a very good grasp of their own lyricism and catchy rhythms. Uncontroversially one of the finest west coast rap albums to come out of the 90s and it's aged far better than a few of its contemporaries (if you ask me, its slightly messy/dirty production and fluctuating quality between tracks gives it a lot of charming character and authenticity). Not a fan of the skits (as usual) but obviously very common considering the era. This one gets the money. (Also I swear that Breathe by Prodigy samples the same movie sample as at the start of Chessboxin'. Wikipedia seems to claim that the popularity of the song is also what brought Chessboxing into the public conscious in the 90s which is very funny if true) Best tracks: CREAM, Tearz, 7th Chamber Pt. 2

Jack White is still Jack White, but Blunderbuss is missing the crunchy, drowning, iconic alt-rock sound of the White Stripes, and that's to it's detriment. Without that frenetic, bassy energy this one's a little forgettable. Fav tracks: Love Interruption

Legendary album that deserves its many flowers. Like any Nirvana project there's no misses in the tracklist, and it's doubly-so impressive for being one of the most iconic one-take live albums ever recorded. Love Kurt's raw intensity in his voice and delivery, Grohl's iconic drumwork, and Novoselic with one of the few acoustic bass performances that actually works. Really can't sing this one enough praises. Favourite tracks: Where Did You Sleep Last Night, Come As You Are, The Man Who Sold The World

the Chronic deserves every bit of praise it's received over the decades since it's release. The skits are a little annoying, especially upon relisten (DEEZ NUTS being an obvious exception) but otherwise Dre can kick it. fav tracks: Nutin' But a G Thang, Rat A Tat Tat

ZZ Top are not pushing the genre to any strange new places, but everybody's a little crazy for a Sharp Dressed Man. True to form it's classic, unpretentious, slightly-goofy 80s rock that knows what it wants to be and delivers it, even if it's pretty forgettable. Fav tracks: Sharp Dressed Man, I Need You Tonight

Music to collect Secret Tapes to (affectionate) Fav songs: Among The Living, Stuck In A Mosh

Nice listening but to my ear it sounds like we have Oasis at home. Fav songs: Rob's Theme

A fun listen, you can hear the Dylan-esque vibes in almost every track. Hard to pin down genre-wise for better or for worse, but the interesting use of instrumentation keeps it feeling fresh. Seems like the kind of sentimental album that would hold up better after multiple re-listens on a cozy springtime car trip but unfortunately we have 1001 albums to get through. Fav tracks: The Weight, This Wheel's On Fire