301
Albums Rated
3.23
Average Rating
28%
Complete
788 albums remaining
Featured Review
Sea Change
Beck • 4/5
I've drastically changed my opinion on Sea Change more times than I care to count, but after all these years, I think my opinion on the album is pretty much set in stone. First of all, I have to give some praise to Nigel Godrich. Overall, he's easily the best producer Beck has worked with and he does a great job here as well. Despite the dreary subject matter, Sea Change has a surprisingly warm and comforting atmosphere, mostly thanks to its polished sound and apt placements of the rare moments of messiness you'll stumble upon here. Beck's vocals are dark-toned, yet soothing and emotive, as well as perfectly mixed. The songwriting, well, it's a mixed bag. In fact, Sea Change is one of the most front-loaded albums you'll ever hear. The lyrics switch between creative and uninspired almost constantly, which is a shame because I can't remember Beck ever really fumbling in this department before this album. However, I really have nothing bad to say about Sea Change for the entirety of its first half. The second half is where the cracks really start to show. The album switches from a display of creative moroseness to a display of dejected boredom. I don't want to discredit the second half entirely, there are a couple of really great moments there as well, especially between Already Dead and Little One. Sunday Sun is the highlight with some surprising and welcome touches of neo-psychedelia. However, in general, the wonderfully emotional choruses of The Golden Age and Guess I'm Doing Fine, the fabulous instrumental breaks of Paper Tiger and Lonesome Tears and the sheer beauty of Lost Cause are all painfully missing here. The tracks I haven't mentioned are sadly a massive fumble in all departments and really bring the album down. Overall, though, it's a solid release, even if it pales in comparison to his best work. You'll definitely start to appreciate it much more once you try going through Morning Phase and his latest one-off ballads. Not even 300 days into this challenge and I generated all Beck albums from the list. Personally, I'd pick four of his albums for the list that do a better job of showcasing Beck's diversity and creative brilliance at the height of his songwriting abilities. Those albums would be Odelay, Midnite Vultures, Mutations and The Information. Favourite track: Paper Tiger
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
1970
Favorite Decade
Funk
Favorite Genre
UK
Top Origin
Curator
Rater Style ?
19
5-Star Albums
11
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
Top Styles
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Vespertine
Björk
|
5 | 3.18 | +1.82 |
|
Time Out Of Mind
Bob Dylan
|
5 | 3.21 | +1.79 |
|
Daydream Nation
Sonic Youth
|
5 | 3.29 | +1.71 |
|
This Year's Model
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
|
5 | 3.31 | +1.69 |
|
Pornography
The Cure
|
5 | 3.32 | +1.68 |
|
The Downward Spiral
Nine Inch Nails
|
5 | 3.34 | +1.66 |
|
Ágætis Byrjun
Sigur Rós
|
5 | 3.37 | +1.63 |
|
Either Or
Elliott Smith
|
5 | 3.4 | +1.6 |
|
Different Class
Pulp
|
5 | 3.42 | +1.58 |
|
Zombie
Fela Kuti
|
5 | 3.46 | +1.54 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Brothers
The Black Keys
|
1 | 3.55 | -2.55 |
|
xx
The xx
|
1 | 3.35 | -2.35 |
|
Only By The Night
Kings of Leon
|
1 | 3.23 | -2.23 |
|
Permission to Land
The Darkness
|
1 | 3.13 | -2.13 |
|
Pump
Aerosmith
|
1 | 3.11 | -2.11 |
|
Myths Of The Near Future
Klaxons
|
1 | 3.06 | -2.06 |
|
Ten
Pearl Jam
|
2 | 3.91 | -1.91 |
|
Destroyer
KISS
|
1 | 2.85 | -1.85 |
|
Odessa
Bee Gees
|
1 | 2.72 | -1.72 |
|
21
Adele
|
2 | 3.69 | -1.69 |
Artists
Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Beatles | 4 | 4.25 |
| Björk | 3 | 4.33 |
5-Star Albums (19)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
The Birthday Party · 1 likes
3/5
Another strange inclusion in the bottom 20 club. I've already had at least fifty worse albums and I'm only twenty percent through. Then again, I have a weak spot for anything that's noisy and messy.
This one doesn't have much beneath the surface, but it's still a good time. A far cry from anything Nick Cave did later, sure, but still decent.
Favourite track: 6" Gold Blade
Black Sabbath · 1 likes
4/5
It's nice listening to a familiar classic after a decent string of new listens. I don't really share the near universal love for Black Sabbath, but they're undoubtedly a brilliant band. Paranoid is just full of undeniable bangers. Rat Salad is the only slip in quality and even that track is just slightly weaker than the rest.
Favourite track: Hand of Doom
The Doors · 1 likes
3/5
This was easily one of my most listened to albums in high school. The creative musicianship, the enigmatic persona of Jim Morrison, the drawn out closers on at least half of their catalogue...all of this was incredibly appealing to me back then. Ray Manzarek and Robby Krieger had an incredible chemistry, the guitar and the synth combine beautifully here. Add Morrison's iconic drawl on top of that, what's not to like?
Nostalgia aside, my opinion of this debut, and most of The Doors catalogue in general, has somewhat diminished over the years. Nowadays, Strange Days would probably be the only release I'd label as a masterpiece. This one is really great at times, but it's filled with inconsistencies that would become even more apparent from The Soft Parade onwards. Here, the second half is decent, with End of the Night as a highlight. However, if you swapped the aforementioned track with Twentieth Century Fox, you'd get one of the most frontloaded albums I can think of. Even the legendary closer, The End, starts to become tedious after one too many listens, especially as you grow a bit older and realize that Morrison really isn't as deep as you once thought. When the Music's Over is, in my opinion, a much more engaging closer of similar nature.
I've gotten way too negative over an album I like in general and have very fond memories of, though. The highlights are absolutely phenomenal and worth their status.
Favourite track: Break on Through (To the Other Side)
1-Star Albums (11)
All Ratings
KISS
1/5
John Lennon
3/5
Fiona Apple
4/5
Jimmy Smith
3/5
Massive Attack
4/5
Nine Inch Nails
5/5
Cream
3/5
Talking Heads
4/5
Garbage
3/5
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
5/5
Red Hot Chili Peppers
2/5
Death In Vegas
2/5
Aerosmith
1/5
Radiohead
4/5
John Lee Hooker
3/5
Iron Maiden
4/5
Gorillaz
3/5
Ryan Adams
2/5
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
3/5
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
Sheryl Crow
2/5
David Bowie
4/5
Kraftwerk
4/5
Al Green
3/5
Iggy Pop
4/5
Linkin Park
2/5
Sam Cooke
4/5
Motörhead
3/5
The Black Keys
1/5
Fleetwood Mac
4/5
The Vines
2/5
The Shamen
3/5
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
Beatles
4/5
Dire Straits
4/5
Digital Underground
2/5
Arcade Fire
2/5
The Pharcyde
4/5
Deep Purple
4/5
The Pogues
4/5
The Rolling Stones
4/5
Can
4/5
Talking Heads
5/5
Sex Pistols
3/5
My Bloody Valentine
4/5
Tortoise
3/5
Franz Ferdinand
2/5
The Police
4/5
Elvis Costello
4/5
Leonard Cohen
3/5
Sarah Vaughan
3/5
Tom Tom Club
3/5
Harry Nilsson
4/5
James Brown
3/5
Beck
4/5
Bad Brains
3/5
Pulp
5/5
Ray Charles
4/5
White Denim
2/5
Bee Gees
1/5
Gang Of Four
4/5
Nina Simone
4/5
Fairport Convention
3/5
The Thrills
2/5
Yes
4/5
Robbie Williams
3/5
Todd Rundgren
3/5
Slipknot
2/5
Jeff Buckley
4/5
The Cramps
3/5
Duke Ellington
4/5
The Cure
5/5
Slint
4/5
The Yardbirds
2/5
Rahul Dev Burman
2/5
Air
4/5
Pixies
4/5
Astor Piazzolla
3/5
Jethro Tull
4/5
Pearl Jam
2/5
Anthrax
3/5
Deep Purple
3/5
David Bowie
3/5
The Go-Go's
3/5
The Beach Boys
4/5
David Bowie
4/5
The Go-Betweens
2/5
The Sabres Of Paradise
3/5
Grateful Dead
4/5
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
4/5
Violent Femmes
3/5
Marvin Gaye
4/5
Rage Against The Machine
4/5
Fred Neil
2/5
Santana
3/5
Hugh Masekela
3/5
Electric Light Orchestra
4/5
The xx
1/5
Dexys Midnight Runners
2/5
Steely Dan
4/5
Love
3/5
The Rolling Stones
3/5
Bob Dylan
4/5
Fela Kuti
5/5
JAY Z
4/5
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
Van Halen
2/5
Ali Farka Touré
3/5
Suzanne Vega
3/5
Iron Maiden
3/5
Fugees
4/5
Os Mutantes
3/5
Songhoy Blues
3/5
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
3/5
OutKast
4/5
Les Rythmes Digitales
1/5
Siouxsie And The Banshees
3/5
Van Morrison
4/5
The White Stripes
3/5
Stan Getz
4/5
Yes
3/5
The Flaming Lips
4/5
Elliott Smith
5/5
Meat Puppets
3/5
Sonic Youth
5/5
Beck
4/5
Wild Beasts
2/5
Beatles
4/5
Don McLean
2/5
Johnny Cash
3/5
4/5
Joni Mitchell
4/5
Manic Street Preachers
3/5
Antony and the Johnsons
3/5
Frank Sinatra
3/5
De La Soul
4/5
Ice T
3/5
Ute Lemper
1/5
David Bowie
2/5
A Tribe Called Quest
5/5
Dr. Dre
3/5
Stevie Wonder
5/5
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
2/5
Ray Charles
3/5
N.W.A.
3/5
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
3/5
Spacemen 3
1/5
Fats Domino
3/5
Prince
4/5
The Jesus And Mary Chain
3/5
Eels
2/5
Various Artists
3/5
Nirvana
4/5
Joy Division
4/5
Roxy Music
4/5
Elton John
3/5
The Divine Comedy
2/5
Björk
4/5
The Velvet Underground
4/5
Siouxsie And The Banshees
4/5
Barry Adamson
2/5
Paul McCartney
2/5
Public Enemy
3/5
The Temptations
3/5
The Strokes
4/5
The Stone Roses
5/5
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
Heaven 17
2/5
Ian Dury
3/5
Beatles
5/5
Penguin Cafe Orchestra
3/5
Bob Dylan
5/5
Christina Aguilera
2/5
Ella Fitzgerald
3/5
TV On The Radio
2/5
Gene Clark
4/5
The Cure
4/5
Elton John
4/5
Klaxons
1/5
Snoop Dogg
2/5
Dolly Parton
3/5
Pere Ubu
4/5
Sisters Of Mercy
3/5
Björk
4/5
Deep Purple
3/5
Miriam Makeba
3/5
Genesis
4/5
Blondie
3/5
Tim Buckley
2/5
Portishead
5/5
Patti Smith
4/5
Cyndi Lauper
3/5
The Smiths
4/5
Kings of Leon
1/5
Sister Sledge
3/5
Hanoi Rocks
2/5
M.I.A.
4/5
Little Richard
3/5
Stan Getz
4/5
Ministry
3/5
Fairport Convention
3/5
Marty Robbins
3/5
Ananda Shankar
2/5
Scritti Politti
2/5
Television
4/5
The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy
2/5
Morrissey
3/5
Sigur Rós
5/5
Amy Winehouse
4/5
Morrissey
2/5
Muddy Waters
4/5
Pink Floyd
3/5
Kelela
2/5
Joni Mitchell
3/5
Christina Aguilera
2/5
Pink Floyd
5/5
Björk
5/5
Miles Davis
4/5
4/5
It's only been a couple of years since I went through her discography and it's hard to find an album that you could consider a weak entry. Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea isn't among my favourite PJ Harvey albums, but it's still a damn good one.
PJ Harvey is always looking for new ways to evolve and this album is no different. It's a step in a more mainstream direction, but it's nevertheless a very good set of songs. It doesn't reach quite the same heights as Rid Of Me and To Bring You My Love, but that's a tough ask for any album, in my opinion. The collaboration with Thom Yorke is not as great as one would expect it to be. Both tracks are very solid, though. It's funny how much Horses In My Dreams sounds like a Radiohead track with no involvement from Thom Yorke, though.
R.E.M.
4/5
While I generally enjoy R.E.M., it's appreciation more than adoration. I've listened to every album that has Bill Berry on it and I definitely like all of them, but a large percentage honestly starts to bore me halfway through. The exceptions are three albums that are coincidentally on this list: *
Murmur, Document and Automatic For The People.
Document might be my favourite, honestly. It's their first step towards a more polished sound and they pull it off very well. It's a punchy, fun and consistent set of songs (bar a couple of tracks near the end).
I should definitely listen to some of their later work sometime in the future. I've heard good things about New Adventures in Hi-Fi, so I'll probably start with that one.
Favourite track: Welcome To The Occupation
The Beta Band
2/5
This was alright. I like the mixing a lot, but I kind of don't care about the songs themselves. I doubt I'll ever give it another thought, honestly.
Marianne Faithfull
3/5
While I wasn't really fond of this as a whole, a couple of tracks are definitely worthy of saving for the future.
Favourite track: Why'd Ya Do It
Metallica
3/5
It's a far cry from their earlier stuff, but I still think it's decent. To be fair, I don't think there's anything of value I can add to the conversation here, if there's an that album has already been discussed to death, it's this one. I'm just kind of ambivalent about it.
Favourite track: Enter Sandman
The Jam
4/5
The Jam have basically been a constant presence in my life for more than a decade now. They were my first bridge towards music that isn't punk (and all of its different variants), which was pretty much the only kind of music I listened to as a young teenager. Sure, The Jam could be labeled as post-punk, but they still felt very different to me because of their obvious pop sensibilities.
Paul Weller is, in my opinion, one of the most consistent songwriters in modern music and it's an absolute shame he never left a bigger mark outside of Europe. His music is good at its worst and downright jaw dropping at its best. It's a very diverse catalogue when you take a step back. His vocals are also among my favourite of all time, there's just something so magnetic about his tone and delivery. I saw him live in 2023 and the man still has that special something.
Anyhow, Sound Affects is a good represantation of The Jam. The songs are frantic and dominated by phenomenal percussion by Rick Buckler and Bruce Foxton. Weller is just slightly buried in the mix, just how I like it when it comes to this type of music. His bleak commentary on society at the time is smart and well-written. Overall, it's not my favourite album from their catalogue (I have to knock down a couple of points just for that damn bee intro on Music For The Last Couple), but it's still a damn good release.
Favourite track: Man In The Corner Shop
Johnny Cash
4/5
It really is an essential Johnny Cash album and a real return to form. His charisma is incredible and strongly felt throughout. The rapport with the inmates is my personal highlight. I'd also like to mention the great mixing by Bob Johnston that really helps each member of the band and Cash himself stand out. Not to mention how much the audience contributes to this whole atmosphere.
Favourite track: Cocaine Blues
Norah Jones
3/5
This was the most alright album I've had so far. Well executed, chill and enjoyable, but I doubt I'll ever come back to it. It was a good background for my morning coffee, at least.
Favourite track: I've Got To See You Again
N.E.R.D
2/5
In Search Of... has been on my to do list for quite some time due to a couple of recommendations, so I was surprised when a completely different N.E.R.D. album I've heard nothing about popped up today. I'm starting with this one, I guess.
Honestly, nothing about this makes me want to go through the rest of their discography any time soon. I wouldn't say I strongly disliked it, but the songs feel haphazardly put together and the melodies feel like an afterthought. It's well-produced, but overall a bit plain, which is really weird because it obviously draws from a bunch of very different influences.
I will still listen to In Search Of... someday, but I really hope it's better than this.
The Darkness
1/5
Probably the worst album I've had so far. I lost count of how many times I genuinely cringed while listening to this.
I get it, this album is obviously drenched in irony, but I don't see how that should improve my listening experience in any way. It's just so painfully corny.
I can't even say anything positive about the performances. Every single instrumental here is a dime a dozen and the only thing that stands out is one of the weakest, flattest attempts at a falsetto I've heard in quite some time. It's spammed in every single track, of course, because this album can't just be boring, it has to annoy me for forty minutes straight as well.
I have a friend who loves this kind of stuff, though, so at least I have a recommendation for her.
Ali Farka Touré
4/5
I slightly preferred this one over Savane, but not by a large margin. Overall, really good and compelling throughout.
Favourite track: Gomni
The Who
3/5
I never really cared for The Who, no matter how hard I tried, and I couldn't even tell you why. I generally don't really care for live albums as well, with a couple of honourable exceptions. The combination did not manage to exceed my expectations.
Elis Regina
3/5
It took me way too long to find any notes on this release until I found out that this is a completely random compilation. I really don't understand why it was picked over her studio albums. I'm not even sure I picked the right version, I found at least three different tracklists under the name of this album.
I don't really like compilations, especially when I'm just getting to know an artist, so if anyone has a recommendation for one of her studio albums, I will gladly give it a listen.
This is an interesting set of songs nevertheless. The vocals are phenomenal. It did its job, at least, I'm definitely interested in exploring further.
Favourite track: Aprendendo A Jogar
Giant Sand
3/5
I can't decide if I like this or not, definitely an album that takes some time to settle in. For now, some tracks were really promising, but I feel like the majority of the album never gets out of first gear. It was a decent listen overall, though.
Prince
4/5
If you enjoy the pop aesthetic of the '80s, you're gonna love this. I'm not really a fan, but Prince is so unbelievable at what he does that I can't help joining in on the fun.
Favourite track: Automatic
SZA
3/5
It's one of those albums that either hits or it doesn't, depending on the track. Some phenomenal highlights, but also a bunch of tracks that I personally find to be very forgettable. SZA's great vocals are always a treat to listen, though, even when the album is at its worst.
Favourite track: Broken Clocks
Alice In Chains
4/5
Dirt immediately starts guns blazing with Them Bones and doesn't let up whatsoever until the end. Great vocals, great hooks, great mixing. Not the first band I reach for on most days, but there's really nothing I can fault here.
Favourite track: Would?
The Birthday Party
3/5
Another strange inclusion in the bottom 20 club. I've already had at least fifty worse albums and I'm only twenty percent through. Then again, I have a weak spot for anything that's noisy and messy.
This one doesn't have much beneath the surface, but it's still a good time. A far cry from anything Nick Cave did later, sure, but still decent.
Favourite track: 6" Gold Blade
Peter Gabriel
4/5
A 45 minute hit parade fully deserving of its status. It's very much of its time stylistically, but the production is so lush and gorgeous regardless of that.
I still need to listen to all of his self-titled albums, but So is very much a green flag for the rest of his albums on the list.
Favourite track: Red Rain
Dr. Octagon
2/5
I like the concept, but I was a left a bit disappointed by the album itself. Despite the many interesting choices in production, very few tracks grabbed me.
Favourite track: Blue Flowers
Boston
3/5
I never really liked Boston, honestly. It could be that my impression of them is simply dulled by an insane amount of overexposure over the years, but I honestly don't remember ever having anything but a lukewarm response to these tracks. It's overall just a bit too anthemic and theatrical for my tastes. Also, the less said about the lyrics, the better.
I'm less familiar with the second half of the album and that's not a surprise since it's an obvious step down. It's nothing offensively bad, though.
It's an important album, especially because of what it did for the recording practices in the future. The way that this record sounds on a technical level is truly incredible for the time, and I will always appreciate that, but I doubt you'll ever see me giving it a listen outside of the radio sphere.
Favourite track: Foreplay/Long Time
Miles Davis
3/5
There's not much, if anything, wrong with this release, but I do like it considerably less than the rest of the Miles Davis catalogue I've heard, simply because it is just too short and slight. Personally, I'd go with another one of his numerous great albums over a compilation, but this is fine as well.
Favourite track: Move
Sinead O'Connor
3/5
Sinéad O'Connor is one of those artists that I appreciate more than enjoy actually listening to. Some quality stuff here, but rarely something I will seek out on my own.
Favourite track: Nothing Compares 2 U
Aimee Mann
3/5
Almost every time there is a single album from an artist on this list, it's the wrong pick. This is at least the tenth example I've had so far. This is a solid album, but Aimee Mann did better on at least a couple of occasions.
Favourite track: I Should've Known
Peter Tosh
3/5
I don't know if I'm in a weird mood or something, but nothing really hits lately, either in a positive or a negative way, including this album. My sixth three star rating in a row. There are a couple of highlights here, but I doubt I'll revisit this album in its entirety any time soon. I'm not the biggest reggae guy, though, so maybe that plays a part as well.
Favourite track: No Sympathy
The Rolling Stones
3/5
This album is the perfect showcase of The Rolling Stones experience. You get to enjoy Mothers Little Helper and Lady Jane, but you also get to suffer through Going Home and High And Dry.
Favourite track: Out Of Time
Dizzee Rascal
4/5
I know almost nothing about grime as a genre, so I didn't really know what to expect, but I am very positively surprised. Creative, incredibly fun beats, paired with some very unique flow. It does overstay its welcome by just a bit, though.
Favourite track: Fix Up, Look Sharp
2/5
I genuinely have nothing of note to say. Loretta Lynn has a very nice voice, that's about it.
Supergrass
4/5
I was only familiar with a couple of Supergrass tracks, so I was looking forward to listening to an entire album. It definitely met my expectations, I liked this a lot. I love how relentlessly energetic it is throughout, while also having a lot of fun switch-ups. There are a couple of low points here and there, but nothing too egregious. The mixing also deserves praise, it isn't as compressed as you would expect it to be given its loudness and the time and place it was released.
Favourite track: Caught by the Fuzz
808 State
4/5
Easily one of the greatest electronic albums from this particular era. Every song here has a great starting hook and progresses brilliantly from there. It's a very dynamic and layered album that debunks many allegations against electronica I've read here. An essential listen.
Favourite track: Pacific 202
Erykah Badu
3/5
I thought I would like this much, much more than I did. The first five tracks are absolutely phenomenal, but the latter half of the album, while having a couple of very good tracks, fumbles with just as much tracks that didn't work for me at all.
Favourite track: Penitentiary Philosophy
The Icarus Line
2/5
I'm almost quarter of the way through and only now am I realizing what a daunting task going through this list is turning out to be. I already feel like I've been doing this forever. These completely mediocre 2000s rock albums absolutely nobody needs to hear before they die certainly don't help, but the list seems to have an endless supply of them.
Black Sabbath
4/5
It's nice listening to a familiar classic after a decent string of new listens. I don't really share the near universal love for Black Sabbath, but they're undoubtedly a brilliant band. Paranoid is just full of undeniable bangers. Rat Salad is the only slip in quality and even that track is just slightly weaker than the rest.
Favourite track: Hand of Doom
Funkadelic
4/5
A brilliant piece of funk, relentlessly entertaining throughout. None of the songs overstay their welcome, despite their long runtime. It's a bit frontloaded, though.
Favourite track: Who Says a Funk Band Can't Play Rock?!
Wire
4/5
A landmark post-punk album that basically defines the phrase "more than the sum of its parts". Such a good time, regardless of how short it is. I think the percussion is the highlight here, it's so lively and punchy, really gets you in a groove quickly. The whole album has this incredible, infectious swagger to it, I just can't resist it. It's a record I keep coming back to.
Favourite track: Pink Flag
Led Zeppelin
3/5
I tried for years, but the truth is that I don't really enjoy Led Zeppelin. All the ingredients are there (the absolutely godlike rhythm section in particular), but they just never clicked for me, right from their debut and all the way to Physical Graffiti, so I've definitely given them a fair shake. I really dislike Robert Plant, so it could be down to that. There are a couple of tracks here I really dislike and it's mostly down to him.
I do have to point out that this album is probably my personal favourite out of all of them, but I have to revisit the rest because it's been a while.
Favourite track - The Lemon Song
Common
3/5
Like Water for Chocolate is an album that really relies on gripping you with its atmosphere. The beats are gorgeous, soulful and there's always something extra in the background to give each track a new dimension. Common does a good job with his flow, even if it's a bit reserved at times, and there are some really nice features here.
Sadly, the album didn't really grab me today, but that might be just because I'm having an exhausting day so far. I'll be sure to give it another listen soon.
Favourite track: The 6th Sense
The Auteurs
2/5
Overall, a dull listen. There are a couple of highlights, to be fair, but I just wished this album would end for the majority of its runtime.
Fugazi
4/5
Probably the best noise rock album not made by Sonic Youth I'll get on the list, or any other list, come to think of it.
Favourite track: Shut the Door
Adele
2/5
I genuinely can't stand these songs anymore, I've heard them way too many times in my life and I didn't exactly love them back when they first came out either. Can't really fault the album for being overexposed, but I also can't pretend that I enjoy it.
Also, a necessary dishonourable mention for that Lovesong cover, possibly a spawning point for the still active epidemic of horrible lounge covers of classic tracks.
Einstürzende Neubauten
3/5
A rough listen, mostly in a good way. I understand why it's in the bottom 20, but personally I'd disagree with that placement.
Joan Baez
3/5
There's not much to criticize here, Joan Baez has a beautiful voice and all of these renditions of traditional folk songs are well-made, but personally I could never fully connect with her music. I just think there are plenty of more interesting artists in the genre.
I wish the list went a little more in-depth with '60s folk, though, having no Townes Van Zandt or Phil Ochs on the list is a strange decision, to say the least.
Favourite track: Fare Thee Well
DJ Shadow
4/5
It's amazing how someone can come out with such a brilliant piece of art and never come close to that again. To be fair, Endtroducing... does feel like catching lightning in a bottle, especially when you listen to the hilariously inferior re-imagined version that came out 20 years later.
Anyhow, this is a wonderful album that truly deserves all the praise it gets. It's just perfectly constructed and its atmosphere is unmatched.
Favourite track: Building Steam With a Grain of Salt
Gram Parsons
3/5
Decent, but it didn't exactly blow me away. Kind of listened to it in a hurry, to be fair, it probably deserves a second listen.
Favourite track: I Can't Dance
Napalm Death
3/5
Love it or hate it, you just have to respect how relentlessly berserk this thing is. Are you really not glad you've heard this before you died?
Favourite track: Siege of Power
Beatles
4/5
The White Album is a complete mess full of filler and random left turns, which is the key to its charm. It's like an insane after hours DJ set on the radio.
I will never have a random desire to listen to Why Don't We Do It In The Road?, Revolution 9 or Wild Honey Pie, but I always smile when they come up while going through the album. There are probably at least three Beatles albums I prefer, but The White Album is the most unique album in their catalogue. The fact that the best tracks on the album are also some of the best songs ever made goes without saying.
Favourite track: Happiness Is A Warm Gun
The Doors
3/5
This was easily one of my most listened to albums in high school. The creative musicianship, the enigmatic persona of Jim Morrison, the drawn out closers on at least half of their catalogue...all of this was incredibly appealing to me back then. Ray Manzarek and Robby Krieger had an incredible chemistry, the guitar and the synth combine beautifully here. Add Morrison's iconic drawl on top of that, what's not to like?
Nostalgia aside, my opinion of this debut, and most of The Doors catalogue in general, has somewhat diminished over the years. Nowadays, Strange Days would probably be the only release I'd label as a masterpiece. This one is really great at times, but it's filled with inconsistencies that would become even more apparent from The Soft Parade onwards. Here, the second half is decent, with End of the Night as a highlight. However, if you swapped the aforementioned track with Twentieth Century Fox, you'd get one of the most frontloaded albums I can think of. Even the legendary closer, The End, starts to become tedious after one too many listens, especially as you grow a bit older and realize that Morrison really isn't as deep as you once thought. When the Music's Over is, in my opinion, a much more engaging closer of similar nature.
I've gotten way too negative over an album I like in general and have very fond memories of, though. The highlights are absolutely phenomenal and worth their status.
Favourite track: Break on Through (To the Other Side)
Pulp
4/5
This was a brilliant next step after Different Class, with a darker, more morbid approach. Jarvis does particularly great in this sleazy enviroment, especially in the tracks such as The Fear, which require a pretty big range, both vocally and emotionally. Kudos to the rest of the band as well, everyone leaves a special mark at a certain point here.
Still, it's not quite as consistent as one would expect a Pulp album to be at this point. There is a decent number of tracks I tend to skip nowadays. However, the highlights are some of my favourite tracks of the decade, so it evens out overall.
Favourite track: This Is Hardcore
Emmylou Harris
3/5
I've been in love with Emmylou Harris' voice ever since hearing her harmonizing with Dylan in Desire, but this is the first time I venture into her discography, so I was looking forward to it.
Sadly, there's not much to bite into here. It's a solid set of covers with a great original track jammed in-between, but I can't say I was blown away overall. Her voice is expectedly great and the arrangements are solid, but it does miss that X factor that I can't really pinpoint at the time of writing this.
Favourite track: Boulder to Birmingham
3/5
I never listened to Muse, but, as a distant observer, all the discussion about their rise and fall over the years has been an amusing read.
This was a decent listen. A couple of very good tracks, but the whole thing is uneven and, while I appreciate the sentiment, the commentary is poorly written and superficial. It's a very smooth and polished album, yet jam-packed with millions of bells and whistles, which works in its favour in a couple of instances, but many tracks also end up sounding a bit sterile. This is more of a problem later on, with a couple of songs just merging inside my head into one big, empty crescendo.
I'll explore more of their music sometime in the future. I heard the most praise for Origin of Symmetry so I'll give that one a listen soon. I doubt I'm going anywhere near anything they made after this album, though.
Favourite track: Map of the Problematique
Super Furry Animals
3/5
This album managed to constantly surprise me with its switches in style. It mostly pulls it off well, but there was a decent amount of tracks that just did nothing for me on a first listen. It does feel at times that they just threw on everything they could think of and hoped most of it will stick. Definitely something I will revisit in the future, though.
Favourite track: Juxtapozed with U
Faith No More
4/5
I was only familiar with Epic before going through this album. I'm glad to say that it maintains that kind of energy throughout. The last three tracks slightly undermine the rest of the album, but they're far from bad, just slightly worse than the rest.
Favourite track: Zombie Eaters
Stevie Wonder
4/5
Not the absolute best Stevie Wonder, but pretty close. These instrumentals are like an ear massage. With Stevie's wonderful vocals on top, the result is near flawless. Sadly, Talking Book is a victim of its creator's brilliance and, as a result, it slightly pales in comparison to his later work.
Favourite track: Superstition
Sly & The Family Stone
4/5
Funk is currently my top rated genre on the list. Considering how well it's represented with albums such as this one, it's not hard to see why.
What I love the most about this album is how deep and layered it sounds. You get lost in the groove so easily and it's such an enjoyable ride. The percussion is downright tantalizing. Still, the sound here is surprisingly dark and swampy, which is pulled off really well with some appropriate lo-fi mixing and the absence of the trademark '60s optimism. All in all, an essential listen for the genre.
Favourite track: Thank You for Talkin' to Me, Africa
Brian Eno
3/5
Eno and Byrne create an interesting and innovative collage of sounds here. It's exactly the sound you'd expect from these two collaborating.
However, it is a bit substandard compared to their respective works of this era. It's never dull, but it does tend to get repetitive. It doesn't really develop much past its starting point, which is a shame because this album is an absolutely brilliant listen at times.
Favourite track: Regiment
Paul Simon
3/5
Paul Simon's music is just way too polished and sappy for my tastes. Nothing against him, just not my thing. The first track in particular is so damn twee that I barely powered through it. A couple of other tracks are great, at least.
I somehow managed to go through life without listening to *Graceland* yet, though, so maybe my opinion will change with that album.
Favourite track: Peace Like a River
Solomon Burke
2/5
I'm struggling to write much about this one. It was a decent listen, but I doubt I'll come back to it.
Radiohead
4/5
I'm somewhat conflicted on Hail To the Thief. It has both the best and the worst songs in their entire catalogue.
If I'm being honest, though, the only album in their discography I like better is Kid A. It might be a bit strange, but I'd take this one over The Bends, OK Computer or In Rainbows any day of the week.
It has that ferocious energy and rhythm that they never really replicated in their other albums. Maybe I'm a sucker for a more straightforward approach, but this style is exactly what suits me the most when it comes to Radiohead. The weaker tracks like We Suck Young Blood and The Gloaming actually fit decently, regardless of how much I have a desire to instantly skip them when they come up.
Favourite track: Where I End and You Begin
Baaba Maal
2/5
While I'm definitely glad that I've heard this, the songs are just way too repetitive for me and they aren't interesting enough to justify it. When the album is almost an hour long, these song structures start to wear you down fairly quickly.
It's kind of rough trying to critique this when I know absolutely nothing about the cultural context in which this album was made, though, but we can consider this a first step.
The La's
4/5
I wish this wasn't their only album. At least their discography is near perfect this way.
Favourite track: I Can't Sleep
Miles Davis
5/5
I'm far from an expert, but for my money, this is the best jazz has ever sounded. Genuine perfection. I obviously love music, but I very rarely feel music as much as I do while listening to this masterpiece.
Earth, Wind & Fire
3/5
That's the Way of the World starts off wonderfully, but it comes to a grinding halt with All About Love and it's just too short of an album to regain momentum successfully after that point.
Favourite track: Happy Feelin'
Bebel Gilberto
3/5
There are some strange choices on this list, but picking an album from the niece of Chico Buarque while simultaneously failing to include a single Chico Buarque album has to be the strangest of them all. Genuinely absurd, Construção in particular is easily one of the greatest albums I've ever heard and it's nowhere to be seen here. I live as far as possible from Brazil and even I am stupefied. It's like picking Jakob Dylan's The Wallflowers over Bob Dylan.
Anyway, I get why this album was picked, it's a fresher and more modern take on bossa nova with its little electronic touches and lounge elements, but overall it's an unimpactful, inoffensive set of renditions that won't stick around in your memory for very long, other than a couple of great tracks.
Favourite track: Bananeira
John Coltrane
5/5
Two of the finest jazz albums ever made generated in a week? Don't mind if I do.
Quicksilver Messenger Service
2/5
I love a good jam, but this album really pushed my limits. I can't see myself coming back to this.
The album gets far more interesting after that whole Who Do You Love suite ends, though, so there's that. I get what they were aiming for with that cover, but it just didn't work for me at all.
The Verve
2/5
The Verve was always my least favourite of the major Britpop acts of the time. They're a solid band that rarely, if ever, amazed me. A Northern Soul is alright, but this is my second listen of the album and the first was almost a decade ago, which says a lot. For me, they lack just a bit of that griminess that Oasis, Blur, Pulp and Suede all had at least at a certain point in their respective careers.
Not to mention how tedious these songs become with their completely unjustified runtimes. It's like Be Here Now before Be Here Now, but without the messiness that would at least make it somewhat interesting.
Gotan Project
3/5
This mixture of tango and trip hop is like ear candy to me, but the album still manages to overstay its welcome and it basically repeats itself throughout its entire second half.
I would definitely love to expand on this kind of sound, though. This really had the potential to be better than it actually is, but I'm still glad I heard it.
Favourite track: Queremos Paz
David Bowie
3/5
Aladdin Sane was once upon a time my favourite Bowie album. Nowadays, I think it wouldn't even crack top five.
It's a nice continuation of the style of his previous albums, with an added touch of quirkiness, but the songwriting overall feels more indulgent and less rewarding than it was before.
It's been a while since I listened to this album in its entirety and it was surprising to realize how little enjoyment I'm getting out of it now.
Favourite track: Lady Grinning Soul
Youssou N'Dour
4/5
I loved this. The rhythm is so incredibly engaging and layered throughout. The horns are a really enjoyable addition as well. I'm definitely going to do a deeper dive through Youssou N'Dour's discography, this was a really fun listen.
Favourite track: Taaw
The Only Ones
3/5
The Only Ones is the type of album that's blessed and cursed with having a song that's so clearly superior to the rest that it really makes it hard to judge properly.
Even after a couple of listens, I still think this is just a decent album elevated by a moment of brilliance right at the start.
Favourite track: Another Girl, Another Planet
Beck
4/5
I've drastically changed my opinion on Sea Change more times than I care to count, but after all these years, I think my opinion on the album is pretty much set in stone.
First of all, I have to give some praise to Nigel Godrich. Overall, he's easily the best producer Beck has worked with and he does a great job here as well. Despite the dreary subject matter, Sea Change has a surprisingly warm and comforting atmosphere, mostly thanks to its polished sound and apt placements of the rare moments of messiness you'll stumble upon here. Beck's vocals are dark-toned, yet soothing and emotive, as well as perfectly mixed.
The songwriting, well, it's a mixed bag. In fact, Sea Change is one of the most front-loaded albums you'll ever hear. The lyrics switch between creative and uninspired almost constantly, which is a shame because I can't remember Beck ever really fumbling in this department before this album. However, I really have nothing bad to say about Sea Change for the entirety of its first half. The second half is where the cracks really start to show. The album switches from a display of creative moroseness to a display of dejected boredom.
I don't want to discredit the second half entirely, there are a couple of really great moments there as well, especially between Already Dead and Little One. Sunday Sun is the highlight with some surprising and welcome touches of neo-psychedelia. However, in general, the wonderfully emotional choruses of The Golden Age and Guess I'm Doing Fine, the fabulous instrumental breaks of Paper Tiger and Lonesome Tears and the sheer beauty of Lost Cause are all painfully missing here. The tracks I haven't mentioned are sadly a massive fumble in all departments and really bring the album down.
Overall, though, it's a solid release, even if it pales in comparison to his best work. You'll definitely start to appreciate it much more once you try going through Morning Phase and his latest one-off ballads.
Not even 300 days into this challenge and I generated all Beck albums from the list. Personally, I'd pick four of his albums for the list that do a better job of showcasing Beck's diversity and creative brilliance at the height of his songwriting abilities. Those albums would be Odelay, Midnite Vultures, Mutations and The Information.
Favourite track: Paper Tiger
Machito
3/5
While this was an interesting listen, it didn't really appeal to me as much as I thought it would. I wish a lot of these tracks were longer by a minute or two, many of them felt too slight just because they were too short to fully grasp. I'm still glad I gave it a listen, though.
Favourite track: Congo Mulence
Circle Jerks
3/5
Great, energetic little piece of punk. It's just so short that I barely register it. It's no Minor Threat when it comes to brilliant short albums, but still a good time.
Favourite track: Back Against the Wall
Skunk Anansie
2/5
Skunk Anansie are decently popular where I'm from and they're a frequent live act. I never really gave them a proper listen, though.
Post Orgasmic Chill has a couple of cool moments, mostly at the start, but the songwriting is in most cases either forgettable or corny and it pales in comparison to some of its peers. The hooks are merely acceptable and the super clean mixing leaves a lot to be desired. I do have to give some praise to the vocals and the major themes of the album, which are delivered well.
Overall, it's decent, but I doubt I'll come back to it.
Frank Zappa
4/5
My first encounter with a Zappa album and, man, I was not dissapointed. Great stuff.
Favourite track: Son Of Mr. Green Genes
The Dandy Warhols
2/5
This is one of those albums that gives you a constant feeling of deja-vu. It's just completely uninspired, a plodding, overlong collage of tired neo-psychedelia tropes of the '90s, downright stereotypical. A couple of tracks do manage to break this suffocating mould, but they are few and far-between.
2/5
System Of A Down
3/5
I was never able to get on the SOAD train. There's obviously a lot to like here, especially when you focus on how well the band gels together and how strong the lyrical content is on a lot of these tracks, but everything about them is so ridiculously over the top, almost constantly.
I love when a vocalist shows some personality in his delivery, but Serj just goes overboard with his random inflections way too often and it quickly stops sounding fun, especially when you go through an entire album. These loud-quiet-loud song structures also tend to get repetitive after a while, especially when a couple of obvious fillers start to go one after another.
I know this is one of the typical "right artist, wrong album" issues the list has, but a lot of my problems with this debut carry over on their later releases, even if they're obviously superior to this album. Still, I have to give credit to at least a couple of tracks here, which manage to win me over despite my grievances.
Favourite track: Spiders
Fatboy Slim
3/5
I like some of Fatboy Slim's work, but it's clearly a couple of steps below the best artists in the genre.
The build-up in a lot of these tracks feels really unimaginative, which is sad because the hooks often show promise. The second half of the album thankfully shows some improvement in this regard.
Overall, though, I think this album could've ended up much better than it is with just a couple of adjustements.
Favourite track: Soul Surfing
Suicide
4/5
I understand the low ratings, but I completely disagree. This album carries such an unique atmosphere and it does really well to make itself stand out at such a short runtime.
Favourite track: Ghost Rider
The Adverts
3/5
While definitely a nice piece of early melodic punk rock, it really lacks a special track to bump it up closer to the classics. Still, a very enjoyable listen, even if it's more style than substance.
Favourite track: On the Roof
Eric Clapton
2/5
I've heard plenty of Clapton adjacent albums, and I've definitely enjoyed a couple, but I never indulged in his solo work.
I never knew blues could sound so lifeless. Clapton sounds like he can't wait to get out of the studio. It's competently made and there are a couple of decent radio staples here, but I couldn't imagine listening to the entirety of this album ever again.
Green Day
4/5
I'll just have to let my nostalgia do the talking here, it's unavoidable. American Idiot is the first non-compilation album I've ever listened to, any and all objectivity goes out the window with that fact alone. Not to mention that they're the first band I've ever seen live and that I've learned how to play guitar almost exclusively with their songs. While I'm way more into their early work nowadays, there's a lot to love about this album as well.
First of all, the hooks are consistently pretty good, and the mixing accentuates that perfectly. While the guitar is the most prominent part of every composition here, it's massively carried by Mike and Tré's tremendous energy. My biggest gripe with Green Day albums made after American Idiot is how little attention Mike gets in the mix, but that's not a problem here at all. In fact, I'd argue he's the star here. Billie Joe changes his vocal delivery and tone for this album pretty drastically. While I prefer his younger, sloppier, rawer delivery of the '90s, this change was a wise choice for this album and helps prop up some of the more emotional moments sprinkled throughout. Finally, the song structures are ambitious, well thought out and executed almost perfectly.
I never agreed with the critique of American Idiot being too shallow in its presentation of political themes and emotional turmoil. Sure, Billie Joe has shown himself to be a lacklustre songwriter in this department for the last couple of Green Day albums, but those criticisms don't really apply to American Idiot, in my opinion. It's an attempt shove it in a particular punk sphere it just doesn't belong in. They're not Bad Religion. This is a rock-opera about an edgy, moody teenager, of course the songwriting has melodramatic tendencies and lacks nuance. I wouldn't have it any other way.
I'm not gonna act like it's a flawless album, though. It has a couple of weak tracks, mainly She's a Rebel. Also, as I've already mentioned, I definitely prefer their more energetic and bratty albums, such as Dookie, Insomniac and Nimrod, that type of pop-punk is when they're at their best.
Favourite track: Holiday