The album leans heavily into a pop-oriented sound, with certain tracks carrying a strong Elton John-like flair. The songwriting foundation is solid, but I found myself wishing for rawer production. It would have aligned more with my tastes and given the music more bite. The drumming stood out as excellent throughout, though in the earlier tracks it sometimes felt a bit disconnected from the rest of the instrumentation. By the time This Is Hell arrived, however, the percussion felt much more cohesive. I especially enjoyed how the drums and bass complemented one another on that song. Overall, I did enjoy this album, and it grew on me with subsequent listens. I understand why it earned its place on the list, but it ultimately doesn’t match my production preferences. While I probably won’t revisit the album, I can appreciate its strengths.

Electric Warrior by T. Rex is one of those classic album covers everyone recognizes. It’s often been described as glam “throwaway” music from the era. Yet the influence it had on artists like Andrew Wood (Mother Love Bone), The Smiths, and Nirvana is well documented. It’s fascinating how something once considered expendable ended up shaping so much of the music that followed. To be fair, I’ve always known the big songs from this album, but I can’t remember ever sitting down and listening to it all the way through. It was never a record I had strong feelings about one way or another. After two full listens, I was surprised by how much it grew on me. I genuinely enjoyed it. While there’s definitely a glam sheen, musically it leans more toward what we’d now think of as indie rock, with subtle funk touches in the rhythm section. I’m not sure it’ll enter my regular rotation anytime soon, but I definitely have a new appreciation for the album. Not just for its influence on artists I loved in my youth, but for the music itself.

I’ve tried several times over the years, but I just can’t get into this album. I don’t dislike the music, but it never holds my attention. No matter which track I start with, the album always begins on a promising note, but after a song or two my interest drifts and I realize I’ve stopped listening. As a result, making it through the whole album has always been a struggle.

Still great! A top 3 Bowie album for me.

4.5 - not much to say other than a great album, but not quite to the level of his best.

Takes me back to elementary school. I used to love hearing Madonna on the radio as a kid. If you’d caught me in 5th grade, this would’ve been a solid 4.

The first track was the stands out, probably because of its familiarity. The album starts off strong but quickly loses momentum, or maybe I just lost interest. After the title track, it felt like a bit of a snooze fest.

Familiar with the next few Gabriel albums, but only really knew the hits from this one. Listening through reinforced two things: I quickly lose interest in songs that lean too heavily into a musical-meets-opera style, and when Peter Gabriel is at his best, he’s truly exceptional. Most of the songs on this album struck me as either excellent or entirely forgettable. I do wonder if it might be a “grower” with repeated listens, but for now, I’m not inclined to invest the time. There are too many other great albums competing for attention.

This album felt like a game-changer when it was released, and it still holds up today. I don’t revisit it often anymore, but its impact on music at the time was undeniable. For that alone, it deserves a solid 5.

This album is good, but not great. It never quite reaches the heights of their earlier records. The opener hooked me instantly with its repurposed surf-rock vibe, followed by a track that channels the intensity of ’90s alt classics, and then my personal favorite: the song that captures Frank and Kim interacting at their best here. Beyond that strong start, there are still enjoyable moments, especially in some of Frank’s guitar work scattered throughout, but overall the quality drops a notch for me. A look at the song credits makes the reason clear: Kim has no writing credits here, and her reduced vocal presence compared to earlier albums is hard to miss. Whether that absence stemmed from the well-documented tensions on the previous tour or simply because Kim was busy writing and co-writing every track on the Breeders first album released the same year, this record is very much a Frank project. Frank and Kim are both musical geniuses, but for me Kim > Frank. Kim’s contributions and presence are what could have elevated this album from good to great, but her impact is unfortunately missing.

Hailed as one of the big four thrash bands, this was the pivotal album catapulted the band to a world recognized act. Everything on this album speaks of speed and precision. The drums are super tight with speed, the bass in the same, complementing the guitar rifts. At times the 80s production is a bit too much for me along with some aspects of the 80’s metal singing style which I’ve often struggled with. The second I get caught up in that downside, the intense precision and speed of the instrumentation pulls me back in. 3.5

I really enjoyed the effective use of sampling and sound bites throughout the album. Especially the subtle electronic touches woven into songs rooted in more traditional reggae and Latin sounds. Knowing the story behind the album’s creation adds even more depth. Recording rough takes while traveling through South and Latin America, then compiling and refining them upon returning to France, gives the project a sense of movement and discovery. Much of it was crafted on a laptop, with technical glitches at times pushing the music in unexpected directions. Without that context, the album can feel scattered, but understanding the creative journey, the cohesion and intent truly shine through.

Respect the man, but not my thing.