180
Albums Rated
3.52
Average Rating
17%
Complete
909 albums remaining
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
1950
Favorite Decade
World
Favorite Genre
US
Top Origin
Wordsmith
Rater Style ?
25
5-Star Albums
4
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
Top Styles
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Playing With Fire
Spacemen 3
|
5 | 2.55 | +2.45 |
|
Life's Too Good
The Sugarcubes
|
5 | 3.08 | +1.92 |
|
Liege And Lief
Fairport Convention
|
5 | 3.09 | +1.91 |
|
Clube Da Esquina
Milton Nascimento
|
5 | 3.14 | +1.86 |
|
John Prine
John Prine
|
5 | 3.22 | +1.78 |
|
Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables
Dead Kennedys
|
5 | 3.27 | +1.73 |
|
Figure 8
Elliott Smith
|
5 | 3.33 | +1.67 |
|
Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea
PJ Harvey
|
5 | 3.38 | +1.62 |
|
Either Or
Elliott Smith
|
5 | 3.4 | +1.6 |
|
Heaven Or Las Vegas
Cocteau Twins
|
5 | 3.41 | +1.59 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
The Suburbs
Arcade Fire
|
1 | 3.49 | -2.49 |
|
Eliminator
ZZ Top
|
1 | 3.37 | -2.37 |
|
Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite
Maxwell
|
1 | 2.91 | -1.91 |
|
Warehouse: Songs And Stories
Hüsker Dü
|
1 | 2.85 | -1.85 |
|
Master Of Puppets
Metallica
|
2 | 3.72 | -1.72 |
|
After The Gold Rush
Neil Young
|
2 | 3.61 | -1.61 |
|
Document
R.E.M.
|
2 | 3.55 | -1.55 |
|
Funeral
Arcade Fire
|
2 | 3.55 | -1.55 |
|
That's The Way Of The World
Earth, Wind & Fire
|
2 | 3.5 | -1.5 |
|
Play
Moby
|
2 | 3.45 | -1.45 |
Artists
Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Elliott Smith | 2 | 5 |
| Radiohead | 3 | 4.33 |
Controversial
| Artist | Ratings |
|---|---|
| Arcade Fire | 1, 4, 2 |
5-Star Albums (25)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
Ryan Adams · 2 likes
4/5
Maybe Adams has been rightfully buried from relevance due to his nasty actions because I hadn’t heard of him before today. But unfortunately I did like this album. Though sometimes sickly sweet it was moving. The music is lush and full and Adams’ voice is beautiful. Obviously there’s a strong Dylan influence in here, which sometimes veers a little too close to imitation, especially in his vocal inflections. I also hear Jeff Buckley in some tracks. And it’s always fun when you hear a record and think oh this is where THAT came from: Amy could have been pulled straight from Harry Styles’ first solo album.
It’s a good album. A shame when someone is more committed to hurting others than they are to their art!
Joni Mitchell · 1 likes
5/5
Blue might be the most personally meaningful album of my life. The first time I listened all the way through I was in a similar place as Joni Mitchell was when she wrote it. Her music was off Spotify so I listened on vinyl. Carey made me feel so hopeful that new love was possible at that time. Through the years and countless listens different songs have become my favorites and then old favorites. Her songwriting is insane and her compositions are unlike any else. Truly one of the best albums of all time. Blue is a masterpiece!
1-Star Albums (4)
All Ratings
Fairport Convention
5/5
Fire!!
The platonic ideal of folk rock. Timeless sound. Vocals sound like Joni Mitchell at times and with a gorgeous gospel fullness. Incredible instrumental arrangements of traditional folk songs that incorporate psychedelia and the rock conventions of the time. 1969 what a time to be alive!
Reminds me a lot of Let England Shake in its concept
The Kinks
3/5
I love a good concept album but sometimes the concept hits harder than the execution. Great songwriting and themes but the musical style was just not working for me except for on a few songs like Wicked Annabella. Found the circus-y Sgt. Pepper-y sound pretty samey
Arcade Fire
1/5
I was younger when Arcade Fire hit the scene so this album is not super nostalgic to me like it is for so many people. This is the first of Arcade Fire album I’ve ever played all the way through. It grew on me more in the final third, but Sprawl II was the only song that really struck me. I like the baroque influence and see how they were influential themselves to bands that came more around my childhood. But like, that includes Imagine Dragons lol. The Suburbs evokes dread, darkness, and nostalgia but without the synthy brightness of Sprawl II carried through the whole album it feels compressed and kinda unoriginal to me. Just not my thing. Sprawl II earns the entire star.
Michael Jackson
4/5
The hits are hits for a reason. The rest are, well, Liberian Girl
Man in the Mirror is better than I remember, and Smooth Criminal and Dirty Diana are standouts for me. It’s not a no-skips record but I’m here for the drama of it all
Blondie
5/5
Flawless album. Starts at 100 and stays there. Debbie Harry is one of the best to ever do it!!
Carole King
4/5
Such pure expressions of every kind of love! This album reminds me of driving into Yosemite with my best friends. Beautiful songwriting, and the cover of Will You Love Me Tomorrow was a surprise standout
Stephen Stills
3/5
Shocked by the STRONG gospel influence. Old Times Good Times and Go Back Home were the highlight. Liked the closer. Lots of boring stretches
Joni Mitchell
5/5
Blue might be the most personally meaningful album of my life. The first time I listened all the way through I was in a similar place as Joni Mitchell was when she wrote it. Her music was off Spotify so I listened on vinyl. Carey made me feel so hopeful that new love was possible at that time. Through the years and countless listens different songs have become my favorites and then old favorites. Her songwriting is insane and her compositions are unlike any else. Truly one of the best albums of all time. Blue is a masterpiece!
Japan
2/5
So moody. Sooooo 80s. Liked the cover of All Tomorrow’s Parties. Can’t deny the impact but I think I’m more about the later bands that took inspiration!
Dead Kennedys
5/5
These guys played at Barrington Hall. Another Bay Area W
Never got into the Dead Kennedys before but this album got me recharged on punk all day! Some iconic songs on here and iconic song titles
David Bowie
3/5
Atmospheric, industrial, gothic! It took a few songs for me to get into it but everything after Heroes was captivating. This album gave me a lot to “chew on” which I really enjoy. As Tristan would say, “it’s a sipper!”
Pixies
5/5
Just sick as hell start to finish.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
I can’t believe this came out in the 70s. It sounds timeless, simultaneously like so much that came before and so much that came after. I hear the 50s influence that contemporaries like Blondie also took after. I hear pop punk, I hear Weezer, I hear new wave, it’s crazy! The lyrics are sneering, playful, and inventive. Overall this sound isn’t really my thing, consistent with how I’ve felt about the snippets of Elvis Costello I’ve heard in the past. But I can appreciate what it accomplished!
Ryan Adams
4/5
Maybe Adams has been rightfully buried from relevance due to his nasty actions because I hadn’t heard of him before today. But unfortunately I did like this album. Though sometimes sickly sweet it was moving. The music is lush and full and Adams’ voice is beautiful. Obviously there’s a strong Dylan influence in here, which sometimes veers a little too close to imitation, especially in his vocal inflections. I also hear Jeff Buckley in some tracks. And it’s always fun when you hear a record and think oh this is where THAT came from: Amy could have been pulled straight from Harry Styles’ first solo album.
It’s a good album. A shame when someone is more committed to hurting others than they are to their art!
T. Rex
4/5
Long overdue listen on this album, which has so many songs I already love. For a long time I thought this was a 90s record because it it’s so fuzzy and slinky. I wouldn’t say it’s super “glam” more like “glitzy.” I’m into it.
John Prine
5/5
Didn’t expect to love this so much. Had no idea Prine wrote Angel From Montgomery. Poetic, powerful anti-war songwriting and moving storytelling, just as country should be! My favorite thing about this album is how effortlessly Prine glides between themes and tones. His delivery is always relaxed and it’s unmistakable in each track that’s he’s got a love for the music
Slint
3/5
While listening to this today (a hot early September day) it started pouring rain out of nowhere. That’s kind of how this album feels: unsettling, tense, and nostalgic like deja vu. Everything is in its precise place to evoke a mood of not-quite-right. Ahead of it’s time by about 8 years, but not something I’d just put on to listen to. Sounds like a more concentrated brew of Stratosphere, OK Computer, or Lift Your Skinny Fists, which I think balance that spooky sound a bit better than the crunchy punk spots do on this record. It’s interesting stuff!
Prince
4/5
This album is a kaleidoscope of so many different genres! Prince performs these songs like a cat in heat but I’m not mad about it.
Some of the tracks were too long in my opinion. Still one of Prince’s best! I can’t believe he never collaborated with Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth. Love the 80s futurism.
Beck
4/5
Beck is one of those artists whose legacy is everywhere but not by name. Very cool collage sound and totally a progenitor of the indie rock I grew up with. This rocked!
The Pretty Things
3/5
This is what I mean when I say I wanna listen to some 60s music. Perfectly weird.
4/5
Everything works so well together here! Some of the best from the Kinks I’ve heard!
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
Springsteen has such a distinct masculinity while still being sincere and poetic, similar to the great country artists I love. His sound is not that interesting to me, and I wasn’t compelled to pay super close attention to this album.
The Pharcyde
3/5
Irreverent and fun! I pray that artists like Doechii will successfully bring back this dark humored 90s sound. It’s refreshing how much fun everyone is having with every track, and the music is good!
Bob Dylan
5/5
Listened on the subway in Manhattan. There are multiple masterpieces on this album. Maybe it’s corny but I will never not be moved by Blowin’ in the Wind. Masters of War is another 10/10, as is Don’t Think Twice. I could keep going and going
4/5
5/5
Everything I love about 90s alt dialed up to 100. One of my favorites of all time. Polly Jean the woman you are!
Nick Drake
5/5
Incredibly beautiful songs here. Drake’s guitar does so much, creates so much depth even while the compositions and honestly songwriting are so sparse. This album is a lullaby, peaceful and often haunting.
Animal Collective
3/5
I liked this more than I thought it would! Sparkly and nostalgic
John Coltrane
5/5
Listening feels like looking up the side of a towering skyscraper. Supreme indeed!
Pavement
3/5
Like it but didn’t love it
Faith No More
2/5
Well, it’s unique!
Kanye West
2/5
Total edgelord music. One or two songs I liked but almost every track is too long.
Led Zeppelin
4/5
I’m torn between a 3 and 4 tbh. There are some forgettable songs on here and some that don’t work for me. But I mean, Since I’ve Been Loving You and Tangerine might push it over. I really think Zeppelin is at their best on those softer tracks
Cypress Hill
3/5
At first I really didn’t like it, and I’m not sure if it grew on me or if the sound and organization of the songs actually grew sharper in the second half, but I started to enjoy myself beginning at Stoned is the Way of the Walk and on. I probably wouldn’t put this on just to listen to, but it’s an interesting look into a genre/time period I don’t know much about
David Bowie
3/5
Definitely one to listen to with the wired earbuds. Another atmospheric and ambient sound from the Berlin trilogy. I was into the beeps and boops, not as into the chanting and low humming like I was on trial before the ancient alien council. The songs that do have lyrics are pretty sparse and I like it that way. Sound and Vision is obviously the commercial hit here and is hands down one of my favorites of all time.
Miles Davis
5/5
Reminds me of the MO. Especially All Blues. Love it.
Common
2/5
I really struggled through this one. Elias said that maybe I can't really get into rhythmic music as often and I think he's right. But also, what in the world is that grating effect they put over Common's voice in 50% of the songs on here? Surely this album did not need to be so long, either. I will say I found myself nodding along at some points, so I'll throw in a star for that. But mostly I felt like nodding off.
Fatboy Slim
4/5
I didn’t love every song but there are some certified bangers on this one! Fast paced and so stupid you sometimes don’t want to admit it’s also kind of genius.
Nina Simone
5/5
The storytelling and Simone’s voice are just stunning. Her vocals are so powerful yet seem effortless and almost casual. The songs are so simple in scope but every word pulls a lot of weight. Such an intentional album, I love it.
Basement Jaxx
3/5
I started out really disliking the first 3 songs. Then this album slowly won me over in a big way. It feels strange to listen to on headphones or just in the car and not in a club or house show. Always be There, Bingo Bango, and Stop 4 Love were the highlights and really showed me the depth of this record, how broad it could span, and how much emotion could be packed into these tracks!
The White Stripes
4/5
Listening to this album was a rollercoaster for me. We started out strong with Seven Nation Army. A classic. The next three or so songs I was ready to decide I wasn’t really into it though. It felt like they were trying to keep speed with the first track but weren’t as striking and so all melded together. Around the halfway point, You’ve Got Her In Your Pocket recaptured my attention, got me thinking about The Velvet Underground. And then the rest of the album consistently surprised and wowed me with every song. Twists and turns everywhere. Just incredible!
Talking Heads
4/5
Talking Heads’ polyrhythm era. Once In a Lifetime is one of their many masterpieces. This is an amazing album but not my favorite of theirs! It’s like listening to the sound of unraveling (in a good way)
Iron Maiden
3/5
There’s something so unique and almost flamboyant about the sound of heavy metal to me. The vocals are often really impressive, expressive, and melodically beautiful, as they are in this album. It’s such an exaggerated form of expression, and Iron Maiden really takes that exaggeration to an almost cartoonish level. It’s kind of a juvenile idea of “evil,” and hardcore, simple lyrics and references to the devil and such. I almost wish it were a bit goofier to really sell it. I generally don’t love the metallic, grinding sound of the electric guitars as much as I like the brooding sound of the early Sabbath album I listened to recently. But the slow/fast compositions are fun and the timing and high level of control are very impressive. This isn’t gonna be for me but I get it.
Television
5/5
The best thing my ex ever did was introduce me to Marquee Moon. Hard to even capture the influence because this album’s sound just feels so ubiquitous in indie rock. An instant 5.
Tito Puente
4/5
Why did I ever stop listening to salsa?? This album is so good, you can’t help but move and dance listening to Tito Puente. Reminds me of Grace teaching me to dance salsa the summer before senior year. I’m no good at it, but I did have a cute lead :)
Milton Nascimento
5/5
Wow! A hidden gem. The melodies are transcendental. I knew the first track but the entire record is one I will surely return to. Reminds me a lot of some of my favorite 70s albums from Lebanon and Iran!
Elliott Smith
5/5
Common
2/5
I want to like this album but I just think it’s corny!!
Gram Parsons
2/5
Didn’t feel like anything special to me. Brass Buttons and Ooh Las Vegas were good. The track order was thoughtful and effective.
The Cramps
4/5
Silly silly silly what fantastic concept songs! As always with The Cramps the vocals are unmatched. Not many who do what they do but they’re the best at it!
Blur
4/5
Essex Dogs is a masterpiece.
Mercury Rev
4/5
Incomprehensible in a good way. Cinematic. Singer’s voice sounds like the Flaming Lips and the concept-y ness has that sort of quality too. Kinda eerie. Unintuitive arrangements.
Paul McCartney
4/5
I love this album. It feels so intimate and the lyricism is beautiful. It has a pure feeling that really shows off McCartney’s talent.
Yes
3/5
Liked it more than the other Yes album from this list. More emotion behind each track. Less gratuitous.
Raekwon
4/5
I think the 90s is my hip hop era. I like the dark sounding melodies and sketches. This album was a bit long but I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it and even loved some of the songs!
Bob Dylan
4/5
I love it when Dylan just keeps going on and on about something insane, like your Leopard Skin Pill Box Hat. The Dylan voice is voicing hard, and as a Bob Dylan voice truther (he sounds awesome) I am loving it.
Scott Walker
3/5
Actually made me get why people fw Geordie Greep. There’s a few really great songs on here. Sometimes got a bit too showtunes-y, but it was unique I’ll give him that. Feels old and new at the same time. I hear a bit of Walker in the Magnetic Fields
Aretha Franklin
3/5
Franklin has the smoothest voice and her lyrical work is so good here! She flows between playful and serious so well. Not even my favorite Aretha Franklin album but so good!
The Stooges
4/5
Wait... I really liked this. Iggy is one of those names I've always heard but never really checked out. My favorite parts of this album remind me of my favorite parts from Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars. Gimme Danger also really captivated me and stuck out as a clear contemporary influence on Patti Smith. The growly vocal thing he does in songs like Your Pretty Face is Going to Hell is interesting I guess but I don't really like how it sounds. Another favorite was I Need Somebody
Waylon Jennings
4/5
Apparently, I like honky tonk! This album was really fun, I expected it to be more fast-paced or noisy for some reason, but it was simply composed and reminded me of my favorite folk artists with dancable, almost groovy basslines and beats. A+ production and Jennings' voice is beautiful and rich!
The Cure
4/5
Lush, gloomy, and intricate. There’s such a strong sense of mood here. Nice to get to know The Cure beyond their hits, to revisit some old favorites and find some new ones.
My favorites were Lullaby and Fascination Street. Plainsong is also an incredible opener here.
ZZ Top
1/5
Boringggg!! I just don’t like this 80s rock. Legs was good, but every song sounds the same!
Stan Getz
4/5
When I was in college I worked at a restaurant with an attached book and music store. We were only allowed to play jazz, classical, and Latin music. Apparently this was one of the CDs we had on deck, because every song on this album, in order, made me feel like I was back behind the bar there. There are other albums from that job that I've listened to outside of the restaurant, and they remind me of that time, but I have other memories built around them. This one was like listening to a distilled memory of that time and I loved it.
One last thing, and I say this about a lot of stuff, but this sounds like the fishing game music from Club Penguin (complimentary).
Cream
3/5
Feels weird to call a psychedelic album “no frills” but that’s how I feel about Disraeli Gears. Cream has a pure, somewhat plain sound that cuts right through to the meat of 60s rock. There are some bluesey bops here and a few standouts. This is exactly the kind of thing I’d put on again when I want to listen to some groovy guitar.
Funkadelic
5/5
Now THIS is a five star album! What’s not to love? Maggot Brain is worth the price of admission alone. Not to mention Can You Get To That. I loved You and Your Folks as well, and really every track on this. If there’s one skip it may be Back In Our Minds. This album just has that something special, and it rocks out so hard!
Beastie Boys
4/5
The amount of ADHD running through this record is astronomical. The influence on 100 Gecs cannot be overstated.
I loved the backing tracks and samples! Such a feat of creativity. The vocal delivery and flow did get old after a while, but not enough to distract me from everything there is to love here.
Early on in listening I was like, y’know this kind of sounds like Le Tigre. Then I remembered that Kathleen Hanna is married to Adam Horovitz.
Jeff Buckley
5/5
Anyone who knows me knows I love this album. Buckley's voice is just insane. It gets really heavy and loud at points, a very quiet/loud 90s sound with a more delicate texture than most rock artists. The guitar is almost like a character in this universe, it has its own dialogue and agency. Buckley really makes that thing sing. I find this album soulful, desperate, and haunting, in a classically tragic sort of way. Buckley does Simone so beautifully, too.
Rocket From The Crypt
3/5
Direct descendent of Elvis Costello and the clear evolutionary bridge beween him and 2000s pop punk.
The ska influence here feels very SoCal. This was definitely a familiar sound given I was born and raised in San Diego. It's got a little spikier, a little grungier texture than what I'd total identify as SD DNA, though. There's definitely some 50s doo-wop and surf rock in here which I like. The vocalist sounds very earnest at times in a way that comes off as a bit trying, a little forced. Did I like it? I would happily listen to some of these songs in a playlist of similar stuff. But I wouldn't seek this album out, really.
Serge Gainsbourg
3/5
Ok so the storyline is creepy, duh. But so is the narrator's voice eughhh!
That said, there are creepy spoken-word esque songs that I do like, I'm thinking about Velvet Underground and Black Box Recorder and such. Maybe if I spoke French I would have a higher opinion of this album. Actually, the plot is pretty easy to follow since the album is so short, but I think the issue is just that. It doesn't seem that novel or interesting. Maybe there are clues to metacommentary or storytelling nuances I am missing that would make this more of a literary experience.
I do really enjoy the sort of plodding, sultry music, the bass is similar to Portishead, who I love for similar qualities.
But every time she whisper-speaks "Melody," I cringe!
Cocteau Twins
5/5
I couldn’t dream of giving this less than a 5. It’s just exquisite and sounds like nothing else. Iconic and breathtaking!
Neil Young
2/5
Very meh to me. Neil Young can do so much better! I’ve known and liked Only Love Can Break Your Heart for a while, and that one still stood out. Besides that and the guitar on Southern Man this album was pretty forgettable.
Yes
3/5
Depends on my mood kinda thing. Today I wasn’t really feeling it and it felt like a bit of a slog at times. There were some fun moments, though! I don’t think prog is my favorite generally, it’s just hard to escape into? A little too self aware? Like they’re constantly going: look how cool this part is!!
Hüsker Dü
1/5
I can almost explain why I don’t like this but it’s gonna take too much effort and I just wanna move on.
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
4/5
A really fun listen! The energy is high, the songs are good, this just goes hard! Rock n roll!
Various Artists
3/5
The production is stunning! Not all these would be included in my personal favorite set of Christmas songs, but Baby Please Come Home is one of the best of all time for sure!
Iggy Pop
5/5
This was SO GOOD! It’s like… well balanced? Scratches an itch in my brain. Dare I say it’s like the best parts of Bowie distilled and concentrated? Iggy I was not (that) familiar with your game!
The Allman Brothers Band
2/5
Impressive at times, but drawn out.
Goldie
4/5
This has been my favorite of the electronic albums so far. It’s truly cinematic, with lots of sweeping movement and soundscapes. That said, it was still a relief when it was over, not because I didn’t enjoy it but because I drove from LA to San Diego and still didn’t finish it and I can only take so much!
Ms. Dynamite
2/5
This album was ok bordering on good. But nothing special. I liked the more Caribbean influenced tracks and the vocals but the lyrics were pretty corny at times and the flow a bit choppy
Black Flag
2/5
I've definitely heard the influence of this album in present-day SoCal mosh pits. That's pretty cool! This is definitely music that would be more fun live, the main draw is how much energy and movement is in the tracks. Black Flag always reminds me of that movie 21st Century Women and the scene when the mom is with her son and Greta Gerwig's character at a punk show and she says, "They're not very good... and they know they're not very good?" This isn't really for casual listening to me, it's for emotion and thrashing around! So, quite good at what it does!
Black Sabbath
4/5
Another artist I've long wanted to get into but never made an effort. I really liked Black Sabbath! Heavy and dark, lots of bass, so much emotion in Osborne's vocals. Really captures that evil sort of sound while remaining sort of refined? The songs are not too noisy is what I mean. Sick guitar solos. I'm learning I love rock that retains its bluesy DNA.
Earth, Wind & Fire
2/5
I feel bad rating this a 2 but it just didn’t do anything for me! Shining Star was fun but the rest of the first side was just tooooo smooth, nothing interesting for me to grab onto. The second half was an improvement. It deserves its place on this list but just didn’t excite me at all.
Germs
3/5
Interesting to listen to this so soon after Black Flag. I liked it more as a listening experience but not enough to earn it an extra star. I found the music and Crash's voice interesting. Manimal was one of my favorites.
Eminem
3/5
I can pretty much always do with less women/children screaming and crying sounds in my music. Overall I liked this album, Eminem has so much fun with the wordplay and is crazy talented with a great ear and intuition for flow. The production is great besides the unfortunate choice for all the crying sounds my god. I like the skits, and I usually don’t like skits.
The content isn’t so much “offensive” as it just starts to feel boring after a while, like I’m rolling my eyes a few songs in. I like the comparison to a horror movie, but the best horror movies make use of pacing and variety so that the shocks remain shocking. The bizarre- and ridiculous-ness of the concept make it mostly work for me. Definitely earns its place on the list!
Moby
2/5
I really dug the two-track run of Machete and 7 and a I liked few songs at the beginning okay, but the rest was a bit boring. Sort of simple.
Curtis Mayfield
3/5
This dude’s bass sounds like when you shake a piece of laminated paper and I love it. I actually just discovered Mayfield not that long ago but hadn’t listened to this album yet. I feel like the energy dropped as it went on, but the first half was excellent and the second was really good as well. I’m putting it at a 3 for now but want to relisten soon.
Adele
3/5
Wow! I mean, when I was growing up, like as a literal child, this album was everywhere. Adele was constantly on the radio, and as I’ve gotten older I think I kind of just lumped her in with other radio hits from my childhood. This album is much more than that, and I’m glad I gave it a through listen! I feel that she avoids cliches in her lyricism, even as some pop structure is still there. I enjoy the almost baroque piano and the clear soul and Motown influence. I can’t believe Rolling in the Deep is syncopated…
It’s hit after hit after hit! Emotional, beautiful production, and soulful voice. She seems to take after Amy Winehouse, who I do prefer—Adele plays it a little safer. This album isn’t groundbreaking but it performs very, very well in its lane.
De La Soul
3/5
So, so fun! This is an album of pure creativity. I like the comparison to Sgt. Pepper but for hip hop. Although I do like the darker humor, this was a nice break from the edgelord hip hop the generator has been giving me lately. Reminds me of a Julia Cameron quote, something like "serious art requires serious play." I don't want to say they "stumble" onto some great stuff here, because there's obviously a lot more intention and skill than that. But there's a creative freedom to 3 Feet High and Rising that comes, I think, from getting just as much satisfaction from the process than from the product. I'm happy to come along for the ride!
Mekons
4/5
This is really unique but also familiar? I feel like I'll definitely be returning to listen to this album. I really liked it. The fiddle goes hard. Or is it a violin? Is there a difference?
From a more analytical standpoint, this album gets really close to absolute genius a few times without going all the way. I think some later 90s bands filled in the missing pieces. But that keeps it feeling weird and unexpected in a way that hit very well for me, even if not "perfect."
Jamiroquai
3/5
I’m torn. The music is really fun and my kind of thing! But the lyrics… sound so recycled and like an imitation of “political” music. The singer’s voice is also way too happy while singing about injustice and violence which adds to it feeling inauthentic. Still 3 stars because the compositions are great.
Radiohead
4/5
I wasn’t that familiar with the Kid A/Amnesiac period of Radiohead’s discography, but I had a general picture. Amnesiac is beautiful, lonely, and immersive. It’s been a minute between listening and now writing this review but I’ll be returning.
The Doors
4/5
When I listened to this album in high school I didn’t get the hype. I kind of wrote off The Doors but have been making my way back. This listen, I so got it. Bluesey and psychedelic! So much to love.
Maxwell
1/5
This album was irritating and boring. You’re not Marvin Gaye bro.
The Birthday Party
2/5
I didn’t hate it. She’s Hit is actually really good. There weren’t any other standout songs for me. The noise and loudness started to blur together at some point.
The Strokes
4/5
God everyone wanted to be the Strokes in the 2000s didn’t they? No wonder, this album is just so enjoyable and listenable and cool. Scratch that, everyone STILL wants to be the Strokes.
My main criticism is I didn’t need that effect over Mr. Casablanca’s voice in every song. This is an album of certified bangers!
U2
3/5
There is a thin line between ubiquitous and generic. War is skating right along it.
Thelonious Monk
2/5
I know Thelonious Monk is a pianist but maybe a whole album of jazz piano is not my thing. I just wasn't drawn in for any extended time.
Simon & Garfunkel
3/5
There are some great moments but the album as a whole didn't pack a punch for me. The great moments in question: The Big Bright Green Pleasure Machine, A Simple Desultory Philippic, 59th Street Bridge Song, and For Emily Whenever I May Find Her. This one could use a re-listen at some point. Overall a bit vanilla, though vanilla is still a great flavor.
Pixies
4/5
If the songs from Velouria through Ana were the whole album, it would be an easy 5, though the rest of the album is great. I think this is probably a 4.5 to me. The descending riffs in that chunk are like straight crack.
Donald Fagen
2/5
This is Wii Sports music. Favorite track was The Nightfly. I almost like it but it’s just short.
Derek & The Dominos
3/5
I’m learning from this list I’m a sucker for the blues, and sadly, for Eric Clapton’s guitar. 0/5 for his racist ass, 3/5 for this album, which, despite what many of the reviews on this site would have me believe, had a lot of amazing songs besides just Layla. There are definitely some gratuitous tracks, but it’s a solid record.
Metallica
2/5
There’s some beautiful melodies in here. Something this album does very well is turn those melodies into the exaggerated, thrashing core of the songs. The speed is extremely impressive. This superfast style isn’t that evocative for me, and I found myself wishing for more time with the slower parts, but I see the appeal! Seems like an insanely fun live experience.
Radiohead
5/5
An amazing, lonely, paranoid album. Isolated but not cold. Robotic but full of emotion. One of the greatest of all time. There are some brilliant moments on this album, the first half of which is stronger than the second. I personally like Airbag but Paranoid Android is a 10/10 and the bassline is so hard. The placement of Electioneering right after Fitter Happier is genius, Exit Music and Karma Police are beautiful, and the soft lullaby of No Surprises is absolutely haunting. On this listen, I was particularly taken by Lucky!
Echo And The Bunnymen
4/5
I’m surprised how much I loved this and was constantly intrigued by what it had to offer. There are so many genuinely unique sounds here used in such entrancing ways that set it apart from the default new wave sound.
Brian Eno
3/5
There are few songs where it all came together for me: Baby’s on Fire and Driving me Backwards, and maybe one or two more that I can’t recall off the top of my head right now. They didn’t strike me as genius, and like most of these songs here didn’t strike me as particularly or properly “weird,” but they were good. The songs I didn’t like had a hypnotically British vibe, almost Beatlesque. The rest were ok.
Beastie Boys
4/5
From Root Down on I was obsessed. I loved this album, especially the percussive elements and balance between fun punky numbers and jazzy tracks. Futterman’s Rule was so sick, and Eugene’s Lament had my jaw on the floor. So unexpected, so surprisingly refined, and well done. I liked that this album had a focus on the music than the vocals/lyrics more so than the last Beastie Boys album I listened to on this list, Paul’s Boutique. This is like a more mature version, still with fun vocals and group dynamic, but more reserved and punchy.
David Bowie
3/5
Every time a Bowie album comes up on here I wanna point to it as one of the ones that shouldn’t be on the list. I just can’t! This one has a lot of underrated bangers. I especially liked Valentine’s Day, The Stars, and Boss of Me. I do wish the compositions were a little more dynamic and energetic, and his voice sounds a bit weak at times. There were certainly many memorable moments!
R.E.M.
2/5
My brother had a Paperjamz guitar with It’s the End of the World As We Know It on it and he would “play” it over and over and over again. There are better moments than that on this album but a lot of it kinda sounds hokey to me.
Teenage Fanclub
3/5
This was pretty cool. The album really throws you in, like the second song is quite an emotional swell that I think most artists would push towards the end of an album. Caught my attention. I like the warmth and jangly/fuzzy sounds throughout.
Venom
2/5
A version of me less tired of all the metal albums may have enjoyed the silly lyrics and crunchy vocals on this much more. I get that this was influential to a bunch of metal subgenres, but I'm really not that interested.
Jefferson Airplane
4/5
Fela Kuti
4/5
This was just fantastic. Impossible to not dance to, politically striking. Zombies indeed.
Ray Price
3/5
The country/honky tonk/jazz/Polynesian influence mix was totally unique and interesting to listen to! I didn't feel like any one song jumped out at me. I would consider putting this on in the background of a party, and I don't mean that as an insult at all.
The Sugarcubes
5/5
I love some of the tracks off this album, obviously Birthday is amazing as well as Motorcrash, Mama, and Coldsweat. There are moments that work less, or don’t have the magic of those tracks to me, it’s not a perfect album (maybe a 4.5 realistically) but I’m feeling generous about it today so 5!
Emmylou Harris
3/5
This is an album I think I could get more into at the right time, but on this listen I thought it was pretty good. My first listen to Emmylou Harris but from what I know about her I think I may like some other albums of her more. Undeniably stunning voice, though. That cover of For No One was gorgeous.
Little Richard
4/5
Voice like a clarinet. Energy on 100. Incredible!
Kendrick Lamar
4/5
Sooo dense. So good! So 2015. King Kunta, How Much a Dollar Cost, and i were highlights. The jazz and spoken word styles throughout are really interesting but make this a bit less accessible, not that that’s a bad thing. Not my favorite Kendrick album but it’s iconic and lives up to the hype.
Public Enemy
4/5
Hip hop used to be, for lack of a better word, geeky! I admire the in-your-face politics of this record and the way distinct personalities both compete for time and find balance, which surely inspired my beloved Beastie Boys. Louder Than A Bomb is my favorite track. Some sick rock sampling as well.
Elliott Smith
5/5
Amazing. The guitar is so versatile and intimate as always, mixed in with piano and some other orchestral elements to great effect! Captivating storytelling, not sad sad but reflective and often angry. The best moments are the ones with energy and punch like Son of Sam but almost every song is unexpected and intricate.
Radiohead
4/5
Thom Yorke’s voice is so soft and delicate giving Jeff Buckley giving babygirl. A more rock album and less experimental but still really good.
The Flaming Lips
5/5
I love this album so much
The Pogues
3/5
So many different sounds and genres in here. Pretty cool. Don’t care for the singer’s voice most of the time. Metropolis and Thousands are Sailing were excellent. Don’t know if I’d listen to the rest again.
Bad Company
3/5
Dad rock I didn’t hate. Beautiful vocals. Nothing really grabbed me except a good piano bit near the middle.
ABBA
3/5
Slipping through my fingers all the time :’(
Chicago
4/5
Unexpectedly great! I really liked the second half of this album, South California Purples was groovy. The horns are fun.
Alanis Morissette
4/5
So dramatic, so blunt and sometimes crass. I love it. The mixing is weird and I wish it was smoother, there’s a few forgettable tracks, but this is no doubt a classic
Hugh Masekela
3/5
Nice jazz, can’t say it wowed but it’ll go in my rotation. I liked the first song.
Love
4/5
Ooh I liked this! Psychedelic and well composed, with some darker themes. Each song brought something different.
Gene Clark
4/5
Loved, could possibly be a member of my regular rotation. Title track is soul inspired and somewhat psychedelic in an otherwise country rock album.
Daft Punk
3/5
The songs were kind of simple. But good. Around the world around the world around the word around the world.
Foo Fighters
4/5
Crosby, Stills & Nash
3/5
On this listen, CSN struck me as a little boring. That can happen sometimes. It's perfectly pleasant.
Supertramp
3/5
Very '70s flavored. First song was quite good. Asylum (all 11 minutes or whatever) of it struck me as very Pink Floyd-esque, along with some other bits of songs here and there. That's probably the best song on here but I wished it was shorter.
Spacemen 3
5/5
This is totally my thing. I was jiving in the beginning because the textures were so interesting, then it picked up out of nowhere with Suicide and absolutely captivated me. Gripping!
Dusty Springfield
3/5
Dusty is so smooth it's... I don't want to say boring, but it can sometimes feel a little uninteresting. That said, Windmills of Your Mind is the best song here and one of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard. I had forgotten about it and now it's front of mind.
Nirvana
4/5
There are three or four masterpieces on this album, just killer stuff. The rest is a bit filler, but it serves to create a cohesive sound. Love the quiet-loud.
Neil Young
4/5
Really smooth all the way through, aside from a weird dip in A Man Needs a Maid. I mean, it’s got Heart of Gold on it. I do like me some Neil Young.
Norah Jones
4/5
It feels like this album is buried deep in my mind. It feels so nostalgic, maybe because I was two years old when it came out. Coffee shop music in a good way, back when going to the cafe with my mom felt like an exciting and adult thing to do. Peak white culture right here.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
4/5
Why is Nick Cave always singing about someone named Joe?
I really liked this album in all its Scott Walker-esque, Cramps-esque, campy, dingy glory. Am I crazy if I say Straight to You sounds exactly like Au Pays du Cocaine?
Jah Wobble's Invaders Of The Heart
4/5
There's a lot of hate for this album in the top reviews but I kind of loved it. Fun, wacky world music, kind of Saada Bonaire coded with the electronic elements, and Sinead O'Connor is on a few songs!
Queen
4/5
Weirder than I thought it’d be!
Arcade Fire
4/5
The first Arcade Fire album on this list I’ve liked. I just felt like it made sense, the pieces working together. Especially how the vocals meshed with the instrumentals, which was lacking on The Suburbs.
Peter Tosh
3/5
Reggae really depends on my mood. I think this is a good album but it didn’t blow me away. No Sympathy is great!
Gang Of Four
4/5
Aah so good! I know and love a few songs from here but had never listened all the way through. Those scratchy, pointy guitars used almost like percussion, amazing bass, and disaffected political lyrics are great. Could become part of my regular rotation, only time will tell.
2/5
After the first two songs, which were actually pretty fun, I found myself thinking I couldn't wait for this to be over.
Public Enemy
3/5
One of the sickest album covers!! Super relevant themes and cutting lyrics. I think the production is kinda messy, and I think I prefer It Takes a Nation of Millions, but this album definitely has room to grow on me. Favorite song on first listen was maybe Burn Hollywood Burn, probably because the image of an LA on fire is one of the most salient, enrapturing, and one of my most favorite political motifs.
The Doors
4/5
I think I liked Morrison Hotel more but this was still fire. The Doors have taken me some time to come around to but I get the hype now.
Dion
3/5
I kind of feel like this album was simply the sum of its parts. The elements felt a bit disjointed, and didn’t always work together. I feel like Dion’s voice lays against the grain of the tracks, which was sometimes good sometimes confusing.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
4/5
Heads Will Roll is an all timer. The rest of the album doesn’t quite live up to that precedence, but it’s still really good. This sounds very familiar and nostalgic to me, the slow songs especially sound sort of like mid songs at a small show, but I like them in this context. Heavily emulated vocals!
Metallica
3/5
Beatles
4/5
Ugh so classic and great. All My Loving, I Wanna Be Your Man, etc. I feel like there’s not a drag on this album. It’s charming!
The Beach Boys
4/5
Not at all what I’d expect from the Beach Boys, wow! This album is weird and dark, and some songs are really, really good for it, like Feel Flows and Don’t Go Near the Water, even Take A Load Off Your Feet feels like a great Ween song. But then some… really don’t land the jump: Disney Girls is just cringe and Student Demonstration Time feels off. But hey, long live People’s Park!
Femi Kuti
4/5
The Fall
4/5
Totally loving this, it has an unpolished and experimental sound as well as some Britpop sensibilities. Kind of reminds me of Blonde Redhead
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
The War On Drugs
3/5
Pretty dreamy and folky. If I listened in the right mood I think I’d really like it. Didn’t give it enough attention on this go so I’ll definitely come back to it.
Pulp
4/5
This guy is, as I believe the brits say, a “wanker.” His vocal style is evidence of the Bowie-fication of British music, and the whisper thing irked me. That said, something about this album charmed me. The lyrics are really clever in a way that helps make up for the whiny themes. Common People is obviously a major banger, and Disco 2000 and Something Changed really caught me too. Great storytelling and the cover/title is sick.
Nick Drake
4/5
The Zombies
4/5
Van Morrison
3/5
Gorillaz
4/5
I've resisted listening to a full Gorillaz album for a while but damn I thought this was great. It's right up my alley to be fair, that sort of electronic rock sounds of the 90s/2000s. There's a lot of hip hop and rock influences here, but the one that struck me the most was Radiohead, at times even drawing from Thom York's vocal style.
The Byrds
4/5
Better than I thought it would be, really surprised me at times with its experimentation that felt fresh while still being very of its time. I like how weird it got with the one alien song and the backwards notes.
Arcade Fire
2/5
I get that Arcade Fire and this album specifically was insanely influential, but I can't not hear it's influence in the some really bad music of the 2000s and 2010s. It sometimes just sounds like Imagine Dragons or Twenty One Pilots to me. I like the rest of the album much better than Neighborhood 1-4, and I like when the female vocalist sings, she has a really unique voice. Maybe more time needs to pass before I can listen to this baroque rock stuff and not cringe, idk.
Klaxons
3/5
I wasn't paying that close attention while listening to this but I thought it was pretty good and a very unique sound. I'm in a sci-fi mood lately so I appreciated those elements in the sound. One to re-listen to when I get a chance.
Muddy Waters
4/5
Pure blues. It being a live album injected so much energy and aliveness into this one. Loved loved loved.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
Amazing combination of blues and folk/country. Lots of fun
Jimmy Smith
3/5
Very smooth and gentle. I would listen to again as cafe music or background music. Not mind blowing but exceedingly pleasant.
Prince
3/5
I thought this was pretty good. Way ahead of its time. I hear hip hop influence and some indications of what came as far as the 2010s with the genre, as well as the R&B sound of those like Frank Ocean. There were some stinkers for sure, but overall a good listen.
Nico
4/5
Nico’s voice is very beautiful to me
The Clash
4/5
Kinda too long but it’s a sick album with certified bangers like Guns of Brixton, Spanish Bombs, Revolution Rock, and on and on! Love the vocals and the mishmash of genres, rockabilly, reggae, and punk feature prominently here. At times it’s giving Jonathan Richman?
Sam Cooke
4/5
I so wish I was there… that room is crazy. One of my favorite things Sam Cooke does live is when he gives the fellas a piece of advice it’s just always so funny to me. The pace of this is electric and Cooke’s energy is so high! I love the people who just start SCREAMING when he drops that little You Send Me line.
Fun Lovin' Criminals
3/5
Idk why all the hate I liked this. The guys are having fun, the music is interesting with the blues and rock and hip hop fusion. Yes a little confusing at times but I like the spirit.
Afrika Bambaataa
4/5
This is a unique album. I really liked it and will probably return to it. I can see how it was hugely influential and probably sampled to death. Mad respect
David Holmes
2/5
There were some moments on this that were interesting to me and I really liked. But on the whole it bored me to death. Glorified elevator music.
4/5
I tend to dislike the "silly" or, I guess psychedelic, Beatles songs and this album has a few of those. But as a whole it did not overwhelm me with them and they fit nicely into the concept. A Day in the Life is so sublime and probably my favorite on here. But I also loved Fixing a Hole and When I'm Sixty Four. Lucy in the Sky and With a Little Help are classics of course as well. Long live Sgt. Pepper!
Aretha Franklin
5/5
In doing this project I've discovered how important the first song is to an album, and with an opener like Chain of Fools I was instantly won over. Aretha's voice is at peak performance, so so strong and energized. She's doing vocal gymnastics its so crazy. I think I like the swingier songs better than the ballads. People Get Ready and Niki Hoeky were some new favorites of mine.
The Byrds
3/5
Pretty average 60s stuff. But shout out to that album cover which the indie boys have surely been beating to death since at least the ‘90s.
The Incredible String Band
2/5
I guess this is where the ren faire woodland fairy sound in psychedelic music comes from? It wasn’t awful but it wasn’t good.
Grant Lee Buffalo
4/5
This is my favorite Lana Del Rey album.