Very British. From first impression of track one, I can definitely see where future project came from. 100% not for me. Was kinda painful to listen to
Oof... So while I'll agree that there is some damn fine musicianship here, it's still disco. It's very disco. And while there are gems in the genre, by and large disco sucks. Seriously some great playing going on, but... nope.
Mid 80s. Dominated the light rock radio, and I get why. Smooth, chill, jazzy pop. Is it something I would have picked out to listen or would pick out to on a regular basis? No probably not. But there's are some jams. Bassist straight going off on tracks like Hang On to Your Love.
I'll admit that my exposure to Bob Marley is pretty much limited to his Greatest Hits album. I can see why this hits hard with some people. It's kinda the definition of crunchy. It's good, just not my flavor.
It's the South Park goth kids in all the best ways. Post-punk, new wave. Arrangements feel simple and layered swimming in plate reverb. Melodies that stick to you like peanut butter on the roof of your mouth. Makes me want to get facial piercings, dye my hair black, and goth dance in the parking lot behind the gym.
I can see and appreciate this other side of the 70s reggae scene. It's ok. Doesn't really speak to me. To me, middling and forgettable.
Not the greatest Led Zeppelin album, in my opinion. But it is damn good.
I can see why this is a classic for some folks. It's Morrisey but thankfully not a solo project. I'll admit to my fandom of some music that gets a pretentious and self indulgent. And thankfully it's reasonably reigned in here. My mouth has been soured by solo Morrisey. But this isn't really for me
I was working in a record store at the time this came out. It was at a time of musical discovery and taste shaping for me. Albums I wouldn't have normally listened to by that point were now being found. While this isn't one of those albums I found at that point, other bands of similar vein, from Portishead to The Prodigy, were definitely in the mix. I hadn't heard this particular album before today. I'm most familiar with 2002s, A Hundred Days Off.
I dig it. The layering here is super cool. While not everything works, it holds its own for keeping a vibe going. Just what you want from good electronica.
Q and Michael defining 1982. Solid stuff
World music. As "world music" as that genre comes. It's not bad. But not something I'll be looking to listen to again. Not my cup of tea. Honestly closer to a 2.5 for me.
I was never fully exposed to Queen outside of radio singles and the occasional deep cut. Queen II is the reason to go down this journey. I'm giving it a 4, but it may change as I listen to it a few more times. The production is huge! The arrangements are intricate and developed. Arena prog rock finding it's way into becoming one of the biggest bands in the world.
Oh damn! This... mmmm. Some good blues right here!
It's what people who don't like mid-70s British prog rock think mid-70s British prog rock sounds like.
It's ok. It's got it's moments. I'm a big fan of the era. But I find myself not getting the scratch my prog itch needs.
Not my taste. Blondie had a couple of hits from this album, but I found myself just waiting for it to be done with the rest of the tracks.
Oh, The Chronic! Helped define early 90s hip hop. It hasn't necessarily aged well, particularly in it's lyrical content, but it was so influential in developing the West Coast sound. I'm having a hard time rating this one. It's not as good as 2001. 3 stars I think.
I dig this era of Rush. All the way through it's a radio friendly prog that hooks me in. This is the era I'd have loved to have seen them live.
Rewards those who actively listen. It's good background jazz, but the musicality is straight up great.
It's... Interesting. 60s British psychedelic rock. Like other reviews, not sure how it landed at the top of the charts. Some of the tracks have some pretty awful mixes. Just wildly unbalanced. The music isn't bad, but it's not something I'll probably go back to .
Weak 3.
It's a beautiful album. The music is interesting and the vocals are intriguing. I like it, but I'm order to get 4 stars, I need to want to seek it out again, and it's just not for me.
High 3.5
Decent album. Nothing stood out for me really. I did dig the lofi-ness of it. Felt raw but almost in amateurish or naive way. Songwriting was decent. Reminded me of something Wes Anderson or the Cohen brothers might use in a movie.
Killer jams. Great old 70s funk. It kicks off right with The Cisco Kid and keeps going. Dig this album. But going to the "will I seem this out to listen again?" Probably not, but I did enjoy it. 3.5
Hey hey momma, said the way you move, gonna make you sweat, gonna make you groove. It's at that point you're led into a masterpiece of 70s stadium rock. The album is varied and layered in dynamics and style. Musicianship is on point. There's really no lull throughout. Definitely my favorite Zeppelin album by far.
I dig Willie! This was a fine album. Even for Willie though, this just felt dated. Solid 3 stars
A shot of rock and roll with a rock and roll chaser. Fun, no bullshit rock. 🤘
It's 1995. You've got your crappy, just a step above terrible, walkman headphones on. You've been banging on the Alesis drum machine you got for Christmas for hours. You somehow cobbled together enough money to pick up some sounds you can use on your "masterpiece" of an album. You think it sounds pretty good. Your mom barges in to tell at you to clean your room and then go touch grass just as your putting on the final touches. "I will, mom, gawd!"
I think I'm more of a fan of their later work. It's good, but they dialed in their sound in subsequent albums. I can definitely see why their sound got picked up by college radio back in its day though.
3.5
It was a good listen. It's the kind of thing that made me want to do this album a day . I would probably never have heard it otherwise. While I did dig it, it's not one of those things I'd probably seek out to listen again.
Though if I were on the streets in Mali and heard this band playing from a venue nearby, I'd definitely check it out.
3.5
It was alright. Was a few years ahead of its time. Stylistically sounds like it came out during the mid 90s. I might not have paid enough attention to it or it just didn't hit me in the right way to really enjoy it. But it doesn't strike me as an album I'll be going back to. Might need another listen.
3.5
There's a nostalgia here for me. I dig this album. Not just for the decent tracks that it contains, but for the music that this album helped open. DJ Spooky, Kid Koala, RJD2, Dan the Automator. It was the music of the late 90s early 00s for me. Tricky 's Maxinque, Massive Attack's Mezzanine, and the Sneaker Pimps' Becoming X. Shadow went on then with UNKLE and the rest of his solo work. This shit has groove. While this isn't his best work, it still has some killer moves.
Meh... I'll be honest. I didn't give it a good listen. It was on in the background while cleaning house today. It just didn't strike me. I might have to go back to it. I know the musicianship is top notch. But as it played, it didn't grab me at any point other than Al because it's so memorable and that baddass baseline
Oh funk yeah! Such a great album. Funk funkiest of the funky funk. This got played multiple times during the weekend. Loved it!
It took me a couple of years after this came out to sit and appreciate it. Afterwards though, I was 100% hooked. This a true classic album for me. The type of songwriting and use of interesting textures was eye opening at the time. The beauty of Radiohead's sound only got more refined after this. The album gets into a regular rotation when that Radiohead vibe comes around. This was an easy start rating for me.
English milquetoast. Even the more energetic tracks felt dull and lifeless. Maybe there's something deeper there. And I'll fully admit there might be. I'm just not inclined after this first listen to give it a second.
Solid 2.
Kinda got just bored with his style. I dig some good hip hop. This has some great beats, but much of it felt... meh
I'm really glad this wasn't Bowie's last album. He's always been an artist that, to me, is hit or miss. When he hits, it's truly amazing, but when he misses... ugh. This fell into the latter category. Unlike his last album, Blackstar, this one feels like what happens when many older famous musicians release new music; it comes off tired and uninspired. The amount of folks who fawn over them in their personal and professional lives can sometimes make them lose perspective of the quality of their work. Look at what Paul McCartney's released in the past few decades. I think this falls into that trap somewhat. I'm so grateful he was able to get back true to form with Blackstar. Because this just isn't it. And of the Bowie albums that deserve to be on this list, there are far better ones to choose from.
This is a tough one to rate. I dig it, but not enough to fully give it a 4 star. I can hear this as a predecessor to so many different bands and albums. From Radiohead to Belle and Sebastian to Sonic Youth, I can hear its influence being echoed. I played it a couple times and it stuck with me, but just not enough to land that 4th star. I might come back to it though.
3.75
It's alright. I mean that in a positive light. Glad I got to listen to it. I really see how Cat Stevens got big. I'll give it a 3 to 3.5
It's good. I mean it's the man in black. I love the production of his vocals in particular. They're raw, vulnerable. It's an old man whose warble is apparent. He's not long for this world and he knows it. There are some really fantastic covers here. Unfortunately there are some that just don't do much on it as well.
It's so close to that 4 star rating for me, but doesn't meet that "will I reach for this album again" threshold. 3.8
If this were somewhere between 99 and 2003, this would have interested me more. Tastes change and this didn't do much for me.
I did take the advice of another review and listened to the YouTube video of the compilation. It seems the streamers didn't have the best luck with keeping compilations wholly available.
I kept waiting for someone to happen. It didn't.
This is one that I never would have listened to if it weren't for this project. l played through it a couple times today. It's... interesting to say the least. I can 100% hear Tori Amos and Fiona Apple being influenced by this album. It's got moments that really stuck to me. Waking The Witch comes to mind. It's not at all what I would typically put on to listen to. A bit too 80s Laura Branigan pop in general production for my taste, but there's something about her voice and style... I'm going to have to come back to this one to really dive into it. It may just go into rotation.
Soft 4.
I mean, it's Pet Sounds. It's a masterpiece in production alone. Brian Wilson at the top of his game.
Now is it an album I'd have on regularly? No. It just doesn't fulfill my musical hungers. But it absolutely belongs here and was happy to play today just to remind myself just how good it is.
Wow! It's been a long while since I heard this album. It hasn't really aged well. I mean Eminem's wrapping style is still fun, the popular tracks from this were definitely filled with a certain nostalgia, and the beats were pretty damn good for the most part. But wow! I think another reviewer called it sophomoric. I'd have to agree the misogyny, homophobia, and violence are over the top even for just shock value.
A breath of fresh air compared to other early 00s hip hop I've been served up here. Kick Push had my head nodding. WTF is up with Outro. C'mon!
It takes a feeling of "yeah. I'd put this on again"to hit 4 stars. It's good, but it didn't push that button.
It feels like I'm in one of those weird "world novelty" stores in the mall from the 90s. Like I can buy a rain stick and a "Sounds of the Amazon" CD. Not a fan. Like... is it over yet?
Why do I dislike Coldplay as much as I do? Their production and style is generally in line with the kind of music I usually enjoy. But, it's just so anodyne, unremarkable, meek, milquetoast, bland, but not so bland, not so milquetoast, not so meek, not so unremarkable, not so anodyne as to be unlistenable. It's a weird balance of wanting to be really, really interesting, but it's just not.
It gets that star above a single one for that riddle alone.
The follow-up to Kid A and Amnesiac, Hail to the Thief is a continuing progression from earlier work as was the norm from the band. Their style was instantly recognizable, but much like the last two albums, it took a listen or three to fully grasp its beauty.
From the beginning of 2+2=5 where the sound of a guitar being plugged in supposedly on day one of the recording sessions, you can tell it's a bit of a departure. Bringing back an element of the rock sound from their first couple of albums. The album though is more mature and more restrained. I think this release sets up for their subsequent, and my favorite album, In Rainbows.
OK! I was never really exposed to Kraftwerk other than incidentally. This album is freaking cool! So very ahead of its time. I can see how this influenced a great deal of the new-wave that came after. I like what one review stated, "surprisingly fresh and modern".
4-star for sure. And for an album I've only just heard today, this could potentially go higher when I spend some time with this!
180° flip from yesterday's album also released in 1978. This not enjoyable for me. I was glad it was a short album. It was just cliche filled country. There were so many other, better country albums from this era.
It's either a 1 or 2 star album at best for me.
Pleasently surprised by this one. I had a rash of early 00s hip-hop in this project that just did not age well. It's definitely old-school, but it felt fresh. Great flow, collaborators on point and worked well with their tracks, and diverse enough beats to keep you entertained mostly throughout. Really well produced.
Only real gripe was her speaking to the listener bits only work the first time you hear the album. Beyond that, nobody wants to hear that more than once.
Overall, I dug it. Does it warrant 4 stars? Not for me. I probably won't be bringing this back anytime soon, but I'm glad I listened.
3.5 out of 5
This one is hard to rate. I like it but the production takes quite a bit away from it. The string arrangements are overdone particularly in the second half of the album. Oftentimes vocals and Nick's guitar are drowned out. His later albums, Bryter Layter and Pink Moon, feel much more alive. His songwriting shines through better. I want to give it 4 stars. But I just can't see myself coming back to it repeatedly like I do his other work. It pains me, but 3 stars.
My first thoughts were, "Ah, fuck. Dookie?" I'm not generally a fan of punk. There's some decent stuff out there, but I typically don't reach for it. And I'm certainly not a fan of pop punk. And yet somehow I ended up with this CD back in the late 90s. "Skate park pop punk for twelve year olds," as one review called it. I actually threw it away. I didn't sell it. I tossed it.
My tastes have matured since. My opinion on the genre mellowed. I know now from decades of them being part of the common culture, they really aren't that bad. So, I'll give it a fresh listen.
Yeah. In the end after taking an earnest listen to it, I did appreciate it more. 2 stars.
Pop-punk, new wave, Dead Kennedys, Dead Milkmen. Just no teeth. Like none. Kinda dumb.
I'd never heard of Shuggie Otis before this. I was pleasantly surprised by the funk, soul, jazz, and experimental album that came out of the speakers. I saw the release on YouTube Music was 27 tracks, 2 hours long. I looked it up, and the original was only 9 tracks long. So, I limited my queue to the first nine in the album. I dug it so much that I went back to listen to the first nine over again and further into the YTM release stream. It's fun and chill. It grooves. I dig it and look forward to a chance to listen to it again when I'm looking to just catch that groove.
I didn't have much to say on this one. It was alright. There were times that the of instrumentation felt very forced rather than wanting to fit it in naturally into the song. Decent background music.
Hazy shade of Winter and Mrs Robinson keep this album from slipping into 2 stars. The first half of the album is pretty weak psychedelia. Old People talking? Seriously?
Oof... With the exception of the two tracks that were singles with radio play, I couldn't wait for this to be over. It was painfully dull to me. And why was it so long?
A bar band that I'd be trying to talk over to my friends and finishing my beer hoping we could move on to a different place.
Sorry. This hit me in the "fuck that" category.
I enjoyed this more than what I thought I would. Not spending I'll be seeking out, but it was interesting and fun.
The Real Thing was where most people first heard Mike Patton. Mike's one of my favorite musicians of all time. But while this album is good, it's definitely not one of Faith No More's best. It was one of the first to spearhead that funk metal sound. I think Infectious Grooves perfected that.
If this were the first time hearing it, I'd probably give it a 3. A high 3. But under my own system where an album earns a fourth star if I'd seek it out again, this fits that bill.
Oh... Oh this sucked. Terrible cliche 80s studio production on top of weak songwriting. Bad, just bad.
This tour came through my college campus. Quite literally across the street from my dorm. It was Jim Rose Circus Side Show, Marilyn Manson, and NIN. One of the best shows I'd seen.
This album is a huge evolution from Pretty Hate Machine and Fragile. Aggressive, abrasive, and filled with angst. Lots of ear candy sprinkled throughout. Reznor was never a great lyricist, and this album kinda highlights that. But the point of those lyrics were to prod at those pressure points. To make you feel a bit disturbed by them. It's music for your BDSM.
This album ends at a point in his career where he reevaluates his life and artistic direction before creating NINs masterpiece, The Fragile. This is Pink Floyd's Meddle before recording Dark Side of The Moon.
I dug it. True classic 70s soul.
Sound of the early 00s. There was no way you could get away from hearing Moby. This album was used everywhere, though I never heard it as a whole.
It was alright. I can see where it was commercially viable and why it became so popular. It sits in the same pool as Nickelback and Coldplay for me. Music for the masses.
It's not bad. But not sometime I'll reach for again.
It's nice to hear some hip hop outside of the 90s. It's decent. Some interesting tracks. Didn't grab me with anything in particular though. But I can definitely see why some would really dig it.
Sounds like 1/4 of a Beatles album. Like an unfinished cake. A lot of the ingredients are there, but it's missing what makes it special. The biggest exception being Maybe I'm Amazed which is such a really solid track. The rest is... meh.
Dug it. 70s funk and Motown R&B. Not entirely a standout for me, but I enjoyed it. Didn't realize that The Temptations had some funk going on.
There was a track that Deftones were essentially forced to put on many of the White Pony album releases. It's a track called Back to School (Mini Maggit). It's this Y2K radio friendly rap-rock track that's just bad. It truly has no business on the album, or even in their catalog. But that's beside the point.
While this album isn't nearly as bad as that track, it feels like those same A&R reps worked with Linkin Park to produce their sound. It's Y2K overproduced radio rock. If this were a completely fresh listen having never heard tracks from this album before, I'd be more inclined to at least give it another shot or two. But the singles from this album were so thoroughly shoved down our throats in the early 00s, I can't give it a fair shake.
Whether it's influenced or interpolated from Limp Bizkit, 311, and Korn, it feels rather unoriginal. The album definitely reflected the sound it was going for pretty convincingly, but not enticing to my taste.
I enjoyed this one despite its flaws. Of which the are many.
I dug this one. Had my head bobbing more than once. Not a full 4, but could grow to being one
It's punk. I was ready for the album to be over half way through. Not my thing. Not on the bad end of things, but definitely not my bag.
Definitely see why Elvis Costello has such a fan base. This was a fun album, but felt like there was a bit to much filler for me to really get into it. "Alison" is a killer track.
It's a 3 for me.
For an album to start with Paint It Black and head straight into absolute drivel like Stupid Girl should be a crime. There are some really half-decent Stones tracks on here, but a whole lot of crap too. Like lazy, poorly written garbage. It's not possible to rate this higher than 3 stars.
Ha!
"Lenny Kravitz wants you to know three things: Love is good, Hate is bad, and he listened to a lot of his parent's records while he was going to Beverly Hills High School." - from the top review.
It's not as bad as some of those reviews claim, but it sure in that low 3s for me.
What in the wants-to-be on the Lawrence Welk show bullshit is this? The target demographic for this was in their 60s and 70s when this was released in 1997. And even they probably didn't like it. Glad I looked up the original tracklist and stopped after the 7th. Oh shit, wait. There's still 2 tracks left... sigh.
Shoegaze. I didn't really find it interesting enough to really keep my attention. I can see how she might enjoy it. Just isn't for me.
Dang, I dig this! Four songs into an album I’m not at all familiar with, and I was already ready to give it 4-stars. It’s interesting, dynamic, and clearly worthy of multiple listens. There are hints of Radiohead or Neutral Milk Hotel in the songwriting, but it definitely has its own distinct signature.
Yeah, no. It's a 5-star album. I'm hooked!
I liked this one. It's Paul at his post Beatles best. Hadn't heard it in its entirety before. If I had this on vinyl I'd not object on putting on the turntable occasionally. Not going to seek it out regularly, but it's got sone great tracks. Paul here is still in his great songwriting groove. A groove he fell way out of not too much later.
New Wave punk. It's pretty blah for my tastes. I neither liked nor disliked it. It slides far closer to a 2 than a 4. I can see why folks who enjoy this genre would dig the album, but it's just not my flavor.
I varied throughout listening to this between 2 and 4 stars. So much so, I can't really decide if I want to attempt a second listen. I like some of the apparent influence and the style that 100% fits the 90s-00s fascination with odd groups (Ween, Flaming Lips, etc.) But SFA just doesn't live up to that with this album, IMO.
3 by default.
This was great! This album is filled with all the music you've heard in all the Christmas movies and stores during the season. And it's popular for a good reason. 100% Phil Spector 1963 sound. Loved it!
Such a great album! Kendrick is and has surrounded himself with such talent. I admittedly don't listen to much hip hop regularly, not that I dislike the genre, just that I don't often gravitate toward it. But this album is one I'll happily listen to when it pops up. The whole production is nuanced. Like much of his work, it rewards you for repeated listens.
Classic. Quintessential 90s hip hop. I hadn't actually heard the album in full, but really enjoyed it.
Having only been exposed to random individual Nick Cave tracks and not having listened to a full album, I was expecting something different than what was delivered. I was waiting for an album of all substance and zero frills, not bad but forgettable, and left wanting.
Yeah, no. Solid songwriting and style that obviously held a signature sound. From my first listen through, the first half definitely held my attention. The second half waned though.
I enjoyed it as a whole. Not top tier in my book, but I'm looking forward to subsequent listens.
This was a really solid pick. It's old school Motown R&B sounds with contemporary production and sensibilities.
I'm 100% not the audience for this album. From the first listen it can feel a bit heavy handed in it's lyrical content without really driving home its point. Lyrics, though, have never been a priority in my musical tastes. So I'm not as bothered as some reviewers.
But I really enjoyed it. It won't go into my normal rotation, but I'll definitely want to give it another listen or three. I feel it's one of those albums that gets better after successive listens.
4 star
This album feels so tired. Rod Stewart didn't really help things, tbh. I dig blues. I dig rock. I dig great guitarists. But this combination on this album... bleh.
Hell yeah! This album helped change the course of my personal history. I was 16 when this came out and just beginning to fully develop my musical tastes. Master of Puppets began my journey of metal that wasn't full of makeup and hairspray. And this cemented a love for the alternative scene sprouting its head. Not really digging punk, this showed me I didn't need to be Kirk Hammet to play cool sounding guitar riffs.
The album itself has aged pretty well. Kurt's gravel voice and choices in interesting melodies still really hold up. The power, the energy, the angst all shine through. Somehow the seemingly nonsensical lyrics still resonate. And I forgot how much I love hearing Dave Grohl play drums.
I was excited when this came up on Friday. Have me time to explore it again a few times over the weekend. Easy 5 star album.
I'm a fan of good live albums. This unfortunately isn't. I don't mind some Thin Lizzy. But the production here is just lacking. The live energy is just lacking.
Oof... I can handle and enjoy one of the three if there are redeeming qualities to be had. But country, crooning, and karaoke? Chances are it's going to be a solid hell no. And yeah. No.
And damn, kd. Those vocals can't swim in reverb any deeper.
I feel dirty after listening to this.
Aspects of this album though hit a soft spot for me from my nu-metal tastes of the late 90s to early 00s while in my 20s. I dig Wes Boreland's style, the production of Terry Date, that nu-metal groove. I dig the guest vocalists who REALLY carried the tracks they were on. And there are some tracks that definitely deserved to hit the airwaves of rock radio of the time.
But man... the whiney ass Fred Durst vocal style and gudawful lyrics just grind at my senses anymore. On top of that, much of the album sounds like rehashing of previous material just to capitalize on their successes. Almost a "let's make a track that sounds kinda like this one." Basically non existent growth in their sound. And those fucking vocals... ugh.
Yet, I found myself enjoying it more than I think I should.
I've become a fan of Talking Heads over the years. With this album, you can see them beginning to blossom. They aren't yet the band that records Remain In Light or the follow-up from that, Speaking In Tongues, but the glimmers of that magic are there.
