Cool juxtaposition of sloppy, loud, bombastic percussion against the soft and airy vocals and strings. Can definitely sense influences from this album on more modern indie rock. Wayne Coyne's pitch can be grating at times, reducing overall listenability
Great background jazz for focusing, but interesting enough to hold your attention when you do dial in. Very approachable.
Iconic 90s grunge metal, lane Staley's voice is unmatched in the genre
I've always felt as if I was supposed to like REM (and of course I know the words to their singles), but could never fully dive in. This album made me realize why - Michael a stipes vocals and lyrics are too whiney Art Student for me to really dig. It either feels like he's just complaining or trying to hard to be profound/poetic. Music is great and I want to like it, but he just irritates me a bit. All that said, still a quality piece of music and an awesome debut.
Hard to listen objectively as this is on my rotation monthly at minimum; this is your favorite album's favorite album; arrangements are superb, the reprises make it feel like a single piece of music instead of a collection of attempted singles.
Interesting enough to keep my attention, but not my bag baby.
Short, sweet, good toe tapping rocking chair type music, enjoyed it but likely only in small doses
Loved the intro rolling into the cover of only love can break your heart, as well as four or five other tracks. Definitely heard influences from traditional pop artists (esp. Madonna and the Cranberries) and New Wave artists (INXS and Tears for Fears), but I also get hear traces of artists to about to blow up with entry of sample-based House/Dance music into top 40 like Moby and Fatboy Slim. Really enjoyed the album in spite of a couple duds.
I liked this album less than I thought I would, being familiar with a handful of tracks from the band. I enjoyed the energy and the chaotic punk vibe, but not something I'll listen to frequently
Good songs, but too much of it. Woulda been a fantastic 10 track album, instead it was kind of a slog. That said, there were prob 3-4 songs that will make into my rotation., and I recognized the last song from the Harry Potter movie (which always felt really out of place in that scene).
Was already a bit familiar due to the collab album between his son and Khruangbin. I loved this record and ended up listening to another of Ali Farka Touré's records later in the day. Ry Cooder's slide guitar intertwined seamlessly, Ali's voice is rich and soulful, and the riffs get wedged in your head in the best way.
In fairness I'm a big Louie Prima guy already, but this listen reminded me why. The music makes me feel nostalgic for a time that predated me by 50 years. Every track sounds like a party, and yet the vocals, the musicianship, the difficult-to-find line between planned vs ad hoc tempo changes and call/response banter makes it understandable why Louie and Keely's versions of songs done a thousand times are seen as the standard in so many cases.
Probably much better in its time, but I found it pretty unremarkable overall, felt like music that would be playing at a JC Penney. The one Thom Yorke track was somewhat interesting, but I think just because it was a new vocal rather than actually liking the song. Feels like a 2.5.
I am a known Doors-hater, so am coming in biased. That said, I didn't enjoy listening to this album at all. The four tracks from Blue Sunday to The Spy are the low point, just boring music and less profound than he thinks lyrics. Roadhouse Blues slapped the first 500x I heard it, but I'm over it now. Peace Frog is in a similar state. Without the hype around this album and the band in general, I could have seen this getting a 3 but my stubborn ass won't give in to it.
Good, not great, album. Remember Me was a highlight, but the whole thing is nice relaxing easy listening, without the distractions of breaking new musical ground or experimenting with a new sound.
It's interesting, I feel like half (literally 5 of 10) of these songs are classics that get me pumped up and singing the lyrics, and the other half are wholly forgettable. But what's strange is that all 10 sound like pretty much the same song. So why do I love half and not care about the other half? No clue, but the good songs are fucking awesome.
Great if you're into that kinda thing, no denying they're talented vocalists. The album just felt like a lot of less good than the original covers. If you dig Rockapella, this prob your Abbey Road
Wasn't the worst but not something I'd pick up again. I guess it's indicative of the music style at the time, but I find it too generic to enjoy, sounds like music in a CVS.
Would have given it 1.5 if possible, only after learning that Captain Beefheart wrote the entire thing note for note on a piano, and then made a bunch of actual musicians (which he is not) figure out how to play this nonsense on their given instruments. The fact that it's intentional makes it an ounce better but not enough to justify two stars.
Probably super influential and important to artists that I love, but I feel like it doesn't really hold up without putting into the context of "the sixties, maaan". It is cool in that context, but music shouldn't require a backstory to be enjoyable.
Yet another ground breaking album that I've always meant to listen to, and now trust my instincts on avoiding it. It was interesting to hear how Siouxie and the Banshees evolves into this 15 years later, still don't mean I like to listen to it. Would give 2.5 if poss.
Very solid album, enjoyed the difference in flows playing off each other, the warm but crisp beats, and the cohesive feel to the record end to end. What's Golden is a total classic, thin line is a fun song, but not too many other stand outs.
I know she was huge and won grammys and all but this album sounds amateur and sloppy. Album closer was really grating in particular.
Would have been a five star album if not for the number of filler tracks. Masterclass in sampling, Prince Paul is top notch. De La has a relaxed but crisp vibe that balances your focus between the music and lyrics perfectly.
Hard to judge objectively since I know every word having heard this album constantly growing up. I'll keep it at a 4 since it's sort of the transitional album just before they started really breaking new ground. Songwriting is top notch, no duds on the album, catchy ear worms that have you humming them the rest of the day.
Incredible album, filled to the brim with anthems, fantastic production that gives every song a depth/weight that was rare for indie rock in the early oughts. My only criticism is closing the album with the track they did, I feel like it's the weakest song on the album and should have been swapped with Everything is Alright. That said, still on my top 20 all time.
Indulgent, dramatic, stank-face inducing, funky soul r&b thats unapologetically sexy as fuck. Love it, would be 5 stars if it was more accessible and easier to sell normies on.
It was an interesting listen, spotted a couple sample sources, can definitely hear how the entire EDM genre is stemming from this. All that said, it has no human quality to it, and that keeps it from being truly enjoyable. It's like a non fiction book, important and valuable but not something you pick up to enjoy casually.
Kirkland brand rock n roll, sounds like variations of the same riff over and over. If you never heard ACDC before you might like it, but it gets old kinda quick and doesn't include their best stuff.
Sympathy, Street Fighting Man, and Salt of the Earth are highlights, but even my less favorite tracks are solid. Nice cohesive album, ties all the way through end to end. I'll prob listen to couple more Stones albums today, which I think is a true test of how good an album is.
Solid album, more like a 3.5, though I'll say I could see this being a 4 or even a 5 had I discovered it when it was new. At this point it's a little dated and of a specific time, but I definitely enjoyed it. Can hear influences from Bruce, Dylan, and the Cure. Also reminds me of Future Islands, which I like as well.
Some absolute classics, like feeling alright and medicated goo, but felt like there was a fair amount of filler too, lot of very psychedelic 60s british blues, for which you kinda need to be in the right mood. Maybe 730am on the long island expressway isn't the most conducive vibe. Another 3.5, they really need half stars.
Enjoyed it more than I initially thought I would, based on the distance in the first song. If pearl jam is sativa, Pavement is indica - it's like grunge for chill chillers.
Hard to judge objectively, loved the album as a middle schooler but Linkin Park has become kind of a punchline over the years. That said, the songs are well written and catchy, the album itself feels well produced, and this was definitely new ground in 2000. I think it's an honest 3 stars.
Completely meh, very forgettable, not terrible but at least that would have made it interesting. Really a 1.5 but they get off easy.
I had heard them before and wasn't impressed, but this time around it was more enjoyable. Worked well as flight music but don't know that it would keep my attention otherwise. Prob a 2.5 but I'm feeling generous.
This is another band that is loved by people whose music taste I respect, but I just never tried them out. This album was really good, enjoyed the experimental nature of it and was surprised that it was from 2004. Will def check out more
Quintessential 90s brit alt rock/shoegaze, Damon Alban has a great voice and the music is super accessible. I feel like the US knows them as a OHW for Song 2, but they have a lot more to offer. All that said, it didn't blow me away, honest 3.
Honestly without bohemian rhapsody and you're my best friend, this is a two star album, little too indulgent. I'm in love with my car and prophets song are straight up dumb songs.
Had never heard of the band or the album, but I'm a fast fan. Great songwriting, catchy but keeps you interested. Vocals kinda remind me Glen Tillbrook from Squeeze. Excited to dive into the rest of their albums.
The Band has such a uniquely warm and nostalgic sound to them, like it makes me reminiscent of times I wasn't there for. Great album, has multiple bangers on it. King Harvest is a sneaky favorite of mine.
Was better than I expected, but an interlude nearly every other tracks is kinda dumb. Junie was a highlight, but the rest felt a little underdeveloped.
This is an iconic, genre-defining synth-pop album; I think what sets the Eurythmics apart from others is the edge on most of their songs. It's partly Annie Lenox's voice and intonation, but they also love a minor chord. It's a cool juxtaposition between the bright, happy sounding synth instruments and the brooding melodies they're playing.
After the first 4 songs it felt like a 3 star, I liked the crossover of psych, punk, uk New Wave, etc. but it goes on way too long. I'll look into a greatest hits album maybe but I was excited for it to be over by the closing live track.
Arguably one of the best live albums ever, comes out blazing with jailbreak and emerald, Southbound/Rosalie/Dancing is gets your dancing feet going, then Jonny the fox meets Jimmy the weed is unexpectedly funky, sha la la and the rocker are highlights on the backend. Phil Lynott has the crowd in his hand and is debatable the most charismatic bass playing singer. Expected a 5 and it held.
Cool concept, cheesy at times but solid foundation on British blues, rounding down from a 2.5 due to lack reslistenability.
Definitely better than Trans Europe Express (glad we listened to that one first). Obviously the lyrics aren't much to dive in to, but it's a fair deal more melodic and there are actual hooks. Would make great music for an alien invasion.
Great album if you're a teenage ghost haunting a suicide watch ward at a drug treatment center.
Songwriting is interesting, I enjoyed some of the more electronic tracks, undoubtedly a thought-out and well constructed album, but it's just such a fucking bummer. I think the fact that I don't like it says good things about the state of my mental health. 2.5 rounded up because I prob would've liked it alot more in the 2000s.
Cool blend of electronic, funk, psych rock, and more. Had never heard of them but will def dive deeper. "Default" was the highlight for me.
Perfect example of why you keep an album short, 40 minutes of quintessential folk rock, another genre defining album. No duds I'm the bunch, Cinnamon Girl is an awesome opener.
Awesome album, sounds cozy and warm and familiar. If you like Dylan you love this album, but your prob still like it if you're not a fan.
She has a great voice, but I found the album pretty boring. Her songwriting isn't doing anything profound, even though the music itself is agreeable enough. Feels like an artist for covers, let other people do the hard stuff Norah, you just sing it.
Ton of absolutely fabulous gay anthems, and some unexpected covers that were unique enough to pull it off. Enjoyed this more than I remembered. Prob a 3.5.
Didn't enjoy it, felt like it didn't know what it wanted to be. Didn't finish.
Forgot how good this album was, the Del tracks are obviously a highlight but there's not a bad track here.
Not a fan of 2000s pop due to overexposure as teen with a shared bedroom. That said, she obviously has a great voice. 1h17m feels excessive, could have been trimmed down considerably. 2.5 rounded down due to my PTSD.
I was back and forth on this album the whole time, first song I was out, then flipped back and forth probably 5 times. Ultimately it's a good barometer for late 90s alt rock and interesting enough to hold your attention. 2.5 rounded up bc it took me two months to get around to it and it didnt crumble under the manufactured pressure.
Really enjoyable jazz for a long drive, some of the songs went a little longer than I would have preferred, but that's kinda the whole thing. Would love to listen on a hifi with good headphones. 3.5 rounded down
This album was sick, it feels like the genesis of jazz rap and was the obvious inspiration behind tribe and de la soul and I'd never heard of it before. Enjoyed it front to back.
Another one that I'll probably be on an island for, but I really enjoyed it. Perfect balance of focus/study type beats and head nodders that you could cut a rug to. Music Makers is the only song I had heard before, but excited to listen again.
I had heard a few songs by him and knew he was great, but had been introduced as a contemporary of Fela Kuti and I hadn't realized he played more traditional jazz. This album was fantastic front to back, can't wait to dive deep.
Wasn't expecting much, I knew the two singles but actually enjoyed the album as a whole. The sound is somewhat dated but it's executed well, the songs are catchy while still being heavy, although I could have done without the acoustic versions at the end. Not sure if that was on the original release, but I thinks it's a flat 3 regardless.
This is the jazz album that nerds think every jazz album sounds like. Experimental, unexpected, a little jarring at times, but also I really enjoyed it. Not the most catchy track titles, but will still revisit.
With the 90s house music kick I've been on, I'm amazed this is my first time listening to this album. Loved it front to back, fun sampling recognition, tasty breakbeats, earwig vocal samples. Gonna have to really dig into Fatboy Slim now.
Not worthy of the hype it gets, the songwriting itself on most songs isn't terrible, but lou reed is kind of a douche and Nico does not have a good voice at all.
Finally an REM album i don't hate, the hits slap and the duds dont piss me off, which is saying something. Good driving album, none of the songs dragged on, and the whole thing had a nice full sound to it.
Few interesting songs, especially her version of Gloria as the opener, but otherwise not something id pick up again.
Sunday, New Year's Day, and Two Hearts are all time hits, but the rest of the album is just kinda ok. I didn't hate anything but didn't find anything new either. 2.5 rounded up because bc 3 singles on a 42 minute album is impressive.
As a known Doors-hater, I was surprised by how many of their hits were concentrated to this one release. End of the Night and Take it as it Comes are the weak points of the album (with Alabama Song coming in close based solely on the "little girl" lyrics). But the rest of the songs are all pretty iconic. The end is prob too indulgent but it gets a pass as the song of Apocalypse Now.
Biased nostalgic opinion incoming - loved this debut album when I was 12 and I love it now. Just the right balance of rage/aggression, vocal gymnastics, and weirdness.
When we started this list, Let it Bleed was what I had in my mind as an exemplary 5 star album. Love every song but monkey man is my sleeper pick fav stones song ever, Midnight Rambler is indulgent in all the best ways, and Gimme Shelter and Can't always get what you want are two of the best album openers/closers (respectively) you'll ever come across. It's also crazy how these British twinks are able to pull off the quintessential country western sound. One of the best albums ever, straight up.
Sounds like one long song in the best way possible, vibes are immaculate, vocals get all the attention but the band is fantastic too. No bad songs.
It's probably somebody's cup of tea but that person is not me. The constant vibrato in the guys voice is super annoying. Very little energy to any of the songs, and the lyrics felt like they were trying too hard to be deep. The music itself was ok at some points, highlight was the one song with the female vocalist (I think), but even that song was just ok. Prob a 1.5 but rounded up because it's not Beefheart bad.
2.5 rounded up. Bowies work is so extensive that I could name 20 songs that are favorites, yet with few exceptions I tend to not love more than 2 or 3 songs per album. This met that expectation with Heroes, Blackout, and Secret Life of Arabia. The whole middle section is cool but a little too gratuitous.
Awesome album, enjoyed from start to finish, maybe wished it was even a tad longer.
It was more enjoyable than I expected after hearing the first track. Basslines were way funkier than they had any reason to be, but the rest was pretty standard 80s dance music with an extra flamboyant vocalist. Didn't hate it but not something I'm eager to listen to again.
This is like 3 albums from different genres standing on each other's shoulders underneath a trenchcoat, each style having its place and merit but sort of discombobulated sounding if you're not expecting it. I'm a fan, but this probably isn't even in my top 3 beastie albums. 3.5 rounded down.
Masterclass in how to do a whole lot with a little for each organ, guitar, and bass. Listened to this album 3x times today. I can't seem to convince myself to back down from a 5 on this one - no bad songs, ultimate reslistenability, top tier technical talent, wildly influential on the whole of music, how can that not be a 5?
Really enjoyed this album, the whole "love" suite was great, nothing terribly innovative going on here but some really solid blues psych rock. I had only known them for the single Fresh Air, but this is worth further exploring. 3.5 rounded down because six of the ten tracks are an extended cover of one song.
Enjoyed it more than I thought, it's kinda unfair that Deep Purple's sound feels a little corny, since they're one of the first that did it. Feels like the grand daddy to modern metal.
Nice light late 90s sample house, nothing controversial. It's annoying that there's no non-deluxe on spotify bc I'm curious what a not 2-hour long version looks like.
This was a great airplane album, didn't know what to expect and was pleasantly surprised at each turn of genre. Really well written songs of totally different styles that still somehow pull together into a logical set.
Really bad from the start, couldn't even get through the first track, though it was the only one I skipped. I'm just finding that I dislike anything labelled as post punk, it feels too derivative and intentionally abrasive/dissonant and it annoys me. 1.5 rounded down since it required a track skip.
There aren't many elvis albums that can hold my attention front to back, but this did it. Long black limousine, gentle on my mind, and suspicious minds were highlights, though I will say that in the ghetto felt a little sketch sung by elvis. Solid album.
Better than I expected, being a self proclaimed REM hater. It was less whiney than a lot of their other stuff, though still just as "intellectual-by-design" which I find a little off putting. The singles, orange crush and stand, are great tracks.
This was an interesting take on honky tonk, with jazz and lounge influences. Wasn't familiar with this album and was surprised to see it given how many hits KD Lang has on other albums. 2.5 rounded up.
Happened upon this album organically and bought it having never heard of it. I love the slough of dancey jazz records that came out of the 50s and 60s rise in popularity of Samba, and this album is a perfect example. Stan Getz has such a distinctive sound/tone to his sax solos, and Byrd's guitar fills it out wonderfully.
Talking heads is so much fun to listen to, you kinda never know what to expect from the next track. Their quirkiness and sometimes silly stuff has really grown on me over the years. This album has a little bit of a lot different vibes, which in itself feels on brand.
They kinda sound like every band and also no other band of the 60s at the same time. I think that's a good thing, at least it was here. It's directly in the center lane of 60s psych / pop / folk, and somehow does a great job at all three.
This is like an album made of only the bad parts of pink floyd. Also making it four 20 minute tracks somehow makes it less accessible than it already was. Feels like a band only pretentious people would admit to liking, now and when they were contemporary.
This album has pretty much all the cure songs that I like, but the album is twice as long as it needs to be. Songs are too long and they easily could have collapsed 8 of them into four with multiple parts. It's understandable how polarizing they are. 2.5 rounded down because the last track was too long, unnecessary, and then they didn't even bother to title it.
Hadn't realized the Byrd's has a country western exclusive album, though I'm slowly understanding that just about every brit invasion band does. This one was quality, but not anything to blow your mind.
Another lovely album from Mr You're, I love how he adapts such a distinctly American sound (the blues) and completely remolds it out of African scales and instrumentation.
Hadn't realized there were so many hits consolidated onto this one album. Peter Gabriel has an awesomely distinctive voice, even if he seems to be a weird off putting dude. Red Rain, That Voice Again, and Mercy Street are cool tracks I haven't heard before. We Do What We're Told and This is the Picture are kinda dumb and bring down what could've been a dark horse 5 star album.
This was not enjoyable, felt he was shouting at me the whole time. Lyrics were dumb, melodies soulless, and conducive only to the most coked out of dance moves.
I had never heard of this artist or album and was pleasantly interested with the first half of the album, but I kinda got a little tired of it by the end. I'll definitely look more into it though, very unique. Kinda wilco meets tom waits. 2.5 rounded up because it's new to me.
The first track was difficult to get through, but it improved a little from there. Feels like this album would be enjoyed by someone who was more familiar with the influences being drawn upon, in terms of Indian music and Bollywood compositions. Not poorly made just not for me.
Par for the course Radiohead, bummer songs that I want to like but just can't. This album feels even less cohesive than the others we've listened to. By the time we get around to a Radiohead album I actually know, I'll prob like it just for that reason.
Exact what you expect from Deep Purple in terms of being a caricature of rock n roll in the best way. Highway Star is a sick opener, though I don't know that the rest of the album lives up to the bar it sets.
Just a kickass rock n roll album through and through, let alone an opener thats become an international sports anthem. The pacing is really enjoyable, balancing the lighter acoustic and minimalist songs with the others that rip right out of the gate with iconic distorted riffs. Jack White is the man.
Funeral/love lies bleeding gives me goosebumps every time I hear it, let alone as the album opener, let alone as the start to one of the best album sides ever. The rest of the album follows through, and it's rare to get an album if this quality as a double disc.
Interesting to listen to in terms of it being a pre cursor to punk and and lots of other modern music, but it can feel a little unfinished at times. I Need Somebody is a cool song, but not much else memorable on the album. 2.5 rounded up because Iggy Pop is a mutant.
I feel like the key take away from this exercise so far is that the Stones are GOATs. No bad songs, let alone half the tracks on this album are absolute classics. Another obvious 5 star.
It's really difficult to try and listen to this album objectively, having listened to it almost daily in high school and countless times since then. Still, I picked up a few new nuggets like the cough and light breathing in the beginning of the title track. This whole album just transports you to another world and shine on feels like the vehicle that takes you there. A great example of when gimmicky production tricks pay off and create a true soundscape. Love this album, king of kings.
I'm already a big fan of this one, to the point my wife hates it. Great pop anthems, somehow captures the vibe of a time that feels familiar but in reality sorta predated my awareness. 4.5 rounded up for Donnie Darko.
I wanna like it but it's just not quite good enough to fully embrace. 2.5 rounded down cuz they're from Philly.
If you take the impact on culture and music as a whole out of the rating (which is obviously tremendous), its not really an album i love. I dont think Elvis's version of any of the standards on here are better than other more authentic versions ive heard. The mix is really low at points, to the point it almost sounds acapella. He's got an incredible voice, but none of the music itself was all that impressive. Its a 5 if you factor in how "important" the album is, but that aside its a solid 2.
Rudy, too hot, up to you, and monkey man are all absolute bops, super enjoyable ska album overall, kind of a standard in my mind. 3.5 rounded down bc I feel like ska requires a pretty specific state of mind.
Classic spector sound, wild to think all these standard versions of the songs were form the same album.3.5 rounded down because it's only got 3 weeks of annual shelf life.
Not a Beatles record ive listend to more than once or twice, but enjoyed it more than i thought i would. Some cool covers that i hadn't really acknowledged before, and always interesting to hear the younger versions of john and paul's voices.
Its interesting how you listen to these songs differently as a complete album, as opposed to just hearing one or two songs on their own, in that i find myself paying attention to completely different melodies and instruments. Lotta hits here, and even the lesser songs are good head nodders.
After seeing it was a husband/wife folk duo, I was less than excited. But I was pleasantly surprised, I thought he sounded a lot like father John misty on a lot of tracks, and her voice is familiar too though I couldn't place it. The last song on the album was my last favorite though, which is gonna round this 2.5 down.
Enjoyed this more than expected, really funky get out your seat type jams. Then We Are Family is just a cherry on top.
