Sep 10 2025
Is This It
The Strokes
Stone cold classic. Marked the re-birth of rock. Perfection.
5
Sep 11 2025
Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire)
The Kinks
Enjoyed every song. Just know they have better records coming, and a lot of sections are a little too Sgt. Pepper rip-offy.
3
Sep 12 2025
Fear Of Music
Talking Heads
A joy to listen to. Funky and fun with razor sharp production.
4
Sep 13 2025
Raising Hell
Run-D.M.C.
So fun, so much energy. A building block for the genre that’s still enjoyable and fresh.
4
Sep 14 2025
The Next Day
David Bowie
Probably a 4 on a general scale; but I’m rating on the Bowie scale. This was a nice surprise, as I only gave it a few spins back when it came out. An excellent late-career entry worthy of his legacy.
3
Sep 15 2025
Bitches Brew
Miles Davis
Sounds like 5 shitty, totally unrelated songs being played over each other. And oh yeah, it’s almost 2 hours of this nonsense. Don’t do drugs kids. A torturous cacophony of misplayed notes and unharmonious “experimentation” disguised as high art. I don’t trust anyone that says they genuinely enjoy this.
1
Sep 16 2025
Synchronicity
The Police
No surprise that the singles were great. Little surprise that the rest was mostly forgettable, if pleasant, filler.
3
Sep 17 2025
I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight
Richard Thompson
Wish I could do 3.5. But screw it, I’m in a generous mood so I’ll round up. The highs are gorgeous. Some memorable, emotional folk. “The Calvary Cross” is one of my favorite folk-rock songs ever. Just a couple skip over tracks, and knowing this isn’t my favorite Thompson album drops it a tiny bit.
4
Sep 18 2025
Blur
Blur
A bizarre inclusion. Good record. But kinda a boring, meandering, and uninteresting entry in a great Blur catalog. 2.5/light 3 is my real score. Nothing to dislike; but they have some awesome records, so there’s really no reason to waste time with this one.
2
Sep 19 2025
C'est Chic
CHIC
Funk/disco isn’t really my scene, but this is a fun record. Some really good, danceable tunes, loved a lot of the guitar work.
3
Sep 20 2025
Grace
Jeff Buckley
An absolute classic. From the songwriting, to the pacing, to the production, and most importantly, my favorite vocal performance on record, this album is perfect. Jeff’s voice absolutely soars. A key cog in the discussion of 1994 being the best music year, Grace is in my 90s top 10 and likely one of my overall top 20 albums.
5
Sep 21 2025
What's That Noise?
Coldcut
A fun listen from an artist I wasn’t familiar with. Seems pretty cutting edge, pre-Avalanches sample based dance. Surprised and impressed with how engaging the tracks were.
3
Sep 22 2025
Risque
CHIC
A good record, but hard for me to distinguish or remember any specific tracks other than “Good Times.”
2
Sep 23 2025
Illmatic
Nas
A no doubt 5 starer. The beacon or 90s narrative hip-hop. In a brisk 39 minutes Nas takes us through every nook and cranny of his environment. Every second is maximum engagement. Potentially matched by some early Wu Tang projects, but it will never be outdone. Just more fuel for 1994’s “best music year ever” fire.
5
Sep 24 2025
Heavy Weather
Weather Report
I’m sure they’re great musicians, but this is brutal. Boring, cheesy, elevator music. Nothing to connect to emotionally, and with vey dated production. Sounds like what’s quietly playing in the background as you walk around an 80s mall.
1
Sep 25 2025
Hearts And Bones
Paul Simon
A lovely little record from Simon that I wasn’t familiar with. It’s quirky, honest, and very re-listenable. Some experimentation that adds valuable flourishes without taking away from the songwriting. If this was the debut from Joe Shithead from Brooklyn, it’d be 4 stars. But need to grade compared to the rest of this list and his catalogue. An exciting discovery nonetheless.
3
Sep 26 2025
Loveless
My Bloody Valentine
An all time favorite and as easy a 5 as there will be on this list. The textures and production are still unmatched. It’s an album that you don’t really hear, but feel. Birthed a whole new world of sounds that no one’s been able to replicate. In my top 20 all time and my top 10 for the 90s.
5
Sep 27 2025
Lust For Life
Iggy Pop
A blast. This is how I was my rock and roll. Loud, lewd, and loose. Banger after banger. All killer no filler. All hail Iggy!
4
Sep 28 2025
The Sounds Of India
Ravi Shankar
I appreciate the musicianship and impact, but my western brain just doesn’t connect emotionally to this. It’s pleasant, kinda shoothing really. Just not my journey.
2
Sep 29 2025
Exile In Guyville
Liz Phair
Such a great record. Great, Stonesy guitar licks. Perfect 90s slacker attitude and delivery. Self-effacing, honest, funny, and sometimes shockingly vulgar lyrics. It all comes together in a terrific indie rock package.
4
Sep 30 2025
Power In Numbers
Jurassic 5
They’re talented, but this just isn’t my preferred rap style. That jazzy, super aware stuff comes across as so corny. J5 are for someone, just not so much for me.
2
Oct 01 2025
Talking Book
Stevie Wonder
“Superstitious” is outstanding, but other than that, there just isn’t much here for me to engage with. I know Stevie is exceptionally talented and important, but this just didn’t connect with me. No relisten.
2
Oct 02 2025
1989
Taylor Swift
Hard to separate the music from the mega-mega star. I’ve always been kinda agnostic about T-Swizzle, not worth the effort to be a hater, but always found pop music I enjoyed more. But I have to say this is full of bangers, and totally enjoyable front to back. Catchy and fun, I found my head bobbing almost every track. Dinged it a star for the lyrics and rhyming schemes getting a little predictable and cheesy by the end of the record.
3
Oct 03 2025
In The Court Of The Crimson King
King Crimson
I just don’t get it. Seen a lot of people give this 5 and have seen it on best of lists as long as I can remember. But after the first song it’s just some idiot squealing randomly on a flute while his friend practices seemingly unrelated guitar scales at the same time. Absolutely nothing here after track one for me to engage with at all. Not my thing.
1
Oct 04 2025
Heaven Or Las Vegas
Cocteau Twins
Spectacular. Not a single quibble on songwriting, performances, or production. Just gorgeous stuff. Still the gold standard for dream pop. Sorry Beach House.
5
Oct 05 2025
White Light
Gene Clark
Pretty stereotypical 70s singer-songwriter stuff; soft vocals, bongos for percussion, heavy lyrics, lush acoustic instrumentation. Having said that, it’s a very good version of those tropes.
3
Oct 06 2025
Closer
Joy Division
A stunning record. Haunting and beautiful, JD’s growth just from their debut the year prior to this is still shocking. It’s spooky, atmospheric, and ultimately a devastating look into the doomed psyche of Ian Curtis. In my all time top 20 and 80s top 10.
5
Oct 07 2025
This Is Fats Domino
Fats Domino
These building blocks of rock and roll albums are always a lot of fun. Fats rules.
3
Oct 08 2025
Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea
PJ Harvey
A terrific record. I typically don’t love the “step up in production quality” records from artists that thrive with a raw sound. But PJ’s songwriting and performances are of such high quality the crisp production lifts rather than stifles. Just killer art rock.
4
Oct 09 2025
Liquid Swords
GZA
Maybe the peak of the first wave of solo-Wu releases. Deeply lyrical, amazing flow, great featured verses from the rest of the clan, incredible thematic consistency, all combine for a stunning classic.
5
Oct 10 2025
High Violet
The National
I hadn’t done a full listen in years, as when I’m in the mood for the National, I usually go with Alligator or Boxer (both 5 stars in my opinion), and I really enjoyed it more than expected. The reputation I gave it as quality, but a little sleepy, was unmerited. The songs and lyrics are honest and gorgeous. I must be more patient as I get older because I had no problem with the pacing either. Brought back some wonderful memories from this era also - it’s what this project is all about.
4
Oct 11 2025
On The Beach
Neil Young
I’d rank this #3 in his Ditch Trilogy, but it’s still getting a 5. This is my favorite era of one of my all time favorite artists. Raw and vulnerable, Neil is on the edge of losing it. Absolutely vital.
5
Oct 12 2025
Roots
Sepultura
This album rules. I’ll always take their thrash stuff over this (Morbid Visions, Schizophrenia, Arise, and Chaos A.D. are all 5 stars to me). But their full embrace of Brazilian percussion and rhythms here is so powerful and just so damn interesting. Metal, more than other genres, seems to have the ability to adjust to geography in really special ways, and this is maybe the best example. Really influential too, seems like most of these riffs ended up on the first couple Slipknot records. More of this! 🇧🇷🤘🏽
4
Oct 13 2025
Space Ritual
Hawkwind
This prog/psychedelic scene just isn’t for me. Clearly great musicians, but self-serious to the point of unintentionally sounding like a joke. 2 stars because when the band actually just rocks out, it can be pretty cool. But those parts are too few and far between.
2
Oct 14 2025
Green River
Creedence Clearwater Revival
Heard these tunes a million times, but damn, most are still pretty good.
3
Oct 15 2025
Born To Be With You
Dion
Just 70s dentist waiting room soft rock dogshit. Everyone’s tastes are their own thing, but I just can’t imagine a world where this vanilla lame fest is “essential” to anything.
1
Oct 16 2025
Oedipus Schmoedipus
Barry Adamson
Tough to grade. The trip-hop type tracks are pretty enjoyable and engaging. The other artsy-fartsy high brow stuff is very much not enjoyable. A 3 is most fair, but it didn’t garner a relisten, which means a 2 on my scale.
2
Oct 17 2025
Parallel Lines
Blondie
No need to overthink this one. Every song is good, some excellent. This is vital new wave/power pop/punk.
4
Oct 18 2025
Dire Straits
Dire Straits
This is when I really wish we could do halves. 3.5 with a bullet. This isn’t typical the kind of music that grabs me, just sounds clinical in a way, a little soulless. But as a life long shitty guitar player, I just so respect what Knoffler can do. The guy’s playing is unique and incredible. I’m not going to deny DS a good review. I enjoyed the record.
3
Oct 19 2025
The Queen Is Dead
The Smiths
One of the small handful of records I use as the measuring stick for a 5. It’s perfection. All aspects of the band are at the peak of their powers here.
5
Oct 20 2025
Songs Of Leonard Cohen
Leonard Cohen
Cohen is a master songwriter, just wish the musical accompaniment on this one was a bit more varied.
3
Oct 21 2025
Tommy
The Who
Little overstuffed, but obviously some classic tracks and they really paved the way for other rock operas that I just musically enjoy more.
3
Oct 22 2025
The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
David Bowie
A prefect album by an all time favorite artist. Everything positive anyone has said about this is true. Exceptional.
5
Oct 23 2025
Boston
Boston
A light 2. There are some catchy songs, but the cheesy mid-70s radio rock thing just doesn’t do it for me.
2
Oct 24 2025
3 Feet High and Rising
De La Soul
And early hip-hop classic that delivers on its reputation.
4
Oct 25 2025
Jagged Little Pill
Alanis Morissette
Sorta the un-hip cousin to “Exile in Guyville”, Jagged is rammed with hits, most of which hold up well. She still puts on a great live show too. 3.5
3