Interesting listen. Reminded me of ABBA and Queen. I can see how modern “baroque pop” bands are influenced by this type of sound. Not something I’d probably come back to but not terrible.
Classic. Certainly a bit less thrashy and more radio-friendly than their previous albums but still goes pretty hard. Monster riffs and ripping solos on pretty much every track.
Not really for me but I do recognize it as a classic country folk album. Very easy to listen to but not something that holds my attention.
Love this album. I had this on repeat during my college days and it still holds up 20 years later. The synth-y production helped open me up to bands beyond my typical punk and emo picks.
Awesome album full of spirituality, longing, hope and love. The production is perfect and the whole thing just sort of flows as you listen.
I’m not a big Rolling Stones fan but this album was enjoyable enough. The production was good and some interesting elements I wasn’t expecting like the horns on several tracks. I get the appeal but it’s not my thing.
A nice, easy listen. Classic country western music with great storytelling.
Interesting LP; has a pretty raw and unfinished sound to it, like Paul walked into the studio with a few ideas and just started jamming. Beatles fans would be more into it.
This turned out to be a pleasant surprise; I had never heard of Lambchop and didn’t know what to expect. I liked the chamber pop style of instrumentation though the vocals were hit or miss for me. Reminded me of Destroyer or later Arctic Monkeys albums.
Classic R&B and soul with some early rock and roll elements and great vocal performance. A little repetitive but overall a nice listen.
Love the vibe of this album. Great singer-songwriter, folk, and smooth 70s sounds across the track list. The production is decent but sometimes a little too high on the vocals but it works when it’s just her and the piano.
It’s a shame to have to do the “art vs. artist” mental gymnastics when thinking about an album like this. It’s an awesome record from front to back with great production and features. Probably my favorite of his and certainly one of his best.
Nice vintage rock and roll album. The title track is the most well known but the rest of the album holds up pretty well too.
This one was just OK for me. No real issues with the production or playing but the songs just didn’t grab me so I was a little bored by the end.
This album was a wild ride. Psychedelic prog rock with instrumental acoustic breaks that sound like you’re running through the English countryside? I’m here for it! Apparently Yes falls way off later in their discography but this one was very entertaining.
Not bad. Has some good atmosphere and drum and bass lines but the songs and album as a whole goes on and on and on. The vibe is on point though.
I liked this one way more than This Year’s Model. It just seemed more fun and a little more varied and interesting. Still not something I’d keep coming back to but not bad.
This one grew on me as I listened to it. Mick Jagger said this was better than Sticky Fingers but I think he was being too modest. At any rate it’s a decent bluesy rock album with some early punk vibes that come out in the raw performances. Not something I’d expect to come back to but overall not so bad.
Relaxing and very well produced folk pop album. It follows some of the Taylor tropes that you find on most of her albums but does display a lot of mature songwriting ability. Perfect for a quiet October morning.
I started out really enjoying this as the first half is a mix of chilled out jazzy 80s pop rock. Then they jump into a pretty rough “rap” track and some more cliche goofy 80s pop sounds, finally picking back up on the last few tracks. Overall an interesting listen but sort of squandered some of its potential.
Soft and cozy 70s singer songwriter folk. Fits in well with Paul Simon, James Taylor, et al. A little too poetic for me but undeniably well written and well executed.
I liked the space-y production on this but wasn’t super engaged with any particular song. I’m not a huge R&B fan so any album like this is going to fall a little flat for me, especially if all of the tracks are kind of similar. I can’t see myself coming back to it again.
Eh… interesting combination of psychedelic rock, electronic, trip hop? I didn’t really vibe with many of the tracks. Sort of felt like B-sides from the Matrix soundtrack or something. It’s a no for me.
Well I immediately thought of “art vs. artist” when I was listening to Kanye and it definitely came to mind here too. I gave MBDTF a 4 and this is undeniably a better album. It’s like a nuclear bomb of 80s pop and R&B. Near perfect and easy to see why it’s the top selling album of all time.
The jump off for UK Grime! Bold, brash, energetic, and a bit chaotic but always entertaining. It goes a bit long but overall a good listen.
What is this?? Experimental jazz folk!? A little too dissonant and all over the place for me. Reading about the history of the album helped contextualize it better for me but I won’t pretend I actually enjoyed it. Artistic for sure but not for me.
The title track is really the best one. There are some other decent ones but I was disappointed that the rest of the songs didn’t hit nearly as hard.
Try not to dance when you listen to this. It’s fun, funky, pure 70s disco pop. A few songs go on a little long but overall a good album.
Decent psychedelic prog rock, but not particularly memorable.
Riffs for days, solos rip throughout the project. The lyrics are pretty standard sex, drugs, and rock and roll type stuff. But if you take it for what it is, it’s pretty easy to jam out to.
Soft, warm, soulful.
A modern rap masterpiece. Raw, poetic, and unfiltered while still listenable. I still prefer the storytelling style in Good Kid Maad City but this is a high water mark for Kendrick. Hip hop as a true art form.
A nice blend of R&B and folk/singer-songwriter tracks. Her voice really stands out among the more subdued instrumentals. I liked the vibe but it didn't blow me away.
I can generally get into prog-rock but this was little too theatrical and drawn out for me. Some great moments for sure but I had trouble staying with them throughout the whole thing.
Soulful and energetic, you can practically feel the buzz of the crowd. It’s a nice, tight performance with James Brown conducting. Not something I would typically listen to, but I enjoyed it.
Awesome album. Despite the long run time there’s plenty of variety across the track list. So many cool influences contributing to this foundational punk record.
Easy 5. Raw production and grimey flows over the whole album add up to an amazing experience. Legendary crew and top-tier hip hop album.
Nice and easy listening, with some interesting sonic elements in the mix. A little more soulful than typical folk singer-songwriter stuff, and has some jazz touches here and there too. Not something I'd likely come back to, but decent overall.
This album basically defined indie rock in the early 2000s. Take Me Out still bangs 20+ years later. Easy and fun to jam out to and most of the tracks are consistently good.
This feels like a snapshot of a very specific time in rap history. Lots of Chicago artists coming through with these big, beautifully produced records. It doesn’t hold up quite as well as some of its contemporary counterparts but pretty great for a debut album.
I liked the new wave vibe on some of the tracks. Others felt more like a precursor to that early 90s electronic music sound that I personally find a bit grating. Decent, but I’m not going to listen to it again.
Some of these tracks were pretty killer. I can hear the influence in groups like the Streets (Unfinished Sympathy) and Gorillaz (Five Man Army). Others felt a little too dated and corny. I’m not big on trip hop but I still enjoyed the album for the most part.
Off-kilter but still melodic, this album is quite a ride. Steel drum on the first track was wild. You can hear the beginnings of lots of different genres here: new wave, punk, art rock with a pop flair. Like The Smiths but more weird and less sad. David Byrne’s vocals can be a little much at times but you can feel the anxious energy pouring out. Great debut album for a hugely influential band.
Goth new wave with saxophones! Actually pretty interesting considering it came out in 1979. I like the synths and the production overall.
I don’t really get the appeal of Alice In Chains. Maybe overexposure to them from my local “alternative rock” radio station when I was younger? I found it a bit tiresome to get through the whole thing.
The dudes on the cover are already giving it a half thumbs-down. I found this boring, repetitive, uninteresting, even obnoxious at times. I couldn't wait to turn it off.
This was an interesting listen... a weird concept but executed pretty well. A mix of psychedelic pop rock with a little more of a garage rock spirit. I listened to the "mono" version but it was still pretty "full" sounding in the instrumentals and vocals. Not something I would typically listen to but it kept my interest throughout, though it falls off a bit towards the end.
Sort of blends in with all of the other garage indie rock of the 2000s, but not completely forgettable. Taper Jean Girl and Four Kicks were solid tracks. I do think it's a bit more raw and interesting than their later albums that received more attention. The production is a little hit or miss and the vocals tend to get lost in the mix. Very down the middle OK album.
Subdued and solemn, it’s an understated but beautiful album. My favorite tracks were just him and mostly the guitar but the other instrumentals were interesting too; piano, synths, even horns at one point. Great production and performances; I really enjoyed this one.
The first half is boring to me. I get that Bob Dylan is like the greatest song writer ever, but the instrumentals and vocals leave a lot to be desired. That harmonica too… the second half picks up a lot with the rest of the band but I still really just don’t like Bob’s voice. Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat is a banger though.
Groovy, progressive, and (just a bit) over the top. This list has introduced me to two Yes albums and both have been really pleasant surprises. Wild and creative instrumentals and really nice production. The songs are long and winding but the pacing is good and the album as whole doesn't drag out as much as other similar prog-rock albums of the day.
Surprisingly great album. Like hearing the crossroads of 80s and 90s indie rock. You can hear earlier influences like The Smiths and then feel their own influence to come with bands that will emerge after them. Good production and performances, really solid overall.
This kicks off with some epic dad yacht rock, and I'm here for it! The ballads on the first side are decent too. Things take a bit of a weird turn on the "cerebral" side and then gets a little more rockin' towards the end, but not necessarily for the better. Then we close out with a rock opera! Nice production and lots of various well-done styles but goes on for too long.
Masterclass in soul and R&B. You really can't top the vocals and star power that she brings to the performance here. No skips, no notes.
Some psychedelic blues rock and a bunch of jangly hippie nonsense. Riders on the Storm still holds up though.
I liked Document a bit more, but this one is also pretty good. This one actually sounds even more ahead of it's time, ready to usher in a new era of indie rock. A little more subtle but still nice and melodic.
Bursting with raw, manic energy. The rough draft of a sound that would go on to influence a wave of alt-rock bands in the 90s. Rough around the edges, unfiltered, awesome.
Maybe the quintessential 80s synth-pop album. It certainly packs a lot of that new wave vibe into a pretty tight and well-produced package. It's like a perfect window into that period of music; no skips!
Wow. I never really sat down and listened to Pink Floyd. This was quite a journey. The tracks are long but don’t feel like they drag on. The production is perfect and every note feels immaculately placed (even the sexy sax solo!). I’m looking forward to hearing more from them.
I only know UB40 from Red, Red Wine (a song I would be happy to never hear again) but this album is actually pretty decent. It's very mellow reggae/dub record with some nice grooves throughout. It does get a bit repetitive after a while though... Madam Medusa DOES NOT need to be 13 minutes long.
This one caught me off guard in a good way. I knew Tom Waits from a few songs and never really cared for his voice, but it works well with the off-beat and colorful instrumentation across the album. There are some really soulful moments between the weird stuff too. I enjoyed it way more than I expected.
Not bad, but not necessarily memorable or what I would call an "essential" listen. Has some decent indie rock vibes for the early 2000s mixed in with a bit of a retro rockabilly sound. The sax gives it an interesting twist too. Solidly middle of the road.
I've mostly heard Queen's greatest hits, but this album was solid from start to finish. More glam rock but with a touch of their signature arena sound. Great riffs and harmonies as always.
Overall not too bad. If you go in expecting to hear lots of "whoa ohs" and hair metal riffs you won't be disappointed. It's cheesy and fun and has some huge hits from that era.
I'm not the biggest Led Zep fan but this is a killer debut album. It's raw and intense with awesome riffs and vocals. Even the more blues-y stuff still goes pretty hard. They had a legendary run of albums after this and I'm eager to hear more.
Super-sweet 60s pop, sounds like pure sunshine. I'd probably go for the Beach Boys if I was looking for this kinda vibe, but overall not bad.
I liked Figure 8 a bit more with its more varied instrumentals but this is still a solid album. Elliott Smith’s signature soft and subtle songwriting is on full display. I really enjoyed the Ballad of Big Nothing and Between the Bars.
Essential hip hop album. Great flows and production and only really suffers from a sameness in the beats and energy from the group. Lauryn Hill elevates the sound but in all they’re greater than the sum of their parts.
This is wild. Super raw and explosive rock which sounds like it kicks the doors in and lets the flood of future punk bands flow in. Huge energy that feels way ahead of its time.
Super funky disco vibes. Has some classic tracks and the deep cuts are enjoyable but not as memorable. It's early MJ so the production and vocals are basically perfect. It can't beat Thriller but it's still solid.
Rough around the edges but overall pretty great. The production is a little muddled but I think that's part of the charm. The overall vibe is like a warm melancholy and sounding just a little out of focus. Like the Pixies this feels ahead of it's time and hugely influential to the alt-rock scene that would spring up in the 90s and even the emo scene that followed after. I'm eager to hear their other albums.
Eh, this is OK. Glam rock isn't really my thing.
Great album. Moody and tense; each track is a slow burner. Great vibe for a late night drive or rainy afternoon.
Love this album. It's atmospheric and dreamy; you can listen and just sort of float along with it. It's an ambient record but doesn't drone on and on and has some interesting (and sort of weird) parts too. Perfect for both zoning out or focusing in.
This was way more jazzy and funky than I expected knowing what little I did about Chicago. So many horns! And pretty good guitar work too. Things come to a screeching halt on that Free Form Guitar track but overall a pretty interesting and solid album.
I feel like I’m missing something here with all the high scoring reviews but I didn’t really get into this. It was a chill album but felt slow and listless at times. The closing track was the only one that stood out for me.
Baroque folk? A little more interesting than some of the late-60s psych folk stuff I've heard but also kind of just wanders on and on. The jazzy elements give it a little lift but it doesn't really keep your attention. It's like a 2.5 for me.
