197
Albums Rated
2.89
Average Rating
18%
Complete
892 albums remaining
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
1970
Favorite Decade
Blues
Favorite Genre
other
Top Origin
Critic
Rater Style ?
17
5-Star Albums
20
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
Top Styles
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Every Picture Tells A Story
Rod Stewart
|
5 | 3.24 | +1.76 |
|
This Year's Model
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
|
5 | 3.31 | +1.69 |
|
Africa Brasil
Jorge Ben Jor
|
5 | 3.37 | +1.63 |
|
2112
Rush
|
5 | 3.37 | +1.63 |
|
Straight Outta Compton
N.W.A.
|
5 | 3.51 | +1.49 |
|
Hard Again
Muddy Waters
|
5 | 3.61 | +1.39 |
|
Bayou Country
Creedence Clearwater Revival
|
5 | 3.64 | +1.36 |
|
Boston
Boston
|
5 | 3.7 | +1.3 |
|
All Hope Is Gone
Slipknot
|
4 | 2.7 | +1.3 |
|
Abraxas
Santana
|
5 | 3.72 | +1.28 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Dummy
Portishead
|
1 | 3.7 | -2.7 |
|
Hail To the Thief
Radiohead
|
1 | 3.45 | -2.45 |
|
Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
|
1 | 3.37 | -2.37 |
|
Virgin Suicides
Air
|
1 | 3.24 | -2.24 |
|
Exit Planet Dust
The Chemical Brothers
|
1 | 3.15 | -2.15 |
|
OK Computer
Radiohead
|
2 | 4.11 | -2.11 |
|
Liege And Lief
Fairport Convention
|
1 | 3.1 | -2.1 |
|
Dig Me Out
Sleater-Kinney
|
1 | 3.07 | -2.07 |
|
Kimono My House
Sparks
|
1 | 3.06 | -2.06 |
|
Floodland
Sisters Of Mercy
|
1 | 3.05 | -2.05 |
Artists
Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Aretha Franklin | 3 | 5 |
Least Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Fairport Convention | 2 | 1.5 |
| Radiohead | 2 | 1.5 |
5-Star Albums (17)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
Rush · 4 likes
5/5
Coincidently, i just listened to this album yesterday, and i was more than happy to listen again today. Rush is a Mt Rushmore band for me. Like every other band nerd on their high school drum line I idolized Neil Peart and listed to more Rush than I likely should have. I wore out side one of my 2112 cassette learning Overture and Temples of Syrinx, and I will still rock out hard to Temples on my steering wheel. Worth the sore hands and the multiple close calls running off the road.
Rush is just three Canadian guys, each an amazing player. They created new music for nearly 40 years, and toured even longer. They never dialed it in, they didn't milk a decades old catalogue, they created to the end.
Side one is a dystopian story about the beauty and power of music told in 7 movements. Neil was an avid reader and had been into Ayn Rand for a bit, he was also the author of all the Rush lyrics so that explains side one, aka the first song on the album. Side two is includes some Rush classics, passage to bangkok, something for nothing, tears....why name favorites....side two is as amazing as side one. No bad songs on this album, a classic.
Rush is not a band for everyone, and that's more than fine. I'm a fan boy.
The Chemical Brothers · 2 likes
1/5
Lixo
(Translation: Portuguese for trash)
Radiohead · 1 likes
1/5
I ennnnnjooooooyed thiiiiis faaarrrrr lesssss thaaaaaan oooookaaaay compuuuuuuterrrrrrr.
Christina Aguilera · 1 likes
4/5
Christina Aguilera is a treasure. I'm a fan. Sure, it's pop but it's good pop. Ya'll can judge all you want, I'm comfortable with who I am.
Aretha Franklin · 1 likes
5/5
Outstanding. No bad tracks on the album. 26 year old Aretha sounds amazing.
Chains of fools kicks off the album perfectly, Aretha is powerful yet restrained, almost too easy for her. Love this song.
People get ready, grooving, and natural woman other standout.
1-Star Albums (20)
All Ratings
Aretha Franklin
5/5
Outstanding. No bad tracks on the album. 26 year old Aretha sounds amazing.
Chains of fools kicks off the album perfectly, Aretha is powerful yet restrained, almost too easy for her. Love this song.
People get ready, grooving, and natural woman other standout.
The Offspring
4/5
Great energy. One of my favorite albums, 90s punk with a 70s punk feel.
Portishead
1/5
Not for me. Cool background mood music for a movie, but nothing I would listen to on purpose again.
3/5
Kanye West
4/5
Really good. Went in blind, but recognized a couple songs. Surprised how much I liked this, not at all what I expected.
Aretha Franklin
5/5
Arcade Fire
3/5
Jerry Lee Lewis
3/5
Kept waiting for the Fonz to make a cameo.
Fun nostalgic listen.
Van Halen
4/5
Nothing like DLR era Van Halen, big fan.
That said this is my least favorite DLR VH album, so it gets a 3.8, which rounds up to a 4. Not a strong 4 but I can't in conscience give this record anything less.
Amy Winehouse
5/5
Incredible album. The album opens with rehab which is a bit bitter sweet, great song but also a reminder of how we lost such a talent far too soon. Amy shares her soul with us, her heart ache and wanting are prevalent throughout this album. Back to black and tears dry on their own my two favorites. Me and Mr jones, you know I'm no good, and Love is a losing game are other highlights. Nothing but brilliance on this record start to finish.
Amy takes old classic sounds of soul, blues and jazz, adds a modern tone and creates an amazing sound that instantly grabs you.
One of my very favorite albums, an absolutely beautiful piece of work.
Wu-Tang Clan
3/5
Not my go to genre, have to admit this was the first time I listened to the entire album.
The singles off this album have always been favorites, of course C.R.E.A.M. and Method Man. Entire album has a great vibe, really draws you in.
Again, not my favorite genre. Their influence on music is clear, for me even moreso after listening to this album. Really liked the album, but not something I'll listen to again.
Wu-Tang forever....but for me, it's a 3. My apologies to the hip hop universe.
The Velvet Underground
3/5
Iconic album cover, was excited to actually listen to the record and glad I did.
I enjoyed the Lou Reed songs, old school gritty New York City vibe. Very cool, enjoyed it.
The other songs were a bit rough for me. Felt like they listened to hippie era Beatles and decided to give it a go after taking way too many drugs. Pretty terrible.
Iconic Warhol cover and Lou Reed carry the record and bring this to a 3.
Paul Simon
4/5
Classic album, always liked the African influence and vibe.
The highllights on the is album are amazing Call Me Al, Graceland, Diamonds on the Soles of her Shoes are the three must listen to songs. Rest of the album solid.
I still throw this album on every now and again, always a great listen. Full transparency i didnt listen yesterday, but I know this album well.
Boston
5/5
Perfect soundtrack for cruising in your camero with the T tops off...glorious mullet flowing in the wind.
We all know the songs, we all sing along to the chorus. Perfect example of 70s classic rock.
Mudhoney
1/5
This one brought me back to my highschool days when we would go to the battle of the bands and rocked out! Great times! Lots of Metallica, Guns n Roses, and Iron Maiden covers. The rare Rush song the brave kids who had crazy chops would give a go, i remember my friend doing Tom Sawyer, he rocked it! Well, maybe not rocked it, but Neil Peart would have approved of the effort for sure, looking back I'm still crazy impressed ...anyway... of course there were also the original songs, teenage angst expressed through poorly conceived riffs and even worse lyrics. Some weren't terrible, none were very good, but back in they day each was freaking rad as hell to 15 year old me.
Mudhoney brought me back to those good old days, and as bad as my buddies were, Mudhoney is worse.
They may have influenced the birth of one of my favorite genres, and I thank them for that, but there is nothing good on this album. The writing is barely on par with the average high-school kid and in that spirit I give this album a gold star! A single, yet very special, gold star they can display on their refrigerator along with the cover art for this record.
U2
4/5
Like most, Sunday Bloody Sunday was my introduction to U2. The marching rhythm of the snare drum, heavy bass line, Bono shouting his message on stage waving that huge white flag in the video. 10 year old me was too young to understand any of this, but damn it he had my attention. I was in from the first tap of that snare. This is the type of song you feel, U2 was delivering their message and demanded your attention. You feel a little bit of a punk soul on this track.
I really like the beginning of the album Seconds keeps the heart of Sunday Bloody Sunday and introduces a bit of rhythm, then New Year's day gives us a beautiful soaring chorus, Like a song returns us back to Bonos angsty vocals but this time kick drum takes the lead. Really nicely composed set of songs.
Rest of the album is really good as well, I was happy to be reminded how great a song Two Hearts is.
Is Bono a pretentious douchebag? Yes, he is. Is U2 insufferable, yes, they are.
I'm not a U2 fan for the most part, I like them fine. But they can write a hell of a song, and in this case they wrote a great album.
Peter Frampton
3/5
I like this album. Few cool songs, great live recording, and best of all that funky mouth organ thing. 70s technology at its finest.
This is pop rock, nothing deep. Have a couple of edibles, sit back, and enjoy the show.
The Electric Prunes
1/5
The Electric Prunes, love the band name, but it's crappy 60s psychedelic rock. It's awful.
Soooooo.....Ya.....that's pretty much it on this one.
Fairport Convention
1/5
I learned it pays to read the wiki, the original album is only 8 songs, the rest of the songs on spotify were bonus tracks on the cd reissue. Why does this matter.....I couldn't do it anymore... I needed to stop but didn't want to quit. It was like the 25th mile of a marathon, and I was out of gas. What a relief to learn I was actually 3 songs past the finish line and could turn it off. Phew!
Cheesy Renaissance Fair music. Not for me.
Steely Dan
2/5
I like Steely Dan. Smooth jazz mixed with prog rock, very enjoyable. They are the kind of band I never really liked well enough to delve into the catolouge, but always enjoyed on the radio. For that reason I was happy to give this album a listen.
Strong start Rikki Don't Lose That Number, great song, and the only song on the album I'd heard before. Night by Night, I liked alot, feels like I'm in for a banger of an album.
Then it drops off into the realm of "meh". Very talented players, but feels like they are trying too hard to be hip and cool. Part of that is their white guy groove, they try so hard to sneak a funky groove into their songs, but they are so damn white. It's fine, doesn't ruin the songs, but gives them a musak feel.
Only other songs on the album worth note are the title track Pretzel Logic, which is very good, and East St Louis Toodle which is awful. Sounds like something they had fun with in the studio and decided to share with the world, should have stayed on the cutting room floor.
Overall the album was dissappointing but not bad. This is a very strong 2.
Christina Aguilera
4/5
Christina Aguilera is a treasure. I'm a fan. Sure, it's pop but it's good pop. Ya'll can judge all you want, I'm comfortable with who I am.
Nico
1/5
This record kept me entitely entertained as it reminded me of two great movies.
Is it me, or does Nico spound like a lot like Lili Van Shtupp? I couldn't help but picture her on stage in a campy burlesque outfit with thirsty cowboys howling at her. Hysterical.
When I tried to take the album seriously I listened to it as a historical point in time piece. Pop art 60"s Warhol parties, this is what I picture they listened to. Which brought me to Men in Black 3, where Bill Hader plays Andy Warhol who is actually an undercover MIB agent making up a bunch of nonsense and passing it off as art. Can you imagine those people at a Warhol party going deep into the meanings of these songs. I nearly drove off the road, this album had me belly laughing.
I knew I was in trouble going in, Nico was the part i hated about the Velvet Undergroud album. No surprises here.
The Verve
2/5
Bittersweet Symphony is a classic, banger to kick off the album. Regrettably thats the only highlight.
Tough to put my finger on this one, nothing stood out I think because they have too many songs on the album and many sound similar to eachother.
I'm conflicted on this one. Didnt hate it, but didnt like it. I'm not mad at the album, I'm dissappointed in it. Would I recommend it? No. So it gets a 2, but could have snuck into a 3 if I were in a different mood.
Emmylou Harris
3/5
I expected to hate this, old time county music is not high on my list of things to listen to. Immideiately started preparing snarky comments about pick up trucks, whisky, and abusive partners.
But right from the start my outlook brightened, Emmylous voice is beautiful. I listened with an open mind and actually enjoyed most of this album quite a bit.
Sure some songs are what I expected, didn't much care for those. But there are a few really good songs on this album. I enjoyed Bluebird song, For no one, and Boulder to Birmingham most. Hell i even liked The Bottle let me down, slide guitar and all.
Pleasant surprise, this was a very enjoyable album.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
4/5
I've always liked Elvis Costello. A knew a few songs on the album going in, the rest lived up to expectations.
Machito
2/5
Sounds like big band music visited the Caribbean and found some flare. Decent upbeat background music i suppose.
It's fine. Not a genre I'm inspired to explore further, but nice to have been exposed to it.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
5/5
I'm definately not mad we got another Elvis Costello. I liked this album MUCH better than Armed Forces, and I liked Armes Forces alot.
This album is bit edgier and Elvis's voice feels like it's got bit extra punch and snark. Radio Radio of course is the highlight of the album, great song and iconic SNL moment.
Love the vibe of this album, I'll be digging through the racks for a copy.
The Jesus And Mary Chain
2/5
All the gripes about two banging Elvis Costelo albums has brought the wrath of the 1001 album gods upon us. I feel like the one guy in Sodom that was reading a book in the corner when the fire and brimstone started raining down.
Not a fan of depressing, err I mean introspective, goth. Some of the more palatable songs sounded like the Romones on Prozac with guitar feedback, which I think they added just to jar people awake.
Don't like the album, but respect the impact they had on the genre.
Elvis Presley
1/5
Not a fan of Elvis, came in with very low expectations but was pleasantly surprised with the energy in Blue Suede Shoes. I enjoyed it and was ready to listen with an open mind. But that is the one and only track on this album I liked. The rest of the album was terrible. Lowest of the low was tutti frutti, shockingly bad.
I don't get the Elvis thing, with few exceptions he produced mostly bad songs and worse movies.
Muddy Waters
5/5
Funny how the Blues can provide so much joy. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this album. Muddy's soaring vocals and soulful guitar of course lead the way, but the band behind him absolutely shreds and rounds out the sound.
I listened to this album 3 times today, a new favorite.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
4/5
Totally dig this sound. Interesting band. I read, meet me in the bathroom, not too long ago and the yeah yeah yeah were a big part of the book. I gave them a listen then so i was a bit familiar going in.
They were part of the same early 2000s New York City scene as the Strokes then later Kings of Leon ,The Killers, and White Stripes. They are one of the OGs in the garage rock resurgence of that era.
This checks all the boxes for me. Powerful vocals, booming drums, driving guitar. Enough Punk attitude to frighten off the "normal" folks. They get a bit too experimental in spots, but fits the fearless nature of their music and makes it uniquely theirs.
This is straight up in your face no apologies rock and I'm a fan.
The Stooges
3/5
Listening to this album feels like being a fly on the wall as the Stooges piece together Punk Rock. Heavy metal had been introduced to the world by bands like iron butterfly and black sabbath, the Stooges brought us punk rock.
Decent album, can definitely see how they influenced future bands, but this was just okay for me.
The Zombies
3/5
I really liked this album. LIght and fun, very enjoyable listen. Feels like this was the bubble gum pop of the hippie era.
MGMT
2/5
What did i just listen to? Honestly, what the hell was that?!
I heard the songs they released as singles and those are fine, a bit longer than they need to be, but not bad. The rest of the songs, just no. Absolute nonsense.
Hüsker Dü
1/5
Listening to this album is like listening to my mother telling a story. Goes on and on and on and on and on. Doesn't really say anything, just talks. Eventually your eyes glaze over and it all turns into background noise. Every now and then there is a pause, and you get excited...phew it's over...but nope they pick right back up and continue to ramble on until mercifuly it's over.
Initially I thought this album was a weak 3/strong 2. It was generic rock, pretty mundane but not bad, but after 30 minutes it actually got annoying. I asked myself, is there not one person in this band that realizes every song sounds exactly the same?!?! Rating moved to a 2...leaning towards a weak 2.
After 45 minutes I started getting upset. It felt like being at the golden coral. They know the food is bad, you know the food is bad but you go because its all you can eat and cheap. Music is terrible, but you bought the album so you're getting value. Rating is weak 2, moving towards a strong 1
After an hour I was legit mad, convinced I'm being punked. The album is a test to see how many times they can feed you the same damn song until you turn it off. Rating is a low 1, and a long winded review that doesn't really say anything about the music other than it's terrible.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
5/5
Music can truly lift your soul. After a long exhausting weekend this is exactly what I needed. I couldn't have chosed a better album to enjoy this evening.
Nirvana
5/5
I remember seeing the video for smells like teen spirit for the first time and was simultaneously blown away and confused. Blown away by the power and energy. A great mix of metal and punk which was rare. Metal covers of punk songs just sounded metal in the past. For example Megadeths cover of Anarchy in the UK is great, but it lost all the punk in the translation, so this was very different and had my full attention. I was also confused, Nirvana didnt look like metal, or punk, or pop metal (aka hair metal). Who the hell are these guys?!? I had to know and raced to buy nevermind.
I feel very fortunate to have listened to Nevermind knowing only smells like teen spirit and next to nothing about the band. I went in with no expectations. They were just a new band whose song i liked, I had no idea what i was in for and what I found is absolute treasure.
This is one of my favorite albums, yet oddly enough isn't even my favorite Nirvana album. This is a point in time for me, and the world. Music changed, style changed, sensibilities changed. Gen X ushered in a whole new outlook and Nirvana was the band playing on the radio. Others bands followed, some were actually better, but Nevermind is special. Nevermind got our attention, it challenged us and welcomed us to a new world.
Nirvana didn't change the world, but they were there at exactly the right time to inspire us to look at everything around us through a different lens.
Metallica
4/5
My first job was at foodmart, this was one of my go to cassettes when collecting shopping carts in the parking lot. And I'll tell you what, been a bit since I've listened to this one, but holds up nicely. Title track is even more relevant today.
I know, where's the bass? Yes, it sucks that they buried it, and it sucks even more how dirty they did Jason Newstead. But thats a different conversation. Justice gives us peak Metallica, they mastered the genre. Plenty of great thrash metal bands, but Metallica had soul and melody, I know...eyes are rolling, but when you look back at the genre it was all very riff heavy, 4:4, fast tempo , band your head throw up the devil horns stuff. Metallica gave all that but they gave us so much more to consider in their music. They weren't guys playing really fast, they were great musicians playing great music fast and heavy
Justice will get nothing but love from me. Many great memories and truly a killer album. Some, myself included, consider this their swan song. Metallica evolved after this album, reached amazing heights, and good on them, but this is the last true Metallica album.
Happy Mondays
3/5
Never heard of these guys. I liked it quite a bit, great grooves. Great energy throughout the album, feel like they would be loads of fun to see live.
I will say I don't much care for the vocals. Not a bad voice, just doesnt fit the music for me. But good album.
Iggy Pop
2/5
This didn't work. It has the feel for what it appearently was, two drug addicts embarking on a project in an effort to get clean. I really disliked this, I think mostly because I wanted so much more from these two.
Television
2/5
I went in optimistic based on the wiki summary, late 1970s NYC punk is right up my alley. I was initially not disappointed, but it fell off quite a bit as I listened.
Half is very good, a mix of punk and new wave, essentially punk with melody. See no Evil, Friction, Prove It, and Marquee Moon are the standouts here, each different and interesting.
The rest of the album isn't for me. It feels like an uninspired jam band with players not quite skilled enough to be in a jam band in the first place. Which is a bummer, I enjoyed the good songs. Bit of a downer to have long boring songs drag down the experience.
I wish they allowed half stars, this would be a 2.5, but the good songs weren't good enough to carry the album so need to go with 2.
The Everly Brothers
2/5
The opening track legit felt like I was getting "the talk" from dad, interesting start to the album. The entire album felt like a Leave it to Beaver episode.
This isn't nostalgic for me, this is so old you can hear the inspiration for the bands that inspired the bands that I listened to.
Not for me, antiquated and uninteresting.
The Kinks
3/5
Not what I expected from the Kinks. I understand how this was their first commercial miss, songs are all over the place in sound and theme. With context it's clever, without it's a mess. Thankfully the wiki page includes a short write up on each song that helped better understand the album and made the listen quite interesting.
That said, an album shouldn't need each song explained...l usually listen to music to avoid reading! ....but I'll give a pass on this one since I did end up enjoying it. In short the album is the kinks poking fun at various things while pining for a quiet life on the countyside.
The Black Keys
4/5
Bluesy indy garage rock, done very well by two players, which is pretty impressive. Album has a minimalist feel that doesnt require much from the listener. Not much to overthink here. Sit back, let the drums lead the way as the riffs entertain you.
Gang Of Four
4/5
Ladies and gentlemen, Mr David Allen! Absolutely ripping bass bringing this album to another level. Sadly I just learned he passed away in April. Just as sadly I just learned who he was 10 minutes ago.
Really enjoyed this. Entertainment! Is my introduction to gang of four, this was my first listen but it felt very familiar. You can feel and hear future bands like fugazi and the offspring. Mostly i heard a lot of early Chili Peppers (pre-Mothers Milk).
The Brits really do this genre well, very happy to have discovered this.
Robbie Williams
2/5
Generic pop. It was fine, it didnt offend my senses or get me all riled up about the state of the music industry or anything like that. I don't mind how they take a few good looking kids and put them in a boy band, then when they get a bit older they pick the most attractive and least offensive one and give them a solo career singing banal songs with no soul. Nothing off putting about that at all. One of my favorite new albums, ground breaking and awe-inspiring talent this Robbie Williams guy is.
Easy 5 star rating, unless I fat thumb it (accidently of course). Ooops
Tori Amos
3/5
Beautiful album. First time listening to the entire album, but I've had heard most of the songs before. Happy to experience start to finish.
Tori"s voice beautiful. Her songs have a subdued confidence to them, she's not flaunting her talent she is simply using it to create beautifully composed work.
Derek & The Dominos
4/5
I've always loved the Blues, which is interesting since I've listened to very few actual Blues artists in my lifetime. I suppose I've always actually enjoyed a Blues feel to music. Blues mixed with rock being my clear favorite and who better than Clapton in that category.
Layla is an absolute classic, in my book an all time classic song. The first half of the song is gold, the second half is unnecessary and a bit obnoxious. Much like Clapton himself, he has produced amazing music early in his career, but has lacked in his later years. Not unlike most I suppose.
Anyway, lots to love on this album, Layla, bell bottom blues, down and out, tell the truth lead the way. Always happy to throw this album on and settle in for a listen.
Sparks
1/5
Trash
Jefferson Airplane
3/5
Great album with hits that have stood the test of time. Grace Slicks voice is the highlight, soulful and powerful, her songs are on another level.
The album is a few songs too long, but nothing terribly out of place. Overall a good listen, I enjoyed experiencing the full album.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
5/5
Damn fine album. Fits any mood. Can be enjoyed in a dark smelly bar with a shot and beer. Or top down cruising down the highway on a beautiful day. You know nearly every song on the album, and even the couple you dont know have you singing along to the chorus by the end.
Rewriting this last bit. Initially I was lamenting going with a 4 rather than a 5. I couldn't do it. For me this is genre defining, influential, timeless, and so much fun to listen to.
A damn fine album.
Radiohead
2/5
I don't understand the intense love for Radiohead. Undeniably brilliant say their fans. Revolutionary say the critics.
Radiohead wrote two great songs, only one of which is on OK Computer. The rest teeters between fine and kinda bad. This is an insanely overrated album consisting mostly of self indulgent nonsense.
Khaled
3/5
Never thought I'd listen to an Arabic album, let alone actually enjoy it....yet here i sit.
This was great, many of the songs felt like they had a Latin vibe with middle Eastern flair. Very different (to me), and very cool. Coolest of all is the great version of Imagine, fitting rendition of a song about a world where we all live in harmony.
Will I ever listen to this again? Maybe, good background music, but likely not. Nevertheless I enjoyed this quite a bit.
The Lemonheads
3/5
It's a shame about the lack of any creativity on this album. Every song was bland, nothing to like or dislike. Except the Mrs Robinson cover, that was great.
Fleetwood Mac
5/5
Amazing album, not top of the heap amazing, but I really do love this album. You can hear the internal strife the band was experiencing as well as soke beautiful tender songs. Brilliantly composed album.
Songbird was the highlight of yesterday's listen for me, I forget that song exists, it hits me by surprise everytime, McVies voice is amazing. The rest of the songs are bangers as well, not a dud on the album.
Joni Mitchell
4/5
Outstanding album. I've never listened to Joni Mitchell, perhaps knew one or two of her songs, never thought much of them but turns out I was missing out. Lovely voice, the fusion of jazz and folk is unique and interesting, really enjoyed the entire album. Looking forward exploring more of her music.
Kendrick Lamar
3/5
I've never been a big fan of rap and over time I've become less and less of a fan. After my first listen I was disappointed, I've heard some Kendrick Lamar songs and enjoyed them, but the album as a whole was a tough listen.
After learning some of the nuance to the music I gave the album a second, more focused, listen. I did get a better appreciation for the writing, this is indeed modern poetry. I now understand all the accolades Kendrick recieves and why this album makes the list, but I still don't understand the album.
I like some of the songs, Kendricks voice and cadence are unique and the beats are great. Unfortunately, the album went over my head,
The Prodigy
2/5
Brings back memories of Doug recovering on the couch from the previous nights rave rambling on about "yellow world". Still pretty funny.
Other than the nostalgic chuckle not much here for me.
Blur
2/5
The Brits have given us many great bands, Blur doesn't appear to be one of them.
I was looking forward to this one, but was left dissappointed and scratching my head. First the upside, I learned who sings boys & girls, that annoying song that worked its way into countless movie soundtracks. Not the greatest start, but mystery solved.
The title track Parklife epitomizes this album for me. Lots i like about the song, good backbeat groove, snarky spoken word lyrics that flow nicely into sung chorus, and a good bit of attitude. I should love this song, but I don't. It doesnt come together for me, for everything they did right there is something wrong. It's missing something, actually, it's missing a few things but I cant put my finger on what they are. I didn't like or dislike anything about this album. It just seemed off.
I was hoping this would be a great find, but it's not. It's okay at best. The Brits love Blur so I'm certain there will be another album, fingers crossed that will be better.
Joan Baez
2/5
Joan Baez, I'm certain, has a voice that appeals to her many fans, but it's not for me. Not going to make any snarky remarks, she's a legend, but damn.
Voice aside, it's typicle folk music. It's fine. Boring. But fine.
Curtis Mayfield
4/5
This is great, so beautifully composed. All the instruments blend perfectly to create some groovy soul. An unexpected no skip album, with a few songs peaked my curiosity about the movie.
Great album that had me saying "oooooohhhh yaaa" more than I care to admit.
Queen
3/5
Queen is one of those bands that can write an amazing song, but can't seem to put together a great album. This is not one of their best. They have plenty of ideas but don't quite deliver on any.
The upside is they gave us three great songs on this one, Stone Cold Crazy, Now I'm Here, and Killer Queen. The rest of the album is average at best and pretty forgettable.
JAY Z
2/5
I like Jay Z well enough but not a huge fan. To be fair not a big fan of hip hop in general, so no shade on Jay Z specifically.
This album fell flat for me. Nothing special, nothing interesting.
The Monkees
1/5
This is the Monkeys third album, but the first in which they wrote their own songs and played their own instruments. I wonder if they regret their decision.
Norah Jones
2/5
Common phrases heard as this music plays include:
"....yes please, another glass of wine will be great, thank you "
"Dessert menu? Of course, and may I have a double expresso..."
*glancing at the bill* "Whoa...did I break a window?" (Laughter).
Norah Jones has a beautiful voice, but this is little more than background music for your favorite restaurant. The bits you catch between conversation are great, but nothing you'd go out of your way to actually sit down and listen to.
Skunk Anansie
2/5
A minute into the album I thought Skunk Anansie was going to be a knock off version of Evanescence. Unfortunately that wasnt the case, Temu Evanescence would have been more enjoyable.
Not a single compelling riff on the entire album and singer that has a decent voice but screeches for most of the album. It felt like they were experimenting with new ideas and sounds but none landed. Like a fart in the wind, this is very forgettable which is fortunate since it's pretty bad.
Sepultura
3/5
A lot to unpack on this one. I don't care for the gutteral vocals, not my thing and in this case it really takes away from the music...which is a shame because it's actually really good. They do a great job mixing death metal and nu metal to get a really cool sound and feel.
I've always loved heavy metal drumming, no exception here and the bass is ripping on top of it. Killer guitar riffs round out the feel. Really tight solid sound, they could have ridden that alone, but they go farther and really do some interesting things. Throwing in Brazilian tribal chants, unique rythms, and just crazy sounds they shifted the mood of the album on a dime. Kept me both on my heels trying to figure out what the hell was happening and on the edge of my seat for what was coming next. Enjoyed the ride.
I've always known of Sepultura, but this was my first true listen (vocals always turned me off pretty quick in the past) This album has some single worthy songs, but I think it's best consumed as a whole. Regrettably the gutteral screaming vocals hold this back in my opinion.
Without bad vocals it's a strong 3, with bad vocals it's a weak 3. I say that to say the album is a solid three.
Hole
3/5
Easy to roll your eyes when it comes to Courtney Love, afterall she is batshit crazy. Like, legit crazy to this day, but why is that bad? Lots of Rockstar's are batshit crazy, who cares. I didn't listen very closely this morning so I decided to listen to this album a second time (don't judge, i was traveling with more than a little time on my hands). This second listen with no prejudice toward Courtney and I ended up liking Celebrity Skin far more than I expected to. Not a great album, but there are certainly some very high points, and the lows are not the worse you'll hear. It's imperfect, but this isn't American Idol, it's okay to be a bit pitchy dog, or flat, as is the case here. I say big fat hairy deal to that, the passion is there and that matters most. This is good grunge, and that's enough for me.
U2
3/5
This album is all over the place and difficult to rate.
One is a beautiful song. All time classic, something i can listen to a million times and still love.
Zoo Station i absolutely hate. I hated the whole goofy Zoo TV nonsense they did.
Then you have everything else which ranges from pretty good to entirely forgettable.
Take the song One out of the equation and this is a weak 3, however, One is so good I'm tempted to do 4 BUT we are rating albums, not songs. Much of the lift One gives the album is negated by the Zoo station nonsense.
So album is a 3, but for the record the song One is a very strong 5.
Eagles
2/5
I don't care for the Eagles, this album did not change my mind.
Take it Easy is an okay song, the rest of the album is not good. More country than rock, not my thing.
Peter Tosh
2/5
A reggae album and getting high.
N.W.A.
5/5
When Straight Outta Compton dropped in 1988 it was the CNN of the hood. Today it feels like a documentary. This is an important album, a glimpse into life on the streets of L.A in the late 80s. Raw, ugly, and unflinchingly honest. Shocking lyrics about cops mistteating black people proved accurate when the Rodney King video surfaced. A realization came over us that NWA wasn't making this stuff up, this was their world and when the riots occurred we better understood the rage that ignited the fires we watched burn from our living rooms.
Most importantly, the music is damn good. The message was heard because the beats were dope, bass thumping, and Eazy Es delivery was on point. It's quite an accomplishment to create music that has you bopping your head while shouting Fuck Tha Police!
I've seen some reviews turned off by the mysonogistic/homophobic lyrics, and they are right, a lot of ugly images painted. I'm not one to dismiss those feelings. I'll just say I think it's the cost of creating something honest. Sometimes the truth is ugly, and NWAs world was indeed ugly. To portray that world any differently would have been wrong.
Fun Lovin' Criminals
3/5
I remember Scooby Snacks and The Fun Loving Criminal, but this was my first listen to the entire album. I like it. Smooth flow, laid back vocals, and overall chill vibe are all very cool and enjoyable. Unfortunately most songs sound pretty much the same. They rely on samples and quirky lyrics to keep things interesting, which I suppose kinda works.
I wouldn't go so far as calling the album good, but I like it.
The Police
3/5
I've always been a very big fan of the Police, hooked from the moment i saw the video for Don't Stand So Close To Me on MTV way back in the day. So there is strong bias here.
Stewart Copeland is a monster behind the kit, I've always loved the rhythm of his drumming which pairs perfectly with Sting's bass. Andy Summers guitar dancing around their rhythm completes the trios sound perfectly. They each shine as players without tripping over eachother flexing their chops. A joy to listen to.
I'm listening while writing and the hi hat on Walking on the Moon literally stopped me in my tracks. This is what I love about the Police, their greatness is subtle. I mean it's a frickin hi hat, but Copeland makes it a star on this track. Love it.
Sorry I got distracted by a hi hat and strayed from the review....anyway....This is a great album, but not perfect, few misses. But that's more than okay, I like it warts and all.
There will be more Police on this list, and I'm already looking forward to more!
The Byrds
2/5
Interesting album. I appreciate when bands experiment with new sounds, but the nuance of the new toys they used here is lost on me.
It kinda sounds like folk version of the Beach Boys, and I'm not a huge fan of the Beach Boys to begin with so I'm less of a fan of this.
Not for me
3/5
This album is like a Saltine. Good but pretty plain and uninspired. They need something. Dab of jam, slice of cheese, maybe some chicken soup to dunk them in....saltines need something extra to add character.
That's how I feel about Oasis, good but they are missing character, this is good Brit-Pop but it just feels empty.
And why on earth is Champaine Supernova over seven minutes long?!?!
Not my favorite, I'll grab a box of buttery Ritz instead.
Faith No More
3/5
This is underbaked and immature. Epic and Falling to Pieces were the singles I knew going in and are the highlights. The rest was mostly good, with a couple really bad misses and a rad cover of War Pigs.
They were going for rap metal/nu metal before it was a thing, so points for what is actually a really good effort. I'm curious to hear how they matured and may give a later album of theirs a listen. Although they were a bit off the mark here I dont hate this.
Miriam Makeba
2/5
Not the least bit enjoyable. Oddly enough I enjoyed the songs sung in english the least. This was a rough one for me, not good.
Common
3/5
I've never listened to a Common album before, this was really good. Old school rap cadence paired with smooth jazz beats. Has a hipster coffee house feel.
I liked it. But not something I'll revisit.
Happy Mondays
3/5
I didn't like bummed quite as much as much as Pills N Thrills and Bellyaches. Different energy on this album, not quite as bright but still a cool unique sound that's fun to listen to.
Sonic Youth
3/5
It's rare to find an album that's great from start to finish, but Sonic Youth struggled to write a song that's great from start to finish. I like parts of most of these songs, but there was always something that took me out of the moment and killed it. Felt like they wanted to incorporate a bit of a grunge sound into their music but missed the mark and ended up ruining what could have been great songs. And the common mistake of too much, you dont need 15 songs on an album.
Overall this missed the mark, but not by much. Still mostly enjoyable.
Coldplay
2/5
Musically Coldplay is one of the blandest bands of the past century. Dull and boring. Lyricly they resemble a romance novel.
This is awful.
The Smiths
2/5
Saturday morning as I write this, slept well last night and woke up to a bit of snow falling, just a light snow enough to make the world look beautiful, but not enough that it takes any effort to remove, that perfect amount of fresh white snow. Made myself a delicious egg sandwich for breakfast, nice hot cup of coffee and settle in for some premiership, Villa v Arsenal, nice!
Yesterday got away from me and I didn't have a chance to listen to the Smiths, no worries, mute the game and listen. Something I do often. Morning is shaping up nicely.
Then the music starts, eh...not too bad. Then Morrissey begins singing, oh ya I remember him, I think I like him but dont remember much by him. Well I'm quickly reminded he has the most depressing voice on the planet. My amazing start to the day takes a dark turn and sadness envelopes me. I learned that Morrissey can mar the greatest of mornings. Thankfully the album is over now and all is right with the world again.
This is pretty terrible.
Red Snapper
1/5
Pointless nonsense
The Cult
3/5
Happy to see The Cult on the list, always liked them, although never liked them enough to buy the cassette. Instead, they were the cassette I'd borrow from a friend to dub a copy of.
Couple of classic bangers on here, Wild Flower and Love Removal Machine. Rest of the album is solid 80s hard rock, good stuff.
I question why this album and not either Love, which has their biggest hit, or Sonic Temple which has loads of bangers and is far better than Electric. Not sure if we'll have another Cult album, but doubt we'll get two more so including Electric isn't my favorite choice.
Solid album regardless, enjoyed listening.
The Smashing Pumpkins
4/5
More than any album on the list thus far this is one you experience moreso than listen to. A true sonic journey with Billy's voice as our guide, the music punctuating his words on beautifully written songs.
Beck
2/5
No need for an entire album this sad. Felt like county music without the southern drawl.
Orbital
1/5
I have never hated an album more.
Lambchop
2/5
Chamberpop? Countrypolitan? Have I lost my grip? They made those genres up, right?
This felt more like a pop art piece than actual music. Sherri Lewis on Peyote.
Run-D.M.C.
4/5
Raining Hell is dated as hell, but I love it. If I'm honest this may have been the first time I actually listened to the entire album, glad I finally did, thoroughly enjoyed listening.
Dinosaur Jr.
3/5
Doesn't get more garage rock than this, you can almost smell the oil embedded in the cement and hear the bass players dad working on his project 55 Chevy in the background.
This album grew on me more and more with each track. Screaming guitar, solid rythm section, just a great garage punk sound. But the vocals set it apart. They feel out of place but fit in nicely and add a melodic element that softens the edge. This would have been an entirely different album with a more traditional punk vocalist and would have been far less interesting as a result.
I ended up liking this album quite a bit. I imagine this is how Neil Young would have sounded had he gone punk rock.
Rage Against The Machine
4/5
Rage Against The Machine, a monster band that gave us an amazing album.
Zack's screaming delivery demands your attention. His message is personal and he will not be ignored. Guitar legend Tom Morello's iconic riffs, creative sounds, and ecletic solos absolutely shred. Brad's drumming paired with Timmy's bass groove so hard it actually reigns in all the chaos and has us bobbing our heads as we prepare to jump into the mosh pit.
These songs have a powerful message, but the music shines most, as it must, for without great music the message is not heard. Not a bad track on the album, an absolute gem
Charles Mingus
3/5
I don't understand this.
I enjoyed the first three movements well enough, the fourth just baffled me, and honestly none of it made sense. So I did the only reasonable thing, I listened again. Second listen about the same, except this time the fourth movement didn't seem quite as discombobulated. So I went ahead and started again. Third listen same as second, no progress this time. Still no clue what is happening. I'm done for now, but I'll be back for another round at some point. There is something here that's peaked my curiousity.
Now, I know next to nothing about jazz. My favorite jazz album is Vince Guaraldi's, A Charlie Brown Christmas, not exactly the deepest piece you'll encounter. Yet somehow this crazy mess is appealing. I think it's Similar to a jigsaw puzzle. Lots of parts, the pieces are all over the place, but if you're able to put it together you get a cool picture.
Anyway, I'm not sure I like it, but it's definately interesting.
Fairport Convention
2/5
I'm still not convinced this is a serious band, has to be a goof.
This was better than Liege and Lief, but still very far from good.
Astor Piazzolla
2/5
This just wasn't for me.
Elbow
3/5
There have been albums in the past I should have liked but didn't. This is one I should hate, but I don't. There is an interesting component just under the dull surface of the music that drew me in.
Overall I liked a lot more about the album than I disliked. Not a rave review, but a low/mid 3 for me.
Cyndi Lauper
2/5
Early MTV era. A young quirky Cindy Lauper enters the scene with a fun video featuring the legendary Captain Lou Albano. We all watched the video 1,000 times. Enjoyed listening to the album for the nostalgia, Time after Time is actually a pretty good song the rest was fun, or just filler.
Now, objectively. Well, this is pretty terrible, Cindy sounds like a bratty 12 year old having a tantrum and the album is all over the place. If not for the super star power of Captain Lou in that first video I'm not certain she would have made an impact.
Incredible Bongo Band
4/5
How much fun was that! This is exactly what makes this project so much fun, there is no world where I listen to this if not for 1001 albums. I honestly can't believe i vibed to the sound and rhythm of bongos for the better part of an afternoon and enjoyed every minute.
The Last Shadow Puppets
2/5
I really enjoy when bands incorporate an orchestra so I had high hopes, but was let down.
I just think the talent level for this type of project isn't there. They have a great concept, but lack the skill to pull it off. Not a dig to the musicians here, this feels like something that is extremely difficult to get right. So I give credit for a very good effort, but this is not a success.
R.E.M.
4/5
Remember the college radio sub genre? I wonder if that's still a thing. Hope it is.
REM has always been a favorite. They can deliver a great rock song then pivot on the next with a soulful melodies. I prefer the rock side and this album delivers a few great examples of those. I'm a fan of Michael Stipe as an artist, I enjoy his songwriting and voice. One of the true talents to come out of the 90s.
One of the things I like most about REM is how they evolve over time, while always remaining very much themselves. I think they continue to get better through the 90's and hope to see more of them. Safe bet we get at least one more, fingers crossed we get at least two.
The Chemical Brothers
1/5
Lixo
(Translation: Portuguese for trash)
Van Morrison
4/5
Timeless classics delivered by a smooth soulful voice. Always a welcome listen.
Various Artists
3/5
I mean, they're Christmas Carol's, what's there to really say other than these are fun versions of holiday classics.
Talking Heads
2/5
Once in a lifetime is a great song, love the video with David Byrne's goofy dance. Rest of the album didn't hit for me. Most songs felt like 4 measures of music played on a loop with the occassion vocal and guitar lick. It was all good and fine I just found it repetitive and honestly a bit bland.
Slipknot
4/5
The pulse of the maggots has found it's way to the list! I'm a fan and this is one of my favorite Slipknot albums. These guys rock super hard, not for the faint of heart, but they also have crazy groove to their music that keeps your head bopping/banging from start to finish. Cory Taylor can belt out some legendary guttural metal vocals, then pivot on a dime to more melodic tones. (you may also actually know Cory from his other, very different, band Stone Sour).
I stumbled upon Slipknot in 2000, saw them on the main stage at Ozzfest shortly thereafter where they absolutely killed it. Been a fan ever since. This is pretty much peak Slipknot for me, end of an amazing three album run. Still putting out good music, but lineup changes have really taken it's toll on the soul of the band.
This album provides a great feel for the essence of Slipknot, the drive of Sulfur, groove of Psychosocial, and soul of Snuff all do a good job representing who they are. I was happy to see this pop up, and even happier to give it a listen.
Beach House
2/5
There was absolutely nothing interesting about this music. I appreciate that this is relaxing and calming, but even so, there needs be something that keeps you engaged. There is just nothing to grasp onto here.
The cover art is very appropriate, barely visible beige, that sums up the album well. Barely noticeable.
Radiohead
1/5
I ennnnnjooooooyed thiiiiis faaarrrrr lesssss thaaaaaan oooookaaaay compuuuuuuterrrrrrr.
Rahul Dev Burman
2/5
One two... cha cha cha. That song has been stuck in my head for a day now, and honestly I'm not mad about it.
I suppose this list wouldn't be complete without a bit of Bollywood, and it was an interesting listen. Much like the Superfly sound track (ohhh yaaa) I tried to imagine the plot lines as I listened, far more difficult when songs are mostly instrumental or in a different language but fun none the less.
Let's do.... cha cha cha
Honest answers only, baby jesus is watching.....who amongst us didn't shake their hips at least a little when the cha cha song played??
Yup, thought so.
Blur
3/5
Well, this was certainly better than Parklife, so there's that.
Song number 2 is a banger, I was hopeful the album would carry that vibe and energy and in spots it did, there was definately a bit more of an edge, a little something you can sink your teeth into. Unfortunately, those are offset by some misses, and those misses were horrid.
Overall, interesting album with more good than bad.
Fugees
4/5
I liked this far more than I expected to. Everything about this sounded natural, as if these songs just fell into place on their own. The beats are super smooth, bit jazzy, which I dig. The vocals are nicely written and expertly delivered, everything felt just so effortless and cool on this album. I even liked the Chinese food sketch, kinda funny. I almost wish there was another song or two, I was enjoying everything about it and would have been happy to stay in the moment a few songs longer.
I've known of this album since it was released, I remember the singles, but I never sat and listened until today, I've missed out. Great album.
Lynyrd Skynyrd
3/5
Freebird!🤘
Tell you what, I love me some Freebird, classic song with iconic guitar solo, it's got flaws (11 minutes long..ugh) but who amongst us can claim perfection. Impressively large number of hits on this album. Great classic rock we grew up listening to on 105.9 WHCN, all that's missing is the intro by Picozzi and the Horn.
The down side is that other than those great radio hits the rest of the album is actually pretty bad, leaning more Country than southern rock which isn't automaticly bad, but is pretty bad here. Still enjoyed the album overall.
Johnny Cash
2/5
This is little more than a Johnny Cash publicity stunt. Man in black performing in a prison....again... how bad ass.
What annoys me most is all the banter, 30 minute album (thank goodness) of which he yammered on about nothing for a third of that time. Even worse, this isn't interesting storytelling banter, it was nonsense...look at us, we're in prison, I got arrested too, screw the man...blah blah blah. Insufferable, if you're going to record concert for release just perform the damn songs with minimal banter.
The songs were actually good, cool versions of Boy Named Sue, Walk the Line and Folsom Prison Blues. It's a shame the lead ins took longer than the song.
Scritti Politti
2/5
Not as bad as I feared, there were actually a couple songs I almost enjoyed.
Deep Purple
3/5
Deep Purple are legends, I'm not a huge fan but they Heavy Metal Pioneers, so all due respect to their contributions. As for this album a few things come to mind.
When listening to a band like to Police I'm always struck how modest they are as musicians, superior talent but understated. Here we have the opposite in regards to understatement. It feels like each player is trying their best to show off their chops. Not super impressive.
Some of these songs border on prog with their themes and composition, but fall short. A 10 minute epic doesn't play to their strengths and the end result is not super.
But tell you what, I dug the songs. Speed King is the only track on the album that rang familiar, but they all had a cool Hair Metal vibe. 1970 Hair Metal!
Overall not a great album, but at no point was upset while listening. Weaker end of 3, but a solid listen
Mj Cole
2/5
I was fully expecting to hate this, just as I've hated the rest of the electronic music albums, but I didn't hate it. In fact, I kinda liked it. This has a nice cocktail lounge vibe, chill but interesting.
For the genre, this gets my top rating. A very strong 2 stars.
Shuggie Otis
2/5
Album started strong, and there a few other really good songs on here. Cool groove with a mellow funk feel. Yacht funk. I may have made up a new genre and I dig it.
Regrettably there is a down side to the album, the misses are rather poor. Okay, I'm being kind because I really did like the good on the album. I'll do it again. The misses are terrible. Long, directionless, no soul and a muddy feel to the music. Those I most certainly did not dig.
I think two is slightly harsh for this album, but I can't do three. 2.8
Alice Cooper
4/5
From the first track you know you are in for a show, break out the popcorn and settle in. Billion Dollar Babies is worth every penny you paid for this ticket.
I knew two song going in, I like both songs and was expecting more of that type of song, but this album threw me for a loop. Nearly as many styles as songs on this album, it's all over the place, but tied together nicely. This is a band of very talented musicians firing on all cylinders, their 6th album together and they are flying. Every track is a performance and tells a story. Some are pretty strange, one a bit cringey, but none the less they are all interesting and fun.
I can help but think of the influence this album has had, this is like watching an old horror movie like Psycho. Classics that have very clear and direct influence on future pieces. There is no Marilyn Manson without Alice Cooper. This more than theatrics, they are making great music,just with a bit of a twist.
The Temptations
4/5
Outstanding, I grooved to this all day. So much better than I expected. I've always thought of the temptations as old school Motown, matching polyester suits and goofy coordinated dance routines. Nothing wrong with all that, but there is some serious soul and funk here. This here is the good stuff.
Culture Club
3/5
I was 10 when this came out so I remember Boy George mostly for his androgynous image which was pretty outrageouse at the time. I was a dumb kid and didn't realize he was a guy, my older sister (14 so clearly a woman of the world) was kind enough to let me in on that fact. I'm sure she also reminded me I was a dumb ass. Anyway.....
I haven't revisited Culture Club since those old MTV days but listening today I'm realizing Boy George has an amazing voice. In fact this is a really good album. Unlike other 80s pop albums we've had (cough..Cindy Lauper...cough cough) Colour by Numbers provides more to enjoy than just the radio hits. I liked this far more than expected.
Flamin' Groovies
2/5
Early 70s hipsters. Band was okay, bluesy, nothing special but good enough. The singer, well, I have never heard such a punchable voice.
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
Jimi Hendrix is one of a very elite few that is without argument one of the greatest. There is no such thing as a conversation about THE greatest where he isn't included, period.
A few tracks at the very start took me by surprise, but I had complete faith in the man driving this bus and settled in for a ride. I was not disappointed.
There is absolute magic on this album. Soulful, jazzy, smooth/rich vocals, just beautifully written songs.
Joe Ely
2/5
Country music is not good, it just isn't. However, this wasn't terrible. Boxcars was actually a pretty good song, few others were okay.
I didn't like this album, but i didn't hate it either. That's as good as you can from me when it comes to old school County music.
UB40
2/5
Reggae is only enjoyable when performed by Bob Marley, or when at the beach with a tropical cocktail in your hand. It all just sounds the same to me and I'm yet to hear anything that will change my opinion.
I like UB40 well enough, saxophone was a nice addition. Couple exceptions, but for the most part songs were too long and boring.
Stephen Stills
3/5
Rather bland, definately didn't need over an hour of this. No thoughts other than it all sounded average and fine, nothing stood out.
Foo Fighters
3/5
Drummer from Nirvana did pretty well here. I really like this album because I think we see a bit of who Dave Grohl is. This album feels therapeutic, not in lyrics or theme, but in discovering ones self. Imagine being part of the worlds biggest band then waking up one morning and it's gone. Dave chose to dive into creating an album alone and find his own voice.
The album is a project in which more was learned than produced, but it's a great album none the less. Daves recent history with Nirvana meshed with his punk roots, cool sound and a great success.
Sisters Of Mercy
1/5
If the Twightlight series came out in the 80s this would be the soundtrack.
The Incredible String Band
1/5
Missed opportunity, the ASPCA would have raked in the donations had they featured the dog on the cover in one of their commercials.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
Happy to see CCR again, legit bluesy crunchy greatness.
Megadeth
3/5
Megadeth! Awesome band name, good album. Peace Sells (the song) is a classic banger, couple other really good songs on here but most of the album is Dave Mustaine being Dave Mustaine, he can shred, he's got that gnarly voice, and he's given us more than a few great riffs over the years but he's not my favorite.
I wish this was a different Megadeath album, but Peace Sells was my introduction to Megadeath, it holds a bit of nostalgia with me so always happy to give it a listen. Objectively this is a 3, even with nostalgia I can't go 4. Maybe we'll get a second, better, Megadeath album that will get my 4.
Genesis
3/5
I've always been curious about prog era Genesis, but never took the time to listen. Glad to finally dive in. Not entirely what I expected but enjoyed it. The players are exactly the quality you expect for the genre. Amazing musicians creatively playing off eachother, a joy to listen to. This is definately not the Genesis that gave us I can't dance and sussudio.
Overall the songs were great but Firth or fifth, by far my favorite song on the album, it really shines. The album had a vibe in general, kinda midevil maybe? Odd and strange but very enjoyable.
This album took me by surprise and I enjoyed the ride. Not many complaints. Btw...who knew Phil Collins was an absolute madman on drums?!?! Damn.
Stevie Wonder
3/5
Stevie's voice is something special. Two well known songs going in, one an all time classic the other just okay. The rest was all new to me and I liked most of it. New Stevie favorite is Maybe Your Baby, not the warmest theme, but wow does it groove. Over all the album was good, enjoyed the listen.
Aretha Franklin
5/5
Iconic songs, iconic voice. Aretha Franklin. The more I listen to her the more I love her.
I don't have anything more to add, just tap play and enjoy her gift.
Nina Simone
3/5
There is a lot to like on this album. Smooth jazz piano, poetic lyrics, and the cool yet deliberate vocals from Nina Simone. I like the vibe of the album. Solid all around.
Duke Ellington
3/5
Overall, good background music for a snow day. Few tracks that caught my attention more then the others, but nothing particularly interesting about big band music in general.
The Beach Boys
2/5
I'm not a big fan of the Beach Boys. I think it's because my first exposure was in the 80s when they were already old and doing goofy surf music nostalgia for the boomers who were into them in the 60's. I've softened on them over the years and appreciate their music a bit more, but still not much of a fan.
I say all that to say I didn't expect to like the album, and I was right. I didn't like it. My surprise was the reason I disliked it. This wasn't goofy surf rock, this was just odd and strange. Apart from a few decent songs I was scratching my head wondering what the heck was happening. The exception being Feel Flows, legit good song with a blazing flute solo (not being ironic, genuinely enjoyed it). Granted with the Beach Boys my bar is very low, but that may be my new favorite Beach Boy song.
Buffalo Springfield
2/5
Album starts strong, Mr Soul is a great song. They should have stopped there, rest of the album is a mess.
Blondie
3/5
Blondie is kick ass! she did it all. Banging out shows at CBGBs entertaining the punks then pivoting and banging out shows on the Muppet Show stage for future punks. Couple classic we know and love on here, but the entire album is quality and Blondies voice shines.
Bob Dylan
4/5
Artists like Bob Dylan are timeless and come once in a generation. I'm not the biggest fan, but a fan none the less.
Bringing it all back home is one of his best albums, Subterranean Homesick Blues kicks the album off perfectly. Outlaw Blues, 115th dream, Gates of Eden, and It's all over now Baby Blue are the stand outs for me but this is one of the Dylan albums I don't mind listening to start to finish.
Dolly Parton
3/5
I am once again surprised by a Country album. I enjoyed this quite a bit, Dolly tells a fine story and her voice is lovely.
I don't foresee buying a gun rack for the back of the Jeep anytime soon, but this Country stuff ain't so bad y'all.
The Triffids
2/5
Soooo, that's what alt rock in Autralia sounded like in the 80s. Now I know.
The Pretty Things
3/5
I'm a sucker for a good concept album. I'm not certain this qualifies as good, but it certainly isn't bad. I read the notes so I could follow the story and it was pretty cool, how could it not be with a trans-Atlantic balloon journey, even if it did end in tragedy. Music was very much a Beatle knock off, but not too mad about that. It was enjoyable and trippy, fit the story line nicely.
For the creativity and innovation alone I'd give them 3 stars for the effort, add that I absolutely enjoyed the ride and that makes it firm and fair 3 stars.
Steely Dan
3/5
Glad to finally have listened to Aja, I liked it quite a bit. Jazzy, great players and a horn section, good stuff. The songs are good, I enjoyed the music but I couldn't get over the lyrics. Laughably cliche, and distractingly bad.
The Notorious B.I.G.
3/5
Hearing how dated this is makes me feel old.
The singles on here are great. Biggie's delivery is outstanding, smooth and cool. He had amazing flow to his rhymes, everything just seemed to flow naturally from him.
The skits on 90s rap CDs always drove me nuts, with very few exceptions all just felt goofy and dumb. Time has not aged them well at all.
Anyway, I enjoyed listening to the songs I remembered, among the best of the genre for sure. The rest was filler and goofy, not terrible, but not great.
John Lennon
2/5
I hate writing this, but this is awful. It doesn't sound genuine to me, maybe Lennon's intent was to bare his soul to the fans but this sounds hollow and insincere. My thoughts may be scewed by what is known about him as a person today, but I still think it's fair given what this album is appearently meant to be.
Musicly there is nothing here, lyricly if feels superficial and in parts intentionally provocative for no other reason than to get a gasp. Mission accomplished, I gasped at how bad this album is.
Marvin Gaye
3/5
Tell you what....if this album doesn't set the mood for you, not sure what will.
Oasis
3/5
Time has softened my view of bands I've disliked in the past. I've even turned the corner on some and have come to enjoy their music.
Oasis is not one of those bands, in fact I dislike them even more today. This album is worse than the other Oasis album. Lame generic brit pop rock.
Incubus
3/5
Dissappointing. The three singles on this album are really good, the rest not so much. This is great example of good players being terrible songwriters. The songs are just bad, easy listening version of nu metal.
Soft Machine
2/5
Starts off pretty scary, that first track was something else. The rest of the album was actually good. This type of experimental jazz seems like it's an acquired taste, and not something I particularly like, but it was interesting and mostly enjoyable.
Green Day
4/5
You're not going to find a better example of pop punk. Green Day dials in their punk roots as a foundation to each song, then layers on some catchy melodies to soften the edge giving us a very familiar yet somehow new sound that even your mom can jam to.
I've always been a fan of Green Day, They mastered the art of making the punk sound safe for the masses while still preserving a bit of their true punk soul. Some will say they sold out and maybe they're right, but I ask, what's more punk than giving punk community throwing all their hate at you the middle finger by telling them Good Riddance by way of an acoustic ballet. F ya Green Day
Rocket From The Crypt
1/5
Cool band name. Cool album title. Cool album cover. Awful music.
The Divine Comedy
2/5
I'm by no measure an expert on what women like, but I'd be willing to bet more than a little that being compared to a dog isn't high on the list. Regardless of the amount of table scraps thrown to her.
Odd album with an intersting vibe. Modern take on a lounge room crooner with crazy lyrics. Strange stuff.
Tricky
3/5
I enjoyed this quite a bit more than expected. Maybe it was my mood, but the chill beats and smooth delivery hit just right. The uptempo songs like Black Steel were legit good. Couple filler songs i could do without, but overall a solid album.
Another happy discovery. Trip hop, who would have guessed.
Black Sabbath
5/5
Ozzy was my introduction to heavy metal and in large part the reason I love the genre. So naturally listening to Ozzy brought me to Black Sabbath, the start of it all. Literally. Black Sabbath is the start of everything heavy metal. This album is everything heavy metal ought to be.
From the first dark and ominous strum of the guitar on War Pigs you know what you are in for. Black Sabbath is not subtle, nor for the faint of heart. This music is dark, it's loud, and it's going to get your attention. Most importantly, this music is well composed. These are amazing songs. War Pigs, Paranoid, Iron Man, Electric Funeral, Fairies Wear Boots... Iconic songs that are just as strong today as they were in 1970. These songs introduced us to a whole new world. A dark world that lacks grace, but it's honest and makes no apologies for what it is.
Guitars leads the way, of course, deep dark chords and heavy riffs drive each song as the bass keeps the band grounded with some amazing licks. Jazz heavy drums add an element that takes Sabbath to another level and the voice...Ozzy's voice....he's not shouting, he's not growling, a bit of a snarl perhaps? Who knows what it is, he's just got that unmistakable voice that hits just right.
Fairies Wear Boots is a personal favorite. A fun tale I can picture Ozzy telling at a party, always makes me laugh. And just goes to show ....the Prince of Darkness is more than just someone who will conjure up demons to send your soul into a fiery inferno, he's also a good dude with a funny story.
RIP Ozzy. Absolute legend
Tears For Fears
4/5
The hits on this album are some of the best of the era. The rest of the album is good enough.
Raekwon
1/5
This young man seems very angry. I hope he has found peace in his life since this albums release.
This was horrible.
Deep Purple
4/5
So much better than their In Rock. Band sounds tighter and the songs are on another level. I was expecting a new producer in the credits, but it turns out they self produce their own albums. In Rock was only the second record they self produced, and it showed.
Three legendary tracks on this album, those alone carry Machine Head to a strong rating. Rest of the album is made up of strong, quality songs that hold their own.
This is solid rock and roll, no frills, well done hard rock and roll music.
The Darkness
2/5
I always liked I Believe in a Thing Called love, fun throwback to hair metal. I never listened to anything else by the Darkness until yesterday, and now a bit sorry that I have.
The shtick is fun for a song or two, but an entire album of this is a bit much,I can't handle that much falsetto. They should have gone full old school and just released a cassingle.
Os Mutantes
4/5
Que grande descoberta. Fiquei um pouco preocupado quando vi esta psicadelia, mas fiquei agradavelmente surpreendido. Isto soa mais brasileiro, com apenas um pouco de psicadelia, o que lhe dá uma sensação diferente e muito interessante.
Para mim, é um vencedor. Passei grande parte do dia a ouvir Os Mutantes. Gostei de todo o seu catálogo.
Rod Stewart
5/5
This has become one of my favorite albums. Stumbled on it a few years ago and it's remained in heavy rotation ever since.
Rod Stewart's voice in the late 60s/early 70s is amazing. Songs are simple, timeless, and beautifully delivered. Not a bad track on the album.
Santana
5/5
Recommendation for optimal listening:
Edibles (hour prior of course). Bong hits work as well, but edibles are preferable for this application. You're looking for a nice body high.
This is an evening listen, dimly lit room (vintage lava lamp if you're a super nerd).
You want the vinyl, yes it makes a difference. Bonus if your copy has a little crackle at the very beginning when the needles hits. The crackle fades away as the music fades in.
The volume needs to be up, fill the room but don't blast yourself out of the room.
Settle and enjoy side one. You will melt into the couch and Santana's guitar will set your mind afloat. You won't remember there is a thing in the world called stress, hell if you did it right you won't even remember there is a world past the seat cushion to your left
Now you will need to get up and flip the record. This is important if you want to listen to both sides, but don't rush, take a moment to digest the mood in the silence. When ready ease up off the couch (be careful, at our age injuries happen). Flip record, sip of water, return to couch.
ya....that's it and you're welcome.
Santana's sound is unique and his passion unmatched. I absolutely love this record, everything about it is beautiful.
XTC
2/5
This was......creative. It wasn't good, but they had an idea and executed it in a manner that is polished and well produced.
This is definately not for me.
Doves
2/5
I've learned two things as a result of this album
First, the popularity of bands like Oasis, Coldplay, and Blur in the UK makes sense when you hear the alternatives. Comparatively, they are far better than their contemporaries.
And more importantly I learned about the Mercury Prize. A Prize awarded to the best album by a band from the UK or Ireland. We've often wondered how some albums made this list, well the mercury prize holds an answer. The Last Broadcast was a finalist for the prize, scrolling through past winners and finalists there were more than a few familiar names.
Anyway, I didn't like this album.
Massive Attack
3/5
Smooth beats and chill vibe with laid back vocals. I'm becoming a fan of trip hop.
Richard Thompson
2/5
The album was initially ignored by both listeners and critics. Critics came back to this album and saw it's brilliance later, hence it finding its way onto this list.
Critics are idiots.
Joanna Newsom
2/5
This is an instance where you can indeed judge a book (record) by it's cover. I soon as I saw the cover I was pretty sure what was coming...and sure enough I got exactly what I expected. I tend to like quirky voices, and I did like Joanna's voice. Her voice lent a nice contrast to the orchestral music on the album. Gave it a bit of texture. Nice overall, but she gave us one song. She can pretend there are five tracks but it's one song. I'd be good with five minutes of this, nearly an hour was rough.
Venom
2/5
If Jack Black fronted a black metal band, this would be it.
Early 80's heavy metal, music was fine. The imagery is what sets this apart, over the top and borderline goofy. At War With Satan was my favorite track, so dumb. Felt like dark evil version of Spinal Tap doing the intro to Stonehenge. I'd be disappointed to learn Venom didn't have a far too small statue of Baphomet lowered onto the stage as they recited that into.
Outside of the legit Scandinavian Black Metal bands that are truly terrifying, I'm convinced Black/Satanic metal is all shtick, akin to watching a bad horror movie. Guilty pleasure for some. Not my thing, but a fun listen none the less.
ZZ Top
4/5
My neighbors was a backyard mechanic, he had 2 project cars in his garage, one was a 34 Ford he was building into a hot rod. The ZZ Top car is a 33 Ford, essentially the same look. I always pictured Mr McKee cruising around looking as cool as ZZ Top one day, not sure it ever made it out of the garage but so it goes.
ZZ Top was the pinnacle of cool, loved this album, loved the videos, loved the cool car. Album still kicks ass, enjoyed it a couple times yesterday, enjoyed the nostalgia even more.
Neil Young
4/5
I like Neil Young fine. He writes amazing songs and, oddly enough, I like his voice but he's not a favorite. That said there are some amazing songs on this album, old man being my favorite, Heart of Gold and Alabama not far behind
DJ Shadow
3/5
Rap music with no rap? Sounded crazy, but it works. DJ Shadow combines different styles and textures to create a sound of controlled chaos with smooth flow. Very cool and very enjoyable album.
Nick Drake
2/5
boring and depressing. Nick Drake writes a good song, but damn maybe lighten up half a bit for a track or two.
The Teardrop Explodes
3/5
Released in 1980 but has the sound of mid 80's Brit Pop / New Wave, feels a little bit ahead of it's time. Good songs, great bass lines, overall very enjoyable. Middle of the road band, but extra credit for being on the forefront.
Ray Charles
4/5
Not something I would have picked off the shelf, but man did I enjoy this. Ray Charles voice hits just right. Cool concept, significant statement at the time, but most of all just amazing music.
Marty Robbins
3/5
Perfect music for sitting around a fire eating beans.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
I don't think I've ever given the Stones a fair listen. Of course I know their hits, and I like them fine enough, but not a preference. My expectation of this album was "meh".
Yet here I sit, a new fan. Enjoyed this far more than expected. Great groove, solid back beat rhythms, and nice bit of blues in the mix. Nicely composed album on the whole. Mick Jagger is the biggest surprise. I think of him as a caricature, but he was absolutely legit in his prime. I'm actually looking forward to more Stones.
Kate Bush
3/5
Running up that hill forever belongs to Max, the baddest ass of our favorite D&D party. I dare you to tell me you didn't get misty eyed as she ran towards the portal and finally reunited with Lucas. Epic. Stranger Things made that song more meaningful than Kate Bush could ever have dreamed.
Anyway, there is an entire album and we finally get the full picture of what Max was listening to on her Sony Walkman. Well we learned Max is badass, but she has questionable taste in music. Maybe she was drawn to Vecna's guest vocal on waking the witch?
I will say I appreciate what Kate Bush was going for. She creates an immersive experience with her music. I felt it, and appreciate how well executed it was. Just because I didn't like it doesn't make it bad, and this is an example of quality that just doesn't appeal to me.
De La Soul
3/5
Quality pop flavored hip hop, nothing to dislike about it. In fact, I really enjoyed it. Fun listen end to end, no complaints other than the goofy skits.
Leonard Cohen
3/5
Well, this is certainly something different. We are invited into a dying man's home as he approaches his final day. Heavy topic, solemn tone, deliberate words. Leonard Cohen doesn't try move you in any direction, he simply shares his final thoughts.
There are times when music evokes more than it entertains. This is an example of that. Very moving album.
John Lennon
3/5
Imagine, the song. Great and inspirational.
Imagine, the album. Meh
The Smiths
2/5
The Smiths are the most depressing band I've ever listened to.
The The
2/5
The The is a great band name, and I enjoyed the song Uncertain Smile. That's about it for positives. The rest sounds like they were exploring all new sounds they could create with a synth rather than actually trying to write good songs.
Jorge Ben Jor
5/5
I've been hating on Brazilians for most of my life, but I have to say I've really enjoyed all the Brazilian artists on this list. Jorge Ben Jor being the best of them. Amazing ryrhyms and beats, socially conscious lyrics (those I understood, my Portuguese isn't super, my Brazilian Portuguese even worse), and even a bit educational. Xica (Chica) Da Dilva and Zumbi, both pretty interesting figures.
Great album, amazing artist. Nothing wrong with this album.
The Saints
3/5
Know Your Product kicked the album off with a bang, I'm a sucker for a good horn section and this song delivered. Bass was a highlight throughout the album, nothing fancy but dude was jamming. I think the rest was just average, nothing special but enjoyable enough.
Sleater-Kinney
1/5
Screaming with that vibrato and a shrill voice was rough. I had a hard time making it to the end.
The Clash
4/5
Exhibit A that Punk is more than just a sound, it's an attitude. The Clash are a perfect example of this, perhaps the best example. There are a range of styles on this album, but they all flow together beautifully because the Clash, at their core, are Punk. That attitude is in each song and you feel and hear it. That attitude is what brings everything together into an all time classic album. This may not be their best album, but it's their defining album, and it was a joy to break out and give a listen. It had been far too long.
Yes
3/5
I like prog rock, but I don't "like" like prog rock. Fragile is super proggy prog rock. I like it. Roundabout is an absolute classic banger, always a favorite. The rest is a fun and intersting listen, but not something I revisit very often.
Air
1/5
It's true that I've never been a 13 year old girl. It's also true that I regret having listened to this album.
Rush
5/5
Coincidently, i just listened to this album yesterday, and i was more than happy to listen again today. Rush is a Mt Rushmore band for me. Like every other band nerd on their high school drum line I idolized Neil Peart and listed to more Rush than I likely should have. I wore out side one of my 2112 cassette learning Overture and Temples of Syrinx, and I will still rock out hard to Temples on my steering wheel. Worth the sore hands and the multiple close calls running off the road.
Rush is just three Canadian guys, each an amazing player. They created new music for nearly 40 years, and toured even longer. They never dialed it in, they didn't milk a decades old catalogue, they created to the end.
Side one is a dystopian story about the beauty and power of music told in 7 movements. Neil was an avid reader and had been into Ayn Rand for a bit, he was also the author of all the Rush lyrics so that explains side one, aka the first song on the album. Side two is includes some Rush classics, passage to bangkok, something for nothing, tears....why name favorites....side two is as amazing as side one. No bad songs on this album, a classic.
Rush is not a band for everyone, and that's more than fine. I'm a fan boy.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
I don't think it's fair to classify Bob Marley & The Wailers as Reggea, it sets the bar far too high for other Reggea artists.
Tom Waits
3/5
Did Tom Waits really kick this off falsetto?? Not a great choice, but I think I liked most of this album anyway. Very dark and ominous. The sounds from his conundrum added a sense of confusion that pulled you deeper into Tom's mood. There were some pretty rough lows on the album, but overall I really did enjoy the overall experience.
Bob Dylan
3/5
Bob Dylan is a brilliant songwriter and musician, no question about that. I'm a fan of his songs and even his voice, but this one just went on too long.
This was my first true end to end listen of Blond on Blond, Rainy Day Woman is absolutely the highlight of the album, great song that stands out in any crowd. The uptempo songs had a bit of a Rockabilly feel I'm not sure I ever picked up on before. A very welcome change of pace from just straight up harmonica....there is ALOT of harmonica on this one.
This is Dylan, so to say it was enjoyable is an understatement. But, to say it's great is an overstatement. I'm in the middle.
Frank Zappa
4/5
Happy to see Zappa on this list. I've gotta be in the right mood, but I do enjoy a dose of his insanity every now and then. One thing Zappa is not, is boring.
I enjoy this album, but I really wish they went a different way. If you care to look up the user albums list you'll see the right one and I highly recommend you give it a listen. Just as, if not more, approachable, Apostrophe, showcases Zappa's personality and wit in addition to his music. And you get to hear his actual voice, that is not him on Willie the Pimp.
Zappa is organized chaos. His music is not as freeform and jam session as it may appear. Zappa diligently composed each of his songs, yet you still get the personality of the musician within the piece and his songs have groove for days. Over and under the chaos there is a groove that only Zappa can pull off.
All that said, if not in the right mood/frame of mind he gives me a headache, literally. I really do need to be in a Zappa mood to throw on one of his records. Except Apostrophe (yes another plug) I can listen to that any day and enjoy. Arguably is most "pop" album and the diehards may scoff at it, but whatever, it's a no skip album that brings Zappa to the masses.
Anyway, Hot Rats is a great album. Peaches En Regalia sounds like a cop show theme song, with the lead villain's, Willie the Pimp, theme immediately following on the next track. However, Gumbo Variations steals the show on this album, sax on crack with insane drums and bass keeping right up. amazing stuff.
Magazine
2/5
Sounds like the soundtrack to a bad video game. Not for me.
The Bees
1/5
A new level of dull.
Björk
3/5
I don't know much about Bjork. A song or two from the 90s, swan dress, and quirky voice. That's about it. My expectations were low for this one, but I was very pleasantly surprised.
I was mostly struck by the seriousness of the music. Very deliberate and well composed. The beats are tranquil and fluid, nicely complimented by Bjorks unique voice. Overall far more enjoyable than i expected. The downside, as is my gripe about this genre in general, is that it's all a bit dull and mundane. I didn't care for the album overall, but not upset to have listened.
This is better than 2 stars. 3 feels more appropriate but it's the lowest form of a 3.
Meat Loaf
4/5
Over the top and ridiculously dramatic, but damn this is a super fun listen.
Sonic Youth
4/5
I love the vibe of this album. The guitar sound is unique, outrageous, at at times a bit chaotic. The vocals are kinda terrible, but the subdued voices actually compliment and give balance to the booming guitar. Everything works well together. I dig it, great album.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
2/5
Listening to this felt like reading the technical detail section of an owners manual. Complicated and uninteresting.