A collection of broken love songs with a soulful backbone and crisp vocals. Upbeat tempos collide with the dark lyrics of each arrangement. Great for playing in the background while you work on other projects.
It’s impossible to not bob your head along with the beats while listening to this album. The playful sound effects, sporadic samples of old school music, and witty lyrics keep a smile on your face during every song. Track after track is a “who’s who in the Brooklyn zoo” with a revolving door of MCs throwing haymakers at anyone looking to step-up. A common theme of staying ghetto fabulous and protecting the crew run rampant across this album. Wu-Tang is for the children!
Let’s get the good qualities of this album out of the way first. Much respect to a band that actually plays instruments and can give you a real Rock & Roll sound. It’s refreshing to listen to music being “made” and not just synthesized, as a lot of music is presented today. Despite being almost 60 years old, the rock sound still comes through strong and true and I can see how this band/album may have influenced others that followed it. So I’ll recognize that there is talent hiding within this band.
Now that I’ve said that, the album is like an open mic night in a beatnik neighborhood. Most tracks are just Lou Reed talking at you with music playing in the background more than any real singing happening. Not my cup of tea for sure. It was worth a listen, but it’s a one-and-done for me.
It’s hard to put my finger on exactly what it is about Paul Simon that I like. His vocals are never going to blow you away but the complex arrangements of his songs, his use of a myriad of instruments on every track, and lyrics that make you think all continue to draw me in to his music.
Paul Simon is not my go-to artist, but I enjoyed the lively tempo of this album and am glad I listened to it in its entirety. Solid musician all around.
Love this big Rock & Roll sound! Giant guitar riffs and drums all over the place. Every song is a banger and listening to this album from start to finish was delightful.
These guys remind me (a lot) of a highschool garage band. At times the musicians seemed out of sync with one another (which I have no doubt was by design) and every song sounded the same as the last one. A few of the songs contained sections which appeared as though the song was going to turn into a jam session but it always ran too long and I found myself wishing it was over. I’d be okay if I never listened to this album again. In fact, I’d prefer it.
The first big album from U2 that truly made them mainstream. “Sunday, Bloody Sunday” and “New Year’s Day” are just two of the iconic songs from this collection that you are forced to sing along with. Catchy beats and Bono’s unique singing make this one a pleasure to listen to. Not quite the perfect album in my opinion to receive a “5” rating, but this is no slouch either. I hadn’t listened to it in a while and I’m glad this one made the rounds to be reviewed.
Classic 70’s sound on this album with the unique voice and guitar stylings of Peter Frampton guiding every song. This album carries more energy than expected having been recorded as a live album with the crowd cheering and shouting throughout. Great listen and a solid compilation from this decade.
I had never heard of The Electric Prunes before listening to this album and I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised. Maybe it’s because my expectations were that The Prunes were bound to produce sh*t but the tunes were catchy and I found myself truly listening to their songs. The more I listened I began thinking “this is what The Doors would sound like if they had never found psychedelics.” The album was very representative of the era, but I don’t see myself rolling down the highway, with my windows dropped, blasting the Electric Prunes any time soon. Overall, this album was worth a listen but that’s about it.
I tried. I seriously did. I got each song started and couldn’t hang on to a single one. If I closed my eyes and listened I would swear this was the prequel to Sheryl Crow. I’ve definitely heard worse, but this is gonna be a no for me, dawg.
I’ve never been a real fan of Steely Dan and listening to this album did nothing to improve that. I kept thinking these songs sounded like ithey were created on Christmas morning with a kids newly unwrapped 32-key Casio keyboard. If this album had been 11 tracks of Rikki Don’t Lose That Number I might have been able to give it a better score, but mediocrity begets mediocrity.
Whether you enjoy her music or not, it’s impossible to deny the talent Christina Aguilera has. The range, her vocal power, and her pure swag are simply incredible. I don’t enjoy all of her music but I have to give credit where it’s due and this girl can flat out sing.
Nein. Nein. This is a collection of music that plays during a montage from an episode of The Wonder Years. It’s dated, not interesting at all, and isn’t worth the time spent listening to it.
I don’t know much about The Verve so I was intrigued to listen to this album. Started off great with Bittersweet Symphony so I leaned-in a little harder. From that point on, the songs were good, but nothing earth-shattering. This is the type of band that if a buddy had an extra ticket to their concert, I would go and would probably have a good time, but I’d never seek them out on my own. Decent music but when it’s said and done it was an average band with one song that went viral.
Although i had heard of Emmylou Harris before, I’m certain I’ve never listened to an ounce of her music previous to this experience (so I had no idea what I was in for). Now having gone through the album, I can see why she has a legacy attached to her name. The songs reminded me of Dolly Parton with a flare of Appalachia thrown into the mix. It’s old school country music before artists started singing about their dogs, their exes, their truck, and beer. I won’t seek this album out again, but I won’t adjust the tuner if one of her songs comes on either.
After listening to this album, I imagine Elvis Costello has a very punchable face. Which is a shame because a couple of his songs were actually catchy tunes between the piano and the drums…and then his voice goes and completely ruins it all. His “singing” is more whining than anything artistic and he sounded a bit flat on every note. I can honestly say that I took absolutely nothing from this album and if someone asked me what it was about, I couldn’t even give them a relevant theme. I was done listening halfway through but I toughed it out for research purposes.
I didn’t have listening to an instrumental album on my bingo card for today, but I can’t say I minded the change. This percussion-led, big band sound was full of thundering horns and polyrhythmic beats that kept me moving throughout the album. At times while listening to the tracks, I felt like there should be a Batman (Adam West era) fight scene happening in the background with several “POW”s and “ZAM”s flying across the screen. Overall this was an enjoyable deviation from the norm.
You can shine a turd all day long, but at the end of the day it’s still just a piece of sh*t. This album is more of the same from Elvis Costello; musically interesting yet vocally insulting. If they gave out an award for saying the title of your song as many times as possible within your lyrics, the podium would be Elvis Costello and then everyone else. I’m not sure if I’m being punk’d or if I lost a bet, but being served Elvis Costello twice in one week when there are 1001 albums in this project just seems cruel.
A very unique sound that I wasn’t expecting. Several of the tracks seemed to purposefully distort the instruments while the vocals were deliberately tuned to sound as if they were singing into a tin can. This edgy style carried throughout the album. It wasn’t a bad effect, but I wasn’t really into it. Middle of the road for me; I could take it or leave it just the same.
Classic sounds of the start of rock & roll from the 50’s. Elvis’ silky, smooth voice is easily recognizable and I imagine was extremely unique at the time of this recording. Really good album and I enjoyed listening to it from start to finish.
Fire. Straight fire. Blues all up in your face from the first note of Mannish Boy. Muddy’s slow southern drawl works perfectly with the electric energy of the guitar and the bouncing harmonica on every track. This was a great return to some solid music, despite being almost 50 years old. Would listen to this again and definitely will soon.
I must be getting old because all I heard was a bunch of loud noise with routine squeals from a high-pitched, oversexed lead singer. Even the slower songs found a way to make me want to jump tracks. I’m sure someone, somewhere enjoys this style of “music” but it’s not me. …now get off my lawn!!
The punk train has returned to the station but this time it’s on the less chaotic side of the tracks. Punk rock has never been in my top 17 genres of music, but I can honestly say I didn’t mind listening to this. I wouldn’t go looking for The Stooges, but I was able to tolerate the entire album without wanting to jump off a cliff.
Very stylistic of the time period. Melodic songs that are piano led with a steady drum beat. Reminiscent of the Beatles without the drugs. Middle of the road for me but these songs would never last in today’s music scene. Time of the Season was a nice surprise at the end of the album.
I’m struggling to classify this album into a genre. It’s very electric, with an upbeat rock feel yet has some flashes of punk. I recognized a few of the tracks with the thought of “I never knew who sang this! This is MGMT?!” Although this strays from my normal playlist and there wasn’t a lot of depth to the songs, I enjoyed listening to it.
Husker Du not sound very good to me. These guys were the last minute substitution band playing the Delta Chi homecoming party when the original band’s van broke down 10 miles off campus. And 20 songs??!! WTF?? I can’t imagine their A&R guy was so in love with all of these tunes that he just had to include them all on the album. Du yourself a favor and Du not listen to this album. Simply put: It’s Du Du.
I told myself going into this project that I would be stingy and reserve the “1”s and “5”s for the worst of the worst and the best of the best. That being said, this is as close to a “5” that I’ve come so far. The music is delightful, the message is powerful, and Bob’s voice is both amazing and unique at the same time. I could listen to this album on repeat without being disappointed and therefore stamp it with a justified “5”.
Credited with being one of the bands that sent Grunge Rock to mainstream America, Nirvana blasted onto the scene in the 90’s, plastered in flannel, and turned millions of heads immediately. Their heavy drum and distorted guitar-led songs are filled with screamed lyrics of edgy topics like drugs, trauma, death, addiction and mental health issues. Most songs are organized chaos that force you to move to the beat while contrasting slow ballads fill the other spaces of the album; somehow still delivering potent messages to the audience. A great album all around that shocks your system every time you hear it.
I was very late jumping on the Metallica bandwagon. When And Justice For All dropped in the late 80’s, I was elbow deep in Classic Rock and the emerging Rap music that was sweeping the country. In short, I never saw this Heavy Metal band coming. It was the early 90’s when I finally listened to this album and I was blown away by the sound. James Hetfield was built for this band and has the perfect voice for this type of music. The guitar riffs on several tracks (specifically on the opening of Blackened) are mesmerizing and at times I think even the drum kit didn’t realize it could be played like that. (I’m looking at you One!). While most of the songs aggressively demand your attention, a few of them are less grabby and simply fill up the album. Overall this was a great listen and I look forward to giving it another go here soon.
I don’t know if I truly never came across the Happy Mondays during the 90’s (which would be why I don’t recall them at all) or if I did listen to their music and then permanently removed it from my brain. Either way, this is not my jam. I imagine this really hitting at a rave back when Special K and Molly were popular but it’s not doing much for me today. Catchy beats on a few of the tracks but I was truly just waiting for it to end.
I was familiar with the name Iggy Pop but I had never listened to any of his albums before today. The arrangements kept me interested, despite the solemn overtones, bringing in that big 70’s rock sound with flares of punk throughout. There is almost something sinister about Iggy’s voice on each song that I kind of dig. I imagine Iggy is a true to life badass with an encyclopedia-sized book of stories from being a rock star. As cool as the other side of the pillow.
There was no bullsh*t with this album. A few guys playing instruments and another singing vocals; no crazy effects or conflicting styles. Just plain old music.
A collection of rock love songs that is fitting to the time period. Simple tunes with clear vocals. I’m not adding this to the playlist anytime soon, but I have no issues with it either.
A little too “folksy” for me but this album is also very representative of the times it was recorded. I’m pretty sure one of the songs was written by Dr. Suess. And if I’m really being critical, how the hell was this album not broken into two albums??!! 28 songs! Seriously?? Overall the actual music was tolerable, but the lyrics were awful and left me with a unsupportive opinion.
I’m a fan of that greasy, in your face, guitar-driven sound the Black Keys deliver which also happens to complement the (sometimes even falsetto) voice of the lead singer very well. The simplicity of the band is great in that they don’t overload you with too many different sounds or effects. It’s a handful of instruments and some good singing. That’s all that is needed.
Civilized Punk rock with songs that aren’t very memorable. While I didn’t find this album to be horrific to listen to, it did sound like the same song with 11 extended pauses every couple of minutes. Not really for me, but if I was at a party and this was the background noise over the din of the crowd, I wouldn’t have a problem with it.
Bubble Gum Rock at its finest (despite the occasional reference to drugs and/or sex). Every song could be the background music that plays during the character development segment of a Disney TV series. Nothing majorly wrong with it, there’s just cheese oozing from my speakers after playing this album.
Soft spoken rock songs with a high-pitched, whiny component on every track . Tori Amos is undoubtedly musically talented (in both her vocal achievements as well as her piano playing) but this isn’t my style of music.
Solid (early) classic rock. Clapton is a legend and for good reason. His ability to make the guitar sing is elite and his voice is always recognizable.
The best way to describe this (in my opinion) is operetta rock. The high pitch of each song coupled with the repetitive and staccato nature of the songs brought me to believe this is more about the performance than the actual music. It’s hard to keep up with the lyrics in this style but I’m pretty confident this isn’t for me.
With a name like Surrealistic Pillow, I should have seen the sleepiness of this album coming. With the exception of Someone to Love and White Rabbit, it starts out a bit on the drab side for me. That being said, I thoroughly enjoyed the solid classic rock music that pops up with lively guitar, background tambourine, and bluesy harmonica on the back half of the album. Footnote: I can’t listen to Someone to Love without picturing Jim Carrey in The Cable Guy doing his karaoke rendition. So good.
This album is short and to the point. 7 songs, 30-something minutes of a sound that is distinctly CCR. Big rock that includes a variety of instruments all flavored with a taste of the deep south. Born on the Bayou, Proud Mary, and Good Golly Miss Molly are all iconic songs and classic sounds of the 60’s. Great album.
This is not what I was expecting before I listened to the album. I’m familiar with Radiohead and recognized Karma Police on the album so I was excited to dig in. The whole thing was very melancholy and I was left feeling like I’d missed something. Not a very good listen.
The language barrier is the most obvious problem I have with this album. It’s my own fault for not being able to understand it, but it limits how I can appreciate the songs and makes my criticisms one dimensional. That being said, the music was very uplifting. I found myself moving to the beat with a smile on my face on a number of the songs. The cover of Imagine threw me for a loop, for sure. Overall, it has a funky beat and I can really bug out it.
It’s rock ‘n roll with no emotion. The music is decent but there’s nothing to connect with; The remake of Mrs. Robinson might be the only exception there. A couple of the songs (like Rockin’ Stroll and My Drug Buddy) should never have been recorded. They sound like someone broke out a guitar while sitting around a campfire and this was the result. One and done for me. I’ll never listen to this album again.
Solid rock from the 70’s. There are timeless tracks on this album (Dreams, Don’t stop, Go your own way, The Chain) that will continue to be enjoyed for decades to come. All around, great listen.
Elevator music at its finest. In all seriousness, Joni has an amazing voice and the compositions are well put together. I understand that she was an icon of her time but I think you needed to be present in the 70’s to really jump on that train (and heavy usage of pot probably helped). Good album with no major criticisms to offer.
Kendrick is quite the lyricist with rhymes that make you stop and think. The speed with which he delivers his message is mesmerizing and on multiple tracks the beat continues to evolve mid-song which makes what he’s doing even more impressive. A cohesive, thoughtful album.
In the right environment I have no doubt that this album slaps (I.e. - 1am at a rave, at a house party that had the cops called on it, etc..). Sitting at the breakfast table looking at a plate of eggs is not one of those places. There are some banger tracks on this compilation that can get you hyped up in seconds, but again you need an atmosphere that is conducive to noise, movement, and small fits of chaos. Overall I enjoyed the listen.
WTF did I just listen to?? (Just about) Every song is a collection of random thoughts that don’t seem to have a single common thread or theme worth giving a crap about. And I normally dig a fine English accent but for some reason it didn’t help this album at all (Parklife was God awful and Bank Holiday might be the dumbest sh*t I’ve ever heard). This album/band should be removed from the interweb. And it looks like I made it to the end…finally.
While this is not my style of music (folk) I can see why this album was popular during the 60’s. The message in Baez’s songs is more important than the actual arrangement, but this girl can sing too. I imagine that this style of music was a change from the rock and roll blasting the air waves during the 60’s and Baez’s lyrics connected with the masses during a very tumultuous time period. Again, not really for me, but I get it and can see how her songs pushed future artists to be successful.
This album oozes with soul. The groove of the guitar, the dancing of the piano, the blasts from the horns, as well as the variety of different drum sounds are all complemented wonderfully by Curtis’ silky voice. Pick a track and it could easily have been included on the Shaft soundtrack cause it’s just that smooth. Glad to have experienced this.
Not Queen’s best album, but it definitely still kicks a**. Strong rock beats led by electric guitar and heavy drums and all the while Freddie Mercury’s range is simply ridiculous. Queen seems to have fun with all of their music and this is no exception. There is an artistic quality to their songs in addition to the entertainment each provides. Above average band and entertainers.
Jay-Z has perfected being “hood” while drive a Bentley and wearing Burberry. His rhymes leave any opp in his wake with some of the baddest beats you’ve ever heard and lyrics that are as mysterious as they are cutting-edge. Jay-Z’s songs don’t sound like any one else and he dominates the mic every time he touches it. Jay has recurring themes of starting out with nothing and making it big which I believe is what draws a large number of his audience in. Being that this album is early in his career, I personally don’t think it’s his best work, but it’s clearly full of the qualities that made him a global icon going forward.
The Monkees are without a doubt talented. The harmonizing of the vocals and the number of different instruments being played stands out on this album. The songs themselves are very dated and the lyrics are simple, but the music is good. BTW - 36 songs?? Smh.
This album is like a warm blanket and a cup of hot cocoa on a cold, snowy evening. It wraps you up, slows your heartbeat, and soothes your mind into a peaceful state. I’ll die on the hill that Norah Jones is an unbelievable vocalist. I was fortunate enough to sit 4th row at one of her shows and I’ve never in my life seen someone emit the sultry sounds she is capable of producing with such ease. She barely opens her mouth and this powerful, yet controlled sound envelopes the room. The background music is extremely soulful powered by the piano and upright bass. This isn’t quite a 5 for me, but damn it’s close.
Trash. Some interesting beats on a few tracks, but overall not worth listening to.
I’m exhausted from just listening to this album. I can only imagine what this lead singer went through while recording it. Death Metal is not something I gravitate to at all, but it was fun to give this a listen to once…once.
This entire album is very vanilla. Basic. Plain. Meh. The music itself is good, but there is little emotion (other than depression) to latch onto with the songs. This may be harsh to say, but if Courtney Love had never married Kurt Cobain, Rock & Roll wouldn’t know her and/or the band Hole.
A decent album from an above-average band. Not all of the tracks are bangers, but a handful of them really stand out from the rest. U2 consistently provides a solid rock sound and this album seems a bit more exploratory then staying true to their previous compilations. Well worth a listen.
A classic rock album. A few of the tracks are timeless and the rest of the album is easy listening. The Eagles do a wonderful job of sounding like a band versus one guy singing while everyone else plays instruments. A variety of instruments and varying vocals give the tracks depth while the descriptive lyrics help draw a mental image of whatever it is they are singing about. Excellent use of 36 mins
Musically, it sounds like a Bob Marley album (which makes perfect sense based on Tosh’s involvement with the Wailers) but the lyrics and delivery are a far cry from the passion Bob Marley exuded. The groove of this album is very strong and is a great example of what Reggae music should sound like. Overall a really good product and a great listen.
Straight Outta Compton was my introduction into the world of gangsta rap and I played my cassette tape so much and so often I wore it out. Typical white boy in the 90’s with his windows down and the volume up. Before this album I didn’t realize it was possible to publically and directly challenge the establishment. It also opened my eyes to what life was like outside of suburbia for a segment of the American society. Straight Outta Compton was extremely controversial (mostly because of the song F**k Tha Police) as it saw members of the group arrested mid-concert for performing their songs, which they saw as a direct violation of their freedom of speech rights. NWA gave the world Dr Dre and Ice Cube who went on to super-stardom in their own right but this where they got their start. I agree this is one of the 1001 must listen albums. Very nostalgic for me to listen to this album again.
The band’s name tells the entire story. I see this group’s origin story being a handful of guys who realized they were (slightly) better musicians than the other guys playing Joe’s Bar & Grill and decided to take this full time; all because it was fun to do. The music is average, the lyrics leave something to be desired, but all along it’s intentionally not that serious and leaves you with a half-grin. You’ll forget you listened to this a day later, but it was good while you were in the moment.
The second album from The Police which continued to push them towards global notoriety. Message in a Bottle and Walking on the Moon are the clear standout songs of this album, but the other tracks carry the same sound we have come to expect from The Police (except for maybe On Any Other Day. I’m not sure what that song is all about). Good overall album that I would enjoy listening to again.
An album from The Byrds being randomly served up on Thanksgiving may seem apropos…but it’s dismissed as a mere coincidence. I’m struggling to put this style of music in a nice, neat box as it has flavors from different genres. At one point I thought, “this sounds a lot like the Beatles without the drugs”, and then Moog Raga played and I thought, “Well there’s the drugs!” The sounds are crisp and the songs are (mostly) welcoming. I know The Byrds were wildly popular during the 60’s for other song they sang, but this album was just take it or leave it for me. Overall an easy listen, but I won’t be running back to them any time soon.
It’s good music. Sincerely. I just don’t understand the cult following. I personally think they are overrated but again I enjoy the music quite a bit. An album with strong vocals supported by great rock beats on tracks like Wonderwall, Champagne Supernova, and Don’t Look Back in Anger. The off tracks still keep your attention and it’s worthy of being a regular attendee in your musical lineup.
