165
Albums Rated
3.43
Average Rating
15%
Complete
924 albums remaining
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
2000
Favorite Decade
Soul
Favorite Genre
other
Top Origin
Wordsmith
Rater Style ?
27
5-Star Albums
5
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
Top Styles
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Merriweather Post Pavilion
Animal Collective
|
5 | 2.91 | +2.09 |
|
Get Rich Or Die Tryin'
50 Cent
|
5 | 3.07 | +1.93 |
|
Ambient 1/Music For Airports
Brian Eno
|
5 | 3.08 | +1.92 |
|
Stephen Stills
Stephen Stills
|
5 | 3.17 | +1.83 |
|
Loveless
My Bloody Valentine
|
5 | 3.18 | +1.82 |
|
Since I Left You
The Avalanches
|
5 | 3.28 | +1.72 |
|
The College Dropout
Kanye West
|
5 | 3.31 | +1.69 |
|
L'Eau Rouge
The Young Gods
|
4 | 2.32 | +1.68 |
|
Channel Orange
Frank Ocean
|
5 | 3.33 | +1.67 |
|
Ágætis Byrjun
Sigur Rós
|
5 | 3.37 | +1.63 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Highway to Hell
AC/DC
|
1 | 3.64 | -2.64 |
|
Queen II
Queen
|
1 | 3.49 | -2.49 |
|
Brilliant Corners
Thelonious Monk
|
1 | 3.33 | -2.33 |
|
The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn
Pink Floyd
|
1 | 3.11 | -2.11 |
|
Hunky Dory
David Bowie
|
2 | 3.99 | -1.99 |
|
Back In Black
AC/DC
|
2 | 3.84 | -1.84 |
|
Automatic For The People
R.E.M.
|
2 | 3.81 | -1.81 |
|
21
Adele
|
2 | 3.69 | -1.69 |
|
The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
Lauryn Hill
|
2 | 3.66 | -1.66 |
|
Out Of The Blue
Electric Light Orchestra
|
2 | 3.64 | -1.64 |
Artists
Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Beatles | 5 | 4.4 |
| Aretha Franklin | 2 | 5 |
Least Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| AC/DC | 2 | 1.5 |
Controversial
| Artist | Ratings |
|---|---|
| Pink Floyd | 5, 1 |
| Brian Eno | 5, 2 |
5-Star Albums (27)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
AC/DC · 1 likes
1/5
This album was a lot like the last AC/DC album I had to listen to, very bland and samey. This one was shorter though I think, so at least it took less time to get through this time. I can't deny they're talented players, but they choose to make such uninteresting music. It feels like an affront to real rock music.
Favorites: Highway to Hell
The Beach Boys · 1 likes
5/5
I feel like these guys really were the American Beatles, they did so much interesting experimentation while still just making really solid pop music. And even though I do like the Beatles more, these guys are still really impressive. This was a hugely impressive and deeply enjoyable album, I had a really good time with it.
Favorites: Wouldn't It Be Nice, That's Not Me, Pet Sounds
Kraftwerk · 1 likes
4/5
Felt very reminiscent of daft punk, but in a good way. I really wasn’t sure what this was gonna be going in but I liked it a lot, a lot more than I thought I was going to.
Favorites: Europe Endless, Showroom Dummies, Trans Europe Express
Björk · 1 likes
3/5
It gets better once you get a couple songs in, but really just a strange experience. I liked it but I'm not likely to revisit it.
Paul Revere & The Raiders · 1 likes
4/5
I liked this a lot more than I was expecting, there were a lot of really interesting instrumentals in here. You'd think that a Revolutionary War themed band would be kinda corny, but they really make it work and make a really fun listen.
Favorites: Kicks, I'm Not Your Stepping Stone, Louie, Go Home
1-Star Albums (5)
All Ratings
Björk
3/5
It gets better once you get a couple songs in, but really just a strange experience. I liked it but I'm not likely to revisit it.
Jack White
4/5
Definitely thought it was better than Lazaretto, but I don't think any of the highs are as high as the title track from that one.
Run-D.M.C.
3/5
Only got to about half of it before my show, but all around pretty solid. Obviously from the 80s, but that's not necessarily a bad thing.
Bob Dylan
4/5
Really strong, and very consistent. I don't listen to a ton of Dylan but it was really fun.
Favorites: You're a Big Girl Now, "Lily, Rosemary, and the Jack of Hearts," "If You See Her, Say Hello"
Electric Light Orchestra
2/5
Too repetitive for my taste, I really was just kinda exhausted and I wanted it to be over. The highs are really high, but I can’t justify listening past this.
Favorites: Turn to Stone, Mr. Blue Sky
Eagles
4/5
One of the best classic rock albums, not much to say. Title track is basically perfect.
Favorites: Hotel California, Life in the Fast Lane
Pink Floyd
5/5
My personal favorite Pink Floyd album, truly a generational experience. Waters may be a dick but he wrote some pretty amazing stuff.
Favorites: Another Brick in the Wall, Pt. 1, One Of My Turns, Hey You
Jimi Hendrix
3/5
Finally getting around to Hendrix, and he's everything everyone's said he is. Technically incredible, but missing something that I was looking for. Definitely gonna check out Are You Experienced though.
Favorites: Spanish Castle Magic, If 6 Was 9, Castles Made of Sand
Christina Aguilera
3/5
Better than I was expecting, she’s got an amazing voice. Just not really what I was in the mood for today though.
Favorites: Beautiful, Dirrty, I’m OK
The Rolling Stones
4/5
I can definitely understand the comparisons to The Beatles, but I think they have an edge to them that The Beatles don't. This is firmly rock and roll in a way that The Beatles aren't.
Favorites: Mother's Little Helper, Going Home, Flight 505
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
2/5
I had a similar problem with this that I did with the ELO album. Every song sounded the same, I was ready for it to be over and it’s less than half an hour long.
Circle Jerks
3/5
So brief it’s hard to come up with something to say about it. It was good, but I can’t imagine myself putting this on again.
Favorites: Beverly Hills, Back Against the Wall, Group Sex
Drive Like Jehu
3/5
When I read that this was a forefather to the emo sound I got really excited, but it’s missing a lot of what I like about emo. It’s more energetic than I was expecting, and I think the vocals didn’t work as well as emo vocals tend to. Still a fun listen though.
Favorites: Luau, New Math, Sinews
David Bowie
4/5
Definitely my favorite I've heard from him so far, it was a shockingly strong late career album from him. I think it does a lot of what Blackstar did too, but just a little better.
Favorites: Dirty Boys, I'd Rather Be High, Heat
The Flaming Lips
4/5
I've been meaning to listen to these guys for a while now, and I think it was an interesting intro to them. Saw on wikipedia it was listed as space rock, and I thought it was gonna be something else, but this was still good.
Favorites: The Spiderbite Song, Waitin' for a Superman, Feeling Yourself Disintegrate
Steve Earle
2/5
It's not even that bad, but it's so country it's kinda unbelievable. Not really my thing but I'm sure some people like it.
Pixies
4/5
I’ve been meaning to listen to this for a long time, I love where is my mind so I was pretty excited. And it was good, I’m excited for Doolittle.
Favorites: Bone Machine, Gigantic, Where is my Mind?
Green Day
3/5
I think it’s… good. It’s nowhere near as good as American idiot, though I may be biased considering that’s one of my favorite albums. But yeah perfectly fine, not a ton more than that.
Favorites: Longview, Welcome to Paradise, When I Come Around
Björk
3/5
Definitely my favorite of the albums I’ve heard from her so far. Id have to go back and relisten to homogenic, but this kinda takes everything that one does and makes it better.
Favorites: Hidden Place, Heirloom, Unison
Aretha Franklin
5/5
Wow. Really just front to back heat, not a weak song on it.
Favorites: Drown In My Own Tears, Soul Serenade, Save Me
Genesis
2/5
I am morally opposed to albums like this. They're like 3 hour movies, even if sometimes they can be good, if your movie is that long then you need to cut it down. And this DEFINITELY could've been cut down. I was ready to be done by the end of disc 1, and then I had an entire disc 2 to get through. Honestly this should be a 1 but there were a couple really strong songs. But it feels like they listened to a bunch of musical theater before this, and I mean it in the meanest way possible.
Favorites: Broadway Melody of 1974, Anyway
Beatles
3/5
I mean obviously it’s not gonna be as good as Abbey Road, but still a really strong project. You can hear a lot of what was to come, but it really isn’t much more than a demonstration of potential.
Favorites: All My Loving, Please Mister Postman, Money (That’s What I Want)
Ananda Shankar
3/5
Definitely not what I was expecting, but I was pleasantly surprised once the album got going. I didn’t realize it was gonna be instrumental, but I didn’t mind it at all.
Favorites: Snow Flower, Metamorphosis, Sagar (The Ocean)
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
There are some crazy standouts on it, but a lot of it doesn’t live up to the quality of those highlights. Still a really strong album though.
Favorites: Bridge Over Troubled Water, The Boxer, Bye Bye Love
Johnny Cash
3/5
I can definitely see where the appeal would be, (there were some moments that had me grinning to myself in my room), but I really don’t think that this sort of music is for me. Like I enjoyed it, but I wasn’t blown away by any means.
Favorites: Starkville City Jail, San Quentin, A Boy Named Sue
3/5
It had some high moments, but it's a little too homogenous for me to really love it. It kind of falls into the same vein as a lot of other classic rock for me, where it's good but really nothing exception. Rock has certainly gotten much better since this time.
Favorites: Love Has Found a Way, Morning Will Come
AC/DC
2/5
Maybe I was just exhausted cause I saw twenty one pilots yesterday, but this really just didn't hit at all. Obviously the hits are good, but it all just felt sort of annoying. I wanted to be listening to anything else the entire time.
Favorites: Back In Black, You Shook Me All Night Long
Animal Collective
5/5
Truly an exceptional album, felt like an experience in a way most things don't. I had been meaning to listen to this for a long time and I'm glad I finally did.
Madonna
3/5
I don’t think it was the vibe for today, but it wasn’t bad by any means. It very obviously influenced a lot of stuff, which I can get behind.
Favorites: Like a Prayer, Love Song, Act of Contrition
Beatles
5/5
Easily the best Beatles record, anyone that says differently is lying to themselves. I could listen to this all day, each song still sounds incredible.
Favorites: Come Together, Maxwell's Silver Hammer, I Want You (She's So Heavy)
The Monkees
2/5
These guys really are a worse version of the Beatles. It’s really just kinda disappointing to hear it, it just made me wanna listen to the Beatles. It’s like seeing something really interesting and cool and trying to remake it in the most inauthentic way possible.
Favorites: Zilch, Early Morning Blues and Greens
Stephen Stills
5/5
I don't have a ton to say about this except that I was really impressed by it. I was expecting a slower and sort of warm folk type thing, but this was a pretty tight rock album, it really packs its length with as much music as it can and it really works. I was really pleasantly surprised by this, it was a lot better than I thought it was going to be.
Favorites: Love the One You're With, Church (Part of Someone), Cherokee
Miles Davis
4/5
I mean they're obviously great players, but I just don't think this is how jazz is meant to be listened to. Jazz should be a live experience, listening to a studio album just feels odd.
Favorites: Venus de Milo, Budo, Godchild
The xx
3/5
I've heard a lot of hype around this album as, like,. incredible indie pop but honestly I don't get it. Especially about the intro, I just don't feel any real connection or interest in it.
Favorites: Crystalized, Islands, Infinity
Sugar
3/5
Interesting stuff, but not really anything out of the ordinary. I think I set myself up for failure by listening to Haram by Armand Hammer before this cause that outclassed this in every way. Just listen to that instead actually.
Favorites: Changes, If I Can't Change Your Mind, Slick
Miles Davis
3/5
I only got through 3 and a half tracks before getting on the phone with my girlfriend, but I really don't think this is for me. Like obviously it's really impressive and I liked it, but I didn't connect with it and I doubt I'm gonna want to listen to it again.
The White Stripes
4/5
The timing on this was amazing considering they just got inducted into the rock and roll hall of fame, and honestly I get why. This album is wall to wall bangers. I think the Jack white solo album I listened to for this was a little more consistent, but the highs here are undeniable, and it’s just a blast.
Favorites: Fell In Love With a Girl, We’re Going to Be Friends, I Think I Smell a Rat
Jean-Michel Jarre
4/5
I'm not exactly sure what I thought this was gonna be when I started it, but I was really surprised by this. I think I thought it was gonna be classical, so then when it was like electronic ambient I was really excited. And this is very effective instrumental music, I was really invested in this. Very strong album indeed.
Favorites: Oxygene 2, Oxygene 5, Oxygene 6
The Byrds
3/5
Honestly I was so tired I barely remember this album, but I think I thought it was good. It's pretty typical 60s stuff, but it wasn't bad by any means.
Favorites: Goin' Back, Old John Robertson, Tribal Gathering
Adele
3/5
While I think she got closer to something strong on this than she did with 21, there's still a pretty bad pacing issue with this album. She's still very ballad heavy, and on the one hand I get it, ballads are where she can sing the most. But listening to that many in a row is just not the best experience. Still some really strong highlights though.
Favorites: Hello, Send My Love (To Your New Lover), Million Years Ago
Eurythmics
4/5
I've been pretty depressed recently, and the albums it's been giving me haven't really been anything I've been interested in so its been a while since I actually did one of these. But I have really fond memories with the title track so I figured I'd check it out and it was really good. It kinda reminds me of Violater by Depeche Mode because nothing actually comes close to the hit, but everything else on there is really solid stuff.
Favorites: I've Got an Angel, Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This), This City Never Sleeps
Beatles
4/5
Not my favorite by them, but my dad liked it so that counts for something I guess. It does have some songs I like though, I will say that.
Favorites: Taxman, Eleanor Rigby, Yellow Submarine
Pink Floyd
1/5
This is NOT pink floyd bro what the fuck. Actually an insane album, like I know people love Syd Barrett but genuinely there's not even the glimmer of potential here. There were small moments I liked but goddamn this really wasn't it.
Yes
2/5
Really could’ve been much shorter. The weird interlude things didn’t really add much, and it actually made the album feel really stilted. The songs themselves were good, but it felt like everything took more space than it needed.
Favorites: Roundabout, South Side of the Sky, Heart of the Sunrise
The Doors
4/5
I’ve always liked individual songs by the doors, but this is my first actual album from them. And shocking nobody it was really good, just wall to wall bangers. Also Jim Morrison died on my birthday, so that’s cool.
Favorites: Break On Through (To The Other Side), Back Door Man, The End
Prince
3/5
I wasn’t really paying a ton of attention, but it was pretty good. Definitely gonna revisit it later and see if I like it more, but it was pretty solid as it stands.
Favorites: Let’s Go Crazy, When Doves Cry, Purple Rain
Jurassic 5
2/5
I really just don't think this kinda thing is for me. I've heard 17 track albums that are about an hour that I've liked more (ie. Blonde by Frank Ocean or DS2 by Future), and this just struggled to justify the length. It also got weirdly homophobic in the middle? which I get rap does sometimes but it just felt kinda weird.
Favorites: Freedom, If You Only Knew, A Day at the Races
Rush
3/5
I think this is an okay album, I just don't get why side 1 is one song. There's no real cohesion to it, it doesn't really make sense. Just make them their own individual songs, I think I would've liked it more if that had been what happened.
Favorites: A Passage to Bangkok, The Twilight Zone, Tears
Elliott Smith
5/5
Was really surprised to have liked this as much as I did, I've never really gotten the Elliot Smith hype. This was really amazing, it feels like a scaled down Jeff Buckley and it makes this album feel so personal and intimate. It's a shame we never got more than a couple others from him, he was a really talented guy.
Kraftwerk
4/5
Felt very reminiscent of daft punk, but in a good way. I really wasn’t sure what this was gonna be going in but I liked it a lot, a lot more than I thought I was going to.
Favorites: Europe Endless, Showroom Dummies, Trans Europe Express
Jefferson Airplane
4/5
There’s something very mom and pop about this album, but I really couldn’t tell you what. It’s exactly what 60s pop should feel like, but it wears itself a little thin as you move through it. It ends really strong though, I will say that.
Favorites: Somebody to Love, 3/5s Of a Mile In 10 Seconds, White Rabbit.
Cyndi Lauper
3/5
This was sort of an odd album. Obviously it has its hits that are spectacular, but the rest was just sort of okay. And it really ends in a weird way, I don't get the point of a skit and whatever right at the end, just skip it and have the album be 9 tracks. But it was still good, just felt strange.
Favorites: Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, Time After Time
David Bowie
2/5
I was pretty disappointed by this album. The last album I heard from him (The Next Day) was a really impressive and exciting album for me, and this just kinda wasn't. I wasn't impressed by anything except Changes, which I already knew was good. I think it's probably a little overrated, but it is a showcase of potential, if nothing else.
Favorites: Changes, Song for Bob Dylan
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
This might be better than Bridge Over Troubled Water. It's consistently heat, every song hits like crazy. I can't say much more cause of how brief it is, but it's just a really solid album.
Favorites: Scarborough Fair/Canticle, Homeward Bound
Beach House
4/5
I don’t really understand why this the album that ends up on this list. Like it’s great, I love beach house, but I think that bloom and depression cherry are both better and I think they both showcase the style better. It was a good listen I’m just a little perplexed.
Favorites: Norway, Take Care, Baby (Bonus Track)
Dire Straits
5/5
I remember one time I was playing this huge playlist I have for my dad, and Money For Nothing came on while we were in the car. And he got really quiet and absolutely cranked the volume, and the riff came in and it was transcendent.
Public Enemy
3/5
I liked this, but I really just feel like it comes across a little dated now. Rap has come such a long way since this, and it just doesn't match what the genre is now. I think I could learn to like it more with relistens, but it just didn't click with me.
Favorites: Nighttrail, More News at 11, Bring tha Noize (feat. Anthrax)
Kanye West
5/5
I remember being very underwhelmed by this when I first listened to it, way back in freshman year. It wasn't exactly what I wanted it to be, but since then I've come to really appreciate this album. It's not my favorite Kanye album (might not even be Top 3 (or 5...)), but I think its still a really impressive album. Especially for it being his first, it's really incredible as a start.
Favorites: We Don't Care, Jesus Walks, Family Business
Paul Simon
4/5
I think I'm finally starting to get the Paul Simon hype, he's pretty amazing. I think I liked the stuff with Garfunkel more, but this was a really solid album. It is kinda a lot like the Simon & Garfunkel stuff, you can tell he wrote most of that stuff I just think his material was better there.
Favorites: Run That Body Down, Peace Like a River, Paranoia Blues
Depeche Mode
4/5
It’s hard not to compare this to Violator, not just because it’s their big album but also just cause they sound really similar. And this isn’t as good as that (obviously), but it’s still a really solid album I can definitely see myself revisiting it in the future.
Favorites: Never Let Me Down Again, Strangelove, I Want You Now
The Young Gods
4/5
This is a very strange album, I really wasn't sure what to do with this. It's almost vaudevillian at times, and I think the fact it's not in English didn't help at all. It was interesting though, I really liked it. I was just really caught off guard by it.
Favorites: La fille de la mort, Ville Notre, L'Amourir
Def Leppard
3/5
I think there's a really dated sound that a lot of like the arena rock stuff from the 80s has, like Journey and these guys and stuff like that. And it's charming, it reminds me of my childhood, but it also kinda grates on you after a while. It's not bad perse, but its not exactly good any more either.
Favorites: Rocket, Pour Some Sugar On Me, Excitable
Various Artists
2/5
I don't really understand why this is in here. Even setting aside the fact that it's novelty music, it's just not that good. It doesn't make sense to me.
Favorites: Sleight Ride, Winter Wonderland
Boston
3/5
This is arena rock done right. I still don't love it, but it hits different than other arena rock I've heard. It sounds the same, but marginally better.
Favorites: More Than a Feeling, Peace of Mind, Let Me Take You Home Tonight
The Louvin Brothers
1/5
This is like, really bad. I couldn't hardly stomach this. There's some good country albums out there that I've heard through this project, this is not one of them.
Soft Machine
2/5
My only other jazz rock album that I've heard is Pain to Power by Maruja, and this is a very different type of jazz rock album than that one. That leans much heavier on the rock, and this leans much heavier on the jazz. And I think jazz albums just aren't really my thing.
Beastie Boys
5/5
This is kind of the epitome of 90s rap. It's so steeped in what the 90s is, and its just such a fun album. It's wall to wall bangers, it just feels like such a labor of love.
Favorites: Sure Shot, Sabotage, Get It Together
Dr. Dre
2/5
This felt like the longest album I've had to listen to so far. I've always preferred East Coast over West when it comes to 90s rap, and so I knew I wasn't gonna love this, but god something about it just dragged. Each song took minutes longer than it should've.
Favorites: Fuck Wit Dre Day (And Everybody's Celebratin'), Nuthin' But A "G" Thang, Lyrical Gangbang
Earth, Wind & Fire
3/5
I feel like this album is really frontloaded, it started super strong and then by the end I was ready for it to be over. I think its just the last two songs though, the rest was good.
Favorites: Shining Star, Happy Feelin', Reasons
Lauryn Hill
2/5
I was hoping I'd come back to this and like it more, but I still have the same problem as my last listen. Almost every song is like 2-3 minutes too long, and it just makes the album such a drag to listen to. If you can cut your album 20 minutes without cutting a single song, then you have a problem. Also by NO MEANS the best album of all time, no clue what apple music was on with that one.
Favorites: Ex-Factor, Forgive Them Father, Everything Is Everything
The Electric Prunes
3/5
This was a pretty strong album throughout, I definitely liked it better than the last 60s psychedelia that I got from this website. I had to fit this in a little cause I’m in New York right now, but it was good I’m glad I listened.
Favorites: I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night), Onie, Train to Tomorrow
The Cure
3/5
Admittedly I wasn't listening super hard to this one, but I came away from it feeling about the same as I did on my first listen. It's good, not really much more. I like the gothic rock thing a lot, but I definitely prefer Joy Division when it comes to that stuff, but this was good too. I think it gets better as it goes, but its pretty strong throughout I'd say.
Favorites: Lovesong, Prayers for Rain, Homesick
Coldplay
5/5
I accidentally slept through one of the songs, but unless it was terrible this was like a really really good album. Like much stronger than I was expecting from them, I actually really connected to a couple of the songs here. It made me want to listen to more Coldplay.
Favorites: In My Place, A Whisper, A Rush of Blood to the Head
Björk
3/5
I liked this, but something feels very rough around the edges about it. Everything from the instrumentals to her uncharacteristically uncontrolled vocals are just very debut album. Shes definitely done better since.
Favorites: Venus As A Boy, There’s More to Life Than This, The Anchor Song
Scott Walker
3/5
I don’t know if this is like crazy front loaded or if I’m just really tired (it’s currently 3:12 AM after a 6 hour flight back from New York), but I still had a lot of fun with this album. The highs are really high, and it was just a blast. And I love the big instrumentation, it’s my favorite thing in pop music.
Favorites: Jackie, Next, Wait Until Dark
Bert Jansch
4/5
This is like the quintessential sound of singer/songwriter. Except for a little bit of bass, it’s just a dude with a guitar, and it’s a really comfortable sound. It sounds like sitting by a crackling fire in a snowy winter. Really just a pleasant time.
Favorites: Oh How Your Love Is Strong, I Have No Time, Needle of Death
Amy Winehouse
4/5
I mean, there's a reason this is one of the best selling albums of all time. I do wonder sometimes how her legacy would have been affected by music after this. I think ending on a high note can have a really different impact on the world than ending on a low, and I think it'd be interesting to see how things would've panned out if she had gotten clean or broken apart from her father or something.
Favorites: Rehab, Back to Black, Some Unholy War
Talking Heads
3/5
I think the instrumentals are good, I just don't really like David Byrne. In short doses I think he's ok, but there's something really annoying about the way he writes and the way he sings, and it makes me not really want to listen to them.
Favorites: New Feeling, No Compassion, Pulled Up
The Avalanches
5/5
This is another example of an album that really feels like a complete experience. Each song flows so well, and there's such a consistent tone and it's so much fun. It was the perfect album to bring me out of my bad mood.
Favorites: Stay Another Season, Electricity, Frontier Psychiatrist
Bad Company
3/5
There's really not much to say about this, pretty standard rock affair. I had a pretty good morning after this though, I was talking to my friend Bill for like an hour this morning, it was great.
Favorites: Ready for Love, Bad Company, Seagull
Kendrick Lamar
4/5
I think the problem with rating scales like stars is that they make some of your takes look absolutely insane. Like no, I don't think A Rush of Blood to the Head by Coldplay is a better album perse, but I gave that a 5/5 and not this one. Not that this isn't close, I think it would be if it ended with SAMIDOT instead of Compton. Even Real would've been ok, but I think he had a really incredible ending and he kinda just blew past it. This is still a top tier album, really amazing stuff from him.
Favorites: Backseat Freestyle, m.A.A.d city, Sing About Me, I'm Dying of Thirst
Sam Cooke
5/5
I think that live albums are usually kinda stupid, especially when there's not a lot of changes to the studio versions. But Sam Cooke is such an interesting and powerful live performer that this really works. He has such a command over the crowd and the music that listening to him work is just a joy, I had an absolute blast with this one. No notes.
Queen
1/5
I don't know what it was, but I really didn't enjoy it at all. I expected so much better from them, I don't know what happened here. I don't have the heart to give it 1 star cause they're obviously very talented musicians but I really didn't like anything about it at all. Actually I might give this 1 star cause I really wanted to turn it off for most of the album.
Grant Lee Buffalo
3/5
I think wikipedia really undersold this album, it said country on there so I had pretty low expectations going in. I was presently surprised though, this was a really cozy and fun album. I think it's maybe a little underheard, but I think its albums like these that make this whole project fun.
Favorites: Fuzzy, Wish You Well, Dixie Drug Store
The Go-Betweens
3/5
This was another album that I wasn't expecting much from, and that I was pleasantly surprised from. It was perfect for the mood I found myself in this morning, that being exhausted. I'm sure it has a lot to offer for those active listening, but I was just enjoying the sound of the album.
Favorites: Love Goes On!, Streets of Your Town, I'm All Right
Dirty Projectors
3/5
This was pretty standard indie fare, I really didn't find a ton to be super attached to in this. It was good no doubt, but it is sort of the type of album that makes me question why it was included. I don't get how this is some unskippable album everyone should hear, it was like super normal.
Favorites: Cannibal Resource, The Bride, Useful Chamber
Marvin Gaye
4/5
I feel like this was the first album in a minute that I've really enjoyed like in at least a week. I was still exhausted when I listened, but there's such a warm and inviting tone to the album that really just feels very comfortable.
Favorites: Flyin' High (In the Friendly Sky), Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology), Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)
Paul Revere & The Raiders
4/5
I liked this a lot more than I was expecting, there were a lot of really interesting instrumentals in here. You'd think that a Revolutionary War themed band would be kinda corny, but they really make it work and make a really fun listen.
Favorites: Kicks, I'm Not Your Stepping Stone, Louie, Go Home
Frank Ocean
5/5
I think this album is a little hard to talk about, cause in someone else's discography it'd be their best album for sure, I think this is like a near perfect album. But unfortunately this album exists in a world where Blonde came out right after, so like it just feels very overshadowed cause that album is like a genuine masterpiece. This is still amazing though, I'm still gonna give it 5 stars but it's just like a little below where it could be.
Favorites: Thinkin Bout You, Crack Rock, Lost
Napalm Death
2/5
I’m not even sure what to say about this album, it was such a blur. Individual songs carry no value, with some of them being as short as 5 seconds. And yet, at 28 songs, it feels so so long. I don’t really get it, I can’t tell you the difference between the different songs, it was rough.
Aphex Twin
4/5
It's hard to say this is anything other than exactly what it's advertised as. It is, in fact, selected ambient works recorded between 1985 and 1992. I have limited experience with ambience (mostly just GY!BE and Ghosts I-IV by NIN), but I really enjoyed this. It felt more lively than I'd expect ambient music to be, but I don't think that's a slight towards the music. It was also good study music, I wrote 3 essays in the time it took me to listen to this.
Favorites: Xtal, Heliosphan, Hedphelym
Pixies
3/5
I definitely liked this more than Surfer Rosa, but to be honest I just think Frank Black is kind of annoying. He has his moments to be sure, but there's so much that he's doing that I just don't enjoy at all, and it kinda drags the music down for me.
Favorites: Here Comes Your Man, Monkey Gone to Heaven, Mr. Grieves
Common
4/5
I've heard of Common a lot before, he's done features I've heard and he's been in a couple movies I liked, but this is my first time listening to him on his own. And I thought it was a lot of fun, Kanye was a really amazing producer in his heyday, and Common has a really nice flow when he gets going. Definitely an album I can see myself throwing on a lot.
Favorites: Love Is..., The Food (Live), They Say
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
This was a really solid album, there were a lot more interesting and engaging songs on here than the last one I listened to. It’s really just like a very consistent and strong album. Lots of fun songs on here for sure.
Favorites: Ramble Tamble, Travelin Band, Up Around the Bend
Sonic Youth
2/5
I honestly feel so little about this album. I liked it, I can't remember not liking it, but honestly it was just kinda nothing. I feel like there were so many other albums I could've been listening to this morning that would've been a better use of my time.
Favorites: Schizophrenia, Pipeline/Kill Time, Kotton Krown
The Temptations
4/5
I think I’m really a sucker for a horn section, cause I really loved the first half of this and then when it slowed down a little bit it stopped being my thing as much. Still a really impressive album, lots of great vocal performances all over it.
Favorites: Run Charlie Run, Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone,
The Cure
4/5
It feels blasphemous to say, but I think I liked this more than Disintegration. There's a lot of really interesting instrumentals here, but I just think they were a lot more focused on this one than they were on Disintegration. On that one songs ramble, where as here they are in and out with a purpose. I can appreciate a shorter album, so it was nice to hear them concentrate their sound into an album where the longest song is under 6 minutes.
Favorites: A Reflection, A Forest, At Night
Red Hot Chili Peppers
3/5
There's so many amazing songs on this, like the first third is absolutely insane stuff that everyone should hear. But this is a 15 song album, and everything after Californication really kinda falls apart. It's not bad, but it isn't very interesting and it all kinda blends together. It's still good though, but it's just not on the same level.
Favorites: Parallel Universe, Otherside, Californication
Radiohead
5/5
I get a lot of shit for this from people I know, but this is absolutely top 3 Radiohead. There's no way people only think about this as leftovers from the Kid A era, this clears that and its not even close. I would go to bat for it any day of week, it's so powerful and it's just a feat for sure.
Favorites: Packt Like Sardines in a Crushed Tin Box, Pulk/Pull Revolving Doors, I Might Be Wrong
AC/DC
1/5
This album was a lot like the last AC/DC album I had to listen to, very bland and samey. This one was shorter though I think, so at least it took less time to get through this time. I can't deny they're talented players, but they choose to make such uninteresting music. It feels like an affront to real rock music.
Favorites: Highway to Hell
The Beach Boys
4/5
This was a really solid album. There was a lot of really fun instrumentation, and there's just something that feels very of its time about it. It's vintage in a way that makes it very enjoyable for a modern listener.
Favorites: Don't Go Near the Water, Student Demonstration Time, Surf's Up
R.E.M.
2/5
This started really strong, and it ended up being a lot poppier than I was expecting it to be. And it really didn't have any lyrics worth noting, it was just sort of things that sounded good. And it did sound good, but it's just sort of an empty experience.
Favorites: Drive, Try Not To Breathe, Monty Got A Raw Deal
Beatles
5/5
I think, more than pretty much any other Beatles project, I grew up on this album. I watched the movie when I was a kid, and the title track was always one of my favorites from them. So it makes sense that I really loved this. But I think its still saying something that this is so consistently enjoyable, it takes a lot of effort to make an album like this.
Favorites: A Hard Day's Night, If I Fell, Can't Buy Me Love
Billie Holiday
4/5
I mean, she’s no Aretha Franklin, but there’s something very compelling about her voice. Really stunning standouts on this, but it feels very homogenous. As good as the orchestra behind her is, they really only play one song this entire time. Still really strong though, I was really impressed.
Favorites: I’m A Fool to Want You, You Don’t Know What Love Is, Glad to Be Unhappy
Sigur Rós
5/5
This really is the pinnacle of post-rock. Every song is so beautiful, it's such a serene experience. There's really nothing like it, I feel like other post-rock is just too ambient to really be an engaging listening experience, but this really toes the line between ambience and dynamic listening. Truly exceptional.
Favorites: Svefn-g-englar, Flugufrelsarinn, Hjartao hamast (bamm bamm bamm)
Parliament
3/5
I think there's something compelling at the center of a lot of these songs, but a lot of them run way too long for their own good. Handcuffs is a pretty incredible song, but I think everything else feels very meandering and pointless and repetitive, but it wasn't that bad.
Favorites: P-Funk (Wants to Get Funked Up), Unfunky UFO, Handcuffs
4/5
This is another album that I think would be a 5/5 if it wasn’t for the sequencing of it. There is absolutely ZERO reason why Hoodoo shouldn’t be the final song on this album. It would’ve been such a good closer, and they fumbled it and picked Knights of Cydonia instead. Great album aside from that though.
Favorites: Take a Bow, Supermassive Black Hole, Hoodoo
Living Colour
4/5
Maybe the most interesting thing about this is how bright its guitars are. With hard rock/metal, you kinda expect dark and heavy guitars, it's just standard procedure. But here everything is so bright and fun, it really makes you wanna keep listening.
Favorites: Cult of Personality, Memories Can't Wait, Glamour Boys
Aretha Franklin
5/5
We really don't get singers like this anymore. Not that that's necessarily a bad thing, I think there are a lot of really good singers around these days, but she was really just on another level. Every vocal take on this album is mind-blowing in its on way, the whole thing staggeringly impressive. I don't think I enjoyed the whole thing as much as the other one I've heard from her, but it's very close.
Favorites: Chain of Fools, Niki Hoeky, Good to Me As I Am to You
Neil Young
3/5
I think that my mom definitely undersold this guy, she was talking about how annoying and dreadful he was when he opened for Simon and Garfunkel. And to be fair, I’d be pretty annoyed too if I was waiting for Simon and Garfunkel, but I think this really wasn’t bad at all. My only complaint is the pacing, putting the three longest songs at the end really drags the album down, I think moving the title track up would do wonders for the album. Also I was listening to this in the bathroom, and the drum on the last two songs sounded EXACTLY like someone knocking, it was crazy.
Favorites: Walk On, Revolution Blues,
3/5
There’s so much great material in the back half of this, but I think the first few songs are really just kinda uninspired and sort of generic. Also I think she sounds a lot like Fiona Apple on a couple of these songs, but that’s not a bad thing it’s just interesting.
Favorites: Beautiful Feeling, Kamikaze, This is Love
Adele
2/5
I really don't think there's ever a straight pop album that needs to be longer than maybe 40 minutes. I give an exception to The 1975 cause they're awesome and they make pop that is consistently interesting and creative for their album lengths, but just as a general rule you can't have 9 ballads in a row without me getting a little bored. And she has a great voice, but you can't carry an entire 50 minutes on just vocals. It's just not it.
Favorites: Rolling in the Deep, I'll Be Waiting, Lovesong
Skepta
4/5
I've liked Skepta for a while now, he kept popping up on albums that I liked, but this is my first time actually listening to an album of his. And honestly it's about what I expected, he's not exactly full of surprises, but it's still a good time.
Favorites: Lyrics, Numbers, Shutdown
Iron Maiden
4/5
I can definitely see this being a 5 if I relisten a couple times, this is a really strong album. I grew up with metal, and my dad was a huge fan, but somehow I never really caught these guys as much as I did Metallica or sabbath or whatever indie metal thing my dad found. But this is really interesting, and I think it’s really interesting to go back and listen to early metal and realize that it’s really not that heavy. Like I think modern rock is just as heavy as this, and then metal has only gotten more aggressive and sharper. But it’s a really interesting capsule of its time, and there are some really great melodies on this thing.
Favorites: 22 Acacia Avenue, Run to the Hills, Hallowed Be Thy Name
The United States Of America
3/5
I had to take a little break in the middle of this to watch zero effect and moneyball with my grandfather, but it was pretty good. It wasn’t as dated as a lot of 60s psychedelic on here. It certainly stands the test of time better than something like Piper At The Gates Of Dawn.
Favorites: Hard Coming Love, The Garden of Earthly Delights, Coming Down
Fairport Convention
3/5
I don't really have a lot to say about this album, just that I really liked it. It was a really calm and relaxing album, and it had some absolute bangers on it. Quality stuff from 60s folk yet again.
Favorites: Genesis Hall, Cajun Woman, Percy Hall
Creedence Clearwater Revival
3/5
I was pretty disappointed when I saw this didn't have any of the hits that I would recognize on it, but it was still pretty good. I really liked this a lot, there were some pretty amazing standout tracks on it. I think the rest of the album is a little underwhelming, but its highs are really high.
Favorites: Sinister Purpose, The Night Time Is the Right Time
Echo And The Bunnymen
3/5
To be honest, I wasn't really listening for like the first half of this, but once I started paying attention it was really good. It's really 80s, I think the 80s have a more distinct sound than any other decade, and this is definitely of that sound, but it's a lot of fun.
Favorites: Heads Will Roll, Gods Will Be Gods
Jimi Hendrix
5/5
This is so much better than the other Hendrix I listened to, I knew I should've started with this one. Every song is an absolute banger, I really get the hype now.
Favorites: Purple Haze, Hey Joe, Are You Experienced?
Brian Eno
5/5
I really liked this, it was exactly the sort of vibe you want at 3:00 in the morning. I still sort of expect minimalism with ambience, but there were some really nice piano lines in here, it was just a very comforting listen. It made me want to put it on again.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
This had some really solid tracks on it, I feel like The Stones are about as good as 60s rock gets. I know Zeppelin and Pink Floyd were starting up around this time, but I think that it took them until the 70s to really find the footing, whereas these guys have been solid from the jump. Also just looked it up and this came out in 71, which kinda dampens this section of the review, but just pretend that's not true.
Favorites: Brown Sugar, Wild Horses, Sister Morphine
Beatles
5/5
I really don't think these guys miss man, every album is just straight heat. I didn't think there were any hits on this album, but I think there were still 2 or 3 songs that I knew, even though I didn't recognize them by name. And they were experimenting with the sitar and other odd instrumentation, it's really interesting.
Favorites: Drive My Car, The Word, Girl
Dinosaur Jr.
4/5
Honestly a lot more chill than I was expecting these guys to be, also I didn't realize these guys were 80s. I thought they'd be late 90s, but I can definitely see the influence in 90s stuff like grunge or Filter. Great record overall, just not quite what I expected.
Favorites: Freak Scene, Pond Song, Don't
The Smiths
2/5
I fucking HATE Morrisey. Every single time the other guys in the band try to write something great he comes in with his stupid pining voice and his douchebag nature. He's always singing about being alone and I wonder if he's realized he's the problem. I doubt it.
Favorites: That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore, Meat Is Murder
Rufus Wainwright
4/5
Admittedly my wifi cut out and I didn't hear the last song on the album, but I was really impressed by this album. There was something very Thom Yorke-esque about his voice, but I might be making this up. It was just really interesting, I was really invested in the whole thing.
Favorites: Agnus Dei, Peach Trees, Waiting for a Dream
The Police
3/5
This was a pretty odd album. On the one hand I grew up on these guys a little, they spent some time in rotation when I was just getting into music. But on the other hand there’s some weird shit on this album. Like it’s fun but it just left me confused on what they were trying to do a lot of the time. Not bad though, still a good time.
Favorites: Message in a Bottle, Walking on the Moon, Does Everyone Stare
The Velvet Underground
4/5
I mean it's a classic for a reason. My dad tried to put me onto this a couple times, and like I got what he was saying about it but it didn't really click with me. And to tell the truth I'm still not sure it clicked with me, but I really liked it. I don't think it's perfect, but there's a ton to love here.
Favorites: I'm Waiting for the Man, Run Run Run, European Son
Wu-Tang Clan
4/5
I've always preferred east coast rap to west. All of my favorite 90s rap is west coast, and a lot of modern rap I love came up out of the east. But I think, of the big 3 east coast albums that came out around this time, this is probably my least favorite. It's not a bad album by any means, it just doesn't hold a candle to Illmatic or Ready to Die. Still great though.
Favorites: C.R.E.A.M., Protect Ya Neck, Tearz
Alice In Chains
4/5
I've always liked Alice in Chains as a group, they've made some of my favorite metal songs (aka just Man in the Box), but this album didn't really connect with me the way I was hoping. It's not bad or anything, it's actually littered with pretty amazing songs, but I think it just goes a song or few too long. I was really getting tired by the end, and there's not a ton of variety. Still pretty great though.
Favorites: Them Bones, Junkhead, Dirt
Erykah Badu
3/5
I have a very similar problem with this that I do with Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, which is that every song just feels like it drags a little. And obviously she's got a great voice, but it feels like there's just not enough material here to really justify the length. Still decent though, just a little disappointed.
Favorites: Didn't Cha Know, ...& On, Booty
MGMT
4/5
I think this album is really sort of tragic. It starts with maybe one of the most incredible pop songs ever recorded, and then it really just doesn't get close to that height again. And obviously having 10 Time to Pretends on here might be tough, but really there's very few songs that even try. Kids is great (obviously), and Of Moons Birds and Monsters is surprisingly good, but it really just doesn't hit those heights. It's a great showcase of potential though.
Favorites: Time to Pretend, Kids, Of Moons Birds and Monsters
Supergrass
3/5
I feel like this is probably not bad, but I really just don't care about it that much. It feels like the same sort of stuff I heard from a bunch of other 90s bands, but they didn't do it as well as those other bands did. And it feels like it runs long, even at only 40 minutes. Just a very meh album to me.
Favorites: Alright, Lenny, Time to Go
Merle Haggard
3/5
This was another album a lot like Tragic Songs of Life by the Louvin Brothers, it's a genre you could call "stereotype country." It's the type of country that everyone thinks of when someone says country. But this has something that the Louvin Brothers don't, and honestly I'm not sure what it is. I didn't mind this though, I thought it had pretty good lyricism and the instrumentals didn't bother me too much. Still not amazing but not as bad as I expected.
Favorites: I'm a Lonesome Fugitive, Life in Prison, Skid Row
Thelonious Monk
1/5
This is honestly kinda everything I hate about jazz albums. It’s so boring for the entirety of its runtime, it’s just him and his piano. It’s about 40 minutes of background noise, and I’m sure if I had been studying or at a jazz club or something it would’ve been great, but actually sitting and listening it’s just so boring. I can’t stand music that just meanders and wastes my time, and that’s all this album seems to do.
5/5
Absolutely the best British pop album to start with a song called Hello. This is a really impressive album, I really only knew them from Wonderwall and Champagne Supernova, so I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of range that this album had. There were a lot of really interesting songs, and it had a lot more distortion and such than I was expecting. Really solid project, this is why they’re better than Blur.
Favorites: Wonderwall, Don’t Look Back in Anger, She’s Electric
The Divine Comedy
3/5
This is a really strange album. Like in one sense it is pretty much just pop, but there's so much odd shit happening that it's like just a really strange experience. I don't even really remember that much from the album, I just remember a sense of confusion. It was good though, I did like it kinda. Just weird.
Favorites: In & Out of Paris & London, Charge, The Frog Princess
Randy Newman
4/5
There's something deep within me that wants to dislike this, but honestly it was pretty fire. I thought there was a lot of fun writing on it, and he's a pretty great vocalist. I don't know what it is, but something just feels off about him. I can't describe it, but regardless this was a pretty good album.
Favorites: Sail Away, Lonely at the Top, God's Song (That's Why I Love Mankind)
My Bloody Valentine
5/5
This is an absolute classic, and it’s absolutely tragic it’s not on streaming anymore. This really is the pinnacle of shoegaze, it’s what most 90s bands after were trying to sound like. It’s rare to see influence on this scale, and to see so much consensus on it being the best. Crazy stuff, praying for a US tour soon.
Favorites: Only Shallow, When You Sleep, Sometimes
Talking Heads
3/5
I’ll be honest, I really just don’t think talking heads are for me. I liked stop making sense, but I’ve heard two of their studio albums now and both of them just feel weird. Like they undoubtedly have their strong moments, but I just don’t like them. I don’t really like David Byrne, I don’t really like their instrumentation. It’s just not my thing, but the bright spots are pretty bright.
Favorites: Mind, Heaven, Drugs
The Beach Boys
5/5
I feel like these guys really were the American Beatles, they did so much interesting experimentation while still just making really solid pop music. And even though I do like the Beatles more, these guys are still really impressive. This was a hugely impressive and deeply enjoyable album, I had a really good time with it.
Favorites: Wouldn't It Be Nice, That's Not Me, Pet Sounds
Fleetwood Mac
5/5
This is a really remarkable album, it’s rare you can find something that has this many recognizable songs that weren’t singles. And even the ones that I didn’t recognize off rip were really interesting, there’s a lot of really comfortable melodies I really liked on here. A classic to be sure.
Favorites: Dreams, Go Your Own Way, Gold Dust Woman
OutKast
2/5
There's a lot to like on this album, particularly in the features, but there really is something I find extraordinarily uninteresting about Outkast. They really don't make music for me, and I feel like Andre 3k and Big Boi (whose voice I couldn't pick out of a crowd for the life of me) get outshone bye a lot of people here, namely Killer Mike, Gangsta Boo and B-Real. Even if it does get better as it goes on, and there are some really high highs, it just feels like such a slog to get through. I wish I could understand the hype around this, I just don't
Favorites: So Fresh, So Clean, B.O.B. (Bombs Over Baghdad), Humble Mumble
Kanye West
3/5
I think this album is good, but it is also the absolute definition of a Light 6, and I can't believe people ever got mad at Fantano for that rating. There's a lot to like here, I actually think if you cut the last 5 songs it's basically a masterpiece, but there's also a lot of pretty bad stuff on this album that drags it down. Like honestly, who thought that 3 minutes of Chris Rock talking about reupholstered pussies was a good idea. There's really nothing that crazy about it, it falls pretty far down my Kanye ranking to be honest.
Favorites: Dark Fantasy, Power, Runaway
The Darkness
2/5
I was pretty impressed with the instrumentation on this album, I think there are some really fun and interesting riffs for sure. But I cannot stand this guy, he genuinely makes every song border on unlistenable. He can't hit the falsetto, but he insists on resting there the entire album. It really is a shame, this could've been great if he had chilled out a little, but it is what it is I suppose.
Favorites: I Believe in a Thing Called Love, Love On the Rocks With No Ice
50 Cent
5/5
This is like the perfect album, it's all the fun production and charisma of West Coast rap with the grime and talent of East Coast rap. 50 is such an interesting guy, I could listen to him talk about anything, and this album really feels like lightning in a bottle. It feels like he had something to prove, and it really works. They don't make em like this anymore.
Favorites: Many Men (Wish Death), In da Club, Back Down
The Smashing Pumpkins
5/5
This album really feels like an intersection of radio friendly pop and weird alt music. Its most known moments are very grandiose and anthemic, but a lot of the most powerful moments here are very intimate and odd. A lot of this even borders on shoegaze, and it really blends everything it’s trying so well. Truly a landmark of the 90s.
Favorites: Cherub Rock, Mayonaise, Luna
Black Flag
3/5
To this’ credit, I liked this a lot more than any other punk I’ve heard so far. There was a lot of weird and cool guitar stuff happening, and by the end I didn’t even mind his voice that much. That being said I just don’t think I like punk, it’s too shouty for me. It’s cool but it really is just a little annoying, I really just don’t like it.
Favorites: What I See, Life of Pain, Damaged I
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
3/5
I honestly fell asleep about halfway through, but I get the point. This album has a pretty bad rambling problem, there’s no need for any song on this album to be longer than like 6 minutes. That being said I do like stuff on here, I just think he dragged it out a little.
Favorites: Over and Over, Love to Burn, Love and Only Love
Air
4/5
I was a little surprised when I saw that Massive Attack was in their similar artists, I thought it was gonna be more like Daft Punk. But I really liked this, I thought there was a lot of really fun and cool sounds on here. It was a really relaxing listen, and the second half of the album really flew by. I think these guys should get a lot more credit as far as being an electronic duo from France. They're top 3 for sure.
Ray Charles
4/5
There was a lot to love with this, I thought that it was a really interesting idea. The choice to split it into sections was pretty cool, I think it would be a little weird to mix the big band stuff with the slower piano ballads, but the flip side is that the second half didn't flow as well as the first. But still a really strong album, this is like some of the best male jazz I've heard so far.
Favorites: Let the Good Times Roll, Don't Let the Sun Catch You Cryin', Come Rain or Come Shine
PJ Harvey
3/5
This was, of all the PJ Harvey I've heard, the least interesting for sure. A lot of this stuff kinda blends together, and I think she's dealing with a less interesting sound than on Is This Desire? or the one I listened to for this. Not that it's a bad album, but it felt like kind of a letdown because she's been so strong before this. It wasn't bad though, just not as much my thing.
Favorites: The Last Living Rose, All and Everyone, On Battleship Hill
5/5
This isn't necessarily my favorite U2 project, but it's certainly among their most grand. This album feels so big, and they deal with so many interesting ideas and such on here. It feels very poppy in certain moments, but something like Bullet the Blue Sky is one of the hardest songs they've made, and Trip Through Your Wires is a weird country thing. It really feels like they were just trying stuff out, it's really only anchored by the idea of America. Amazing stuff.
Favorites: Where the Streets Have No Name, With or Without You, Bullet the Blue Sky
Pearl Jam
3/5
Admittedly I had sort of a stilted listening experience with this one, I did a sort of "album-ception" where basically I had interrupted my Sunn 0))) album from last night to listen to this, and then I had to interrupt this and listen to Doris by Earl Sweatshirt cause I was somewhere with literally 0 service and I didn't wanna interrupt it. That being said this is pretty good, I can see why people latched onto it at the time but I feel like there's not a ton here for me. The first 5 or 6 are all really good, but I thought the rest was pretty forgettable and ending with like 4 minutes of instrumental was kinda lame. Not bad by any stretch of the imagination though.
Favorites: Even Flow, Alive, Black
Orange Juice
3/5
It's nice to get an album that's just pure good times sometimes. I had a really good time with this album, it just has such a chill and comforting vibe that I really liked. That being said it wasn't like exceptional, I did like it a lot though.
Favorites: Rip It Up, Breakfast Time, Tenterhook
Kid Rock
2/5
I think the most infuriating thing about this album is how okay it is. Going into this I was expecting, given who he is and the reputation he's accrued, something awful. But no, this is just typical rap rock. It has a couple pretty solid riffs and all the corniness and terrible lyricism I love in a group like Limp Bizkit, but unlike Fred Durst, Kid Rock says the n-word. He even managed to get an Eminem feature, it's just really weird. I hate that this album is on here, and I hate that I didn't really hate it.
Beck
4/5
My friend was telling me how his dad used to play him The Golden Age when he was little, so I was a little familiar with this, but I was surprised by just how different this was from really anything else I've heard from him. Obviously Loser and stuff, but even his stuff later like Modern Guilt and such is just a lot more energetic. I really liked this though, I think slowing his sound down and making it more personal was a really smart move for him and I think it works really well for him here. Just a really solid album all the way through.
Favorites: The Golden Age, Guess I'm Doing Fine, Little One
Solomon Burke
3/5
I think I'm starting to wear thin on 60s soul, it's either that or I had unmet expectations for this album. I felt very underwhelmed by this, I think in part because it sells itself as sort of a mix of rock and soul, and I really didn't get a ton of that from this. It was a solid soul album for sure, but as a combo I didn't really get anything out of it. It was a solid listen though, I was just hoping for more. Also just looking at it for my favorites, but apparently the track listing on Apple Music is like crazy mixed up from the original release, I'm not sure if it's like that on Spotify too but it was really shocking cause I thought I was just listening as it was meant to be listened. And it turns out I wasn't.
Favorites: Cry to Me, You're Good for Me, Beautiful Brown Eyes
Dusty Springfield
3/5
She's got a nice voice, but I feel like it doesn't hit the same cause she doesn't write any of her own stuff. Like I don't even think all of these are covers, I think she just had a team of writers. And like it's still good but it kinda rings hollow cause she didn't actually go through that, her team did. It was still a passable listen for my morning though, I didn't mind it.
Favorites: Son of a Preacher Man, I Don't Want to Hear It Anymore, The Windmills of Your Mind
Brian Eno
2/5
I feel like David Byrne just kinda makes everything less enjoyable. Like I really liked the last Brian Eno project I listened to, and this one was so insufferable. I really just didn't enjoy my time with this until maybe the last five minutes. Tragic stuff to be honest.
Favorites: A Secret Life, Come With Us, Mountain of Needles
Red Hot Chili Peppers
4/5
I was a little surprised at how much I liked this. I was apprehensive going in cause I saw it was 17 tracks and 73 minutes, but I was pretty engaged with this the entire time. There were a lot of songs that I enjoyed more than I was expecting, and there wasn't even that much like weird bad lyricism.
Favorites: The Power of Equality, Suck My Kiss, Sir Psycho Sexy
Santana
4/5
I had a really good time with this album, obviously Santana is a great guitarist but all I really knew going in was Smooth, so I kinda assumed it'd be a little like that for the most part. But I was once again pleasantly surprised, this turned out to be a lot more mellow and groovier than that. It feels like a group of guys just hanging out having a good time, which I can really get behind. Great stuff.
Favorites: Singing Winds Crying Beasts, Oye Como Va, Hope You're Feeling Better
Tom Waits
2/5
I feel like there are two ways to do experimental music. You can do something like Sunbather by Deafheaven, where you have a legitimately new and interesting idea to put into the world, and you execute it in the best way you can. Or you can do this album, where you just do weird bullshit so you can label yourself experimental. And it works in certain spots, I think there are some fun songs on this album, but for the most part its just kind of a slog to get through. I couldn't stand his voice on most of the album, and the use of alternate percussion was just sort of weird. I think there's a universe where this is good and I like it, but this is NOT it.
Favorites: Shore Leave, 16 Shells From A 30.6, Frank's Wild Years
Jeru The Damaja
4/5
This is just more proof that 1994 was the all time best year for music ever. This does feel a little like someone heard 36 Chambers and did their best impression of it, but he's a solid enough vocalist and Premier is a solid enough producer to give it a solid identity that lets it escape that idea. I still don't get though why rappers in the 90s were like allergic to not saying the f slur. It's really not that hard to just like not say it, and they just couldn't do it. Crazy stuff, but the album still goes crazy.
Favorites: D. Original, Ain't the Devil Happy, Jungle Music
Fela Kuti
3/5
It's hard for me to judge an album that's only 2 songs long, I feel like I don't have like enough to talk about. I also feel like there's just not that much to say about this one, like there's not enough that you can do with the instruments available to make the songs super unique, so they kinda end up just sounding like the same song twice. But I did like the song, I thought it was a pretty fun song. I was just hoping for more somehow.
The Clash
2/5
I get this is like the stylistic roots of a lot of what would later be called punk, but I really don’t think this is very punk. It’s too bright and it’s honestly too slow, punk feels like it’s beating you over the head with its sound, and this really doesn’t do that. This just kinda is, it doesn’t do anything crazy. And maybe it’s just cause I went to prom tonight and I was exhausted, but it really just didn’t click with me. I’m hoping London calling does better for me cause I like the singles off of that, but I was pretty unimpressed so far.
Favorites: I’m so Bored with the U.S.A., London’s Burning, Cheat