Listened to this a lot as a teen, Haiti was on several mixes. Some dated sound choices, but the anthems are undeniable.
Distinctly remember getting this one from a friend 10 CDs for a penny ad, haven’t listened to GD voluntarily in a long while. I liked how the bass and drums sounded together, particularly on Paradise.
Lotta bops, couldn’t help but nod along with pure pop goodness. The subject matter Fernando, Hawaii, seem a notch off kilter and put through a Swedish filter. So good
Still get goosebumps during her Bobby Magee vocal scat performance. Cry baby rips. Brief brilliant rock album
The experimentation, the classic rock the country, the bar band all mix together to make an album that’s sounds fresh still today
Not quite my style, I like a few tracks like Venus as a boy. I think it’s the industrial and more sparse sound that I bump against
I think this is an incredible album, great guitar sound, anthemic songs, crystal clear production. I was surprised as U2 has been such a omnipresent band, I had my guard up about this album.
Some very interesting tracks on this one, I heard The Strokes guitar sound, and a lot of other bands this album influenced. The more modern/avant garde originals are really good. The other bluesie ones launched many-a “dad blues rock” ships that are still sailing today.
Full wall of sound, cool droning, with lilting almost yearning sound queues. Though I didn’t understand the lyrics, I got the meaning through the sound.
Masterpiece, could not help but funk dance on the train from Oslo to Ålesund
Sara is one of my favorites, tusk is a very stark and unique track, it starts oddly with some low tempo tracks, I think overall the flow of the album doesn’t work.
More like a 2.5, didn’t know Rod Stewart was associated with this project, I liked how ramshackle it was and the Morning Dew cover sent me down a rabbit hole of the origins of the song, now I want to here them all. However the blues covers were not my cup of tea
Reminds me of the time I worked at a bike shop as a teen. Played it on repeat in the shop. Now listening on a drizzly day in Oslo. Really strong album, completely different and confident in its sound. Not something I listen to much, but I respect portishead.
This one stretches out quite a bit, I think this one could be leaner. I like TVOTR, especially their high energy stuff, the layered vocals are so cool. Closer to a 3.5
Had to listen to this one with lyrics haha, love the energy, went on a deep dive of the band, not very familiar with Germs. Of course Pat Smear, I remembered the drummer from a memorable scene in Bathtubs Over Broadway, the bassist had the most talent I’d say. 3.5
Self indulgent lobby music. 1/2 star
Love sound and vision, can that one track make this an essential album? Side A is good, carried by a great backing band, however some songs seem unfinished. The B side is rough with a lot of experimental plinking and plonking.
This one sucked, a long hard D- I expected nothing less from a group that created Honking On Bobo.
Great opening track, sets a mood that doesn’t let up the whole album. Found myself fleet footed, dancing, and fist pumping for the duration of this listen. These songs also say something, while being incredibly entertaining to listen to.
I liked it, listened on a long run. I have not listened to Nas before deliberately, and cannot relate to the subject matter. But the beats were good and the the the rhymes were tight 3.8
I went into this listen with a very critical ear, and came out thinking it’s an undeniable statement. The opening chords to every track put you in a place or a mood so effectively I noticed. The upbeat pop tone of the music set to the very real world subjects is amazing as well.
Love Miles, can’t say I’d ever want to listen to this again too leggy and prolonged sometimes. I did like the latter half better
One of my all time favorites! I saw her perform it live following the release at the 400 bar.
The energy of the music has a theatrical effect to it, with lots of flare and gospel.
Love Rod Stewart’s vocals on this album. Gasoline Alley was on many a playlist for a time.
Not for me, but had some unique soundscapes
This one sucked, emo Coldplay-lite
The variety and versatility of each track is incredible so dancy and deep at points
First album I’ve listened to be her, not bad, not drinking the tea though. If I want a mid tempo female vocalist, give me Sharon Van Etten
2.5
Real good, love the shoegaze, I hadn’t heard this before but I can hear the foundation of their sound that they stretch out in later albums
4.5 really cool sound. I think it pushes boundaries, love the vocalist and harmonies, the instrument distortion is so harsh that it gives certain tracks timeless qualities
One of the best opening tracks, fun arty art rock from then on. Oh also a great album title
3.5 Coyote is an all timer, also liked Hejira and the final track. I bumped against the bass in some of the songs, too magoo
Fluffy, hippy dippy, inauthentic scramble. There’s a space themed song in there, that’s typically a red flag for me. Much prefer Sweetheart of the Rodeo, which appears to have come out this year as well
First track and last track are atmospheric moody masterpieces. The middle is fine but has less thought i think making this maybe a 33 minute long EP. And this is part of a larger hypothesis I’m working on where I’m finding albums of a certain vintage 60s through the 80’s had one good track, a lot of filler, and maybe a sneaky “okay” song
I like this era of Miles Davis better than the experimental phase, in this he’s using more electric instruments. But it’s still freaky and arrythmic and cool to listen to
This live album felt flat in a lot of ways, Morrison was low energy, the band was soloing with scales, and the songs didn’t give it up in major ways, like in Caravan where he barely even scats!
Decent pop songs, I’ll give this one its flowers for perseverance in culture, however manufactured the sound may be.
Big dumb stadium anthems, I felt pandered to the whole time. The simplicity of the songwriting was dumb. I feel like Framptons success radiated from his looks, audience participation, the tube/mouth/guitar effect gimmick, and the title of this album, all of which dupe a gullible dummy
Really good propulsive beat to the music, love Robert Smiths vocal stylings, very dark and foreboding, missing the art pop love tracks of later albums
It was a bit samey, but the music was ahead of its time, I could hear other bands 10-20 years down the line copying the sound 2.5
Really fun to listen to, everyone is putting in work on this performance. All I could find was a 6.5 hour album of this on iTunes.
Refreshing to hear a punk band with melodies, rhythm, and vocal skills all together. This is probably the sixth punk band on this list so far, and this is the first that has been easy on the ears, not to say I can’t appreciate some hardcore punk. But these guys are still rooted in hardcore and you can understand the lyrics and the music fits the tenor of the idea of the song 4.5
*Scandal noted* that being said this album rips, the beats are amazing, the pop stylings well orchestrated, the avant garde art rap of kanye is themed perfectly throughout the album. 4.5 stars
Quite foundational to my early music listening experience
Undeniable, still sounds fresh, love the mono of it, the vocals all around are amazing. Never gone out of my way to listen to The Zombies, they have been ever present, so focusing on an entire album made me realize how great they are.
3.5 I recently rediscovered the song Holes and played it for a couple weeks because it was hitting so hard. This rating is riding hard on that one song, I also liked Hudson Line and Delta Sun Bottleneck Stomp. However the production of the other songs came off as B movie canned score quality, which is harsh, but I think works for Holes because they overlay great lyrics and fantastic dreamy music over this music. What I’m talking about is glaring at the end of DSBS
2.5 Atmospheric moody industrial hip hop beats, sometimes shifts into techno. Not really my style and I’ll admit I’m a little jaded from half of my class in high school digital video film making using songs from this in their emo video poems. I dig the clean production value, and some of the tracks are catchy but I don’t gravitate to this music
My kind of sound, never heard of this band before, palette cleanser after the too long inauthentic Christina Aguilera album
Fun catchy easy badass technical stupid pop
Every time I listen to these songs it feels new to me
1.5 stars another nail in the coffin of me thinking The Byrds are not good. This is Bob Dylan-lite, this is sober Townes Van Zandt. It all feels fake and strained and unnatural much like the other material The Byrds and all their permutations put out. The fucking rainbow imagery and flowers and covering Bob Dylan, fuck you. I still maintain that Sweetheart of the Rodeo is very good.
Never gravitate to Metallica but I found this to be a compelling listen, the key and beat changes made it interesting throughout. Some commentary to which was artfully done and didn’t take away from the heavy ass sounds
One of those situations where I can only find the delux expanded edition which mashes up live performances with remastered versions, I would rather just listen to the original for the sake of this project and am only using apple music. I dig this album overall, good variance in sound, however I feel sorry for ska, reggae, and to an extent country bands that just repeat the melody over and over. So that wears a bit with this style but I like it
Fun, loose, funky mix of Stevie Wonder, Funkadelic and some Yacht rock
Too much repetition without maintaining my attention, Frontier Psychiatrist however is amazing
Incredible album, it’s doing everything to make listening challenging, from the bombastic protest lyrics, to the sirens, screeching guitar samples, and confrontational beats. Yet it goes in your ears without a fight.
Great album love the harmonies, awesome lo-fi
The sound of this album gives me a euphoric tingle down my spine and taps into a nostalgic feeling in me I can’t explain.
Ugh I tried to listen to this with an open mind, and there was a time when I liked this, but I think I’m way over RHCP. I tried to look up some criticism from the time and it was mostly good reviews, about their new and varied sound. It doesn’t get it past the point that this is nonsense bro funk rock.
Nothing about this music speaks to me
Great album, this one sailed a thousand twee rock ships that we still here in indie rock today
4.5
This seems to be a more foundational text for the DJ style, a style that through this list I have heard Moby, Avalanches, LTJ butem, DJ Shadow. 85 percent of the listen I am bored. There is one or two tracks that are well written, the rest is repetitive. I felt the same way about this album, however I heard the Byrne Eno sound throughout.
This is crazy. The previous night I watched a documentary about Jeff Buckley, in which I learned about his father, whom I’ve never heard of before. He was not painted in a good light in the movie. So I didn’t have high expectations for this album. However I liked it for the most part. The vocal style is eerily similar to his son, feminine in a way, haunting, bard-like. The trappings of a folk rock album, but an interesting backing band, and the vocals send it over the top.
Chill and relaxing, a bit muddled in the vocals, not bad not sure this album is essential in any way.
This album fucking rocks, Pauls voice is unchained. I’ve heard Jet hundreds of times, but I listened to it for the first time and I really took it for granted, might be my favorite song on the album. There are 5 all timers on this.
Very nostalgic album for me, this was on heavy rotation in a bike shop I worked in in high school, despite it being a breakup album, it is a good hang, with lush chill arrangements. Lost cause was also on many mixes throughout my teens.
Incredible album, the lead vocals, the lyrics, the keys. I’ve seen all good people fucking rocks
Really liked the second part, I own the first album on vinyl, and never heard the other one.
This one grew on me as it went, the canned clean backing band doing approximations of different music genres I thought it was trying to be genuine, then the imagery of fake Hollywood types, and the more satirical stuff towards the end showed its hand and I got it.
I don’t like the Byrds, the guitar sound is atrocious, there’s another space song, they’re trying to do Dylan but aren’t as good as Dylan.
I did like the arrangement on wild mountain thyme, a song I have weird hangups about.
But their covers suck also
Sweetheart of the rodeo is good
The Byrds suck
Love the arrangements especially the drums in a lot of the songs. The wall of sound, the Christmas standards, a great time. The one thing, listening to this critically is maybe the shout singing, but I haven’t made up my mind if that’s necessarily a bad thing
One of my favorite albums, top to bottom great tracks, so confident and cool. The sound is amazing, to hear this at the time must have been like watching the moon landing. Love the movie as well
10 stars
Great tone great vibes. The use of the tinny samples and mid evil piano chords really work
Interesting sound, soul, punk, pop, rock
Read up on them and they’re a proto cult band, I like a lot of cult music, it’s so eclectic, but usually fizzle out after a hit or a debut album.
Really vibing with Yes during this project. This one is great I want to listen to it more 4-4.5
A bit bloated and the songs air out a bit too long. Didn’t have an attention grabbing opening track like innervisions. The melodies were impeccable, and were reused extensively in the 90’s. I guess this is more soulful to Innervisions funk, and I love funk.
Automatic 5 star!
The themes, the collaboration with Ladysmith Black Mambazo, the vibrant lively, bouncy atmosphere.
This album has I Believe When I Fall In Love with You It Will Be Forever, one of my favorite songs of all time. Other than that this album is undeniable. So good.
Expressive, vibrant instrumental. I could make out the difference between tracks and the melodies conveyed the track title like The Shepherd Girl.
Way better than back to basics, it stays in its slutty lane, still way tooo long. This one could have been two albums or severely edited. Still it had some interesting poppy variety. 2.5
The only track I didn’t recognize was Four Sticks. Everything else was classic after classic.
Has some moments, I wasn’t quite into it this listen. It’s so soft. The harmonies felt soft. I did really enjoy the guitar work.
It’s not bad, this is the second album of his in this project, I had no idea about this guy. It’s really interesting how similar Jeff sounds like his father Tim, and how, at least in interviews, Jeff would distance himself. Crazy how the genetics of that works from a vocal perspective.
This album is certifiably insane. It’s all so manufactured and punchy and the vocal exclamations make me uncomfortable. It’s as if an alien or AI made a pop album. Dirty Diana is a Prince rip off. 2.5 stars
I remember listening to this on record as a teen. This listen was great, I like how he breaks down the music in the beginning and throughout in a matter of fact way. It helps you understand what going on. 4.5 stars
Found this to be underwhelming
Really strong concept album with an ethereal, crystalline sound. Not a hand holder but has a through line. As well as some anthemic bangers
I think Bender put it best when he said “my dream was to be a musician-poet who transcends genres as he reinvents them”. Regarding Beck
Fucking good record, I’d heard all of the singles many times. The last track was transcendent
I’ve had this album in my collection since the beginning, a great entry point into jazz for me. I love all the choices, it’s cool, it’s epic, it’s cinematic, it’s relaxing.
Sonic youth always felt like homework for me so I tended to avoid them. They’d always pop up on college radio. This listen kinda recalibrated them for me, I really liked it, the energy, the unique sound. Looking forward to more Sonic Youth!
4.5? A great party album, sometimes the sound was off, other times I thought he was breaking the boundaries of pop music
Luscious and loquacious
3.5
Willie doing country jazz versions of standards with his lilting vibrato and trigger whining out some lovely gypsy jazz?!? I mean come on, so good, what a brilliant move from Willie
2.5 first listen, it had a decent single in Guitar Town, I think he was looking for his outlaw sound, and kinda got muddled in the flat belly Nashville sound.
This may be one of my favorite listens in this project. I love the exuberant live performance, and you can hear Keith Jarret vocalizing during crescendos which is highly effective in hearing how vital he feels that moment of the music is. 4.5
This one really lights me up, love the samples and clean stems. The music videos accompanying songs like Praise You are ones I’ll still pull up from time to time. It gets a little liquidy in the last ten minutes, but I’m dancing throughout
Really like the classic-disco-rock with the reliable Bowie spin
I can’t take this soft shit, I love Joanna Newsom, Cat Stevens, especially Dylan. But this is at points too earnest and at other times a parody of itself. It’s commercial but it’s fighting to not be, maybe?
This sucks!
Some really good stuff on here, Aretha’s voice does some stuff I didn’t expect in this one. Also realized I had never listened to one of her albums all the way through before
I like grunge, however I’ve always been allergic to Soundgarden. The mix is mushy to me. The instrumentation sounds simplistic and samey. Not my cup of tea.
I don’t respond to most world music. It never seems genuine, or avoids a meaningful musical theme and I just cringe the whole time.
Very easy, a little too easy. I hear this and I have sense memories of Starbucks, scented candles, beige, Oprah, khakis, etc
Don’t now why is a modern American standard I’ll give it that
I didn’t respond to this album very much. 2.5 stars, anyways moving on
Where does this soundtrack get off being so go damn good!? Pusherman had me dancing in the shower, the cool low bass counter to the highs of the horns and guitar. Lush instrumentals that break late into the song to Mayfield sliding in for a few bars of falsetto, so cool.
This one grew on me, less rushed, more patient and mature in ways. I liked the dissonance and creative fill choices 3.5
I especially love the piano tracks, what a talent 3.5
Real good stuff, it gave me a sense of time and place. The flute, hand drumming, spoken word poetry. Most of which I tend to detest, but this works! Very cool, prescient, sometimes easy to hear, sometimes challenging.
3.5
Love this album, it’s so strange yet so listenable. On top of the satisfying synthetic tones I heard either real or great facsimiles of flutes. Need to do a deep dive on the themes of the album. There was one section in the 3rd quarter that lost me, so I will go 4.5
This was a great album for hearing how metal band can create such a dynamic sound and feeling with the right arrangement and tone 3.5
Very effective stunt, singing prison tunes to prisoners, didn’t think I’d jive with the stunt. But it works, it’s ramshackle, loose, loud, sad, funny, visceral.
Pretty cool album, and kept me interested
3.5
Light and breezy, love Emmylou Harris
I liked it wasn’t wowed but some good singles
This one goes way back for me, used to play Marquee Moon at the CC Club. Love the shaggyness, angular style, sometimes math rock(?)
So cool, timeless, perfect album
It’s soft dad music, but this worked on me
It’s like Simon and Garf but the third harmony and extra instrumentation make it much more interesting to listen to. 3.5
A singular voice in the genre, sad songs, drinking songs, pop country tunes all have an extra layer from Possum
This album may not be track for track perfect, the many songs such as place to be, from the morning, and above all Pink Moon have a way of putting you in your place and making you live in the present. Annually I will feel the need to put on Nick Drake and amplify the mood I’m in. Be it wanting to feel more sad, happy, longing, ecstatic, his music will elevate any feeling in such a sweet way.
Loved Feel Flows(listened to several times) and Surfs Up, most everything else was a bit druggy in a bad way and preachy, however I agreed with the sentiments.
Really punchy folk rock tunes, the originals are transcendent, the covers add to source material, the traditional pieces pop! I go deep with Waterboys, love this is the sea, especially love the offshoot World Party
4.5
Never heard of them, but I like them! Kind of a proto vampire weekend
Love the atmosphere of Radiohead, it’s a vibe band, I tend to have trouble parsing the lyrics. However Thom Yorke has incredible vocal control
I don’t like this style of music, I don’t understand why someone would listen to it for pleasure.
Trying to listen to these albums objectively, but this one is hard to separate from the many parodies, memes and gags this band has been of a part of. Ehh didn’t like it
I have listened to this one so many times! The production is so clean, the songs cinematic, the music marries everything in a profound way. I know every single word, and will listen to it many more times.
Fun listen on a cold Minnesota day, looks like this artist goes way back on the bossa nova train.
I memorized this album when I was 16 and I still know it all to this day.
Really fun, twee, light album that was tailor made to be in a Wes Anderson film
3.5
After slogging through the dinosaur song and the paranoia drenched Mother song, two of the most baffling early tracks I’ve encountered on this project. It unfolds into a decent album of poppy songs.
Full sound, really interesting stuff, never heard of this guy
So weird, so fucking good
This is my platonic ideal of The Kinks sound, think there will be a string of kinks albums in this period that I will really like
4.5
That’s a goodie
The first 3 tracks are legendary, I really softens up after that
Kinda the butt-rock of the 80s not into it
Heard the Krautrock influence and the songs were well composed, but it felt a bit meh, and I couldn’t quite tell if they’re secret Christian rock band with the album imagery and the themes of the songs, which I can’t quite get behind.
There’s something about listening to Elliot Smith in the shoulder months of the year, early spring and late fall that add a sweet sadness to the day. Love this one, the full band, the coupling of guitar and piano, and smiths doubled vocals. So gooood
2.5 I have definitely given them time, they’ve featured on the college radio that I’ve listened to for decades. But a lot whole album is samey, and I think they hold onto this sound throughout? Some of it works, but it gets muddy
