1001 Albums Summary

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

It’s a good hang

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

Perfect

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.

Airy and funky love it

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.

Pretty good

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

Too long

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.

Love Cisco kid

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.

Great album

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.

Found it a bit corny

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.

Not baaad

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.

Fuuuck The Human League.

Not bad oasis impression

Mmm mmm mmm

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

Wasn’t into it

Loved this! It’s manic, fun, and has some legitimately great music/vocal sprinkled in there. I’ve heard of The Monks, and have an interest in off kilter music like The Shaggs and Daniel Johnston. So this was a great puzzle piece to add to both that and the proto-punk mosaic of my musical expedition.

Minted as a favorite, epic, proggy, dumb in a good way, loved the instrumental on this one

Fun shock rock from the era of Jackass, not a detractor in my mind. However I felt the track length a bit self indulgent, take 30 seconds off every track or make it a 35-40 minute album and packs more punch.

This hits you, with a sledgehammer, then keeps going! The sound is so singular, and Gabriel’s voice such a unique one. So good

Great pop styling put over easy to listen to reggae, especially noticed the clever lyricism 3.5

Really strange, Lynchian at times, silly Beatlesesque other times 2.5

28 minutes!? It gets a full star for that. Blood harmonies are dreamy and haunting. Especially like Kathy’s Clown 3.5

It’s alright didn’t quite get into it 2.5

I’ll be damned if it doesn’t rock, jam and rip. Their ideology is suspect. 3.5

The sound is ahead of its time, or it’s just the krautrock influence. Really like the first track. They sound they reuse the beat for multiple tracks.

Some pretty good stuff on here, a little alarmed by the “N” word use especially in a punk album. Not sure what context it was used in. Otherwise I like the loud-quiet-loud style

So gooood

Really liked this one, more poppy than Live Through This, but still has lyrical stings. Love this sound

Always kind of mildly avoided The Pogues, maybe it’s the people I went to high school with that liked them, and how earnestly they did, and how they can’t relate to the subject matter? I don’t know if this is a complete thought. It’s akin to a suburban white kid really into hardcore rap or something.

I hate this, I hate everything about this, I feel dumber for listening to it, I wish I could rate it 0 stars and may god have mercy on our souls.

Alright is an ultimate good vibes track Clueless Otherwise decent Brit pop with a variety of sound throughout

2.5 interesting sound choices, there’s a strong Minneapolis sound to this, Prince beats with French rock vocals

Not music I can relate to. It’s sharp, stunted, blunt, and of course crude. The samples are headache inducing, as well as obvious. I think I said it in my previous Ice Cube album review but seeing how he sold out in a bad way really makes his past more corny.

First album in a while that I wanted it to keep going. Four on the floor beats, simple epic lyrics. So good

I like Roxy Music, this one is not quite to the heights they will hit. Though the foundation is there, very fun, complex sound, vocals really catch the ear. Can’t wait for more Roxy to come along 2.5

Deep Purple Eats Farts. Live farts. Each track is about 9 self indulgent minutes. The music is infantile, “cursive” rock vocals, STUPID drum fills/solos, corny lyrics about “hot women” and space truckers.

Love Karen Carpenter’s control of voice, the instrumentation is great. When you get layups like Beatles, Bacharach and Williams songs to cover so so softly it’s hard not to like . We’ve Only Just Begun is a great song

I can hum and scat this entire album, this one hit me in my early twenties. So cool, accessible and translates the feelings conveyed through instrumentation.

Absolutely love this album, first listen, however Tom Sawyer has been a favorite and the first Karaoke song I ever did. These three earnest people from Canada create a special sound, each with their own time to shine. Lee, Lifeson, and Peart are legends.

Love this, really puts you in an atmosphere, loose, powerful, captured a moment of time. It does get a little preachy towards the end. I’m sure I’m missing context, but that’s how I feel from this listen.

I don’t know how he fits all those notes and syllables into every energetic song. Little Richard is wildly influential and grossly underrated.

3.5 I very much liked it, the music is whole and well composed, love that vocalization of the time, it fits the folk style. Also heard some sitar and maybe some more modern stuff. Very fresh for ‘68 even today

Loved it, vital, brief, really good stuff

The entirety of the three stars I gave this is based on my fascination with “wishing well” which I randomly found last year and played on repeat for a couple weeks. It’s angular, surreal, it’s I think the one track he gives a rasp to his voice which is very effective. I’ve described this song as bubblegum soul, it’s so buoyant and dreamy, almost Lynchian.

Loved it! I found it cinematic and could follow the tension and release like a movie. You know I listened to the whole album because at some point in track three someone yells “goddamn it” Went down a rabbit hole on Mingus, noticed the cover art looked similar to Brubeck’s Take Five and sure enough they are both by the artist S. Neil Fujita

This album eats farts The sexual innuendo is slimey, the Reagan(?) impression is stupid, the songs where they’re trying to say something political just come off like they don’t know what they’re saying. One of the worst albums on this list

Delivers its messages bluntly, effectively and with style.

I didn’t understand it because I don’t speak Spanish. However I could tell bey the music that it’s conveying a fun and sly tone. Loved the mix, could pick an instrument and hear it clearly.

Surprised how easy this was to listen to, despite having a younger sister that was playing this heavily at the time. DC3 FOREVER 3.5

Couldn’t get into this, I tried, but there’s something about how the sound is so compressed and the vocals not hitting upper or lower ranges, just middle. And the lyrics mean nothing. I just read that the style is Quiet Storm that is an apt description, but I don’t like it save for a Sade

2.5 I liked the more rave centric atmosphere to this punk album. It was a bit samey, one note. Interested to hear more from them.

I had a surprisingly good time with this, Bittersweet Symphony while you’re walking is just epic. The album is pretty well balanced after that. My biggest issue is the album structure, it’s long, could be leaner but still give itself time to be psychedelic and stretch. Also putting Bittersweet on track one is a bit needy, I’d build up to it with 2-3 tracks 3.5

Merle’s velvety raspy voice and slide guitar?! That’s 4 stars all day.

The album that presaged the male loneliness epidemic. It is really well done, poppy, hooky, irreverent but to what end? Did this album mobilize a bunch of frosted tip dick heads to act out? I bet Pete Hegseth really likes The Offspring.

The various sounds captured on this album are so beautiful, poignant and vital that I could put it on anytime and anywhere and get something out of it. The goods feel gooder, the blues feel bluer in the sweetest way.

Hadn’t heard of her before, started strong with the show tune aspect but was a bit samey, I liked the jazz vocal style but there were times when I felt she was struggling to hit notes.

3.5 I liked this, despite the repetition and soft vocals. The clean production was reminiscent of The War On Drugs and some of My Morning Jacket in the vocal stylings.

3.5 the opening track Good Times is carrying a lot of the load on this rating. And I think Chic knew that when they released it.

Good stuff

I like freak folk

Great capital “R” rock album, love the chunky guitar riffs, Stewart’s voice is one of the greatest in rock.

I get why they were popular, I recognized half the tracks from the local rock radio station. Their sound is unique and varied, which gives the impression they’re talented. That being said the lyrics are bad and the vocals edge toward comical.

3.5 challenging in entertaining ways

Catchy hooks, thoughtful turns of phrase, iconoclastic. It’s not my type of thing but it’s good, I’ve known it more as meme or parody.

Meh

At first I liked the simple production, great structure to the music. But then Aerosmith showed up and ruined everything. I remember when I was a preteen and sought out walk this way. I regret that.

The most inoffensive treacly boring blues rock, as soon as a song ends I forget it. All the effects and fuzziness make it seem like it was recorded in a basement and I’m listening from the attic. His production and style gave way to the boring soft pop blues rock of the late 00’s and 2010’s Boo black keys 1.5 I do like his voice

It’s got a heartbeat it builds it releases. The wall of sound is well employed the vocals wistfully faint. Love this

Seems like a transition period between crooner Brown and frenetic Brown. I say this based on no evidence.

They still have their baby fat, some classics like in here, some not so much. But it’s a goodie!

Sooo many stone cold classics on top of some challenging but accessible commentary and unique funk/soul

It’s good, however it gives me an uneasy feeling throughout, similar to a Daniel Johnston album

Wah wah wahh

A grand statement it’s got everything! Peter Gabriel is emerging as one of my guys

A singular talent “Conversational opera”

From the opening reverb and 7 notes in this is an automatic 5 star album Had the pleasure of seeing the white stripes in 2005

I get it, but not my style, a little too self serious

Coldplay is good, this one is a little muted and soft but some great tracks. The other albums from this time, more anthemic really unlocked something in me 3.5

This is roughly my tenth hip hop album from this era, and I’ve been mixed to poor on the reviews. Everything so far has been corny, crude, misogynistic and dated. This one is refreshing in a lot of ways, it’s fast, clever, subversive, challenging, and despite its length holds up throughout. Never heard this before verrry good!

It’s all vibes, I couldn’t tell you what any of the songs are about, I even listened hard. But I think it’s just supposed to be little details and verses picked out over amazing samples?

3.5 some hits with long legs

I like them but do I like an entire album of them?

Nope

Simple seeming songs with simple rhymes not the worst, reminiscent of early Pink Floyd

It’s cool, it’s listenable, and it says something Very good!

It chose a lane and stayed in there all album, I loved it! It’s cool, calm and confident.

I was expecting to be jaded about this album having it played relentlessly as a teenager. But I gotta admit it hits, catchy riffs, great lyrics, the whole band is doing something. Really anthemic and powerful the whole way through

Solid album, lots of recognizable tracks need to give it another listen

This is an incredible achievement. It’s so fucking cool, the choral layers, the use of effects, it’s manic, yet so thought out. This album is in my top 10 for this project

The one-two punch of number of the beast into run to the hills is legendary Head banging the whole time

I like the mix of styles

I think I like the more raucous/pop Costello His voice was not as grating on a couple of these tracks

A lot of this rating is riding on the song Our House

What can I say? It’s all bomb tracks One of my first cds I bought

Short, sweet and to the point! Has something to say, crazy groove, I mean papa was a rolling stone? Get out of here!

Almost a 2.5 the only Spanish language tracks were great, when it got into the hip hop realm I found it to be disingenuous and preachy

Tripe! What happens when a California surfer dude tries to access his sensitive side? You get a lot of weird sexual imagery under the guise of I’m a man that has feelings ugh. The bass and the guitar was alright

Kraut rock influence for sure. I was thinking songs were a bit long and repetitive, then a song came up about their tendency to do that which is cool in my book

This one washed over me in a great way, the pure rock with Bowies angular vocals so good

I would give this 7 stars, it’s a perfect piece of art

Packs soooooo much punch in about 35 minutes? Crazy forward thinking album

Incredible album, I have never listened to it, heard sultans of swing dozens of times. But this album is wall to wall the dad blues that every dad aspires to play. I say that as the utmost compliment

Pretty good

Some stone cold classics on this one, love Elvis’ vocal range

3.5 the two or three big hits on this are very good, it’s not my style, too earnest and emo I guess.

This is a masterpiece in concept album making. It’s buoyant, fun, holds the theme, irreverent and poppie Love this album

Too long 2 hours long. It’s a slog, it’s like Aphex except he uses pan flute, asynchronous breakbeats 🥱, dolphin noises, and that 90s thing of a guy with voice augmentation going “YA-ya” over and over and over

The arrangements are really unique, makes this very enjoyable to listen to

The covers are incredible. I can’t help but think about the decade of grungy butt-rock Nirvana inspired. This stuff feels so genuine

I’ve been reluctant to listen to Cohen. Probably because I like Bob Dylan so much, and can plumb those depths endlessly so why add more esoteric singer/songwriter stuff. The first couple tracks I was like, okay I get it riding the curtails of Dylan, but from then on he goes to some places Dylan doesn’t. Cohens more art poet and he stays in this lane while Dylan is chameleonic. I really liked it, the plotting cyclical guitar under droll vocals, and goes wild when he wants to. I couldn’t decide if I liked the child choir thing, it felt a bit dated.

The rhyme schemes were a bit rudimentary, but effective in their way. Crazy to get back to back Cohen. This one is not the most cheery haha. Maybe came out around trumps election, which explains a lot. Also one of his last albums at the sunset of his life/career, I respect this, but don’t think it’s an all time effort.

Love GZA and the featured rappers on this album Love the B movie samurai mythology It’s cool and quiet with cold beats.

Another band I’ve been jaded about for no reason, I put down my guard and I have no problem calling this is a great rock album. The instrumentation is refreshingly unique and dynamic. Vocals perfect. Lyrics are well crafted Loved it

So good

This is one of the best albums ever made. Also the most buoyant joyful exciting albums about manic depression

It’s sad bastard music bordering on parody, but I’ll be damned if it not good

The indie tribal/jungle/neo-white soul scene was an odd sub genre in the early 2010’s it lasted as long as it took to feel a little queasy about maybe being culturally insensitive kind of? This band, Jungle, tame impala, Chet faker to name a few. It’s strong poppy and catchy, but I can’t help but recall tiny-insta-neon party girls at music festivals wearing skimpy bikinis and native headdresses. I say this as a white man, and still forming this theory

I don’t know what chooglin’ is but man did I have fun trying Crazy this group with no affiliation with da bayou could fake its way to being one of the best American rock bands ever, chooglin

I can’t deny this is good(scandals noted) I like the subdued disco tone and his scat style is less prevalent. It’s got two of the best pop songs ever made as tracks 1&2 Most of my detractors follow this album and Thriller, meticulous over production, weird scat pops that make no sense, and unfocused themes that appeal to a broad audience

I liked the spooky organ but mostly was bored by the flower power groovy peace and love stuff

It’s pure energy and effort that propels this album about teenage romance and love spurts. My mom likes Meatloaf so I listened to this growing up. The duets are great. And the music hits in a rock opera kinda way

This like a Picasso hanging in a museum I don’t have the words to describe it but it’s beautiful

I could not not give this five stars for being a millennial.

The hits make the album, you can hear him bucking his S&G sound into his second solo. Can also hear the beginnings of him experimenting with eclectic music from other cultures

A couple of these tracks changed modern music forever, the rest is the most depressing sad music ever put out. I really like the bass forward and cymbal-centric sound

One of the most ramshackle, fun, heartbreaking, full of life albums ever. This is a big one for me. I’ve traveled and followed the replacements when they reunited. They are a big part of my life.

Please don’t make me listen to Deep Purple again.

Love the song structure, come on Eileen is a great song, but their too maximalist for my taste, maybe too try hard.

Soooo chill I’m going to save this album

Not my tempo

I’m having trouble reviewing this because it feels like generic “music” not to say it is bad, it’s just so pervasive in culture. I watched the recent documentary about them, which was great, but it seems they ride this line of their sound being listenable to everyone as well as cosmically intangible, with some sultry love songs in there. I love how strange EW&F is, but cannot contain them

It kinda overplays the “protagonist in the midst of a depressing situation with a faint glimmer of hope” theme with every track. It’s most effective with fast car, then it just keeps beating that drum with poor 90’s production.

Full of energy. Fela Kuti is teaching us as he holds court. Puts you into a trance as the group improvises and explodes. Africa 70 and Baker are perfect accompaniments. Argentina beats Egypt in a stunner comeback down 2 to win 3-2

Can’t argue with these anthems Noticed heavy distorted synth use

I have always respected Eno from a distance, but this one resonated with me today. It’s like the soundtrack to an ordinary day in a very beautiful way The track St. Elmo’s Fire is flame

It’s too immature and raucous for 9am so I wasn’t in the mood but the hits are undeniable

I think I prefer the stripped down guitar version of Callahan. Not to say this was bad, it’s interesting arrangements and sometimes heavier beats, which is a noticeable change from his original style.

Went down a rabbit hole as to the origins of the song Live Is Life by Opus in 1984, I respect that Laibach covers it and calls it Opus Dei Otherwise serviceable death metal, I appreciate it as much as I can understand the German language

Kinda bloated and they use the distorted speaker box too often. Like I couldn’t understand several track. Sabotage is the coolest shit though, seeing them play their own instruments on Letterman was sick as hell. And that’s a lot of what this review is riding on 2.5

Love it! A bit long, but I can’t deny the Wainwright family talent!

Great glam sound! I’d never heard Alice Cooper outside of the hits. But I was really impressed!

Fun listen but low fi in a way that felt too simple

Haven’t listened since high school but it’s undeniably excellent

Pretty in pink is such a great song, and this album should not be slept on. They maintain their sound throughout the album but the guitar fills and tempo with incredible lyrics make it refreshing every track. So good

This is my kind of music 😉

At a certain point like 6-7 tracks in I was like come on it can’t all be bangers, and it indeed can That’s what happens when you stifle a Beatle, they make one of the best Albums ever. 18 stars

I’m going through a bit of an existential crisis with Wilco. Grappling with my age, their sound, the audience that listens to Wilco, what Wilco have become. I’m lucky I got into them at a young age, I listened to them A LOT. I saw them live ten years ago had a panic attack and have been out on them since. It’s more the middle age dread, the clean cut Patagonia crowd the likes them now, and the easy listening sound they’ve become. It’s complicated. Anyways, this is pretty good, half the album tips into an overly saccharine sound that I bristled at. I am trying to break your heart rides that line but is so “avant garde” it kinda works, and Jesus etc. I think I’m just past Wilco, I like their first two better, and I WAY prefer Uncle Tupelo

I look forward to Tom Waits, I really like some of his work, some is a bit like black licorice to me. It borders on a staged play. Some of it comes off as try hard or being weird for the sake of weird. But when it’s effortless, and the spoken word intertwines with the music it really takes off

Love Patti Smith, I’ve seen her play live in two major US park systems, Golden Gate Park and Central Park. It was an interesting comparison with yesterday’s Tom Waits, they’re both in the “beat poet” category. Which helped me with my Waits critique a bit more. I love tom waits to be clear. But there’s a play acting vibe coming from him, while with Patti it’s more organic and visceral. Like Tom could do three shows a night with his performance, which is why he’s a great actor, while Patti is leaving her body. 4.5 stars

The only album on Apple Music was a retrospective anniversary album Which detracts for me, I found the tracks to be poorly produced

This album fucking rips

I liked this more because it felt like a rebuke of the Brit pop style. I also like that Albarn retains his British accent while singing, it’s either the Brit’s sound like Americans or the Americans sound like Brit’s in popular music

It was good, brief, I didn’t quite understand it

I appreciate the sentiment about the use of nuclear weapons and the protest of them. But I don’t like this sound very much, I do very much like tablas

It’s the capital R rock of it, with the obvious slam poetry lyrics. I ain’t buying it The mix of Metal and Funk with the spotless 90s production has a maximal effect that makes me cringe.

This is a solid garage rock band, no frills, but they really fill their sound out. I first heard them on the soundtrack to Clueless and from time to time will spin them

Mojo workin is a great track, I appreciate Muddy’s contribution to blues and rock. Some songs are a bit rudimentary which I understand is because of the time period, but I ding it for that

Love Bob so much, I tend to listen to his 60’s-80’s stuff. Outside of Its not dark yet, I haven’t heard much from this one. It’s very good, but it hasn’t sunk in like his other stuff, need to hear this one again

The breakdown in chain of fools was a one of the coolest things in music history

I really connected with this album the compositions were really coooool maaaan. Also the crowd reactions really added something for me, it showed how interested people were about them at the time. Really enjoyed this one

Audition tape submission to do the song for the next James Bond Not bad, but it didn’t blow my hair back Doesn’t stand out as one of the best albums ever made 2.5

I enjoyed the patterns of music, almost sounded as if sections of two different melodies were playing through certain tracks, very cool. That being said it got a bit samey which knocked it down a few stars

Eats farts

I get why people would like this but I don’t like it for many reasons. Fire and rain is the sound he was looking for

I liked it more than I thought I would, they kept it mildly interesting for a ska band. Some tracks meandered, but some had a good jam feel for a recording

I liked it!

Ughhh I don’t know about this one

I’ve gotten a lot of Blur lately, this one I had to scrub my mind of previous ratings to come at it with an open mind. And it wasn’t hard! I dug it awesome sound for the most part, it showed its age towards the end. But the last couple tracks right the ship.

Ungapatchka - something overly ornate, gaudy, ridiculously busy, or over-decorated to the point of being tacky or distasteful.

It’s pretty good, maybe my least favorite from their golden era but still a great sound. Hear a lot of Modest Mouse in this one

Took a break, because we had a kid, Sylvie. This album had a lot of references to his young daughter which was sweet. The rest was some of the craziest raps and skits put to beats. The beats and lyrics were very effective at translating luxury, which is why I think this was so great. A masterpiece even.

I saw Janelle Monae open for Of Montreal at First Avenue around the time of this album. The one-two punch Cold War into Tightrope really pumps you up! It’s long. And conceptually it waivers

More pop mentality, but still a lot of the same sound I don’t like