128
Albums Rated
2.69
Average Rating
12%
Complete
961 albums remaining
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
1950
Favorite Decade
Metal
Favorite Genre
US
Top Origin
Critic
Rater Style ?
13
5-Star Albums
27
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
Top Styles
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Ellington at Newport
Duke Ellington
|
5 | 3.43 | +1.57 |
|
Chocolate Starfish And The Hot Dog Flavored Water
Limp Bizkit
|
4 | 2.51 | +1.49 |
|
Document
R.E.M.
|
5 | 3.55 | +1.45 |
|
Machine Head
Deep Purple
|
5 | 3.58 | +1.42 |
|
Black Holes and Revelations
Muse
|
5 | 3.59 | +1.41 |
|
In The Court Of The Crimson King
King Crimson
|
5 | 3.6 | +1.4 |
|
Van Halen
Van Halen
|
5 | 3.62 | +1.38 |
|
Dummy
Portishead
|
5 | 3.71 | +1.29 |
|
Next
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
|
4 | 2.71 | +1.29 |
|
Grace
Jeff Buckley
|
5 | 3.74 | +1.26 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Harvest
Neil Young
|
1 | 3.81 | -2.81 |
|
The Velvet Underground & Nico
The Velvet Underground
|
1 | 3.61 | -2.61 |
|
3 + 3
The Isley Brothers
|
1 | 3.59 | -2.59 |
|
Violent Femmes
Violent Femmes
|
1 | 3.5 | -2.5 |
|
Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
OutKast
|
1 | 3.45 | -2.45 |
|
Heaven Or Las Vegas
Cocteau Twins
|
1 | 3.4 | -2.4 |
|
Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea
PJ Harvey
|
1 | 3.38 | -2.38 |
|
Africa Brasil
Jorge Ben Jor
|
1 | 3.37 | -2.37 |
|
Blur
Blur
|
1 | 3.33 | -2.33 |
|
Deep Purple In Rock
Deep Purple
|
1 | 3.31 | -2.31 |
5-Star Albums (13)
View Album Wall
1-Star Albums (27)
All Ratings
Soul II Soul
4/5
Overall 6/10: Very good soul and funk album. Good D&B, some absolute vibes. Surprising variety in styles contained in one album. There were a couple stinky songs, but the majority is good. The remixes are absolute bangers.
Track 1 - Keep on Movin' - Very chill, simple lyrics, great piano back tracking and a wonderful drum and bass solo around 4:30
Track 2 - Fairplay - Forgettable, deharmonized voice and melody
Track 3 - Holdin' On - Fun clubby song, great upbeat song
Track 4 - Feeling Free - Live from Westside Studios, United Kingdom/1989 - Beach vibes, early rap style vocals
Track 5 - African Dance - Very chill, has great flute; minimal lyrics
Track 6 - Dance - This song is a bop feels like a modern Trance song
Track 7 - Feel Free - Pretty good, a little long
Track 8 - Happiness - Dub - Backing melody and piano chorus is such a vibe
Track 9 - Back to Life - Amazing vocals
Track 10 - Jazzie's Groove - Fantastic transition into this song from Back to Life, very chill song
Track 11 - Ambition (Rap) - Old school rap, great beat sample with good trumpet sample.
Track 12 - Keep on Movin' - Big Beat Accapella - Forgettable but enjoyable
Track 13 - Back to Life (However Do You Want Me) - Amazing remix of the original, the beat is so catchy; makes me want to head bob
Track 14 - Jazzie's Groove (Piano Version) - 10/10 intro, amazing drums & bass, very funky
Track 15 - Back to Life (However Do You Want Me) - One World Remix - Not as strong as the other remixes. Definitely Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles vibes
Track 16 - Keep on Movin' - M Beat Bonus Mix - Would go hard with a drift edit or when playing Gran Turismo
Jeff Buckley
5/5
Overall 9/10
One of my favorite albums which makes the tragic passing of the artist a couple months later that much heavier.
Track 1: Mojo Pin - A song of the time; bands like Radiohead and early Led Zeppelin can be heard in the vocal and instrumental melodies
Track 2: Grace - The guitar in this song in particular really stands out in combination with Jeff's lyrical voice and melodic harmony
Track 3: Last Goodbye - Upbeat and fun; super depressing lyrics
Track 4: Lilac Wine - Ultra chill, musical poetry
Track 5: So Real - The crash out song of the album
Track 6: Hallelujah - Such a classic and so emotionally charged; beautifully written lyrics
Track 7: Lover, You Should've Come Over - Such a sad, sad song; even more tragic as it relates to Jeff's passing shortly after.
Track 8: Corpus Christi Carol - Very opera-like voice
Track 9: Eternal Life - Its a bop, rock and roll; maybe playing into the popularity of Creed?
Track 10: Dream Brother - The most forgettable on the album, witchy vibes
Track 11: Forget Her - Late night depression, super relatable song personally
Beck
3/5
Overall: 5/10 - Very alternative, but not my personal cup of tea. I like the backing tracks/samples but there are some insane sounds that cut through the vibe to remind you that it's an alternative Beck album.
Track 1: Devils Haircut - Great drums and bass; classic weird Beck lyrics
Track 2: Hotwax - Stoney bologna song
Track 3: Lord Only Knows - Very alternative and non-traditional sounds
Track 4: The New Pollution - Good song, chill but upbeat vibes
Track 5: Derelict - Absolutely insane drumline, Beck is getting funky with the sounds and how they combine
Track 6: Novacane - Super chill, Beastie Boys inspired, lyrics seem to be drawing a parallel between opiates and semi-truck drivers; maybe a metaphor idk
Track 7: Jack-Ass - I'm definitely not high enough to interpret these lyrics, the song is very chill and reminds me of laying in a hammock on a summer day
Track 8: Where It's At - I've definitely heard this song before but didn't know Beck heard it. Classic chill song
Track 9: Minus - Very alternative punk, acid vibes
Track 10: Sissyneck - Backing bass & drum track is a banger; the lyrics work very well with the backing track and the chorus hits really well
Track 11: Readymade - Stoner rock; the low-fidelity record scratch works really well
Track 12: High 5 (Rock the Catskills) - VERY Beastie Boys; you can definitely hear the label's influence on this one
Track 13: Ramshackle - Total opposite of the previous track. Very acoustic and chill; almost melancholy.
Track 14: Computer Rock - Outro, nothing much to say about this track; would have been a great reminder that the vinyl is over.
Kanye West
4/5
God, I hate Kanye as a person, but this album is alright. It takes a lot of effort to separate the art from the artist, especially with this PoS. However, after listening to this album, I can see its appeal and understand why it is so popular.
Overall rating 7/10
OutKast
1/5
Speakerboxxx is a 4/10, The Love Below is a 2/10 except for one song. No wonder I never hear anyone saying OutKast is their favorite artist. "Head doesn't count, right? Ah, thanks God, I knew you'd understand."
Dusty Springfield
2/5
4/10, no notes.
Lambchop
3/5
Elmo sings off-kilter soul/country which could be easily paired with a found-footage compilation of a psycho-murderer doing their passion crime. I was unnerved the entire album, which I think is the point. It's incredibly haunting with its cheery up-beat melodies paired with the disturbingly suggestive lyrics peppered with violence and fist-clenched insinuations. Like watching something drown in the most picturesque lake you've ever seen.
Probably going to give me nightmares - 6/10
The xx
2/5
The best track is the first track, and the album gets worse from there. Not a terrible album, just extremely depressing. The fact that the first track has nearly as many listens as the rest of the album really speaks volumes. There are hundreds of quirky coffee and antique shops playing some of these tracks on repeat. Overall 4/10
Portishead
5/5
10/10 no comments. Incredible album I've never heard of.
Supergrass
2/5
Classic UK punk album. Pretty good for what they were trying to go for. Their song "We're Not Supposed To" is pretty creepy and unhinged though. 4/10
A Tribe Called Quest
4/5
First 60% of the album is incredibly good. The last 40% is alright. Overall 8/10 because the whole album is a 90s vibe.
Scritti Politti
1/5
Boy band vibes. Very '85 synth pop sound and N-Sync/Backstreet Boys vocal style. Wouldn't be surprised if those bands pulled inspiration from Scritti Politti. Personally this is my least liked genre/style so my rating will be bias. 3/10, wouldn't listen to again, and none of the songs made it on my playlist.
The Black Keys
4/5
I love The Black Keys so this review will be biased in favor of their music. In general the album is a whole vibe. Great "strut" music or walking music. Some very viral hits early on and just good alternative rock for the whole album. Is it the best album? Not necessarily, but it's damn good. Multiple songs on this album are in my daily listening playlist. Good stuff 8/10
Nirvana
3/5
Had most of the classic Nirvana songs, but I've never been a big Nirvana fan. It was good to hear some of their lesser played music but still did not enrapture me like it does with some of the fans. Solid 5/10 album
Rage Against The Machine
5/5
Just as relevant now as it was when it came out 10/10
The Police
2/5
It was alright, the viral songs are viral for a reason. Not really my style of music. 4/10
The Incredible String Band
1/5
I was stone cold sober when I listened to this album. I don't think that's the intended way to listen to this music. If I was tripping on acid or shrooms I am sure I would have had a much better time. I appreciate the historical significance of this band and music, but this was absolute trash. Lowest rating yet, worse then OutKast 1/10
D'Angelo
2/5
It's aight, 4/10
The Undertones
2/5
An OK album. I didn't look up the history or significance if there is any. They just seem to be a bunch of kids having a fun time. It's pretty generic punk rock which for 1979 was probably unheard of. However Black Sabbath was in their prime, and the Rock genre was in its golden age. I've never heard of the Undertones until today when this album was recommended, which I guess plays towards their name. I added a couple songs to my playlist, they're alright. 4/10
Elvis Presley
3/5
Absolute classic and has some bangers. Defined the American Rock genre for years to come and still remains relevant in 2025. 7/10 He only got better after this album.
Jurassic 5
3/5
Solid mid-90s rap album. Fantastic drums and samples. The flow is definitely an evolved version of the early 90s style while also having a few sections that are an homage to the early style. I loved "What's Golden" and "High Fidelity". One of the better rap albums I've ever listened to. 6/10 - the second half of the album was weak.
Buzzcocks
1/5
Now that's a stinker of an album. 2/10. Not as bad as OutKast.
The Temptations
2/5
I've never immersed myself in funk, and I believe this is one of the greatest funk albums of all time. It was an interesting experience though I personally cannot get into it. It's alright, 3/10.
Gene Clark
2/5
A very classically mid 70s album. I did no research on why it's as popular as it is besides it just sounding like another 70's yacht rock album. It's okay, I'd listen to it again. 5/10
Radiohead
2/5
A very chill album. Radiohead always makes me depressed or sleepy and this album is no different. I was dozing off around weird fishes and had to force myself to listen to the rest of the album. I always like the noises Radiohead experiments with and this album is particularly experimental. I didn't save any to my playlist and probably won't listen to it again. 4/10
Frank Sinatra
3/5
Classic Sinatra. Some of the songs haven't aged well, but I can't deny that most of these songs are just good. It's not music I would have on repeat unless I'm in a very specific mood. But I do enjoy me some Sinatra. 5/10.
Genesis
3/5
What a strange album that somehow... Works. It's definitely a concept album that I don't think I would want to pull a single song into my playlist. It's good though, like really good. 6/10
Kid Rock
1/5
Damn, I really had to listen to a full Kid Rock album. This guy is on the same level as Kanye West for me. Just absolute filth and ego. I despise him as a person, but I'll separate the art from the artist. The album itself definitely gives off redneck Kanye West vibes and Kid sings/raps about trailer park and trashy hood life. I sometimes get Hollywood Undead party vibes from some of the songs. It's alright, I do not like Kid Rock's music, personally. 3/10
Travis
3/5
A very nice brit-pop band with chill alternative sound. The song "Why Does It Always Rain On Me" is very good and I've added it to my playlist. The album as a whole is good coffeeshop vibes. I disassociated through most of it while I worked but I don't have anything negative to say about it. It deserves a solid 6/10.
Marty Robbins
4/5
8/10 Big Iron and El Paso are classic country bangers. Love this whole album and reminds me of driving on country roads with my dad playing this album through his cassette tape to AUX from his gen1 iPod. Good times.
Deep Purple
1/5
I do like Deep Purple, but this album did not do anything for me. It's an OK 1970 rock album but no particular song enraptured me. In fact, I kept finding myself hovering over the skip button. I would say it's a 2/10 ablum.
Sisters Of Mercy
3/5
1987 vampire music. Love this genre and the synth vibes. Lucretia My Reflection is my favorite song and went straight to my playlist. Solid 7/10 album and so unique.
Emmylou Harris
2/5
It's a good 70's era country album before the "Country" genre was really defined. I appreciate the lyricism, instruments, and general tone of the songs. This particular genre of music isn't necessarily my favorite but it's pretty good. I'll give it a 4/10
Ice Cube
3/5
James Brown
3/5
It's pretty good, not a genre I have ever enjoyed. James Brown has a hell of a voice though.
R.E.M.
2/5
Pretty solid R.E.M. album but not my favorite. I think it deserves an average rating without knowing any historical significance or why it hit a top 100 chart. I'll give it a fair 4/10
The B-52's
1/5
Really not great. There's a couple alright songs, but the vocals and general musicality is so bad. Definitely a stinker album. 2/10
The Divine Comedy
2/5
It's a pretty chill album. He sort of sounds like Jim Morrison which is a unique contrast to the generally upbeat instrumental melody. I almost get cocktail lounge vibes from the arrangements. I wasn't overly impressed by any song in particular but this was a good album. 5/10
Astrud Gilberto
1/5
It's alright. Good elevator music. The album cover is one of the most horrifying uncanny valley images I've ever seen in my life. The actual music would be great while travelling from floor 1 to 50 in a Chicago skyrise. 3/10
Sly & The Family Stone
3/5
Jam band, jam sesh album. I definitely had some songs that I could not relate to, but that's not the point. They have just good vibes and are in it for the love of the game. I bet they sounded amazing live. Not sure of their cultural significance or relevance but this album slaps. 6/10
Gorillaz
3/5
The album that started it all. It's good and has some absolute slappers on it. Not all the songs are great though, it's not a perfect album. It's a 7/10 for sure though.
5/5
Masterpiece of an album and Muse is one of the GOATs. Every song bangs, every lyric slaps, such an amazing album. 10/10
Venom
1/5
It's an alright metal album. It's not very musical, more like noise in the background with some growling and grunting. It's a solid 3/10
Minutemen
2/5
Did not know this was the album that Corona came from. Pretty generic 80's punk album otherwise. Good summer punk vibes. 4/10
Stan Getz
2/5
Chill samba album. 4/10
The Isley Brothers
1/5
An alright funk album. 3/10
Violent Femmes
1/5
The first song is the best because it's used in quirky indie films, the rest of the album is hot trash. 1/10
Small Faces
1/5
3/10
Thundercat
2/5
Very artistic album. Not really something I would listen to again but it wasn't bad. Very weird, but not bad. 4/10
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
3/5
Pretty solid American Rock album. RIP Tom Petty. 6/10
Janelle Monáe
2/5
The first half of the album is gold. Very good music with good fusion sound and an amazing voice from Janelle. The second half is not that great. Overall this is a 5/10 album.
The Velvet Underground
1/5
If I could give it a 0 I would. Shit album, shit concept, shit music.
The Style Council
3/5
Absolutely wild album. Jazz, funk, pop, country, rap, rock. It has a little bit of everything. It's a wild ride but every song has something good about it. A couple songs are coming to my playlists. 6/10
Various Artists
4/5
Solid Christmas album, can't listen to more than a couple weeks a year but this one definitely will be played next holiday season. 8/10
Jorge Ben Jor
1/5
Not a bad album, I didn't understand any of the lyrics but I liked the cuica sounds. It's a very Brazilian album and a fun listen. 3/10
Green Day
4/5
Biased because this used to be a daily play on my iTunes rotation. Absolute classic Green Day album and such good tunes. So far one of the best albums in the 1001 albums list. 9/10
Crosby, Stills & Nash
2/5
Chill americana folk album. Not much more to say than that. I'm sure there's significance, but it's really just a pretty standard post-summer of love California folk album. None of it was offensive and the lyrics are above average. 5/10
Ute Lemper
1/5
I genuinely didn't think it could get worse than Velvet Underground. I was wrong. Another 0/10 that I have to give a 1/10.
Little Richard
2/5
It's aight 4/10
Dr. Dre
3/5
Solid modern rap album. 7/10
Judas Priest
4/5
Ahh this one brings me back to road trips with my dad. My dad loves Judas Priest and we listened to all their albums growing up. This one is a banger and has some very good early metal songs on it. 8/10
New York Dolls
1/5
Rolling Stone wannabes and really not that great. 2/10
Deep Purple
5/5
Some absolutely gruesome guitar and base tone in this album. This whole album rocks and is the epitome of "classic rock" in my opinion. 10/10.
Peter Gabriel
2/5
Solsbury Hill will forever be one of the greatest musical pieces ever written. The lyrics, the tone, the rhythm, and the subject are all just exquisite. The rest of the album pales in comparison to this one song. Overall album excluding Solsbury Hill is an average 4/10. With Solsbury hill is much higher.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
A wonderful album, still holds up to this day. Some of the best rebellious American music ever written. 8/10
Cocteau Twins
1/5
What a strange album. Ethereal and a very alternative sound, even for the 90s. Something I've experienced once, and will leave at one experience. It's not bad, but it's definitely not my cup of tea. 3/10
Elton John
3/5
Pretty good Elton John album. I'd say a 6/10 is an appropriate score.
Herbie Hancock
4/5
Absolute funk jam band album. This one rocks and would sound amazing on stereo surround sound. Going to save this one for later and hopefully add to my Vinyl collection. 8/10
1/5
Yeah, whatever. Very forgettable music about drugs, sex, and deviant behavior. Radiohead wannabe and doesn't even come close. 2/10
Black Sabbath
5/5
Absolutely classic Black Sabbath album and among their best records ever produced. Every song is amazing in its own way; even FX which is just experimenting with guitar and bass effects. Long Live Vol. 4. 10/10
Adele
4/5
Very good album. I've never been much of a pop fan, but Adele does the job. She has such an amazing and powerful voice as well. 8/10
Sleater-Kinney
1/5
Hot stinky dog turd of an album. 1/10
Little Simz
4/5
Now that's one hell of an album. Fantastic creative beats and melodies. Excellent sampling, very good lyrical flow, great voice. I've added 3 of their songs to my playlists. Good stuff. 8/10
Saint Etienne
2/5
Not my cup of tea, but it wasn't bad by any means. Solid 5/10.
Duke Ellington
5/5
Listening to this album felt like watching a movie. One of the best if not THE best live album I've ever listened to. The early songs debut the technical skills of the band, the announcer introducing and celebrating the members of the band, the swell of the crowd getting more drunk and rowdy as the album progresses. It felt like I was in the room smelling the cigar smoke, feeling the floor rumble as the people danced. Every song was an incredible and unique showcase of the bands skills. Even the imperfect audio where we can occasionally hear the echo of the announcer's voice bouncing back just shows how loud and impressive this event must have been. This is probably the greatest jazz album I've ever listened to and that's not a compliment I give lightly. 10/10. Perfect live jazz album.
The Beach Boys
1/5
Not the Beach Boys I'm used to. Definitely a more political take and protest rock than their other album. Not great, but not horrible. 3/10
Janet Jackson
2/5
Sounds that defined the 90s and an era of cartoon themes. Personally, it's not my cuppa tea. 4/10
Blur
1/5
We don't like Blur in this household. Rude, self-important, pretentious Brits thinking they were making waves when it was just a drop in a lake. Rude to interviewers, rude to fans, rude to producers. This album has their one famous song that elevated their ego to astronomically unrealistic levels. Ironically, their best and most popular and famous song was them trying to poorly imitate and make fun of American rock music of the time. Little did they know that their poor mockery would be better than the rest of their entire anthology. The whole album is a stepped in wet shit. 1/10.
Beatles
5/5
Ahh, I have very vivid memories tied to this album. I remember driving for hours through the southern U.S.A. to get to Destin, FL with this album playing on repeat in the family car. When I hear this album, I think of white Gulf of Mexico sand, Gameboy Advance, Spongebob in the hotel room, and souvenir shops full of beach and pirates ship trinkets. Thanks Mom and Dad for that trip. For nostalgia reasons, this will get a higher rating, but it's also just a good album. There's a reason The Beatles have been so popular and so successful for so long.
It's classic British pop rock, the drums are clean and precise, the bass is on point, and the lyrics are shallow, light hearted, and simple. It's everything that makes pop, pop. 10/10.
Nine Inch Nails
3/5
I've never really listened to NIN despite them being in the genre of music and generation I listen to. This album was my first real introduction to them despite having heard "Closer" several times. The cold industrial sound is amazing, so unique and creatively done while also being rock at the same time. Dare I say it's like a prototype Sleep Token, or perhaps Sleep Token pulled inspiration for their sound from NIN? It's definitely an album that I need to be in a specific mood for, but it is good. 7/10
Elliott Smith
2/5
It's alright, nothing to write home about. I'm not a fan of the windy voice and dissonant vocal/instrumental melodies. I'll give it a 4/10 because I didn't immediately hate any of the music.
The Band
3/5
"Up On Cripple Creek" absolutely bangs, the rest of the album definitely seems to be inspired or the inspiration for Lynard Skynard. It draws influence from funk, blues, and gospel music. This album would be a great grilling soundtrack for the summer. 6/10
4/5
It feels like flossing your brain. So many layers, such technical skill showcased, incredible melodies and counter melodies. Drums are absolutely insane which is why the drummer left after this album was released. Bass has amazing tone and is arguably the most complex bassline I've ever experienced. The synths and instrumental extras are also appreciated and utilized well. This is the epitome of prog rock and actually led to the rise of punk bands wanting simpler, dirtier, and less precise sound. Incredible album and the acoustic guitar halfway through "And You and I" is wonderfully beautiful. I'd rate it at the same caliber as Rush's 2112 album. 9/10
James Taylor
3/5
Very chill and beautiful album. I particularly enjoyed "Country Road" and it reminds me of the song "The Greatest Adventure" from the old The Hobbit movie from 1977. I've always heard of James Taylor but never listened to him. Decent classic 70's small band music. 6/10
Solomon Burke
2/5
It's not bad, but a little old for my taste. It's sock hop rock which is what my grandparents would have listened to in High School. It's definitely cut from the same cloth as Elvis and you can hear it. It's a 4/10
Neil Young
1/5
If this is Neil Young's best and most popular album, I am not a Neil Young fan. It's American rock at its best but he just does not have a voice for music. It's unfortunately one of the weaker albums so far. 2/10
Hot Chip
1/5
The kind of album you hear at the Millennial Burger Joint (TM). It's glorified elevator music at best which isn't a bad thing. Making small talk on your way up to the 6th floor needs a backing track and what better artist to do that than Hot Chip. Milk and crumpets with any seasoning kept far far away. I genuinely got so bored listening to this album that I had to take a break multiple times in order to actually digest this coconut water puddle of an album. Genuinely one of the most uninteresting albums I've ever listened to. 1/10
Supergrass
3/5
Huge improvement from their album "I Should Coco" which I've listened to previously. The song "Tonight" is great and "Going Out" is also a fun song. 6/10 album.
DJ Shadow
4/5
Knowing this entire album is nothing but sampled vinyl makes it extremely impressive. Just thinking that the artist had to listen to all these albums to find which parts to sample then to compile them in a way that's palpable is a feat within itself. This is like looking at a collage and realizing that every single piece of fabric, magazine, photo, and newspaper piece was placed there intentionally by hand. Incredible technical skill showcased in this album - and it bumps. Great D&B sections, fantastic old-school hip-hop sections, and just incredible vibes all around. What a gem. 8/10
Prince
2/5
I've never really been a Prince fan, but this album had some great vibe songs. It also had some stinkers, but not every album is perfect. I think it deserves at least a 5/10
Arcade Fire
2/5
Great lyrics, and a meaningful message, but the music lacks in several departments. The David Bowie vocals are not my favorite musical fad but it's a good cover if you aren't a classically trained singer. I remember seeing one or some of the members of this band in the news for SA charges so that's a bummer, but tis the life of a rock and roller. I guess when you get good at music you feel entitled to force your body on someone else's. I wouldn't know because that seems like the wrong thing to do but I'm also not a rock and roll musician. 4/10
Dirty Projectors
1/5
Holy god that was a rough listen. I get that it's art and pushing the boundaries, but that was like those videos where they try to imitate what it's like to have a panic attack and be overstimulated at the same time. This is what I imagine a bad mushroom trip sounds like. I can't put a timestamp on any good or enjoyable moment in this album. Pretty sure I made some GarageBand music better than this when I was 8. 1/10
Wire
1/5
Decent punk album for 1977. 3/10
Marianne Faithfull
2/5
I came into this not knowing anything about the artist or what to expect. Her voice is so full of pain and emotion and after reading the wiki article I understand why. Marianne lived such a hard life before creating this album. This album must have felt like the sun coming up after a long cold moonless night for her.
Unfortunately, it's not something I enjoyed listening to. Despite her courageous battle with drugs, heartbreak, and sickness, this album is average at best. This is pre 80's pop and you can hear the sounds and synths that led into prime "80s Pop Sound". 5/10
Depeche Mode
2/5
The Kinks
3/5
1968, the peak of the American-Vietnam conflict for the US. A time of extreme liberalization and progressive cultural transition and the extreme corruption of the UK government. Rock music was thriving, people were partying, life was a blast. The Kinks were regionally popular and their music was similar to the kingpin group The Beatles but was more experimental, more boundary pushing, more alternative.
This album is considered one of the first "concept albums" and has prevailing themes connecting each song to each other. The opening track and namesake of the album is very good. A couple stand outs like "Last of the Steam Powered Trains", "Big Sky" and "Picture Book" are above average songs on this album. Unfortunately, the good songs are contrasted to flavorless bland tracks that act as filler and back-end weight. Overall the album is above average and deserving of a 6/10.
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
4/5
Wow, what a refreshing bluegrass compilation album. There are several stand-out songs on this one. "Nashville Blues", "Tennessee Stud", "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" and of course the album namesake "Will the Circle be Unbroken" all stand out as powerful testaments to American Bluegrass. I grew up Appalachia adjacent and this brought back so many memories of summer drives to fishing creeks, hiking trails, and swimming holes. I imagine this album would sound amazing on a high fidelity surround sound vinyl system. My only complaint is that it's two full hours. That's not really feasible to sit down and digest the whole album in one day. It's possible to hear the whole album, but not fully understand who and what is happening in each song. I will say that bluegrass is much less technical than it sounds and as stated in the album: "Every time you go through it, you lose just a little something... To let's do it the first time and to hell with the rest of 'em". My bias rating is 9/10.
The Flaming Lips
3/5
I have never heard of this band or this album, but it's an apparently popular album based on Spotify track-play numbers.
First impressions: Strong "sidewalk strut" base and guitar mixed with rock & roll musical tropes. "Flight Test" is a hell of an introduction to the album and really sets up the vibes and general sound you should expect to hear. It's a concept album at its core and the steady heartbeat of drums carries this album much further than the other instruments.
The second half of the album after "In the Morning of Magicians" feels specifically designed for experiencing while high or tripping.
Overall rating is 7/10
1/5
A live punk album from a band I've never heard of before. It's about what you would expect. Some of the guitar distortion and tone is cool as hell but this is the music that my grandpa was describing when he said he didn't listen to rock and roll because "it's just noise". That describes this album perfectly. Just loud for the sake of being loud. No message, no structure, no clarity. Just in your face noise and aggression just to stick it to the man. Needless to say, MC5 never made it big in mainstream culture. After reading some peer reviews - apparently it's supposed to sound like this and some people love it. This album just goes to show that just because something is important doesn't mean it's good. It's just objectively bad music. 2/10
The Cars
4/5
What a wonderful and fun album to listen to. 9/10
Booker T. & The MG's
4/5
A genuinely all-round good rock & blues album. No lyrics, just a group of artists jamming out with some music. Fantastic listening and no message besides good vibes. 8/10
4/5
Imagine a 22-year old white guy wearing an Affliction t-Shirts, baggy black shorts with a chrome chain, a skull belt buckle, dirty hi-top black & white Vans Sk8s, waxed spiky hair, a juvenile scraggly beard, a nose piercing, and two huge black gauges in either ear. That's your stereotypical Limp Bizkit listener and it hasn't changed since Y2K.
You either love or hate Limp Bizkit. I fall in the category of ironic love. If you listen to the band just to headbang in your garage while pounding natty lights, this band rocks. If you listen to it expecting genuinely good metal music, you're going to cringe. It's aggressive drums, bass, and guitar, catchy tunes, chantable lyrics, and all round "dude-bro" vibes. They sing about sex, breaking the law, drugs, taboo behavior, and drinking. It's mosh-pit party metal to its core and inspired an entire sub-genre of metal "Nu-Metal" and also "Rap Metal".
On this album, notably, is: "My Way", "Rollin' (Air Raid Vehicle)", and "Take A Look Around" which are arguably this bands 3 of their top 5 songs. I make fun of Durst's voice all the time and I think it's hilarious, but this whole album actually jams. I go through my "Divorced Dad" metal phase about once a year (Though I've never been either) and this album is always in the rotation. 8/10 - I understand the hate, but choose to ignore it.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
2/5
I hear this album and I think of Scott Pilgrim vs The World. It's about sex, breakup, hookup, and more sex. I was in middle school when this album came out and it was explicitly banned for me to listen to by my parents. So I never really listened to it until now. It holds its genre of "art punk" with white knuckles and could be defined by the stereotype that goes along with it. All these years later, it's not for me. I would turn it down if someone gave it to me to listen to. 4/10
Fleetwood Mac
5/5
"Finally some good fucking -music-" Literally a perfect rock album 10/10 no notes.
The Cure
2/5
I do not understand the appeal or the praise this album has. It's melodramatic, trying way to hard to be soulful, and just did not interest me in the slightest. I knew there was going to be an album like this eventually where everyone gives it such high praise, but I just cannot find enjoyment in this album. 4/10 I must have been vaccinated because I don't need The Cure.
Kendrick Lamar
3/5
It had it's moments of beautifully written lyrics and very thicc beat tracks. I'm not a rap connoisseur but I know Kendrick is one of the best of his era. I'd rate the full album as a 6/10
Kate Bush
2/5
I am not the target audience/demographic and I did not enjoy this creative endeavor. It sounds like the music they put on baby toys that look like instruments. The vocals sound like a high school theater kids first musical. Kate Bush in recent pop culture is associated with Stranger Things as one of the characters favorite musical artists. This shit is not for me and that's OK. 3/10 - it wasn't unbearable, just not good.
Donald Fagen
4/5
Fagen's time in Steely Dan really shines through this album's tracks. It's the smoother, calmer, classier side of what can be easily glimpsed in Steely Dan songs. Beautiful, calm, and reminds me of walking down NYC streets at 1AM thinking about the one that got away with a slight whiskey buzz. 7/10, it's got me brooding like a burnt-out retired homicide detective.
Laibach
3/5
As strange as this album is, it's actually a really fun listen. It's just a bunch of policitally charged musicians making music that inspires them to be more politically charged. I know nothing of this culture or of the group but as an ignorant outsider, it feels like an homage to perhaps their culture while also fighting the current culture. It's masculine, vocal, and almost a call to arms. When I learned its song "Opus Dei" is a national anthem for an art project country whose visas are literally classified as art projects, I fell in love with it. It's a wild industrial album that's reminiscent of Rammstein and has some catchy tracks. I would use the term "avant garde" to describe this album. 6/10
Count Basie & His Orchestra
3/5
Above average big band album. I'll give it a 6/10
R.E.M.
5/5
One of the best R.E.M albums and it shows. I've always been amazed that this band didn't come out of the British underground music scene and that they're actually from Athens, Georgia, USA. They have such a unique and beautiful sound. They often get compared to U2 and I think R.E.M blows U2 out of the water because they never sold their soul to the corporate gods like U2 did. I love a good R.E.M session. This album is a 9/10
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
4/5
Sleezy, grimy, dirty, and perfectly exuding the undercarriage of 70s rock & roll culture. This band was for the rockers who lived out of trailers, who fist fought in parking lots drunk at 2AM when the bars closed, who woke up smelling like sex, hard liquor, and weed. This is a disgusting and awesome album, it fucking rocks. 8/10
k.d. lang
2/5
Per the Wiki article, k.d. lang DEFINITELY wrote this album to make a pass at Marlene Dietrich. If I wasn't at work stressing over deadlines and going to meetings, I could appreciate this album. I love her voice and how smooth all the tracks are. It's not a repeat listen for me but I'll think of it next time I'm drinking a paloma on my back porch this summer. 5/10
SAULT
3/5
It's produced very well and touches on very sensitive cultural topics specifically in regards to being a black man or woman in modern times. All the reviews make this very apparent.
The beats, the vocals, the instrument variety, it all works so well together. It touches on historical musical traditions in a fresh way. I very much enjoyed this album and I have traditionally avoided soul/R&B since it never really did anything for me. It's creative, catchy, and unafraid to say the things that are normally whispered in close circles. It's artistic music done correctly.
Politically, it's a call to empathy. To see one another as equals. To end violence and prejudice based on physical human characteristics none of us can control. It's asking you to be a loving caring person, which is a language everyone should understand, but unfortunately don't.
7/10
Neil Young
3/5
I'm learning I'm not a Neil Young fan, but this one definitely has some good USofA vibes. It's melancholy, calm, and heavily inspired by US culture. 6/10
King Crimson
5/5
Unfortunately, no one will every be high enough to enjoy this album to its fullest extent. This is the epitome of English stoner rock. Trust me when I say this sounds fantastic on surround sound hi-fi vinyl. It's a 10/10
Talking Heads
3/5
Pretty good Talking Heads album, not their best, but pretty good. Hopefully "Speaking in Tongues" comes up later because that album is undisputably their best produced and musically intriguing album. This album is good, but definitely doesn't showcase what Talking Heads is all about. It's a solid 7/10 and would've been higher if they didn't keep producing banger after banger. Just knowing what's to come drops this score a little.
Musically, it's so unique. Only Talking Heads sounds like Talking Heads. No imitation band or cover can even come close to the swagger and pure passion that comes from this band. Stand-out songs on this album are "Life During Wartime", "I Zimbra", and "Heaven". Every song has that Talking Heads sound, but those three are a preview of what this band is known for.
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
3/5
Each song is different from the last. This is an obviously early rap album which the Wiki claims to be experimenting in figuring out the album format with this emerging genre of music. Some of the tracks just absolutely do not hit. "Scorpio" just did not do it for me despite the Spotify plays being the third highest played on the album. Having tracks like "It's a Shame" transition into "Dreamin'" was also a hilarious transition in tone. Some of the rap flow is very clearly improv which makes this album feel real and alive, but also it carries with it an awkwardness.
When I finally got to the album's namesake song "The Message" it was like a bucket of cold water waking me up from a nap. This song is fantastic and stands as this album's strongest song. It's powerful, unashamed, and a robust commentary on life in the 1980s inner cities for black Americans. This song alone brings up the whole album.
Overall 6/10
Quicksilver Messenger Service
2/5
For an album that's essentially only 5 songs, it's pretty good. "Who Do You Love - Pt. 1", "When You Love", "Where You Love", "How You Love", "Which Do You Love", and "Who Do You Love - Pt. 2" are all essentially one conceptual song broken into six parts. Imagine if Rush broke their song 2112 into each individual act as an album track. That's how this series of songs was essentially created. It's also cool that half this album was recorded on the east coast, and the other half was recorded on the west coast of the USA. Really gives a deeper meaning to that beautiful oil or acrylic painted album cover.
Despite this album releasing in 1969, it sounds quite contemporary and has that "Local band playing at the local dive on a Thursday night" vibe. The Who Do You Love Suite is just a great jam session from start to finish. Nothing really offensive besides it being 25 minutes. What really gets me about this album is how it just keeps going and going. It definitely started to feel like the songs were going on just for the sake of going on, and not that they needed to. The 7-minute "Mona", the 13-minute "Calvary", the 6-minute "Where You Love" did not do much to introduce anything new. It seemed to drone on and on in the same 5 chords while the guitarist just shredded for the whole song.
Overall 4/10. Needlessly long and drawn-out.
Steely Dan
4/5
Wonderful, beautiful, easy listening album. It definitely deserves its spot on this list. It's an album everyone should hear at least once and pairs great with the smells of pines on the summer air and campfire smoke, the feel of cold water and the heat of UV rays reflecting off sunscreened skin, and the taste of watermelon and cheap light beer.
9/10, it's Steely Dan.
Van Halen
5/5
It's 10/10 and every millennial's father played them this album at one point in their lives. The introduction into the album with "Runnin' With the Devil" is so iconic only to be followed up by one of the most deservedly over-rated songs in rock & roll history: "Eruption". Van Halen is legendary, and rightfully so. Their music is extremely simple, very palatable, and tastefully high quality despite the actual members of the band being the opposite. They are generally considered THE definition of 80s hair metal. What a hell of an album, I can't decide if this album or 1984 is my favorite Van Halen album, but all their music rocks.
10/10 - Hell Yeah
Snoop Dogg
3/5
It's an above average rap album. Snoop is a great human being as well. Just living life doing everything that makes him happy without hurting anyone around him. I'll give it a 7/10
The Blue Nile
1/5
A depressing ambient ephemeral album of whining vocals and the same chord playing on repeat with the sounds of wind and water as back tracks. This album probably gets played on repeat in massage parlors and hospital waiting rooms. I hated it. 1/10
TV On The Radio
2/5
Each song has incredible variety. It feels like weather in the Midwest USA. The saying in that area is "If you don't like the weather, wait an hour". Well in a sense, that saying applies to this album as well. If you don't like the song, wait 3-4 minutes and you've got something completely different than what was just playing. I didn't hate any moment of this album, but it was pretty room temperature the whole way through. No particular song stood out to me, no song made me skip, no song had any lyrics or melodies that I can justify adding to my daily playlist. It's white bread with bologna and American cheese. It's inoffensive, universal, and unapologetically bland. If any album so far deserves a 5/10 it's this one.
Eminem
3/5
Whether I hate it or love it, it doesn't matter. This album marked the beginning of Marshall Mather's success. The least played song (besides the intro, skits, and interludes) is "Amityville" with 39 million plays. That's more than the majority of any of the albums on this list. This album is notorious, controversial, and beloved by fans of Eminem.
Personally, I could take it or leave it. I don't listen to Eminem for the content of his music; I listen for his flow and his rage. This is great gym music and I've had many good exercises with this album playing in my earbuds.
Not for the faint of heart 6/10
Metallica
5/5
If you would have asked me 10 years ago what my favorite album of all time was, it would have been this album. For almost 5 years in a row, this album was my most listened to album on my Spotify Wrapped. I can play every song on this album on guitar, I know every lyric, I can air-drum every beat.
Every song is so cool and has so much musical swagger. Say what you will about the band members of Metallica. I agree with you. They are stuck up, rude, self-righteous assholes who value their profit more than their music. But despite that, this album is timeless. It's the soundtrack of every pubescent man feeling a surge of testosterone when he shoulder checks his high school rival, every gym-bro has played this album in their earbuds at least once when they've gone for a PR, every football player has done drills to one of these songs playing on the speakers. It's just a damn good metal album.
This album is important for one reason: It made Metallica mainstream. Before this album, Metallica was generally viewed as something the guys smoking cigarettes in the back of the bus listened to. This album made them famous with "Enter Sandman" and "Nothing Else Matters" slowing their jam from thrash to rockabilly and undeniably appealing to billions of people.
The topics on this album range from singing about a dream eating demon, to fighting your inner demon, to fighting other people's demons, to werewolves, to rattlesnakes, to being homeless, to travelling to the darkest parts of your mind, to loving someone so close to your heart, to fighting the world for that person. It's metal as fuck and also strangely introspective. This album absolutely deserves its spot on this 1001 Albums to listen to before you die.
Personally, it's a 10/10. Thanks to my friend in middle school for being such a shit influence and getting me hooked to this kind of music. And to my dad for playing this at an uncomfortably loud volume while we drove to and from the running track.
Sepultura
4/5
What a pleasant surprise to see Sepultura made this list! This whole album is awesome. High energy, loud, gritty, and catchy. I typically jam to songs on this album at the gym, it's a good one. 8/10
The Who
2/5
Incredibly meta and constantly breaks the 4th wall. It's ridiculous and on the nose. Why it's on this list? I have no idea. It doesn't do anything that The Who weren't already known for. The critics who think this is their greatest album does make me laugh though, just like the image of Robert Daltry sitting in a bathtub of beans. It's milquetoast, 4/10.