Something Good: Liked the really heavy percussion hits. Very 80s.
Something Bad: Eh nothing stands out in a bad way, but nothing really in a good way.
Best song: Come to My Aid
This is just a guy singing by a campfire making up lyrics as he goes. And, like, he's pretty good at it as campfire singers go, but there's a reason why people don't line up to see the one guy at a frat party who brings an acoustic guitar.
I don't like Bob Dylan.
A palatable listen - I can see why people like this but I don't think it's necessarily for me. I like the droning in the background that seems to be omnipresent. And I like how the voice seems intentionally unpolished. Loses points because it lacks musical complexity, and a lot of the songs sound similar.
Best song: Heroin
First 5 star rating and well deserved. Classic after classic on this album. It’s overplayed but only because it should be. I’ll listen to this one many more times.
Best song: Stairway to Heaven
Cool sound but just way too long and repetitive. If you’re not experiencing live jazz live then it loses a lot of luster.
Fun listen. Love the book of sounds they used, especially the harmonica in the beginning. A little cheesy but in an endearing way.
Starts off really strong, but at the end I realized how similarly a lot of the songs sounded. With the cool intro to Foreplay/Long Time, I had a hope that we could get some more "out there" stuff - but by the end I was left wanting a bit more.
All in al, though, 4 or 5 songs on this album that I would describe as "classics". Great listen, just hoped for a bit more variability.
What a great voice! Joan brings the funk when we need it but also can hold back and sing with soul and emotion. Great listen that I will come back to
After the first 2 songs I was excited for the rest of the album to begin. With 2 songs left I was excited for the album to be over. He's got a great voice but the songs all blended together. Very “cruiseship-core”Won't be returning to this one.
Well, well, well, if it isn't the best album of all time. What can I say about this album? Simply incomparable. Stevie Wonder keeps every single song on this album unique.
Love's in Need of Love Today - Listening to this, especially the intro, is like landing in a soft, grassy meadow. Easy to get stuck in your head.
Have a Talk with God - So many bits and bobbles to this track! All of the background auxiliary percussion, the background singers, harmonica flourishes? A joy to listen to.
Village Ghetto Land - A jarring difference between the pompness of the "strings" in the background and the sad, stark lyrics. Love the use of the synth in this track and the lack of reverb. Emotions come through on this track.
Contusion - Fuck yeah. If I could give a gripe with this album, it's that there's not more jazz fusion tracks like this. Because it fuckin' rocks.
Sir Duke - One of my very first favorite songs. When I learned trumpet, this was the first some I wanted to learn. When I bought a bass, this was the first song I wanted to learn. The shout chorus is an all-timer, and the chord movement in the chorus is a thing of beauty. If I have to pick a favorite track on this album, it might have to be this one.
I Wish - The bass line is elite. The brass thrown in the track and the drum fills and Stevie's screaming in the end is infectious.
Knocks Me Off My Feet - If I'm honest, Stevie's slow songs very rarely do much for me. But the soul definitely comes through, the chords and their crunchy upper extensions are satisfying, and the KEY CHANGE? That's delicious, delectable even. Second half of the song really brings it home.
Pastime Paradise - Wow, I can't believe Stevie ripped off Weird Al's "Amish Paradise". Honestly this one isn't totally my jam but also...you know...what influence this had on music.
Summer Soft - At first you think this one is going to be overly saccharine, but then when you get to the chorus? We start to bring the funk with the bass and the drums. And remember the key change from Knocks Me Off My Feet? How about a few more of those puppies? Yum.
Ordinary Pain - A lot like Summer Soft, in a way. At first you worry it's gonna be too sweet and corny, and then Stevie goes into another mode and it transforms the track into something that kind of hits you in the gut. Does it drag on too much at the end? No - it's fun to listen to all the way to the fade out.
Isn't She Lovely - Another one of my favorites on the album. I think I've listened to this one enough where I can, and will at every opportunity, whistle the entire harmonica solo at the end.
Joy Inside my Tears - OK I'll be honest - every album has a dud. Too slow and saccharine for my taste.
Black Man - This song just makes me want to strut. Just so much funk from beginning to end, love the synthy horn punches in the background. If anyone thinks the end goes on too long, I will disagree wholeheartedly, because the beat is just so good. My only complaint is they don't name MORE black men at the end!
Ngiculela - This has become a favorite for me to sing in the shower. Great chords and upper extensions, and a great book of sounds used in this song. And a great song to show off Stevie's voice.
If It's Magic - In the lower tier of songs on the album, and yet it's still phenomenal. The use of harp makes it unique from the other tracks, and the reverbs harmonicas in the end wrap it up in a bow.
As - Anytime Stevie gets gravelly with his voice, it's an instant classic - gives me chills every time. Love when he vamps with the constant force of the background singers holding it down.
Another Star - The drums and horns almost give this a Copacabana feel, and then the jazz flute? Magnifique. We need more jazz flute in our life.
Saturn - Love the triumphant vibes of this track, I feel like I am in an 80s movie and I just feel in love while winning a sports game or something.
Ebony Eyes - Of all the songs on the album, this is definitely on the simpler side. And yet, it's just such a fun listen. Easy on the ears, a fun talkbox solo, easy chords that tickle the brain, just a great one.
All Day Sucker - Has the "tough" energy of "Higher Ground", but not as good as Higher Ground. A good listen, but another that doesn't stand out from the crowd. Certainly unique though!
Easy Goin' Evening - ...we do unfortunately end my favorite album of all time with a whimper instead of a bang - I think this one just seemed like filler and could've been kept off. But...after 1:40 of hit after hit, I'll allow a miss.
So, all this being said - it's all downhill from here, unless I can be proven otherwise. Thanks Stevie for an all-time unmatched masterpiece.
Not really my thing. I appreciate Lorde’s haunting voice but I didn’t necessarily enjoy it or the album as a whole.
I think Neil Young wrote an album that his voice was not compatible with. His voice is almost too meek to keep up with the intense orchestral tracks. That said, it wasn’t bad, and I can appreciate the stark difference. Just wish this album had a different singer.
I didn’t think I would enjoy a blues album as much as this. Typically they get boring after a few songs but this kept me interested the whole time.
I’ll be honest I listened to two songs and then got distracted elsewhere
Fairly unmemorable to me, though I did particularly enjoy the last track.
I appreciated the novelty of it but that’s about it - a bit too aggressive for my tastes.
Good, but lacked the hits of other Led Zeppelin albums. Still overall love the sound, and the haunting nature of Robert Plant’s voice. And Kashmir is an all timer, of course.
Didn't think I would enjoy this nearly as much as I did! Strong voice and catchy tunes. A bit long for my linking but still an enjoyable listen.
The songs I knew I still liked, and the new songs were decent to good. Kind of one note, but a good note at that. It's not the most exciting album I've heard but I think it was pretty solid.
Meh. Not much to say about this album good or bad. Just no aspirations to listen to this again.
Good song list! Loved the sounds of the first track vis a vis the title of the track. Might not flock back to this one but there was a lot I enjoyed and little that I disliked.
Maximum cheese factor…and yet it’s just so much fun to listen to! Everything is turned up to 11 in the best way - will definitely return to this one on a rainy day :)
Won't return to this one - not terrible but just not inspired to listen to it again.
Another Stevie album and another 5/5 - Living for the City is an all-time great, and its supporting cast on this album elevate. Crazy that Stevie wrote this album at 24.
I didn't NOT enjoy listening to this. But the first track made me think it was going to be a lot more ethereal than the rest of the album was. With little exception (shoutout Knights of Cydonia and Guitar Hero 3), the tracks were mostly forgettable.
I enjoyed the composition of the album, with the spoken interludes, and I enjoyed the realness of the album. But I don’t think it would stand up on its own with out the interludes, and the songs themselves were largely bland.
I think it says a lot that there are no songs on this album that are longer than 3 minutes long. This album sounds like they just pressed record, played for on average 90 seconds, and then moved on to the next one. I cannot find anything good to say about this album, but I wish the band success at their high school's upcoming Battle of the Bands.
Well it was a breath of fresh air from yesterday, but I was hoping to get more out of it than I did. I appreciated that there were peaks and valleys to the album but it just a didn’t have the X factor I was looking for.
Didn’t listen to all of it to be honest.
Hell yeah some proper funk. One of the coolest voices out there, with some good horns to boot. Very fun listen, will return!
Great background music. Not great foreground music.
Certainly stands out from other albums from the 60s. I enjoyed the contrast between the Byrds earlier last week and this because it really contextualized what the Beatles started to do with music. Some great songs on this album but a lot of forgettable ones. I’d give it a 7/10, but we must go by a 5 star rating.
I had no reason to like this album but it really stood out for me. Did not understand a single word but I loved the sound.
Delightfully bombastic drumming, great hits, and an exciting sound to the album. Obviously Baba O’Reilly is an all timer but this album just did it for me. Will certainly come back.
This album is like if you turned on the "Top 10,000 Classic Rock Hits of All Time" playlist and got to like 2,300-2,310 on the list. None of these songs are bad, but they're all a bit short of the hits. This is a perfectly cromulent album.
Happy that I listened to this, because if I truly have to listen to all of these albums before I die, then the rest of my life will be blissfully and cognizantly void of this album.
I loooove long songs on an album…usually. This one, while not outwardly bad, just seemed to drag on forever, with not much novelty or excitement to keep my attention.
This album perfectly exemplifies the phrase "it's not a phase, mom, it's who I am". I appreciate the novelty of this, they use a lot of sounds that I've never heard in music before. And there are certainly lots of bits and baubles that keep my attention.
But yeah don't get me wrong, this album is not at all an enjoyable listen and I am excited for it to be over so I can cleanse my ears.
I love Nina Simone. I've yet to find anyone who pours her soul and sadness into their voice quite like her. Her cascades of piano are like waterfalls, and her use of block chords are almost Rachmaninoff-like. She touches on emotions deeper than I think I have felt. She is just incomparable, and thus I can't give this album any lower than 5 stars.
I’m no rap buff but this just seems like a seminal album in rap and hip hop and it’s easy to tell why (if I’m right). Fun use of samples, and a casual coolness that permeates the album.
Just effortlessly smooth. It's not the most exciting jazz album I've heard, but it's just such a smooth and chill listen. Accessible by jazz standards, but still enough in here for jazz lovers to grab on to. Fun instrumentation. A treat all around.
As a direct opposite to our last two albums, this sounded “effortfully uncool”. If I never listened to this album, then “Clocks” and “The Scientist” would’ve stayed as pleasant songs in my head - but having to listen to this whole album at once really knocked them down. Not a good listen.
Somewhat forgettable- appreciated the novelty and attempt at a cool felt album but with the offputting voice and lack of catchiness, it didn’t land at all for me.
Definitely on this list because of its musical relevance rather than its catchy tunes. But the first track I genuinely enjoy, the others not so much. This is one I listen to when it’s focus time at work. A tricky one to rate but because I really like listening to 1/1, I’ll give it 3 stars.
I think this is one I will come back to - I listened to it twice and liked it more on the second listen. There's celarly a lot to "get" about this album that I am still getting. But the highlights (Pyramid Song and Life in a Glasshouse) I really enjoyed.
There was just nothing remotely exciting about this album. Like I feel like none of the songs had bridges, weird chords, fun instrumentation or time signatures. This was just 40 minutes of yet another 4 chords, 4/4 song. Nothing offensive but at a certain point I forgot I was listening to music.
This has all the Christmas hits! I didn’t realize these were all on the same album. It’s cool to listen to an album that probably helped revolutionize pop/rock music, and then realize that it’s a Christmas album. Fun listen. And also fuck Phil Spector.
Not bad but I think a lot of CCR sounds the exact same. In isolation their sound is nice, but a whole album starts to get old.
Something about this stood out compared to the other 90s alt-rock albums I’ve heard so far - I liked that it wasn’t directly angry, the songs all had little uniquenesses to them, and I really liked the track in 5/4. Maybe this is generous but take 4 stars!
First album I reviewed before the group came in. Still the same sentiment - very 80s but not totally my scene. Not an unenjoyable listen though.
A new standard for modern concept albums - what an enjoyable listen. The variance between songs and even within songs kept me entertained, and Janelle Monae really composed a story with this album. Will definitely come back again (and again?).
I didn’t want to feel this way but this album just kinda bored me. It wasn’t unpleasant, and it’s good backyard barbecue background music, but nothing will stick with me about this album. If this wasn’t by The Rolling Stones I wonder if we would remember it at all.
Still, not unpleasant, so a 5.5/10.
Highs and lows - liked a lot of the instrumentals, really disliked the guy's voice. Overall I’m confused how I feel about the album, if it was a different singer then it might be higher.
The late 00’s indie acoustic music is very far away from my wheelhouse for music - that said, this was some of the better music from that genre. Rather calming, and I appreciate the music on this album. Just not for me.
This album pleasantly surprised me - I was expecting another self-indulgent, whiny Britpop album, but this seemed deeper both musically and content-wise than others I listened to. I especially liked the title track, which I am surprisingly adding to my normal rotation.
While I acknowledge this album has a lot of classic hits on it, I just find it exceptionally boring to listen to. Those hits were clearly meant to be listened to in isolation from one another.
Neil Young's voice went from bad to worse as this album went through, and the quality of music following IMO. He's kind of approaching Bob Dylan territory for me.
The same song, over and over again. All samples lead to almost no harmonic interest. Could not hear the flow in this album that I hear from other hip hop albums. Not a fan one bit.
Great start with Paint it Black!
And then, 37 minutes of lame music with misogynistic lyrics and one of the worst 10 minute songs I’ve ever heard!
Vocally this was a drag, but I ended up really liking the blues and rockabilly influences. Possibly 4 stars with more appealing vocals but they grated me a bit.
This album makes me feel I like I can do something great with my meek and pathetic life. The raw emotion in Bruce’s voice is borderline inspiring. Loved this listen - a rare 10/10.
Really liked the title track, kind of went downhill from there a bit but still kind of a fun listen. Not sure I would listen to a full album but a couple of these songs sprinkled into my life wouldn't hurt.
Ambient music but not the kind of ambiance I would ever want
A bit too airy, lacking substance and heft, for my personal tastes. I get why people may like this album but it was not for me.
Tough to judge with no other Indian music to judge it against. I like the educational aspect of this, and it’s a pretty chill album, but it lacks the heft I typically look for.
Very cool, liked the emotion and the “community” feel to these tracks.
I can only take so much noodling over blues chords, and I love jazz too. Great musicianship, infinite influence, but overall just kind of an okay listen.
Eh. Liked the instrumentation with the organ, the blues feel is nice but gets old a little bit. Not bad but I don't think I would return to this album.
So much more depth than the other Byrds album we’ve had. Some cool musical effects, decent variety, and even some lyrical depth.
Every once in a while, there was something I could pick out that I liked.
But, for the vast majority of the album, I was just hoping it would be over.
I can see how this helped shape hip hop but this aged incredibly poorly to me. It would be nice if they have any lyrical depth besides “we’re the funkiest guys in town and we’re gonna party with some tunes”
Lots of smoothness and coolness on the album, but definitely not my cup of tea.
Great stadium rock, not as great for reading emails in the office. This is good music situationally but it lacks the next level to transcend into greatness for me.
This album was weird in a decent way. I enjoyed the theatrics of the album. I think it's clear that David Bowie's voice was past its prime at this point, and I wasn't overall impressed with the musicality of the album. But I liked this more than I thought I would.
Appreciate the originality but it was too scattered for my taste.
This Kate Bush album is a great example of why I like this journey so much. This wasn’t my favorite album we have heard but this music is unique and all its own! I agree that her voice is a bit grating but the emotion in the voice and strength in the lyrics makes up for it. I think it’s been a bit since we’ve had an album with passion but this has passion. I especially liked the first and last song. A 7.5/10 for me yesterday!
I give this album a 5/10, one point for each chord they used.
Tremendous! An album where every song is catchy and, more importantly, unique. Elton John is a storyteller both with his lyrics and instrumentals.
Some people love a big juicy cheeseburger. And I do too. They’re delicious.
But sometimes, I will stare in awe at a dish prepared by the most meticulous chef, where every event on the plate is slaved over, each individual garnish is placed carefully by a set of tweezers, and each component makes something larger than itself. In the end you have a plate of food that is, of course, delicious; but more so, you have a physical manifestation of culinary perfection - or at least, the chef’s version of it.
We’ve listened to a lot of juicy cheeseburger albums so far. But today, Chef Steely Dan has prepared us a Michelin Star feast of an album, and a I’ll love to dig my teeth into this one whenever I have the chance.
Even the “filler songs” on this album are unique, varied, and fun listens. You have the classics, yes, but it’s really a testament to this album that you have 30 songs and, even when there is one that isn’t my favorite, I never got bored listening to this.
Also, shoutout to the orchestral lullaby at the end? What a pleasant surprise from a Beatles album!
Dreadfully boring. The clarity and crispness of his admittedly good voice was just so counter to the folksy feel that I feel the album would’ve benefited from. Felt like the same song 9 times.
Not really my vibe today - there were some parts I enjoyed, and some samples that I found cool, but I won't come back and listen again.
A lovely album to listen to without a lot of individual hits. Very charming and chill, great representation of Americana.
This one is really hard to rate. One on hand, you really can’t tell the story of music without this album. It clearly had untold influence on music ever since. And it’s definitely an emotionally charged album. Not a lyrics guy too much, but the angst, anger, and apathy come across in the lyrics just as much as it does the instrumental itself. And I’ll also say from a musics perspective, there’s some non-traditional chord changes in here which I find interesting. All of this culminates in an album that was new and novel, and I appreciate that.
On the other hand, I just really don’t like it very much! This kind of music is so far away from what I enjoy. Music that just makes you angsty is annoying and whiny to me.
So I’m going to give it a 6/10. Because as an album, it’s impressive, iconic, and has such a strong aura to it. I don’t like the aura, but I give points because it sure is strong.
You know something about this album was appealing to me - it scratched the same itch as when Led Zeppelin songs about elves and Middle Earth. It leaned too heavily on the folk side of things for me though. I wish they leaned more into the bluesy side of things and the unique instrumentation, but some of the songs got a bit too Druidic for me. Certainly a unique listen though, and some great upright bass playing within. A 5.5/10 for me today.
I’m gonna start with something good to say - this album tells a story, and I appreciate the consistent through line in the album. I appreciate their commitment to this unorthodox music style. And, it did make me think critically about the importance of metronomes.
Now, for the rest of my review. This album has all of the flow of a 5th grader’s poetry who need to make sure every line rhymes. The lyrics are laughably bad and painfully British. There is NO musical excitement - once a beat is established, it does not change or grow throughout the song. There is nothing cool about this album. Nothing even close. It’s kind of like they recorded the lyrics first and then found a backing track and used it without seeing if it fit with the tempo or rhythm of the rapper. This album is actually a ringing endorsement of bullying - someone really should’ve bullied these guys out of releasing this album. The only thing that would redeem this would be if they came out and said “guys this whole album was a joke”.
This album definitely shouldn’t be on this list - not because it’s bad, but I think it was added in 2020 because it was written in response to Black Lives Matter protests INSTEAD of being added for musical significance.
I can appreciate that this album is an emotional response to the condition of the world, but that doesn’t excuse that this album went nowhere pretty quickly. Musically this really droned on for me, the message quickly faded into songs that established a cool beat and then did nothing with it. Seems better suited to be background music at an art installation rather than something to actively listen to again, in my opinion. 4/10.
great album, not as good as Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. Of course Elton John shines, and there’s no bad song on this album. My qualm is that pretty much all of the songs on this album are “ballad-ish”, so they mix together a bit. But still fantastic. 8.5/10 from me.
Obviously a 10/10 album from an impact/cultural perspective. From a listening perspective, this isn’t my favorite kind of jazz, it’s apathetic coolness is a bit too present. But after all, it’s still such a great listen.
Very poorly aged album - fun at times but the vast majority of this is truly annoying.
Love it! Typically blues isn’t my thing but this had such good energy and emotion. Would’ve loved to been there live, too.
Not a fan of new wave - wasn’t my least favorite but got stale and a bit grating after a while. Happy to get this one out of the way, I suppose
Meh, this was kinda disappointing. Couple of tracks that are still fun listens, but absolutely no variety. The rest of the album just sounded like fillers.
Parts of this were enjoyable but overall it wasn’t a memorable album. I did like Jump Into the Fire but I don’t have much else to say about it. 5.5/10.
I liked this album a lot. Cool sampling and reference to other hip hop tracks (they said “can I kick it?” a bunch!). Very interesting and compelling social commentary. Though the rap style was kind of consistent throughout, the beats were varied and I liked the cool and near-intimidating flow. Easily my favorite song on the album was the one that I definitely cannot sing in the company of others. 8/10 today.
I think there’s some interesting Brian Eno evolution going on with this album. Because you can hear the skeleton of a normal pop song in the first couple track (which I don’t really enjoy), and then the shift into quasi-ambient music towards the end. For me though, this pales in comparison to Music for Airports, since the ambient tracks are almost too complicated, and short enough that I really can’t get fully doused in the ambiance. It’s a 5/10 for me today.
For Beyoncé: I hate to be that guy who talks ill of more modern pop music…but this just really isn’t it for me. Overproduced to death, and it’s hard listening to this knowing that there were like 40 people credited with the songwriting of this album. Seems produced just to make money and hits.
This is a great album if you want to listen to Beyoncé talk about having sex, though. Probably not many better albums if that’s your only rating system.
However, the trio of Superpower, Heaven, and Ivy in the middle of the album stood out. Amidst all of the down and dirty tracks, I feel like these gripped me much more. I wish I got to hear more of that interspersed. But with what this album is, I can’t say I’m a fan. 3/10 for me today, sorry Queen Bee.
Ooh, another late 60s album with similar sounds and instrumentation throughout with seemingly little experimentation - THIS is the one that I needed to listen to before I die, though!
White Rabbit, Embyronic Journey, and Somebody to Love are obviously classics. Especially White Rabbit - what a gripping track.
But outside of those, the album falls kind of flat for me. Wish we had more of the eeriness that White Rabbit brought, and more of the folk guitar texture of embryonic Journey.
It’s fantastic. As a concept album, I acknowledge that it’s better listened to all at once than listening to individual songs. My only mark on it is that it does not have that “crowning moment”, that “Beethoven’s 9th finale” moment of “it all led up to this moment of euphoria” that I want to get from concept albums.
But I’m nitpicking, which I think is fair for such a revered album. It’s sonically pure, hyper detailed, and an all time classic.
Not enought reverb, not enough distortion. I could almost hear the music, and we can't have that, now can we?
A bunch of songs that were almost catchy, but not quite catchy enough to remain memorable.
I really tried, I listened to this like 6 times, and I really just didn't get it. I guess I appreciated the story but the musical was theatrical without being gripping. If I didn't know any better, this album would not ne memorable to me at all.
Unbridled joy in this album. Louis Prima brings energy, sometimes in a manic manner, that permeates throughout every song. While every song sounds more or less the same, the songs are still fun to listen to. Pristine music for dancing in the kitchen and falling in love. Very happy that this one came up in this journey!
This album is lame, I’ll say it. George Michael had a good voice. But, the songs are just so cheesy and saccharine. I feel like I’m being serenaded by someone who has just been introduced to the concept of romantic attraction. This ends up being an album devoid of any emotion, the same overproduced sounds, and nothing to latch on to. I can’t agree with the comparison to Duran Duran, because at least they were fun. There’s nothing fun about this album, outside of of the first track.
3/10.
This album was kind of like edging but for music - all of the songs developed pretty cool beats that I started to get into, but after 1:53 of just beats, boy does it get boring. I was waiting for some face-melting synth solo, or something like that, and I didn't get anything. So, what this album became was something far too long, anti-climactic, and boring. Memorable, maybe. But not for good reasons. If this album was 30% the length, this may be a different conversation.
Today’s album was a collection of songs, each of which were a collection of notes, words, and rhythmic components. It lasted approximately 47 minutes. While better than some albums, it was worse than others. It featured instruments, including the guitar, bass guitar, drums, and voice.
That’s all I really have to say. Perhaps significantly more active listening would be important. But it was quite uninteresting to me, so it became background music almost instantly.
4/10.
A bit of a step down from other Stevie Wonder albums - definitely still a good album, but missing the star power of Songs in the Key of Life and Innervisions. Love Stevie's growly voice.
A pleasant listen - there's something about Joni's prosody when she speak sings that I don't really like, but I really like the mood tht this album brings about. It's light and airy and calming.
Just barely into the 3 stars, a shoutout for something truly different and creative. Weird at times, but a good jam at others.
There is nothing at all that I will remember about this album’s tracks. It set a decent mood but there is nothing to latch on to as particularly interesting. Also, it could’ve been a tenth of the length and it would’ve had the same effect.
Not really mu preferred genre but just so chill and calming. Delightful ton on the guitar.
It's hard to compare this to his live album - I think what made his live album so good was the energy that permeated it. It took the repeatable, formulaic songs and zhuzhed them up a bit.
This album, while not unenjoyable, lacked that energy to it. The first few songs were nice but after the first few songs, I didn't have much desire to listen to it inently because there wasn't much new to glean from the following songs.
Far too angsty for my liking.
Reggae has never been my preferred genre, but this was a pleasant surprise. The album lulled me into a sense of relaxation. There’s not a lot of excitement on the album, in fact I’d say there is almost none at all. The beats and backing stay consistent throughout the track, and there’s little melodic interest.
And yet, it’s a calming album with good social commentary. It’s not a good album to me for active, intent listening because it lacks the bells and whistles I like from an album. But as background music, it’s pretty nice. 6/10.
Great sound. A very easy listen, dad rock with some jazzy/bluesy influences. Love the feature of plucky guitar.
The OutKast album is really good, objectively, but it’s really not my style. There’s an excess of attention of detail to this music - unlike a lot of rap music, there is lots of variety within each song. A lot of the somgs are catchy to a certain degree. Of course, Ms. Jackson is a classic.
I think I’d have to listen to this again to fully appreciate it, but it’s still a 7/10 for me because of how detailed and meticulous it is, while not feeling annoyingly detailed.
Man, it’s been a while since we’ve had a truly boring, non-noteworthy album! I’m thankful for The xx for giving me the day off. This album is music, for sure. It’s sparse, but not in an intriguing way. The album lacks excitement, progression, and overall interest. No footholds to latch on to today. Just an overall flop. 2/10 for me.
Good but not great, Friend of the Devil is a really enjoyable song, and no songs on here that I dislike. The album lacks variety but it’s a really easy listen.
I really liked yesterday’s album! Surprisingly I, too, do not speak Portuguese, so some of it could’ve been lost on me. But, there was so much rhythmic interest in the songs with fun bass lines. And the cuica in the background (that’s the thing that sounded like a laughing monkey) was so much fun! If this was in English I think it would’ve been even more popular. I’ll toss a 8/10 out, I look forward to listening to it again!
What is this feeling? This feeling of…kind of enjoying punk music?
Don’t get me wrong, this won’t make it into my regular rotation. But, there is something oddly real about this album. This isn’t a whole album about “woe is me, life is bad, fuck the man”, it’s like 4 15 year olds made an album but didn’t try to make it anything more than that. The TV party song made me laugh out loud at the absurdity of it - why did you write a whole song about watching TV? No further meaning?
The emotions and rawness come through on this album far more than others. The songs all have the same mood but there is variation in chords, structures, etc. so that it doesn’t drone on. I’m coming in with a 6/10 today, against all odds!
It’s not my favorite I’ve heard by any means, but there’s a lot to latch on to on this album. I feel like the beats are all quite interesting, though not necessarily catchy. I don’t hear a bunch of social commentary throughout, which I feel like is a hallmark of a pinnacle rap album. But, there’s musical experimentation (LOVE the end of the song Water), variation, etc. I’ll toss a 6.5/10 out.
Write a book instead.
Classic- puts you in the right mood for listening right off the bat. For all of the satanic panic this may have kicked off, it was surprisingly tame.
This album grabbed me today! It’s pop punk-ish, but there’s an extra level to it. The musical form on this album takes a lot of twists and turns away from the “standard formula” for a song. There’s youthful energy in this album that I really took to. Even some surprisingly fun music theory stuff in here (weird time signature shenanigans in Mansize Rooster, ambiguous chords in Time to Go).
Never thought I would say this about punky Britpop…but an 8/10 for me today. What a surprise!
It's no Songs in the Key of Life or Innervisions, but it's still a great album. No stinkers on here, but beside Superstition and You and I (to a certain extent), it misses the X-factor that other Stevie songs have had.
Really just straigiht down the middle - Passenger is a good song I guess but nothing memorable about this album besides that for me.
Funky fresh, cool covers, overall a fun listen. Got a bit cheesy at times but the beat and groove kept me going.
Not necessarily bad but just exceptionally stale.
That was way weirder than it was compelling.
Would be a lovely album to fall asleep to - lots to hold on to lyrically but unfortunately very little to hold on to musically. Special shoutout to the little Bach minuet in there - wish we had more of that energy.
Enjoyable but not necessarily memorable.
Funky, little psychedelic, fun listen!
Too much "prog", not enough "rock". This could've been super cool if it was a bit more grounded, but too experimental and wayward for my taste.
Bob Dylan tried his best to get me to like him with the first track, and I was starting to rethink things.
Then the rest of the album happened. I am sure I'll be repeating this for the uncountable number of Bob Dylan albums on this list: write a poem instead Bob.
Tapestry:
First album in a while that I can honestly say I loved. You’ve Got a Friend is one of the very best songs ever in my opinion. But outside of that, you have an emotionally deep album. Carole King’s voice complements the music very well, it’s not too strong and pure but there is a comfort and familiarity with its slight imperfections. Musically it might not be the most exciting ever, but the song structures vary enough to keep me happy. Just a very comforting album to listen to, memorable melodies throughout. A 9.25/10 for me today - tremendous.
Fun fact - this album stayed on the Billboard Top 10 for 313 weeks, second all time! Any guesses on what album was on there longer (for 724 weeks!!!)?
Man today’s album would’ve gone so hard at The Ol’ Tulsa Saloon!
After the intro and first song I was cautiously optimistic - the introduction caught me off guard, and the slow guitar solo in the first real song was surprisingly interesting…but the rest of the songs did nothing for me.
A 3.5/10 for me today
Here are the Sonics:
Earlier this year I splurged and bought a really solid set of headphones. Music that sounded good before sounds even better with these puppies. So it’s with that evidence that I can say: this album is mixed as bad as any album I’ve heard. The singer’s voice is peaking for at least half the album, and I can’t listen to it without that grating against me.
And that’s a shame, because for a mid 60’s album this is brimming with energy and recklessness. It would be fun to listen to but I can’t get over the production errors. I’ll throw a 4.5/10 its way today.
Johnny Cash:
It’s risky to take a lot of songs and cover them in a way that on another day I may call inspired. But Johnny Cash did very little with them so to accommodate his vocal range, and I think that helped the album land on its feet. I think the song selection was mostly very wise - to take timeless songs like O Danny Boy, In My Life, and Bridge over Troubled Water, you give yourself a great canvas.
I chuckled when I put together that Personal Jesus was a Depeche Mode, because it made me think about old country Johnny Cash listening to Depeche Mode in his free time.
Overall, I don’t know if I would listen to this full album again, but as a swan song (plot twist: he released another album after this one), I think it’s quite good. Johnny Cash’s voice carries it in a way only he could. 8.5/10.
Queen: this album kind of confirmed a long standing belief that I’ve had that a lot of Queen music is not that phenomenal. At their best, it’s almost impossible to beat a Queen song. But this album as a whole was just missing the X-factor for me. I appreciated the over the top, operatic nature of the album, but it was missing anything catchy. Without a memorable hook throughout, it ended up a fun listen but not one I would ever choose to go back to.
Almost sounds like someone doing an album that’s just a parody of Queen. 6/10 for me.
Dr John: I’ll give this album credit, this does immediately transport me to a rocking chair on a porch in the Mississippi Delta, my cousin Andre (we call him Sawbones) is cooking an unholy amount of jambalaya, and I’m just kind of waiting for a gator to come out of the swamps so we have some more meat to add to the pot.
But besides the lovely visual this provides me, the music does next to nothing. Very bare. Quite unique, Dr. John’s voice is unlike anyone else’s. But that’s not a compliment, necessarily. Not my style, 3/10.
I’ve never really liked Elvis. Something about his voice is unsettling about me - it sound untrustworthy, like I need to cover my drink if I’m near him. And perhaps that’s not fair, and I only feel that way because many people after Elvis tried to replicate the sound, so *they’re* the phonies.
Obviously we wouldn’t have the musical world we have now if it wasn’t for Elvis. This album deserves a spot on this list for sure. But it’s not the music for me. The song that stands out for me is Gentle on my Mind - a song originally by Glen Campbell which I love. And he kind of massacred it, took it from a deep insightful song and made it sound like it belonged on the Vegas Strip.
An added point for music influence gets him to 5/10 today.
It’s hard to give this album any lower than a 8/10 - multiple big hits that helped to define a musical era. It’s a bit one note but not in a bad way. It’s interesting too to listen to these songs in a context where people aren’t scream singing them at a wedding or other celebration too - there’s a bit more nuance than I would’ve expected. Great album today, happy to be back :)
For Goo, I think it earned more points than a normal punk album. There was some cool experiments with sounds in the album which, while I did not enjoy, I at least appreciated. But not enough to get it more than a 4.5/10.
OJ - like if the Talking Heads were a little bit more 80s and a little bit worse. Not a bad listen but not enough to really stand out. 5.5/10.
Brian Eno: kind of like if a Michelin Star chef painstakingly composed garnishes, created a unique and stunning plating arrangement, and served to you from under a silver cloche a glass of spoiled milk. This has things I like in an album, it’s well produced, has bits and baubs, and is unique.
Unfortunately the music really just kinda sucks. 3.5/10, and I think that’s generous.
Great album, don't love giving an album full of covers 5 stars but still a nice listen.
I mean I will give him credit this album is significantly more tolerable than the first few I’ve listened to. The presence of instruments beside guitar, harmonica, and Bob’s voice are boons to the album. Songs seem to have a bit more energy and lightheartedness. I still think it’s an album on the boring side, I will still lament the same formulaic song structure throughout, and I will still complain a bit about the tone of Robert’s voice. But it’s new favorite Bob Dylan album. A very surprising 4/10 today.
What fun this album is! A combination of wild ideas, fun voices, catchy melodies, and bits and baubles abound. It's cool to listen to this and itendity newer music that was clearly influenced by it.
Blood Sweat n Tears:
Very interesting album! I can’t tell if it’s really cool, experimental, and unique, or exceptionally lame and cheesy. But it definitely is somewhere between the two. Very unique instrumentation and structure to songs on the album, definitely makes no effort to fit into a box which I really like and respect. Any album that covers Erik Satie gets a bonus point. I owe this one a second listen, but for now I’m going for an 8.5/10!
Nanci Griffith: might be good road trip music or campfire music. Not the most exciting album I’ve heard. I wouldn’t recommend it to others but it’s so vanilla that it doesn’t hurt. 5/10.
Kind of felt like it could've been any other jazz album by any other fella. Didn't grab me like other paragons of jazz did.
Led Zeppelin: first a shoutout to my mother for listening this with as little bias as possible
With that said, I think this album rocks big time. Robert Plant’s voice is chock full of raw emotion which I think shines on this album more than anything. But to go along with that is music that is similarly raw and emotional, with a decently wide breadth. I’ve never listened to this album, so I was pleasantly surprised by the blues tracks on the album.
Babe I’m Gonna Leave you stood out especially with the transitions between soft acoustic guitar and the hard and noisy parts. I think that track encapsulates how much emotion was put into this album. Im finding that a lot of these albums don’t have the feeling that I associate with the best albums of all time…but this one certainly did. 9.2/10.
MIA: I appreciate how much is going in this album, it’s definitely varied and the tracks aren’t lazy. Everything in the album seems like a conscious choice rather than just establishing a beat and sticking with it.
Unfortunately, none of the songs are good or memorable to me! Just a bunch of consciously organized noise. Bonus points for uniqueness gets us to a 4/10 today.
For Pantera - it’s disappointing because there’s a lot of musical talent here and I did find myself headbanging from time to time. But when it’s 55 minutes of non-STOP anger, I agree that it becomes more noise than music. I wish there were some breaks, some moments of happiness, or victory, or lightness. But as is, I give the album a generous 4/10, because I think it’s great for what it’s trying to be.
Run DMC: definitely here for influence over quality in my opinion, but that’s not to say it’s bad. Beats are crisp and vocal styles are stylish, but we’re kind of in the “proto-hip hop” era of lyricism where the lyrics lack a lot of nuance, commentary, etc. Glad the album exists for what it did for the industry, and overall a pretty fun listen. 6.5/10.
Queen: this is further support that Queen is just a bit overrated - don’t get me wrong, this is a fun album, and I love the musical effects on the album. There’s some cool production on this with the fading from left ear to right ear, the songs are certainly unique and have a bit of a rock opera feeling to them. Killer Queen is obviously a classic.
But when Queen songs don’t hit, they really don’t hit. If you think of the Beatles albums we’ve heard so far, even the “non-classics” are still a delight to listen to. But on this album, a lot of the songs are a bit cheesy for my liking.
When all is said and done, I prefer this album over almost any Britpop, Bob Dylan, post-punk, or Pantera album. But my view of Queen is slowly eroding, sad to say.
Rod Stewart: I think I’ve been underrating Rod Stewart! Such a fun voice, and the songs on the album vary in emotion and feel. Love the small interludes here and there of very barebones acoustic guitar. I knew Maggie May coming into this but I came out with a few new songs to enter the rotation.
Couldn’t help thinking that this whole album could, with a bit of creativity, be background music for a Guy Fieri documentary. Some of the music is good for cruising in a convertible, some gets a bit softer and emotional, it has just enough rock energy to match his energy…just something to consider for any cinematographers out there.
8/10
This album really grew on me. At first it just really sounded like an album full of words I am very much not allowed to say. But as I listened, the nuance really took over - it’s rare to hear a hip hop album where the beats feel entirely organic, no drum sequencer, no copy paste throughout. There’s no song on here that is super catchy that I will add to my normal rotation - but this was a really well put together album and I’m glad I listened to it. 7.5/10, and worthy of an additional listen.
All the appeal of drum and bass but with added cameos from others. Sounds just a tad more organic but I still don’t really see anything to latch on to with this music.
A pleasant listen but not a groundbreaking one. I like the big band sound but after a while the songs become just a bit formulaic and the sounds start to blend together. Any one of the tracks would be nice to listen to but all at once, it loses its luster. Still good though - 7/10.
6/10 album by a 10/10 woman
