I love hip hop and was excited to explore a piece of its roots, but I can't say I liked this much. There are some creative moments, but the project is too long and inconsistent.
Indie, emotional, praised. What's not to love? Well I guess I liked it from a distance. Overall, the sounds are pleasant but the overall product is boring.
I've never been the biggest fan of R.E.M and their overall sounds and hits. Now that I've listened to a full record, I can say that I respect them. Still not my style though.
What an emotionally potent and consistent record. I loved almost every minute of it. Definitely plan to keep this in my catalog.
It is nice for my first true introduction to Nick Drake to be his debut. The sounds are simple, serene, and beautiful. The lyrics are pure poetry. Really liked this one.
Is it a little long? Sure, but I quite enjoyed it. I gravitated more towards the calmer moments, but found myself liking each heavier track more than the last. Iconic album for sure.
This is the closest I have come to giving my first 5 star record. So close. Still, this album is concise, masterful, and a pure joy to listen to. Not a bad song on it.
I can't say that I was crazy about this one. Kings of Leon are pretty dull all in all. It was so inoffensive that it almost became offensive. Listenable if nothing else.
Despite never thinking of Van Halen as a group worth exploring, I went in open minded and can honestly say I was blown away. This album is full of personality, swagger, and is hard hitting.
Axis is a fantastic and classic record, but I wouldn't go as far as to say it's Jimi's masterpiece. Still, this record is packed with some of my all time favorite songs.
Funky, jazzy, and full of life. Overall, it’s a fun little compilation with a lot of heart. Everything is semi decent with a couple of tracks that really stuck out.
I can’t deny how fun and charismatic this album is. A handful of songs feel half-baked, another few are close to being pretty good, and a couple are truly great.
Hear the cheers of prisoners as Cash emulates their plight. It is beautiful and soul-crushing to hear that last note ring out before it’s back to prison business. Still, Cash left his mark with one of the greatest albums to ever be recorded.
This album gets better with each listen. It’s definitely a dense 36 minutes, yet it remains a fun listen. The song structures are unorthodox, the performances are quirky, and it is all accented with pieces of noise and distortion. Brilliant.
What an overrated album. The vocals are one note and the instrumentals are painfully uninspired. You can’t slap on a “politically charged” sticker and claim the album is a masterpiece. Even if the songwriting is great to you, take the album for what it is: bland.
The first song was pretty good, but was soon followed by a very lousy album. If you ever meet someone and they say that their favorite band is The Electric Prunes, run.
This is by far one of the greatest pieces of jazz out there. It’s a spiritual experience containing some of the best sax and piano solos. Coltrane would follow this a year later with the boldest jazz album I know with Ascension. Still, A Love Supreme is THE Coltrane album.
I didn’t actively dislike this album by any means, but something was holding me back from fully enjoying it. The instrumentals were right up my alley and the vocals were the right amount of weird. I just don’t think it’s fully my thing.
Echo & the Bunnymen are a band I’ve always appreciated, but I never dug too deep. Now that I have listened to their debut, I can say they are pretty good in an album format. Although, the gloomy sounds start to blend together.
Honestly, I just really enjoyed this record. Even with some songs going for 9+ minutes, every song stuck with me in one way or another. I’m excited to hear more Neil in the future because I know he has even better records later. Regardless, this album was awesome and one I will keep in my catalog.
I honestly didn’t think I was crazy about this on first listen. Once I was deep into my second listen, I just sat back and let the warbling samples and thumping beats become my inner rhythm. I ended up enjoying this record more than I thought. It’s a fun little record with some truly infectious beats. I liked it.
I was finally given a reason to listen to an album that I’ve heard many good things about. Now that I’ve listened, I can see why it is beloved. There are few albums I know that are so utterly captivating. Bush takes full advantage of the album format to create a wholly complete listening experience.
I really love nerdy, sci fi inspired hip hop records. While this album contains some dated lyrics, it is pretty damn charming. The dark, boom bap beats are awesome and the flows are unorthodox. The topics can border on absurd, but the album isn’t afraid to embrace its absurdity. Also, the album cover is perfect, especially for a hip hop record.
MGMT’s debut is just an all around solid album. It is stacked with hits, but also delves into a great blend of synth pop and psychedelic music. The second half is noticeably weirder, but I appreciate the pacing of the record. I really don’t think there’s a bad song here.
I was not very excited to listen to this one. With that being said, it’s really not bad by any means. 25 is a pleasant listen mostly due to the very safe pop formula and Adele’s vocal talents. My biggest gripe is that this kind of music is uninspiring and doesn’t lend to much replay value.
Every aspect of this album is cheap and forgettable. The synths sound like a child’s toy and the singing has that pseudo inspirational, I’m soaring with birds sound that puts me to sleep. I am usually pretty forgiving on music, but there doesn’t seem to be a silver lining for this one.
I wouldn’t mind putting this album on in the background this winter to soundtrack a snowy night out. This albums historical significance is undeniable, and the quality is there as well. While almost nothing on these two volumes was remarkable, it’s still a very pleasant listen.
The instrumentals are lush, funky, and burst with life. Steely Dan’s music may be labeled “soft rock,” but their finesse cuts through. There is a coolness to this record that I can’t get enough of. From the punchy piano playing to the often cryptic lyrics, this album won me over.
I know I’m the outlier on this one, but I quite enjoyed the expressive vocals and how they paired with the dreamy instrumentation. This is far more interesting than some other very safe and boring records on this list. There’s a boldness that I really appreciate in this record. The two vocalists pair nicely and create a nice juxtaposition that keeps the record interesting.
This album is the equivalent of a Lifetime channel movie. It may create a nice atmosphere when on in the background, but when you look closely you will realize it is pretty bad. Overall, the instrumentals are utterly basic, the lyrics are superficial, and the singing is as run-of-the-mill as it gets.
It’s difficult to say anything bad about this album. That funky, soulful, disco style that permeates through the record is so infectious. The entire record is borderline flawless and is a joy to listen to. This is the type of album that I could sit back and live in.
I once went to a country concert and I was pretty miserable the whole time. About halfway through, the band started playing Mr. Brightside and I was so annoyed that I left and ended up sneaking into a neighboring Danny Brown concert where I had the time of my life. I can at least appreciate The Killers for inspiring me to walk out of that first concert.
I’ve never listened to any Beach Boys and was unaware of their history. Learning about Dennis Wilson and his eccentricity left me excited to explore his sole record. The album itself is ethereal, bluesy, and dramatic. While I appreciate these qualities, the album didn’t fully click with me.
Such a wonderful album. From the funkier tracks to the smooth soul cuts, I loved almost every minute of it. I was truly hooked on track 2 when that warbling instrumental started. By the end of the rich and soulful track 9, I was sold on the greatness of this record.
QOTSA is one of my favorite bands of all time, so I was excited to hear this one. I wasn’t aware of this band, but I quickly recognized their style and was happy to hear it. I love the fusion of grunge and psychedelia that bands like these curated in the late 90s. I will say that I liked the album for the most part. The first half was noticeably better, while the latter half started to dip in quality slightly.
At 27 minutes, this album is straightforward and concise. Dolly Parton’s songwriting is very focused while also being pretty sappy at times. Songs like the title track are full of heart and other tracks can be a little too on the nose. This isn’t a bad album at all, but it left me wanting a little bit more.
God I love this album. I didn’t even need to listen to it, but I still did of course. This is one of my favorite Bowie records of all time. I’ve always viewed Station To Station as the sounds of “persona Bowie” dying. There is a definite darkness to this record while still remaining a very catchy listen. Always a great album to experience.
This is a definitive masterpiece and possibly the greatest grunge album of all time. It melds grunge, metal, and the darkness of addiction into an unrelenting body of work. To this day, the album sounds fresh and the production is phenomenal. It’s one of the few albums I know where every song is fully realized while also being great to listen to.
Much of this album is pretty half baked. It is often short and concise at the cost of feeling complete. Many instrumentals felt like generic soundtracks to a cheesy film from the 60s. The singing is plain and only serves to compliment the uninspired instrumentals. Still, the album was a nice, easy listening experience. The overall vibe is elegant and serene with a couple of decent tracks and another couple of bad ones.
I believe that Led Zeppelin has at least 3 albums that are contenders for being perfect or near perfect. This is one of those records. Even the weakest moments on this record contain something noteworthy. For a double record at album an hour and a half, it never becomes stagnant. Led Zeppelin mastered making mosaics of rock and this is the album where that is on full display.
I was around 11 years old when I got an iPod. On that iPod, I bought The Rolling Stones Greatest Hits. My stepmom asked me to play Wild Horses for her. I gave her headphones and pressed play. She sat back and her smile soon turned into tears as she wept. I will never forget that moment because it showed me how powerful music can be. After listening to the song within the context of Sticky Fingers, I can say that the songs that accompany it are great too.
The instrumentals were enjoyable on many tracks on this album. Overall, I found the bubbly pop sounds underlying this record to be underwhelming. Also, there is a lot of wasted space on this album due to multiple drawn out tracks that go nowhere. Lastly, the album ends with a pretty disappointing pair of instrumental tracks that leave me wanting more.
Second thoughts: I had to sit with this album for a few days to start to see its appeal. There is simultaneously a warmth and a melancholy to the soundscape of Blue. During many moments on the record, I have felt a welling in my chest due to the emotional weight of many of these songs. For now it’s a high 4/5, but I may increase with more time. (Original score: 3/5)
Mask is a decent display of what Bauhaus has to offer. The sharp, dissonant guitar playing and the persistent drumming create a supremely dark atmosphere. Still, I wish many of the songs would’ve taken it further. I loved the title track and its weirdness along with a couple of other moments. Not their best work, but it’s a solid batch of songs.
Second thoughts: I have ended up truly loving this record. It’s the type of record that doesn’t let up and takes you on a journey you won’t regret. From the break neck pace of Battery to the ambition of Orion, I was sold. This is my first Metallica album and I am excited to dig deeper into their catalog. (Original score: 3/5)
I am brought back to my time in high school when this came out. It was one of the newly released albums at the time that defined a large part of my adolescence. Ctrl is such an evocative peak into the world of a young artist. It is a stripped back and brutally honest album with some truly infectious melodies and production. I remember following the TDE label closely at the time and was excited to see them branch out with this one. Now SZA is a true pop star. Amazing album.
Janis Joplin was undeniably a great singer and a very important musician often defined by her early passing. Many songs on Pearl build to Janis crooning dramatically over the entire band joining together. Despite Janis’ domineering voice, I wasn’t drawn in by this album, and I realized that this combination of ideas just doesn’t move me.
My second Stevie album on here and discovering his greatness has been one of the best parts of this journey. Compared to Talking Book, this album has less punch while being more lush and gorgeous. The song ideas have a more creative edge at times while the slower tracks have just the right amount of atmosphere.
What an amazing opening track. An album like this, spanning 17 songs at nearly an hour and a half, is likely to have some duds. There are some fantastic songs and a few duds. The album starts to drag in the end and the piano ballads start to become tiresome. Still, I can’t deny the ambition of this album and how significant it is in the grand scheme of music history. Great record.
Step into a world so deranged and off kilter that you may wonder if you made a wrong turn along the way. With time, you’ll begin to realize that this world is full of beauty and pure, unwavering energy. This album is the alternative albums to rule them all. Never has there been an album so imperfectly perfect in my eyes. Bravo.
Pink Moon is much more than a man and a guitar. The very plucking and strumming of that guitar is so skeletal and brittle that it evokes the tragic yet beautiful poetry of these lovely songs. Drake’s vocals are noticeably melancholic, but also warm and honest. This albums songwriting is its strongest quality, but the music itself matches its strength in almost equal measure.
Not only does this album have amazing solos on the guitar and saxophone, but also a phenomenal violin solo. Furthermore, the bass playing is superb alongside that prog style drumming. It truly feels like a movie for my ears. I don’t even notice the length of some of these songs or the lack of vocals. I always knew this album would be something special when I finally listened.
I said in my Physical Graffiti review that there were at least 3 top tier Zeppelin albums and this is definitely one of them. LZ1 is so punchy and straightforward, yet it still displays the genius of the band. This is one of the best rock debuts in the history of the genre. While it’s a masterclass in blues and hard rock, I think it just barely misses the mark due to some awkward pacing and transitions.
As an avid electronic music enjoyer, Im surprised I haven’t crossed paths with this one. The influence of this album is absolutely insane. Progenitors of musical styles should be respected, even when the music is lacking in certain areas. The album contains barebones synth pop infused with electronica from the 70s which is cool, but the sounds lack the expansiveness that many artists would later add. It’s enjoyable, but a little lacking in depth.
My first thoughts are that it is mind blowing that their sound evolved so dramatically within a 3 year period. This album has never been my favorite in their catalog. There aren’t any true qualities that distinguish the songs from one another. The bands sound is never bad to sit back and listen to, but this album lacks the edge I look for in their music.
This was one of the albums I was most excited to listen to on this journey. On this album, Rush just sound like a band that knows what they’re doing. The first half contains some of the most infectious prog out there. Side two is even more ambitious with a sprawling 11 minute track to start and two fantastic songs to finish. It’s masterfully concise, contains dramatic songwriting, and the band performs harmoniously.
I feel as if I am not in on a joke when listening to this admittedly interesting album. The avant-garde can be awe inspiring at times, and at other times it sounds something like this. Laibach curate these quasi-industrial vignettes backed by chants and the ramblings of a madman. It wouldn’t be bad if the vocals weren’t so unbearable at times.
You really can’t go wrong with some classic Christmas songs. Obviously this type of music only fits a certain time of year, but it fits the time well. This was a nice surprise for the holiday and was fitting for my long car ride to see family.
