Day 1: Best tracks: The Words That Maketh Murder, In The Dark Places, Bitter Branches, The Last Living Rose I’m more of a fan than not. But I’ve always been lukewarm on Let England Shake. I think it is "The Glorious Land" that keeps me from embracing the album; I don’t care for the mix of the reveille in the song. 7/10.
Day 2: Best tracks: Tom Sawyer, Limelight, YYZ, Vital Signs No skips! I’ve loved this album since high school, and it holds up 25 years since I first heard it, start to finish. Moving Pictures is the most apt album title in Rush’s discography. Each track is full of imagery and is never boring. 10/10.
Day 3: Best tracks: Working Class Hero, I Found Out, Well Well Well, God I’ve never listened to this album from start to finish, but I’m glad I did. It’s greater than the sum of its parts. I'll want to revisit this, perhaps when the next Lennon/Ono album is chosen for me. 8/10.
Day 4: Best tracks: The Weight, Chest Fever, Tears Of Rage, I Shall Be Released A classic that spawned a decade of tunes capped by The Last Waltz. I've always preferred The Band in this more unrefined sound. 8/10.
Day 5: Best tracks: Everyday Struggle, Big Poppa, Juicy, Suicidal Thoughts A few permanent skips for me (One More Chance, Fuck Me (Interlude), Respect). The skits are beyond intrusive. Biggie had flow, but Diddy's vocals in the background appear on too many tracks for me to give anything greater than a 5/10.
Day 6: Best tracks: Metropolis, The Robots, Neon Lights, The Model No hard skips. But definitely prefer a few over others. Metropolis might be one of the first "synthwave / out run" tracks, and I love it. I was introduced to Trans-Europe Express and Computer World well before this album, but this is the one that I listen to more often now, 20 years later. 9/10.
Day 7: Best tracks: Desafinado, Samba De Uma Nota So, E Luxo So, Bahia I'll admit that bossa nova is not in my audio wheelhouse. I'm extremely unqualified to render a judgment of this music, but I enjoyed listening to it while walking my dog. And the next morning on my commute. Desafinado is all I'd ever want from this type of music that isn't straight from the Monsters, Inc. soundtrack. 7/10.
Day 8: Best track: Mayfly By the time I reached halfway through the title track, I thought to myself, "Do The Smiths suck this much too?" While I'm operating under the assumption that the answer is "No," I'm now scared to find out the answer may be "Yes." Never have I heard so many words say absolutely nothing. Thank God Franz Ferdinand redeemed Glasgow in terms of music output. 3/10.
Day 9: Best tracks: She's Calling You, I Against I, Sacred Love, Re-Ignition Balls to the wall hardcore by one of the best groups to ever do it., and the genre never sounded better to my ears. Danceable in several doses, and almost all 31 minutes are headbangin' worthy. I've saved six of the ten tracks, and I'd only heard one of them prior to today. 9/10!
Day 10: Best tracks: Common People, Disco 2000, Mis-Shapes, Bar Italia Witty and bitingly subversive. God I wish this was bigger in the U.S. in 1995/96. My go-to answer to the "Oasis vs. Blur" debate is Pulp. At least Pulp exemplified both the "Brit" and the "pop" in Britpop. Listening to this again doesn't make me reevaluate. This album slays from start to finish. 9/10.