1001 Albums Summary

eh, didn't hold my attention

Soundtrack to my adolescence. A classic.

Not my favorite, but some great songs.

I like this one, too bad it was ruined by some dang cruise line.

Fair, but not my style. Lot of talking?

A classic, really like this one.

Kinda...eh. Not really my style, maybe too mellow.

Excellent work, love this one.

Meh, a little too mellow. I appreciate his contribution but not really my style.

Love Bone Machine, this one was tough for me.

A classic, really like this one. The soundtrack to some pivotal times in my high school years, holds up very well.

Quite like this one. Inspired me to explore their entire catalog.

I see what they were trying to do but not for me. I like experimental and electronic but this just didn't blow my hair back

Pretty good, recognized the obvious, rest was decent. The lead singers voice got to be a little much by the end.

Love it!

Liked it more than I thought!

I quite liked this. Have listened to 'work it' a million times, but enjoyed a lot of the rest of it as well.

Oh man, rolling into downtown Lincoln with this one playing at full volume. I loved the sound and I loved the unique approach to being cool. Holds up so well, just vibing to the great beats and nobody samples like the Beastie Boys. Would be tough to pick a favorite between this one and Paul's Boutique.

Very drum 'n bass. Ok for background, nothing too crazy. Did recognize the band from the Trainspotting soundtrack.

I can appreciate it, but not really my style. Not one I would have on regular rotation. Recognized Cry to Me from somewhere and then realized it was from Dirty Dancing.

Just looking at the red shirt first 🧐 Really like this one, been listening to a lot of Jimmy after the intro. Fun to listen to

I had this one on in the background most of the day yesterday. It has some good jam band grooves but nothing really jumped out at me.

This one didn't really do it for me. I'm sorry Mr. Bowie, I respect your legacy but had a hard time getting into this one.

Not my style.

A bit too renaissance faire for mlady

I think it is surprisingly musical, but too screamy for me. When I wore a younger man's clothes I dug it but now that I'm old it is a bit much.

Great one to revisit. Really like this one. Uniquely part of my DNA growing up.

Really liked this one. I did a little reading about how it wasn't commercially successful until it was remastered, very interesting. Takes me back!

I couldn't do it. Listened for 30 seconds and just wasn't willing to give it a shot. It isn't you, it is me.

I like this a lot. The story behind it was interesting too. Dave is a talented mofo, what a life. I really wanted to love the album but wouldn't quite go that far.

I liked it. If I had been alive in the 60s I think I would really like it. Nothing really grabbed me, but I can appreciate the evolution of their sound.

Ok, didn't grab me but Worth a relisten

I'd only heard the one popular song, but quite liked the whole thang.

So far off to a good start. Music is Love rockin intro with some bongos maybe? Djimbe? Ultimately felt nice if a little predictable.

Kind of funny to me about all the reviews complaining how this is "pop not punk." Longview's video found me at the perfect time and I've probably listened to this album 1000 times so not really an unbiased review, but while this isn't masterful songwriting or amazing musical composition it wasn't trying to be. It is expression of emotion, and I think it does a fine job of that.

I would have said 3.5 if I could. Amazingly talented artists and easy to listen to, it is just that nothing really jumped out to me about this one. A few songs that I've heard a lot on the radio and really enjoyed, but I honestly don't see myself queuing it up for repeated listening.

Way better than I thought. Actually a fair degree of musicality there, sort of listenable and foot tapping in parts. If I would have encountered it at 14 it would be a different story, tougher sell at 51.

All good ones. It is 29 December so unfortunately no additional capacity remains for listening to Christmas music. !RemindMe next Christmas.

Stripped down and catchy. If these guys were in your living room you'd probably be a little uncomfortable but it sure is fun to listen to. Wish I could remember how this one came to me, I had the cassette when I was 14 or 15 and listened to it all the time. Is there some connection to Stephen King?

I enjoyed this one - definitely nice to listen to. Kind of mellow and dancy.

I could probably do this as I was watching a movie or a play or a shower with shampoo but it felt pretty over the top for straight up listening. As usual, I can appreciate the artistry but not going to make heavy rotation.

Part of the fabric of my youth, although I don't think I ever listened to this one all the way through. I dig it.

Good, not great. A nice change of pace from Slipknot but not making it to my heavy rotation.

This did not make me feel good or happy. Dislike.

Hadn't heard this one in probably a decade, I thought it held up really well. Very easy to listen to, and brought back a lot of memories. I saw the Zoo TV tour a couple of times and that was a pretty transformative experience. I read a little bit about the backlash to Rattle and Hum - I really enjoyed that one back in my teens but had no idea about all the critical hubub. Interesting to see the pivot, confirmation I guess that U2 are great image marketers.

I liked it quite a bit. A few gems, and interesting to see the development of the complex, layered songs.

Really enjoyed this one, great party music. We've loved BVSC for years, and I did a lot of reading on Mr. Puente, sounds like he is one of the good ones.

Jill likes it. I think I like his son better (musically at least) but not bad.

First listen was a little bland. Seemed better on the second go. I've never quite clicked with Mr. Bowie. Respect, just never loved his stuff. I listened to it again a 3rd time and it started to click. Definitely will give it another listen. Maybe it was just too early in the day the first time, Bowie is kind of a night artist. 3.5 stars.

I think the first song is about street life. I like classic jazz, modern jazz all sounds a little too samey for me.

Much better than I thought on the first pass. Quite listenable, I never really gave her much of a chance but will come back to this one. 3.5 stars. What a voice.

It is hard to tell, but it almost sounds like the band wasn't held under house arrest and subjected to psychological deprogramming for a full year eating nothing but soybeans while practicing for this album. I was surprised that I couldn't remember hearing about this band, and as far as I can tell I've not heard any of these songs before. It seems like the kind of thing that I should like but it felt disjointed and I couldn't get into it.

Oh my, this is an emotional one. I found this at a time in my life when I was hopefully disillusioned - beginning to recognize that the things I wanted weren't real and wouldn't make me happy. I don't think I knew it at the time, but the feel of this album perfectly expressed my smiling dread. Beautiful and hard to listen to at times for me personally because of the emotions it evokes.

Need to give it another listen. I felt like I was listening to VU. Some catchy songs but didn't love anything in particular.

I kept waiting to get my melon twisted, could hear the buildup to that track on the others but they all seemed a little flat to me. I was spoiled by the overplaying of that one from my youth I guess.

Perfect. My only regret is that I can't listen to it again for the first time.

On an extended road trip with my dad, we had a handful of cassettes - Full Moon Fever, Green, and One Second by Yello. At that age I was drawn to Stand because I was instructed to by the radio / video powers that be, but listening to Green over and over really caused this one to burrow into my brain. I moved backward into Document and forward into some of their later work, but this one stands alone. At times haunting and meaningful in an accessible way.

Definitely listenable, can appreciate but had a hard time getting into it. My Gangsta Rap days may have been left in the past.

So far off to a good start. I have a feeling these guys got more ass than a toilet seat in their day. Liked it more than I thought I would, a couple goofy songs but I liked the jangly guitars. Would give this another listen, 3.8 stars.

Nothing jumped out to me. I really like some of their songs but this one played without evoking much of a reaction in me.

Strangely my wife liked it more than I did. It grew on me, had obviously heard the hits but never the full album. Will come back to it. 3.8

Gave it several listens. Some of the tracks were very atmospheric and moody, really liked those. A few in the middle were not so interesting. 3.8, will definitely give it another listen.

Quite good, interesting reading about the approach to sampling used. 3.8 stars

Well, I didn't hate it as much as some of y'all did. The opening track is fantastic, no doubt about it. I really wanted to latch on to something else but it felt uninspiring to me. A lot of mid-tempo plodding. Maybe you just need to be in a mellow mood for this one. 2.5 stars.

I tried - I really did. Initial listen I assumed was a parody. Then I read a little bit about the origin of the album and the interpersonal dynamics and gave it another listen with an open mind. I enjoy country and bluegrass, can definitely appreciate old timey music. I just couldn't turn the corner, sorry fellas.

I don't play golf, never have. When I was in high school my dad gave me a ticket to a golf tournament in our town. It was a nice day and I didn't have anything else to do, so I went. I thought I might see some pretty girls. When I got there, I fell in with a group of spectators, and followed them to a green (for other non-golfers, that is where the "hole" is - the target the golfers golf at). Not 30 seconds after I arrived at the spectator boundary, I see a ball rolling across the green and plop directly into the hole. Oohs and aahs all around, I look back to the gentleman who made the shot understandably excited, dancing and high fives &tc. It was a "hole in one" which is one of the best things you can do in golf and apparently pretty rare. I knew enough about golf to know this. At that point, I clapped and then turned and walked back to the parking lot and left the course. I don't remember what I did next, but I knew that it was all downhill from there - I could spend all day following those guys around and would definitely not see anything like that again. Tusk is sort of like if I would have stayed for the rest of the tournament. Not unpleasant, a good walk perhaps, but nothing like what came before it.

The first truly pleasant surprise from this exercise. Had never heard of the artist or the album and it was all very good and entertaining. Concept albums are not my jam but I enjoyed this a lot and will definitely revisit it.

Hm. More Bowie.

Sweet Dreams is amazing an Annie Lennox is a treasure. Album is good, not great. 3.8

I have listened to 1984 632 times but somehow never listened to this album. In my defense I was only 4 when it came out. Very technically clean, lots of energy and a lot of fun. I can see how you would get tired of it if you listened like 718 times but Eddie and David were quite a combo. Two handed is the only way to tap. 4.3 stars, my only ding is that the second half of the album was a bit of a comedown.

Somehow Legend got injected into my cultural awareness when I was 14 and I have a lot of fond memories of that album and reggae in general. I'll often turn on Reggae Classics on Spotify and play that for a couple of hours as good background music. When that is what you're in the mood for, the 'one note' feeling isn't really a bad thing. I liked this one, some good tracks beyond the obvious ones but I couldn't really find anything to latch on to. I'll probably revisit this one a few times, but (from my perspective, anyway) nothing terribly interesting or eye-opening here, just sort of follows the formula. 3.2

I had this one in high school. Didn't listen to it then. I didn't hate it as much as some of y'all did, but pretty lite and not super interesting aside from the main attraction. I went back and listened a 2nd time and softened a little bit.

floot grooves. I'm sure it was great in the context of the movie, struggled to engage without.

I liked this one quite a bit. Marquee Moon I had heard several times, but the rest of it was good. Just a few soft spots but will definitely put this on rotation.

Dig this one, lot of fun. I once saw the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion open for the Breeders in Columbia, MO. The day of the show I was driving around with my friend Chris from New York and we saw this land yacht driving around COMO with something spray painted on the side (I think it said ORANGE). Chris goaded me into a high speed chase to catch up to them to meet his heros from Pussy Galore, which cassettes he loaned me to expand my musical horizons. We never caught them, but a wild start to a wild day that ended with me getting my shoulder dislocated at the show and loving every second of it. Anyway, this album captures that energy and what I guess you'd call the "angular" new york sound. I've tried for years unsuccessfully to track down Chris to see what he's been up to. Would love to jam with him to this album.

I read about this album before listening and I think it was built up a little too much. When it came out I am sure it was revolutionary but maybe didn't hold up that well. I found a few moments of brilliance but after a couple of listens just didn't get that engaged. 3.5

How Mr. Reznor can take so much pain and suffering, translate it to industrial sounds and make it so listenable is amazing. I grew up with Pretty Hate Machine and this came out when I was 20. It resonated with me in a profound way then, and I was surprised how well it held up to a relisten when I'm in my 50's. The textures are so interesting and engaging, I thought I would be turned off by the screaming now that I've mellowed a little bit but it still hits. I only docked it a half star just because I couldn't listen to it very often because of how angsty it is. 4.5

Y'all five star mafia making me feel like a cretin here. I can appreciate the talent and I recognize the cultural and historical significance, I just didn't think it was that fun to listen to.

✅ Sad ✅ Atonal ✅ Challenging I was on the periphery of this aesthetic in high school - my 'weird' friends listened to Peter Murphy and Skinny Puppy and Joy Division, and my jock friends listened to Vanilla Ice and Milli Vanilli. I quite like a lot of the darker music, Swing the Heartache became one of my favorites from that time. This one just feels hard, not really enjoyable or musically remarkable. I know the backstory and can appreciate the outpouring of emotion in this album, but it wasn't listenable. 2 days ago The Downward Spiral popped up on my list - arguably a very similar 'suicide note' type of album. That one felt raw and visceral and textured in a lot of ways that Closer didn't. 2.5

I read another review that described this as a "limp dick dipped in cold custard." I thought to myself "how can I know for sure?" I asked my wife to whip up some crème anglaise as depending on how you make custard it can be quite a bit thicker and not really good for dipping. She's taken a shine to baking shows (especially the Great British one) and loves to practice the staples she sees there. As described, after preparing it we put it in the fridge to chill - the anticipation was quite overwhelming to be quite honest. When the moment finally arrived to put our plan into action my part was a little more difficult but the temperature helped a lot. She said it was actually not bad - a little sweet perhaps but good mouthfeel and smooth texture. The album though - what a stinker. My first one star review. Sorry, Blue Eyes.

This is pretty good. I do like the Cure but this is not my favorite album. Mr. Smith turned the dial to "sad & dark" from "dark & weird" for this one and it was a little more than I was ready for. 70+ minutes of mid tempo goth without a palette cleanser is a lot. Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me had a couple of 'template' songs but I find it to be a lot more fun to listen to, and nothing really compares to Staring at the Sea. 3.4

Not always in the mood for shredding to the max but this is pretty fun. Good for Friday night field party with jean jacket natural light &tx On the heels of Disintegration it was a relief. Sounds like some controversy about how live it actually is, but if it sounded anything like this I would have rocked out with my hawk out. Just between us girls my wife said it was scaring our dog and made me turn it off but she left so we're jamming.. 3.9

Have had this one playing in the background for a couple of hours, it really blends in and while nothing jumps out it is easy to listen to. Definitely enjoyable. Albums like this make me wish there was a 10-point rating scale. 3 doesn't do it justice, but 4 feels a little much. 3.8.

I couldn't love this more. It was a permanent fixture in the CD player of my car for years. I can't think of many albums that mainline fun and energy to my brain quite like this. Listened to it again yesterday for the 2,567 and 2,568th time. Still holds up.

I love how polarizing this is. Personally I found it goofy. Frantic organ power noodling. I understand the term "prog" and I hear it used a lot, but if this is peak prog I don't think I want to stay on the ride. I saw another review talking about boss music - that is kind of how I felt listening. Like I was at the end stage of the game where you're frantically dodging fireballs and hammers and having a full body seizure trying to save the prince(ss). Unrelaxing. ETA Nutrocker isn't bad. Still feels arcade-y.

Saccharine sweet, but hard to think of a better example of feel-good pop music. Fun in small doses, but probably not something I'm going to have on heavy rotation. I spent 3 weeks when I was young at corporate training that included a LOT of non-US individuals. One thing is certain, they LOVED ABBA - I probably heard Dancing Queen and Fernando at least once a night. h/t to the Core 7, RIP Trista.

At first I liked it more than I thought I would. It wasn't "clown music" as another reviewer noted. Sick Things seemed to last 80 minutes, had to skip. I read that this is a masterpiece. That is not the word I would have chosen. When I think of weird I think of Mr. Bungle, this just seemed pretty tame and maybe a little aspirationally odd. Didn't scratch the weird itch nor the rock one. I was introduced to AC with Poison, and I liked it when I was 14 because MTV told me to. Now I'm closing with Love The Dead and pretty glad this is ending. Sorry if this means I don't understand music history but this wasn't enjoyable.

Nostalgia bomb. I've gravitated to Security in recent past but So was my introduction. This held up well, great range and never a dull moment. Plus interspecies internet FTW!

I can appreciate what it was at the time, but it feels a little bland when you consider all the other folk options from the same era. I never knew about the controversy, I guess if they were still performing in 2026 they would have been a no-brainer pick for the TPUSA alternative halftime show. I didn't hate it but I don't think I'll be returning often. On the plus side you can listen to the whole thing in the time it takes to pinch a loaf.

I was pretty excited when I saw this one pop up. I like punk and I like screamy noise for the most part. Somehow I never listened to this in all my days of listening to loud and aggressive music. But hey, I was only 3 when this came out so... I love all that this cleared the way for and what it represents, but musically it just doesn't blow my hair back. If I discovered it at 14 I would probably love it today, but on first complete listen I'm not finding anything to move the needle much past 3 stars.

Rumours begs the question: with unlimited access to cocaine, adulterous sex, and the greatest sound engineers and equipment available, who among us would not be able to produce one of the greatest albums of all time on our eleventh try?

I really appreciate the labeling of the Cocaine Songs and Love Songs - I don't know how many times I've been mortified by getting them mixed up. Me: "THIS COCAINE SONG IS GREAT, RIGHT?" Girl in the Club: "WHAT?" "I SAID THIS COCAINE SONG IS GREAT!" "NO, YOU'RE WAY WAY OFF!" "WHAT?!" "THIS IS A LOVE SONG, MAN!" I thought it was kinda groovy and definitely listenable but not one that will probably be added to heavy rotation. To be honest my favorite part was that the baseline in Superfly became the intro to Egg Man. 3.2 stars.

I thought I might be in trouble when all Wikipedia had to say about this was "it is on the 1001 albums list." How so many people thought this was a 5 (the best possible rating) is really puzzling.

I'd never listened to the whole album, quite enjoyed it. Watermelon Man was great, I've enjoyed that one for years. Overall very good, the third song felt a little frantic, would have made Brenda unbearably nervous. Songs like these are great to lose your virginity to because you can really settle in and take your time. The Ramones or the Dead Kennedys are the worst, it is just rushed and over before you know it.

This came out when I was 18, and I just wasn't ready for it. I wanted something that I could thrash around to or that had a killer beat. This felt like middle aged music. I think I owned the CD at the time but never really listened to it. Then it popped up on my list today over 30 years later, and I realized something. I'm still not ready. These songs are soulful and beautifully crafted. There are few voices as recognizable as Stipe's. I really enjoyed it, but I kept waiting for the uptempo part that I could really sink my teeth into. After listening to Document and Green countless times, this felt like a little too much of a downshift for me. I completely understand that as the band matures their sound will too, I'm just going to stick with the energy of their earlier work for another decade and check back in then. 3.7

The dipthongy quality is a bit too much for me. I heard Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk a while ago and it was ok, but a whole album of that I couldn't take. Like a lot of albums on here no question about the talent displayed, but the rating has to reflect my personal preferences.

Groovy and upbeat, good for background music but maybe not a main course.

This could not have been any smoother. Really enjoyable, I don't think I can quite make it to 5 stars simply because I don't think that any part of it would jump out to me on another listen. Said differently, I don't think I would know for sure that I was listening to *this* samba album, or one of many other similar ones. I played on Spotify, and at the end it played suggested similar songs and I liked all of the ones that came after (by different artists) just as much, so this may have been the first but I don't have the experience or the vocabulary to specifically say that this particular album is *great*. I think Raymond is in the room.

Me gusta. I always had a thing for badass rock women like Joan Jett and Hynde. This one has a nice sprinkle of growly punk and catchy songs.

As usual, I didn't hate this as much as a lot of you did, but it did seem pretty pretentious and challenging in a desperate attempt to be artsy. There were a few nice parts but pretty hard to listen to overall. Continually boggles my mind that so many people heard this and reached for the 5.

Ok. Religious conflicts and dad issues. This is a pop album by Madonna. There may be a reason you never hear deep cuts from Madonna.

I saw Alice in Chains (this band, not my paternal grandmother bound) on April 16, 1993. Layne sat cross legged on the front of the stage wearing a stocking cap and sunglasses, and didn't move a muscle. Just sat in a heap and sang (quite well, considering). After maybe 5 songs he stood up, dropped the mic, and walked off the stage. House lights came on, and the PA announced "show's over, folks" and we were ushered out. High school me was so disappointed. Despite getting ripped off, I still quite enjoy the album. The despair can be a little overwhelming, but I hadn't listened all the way through in decades (still holding a grudge, I suppose). I'm glad it popped up today and gave me a welcome shot of nostalgia.

I thought I was going to love this one from the first sonic blast. If I encountered it at sixteen I surely would have. I remember all the skater kids at my high school wearing minor threat t-shirts but I never ventured far enough off the path to spend my allowance on one of their tapes. Very good and punchy, a punk aesthetic that is right up my alley. I don't think I can go quite to 4 stars only because there wasn't any particular part of the album that stood out for me - it had some variation from the speed punk in parts but nothing that I'll be playing back in my head later (at least after this listen). !RemindMe to listen again in a few weeks. 3.8

I'm a man. I love women. I strongly believe that if they were in charge we'd be so much better off. I can't say this album is objectively great. Very enjoyable mix of punk tinged pop and you can feel the empowered vibes. We Got the Beat is an all time classic but the rest of the album (which I first heard at maybe 8 years old) was very listenable but no real standouts. I mistakenly believed that Susanna Hoffs was part of this lineup. I always found her impossibly mesmerizing so was a little disappointed that I got my 80s girl band wires crossed. 3.9

The Cure is fantastic at creating a particular type of dreamy soundscape. This one had a few nostalgia bombs, and some great tracks. Overall I think it would be perfect if you were in a particular mood but outside of The Forest and Play for Today is lacked a certain something for me. I had Disintegration a few weeks ago, I fail to see how those two were different enough to justify two Cure albums on a list of 1001 when there are so many amazing artists out there.

Upon seeing the album: Ooh, nice, a Peter Gabriel album I've never heard! First track: Ok, nice, we can work with this. Second track: Absolute classic. Everything else: um I can appreciate that this is the half of the solo career that made the amazing half possible. Security is one of my personal favorites, but this one didn't land for me.

It was good without the singing / talking. Maybe there is a remaster that removes the vocals?

I'm struggling with this one a little bit. On first listen I thought it was a little goofy. "We're Raising hell like a class when the school bell rings!" Ooh... The music is a little campy and listening to it now feels sort of like an SNL sketch. But then I think about all the groundwork this laid (hello, Paul's Boutique) and how I would have absolutely devoured it if I had encountered it at 12 or 13 years old. Am I rating it for the "listenability" in today's context, or for the historical significance? If something was groundbreaking but is now primarily valued for nostalgia how does that factor in? I'm going to have to sit with this for a bit. Three stars due to blatant corporate sponsorship.

SETTING: A sun-drenched terrace in Mustique. IMAN is lounging in a Missoni kaftan, flipping through a vintage Vogue with herself on the cover. DAVID enters, wearing a linen suit and holding a thick, hand-bound manuscript with the frantic energy of a man who has just discovered fire. DAVID (Breathless) Iman! My love! The stars have aligned. I’ve finished it. The definitive guide. The cultural roadmap for the next millennium! IMAN (Without looking up) Is it another concept album about a dystopian future where we all eat neon lightbulbs, David? Because the gardener is still cleaning up the glitter from the last one. DAVID Better. It’s literature! I’ve titled it: 701 Albums You Must Listen to Before You Die. It’s a service to humanity, really. A sonic intervention. IMAN (finally takes the manuscript, sliding her sunglasses down her nose.) Seven hundred and one? That’s… very specific. (She begins flipping pages. Her brow furrows.) David, page one is The Man Who Sold the World. Page two is… The Man Who Sold the World: The German Mix. Page three is Hunky Dory. DAVID (Beaming) It’s a strong start, isn't it? Hits them right in the zeitgeist. IMAN (Flips faster) David, I’m on page four hundred and twelve. It’s just the Labyrinth soundtrack but you’ve written "Masterpiece" in the margins in purple ink. (She closes the book.) These are all your albums, David. Every single one. Even the ones with the spiders. DAVID (Hurt) Not all of them. I left out the Tin Machine live bootlegs. I’m not a narcissist, Iman, I have standards. Besides, no one will know it’s me. I’ve used a sophisticated nom de plume. IMAN Let me guess. "Ziggy Stardust"? DAVID No! (He leans in, whispering) “Robert Dimery.” IMAN (Sighs) David, if you want people to believe this is a legitimate list of the greatest music ever made, you need… variety. Other artists. People who aren't you. DAVID (paces the terrace, stroking his chin.) Other… artists. Right. Yes. Diversity. Growth. A broader palette. (He stops, struck by an idea.) What if I change the title? 1001 Albums You Must Listen to Before You Die. It sounds more authoritative. More "encyclopedic." IMAN And the other three hundred albums? Who will they be by? DAVID (A long, genuine silence. He looks out at the ocean, squinting, trying to recall the existence of other musicians.) Iman, darling… are there three hundred other albums? IMAN (goes back to her magazine.) There’s at least two by Nile Rodgers, David. You worked with him. DAVID (Snapping his fingers) Brilliant! I’ll put Let’s Dance in twice. One for the music, one for the sheer chicness of the cover art. That leaves two hundred and ninety-eight. (He grabs a pen, looking inspired.) SCENE Of course Heroes is great but the rest of this was pretty weak. When I hear a song like Moss Garden I feel like the artist is just making fun of me. "Check this out, I can plink and plonk on some random instrument with no effort and those proles will call it art!"

Just what I needed today, an old friend. Embarrassed to say I originally purchased this CD not because I loved the music but to try and cultivate an image. As a single young man I thought having a dash of Davis and Monk and Adderley would help me outcompete my peers who were all Sublime and Smashmouth. The classics won me over, of course.

I think this may be a case of "born too late." I was born in the early mid seventies, by the time I started listening to music in any real sense we were already to the Go-Go's - I think my first Bowie song was Let's Dance. Maybe there is an element of 'had to be there' to all the Gushing Bowie Reviews. I appreciate the mastery and the ability to reinvent and all of that but these just don't hit me the way that they seem to hit most folks. ZS is a great song of course, and I enjoyed a lot of the album but I can't see my way to saying it is a 'great' album. 3.8

So, so, nice. In three days I got this one and the Birth of the Cool. Making up for all the Bowie.

This one is kinda like Ebby Calvin LaLoosh. I like the Kinks and although this isn't my favorite of their stuff, the whole thing is nice and listenable. Hovering my finger over the 4 button, pending another listen.

One star granted for acknowledging Shaq is an aphrodisiac. I don't think I would listen to this again, but nothing about it was objectionable to me aside from the misogyny (am I woke because of the times, or because I'm 50?). As usual, surprised in the strong reactions on both sides to an album like this. 2.5

Not bad, not blowing me away. Is this 'shoegaze?' Some kinda nice atmospheric jams but a little meandering.

The songs I love, I love. I never paid much attention to this one and was hoping for some bright spots aside from the one I know by heart from classic rock radio. Those extras weren't too extra.

Some groovy tracks but nothing blew me away.

A particular sonic signature throughout - hip hop montage? Not unenjoyable but doesn't hold up well. My high school had a team of girls that danced at things - I don't think this was unique. These songs mostly make me think about watching those girls dance, wishing they were dancing to something else, and wondering how I might convince them to engage in sexual congress with me. I think Ms. Jackson (wink) is quite talented but this isn't my cup of tea and maybe the longest album I've seen on here - over an hour felt like work.

I had never heard of this album or this band but I quite liked it. It was a little bit pretentious just like me, but very easy to listen to. Everybody seemed to think that it was boring, it didn't really bother me.

Furn, high energy, musical - me gusta mucho. I was on a Supergrass jag a couple years ago but had forgotten about them. This was a nice reawakening.

There were a couple tracks where temu Mariah carey was on point that I didn't hate but overall a struggle. Is this like Trout Mask Replica where I have to listen 7.3 times before it clicks and I think it is the greatest album ever?

Very mellow and nice. Started strong with the near-perfect Pulp Fiction cover. If it would have kept that pace a 5 for sure, but the rest pulled back a bit. Great listen.

At first I thought I would say this is the kind of album that you have to be in just the right mood to listen to. Too sad, too ... sad But then I realized it put me in the right mood. A lot of beautiful, well crafted songs, stripped bare. I wouldn't say it is incredible music, but it evokes strong feelings. Really enjoyed the focused listen. Plus one star for the association with Good Will Hunting, which resonates with me as I am also wicked smaat and I must assume that Minnie Driver desperately wants to jump my bones.

Sgt. Pepper I couldn't (and can't) wait to listen to again. This one is great, but no similar emotional reaction to it. Blasphemy, &tc.

Sounds a little like senior skip day down at the creek with a cooler of beer and maybe a jazz cigarette. A little cheesy but played with feeling, fun to listen to. 3.8

The existence of Starbucks and overpriced coffee is not the fault of this artist. The fact that she makes music that old people isn't some scheme, just the way it is and maybe good marketing. I'm a sucker for her voice, she could be singing an Applebee's menu and I would get misty. The duet she did with Dolly Parton is amazing. My wife had this album when we were dating and it was too slow for me then (hello Blink 182) but 25 years later giving it a full listen I am finding a lot to enjoy.

This feels like attending a fun, education-based party where I don't fit in at all and everyone is wondering who let me in. We covered lots of important topics like parenting, social justice, income inequality, the environment, geography, and religion. But we did it all while shaking our learning butts to a positive and groovy beat. I wake up the next day wondering if it ever happened at all or if it was just a fever dream but I'm suddenly nice as fuck to my fellow citizens and believe in god. 3.9

I liked it, maybe not quite as much variety as I would have liked. Different than what I am used to and well crafted. 3.8

Kind of nice. Feels like the songs they play in the movie about the girl pop star in the part she wakes up the day after debauchery realizing she isn't living right and just before she does the high energy reset to get back on track to earning the respect of her 12 year old fans. Parts were like Ween if they didn't huff accelerant, parts were like the Cure without Smith's crooning. I liked it way more than I expected, had never heard or heard of this album. Sad to learn there weren't even twins involved, seems like stolen valor. I wanted to love it but after a couple of listens nothing stood out, can't see myself seeking it out again. 3.8

I haven't cried yet, or fallen asleep. By the third track I'm mostly wondering how to say bless you in Icelandic. Achooo-o-wooooo Bless you! Achooo-o-wooooo Bless you! Somebody told me 20+ years ago how important this album was and I just didn't get it. I'm trying hard on this relisten to keep an open mind, but the second dream pop album in two days is making me restless so far. Some good stuff later in, ambient but a little more substance. Soundtrack to a movie you couldn't hope to understand (hello, Vanilla Sky). Kinda lost me in the flute zone - it is me, not you. 3.5

Well, I'm in trouble. I played this Saturday morning while cleaning the house. Thinking it was the worst of Dinosaur Jr., Wilco, and a few others mixed in. Getting ready to skip and my wife who never has interest in any music says "I like this!" So I had to listen to the full thing.

I'm over 50 and have listened to music my whole life but still don't have a good understanding of 'prog.' I think this is. I like a lot of it, but find it a little jarring. I get into a flow and then it takes a hard left. I saw someone use the phrase head not heart, I think that applies a little bit. The one long song (ha) was good, the one in the middle I liked the best. I will give this another listen down the road when I'm in a different mood and see if it lands better. 3.5

I really like this one, refreshing and upbeat, very different to what I normally listen to. My only ding is the songs and the album seem to be at one speed. Most songs jump into an up tempo groove and just don't deviate at all - no tempo change to build tension. Definitely so.e exceptions but a lot of it felt like it was on the same pattern. Will be back!

May have been born a little late. I appreciate the cultural significance and really like the hits, but the whole album uninterrupted is a lot 3.7

Sorry Bjôrk, I don't have the gas in the tank today to give this the attention it deserves. I'll be back.

I don't get his particular art. Respect the legacy but don't enjoy listening.

Dated, sure. Not unpleasant but sounds a little formulaic. I actually enjoyed it more than I thought, was interested to learn that he didn't write any of these songs. There is hope for me.

Didn't hate it as much as y'all but not anything I would seek out.

A good start but that goofy jug sound got me. Probably not coming back. I liked the first track, more like that please!

Too 70s folk by half. I never really connected with her voice, it sounds... searching to me. Like an artificial range insertion and a little overly dramatic. Moments of greatness and no denying the talent but just doesn't blow my hair back.

I felt nothing. I like the name and thought maybe I had heard / liked something long ago but alas not.

Fun and wholesome. Music my grandparents may have fooled around to. Me gusta. I wonder if the album cover was controversial at the time.

I grew up in a hick town in the Midwest, so ZZ Top was part of the fabric of my youth. This isn't a great album, quite a drop off from the hits to the other tracks and definitely not as enjoyable as their earlier work.

I'm pissed at Ice T, I had the Iceberg long before I heard this album so the intro is tainted. I first heard this several months ago on the recommendation of Mojo Reiser, really like the variety. I thought it would be pretty one note but there is a lot going on here. Pre-brain melt Ozzy is something else. 4.5

Had I experienced this in high school I think I would have really liked it. I liked a lot of adjacent bands (Echo and the Bunnymen, the Bahooahs, &tc) but never remember hearing this. Reward is pretty catchy, overall feels like a solid three. I will plan to give this one a focused listen in the car, I just planted 31 trees so it a little hard to maintain focus at the moment.

I even went to a carwash with the funky colored lights while listening. I like it but definitely long on jazzy noodling. Unquestionably rock god status, I just don't love the album as a whole. 3.8

Inextricably linked to drinking beer by the river in the summertime without a care in the world. Limitless possibilities. Legend was my jam but this has about 75% overlap. Instant mood elevation.

Always liked The Smiths, like his voice. First time with this album, quite liked it. I don't think I want to have a beer with him but I rarely do with the artists I listen to. Docked a star for being a dick.

Afro left is causing pants shaking I declare. Liking it a lot more than I expected. Weakness for dancy things.

Yes, please, more like this. The sound quality seemed a little pinched - is that the style, or did all the good engineers get hoovered up by Rumors? Also one female voice especially grating in one song, bad helium vibes. Otherwise a fun and different romp,, cha cha cha.

Not my very favorite Kinks but this is very enjoyable. I hadn't heard many of these songs before. Get some Sgt. Pepper vibes for sure.

Pretty unremarkable. Seems like with so much amazing music in the world...

The reviews are hilariously accurate. After reading "music that plays when clowns are coming to kill you" and "Beatles without talent" I had low expectations. I was pleasantly surprised, I didn't hate it. High on originality and some listenable tracks. Overall not great but glad I checked it out.

I always liked the white stripes and various other JW projects. This was not bad, I liked the variety with little bits of ragtime thrown in. Probably not going on heavy rotation but may revisit. 3.7

Probably good music for making babies but I'm shooting blanks. Good background music but never really got me going. Some of it is muzak.

Well ok, I don't love the lady folk 60s voice vibe but some jammy good bits in here. If I was alive in 69 I would have smoked a jazz cigarette, brushed the hair out my eyes and settled back into the futon until side A's terminus.

As a pretend Canadian I'm supposed to love Rush. Technical mastery for sure, not much emotional response from this guy. Some great passages but I'm missing the prog receptor in my brain, sounds too mathy.

Can't say much here except where did they get my jacket.

Sucker for salty bitches that can rock. Love it, added to the rotation. 4.5

Some rollicking fun. It does fall off after the title track unless your last name is Hammond but I enjoyed it quite a bit. Quite a bit more than that shit talking rap album about the knob who lost his money in his TV.

If I was in high school and there was a girl I was trying to bed - she's not really pretty but not quite repulsive, slutty without being fun about it, far too much makeup and perfume that makes you gag a little. Vapid and dull, not smart, but a reasonable body and maybe I can hit it and she at least acknowledges me. So I go to the mall and some terrible store like Hot Topic with overpriced trash and salespeople that are condescending and inattentive without any reason for feeling superior to me but that is somehow the dynamic so I buy some stupid thing the girl wort like anyway and the whole time I'm in said store this album is playing at full blast also max AC like the store is actively telling me to fuck off. So I get to her place and she's on the phone and says she's going to do step aerobics but I can hang out if I want and she's listening to this album while I boredly look at her ass and realize how fruitless this endeavor is and smoke a bowl and pass out only to wake up after she left with someone else and my head aches and this is still playing and I realize what terrible choices I am prone to making.

Personally very relevant to me. This was a big part of the soundtrack of my courtship with my wife and battle with cancer. Musically excellent? No. Played with feeling? Yes. I went in with my finger hovering over the 5 but it doesn't hold up as well as I thought. 4.4

I was born missing the prog receptor in me brain so this sounds like noise. Kinda like being at a battle of the bands where all the bands play simultaneously. I realized that Pictures at a Exhibition was not a one off, this is the legit sound.

Somehow, despite graduating high school the year this was released I never heard it. Super excited when I read the reviews about future civilizations holding this up as a cultural masterpiece. I was familiar with the names like Old Dirty, Ghost Face, etc. But nothing lands with this one. Not bad, and I'm sure if I heard it at 19 I would have felt differently, but I remain unmoved.

Not bad, fairly unremarkable. Good in the right context

I like Astral Weeks a lot - a little arty and pretentious but it caught me at the right time. This felt a little over the top, something about the exaggerated accent I didn't really like. Didn't strike me as his best work.

I have questions. At first I thought I heard Space Monkey. I thought this had a fight club tie in and my mind raced trying to figure out the connection between Deep Purple and Meatloaf. Then I realized it was Space Trucking and I wondered how they knew back then about space? A little campy, this is the music kids of my generation made fun of whilst listening to much worse music like vanilla ice.

A lot of emotion tied up in this one. I saw G Love at the Riv in Chicago on Halloween in 2001. Felt like the world was coming apart, I walked in and heard Mike Doughty playing songs from Skittish - I love Soul Coughing - and then this crazy fun show with the band dressed like pimps. I get that this isn't for everyone but it really takes me back. Listened to the live set today, so cool.

I wasn't excited when I saw this but I liked it a lot more than I expected. She can still bring it to an extent, an entertainer for sure. Not my cup of tea but not bad.

I'm supposed to love this, at least Turk Tuckahaw says so. I like his songs when other people sing them. The Casiotone and golden voice together were too much for me to find enjoyment in listening.

This is legit good music, kind of a shame classic rock radio has overplayed the shit out of it for 40 years. I didn't realize all these songs were on one album. The non-hits I really enjoyed as well. Southern culture ftw 4.5

On the plus side, a lively bear and something a little different. On the negative, statutory rape. How to decide?

Not bad I guess if you are stuffed in the boot of a car being snuggled into Spain and this is the only album you have but other than that I could take or leave it. Minus one star because I had to listen to it on YouTube with ads.

Can't deny that this is great rock and roll. If you were ever a teenage boy (I was) there may be a specific kind of hard wiring of this music in your brain. There is a reason classic rock stations have played the shit out of this for FIFTY years.

I didn't even know there were rhyming words in French but this guy knows a BUNCH. Very smooth and fun to listen to. Makes me long for the French Platter at the Broadway Diner.

I don't know how I never listened to this album. It sounds so much like the music I liked around that time - Depeche Mode, the Bahooahs, &tc. Pretty wild ride and fun to listen to. Now I need to watch the Lost Boys.

I like the style but found it hard to put together a full listening session.

Always liked VU - I probably listened to The Gift 500 times in college. Funny to me how Lou Reed becomes an icon with middling talent. Musically this is not a great album but he pulls it off. The songs I love I love, the test of the album is ok.

It's better to burn out than to fade away. Out of the blue and into the black. RIP Henna - we loved you very much.

Not bad. Better if tripping balls.

If I were in a better mood I would probably enjoy making fun of this. So over the top and overdone it is wild. Not fun to listen to, maybe I'll try again on a better day. His name is Robert Paulson.

Like Mr. Bungle if Mr. bungle lacked conviction, hard drugs, and severe, debilitating mental illness.

I was pretty excited but a little let down on full listen. Very unique but it doesn't all hold up too well. When he's on it is groovy but some of it just sounds like noise. 3.8.

Short, aggressive, loud, and angry are traits I dislike in fellow beings but it works here. How did I not know about this growing up? I wonder how long their concerts were. 20 minutes? 3.9

I was born in the mid-seventies, so to me Willie is famous for being famous. I had never listened to an album of his before today, and couldn't name one if pressed. It is mostly collaborations and a penchant for jazz cabbage that brought him to my awareness. This album was pleasant but a little slow for my taste. I'm going to swing back to some of the outlaw country material for comparison. And smoke a joint. It just occurred to me that if they reboot Pretty Woman and instead of a young a fetching California call girl the object of the rich stallion's affection is a 67 year old chain smoking lot lizard in Enid, Oklahoma this album would be the perfect soundtrack. Let's make it happen, St. Angelo!

Eh, never clicked with me. Seems average, never totally clear why they were such a sensation. Lots of British things I don't grok. What is a pudding, for instance? Madness, I tell you. Flats, lifts, tubes, &tc.

Another good album ruined for me by US97, Your Classic Rock Station. I really tried to listen but I've heard these all so many times it just faded into the background. I'm sorry, citizens of Boston, it is not you, it is me.

I liked this way more than I thought I would. Listened to it three times. The way he constructs rhymes sounds very unique to me. The subjects are a little cringe but really fun to listen to. I guess I'm 14.

In fact not my new favorite band but I appreciate the suggestion. Fun romp, a little one note on the screamy delivery. Good in short bursts. 3.5

I Don't have much German, but it is a wonderful language. There is one word in particular that means face in need of a fist. The singer's voice would create a new word that means a voice in need of a fist. It seems that this is the second album from Tegan and Sarah that I have encountered here, I would have been happy to stop after the 1st.

I didn't give this as much attention as the other albums when it came out. Definitely some great work, makes me want to have a Coors Light with Dave and talk about the madness this must have been. 4.5

Holy shit, how can these all be on one album and it not be a greatest hits compilation? Unlike a lot of other music from this timeframe it doesn't seem dated. Thank you, I needed this today.

Some of this was nice, nothing blew my hair back. Will definitely listen again. 3.7

I honestly didn't give it much of a chance but I don't feel that it deserved one. Sorry, European.

Some moments of absolute magic and a fair bit of atonal, sneering, crooning. I have a complicated relationship with Dylan. Songwriting is amazing but sometimes it feels like a lot of work to listen to.

If axe body spray and neon ground effects on a Honda Civic personified made an album. This makes me think of my favorite tweet: Welcome to Chuck E. Cheese. Everything is visibility dirty and our mascot is a rat. Have some pizza near a sneezing child.

Fuck I'm old. There is this thing (it seems to me) where people born in the last 25 years or so celebrate things that are not good because they think it makes them seem unique or fashionable or clever. Clothes, hairstyles, music, etc. - if it has little to no merit or aesthetic value maybe I should like it? I kind of understand since everything good in the world has been ruined or put behind a paywall, which if that is all you have ever known I'd be off too. This falls into this category pretty squarely for me.

Belinda Carlile, sneering, cynical, wine drunk at a Chili's after a bad breakup. In a good way. 3.4

This was good, mellow and funky. Definitely worth another listen. 3.8

Thought I would really like it based on what I'd heard but it was a little rough.

This is good music I'm sure, but I have a strong and possibly unreasonable dislike for New Jersey. The combination of piano and saxophone and the boss's wail were a little bit too much for me. I think I will pass.

If not for my knowledge of what would come later I think I would have liked it less. American girl is worth at least two stars.

I'm tempted to listen to the lively, funky songs again. The rest is pretty slow. 3.8

Lot of feels wired up with this one. Time travel like few other albums I can think of. I thought it was a lock at a 5 when it popped up but I wavered a bit. Starts very strong but didn't hold up quite as well as I expected.

When I was in high school my pattern was to get my $10 allowance and get dropped off at the mall. I would display great discipline walking right past the delicious hot sam pretzel and the cool and refreshing orange Julius and straight to Musicland. There i would see how far my money would go, generally buying cassettes of terrible music (Dangerous Toys!). One day I was browsing and Swing the Heartache came into my hands. I can't remember if it was random or if I ran into Darla who steered me in that direction - I associate her more with Skinny Puppy, but I digress. I bought STH of course and it was unlike anything I'd heard. I grew to love those songs as well as the whole aesthetic. I was a jock so I never dressed in black or skated but I did enjoy that subversive group and especially their music (and occasionally their women). I worried that a whole album would be a little too much but I'm really enjoying this.

I like this, very interesting and different. My only issue is I typically listen when I work out in the morning, this was just a bit slow for that. I will try again later in the day to give it a fair shake. 3.7

Sort of indifferent. Give it another listen.

I thought I would like it but then I poisoned the well by reading the reviews. Y'all disliked it so intensely you drug me down with you. Heartless and cruel. All I could think about was this entitled, smug guitar player fucking Lisa Bonet.

This really isn't for me, never cared for blues. That said, this is entertaining. Would have been great to see this live. Also, where can I get a $10 dinner? Why did no one ever tell me that it was an option to go upside my woman's head?