This took me on a journey! I loved it
Having grown up listening to the Police, it's very hard to be objective about this. Is it my favourite Police album? No; that goes to their debut. Is it still a very consistent, creative and foot-tappingly fun album? Yes. 100%.
Short, bittersweet and twanging of Nashville. This reminded me of both Leonard Cohen and Wilco. The songwriting is equal parts witty and depressing and this seeps into the overall mood of this album. Some songs, such as I Remember Me, Room Games and Diamond Rain, and Tennessee stood out to me. As for the rest, despite clever songwriting and talented musicians, I found the consistent downtempo feel of the album did drag in places. I'm glad to have heard this and will be returning to some of it to listen again.
As one of the albums that got me properly into music, I would be lying if I said that I didn't approach this with some apprehension. It had been a while since I'd listened and the last thing I wanted was to ruin a memory of such an exciting time in my musical memory. I was happily proven wrong. If anything, with more informed political opinions, the dystopian imagery throughout rang truer for me than ever before. By the end of opener Take A Bow, I was 15 again; by the end of the album, I had fallen in love with Muse again. Critics will argue over their best album; is it this or is it Absolution? For me, this is them at their most inspired, demonstrating their best songwriting, best variety and sheer talent of these musicians.
That voice!! Absolutely loved this album. These versions of Change Gonna Come and I’ve Been Loving You Too Long are stunning… but so is the rest
There really isn’t much to say that hasn’t already been said about this record. It’s brilliant.
I changed my mind so many times about this album while listening to it. The singles on this album are great and the first four songs get the album off to a great start. Then Catching the Butterfly Comes. It’s a decent song, followed by 3 minutes of guitar solos very similar to the track before it. The short and shoegazey Neon Wilderness is a breath of fresh air before the album threatens to lose me again. My ears perk up at Weeping Willow and I have the pleasure of an incredible run of songs to finish the album. Obviously Lucky Man is great, but I did really enjoy This Time and the album's ending in chaos with the very trippy Come On. The hidden track at the end is a fun detail but it doesn’t really add anything musically.
In summary- when this album is great, it’s really great. I would agree with it being essential listening. However, it really could benefit from a haircut. Hence the 3 stars. I would give it 3.5 if I could but there are one too many songs on there that I want to skip.
Really enjoyed this album, will be returning to this
This was a fun listen and Jeff Beck is a brilliant guitarist. I’m just not sure I heard anything new with this album
Why had I never heard this before. I knew it would be up my street from the first track. I recognised the song Brass in Pocket but loved the rest and will be listening to this again.
I loved everything about this. I loved the psychedelic influence throughout the record and their version of My Back Pages is even better than the original.
At first I was confused. I spent a bit of time waiting for David Byrne or Brian Eno to start singing. By the third track, Regiment, at the moment where Robert Fripp started playing, I realised I was in new territory. It feels demeaning in a way to call this an album when it is so much more. It’s whirling, twisting kaleidoscope of sound and emotion and, if you let it, it will take you on a journey. You can hear the seeds Remain in Light being sown, but this album shines on its own merits. Incredible.
It’s Roger the Engineer. There’s not much I can say about this one that hasn’t been said before. Plus before going into a funky 60s boogie, final track Ever Since the World Began may or may not have sown the seeds of metal.
It’s impossible for me to be unbiased about this one. It’s the album that got me into talking heads and I love every song on it. It’s fun, it’s funky, it’s a bit weird and it makes me happy every time I hear it.
I enjoyed this one. It’s fun to hear the seeds of punk being sown and I love the lo-fi production style which has influenced many bands since. Unfortunately a lot of the album is covers which I have heard better versions of. Their version of Do You Love Me does make for good listening though. The originals are good, as is album’s sound and aesthetic but there is a limit to how many times I can hear scream ‘whoo’.
I grew up on my dad’s copy of Chronicle by CCR. I can never be unbiased about any of their albums because to me, with a couple of rare exceptions, they are all untouchable. This is one of them.
Even now it’s hard to think about this album without thinking of Bowie’s Blackstar. After all, both involve incredible songwriters coming to terms with their own mortality. Cohen’s final album in his lifetime is however a very different record. It unfolds like some smoky film noir with the dying Cohen confronting life, love, religion and his own impending mortality. I love his voice on this, delivering these poems with grace and gravitas, supported by brilliantly written compositions to accentuate the emotion. It’s a beautiful record.
Untouchable album, and one of the greatest debuts of all time.
This was a very fun listen. Definitely them at their most psychedelic and most whimsical. The first half is definitely slightly stronger than the second but it’s all so enjoyable that I don’t really mind.
This was interesting. I wasn’t sure what to make of it at first. I loved the proto glam sound, instrumentally it really rocks. Some of the longer songs make me wonder if Alex Cooper listened to this. The songwriting is a bit inconsistent but the album ends on a high with closing track Last of the Teenage Idols
Neil Young and Crazy Horse at their best. The classics like Cinnamon Girl and Down by the River are here but there’s not a bad song on this record. Round and Round is an underrated gem.
I don’t care what people say about early Beatles, this album is a delight to listen to.
Incredible. The essential jazz album. This is always my recommendation for people who have never listened to jazz before.
Personal controversies to one side, I really enjoyed this. It's good old school rock and roll with infectious energy. A classic for a reason.
I was sceptical at first. My only UB40 knowledge was of Red Red Wine, a fine cover, but if I had a pound for every time I'd heard it... Opening track Tyler told me I was in for a different experience. I loved the instrumentals throughout the album but the songwriting stood out as a particular strength, best example being on political anthem Burden of Shame. Other highlights included King and the expertly reworked cover of I Think It's Going To Rain Today.
It’s jazzy, it’s funky, it has four brilliantly composed toe-tapping masterpieces. I love it.
I admit, I am a bit of a rock snob when it comes to the 80s. This album surprised and delighted at every turn, from the well known classics Rio and Hungry Like the Wolf to deeper cuts like Lonely in Your Nightmare. The bassist deserves a medal for this album
Imagine an incredibly English Talking Heads. Add some whimsy, luscious instrumentation and a sense of joy throughout and you get this album. I admit I was sceptical to see such a late XTC album on the list but I have been both surprised and delighted by this album.
A beautifully bittersweet album to mark both the end of Simon & Garfunkel, as well as the 60s. There isn't a bad song on here but to pick favourites, the title track, The Only Living Boy in New York and The Boxer are definite highlights.
This is a very fun album to listen to. It is also VERY long. It plays like a tale of two halves with Speakerboxxx being a very hip-hop orientated record, and The Love Below blending hip-hop with influences from jazz, soul and R&B. TLB gets a little bit samey by the end but it never stops being enjoyable.
I have never been to Cuba (unfortunately). Luckily this album nearly took me there anyway. The lush instrumentation and virtuoso playing of everyone involved gave this vibrant album a timeless feel. I love how it perfectly captures the mood that it does and I will be returning to this again.
It's a Christmas album assembled by a convicted felon. It also has a lot of The Ronettes and some of the best versions of classic songs that I have heard.
I was so happy to see this today. Possibly the greatest folk rock album. If you need proof, listen to Matty Groves. Sandy Denny's vocals are amazing throughout, as are the rest of the band. I especially love the strings on opening track Come All Ye and Crazy Man Michael.
Beautifully intimate. There isn’t a bad song on this record. I loved the David Gilmore appearance on Rocket Tail, the songwriting on Heads We’re Dancing and the final track This Woman’s Work is incredible.
I enjoyed listening to this, for the most part. There is nothing offensive to my ears on this album but then again I can't remember much of it. It's got some great tracks on it and some good tracks which could have given this album a higher rating. Unfortunately, the rest is filler and quite forgettable.
Loved it. Great. Fantastic. The energy of Licence to Ill (Beastie Boys) with a quick-witted social conscience. Standouts included 911 is a Joke, Fear of a Black Planet and Fight the Power.
It took me nearly two weeks to listen to this. I know that defeats the point of the album a day thing, but I saw the cover and thought no. I was wrong. Instead of the vapid soft indie nonsense I was expecting, I was greeted with wonderfully weird indie music that owes just as much to Fleet Foxes as it does to Tame Impala. A few tracks were a bit more filler like but the variety and breadth on this album kept it interesting.
One of my favourite Bowie albums. Every song on here is a classic. I especially love the songwriting on Word on a Wing and the vocal delivery of closer Wild is the Wind. Golden Years is a classic for a reason.
Wow. I really enjoyed this. I think Birthday will be on repeat for a while. I was dubious approaching this one having never heard any of their albums before and finding a lot of Björk's solo stuff a bit inaccessible but I thought this was brilliant start to finish.
Very crude and very British. I can see why the humour doesn’t translate well but if you take the witty writing as the tongue in cheek tomfoolery it’s meant to be then this is a very enjoyable album.
Decided to listen to this one in the gym. It really is very good, with highlights including One and the mostly instrumental To Live Is To Die. I have two main quarrels though.
1. Where is the bass?
2. Why is every track so long? Seriously, there were only two songs shorter than 6 minutes. Good thing is most of them justified their runtimes and it's such an exhilarating ride that I didn't mind that a couple overstayed their welcome a little bit.
Great album start to finish. There's not a single bad thing to say.
I'm not a rave person but this was such a fun ride I will definitely listen again.
This felt like a relaxing and intimate road trip with Joni Mitchell with her lavishing you in beautiful poetry over lush jazzy instrumentals. I loved this album. Picking highlights is very hard but Coyote and Hejira are up there for me.
FREEEEEEZIN, reeshisheadoh pilluh mada concrete, yeah.
Exceptional album.
Even if you can only make out half of Vedder's lyrics. Every song sounds like the band at their best, whether contemplating mental illness on Why Go, homelessness on Even Flow or heartbreak on Black. Behind Vedder are incredibly talented musicians. The album wouldn't sound the same without the rhythm section of Jeff Ament and Dave Krusen on Jeremy, Stone Gossard's slide guitar on Deep and Mike McCreedy's electrifying solo on alive (if you're not doing air guitar to that, you have no soul).
With one of the members coming from my hometown, I was excited to listen to this. I had only heard Born Slippy up until this point and was keen to hear more. Unfortunately I found myself asking ‘how much longer?’ over the course of the first track. But then, as the next 15 minute suite started, the album started to click. It swept me along and by the end of the second track I was a fan. It’s hypnotic music and I will be listening again.
My second Joni album in less than a week- the album gods are kind. This one is the album that got me into her music and it remains one of my favourites to this day. The Jungle Line is such a strange but brilliant track from her and the free, jazzy Harry's House/Centerpiece is incredibly strong. My personal favourite has to be the stunning title track.
Incredible. Just incredible.
It's good. Sounds like the Foo Fighters. An impressive achievement given that nearly everything was played by Dave Grohl. I will be listening to this again, but probably not more than other FF albums.
I enjoyed it at the time but really couldn’t remember much of it after. Maybe it needs another listen.
I liked this a lot. Listened to it twice back to back and will be listening again.
Without having looked, I already know that the rock purists in this forum will be tearing this to shreds. I don’t care. Coming back to this in my mid 20s with the angst I felt at 15 (when I first heard this) having left me, I still love it. It’s a cathartic listen and an emotionally mature, introspective tale of pain.
The same psychedelic cloth that Syd Barrett’s The Madcap Laughs is cut from. Equal parts depressing and hypnotic, I really enjoyed this. The closing track is a definite highlight.
He sings like Thom Yorke if he was trained as a choirboy. I liked some of this, but I found some of it quite dreary and forgettable. I will be returning to some songs though.
I can't be unbiased about this. I know that some songs are stronger than others, that Do You Realise is played A LOT and that Fight Test may or may not have plagiarised Cat Stevens. It's still a 5 for me.
Great album. Feels a lot jazzier than BTB. I love her dry wit on this record.
It's dreary, sure, but it's beautifully written.
What a voice. This was a good listen.
The best guitar playing in Blur’s catalogue. There’s not a bad song here.
The album sounds like Sultans of Swing for 42 minutes. And it’s great. Other than the obvious, I really loved Down to the Waterline and Wild West End.
I finally get it. This album is incredible. I don’t think I can say anything about it that hasn’t already been said, I just can’t believe it’s taken this long for this album to click with me.
Love this album. It reinvented indie and had buckets of fun doing it. It’s perfect.
It’s not that I didn’t enjoy this. Anita Baker has an amazing voice, is a great writer and included some good sax solos on this album. Unfortunately the 80s production ruined it for me by taking a lot of life and soul out of the finished record.
I really liked the jazz-folk-rock direction on this album. It’s not my favourite Traffic record but it’s pretty great.
I think I’ve just found the perfect hip hop album. Nas is a genius writer, I couldn’t believe he’d written some of this when he was just 16.
I think this must be the weirdest album given to me so far. I loved it. Both tribal and danceable, I loved the weirdness of the whole thing. I wonder what the rest of their discography sounds like…
I really enjoyed this. I like that its both funky and has many great trip hop moments, especially Blue Flowers. I thought the scientific wordplay was really clever. My only complaint is a second half that dragged a little bit. Shave off a couple of songs and this would get a higher rating from me.
This was brilliant. Having only heard Feel the Pain by this band, I wasn’t expecting this to be as heavy as it was. No complaints from me, this is a new instant favourite.
A modern classic for a reason. Seven Nation Army has one of the most iconic riffs put to the fretboard and the crunchy blues rock on the rest of the album does not disappoint. The softer moments on this album like In the Cold Cold Night and You've Got Her in Your Pocket show a different side of the duo that's equally strong.
How have I not heard this? It’s fun, it’s boogie, it’s garage, it sounds like the love child of the stones, Alice Cooper and Canned Heat. Final track Whiskey Woman is incredible.
Maybe the pinnacle of space rock. I was raised on this by my dad and it is a really great record, although it’s a big commitment to try and get through it in one sitting.
Yes. Yes. Yes.
Every song on this is Blondie at their best. One of my favourite new wave albums for a reason.
Yeah this was good fun. A few standout tracks and a few that just sound very of its time.
Good and funky, great music to cook to.
Great album. No skips, every song is Bowie at his glam best. Drive-in Saturday is one of my favourite Bowie songs ever.
What do you do after making your magnum opus? Make another one! Possibly my favourite Floyd album and the one that has the biggest emotional impact. It’s heartbreaking in it’s beauty. Not a note is out of place here.
I went through a big Elvis Costello phase as a teenager so I was curious to see whether I still felt the same about this album. It’s an interesting one to rate because although the songwriting is excellent throughout, some songs (especially opener Uncomplicated) just don’t do it for me. At the same time though, the run of songs from I Hope You’re Happy Now to I Want You is incredible. Side 2 has the highlight Battered Old Bird which, with I Want You, is one of my favourite Costello songs. I love the closing track Next Time Round but the second side as a whole feels slightly weaker. I am splitting hairs though because it is a very solid record and quite an exciting listen.
Well this is definitely a change after Once I Was (my only previous knowledge of Tim Buckley). I love the jazz meets psych-folk feel of the album. I love the soloing on opener Strange Feelin’. The extended jam of Gypsy Woman was another highlight. I found Love From Room 109… a bit long and meandering in places but I saw the vision and love what he was trying to do so I will be listening to this album again.
I can definitely see why he’s regarded as one of the greats. Not sure how often I’ll return to this but it was a fun listen.
This feels like a different band. To be fair, three members were left by the end of the last album and the addition of Gram Parsons only took them further into the Nashville country twang hinted at on earlier records. Yet the change in direction works. The things I love about this band are still there, talents are just applied to different sounds to create a cohesive and interesting country rock album that is a delight to listen to.
I get disproportionately excited when albums by Welsh artists appear. I love the Manics and while this isn’t my favourite of their albums, it has some great singles and two of my other favourites; Small Black Flowers that Grow in the Sky, and All Surface No Feeling. It’s a no skip album that makes me proud to be Welsh.
This was hauntingly beautiful. I went into this knowing only that it was heavily inspired by the death of his son but was greeted with an album that was almost uplifting in a way. It’s given me a lot to think about on what will doubtless be many later listens.
Oh yes. Possibly my favourite Prince album and for good reason. It’s sprawling and magnificent, from the dryly political title track to the babymaking jam of closing track Adore. There isn’t a bad song here and it’s very hard to pick highlights. This truly is an album everyone must hear before they die.
The funk bible. Absolutely essential listening.
Well. This was something. Not my cup of tea I don’t think but I can appreciate the talent. There were a few songs in the second half that I did enjoy but it’s a bit too out there for me as a whole.
What an incredible introduction to salsa for me. This made my soul dance.
I’ve had two albums about death very recently. The first, Nick Cave’s Ghosteen, was akin to an enlightening experience. This album was also immersed in death yet sounds messy, recorded in a basement and borderline self destructive. I suppose everyone finds their own ways to cope and what we’re left with here is some of Neil Young’s best work.
This did a lot. I like the weirdness and how many directions it went in. I’m not sure how much I’ll return to, and I definitely think the second half was stronger than the first. I think it needs a second listen before my final verdict though.
Possibly the greatest album of all time. Enough said.
Wow I can’t believe I slept on this for so long! Instant 5 from me. Will definitely be listening again and again and again.
I listened, it was entertaining. There were a few standouts and I know my second year uni house would have loved this. I’m not sure it’s an absolutely essential listen, with a few tracks sounding like FWN era Arctic Monkeys offcuts.
This was a strange mix of industrial and metal with medieval-esque trumpets. I kinda loved it.
I am very happy to have been treated to two Stevie Wonder albums this week. I love this one for funky jams like Maybe Your Baby and classic single Superstition, and finishing with one of the best closing tracks of all time. There’s a beautiful tenderness here. I would add a lot of this album to various wedding playlists.
Absolutely sublime. I love the blend of ambience and art pop songs. The title track is gorgeous, St Elmo's Fire may be one of my favourites of this era of music.
This was pleasant enough. D'Angelo is a great singer and arranger, the production is excellent, but unfortunately it didn't seem particularly memorable. The whole album felt a bit too polished and homogenised to stand out to me.
It’s one of the albums that introduced me to music and it manages to hold up on every listen. It’s always a 5 to me.
Sounds like Elvis Costello and fugazi had a love child and fed it on speed. Angular guitars, funky bass, cryptic lyrics- I can’t believe I hadn’t heard this before.
It doesn’t quite replace Electric Warrior as my favourite T Rex album but it comes very close. Every song is a delight, it’s formulaic but it never outstays its welcome and remains weird enough to be a very interesting and enjoyable listen.
I think this might take the prize for one of the most immersive albums on the list. I had to listen in two halves thanks to a lack of work-life balance but was immersed in their slacker country rock sound, telling stories of the 'duality of that southern thing' through the lens of Lynyrd Skynyrd. I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would, but feel it was more of an immersive experience than a collection of incredible songs. It is also very very long. Nevertheless, The Three Great Alabama Icons, and Angels and Fuselage are both outstanding.
Five stars feels too low. This album is a spiritual experience that should be listened to again and again.
This was a fun listen. Lovefool is a classic for a reason, but the rest of the album kept up the atmosphere with Peter Svensson's guitar playing being a consistent highlight. The cover of Black Sabbath's Iron Man caught me off guard but they took it in their own direction which is testament to a cover done well.
My parents first played me this many years ago. I love it more each time I hear it.
Having only heard the title track I was expecting this to be a lot more downtempo and dreary than it was. I think it’s the most overtly political Beatles solo album I’ve heard but it works in its favour with songs like How Do You Sleep? quickly becoming new favourites. It should definitely be on this list.
Well this was a really fun ride. Reminded me of New Order if they made gothic rock. This album is one big highlight for me, but opener Dominion/Mother Russia, Lucretia My Reflection and This Corrosion really stood out to me.
This might be my favourite discovery so far on this journey. 6/5.
If this is the closest I'll get to seeing Thin Lizzy live, I'm still a happy man. It's packed to the brim with many classics and shows the band at their peak. I know a lot of it was overdubbed in the studio but that never detracts from the quality or the energy.
Sure Stand may be a bit cheesy but this album is an enthralling listen start to finish. One of the many REM albums that I would give a 5 to.
Lots of proggy noodling but it works in the albums favour which is an expertly blended combination of prog rock and classical music. The trio are virtuoso players and that's all on display here.
I used to be obsessed with this album as a teenager. On a relisten I really enjoyed this, its too funky not to. I do scratch my head a little bit about how ridiculously sexual some of the lyrics are.
What a voice. The guitarist needs a raise as well. This album was a beautiful blend of hypnotic jazz, country and soul which left me wanting more.
Well this was.... meh. It had some great moments, such as Can't Stand Me Now, What Katie Did and Music When the Lights go Out. Acoustic hidden track France was a really nice moment as well. Unfortunately the rest just sounds like 00s guitar music that just doesn't do anything special for me.
I grew up in a house that didn’t like Madness but I still tried to approach this with an open mind. Opener Rise and Fall was enjoyable, and I started wondering if my parents might have been wrong about them. Alas. The rest of the album was wildly inconsistent and I realised my parents were right. If I want 2 Tone I’ll stick to The Specials.
I love this album. The choice to not do some of their biggest songs in favour of deep cuts and random covers such as Plateau and their expertly handled cover of Bowie's The Man Who Sold the World make this a very special and intimate look at one of the biggest bands of the 90s.
What a voice. I'd heard the famous covers of Lilac Wine and the title track before this but Simone delivers both with wonderful gravitas that blew me away. The Simone penned Four Women is outstanding.
I think this might be my new favourite 2020s album. It plays like a sound collage of jazz, soul and so many influences. It’s great.
Wow this is brilliant. I wasn’t sure on his older voice at first but by the end of moody film noir-esque opener Love Sick, I had been won over. Lyrically, it’s outstanding. The simple ‘breakup’ sounds like it nearly killed him. Anyway, I’m going to “find me a janitor to sweep me off my feet”.
It's dreary as hell, sure, but it makes for great listening. I still haven't figure out what Ambulance Blues means but it hits my emotions with full force every time. Revolution Blues and the guitar work on the title track also stand out as highlights for me.
This was fun, the only classic album I hadn’t heard before. Both sweetly mellow and to me-tapping funky- I will be coming back to this.
I loved this as a teenager. Even now it’s an absolute delight to listen to, the writing is incredibly tight and you can get lost in the Dust Brothers’ immaculate collage of samples
This was so much fun to listen to. Cyndi has an incredible voice and every track here is, or should be, a hit.
Very rough around the edges but with a real naked vulnerability that really engaged me. I think this is my favourite of their albums so far.
This was much softer than the other VU albums I'd heard. I found myself constantly blown away by this album, from the mellow yet insecure opener Candy Says to the strange fever dream that is The Murder Mystery. After Hours is such a sweet closing track that caught me off guard after the chaos of the previous track. What can I say about Pale Blue Eyes that hasn't already been said? It's incredible.
I tried to put this album into words but it leaves me speechless every time. I'm convinced that any hate written about this album is just written to be controversial. This album belongs on the list.
This album can stop my anxiety. It’s the most perfect slice of mellow Latin jazz and bossa nova and should always be regarded as one of the quintessential jazz albums.
It's a fun listen, and there's nothing not to like. I find some songs less memorable but I commend the band for the breadth of the music and the inclusion of some of my favourite Clash songs such as The Guns of Brixton and Train in Vain. It's a classic for a reason.
The opening track is a classic for a reason but no one track could fully represent the breadth of this album. It’s a delight to listen to without a single weak moment.
I’m not quite sure why this was bashed so much by reviewers on this page. They’re obviously big Bowie fans but they don’t try to hide that and it really works in their favour. The music is fantastic and I will be coming back to a lot of this. I found Violence quite naff though and I think that lowers the overall score for me.
Wow. I felt like I was there. This might be my new favourite blues album and the best answer for anyone asking why B. B. King is considered one of the greats.
The quintessential Dylan album. Enough said.
I can see why this is bashed by a lot of American reviewers; it is a VERY British record. But I love it. Every one of the rockers on the first side is stellar and the convoluted narrative on the second side is such a wonderful slice of psychedelic whimsy as Happiness Stan searches for the other half of the moon.
This is a really good album. It deserves a place on this list on the merits of tracks like Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding, Bennie and the Jets and Saturday Night’s Alright. The problem is a lot of the best material is at the start of the album. The second half is still enjoyable, but there is slightly more filler.
Lyrically, this is my favourite Dylan album. It reminds me of being 17 and sounds incredible. Simple Twist of Fate makes me feel so many things.
