My 1001 Albums Journey

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3.51

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1048 albums remaining

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1960s

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Albums

You Love More Than Most

Album	You	Global	Diff
Another Green World Brian Eno	5	3.12	+1.88
Court And Spark Joni Mitchell	5	3.35	+1.65
The Band The Band	5	3.36	+1.64
The Wildest! Louis Prima	5	3.53	+1.47
The Clash The Clash	5	3.54	+1.46
good kid, m.A.A.d city Kendrick Lamar	5	3.61	+1.39
Bringing It All Back Home Bob Dylan	5	3.63	+1.37
Moondance Van Morrison	5	3.71	+1.29
Tapestry Carole King	5	3.91	+1.09
The Gilded Palace Of Sin The Flying Burrito Brothers	4	2.93	+1.07

You Love Less Than Most

Album	You	Global	Diff
Kala M.I.A.	1	2.91	-1.91
Live At The Witch Trials The Fall	1	2.64	-1.64
Fever To Tell Yeah Yeah Yeahs	2	3.29	-1.29
Spy Vs. Spy: The Music Of Ornette Coleman John Zorn	1	2.23	-1.23
Make Yourself Incubus	2	3.08	-1.08
The Coral The Coral	2	3	-1

5-Star Albums (10)

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Popular Reviews

Rubber Soul

Beatles

5/5

I love the Generator because there’s always a chance for a dopamine rush when you get served up a beloved album. I have been listening to this one periodically since childhood. Love all the tunes but I didn’t have to debate which one was going on the playlist. It was always going to be “In My Life”. Gets more meaningful with age.

1 likes

A Wizard, A True Star

Todd Rundgren

3/5

I had a mixed reaction to this one. It is a long album starting with many short songs. These seemed less psychedelic and experimental than self-indulgent and a bit silly to me. As the album went on the songs became more pleasing and I liked some quite a lot. I added “I Don’t Want to Tie You Down” to my Generator playlist. The track I liked best though was the medley of R&B covers.

1 likes

Out of Step

Minor Threat

3/5

I love the Generator for exposing me to music like this. It’s like the band took rage and existential angst and exaggerates it to a degree where I found it pretty funny. (I have a warped sense of humor.). As for the music the drums are out of this world - the rest not so much. I would never listen to this for enjoyment but I’m glad I’ve heard it. And that it was so short and punchy.

1 likes

1-Star Albums (3)

Spy Vs. Spy: The Music Of Ornette Coleman

All Ratings

Moondance

Van Morrison

5/5

It’s an uneven album for sure but the first side is so very good I will give it full marks. Naysayers need to turn up their radios.

Elephant

The White Stripes

3/5

Day 2: The White Stripes - Elephant 3/5 I like songs with one or more of the following: soul; witty or insightful lyrics; catchy hooks; a danceable beat; and an interesting groove. As you might expect, “Elephant” was not my jam. I couldn’t get past the incessant pounding. Favorite tracks: “I Just Don’t Know What to Do with Myself” which at least has a melody and “In the Cold, Cold Evening” in which the pounding subsides a bit.

Come Away With Me

Norah Jones

3/5

Jones has a beautiful voice and the jazzy arrangements are tasteful. The songs are not memorable though and the pace is very, very mellow. It would be nice music to chill out to but I need something with a little more oomph. So it gets a 3/5.

Bringing It All Back Home

Bob Dylan

5/5

I’m a huge Dylan fan and this album contains some of his most iconic songs. And he has the perfect voice for singing them. In fact, I think his sardonic delivery adds a lot to the message. This gets a very strong 4/5 from me. Favorite track is Mr. Tamborine Man - just beautiful imagery and a strong melody to carry it. Gave me chills all over again.

Ágætis Byrjun

Sigur Rós

4/5

I fear that I don’t have the attention span or focus to properly enjoy this music. I found it intriguing though and worth another listen. But I have more than 1000 albums to get through so it will have to wait. P.S. Something about this kept calling me back and after a couple more spins this earned an easy 4.

Sea Change

Beck

4/5

Quite OK but not my jam. P.S. Another one that became better with familiarity.

The Clash

5/5

How can music be this angry and this FUN at the same time? Absolutely love it. My own rage at the current system matches it nicely. Favorite Tracks: I’m So Bored with the U.S.A. and Police and Thieves.

Heaux Tales

Jazmine Sullivan

2/5

This would have been tolerable if not for the lyrics. They are explicitly sexual and the sex is all transactual. It’s supposed to be some kind of feminist statement but it all boils down to women using their bodies to get what the want.

Fever To Tell

Yeah Yeah Yeahs

2/5

Some of it was almost painful and all of it was not for me.

Parachutes

Coldplay

3/5

Pleasant enough but pretty bland.

Tellin’ Stories

The Charlatans

3/5

Enjoyable pop but uninspiring.

Live At The Witch Trials

The Fall

1/5

Spoken word angst is not for me.

The Stone Roses

4/5

Upbeat danceable pop makes for an enjoyable listen. No duds. I added Fools Gold to the generator playlist.

Gentlemen

The Afghan Whigs

2/5

Day 14: The Afghan Whigs - Gentlemen I really was not in the mood for exploring "the dark psyche of the '90s male". The album title is ironic and the songs seem to be a bit of humble bragging about the self-loathing of the “90’s male” and his bad behavior. I added “What Jail Is Like” to my Generator playlist but eventually skipped it so often I decided to remove it.

The Hour Of Bewilderbeast

Badly Drawn Boy

4/5

I liked this a whole lot, especially the instrumentation. The songs are themed around the natural world and love. A very pleasant surprise. Added “Disillusion” to playlist after considering title track, “The Shining”, “Pissing in the Wind” and “Say It Again”.

Want Two

Rufus Wainwright

3/5

I listened to this twice and enjoyed it both times. Hours later I’ve forgotten which songs were which. Thus the 3 rating.

Rubber Soul

Beatles

5/5

Talking With the Taxman About Poetry

Billy Bragg

4/5

I came in knowing zero about this artist and it was a very pleasant surprise. The Wikipedia article calls this “folk punk” which I didn’t know was a thing. To me it is the successor to the protest songs of Woodie Guthrie and Bob Dylan. Of course, there’s more personal stuff too. I liked all the music and, in the end, chose “There Is Power in a Union” to my Generator playlist.

Kala

M.I.A.

1/5

Nope. Absolutely not for me. Rapping I cannot understand plus percussion. Didn’t bother to listen twice. Added “Paper Planes” to the Generator playlist.

Tapestry

Carole King

5/5

Loved it then and love it still. Each and every song a hit. It could have been any but I added “Natural Woman” to the Generator playlist.

The Gilded Palace Of Sin

The Flying Burrito Brothers

4/5

At first listen, I was surprised at how much more “country” this was than I had expected. On second listen, it really began to grow on me. Torn between a 3 and a 4. Feeling generous today. I added “Hot Burrito 1” to my Generator Playlist.

Make Yourself

Incubus

2/5

I’m in the early days of this and am trying to make an effort to understand the appeal of music I just don’t get. And I can see how this kind of raw distortion would appeal to young men. But I am neither young nor a man and it just makes me feel like I am being yelled at. The band does tone it down during the song “Drive” and that is what I added to my Generator playlist.

Paul Simon

4/5

Although I am a big fan of Paul Simon, I had not heard this album through. Very relaxing and the two singles show a talent at adapting world music that would only improve throughout his solo career. I’m giving it a 4 but am sure it will grow to be a 5 with further listens.

Court And Spark

Joni Mitchell

5/5

This album was part of the soundtrack of my life at one point. Each and every song is a jewel. Deciding on just one for the playlist was impossible. I settled on “A Free Man in Paris”.

Here, My Dear

Marvin Gaye

3/5

I’ve never listened to this before. I had assumed it was a low effort revenge album. It’s actually pretty good! Has a nice funky groove that makes it nice background music. I was not particularly invested in any of the songs though. I put “You CanLeave, But It’s Going to Cost You” on the Generator playlist.

Spy Vs. Spy: The Music Of Ornette Coleman

John Zorn

1/5

A whole lot of effort went into hating this album. Nothing on Spotify so I tried YouTube Music. There was a playlist called Spy vs. Spy so I listened to that. But after I was through I determined that it was actually a collection that didn’t include more than two tracks from the album. Then I found some album called Spy vs. Spy on YouTube and started listening to that. This time I determined that it was not the real deal earlier. Anyway, all the tracks I listed to sounded like screeching saxophones over chaos. Sigh.

The Wildest!

Louis Prima

5/5

An album that makes me smile and want to dance the jitterbug on the darkest day of the year automatically gets a 5/5.

The Low End Theory

A Tribe Called Quest

3/5

Someday I may appreciate rap music. I’m working on it. The rhymes are pretty good on this one but the beat is relentless. I added “Butter” to the Generator playlist.

For Your Pleasure

Roxy Music

4/5

Very interesting and adventurous for the times. “The Bogus Man” certainly overstayed its welcome.added “Editions of You” to my Generator playlist. I think I’ll be coming back to this one and it will grow on me.

A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector

Various Artists

4/5

This album has been part of my Christmas rotation for at least 20 years. Brought back fond memories. As far as I’m concerned Darlene Love is the star of the show. I added “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home )” to the playlist.

Californication

Red Hot Chili Peppers

4/5

I found myself bopping with the music in a very satisfactory way. This would have been a 5/5 it were instrumental. The lyrics and the lead singer’s attempts to rap subtract a point.

Another Green World

Brian Eno

5/5

What a beautiful album! It manages to sound interesting, serene, and experimental all at the same time without overdoing any element. I had a hard time deciding which track to add to my Generator playlist before settling on “Golden Hours”.

A Wizard, A True Star

Todd Rundgren

3/5

good kid, m.A.A.d city

Kendrick Lamar

5/5

I’m not qualified to review hip-hop. But this really moved me. It was like watching a movie or reading a short story. I was tempted to deduct a point for some of the lyrics but it would still be a 5/5. I added “Bitch, Don’t Kill My Vibe” to my Generator playlist but I enjoyed every track.

Out of Step

Minor Threat

3/5

The Coral

2/5

I had several problems with this record. The songs mostly seemed half-formed, jolting from one style to another within the same track. There was very little flow. I found the lyrics pointless as well. Not for me. Ah well, on to the next one.

Rumours

Fleetwood Mac

4/5

The singles from this album were all over the radio back in the day and for years to come but somehow I never listened to a complete Fleetwood Mac album. This is an excellent one with absolutely no filler. And yet I’m going to give it 4 out of 5. It just doesn’t speak to me in the way my favorites do. I added “Dreams” to my Generator playlist. My favorite song of theirs is “Landslide” but unfortunately that doesn’t appear on either album on the List.

Fragile

Yes

3/5

All I knew about this band was hearing “Roundabout” on the radio often back in the day. The best parts of this album are excellent, especially the production, keyboards and harmonies. There are two or three tracks are more or less filler. In addition, I like my music rougher around the edges. So I’m afraid prog rock may not be for me . Torn between a strong 3 and a weak 4. Going with the 3 for the incongruous cover of Simon and Garfunkel’s “America”. I added “Long Distance Runaround” to my Generator playlist.

Phrenology

The Roots

3/5

There was a lot of variety in the tracks here which added a lot of interest to the album. I liked the ones that contained soul or jazz best. Not so keen on the rap numbers. I added “Complexity” to my Generator playlist.

Morrison Hotel

The Doors

4/5

I first listened to this when I was half asleep and found Morrison’s voice so soothing somehow. Listened later while reading the lyrics, which definitely do not improve the experience. The last few songs relax into a very pleasing bluesy groove that I liked a lot. I added “Maggie M’Gill” to my Generator playlist.

The Band

5/5

This album has been part of the soundtrack to my life for many years. It makes me feel like I am in a happy home surrounded with people I love. There is not a dud on there as far as I am concerned. I will probably add “Cripple Creek” to the playlist.