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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Quite OK but not my jam.
P.S. Another one that became better with familiarity.
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.
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.
Some of it was almost painful and all of it was not for me.
Pleasant enough but pretty bland.
Enjoyable pop but uninspiring.
Spoken word angst is not for me.
Upbeat danceable pop makes for an enjoyable listen. No duds.
I added Fools Gold to the generator playlist.
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.
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”.
I listened to this twice and enjoyed it both times. Hours later I’ve forgotten which songs were which. Thus the 3 rating.
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.
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.
Nope. Absolutely not for me. Rapping I cannot understand plus percussion. Didn’t bother to listen twice. Added “Paper Planes” to the Generator playlist.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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”.
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.
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.
An album that makes me smile and want to dance the jitterbug on the darkest day of the year automatically gets a 5/5.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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”.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
I thought this was delightful but I need to listen again when I am not so tired.
I was not in the proper mood to focus on this properly. I can say it is interesting and different without being inaccessible. I think I might like it even better after more listens but for now it is a 3/5.
This was far more bluesy and rocky than I had imagined and I really liked it. A nice surprise.
I can imagine really enjoying this on a dance floor. But I couldn’t decide which song to add to my playlist because they all had the same exact vibes. I finally chose “Let Me Be Him”.
This feels a lot like one of those albums made to capitalize on a hit single and containing a bunch of filler. I added the only great song, “I Had Too Much to Dream”, to my Generator playlist.
I had fun listening to this album. Not much more to say. I added “We’ve Got the Beat” to my playlist
Sorry, I found this ridiculous and not in a good way.
I never know what I’m going to get when the genre is metal. This is the hard rocking variety and there is not a weak track on the album.
Electronic dance music with dark lyrics. I liked it! Torn between a 3 and a 4.
I was pleasantly surprised that I liked this. Added “Enter Sandman” to my playlist.
Another album to thank the gods of the Generator for. Jazz + world + protest = My Jam.
Much too tortured for me for today. My opinion might improve on a relisten. I added his cover of “Hallelujah” to my playlist.
Old Blue Eyes sure could sing! And the jazzy arrangements by Nelson Riddle complement him perfectly. I added “I’ve Got You Under My Skin” to the playlist.
All these years later, this seems as fresh as it was when I first heard it. And time has transformed all the weird tracks into old favorites. So I wouldn’t change a thing about it. Every time I try to pick one favorite for my playlist, I feel like I am slighting about five others. I ended up choosing “Sexy Sadie”.
OMG, I could have died without hearing Rod Stewart cover “Old Man River”. I felt second-hand embarrassment for his little mannerisms which got on my last nerve. It’s really strange I don’t care for blues Rod Stewart, “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy” Rod Stewart , or even crooner Rod Stewart. Yet Every Picture Tells a Story is one of my all-time favorites. Go figure.
Any how, Jeff Beck’s own contribution is quite good and it’s definitely not boring. I added “Beck’s Bolero”, an instrumental, to my playlist. 2.5/5
This classic improves every time I listen to it. 5/5.
Willie Nelson has one of the most distinctive voices in music and he uses it beautifully. His simple approach brings out the tenderness in the standards covered. Pure joy to my ears. I added “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore” to my Generator playlist.
I love Elvis Costello and he is in top form on this album. Three absolute bangers and the lesser known songs are good too. I added “Radio, Radio” to my Generator playlist.
I really liked this. I expect it will become even better with repeated listens.
Ferocious music loaded with rebel energy. Simultaneously shocks and entertains. I added “I Need Somebody”, which is nice and bluesy, to my Generator playlist.
Wow, I really liked this! Great upbeat danceable music that feels like a party.
So many layers that I can’t really grasp it all in one day. I found it less approachable that “good kid, m.A.A.d city” but I think it will improve on every listen. I added “You Ain’t Gotta Lie (Momma Said”) to my Generator playlist.
This album was definitely music to my ears. A better combo of message and funk cannot be found. I put “Pusherman” on my Generator playlist but it really could have been any of the tracks.
This artist was new to me. I enjoyed the album.
Metal will never be my favorite genre but I thought this was pretty good. I especially enjoyed the guitars. I added “Black Sabbath” to my Generator playlist.
A pleasure to listen to but it didn’t quite grab me. I added “Pitche Mi” to my Generator playlist.
I was excited to get this one as I have always loved the title track. But the rest of the album was not nearly as good and a couple of tunes didn’t work for me at all. So 5/5 for the good stuff and 2/5 for the rest. I added the title track to my Generator playlist.
What is the good of dance music if it doesn’t make you feel like dancing? This felt like an art project gone awry. Not a fan. Added “Valley of the Dolls” to the Generator playlist. At least that one doesn’t have the same spoken words over and over in a loop.
This was interesting as a time capsule of a certain type of sensibility in the late 60’s. But the band and tunes are just OK. I added the title track to my Generator playlist.
It’s Elvis Costello. It’s me. So it will be no surprise to anyone that I gave this album of 5/5. I added “Man Out of Time” to my Generator playlist.
This album has three 5/5 hits and several songs illustrating that Jim Morrison was not the “poet” he claimed to be. Nevertheless, he had one of the greatest voices in Rock & Roll history and those hits are pure nostalgia to me. Reminds me of being in L.A. headshops at the time.
Based on the description I had low expectations and they were not exceeded. Not offensive but in my opinion pretty dull. I saved “Sunday Shining”.
This was pleasant enough to listen to but did not really grab me.
Such beautiful and interesting floaty music. I loved this. Saved “… la femme D’argent”.
I should have listened to this years ago. A gem. I saved “Coyote”.
