Thoroughly Stevie Wonder. Been a fan of his music for most of my life but have only been really exposed to compilations of his greatest hits. Nice to hear some of his classics in the context of their original album.
Typical classic rock from the late 60s. Heard some Beatles influences along with Beach Boys and other bands from that era. None of the songs particularly jumped out at me though. It was just fine.
Norah Jones is a fantastic jazz vocalist. Don't Know Why will always be a classic for me.
Pleasantly surprised by this album which I didn't know existed before this. Though that's not to see I knew all about his discography anyways. But I hadn't heard any of these songs before. A good album to listen all the way through to. None of the individual songs stood out to me as a highlight that I'd want to listen to on its own.
I've heard this album referenced so many times in discussions regarding great albums and I'm glad to have finally gotten around to listening to it. This was a solid album and I can easily see why Radiohead has the following it does. High and Dry is a song I've heard before but never knew the title to. My Iron Lung was also a standout. A good listen all the way through!
Definitely not the kind of music I’ve been exposed to before. Baaba Maal’s Senegalese music is impressive and the instrumentation is enjoyable. Unfortunately, for my taste, the vocals didn’t do it for me. Technically impressive, but just too nasally for my taste in music.
I've never really looked into ABBA's discography before, mostly just being aware of their hit songs that became public knowledge through things like popular culture, most notably the Mamma Mia musical franchise. That being said, this was a great album that I could see myself revisiting. "The Visitors", "Head Over Heels", "When All Is Said and Done", and "One of Us" were standout tracks for me. The album is like a pop-opera in some ways which makes it for a good listening experience all the way through.
Never heard of this group before, much less this album. It seems like an album full of tracks that are just recordings of this group jamming in a studio session, which is nice in its own way. There's great technical musicianship on display throughout the whole album. Instead of math-rock, it's like 80s-inspired math jazz. Standouts were "Favourite Shirts" and "Kingsize (You're My Little Steam Whistle)"
Based on their reputation, this U2 album is very U2. I imagine this album being a foundation for what became their identifiable style of music with Edge’s shimmery guitar riffs and Bono’s iconic voice. First 3 songs were pretty great and are widely known already, but I also liked Exit.
I've never heard of Liz Phair before, but she seems like a singer-songwriter type based on this album. The music itself isn't quite my taste. Perhaps an uneducated opinion, but she kinda sounded to me like Taylor Swift if she leaned slightly more punk instead of country or pop, and there wasn't enough variation in instrumentation or complexity going from one song to the next to keep me invested, unfortunately.
I've been aware of Jimi Hendrix for a long time but never dove into his discography before. This album was a nice listen and its clear to see why Jimi is such a respected musician and guitarist. Obvious highlights are "Purple Haze" and "Fire" but I also enjoyed "Hey Joe" and "Highway Chile"
Louis Prima seems like he's one of the quintessential singers for that Italian-American big band jazz style of music. I don't have much exposure to this kind of music, but the energy and vibes of the music is fun and upbeat, and Louis's voice carries a lot of power with it. "Oh Marie" stood out to me, but a different song of Louis's, "Pennies from Heaven" will remain the one I always think about for this kind of music.
A great jazz album from the legendary Herbie Hancock. Would definitely look for this album again were I to be searching for this kind of music
I wanted to like this album so much more than I ended up, because the first song, "Just like Honey" sounded alright. Classic 80s soft rock ballad. But then the rest of the album took such a huge dive for me. I listened to the album on Spotify on Lossless quality, and yet several songs had me questioning my equipment. The distortion and screeching on some of the other songs was just so unbearable that I couldn't make it to the end of them for fear of giving myself a headache. Some better mixing could've made such a difference here.
I happen to like several Fleetwood Mac songs, but none of them are from this album, and unfortunately, nothing from this album really grabbed me like those songs did. I expected more honestly.
There were some good moments on this album with house and funk elements, but "Groove is in the Heart" remains the biggest hit from this album.
A great example of this era's hip-hop. I've never really listened to Queen Latifah's music, but she is a good lyricist. I like the opening track "Dance for Me" that set the tone for the rest of the album, and "Mama Gave Birth to the Soul Children" which was a great collab track with De La Soul
Unfortunately, most of this album just has me comparing this band to the Beatles, which is a tough ask, though understandable for the time. I thought "Waterloo Sunset" was a standout track, but "Lazy Old Sun" reminded me way too much of "Strawberry Fields Forever" to enjoy it. All in all, a safe sounding British Invasion era pop-rock album
This was delightful jazz/soul album. "Street Life" is a song I've heard before and is a highlight, but the instrumentalism across the album is wonderful.
I didn't know Hole was the major musical basis of Courtney Love's career, having only heard of her name being an icon in the rock scene through the 90s. "Celebrity Skin" is a great track and I can see why she garnered her reputation as a musician. A pretty solid grundge rock album.
Just a Xmas album that I don't have too much to say about
Never had much exposure to Iggy Pop's music but I can understand how he made a name for himself in the rock scene. Unfortunately, none of the songs on this particular album really piqued my interest.
"You Oughta Know" and "Ironic" were the obvious standouts, and none of the other songs on the album really connected with me.
I recognize the band name, Buffalo Springfield, but the album didn't do anything for me. Songs sounded alright, but the band's country/folk/bluegrass style just doesn't interest me.
2nd Radiohead album to come my way and another good listen, though I think I might prefer The Bends over this one, if I had to compare the two. Although, "Everything in its Right Place" and "Motion Picture Soundtrack" are both fantastic songs in the way they establish a mood and both of those come from Kid A.
This is the second David Bowie album and what an album! "Starman" is understably the most memorable song, but I also thoroughly enjoyed "Moonage Daydream" and "Rock 'n' Roll Suicide". An album I would easily go back to another time for a full listen through!
Pretty solid rock album representative of the times, though I can't get past how gibberish the band's name is. That aside, "Honoloochie Boogie" was my favorite song of the album.
"Up Around the Bend" was the only Creedence Clearwater Revival I was familiar with so it was nice to listen to a whole album. The music was rock, blues, some folk elements, a pretty good sound. The 10-minute cover/jam of "I Heard it Through the Grapevine" was also nice, though perhaps almost too long for my interests. Other highlights included "Travelin' Band" and "Who'll Stop the Rain"
Had heard of Stephen Stills before, but had just made the assumption he was a folk singer kinda like a Simon & Garfunkel sound. Turns out he's quite the guitarist with some good pop rock and gospel rock chops! Highlights were "Love the One You're With" and "Go Back Home"
Odelay was great album to listen to all the way through. I can understand why Beck has his reputation as being an eclectic artist, as there were all sorts of genre influences through the album, including indie, rock, folk, and even rap! "Where It's At" was my favorite song in that immediately set a mood that I vibed with. Aside from that one, none of the individual songs really stuck out for me, but as an album listening experience, I think they all mixed together well.
Never listened to Sufjan Stevens before with any intent and he's an interestig musician. Album was long but pretty cohesive. Elements of indie, folk, pop, gospel, and even broadway? "Chicago" was the highlight, understandable given the album's name, but I also enjoyed "Decatur", "Casimir Pulaski Day", and "The Predatory Wasp of the Palisades is Out to Get Us"
Leonard Cohen is still a great songwriter, but unfortunately, with this album having come out in 2016, Cohen's voice just sounds weak and tired in these songs and comes across more as spoken word poetry. The album slightly improves in the latter half when the instrumental elements pick up a little bit and some backing vocals get involved, but it's not an album I think I would ever revisit if I want to explore more of Cohen's discography
Second Stevie Wonder album to come through and I liked this one better than Talking Book. "Higher Ground" was my favorite of the album, but "Living for the City", "Golden Lady", and "Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thang" were also standouts. Wonder's jazz/R&B stylings are so unique!
LCD Soundsystem's disco-punk fusion sound is so unique and makes for some great music. A decent album with my favorites being "oh baby", "tonite", and "call the police" which are all new to me amongs the other random LCD singles that have permeated my consciousness over the years
While I don't enjoy funk as much as I do other genres, I can see how this album has been so influential. "The Message" and "The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash" are songs I immediately recognized for their hooks and I could also identify sounds that they sampled such as in "It's a Shame" and sounds they made that would become samples later in history like in "It's Nasty"
Dizzee Rascal appears to be a UK-Drill rapper, which is a genre of music I have little exposure to. Unfortunately, I wasn't grabbed by the music and I wasn't able to connect with his lyrics, but I can certainly acknowledge that that disconnect could just be attributed to my lack of context and intimacy with UK culture.
The self-titled album Traffic sounded to me just like any other rock album from that 60s era of music. Nothing in particular really shone out to me that would make this band unique amongst the many of this time, but they also weren't terrible. I enjoyed "Cryin' To Be Heard", "Means to an End", and "Shanghai Noodle Factory"
Based on my previous experiences with listening to similar music, this seemed like a pretty cookie cutter Brit-pop-punk album. Antmusic was the only song that grabbed me. Overall it was alright, but I'd rather just listen to the Clash
Interesting to hear an album that came out around the same time as Daft Punk was making their rise, and with this artist also being on the periphery of that very same scene of music. The album is smattered with several dance beats with funk and disco influences, that may not be so interesting in today's age, but I'm sure were quite revolutionary in its time. Tracks like "Music makes you lose control" and "Jacques Your Body Makes Me Sweat" surely served as inspirations for later dance hits as the genre kept growing into the earlys 2000s. Just a fine album for me in a vacuum, but can appreciate it more when considered in retrospective context of where dance music has gone since its release
Amongst the rest of Queen's discography, I wasn't familiar with this particular album, and it's a pretty solid listen! The band's sound is unmistakable, and "Killer Queen" remains the standout track, though other songs such as the opener "Brighton Rock", "Flick of the Wrist", and "Misfire" are great underappreciated tracks. This is an album I would have no problems revisiting later and listening all the way through!
I've never heard of Tricky before, but I have heard the instrumental hook of "Hell Is Round The Corner" without knowing where it came from. The album was a nice mix of jazz and hip-hop with a laid back lounge feel to it. It was the kind of music I'd imagine hearing in a dimly lit cafe with a bunch of patrons smoking and snapping their fingers in agreement. "Black Steel" was the only other song that grabbed my attention.
This album didn't too much for me as I'm not the biggest fan of their arrangement with the fiddle and the vocalist's tamber. "Listen to This" was a nice jam song, but otherwise, it's hard for me to listen to this band anymore than the occasional replay of "Come on Eileen", and even then, some part of that is being done so ironically.
For being released in 1996, this album gave me similar vibes to that of the indie folk genre that was really popular in the early 2010s (Lumineers-esque). My favorite track was "She's Losing It"
This album sounded very futuristic for being released in 1984, with the production being very polished and modern. However the music itself didn't really make a connection with me, as cohesive as the album was.
Unlike the previous two albums, this 1978 release very much sounded like what I would expect a movie soundtrack/compilation from this era to sound like. Having barely any exposure to these kinds of films, I can say that several moments of this album transported me to places I would attribute to globe-trotting adventure movies of that similar era like classic James Bond films.
Fantastic debut album from Sade with a super strong opening to the album. "Smooth Operator" and "Your Love is King" both still get regular plays on smooth jazz radio stations to this day and other songs like "Hang On to Your Love" and "When Am I Going to Make a Living" have also had great staying power. Sade's voice is iconic and uniquely hers and the album is altogether a great jazz experience.
A solid album that is quintessentially Oasis, and yet, none of these songs are ones that I've heard before. The album is well made and serves as great British rock album for the early 90s. Favorites are "Rock 'n' Roll Star", "Shakermaker", "Supersonic", and "Slide Away"
A rather forgettable late 70s early 80s punk-metal-rock album for me. The album was cohesive and sounded "right", but the music didn't really interest me.
Another solid album from Oasis, which shows that they deserved their notoriety and relevance for their time. "Wonderwall", "Don't Look Back in Anger", and "Champagne Supernova" continue to be the legendary songs that still are part of the cultural zeitgeist, but I also enjoyed "Some Might Say" and "Cast No Shadow"
"Quattro - Worlds Drift In" was the only song that stuck out to me on an overall eclectic, but meh, album
Very similar album in sound to "Stephen Stills" but thsi one didn't grab me like the other did. "Don't Look at My Shadow was the only song that impressed me out of the 21 tracks
Ali is a great musician who puts together some nice jamming tracks. I liked his higher tempo stuff more than his more blues-sounding slower songs, such as "Bonde", "Soukora", and "Sega"
As someone that typically doesn't enjoy much grime music, I actually thought this album from Skepta was quite nice. It's no surprise that the songs that sounded least like typical grime were the ones that stood out to me, though: "Lyrics", "Ladies Hit Squad", "Numbers", and "Shutdown". In general, I think the over-abundance of the staccato style rapping in grime music tires me out, but I can see why Skepta is considered one of the greats in this style of music.
Of the three Stevie Wonder albums I've listened to so far, this is my least favorite, relatively speaking. Not to say it was bad album, just not as good as the others. I liked "Boogie On Reggae Woman" and "You Haven't Done Nothin'" but the other songs didn't stand out.
That was...pretty darn good? Didn't know what to expect when I saw an album with so few tracks have a standard album runtime. 25-minute-long songs couldn't possibly be good enough for their whole stretch right? Well they can! Tubular Bells is a great listen all the way through and a get representative for new age music
This album didn't particularly grab me but I can see how it could be an enthralling experience for folks in the right mindset, a la Pink Floyd or similar music.
This band's version of brit-pop-punk-rock didn't particularly impress me, as I would rather listen to acts that likely inspired their sound on this album like David Bowie or The Cure. But nothing offensive
Sounds to me like a Brazilian Sade, which is a compliment. "Tanto Tempo" and "So Nice" were pleasant tracks to listen to.
An interesting blend of indie rock and Indian music that comes across as really genuine from the band, sounding even prophetic for that kind of indie sound despite being from 1997. "Sleep on the Left Side" and "Brimful of Asha" were a good opening to the album and I liked "Good Sh**" as well
Linkin Park really hooked into the youth for their kind of music for the early 2000s emo/punk rap rock. Shinoda's lyricism and Bennington's vocal prowess are a powerful mix and made for a fantastic debut album for the group. "One Step Closer", "Crawling" are two of many great songs but "In the End" has become an eternal anthem for the generation that grew up with Linkin Park's music.
For this kind of music I would rather just listen to David Byrne doing it better
Fantastic album, though not something I could see myself revisiting too many times, just because the music is not quite my taste, but that doesn't mean I can't acknowledge that it's well made. The album expertly rides the edge between having a cohesive sound whilst not sounding all the same throughout. "Paranoid Android", "Karma Police", and "No Surprises" are all stand outs.
