171
Albums Rated
3.29
Average Rating
16%
Complete
918 albums remaining
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
2010
Favorite Decade
Metal
Favorite Genre
UK
Top Origin
Wordsmith
Rater Style ?
15
5-Star Albums
7
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
Top Styles
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Talking With the Taxman About Poetry
Billy Bragg
|
5 | 2.96 | +2.04 |
|
evermore
Taylor Swift
|
5 | 3.01 | +1.99 |
|
Dig Me Out
Sleater-Kinney
|
5 | 3.07 | +1.93 |
|
Everything Must Go
Manic Street Preachers
|
5 | 3.11 | +1.89 |
|
Melodrama
Lorde
|
5 | 3.31 | +1.69 |
|
25
Adele
|
5 | 3.38 | +1.62 |
|
The Fat Of The Land
The Prodigy
|
5 | 3.4 | +1.6 |
|
...And Justice For All
Metallica
|
5 | 3.42 | +1.58 |
|
Bat Out Of Hell
Meat Loaf
|
5 | 3.42 | +1.58 |
|
Marquee Moon
Television
|
5 | 3.5 | +1.5 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Home Is Where The Music Is
Hugh Masekela
|
1 | 3.35 | -2.35 |
|
The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady
Charles Mingus
|
1 | 3.33 | -2.33 |
|
A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector
Various Artists
|
1 | 3.29 | -2.29 |
|
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
|
2 | 4.08 | -2.08 |
|
Tanto Tempo
Bebel Gilberto
|
1 | 3.07 | -2.07 |
|
Dummy
Portishead
|
2 | 3.71 | -1.71 |
|
Californication
Red Hot Chili Peppers
|
2 | 3.69 | -1.69 |
|
A Love Supreme
John Coltrane
|
2 | 3.63 | -1.63 |
|
In The Court Of The Crimson King
King Crimson
|
2 | 3.6 | -1.6 |
|
Jazz Samba
Stan Getz
|
2 | 3.56 | -1.56 |
5-Star Albums (15)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
Lorde · 1 likes
5/5
Extremely fun pop album. Heard some shades of Tori Amos in there... another listen or two, and this may become a 5 star album for me. *Edit* I've listened to it more, it's a 5.
Snoop Dogg · 1 likes
4/5
As a white 18-year old in rural Ohio, this was a foundational text for my early adulthood years.
Profane, funny, and funkier than I remembered. Doggystyle holds up quite well.
Everything But The Girl · 1 likes
2/5
Pleasant singing, but totally uninteresting musically. Songs blended together. Nothing I would ever come back to.
1-Star Albums (7)
All Ratings
Afrika Bambaataa
3/5
I feel like I've heard this album hundreds of times, although it's the first time I've ever sat and listened to the whole thing. A few times I broke into singing songs that were influenced by this.
Gets repetitive, and most of the songs are long. Easy to let the songs fade into the background as there isn't much depth to the lyrics.
Historically important, but not a terribly compelling listen. Would probably be a good album to use when I'm out walking.
Prince
4/5
I love Prince. I admit though, that I'm a fan of his later (90's era) stuff maybe more than this.
Interesting to compare to Planet Rock, which was my album yesterday. Very funky, very synth heavy, a lot of long jams, but 1999 is so much more interesting to listen to.
Pink Floyd
5/5
Hard to say a whole lot about a perfect album.
When I'm not in the mood for the 25 minutes of "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" I still have 3 of my top 5 Pink Floyd songs here. That being said, that 25 minutes is nearly perfect.
The Isley Brothers
4/5
Great early 70's R&B/funk/soul record. Surprised by the number and quality of the cover songs on here. Most I preferred to the original.
Only negative, the last 2 songs, a cover of "Summer Breeze" (a song I've never liked), and "The Highways of My Life" were slow, and kind of disrupted the vibe the rest of the album had built. Loved it to that point though.
Hugh Masekela
1/5
I have tried many times, but I cannot do jazz. I appreciate the talent on display, but I did not enjoy this album.
Lorde
5/5
Extremely fun pop album. Heard some shades of Tori Amos in there... another listen or two, and this may become a 5 star album for me. *Edit* I've listened to it more, it's a 5.
Kraftwerk
4/5
Amazing how fresh this still sounds.
I can hear so much influence on the electronic music styles I've listened to for decades now.
Weirdly enough, the title track is the only one that didn't do much for me. A little too repetitive without much variation. Otherwise, great album.
The Slits
2/5
Not my thing. Messy mix of punk and reggae influences. Just a bit too esoteric for my tastes. I can certainly see how it influenced so many acts to come later.
Crosby, Stills & Nash
3/5
Kind of mixed on this one.
Quite a few songs I enjoyed more than I ever did while listening to the songs driving around in the back seat as a kid.
Some of the tracks like "Marrakesh Express", "Guinnevere", and "Lady of the Island" just faded into background noise...did not care for them at all.
Amazing harmonies.
Marvin Gaye
3/5
This whole album would be a 3-page long Facebook post or a 10-minute long TikTok with no context that would somehow get 10 million views anyway.
You know, maybe making an album about your divorce made WHILE GOING THROUGH SAID DIVORCE isn't the best idea.
If Marvin Gaye wasn't so talented, I think this album would be borderline unlistenable, I don't find it a classic by any stretch, but it's not that bad. I think the second half of the album is weaker than the first half.
The first time I've ever heard singing during an instrumental track...
Marvin Gaye
4/5
Two Marvin Gaye albums in a row. This one is a fair bit better than "Here, My Dear" that I listened to yesterday.
That being said, a couple tracks really fell flat for me ("Save the Children" and "Wholly Holy"), and "What's Happening Brother?" felt so much like just a variation of "What's Going On?" that I thought I had accidentally hit the replay button...so it still *only* ranks as a 4/5 for me.
Stevie Wonder
4/5
It seems blasphemous to say anything critical about one of the best regarded albums ever, and I don't have much bad to say.
The 2nd album starts with my least favorite Stevie Wonder song (Isn't She Lovely") even worse is that I've never heard the 6 minute version with the kid squealing noises halfway through...which made it worse.
If it were me in the producing booth, I might have pushed for a couple fewer songs, or maybe a shorter edit here or there... but for the most part, this was truly an excellent album.
The Stooges
4/5
Chaotic mess of an album. Tons of punk vibes, and then the saxophone shows up and the album gets weird. I think it starts to lose its way, and the last track "L.A. Blues" is just noise. Iggy Pop is a force of nature on this album. He brings the whole experience up a star.
Bob Dylan
5/5
Absolutely outstanding. Had me captivated the entire time. When it was over, and the album restarted, I didn't want to turn it off.
Fleetwood Mac
4/5
After all these years of hearing about this album's reputation, I finally sat down and listened to it, and... it's ok?
The big hits are all great, but the other tracks didn't do much for me. This is the perfect album for where the whole star rating system doesn't work. I think it's a 3.5... I'll give it a 4 because Stevie Nicks.
Snoop Dogg
4/5
As a white 18-year old in rural Ohio, this was a foundational text for my early adulthood years.
Profane, funny, and funkier than I remembered. Doggystyle holds up quite well.
Lloyd Cole And The Commotions
3/5
Never heard of this before. Surprised because this would have been right in my wheelhouse in the 80's.
I don't love it as much as I probably could have. Too many songs feel "samey". A few standouts. Probably one I would put on for background music..
Morrissey
3/5
It's fine. A couple memorable tracks, and a lot of pleasant background music.
Little Richard
4/5
A debut greatest hits album? 12 songs, none over 3 minutes… foundational for r&b, rock, and punk??
Taylor Swift
5/5
#Swiftie
Taylor's 1st COVID-era release is her best album, and it's not even close. One of my favorite albums ever. Listened to it twice while out walking today.
Weather Report
2/5
I struggle with jazz. I keep giving it a chance... maybe someday I'll get something I'll vibe with.
I'd never heard of Weather Report before. When "Birdland" started, the reference kind of flew over my head, and I thought I might be in for a funk record. Yeah, I know...
I did feel these songs were more structured than other jazz albums I've heard, and that did help me find my way through the songs. In the end though, it just didn't stick for me.
I appreciate the immense talent on display, but it's just not for me.
Patti Smith
4/5
An album I've always heard I should listen to, but never have. I did not expect it to be so punk rock coded (I think I expected more Bob Dylan-esque singer songwriter).
Nitpick: I did find her voice get a little nasal/whiny for my tastes a couple times.
I suppose it shouldn't surprise me that I enjoyed this album, I mean, it's on this list for a reason. It was just different than I expected in a good way.
Solid 4 for me.
Charles Mingus
1/5
I don't get it. I just don't get it.
I see the word "cacophony" used a lot in reviews, both positive and negative. That's exactly what much of this felt like to me, but very much in a negative way.
This did nothing but confound me. This has been my least favorite album of this project so far. I greatly respect the talent of the musicians, but I just did not enjoy this one.
The Auteurs
4/5
Fun early Britpop album. Surprised I never heard it back in the day, because I was all about this stuff.
Sigur Rós
4/5
Beautiful album. Not something I would have ever willingly chosen to listen to. I don't know what mood I would have to be in to want to listen to this again.
Listening to this when it was cold, dark, and wintertime was the right choice.
Harry Nilsson
3/5
A couple great songs, but most of it didn't really land for me. Plus I really hate "Coconut".
Al Green
4/5
Not quite a 5-star album for me, but I enjoyed every song.
Solange
3/5
Great voice, strong message, not enough variety in the music. Just an hour of mid-tempo R&B that just faded into the background. The interludes were interesting, and brought more context to the themes of the album, but don't help raise it above a middling album for me.
Various Artists
1/5
Undeniable talent on these songs, but I despise Christmas Music.
The War On Drugs
4/5
Very Bob Dylan / Bruce Springsteen coded. Really enjoyed my time with this album,although a couple songs did kind of wander around and overstay their welcome.
When it's at full speed though, it's unstoppable.
Adam & The Ants
2/5
An excessive amount of excessiveness. I feel like I would have enjoyed this album more if they dialed everything back just a bit. But maybe it wouldn't be on this list if they had?
Can't deny that they were having fun making this. I just couldn't find my way into having as much fun listening to it.
And then there's the pirate song...
Louis Prima
4/5
Much more fun that I would have expected. A few songs did sound a bit samey, but overall I surprisingly enjoyed this!
Jefferson Airplane
3/5
Grace Slick's songs 5/5. The rest was pretty underwhelming, but I've never been much of a psychedelic rock fan.
Madonna
2/5
Forgettable. I didn't find the music bad for the most part, but it just didn't do much to engage me. Not a single song I would add to a playlist, or listen to again on purpose.
The version of American Pie, a song I don't care for much anyway, is criminal.
I seriously question how this album made it onto this list.
Neil Young
4/5
Surprisingly gentle album from someone whose more rocking music I've always appreciated. Some very nice harmonies that echo the kind of stuff he was making with CSN&Y. Liked it more than I expected, but not quite 5 stars.
Belle & Sebastian
4/5
Only knew them from that joke in the movie High Fidelity. I had some preconceptions about what this would sound like, and when the album started, I kind of groaned because it was EXACTLY what I was expecting.
Then, the tempos picked up, and I started getting more into the music. I did find the singer's voice a little samey and thin for some of the songs, but I enjoyed this far more than I expected.
Nick Drake
3/5
Just a guy and his guitar. Felt like an album full of ideas and demos. Not a lot of dynamics or surprises. It was fine, but I wasn't terribly moved by it one way or another.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
4/5
Normally don't like extended jams in the middle of songs. Crazy Horse is the notable exception to this rule, and this album has two incredible long jams on it ("Down By the River" and "Cowgirl In the Sand").
Plus it has "Cinnamon Girl".
A couple of the other songs don't quite rise to the levels of those three songs *cough* "The Losing End *cough*, but it's still a high 4 star album for me.
4/5
An album I actually own! This originally came out when I was 7 years old, and I didn't really get it. It sounded too sophisticated compared to the other pop music I listened to at the time. Now I just realize that it was the British accent and string section.
If I only use the track list of actual album version, I really loved this album. The Spotify version had "The Theme From Mantrap" as an 11th track - which is a slowed down, lounged up version of "Poison Arrow". That version was painful to sit through. I think I'll stick to my vinyl copy with just 10 tracks.
"All of My Heart" was the stand out song. By far my favorite track, and definitely one I will add to my work playlist.
The Black Keys
3/5
I really love the first 5 tracks on this album.
The problem is that tracks 6-14 fell flat, sometimes cribbing lines from their other songs, and didn't keep up any of the energy from the first 5 songs.
If I hadn't been bored to numbness, "These Days" might have stirred up my emotions, and been an amazing final track. Maybe someday, I'll just listen to those 6 songs in a loop, and see if it hits they way I think it should.
Rather disappointing, because I generally like The Black Keys.
Madonna
4/5
Enjoyed this more than expected. Still not a big fan of "Express Yourself", but it's not terrible.
Did not expect as much input by Prince! That was a welcome surprise to say the least.
Iggy Pop
3/5
Without knowing anything about this album before I started listening, I thought "Wow, this has a really strong David Bowie vibe". Then I read the Wikipedia page... and yeah, it all made sense.
I liked it, didn't love it. (I have the same reaction to much of Bowie's catalog as well).
Peter Gabriel
3/5
Solsbury Hill is a pop classic. There are a few other songs on here I quite enjoyed ("Modern Love", "Down the Dolce Vita") but then there are "Excuse Me" and "Waiting for the Big One" which were just terrible.
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
Some really great stuff, only hindered by a couple of needlessly long tracks that just didn't hold my attention, and the one song not sung by Hendrix that sounded like a bad 60's pop song.
The good stuff is REALLY GOOD, and buoys my score up.
Iron Maiden
5/5
Has more prog influences than I expected for whatever reason.
"Invaders" and "Gangland" don't do much for me, but I still like them well enough that they don't drag the album down.
I could listen to this album every day. So much good stuff.
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
1/5
I think it's ironic that I'm a big fan of abstract visual art, but find the gold standard for abstract musical art absolutely unlistenable.
There were a couple of the..."songs"?? on here that I almost found a beat I could grasp onto, but I had to dig through so many layers of discordant nonsense to find them.
I have a new least favorite album on this list.
Parliament
4/5
A funk classic. The only thing keeping this from being a 5-star album was the final track. "Night of the Thumpasorus People", while being an incredible title, was the one song that kind of droned on (though it was nowhere near the longest track) and lost my interest.
Fatboy Slim
3/5
I have no idea how to rate this album.
On one hand, I absolutely adore every single song on this album. There isn't a single song (Yes, even "F*#&ing in Heaven") that I don't love...
On the other hand, also in every song on this album, Fatboy Slim finds an annoying noise that he insists on repeating until he's absolutely obliterated the vibe of the track. The thing is, it's such a predictable move, that it makes the songs so much less interesting because you just know that no matter how much you might be enjoying it now... Fatboy Slim is going to come in and ruin your good time.
"The Rockafeller Skank" is one of my favorite songs of all time, except that stupid freaking alarm sound that goes on for... it may be 10 seconds, but feels like 10 minutes... and then the plodding ping-pong build up that goes on for an eternity... just ruins it.
I prefer the radio edits of most of the songs for the simple fact that those breaks get shortened, and therefore don't completely ruin the songs.
I love so much of this album, but I also never really want to listen to these versions of these songs again.
So... 3 stars? I dunno. Yeah, 3 is fair.
Yes
2/5
I generally enjoy progressive rock, but I will admit that most of what I like comes from the mid 1970's and later. And I have never, ever, gotten into Yes. Save for the one song that everyone says is the black sheep of the discography "Owner of a Lonely Heart".
So here we have The Yes Album from 1971. Immediately, 1st song, 1st note songs like some 1960's psychedelic nonsense, and then the organ comes in and I feel like I'm in for 40 minutes of pain.
It gets better when the rest of the band kicks in, but it was a bad first impression. Then the vocals come in and there is good harmony, but why are they trying to fit in three times the words than actually fit with the music?? It's distracting. Also, just generally not a fan of the lead singer's voice.
Anyway, that's kind of my experience with everything on the album (except for the nice acoustic song with the terrible title: "The Clap"). A few decent instrumental parts, harmonies that fight with the music, and generally just not an album I had a good time listening to.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
In the running for the most iconic opening notes to an album ever. Don't have much to say this time except that I very much enjoyed this album.
Not quite a 5, but definitely an album I will come back to.
James Brown
3/5
Missing a lot without the visuals. Everyone sounds great. Most of the songs are short or are part of a medley. There's one 10-minute epic in the middle, and before you know it, it's over.
There's a reason the man laid in state on the stage of The Apollo when he passed away. I felt glimpses of that, but that's just it...glimpses. It went by so quickly, that I didn't feel like there was much to latch on to.
Lynyrd Skynyrd
3/5
The best song is "Tuesday's Gone" and it's not even close. The tracks sandwiched between "Simple Man" and "Free Bird" don't quite live up to the rest of the album.
Better than I anticipated.
1/5
Well, there was one song I sort of liked...
the rest of it? Terrible. Not the absolute worst album I've heard on here, but it's close.
Stevie Wonder
3/5
I don't know... it just didn't grab me as much as other albums of his have heard. I didn't mind listening to it, but I wasn't as wowed as I was with "Songs in the Key of Life".
Radiohead
2/5
This is a droning borefest. When the trumpet hit during the last song, it actually startled me a bit. I had checked out that much.
Kid A felt like they discovered Aphex Twin, and took parts of his music to create something interesting, if not revolutionary in the rock genre. Amnesiac feels like they listened to a Sigur Ros album, and missed the point completely.
Really disappointed with this album.
Peter Tosh
3/5
It was fine. I don't mind reggae, and this was perfectly bouncy and enjoyable to listen to, but it didn't really move me past the "it's fine" line.
"Ketchy Shuby" was a bop, though.
The Byrds
2/5
Only one song over 3 minutes (listened to original album without bonus tracks). So it went down very easy.
Is it weird to not like 60's psychedelia, but enjoy 70's progressive rock? Because that's how I am with this one. The 60's psych stuff grates on me, the country influences are an interesting mix that's not totally unsuccessful, and the early hints of 70's progressive rock make me wish this album was made maybe 5 years later.
A lot of the songs feel more like demos / ideas than fully fleshed out songs...
overall, nothing I would come back to.
The Police
4/5
Wildly mixed bag here. The four-song run from Synchronicity II through Wrapped Around Your Finger is up there in the list of "Best 4 song streaks on an album".
Then there's "Mother" ... I'll never understand how that saw the light of day.
The rest of the album is fine, if a bit underwhelming. It's another edge case album. I'd probably give it 3.5 stars if that were an option. As it is, based purely on the four hits, and Synchronicity I, I'll give it the .5 star bump to a 4.
The Prodigy
5/5
I might have squealed a bit when I saw this album come up.
I've owned it since the day it was released, and it still holds up remarkably well. Some absolute classic bangers on here.
Hard to be objective about one of my favorite albums of all time. May be the easiest 5 stars I've given yet.
Sleater-Kinney
5/5
Where have I been? I was even into the alternative rock scene pretty deep at the time this came out, and I never listened to it.
It's a perfect rock album. Not a single dud track, or even an "Eh, it's ok", 100% great album.
OutKast
4/5
Two completely different projects in one package.
Big Boi's half (Speakerboxxx) has both feet in the Outkast formula: strong beats, tongue twisting rhymes, and impeccable grooves.
Andre 3000's half (The Love Below) is... wow. It's all over the place. Jazz, rap, pop, R&B, it is the Lost Prince album.
Very few songs outwardly feature both Outkast members on the same track (if I recall, rumors of an impending split were pretty rampant just before release).
I remember not really caring for Andre's album back in the day, while loving Big Boi's. That still mostly holds. I think Speakerboxxx is a masterpiece. The Love Below is more interesting sonically, but not as good... though it does have the two biggest hits (Hey Ya and Roses). I mean, it does have some great moments, but the lows are pretty rough. I was looking to see how many tracks were left at times... never a great sign.
As it is honestly two albums by two artists, it's a bit unfair to give a single star rating. I give Speakerboxxx a 5... I give The Love Below a 3. So... 4?
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
3/5
Ehh? I love Tom Petty, but I don't think this is one of his better albums. It has the iconic "American Girl", and I guess that's why the album is here.
I'm just hoping we get Southern Accents or Wildflowers somewhere down the road (maybe both??)
Not terrible, but not much I would come back to besides the hits.
Dr. Octagon
4/5
Wild concept album. I enjoyed it now as much as I did when I first heard it back in the 90's. Yeah, the lyrics are out there, the clips from porn movies are interesting, and the skits... oh man the skits.
This is a big conceptual swing for Kool Keith's debut solo album. It may not all work, but it is never boring.
Mudhoney
4/5
Love early, early grunge. Such a collision of styles. Not my favorite from the era, but it's really good.
Black Sabbath
4/5
Where metal began.
I'll be honest, I was not much into metal, or Sabbath, growing up. I came to Ozzy late, when he had become a human cartoon character. Now that I'm older, and going back to hear where it all started, I finally get it.
Fugees
4/5
Such a great album. It's a shame they couldn't stay together and record more.
Only one song that I disliked, and it's only because I really hate the song they used as the backing track ("Zealots" with The Flamingos "I Only Have Eyes For You"... just has always grated on me).
The rest of the album, top notch. Loved revisiting this one.
Skepta
4/5
Of course, here in the US, I had never heard of this. I've only heard a little bit of what was considered "Grime" before, and I didn't care for it. Maybe I just heard bad grime?
I really enjoyed this album. I don't think there was a single song I disliked. What's going to keep it from 5-star range for me is the annoying skits, and the fact that after a while, it felt like the same song over and over again.
Beatles
3/5
I've never been a Beatles fan, they've just not done anything for me, but I tried to listen to this with an open mind.
It was fine. Every song was pleasant sounding, and I bopped my head along a few times. But that was kind of it. Not much really stood out beyond just being pleasant non-offensive 60's pop.
"Any Time At All" was the one song that started out with a lot of promise. John's delivery during the opening chorus suggested something fiery was coming. Then it fell back into that sing-songy mellow verse, and it just lost the momentum.
Wilco
4/5
A wonderful album that I need to be in the right mood to really enjoy. I was in that mood last night, so I enjoyed everything except the 60's psychedelia of "I'm the Man Who Loves You".
Some very experimental sounds that actually work well.
Tim Buckley
2/5
I sort of liked "Buzzin' Fly". Beyond that, and the last half of "Gypsy Woman" which was more emotion and energy than was displayed on the rest of the album (though I still didn't like it). This was mostly just a boring, jazz/folk slog with an undeniably talented singer meandering around.
Not for me.
.
Everything But The Girl
2/5
Pleasant singing, but totally uninteresting musically. Songs blended together. Nothing I would ever come back to.
The Temptations
4/5
The first half of the album is some very forward thinking (for 1969) funk / soul fusion that was so much fun to hear.
The second half was very standard Motown. Still amazing, I mean, it's the Temptations. It did feel like a bit of a letdown after the first 3 tracks.
Television
5/5
Unsure why I was trying to talk myself out of giving this a 5-star review, but I couldn't do it. I loved this album. I don't know why it took so long to listen to it. I suppose it was my youthful disdain for any music made in the 70's.
This laid so much of the foundation for the alternative rock scene that I have enjoyed for so many years. I actually listened to it twice in a row, I was enjoying it that much.
Giant Sand
3/5
Somewhere between Leonard Cohen, Nick Cave, and Lou Reed fits Giant Sand...except not as interesting as any of them.
This was fine, but not much stood out of the slow paced droning that fills a majority of this album. Probably won't revisit this.
Willie Nelson
4/5
Before I listened to this album, I maybe knew 4 Willie Nelson songs.
I looked at the track listing, and saw none of the songs I knew, and I got worried because I don't care for country music.
If more country music were like this, I might actually like it.
I usually like my music a little more produced than this, but by keeping it spare, it really helped bring out Willie's lyrics and unique voice.
This did a lot of things I'm not used to in most country music: 15 songs (many tend to stick to 10, maybe 12), shorter songs... several under 2 minutes, and songs that seamlessly transitioned into other songs.
For such a simply made album, there's a lot going on under the surface.
Several songs just seemed to float into each other effortlessly.
Count Basie & His Orchestra
2/5
Just not my jam. The music was pleasant enough. I felt like I was at the "Enchantment Under the Sea" dance in Back to the Future, just before Michael J. Fox comes in.
It was all very well done, it just didn't wow me.
Richard Thompson
4/5
A great album, held back in just a couple of placed by some dated production things that I didn't enjoy.
I have been a Richard Thompson solo fan for a while, but had never really gone into his work with Linda. I need to correct that.
Fatboy Slim
3/5
Better than the follow up "You've Come A Long Way, Baby". A few songs (the first 3-4) actually don't have the mind-numbingly long build-ups that destroyed every song on that album.
I'm conflicted again by Fatboy Slim. I generally liked all the songs on here, but because of the breakdown / build-up, whatever they are called, sections of most songs... (I never thought Tina Turner's name could be annoying... but here we are) I didn't enjoy it as much as I would have if these had been radio edits or something along those lines.
3 stars, but better than the similarly scored "You've Come A Long Way, Baby".
The xx
4/5
When this first came out, I really didn't get what the big deal was. It felt like sleepy, boring droney music. I'm happy to say that I now quite enjoy this album. It does suffer a bit from monotone voices, and a few songs mid-album kind of mushed together, but even those tracks I may not have liked as much were still pretty good.
I was a bit surprised how low-key danceable many of the songs were.
A pleasant surprise!
Elliott Smith
3/5
Pleasant, but nothing special in my opinion. None of the songs stood out in any way, and I found Smith's almost whispered voice too precious to sustain my interest over an entire album.
Sinead O'Connor
4/5
Was honestly not looking forward to this one because I was never a big fan of "Nothing Compares 2 U". Then after the first three tracks, I was having flashbacks to the last 2 albums I had (The XX and Elliot Smith) which were both quiet and kind of downbeat albums.
But it definitely picked up, and I surprisingly enjoyed this far more than I had anticipated. I can still take it or leave it with "Nothing Compares 2 U", and the a cappella title track tested my patience.
Still, this is a very good album.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
2/5
The opening blast of Around the World is one of the best opening noises to an album ever... that last about 15 seconds, the rest of the song is one of my least favorite RHCP songs of all time.
Parallel Universe is a great jam. Otherside might be the best non-Blood Sugar Sex Magik song RHCP ever made. Easily is pretty dang catchy.
After Easily? This album falls off a cliff. The entire rest of the album is terrible. Anthony Kiedis tries to croon, tries to rap, tries a bit of everything...and it's all bad. Musically, it's also all over the place and their attempts at funk just fall SO flat.
How did this make the list?? It's not a great album by any stretch.
California.
The Smiths
4/5
This was great "long walk at the mall" music. Plus, it had the added bonus of having "Girlfriend In A Coma" which, of course became the best song ever when recorded by Mojo Nixon (RIP).
New Order
3/5
It's New Order... I usually like New Order, but this one's not fully hitting for me.
I think it's the turn to more...aggressive(?) dance-influenced sounds? Something about it just isn't quite doing it for me. When it hits right, though, it's every bit as good as other classic New Order songs, but overall this was just average.
Sonic Youth
3/5
Had a moment of Sonic Youth fandom in the 90's, but never really went and listened to much of their earlier stuff.
Loved the songs with Kim on lead vocals, thought the rest of the songs were hit or miss.
Had a good time with it, but don't see myself returning to it often.
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
Grew up absolutely hating Jimi Hendrix's music.
30 years later, I revisited it, and I came away enjoying it far more than I expected. There are a few songs that I didn't care for much, but the great songs were truly amazing.
Badly Drawn Boy
3/5
There's a really great high 4* 10-song album buried in this 18-song album. Not saying the other 8 songs are bad (well, a couple of them are), but the blandness of those songs made me kind of forget the dynamic moments of the really great songs.
Metallica
5/5
I mean, it's the first album of theirs I ever heard, so just on nostalgia factor it's going to be highly rated. Plus, it still holds up. My one complaint about Metallica has always been the songs are just too long. While still true here, the songs never got boring, which is the complaint I have about some of their later stuff.
There's no way this would be anything but a 5 for me. Love this album so much.
Sister Sledge
2/5
Did you know "We Are Family" was nearly 9 minutes long? I sure didn't. The wonders of radio edits.
This one didn't grab me too much, to be honest. I really enjoyed "He's the Greatest Dancer" and how one the song "ended" there was just another 4 minutes of solid jamming to follow. To be fair, I did start rapping "Gettin' Jiggy Wit' It" a bit during that part.
The rest of it...eh? Much of it was slower or mid-tempo, and just didn't grab me. The last 5 minutes of "We Are Family" was a far less interesting jam than "Dancer" was.
Fair, but not great.
Stereo MC's
3/5
Good, but completely unremarkable.
Meat Loaf
5/5
Part prog, part Springsteen, part Broadway spectacle... all cheese. So why do I love this album so much?
I don't know if it's a "Great" album, but it's a ton of fun, and that's all that really matters to me... 5 stars all the way.
4/5
So, I fully acknowledge that this is not a good album... but it's so much fun.
It's no Significant Other or Three Dollar Bill, Y'all, but it's still got it's fair share of bangers. I think it starts to lose stream after Take A Look Around.
It's another album that falls into that 3.5 range... this time I'll go up to a 4, just for how much I was enjoying the majority of the album.
The Who
2/5
Not my favorite era of The Who's music. I mean, it's good for a live album, but I largely didn't care for most of the songs in the first place.
Dire Straits
3/5
I really dug a couple of the songs on here, but the rest of it didn't really grab my attention. It was good, I've always been a Dire Straits fan... I just didn't find this album memorable.
Pixies
4/5
Great album. Not my absolute favorite Pixies album, but it's up there. I miss Kim Deal in this band so much... it's never been the same since.
Van Halen
3/5
Thoughts are all over the place with this one. For one, about 2/3 of the people the read this will immediately disregard my opinion because I prefer Sammy Hagar to Diamond Dave.
That being said, I still think "Hot For Teacher" is one of the greatest songs ever, and "Jump" is the best use of synths in a rock song, ever.
The rest of the album I'm a bit cooler on. "Panama" is good, the rest of the songs I honestly though were on earlier albums.
Another one of those "Better than a 3, but not a 4" albums for me. I think this time, I have to drop it to 3, just because I doubt I'd ever listen to this all the way through again on my own volition.
The Band
4/5
This one took me a few songs to get into upon first listen. I don't know if it was the singer's voice or what, but something just wasn't clicking.
I think it was during "Caledonia Mission" where things finally started to fall into place, and I greatly enjoyed the album from that point on. I did go back and give the first three tracks a re-listen. I did enjoy them more, but still not my favorites.
Rod Stewart
4/5
Sometimes I forget that Rod Stewart used to kind of rock. This was an enjoyable album. I think having songs written by Bobby Womack, Bob Dylan, Elton John (w/ Bernie Taupin) helped.
I recognized a couple of the songs, but didn't really know a ton about this era of Stewart's career.
Good stuff.
M.I.A.
3/5
It was catchy, but not entirely memorable. I did greatly enjoy the Sanford & Son theme song used as a beat on U.R.A.Q.T. I couldn't help feeling like the whole album was a throwback to early 80's rap. I don't see this entering my playlist, but I didn't hate it.
Radiohead
4/5
Unpopular opinion: I like The Bends better. Still, a great album, if maybe just a bit sluggish in places.
Curtis Mayfield
3/5
Started off really promising with "Billy Jack". Just too many slower songs sung at a falsetto... it just didn't hold my attention very well.
10cc
2/5
Was not feeling this one. It had some interesting moments, but there weren't any full songs I can really say I liked. Disappointing miss for me.
Jurassic 5
4/5
Super strong album. Enjoyed almost every track, and the skits weren't too long to be annoying.
Super enjoyed the variety of voices in the group, I can't say I've heard too many rappers with THAT deep of a voice before.
Pixies
4/5
Another great Pixies album, but not quite as strong as most of their other early era albums. Still an undeniable classic.
The Rolling Stones
2/5
Paint It Black is awesome, the rest of this, not so much.
Dolly Parton
4/5
Don't like most country music, love Dolly. Simple songs with incredibly evocative lyrics.
The Beach Boys
2/5
Never cared for the Beach Boys, this album did nothing to change that. I did like "Long Promised Road", but that was the only song I liked on this one.
AC/DC
4/5
Such a pivotal album in the career of AC/DC.
Some truly incredible tracks. A few of the single entendre songs were a little thin, but it was all fun. Except "Rock and Roll Ain't Noise Pollution" I've never cared for that song.
Brian Wilson
2/5
This album did nothing for me. I've never cared for the Beach Boys, and this album felt childish at times,with weird cartoon-ish noises. I appreciate the struggle Brian went through to get this out there... it just didn't interest me at all.
The Temptations
3/5
Kind of a scattered album. The first track being a live track (or sounded that way) was an interesting choice. "Run Charlie Run"... did not expect the n-word from a Temptations album.
The 12-minute "Papa Was A Rolling Stone" was incredible...which is saying something for me, because I generally find these extended versions get tiresome after a while, but not this one.
The rest of the album didn't do much for me. I'll give it a 3 star rating, but mostly on the strength of "Papa"
Anita Baker
2/5
Not for me. Too slow, too monotone. I don't mind some smooth R&B, but there needs to be something to break it up. This just dragged.
Les Rythmes Digitales
2/5
From: Disco to: Disco is the most annoying song I've ever heard.
Some interesting samples, but largely forgettable. "Damaged People" felt like a 45 second song stretched to 6+ minutes... terrible way to end the album.
Bebel Gilberto
1/5
Just not a genre I enjoy at all.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
4/5
Enjoyed this one quite a bit. I remember not caring for the first singles when they originally came out, proving I had poor taste in music at the time.
They ended up being some of my favorites this time around.
Moby
4/5
Despite how loony Moby has become over the past few years, his music has always been some of my favorite. This is probably my favorite album of his. So many great tunes, especially in the first 11 tracks. After that, it's still good, but the album loses a lot of steam... opting for more slow and ambient tracks. Still good, but after the propulsive first half of the album, it's a bit of a letdown.
Manic Street Preachers
5/5
I love Manic Street Preachers SO much. This may be my favorite album, though my favorite song of theirs is on the next one... I hope that one is on the list as well.
Not a dud song on the album. Amazing performance considering this was the first album they released without Richey Edwards after his disappearance.
Sly & The Family Stone
3/5
Everyday People is one of the greatest songs ever recorded.
Kind of a mixed bag. Generally liked it, but a couple songs just didn't do much for me.
The Modern Lovers
2/5
Two songs I really liked, one I sorta liked, and the rest I thought were dreadful.
Singer sounded like a cross between Shane Mcgowan and Julian Casablancas on the 3rd Strokes record... was begging for songs to end at times.
Peter Gabriel
4/5
My favorite of the self-titled solo albums.
Took a couple of songs to get into, I blame the overuse of the marimba. Once we get into "I Don't Remember" this album is excellent all the way through.
The Birthday Party
1/5
Discordant noise. Just could not find a way into it at all. Relieved when it finished.
Adele
5/5
Absolutely great album. Not a single skip. I admit I wasn't a big fan of the jazzier 19. 21 had some moments, but was a bit uneven. On 25, Adele put it all together in a perfect package.
Dr. John
2/5
Not as bad as I was fearing it would be. Not good enough to keep any of it in my collection.
Ray Price
2/5
Don't think I've ever had an album introduce itself before.
I did not enjoy this album. I've never been a fan of "crooner" style music, and you mix that with country - another genre I only enjoy very specific parts of - and you've got an album that's just not for me.
Fleet Foxes
2/5
It got off to a rough start as I really disliked the first song "Sun It Rises". Then, I kind of loved "White Winter Hymnal". Eventually, it all started to sound very samey, and I lost interest.
Not terrible, but nothing I'd ever return to... except "Hymnal".
Simple Minds
3/5
I like Simple Minds, never loved them. This album was fine. I enjoyed the last 3-4 songs much more than the first few. Right down the middle. If I want to listen to this style of music, I'd rather listen to ABC.
Eurythmics
4/5
Have always enjoyed this album. "Love is a Stranger" should have been a bigger hit than "Sweet Dreams" ... there, I said it. I didn't enjoy as much a couple songs on the back half of the album, which keeps this from 5*, but it's a solid 4.
Bee Gees
2/5
Just kind of boring. All mid-tempo, soft-rock, AM radio fodder. A couple songs near the end were ok, but then others had really weird vocal choices that were more comical than good.
A real miss.
The Allman Brothers Band
3/5
I know this is very good blues-rock. But man these extended jams are just not my thing. Plus, to be perfectly honest, a couple times I had no idea a song even changed...it all just blurred together.
I didn't hate listening to it, but I just don't need 15 minutes of noodling around on the instruments either.
The Shamen
2/5
I owned this album in the early 90's as I was a bit of an EDM fan. I remember giving it exactly one listen back then. During this listen, I remembered why...it's lifeless. The singing sounds so disinterested, and so much of the album plods along at a medium pace.
Sepultura
3/5
Started off really strong. Nearly 20 minutes of mostly quiet instrumentals on the last half of the album really hurt the vibe.
If you take out those songs, it's a high 4, but with those... it's a 3.
Muddy Waters
4/5
This was about a blues as blues gets. Enjoyed the fact that he got done with a song, asked the crowd if they wanted to hear it again, they said yes, and the band played it again. That's how you satisfy your fans.
Portishead
2/5
Never understood the big deal about this one. Always found "Sour Times" annoying CAUSE NOBODY LOVES MEEEEEEE... Plus, I found the singer's voice very inconsistent. A few songs it was sweet and mellow. Other songs it sounded sharp and grating CAUSE NOBODY LOVES MEEEEEEEE.
Felt a very Bjork-esque vibe, which probably is foreshadowing if any Bjork albums show up on this list.
Dwight Yoakam
2/5
After being pleasantly surprised by some country albums on this list, I finally hit one I didn't care for at all. Which is a shame, because I think Dwight Yoakum is a great actor, and he has an outstanding cover of "Suspicious Minds" out there, but I cannot deal with his nasal twang for an entire album.
Just a swing and a miss on this one.
Waylon Jennings
3/5
This project has taught me one thing: If I'm going to listen to any country music, it's going to be from the 70's. This was pretty good, but not as good as Willie Nelson and Dolly Parton albums I've had from the same era.
Definitely had moments. Especially enjoyed Omaha and Ain't No God in Mexico.
R.E.M.
5/5
Not my favorite R.E.M. album, but it's still a 5-star album. So many pure classics on here. Drive, Everybody Hurts, Nightswimming, Man on the Moon...it just keeps going.
Brilliant.
The Beta Band
2/5
I didn't hate it, but it's nothing I would ever willingly put on again. I guess I can add trip hop to the list of genres I don't really care for? Because this is the second album I've had in that category that I haven't enjoyed.
2Pac
4/5
My parents didn't care if I listened to Dre or Snoop growing up, but they did have a problem with 2Pac... yeah, I don't know either.
This was a really strong album. I think if I have any critiques, it did seem like the subject matter was very similar on many of the songs. He could tell the story in creative ways, but it was still the same basic story.
I did appreciate the emphasis on mental health.
Billy Joel
3/5
I appreciate Billy Joel. I like quite a bit of his stuff, especially later in his career. There are three songs on this album, all big hits, that I have HATED for decades. It also has one of my favorite Joel songs of all time "Only the Good Die Young".
I get why it's here. I also get why people adore this album. But for me, it's just average.
Megadeth
4/5
I have always hated Dave Mustaine's voice. The quality of the music almost overcomes his vocals. I know it's a classic, and I loved a great percentage of it... I just can't give it 5 stars.
The Prodigy
4/5
Have loved this album since it came out. Voodoo People is one of the greatest electronic songs of all time.
On this listen, I did find it to get a bit samey and almost exhausting by the time it was over. Really made me appreciate the addition of Keith Flint's vocals on future albums even more.
Basement Jaxx
4/5
I wasn't that familiar with Basement Jaxx beyond "Where's Your Head At?" which wasn't even on this album. Greatly enjoyed this album. Reminded me a lot of Daft Punk, but...better? Yeah, better.
This is almost a 5* album for me, but there were a couple tracks later in the album that didn't quite hit for me. Probably would be a 4.5.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
Amazing opening track. Incredible closing track. A bunch of "eh?" in the middle. Didn't hate it, but didn't wow me to the core either.
Have never liked Jagger's exaggerated vocals on slower songs such as "Love In Vain" which was notably tough to get through.
Dead middle of the pack.
Paul Simon
2/5
Not a huge Paul Simon fan. Read how this was supposed to be a Simon & Garfunkel album, but then they had a falling out, and Garfunkel was scrubbed from the album.
I think he dodged a bullet. This album is kind of terrible. Lyrics are dumb on several songs, and the music sounds so incredibly dated.
Brian Eno
3/5
I'm all over the place on this one. I loved some of it, could barely listen to other parts. My favorite track was the mostly instrumental title track that ended the album.
I know he went off in more Electronic directions, I hope to hear some of that as this project goes on.
David Bowie
4/5
A few years back, I listened to the entire David Bowie discography, and the realization that I came to was that his overall output is wildly uneven.
Aladdin Sane (a title which took me WAY too long to get) is one of the better overall albums in the collection. It comes out of the gate with one of my favorites "Watch That Man". The title song has a good mood going, but loses me completely with the piano bashing in the last half of the song.
I was a bit surprised on how much of the album was blues coded. I much preferred this album when it was rocking.
Overall, one of the better Bowie albums... it's a 3/4 tweener, I'll give the benefit of the doubt that there weren't any songs I completely hated, and go 4 stars.
Billy Bragg
5/5
Loved this one so much. Simple songs, many just Billy and his guitar. A great mix of playful and political... one of my favorites so far.
John Coltrane
2/5
You know... I didn't hate it as much as I have other jazz albums, but I still didn't care for it.
I know, I'm a bad music listener.
UB40
2/5
Just way too monotonous.
Depeche Mode
4/5
Great album. Plenty of their best songs, and most of the deeper cuts were very good as well. There was one song ("I Want You Now") with a bunch of heavy breathing and... other noises, that I really didn't care for at all.
The Chemical Brothers
4/5
Liked it a lot. Middle of the album kind of lost some steam, but it started strong, and ended well.
Siouxsie And The Banshees
3/5
Mixed on this one. I liked it in general, but found some of the songs sounded almost exactly the same.
The Cure
4/5
Not my favorite Cure album, but an extremely good one. Rocked harder than I expected. Could definitely see this one as an influence on industrial music.
Tracy Chapman
5/5
Simple, yet incredibly powerful. Not much more to say. One of my top 5 favorites so far.
David Bowie
4/5
My favorite David Bowie album. And the reason may bother big Bowie fans...
A few years ago, I listened to the entire David Bowie discography, and one of the things I came away with was that I really didn't like his vocal style on a lot of songs. So this album, being over half instrumental, really caught my attention.
Tangerine Dream
3/5
It would have been ok in a darkened planetarium,staring at some ambient floaty lights. As it was, it was just kind of...there. Honestly, halfway through the 2nd song, I thought my player had replayed the first track. It sounded way too similar.
I get how influential this band was, and I'm sure I've heard some of their stuff at the right moment, and it was transcendent.
As it was, I didn't hate it, but it didn't particularly move me either.
Stan Getz
2/5
Ehhhh. Not a bossa nova or jazz fan. This wasn't unlistenable, but nothing that I would ever listen to again willingly.
The Last Shadow Puppets
3/5
I really don't know how I feel about this album. It was performed well. There was a nice variety of ideas and genres hinted at. Some spaghetti western vibes here, 60's-pop there. But, overall, I didn't FEEL anything. It was just...nice. I enjoyed it (far more than I have other projects by the same musicians), but it just felt a bit lifeless.
One of those great middle ground 3.5 albums. This one's going to get a 3 just because it felt sterile, and I doubt I will revisit many tracks off it again.
Dr. Dre
4/5
This was my lawnmowing album when I was a teen. Holds up pretty well. I kind of forget how little of the album is actually Dre himself rapping. So much Snoop. It's almost a warm up for Doggystyle.
Marty Robbins
3/5
I'm very glad I finally got around to listening to this album. I've known "El Paso" for nearly 45 years, and have never listened to any of his other music.
I guess I shouldn't be surprised that most of the songs had a similar feeling to them. I did enjoy the storytelling and the basic instrumentation. Not really the kind of album I'd ever come back to... I may add a few songs to me "kitchen sink" playlist.
King Crimson
2/5
So, I liked 21st Century Schizoid Man. Which surprised me, because for whatever reason, my preconceived notion about this album was that I would completely hate it (I've struggled with early prog.).
And that was about it. "I Talk To the Wind" was too ren faire. "Epitaph" was ok - but kind of dragged. "Moonchild" I can't even...just what was that? 8 minutes of instrument tuning? "TCOTCK" had some decent moments, but just didn't keep me interested for 9+ minutes.
Not for me. I will probably keep Schizoid in my playlist though.
Killing Joke
4/5
Proto-industrial? Really enjoyed this album. Didn't overstay its welcome. I see why every band I listened to in the 90's referenced Killing Joke as an inspiration.
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
3/5
Is it ironic that "Not Fade Away" fades out at the end?
If anything, this album just makes you wonder what Buddy Holly might have been able to do once the straight-laced 50s ended, and rock music began to expand in the 60s. As it is, this album's ok, but beholden to its era to a fault.
I'm giving it a 3* rating because I did enjoy a few songs, and can't deny Buddy Holly's potential.
Derek & The Dominos
4/5
So, Layla is one of my favorite songs of all time... but I'd never heard a single other song off this album.
When it's rock, it's one of the best I've heard. When it's blues, it's fine for blues, but not really my jam. When it's Thorn Tree in the Garden, it might be the worst album I've ever heard.
Overall, I did enjoy the album. As with nearly every double album, there are a couple songs I would have trimmed. Lots of great stuff here though. Glad I finally got around to listening to it.
Dusty Springfield
4/5
Before this, my entire knowledge of Dusty Springfield was "Son of A Preacher Man" and that one Pet Shop Boys song.
I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this. I wasn't expecting it to be as soulful and as uptempo as a lot of it was. I will admit that the slower songs really did nothing for me, but that's just my own problem to deal with.
Metallica
4/5
Love Metallica, love a great majority of this album. However, a bit too much reliance on the Load / Reload albums, and a couple other songs I would have changed up. Overall, an incredibly interesting concept, performed very well.
4/5
Has some of my favorite Muse songs (Knights of Cydonia, Starlight, Supermassive Black Hole) and a couple of my least favorite Muse songs (Soldier's Poem and Hoodoo).
The rest of it is pretty good, occasionally great. Not the best Muse album, but a solid 4*
Antony and the Johnsons
3/5
I'm not a fan of her voice. I remember seeing them perform "You Are My Sister" on a late-night show years ago, and wondered what the big deal was.
That being said, there are some really good songs on here. "Fistful of Love" is a true banger. I liked it more than I imagined I would, but it's still just a 3* album.
Buffalo Springfield
2/5
I always wait until finishing the album before I read the Wikipedia page and reviews.
Am I the only person that disliked "Broken Arrow"? It felt like it was trying to be artsy, but just sounded disjointed and confused. Strongly disliked it.
Mr Soul is a great song, the rest of it didn't do much for me. Just kind of bland late 60's rock with a hint of psychedelia... not my bag.
Kelela
3/5
Decent R&B. Some really interesting sounds, but after about 7 songs or so, I was kind of done it.
Radiohead
4/5
It's one of the better Radiohead albums, but still not my favorite. That's probably The Bends.
Loved the "Pay-what-you-want" method of release when the album came out.
As for the music... it's good, occasionally great. I feel like they've finally found the right levels of electronic to add into their music.
Led Zeppelin
2/5
You know those bands where you know everyone is extremely talented, but when they come together, they just don't make music you like? Led Zepplin is at the top of that list for me.
The super-long basic blues tunes really dragged this album to a halt for me. When the album was rocking, it was ok, but still not my cup of tea. I expect I will hear more albums as time goes on. I hope that getting away from the 60's psychedelia will help somewhat.