Nothing to blow you away, padded with a lot of somewhat plain jam sessions, but a handful of iconic songs stand out and make it memorable.
Favorite Tracks: My Sweet Lord, Wah-Wah, Isn't It a Pity, What Is Life, Beware of Darkness, All Things Must Past
So emotionally raw all the way through. Hard to rate much higher than a 4 for an album mostly composed of covers, but even they include some beautiful renditions that he really made his own.
Favorite Tracks: Hurt, Give My Love to Rose, I Hung My Head, I'm So Lonesome, Tear Stained Letter
A couple of really beautifully written and timeless songs, and of course highly influential for its time, but really just not that interesting of a listen as a whole.
Favorite Tracks: Blowin' in the Wind, Don't Think Twice (duh)
A few corny bits, sometimes feels like they're trying a bit too hard to be Radiohead or Jeff Buckley, but they still manage to make their own sound. Some really beautiful tracks and even the less memorable ones are still a fun listen.
Favorite Tracks: Starlight, Supermassive Blackhole, Map of the Problematique, Hoodoo, Knights of Cydonia
A few fun jams but honestly kind of repetitive as a whole (I swear Dexter Holland sings the same note for like 60% of the runtime). Lot of energy, not as much personality throughout.
Favorite Tracks: Bad Habit, Come Out and Play, What Happened to You
Vibey
Favorite Tracks: Have You Ever Been, Crosstown Traffic, House Burning Down, All Along the Watchtower
Love a good midwest nostalgia vibe, but I do wish there was a bit more range. Starts to blend together sonically after a few songs, which makes it hard to appreciate the lyricism.
Favorite Tracks: Terrible Love, Anyone's Ghost, Bloodbuzz Ohio, Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks
I can appreciate the experimental aspects and industry influence, but not a super compelling listen beyond that.
Favorite Tracks: Family Snapshot, Not One of Us
Live laugh love Aretha Franklin. A classic for sure, though I feel not every track is very memorable on its own.
Favorite Tracks: Chain of Fools, A Natural Woman, Ain't No Way
Poetic and beautifully crafted,
though I think it ultimately serves more as a standalone artwork than an album to be listened to repeatedly.
Favorite Tracks: Treaty, Leaving the Table, Steer Your Way
Bowie kind of fell off with this one I can't lie. Everything sounds so similar I didn't even realize when the album started looping.
Really just unlike anything else. Like a dream captured in a bottle. Nick Drake does not get talked about enough.
Favorite Tracks: River Man, Cello Song, Time Has Told Me, Day is Done, Fruit Tree
I'm a sucker for a concept album.
Favorite Tracks: Comfortably Numb, In the Flesh, Hey You, Nobody Home, Mother
Fun, some catchy songwriting, but mostly just 'fine.'
this might be the best Christmas album created by a convicted murderer
(4.5) it's like if Bob Dylan was easier to listen to
Favorite Tracks: Sunday Morning, Femme Fatale, I'll Be Your Mirror, There She Goes Again, Heroin
Mostly just a jam fest, but a really enjoyable one with a few standout tracks in the mix
Favorite Tracks: Living For the City, Don't You Worry, Misstra Know It All, Higher Ground, All In Love Is Fair
(4.5) Iconic
Favorite Tracks: Once, Even Flow, Alive, Black, Deep
Vibey, big Fiona Apple vibes. Did not expect Thom Yorke to show up halfway through? Good times though.
I started levitating at one point.
this is grief.
Highlights: Spinning Song, Bright Horses, Sun Forest, Ghosteen
Coworker music final boss
This is the only album ever.
6/5
Favorite Tracks: Say Yes, Between the Bars, Ballad of Big Nothing, Angeles, Pictures of Me
A few standout tracks, otherwise comes off a bit uninspired. Lot of cheesy and repetitive lyrics propped up by melodies that are vaguely catchy but lack much depth or maturity. You can hear the beginnings of what The Beatles would go on to become, I think it just hadn't come together yet.
Highlights: All My Loving, Don't Bother Me, Money
A beautifully unconventional concept album. The instrumentation creates a unique and intriguing texture, and perfectly captures the renaissance aesthetic they seem to be going for. Held up further by poetic, illustrative lyrics. The singer's voice is impressive, though her enunciation can be distracting and at times it feels like she's doing too much — after a while it starts to feel harsh on the ears, and I find myself waiting for a pause or a switch to a softer tone.
I know this was an influential album, but I think I have a hard time knowing how to judge an instrumental jazz album in this context. It's musically interesting, but without having a strong grasp on the genre I don't feel very compelled one way or another.
(3.5) Classic, vibey- wouldn't say it's anything groundbreaking though, and definitely gets a bit repetitive.
Sometimes a vibe, sometimes kind of awful, sometimes just noise.
Highlights: Like a Friend, The Fear, Help the Aged, A Little Soul
Once again I always fall for a concept album... tragic and deeply authentic. Not my typical genre but I was still hooked by the lyricism and storytelling.
Highlights: Good Kid, Sing About Me, Don't Kill My Vibe
(2.5) I understand why this is in the list as a piece of musical history, but I don't think it serves for much more than a one-time listen for novelty's sake.
Hadn't heard of the band before so I wasn't sure what to expect going into the album, but was honestly pleasantly surprised. Not quite anything groundbreaking, but really solid all the way through with some really standout tracks. A really compelling blend of 90s grunge with melodic, almost dreamy components. Feels like it could have easily been a classic album had it gotten more attention.
Highlights: Fuzzy, Wish You Well, The Shining Hour
Listening to this list has really made me realize how much I dislike British punk in particular...
Some solid ideas both musically and lyrically, but in execution it's just hard to listen to. A shallow and homogenous sound imbued with all the angst of a teenage boy from the suburbs.
Some of the most timeless classics of the Beatles' career, bogged down by a series of forgettable and thematically incongruous tracks. I think they let John get his hands on a few too many.
Highlights: Eleanor Rigby (duh), Yellow Submarine (of course), I'm Only Sleeping, Here There Everywhere, Your Bird Can Sing
Really can't see why this is in a "listen to before you die" list. One hit track followed by a meandering jam session. Groovy but not much else.
Pretty fun listen but kind of meh overall. Negative points for racism.
I think me and this album are gonna be friends... or like acquaintances. I mean yknow. It's alright.
Beautiful all the way through, though with a lot of samey-sounding tracks- started to blend together a bit by halfway in.
Highlights: Girl from Ipanema, Dindi, Agua de Beber, Wave, One Note Samba (i just think it's cute)
Highlights: Home is Anywhere, Crimes of Paris, Blue Chair, I Want You, Next Time Round
#1 Billy Joel album and I won't be taking any questions.
Favorites: Vienna (ofc), Scenes from an Italian Restaurant, Just the Way You Are, The Stranger, Always a Woman
John: Hey Yoko I made this song I think it's really beautiful what do you think?
Yoko: Scream.
John: what?
Yoko. Scream now.
John: yes ma'am
Yoko: Ok good keep screaming. For like 5 minutes at a time please. Also make sure to remind everyone of our toxic relationship any chance you get, this part is crucial.
I fear I have never really understood 99% of metal and probably never will. I appreciate the moments of variety here though.
Cinematic, atmospheric, almost haunting. Love when music makes feels like I'm walking through another world.
Favorites: Glory Box, Sour Times, Roads, Wandering Star, It Could Be Sweet
(4.5) This album is such a perfect embodiment of teenage nostalgia. Need to go skateboard and drink mountain dew code red immediately. I just... don't get why they called it doolittle. when it doo so much...?
Favorites: Debaser, Here Comes Your Man, Wave of Mutilation, Mr. Grieves
One of the most creative and beautifully executed albums I've heard in a while. Such an impressive range stylistically- manages to simultaneously embody the likes of Elliott Smith, Nirvana, even the Beatles at times. All interspersed and blended together seamlessly. Genuinely might be a new favorite.
Favorites: Autumn Shade, Mary Jane, Get Free, Homesick
Video game background music lowkey. Still a vibe though.
Live albums don't really do it for me in general but this one is fun I have to say.
Like. They're kind of corny idk.
LOVE an almost-concept album. Kind of shocked I'd never heard of this before- it honestly blew me away a bit. Reminds me of Pink Floyd's The Wall in a lot of ways, thematically and stylistically.
Highlights: Aquaman, My God, Locomotive Breath, Wond'ring Aloud, Slipstream
yknow it could be worse
Highlights: Only the Strong Survive, Power of My Love, Any Day Now
Fun, funky. Very 80s. Some misses for sure, but as a whole still stands as an impressive and intriguing blend of tracks.
Highlights: Every Breath, Synchronicity I, Wrapped Around Your Finger, Murder By Numbers, King of Pain
soundtrack to a really forgettable early 2000s coming of age movie
why is everyone in memphis? get out of there
Highlights: Song of a Preacher Man, Windmills of Your Mind
good instrumentals but like whateverrr man
hell yeah
Highlights: Black Dog, Stairway, Going to California
Highlights: What's Love Got to Do, I Can't Stand the Rain
(2.5) Adore her, but I really don't know a if 6-disc box set belongs in this list period- Especially when the whole basis of this project is that it includes literally everything from the Songbook, regardless of how good/known/influential it was? The feat itself is impressive, and certainly notable in a music history capacity, but the end product isn't much to write home about. Beautiful because it's Ella Fitzgerald, of course, but in practice not suitable for much more than background listening.
