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.
