155
Albums Rated
3.26
Average Rating
14%
Complete
934 albums remaining
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
1990
Favorite Decade
Folk
Favorite Genre
UK
Top Origin
Perfectionist
Rater Style ?
4
5-Star Albums
0
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
Top Styles
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Vauxhall And I
Morrissey
|
5 | 2.96 | +2.04 |
|
Scott 2
Scott Walker
|
4 | 2.63 | +1.37 |
|
Appetite For Destruction
Guns N' Roses
|
5 | 3.71 | +1.29 |
|
Doolittle
Pixies
|
5 | 3.74 | +1.26 |
|
Among The Living
Anthrax
|
4 | 2.86 | +1.14 |
|
Gentlemen
The Afghan Whigs
|
4 | 2.89 | +1.11 |
|
Ogden's Nut Gone Flake
Small Faces
|
4 | 2.93 | +1.07 |
|
Talking With the Taxman About Poetry
Billy Bragg
|
4 | 2.96 | +1.04 |
|
I See A Darkness
Bonnie "Prince" Billy
|
4 | 2.98 | +1.02 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Sunday At The Village Vanguard
Bill Evans Trio
|
2 | 3.31 | -1.31 |
|
Future Days
Can
|
2 | 3.02 | -1.02 |
5-Star Albums (4)
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Popular Reviews
Laura Nyro · 1 likes
3/5
I’ve always loved the music press. When I was younger I voraciously consumed NME and melody maker, as I grew older it was the monthlies like UNCUT. And my god they loved this album, I tried it and…. It wasn’t for me… move forward 20 years and I listened to it as I worked through the Rolling Stone 500. And I got it, theatre school Amy Winehouse with a huge dollop of Joni Mitchell’s experimentalism. Third time I was keen to listen to it again, and all the high points remain. Yeah it does slip into musical theatre a bit more than I’m comfortable with but her voice is genuinely astonishing
Emerson, Lake & Palmer · 1 likes
2/5
This album made me think about the Jeff Goldblum quote from Jurassic Park about scientists being so desperate to see if they could create dinosaurs they didn’t stop to think if they should. Well, the band really should have thought about whether or not the world needed a twenty minute opening track about a cybernetic armadillo that sounds like a promotional video for an 80’s leisure centre. The answer is no, and it wasn’t really helped by the weird grab bag of other tracks
Frank Sinatra · 1 likes
3/5
This is exactly what you imagine it is. Great orchestration and arrangement, classic songs from the songbook and that voice. Smooth, engaging and storytelling. This isn’t something I’d listen to but it’s great all the same
Siouxsie And The Banshees · 1 likes
4/5
I started this project because I’d more or less topped listening to whole albums and just used playlists. This album is proof why listening to whole the thing has a value. From its title, into the opening track spellboundthis is just an atmosphere rather than a collection of songs. All glimpses of hidden knowledge and darkness. Pinned down by thumping drums and scything guitars. Enchanting
Einstürzende Neubauten · 1 likes
2/5
Well this was a thing. An hour of metal bashing and shouting. I’m sure more clever people than me will identify how this is influenced by the shadows of autocracy and the destruction of war. And there’s probably some truth there, but also I think they like shouting and bashing metal.
All Ratings
Sonic Youth
3/5
The words that immediately spring to mind are skronky and clangy. Which might not be actual words but describe this very accurately. It’s what actual psychedelia sounds like slightly confused and distressed as opposed to songs about magic ocelots
Sarah Vaughan
3/5
First time listening to Sarah Vaughan, just a beautiful voice. Soothing, relaxing and the perfect soundtrack for a hungover Sunday morning
ABBA
3/5
It’s abba, it does all the abba things you’d expect- however really surprised by drums and bass playing. Unexpectedly funky
Ravi Shankar
2/5
Technically brilliant but I’m not sure when I’ll ever want to listen to an hour of Indian classical music
Tom Tom Club
3/5
Whilst the opening tunes really do stick out (wordy rapping hood and genius of love) there’s a lot to love in this groove filled pop
Various Artists
3/5
Some of the best singers of the era, backed up by the best session musicians knocking out a top class Christmas album. Spector is hugely dodgy though
Bill Evans Trio
2/5
Again technically this is clearly excellent, and the double bass work is extraordinary but it’s really not for me
Billy Bragg
4/5
I love Billy Bragg, and whilst this isn’t my favourite album of his I still truly love it. I proposed to my wife after a Billy Bragg gig so there’s a place in my heart for all his works
The Jam
4/5
This is weller just at the point he starts to spread his wings. Pysch, soul, pop, punk and just classic songwriting.
Garbage
3/5
As someone who lived through the 90’s, this might be the most 90’s thing ever. The smell of indie discos comes rushing back. The singles are bangers though
The Velvet Underground
3/5
Whilst it doesn’t have the power of the debut album, it does sound like about 90% of the bands I listened to in the 90’s. A blueprint for modern indie
Prince
3/5
Another one for the double album that could be a single pile, he’s hugely talented and a great songwriter but I’m not sure I need that many extended jams. You’ve got the look is excellent in any context though
The Prodigy
3/5
Again something painfully 90’s and maybe one that didn’t age as well as other things from that period. I loved it at the time, bought it on the day of release but just feels a tiny bit one track. That said some great beats, and Narayan remains a favourite
4/5
I really don’t understand why we don’t celebrate PJ Harvey more, a warm emotive voice, a great guitar player and genuinely a generational songwriter. Both political and personal at the same time, like little short stories
Madonna
3/5
Not something I’d choose to listen to, but well crafted grown up pop. Lots of very much of the time influences obvious, but the songs are strong and her voice has real character
Depeche Mode
3/5
The album that all the girls I fancied in sixth form listened to, and the real move from synth pop into BDSM goth pop. The singles are great but it’s a bit one beat, they know how to write a hook though
Randy Newman
3/5
Any one who knows Randy for the Toy Story soundtrack would be surprised by this. Satire, righteous anger and genuinely touching love songs. The power of a voice and well crafted songs
The Offspring
3/5
Whilst this is clearly in my wheelhouse and does what it does well, it really doesn’t draw me in as much as other bands such as bad religion as lyrically it’s seems overly simplistic. That said it’s chock full of great riffs, massive bass and singalong choruses
Michael Jackson
3/5
I’m not mad, I recognise that this is very good at what it does. He’s an engaging and talented singer who benefits from the most carefully polished and well-produced studio work of the 80’s. Crack sessions and musicians and excellent song writing means this is a great pop album. Just not something I’d ever choose to listen to
Paul Simon
4/5
This is a grab bag of styles and influences- blues, ska, jazz and folk but all formed into shape through great songwriting. Each song is a like a short story full of rich characters. Great lyrics and unerring sense of melody throughout
The Thrills
3/5
I remember the singles but first time listen to the album. A charming little thing somewhere between mercury rev and teenage fanclub. Sweet little slices of pop but not quite memorable enough to push into must listen territory
Grateful Dead
2/5
I like The grateful dead, I own both working man’s dead and American beauty and they are both great albums. I love their Americana sound im not keen on elongated live jams. Absolutely not for me
Guns N' Roses
5/5
I’ve been thinking about what a 5 star album is, and it needs to be something I would go back to continually. Which I have done for nearly 40 years, needs to be exemplary in its field- and this is genuinely in a field of its own and it needs to have a personal impact and this is the album that got me into music… yeah it’s misogynistic in places and Axl is an awful man but this is an album that captures life on the fringes of society and does it with the hugest choruses and finest solos. Platinum stuff
Simply Red
3/5
Genuinely surprised by this, Hucknall has a deeply soulful voice and provides the songs with real emotion. Yeah it’s a bit 80’s in places and the later stuff left me cold but this is an authentically British album that truly loves soul and blues and pays deep homage to it
Skunk Anansie
3/5
This is harder and heavier than the debut and Skins voice is at the heart of everything. Powerful, angry but surprisingly melodic. She’s a hugely charismatic performer, however the riffs and songs are less memorable. Solid but unspectacular
Beatles
4/5
This simultaneously contains some of the Beatles best work- the masterful medley on side 2, and their worst- Maxwells silver hammer. It’s a Beatles album there’s great songs, beautiful Melodys and soaring harmonies. Theres also weird bubble sounds on octopuses garden
Siouxsie And The Banshees
4/5
I started this project because I’d more or less topped listening to whole albums and just used playlists. This album is proof why listening to whole the thing has a value. From its title, into the opening track spellboundthis is just an atmosphere rather than a collection of songs. All glimpses of hidden knowledge and darkness. Pinned down by thumping drums and scything guitars. Enchanting
The Who
3/5
This has been an interesting one as I listened to the extended version and in places it’s baggy and indulgent all the things I don’t like about live albums but at its best it’s a rush of pure energy driven by the best rhythm section ever. The original track listing is probably the way to go but there’s lots to enjoy
Bob Dylan
4/5
I never got Dylan, not for decades but I do now. Everything is well crafted, the tumble of words, the music and yes his voice. The album has some wonderful musicianship and just a real sense of a group of musicians at their peak
Neil Young
4/5
King Crimson
3/5
I wasn’t sure I’d enjoy this. Whilst I like the complex and ambitious, I’ve little time for the noodly and indulgent. This always stays on the right side of the line for me. Whilst there is a lot going they keep coming back to central ideas that focus your thinking and keep you grounded
The Velvet Underground
2/5
The VU are cool, and I’ve always thought I was cool. But maybe I’m not because I found this fairly boring. There is great guitar work and Reeds voice is always like a twanging nerve in a good way but the art gets in way of the music
Joe Ely
3/5
I like country, but I mean THIS country. Ragged, authentic, the sound of dive bars and broken hearts. Elys voice is warm but battered, and that equally applies to the songs. I’m an absolute sucker for a pedal steel and this is dripping in it
Tricky
4/5
An album I know well, but not one I’ve listened to in a number of years. It still has the same bewitching power. Twitchy, paranoid, little bursts of melody breaking out of the claustrophobic noise. Martines voice brings a honeyed sweetness alongside Trickys raspy muttering. Not an easy listen but a a deeply rewarding one
Brian Eno
3/5
Albums unlike playlists can be impacted by when you listen to them. My experience of this gossamer thin thing was probably improved by my circumstance. Catching an early train the slight, repetitive atmospheres were penetrated by the sounds around me the distorted announcements, the wind. As Eno imagined it would be. The music is never at the forefront but washed over me, in a calming way
Aerosmith
3/5
Is it subtle? Well, of course not- and it’s not meant to be. Steven Tyler’s bluesy howl, and licks that don’t stop. Gritty, smutty and groove heavy in turns. It’s not here for a long time, but it’s definitely here for a good time
Ministry
3/5
I had an industrial metal phase, I loved the crunchiness of it, the relentlessness, the power. That’s all evident in this, it’s not a pleasurable listen but it has value. The album is at its best when it slows things down and just holds a groove and wrongs life out of it. One track but it’s a good track
Destiny's Child
3/5
The strength of this album, the precise production, the perfect harmonies, the sleekness is also the weakness as it has too much of a sheen. However, the voices are perfect and the opening three songs almost define the sound of 21st century pop
Grizzly Bear
3/5
Steely Dan
4/5
How old am I? I’m I like Steely Dan years of age. It comes to us all, the love of harmonies, complex time signatures and pop that sits right on the acceptable side of jazz. Whilst this isn’t my favourite- that falls to the ferociously self indulgent Aja. There’s much to love here as these songs probably sit more on the side of pop. Lovely choruses and Dirty Work feels like it could have been written yesterday apart from the very 70’s sax
Todd Rundgren
3/5
Just because you can do something, it doesn’t mean you should… and this definitely did not need to be a double album. There’s a laser sharp single album of lounge influenced pop , singer songwriter introspection and blues here. There’s also an incredibly baggy number of jams and a spoken word section about production.
Willie Nelson
3/5
Sometimes there’s a lot to be said about a simple idea done well- and this is very much a case of that. The purity of willies voice and the sheer quality of the songs of the American songbook result in this slight but lovely album
Dolly Parton
3/5
80’s country is never a sweet spot for me, and as much as I love all three voices the production is just a bit too slick for me. The harmonies are just enough to keep it on the side of enjoyable
Wilco
3/5
Love
4/5
I was lucky enough to see Arthur Lee and the then current lineup perform this album in the early 2000’s. Whilst the live performance missed the strings and horns these finely crafted pysch-rock/folk/musical theatre/whatever the band came up with songs shone through and they still do
The Cramps
3/5
The cramps definitely got the memo that rock and roll is meant to be primal and visceral. This album rattles, roars and lurches wildly. I imagine live it’s transcendental. Sat in a mediocre hotel room though it feels a bit one note
Fela Kuti
3/5
At a time where the protest song has returned in strength, it’s fitting to listen to this protest album. Kuti rages against the corruption of the Nigerian government. But where western protest songs tend to be earnest things this is angrily and relentlessly funky. The songs are call and response shouts at the government, but this is politics you can dance too
Stephen Stills
4/5
This absolutely hits my sweet spot. Despite being a double album it never overstays its welcome. Well crafted songs that find a groove and explore it fully, layers of harmonies, pedal steel. Everything I love in an album, and a genuine surprise
The Mothers Of Invention
2/5
There’s parts of this I like, the garage rock, the doo wop pastiche- I’m much less of a fan of the extended freak outs and random shouting
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
2/5
This is an album I’ve always planned to listen to. This is the second time, and the last. Hundreds of ideas but little coherence. Made harder by not being available on Spotify. I’m all for experimentation but as I get older I need melody
The White Stripes
3/5
How much marimba is too much? Not a question Jack White bothers himself with an album dripping in piano and marimba. It’s still the same formula though. Catchy garage rock that doesn’t hang about but does a load in the time it’s here
Ash
3/5
Whilst the singles really do roar with energy and have a massive singalong choruse s the other tracks sometimes lull in energy. That said whilst it’s not the deepest experience it’s good fun throughout
John Martyn
3/5
I’ve always felt I should listen to John Martyn as he lived in the town I now call home. Well now I have, it’s pleasant. Meandering, but pleasant. His voice is at turns gruff and sweet with some nice jazzy acoustic guitar. Plenty to like but not life changing
Bob Marley & The Wailers
3/5
I like reggae, I don’t always like Bob Marley. But I like this. Avoids the over production of his later albums and the bass and drums have their deserved place at the heart of songs. They pulse away and his undoubtedly powerful voice has the space to breath. This also contains the definitive version of no woman no cry
Cowboy Junkies
3/5
I’d have loved to hear the a&e man selling this “do you know what music needs to be sadder- country” and that’s what we get. Country ballads dripping in melancholy and stripped back to sparse jazz influenced arrangements. Fortunately Margo Timmons voice fills the space with its warmth and sweetness.
Doves
3/5
For various reasons I didn’t really buy new music in the early 2000’s and as a result I missed out on a number of bands. Now I’m sure if I’d heard them at the time I’d have loved the Doves. Big anthemic slightly melancholic rock is my sweet point and they do that with aplomb. However I’m probably a bit too long in the tooth now and whilst this is pleasant it’s not world changing
The Zombies
3/5
Whilst there’s nothing specifically wonderful about the songs Colin Blunstones voice brings something else to these baroque psych pop numbers. Real range and a massive sense of drama brings these to life
John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers
3/5
I should like the blues more than I do, I recognise when it’s done well like this it is impressive and claptons playing is excellent throughout but just feel slightly removed from it all. That said there’s a lot worse way of spending 45?minutes
Kraftwerk
4/5
I think we lose sight of how revolutionary this is because we live in the future it imagined. The sounds that are part of every day life were not when this was recorded and what we also lose sight of is how soulful this is, and whilst it’s not as good as autobahn having had the privilege of hearing many of these songs live it’s still a hugely impressive piece of work
Erykah Badu
3/5
I’ve now listened to this album on a few occasions, and I’ve become increasingly fond of it. It’s cool and slinky with a real jazzy feel. Songs are sparse and airy and Badu’s voice slides effortlessly through it. Nothing stands out but it’s an interesting listen throughout
3/5
This is a historic document, the point at which Dylan casts off the shackles. But I’ll be honest the first disc is pretty much what people who don’t like Dylan imagine Dylan sounds like. The words are perfect but it’s all a bit wheezy. The second disc is where it’s stronger for me. Squally and electric in more than one way
Adam & The Ants
3/5
Sometimes music is important, or vital. World changing. Sometimes it’s just fun. This is the second of those, glam rock fuzz, disco beats and weird post punk with daft lyrics and call and response backing. Will it change the world? No. Is it a fun way to spend 40 minutes? Yeah
Django Django
3/5
I have a soft spot for this album, it was one of the first albums my eldest child got into as he was forging his musical tastes and was a shared love of ours. That said… the music well it sounds like a synth pop band and a garage rock band combining to write theme tunes for retro futurist sci fi shows . Which can only be a good thing
Astrud Gilberto
3/5
An album called samba on the beach probably isn’t the best for a damp February morning, but here we are. And you know what? It’s okay. Light, airy. At times I could almost feel the sun on my face. Her voice is a gossamer thing fluttery thing and dances between the rhythms. A nice surprise
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
Elvis is one of those artists who I like, but don’t love. There’s lots to like, it’s spiky and in your face and the musicianship is great. But there’s something that stops me truly loving it. There’s other albums of his I like more, and some I like less but it’s all 3 star stuff
ZZ Top
3/5
Whilst this is an album very much of the 80’s- the synths, the drum machines, the smooth production, the reliance on videos. The heart of this is still what ZZ Top always did blues grooves, boogies and solos topped off with gravel tough vocals. World changing no, massive fun, yes
Eric Clapton
3/5
Ah the blues, I should like it more, and I don’t dislike it but I never truly love it. And that’s the case for this album. Clapton is undeniably a great guitar player and he wrings soul out of his playing but the songs are largely uninspiring. Some like let it grow are interesting as they branch off into other ideas. But there’s just not enough of that
Jamiroquai
3/5
I don’t do guilty pleasures, I like what I like but despite a 30 year relationship with this album I do feel I have to justify my views on it. Yeah it isn’t original or crucial, but it’s fun, gets you moving and whatever you think of Jay Kay his voice is soulful and fits well in the agile disco funk. Is it life changing? No Is is it worth your time, absolutely
Big Star
4/5
I love teenage fanclub, who in turn love Big Star and the reasons I love the fannies are all over this. Little pop nuggets wrapped in sweet vocals, sweeter harmonies and pure melodies. Massively underrated playing too with guitars tha just jangle perfectly
Sparks
4/5
Is glam rock/musical theatre/weimar era cabaret fever dream a musical genre because this is exactly what this is…. There’s an awful lot going on in every song, but that’s a good thing. Russell Maels bonkers falsetto and his brothers baroque keyboards are at the heart of this mad ride. A journey that is well worth taking
Grant Lee Buffalo
4/5
South London early 90’s, my friend has this on cassette. It quietly burbles away in the background as we talk nonsense. 30 years later listening to it again I understand why we listened to it. Soulful, melancholic. A mixture of country rock, 80’s British Indie and 70’s Bowie. A soundtrack for drinking and regret in a good way
The Dictators
3/5
A hugely silly album. Garage Rock, covers, ludicrous lyrics. There’s nothing fundamentally wrong with this, it’s got a stooges energy but more chaotic. It’s MC5 with politics replaced with vague teenage rebellion. Did enjoy listening to it? Yeah. Do I feel improved after doing so? Not so much
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
An older more reflective album than This Years Model. The snarl in Costellos voice becoming more questioning, more lovelorn. Musically it’s softer, jazzier. The songs are bitter, questing and reflective. However like his earlier songs there’s a real sense of narrative. A fun time ? No, but definitely a good time
Dirty Projectors
3/5
This is an indie pop album that is really neither indie or pop. It’s hugely ambitious and whilst there is an indie guitar aesthetic at the heart of it it throws in jazz, African polyrhythms and complex vocal arrangements. As a result it’s not songs the milkman can whistle but it is engaging and exciting
Morrissey
5/5
Don’t have heroes they’ll only let you down. Sounds like something Morrissey would say, but also true of him. His politics leave me cold, but the hints were always there. But the art, not the artist. And what art this is. A melancholy masterpiece, like tiny kitchen sink dramas wrapped up in 3 minutes. The music is athletic in parts and fragile in others. 20 year old me fell in love with the pain, the heartbreak. It’s all still there. The closing track speedway may be one of the finest confessional songs ever. One of my favourite albums ever
Jerry Lee Lewis
3/5
I think these raw live albums are the best way to hear rock and roll artists. You get the energy, the power, the frenetic nature which studio recordings lose. He’s an underrated singer, really tearing into the songs, which he propels with his phenomenal piano playing. This is also further evidence towards my belief that money is the best song of the 60’s
Songhoy Blues
3/5
Lots to like here, the fantastic musicianship, the call and response vocals, the fluidity of the music. You get a real sense of place, of songs from a deep cultural well. Played well, played with soul
Robbie Williams
3/5
He was everywhere, literally couldn’t escape him on TV or radio. As a result, I knew so many of these songs. Looking back now, reflectively. They are well crafted songs sung by a man with a perfectly good voice and a lot of charisma. What elevates them are the two BIG singles Angeld and Let me entertain you which rise far above the perfectly fine Britpop stylings of the rest
U2
3/5
Another album that was inescapable at the time. And now as then I have a largely casual relationship with U2. The great songs- One, The Fly, Mysterious ways are truly great and still have power. However, the rest of the album is fine but not of the same high quality. Lovely burst of nostalgia though
Lightning Bolt
2/5
You know that kombucha girl meme? Essentially that was me with this album. It sounds like a broken machine in a haunted video arcade and that’s both positive and negative. When they found a groove and played off that I really enjoyed the album however more often than not I got lost in the sound and the fury. I can see the art not sure I always hear the music
Fugazi
4/5
A favourite band of mine, not necessarily a favourite album but it’s all here. The twin vocals, the scything guitars, the intricate rhythms and the lyrics which intersect the personal, the political and the emotional.
Funkadelic
4/5
Not really funky, certainly psychedelic and bookend by Zappa esque freak outs, but even those are listenable and engaging. The songs themselves are really well crafted soul influenced rock. The rhythm section has a clear groove to it and the songs have space to grow outwards. Surprisingly good
Ice T
3/5
This has dated in many ways. The casual misogyny, the language but also musically. This feels like the last wave of this form of hip-hop before Nas and Wu-Tang revolutionise it. That said though there’s lots to enjoy. Interesting samples including black sabbath and the usual jazz funk stuff. His rhymes are interesting and punchy and he’s an engaging rapper. Plenty to enjoy
Black Sabbath
4/5
It’s easy to underplay how sophisticated an album this is. Yes, there’s Ozzys banshee howl, and the riffs are endless. But there’s so much more that. Bill wards drums swing, far more jazz than metal and the bass brings a supple rhythm to everything.i
Leonard Cohen
4/5
I veer towards the melancholy and this is a masterpiece of melancholy. His hoarse bark of a voice nestling in the slight but intricate arrangements. And of course the words are the heart of it, little jewels of sadness and fury. The greatest example of which is famous blue raincoat which is a top five song for me
Billy Bragg
3/5
I like Wilco, I like Billy Bragg. I like this. Do I love it? No. It’s not the most cohesive thing and at times sounds like one of the less experimental Wilco albums and other times like ten thousand maniacs. But let’s be honest none of those things are bad and it’s a real labour of love
The Afghan Whigs
4/5
This album just drips with regret, from the unsettling cover to the songs which are littered with tales of bad decisions, bad drugs and unhealthy relationships. Musically it’s kind of post punk spidery rock but imbued with Greg Duilis thwarted ambition as a soul singer. Never got it at the time, too young, too naive. Makes an awful lot of sense now
Lauryn Hill
4/5
I actually bought this at release, it was a deliberate decision to listen to other kinds of music and I’ve enjoyed it since then. Whilst it uses lots of early 2000s beats it’s not aged badly due to the purity of her voice and the classic nature of the songwriting. Despite being an hour long it doesn’t feel laboured or ‘jammy’ just well measured
The Yardbirds
3/5
There’s interesting things going on here, blues, heavy rock and psych being combined. A sound that would dominate the following decade. However unlike LED Zeppelin it’s not as cohesive and the drums and vocals aren’t as strong- but the guitar playing clearly shines. Ironically it’s the more basic blues rock that is the strongest but you can hear the bones of much bigger bands
Gene Clark
4/5
Someone coined the phrase cosmic American music and this is a prime example of that. Country, soul, pyschedelia all rolled into one- but Clark’s sweet but world weary voice and classic songwriting holds these influences together to create a cohesive and enjoyable whole
The Hives
3/5
Music can be fun, and should be when possible. This is very fun, it rattles along at a fair old lick and the riffs and lyrics are knuckle headed but fun. Live I imagine these songs come alive, but as an album the tracks blur into each other and you get the sense whilst it’s fun there are other bands that do it better
The Pogues
4/5
This is an unbelievably clever album, it harnesses chaos and sentimentality but never lets any one mood dominate. They make traditional songs sound current, and make their own songs sound like traditional songs. And the voice, having been lucky enough to see them live with Shane singing there’s so much soul and passion, far more than more technically proficient singers can provide
Beastie Boys
4/5
Such a complex album, multiple musical styles sometimes in the same song, but they are cohesive and the samples and live playing just set a real atmosphere. It’s cool and like the soundtrack to the best party you’ve ever been too. It could have done with a bit of editing but that’s a minor gripe
Turbonegro
3/5
Imagine the Hives, but as well as playing semi pastiche stooges songs also throw in a line of Motley Crue riffs and woah-woah choruses and possibly the most ridiculous lyrics ever. It’s as stupid as it sounds, but in a good way
The Cars
3/5
If you know the singles from this album it’s quite easy to imagine the cars are essentially the soundtrack to US teen movies. And that’s partially true when they flex their power pop muscles but it’s weirder than that. Equal parts Bowie and sparks. But where both of those are artsy, this is poppier and more mainstream. Not necessarily a bad thing
Scott Walker
4/5
If you listen to this casually this sounds like something my mother would listen to. Camp, theatrical and orchestral pop. Delivered in his bronzed tenor. However, scrape below the surface and it’s more sinister, more earthy and sounds like the soundtrack to a forbidden Disney film. Which really is a recommendation
3/5
You’ve got to love the ambition of the MC5 they wanted to use music to create a revolution. I’m not sure blues rock played at high pace will be the rock that cracks the veneer of civilisation but the chaos and slightly skronky production is pleasing. Kick out the jams stands head and shoulders above everything else, but there’s nothing to hate here
David Bowie
4/5
An album of two very distinct parts. The first side is Bowie in his mystical, dark magic phase “don’t look at the carpet I drew something awful on it” but as always the mysticism sits on top of well tooled complex pop and the second side is the travelogue to a Europe that never actually existed. Rich and complex stuff
N.W.A.
3/5
This is clearly important and set the template for hip hop, and there’s lots to like. All the rappers have deeply individual voices and the rhymes are inventive. However the beats and the samples lack variety and some of the tracks are overlong
Sonic Youth
4/5
I definitely heard this back in the early 90’s. I can remember being fascinated by the painting on the cover, and slightly confused by the deeply weird music. I’m still fascinated by the cover but the music is less opaque and there’s interesting Melodies hidden in the noise that entrance when you find them
Frank Sinatra
3/5
This is exactly what you imagine it is. Great orchestration and arrangement, classic songs from the songbook and that voice. Smooth, engaging and storytelling. This isn’t something I’d listen to but it’s great all the same
Dagmar Krause
3/5
Whilst I’m not convinced this should be on a list of ‘pop’ albums- this feels very much in the classical tradition it is worthwhile. The arrangements are in turns traditional and hugely modern and her voice is challenging but haunting. Also songs about how the rich will lead people into war and about the rise of fascism feel quite timely
The Icarus Line
3/5
A bit like a pick and mix there’s bits and pieces of lots of things here. Garage rock, the stooges, 80’s UK post punk. Some great guitar playing and sonic youth style noise top it off. However, it’s not massively coherent and I’m not always convinced. That said it’s enjoyable enough but not hugely consequential
JAY Z
3/5
I think we all know the same kind of bloke, they’ve done everything better than you and they own the best of everything. And this album is essentially that person over and over again. He’s a good rapper but not as charismatic as he thinks he is. The production is sharp and the beats are interesting but essentially it’s a pub bite with access to a studio
Röyksopp
3/5
I have listened to this album, but often accidentally because it was everywhere- adverts, inoffensive hotel bars. Atmospheric bleeps and bloops soulful vocals and low key beats are the heart of the album, and whilst it doesn’t really drag you in it’s engaging
The Specials
3/5
This album has such energy- throwing, punk and ska into the mix. It’s gobby and snotty, and some of it hasn’t aged well but the stuff about tolerance and respect is as vital now as it was 45 years ago. It makes you move and makes you think
Underworld
3/5
Not many banging beats instead, atmospheres and pulses and twitchy vocals. The soundtrack to a come down rather than a night out. Tracks that stretch out and give the ideas room to breathe
The Louvin Brothers
3/5
Do you like harmonies? Waltz time? Songs either about murder or Jesus? Then this is the album for you. Being honest it is pretty much what it is. 50’s backwoods gospel country. The brothers voices mesh perfectly if they are singing hymns or murder ballads. A fascinating listen
Kings of Leon
3/5
I listened to the first two albums when they were the southern Baptist strokes, but was only really familiar with the singles from this album when they turned into sexy U2. It’s fine, fairly inoffensive early 2000s pop rock. The vocals make it stand out as there’s a real grit to the voice but this is not revolutionary
The Clash
4/5
In the mid 90’s I left London for a period of time- in my head I built a mythic London based on reading the books of Martin Amis, Modern life is rubbish by Blur and this album. This was and is an archetypal London album for me. Sneering, but caring love with the sounds of the city. Punk, yes but also reggae. Politics and the personal intertwined between scything guitars and pulsing bass. The great punk debut album
CHIC
3/5
Good Times not withstanding, this is fiiiiine. It’s far more interested in the groove rather than the song, and the musicianship is truly outstanding and the grooves are fantastic the songs do wash over you a little. Good times is an all timer though
Rahul Dev Burman
3/5
Well….. this is a lot. There’s the traditional Bollywood soundtrack including the legendary playback singer Asha Bosle but also every other soundtrack genre imaginable- jazzy spy themes, spaghetti western, blaxploitation often in the same piece of music. This is the whole point of this project though, to listen to albums I would otherwise not choose to listen to. Will I listen to it again, probably not. Did I enjoy it ? Yeah
Mott The Hoople
3/5
Part country rock, part glam rock, part Mockney knees up. Songs are well written, and well played but singles aside and closer Rose lack a lot of energy. It’s solid 70’s rock though
Spiritualized
4/5
This isn’t subtle. From the drug like packaging, and the bare bones lyrics “little j is sad and fucked because first he jumped and then he looked” and the music itself which veers from blissed out strings to horns and guitars that clash and dive over each other. This is intense psychedelia full of sharp edges and glimmering moments of joy. Narcotic in many senses
Beck
4/5
I’m generalising here but this isn’t the horny beck does Prince-isms of midnite vultures but is sad Beck does Radiohead. That is a generalisation but Nigel Godrichs production does bring a sad bond theme vibe. The palatte is much broader than that though- at times Beck sounds like Nick Drake and the lush orchestration and excellent acoustic playing doesn’t dissuade that view. A deeply personal album that has enough cracks of light to let you in
Yes
3/5
I’ve discovered the older I get the less fond I am of indulgence. And there’s a lot of that here. Time signature changes, ultra technical playing, obtuse lyrics but…. There’s an also moments like the end of starship trooper where they find a groove and stick to it, some may find that indulgent but I found those moments exciting. The harmonies are also machine tooled but really flesh the vocals out. Not for everyone but enough for me
Ella Fitzgerald
3/5
Box sets… I have views on them. I have box sets of artists I love that well meaning people have bought me- and I wouldn’t listen to them in one sitting and I certainly couldn’t do this with an artist I admire but dont love. So I listened to the very best of… she has a wonderful voice and the arrangements are sharp and full of movement- however my cloth ear for jazz doesn’t pick up the nuances and whilst I enjoyed it- it didn’t wow me. That’s on me I reckon though
Aimee Mann
3/5
My wife watches lots of US TV shows involving crime or hospitals, they tend to be glossy and involve musical montages soundtracked by songs that explain the emotional state of the characters. This album is essentially the Ur text of those montage soundtracks. Melodic, rich expressive lyrics that tell stories we can all understand. It’s let down a little by the oh so early 90’s production and the more stripped back songs tend to be the best.
Einstürzende Neubauten
2/5
Well this was a thing. An hour of metal bashing and shouting. I’m sure more clever people than me will identify how this is influenced by the shadows of autocracy and the destruction of war. And there’s probably some truth there, but also I think they like shouting and bashing metal.
Beatles
4/5
I prefer the Beatles from Help
Onwards, but even in the covers and early songs you can hear what made them great. Their unbridled passion for the music they love, and the already innovative use of chords and phrasing. And if you don’t find joy in the sub little Richard woos then honestly lighten up
Baaba Maal
3/5
I don’t really know what I’m listening to here but that’s the nature of this project- and i liked lots of it. The baroque acoustic playing put me in mind of Bert Jansch and John Renbourne and the vocals sound passions and plaintive. Has it touched my soul no because lyrics are important to me but musically fascinating
Depeche Mode
3/5
There’s nothing fundamentally wrong with Depeche Mode , they just aren’t for me. And all the elements that aren’t for me are the heart of this. Dave Gahans voice is perfect for this but I find it a bit one note, and the production is dark and brooding but lacks light and shade. However, where the band tries different things like the spy movie organ on sacred or the weird layered vocals on pimpf they are far more interesting
Massive Attack
4/5
Hot take #1 This is the best British take on hip hop. It’s influences in American music are evident, but the rhymes are so British with Tricky bringing one of the most interesting rapping styles in hip hop- but the influences are also very Bristol with reggae bubbling through. Just a seamless mix
Hot Take #2 it’s not as good as Protection
Laura Nyro
3/5
I’ve always loved the music press. When I was younger I voraciously consumed NME and melody maker, as I grew older it was the monthlies like UNCUT. And my god they loved this album, I tried it and…. It wasn’t for me… move forward 20 years and I listened to it as I worked through the Rolling Stone 500. And I got it, theatre school Amy Winehouse with a huge dollop of Joni Mitchell’s experimentalism. Third time I was keen to listen to it again, and all the high points remain. Yeah it does slip into musical theatre a bit more than I’m comfortable with but her voice is genuinely astonishing
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
2/5
This album made me think about the Jeff Goldblum quote from Jurassic Park about scientists being so desperate to see if they could create dinosaurs they didn’t stop to think if they should. Well, the band really should have thought about whether or not the world needed a twenty minute opening track about a cybernetic armadillo that sounds like a promotional video for an 80’s leisure centre. The answer is no, and it wasn’t really helped by the weird grab bag of other tracks
Elliott Smith
4/5
This is not an easy listen. There’s a fragility throughout. In his stretched wracked voice, in the lyrical honesty. But there’s sweetness too, this is 60’s pop at heart but with the sunshine drained and doubt poured in. Get past all that though and it’s intimate and absorbing.
The Black Crowes
4/5
I wouldn’t want to be 16 now, it’s so complicated. You’re just surrounded by information much of which isn’t helpful. It was easier when I was 16 even if I didn’t think it was. I had a small group of friends and altering I did weren’t recorded forever. I also had this cassette, and that was simple too. Chuck berry riffs, jagger vocals, hammon organ fills. Nothing fashionable, but universal. Whilst many bands I listened to then fell by the wayside, this did not. Even to the point of butchering the songs on guitar. Some things stick with you
The xx
3/5
Clearly this is about this album by the XX, but it also gives me an opportunity to talk about Hats by the blue Nile. That’s an album I’m familiar with, this was new to me. However, they occupy the same space of sophisticated pop. Music that soundtracks furtive glances, and poor decisions. Music that glories in the beautiful in the mundane. Is it as good as Hats no, but this is a smoky, shifting thing. That’s good honestly
Dion
2/5
This is fairly unremarkable singer songwriter fare, but is absolutely hamstrung by the production. I like Spectors production generally but this is soupy and unclear. The best songs are less cluttered but even then he can’t help himself and there’s unnecessary strings just taking the focus away. His voice is fine, but if I compare it to similar albums I’ve listened to in this project it doesn’t compare favourably
Pulp
4/5
There was a point in the mid 90’s when being a gangly myopic geek in a bad suit was cool and I thank Jarvis for his work in this area. Because the aforementioned gangly geek had a cultural touchstone. Fortunately, it’s also an album of excellent quality. The singles are obviously stand outs but for me the best pulp song has always been a FEELING CALLED LOVE. It’s like the novels about awkward types falling in lust awkwardly I read in the 90’s made into a four minute song
The Beta Band
3/5
You know the bit in the film high fidelity when John Cusack puts on Dry the Rain by the beta band and the shop nod their heads along to the quietly building groove. That was my first experience of the beta band and few things bring me as much joy as the bit when the horns come in on dry the rain. This album isn’t as good as that, but opener assessment has a similarly wonderful horn line. The rest of the album alternates between steadily building grooves and meandering songs that don’t quite go anywhere in a really purposeful manner. It’s not an album in a rush to get anywhere
The Fall
3/5
In modern post apocalyptic TV shows they usually focus on two specific groups. One who tries to rebuild society on lines of liberty and democracy, and a group usually led by a semi religious figure who builds society on fear and power. This is the album the second group would make- stream of consciousness that veers from the deeply profound to shouting about industrial estates. Musically its 60’s pop bent insanely out of shape. Very close to 4 stars but one too many forays into man shouting on bus territory
Johnny Cash
4/5
I don’t generally like live albums, and I realise now because they aren’t like this. This feels real, the fluffed lines the laughter during songs, and the obviously off the cuff remarks. There’s also a real sense of reality from playing songs about murder to a room full of murderers, but as does playing the more sentimental songs. That’s country for you- murder, divorce and Jesus
5/5
Inagine writing a song as good as Moonage Daydream and it only being the fourth or fifth best song on your album. Just imagine being that good at making music. Because not many bands or artists can do that. But Bowie did and this whilst not my favourite is the most coherent thing he ever did. It’s world defining
4/5
It’s easy to pigeonhole this album for its ‘OI oi geezerism” and there is elements of that, and I never have and never will like “Sunday Sunday” but it’s full of glimpses of the band they’d become. The heavy lidded psychedelia of “oily water” and the drowsy syd barretisms of “Miss America” which I consider to be the best thing they ever wrote. I really wanted this to be a 5 star but a few too many baggy tracks
Genesis
3/5
This has a much stronger starting point than many prog albums as at least four of the members would go on to write actual pop hits. This is evident in the strength of melody in so many songs. There’s also a quality of musicianship that generally doesn’t stray in to noodling. However, it does occasionally sound like music from the 80’s video game outrun. There’s also high quality story telling- like in I know in what like, but this occasionally strays into silly voice territory on the battle of Epping Forest. So good, but not consistently great
Traffic
3/5
Jazz/Latin/Folk/Blues is a thing yeah? Well it certainly is on this album. I’m a huge fan of the folk/flute end of traffic and the title track is an absolute classic, the rest of the album doesn’t reach that high standard but this is sixties psych folk at its best
Slipknot
3/5
I loved funk metal, and not just the good ones but really not good ones like Saigon Kick and Mordred. Metal with a DJ just felt so exciting,and then I heard stuff like rage against the machine and eventually was less astounded by a metal band with a DJ. Slipknot however never lost that love and they built a huge chaotic noise around it. Intense, aggressive and pummelling. This is the sound of your inner 16 year old, and Tbf my inner 16 year old loves it
Marvin Gaye
4/5
For many this is the greatest album ever. However, I’m a middle aged bloke that grew up in the Welsh valleys and had a deep seated love for Motley Crue. But tastes change. I’m less fond of Motley Crue and deeply fond of this. Whilst the album sees a maturing of songwriting, and complex jazz inflected arrangements the real heart of this is his voice. One of THE great voices. Soulful, controlled and so so smooth. He brings heart and intensity to his pleas for a more sane world. We still haven’t listened
Giant Sand
3/5
We all have albums tha we bought due to a recommendation but it never quite hit the mark. lambchops Nixon is a great example for me, and that experience kind of scared me off buying this at the time. And to be fair I wouldn’t have enjoyed it at the time. Too sparse, too weird, too Lou Reed. Now they are all the things I enjoy.
Bonnie "Prince" Billy
4/5
I would love to be able to sing, not in a Mariah Carey way but to carry a song in a way that I convey the emotion At the heart of the song. Now no one is suggesting that Will Oldham is Celine Dion, but by god his voice just left me with chills. Cracking, and breaking and sometimes not quite there key wise but just so personal. Laid against bare and ramshackle arrangements it just crackles with emotion.
T. Rex
4/5
I like hugely complicated music with lyrics that dig deeply into human emotions. I also love silly pop music that drags you along on a wave of sugary europhia. This is the definitely the second. Unapologetically so. And it’s all the better for it
Deep Purple
3/5
Deep purple are a sliding doors band for me. If I’d come across this first in Woolworths instead of Led Zep 1 and Paranoid I may be an equally big fan of Deep Purple, but I I didn’t and I’m not and while I can hear the quality of Highway star and smoke on the water is a true classic it’s just a bit too 70’s rock by numbers for me
Pixies
5/5
This is one of those defining albums. I remember listening to it for the first time. I had started to move away from metal and was becoming increasingly alternative. At the time it just felt refreshing and I regretted having spent years listening to Warrant. Now, with time between me and the album it’s still genuinely jaw dropping. Debaser feels fresh and exciting still, Monkey gone to heaven is genuine top 10 songs of all time contention and Here comes my man is like a 60’s classic uncovered. Genuinely era defining stuff
Kendrick Lamar
3/5
I know this is good. It’s intense story telling, laden with hooks, interesting beats, quirky samples and Kendrick’s rap style is characterful and adds to the narrative. I just don’t think I’ll ever like it enough. That’s a me problem rather than the albums problem, but it does feel a little impenetrable for me
Method Man
3/5
I like hip hop, I don’t love it. There albums I think are great first Wu-tang album, Illmatic but generally I enjoy but don’t really get wrapped up in the album. This is very much an example of this, the stripped back samples and dark synths create a gloomy atmosphere and the rapping is sharp and aggressive. However, I think it lacks memorable moments
Al Green
3/5
His voice is just heavenly. Smooth, silky and slinky. And on the best songs it’s slides and soars. Some of the most genuinely horny singing you’ll hear with a side order of Jesus. Let’s stick together is truly world class sadly rest of album doesn’t reach that height
Can
2/5
Anthrax
4/5
16 year old me thought this was th greatest album ever. 52 year old me isn’t THAT positive but I understand why I thought that. Pummeling riffs, lyrics about the films and books I read and energy by the bucketload. Genre defining stuff
Todd Rundgren
3/5
There’s famous French chefs who despite their Michelin stars who are famous for really simple dishes like mashed potato based on the best ingredients used well. This album is the direct opposite of this which is every possible musical ingredient ever often in the same song. When it’s a bit more honed like the soul medley it works very well. Can’t fault his ambition though
Small Faces
4/5
Concept albums often leave me cold, and concept albums with weird narration definitely leave me cold…. But this album overcomes all those issues for me… yes even the silly voices on Sunday afternoon. Why? Because everything is just high quality. The psychedelia is actually psychedelic and the songs carry their weirdness well… and of course stevie Marriott is one of the great British soul voices
Bee Gees
2/5
Let’s start with the harmonies. Yeah, they are great. The rest of it….. well I’m not one for maudlin, over orchestrated Pop rock sung in a querulous voice. Syrupy strings and fairly standard arrangements sometimes hide what are in principle well written songs
Les Rythmes Digitales
3/5
Listening to this in 2026 is strange as it was hugely influential on pop music in the early 2000’s and now sounds over familiar. It’s not super original slightly less intense than Justice and far more more pop than Daft Punk but generally ploughing similar territory. At first it felt really repetitive but when you realise this is music for dancing and not for walking the dog it makes more sense. And whilst I wasn’t dancing by the end of it I was certainly looser limbed
Richard Thompson
4/5
Music, like clothes and coffee has seasonal variations. And this is very much a winter album, the title track and its brass band is the soundtrack to a walk through December slush and Calvary Cross is a song of the fading light. Their voices are weary and downcast, but Richard Thompsons guitar offers little metallic slashes of respite. It’s bleak, but there’s beauty in it
Lou Reed
3/5
I’d made the decision that I was going to rate each album after one listen. This is an album that would benefit from a re-listen. There’s layers and folds to this story of people on the fringes. Death, loss, drugs all wrapped in dense little songs. Sometimes stripped back and sometimes like on the close sad song full of bright orchestration that offers slivers of light