60
Albums Rated
3.15
Average Rating
6%
Complete
1029 albums remaining
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
1980
Favorite Decade
Folk
Favorite Genre
UK
Top Origin
Perfectionist
Rater Style ?
1
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Appetite For Destruction
Guns N' Roses
|
5 | 3.72 | +1.28 |
|
Talking With the Taxman About Poetry
Billy Bragg
|
4 | 2.96 | +1.04 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Sunday At The Village Vanguard
Bill Evans Trio
|
2 | 3.32 | -1.32 |
5-Star Albums (1)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
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
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