138
Albums Rated
2.72
Average Rating
13%
Complete
951 albums remaining
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
2000
Favorite Decade
Pop
Favorite Genre
UK
Top Origin
Perfectionist
Rater Style ?
2
5-Star Albums
6
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
Top Styles
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Funeral
Arcade Fire
|
5 | 3.55 | +1.45 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
A Love Supreme
John Coltrane
|
1 | 3.63 | -2.63 |
|
Dirty
Sonic Youth
|
1 | 3.1 | -2.1 |
|
Night Life
Ray Price
|
1 | 2.8 | -1.8 |
|
Live At The Regal
B.B. King
|
2 | 3.67 | -1.67 |
|
The Genius Of Ray Charles
Ray Charles
|
2 | 3.62 | -1.62 |
|
3 + 3
The Isley Brothers
|
2 | 3.59 | -1.59 |
|
Fulfillingness' First Finale
Stevie Wonder
|
2 | 3.57 | -1.57 |
|
At Newport 1960
Muddy Waters
|
2 | 3.54 | -1.54 |
|
Blackstar
David Bowie
|
2 | 3.48 | -1.48 |
|
Aja
Steely Dan
|
2 | 3.47 | -1.47 |
5-Star Albums (2)
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Popular Reviews
Gene Clark · 1 likes
2/5
Initially was going to give it one star but it grows on you after a few listens. Still, not my kind of music and no tracks that I would want to revisit.
1-Star Albums (6)
All Ratings
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
Leonard Cohen
3/5
Stan Getz
3/5
Not really my thing. Pleasant, but doesn't capture my attention. Perhaps needs several listens to appreciate.
DJ Shadow
3/5
Clearly important and impressive, but not something I would ever put on.
Arctic Monkeys
4/5
Can get a bit samey, but lots of great tracks. Energy and evocative lyrics.
U2
3/5
I knew SBS and NYD already, and they seem like the only memorable songs. Bono's wailing can get a little tiresome. Still, 2 great songs.
Garbage
4/5
Very solid throughout
Beatles
3/5
Doesn't feature any of my favourite Beatles songs, but a sign of the great things to come.
Sonic Youth
1/5
Didn't get to listen to the whole album properly but there was nothing that I liked. I don't think noise rock is my thing.
Love
2/5
Alone Again Or is wonderful so I was expecting to like this, but I didn't click with many of the other songs. Some of the lyrics are laughably bad, with weird stressing of syllables. A bit puzzling that this is so highly revered.
Arcade Fire
5/5
Previously added to favourite songs:
Tunnels, Power Out, Wake Up, Rebellion (Lies).
Didn't feel the need to add any others, but still really like everything else. An album that feels intimate and epic at the same time.
Probably a 9/10, but I will round up.
Bob Dylan
4/5
Didn't get a chance to listen enough times to give it 5, but really enjoyed it. Surprisingly catchy and poppy at times. How have I not heard 'I Want You' before?
The Notorious B.I.G.
2/5
I can appreciate that this is a landmark record, but it's lacking musically. A hooky chorus would have been nice; even Juicy's isn't great. Some great story telling despite all the sexual objectification.
Gene Clark
2/5
Initially was going to give it one star but it grows on you after a few listens. Still, not my kind of music and no tracks that I would want to revisit.
Nine Inch Nails
2/5
I can appreciate the production but I might have enjoyed this more as a teenager. Other than Hurt, the only tracks I enjoyed were the mellow ones like A Warm Place.
Ray Price
1/5
It's always nice to listen to something a bit different but this was dull and forgettable.
The Saints
2/5
Got off to a strong start; I enjoyed the brass on Know Your Product (did it inspire Dexys' Geno?) but everything after that was a bit disappointing.
Kraftwerk
3/5
I enjoyed it. The vocals are often corny, but some fantastic synth riffs and melodies. Interesting to hear some similarities to the work of Giorgio Moroder.
The Crusaders
2/5
Enjoyed the disco elements, less keen on the jazzy elements.
The Strokes
4/5
More like a 4.5, but rounded down. Why? It's hard to explain.
Screaming Trees
3/5
Only had time for one listen but enjoyed it, if not blown away. I’d never heard of them; my first new discovery so far.
Talking Heads
3/5
Lots of interesting stuff going on, but there's a reason Once in a Lifetime is by far the most well known song on the album.
Leonard Cohen
3/5
Famous Blue Raincoat was the only song with which I was previously familiar. Avalanche is fantastic, and I liked Love Calls Your Name. The shouting in Diamonds in the Mine felt very out of character.
Deep Purple
3/5
It feels strange to rate a live album as I would never purposely listen to a live version of a song over a studio version. I was already familiar with Deep Purple but I was impressed with their musicianship, although as ever I could have done without the drum solo. I also enjoyed the typically British introductions to the songs.
Violent Femmes
3/5
As other reviewers have noted, this does not sound like a record from 1983. I had heard 'Blister in the Sun' before but would not have known the title or the artist, so that was fun. Some fun, energetic songs with wry lyrics, but the lead singer's voice grates in parts.
Ray Charles
2/5
I like Ray Charles but this really didn't do anything for me.
Lauryn Hill
3/5
20ish records in and I have begun to resent long albums; I've barely had time to listen to all of this. This is not my favourite genre but there was plenty to enjoy; I was only familiar with Doo Wop (That Thing) beforehand.
The Beach Boys
4/5
After the nearly 80 minute slog of The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill yesterday, this was a breezy delight. I prefer the upbeat stuff to the ballads, but even the lesser songs are enjoyable to listen to. The wonderfully lush vocal harmonies outweigh the trite lyrics.
George Harrison
4/5
Another album that's too long, and therefore couldn't be properly listened to, but there are some undeniably great songs here.
Buck Owens
3/5
This was better than I had expected, especially the first side. I didn’t care for the ballads, but, Trouble and Me especially, the upbeat stuff was good fun.
The Isley Brothers
2/5
This was disappointing. Nothing stood out other than the tracks I already knew, That Lady and Summer Breeze. I like Listen to the Music, but it was a worse version than the Doobie Brothers' original.
Little Richard
4/5
This is just great fun. Tutti Frutti and Long Tall Sally are the big hits, but I don't think there's a dud amongst the twelve. 12 bar blues is hard to beat.
Pulp
3/5
I don't really known Pulp outside of the big hits, so it was nice to hear a bit more. That being said, this album doesn't feel like a must listen. There are some good moments and plenty of wry lyrics, but not many songs stand out after a couple of listens.
Slipknot
2/5
Slipknot were never my thing even as a metal loving teenager, but I can appreciate the abilities of Joey Jordison and Corey Taylor, amongst others. I had never heard anything off this album before (I was more familiar with the Wait and Bleed era), so it was interesting to hear a ballad like Snuff.
Solange
2/5
It's fine, but it seems like the critical claim was mostly for the lyrics. Nothing on this album is as good as 'Losing You', which is a genuinely great song.
The Smashing Pumpkins
3/5
Erykah Badu
2/5
2/5
I like Blur and so was initially surprised that I only knew For Tomorrow from this album. After listening, I'm less surprised. Other than the piano led outro to Chemical World, these tracks are not memorable.
CHIC
3/5
Not much to get excited about outside of Le Freak and I Want Your Love, although Happy Man features some fantastic bass playing and sounds like a precursor to the Nile Rodgers penned We Are Family.
The Pharcyde
2/5
I like Runnin', but nothing on this album matched that for me. I almost deducted a star for a debut album having II in the title.
Christina Aguilera
3/5
A 78 minute album called Stripped is ironic. That being said, there's no denying that there are some bangers on this album. She can really belt it out, but I prefer a 'less is more' approach to that kind of singing.
Gil Scott-Heron
3/5
Sly & The Family Stone
3/5
I wanted to like this more because I adore Everyday People and other Sly songs, but ultimately Stand! and I Want to Take You Higher are the only other tracks on this album I'll revisit.
The Beach Boys
4/5
Feels odd not giving this 5 stars given its legendary status but there aren't that many classic songs on the album. Still, it's a remarkable work and God Only Knows is as close to pop perfection as it gets.
The Cardigans
3/5
I didn't expect the Black Sabbath references, although I'm not sure the Iron Man cover was an interesting take. I enjoyed the first half of the album and hadn't heard Step On Me before despite its millions of plays on Spotify.
Blondie
4/5
Four great songs is enough to get four stars in my book.
The Charlatans
2/5
It gets an extra star because I like One to Another. Everything else was bland.
Billy Joel
4/5
I've been a huge Billy Joel fan but this album is packed with hits. It was interesting to read that he was at risk of being dropped by his label if this album hadn't been a success.
David Bowie
2/5
I love Bowie but agree with those who feel this was over praised due to his death.
Ride
2/5
I don't think this is my genre of music.
The Waterboys
2/5
Enjoyed the opening track, but wasn't captivated by anything else, including the Van Morrison cover.
Muddy Waters
2/5
An impressive recording technically (Waters' voice sounds great and the band are tight), but the songs didn't really do anything for me.
OutKast
3/5
The question going into Stankonia was were any of the other tracks going to be up there with 'So Fresh, So Clean', Ms Jackson, and Bombs over Baghdad? Unfortunately the answer for me was no, which leaves this album a bit of a bloated mess at over 70 minutes.
Marty Robbins
3/5
I've never heard of Marty Robbins was surprised to see that a couple of the tracks on this album had over a hundred million streams on Spotify. I enjoyed this more than expected; lots of good story telling.
The KLF
2/5
Dire Straits
3/5
I wanted to like this more but the slower stuff didn’t really speak to me. Beautiful guitar playing, as expected, but not sure I’ll be revisiting any of the songs I didn’t know already.
The Incredible String Band
1/5
I quite enjoyed the outro to A Very Cellular Song, but that was about it. I can appreciate they were influential and innovative, but that doesn't make an album enjoyable to listen to.
The Velvet Underground
4/5
It's not quite five stars for me, because there are plenty of tracks that I *like*, but none that I *love*. I hadn't listened to this in years and it was fun rediscovering some of the lesser known tracks.
Kate Bush
3/5
A very strong half, but the more experimental second half didn't work for me. 'Jig Of Life' felt particularly jarring.
Lucinda Williams
2/5
I was not familiar with Lucinda Williams and, like other reviewers, I was amazed to learn how critically acclaimed this album was. What on earth was going on in 1998? The music is perfectly pleasant but completely unremarkable.
Missy Elliott
2/5
This was very uninspiring. Overly long and dull. I liked the brass riff of 'Sock it 2 Me' and that was about it.
King Crimson
3/5
A little indulgent at times, as expected, but at only 5 tracks it's a welcome tonic to some of the overly long albums in this list.
Queens Of The Stone Age
2/5
This was disappointing as I like their later stuff. The opening track has a bit about it, but little else caught my attention.
Joanna Newsom
2/5
I really wish I liked this. People rave about her lyrics, but I found her voice grating and it wasn’t easy to make out the words. Her melodies are often similar and there’s a lack of dynamic range. Sorry, Andy. Quaid army.
David Holmes
2/5
This was probably impressive and remarkable in 1998, but is rather uninspiring today when anyone can do this. It was at least interesting to find out that Holmes has scored lots of Soderbergh films, and you can definitely hear similarities to the music from the Oceans movies in some tracks.
Big Brother & The Holding Company
2/5
G. Love & Special Sauce
2/5
Close to one star but I found some enjoyment in 'Blues Music' after a couple of listens.
Harry Nilsson
3/5
'Without You' to 'Coconut' has got to be one of the most jarring song transitions in popular music. How sad that both songwriters of 'Without You' ended up killing themselves. Fuck Stan Polley.
The Mars Volta
2/5
Bob Dylan
4/5
David Bowie
3/5
Ali Farka Touré
2/5
Goldfrapp
2/5
An interesting listen as I was only familiar with Goldfrapp's big hits. The album sounds more like a film soundtrack than a pop record, which isn't necessarily a bad thing but not much clicked with me.
The Kinks
4/5
I already like the Kinks but only knew Days and Picture Book (because Green Day plagiarised it) from this album, so this was a treat. I enjoyed the baroque pop sensibility and nostalgic lyrics.
The B-52's
2/5
It's odd that an album of only 9 tracks totalling 40 minutes can feel ill disciplined, but I found most of the tracks overly repetitive. Even Rock Lobster overstays its welcome. In general the vocals are unpleasant and the instrumental work feels pedestrian.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
3/5
There's no denying the monster hits on this album, although the quality drops off considerably in a lacklustre second half. The more I listen and read, the more Kiedis feels like the weak link; Flea, Frusciante and Smith are excellent musicians.
Paul Simon
2/5
Surprisingly dull, and what on earth was that song about cars?
Steely Dan
2/5
Not really my thing. I prefer the less jazzy Steely Dan stuff although I appreciated the production values.
Stevie Wonder
2/5
A bit disappointing to be honest. The stand out track is You Haven't Done Nothin', but the heavy clavinet usage makes it feel like Superstition-lite. This list is a constant reminder that even the greats produced plenty of mediocre stuff.
Thundercat
2/5
This album really didn't need to be 23 tracks long; Thundercat may be a great bassist but I'm not sure he's a great song writer. His falsetto voice doesn't seem to have much range which means a lot of the tracks sound very similar.
Aerosmith
3/5
More albums should be 9 tracks and 35 minutes in length. This feels solid rather than spectacular, but it inspired James Hetfield, amongst others, so I'm thankful for that.
Dexys Midnight Runners
2/5
The Rolling Stones
4/5
X-Ray Spex
3/5
Iron Butterfly
2/5
4/5
Muse were an important band for early teenage me so it was nice to get an album I knew well. That being said, I would have chosen any of the three previous studio albums over this as the Muse representative on this list. The poppier stuff on Black Holes (Starlight, Supermassive Black Hole) doesn't work for me but I enjoy the more electronic Take a Bow and Map of the Problematique. Knights Of Cydonia remains the stand out track; bombastic and silly but great fun.
Dusty Springfield
4/5
The Killers
4/5
B.B. King
2/5
Depeche Mode
3/5
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
2/5
Fela Kuti
2/5
The Smiths
3/5
Tina Turner
3/5
Duke Ellington
2/5
Sorry, Duke, but I just don't like jazz. Sounded like the crowd was having a great time, which was nice.
The Beach Boys
3/5
Neil Young
3/5
Suede
3/5
The Who
3/5
Frank Zappa
2/5
Eurythmics
3/5
Missy Elliott
2/5
Deee-Lite
2/5
John Coltrane
1/5
Rush
2/5
Louis Prima
3/5
The Police
3/5
Norah Jones
3/5
Peter Tosh
3/5
T. Rex
3/5
Radiohead
4/5
Red Snapper
2/5
Thin Lizzy
4/5
Derek & The Dominos
2/5
The album title says it all; Layla is great, the others not so much.
Beastie Boys
3/5
Tom Tom Club
2/5
Love
2/5
LCD Soundsystem
4/5
Eminem
4/5
Belle & Sebastian
4/5
'Get Me Away from Here, I'm Dying' is one of my favourite songs. The other tracks on the album can't match it, but they all have their understated moments.
Radiohead
5/5
This might not be considered the best Radiohead album, but to me it's their strongest collection of songs. I can't believe 'Bones' is the second least played track (on Spotify); it's one of my favourites.
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
2/5
Public Enemy
2/5
Lightning Bolt
1/5
Bob Dylan
3/5
The Shamen
1/5
Shivkumar Sharma
3/5
Beastie Boys
3/5
George Michael
3/5
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
2/5
Bert Jansch
2/5
ZZ Top
3/5
Basement Jaxx
3/5
Marianne Faithfull
3/5
Sister Sledge
4/5
Scott Walker
2/5
The Jesus And Mary Chain
2/5
Christine and the Queens
3/5