First impression: yuck
Lotta hits on here. Good representation of cheesy 70s music?? "Tuesday" ballad is very cheesy.
"Mississippi Kid" def the weakest song here. This had to be in the same vein as a bunch of other artists copying Robert Johnson during this time, but not really getting the blues (although the blues structure is solid).
And, of course, "Free Bird"
End impression: better than I expected. it’s a 70s rock album
sick. perfect album. didn’t know this was the original “It’s the End of the World as We Know It”
my first vinyl day!! i fuckin love this one
like most Rolling Stones albums, starts of great then takes a nose dive. this one kinda sucks. 3 stars solely because of Under my Thumb
god this album rips. this dude was HORNY
vinyl day!!
God said to Abraham “Kill me a son”
Abe says “Man, you must be putting me on”
God said “No.”
Abe said “What?”
never listened to this album before, but i knew all the songs except “Get it Right the First Time”. this is a good one
i get “Chan Chan” stuck in my head like once a month. Cuban music rules
this is an album where i understand that it was perhaps groundbreaking at the time, it doesn’t really hold up today imo. the ideas here were fleshed out later and greatly improved upon. sounds like a prototype CSN&Y. “Draft Morning” is an insane song, and the moog is sick
didn’t enjoy the “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” cover or the twist at the end, but everything else was really nice!! great production, really clean mix, and Ananda is incredibly skilled at sitar. really enjoyed most of this despite having reservations at first glance
it’s fine. nothing really spectacular going on here tbh
kind of had a hard time collecting my thoughts on this one. best analogy i could come up with is when you’re watching a movie/tv show from the 70s and you see an actor that looks like a regular person: no perfect teeth, no big muscles, nothing in particular that would make you think they’re part of Hollywood. you see that and think “wow, i guess they were just letting anyone be in movies back then.”
maybe this album has some sort of incredible cultural significance i’m missing, but ultimately it just sounds like mellow inoffensive adult contemporary music from the 80s (albeit released in 1978). the production is clean and the mix is great, but nothing else really stands out for me here. Dire Straits is the Coldplay of gen x
this album is pretty cool. lots going on here and only a couple boring tracks. this time period is a huge blind spot for me so this was cool to listen to
this one’s weird. nothing too crazy, but it’s weird. kinda like if Bowie was a crazy German guy?
an interesting collection of songs.
i’m more familiar with PJ Harvey’s earlier work, but this is really cool. kind of a distillation of some early 2000s sounds like Arcade Fire and Santigold. “The Glorious Land” and “The Words That Maketh Murder” are similar songs, but the storytelling is really compelling. man, this one takes me back to the simpler times of 15 years ago in (good lord) 2011. last track ended on a weird note to me. this is a solid album
i knew Blues Boy King was a singer, but hadn’t really heard anything outside of when he was pretty old. it’s so insane the greatest blues guitarist of a generation also had a voice like Donny Hathaway. i found it interesting how short a lot of these tunes are. would have guessed more improv/solos. also a plus he told the fellas not to hit their wives. one can only conclude this was a radical departure from the norms of the 60s
got through about half of this. some tracks weren’t as bad as others
“If we don’t take action now
we settle for nothing later.
We’ll settle for nothing now,
and we’ll settle for nothing later”
FUCK ICE
this album is pretty good, but Demon Days better be on this list!!
kind of boring 80s music. there’s a couple brights spots but not many
such a great snapshot of the early 2000s. also a great reminder if you don’t find Amy Winehouse attractive she will think you’re gay. Mr. Magic get stuck in my head all the time
started strong and tailed off a lot of these songs sound pretty similar
a bit too long, but this is a near classic
not what i was expecting for a Brazilian album. chill 70s vibes
this album is so unique and incredible. it’s badass to criticize Jay-Z and the next track have him feature. It’s genius to have Jill Scott come in and just riff over a sample. The strings arrangements are just as good as prime Kanye. Lupe critiques the use of drone strikes in 2006. Then there’s a song calling out American imperialism called American Terrorist!! The last track is heartfelt, but unfortunately annoying. This is a near masterpiece.
goddamn perfect album. i still remember the first time listening to this all the way through
solid. that song with Thom is incredible
i’ve got mixed feelings about samba. that first tune is a classic tho
god this thing is massive, but it’s great. lots of love songs, several goofy songs, and a bunch of big band. i was a little surprised there wasn’t more jazz to showcase Ella’s scat singing, but i guess this is more about the Gershwins. what a little treat as the last tune. i think Ira Gershwin said it best: “I never knew how good our songs were until I heard Ella Fitzgerald sing them”
quintessential 60s music. was trying to think of a reason to hate this and couldn’t come up with anything legit. this is solid
Tainted Love is a bop, but the rest of this is just mid. Sex Dwarf is an insane song (not complimentary)
i’ve heard some of these songs, but never listened to the whole album at once. it’s pretty solid. can’t believe how popular this was despite every song being over 4 minutes. “Enter Sandman” always reminds me of Mariano Rivera RIP (he’s not actually dead, but is a huge MAGA supporter so he’s dead to me)
hell yeah. a truly enjoyable listen
while this is a tremendous album, it’s hard for me to listen to because it’s so intimate and bare. you are listening to the deepest parts of Smith’s soul which is imo the embodiment of depression. RIP
vinyl day!! this album is a true masterpiece
an instant classic. i haven’t listened to this in years all the way through, and it struck me how formative this album was for me. i had this thing on repeat when i was 13!! such a great debut
wow this is a lot. not really sure what else to say
vinyl day!! perfect album top to bottom. every song gets stuck in my head
kind of like discount Bowie. i mean this as a compliment mostly
only listened to this once, but man it rocks. kill the poor reminds me so much of that Johnathan Swift satirical piece about eating babies. these guys went hard
the king of swing!! not sure why this album in particular, but Count Basie rocks
really truly surprised myself by kind of liking this?? lyrics are incomprehensible; i think at one point he was talking about skin cancer?? i feel like i couldn’t take the vocals seriously until “Spiders” and then it clicked really. not sure if there’s a better album that captures the culture at time of release. man these guys fuckin rock??
went in blind and enjoyed a good chunk of this. kind of a mixture of a Bjork, Metric and maybe Beach House. the soundscapes created are pretty cool; in particular i liked “Seven” and “Triangle Walks.” vocals are fine but sometimes out of place
“Yankee Hotel Foxtrot” better be on this list!!
surprised myself how much i liked this one. the dude was a hit maker. most songs do have something kind of annoying about them whether it’s too long, too 80s, or unfortunately in the case of “Mercy Street” that annoying triangle sound the whole song. pretty badass to make a pop album and have nearly every song over 4 minutes AND to have Kate Bush as a feature just to sing the chorus
a little too droney/repetitive for me but great overall
unlike the members of the band, this album absolutely fucks
a classic. “Behind Blue Eyes” is an absolutely unserious song tbh
truly a master at work here
meh. i get that this is more or less the birth of conscious rap but it’s kind of boring
this album reminds me of driving while the sun is in your eyes behind some trees. at first it’s cool to see the flickering lights and imagine yourself in a movie; golden light dancing in and out right before your eyes. then that happens for 41 minutes straight and you wish it would stop
i have some complicated and conflicting feelings about John Lennon as i’m sure most do. there are some absolute bops on this album including but not limited to the communist anthem that is the title track. is this his best work? probably not. but you can hear and feel how soul bearing this is to him and that you have to admire. also some downright fantastic sax solos for a rock album
music is a touch cheesy (Rain) but this guy’s voice is pretty amazing
really enjoyed this! kind of a cool mix of songs here. the strings are divine
vinyl day!! this is a classic
classic. only a couple goofy tracks
his voice can certainly get annoying, but a lot of these are damn catchy. who knew the harmonica could sound so good
KANSAS CITY’S OWN, JANELLE MONÁE
Janelle Monáe is like if Stevie Wonder, Lauryn Hill and Prince had a baby that invented being bisexual. this album is incredible and so diverse. can’t believe it came out in 2010!! ending with “BaBopBye Ya” is such a flex. not only does it show off Monáe’s jazz chops, it ties together both overture themes with a nice little bow. and, on top of everything, Janelle Monáe is also crazy hot. if you haven’t checked out her latest album “The Age of Pleasure” i highly recommend it
several catchy tunes on here i’m not one for country ballads however
not for me. while the storytelling is certainly interesting, these songs are basically the singing parts in operas/musicals where they need to present plot points so performers are kind of singing while delivering exposition. i almost thought this was a concept album at the first song. this guy has the range of maybe 6 notes
i found this to be kind of sloppy? idk i don’t get the hype
a real treat. never listened to this album before but i’m somewhat familiar with New Order. had to immediately play it again
the architect of rock n roll
this album really is flawless. tight instrumentation, immaculate production, perfect singing from Baker and backup vocalists. everything is clean and beautiful and sexy. the fade out are pretty annoying. i was a bit surprised by the MF DOOM sample jumpscare on the first track
some cool stuff going on here. diverse range from pop to punk to ska-adjacent. i was worried this would be a dud based on the year and album cover but it’s pretty solid
spent a lot of time on this one. while i personally don’t find it better than “Purple Rain,” “Sign ‘O’ The Times” is definitely denser and heavier. The live track was cool, ending with “Adore” is incredible, and the range Prince shows off here is truly inspiring. an amazing work of art
this is really a tremendous double album. Abattoir Blues is pretty much perfect, and The Lure of Orpheus is nearly as good. getting exposure to music like this is why i signed up!!
great vocals, but not for me
deeply unserious vocals. i’m sorry to anyone that idolizes these guys, but the vocals really turn this sour for me. the songs are simple and to the point which i do enjoy. wish every song was only 2 minutes like The Ramones
pleasant overall. a bit of coffee shop background music vibes
this is border line 4 stars for me. the impact on first listen is great, but not sure i would enjoy the full album again but just a couple songs.
obviously knew “Tiny Dancer” but the rest of this album is a trip. every song has something catchy and weird in it. god i can only imagine the drugs this man’s nose has known
first couple songs are cool. awful cover of “All Tomorrow’s Parties” in the middle and a straight up weird slow sax song
short and sweet and to the point. solid album
starts strong but trails off
couldn’t find this exact album, but i get the gist. i think Fats Domino is like if Count Basie was a pervert
i’m pretty sure people did think Picasso was an asshole. like if The Doors were less tallented
is there a pro pedophilia song on here?? kind of like if Black Sabbath was a bunch of weird perverts (more than they already are)
some of the vocals and lyrics are eye roll worthy, but overall this is an impressive album. i will be retuning to this one
listened to almost all of this. vocals are annoying and lyrics are even worse, but there is a glimmer of good stuff in the shit. a lot of talented musicians on here, especially the drummer
excellent album. the song with the computer stuff is kind of funny because it’s so outdated, but lyrics are surprisingly relevant. Kate Bush can see the future
what a treat! haven’t listened to this one in years. the concept is unique, the textures are soundscapes are so cool, and there’s som really great songs on here. an instant classic imo
a cornerstone of modern hip-hop! it’s so sick RZA was just pumping out gold like this for half a decade. the skits are mostly funny on this, but a bit distracting overall. RIP ODB
don’t really find anything here as a “new” take on samba. still pleasant overall
Raekwon you have to stop. your smoke too tough. your swag too different. your bitch too bad. they’ll kill you
pretty much masterclass in songwriting. the first half is a triumph, and the second half gets a little muddled with the addition of other elements besides Chapman and a guitar. some 90s bullshit sprinkled throughout but not enough to break the vision. this is some good stuff
had a couple of these songs are still stuck in my head a week later. “Every Breath You Take” is the worst song on this album
never heard this one before and it’s really cool! would never have found this album without doing this
a bit too redundant on the bongos, but there’s a couple gems in here. seems like a key component to the mainstream latin jazz that came after
was kind of dreading this listen after a few seconds, but it seems like “Skunk” is a good way to filter out posers. this shit rocks. will listen to again
