1001 Albums Summary

I grew up with this in HS. It's slick, polished and represents the energy he brought to every performance. You have to see him in person for this to really hit hard because the man was the consummate performer. His studio albums were milquetoast, but that was not his passion. His passion was crowds and the stage and this album is the best example of it.

"Wonder Years" the Album... Quite a few tracks I knew existed -- and I like -- but I didn't realize were Van Morrison. Strong start, tapers at the end. (3.75/5) EDIT: I keep coming back to some of the tracks and they've stuck to me. "Moondance" is the standout, but some others have really wormed their way into my ear. We've been at this over a month and I'm surprised how *this* album has lodged itself into my mind. I'm rounding this UP.

This immediately evokes a mall in the late 2000's or early 2010's. "Auto tune crooning"... R&B for people who don't know good music. Technically, well produced but essentially boring. The same themes, lyrics, samples, and music you hear EVERYWHERE. How did this album make the list? This was a slog to get through. What exactly makes this special or stand out from the sea of R&B that sounds exactly like this?? Background music for a dying mall... 1/5, one point for the talented producers who can effortlessly spit this crap out.

Music for my younger self. I don't think I'm this depressed anymore, or maybe never was. Rage was and is more my style. Nothing on this album surprised me or awed me. Is it possible that The Cure was so successful they unknowingly became a cliche? It was exactly what I expected before I hit play, and that may be a testament to their vision, but it doesn't mean I like it. 2/5, to help support all of those Hot Topic kids who needed spending money in HS.

Kinetic and energetic. A rush of punk and a seminal album from my youth. Now that I'm older and wiser, it hits differently. There's an purposeful sameness to most of the tracks. Maybe in homage to the Ramones, many of the tracks that weren't given hit-status have a limited chord pallet and are rhythmically similar. That's not a jab, but it's not as exciting as it used to be. It was a stylistic choice. The hit-tracks, Longview, Welcome to Paradise, Basket Case, and When I Come Around are the standouts, for good reason. This is a solid (impressive, even) first effort and with the benefit of hindsight we know was a portent of much greater things to come. (4/5) This is a fun, frenetic album. The track All By Myself took me back to the time when cassettes had the "secret hidden tracks" for when you left the tape playing past the final note on the last listed song. Analog secrets.

I flirted with club/dance music about a decade after this album's release. I see the appeal of smooth, danceable music for dancing. This is a new album to me and I want to meet this album where it is in time. The first two tracks' heavy snyth, driving beats, and soulful vocals conjure "New Jack Swing" and exist close in time. It wouldn't surprise me if this album was a deep influence or contemporary to that movement. Deeper into the album, the rapping is not good.. at all..even and especially for it's time. It's as if De La Soul was on opioids and couldn't spit anything of value out. The rap tracks really detract from the more soulful ones and bring the album down. It almost sounds like Jermaine Clement of the Flight of the Conchords and like a parody of rap. Then there's the obligatory remixes. Hard pass on this. I tried to meet this where it was and I didn't like that place. (2/5), mainly on the strength of the tracks with actual, decent singing and the instrumentals, even the jazz flute tracks..

Am i being punk'd? The opening tracks are kind of obnoxious. Slow jams with childish lyrics. Is this trip hop? Very dated sound. (1/5) Ugh.. Did they just learn what rhyming is? Supposedly Unfinished Sympathy is the standout track, and I'm sorry, I don't see it. Maybe this was a cultural touchstone in a certain time and place, but nothing on this album has held up to the passage of time. The samples are misplaced, just putting strings behind a beat does not make it "ethereal", and the songwriting is hot, steaming garbage. Perhaps I'm a cranky old man now, but I couldn't even see my teenage self liking this too much. There are better ways to create good music using these tools and this admixture of ingredients. Did that mf'er just try and rhyme "weebles wobbles" in a song?? How is this a classic?

Pop? Electronic? Dance? What a mongrel sound. That's not a slight and the light, bouncy opening tracks are off to a good start. I'm only familiar with the band's name and I don't have any experience with their music. A contemporary of Arcade Fire's Neon Bible -- which is personal favorite -- it shares some DNA. Complex, competent arrangements and an "epic" & dreamy feel. MGMT is buried behind some vocal effects, has less ennui, and layered in more sounds, but is still as knowledgeable and steeped in their influences. (4/5) A few of the later tracks seem to lose some focus and went from dreamy to forgetful... I will forgive it on the strength of the first half of the album and overall, I like it.

Music to get stoned with. Mostly blues-y, sludge rock -- with some folk-blues-rock -- that actively struggles to keep the tempo from slowing down any more than it has. I didn't need to look up anything about this album to immediately place it in the early 70s. It's sound is blue jeans, pot smoke, and long hair. The musicians are competent but the arrangements just sort of blend into one another. I don't hate it, but it's not a love connection. (3/5) I'd probably enjoy it more stoned. Tiresome after a while, too.. I read up on it and found out it is a double album. There's not enough "meat" here to make a double album IMO.

Sprawling, cumbersome, and a bit pretentious. The opening track's discordant music helps to set that tone early, and the rest of the album doesn't disappoint in that regard. It's a like a college band that is somewhat competent was given a big catalog of mediocre music and are just throwing out anything that will find an ear. Way more misses than any semblance of a hit. Boring and waaaayyy too long. Utterly forgettable. (1.5/5) I'll round down because this was a CHORE to get through.

Light, bouncy neon pop. I'm a sucker for good pop music and this fits the bill just fine for me. Slick production and an energetic pace throughout the album makes the experience brief, which helps excuse the excessive use of snyth and drum machines, which do wear out their welcome pretty quickly. (3.5/5), and I'm rounding up because it's such a good example of that era's music. You can point to it and say, "This is what early 80's pop sounded like," and still enjoy it on its merits.

Oh! What a treat! An Amy Winehouse album is an automatic 4-star from me. That's the floor. Amazing production gets paired with her smoky vocals. It's undeniable that she was a generational talent, but her producers are some superstars too. She could have been invisible or simply fine without her backing. Many of the tracks conjure leather seats, mixed drinks, and a dimly lit clubs with a single singer on stage visible through a haze of smoke. The songwriting isn't as polished as the instrumentals, so my (4.5/5) is getting rounded down, but it's still a great album. Her short, tragic life is just one in a long line of musical talents gone too soon. It's fun to speculate on how much more she could have done if she hadn't died so young.

Background music. Non-threatening and just there. Strongly reminiscent of the movie "Hackers" from the early 90s. As a teen, it was cool, but now it's just kinda boring. (2/5).. I guess... There's some technical competency here and it seems the artist(s?) are trying, but it just doesn't work, now anyway. Dated.

A poet with backing tracks. It was pretty clear, early into the album, that the songwriting seems to be the draw. The music felt like an afterthought or that the music was built around the lyrics. It reminded me of something I'd have expected to hear on a soft rock station, which I diligently avoid. It was... Fine... But I didn't need help falling asleep. This is my first time with Morrissey, so I'll just say it like this. I am surmising that his lyrics are the draw, but I don't have the time or patience to sift through them like they might deserve. I won't fault anyone for liking it. A few of the lyrics jumped out -- a little -- so I recognize there is something there, but it's not my cup of tea. (2.5/5) On the strength of the lyrics, but push it down to a 2 for the "my parents' rock" vibe that came off it. EDIT: I've sat on this for a while and needed to come back and shoot this down a notch. I was driving through NJ that day and didn't give it enough attention. Some closer examinations and this didn't deserve that '2'. It does *not* grow on you and there's a sneering pretentiousness that helps to drag it down.

This album deserves a 5 just for Desafinado, but the rest of the tracks don't disappoint either. This silky, soft sound is music that you LISTEN to. It envelopes you and warms you like a potent drink. Getz (and Byrd) can do no wrong in my eyes. I want to sit on a patio by the beach, in the evening, let the warm air blow, and let these sounds just transport me away for a while. For the record, I'm not a beach 'person'. If I had a seat at a beach with this on, however, I would be. Absolute jazz classic with some of the best music ever committed to vinyl. (5/5). My only critique is that it's over too soon. I'll settle for a taste of heaven rather than none at all. My first 5 for this project, and worth every point of it.

Hindsight is a powerful perspective. 90's "alt rock", grunge, alternative, whatever... exists on a spectrum in my mind. It blasted into my young, impressionable brain with the opening chords of Smells Like Teen Spirit (yup, I'm basic, but it was one of my first rock albums on cassette tape that I bought with my own money. Does that give me street cred?) and faded away with the dawn of the new millennium and the era of Creed-like slop and nu-metal. This album is a transition to that end. It's slickly produced, musically competent, and in many parts a good listen, but it's more "American Pie" than heroin-chic and for me it's lost a little appeal. Early Hole was and is more to my taste. While I was living it, I couldn't see the era fading into the rearview. Now I can see the whole road. I don't begrudge Love her drama. She was a magnificent mess for a while and in music, especially rock, that's fine. But hindsight has dimmed this period for me. It's good and a high-3, but not quite a 4. It's the highest 3 I've rated so far, but just so. (3.95/5), rounded down for it's place in my musical history.

A laborious slog, even at 30-ish minutes. Vanilla soft rock that's eternally an eighth of a beat too slow. I'd fall asleep to it, if it's navel gazing and pretentiousness didn't piss me off. 1,001 Albums to Listen to Before I Die? To know to never listen to this crap again? Is that the purpose of this entry? A tale of warning? Beware the boomers and their famous producers!! Ugh .. (1/5) Zero if I could.. can't wait for all the Bread and Gordon Lightfoot to pollute my algorithms for a week until I slowly purge it. Maybe some speed metal or some punk will clean it out, like a fast-acting Drano or something?

Ren Faire Rock. I've never been a fan of "prog" rock, progressive, whatever and this album hasn't changed my mind, but unlike my younger self that would dismiss this outright, I guess I have softened some. I read many of the reviews for this project complaining about the flute, but I feel that's unwarranted. It was tastefully layered and doesn't offend me. It even slaps a little on a few of the tracks. Overall, though, it's just not to my tastes. Too "cerebral" for me, I guess.. (3/5), just middle of the road. I'm glad I've heard it now but I'm not going back to it. I can now appreciate Will Ferrell's throwaway joke in "Anchorman" better, when he howls "Hey Aqualung!!!" at the end of his ridiculous flute solo. I always knew it was a reference, I just never spent time with the source material.

Competent, confident, and incredible. Arena/Dad Rock at its finest. The album is just a super-hit factory with so many widely known and played songs, I don't think it's fair to call any of the songs "B-Sides". They just don't qualify for that "status". All of the tracks are radio-ready blasts of juicy rock-goodness, no matter where on the vinyl they sit. Since I knew almost everything by heart I tried to tune into the musicians and all I found was just talent overflowing and spilling out. That guitar!! It's otherworldly at times. Are they aliens as the cover suggests? This is the first album I've encountered in this list that is a truly a "must hear before you die", IMO. Exemplary rock and just amazing, heart-pumping music. (5/5). I enjoy a lot of music, and have tons of favorites. This is easily in my top 100, maybe my top 50. I'll never complain if it's on and it has basically never worn out it's welcome. I'm pretty sure many in my generational cohort were conceived to or because of this music (born '78) and I'm perfectly fine with that. Proud, even.

Oh, my heart. It's hard to say anything about this album that hasn't already been said before. Genius, perfection, classic -- take your pick. Of the collection of music I have, this is in the top 10 for me. Wonder's whole "classic"/"imperial" period in the 70's is one of the most creative bursts of musical energy ever released. We're all lucky to live in it's aftermath and enjoy all the fruits this period bore. This album, Innervisions, and Songs in the Key of Life all have permanent homes in my mind and heart, but if I had to choose just one of those three however... (what a Sophies choice!!) this is probably my favorite. It's so tight. Not a note out of place, not a beat where it shouldn't be, and in my mind Stevie had it all planned that way. There's not an ounce of filler on this album. Every song is a distinct and clear rendition of an emotion. Some of these emotions are so pure, in the right context, it just fills you up. The opener "You Are the Sunshine of My Life" is adoration. "Maybe Your Baby" is the early stages of heartbreak and paranoia. The feeling of impending loss. "You and I" is a mature reflection of a long relationship. A deep, textured love. "Tuesday Heartbreak" is the bargaining and pleading after a breakup. Begging. "You've got it Bad Girl" is the confident acknowledgement of a mutual interest and a blossoming relationship. Confidence. Why is she so coy? "Superstition", the creative peak of this album, is a reflection on trying to see things for what they are. A demand to be realistic and clear eyed -- to stop making excuses. Clarity. Resolve. "Big Brother" is a very political song. It's a condemnation of the establishment/government and Stevie's frustration and deep well of generational anger are palpable. Frustration and anger. "Blame it on the Sun" is regret. A powerful wail of self-hate. How could he have been so stupid? "Lookin' for Another Pure Love" is resignation. She's left and gone. "I Believe..." Is hope. What a majestic song. The funky coda at the end is so perfect. Hope becomes a question mark "Don't you wanna fall in love again?" as the track fades out. Sorry I gushed so hard, but this is a "must hear". No opinion, just fact. Stevie Wonder may not know blue from green, but he sees music and how it speaks about our emotions more clearly than any of us. He wrote this book of emotions to talk to us. He can't read the words on the page, but heard what it said and transposed it for our ears and hearts on to this album. Perfection.

Lazer Blaze music. As a teenager in the 90's, this music appealed to my sensibilities. It was loud, aggressive, driving, and hyperactive. I recall going to the laser tag ("Lazer Blaze". See what they did there?) place and being bombarded with tracks like this. The Mortal Kombat movie soundtrack was a cousin of this. I even bought and enjoyed a few Chemical Brothers albums although not this one. Time hasn't been kind to this, for me. A few of the tracks standout with the notable highs being Block Rockin Beats, Piku, & Setting Sun. I'm just not this energetic or hyperactive anymore and the electronic/dance/noise genre just doesn't appeal to me as much. I'm too tired . This used to be a high 3, or possibly a 4 to my 15-20 year old self, but my 45-50 year old self is tiring of this. High 2, low 3, and mainly on the appreciation of what it WAS to me rather than on the quality of the music. The real low point came from the ceaseless repetition of "It doesn't matter.." on the eponymous track. I literally, like an old man, yelled "Shut up!" and hovered my finger over the skip button. I took a breath, composed myself and kept going but only out of loyalty. (3/5), because it used to mean something. It's a "low" 3, however. Block Rockin Beats still has it.

U2 is like the floor of "good rock" in my mind. They're undeniably excellent musicians, many of their tracks are classics, but I just don't get excited when I hear them. Case in point, "One" is a great song by all accounts, but Johnny Cash did it better. Maybe it's Bono? His larger than life public persona seems to scream "look at me!" and I think that detracts from the band's better qualities, which IMO does not include his voice. Sure, he can sing better than me, but there's plenty of people who can sing (at least compellingly) better than him. Cash took their song, just like Reznor's "Hurt", and filled it with so much more feeling and sang to the lyrics. The only track that gets me even close to excited on this album is "Mysterious Ways"... And just close. This album gets a shrug and a middle of the road 3. Yeah it's good, but I don't even remotely believe it's great, a classic, or timeless. Just a good (enough) example of popular rock at the time. A solid enough floor for better bands to stand on.

Classic. Otis Redding craps more soul in one bathroom break than most of us will experience in our entire lives. The man's voice is a weapon that strikes right to your core. Everything he sings is infused with his ragged, weary pleading and a saw-like edge. Add in the legendary Booker T and the MG's for the band (with appearances by some of the Mar-Keys on horns and Isaac Hayes on piano) and you have the alchemy for an instant hit record. Covers, originals, and a few tracks written by the (then) late and legendary Sam Cooke were tossed about on the playlist. I can't say that I have standout favorites, but nothing drags the album down either (although his version of "Rock Me" punched me right in the gut -- in a good way). Everything that Stax produced -- this was on their Volt imprint -- during this period was solid gold. They minted soul and sold it in bulk. In fact, my only critique of it is the rushed feel. According to what I read, it was mostly recorded in about 24 hours. This is the closest we'll get to a "cash grab" for the time. What's incredible is it's STILL a classic, in light of that. Their "throwaway"/cobbled together stuff is light years better than a comparable selection of their contemporaries' work; and way more palatable than the following decades' more polished, over-produced crap (I'm looking at you 80's, 90's, and 00's soul...). This is an easy 5 from me. No rounding down, just classic, Stax Soul.

Hard pass. Tried the first four tracks and this is officially the first album in this sequence I abandoned. I saw someone write that it sounds like a soundtrack. I agree, and not in a good way. Nope. (1/5). Just nope.

So... Here's one I'm nervous about. This was on heavy rotation in my youth, but I haven't given it a listen in a long, long time and that automatically puts it on shaky ground. Why haven't I? Isn't this a "classic" from my angst-riddled teenage years? Like Green Day's "Dookie", isn't it a timeless blast of punk rock for 90's kids? I don't think this will have survived the passing of time as well and it's because it was only a decent offering in it's time -- and despite that it was important to me. There are better bands, albums, and examples of this music from that time. I knew many (all?) of them. My tastes have grown and changed. After a thorough listening: I can honestly say, I'm pleasantly surprised it's held up really well. The first half of the album is an absolute banger, with a frenetic pace. It's the second half (after "Self Esteem") that I feared the most. It is a bunch of filler, but even the filler is at least fun and short. It's not timeless. I wouldn't recommend this to everyone, but I enjoy it (a lot) and am glad it has held up. (4/5)

(insert shrug emoji here) It reminds me of Mos Def. That's all I feel I can say on this. I didn't hate it, but I didn't like it much either. "The Food" was good, but the hit tracks grated on me, quickly. Just repeating the same words or samples over and over, a rap album does not make. (2/5). It was close to a 3 but it really didn't compellingly make it's case to me. Is there some historical context that puts this on the list? If Mos Def isn't on the list, THAT'S a tragedy. He does this style of rap/hip hop SO much better than Common. EDIT: Mos Def is NOT on the list. This does not make sense.

Not looking forward to this.. this album and period in music represents my "growing up". This slop was the exit door from "rock"/metal for me and on to other, greener pastures. Lets see if I was right to take the door out. The "wall of sound" sameness is sooo tired. The ubiquity of this crap in the early 00's got so played out. Makes me wonder how I'll react when we get to Korn, an early progenitor of this sound and a band I followed for a while. The self-important lyrics and messaging weighs it down even further. I was hoping "In the End" would carry some weight, but I'm just so sick of it. (1/5) I have actively avoided this music for decades, and yet putting it on makes me feel like I just heard it yesterday. Maybe there's some artistic merit in here, but I'm no longer giving it a chance. It had a million tries and that's what killed it in my mind. Blame Clear Channel, not me.

Boy, we're getting a lot of Chemical Brothers in a short period of time in this project? We just had "Dig Your Own Hole" about a week ago. My views were tinted with nostalgia for that one. I may not be as kind to this album, but it's also some of their earliest work which I always thought was better. This one is mostly inoffensive, more electronic, and less frenetic than Dig Your Own Hole. This album confirms it though, I'm getting old.. I'm just not as excited about electronica/dance/etc like I used to be. More than "Dig", this album wouldn't hurt as some background music (could work well as a soundtrack!) but I'm not intentionally putting this on. It's smoother and more mellow. I don't have the patience though for it all the time. (3/5) to remain consistent. I used to love them more, but I've clearly grown out of them.

I'm going in blind. I know White from the White Stripes and his semi-public persona, but I haven't exposed myself to much of his music. Interesting to see where this goes. White's voice must be an acquired taste. As a Tom Waits aficionado, I'm not one to cast stones, but I haven't acquired this taste yet. It's like a poor man's Robert Plant. However, when he slows it down and keeps the register lower, it works on certain arrangements. "Love Interruption" and "Blunderbuss" were pretty good in part, because of that. Otherwise his voice irritates me with a lot of the rest, especially the harder songs. "Freedom at 21" rocked, aside from his singing. He's great on the guitar and clearly has an ear for songwriting. Solid, middle-of-the road stuff, that could grow on me. (3/5)

The floor starts at 5, for me, and I'm not likely to deviate from it. As Cobain's most mature outing this album was a glimpse at what could have been had he not taken his life. I recall being surprised at how different this was than "Nevermind" when I first heard it, but I was along for the ride. I have visited this album within the last few years and I recall that it hadn't worn out it's welcome. There's a heavy layer of nostalgia frosting on this for me though so I'll try to be critical. Just not sure I need to be all that 'critical' of it. It was a masterpiece then and it holds up -- if my memory serves. Heavy was the head that wore the crown. I don't know what Cobain was looking for (it's likely he didn't either...), but fame sure wasn't it. This entire album seems like a response to his explosive fame. He obviously didn't want it and said so in every way possible. Just the discordant, opening blast of the "Serve the Servants" sets that tone immediately. Abrasive guitar work, his raspy, pained screaming, and his inflamed songwriting signaled his intentions. Fame was not his goal or desire. Everything on this was a message to the world, "I don't want this!" and it's a powerful, poignant message. He didn't want anything on this album to sound 'good'. It's got sharp points everywhere along its edges and you definitely don't want the kids to play around it. I can see why the studio almost didn't release it -- and I really feel that was Cobain's (and Albini's) intent. The purest and most painful expression of punk sensibilities. "I've reached the top, but I don't want to be here. Here! Take this shit and push it down your throat." I can even appreciate why a fair number of people wouldn't like it. "In Utero" doesn't want you to like it. (5/5) Never before and never since has a punk album been so thoroughly realized from such an interesting vantage point. Final point: has there ever been a more poignant closer to an album? "All Apologies" is Cobain's final letter to what I guess were his fans as he saw it. The "Unplugged" version of this still haunts me. With the benefit of hindsight, we know it's essentially a suicide note. I'm sorry he never found what he was looking for and the world is less for it.

Hmmm... Ok. I have a relationship with hip hop/rap that is best described as "part time". I dabble here and there and stick mostly to the hits. I don't often go deep into albums or full discographies for many rap/hip hop artists. I'm genuinely curious where this will go. I've cleared my mind for this one, and I hope it repays. Is it me, or are his raps just a fraction of a second behind the beat? The sung choruses and guest rapping pull it back out of '2' territory. I feel like I need to start clapping with the beat like a frustrated elementary school music teacher to help him get back on the beat. The contrast is steep on "Patiently Waiting" when Eminem comes in ... Otherwise, it's well-produced and the samples are arranged well. Some of the tracks are downright fun like "In Tha Club" and "Heat" early in, but boy does it drag on... This could have been a double album, and at the one hour run time, it basically is. Trim the fat some. Overall, it's a high '3' for me. Definitely good, bordering on great, but I need more time with it. A good-to-great example of rap/hip hop from that time and a showcase of 50's talents. Just... ... Keep the time a bit tighter... (3/5)

It's like the lovechild of the first Clerks movie soundtrack and the Velvet Underground. Early 90's "college rock", "independent" (whatever that means), the proto-indie (ur-indie?) band, Pavement. It's got a really unfiltered sound that I dig. I really wanted this to be my bread-and-butter as a kid but I didn't know where to find it. I knew it existed, but I didn't know what rocks to turn over. My hometown's "underground" scene in the early 90s was replete with this stuff. I knew some kids who knew some kids where I could sneak a listen of a track or two, and it all sounded like this - raw, energetic, and very genuine. "Summer Babe", "Trigger Cut" and later "Two States" really stood out. My inner 13-year old really, really wants to give this a '4', but I'm gonna keep it at a '3', because I'm older and wiser. I got into it, but realize I probably wouldn't after some time. It's probably too raw for my older ears. (3/5), leaning towards a 4...

So, I started this a little excited. I like Simon and Garfunkel enough and appreciate their music for their time. I remember the hits on this one, especially "Al" and "Diamonds", even vaguely "Graceland" from my childhood, but I never got deep into the album... Boy, these hits are load bearing, aren't they? This is "Boomer: Midlife Crisis" the album, isn't it? I can see how people scream over the 'cultural appropriation' and normally I can (kind of) forgive that sort of thing when it's done well and respectfully. Here, it is not done well. Simon is just not carrying his weight with these songs and letting the "Hey! Look what I found!" novelty rule the day. His voice is so weak and the arrangements -- aside from the cultural grafts -- are just boring. "I Know..", "That Was Your Mother", and "Gumboots", for instance, are good examples. "Homeless" is a big swing and a miss. Music is a language and different types of music are different languages. All languages have a word for "Water", because it's universal. I don't believe Simon was being, necessarily, cynical in his use of these varieties of types/styles, but his musical 'accent' (if you'll allow me the analogy) was way off. We couldn't make out his "Water" in these other languages because of it. Now, the flip of this is that *I* don't know these other varieties well, which I freely admit. I don't know much 'world' music. Maybe Simon's 'accent' is fine, but to my ears it still holds too much aging 80s white guy energy with far too many artifacts (that bass?? Just tone it down, man.) from that era weighing down the music. (3/5) but almost exclusively on the strength of the hits... And even "Graceland" and "Diamonds.." have lost some of their luster for me on careful examination. I'm actually being a bit generous. "Al" is just too joyous and has a special place in my 8-year old heart to give this anything less than a '3' but only because of it. I can honestly say, this is the first disappointment I've had on this project. We're only 30-or so albums deep but my expectations did NOT match my listen.

Oh, f*ck yeah! This is an intelligent, menacing and grimy album. It's a flash pan of musical genius forged out of some of the worst conditions our society can muster. These eight (!) guys recorded their frustrations and lived life on to this. They mixed it with some innovative sampling, a raw sound, and sparse arrangements and crafted a new sound, which has been repeated and imitated ad nauseum since. Old martial arts Shaw Brothers film samples with a slice of hard street life? Yes, please! There's a complaint to be made that the violence on this album is unappealing, glorified, and/or unnecessary, but I strongly disagree with that, here. With the Wu, that violence was their lived reality. Their raps throw the curtains back to show us all where they've been. Whether that's uncomfortable or not is on the listener, and isn't the Wu's responsibility. Any society that spawns something like this needs to listen and look it directly in the face. It's both thrilling and terrible, but the story has to be heard. You can feel their anger throughout and it's potent. (5/5) Instant classic and unconditionally required listening. Wu Tang Clan ain't nuthin' ta f*ck wit.

Wild Beasts seem to be, solely, distinguished from other late 00's bands by their lead vocalist's annoying 'style'. Some sort of weird falsetto, lilting, sing-song that in the upper register bears a striking resemblance to the Muppets' Miss Piggy... Just imagine a growl and him saying something like "Kermie!"... Go on, try it. It improves the experience marginally. When my wife tried it, she said, "Yeah, it's like the Muppets singing The Cure" (the track, "All the King's Men", especially). Not sure I would insult The Cure that way, but I see a passing resemblance. Just track after track of weak and needlessly repetitive arrangements. You could have cut a few bars off the end of most of the songs. This lists' strong prediliction to British musicians/bands is becoming more and more obvious as we plow through the list. I'd never heard of them before this, and it's inclusion is curious. They seem mostly indistinguishable from a lot of other groups during this time. It is simple, repeating music that leans heavily into 'dreamy', and it comes off as really fucking boring and bland. Were it not for the vocalist, this would be a '2' from me. Just a meh.. whatever. It's something that would come on randomly on a pop station in a rental car. Music for the liminal spaces of life. BUT, this dude's idea of singing actually makes it closer to a '1', and in some parts unintentionally funny. (1/5)... I'm GiViNg ThIs A OnE StAr In A WeIrD FaLsEtTo ThAt CoNsTaNtLy GoEs Up AnD DoWn...

I gave this proper attention, and.. eh. I'm taking a 'shrug' on this one. "The Weight" is doing a lot of lifting here, but the last few tracks salvage a weaker front end. Just some standard 'hippie' rock. It's not bad, but it didn't ignite me either. I knew and like (a lot) "The Weight" and "This Wheel's...", plus their version of Dylan's "I Shall Be Released" was... (hesitate)... fine, I guess. The only other standout was "Chest Fever". But, again, the front half of the album wasn't great. Just (3/5), but a pretty low '3'. Not sure it deserved entrance in this list, either. It's competent, just far from compelling and/or exciting.

Duck Rock? Uh, ok..? the British (UK) slant on this list is on full display here, it seems, after reading the reviews before going in. I've never heard of it or him (even in passing) and I consider myself pretty knowledgeable in music. I've been a good sport, so far, but I hold little hope. I do vaguely recognize "Buffalo Gals", but it's been eons since I've heard it. What the actual f*ck is this? Is this what cocaine does? I've never had the privilege. This clinches it -- I officially know what the soundtrack to cocaine sounds like. What a hyperactive mess. I chuckled at the absurdity of it. It's definitely something, but it's not anything I care for. "Jive My Baby" and "Duck For The Oyster" actually had me rolling around laughing they were so absurd. Not sure that was the intent. (1.5/5) because I laughed (unintentionally), but rounding down because there is nothing redeeming here. It actually felt more like an assault.

I'm not sure how I feel about this. It's listed as 'punk', but it's like some early 80s new wave. It is too 'polite' to be punk. I don't hate it; I could like it. The energy is very "f*ck off, wanker!" -- even this vanilla, suburb boy can see that. However, it is not all that bad. Whoever is on the organ/keyboards is absolutely killing it. There's a polished grimmy-ness (I know that's some weird, Zen koan shit...) to it that is appealing. I could come back to this, but I have a busy day. (3/5) On the hopes that more listens will have this grow on me.

"Discovery" and "Random Access Memories" are better. They were tighter, more focused and had better production with better musicians. This is too long (or at least it *felt* too long...) and unfocused. You could be forgiven for leaving this on in the background of a big party. It's catchy and could attract some attention, but it would and should never command all the attention. It's so repetitive, as well. Why wasn't (at least) "Discovery" on this list in lieu of this first album? Why not the better (best?) they have to offer. (3/5) Still trying to decipher the choice matrix for this project?? I like Daft Punk enough to get through this, but I defer to their better music in almost all other cases.

Anyone else feel that the British "new wave" in the early 80's was a bit 'overrated'? The overrating is on full display here. So, I think it's a few things that I don't like about this album. First, the vocals. I'm now *officially* not a Morrissey fan.. The way he's mixed in -- and this is true for the whole album -- makes it sound like he's trapped in a metal box far, far away. Maybe that's for the best. His singing is mediocre and I read along with the lyrics -- the messaging is... 'of its time'. That's as polite as I care to be. There's some good stuff in there, but it veers heavily into insufferable in a few spots. "Meat Is Murder " is the best example. Got it. You're a vegetarian. There are better ways to message this, rather than club us over the head with it. I respect the position, but he's not changing my mind with this. Not even close. Second, the quality of the production is just so plastic and has this obnoxious, metallic echo that really defines this type of music ('new wave'). I like it in smaller doses and it has been done better by other musicians, but not here. It actively sabotages this work. The other musicians are ok. The guitarist is good, maybe even great, but the rest are dragged along, weighed down heavily by Morrissey. (2/5) Out of respect for the other musicians on this album. Not Morrissey..

You guys OK? What a bleak album cover for a band I commonly associate with summer days and **beaches**. (SHAKES THE BEACH BOYS) Is everything OK? Speak to me! C'mon tell me what's wrong! Something's not right. Did you have too many drugs last night?? It is the late 60s, early 70s after all. Where's Brian!? Tell me where Brian went! Something is up and I don't hear Brian. What is *HAPPENING*?!? WHERE IS BRIAN?! *********** What an incredible unraveling. The skills and virtuoso of Brian mostly absent, the rest of the Boys made an album that seems completely divorced from the "Beach Boys". The first goddamn song is telling us *NOT* to go in the water?? I could feel my stomach drop like a roller coaster knowing we were coming down from their creative peak for this ride. Thrilling, I suppose, but the best is behind us. This is like eating a Big Mac without the special sauce. It might remind you of what it tastes like and have some of the qualities you like, but without the special sauce, a Big Mac it ain't. The rest are all good musicians, no doubt, but the "Beach Boys" this isn't..(3/5) in homage to "Pet Sounds" and other, earlier and better works. I recognize the talent on display here, but such an about-face from their sound, image and reputation is just so jarring. I spent the whole album with my mouth agape and the words "What is this?" kept slipping out. This was a botched attempt at a reinvention, and a beautiful mess because of it. I endorse it's inclusion in the list because it's a great example of this phenomenon. A talented super group subject to the same forces of entropy as the rest of us. They just sounded better going out than most.

A very slick, talented, and polished garage band (there I go with the Zen koans again..). This seemed to be produced to sound as *if* it were live/in a garage somewhere and I'm entirely on board. The first half of the album is really good, with standouts being, "I Hope.." and "Tokyo..". The second half slows down some and I think the formula (garage band 'feel') doesn't work quite right. The tempo needs to stay high to let the magic happen. "I Want You" may be the sole exception to this rule. It evokes an early 60s garage band feel that reminds me of that fun, Tom Hanks-directed film from the 90s "That Thing You Do!". The lyrics are a tad shade darker on "Blood.." than the movie's eponymous song, however. (4/5) For being an unexpectedly fun album. Not sure what I expected going in, but Costello delivers here.

Yeah! Nothing gets the blood pumping like Rage. That said, while I love me some revolution, do I though? As a kid, this was potent stuff. I fucking loved the violence baked into this. It was a call-to-arms. "Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me!". But as I got older, it felt silly. I know in my mid-twenties I jammed out to this stuck in traffic on my way to work. Wow, real "raging" stuff there. The band, working well within the 'machine', made more than enough money to live comfortably the rest of their lives. Revolutionary stuff. I'm older and deeply cynical because of this obvious contradiction (not specifically *this*, but this band is disillusioning) and better understand this album as a societal release valve of sorts. That's why it has been co-opted by less savory elements of our society (politely stated) and I guarantee it's on the top of a bunch of aging cops' playlists as well. The irony is so thick you could run a knife through it. So, politics and society aside, musically this still absolutely fucking rocks. You could just have them blow raspberries over the lyrics and it would still be great. So, I'm going to rush outside at 6:00 am, rage up my driveway, kick over my (empty) garbage can, and yell (in my mind -- but I'll move my lips!!) "Fuck you I won't do what you tell me!"... ... Then pick it up and bring it back up to the house I have my home equity loan against so I could send my kid to college, and still be online for my 8:00 am zoom. (5/5) Pretty sure the revolution never happened. The emotions for it are here, just not the plan.

I consider myself pretty steeped in Blues, Soul, and R&B, and I have some exposure to Solomon Burke, mainly through his hits. The tragedy is that early 60s soul stuff was really formulaic like on, "Won't You Give...", "Just Out Of Reach...", & "You Can't Love Them All". On this album Solomon's vocals pull most of those out of mediocrity, but the arrangements are just 'stock' and really boring for it. His voice and range really shine on "Goodbye Baby", "Cry to Me", & "If You Need Me"(written by and released earlier by Wilson Pickett who just edges out Solomon IMO for this song, but only barely) where the arrangements are a little off-sides and open up for his singing. All-in-all this album missed my '5' criteria. The formula stuff just kills it's chances for greatness. (4/5) There's plenty to like on here, and Solomon is so good, but he was clearly underutilized by his label and outshined by some of his contemporaries like Pickett, Cooke, and Redding. This album is an example of and a testament to that.

Hmmm.. really good first impression. This is a weird, hybrid folk/electronic/psychedelic record and you can color me interested. I have a propensity for mashed up sounds like this. "Waveforms" is a good example. I found myself tapping my feet along to "Hail Bop", "Storm", and "Default". A tad repetitive in spots, but most *just* end in time to not wear out their welcome -- except for the strange video-game soundtrack-inspired "Zumm Zumm" which was really long in the tooth. A fair bit reminds me of Beck's "Morning Phase" album, which is similarly dreamy, electronic, and has a fair amount of folk in that musical gulash. Maybe I'm just in the right frame of mind, but (4/5) doesn't feel out of place. We've had a fair share of misses on this list (1,001 list) so far, but I'm surprised by how much 'new' (to me) music that I've enjoyed. Add this to that list.

I thought, "Oh cool, just six tracks", then i looked at the run time "44 minutes!?". Ok, War. This better be good. I like your hits so these run times should not be a hinderance. ********** War has always felt like an "urban" band, and not in that word's most recent, political meaning. I mean it is a deeply sophisticated, jazz-infused, melting pot of music. It is also very busy, and I can't help but picture a bustling city street when I hear most of it -- like the cover suggests. They are incredibly talented musicians and there is a heavy dose of funk added into this mix, which I adore. So, are they a jazz ensemble with a few radio hits, or a more conventional band with a few jazzy tracks to scratch that itch for the band? This album basically points to the first answer. A jazz ensemble with a few radio-friendly hits but the line is as blurred as it can get. "City, Country, City" is clearly a jazz piece with a winding, dynamic 13 minute run time that I'm happy to report did *not* feel that long. "Four Cornered Room" belongs (in a good way) on a Funkadelic album. So good and because of it masks the 8 minute run time, but more conventionally radio-friendly, as much as an 8 minute track could be. "The World is a Ghetto" can compete with some of the best late-60's/early-70's Motown and Stax soul tracks. It's sprawling and evocative with silky smooth sax and backing tracks. Moving through the album I didn't blink at this one's 10 minute run time. If I had, it would have been over. It's more jazz, but the vocals would feel out of place on more conventional jazz pieces, but right at home on a Stax record. The line remains deliciously blurry. Long run times are only bad when the music sucks. That was **never** the case here. This is just a Funkadelic album with more jazz and for that, it's my first 'blind' (5/5), as in I went in only knowing a little (some hits, and only "Cisco Kid" on this album) but was really taken back by how good it was. I'm a huge Funkadelic fan and love some jazz, so this fusion is right up my alley. It's getting at least one more re-listen, today, at least.

I've got nothing to add to this. No notes. (5/5) I completely devoured all the early Sabbath albums (up to "Sabotage", then ... well... ehh...) as a teenager and every note and beat is tattooed on my cerebellum. Instant classic. Required listening. Absolutely deserves to be in this list. I'll probably listen to this a few times today because I haven't in a while. I will split a small hair, in that while I have very few problems with this album -- I have to be in the right mood to get all the way through "Hand of Doom", as I think it drags on a bit, for instance --- "Vol. 4" remains my absolute favorite Sabbath album. Don't mistake what I'm saying. I love them all, but "4" edges this one out in my mind just a teensy bit. But that is truly splitting hairs...

I have a surface level knowledge of The Beta Band. A friend gave me gigabytes of music for an old iPod and there were some Beta Band albums on it. They're OK. For this album, "Squares" & "Human Being" really stood out, but how is this album much different than any other Beta Band album? It all really begins to blend into one another.. And is it me, or does the lead vocalist sound like he's whispering (sometimes loudly) on every track? All of the music is infused with an ethereal, dreamy quality. They don't shy away from heavy uses of electronic music either. That said, there's a perpetual 'same-ness' to most of their tracks. They are a 'mood', and I have to be in the right mood to appreciate them. I don't think I was in the mood to give them a '4', but (3/5) is deserved. They aren't BAD, but they aren't great, either. They're good for a specific feeling, and that's not where I was today. I'll save them for when I'm in that 'mood'.

Slick, horny, and synth-ed out. It's a top loaded album. The first four tracks (noting that "I Want Your.." was broken up for air play) were all big releases and hits. "Faith", "Father Figure" (what is he *actually* saying here?? Time has not been kind to these lyrics. "Put your tiny hands in mine?"... Ewww...) and "One More Try" were all in constant rotation for a few months and I remembered them distinctly for the videos -- especially "Father Figure". I was on the cusp of being a teenager and that video was... 'influential'... "I Want Your.. (Pt. 2)" is like a hornier "Kool and the Gang" and "..(Pt. 1)" also had (for a preteen) a similarly 'moving' video. I wasn't in the mood this *morning* for all the horniness, but I could see where (and WHEN) it would be appropriate and appreciated. The rest of the album seems to be drowning in snyth, drum machines, and an obnoxious bass. It's almost a parody of it's time and the effect seems to be 'overcooked'. There's not much redeeming left on the album after "One More Try", with maybe "Monkey" being the exception, but only because it's also pretty damn horny too. (3/5) For being some of the 80's most sexed-up synth pop and solely on the strength of the first half of the album.

While I agree this is a 'must hear'/essential listening, time and perspective has really dulled this (and most of Presley's work) in my eyes. I've spent a *lot* of time with his source material -- blues, R&B, some old early gospel, rockabilly, to name some -- and all of them did it better. Elvis broke the race barrier, and I understand why it had to be a southern white boy, but most of his oeuvre is better performed by other (usually the original!) artists. "Blue Suede Shoes", "I Got A Woman", & "Tutti Frutti" are the easiest examples on this album. If anything, Elvis was the 'King' of hype. Here's a good-looking white boy from the South that can sing and dance all this music that in any other context almost no one would be listening to because of racism -- they were literally called "race records" for a long time if a black artist was performing on it. The term was later replaced, but it didn't eliminate the racial barriers. You can hear the label executives, "Let's put him on stage, let the girls swoon, and the we'll make all the money." It didn't hurt that he used ('appropriated' may be the best word) some really good music, but his asthmatic/stacatto singing style gets real old, real fast. The abbreviated ballads are saccharine but mercifully short, and his backing band is talented enough and keep the music punctual and tight. (3/5) In recognition of its place in musical history, and it's historic significance. Better came before and after, but this was the first one 'through the door '.

I came here for an experience. Let's do this! ************ From a distance -- as in I have basically no experience with any Bollywood film and no Indian music whatsoever -- all of this seems very 'overcooked'. There's a lot going on. That **seems** in line with my perception of the film style and what little I know of the music. On its own, it's extremely stylish, has a bit of funk in it, but boy is it *loud* (garish/kitschy). With few other signposts/guides to this music, I'll go with my gut and gently compare it to my more extensive jazz knowledge. (2/5) Thanks for the experience, I see what's going on here and appreciate that it will appeal to a few billion people who are way more knowledgeable and invested in this. Count me out of that. It's WAY too busy for my tastes. The track entitled "A Countless Music" is all over the map,. musically, for instance. "Naag Debra", and "Aaina Wohi.." are similarly stuffed full of instruments, singers, and a style I just don't care for. Thanks, but no thanks. This Indian is a little too spicy for my tastes.

Me and this music are no strangers. I've been thru this album at least a dozen times in my life. It's an excellent introduction to Davis's genius. "Move" is such an explosive starter. It blasts the listener with the horns and boldly declares that *this* is jazz. "Budo" may be my favorite track. It's kinetic and those drums just kill me every time. "Venus de Milo" swings, while "Moon Dreams" is a gentle, lazy, languid stream. "Boplicity" is so effortlessly cool, and it stands as the creative peak of this record. The whole album is a bridge to the future of jazz. Nothing before sounded like it, and everything after tried to be it. (4/5) This isn't every day listening for me, hence the '4', rather than a '5'. I see it's brilliance, but I have other things to listen to. Plus, I'm a bigger fan of Davis's later (than this) music. I agree with it's inclusion in this list and it is 'essential' listening.

Ok! Good thing I have the day off, because to get through *both* albums is going to take some time. That's definitely one of my immediate criticisms -- the bloat and length of this. Plus, I recall "Speakerboxxx" (SB) being the weaker of the two albums. I've spent way more time with "The Love Below" (LB) since it's release 20+ years ago. ********** Both albums have super strong, hit-packed, and front loaded lineups. "GhettoMusick", "Unhappy", "Bowtie", & "The Way You.." all still hold a lot of punch on SB. "Happy Valentine's Day", "Spread", "Hey Ya!" (arguably the biggest hit to come from this), "Prototype", & "Roses" are all stone cold classics off of LB. I unnaturally love "Behold A Lady" and that stays in heavy rotation on my playlists. I think both SB & LB suffered from weaker second halves, where the indulgences really started to show. There's at least two albums of HITS on this monster, but there's a corresponding and proportional amount of filler. So, the question is do the hits have enough buoyancy to float the extra weight? The answer is a resounding yes (5/5). There's just SO MUCH to love on both albums, the added girth is forgiven. In fact, since it's been a while since I've been through SB, I forgot how many guests they pulled in. Killer Mike!? Cee-Lo! I guess I forgot, and they helped on this revisit. Time has also dimmed LB a bit on the back side. It truly is the most indulgent part of this journey, and is maybe the easiest to make a case for cutting. Andre could have pulled back on the weird, funky slinking some. I love a heavy dose of it, but it begins to border on 'caricature' at times.. or, maybe I'm just burned out some on it. I have spent a LOT of time with LB. Criticisms aside, this is an absolute rap/R&B heavyweight and deserves all the praise for it. There's an album's worth of pure energy and magic in the hits, and even the scraps aren't bad.

"Beauty..", ".. Arabia", and the eponymous track make the floor of this album a '3' in my eyes. Especially "Heroes" which is a personal Bowie favorite of mine.. maybe my all-time favorite track? But we're not here to weigh in on just the singles. The second half, with the instrumentals, is where I lose my patience. They're OK, and I understand their place in music history but I just can't find a way to make them click with me. I never have. I understand and appreciate Bowie as an artist. Like other art, beauty is in the eyes' of the beholders. Not much beauty here for me... I recognize the craft, see it in its time and context, but -- like another portrait of a noble in an art gallery -- nothing grabs me or commands my attention. (3/5) On the strength of the singles. I am a much bigger fan of 'Glam' Bowie and today's re-listen of a 'trilogy' album (which I haven't in a while) cements that for me. I bet the best music of the Berlin three could have been a combined and worked into an absolute legend of an album, rather than three bloated & mediocre (for Bowie, that is) records. As an 'art rock'/experimental piece it's probably some of the best-in-class & most accessible we'll find on this list.

"Since I Left You" and "Frontier Psychiatrist" I stumbled upon years ago, recommended to me by a faceless YouTube algorithm. They've been in *heavy* rotation for me since. I'm reserving my excitement since I never explored their discography, but absolutely adore their singles. Let's see if the album holds weight beyond those. ********* Wow. The entire album is crafted from a dense layering of samples. It's the ultimate postmodern (no longer a fan of this word, but appropriate here) record. What I found amazing is the care & thought put into the transitions. Many of the tracks slap (quite hard in a few cases, "Avalanche Rock" was too short! "Radio" & "Close To You" were some other toe tappers) but in every case there was a blending at the edges to herald you into the next song. That level of care and quality is rare. All of the gushing aside, I can't see it being on constant rotation. I love the singles and I'll come back for a few more, but as an experience it's not quite 'great' for me. (4/5) Out of respect for the time, quality and care put into this. I, also, endorse it's inclusion on the list. It's a pinnacle of the art of sampling, and it would be a no-brainer to put this on and let it play at a party. No one would know when one track stopped and the other ended, but you would know when you're in the next song. That's some electronic voodoo, right there, and I deeply respect the craftsmanship. I'll still stick with the singles ("Electricity" didn't grab me..) and probably revisit again soon. Glad I finally took the time to sit through this one, though. I wasn't disappointed, it just wasn't a love connection.

This is a smart, influential and pioneering album. It absolutely deserves it's place in a 'must listen' list as Tribe barged in and carved out a place for their vision of hip hop. The quality of the rhymes ('songwriting', I guess?) is top-notch and showcases the group's love of language and rhyme.. "I Left My Wallet..", "Can I Kick It?", "Youthful Expression", & later "Ham n' Eggs" are all absolutely incredible. Funky, fun jams that have some great jazz and r&b samples underpinning them. But, through all the talent, there are a few rough edges that haven't been sanded down, yet. I counted no fewer than two per song of the... (... ... ...Wait... ... ... now drop it) .. overused 'dramatic' pause. The whole record is a little long, and they seem to have a pretty shallow bag of tricks & samples, overall. (4/5) It's a debut effort and that lack of depth is on display. There's a huge well of raw talent, it just hasn't ripened yet. There's still plenty to like on here, in spite of the 'freshmen' feel.

It was standard practice for labels to take some talent (any amount and degree of it) and cobble together a cover album to keep selling records. This appears to be one of those efforts. Dusty's voice is competent, but not compelling, and I couldn't help but think that she's better suited for something else (genre). What we get here is a collection of earlier pop hits, that in many cases I think the original artists did better. She didn't detract from them, but she didn't *ADD* to them. The best examples were "Mama Said" & "Will You Love Me..", by The Shirelles, and "You Don't Own Me", by Leslie Gore. "Wishin' and Hopin'", originally by Dionne Warwick, could be the only exception where Dusty's version is better than the original. (2/5) out of respect to her voice, but also because this whole 'cover of black musicians work' (appropriation) trend is tiresome. Reading a bit deeper, this list's Anglo-centrism is on full display, again, as an English singer's (Dusty) generally mediocre covers of hugely talented pop/girl groups gets inclusion OVER said girl groups. Know who's not on this list? The Shirelles and Dionne Warwick. I checked. It suddenly dawned on me and I poked around to see if *any* girl groups were on the list and couldn't find (audible gasp when I realized it) THE SUPREMES (!?!?). What in the actual fuck? Talk about a GLARING omission. Similarly, Martha and the Vandrelles, Ronnettes, etc.. but the real crime here is in exclusion of THE SUPREMES. Instead of them we get Dusty and her mediocre covers. I'm fine not putting all/many of the girl groups -- they quickly suffered from a crippling same-ness in the 'factory' of singles in the early 60s -- but you at least need to acknowledge the genre and the SUPREMES are the best example of that. I'll be spending the rest of the day listening to the SUPREMES to apologize to the legendary Diana Ross & co. (in my head) and to acknowledge their critical part of music history. This album is *NOT* essential listening and should be replaced by any pick of the early SUPREMES albums. Shit, just grab a 'greatest hits' if you have to. EDIT: "When The Lovelight.." was a SUPREMES song. Forgot that. The injustice continues. ... 😡😡...

Lol. This album was selected for our group on 4/*21*... A day late. I've dabbled in some reggae and generally enjoyed what I have, so I'm enthusiastic. ******* So, I was in the mood for and (for personal reasons) really needed some mellow stuff. Marley and Co. did not disappoint. "Concrete Jungle", "Stop That Train", "Stir it Up", & "Kinky Reggae" were all top notch. The whole album was well produced, had a clean sound, and even though it was on in the background I could tell it had some politically charged lyrics in it. This is exactly what I expected and I got what I came for. That, actually, is my primary criticism of the album -- and most of reggae in general. It's suffocating 'same-ness'. It's a very distinct form of music, but it is also very rigid in that regard. A limited palette of instruments (better have a steel drum on there and it **better** open almost every song!) and the often languid tempo to most of the arrangements. It's great for a time, but I have to space out my listening, otherwise I bore on it quickly. (4/5) This album is probably some of the best reggae has to offer, but that is such a pigeon-holed category. I'd love to find some 'experiments' in this style to see how it could *vary*.

This brief pop-punk record is quick, dynamic, and knows it has a short shelf-life. I mostly enjoyed each song when they were on, but didn't once feel compelled to go back and listen to any of them. And that repetitive nature is the obvious criticism. It holds true for a lot of punk, really, but it seems to be this album's highlight. "True Confessions" was a jarring departure from the rest of the album and the sole exception to this rule. I'm on the fence as to whether this gets a '2' or a '3', but I'm leaning on (2/5), because... Anglo-centrism, strikes again. There are TWO albums by this band on the list? Jesus Christ. Going back to my upsetting revelation from a few days ago that there were no SUPREMES albums on this list, here's another one (probably both of their albums) we can easily push aside in favor of anything that's *not* British and centered firmly in the time period of 1975-1985. Overall -- even if I enjoyed it in the moment -- it's pretty forgettable and nothing I will ever revisit.

Wow. This is really, really good. Driving drums, complex but catchy arrangements (that aren't too 'busy'), and a healthy dose of funk. I walked in blind and left astounded. Not sure it's a '5' for me, yet, so (4/5) with a promise to come back and see if it grows on me. Normally, while I have some jazz exposure and experience, I don't put it on often. I feel if I'm going to give it some 'air time' it deserves attention which I have in short supply nowadays. This, as a jazz record, is solid and right up my alley -- but I don't have the time to dedicate to making sure it's a '5'. Those are everyday/any day listening for me, which sadly this is not at the moment.

Capitalism imposes on us a system wherein, in a manner of speaking, we "vote with our dollars". Intentionally selecting this album on a platform and listening to it (directing my attention to it) is an endorsement of it *and* supports the artist. Kayne (or whatever the fuck he calls himself now) is a vile & tragic human being. Are my two-tenths of a cent of streaming revenue going to make-or-break this man? No, but morally I can't and won't justify it. I cannot separate the artist from the art in this case. (1/5) I recall liking some of the hits on its release, but I never got into the album. I freely admit it could be musically good, but I won't give it any of my attention. I used to love Louis C.K. and Bill Cosby as comedians. Once I found out what monsters they were, I quit watching/listening to their work. I've certainly never purchased or watched (not that it's easy to find their stuff any longer...) anything by them since. I noticed another reviewer select an album from a band that *wasn't* on the list. I've called this phenomenon out a few times and found out from someone in my group that the Doobie Brothers were shunned from the list. Today, I'll continue this exercise by listening to a classic Doobie Brothers album -- "The Captain and Me" -- and leave a thought here. A high (3/5) from me for "Captain.." with two big hits on it, "Long Train.." and "China Grove". "Dark Eyed.." was a solid track too. "Evil Woman" was a big miss. A good example of a mid-70s country-folky rock band with some decent production. Recommended for a backyard BBQ mix.

Nope. Didn't like this at all. Who told them they could 'rock' out the organ? (1/5) I thought **I** was a nerd, but nooo... Emerson & Co. come along and make the dorkiest, dork-fest of an organ album they could imagine with tracks like "The Curse of Baba Yaga". Alright, guys. You failed your saving throws and it's time to leave the church. Get off the organ/synths... Step away from the keyboard, please...

(3/5) This reminds me of a European hotel lobby bar's background music... Inoffensive and not at all challenging. Middle of the road dance/club music that blends in with all of the rest. It stays out of '2' territory because it's so light and bouncy. The album cover art depicts it best, as it all feels like a sunrise or sunset on a crisp day. "..Night Out" was the only standout in the field with a funky through line, which helped to carry the track's excessive run time.

I know a fair amount of King's work and have always had a soft spot for "I Feel the.." & "It's Too Late", the super-hits from this album. She always represented the best 'soft rock' had to offer to me. A talented songwriter with strong arrangements and a blues-infused sensibility. On the rest of the album, "Home Again" & "You've Got a Friend" filled me with an intense dose of wistful nostalgia. The covers of "Will You Love Me.." and "(You Make Me Feel).." were respectful to the originals while differing enough to make those tracks her own. It's a juggling act not many can pull off, but King does it nicely. The bluesy "Smackwater Jack" was a toe-tapper, as well. I didn't have many criticisms, overall, from the experience. Her nasally voice can get out-of-hand if not mixed in right. The worst track, "Tapestry" veered into shmaltzy, interrupted the flow of the album, and didn't do any favors for her voice. I'm glad it was close to the end. Otherwise, I thoroughly enjoyed the rest, and can see why she was so popular in her time. Well deserved. (4/5). A few of these earworms will lay some eggs soon, I'm sure, and the record is a good showcase of her powers as a singer-songwriter.

Love me some Sly. "Family Affair" was the big hit off the album, and rightfully so. While not as positive as their earlier work, it's still a funk classic. The long "Africa Talks.." & "Thank You.." set out a blueprint for the funky jam tracks that many after imitated. "(You Caught Me).." hearkens back to earlier Sly in tone and composition. "Runnin' Away.." was way ahead of it's time (stylistically) and belongs on a record 8 years in its future with the heavy horn inclusion. That's not the compliment it may sound like and I don't know if it fires for me. Were "Luv n Haight" & "Brave and Strong" recorded on a stone slab then played over an AM station 25 miles away? The audio quality of what I found was awful, but it sounds intentional.. that's a choice, I guess. And, they really got carried away with the drugs on "Spaced Cowboy" didn't they? It's a country-infused funk track that missed its mark. Overall, this was a mixed bag for me. (3.5/5), rounding up because I love me some Sly. The first half of the album carries the back half where they get carried away experimenting (unsuccessfully) with some tonal shifts. The intentional quality choices on some of the singles are a head scratcher as well. The songs, themselves, aren't bad they're just heavily overdubbed and scratchy sounding. This doesn't do their music any favors, IMO.

Frat-boy rock/rap/R&B hybrid. Some things shouldn't be mixed, like sausage and ice cream. Just... No. I guess I'll give credit to the effort. It's clean and well produced but isn't that the case with 90% of music after the year 2000? You have to make an effort, or intentionally *NOT* do something, in order to give it a 'rough' production feel. "Wonderful Place" was ambitious, and the track with Lenny Kravitz was OK, but primarily because they broke away from the awful rock/rap formula on the rest of the album. This is faint praise, tho and a weak argument for the rest of the work. Instead of something interesting with this mix instead we get what I imagine Ed Hardy tshirts sound like. I can viscerally smell all the Axe Body Spray. The tracks sound dated and the arrangements are downright obnoxious. "Backseat Love" and "Jump" were irritating and I cringed at the busy arrangements on the rest. (2/5) And a 'low' 2 from me out of respect for the attempt and the better stuff Pharrell will later go on to do.

Look. Full confession. I'm (probably) by all accounts 'southern'. Kentucky isn't associated with money or wealth, it's still mostly rural, and most everyone here has an accent. It's southern. It's where I'm from, where I've lived most of my life, and where a bunch of my family is. This album -- with its prodigious handjobs for 'southern' rock bands/singers and some opportunistic stereotypes -- feels embarrassing. 'Arena Country' (most modern country music, basically) does the same thing, but doesn't dress it up as something special or deep. That stuff is deeply cynical and corporate. A mass market panacea for ignorant masses and jingoistic cash grabs. This pretentious bullshit thinks it's something special, while spewing similar crap. Yeah, 'its hot here' isn't a fresh take, man.. Why in the hell does **everyone** need to drive a truck, huh? 'Mean highways'? You been down a rural route before? It's just a bunch of nothing, soul-crushing poverty, disaffected & scared white people, and crumbling towns filled with Dollar General leeches. There's nothing 'romantic' about it, and basically never has been at least in my lifetime. There are a few efforts on the record to paint a more realistic picture, but I guess because it's all around me, anyone who picks at the scab gets yelled at. Plus, it's SOOOOO long. (2/5) from a self-hating southerner. Maybe I projected too much on to this, but music is supposed to evoke an emotional response. This is mine.

"Bittersweet Symphony", is good of course. It was ubiquitous for a while and it's a good song, but does The Verve do *anything* else?? Because, it feels like you get "Bittersweet.." then it's an additional 1 hour and 5 minutes of basically that songs' variations. Not much tonal variation, the singer just sounds hollow and at points almost bored, and while it has that 90s grunge-y guitar work it tires QUICKLY. The added symphony work, like on "Bittersweet.." don't seem to work anywhere else. (2/5) What a boring slog. A one-hit wonder band if I've ever heard one. Thoroughly forgettable.

Oh cool. ... My least favorite music. This is musical Soylent Green. Cannibalized, highly manufactured, dry slop to feed the masses. 'Modern Country' is a scourge, and is light Christian nationalist propaganda at its worst. Apologies to Ms. Musgraves who doesn't seem to be as bad as her contemporaries, but she's still a soft product of this cynical, corporate machine. The arrangements are so predictable and her voice is almost autotunned out of existence, it's no wonder that recently AI was able to generate a popular country music song and very few people were able to tell the difference... This album suffers from all of that and it's hard to peel back the plastic layers of formulaic 'country sounds' to even attempt to approach her lyrics -- which seem to be the highlight. I didn't approach this with open eyes -- I won't give the Nashville 'machine' that sort of quarter -- but true to the exercise I did get through it and nothing pulled my opinion out of (1/5). Still my least favorite music.

(3/5) The Roots are the best when they stick to their 'roots'. See what I did there? At it's best, the tracks are good East Coast rap, but when they play around with that formula, they overstep. "Rock You", "Rolling with Heat", "Thought @ Work" (is that the Apache break I hear?? I may be wrong, but I think it's my first encounter with it on this list..), & "Rhymes and Ammo" are some of the best tracks on the record, and all are clearly Easy Coast. "The Seed", "Break You Off", & "Water" are the better examples of them veering off formula and form. They took some bold swings, but just seemed to hit some foul balls.

Her voice is the instrument on display here, and it shines, but there's some incredible songwriting on display as well. Lots of politically charged lyrics. But of course -- this list disappoints me, again.. this is the **only** Nina Simone album on this list. She's a woman of color, so her discography and 20+ year career barely gets a mention.. I should probably be surprised she's even on the list. Sure, this might be her most popular (arguably) album, but there is SO much left off the table. Her album "Pastel Blues" has her iconic and haunting cover of "Strange Fruit" and famous protest song, "Sinnerman", for instance. I recall enjoying her first album, "Little Girl Blue", long ago. To be crystal clear, I'm not complaining on this album, however, as "Four Women" (wow, this one is charged up!!), "Wild is the Wind", "Black is the Color..",."Either Way I Lose", & "If I Should Lose You" (that crescendo at the end is so good off of her sustained and pained voice...) are legends. But, why JUST this one record?? Normally, this would be a high '4' from me (a very high 4), as it's not everyday listening, but in protest of the lack of breadth of this list (how much electronica/dance do we **really** need to hear before we die?) this gets a (5/5) in the hopes that future lists will include more of this (and the god-damned SUPREMES!!), rather than some more lanky, disshelved English dudes who want to bang on a guitar or a synth for an afternoon...

(5/5) Arguably this is the *best* Beastie Boys album, and it is definitely my favorite. It's a dense, layered musical taco of samples. Later groups like The Avalanches may have perfected the art of sampling, but only because of this record which swung the door open and yelled "Hey Ladies"!! I don't have much to add to this, honestly, as it sits at the tip of the rap/sampling mountain as king of the hill. You either get it or you don't. I get it, and it's incredible.

Peak Who at the top of their game, and an iconic album cover. Who hasn't seen this? "Baba O'Reilly" is a legendary track, with a crazy good opening, but I'm going to have an unpopular opinion on this. They just don't excite me. I respect the craftsmanship and talents on display but I don't get pumped up with most of their music. This holds for all of The Who discography and revisiting this one affirms it for me. Maybe it's because they put TOO much thought into their compositions and lyrics, that it starts to feel like the dreaded 'prog-rock' that came after... Likely all inspired by The Who. (4/5) with respect to Townshend and company's talents, but aside from "Baba.." I'll take a pass for everyday listening for the rest of this. It's an absolute 'must hear', but that doesn't mean I'm going to put it on heavy rotation.

Is this dude yodeling? Falsettos are hard to pull off convincingly. I don't think the singer is doing it here. The band is clearly having the time of their lives and the energy is palpable, but this guy's vocals are just too distracting. The pieces are fine -- good enough Glam/Hair Metal/Rock -- that would have scored a '3' or more from me -- but he just needs to knock it off and keep it down a register or two. (2/5) For the effort. There was a plan here, but I just didn't like the end result.

(5/5) with apologies to Turner. You know who you are and why I do this.. "Back in Black" is big, dumb, legendary fun. There are so many mega-hits from this album its ridiculous. It's filled with instantly recognizable riffs that immediately amp up the energy. This is the spirit of rock distilled to its essence. When you overthink it, you've ruined it. Maybe there's a case to be made about Johnson's vocals, and I could see that being a turn off, but he's doing falsetto *right* IMO. I'm going to NOT overthink it and crank it up. I'm here for the ride and AC/DC doesn't disappoint.

I *want* to like the Talking Heads. Some of the arrangements are good enough, but I guess I can't get past Byrne's singing on most of this. That strange, hybrid talky-jerky-sing-song that only he can do is fine in small doses. I've always enjoyed their hits and a few songs on here, it works, but a whole album of it? I don't know. Notably the biggest hit and maybe the best song on this one -- "Take Me to the River" -- is the one with the least amount of this shtick. The songwriting is good, they've got something to say, and there's a certain late-70s, early-80s sound (we'll call it the "Eno-sound"...) that the Heads do well, but it just doesn't jive with me all that much. I struggle with this. Devo had a similar vibe and sound (IMHO) that always clicked with me better, maybe because they leaned into their weird side more? I'm searching and grasping at straws, but can't bring myself to do more than (2/5), in the hopes that some more exposure will soften me to the Heads. We've got three (!?) more on the list, so I'm sure I'll have some time.. I guess..

This is absolutely a 'must hear'. It's historic impact can't be understated. What's epic about it is that it still absolutely slaps. 35+ years later and it is (sadly) *ALSO* still relevant. I don't know what that says about society, but I have thoughts I won't expand on here. I'd just be screaming into the same old void. Has any other album ever had such an incredible and powerful opening? "Straight Outta...", is the clarion call of a new era in rap and music, and then its followed up by legendary tracks like, "Fuck That Police", "Gangsta, Gangsta", "Express Yourself", "I Ain't the One", & "Dopeman". Throughout NWA cleverly uses samples and beats to accentuate the lyrics and amplify the message(s). (5/5) This is an important musical flashpoint.

This was a letdown. The album "Rumors" is legendary, but this one? Not at all.. To my ears it was barely OK. "Sara" & "Beautiful Child" were both perfectly fine songs. I think I liked "Angel" and "Brown Eyes". Despite it being tonally so different than their other stuff, "Tusk" was pretty good too. The rest of the record just felt so unfocused. Songs like, "The Ledge", "Save Me a Place", "What Makes You..", "That's All..", "Not That Funny..", & "That's Enough..", were all big misses. The entire production just seemed scattered and all over the place. (2/5) I'm not coming back to this one. This came about in the wake of "Rumors", so maybe they were trying to chase that lightning? Sadly, that's almost never how it works and it definitely doesn't with such an aimless piece like this. I can see it's inclusion for this list, as it resembles (in spirit) the Beach Boy's post-"Pet Sounds" trainwreck, "Surf's Up". It's another example of entropy hard at work -- a dazzling mess of a follow up to a legendary album. Sometimes people should just leave when they get to the top rather than ride out the fall... I agree with this album's inclusion to a 'must hear' list, but it doesn't mean I like it.

Boring. So, so boring. Far too melancholy for me. I've been consistent in that my '3' ratings are something I'd try and come back to, or had a few tracks I like. '2' isn't offensive or irritating, but rather it's a single listen and for a variety of reasons I won't come back to any of it. Smith is a perfectly fine musician, but boy is he lacking any energy. (2/5)

Oh, boy.. more electronic euro-pop.. 🙄🙄 This sounds *VERY* dated and they turned the treble all the way up. So much that I can barely understand the singer. I hope she wasn't key to the music, because if so, big miss by the production team on that one. Otherwise, a bunch of dreamy, ethereal-light stuff that I would never purposely put on. (2/5). This isn't offensive, it's just definitely not my style. At all. I feel like I've hit a lot of '2's recently. This continues that trend.

Yesterday's album was a Cocteau Twins work where it seemed like the treble was turned all the way up. This record feels like the bass got pushed up, instead. More electronic music (seriously, how much *IS* there on this list??), but this one was more to my tastes. Heavy sampling and a palatable, dreamy quality, this one hits better than some of the other electronic music we've had (it feels like LOTS of others). (3/5) Middle of the road stuff that's appropriate for a long drive.. not sure I'll be back but I appreciate the mixing artistry.

(2/5). Thanks for the ride, but I'm gonna get off here. I just don't have the patience to really like The Who. This was an experience and I had it, but it's better *with* a movie (even though that wasn't 'great' either, and this is FAINT praise coming from me..). The entire soundtrack? Nah. It's a bloated , narcissistic Messiah-fantasy for Boomers. The only standout is "Pinball Wizard", and I think I enjoyed Elton John's version better. My streak of '2's continues... I do, however, agree with it's inclusion in the list.