Remember when the cops got so mad at this album they made them take off the last track
Unquestionable 5/5
Chapmans lyrics about the heartbreak of hope and tragedy are absolutely timeless .
Gotta respect it for what it was but hasn’t aged well. The drum machine noises on this album are a rough listen in 2026.
Following up one of the best albums of all time is an unfortunately difficult feat for Tusk.
While I think trimming some fat on the album could vault it to being an all-time great, I’m sure I’ll come back to the high points of this one just as much as my favorites from Rumours.
First album deserving of an extra half star I feel.
It’s my first time hearing this album and while there are a lot of tracks to like, the meandering psychedelic ones really bog the album down as a whole.
3/5 feels right given that.
I don’t think you can argue the influence this album has on a lot of alternative music from the late 90s/early aughts. A few of the tracks are a little too repetitive for their length. I liked it but can’t really see myself coming back to it.
Only knew of DJ Shadow from his Run the Jewels collab before this. I love the arrangements on this album and can absolutely see myself becoming more of a trip hop guy after this.
These two albums were released at probably my most musically impressionable age growing up. I don’t know what to say apart from what has already been said regarding the huge number of hits and unmistakable groove of Atlanta’s historic duo.
“Certified Hood Classic” doesn’t do it justice. Everyone needs to hear these songs at least once.
Barry: Hey Paul can I copy your homework
Paul: Yeah just change the words a little so no one notices
This album is so shamelessly derivative I can’t think of an excuse to give it more than one star. I couldn’t wait for it to be over.
I will give credit where it’s due for the Bee Gee’s disco tracks but they will ring a little more hollow now to be sure.
Good enough to add some songs to my workout playlist and have something different come up every now and again.
Not sure I would go out of my way to listen otherwise though.
Always a bummer to hear 50 year old songs talking about how there’s too much pollution. Sorry it hasn’t gotten better!
That said I enjoyed my time with this album. The vibe is easy-going as is typical for the genre. I’m probably not going to be back until the next time I’m on a beach though.
This album has some bops and is ultimately very good listening overall! I don’t think I need it on my shelf at home, but I enjoyed the run through all the tracks enough to want to do it again.
I have never run through the jazz standards front to back like this and while it wasn’t perfect, I’m glad I did.
This is the stuff that modern music is built on and it goes without saying that Ella Fitzgerald is a once in a lifetime voice. Now that we’ve gotten the high points out, there’s good here, there’s bad here, and there’s tired here.
I really like how the music is arranged, but some of the lyricism from a modern perspective can be seen as exceptionally good and exceptionally tacky. It’s a little unfair that I was (mostly) exposed to this style of music through the lens of Family Guy- and that’s definitely coloring some of my opinion, but that’s being a tween in the early aughts.
I’m proud of this music from a cultural perspective I but I will probably not be revisiting this album as whole again. There’s just too much to make it a regular listen.
There’s a few good singles on this record (Souvenir, Georgia, Joan of Arc), but I’m not really motivated motivated to explore more by this artist without putting on my best pair of “pretentious music guy” pants.
I enjoyed my time with this album. It sounds like a lot of other stuff I enjoy, but toes a line between different and not really setting itself apart.
I’m if nothing else interested to see more of what this band has to offer, as it’s my first time hearing any of their stuff.
M.I.A.’s debut album gives us a handful of absolute bangers and a few tracks that make me wonder how they made it out of the studio. I’ve added some material to the workout playlist for sure but the skits and tracks I don’t like will prevent me from returning to this one in full.
Altogether pleasant listening but nothing really stuck out as memorable.
Really tried to like this one but just didn’t have it in me. I liked being reminded of playing an 8bit game but I sadly couldn’t put myself in the headspace without a controller in my hand.
There’s a bit to like here but I think there are albums from this time period that have aged better. Calling this a 2 feels harsh but I don’t think it’s earned the 3 either.
Since I felt bad about it, I listened to wrath of the math and feel that’s a better album. Make something of that if you want!
Surely everyone will realize instantly that they’ve heard Le Freak before. Fortunately, this album contains much more than a one hit wonder disco anthem. I enjoyed this one nearly front to back, with Funny Bone and At Last I Am Free being the only misses.
I more or less have the same notes for this album that I do for Tracy Chapman (1987). Simply stated, “I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got” puts human emotion into song on a personal level. O’Connor recounts her own tragedies (You Cause As Much Sorrow, Last Day of Our Acquaintance), accepts her lot in life (The Emperor’s New Clothes, The Title Track), and comments on issues that are unfortunately still all too relevant today (Black Boys on Mopeds). This album should not be missed.
I respect that this album seems as if it’s written for someone who is coming of age. Bearing that in mind I probably would rate this higher if I had discovered this album 20 years ago. The album was a fun ride but I can’t help but feel like it’s not written for someone in their late thirties.
The Kinks have an iconic sound and this album is ultimately more of the same. There are more good songs than not on this album. Not sure if I’ll revisit it again but I enjoyed the ride.
There’s a couple good ones here but it’s mostly forgettable. The Who’s catalogue has better entries.
Perfectly pleasant listening. Reminiscent of the design screen in The Sims and some battle sequences in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Not sure it’s entirely for me though.
I can comfortably support the first track’s title. The vocals for the band ultimately feel like a bad David Bowie or Depeche Mode impersonation. Unfortunately it didn’t get much better from there.
I respect Party Like it’s 1999 and Little Red Corvette but this is just not my vibe.
Really liked this and is a strange blind spot in my music taste. Gonna look at more from them for sure.
It's fine. I can't say I disliked anything but nothing really jumps off the record for me.
I liked the style but nothing was overly memorable. I’m encouraged to check out more though.
Caravan Girl is kind of good and the album as a whole doesn't have anything awful. It's all sort of just background noise (complimentary).
Equal parts haunting and pleasant, oddly enough. Definitely unique but not sure I would revisit.
Brass Monkey is still one of the hardest singles of all time. I think some of this album has aged well and there are more highs than lows.
If I ever saw a real 727 painted like the album cover I would pop off.
The first song starts out with a cool bass line but is about 8 minutes longer than it needs to be.
If you can make it through that, it doesn’t get much better from there. There are pieces of good songs here but nothing is cohesive. Can’t give it a 1.5 so I guess it’s a 2.
Pretty fun. Nothing spectacular but fundamentally solid jams.
This is my first Joni Mitchell listen outside of Big Yellow Taxi but I like the majority of this album.
There’s a few misses but the high points really stand out. Even the songs that I don’t particularly like seem really well put together. I’m excited to listen to more.
Simone’s voice is unique and powerful. This stands up well with other works from the era but probably only doesn’t have staying power for me for anything other than lack of familiarity.
More of her works are surely worth a listen but it’s not the highest on my list.
On my first listen, this album is otherwise pretty average but is propped up by the strength of a few songs (No Name No. 5, Cupid’s Trick, Say Yes).
I’d give it a 3 if I wasn’t inspired to listen to more from the artist. He’s ground out a four.
Guided By Voices have a lot of albums. There are some good songs in here but I’m amazed that 28 songs in 41 minutes was way more of a slog than I thought it would be.
I do like a few of their singles on other albums but this one is mostly a miss for me. They seem like they’d be a fun live show.
It probably goes crazy to just be able to make stuff up like this with the homies and play it and have it sound half decent.
I liked a little more than I thought I would but the positive bits don’t outshine the excessive length and directionless nature of this album. It won me over enough to see the appeal but this genre is really just not for me.
Unfortunately had to split this one up over a few segments but I’m into it overall. The first half had a few bops in addition to Song 2. I will check out more from them for sure.
Really really good. Ive heard the popular singles from this album but the rest is a pleasant surprise.
It’s what other bands from this era would sound like if they were better.
A couple tracks are misses but I have no reservations about exploring more from Pixies.
This album is doubtlessly their high water mark. I was really surprised by the breadth of musical styles that I found while listening.
I’m familiar with the singles but hadn’t gone front to back on the album before. The length is a big hurdle to get over and I can see that putting people off from it. Even if I don’t revisit it entirely I don’t want to otherwise discolor a very good 90s rock album. It has at least inspired me to see what else I’ve missed from The Smashing Pumpkins.
I liked Knives Out but pretty much nothing else
Might be the bias for Michigan boys talking but this is genuinely all bangers for me.
Piku was my favorite track. It’s my first time listening to this front to back I’m very much reminded of late 90s and early aughts video games and movies. Unfortunately it doesn’t really do much more for me than scratch a vague nostalgia itch.
Blues guitar can sound really samey to me when put bluntly. Hendrix famously bucked that trend.
I’m still largely not a fan of psychedelic music in general but this album is full of classics. A high point for the genre in my opinion, and the swan song of an icon.
Hendrix was him.
Pretty all over the place for a debut album. I’ve not listened to a lot of Costello so depending on the direction the rest of his albums take I will either love or hate them it seems.
Coffee shop music (complementary)
I’m a sucker for emotional folk music and this is no exception. Harris has a lot of albums too, so I suspect I’ll go deeper, even if there are only a couple of tracks that stick out to me.
The opening track is surely the most used romantic trope of all time. A couple of the songs are a little too on the nose for me, but I enjoyed the whole listen.
Gaye’s voice is extremely powerful on this album as well as his entire catalogue. He is deservingly placed among the R&B greats.
I liked it the whole way. Dad rock lives forever.
By the time I thought “hey, this album is getting good,” Spotify had changed to something else.
Nothing really bad here but nothing memorable at all to me.
Started out very strong but my interest faded a little as the album progressed. Unexpectedly good for sure though.
More pleasant stuff from an artist I hadn't heard of. Filing under the "good but not sure I'd remember to revisit" category.
I like folk music and I love a change of pace album. Haven’t heard any other of the Waterboys’ stuff outside of this but I’m keen to explore now.
Foundational to modern music I guess but I’m glad things have gotten better from here.
Respect is a canonical song of the modern civil rights moment. Franklin’s voice and legacy are nearly unrivaled. She’s the queen of soul for a reason. In no world is this anything less than a 5 to me.
