Some all-time classic songs as well as a few interesting extended jams. The inclusion of one of the great songs of all time: "Long as I can see the light" makes this a true classic by itself, but having mostly engaged with CCR through singles, it was great to get a sense of what they sound like in album form.
One of the great albums of the 20th century. So many hits you forget that the "other" songs are incredbily powerful in their own right. Truly a masterpiece. Yes, I am a 40-year-old father of two.
All-time classic.
Crazy to think how this would have hit in 1977.
Having not listened to this in the 90s, it's so obvious how this became the root/inspiration to much of the genre that followed. Effortless, timeless beats and production. Not my cup of tea when it comes to lyrics and rhythm, but is a project you have to recognize as consequential based on everything that came after.
Love the pacing. Great momentum throughout. Not my particular cup of tea, but in the context of the mid-90s, I have to imagine this was like grabbing a live wire. I had "Come Out and Play" in my brain like anyone near a radio, but didn't really remember how futuristic it sounded. Overall, the album seems to be both a continuation of, and significant portender of significant aspects of rock as a genre.
Proto-lo-fi hip-hop beats to study to.
A collection of the best of the Stones. This could be a greatest hits album all on its own. You really get a sense that this English band went to the Delta, absorbed the blues, and emerged with a more American voice than any (white) American rock band before or since.
I definitely had to look up to see if Bob Dylan was their vocalist. Some good background music. Knew their one hit from this from soundtracks or commercials or something. Didn't really hit for me, but sounds like it was of its time.
Excellent overall. An interesting variety of influences are made abundantly obvious (which is great if you like those influences). Song 2 took me back to playing hours and hours of FIFA World Cup 98 on the Nintendo 64.
Truly one of the greatest all-time albums. I think it is my favorite Nirvana album. For someone who didn't live through the phenomenon, it's the easiest way to understand the lavish devotion to Kurt as an icon (whether he wanted that, or obviously didn't). The little interludes and the bare production to me show the warmth and humanity of Nirvana as the genre's standard-bearer.
I can see why everyone loves this. It's a perfect canvas. Scenic and romantic. Really beautiful.
I have to honestly say this is not for me. I heard about this band recently when reading an oral history of Lollapalooza and appreciated the way they discussed their alignment (or misalignment) with the festival in the 90s. I can also see the way this influences future subgenres, but listening was kind of a chore (though I did listen to all of it). Maybe if I had encountered it as a teenager it would hold enough meaning, but it doesn't for me at this point.
This was great! Like listening to early Kanye, I enjoyed the production, the lyricism, scene-setting, and overall propulsion of the project. I have always slept on Common, but this hit like nostalgia even though I had never listened to it before. The inclusion of him and Kanye's Chappell performance (which was the only track I knew) was the cherry on the top.
Best Beatles album. Much more cohesive than I remembered. Really moving, though production and quality seem to vary based on release. Still, some of the best pure songs of the 20th century.
Everything here is exceptional and a fantastic concept album. It is a little long/drawn out for my tastes, which is probably the only drawback. I think as background music, the length is an asset, but for focused listening, an hour and twenty is a LONG time to sustain attention.
This was fine to have in the background, but not really anything I am interested in. A bunch of electronic music that never really went anywhere (in my opinion). I felt like I was playing a computer game set in 2099 that was made in 1999.
Maybe not my cup of tea, but you have to acknowledge the power of an undeniable rock star.
While I like some M.I.A., outside of Paper Planes there are disproportionately more misses than hits here. Again, though, Paper Planes ups it an entire star by itself.
A few favorites here, but not their best songs. Still, a great sound from a great band.
I really liked this! It's kind of like listening to a western movie in album form. I would not have expected to enjoy it as much as I did, but it was really moving!
This is not really for me. I think some of the songs are interesting, and I like the overall tone, but didn't move me.
I don't think I had heard of this band, but had heard "Common People" (even if I didn't know it's title). There are some interesting ideas here, and I enjoyed it overall, but nothing really stood out to make me want to come back to it.
One of the all-time great albums. Every song is so powerful, and the conceptual nature of the album as a whole amplifies every individual track. While I didn't live through the 70s, I cannot think about that decade without thinking of this as the soundtrack. In my personal hall of fame.
Has some interesting atmospherics. I know this is a much-loved album for people who like this genre and I can see some of the appeal. I didn't really pay attention to the lyrics, so probably missing out on something there. Good background music for me, but nothing more.
Cool and smooth. Really enjoyed a little jazz in the background.
These are some of my favorite songs from one of my favorite artists. A true classic and re-listening to them in album form may have moved this up my internal ranking of Dylan albums.
I had never even heard of this band, yet I felt like I heard this music (or at least the music this serves as an archetype for) throughout the 90s. Seemed pretty good, though no tracks really stood out for me as must-listens. I think if I had heard this while growing up, the tie to nostalgia would have bumped it up a star.
Well the first song has a substantial amount of n-words (despite what is explicitly an anti-racist overall message). Kind of jarring, but he connects it to antisemitism as well as to the overall theme of the album. The rest of the album is really interesting and builds on some specific themes that are meaningful. I liked it but didn't love it.
I really liked this. Two exceptional musicians with a very clear, interesting sound, putting out music that is thoughtful and engaging. The fact that one of the songs became a sports anthem is kind of funny in retrospect as I'm sure that was not the goal.
Nice little jazz album from a masterful singer. I really like the live production values. It is as close as I've ever been to sitting in a jazz cafe and enjoying a night under low lights. Truly transportive.
This was not available on my streaming service, but I found it on Youtube. Clearly a talented musician and some beautiful songs, but not a genre that I am very interested in.
I really enjoyed this in the background, and she had a tremendous gift. It's not my favorite for active listening, but there is an undeniable quality to her voice that is unique.
Pretty cool, but not anything I would necessarily return to.
This was not as heavy as I expected, given what I thought I knew about Iron Maiden. Had never heard their music but appreciated the musicality, pacing, and energy overall. It seems kind of camp in retrospect, but can clearly see why they drew such a fanbase in the early 80s. Not for me, but better than I initially thought.
Light and airy, but with interesting themes. I enjoyed this, but probably wouldn't return to it as none of the individual songs really grabbed me.
For some reason, this is just not working for me. I think it might be the kind of record that rewards repeated listening, but on first pass, I am not really invested enough to put forth that effort.
I always like Radiohead when I listen, but rarely do. Not sure why. This is a great album, and one that I probably missed, but has enough of the stuff I like from OK Computer and other releases in addition to unique offerings. Big fan.
Good background jazz. Nothing to write home again about, but would be nice while enjoying an outdoor breakfast or the like.
This is just noise, and not even good noise. It is not at all for me, and I struggled to get through it.
It's not my favorite Jay-Z album, as I think I was too young when it first came out to appreciate it as an album. The singles are great, and the album is a significant part of his canon, but without a standout (to me) track I don't know that I can give it a perfect score.
I really liked The Velvet Underground growing up but never got into Lou Reed's solo work. It was great to hear his voice again in a new context and with some interesting song ideas. I had heard Perfect Day and Walk on the Wild Side, but others were solid as well. Enjoyable, though doesn't reach the highs of Velvet Underground to me.
I get why people like this, but it's not for me. Not my era but also not old enough to be classic. The best parts are where I can see the influence in artists I like a lot.
This was great! Enjoyed as a band I'd never heard of. Really refreshing and light, very catchy.
Really nice country music by Dolly and friends. I enjoyed it as background music.
This was sick! Never heard of this artist, but really felt like a massive addition to some of my favorite early 90s bands (Blind Melon, Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, etc.) Really original, too, as opposed to a lot of others of that era. So cool!
C'mon. This is the best! An all-timer that I've loved since college when I first discovered it.
This was amazing. I've loved Otis Redding songs, but never sat and listened to a full album. So powerful.
Really interesting to hear a singer-songwriter with harp as the main instrument. I liked this lyrically as well. Not my particular genre, but a really strong album that doesn't conform to convention.
It's ABBA, it's fine.
Very cool. Hadn't listened to them but I love Neil Young and CSNY as well, this is more along those lines. Glad to flesh out some of their oeuvre.
Pretty good! Nothing really stands out beyond the hits, but enjoyed it nonetheless because these are some all-time classic songs.
I think listening to a full album helped me understand how weird and interesting these guys were. Hearing just their hits in isolation distracts from the unusual choices they made and what (to my ear) made their music unique. Solid album.
I don't know. This was weird and there were some interesting tracks. I usually like weird, but think it was the wrong kind of weird for me. If I think of it more as a film score, I think that improves things.
Kind of a modern Pink Floyd? Even without the "Comfortably Numb" track, they are updating some of the 70s era stuff while taking on some interesting thematic ideas. I enjoyed it but probably wouldn't come back.
This was great! Love the Cuban feel and was interesting to read a bit of their history on Wikipedia.
I think the highs were really high, but it's not a band that I am that interested in generally.
This was my jam as a kid and while some elements haven't aged well, the G-Funk sound is still so unique and timeless it doesn't matter.
This was fine in the background, didn't really move me though.
Sympathy for the Devil is an all-timer, but this also includes some traditional blues-y Stones stuff. Really good.
First time listening to a Cohen album all the way through. Enjoyed it, but nothing stood out.
This was not my cup of tea. However, I'd never heard their music and so it was good to have tried it at least.
Love Cat Stevens/Yusuf, but had somehow never listened to this particular album all the way through. This is an all-timer.
This was kind of weird. Didn't care for it, but definitely something I've never encountered.
