I didn't know this band. Interesting listening, I had a rather good time. I'm giving it a 3.5.
Too loud. I'm not against expressing violence or angst in songs, but this ends up being too tiring to listen to. I like some of their mainstream songs but the whole stuff is not really my thing. R.I.P. Chester.
I had a short Springsteen phase in my teenager years, but I hadn't listened to him again since then, this album in particular. Kinda dull IMO. Very workman like if you listen to this as background music though. Some iconic songs too, so my definite ratings would be a 2.5.
I had no idea this album existed. I had a lot of fun listening to it. Loved these at time joyful, at time ominous tunes. Beautiful harmonies, as you may expect from Brian Wilson.
Beautiful melodies and chord arrangements. A delightful album. Every track is great on it. It's a tragedy that Nick left this world so early.
Very nice rock/punk album. IMO much better than many much less obscure on this list so far (I'm looking at you, Bruce Springsteen's Darkness on the Edge of Town). Several very cool tracks. I'll definitely listen to it again. Was about to give it a 3 but heh, I really liked this. So I give it a 4/5.
Go Girl Crazy - The Dictators (1975)
Is it criminal if I tell you that I liked their I Got You Babe better than the original? (Phew! No annoyous oboe on this one. And I've got nothing against oboe, not even against harpsichord for that matter, I love these instruments.)
Otherwise, I think some of the lyrics in this album are not very 2026-compatible. Well, it was certainly meant to be scandalous even back in the days anyway, but... Nevermind.
Still, a true Master Race Rock album. And a better band than Kiss anyday.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
7.5/10
[This album has been listened to and rated on October the 1st, 2026.]
Madman Across The Water - Elton John
I've never been a fan of Elton and I'm afraid I'm not really starting with this album, despite its undeniable production quality.
I liked the orchestration for the title song and Holiday Inn though. Also the last song, because it was short, for a change. Well, that last sentence is what I'd say if I were meaner.
4.5/10
Not the kind of music I usually listen to, but I liked a few songs, like Désespoir and Élixir. If you understand French it has got some touching lyrics. I'm neither bored neither hooked by this. Maybe the whole stuff is too repetitive to my taste. 2.5/5
I knew the 3 or 4 hits on this album, but I had never listened to the whole stuff, though I always liked Dire Straits. Great rock album, as you may expect from Dire Straits.
Tracks:
1) So far away - 4/5
2) Money for nothing - legendary, 4.5/5 track
3) Walk of life - same, 4.5/5
4) Your latest trick - very nice sax, 3.5/5
5) Why worry - nice lullaby, 3.5/5
6) Ride across the river - 4/5
7) The man's too strong - really loved this one, 4/5
8) One world - 4/5
9) Brothers in arms - a hit, but not a huge fan, 3/5
Odessey And Oracle - The Zombies
I had not heard much from The Zombies before, except some of their biggest hits (She's not there, Summertime...). It was a great discovery. This album is obviously influenced by what The Beatles or The Beach Boys were releasing in these days, and while it hasn't got the whimsy of the formers and the vocal harmonies of the laters, it's still very charming in its own way, and a very solid album, from a golden era for pop music. I don't usually pay so much attention to the lyrics as I'm not always able to understand them, but I also appreciated the lyrics of this album, because they seemed to be less 'macho man' than what was often written by then.
8.25/10
Pretzel Logic - Steely Dan
Great album. Every song is great, and I am a fond of the last 5 tracks in particular. Night by Night makes me think of a 70s You've Lost that Lovin Feeling cover by Isaac Hayes. Speaking if covers, the album's got a great Duke Ellington one too.
8.5/10
Lady Soul - Aretha Franklin
Great great voice. A non-skip album too. Every track is as thrilling and engaging as the rest. It never runs out of steam, thanks to Aretha's relentless vocal performance, and its very solid selection of songs and instrumentalists. 5 songs out of 10 are covers, and the remaining 5 were first sung by Aretha herself and sometimes cowritten by her, and each of them manage to become a standard .
Thanks to the alternation of the very upbeat Chain of Fools, Money Won't Change You, Niki Hoeky, Since You've Been Gone, Come Back Baby and the ballads People Get Ready, (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman, Good to Me as I Am to You, the album never loses its lush and its groove and never becomes boring. This alternation also evidences Aretha's greatness as an interprete, on both vocal and emotive levels. Ain't No Way is a perfect coda for this rather ideal album.
9.5/10
What kind of mixing is this? Why does at least half of the album sound like I'm listening to it with my ears filled with water? At some point I really felt the need to check my ears. Barely listenable. Fortunately the rest of the album has a clearer sound. Otherwise a very decent pop album, and a very enjoyable one, unless you can't stand these 80s synths. I liked the second half (Somebody Up There, New Gold Dream...) better than the first, partly because of this weird, muffled mixing. 3.25/5.
Some weird but beautiful string arrangements on 'Old Friends' or 'Bookends Theme (reprise)'. The last 4 tracks of the album (including the famous 'Mrs Robinson') are more upbeat but didn't really appeal to me, though I surprised myself to like 'A Hazy Shade of Winter'. I know Simon & Garfunkel are renowned for the lyrics of their songs but for this album they didn't really do it to me. Overall a nice fall/winter album but not what I like the most, 7/10.
A very short and homogenous album. Started out very strongly but at some point it kinda bored me, partly because there's so little melody in this. I think they've got better recordings than this, like their 'Salad Days' in 1985. I think this album is better listened to with every track taken separately rather than than the whole thing in one shot, even though it's so short. 6.5/10
Africa Brasil - Jorge Ben Jor
Very good bass, guitars, drums and cuíca. Learning more about this album and everything surrounding its creation was interesting too.
Taj Mahal is possibly the most famous track here (thanks Rod Stewart lol), but I also loved O Filósofo and the very lively Xica Da Silva (about a former slave who became a very rich woman), Camisa 10 Da Gávea and its flute. IMO the strongest tracks are the last 2 though: Cavaleiro Do Cavalo Imaculado (and its amazing drums and rythm) and the powerful África Brasil (Zumbi).
Overall a non-skip album which I'll listen again.
Voa Jorge, voa!
7.75/10
This Year's Model - Elvis Costello & The Attractions (1978)
So today I get my first Elvis Costello album (and I heard there were a good lot of them on this list).
I had never listened to him very seriously before, so this is kinda new to me, though I already knew Pump It Up, the hit of this album.
So far I enjoyed it very much. I loved the groove, the overall New Wave touch on it, carried by that keyboard (which is also a nice reminder of 60s Rock).
Favorite tracks: This Year's Girl, The Beat, You Belong To Me, Night Rally.
Least favorite track: Lip Service (too classic).
The only thing that is kind of a damper to me is Costello's delivery at times. On the full lenght of a song it starts becoming very annoying, but it was no major turn off to me either. Listening to this a second time it's already less bothering.
Maybe this guy will grow on me and soon I'll be wondering why I had been listening to Phil Collins for years instead of him lol. See you the next time I get him I guess. Meanwhile I'll listen to this one again.
8.5/10
⭐⭐⭐⭐
P.S: I also liked the two bonus tracks ;)
Too Rye Ay - Dexys Midnight Runners (1982)
I only knew them for Come On Eileen, which I thought to be both silly and rather compelling.
It was a nice discovery. Nothing groundbreaking IMO and it didn't make me as enthusiast as some of the other people doing the project, but it was worth being listened to. It's probably a nice album to put in a family reunion, or something like this. Would definitely give it another listen someday.
⭐⭐⭐
6.5/10
Kid A - Radiohead (2000)
I usually don't really like electronica but some tracks were pretty decent to me.
How to Disappear Completely is great.
Optimistic makes me think of Histoire de Melody Nelson by Serge Gainsbourg and Jean-Claude Vannier, which is on the list too and which I'm looking forward to listen to.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
7.5/10
