I was 10 when this released. Sledgehammer, Big Time and In Your Eyes will always make me feel nostalgic. Are there any weak songs here? Later in life I became a bigger fan of the first four eponymous albums but this one will always be a classic. Great mix of art rock and mainstream pop. A beautifully crafted album.
Classic. Not much more can be said that hasn't already. This was my second album into this project. The first was Peter Gabriel's So. Two incredible albums to start off. I'm worried about what the future holds.
Great album. You could have this playing on repeat at a party and it would never get old. Just good vibes straight through.
Hard to explain why I love it so much. This album, Charlie Haden’s Liberation Music Orchestra, Eddie Gale’s Ghetto Music, Archie Shepp’s albums. I love that mix of chaos and beauty. It’s like pure emotion expressed musically. More please.
If you ever get a job washing dishes in a restaurant, put this album in the tape player and the night will fly by. The chef might even make you something special when the shift is over.
I'm turning 50 this year and I've listened to music from every genre but this dramatic, emotional radio pop has never done anything for me. i can't think of a situation where I'd want to sit down and listen to this. Obviously influential since so many artists make a lot of money for record labels by sounding like this but I can't get into it. Sorry, I gave it a shot.
Terrific live album. There are bands like this where a studio album can’t capture the magic of a live set so concert recording makes sense. My issue with concert albums is I miss the visual experience more than I would if it was a studio album and it ends up feeling like it’s lacking. Still amazing.
Nobody needs to hear this before they die. An unnecessary moment in musical history.
I can’t say I love all of Pink Floyd’s albums but this one is great. Headphone album for sure. I’m not always in the mood to melt into the couch but when I am, this hurts just right. Five crazy diamonds. 💎💎💎💎💎
I had heard Boces and Yerself is Steam before this was released but they didn’t stick. This on the other hand was great. Listened a lot after it was released but not much since. Glad to hear it again.
Like Bowie? Like The Stooges?
Good, but I’m not a straight Blues guy. Typically with this stuff, the older the recording the better.
Love it. Not for folks with short attention spans. I like lots of prog and while Yes is an amazing band, Close to the Edge is the one that I go back to the most.
Sample based big beat music. Coachella-core. Music that is fun if you just want to dance. You’re not pouring a finger of scotch and putting this on the hi-fi for an evening of active listening.
It’s funny that the previous album I had was Fatboy Slim because these are the real Funk Soul Brothers. It’s impressive that this is their eleventh record. It’s so easy to listen to.
Love the synths. It’s dark but upbeat. Whenever I hear a song from them, I just want to hear more.
I’ve listened to many Nick Cave albums over the last 30 years and have always enjoyed them but he is so productive. I’ve listened to Murder Ballad’s, You’re Funeral… My Trial, and The Firstborn Is Dead the most. I never listed to this one until it popped up here and I loved it. The only issue I have with his music is that it’s so emotionally heavy that I’m rarely in the mood for it.
The Temptations are obviously an incredible band with a history of killer singles. I’m not sure if this album warrants a must listen though. I enjoyed listening but I probably won’t come back to it.
This is the first time hearing this album and I loved it. This is everything I love about 80 synth music. More of this please!
Dark brooding post punk is exactly my thing.
The hits are there. Prince is not someone I go out of my way to listen to.
First time hearing this one. First go and I wasn’t feeling it but a couple more listens and it’s grown on me. Under all the folk stuff I hear Dylan, Springsteen and even some Replacements. I’ll probably revisit this one.
Nearly perfect album.
Grew up listening to REM. Fun album but not as good as Document and that one is 5 stars.
First time hearing this band. I had a hard time staying interested in this album. Maybe it’s the vocals that rub me the wrong way. Bono-ified? It’s not a bad album, just one I’ll never revisit.
The two covers almost turn this into some 60s novelty album. Leave those off and it’s really nice. I love synthesizers and the Moog and sitar together is wonderful.
This is not an album you can listen to once or twice and fully appreciate. As a lover of psychedelic music and prog from the seventies I have tried to get into this and I just can’t. It sounds like someone smoothed over all the edges of a more interesting album. Now, give me The Piper at the Gates of Dawn and I’ll listen to it for a week straight.
Rhythm monster of an album.
Wow. Having only heard Screamadelica, I figured I would like this but I did not. There are some good songs and good moments in others but overall it wasn’t for me.
Is it was just a good guitar album, I probably wouldn’t enjoy it much. The songs are written so well. The guitar isn’t just a guy running up and down the blues chords. This is psychedelic and experimental.
Good, fun album. For such a short album, they should have cut the longest and least interesting song, Graveyard Train. There’s no way they needed filler at this point in their career. Also, it’s hard for me to get past the fact that these dudes are not from the bayou or any other southern state. Weird
Dismissed the album until yesterday. I love all of his 70s work but 70s bands still making music in the 90s reeked of aged out bands trying to stay relevant (see Rolling Stones). Well, I guess I was wrong because this album is great.
I like Iron Maiden but don’t love them. This is a fun album but not my favorite of theirs. When I was a kid in the 80s I would see posters of Eddie in record shops and thought this would be the scariest music I’d ever hear. It’s fun and upbeat. How could anyone give this one star?
As a music dork for over 30 years I’ve tried listening to this album several times since it frequently shows up as a ”must listen” but I just can’t get into it. I know he has a great voice but for me, less is more. The music is creative but the vocals are too much for me. It’s the equivalent to pop singers sound endless vocal runs. Yes, you are a good singer but showing off is not a good look.
Growing up with Luka on the radio I figured that, although it was good, I didn’t need to hear anything else by her. This album really surprised me. Very cool and easy. Good lyrics. Nice production. I liked it.
Anyone trying to compare this to the Beatles is an idiot. This is rock done well. Take out the cover of I’m a Man, with Roger doing a “blues man” voice and it’s a stone cold classic.
I gave this one a couple listens. There are good songs but most overstay their welcome. I don’t agree that this is one album that needs to be heard. It’s good but I don’t feel like I’d missed something by not hearing it until now.
Loved Ok Computer when it came out. Was impressed that Kid A was using inspiration from Warp Records artists. Then this album came out and it was just more of the same. It's good but doesn't need to be on this list if Kid A is already here.
This is too clean for punk, not hooky enough for pop. This was completely ignored by me at the time it was released based solely on the band name. When I first listened to this album today the first song tricked me into thinking I had dismissed a great band. Then the songs after it started playing. Yikes! Not my thing. Not an album that needs to be heard before I died. In fact, that was one day off my life that was wasted hearing this.
I bought this album when it came out. I was really into experimental electronic music and experimental hip hop at the time so I was very curious about Grime as a new genre. The production is interesting which compared to mainstream hip hop at the time was a breath of fresh air. My issue is the there are no rests in the vocals. It’s exhausting to hear his squeaky voice without a break. Also, the high frequencies need to be buried in the mix a bit more.
I was 15 when this came out so of course I knew Enter Sandman, Sad But True, Wherever I May Roam, and Nothing Else Matters from MTV. Even though I enjoyed hearing them when they came on, I never felt the desire to seek out more. That year I buy CD’s for Badmotorfinger, Nevermind, and Ten.
Definitely a fun band. I don’t have much to say about it. You put it on, it sounds like a party, then it ends.
I really liked this. For some reason I’d only listened to their first album. This one still has a lot of Bowie influence.
I’ve had this record for decades. I love listening to it. It’s fun, chill, and catchy. No skips.
I love Thin Lizzy and I’m annoyed that this is the only album from them on this list. Jailbreak should have been on this list instead. I’m giving this five stars to represent Thin Lizzy’s discography which is pretty solid. But I’ll probably not come back to this live album if I want to listen to Thin Lizzy.
Not what I’d reach for if I wanted to hear some garage rock revival. So many amazing bands but I guess this one was high on the British music charts so it ends up here. Not bad music, but I’ll never come back.
This is one of those albums I’m surprised didn’t get any attention in the US. Never heard of it despite being pretty plugged in to the music scene. This is great. It’s psychedelic soul plus singer songwriter stuff. I’ll definitely seek this out in the future.
A perfect post-punk/early goth album. I don’t listen to this as often as others. I can’t give this five since I love The Head on the Door, Kiss Me, and Disintegration more.
Punk meets kitch and camp. Bought this record 30-some years ago and still put it on. My ten year old loves it. It’s just fun.
I love this album. I’m surprised to see this instead of Another Green World or Music For Airports. I never hear people discussing this album. Such an album to listen to.
I loved this. So much energy. Even though I listen to jazz often, it’s usually chill stuff. I probably won’t listen to this very often but I’m glad I heard it.
I bought this record the day it came out because I was really into electronic music at the time (or what was then being called, electronica). At the time it was not what I was looking for. I kind of dug the chill funky retro sound but I wanted more Boards of Canada, Squarepusher, or Aphex Twin. I eventually grew to enjoy it but it’s still more of a mood album to put on while doing something else.
I might have to come back to this one. I certainly liked it but didn’t love it.
I know Changes is a classic song on its own but it always feels out of place as the third song. The momentum of the album comes screeching to a halt. It’d be better as a penultimate song on the B side maybe? Anyway, the first four albums in their discography are five stars so…
This is the first time I’ve heard the album that Le Freak is from despite having heard that some countless times. This is a very occasion specific album. My routine when starting this project is to wake up, grab some coffee, write about the previous days album and listen to the new one. This is not a 7 am album and I couldn’t sit through it. Last evening though I put on some earbuds while making dinner and it was perfect.
I’ve listened to this album so many times and every time I put it on, I want to hear it again and again. I love it. I will say, the first time I heard it the tinny production rubbed me the wrong way but I over it quick because the songs are too good.
It’s summer, it’s hot, you’re on the highway headed to another town for a punk show with all the windows rolled down. Trash that’s been hiding in every nook of the car is now swirling around and getting sucked out the windows. This album is in the cassette deck playing at full volume. Everyone is bouncing in their seats. I have nostalgia for this but I probably won’t be spinning this too often.
Albums as big as this are not interesting to talk about.
I only knew War from their singles and that Eric Burdon was involved. This album didn’t have any of the singles I knew and Eric was no longer part of the group when this album came out. Despite all of that, I really liked it. I can’t get into pure Funk bands but this has the perfect blend of funk, soul, and rock that I can get into. This will be one I come back to.
I really have a spot for this laid back jazzy folk plus I love Carol King who plays piano here. In high school in the 90’s, a girl I knew would play this tape in her car constantly. Most of us were into Pavement, Dinosaur Jr, Nirvana and going to basement punk shows but this “uncool” music became unironically cool to us. I don’t know if I’ll be pulling this album out to listen to but I’m not going to skip a sing of it comes on.
I see a lot of funny one star reviews. Is having perfect pitch really all it takes for them to like a record? I enjoy when artists are really reaching for something interesting be it beautiful or ugly or simple or complex. Just make art with feeling. Do those one star reviewers ever get anything out of being challenged by artists? High production cost and auto-tune can only get you so far.
I listened to it when it first came out and liked it okay. It had some catchy hooks that are still stuck in my head even though I hadn’t listed to it since it was released (many money say, me say many, many, many). Listening to it again now, I still found it pretty chill. An easy listen.
This is 100% my jam. I love Pere Ubu but with their first album, The Modern Dance already being on this list, I don’t think this second album needs to be here. But, since it is, this is more incredible post-punk. Even if this isn’t your cup of tea, you have to admit that A- nobody sounded like this when it came out and B- nobody sounded like this after. Think of all the albums you’ve heard on this list where you think, I like this, it sounds like “…”. It’s impressive and rare to have a band come on the scene with a sound so unique.
I do like metal but for some reason Megadeth and Metallica were never in my rotation. Rust in Peace sounds great and everyone plays very well but that’s never been a defining feature for me to love an album. As far as Metal goes, this is very easy to listen to.
I became aware of Emmylou from the Graham Parsons solo albums. At some point I know I checked out her early albums because I love those Parsons albums but they didn’t stick. This album is just not for me. She has an amazing voice but the song writing doesn’t really stand out.
For starters, I love T.Rex. The first three (maybe four) albums are like ear candy for me. Once I start listening to them I just want to hear more. If you are a Flo & Eddie fan like me (look them up if you don’t know) they provide backup vocals and the first three albums which is a plus. This all goes to say I love this album. If you’re wondering why there are bongos throughout the album, seek out Tyrannosaurus Rex, the music Marc made before the name change.
Everyone needs to mention Wire and The Stranglers in their review. It’s obvious they loved those bands and yes, someone probably should have stepped in and mentioned that the melodies are a little too close but they did use those influences to create very catchy songs. Ghostbusters from Ray Parker Jr is still fun to listen to even if it ripped off I Want A New Drug. This album has great hooks, it’s fun and an added bonus, my ten year old daughter loved it. This is the first album she’s heard since I started this that she’s liked.
Besides his hit songs, I knew two things about Peter Frampton before listening to this yesterday. 1. He was in Humble Pie and 2. He uses the talk box with his guitar. I was glad to find out that the talk box only came out for the two songs. The music is okay. It wasn’t bad and it filled the road trip I took yesterday pretty well but it wasn’t very memorable.
Absolute classic hip hop.
This sounds like a band reaching for a sound. I love when bands take big swings but this was a miss for me. I love psychedelic and progressive concept albums but this just didn’t work for me. Maybe The Bee Gees will find their sound someday and become famous.
I have a Dolly Parton album to review along with everyone else after her passing. I always liked Dolly’s music but rarely dug it out to listen to. I am a huge fan of Harris when she sang with Graham Parsons and I only knew Ronstadt from her 80’s hits. This album is the kind of country I can get into. Since I was a teen in the 90’s, country music on the radio really turned me off of the genre. It took me awhile to find that I actually did like country but it was the stuff that came out in the 60’s and 70’s. The harmonies on this are beautiful and I don’t think I heard the words “pickup truck”, “beer”, or “Merica”. Country music can be good!
This is a pair of brand new, high gloss, cowboy boots. I prefer creased, dusty, worn-in cowboy boots.
This album is pure fun. There’s P-Funk, psychedelic rock, electronic dance with clever rap flow over it all. A hot summer album.
I’ve owned the record for decades and have spun it hundreds of times and will spin it hundreds more. I love The Velvet Underground and David Bowie and this is a perfect meeting of both artists. ‘Cause you know what they say about honey bears? When you shave off all their baby hair, you have a hairy-minded, pink, bare, bear.
This is a fun one to get right after reviewing Lou Reed’s Transformer. Bowie worked on that album before touring the US where he wrote most of this album. The Stooges, Reed, New York Dolls all were an influence. This album is more rock and roll than Ziggy Stardust but it’s still very Bowie. I don’t know if it’s my favorite David Bowie album but it’s probably the one I’ve listened to the most for some reason.
Killers : Post Punk as Avril Lavigne : Pop Punk.
Not my go to style of electronic. I guess I’m more into the artier side of electronic music like Oval and Pan Sonic. This has some really fun songs but whenever there were vocals, I cringed a bit because they felt so out of place. Still, for the most part it was fun. The problem I have with this style is unless I’m at a party or maybe playing a video game, this doesn’t fit in my life.
First, I’m telling myself that the person who made this album is not the same garbage human she later became. I bought this album when it came out and it is such a blast of energy. The beats are amazing. She has such a cool, easy flow with great hooks that are so memorable. Really enjoyed hearing this again. Added bonus, I put this on in the car and my ten year old daughter was dancing in her seat. Only a few albums on this list has received more than a “meh” from her.
I can usually get behind wild vocal stuff. Even from the time this came out there are bands like Future Islands and The Dirty Projectors that I really like. This one is played very well and the vocals are technically sung well but I just can’t get into it and I’m not sure why. Too safe maybe?? I doubt I’ll be revisiting this but I’ve been wrong before.
Classic. Bruce is, for some reason, a love him or hate him artist. I guess I just dig his stuff.
If Syd's mental health wasn't in jeopardy and he continued with Pink Floyd, they'd be 1000% less famous but 1000% more interesting. I love this album. Maximum creativity.
Finally an album that actually belongs on this list. It seems like so many albums included here are based on having a big hit single and nothing else. This band has everything. The backstory about the members seems so far fetched, the music they made sounds too modern for 1966, using a banjo with a pickup to get that crunchy tone, they shaved the tops off their heads and dressed in black robes and to top it off, the music they made is so good. All of these elements coming together is why this band should be on the cover of every edition of this stupid book.
I enjoyed Like Water For Chocolate a lot, I was luke warm on Electric Circus and because of which never checked out any albums after it. This is the first time listening and it’s good but not great. There is something kind of boring about Common that I can’t put my finger on.
So, I really like Leonard Cohen but I feel like including five albums is just lazy. Pick one from his early acoustic folk albums and one after his shift in sound. Anyway, sometimes I’m not in the mood for gloomy folk but when I am, this is great. If you are looking for more like this, check out Pearls Before Swine which came out a couple years before this. Good stuff!
I liked this. Some reviewers call it elevator music but there is way more going on than they are giving credit for. I think what’s going on is since Bill found such a perfect match of chill and improv, that formula has been copied to death. The problem is that all those copies pale in comparison to this. This album is now in my rotation of reading on the couch music.
For some reason Neil Young is a divisive artist in this project. Most of the negative reviews are so shallow like, ugh, I hate Neil Young. One star. Well,I’ve always loved him and his voice never bothered me buy even so there is no excuse to have so many albums on this list by him. I this for Leonard Cohen and I’ll say it here, find two distinct eras that represent the artists growth and let the listener find more if they like it. There are too many great albums not represented to have so many drum a single artist. All that to say, I love this album and it absolutely should be here.
Queen is a that I always enjoy when a song comes on but I rarely want to sit through a whole album. Their songs tend to blend together if I try and take it all in at once. Take this album for example. Really digging the first song, second song comes on and I’m really liking it as well. Maybe I’m just a distracted listener but I thinking, wow, this song is long. I check the player and I’m on track 4 now. Their next album, to me, has more stand out tracks but this was fun.
There is a craft here that I can appreciate, but this is not for me. For folk music like this, I prefer a more intimate, warm production. There is something about the recording that feels too produced which makes the album feel cold. Earlier in this project I got Suzanne Vega's first album. That is the cozy, warm production that really tip the scales for me enjoying this type of music. It's not bad by a long shot, just something I won't come back to.
An amazing album of songs hindered by a rushed recording session. Still a classic. When I hear these songs it makes me wonder just how amazing seeing this live at the time must have been.
This was fantastic! I love all types of jazz but, other than Duke Ellington, I rarely listen to big band. This has an energy to it that really works. Put it on when your cooking or playing a frenetic video game.
Exquisite rock and roll. I had Raw Power on this list just two days ago. I like Raw Power but this one benefits from having such a powerful, gritty, sleazy production where Raw Power suffers from a poor original recording. I did give Raw Power four stars so obviously this deserves five.
I’m going to bring this up for every repeat artist. It’s lazy writing if you can’t find albums from unrepresentative artists and just list multiple albums from the same artists. Here’s how you do it. If you like Funhouse by The Stooges, listen to more Stooges. There, just freed up a spot for Yo La Tengo who deserves to be on this list.
This is a dirt bags anthem. I was eleven even this come out. For Christmas I got this album and U2 Joshua Tree in CD. I’ve listened to this a bunch but even as a kid I knew this was music for dirt bags and never felt comfortable listening to it. It gave me the same feeling as listening to hip hop as a white guy. I liked it but I wasn’t the guy they were singing to. The music is great, the singing is fine, and the energy puts other hair metal to shame. Choice dirt bag lyric, “Turn around bitch, I got a use for you. Besides, you ain’t got nothin’ better to do. And I’m bored.”
This is another great album from a great artist. Compared to the albums leading up to this one, it’s much more chill. That post-punk energy is now mostly piano driven songs that are dark and pleasant. This is a very enjoyable listen if you already like Nicks music. The problem with this list is there are too many albums represented by a single artist. Like I’ve said in past reviews, find two that represent the different sides of an artist and let us explore more if we enjoy it. We are living in the age of streaming music. It doesn’t cost me any more money to listen to other albums of I like what I hear. This makes room for the bands that should have albums on here.
Groovin’, the album. Everyone on the album is just nailing it. This is not in my rotation of feel good jazz.
I’d heard singles before but this was a blast. Definitely party music. Starting off with a Kraftwerk sample the whole electro hip hop thing is so fun. My 11 year old daughter’s review is the it sounds like the DK Rap. So I guess that’s a positive review from her too. Despite loving it, I doubt I’ll be putting this on often.
My last reviewed album was Afrika Bamdaataa’s Planet Rock released in 1986. This is only three years later. I mentioned in that review how it was cool that they had sampled Kraftwerk in the first song. It’s amazing how fast music evolved in three years because this album is basically back to back samples. It’s a fun part album most people are already aware of. My only issue with the Beastie Boys is that the Run DMC, finish each other’s lines shtick kinda gets old when it’s every song on every album.
Summerteeth was my intro to Wilco. I was not in the alt country at the time so I was unaware of Uncle Tupelo but I was in love with Summerteeth. Played it nonstop so I was ready when this album came out. It completely exceeded my expectations. It was still catchy songwriting but it had an added experimentalism that I was all about at the time. Absolutely a five star album for me.
For some reason I listened to their first album Los Angeles a lot but never went further. I think I was afraid the quality would fall off (like many sophomore albums) so I never bothered. Well, I’m now I’m bummed I didn’t spend more time with this one. I know it probably shouldn’t because it’s not punk but the production on this sounds so good. The music is undeniably punk but it also dips into some rockabilly, blues and maybe R’n’B. The classic harmonized singing is here and I love it.
I’ve known about this band and definitely heard songs by then but this is the first time sitting down with the album. I liked it a lot more than I thought I would. I worried it was another UK blues rock band but this is closer to the Americana sounds like The Band and Grateful Dead which is my preference. I’ll be revisiting this one.
I always thought songs like Street Life were created solely for the ending credits of movies made in the eighties. I never imagined someone buying an album’s worth of music like this. So, I just finished my first listen and it was so uneventful. Beige jazz? Wallpaper funk? Other than the first song, I don’t recall a thing. Other than the single charting in the UK, what is the reasoning for having to hear this before I die??
I bought into the hype when this was released and purchased the cd when it came out here in the US. I was really into the whole ambient meets post-rock thing at the time. If it came out on Kranky Records, I was all over it. So reading about this band from Iceland that mixes the two genres and the guitarist uses a violin bite on his guitar, I ran to get it. I listened to it over and over trying to get into it but there’s something about the vocals that just make it unlistenable for me. It’s like they hit this certain frequency that gives me the ick. Drive my dog up the wall as well. I gotta say, if this was an instrumental album, it would be gorgeous.
First, I just want to say, Def Leppard is probably the dumbest band name ever. I was 11 when the singles from this came out and I loved them. Got the cd and probably only listened to those singles over and over because I don’t recall ever hearing a lot of these songs. The production is what you’d expect from late 80’s radio friendly “metal”. Not sure I’ll revisit this again but the nostalgia hit me hard when Animal started so four stars it gets.
All of these one star reviews in a nutshell, “Why does art have to be challenging? Why can’t all art be accessible to everyone?” Some musical artists just want to make art, some artists just want to make money, and some can find that balance between the two. Björk has found a sweet spot where she can make challenging art and be extremely successful. She stays true to her art and she’ll always get five stars from me.
If only ever listened to the Getz/Gilberto album after I became obsessed with Brazilian psych music which led me down the rabbit hole of amazing Brazilian music. This album is great but I’m not sure I can put it on the same level as Getz/Gilberto.
I don’t have much to say since they’ve never clicked with me despite being a lover of metal. I enjoy listening to them, I just never get that itch to keep listening after it’s over.
“In the walking dude!” Such a fun thrash album. It’s funny because yesterday I had British Steel by Judas Priest and although I understand its importance to all things heavy metal, it’s not an album I listen to. Not this album on the other hand, it’s just fun. Maybe it’s because I was into punk and hardcore before discovering that I liked metal but these early thrash albums are totally in my wheelhouse.
