1001 Albums Summary

Zeppelin 3 sounds like a summer break when you’re a kid to me. Right off the bat, the rattling chaos reverberating off of the guitar, drums, and lyrics feels as chaotic as a final dismissal of a teacher. Friends and Celebration Day are similar to friends and the 4th of July (USA). Since I’ve Been Lving You is the midsummer slow song that musically represents the dog days of summer. Towards the back half you get mellow thought provoking tunes like That’s the Way and Tangerine; two songs that feel like wishing things in life went slower and re-dos were real. That feeling of wanting things to reverse track is what all teens feel in August and these songs emotionally represent that. A roller coaster of emotions, that’s what makes Zeppelin so great. They can make us feel a season of emotions in just one album. Since it makes us feel hopelessly optimistic, it’s only right that it’s a season like summer. Of course, this is subjectively presented and objectively not right, but it was fun… like a Zeppelin album.

Finished the album… R.E.M. suffers Nickelback syndrome for me… nasally singer, repetitive melody, great sound production but not songs that move me in any way.

Pre-listening: I’m a Stones guy. But, I am excited to listen to a Beatles album because I know I’ve never given them a fair chance. Hopefully, it doesn’t awaken the Beatles fan in me and I have to go back on my morals. Drive My Car: Good album starter, but I feel like there’s too much of a disconnect between the chorus and the verses. Norwegian Wood: Beautiful sound! Love the guitar/sitar combination. You Won’t See Me: If I was heartbroken, I think this song would resonate with me a lot more, but I see its value. Nowhere Man: What I like about this song is that is that the lyrics match the tone. It feels like driving down winding roads aimlessly. Think For Yourself: This is one of those songs that could be daggers to one person and butter knives to another. It feels like they wanted to throw punches but wanted to do it softly. The Word: Feels like a swinger anthem. Michelle: Runner-Up: Beautiful song. Simple and repetitive sure. But says more without saying much. What Goes On: Feels like a sped up version of Walk the Line. Girl: Sappy and feels much longer than 2:31. I’m Looking Through You: Really captures that feeling of running into an Ex or a breakup song. In My Life: Favorite Song. Universal. Relatable. Cheers. Wait: The verses aren’t saved by the chorus for me, but the chorus is good. If I Needed Someone: The sitar intro is soooo strong! Run For Your Life: What an odd way to end this album on so many levels. Like the tambourine incorporation. Post-listening: I can see why this Beatles album made the list. I felt like it showed a deeper side from the pop-hits everyone knows. I liked the songs that tried to be profound more than the story songs that felt kinda pieced together. I understand then, but I’m still a Stones guy.

Pre Listening: Al Green… I can’t say his name without thinking about Let’s Stay Together, Pulp Fiction, and that in the 5th Butch’s ass goes down!” Unfortunately, Let’s Stay Together, is where I stop my catalog with Al Green. So I know I need to develop my ear for him more. Best: Let’s Stay Together — No way that was going to change. It’s a classic, and man it’s good. Great album starter but also a bold starter. Runner-up: How Can You Mend A Broken Heart — The control of his voice is amazing. He really shows his ability to sing in this one and really matches the tone of the song of someone really going through something. Another song I knew before this but had forgotten it’s quality. 3rd: I’ve Never Found a Girl — I love the horns in the chorus. It’s definitely one of those songs that capture what it feels to find someone unique. Post-listening: Every song is enjoyable in its own right. Every song has great quality and showcases Green’s singing ability. However, every song is struggling to live up to the album opener, which might be it’s biggest flaw.

Pre-Listening: I’ve loved Sam Cooke since the first time I watched Animal House, and listen to him and old 60s soul music more than expected, so I knew most of the songs listed but I’m curious how it’ll come across live. Best: Feel It (Don’t Fight It) — I can’t imagine being at this concert and not absolutely buying in after this song kicks in. Runner-up: Twistin’ the Night Away — Obviously one of his better songs but the fact that he holds back very little for the concert was rewarding. 3rd: Having a Party — Interesting choice to end it on a song that makes it feel like the party will never end, but it leaves you craving more and longing for the next performance. Post-Listening: What an amazing performer who keeps a balance between entertaining the crowd and showcasing their talent. We need more performers and experiences like a Sam Cooke concert. No quality was lost in it being a live performance in terms of listening quality and his ability to improvise to make it feel unique was something else. Highly encourage this live album. 10/10

Okay Deep Purple (Live); Pre-Listening: after my Sam Cooke Live experience I was more excited for another live album. Then I looked at the track list and realized it’s 7 songs and lasts 1 hr. 16 minutes! I knew it was gonna be a stretch on my ability to care. To be honest, I’m not big on jam bands, but I wanted to give them a shot. Best Song: Smoke of The Water. Runner-Up: Highway Star 3rd: Tie for the rest. Post-listening: It was what I thought it would be. A lot of long jam sessions and epic solos that were hard to maintain appreciation for. They’re obviously an essential band to the history of rock, but I can’t say if I was alive in the early 70s that I would want to see out their concerts, especially after hearing Live in Japan. 5/10

Foo Fighters Pre-listening: I got really into Foo Fighters when they were really hitting their stride (1998-2005). But fell off as a fan in the 2010s in search of new styles of rock, but man what a time that was…The iconic Learn To Fly video. The phenomenon that still exist with Everlong. The power of All My Life and The Best of You. All from the creative mind of David Grohl. I had listened to this albums lesser known tracks without truly listening to it, but will be curious how it sounds when I seek it out and dive in. Best: I’ll Stick Around. “I DON’T OWE YOU ANYTHING!” The big middle finger to Courtney Love resonates with me each and every time I remember that Cobain is no longer with us. Thank you, David. Runner-Up: Floaty. A very repetitive and vague song that leaves the mind to wonder while having a catchy but driving sound to seek an unknown answer. Third: Exhausted. After the fast pace with 9 of the 11 previous songs, it’s easy to feel exhausted by the final send-off to the album and the sound of it really captures it. With lots of reasons to feel exhausted, it’s a perfect way to make the fans know it’s time to hit stop on the cd changer and come back to the album when you’re rejuvenated. Honorable Mention: Big Me. Any ironically upbeat song about letting a loved one go and the most easy song to throw in a late 90s movie soundtrack for transition shots has to at least be mentioned. Being the Nirvana freak I became in my teen years, you can hear the transition from the sound of Nirvana come through in this album as if trying to recreate yourself and break your old habits along the way but it’s recorded. Given that it was 95, you can tell Grohl is trying to move on from Nirvana’s tragic end while not forgetting his loyalty to the band. It feels like what would have been Nirvana’s 4th album had Cobain been alive. It did and didn’t surprise me to find that Grohl recorded all the instruments himself, wrote all the songs, produced the album, marketed it out, and then found musicians to make up the band after its success called for it. Haters will always say FFs are generic and lazy. I’ll just call them great and not let jealousy get the best of me. 9/10; 4/5 Stars.

Pre-Listening: my understanding of Missy Elliot began I. The early 2000s with hits like Twerk It, Gossip Folks, Lose Control, etc. I knew she was a rap icon but I figured that was the beginning of it. This album was never one I knew of, but I was interested to see what I would find with it. Best Song: Best Friends Runner-Up: The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly) Third Place: Izzy Izzy Ahh Post-Listening: what I was most intrigued by with this album was the guest starring list and the producer. Aaliyah (RIP), Busta Rhymes, Ginuwine, Lil’ Kim all of course produced by Timbaland. The beats are infectious, and the sound quality is as smooth as Rolos in your mouth. Missy Elliot was establishing herself in this debut album as a weird settle between TLC and Lil Kim. Too dirty for radio but not quite sex on music. Most the album is NSFW, but I get why it was so impactful. To have a women rapping with equal misogyny as male rappers were in 1997 had to be a lookout world moment. While some people hate that projection of music, I find it to be aggressively progressive. It’s a reality check for those that didn’t want someone like Missy to succeed and a slap in the face to those that fail to realize they’ll blare Master P, Snoop Dogg, and Jay-Z for equal lyrics but turn off Elliot for the female version. Not my favorite album and not one I’ll soon revisit, but I get why it’s important. 2.5 Stars 5/10 (for me)

Pre-listening: I’ve always known The Weight and The Night They Drove Dixie Down, so I was hoping to expand the amount of loved songs by The Band. Hopefully, the album will succeed in that category. Best: The Night They Drove Dixie Down. Just one of those songs that you can find so many reasons to play. Drinking with friends, cruising through the night, cleaning the house… just one of those perfectly chill songs. Runner-Up: across the great divide. Because this song just has a great way of opening up the album. It does a really good job of setting. The tone for the rest of the album is gonna be like it helps you kind of understand that idea of independence through the lyrics of the song through the message of the song is one of those really good songs that kind of makes you feel like you can kind of tackle the world on your own, but you might be lonely at times. That’s just great message with the song. Third: unfaithful servant. Just has a way of making you feel sad but also weirdly making you feel like everything‘s gonna be OK. It just has that down in the dumps but you know what we’re gonna be all right kind of a feel to it and I love the melody. I love the town. I love the pianos, always present the song. It’s really good song and kind of sad that it’s on the back end of the album cause it’s like you have so many moments where you’re positive in this album but I think it ends the right way. It’s kind of like it come down at the end at the end of the album. Post listening; the album definitely helped me understand why this band known as the band is so revered I would be curious to know what the reception was when the album dropped like it kind of has that question of like do we count this as rock ‘n’ roll is this Americana is this country is it blues and maybe that’s why they’re called the band because you can’t really categorize them. The album does a really great job of helping showcase how talented the band is but also how lovable the band is the whole time I was listening to it. I kind of wanted to just hike up my jeans go find a dock on a river tie a string to a line cast a worm and see if I catch something. It’s just one of those albums that makes you feel like you can be alone, but it’s an even better album to enjoy with people really just a good album worth listening to for those that don’t know anything about the band. Rating; nine out of 10 Stars; four out of five.

Pre-Listening: one of those bands that us millennials hear a lot about, but don’t get a lot of chances to actually listen to them. It feels like more and more people want us to listen to many bands from our parents generations, but then the only time that we actually do is when we hear the music randomly, and then we ask, “hey who sings this song because I kinda like it?” and the response is, “oh, Crosby stills and Nash. How have you ever heard of them? So, I’m actually looking forward to listening to this album and finding my own experience with them. Best Song: Pre-Road Downs. I felt this song had a lot of creativity with the sound considering the time it was recorded. Also thought it was interesting that Mama Cass recorded some vocals for this song when I did some research about it. Runner-Up: Wooden Ships. Who doesn’t love an anti-war post-apocalypse song about finding peace and new beginnings? Third Place: Suite: Judy Blue Eyes. Honestly, feels like three songs in one. Gotta love the scatting at the end. Reminds me of summer drives and optimism. Post-Listening: I wish more bands tried to make a sound like this now. I love the harmonizing vocals and the layers it creates to the music. I appreciated their ability to make music that is extremely pleasant to listen to while not sacrificing their ability to drive home a message. Rating: 9/10 Stars: 4/5

Frank Ocean — Channel Orange Pre-Listening: Avoided this album for 14 years because I got sick of hearing how I needed to listen to it. So, I guess we’ll see what all those hipsters were talking about at UNI a decade ago. Best Song: Pyramids. Really good beat to just mosey around to. Then you look down and realize it was 9 minutes long! For that alone, it gets the top vote. Runner-Up: Pink Matter. Love the subtle guitar in the background. Really love Andre 3000’s feature. Interesting sample sounds in the background make me wonder if this is really a sad song or a fallen warrior song. Third Place: Super Rich Kids. Honestly, thought that I was listening to a Chance, The Rapper song. I love songs that do little but do a lot and this song is that. Post-Listening: If you’re into this style of hip-hop/R&B, I can see why you’re amping it up to everyone else… personally, I’m glad I avoided this song over the years. Ocean’s a great artist, but not for me. Rating: 5/10 Stars: 2/5

Elvis Costello and The Attractions Imperial Bedroom Pre-Listening: I’ve always loved Elvis Costello. First memory of him was his cameo on Austin Powers 2. Loved his version of Pump It Up that I first heard from the PCU soundtrack. I never really listened to a full album of his so this should be enlightening. Best Song: Man Out of Time. What’s not to love about this song. Great lyrics. Drums that float below the lyrics and melodies like a magic carpet. Interesting blend of guitar and piano that makes for a disconnected harmony that’s hard to explain. Love it though. Runner-Up: You Little Fool. Gotta love a song that uses a Harpsichord (needed Holly’s ear to actually know what it was). What I like about Costello is that he’s not afraid to go outside the norm. There’s a lot of that in Imperial Bedroom and I appreciated it. Third Place: Either it’s Shabby Doll or Human Hands. Both do a great job of being explanatory tracks for the elements of pub rock, but it depends on what mood you’re. Optimistic? Go Human Hands. Pessimistic? Go Shabby Doll. Either way, it’s the e elements of the song that sell it. But I would say Human Hands has better vocals and lyrics, personally. Post-listening: “Can a mere song change a people's minds? I doubt that it is so. But a song can infiltrate your heart and the heart may change your mind.” — Elvis Costello. That’s how I felt about the songs on Imperial Bedroom. They didn’t change my life, but they were so enjoyable to listen to as I held Ellen on our porch feeling the mist of rain all around us. Perfect Sunday listening music. Worth revisiting this album again. Only knock is that you can tend to forget you’re listening to music with this album if you’re not listening intently. It doesn’t really grab hold of you, more so it dances around you. Score: 9/10 Stars: 4/5

Smash — The Offspring Pre-Listening: I grew up as a child in the 90s and all throughout that time, there was a The Offspring song that was on the charts. Self-Esteem, Pretty Fly, The Kids Aren’t Alright, all the way until high school with You’re Gonna Go Far Kid. With them always being an earshot away, you didn’t really have to buy an album to enjoy them. My goal for this is to find the deep cuts. For that sake, I will keep Self-esteem, and Come Out and Play from my rankings because they would undoubtedly be 1 and 2 otherwise. Best Song: Nitro (Youth Energy). I first learned this song from Varsity Blues after Mox makes his big speech and the team comes out fired up on adrenaline and it was a perfect montage song for fast clips of high octane high school football. Listening to it with an analytic ear now, I get why. The song promotes realizing that tomorrow is taken for granted and that today is all that matters. Harder to appreciate as a dad of 2, but still valuable given the same context. Runner-Up: Genocide. Probably the most satirical commentary on society from this album, but a song that’s made to point out what the 90s felt like. It wasn’t a time of peace, although there were less wars. It was a time of competition, arrogance, and narcissism. The dog-eat-dog lyrics refer to how we are committing our own genocide by forgetting about Democracy in the United States… will someone make that opinion in 2026, please? Third Place: Not the One. An unheard anthem for Gen Xers everywhere. A reminder that youthful generations are only making up for what they were handed. Universal for all young generations as they enter adulthood, but at this time that was Gen X and early Millennials. Post-Listening: best decision I could have made is waiting until I was doing cardio to listen to this album. The songs alone will get your heart rate above 85 BPM. It’s unfortunate that only two songs were commercially recognized but that’s the beauty of the album. The Offspring has that quality of when their song comes on, you know it’s The Offspring, but this album shows that although the songs are similar, they each impact the album in their own way. It’s fast-paced, it’s vulgar, it’s to the point and it kept grunge/punk rock going in the wake of Cobain’s death. The Offspring aren’t supposed to be everyone’s cup of tea. They’re supposed to be that kick in the teeth you need with your cup of coffee in the morning. Rating: 10/10 Stars: 5/5

The Undertones — Hypnotised Pre-Listening: I’m not even gonna pretend like I know anything about this band. Apparently they’re from Derry, which I’m guessing is why they’re lesser known for me. Just gonna dive in. Best Song: Hard Luck. One of those songs with an idiom title, digestible drums and then letting the guitar do its thing. Pretty hard to mess up the lyrics, but they didn’t. Really catch post-break-up tune. Runner-up: Under the Boardwalk. They had me with the opening base line. Odd but tolerable cover for the album. Feels rebel and pub rockish. Third Place: My Perfect Cousin. According to Spotify this is their flagship song. It’s catchy but kind of a strange premise to write a song about. Basically, a ‘you don’t know him like I do’ kinda song. Post-listening: I hate being negative, but this album just didn’t do it for me. I feel like this kind of band walked so a band like The Kooks could run. While I love The Kooks, The Undertones were just too oddball for my taste. The first half of the album feels like something Poindexter from Revenge of the Nerds would listen to and then the second half feels like a band Spicoli would love. It goes from nerdy Undertones to surfer Undertones and all the while featuring lyrics that feel like Irish drinking songs. I’m glad I listened to it, but let’s leave it at that. Rating: 5/10 Stars: 2/5

Chic — Risqué Pre-Listening: I knew little of Chic before today. Mainly, I knew they were responsible for The Freak and that they were a funk-disco band. Should make for an interesting day. Best: Will You Cry. I thought this song was beautiful and the least like the others but that’s what made it phenomenal. Runner-up: Good Times. I mean, cmon. Infectious. Uplifting. Iconic. Third: My Feet Keep Dancing. That choppy guitar strum mixed with subtle melody guitar at the beginning is so unique. Loved it. Post-Listening: Listening to Good Times while my toddler screamed over having to put her shoes on this morning was such an ironically perfect way to start the day. Still, it was hard to let a long day bother me when I put on this album intermittently throughout the day. Just a lot of fun and you can see why this group had a major following. What I found most remarkable about listening to it was their impact on modern music. I can’t count on one hand the number of samples I picked out that I recognized from modern rappers from this 7 song long album. Really enjoyable album. That said, not my forte, but I respect it for sure! Rating: 7/10 Stars: 4/5

Teenage Fanclub — Bandwagonesque Pre-listening: I know nothing of this band. I am just going to dive in. Best Song: Alcoholiday. Runner-Up: I Don’t Know. Third Place: The Concept. Post-listening: They sound like a lesser known Gin Blossoms. Or a mixture of Goo Goo Dolls and Weezer. As I listened, I couldn’t help but think, “why didn’t this band become more popular?” Google to the rescue! Turns out, they never wanted to suck-up to record labels so they were never pushed. Their second album struggled to maintain the same sound as grunge took over, so they lost their first album fans. They were a cult band for a time where cult bands got promoted but they remained just one of the cult bands which I found interesting. All of their music was likable, but nothing so phenomenal that it needs to be revisited. I did however save Alcoholiday to my liked songs, so I got something out of it. Rating: 7/10 Stars: 3/5

AC ⚡️DC — Back In Black. Pre-Listening: uggggggggghhhhh. Fine. Best: You Shook Me All Night Long. Runner-Up: Back in Black. Third: Have a Drink On Me. Post-Listening: onward. Rating: 6/10 - due to overkill. Stars: 4/5 - I’ll give it its flowers.

Not for me.

Pre-listening: never heard of him. Do not know what to expect. Normally don’t listen to country. So, we’ll see. Best: Silver Raven. Runner-up: No Other. Third: Strength of Strings. Post-listening: I felt like the front half of the album was strong and kept me around for more. The back half became too slow and disappointed me, but I understand how influential Clark was. There’s a lot of soil in his country and not a ton of twang which makes it very tolerable to me. The songs have a hint of Americana with their ability to weave a narrative and I appreciated that from Clark. After reading that this album was shelved by the record company due to a dispute, I felt justified that I was listening to an album that needs to be shared, even if it’s posthumously. Rating: 4/10… not my kind of music. Stars: 3/5

Pre-listening: one of those bands I’ve been meaning to get around to for some time. Should be interesting. First: Asylum Runner-up: Bloody Well Right Third Place: If Everyone Was Listening. Post-listening: Supertramp feels like Pink Floyd if Billy Joel was their lead singer. The joys of the guitar mixed with the meaning of the vocals made for an intriguing listen. Although listening to an entire album consecutively wasn’t easy, I found the album worth my time. I can’t say I’m huge on ST, but I’m glad I finally gave them some time to see if I like them. Rating: 6/10 Stars: 3/5

Machito — Kenya Pre-listening: I’ll listen to a jazz album any day of the week! Best: Wild Jungle Runner-Up: Tururato Third: Congo Mullence Post-listening: I love listening to jazz. Do I have any idea what I’m really saying about it? No. And I won’t pretend to. But this album reminded me of the jubilant of this journey. Machito’s music was fun and enjoyable. Chaotic, disjointed, and somehow, harmonious. It was an invigorating listen that I would suggest to anyone. It may be the only time I listen to the album, but I was glad I got to. Rating: 8/10 Stars: 4/5

Duke Ellington — At Newport Live! Post-listening. I mean, cmon! It’s Duke Ellington!!! It was phenomenal, but I wasn’t actively checking the song titles so I can’t tell you which one was the best.

The Kinks… not for me. Bored through most the album. 3/10. 2 stars.

My Friday Review of “Are You Experienced”— Jimi Hendrix Def Leppard once popularized the saying, “It’s better to burnout than fade away!” While some agree that that is true with Jimi Hendrix, I can only beg to differ. With such talent on the guitar and such a unique voice it would have been fascinating to see what he could have become. At least he left us perfection with his few albums he produced. I thoroughly enjoyed this album once again and focused more on the deep cuts. I really loved Stone Free, Are You Experienced, and Love or Confusion. It’s still a 9/10 because the acid rock of the album does take over at times, but that is its only flaw. RIP Jimi. Thanks for not fading away!

The Go-Betweens — STA Pre-listening: No clue on these guys. But an Aussie indie band from the 80s??? Should be interesting. Best Song: Was There Anything I Can Do? Runner-Up: Streets of Your Town Third: You Can’t Say No Forever Post-listening: I can see if this was YOUR band that that YOU discovered that this would be a great album. However, as someone who was given an assignment to check them out, there just isn’t as much there. It’s good. They have a great sound. They show great musicianship. It’s just nothing that you hear and think, “HOW HAVE I NEVER HEARD OF THIS GROUP BEFORE?” I’m sure they inspired 90s/00s indie bands I love, but nothing here worth revisiting for me. Rating: 6/10 Stars: 3/5

Pre-listening: All I’ve ever really known about Erykah Badu is that she’s Andre 3000’s baby mama. Her music was just never exactly presented to me, so we’ll see what we find here. Best Song: Orange Moon Runner-up: Didn’t Cha Know Third: Cleva Post-listening: insanely talented. A lot of really beautiful songs. Definitely a switch-up from my usual listening habits and worth my time. She really pushed her soul into the lyrics and no songs really felt repetitive. I see why she was a big influence. Rating: 8/10 Stars: 4/5 P.S. — I did have to still listen to Ms. Jackson by OutKast after this album was completed. IYKYK.

A Rush Of Blood To My Head — Coldplay Pre-listening: “You know how I know you’re gay?… Best song: Whisper Song Runner-Up: In My Place Third Place: Clocks Post-Listening: I really enjoyed Whisper Song. It’s mellow Res Hot Chili Peppers mixed with Duncan Shiek lyrics. It was the only surprise for me. The rest was like a Nickelback experience. It sounds how it should. Good album. I get why they’re loved. Just not my style. Rating: 5/10 Stars: 3/5

Bobby Womack — The Poet Pre-listening: no idea. Open to it. Best: Stand Up Runner-up: Just My Imagination Third: So Many Sides Of You Post-listening: I was open to it. But just couldn’t get into it. I’m sure on the right day, I could see this album as fun and interesting, but today, it was just there. More than anything, I was just glad to listen to something different. Rating: 5/10 Stars: 2/5

Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark — Architecture and Morality Pre-Listening: I was guessing it would be big band stuff. Then read the Wikipedia. Apparently they are synth pop. I’ve recently been into shoe gaze and hope this fits the mold. Best: Joan of Arc (Remastered) Runner-Up: The Beginning and The End Third: Sacred Heart Post-listening: I kept hoping they would turn the corner from boring to interesting, but they never did. The whole album feels like a John Hughes movie; synonymous and formulaic. Definitely instrumental skill that is shown with the album, but the lyrics weren’t biting and the synths were over the top and overused. Rating: 3/10 Stars: 2/5

Pre-listening: sounds interesting but no idea who this is. Best: No One Recieving Runner-up: Kurt’s Rejoinder Third: Through Hollow Lands Post-listening: Started off with a bang! Wish the remainder of the album had been like that. Rating: 5/10 Stars: 3 Stars

Best: Limelight Runner-Up: Tom Sawyer Third: The Camera Eye Post-listening: I used to listen to this album on vinyl at Grandma’s house when we would go over there in the basement. Just felt right. So I already knew the tracks but never realized The Camera Eye was 10 minutes long and essentially three movements in one song. Gotta love Rush! One flaw with this album; Tom Sawyer and Limelight steal the show so much it’s hard to want to listen to the rest. Rating: 9/10 Stars: 4/5

A Girl Named Dusty — Dusty Springfield Pre-Listening: all I know of her catalog is Son of a Preacher Man (thank you Pulp Fiction). Best: Anyone Who Had A Heart Runner-up: You Don’t Own Me Third: Will You Love Me Tomorrow Post-Listening: Definitely 60s. But two different sides of it in one album. The first half is a lot of boppy song that feature one verse/chorus in a stringendo (new word for me). But then the second half of the album take a real poetic style. I never realized that she was responsible for so many hits and a lot of them just on this album which is pretty amazing. I thought the album was enjoyable and real highlights Dusty’s voice. For an album of 20 songs it’s faster than two shakes of a lamb’s tail. Not something I’m gonna go looking for on my own, but glad I took the time to enjoy it. Rating: 8/10 Stars: 4/5

David Bowie — Young Americans Pre-listening: looking over the setlist, there’s plenty to learn and some recognizable. Best: Fame Runner-Up: Across the Universe Third: Fascination Post-listening: LOTS OF SOUND. Felt very swaggy and not as much artistry in how I’ve heard Bowie in my limited listening experience. It was an entertaining album but an overwhelming one if you’re not ready for it. I don’t know why but I completely forgot that he wrote Fame. Even though the rest of the album wasn’t my type of music that song saved the experience for me. Rating: 6/10 Stars: 3/5

The Who — Live at Leeds The Who is one of those bands that you wish you could have seen live at the peak of their phenomena. Live at Leeds does make you feel like you pseudo attended a show but one thing I can’t get over with these older live show albums is the quality of them musicians. Maybe in 50 years the music has just changed so much that it’s too much to expect that our bands have radio ready quality in stage, but for The Who that task felt effortless. The guitars were crisp, the drums were powerful and the vocals felt smooth. You gotta give it up for The Who and this album helped prove that. Also, there’s a 12 minute version of My Generation on there and I didn’t notice until I went back over the track listing. Rating: 4/5 Stars 9/10

Could not get into The Pretenders. Felt kind of repetitive. The lyrics were lazy. The only thing I liked about it was the surf rock guitar on some of the songs. Other than that, for the most part it was just kind of there the whole time I was listening. Rating: 2/10 Stars: 1/5

Yacht rock at its finest.

Bookends — Simon & Garfunkel Pre-listening: I’ve listened to a lot of this album already in my life, but curious to see what I take away from a full album listen. Best: America. Runner-Up: Mrs. Robinson Third: At the Zoo Post-listening: Things I really loved about this full album were things I did not expect. I love their willingness to take chances and try something weird while maintaining a song’s beauty. Tracks like A Hazy Shade of Winter and Old Friends have such rhythmic beauty to them that it’s hard to imagine how all of this is on the same album. It’s a true audio experience. I get it. There is a time and place for Simon and Garfunkel, but to ever dismiss them from your listening rotation is a tragedy. Perhaps my favorite part of the album was the skit track Voices of Old People. An overlap of old, seemingly Jewish-Americans talking just like our loved ones speak at the twilight of their lives. It keeps an honesty in the album that remind you of the people you still cherish or wish you could cherish again. I could go on and on, and I already have. If you haven’t enjoyed this album lately, go back and do it again. It’s a half hour well spent. Rating: 10/10 Stars: 5/5

Pre-listening: This album shaped the music I listened to in middle school. Take Me Out made me wanna learn how to play guitar. I settled for mastering it on Guitar Hero instead. Should be an easy re-listen. Best: Take Me Out Runner-Up: Cheating On You Third: This Fire Post-listening: It was pretty much as I remembered. Great, upbeat, drum driven music perfect for errands, exercise, and parties. I always envisioned myself listening to this album in a dingy pool hall with checkered floor tiles while drinking cheap beer. Had a harder time finding the pool hall than the cheap beer, but it never hurt to pretend. I think my favorite thing about this band is their minimalist approach where they maximize their sound and layering. The drums always have something going on but never have a choppy sound. The heterophony (new word) is in almost every song on the album but it makes the melody so much more memorable and makes the chorus in each song hit harder. The song styles do get repetitive and that’s the downfall of Franz, but I’ll always love them for what they did for a rap obsessed teen in Iowa; they made rock the focus and opened my ears to show much more. Rating: 8/10 Stars: 4/5

I couldn’t finish The Mothers of Invention. It’s just not my type of music. I am glad I read the Wiki page and find out before hand that it was a satirical album about the American citizen of the 60s. That at least made it tolerable for the first half but I just couldn’t keep going. 1 Star 2/10

Great album that was really a lot of fun. I might suggest my family just plays 1950/60s Jazz at Christmas time from now on because that felt more like Christmas Music or at least family-time music than the same Drabble of holiday season songs. Love the mistakes being made that Vaughan covers up and really just love the melodies the bands put together.

Just not for me.

Arular — MIA Pre-listening: FIFA was my precursor and warning to what I was in for and it IS much needed. Best: Bucky Done Gun Runner-up: Galang Third: Hombre Post-listening: When weird meets rhythmic and rhythmic meets experimental and experimental meets gibberish, you have MIA. This album was no different. I will always be willing to listen to MIA because they gave us $20 and Paper Planes in 2007 with their album Kala, but to call this album an easy listen is a GD lie. You gotta be in a mood for it and luckily, today, I was. Stars: 2/5 Rating: 5/10

CCR — Bayou Country Fun album. Feels like you’re off reading in a souped up truck the whole time and that you haven’t showered in 3 days. But I guess that’s just part of it, right? I do live the bluesy style of the whole album but still nothing I need to listen to on the regular. 6/10 3 stars.

Pre-listening: I’ve known Sultans of Swing but never really listened to Dire Straits other than that. Best: Lions Runner-Up: Six Blade Knife Third: Sultans Post-listening: I love the guitar in pretty much every song but the vocals for Dire Straits has never done anything for me. To me, it’s like Randy Newman tried his hand in Brit-pop. After some scrutiny, I found out Mark Knopfler produced albums for Newman so that checks out. When I read that Mark was an English teacher that helped piece together the lyric’s poetic style, but for me it can’t magnetize me any closer to them. The sound is great, but the drab of Knopfler’s voice is just too much for me. But I’m sure that there are people who think the band’s phenomenal because of his voice. I mean, this album did go double platinum. I’m glad I took some time to listen to Dire Straits and I have an unearthed appreciation for them. Stars: 3/5 Rating: 7/10

Bring back 25 minute albums.

Aretha Franklin — I Never Loved a Man the Way I Loved You Pre-listening: I know Respect and I know this will be good. Best: Respect Runner-Up: Soul Serenade Third: Good Times Post-listening: Man, they don’t make singers like this anymore. Her confidence on the mic is unparalleled. It was interesting to me to find that this was actually her 10th studio album and that the rest were duds. I wonder if that’s drove her to a state of, this needs to work or it’s over, but perhaps it just took the right timing. Still, this album is filled with hi’s and lows but all of them are beautiful in their own way. RIP Aretha, thanks for the posthumous entertainment! Rating: 9/10 Stars: 4/5

Pre-listening: Know the hits and little else. Best: He’s the Greatest Dance Runner-up: Thinking of You Third: We Are Family Post-listening: I wish we had more groups like this who valued harmony and sharing spotlight. As a millennial, we saw flashes of it but none could last (TLC, Destiny’s Child). Sister Sledge have a way about them that is still envious today with an ability to make songs fun without sacrificing meaning. The whole album has songs that, fast or slow, help us feel emotional and that’s the goal that local artist have started to miss with music; how does the song make you feel. For that, we need to appreciate artists like Sledge that give us that on every track and not just sparingly. Rating: 7/10 Stars: 3/5

While The Doors are classic for all the right reasons, for me they are just NOT a go to. I think they’re one of those bands that when they hit your mood is one of those perfect sounds. But if your mood is not matching it’s a real no go. I already liked Peace Frog… love that song. But another song I really enjoyed was Indian Summer. I liked the mellow feeling of the song mixed with the easy going and simplistic lyrics. Rating: 5/10 Stars: 2/5

Nah.

Bruce Springsteen — Born in the USA Pre-listening: I’ve always had a hard time liking Springsteen. Mainly because it’s just so overplayed, but hopefully I find more depth in it. Best: Working On the Highway Runner-up: Darlington County Third: My Hometown Post-listening: I’m not afraid to say it; Springsteen is overrated. I’m sure he’s a helluva performer, and his shows are/were wild. But I feel like you go for the party, not the music. Born, Glory, Dancing are all horribly overplayed and I struggled to bring myself to play them again. A lot of his songs have a drunken-sing-a-long quality to them, which is fun, but when I think album, I need a singular listening experience. I’ll always understand why people love Springsteen. It’s the same reason people love Jimmy Buffet, Flava Flav, Lil’ Jon and the alike; he gets the people going! For me, I’m just not part of the people. Rating: 5/10 Stars: 2/5

Kings of Leon — Youth and Young Manhood Pre: Another band I know thanks to FIFA (2004). A band I have mixed feelings for, but never mind listening to their early 00s albums. More on that later. Best: Red Morning Light Runner-Up: Trani Third: Spiral Staircase Post: Kings of Leon were one of those bands most of my teen years that was perfectly in their lane. Not too well known but well enough known that you could play their stuff and people would be like, “oh, yeah, I’ve heard of these guys.” They were a fun band to throw out there to the question, “what’s a good rock band I should check out?” An American band from Oklahoma with a unique sound that is kind of like Candlebox and Jet. I really enjoyed knowing them up until about Junior year of high school when they released the song “Use Somebody.” It was summer of one of the DULLEST music summers of my life to that point, and one of the only songs people could agree on was Use Somebody… So, naturally, the pop radio stations said, “Alright, let’s play it TO IT’S DEATH!” And that they did. The radio followed it’s death by jumping to the other hit track from the same album, “Sex On Fire,” and the radio angel of death went 2 for 2 but the dual hit death was much worse than the initial problem. From there on, Kings of Leon found its way to every crunchy granola hipster’s iPod Nano and suddenly everyone loved Kings… Leon was ruined for me until I realized the two cds I had of there’s were released prior to 2008 and people didn’t know about them as much. That was where my fandom for KoL resided and it always will. Given that, I loved this album as a teen looking for fast paced music and always will. No hipster, granola, man-bun wearing weekend hiker can take that from me! Rating: 8/10 Stars: 4/5

Kings of Leon — Youth and Young Manhood Pre: Another band I know thanks to FIFA (2004). A band I have mixed feelings for, but never mind listening to their early 00s albums. More on that later. Best: Red Morning Light Runner-Up: Trani Third: Spiral Staircase Post: Kings of Leon were one of those bands most of my teen years that was perfectly in their lane. Not too well known but well enough known that you could play their stuff and people would be like, “oh, yeah, I’ve heard of these guys.” They were a fun band to throw out there to the question, “what’s a good rock band I should check out?” An American band from Oklahoma with a unique sound that is kind of like Candlebox and Jet. I really enjoyed knowing them up until about Junior year of high school when they released the song “Use Somebody.” It was summer of one of the DULLEST music summers of my life to that point, and one of the only songs people could agree on was Use Somebody… So, naturally, the pop radio stations said, “Alright, let’s play it TO IT’S DEATH!” And that they did. The radio followed it’s death by jumping to the other hit track from the same album, “Sex On Fire,” and the radio angel of death went 2 for 2 but the dual hit death was much worse than the initial problem. From there on, Kings of Leon found its way to every crunchy granola hipster’s iPod Nano and suddenly everyone loved Kings… Leon was ruined for me until I realized the two cds I had of there’s were released prior to 2008 and people didn’t know about them as much. That was where my fandom for KoL resided and it always will. Given that, I loved this album as a teen looking for fast paced music and always will. No hipster, granola, man-bun wearing weekend hiker can take that from me! Rating: 8/10 Stars: 4/5

Muse — Black Holes and Revelations Pre-listening: great album. Great band. Easy task at hand. Best: Supermassive Black Hole Runner-Up: Knights of Cydonia Third: Starlight Post-listening: Growing up in the 2000s, all I ever heard was how good MTV used to be. Then, my buddy Matt and I found out that if you stay up past midnight, MTV Hits (music video television station) would actually revert back to the MTV that was beloved. The songs varied from all over and were all types of cool weird. We would often break curfew and just watch video after video. This was how my freshman year we stumbled upon this live performance video of Starlight. Laser shows are hard to pull off, but Muse did it justice. The next day, I illegally downloaded this whole album. I’m a little bummed that the best three songs remained the ones I’ve always thought were but if you ever heard those three songs, it makes sense. Starlight is arguably the bands showcase song of just how talented every member of the group is. Knights of Cydonia is what epic literature dreams it could be. Then there’s Supermassive… there are songs that you’re like, “well, that’s rock.” Then you hear Supermassive and you’re like, “Oh shit, that’s way more rock than what we were listening to.” The song just oozes everything that you love about rock and it goes so damn hard. I’m not surprised at all that this album made the list. It’s a true audio experience. It’s an adventure of what you’ll learn about music next. With a name like Muse, you better back it up with divine music. Muse does that. Stars: 5/5 Rating: 10/10

Pre-listening: I only know Yes because my mom would play them every now and again. Never cared much for them. Post-listening: I’m gonna say No on Yes. Just didn’t care much for pretty much the entire album. Felt like it was over the top jam sessions. Great musicianship and thought the layering of sounds was crazy. Had I wanted to go back and analyze the little things it would take 5-10 listens to really hear all that is going on here, but I have no desire to actually do that. I’m saying that I think Yes has great quality, but their sound is not for me. Stars: 2/5 Rating: 3/10

Quick Review on The Hives “You New Favourite Band” This album could be a soundtrack for cocaine use (I demand autonomy! :P). No but seriously, if any of you are going to start street racing, you should buy this album. If any of you need a song to play while you’re running from the cops, this is the album to play. If any of you are making a movie about Charlie Sheen’s exploits and need music for it,‘this is the album to play. Definitely not my new favourite band. But absolutely a band I would have wanted a T-shirt of when I was younger. High energy all throughout the album and very simple lyrics to make the instrumentals the highlight. While I enjoyed it at times, there were definitely times I wanted to go find something else to listen to instead. Not the worst, but far from a favourite. Rating: 4/10 Stars: 2/5

Siamese Dream — Smashing Pumpkins Pre-listening: Know it like my family phone number. Let’s avoid the classics (Cherub Rock, Today, Disarm) for the top 3. Best: Hummer Runner-up: Silverfuck Third: Mayonnaise Post-listening: Absolutely love this album and my bias will show. Always have. It roped me in from the very beginning with one of my favorite album openers of all time; Cherub Rock. A heavy guitar sound with a running base line with loud ass drums and lyrics like “Who wants honey? As long as there’s some money!” How can it not glue you in? The album covers all grunge the bases: angry (Cherub Rock), sad (Soma), really sad (Disarm), happy-sad/sad-happy (Today), existentialism (Hummer), oddly appreciative (Spaceboy), inner tranquility/acceptance (Quiet/Mayonnaise), mistaking love for lust (Luna — FU Courtney Love), and alienation (Geek UsA). While I always love listening to it, I do realize that Corgan is off-putting to many. But you can’t deny this album. It’s just too essential to grunge, the 90s, and allowed for emo, shoegaze, and alternative to grow. The album reminds us about the beauty of looking deeper than the surface. While most of the catchy songs are sadder than the melancholy songs, it begs you as the listener to dig deeper. And if lyrical analysis isn’t your gig, they give you a fallback with instrumentation that’s both obtainable but mastery. What I love so much about Siamese is that Corgan isn’t and absolutely is the focal point of the album. Almost all of the songs are about some aspect of his life, painting the troubled upbringing and (at the time) current situations of his life, but the instrumentals are what make it so melodic and make you want to put the album in your rotation again and again. This is The Smashing Pumpkins at their best. I will die on that hill. It might not have the hits of Melancholy and might not have the ready for radio quality that Adore had, but it isn’t as hard to get through as Melancholy or as forgettable as Adore. My only critique is that they should have ended the album on Silverfuck that ends with a sound that screams the essence of grunge music and not Luna (some bullshit profession of love to Courtney Love (pre-Cobain)). Rating: 10/10 Stars: 5/5

Quick review on Beastie Boys — Paul’s Boutique They’re white. They can rap. My best analogy for it is if Alvin and the Chipmunks grew up and started doing hip-hop… this is what it would be. BBs best songs are still Sabotage, Remote Control, No Sleep Til, Brooklyn, and Fight for Your Right… none of those songs are on this album. You do the math. Stars: 2/5 Rating: 4/10

Pre-Listening: I never listened to the Smiths because it was a weird time in life for me when I got into rock and roll where bands like The Shins, The Kinks, The Kooks, and The Strokes all had music I needed to listen to. Call me bias, but I saw The Smiths as the most boring of those names so I let them slide. Best: Well I Wonder Runner-up: Nowhere Fast Third: I Want The One I Can’t Have Post-listening: Had I been alive in the 80s, I could see me getting into this band. Johnny Marr’s guitar sound is exactly the kind of guitar sound I seek in my groove rock. I like that each song has a purpose and does something for the album. However, I do not care for Morrissey’s voice. I wasn’t surprised to find that his unique sound wasn’t always well received. For me, it’s either over the top, or killing the vibe of the band. I appreciate that this album and this band helped music transition into shoegaze which I have come to really enjoy in the last decade of my life. The Smiths use of tremolo (new music word unlocked) is really emphasized in Meat is Murder and that made the songs have a really tangible atmosphere for me. I can’t say I’ll come back to this album often, but it’ll make for good background music in the summer moving forward. Rating: 7/10 Stars: 3/5

Not as good as Bookends, but still an enjoyable album. Best: Cecilia Runner-Up: So Long, Frank Lloyd Wright Third: Baby Driver I don’t know why, but I couldn’t get into this album as much as Bookends. I felt like it was missing that soul seeking feel that Simon and Garfunkel possessed in Bookends. Their craft and musicianship is still fully in display and they make each song beautiful or catchy, but there’s just something missing that doesn’t provide as much depth for me. Maybe it was the opener, which, I hate to be that guy, but I didn’t care for that much. Just didn’t pull me in. Hopefully, that didn’t affect my overall taste of the album, but it might have. Still a fun listen that I did enjoy and isn’t that the whole point? Stars: 4/5 Rating: 8/10

Graceland — Paul Simon Pre-listening: always heard they shouldn’t have gone solo. I guess we’ll see. Best: Graceland Runner-up: Diamonds on the Bottom of My Shoes Third: You Can Call Me Al Post-listening: Not bad. I liked the songs that were slow better than the ones that were fast. The slow songs feel more important and the fast ones feel hokey (but the again, maybe that’s just the 80s). I respect a lot of the music and all that went into the production but it’s definitely not my kind of music. It feels like yacht rock for people who don’t own a yacht. Rating: 5/10 Stars: 2/5

Kid A — Radiohead The year 2000. A time in life where everyone was hoping for drastic change and futuristic thinking. But when it comes to bands we know… keep them the same. Keep Limp Bizkit a hot mess. Keep Bon Jovi playing the classics. Keep Madonna from making music. Keep all of N’Sync together. And, for the love of God, keep Radiohead as our beloved depressing rock band. … But. This is the year 2000. And if we need drastic changes, that can and must include changes to your favorite musicians. So que up more Nu Metal, let Bon Jovi do what he wants because as he says best, “It’s My Life!” Madonna not only can make music but can keep trying to lure in young 20 something guys for the next decade. Justin Timberlake is allowed to go solo and go double platinum. And of course, Radiohead can take a total stab in the atmosphere and rip our expectations to shreds. Following Okay Computer, there would have been no complaints about another traditional sounding album from Radiohead. A song that motivates, a song that you can jam to, a song that you keep for drives with friends, and a song that depresses the hell out of you that you don’t want to admit to anyone that you like. Instead, they threw out a hook and ladder. An unforeseen album that captured both a major middle finger to consumerism while invoking the feeling of the new millennium. They gave us Kid A. Everyone was expecting another great album of traditional rock. Guitar, melody, drum solo, beautiful lyrics that mean something. What they got were songs that spoke hatred and beauty, songs that sounded insanely futuristic while paying homage to classics. They got songs that push our ears to find the little things and lyrics that make us question our point in life. They basically gave us what we didn’t expect, but that’s we totally expected, but why? Thom Yorke had grown depressed, sick of the fame, sick of the pretentious world around him, the demand of the fans and the record companies to rinse, lather, and repeat. He suffered writer’s block because he knew he didn’t want to do the same ol’ thing again and again and again, and become this generations AC/DC. The dam finally broke and came through in an album of asking more from the people who asked more of you. And for once, the people understood. While poorly received at first take, Kid A weeded out the fans who weren’t loyal quickly but those that stuck around made their presence known to those that left. Kid A became a soundtrack to a generation ready for the new, the future, and the change that had been promised to us in the year 2000. We didn’t find world peace. We didn’t find a cure for AIDs. We didn’t get flying cars, or those pizza makers from Back to the Future 2. But we did get a new, bold, sound; art rock/experimental rock but for the 21st century. Each track feels like it was conducted in a lab. Each track feels like a symphony done with a rock band. And Each track reminds us to never limit ourselves. I now understand Kid A’s importance. It isn’t going to be a wedding party favorite. It isn’t going to be your go to for road trips. But, it is an understanding of when fame becomes too much, you need to test loyalty, that when eggs and bacon lost their taste, you try a new breakfast, that when the world demands something that makes them feel like they have hope for a new beginning, you can provide it to them. Kid A. An album less about music and more about an experience. Is their insane music quality in the album, yes. Is it more than just an album, yes. I get that now. Wish I knew it sooner. Rating: 10/10 Stars: 5/5

Strange ways, here we come — The Smiths Pre-listening: Last time I had them (5 days ago), I rationalized that I would have liked them had I been a teen in the 90s. Wonder if this will further convince me of that or turn me off to them. Best: Death of a Disco Dancer Runner-Up: Girlfriend in a Coma Third: I Won’t Share You Post-listening: This album justified a lot of my curiosity from Meat is Murder. Marr’s composing > Morrissey’s singing, but I will say Morrissey’s lyrics were better here. It also justified for me that I would have liked this band if I was a teen in the 80s. The guitar is so addictive and the layering is so satisfying. It’s what I look for in music. The album had better tracks, wasn’t as stretched out as Meat is Murder and was definitely a better balance of the band’s overall talent. Ironically, it was the band’s last studio album which means they may have been at their best and worst at the same time. Still, it’s an album worth listening to and revisiting in the spring. Rating: 7/10 Stars: 3/5

So prince you know I’ve never really been big on prince. I’ve always loved Prince, but I’ve never really been big on his actual music like I hope that makes sense like I love who he is. I love what he stands for. I love how he portrays himself as an artist. I know his catalog to an extent, but I do not know the deep cuts like I wouldn’t be able to tell you what track what song is on you know what I mean so when I got this album, I was pretty excited for it because I knew I was gonna have to take some time to actually deep dive into prince. Right away the first track sign of the times I was thinking to myself is this a social commentary album and is this all gonna be like what to pimp a butterfly was for Kendrick but pretty quickly it turned into another Prince album with a social commentary song to lead things off. I did like a lot of of the other stuff. My favorite song was starfish and coffee as that was really fun really out there really kind of different and had its own like vibe to. I did not care for the song it but I understand it was essential considering it is a Prince album. As the as the discs kept going, I really liked the cross thought that was a very powerful song. and I really Doug house quake. I don’t know why, but that song was just fun and crazy and you know everything. Kind of hope for with a Prince song. I’m not gonna say it’s my favorite Prince album cause I haven’t deep dive into the other ones enough, but that was a lot of fun and it was a good Friday album rating 8 out of 10 stars 4 to 5

This album is fantastic. Has a very Brandi Carlisle vibe. I had never heard anything by her before. The songs have a lot of depth lyrically and interesting stuff going on sound wise. Definitely one of the better surprises so far of this whole experiment! Not exactly my type of music that I seek out, but I have no problem putting this on. It’s good stuff. Rating: 9/10 Stars: 5/5