I wouldn't say Nevermind is my favorite album of all time. Hell, it might not even be my favorite grunge album of all time (Dirt and Live Through This are very close). However, I do believe that this is the greatest album of all time. There isn't an album out there that lives up to its hype more than this one. The first half of the album is nothing short of incredible, with five of Nirvana's most popular and acclaimed hit songs (and Polly, no shade to Polly though). The second half continues this insane momentum, containing some of my personal favorite songs like Drain You, Territorial Pissings, and Something in the Way. Listening to this album is like watching prime LeBron James play a game of basketball: both are about forty minutes of pure greatness. There's a reason this album is loved by basically everybody.
10/10
Favorite tracks: Smells Like Teen Spirit, Come As You Are, Bloom, Territorial Pissings
"Ain't nobody expect Kanye to end up on top / They expected that College Dropout to drop and then flop / Then maybe he stop savin' all the good beats for himself / Roc-A-Fella's only n— that helped" That is a direct quote from Last Call by Kanye West. I bring these lines up because either he had a change of heart in the few months between The College Dropout and Be, or he is a liar, because this album contains nine of the best beats he has ever made. Remarkably, the other two non-Kanye produced songs are equally impressive, thanks to the late great J Dilla.
I could rave all day about the production on this album, but this is Common's album after all, and Common didn't put up a legendary rap performance on every song just for everybody to talk about it like it's Kanye's album. The storytelling is some of the best I've heard, and the delivery of these lyrics are as lively as the production. Oh, and as a self-proclaimed John Legend hater ever since All of Me dropped, I will acknowledge that maybe I'm in the wrong about him, because his contributions to this album are wonderful. If I'm ever having a bad day and need to cheer myself up, this is going right next to Songs in the Key of Life in my rotation.
9.5/10
Favorite tracks: Be (Intro), GO!, Love is..., They Say
Would it be crazy to say that Take Me Out is the second most important thing to be a direct result of the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria? I don't think so, because I listened to alternative stations on the radio growing up, and they played that song non-stop. I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing, despite what some people may say. Even if it was a bit overplayed it's still my favorite song from this album by a decent margin. It's not like the rest of the album is mediocre either, some standouts include a killer intro in Jacqueline, the massively underrated homoerotic anthem Michael, and an equally killer outro in 40'. I would be lying if I said the songs didn't feel a little same-y as the album went on, but I still think this is a very solid debut album, and an essential listen for fans of post/dance-punk.
7.5/10
Favorite tracks: Jacqueline, Take Me Out, This Fire, Michael
e had albums grow on me before. Sometimes it takes a couple listens, sometimes it takes a bunch, but I've never had an album grow on me as the album went on. If you were to ask me what my thoughts on the album were around the title track on my first listen, I probably would've said something like, "it's alright but I don't really get the hype for Arcade Fire." As I kept listening however, I really appreciating everything about it, especially the production. I understand why the production is a very controversial topic, as it may come across as overbearing to some, but I personally love how grand it makes the songs feel. If it was mixed to be lighter, I think Neon Bible would miss what makes it unique and engaging. Since I enjoyed this so much, I should definitely check out Funeral and the rest of Arcade Fire's early work in the near future. I'm certainly looking forward to it!
8/10
Favorite tracks: Black Mirror, Black Wave / Bad Vibrations, Ocean of Noise, No Cars Go
If you are a fan of Radiohead, you better thank David Bowie for Kid A, because he pulled a Kid A over a decade before Radiohead was even a thing. When David Bowie finished recording Low, RCA records refused to release the album for months, saying that he needed to make it sound more like Young Americans. Thankfully, the album was finally released three months after the intended release date, and was initially met with mixed reviews. Nowadays, it is deemed to be among his best work, a sentiment which I couldn't agree more with.
The A-side of Low contains some of Bowie's catchiest tunes, which also most notably has the greatest snare sound of all time (thank you Eventide H910 Harmonizer). The B-side however is equally as good, comprised of mostly ambient tracks, which makes me feel like I'm aimlessly floating around in space. In fact, I almost think they could belong on the Super Mario Galaxy soundtrack. Even though the two sides of this album vary wildly, they still fit together to create one of the most interesting albums ever made.
9.5/10
Favorite tracks: Speed of Life, Always Crashing in the Same Car, Warsawa, Subterraneans
