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Latest Reviews (25)

From the last 10 minutes
Darklands album cover

Darklands

The Jesus And Mary Chain

3/5

JAMC were on the alterna-radio a lot back in the day, but never grabbed me enough to buy any of their records. Did I make the right choice at the time? We shall see. This stuff is tuneful, but not very exciting. I liked "Happy When it Rains," though, and some of it feels almost like some of the slower Velvets songs, which I appreciated. Maybe if I were following the lyrics more closely, it might be hitting me with some poignant feeling that the music seems to call for but doesn't quite evoke. But this sounds so much like other bands from this period. Their drum machine is making me tap my foot, but most of these songs aren't hitting for me. 3 stars

Public Image: First Issue album cover

Public Image: First Issue

Public Image Ltd.

2/5

The opening track on a debut album-potentially the first song anyone would ever hear from an artist-should at least be enticing, but instead, it's arguably the worst opening track for any album in this generator. Then, the controversial "Religion" track shows up, and I realize this is an edgy concept album. I ended up finding some joy within this mess, especially with the insanity in the closing track, but this is what happens when "edgy YouTube comments" are an album. Favorite Track: "Fodderstompf".

Bright Flight album cover

Bright Flight

Silver Jews

3/5

20 years ago I had a friend that loved SJ and talked about them all the time. I wish I would have listened intently sooner. I get that this is not for everyone. But I can’t deny the great songwriting. It even name checks my city, Chattanooga? Wow.

Headquarters album cover

Headquarters

The Monkees

2/5

Baggrunds-sektionen på Wikipedia var jo nok mere spændende end pladen. Det var fint nok, ikke noget særligt, ikke dårligt heller

Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite album cover

Oh yeh, this is nice and chilled. Bit of a mixed bag though - I like the funkier tracks at the start, but soon descends into smoother cheesier stuff, and I'm not down!

The Bends album cover

The Bends

Radiohead

4/5

It’s a great 90s Brit rock album but I prefer what Radiohead turned in to

Crocodiles album cover

Crocodiles

Echo And The Bunnymen

3/5

(3/5) It's like The Cure was a little bit happier. Heavy on the treble and reverb as is common in the era, this was a passable 35 minutes of early 80's New Wave/Brit pop. I think I liked it a shade better than The Cure, hence the '3', but I'm probably not coming back to it. Standout tracks were "Crocodiles", "Rescue", & "All That Jazz". The rest was just sorta there and blended into each other..

Harvest album cover

Harvest

Neil Young

3/5

Harvest was good in my opinion, though overall quite forgettable. There were songs like Heart of Gold, Old Man, and A Man Needs a Maid really stood out to me. The album has strong cohesion and flow throughout. The orchestration is beautiful - I loved that the production and instrumentals because they never overpower the lyrics, yet still feel organic. Lyrically and thematically, the album feels like Neil Young reflecting on difficult yet ordinary human experiences from a more emotionally worn perspective - that feeling of being so exhausted where you become raw and emotionally honest is so real and human. I can see why some people might find the album a bit of a bummer, but I think that melancholy is also what makes it such a beautiful take on country folk music. It captures sadness in a very human and understated way rather than dramatizing it.

Tom Tom Club album cover

Tom Tom Club

Tom Tom Club

4/5

Skemmtileg plata frá hliiðarverkefni Chris og Tinu í Talking heads. Létt og þægilegt.

Ghosteen album cover

Ghosteen

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

2/5

Wasn’t ready for this one. It was heavy, deep and just a lot sounded the same. Tough getting through it other than a couple songs.

At Mister Kelly's album cover

At Mister Kelly's

Sarah Vaughan

5/5

Legendary. If there was a Mount Rushmore of jazz singers, Sarah Vaughn would have to be on it. This live recording starts with an announcement that it is being recorded and that Sarah Vaughn will be using lyric sheets. But then on Willow Weep for Me she sings that she has just messed up the song but is still singing because the audience expects her to. And on How High The Moon she sings about the fact that she doesn’t know the song but is going to try to sing it the way Ella sings it - so meta - so charming- so unbelievably good. 11/10

Bad album cover

Bad

Michael Jackson

4/5

Fun album. I enjoyed listening to the deep cuts. 4/5 I’ve heard MJ my whole life and never actually listened to any albums front to back so this was a fun listen. I honestly enjoyed hearing the deep cuts more than the hits. And this might be a controversial take but I think Bad is an annoying song, but overall really fun album!

GI album cover

GI

Germs

2/5

Pretty decent early punk album but maybe I just wasn't in the mood? It felt pretty samey even given the timing and genre.

Hot Reviews (16)

Top reviews from the last 30 days
Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs album cover
1/5

Conor Clapton Committed Suicide Because His Father Sucks Eric Clapton sucks Eric Clapton sucks Eric Clapton's gay And he's fucking gay Your father is the 4th worst singer After Springsteen, Seger and Petty You were sick of his gay fucking songs So you jumped out a really high up window Eric Clapton sucks Eric Clapton sucks Eric Clapton's gay And he's fucking gay Your father sucks so fucking bad You knew you'd get beaten up at school You were sick of hearing "You Look Wonderful Tonight" So you jumped out a really high up window Sometimes I wish you didn't die Because I hate the song "Tears in Heaven" I was glad you died, until I heard that song

A Grand Don't Come For Free album cover
5/5

Wife: what are you listening to? Me: it's my album of the day. Wife: why are you still listening? I would've turned this off after 7 seconds. Me: I'm listening to every album. You know, in for a penny, in for a pound. Wife: why are you doing this to yourself? I wouldn't want to start my day listening to this. Me: ok I'll turn it off. Thank you, thank you, this is the next single from my new album, 20 Years of Marriage Don't Come For Free. This album is completely unique to the entire list. Dude's rap game is way out in left field. It took a few listens to grasp but this is pure genius. The end of the something I did not want to end Beginning of hard times to come But something that was not meant to be is done And this is the start of what was

Pictures At An Exhibition album cover

Pictures At An Exhibition

Emerson, Lake & Palmer

1/5

Nope. Didn't like this at all. Who told them they could 'rock' out the organ? (1/5) I thought **I** was a nerd, but nooo... Emerson & Co. come along and make the dorkiest, dork-fest of an organ album they could imagine with tracks like "The Curse of Baba Yaga". Alright, guys. You failed your saving throws and it's time to leave the church. Get off the organ/synths... Step away from the keyboard, please...

Wild Is The Wind album cover

Wild Is The Wind

Nina Simone

5/5

Her voice is the instrument on display here, and it shines, but there's some incredible songwriting on display as well. Lots of politically charged lyrics. But of course -- this list disappoints me, again.. this is the **only** Nina Simone album on this list. She's a woman of color, so her discography and 20+ year career barely gets a mention.. I should probably be surprised she's even on the list. Sure, this might be her most popular (arguably) album, but there is SO much left off the table. Her album "Pastel Blues" has her iconic and haunting cover of "Strange Fruit" and famous protest song, "Sinnerman", for instance. I recall enjoying her first album, "Little Girl Blue", long ago. To be crystal clear, I'm not complaining on this album, however, as "Four Women" (wow, this one is charged up!!), "Wild is the Wind", "Black is the Color..",."Either Way I Lose", & "If I Should Lose You" (that crescendo at the end is so good off of her sustained and pained voice...) are legends. But, why JUST this one record?? Normally, this would be a high '4' from me (a very high 4), as it's not everyday listening, but in protest of the lack of breadth of this list (how much electronica/dance do we **really** need to hear before we die?) this gets a (5/5) in the hopes that future lists will include more of this (and the god-damned SUPREMES!!), rather than some more lanky, disshelved English dudes who want to bang on a guitar or a synth for an afternoon...

The College Dropout album cover

The College Dropout

Kanye West

1/5

Nope. Fuck this dude. Didn't understand the hype then, and not about to give him a penny of streaming revenue to find out if I missed anything.

Heaven Or Las Vegas album cover

Heaven Or Las Vegas

Cocteau Twins

2/5

Oh, boy.. more electronic euro-pop.. 🙄🙄 This sounds *VERY* dated and they turned the treble all the way up. So much that I can barely understand the singer. I hope she wasn't key to the music, because if so, big miss by the production team on that one. Otherwise, a bunch of dreamy, ethereal-light stuff that I would never purposely put on. (2/5). This isn't offensive, it's just definitely not my style. At all. I feel like I've hit a lot of '2's recently. This continues that trend.

Heaven Or Las Vegas album cover

Heaven Or Las Vegas

Cocteau Twins

3/5

Heard of them but never been exposed to anything they'd done. This one has a dreamy, atmospheric sound that I could really get into, but the vocals initially distracted from the experience. I get using the voice as a musical instrument, and I've listened to and enjoyed non-English speaking music in the past, so it really helped to stop trying to understand it and assume she's speaking Gaelic, instead. The layers of synth and overall relaxing vibe of the album were refreshing, and there was just enough tonal variety to keep things interesting while pretty seamlessly flowing together. An overall ethereal album that I'm still not sure that I'd revisit, so it bumps its head on a 3/5 ceiling.

Figure 8 album cover

Figure 8

Elliott Smith

2/5

Boring. So, so boring. Far too melancholy for me. I've been consistent in that my '3' ratings are something I'd try and come back to, or had a few tracks I like. '2' isn't offensive or irritating, but rather it's a single listen and for a variety of reasons I won't come back to any of it. Smith is a perfectly fine musician, but boy is he lacking any energy. (2/5)

Figure 8 album cover

Figure 8

Elliott Smith

3/5

"The imitation picks you up like a habit." This is a new listen for me. I’ve never heard of this guy even though the 2000 release date puts it right in my college years when I was the most connected to popular and new music in my life. I can "hear" in this an album a younger version of myself would've enjoyed a lot. Its full of angst and guitar strumming, even if it falls on the emo side of what I usually prefer. Which is why I'm surprised I'd never encountered it back in the day. On the other hand, bleak and/or gloomy music for disaffected youth is a crowded space. The Cure, Nirvana, and Wilco are all acts I've already encountered in just the first 80 albums of this project. Looking through the reviews of this album, though, shows that it landed with many people, but it is understandable if for some it landed outside of their radar. That is where it landed for me. And I'm finding its not an easy album to latch onto in my forties. With Wilco I found I wanted to fabricate long years of nostalgia upon hearing it for the first time. Mr. Smith is not working the same kind of magic. Very little of it is sticking. Another album in the collection of those that found me at the wrong time in my life. Highlight tracks Junk Bond Trader.

Who's Next album cover

Who's Next

The Who

5/5

Long before CSI had a series in every major city in America, the Who were revolutionizing and framing what future generations would define as rock & roll. This is them at their absolute peak, and even if the album does lose a little steam in the middle, that mediocrity is sandwiched between five of their greatest tracks ever. Baba O'Riley, Behind Blue Eyes, and Won't Get Fooled Again are nearly enough on their own to elicit a 5/5, but the added bonus of Bargain and Going Mobile really seal the deal.

Who's Next album cover

Who's Next

The Who

5/5

People remember how you start and how you finish. This album starts with a Best “Side 1, Track 1” of All Time Contender and finishes with an even better track. And beyond that the songs themselves start and end so memorably. The little coda parts on each of these tracks are mini-victory laps. The album was a gem to listen to. It sags ever so slightly in the middle (the tracks “My Wife” and “The Song is Over” are the two weakest IMO) but never enough to drag. Man, the landscape of 1970s rock is quite something to behold. 1971 is up there with 1991 as such an outstanding year for music releases. What The Who achieved here is stunning, one of those landmarks of rock that will forever be referenced. Seriously, some bands are lucky if within their entire career they add one phrase or idea to the long lexicon of music and culture. The Who gave us three or four on this one album. And to think it is the by product of a failed rock opera idea. On this listen I really got into “Bargain”. “Behind Blue Eyes” remains my favorite track. I still find it haunting in a way. And “We Won’t Get Fooled Again” will still be played in 100 years. Meet the new 5-star. Same as the old 5-star.

Wild Is The Wind album cover

Wild Is The Wind

Nina Simone

5/5

Nina Simone is one of those names that looms large. She is a name I have often heard but have never spent much time with listening to her music. Once again I’m in need of some schoolin’. Her’s is one of those legacy voices that truthfully you need to experience yourself. Well her command and presence came through my ear buds as masterful as anything this list has offered so far this morning. I've been thinking about this album all day. There is such life in these vocals. She refuses to sand down the rough textures that appear. This woman has capital “P” - Power in her voice. The opening track “I Love Your Lovin’ Ways” is a bluesy rocking start to the album. The good times are early and short though because after that there much heartbreak to ponder on this album. “Four Women” knocked me on my ass. “Lilac Wine”, “Breakdown and Let it All Out”, “Wild is the Wind”. She’s singing about harder shit than any metal band out there and complaining less. There is an abundance of heartbreak to ponder on this one but it refuses to fall into mopey-ness. It’s vulnerable and defiant. What a shame this is the only entry we get from Nina Simone.

Pictures At An Exhibition album cover

Pictures At An Exhibition

Emerson, Lake & Palmer

2/5

This one is far from my favorite of theirs, and frankly ranges from laughably pretentious to downright annoying. There's some decent substance between all of that, and there's obvious proficiency on display, but the tone of the synthesizer lends a cartoonish quality that undermines the overall effect. It's a 2/5 that made me spin Lucky Man just to get the taste out of my mouth.

Pictures At An Exhibition album cover

Pictures At An Exhibition

Emerson, Lake & Palmer

3/5

This was a progressive rock band going full progressive rock band. And me, well, I am a sucker for classical music done by rock bands. I enjoyed this. That acoustic guitar on “The Sage” was a nice piece. The “Live” nature of the recording also added a layer of fun to the whole album too.

Most Popular Reviews

All-time top rated reviews
Be album cover

Be

Common

4/5

I can’t believe the top review for this record (as of Dec 2023) is from someone trying to use their PhD in Mathematics as justification for not liking hip-hop. Weak.

389 likes View Author
Kollaps album cover

Kollaps

Einstürzende Neubauten

4/5

Oh fuck yeah, now we're talking. Wait no, I swear I'm not being pretentious. This is the lowest rated album on this site because I guess mostly people aren't very fond of German people smashing metal plates together - who would have guessed. But halle-fucking-lujah, this is something this list needs more of. Albums that make you go "well, that was an experience and now I'm a changed man". Nobody is lying on their deathbed wishing they heard more crappy 80s post-punk or late 60s psychedelic rock. THIS is what we all deserve to be listening to as we embrace eternal oblivion. I'm giving this a high rating not only because I genuinely really love it, but also to help Kid Rock move to his rightful place as the actual worst album on this list. Together we can make a difference. Save the turtles.

303 likes View Author
Scum album cover

Scum

Napalm Death

3/5

Brings back vivid memories of when me and my mate Ray went on a trip to Dresden. We met this rotund goth in a bar, head to toe with tattoos and piercings, real filth and after a while took her into the disabled bogs for a spit roast. We were both pumping away in her with Napalm Death on in the background and her wailing "MEIN GOTT" at the top of her lungs. I remember spaffing all over her back just as Siege of Power kicked in. As i shoot over her, she takes Ray's cock out of her gob and says "do you want fries with that?" in a faux American accent. Anyway, we go outside and there's this gammy little geezer in a wheelchair sitting there furious, giving me daggers, because he's had to wait so long, so I lean into him and I go "I hope you have as much fun in there as we just did you little cunt".

275 likes View Author
Rust Never Sleeps album cover

Rust Never Sleeps

Neil Young & Crazy Horse

2/5

Back when I was in college, there was this dude who would come into the bar I worked at on a Friday night and play fucking 10 Neil Young songs in a row. He would also hit on girls by doing magic tricks. I remember how angry I got every time he made me listen to an hour of Neil Young because I was just trying to have a good time, and he fucking made me listen to this sad, soppy fuck who writes nothing but songs that sound indistinguishable from each other and never seemed to enjoy a happy moment in his entire like. Fuck that guy, and fuck Neil Young. 2/5

231 likes View Author
Rust Never Sleeps album cover

Rust Never Sleeps

Neil Young & Crazy Horse

5/5

Back when I was in college I used to go to a bar and listen to Neil tunes and do magic tricks for women. There was a bartender there, he was the best. I loved that guy. Some of the best years of my life.

230 likes View Author
Shalimar album cover

Shalimar

Rahul Dev Burman

4/5

Shit like this on the list is both refreshing and infuriating. Refreshing because it is good, fun, interesting, and also not something I would regularly be exposed to! It's why I started this project and keeps me coming back. It's infuriating because the fact that it is included here means that Robert Dimery, the original author of the 1001 albums list is aware that music like this exists. He's clearly aware that there is an entire world of music out there. SO WHY HAVE I LISTENED TO 200 80s BRITISH NEW WAVE ALBUMS AND 200 SCOTTISH ROCK ALBUMS FROM THE 90S??!!?

224 likes View Author
Be album cover

Be

Common

5/5

Rap isn't my preferred genre of music. But I'm a shitty mathematician so I enjoyed this.

203 likes View Author
Be album cover

Be

Common

1/5

I really don't get rap, and I am completely aware of why. I'm a STEM guy, specifically a Ph.D. student in mathematics. Although my verbal intelligence is quite high, it's still about a standard deviation below my quantitative intelligence. Therefore, it should not be too surprising that I prefer melodies to lyricism, and that a genre based on the latter doesn't wow me. I know I'm pretty far out of step with public opinion on this one, but that can easily be attributed to the fact that hipsters with humanities degrees (i.e. extremely verbal-dominant people) are considered the ultimate arbiters of taste for some reason. (Side note: this also explains why prog rock is seen as being for losers.) Best song: Be (Intro), which had a decent instrumental part at the beginning. Everything else just sort of ran together.

199 likes View Author
Melodrama album cover

Melodrama

Lorde

5/5

Sorry Boomers/Gen X, I was like 20 when this came out so it's one of the best things to ever happen to me. Sorry it's not King Crimson or whatever.

180 likes View Author
69 Love Songs album cover

69 Love Songs

The Magnetic Fields

2/5

i ain’t listening to all that i’m happy for u tho or sorry that happened

172 likes View Author
D.O.A. the Third and Final Report of Throbbing Gristle album cover

The beauty of music is that it is subjective. It’s typically great for a certain group of people, though it’s never right for everyone. Some for the masses, some more niche, but it all has its place. Meanwhile, with lists like this, there’s always artists or records that anyone would have put on in place of what actually made it. Personally, I would have included Queensryche’s Operation Mindcrime, Live’s Throwing Copper, Joe Satriani’s The Extremist, Sara Bareilles’ Little Voice, or John Mellencamp’s Scarecrow album on a list of must hear records. Others would put totally different albums on and that's awesome. What someone likes vs. dislikes is truly subjective. Again, that's the beauty. With that said, this album objectively sucks. I mean truly horrible. Something had to be the lowest rated album on the list, and this was a place well earned. There is nothing redeemable about this record. To quote my wife, “they should have stopped at 1,000.”

166 likes View Author
Be album cover

Be

Common

5/5

I am definitely not the target demographic for this album, but I still thought it was very good. There's a lot of skill and artistry put into these tracks, so much so that it is almost invisible. 4 stars for me, plus an extra star just to spite the mathematics PHD guy.

163 likes View Author
Scum album cover

Scum

Napalm Death

1/5

The only enjoyment I got from this was reading the review about the brothers in Dresden and their lovely and talented tattooed friend.

163 likes View Author

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