Amazingly thick funk-soul album. Great backing back and Stevie is on top form. Still not as perfect as Talking Book and Songs in the Key but a fantastic album nonetheless.
This beauty blends jazz, funk, soul, rock, dissonance and far-out experimentation. This is Miles Davis at his most groundbreaking. Let your mind and body float away while you listen to it.
Never liked Britpop bands but this album goes away from its formula. Creative compositions, it flirts with experimental pop, the production is varied and creative. Good album.
This is pure 70s David Bowie. Moody, pensive and manic at times. Classic songs.
Scottish derivative power post-punkish indie rock with nice abrasive and high-tuned guitars, but not much else to show.
Dreamy, eerie, beautiful ethereal melodies... Like being violated by a crying angel... ever so gently.
Waylon is great but this album feels very empty musically, despite having a full band. It fails to separate itself from the droves of 70s country albums. It is just not remarkable.
Quite accessible Peej but its impact is no lesser. Amazing elliptical song structures.
Unusual song constructions, quite artsy and adventurous at times. But even more than that, one great song after another, not a single dud.
I do like my prog. But there must a limit. This is the extreme end of the spectrum. While their technical prowess and complex compositions are undeniable, I missed a bit of heart and some rawness to match some of the lyrics. It's better when progressive rock does not sound like robots masturbating in sync. Except the last song 'Are you ready Eddy?'. They sound free and like they were actually having fun. Ah well...
This is when SY found the perfect balance between noise and quiet somberness. This and Daydream Nation are just nearly flawless albums.
I really like the guitar sound on this thing. It's full, organic and gritty. The rest? Garden variety, abrasive melodic noise post hardcore that adds nothing new. A poor man's At The Drive In.
Even though I don't care for Air I still respect it as something well made, well put together and consistent. Bonafide retro lounge. Even though I don't like it personally.
Quiet, contemplative and delicious VU album. Pale Blue Eyes is a mega tune.
I'm a stupid white man and rap does not do it for me. However, I cannot deny how impactful listening to this album was. It has some much anger and resentment when talks about the black experience of that time in America. I don't care about the gangsterism and misogyny of some the lyrics but I can surely understand where they are coming from. Dre, Ice Cube and Eazy E delivery is intense and powerful. I still don't care about NWA and rap in general, but I can still appreciate what this album meant.
Ah, I love myself some trippy and druggy music. So I'm a bit biased with this. This has some very interesting unconventional song structures and great vibe but the songs are maybe too short to be effective psychedelic drug taking music. You're just starting to ride the wave and then it's already gone. Ideally this should have been one 22 minute song o Side A and another 22 minute song on Side B for more optimized tripping.
Musically (only), Kanye is great. But Yeezus falls very short of My Dark Twisted Fantasy in manner of creativity and production. And I cannot stomach some of those misogynistic lyrics.
Unless you hate Bob Dylan for whatever reason you choose, this album is undeniably one of his great ones. His refusal to conform to the "folk music" rules is in full display as half of the album is with an electric full band, the lyrics start becoming more personal, poetic, and cryptic, and less protest-based. This is filled with absolute classics.
This is just plain hard rock with some operatic theatricality coming out. But is quite plain. I guess they would peak later when embraced multigenre blending. The most interesting song is The March of the Black Queen. At least this one does not have any of those tiring overplayed hits. And no, I don't care about fantasy-themed lyrics.
Right out of the bat I'll say I'm not a fan of Genesis or over-structured prog. I prefer them weird. However, this has interesting song build-ups and progression. Well put together, even though the synths quickly outstay their welcome.
Do I care about the Beatles? No, I don't. Am I able to write an honest review that does not take my personal taste into account? Yes, I am.
I Want You (She's So Heavy) is the best Beatles songs ever. And arguably invented the evil heavy metal riff. Some really solid songs here, but it feels more like a collection of songs than an actual planned out album, as it goes into a lot of different directions, even thematically. But the solid songs are so well built, with such a rich palette of sounds, varied influences and intensity that make this a really good overall effort.
While some people, probably with too much anxiety issues, see this a boredom. I see myself tripping in acid on top a glacier as it melts in ultra slow motion. Of course there's a time and a place for this, but nonetheless it is an immersive and contemplative sound.
I don't care about Green Day. But this has brought me back to when I was 18 and this album had just come out. It was quite a jump from their Lookout Records stuff that I was used to. This album represents when teenage angst went mainstream. But I can't deny the songs are catchy, poppy and the lyrics funny, even though you have to be of a certain age for them to be relatable. It was nice to revisit this as a nostalgic piece, especially in my near middle age. I'm ok to forget it for a long time now. I'll enjoy going back to this when I'm 60.
Deliciously half-sung half-spoken declamatory beatnik-like performance by Patti Smith with great, creative art-rock instrumentation built around it. There's this barely contained anger on the verge of exploding that keeps you holding your breath. Such a great album.
The sound of an era. And this is confirmed by the whole roll of guests on this album. Graham Nash, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, and members of Jefferson Airplane, Santana, and the Grateful Dead. The semi-improvisational blues-rock, that reminds me a lot of Neil Young & Crazy Horse, is absolutely contagious. Music to watch the sun set while melting on delicious drugs. Cowboy Movie is an absolute trippy banger.
I don't care about Duran Duran. Will never do. Don't like this type of music. But I think I can write an honest review.
Add new wave, rock, pop, a lot of synth, springly bass lines and a ton of cocaine to the blender and you get this album. It is energetic and fun. The songs are catchy and highly danceable with the correct mix of drugs.
Dude... so much cocaine and Ambien.
This is a tender and touching album. It reminds of the Emmylou Harris classics. Nanci's voice is sweet and lyrical. And the compositions are rich with different layers of instrumentation. The songs are great and lingering.
Say whatever you want and it's probably true: fraudsters, plagiarists, pedophiles, cultural appropriators, oversexualized cock rockers. Guess what? I'm evaluating the album, not the band, which, by the way, I'm not a fan of. This album has an energetic and electrifying blend of r&b, hard rock and blues without being afraid of slowing down and delving into somber psychedelic territory as well. It is creative and expressive, regardless of being robbed or not. Yeah, I could have done without the excessive affectations and oh babys from Robert Plant. Just too much. But the album works. The band? To hell with them. But the album has qualities.
This is such a great album. It is an ethereal experience. All songs are thematically and musically connected to build this feeling of disembodiment. When you listen to this album, it's like life goes on slow motion and nothing matters but this moment. It is a soundtrack for hopeful depression, while microdosing on morphine. Bliss.
This album pays homage to 70s rock, Rolling Stones, Beatles, Yardbirds, Grateful Dead, country music, and alternative rock. It is all blended seamlessly, without being derivative and not forgetting to add its own personality to it. It's like a love letter to rock and country. Deal with it.
Starts brilliantly with I Saw the Light. What a song. Then it becomes a bit tiring. It's a very long album and not all songs are standouts. Still great song arrangements, harmonies, and great r&b, 70s soft rock, sophistirock and soul influences.
I don't care about the Eurythmics but this is not about my taste. Some interesting and complex song arrangements that fit Annie Lennox's voice perfectly. But the final result is a mixed bag. Some good stuff (Jennifer is a standout) but some of Dave Stewart's arrangements are terribly dated and poor.
A sequence of absolutely classic songs and amazing lyrics. The perfect soundtrack for your post-break heart maladies.
Nina Simone is always amazing, but this album is not really representative of their classic work. It comprises of great recordings but they are from several different sessions and not planned as a concise and individual album. But still, you would be wasting your time here. Her deep voice just melts like butter on top of those jazzy and blues piano chords.
This is definitely not for me. Not my thing at all. But will I shit on it just because I don't like this type of music like most people here? Of course not.
Since this is a compilation, not all songs follow a certain pattern or standard but that works to its advantage.
Things that I like: minimalistic structure, creative use of layering for the most part. It is very trippy and some songs are even quite chill and relaxing.
Things that I don't like: it is very tiring to listen in one sitting. Over 3 hours of music. Being a compilation, it is hit and miss. Some songs are better than others but as they last very long, 10 minutes (or 1h) of a bad one is cruel torture.
I don't care about RATM and I think this album is very dated, but I respect what they represented coming up in the early 90s. Innovative blend of 70s riff rock (Led Zep, Deep Purple and Hendrix come to mind) with angry political rap. Angry and poignant. It deserves to be on this list because of what brought about back them. People on the comments insist on evaluating only based on their personal taste. Broaden your vocabulary and musical analysis, wasters. You need to be able to evaluate something outside of your personal taste. Rant over. RATM style.
This was a tough review because I absolutely dislike the band. But I'm going to pretend that I don't and try to be honest.
Musically is very interesting. Very energetic, psychedelic and funky, changing from dub to alternative rock seamlessly. Best tune is Three Days. Great intensity and change ups. However, Perry Farrell's tone and singing are very samey making listening to the album very tiring. But hey, the songs are constructed in a very creative way.
Call it sophistipop, soft prog, complex pop. Call it what you want. It is a work of refined arrangements and complex compositions. Do I like this? Oh fuck no. I hate Steely Dan. But it is undeniably well made, it made its mark in time. Brilliant album. It deserves to be here. I just hope I don't have to listen to it again.
Yeah, straight up very hard to condone someone blaring "Smack by Bitch Up" several times. And if when you look over that, you're still left with obvious song structures that do not really innovate. They just drop the bass at the expected times. Even if it was important when it first came out, the tracks have aged pretty poorly. I guess it's good for the dance floor or something?
This album reeks of sweaty, sticky and clammy sex. Prince mix of r&b, funk and pop is so well put together that it actually creates a music genre of its own. We call that Prince.
I do like John Martyn, just not this album. The production is too dated. It aged poorly. Give me 'Solid Air' over this one. But the last song is fantastic, though. Too bad the rest of the album does not keep up.
If you're into this sort of thing, this is a delight of an album. 60s folk, country rock and a small touch of psychedelia. I love it. Not sure if it's "1001 Albums You Must Listen Before You Die" material, as the songs despite being great, don't really gel consistently as part of an album but I appreciate the excuse to listen to that again. If you're not into it, why should you bother?
Ragged, homeless-like and super expressive. This is one of Janis' finest albums. It's so intense and filled with angst. Love the rendition of 'Me and Bobby McGee'. KK would be proud.
Alongside Black Sabbath, this monolithical thing paved the way for heavy psych music and remains influential until this day. Not my favorite album from them, but it is quite relevant.
I don't care if you don't like the type of music. This is absolutely genius based on the fact that there was nothing like it when it first came out and it's still very groundbreaking. Not as abrasive as Swordfishtrombones but it's pretty much a mix of early jazz and blues, proto-american music from the 1910s, Screamin' Jay Hawkins impersonation and played by a band of circus freak with a homeless barfly with a whiskey soaked voice as the crooner. This is pure beauty. Of the ugly kind.
I like prog but I don't like masturbatory prog. ELP is that type of prog. Too much synth! Having said that, this is also quite an interest experiment on reimagining a classical piece into rock, jazz and psychedelia. Points for daring to make something different.
Yeah, this was fun in the 90s, but it was not exactly groundbreaking. Indie rock with folky overtones. Still fun to listen to.
This is a delightful soul album. Great arrangements, buttery harmonies. The songs are catchy and really well put together. There's even a touch of psychedelia. Lovely album!
Aw man. This just warms up the heart of any human being. Beautiful voice and arrangements and tight band and brass section. This puts a smile on my face.
Well, I guess eventually this had to happen given that there's more than a 1000 albums on this list. I don't like this and it's normally what I listen to. But I if have to be fair and ignore my own personal taste this is what I'll say: This is really well produced and well put together pop music. It doesn't pretend that it's not a product ready-made for consumption. But whatever the case, the people responsible for this knew what they were doing. The melodies are contagious and very catchy, it suits her voice well, there's some variation amongst the songs without losing its central theme. The lyrics mean nothing to me, not relatable, but I don't think I'm on the age demographics this was destined to to. This is very far from my type of music but I recognize that for a pop product this is really well made.
This crooner thing is nice at places but it's a bit repetitive overall. Not sure why this album is here. He has better ones.
Such a great voice, but the dated 80s overproduction is a killer. It ruins the songs. I'm sorry Anita, you are way better than this. They done you wrong.
This sounds like somebody in a vulnerable state, at an open mic bar with a band, half drunk and half medicated, trauma dumping on the audience. There's a lot of pain and anger there. Even though sometimes the songs sound too happy for the lyrics, they are impactful and serve her voice and delivery really well. Good stuff altogether.
Bike rider looking, whiskey drinking bearded white men playing a mix of blues and hard rock. Like the bands you would see in a biker bar. It's no bad but it's also not great.
So far my lowest point. It's just a derivative blend of reggae, pop, soul and r&b without committing to anything. I try by best to be objective regardless of my personal taste but I don't understand why this is in this list. The fake jamaican accent killed me.
Nothing short of amazing a 22 year old blind fella write this whole album and fill it with classic songs and even play the drums in the recording. Come one. The arrangements and musicians are fantastic and the former child prodigy Little Stevie has complete freedom to express himself the way he wanted. The lyrics are sappy, I know, but nothing different from what one would expect from a 22 year old in the 70s.
The early 70s phase of Rod Stewart is actually good if you like his period with The Faces. Pure 70s rock with his signature raspy voice. This is a mix of covers and his own songs. Decent but nothing groundbreaking or remarkable. Just decent songs.
Punchy pop punk, proto-new wave and power pop beautifully blended together. The album's title is very apropos. Each track is solid and hits the mark perfectly. Great album.
Oh man, it's very hard to rate this album in an honest way. I guess it's well made, she has a good voice, it's well produced and there's a healthy dose of sadness and depression which I appreciate. But it's too "Mother's Day Soundtrack" for me. I just can't. I'm not the demographics for this.
When this came out in 1977, people were experimenting with synths. Disco was poppin' and the the first attempts into what would become New Wave were being drawn. Not Suicide, though. They took all this synth movement that was taking shape and sent it all to hell to create something dark, obtuse and angry. Think of a proto-punk and obnoxious version of The Doors... and you would probably be right and wrong at the same time.
Leonard Cohen is a great poet. I like him a lot. The lyrics are acid and powerful. But I've never seen such a mismatch between the tone of the lyrics and the music. I don't know who was hired to produce this album but this is horrifying. It's tacky, dated and in extremely poor taste. Who thought it would be a good idea to have new wave style backing singers? I'll stick with Songs of Leonard Cohen and Songs From a Room. This is painful stuff.
This is a fun, indie pop-tinted aussie garage rock but it is just too generic to stand out on its own.
Just because I don't like Chris Cornell singing does not mean I don't think he was a very talented fella with a powerful voice. I just don't like that singing style, sue me. But in my opinion, the best thing about Soundgarden is the actual band. Their instrumentation is fantastic. Top-notch creative songwriting. That guitarist is great.
When I was a kid I used to be obsessed with Iron Maiden. But unfortunately, as a got older, I started having less time for those lyrics and the whole cheesiness of their act and grew out of it. It's interesting to go back to it in my fifties. The first one is quite expressive and raw when compared to the theatricality that came after. It's quite hard rock-based as well, I guess the lyrical and operatic voice of Bruce Dickinson helped paved the way for the band to become more heavy metal inspired.
Despite not being my type of thing, this is so mellow and a delightful listen. The R&B based songs are stronger than the rap ones. And the classroom themed vignettes are a bit dated, however they do make it a concise album.
Soundtrack for the apocalypse. It's both beautiful and agonizingly unsettling and chaotic. Great concept, great song construction.
Mumbling, grumbling, drunken, rock-bottom, barfly blues. What's not to like?
Oh no, I just can't. This is rehashed Coldplay with extra moaning Radiohead with a Queen-like operatic flair and a bit of distortion to try to sound a bit different. Music to calm sheep.
Not only this is beautiful music, with tight instrumentation but it also has great socially conscious lyrics.
Beautiful 70s rock with all the toppings. Soulful and jammy.
Bob Dylan, Tom Petty and The Waterboys blended with indie rock and car advertisement music. It works well at times and gets a bit repetitive and overdrawn in others. It is still a nice listen.
By the way, is it just me or the track Burning has the same keyboard riff as Rod Stewart's Young Turks?
Experimental and yet quite accessible, Can's drummer Holger Czukay weaves a brilliant tapestry of world music, with space rock and psychedelic overtones. This is such a trippy and groovy album to listen to.
Not my favorite, but a top 5 album by The Boss. Instantly recognizable songs with great storytelling lyrics.
While not as good as what Smiley Smiley could have been this is still a great representation of The Beach Boys' best era. Sad, resentful and pensive psychedelic music with their signature harmonies.
This is actually a fun pot-pourri of several danceable retro music styles put together in a creative way.
I feel like a middle-aged lady going through menopause and having nostalgia and heat flashes. At least this is not based on singles or hits and has the feel of a concise album. A sad and melancholy album by the way. Not for me but it's not your typical ABBA album..
This is the soundtrack of the world gone all wrong. I've had the privilege of seeing them live a few times in the last 20 years and it's even more oppressive and agonizing on stage. Beautiful chaos.
Creatively made music, derivative of Beatles and Kinks. It does the job.
Radiohead suddenly became interesting for me with Kid A. It was quite a brave move, after the success of Ok Computer, set for life, to do a U Turn and experiments with different layers of sounds.
Breezy, relaxing and delightful reggae album. Great songwriting and musicianship.
Terribly dated and tacky thing.
Pop music done right. Beautiful melodies and songwriting, tight band and layered arrangements. Lovely.
I confess I can't evaluate this honestly by getting outside of my own music taste. It wouldn't be fair to the album. I hate this so much, the lyrics, the music. Everything. But that's just my taste, not a fact. It's not fair to judge anything solely based on my taste and my limited ability to transcend my personal taste. I am sorry but I just can't. I hope you like it though.
Otis' voice is like a hot knife on butter. It just makes you melt out of sheer delight. A Change is Gonna Come just makes me cream all over my self everytime I listen to it.
This is an impressive display of narcissism and paranoia. I had no idea there were so many people after Kanye. Poor fella. The music? Ah, nice production and creative instrumentations and arrangements. The King Crimson samples demonstrate a good music knowledge. But then he opens his mouth and I have to listen to those lyrics. I'm out.
This is an absolutely fantastic album. High energy old school electric blues that does not let up.
Dub reggae with distortion. Like post punk dub. No thanks to John Lydon. He's as annoying as always. Jah Wobble is the genius behind this thing. Great debut.
England during the 80s synth pop was huge. Erasure and Pet Shop Boys were huge. But they were also cheerful and filled with escapism. But Depeche Mode was the one to really use synth pop to capture the darkness of the Thatcher's era. Pensive and not always danceable, but deep and contemplative. Music for the Masses is excellent but it is not even close to their best.
Of course I like Parliament. Bonafide and funkalicious. But George Clinton's groundbreaking band will always be Funkadelic. Parliament is more polished and commercial, which will never be an issue on my book. However, I love how animalistic and unhinged Funkadelic is.
Bigger than the sum of its parts. Trippy, wordly, experimental and yet very engaging. Great collab.
This is soft rock for balding functioning alcoholics with a touch of scoliosis. Having said that, I do like Tunnel of Love. This one is too "adult oriented rock" for my taste. Overcleanedup rock.
Sophisticated pop with loungey and jazzy overtones. With the exception of an awkward rap-like song, the album has great elaborate songs that contrast beautifully with the angry political lyrics.
Elaborate noodlin'. Impressive musicianship, song writing and creative passages and set pieces, even if at sometimes it sounds too elliptical and tiresome. Shout out to Paul Simon's America cover.
The Cure early days were just pure gothic depression and intense desolation. How not to love it?
An absolute proto punk classic. Dirty, sleazy, unreliable. I couldn't think of a better vehicle for Iggy Pop's weirdness. The filthiness and abrasiveness of the guitars are just beautiful. I love how they went on a completely different direction with the meditative We Will Fall.
This is sad. But sad in a good way. It's a melancholic album by the late Beach Boys drummer. In some bits it sounds like Nilsson, and other bits sounds like a mature and depressing Beach Boys album. This is beautiful.
How not to take Chuck D's delivery seriously? Classic band, classic album. Even though it's a bit dated musically, the strong lyrics and powerful singing more than make up for it.
Pop music with an edgy indie vibe. It is still formulaic.
This is not for me. Too cute and sugary. However it is well made. No reason to trash E.S. just because it's not my type of music. It sits in between what Beatles "Rubber Soul" started and what Sufjan Stevens "Illinoise" continued after E.S.
Classic hard rock that pulls all stops.
Nice classic 90s indie rock but far from the best of the era
This is derivative pop-folk music that adds next to nothing to the style. Low hanging fruit. Nothing to write home about. A respectful nod to 'Say Hello, Wave Goodbye'. There's a classic Van Morrison vibe there in the way he sings.
This is beautiful, adventurous and mind expanding. It blends electric with analog instruments and creates something that goes beyond the standard definitions of jazz. It's transcendental space music destined to aliens. Brilliant stuff.
Stevie Wonder's 70s albums are always great, but he has at least three to four other albums from the same era that are better than this one.
Sexy, oily, sweaty, druggy and chocolate-covered soul music drenched in psychedelia. Beautiful.
This is silly indie synthpop. It can be fun, it can be tiring, it can be useless.
This is a classic album that blends a lot of different types of black music under the guise of hard rock. It is very inventive in parts and dated in others. But ingenious genre-bending has my eternal respect.
The most distinctive LZ album. Less focused on ripping off old blues singers.
In the world of american blue collar rock this does more than a decent job at updating the heartland rock bands of the 70s and electric Neil Young to the 90s.
This is not my type of music at. Chances are I'll never listen to this again. But that does not prevent me from giving it an honest review beyond the limitations of my music taste. After getting past my initial disclaimer, this is actually quite well put together. Instead of the expected and tired beats that are used and reused on most r&b and contemporary chart pop music, this surprised me for being so subdued and relatively quiet. It employs unusual layers and song structures that are quite dreamy and ethereal. Not dancefloor stuff. This is not what I expected at all. Kudos to her and whomever was behind this.
