117
Albums Rated
2.91
Average Rating
11%
Complete
972 albums remaining
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
1970
Favorite Decade
Jazz
Favorite Genre
US
Top Origin
Critic
Rater Style ?
9
5-Star Albums
7
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
Top Styles
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim
Frank Sinatra
|
5 | 3.27 | +1.73 |
|
The College Dropout
Kanye West
|
5 | 3.31 | +1.69 |
|
Fleet Foxes
Fleet Foxes
|
5 | 3.43 | +1.57 |
|
Rising Above Bedlam
Jah Wobble's Invaders Of The Heart
|
4 | 2.59 | +1.41 |
|
Remain In Light
Talking Heads
|
5 | 3.68 | +1.32 |
|
Happy Sad
Tim Buckley
|
4 | 2.78 | +1.22 |
|
Off The Wall
Michael Jackson
|
5 | 3.8 | +1.2 |
|
Innervisions
Stevie Wonder
|
5 | 3.87 | +1.13 |
|
The New Tango
Astor Piazzolla
|
4 | 2.88 | +1.12 |
|
What's Going On
Marvin Gaye
|
5 | 3.94 | +1.06 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Smash
The Offspring
|
1 | 3.36 | -2.36 |
|
Dirty
Sonic Youth
|
1 | 3.1 | -2.1 |
|
Autobahn
Kraftwerk
|
1 | 3.09 | -2.09 |
|
Exile In Guyville
Liz Phair
|
1 | 3.03 | -2.03 |
|
E.V.O.L.
Sonic Youth
|
1 | 2.89 | -1.89 |
|
Hot Fuss
The Killers
|
2 | 3.73 | -1.73 |
|
Arise
Sepultura
|
1 | 2.73 | -1.73 |
|
Transformer
Lou Reed
|
2 | 3.66 | -1.66 |
|
Bringing It All Back Home
Bob Dylan
|
2 | 3.63 | -1.63 |
|
Ramones
Ramones
|
2 | 3.56 | -1.56 |
5-Star Albums (9)
View Album Wall
1-Star Albums (7)
All Ratings
The Cars
3/5
Kraftwerk
3/5
Beatles
4/5
While this album is a drawn out hodgepodge of songs of varying styles and lengths, when the brain trust behind that is as creative as the Beatles, the product you receive is still quite good. I agree that many tracks could've been left out, but I also found myself enjoying many of the lesser-known cuts. I found the album. Does a pretty good job of keeping you entertained through variety, despite its length. This is one of my new favorite Beatles albums.
3/5
A solid fusion album. The first two tracks were funk-fusion, and I was also reminded of reggae due to the emphasis on the backbeat. The rest of the album was a variety of long-dorm funk/psychadelic fusion, Grateful Dead-es que jams, which were enjoyable as well. Among those, City country city was especially cool due to the concept of having two completely different grooves juxtaposing each other. My favorite track was track two. 6/10
The B-52's
2/5
This album sounds like it would have been fun t dance to and hear in movies at the time it was released. But yeah strong 3 to light 4/10. I don't like music where I can't tell if the singer is singing or talking
MC Solaar
3/5
I don't speak French, but I also don't emphasize lyrics heavily when evaluating an album, so to rated purely based on musical merit, it was solid. The funky instrumentals and sampling could rival any other top selling boom-bap album. 6.5/10
Marvin Gaye
5/5
So far we've had albums lead by guitar, drums, samples, electronics, etc., but this is the first album where the BASS quietly carries the entire composition. This album flows seamlessly and does not waste any time. The first 6 tracks all feel connected until you reach "Right On," where it's like "let's dance!" Then in the same song it's slows back down into the next track, and then you ride out smoothly yet mournfully with inner city blues. Surely an album with musical and philosophical influence spanning decades. 9/10
Sly & The Family Stone
4/5
Very funky. I'm most familiar with their album "stand," where a lot of the songs are structured like radio singles with a strong vocal melody. This album had a lot more funk jams and some longer tracks, so I was glad to hear a side of Sly that I was less familiar with. The song "Just Like a Baby" has the same time signature and groove as Childish Gambino's "Baby Boy" from his funk-fusion album, and they feature the same clavichord tone, what is enough similarity to make me think it's not a coincidence and that Childish Gambinos song was directly inspired or may be an homage. Anyway, very funky album. 8/10
David Bowie
3/5
I haven't listened to very much David Bowie; this is the second album I've listened to in full, but my impression of him so far is that the instrumentals are top class, The bass lines are catchy, The compositions are solid, but I don't feel neither here nor there about David Bowie himself. But I can appreciate him for creating a style of music that exists somewhere in between progressive rock, funk and pop. 7/10
Lou Reed
2/5
Cinema to David Bowie there was a lot of cool instrumentation and production tricks (panning, hand, percussion, etc.), but I don't much care for this style of singing. (Talk-singing with loose adherence to pitch) I was surprised how similar Lou Reed's music sounds to the Arctic Monkeys; it seems the former inspired the latter. 5/10
Tom Waits
3/5
I'm conflicted about this album because there are many things that I liked about it, but it still isn't something that I would listen to regularly. The percussion was the highlight of the album for me. There's a lot of variety and unique percussion instruments used, most notable among which was the dissonant mallet instrument used in several songs. I don't dislike the sea shanty-like songs, but I can't really say the same for the Halloween-sounding songs. It seems like he tried his hand at writing a pop song with downtown train, which was an unexpected style after hearing the rest of the album. His voice is unique like many other artists we've heard so far, but I actually didn't hate his uniqueness as much as a few of others. I'm having a hard time rating this. 5/10
T. Rex
4/5
This is a singer that I can get behind. Slightly breathy and *pitch sensitive* but still with a lot of character. I was not familiar with this artist when I started listening to this album, but I recognized the famous "get it on," which like many other songs on the album sound like they could've been released in the 90s or later. So I think the album is a bit ahead of its time. I'm mostly like the use of repetition (repeating melodies with new lyrics, etc), but I would admit that there were repetitive moments. Still I like this album a lot. 7.5/10
Liz Phair
1/5
She's trying to be edgy but listening in 2026 it's pretty cringe. I don't know. Not really for me. 3/10
Paul Simon
4/5
I wasn't sure about this album hearing the first song, it seemed a little unfocused and the vocals were talk-y and loose rhythmically, but by the second track I got hints that it was inspired by African music, and by the next couple tracks it was undeniably an album of African music, which I love. I especially love multicultural music.i don't know much about the background but the album tells a story of a city boy from America traveling to Africa and discovering a new world. 8/10
Elvis Presley
3/5
The king of rock? More like the king of 6/8. Rock ballads in that time signature seem to be his signature style. I don't know a lot about the history, but I think I've heard that Elvis has been resented for popularizing styles of music invented by Black people, especially because he became popular during a time which I imagine had high racial tension. The song about the ghetto seemed particularly insensitive, maybe? Still the quality of this album is undeniable and I enjoyed it. I was surprised to find some songs had bass playing that was very reminiscent of Motown, a couple of the songs had very active base lines in a high register, which I liked a lot, also the gospel choirs in the background are nice, and the instrumentation is generally very good. 6.5/10
Pulp
2/5
I don't have much to say about this album. Similar to Liz Phair I found it to be too overly sexual for my liking at some points. There were some redeeming qualities about the music, but nothing to write home about. 4/10
Dexys Midnight Runners
3/5
It must be said that the horns on this album are very nice. They combine with the percussion well. I liked a few of the songs on the second half. There are a couple moments in the album where there are layered vocals that create a male choir like effect, such as in the chorus of seven days is too long, which I like. I guess you could say the background vocals suit my taste more than the lead vocals. generally speaking I don't love this singer. Geno was my favorite song and I could actually see myself listening to it on my own volition sometimes, which is more than I could say for many of the other albums we've heard so far. 5.5/10
Led Zeppelin
3/5
Even though I know that Led Zeppelin is legendary, somewhere in the back of my mind, I also saw them as corny, probably because I don't listen to this style of music very much. But giving this album listen, I found that, wallet did seem that way on the surface, there is a lot of talent and rhythmic interest on display. I like the drummer a lot and the bass player isn't bad as well. The guitar lines are memorable and the guitar is used in creative ways. They have a distinct style, but they're skilled enough to keep it from being repetitive. I didn't mind the long-form compositions because there was decent variety. Ramble on is an amazing song, the verses and chorus contrast each other very well. It makes me want to keep singing my song. 7/10
Simon & Garfunkel
5/5
This album is perfect. The vocal harmonies, the instrumentation, the varying styles that drawing inspiration from folk, rock, and anything in between. I don't often pay attention to lyrics much, but these two are such artful storytellers as well. I found a newfound appreciation for the songs I already knew, and immediately loved the ones I was less familiar with. Just beautiful 10/10
Dinosaur Jr.
2/5
To me, this album sounded like something between punk rock and Shoegaze, not as drone as something like my bloody valentine, but it still has that quality of the vocals sneaking through a wall of guitar distortion. The last track was an unexpected change of pace, it sounded more heartfelt like a Beatles song, so I appreciated the versatility. Overall, this was decent 5/10
Ray Charles
3/5
Big band jazz? This is a massive band. Choir, strings, and horns all accent the compositions beautifully. I like how minimalist the piano plane is, likely to make space for everything else, but he inserts piano licks as a call and response to his vocals, which are pretty good as well. Still there was nothing truly unexpected or out of the ordinary, and one thing curious about this kind of jazz is it's pretty restrictive stylistically. Jazz is interesting. That way because improvisation invites creativity, but the framework is strict. Anyway, this is great stuff, but I'm having trouble giving it a three or four. I'd say 7.5/10
Robbie Williams
2/5
This is my favorite 90s album we've listened to so far. Versatile Indie rock with harmonic interest, strong instrumentation, and a tone-sensitive singer. The singer and the music Reminds me of Fountains Of Wayne, who I've also been getting into recently. Maybe it was a decent era for Indie rock after all. My favorite track was "clean;" I like the EP pannin I'm gonna bring down the score a little bit because only a couple of the songs were memorable, and this is nowhere near the level of some other albums. I've given a seven. 5/10
Stevie Wonder
5/5
This is probably the Stevie Wonder album that I am the most familiar with, and while I don't know all of his discography, I wouldn't be surprised if this was his best or at least most focused. The synth bass that can be heard on the first track and others reminds me of Herbie Hancock (watermelon man); I'm sure they were inspiring each other in this era of abundant musical innovation. The slower ballads reminds me of Cleo soul's music (contemporary R&B artist, Ray is familiar), and I have no doubt she was inspired by Stevie as well all are. I was especially familiar with golden lady, higher ground, and living for the city, but I've forgotten how great the rest of the tracks are. Too high is my new favorite again. Very Stevie wonder in the way it alternates from a groove to a dissonant jazzy melody. I can think of any other songs where he does something similar. ( Sir Duke for example, has a jazzy melody in unison before it gets into its main groove). 9/10
2/5
Couldn't find this one so I skipped it
Count Basie & His Orchestra
3/5
A mushroom cloud on the cover of a 1958 jazz album? I don't know about that. I wonder how that was received. Musically however this was a great album. I thought dynamics were used very well, especially in the horns. I love the soft horn accents and intermittent horn stabs, and their voicings are rich. The melodies from the horns were unique and memorable as well. I think I liked this a little bit more than the Ray Charles album, but I'm gonna give it the same score because of the cover. 7/10
Fleet Foxes
5/5
First Simon & Garfunkel, now, Fleet Foxes. Two absolute Giants of contemporary folk music. The fleet foxes are probably my favorite band ever. I don't think this is their best album, But the fact that their first album can be so powerful speaks volumes about their immense talent. Sometimes hopeful, sometimes somber, always brimming with emotion. Not many songs can elevate a good mood like ragged woods for me. White winter hymnal is of course a generational and universally amazing song as well. There are a l few slightly less interesting songs, but I still find myself happy to rediscover a few lesser known tracks. If I was rating objectively, this might be an eight or nine, but I'll give it a 10 because it's Fleet Foxes.
The Incredible String Band
2/5
Fairytale folklore music. I appreciate what they're trying to do, but it's not something I'd listen to on my own. The diverse instrumentation is probably my favorite part of this album, like the sitar, for example, as well as the abundance of other strings and percussion, many of which you don't often hear. The style of singing is very free-flowing and resembles storytelling, but lacks rhythmic interest or coherence that would make it memorable. I guess I prefer listening to music that I can sing along to. There's clearly a lot of talent on display here. It's just not quite the thing for me. Strong four to a light five
Sonic Youth
1/5
For the most part, dissonant nonsense. I employ you to reconsider your reviews of Robbie Williams, because at least that was somewhat musical.
Badly Drawn Boy
2/5
I thought this album was decent. I like the style of contemporary composition, maybe because it's similar to mine, because it's not limited by any particular style. So I appreciated the versatility. In the case of this album in particular, however, it felt a little unfocused and longer than it needed to be, in that versatility manifested in a way that I liked aspects of many songs, but wasn't blown away by any particular song. I think "Once Around the Block was my favorite." strong, five to a light six
Nine Inch Nails
3/5
Like some other albums so far, this one was too sexual and abrasive for something I'd listen to regularity. But unlike some others, I'd be interested in listening to this one again. The sound design was fantastic, with lots of interesting samples and clean sounds to balance out the distorted ones. I found myself enjoying the instrumental moments more than the ones with vocals, go figure. The last song was powerful as well. Strong 6 to light 7
Calexico
3/5
I listened to 45 minutes ("Sunken Waltz" - "Convict Pool"). Idk if there's another disc but I'm happy with that. I digged this album; Latin American fusion? There were notes of jazz, indie, Latin music, and it was cool. I like crumble a lot; when the guitar solo comes in is super satisfying. Strong 6 to light 7
The Roots
4/5
This album is certainly the pride of the hip-hop tradition, and of the tradition of African-American music. This is my favorite kind of hip-hop, the kind that pairs exquisite musical interest with conscious lyricism. The instrumentals borrow inspiration from funk, jazz, hip-hop(of course), and more. And they display a lot of versatility; there are some long-form and experimental tracks, and I love the jazzy spoken word in "Something In the Way of Things." I resonate heavily with the feeling that there is something deeply wrong with society that often goes unnoticed or unspoken. Every track had something new to offer, ending with the last track which is basically electronic dance music, which was also refreshing. Strong seven to a light eight.. I'm struggling between three or four, because I don't think this is a 9/10, but I think I'm confident enough to give it 8, so I'll go with 4
Kanye West
5/5
When Kanye was at this early stage in his career, when he was the underdog with a lot to prove, he could do great things. This album and my beautiful dark twisted fantasy (2010) are probably his best; in the case of the ladder, after losing dignity in the public eye, he exiled himself to somewhere in Hawaii to only record for a focused stretch of time. During the record recording of this album, he got into a life-threatening car accident and had to surgically wire his jaw shut, so you can imagine he had a big chip on his shoulder. It's a tale old as time: the once underdog and spearhead of the counter culture becomes the one thing he sought to destroy. It reminds me of the Simpsons, a show that started edgy and is now mainstream and watered down. Anyway, this album is still phenomenal. In many ways, Kanye was a pioneer for combining hip-hop and gospel in a way that no one else had. And this album has a lot to say: about religion, materialism, education, the black experience, etc. His words about higher education resonate with a generation that was failed by the system; many people spend a fortune on their education only to end up in a menial entry position job where their superiors are only where they are because of family or connections. A generation whose hard work is not rewarded in the same way of generations prior. He does not mince words, a trait that has gotten him in trouble, and makes some bars fall flat, but is generally a strength and what gives his music so much character. The skits are hilarious. If it weren't for a few few weaker tracks ("Get Em High," for example) I'd give it a 5 without hesitation, and I still think this deserves an eight or nine out of 10 for being the revolutionary and timeless album that it is.
Ramones
2/5
If you were to play me this album with no context and asked me when it was released, I would've guessed late 80s or early 90s, so I think it was a little ahead of its time. Notwithsanding, I also think it's a little bit outdated, or just not that interesting of a sound. I'm glad this was 30 minutes and not an hour, because I was already getting tired of the repetitiveness. Still, I can appreciate this for laying the foundation for other artists to do what they did better, like The Clash, for example. Strong five to a light six I guess.
Al Green
3/5
This kind of heartfelt soul is one of my favorite styles of music (Otis Redding adjacent? Sly & The Family Stone have some tracks like this as well), so I enjoyed this album the good bit. I was already familiar with the Graham Station version of "it ain't no fun to me" (this must be the original?), which has some key differences in lyrics, namely: "Oh, it seems we make up//Only just to break up," on Al Green's version is "Why (I thought he was saying white until I looked it up) people break up, only just to make up//Hey, baby yeah, but it ain't no fun to me," and I like Larry Graham's cynical twist better. Overall, I enjoyed this album. If I were to give a nitpick, I would say it was a bit corny sometimes, and the lyrics were predictable. 7/10
Richard Hawley
3/5
21st century Elvis? Like Elvis, the music is sappy but soothing. Swooning guitars and vocals. I liked it, but it's nothing too special. 6/10
The Beach Boys
4/5
I was really glad to have the opportunity to discover this beach boys album, because, other than pet sounds, the only impression I had of them was that they were slightly corny (based on what little I know of their older music). I knew since I listened to pet sounds in college that Brian Wilson was an auteur of composition, but I still would never have guessed that the beach boys made music like this. There is a ton of artistry on display here. Some of the compositions remind me of Jacob Collier, with their Maximalism, and I love all of the little phonic details. The first half of the album was very catchy and easy to sing along to, and the second half was a little more contemplative and structurally experimental (cut from a similar cloth as pet sounds). This has got me intrigued to look into more of their music, because I thought this was phenomenal
Traffic
3/5
This album was solid. Every track had something to keep me interested, whether it was funk elements or rhythmic interest on the blues/rock 'n' roll inspired tracks, or flutes or organs on the pop tracks. There was decent variety and the length was just enough to keep me excited the whole way through. 7/10
Johnny Cash
5/5
This album was a piece of history that I was glad to have the opportunity to learn about. I was already enjoying the live album format, his banter with the crowd is entertaining, and I was noticing themes of prison and redemption in his lyrics, but once I found out this was performed at a prison in front of inmates that immediately elevated this album for me. His comment about his record company affirmed for me that musicians have always hated record companies and commodification of music in general. Ironically, even though artists are no longer bound by having to deal with a record company, it is harder than ever to make a living as a musician. Anyway, as for the music, Johnny Cash is a great storyteller with a soothing baritone voice. the drummer deserves a lot of credit; he's got amazing chops and stamina. I've been trying to figure out how to name this style of rockabilly beat lately, because I like it a lot. I think Cash said he was playing multiple harmonicas at one point? One factor that can separate a 8 or 9 from a 10 for me is having a concept, being a "concept album," and the live format, the setting, and the storytelling I'll make this album a very immersive experience,so I'm going to have to give it a five.
Elvis Presley
2/5
I don't know if Elvis needed to be the first artist that we get a repeat album from (is the order random? I forgot.) on a couple songs I was surprised to hear a voice that didnt sound like the Elvis I was familiar with; maybe because it's an older album of his. I was also surprised to learn that Kanye West's "Gold Digger" quotes "I got a Woman" directly.
Miles Davis
4/5
Is this what they call free jazz? These guys are all masters of their craft. I wonder how much actual structure there is to these songs, because there are distinct sections, but many of those could very likely be a result of coordinated improvisation rather than a compositional framework. In that sense, it is almost impossible to replicate this kind of music; if another group of jazz musicians tried to cover of any of these, it would surely come out different to the extent of being unrecognizable. I like how the tunes ebb and flow between chaotic and calm sections, and it's very cool to see how each member plays off of each other. This music would be 10 times better live, It's one of those things that the more attention you give it, the more it gives back. Without it being live, you have to really concentrate your ear on individual parts and visualize them playing it to fully appreciate the music. I also sensed some of the time period, hints of Herbie Hancock, and not just because of the electric base and keyboard. There's nothing quite like this, which means it requires a certain state of mind, but it also means that it can reach you in a way unlike any other music. Tough to rate though
Oasis
2/5
I'm gonna be honest, I only listened to a couple songs. Oasis is very popular in Japan, and I already resented them for that, and listening to a bit of this just confirmed for me that their music is very mediocre. When it comes to music, a lot of people in Asia seem to care more about appearances than substance (their pop idol culture is egregious); I just imagine them being like "wow look at these cool white guys with long hair playing cool music," while their brains are turned off. It's not the worst music I've ever heard, but .... yeah
The Darkness
2/5
The singer has impressive chops. There were some nice doubled lead guitar melodies.
Pink Floyd
4/5
This album is very good. Although it's a 2011 remaster, I imagine the production was out of this world when it came out as well. All of the repeating samples and themes and the way the songs flow together make this a great full-album listening experience. In the way that Songs like "On the Run" actually evoke the image of someone running, I think this album does a fantastic job of using sound as a storytelling device. For that reason, I would like to listen to it again and learn more of the lyrics and track names to try and paint a more vivid image of the album's story. There's something about the use of sense and production tricks during this time. Period that I really like. Like we've said, there was a ton of creativity and excitement surrounding the emergence of new music technology. If I were to nitpick, I might say that they were a little too artsy with this album and the actual musical content doesn't have too much variety, but it is still executed on a very high level. The Way songs blend together could be interpreted as a strength or a weakness. I found myself more able to appreciate the long songs when I adopted the mindset that the whole album was one long song. Very good
The Monks
2/5
This was a fun little album. It went by pretty quickly for some reason. This did not sound like a 1966 album to me, so I definitely think it's ahead of its time. I'm noticing myself saying that a lot about a lot of the albums from this time, which only reaffirms what I already know about the music technology and creativity. Some of these songs sound corny, like an early 2000s pop song, but that is impressive given the context. The last track was my favorite, the mallet instrument reminded me of Sufjan Stevens or something. I can't decide between two or three.
Sonic Youth
1/5
I went back to listen to the first Sonic Youth album to get a better perspective, and I was a little bit hard on it at the time. I can kind of appreciate what they're doing with varios experimental composition techniques, and I think I like this album a bit more than the last one.. Chapel Hill was actually a decent song, and the tempo changes on the next song "JC" are an example of the experimental techniques I mentioned. That being said, their music still sucks, and this female vocalist, especially needs to be quiet
De La Soul
3/5
This album was very entertaining. The intro was hilarious, and I like that they kept the skit going through throughout the album. These guys are masters of sampling, so there are always several musical tidbits per song that are fun to dissect. This style of rapping, the flow and cadence, is a bit outdated, but I still much prefer their lyricism to many modern rappers. It feels like De La is using the language to its fullest much more than some rappers today, even if the flows may sound a little corny. This album has a lot of character.
Pet Shop Boys
2/5
When I saw this album cover, I was expecting more mediocre British rock, and well, this was slightly more refreshing than that. You can still hear that British twang in the singing. Some of the production techniques reminded me of Tears for Fears. There is a bit of a variety, but it was mostly 80s pop nostalgia. I think the second track was my favorite; the featured singer had a nicer voice than these bozos .
Mekons
2/5
There were a few unique redeeming qualities that *slightly* differentiate this album from being just another boring British rock album, namely, the inclusion of violin and folk-inspired elements. They also try their hand at a handful of experimental composition and production techniques: some samples and poetry, if I recall. I like how they invoke a 6/4 feel on the first track by mixing in measures of 2/4 (the main pattern was like 4-4-2-4-2). The other track I liked was "Last Dance," because I thought it had the strongest violin part. I still don't care for the singing; I am sick of these nasally British male vocalists. Also, as I was listening, it sounded like this album was produced in the 60s, but maybe the lo-fi rustic sound is what they were going for. I might've preferred them to make better use of the technology available to them.
Maxwell
3/5
Finally, some R&B. Besides D'Angelo, I don't know very many R&B artists from this time, so I was glad to have the opportunity to learn a bit more (although a few of the songs were already saved to my Spotify library, so maybe I've heard this album already). It was a breath of fresh air to finally get a vocalist whose voice is actually pleasing to listen to. I enjoyed the songs that had strong rhythmic parts in the bass and guitar the most. The album started to lose me just a little bit in the second half with all of the slower tracks, but overall there was a lot of artistry and skill on display.
The Go-Go's
3/5
This album was in a similar style to several others we've heard so far, but this might be one example of a band that improved on the style of music produced from bands like the Ramones. I like the singer because she sings in tune, and I liked the vocal harmonies as well. The album had a unique amount of harmonic interest given the style, and there was a nice variety of chord progressions, which reminded me of Alvvays.
Baaba Maal
3/5
This was a very relaxing album. Finally some world music (sounds like northern Africa). My favorite moments on the album were when that mallet instrument made an appearance, once near the beginning and once near the end. There were a couple moments where the instruments sounded slightly off tune, but that also added to the rustic and natural sound.
Pretenders
2/5
There were a couple elements that made this slightly more interesting than generic 80s pop rock, like the song that alternated between 7/8, and I admit that I wasn't listening very closely the second half of the album, but that's probably because this wasn't very interesting... edit: I'm going back to listen to a couple more songs, and I'm finding I don't mind a few of them and that their artistry is enough for me to confidently give them a 2 at least. I might be interested in revisiting this one if I had more time.
Jimi Hendrix
3/5
A nice opportunity to learn about Jimi Hendrix, especially because this seems to be his most well-known album. A few of the songs were famous enough for me to have already known them without knowing it was Jimi Hendrix. This album was more psychedelic than I was expecting, but there was still a lot of rock 'n' roll. There's a lot of creativity and guitar virtuoso on display. My favorite track was "may this be love." I think this is surely the original mix; the panning sounds rustic, but that also adds to the vintage charm.
Leonard Cohen
4/5
I don't know if I've ever heard any of Leonard Cohen's music, but this was very good. He has a beautiful voice and a lot of talent for composition. This was Another campfire storyteller type of album. It seems that his signature on the acoustic guitar is that sextuplet (?) pattern from songs like "the stranger song." The somber songs were very compelling, but my favorites were those in a major key, especially "so Long Marianne" and "hey, that's no way to say goodbye." the female vocalist accompaniment was also one of my favorite things about this album. on a couple tracks there was a stringed instrument that played countermelody to his singing, and I was wondering if that was just another guitar or some kind of world instrument. It's hard for me to rate something like this because it's pretty minimalistic, but it did hit a lot of the right notes for me so I'm stuck between three or four.
Tim Buckley
4/5
This is another artist that I was not familiar with, but it was a pleasant surprise. This is the kind of space between jazz and pop that I tend to enjoy.I mean, what a band. Acoustic and jazz electric guitars, upright bass that even uses the bow at some points, xylophone (?) (I never know how to call mallet instruments)that takes center stage, and some hand percussion and other stuff. The band uses dynamics very well, something that is harder to achieve if you don't record live as a band. His singing is unique, but not in an unpleasant way.
Soul II Soul
3/5
This was a pretty fun album that exist somewhere in the intersection between dance music, hip-hop, and R&B, slightly leaning towards dance. As such, I think this was intended for listening to live and dancing at a club or something, so it's a bit harder to rate as an album being streamed from home. That being said, I liked the production, there were many cool drum samples, many funky bass lines that I liked, and I liked a lot of the female vocal accompaniment and harmonies. Considering that repetition is the nature of this kind of music, I would prefer to listen to this album than many others in the space, because it combined elements from several African-American musical traditions
Led Zeppelin
3/5
I'm not sure if this was better or worse than the last Led Zeppelin album we listened to, but it was still solid. I also don't know if it needed to be as long as it was, I would have to listen again to remember specific track names, but I think they could've left a few out. Kashmir is a legendary song, but did it need to be eight minutes? it just repeats the same three sections and then fades out. On the other hand, the long track list helped them flesh out some more variety, and I was a little bit, surprised by the versatility of styles. There was some diverse instrumentation, like the infamous strings and horns on Kashmir, and Mandolin on "boogie with stu." I think my favorite part of Led Zeppelin is the delicious syncopation, much of which is likely thanks to the legendary drummer; the way the drums intertwine with the guitar lick is always very satisfying. Like on Houses of the Holy for example, which was probably my favorite track. I also liked the following track, and Down by the Seaside.
Cypress Hill
2/5
Another boom bap album, but this time it's a group of Latin Americans, which I only figured out upon hearing the song "Latin lingo." Goes to show how closely I was listening.. that might be my favorite song on the album; the songs with bilingual bars were pretty cool. It's still really hard to rate albums like this because the style of music is characterized by having minimal instrumentals to make room for the spoken word, so to speak. But like ray, I also don't internalize lyrics very much, nor do I look for them as the main point of appeal in music. The instrumentals, sampling, and flows are all funky and rhythmically interesting, but that's about all that I can say. All the music from this genre sounds the same because it's supposed to. I think rap music reached its peak after the 21st-century, when an artist started using more musical elements. Some of the samples on this album made me think how it's cool that you can loop sounds from daily life and create a rhythm from that.
Pere Ubu
2/5
There was cool, instrumentation, experimental sound design, and psychedelic composition elements, but sorry I don't like the lead singer very much XD
The second half of the album wasn't bad I guess, I liked I will wait and Ubu dance party
Talking Heads
5/5
Oh yeah. I was already very familiar with this album, and I had Once in a Lifetime and Born under Punches in my playlist for a long time, so this was a good opportunity to get more familiar with some of the songs I haven't heard as much. They did not disappoint. This album is basically divided into two halves; the first is funky and high energy, and the second is contemplative, eerie, and wonderfully psychedelic. The first half features more live instrumentation and the second is more electronic. I might slightly prefer the first half for that reason (the two note bass line on born under punches is one of my favorites.) The instrumentals are all just busy enough to have maximal rhythmic interest without overwhelming you; all the different bleeps and clicks are so delicious. Like Ray said, the lead singer has a somewhat similar quality to Pere Ubu, but I much prefer his singing because it is more tool and he uses nice harmonies. I went into this album thinking I'd give it a three or four, but there are no weak tracks, so I might have to go to five.
Happy Mondays
2/5
There was a few good moments on this album, I liked the sitar (sample?) and the echo guitar lead that converse with it, and Rave On is a catchy dance track with some funky guitar and bass, but for the most part, this was very mediocre. I really didn't like the production, it seems like I use reverb on everything, making a mix sound muddy, and hard to identify individual parts. I'm sensing some more British bias.
Jah Wobble's Invaders Of The Heart
4/5
I really liked almost everything about this album, except for the male lead vocalist. Maybe it's some of my British fatigue settling in, but I did not think he was very talented. It said on their page that the their band is led by bassist Jah Wobble, and I'm wondering if that was who was singing as well. I thought the bass playing was great and I appreciated that it took a central role in the compositions. I also liked all of the other vocals; "Bomba" was probably my favorite song, partially for that reason. All in all, this album is just the kind of world fusion that I really like, combining styles from the west, the east, South America, Africa, etc., as well as electronic elements. It was also notably psychedelic. For me, this album sit somewhere between a three and a four, and I would have to listen to it again to give a better final verdict, but I guess I'm going to succumb to my bias for this kind of music and give it a four
Ice Cube
3/5
Another boom nap album, but this one was slightly better than the last one by every metric in my opinion. There was more character with some funny skits and ad Libs, the beats and sampling were a little more interesting, and most of all I like his style of wrapping because he's almost always telling a story, not just rhyming in an impressive manner. An abrasive, but enlightening look into the reality of living in the hood.
Prince
3/5
This is another example of an album that I was glad to have the opportunity to listen to, because I have heard of Prince, but never listen too much of his music. I mostly liked what I discovered. In some ways he reminds me of Michael Jackson, but he's a little bit more experimental and a lot more overly sexual. That was probably my least favorite part of the album, as well as some of his singing. He's clearly a very skilled vocalist, but similar to the Jah Wobble Album, I liked his background vocals more than the lead vocals, because they're over performative and have less tonal integrity. That's most of the bad things I have to say about this album. otherwise, I liked it a lot. A lot of these songs were catchy, some were very funky, and there was still a bit of variety and experimentation and trippy tracks mixed in. I thought it was impressive how he could structure an entire song around one groove, but still keep it interesting for up to 8 minutes by adding variation and different sections. Still, I could've done without a few of the sections (especially the ones where he's talking about or imitating sex), and I think a few of these tracks could've been shorter. DMSR was definitely my favorite., but there were many other moments with funky bass and guitar that I liked throughout the album. also tough to decide between three and four...
Michael Jackson
5/5
Basically, the better version of the Prince album. This might be Michael Jackson's best era. It's funky and catchy, great for a dance and disco, but still has a lot of that rich harmonic integrity and bass-centricity from their Motown days. The bass playing is amazing and has even been upgraded with occasional slap bass. Michael Jackson singing is great, much less annoying than Prince. This was another album that I've already heard in its entirety, but have not heard it all recently, like the Talking heads album. Now that I've revisited it, I can say with more confidence that there aren't really any bad tracks, so this album sits somewhere between a four and a five.
Kraftwerk
1/5
I think I like this less than the first Kraftwerk album. Some of these songs sounded like an elementary school student composed them.
Leonard Cohen
2/5
This was the most recent album we've heard so far and an interesting case study on how an artist's style can develop over the course of several decades. I wonder if he smoked too many cigarettes? XD
There is some decent music here, but this album won't be for anyone who can't get into his "singing." Similar to the last album we heard from him, he still displays skillful lyricism and chooses to employ sparse instrumental accompaniment. I didn't mind the minimalism and I actually liked a lot of the instrumentation and supporting vocals, especially on the two or three gospel inspired tracks. There is a soothing quality to his voice, but it's mostly hard to take seriously. It's a little sad and pitiful, but also slightly heartwarming to hear an elderly man croon about his loss of love and luster as he enters the dusk of his life
Big Star
3/5
This was a cute little album. apparently the duo that leads the band is from Memphis, but you can hear the beetle influence; I swear at some point I heard British English phonology in his singing. Maybe it's just the twang in his voice, but the British invasion influence is very prevalent. There were still some qualities of this that were uniquely American: some folk influence, I got notes of the band America, and twangy guitars. Most notable was the inclusion of strings on most songs. I'll admit I wasn't listening too closely, but it was mostly a pleasant listen and also not very spectacular at the same time.
Koffi Olomide
3/5
This album was another data point for me that I like subSaharan African music more than North African, although it's all good stuff. This style of music is so jovial and energetic it's hard not to enjoy. The guitar melodies are always so cheerful, and the percussion sections are rich and polyrhythmic. I love the shakers; I employ you to listen back to Jacob Colier's "Nebaluyo" where he breaks down the kind of shaker rhythm that can be found in Africa and South America even further into a quintuplet feel. Another quality of this style is that it is very jam-like: there are often not many distinct sections. For the songs on this album that did have distinct sections, it was almost like they were divided into separate songs. The style of composition makes it easier for the songs to wash over you as the same groove can drag on, but music is so uplifting. I usually don't mind . The artist description on Spotify was in French, but I was able to glean that they're from DRC. I didn't know that was a former French colony as well. This one sits somewhere between three and four. For me
Rush
3/5
This was an interesting album because I've actually known the song, "passage to Bangkok" for a very long time, maybe since middle school. I forgot who taught it to me, maybe our uncle Bruce, because I think he likes them. Listening to the whole album as an adult I was a little surprised, because it was more progressive rock than I was expecting. Their sound felt like somewhere in between Yes and LZ. I'm not particularly predisposed to enjoy the long form prog rock compositions, so they have to be done pretty well for me to appreciate them. Safe to say that Dark Side of the Moon was a little better on that front. Still, there was a lot of nice artistry and sounds on display. Passage to Bangkok is surely still the best song
Kate Bush
4/5
This was great; hard to believe it's from 1985. It really sounds like some of the contemporary female indie pop artists ray and I like, like Magdalena Bay or Caroline Polachek. I'm sure they were inspired by Bush. Like those artists, her vocals are great, but my favorite part is the production. So many satisfying sounds. This sounds like it was a part of the foundation of modern indie auteurs, because its makes the most of both live (plenty of strings which is nice) and production elements. My favorite songs were Big Sky (the percussion/bass is so satisfying and invigorating), Cloudbusting (strings and percussion and percussive strings), and Jig of Life; adapting folk styles with modern harmonic vocabulary? Yes please. This sits somewhere between 4 and 5, but I'm not sure exactly what's keeping me from giving it a five.. I think there were a few tracks that werent quite exciting, but I'd have to listen again to give a more accurate verdict
Eminem
3/5
This is undeniably a very influential album. I think Eminem definitely has a skill for rhyming, and there is something infectious and cathartic about the personality of his music. The song "Stan" is so infamous that people use the word Stan to refer to someone who is a fan of someone or something to the extent of losing all reason. A few of these songs definitely could've been left out, but the better ones definitely have an impact. There's definitely a quality of marketing sensationalism that we have found on other rap albums, but I also think there's some extent of genuine, creative expression. I can imagine he was a comforting outlet for people that grew up with similar struggles. I think arguments could be made whether such an outlet is a net positive or a negative. I mostly tend to agree with the opinion that words are just words, and I appreciate when people and artists aren't afraid to be real, but again, in some moments, it just feels like needless sensationalism to rake in a profit
U2
2/5
A good opportunity to learn a bit about U2, I guess. Their sound was a bit more laid-back and ethereal than I was expecting, but that was about the extent of my surprise. Many times I found myself liking the initial groove presented, only to be let down by it being corny or uninteresting when the song reveals its full hand. Being able to make a catchy groove is more than some of these other albums can say, but I don't think it's enough for me to give this album at three. There were a lot of interesting sounds and good instrumentation, but very few of the songs really grabbed me. Their whole often was not greater than the sum of its parts. The vocals didn't interest me much either
Adele
3/5
It's nice to get another contemporary album, especially one as well known as this. Contemporary Indie pop is probably my favorite type of music because it does not restrict itself to any particular style or genre, often fuses genres, and has the full extent of modern music technology at its disposal. I certainly appreciated the variety of styles from Adele. She has a great voice and it pairs well with the gospel Feel she displays on a few tracks. Most notably is rolling in the deep; simple, but effective. This album is an example of pop music that my generation grew up listening to, so I already knew half the songs from hearing them on the radio as a kid. It's not surprising that my favorite songs were the ones that I had never heard; "I'll be waiting" and "he won't go" we're my favorites, in that order. The lyrical content was not particularly interesting, as is often in the case with these type of chart topping massive pop stars. I can think of several other female vocalist who have an amazing voice, but extremely uninteresting lyrics. I think Adele possesses a little bit more artistry than some of those others. Although, piano ballads were pretty Lame(?), except for "take it all" which had some nice soulful harmonic direction and some gospel choir vocals if I recall correctly. I don't think this album. was good enough to give it a four.
Common
4/5
Man, the producers really carried this album to high heights. So many jazzy, funky and delicious sounds and samples. From google: Common's 2000 album Like Water for Chocolate was primarily produced by J Dilla, with major contributions from the Soulquarians collective, including Questlove (executive producer), James Poyser, and D'Angelo. It wouldn't be much of an exaggeration to say that that is the brain trust that birthed Neo soul. I'll be surprised if we didn't get a D'Angelo record down the line. It will probably be voodoo, because it's his most famous, but black Messiah is a 5 star album. This album was pretty long, but it didn't lose me nearly as much as some other others of the same length; there were so many interesting musical ideas, with some nice food for thought provided by common. I think he's plenty of respectable as a rapper, and I most appreciate the general positivity he supports. I wouldn't be surprised if those legendary producers were as drawn to his character as his skill as a rapper, because I don't think he's at the very top-tier when it comes to that. Still, he definitely has talent, and most of all the content of his lyrics is conscious and gives you something to think about. My favorite song might have been questions, not only for the delicious electric piano loop, but all of the thoughtful and/or playful questions. The one that stood out to me the most was "is black my complexion or is it all in my head," or something like that.
Simple Minds
2/5
I cannot get behind this production style That seems to be so popular at this time, where everything has too much reverb and the whole mix is muddy, drowning out the individual parts. The style of singing is equally as frustrating. One of the highlights of the album was the bass playing, but it's a shame the bass part was drowned out half the time. Somebody up there likes you was decent cuz it had no vocals and the B section is pretty funky
I could relate to the idea of being stuck in a moment, as someone who can get into my own head easily. I don't know if this was any better or worse than the last U2 album.
Derek & The Dominos
3/5
I've never heard of this band, but leave it to a 70s album for such a band to still be very soulful and skilled. (Grateful Dead adjacent? Similar to a few other albums we've heard so far) I recognized the lead melody on "Layla," and sure enough that was their most popular song. This was solid, but also similar to a few other albums we've heard, and nothing absolutely blew me out of the water.
The Kinks
2/5
A friend of mine introduced me to the Kinks a few years ago, and as is often the case, I became familiar with just one of their albums, which was "Lola Versus Powerman and the Moneygoround." This album struck me as a bit more juvenile than that one, both in composition and production (although the version of LVPM I listened to was a 2020 remaster). I didn't sense as much uniqueness from this album though, but I did sense some British silliness and Beatles influence.
Slipknot
2/5
I don't listen to this style of music whatsoever, but I can see why this might be a better choice from it; there were some interesting sounds and satisfying rhythms at points, including in the vocals. It's hard to rate very highly when I don't care for this kind of music
Nick Drake
4/5
Not a name I recognized much, but this was a gem. I was glad to be reminded of "One of These Things First," because I love that song. His voice is very soothing and goes well with the instrumentation. I like how the percussion is laidback and sparse ( if there's a snare it's always a rim shot); it makes room for the rich strings and his soft voice.
Morrissey
2/5
More British bias I guess, this wasn't bad but not very interesting either. Best songs were probably Everday is Like Sunday and Suedehead
Queen Latifah
2/5
Jane Weaver
3/5
British bias, but this was good. This definitely falls within the category of contemporary indie/experimental pop that I like. Strong 3 to light 4
The Strokes
3/5
Out of all of the artists, we've listened to so far, this has got to be the one that I am the most familiar with their discography. After listening to this album, i'm now pretty familiar with all their albums except for "first impressions of earth." Every album is good and its own right, and this one is no exception. My favorites are the 2020 album "The New Abnormal" and "Angles" from 2011. In general, I think they have gradually improved over time, but this album might be slightly better than a few that follow it. The title track has a great bass line, and "Someday," "Last Night," and "Hard to Explain" are all very memorable singles. The strokes are a band that dance the line of having their own distinct sound without sounding repetitive; clean guitars and dirty vocals. The lead singer is very talented and the guitar lines are always catchy. All in all, to me, this just sounded like a very solid The Strokes album. Strong three to a light four
John Coltrane
3/5
As I've said in my previous reviews, I like an album that has a structure or a theme that it is centered around, especially in the case of an experimental jazz album like this. In addition to The track titles as movements , the album was also structured by. It's transitions and probably some recurring melodic themes that I couldn't pick up on one listen. The base solo at the end of the third track leads perfectly into the last one, and the drum solo that track opens with feels natural after the drum playing that closed the previous track. That sums up most of my favorite aspects about this album, but overall, this was a bit too chaotic for me as far as jazz goes, so due to that bias It will settle at 3. Still, this album has an ethereal quality whose intrigue cannot be denied.
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
3/5
Another African album means more joy! This is another artist that I already knew; I have enjoyed one or two of their albums, previously, and this one sounded pretty similar. What impresses me most about their music is probably the precision (and coordination, assuming they are performing as a group) with which they craft vocal harmonies, especially considering the amount of syllables that are included in some of the phrases. Because it's only voices singing in a similar style, there is risk of losing interest, part way, but it is the joy that keeps me engaged throughout
Bob Dylan
2/5
I am not extremely familiar with Bob Dylan's music, though I know many songs by their merit of being famous. I thought that would be enough for me to recognize his voice, but I really didn't for most of the album. I listen to parts of tracks from other albums to compare, and it seems like his voice does change slightly depending on the style or the album. Seeing "don't think twice it's all right" reminded me that someone once told me he was well known for being a virtuosic songwriter, but not the best singer. As for this album, tambourine man is surely the best song, and I think that's when his voice sounds the nicest. I liked the upright bass and the rest of the instrumentation on "She Belongs to Me," and "Love Minus Zero" was sweet as well. I thought the phrasing was kind of interesting and complemented the guitar well on "It's alright, Ma," but then the song just drags on and on, and that's something that can be said for a few few of these tracks. The rock 'n' roll tracks really did not interest me, and the cadence and tambre of his singing were especially grading on those tracks. I think he sounds the best when he's singing more intimately on the heartfelt tracks than his nasally rambling on some of the others
Frank Sinatra
5/5
A meeting of two worlds. Sinatra's voice goes great with bossa nova, and Antonio Carlos Jobim is a master of arrangement; intimate guitars, distant violins, and swooning trombones. I already loved the song "Wave," but this was such a lovely version to discover! A lower key to fit the low Sinatra crooning. So good. Strong four to a light five.
Anita Baker
4/5
Soulful, funky, and groovy. The bass playing does a lot of heavy lifting on this album, and I don't think I've ever heard a black female singer that isn't immensely skilled. this album is extremely well produced as well. It sounds very much like a It sounds very much like a 80s record due to the kinds of sounds on display, but The arrangements have so many funky details that it doesn't bother me at all.
The Pogues
3/5
I've mentioned joy in my reviews of a couple African albums we've had so far, and I think being joyful and merry is also very important to Irish culture. You can hear it in the music. I don't know if there's a name for the 16th note melodies with lots of trills that are characteristic of Irish music, often played by the flute or the violin, but those melodies might be my favorite part of the tradition. This album had a lot of of melodies like that, as well as other elements that I like about Irish music. I have to say I preferred the folk elements to the rock elements, but overall this album was brimming with energy. strong, three to a light four
The Offspring
1/5
I don't have much to say about this; I didn't listen with particular special attention, because this is not a genre I prefer to listen to very much. Suffice to say this was easier to listen to than the previous metal album, and there was some catharsis about it, and some occasional interesting melodies and rhythms. My favorite song might've been the last one because I kind of liked the lyrics.
Small Faces
3/5
Another English band I've never heard of, but this was a joy to discover. What confused me about this album was that, a majority of the songs are very British, if not extremely British, but a couple songs sounded like American rock, like the first track, but especially on "rolling over," it was as if they chose to sing like artists of the American rock and blues tradition just for that one song (also, it sounds like Foxy Lady). It's no surprise that those were my two favorite tracks; I just can't bring myself to love the singing in this style of English music, and the silliness can annoy me, although it's hard to deny the quality of instrumentation. The mix on this record was also very of the time, with some "interesting" panning, but it didn't bother me much. There was a moment where the drums panned very rapidly which can be jarring, but also kind of cool, and I remember something similar happening on a previous album. I also very much enjoyed the intermittent narration using language that was half gibberish. Whoever wrote that has some serious skill. I can appreciate that, but then when the music is too silly, I guess that gets to me.
2/5
Like a mix between talking heads and the Ramones? I don't know, kind of like the talking heads but less funky/interesting. I don't care for the singing, though I appreciate the creative songwriting and instrumentation, the combination of production and live elements. Strong 2 to a light 3
Moby
3/5
This was a solid album in the massive Attack/ Avalanches- adjacent space. When I heard the first song, I thought it was outdated in the production sounded amateurish, but the rest of the album quickly want me over. The sampling and live instrumentation blend together very well. I don't love the occasional spoken word vocals he puts on there, but it doesn't bother me that much.
Ian Dury
2/5
Great instrumentals, not so great vocals. I feel like a singer this mediocre has no place singing over instrumentals this good, but I guess that's part of the style. Similar to the last album, there was one or two songs where he actually sang from his chest, likely mimicking styles from America, and he had some decent vocal jobs. But for most of the album, it was that nasally half-singing that I just can not really enjoy. It didn't take me long to figure out that this guy is pretty raunchy, with varying results. I thought "if I was with a woman" was pretty funny/cheeky
Strong two to a light three
Dolly Parton
4/5
I recognized the name Dolly Parton, but I had no idea she made music like this. I realized more than halfway through the album, because the history page on this website only had her name listed, that the title of the album is referring to the fact that it's her and two other massively talented female vocalist singing in a trio. My modern sensibilities had me thinking that she was harmonizing with herself through post production, and that says something about how well these three vocalists meshed together, creating seamlessly beautiful, three part harmonies. I am also very partial to Bluegrass adjacent music so my bias will surely show in my review of this album. Violins, mandolins, acoustic guitars, and slide guitars; what's not to like? Strong four to a light five
3/5
Before starting this 1001 albums thing, I would discover music on my own or through recommendation, and then save that album to my library to be listened to later. This album was already on that list, so I'm glad to have the opportunity to listen to it. that being said, I wasn't extremely surprised; it just sounded like a decent David Bowie album to me. Of course he's very skilled at composition and arrangement, but this honestly was less interesting to me than the other two albums by him I've heard.
Alice In Chains
2/5
Among the three metal-adjacent albums we've listened to recently, I probably dislike this one the least. The vocalist is actually pretty skilled and there were a few satisfying vocal harmonies throughout. the Rooster is probably the best track partially for this reason. I also noticed a trait of his singing is that he likes to hold notes out for pretty long, which I thought was interesting. So the few moments that had long held out vocal harmonies were nice, and I enjoyed one or two of the guitar solos. Still not good enough for me to give it to three.
Radiohead
4/5
No one crafts dystopian, ethereal, melancholic, yet painfully human compositions quite like Radiohead. I think one of their albums definitely deserves a spot in the top 100 of all time, although I'm not sure if it should be this one. Still, it was very powerful. One composition technique I noticed that's characteristic of their music is that the bass line is often intermittent or does not arrive until late in the song, thus elevating its impact to the song when it does come in. The first track on this album is kind of what I'm talking about, and another example that I really like is "15 steps" from their album "In Rainbows."
Gillian Welch
4/5
I am partial to folk music, so I liked this album a lot. My favorite song was "red Clay Halo," and I wished there were more songs like it. Another highlight was the banjo on "my first lover." as someone who has been learning how to play guitar and singing at the same time, I wondered if she was playing the guitar parts while singing, and I thought that it would be very impressive if that's the case
The Killers
2/5
You guys probably won't rate this very highly, and a couple of these songs have been played to death obviously, but I feel some level of primal attachment to this band as being my generation's music. I think there was a bit of a renaissance in pop music in the 2000s and early 2010s, in that, chart topping music was better on average than the 2020s, and even maybe the 80s and 90s. They are no Passion Pit or Phoenix, but I think The Killers fit somewhere within that movement, and I appreciate them for that. There was nothing here that absolutely blew me away, and I think their stuff is honestly geared towards women. But this music isn't that bad to me. maybe just a little dated, overplayed, and cliche, but not bad. Strong two to a light three for context/ generational attachments
Paul Simon
4/5
I have no complaints getting to enjoy another Paul Simon album. This is certainly not as much of an African album than the last one we listen to, but you can still hear the African influence in the bass tone and bass lines, the percussion, the harmony, etc. I think the fact that he leans into those elements and incorporates many different styles, and is and enjoyer of African music, speaks to how well he understands and worships the joy of music and creation. Many of the arrangements were kind of minimal while still grooving super hard with many groovy details. My favorite songs were "trains in the distance" and "a song about the moon." light three to a strong floor.
Astor Piazzolla
4/5
I've never heard anything quite like this. I think the word mysterious summarizes the feeling of this album well. It was jazzy at points, but it was mostly composed like a movie soundtrack or a contemporary classical piece. The arrangements were rich and detailed, *vibrant* even. I think the vibraphone is a beautiful instrument that is under utilized. The same can be said about the accordion or various percussive sounds produced by the string section throughout this album. The accordion as well as the minor scale – centric compositions reminded me of Cajun music..? My main criticism would be that it's not great for casual listening, but otherwise I thought this album had a lot to offer.
Peter Frampton
3/5
I didn't recognize the name, but I knew the clearly famous "baby. I love your way" (assuming that's not a cover or something.) like many 70s pop albums we've heard, this was soulful and had high-quality instrumentation as well as harmonic richness, but that is part for the course for the 70s, and with that context, I think the best thing I can say about this album is that it's pretty good! I think this is one of those cases were the most popular song on the album is in fact the most memorable, although I also liked "penny for your thoughts," the short acoustic guitar piece
Led Zeppelin
4/5
This might be LZ's most legendary album. One of my favorite aspects of LZ continues to be how satisfying the drum/string parts intertwine to create satisfying syncopation and evoke polyrhythmic feeling, like in Black Dog or Misty Mountain top. the Battle of Evermore and Going to California were also highlights for me
Beyoncé
2/5
This was a lot more mediocre than I was expecting. A lot of the production sounds outdated, even though it's well executed and most songs have at least a couple production elements that are interesting. Obviously Beyoncé is a very skilled singer, but she didn't seem to have too much interesting to say. "Blow" and "Rocket" actually grooved pretty hard and harnessed some of the aspects of R&B that I like, but in either case the subject matter was very sexual and not very appealing to me. One consequence of "feminism" is girls are now allowed to act like sluts. I guess that's "empowerment" to Beyoncé.
Sepultura
1/5
Skipping this one
Parliament
3/5
Glad to discover this band. Very funky. Strong 3 to a light 4
Todd Rundgren
3/5
I was already familiar with one or two albums by Todd Rundgren, one of which was Something/Anything from the same year as this one, but this album was noticeably more experimental and production heavy. I was seriously impressed with the production on most of the songs; it sounds like it could've been a 2020 remaster. The album was formatted in a way that especially rewards attention, because the average length of the songs was short, and there were many ideas and styles. Like I said, he leaned into the production and electronic elements which contrasted well with his major scale-centric 70s pop ballad kind of composition he favors. Kind of sounds like David Bowie but better?
Stevie Wonder
3/5
Stevie Wonder will always be a joy to listen to. I don't think this album is quite on the same level as Innervisions, though; compositions just weren't as memorable. On the other hand, I found myself impressed with the sound design in some ways more than Innervisions. The types of sound he uses are very satisfying. He makes electronic sounds sound like live instruments, and there were several moments where those melodies scratched an itch, like on the song "brother," where I can't tell if it's a synth-like harmonica or harmonica-like synth that's tickling my ear. I'm again tempted to say that superstition is both the most famous and most memorable from this album. Strong 3 to a light 4.
Buzzcocks
2/5
This isn't my weakest 2, but it's not a very strong one either. Maybe it's because I didn't listen carefully enough, or maybe it's because we've already heard a few albums in this space, but litmus test the sounds like the Ramones if not less interesting
Massive Attack
2/5
I was already familiar with this album, and my impression largely remains the same in that I am lukewarm about it. I hope we get "Mezzanine," later on, because I recall it being much better than this album, even not including "Teardrop," which is probably the best song they have recorded. This album grooved decently, but still sounds pretty adapted overall
The Mothers Of Invention
1/5
I have some friends who are really into Frank Zappa, but me not as much. Normally, I appreciate satire, as I am plenty disillusioned by the fallacies of society, but I guess I view music as separate from all of that. At the very least, his music ends up coming off as if it's making light of music itself. I listen to music so that I can hear good music, not so that I can listen to noise that is making fun of music and everything else
B.B. King
3/5
Nothing too unexpected here, but solid execution of a tried and true style. For me, This album represented the duality of the live album format, because on one hand, the live atmosphere adds another layer of immersion and excitement, but the cynical side of me starts to get annoyed by the young women who hoot and holler between every phrase lol. It's also mind-boggling to consider that this is the kind of music that young people listened to at one time. Better times, I say. Both of the atmosphere and the lyrics evoke an image of a time where men and women needed each other for their respective strengths, as opposed to our post modern capitalist work machine where love has died
Lynyrd Skynyrd
3/5
Pretty good! This might actually be a case where I liked the lesser known songs more than the famous ones. Thought I have to say, when the double time section comes in on Free Bird, it's pretty exciting (even though that guitar solo is a meme now). " I ain't the one," "gimme three steps," "things goin' on," and "poison whiskey" were all fairly enjoyable for me. Several songs on this album used a standard blues format but had novel instrumentation to keep it interesting. The band was really solid as well; the guitar player obviously has serious skill, and I appreciated that the bass was also somewhat on the forefront, which is rare for this style of music