Never been much of a country fan, but this got better as it went along. Definitely got me on a bit of a Neil Young kick afterwards.
Favourite track: Down By The River
Least favourite track: Cinnamon Girl
It'd be criminal to rate this any lower. Aretha's voice is just godly, the instrumentals hit so hard every time, and there's not a single bad track. She was indeed the First Lady of Soul.
Favourite track: Ain't No Way
Least favourite track: People Get Ready
As much as I still think Bowie was a genius, this one just wasn't for me. The janky pianos combined with the glam rock guitar riffs felt a little distracting, the lyrics got a little over-prosaic in places, and there isn't much that stuck with me afterwards aside from The Jean Genie. For such an iconic album cover, this was a disappointment. Much prefer the Berlin trilogy.
Favourite track: The Jean Genie
Least favourite track: Let's Spend The Night Together
Just superb. Despite being a whole 19 tracks long, London Calling is still so tight as an album. Not a single skippable track to be found, I loved the combination of punk and reggae with a little bit of ska thrown in for good measure, and the guitar work is properly catchy stuff. Already loved the Clash, but I'm glad to have finally listened to this legendary release in full.
Favourite track: Spanish Bombs
Least favourite track: Koka Kola
Great hip-hop album from an artist I've never given the time of day. The lyrics flow so smoothly from one verse to the next, each song conjures up vivid images of growing up in New York, and the beats had me bopping my head from start to finish. Definitely one I'd listen to again, and will certainly be recommending to people going forward.
Favourite track: One Love (ft. Q-Tip)
Least favourite track: The Genesis, mainly due to it being more of an interlude than an actual song.
Was not expecting too much but ended up having a fun time with this one. Whilst it's not as packed with hits as other Blur albums, this is nonetheless filled with great songs. I especially enjoyed some of the guitar work throughout, and the lyrics were properly witty in their examination of British suburbia.
Favourite song: Chemical World
Least favourite song: Villa Rosie
This was another big surprise. A britpop sound without even being British, elements of neo-psychedelic shoegaze, and plenty of drones later on, creating a rather nifty stoner rock album that I can imagine being quite formative for the genre. Really nice enveloping sound to this one, and one that works perfectly on a long walk. Cracking stuff.
Favourite track: Not If You Were The Last Junkie On Earth
Least favourite track: Pete International Airport
It's good, but I wouldn't say it's great. Oasis have always come off as overrated in my opinion, and finally sitting down to listen to a whole album only confirms that to me. There's a few tracks that had me engaged, and then the rest just blended into one another. Wish I could have loved this a little more, but I'm afraid I'm just not an Oasis guy.
Favourite track: Live Forever
Least favourite track: Digby's Dinner
Really enjoyed this one. It was a little tricky to find the exact album, as its technically not on streaming, however I'd like to thank whoever put the tracklist together as a playlist. Fats Domino had the vocals, lyricism, and energy down perfectly, and it was exactly the kind of blues that I love. Definitely adding some of these tracks to my regular rotation.
Favourite track: You Done Me Wrong
Least favourite track: Honey Chile
This was endlessly funky and a totally addictive listen, to the point where I had to get myself home from my daily walk and start it all over again so I could have a proper boogie to it. Love a bit of 1980s new wave, and this perfectly scratched a particular itch I've been craving to be scratched for a while. Smooth melodies, powerhouse vocals, and timeless lyrics. More of this please.
Favourite track: Poison Arrow
Least favourite track: All Of My Heart
Not for me, I'm afraid. Never really been a nu-metal fan, but this was just all over the shop stylistically.
Joni's voice is simply angelic, and her lyrics offer a window into a particular point in her life, painting vivid images of heartbreak and melancholy alike. The instrumentation is so smooth, providing the perfect backdrop to some already excellent compositions, and I found myself enchanted by the whole thing. Definitely adding this to my rotation.
Favourite track: Carey
Least favourite track: This Flight Tonight
Made me feel like I was sat in a jazz bar, sipping an old-fashioned and smoking a cigarette. Gorgeous stuff from Sarah Vaughan, whom I had never heard of before until now. After looking at some reviews, I must be in a bit of a musical minority here, because I just can't get enough of a good live album, and this one absolutely delivered. Definitely one I'd listen to again.
Favourite track: Stairway To The Stars
Least favourite track: Just A Gigolo (an overplayed standard, imo)
Good but not great. I could see what they were going for here, however much like most stoner rock, it feels as if this would be best experienced under certain influences so to speak. Many of the songs blended in with one another, meaning that there's not a whole lot of memorability, but that's not to say I didn't enjoy it because I was impressed by a lot of the guitar work from Clapton.
Favourite track: Sunshine Of Your Love
Least favourite track: Mother's Lament
Who says rock can't be funky? An absolute treasure trove of an album which pushes the boundaries of what's possible, delivering heavy riffs and infectious grooves throughout. The lyrics speak of unity and self-expression, making it so much more important now than ever before, with an opening track which justifies a 5-star rating by itself. Sublime.
Favourite track: You And Your Folks, Me And My Folks
Least favourite track: Wars of Armageddon
It's like the soundtrack to a heist film that doesn't exist... YET! I really enjoyed this electronica album from David Holmes, whom I'm more familiar with in terms of his film scores. The sound takes you on a journey, from car chases to bank robberies, all within the confines of NYC, and I found myself becoming properly immersed. More of this please.
Favourite track: Rodney Yates
Least favourite track: Freaknik
This is exactly why I signed up to this challenge. An album I've never heard of from a band that is totally unknown to me, in a subgenre I wouldn't usually go for. Whilst not a classic in my opinion, it's still a fun listen. Short but sweet, just as it needed to be.
Favourite track: What Gets Heard
Least favourite track: Understanding
This one rocks. Like actually rocks. It's raw and brimming with energy, to the point where you can actually hear the punk genre being birthed in real time. A lot of people would say it's a bit too rough around the edges, but to me that's where MC5's debut is at its finest. How has this eluded me for so long? A banger of a live album.
Favourite track: Rocket Reducer No. 62
Least favourite track: Starship
Can't go wrong with a bit of Queen. Mercury's voice is an all-timer, May's guitar work is something to behold, and the rhythm section of Taylor and Deacon is tight as hell. So why the lower rating? Well, it's not that cohesive as an album on the whole. I found the first half to be stronger than the last, and a few songs felt a little over-the-top with their theatrics. It's a mixed bag, but I still enjoyed myself here.
Favourite track: Brighton Rock
Least favourite track: In The Lap Of The Gods
A real all-timer of a metal album. From start to finish, this anti-war epic exudes pure speed and power, producing head-banging tunes and heavy lyrics. These guys are just on another level here, and I cannot believe I never gave this one a chance before. Hell yeah!
Favourite track: Disposable Heroes
Least favourite track: Leper Messiah
I can forgive an album for feeling long-winded, but boring is something else. This just did not grab me, no matter how much I tried to connect with it. Self-indulgent rubbish.
Maybe not on the same level as Blue but still brilliant. This is Joni going into slightly jazzier material and it just feels so right. Once again her voice is like nothing else I've ever heard, especially in terms of her dynamics, and I really found myself getting lost in the storytelling of these songs. My first repeated artist in the challenge, and I could not have asked for anybody better.
Favourite song: Help Me
Least favourite song: Trouble Child
A corker of a live experience. The first half had me in a state of introspection with its acoustic vibes and surrealistic lyrics, but then the second half kicked in and blew my mind. This particular concert recording is where the infamous Judas incident occured, and if you listen closely, you can hear the audience are restless at first when it comes to hearing Dylan transition into his electric era, slow-clapping to throw him and the Band off. To me, going electric allowed Dylan to explore more avenues for his musical storytelling, and ultimately this audience had no idea of the greatness they were able to witness live. Definitely want to hear more of these bootlegs soon.
Favourite track: Baby, Let Me Follow You Down
Least favourite track: Desolation Row
An interesting listen, that's for sure. It's basically an album which asks the question "What if the Byrds were a punk band?", with its jangly guitars and witty lyrics. If you're going to listen to this one, make sure to look out for the 45th anniversary remaster, otherwise you'll be stuck with a whole lost of extra tracks for something you might not enjoy. Overall, whilst not a band I'd seek out again, I still enjoyed myself quite a bit.
Favourite track: Positive Vibrations
Least favourite track: Old Pervert
As soon as I saw Cohen's name, I knew this would be an emotional one. In a similar vein to Blackstar by David Bowie in the same year, this is a man reflecting on his life and doing something that very few musicians get the opportunity to accomplish: Saying farewell to his fans. He looks back upon the person he used to be, the person he has ended up becoming, and the world he is leaving behind, and the whole thing is this heartbreaking yet totally cathartic experience. Just beautiful and one that had me in tears at points.
Favourite track: Treaty
Least favourite track: N/A
Wait, this was actually pretty good. As somebody who has a stoic disdain for Mr West it came as a complete surprise to me that I enjoyed myself here. The beats are catchy, the mixing is on another level, and the lyrics explore a very complex relationship with the world of fame. However, stars have been deducted for the simple fact that it's less of an album and more of a collection of songs, with a couple here and there not quite scratching the itch. Not amazing, but still pretty cool.
Favourite track: Devil in a New Dress
Least favourite track: Blame Game
The Jam is a band I've always been meaning to look more into, with a few of their songs such as Town Called Malice and Going Underground being very familiar favourites to me, and so it comes as no surprise as to how much I actually enjoyed this album. A lot of it feels like a precursor to the Britpop sound that would dominate the 1990s, especially Blur with its lyrics about suburban English life, but here there's an element of the country's class issues that make the album more punk-like. It's full of infectious energy, Weller's vocals are on point as always, and it provided the perfect companion to a sunny afternoon.
Favourite track: Fly
Least favourite track: David Watts
Only made it to track 4. Shite.
A proper time capsule album, transporting the listener to somebody's basement back in the 1990s whilst surrounded by good friends and smoking grass. It's abrasive and rebellious, and does well to embrace the newfound counter-culture that the era brought with it, in which it was cool to be a slacker with no direction. The kind of album that allows you completely let your hair down for half an hour without a care in the world, releasing those pent-up frustrations as opposed to keeping them bottled up.
Favourite track: Where Is My Mind?
Least favourite track: Tony's Theme
Just gorgeous. Gave me slight Elliot Smith vibes, but with more complex and experimental instrumentation. It even had me in the feels, intensified by the fact I was listening whilst walking through the rain. Definitely need to add this to my rotation, and I've no idea how it's eluded me for so long. Beautiful album.
Favourite track: War On War
Least favourite track: Poor Places
