Rate Albums

Reviews by brndnnll

fROMOHIOfIREHOSE

10/10

Probably the most accessible album from fIREHOSE. An excellent straight at you album that balances all of the respective genres and style super well. Have always loved this album.

Lust for LifeIggy Pop

10/10

I have not listened to this album in a long time, I forget how hard this album rocks, every track is a banger. Just banger after banger. 5 stars easy.

GoldRyan Adams

6/10

Ryan Adams second solo album. I know Heartbreaker forward and backward but never really listened to this one much. It's great but doesn't hold the powerful nostalgic pull over me that Heartbreaker does. But it's got all the hallmarks of early Ryan Adams there and it's a great listen.

JustifiedJustin Timberlake

2/10

This is a lot, and it's not good. It's big and ambitious and pandering for all the wrong reasons. It feels like JT wants to be Michael Jackson on this. It doesn't hit the mark, and feels super dated and corny.

Apple Venus, Volume 1XTC

6/10

I was annoyed that this was an XTC album from the 90s and that it wasn't on streaming platforms, but I quite enjoyed this, which was unexpected. It's whimsical for sure, but a nice change of pace.

Blood & ChocolateElvis Costello & The Attractions

2/10

This is the 5th album that this last has spit out to me from Elvis Costello, and all I can conclude is that "tastemakers" who made this list must really want it's readers to like Elvis Costello. This may be the worst album of the bunch. I just find this so boring and uninteresting.

Joan BaezJoan Baez

8/10

A great debut album from a legendary folk artist. All Traditional songs arranged brilliantly. Great record.

American IV: The Man Comes AroundJohnny Cash

10/10

The American Recordings at the end of Johnny Cash's career/life were such an excellent swan song for the legendary musician. This is maybe the best one of the bunch, an excellent collection of mostly understated cover songs, with a few originals, of which the title track is arguably one of his best songs ever. Love this record.

British SteelJudas Priest

6/10

Ha this was sweet. I didn't realize how thrash Judas Priest was, and also didn't realize that the well known songs on this record were Judas Priest songs. Sweet for sure, nothing incredible by any means.

A Grand Don’t Come for FreeThe Streets

6/10

I had never heard of The Streets. This seems like an ambitious project, a rap opera or whatever. I commend the output as unique and interesting, and it's compelling enough.

Fifth DimensionThe Byrds

4/10

A bit perplexed to realize this is the 4th album from The Byrds that I have received on this list, and they are one of my few "Controversial Artists." I loved Sweetheart of the Rodeo with Gram Parsons and the other records have just been kind of meh, but I get why they are on this.

This however, I just don't know. It's uneven, half the songs are cover songs or an instrumental. I feel it's maybe not essential listening when there are 3 other records from this band that are better. An odd and (one of many) unworthy inclusions on this list I think.

ImagineJohn Lennon

8/10

The title track is obviously a behemoth and probably the only reason this album scratches this list. The rest of it is not bad per se, but it's kind of middle of the road. I wouldn't call it essential by any means, but it's great in the context of understanding who the whole picture of who The Beatles were as a group of four individuals. I love it, but don't think it's necessarily great, the Phil Spector production is (always) a bit much for me. At the end of the day it's kind of difficult to rank this objectively, and as a teenager I would have said this was a 5 stars, but it's clearly not.

Throwing MusesThrowing Muses

8/10

I do feel like this genre of music is overrepresented on this album, but this was a good one, super solid record all around. Very difficult to find, but found a playlist on YouTube.