Rated 2/10
I tried to listen to this twice and couldn't make it half way. A double live album by a mediocre band has no business on this list. Have Hawkwind no decent studio albums they could have included instead?
Rated 2/10
I tried to listen to this twice and couldn't make it half way. A double live album by a mediocre band has no business on this list. Have Hawkwind no decent studio albums they could have included instead?
This is right down the middle for me really, some interesting sounds that were probably very new at the time but do sound a bit dated now. The vocals didn't do much for me either, but most of the songs were pleasant enough to listen to. Having said that, I listened to it fully through twice and can't remember any of the songs now!
Rated 8/10
Hadn't listened to this before at all, so it was a nice surprise! I didn't care much for "One Woman", but apart from that, it was great. Voice smooth like butter.
Rated 6/10
This is another album I listened to a LOT as a teenager, mainly because so many of their songs are easy to play well on the guitar. The immaturity of the lyrics probably appealed to me at some point too. These days, it doesn't do that much for me, but there are a handful of great tracks on here; Highway to Hell, Touch Too Much, Shot Down in Flames, If You Want Blood. They are mostly variations of the same 3 or 4 chords though at the end of the day!
Rated 10/10
One of my favourite Kate Bush albums, there are really some fantastic songs on here. "Deeper Understanding" is weirdly both nostalgic now and also quite prescient. "This Woman's Work" always gets an emotional reaction from me.
Rated 8/10
Haven't listened to this one before, although obviously I'm well aware of Dire Sraits. This is a really solid and well produced album. Sultans of Swing does tower over everything here, but there are some other bops too. Not a bad track here really.
Rated 6/10
Enjoyed this in a general way, but nothing really stood out that much. Kind of reminded me a bit of a James Bond soundtrack.
Rated 6/10
Had a listen to this twice, some good storytelling and a couple of really well written tunes. Overall I found it a bit repetitive, but that is a recurring problem for me with Reggae!
Rated 6/10
Had nevet heard I'd this guy before, but enjoyed a lot of this. Its an interesting mix of genres and he has a great voice, remeniscent of Scott Walker. I also really like a lot of the guitar playing. Only downside I have is that after two listens, several of the songs aren't particularly memorable. I think the raga at the end was a bit of a strange choice too, but it's not terrible.
Rated 6/10
I still feel like I don't really "get" Prince. I appreciate that it was a different time and that he pushed boundaries that needed to be pushed, etc. He was also obviously a fantastic musician. But I find a full album of his hard to get through. There several songs on here that are way too long and probably a bit too self indulgent. I also find the production and mixing is bad in places, sometime the vocals are somewhat buried and the bass is way too loud ( or treble way too high?). Having said that though, the first 3 songs are absolute classics, and the album definitely deserves a spot in this list. Just maybe not in my heart!
Rated 6/10
Listening to the first few songs here I was wondering why I hadn't listened to this album in so long. The first disc is solid gold, especially the incredible "Kashmir". But then I got to the second disc, and that's a completely different story. Apart from the excellent "Ten Years Gone", the second disc is mostly forgettable. No wonder I couldn't remember it! Bit of a mixed bag overall really, and way too long. A 3 seems harsh, but this doesn't really hold up to III, IV, or Houses of the Holy to me.
This is a great album, another one that I've only come across within the last year or so. "Burn it Down" and "Gino" always end up stuck in my head for hours after I listen to them. It's great to see that this band were much more than just the very overplayed "Come On Eileen". This album does waver a bit towards the end I find, but maybe those songs will grow one eventually. 8/10
Rated 10/10
This is a fantastic album, but it's surprising to see something so recent on a list like this. I've listened to it several times since it came out, but still feel like I'm digesting it! Fiona Apple must be one of the most consistently great singer/songwriters working today.
Rated 4/10
Some good songs on here, and good production, but it's not something I'd listen to again. Which is surprising, because I thought it would fall into the bucket of hip hop I usually like.
Rated 4/10
I've never really understood why this album is considered a masterpiece. I guess musically it is quite good, and is a significant departure from their earlier music. But I really can't stand Wayne Coyne's screechy singing for very long. The lyrics are also way too simplistic for it to be considered "one of the best albums of the 90s". I'd take Yoshimi over this any day.
Very good album, makes me feel like I'm on holiday!
Rated 6/10
I quite enjoyed this, even though it is very of the time. It's a bit too long, and the last 3 songs didn't do much for me. Up until that point though, I thought it was pretty solid, and even fairly funny in places.
Rated 10/10
I always thought that The Specials were a bit overrated, but having listened to the through twice, I get it! There's so much raw talent here, and also some really thoughtful political songwriting for such a young group at the time. It makes sense that they were such a phenomenon, definitely worth the praise!
Rated 8/10
Great album! I could only listen to it once though, because I can only get so aroused, even while working from home.
Rated 10/10
Love this album, another relatively recent find for me. I've been aware of Frank Zappa for a long time, but mainly only knew him for Bobby Brown and thought he was a bit of a novelty act. However, just before Halloween of last year, while driving out to a haunted house type experience, my partner randomly put this on in the car, because we had both heard it was a great album. It was suitably horrific for the night that was in it, and has been on fairly regular rotation for me ever since. Peaches En Regalia is a great opening, then Willie the Pimp follows it up in a fairly unsettling, but enjoyable, way. One of the best album covers I've seen in relation to the music also; what appears to me to be a clown who's taken too many drugs, attempting to hide in an empty swimming pool. Not sure how accurate that is, it's just what I see. Fits the music perfectly.