Rated 8/10
A bit meandering and a touch too long, but pretty slamming overall. Interesting how Ice's flow seems to get more interesting a few tunes in - possibly symptomatic of this record being made in a fairly transitional period for hip hop.
Rated 6/10
Fundamentally a very silly record. Very rocking, but not as good as I would have hoped. I Want You To Want Me remains an absolute banger.
Rated 10/10
Amazing album from the time before Kanye lost his mind and became a complete piece of shit.
Rated 4/10
A much less interesting album than I remember. A handful of solid tunes, but mostly so-so power pop. Still, much better than the turgid shite that was to follow from FF.
Pretty unnecessary for this to be an album, let alone one that must be experienced before the end. An interesting-ish idea that doesn't seem to be very successful. Also, waaaaaay too long.
Apt that this was served up the day after Dolly's death.
What a trio! This is what proper country music is to me, and it’s managed to avoid terrible 1980s production choices. Incredible vocal interplay, with highly tasteful accompaniment.
Music for American community college students to play hacky sac to.
Spiritual cousins to Jamiroqui.
Fucking dire - could not finish
Rated 8/10
An album I semi-dismissed at the time due to the enthusiasm of daft sods. Still not as great as everyone was making out, but remains a fascinating approach with solid results. I remain convinced that with the rights MCs this could've become a phenomenal album, even though the UNKLE album was a bit of a letdown.
Rated 8/10
Forgot that this album is from 1988, and not about 5 years later. When I was introduced to Sonic Youth I was told that they were super weird and unlistenable, but to me it sounded like fairly accessible indie rock and I semi-wrote them off in an obnoxious way. Of course, I was wrong to do so and grew to love over the years. Is this the best Sonic Youth album? Maybe not as good as Sister or EVOL. Could it do with more Kim singing and less Thurston? Yes. Is it a few songs too long? Yes. Madly influential? Of course. Probably a 4.5/5, but downgrading to 4 for no particular reason.
Rated 10/10
70s Jonathan Richman is just the best, even if he doesn't like this record. Crystallises so much of the future of independent music in such an unencumbered way.
Rated 10/10
Cosmic. If only it was credited to Emmylou, too.
Rated 4/10
Too much Elvis on this list, but this is better than the other 2 I've had thrown at me. Maudlin Elvis is vomit-inducing, especially on the bonus tracks (which I accidentally listened to)
Rated 10/10
OK, it's the jazz album for non-jazz fans, but it still is sublime. So much understated wonder.
5 stars and not even Miles' best.
Rated 10/10
Utopian perfection.
Rated 2/10
Not fucking Deep Purple again. Why is this included, as well as Machine Head, when they both have most of the same songs?
Rated 6/10
Turning up only a few days after Raising Hell, Run DMC's debut feels less powerful and less coherent. I guess it's kind of a compilation of singles, which might explain it. Interesting, important, and ground-breaking, for sure, but doesn't have the power of their later stuff, 40-odd years on.
Rated 8/10
Grunge, schmunge. Hole are a really good power pop band, and this is a really good power pop album. Courtney Love has spawned a million weak imitators, but she can pull off some brilliant lyrical feats.
Rated 10/10
An amazing collection of songs that remain weird and interesting, with both pathos and whimsy in abundance. Always feels about 2 songs too long, but they're all undroppable.
Rated 10/10
Starts off hard as hell ad continues in that vein for a number of tunes. Walk This Way is the best thing Aerosmith ever did, but this album version goes on forever with guitar noodling. Bit of a semi-lull in the middle, but goes out with an absolute bang.
Great to listen to the first time in ages and be constantly ticking off the bits that have been sampled and copied elsewhere plus the enormous influence on all hip-hop that follows.
God damn that DJ made my day.
Rated 4/10
Elvis-scepticism remains...
Kicks off with some cracking work by the Jordanaires, but covering Fever is a foolish move. Elvis ballads are boring, but the doo-wop stuff can be good - see Thrill of Your Love, Soldier Boy.
Maybe I just like the Jordanaires?
