Reviews by florida-metalhead810

What on earth is this doing on the list? Also, that title makes absolutely no sense. It's kind of like an 80s pop version of "Hypocrisy is the Greatest Luxury", for those who are familiar with that from this list or elsewhere. It suffers from the same big flaw as that album: the lyrics are too on-the-nose and lack depth. However, this album is otherwise a pretty good 80s pop album. It's catchy if insanely dated and has a consistent rhythmic groove that works. The "80s sound" tends to work for me weirdly, as those gated snares just appeal to my lizard brain. There's no denying that Janet has a good voice and an ability to write hooks(if it was her writing the songs, running counter to the pop tradition of having five million songwriters to make the perfect hook). However, the album is slightly bloated. It has too many interludes to pad out a runtime that didn't necessarily need padding out. Yet for all its faults, it's still a good 80s pop album. Unfortunately, a good album does not mean essential listening, and this doesn't cut it for essential. So it doesn't deserve it's spot on the list.

This album is ranked #13 of 26 albums for 1989. Other 1989 albums rated by me:
Disintegration(1/26)-5
Doolittle(2/26)-5
Like a Prayer(6/26)-3
Done by the Forces of Nature(12/26)-4
Let Love Rule(14/26)-2
Fromohio(15/26)-2
Nick of Time(17/26)-2
Djam Leelii(19/26)-4
Moss Side Story(24/26)-2

Steely Dan is a hard band to properly rate. On the one hand, they're incredibly good at making smooth, radio-friendly music with strong pop songwriting skills. On the other, their music frequently inspires nothing in the way of emotion in me. This is probably the best Steely Dan album on the list, as there's an actual, palpable appreciation for catchy songwriting rather than just pure studio perfection. While a lot of the trademark Steely Dan sound is here, it also has a magic that Steely Dan would never again capture. The vocals and lyrics are typical of Steely Dan, but the instrumental backing is weirdly groovy(by Steely Dan standards). This is my pick for best Steely Dan album based on that alone.

This album is ranked #5 of 31 albums released in 1972. Other 1972 albums rated by me:
Ziggy Stardust(abbreviated title)(1/31)-4
Vol. 4(3/31)-5
Talking Book(6/31)-4
Superfly(7/31)-4
Machine Head(11/31)-5
Paul Simon(12/31)-4
All Directions(13/31)-4
The World Is A Ghetto(15/31)-4
Eagles(16/31)-4
#1 Record(20/31)-5
Manassas(25/31)-2
Something/Anything?(26/31)-3
American Gothic(31/31)-2

This is going to be an interesting listen... I will be evaluating this both as an album and as a representative of what the southern US is like(granted, I live in suburban Florida, so my knowledge of these places is probably limited). A lot of this album is very mediocre classic "Southern rock" that was well out of the musical mainstream by 2001. They are surprisingly good at evoking the classic sound of the style, but don't really do anything particularly interesting with it. The lyrics go for poetic and deep explorations of what it means to be a Southerner, but mostly fail at this and end up very superficial. For some reason, there's a spoken word song about Alabama's history and former racist governor. The singer sounds incredibly bro-country, oftentimes reminding me of the local bar bands of the northern Florida coasts. While this album is not bad by any means, it is incredibly derivative. I don't think it does enough to transcend the Southern stereotypes and sonic constraints of its chosen genre, leaving it to essentially be a rock revival act that's not better than the originals.

This is the #16 ranked album of the 17 2001 albums on the list. Other 2001 albums rated by me:
Is This It(1/17)-4
Gorillaz(3/17)-3
Vespertine(8/17)-4
Gold(15/17)-1
Bright Flight(17/17)-3

I always kind of regarded this as a very-of-its-era 90s pop album. It is exactly what I thought it would be: a mostly mediocre 90s pop album with some rock and shoegaze influences. This is incredibly commercial by nature, with a strong emphasis on hooks and that feminine angst that was incredibly popular for a brief moment in the 1990s(see Alanis Morrisette for another example of this). I guess it belongs on the list as an example of the musical mainstream of the 90s, and it does have some legitimately good songs towards the back half, but it's ultimately just an example of the popular sound of its era. The band is more or less a footnote in modern music, and this didn't really have any staying power.

This album is the #7 ranked album of 22 1995 albums. Other 1995 albums rated by me:
The Bends(1/22)-4
What's the Story Morning Glory(2/22)-4
Jagged Little Pill(3/22)-4
Foo Fighters(5/22)-4
Different Class(6/22)-2
Me Against the World(11/22)-3
Exit Planet Dust(13/22)-3

Brazilian soul is certainly an interesting choice of album for a Friday. It is a really good album, mixing American style rock, funk, and soul with traditional African-influenced Brazilian music styles. The songs are very upbeat and catchy while sounding like something entirely unique. Lyrics seem to be a weakness of the album, but my understanding of Portuguese is too limited to be sure of this. I do, however, really like this. I find it to be a really enjoyable album that you can just groove to without having to understand it. This might be the best album I've had all week(sorry Stereolab & Parliament fans, this is just better than both of those were- and they were pretty good albums themselves, though flawed).

This album is ranked #8 of 18 albums for 1976. Other 1976 albums rated by me:
Joan Armatrading(10/18)-4

Alright, so this is a mid-90s electronic rock album? More accurately, it sounds like a more modern version of krautrock. The songs are often long and very groove-driven, and they often have heavy amounts of synth and electronics mixed in. Hell, even the vocals sound Can-esque. Unfortunately, this doesn't come close to the quality of Tago Mago's greatest songs despite solid songwriting. On that album, they swell dramatically and change constantly, showcasing huge dynamic range that this lacks. However, this is by no means a bad album. It still has much of the appeal of krautrock as a style even if it's not a true great of the genre.

This album is ranked #14 of 28 albums for 1996. Other 1996 albums rated by me:
The Score(1/28)-4
Tigermilk(8/28)-3
Everything Must Go(11/28)-3
1977(13/28)-2
Better Living Through Chemistry(15/28)-2
Oedipus Schmoedipus(23/28)-3
Now I Got Worry(27/28)-4

A 60s psych band that I've never heard of is probably not essential listening, but who the hell am I to judge that? 1960s music as a whole was always kind of a blind spot in my listening prior to this. This is an OK mid-60s rock album. It's not a whole lot more than that, instead being a mediocre and mostly unnotable example of that sound. The lyrics are not good at all, and the vocals are just mediocre Beatles imitations. This is not essential listening because it just treads the same ground as a ton of other rock groups from that period. "Toonerville Trolley" does not generate anywhere close to the same emotional response in me as it does in many other reviewers, though it is the worst song on a rather boring record. Also, "The Electric Prunes" is not a good band name, though "The The" is far worse. Get this off the list ASAP.

This album is ranked #28 of 30 for 1967. Other 1967 albums rated by me:
Are You Experienced?(2/30)-5
The Doors(3/30)-4
Surrealistic Pillow(7/30)-3
Songs of Leonard Cohen(9/30)-4
Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim(11/30)-4

Hmm, a 70s funk album. This is looking good. One of the first things you notice about this album is that it doesn't take itself seriously at all. It wants to party and get, well, funky. It does, with the energetic horns and groovy bass beats that define the genre. Vocals are pretty good, but the spoken word can get tedious(to say nothing of the lyrics, which are very superficial and unimportant). Many of the songs have overlong runtimes for what they are(various spoken word bits and sung bits placed over frequently repetitive music). This is a good album and an enjoyable one that knows what it is, but the numerous musical fallacies of the era that the band falls into cannot be overlooked. Or perhaps I don't know how to have fun...

This album is ranked #7 of 22 albums for 1975. Other 1975 albums rated by me:
Wish You Were Here(1/22)-5
A Night At The Opera(2/22)-5
Physical Graffiti(3/22)-4
Blood on the Tracks(4/22)-3
That's the Way of the World(8/22)-5
Red Headed Stranger(11/22)-5

This album is an early progenitor to 70s soul and funk. It should therefore be pretty good. It was a good live album with lots of energy. It had a lot of soul and was very funky. The lyrics were typical for early soul, but the songs were good and sung well. The backing band was very energetic, and the crowd was as well without being overbearing. This is a very good album that was fun to listen to, like all soul albums should be. I recommend this for a simple funky album that you can have fun with.

This album is ranked #4 of 8 albums for 1963. Other 1963 albums rated by me:
Live at the Harlem Square Club(1/8)-5
The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan(3/8)-4
A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector(7/8)-2

"The The" is a top contender for dumbest band name of all time. And, of course, it's a new wave album. A shitty new wave album. The songs all feel like they're a little too long, and there aren't really many good hooks. The lyrics are probably the best part of the album, but they're often hidden by the lackluster singing. I find myself forgetting every song after it concludes, and nothing here really stirs my emotions. This is just another mediocre new wave album in a sea of mediocre new wave albums. Hell, the sheer tedium on display might make this the worst one yet. And, worse, they have two albums on the list. Add this to the list of "random boring crud with no reason to be on the list of essential albums" instead of the list of essential albums. It is now my first 1 star album released before 1990.

This album is ranked #8 of 16 albums for 1983. Other 1983 albums previously rated by me:
Back to Mystery City(15/16)-2

This album is... Well, it's the Dark Side of the Moon. Simply one of the greatest albums ever made. And, yes, I love it just as much as anybody else. There is no denying classic Pink Floyd's ability to build an atmosphere, write scathing critiques of modern society with unparalleled swagger, and to provoke even a modern teenage listener such as me into thought. They write haunting songs with beautifully evocative lyrics set to backing music sounding like nobody else ever. To deny this album is to deny the greatness of classic rock, and possibly music, itself. This is the pinnacle, the apex, the peak of Pink Floyd. So, yeah, it's an all-timer if there ever was one.

This is the top ranked album of 1973 globally. Other 1973 albums also rated by me:
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road(2/30)-4
Let's Get It On(4/30)-5
Catch a Fire(7/30)-4
Head Hunters(10/30)-4
Tres Hombres(11/30)-4
Raw Power(12/30)-4
Countdown to Ecstasy(13/30)-3
Selling England by the Pound(15/30)-4
Paris 1919(25/30)-3

This album, alongside Green Day's Dookie, was essentially the first important pop-punk album. It sounds pretty much exactly like you would expect based on their hits and doesn't really do much else besides that sound. The lyrics are not very good, and the vocals are just OK. This band can write good hooks, but their songs don't do much to engage the listener. It is an important album worthy of being on the list, but it's very of its time and not much more.

This album is ranked #10 of 29 albums for 1994 by global rating. Other 1994 albums rated by me:
Dookie(2/29)-4
Dummy(4/29)-5
Illmatic(7/29)-5
Ready to Die(11/29)-2
Live Through This(13/29)-4
Protection(15/29)-4
Talking Timbuktu(17/29)-3
Music for the Jilted Generation(19/29)-4
Dog Man Star(20/29)-3

Alright, a female-led 70s British punk band. Never heard of these guys(and two gals), but then I'm not very well versed in 70s punk. This is sadly not as much of an uncorked punk fury-fest as I was expecting, but maybe I just wanted some hardcore punk. It still has a lot of punk elements, such as political lyrics condemning consumerism and the artificial world(they are somehow more relevant today than they likely were in 1978) and simplistic guitar. However, there are some key sonic differences(namely the saxophone and surprising variance of tempos). The vocals are ass, but they sound punk and that's probably more important than their technical quality. There are some legitimate bangers here, but also plenty of fairly mediocre songs, making for a somewhat uneven album. In the end, I wanted to like this more than I actually did.

This album is ranked #19 of 33 albums for 1978 by global rating. Other 1978 albums rated by me:
Darkness on the Edge of Town(6/33)-5
Stardust(8/33)-4
Live and Dangerous(11/33)-4
This Year's Model(13/33)-3
All Mod Cons(14/33)-4
Duck Stab/Buster & Glen(32/33)-3

Another day, another Britpop album... At least this has some name recognition. On American Spotify, they are referred to as "The London Suede", which sounds even more pretentious than "Suede" does. The actual album is Britpop, but with a shoegaze influence. The lyrics are OK, but the vocalist sounds like every other shit Britpop vocalist. This is clearly trying to do something more interesting with the genre than Oasis, but it doesn't quite pull this off. The songwriting is very mediocre, and a lot of it is overblown. That kind of makes this a nothing album, not bad but not good either.

This album is ranked #20 of 29 albums for 1994 by global rating. Other 1994 albums previously rated by me:
Dookie(2/29)-4
Dummy(4/29)-5
Illmatic(7/29)-5
Ready to Die(11/29)-2
Live Through This(13/29)-4
Protection(15/29)-4
Talking Timbuktu(17/29)-3
Music for the Jilted Generation(19/29)-4

A French rap album seems like an interesting inclusion. It's also interesting how I keep getting rap albums for major milestones(100,150,250, and with this 300 were all rap albums).I'll have to assess this one on vibes, as I don't speak a word of French. The beats and samples are good, and the rapping itself is also pretty good. I don't know what any of the lyrics are, but I don't think they're bad compared to American gangster rap from the same period. This is a good rap album that holds its own with the best of American rap from the same period, but I need to know the lyrics to have the full picture. I know that this one's on me for being American and not knowing French, but this cannot be a 5 until I know what he's actually saying.

This album is ranked 14 out of 23 albums released in 1991 by global rating. Other 1991 albums previously rated by me:
Ten(2/23)-4
The Low End Theory(4/23)-5
Blue Lines(6/23)-5
Achtung Baby(7/23)-1
Spiderland(17/23)-4
Rising Above Bedlam(23/23)-2

I've heard of these guys before, but never actually listened to anything by them. It turns out, they're yet another British indie rock band, albeit with some minor rap influences. Technically, they're a "digital band" composed of cartoon characters, but that's giving them too much credit. The songs are actually pretty good for indie rock, but they're not amazing or anywhere close to it. It feels pretentious in the same way all the other albums of its kind do, and the musicianship isn't particularly great. This is a fine enough album without much in the way of distinguishing features from other genre efforts. I genuinely don't know how this band got popular when they sound the same as 5000 other British bands of the era.

Why did this list give me all 3 of Prince's included albums within 50 albums of each other? I just had Sign O' The Times last week! (Purple Rain came a little earlier, in early April). Anyway, this album is Prince doing the thing that Prince does best; make funky 80s pop songs about sex. Musically, the songs are catchy and fun, with strong hooks and excellent rhythms that engage the listener. In terms of lyrics, it's not all that remarkable. All the lyrics deal with partying and, well, having intercourse. Prince knows how to write a good song, but he's clearly thinking with his penis on this album. It's still about as good as any other Prince album, however.

I don't really know what I can say for a techno album that I haven't already said in a review of other techno albums. This album in particular doesn't really stand out among the crowd. It's fairly basic electronic music that doesn't really have anything interesting behind it. Now, electronic music is a hard genre to make interesting, but this album doesn't manage it. I feel nothing when listening to this, not even the groove of the music. Therefore, this is not a good album and doesn't deserve to be on the list.

This is my third Neil Young listen of the list. It's a good classic rock album, but doesn't really do much to transcend that. Young has written some great songs, but they aren't on this record. I feel like Young is usually at his best when he goes more introspective, and this record has some of that but not a whole lot. The guitar playing isn't particularly virtuosic, but it serves the songs as well as you'd expect. I actually quite like Young's voice, so that isn't the problem here. It was clear that his songwriting still needed some work, but this is still a good record if not a great one.

Finally, something actually interesting this week. This album has a very warm vibe from its strong guitar playing. I can't understand the lyrics, but the singer is clearly good at what he does. This album sounds very similar to Baaba Maal's two records on this list despite coming from a different country. There's probably some nuance here that I'm not getting with my American Anglophone brain being unable to comprehend the lyrics. The percussion adds a nice touch to the record, enhancing what would otherwise be mostly placid guitar songs. This record is still very placid in general, but not in a bad way. Certainly, it's better than the last 3 records I've had.