Reviews by guggmo

I’m at a 5.

It is a long album. That’s basically the only knock I have on it; there might be a few things that could be trimmed around the edges to flow a little more smoothly (personally, I might’ve cut “Heat” & “Thelonius”), but overall, I think this album makes the most of its 78 minutes to say everything it needs to say & more, behind some of the very best rap production of the late ‘90s / early 2000s I think I’ve heard. J. Dilla was in his fucking bag & earned his fucking bag on this one, man. There are some all-timer beats here, and Common flows on them wonderfully.

OK, well, there is ONE other knock; for as socially conscious as Common generally comes across on this album, & for as much as he gives his love to the ladies (especially on something as wonderful as “The Light”), even he’s not immune to being a little too horny at times, a little misogynistic in how often he’s still using “broad”, “ho” & “bitch”, and pretty blatantly homophobic a few times. He’s gotten far better about it since, and the rampant homophobia of the era is prevalent across all of rap, so I’m not holding it against him too much. However, it is just a sudden surprise when practically everything else about this album holds up to modern standards 25 years later.

It’s really hard to go track by track here, but my biggest standouts are “The Light”, “Funky for You”, “The 6th Sense”, “Geto Heaven Part Two” & “A Song for Assata”. The last of those, in particular, just captivated me deeply; Common is a great storyteller when he needs to be, and I think he captured everything about Assata’s story well. Assata Shakur (yes, loosely related) just passed away in September, and I’m sad we didn’t get this album before then. I might have some further reading to do.

Ultimately, it’s an album that needs to be heard to really capture how good it is; eclectic soundscapes across the board, lots of great lines (& a few obviously bad ones), stellar production, smooth flow, and an all-star cast of features & contributors, all led by Common. I do think “Be” is still the easier casual listen, but this is probably a better overall album for my tastes & sensibilities (and it’s Kanye-free, which is a bonus nowadays). It’s a very easy 5 for me, though I can see the floor being a 3 if this thing’s length & occasional flaws just feels like too much of a burden.

I’m at a 4.

I mean, I’ll just get right to it: it’s because of the lyrics. I just don’t understand a damn thing here, except in really broad & loose strokes that paint enough of a picture to feel visible, yet not visible enough to feel vivid in the way that I wish they were. John Cale’s musicianship is great here, with a nice blend of baroque / artsy pop standards that feel far from the heavier tones of the Velvet Underground, fully leaning into a style that’s Beatles-adjacent, yet distinct enough to feel fun. In terms of the pacing of the tracks & the energy they all bring, His voice blends in a lovely way when the tracks take a more serene tone & they blend in a harsher way when they take a more hard rock tone. He sounds great, the band sounds great, and compositionally, I really have zero complaints. It’s all in the lyrics.

I just wish they were more clear. That’s literally it; they don’t even have to be that much more clear – I love a good ambiguous track, but the way John Cale writes his lyrics is less of an ambiguously interpretable approach, but more of a stream of consciousness that’s all loosely connected by some idea that only he seems to have in his mind. There are some tracks with more obvious allusions & allegories, such as “Paris 1919” obviously being about the fallout of World War I & the subsequent Treaty of Versailles negotiations, but for the most part, they’re still just not as clear as they could be, at least for my tastes & sensibilities. I can’t even say they’re badly written or anything; these all paint decent enough pictures to see *something*, but it’s just too blurry to grasp.

It’s extremely frustrating because I *love* the way everything about this album sounds; “Hanky Panky Nohow” sounds like how a soft chocolate melts in the mouth in the most savory way, but other than some vaguely loose bureaucratic references (maybe to the music industry??), I do not comprehend anything about the track’s lyrics. It’s like falling in love with food & having no idea what the hell it’s actually made out of, with no recipe to cite. I feel like I always need some kind of recipe, and being unable to grasp a full list of ingredients here is just mentally pulling me down.

Hence, a 4. A lovely 4 that I’ll recommend to the people who don’t need that list of ingredients to enjoy music, or who don’t care about it as much. I think it’s a really dazzling album in its most cinematic moments, especially with the presence that the percussion & strings have. Hell, it could still go up to a 5 for me in the future if I'm less anal about this whole recipe/ingredient stuff; this album made me feel something in a good way, so clearly the broader & looser pictures still had an effect. I just don’t know how to articulate that in a way where I can justify giving this a 5, because I never felt like it got there, almost solely from my mindset about the lyrics. It is, however, a breezy 30 minutes that does everything right from a technical standpoint. Whether it’s too technically sound in a way that gives off a plain 2 or 3, or something so technically sound that it just naturally feels like a 5, I think I can hear it either way. For me, it’s a 4.

Well, that’s obviously a 5, if not higher.

See, THIS is the Depeche Mode I was expecting on “Music for the Masses”; still moody, still heavy on the synths, still rhythmically pleasing as hell, and vocally gliding on all of these electronica-influenced pop beats, but done so in a way that leans towards the UK house scene of the early ‘90s whilst blending in eerier & haunting tones reminiscent of the late 80s bands that laid the groundwork for the grunge to come. This album is a very last gasp of the Kate Bush style of ‘80s production, refined & blended to a point where it feels like the first true album of the 1990s. Hell, it came out in March, so it may as well be. If I’m struck by anything, it’s that the production work here, especially in the percussion, feels like it could be just as common in 2025, with a surprising amount of tracks feeling sort of Jack Antonoff-esque.

A lot of my praise from “Music for the Masses” still applies here, in the sense that all of the instrumentals are still crafted like hip-hop beats with the ability to shift the momentum of a track on a dime. The vocals are still monotone yet great & that spatial awareness I praised is even better here, so maybe this isn’t the “Depeche Mode I was expecting”, as opposed to the version of Depeche Mode I’m most familiar with. It’s probably due to my adoration for “Enjoy the Silence” & “Policy of Truth” as examples of pure synthpop dopamine. Seriously, two of the best instrumentals of this style / era of music put to tape. I wasn’t as familiar with “Personal Jesus” until the Johnny Cash cover we got on “American IV”, but hearing the original here, I’m just stunned they were able to translate it so well for Johnny’s version. Of the other 6 tracks here, they all clicked REALLY well, with “World In My Eyes”, “Halo”, & “Waiting for the Night” as my favorites. “Blue Dress” stands out as the only one a little out of place, but it’s still well done in its own right.

I’m a little bit pressed for time, so I can’t gush about these in the way I want to, but they’re all hypnotically good, & the ambiguously moody tones this album takes creates a great atmosphere that feels unique for its time – a darker version of Eurythmics would be the easiest way to describe it, but I pictured it like a noir movie in a dance club, and I just felt captivated by it the whole time. It’s a breezy 47 minutes that’s impossible to not find a groove in, and I think it makes for a great album. Hence, a very easy 5, if not higher. I really wish there were more Depeche Mode on the list, but I’m definitely gonna listen to more of them in my own time.

I’m at a 4.5 & I think this album does just enough to bump itself up to a 5.

I don’t know why, but something about the eerie tones of this album just clicked for me really well. From a purely musical standpoint, it’s not super appealing, at least compared to their other albums, which are already kinda hit-or-miss, but from a sound design standpoint & how it uses its dissonance & uncomfortability to create an atmosphere, it’s highly effective, at least for my brain.

As the title would suggest, a lot of these tracks are thematically linked to backwards ideas of love, in their insecure, misaligned or fucked up ways. “Tom Violence” didn’t click to my brain on a first pass, but I think it’s about someone daydreaming about an abuser as a sort of perfect lover (even with the apparent Tom Verlaine references). “Shadow of a Doubt” appears to be a pretty clear “Strangers on a Train” reference, with the twist of that shared lust for violence being a catalyst towards love itself. “Starpower” sounds like it’s about getting seduced by fame itself, no matter how much of a trainwreck that could be. “In The Kingdom #19” is a tribute track to a friend in a car wreck, yet it’s giving equal emphasis to the car itself & a little animal that survived. “Green Light”, at least to my brain, feels like being hypnotized into enjoying a truly bad relationship, which would line up with the extremely dissonant guitar chords on the track.

“Death to Our Friends”, being fully instrumental, sort of breaks the pattern, but I think the slight glowing tone at the end implies pain inflicted out of some kind of weird religious psychosis. “Secret Girl” is… tricky. Personally, I’m of the mind that it’s about a boy going through gender dysphoria, & trying really desperately to suppress those thoughts (hence the several slamming doors in the soundscape). It’s ambiguously uncomfortable, and while that’s a little disappointing, I think it’s an honest struggle for self-love for 1986. “Marilyn Moore” is based around a real story of a serial killer who murdered prostitutes on “orders from God”; she survived, but that’s another weird sense of love in a fucked up way. The original vinyl version ends on “Madonna, Sean & Me”, where it apparently locked itself so it looped forever. Lyrically, I think it’s loosely about finding pleasure from murder, but I just enjoyed the guitar solo a lot, I dunno. “Bubblegum” is a bonus, and I think it’s just a straight cover, so I’m not factoring it in too much. I liked it, though.

Out of the 9 core tracks here, 7 of them hit well for me on a first pass, with “Tom Violence” feeling a little too cryptic as an opening track & “Green Light” feeling too dissonant to really get into it from a musical standpoint. Neither are bad tracks, though. The main reason I’m at a 4.5 is because for as strongly as this album executes on its theme, I do think there are a lot of lull points in these tracks that just use sound as filler; when it’s done well, it can add to the tracks, but some of the time, it just comes across as padding between verses that can feel sonically uninteresting.

However, this album presents itself strongly enough that I feel inclined to bump it up to a 5. It’s not for everyone; you do have to buy into this album a little bit, and I understand why it’s the lowest rated Sonic Youth album on the site. I just admire the way they were able to give each track a presence & identity, molded by the sound design & dissonance present throughout. It’s not a breezy 39 minutes, but it’s worth sitting in & just feeling the tracks out; if you can make the mental pictures I did, you might like it in the same way. If you can’t, it’s probably a 2 or a 3, and that’s fine all the same. Ultimately, I think it’s worth being on the list.

I’m at a 4.5 that I’ll bump up to a 5.

Not bad at all for the “first ever Britpop” album, as they’re seemingly calling it. The DNA for the genre is here in spades, though obviously not as bombastically & cinematically refined as other bands would make it seem down the line, with a lot more of the late 80s lingering here. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. This is the first of two Suede albums we’ll get on the list, and I’m pretty impressed. In terms of the soundscapes, there’s strong hints of The Cure, The Smiths (yes, very small praise for Morrissey here, ew) & David Bowie, which are mixed with a little bit of an acoustic grunge flair to create a good base for future forms of Britpop, yet one that sticks out pretty uniquely for 1993 all the same.

Lyrically, I’m impressed by just how androgynous this album comes across as for most of its tracks – if you’re paying close attention, there’s never really an applied gender to the protagonist on a lot of these tracks, which lines up with the relatively ambiguous album art. Even one like “Metal Mickey”, where it clearly takes place in a strip club, could just as easily be about a woman impressed by the lady dancing in front of her (though his/her/their dad being there with them is awkward regardless). “Pantomime Horse” is a real standout in terms of the androgyny, with that line “Have you ever tried it that way?” acting as a plea to give a same-sex relationship a shot. For 1993, I just like how much of an openly forward thinking album this is, and for it to have sold as fast as it did in the UK gives me some hope that genderlessly applied love can come back into vogue someday.

Vocally, I think it’s alright; maybe the “weakest” part of the album (relatively), but Brett Anderson is still good, occasionally bringing to mind a higher pitched Bowie, knowing when to turn up the intensity & when to just follow the slower wind. He never has a moment where he sticks out in a sort of dazzling way, but he never feels like a hindrance, so he’s clearly doing something right. So, why a 4.5 then? Just a few longer outros & occasionally repetitive bits, that’s all. “Animal Lover” didn’t click for me, but that’s just because it feels more like flash than actual substance, given the nature of the track. Other than that though, the rest of this album is genuinely great, and I enjoyed it a lot. I really hope “Dog Man Star” is even better as a followup, but as far as this goes, it’s a 4.5 that I’ll easily bump up to a 5. Just a super fun listen.

I’m at a 3.5 that I’ll bump up to a 4.

I don’t really know what to make of that as a cohesive album experience. I mean, honestly, it’s not even really THAT cohesive. I’m not sure that’s the point, nor am I sure that matters too much. Look at the name of the band: “Stereolab”, and I’d put the heavy emphasis on the “lab” there. This is experimental rock, one far more reminiscent of the alt-rock of the era, yet bringing in lots of extra bass, percussion & synths to coat it in a way that jumps all over the place. This album never settles into a definitive style, going from weird Portal 2-esque vibes, to Kraftwerk / Daft Punk-ish tones, to a sort of Katamari Damacy energy, and that’s just from the instrumentals. Vocally, our lead singer here shifts from French to English on a dime, and I like how she sounds in both languages, especially in French. Lyrically, a lot of these tracks have a slight political lean; sometimes explicit, & sometimes far more subtle. The constant shift in styles & languages happening throughout the album is pretty noticeable, but for the most part, they handle all the different combinations well. When this album finds a captivating spot to sit in, I think it’s pretty engaging, in a sort of hypnotic way that’s hard to explain but easy to feel.

I think this album just pulls the listener out of that hypnotic space too often for it to feel consistently good though, and that’s where my big disconnect with the album lies. These are tracks rooted in repetition to find that hypnotic effect, but once you start to feel that hypnosis fade away, the tracks lose a luster in a way that doesn’t fully take you out of it, but leaves you ready for the next track sooner than they’re anticipating. I think the pacing of this album would be improved if a lot of these tracks got cut down by a minute, in order to minimize the loss of that hypnotic feel. A few tracks can’t really be salvaged from that repetition though; I think “Emperor Tomato Ketchup”, “Motoroller Scalatron” & “Anonymous Collective” suffer from it the worst. They’re not bad, but I got pulled out way too quickly.

The best tracks on this album either know how to keep that repetition entertaining (like “Metronomic Underground” & its sense of progression), avoid the repetition entirely (“Cybele’s Reverie” rules), find a really nice vibe to sit in where the soundscapes keep you engaged no matter what (“Spark Plug” & “The Noise of Carpet” apply here), or just find a really compelling subject matter (“Monstre Sacre” & its take on grief, & “Slow Fast Hazel” with its dismissal of eternity as paradise). Ultimately, the reason I’m bumping this up to a 4 is because other than the 3 “unsalvagable” tracks I mentioned, I think the rest of the album sounds good, and with tweaks to their length, they’d be great.

This isn’t an album that’ll work well for everyone, and it certainly lost me at points. It’s far from boring, since it’s constantly doing something new, but one’s enjoyment will come from how captivating these soundscapes feel to their ears. That’s true for every album, but it feels especially true for something that’s blended as weirdly as this one is. I’m meeting it with a 3.5 that I’ll bump up to a 4, since I think the more experimental nature appeals to my sensibilities, but I can’t blame anyone for going as low as a 2 if it just doesn’t click or if it comes across as too much background noise. I think it’s too “flawed” to reach a 5, but if someone gets there, more power to them. Regardless, I enjoyed it, flaws & all. I dunno if it NEEDS to be on the list, but I’m not complaining that it’s here.

I’m at a 3.5 that I’ll bump down to a 3, though I'd rather leave it at a 3.5.

I mean, don’t get me wrong, it’s really not a bad album. It just feels like a less polished version of his mid-to-late ‘70s style, and while it doesn’t fall as far as Brutal Youth does in terms of feeling out of touch for the time period (given the slight lean towards a garage rock tone here), it’s a style that does show its age a little bit here. The Attractions do generally sound great, with a few tracks muzzling them to give way to Elvis’ vision for some moodier atmospheres at times. More than that though, Elvis Costello’s songwriting is mainly what’s starting to show its age here; the imagery & concise hooks he had on his poppier ‘70s stuff isn’t as prevalent, with a broader overview of things that paint muddled pictures. It’s been a while since we’ve gotten Brutal Youth, but this feels like the most… not “bland”, but disjointed / unfocused writing I’ve heard from Elvis since then. His vocals can still get them out well (if a little nasally), but in terms of capturing a precise meaning, I found myself baffled & not very compelled by a lot of the album, especially on the stretch between “Blue Chair” & “Next Time Round”.

Granted, I’m not opposed to being baffled if the tracks sound good enough; “Tokyo Storm Warning” sounded like a Bob Dylan-esque masterclass of just yapping into the wind with a broad outline of something, but it sounded really good, so I liked it. I am a little baffled by a lot of the tracks, actually, including a lot of the first half too. I have no idea what the fuck “Uncomplicated” is doing here as an opening track, and it set a really awkward tone. A few tracks felt a little long, a few tracks felt unclear (I dunno if there was murder or not on “I Want You”), there’s a weirdly mild homophobic air around “Honey, Are You Straight or Are You Blind?” (though I think that’s just the ‘80s stigma talking), and ultimately, the whole album feels weirdly disconnected despite feeling so familiar to his usual fare. I don’t think it’s a bad album, because I am at a 3.5, and I’d rather leave it there, but this never finds a consistently strong set of tracks to warrant going up to a 4, hence the bump down to a 3.

No more Elvis Costello on the list for us – doing the math (a 3, a 4.5, a 4, a 5, a 4 & this 3.5) adds up to a solid 24/30 in terms of personal rating, or what averages out to a 4. That feels about right, honestly. I do think 6 albums is overkill; at the very least, I don’t think this album or “Brutal Youth” need to be here, because his best 4 albums paint a pretty complete & compelling picture of his musical stylings. It’s a good showcase of ‘70s new wave with a pop/rock lean, and I do genuinely like the guy a lot. I don’t blame people for getting tired of constantly seeing him on the list, but I think it’s worth giving him a fair shake. I enjoyed his stuff, at least. Still a good slice of pizza & all that.

I’m at a 3.5 that I will bump up to a 4, but barely. Definitely one I’d rather leave at a 3.5.

I know, I know, “it just hasn’t aged well” is often used too much as a catch-all to try and cover all excuses without elaborating further on what’s been done to try & actually fix the parts that haven’t aged well, but in this case, I think it’s a little warranted. A big part of it is the misogyny (perhaps most exemplified by “What I need to do is kick the bitch in the tummy” on “You Can’t Fade Me”), but even still, I’m inclined to think Ice Cube is just portraying himself as a hyper-sexist here to give some proper buildup to him finally “meeting his match” on “It’s A Man’s World” (which is a great track, by the way). That said, willingly portraying yourself as a hyper-sexist is still a little too bold of a choice, even for 1990, and it’s done in a way that carries over the worst aspects of N.W.A.’s group work at the time. Ice Cube’s worst lines on “Straight Outta Compton” feel amplified here, but that’s just it: he’s amplifying EVERYTHING about himself here. Bigger, bolder callouts in his verses, more unique production (shoutout to the Bomb Squad), skits between tracks, and his vocal tone as a rapper really comes across well here. It’s a super technically sound album, & at its most compelling, it stands up pretty well with some of the other early ‘90s rap albums we’ve gotten.

The issue is that it’s only compelling about 75% of the time to my ears – never outright bad, but occasionally, I just don’t really believe in the tough guy act he’s putting on. Part of that is just modern day perception of the guy as someone who was acting in War of the Worlds & doing Minecraft ads on TikTok, so I can’t take his more violent threats here seriously. That said, I’m still willing to imagine his 1990 self, & when he’s got the proper conviction in his voice, I can feel Ice Cube’s frustration boiling through in a way that you can’t fake. It’s that level of conviction that makes & breaks this album, since it’s used on some really horrid lines & some really strong ones with a point to make too. That’s why it’s only compelling to me about 75% of the time, because the horrid lines just kinda pulled me out at points, though he generally recovered well.

Ultimately, I think it’s a good album that “hasn’t aged well” for a couple of big reasons, but it’s also just a product of its time that can’t be changed, and frankly, it shouldn’t be criticized on that mark. You gotta take this era as it was, for better or worse, & trying to whitewash that at all cuts out some of the edge that brought these guys their notoriety. I did like it, for the most part, but a lot of these tracks can’t really be played nowadays, at least not in full. It’s enjoyable for what it is, and probably did a good job at “modernizing” the rap album in the 1990s, given the skits & transitions & the general pacing. I just think other albums of the era do it better & without the baggage this album brings with it, hence, it’s a 3.5 that I’ll bump up to a 4, even if I’d rather leave it there.

I’m at a 4.

I mean, it just feels like a less polished version of “Loveless”. That’s my first & most immediate impression, but I’ll be fair to them, since this is their first album. “m b v” would probably get a 4 from me if I relistened to it nowadays, so I think this lines up just fine. A lot of the DNA of what would make “Loveless” work is here, it’s just not as refined – lots of louder, overwhelming instrumentation that feels closer to a poorly mixed version of a Sonic Youth track as opposed to the brand of shoegaze they’d make famous in ‘91. A lot of the ‘80s production quirks are still here, including some drum machine use & gated reverb drums, but those same quirks lead to a fuzzier & more “buzzy” sound overall, often too reminiscent of “Psychocandy”’s overused & overblown wall of sound, though thankfully not as bad here.

It is the production that ultimately drags this thing down, along with a litany of other little things that build up – a few middling intros, some overly loud outros (why the fuck did “Cupid Come” need to do that?), a little too much white noise at points, and a few moments where the emotional tone of the instrumental doesn’t vibe as well with the vocal / lyrical tone (most apparent on “Several Girls Galore”, at least to me). I’m still at a 4 because I did happen to enjoy a lot of this, and most of what I mentioned are things they would clean up more fruitfully by “Loveless”. Again, there’s a little bit of a pass since it’s a debut studio album.

The floor here is probably a 2 if those production eccentricities are too much of a boon, and I’d honestly call it fair. This is closer to a 3.5 bumped up to a 4 as opposed to a flat 4 for me, but I think it’s still enjoyable if you have some kind of acquired taste for shoegaze. I do think it’s the least polished of the My Bloody Valentine albums we’ve gotten, but again, it’s their first one. There’s 9 solid to great tracks here & 3 that outright didn’t work for me, but I guess 9/12 isn’t a bad mark to hit. Hence, a 4, and one I’d say is worth listening to (though it should definitely be after you hear Loveless, just to get a better feel for it). I dunno if it HAD to be on the list, but I’m not opposed to it being here.

I’m right at a 4.

It’s been about 4 months since we got “John Barleycorn Must Die”, & that’s an album mostly written by Steve Winwood. A little indulgent perhaps, since it was sort of conceived as a solo record that got converted into a Traffic reunion out of a desire for a good backing band. This album is meant to represent more of the “real” Traffic, as this album includes their original guitarist / songwriter, Dave Mason. I don’t mind Dave Mason at all; his voice isn’t as technically sound as Steve Winwood’s, but it has a nice little shaky rasp that keeps his more folksy tracks grounded as a good contrast to the more bombastic stylings of Steve Winwood, and they both harmonize together well.

The only real miss on the album, at least from a writing standpoint, is “Vagabond Virgin”, which is a Dave Mason-led track. I tried really hard to parse these lyrics as something *other* than weirdly creepy, and I just can’t really do it. “It’s just a game, love, you can learn how to play” & “You just wanted to scream out my name” as it relates to love & a 13-year-old who’s clearly being exploited for money & cash? I’m taking a stab and assuming it’s someone forced into call girl service against her own real desires / will, but why would you even write a song that touches on anything remotely pedophilic in nature without a clear cut condemnation? It’s not that compelling, since the “story” is shallow & doesn’t say anything of note. It sounds nice, with a really calm instrumental & some wood block percussion that underlines some good guitar work, but lyrically, it’s fucking suspect at best & awful at worst.

Other than that miss (which is most of the reason I’m at a 4), there’s a few other little things that just made this feel less satisfying than it could’ve been; “You Can All Join In” feels a little bit TOO Beatles-y as an opener, in a way that feels… not really ‘cheap’, but too noticeably derivative. “Feelin’ Alright?” does that Beatles-y style better, and it doesn’t feel as derivative. “Don’t Be Sad” feels a little repetitive with the outro (and overall, repetition / looping lyrics is an issue throughout the whole thing). I think the soft/loud back & forth of “Cryin’ To Be Heard” is really nice, especially from an instrumental standpoint, but I can’t help but wonder if Steve Winwood would’ve gotten more of an emotional pull from the (pretty damn good) lyricism, since Dave Mason’s voice didn’t quite hit that mark for me.

I still enjoyed it though – not as dazzling as “John Barleycorn Must Die”, but that doesn’t mean it’s devoid of energy. I think Dave Mason & Steve Winwood’s approaches to music are fair, and their tracks (save for Vagabond Virgin) do work well & flow pretty cohesively here, mostly due to an instrumental style that knows how to give both their space. Seriously, really good instrumentals across the board here. I *prefer* Steve Winwood’s style, but I can’t deny that “Feelin’ Alright?” is probably the best track here. There’s one single miss (although it’s a REALLY bad miss), & along with a pile of small, but notable little things that don’t align with my tastes, has me at a 4. It’s still a good 4, and maybe if “Vagabond Virgin” wasn’t here, I might be a 4.5 worth contemplating over, but for now, just a solid, recommended 4. The floor is a 3.

I’m at a 5 – not a 10 like Kid A (retroactively) was, since it didn’t leave me as mesmerized, but this is still a really good album regardless.

Yes, a lot of these tracks are leftovers from the Kid A sessions – I found Kid A to be profound in its own way, one that I couldn’t describe at the time & one that I’m still not sure I can describe now. The best words I have are “aural dream therapy”, but even that’s too broad to truly capture the essence of Kid A. Here, that sense of “aural dream therapy” feels a bit more twisted, leaning into something more chaotic & slightly maddening, as if the therapy didn’t work. I have no idea where these tracks could’ve fit into Kid A, nor do I know if this album would really work as the second half of a double album, but on their own, as a package, I’d say they fit despite the lack of polished coherence. Since it feels more chaotic / maddening, this album is allowed to expand the boundaries that Kid A set for itself, one that’s occasionally more reminiscent of OK Computer & what would be to come down the line with In Rainbows. I think that’s still sort of profound in its own right, but since it’s not as tight & not as musically cohesive, this album never fully shakes off the “Kid A leftovers” label, at least to my ears.

It’s still very good, though. This album isn’t as overwhelming, nor is it as grand, nor does it use minimalism to the same general effect as Kid A does, but the things it does do, in terms of creating an atmosphere for Thom Yorke to wail over, in really lovely & musically complex ways, it does VERY well. It’s not fully shaking the “Kid A leftovers” label to my ears, but it creates a label all its own, since most of these tracks feel musically distinct. The way this album jumps from style to style creates a feeling of distance between each track, one that adds to the slightly maddening feel. A lot of these tracks are still incredibly cool to just sit in & soak up the soundscapes for, like the weird crushed techno beat on “Pulk/Pull Revolving Doors”, the relaxed intro & subsequent open doors of “You and Whose Army?”, the weirdly hypnotic loop of “I Might Be Wrong”, & the stressful zen of “Dollars and Cents”. Lyrically, I do think this leans somewhere slightly political, but I don’t think the lyrics really matter here, with broad David Byrne-esque strokes being painted to supplement a theme as opposed to a tighter song structure. I certainly didn’t factor them in as much as I normally would.

Ultimately, it’s hard *not* to compare this to Kid A, but I think it really works as a collection of tracks all its own. It’s not trying to do the same thing, even though it’s from the same sessions, and while it’s not as tight, it doesn’t need to be. If you can indulge in these soundscapes and take them as they are, with Thom Yorke’s broader strokes filling in some light detail to the audio’s more stressful scenery, then you’ll probably enjoy this a lot. If you can’t get into it (and weirdly, I can understand not getting into this one more than Kid A), then it’s probably going to sit at a disconnected, weird, yet competent 3. To my ears, the uniquely ethereal tones that made Kid A work are there, though not as potent, and I think the way this blends elements of OK Computer back into the mix worked really well for me. I’m at a 5 – it’s not as good as Kid A was, but I think it’s highly enjoyable all the same.

I’m at a 3.5 that I’ll bump up to a 4.

Hard to really rate this one, since I never had any lyrics in front of me & I didn’t have a really good base of comparison to work with here (similar in DNA to some of the other African albums we’ve gotten, but it just felt different), so I’m just going off of a vibe, really. I enjoyed a lot of this album; really eclectic instrumentation choices with a good variety & pace throughout. There’s good vocals throughout with some really nice harmonies, & plenty of guitar work (perhaps a little too much), with an emphasis on bass / electric guitar to substitute for the percussion on a lot of the tracks, which didn’t feel as impactful & mesmerizing as some of the other African albums we’ve gotten. Of course, that’s all just production choices, so it’s hard to fault them at all.

If I can fault this album on anything, at least for my tastes, it’s just a little long, with a flatter sense of progression. I think a lot of the tracks here could’ve been trimmed down by at least a minute, since some of them just start to really settle into repetition in a way that halts the album’s momentum. When this album has that constant sense of progression, it feels really nice, though not as highly energetic as I was expecting. This is a relaxed blues album, one that’s meant more as background noise to settle into, as if you’ve shown up for a Tiny Desk Concert by accident, yet still find yourself getting really into it.

Ultimately, I think that sense of repetition & the lack of a more “dazzling” energy is gonna keep this at a 3.5 bumped up to a 4 for me, as opposed to something higher. It’s still a good album, and one hell of a vibe, but it’s one that falls apart a little easier compared to its contemporaries. Surprisingly, Ali Farka Touré has another album on this list, 1994’s “Talking Timbuktu”, so hopefully that one will click even better for me. This is a recommended listen, if only for the cultural trip of sorts, and if it works for you more than it worked for me, more power to you. It’s a 3.5 I’ll bump up to a 4.

I’m at a 3.5 that I’ll bump up to a 4, though I’d MUCH prefer to leave it at a 3.5.

This is the first time in a while I’ve been totally frustrated with an album; not because this is explicitly bad or anything, but because this thing is absolutely dripping with potential to meet the same mark as the contemporaries that Madonna was trying to hang with at this time; Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, N*SYNC, etc. It is so close to getting there, and yet it finds ways to feel a little dated & falls short at the parts where it matters most. It’s never in Madonna’s vocals – she sounds really good throughout. It’s a little bit in her songwriting; I think a lot of this album is based in reflections of previous addictions to love, & while it generally works well, I think a few tracks just cover the same topic base a little too much (namely a perceived overlap for Amazing, Paradise & Gone).

It’s in the production. It’s *so* close to feeling as catchy as her peers, and while it generally hits something reasonable, it just doesn’t hit the same timeless marks as them. I know tracks like “Oops!... I Did It Again”, “What A Girl Wants” & “Bye Bye Bye” are cheesy as hell, but they’ve aged pretty well into 2025 because they lean into being explicitly catchy. Madonna & her team of producers take themselves more seriously here with more of an adult lean, so that does play a factor, but it’s not the underlying issue here at all. Mirwais Ahmadzaï & his ambitious production style, with a desire to feel unique & innovative for 2000… it just hasn’t aged well. It’s not that he didn’t see the trends that were soon to come in the genre; there’s a lot of tracks here that can tell where the tide is going, with production tricks that would be a lot more refined by 2003 through 2005. It’s just too early for them, and their use here feels deeply dated by comparison, creating a different air around the whole album that just lingers. It’s like early 1980s CGI trying to do the T-1000 effect in T2; it maybe could’ve been done, but it wouldn’t have looked as good.

Hell, I’ll even give Mirwais his credit – so many of his tracks are really close to being good, and I admire the ambition he’s trying for. “Music” is a fine opener, it’s just overproduced in a way that feels noticeable by 2025. “Impressive Instant” has a solid base for a track, but if it leaned even more into French house sensibilities ala a Daft Punk track, it could be REALLY good. “I Deserve It” feels like a dollar store version of “Drive” by Incubus, and if they had leaned a little more incorporating some extra electronica, it might’ve shaken off that perception. “Nobody’s Perfect” is drenched in autotune, in a way that feels even more egregious than Cher’s use of it on “Believe” just a few years earlier. Again, it’s just overproduced. “Don’t Tell Me” is good, at least. It’s just a stuttered percussion sample & some string work interrupting a guitar melody, but it’s well done. His simplest production job is his best; almost like he overproduced too much of this thing, you know? “Paradise (Not For Me)” would’ve been good… if it ended about 2 minutes sooner. Letting that track continue for one more useless lap just lessens the impact. It’s the story of the album.

However, the tracks where Mirwais isn’t the lead producer DO hit that sort of timeless point, which is where my frustrations with this album REALLY come to light. William Orbit’s production standards from Ray of Light carry over really nicely, and his tracks are great, save for the dreadfully strange cover of American Pie that I’m not counting in this little review. “Runaway Lover” is awesome, with a sort of Eurobeat lean that reminded me a lot of Sonic R and other ‘90s racing games of the era. Same thing with “Amazing”, which has a good punch to its percussion that really makes the track pop. “What It Feels Like For A Girl”, produced by Guy Sigsworth & Mark Stent (who both worked on Bjork’s “Vespertine”) is really catchy, even with a slight overreliance on the chorus. “Gone” (back to Orbit) is a fun closer with a slightly spiritual lean – I do think it doesn’t quite hit the “high” point it’s trying to achieve as a final track, but it’s a good track regardless.

So, with just 3 of Mirwais’ tracks hitting a reasonable mark for me, and everyone else really nailing their stuff, I can’t help but wonder if Madonna just made a mistake in letting him produce most of the tracks. It just seems like someone else could’ve handled it better. I’m going to bump this up to a 4, since that’s 7/10 tracks clicking well enough, and there not really being an explicitly bad track, but I’d much prefer to leave it at a 3.5. I don’t blame anyone for giving the rating it has on the site, and it’s certainly not as good as Ray of Light was to my ears. It’s frustrating that it’s dripping with the potential to get there & really hit the mark she was going for, but it ultimately doesn’t meet it. I do admire the swings though. I can only hope “Like A Prayer” will really be that timeless Madonna record whenever we get it.

I’m at a 4.5 that I’ll bump up to a 5.

It’s just a super enjoyable blues / rock album. For 1966, this is apparently way ahead of pace – I’m not sure if I hear that “revolutionary” sense to the same degree as other people, but I do think this album is doing it in a way that feels very unique. There’s more of a lean towards the technical side of things whilst keeping some of the aspects of psych rock of the era. Excellent guitar work from Jeff Beck, who we’ll get down the line with a solo album – hopefully, he’ll still shine there. This came out a year before both “Disraeli Gears” & “Are You Experienced?”, so if this album did set a bit of a blueprint for those albums to shine (especially the latter, which I pray we get soon), then it’s a pretty damn good blueprint to take from. I think it’s a pretty breezy 30 minutes overall, with some witty writing, great instrumental work, and good vocals throughout. Occasionally, its ambition falls apart a little bit under the technology of the era, with some layers getting muddied in the mix, but the spirit / vibe of each track is captured really well.

This is a chance to segue to my own mild hell with this album, in which I listened to the first 3 tracks of this in their stereo mix without realizing, before promptly switching to the mono mix and starting over. I think the mono mix is better, obviously, but I sampled a little more of the stereo mix to be safe – there’s some good parts in there (especially the long held note on “The Nazz Are Blue”) but there’s a lot of really awkward choices in there, with a lot of guitar work being mixed OUT of the tracks, including a really baffling panning choice on “Turn Into Earth” that destroys the track entirely. There’s a 2021 alternative mix on Spotify that blends the best aspects of both the Mono & Stereo versions, including an extra guitar solo unheard in either version, and I think that’s the version I might throw into my playlist, since the Mono mix muddies a little too much.

So, yes, it’s a 4.5 that I’ll bump up to a 5, mostly because I just enjoyed it. The floor here is a 3, especially if this style is a little bit overdone for the mid-1960s, but it occasionally felt closer to the ‘70s and even a little bit of the early 2000s, which was surprising to me. I think it’s worth a listen, I’m glad it’s on the list, and I’m ready for that Jeff Beck solo album when it pops up.

I’m at a 5.

I gave both “Exodus” & “Natty Dread” a 4, and I stand by those. They’re great albums, but they’re not as cohesive front to back, even with the energy & the flow feeling nice throughout, with a vibrancy to them that I would probably appreciate more now after hearing the truly endless drivel of “Maverick A Strike” 3 weeks ago. Hell, I’ll even retroactively thank Finley Quaye for reminding me just how much reggae music needs its soul to truly work as a genre. I hate ripping even more on “Maverick A Strike”, but… damn, it really was that bad. For this one, our third & final Bob Marley album on the list, I feel really strongly about giving this a 5; not out of some obligation to give him one, but because I just think this is an incredibly relaxed album, and one that leans fully into what my perception of “reggae” is as a genre.

Yes, there’s some repetition here, but none of these tracks last long enough to make that repetition ever feel like too much of a burden. Lyrically, these are as straightforward as it gets, with Bob Marley’s societal gripes being plainly laid out (& with his lovemaking tendencies laid out too). Vocally, Bob’s voice stays at a pretty low tone throughout, one that’s just as relaxing as the instrumentals, creating a sort of island / beach vibe that feels vivid enough to transport to in the moment, especially if you ever just close your eyes and allow yourself to go there. Instrumentally… yeah, this is exactly what I expect reggae to be, really. Purely vibey, yet still layered with a depth that can go underappreciated in the moment – lots of guitar / organ / synth work that occasionally feels reminiscent of Stevie Wonder during this same time period, yet distinctly Bob Marley’s style all the same. The percussion & bass here *really* pop out, in a way that’s noticeable, enhancing each track to a strong degree.

“Stir It Up” really is that damn good, by the way. I don’t wanna go track by track here, since the music generally speaks for itself, but I got totally lost in that one. Super hypnotizing backing track, and it feels like a signature that defines not only Bob Marley’s career, but reggae as a whole genre. Sure, tracks like “Three Little Birds” & “Could You Be Loved” are more popular, but their success (& Bob Marley’s) probably doesn’t get to that same height without this one leading the way.

Overall, then, it’s a pretty easy 5 for me – I may need to relisten to Exodus to see if the first half holds up better than I remember, since that was my reasoning for giving it a 4, but regardless, I really liked THIS album as a full front to back experience on a first listen. Bob Marley’s music feels timeless, & I’m sad there’s not any more stuff from him on the list; I gotta hear way, way more. Time to go preach about no more trouble & all that.

I’m at a 10. It’s probably higher.

Just go fucking listen to it. Seriously, there’s nothing I can say. I’m at a loss for words, and nothing I type would do it justice. That’s the best live album I’ve ever heard in my life. It’s one of the best *albums* I’ve ever heard in my life, period. Just go listen with headphones in. It's in the top 10 we've gotten, at least for my tastes, and we’ve gotten 706 so far. An unbelievably mesmerizingly technical masterpiece.

I’m at a 4.5 that I’ll bump up to a 5.

Well, I’m still tired from moving around for a lot of that album, but in terms of pure musicality, this isn’t quite as good as “The Fat of the Land”. It’s composed about as strongly (with some great sample work throughout), but the energy of their follow-up isn’t as prevalent here, with a lot more lull spots in the instrumentation. There are tracks that could’ve been trimmed down here, which I can’t say for anything on “The Fat of the Land”. Instrumentally, a lot of the breakbeat standards are still here (and for 1994, probably a REALLY welcome shift from the poppier UK house tones of the time), but it’s combined early on with more of a metal / guitar-driven identity that slowly fades out over the course of the album, with a sort of sci-fi vibe substituting it in the latter half.

I think there’s less beat drops here too? They’re still here, but they’re used to just transition in a sort of A to B, B to C, C to A, A to C, C to B sort of sense, as opposed to a stronger sense of constant progression that would keep each track fresh throughout. Again, “The Fat of the Land” does this better. It’s very hard not to compare the two, sorry. It’s easier to point out what this album doesn’t do as well in comparison, because otherwise, I’m not really sure I have that many active flaws with it. Yeah, it’s a little more stagnant at times, and not as “fresh” of a ball of energy as it could be throughout, but I’m still giving this a 4.5 bumped up to a 5 because I just fuck with this style of music enough that my little nitpicks aren’t affecting my enjoyment of this. It’s just not as good as its sequel, and that’s fine. It’s still REALLY good, especially if you have a taste for this style of music (sort of VGM-adjacent, as always) already.

Overall, while 78 minutes is certainly a bit long (22 minutes longer than “The Fat of the Land”), since I allowed myself to zone out just a little more than I usually would for this one, it never felt as prevalent in terms of the length while I was in the moment. Granted, I’m feeling that length a little more now, after the fact, but time flies when you’re… I dunno, bopping your head along a lot? If you can find that space to sit in, those 78 minutes won’t feel as long, & they may even fly by. It’s a 4.5 that I’ll bump up to a 5, but I do understand the relatively big difference in ratings on the site (3.41 vs 3.07). It’s just not as good as its sequel, but it’s a good album in its own right, and its highest highs do feel pretty close to some of The Fat of the Land’s best tracks, ESPECIALLY “No Good (Start The Dance)”. I enjoyed it, at least.

I’m at a 4.

This is my first time hearing anything by Cypress Hill that’s not “Insane in the Brain”, and for the most part, I liked it. Lots of flows here that feel familiar / close to “Insane in the Brain”, sure, but the longer the album went, the less I felt compelled to compare it to my only point of reference. This album & these guys have their own distinct identity outside of that track, and it’s showcased very well here. Their Latin-American experiences shine through well, and it gives the album a little more flavor than some of the more generic ‘90s rap that exists out there. I think B-Real & Sen Dog have great rapping voices (especially B-Real), and their flows are super fun. They find a melody on most of these sample-heavy beats, excellently produced by DJ Muggs (especially for ‘91), and as a whole, I really like listening to them.

I wish it were easier to comprehend them, and that’s really where my single issue lies in the album, one that builds up over the course of the whole thing to pull this down to a 4 for me. A super fun 4, mind you, but one that just gets a little tiring by the end of it. B-Real & Sen Dog DO have great rapping voices, but the vocal filters they use on a number of the tracks start to feel overplayed by the end of it. Their flows are super fun, although for my ears, they’re arguably a little too fast to truly understand behind these sample-heavy beats, which are excellently produced, but not super well *mixed* – a lot of the time, the vocal filters mix with the reverb in the beats that sort of muddles the soundscape of both, eventually leading to an effect where it’s hard to hear the nuances in either. It wouldn’t be as big of a deal if it weren’t for these being very lyric-heavy tracks, including some with Spanish lyrics. It’s genuinely hard to follow along & capture the essence / basic intent of some of these tracks since they’re moving really fast whilst being pretty witty, and that includes the English ones, for the record. It makes each track feel fun in the moment, but for my brain, not as memorable long-term as it could be.

I understand that maybe for ‘91, and for an album that’s more of a smoker’s record to throw on while you do the doobie, the lyricism matters a lot less than how the soundscape makes you feel. I did generally get the *feeling* of each track, and I did catch a flow state a few times while following along to their flow to the best of my ability. This is a delightful 46 minutes to listen to; I just wish they had made it a little easier to truly *get* what they’re saying, and that’s why I think I’m gonna be at a 4 here. I do think the momentum of the album / super fast pace between tracks doesn’t leave much room for the listener to breathe, and that pace did catch up with me by the end of “The Funky Cypress Hill Shit”; that also plays a factor here. Overall, it’s a super enjoyable record, I’m glad it’s on the list, and it’s one I’d recommend. I hope it can get up to a 5 for me in the future, since there’s really not a bad track here. For now, I’m just at a 4.

I’m at a 5 – maybe a little higher, even.

It’s just a deeply pleasant album, really. Yes, a lot of the lyricism here leans towards more somber tones of desire (a constant craving, if you will), both in the spiritual & carnal sense, but her voice delivers the lines beautifully. It shines as an instrument all its own, able to sell the emotions she wants to sell with each track whilst still projecting a sense of power that just feels impressive from a vocal standpoint. Her harmonizations on her longer held notes really stick out here, and the way she sort of quivers & clings to those held notes just felt sort of blissful to my ears.

Instrumentally, this thing feels well ahead of pace for 1992; it’s a nice blend of the “country music meets 50s soul/swing music” stylings of “Shadowland” with some of the quiet storm style of the mid-late 90s. A number of tracks reminded me of Sade, specifically in her (their) “Love Deluxe” period, both coming out in the same year ('92) – a track like “So It Shall Be” brings the same vibes as something as blissful as “Kiss of Life”, which I consider to be one of the finest tracks ever put to tape. (I hope someone put MF DOOM onto this album before he passed; there’s some great potential samples here.) This album sticks out in its more baroque-inspired instrumentation, with a lot of acoustic guitar, piano & accordion bubbling underneath a lot of the production, working in tandem with the more bombastic strings / percussion of the album to create a consistently satisfying vibe.

It might be overproduced to some people, but for my tastes, this is such an easy listen on the ears that it allows more room to comprehend the lyricism, which I think just enhances the tracks further. To me, they’re pretty straightforward; maybe a little flowery at points, but there’s always a line or two that really sells the spirit of the track. The only really confusing one here is “Season of Hollow Soul” with its fruit/grain metaphors, but it’s just a track about enduring the period that comes after heartbreak & trying to persevere through it. I do think some of these tracks exist in more abstract thought, which indicates more of a religious lean to me (especially in the opening track, “Save Me”), but that sense of spirituality in combination with the desires expressed on this album just adds an air of legitimacy / earnestness to her vocal performance that makes it all the more believable.

This is a lot of words to basically say that she sounds great, the instrumentals sound great, the lyricism is sad yet lovely, and as a whole, this is just a blissfully produced 41 minute album; one that punches well above its weight, liable to collapse under some of its bigger, bolder & bombastic moments, yet totally holds on & succeeds. “Miss Chatelaine” is probably my favorite one here, with “Constant Craving” a very close second, but all 10 tracks range from good to great to REALLY great, with their biggest sin being a few longer outros. It’s an album that aligns with my tastes, and I can’t find any major flaws with it. I really, really enjoyed this, and I think it’s a marked improvement over “Shadowland”, which is still a damn fine album in its own right. I’m at a 5, if not a little higher. Great stuff from k.d. lang, and since this is the last album we’ll get from her on the list, it’s on me to seek out more of her stuff.

It’s obviously a 10.

That is the definitive blueprint for metal music, although I’m struck by how much this album leaned way more into prog sensibilities than I ever realized. Everything about the writing & supernatural aspects of this album pull away from the more demonic / satanic imagery of their debut album (save for a good chunk of “War Pigs” & “Electric Funeral”, and even still, they’ve got more of a religious bend with God punishing them by letting Satan loose on the damned), and lean a bit more into the surreal with an occasional sci-fi lean. “Paranoid” is probably the most ‘normal’ track here – that’s just a sad guy who wants to be loved. I’ve heard “Iron Man” before, but I’ve never comprehended it as a self-fulfilling prophecy brought about by societal neglect. “Planet Caravan” surprised the hell out of me with how serene & ethereal it was. “Fairies Wear Boots” is also sort of a drug trip gone wrong, but it’s a real diss track towards skinheads (in the non-racist sense, apparently), and it works well. “Hand of Doom” is a drug trip gone horribly wrong to the point of death, and a solid bit of commentary on how we occasionally treat our veterans.

Oh, right, yeah – War Pigs is an anti-Vietnam track. I suppose that should’ve hit me over the head years ago, but for some reason, it only really clicked this time around, perhaps with a bit of recent CCR in the brain. I knew it was an anti-war track, for sure, but the specific context of Vietnam has felt lost over the years, with how many ways it’s been repurposed for commercial usage, given the instrumental energy. I don’t think I need to touch on it that much – just a masterclass across the board, though like I said, much more of a prog lean than I realized, and for 1970, there’s still definitely parts here that feel like the Beatles or the Rolling Stones with a guitar turned up to 10, at least in terms of an instrumental rhythm. I’m a little surprised that the soundscape wasn’t sort of ear-melting all the time, like an AC/DC album might be, but I do like that choice, and for 1970, it works very well. “Rat Salad” hits that point, but in more of a dazzling drum solo sort of way. Ozzy’s vocals are great; maybe a tad nasally at times, but not in a way that ever detracts from the tracks, & his presence / power feels really strong here.

There’s really not that much to say; I’m just throwing out some thoughts people have probably typed a million times before. I know it’s good. Everyone knows it’s good. The only question going in for me, as someone who only knew the 3 big singles going into this, was simply if the rest of the album would hit the same high points to pull this all the way up to a 10, & it easily delivered in spades. This is about as good as it gets right here, and there’s not a single flaw I can think of. It’s a very easy 10. Once again, rest in peace, Ozzy.