Reviews by jkegz

3/5 - This is my ceiling on ska. Belongs on the list.

4/5 - This is a great rock album, especially for a lot of the crap that was getting produced at the time. Had been a long time since I listened to it, but happy to revisit. I could care less about these guys' personal drama.

4/5 - I'd have James Murphy at my dinner party anytime. He could bring his records. "All My Friends" is an all-time great.

4/5 - I didn't realize how much I appreciated Willie Nelson's voice before this list. This is a really good cover album, and I could probably listen to him sing just about anything.

3/5 - The author of this list clearly celebrates the whole catalog of Elvis Costello. I liked the arrangements here, and Beyond Belief and Man Out of Time are pretty good. This isn't gonna change anyone's world, but it was alright.

2/5 - Appreciate the emotion and the feeling she's going for, but this just isn't an album I'm going to spend more time with.

5/5 - I'd listen to this anytime. It's not perfect, but it's damn good.

3/5 - Not as good ad Can’t Buy a Thrill for me, but I’d still listen. If someone asked me what this sounded like, I’d say, “Steely Dan.”

2/5 - Boring

4/5 - I knew a few of these songs, especially "Sexy Boy," so I had an idea about this going in. Smooth, chill-out album with a really specific mood. I'm here for it.

3/5 - This is some country-ass country. Seems utterly indistinguishable from the hundreds of other country-ass country songs from this time, but I was pleasantly surprised that an album named as grandiosely as "The Grand Tour" clocked in around 30 minutes, which is a fine amount of time for this.

4/5 - It must have been something else to be in the orbit of Dylan and his music at this time. I'd be scared I'd end up a target in one of his songs. Look at him stare at you out of focus, unamused. I've probably listened to this album too many times at this point, so the shine has worn slightly. This time, I really listened closely to the backing band, and I just love the arrangements -- the stomping blue, the ragtime-y sound.

4/5 - The epitome of joyful 2000s era indie, which I'm a total sucker for. My Girls is classic. Summertime Clothes is a great time. Also love Lion in a Coma.

1/5 - Immortan Joe is on the cover, so I'm guessing this is his favorite record. It's not mine.

5/5 - The ultimate rainy day album. It's a masterpiece. The opening chimes of Plainsong and then that beginning 20 seconds later gets me every time. I'd hardly change a thing on this album, and I certainly wouldn't touch the bass on Fascination Street because it's A+.

4/5 - Pretty rare that I'm going to go high on the rating just for vocal quality, but this deserves it.

4/5 - Seems a middle-age right of passage to come to the conclusion that you like Steely Dan more than you thought you did -- or at least this album anyway. Of all the radio friendly 70s rock we've had on this list, I'd put this near the top.

3/5 - Listening to Love and Anger really brings back a 1990 nostalgia rush to a very particular time for me, but that's about the extent of my connection here. I think that's probably what Kate Bush does best though. Very particular music that can either make a strong connection or else just leave you wondering what the hell?

4/5 - If nothing else, this list has gotten me into Kendrick Lamar. I definitely prefer _good kid_ to the follow-up, but not surprising, since it's a more accessible listen. Lots of layers to explore here. Production is really, really good.

4/5 - Jazz for non-jazzheads, which means this is for me. Should everyone hear this at some point in their life? I'd say absolutely. Blue Rondo a la Turk and Take Five are just classic.