Rated 6/10
The good part about having been tasked to listen to 5 out of 6 Elvis Costello albums in the first 300 is that the rest of the list will be smooth sailing. This is actually one of his best, and I have no objection to it being included in the list, given how influential it was on the New Wave movement.
8/10 [KEEP]
Rated 4/10
'Green' as an album represents an interesting point in the band's discography. After the success of the prior records, they came into their own to release a record that would be the hallmark before their major success in the 90s. However, it is found at this middle-ground between their earlier great records, 'Murmur', 'Lifes Rich Pageant' and the later ones 'Automatic for the People', 'New Adventures in Hi-Fi'. While in some circles 'Out of Time' has a lesser critical acclaim, it is more of an 'album to hear before you die' type of record so I would make that swap.
7/10 [SWAP]
Rated 4/10
At the risk of sounding repetitive. This is yet another record that, on its own, sounds catchy, reminiscent of the Classic Rock era, with the added interest of the saxophone. However, no matter how solid an indie record it is, I don't see the significance that would merit its inclusion.
7/10 [DROP]
Rated 10/10
What to say about probably the most iconic album of all time that hasn't been said yet? To me, this is the ultimate road trip album, an album that bridged the gap between the tastes of my mom's softer side (The Byrds, Bruce Springsteen) and my dad's rockier side (The Kinks, R.E.M., Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd). While I do think it is slightly overrated compared to the rest of the band's discography, overshadowed by this masterpiece, it's still a no-brainer, perfect album.
10/10 [KEEP]
Rated 2/10
This record is yet another instance of a record being included due to it containing the band's greatest hit. However, the album remains vastly inferior to their debut, and the leading single 'Snuff' is not sufficient to justify that this record should be included.
6/10 [DROP]
Having spent an exchange year in New Jersey, I cannot help but feel personally identified by the Boss' discography. On such a note, this record resonates with me beyond the music in a very tangible way, and despite not being his most noteworthy collection of songs, it does really make for a great listening experience.
9/10 [KEEP]
It is a very groovy, soulful record with a lot of merit that makes for a really interesting listen. However, beyond clear highlights like the opener 'Shining Star', it falls short of some of their later records.
8/10 [KEEP]
Rated 4/10
It is a consistent record from the band, which offers a good variety of hits and misses. It fails to have the cultural relevancy that 'Elephant' carries, and to me, the inclusion of 'De Stijl' might have been more interesting.
7/10 [SWAP]
Rated 6/10
Yet another monumental record from the great Stevie Wonder. To me, it signifies a great shift in his career, leading to his greatest works in the following years. There is an innate consistency to the record, which is topped off by the anthemic 'Superstition'.
8/10 [KEEP]
Rated 4/10
Whilst interesting in the variety of samples, interludes and snippets that make the album a very dynamic and energetic experience, it feels a bit too all over the place musically. The lyrics are hard-hitting and timeless.
7/10 [KEEP?]
Rated 6/10
Much eclipsed by a more avant-garde 'London Calling', it is much more closely aligned with the typical Punk sound, making it a staple of the genre and a dynamic and fast-paced record.
8/10 [KEEP]
For me, today marks the milestone of being a quarter through the list, and all of this to say that there have already been four Elvis Costello albums up to this point. With all this aside, this is a worthy addition to the list, as Elvis's witty songwriting is maximized by the beautiful musical arrangements to offer a very interesting experience.
8/10 [KEEP]
Rated 2/10
While this message attempts to be profound when offering a critique of society in terms of black rights, the blatant and unnecessary commentary on misogyny make the original point feel moot.
6/10 [DROP]
Rated 4/10
It is an album bound to the premise of making a soundtrack to a non-existent film and there is an atmospheric quality to it that satisfies that notion. However, it is a bit of a nothing burger in that it lacks the gravity to make it truly a relevant album.
7/10 [DROP]
Rated 8/10
Masterful Soul Rock album. Despite my aversion for live albums in the most part, the quality of the immaculate guitar work cannot be understated and makes the album a dynamic and enjoyable listen despite the extended runtime. While this is the magnus opus of their discography, I still find it somewhat rare that 'Eat a Peach' was not included in the list.
9/10 [KEEP]
An album that subverts expectations, since it goes much beyond the percussion that was advertised. Will definitely need to take a further look into N'Dour's discography. This is precisely the sort of album that I signed into the list for.
8/10 [KEEP]
Rated 4/10
Having exposed only to their hit-single 'Come On Eileen' and seeing as there are two additional records of them that I will need to listen along the way, I am a bit dumbfounded on the relevancy of this one. There are no real standouts of the album, which is consistently average.
7/10 [DROP]
Rated 4/10
Prefacing this by the fact that I do like this album, finding this is rated as the second best Radiohead album above a 4 rating is wild to me. However, despite being only their 6th best (above HTTT but below AMSP), I would keep it in the list.
7/10 [KEEP]
Rated 2/10
Of course, it is not a beautiful listen. It is an unnerving, profoundly uncomfortable record. When assessing musical relevance, it is the avant-gardism of this record that makes it sufficiently significant to earn its inclusion in the list.
6/10 [KEEP]
While Eno's relevancy in this sort of exercise of labelling which are the most meaningful albums cannot be understated, and this album has the novelty of it being such as stepping stone for music to come, I could do without this album particularly.
7/10 [DROP]
