Reviews by linkyboy

I listened to this twice, and liked it better the second time. I was rather taken aback by how experimental it sounded at first, though that's not a bad thing. I think it works on some level, and the fugue-like vocals were a highlight. But even after listening twice, I can't really remember any of the songs, just kind of how it felt to listen to them. I will say, the album cover does an excellent job of conveying the kind of music you're getting.

Progressive rock. Libertarian lyrics.

Three virtuosos who write mediocre songs but make them sound good (if not dorky).

I've never really understood the appeal of Springsteen. I find his songs a little too hammy, too sincere, and his voice, while distinctive, irritates me whether he's crooning or shouting. I do see the working-class image, and I suppose people relate to that. But this album did nothing to improve my feelings about him as a writer or performer.

Is The Yes Album Yes's best album?

Until recently, I would have probably said "No way!" In high school, when I was in my prog rock phase, I was adamant that Fragile and Close to the Edge were the peak of Yes, and I don't remember any particularly strong feelings about The Yes Album.

But everything changed a few weeks back when I got Fragile on this site. I was surprised and disappointed to find it no longer appealed to me. I found it overindulgent, cacophonous at times, and strangely paced, with only a few songs really holding up. When I got The Yes Album today, I was bracing myself for disappointment, though I took comfort in the fact that it's never been an album I really loved.

And then, as I listened to it, and remembered song after song, singing along, enjoying the shifts and changes, I found that I was truly enjoying The Yes Album. It was like walking into Narnia—but like, if I'd already been to Narnia, and had forgotten how awesome Narnia was. So many great moments throughout the album. "I've Seen All Good People" may be my favorite Yes song of all time, and relistening after so many years only affirmed that. The unfortunately mistitled "The Clap" is another highlight, a real showcase of Steve Howe's abilities. I remember spending hours trying to tackle it at 50% speed when I was 17. "A Venture" is another excellent entry. I don't know. I kind of love all of it.

I think sometimes fans of prog rock are way too afraid to enjoy music. They need to feel clever. So they gravitate toward the more esoteric, the more virtuosic, the more unenjoyable works. This is why Fragile and Close to the Edge are often considered their greatest albums. But I've always been partial to 90125, often derided by the proggiest of progheads. And today, I am ready to make a declaration:

Is The Yes Album Yes's best album? Yes!

Black Sabbath is really so much more than what I’d originally thought of them. Ozzy was a powerhouse singer, and Tommy Iommi is a great guitarist (and producer!).

I just want to highlight this passage from the Apple Music blurb about “Vol. 4”:

“The ballad “Changes,” meanwhile, is a unique collaboration among the four members: Self-taught pianist Iommi tickled the ivories; singer Ozzy Osbourne wrote the vocal melody; and bassist Geezer Butler wrote the lyrics, which were based on drummer Bill Ward’s crumbling marriage.”

Cracks me up that Bill Ward’s part in the collaboration is having a marital struggles.

This is a very good album. Great guitar work, chill vibe, catchy melodies, melodic bass lines, cool drums. “Don’t Stop” is so inventive! It’s like if Real Estate were a more interesting band. Definitely one I’ll revisit. And where “Heaven or Las Vegas” by Cocteau Twins is from 1990 and sounds like the end of the 80s, “The Stones Roses” is from 1989 and sounds like the beginning of the 90s.

EDIT 6/10/26: More than most albums on this list, I consistently find myself returning to The Stone Roses. It rewards repeat listens, and I'm constantly finding new things to love about it. "I Am The Resurrection" and "Bye Bye Bad Man" are always running through my head. With all this in mind, I'm bumping my rating from 4 stars to 5.

I can't help but feel like this is on the list to make sure Woody Guthrie was included somewhere. I do think it's a shame his "Dust Bowl Ballads" isn't placed here. He is, without a doubt, one of the most important folk songwriters, whose body of work would influence the political folk singer-songwriters of the sixties. His lyrics are what stand out on this album—the music itself is fine, but nothing to write home about. As a preservation of lyrics that would have otherwise been forgotten in his archives, it's a worthwhile venture, and I don't regret hearing it. As a work of art, I wasn't particularly impressed.

Interesting... I liked the spoken word moments better than the sung moments—and unfortunately, there was a lot more singing than speaking. "The Bottle" was a lot of fun, and "H2Ogate Blues" was another high point, highlighting Scott-Heron's political poetry. I can absolutely see the influence he had on hip hop. Some of the flute and bass work throughout this album is wonderful. But I found side one to be uninteresting at best, and irritating at worst. So, some good, some bad. Certainly deserving of its entry on the list. A solid 3 for me.

I just don’t really know how to consume jazz as anything other than background music. It’s a genre that has never really connected with me. I like some of the grooves of main ideas here, and it all sounds well-played. But nothing got me excited enough to give it a high rating.

The Buzzcocks are great. Punk with a power pop bend—what's not to love? Really, their album that should be on this list is Singles Going Steady, but it doesn't meet the criteria on a technicality (it's a compilation, a collection of all the singles and B-sides they'd released). This is a solid substitute, and showcases a lot of what makes The Buzzcocks great, but doesn't contain some of their greatest, most iconic songs, like "Ever Fallen In Love." So, while Singles Going Steady would get a 5 from me, Another Music In A Different Kitchen just doesn't appeal to me quite as much. Still great, and I encourage anyone reading to listen to Singles Going Steady if you enjoyed this!

As a guitarist, I’ve always felt like I ought to love the Allman Brothers… but this endless faffing about over standard blues patterns does little to maintain my interest. At times, it seemed like it would never end. Some say they’re still playing “Whipping Post” to this day.

So much has been said about Michael Stipe's unique voice, lyrics, and delivery, and they are indeed great. As are Peter Buck's jangly guitars, and Bill Berry's drumming. But Mike Mills has always been the unsung hero of REM in my mind—his melodic bass playing drives the songs and his unique voice complements Stipe's beautifully.

Just on its own, separated from context, I like Murmur well enough, but it's far from my favorite REM album. So why has earned it 5 stars? Because it was unlike anything else from 1983 and marks the inception of my favorite sub-genre: alternative rock. I mean, this came out the same year as Thriller! It sounds like it came out 10 years later than it did. It blows my mind that this came out when my parents were still in high school. The context matters so much, and there is no doubt that Murmur deserves a place on this list.

This could have been called “Willie Nelson sings the Great American Songbook.” I do really love Willie Nelson's voice and delivery here. It doesn't feel as surprising or revelatory as "Red Headed Stranger" did, but it's nice. Is that all? Nice? Kind of. Well recorded, well performed, something I'll likely listen to again. But is it noteworthy, beyond being unusual for Willie Nelson? Was it impactful? Influential? Hard to say. People do love this album, and I can see why. It's a either a strong 3 or a tenuous 4... This is one of the rare times I wish I could do a half-star rating.

The list, understandably, struggles with picks from 2010-onward. It’s challenging to know what’s going to be influential or important without the goggles of time. Unfortunately, I find myself disagreeing with the list’s choices for recent alternative rock albums. I find this album by the Black Keys to be okay, but boring, predictable, and with hindsight, an embarrassing stereotype of early 2010s music. The tambourine on 2 & 4 is reminiscent of the nascent “Stomp Clap” era that dominated that decade.

When better artists from this time are not on the list—Bon Iver, Vampire Weekend, Paramore—I feel bummed to get something like Brothers.

I enjoyed it, though I'll confess that I was playing Slay the Spire 2 while listening, and had an absolutely incredible shiv run with The Silent, so it's quite possible that skewed my experience.

Nothing in particular stood out to me (other than the occasional Youtube ad, since this album was unavailable on Apple Music), but I was bopping along to it the whole time. Frankly, it feels like music that was meant to be enjoyed in the background, not scrutinized, and if that was indeed the intention, I think it succeeded.

Ooh! Something between New Wave and Shoegaze, ethereal vocals, interesting arrangements! There’s so much here that I really like. Turns out the lead singer is also the singer in “Teardrop” by Massive Attack. I realized it when I got to the last track. Super cool. I think “Iceblink Luck” is my favorite track. It reminds me of The Cranberries.

I really liked this. Like, this is the kind of rare album on the list that I listen to and think “Oh! HERE’S someone I should listen to.” Like Pulp and Eels before, I don’t know if I’m quite prepared to give this album 5 stars, but it’s a very strong 4 stars, and a rating I may want to revise later. I do know that I’ll be revisiting this album again and again.

I’m always amused by how many funk songs are about being funky. It’s the Pokémon of music genres, just saying its name incessantly.

These guys absolutely spanked me with this album. So fun, so groovy, so danceable. Bootsy Collins is a BAMF. Not to mention the incredible impact this record had on rock, hip hop, pop, and Afrofuturism. I listened twice, with glee.

It's my birthday, and what a birthday gift it is to receive this album today! A favorite of mine. It's the album that not only introduced me to OutKast, but to Hip Hop in general.

The thing I love the most about OutKast is how fun their music is. Like, it's great, the beats are infectious, the lyrics are memorable, the hooks are catchy, and throughout both Speakerboxxx and The Love Below, this sense of fun pervades.

I originally loved "The Love Below," which was unlike anything else I'd ever heard. But as time has gone on, I find myself drawn more and more to "Speakerboxxx." Sure, the album is long, and maybe too long for some people's taste, but I'll always love the expansive eclecticism of this record.

It's like sitting and listening to your grandfather spinning yarn after yarn about his fascinating life. Johnny Cash leans into the aging limitations of his voice, and brings his profound humanity to each song on the record. His cover of Nine Inch Nails' "Hurt" is iconic, but I'm also partial to his rendition of Sting's "I Hung My Head."

I don't know that it lives up to Cash's heyday, but it's quite the swan song for such a legend.

A year before Led Zeppelin invented Roman numerals, Scott Walker finally answered the question, “Can vibrato induce vertigo?” The verdict: a resounding “Yẽẽẽẽẽs!”