Rated 8/10
I am a sucker for a glorious harmony and this has them by the sackload. If they'd kept up the standard of the first couple of tracks, it would undoubtedly be 5 stars, but drops down to a 4 as there's some filler here for sure.
Rated 6/10
Post-punk quirkiness ahoy. Punk spikiness combined with late 60s surf-rock vibes, I can well imagine that the reaction to this on release was "well, this isn't something I've heard before".
It's not all gold for sure, and Kate Pearson's finest work was obviously "Out of Time", but I have no beef with it being included on the list.
Groovy, but not as groovy as the other one.
I think they got better after this - it's a solid if unspectacular debut.
Rated 8/10
Paul Simon is one of the great singer/songwriters. Combining his folk background with the African backing leads to this glorious masterpiece. Is it tricky politically - yes. Is it cultural appropriation? I'm not so sure, it's more of a beautiful fusion. "You Can Call Me Al" is played to death but there aren't many more beautiful openings than : "the Mississippi Delta was shining like a national guitar"
Rated 4/10
This was WAY less interesting than I thought it might be from the title / album artwork. Never judge a vinyl by it's cover I suppose.
Rated 4/10
Dinosaur Jr appear again in the list and again I............... don't really understand. I really really really feel like this band should tick all my boxes but, for whatever reason, it doesn't hit the spot for me. It's not *bad* but I'm equally not rushing to listen over and over again.
Rated 6/10
No denying there's a wonderful distinctive voice here - you know it as soon as you here it. "Windmills" is, to me anyway, one of the most distinctive songs of the 60s, "Preacher Man" one of the most overplayed and overrated. Wanted to give it 4 stars, but such is my loathing for Preacher Man, I had to knock off another star. Sorry.
Rated 8/10
Mmmm, ze French heep-hurp is extra sexy no?
Rated 4/10
Power pop you say? Loved by REM you say? *fires up excitedly"
Oh.
Rated 6/10
Honestly, preferred her "oh so naughty pop pixie" phase, but there's no denying Xtina can sing. Remember from the time that it was very different to what was around at the time and to what she'd previously released. Worthy of inclusion on this list, probably not? Worthy of the hate and scorn seemingly poured it? Also no.
2.5 stars rounded to 3 (loses a half star for not being dooooooorty enough)
Rated 2/10
Probably very good if you think it's OK to sleep with your cousin.
Rated 4/10
I quite like The Smiths. Sometimes even really like them. But it always feels like people *should* either be mildly obsessed with how much they changed their life, or not get them. "There is a Light" and "Some Girls" the clear standout tracks here which gives them a base score of 4. But I'm deducting 1 for the rest not being as good and another because Morrissey.
Rated 4/10
I could just put the same comments as for the last Jane's Addiction album. Basically, I don't know why I don't like them more - right era, right genre, right attitude. I *think* there's just something about Farrell's vocal stylings that doesn't work for me.
Rated 6/10
Sometimes I really wish I could properly get into hip-hop. I'm sure there's a whole depth and layer of nuance that I'm missing. However, this also gets filed under "kinda funky I guess"
Rated 2/10
Not meant for me, nor enjoyed by me.
Rated 2/10
The 90s in the UK were a weird time weren't they. How we mocked this idiot with his insane hat and weird white-boi funky rhythms. But he has a supercar collection AND got to boff Denise Van Outen, so guess he has no regrets.
Didn't like it then, don't like it now. Still reminds me way too much of a CD in the Ford Mondeo of a sales rep in the Midlands.
Rated 4/10
Wibble. Manages to be both simultaneously enjoyable and completely unremarkable. According to Wiki : "They gained a reputation as a 'drug band' due to the members' drug-taking habits and Kember's candid interviews and outspoken opinions on recreational drug use" which explains A LOT of what is going on here.
Rated 8/10
DM approach peak greatness. Take a fresh faced boy from Essex, some leather pants, banks of synths and enough drugs that you could knock out an elephant and see what you get.
Not every track is elite level here, but "Never Let Me Down Again", "Strangelove" and "little 15" show the direction of travel
Rated 4/10
Late-era Beatles : kinda dull. First solo album from one of The Beatles : kinda dull.
