Shack HMS Fable (1999):
Should have just put another Oasis album on the thing, because at least Oasis can get credit for sounding like Oasis back during the days when Oasis was putting out bigtime Oasis albums. This one's just derivative, completely uninteresting
Björk Vespertine (2001):
Aw uh oh I think Debut might be the only Björk that I like... none of her other albums have really grabbed me, and I've listened to quite a few of them now
Rocket From the Crypt Scream, Dracula, Scream (1995):
I'm moving different; this shit ain't nothing to me man.
I can't believe that a band with this name, named an album that name, and then the music they made is just 90s butt rock. If this were hair metal from the 80s it probably would have ruled, but alas
Blondie Parallel Lines (1978):
good hit rate of radio classics. Older songs than I would have guessed.
OutKast Speakerboxxx/The Love Below (2003):
Really Interesting! all the big recognizable hits were from The Love Below, but listening to it all the way through, I really liked the Speakerboxxx side a lot more
Roxy Music Country Life (1974):
Tits
George Harrison All Things Must Pass (1970):
the wikipedia on Beatles Drugs stuff says something to the effect that John and George were the main LSD guys of the group (Paul being more of a marijuana guy), but they had very different responses to it in that George got religion, while John became even more insufferable of an atheist. And I guess tracking their solo projects, I might gotta plant my flag on the side of the insufferable atheists, because I've been a lot more curious about what Lennon got up to than listening to George do a bunch of Hare Krishnas (which isn't just me being glib, he is literally doing that on this album). Which kind of stinks, because I tend to prefer the George influence on Beatles songs
Talking Heads Fear of Music (1979):
Last one through the door before Remain in Light kicks them into transcendence. Pretty good, but suffers a bit from the same issue as Speaking in Tongues, where all the live versions of the songs on here are not just better than the originals, but completely blow them out of the water
Red Hot Chili Peppers Californication (1999):
hoo man, I thought I was neutral to mildly positive on RHCP, was never sad to hear one of their songs come up randomly, but holy moly they become grating fast when listening straight through an album. I think it might be kind of a meme to give mild credit to Flea while criticizing the rest of the band, but yeah the bass is usually very good, even when the full songs are mostly mediocre.
Jefferson Airplane Surrealistic Pillow (1967):
The songs that Grace solos are noticeably better than the ones where she's having to support Marty
The Mothers Of Invention We're Only In It For The Money (1968):
ohhhh lol this is a Frank Zappa project, got it. I only really know Zappa by reputation, so it surprised me to learn he was making stuff as far back as this. Interesting to see some hippy-punching coming from someone contemporary to that whole scene and who can't exactly be written off as a stuffy conservative of the time
Hookworms Microshift (2018):
Worse Hot Chip, basically. Only the first song was all that worthwhile, and also 2018's a bit late anyway to be doing electric indie pop and still have it sound fresh. Fun album art, though! Reminds me of a geometry textbook
Da Capo Love (1966):
Got nervous when I saw the year & genre, but turns out they're more interesting than a lot of 60s pop. Less Beatles/Beach Boys rip off, and more proto-The Doors, which is a pretty alright space to be in
Cold Cut What's That Noise (1989):
UK electronica of the era, fine background music, but objectively a snoozefest, NEXT!
The Last Shadow Puppets The Age Of The Understatement (2008):
Sounded like an Arctic Monkeys side project, and then I looked it up and turns out that's exactly what it is. It's fine, less polished but more interesting than most Arctic Monkeys songs I've heard
Fever Ray Fever Ray (2009):
Seeing a lot of Björk comparisons, which, sure I guess. Less artful, but more groove, which for most days is a trade I'm ok with
Van Morrison Moondance (1970):
Weather Channel sounding. Morning Commute to The City sipping coffee from a travel mug ass. Pretty good.
David Bowie Hunky Dory (1971):
ooh, earlie Bowie! Probably the most consistent album from him I've heard so far, there's some great highs, and nothing that I'd really call a stinker on here. Makes me more excited for ziggy stardust/aladdin sane era, which I've never listened to
Lou Reed Berlin (1973):
Probably my favorite Lou Reed to come across here, and I liked it alright. On the whole, though, Lou Reed solo and Velvet Underground both have a lot of albums on here, and while I think Velvet Underground deserves about that amount of exposure, the glut of solo stuff on top of it pushes Reed over into territory of "OK I've had about enough of this guy"
Primal Scream Screamadelica (1991):
K between this and the Dracula guys up the list, gotta have a stern conversation with 90s groups about what in fuck they think "screaming" is, because this is not screaming, it's pretty good psych jamming
The Libertines The Libertines (2005):
Got some high points on here, but it's a crowded time & genre space, and I'm putting them below Arctic Monkeys, who I'm already not super big on
Quicksilver Messenger Service Happy Trails (1969):
Album art made me very nervous it was going to be country music, but then it's a jam band! This project has made me have to sheepishly lower my overall esteem of "psychedelic rock" as a genre because a lot of it is awful, but then these guys are the kind of thing I'd had in mind! Krautrock bands would go on to do it better, but these are the bones right here. Some points knocked off for ripping off Bo Diddly as their starting points instead of coming up with their own songs to launch from
