The Velvet Underground

The Velvet Underground:
The album that truly opened my mind to all music, and it still holds up, even after discovering hundreds and hundreds of great albums. Even the Nico sung songs are unbelievable (I dare you to say that "Femme Fatale" isn't catchy as hell), and beneath the calculated noise, a breathtaking pop album awaits. The droning guitars, the hypnotizing drums, and Lou Reeds soft, yet harsh voice paves the way towards musical enlightenment. A+

White Light/White Heat:
Ditching Nico and Warhol, they didn't halt the brakes on the noise. The title tracks is amazing, and try listening to "The Gift" with only one earbud at a time. John Cale recites a short story in a deadpan manner in the left channel, while an instrumental plays in the right. This goes on for eight minutes. "I Hear Her Call My Name" features a few solos so heavily distorted it sounds like the sound is going to actually break. The closing track, the epic "Sister Ray" (recorded in one take with no overdubs), is a freak out jam whose influence can be felt on Joy Division (who frequently covered it live), and is one of the pinnacles of Reed's tales of transvestites. A+

The Velvet Underground:
At first this may not sound like the Velvet Underground heard on VU & Nico and White Light..., and that's because it's not. John Cale (one of the two driving forces behind the band), left over differences between him and Reed. And Reed, in a move typical of actors not wanting to be typecast, decided to change up the overall sound of the band. The album still remains highly experimental, but not in the earth shattering way of their previous two efforts. Reed's lyrics remain as good as ever, though besides "The Murder Mystery", none of the tracks stand out from each other (note: This isn't necessarily a bad thing). Not the same VU, but damn good. A

Loaded:
Loaded with hits! Well, it was. Lou has some of his best moments as a songwriter (at least 3 of these songs could have been top 10 hits). Those three songs open the album, and are some of the bands best. The rest of the album isn't of as high caliber, but all are great nonetheless. This (not the Doug Yule solo entry that was Squeeze) was a fitting finale for a band way too ahead of its time. A

VU:
You don't have to be a diehard fan to like this. The "lost" album of the Velvet Underground, a few of these songs later turned up as Lou Reed solo entries. However, tracks like "I Can't Stand It" and "Foggy Notion" are bonafide classics, and this is essential listening for hardcore and casual fans alike. A-

The Replacements

Sorry Ma, Forgot to Take Out the Trash:
Not as fast as Husker Du, they make up for it on pure charm. Westerberg was a budding lyrical genius, but he was still a immature kid here, though he still delivered everything with biting wit. Taking as many cues from Hank Williams as the Ramones, they start showing the signs that they were far different than your average bar band. "I'm in Trouble" is their first classic. B+

Stink:
They were drunken frat boys, but at the same time intelligent spokesman for an era that didn't pay attention to them. Here they address everything wrong with youth and their outsider status in society ("Kids Don't Follow", "Fuck School"), shitty jobs ("God Damn Job"), and anything else that they though was funny. The last pure punk output of their career. B+

Hootenanny:
Ladies and gentlemen, this is one of the birthing points of a little thing called alternative rock. "Color Me Impressed" serves as one of the first manifestos of the budding genre, and the rest of the album doesn't disappoint or drop in quality. A-

Let It Be:
Following in the wake of R.E.M.'s masterpiece Murmur (the first of the alternative genre), the 'Mats (with a little help from R.E.M.'s very own Peter Buck) topped it, creating what may be the defining album of not just alternative rock, but of the entire 80's. "I Will Dare" serves as one of the touchstones of college rock radio, and Westerberg shows his maturity as a songwriter on songs like the piano driven "Androgynous", and the fantastic "Answering Machine". They take cues from Ted Nugent ("Gary's Got a Boner"), and give a rousing rendition of KISS' "Black Diamond", which turns it into an introspective wonder. They really outdid themselves here (and even made a better Let It Be than the god damn Beatles). A+

Tim:
How do you follow up an album like Let It Be? You make a Tim. This album can go toe to toe with the former, and still make it look like a fierce challenge. "Kiss Me on the Bus" and "Bastards of Young" serve as choice cuts, and "Left of the Dial" serves as the eulogy for the independent radio station (despite that not being the intention of the lyrics). "Here Comes a Regular" is the standout track of the album, and perfectly closes the album. The lyrics are perhaps Paul's most poignant, and still resonate today. This was their final album with guitarist Bob Stinson, and his absence would be missed in the future. He was sloppy, yet brilliant, just like the band itself. A+

Pleased to Meet Me:
Not the type of follow-up that Tim was, but that doesn't mean that it was any less of an album. Westerberg pens a few classics here ("I.O.U.", "Alex Chilton", "The Ledge"), and the quality only dips slightly from their previous effort. It's still almost perfectly crafted. A

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The Doors

The Doors:
By far the strangest band to ever achieve significant, continued success, they started out with their some of their best work. From the classic opener ("Break on Through"), to the aptly title "The End", these guys deliver the weirds. Otherworldy keyboards supplied by Manzarek rule throughout, which battle the flamenco-inspired guitars of the highly underrated Krieger. Denshmore fits well, and Morrison was at his best, full of biting wit and childish notions. Sure, he was pretentious as hell, but damned if he didn't exude confidence like no other. A+

Strange Days:
"We want the world and we want it....now!" The Doors thought this was their magnum opus. They thought they had outdone their first album. They thought this was going to be huge. But they didn't take into account that the general public can only take strange in small doses. Still popular, this was lyrically their best album. The slightly inferior "Unhappy Girl" is the only song that sticks out. It's good. A

Waiting for the Sun:
Often maligned for being more commercial than its predecessors, this album is rather well crafted. "Hello, I Love You" is one of their catchier tunes, and "Not to Touch the Earth" is a overlooked classic. Hey, "Five to One"'s guitar solo is so good it got aped twice. Not too shabby. A-

The Soft Parade:
Eh, has a few great tunes, but they weren't at at their best. Buy it for "Touch Me" and the title track though. B-

Morrison Hotel:
"Ship of Fools" through "The Spy" is average, but the rest is golden. B+

L.A. Woman.:
They get down and dirty with the blues, and it's damn good. "Been Down So Long", "Cars Hiss By My Window", and "Riders on the Storm" are all classics. Get it, but I don't know how proper of an ending this is. One of the strangest bands to ever become popular, a band whose style could be described as gypsy rock, and they got out with the mostly straightforward blues rock? A-

The Strokes

Is This It:
After all the hype has faded, all the coverage gone, this album still stands. It certainly isn't the album some claimed it to be, but it certainly isn't bad, mediocre, or average by any sense of the word. The guitars aren't clashing, but rather taking turns. The vocals half-sung, but Julian isn't trying to be Reed. No, this band is its own  creation, and they aren't the saviors of rock. But that's also because rock was never dead or dying. There isn't a single weak song in the bunch, and "Last Nite" is a a modern I-don't-give-a-shit-what-you-think type of anthem. Well crafted song structures, catchy lyrics, and guitar hooks that are bound to be remembered 20 years from now. They aren't re-inventing the wheel, and they aren't trying to. Ignore the hype, and just listen to the fucking thing. A-

Room on Fire:
For further proof they aren't trying to ape the Velvets, the longest song on the album clocks in at a whopping 3 minutes and 41 seconds (the rather good "Reptilia"), and there is no radical departure from their sound. Doesn't mean it's a bad album, and it's rather catchy most of the time. But I'd take the debut any day of the week. And if possible, spend your $10+ dollars elsewhere, as you barely get 33 minutes of material here. B

First Impressions of Earth:
A few good tracks here, nothing special, nothing here not found better on their previous two efforts. C+

The Jimi Hendrix Experience

Are You Experienced:
I'm going by the most common re-issue, which compiles all of the tracks on both the US and UK versions.
The album itself is a masterpiece of rock, and perhaps the most influential guitar album of all time. Mitch Mitchell almost matches the work of Mr. Hendrix himself, and on tracks like "Manic Depression" tops him. Not a weak song found here, and the sheer amount of perfect songs here is mind-boggling. This album's on "Fire". A+

Axis: Bold as Love:
It was a hard follow up, but Axis sounds in no way rushed, and the group wasn't try to stick with the same old formula. The sonically impressive "EXP" is great as an experimental piece, but I rarely find myself listening to it compared to the rest of the album. The songs get better when they slow it down, showing Hendrix was a rather good lyricist (he had a knack for catchy tripped out lyrics inspired by his dreams), and displays how gorgeous Noel's bass tone was. Falls a little short of the debut in consistency. A

Electric Ladyland:
If a bible about the guitar is ever made, this is the final days of the life of Jesus. I'm not counting "...And the Gods Made Love" as a complete song, since it segues straight into the fantastic "Have You Ever Been (To Electric Ladyland)". Not a weak or even a average song on the album. "Voodoo Chile" is one helluva jam, "1983...(A Merman I Should Turn To Be)" is a touchstone in psychedelic blues, and the final two tracks are about as good as music gets. "All Along the Watchtower" is one of the greatest covers ever recorded, and bests a Bob Dylan original. Consider the final song, "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)", to be the last supper. Too bad he died for our sins. I blame the Kenny G picking up the saxophone. A+

High Tide

She Shanties:
Progressive metal is very hit or miss for me, but arguably the first album of the genre is almost all hit. The battle between the violin of House and the guitar of Hill is, to properly use the word, epic. The album does drop off a little bit after the second song, but the first two songs, "Futilist's Lament" and "Death Warmed Up", are two of the defining songs of early metal. A-

Outkast

Aquemini:
Taking off from their last two albums, this shows Outkast experimenting more and more. Their magnum opus was to come, but this was a near brilliant effort. A-

Stankonia:
"Bombs Over Baghdad". With that phrase the first masterpiece of the new millennium was made. In those 5 minutes and 3 seconds, entering another dimension is possible. Other highlights include the big hits "Ms. Jackson" and "So Fresh and So Clean", as well as cuts like "Slum Beautiful". Enlighten yourself. A+

Speakerboxxx/The Love Below:
A cool concept, but only one of these really takes off. And it becomes obviously clear who is the brains of the operation. On Big Boi's Speakerboxxx, there aren't any duds other than the obvious Lil' John and the East Side Boyz collab., "Last Call". A simple misstep, but Big Boi's collaborations as a whole seem much less experimental, and the disc doesn't offer anything that fans of the duo haven't heard before. On the other hand, Benjamin's starts shooting off like an aerial repeater on the fourth of July. From the electro-funk-jazz-pop rock number one hit that is "Hey Ya!", Mr. Benjamin makes it clear that he is a serious musician (he plays guitar, piano, programmed the synths, and even plays sax on one tune), hellbent on pushing boundaries. "Prototype" and the ever hilarious "Roses" bring back memories, and "She Lives in My Lap" brings the funkity hop to new levels. Both are worth checking out, but Mr. 3000 shows his raw talent as a producer, songwriter, and even as a singer. B/A

Joy Division

Unknown Pleasures:
Really depressing music. But finding the beauty in that depression makes the album what it is. From Hooky's simple, yet insanely catchy bass lines, to Sumner's simple, yet insanely catchy riffs/solos, to the pulsating sound of gloom and doom that Morris' drum kit expelled. And then that voice, the voice of the grim reaper calling. Ian Curtis changed singing the same way Dylan did. White Lies, you could do well by learning from them. A+

Closer:
I feel saddened when I listen to this, because I know he already did it. But just by listening to this album, you know there's something off with that fellow. The album comes very close to matching the debut in quality, so it's damn near perfect. A+

Substance:
The definitive compilation of Joy Division, only 1 out of the 17 songs here appear on one of their two studio albums. "Transmission", "Love Will Tear Us Apart", and "Atmosphere" rank among their best. A+

Television

Double Exposure:
3 full years before the release of Moon, the band recorded a lot of songs with a one Brian Eno. This bootleg has the studio demos produced by him as well as a few choice live cuts from CBGB's, early studio recordings, and "Breaking in My Hart", a song that never materialized in the studio. Only for the hardcores, but damn if this isn't one of the best bootlegs available. B+

Marquee Moon:
Lumbering riffs, bong-rattling bass, thunderous drums, and the moans and groans vocalist. Television had none of these, yet still possessed the technicality of many "dinosaur" bands and progressive groups. And Verlaine is a poet, much like the name of the man he nicked his stage name from. Tom knew how to write an insanely catchy chorus, and he could improvise on guitar like no one's business. But there was another factor. Richard Lloyd. Tom and Richard played parts that seem to bounce off each other in waves of eargasms. Fred Smith (also of Blondie) lays down beautiful, melodic basslines that rarely become repetitive. Billy Ficca plays parts that weren't being played by anyone else. All the while every tune remained fresh again and again, never wandered off into wankery, and did something no one had ever done or even since. And then there's the title track. A+

Adventure:
Obviously, unless lightning struck itself, they weren't going to live up to their first album. However, this album is still fantastic, and like MM, doesn't get old. Though to be honest, I have listened to it as much as Moon. Still... A

David Bowie

Hunky Dory:
His strongest effort, Bowie shows why he's not only a king of glam, but a king of rock n' roll. Choice songs: "Changes", "Oh! You Pretty Things", "Life On Mars?", and "Queen Bitch". A+

The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars:
While many jump on the bandwagon that this is his best album, I disagree. I find "Lady Stardust" and "It Ain't Easy" to be good songs, but not great ones. Though it does have one of the best album closers of all-time, "Rock 'N' Roll Suicide". A

Aladdin Sane:
While his most straightforward rock album during his glam era, he still remained Bowie. From the sharp wit of "Cracked Actor", to Mike Garson's wonky piano solo on the title track, to the classic rocker "The Jean Genie", this album showed that he was the bee's knees. A

Diamond Dogs:
While "Rebel Rebel" is now generally regarded as a classic, this album was the worst of his glam era. Not to say this is bad, but it doesn't hold up to his others. B-

Young Americans:
I'm afraid this suffers from a case of Diamond Dogitis. "Fame" is a great song, and the title track is almost as good, but overall the album is just decent. B-

Station to Station:
For one album, he became the Thin White Duke, though Duke isn't an accurate description. This album was made by a King, with all 6 songs being strong efforts, "Golden Years" standing out. A-

Low:
While the weakest of the "Berlin" trilogy, it still was the building block for the following albums. Standout songs include "Warszawa" and "Sound and Vision". B+

"Heroes":
The second best of the Berlin trilogy, its beauty is almost its downfall. I usually can't make it through all of side 2. Call me a poser, but maybe music can be too perfect. The title tracks still shines every time though. A-

Lodger:
I wouldn't say there is a single "standout" song in the bunch. But its his most consistent of the Berlin trilogy, and also his best. A-

Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps):
Bowie shows his true colors on this album, by showing that he has no specific one. A rock chameleon who predicted the rise and fall of movements, and modeled his look and sound accordingly. To some, that sounds like selling out. But if you actually think that, I think you should listen to more Bowie. This album was his last truly great album, though I blame Gen X for that. A-

Let's Dance:
Yeah, this was his most accessible album to date. But it's still Bowie, and there are a few songs here that are great even compared to his "classic" era ("Let's Dance", "China Girl", "Modern Love"). B