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The Beatles – “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”
Sgt. Pepper’s some of The Beatles‘ simplest material. Considering they were writing songs like “Strawberry Fields Forever” and “I Am the Walrus” around this time, this album seems far below what they’re capable of. There are a couple of brilliant songs on here, like “With a Little Help From My Friends.” “A Day in the… (read more)
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The Beatles – “Abbey Road”
The first half of Abbey Road is full of generally amazing songs that unquestionably rank among The Beatles‘ best-ever material, which is quite an accomplishment. George Harrison’s songs in particular are lovely (“Something,” “Here Comes the Sun”). A few stragglers don’t match up to the rest of the first side’s quality (“Maxwell’s Silver Hammer,” “Octopus’s… (read more)
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Fleetwood Mac – “Tusk” (1979)
Tusk Review Tusk is a pathetic follow-up to the previous two albums by Fleetwood Mac. And pathetic is the right word to use as Lindsey Buckingham, heartbroken after the events now permanently documented in 1977’s seminal Rumours album, is in too shitty a mood to write a good song, content with simply gliding by on… (read more)
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Florence + The Machine – “Lungs”
‘Lungs’ is easily one of the best-written, most powerful pop albums of all time. With it, Florence + The Machine unquestionably outdo any of their influences. ‘Lungs’ deserves every bit of the praise it gets, if not more. (read more)
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Queen – “The Works”
The most “eh” album Queen ever made, maybe. The Works is rarely anything impressive, never anything that repulsive. They’re less reliant on synthesizers than on Hot Space. And thank god for that, because now they’re tactful enough to know when to use them in the songcraft. As a little fun fact, this is the only Queen… (read more)
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Blondie – “Autoamerican”
Autoamerican is Blondie‘s most accomplished album. The amount of varying styles on this album is simply staggering considering they’re a pop band. Whether it’s the lounge pop of “Here’s Looking at You,” or the jazz crooning of “Faces,” Autoamerican is a consistently exciting and unpredictable listen. The hit songs such as the reggae-tinged “The Tide… (read more)
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Blondie – “The Curse of Blondie”
"Shakedown" is Blondie’s worst-ever song, and ‘The Curse of Blondie’ is their worst-ever album. "Good Boys" is the only takeaway. (read more)
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Cheap Trick – “Cheap Trick” (1997)
‘Cheap Trick’ (1997) follows in the steps of ‘Woke Up With a Monster.’ Same grunge stylings, minus the embarrassing aesthetic. But is it as good? (read more)
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My Bloody Valentine – “The New Record by My Bloody Valentine” (1986)
The New Record by My Bloody Valentine is a great step forward for the band, who previously performed derivative post-punk that imitated The Birthday Party and The Cramps. On this EP, the band moves a bit closer towards their recognizable noise pop and shoegaze sound. But they’re still not quite there yet. There’s an undercurrent… (read more)
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Queen – “Jazz”
On Jazz, Freddie Mercury absolutely piles on the pop culture references in his lyrics. Seriously, see how many you can count. Make it a fun game with friends. If you feel in the mood for pointless fun, then Jazz is your ideal soundtrack anyway, as it’s by far Queen‘s silliest album. I certainly don’t need… (read more)