Average Rating: 3.20 Rating Variance: 0.70 Objectivity Score: 89% (Well Balanced)
Sorted by Rating | Sort by Name5 classicColdplay Viva La VidaFleetwood Mac RumoursThere is not a whole lot that can be said about this album that hasn't already. People should check this album out, no questions asked. The turmoil that the band underwent during the recording and writing of this album allowed them to write some of the most inspired songs ever. Go Your Own Way and The Chain are the most powerful songs on the album, with two of the most memorable choruses ever. Don't Stop and Dreams keep the radio hooks going while both containing a positive outlook on the band's future, while Oh Daddy pays tribute to the man who held the band together. The flow of this album is perfect and contains some of the greatest songs ever, which of course, makes it one of the greatest albums ever.Green Day DookieGreen Day's 1994 release put themselves and pop punk on the map. Dookie at the time was a total breath of fresh air from the newer "post-grunge" bands that were starting to hit the scene, bands that simply rehashed what the original grunge movement was all about. The basic guitar, bass, and drum lines were all insignificant when compared to the actual songwriting. Clever lyrics, melodies, and song structure are strewn together throughout the album, producing meaningful songs like Welcome To Paradise and also showing the fun side of the band like Chump and Long View. With only one poor song in Pulling Teeth, the rest of the album flows with a brilliant chemistry that makes Dookie one of the greatest albums ever.Guns N' Roses Appetite For DestructionIron Maiden The Number of the BeastJoe Satriani Surfing With The AlienJohn Mayer ContinuumMegadeth Rust In PeaceMetallica Master of PuppetsPink Floyd Wish You Were HereAn album that gets plenty of praise from the educated people of the music people, but to the common public, Wish You Were Here often goes more unnoticed than it should be. While people do often recognize the title track, it is the four other songs on the album that often get the most praise. This album is the beginning of the Roger Waters era of the band, which would eventually lead to the band's demise in the early 1980s. But for this moment, Pink Floyd was able to produce one of the greatest albums of all time. Complete with everything a music fan could ask for, straight up rock, spacey epics, atmospheric stories twisted into music, and the perfect acoustic ballad. Not one weak spot to be found on Wish You Were Here, and there is not a good enough reason to not purchase this album.Pink Floyd AnimalsThis is the beginning of the end for Pink Floyd, with Roger Water's dominating influence on the band really starting to shine here. However, on this album it managed to be an excellent thing. Dogs is easily one of Pink Floyd's greatest songs ever, being complete in every aspect. There is nothing lacking in that song. Pigs (Three Different Ones) has a phenomenal intro which builds up a lot and slides right into a nice verse. Awesome outro solo by David Gilmour. Sheep is just a straight rocker that is simply awesome and keeps you on the edge of your seat the whole way through. Sure, the album only has 3 true songs, but they are EASILY 3 of Pink Floyd's best ever.Steely Dan AjaSteely Dan was always the jazzier cousin of the typical 70s rock bands. Still successful and quite respected, it wasn't until 1977's Aja that Steely Dan became one of the biggest names of the decade. For this album Steely Dan introduced more jazz elements, inviting saxophonist Wayne Shorter (formerly of Weather Report) and Steve Gadd (drummer for Chick Corea) to perform on the album. Steely Dan manages to fit catchy jazz rock songs and intense progressive-rock like epics such as the title track so well together. Peg and Josie show the slightly more commerical side of Steely Dan even though it still retained the jazz-like smoothness within every second. With so many classics such as "Peg", "Josie", "Deacon Blues" and the epic "Aja", this is one 70s album most certainly worth buying.The Offspring SmashHow a band can create such a strong album with such a simple formula is beyond me. Nowhere to be found is nifty songwriting, overtly symbolic lyrics, or intense technicality. What is found is a varied sound from track to track that keeps every song fresh, preventing any two from songs from running together. Dexter Holland's voice does a fine job of standing above the rest of the tunes with melodies that perfectly complement his voice, while Noodles' guitar combines with the rhythm section for a powerful punk backing. Smash offers everything, from balls-to-the-wall humor (Bad Habit), darker rock tracks (Gotta Get Away), heartfelt messages tinged with reggae (What Happened To You?), and a straight up punk anthem (Smash). Very few blemishes make Smash one of the best albums of the 1990s, and easily the best album of The Offspring's career.Thrice VheissuAll I really have to say is that this album is simply amazing. When I first heard it I must admit, I was somewhat disappointed like several other Thrice fans. But it definitely grew on me, and one day Atlantic just hit me like a brick wall and I loved it. In a way, it is actually quite progressive in a comparison kinda of way to the Artist In The Ambulance. Many of the songs are a progression further along the "music trail". Between The End And Where We Lie and Of Dust And Nations are perfect combinations of old and new Thrice, crafting the new atmospheric sound with the upbeat stylings of previous albums. Along with The Earth Will Shake and Atlantic, those songs make up the top four of the album. Image of the Invisible, Music Box, and Like Moth To Flames are also strong tracks that are nothing like Thrice has ever done before (except Image, I guess). Overall I don't think there are any genuinely weak tracks, but I am not a huge fan of Hold Fast Hope. Awesome album.4.5 superbCut Copy In Ghost ColoursDire Straits On The NightDream Theater Images and WordsOne of my favorite albums. Pretty much perfect all the way through. From the power metal-like opener to the brilliant Learning to Live, the whole album never stops for a bad song. Another Day is very good ballad with some catchy sax lines. Take the Time is a strong rocker with some great lead work at the end by John Petrucci and some excellent drum work by Mr. Portnoy. Surrounded may be the weakest song on here, but yet is an awesome song at the same time, so that's saying something. The four ending tracks work together to build up a climatic ending with Learning To Live, something that was not since often in music since the 1970s. Overall Images & Words succeeds with the complex progressive metal sound, and as a result is the best progressive album since the 1970s.Foo Fighters Foo FightersA very underrated album. Songs like I'll Stick Around, Alone+Easy Target, Good Grief, and Wattershed all show that Dave Grohl was definitely part of the brains of Nirvana. In fact, the whole album is very strong with the exception of X-Static and Exhausted, which both feel, well, very exhausted. Hits such as This Is A Call and Big Me are both quite warranted in their hit status, and other "different" songs like Floaty and For All The Cows are some of my favorites as well. An onslaugt of strong songs make this one of my favorite albums released in the 1990s.Greg Howe IntrospectionThis album is a genuine lead guitar masterpiece, and Greg Howe is extremely underrated. Each song has a distinct feel and is great for just chilling out to. Although he has gotten lumped in with the shredders quite often, Greg Howe is by no means a generic "shred guitar" player. Tracks like "Jump Start", "Pay As You Go", and "Direct Injection" clearly show us otherwise. Not one bad song on the whole cd, and a must have for any guitar fan.Herbie Hancock HeadhuntersHerbie Hancock Empyrean IslesIron Maiden Somewhere in TimeAfter years of releasing albums that were all synth-free and the band even taking an anti-synth stance on music, Iron Maiden finally gave in. Their first synth effort, however, is one of the band's best albums. Somewhere In Time gives fans the Iron Maiden sound they always know plus synths to complement the music and push it further, rather than basing their whole sound off of them. Caught Somewhere In Time is quite possibly the band's best opening song to an album (bar Aces High), while Sea of Madness and Stranger In A Strange Land hold up to any other Maiden tracks. The big thing on this album is the largely futuristic sound, as shown by the incredibly underrated track Deja Vu. One of Iron Maiden's finest moments, Somewhere In Time is not to be missed.Joe Satriani The ExtremistJoe Satriani continiuously proves to me and many others why he is one of the best, if not the best guitarist in the world. The Extremist shows a change in style but still retaining the classic Satch sound that everybody loves. The opening track Friends is just simply beautiful, even before his lead guitar comes in. Rockers like The Extremist, War, and Motorcycle Driver are always great, as Satch always makes them. The song that sticks out the most to me is Why, and I dont understand why this song isn't more popular. It is seriously fantastic and I get a great amount of emotion from it...even just guitar lines! The only weak track here is Cryin', but its not all bad, cause even in this song Joe Satriani tosses in a great solo. Amazing album, and one of my favorites ever.Led Zeppelin Physical GraffitiMegadeth Countdown to ExtinctionMegadeth YouthanasiaMegadeth's 1994 release continues futher down the trail that Countdown To Extincton set in 1992. This time the band adds a heavier sound with a new tuning to give the album a much darker feel than anything the band had ever done up until this point. Gone are the pounding drum beats and thrashy guitar riffs, and here is the sound of a mature band. Songwriting takes a forefront on Youthanasia, with tracks like Addicted to Chaos and Family Tree showing less frantic riffs and more harmonization and atmopshere than ever before. While the band brings the rock with more old-school songs such as The Killing Road and Victory, Youthanasia is mostly about a step into maturity for a band who has moved on from the witchcraft and speed metal of prior albums.Metallica Ride the LightningMiles Davis Bitches BrewMiles Davis Kind Of BlueMisfits Earth A.D.I don't really know what to say for this album. It is just stunning. Tracks one through five are all grade A Misfits songs and in my mind is the best set of five songs ever in an album. Mommy Can I Go Out and Kill Tonight is the only weak point, and Die Die My Darling is obviously a highlight.Misfits American PsychoOasis Whats the Story Morning GloryNothing short of strong. For the longest time I had a negative view of Oasis solely because the only songs I had heard by them were Wonderwall and Champagne Supernova, which at the time I didn't care too much for. Eventually I began to take a fondness for Wonderwall, and then heard Don't Look Back in Anger, which I instantly loved. The whole album is equally strong, with Morning Glory being one of their best tracks ever. Hello and Cast No shadow are also two exceptionally strong tracks although very different in nature. The only songs that don't carry the album as well are Hey Now and She's Electric. They aren't necesarily bad, just Hey Now is relatively stale, and She's Electric is just weird. One of the best 90s rock albums.Pink Floyd Dark Side of the MoonRed Hot Chili Peppers Stadium ArcadiumThrice The Illusion of SafetyThrice BeggarsYes RelayerGates of Delirium is easily my favorite Yes song ever, and in my opinion is the most underrated progressive rock song. From the fantastic beginning, to the "journey" section, and the phenomenal battle section, it is a complete song. Sound Chaser is a very jazzy style track and is the only one that really shows Patrick Moraz's influence on the album. To Be Over is definitely the weakest track on the cd, but it is by no means a bad one. This is easily a must have album for any Yes, let alone prog rock fan.4 excellentAFI Sing the SorrowThis album took a long time for me to digest. When I first purchased the album I was ready to see something along the lines of Black Sails in the Sunset and The Art of Drowning, obviously, but I was extremely disappointed. I found emo, and some very depressing music. Eventually, however, I began to enjoy it, the musicianship on this album is very good. Although some songs are tiresome, there are a lot of classics such as Silver and Cold, Dancing Through Sunday, and Paper Airplanes.Beach Boys Greatest Hits Vol. 1Beach Boys Pet SoundsBoards of Canada Hi Scores E.P.Boston BostonDave Matthews Band Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux KingDire Straits Love Over GoldLove Over Gold is Dire Strait's 4th and most ambitious album they had released to date. The songs were now much longer and carried a larger structure within each song. Although the album only has five songs, each one carries itself as a stellar track, and not just a filler on your usual twelve track album. The opening track, Telegraph Road, has one of the greatest intros of any Dire Straits song ever, with a huge epic feeling that carries into a balance between a rocker and epic piano track at times. One of the bands best ever. Private Investigations is a quieter track with some very smooth leads from Mark Knopfler, and is a classic when played live. The sole true rocker is Industrial Disease, which carries a bouncy feel thanks to some well placed organ throughout the song. The title track and It Never Rains are slightly softer but do not cease to impress, as they round off what is possibly Dire Straits' best album ever.Dream Theater OctavariumI'm either one of few that understands this album, or I am just a lost soul. In my opinion this is easily Dream Theater's best effort since Metropolis Pt. 2, and it features the only example of Jordan Rudess's keyboard work that I actually enjoy. The Root Of All Evil is a great start and is a very metal-like song, along with the classic Panic Attack. The Answer Lies Within is probably the only clunker, really killing the mood between the opening track and the extremely commercial (yet extremely strong) These Walls. I Walk Beside you is great for a U2 song, not Dream Theater. The bands extreme precision keeps the loose feel that made U2 great at bay, and just shows to be a mediocre song. Never Enough is also somewhat forgettable, but still isn't too bad. The highlights, however, lie in the final two tracks, which are two Dream Theater's greatest songs ever. Sacrificed Sons is simply beautiful and emotional the whole through, and features the greatest lead guitar line after Petrucci's solo. Octavarium is probably going to stand as the best progressive rock song of the decade, with an epic intro, and John Petrucci's best solo ever at the end. One hell of an album, and I think everyone should check it out.Elton John Goodbye Yellow Brick RoadEric Clapton Time PiecesEric Johnson Ah Via MusicomGenesis Wind And WutheringGrand Funk Railroad We're An American BandGreen Day NimrodGreen Day InsomniacGuns N' Roses Use Your Illusion IGuns N' Roses Use Your Illusion IIUse Your Illusion II shows a more mature side to the abrasive rock of Use Your Illusion I and Appetite For Destruction. Standout tracks like Civil War, Locomotive, and Estranged give a very epic feel to Guns n' Roses and they all also incorporate a piano into their sound, which only enhances the quality of the songs. The album still features the traditional rockers such as 14 Years and Shotgun Blues, but they tend to take a back seat to the more thoughtful songs on the album. You Could Be Mine is a completely original song on its own that shows a very different rock style from the band, and it manages to be one of the best tracks on the album. Any fan of Guns n' Roses or rock in general would be well advised to pick up this album.Herbie Hancock ThrustHerbie Hancock Maiden VoyageIn Flames Come ClarityThis could be the first time in metal history in which the commercial fans and original fans both were pleased with an album. In Flames come roaring back after two weak efforts with their best album in seven years in Come Clarity. Listeners get a great feel of the ripping, thrashy side of the band with the intense metal pieces of Take This Life, Vacuum, and Crawl Through Knives, none of which let up for one moment. We then have the songs that appears to be the "new" In Flames such as Leeches and Dead End, which are both absolutely stunning. Songs like Vanishing Light and Versus Terminus may begin to run into each other by the end of the album, but in their own right each song is good. The title track, a heart-ripping ballad is not to be missed. Reccomended to any metal fan, this album represents the breakthrough for In Flames into the American market.In Flames ClaymanIron Maiden PowerslaveThis album is very known for containing some of the greatest Maiden songs ever recorded, and it definitely earns that praise. Aces High, 2 Minutes To Midnight, Powerslave, and Rime of the Ancient Mariner are all the cream of the crop when it comes to Iron Maiden songs, with Rime being quite possibly my all time favorite. The reason for the 4, however, is the four tracks in the middle. Losfer Words is pretty much a marginal track and nothing more. Flash Of The Blade has a FANTASTIC intro, but the rest of the track is severely lacking. The Duellists and Back In The Village are definitely better, especially the fantastic guitar work on Back In The Village, but if you ask me, this album is still excellent. Highly reccomended.Iron Maiden Seventh Son of a Seventh SonIron Maiden A Matter of Life and DeathKing Crimson RedThe last "classic" King Crimson album. Although the Robert Fripp-led group would continue to release solid albums (with a completely different lineup), this seems to be the last one with that classic feel. "Red" is quite possibly the best instrumental song released in the 70s, and "Fallen Angel" is a standard King Crimson classic. "One More Red Nightmare" has a great ominous feel and holds up with the remainder of the tracks on this album. But to me, "Providence" is the clunker on the cd. Maybe its just me, but I don't like these "noise jams", some find them to be amazing, but not me. They make no sense. But thankfully, we are graced with one of the greatest King Crimson songs ever in "Starless" right after that. From the calm and melancholic first half to the upbeat and amazing second half, it is just a perfect song, a great ending to a great album. Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin IVLynyrd Skynyrd Pronounced Leh-Nerd Skin-NerdMelee Devils & AngelsMetallica ...And Justice for AllMGMT Oracular SpectacularMinor Threat Complete DiscographyThis is real hardcore in its truest form. When people begin talking about hardcore, I instantly mention Minor Threat. Rarely ever do I hear proper responses about them (not just, they are good, but anything about them and what they did for the genre). So much energy is crammed into one minute and thirty seconds of most every song, it's like you never run into a filler track because nothing lacks energy. Favorites are Filler, I Don't Wanna Hear It, Guilty of Being White, In My Eyes, and No Reason.Misfits Walk Among UsMisfits Static AgeMisfits Famous MonstersOasis Be Here NowWhat is often hailed as the biggest letdown of the 1990s is actually a pretty good album. Oasis's Be Here Now released in 1997 is another album with typical Oasis sound but with longer tracks and sometimes a more epic feel. While yes, some songs are quite weak and show the pretentiousness of the band at the time such as Magic Pie and The Girl In The Dirty Shirt, but there are some standout songs. The lead single D'You Know What I Mean? draws from the feel of Champagne Supernova and adds to it to create a stellar Oasis song. My Big Mouth and Stand By Me are the two best tracks on the album and also two of the best songs ever by Oasis. Definitely worth checking out if one enjoyed Definitely Maybe and (Whats The Story) Morning Glory?Ozzy Osbourne Diary of a MadmanToo much of Ozzy Osbournes work in the 1980s is forgotten. The general public tends to pick up Blizzard of Ozz and then they are done with Ozzy. However, other albums such as Diary of a Madman are just as good, if not better than Blizzard of Ozz. The second release from the madman features just as strong of rockers in Over The Mountain and S.A.T.O, both of which share a unique style from each other, S.A.T.O especially having a very NWOBHM touch. The album shows its progressive elements on the title track, which is a progressive metal epic in which Randy Rhoads completely shines. With only one weak track, Diary of a Madman succeeds in being a great album and a fantastic swan song for the guitar great Randy Rhoads.Ozzy Osbourne Blizzard of OzzPearl Jam TenThis album could have very easily been my favorite album ever, the first six tracks are all amazing, my favorites being "Black" and "Even Flow". Unfortuantely, songs seven through eleven definitely disappoint when compared to the songs on the earlier part of the album.Pearl Jam Vs.Perpetual Groove Sweet Oblivious AntidotePeter Gabriel UsPhil Collins No Jacket RequiredPorcupine Tree Fear Of A Blank PlanetQueensryche Operation: MindcrimeRed Hot Chili Peppers BloodSugarSexMagikRise Against The Sufferer and the WitnessSmashing Pumpkins Mellon Collie and the Infinite SadnessSteve Miller Band Greatest Hits 1974-1978Great album. Not one weak song at all, with the exception of Threshold which is more of an introduction to Jet Airliner, one of my favorites. Everyone knows the classics like Rock N Me, The Joker, Jungle Love, and Fly Like An Eagle, but there are many other great tracks on here. The Stake, Serenade, and Winter Time also serve as awesome songs that may not be quite as popular as the heavyweights.Stone Temple Pilots CoreThe Cure DisintegrationThe Who Who's NextThreshold HypotheticalThrice The Artist In The AmbulanceThrice The Alchemy Index: Vols. I and II...Thrice manages to craft another strong album, this time delving even further into the progressive trail that the band had begun to show on Vheissu. The Fire disc shares the sounds most familiar to Thrice fans, a heavy, spastic side that never lets up. It stays closer to the image that Thrice has created for themselves, yet still manages to push some boundaries with songs like The Flame Deluge, The Messenger, and Backdraft. The strong fire atmosphere that these tracks create make it seem as if the songs could show up in a movie, particularly The Flame Deluge. Burn The Fleet is the one that doesn't quite fit in here, being that it is not bone-crushingly heavy, instead going for a more melodious approach. But it is one of the stronger tracks, with Dustin's vocals matching up well with the tasteful guitar riffs. It is the Water disc that shows how Thrice is not afraid to try new sounds, opting for a strong electronica approach, the band perfectly succeeds in a ocean-like approach. The change from the watery song off of Vheissu, Atlantic, to tracks like Lost Continent and The Whaler show just how much this band can progress. Dustin's softer singing and the well-executed keyboards surround every song with a feeling that this is all taking place out at sea. Kings Upon The Main does it job even more by creating an underwater feel. Overall, The Alchemy Index is not disappointing, and Volumes III and IV will hope to keep up the pace.Van Halen 1984Weather Report Heavy WeatherWeather Report Black MarketYes Close To The EdgeFor a while I thought this was one of the most overrated albums in progressive rock. Sure, the title track was phenomenal and easily deserved it's fair share of the praise, but I was quite let down by And You and I and Siberian Khatru. Their 1974 album 'Relayer' easily seemed like Yes's best album to me. But then one day I decided to give Siberian Khatru another listen, and I loved it. Every single second of it. I even like it more than Close to the Edge now. It is a genuine classic, very complex but not over the top, with lots of melody and techincal flair, it is a perfect balance. And You and I is still only average to me, but it serves as nice relaxing song, so depending on the mood, this song is either quite good or somewhat weak. Thanks to the strength of tracks 1 and 3, I feel this album deserves a 4.53.5 great30 Seconds to Mars 30 Seconds to MarsAC/DC Highway To HellAC/DC Back in BlackAFI Black Sails in the SunsetAFI The Art of DrowningAlice in Chains DirtAlice in Chains MTV UnpluggedAnberlin CitiesBeach Boys Today!Beach Boys Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!)Ben Folds Songs for SilvermanI went through my Ben Folds era, I loved everything he did. It didn't matter what, but I loved it. Unfortuantely I no longer show that love for his work. While I still enjoy it, many songs come off as boring and uninspired to me now. Gracie, Give Judy My Notice, You To Thank, and Time all come off as very bland, and usually get the skip button treatment. But there are definitely gems on this album. Jesusland, Trusted, and Landed are three of Ben's best songs ever. Bastard is another strong, and so is Prison Food. If someone combined Rockin' The Suburbs and Songs For Silverman and just took all the best tracks, it would definitely earn a 5. But unfortuantely the filler plague strikes again, and therefore we are only seeing a 3.5 on an otherwise good album.Billy Joel Greatest Hits Volume I & II (1973 - 1985)Boards of Canada The campfire HeadphaseBob Seger Greatest HitsBrian Wilson SmileIt is such a shame that SMiLE was never able to be released back in 1967, with the full effect of the Beach Boys' magic in effect, and at the height of Brian Wilson's artistic prowess. When the project was scrapped, a measely incarnate of the original epic was released under the title of Smiley Smile, a stripped down version of several SMiLE songs and a few new ones. The biggest issue with Smiley Smile was this was obviously not the way Brian Wilson envisioned his songs being released, and he would not get that chance to do so until 2004. The Brian Wilson edition of SMiLE unfortuantely does not completely live up to the grandiose expectations that the album held back in 1967. It could have been the aging of Brian's voice, the lack of the Beach Boys, or perhaps even a loss of Brian Wilson's songwriting ability. But the real answer seems to be that SMiLE was just not meant to be released in the 2000s. The whole feel of SMiLE is that it is an album with a few amazingly classic songs (Heroes and Villains, Surf's Up, Vega-Tables, Good Vibrations) surrounded by songs that just don't hold up in today's era (Song For Children, Cabinessence). The constant vocal harmonies lacking any form percussion repeats throughout the album, and by the middle of the album it is just plain tiresome. When it gets combined with the flowing melodies and intricate piano work of the actual tracks the harmonies manage to be extremely effective, but otherwise they are just plain annoying. While SMiLE is still an interesting listen for those longing for a final product, it just does not hold up to the standards that one would have expected from the most famous unreleased album of all time.Chevelle This Type of Thinking (Could Do Us In)Chevelle Vena SeraCKY Infiltrate Destroy RebuildOn this album, there are three tracks that really stick out. Escape From Hellview, Attached At The Hip, and Inhuman Creation Station are all incredible songs and in my opinion should be some of the defining songs of cKy's career. Flesh Into Gear and Sink Into the Underground are both fairly weak songs, but the rest of the album does not disappoint. The ending is especially classic, with the spasic Sporadic Movements and the soft but great Close Yet Far.Creedence Clearwater Revival Cosmo's FactoryDave Matthews Band Under The Table And DreamingDire Straits Brothers In ArmsDream Theater Metropolis Part 2: Scenes From a MemoryEagles Very Best Of The Eagles 1972 - 1979Elton John Greatest Hits 1970-2002Emerson, Lake and Palmer Brain Salad SurgeryEnya Paint The Sky With StarsFleetwood Mac Greatest HitsFleetwood Mac Fleetwood MacFleetwood Mac The DanceFoo Fighters The Colour And The ShapeFoo Fighters In Your HonorFoo Fighters Echoes, Silence, Patience & GraceFoo Fighters Skin And BonesGenesis A Trick Of The TailGenesis DukeGoo Goo Dolls Let Love InGreen Day KerplunkA great raw album from the pioneers of pop punk, Green Day. Kerplunk is the first actual album released by the band, with their previous effort 1023 Smoothed Out Slappy Hours being a compilation of smaller EP's. Songs like 2000 Light Years Away, 80, and One For The Razorbacks show the beginnings of the structure Green Day would create and make famous in just a few years. In actuality, Kerplunk is just a raw Dookie, with cheaper production and not as mature songwriting. The original version of Welcome To Paradise does a great job of showing this, and the next version on Dookie would show the progression from album to album. A solid album and a must have for any Green Day fan.Guns N' Roses GNR LiesIn Flames The Jester RaceIn Flames ColonyIncubus Light GrenadesIron Maiden Brave New WorldA fantastic comeback album for a fantastic band. The Wicker Man starts the album off on a strong note, showcasing the new triple guitar threat with a wicked solo in the middle along with Bruce's still powerful voice. The whole feel of the album is not too different from 80s Iron Maiden except in the production, the only major differences is that the band chose intoduce an epic feeling into their sound, something which previously only found once or twice per album. Brave New World and Dream of Mirrors are two incredible tracks that make for a promising rebirth for Maiden's career. Although there are no true weak songs, there are times when some tracks just feel overdone, or have plain old weak parts such as The Thin Line Between Love and Hate, and The Nomad, which starts off on an incredible note, and ends of dragging along through the remander of the nine minute song. But overall, Iron Maiden fans should not be disappointed by the first album with both Adrian Smith and Bruce Dickinson in over ten years.Iron Maiden KillersJeff Beck Blow By BlowJeff Beck WiredJoe Satriani Crystal PlanetJohn Mayer Trio TRY! John Mayer Trio in ConcertJudas Priest Screaming for VengeanceKing Crimson In the Court of the Crimson KingLed Zeppelin Houses of the HolyLed Zeppelin Led Zeppelin IIMaroon 5 It Won't Be Soon Before LongMarty Friedman Music for SpeedingMarty Friedman Dragon's KissMegadeth Peace Sells... But Who's Buying?Megadeth So Far, So Good...So What!One of the most overlooked Megadeth albums to date, 1988's So Far, So Good...So What! was written during a time when Megadeth was at the peak of their turmoil. Dave Mustaine in the depths of a heroin addiction, Chris Poland and Gar Samuelson had just been fired from the band, leaving David Ellefson as the only stable member of the band. Chuck Behler and Jeff Young were recruited as the drummer and lead guitarist for this album, and so began the rush to put this album together. The lack of time, organization, and abundance of heroin clearly shines through on this album with horrible production and even some sheerly horrid Megadeth songs. Anarchy In The UK, although not a Megadeth song, is a terrible cover and shows how at the time, a Sex Pistols cover was not what Megadeth needed to do. 502 is a prime example of filler, and even Mary Jane has some very off-the-wall vocals which seem to be from Mustaine's deep heroin addiction. Through the layers upon layers of reverb however, are several classic Megadeth songs. Hook In Mouth, a song lashing out at the PMRC is a very memorable Megadeth tune, and the ode to Cliff Burton, In My Darkest Hour, is one of Megadeth's best ever. While not highly reccomended, So Far, So Good...So What! is still a good album that should be sought after by fans of Megadeth.Megadeth United AbominationsMetallica Kill Em AllA decent debut album from the thrash masters. Standout tracks feature clever riffing and song structure, such as The Four Horsemen, Jump In The Fire, No Remorse, and Seek And Destroy. Kirk Hammett's soloing has clearly yet to be refined (although it never ended up being but so strong), with very many of his solos being very repetitive pentatonic patterns. The first solo in The Four Horsemen is the only genuinely good solo in my opinion. Many of the songs are boring, generic thrash songs, as the member's writing skills would not become strong until the next album, Ride The Lightning.Muse Black Holes and RevelationsMuse Origin of SymmetryNirvana NevermindOasis Definitely MaybeOzzy Osbourne Bark at the MoonPearl Jam Pearl JamPeter Gabriel SoWith his 1986 release, So, Peter Gabriel opened up a new frontier of styles to use from his ever-changing sound. From making progressive rock, to a dark emotional world music sound, he would now drift over to some 80s pop influences. But no one should go running from that dreaded term, because Peter Gabriel is able to do it differently. Unlike garbage from artists like Duran Duran and Lionel Ritchie, Gabriel was able to make intelligent pop music. This is clearly shown just by the albums opener, Red Rain. A take on nuclear warfare, this is one of Gabriel's best songs and the highly emotional ending shows that he has lost no emotion over the years. While most common people know of the smash hits (and incredible songs) Sledgehammer and In Your Eyes, there are other songs that should not be overlooked. Mercy Street is one of Peter Gabriel's darkest and most touching songs ever, featuring an incredibly atmospheric keyboard layer and some introspective lyrics. This Is The Picture is another standout track that is nothing like Peter Gabriel has ever done before. Any fans of Peter Gabriel or even 80s music should check out So due to its emotional aspects and stretching the boundaries of pop music even further than before.Peter Gabriel Peter Gabriel (IV, or Security)Peter Gabriel Shaking The Tree: 16 Golden GreatsPhil Collins ...But SeriouslyPink Floyd MeddleQueen The MiracleR.E.M. Automatic For the PeopleRadiohead Kid ARadiohead OK ComputerRancid ...And Out Come The WolvesRed Hot Chili Peppers CalifornicationRush Moving PicturesShadows Fall The Art of BalanceSmashing Pumpkins Siamese DreamSpock's Beard VSpock's Beard SnowStevie Ray Vaughan Texas FloodStone Temple Pilots PurpleThe follow up to STP's incredibly successful 1992 debut, Core, is a strong album but does not quite meet expectations. Things do start out good with Meatplow, Vasoline, Lounge Fly, and Interstate Love Song all being classic STP tracks. The rest of the album is a different story, however. While there are no actual bad songs on this album, just not all of them really stand out. Pretty Penny is a good song, along with Big Empty, but neither sticks a lasting impression in your head. Silvergun Superman is just another rocker, but like always, nothing weak to be found. Towards the end of the album things pick up with the classic Unglued, and another strong outing in Army Ants. A good buy for fans of Core, but don't expect anything spectacular.Symphony X The OdysseySymphony X The Divine Wings of TragedyThe Beatles 1The Beatles Magical Mystery TourThe Offspring Ixnay On The HombreThe Who Who Are YouThrice Red Sky EPThrice's Red Sky EP is essentially what it says is, an EP built for the single release of Red Sky. Like Ross Delaney stated in his review, it pretty much is If We Could Only See Us Now-Lite. It contains two previously unreleased tracks, and four acoustic renditions of previous Thrice songs. The two new songs are both B-sides from Vheissu, being Flags of Dawn and Weight of Glory. Flags Of Dawn is an absolutely amazing track with a beautiful intro riff that extends into an incredibly calm verse. The chorus begins on an extremely powerful note but shortly simmers back down to a pace that fits well with the song. Weight of Glory starts off as an all-out slugfest, which would have been the most intense on Thrice, but begins to drag at the end. The four acoustic tracks are all somewhat varied,, with the version of Red Sky being fantastic, but yet For Miles is pretty much ruined by its new form. Overall the Red Sky EP is a good buy for Thrice fans, but its not exactly something a new fan should purchase. Any fan of music will enjoy Flags of Dawn, but the acoustic versions of the previously released tracks is not the best way to obtain a first impression of Thrice.Thrice If We Could Only See Us NowTool 10,000 DaysTool LateralusTool AenimaU2 The Best Of 1980-1990U2 BoyU2 Achtung BabyVan Halen Van HalenOne of Van Halen's most well known albums, and it does not disappoint. Van Halen gives rock n' roll a completely different sound with such tracks as Runnin' With The Devil and I'm The One thanks to Eddie Van Halen's innovative guitar style. The charismatic style of David Lee Roth shines bright on Van Halen's makeover of The Kink's You Really Got Me, as well as Ice Cream Man. This would be the album in which the band would go down as legends, and rightfully so.Van Halen Van Halen IIVan She VVelvet Revolver ContrabandVertical Horizon Everything You WantYes FragileYngwie Malmsteen Rising ForceOne of the most hated guitarists among the internet guitar community (see the guitar forums), but revered everywhere else, this is Yngwie Malmsteen's debut album. Black Star and Far Beyond The Sun are both legendary songs that helped Yngwie to make a name for himself, and both are fine works of guitar playing. Some of the big weaknesses are shown from Jeff Soto's singing on two of the songs, Now Your Ships Are Burned and As Above, So Below. Quite possibly the best song is the epic Icarus Dream Suite, beginning with a beautiful intro and moving into a new wave of british heavy metal riff. Yngwie does a good job with this album and unfortuntely could never match the quality of this album ever again.3 good30 Seconds to Mars A Beautiful LieAC/DC High VoltageAFI DecemberundergroundAnberlin Never Take Friendship PersonalAndrew W.K. I Get WetBeastie Boys The Sounds of Science (AnthologyBen Folds Rockin' The SuburbsBen Folds Five Whatever and Ever, AmenBill Withers Bill Withers' Greatest HitsBoards of Canada TwoismBreaking Benjamin We Are Not AloneBush Sixteen StoneCoheed and Cambria Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV...Daryl Stuermer Another Side of GenesisDave Matthews Band CrashDavid Benoit The Best Of David Benoit 1987-1995Dc Talk Jesus FreakDinosaur Jr. DinosaurDon Henley Actual Miles: Henley's Greatest HitsDoves The Last BroadcastDoves Some CitiesDream Theater AwakeWith Dream Theater's third album comes a fair amount of change. Grunge is dominating the music scene and Dream Theater shows an effort to adapt by coming out with a much heavier and accessible album. But that is not to say that Awake is a commercial album spelling the end of Dream Theater, although it is more accessible, that does not mean that the band is able to put just as much progressiveness into the music as before. The opener 6:00 shows a vast array of guitar and keyboard lines, and clearly displays the change in style on this album. Songs like Erotomania and Voices keep the pace going with their incredible musicianship, while heavier songs such as The Mirror and Lie show a new side of Dream Theater that we have never seen before. One of the highlights is Space-Dye Vest, the eerie piano driven track with haunting melodies all throughout. Unfortuantely this would be Kevin Moore's swan song, as during the mixing of the album he would leave the band. Awake overall is a strong Dream Theater album that should not leave fans disappointed.Duke Ellington Duke Ellington and John ColtraneElliott Smith Either/OrElton John Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt CowboyGoo Goo Dolls Dizzy Up The GirlMy opinion on this album is quite simple. Every song that Johnny sings on is a classic, especially the very underrated "Bullet Proof". But anything that Robby lays down words on, is just completely ruined by his horrible melodies and voice. While those songs still contain some solid music, his terrible singing just completely ruins it all for me. But songs like "Black Balloon", "Bullet Proof", "Dizzy", and "Slide" are not to be missed. Yes, I didn't mention Iris in that list...Goo Goo Dolls A Boy Named GooGreen Day 1039/Smoothed Out Slappy HoursHootie and The Blowfish Cracked Rear ViewIced Earth Something Wicked This Way ComesIn Flames Soundtrack to Your EscapeIn Flames Reroute to RemainIron Maiden Piece of MindI feel as if this one of the most overrated Iron Maiden albums, people tend to give to give it 4.5's and 5's all the time but that makes no sense. Most all of these times they state that every track is great except for Quest For Fire and Sun And Steel. I agree, but if those two tracks are lackuster, how exactly is the album a 5? But anyways, even minus those songs it still contains one of the greatest Iron Maiden songs ever in The Trooper. Where Eagles Dare and To Tame A Lad are also both good songs along Flight Of Icarus. But the main weakness in the album lies in its lasting power. I originally loved Die With Your Boots On and Still Life, but those two are just mediocre Maiden tracks now. Revelations has some good parts and some weak, but for the most part the whole album is like this. I do reccomend purchasing it because it is still a good album, just not their best of 1980s.Led Zeppelin PresenceLed Zeppelin Led Zeppelin IIILed Zeppelin Led Zeppelin IMarvin Gaye What's Going OnMegadeth Hidden TreasuresWith great songs like "99 Ways To Die", "Angry Again", and "Breakpoint", how can this be a bad album? "Go To Hell" and "Diadems" are also great as well. I could probably do without the cover songs, but whatever, this isn't an official album really.Megadeth The System Has FailedMegadeth Cryptic WritingsMegadeth Killing is my Business..Metallica MetallicaGood. No more, no less. Yes, there are good songs. But there are also some very mediocre tracks. So we all know Enter Sandman, Sad But True, Unforgiven, and Nothing Else Matters, and we all know that they are decent tracks. But not many people recognize other standout songs such as the terrific Holier Than Thou and the genuine metal Through The Never. But with those two songs ends the consistency of this album. Of Wolf And Man and Wherever I May Roam feature great riffs but poor remainders of the song. The rest of the tracks really aren't even worth mentioning much about, but Struggle Within takes the cake for being the worst. Maybe pick this one up, maybe not. It depends.Metallica LoadMetallica Garage, IncMichael Jackson ThrillerNick Drake Pink MoonOasis The MasterplanOzzy Osbourne The Ultimate SinPantera Cowboys From HellPeter Gabriel Peter Gabriel (I)Phil Collins HitsPink Floyd The WallPink Floyd The Division BellPlacebo Without You I'm NothingPorcupine Tree DeadwingPorcupine Tree In AbsentiaQueen InnuendoRacer X Technical DifficultiesRainbow RisingRed Hot Chili Peppers One Hot MinuteRed Hot Chili Peppers By The WaySantana ShangoSantana AbraxasShadows Fall Of One BloodSlayer South of HeavenThe only Slayer album I can tolerate is their 1988 release South of Heaven. Finally its not all brutally fast songs, and mindless riffs in which you can't even tell whats going on. What this album is about is being haunting and actually using good songwriting. The opening track (and title track) is easily the best song on the album, giving a great preview to the sinister sound that Slayer would unveil for this album. Finally, thought out guitar riffs are used, and even the element of melody is added in. Behind The Crooked Cross is another catchy song with some solid vocal melodies from Tom Araya, and Mandatory Suicide is a Slayer classic. The only problem however, is that while the album does appear to use more sense, it is obviously not Slayer's thing. Some tracks appear boring and lifeless, which comes from the fact Slayer is good at writing brutally fast songs, that's what they do. While I may not enjoy that, many people do and that is what they usually stick to. But, for any metal fans who don't like the balls-to-the-wall form of Slayer, it would be well advised to check out this album.Smashing Pumpkins AdoreSmashing Pumpkins Machina: The Machines of GodStevie Wonder InnervisionsSublime Greatest HitsSum 41 ChuckTears For Fears Tears Roll Down (Greatest Hits '82-'92)The Allman Brothers Band A Decade of Hits '69- '79The Cure PornographyThe Early November For All of This EPThe Offspring AmericanaThe Police SynchronicityThrice Identity CrisisThrice Live at the House of BluesThrice The Alchemy Index Vols. III and IV...Van Halen 5150Wanderlust PrizeWeather Report Mr. GoneYes The Yes AlbumYngwie Malmsteen OdysseyYngwie Malmsteen does...hair metal? Well, not entirely. Even though songs such as Hold On and Dreaming reek of the horrid genre, he still tosses in some great songs. Rising Force, Deja Vu, and Faster Than The Speed Of Light are all amazing songs, along with the great intro soloing of Crystal Ball. Even though Heaven Tonight is clearly hair metal, I love it due to its insane catchiness. Not a bad album by any means, and please don't skip over the last two tracks, both are great instrumentals!ZZ Top Eliminator2.5 averageAnti-Flag Underground NetworkBeastie Boys Hello NastyBill Evans Portrait in Jazzblink-182 Blink 182 Greatest HitsBob Dylan Bringing it all Back HomeBruce Dickinson The Chemical WeddingBruce Springsteen MagicCamel Stationary TravellerSo Camel chooses to ride the trend of showing much 80s synth pop music in their works. Well, at least didn't release an Abacab, or 90215. But it is still a weak effort. Pressure Points shows some promise that we might see a very synth/prog fusion effort, but Refugee kills that though. However, it still a good song, just by no means the progressive rock Camel of the past. More pop tracks like Cloak And Dagger Man and West Berlin show the listener the potential strength of the album. But it is the title track, Stationary Traveller, that shines the most. A very mellow piano intro that is capped off by Andrew Latimer's greatest guitar solo ever is a great way to say "we can still write one classic song!". Missing is also a strong track, but it sounds like it came straight out of an 80s action movie. The rest of album is bland, Fingertips and Vopos offer nothing to the album, and neither do any other of the tracks. It could be a decent buy thanks to the title track, but nothing else really hits you as classic.CKY Volume 1Coldplay X&YDavid Gilmour On An IslandSomehow I was actually disappointed by this album. Not so much that I was expecting a lot and thought the album was weak, it was that when I first purchased the cd I thought it was fantastic! But after one month I found many of the tracks to be very boring. "Smile", "The Blue", and "A Pocketful Of Stones" all feel way too slow moving to me now, this is music that would actually make me tired. Even more rock-type songs are weak such as "Take A Breath". However, the intro and "On An Island" are both fantastic songs that should definitely be obtained, along with "Red Sky At Night" and "This Heaven". While fans who were expecting something like The Division Bell will be disappointed, it still is an average album.Dream Theater Live Scenes From New YorkDream Theater Train of ThoughtI have noticed that this album gets quite a lot of praise on this site. I for one, was quite disappointed when it was released. So As I Am was impressive, but it was awfully metal-like and continued that trend from Six Degrees...one album in which I was not too fond of. The biggest thing I noticed was John Petrucci's soloing on this album, which is at its all time worst. Straight shred with absolutely no meaning, but that would fortuantely change on the next album. Songs like This Dying Soul and Honor Thy Father come off feeling trite, with Dream Theater playing on somebody elses turf. They do a good job on Endless Sacrifice and Vacant, but neither of those two are very memorable songs. The only completely standout track is the closer, In The Name of God, a very dark song about several cult leaders, most notably David Koresh and the Branch Davidians. Topped off with Jordan Rudess's only true "moment" on the album (right after the dueling guitar/keyboard solos), this is truly one of Dream Theater's best songs ever. Any metalhead who wants an intro to Dream Theater should with this album, but otherwise, I'd pick up several other DT titles first.Dream Theater Falling Into InfinityLets face it, this album was a total downer after the previously stunning Images And Words and Awake. The lack of Kevin Moore is clearly felt, and the commercial direction that the album takes does not fit in at all with Derek Sherinian's keyboard style. Tracks like New Millennium and Burning My Soul are some that sound like Dream Theater was attempting to write a strong song, but then decided it might not be 'commercial' enough, and hence dumbed it down some. That is pretty much the feeling throughout the entire album. One of the few songs that does shine through is Lines In The Sand, an upbeat rocker with a very mellow guitar solo in the middle, which goes full blast for a while, throwing in everything the band has to offer. The epic closer Trial of Tears does a decent job, but the absolutely beautiful intro completely outshines the rest of the song minus a few key licks in Petrucci's guitar solo. In the end, Dream Theater failed at going for a different sound, and luckily was able to turn it around by the time the band released their next album.Dream Theater A Change of SeasonsEmerson, Lake and Palmer Emerson, Lake and PalmerFoo Fighters There Is Nothing Left To LoseFoo Fighters Everywhere But HomeFoo Fighters One By OneGenesis And Then There Were Three...This is the album in which most all of the original Genesis fans began to fade away. Steve Hackett has now left the band leaving only a trio of Phil Collins, Tony Banks, and Mike Rutherford to lead the way for progressive rock giants Genesis. Unfortuantely for fans, they would put out an average and not-so-prog album. The album starts with a huge bang in Down And Out, a very proggy track that satisfies any prog fans needs. Undertow and Ballad of Big on the other hand are both weak tracks that tend to be forgotten along with other horrid poppier tracks like Many Too Many, Scenes From A Night's Dream, and Follow You, Follow Me. But even with these tracks there are some solid ones, Burning Rope is an extremely proggy track with some lush keys from Tony Banks, Snowbound and The Lady Lies do not disappoint, and Deep In The Motherlode does a good job fusing pop with prog. Although it was before their total pop transformation, ...And Then Were Three pales in comparison to the albums before and after it.Genesis GenesisGenesis TrespassGreen Day WarningGuns N' Roses The Spaghetti Incident?While its not horrible, it is by no means a classic album. Obviously the fact that this album is all covers is not a plus, but it still features some fun songs such as "Human Being", "Hair Of The Dog", and "Attitude". "Since I Don't Have You" is also a strong track featuring some good lead work from Slash. But the highlight is definitely Human Being, with its upbeat feel and classic riffs and vocals from Axl. Somewhat underrated cd.Gym Class Heroes As Cruel As School ChildrenHootie and The Blowfish Fairweather JohnsonIron Maiden Dance of DeathKing Crimson Lark's Tongue in AspicKylie Minogue FeverMaroon 5 Songs About JaneMarvin Gaye Midnight LoveMD.45 The CravingNot a bad album, but definitely nothing amazing. I get a great vibe of a dumbed down "Youthanasia" by Megadeth on this cd, which is to be expected since this is Dave Mustaine's side project. Songs like Hell's Motel, Fight Hate, and The Creed are not to be missed, but there are many forgettable (and sometimes horrid) songs such as The Day The Music Died, My Town, and Roadman. I reccomend it if you would really like a punk-stylish mix of Youthanasia and Cryptic Writings by Megadeth.Megadeth Rude AwakeningThe first official live album from Megadeth manages to disappoint in several different ways. The major gripe of mine is that Dave Mustaine decided to release a live album far too late, as in once the band was well past their prime, and after two key members of the band, Marty Friedman and Nick Menza, had already left. Thats not to say that the album does not have its bright moments. The guitar duel in She Wolf is easily one of the highlights of the album, and the bands performances of Trust and Dread and the Fugitive Mind are both stellar. Unfortuantely, that is about the most I can say. Dave Mustaine shows one of his worst vocal performances of all time which nearly ruins the rest of the album. Jimmy DeGrasso is also not-too-hot of a drummer, and is noticably off beat at moments during the album. I advise skipping over this and seeing if you can find a copy of Live Trax, the Japan only live album released during the Youthanasia (1994/1995) tour.My American Heart The Meaning in MakeupNirvana From the Muddy Banks of the WishkahNo Doubt Tragic KingdomPantera The Great Southern TrendkillPhil Collins Face ValuePunchline ActionR.E.M. Out Of TimeRick Astley Whenever You Need SomebodyRoger Waters Amused To DeathShadows Fall The War WithinSkid Row Skid RowSpock's Beard Feel EuphoriaThe Birthday Massacre VioletThe Clash London CallingThe Darkness Permission to LandThe Police Ghost In The MachineThe Police Outlandos d'AmourThe Receiving End of Sirens The Earth Sings Mi Fa MiTrivium AscendancyTrivium catches a lot of flak, too much if you ask me. Everyone claims them to be huge Metallica clones which frankly, is not true. While I cannot say that this band is awesome, I can say that are not as bad as everyone makes them out to be. Sure, their stereotypical quick songs with screaming get old such "Rain", "The Deceived", and "Suffocating Sight". They do have some very quality songs like "Pull Harder On The Strings of Your Martyr", "Declaration", and my personal favorite "Drowned And Torn Asunder". I'd reccomend this album to anyone who is a fan of the melodic side of american metal.U2 The Joshua TreeI must say that I am disappointed, but yet not completely. I have never been a huge U2 fan. Ever. But I do enjoy songs such as Where The Streets Have No Name, Sunday Bloody Sunday, and One. So I figured why not pick this one up. Well, like another soundoff stated, the A side is classic. Bullet The Blue Sky is a particular favorite of mine, along with I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For. While the second half is not quite bad, it is just that nothing seems to stick out and grab me. I can put it on as a whole album and enjoy it, but past side A there is nothing special to me. But for all I know this album could grow on me, and my rating could change. This seems like an album that will grow on me in the future.Van Der Graaf Generator Pawn Hearts2 poor3 Doors Down Away From The SunBoring, bland, uninspired, mediocre, and sterotypical are all words that I can use to describe this album. While it obviously does have a few highs, it features many more lows. When I'm Gone and Away From the Sun both serve as horrible mainstream rock tracks, and filler songs such as The Road I'm On and Going Down In Flames make the album no better. The two main highlights are the emotive and cleverly written Changes, and my guilty pleasure, Here Without You. A fan of mainstream rock such as Creed, Nickelback, and Alterbridge will definitely enjoy this album, but not many others will.Ace of Base The SignAll That Remains This Darkened HeartAmy Winehouse Back To BlackAnthrax Among the LivingAnti-Flag MobilizeAvenged Sevenfold City of EvilBreaking Benjamin SaturateCKY An Answer Can Be FoundDisturbed BelieveDream Theater Systematic ChaosEddie Vedder Into The Wild [Music For The Motion Picture]Genesis Invisible TouchGlassjaw Everything You Ever Wanted To Know AboutGreen Day American IdiotJack Johnson In Between DreamsJack Johnson is household name to all college kids across the United States. Whether you like him or not, you've heard many of his songs and more than likely own one of this albums. But rarely does one stumble upon a person who dislikes Jack Johnson. However, to myself, he comes across as very dull and uninspired. The lush sound of his acoustic does not work well with the bland songwriting that allows nothing to grab the attention of the listener. Better Together, the albums opener, is all one needs to hear to get a good impression of Jack Johnson. He is extremely unversatile and all of his songs run together in a way of true boredom. Sitting, Waiting, Wishing keeps the trend of boring chord progressions while Breakdown tries to come off as a more meaningful song which utterly fails. While Jack Johnson may provide a nice easy listen, there are many artists who do a much better job, and still manage keep all the sorority girls attention. Unfortuantely, this ever growing love for Jack Johnson is not going to slow down, because he has shown us that he does have the ability to write the same sounding song for an entire album. As for me, I'll stick to John Mayer and Dave Matthews.Lit A Place In The SunMegadeth The World Needs A HeroWhat can I say, I was quite dissapointed with this cd. At first I felt that it was a new era for Megadeth and they were finally back, but very quickly I discovered that I was wrong. While "Disconnect", "Dread And The Fugitive Mind", and "Return to Hangar" are all great songs, the rest of the album is very weak. I reccomend geting the three songs I just mentioned, but not much more than that.Metallica ReloadMisfits Cuts from the CryptMisfits Project 1950All I have to say is that Jerry Only-led Misfits is clearly lacking. I do enjoy "This Magic Moment" and "Monster Mash", but that is about it. if I grew up listening to these songs, or recognized more of them I feel like I would enjoy more, but because I grew up in the 90s, not many of these are familiar to me.Nelly Furtado LooseNine Inch Nails Year ZeroOpeth Still LifePink Floyd A Momentary Lapse of ReasonPink Floyd's comeback in 1987 was not just a poor comeback, it wasn't even really a Pink Floyd album. With only two members of Pink Floyd actually in the band officially for this album, it left no opposition to David Gilmour's songwriting and no other influences, which resulted in an informal solo album by the bands guitarist. Although the album starts off very promising from the first two minutes of the intro Signs of Life, things begin to turn downhill. Learning To Fly is a poor song that sounds like Bryan Adams helped David Gilmour out with writing the track. One Slip is bonified pop although somewhat catchy at times, and Yet Another Movie is of no higher quality. The entire A New Machine/Terminal Frost trio is incredibly boring and reeks of filler. The only saving grace on this album is the phenomenal Sorrow, a perfect closer to the album and the only genuinely good song on the album. For those who hear Sorrow before any other song on the album, don't be fooled! It is the only top notch song on the album, which is not the worst ever, but a very mediocre album by Pink Floyd's standards.Primus Sailing the Seas of CheeseShadows Fall Threads of LifeSpock's Beard OctaneThe Casualties On the Front LineThe Fall Of Troy DoppelgangerThree Days Grace Three Days GraceThreshold Critical MassThreshold Subsurface1.5 very poorAngra FireworksAvril Lavigne Let GoGenesis We Can't DanceNothing but pop boredom on this one. While the 80s output of Genesis was strung with uninspired prog songs and classic pop songs, this whole album in general is a complete reversal of what saw on such albums like Invisible Touch and Abacab. The pop songs here are extremely boring, whereas the very few prog tracks are of a very high quality. We Can't Dance, Hold On My Heart, and Never A Time are all sleepers that couldn't find a catchy hook to save their lives. No Son Of Mine seems like it could improve, but once again falters. Although Jesus He Knows Me is a fun track that is definitely one of the best of the album, it is still no Land Of Confusion or That's All. The shining star here though, is Fading Lights, the best progressive track released by Genesis since 1980's Duke's Travels/Duke's End. I advise staying away from this album, unless you are dying to hear Fading Lights and can't find the song anywhere.George Strait It Just Comes NaturalGreen Day ShenanigansHeathen Victims Of DeceptionHeathen Breaking The SilenceIron Maiden Virtual XIJack Johnson Sing-A-Longs and Lullabies for Curious GeorgeKing Crimson Starless and Bible BlackPlain old boring. Robert Fripp's improvisational album falls short due to no structure to be whatsoever, and nothing even remotely catchy in the album. The mindless improvised sessions go nowhere, build no momentum and have no resolve. Anyone looking to pick up some King Crimson albums should skip this one and get Lark's and Red instead.Megadeth Still, Alive... And Well?It's just a pointless cd. It cannot even be considered a greatest hits, or anything. It is just two extra songs from Rude Awakening that we had not heard before (but Use The Man is a weak song to begin with), and several tracks off the poor attempt at a comeback album, "The World Needs a Hero". In my opinion, this is the only album that I can say is pointless. It does not illuminate any highlights of the bands history, and it does a poor job of promoting anything "newer" by Megadeth.Megadeth RiskSlayer Reign in BloodTrivium The CrusadeTo be completely honest I feel like that the guys in Trivium could have put out a great album, but they tried way too hard to make it the next "Master of Puppets". Now, I am not going to claim that it sounds too much like Metallica, because I honestly think it doesn't. But they tried to make the PERFECT metal album, and failed. Most of the songs have plenty of potential, especially Entrance of the Conflagration, the prechorus is one of the best parts of the whole album. Detonation isn't too bad, and neither is Tread the Floods. I actually quite like the title track. But there are some songs that are atrocious, such as Becoming the Dragon, Contempt Breeds Contamination and Unrepentant. Those songs are simply awful. Other songs are ruined by stupid Matt Heafy-isms or excessive flat 5th's and flat 7th's. Maybe next album they will tone down some and produce some quality music.1 awfulGenesis Calling All StationsHinder Extreme BehaviorWhat can I say, there really isn't anything good about this cd. Usually on very weak albums I can at least complement some guitar work, some melodies, or some solid drumming. None of that is on here. Bliss is quite possibly the worst, from the HORRIBLY bland lyrics and terribly generic riffs and basslines, Hinder offers absolutely nothing to modern music. Lips of an Angel makes an effort to show off some guitar work in the middle and then have a big ending, but it fails miserably. I just don't understand how people can enjoy this terrible band that tries to make "music".Kidz Bop Kidz Kidz Bop, Volume 9Metallica St. AngerFirst impression, I loved the album. It was finally the return to Metallica's form. Soon, I only liked Frantic, St. Anger, and Invisible Kid. I realized just how horrible My World, Shoot Me Again, and The Unnamed Feeling were. Some Kind of Monster was no longer enjoyable. Sweet Amber brought nothing to the table except a decent riff. Before I knew it I was lambasting even my former favorites on the album. Frantic was getting tiresome, but to this date remains the only song that I can get all the way through. Just, sheer disappointment.R. Kelly Trapped in the Closet (Chapters 1-12)Spice Girls Spice
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