471: Richard and Linda Thompson, "I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight"

Before: Never heard of them. Hope they make some slinky harmonies together!

After: Thanks, "icelandbob", for your youtube post of the album!
The first song is a pleasant, rock-folk number that reminds me of my days serving coffees and paninis at Caffe Lena. Lovely accents too!
Very, very folky. Love their use of varied instruments. A trumpet structures the album's title song precisely and adds a great optimism.
I like how both musicians have ample time to show their talent on this record.
This album shot straight into my comfort zone and released an oodle of happiness and warmth. Some of the components that aided in its delivery included the harmonies, singer-songwriter feel, and lyrics about old-fashioned themes like love and living simply. Plus, the accents just put the cherry on top!

Ok, now it's getting slow to the point of depressing. The last two songs were an unexpected shade of sad- wouldn't expect an album to end with such a defined whimper.

Overall, a heard a few songs that were worth listening to, but boy were they! Loaded with ear-pleasing content.

My research hath brought an amazing slew of five-star reviews of this album. Many people claim it to be a masterpiece and Kurt Loder from Rolling Stone hails it as containing  "not a single track that's less than luminous". Wow! Glad I endeavored a listen.

473: The Smiths, "The Smiths"

Before: I love the Smiths! Morrissey's voice is delight, the material is interesting, and a little darkness is welcome every now and then. I've heard this album before, but this time I'll try harder to analyze it.

After: "Miserable Lie" is really laying on that falsetto thick... a little too thick, even...
That grungy, dark, dull tone of the 90's is pervasive in this album (expectedly.)
Even though Morrissey keeps hitting the same notes over and over, they never get old. His voice is too unique to become acclimated to and lose respect for.
I really like "This Charming Man". It reminds me of "Perks of Being a Wallflower" and (embarrassedly, I'll say it,) "The Carrie Diaries". I know that a lot of social structures and million of other huge concepts have improved since the nineties, but I still get nostalgic (mostly recently) for that decade. I grew up during it, so I didn't get a well-rounded view of what shaped it, such as politics, hip-hop, or media sans Disney movies. So, what I do remember I look back fondly on: dinky, pretty much ugly clothes that nowadays seem quaint, Britney Spears before she went loco, and, well, childhood. Which was pretty great.
It doesn't exactly spark my imagination. Perhaps it would if I were in a dingy New York apartment with the rain beating at my rusting window panes and the only tea around was a lukewarm mug of weak lemon zinger. But not today.
I can also imagine enjoying it if I were at some club with dimmed lighting and a crowd of listeners whose evident appreciation for the music allowed them to sway in effortless synchrony.

Remember when I said Morrissey's voice couldn't get old? Well, let me make an addendum to that: it's not old, but it's lulling me to sleep. Not a bad thing, I suppose, but not something that's going to boost my opinion of this album. However, just like anything, though, maybe it's just not the right time or place for this music.

474: Manu Chao, "Próxima Estación: Esperanza"

Before: Who?

After: Wow, this is so unexpected! Almost a hint of reggae present. It has a relaxing quality that much other music I hear doesn't have the sophistication of holding: it's not ostentatious or demanding that you listen to it. This music only asks that I hear it, that I let it swirl around my ears, but doesn't tell me to focus on it. Perfect for homework background music (although in NO WAY does this mean it's not as good as the other music just mentioned!) More like a cupcake whose flavor is more subtle and calm, not cloyingly sweet or screaming with color, if you get my drift. In short, it doesn't assault your ears (pleasurably or not so.)
The lyrics to "Me Gustas Tu" are so sweet: (translated from Spanish into English)

I like airplanes, I like you.
I like to travel, I like you.
I like the morning, I like you.
I like the wind, I like you.
I like to dream, I like you.
I like the sea, I like you. 

What I'm gonna do? I don't know.
What I'm gonna do? Don't know any more.
What I'm gonna do? I'm lost.
What time is it my heart?

And that's only part of the song. It follows the same pattern til the end. It's an instance where simplicity (such simple proclamations of "I like this, I like that") reigns as the whole is greater than the parts.

Quick album. Supremely enjoyable. Put it on with a mug of tea or glass of something to let loose after a hard day's work. A fresh album full of life! Can't wait to explore Manu's other albums.

A bit about the artist: He helped start what's now known as the Latin alternative movement in the 1980s. Way cool!

475: Elvis Costello & The Attractions, "Armed Forces"

Before: I think E.C. is a good artist. Maybe? I know next to nothing about him.

After: He has a linguistic absurdity in his voice that is almost disarming. This quality seems to soften his character (in my mind.)
The patterns in his music (super vague, I know) remind me of Ben Folds. You oftentimes can't predict where the song might go in his music. That's what makes it fun and adds spontaneity to the mix.
It's almost funky. "Senior Service" has the layout that completely understands how to impose a groove.
Whoa, just got a whiff of Rocky Horror on "Oliver's Army"!
There's an originality to EC & TA. Also reminds me of Of Montreal, and I guess a lot of indie bands that riff on about quirky topics and color the lyrics with unexpectedly abstract musicality.
His songs are highly creative: the lyrics and sounds convene into an interesting sound that is EC & TA. Elvis is a fitting name for him: it's been heard before, but not very often, and it's worth paying attention to.
This music is silly and serious and real. Imagination flows freely. If I had to color this album, it'd be an unabandoned orange with bright green squiggles and hot pink dots and an occasional blue square. Like an 80's-themed abstract fruit salad.
This would be good dance party music. Not because it's fast-paced, but because it encourages creative dance moves. I can already imagine the possibilities of what this crooner's voice could inspire.

It was a great album to listen to at 9 in the morning. I have a feeling my day is going to take a turn for the exciting today!

476: The Notorious B.I.G., "Life After Death"

Before: I know he's a rapper, and that he has a devoted following.

After: The first chords of "Hypnotize" hit and I'm immediately grounded. This song is so groove-able! It's also used all over the place, so maybe that's how I know it. Also, LUV THAT BASS.
The intro to "Notorious Thugs" is a real attention-grabber.
This is a very enjoyable album.
"Miss U" is a standout because Biggie sings about more than just romantic relationships. The piano sprinkles bring out the tragedy in his lyrics, as do the talented artists featured on the chorus.
I love all the different ways he extols himself in this album. In "Playa Hater", he thanks the audience over and over for their cheering on this quasi-live track. He's funny.
"Sky's the Limit" has some intensely poetic lyrics:

"While we out here, say the Hustlers Prayer

If the game shakes me or breaks me

I hope it makes me a better man

Take a better stand

Put money in my mom's hand

Get my daughter this college grant so she don't need no man

Stay far from timid

Only make moves when your heart's in it

And live the phrase sky's the limit"

I'm really glad this album was on the list. I'm finding that as I progress further into this project, I'm discovering how receptive I am/becoming to rap. People love Biggie, and I'm starting to understand why.

477: Merle Haggard, "Down Every Road 1962-1994"

Before: I hope he doesn't sound haggard LOLOLOLOL. (I only know what that word means because it's used in the Dixie Chicks song "Long Time Gone".)
Just queued this album and it's literally four albums in one. Not fair, Rolling Stone! It's literally 100 songs and 4.75 hours of music!!
Because I've procrastinated listening to these four albums for about a month, I'm gonna listen to one album's worth of songs (some from each of the four albums) and call it a day.

After: I feel the honky-tonk begin...
Ugh, a song about Bonnie and Clyde that's too smart for its own good in terms of rhyming everything.
He just disclosed that he's cried "a few million tears".
"Ramblin' Fever" is a little more complex. I'm tired of country music.

Honestly, I didn't give Merle much of a chance. Maybe I'll appreciate country music more at a different time in my life. But right now, at 8:25 pm on a Saturday night in college, it's just not my jam.

478: Loretta Lynn, "All Time Greatest Hits"

Before: Her name makes me think that she's from an older generation. I'll guess the 60's. Also, on a tangential note, there's a great song out there by Amos Lee about his mother called "Loretta". (I'm linking it so you can listen if you wish.)

After: She's got a spunk to her. Very bouncy, staccato, orderly beat. It sounds like she's very confident. Polished.
Is this considered country music? Honky-tonk?
Her voice has demarcated edges. I think of electric spaghetti because spaghetti has definite edges in its pastular form and it's electric because she has so much soul and spirit in her.
That album had a LOT of songs on it, but it went by quickly! Was it because it was pleasurable to listen to? Or the songs were about 2-3 minutes in length each? Not sure. But Loretta Lynn was obviously very talented and must've made a lot of people happy with the way she sang. I'd give it a 7.5/10 because although it's not my style, I can imagine it being a superb album to many people for many reasons.

After reading a biography of her, I must GIVE IT UP to Loretta! Her life sounds fascinating! She was popular in the 60's and 70's (as I guessed) and had tons of success in the business. According to the Spotify biography, Loretta "helped forge the way for strong, independent women in country music". Yeah LL! Also, she married at THIRTEEN and had FOUR KIDS and still had a fruitful musical career travelling around the country and flippin' hits all over the place!

479: Funkadelic, "Maggot Brain"

Before: Wow, what a title... but the band's name saves me from getting sick. It makes me think of this scene from Spaceballs.

After:
The first song, after which the album is named, didn't do much for me. A shame, since the descriptive title suggested it wouldn't be one to forget.
"Hit it and Quit it" is really packing a groovy punch. Those keys! And that smokey voice! My head is bobbin' like a chicken bobbing for apples.
This is an album that is consistently great. Each song is wholly solid with a different set of parts that make it uniquely awesome.
EXCELLENT USE OF COWBELL!! "Wars of Armageddon" has got it GOIN' ON!

All in all, I'd give this album a 9/10. My mood lifted once its savory sweetness socked me. I'm reserving the last 1 for the album that pushes me over the edge of euphoria from cloud 8 to cloud 9. But next time I hear someone say "Maggot Brain", I won't wince- I'll vocally (or silently- must judge the sitch)- tell that brotha to rock on!

480: Raekwon, "Only Built 4 Cuban Linx"

Before: So apparently he was a member of Wu Tang Clan. That's all I know. But that's not all I feel; Indeed, I greatly appreciate the spelling of his name. To me, it looks how it should be spelled, i.e. in a manner that "locks" the English language down so that everyone who tries to read it should be able to. Unlike words like "laugh" and "pencil", which are just cruel hurdles to everyone who learns our strange language.
Indulge me for another 20 seconds when I say that the word "inertia" should, by my standards, be spelled as such: anneurschia. Welcome to Sophie, girl of infinite quirks.
After a few weeks of not getting around to listening to this (I also have things to do, but I think I was unconsciously procrastinating too), I realize that I'm dreading listening to songs named "Shark N*****s (Biters)" and "Verbal Intercourse". And there are eighteen of these songs. Ugh. Well, in the name of a wholesome musical education, here I go.......

After: "Criminology", although it has its share of cursing and hard slang, was actually enjoyable. There's a cool bell in the background that marks the beats. What's unique about this music, as said by someone who grew up on the era where most music was digital, is that it sounds like it has this sheen of dust on it; it's not squeaky clean and shiny. I like that small veil of muffle.
I can't pick out every word they utter, but I do hear a good amount of political and social commentary. I appreciate that it's not all boastful rap- it's of substance with varied topics and musical backgrounds to the raps.
There's a spirit in this album... an energy.
I'm hearing some phrases that I associated with 2000s music and around there, like "word up" and "keep it real", and am realizing how old they actually are.
All in all, this record was not nearly as scary as I thought it'd be- it was like a cobblestone road! (Instead of a scary, haunted alleyway in the sketchy part of New Haven.) Sure, the words aren't clean, but they speak of real events. There's a musicality that is unexpectedly complex and groove-able. Raekwon, you're pretty cool after all!
These lyrics about "the hood" and social issues remind me of "Boyz in the Hood", an incredible movie that I recommend you watch for education about the 80s-90s era and the issues that surrounded the black community. I was extremely impressed by how moving it was and am grateful to have a smidgeon more understanding of the circumstances of the hood. Not that I can ever really get it, but it's wayyy better than staying ignorant because I'm embarrassed to learn about it.

481: D'Angelo, "Voodoo"

Before: Voo-who?

After: "Playa Playa" is surprisingly smooth and jazzy. Little crumbs of bwang and tsiiing sprinkled around the vocals. A little too structured to send me into a daydream, but it's very enjoyable nonetheless.
From the sounds in it, I'd assume "Devil's Pie" would be something of a non-fruit confection... perhaps shoofly or sweet potato pie.
"Left and Right": Gettin dirrrrrrrrrty up in heeeeya
"Send it On": mmmmmmmm loving these harmonies! They sound like delicate concave lenses hovering above a surface, uplifted by the high falsettos of the singers. It feels like eggshell density and infinitesimal gentleness. Like this:

These are very long songs. Most clock in over six minutes.
At this point, on the longest-name song of the album (too long and too little effort from me to name it- you'd know if you looked it up), everything just feels groovy. It's all groovin' here. Free and easy and if you have an amber-coated, silky voice, just spin it out here.

All in all, I'd give it a 6. The voices are clearly talented and the music is fresh, but it's not my jam. Glad I heard it!

482: Steve Earle, "Guitar Town"

Before: I think he's referenced in the lyrics of a song or two that I know. And I think my parents like him. That's all I got.

After: I feel ready to hear of alcohol-tinged, country-voice, middle aged rock 'n' groove sort of trip that will take me within smelling distance of Jimmy' Buffet's Margaritaville. I also sense some Billy Joel, triggered by the moments given to the piano to shine. I have a feeling that this is going to feel like a very long album, even though I'll make an effort to appreciate something in each song. But still... UGH! This is NOT my jam! This song is literally called "Hillbilly Highway". Really?

"Just when I knew that every ray of hope was gone..." This song has all the possible cheese factors in it to make me abhor it: that twang in the background that sounds like a sulking, jealous child. That tear-choked-sounding voice. The soft female accompaniment that sounds like a girlfriend trying to be the guys's girlfriend and mother because he's so broken. The really dumb line "my old friend the blues". YUCK.

(HALFWAY DONE: PHEW.)

I don't know if I could be friends with this guy because his voice is so treacherously tacky. He just keeps talking about the same overcooked subjects I hear so often in country music: "this small old town", heartbreak, the blues, pickup trucks, meager incomes, marriage problems, alcohol... the list goes on. But I guess mainstream music, in many of its genres, also focuses on heartbreak and alcohol, so maybe I should rethink how I define country music. Nah, I dislike it too much. Besides Taylor Swift (barely country anymore) and some Kacey Musgraves (she's actually amazing and you should check her out), along with some oldies country. But even then, it's usually mixed with folk or singer/songwriter genres.

Actually, this hyper-twang-electronic thing about two min into "Fearless Heart" is actually affecting me. I don't feel I can relate to this guy like he's my girlfriend, but I do identify with having a heart that seems to have an agenda of its own. Maybe he isn't as tacky as a bulletin board... he just speaks in a dialect that makes me cringe. But his feelings are understandable. (Wow, I related to this guy in a less-than-ugly light!)

Oh wait, now he's talking about Arkansas and said "little guy". Ugh.

I can imagine listening to "Little Rock 'N' Roller" as a five year old boy and feeling so loved and excited for the future. It's sweet. But still twangy.

The last song, "Down the Road", has an optimistic feel to it. It's bearable.

As soon as I finished the album (only 30 minutes, but 30 minutes of torture), I cleansed my mental musical palate with some King Charles' "Ivory Road". But it's like eating vegetables- I still did it!

483: Gang of Four, "Entertainment!"

Before: Who?
My expectations are raised slightly because of the inclusion of the exclamation point. I hope this gang can bring what they promise.

After: The first song, "Ether", sounded like a more mediocre, watered-down version of the Talking Heads. It wasn't much except for when that syncopation jerked me back into its just-above-average beat.
I'm no music historian, but has there been a shift in history from when people were satisfied with very repetitive, "simple" musical designs to having a thirst for constantly changing, vibrant music? I feel that this music is comparable to visual art that isn't flashy on the surface but satisfies with patience. I'll insert the spoonful of sugar analogy here: In the past, people could swallow medicine straight. Nowadays, we're less disciplined and need a sweet thing to help it along.
Or maybe that's just musical taste that varies among listeners?
Maybe I'm listening to this sound and comparing it to what I know in 2014: The Talking Heads, The Strokes. At least the latter is a lot newer and possibly has more "modern" sounds? So in order to really get the full appreciation of this band, I'd have to have as much musical experience as everyone in 1979, when the album came out?
"I Found That Essence Rare" is actually pretty groovy! I can imagine it being played at a dance party.
But overall, I'm having a hard time appreciating this album. Sorry to everyone who likes this type of thing, but I think it's pretty on mark of "eh".
"Anthrax": What is this????? This song is an example of where my definition of music meets its border. Sounds very experimental.
Ughhhhhhhhhhhhh please make the last 3 minutes of this album go by quickly! This is so bland!!
Well I'm glad that's over.

484: Mott the Hoople, "All The Young Dudes"

Before: Never heard of them.

After:
Alright, settin' me up with some layered beats. Bouncy, like a hammock embracing you. It's 68 degrees in this musical hammock. I'm drinking slightly sweet yet tepid powdered iced tea. Someone just gave me a 10%-off coupon for Target. In summary, the first song, "Sweet Jane", was the essence of "meh."

Just yawned.

"All the Young Dudes" is an interesting song. It conjures up the Beatles for a second- I think it's the accent, the minor chords that seem to tease my heart, and the way the singer interjects all over the chorus just like in the end of "Hey Jude". Also the harpsichord. I can feel why this is their most famous song. (Listening to it twice!)
It's got a rich story and very notable lyrics.


This band seems like they're trying to poke through the cellophane separating them from fame- they're so close, but as history's proven, they never succeeded in breaking that barrier.
I'm waiting for this album to end.
Another metaphor of this album would be the stereotypical Michael Cera character: extremely bland appearance, yet when you dig a little, you find some welcomed depth. However, this album has never made me cry during Juno, and I do not foresee it evoking any fraction of that kind of emotion anytime soon.
I think it'd be safe to say that this is one of the only "rock" albums that I'd be okay waking up to as an alarm if I had to. Because I'd probably fall back asleep.

PHEW IT'S OVER! What a bore-fest.