Ian Anderson was so frustrated with people calling his last album, Aqualung, a concept album, that he decided to go full sicko-mode and make Thick as a Brick. This is one song, split in two because of the vinyl format. The themes throughout are reoccurring, absurd, complex and at times, funny.

The album is supposed to be based on a poem written by a fictional boy named Gerald Bostock. This fake boy’s poem was too funny that he got kicked out of a contest. This is one of the weirdest ... read more

The title, meaning "Corner Club", is just what this album feels like. A lot of talented musicians are viewing the world around them, which is slowly turning in a direction that they don't like. It was written and recorded during a time of dictatorship in Brazil, and this album plays with that in a very cool and subtle way. There is a lot of hope and dreamlike tracks here. It never feels truly sad, but also never happy.

Somehow Clube Da Esquina combines singer-songwriter, jazz, ... read more

The Lemon Twigs have really created quite a consistent discography up until this point. They have brought us back to the 60s and 70s in a fun and engaging way. I would personally love to see the band play with a different sound from that era, seeing as this is my least favorite of their "newer" albums, but I do still enjoy it.

This is what many would consider the start of Stevie's "Golden Period" as an artist. He was finally free from Motown Records to do what he pleased with his music, and he actually played every instrument on this album. That is otherworldly talent. The grooves are amazing, and his use of synths is some of the best I've heard up until now. If I were alive back in 1972 and heard this album, I would be ecstatic to see what he would do next.

I like but don’t love a lot here, but at the same time, I was confused by a lot of choices. The production can feel very unoriginal, and then you get something new, but it sounds bad. I just don’t really know how to truly feel because there is a lot here, a lot that I question, but a lot that I like.

Surprisingly, this was the highest-selling album of 1972, largely due to the number-one hit, 'Heart of Gold.' Neil Young didn't want or expect this, and before making this album, he bought a ranch in Northern California to escape. That is where the majority of this album was made. During this time, he had a major back injury that didn't allow him to stand for long periods of time while playing electric guitar. The softer, introspective country-rock sound was the natural ... read more

While maybe slightly worse than the band’s debut, it is still a great indie rock album. There isn’t a song like “Where We’ve Been”, but as an album it is very consistent.

Nick Drake was a confused, depressed, and supremely talented musician trying to find his way in a world that kept pushing him down. Pink Moon is Drake’s third album, but he had gained little to no success. His first album, Five Leaves Left, is one of the best folk records of all time, with impeccable songwriting, guitar playing, and distinctive strings, piano, and other instruments. The very shy Nick Drake never performed or even attempted to promote his music, so it isn’t the ... read more

I had a lot of fun with this record. The melodies and production were really enjoyable, and while nothing immediately stood out at fantastic, all around it’s great.

This has to be my favorite foreign album on my history through music list so far. The mix of English and Spanish is very unique, and the more rock influences are fantastic, especially with the MPB sound. This album comes after Caetano Veloso was exiled from Brazil after writing about political issues. This album talks about that, but also his longing for Brazil, while he was in London. This album blends the popular British music with the popular Brazilian music, which is such a fascinating ... read more

What a great lo-fi, genre-bending, and fun album that hasn't really been showcased this year. The year has been run by pop music, so this was a nice change of pace for me. I like the longer tracks, especially the ones that bookend the album, but the tracks in between were good too.

The Allman Brothers are the band that shaped southern rock with their incredible guitar playing, jams, and mix of blues and jazz. Right before this album, they made a live album, "Live At Fillmore East", which is one of the best live albums ever and showed their improvisational skills. Unfortunately, shortly after, Duane Allman passed away from a motorcycle accident. Duane was the leader and creative force behind the band, so this album sits at a weird crossroad. Part of this album ... read more

One of the most creative and diverse albums I have heard within the "pop" genre. There are very few, if not any, bad songs, and every eight songs or so, you get an absolute masterpiece. That is also the issue with this album. It is SOOOO long, but he did play almost every instrument himself while also producing and engineering it himself. That is quite the task for the time, with the sheer length of this project. It felt like every track was taking you on a new adventure, but the ... read more

This album is so weird. You'll get an awesome track that hypnotizes you with these repetitive and creative riffs, and then you get blown back by a bunch of slop. It's just so strange, and I really don't get some of the songs, but the great ones are really great.

I think there were quite a lot of different writers on this record, and they all did fantastic, but Al's voice and personality make everything shine. Every song is basically a love song, but Al's emotional weight, similar to Otis Redding's, is really remarkable. I have really come around on a lot of soul music, and this is really great all around.

I grew up with the Foo Fighters and have actually seen them live five times since they are my Dad's favorite band. This is my least favorite album of theirs. It just feels so lifeless at times, with some, at times, bad production. It honestly might be worse than a 54, but I just couldn't go lower for some reason.

The second half is pretty lackluster and sub-standard for Paul Simon, but damn, that first half has some incredible tracks. There are a lot of different sounds that come together very nicely. This is his first solo album since the breakup of Simon and Garfunkel, and I think he does a great job of doing his own thing.

Another great solo album from a member of black midi, although not as great as The New Sound, it finds a way to keep you interested in a completely different way. Cameron Picton uses different folk sound and weird abstract lyrics that resemble 70s progressive music that I've been diving into. I was enthralled by "Love Story" and "Actress", and while the rest of the songs aren't bad, they don't stand up to those two songs for two different reasons.

I have fallen in love with soul music. My favorite voice for soul is Otis Redding, but after his death, I haven't gotten exactly what I wanted from the genre outside of Marvin Gaye. Al Green is the closest to that. His voice is amazing, and I love the instrumentation all around. From what I've read, this is where he finds his distinct sound and continues to build off of it. If that is the case, I'm excited for my soul playlist to continue to build.

I really only reviewed this album because I grew up on "Doctor My Eyes." I love that song, but lots of the music surrounding it can feel stale, and exactly what I was expecting. That's not bad, because everything is still well-produced, performed, and written, but this is just a typical singer-songwriter from Laurel Canyon.