Best of 2022
Recent Ratings
Pinned Review
Spoilers ahead for the album experience:
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For me, Bone Machine is the kind of album that sets a new bar for what a perfect album should be. It makes me reconsider what I consider a perfect record to be; so much so that I want to go back and level almost all my previous ratings down. Enthralling, to say the least, an absolutely inescapably necessary listen for any lover of music, to say the most.
By and far my favorite Tom Waits record, and most likely one of the greatest albums I've come ... read more
Recent Reviews
Ill-advised electronic pop collaboration with producer Timbaland. If that conflicting collision of a collaboration isn't bizarre enough, it is even more audacious upon listening.
Hearing Chris on this, who sometimes features a decent vocal performance here (it is Chris Cornell after all, a fantastic singer *usually*), sing in the opening track "THAT BITCH AIN'T PART OF ME" to a driving dance beat feels incredibly forced yet batshit; it sounds like he was sampled for the chorus and ... read more
A critical and artistic masterpiece for Van der Graaf Generator; here the talents of all involved combine to deliver 3 of Progressive Rock's best compositions in the form of "Lemmings (Including Cog)", "Man-Erg", and the 23 minute epic "A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers", a stunning display of musicianship.
This release stands in equal stature, in my opinion, to the classics of the time like King Crimson's "In the Court of the Crimson King", Gentle Giant's ... read more
Peter Hammill's debut album came between Van der Graaf Generator's 1970 "H to He Who Am the Only One" and their critical 1971 masterpiece "Pawn Hearts". "Fool's Mate" was conceived as a way to feature songs in his backlog that shorter, more concise and arguably more accessible. It's framed quite interestingly with three different tones on the organ bookending the record, and between those are a variety of fun, pretty, memorable, and pretty fun & memorable art ... read more
The third album by VdGG both improves and ventures further into their unique take on the progressive rock sound.
On the opener, "Killer", Peter Hammill has a presence of a meandering playwright, shouting out his narration; despite the potential cheesiness of the concept of a merciless killer shark with such a bombastic instrumental backing, it never fully goes into that territory; instead it is effectively delivered with Hammill's odd cadence and booming verses, plus some fantastic ... read more
The "sophomore" record for Van der Graaf Generator is where things become more solidified for the group after their "debut". Released on Charisma Records, VdGG's "The Least We Can Do is Wave to Each Other" is their only charting record in the UK and their strongest material thus far, with some decidedly heavier and more theatrical pieces. A big recommendation to start listening to this band from this point in their discography.
With regards to highlights, the ... read more
Shoutbox
3mo
The fact that you took the time to listen to Psycho Synner's whole discography...
You've earned my respect
You've earned my respect
10mo
Richard Dawson, Voivod, and Steely Dan in your 100s 😳
A lot of other based picks too, but those ones are ones I don't see too often
A lot of other based picks too, but those ones are ones I don't see too often
1y
Hey ! I’m making a community list for the end of the world, and I would love for you to contribute.
Prompt:
“The surrounding buildings, in ruins. The last survivors, scrambling to find anything that remains. Fire flickers in the pitch-black, creating just a sliver of radiance. Miraculously, you find an old device that can play music. You can only play one album as the battery is nearly dead. Knowing that you have little time left, what is the one album that you choose to listen to as you watch the world crumble before your eyes?”
The album topic could discuss a disastrous time, its sound could fit the vibe of a post apocalyptic setting, or it could be one of your favorite albums that you would want to experience for the last time.
Please provide the artist, album, and an explanation as to why you chose that specific album.
Thank you for reading <3
Here’s the list:
https://www.albumoftheyear.org/user/loganchung/list/44721/the-world-is-endingbut-were-still-here-right/
Prompt:
“The surrounding buildings, in ruins. The last survivors, scrambling to find anything that remains. Fire flickers in the pitch-black, creating just a sliver of radiance. Miraculously, you find an old device that can play music. You can only play one album as the battery is nearly dead. Knowing that you have little time left, what is the one album that you choose to listen to as you watch the world crumble before your eyes?”
The album topic could discuss a disastrous time, its sound could fit the vibe of a post apocalyptic setting, or it could be one of your favorite albums that you would want to experience for the last time.
Please provide the artist, album, and an explanation as to why you chose that specific album.
Thank you for reading <3
Here’s the list:
https://www.albumoftheyear.org/user/loganchung/list/44721/the-world-is-endingbut-were-still-here-right/
About
Rescaling scores. Keeping 100s to a minimum for what I consider my favorites. 95s are essentially a top score.
I only rate albums with points ending in 5 or 0 unless it's a meme/fitting.
Rating Scale:
100: Favorites / Perfect
95: Incredible / "Must Listen"
90: Fantastic
80: Great
70: Solid
60: Passable / Fine
50: Indifference/Meh/Not for me
40: Subpar
30: Bad
20: Terrible
10: Abysmal
0: Bottom of the Barrel
I only rate albums with points ending in 5 or 0 unless it's a meme/fitting.
Rating Scale:
100: Favorites / Perfect
95: Incredible / "Must Listen"
90: Fantastic
80: Great
70: Solid
60: Passable / Fine
50: Indifference/Meh/Not for me
40: Subpar
30: Bad
20: Terrible
10: Abysmal
0: Bottom of the Barrel
Around the Web
Rating Distribution
100
30
90-99
593
80-89
594
70-79
531
60-69
404
50-59
222
40-49
103
30-39
60
20-29
42
10-19
29
0-9
16
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