May 15, 2025 at 3:16 PM

239. Bob Dylan - Blonde on Blonde (1966) [May 15th, 2025]

Dylan's defining work. Right on the heels of the also incredible Highway 61 Revisited, Blonde on Blonde serves as Bob's most unique outing by this point. From the opening drumline of "Rainy Day Women #12 & 35", to the closing seconds of "Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands", this album is strange.

-How it feels to listen to to the harmonica in a Bob Dylan song

One of the reasons that i love Blonde on Blonde has to be the diversity. You have energetic, rock-ish tracks like "Leopard Skin Pillbox Hat" and "Obviously Five Believers", but you also have tracks like "4th Time Around", which is probably the funniest rock "diss track" ever made when you figure out the "Norwegian Wood" connection. The lyrics on this record are famously confusing, but i think thats a big part of the charm. Like, I don't need to exactly know what "Visions of Johana" is about, since the songs is great either way. It feels very funny, in a sort of William S. Burroughs-way. As much as I like H61R, this will always be my favorite Dylan record. I feel like it showcases him at the height of his creative peak, and even though he dropped some great albums afterward, nothing compares to this album, at least for me.

 

May 15, 2025 at 3:19 PM

Sidenote: I think the bold feature on my posts is broken, because like, half the text is bolded and I can't turn it back

 

May 15, 2025 at 6:21 PM

240. Lil Wayne - Tha Carter III (2008) [May 15th, 2025]

It wasn't intended to be, but due to Carter VI's upcoming release, I guess this serves as a "special". Even though I'm more of a Carter II guy, there's no denying that Tha Carter III is one of the most impoartant rap albums ever made. The fact that this record comes right after the incredible 3 project run of C2, Dedication 2, and Da Drought 3 must've made the hype UNREAL.

"3 Peat" isn't as great as C2's "Tha Mobb", but it is still an incredible opener, and having it be followed up by "Mr. Carter" and the absolute classic "A Milli" gives the album a great opening. There are great poppy tracks like "Mrs. Officer" and "Lollipop", but there are tracks here that have some of Weezy's best rapping ever like "Dr. Carter" and "You Ain't Got Nuthin'". "DontGetIt" is a great outro, and d--- he f---ing hates Al Sharpton lmaooooo

The album isn't perfect though. "Phone Home" is really lame. I'm glad that I listened to the version that has "Playing With Fire" instead of "p---- Monster". Despite "Phone Home" being pretty lame, C3 is a great record, and a classic for a reason.

 

May 16, 2025 at 2:53 PM

241. The Beatles - Let It Be (1970) [May 16th, 2025]

One of the most divisive albums ever made. It's basically unanimous that Abbey Road is the "true" final Beatles record. As such, Let It Be has a very strange reputation amongst people. Some people think that this record is a great way to end one of the best and most innovative discographies ever. I am not one of those people.

The best word I can use to describe Let It Be would be "anticlimactic". This might seem like an odd comparison, but in the original, novel version of The Lord of The Rings, there is a chapter known as the "Scouring of the Shire" that takes place after the book's main conflict is concluded. The chapter isn't bad (I actually really like it, and I wish it would be adapted someday), but it definitely feels odd to follow up a monumental task like destroying the One Ring, with the Hobbits easily defeating Saruman. This strange feeling is kinda how I feel about Let It Be. There are some great tracks on here like "Across the Universe" and "I Me Mine", but the fact that this relatively simple rock record follows up right after Revolver, Sgt. Pepper's..., the White Album, AND Abbey Road means that Let It Be comes across as incredibly underwhelming. Most of the songs are serviceable, but tracks like ""Dig It" and "Maggie Mae" are so incredibly unnecessary. While I wouldn't say that Let It Be "tarnishes" the Beatles' discography, I personally don't come back to it too often.

 

May 16, 2025 at 2:57 PM

242. The Beatles - Let It Be...Naked (2003) [May 16th, 2025]

The Paul McCartney edit of Let It Be doesn't really change my opinion that much, honestly. I do think that the sequencing is much better, and throwing out throwaway tracks like "Dig It" and "Maggie Mae" with the classic "Don't Let Me Down" is an almost obvious choice. The production is much better, and I do think that this is overall a better experience than the original 1970 release, but I probably won't revisit this one too often either.