Jun 9, 2025 at 10:20 PM

282. Johnny Cash - American III: Solitary Man (2000) [June 9th, 2025]

I like it more than Unchained, but it's still missing the somberness that made the original American Recordings so good. Johnny's renditions of "One" and "The Mercy Seat" were pretty remarkable. This is the first American album that features vocal guests, and they're fine. I usually enjoy Tom Petty, but I feel like he didn't really add much, which is surprising considering that he features on a song that was originally sang by him. Oh well.

 

Jun 9, 2025 at 11:26 PM

283. Johnny Cash - American IV: The Man Comes Around (2002) [June 9th, 2025]

This is the second best record of the American series. Covers like "Hurt" (which is NOT better than the original), "Personal Jesus", "In My Life", "Danny Boy", "Desperado",and "We'll Meet Again" is pretty good, and they make me rank it over the previous two installments. The features are better this time around too, with Nick Cave killing his feature on "I'm So Lonely I Could Cry". So yeah, it's not as good as the original American Recordings, but I still like it.

 

Jun 10, 2025 at 8:27 PM

284. The Beatles - The Beatles (1968) [June 10th, 2025]

First time reviewing one of my AOTW Club picks during the week it's chosen!!!!

The White Album is my favorite Beatles record, and the reason why is honestly pretty hard for me to decipher. It's been a few years, but if I remember correctly, The Beatles was one of the last records that I checked out from the band. By that point, I had never really checked out a full double album before, so the hour and a half runtime kept me at bay for a while. And then I checked it out.

Whenever I refer to "monumental" records, I usually think about 2 hour+ long epics like Soundtracks for the Blind or Selected Ambient Works Vol. II. But in a lot of ways, the White Album feels like the first truly monumental record in rock, at least in terms of scale. The minimalist packaging already gives this record an allure that makes it stand out amongst a stream of incredible albums like Rubber Soul and Abbey Road.

"Back in the U.S.S.R." starts the record off with a satirical McCartney number, and it's so delightfully fun. "Dear Prudence" is a nice little John song dedicated to Mia Farrow's sister, and the fact that it's followed by the wonderfully cryptic "Glass Onion" makes this three track stretch incredible. The rest of Side 1 is filled with incredible tracks, like George's signature track "While My Guitar Gently Weeps", Lennon's tragically ironic "Happiness Is a Warm Gun", the melancholic "Blackbird", and the tragically underrated "Piggies". "Don't Pass Me By" is also a pretty good Ringo number.

Side 2 starts of strong with the double punch of "Birthday" and "Yer Blues" which is simply masterful. This side contains two of my favorite Beatles tracks, those being the heavy metal number "Helter Skelter" and the vibey original version of "Revolution", "Revolution 1". Speaking of "Revolution", I've always loved "Revolution 9". It's such a strange and dark closer for the album, and it feels very sinister. I feel like having soothing Ringo track "Good Night" as a closer wraps the album off very neatly, and I love the ending.

Now, there are a few weak points on this record. "Wild Honey Pie", "Why Don't We Do It On the Road" and "Honey Pie" don't really do much for me. I mentioned this in my review for it a few days back, but the White Album reminds me a lot of Kanye West's Donda, as both records have a few less than stellar tracks, but I can personally look past them due to the record's vision. The record has 30 tracks, and it functions as a raw, unfiltered look into the group's creative flow, and I absolutely love it.

The historical background behind the White Album is also probably the most interesting in the band's discography. I've realized that a reason for why I'm so attached to certain artists like The Beatles, Kanye, Nirvana, etc, has to be because of the stories behind their records. The White Album is a direct response to the political turmoil of 1968, the tensions that began growing after Brian Epstein's death, AND the trip the band took to India. Then there's also the fact that this album is slightly tied with Charles Manson's insanity, which I'd say retroactively and unintentionally gives the record a more sinister feel.

In a lot of ways, The Beatles reminded me of this quote from The Sopranos:

The Beatles isn't the end of the band, as they managed to create the wonderful Abbey Road the year after, but it does make the end inevitable. There is something tragic about seeing these four incredible artists nearly at the end of their collaborative years. So much has changed in the 56 years since this record released. John Lennon was murdered, George Harrison died from cancer, Paul and Ringo have had long and varied solo careers, and so on. And yet, the White Album is special for me. The Beatles simultaneously feels like the point of no return for the band, but it also serves as a beautiful, and unapologetically creative project for the band. And I will continue loving this album until the day that I die.

 

Jun 11, 2025 at 5:55 PM

The passing of Brian Wilson came as a big shock today. Brian's songs have filled me with so much joy and emotion over the years, and I hope that he rests in peace

 

Jun 11, 2025 at 6:01 PM

285. Kendrick Lamar - untitled unmastered. (2016) [June 11th, 2025]

I've been kinda iffy on this one for a bit, but I enjoyed it a lot this time. To p---- a Butterfly is one of my favorite albums of all time, so having a collection of outtakes from those sessions is truly a blessing.

"untitled 01" [not using the dates] is a decent opener, but it doesn't do much. On the other hand, "untitled 02" has a f---ing sick bassline from Thundercat, and "untitled 03" is probably the catchiest track on the compilation. Kendrick needs to collab with Anna Wise again!!! "untitled 05" is pretty cool too, and "untitled 08" is a wonderfully jazzy closer for the project. Obviously these songs as a whole don't hold a candle to finished TPAB, but they're still good, and I'm glad we have them.

 

Jun 11, 2025 at 6:40 PM

286. Kendrick Lamar - To p---- a Butterfly (2015) [June 11th, 2025]

To p---- a Butterfly has racked up quite the reputation in the decade since its release. Its the #1 rated album on RateYourMusic for God's sake, and while I don't really agree with that placement, I can't deny that it's an incredible project.

To start, TPAB works great as a sonic evolution of the Kendrick we saw on good kid, m.A.A.d. city. On GKMC, Kendrick was hungry, and channeled his past experiences into his lyrics. On TPAB however, Kendrick is fully living in the present, and is keenly aware of the problems that arise from his fame. Fame, discrimination, self hatred/love, and many other topics are present thoughout TPAB, and they're all weaved together incredibly.

"Wesley's Theory" is an incredible album opener, with incredible producton, great bass playing from Thundercat, George Clinton's funky vocals at the end, and Kendrick absolutely tears the track up with his decision to rap through the character of Uncle Sam. "For Free" is a pretty funny interlude, and "King Kunta" is a f---ing b-----r holy s---, that guitar solo at the end is epic. "These Walls" is partly a soulful sex jam, and partly a tale of revenge against Kendrick's enemy and it excels at both. The instrumental part near the end of the track is amazing as well.

"u" has to be one of the most vivid depictions of self loathing that has ever been put to song, and it is truly harrowing. "Alright" is a great protest song, and the "For Sale" interlude is a very groovy introduction to the Lucy character. "How Much a Dollar Cost" is a masterpiece in storytelling, and "The Blacker the Berry" is a fired up attack on white America, and its stellar. The album version of "i" is very fun as well, and "Mortal Man" has to be one of the most important tracks of the past 10 years. Kendrick really managed to weave a nearly two decade-old Pac interview into his project's grand vision, and he pulled it off beautifully.

So yeah, To p---- a Butterfly is great, to nobody's surprise. Over time I have been pretty shocked at the fact that this record has a very mixed reception on this forum, but I still love it personally. i still think it's Kendrick's best.

 

Jun 11, 2025 at 9:04 PM

287. Faust - Faust (1971) [June 11th, 2025]

Super f---ing underwhelming man. There were small parts that I enjoyed, but those were very few and far between. Then again, this is kinda how I felt about Can's Tago Mago, so maybe I'll warm up to it. As it stands though? Hated it

 

Jun 12, 2025 at 1:09 PM

288. Various Artists - Phantom of the Paradise (1974) [June 12th, 2025]

Pretty sure that I've mentioned this before, but I'm currently a film major, and we watched this film last year in one of my classes. I really enjoyed the film, and considering that its based on the Faust legend, I figured that checking out the soundtrack while I read the Goethe version would be quite fitting.

The soundtrack for Phantom of the Paradise, is pretty d--- good. I wasn't too big on the introductory Juicy Fruits song, but the compilation really steps up with Bill Finley's rendition of "Faust". Its simple, but its a nice little number. The two Jessica Harper tracks are fun as well, but the highlight of the project has to be Paul Williams' version of "Faust". It's completely different from Finley's version, and it ties well into the film's themes of commercialization. I'm not sure if I would enjoy this compilation as much as I do if I hadn't enjoyed the film so much, but its still a good time.

 

Jun 12, 2025 at 5:53 PM

289. Jay-Z - The Black Album (2003) [June 12th, 2025]

It's funny to think that this was his "retirement" album lmao. I'm a big stan for Reasonable Doubt and Blueprint, but The Black Album is a close third when it comes Jay's best, at least for me.

"December 4th" is a great track, and having Jay's mom give spoken word interludes throughout the track makes it a great opener for what was supposed to be the end of the his discography. "What More Can I Say" and "Encore" are also solid as h---, and as I've mentioned in my previous Jay reviews, he sounds so f---ing cool man. The run from "Dirt Off Your Shoulder" to "Public Service Announcement" is legendary man. Whether it be the lethal diss track "Threat" or the iconic "99 Problems", this whole section of the album doesn't miss. "Justify My Thug" and "Lucifer" have some pretty cool beats courtesy of DJ Quik and Kanye West respectively, and "My 1st Song" is one of the greatest closers in history. Seriously, this track just feels like a celebration in and of itself.

Although I admit that I've never been too big on "Change Clothes" or "Allure" I can't deny that The Black Album is an amazing album. Even though I do love a lot of the albums that Jay dropped after it, if he had really stuck to this retirement 22 years ago, there's no doubt that this would be one of the best final albums in history.

 

Jun 12, 2025 at 6:07 PM

290. Kanye West - The College Dropout (2004) [June 12th, 2025]

Arguably one of the best debut albums of all time. Whenever I see the latest Ye antics, I think to myself, "Why do I love this man's work so much? It can't be THAT good can it?.....

and it is.

The College Dropout essentially feels like it beat the odds stacked against it. Seriously, there's record label meddling, a near-fatal car crash, and MUCH more. I feel like the release of the Jeen-Yuhs documentary a few years ago really put the making of this record into perspective.

"We Don't Care" is an amazing intro, and it has one of the best choruses ever made, like seriously. At this point, it would be overkill for me to say that "All Falls Down", "Spaceship", "Jesus Walks", "Slow Jamz" and so on, are incredible, but that's because they are. "Get 'Em High" is a delightfully funny track about Kanye, and Talib getting p----, "The New Workout Plan" is so f---ing fun, that I remember dancing to it the first time I heard it nearly five years ago, and the run from "School Spirit Skit 1" to "Lil Jimmy Skit" is f---ing hilarious. "Two Words" has three MC's at the top of their game, and Kanye's verse is f---ing amazing man

So I live by two words: "f--- you, pay me"
Screamin', "Jesus, save me"
You know how the game be
I can't let 'em change me
'Cause on judgment day, you gon' blame me
Look, God, it's the same me
And I basically know now we get racially profiled
'Cuffed up and hosed down, pimped up and ho'd down
Plus, I got a whole city to hold down
From the bottom so the top's the only place to go now

"Through the Wire" and "Family Business" honestly feel very sad to me, but they're still great of course, and "Last Call"...my God. That whole section where Kanye goes over the making of the record, and his come-up as a whole makes the record even better. As I mentioned before, Kanye's antics honestly make me doubt my love for his work some time. Like, is it really worth it to continue listening to his work after all this? (Pretty sure he literally just tried to go to the Diddy trial today lmao) And honestly, I'm not sure. At this point, Kanye's work has been so instrumental in my life, to the point that I will probably never be fully able to be captivated by whatever he does, no matter how unhinged it becomes. Even if he never drops another great record again (I personally still think that it's possible that he can make good work again), he still has a nearly flawless discography to fall back on, and The College Dropout is a crowning achievement in it.

 

Jun 12, 2025 at 6:09 PM

Gonna share my Kanye discography ranked as well cause why not. Not gonna include collab or unreleased records to streamline this a bit.
1. Yeezus
2. The Life of Pablo
3. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
4. The Colleged Dropout
5. Donda
6. 808's & Heartbreak
7. Graduation
8. Late Registration
9. ye
10. Jesus Is King
I hope I don't get flamed for this lmao