Rolling Stones Top 500 Albums of All-Time - DOGGYSTYLE by Snoop Doggy Dogg

I was soooo happy about with the randomizer this time as it spit out number 340, which happens to be Doggystyle by then Snoop Doggy Dogg.  When this album was released in 1993 - while I was in college - we knew it was a gamechanger.  Definitely excited to give it a listed from a different, older perspective.

First Track:  G Funk Intro
Start:  Strong for an intro track, as it contains funky beats, Dr. Dre, Lady of Rage, but, not a song.

Real First Track:  Gin and Juice

Start:  The strongest!

Best Attribute:  Dre's funky beats!

Worst Attribute:  Too much actual Barking

Best Song:  Ain't No Fun (If the Homies Can't Have None) - Younger me would have said Gin and Juice no doubt, but older me appreciates the depth of the funkiness in this one.

Worst Song: Pump! Pump!  The aforementioned barking!

Most Interesting Song:  Tha Shiznit - Because of the cymbals.

Most Interesting Quality:  G-Funk production.  Not just the beats, but the drums, horns, everything.

Would I listen again: Hellz Yeah!

Who would I like to Re-Make/Re-Imagine this Album:  Bruno Mars.  This was a tough one, because it is so eclectically iconic, but Bruno could do the instrumentation and make it his own, even if it wasn't rapped.

Rolling Stone Ranking:  340

My Current Ranking:  2

Projected Final Ranking:  189

Top 500 Albums of All-Time

1.  Love Deluxe, Sade

2.  Doggystyle, Snoop Doggy Dogg

3.  Pearl, Janis Joplin

4.  Ramones, The Ramones

5.  Beyonce, Beyonce

6.  John Prine, John Prine

Rolling Stones Top 500 Albums of All-Time - PEARL by Janis Joplin

 

This time I was given number 259 from the random number generator, which just so happens to be "Pearl" from Janis Joplin.  Released in 1971.  I know songs from this album, but if I have listened to this entire album, I don't remember how long ago that was.  Let's get into this.

First Track:  Move Over
Start:  Really strong start.  A driving snare beat which meshes well with Joplin's captivating voice.  Lyrics are strong also.

Best Attribute:  the combination of blues, folk, jazz and rock.

Worst Attribute:  Not really sure what I should put here.  I would say perhaps that her voice sounds the same in every song, but with each song carrying different hits of blues, folk, jazz and rock, it still sounds different (which is good!)

Best Song:  Half-Moon - A very jazzy, fast-swing, type of accompaniment makes this song amazing.

Worst Song: Mercedes Benz. Go figure, one of the songs I have heard endlessly is the worst on this album.  Too preachy without some of the musicality of the other songs.

Most Interesting Song:  Cry Baby - The song sounds like it is supposed to be a really slow song, but isn't.

Most Interesting Quality:  The guitar solos interspersed into many of the songs.  High quality playing, rhythm, sound - just everything about the guitar solos hits.

Would I listen again: Definitely, and I enjoyed the entire album more than I thought I might.

Who would I like to Re-Make/Re-Imagine this Album:  Mariah Carey.  It would bring the album a completely different feel, but I want quality re-imagination, not just an impersonation.

Rolling Stone Ranking:  259

My Current Ranking:  2

Projected Final Ranking:  211

Top 500 Albums of All-Time

1.  Love Deluxe, Sade

2.  Pearl, Janis Joplin

3.  Ramones, The Ramones

4.  Beyonce, Beyonce

5.  John Prine, John Prine

Rolling Stones' Top 500 Albums of All-Time - BEYONCE' by Beyonce'

  

This review is number 81, Beyonce's Self-titled album Beyonce', released in 2013.  I can honestly tell  you I have not heard this album in its entirety, although of course I have heard the hits before.

First Track:  Pretty Hearts
Start:  Interesting little musical crescendo into the start of the lyrical opening lines.

Best Attribute:  Lots of variations of styles and tempos within many of the songs.  Production is amazing.

Worst Attribute:  Some very boring, worn-out trite lyrics and sayings.

Best Song:  Mine - Her voice is amazing, the beats are great, and the background vocals are outstanding.  I also really enjoyed Heaven.

Worst Song:  Angel - Very breathy and weird.

Most Interesting Song:  Jealous - With all of the production in this album, this song emphasizes Beyonce's voice.

Most Interesting Quality:  The production - beats, instruments, etc.   That is what makes this album.

Would I listen again: Yes, not often, but yes.

Who would I like to Re-Make/Re-Imagine this Album:  Total.  Imagine Beyonce, but three of them.  (Not saying everyone on Total is Beyonce, but the trio should put an extra something into this album that Beyonce' physically cannot as one person.

Rolling Stone Ranking:  81

My Current Ranking:  3

Projected Final Ranking:  399

Top 500 Albums of All-Time

1.  Love Deluxe, Sade

2.  Ramones, The Ramones

3.  Beyonce, Beyonce

4.  John Prine, John Prine

Rolling Stones Top 500 Albums of All-Time - LOVE DELUXE by Sade

 

The random number generator gave my number 247, which is Love Deluxe by Sade from 1992.  This album is fantastic, and I am so excited to listen to it again.  This came out in college, and I loved it then, and have listened to it in its entirety dozens of times.

First Track:  No Ordinary Love
Start:  An amazing start to the album.  A sensual, rhythmic beat, with equal lyrics, and Sade's sultry voice.  Think Enigma, but with soft guitar and drum.

Best Attribute:  Lots of songs with beats that seem equally fast, and slow - at the same time.  

Worst Attribute:  I couldn't really pick one out.

Best Song:  No Ordinry Love - Other songs are great, but there is a reason this is the defining track of this album.

Worst Song:  Pearls - Not a bad song, just the worst of this album.  I did really like the cymbals in this song, though.

Most Interesting Song:  I Couldn't Love You More - The clapping in the background was very interesting, and a differing characteristic of the rest of the songs on the album.

Most Interesting Quality:  The mix of instrumentation in the various songs; drums, cymbals, piano, guitar, clapping.

Would I listen again: Hell Yeah!

Who would I like to Re-Make/Re-Imagine this Album:  Alicia Keys

Rolling Stone Ranking:  247

My Current Ranking:  1

Projected Final Ranking:  98

Top 500 Albums of All-Time

1.  Love Deluxe, Sade

2.  Ramones, The Ramones

3  John Prine, John Prine

Rolling Stones Top 500 Albums of All-Time - RAMONES by The Ramones

 

Using the old random number generator, I received number 47, which just so happened to be another self-titled album, "Ramones" by The Ramones, which was released in 1976.  I have definitely heard this album before, but not in a very long time.  Glad to give it another go from start to finish.

First Track:  Blitzkrieg Bop
Start:  Strong, and I mean strong, way to introduce yourself to the world!

Best Attribute:  Very hard-charging, guitar-led rock.  Some of the best punk rock has to offer.

Worst Attribute:  Very one-note.  Not a lot of variation among the tracks.

Best Song:  Blitzkrieg Bop - A definite "Pump-Up" song.  Guitar, bass beat with drums just works! I also enjoyed Let's Dance.

Worst Song:  Now I Wanna Go Sniff Some Glue - I just don't get it, I suppose.  Not the glue-sniffing, the song.

Most Interesting Song:  Havana Affair - Just enough different from the rest (although not really that different)

Most Interesting Quality:  Definitely driving beats.

Would I listen again: Maybe not the album, but definitely many of the songs.

Who would I like to Re-Make/Re-Imagine this Album:  Fall-Out Boy

Rolling Stone Ranking:  47

My Current Ranking:  1

Projected Final Ranking:  210

Top 500 Albums of All-Time

1.  Ramones, The Ramones

2.  John Prine, John Prine

Rolling Stones Top 500 Albums of All-Time - JOHN PRINE by John Prine

 

The number generator spit out #149, which just so happened to be John Prine's self-titled album from 1971.  I had never heard this album prior to this listen.  Although I have heard lots of John Prine's songs, I had never just set and listened to this album start to finish.  It is definitely twangy, but the songs are classic John Prine, and thus an interesting start to this process.

First Track:  Illegal Smart
Start:  First Verse was a great start to the song and album, but the chorus lost me.  Very silly.

Best Attribute:  The fiddle was great throughout the album, definitely different than what I expect to hear on most of the albums in this list, even though it did get a bit much being on every song.

Worst Attribute:  Very one-note.  A lot of the songs were very similar.

Best Song:  Far From Me - I enjoyed this song from start to finish.  Lots of emotions.

Worst Song:  Quiet Man - I dislike songs with obvious progressions, and this song had the days of the week progression ... On Monday, yadda yadda, yadda ... On Tuesday yadda, yadda, yadda

Most Interesting Song:  Hello in There - Mixed slow and fast tempos, and very soulful

Most Interesting Quality:  Definitely foreshadows In Spite of Ourselves feature Iris DeMent

Would I listen again: Not to this whole album.

Who would I like to Re-Make/Re-Imagine this Album:  Pearl Jam

Rolling Stone Ranking:  149

My Current Ranking:  1 (Since it is the first!)

Projected Final Ranking:  425ish

Top 500 Albums of All-Time

1.  John Prine, John Prine

Welcome

Welcome to my Music review blog.  Just so that we are all on the same page, this isn't a traditional music review blog, where you can look to find information on new - or even old - music, songs, albums, records, etc.  This is a single-purpose blog.  I will be listening to the Top 500 albums of all time as ranked by Rolling Stone magazine, and discussing those - and only those - albums.  

There will not be any high-level music discussion, just simply my thoughts on each album, from 500 to 1, including items like my favorite song, my least favorite song, I have I heard the album before, would I listen to it again, and do I think that album was overranked, underranked or appropriately ranked.

This is likely going to take me a long time to complete, but hey, I still get to listen to a lot of great albums, and hopefully find some to which I had not previously been exposed. 

Anyway - welcome and enjoy.