planetneutral's Master Rating Log 2021-

planetneutral · 2020-12-30T14:04:16-05:00

Sometime in the era of 2009ish, my wife gave me a copy of the original edition of 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. Like so many foolhardy list-obsessed music enthusiasts, I began an endeavor to listen my way through it. You've heard a similar story in this forum many times before I'm sure. It didn't start well. In August of 2009, a mere eight albums into my effort, the library I work in flooded completely, burying my office in liquid sewage and putting an end to my new practice of sitting in my office listening to CDs. In 2010, I started to keep a rating log on RYM, combining my general listening and half-assed effort to work through the book. - https://rateyourmusic.com/list/planetneutral/planetneutrals-master-rating-log (I stopped using this list for a while. I'm working on catching it up.) I also kept a log specifically related to the 1001 Albums book. - https://rateyourmusic.com/list/planetneutral/chronicle-of-the-1001-albums-you-must-hear-before-you-die (This is up-to-date.) And I picked up a copy of 1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die, which had enough parallels with the 1001 Albums book that I figured I might as well track my progress through both. https://rateyourmusic.com/list/planetneutral/chronicle-of-1_000-recordings-to-hear-before-you-die (Up-to-date.) The 2010 listening effort only lasted until April, the travails of library flood recovery dominating my attention. And it was totally backburnered until 2016, when I started really focusing on the original Dimery 1001 Albums book, using a spreadsheet list and a random number generator to make selections. By this point, I was also tracking revisions to the Dimery list. My current spreadsheet lists all 1,076 albums that I know that have been included in at least one edition. I had two good runs of listening between Jan. 2016 and Apr. 2018. But I was starting to have real problems with the Dimery book, namely that it was almost comically Anglophile. Could I really justify listening to three Dexys Midnight Runners albums? Did I really need to commit to three Blur albums? Or every single thing Brian Eno ever touched? Was I giving too much of my limited lifespan to this guy's musical worldview? I decided that the answer to the last question was yes and so I just stopped, 380 albums into my effort. The last album I reviewed in 2018 was Tanto Tempo by Bebel Gilberto, which I described as "Deeply unremarkable." And I thought that would be the end of the story. I shifted my hobbyist attention away from album listening and into building out Spotify playlists, like my 770+ song 1980s A-Z playlist. But then something unanticipated happened, when my friend announced he was going to listen to the new 2020 edition of the Rolling Stone 500 album countdown. He started at #1, which I completely bristled at, especially since he didn't seem very inspired by the top ten. ("It's all downhill from here!" I protested fruitlessly.) But I realized it was someone close to me, who was taking on my kind of project. So I decided to join him and, in so doing, continue with the other two book-driven lists that I had been tracking. So I am currently about 2/3 of the way through the Rolling Stone list (which my friend abandoned around #50 :o) and, with the new year, thought I'd try to start chronicling my listening here at BEA. I'm a little intimidated since the people in this space take their chronicling and rating and reviewing seriously and I'm kind of a doofus with really mainstream taste and a limited attention span (courtesy of three tech-enabled children, age 10-15). I generally like things and generally listen to things I expect to like. At the time of this post, my mean rating is 75 over 650+ ratings, with 70 being the mode. But part of the fun is that I'm growing a little impatient with the Rolling Stone list as we head toward the bottom, so this ride could get a little bumpy! The reviews I post as "comments" on BEA tend to be terse (despite the logorrhea of this intro post) and, if consensus of the BEA audience is any guide, unhelpful/unpopular. I will probably use this diary context to offer more informal commentary and notes from my listening experience. We'll see. Just wanted to try keeping track of stuff here and see what happens. I'm not especially thoughtful, attentive, or critical. I'm not looking to be convinced not to like something that I find joy in, but I'd love to have people encourage me to reconsider my negative takes. I mostly want to have motivation to keep going. And the reality for me is that documentation is a double-edged sword as it fuels my hobbyistic tendencies, but keeping up with a diary does increase the overhead of the actual listening. My current overall chart: Top 100 Greatest Music Albums by planetneutral Here's one attempt-in-progress to put words to my ratings, which I switched to BEA's scale relatively early on: 100 - Beyond objective consideration. Either basically flawless or containing so much 100+ material that it overcomes any shortcomings. 95 - Important to me, but just slightly out of the 100 league or flawed in some way I can't overlook. 90 - Generally speaking, the highest rating an album will receive if it has no personal resonance for me. Would have to be a significant first experience for me to rate an album of new-to-me music higher than this. 85 - The flawed version of 90. 80 - Genuinely compelling to me. (I consider anything at this score or above worth your time to listen to at least once.) 75 - I liked it+ 70 - I liked it 65 - OK+ 60 - OK 55 - A hint of something redeeming. 50 - Meh. 45 and below - Increasing levels of dislike. I have yet to rate anything below 15. I claim no consistency and surely go through periods where I am more or less enthusiastic in general. Rating is always about how the material meets the mood. This log only chronicles first listens, but it is rare for me to change rating on a re-listen. Thanks for actually reading this far. I intend to start using this diary on 1/1/2021, although I might tinker with a test post or two before then.

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Avalon by Roxy Music

planetneutral Master Rating Log ID#: 00658
Rating Date: 2021-01-04

Included in...
Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums (2003/2012/2020)? #336
1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die (2005/2013/2017/2018)? N
1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die (2008)? Y
planetneutral's music collection? N

Rating: 75

Posted comment: I think it's a sign of growing old that I like this album, which I can't imagine 15, 20 or even 30-year-old me saying.

Notes: I was unimpressed by what happened between the first two Roxy Music albums, so my expectations were honestly pretty low this far down the line and this was a pleasant surprise.

Rating metadata
Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums 2020 rating order: #363 of 500 (72.6% of all items rated)
Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums 2003/2012/2020 Combined List rating order: #385 of 686 (56.1% of all items rated)
1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die 2005/2013/2017/2018 Combined List rating order: n/a of 1,076 (49.7% of all items rated)
1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die rating order: #183 of 1,000 (18.32% of all items rated)

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John Wesley Harding by Bob Dylan

planetneutral Master Rating Log ID#: 00659
Rating Date: 2021-01-05

Included in...
Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums (2003/2012/2020)? #337
1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die (2005/2013/2017/2018)? N
1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die (2008)? N
planetneutral's music collection? CD

Rating: 80

Posted comment: This was never one of the 60s Dylan albums that spoke to me at the next level, but it's still well worthwhile.

Notes: Has Dylan ever commented on the band's use of the name Judas Priest? This interview suggests not. https://eddietrunk.com/judas-priests-ro...re-garden/

Rating metadata
Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums 2020 rating order: #364 of 500 (72.8% of all items rated)
Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums 2003/2012/2020 Combined List rating order: #386 of 686 (56.3% of all items rated)
1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die 2005/2013/2017/2018 Combined List rating order: n/a of 1,076 (49.7% of all items rated)
1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die rating order: n/a of 1,000 (18.32% of all items rated)

planetneutral Profile

Rhythm Nation 1814 by Janet Jackson

planetneutral Master Rating Log ID#: 00660
Rating Date: 2021-01-05

Included in...
Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums (2003/2012/2020)? #339
1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die (2005/2013/2017/2018)? Y
1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die (2008)? N
planetneutral's music collection? N

Rating: 75

Posted comment: Runs a little long and loses a little steam by the end, but Ms. Jackson strung together a bunch of undeniable bangers on this one.

Notes: Completely stunned that Love Will Never Do was the 7th single from this album. I mean, I know it doesn't necessarily mean that they thought it was the seventhmost-single-friendly track, but seriously?

Rating metadata
Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums 2020 rating order: #365 of 500 (73.0% of all items rated)
Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums 2003/2012/2020 Combined List rating order: #387 of 686 (56.4% of all items rated)
1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die 2005/2013/2017/2018 Combined List rating order: #536 of 1,076 (49.8% of all items rated)
1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die rating order: n/a of 1,000 (18.32% of all items rated)

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Siamese Dream by The Smashing Pumpkins

planetneutral Master Rating Log ID#: 00661
Rating Date: 2021-01-07

Included in...
Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums (2003/2012/2020)? #341
1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die (2005/2013/2017/2018)? Y
1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die (2008)? N
planetneutral's music collection? N

Rating: 80

Posted comment: I like a number of the songs on this highly regarded album, but nothing else hits me like the first track.

Notes: Another band I probably should have been more into during their heyday. I know the singles well, but I didn't really listen to them on an album level. I gave this more spins than I give most albums I'm rating. But that's less a sign of enjoyment and more a sign of uncertainty about my opinion and a desire to unearth the album's charms (given the high regard and general alignment with my tastes from at least one significant portion of my life).

Rating metadata
Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums 2020 rating order: #366 of 500 (73.2% of all items rated)
Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums 2003/2012/2020 Combined List rating order: #388 of 686 (56.6% of all items rated)
1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die 2005/2013/2017/2018 Combined List rating order: #537 of 1,076 (49.9% of all items rated)
1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die rating order: n/a of 1,000 (18.32% of all items rated)

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Let It Be by The Beatles

planetneutral Master Rating Log ID#: 00662
Rating Date: 2021-01-07

Included in...
Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums (2003/2012/2020)? #342
1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die (2005/2013/2017/2018)? N
1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die (2008)? N
planetneutral's music collection? CD

Rating: 85

Posted comment: The Beatles' half-ass is better than most bands' try-hard.

Notes: People like to talk about The Long and Winding Road as the "one good track" or whatever. Not even remotely one of my favorites.

Rating metadata
Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums 2020 rating order: #367 of 500 (73.4% of all items rated)
Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums 2003/2012/2020 Combined List rating order: #389 of 686 (56.7% of all items rated)
1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die 2005/2013/2017/2018 Combined List rating order: n/a of 1,076 (49.9% of all items rated)
1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die rating order: n/a of 1,000 (18.32% of all items rated)

planetneutral Profile

Greatest Hits by Sly & The Family Stone
planetneutral Master Rating Log ID#: 00663
Rating Date: 2021-01-07

Included in...
Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums (2003/2012/2020)? #343
1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die (2005/2013/2017/2018)? N
1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die (2008)? N
planetneutral's music collection? N

Rating: 85

Posted comment: A retrospective where two of the best tracks were brand new, this is about as entertaining a collection of Sly tracks as I can imagine assembling.

Notes: This is the third Sly album in this countdown so far and they've gotten more enjoyable the further away from the top of the list I go.

Rating metadata
Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums 2020 rating order: #368 of 500 (73.6% of all items rated)
Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums 2003/2012/2020 Combined List rating order: #390 of 686 (56.9% of all items rated)
1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die 2005/2013/2017/2018 Combined List rating order: n/a of 1,076 (49.9% of all items rated)
1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die rating order: n/a of 1,000 (18.32% of all items rated)

Last edited by planetneutral on 01/09/2021 05:12; edited 1 time in total

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Funky Kingston by Toots & The Maytals
planetneutral Master Rating Log ID#: 00663
Rating Date: 2021-01-08

Included in...
Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums (2003/2012/2020)? #344
1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die (2005/2013/2017/2018)? N
1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die (2008)? N (Note: This list features the combined Funky Kingston/In the Dark 2003 single CD release, which uses the original 1972 Funky Kingston tracklist, along with the complete In the Dark album and the Pressure Drop single.)
planetneutral's music collection? N

Rating: 90

Posted comment: The 1975 US release, essentially a two-album compilation, includes one of my all-time favorite singles in Pressure Drop and is pretty much everything I'd want in a classic reggae album.

Notes: This is one of the examples where BEA's inability to handle releases with different tracklists under the same title is an enormous shortcoming. The Rolling Stone list is clearly referencing the 1975 US release, so that's what I'm rating. Either way, this album is way under-recognized amongst the membership of this site.

Rating metadata
Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums 2020 rating order: #369 of 500 (73.8% of all items rated)
Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums 2003/2012/2020 Combined List rating order: #391 of 686 (56.9% of all items rated)
1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die 2005/2013/2017/2018 Combined List rating order: n/a of 1,076 (49.9% of all items rated)
1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die rating order: n/a of 1,000 (18.32% of all items rated)

Last edited by planetneutral on 01/09/2021 06:01; edited 2 times in total

Mercury Turn your back on the pay-you-back last call Profile
St. Louis

Yes! This is amazing! So happy to see you live it too.
_________________
-Ryan

ONLY 4% of people can understand this chart! Come try!

My Fave Metal - you won't believe #5!!!

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Mercury wrote:

Yes! This is amazing! So happy to see you live it too.

Caught me a little by surprise on the morning commute, which is an hour-long drive I haven't been doing all that much, since I have the ability to telework. I didn't know anything about the original vs US releases when I listened to it. I'm going to have to borrow that single-disc Funky Kingston/In the Dark release (that I mentioned in the rating post) from the library where I work, as I can't seem to find any other way to listen to the original 1972 track order.

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The Wild, The Innocent & The E Street Shuffle by Bruce Springsteen
planetneutral Master Rating Log ID#: 00665
Rating Date: 2021-01-09

Included in...
Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums (2003/2012/2020)? #345
1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die (2005/2013/2017/2018)? N
1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die (2008)? N
planetneutral's music collection? N

Rating: 70

Posted comment: You can hear the Astral Weeks influence, especially on the last track, but a pretty weak side A keeps this out of Bruce's upper echelon.

Notes: Fifth Springsteen album on the Rolling Stone list.

Rating metadata
Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums 2020 rating order: #370 of 500 (74.0% of all items rated)
Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums 2003/2012/2020 Combined List rating order: #392 of 686 (57.1% of all items rated)
1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die 2005/2013/2017/2018 Combined List rating order: n/a of 1,076 (49.9% of all items rated)
1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die rating order: n/a of 1,000 (18.32% of all items rated)

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