planetneutral's Master Rating Log 2021- - Music Diaries

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.

planetneutral Profile

planetneutral Master Rating Log ID#: 00767
Rating Date: 2021-02-20

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Southeastern by Jason Isbell
Year of Release: 2013

Rating: 75

Posted comment: Some intensely personal and strong songwriting. Doesn't really appeal to me musically.

Notes: I see some comments making a Heartbreaker comparison. I get it. But I think the covers tell the difference pretty effectively. #teamheartbreaker

Included in...
Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums? 2003: N 2012: N 2020: #458
1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die (repeatedly revised 2005-2018)? N
1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die (2008)? N
planetneutral's music collection? N
planetneutral's Decade list (min. 70 rating)? #13 of 21

Rating metadata
Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums 2020 rating order: #465 of 500 (93.0% of all items rated - avg. 77.1)
Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums 2003/2012/2020 Combined List rating order: #490 of 692 (70.8% of all items rated - avg. 76.8 )
1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die 2005/2013/2017/2018 Combined List rating order: n/a of 1,078 (53.0% of all items rated - avg. 74.2)
1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die rating order: n/a of 1,000 (21.3% of all items rated - avg. 79.5)

planetneutral Profile

planetneutral Master Rating Log ID#: 00768
Rating Date: 2021-02-20

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Man On The Moon: The End Of Day by Kid Cudi
Year of Release: 2009

Rating: 65

Posted comment: Didn't care for this at all on the first pass. But after a late night listen, I'd say it has its moments.

Notes:

Included in...
Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums? 2003: N 2012: N 2020: #459
1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die (repeatedly revised 2005-2018)? N
1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die (2008)? N
planetneutral's music collection? N
planetneutral's Decade list (min. 70 rating)? N

Rating metadata
Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums 2020 rating order: #466 of 500 (93.2% of all items rated - avg. 77.1)
Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums 2003/2012/2020 Combined List rating order: #491 of 692 (71.0% of all items rated - avg. 76.8 )
1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die 2005/2013/2017/2018 Combined List rating order: n/a of 1,078 (53.0% of all items rated - avg. 74.2)
1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die rating order: n/a of 1,000 (21.3% of all items rated - avg. 79.5)

planetneutral Profile

planetneutral Master Rating Log ID#: 00769
Rating Date: 2021-02-20

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Group Sex by Circle Jerks
Year of Release: 2009

Rating: 80

Posted comment: The 12YO version of me that listened to this over and over on cassette would have sworn this compact little gem was longer than 15 minutes.

Notes: Listen inspired by Ryan's all-time chart and its appearance as COTD. That this particular album has a log # ending in 69 is a coincidence, I swear.

Included in...
Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums? 2003: N 2012: N 2020: N
1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die (repeatedly revised 2005-2018)? Y
1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die (2008)? N
planetneutral's music collection? N (I had this on cassette.)
planetneutral's Decade list (min. 70 rating)? #35 of 93

Rating metadata
Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums 2020 rating order: n/a of 500 (93.2% of all items rated - avg. 77.1)
Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums 2003/2012/2020 Combined List rating order: n/a of 692 (71.0% of all items rated - avg. 76.8 )
1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die 2005/2013/2017/2018 Combined List rating order: #572 of 1,078 (53.1% of all items rated - avg. 74.2)
1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die rating order: n/a of 1,000 (21.3% of all items rated - avg. 79.5)

planetneutral Profile

planetneutral Master Rating Log ID#: 00770
Rating Date: 2021-02-20

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Melodrama by Lorde
Year of Release: 2017

Rating: 65

Posted comment: Beyond the opener, none of these songs excite me like the best songs from the first album.

Notes:

Included in...
Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums? 2003: N 2012: N 2020: #460
1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die (repeatedly revised 2005-2018)? N
1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die (2008)? N
planetneutral's music collection? N
planetneutral's Decade list (min. 70 rating)? N

Rating metadata
Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums 2020 rating order: #467 of 500 (93.4% of all items rated - avg. 77.1)
Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums 2003/2012/2020 Combined List rating order: #492 of 692 (71.1% of all items rated - avg. 76.8 )
1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die 2005/2013/2017/2018 Combined List rating order: n/a of 1,078 (53.1% of all items rated - avg. 74.2)
1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die rating order: n/a of 1,000 (21.3% of all items rated - avg. 79.5)

planetneutral Profile

planetneutral Master Rating Log ID#: 00771
Rating Date: 2021-02-20

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For Emma, Forever Ago by Bon Iver
Year of Release: 2008

Rating: 80

Posted comment: I'm not saying they're all great songs, but I like how this album feels.

Notes:

Included in...
Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums? 2003: N 2012: N 2020: #461
1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die (repeatedly revised 2005-2018)? N
1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die (2008)? N
planetneutral's music collection? N
planetneutral's Decade list (min. 70 rating)? #10 of 54

Rating metadata
Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums 2020 rating order: #468 of 500 (93.6% of all items rated - avg. 77.1)
Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums 2003/2012/2020 Combined List rating order: #493 of 692 (71.2% of all items rated - avg. 76.8 )
1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die 2005/2013/2017/2018 Combined List rating order: n/a of 1,078 (53.1% of all items rated - avg. 74.2)
1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die rating order: n/a of 1,000 (21.3% of all items rated - avg. 79.5)

planetneutral Profile

planetneutral Master Rating Log ID#: 00772
Rating Date: 2021-02-21

3 + 3 by The Isley Brothers
Year of Release: 1973

Rating: 80

Posted comment: It's half covers, but those are some great songs they're interpreting, and these guys get why the music matters as much as the vocals.

Notes: I'll just note here that an album rated 80 would easily make any decade list OTHER than the 70s, which is clearly the epicenter of my musical universe.

Included in...
Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums? 2003: N 2012: N 2020: #464
1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die (repeatedly revised 2005-2018)? Y
1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die (2008)? N
planetneutral's music collection? N
planetneutral's Decade list (min. 70 rating)? N

Rating metadata
Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums 2020 rating order: #470 of 500 (94.0% of all items rated - avg. 77.1)
Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums 2003/2012/2020 Combined List rating order: #495 of 692 (71.5% of all items rated - avg. 76.8 )
1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die 2005/2013/2017/2018 Combined List rating order: #573 of 1,078 (53.2% of all items rated - avg. 74.2)
1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die rating order: n/a of 1,000 (21.3% of all items rated - avg. 79.5)

planetneutral Profile

planetneutral Master Rating Log ID#: 00773
Rating Date: 2021-02-21

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Best Of The Classic Years by King Sunny Adé
Year of Release: 2003

Rating: 70

Posted comment: Charming enough, but it's very mellow for "party music" and nothing really stands out to me.

Notes: No idea what would make this the definitive collection of King Sunny Adé, such that it would garner enough voting traffic to be included on a purportedly crowdsourced Rolling Stone list. I'm the only BEA user to even rate it.

Included in...
Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums? 2003: N 2012: N 2020: #465
1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die (repeatedly revised 2005-2018)? N
1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die (2008)? N
planetneutral's music collection? N
planetneutral's Decade list (min. 70 rating)? N (No comps.)

Rating metadata
Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums 2020 rating order: #471 of 500 (94.2% of all items rated - avg. 77.0)
Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums 2003/2012/2020 Combined List rating order: #496 of 692 (71.7% of all items rated - avg. 76.8 )
1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die 2005/2013/2017/2018 Combined List rating order: n/a of 1,078 (53.2% of all items rated - avg. 74.2)
1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die rating order: n/a of 1,000 (21.3% of all items rated - avg. 79.5)

planetneutral Profile

planetneutral Master Rating Log ID#: 00774
Rating Date: 2021-02-22

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The Beach Boys Today! by The Beach Boys
Year of Release: 2003

Rating: 65

Posted comment: Some likable songs and emerging signs of genius, but the sequence is divided between upbeat tunes and ballads in a way that makes it hard for me to enjoy as an album proper.

Notes: I struggled with an astounding ability to tune this album out completely, particularly by the time I hit the slower half. I must have spun it half a dozen times and had basically no opinion because I couldn't even remember the songs I'd just heard.

Included in...
Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums? 2003: #270 2012: #271 2020: #466
1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die (repeatedly revised 2005-2018)? Y
1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die (2008)? N
planetneutral's music collection? N
planetneutral's Decade list (min. 70 rating)? N

Rating metadata
Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums 2020 rating order: #472 of 500 (94.4% of all items rated - avg. 77.0)
Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums 2003/2012/2020 Combined List rating order: #497 of 692 (71.8% of all items rated - avg. 76.7)
1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die 2005/2013/2017/2018 Combined List rating order: #574 of 1,078 (53.2% of all items rated - avg. 74.2)
1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die rating order: n/a of 1,000 (21.3% of all items rated - avg. 79.5)

Last edited by planetneutral on 02/23/2021 02:07; edited 1 time in total

planetneutral Profile

So I'm definitely appreciating the increased swiftness with which posting my comments in this diary generates "unhelpful" votes on those comments. And it's cool. Those votes will get there eventually anyway. I know I don't like some people's sacred cows. I grapple with my most of my less-than-ultra-enthusiastic ratings, because I know someone loves that album and that matters to me. But I have to be honest with myself first. Otherwise, what's the point, right?

As a net-unhelpful person with 700+ comments in place, I do regularly wonder if it wouldn't make more sense to just call the up/down voting "Like" and "Unlike." So it can be more honest and people can just express that they don't like an opinion, rather than having to be confined to calling it unhelpful. Which makes no sense since most people voting thusly would seem to already have an opinion and, well, not need the commenter's help. But I'm sure I'm not the first person to suggest this...

RoundTheBend I miss the comfort in being sad Profile
Ground Control

planetneutral wrote:

So I'm definitely appreciating the increased swiftness with which posting my comments in this diary generates "unhelpful" votes on those comments. And it's cool. Those votes will get there eventually anyway. I know I don't like some people's sacred cows. I grapple with my most of my less-than-ultra-enthusiastic ratings, because I know someone loves that album and that matters to me. But I have to be honest with myself first. Otherwise, what's the point, right?

As a net-unhelpful person with 700+ comments in place, I do regularly wonder if it wouldn't make more sense to just call the up/down voting "Like" and "Unlike." So it can be more honest and people can just express that they don't like an opinion, rather than having to be confined to calling it unhelpful. Which makes no sense since most people voting thusly would seem to already have an opinion and, well, not need the commenter's help. But I'm sure I'm not the first person to suggest this...

My favorite thing is when someone leaves a positive comment but a garbage rating... the sheep don't know what to do with it, so they move on. 🤣