2025 in 2025: Day 181

Up Your Alley - Joan Jett & The Blackhearts

Joan goes full on 80s rock here - and she nails it, of course. It is good hard rocking fun!

Highlights: I Hate Myself For Loving You, Tulane, Just Like in the Movies, Ridin' With James Dean

7.5/10

Urban Hymns - The Verve

For as much as Oasis are THE band that defines Britpop in the 90s, this album may have been the last great album of the era. It is equal parts psycadelic swagger and big epic ballads. Like, some of these songs are just massive. And awesome.

Highlights: The Rolling People, Sonnet, Bitter Sweet Symphony, Weeping Willow

8/10

Ursa Major - Third Eye Blind

This is my reminder to finally get the uncensored version of this album. This is always such a tough album for me; Arion missing on bass is sad and my initial thoughts on Tony as a guitarist and overall fit for the group were not high. And it does happen to feature the absolute worst 3EB song in existence (One In Ten). In fact, the whole middle section is pretty mediocre. The start and the endings? Oh, those are some of the best gawdamn songs on the planet! The vocal layering in Sharp Knife is absolute perfection.

Highlights: Sharp Knife, Bonfire, Don't Believe a Word, Can You Take Me

7.5/10

Use Your Illusion I - Guns N' Roses

Despite the online nonsense I seem to read these days, this album actually serves as a solid follow up to Appetite for Destruction; it is still pretty much the same sort of vibe, just a little bloated, but it is the more "fun hard rock" Use Your Illusion album. Only a couple of big epics on this one, and they are absolutely brilliant.

Highlights: Coma, Don't Cry (Original), November Rain, Bad Obsession

8/10

Use Your Illusion II - Guns N' Roses

Look, I did not want this to be the case... but... I think this may be GnR's strongest album. It is a helluva vibe! Angry bordering on punk rockers and massive sprawling epics with the tastiest guitar solos like Slash is playing a hot fudge sundae. And I am going to give 60% of the credit to Duff. He is my new rock'n roll hero.

Highlights: Estranged, You Could Be Mine, Civil War, Don't Cry (Alternate Lyrics), Locomotive

9/10

V is for 

The Vacation - The Vacation

Another $1 CD find - classic mid-00s raw rock, channeling fun and mindless 70s & 80s hard rock like AC/DC. Why do I have no AC/DC in my library? Does anyone else find that kind of weird?

Highlights: Trash, Make Up Your Mind, No Hard Feelings, W.I.I.F.M.

6.5/10

Vampire Weekend Covers - Ryan Adams

A dude I have issues with, recorded on social media covering songs by a band I do not know. Cool...

Highlights: short

4/10

Vampires (Paxam Singles Series, Vol. 3) - Ryan Adams

This feels like more of an EP than a single. And EP of stupid bullshit bookended by actual songs?

Highlights: Vampires

5/10

The Vault: Old Friends 4 Sale - Prince

Pretty sure these are basically unfinished songs... but are still pretty funky and a good time, for the most part. Definitely not a real Prince album, however.

Highlights: It's About That Walk, 5+ Women

6/10

Veni Vidi Vicious - The Hives

Even more raw and rebellious than Tyrannosaurus Hives. I do not believe any band personifies punk rock the way The Hives do.

Highlights: Die All Right!, Main Offender, The Hives-Introduce the Metric System In Time, Supply and Demand

7.5/10

Version - Mark Ronson

This is purely the jam with Amy Winehouse, Valerie. Bah gawd this is a jam.

10/10

Version 2.0 - Garbage

Much more of a polished pop album than their debut - a lot less darker, at least musically. A bit more of a focus on dancier beats and hooks. No idea what type of flying train Shirley Manson is riding from Tokyo to Los Angeles...

Highlights: Special, When I Grow Up, Push It, Temptation Waits

7.5/10

The Very Best of - Dolly Parton

I only have Jolene. I should have songs like 9 to 5, but we already know LOGMAN is lame...

8/10

The Very Best of - Hues Corporation

This is the only corporation you should be a part of. And the only song I have is Rock The Boat. Man, this song used to mess me up live. Too many random chords changes in the verses. But I sure did love going "Rock on with your badself!"

9/10

The Very Best of Bonnie Tyler - Bonnie Tyler

And by "Very Best of", I am specifically talking about Holding Out For a Hero and Total Eclipse of the Heart. The former always invokes images of Short Circuit 2. The latter is just an absolutely glorious power ballad of the highest extremes.

9/10

"Albums" listened to so far: 1785

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2025 in 2025: Day 180

Ultraviolence - Lana Del Rey

I recall being utterly disappointed in this album on release, but after revisiting it a few years later, I was actually quite drawn to it. And I think it has aged better than Born to Die, perhaps? There is a slightly different vibe, without being as boring and vapid as Honeymoon, and without making me actually listen to the album by choice on any given day...

Highlights: West Coast, Cruel World, Money Power Glory, Black Beauty

6.5/10

Under Construction - Missy Elliott

All the talking explaining the tracks is such a... choice. Sometimes pretty hilarious, but also breaks up the flow at times. But the bounce! Timbaland brought DA BOUNCE! And Missy's rhymes are all sorts of clever and engaging. 

Highlights: Gossip Folks, Work It, Bring the Pain, Can You Hear Me

7.5/10

Under Pressure - The Used & My Chemical Romance

There was a live version of this that was quite fun... in 2005, when I was mid-20s emo LOGMAN. Now I am mid-40s cool as a cucumber LOGMAN and I can still appreciate it somewhat, while also acknowledging that it is hilariously inferior to the original and should be deleted from existence.

4/10

Under Rug Swept - Alanis Morissette

I do wonder how this album could have ended up if Alanis had continued to collaborate with Glen Ballard; would he have helped to force more hooks? Or would he have upped the energy somewhat? Because this album is more relaxed than even MTV Unplugged and is more focused on what she wants to say than making hit songs.

Highlights: Surrendering, Narcissus, Hands Clean, Precious Illusions

7/10

Under the Iron Sea - Keane

Classic example of a band getting famous making sad music, but the follow-up music is suddenly much happier. So clearly being rich and famous suddenly improved their life. Fair enough! 

Highlights: Is It Any Wonder?, A Bad Dream

6/10

The Understanding - Memphis Bleek

I only have the song Is That Your Chick (The Lost Verses), because it features Jay-Z and Missy and when they performed it at Jay-Z's "retirement" shows, I thought it was pretty killer. Still do!

8/10

Undertow - Tool

There are so many cool riffs on this album - I wonder if I can remember how to play them? I might have to test that some day. Nineties Tool is the best Tool.

Highlights: 4 Degrees, Crawl Away, Bottom, Flood

8/10

Undiscovered - James Morrison

This album is surpisingly enjoyable; I was expecting something along the lines of Jamie Cullum, but instead Morrison's voice is very soulful and his lyrics decent. Adult jazz pop, but not so... white?

Highlights: Undiscovered, Better Man, One Last Chance

7/10

Unfinished Business - Jay-Z & R. Kelly

Outtakes from their misjudged collaboration. The funniest part is R. Kelly singing about their "world tour", like he was not expecting it to get cancelled halfway through. There is nothing here that is even close to being as offensive as found on their first album, so this may actually be better!

Highlights: We Got Em Goin', Mo' Money, Don't Let Me Die

5.5/10

The Unforgettables E.P. - MONOEYES

No lie - I was both excited and disappointed when this was released. Dude said he was writing The End of Yesterday like it would be his last album, and then five years later he was like 'Oh, I guess maybe I just meant with my best band - I will still make music with these inferior ones!'. And the whole EP rocks hard, so in my face, I guess...

Highlights: Ladybird, Atmosphere, The Unforgettables, Adrenaline

9/10

Unmasked - Kiss

Kiss turn into a cheesy 80s pop rock band and I love it for them. And then they needed Bryan Adams to come and make them rock harder. Make it make sense.

Highlights: Shandi, Tomorrow, Talk to Me, Two Sides of the Coin

8/10

Up All Night - Razorlight

This is the sound of a hungry, young indie band putting it all out there and capturing a sound and vibe they will never be able to repeat.

Highlights: Don't Go Back to Dalston, To the Sea, Rock'n Roll Lies, Rip It Up

7.5/10

Up the Bracket - The Libertines

Peter Doherty delivers his vocals likes he been up all night on coke and chugging a bottle of whiskey between takes. Electric guitars so raw and sloppy it sounds like he is on the verge of passing out. Acoustic guitar sounds like he is using some half broken piece of junk from a local secondhand store. Super solid drumming that somehow holds them all together. This album really captures that early-00s UK indie punk rock perfectly!

Highlights: Death on the Stairs, I Get Along, Up the Bracket, The Boy Looked at Johnny

8/10

UP to ME - BiSH

Just another average heavy idol single from the BiSH is OVER run. Genuinely nothing to write home about... so I will just keep it in the BLog.

Highlights: YOUTH, UP to ME

6.5/10

"Albums" listened to so far: 1770

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2025 in 2025: Day 179

Travelling Without Moving - Jamiroquai

This is where they started to crossover between their acid jazz roots and fun with a little bit of pop. But those basslines are still the funkiest thing since I got up and funked the funky.

Highlights: Alright, High Times, Travelling Without Moving, Cosmic Girl

7/10

The Trip 7 - Various Artists

This must have been the final in 'The Trip' series. Surely? I mean, grunge was dead by now and this contains some pretty terrible stuff that could not be considered alternative whatsoever. But there are a few tracks I had on my music video collection back in high school. Only a few. That dude from Ash was a terrible singer.

Highlights: In the Meantime - Spacehog, Deb's Night Out - Shihad, Bluster - Salt, Rude Awakening - Prong

6.5/10

Trip the Light Fantastic - Sophie Ellis-Bextor

This is an album I forget about, but it is fairly solid and features many a disco beat. The slower ballad-type songs are also quite enjoyable.

Highlights: Can't Have It All, What Have We Started?, If You Go, If I Can't Dance

7/10

Tron: Legacy (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) - Daft Punk

One of the best film scores possible. Rather dark and brooding, with a dash of electronica thrown in. It really is the most electronic of musical pieces that are the strongest.

Highlights: Derezzed, Tron Legacy (End Titles), Arena, Nocturne

7/10

TROUBLE - Ayumi Hamasaki

Normally Ayu mini-albums/E.P.s are almost perfect and amazing, but this one is a bit average in parts. Which is not helped by her voice being run ragged from excessive touring and hearing problems. Ends spectacularly, however. I would have loved 2012 Ayu to record these songs instead.

Highlights: The way I am, W, aeternal

8.5/10

Trouble Walkin' - Ace Frehley

This album is so much better than it had any right being. And that is really saying something, coming from a massive Ace Frehley fan like me. I have written at length as to how much I love this album, yet I do not think I could ever convey it well enough. RIP Spaceman!!!

Highlights: Five Card Stud, Fractured III, Do Ya, Hide Your Heart

10/10

True - Spandau Ballet

It is only the title track and I am sitting here wondering how or why I have three copies of this song in different "albums"...

9/10

Turnstiles - Billy Joel

I am not saying this is peak Billy Joel, but it certainly is a solid album and conveys his best aspects. This album needs a genuine remix. Strangely, half of the song titles feature some place in the USA. Maybe it is a concept album about a dude on a road trip and he is recounting what was going on?

Highlights: Prelude/Angry Young Man, Miami 2017 (I've Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway), Say Goodbye to Hollywood, New York State of Mind

7.5/10

Twelve Stops & Home - The Feeling

Just straight up cheesy love songs and all-round fun pop rock. And I love it for that! They are all so masterfully crafted. 

Highlights: Fill My Little World, Love It When You Call, Strange, Never Be Lonely

8/10

Twentieth Century - Cold Chisel

There is somewhat of a punk influence in some of these tracks, but it also features one of their most iconic ballads and some of the best singing Barnesy did while in this group.

Highlights: Saturday Night, Flame Trees, No Sense, Only One

7/10

Twentysomething - Jamie Cullum

Perfect background music while you are waiting in the reception of your real estate agent's office. I might not call them the worst cover songs ever, but he sure was trying his best!

Highlights: the whitest way to listen to Jimi Hendrix

5/10

#TWICE - TWICE

The Japanese EP of early TWICE singles. Because it was super cheap and I had no idea who TWICE was in 2017 - this EP sure changed that. Now I am far too used to hearing these songs in their native Korean, but it is still the funnest 15 minutes of your life.

Highlights: CHEER UP (Japanese Ver.), KNOCK KNOCK (Japanese Ver.), Like OOH-AHH (Japanese Ver.)

8.5/10

Twisted Angel - LeaAnn Rimes

I only have the single Life Goes On. But two versions of it, because I am extra cool like that. I should probably just keep the non-country version, but we all know LOGMAN does not play like that...

Highlights: Life Goes On [Almighty Mix], Life Goes On

8/10

TWISTER - NICO Touches the Walls

They call this an EP, yet it is longer than some albums I have. Oh, I see - there is a bonus disc of the EP in acoustic form. The first half is definitely the better way to go!

Highlights: VIBRIO VULNIFICUS, SHOW, FRITTER, 来世で逢いましょう [Acoustic ver.]

6.5/10

Two Fires - Jimmy Barnes

This album is actually way better than I even remember it to be - a real solid blend of R&B with Barnesy's style of rock. Big hooks all over the show!

Highlights: When Your Love is Gone, Fade to Black, Sister Mercy, Little Darling

8/10

Tyrannosaurus Hives - The Hives

This is punk rock.

Highlights: Antidote, Abra Cadaver, B is for Brutus, Two-Timing Touch and Broken Bones

9/10

"Albums" listened to so far: 1756

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2025 in 2025: Day 178

Tracks - PASSPO☆

My self-made compilation that I spoke about in length. Go read that and let me mourn their disbanding in peace!

Highlights: Tracks, バスタブ, サンキュバースデイ♪, Musical Party, 少女飛行 [5th Anniversary Version]

8/10

Traction - Supergroove

This album is so strangely mixed; they are predominantly a funk and ska band, yet the guitars are mixed WAY up the front, to the point where the vocals sound like they are behind a wall., and that snare has some seriously humongous reverb. And I cannot say I am a fan of the guitar tone at all. But the groove sure is... super. Thank you, I will be here all the time listening to my never-ending iTunes library...

Highlights: Can't Get Enough, Next Time, 

7/10

Tracy Chapman - Tracy Chapman

Talk about soul! Tales of living less than good lives; heartache, abuse, fighting for a better life and just wanting to get away from it all.

Highlights: Fast Car, Baby Can I Hold You, Talkin' Bout a Revolution, Scorpio Girls, You Gotta Know

7/10

Trampoline - The Mavericks

I have only the one song - Dance the Night Away. Pretty they really only have one song, right? People love hearing this song live, for some reason.

7.5/10

Transformers: History of Music 1984-1990 - Various Artists

This is a MASSIVE compilation of all the music used in the Japanese anime adaptations of The Transformers. Every piece of music is here, from opening and closing themes to incidental music and karaoke versions. This compilation originally included a song by PSYCHIC LOVER and was my first real introduction to Japanese pop & rock music! Basically, where I am in life now can all be traced back to watching the Headmasters & Victory anime shows... Some of the main themes are very cool and a bit funky, but I think we can all agree that some of these are completely unnecessary.

Highlights: The Headmasters, You Are A Transformer, Transformer V, Theme of Transformer Z

6.5/10

The Transformers: The Movie (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) - Various Artists

I refuse there to believe there could possibly be an album that is more 80s rock than this. Vince DiCola's score is pretty darn epic, too - his use of odd time signatures is very compelling.

Highlights: The Touch - Stan Bush, Dare - Stan Bush, The Transformers (Theme) - Lion, Nothin's Gonna Stand in Our Way - Spectre General

9/10

Trash We'd Love - the HIATUS

細美さん still sounds like his ELLEGARDEN days here, vocally. Lyrically it is worlds away! But this album is still the closest kind of bridge between the two bands, while sounding very different. It goes pretty hard. My man was clearly working through some stuff, but it made for more of a serious emo kind of thing. Wow I actually forgot how intense this album gets.

Highlights: 紺碧の夜に, Silver Birch, Storm Racers, Ghost in the Rain

8.5/10

The Traveling Wilburys Collection (Deluxe Edition) - The Traveling Wilburys

These are the bonus tracks from the big re-release. They are fine, but I just do not like having them tacked onto the end of otherwise perfect albums.

Highlights: Maxine, Like a Ship

6/10

The Traveling Wilburys, Vol. 1 - The Traveling Wilburys

This albums is such a fine continuation of what George Harrison and Jeff Lynne were doing on Cloud 9. Just with added input from other experts in their field. I would make a comment about them all being old men, but I am the same age now as Harrison was at the time...

Highlights: End of the Line, Heading for the Light, Tweeter and the Monkey Man, Handle with Care

8.5/10

The Traveling Wilburys, Vol. 3 - The Traveling Wilburys

Less of a polished pop rock record and more of a roots/country rock record, in my opinion. But, given the players involved, it is right in their Q-Zone and they sound like they are having a lot of fun. 

Highlights: Inside Out, Poor House, Wilbury Twist, Cool Dry Place

7.5/10

"Albums" listened to so far: 1740

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2025 in 2025: Day 177

Together Alone - Crowded House

This album is almost a bit more experimental than every other Crowded House album. Certainly more adventurous; some of the songs have a bit more teeth to them, while others just veer off into jamming and traditional Polynesian rhythms and drumming and singing. 

Highlights: Distant Sun, Locked Out, In My Command, Fingers of Love

7.5/10

Together Alone [Deluxe Edition] - Crowded House

Home demos, band demos, writing demos - we got all your demos! And a couple of live tracks and alternate mixes. It is almost comical to think this is how Private Universe could have ended up sounding like. 

Highlights: Black and White Boy [Early Rough Mix], Tail of Comet [Live], Fingers of Love [Alternate Studio Take]

6.5/10

Tokyo Girl [Single] - Perfume

The end theme to my favourite drama. I have to listen to this every time I go see Tokyo Tower for that very reason. Honestly, though, those verses are so fantastic... but the chorus is just typical Perfume. 

Highlights: Tokyo Girl, 宝石の雨

8.5/10

Tommyland: The Ride - Tommy Lee

If he had never been in Mötley Crüe, Tommy Lee probably could have been a popular radio rock guy. Like, there is nothing on here worse than Nickelback. In fact, the dude from Nickelback is here, too! I just read the credits and there are some hilarious features. I actually quite enjoy this, for the most part!

Highlights: Makin' Me Crazy, Tryin' to Be Me, Good Times, Sister Mary

7/10

Too Fast For Love - Mötley Crüe

From the best member of The Crüe, to their debut album! 

If I remember correctly, a couple of friends bought me this on cassette back when I was like 11 or something. I think it may have been the first Mötley Crüe album I actually owned! Live Wire is awesome. Come On and Dance is pretty cool - that classic cowbell is kinda funny, as are the bad harmonies. I guess Vince was easily the best singer in the band at this stage (which is funny because 45 years later he is probably the worst and has been for like 25 years). I have always dug Public Enemy #1, even if it has absolutely nothing to do with the band Public Enemy. Which was very disappointing to 11 year-old LOGMAN. It has a real 70's rock vibe. Merry-Go-Round is some sort of power ballad wannabe, but cannot be taken seriously because it sounds like Vince is singing "Mewwy go wound and wound". Take Me to the Top may have been the first song on the album I liked? And then there is Piece of Your Action which is just badassery. Possibly the most "Mötley Crüe" song on the album. And also possibly the first Mötley Crüe guitar solo I attempted to learn (I didn't understand what slide guitar was). Actually the last half of this album is awesome; Starry Eyes is dark and moody (you can tell, because there is a gong strike), Too Fast For Love is good times with gang-vocals chorus fun, and On With the Show is actually a very good power ballad (complete with hilarity where Mick Mars gets out of time double-tracking his guitar, and then just repeats his solos about 40 times throughout the song). A very strong debut album. I was today years-old when I really understood that this is much more of a 70's rock influenced affair - very Cheap Trick meets Sweet in an Aerosmith tribute show. And Vince sounds squeaky. Man, time flies when you are having fun!

Highlights: Piece of Your Action, Starry Eyes, Live Wire, Take Me to the Top

8.5/10

Too Legit to Quit - MC Hammer

Look, the songs are mostly too long and there was no need for the super slow songs in the middle. And a downbeat song with no real groove should not go over 8 minutes. Now all that said... THIS ALBUM GOES HARD! The pop stuff just goes off, the gospel is next level, and everything in between is just awesome - and this is not nostalgia driven, either, because I had no love for this album back in 1991. I grew up and got wise. You should, too! The title track is the most head-rocking foot stomping hip-hop track in my library.

Highlights: 2 Legit 2 Quit, Find Yourself a Friend, Do Not Pass Me By, Count It Off, This is the Way We Roll

8/10

Too Tight - MC Hammer

Oh we just going with Hammer today? The man rolled up to Death Row and put together an album so good... it never got released. Which is a shame, because this album a serious groove. The fake radio skits are such a cliche of the times, and because it is Hammer, everything is just a bit too long. Sometimes a lot too long. But the collabs with dudes like Tupac are better than you could have imagined.

Highlights: Too Late Playa, Unconditional Love, Hammertime Brings It, Get Up

7/10

Too-Rye-Ay - Dexy's Midnight Runners

This is just Come On Eileen, because at least give me some of my 80s cred!

8/10

The Top - The Cure

Robert Smith goes insane from doing too many drugs, and puts it all to music... while doing a lot of drugs?

Highlights: Bananafishbones, Shake Dog Shake, The Caterpillar, The Top

6.5/10

Torn Down - The Cure

Another remix album. As essential as any remix album before it...

Highlights: Shake Dog Shake (New Blood Mix), A Night Like This (Hello Goodbye Mix), It's Over (Whisper Mix)

6/10

Totally 80s - Various Artists

A very underwhelming compilation of 80s pop "hits" - would appear to be heavily British-influenced. British New Wave was better than a lot of their pop output. I should have more Go West in my library.

Highlights: We Close Our Eyes - Go West, Electric Avenue - Eddy Grant, Missing You - John Waite, Vienna - Ultravox, Respectable - Mel & Kim

7/10

Totally Krossed Out - Kriss Kross

These dorks with their backwards clothing sure made a few cool songs, namely Jump and Warm It Up. And that is about all I know when it comes to them.

8/10

Touch - Sarah McLachlan

Does this earn me back some 80s cred? Because boy howdy this sure has some big 80s reverb all over it. Feels like it is even more indie 80s alt than you would expect - I do not recall this even being mentioned in the Sarah McLachlan theory...

Highlights: Vox, Steaming

6.5/10

Touch - Eurythmics

Oooh an 80s album called Touch? This one came first! And is at its finest when it gets all dark and moody. The beats are so mesmerising and Annie Lennox's vocals are just divine.

Highlights: Here Comes the Rain Again, Who's That Girl?, Paint a Rumour, No Fear No Hate No Pain (No Broken Hearts), Aqua

7.5/10

Tougher Than Leather - Run-D.M.C.

I am in the minority, but this album is possibly my favourite hip-hop album of all time. ALL TIME. It just goes so damn hard from the start and never lets up. And they really lived up to the moniker of The Kings of Rock with this one. Honestly, I doubt I would love hip-hop the way I do if not for this album.

Highlights: Run's House, Mary Mary, Beats to the Rhyme, Radio Station, I'm Not Going Out Like That

10/10

Toys in the Attic - Aerosmith

Well, what a coinkidink! It is these guys and the original version of Walk This Way! This is their most consistent and solid outing from the 70s. Easily. That main riff to No More No More is so great and I wish I could remember how to play it.

Highlights: Sweet Emotion, Walk This Way, No More No More, Round and Round

8/10

"Albums" listened to so far: 1730

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2025 in 2025: Day 176

Three Imaginary Boys - The Cure

The Cure are one of my favourite bands of all time. Easily in my top 10. They have some incredibly epic albums full of emotion, but also effortlessly switch between pop rock fun and nihilistic despair. This album is nothing of the sort.

Highlights: Grinding Halt, Another Day, 10:15 Saturday Night, Three Imaginary Boys

6/10

Thriller - Michael Jackson

Hot take: this is not MJ's best album. However, Beat It and Billie Jean are just such phenomenal songs that it meant this album sold a bajillion copies. Dangerous and Bad do not feature awful collaborations with Paul McCartney, so they are infinitely better. The worst part is that other song he did with McCartney is actually a good song!

Highlights: Beat It, Billie Jean, Human Nature, Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'

8/10

Throwing Copper - Live

Every song is either Quiet LOUD Quiet, or Quiet Quiet LOUD. Except for Waitress - which is LOUD Quiet LOUD, for some weird reason. It is all fine and dandy, but nothing overly exceptional that has made me go out of my way to listen to this in the last 30 years.

Highlights: Top, Pillar of Davidson, White Discussion, Iris

7/10

Tidal - Fiona Apple

Fiona Apple is the lyricist Swifties think their cult leader is. I may appreciate her angst and subsequent vocal performance on When the Pawn... more, but boy howdy this album has some pretty deep emotions. 

Highlights: Criminal, Sullen Girl, Never is a Promise, Pale September

8/10

Tiffany - Tiffany

Sadly, I do not have the full album - just I Think We're Alone Now. I am not sure why I do not have at least the other singles. Because I am lame, that is why!

8/10

Time After Time - Cyndi Lauper

This is only The Goonies 'R' Good Enough - for obvious reasons! I should watch that movie again one day.

8/10

Timeless: New Recordings Honoring The Music Of Hank Williams - Various Artists

This is just Ryan Adams' cover of Lovesick Blues. He puts on his most irritating fake country voice for this one...

5/10

Tiny Music...Songs From The Vatican Gift Shop - Stone Temple Pilots

I love Weiland's voice on this album - he has gone for a bit more of a raspy glam rock kind of vibe and it really suits the way everything comes together, because musically it has bit of a glam rock vibe as well. Like, total peak art school Led Zeppelin tribute act vibes. And I mean that in the most complimentary of ways.

Highlights: Lady Picture Show, Trippin' On a Hole in a Paper Heart, Seven Caged Tigers, Tumble in the Rough

8/10

To the 5 Boroughs - Beastie Boys

Oh snap the boys are back! Just straight-up NYC hip-hop. War is bad. George W. Bush is a clown. Racism and bigotry are bad. Sampling Sonic Reducer is the greatest idea ever and I will forgive them for using it to tell me how great New York is.

Highlights: An Open Letter to NYC, Right Right Now Now, Rhyme the Rhyme Well, Time to Build

8.5/10

TO THE DREAM - The Tomboys

As indie as ever, but even more catchy. And fun. 

Highlights: Tell Me Why, I GOTTA GO, SATURDAY NIGHT

7/10

The The Extreme - Vanilla Ice

V.I.P. in the house! I unironically love still enjoy the enjoy the bejeebus out of this album; sure, the rhymes are corny, but there are plenty of James Brown samples, fun old school grooves, and Vanilla's silly rapping is part of the charm. I still need to find that third version of Play That Funky Music...

Highlights: Ice Ice Baby, Ice is Workin' It, Dancin', Go Ill

8/10

To Whom It May Concern - Lisa Marie Presley

Lisa Marie's debut album, featuring some pretty standard pop country rock stylings - kind of like a modern take on where her Dad left off, I guess? Some surprisingly decent songs to be found. I need to remember to give this a closer listen again some time...

Highlights: Lights Out, S.O.B., Nobody Noticed It, So Lovely

7/10

Today - George Harrison

Another George Harrison bootleg of randomness. Mostly collaborations and whatnot. And I have most of them on other albums? And I am not 100% convinced he actually performs on some of them. 

Highlights: Power to the People, Your True Love (Live - Carl Perkins' Memorial Service), Horse to the Water

6.5/10

Today (Legacy Edition) - Elvis Presley

One of The King's final albums and highly underrated; still not too dissimilar to the rest of his 70s output, but it is mostly fun and Elvis feels like he put a bit of effort it. The opening track is such an old school rock'n roll kind of groove, I cannot help but love it. The undubbed versions are not too different - except you can hear Elvis getting the giggles during Susan When She Tried.

Highlights: T-R-O-U-B-L-E, Pieces of My Life, Fairytale, Shake a Hand

7.5/10

"Albums" listened to so far: 1714

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2025 in 2025: Day 175

Their Greatest Hits: The Record - Bee Gees

I am not against the 60s hits at all - they are generally decent little pop numbers, and some of them are brilliant songs - but once this hits the latter end of disc one (the mid-70s), it is GAME ON! 

Highlights: Nights on Broadway, If I Can't Have You, You Should Be Dancing, More Than a Woman, Night Fever, You Win Again, Alone, For Whom the Bell Tolls

8/10

There's Only Now - Eskobar

This purely the song Someone New - a collaboration with Heather Nova. And this is peak Heather Nova awesomeness.

9/10

These Days - Bon Jovi

This is Richie Sambora at his most bluesiest - and the album peaks in places because of it. It also has fairly boring lows, but it is actually a better album than I remember. Or those great songs are greater than I remember...

Highlights: Something for the Pain, These Days, Something to Believe In, Hey God

7.5/10

These Days Tour '95 (Live) - Bon Jovi

JBJ giving a fairly average performance. Luckily this is only a short live EP; a few Slippery When Wet classics, their "current" single, and a bad cover.

Highlights: Wild in the Streets

6/10

Third Eye Blind - Third Eye Blind

An alt rock pop masterpiece. I think some people like to call this "Power Pop" or something, because there is some serious emotion in here that absolutely NO ONE can match. Kevin Cadogan's riffs and licks are what really elevated the songs - something that was seriously lacking on every album after (except for maybe Dopamine).

Highlights: Motorcycle Drive By, The Background, Graduate, God of Wine, Narcolepsy, Losing a Whole Year, Semi-Charmed Life

9/10

Thirty Three & 1/3 - George Harrison

Bah gawd that is some funkyass bass in Woman Don't You Cry For Me. This album always surprises me, because it is mostly very enjoyable and has a bit more soul to it.

Highlights: Woman Don't You Cry For Me, Beautiful Girl, This Song, It's What You Value

7/10

This Is Happening - LCD Soundsystem

Not quite as pretentious as Sound of Silver? Maybe actually more pretentious? Either way, the peaks are high, but not as consistent as their previous albums. A bit more cruising through the indie hipster electro vibes. Nancy Whang is still the winner - her "ONE TOUCH!" is a standout.

Highlights: Dance Yrself Clean, One Touch, Home, Drunk Girls

8/10

This is Not a Test! - Missy Elliott

Solid and consistent album; pretty straight-up no nonsense hip-hop all the way through, featuring some decent collabs and MASSIVE beats.

Highlights: Wake Up, Pass That Dutch, Is This Our Last Time, Pump It Up, Spelling Bee

8/10

This Is Shit - The Shit

A little less... insane than the usual offering from The Shit. But it is still great fun and fast-paced. I am not sure Chuck Norris genuinely endorsed this album...

Highlights: Us vs. Cops, WW3 is Suicide, Rats, Totally Speechless

6.5/10

This Is... - Icona Pop

I Love It is the sexy bitch jam of every summer. The Jay-Z references/homage is pretty darn hilarious, though. Has pop music really stopped evolving? Because this album sounds like it could have been released last year.

Highlights: I Love It, All Night, Just Another Night, Girlfriend

7/10

Those Weren't The Days - Whiskeytown

You know, today has been so upbeat and mostly fun... and then getting immediately hit with the downers on this album is just a bit jarring. Once things finally pick up a bit, it gets more enjoyable for sure. I feel like I have heard some of these songs in different forms numerous times throughout the marathon now...

Highlights: The Rain Won't Help You When It's Over, Believe, 10 Seconds Til the End of the World, Empty Baseball Park

6/10

A Thousand Suns - Linkin Park

Artistically speaking, this is LP's greatest achievement. Ironically, my computer started asking me questions about the Oppenheimer movie just as the quote from him was playing to start the album. Chester really brought it this album. Like, holy hell did he bring it. They all did, but that was the perfect ending. And even though half of these tracks are just interludes, it ties together perfectly (and the songs just kill). My day needed more people referencing Jay-Z's The Blueprint²!

Highlights: Waiting for the End, The Messenger, The Catalyst, When They Come for Me, Iridescent

9/10

Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge - My Chemical Romance

Was the concept on this album they are hitmen or something? Or just angry emo teenagers? Either way, it works; the heavier guitars and big screaming makes for a more fun musical experience. Legit an almost perfect album of pop punk hooks.

Highlights: Helena, Thank You For the Venom, I'm Not Okay (I Promise), I Never Told You What I Do For a Living

8/10

Three Dollar Bill, Y'all - Limp Bizkit

I do not have the full album, thankfully. I am not even sure how I ended up with half the album. It is all much more nu-metal and rough than anything that would follow.

Highlights: Counterfeit, Faith

6/10

"Albums" listened to so far: 1700

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