Wu-Tang Clan and Steely Dan

Back at it again. After that first 100 I needed a little break...it was pretty rough at times. However the first 15 back gave me hope for a bright future. So here they are...the good, the OK, the ugly.

The Ugly:
~The End of Innocence -  Don Henley (#389), had Boys of Summer been on this album I possible could have forgiven it but...no BoS no forgiveness
~Music for Your Pleasure - Roxy Music(#396), uugggghhhh....Eno strikes again
~Enter the Wu-Tang - Wu-Tang Clan (#387), I know that rap connoisseurs would berate me for not liking this album but I am not a rap connoisseur myself so...
~A Quick One - The Who (#384), Really? Really?


The OK:
~Good Old Boys - Randy Newman (#394), I never thought I would say this, "But I like a Randy ~Newman album." Perhaps it was the faint memories of Monk that it brought to mind but this album is actually quite entertaining and either quite racist or an amazing social commentary.
~The Pretender - Jackson Browne (#391), 70s singer-songwriting at is best which is why it's just OK.
~Pretzel Logic - Steely Dan (#386), I actually really enjoyed this album but something kept me from moving to the The Good. Probably the fact that the named the album Pretzel Logic.
~Elephant - The White Stripes (#390), Jack White at his Stripes finest (Though I recommend The Raconteurs if would want Jack at his finest.)


The Good:
~Blue Lines - Massive Attack (#397), one of the first, if not the first, trip-hop albums, Blue Lines encompasses all that is worth listening to in the genre. Plus it always reminds me of my brother.
~Sound of Silver - LCD Soundsystem (#395), An odd mix of dance, electro, and punk. I have loved this album since the first time I heard Someone Great.
~Let It Be - The Beatles (#392), what more could I say about Let It Be that hasn't been said, however if I don't ever have to listen to the song Let It Be again I'll be ok with that. And Hey Jude for that matter. (Not that they aren't good songs but I have just heard them too many times.)

~The Indestructible Beat of Soweto - Various Artists (#388), liking, and even listening to this album, goes against my main problem with this list, it's not an "album" at all. But I am really glad I did listen to it. I was mostly intrigued with the genre because I had never heard of it. If you are looking for music that makes you feel nostalgic for a place you've never seen Soweto is your jam.
~Love and Theft - Bob Dylan (#385), with some artists their catalog is too large to know where to step into it at and Bob Dylan is one of the artists. I have always wanted to understand him but never knew where to start and I feel like this is that open door for me. One I will own soon. (I know this album is far departure from who Bob Dylan was in the 60s and someone will tell me try Freewheelin' or something but this album worked for me.) Try Cry Awhile on for size; love the way they play with the time-feel in that song.
~Kala - M.I.A. (#393), rhythm and texture is the phrase. Everyone has heard Paper Planes but I was happy to find there was a lot more to M.I.A. than just one song. Try Boyz or Bird Flu. Especially if you want to get a party going.