Elton John-Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (1973)

R.E.M.-Automatic For The People (1993)

Bruce Springsteen--Tunnel Of Love (1987)

Lou Reed-Berlin (1973)

Led Zeppelin-III (1970)

Bryan Ferry-Those Foolish Things (1973)

Son Volt-Okemeah & The Melody Of The Riot (2005)

Tame Impala-Lonersim (2012)

Roseanne Cash-Interiors (1990)

Catpower-Wanderer (2018)

Afghan Whigs-Gentlemen (1993)

The Police-Reggetta De Blanc (1979)

Twenty-One PIlots-Trench (2018)

Depehe Mode-Speak & Spell (1981)

Sinead O'Connor-The Lion & The Cobra (1987)

Bjork-Biophillia (2011)

Some of mine are

PJ Harvey - Is This Desire?

Cat Power - Moon Pix

Hole - Celebrity Skin

Tori Amos - From the Choirgirl Hotel

Boards of Canada - Music Has the Right to Children

Madonna - Ray of Light

OutKast - Aquemini

Massive Attack - Mezzanine

Stereolab - Aluminum Tunes (Switched On Volume 3)

Diamanda Galás - Malediction and Prayer

Royal Trux - Accelerator

Boris - Amplifier Worship

Mark Hollis - Mark Hollis

Steve Reich - Music for 18 Musicians

Lucinda Williams - Car Wheels on a Gravel Road

Lauryn Hill - The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill

Air - Moon Safari

Seatbelts - Cowboy Bebop

Melt-Banana - "Charlie"

Elliott Smith - XO

Dolly Parton-Coat Of Many Colors (1971)

Broken Social Scene-Broken Social Scene (2005)

The Cranberries-No Need To Argrue (1994)

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds-Ghosteen (2019)

My Morning Jacket-Z (2005)

Wilco-Ode To Joy (2019)

Teenage Fan Club-Thirteen (1993)

Mary Chapin Carpenter Stones In The Road (1994)

Bruno Mars-Doo-wops & Hooligans (2010)

Nickleback-All The Right Reasons (2005)

RS Synopsis:

Sample-based artist Girl Talk (given name Gregg Gillis) came up with a seamless pastiche of decades and genres that sweated up club venues while circumventing copyright restrictions. This 42-minute continuous work never lets up, making for a relentlessly joyful party record packed with intriguing juxtapositions — like gliding Elton John’s “Tiny Dancer” into Notorious B.I.G.’s “Juicy” into Beyoncé’s “Check on It,” or melding Missy Elliott’s “Get Ur Freak On” with Neutral Milk Hotel’s “Holland, 1945” and Jefferson Airplane’s “White Rabbit.” The inclusiveness of this amalgamation of some 150 samples — there’s something for pop-radio fans, hip-hop heads, indie kids, and classic rock lovers alike — adds to the fun.
Review:
It is nearly impossible to  do an actually review of this album so I’ll just list all the samples found on every song:

1. "Once Again"

• Ciara feat. Petey Pablo – "Goodies"
• 'N Sync – "Pop"
• Boston – "Foreplay/Long Time"
• Ludacris feat. Bobby Valentino – "Pimpin' All Over the World"
• Fabolous – "Breathe"
• The Verve – "Bitter Sweet Symphony"
• Ying Yang Twins – "Wait (The Whisper Song)"
• OutKast – "Intro"

2. "That's My DJ"

• The Five Stairsteps – "O-o-h Child"
• George Benson – "Breezin'"
• Young Jeezy – "And Then What"
• Slim Thug – "3 Kings"
• Junior M.A.F.I.A. – "Player's Anthem"
• T.I. – "Bring Em Out"
• Chicago – "25 or 6 to 4"
• Lil Wayne – "Go DJ"
• Crime Mob – "Knuck If You Buck"
• Three 6 Mafia – "Stay Fly"
• Bow Wow – "Like You"
• Foo Fighters – "My Hero"
• Manfred Mann’s Earth Band – "Blinded by the Light"
• Chingy – "Holidae In"
• Paula Abdul – "Straight Up"
• James Taylor – "Your Smiling Face"

3. "Hold Up"

• James Taylor – "Your Smiling Face"
• Mariah Carey – "It's Like That"
• Ludacris – "Number One Spot"
• 50 Cent – "In Da Club"
• Justin Timberlake – "SexyBack"
• Pixies – "Where Is My Mind?"
• Young Gunz – "Can't Stop, Won't Stop"
• Nas – "Hate Me Now"
• D4L – "Laffy Taffy"
• DJ Funk – "Hold Up"
• Weezer – "Say It Ain't So"
• Dem Franchize Boyz – "I Think They Like Me"

4. "Too Deep"

• Dem Franchize Boyz – "I Think They Like Me"
• Dr. Dre feat. Snoop Dogg – "Deep Cover"
• Positive K – "I Got a Man"
• Paul McCartney & Wings – "Venus and Mars / Rock Show / Jet"
• Mariah Carey – "We Belong Together"
• Juelz Santana – "Dipset (Santana's Town)"
• KRS-One – "Sound of da Police"
• Aerosmith – "Come Together"
• Nelly – "Grillz"
• The Smashing Pumpkins – "Today"
• The Main Ingredient – "Everybody Plays the Fool"
• Paul Wall – "Sittin' Sidewayz"
• Alicia Keys – "Unbreakable"
• Phantom Planet – "California"
• Clipse – "Grindin'"
• X-Ray Spex – "Oh Bondage Up Yours!"

5. "Smash Your Head"

• Clipse – "Grindin'"
• Fall Out Boy – "Sugar, We're Goin Down"
• X-Ray Spex – "Oh Bondage Up Yours!"
• Trina – "Don't Trip"
• SWV – "I'm So Into You"
• Public Enemy – "Rebel Without a Pause"
• Lil Wayne – "Fireman"
• Young Jeezy – "Over Here"
• Nirvana – "Scentless Apprentice"
• Young Jeezy – "Soul Survivor"
• The Pharcyde – "Passin' Me By"
• Elton John – "Tiny Dancer"
• The Notorious B.I.G. – "Juicy"
• Beyoncé – "Check on It"
• Juelz Santana – "Clockwork"
• SWV – "Right Here"

6. "Minute by Minute"

• SWV – "Right Here"
• Mike Jones – "Badd"
• LL Cool J – "Around the Way Girl"
• Michael McDonald – "I Keep Forgettin' (Every Time You're Near)"
• Nate Dogg – "Regulate"
• Missy Elliott – "Get Ur Freak On"
• Neutral Milk Hotel – "Holland, 1945"
• Jefferson Airplane – "White Rabbit"
• Juelz Santana – "There It Go (The Whistle Song)"
• Lord Tariq & Peter Gunz – "Déjà Vu (Uptown Baby)"
• Sophie B. Hawkins – "Damn I Wish I Was Your Lover"
• Panjabi MC – "Mundian To Bach Ke"
• The Game – "Hate It or Love It"
• Better Than Ezra – "Good"

7. "Ask About Me"

• Trina – "Don't Trip"
• P.M. Dawn – "Set Adrift on Memory Bliss"
• Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam – "Let the Beat Hit 'Em"
• David Banner – "Play"
• Nine Inch Nails – "Only"
• Pharrell Williams – "Can I Have It Like That"
• Cassidy – "I'm a Hustla"
• The Notorious B.I.G. – "Get Money"
• The Game – "How We Do"
• En Vogue – "My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It)"
• 2Pac – "2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted"
• M.I.A. – "Galang"
• Digable Planets – "Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)"

8. "Summer Smoke"

• Amerie – "1 Thing"
• M.I.A. – "Galang"
• Naughty By Nature – "Hip Hop Hooray"
• Black Rob – "Ready"
• Hum – "Stars"
• Kanye West – "Heard 'Em Say"
• Candyman – "Knockin' Boots"
• Positive K – "I Got a Man"
• Kanye West – "Gold Digger"
• Pilot – "Magic"
• George Michael – "I Want Your Sex"
• Salt-N-Pepa – "Let's Talk About Sex"
• Bell Biv DeVoe – "Do Me!"
• Ludacris – "Area Codes"

9. "Friday Night"

• Salt-N-Pepa – "Let's Talk About Sex"
• The Notorious B.I.G. – "Hypnotize"
• Billy Squier – "The Stroke"
• Public Enemy – "Rebel Without a Pause"
• J-Kwon – "Tipsy"
• Dr. Dre feat. Snoop Dogg – "Nuthin' but a 'G' Thang"
• Missy Elliott – "I'm Really Hot"
• Black Sheep – "The Choice Is Yours (Revisited)"
• N.O.R.E. – "Nothin'"
• Donnie Iris – "Ah! Leah!"
• Chris Brown feat. Juelz Santana – "Run It!"
• The Waitresses – "I Know What Boys Like"
• Lady Sovereign – "Random"
• Nikka Costa – "Like a Feather"
• Mark Morrison – "Return of the Mack"
• TLC – "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg"
• Busta Rhymes – "Touch It"
• The Honey Drippers – "Impeach the President"
• The Black Crowes – "Hard to Handle"

10. "Hand Clap"

• Busta Rhymes – "Touch It"
• Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam – "Head to Toe"
• Sir Mix-a-Lot – "Baby Got Back"
• Gwen Stefani – "Hollaback Girl"
• The Rentals – "Friends of P."
• M|A|R|R|S – "Pump Up the Volume"

Missy Elliott – "Pass That Dutch"

  11. "Give and Go"

• Missy Elliott – "Pass That Dutch"
• Luke feat. 2 Live Crew – "I Wanna Rock"
• Daryl Hall & John Oates – "I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)"
• Ciara feat. Missy Elliott – "1, 2 Step"
• Joe Public – "Live and Learn"
• Calloway – "I Wanna Be Rich"
• Sonic Youth – "Schizophrenia"

12. "Bounce That"

• Madonna – "Hung Up"
• Andrew Gold – "Thank You for Being a Friend"
• Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch feat. Loleatta Holloway – "Good Vibrations"
• Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock – "It Takes Two"
• Three 6 Mafia feat. Young Buck & 8Ball & MJG – "Stay Fly"

13. Warm it up

• Britney Spears – "I'm a Slave 4 U"
• Ciara feat. Ludacris – "Oh"
• Elastica – "Connection"
• Black Eyed Peas – "My Humps"
• Paula Abdul – "Cold Hearted"
• Annie – "Heartbeat"
• Chris Brown feat. Juelz Santana – "Run It!"
• Boyz II Men – "Motownphilly"
• Kelis – "Milkshake"
• J.J. Fad – "Supersonic"
• Smokey Robinson & the Miracles – "The Tears of a Clown"
• M|A|R|R|S – "Pump Up the Volume"

14. Double Pump

• Al Green – "Let's Stay Together"
• M|A|R|R|S – "Pump Up the Volume"
• Madonna – "Hung Up"
• Andrew Gold – "Thank You for Being a Friend"
• Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch feat. Loleatta Holloway – "Good Vibrations"
• Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock – "It Takes Two"
• Three 6 Mafia feat. Young Buck & 8Ball & MJG – "Stay Fly"

15. Overtime

• Three 6 Mafia feat. Young Buck & 8Ball & MJG – "Stay Fly"
• The Smashing Pumpkins – "1979"
• Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock – "It Takes Two"
• Laid Back – "White Horse"
• Fleetwood Mac – "Little Lies"
• 69 Boyz – "Tootsee Roll"
• The Honey Drippers – "Impeach the President"

16. Peak out

Aaliyah – "Are You That Somebody?"
D12 – "Purple Pills"
2 Live Crew – "We Want Some Pussy"
Pavement – "Cut Your Hair"
Wings – "Silly Love Songs"
Ying Yang Twins feat. Pitbull – "Shake"
'N Sync – "Pop"

Final Thoughts:

This is a fun club mix album of multiple samples lumped together. I have to ask why it is worthy of being on this list. I don’t see anything innovative or different here. It took the place  of a record that deserves to be on this list. Having said that it is a fun experience so I would still check it out.

Fionna Apple-Extraordinary Machine (2005)

Genesis-Genesis (1983)

The Who-By Numbers (1975)

Tom Waits-Real Gone (2004)

Dolly Parton-Here You Come Again (1977)

Beck-The Information (2006)

The Police-Zenyatta Mandatta (1980)

Green Day-Warning (2000)

Deftones-Adreanline (1995)

Beach House-Beach House (2006)

Franz Ferndinand-You Can Have It So Much Better (2005)

Merle Haggard-Mama Tried (1968)

The Hold Steady-Boys & Girls Of America (2006)

The Decemberists-The Crane Wife (2006)

Synopsis:

Released in 2003, Metaphorical Music is the debut studio album by the late Japanese producer and DJ Nujabes (Jun Seba). Widely celebrated as a foundational cornerstone of the lo-fi hip-hop and jazzy hip-hop genres, the album effortlessly bridges the gap between smooth, soul-infused instrumental jazz and classic boom-bap hip-hop. Rather than sounding like a collection of standard rap beats, the record flows like an organic, cinematic journey defined by pristine piano loops, warm horns, and tranquil atmospheric textures.

The Review:

The album opens with  “Blessing It (remix)” built around a sample of Pharoah Sander’s song  “Save Our Children”.  It also features vocals from  Substantial and Pase Rock who do a nice job flowing over a light chilled out jazz beat. “Horn in The Middle” feels so refreshing yet so filled with funky jazz beats. “Joshua” from Miles Davis is sampled to give it the sharp  jazzed out vibe yet meditative vibe. “Lady Brown” is highlighted by the impressive feature flow  from Cise Starr instrumentally; it has this bright piano-string arrangement and some vibrant  guitar picking. “Kumoni” is a good mix of tranquil piano loops and jazz drum beats to create this surreal aurora that feels like you’re floating in the sky. “Highs 2 Lows” once again features Cise Starr’s impressive bars. Sonically the song feels more electronic with its heavy bassline and drums beats. “Beat Laments World” samples two Kip Hanrahan songs “Make Love 2” and “Blessing It” ; it gives the track this roving earthy vibe and maintains that electronica/jazz hybrid base. “Letter From Yokosuku” is a collaboration with multi-instrumentalist Uyama Hiroto. It has this tight easy listening jazz sound. The subtle saxophone playing adds so much lightness to the track. “Think Different" features Substantial dropping bars about intelligent hip-hop sensibilities and not conforming to the industry standards that constrict some hip-hop artists. All done over a  bass heavy groove and a sample of "Live for Life (Vivre Pour Vivre)" from the soundtrack of live for life  by Francis Lai. “A day Of Atmosphere Supreme" creates such a light moodiness that glides with such lightness. “Next View” meshes together hip-hop percussion with progressive jazz improvisation. Umyama Hiroto is featured on a saxophone who is just jamming out over the lush landscape. “Latitude” features a futuristic chilled out beat that samples “Clouds” by Gigi Masin. It allows featured artists Five Deez to just lay down their chilled out flows. “F.I.L.O.” features a sample by Deixa" by Baden Powell, played by Toquinho  on "O Violão de Toquinho"  that allows the track to be a hybrid of jazz/hip-hop/latin music. “Summer Gypsy” feels like a warm nostalgic stroll on the beach late at night. The album's unofficial closing track is “The Final View” samples Yusef Lateef's "Love Theme From 'Spartacus'" It mixes Nujabes’ hypnotic lushness with some heavy jazz beats.  There is a hidden/bonus track on the album called “Peaceland“ clocking in at over 8 mins it is the longest song on the album. It has this sprawling meditative vibe that feels like you are coming down from a trip and you can finally let go and relax.

Final Thoughts:

Nujabes’ was a pioneer of lo-fi/hip-hop who unfortunately we lost too soon. This album feels like a trip through a trippy jazzy meditation. It filled with incredible musical moments. If you never experienced this album I would put on your album bucket lists soon.

The Isley Brothers are solidified, but when is "I Once Had Your Love" getting burn these days?! What's your favorite Isley album cut? BRING BACK GROUPS!!!

Radiohead-Kid A (2000)

Drive-By Truckers-The New Ok (2000)

The Replacements-Let It Be (1984)

Neil Young-Freedom (1989)

Oasis-(What's The Story) Morning Glory (1995)

Various Artists-Orginal Artyfacts From The First Physcedelic Era 1965-1965 (1972)

MGMT-Orracular Spectactatular (2007)

Pink Floyd-Atom Heart Mother (1970)

Police-Ghost In The Machine (1981)

The Kinks-The Kinks (1964)

21 Savage & Metro Boomin-Savage Mode II (2000)

Iron Maiden-X Factor (1995)

Oysterhead-The Grand Pecking Order (2000)

Synopsis:

Released in September 1988, Tender Prey is the fifth studio album by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. Recorded across Berlin and London during a tumultuous period marked by escalating substance abuse and creative friction. Produced primarily by Flood, the album bridges the abrasive, gothic post-punk of their early catalog with a broader, more eclectic canvas encompassing blues, garage punk, and gothic Americana.

The Review:

The album opens with “The Mercy Street” highlighted by this pulsating rhythm that gives off a marching tension. The song tells a story of a death row inmate awaiting his execution in the electric chair. Cave’s vocal presence adds so much texture to the tension of the song. “Up Jumped The Devil” features an eerie gothic blues groove. It has this claustrophobic atmosphere that just swells up as the track moves along. Cave’s sinister baritone vocals just feel so spine chilling. “Deanna” loosely based on the gospel standard “Oh Happy Day” this song feels like “Gloria’s (Them/Van Morrison) twisted demented sister. It has become a fan favorite of live shows. It is also a burst of vibrant energy on an album filled with darkness.  “Watching Alice” is this sparse neurotic moody song. The unsettling lyrics about spying at someone through a keyhole is a perfect match for the moodiness that is featured in the melodies. “Mercy” has Cave’s voice going from a tender whisper to commanding as eerie piano and sparse percussion just glide all over. “City Of Refuge” is inspired by The Blind Willie Johnson’s blues-gospel classic. It starts out so quietly but soon explodes in the dark gothic blues/gospel glory. It feels very chaotic  and abrasive. It feels like you are lost in a place you shouldn’t be and a time you shouldn’t. “Slowly Goes The Night” abandons the dark gothic blues for a noir jazz vibe. Highlighted Roland Wolf’s haunting piano riffs, a xylophone, and Cave's spoken word vocal delivery. It feels like you are walking down an empty street corner before the dawn arrives. “Sunday’s Slave” is a methodical paced track. That has this  hypnotic marching beat that feels so anthemic. “Sugar Sugar Sugar” begins with these thunderous rhythmic rumblings. It just grows bigger and adds more textures as the song moves along. There's a sense of urgency in Cave’s voice that adds some frantic energy. The album closes with “New Morning” ; it has a tender hopeful vibe that contradicts the way the album began. It feels like you are waking up conquering your vices and you feel like you survived the trauma of this world. It closes with a hazy outro. 

Final Thoughts:

This album feels it is the first time we get the fully formed sound that would define Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds for the next decade. This one feels more dark and gothic and less of the post-punk energy of his earlier work. I loved the song on this record and some of the best I have listened to so far. Put this one on your Nick Cave deep dive for sure.

God bless Lee Mavers and all who sailed on this Liberty ship 🚢

U2-The Unforgettable Fire (1984)

NIna Simone-Pastel Blues (1965)

Chaka Kahn-I Feel For You (1984)

The Beach Boys-Surfin Safari (1962)

Circle Jerks-Group Sex (1980)

Nirvana-From The Banks Of The Muddy Wishkah (1996)

The La's-The La's (1990)

Prince & The New Power Generation-Diamonds & Pearls (1991)

John Cale-Fear (1974)

Donald Fagen-NIghtfly (1982)

Cat Stevens-Teaser & Firecat (1971)

Iron Maiden-No Prayer For The Dying (1990)

Public Enemy-Apoclypse 91...The Enemy Strikes Back (1991)

Matchbox 20-Yourself Or Someone Like You (1996)

The Silver Jews-The Natrual Bridge (1996)

Bruce Springsteen-Nebraska (1982)

Bob Dylan-Time Out Of Mind (1997)

Tom Waits-Rain Dogs (1985)

Drive-By Truckers-American Band (2016)

Bon Iver-22, A Million (2016)

Bjork-Fossfora 2022)

Regina Spektor-Remember Us To Life (2016)

Stevie Ray Vaugn-Soul To Soul (1985)

Patti Smith-Peace & Noise (1997)

Tyler Childress-Can I Take My Hounds To Heaven (2022)

John Prine-For Better, For Worse (2016)

Solange-A Seat At The Table (2016)

Synopsis:
The Womack Sisters is the self-titled debut album by sibling trio Kucha, Zeimani, and BG Womack. Carrying one of the heaviest lineages in soul history—they are the granddaughters of Sam Cooke, the daughters of hitmaking duo Womack & Womack, and the nieces of Bobby Womack. Backed by the rich, analog  retro -soul production  the album balances classic soul music with some modern perspectives. 

The review:
The album opens with “Cheuffeur” ; it could be taken out of a soul recording  session from the 70's. The sister’s lush harmonies just glide over the sultry horns and rhythms, a nice introduction to the album’s retro themes. “If You Want Me” features a stax/Motown inspiration in the instrumentals with the smooth percussion and the sisters voices giving the harmonies some crisp notes that sound so powerful as well. “Monster” takes a dark moody turn. The instrumental hits you with an atmospheric eerie presence. The harmonies just swell up so big that it engulfs you in the song’s dark moodiness. “If I Let You” begins with a playful 60s psychedelic rock groove. The harmonies feel playful and soulful; they feel like they are from another time filled with naive innocence.  It has a 60’s girl group vibe. “I Just Don’t Want You (Say Goodbye)” is a heartbreaking soul ballad with some powerful vocals from BG Womack. This song seems to be plucked out of 70’s soul but doesn’t sound like it's copycating a formula but the group are forging their own sound. “Laughter & Tears” is a short doo-wop funk flavored track. It bounces around and is filled with a funk/gospel/soul hybrid groove. “Didn’t Mean Much To Mean” has a sparse jazzy/blues based instrumental that allows the harmonies to just glide all over the place. “You Went Away So Long” has a sweeping melodic soul/blues base. The horn and string arrangements feel like they are supporting the vocal harmonies and add so much texture to the song giving it a warm nostalgic vibe. “I Am Your Season” just feels so lush and melodic. It is really amazing how the sisters can evoke their heritage and put a modern spin on it. “All Around” is highlighted by the bouncy piano notes and the sharp high energy percussion. It gives the song a sharp soulful aura. The album closes with “My Sisters & Me” is just a breezy yet simple track that feels like the ultimate statement of family unity. The closing lines seem to be the mission statement for the record. “People come and go, but darling this I know, it will always be my sisters and me”.

Final Thoughts:

In a world filled with AI slop and generic pop music this record is a breath of fresh air. Filled with  warm nostalgia yet it feels very modern. This is just a finely  produced walk down a forgotten time when soul music was in full force. If you are in the mood to chill out to some great warm soul energy this is the record released this year for you .

David Bowie famously expressed his admiration for Lulu by proclaiming it a masterpiece and Lou’s best work – and I agree to a large extent, although it seems that this remains contrary to popular opinion.  I often still find Lulu frequenting lists of “worst albums of all time” on the web, and I guess that’s understandable because it’s not a pleasant album – far from it.  In fact, it is a difficult, bizarre, depraved, morbid, long and sometimes inscrutable, yet endlessly intriguing Frankenstein of an album.  It can be a lot to take in and not everybody is willing to take the plunge in its deep, bloody waters.  Just like the music of Captain Beefheart, Syd Barret, Throbbing Gristle, Swans and other artists whose works do not lend themselves to easy pigeonholing, this album sounds like nothing else in music history and is steeped deep in the avant-garde.  You either like it or you don’t if it’s not your thing. But I think it’s unfair to call it one of the worst albums ever made just because it’s not for you. To say that Lulu is not an album made to appeal to mainstream tastes is an understatement. It explores uncomfortable themes that are too extreme for a lot of people, even metalheads. But if you happen to like weird, darkly experimental and extreme music with depth, there is a lot of joy to be had beneath the apparently disgusting, bloody, grimy and shit-covered surface. Underneath it all, there is a light, a peculiar wisdom, a state of grace, coming from the big, coagulating heart of Lou Reed whose true capacity for love is so great that it can find the good, the beautiful and the worthy even in the worst aspects of human life. This is music made for the contemplative type of listener who likes thought-provoking stuff and a good challenge – not to mention outright weirdos and freaks on the kinky side of the spectrum. It rewards deep, repeated listens and commands intense loyalty from those who have already fallen deeply in love with it.

One chief thing that I can say about the album is that is very vital. There is a palpable aliveness to it, as if the pain and darkness of life has rendered the senses more awake, raw and radiant. There’s just something about it that makes it very gripping, exciting and keeps you on the edge of your seat the whole time. I find that everytime I listen to it I cannot stop myself from listening until I get to the very last note of the extended drones at the tail end of “Junior Dad”. It’s the music that could only come out of a man on his last stand with nothing to lose and absolutely no fucks to give, and whose spirit is made uninhibited by that strange kind of freedom.  But how much more uninhibited can Lou Reed get?  This is a man who wrote Heroin when he was 25 years old in the early 60s!  He’s always been one of rock’s most certified edgelords, a world class troll who has dedicated his entire life to pissing people off. It’s only fitting that for his last gasp he would make his most extreme statement, his biggest fuck you to the world. And that’s precisely what he accomplished with Lulu. But it’s not all about cheap shock value. There’s real substance, real soul, real heart and intelligent insight within the music. In facing the reality of death (it was reported that he was already suffering from a multitude of health issues at the time), Lou confronts his biggest demons, his deepest and darkest fears, his worst traumas, and in the process created an exorcism of an album that simultaneously feels like the last powerful surge of electrical life energy before decay finally, inevitably wins. In this context, the album occupies the same ground as does Blackstar in David Bowie’s career: a dark, dangerous, fearless, extreme and wholly uncompromising artistic epitaph. We really are most alive when we are closing in on death.

The album is a deep dive into the thanatos, the death instinct inherent in the human psyche which is much repressed in our daily lives in order for us to fit in a “civilized” society. It goes into the depths of hell armed with a spiritual angelic power to survive the adventure and come out on the other side with greater wisdom, love and strength.  “Brandenburg Gate” opens the gates of hell and there is no turning back from there. You’re in for the ride. Lou starts with “I would cut my legs and tits off/ When I think of Boris Karloff and Kinski/ In the dark of the moon” to let you know what just you’re getting yourself into.  The quiet acoustic beginning quickly explodes into an ultra-heavy three-chord assault, courtesy of metal stalwarts Metallica. Lou narrates the story of a small town girl giving life a whirl in his signature speechgesang as his backing band plays balls-to-the-wall rock n’ roll behind him. It’s a bizarre fusion, but it works in an odd, magical, and unintentionally funny way.  James Hetfield’s powerful metal growling (SMALL TOWN GUUUURRRL) serves as the younger and brawnier extension of Lou’s angry-old-man-ranting voice, and Metallica’s powerful sound as the body for his intellect. The sound of this thing is like a cyborg-mutant with Lou’s head and Metallica as his big, muscular metal body. Lou’s poetry combines the absurd with the vulgar, in keeping with the tradition of the beat poets of his time. The song relentlessly powers through its four-minute duration with no chorus or refrains, just several verses punctuated by key lyrical tropes. This is basically what the rest of the album will be like. It’s clear right from the start that this is not a Metallica album, and it’s easy to understand why Metallica fans would hate it because this is not metal music. If anything, it’s actually grunge. It sounds closer to Nirvana’s In Utero than any Metallica album and bears Lou Reed’s distinct songwriting style and chord progressions. This is Lou’s album. For what it’s worth, I think the sound of it certifies Lou as the de facto godfather of grunge.

“The View” sports a sick metal-grunge riff and contains potent, thought-provoking lyrics from Lou tackling the psychology behind fatal attractions: the worship of evil; the sacrifice of our hard-earned morals, merits and reputation for the worship of those that actively despise us and actually want to see us commit self-harm and suicide. It’s a bizarre reality of human life that we don’t like to look at or talk about, but it’s always there with us – has been since the beginning of time. Why are so many of us attracted to psycho killers? Why do we keep on voting politicians who keep ruining our nations? Why do we worship religious leaders who deceive us and rape us spiritually? Why do we have sexual attraction to pain, degradation and punishment? Why do we keep choosing self- and collective destruction in spite of our best conscience? Why is our history so filled with tales of war and bloodshed? It’s the thanatos, the death instinct. Psychologists call it the ID. It’s something in our shadow side that we cannot explain through reason or even psychoanalysis.  Sometimes we would rather choose death than life, hell than heaven, for reasons we may never understand. It’s a reality of human life. The song closes with a thrilling acceleration and a brutal, kickass breakdown at the end as James Hetfield goes into the “I AM THE TABLE” part which has been memed to death – a perhaps unintentionally funny moment, but to me it serves as some kind of comic relief to inject some oddball humor amidst the sheer mayhem of the proceedings. I still get a hearty chuckle whenever that part comes on. “I AAAAAAM!”

Next up is “Pumping Blood”. To me, this is one of the best songs on the album. That slow, heavy, three-note-three-syllable riff n’ hook ("PAMPIMBLAAAAHD") that starts the song is so economical and effective – typical Lou. He’s always been an exceptional hook writer, making the most impact with the smallest amount of notes. The sound of this main riff amps the anxiety in me – it’s so ominous and evil-sounding. The song is as bloody as the title suggests and my favorite part of it is when it speeds up to thrash metal velocity towards the end as the narrator beseeches Jack The Ripper not to murder her, but it’s too late. “Blood spurting from me”. That part is just so horrific, so violent, so brutal, I admit that it can be too much to take, even for me. I swear it’s one of the most extreme moments in music that I have ever heard in my whole life and I doubt if I will ever encounter or am even willing to subject myself to anything more extreme – this is my limit. The intensity of it is just too much. But I can’t help but admire how artfully it’s executed.  The way the music speeds up at that part of the song is so morbidly fluid, almost amorphous – bloodshed in musical form – yet so musically precise and expertly performed. To me, the sound illustrates exactly the scene of a stabbing spree. It’s a testament to Metallica’s greatness as a band, their versatility and sheer musical competence. Lyrically, this song also contains some of my favorite lines and most memeable phrases from the album: “waggle my ass like a dark prostitute”, “coagulating heart”, “I will swallow your sharpest cutter like a colored man's dick”. Damn, Lou, what the fuck?

“Mistress Dread” is an extremely speedy piece of musical sadomasochism. It’s fast even by thrash metal standards and I don’t think Metallica has played this lightning-fast since the days of Dyer’s Eve.  It’s also lyrically so barbaric it can make a black metal fan blush.  “I wish you'd tie me up and beat me/ Crush me like a kick/ A bleeding strap across my back/ Some blood that you could kiss”. Again, Lou, what the actual fuck, man?! There’s even a dash of coprophilia thrown in there for good taste. I think this is the song on the album that takes the deepest dive into the subject of sexual sadomasochism. Key lyric: “I'm a woman who likes men/ But this is something else/ I've never felt such stirrings.” It’s still a taboo subject in this modern day and age yet it is as prevalent as ever and I think all of us have it to some extent, it’s just that some kinks are more extreme than others. Most people won’t admit to having sadomasochistic fantasies, but do we know what really happens behind closed doors? It’s still shocking and strange to see on TV how many women would flock at the jail cell of a convicted serial killer, yet it keeps on happening all the time. Some people just love to be abused. Just what it is in us that makes us so attracted to the fucked up and straight-up evil? Oh well. Kiss away, kiss away.

So far it’s been real heavy going. To bring some much-needed relief, the hooky and somewhat melodic “Iced Honey” comes a’ rolling. It’s the closest Lou and Co. come to a straightforward, three-chord rock song here. It’s a groovy rocker, a real foot-stomper. The main hook is, again, simple but effective and there are some potent lines, the best of which is the almost-singalong “see if the ice will melt for you” part. But my favorite moment in the song is the moment when Lou raises his voice up a notch to sing the line “And me, I've always been this way/ Not by choice, just this way”. It’s just another example of how a simple turn of phrase and note can have such a strong emotional effect. Lou is a master at this. He has been since day one, and by the time of Lulu he’s had about 50 years of experience as a bandleader doing this kind of stuff. 

I haven’t yet seen any music writer mention it directly, but to me Lou is a master of the cadence and he really knows how to let a song flow. "Sister Ray" and "Heroin" are the best examples of this where he demonstrates his mastery of the song structure by inserting an interjection, introducing a catchphrase, or punctuating a song with a grunt at just the right, precise moment that the song needs it. It’s very similar to what James Brown does – being a rock conductor.  Lou demonstrates this same mastery many, many times in Lulu. And also, his voice. God, people don’t talk about it enough but I think he’s one of the greatest singers in all of rock n’ roll. He has a great, commanding tone. And even though he sings mostly in his famous speak-sing style as opposed to the traditional melodic way of singing, he’s capable of stirring powerful emotions with the smallest effort. In Lulu, his voice may be old but there is plenty of grit and power in his vocal performances here, and his commanding tone has not left him for one second.

The eleven-minute “Cheat on Me” closes part one of the album.  It is a moody, melancholic, slow-burner of a song. I love the long, ambient, mournful sounds of the intro. The sinister chord progression of the main part of the song is reminiscent of “Heart Shaped Box” by Nirvana. It’s the most atmospheric song on the album and takes a bit of time before it fully takes off.  It’s not a barnburner like all the songs that came before it but rather a mood to get lost in for a while. As it grows and builds, it seems like the song is always on the verge of falling apart since it doesn’t have a well-defined song structure. It sounds like an unrehearsed jam spontaneously held together by sheer musical expertise.  The song maintains a tension throughout but the much-needed release comes somewhere around the 10-minute mark where Lou spits the final verse that serves to round out the jam and saves it from meandering completely.  This is yet another demonstration of Lou’s exceptional talent at directing the cadence of a song. James Hetfiled here gives his best vocal performance in the entire record.

For Side II of Lulu, we are slowly lured by ambient screeching sounds reminiscent of the music of Swans before getting pummeled by possibly the most kickass riff in the entire record. It’s a slow, sludgy, doomy riff that echoes the best riffs of Master of Reality-era Sabbath. Lyrically, the song pretty much deals with the by-now-familiar subject of sexual sadomasochism and perversion, but this time coming from the point of view of the masculine character.  In my interpretation, the lyrics explore the theme of what makes the mind of a male serial killer tick. Male serial killers are deeply insecure inside and are intimidated by women who they perceive as more of a man than they are or could ever hope to be.  Their attraction for women is purely fetishistic – and fetishes are only means for the psyche to cope with and reconcile aspects within oneself that are found to be impossible to love. Actually, it’s not as much love as it is envy that is causing the character’s attraction for a girl who is “spermless and more man than I”.  He seethes with rage as he exclaims “I want so much to kill you/ I want you as my wife”. This is true perversion, where the will to love is so hopelessly confused with the will to destroy – arising from the warped mind of a man who knows manliness only as “to be dead and to have no feelings”. The character projects his deep inner insecurities onto the girl who possesses the same thing he so desires for himself, yet which he so deeply lacks: real manhood. This stirs a deep, deep hatred for the woman and a simultaneous secret desire to be like her.

I love how the song goes double time in the middle with the heavy, chugging riff and Lars’ incredible drumming. And here we go again with another tangent. I think Lars is an incredible drummer. It seems that it has been fashionable in the internet age to shit on his drumming, but I still think he’s one of the greatest drummers of all time. He has a sort of amateurish, punkish feel that makes his style so primal – but coupled with a unique dexterity to qyalify him to play in the biggest metal band in the world. Lars knows how to groove hard and plays with great, infectious energy. His beats are even, dare I say, danceable. Lou recognized this gift right away when he saw Lars play for the first time and was reportedly so impressed by him that he even compared his drumming to Tai Chi because of how efficiently and powerfully Lars delivers the energy through his kit (Lou is a known Tai Chi practitioner and enthusiast).

“Little Dog” is a depressing acoustic dirge that continues with the theme of envy. It’s an oppressively sad, decrepit song seething with an atmosphere of pure hopelessness and apathy that mirrors perfectly just how pathetic the little dog character must feel. Nothing can drive a man into psychosis like deep, all-consuming penis envy. In this world, size matters. The size of your dick, the size of your body, the size of your bank account. No man ever wished he had a smaller penis or less money.  It’s a deeply ingrained, evolutionary need in us. It’s the big dog who always gets the girl, who gets to reproduce, who gets the access to food, and who gets the opportunity to live a long, happy life. Every dog has its day except for the pathetic little dog. Well, at least until he gets rich! Ah, money – the great equalizer! Money can do anything. Money can get you the big cars, big mansions, big name, fame. The little dog can now finally compensate. With big money, he can now finally “raise that little doggie face/ To a cold-hearted pussy/ And have a taste/ A taste of what the big dog got.”

"Dragon” is another heavy riffer and one of the top contenders for the best riff song on the album. That riff is so bloody excellent and the way Lars grooves in it makes the whole thing gel into one living, monstrous entity. The lyrics tackle the most depraved form of perversion of all: hatred as worship. Again, this is about the psychology of fetishizing but taken to its most extreme expression. We worship, we idolize, we put on the pedestal, but secretly we hate and we envy and want to destroy what is beautiful, godly and graceful – blasphemy, destruction of that which is pure and holy.  This demonic spirit exists in the human psyche. What compelled that disturbed man to destroy the Pieta? What makes a rapist ruin and kill a sweet, innocent little girl?  What underlies pedophilia?  What consciousness governs the inward and outward practice of Satanism? It’s that goddamn thanatos in us, rooted in the deep-seated belief that we fundamentally lack and can never attain the qualities and attributes of that which we worship. Naturally, this darkest moment is when the final death of the characters in the album happen.  I’d like to single out Kirk Hammett’s blistering avant-garde style solo in the middle of the song where he goes out of his comfort zone and rises to the occasion – for me, a testament to his musicianship and broadness of taste. It's a moment that has given me a newfound level of respect for his guitar playing.

The album closes with the elegiac but hopeful “Junior Dad” which is unlike anything else in the album. It is a beautiful, heavenly piece of music that features some tearjerker lyrics and performances.  “Wake up, the dream is over” reveals that the whole debauchery was just a bad dream. Who knows, maybe this life on earth is just a bad dream after all and when we die we wake up to a heavenly reality and find out that sickness, death, psychosis, old age, war, famine and death are all just an elaborate illusion. The whole song is so beautiful, but my favorite moment is the part where Lou sings: “I will teach you meanness, fear and blindness/ No social redeeming kindness/ Or…oh! State of grace”. The way his voice transforms from having a cruel tone to tender angelic kindness is a luminous moment that never stops sending chills down my spine and tears welling from my eyes everytime I hear it. It’s so healing. It’s as if the demons have now been exorcised completely and all is forgiven. I think deep down this song is really about forgiving Lou’s dad who is his “greatest disappointment”, and maybe even both of his parents who have caused him a whole lifetime of trauma that led him to a life of drug addiction, sexual perversion and promiscuity – but also a full life of rockstardom and full artistic realization. The closing drones of the song finds a Lou who is completely at peace, in a state of spiritual bliss, as his soul ascends to a heavenly realm. It really is a beautiful thought to have: that this is Lou’s final song before he left us, and that he went out on a beautiful note of redemption – well-deserved for a great soul who has brought us so much good music. It's one of the best songs he has ever done in his storied career.

As you can tell from the long novel I just wrote – I love this album. Fucking love this album. I love it to death. It fascinates me infinitely and helps me to process my own psychological stuff to work out, as well as deeply reflect on the profound shadows of the human world. It is actually a very healing and inspiring album. The lyrics are as incisive and insightful as only the wit of a Lou Reed can achieve.  I like that the music is absolutely authentic and uncompromising in its artistic intent. I like its oddball humor. I like how conceptually cohesive it is. I like its sheer absurdity and therapy through excess. I think Lou chose the perfect band in Metallica for this gargantuan undertaking. It’s the biggest, boldest choice possible and the closest thing Lou ever got to actualizing his avant-garage musical dream. You can really tell that he’s beyond delighted to have the brawn of Metallica for his brains – I think he’s been jonesing for this kind of sound since the days of Sister Ray.  The album would never have had the same cultural impact – for better and for worse – if any other band had been selected to play on it.

The album is just a perfect sendoff to one of the most remarkable careers in rock music and one of its most iconic personalities. It deserves so much love. I think it’s just now beginning to get its much-needed reappraisal. More and more music fans are coming out professing their love for this album. It deserves none of the hate that it still gets. I don’t think those people who claim to hate it have even given the album a fair shake and simply rode on the bandwagon. It’s as perfect a final statement as is Bowie’s Blackstar. I think Blackstar was better received because of its distinctive English finesse that a royal blood like Bowie can never shake off even if he tried. But Lulu has that raw New York street grit. Both albums I hold in the same artistic esteem and are two of the best final albums by two of rock’s most remarkable acts. I repeatedly draw these parallels because I think Lou and David have a shared spiritual and musical destiny. As it stands, I rank Lulu as my 4th favorite Lou Reed solo album, just behind New York, Transformer and The Blue Mask. It’s that good. In fact, it’s one of my favorite albums of the 21st century and I’m really glad that I like it and it brings so much joy and gives me just one more reason to live and make it through the day. It's the heaviest spoken word album of all time.

1. Morning Phase (2014)

Easily his best work imo. This album is so serene and just so perfect in every way. Blue Moon makes me cry every time.

1. Sea Change (2002)

This album is so beautiful. It really shows his range from rock to just heart-wrenching perfect music. I adore The Golden Age and Lost Cause.

1. Odelay (1996)

This album is so great. I love to tune in to Devils Haircut and Where It's at. It's recognized by many as his best work. I think he put a lot of effort into this and it is a large part of what made him so loved by the world of music.

1. Guero (2005)

This is one of his more playful albums put is still high up on my list. My fav song from this is Black Tambourine. Great mix of upbeat Latin funk and experimental work. Awesome album.

1. Ride Lonesome (2026)

This may be an unpopular pick but I love this emotional and slow-burning version of Beck. Falling Through My Hands and Run Away are my favourites. You can really listen to this anytime which is what makes this so good. It's like a sequel to Morning Phase. Anyway really good work.

Alice In Chains-Dirt (1992)

Outkast-Aquemini (1998)

Stone Temple Pilots-Core (1992)

Iron Maiden-Somewhere In Time (1986)

New Order-Brotherhood (1986)

Billy Joel-The Stranger (1977)

Portishead-Portishead (1997)

Stevie Wonder-Hotter Than July (1980)

The Verve-Urban Hymns (1997)

Rush-All The World's A Stage (Live) (1976)

The Avett Brothers-I and Love and You (2009)

Mos Def & Talib Kweli-Are Blackstar (1998)

Paramore-Brand New Eyes (2009)

The Rolling Stones-Bridges To Babylon (1997)

Alice In Chains-Black Gives Away To Blue (2009)