This is my music collection! Here I document every album I own on CD, vinyl, or any other form of physical music, as well as give short reviews and a letter grade (in the tradition of Robert Christgau). I will update it whenever I make a new purchase and listen to it. Enjoy! or don't. I don't mind ;)
Currently this page is not up to date, as I have only recently started this. I intend to go back through my entire collection of 33 albums, listen, and review. I will listen to one each day and add it onto this page once I do.
Artist: Depeche Mode
Purchased on: January 3, 2025
Format: CD
Rating: B+
I was not let down by my first CD purchase. This album captures most or all of Depeche Mode's moods; celebratory, cynical, and horny. They have also honed their sense of drama and suspense (Little 15, Pimpf) which gives the album a sometimes ominous mood. DM achieved a perferct blend of chiming keyboards, shimmering synths, mechanical samples, and even a grand piano. The songs themselves are well written and interesting with a few sample or atmospheric - heavy songs (To Have and To Hold, I Want You Now) that perhaps mask lower quality offerings. On the whole, it's a good and interesting album that falls just shy of being an excellent and interesting one.
Artist: David Bowie
Purchased on: January 3, 2025
Format: CD
Rating: B-
Bowie had yet to write the material he is most known for, nor had he adopted any of the styles he is now associated with. The precursor of the "chameleon of rock" is a fascinating listen, in both good and bad ways. Although Janine finds Bowie imitating McCartney at his worst (a la Lady Madonna or Get Back) and Wild Eyed Boy from Freecloud sounds like Disney music, there is a very sweet, candid, and homey side of the album, best illustrated by Letter to Hermione, An Occasional Dream, and Memory of a Free Festival. The record's greatest mistake is the addition of the outro on the former. It could have been one of the best things David has ever done - instead it has this pseudo-hippy mantra for 2 minutes. There's also Space Oddity, the only culturally enduring song on the album. The record is a bit all over the place and fairly inconsistent, but is certainly more enjoyable than not.