Before he became Patti Smith’s lead guitarist, Lenny Kaye compiled the double LP set, Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era. Released in 1972, the two-LP set covered American garage rock and psychedelia from 1965 to 1968. Rhino Records…
Before he became Patti Smith’s lead guitarist, Lenny Kaye compiled the double LP set, Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era. Released in 1972, the two-LP set covered American garage rock and psychedelia from 1965 to 1968. The collection…
New Zealand’s singles charts took a while to arrive. The first chart based on sales didn’t arrive until 1975. Wikipedia lists NZ #1 singles starting in mid-1960, but between 1960 and 1975, these were based on: i) 1960-1964: The Lever…
Welcome to Aphoristic Album Reviews, where I discuss highlights from the last sixty years of popular music. I write album reviews, highlight my favourite albums, blog regularly, and make lists. Subscribe Subscribe to this website to get regular new posts, with lists, quizzes, and reviews.
Recently, a reader suggested that I list my favourite albums by year. So here you are – I’ve mostly only listed albums I’ve already reviewed on this site. I don’t know some years very well – I’m dubious about including…
Here are my 100 favourites from the albums that I’ve reviewed on this site to date. A few longtime favourites are missing because I haven’t reviewed them yet. As you can probably tell from the list, my tastes run towards…
Less than two years into the new decade, it’s already been eventful. A global pandemic and #blacklivesmatter protests have already created ten years’ worth of chaos. Because the decade’s only just started, it will take a while to populate this…
The 1970s are beloved by music nerds. Artists in various genres cranked out a 40-minute album every year. The late 1960s staked out the territory for many genres; the 1970s was when they were explored more fully. Artists like Marvin…
The 1980s often get bad press, but they were full of great music. Admittedly many acts from earlier eras struggled to adapt to new technology and made weak albums. But many new acts thrived, and there was diversity; hip hop…
Because I was a teenager through the 1990s, my relationship with the decade’s music differs from other decades. I’d probably appreciate bands like Oasis and Nirvana more if I wasn’t saturated with them. I also think that mainstream rock largely ran…
The first decade of the 21st century feels like my home territory. I spent my teenage years in the 1990s catching up with the 1960s and 1970s, so the 2000s were the first decade in which I actively engaged with…
As time has gone on, music has splintered further into sub-genres. Technology has allowed anyone with the inclination to make and release an album, and it’s also easier for music fans to focus their attention on a single obscure sub-genre.…
Rock and roll launched in the 1950s, but in the 1960s the rock LP as an art form came into its own. Artists like The Beatles, Bob Dylan, and The Beach Boys are perennial favourites on greatest albums of all…
I usually add a couple of artist pages to this site each month. Refer to Upcoming Reviews for a list of artists I plan to cover. September 2025 Wet Leg August 2025 Ben FoldsBen Folds FiveBlondshell July 2025 Kate NVMk.gee…
I recently decided that this site needs a lists page, so over 2019, I’m planning to publish lists one at a time. I’m not trying to be objective with these – I regard them as a list of favourites. All…
Aphoristic Album Reviews - Recent Blog Posts
These are acts who I’d like to cover one day if I keep this site going for long enough. Able TasmansAirAlex GAlvvaysFiona AppleBadfingerErykah BaduThe BatsBeckAdrian BelewBelle and SebastianBen Folds (Five)BjorkBlack SabbathBlondieBlood IncantationWeyes BloodBon IverBonnie “Prince” BillyThe Boo RadleysThe BooksBad BunnyCardiacsNeko…
I don’t usually write reviews on request – you might want to try these blogs: – specialises in rock reviews, particularly anything that is inspired by classic rock or anything retro: disco, ska, blues, jazz, R&B, soul, etc. Contact…
These are the sites that feel like part of this blog’s community: 1001 Albums in 10 Years 1537 2loud2oldmusic Christian’s Music Musings Cincinnati Babyhead KamerTunesBlog KeepsMeAlive …Like Dancing About Architecture Mike and Paul’s Music Blog Movies and Songs 365 Moving…
I enjoy the Acclaimed Music list of the top 50 artists based on albums – This is what I’ve covered from their top 50 artists: Already have a page1 The Beatles2 Bob Dylan3 The Rolling Stones4 David Bowie6 Neil…
This is an archive of album reviews that I’ve been writing since around 2000. Reviews are organised by decade – artists are filed under their most successful or prolific decade. Sometimes this is confusing – Radiohead are filed under the…
The following albums have scored at least a 9 on this site, 10/10s are in bold. There are lots of artists who I’d like to cover that I haven’t got to yet, including classic rock giants like The Kinks and The…
I was born in 1979, in Lower Hutt New Zealand. I grew up in a household where the main music was bagpipes and Christian radio. When I discovered pop music at the age of 12 it was new and exciting,…
