Reviews Of Classic Rock & Pop Albums

ONLY SOLITAIRE: THE ARCHIVES

1. The Neolithic Archive: 2009-2020

This is the second version of Only Solitaire, mainly consisting of my amusing alphabetic project. Reviews are still preserved in .doc and .htm formats, and in the frozen blog on Blogspot. These reviews are generally readable, and I probably haven't changed my opinions on most of these artists and albums. Feel free to browse.

Only Solitaire BlogOnly Solitaire review timeline

Only Solitaire reviews A-B: DOC version | Only Solitaire reviews A-B: HTML version

Only Solitaire reviews C: DOC version     | Only Solitaire reviews C: HTML version

Only Solitaire reviews: Important Artist Series (.doc only version for now)

Additionally, for the first ten months of 2016, OS featured a series of "Important Album" reviews in special format, unavailable directly on the OS blog, but linked to it. (Currently discontinued, replaced with the Important Artist Series above).

Jan. 03, 2016. Radiohead: OK Computer
Jan. 10, 2016. Pink Floyd: Dark Side Of The Moon
Jan. 17, 2016. The Velvet Underground: The Velvet Underground & Nico
Jan. 24, 2016. Pink Floyd: Wish You Were Here
Jan. 31, 2016. Radiohead: Kid A
Feb. 07, 2016. King Crimson: In The Court Of The Crimson King
Feb. 14, 2016. The Beatles: Abbey Road
Feb. 21, 2016. The Beatles: Revolver
Feb. 28, 2016. My Bloody Valentine: Loveless
Mar. 06, 2016. Led Zeppelin: Untitled
Mar. 13, 2016. Miles Davis: Kind Of Blue
Mar. 20, 2016. David Bowie: The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders Of Mars
Mar. 27, 2016. The Beach Boys: Pet Sounds
Apr. 03, 2016. Black Sabbath: Paranoid
Apr. 10, 2016. Bob Dylan: Highway 61 Revisited
Apr. 17, 2016. Pixies: Doolittle
Apr. 24, 2016. John Coltrane: A Love Supreme
May 01, 2016. The Beatles: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
May 08, 2016. The Doors: The Doors
May 15, 2016. Joy Division: Unknown Pleasures
May 22, 2016. Nick Drake: Pink Moon
May 29, 2016. The Smiths: The Queen Is Dead
June 05, 2016. Neutral Milk Hotel: In The Aeroplane Over The Sea
June 12, 2016. Godspeed You! Black Emperor: Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven
June 19, 2016. The Beatles: The Beatles
June 26, 2016. Talking Heads: Remain In Light
July 03, 2016. Television: Marquee Moon
July 10, 2016. Charles Mingus: The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady
July 17, 2016. The Clash: London Calling
July 24, 2016. Arcade Fire: Funeral
July 31, 2016. Pink Floyd: Animals
August 07, 2016. Bob Dylan: Blonde On Blonde
August 14, 2016. Jimi Hendrix: Are You Experienced
August 21, 2016. Nirvana: Nevermind
August 28, 2016. Sonic Youth: Daydream Nation
September 04, 2016. Joy Division: Closer
September 11, 2016. David Bowie: Low
September 18, 2016. King Crimson: Red
September 25, 2016: Bob Dylan: Blood On The Tracks
October 02, 2016: Wu-Tang Clan: Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)
October 09, 2016: The Beatles: Rubber Soul
October 16, 2016: Led Zeppelin: Led Zeppelin


2. The Paleolithic Archive: 1998-2007

This is the original version of Only Solitaire, mostly untouched since early 2007. This version only serves as a curious reminder of past times. I seriously would not recommend relying on it, although there are indeed quite a few artists and records here that I haven't had the opportunity to comment on since 2007 (some of my opinions on these artists may, of course, have drastically changed in the meantime).

Table Of Contents

 Music reviews

 View list of artists sorted by time period 

[gradation approximate]

 View list of artists by style/category 

[includes complete album listing]

 View list of artists in alphabetic order 

[including those in appendices]

Auxiliary Pages


Introduction: The Proto-Rock Heroes Page

  • Bill Haley
  • Buddy Holly
  • Carl Perkins
  • Chuck Berry
  • Elvis Presley
  • Fats Domino
  • Jerry Lee Lewis
  • Little Richard
  • Muddy Waters
  • Robert Johnson
  • Special review project

  • ATLANTIC RHYTHM & BLUES

  • 1. The Early Years: 1962-1965

    Class A artists

  • The Beatles
  • Bob Dylan
  • The Rolling Stones
  • The Who
  • Class B artists

  • The Byrds
  • The Kinks
  • Class C artists

  • The Animals
  • The Beach Boys
  • The Hollies
  • The Yardbirds
  • The Zombies
  • Class D artists

  • The Pretty Things
  • Class E artists

  • The Dave Clark 5
  • The Searchers
  • Unrated artists

  • Manfred Mann

  • 2. The Psychedelic Years: 1966-1968

    Class B artists

  • Cream
  • Creedence Clearwater Revival
  • The Doors
  • Jimi Hendrix
  • Pink Floyd
  • Class C artists

  • Arthur Brown
  • Captain Beefheart
  • Family
  • Fleetwood Mac
  • Frank Zappa
  • Janis Joplin
  • The Left Banke
  • The Moody Blues
  • Procol Harum
  • Roy Wood/The Move
  • Simon & Garfunkel
  • Tyrannosaurus Rex/T. Rex
  • The Velvet Underground
  • Class D artists

  • 13th Floor Elevators
  • Bee Gees
  • Buffalo Springfield
  • Free
  • The Grateful Dead
  • Jeff Beck
  • Jefferson Airplane
  • Love
  • The Mamas & Papas
  • The Monkees
  • The Nice
  • Quicksilver Messenger Service
  • The Small Faces
  • Soft Machine
  • Spooky Tooth
  • Ten Years After
  • Traffic
  • The United States Of America
  • Class E artists

  • Country Joe & The Fish
  • Iron Butterfly
  • The Troggs
  • Unrated artists

  • Aphrodite's Child
  • The Band
  • Blood, Sweat & Tears
  • Blue Cheer
  • Bonzo Dog Band
  • Donovan
  • Electric Prunes
  • Fairport Convention
  • Harry Nilsson
  • The Incredible String Band
  • Leonard Cohen
  • Lovin' Spoonful
  • Moby Grape
  • Nico
  • Sly & The Family Stone
  • Spirit
  • Steppenwolf
  • Tim Buckley
  • Special review project

  • NUGGETS

  • 3. The Artsy/Rootsy Years: 1969-1971

    Class B artists

  • Genesis
  • John Lennon
  • King Crimson
  • Paul McCartney
  • Stevie Wonder
  • Class C artists

  • Alice Cooper
  • Amon Düül II
  • The Allman Brothers Band
  • Bob Marley
  • Can
  • Caravan
  • Crosby, Stills & Nash
  • David Bowie
  • Deep Purple
  • Emerson, Lake & Palmer
  • Electric Light Orchestra
  • Elton John
  • Eric Clapton
  • Gentle Giant
  • George Harrison
  • Gong
  • J. J. Cale
  • Jethro Tull
  • Led Zeppelin
  • Lou Reed
  • Renaissance
  • Yes
  • Class D artists

  • Andrew Lloyd Webber
  • Argent
  • Atomic Rooster
  • Badfinger
  • Black Sabbath
  • Budgie
  • Colosseum
  • Curved Air
  • Faust
  • Mountain
  • Neil Young
  • Nick Drake
  • Rod Stewart
  • Thin Lizzy
  • Van Der Graaf Generator
  • Class E artists

  • Blind Faith
  • Bloodrock
  • Grand Funk Railroad
  • Gravy Train
  • High Tide
  • James Gang
  • MC5
  • Mott The Hoople
  • Ringo Starr
  • Stone The Crows
  • Syd Barrett
  • Unrated artists

  • Barclay James Harvest
  • Carole King
  • The Carpenters
  • Chicago
  • The Faces
  • Flamin' Groovies
  • Flying Burrito Brothers
  • Focus
  • Funkadelic
  • Hawkwind
  • Hot Tuna
  • Humble Pie
  • It's A Beautiful Day
  • Jack Bruce
  • Joe Cocker
  • John Cale
  • Joni Mitchell
  • Kraftwerk
  • Lindisfarne
  • Nazareth
  • Peter Hammill
  • Rory Gallagher
  • Santana
  • Seatrain
  • Slade
  • Sparks
  • Steamhammer
  • Steeleye Span
  • The Stooges
  • Strawbs
  • Tangerine Dream
  • Todd Rundgren
  • Uriah Heep
  • Vangelis
  • ZZ Top

  • 4. The Interim Years: 1972-1975

    Class B artists

  • Brian Eno
  • Class C artists

  • 10CC
  • ABBA
  • AC/DC
  • Bruce Springsteen
  • Cockney Rebel/Steve Harley
  • Patti Smith
  • Queen
  • Roxy Music
  • Steely Dan
  • Steve Hackett
  • Tom Waits
  • Class D artists

  • Big Star
  • Gryphon
  • Lynyrd Skynyrd
  • Pete Townshend
  • Premiata Forneria Marconi
  • The Residents
  • Robin Trower
  • Class E artists

  • Eagles
  • Fruupp
  • New York Dolls
  • Unrated artists

  • Aerosmith
  • Al Green
  • Alan Parsons Project
  • Alvin Lee
  • Ash Ra Tempel
  • Bad Company
  • Blue Oyster Cult
  • Camel
  • Clannad
  • Eloy
  • Henry Cow
  • Kansas
  • Kayak
  • Kiss
  • Klaus Schulze
  • Magma
  • Manfred Mann's Earth Band
  • Mike Oldfield
  • Paul Simon
  • Rainbow
  • Rick Wakeman
  • Ronnie Lane
  • Ronnie Wood
  • Rush
  • The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
  • Styx
  • Supertramp
  • The Sweet
  • Tina Turner

  • 5. The Punk/New Wave Years: 1976-1979

    Class B artists

  • The Police
  • The Ramones
  • Talking Heads
  • Class C artists

  • Accept
  • Blondie
  • The Clash
  • The Cure
  • Dire Straits
  • The Jam
  • Peter Gabriel
  • Class D artists

  • The Cars
  • Unrated artists

  • Boston
  • Brand X
  • Cheap Trick
  • Elvis Costello
  • Foreigner
  • Gary Moore
  • Heart
  • Ian Dury
  • Iggy Pop
  • Japan
  • Joy Division
  • Judas Priest
  • Kate Bush
  • Klaatu
  • Meatloaf
  • Michael Jackson
  • Midnight Oil
  • Motorhead
  • National Health
  • Nina Hagen
  • Pere Ubu
  • Prince
  • The Sex Pistols
  • Siouxsie & The Banshees
  • Television
  • Tom Petty
  • Van Halen
  • Wire
  • XTC

  • 6. The Divided Eighties: 1980-1989

    Class C artists

  • The Birthday Party/Nick Cave
  • Cocteau Twins
  • The Flaming Lips
  • Class D artists

  • Adrian Belew
  • Art Of Noise
  • Bangles
  • Crowded House
  • Class E artists

  • Traveling Wilburys
  • Unrated artists

  • Asia
  • Coil
  • Current '93
  • Dead Can Dance
  • Depeche Mode
  • Duran Duran
  • Einsturzende Neubauten
  • Enya
  • Eurythmics
  • Extreme
  • Faith No More
  • INXS
  • Iron Maiden
  • Joe Satriani
  • Laurie Anderson
  • Loreena McKennitt
  • Madonna
  • Marillion
  • Meat Beat Manifesto
  • Megadeth
  • Metallica
  • Ministry
  • Oingo Boingo
  • Ozzy Osbourne
  • Pet Shop Boys
  • Pixies
  • The Pogues
  • Queensryche
  • R.E.M.
  • The Replacements
  • Sade
  • Sepultura
  • Sinead O'Connor
  • Slayer
  • Smiths
  • Sonic Youth
  • Steve Vai
  • Stevie Ray Vaughan
  • Sting
  • Stone Roses
  • Suzanne Vega
  • Swans
  • Tears For Fears
  • They Might Be Giants
  • This Mortal Coil
  • U2

  • 7. From Grunge To The Present Day: 1990-2005

    Class B artists

  • Ween
  • Class C artists

  • Alice In Chains
  • Björk/The Sugarcubes
  • Blur
  • Class D artists

  • Angra
  • Autechre
  • The Chemical Brothers
  • The Cranberries
  • Unrated artists

  • Fountains Of Wayne
  • Hole
  • Mariah Carey
  • Morphine
  • Mr Bungle
  • Nirvana
  • Oasis
  • Pavement
  • Pearl Jam
  • Portishead
  • The Posies
  • Primus
  • Radiohead
  • Tori Amos
  • Wilco