Alright, rapid fire catch-up in one-post...
18. Funkadelic - One Nation Under A Groove
So I'm quite familiar with Funkadelic/Parliament; however, I had never sat down and listened to this album in full. This is some real foundational rock meets funk meets R&B just meets out there kind of stuff. Not having this on streaming sucks as I had to listen to it on youtube. There's real genius hear and I'd love to hear this not on a shitty youtube feed. But even then its genius shines through.
Rating 5.0/5
19. Van Halen - 1984
My first concert ever was Van Halen (the Gary Cherone edition), so I have a soft spot for this band. What gets lost in some of the presentation and reputation is that VH was a killer pop band with great hooks and they could write killer tunes. And this is their intentional blockbuster. The 1-2 punch of Jump and Panama is undeniable and if you're not rocking by the engine roars you need to check your pulse. I'll Wait is a favorite deeper cut of mine, Hot For Teacher is so stupid it brings a smile to my face and the remaining songs all have their moments. I love this album.
Rating 5.0/5
20. Michael Jackson - Thriller
Maybe the most ubiquitous album of all time, I found this one hard to really judge. Like a lot of posters here, I've known a lot of these songs since my childhood and have varying views of them today. The 1-2 punch of Beat It and Billie Jean are still wonderful and top songs of the era, Wanna Be Startin Somethin is still a great kick off and rocks, and I even kind of like Human Nature and PYT as great come-downs from the middle of the album. Now for the bad, Thriller as a song really doesn't hold up for me, The Girl is Mine brings together the worst of both MJ and McCartney in one shmaltzy package, and the other album tracks are kind of forgettable. And yes, the baggage with MJ probably makes me less accepting of this album's obvious faults.
Rating - 3.0/5