#397 - For The Roses, Joni Mitchell

"On For the Roses, Joni Mitchell began to explore jazz and other influences in earnest. As one might expect from a transitional album, there is a lot of stylistic ground explored, including straight folk selections using guitar, piano, overtly jazzy numbers, and hybrids that cross the two" (allmusic guide)


#396 - 461 Ocean Boulevard, Eric Clapton

"Kicking things off with the blazing, jubilant "Motherless Children," 461 Ocean Boulevard is one of the four or five solo Clapton records that any self-respecting rock fan needs to have. He had just finished peaking with Derek & the Dominoes at the time of this recording, and you can hear it - he's in full stride, a major talent at the top of his powers." (real music guide)

#395 - Master Of Puppets, Metallica

"Generally considered Metallica's finest hour, Master of Puppets is just about the most exciting metal album to come out of the 1980s. From the ominous acoustic guitars that open "Battery" through the next seven maze-like opuses of pure intensity, Master of Puppets is the kind of record you have to play loud enough to make air melt." (real music guide)

#394 - Melissa Etheridge, Melissa Etheridge

"This was one of the most stunning debut albums of the 1980s. Given the domination of synthesizer pop on the radio, Melissa Etheridge was a breath of fresh air when she burst out of the gate with this roots rock album sung with a sensitive bravado often compared to Janis Joplin. Although the passionate vocal deliveries are similar, the comparisons end there: Etheridge is a Midwesterner who was clearly influenced by classic rock artists." (allmusic guide)

#393 - Speaking In Tongues, Talking Heads

"Talking Heads found a way to open up the dense textures of the music they had developed with Brian Eno on their two previous studio albums for Speaking in Tongues, and were rewarded with their most popular album yet. Ten backup singers and musicians accompanied the original quartet, but somehow the sound was more spacious, and the music admitted aspects of gospel, notably in the call-and-response of "Slippery People," and John Lee Hooker-style blues, on "Swamp."" (allmusic guide)

#392 - Bachelor No. 2, Aimee Mann

"You'll forgive Bachelor No. 2 for sounding a bit like the Magnolia soundtrack. Both were recorded around the same time and share some of the same songs. However, Bachelor No. 2's delicate, fragile air hangs heavier than its movie counterpart, and Mann's somewhat acerbic humor is sharper, making this the superior collection." (real music guide)