Most decidedly on the more rambunctious end of the spectrum as far as music in 1967 went was Pink Floyd's debut album. Fronted by Syd Barrett and his cosmic-inspired (or drug-fueled) visions and guitar experiments, which quite often drew from childhood nostalgia, his performance has long been critically acclaimed, but I go the other way. Other than the space-grabbing "Astronomy Domine", there are just flashes of brilliance and nothing sustained, while the rest of the band struggles to keep up ("Take Up Thy Stethoscope and Walk" has long been cited as a major weak point). Piper is no magnum opus – more like a window into the workings of a hyperactive, unsteady, borderline-dangerous mind, accentuated by copious amounts of drug-taking.

The majority of this album consists of reconstituted hip-hop beats, wanna-be Sabbath stock riffs, lots of Zach de la Rocha preachiness/screams, many scratchy solos from Tom Morello, and the occasional cool noise or riff which blows by in two seconds. I am sure Tom Morello is a nice guy, and by the sounds of things here he definitely knows some tricks here and there, but stop trying to make your guitar sound like a turntable when it comes time to solo.

A surprisingly sober yet highly entertaining and down-to-earth portrait of The Stooges, who somehow lived to see their reputation rise from the depths of being the world's most reviled band, to one of its' most beloved. Only in America!

Pretty much a business-as-usual record from Slayer, as it does not stray much from their 80's thrash template. "213" was named after Jeffrey Dahmer's apartment number; here's a sample line - “how I love to KILL YOU!!!”

"War Ensemble" and the title track are incredible; everything else feels like they went on cruise control. The former song is a jokey take on the classic "Angel of Death" while the latter is IMHO the best track they ever cut. I'm not saying the rest of this is bad but if there ever was an album that you needed to hear for two cuts alone it is this one.