> Spanky's 100 Album Listening Project

I’ve started a long-term listening project built around 100 albums from a wide range of genres and eras. The plan is to listen to roughly one album each week, including both familiar favorites and records I have never heard before.

This is not intended to be a definitive “100 greatest albums” ranking. The goal is to explore important, influential, or simply interesting music while giving each album my full attention as an album—not just as a collection of familiar singles.

For each listen, I’ll choose one headphone from my collection and either a clean or warm amplification chain. The pairings are selected to suit the recording, although I’ll also rotate through the headphones when it makes sense. Afterward, I’ll post some informal observations: what caught my attention, favorite tracks, production details, how the equipment affected the experience, and whether the album deserves another listen.

Some of these records are old friends, while others will be completely new to me. I expect my reactions to be personal rather than authoritative, and part of the fun will be seeing which albums surprise me along the way.

Here is the current 100-album plan:

Code:Format:
No. | Artist — Album
    | Genre | Headphone | Chain

001 | The Beatles — Abbey Road
    | Rock | Focal Clear | Clean

002 | Fleetwood Mac — Rumours
    | Rock / Pop | Meze 99 Classics | Clean

003 | Miles Davis — Kind of Blue
    | Modal Jazz | Sennheiser HD 600 | Clean

004 | Joni Mitchell — Blue
    | Singer-Songwriter | Sennheiser HD 490 Pro | Warm

005 | Marvin Gaye — What’s Going On
    | Soul | Focal Clear | Warm

006 | Pink Floyd — The Dark Side of the Moon
    | Progressive Rock | Sennheiser HD 800 S | Clean

007 | Michael Jackson — Thriller
    | Pop / R&B | Focal Clear | Clean

008 | Bob Dylan — Blood on the Tracks
    | Singer-Songwriter | Sennheiser HD 6XX | Warm

009 | Nirvana — Nevermind
    | Alternative Rock | Dan Clark Audio E3 | Clean

010 | Stevie Wonder — Songs in the Key of Life
    | Soul / Funk | Focal Clear | Clean

011 | Johnny Cash — At Folsom Prison
    | Country / Live | Sennheiser HD 600 | Warm

012 | The Clash — London Calling
    | Punk / Rock | Focal Clear | Clean

013 | Radiohead — OK Computer
    | Alternative Rock | Sennheiser HD 800 S | Clean

014 | Carole King — Tapestry
    | Singer-Songwriter | Sennheiser HD 6XX | Warm

015 | Nas — Illmatic
    | Hip-Hop | Dan Clark Audio E3 | Clean

016 | Kate Bush — Hounds of Love
    | Art Pop | Sennheiser HD 490 Pro | Clean

017 | Led Zeppelin — Led Zeppelin IV
    | Hard Rock | Focal Clear | Warm

018 | Dave Brubeck Quartet — Time Out
    | Jazz | Sennheiser HD 800 S | Clean

019 | Otis Redding — Otis Blue
    | Soul | Sennheiser HD 600 | Warm

020 | Wilco — Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
    | Alternative Country | Sennheiser HD 490 Pro | Warm

021 | AC/DC — Back in Black
    | Hard Rock | Focal Clear | Clean

022 | Kacey Musgraves — Golden Hour
    | Country Pop | Sennheiser HD 599 | Clean

023 | Daft Punk — Discovery
    | Electronic / Dance | Dan Clark Audio E3 | Clean

024 | Lorde — Melodrama
    | Art Pop | Sennheiser HD 490 Pro | Clean

025 | João Gilberto & Stan Getz — Getz/Gilberto
    | Bossa Nova / Jazz | Sennheiser HD 600 | Warm

026 | The Rolling Stones — Exile on Main St.
    | Rock | Focal Clear | Warm

027 | John Coltrane — A Love Supreme
    | Spiritual Jazz | Sennheiser HD 800 S | Warm

028 | Aretha Franklin — I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You
    | Soul | Sennheiser HD 6XX | Warm

029 | The Smiths — The Queen Is Dead
    | Alternative Rock | Sennheiser HD 490 Pro | Clean

030 | Kendrick Lamar — good kid, m.A.A.d city
    | Hip-Hop | Dan Clark Audio E3 | Clean

031 | Black Sabbath — Paranoid
    | Heavy Metal | Focal Clear | Clean

032 | Willie Nelson — Red Headed Stranger
    | Country | Sennheiser HD 600 | Warm

033 | Talking Heads — Remain in Light
    | Art Rock / Funk | Focal Clear | Clean

034 | Robyn — Body Talk
    | Dance Pop | Dan Clark Audio E3 | Clean

035 | Buena Vista Social Club — Buena Vista Social Club
    | Cuban / World | Sennheiser HD 800 S | Warm

036 | Neil Young — After the Gold Rush
    | Folk Rock | Sennheiser HD 6XX | Warm

037 | Charles Mingus — Mingus Ah Um
    | Jazz | Sennheiser HD 800 S | Clean

038 | Sly & the Family Stone — There’s a Riot Goin’ On
    | Funk / Soul | Focal Clear | Clean

039 | Pixies — Doolittle
    | Alternative Rock | Sennheiser HD 490 Pro | Clean

040 | A Tribe Called Quest — The Low End Theory
    | Hip-Hop / Jazz Rap | Dan Clark Audio E3 | Clean

041 | Metallica — Master of Puppets
    | Thrash Metal | Focal Clear | Clean

042 | Emmylou Harris — Pieces of the Sky
    | Country | Sennheiser HD 600 | Warm

043 | Kraftwerk — Trans-Europe Express
    | Electronic | Dan Clark Audio E3 | Clean

044 | Björk — Homogenic
    | Art Pop / Electronic | Sennheiser HD 800 S | Clean

045 | Bob Marley & The Wailers — Catch a Fire
    | whyte | Meze 99 Classics | Clean

046 | The Band — Music from Big Pink
    | Roots Rock | Sennheiser HD 6XX | Warm

047 | Herbie Hancock — Head Hunters
    | Jazz-Funk | Focal Clear | Clean

048 | Parliament — Mothership Connection
    | Funk | Meze 99 Classics | Clean

049 | R.E.M. — Murmur
    | Alternative Rock | Sennheiser HD 490 Pro | Warm

050 | Wu-Tang Clan — Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)
    | Hip-Hop | Dan Clark Audio E3 | Clean

051 | Pink Floyd — Wish You Were Here
    | Progressive Rock | Sennheiser HD 800 S | Warm

052 | J.S. Bach / Glenn Gould — Goldberg Variations
    | Classical / Keyboard | Sennheiser HD 800 S | Clean

053 | Muddy Waters — Folk Singer
    | Acoustic Blues | Sennheiser HD 600 | Warm

054 | The Strokes — Is This It
    | Indie Rock | Focal Clear | Clean

055 | Public Enemy — It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back
    | Hip-Hop | Dan Clark Audio E3 | Clean

056 | Iron Maiden — The Number of the Beast
    | Heavy Metal | Focal Clear | Clean

057 | Dolly Parton — Coat of Many Colors
    | Country | Sennheiser HD 6XX | Warm

058 | Aphex Twin — Selected Ambient Works 85–92
    | Ambient Techno | Sennheiser HD 800 S | Clean

059 | Fiona Apple — When the Pawn…
    | Singer-Songwriter / Art Pop | Sennheiser HD 490 Pro | Warm

060 | The Congos — Heart of the Congos
    | Roots whyte | Meze 99 Classics | Clean

061 | Yes — Close to the Edge
    | Progressive Rock | Sennheiser HD 800 S | Clean

062 | B.B. King — Live at the Regal
    | Electric Blues / Live | Focal Clear | Warm

063 | James Brown — Live at the Apollo
    | Soul / Funk / Live | Focal Clear | Clean

064 | Joy Division — Unknown Pleasures
    | Post-Punk | Dan Clark Audio E3 | Clean

065 | Prince — 1999
    | Funk / Pop | Focal Clear | Clean

066 | Jason Isbell — Southeastern
    | Americana | Sennheiser HD 600 | Warm

067 | Brian Eno — Ambient 1: Music for Airports
    | Ambient | Sennheiser HD 800 S | Clean

068 | Madonna — Like a Prayer
    | Pop | Focal Clear | Clean

069 | Celia Cruz & Johnny Pacheco — Celia & Johnny
    | Salsa | Focal Clear | Clean

070 | Genesis — Selling England by the Pound
    | Progressive Rock | Sennheiser HD 800 S | Warm

071 | Stevie Ray Vaughan — Texas Flood
    | Electric Blues | Focal Clear | Clean

072 | D’Angelo — Voodoo
    | Neo-Soul | Meze 99 Classics | Clean

073 | Ramones — Ramones
    | Punk Rock | Sennheiser HD 599 | Clean

074 | Billie Eilish — When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?
    | Alternative Pop | Dan Clark Audio E3 | Clean

075 | Lee “Scratch” Perry & The Upsetters — Super Ape
    | Dub | Meze 99 Classics | Clean

076 | King Crimson — In the Court of the Crimson King
    | Progressive Rock | Sennheiser HD 800 S | Clean

077 | Stravinsky — The Rite of Spring
    | Classical / Orchestral | Sennheiser HD 800 S | Clean

078 | Robert Johnson — King of the Delta Blues Singers
    | Delta Blues | Sennheiser HD 600 | Warm

079 | Chic — Risqué
    | Disco / Funk | Focal Clear | Clean

080 | Sex Pistols — Never Mind the Bollocks
    | Punk Rock | Focal Clear | Clean

081 | George Michael — Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1
    | Pop / Soul | Sennheiser HD 6XX | Warm

082 | Gillian Welch — Time (The Revelator)
    | Americana / Folk | Sennheiser HD 600 | Warm

083 | Burial — Untrue
    | Electronic / Future Garage | Dan Clark Audio E3 | Clean

084 | Rosalía — El Mal Querer
    | Flamenco Pop | Sennheiser HD 490 Pro | Clean

085 | Burning Spear — Marcus Garvey
    | Roots whyte | Meze 99 Classics | Clean

086 | Tool — Lateralus
    | Progressive Metal | Dan Clark Audio E3 | Clean

087 | Howlin’ Wolf — Moanin’ in the Moonlight
    | Chicago Blues | Sennheiser HD 6XX | Warm

088 | Brian Eno — Another Green World
    | Art Rock / Ambient | Sennheiser HD 800 S | Warm

089 | Leonard Cohen — Songs of Leonard Cohen
    | Singer-Songwriter | Sennheiser HD 6XX | Warm

090 | Taylor Swift — 1989
    | Pop | Focal Clear | Clean

091 | Caetano Veloso — Transa
    | MPB / Brazilian | Sennheiser HD 600 | Warm

092 | The Velvet Underground & Nico — The Velvet Underground & Nico
    | Art Rock | Sennheiser HD 490 Pro | Warm

093 | Beethoven — Symphony No. 9
    | Classical / Orchestral | Sennheiser HD 800 S | Clean

094 | Toots and the Maytals — Funky Kingston
    | whyte | Meze 99 Classics | Clean

095 | Talk Talk — Spirit of Eden
    | Post-Rock / Art Rock | Sennheiser HD 800 S | Warm

096 | Miles Davis / Gil Evans — Sketches of Spain
    | Orchestral Jazz | Sennheiser HD 800 S | Clean

097 | J.S. Bach — The Well-Tempered Clavier selections
    | Classical / Keyboard | Sennheiser HD 600 | Clean

098 | Swans — To Be Kind
    | Experimental Rock | Dan Clark Audio E3 | Clean

099 | Captain Beefheart — Trout Mask Replica
    | Experimental Rock | Sennheiser HD 490 Pro | Clean

100 | Stevie Wonder — Songs in the Key of Life (capstone revisit)
    | Soul / Funk | Focal Clear | Warm

Album Listening Notes #1

Date completed: July 12, 2026  
Artist: Fleetwood Mac  
Album: Rumours  
Genre: Rock / Pop  
Headphone: Meze 99 Classics  
Chain: Clean

This was already a very familiar album because so many of its songs are enormous hits, but I tried to listen for details I had previously overlooked.

The first thing that stood out was how primal and relentlessly driving Mick Fleetwood’s drums sound throughout the album. The Meze 99 Classics may have emphasized their weight and body, but Fleetwood clearly does not approach these songs as a drummer content to sit quietly in the background.

I also noticed the little boogie-style piano part in “Don’t Stop,” which had never really caught my attention before. During “The Chain,” after the brief silence around 1:30, I could hear Lindsey Buckingham quietly count “one, two, three, four” before the band comes back in.

Although I like all the songs, “Oh Daddy” emerged as a much stronger track than I had previously appreciated. The other major discovery was Christine McVie’s voice. Stevie Nicks’ distinctive presence can easily overshadow her, but McVie’s singing is beautiful, warm, controlled, and central to much of what makes the album work.

Album Listening Notes #2

Date completed: July 19, 2026  
Artist: Miles Davis  
Album: Kind of Blue  
Genre: Modal Jazz  
Headphone: Sennheiser HD 600  
Chain: Clean

Kind of Blue is an album I had heard before and have always enjoyed, but this listen helped me identify more of what is happening within the recording.

The hard channel panning was especially noticeable on the HD 600. It gave me a clear example of the “three-blob” effect: saxophone and piano on the left, trumpet and bass in the center, and drums with the other saxophone on the right. The positions are sharply separated rather than forming one continuous soundstage, but I could still picture the musicians arranged across a stage.

Of the two saxophone voices, I generally preferred Cannonball Adderley’s warmer and bluesier sound. John Coltrane’s more searching tenor playing on “Flamenco Sketches,” however, was amazing. That track ended up being my favorite on the album.

I loved Wynton Kelly’s piano at the beginning of “Freddie Freeloader,” as well as Bill Evans’ playing on “Blue in Green” and “Flamenco Sketches.” I enjoyed every track, although “Blue in Green” connected with me a little less than the others. Its lack of Cannonball may partly explain that reaction.

In several quiet passages, I also noticed Jimmy Cobb using an extremely light, swirling brush motion on the snare. It was faint enough to resemble hiss at first, but it subtly moved and followed the rhythm rather than remaining static.

The HD 600 made the instrumental tone and channel separation very clear, and it sounded somewhat brighter than the HD 6XX. Even so, I think I prefer Kind of Blue on the HD 800 S because its wider presentation makes the widely separated musicians feel more like players occupying a larger stage.

Album Listening Notes #3

Date completed: July 26, 2026  
Artist: Joni Mitchell  
Album: Blue  
Genre: Singer-Songwriter  
Headphone: Sennheiser HD 490 Pro  
Chain: Warm

Blue was a very enjoyable album, and I liked nearly all of it. The first, third, and fifth tracks—“All I Want,” “Little Green,” and “Blue”—may need another listen before I fully appreciate them, but nothing here felt disposable.

The most striking part of the album was Joni Mitchell’s voice. I initially intended to pay close attention to the sparse guitar, dulcimer, and piano arrangements, but I repeatedly found myself being pulled back toward her singing. Her phrasing is highly distinctive, and she often shapes individual words and lines in ways I did not expect.

The album has also aged remarkably well. Quite a few of these songs could plausibly be released as contemporary singer-songwriter material without feeling trapped in 1971.

My standout tracks were “California,” “River,” and “The Last Time I Saw Richard.” “California” has an immediate warmth and lift, “River” pairs its familiar piano figure with a deep sense of loneliness, and “The Last Time I Saw Richard” feels almost like a short story set to music.

The HD 490 Pro and warm chain made for a detailed but intimate first listen. I would also like to revisit the album on the HD 600, which should place even more emphasis on the natural midrange, her voice, and the piano.

Tonight’s Listening Preview

Date: August 1, 2026  
Artist: The Beatles  
Album: Abbey Road  
Genre: Rock  
Headphone: Focal Clear  
Chain: Clean

I’ll be listening with the Focal Clear on the clean chain. This should give the album’s bass and drums satisfying impact while keeping its vocal harmonies, guitar textures, and dense studio production easy to follow.

A few things I plan to listen for:

- Paul McCartney’s melodic bass playing and how often it functions almost like a second lead instrument.
- The contrasting guitar tones and playing styles of George Harrison, John Lennon, and Paul McCartney.
- Ringo Starr’s restrained but distinctive drumming, including how his fills support the songs without overwhelming them.
- The layering and placement of the vocals.
- How the shorter pieces in the side-two medley connect and build into a larger musical sequence.
- The production details that make an album recorded in 1969 still sound polished and remarkably modern.

Afterward, I’ll post my listening notes, favorite tracks, anything newly discovered, and how well the Focal Clear and clean chain suited the album.

Emmylou Harris - I’d have gone with Luxury Line[/Sweetpea]Trio.

Needs some Foghat!     

Going to be a long wait to get your reaction to Trout Mask Replica 

I appreciate that you included Joni Mitchell.  I did carefully read your entire album list, but Phil Oches definitely deserves a place.

Spanky, as an audiophile, I suggest you include Loveless by My Bloody Valentine.

Dotty Dotterson wrote:Going to be a long wait to get your reaction to Trout Mask Replica 
Remember, we are talking about a guy who thinks Taylor Swift is high culture. 

Needs more Lucinda Williams.

Its a good list.

Tool Pneuma is a better auditory experience. Lateralus could fuq your ears up a bit. Especially Ticks and Leeches

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p32HJWA7eb0

Phillip_McCavity wrote:I appreciate that you included Joni Mitchell.  I did carefully read your entire album list, but Phil Oches definitely deserves a place.
Thanks. I am open to suggestions. 

I had AI generate the above list. 

So human input is welcome.

Album Listening Notes #4

Date completed: August 2, 2026  
Artist: The Beatles  
Album: Abbey Road  
Genre: Rock  
Headphone: Focal Clear  
Chain: Clean

Abbey Road is an album I have heard dozens—possibly scores—of times, and it is one I already love. That made this an interesting listen because I kept moving between falling into the music and simply enjoying it, and pulling myself back out to listen critically.

On “Come Together,” Ringo Starr immediately caught my attention. His playing is full of fantastic fills, while Paul McCartney assumes a comparatively traditional bass role and works with him as part of a tightly connected rhythm section.

“Something” is already close to being one of my favorite songs of all time. Here, Paul’s bass becomes much more melodic, almost functioning as a countermelody. I also noticed a beautiful, clean Strat-like rhythm-guitar sound. Once again, Ringo’s playing reinforced how unfairly dismissive people can be about his contribution to the band.

“Maxwell’s Silver Hammer” remains one of my less-favored tracks. Its goofy lyrics and deliberately silly melody make it feel very much like a product of the 1960s. Even so, the production is still meticulous, and it is obvious that the Beatles took the recording seriously. A lovely little piano figure appears quietly in the background during several passages and became the detail I enjoyed most.

“Oh! Darling” looks backward toward the original mid-1950s rock-and-roll sound while updating it for 1969. The vocals and guitar absolutely exude rock and roll.

“Octopus’s Garden” is simply a lovely, happy song. It also demonstrates that Ringo was more than just the Beatles’ drummer. It is nearly impossible to hear it without feeling better.

“I Want You (She’s So Heavy)” was the biggest rediscovery of this listen. I had never fully appreciated how deeply rooted it is in the blues. It also sounds like a meeting point between the heavy blues-rock Led Zeppelin was developing at the time and the emerging language of heavy metal. John Lennon’s vocal is tremendous and shows what an exceptional rock singer he was.

The keyboard textures across the album also stood out more than they had before, particularly the additional color brought by Billy Preston’s contributions.

“Here Comes the Sun” requires very little analysis from me. It is simply a fantastic song and, if I had to choose one, is probably my favorite song of all time.

The opening section of “Sun King” was another highlight. Paul’s melodic bass and the guitar create something deep, driving, and hypnotic. That instrumental passage is so good that part of me almost wishes the song never introduced vocals.

“Polythene Pam” is a song that took repeated listens for me to appreciate, but I do appreciate it now.

Finally, “Golden Slumbers,” “Carry That Weight,” and “The End” are about as good a way to bring an album to its emotional conclusion as I can imagine. Even after hearing Abbey Road so many times, that final sequence still feels monumental.

This listen did not radically change my opinion of an album I already loved, but it gave me a renewed appreciation for Ringo’s playing, Paul’s constantly changing approach to the bass, the album’s keyboard textures, and especially the blues and proto-metal weight of “I Want You (She’s So Heavy).”

Hope your Monster Cables have been properly seasoned in the correct mix of unsalted vinegar and extra virgin olive oil!

 wrote:Hope your Monster Cables have been properly seasoned in the correct mix of unsalted vinegar and extra virgin olive oil!
I am leaning towards the Empyrean II. Do you own it?

Sockpuppet wrote:I am leaning towards the Empyrean II. Do you own it?
No.
I’m interested though.
I’d be happy to hear your thoughts if you purchase them.

Love the guitar jam on the front part of "The End" - Paul, George and John trade leads.  Each one has a very distinct sound and feel.

Phillip_McCavity wrote:I appreciate that you included Joni Mitchell.  I did carefully read your entire album list, but Phil Oches definitely deserves a place.
One of the greatest song writers in American history.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyIvKxzZS0A

Sockpuppet wrote:“Here Comes the Sun” requires very little analysis from me. It is simply a fantastic song and, if I had to choose one, is probably my favorite song of all time.
youregay.gif

No...

Weather Report
Jean-Michel Jarre
Jean-Luc Ponty
Chuck Mangione

???

I hope you had the presence of mind to listen to the newer mix of Abbey Road

Mike_Reno_Of_Loverboy wrote:I hope you had the presence of mind to listen to the newer mix of Abbey Road
I listened to my CD version. Probably from the 1990s.

> Spanky's 100 Album Listening Project

Spanky's 100 Album Listening Project

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Dotty Dotterson wrote:

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Sockpuppet wrote:

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Mike_Reno_Of_Loverboy wrote: