Dad’s Record Guide

Welcome! I’m James, a chemical engineer, a music lover, and a suburban dad whose kids are old enough to think he's out of touch.

This guide is just a list of albums that I like. That’s all. I don’t have any formal training in music, or art history, or criticism. I’m just a dude on the internet, responding to the world, continuously refining my own taste.

As for what that taste is, you’ll have to peruse the guide. As a baseline: I’m the Eldest Millennial; my earliest music memory is singing along to Michael Jackson’s “Beat It”; the first three cassettes I owned for myself were Beach Boys Concert, DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince’s Homebase, and Kris Kross’s Totally Krossed Out; and as a teen, I was all about nineties alt-rock. Maybe I’ve evolved since then. Maybe not.

Ultimately, the ratings I assign are just personal vibes. If you're familiar with the Michelin Guide, you’ll recognize the rating scheme, where even a single star signifies a standout record. My rough distinctions are:

I’ve been writing little capsule reviews, for myself, for years. Coming across Louie Mantia’s wonderful Burger Digest is what inspired me to finally share some of them. The idea of a “Record Guide” is swiped, of course, from the legendary Robert Cristgau.

I hope you find something you like. Happy listening!