Joan Armatrading

Never heard this before…. One song was semi familiar. Really enjoyed it though. Soulful with good tunes!

Good album. Not good enough to give more than 3 stars. not bad enough to go below 3 stars either. Had a really strong '90s vibe while listening to it, even though it's a 1976 album.

Not sure if I like this album or not…but I’m open to persuasion. I had this album on CD bought on release so was attracted to it then. Or maybe I had someone close who liked it as it wasn’t the music I was listening to mid 70’s. Either way I sold the CD on years ago. Listening today was quite enjoyable and must have re-ignited the feelings I had for the album 50 years ago. Certainly reminded me of what was going on in my life back then. Some good and some bad. Don’t think there is any other Joan Amatrading album I’m familiar with or would listen to now. 3/5 11/8/26

This was quite samey for me - I didn’t hate it but I also didn’t have any standout tracks. I think I might listen again if I was cooking, it strikes me as good cooking background music.

It's OK. Feels like Tracy Chapman.

3/6

6/10

Any cliché I write has already been written. Okay album.

It's always a nice thing when I come across a record from an artist or band I know absolutely nothing about on this list. No preconceptions, no thoughts of "Have I underestimated the work of geniuses?" — just pure appreciation of the music. That's what happened with Joan Armatrading. From the cover, I didn't even immediately realize whether the singer was a guy or a girl, but I figured I was probably in for something acoustic and folk. My hunch was right, but the folk here isn't like that of the venerable elders Crosby, Stills and Nash, but rather the kind of folk that (clearly influenced by this album) Tracy Chapman would make ten years later — with a touch of funk, disco, and jazz, mostly about relationships in a pleasant female voice. The "girl with a guitar" bio-platform, now popular among schoolgirls, was already beginning to take shape back then. Tracy's approach, however, was somehow more soulful, which is why I'll rate Joan's album lower. But that doesn't mean it's bad!

Wat is deze muziek goed! Het zit heel goed in elkaar, vooral de nummers Join the Boys en People vond ik fantastisch. Ik vind het stemgeluid wat deze artiest produceert minder geweldig. Het doet mij te veel denken aan Joni Mitchell. Dat geluid… brrr… alsof ze overal extra lucht in proberen te blazen ofzo. Muzikaal een 4 of 5! Vocaal een 1… dus een 3tje

Prima album, het krijgt een voldoende. Niet verder iets om heel lang over te schrijven denk ik. Niet slecht, ook niet geweldig. Er zaten stukjes in waar ik echt van kon genieten. Maar dat was het.

Geen liefde, geen haat. Prima

Wel leuk om eens te luisteren, kreeg er Tracy Chapman vibes van, ik zal vast niet de enige zijn. Toch vond ik de songs niet sterk genoeg om helemaal op te gaan in haar muziek, het is wel goed, ze zingt goed en haar songwriting is dat ook. Drie sterren

3.5 - good

"help yourself" is good. "join the boys" has amazing start. "tall in the saddle" first half beautiful. why most songs in second part transform? not bad, 3/5

Joan Armatrading is a key figure in the singer-songwriter scene that I never got around to, for whatever reason. What a talent. Some great songwriting here, a wide range of styles, a unique a powerful voice. That said, it didn't really dig its hooks into me, and I don't have the time to give it the chance to do so... so that's on me.

Good! Very nice very feel

Unique anddistinctive sound. Qell written songs. Very pleasant. Love and Affection very good. Join The Boys has pushed it to a 3.5 I think

Meh better then I thought it would be

Great voice but it’s another meh album

Meh. Fine, middle of road listen

Great 70s sound. Liked it

Need to listen

This caught me be surprise. I had never heard of Joan nor had I listened to any of these songs prior to today. I like the musicianship and variety.

Objectivement hyper bien mais j'arrive pas trop à être touchée

Some good songs on there

I was listening to this while I was in a bad mood and it didn't cure it so yeah

Nice and relaxed songs. Saved one song.

Sounds totally normal

It was okay. Some parts were really good. Some parts are just kind of boring.

Singer songwriter with an exceptional voice and some psychedelicy/folky guitars. I enjoyed it but I'm already struggling to remember anything else about it. High 3

At this point in her career, Joan Armatrading had more critical respect than hits. The big hits - Drop the Pilot and I Love it When You Call me Names- didn't come along for another four or five albums. (The Key is probably the album that should be here.) But this is fine. Sharp, observant songs, with a great, Glyn John's produced backing. An enjoyable time.

3/6

yeah

album #100 there was a lot about this album that was really, really cool. it wasn't really my thing, but it's place on the list is well deserved :-) i really liked tall in the saddle. ꩜ average track rating: 2.4/5 ꩜ favourite track(s): tall in the saddle ꩜ least favourite track(s): water with the wine ꩜ album rating: ★★⯪☆☆ ꩜ number of albums left to review: 989 ꩜ number of albums from the list that i agree with being on the list: 48 (+1 Joan Armatrading) ꩜ albums from the list that I would consider on my list: 22 ꩜ albums from the list I won't include on my list: 78

1976 to me always signals the global spread of punk music, being a rejection of bloated, over-produced stadium rock music So its always interesting to see what else was happening at that time, that escaped my attention at that time Never heard this lady before, but suprised to kind of like it, even though its worlds away from my usual listening preferences Some of those guitar sounds are really nice I'll be playing this one again - something I dont say often enough in the 1001 album journey

Pretty nice sound and vibe. I can’t say that I was particularly blown away by the album, but there were some groovy songs. Overall decent but not totally mind boggling.

alright

Armatrading never appealed as much to me as a Tracy Chapman or a Sade. Yet it is very pleasant listening.

Tempted to give it a 4 after the last couple of albums, but on reflection I'd describe as a solid 3

I quite enjoyed it. Last few songs were a bit more bluesy. Solid 3.

I enjoyed this, but feel like it hasn't left an impression on me. Dunno

One of those artists I knew the name of but had no idea of her music's style. It wasn't super my thing but was nice, I liked Join the Boys best

I'd never heard of Joan before. This is good, although a bit inconsistent in just listening: I think this is probably a performance art, where watching her sing these brings added perspective. She is also a good song writer.

Solid.

Enjoyed her snowy voice. Very 70s

it was fine

album surpreendente. otimos instrumentos e a voz dela é muito boa! aos mesmo tempo que o album tem algumas faixas profundas, tem algumas bem upbeats e divertidas. fun fun fun fun fun lbum, i had fun while it lasted. nota 7,8

I’d heard of Armatrading before, but never heard her music. It’s generally good. Seems to have been and influence on, or at least a trailblazer for, Tracy Chapman. But these songs didn’t move me. I heard more that i liked after the album ended and Spotify began to feed me additional Armatrading tracks. This album is a 3.

3.5

It was pretty solid, but overall I'm not sure it's for me and the soft rock vibe seemed to cage it a bit too much in my opinion. I probably wouldn't listen again, but it's not bad by any means.

Pretty ok. I'm guessing this was an influence of Tracy Chapman

Decently convincing songwriter-core music, missing some spice for an extra lift but it's still pretty solid

It's fine

mwah, kan zeker nog een keer naar luisteren maar niet wat ik wil.

*Nice voice and cool varied songs with a varied group of instruments *Tall in the Saddle is a great song

One of those albums where I've definitely heard the sound and some songs before but never put a name to the voice. I enjoyed this.

What do Italian mafia people do with guns? Illegal arm-a trading. Had the same experience with this as with yesterday’s Blue, but I probably liked this more overall

“Armatrading eh? I’ll buy it at a high price.” Resident Evil 4

After a belting opening the rest of the album was fine but just didn't draw me in

Es un album precioso, pero no he conectado con el en absoluto, por mucho que me hubiera encantado, sobretodo porque me recordaba un poco a Joni Mitchell que me suele gustar lo que escucho de ella. Tal vez no me ha pillado en buen momento. Me he guardado las que mas me han llamado la atención para reescucharlas en otro momento. La que mas me ha llamado la atención es Somebody who loves you.

I know this is excellent, just not ra really for me

It’s definitely introduction to her music very peaceful. Could see turning back to this album but nothing really blew me away perfectly middle of the road. I could see the appeal to have this on the list or you can completely move right past it. Very easy to listen to though.

not my thing bur enjoyed the ride. ‘down to zero’, ‘help yourself’and ‘somebody who loves you’ were fine i will stick to them for a while. deserves at least solid 7/10. maybe i will revisit at some spoint.

Thought this was an interesting sounding album. I like the mix of soul, funk, and pop/rock? 7/10

Nice comfortable album. Nice songs

Grei folkefunk. Sterk treer.

Aldri hørt om dama før. Solid visesangeri. Gode tekster, fin stemme. Bare litt for ordinært.

Pretty nice, love Joan Armatrading's voice. Though nothing really remarkable.

Starting off with Down to Zero. I usually don’t judge an album by its cover, but this is exactly what I expected this album to sound like. A couple nice guitar moments, and she has a lovely voice. Help yourself was pretty nice. I liked the acoustic and the way it was almost sung more in a spoken word fashion. I appreciated that it got more upbeat going into Water With the Wine. Love and affection was a bit more interesting, especially with the horns in there. The piano in Join the Boys was great too! People was a lot of fun! Like Fire was alright. I didn’t love Tall in the Saddle, but it worked as a closer. 3/5 ⭐️ 168/1089

PRetty good an alright but idk wen ta bit too long or not as passionate idk. Was really nicely made

Yeah quite good, great vocal variety

so basically im not a stranger to the "female singer-songwriter" type. yet this sounds so generic. need some innovative shit like fiona apple. 3/5

Liked it .. didn’t love it but I liked it.

Meh

Lots of interesting stuff here, all anchored with great acoustic playing and a beautiful voice. Sorta a Tracey Chapman meets old school Van Morrison vibe. Glad I heard it.

Weirdly good considering I couldn't name any of the tracks. I'd heard of Joan Armatrading but before listening I don't think I could have described her. She has a strong voice and is well worth a listen.

6/10 - Enjoyable listen as easy background music. Not particularly complex and a bit samey throughout. Felt the instrumentals weren't exciting on a lot of songs but the last couple of songs were quite striking. Some songs would warrant another listen but I wouldn't really listen to the whole album again.

This feels like a British Tracy Chapman. Some songs feel like folky and blusey, where others have a bit of Carol King behind them. I wasn't blown away by anything, but I certainly enjoyed it. Something for everyone to enjoy.

Was a very nice vibe! Good lyrics, I really liked people. Probably closer to a 3.5

This is alright. A lot better than similar artists from the same period from similar genre. She sounds like Cher

Decent album, but felt pretty generic to me. Wouldn't mind listening to it in the background, but probably wouldn't be the one putting it on.

Thought this would be another forgettable British album, but it was a nice surprise. She does some bluesey stuff, some more traditional singer songwriter stuff. There’s nothing to be mad at here. Does it absolutely have to be on the list? Probably not, but it was a fun trip.

Shout-out to my friend Anne for posting about this album before it appeared in my queue for the 1001 albums list. Really nice little record. Unfortunately the first two songs are the strongest and most interesting, compositionally. The rest of the album isn't terrible but there's some really weird lyrics on here. Like, maybe the song "Water with the Wine" is not about sexual assault--it certainly doesn't sound like one, but the lyrics paint a different picture. Anyway, the album is good.

A good album, I liked Down To Zero, Help Yourself and Somebody Who Loves You the most.

Meget tidløst. Ok, men heller ikke noget, der hænger ved.

I visually recognize this album so I got excited, I should've heard this a long time ago, and while I can definitely admit that it's near essential listening as far as evolution of sound, it's not something I can get myself into frequently. Maybe it's just not quite enough to get me into that singer-songwriter mood, maybe it's a little too Americana influenced being such a British effort. It really boils down to a matter of taste, because I could appreciate the vocal tricks and the quality of production. I wouldn't hate on anyone playing this next to me, I just won't ever be the person to put it on. 2.8/5

It was a pleasant album. I didn’t feel a whole lot from it - overall it felt more akin to like a chill Sunday morning kind of listen. Obviously talented and was nice to hear.

really powerful and unique vocals really wide range and a perfect balance between funky soul and gospel folk the minimalistic production really lifts the which, despite being its strong point, does not overshadow the instrumental parts and manages to create a continuously interesting and enjoyable work

Once in a while you go down a rabbit hole. While I had certainly heard of Joan, it was no where near my interest musically growing up and even today, holds little interest. What I was truly amazed to discover is how very accomplished Joan is as a musician, philanthropist and genuinely good person. A fascinating detour as I listened to the album. Amazing vocals and diverse arrangements keep the album moving but for me there were few songs that I’d say were compelling such that you could recognize the tune. This would definitely be appealing as a live performance. Emotional songs performed live in a theater setting would make for a fine evening even for me! Love and Affection and Down to Zero are the best tracks by a good margin. No negativity implied just not a wow experience and certainly not in the Top 1001. 3/5

05/22 Was okay

Muy aburrido pero se nota la artesania de la señora. Nota: 2.8

So far so good. I bet Tracy Chapman gets compared to her endlessly. The first song is the best song. It hasn't gotten bad, but there was promise there that has dissipated over the next three songs. I like the fusion of soul/funk/R&B. Join The Boys is like lady Isaac Hayes. Like Fire is a highlight too. She's got a Bonnie Raitt feel to her on occasion.

Pretty nice overall.

A name I know, but not sure I've ever heard a song before. 70s singer songwriter stuff, not terrible, not particularly good. Flows along in the background. 3 Heard before? No Owned: No 75/299 (25%) Will I get: No

6/10

tiene TEMONESS. la verdad hay un par que me sacaron de mi nube de pedos y se disfrutaron. el disco entero no es taaaan bueno, pero todos los temas estan bien, con algunos que se salen. buen disco para escuchar.

Very mellow, should go back and revisit. Also very first time ever hearing of her.

It's light. It's fun. Not much to write home about.

After the first 30 seconds I thought wow this sounds a lot like Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band. Enjoyed this!

This album SOUNDS amazing. The production is unbelievably crisp. I think it definitely lacks some solid songwriting and melody creation, because even though I found myself in awe of the sonic quality, I didn’t find myself loving the actual songs. Very little catchiness to the writing. Overall, pretty cool. Definitely enjoyed listening, but don’t know if it quite makes it into my regular rotation. 3.4/5.

First Listen; 3.5; This album sounded ahead of it's time. It has a mix of what I would call easy listening, jazz, and folk with interesting guitar interspersed throughout. Also has great singing/vocals. In a non-derogatory way, this sounds like later coffee shop, 90s pop. Favorite Track: Like Fire

Very solid. This album sounds like so many 90s female, singer-songwriter albums, especially Tracy Chapman. 3.5

Mittwoch, 01.07.2026 Auf dem Weg in die Uni - in der Ringbahn und in der U3. Auf dem Weg nachhause, nachdem ich meine Eltern besucht hab.

Dienstag, 23.06.2026 In der Ringbahn und U3 auf dem Weg zur Uni, beim Mensaessen (Kartoffelcurry mit Reis - sind 2 Beilagen erlaubt?)

Pour l’instant je me fais assez chier, mais à la fois les chansons sont plutôt jolies. water with the wine : jeux de voix intéressantes C’est quand même bien que ce soit de la folk mais avec pas mal d’instruments et de variété Je dirais qu’au global l’écoute est agréable mais que je n’ai aucun son qui me marque 6/10, un 3 mais un petit 3

Liked it but didn’t make an impact

Overall enjoyable listen. The album keeps you on your toes. Just when you find yourself losing interest, then that’s when the funk and guitars kick in.

A nice listen, didn't blow me away

Souly, groovy, cool. Stimme stark und finde "singer songwriter" bisschen zu wenig als Beschreibung. Hat schon iwie auch immer coole, layered backgrounds. Sound ist auch insgesamt sehr gut Teilweise richtig funky Fav: Love and Affection

Bon album pop / jazz / funk / baile je sais pas trop a vrai dire mais cest sympa

Liked it

3:5

This is old people music, but it's very pleasant and enjoyable. I'm also old now.

Nice album. I feel like my bi sexual English teacher friends listened to this in college.

Interesting

Good, but this will be my one & only listen. ★★★

Good album. Nice sounds and solid guitar.

Album #140 Joan Armatrading: Joan Armatrading Really good singer-songwriter album from an artist I’ve never heard of. Sounds really ahead of its time, and I can definitely see its influence on artists like Tracy Chapman. The popular songs are all obviously great, but I also enjoyed the album cuts quite a bit. The only issue I have really is that the album never really shifts gears; it is pretty consistent in its style throughout, so I don’t think there would be much more for me to garner through further listens. Best Tracks: Down to Zero, Love and Affection, Somebody Who Loves You Worst Song: People Score out of 10: 7

Another artist I’ve heard of, but never listened to. This is a well done record sonically, but sits in that same realm with many of Joni Mitchell’s albums, as well as the Tracy Chapman record. Easy listening but nothing necessarily memorable. Speaking of Tracy Chapman, now I know whose style she was biting. Come to think of it, this album feels like it influenced a lot of the singer songwriter stuff we’d see in the 80’s/90’s. More full band, less sparse and stripped down. I know Joni was making stuff like this by this time, but idk this is slightly different in delivery that’s closer to those later eras of this kind of music than Joni. Also, I totally thought Steely Dan was gonna jump scare me at some point on this record. I get those vibes heavy as well on here. The guitar work on here is awesome, especially the final track. Favs: People, Tall in the saddle

Glimpses of something special

I see why people like it, but I am not a huge fan of her voice.

She has a beautiful voice but not fan of the songwriting for the most part.

This is fine. I genuinely have no strong feelings on it. Nothing here is bad. Nothing here caught my attention. It's fine, and that's it really.

I would never have found this album if it wasn't on the list. Enjoyable to listen to but nothing stood out as a favorite. The one thing I kept thinking listening to the first few songs was how much it reminded me of Tracy Chapman.

I liked it.

I had never heard of her but I'm in to it

Una voz que da calma, un estilo que no necesita de notas necesariamente fuera de los límites para mostrar fuerza, además a pesar de que musicalmente hablando sea tranqui, sus letras si tienen peso Ninguna favorita en particular, pero por completo está bien

This was an important album in the development of the female singer songwriter tradition. It was influential with Love and Affection being a fantastic song. Joan Armatrading has continued to have a good career and has many fans. As an album though this has lots of average quality tracks.

out of the 40 albums generated so far this is the first one by a woman...while that's absolutely insane, it is also insane that i could not fully enjoy it because this generator loves folksy/indie rock lmaoooo

Not really my jam, but some songs were enjoyable

Love the voice and the vibe, don’t love most of the songs.

The Tracy Chapman of the 70s. But this album needs a Fast Car or a Baby Can I Hold You or some good catchy pop tune to anchor the album. Pity because she’s a fantastic songwriter.

Cool period-album. Feels like a mix of influences from the 60s in a great way. Nothing really sticks out as fantastic though. It’s aggressively mediocre+. Nevertheless, top tracks include: people, down to zero and tall in the saddle. Not something I’d run to buy at the store, but a pleasant listen. It has all the marks of a great album, it just misses the mark in a way that’s hard to contextualise!

Middle of the road

Great album by the Caribbean-born artist. There are many albums that I feel are included in the list to attempt to bridge the gender gap but this one is deservedly so. Fantastic addition. 8/10 [KEEP]

Decent guitar work. Easy listening. Kinda boring.

I remember my sister being into Joan when we lived at home, I never got into her, but she has a great voice, and I didn’t mind the album tbf

Pretty enjoyable album, but don't think it will live long in the memory

Good stuff. I had never heard her before. Like fire was, as the kids say, fire. Her Guitar playing on some tracks sounded like Stephen Stills. Which is high praise.

I thought this was good. She can play, she can sing, she can write, she has some anger and hurt in her voice. The guitar licks towards the start really make you sit up and take notice. But it did drag a bit with a lack of variety and a descent into repetition.

Interesting record, had not heard of Joan Armatrading before. Folk, jazz, singer-songwriter stuff. -TomB

Really solid stuff and reading about her career was interesting. It sounds like a very good 70s singer songwriter album .

3.5 in reality

Some good songs mixed in here

Hmm idk I think this one just isn’t for me. It’s definitely not bad - I really liked Down to Zero and Save Me - but it reminded me of the worst singer-songwriter music I grew up hearing from the 90’s. I suppose she’s the inspiration for all that music which is genuinely cool. I think if something had been a click more engaging - either the arrangements or the lyrics or the vocal presentation - I might have liked it, but as it was it felt anodyne. It might bear a re-listen or understanding more of the context. Edit: OK the two songs I mentioned ended up sticking with me so much that I decided to give this album another listen and am bumping this up from a 2 to a 3. Touché Joan.

Super mellow, not bad. I respect she was doing this at a time when not a lot of black women were.

Красиво, но скучновато. Но ради последней композиции стоило дослушать до конца.

Fav song: Down To Zero

Nice

3.5/5

Some of the songs were 4s but didn’t love album on the whole.

7/10 Buenas canciones, todas son tranquilas, mantienen un ritmo similar que acompañan muy bien la voz. Nada exagerado todo acorde al ritmo que presenta

Too much fine. That’s the most honest summary of Joan Armatrading — a record with genuine highlights surrounded by stretches that are perfectly pleasant and never quite compelling enough to demand your full attention. The voice is undeniable, rich and expressive and sitting somewhere between folk, soul, and R&B without belonging fully to any of them. The production is tasteful and sophisticated. And yet the album keeps arriving at “good” when it could be reaching for something more. The moments that work best are the ones that lean toward soul and groove. “People” is the standout — more soul tune than folk tune, with a physicality and warmth that the quieter material rarely matches. The steel guitar and Hammond appearances give the record its best textures, and the thumping bass in places hints at a more visceral album hiding just beneath the surface. Closer “Tall in the Saddle” almost delivers on that promise in its second half, but takes too long getting there to fully rescue the journey. “Love and Affection” is the obvious centerpiece, and the male background vocal that surfaces mid-song is a genuinely surprising choice — deep, almost operatic, landing somewhere between soulful counterpoint and unexpected intrusion. The jury remains out. A respectful three — a great voice that deserved more of the record’s best moments and less of its fine ones.

Приятный вокал и просто крепкий хороший релиз

Truth be told, I don't like Joan's voice much. There's a manly tone to it at lower registers, and the falsetto has an unsettling quality. That said, Love and Affection is epic in the true sense of the word. I wasn't expecting the funk workout of People, and the album held my attention throughout.

Okay

It’s just a nice album, can’t really say more.

Oh right, Joan Armatrading! She has a really distinctive way of singing - I remember her on the radio, singing "down to the ground, down to the ground." And her guitar work also has some interesting bits, for example the opening part of "Like Fire." Backing music is well done too, with musicians like Fairport's Dave Mattacks on drums. But I was never really attracted to this record enough to buy a copy and honestly still probably won't look into it again. I'm more interested in music than vocals these days, and this is a little too straightforward for my current mood. But for what it is, it's very good. Very high 3, maybe 3.8?

She is a triple threat--great songwriter, singer, and guitarist. I like some of her later stuff better but this album encapsulates her style and distinctiveness. "Down to Zero" and "Love and Affection" are great songs and I also really like "Water with the Wine" and "Join the Boys." The second half lags a bit but this is a very solid album.

All sounds good to me, and she undeniably has a lovely voice. I like the songs that have more of a full band sound, some really good playing on a few tracks here. Still though, I couldn't fully connect with this one. Idk, a lot of it feels almost too smooth and easy and like, coffee shop-ready. Maybe just need to listen more but didnt hook me

70s British singer-songwriter. Another "good but just not my jam" kind of album. "Fun, fun, fun / We had fun while it lasted."

Not for me but she’s talented

Ok but not something i normally listen to. Very folksy and the lyrics were so hippie it was a little funny.

Joan Armatrading's 1976 self-titled album is a blend of folk, jazz, and soul. It's easy on the ears and well produced by Glyn Johns. Three stars. Side one 1 "Down to Zero" (3/5) 2 "Help Yourself" (3/5) 3 "Water with the Wine" (3/5) 4 "Love and Affection" (4/5) 5 "Save Me" (4/5) Side two 1 "Join the Boys" (3/5) 2 "People" (3/5) 3 "Somebody Who Loves You" (3/5) 4 "Like Fire" (3/5) 5 "Tall in the Saddle" (3/5) Total - 32 Average - 3.2 283/1001 151/283 albums reviewed were new to me

Nice sound, surprising she wasn’t bigger

3,3/5

I had never heard of this person or album, but I'm grateful it's not Jazz. I'm sure the album will be compared to Tracy Chapman, because that's what people do. I found it more like a middle of the road Joni Mitchell knock-off with a jumbled mixture of styles. Some of it worked, some of it didn't. None of it stood out. I'm going to assume neither the album nor none of the songs were huge hits, and I will also have to assume that the album has been named as influential by some much larger star after the fact - otherwise I have no idea why it's on this list. None of it is bad - I could have done without the Country vibes in the first song - and there are moments were it gets its rizz on, such as the funky instrumental breakdown in People. You'll be sitting vaguely listening to some airy, breathy nothing song filled with space and then out of nowhere a face-melting guitar solo comes in for absolutely no reason. Or the drummer will decide to entertain himself for a minute because why the fuck not. Or Joan will get bored and nod at the band and they go buck nuts for the rest of the song. There's a piano part in Join The Boys which reminded me of Zelda, which was nice. I don't know if Joan plays guitar anywhere on the album - assuming she does from the artwork. But it's the backing band who really tears things up in certain tracks, saving this from being a 2. A great example of how production and a good backing band can drastically increase the quality of bland songs.

pretty good singer songwriter record. weirdly reminded me of elton john and pj harvey. 3.5

Overall, it’s a cool album. It didn’t fully click with me, but I can see why people like it. The lyrics feel kind of mid, nothing too deep or striking, but her voice really carries the whole record. There’s something strong and distinctive about it that keeps the songs engaging even when the writing doesn’t stand out as much. A few tracks caught my attention—Water with the Wine , People and Tall In The Saddle were definitely the highlights for me. Not really my kind of music, but still an okay listen overall.

Joan Armatrading has a great voice and there are some nice moments here. But like lots of the albums on this list there’s a lack of hooks that fully draw you in. A pleasant listen but not something I feel the need to rush back to.

Great sounding album. Good stereo mixing on the instrumentals. Sounds kind of ahead of its time. Never heard of her. None of the songs clicked right away. I would need to give a deeper listen. Maybe some day.

It was a good album but I can't remember listening to it.

I wanted to like this more than I did, but most of the music was pretty forgettable. Love and Affection was nice

Pretty good blues/soft rock. Nothing I’d come back to listen to but it was enjoyable enough.

Really groovey bluesy 70's soft rock. Armatrading's voice is unique and somewhat soulful, though not altogether great. However, the song writing and supporting instruments are strong while not overbearing. An enjoyable listen, but probably not one to which I would return on my own.

3.5...or, 3.6 I guess, cause I liked it slightly more than the last album

Warm voice, solid songwriting, but uneven pacing lowers overall album impact.

Ok music

Some highs and lows on this record. Some songs really bored me and reminded me of music my grandpa would play in the car when I was a kid. I found Love and Affection to be slow and unexciting. I did enjoy Love In The Saddle though. Giving this a very generous 3 stars.

Someone else said 'Proto-Tracy Chapman' and I wholeheartedly agree.

3.5/5 really fucking good

One of the few pleasant surprises recently. Great voice, good songs, overall an enjoyable experiences even if one I might not ever revisit

Angenehm, viele Genres vereint, untermalt mir viel Gitarre, angenehme Stimme :) von chill bis rockig

I don't think I recognize this artist, so this is entirely new to me. I neither hated this nor loved it. It was interesting to be introduced to this artist, and I supposed I'm glad I listened to this. But ultimately, it just didn't do much for me.

Ну типа прикольно, но в памяти не остаётся

Хороший голос, иногда интересные мелодии, но в целом ничего особо запоминающегося.

Лучшая песня: хз Худшая: Like Fire Сначала казалось прикольно, под конец уже мечтал, чтоб скорее кончился этот альбом. Много всего, музыки - мало

Если бы так звучал Боб Дилан, то я бы его даже слушала. Забавно, что была борьба с британским вторжением в Америку, но британцы тоже гордились своими ответами Джони Митчелл (которая недавно попадалась нам в челлендже, вот такой был запутанный лор музыкального мира тех лет). Интересно, будет ли кто-то также заслушивать через 50 лет альбомы условной Мицки и какое у следующих поколений будет на их счет мнение . Ушло в плей-лист: Save me, Join the boys и Tall in Saddle

This is an interesting mix of 70's singer-songwriter, AM gold, and a little soul. Glad to know a little more about Joan. Her name sounds like she should be a kindergarten teacher but glad she shared this music with us.

“People” carries

Pleasant but not exciting

Some good songs, some skips, nothing too crazy but decent enough

Totally get it, just not my cuppa

loved it

Erg lekkere loungemuziek, met na de eerste keer luisteren 2 duidelijke uitschieters met Down To Zero en Love And Affection. Blues achtige finale met Tall In The Saddle is ook mooi, die slaan we ook op. Maar als album vind ik het vooralsnog redelijk platjes

I had never heard of Joan Armatrading before starting this project and overall I enjoyed parts of this album while not caring for parts. Whenever the instrumentals got psychedelic, I was digging it. Joan's voice was not my favorite, so the slower pieces where the vocals take the forefront were the weakest points for me personally. I'm not rushing to relisten, but I could see myself coming back to this and giving it another chance. I could also see myself picking this up on vinyl since it's fairly cheap and sometimes I appreciate music more on my record player. Favorite track - People Least Favorite Track - Save Me

Acoustic combo of folk/soul/country. First song reminds me of Tracey Chapman? Playing is skillful and lyrics are nice. But to me it's just nice, nothing exciting. Best track - Love and Affection, People 3 stars

Algumas músicas bem interessantes. Mas como album nao me cativou tanto numa primeira ouvida.

I enjoyed it way more than I expected. I almost skipped this album as I didn't listen it on the day but I am glad I didn't. Her voice is very good and the songs are groovy but unfortunately still not my style of music.

INSANE FACT. The guy doing the deep baritone part in Love and Affection is Clarke Peters, who played Lester Freamon in the famous HBO series The Wire. WHAT! Never heard of Joan Armatrading so this album is a surprise. She has such a strong voice, not one that is like belted out or hitting high runs or anything, but just a deeper voice that is physically imposing. This album has a lot of things going on. Some country style twangs, some heavy folk, some funky stuff at the end of the album, a lot of range. I really liked Love and Affection. The orchestral background, and the deep baritone singer in the background is great. I'm a sucker for deep bass, baritones, and Clarke Peters' small part of it adds a lot. It's a good album and i'm glad to see some cool representation from St Kitts and Nevis.

3/5

Me gustó, tienes temas destacables pero hasta ahí. No sé si lo volvería a escuchar por diversión

C’est date.

Ok

Folk rock, pop. Worth a revisit.

Run a bath, light some candles, fizz a bath bomb and relax to the dulcet tones of Joan Armatrading, perfect! No matter that I am a 54 year old rock fan, I wish someone would love me they way she loves in her songs.

It was interesting. Neat to learn about Joan Armatrading and her historic musical career. The music itself was not a style I normally like, but I really appreciated the instrumentation and the vocals. The guitars and her voice especially stuck out to me.

Kende haar niet zo goed van te voren, los van één song. Als ik dan eenmaal naar iets onbekends luister, dan ben ik altijd direct bezig om het onder één van de registers te plaatsen in het muziekdepartement van m'n brein. Maar haar genre-fluide aanpak maakt het best uitdagend. Het is gebaseerd in folk-traditie, dat is duidelijk, maar het treedt daar ook wel echt vaak buiten. Die uitdaging om er dan een label op te plakken zorgt ervoor dat ik vooral denk aan andere duizendpoten als Joni Mitchell en Sinead O'Connor, dus in dat laatje gaat ze dan maar. Maar los van mijn autistische trekje om het direct in een hokje te deponeren (iets waarvan ik mij bewust ben dat het meer een kwaal is dan een kwaliteit) heb ik mij best vermaakt. Hele kalme muziek, maar haar stem doet best veel interessante dingen waardoor je niet helemaal wegdommelt. Echt een wapen op dit album. Daarnaast is zo'n verrassende elektrische gitaar op de afsluiter ook wel echt een symptoom van die subtiele veelzijdigheid. Al met al een positieve kennismaking. 7,5/10 Highlights: Down To Zero Save Me Somebody Who Loves You

What is this? Folk-funk-jazz-pop?? Some interesting arrangements here, goof singing, and an overall unique sound. Real tight bass playing. The best songs really pop but those between are unmemorable. But certainly a unique sound here and the talent is apparent. I doubt I’ll revisit but I enjoyed this more the I expected too

Singer Songwriter are not my music.

I didn’t know of Joan and probably would have never listened to this. She’s got that folky vibe, for sure.

was okay

Interesting and. I’ve vocals. Made me Think she was a influence to artists like tracie chapman

Love the guitar parts. It's like a mix between mellow and vibrant and energized to me, very interesting. People, Like Fire, and Tall In The Saddle were some of my favorites. 6.0/10

loved this!

enjoyed this album, she has a great voice.

Hard to settle on a rating, really all over the place with hits and misses. Beautiful voice and great production

Nice album, but something just doesn't work for me. I think it might be her vocal style and that the songwriting doesn't seem consistently strong, even though that's pretty essential for this type of music.

7/10 - good blues poppy rock, she has a great voice and it's not an exaggerated album

Enjoyed it. Artist that I’ve never heard of.

Aika hyvä levy, mutta "se jokin" jäi uupumaan.

Very chill, folksy, with a little bit of funk. Highlights: "Join the Boys" and "Like Fire"

Interesting album, better than I thought

Fine voice.

Ballady 70’s

Slow R@B feel and some twang

I thought her voice was pretty cool but the songs weren’t particularly interesting and her vocal dynamics were kinda odd. She gets really loud and suddenly soft or maybe she’s moving closer and farther from the mic? Either way it’s distracting.

Nice soft folksy sound. Beautiful and interesting voice.

Decent 3. Joan has a fantastic voice, but I felt like a lot of the songs blended together. I liked how the album got funkier towards the end with standouts like “People” and “Like Fire.” One of my favorite tracks was “Join The Boys.” This was a nice listen, I’m not sure how much I’ll go back to it though.

Album Review Notes I was looking forward to this album. I’ve always loved her song Drop the Pilot and thought she had a really cool voice with that Caribbean accent, but never explored her catalog. Unfortunately, not much stood out to me on this album. It was mainly slow acoustic numbers that all ran together. The one song I really liked was Join the Boys when she picked up the pace.

Not my usual type of music but I had a really nice time listening to it. Good stuff On a re-listen…. This shits actually groovy as fuck I like it

This artist was new to me. I enjoyed the album.

The name "Armatrading" rings a faint bell, but I was not at all familiar. I enjoyed this quite a bit, and I bet that band would have been tonnes of fun to see live even if it almost certainly wasn't a touring band. I hear echoes of this in some of Yola's work, and that's a compliment in both directions.

Good but I feel I need to listen to it again when I am in the mood for mellow heartfelt lyrics, wasn't grabbing my attention. I will give it a 3 in anticipation

3 not my style but well played!

Fire- I got into it bc of track two. SELF ESTEEM IS NOT JUST A RIVER IN EGYPT. cf spring 2025 sounds of playlist. THR!

Good voice, well produced music and you can tell how influential this was, not just for Tracy Chapman. Doesn't really compell me to listen again, though.

The voice sounded familiar but she wasn’t the artist I thought it sounded like. Interesting combination of singer songwriter style with some funk. A pleasant listen.

Well sung, well played. But the songs didn't really hit me.

Some good singing and guitar playing, but the songs didn’t particularly grab me.

Album #30: Joan Armatrading Genre (W): Folk rock, pop No singles. I have not listened to this album before. Thoughts?: The thing I love most about this album is Glyn Johns’ production. I am not an expert but I like the way the album sounds. The slide guitar solo in Down to Zero is great! Favorite songs: Down to Zero, Water with the Wine, Love and Affection, Save Me, People, Tall in the Saddle

Woman singer-songwriter from the 70s, I was skeptical going into this album. Fun start and end but the middle was a little inconsistent for me. The couple songs that had me bouncing a little gives this a 3, other it's a strong 2.

A really nice, peaceful album

I hear a lot of Joni Mitchell here but with a bit more liveliness (less depressive).

Something to put on when my 60+ year old parents visit. And then everyone will enjoy it.

Pleasant enough. Had never heard of her but recognised one of these tracks

Some good tunes but nothing standout

ok……

This is a pretty fun discovery for me.

Not my type of jam

not necessarily bad but also not amazing. felt like background noise most of the time. nothing really stood out for being unique. some good guitar playing though

Favorite Track: Help Yourself

Non l’ho ascoltato tutto ma mi stava piacendo

Soulful

It's good. Again just not my vibe.

dobar vajbs rokic soulic bluesic

Never heard of her, but interesting unique voice, decent album, caught myself bopping along a bit

most likely not gonna come back to this one but it was enjoyable

It’s kind of background music. Not bad but there is no hot here. But after listening to it you now know who influenced Tracy Chapman.

If armagiven the opportunity armatrading this album for Telling Stories immediately.

Would not buy

It was a fairly enjoyable 70s album

Bluesy, chilling, but not really mine.

This was hit or miss for me. I really enjoyed the folk songs on it, but didn't really like the more rocky songs.

Voice is incredible. Need to revisit.

Started strong with great tunes and atmosphere and kept the same until the end. Pleasant new artist to be added to some of my playlists.

Enjoyable if not memorable

Not bad, just 70s rockish music

Favorite songs: Down to Zero, Like Fire

Kinda basic tbh

I didn't know this artist. Some nice song. Overall a good album.

Instrumentals were great, but her vocal choices in some places were a bit off putting for me personally. I liked “Down to Zero” and “Love and Affection”, will listen to those two again!

Down To Zero - 8/10 Great intro. Help Yourself - 6/10 Good music, didn't really like the lyrics. Porbably would appreciate it more listening to it more. Water With The Wine - 7/10 Good storytelling and pace in the song. Catchy. Love And Affection - 7/10 Save Me - 6/10 Clear and vulnerable message. In this song, her voice reminds me of LP. Join The Boys - 6/10 People - 7/10 Nice bass, guitar and synth. Somebody Who Loves You - 6/10 Like Fire - 6/10 Tall In The Saddle - 5/10

it was pretty good, it reminded me a little bit of joni mitchell idk why. i really liked tall in the saddle and its instrumentals. i think it was all pretty well done

Clear voice, great melodies.

lovely but not amazing, maybe would grow on me with a few more listens. lots of cool instruments and influences and a gorgeous voice

At first, I thought I'd like this. Then, the elements that I liked in the first song ebbed and a few dull (though very pretty) songs hit. Side 2 had another song that had appeal, but was not overly engaged with it. So, a begrudging 3 from me.

Ok

very great album is love her vocals idk she looks like someone olivia dean would look up to and thats just my personal preference. 6/10

It is almost a pleasant listen and I really like her voice. But musically not exactly my jam. Strong three stars. 3,5

Ok. Not great.

Incredibly easy to listen to Best Song: Down to Zero Rating: 5.5/10 Stars: 3

I would describe this singer-songwriter album as a more up-tempo Tracy Chapman. Some good songs with a lot of emotion (and gratuitous saxophone!), and some very generic songs as well. A mixed bag, but a pleasant enough listen. 3/5

Good to listen to a new artist I’ve not listened to

Ein solides Album mit starken Momenten wie „Love and Affection“. Armatradings Stimme überzeugt, doch nicht alle Songs zünden. Klanglich typisch für die 70er – nicht alles schlecht, aber auch kein Meilenstein.

não gosto de folk 😪😪😪😪 mas como mistura com outros gêneros fica um pouco melhor

A solid album. A good story throughout with the lyrics and sound. Joan has a lovely voice. Felt a bit boring at some parts though. Will listen to it again. Favourite songs: Love And Affection and Like Fire

Has a great voice but just not into that type of musuc

I've heard Joan's name many times over the years but never knowingly listened to her music. I wish I had done. She's got a good voice and the music is good too. I'll try some of her other albums now (or at least any that don't come up in the 1001 list).

so good and groovy, reminded me of joni mitchell in a way

How did I forget about this? When I saw the album cover I had zero memory of it, but the music is in my memory after all these decades. Nice stuff, not outstanding but mostly a nice listen.

Album pe care l-as pune pe fundal sa cânte într-o seară. E frumos, dar nu mă da pe spate pentru ca nu e chiar genul meu. Vocea ei e unica și Instrumentalul e frumos în toate părțile. Nu e ceva ce aș asculta prea mult totuși.. highlights: love and affection

165/1089 immediately love her vocal tone and style. This album was a delight to listen to and had some definite highlights faves: Like Fire, Down To Zero, People, Tall In The Saddle, Somebody Who Loves You 67/100

Fine

Was not familiar with Joan before this. Not bad but not my cup of tea but can appreciate the talent.

I just don't really enjoy coffee shop music. Maybe some day it'll click with me, but I'm not there yet. I'm still going to give it a 3 because I am glad I heard it. It does sound like its from the late 80s/early 90s which is crazy.

i liked the instruments especially the guitar and it’s nice to listen to a new genre

Product of its time for sure, I decently enjoyed rhe second half of the last track 6.5/10

Nous sommes en 1976 et dehors, le monde commence sérieusement à sentir le roussi. À Londres, une bande de gamins morveux armés d'épingles à nourrice et de guitares désaccordées s'apprête à cracher à la gueule de l'establishment. Le punk est en gestation, prêt à exploser comme un furoncle mal soigné sur le visage de la Reine. C'est sale, c'est bruyant, c'est urgent. Et pendant ce temps-là ? Pendant ce temps-là, dans un studio feutré, probablement éclairé à la bougie et sentant bon l'encens et le thé Earl Grey, Joan Armatrading enregistre ce disque. On est aux antipodes de l'anarchie. Ici, tout n'est qu'ordre et beauté, luxe, calme et volupté acoustique. Pour un amateur de bruits industriels, de larsens contrôlés et de dépressions post-punk comme moi, écouter cet album, c'est un peu comme être forcé de regarder un épisode de "La Petite Maison dans la Prairie" alors qu'on attendait "Massacre à la tronçonneuse". C'est... déstabilisant. Mais soyons honnêtes deux secondes, même si ça m'écorche la gueule : c'est bien foutu. Terriblement bien foutu. Aux manettes, on retrouve Glyn Johns et le type est loin d'être un manche. Il a bossé avec les Stones, les Who, les Eagles. Il sait faire sonner une guitare acoustique comme si elle était en train de vous masser les tympans avec de l'huile d'amande douce. La production est cristalline, chaque instrument est à sa place, détouré au scalpel. C'est de la haute fidélité pour chaîne hi-fi de bourgeois bohème. Et dès les premières mesures de "Down To Zero", on comprend que Joan ne joue pas dans la cour des amateurs. Cette voix... Putain, cette voix. Grave, chaude, capable de passer de l'autorité d'une matrone à la fragilité d'une enfant en une demi-mesure. C'est du contralto qui impose le respect et on ne peut pas lui enlever ça. Et puis il y a "Love and Affection", le monstre, le tube. Le morceau que vous avez entendu trois millions de fois à la radio, dans les supermarchés, dans les salles d'attente de dentistes. Et le pire ? C'est que c'est un putain de bon morceau. La structure est maligne, les arrangements sont riches sans être étouffants, et ce saxophone qui débarque au milieu... C'est de la pop sophistiquée, de l'orfèvrerie. C'est le genre de titre qui justifie à lui seul l'achat de l'album pour 90% des gens. Mais voilà, passé ces éclats, qu'est-ce qu'il nous reste ? Il nous reste un album d'une politesse exaspérante. C'est de la musique "adulte". C'est le disque qu'on offre à sa tante pour Noël parce qu'on ne veut pas prendre de risques. C'est la bande-son idéale pour un dîner où l'on sert du vin blanc sec et où l'on parle de ses placements immobiliers. Des titres comme "Water With The Wine" ou "Tall In The Saddle" sont sympathiques, entraînants même, avec ce petit côté folk-blues inoffensif. Mais ça glisse, ça passe, ça ne laisse pas de trace. Ça ne vous prend pas à la gorge pour vous secouer jusqu'à ce que vos dents s'entrechoquent. Moi, j'aime quand la musique me fait mal, quand elle me gratte, quand elle me met mal à l'aise ou me transporte dans des paysages désolés. Ici, je suis confortablement installé dans un canapé en velours. C'est douillet. Trop douillet. J'ai l'impression d'être enveloppé dans une couette en plumes d'oie alors que j'ai envie de marcher pieds nus sur du verre pilé. C'est une question de tempérament, sans doute. Joan Armatrading est une musicienne accomplie, une guitariste sous-estimée (il faut voir comment elle tricote ses rythmiques) et une chanteuse hors pair. Cet album mérite objectivement sa place dans les livres d'histoire pour ce qu'il représente : l'émergence d'une femme noire, britannique, dans un univers folk-rock dominé par des mecs blancs californiens. C'est important. Mais subjectivement ? Subjectivement, c'est un "3" ferme. C'est la note du "Bien, mais pas pour moi". C'est la note de la reconnaissance technique sans l'adhésion émotionnelle. C'est un disque que je peux écouter sans déplaisir, mais sans passion. Il ne tournera pas en boucle sur ma platine. Il restera rangé sagement entre un disque d'Abba (que je renie en public mais que j'écoute en cachette) et un album d'Anthrax. En résumé : si vous voulez une musique pour apaiser vos nerfs après une journée de boulot, pour cuisiner des légumes bio ou pour regarder la pluie tomber avec mélancolie, foncez. C'est le top du top. Si, comme moi, vous cherchez dans la musique un exutoire à la noirceur du monde, une vibration qui résonne avec le chaos ambiant, passez votre chemin. Retournez écouter "Unknown Pleasures" ou "Streetcleaner". Joan est trop gentille pour nous.