I was surprised that it wasn’t this System Of A Down record that was on the original list. I’m happy to see it here at least. Nu-metal gets a lot of flak - especially from me - but the deranged symphony presented here deserves serious credit for re-envisioning the heavy sound for the new millennium. It’s a gas.

There’s that famous scene in The Blues Brothers movie where they’re playing at the country (and western!) bar and they wind up playing the theme from Rawhide repeatedly as their playlist. The band gets showered with broken glass through chicken wire when the audience doesn’t enjoy their music, and similarly gets showered with broken glass through chicken wire when the audience enjoys their music. This live album reminded me of that scene. I wonder if it was an inspiration for it.

I listened to this and thought “this high quavering tenor is the voice of barely-concealed trauma”. I then read about Jason Molina and saw that he died of alcoholism in 2013. I guess it’s good to always be aware that anyone might be in agony and fighting an invisible battle. Be kind, motherfuckers. Be kind.

I cannot believe that this album was NOT initially written as a Broadway show. I enjoyed it; I got mostly grown-up Nightmare Before Xmas vibes from it. One of my wife’s faves; one of mine.

A modern pop classic in so many ways. I fully expect it to be updated onto the next version of the proper 1001 Albums list.

Melancholy electro-pop dream buzz. It’s got swing and soul but it unfortunately also has drone. Still, I would have never heard of it had it not been recommended. A fun go-round.

Oh yeah! Any list that includes more B-52s is a list that I want to be on. It’s not as uniformly-amazing as their first album, but there’s nothing else like the B-52s, so the only comparison is to themselves. Private Idaho can be on permanent repeat in my head. That counts for something.

Ah - nu-metal for the MENSA crowd. I thought that this album needed to be in this list. Just a densely-beautiful and surprising explosion of noise.

Eh. I appreciate the Canterbury Tales feel of this album but the wandering and whining vocals and the strange strings just irritate.

Yeah. Hunh. Not necessarily the most interesting album. It’s ok. Hunh.

Like many albums on this list that have grown on me like a fungus, this one demanded a re-listen as soon as I was done with it. And then another. I saw a comparison to Kid A, but I’d say a comparison to Trout Mask Replica is more apt. This thing is so brainy and beautiful and different. I love it. Colour me a Bon Iver Bonhomme.

It’s a lovely chapter in the gothic metal genre. I appreciate the campy nature of the album - especially the Addams Family nod in Black No. 1. I felt lots of Danzig influence. The band lists Duran Duran as an influence. I did not feel that.

If Sum 41, Mighty Mighty Bosstones, and My Chemical Romance had a ménage a trois…. Hey! I like all of those bands.

It’s definitely got Elvis Costello vibes to it and I appreciate that. The title track bops a bit and I like the lead singer’s authentic delivery. I had never heard of this band or their songs before - it just never made the jump to America, I guess. It would scratch an imaginary itch. How’s that?

The singer reminds me of the Modern Lovers and Counting Crows put together and the lyrics remind me of Alice in Chains insofar as every single song is about drug use. I do like the dense jangle of their jam but they stray dangerously close to Hipster-ville. Maybe that’s not so bad - someone has to live there.

It sounds like the Dutch version of Fishbone - but less impactful. Like frenetically unfocused jam music that you don’t remember when your high ends.

It’s straight-up-and-down rock with definite Led Zeppelin influences. I liked the slower and minor key songs better than the ZZ Top-type stuff.

Hunh. Jam bands have rabid followings but their albums never really capture the trance that they cast on their enraptured fans. It’s another funk band from the 1990s without much major media exposure. Ok but derivative of RHCPs.

There’s that famous scene in The Blues Brothers movie where they’re playing at the country (and western!) bar and they wind up playing the theme from Rawhide repeatedly as their playlist. The band gets showered with broken glass through chicken wire when the audience doesn’t enjoy their music, and similarly gets showered with broken glass through chicken wire when the audience enjoys their music. This live album reminded me of that scene. I wonder if it was an inspiration for it.

Inspirational and random. I enjoyed the pastiche but I don’t know if I’ll crave it in the future. I know where to find it if I do.

Melancholic and mellifluous. There’s this thing about precious-pop Montreal bands showing up on this list of project participants’ lists. I’ve got one word: meh.

An enjoyable bit of pseudo-Sonic Youth noise rock, this one. I wasn’t super keen and then I hit a few riff tracks that made me tap my toes. Some of the tunes had well-crafted structure and I liked the guitar-centric creativity. But what do I know?

It’s a feast of Southern-fried blues if you’re hungry for it. I would’ve enjoyed Alabama Shakes or Johnny Lang just as easily. Or maybe even Blues Traveler. Yup

They said that the band took inspiration from Queen, Supertramp, and Pet Sounds-era Beach Boys but dear God it’s like they were possessed by those bands on different tracks. Truly this is a lost pop classic, completely overshadowed by the grunge/Britpop movement of the early 90s. It’s sad to hear that the band didn’t survive the lacklustre reception of this album but it makes sense and makes for a good story. The cover art for the album screams Blind Melon - a contemporary for Jellyfish. I wonder why?

I am struggling to get through this breakup album and it shouldn’t be that way as I’m going through a breakup right now. I blame the falsetto.

A modern pop classic in so many ways. I fully expect it to be updated onto the next version of the proper 1001 Albums list.

I cannot believe that this album was NOT initially written as a Broadway show. I enjoyed it; I got mostly grown-up Nightmare Before Xmas vibes from it. One of my wife’s faves; one of mine.

Nearly 2hrs of prog rock, hunh? I’m going to struggle with this homework, methinks.

It’s ok for late 80s pop. I’d prefer Exposé or Jody Watley but this list continues to show its UK roots.

I liked this Eels album more than Beautiful Freak. More heartfelt, more earwormy, more kitschy.

Eh. Didn’t enjoy.

I owned this one 30yrs ago - eep! Loved playing this during laundry days. The mix of genres and instruments on display is staggering, I think. Never really enjoyed Phish outside of this album.

A lovely bit of shoegaze to ease through the week.

Wow. RIP SOPHIE. What would’ve come of a full career of albums like this electro-pop-ambient-Gaga-esque funky thing? I lived.

I had no clue that this album was so rhythmically inflected. I’ve never found “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down On Me” particularly amazing but “Wouldn’t It Be Good” is a song that I revisit every 3yrs or so and wonder how it can be so catchy. This is New Wave manna. Eat it up!

It feels like Jimi and Sly had a child and let him write an album with auto-tune. I’m not complaining. It’s boppy! Some people get all the artistic brilliance.

Interesting. A stepping stone between Wilco and The Flaming Lips. Liked the instrumentals. Yeah.

I’m honestly surprised that there were no Death Cab For Cutie selections on the list. This DCFC-adjacent selection make me pleased if only such that I get to hear Ben Gibbard’s glorious tenor. Such Great Heights is an Aughts masterpiece as well.

I dunno. I would rather have full-on emo than some hybrid-emo-hardcore album. Some of the songs hit me well; some of them sounded like whiny noise. I know it’s well-regarded by many but I’m just not feeling anything more than a bunch of angry kids in the basement.

I hear The Teardrop Explodes; I hear Echo and the Bunnymen. I know the critics all heard Joy Division but that’s probably because they hadn’t heard anything else yet. I knew nothing of this band and feel bad that many don’t. This is post-punk excellence.

Emo music is a thief. It steals your thoughts and emotions, replacing them with halcyon sensations of loss and abandonment that you possibly never knew. This album is a master cat-burglar.

Ah, the summer of 2010 was awash with Vampire Weekend jams, not the least of which was a single not on this album: A-Punk. The infectious rhythm guitar and percussion makes me jiggle with joy. I could use some summer sometimes.

It’s honking weird; that’s what it is. I can appreciate the novel musical structures and the unique lyricism and singing but I just can’t get my head around its iconoclastic take on rock. I’m not likely to want a re-visit.

PRIMUS SUCKS!!!

Wow. I listened and then went right back and listened again. This album distills the angst of its time and place with surgical precision. I mean - it’s punk and ska-infused so I’m already on board but goddamn is its content bang-on. How did I miss this dear disc?

This album is heart-breaking. I thought initially that the harsh scream vocals were annoying but then, upon re-listen, I liked their impact more than the sung vocals of other tracks. Such a thematic wonder and a glowing tribute to someone truly loved and lost.

Snarly death metal with an operatic feel? Yeah, I’m here for that. It wouldn’t be something that I’m going to enjoy while I chill out at the end of the day, but when I’m up for adrenalinisation, I’ll be glad it’s here. Yes, that’s not a word.

There are distinct Norah Jones flavours to this and that’s probably the most charitable that I can be. I found it most intetesting that she was Jeff Buckley’s girlfriend when he drowned. That’s a level of morose that you won’t get from more-tactful reviewers.

I was surprised that it wasn’t this System Of A Down record that was on the original list. I’m happy to see it here at least. Nu-metal gets a lot of flak - especially from me - but the deranged symphony presented here deserves serious credit for re-envisioning the heavy sound for the new millennium. It’s a gas.

Is he the British Ludacris? (An aside: why isn’t Luda on here?) I also got flavours of Eminem. That makes sense given the year of the release. This dude feels like the new hip-hop multidimensional auteur a la Childish Gambino, save he predated Donald Glover by a decade. Ah! The Streets produced and collaborated here and Kano guest-starred on some remixes from The Street’s A Grand Don’t Come For Free. Now I’m seeing the Brit-hop pedigree.

Smooth. Perhaps a bit too smooth. I like crunchy peanut butter.

My eyes feel a bit violated by the album cover. My ears are lulled by the fin-de-siècle DJ- driven electronica. I’d rather be listening to the Propellerheads. It’s another Montreal techno album on this “alternates” list. It’s fine, he says dismissively.

This felt unimpressive and unfocussed.

Having difficulty moving through this album. Might be me. Might be the album.

There’s the DOOM. That was amazing. Silky and silly flow with unique and wacky beats. I can see how this launched hip-hop into the new millennium. It’s simply a shame that it didn’t get enough love when it dropped. DOOM was a consummate wordsmith. I don’t think I will ever tire of checking out the lyric sheet of this album. Rest in Power.

1996?? This album sounds like the band took a trip a decade in the future, recorded it, then brought it back to the old millennium. That’s pretty cool. So’s this album.

Damnit. Does this mean that I’m an S Club 7 fan now? That was Pop Wonderland and I’m not even British.

Yeah - it’s Pink Floyd-adjacent psychedelia and I’m not really here for it. Sorry not sorry.

I enjoyed the cerebral dance vibes but not as much as their 1998 album on this list. I am enjoying the image of people deep in thought wigging out on the dance floor to this, though.

Sorry. Ick. No.

It’s an interesting grunge-buzz shoegaze hybrid baby. The lyrics feel winsome and heavy with loss. Or maybe that’s just me.

A lovely bit of 2010s nostalgia and my sister’s favourite album from her favourite band. That’s gotta count for something, right?

I remember this album dropping on college. I always thought that I wasn’t smart enough to appreciate Ani. Turns out, I’m not.

It’s a pretty album. I won’t listen again, thank you.

It was 30 minutes of snippets of fuzzy musical noise. I wasn’t attracted enough to pick apart the lyrics. Dismissed.

I love my wife and I’m sorry.

Well I wasn’t expecting that. I guess all generations have their Taylor Swifts.

This album forces me into the role of amateur steering wheel percussionist. I f@$@ing love its mix of techno, garage, and two-tone. If I listened to “Helicopter” on repeat, I’d probably be able to run a 4-minute mile.

It helps me walk faster through the rain and keeps me tapping my toes at red lights. That’s worth something, yeah? I especially liked the lyrics of Somewhere in Stockholm, though. You can feel the inherent sadness disguised as upbeat DJ music.

I’m not high enough. I don’t think I’ll ever be that high but I’m glad that Damon Albarn was and snatched some of this for Gorillaz.

Mmmm Mmmm Mmmm Mmmm is a lovely 90s one-hit wonder. The remainder of this album sounds like variants on the theme of that tune. I blame the distinctive vocals.

I got severe Jimmy Eat World vibes from this at first blush and a Replacements after-taste when I listened again. Deliciously unexpected.

Intriguing and haunting and one of the best albums ever if you like ambient music. Unfortunately, that’s not me.

I mean, it’s punk so I’m predisposed to it but I didn’t vibe with the spoken-word poetry lyrics. Kinda meh.

Sharp and punky just how I like it. I’ve been meaning to get a sniff of this band for some time now and I’m not disappointed. Well, more disappointed with myself that I hadn’t done so as of yet. Thanks, listener!

Yes. This album! Funk and disco and a horn section for the gods. There’s a great deal of cocaine in this record, to be sure, but isn’t a little recreational sniff coupled with artistic genius what we’re all admiring? This record slaps and stands up well to the horrors of time.

Not only is this album an aural wonder but its visual art (both the album art as well as the videos of the singles) are triumphantly cutting-edge, turn-of-the-millennium masterpieces. I think anybody with working ears would be happy to dismiss Limp Bizkit from this august list and replace it with Homogenic. Can we start a petition, please? Also, I see you, Padmé Amidala. Don’t think I don’t notice you biting someone’s style.

It’s lovely and expansive and pensive and winsome and reminds me of Seattle weather. In other words, it’s emo to the max. On the plus side, it’s more Ben Gibbard. That’s always a positive thing.

That remix at the end of the album was fire but I’m not sure I gelled with the rest of it.

I feel bad whenever I hear a punk album on this list and I feel “eh”. There’s obvious talent on this disc. The vocals and the shredding guitar licks are worth writing home about but the songs just don’t land. That’s what punk lives and dies by - short, sharp, pithy. This didn’t have the latter for me.

Ah, the pop darlings of Ann Arbor! I’m surprised to find this slice of personal nostalgia here - I know some of the backup singers listed on this disc personally. It’s bubble-gummy in a quirky turn of the millennium kind of way. It makes me want some Zingerman’s. I’ve probably rated it higher than it deserves based on my bias. It’s cute.

Hmm. Right. Uh.

Classic yet-undersung 80s rock. Billy Squier was a casualty of the “video killed the radio star” phenomenon of MTV. I wonder what would’ve happened had he had Duran Duran’s video producer?

This list has some kind of mind-reading power - I was wondering just yesterday if anything Parrothead was going to turn up on this list and lo and behold! It’s like a warm tub of margaritas. With a salt rim, of course.

Oh sure! Take some baroque tunes, industrial noise, and dubstep, throw it in a blender powered by tortured human souls and serve over ice. *ssssip* This actually tastes pretty good. What the hell?!

Perhaps it’s because I only speak 7th grade French, but I found this album middle school.

I got big LCD Soundsystem and Bon Iver vibes and since I love both of them, I am obligated to love this.

There are some albums that are era-defining. Sadly, this is one of them. I kid! It’s not so awful but yes - it defines the cookie-cutter pop boy/girl band phenomenon of the late 90s/2000s. Disposable? Yes. Influential? Yes. Important? …….

I listened to this and thought “this high quavering tenor is the voice of barely-concealed trauma”. I then read about Jason Molina and saw that he died of alcoholism in 2013. I guess it’s good to always be aware that anyone might be in agony and fighting an invisible battle. Be kind, motherfuckers. Be kind.

If Vangelis smoked some crystal meth and then tried to soundtrack The Legend of Zelda movie while playing the game with Moby, then you might get this album. I didn’t hate it but I’ve got to subtract a star for the same old sorry story of men behaving badly towards younger women that broke up the band. I think Alice Glass would be alright with the penalty.

I initially got smacked in the teeth by the staunch guitars and rampant screaming, but after 3-4 tracks, it sorta turned into background drone. Energetic? Yes. Need to listen to before I die? No.

I prefer his 1984 disc I Often Dream Of Trains but I do love some Robyn Hitchcock. I strongly heard his Dylanesque lyricism in these tunes but the unrelenting acoustic music left me jonesing for an amplifier.

It’s almost like anyone living in West Germany was forced to learn how to play a theremin. Yes, it’s pleasantly bleepy and bloopy and signals things to come but it’s the harbinger, not the messiah. It’s an appetiser to the synth heaven of the 80s and should be appreciated as such.

This thing thrashes and feels like someone’s graduate mathematical thesis at the same time. That’s a fun magic trick. I’m not surprised to find some King Gizzard on this list.

I appreciated the marriage of punk and tired angst in the lyrics and music on this disc. I think I appreciated the frontman’s vocal treatment more so when he leaned into the latter. I found his patter a bit irritatingly abrasive in the more punk tunes. I’d heard of this band but had never dipped my toes in their lake. It was a nice soak.

I love the percussion on this album. The drums on Fake Empire break my brain in such a beautiful way. That’s a good thing. The National reminds me that I love my wife.

It’s a fine album demonstrating mid-90s Bob Mould entitled Bob Mould. I’m subtracting a star because the Daily Show theme was supposed to be on there but wasn’t.

How in the bloody hell is this not on the original list??? It’s ranked by many publications as THE best disc of the 2010s. Its absence is criminal. I am personally so grateful for this album. Thank you, Beyoncé.

GAS: “Hey! Let’s drop acid and go hang out in a German forest.” Me: “Well, then - OK!” GAS: “Cool.” Me: ….. GAS: “What?” Me: “Could you turn off that synthesiser?”

Got strong flavours of Phish here. Or maybe Phish got strong flavours of them. A few rare head-bopping bass riffs but maybe not enough for another listen. RIP Serge Fiori.

Oh man do I love the dark wave, city pop, synth-soaked love on this disc. It even makes me overlook the tired R&B drum machine beats. The lyricism takes this up another notch. It’s written by a lonely jaded playboy wanting to settle down with his former high school flame. I can’t directly relate, but I can understand. I do understand The Weeknd’s fury over this not being considered for album of the year in 2020. This thing is exquisite.

Nihilistic electro-hip-hop didn’t scratch an itch. Not today.

I’m not the biggest fan of modern country but I enjoyed the theme of this album. Also - hello, right now!

It is intriguing and full of lyrical guile. I enjoyed some of the grind of the album as well.

Madlib is getting heaps of love in this Listener’s Honourable Mentions list. I’d never really heard of Freddie Gibbs before but he sounds like 2Pac v2.0. It’s a good hip-hop jam, but I found it a bit stale in the thematic department. Still, the beats and rhymes slap, so there’s that.

If Lenny Kravitz and John Lennon got together and made an album produced by Rob Zombie, you might get this. I enjoyed figuring out that puzzle, probably more so than the actual album.

That was fun. I definitely think that Beck and Sublime heard this at some point. I was excited to hear that the band was influenced by The Cure, but I really couldn’t hear that influence. And here I thought that Menudo was going to get an album on this list…

It’s really quite peppy and live. It made me imagine this as the in-house band to a Steely Dan talk show. That said, it didn’t make for the best running music, and though that’s not the purpose of this list, it is the secondary purpose of those albums on this list that I’m not likely to listen to again.

Boppy hoppy ska will always have a place in my record collection and any band that both Green Day and Rancid cite as a creative influence gets love.

If this list were the 1001 Most Haunting Albums You Must Listen To Before You Die….

It definitely has “white boy” rapper vibes but I got more Dave than Eminem. I liked the personal elements and there were far more shreddy guitar licks than I expected on the album. All in all, a good find and one that I will re-listen to, even at 96min run-time.

Brazilian hip-hop?! It’s much chiller than I thought it would be. It might get another play-through.

It is possibly the most influential album of the ‘00s. I was fascinated to find out that The Fame Monster was the cutting room floor tracks off of this disc. Impressive, indeed. Definitely belongs on the list, no matter what your taste is - it changed modern music.

It’s Del the Funky Homosapien so I’m pleased but it’s a concept album so I’m irritated. I lean into hip-hop so I’ll go 3 stars but I’d really like to give it 2.5. Feeling a bit mediocre.