Journey Complete!
Finisher #47 to complete the list
View User Albums Summary1089
Albums Rated
2.55
Average Rating
100%
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1970s
Favorite Decade
New-wave
Favorite Genre
UK
Top Origin
Perfectionist
Rater Style ?
19
5-Star Albums
129
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Another Green World
Brian Eno
|
5 | 3.12 | +1.88 |
|
Selling England By The Pound
Genesis
|
5 | 3.18 | +1.82 |
|
Close To The Edge
Yes
|
5 | 3.19 | +1.81 |
|
Astral Weeks
Van Morrison
|
5 | 3.27 | +1.73 |
|
Peter Gabriel 3
Peter Gabriel
|
5 | 3.29 | +1.71 |
|
The Man Machine
Kraftwerk
|
5 | 3.32 | +1.68 |
|
Crime Of The Century
Supertramp
|
5 | 3.41 | +1.59 |
|
More Songs About Buildings And Food
Talking Heads
|
5 | 3.42 | +1.58 |
|
Third
Soft Machine
|
4 | 2.43 | +1.57 |
|
Oar
Alexander 'Skip' Spence
|
4 | 2.46 | +1.54 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Back In Black
AC/DC
|
1 | 3.86 | -2.86 |
|
Appetite For Destruction
Guns N' Roses
|
1 | 3.74 | -2.74 |
|
Highway to Hell
AC/DC
|
1 | 3.66 | -2.66 |
|
Bayou Country
Creedence Clearwater Revival
|
1 | 3.66 | -2.66 |
|
Van Halen
Van Halen
|
1 | 3.63 | -2.63 |
|
The Number Of The Beast
Iron Maiden
|
1 | 3.59 | -2.59 |
|
Songs For Swingin' Lovers!
Frank Sinatra
|
1 | 3.52 | -2.52 |
|
1984
Van Halen
|
1 | 3.51 | -2.51 |
|
Blonde On Blonde
Bob Dylan
|
1 | 3.5 | -2.5 |
|
Dirt
Alice In Chains
|
1 | 3.47 | -2.47 |
Artists
Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Talking Heads | 4 | 4.5 |
| Pink Floyd | 4 | 4.5 |
| Peter Gabriel | 3 | 4.67 |
| Beatles | 7 | 4.14 |
| Brian Eno | 5 | 4.2 |
| Kate Bush | 3 | 4.33 |
| Kraftwerk | 3 | 4.33 |
| Yes | 3 | 4.33 |
Least Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Aerosmith | 3 | 1 |
| Frank Sinatra | 3 | 1 |
| My Bloody Valentine | 3 | 1.33 |
| Bob Dylan | 7 | 1.86 |
| George Michael | 2 | 1 |
| Randy Newman | 2 | 1 |
| Iron Maiden | 2 | 1 |
| Van Halen | 2 | 1 |
| AC/DC | 2 | 1 |
| Jane's Addiction | 2 | 1 |
| The Prodigy | 2 | 1 |
| Happy Mondays | 2 | 1 |
| Def Leppard | 2 | 1 |
| Motörhead | 2 | 1 |
| Christina Aguilera | 2 | 1 |
| Slipknot | 2 | 1 |
| Leonard Cohen | 5 | 1.8 |
| Madonna | 3 | 1.67 |
| Pulp | 2 | 1.5 |
| Sepultura | 2 | 1.5 |
| The Jesus And Mary Chain | 2 | 1.5 |
| Public Image Ltd. | 2 | 1.5 |
| Primal Scream | 2 | 1.5 |
| Megadeth | 2 | 1.5 |
| Alice Cooper | 2 | 1.5 |
| Goldfrapp | 2 | 1.5 |
| Willie Nelson | 2 | 1.5 |
| Taylor Swift | 2 | 1.5 |
| Orbital | 2 | 1.5 |
| Rufus Wainwright | 2 | 1.5 |
| Morrissey | 4 | 2 |
| Metallica | 4 | 2 |
| The Smiths | 3 | 2 |
| Blur | 3 | 2 |
| The Beach Boys | 3 | 2 |
| The Stooges | 3 | 2 |
| The Velvet Underground | 3 | 2 |
| Public Enemy | 3 | 2 |
| Prince | 3 | 2 |
| Kings of Leon | 3 | 2 |
| The Kinks | 4 | 2.25 |
Controversial
| Artist | Ratings |
|---|---|
| Creedence Clearwater Revival | 4, 2, 1 |
| Dexys Midnight Runners | 2, 4, 1 |
| U2 | 4, 3, 1, 4 |
5-Star Albums (19)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
Bob Dylan
2/5
I try and try but I just can’t do Bob Dylan 🤷♂️ His voice is annoying and that damned harmonica, sheesh
34 likes
Finley Quaye
1/5
This album struck a wrong chord with me, a Scottish musician with Ghanaian roots playing pseudo reggae with a fake Jamaican accent. I was born in Jamaica so I just found it to be so wrong from the get go. This was a big miss for me
32 likes
Justin Timberlake
1/5
Its shocking or depressing that a couple of the songs on this album each have over half a million listens on Spotify. What does that say about our society? To me it just sounds like a white guy trying to sound like Michael Jackson, sorry Justin that boat has sailed. The inclusion of this album on this list is not Justified.
30 likes
Stevie Wonder
3/5
IMO Stevie is at his best when he does the funky soul numbers. Superstition is one of his most iconic songs, with killer guitar hooks and I love his funky snarling voice. But this album is marred by syrupy maudlin commercial tracks meant to sell records such as You are the sunshine, You and I, Looking for another pure love, and I believe. Yuck. If it had more Superstition it would be a 4 but the dreck pulls it down unfortunately
25 likes
5/5
That segway from the first song, Sgt Pepper's Lonely Heart Club Band to With a little help from my friends is foreshadowing that this album will be special. After hearing thru so many different genres that followed this in the 70s and 80s such as psychedelic, prog, World, and avant-garde this album may not sound too innovative, but when I stop to think that this is the OG that started it all, it's influence and importance comes into perspective. There are 13 songs on this album, 12 are killer and deserve 5 stars, with only Being the benefit of Mr Kite being a miss, but the album closes with a Sgt Pepper's reprise with another brilliant segway into their best song ever IMO, A Day in the Life and then to top it off this fricking masterpiece of a record ends with perhaps the most incredible ending notes of any song, EVER. So it makes up for Mr Kite, and how! So I'm happy to give my first 5 star rating to this album.
22 likes
4-Star Albums (161)
1-Star Albums (129)
All Ratings
Scott Walker
3/5
Femi Kuti
2/5
The Smiths
2/5
Black Sabbath
2/5
Anita Baker
1/5
1
Quicksilver Messenger Service
2/5
Billy Bragg
2/5
2
John Martyn
3/5
Another "acquired taste" but at least its better than Billy Bragg
Deep Purple
2/5
Another acquired taste, but better than say Billy Bragg. Nice jazz influences here
The Byrds
2/5
I find it difficult to rate albums on their musical merits alone and ignore the dated sound or if you don't like the genre
George Michael
1/5
I hope the choices improve soon
Grizzly Bear
3/5
Nuanced, layered, complex
M.I.A.
3/5
skilled performance, well written but annoying AF to listen to 3/5
James Taylor
2/5
Gene Clark
2/5
Thin Lizzy
3/5
This is the first album I ever bought. Some classic power rock anthems here. This is really the Phil Lynott show. 3/5
Nirvana
2/5
Noisy and angry
Suede
2/5
Sounds like just another Oasis, but with an even more annoying lead singer
Daft Punk
2/5
Hugely influential dance group, probably second only to Kraftwerk, but this isn't their best.
OutKast
3/5
Belle & Sebastian
3/5
So twee and light. But beneath those delightful melodies lurks some sharp satire and hipster angst.
The Strokes
3/5
Beatles
4/5
Coldplay
3/5
Fugees
3/5
This old school hip hop is certainly more accessible than the stuff we hear today, album has a few nice tunes such as Ready or Not but most of it sounds meh now.
Air
4/5
I can't believe this was released in 98! This was so influential when it came out, I was into Sophia Coppola's films at the time also, particularly Virgin Suicides so this really hit the spot. The way they were able to blend groovy sounds from the 60s and 70s into this new \"chill out\" sound was really innovative and this album holds up surprisingly well today.
Dwight Yoakam
2/5
Elastica
3/5
The Flaming Lips
4/5
From the first few notes and the pounding drums of Race for the Prize you know this album has chops. The Lips toned it down from their harsher punkier origins for this album and introduced some very nice catchy melodies. This album was a harbinger of even greater things to come.
Muddy Waters
3/5
Ella Fitzgerald
3/5
I'm not a Gershwin fan nor this era of big band sound, but I must say that no one has a voice as silky smooth as Ella.
Pulp
2/5
The Cure
3/5
Although from 1980 (OMG 40 yrs old!) this holds up pretty well against other albums eg Pulp's Hardcore which I couldn't get thru. This album has the hallmark early goth/new wave sound that was prevalent in the day and they did it better than anyone else. Not their best but a sign of even greater things to come
Jerry Lee Lewis
3/5
Ground breaking in its day I'm sure, but all of the songs sound the same
Steely Dan
4/5
Superbly produced album with expert musicmanship. I read a long time ago that Deacon Blues has the best lyrics ever and I can't argue with Learn to work the saxophone
(I) I play just what I feel
Drink Scotch whiskey all night long
And die behind the wheel
They got a name for the winners in the world
(I) I want a name when I lose
They call Alabama the Crimson Tide
Call me Deacon Blues
The rest of the album is not as brilliant, but it is still pretty darned good so it gets a 4/5 from me
George Michael
1/5
Nope
Black Sabbath
4/5
I've never been a Black Sabbath fan, but when listening to this album I can understand the appeal. This is a pretty seminal recording of early heavy metal with some pretty kick ass tracks that stand up well 50 yrs later. I finally know what those metal heads were going on about now.
David Bowie
4/5
The the intro to Stay with the funky guitar riffs by Earl Slick and Carlos Alomar is probably the most scintillating minute I've ever heard. Bowie's Berlin era albums are some of my favs, and you can hear the Eno and Kraftwerk influences here. Station to Station, TVC15 and Wild is the Wind are brilliant, but one of my least favourite Bowie songs -Golden years is on here so its doesn't quite get a perfect score from me
Stereolab
3/5
If Krautrock and fringe rock had a baby it would be Stereolab. Most of the hipster indie groups today were influenced by Stereolab in some form, whether they realize it or not. Love the pulsating beat of Les Yper sound, tres chic
The Verve
2/5
Bittersweet symphony is good, and they show some potential there. But I found the rest of the album to be a meh version of Oasis, who I don't even like.
Rage Against The Machine
3/5
If the Red hot chili peppers and the Beastie Boys got amped up with some coke at a backyard bbq... I listen to most of my music while at my desk working and this was a bit too angry for me to focus on spreadsheets
The Fall
2/5
And I thought Rage at the Machine was angry. I guess I like post-punk if its a bit more melodic like the Clash, Gang of Four, The Stranglers etc.
James Brown
3/5
Although this sounds good on speakers, maaan it must have been something to see JB's energy live on stage. I bet this concert was legendary
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
I was never a fan of CCR or hillybilly music so I went into this with some trepidation. However, I was pleasantly surprised, Ramble Tamble had a nice jangly geetar and I was surprised at the number of classic hits I recognized - Looking out my back door, Who'll stop the rain and Up around the bend, but my favourite was the groovy vintage 10 speed with chrome forks and clip on pedals on the cover. If there were half stars I'd give it 3.5, but I'll round it up for its historical significance
Buck Owens
2/5
The Fall
3/5
Did I think it was good? Yes
Did I like it? No.
Its hard to separate personal bias when rating an album but I'm trying. I give it a 3 for these reasons
T. Rex
2/5
Not a fan of glam rock.
Curtis Mayfield
4/5
Loving the cool funky ghetto vibe on this album which ushered in the Blaxpoitation films of the 70s. Supercool.
Fiona Apple
2/5
Like listening to a chick flick, not that there's anything wrong with that.
N.W.A.
4/5
From angry white punks of The Fall to the other extreme, angry black gangstas from the 'hood. Again, if we could rate half stars I'd give this a 3.5 but given that this is the OG Grandaddy of gangsta rap I'll round it up to 4
Air
3/5
This starts out great with Playground Love, it imbues such a languid chill-out mood, but then it kinda drifts off into a pretty typical movie score. The soundtrack to this movie is actually much better with classics by 10CC, Todd Rundgren, Al Green, and Sloan. Lovely film too.
Faith No More
2/5
Cheap Chilis
Another album that I would never be exposed to were it not for this website. I think the songs that Rod sings on are vastly superior to the ones featuring Ronnie Lane. Stay with me is most definitely the killer track here with a raucous bluesy guitars and piano.
Fela Kuti
3/5
This must have been an absolutely electrifying live concert. So much energy!
Jethro Tull
4/5
When i was 10 yrs old I heard the opening lines.. Sitting on a park bench
Eyeing little girls with bad intent
Snot's running down his nose
Greasy fingers smearing shabby clothes.... and then with all those tempo changes and crazy instruments, I mean a flute??!!! I knew this was something special. This gets 4 stars because of four iconic songs, Aqualung, Cross eyed Mary and Locomotive Breath
Fela Kuti
4/5
Was a bit apprehensive after getting yet another Fela Kuti album but this one is very different, much less frenetic Afro-beat and more Afro-jazz, it meanders at a more relaxed pace and has a more serious political tone.
Eels
3/5
Melancholy pop about fun topics such as unrequited love, suicide and mental illness is usually a downer, but Eels does a great job here on their debut album. Their sound becomes more fully formed in their later releases but this is solid effort. You can hear the late 90s lofi influences here ... Sparklehorse, Mercury Rev, Yo La Tengo etc, it was a pretty good time for the indie music scene IMO.
Hugh Masekela
3/5
Queen
3/5
Queen was my favourite group when I was in High School. They certainly had style and flair, plus some pretty darned good musicmanship and of course the inimitable Freddie.
Haircut 100
4/5
Breezy summery songs for the early 80s. I'm surprised at how many of these songs I recall, I must have played Fantastic Day a thousand times in my yute when hanging out with my Uni girlfriend. I really could use the half star rating system here, so my 3.5 becomes a 4 purely for nostalgic reasons.
Love
3/5
Mike Oldfield
4/5
The Wiki for this ground-breaking album is interesting. I knew that this was the 19 year old Oldfield's debut album but I didn't realize that it put Virgin Records on the map. Also Branson wanted vocals so that he could release a single, Oldfield was pissed at this so he got drunk and started to grunting nonsense which explains the Piltdown Man garble on side 2. If I heard this album today I would think it was gimmicky and silly, but back in 73 it was a tour-de-force and hugely innovative. This is another album that I must have listened to a thousand times.
The B-52's
4/5
This album starts out brilliantly with a hommage to the Peter Gunn theme with Planet Claire, legs are a' moving and head is a' bopping. Funky, punky, kitchy and so much fun. To this day Rock Lobster still gets everyone on the dancefloor.
Jeru The Damaja
2/5
ABBA
2/5
Lloyd Cole And The Commotions
3/5
Not very offensive, but not very memorable either. Just a bunch of very similar sounding ez listening Brit pop songs from the 80s.
The Smashing Pumpkins
4/5
the Wiki for this album is very interesting, I didn't realize that it was spawned from so much conflict, chaos, drug addition and talk of suicide. I also like Rolling Stone's description that its closer to progressive rock than punk or grunge
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
I guess this is a bit of a let down after Elvis' simply brilliant debut album - My aim is true. The songs are pleasant enough but don't have the same bite, so this is only a 3 from me.
Nick Drake
4/5
This beautifully melancholic record grows on you. The Way to blue is mournful but lovely and River man is Drake at his best. If you're in the mood for chill folky music you can't go wrong with this record.
Led Zeppelin
3/5
When I first came to Canada in 1973 Led Zep was all the rage with the stoner crowd at school and I never really understood the attraction and I never was too enthusiastic their sound. So almost 50 yrs later I'm forced to listen to this album and I can confirm that I still don't know what the big deal is. Kashmir is good, but apart from that it doesn't really turn my crank
B.B. King
3/5
John Lee Hooker
3/5
Steely Dan
3/5
Rikki is of course the best song on this album, years later when I was listening to Horace Silver’s 1965 Songs for my father I realized that they cribbed the opening riffs from it. Major disappointment. Any major dude is also good, but the rest of the album doesn’t quite live up to those two songs
Terence Trent D'Arby
2/5
Burning Spear
3/5
Roots Reggae and Dub are my favourite types of Reggae as you can really settle into the hypnotic groove. This record starts off great with Marcus Garvey but it after that it gets a bit preachy and one note sounding.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
2/5
How to rate something that I couldn't listen to for more than 3 songs? Its not necessarily bad, just not to my taste. Trying to be as objective as possible
T. Rex
2/5
I'm done with glam rock
The Kinks
3/5
Ice Cube
2/5
Living Colour
2/5
I agree with MG's assessment. Black guys rocking out is a nice change of pace, but it gets tiresome pretty quick.
Faust
2/5
This is some dark Krautrock. Again you have to be in the mood and I wasn't.
Talking Heads
4/5
starts off with a bang with the nonsense dadaist lyrics of I Zimbra... Gadji beri bimba clandridi
Lauli lonni cadori gadjam
A bim beri glassala glandride
E glassala tuffm I zimbra. Like, how does Byrne come up with this brilliant shit? Life during Wartime is also one of their best singles with a funky jerky African rhythm. I like how their sound is evolving with the Eno collaboration also. This is a great album, but not their best, I would rank Remain in Light, 77 ahead of this, so it gets a sold 4 from me.
Aerosmith
1/5
Ugh
Nas
3/5
According to Wiki Nas is a brilliant poet lyricist and this is one of the greatest and most influential hip hop albums of all time. I think I would have appreciated more if I had listened more carefully and not just had it playing in the background while I worked. The lyrics may have been great but the beats were just ok.
The Beau Brummels
2/5
Randy Newman
1/5
Talking Heads
4/5
This is an astonishing debut album. Totally new and original sound, Art Punk is an apt description. Killer songs include Don’t worry about the government, no compassion, pulled up and of course, one of their very best Psycho Killer. I really wish they have half stars as this is a clear 4.5 for me. Yes it’s very good but not quite perfect. I’ll reserve that for another talking heads album, so to differentiate it this gets a really high 4
Donald Fagen
2/5
The first song IGY is pleasant enough, Steely Dan lite. But I wasn't engaged for the rest of the album because all the songs sounded the same to me.
Stereo MC's
2/5
This sound did not date well.
Os Mutantes
3/5
This album was really out there, psychadelic Brazilian folk music and I hear influences from the Mamas and the Papas, Zappa and Beatles. This one is quite dense and very inventive so I think it will get even better with repeated listenings.
Adam & The Ants
2/5
Boy here's another album that didn't age well. I guess in the early 80s after Punk had run its course this was a bridge and precursor to New Wave. Thankfully it was a mercifully short bridge. Back then cultural appropriation wasn't a thing, but Adam and the Ants did it in spades with Burundi drums and Native American costumes, what a hot mess. Back in the 80s it may have been novel, but its too gimmicky for me now.
Elvis Costello
2/5
Although this album is pretty inoffensive, nothing much on it grabbed me.
U2
4/5
I have an aversion to HUGE stadium rock groups that take themselves too seriously and songs that are overplayed so I have to check my bias when rating this album and pretend that I'm listening to it for the first time instead of the kazillionth. So on that basis I must acknowledge that there a quite a few good songs on this album. The Edge's guitar on Zoo Station and Until the end of the world are notable and I grudgingly acknowledge that One is a pretty good song.
Rod Stewart
3/5
Maggie May is wonderful for sure. Yup there with his best
Fairport Convention
3/5
Sandy Denny truly has a transcendental voice and the band wisely lets her take centre stage with most of the instruments playing lo-key in the background. The only song I didn't like was Cajun woman. In case you're interested, my rating criteria is: 1 Star - I hated it, 2 Stars - it has good qualities, but overall I'm indifferent, 3 Stars - its a very good album, respect, but I probably wouldn't play it again; 4 Stars - Love it, definitely on my repeat list; 5 Stars - An iconic album, every song is perfect, without any weak songs.
Frank Black
3/5
I'm getting a whole lot of Thurston Moore vibes here.
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
2/5
Pretty aggressive sound, Wiki says that if you feel Iike getting slapped upside the head while dancing all night this is the album for you. I feel like I just got slapped upside the head.
Stevie Wonder
3/5
I can see how this slickly produced album went on to influence popular acts in the 70s and 80s such as Whitney Huston, Lionel Ritchie et al. Most of it was too mainstream for me, but the 70s jazz fusion of Contusion surprised me and I had no idea that Eminem sampled Pastime Paradise!
Super Furry Animals
2/5
This failed to grab me and I lost interest fairly quickly
Super Furry Animals
2/5
I still really don't like this group. Although this album sounds more psychadelic/spacey a la Flaming Lips and is better than Fuzzy Logic, I still find the lead vocalist's singing to be annoying and I could barely make it thru the entire album.
Iggy Pop
3/5
With Bowie's help Iggy punches out some raucous, raunchy rock with Lust for life. The Passenger is also a classic song. Turn blue is an interesting.... well turn, but it almost sounds like a fish out of water on this album. Overall a solid effort.
Beastie Boys
3/5
Some great samples, innovative beats and witty lyrics on this album. I really like some of their singles but after awhile their in yo face style can be a bit grating.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
2/5
Oh Lordy, I did try to get through this but the only song that I could listen to in its entirety was Sinister Purpose, probably because it had less of Fogerty's singing. I know they sold a whack of records back in '69 but this is just not my cup of tea
The Auteurs
3/5
Debut album from a band that I've never heard of. Its pretty good early 90's alternative rock with some good driving guitar melodies. They were nominated for a Mercury prize, but it seems that they were a one-hit wonder?
Iron Maiden
1/5
1001 forces you to listen to records that you'd never willingly subject yourself to. I've never actually listened to Iron Maiden in my life and I'm happy to say I didn't miss anything. I can handle some metal, but this is just Pop Metal with some corny guitar riffs in a formulaic style. Meh.
Cream
3/5
I didn't realize that Cream was regarded as the World's first Super group given its all-star line up: Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker and Jack Bruce. That much talent and ego usually means that they self-destruct and true to form Cream didn't last too long. There are some real classics on this album so it gets a solid 7/10
5/5
That segway from the first song, Sgt Pepper's Lonely Heart Club Band to With a little help from my friends is foreshadowing that this album will be special. After hearing thru so many different genres that followed this in the 70s and 80s such as psychedelic, prog, World, and avant-garde this album may not sound too innovative, but when I stop to think that this is the OG that started it all, it's influence and importance comes into perspective. There are 13 songs on this album, 12 are killer and deserve 5 stars, with only Being the benefit of Mr Kite being a miss, but the album closes with a Sgt Pepper's reprise with another brilliant segway into their best song ever IMO, A Day in the Life and then to top it off this fricking masterpiece of a record ends with perhaps the most incredible ending notes of any song, EVER. So it makes up for Mr Kite, and how! So I'm happy to give my first 5 star rating to this album.
Charles Mingus
4/5
This is a landmark free jazz album, simply brilliant musicianship and improvisation, very different from Ah Um but still very good
Paul Simon
2/5
Theres one good song on this album, Mother and Child reunion, but it’s guilty of massive cultural appropriation. The fact that it was made back in 72 before cultural appropriation was a thing allows it to slide though. Funny how attitudes and times change. Anyways the rest of the album didn’t grab me and I wouldn’t listen to it again so this gets two stars
Soft Cell
3/5
I remember how huge Tainted Love was on the dance floor with its bleepy innovative beats. Sex Dwarf is also good but Say Hello Wave Goodbye is an underrated and excellent song that really showcases Marc Almond's voice.
Butthole Surfers
2/5
I may have had more tolerance to listen to this when I was younger. Not my jam
The Band
3/5
Interesting trivia... apart from Levon Helm, all members of the Band were Canadian, most notably Robbie Robertson. The Weight is greight, and the organ intro to Chest Fever is pretty epic.
Cat Stevens
3/5
I was pleasantly surprised by this. Folk with a hint of prog with some fine arrangements
Beth Orton
3/5
Excellent songwriting and impassioned singing. I can hear how she influenced female singers that followed her eg Sarah McLachlan with her soulful, wavering singing style.
Blur
2/5
I was never a fan of the Britpop sound, and after trying to listen to this its confirmed. I couldn’t listen to any of the songs all the way though without being thoroughly bored
Simple Minds
4/5
I remember almost 40 years ago (OMG!) first listening to this album and being completely blown away by it. So much that I wrote a letter to the band gushing about how brilliant it was. That was a first (and last) for me. Back then I would have given it 5 stars instantly. Listening to it again now I find that some of the singles such as Promised you a miracle didn’t age too well and I cringe a bit at the overly pretentious lyrics and Jim Kerr’s 80s “New Romantic” singing style. However there are some real gems on this and I really like the more atmospheric and moody pieces such as Someone Somewhere, Big Sleep, Somebody up there and Hunter and the Hunted. It’s good to hear that the deep and propulsive bass and drums throughout the album still hit the spot.
David Bowie
3/5
After the relative softer edge of Ziggy Stardust Bowie really rocks out with this album. I don't think it achieves the same heights as Ziggy, but it has some great tracks including Jean Genie and Panic in Detroit. I prefer Bowie's other phases: Mod/ Space oddity, and his experimental Berlin stage but this is still a pretty solid effort.
Missy Elliott
2/5
Justice
2/5
An unholy, noisy mess. Daft Punk did it better. I gave it 1.5 stars but rounded it up because its a nice sunny day today.
Pet Shop Boys
3/5
The Boys sound sooo soft and smooth on this album, this is perfect music for shopping at a luxury department store as you sashay through the aisles, if that's your thing. There's nothing offensive on this album, but nothing inspiring either.
Johnny Cash
2/5
I was really excited when this popped up this morning, but on closer inspection I saw it was recorded at San Quentin and not the legendary Folsom Prison. The Spotify version has a lot of "heavy" country filler from other artists that weren't my jam, so I've excluded them from this rating. But even then this was disappointing as it didn't seem to have much passion or energy and the editing of the songs to be frank, really sucks. The cover art is really iconic though!
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
3/5
For me Karen O’s wonderful voice has always been the most notable thing about this band. She can rock out with the best of them and then completely soften her tough edge with mellower songs like Little Shadow and Skeleton.
Marty Robbins
2/5
El Paso was nice for the novelty of listening to a ballad from a byegone era. But listening to 13 other songs that sound virtually identical to it gets old pretty fast
The Teardrop Explodes
2/5
Yikes, another reminder that I’m getting old and certain things just don’t age well. New Gold Dream is of similar vintage but it sounds way fresher and more innovative than this. I really liked Poppies in the field back in the day, but the driving beat that I recalled now sounds muffled and uninspired. The synth keyboard also sounds lame. It was a struggle to get thru the 17 songs on this album
Miles Davis
4/5
Oh boy, if there ever was a polarizing album... Fans of his earlier phases, Be-bop, Hard-bop and Modal will probably hate this. But what you have to respect about Miles is that he's always pushing the boundaries and charting new territory, too bad if its out of your comfort zone. Get uncomfortable mofos! I think this would have been a cracker single album but it drags a bit as a double, so I would give it a 3 +1 for its influence on jazz/rock fusion and just because Miles is the OG badass mofo. If you like this check out the album Miles from India, a compilation of Miles' music mostly performed by excellent Indian musicians.
Hawkwind
3/5
Scorching driving guitars and wicked bass from Lemmy. I think to appreciate this you'd need to be banging your head in a room smoking some weed, the folks talking between the song are certainly high on something. Can hear the early origins of prog metal here. The first half dozen songs were great, but after that it got very repetitive.
The Cure
4/5
Probably the greatest post-punk band ever. This album has so many great singles, Pictures of You, Lovesong, Fascination Street, Disintegration, but the other tracks are also really really strong. Standouts for me are the strings on Lullaby, the guitar hook and sad lament on Untitled, the Wall of sound on Plainsong, the Thunderous drums in Closedown and their classic gothy dark sound in Deep Water and Pray for rain. I'd give this album a 9/10 but on the 5 star scale its not quite "perfection" so I must sadly round it down to a 4.
Thundercat
3/5
Thundercat where have you been all my life? Never heard of this band and its great! Nice prog-soul grooves with some excellent musicmanship.
Cocteau Twins
2/5
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
2/5
This ain’t Harvest as Neil goes full grungy garage on this record. Definitely not dinner music. Not my fav Neil Young but he still shows his brilliance
Green Day
2/5
When I come around is good. The rest is meh. Not a fan.
Robbie Williams
2/5
I was never a fan of Brit pop. After listening to this I can confirm that I'm still not a fan.
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
Killer debut album by Jimi, with very little filler. Innovative mix of blues and psychedelic rock, believe the hype!
The Triffids
2/5
Too sugary for me. Not a fan.
Lauryn Hill
3/5
The Replacements
2/5
I liked Seen your video the best, probably because it was mostly instrumental - good driving post punk music. The rest was not very exciting
Shack
2/5
Van Morrison
5/5
My fav Van Morrison album, it flits and dances around like a butterfly on a sunny spring day. Although he sings like he's got a mouthful of cotton balls, it works with the soulful music and it still holds up really well considering its over 50 years old. The only miss is Slim Slow Slider which sounds like an afterthought to the 7 brilliant songs that preceded it, so I give it a 4.5 and round it up to a 5 because its a sunny Spring day.
Earth, Wind & Fire
3/5
Starts off with a bang with Shining Star, mellows out with That's the way of the world, gets funky with Happy Feelin' so hey I'm thinking this album has some bangers, could be a classic, could it be 4 stars? But then it gets weighed down by the saccharine goop of All about love. But then Reasons shows that slow soul songs can still have redeeming qualities. The rest is ok, so overall this is a 3 from me.
Pearl Jam
2/5
I never liked the Seattle Grunge sound and I find Eddie Vedder’s voice annoying. I also found all of the songs on this album repetitive
David Bowie
3/5
Gotta love fashion and style maven Bowie for his chameleon-like changes every few albums. The only other musician that I can think of that does it as well is Neil Young and he's a bloody legend also. However, in this "Soul" phase apart from the wonderful single Young Americans and the lovely song Right, this album has quite a few misses, especially the execrable Fame. Gawd I hate that song. So some great, some bad, some ok means this is 3 stars from me.
Sly & The Family Stone
4/5
Iconic psychedelic funk album. All killah no fillah
Frankie Goes To Hollywood
3/5
Gotta admit that Relax is a pretty iconic 80s dance tune that I played about a kazillion times back in the day. Also Despite the goofy narration over War, the bass line has chops and there are some good covers of Born to run and San Jose. But overall this is like watching the original Lethal Weapon or Diehard movies, it’s pretty dated and doesn’t hold up well today
Cornershop
3/5
Very cool Indian Indie sound, kinda like Talvin Singh blended with Thievery Corporation. I can see this album being very influential in Raga Rock
Queen
3/5
After A night at the opera hit like an atom bomb in the early 70s I quickly gobbled up their earlier albums: Queen, Queen II and Sheer Heart Attack and I was a huge fan of their bombastic glam/prog/metal sound with tons of vocal over-dubs. You can hear them starting to gain traction in this album and there are some real gems including Father to son, Ogre Battle, White Queen and Fairy Feller. But the best was yet to come
Joy Division
3/5
Just as gloomy as I remember it, but still a pretty seminal piece of goth/post punk music considering that it was released just after Ian Curtis committed suicide. Did I mention that it was gloomy? The graphics and photo on the album cover are one of my all time favourites though.
Louis Prima
3/5
Fun album that must have been pretty daring and controversial in its day. Some real classics here. A great soundtrack to a mafia movie.
Guided By Voices
2/5
Many, many, short snippets of lo-fi songs sounds like an interesting idea for an album so I tried really hard to like this, but as soon as I got into a groove with anything it abruptly ended. Many with no fadeouts, just a slammed door. This was a frustrating listen for me.
PJ Harvey
3/5
Elis Regina
3/5
This Brazilian pop album is pleasant enough, Regina has a lovely voice and range but I don’t think it is up to the high standards of David Byrne’s Lauka Bop label where complies a killer record featuring seminal Brazilian artists like Caetano Veloso, Jorge Ben, Gilberto Gil, Milton Nascimento etc. Now that is a banger of a Brazilian record.
Dirty Projectors
4/5
Wonderfully quirky and inventive. I think The Dirty Projectors and Grizzly Bear were two of the best indie acts of the early 2000s. Like any offbeat and complex works it’ll take a few lessons to grow on me but then it’s gonna stick for a long time, unlike the formulaic pop on mainstream radio
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
2/5
There were a couple of songs that I thought were fine but this one failed to hold my attention. I see lots of folks complaining about his monotonous voice and I can’t disagree
Van Morrison
4/5
I was surprised to read in Wiki that his debut album, Astral Weeks was a commercial flop because it's my fav Van Morrison album. Van went back to the drawing board and wrote more commercial sounding songs for this album and completely knocks it out of the park with the first 5 songs. It flags a bit with Come Running and These Dreams, but he closes it out nicely with Everyone and Glad tidings. I don't think this is as strong as the seminal Astral Weeks but this is still a very strong effort.
Parliament
2/5
I was really looking forward to discovering some gems here because I like some good ol' soul and funk but I found this boring and repetitive and not very imaginative. I mean they probably say the "F" word on this record more times than the other "F" word was uttered in the movie Scarface. George Clinton should have done better.
Lou Reed
2/5
An unholy mess
Elliott Smith
4/5
This is a new listen for me, sad music that can make you happy. Nice melancholy vibe that can get under your skin.
The Electric Prunes
2/5
I had too much to drink is a classic but the rest was meh
Elton John
3/5
One of the most memorable scenes in the movie Almost Famous was when the band and groupies were singing Tiny Dancer on the team bus. Just a brilliant song by Elton John. Levon also shows off his excellent vocal range and Bernie Taupin’s song writing skills. This album isn’t their best but it’s still a very strong effort
Ramblin' Jack Elliott
2/5
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
4/5
This was a difficult one to rate for me. I recognize the huge historical significance that this early super group has wrought, but some songs with the Glorious Harmonies, in particular Carry on just grate on me. There are a lot of standout songs though like Almost cut my hair and all the Neil Young songs that pull it way up.
Sisters Of Mercy
2/5
When it comes to the Goth/dance sound this pales in comparison to the Cure and New Order. I found the vocals annoying and the drums way too amped. Not a fan.
The Beach Boys
2/5
I've read the glowing reviews and I've listened to this 3-4 times now thinking huh, WTF am I missing? But I still don't get it. I suppose it was highly innovative for its time but I just don't like the glorious harmonies, corny arrangements and sappy lyrics. Many others give it a 5 calling it a masterpiece but this is not Sgt Pepper, DSOTM or Ziggy Stardust. I give it a 1, +1 for its production values.
Kate Bush
5/5
One of Kate’s very best and also of the 80s IMO. Her voice has never been more powerful, crystalline, clear and pure. And her writing is simply in a class of its own. The brilliant singles from this album speak for themselves but the experimental Side B is also a revelation. I’d give this a 4.5 but since I was so hard on Pet Sounds yesterday I’ll round this up to a 5
Black Flag
2/5
Best listened to while violently slamming into others in a mosh pit. First few songs are ok but it gets boring fast due to lack of variety
Jacques Brel
2/5
Fleet Foxes
3/5
Someone mentioned that the Fleet Foxes are kinda like a blend of CSNY and Beach Boys, both of who I don't like, specifically because of their \"glorious harmonies\". I know many of their fans will think this is blasphemous as their harmonies are their calling card. I didn't mind the instrumental songs and I can appreciate the strong production and musicmanship throughout and also the nice Flemish woodblock cover so I'll give this a 3
The Chemical Brothers
2/5
This sounds like a soundtrack from the Matrix and similar to that series it hasn’t aged very well and sounds dated. The beats and loops are incessantly driving and propulsive but there simply isn’t enough variety in tempo or mood. Kraftwerk and Aphex Twin did it much better. Apparently they mix it up near the end of the album but I fell asleep by song 6, too little too late for me.
Laura Nyro
1/5
Well she has a good singing voice but her campy, bouncy jazzy pop style was really grating and annoying to me. I couldn’t get thru this one
LCD Soundsystem
3/5
Now this is how you do synth-pop proper! Not like that Chemical Bros crap I just listened to. How do you sleep, Tonite are standouts.
ZZ Top
3/5
Solid American bluesy rock and roll here. It flags a bit with Move it down the line which includes cliched riffs and lyrics like “big wheels keep on turning” 🙄 but its saved by the excellent single La Grange with the signature ZZ Top geetar sound. I like how they mixed up the tempo and mood with Sheik also.
3/5
It’s Interesting how polarizing this band is. Their musicianship is good, the production by Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno is certainly good but after hearing the singles from this album for the gazillionth time and Bono acting like a douche I’ve put up a mental wall against them. But I’m trying to be objective here in rating this album so I’ll bump it up to a 3.
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
3/5
An interesting turn for OMD as they abandon their electro dance roots for a darker more experimental sound. Some of it works well but some leaves me cold
Bob Dylan
3/5
I tried, I really tried but I find his vocals really annoying. I respect him as a poet but as a musician he just doesn’t do it for me, too much of the same wailing In his songs made this impossible for me to get through.
The Kinks
2/5
This album didn’t seem like much to write home about. Nothing that struck me as being outstanding. There have been many comparisons to the Beatles and I just think the Beatles did it way better
Everything But The Girl
3/5
EBTG basically pioneered the English downtempo drum and bass sound and everyone but EBTG were influenced by their lounging in the coffee shop style. Although this doesn't have anything as good as their big hit Missing you, the first three songs set the mood nicely. However I found my attention lagging for the rest of the album as the drum and bass in every song started to meld together.
Siouxsie And The Banshees
3/5
This album is hard for me to enjoy. But I will give it a knowing nod for its groundbreaking post punk sound that influenced many bands that followed in the 80s. I used to think HK Garden was catchy and cute but it’s faux Asian melodies are now cringe worthy. It’s funny how mores change so much over time. Just like my musical tastes.
Missy Elliott
2/5
Fatboy Slim
2/5
You really need to be at a rave, sweating and high on acid to be into this music. Sitting at home reading the paper it was a bit too high NRG and it got really repetitive. It’s better than Chemical Bros but not as good as say Daft Punk or the OGs Kraftwerk
Dexys Midnight Runners
2/5
Not my jam. Not into his vocals and the incessant horns. Their best with Come on Eileen was yet to come.
Sade
4/5
Astonishing that this debut album has so many solid, solid tracks. This is probably the only mainstream easy-listening jazz/pop album that I'll ever admit to liking. I was also surprised that its from 1984, I thought it was from the 90s, so that cheezy sax didn't date it too much.
The Go-Betweens
2/5
Streets of your town is very well written and pleasant, the rest of the album was meh. Nothing offensive here, but nothing inspiring either.
Beck
2/5
Some of Beck’s mellower songs are incredible, with tremendous writing and vocals. But those songs are not on this album. I just couldn’t get into this record and I am not a fan
Johnny Cash
3/5
I respect Cash for his ability to connect with the audience and his showmanship but I’m not a fan of Country and this is pretty Deep South Country. Respect and Acknowledgement, but I wouldn’t seek it out to be honest
Pavement
3/5
My kid brother is huge Pavement fan, but I could never catch the contagion like him. Pavement's jangly guitar and jerky vocals have some charming appeal though. I found 5-4 Unity to be the most interesting song with its Brubeck-esque tempo, Range life, Gold songs and Silence Kid are also good.
Guns N' Roses
1/5
I can’t believe this is on the list. G&R epitomize the cliched overblown 80s hair band. Every song sounds the same and his voice is annoying AF
R.E.M.
3/5
This debut album is pleasant enough. Good early indie music with a nice vibe that foreshadows even better things to come from this band. However it gets repetitive very soon.
Violent Femmes
3/5
Just three guys on acoustic instruments playing their hearts out and it shows. Classic organic lo-fi punk with some great hooks, eg Add it up, Blister in the Sun and Go daddy go.
Fleetwood Mac
4/5
There’s not much for me to add here as there’s no question that this is an iconic pop/rock album. Dreams and Go your own way are probably two of the best pop tracks ever written, but IMO You make loving fun is right up there with them. The album isn’t perfect though and I would argue that it shouldn’t be ranked higher than DSOTM, Wish you were here, Ziggy Stardust or Sgt Peppers so it gets a 4 from me
The United States Of America
2/5
First time hearing these guys, gotta giving them credit for pushing the envelope here. Quite experimental for its time, with musique concrète influences from Stockhausen and early Zappa. I also hear some Stereolab in some tracks. Although very interesting, overall its not very engaging and I can't say I loved any particular song or would seek it out again.
Dexys Midnight Runners
4/5
I must have worn out my original copy of this album I played it so much in the 80s. It’s a big improvement over their prior release with some real cracking tracks including 2 great cover songs. Plus it’s also got Come on Eileen which is a classic. I’d give this a solid 3.5, but round up to 4 for old times sakes.
Led Zeppelin
3/5
I tend to avoid over hyped bands so I’ve never actually listened to this album. Must concede that there are some good tracks here, but Plant’s piercing screams are a bit much, especially when he does his “ooooooohhhh, baaaaby!” yell. Better than I expected though and these boys do indeed have talent so it gets a passing grade from me.
Tangerine Dream
4/5
I was surprised to read that this is the only Tangerine Dream album on this list because I think their later work is better, eg Stratosfear, Cyclone and Force Majeure but I guess it’s because this album was highly influential and important in the annals of Krautrock and electronic music with the early use of sequencers. Also it’s interesting that along with Mike Oldfield, TD was one of the first bands that Richard Branson signed to his fledgling Virgin Records label.
Alice In Chains
1/5
Couldn’t get through this. Not a fan
Mercury Rev
4/5
Nice little gem here from Mercury Rev. They're often compared to a mellower Flaming Lips which is understandable. Some great post rock, psychadelic song-writing and melodies here and Holes, Goddess on a hiway and Opus 40 are highlights.
Oasis
2/5
This is one of those bands that get real annoying fast. Must be the U2 and Coldplay effect. This album is 3 hrs long, (eye roll) but I could only get thru a few songs before I threw in the towel.
The Beach Boys
2/5
The Zombies
3/5
The Time of the season is pretty much a perfect pop song, beautiful vocals and instrumental solos. Just perfect. The remainder of the album though doesn't live up to the same standard. I hear lots of early Kinks, Beatles and Beach Boys, but most of it is pretty homogenous and nothing really stands out. But the Time of the Season, wow!
Ash
3/5
I got sick of all the Brit Pop bands in the 90s (yes, you Oasis) so I tuned them out and missed out on this band. The scorching guitars in the first song grabbed my attention and I was intrigued for the rest of the ride. I read that they were a bunch of 17 yr olds that made this, impressive. Great driving guitars with a melodic vocal overlay. They did it way better than Oasis and Blur IMO. I also hear some Dinosaur Jr, Ramones and Buzzcocks here, but hey if you have to steal, might as well be from the best. This is a FUN record!
Madonna
2/5
I tried, but I just couldn’t complete this homework assignment
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
2/5
R.E.M.
4/5
This album is a huge leap from Murmer which I recently rated a 3. Much more mature writing and performances here with quite a few very solid songs.
X-Ray Spex
3/5
If Blondie got together with the Sex Pistols this would be their lovechild. Kudos for their audacity and energy. Poly Styrene is a great front-woman and the cheap sounding sax is a refreshing change.
Ray Charles
2/5
I can't say I'm a fan of big band and crooning ballads, which basically describes both sides of this record. I prefer Charles' later material where he gets more rock n' roll
808 State
3/5
Highly influential album due to their innovative use of the 808 drum machine but it didn’t age well and most of it is a noisy unholy mess. The best track is Pacific 202.
Thelonious Monk
4/5
Brilliant corners is simply a brilliant album. Monk's style may be off putting for some with his crunchy dissonant, off kilter dissonant piano playing, but therein also lies his genius. Allstar band. Highlight for me is Bemsha Swing.
John Lennon
3/5
The title song is iconic. The rest is meh
Dusty Springfield
3/5
Nice sixties crooning with some good arrangements and vocals. This harkens back to an era when the lyrics were nice, the singing was nice and everyone looked nice. Overall a nice album.
Doves
3/5
Coldplay without being annoying and cloying. Doves are a good indie Brit band with some pretty decent songs, particularly There goes the fear. This is a strong 2.5 but I'll round it up because its a nice day again.
The Shamen
1/5
Horrible pseudo multi-cultural rave music. Truly execrable.
Supergrass
2/5
Simply could not get into this. I’m getting tired of Brit pop
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
These guys invented chill.
Bob Dylan
2/5
I try and try but I just can’t do Bob Dylan 🤷♂️ His voice is annoying and that damned harmonica, sheesh
Kraftwerk
4/5
I grew up listening to Kraftwerk and it shaped my musical taste profoundly. They were so innovative in the 70s that this sound must have blown everyone’s mind. However the irony is that because they were so influential that you hear this style almost everywhere now so the their unique groundbreaking sound is lost on most new listeners. This album is great but I think Man Machine and Computer World are better so it only gets a 4 from me.
Pink Floyd
5/5
A lot has been said about this album so I don’t need to repeat it. I would say that Meddle, DSOTM, Animals and The Wall are all excellent but Wish you were here may just edge out the others, ever so slightly.
Simply Red
3/5
Some tracks sound embarrassingly dated but Holding back the years and Moneys too tight manage to hold up well. Credit to Mick Hucknall for his strong vocals and for a good effort for a debut album.
Keith Jarrett
3/5
This is a perhaps the most iconic solo piano album ever. It was interesting to read on Wiki about all the screw-ups that preceded this concert, very impressive that he was able to pull it off despite all the adversity. My only complaint is Jarrett's trademark moaning and wailing while he plays which is a bit distracting. Favourite track for me is Pt II, C.
Venom
1/5
In the movies you see the Americans torturing their POWs by blasting death metal at them while they’re chained up in the dark. Pretty sure this would be effective as a torture device as it makes me want to slit my wrists.
Ravi Shankar
2/5
As an intro to Indian Sitar music this is great, I mean who is more qualified than Ravi Shankar? But is it really his best work and is it a seminal album in this genre? I'm not an expert on Indian music but I suspect there are more iconic albums in this genre that could have been on this list.
Bob Dylan
2/5
The songs start off fine with pleasant instrumentals but then his Gawdawful voice comes in and it’s like nails against the blackboard for me. He may be a good poet but his singing and phrasing are not my cup of tea. Like a rolling stone and Ballad of a thin man are slightly more bearable.
The Allman Brothers Band
3/5
I’m not a huge fan of blues, but when combined with rock like this its much more accessible to me. This must have been a legendary concert to see live with those long guitar jam sessions but when listening to it at low volume at home while reading the Saturday paper I think most of it got lost in translation. I’m sure this is a you had to be there situation.
Wild Beasts
3/5
This was a nice surprise find for me. The vocals were a bit offbeat but that’s ok, others hate it but i don’t mind them at all. Reminds me a lot of Cocorosie with the quirky falsetto. I think this will grow on me with repeated listenings
Manic Street Preachers
2/5
Starts off great with the opening track -Yes, cool guitar hooks and impassioned vocals. But it goes downhill fast afterwards, all the songs sounds the same and just a Green Day knock off. Also the news audio clips before the songs doesn’t add anything and is just gimmicky.
Beyoncé
1/5
Steve Earle
2/5
Van Halen
1/5
Moby Grape
2/5
Killing Joke
2/5
I really like Killing Joke’s single - Love like blood it’s propulsive and has great guitar and bass hooks. Most of this album doesn’t come close to this benchmark and all of the songs sound pretty much the same to me. The exceptions are Requiem, Wardance and Change but it just isn’t enough for me to seek this out to listen to unfortunately.
Billy Bragg
3/5
I’m not a fan of country or Billy Bragg but because it features Wilco I have it a go. Turns out it was a pleasant surprise. The background story of this album is quite interesting also. California Stars and song featuring Natalie Merchant were very nice.
Stevie Wonder
3/5
IMO Stevie is at his best when he does the funky soul numbers. Superstition is one of his most iconic songs, with killer guitar hooks and I love his funky snarling voice. But this album is marred by syrupy maudlin commercial tracks meant to sell records such as You are the sunshine, You and I, Looking for another pure love, and I believe. Yuck. If it had more Superstition it would be a 4 but the dreck pulls it down unfortunately
The Doors
2/5
I really struggled to get through this album, the only thing that excited or interested me was the sign showing that rooms at this hotel were $2.50, which is mind boggling! But for the music, I was totally dis-engaged and it did not resonate with me at all.
The Doors
4/5
I groaned when this came up today as it was the second Doors album in as many days. But to my surprise it was much better than Morrison hotel. Even more impressive is the fact that this was their debut album. Morrison’s powerful voice and Manzarek’s keyboard playing are standouts. The highlight for me are the organ and guitar solos in Light my fire. The only song that I really didn’t like is the Bertold Brecht / Kurt Weill inspired Whisky Bottle.
2/5
Most of this sounds pretty much the same and the production values are really rough, much like the group and the music so I guess that's fitting. I'll boost this up by one star given its influence on the punk genre, but this isn't something that I'll seek out in the future.
Jeff Buckley
3/5
the first thing that comes to mind is "Impassioned singing". Very wide range of styles here and he was a huge talent that was taken too soon, but I'm not a fan of some of his more maudlin material. This may grow on me with repeated listenings but it doesn't move me as much as many others have mentioned.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
4/5
Perfectly bookended by Hey,Hey… and My, My … Neil never fails to disappoint or astonish with his huge range and ability to change like a chameleon. Powderfinger is one of my fav Young songs with a blistering guitar. Interestingly when Neil sings country/folk and plays his harmonica I I love it. But when that Dylan guy does the same thing it drives me crazy. Go figure.
Koffi Olomide
2/5
Very pleasant African pop that makes you wanna shake your booty. Nice rhythms and good vocals. But I would reach for some Miriam & Amadou or Fela Kuti before this
The Rolling Stones
3/5
Raucous honky tonk rock n roll. But a double album was a bit too much for me. The songs seemed to run together with a very similar sound. Shake your hips and Sweet Virginia were the exceptions and the ones I liked best. I’ve always thought that I respect the Stones but I just don’t love them and this still holds true.
Japan
3/5
I was a heavy listener of Japan in the late 70s so I've tried to get past my early fan bias. Now I also have to get past the silly hair, makeup and New Romantic costumes. Actually it wasn't as bad as I expected with some songs holding up pretty good eg All Tomorrow's Parties. Kudos to them for being such early pioneers in the Synth-Pop genre and influencing groups such as Duran Duran, Spandau Ballet, ABC, Human League etc. But is there anything gloomier sounding than David Sylvain’s voice?
Bauhaus
2/5
I was hoping this album would feature their cover of Brian Eno's "Third Uncle" as its my fav Bauhaus song, but no such luck. Unfortunately this album didn't have anything to hook me and I think The Cure and Joy Division were much better at the Dance/Goth thingy. I also penalize it for sounding so dated today.
The Stooges
2/5
Raw, nasty, visceral energy. I wouldn't know that Bowie produced this if I didn't see it in Wiki. Although this was highly influential proto-punk its not my jam.
Deep Purple
4/5
I'm not a fan of metal but this album is one of the few that I can listen to in its entirety. Smoke on the water and Highway Superstar are iconic head-banger tracks of course, but I also enjoyed Lazy and Space Truckin' and especially the amped up organ which gives them a very distinctive sound. The background story on Smoke is interesting - how some idiot with a flare gun at a Frank Zappa concert burned their concert venue down. This is a solid 3.5 for me, but I'll round it up because its iconic and still rocks 50 years later.
Roxy Music
4/5
Ahh classic Roxy with Eno and Manzanera before they sold out and started playing elevator music. The guitar solo after “but you blew my mind” In Every home a heartache and then the fade out/ reprise is a highlight for me. This was Roxy near its best, if this album had my fav track Both Ends Burning I would have given it a 5
Simon & Garfunkel
3/5
Give these guys credit for creating a distinctive chill, mellow folk/pop genre. If you’re in the mood for this on a rainy Sunday afternoon, this album fits the bill perfectly.
Depeche Mode
2/5
From reading the reviews I see that you either love or hate Depeche Mode. Personally I find them a bit too pretentious, the brooding lyrics and the lead vocalist’s dis-embodied robotic voice is annoying. Other bands eg Kraftwerk can do electronic and not have it come off sounding so contrived and emotionless.
Incredible Bongo Band
2/5
Better than expected. Starts off with a bang with Apache, this may be an interesting trip. In-a-gadda-da-vida may also actually be better than the original. However Satisfaction isn’t. Overall feeling groovy, more so than when I was listening to Simon & Garfunkel recently. Drags a bit by the end but a novel idea
Fatboy Slim
3/5
The singles from this album are pretty iconic and seared into our collective sub-conscious. I’m not a huge fan of Big Beats but I prefer this to its peers such as Chemical Bros or The Prodigy. I got bored with a few of the other tracks because they were so repetitive but this music was made to be danced to at a rave and not while having your morning coffee. Props for being so influential 20 yrs ago though
Screaming Trees
2/5
This was a pretty ok album. For grunge it was better than average though and I prefer them to say Soundgarden or Pearl Garden, probably because they’re not as overplayed. Lousy cover art though.
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
Sadly his third album was his last. We’ll never know what other brilliant songs he could have given us. Watchtower, Voodoo Child and Crosstown traffic are all very solid songs and rank amongst his very best. His cover of Watchtower is actually much better than Dylan’s original. How do you like dem apples Bob?
Miriam Makeba
2/5
She has a truly lovely voice, but the arrangements and song writing are nothing to write home about.
John Coltrane
4/5
This is certainly an iconic jazz album but I think his earlier work eg Giant steps, Ole, My favourite things and the monumental Blue Train are better.
Björk
3/5
I enjoy reading the 5 star and 1 star reviews for each album just to see the contrasts of how some folks will absolutely love it while others will detest the same album. The difference in musical taste for folks is fascinating. Bjork is certainly one of the more polarizing artists out there. I really respect her talent for painting impressionistic soundscapes with her songs, but a the same time her singing style can be very unsettling. So I'm not in the 5 star or 1 star camp, I'm pretty much in the middle, I love her AND I hate her.
Wilco
4/5
This album is a bit frustrating for me because it has one absolutely brilliant masterpiece - Jesus etc, but its pulled down by a bunch of mediocre-good songs. Jesus etc probably ranks as one of my all-time favourite songs by ANY band and its on par with Wilco's other masterpiece Impossible Germany. Jesus starts out with some lovely violin-viola strings and a melancholic string guitar solo around mid-way but what really pulls the song together is Jeff Tweedy's bobbing vocals that paints a very bitter-sweet background. The rest of the album is merely good. You can hear Jim O'Rourke's influence in the mixing with lots of experimental loops and ambient background noise, but it doesn't quite make for a consistent or coherent album, so that gets a one star deduction from me.
Kate Bush
4/5
I’m a huge fan of Kate Bush but I think this is one of her weakest albums. There aren’t any bad songs, but no absolute knockouts either. This is probably her most commercially appealing work which is also probably why I’m not as enthusiastic about it. I would give this a 3.5 but round up because I’m not sure if her iconic albums like Never Forever, The Dreaming, Hounds of Love or Aerial will show up on this list
David Bowie
4/5
It’s incredible that Bowie released this Swan Song when he was 69 yrs old and only days before he died from cancer. What a prolific genius he was. Wiki mentions the jazz influence but I don’t hear any, but it’s definitely his darkest and most experimental album.
Wire
2/5
Pretty raw Brit Punk/Indie that sounds all the same so by the fourth song I was getting bored. Would it kill them to throw a bit of variety in there?
Peter Tosh
2/5
When I was growing up in Jamaica as a boy Bob Marley and Peter Tosh were a big deal, homegrown talent that were international stars. I was quite young so I didn’t quite get the hype. Listening to Tosh now I still don’t quite get the hype. It’s fairly pleasant sounding roots reggae but there’s nothing here to get excited about either.
10cc
3/5
Initially I thought the songs on this album were too frenetic and whimsical, with too many ideas crammed into each song. But then it seemed to settle down or maybe I got used to the pace. I recognize Wall Street shuffle from back in the day when Toronto Alt-rock station CFNY used to have it on heavy rotation and I appreciate the very witty lyrics. Creme and Godley obviously had loads of talent and that was going to become more evident in their later albums: eg The Original Soundtrack (with I’m not in love and Life is a minestrone), Deceptive Bends and Bloody Tourists that features my fav 10CC song, Dreadlock Holiday. This album is a solid 3 from me
Queen
4/5
I remember listening to my crappy AM radio in bed many years ago when I was 13 yrs old and the DJ introduced this new song by Queen that was really “different”. I was only a kid but I realized that nothing was gonna be the same after Bohemian Rhapsody. That song changed my perception of music and it opened the door to prog, art rock and opera. BR is a 600 lb gorilla of a song and there are also a few other great tracks on this album but it just misses out on a perfect 5 score because there are a few clangers on it. I get that they wanted to be experimental and whimsical but the album is not 100% cohesive. But that 600 lb Gorilla though!
CHIC
2/5
They saved the best for first. Nile Rogers plays some mean guitar licks and Bernard Edwards also lays down some great bass tracks on the first song - Good Times. I must admit that this is a pretty iconic disco anthem. But after this it just got hella repetitive, like very very very repetitive.
Sebadoh
3/5
I’m not a fan of grunge but their jangly, discordant sound appealed to me. After a first listen I liked it better than their peers eg Pavement, Dinosaur Jr. Very similar to the Eels too in their softer songs. I also like how they slow down/ speed up the tempo for some songs.
Elton John
4/5
this starts of with Elton's magnum opus - Funeral for a friend/love lies bleeding which in my opinion is one of his very best. The album also has some killer songs: Bennie, Candle in the wind and Saturday night. If he had released this as a single LP and left out some of the filler crap such as Jamaica jerk off and Roy Rogers this album would deserve serious consideration to be a 5 star album.
The Clash
3/5
I’m not a huge fan of punk but this is amongst the best punk albums I’ve heard. These guys can actually play their instruments and write greats songs with hooks. Their cover of Junior Murvin’s Police and Thieves has always been a favourite of mine and shows their range
Tito Puente
2/5
Very nice dance music but the brassy horns and similar tempo for all the songs got old real quick
Sonic Youth
4/5
Prog post-punk, heavy shoegaze. I’ve had Teenage riot on heavy rotation for years because I just cant get enough of Thurston Moore’s scintillating guitar shredding. The rest of the album is very solid as well if you’re in the mood for some NOIZE!
Moby
4/5
What impresses me most about this album is how Moby mixes so many disparate styles: American gospel, blues, found music, hip hop and electronica in one record and it all still sounds so cohesive. Its over 20 yrs old but the songs still sound pretty fresh, testament to just how good this album is
The Magnetic Fields
2/5
I like some of the Magnetic Fields' other songs so I really tried to give this a chance. But this is a classic case of quantity over quality. After about 10 songs they get so monotonous and the voices are so freaking annoying I really couldn't continue. This is a cute gimmick that has gone badly off the rails.
Culture Club
2/5
Give Boy George credit for being a trans gender pioneer and having a sweet pop voice. But this album is just too sachrinne sweet for me and not my jam.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
I like this new direction that they take in this album, some really good classic 60s music here with Out of time, Sweet lady Jane and my fav, Under my thumb. Interesting that the UK version that I listened to on Youtube didn't have Paint it Black. I'll assume that song is on this LP which would elevate this to a 4 star record.
Bob Dylan
2/5
I assume I have Daniel Lanois to thank for getting Dylan to ditch his wretched harmonica and annoying AF singing style on this album. Merci beaucoup Danny Boy! Frank Zappa also nails it in his brilliant Dylan parody in “Flakes”, if you’ve heard it you’ll know what I mean. Although this is more listenable than his 29 other previous albums I’m still not a fan. I know this is Bob Fucking Dylan so I made the effort to listen to the entire album. But that’s my point, it shouldn’t be an effort to listen to.
The Cardigans
3/5
Cute pop album, Lovefool is a fun breezy song with nice hooks. Their cover of Iron Man is also an interesting take. If you’re in the mood for some Euro pop this one should fit the bill. This is a 2.5 star album, that I’ll round up.
The Verve
2/5
I’m so done with 90s Brit-pop. They all sound like cheap Oasis knock offs and this was the least inspiring one yet.
Ice Cube
2/5
Suzanne Vega
3/5
Quite pleasant with nothing too offensive, but nothing overly exciting either. Marlene is a nice song though. A respectable debut album.
5/5
This one is so familiar and so good that I didn’t have to listen to it in order to rate it, but I played it anyways. Consistently excellent throughout, with no filler. One of the all time greatest albums IMO
Boards of Canada
1/5
I'm a huge fan of Electronica, but BoC simply leaves me cold. Their music is just devoid of any emotion and feeling. I'd much rather listen to say, Aphex Twin instead for an example of music in this genre that can move you without being so pretentious.
Green Day
2/5
If I was a disenfranchised young white kid living in the suburbs I might be able to relate and get into this more but all I hear is a ton of guitar and a whiney punk pop voice for an hour
Ice T
2/5
Björk
4/5
What an incredible debut from a totally unique and groundbreaking artist. There was never anything like Bjork before, and there will never be another Bjork
Miles Davis
5/5
I have 4 different pressings of this album on vinyl and two on CD so I may be biased. So What (sorry) happens when you assemble a crack all-star ensemble led by Miles at his technical and artistic peak? You get an iconic, genre defining album for the ages of course. I'm pretty miserly about handing out 5 star ratings and have only given out a few so far, but this is a no-brainer for me.
John Martyn
3/5
Some folks have complained about Martyn's mumbling, drunken singing style, which sounds like a hybrid of Nick Drake and Tom Waits, but its quite distinctive and I like it. He's a master songwriter and guitar player too. My fav track is Small Hours with the looping guitar feedback.
Crosby, Stills & Nash
2/5
Although I love Neil Young, these guys just rub me the wrong way. So without Neil, CSN is a chore. It's just excruciating for me to listen to their hillybilly harmonies and I couldn’t listen to the entire album
Beastie Boys
4/5
I’m not a fan of hip hop but this is probably my favourite hip hop album because the Boys show their range and mix it up with punk, jazz, funk and classical influences to keep it interesting. This is a really fun and creative album. And Sabotage absolutely rocks!
The Velvet Underground
3/5
This is a very low key, subtle and melancholic album that needs careful and repeated listening to be appreciated. I can see how Emo and Shoegaze were influenced by the VU so these guys were way ahead of their time.
The Soft Boys
2/5
I recognize a few of these songs from the 80s ie Underwater moonlight and I got the hots but they really didn’t do much for me back then and they certainly don’t excite me now either. Just not my jam, Waaay to long so I couldn’t get thru it all.
Hüsker Dü
2/5
Queens of the Stone Age
3/5
This was much better than expected. I really liked the Kraut rock influence of the driving guitars on Regular John, and just when it starts to get samey sounding they really mix it up with I was a teenage hand model. Very creative writing and arrangements for a debut album and their post grunge sound is much more appealing to me than the bigger and more popular Grunge bands out there.
Common
3/5
This was a more accessible hip hop album for me because the rapping is relatively subdued and the instrumental music is more melodic. I think if I could read the lyrics to follow along I would appreciate this record much more though because Common has a lot to say thru his musical poetry, although it does get a bit preachy at times.
Ananda Shankar
2/5
Jumping Jack Flash was an interesting start, but when Light my fire came on it started to sound gimmicky and was cringe worthy. I actually like the traditional Indian songs better than the cheesy covers of Western Rock songs. Not sure that this record belongs on this list though.
Aphex Twin
4/5
This seminal album is by the OG of Electronica. There are some great hooks and melodies buried in these tracks and many of them have gone on to become classics. I think the title is misleading though as its more Electronica Lite rather than Ambient music
Eagles
3/5
Talk about polarizing groups, lots of 5 and 1 stars here. Ok the single Hotel California is a 800 lb monster gorilla, one of the best rock singles ever, nuff said. But the remainder of the album is over-wrought Dad rock that hasn't aged well. This gets 3 stars only because of the gorilla.
Ian Dury
4/5
Bloo’y brill’iant innit! This album was on heavy rotation in the late 70’s by CFNY in Toronto and it still sounds fresh today. Love the jazz and funk influences overlaying the punk and Drury’s cockney accent singing very witty lyrics. Hit me with your rhythm stick isn’t here but other great songs such as Wake up and make love, Sex and Drugs, and Clever Trever are pretty damned great
Penguin Cafe Orchestra
4/5
I love these groups that are hard to categorize, I would say they are Chamber/Folk/Rock. I particularly like them in their later albums when they become more minimalistic, similar to Glass or Nyman, but always very melodic and fairly accessible. This was a great debut by the Penguins, and I really enjoyed The Sound of someone you love and when it becomes very dissonant at around the 7 min mark. I'm glad they got recognized by 1,001.
Beatles
4/5
I've actually never listened to the entire album because so many of the tracks from it are widely available. I found a lot of filler, but also a lot of nice gems. Revolution 1 is a nice alt version. Revolution 9 is an interesting avant garde track that is sure to raise a few eyebrows. I had to check twice that Good Night was by them because its sounded so different, Wiki informs me that the vocals are by Ringo and he can actually sing! Long, long, long and Yer Blues are good. But despite the filler there's a lot of killer. The strength of this album is the fact that its all over the map but it still hangs together quite well.
Circle Jerks
1/5
Very unforgettable but mercifully short
Dusty Springfield
3/5
This was fairly nice 60’s pop album and she covers a few nice soul songs quite well. She indeed has a good voice but I started to lose interest after about half an hour as it needs more variety. 2.5 out of 5
The The
4/5
In the early 80s when punk was fading and new wave synth pop was ascending, we got this brilliant post-punk debut album by the The. It perfectly captures the zeitgeist of the era: angsty despair, fear and paranoia, but held together by deep danceable percussion and bass beats. Pretty much every song on this album is killer, the singles are well known but my favourite has to be Giant, especially how it ends with its astonishing tribal percussion and chanting. This is one of my absolute favourite albums from this era, right up there with the best material produced by The Cure and that's saying a lot.
AC/DC
1/5
When there are a 1,001 albums to listen to you irnevitably get some gems and some dreck. This is the latter unfortunately.
Roni Size
2/5
Back in 97 this drum and bass album may have been very influential and innovative but 2 hrs of it, really? I could only listen to a few tracks before boredom set in.
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
2/5
The harmonies are well done and performed but a cappella music just isn’t my jam.
Fats Domino
3/5
The issue with listening to highly influential and groundbreaking music is that you need to put yourself back to the period that it came out to appreciate just how new and innovative it was back in the day because folks would copy this new style so it gets lost in history. Fats was in this category. So although I wouldn’t seek this out to listen to it, I recognize it for being groundbreaking
Randy Newman
1/5
I guess his single Short People soured me on Randy Newman. I simply don’t like his singing style, and this record doesn’t change my mind
Eagles
2/5
This album has not aged well. Everything about it just reeks of Americana and is clichéd.
Finley Quaye
1/5
This album struck a wrong chord with me, a Scottish musician with Ghanaian roots playing pseudo reggae with a fake Jamaican accent. I was born in Jamaica so I just found it to be so wrong from the get go. This was a big miss for me
1/5
Portishead
4/5
I imagine if Sade’s dog died and she was tripping on downers she would sound like this. Most of the album is one note, very dark and moody, but hey if that note works why not stick with it eh? However The best songs IMO are the ones that deviate from the formula a bit: Glory Box and Sour times. They could lose the fake scratched vinyl sound though, it really dates the album. However it’s definitely well produced and performed, this record ain’t no Dummy.
Syd Barrett
2/5
This was too raw and unfinished for my taste, he sounded like he slapped together these songs while high, or performed them stoned, or all of the above.
Sonic Youth
4/5
This album is noisy AF but surprisingly listenable. I think Kool Thing is equal to Daydream Nation's Teen Age Riot, and the rest of this album is pretty solid also. Getting your head and bashed by a wall of guitar sound is offset nicely by Kim Gordon's laid back vocals eg on Tunic. According to Wiki, at one point Moore's amplifier overheated and exploded but they were fascinated by the results so they kept it for Scooter and Jinx. That's the stuff of legend.
Kacey Musgraves
2/5
When she started to sing I immediately got turned off by her voice. I really dislike this genre of commercial music that sounds like its being sung by a 14 yr old girl. I suppose the great majority of listeners like it and it sells tons, but its not for me. Its good to see some newer albums on this list but I cannot fathom why this particular album made it.
Blue Cheer
3/5
Wiki informs me that Vincebus Eruptum means "Controlled chaos" in Latin. I also see that the band is a trio with only one guitarist but it sounded like a dozen guitars to me. The album sounds like it was recorded in someone's basement with no production values and with the mics buried deep in the Marshall amps. I must give it a knowing nod though, the thunderous blues guitar signals some pretty epic sounding proto-metal. Many have mentioned that they hear Black Sabbath and Cream , but I also hear Deep Purple which was formed around the same time. So despite the crudeness of the recording I'll bump my rating up to a 3 because of its provenance and influence on things to come.
Jimi Hendrix
3/5
This is a solid album with some fine songs, but it doesn’t have any knock out punches that we got on his debut album Are you experienced or his 3rd release Electric Ladyland. She’s so fine and Exp seem out of place and result in an uneven effort.
Gene Clark
3/5
At first I was hesitant to listen to this because I'm not a fan of Folk or Country, but I was pleasantly surprised. This album was made in 1974 but it's held up really well and sounds like it could have been made yesterday. The only dated thing about it is the cheesy Art Deco design of the album cover. Excellent songwriting and performances are highly evident here and I actually listened to this record twice this morning. I particularly like the Strength of Strings, which was subsequently covered by This Mortal Coil. This one takes a few listenings to appreciate which is always the case for really good music with depth and subtle nuance.
Leonard Cohen
2/5
The Canadian Bob Dylan. I intensely dislike Dylan so you know where this is going. I know Cohen is greatly revered and has influenced many great artists so I think if I was to read and ponder his lyrics I would appreciate him more. But Gawd he has such a dreary maudlin whiny voice that I can’t even go there. You mean people actually seek out this music and claim they enjoy it? He only gets 2 stars for his lyrical poetry. Major deductions for his one note sad boy delivery.
Bee Gees
2/5
The Rolling Stones
4/5
The two bookends on this album are arguably the Stones' best songs ever so 'nuff said about them. Then there's a few solid Tier 2 songs on the album, Monkey Man, Let it Bleed and Midnight Rambler which are pretty damned good. Unfortunately the rest of the album is essentially filler. Also I'm not sure how I feel about some blokes from London appropriating Blues that was originally done by Blacks in the American south. I have mixed feelings about this as they certainly gave this genre a huge worldwide audience, but they also sold a shit-ton more records than the OGs. Oh well, I guess that's show biz. I think overall this is a 3.5 star album but the sheer weight of the book-ends elevates this to a 4.
Mekons
2/5
Reminds me of the Pogues and Dexy’s. I’m bewildered by two comments that say that they sound like the Talking Heads though, huh?? I just can’t relate to country or punk so this is not my jam.
Jean-Michel Jarre
4/5
I didn't really need to listen to this seminal electronic album from the 70s because I think I've already listened to it a thousand times over the past 45 years. But it never gets old for me so it was a nice refresher over breakfast. Some of the early moog effects such as the laser beam pew pew and ocean sounds are cringe-worthy today, but back in the day this was a really groundbreaking futuristic sound. Along with his peers such as Mike Oldfield and Tangerine Dream, Jarre was on the forefront of electronic music and would go on to influence numerous other electronic bands and what you kids know as EDM. Jarre's sound evolved over the next few albums and his best work was yet to come with Equinoxe, Zoolook and the Concert in China but the ground-breaking influence of this album cannot be denied.
David Bowie
4/5
Ich bin ein Berliner. This is the pinnacle of Bowie’s Berlin Trilogy. It was a master stroke to have Fripp and Eno collaborate on this album. It starts off with a few weak songs but the title track is perhaps the best song of his stellar career, and surpassed only by the alt version sung in German. The 2nd side is very Eno influenced and the sense of Cold War angst and foreboding is palpable. In my view A sign of a true genius is an artist that can radically change their style over time to reflect or even lead the zeitgeist of the times. Bowie is one such chameleon, others that come to mind are Miles Davis and Neil Young.
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
3/5
This was a fun listen and The Message is still one of the all-time greatest rap songs, its held up remarkably well after all these years.
Derek & The Dominos
3/5
I tend to push back against Classic rock hits that have become over played monster hits, eg Layla, Stairway to Heaven, Freebird. But when I think about it, this isn’t the fault of the band, it’s the radio stations that are to blame for over playing a great song so much that it becomes a cliche. When I heard these songs for the first time I was blown away at their epicness. But decades later they’re considered washed up Dad Rock has beens, again it isn’t the fault of the songwriter, they did their job which was to craft a giant hit.
This album seems disconnected from Layla, it’s mostly Blues Rock (as interpreted by some English blokes again) and then the aforementioned 800 lb gorilla. I found most of the Blues to be uninspired, Hendrix or even Blue Cheer did it way better IMO. So this gets 3 stars simply from the gorilla song
The Youngbloods
3/5
I’m only familiar with their Woodstock era hit All together, so this record was a pleasant surprise for me. It’s really well written and performed, especially the drumming. I especially like the musical numbers that flit from psychedelic folk to prog to jazz such as Francis Drake and Trillium. I think if I was exposed more to this back in 1969 I would have really dug it man.
The Who
3/5
I now realize that 60s psychadelic rock with lots of vocal harmonies is not for me. The only saving grace on this album for me was I can see for miles. I can also here some foreshadowing of Tommy on Rael but I’m not a fan of the Who in this guise
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
This album bore 5 singles and three of them were monster hits for Bob so there’s that. But apart from those singles I found the songs to be too preachy and political and basically complaining about the same thing, ad nauseum, so it gets tiresome after awhile. However, there were those monster hits that must be acknowledged.
Pere Ubu
2/5
This was a challenging listen, very off the wall vocals, dissonant and unsettling so it was very difficult to enjoy.
Dinosaur Jr.
3/5
Well that was certainly an impressive onslaught of guitars and noise. I think they even outdid the noise meisters Sonic Youth on this album. However, I prefer their latter day work that is more melodic, check out J Mascis' later solo works like his cover of Fade Into You or the beautiful ditties such as Me Again or Wide Awake for a completely different sound.
LCD Soundsystem
3/5
Most of the songs start out with some cool beats and hooks but then they seem to keep going on forever and overstay their welcome. If they mixed it up a bit and threw in some variety this album would have been far better. When the last song, NY I love you came on the change of pace was a blessed relief but alas it came too late.
Frank Sinatra
1/5
I thought Frankie was way ahead of the curve and pushing boundaries with a title like Swingin’ lovers! But unfortunately not, it was just boring Vegas type tunes for Grandpa. I’ve never understood his appeal and I guess I never will
Incubus
2/5
Many reviewers have complained that all the songs sound the same and I can’t disagree. This is fast becoming one of my pet peeves. I understand that bands have a signature sound but can they not mix it up a bit? They just sound like amped up Chili Peppers.
Nirvana
2/5
I never could understand all the hype about Nirvana and Cobain, but since the band and this album are so highly rated on 1,001 I figured it deserved a good listen. Well, I still don’t get all the hype. I also think you need to be a fan to like hearing them do stripped down versions of their hits because I think the studio versions are better. The best song on this album IMO is The Man Who Sold The World, and that’s Bowie song, so take that for what is worth.
Napalm Death
2/5
The beauty of 1,001 is that it exposes you to artists that you probably would never listen to in your lifetime. Good or bad, its always educational. The other day it was Frank Sinatra, today its Napalm Death. I have to give these guys credit for their commitment to the craft. They've certainly carved out a unique niche for themselves with grindcore. This was an absolute and brutal assault on the senses but that's their point innit? I'd love to meet someone who listens to this for recreational purposes though, just to understand what's going through their head.
Isaac Hayes
4/5
Methinks the 1,001 algorithms are have a bit of fun by giving me Napalm Death and Isaac Hayes back to back. But hey, variety is the spice of life and Hayes' Hot buttered soul album is one of my all-time favourite soul albums. Side A truly deserves the over-used and cliche'd adjective Epic. His cover of Burt Bacharach's Walk on by is a magnificent psychadelic trip and those string and vocal arrangements! As an aside, the Stranglers' cover of this same song is very different and equally good IMO as they give Bacharach's light pop song some real edge. Side B flails a bit, and gets a bit self-indulgent, so this baby gets a minor deduction and just misses perfection.
Count Basie & His Orchestra
2/5
I’m not a fan of Big Band Jazz but I appreciate these well arranged songs and expert musicianship. This band is toight! Halfway thru it all sort of blends together and when the tempo slows down I got to catch my breath and enjoy Lil Darling. But those loud brassy horns don’t do it for me.
Paul Simon
2/5
I managed to listen to the entire album and I confirmed that I'm just not a fan of Paul Simon's brand of folk/pop/rock. Something about his voice and his style just doesn't work for me.
Massive Attack
3/5
This was fine, but in think White Lines was a better effort.
The Avalanches
3/5
It takes great talent to sample from so many sources and then stitch them together into a(semi) coherent whole. So I must give them credit for that. I thought Since you left me and Psychiatrist were excellent, and I may have enjoyed the disco dance beats more, say 20 yrs ago when this first came out. My reference album for sampled music is still KLF’s seminal “Chill out” though. But this was still a pretty good effort
Gil Scott-Heron
4/5
GSH has such a sweet voice, even when he’s simply speaking it’s mellifluous. I agree that Pieces of a man is a superior album and should have been on this list instead. I also prefer his last album, I’m not here to this. But his influence and artistry cannot be denied.
Abdullah Ibrahim
2/5
this was a tepid listen, easy listening pop jazz is not my jam.
Michael Jackson
4/5
Interestingly I've never owned or sat down to listen to the All-time best selling album, but since there was a shit-ton of top-10 singles from it I recognize most of the songs. I've tried to separate the artist from a pretty freaky human with peculiar proclivities for sleeping with young boys (PYT takes on a whole new meaning now) so I can say this is a pretty dog-gone good album. The production (by Quincy Jones), writing and performances are all top drawer. He read the room right and sensed that disco was on the way out so he included harder pop/rock songs and having Eddie Van-Halen do a guitar solo on Beat it was a stroke of genius and Billie Jean is a killer song no matter how you cut it. And then there's also the massive influence he had on the growth of MTV and music videos and dance choreography, even fashion, remember that red leather jacket and the glove? There are a few lame-ass songs on the album though and because of that it doesn't get a perfect score.
George Jones
1/5
The Who
3/5
An interesting attempt at a rock opera concept album, but I think it wears out its welcome and got very repetitive fast and could have been shortened to just one album. I look forward to hearing their later efforts which are much better eg Quadrophenia
Germs
2/5
When I saw the clean Simple album cover I thought this was a modern EDM or electronic band. Wrong! Frenetic and very very samey. The pace didn’t let up and sound different until around the 10th song but by then I had tuned out. I think the Ramones did it much better
Marvin Gaye
3/5
Let’s get it on is a great soul song. Full stop. Marvin found huge success with his OG hit What's going on two years prior and you can’t help but notice that he’s milking that theme for all that it’s worth. I found the rest of the album to be quite uninspiring. The lyrics are quite banal, for fun I tried counting how many times he sang the phrase “oooh Baby” but I lost count. An entire album about ballin’ is a bit much for me.
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
Since I'm a white collar Canadian I'm certainly not the demographic that Springsteen is targeting so its hard for me to relate to his songs about racing big V8s, working on the farm, and general Murican mythology. But I must say that this album is a landmark achievement in American Rock. Wiki tells me that he spent over 14 months in the studio recording this album, and over 6 months on the song Born To Run alone! Well he certainly got his "wall of sound" effect with standout performances by Roy Bittan on piano and Clarence Clemons on Sax. Bruce's gruff voice is in itself another instrument able to convey tremendous passion and emotion. There are many really solid songs on this album, but the highlight for me is Jungle Land with multiple tempo and mood changes. But his mic drop moment comes at the 8:38 mark when the piano builds to an incredible crescendo and he howls with incredible passion.... and that's why they call him The Boss. This could have been a 5 star album but it falters a bit with Night and She's the one, so there's a minor deduction for that.
The Pharcyde
3/5
Fun, irreverent West Coast hip hop that sounds like a cross between Frank Zappa's sophomoric lyrics and the Beastie Boys. I like this more laid back rap style that doesn't take itself so seriously, yes Gangsta Rap I'm looking at you. Sure, it was misogynistic and sophomoric, but it was a fun listen. My favourite track was Passing me by, its such a classic song and has also been sampled tons of times over the years, testament to how cool it is. I had to Google the lyrics of the songs and read along to appreciate their wit
Sepultura
2/5
Leonard Cohen
2/5
Mama always told me that if you can’t say anything nice…. And seeing that this album was completed only 17 days before his death, I’ll bite my tongue. Suffice to say I’m still not a Leonard Cohen fan.
Neil Young
3/5
I just finished watching the series The Vietnam War in HD on Prime and that war ends in 1975 so this album which was also recorded in 75 fits right in with my mood. Lots of folks complain about Young’s voice but I think ol’ Shakey’s voice is part of his charm and distinguishes him from the rest. I’m Canadian so we naturally think he’s a national treasure and although I’m a big fan, I didn’t think there wasn’t any brilliant standout tracks on this record. I know it was written right after the death of two friends so it reflects a lot of grief and sadness, but I think he has many better records.
Various Artists
3/5
I’ll separate the music producer genius from the piece of shit here. There are only two Christmas albums that I can stand listening to, this one and Vince Guaraldi’s Charlie Brown Christmas. I must say the Wall of Sound here is amazing. Reading Wiki its also incredible how many other artists that he influenced. I love Veronica Bennett’s (the Ronnettes) voice. This is a classic Christmas record for a reason, but I did get creeped out when we got a personal message from Spector at the end of the record though.
Duran Duran
2/5
It’s hard to believe I used to love this band, I must have listened to this record a thousand times when it first released. I even had a nice Patrick Nagel print hanging in my bedroom. But now I find Simon Lebon’s voice annoying AF and the arrangements very cheesy, esp that 80’s sax, ugh. They only song that I still like is Save a prayer because it’s the least formulaic sounding. The other new wave pop groups of the era did better work and don’t sound nearly as dated now, eg OMD, The Cure, Tears for Fears, The The etc.
Big Brother & The Holding Company
4/5
This was much better than expected. I was never a fan of Janis Joplin but after listening to this full album I have a much better appreciation of her now. Summertime and Piece of my Heart are a wicked one-two punch and Ball and Chain is the knockout. I’m not crazy about the Robert Crumb artwork but I guess it’s iconic and emblematic of those hazy hippie days. After listening to this for the second time my 3 gets raised to a 4.
The Young Gods
1/5
This was neither entertaining nor enjoyable. The most interesting song was the last one: Pas Mal, but it was too little too late, I already tuned out.
Fishbone
3/5
I remember seeing a video of them playing live years ago, crazy kinetic energy, I bet they would be super fun live. Ma and Pa is a really fun song and the best one on the album. But their adoption of so many styles in one album makes it less cohesive and somewhat gimmicky eg the Van Halen like cover of Freddie’s Dead and the EWF-esque Boning in the Boneyard.
Emmylou Harris
2/5
She undoubtedly has a lovely voice. But the album wasn’t very inspiring, it was quite boring actually.
My Bloody Valentine
2/5
I’ve never been a fan of Shoegaze but since this album is so well regarded I made the effort to listen to it once again. Nope, still don’t like it. This takes the Wall of Sound concept to an entirely new level. One of my pet peeves is albums where every song sounds the same and this one is massively guilty. The only song that has any discernible melody was Soon, but it was the last song and once again it was too little, too late.
AC/DC
1/5
This just gives me bad memories from High School, especially Brian Johnson’s voice. Eg the intro to Hell’s Bells is alright, especially at a Basketball game, but when he starts singing I just have to shut it down. Sheesh.
Teenage Fanclub
3/5
This is a fun listen. I’ve had a few of their songs appear on my Spotify playlists, but listening to this entire album gives me a better appreciation for them. This early shoegaze is not as annoying as My Bloody Valentine because it’s more melodic and you can actually hear what they’re singing. There are so many influences here, or were they the influencers? I’m too lazy to check the timelines. I hear Weezer, Foo Fighters, Oasis, Beatles and Beach Boys harmonies. A lot of great indie rock here, particularly the Concept and Star Sign,
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3/5
This was a surprisingly stripped down album from Drake, much different from the post punk sound that I’m accustomed to from him. Stuff that you would expect him to play at a friend’s funeral, and that is exactly what he actually did. This album allows his powerful voice to shine and his lyrics are even more poignant. However I found 52 minutes of basically the same mood and tempo to be a bit much.
Ryan Adams
2/5
Silly me, I got confused and thought the American Ryan Adams was the same person as the Canadian Bryan Adams. In my defense, I think its understandable given the similarities in their names and the generic formulaic rock that they both produce. Someone on this site aptly described Ryan as a smoother Bruce Springsteen and a less intelligent Neil Young. I'm not much for alt-Country Rock but this was a bit better than expected and I liked his less mainstream songs like Sylvia Plath and La Cienega. The rest was mostly forgettable though.
Sex Pistols
3/5
Malcolm McLaren is a certified genius. Kudos to him for capturing the zeitgeist of the era so well and creating and marketing a Boy Band for angry, disenfranchised and rebellious teens. They could barely play their instruments but it didn’t matter, this was all part of their schtick. Bands such as the Ramones or the Stooges actually has more talent. And coming up with Pro-wrestling like stage names like Johnny Rotten and Sid Vicious was another stroke of marketing genius. And like the saying goes, there’s no such thing as bad publicity. The semi controversial album name, “bollocks” getting banned by the BBC, mocking the beloved Queen, the wild hair and costume all added fuel to the fire and the the kids loved and lapped it all up. They were probably a handful to manage though, so poor Malcolm could only squeeze one studio album out of them before they self-destructed. And the album wasn’t half bad, it had a few memorable singles and it sold millions. This gets one star for the content and two for its huge influence on music and culture.
Julian Cope
3/5
When Julian Cope was with the Teardrop Explodes they released Poppies in the Field which I really like so I was interested in hearing his solo work here. This album has some very interesting tracks, but as many here have complained this album is too long, and on Spotify we have the "Deluxe" extended edition which is even frigging longer! I couldn't maintain my attention for the duration of this Deluxe edition so it eventually was relegated to background music. If the filler had been culled this would have been a really great album. Safesurfer for example is a killer track.
Nick Drake
3/5
Hazey Jane II is probably my favourite Nick Drake song. When listening to it I picture myself driving a convertible along the seaside on a sunny day with my long hair flowing in the wind, haha. The rest of the album is fine, very chill folk
Rocket From The Crypt
2/5
Pixies
3/5
This band is like the Fight Club movie, you either love it or you don’t. I’ve tried really hard to like this venerated post punk band but after every listen I still find them just ok. I would rather listen to some Sonic Youth or Pumpkins if I was in the mood for this genre. But I must admit that Frank Black is a great guitarist and he’s a great frontman with lots of energy. Like most folks on this site I think Where is my mind is the best track here, and Vamos was a bit experimental and a nice change of pace, but the rest of the album fails to move me much.
The Mamas & The Papas
3/5
I was reading that they rejigged folk songs into this new genre of 60’s pop with harmonies. Quite impressive. Another interesting tidbit from Wiki was that the album cover showing the toilet was actually banned for being offensive! Wow. I find this flavour of vocal harmonies much more palatable than what the Beach Boys were doing. Wong Kar Wei used California Dreaming to brilliant effect in his Chungking Express, that song really made that film, it wouldn’t be the same without that song
Brian Eno
4/5
Brian Eno and David Byrne are both certified musical geniuses in my book, so one would expect something really special when they collab on an album. They (mostly) deliver here with truly innovative (for its time) samples from obscure songs and exorcisms and add atmospheric African beats and rhythms. Some of it is brilliant like Jezebel, but some falls flat unfortunately. This album went on to influence a host of others that also sampled arcane audio recordings and imbue their sound with African grooves. Of note was KLF who did a bang up job with their seminal Chill Out album. This album sags a bit in spots so it’s a 3.5 to me but I’ll round up because of its groundbreaking sound and influence
2/5
If my kids ever want to embarrass me they’d just need to pull this album out and point to the silly hair, costumes and corny songs. Hard to believe I used to listen to this (incessantly) when I was younger. In the 80’s if you didn’t listen to Punk, this was your scene. There are a few songs with good hooks and the production by legendary producer Trevor Horn is pretty slick. But I gave Duran Duran’s Rio two stars so to be fair this get a deuce also.
Youssou N'Dour
3/5
Timeless album that certainly doesn't sound like its from 1984, and holds up really well today. I like how compact this album is, only 4 songs, no fat. I also like the joyous vibe from this album, really chill guitar especially on Pitche Mi and the brass isn't in your face like some of his contemporaries, eg Hugh Masakela and Fela Kuti.
The Undertones
2/5
This is nice proto-pop-punk, pretty accessible to the masses with decent energy and catchy melodies. These guys remind me of a blend of the Buzzcocks and the Ramones. Lead singer Feargal Sharkey went on to do more commercial material with the Assembly and Yazoo. Google "Never Never" by The Assembly if you want to hear how far he strayed from his punk roots. But the Undertones straddles the angry sound of the Sex Pistols and the more accessible pop punk that was yet to come.
Barry Adamson
3/5
I don't get all the hate for this, I found it to be quite good, but then again I'm a big fan of film scores/soundtracks. A really good soundtrack can elevate a crappy movie eg Gladiator. Some of my favourite albums of all-time are by the OG of film scores his-self, Ennio Morricone, and Hans Zimmer also made quite a few epic soundtracks in his early days, before he started turning out rubbish like Batman, Inception, Interstellar etc. When listening to Moss Side Story I can almost see a noirish detective movie with lots of shadows, wet streets and tension filled chases down dark alleys and stairs. Its too bad the film never got made.
The Boo Radleys
3/5
Giant Steps - I immediately thought of John Coltrane's seminal album by the same name. Then I read the description, nope its not jazz its Shoegaze and Brit-Pop, yuk! I'm not a fan of those genres so I was expecting the worst. But what a nice surprise it turned out to be, this is a really good album. A lot of it is derivative from other bands but it all sounds very cohesive. Lazarus, White Noise, Wish I was skinny are all great, I can definitely favourite this on Spotify for future listenings.
Elliott Smith
2/5
I thought I would like this more since I'm a fan of the sad boy indie emo sound from groups like Sparklehorse, Sufjan Stevens, Grandaddy, Red house painters etc, but this didn't do much for me unfortunately. I tried really hard to like it but after the second time listening to it I found it to be inoffensive but still very meh.
The Jesus And Mary Chain
2/5
I’m really done with Shoegaze. It seems that every other album that comes up is either Shoegaze or Brit-pop so this band is collateral damage.
Pixies
3/5
Surfer Rosa was a fine debut album and they got even better with this their second. They released three solid singles from this album, and IMO Monkey is the best song in their canon. Unfortunately the rest of the album doesn’t live up to the same standard as the three singles so I “like” this album, which indicates a three star rating, but I don’t “love” it which would have bumped them up to four stars in my book.
Don McLean
2/5
Ok so notwithstanding the fact that the title track has been grossly overplayed it’s still a classic. Is not Don’s fault that everyone overplayed it amirite? It’s also one of the most annoying earworms ever, again that’s not Don’s fault. The song has some wonderful tempo changes throughout and I like the clever references to other bands: Byrds/eight miles high, Jack Flash/The Devil, Sargeants/Helter Skelter. The rest of the album is another matter though. Boring sleepy time sachrine that brings its overall score way down.
Travis
2/5
The colour palette on the album cover describes the music within very well, bland like oatmeal. And boy do they ever sound like a MOR knock off of Radiohead. I think I would still live a fruitful and rewarding life if I died without hearing this record too.
New Order
2/5
I wonder what Joy Division member Ian Curtis would think if he were alive to hear what his post punk group had morphed into? I was actually a big fan of early New Order and I think they made some of the best dance music in the early 80s. Blue Monday and their earlier albums like Movement, Substance, Low Life, Power Corruption and Lies etc were on heavy rotation for me back in the day. I really hope some of their earlier material appear on this list because I really lost interest in the band when this album came out. It seems that they completely lost their bearings after spending 4 months partying on Ibiza. Hell they even got caught stealing from John Denver’s Leaving on a Jetplane. Apart from Round & Round this album doesn’t appeal to me as it deviates too far from their post punk synth sound to appeal to a very commercial radio listener
Sarah Vaughan
2/5
She undoubtedly has lovely voice and I like her sense of humour and unflappability when she messed up her lines on Willow Weep for me. Also she gave a nice shout-out to her contemporary Ella Fitzgerald doing some scatting along the way. Her backing trio basically stays out of the way so the spotlight can shine on her which is fine. However, the material that she sings is pretty piss boring and not very cutting edge. 1957 was one of the greatest years in Jazz history and there was some really innovative jazz released that year, eg Thelonius Monk - Brilliant Corners, Miles - Round about Midnight, Cookin', and Walkin', Sonny Rollins - Way out West, Charles Mingus - The clown etc., I hope those albums appear on this list because I'd much rather listen to them than this middle of the road stuff.
Otis Redding
3/5
I was a bit put off to learn that Otis only penned 3 out of the eleven songs so this is basically a cover album. He does a credible job covering them though and puts a nice spin on most of them. And today I learned that he wrote Respect. Aretha so totally owns that song that like many others I thought it was her baby. Go figure. This is a good album though.
The Specials
3/5
This was a big departure from their debut ska album which I really like. Their debut had some killas like Rudy, Ghost Town and Gangsters and it really put them on the map along with the other big Brit ska band Madness. This album has a few fun songs though, and I think I'd like Enjoy Yourself to be played at my funeral (with a marching brass band N'awlins style). But I'm getting ahead of myself. Unfortunately there are a few duds on this album also so it only gets a 2.5, but I'll round up since I've been pretty miserly lately.
Crowded House
2/5
This was quite boring
Cypress Hill
2/5
Good lyrics and samples but it wore on me after awhile. It was a relief when Latin Lingo came on to shake things up a bit. This is a strong 2.5 and I was heatedly debating with myself whether to round up or down. I gave The Pharcyde and Outcast both a 3 but I think those two are better records so this gets a 2.
TV On The Radio
4/5
These guys really knocked it out of the park with Wolf like me on their debut album. This, their second album doesn’t have a similar killer track but it’s still pretty damned good. I love how they distill so many musical influences into a distinctive and unique sound. There really isn’t another group that sounds like TVotR, and I especially love the lead vocalist Tunde Adebimpe’s vocals, he’s got the perfect voice for the modern age. Released in 2008 this album sounds like it could have been released yesterday.
PJ Harvey
2/5
This is dark, raw and provocative. What’s with that album cover with the disembodied head?
Do I think that she is good? Yes.
Did I enjoy it? Nope.
The Young Rascals
2/5
This album gives the impression that the 60s were an innocent happy time when the sun shone everyday. But then they had the Vietnam war, several high profile political assassinations, the Cuban Missile crisis, etc so it wasn’t all just Beach parties with Gidget. Most of the album is pretty plain vanilla and not very exciting, except Groovin’ which is a real standout, You Better Run is also good.
Jamiroquai
3/5
This was a fine funk album from a white dude from London but nothing really stood out for me. The comparison to Stevie Wonder is not a surprise and I wish that he would mix up his singing style some more because all the songs basically sound very similar to each other.
The Byrds
2/5
I don’t like 60’s jangly guitars or harmonic singing so this album was a chore for me to get thru. Give me more 8 Miles and I’m good though
Suede
3/5
I detect hints of Glam-rock with Brit-pop top notes. It has a nice shoegaze finish but unfortunately the lead vocalist’s singing style leaves a bitter aftertaste. This hasn’t aged very well and should be returned to the cellar.
Tim Buckley
2/5
Today I learned that there's Tim Buckley and also a Jeff Buckley. And the reason that they sound so similar is because Jeff is Tim's son. What a time to be alive huh? Undeniably, Pops is a talented singer and songwriter, but personally I prefer Junior. I believe that Jeff's album -Grace is also on this list and its a better record IMO. The music on this album didn't hit me at all and I can't say I would ever pull out this record to listen to it voluntarily.
Tricky
3/5
I think his sampling of Issac Hayes on Hell is Round the Corner is pretty damned cool. Its also the best song on the album IMO. My main beef with trip hop though is the cooler than thou vibe that it tries to project resulting in very detached, unemotional music that is best left to hotel lobbies or snotty fashion boutiques. I used to really like this genre when I was younger but now its not so alluring.
Sonic Youth
3/5
I'm not a fan of grunge but Sonic Youth's take on grunge is better than what was coming out of Seattle in the early 90s IMO. This album hits you with the a wall of sound in spots, eg Orange Rolls and Theresa's Sound-World and they really punk out with Nic Fit. I see they used 3, count 'em 3 guitars and it shows. Sugar Kane is the best song on this album IMO but it's not quite up there with Kool Thing or Teenage Riot. This is a decent effort from the yutes though.
Morrissey
2/5
There are a few artists that I respect because they’re good songwriters and lyricists but I hate their voice or their singing so I just can’t listen to them. This list includes Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Thom Yorke, and Morrissey. This guy is so whiney, he moans and complains on practically every song. He would not be fun at a dinner party.
The National
3/5
This is a very good band with some high quality output. But you have to be in the mood for them though because Matt Berninger's deep baritone voice singing very melancholic songs for an entire album can wear on you after awhile. Personally I think their previous album Boxer was better but maybe High Violet is a grower and I need to listen to it more.
The Monks
2/5
I was expecting to hear Drugs in my pocket when I saw that today’s album was by the Monks. But alas this is the 1966 Monks (US soldiers stationed in Germany) not the 1979 Monks (The Brit group Strawbs). This proto punk band must have been pretty rad in the 60’s as their sound is pretty unique and they feature a Hammond organ no less! I’ll give them credit for being groundbreaking.
Van Halen
1/5
This is such clichéd music. I tried to give it a fair shake but I had to fast forward through every single song. This review was done in about 9 minutes.
3/5
This was a nice find. I don't usually like acid jazz, but this has some nice downtempo beats with a laid back Brazilian samba vibe and also a bit of experimental electronic so it was a nice change from the usual insipid and pretentious lounge music that’s so prevalent out there. I listed to it twice, once with headphones while spinning and also at my desk while working and I can say that it sounds a lot better with headphones on.
Erykah Badu
2/5
this was a miss for me, nothing really grabbed me and like most have noted this album is waaay too long at 71 mins.
Dinosaur Jr.
3/5
Someone mentioned that this is like Pavement meets the Pixies and that is a very apt description. I must say I like their later albums better, eg Feel the pain is probably my fave Dinosaur jr song, and I’m a huge fan of J Mascis’ solo work which is very different from their early noise rock sound. Don’t could be traumatizing to listen to.
Public Image Ltd.
2/5
Oh boy, Johnny cleaned up real good for the album cover didn’t he. I’m not quite sure what message he’s trying to send, but there’s a message there for sure. Punk is dead perhaps? And the music is all Anti capitalism anti religion perhaps. It’s good that he moved away into post punk though because the Pistols burned out pretty fast. He explores some interesting tropes here but they’re not quite fully fleshed out. Interesting album but not my cuppa
Gorillaz
4/5
I've heard their singles over the years but I've never had a chance to listen to the full album previously but I'm happy to discover that this is a really good album! I've been listening to Damon Albarn lately but I'm not as familiar with his early stuff with Gorillaz but this seems to be a great place to start. Love the nods to Ennio Morricone and Augustus Pablo's recorder on Clint Eastwood and Tomorrow comes today. Really good arrangements and clever writing throughout. Nice to see that this still sounds pretty fresh despite the fact that its over 20 yrs old.
Garbage
3/5
This was ok, The Singles are decent but nothing here really gets me excited. Shirley Manson uses a distinct snarl in her singing that sounds very mid-90’s and dated today
Les Rythmes Digitales
1/5
Wiki shows that Stuart Price has produced a lot of albums for big artists. He should stick to just producing records IMO. This is one of those albums that makes you wonder what the authors of 1001 Albums were thinking when they included this as it really adds nothing new and there's nothing here that we haven't heard before. Propah good EDM bands like Daft Punk don't have anything to worry about here.
The Divine Comedy
3/5
Well this was certainly different. I'm not a big fan of this genre but it was better than expected. The ironic lyrics and nice orchestration gave it a passing grade.
Leonard Cohen
2/5
I previously complained that the earlier Cohen material sounded so bloody gloomy. He must have heard me so he tried to update his sound and make it more upbeat. Unfortunately this sounds like what middle-aged suburban housewives would listen to. So campy that I was cringing. Some of my esteemed friends love Leonard Cohen but I, for the life of me cannot understand the appeal.
Tom Waits
4/5
Tom Waits is about as polarizing an artist you can get. I see lots of 1s and 5s here. It’s so hard to peg his style and that’s probably what I like most about him. But I get it, he’s not for everyone and is an acquired taste. Art rock, blues, jazz, spoken world, you name it, it’s here. This is a minor masterpiece.
Mj Cole
1/5
Another album that really makes me wonder what drugs the Authors of 1001 were on when they included this Yeah I get that it ushered in the Brit Garage genre, but thank Gawd that execrable genre had a relatively short life. This is a boring album.
Songhoy Blues
3/5
After a week of receiving dubious albums this was a nice surprise. I'm a big fan of music from Mali but there's no delicate string sounds of the Kora here, this is predominantly pretty heavy blues infused electric guitar. Wiki shows that they started out covering Ali Farka Toure, but despite having the same surname there isn't any relation. I guess Toure is the Smith of Mali. I shake my head when I read that many folks dismissed this album because they don't understand the lyrics. I guess they're also the same folks that also don't watch foreign flicks with subtitles. Oh well, their loss, they're missing out on some pretty soulful and glorious music.
Fugazi
3/5
This is some surprisingly nuanced post hardcore punk. They show some really good writing and their musicmanship is also pretty good. Their sound is pretty stripped down and fairly straightforward, just a guitarist/vocalist, bass player and drummer but they all rock out pretty good. Repeater shows some great chops and Song 1 sounds like a punked out Beastie Boys.
Eminem
3/5
Long time lurker, first time listener ... to an entire Eminem album. Whoa this is one angry white dude. His lyrical dexterity is pretty impressive though, he seemingly can make any sentence rhyme and he sprays the room with words like it’s from an AK47. His misogynistic, homophobic and sophomoric schtick gets old after awhile though, or is he actually railing against all that, dunno because it’s a fine line. Dude needs to chill a bit though. I thought Stan which sampled Dido was nice.
Joni Mitchell
2/5
I respect her for standing alongside Neil Young in protesting against Rogan, and since she’s a Canadian legend, I tried, I really tried. But I really can’t get past her voice and her annoying vibrato yodelling skatting singing style. Her voice just overshadows her reportedly wonderful lyrics and song writing. Sorry.
Pretenders
4/5
I had forgotten just how good this album was. A very impressive debut album that really showed their range, they can really rock out, post punk and then switch to a nice top 40 ballad. Everyone talks about Brass in Pocket but maybe I've heard it too much because I think a lot of the other songs are better. They even managed to out Police the Police on Private Life and then they close out the album magnificently with an absolute killer song - Mystery Achievement. OMG that driving bass plus the guitar solo at the end! The common denominator in all the songs though, the glue that holds it all together, is Chrissie Hynde's incredible voice. I see that she wrote most of the songs too, so extra kudos to her.
Donovan
2/5
Folksy 60s music is just not my bag.
Spacemen 3
2/5
I really enjoy psychadelic music, from its early origins with Pink Floyd to spacey ambient music and Jazz like Sun Ra which they cite as influences. But I find this to be neither here nor there, and quite boring. I think they get a bit better in their later incarnation as Spiritulized, but in this current state it’s just half baked.
Run-D.M.C.
3/5
Wow, this album is 35 yrs old, this is OG as OG gets. Its interesting how rap has changed over the years but its still a fun and somewhat cheezy romp. I hate Aerosmith but I must say this restyling of Walk this way is pretty good and a helluva lot better than the original version.
Morrissey
2/5
Morrissey is like a few other talented douchie artists out there, yes I'm talking to you Van Morrison. Its hard to separate the art from the artist, but yet we must try to preserve the integrity of 1,001 rating system. That being said, I really find Morrissey's voice annoying and he seems to put out albums with one decent song and the rest is just dreck. Eg on this album its Everyday is like Sunday. On The Queen is Dead its only saved by There is a light that never goes out. Unfortunately one good song does not an album (that you have to listen to before you die) make.
William Orbit
2/5
Why do all these groups doing this electro/ trance / ambient dreck all have similar names and sound the same, William Orbit, The Orb, Orbital? Not very original IMO. Its also hard to distinguish them from each other because not only do they have similar names but they all seem to play the same cheezy dated electro music that you typically hear at a posh hotel bar or poolside.
Liz Phair
2/5
I see that lots of folks love this album but it simply did not resonate with me.
Coldplay
3/5
There's a lot of hate for Coldplay and I can see why, to me they're U2 for the older crowd that likes mellow mainstream rock. If I close my eyes I can definitely see them playing to a huge stadium crowd that's holding up lighters. Clocks is a very good song with a great hook, but unfortunately the rest of the album is very plain oatmeal. But hey, it sells. If not for Clocks this would get 2 stars
John Prine
2/5
Gillian Welch
2/5
Run-D.M.C.
2/5
This is their debut album and it really shows. We recently got Raising Hell and that was vastly superior to this very simplistic and low budget sounding record. I must give them props for being major influencers and trailblazers in this genre though.
Björk
2/5
Kudos to her for being brave enough to release an acapella album. She gathers an eclectic mix of artists including human beat-box Rahzel and Inuit throat singer Tanya Tagac. She references many styles including Gregorian Chants and Bulgarian women's choir music. Overall its a pretty impressive and ambitious project, but in all honesty I would never seek this record out for listening pleasure, its just a bit too inaccessible for me.
Iron Butterfly
2/5
The title track is a pretty iconic psychedelic rock anthem, but the rest of the album doesn't quite stand up and sounds horribly dated today.
John Cale
2/5
I can appreciate that he's got good song-writing skills and has street cred being that he was one of the founders of the Velvet Underground, but this really did not resonate with me.
The Stooges
2/5
Many of the reviews here use the terms: raw, sleazy, gritty, loud and they're all apt. This proto-punk record influenced a lot of subsequent bands so it has to be recognized, but much if it is repetitive and the closing song, LA Blues is close to being unlistenable. This is the type of music that definitely needs to be listened live to see the skinny shirtless white guy prancing about the stage to be fully appreciated. I must admit I prefer Iggy when he collabed with Bowie in the late 70s in the Berlin Years and his Party album in the 80s when he mellowed out and refined his sound.
The Pretty Things
3/5
The obvious comparisons here are Tommy and Sgt Peppers. I see that this album predates Tommy but was released just a year after Sgt Peppers, but nevertheless it’s a pretty impressive and an ambitious proto-rock opera. I’ve never heard this album before so it was a nice surprise. It doesn’t have the complexity of the Beatles but I think it could be a grower.
Billie Holiday
2/5
I assume that in the 50’s this orchestral jazz would be considered pop to appeal to the masses. Personally I find that every song sounds the same and I prefer the more edgy sound of the Be-bop or Hard bop era. Holiday’s voice is also an acquired taste, and apparently I haven’t acquired it yet.
Tina Turner
2/5
She had a tough early life with that douche Ike, but she's a survivor and kudos to her. She was also smart to team up with some pretty slick producers, Rupert Hine and Martyn Ware, who were some of the best in the biz in the 80s and they put out this monster album full of poppy hooks and covers of some fan favourites that sold a shit-ton and got lots of air-play so again, good for her. But musically this is really not my jam, too cheezy and AOR for me. I much prefer her material when she was doing R&B and more edgy rock. They didn't call her the Queen of rock and roll back then for nothing. Unfortunately this is smaltz.
Beatles
4/5
This is getting close to Peak Beatles. There are a lot of really solid songs on this album as Lennon really comes into his own as a master songwriter here with Norwegian Wood, Nowhere Man, and probably the most beautiful song he’s ever written with In My Life. Must be the effect of all that acid he reportedly took during this time. This would get a five but for a few clunkers, especially What Goes On, they really should keep Ringo away but I guess they had to throw him a bone.
Afrika Bambaataa
3/5
Back in the day when this came out I was wow'ed that they sampled the iconic melody from Trans Europe Express. They also gave sly nods to YMO and Ennio Morricone so they scored some major points in my book. So although this is arguably one of the most influential proto-rap and hip hop records, the rest of the album doesn't quite hold up well today. The cheesy lyrics, drum beats and scratching sound pretty antiquated. So this is a 2 but +1 for having the audacity to sample Kraftwerk.
Drive-By Truckers
2/5
It started out pretty good, but 90+ mins of this Joe Walsh sound-alike band was too much to bear. That Canadian, Neil Young did the Southern Rock thing much better IMO.
The Police
3/5
Sting once said, there's nothing wrong with Pop music because there's Good Pop and there's Bad Pop, I would consider this to be Good Pop. Everyone seems to talk about King of Pain (with over 1m listens on Spotify!) but I think the best song on this album is Wrapped around your finger, with its somewhat atmospheric/ pseudo-dub sound which builds to an emotional crescendo several times in the song. Also kudos to them for experimenting with a bit of jazz in Murder by Numbers, but it foreshadows Sting's soft rock sound that he would employ ad nauseum a few years later. I'm not sure why they stuck Mother in there though, its just experimental filler.
Sonic Youth
3/5
A real cacophony of Art-noise here. But there’s no Teenage Riot, Dirty Boots or Kool Thing on this album to hang onto. Some of the experimental noodles are very interesting but this album doesn’t spark as much joy in me as some of their other albums such as Goo and Daydream Nation which I gave both 4s so this is a 3.
Sam Cooke
3/5
There are a few Live Concerts where it would be remembered for the rest of your life. I think this one would be on that list. Sam Cooke is just a fantastic vocalist and he made such happy songs that folks love to sing along to.
CHIC
2/5
The only good thing about this album is Nile Rodgers' signature guitar riffs. Unfortunately everything else on it is unintentionally campy and cheesy.
Pet Shop Boys
2/5
I sure hope that the PSB's previous four albums appear on this list because they are all superior than this one. My favourite was their debut, Please which spawned 4 killer singles, including the iconic West End Girls. Wiki tells me that this album was their first album to go to No. 1 on the UK charts, so I guess that's telling. I really didn’t enjoy this "new" commercial sound that they adopted for this album. Not a single banger on the entire album.
Mike Ladd
3/5
This was a nice surprise. I listened to it twice and found it Multi-layered and nuanced. I liked the more atmospheric and experimental tracks more.
Yes
4/5
When I was in high-school Yes was my favourite group so I reckon I've listened to this album several hundred times and can play all of the songs on air guitar with my eyes closed. This is close to peak Yes, their Zenith would be their next album Close to the Edge, but this is still pretty damned good. Get 'em while you can because unfortunately they go to shit in the 80s starting with Drama. However, I can thank Yes for opening my mind and ears and allowing me to appreciate Jazz, Classical and experimental music. I also like how on this album, each band member composes at least one track which naturally highlights their extraordinary musicmanship. Standouts are South Side of the Sky, The Fish, Long Distance Runaround, and Heart of the Sunrise. Roundabout isn't a bad single either.
2Pac
2/5
Cheap Trick
1/5
Gimmicky power pop that wasn't very good in the studio and even worse live. I really wonder what the authors were thinking when they included this in the list.
The Human League
4/5
This is seminal synth-pop. A logical evolution from Kraftwerk with enough danceable hooks and melodies to make it appealing to the masses. I think they did it better than many of their contemporaries, eg Duran Duran, Gary Numan and Depeche Mode. I really like it when they get a bit darker on Seconds. They only had relatively simple electronic instruments but they really make the best of it with some very humanistic melodies.
Janelle Monáe
3/5
This brand of progressive soul / alt R&B isn't my cuppa but when this album was released back in 2010 I remember that my socks were blown off when I first listened to it. I was really impressed by her ambitious audacity and her creativity. To base a series of albums on the 1927 Fritz Lang film Metropolis featuring a messianic android sent to free the citizens of Metropolis is pretty damned ambitious. The production of this album, the music videos, costumes and orchestration are also top shelf. I wonder who was bankrolling this debut album?
Franz Ferdinand
2/5
This was quite alright, but as many others have mentioned, Take me out is a good single, but apart from that much of the album sounds very samey. I won't be inspired to seek this out anytime soon.
Lanois and Eno are favs of mine but they're totally wasted on this feeble effort from U2. This album reeks of a tired old band simply phoning it in to fulfill their contract obligations to the record company. Its funny how this band really brings out the hate in people.
David Holmes
2/5
Back in '97 I can see this being a well received album because the drum and bass beats and trip hop still sounded pretty cool back then. I see that he also did the soundtrack to Soderbergh's Out of Sight, which was a great caper film with a pretty good soundtrack too. Since Holmes is from Belfast he probably thought inserting the ramblings from various NYC street people would be interesting, but the novelty wears off fast for me. Rodney Yates has a nice chill vibe, but I think the best track is Don't Die Just Yet where he samples and channels the uber cool Serge Gainsbourg.
Bob Dylan
1/5
Sly & The Family Stone
3/5
Nice slappy bass and funky grooves. Sly was apparently stoned out of his gourd when recording this so his vocals here aren’t his best work, I think Stand was a better record overall but this has some nice moments.
Television
4/5
This is a pretty good post punk record, but the title song Marquee Moon just elevates this album to iconic status. The guitar interplay between Verlaine and Richard Lloyd is just the stuff of legend. The song sounds like it ends 3-4 times but it just keeps going and building into sonic musical bliss. If there was ever a song that deserves the descriptor Fucking Epic, it’s Marquee Moon.
Beastie Boys
3/5
This was quite an audacious debut by a bunch of Jewish kids from NYC who loved hip hop and rock. Brash and obnoxious lyrics delivered with an "in yo face" style. Sampling Black Sabbath and Led Zep on She's Crafty and When the Levee Breaks no doubt adds to their street cred. Eminem said this album changed Hip Hop and who am I to disagree.
Astor Piazzolla
2/5
Today I learned that a bandoneon isn't an accordion. I was never a big fan of Piazzolla's brand of tango / jazz and although Gary Burton adds some welcome variety, this album didn't resonate with me.
Radiohead
4/5
I've always found that Radiohead albums take an extra bit of effort for me to get into them. But once I get over Thom Yorke's whiney voice I can say that the music is undoubtedly nuanced and complex and they certainly have musical chops. This album is very understated and nothing jumps out at you, but there are some very good keepers here, including Weird Fishes/Apeggi, Videotape, and Nude.
Talk Talk
4/5
Like a caterpillar metamorphosing into a butterfly, this is a beautiful transitional album for Talk Talk. Mark Hollis is slowly moving the band from their early synth-pop to a more progressive, atmospheric sound and they’re getting there on this album. They will peak with their later albums, Spirit of Eden and Laughing Stock but this is a fine effort.
Neil Young
4/5
Neil Young is arguably the greatest Canadian musician ever. I really can't think of anyone that can compare with his prolific output of consistently great music over so many years. Wiki describes Harvest as his "signature" album, and that's apt since it has a few of his most popular songs on it. As good as this album is though it still has a few filler songs, so it just misses out on a perfect 5 score according to my admittedly overly rigid scoring criteria.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
4/5
Neil Young really knocks it out of the park with this album with three incredible songs: Cinnamon Girl, Down by the River and Cowgirl in the Sand. I like the other country/folk songs less but when he rocks out there's nothing like it. The guitar counter play and solo on Cowgirl is simply brilliant and iconic Young.
Röyksopp
2/5
Röyksopp are like a commercial version of Boards of Canada, who I dislike so they don’t have too much going for them. Mindless, cold, detached and incredibly boring electronica.
A Tribe Called Quest
3/5
Despite the rather long and pretentious title, this is a pretty good debut album by the Tribe. Back in the day, all these samples would have been cool. Bonita Applebaum and Kick it are highlights.
The xx
3/5
Intro is the best intro song of all time. There I said it. It's also the best song of the album, pity that its less than 3 mins, but then again it leaves you wanting more. When this debut album from The xx was first released I thought it was Everything But the Girl for the aughts, it captured the zeitgiest of the time perfectly: spare, subdued, melancholic, minimalist and disaffected vocals. 13 years later the world has changed and this unfortunately sounds somewhat dated.
MC Solaar
3/5
Smooth vocals with some fine beats. I never cease to be amazed by how many people dismiss a musician just because they don’t understand the lyrics. I guess these ppl also don’t listen to any instrumental music or watch films with subtitles either. Their loss.
Stevie Wonder
3/5
When Stevie lays down some funky grooves eg Too High, Living for the City, Higher Ground he's at his best. But when he veers from that path and gets all sacchariney and mainstream I lose interest fast. So I thought half the album was great, the other half was meh.
DJ Shadow
3/5
Seminal sampling album, its hard to tell what influenced DJ Shadow and what he influenced because this is such a mish mash. I enjoyed Building Steam the most. This album would probably be even more impactful if I listened to it cranked up with headphones, there's some thunderous bass here.
Talking Heads
5/5
This album starts off with a bang with the frenetic African polyrhythms of Born Under Punches. Fela Kuti’s influence is unmistakeable. The chemistry of the band and guests is also magic in a bottle: Eno, Belew, Hendryx and Hassell’s trumpet! The intensity is maintained with the next few songs: Crosseyed, The Great Curve and Once in a lifetime. In particular Adrian Belew’s guitar is astonishing on the Great Curve. The pace slowly gets turned down with each successive song but the incredible quality of the songs is maintained throughout right to the end. Seen and not Seen is the perfect bridge between the more upbeat African polyrhythmic songs to the two sonic masterpieces The Listening Wind and The Overload. Talking Heads put out many really great albums but this is their very best, and that is saying a lot. One of my favourite albums of all time.
ABBA
2/5
I’m lactose intolerant so I can’t handle this much cheese. But I must admit they do have nice singing voices.
Wu-Tang Clan
2/5
I like how they reference schlocky chop socky Kung Fu movies from the 70s and the album title is pretty damned cool, but I didn't care much for the music. A bit too raw and minimalist for me.
Buena Vista Social Club
3/5
When Ry Coder travelled to Havana to record a collab featuring Malian and Cuban musicians there was a last minute glitch when the Africans had visa issues so he went ahead and recorded just the Cubans. Fortunately for us, he captured the sounds of some aging local legends before they disappeared and left this gem for us to enjoy. The highlight of the album by far is Chan Chan which is the opener and sung by the octogenarian Compay Segundo. The rest of the album kinda meanders a bit and showcases the local repertoire and it also captures a wonderful performance by Reuben Gonzalez who unfortunately died a few years after this record was released. Overall, this is a solid outing and a fine example of Cuban Trova and Filin songs.
Kendrick Lamar
3/5
Hip hop is not my favourite genre but dang, this is a great album. I also like his To Pimp a Butterfly but I think this album is almost its equal. This record is nuanced, layered and complex and that's just what I've picked up while listening to it in the background while I work so I haven't even begun to really dig into his lyrics and masterful storytelling.
Hanoi Rocks
1/5
The album cover jarred me back to some bad 80s clubs and parties that involved dubious fashion choices. There were some moments in the 80s that are best forgotten and this album is on that list. Like WTF were they thinking back then? Cheesy, cliched lyrics and licks that add nothing to music history IMO and I can't understand for the life of me why this album is on this list.
Hole
2/5
this album features decent performances by all band members and also from Billy Corgan who helped write a few of the songs. Overall it's a fine grunge album, but unfortunately I was never a bing fan of grunge.
Sonic Youth
2/5
Early Sonic Youth is pretty raw, dissonant, experimental and somewhat disturbing so it takes some effort to get into it. I must admit that I prefer their latter material such as Sister, Goo, Daydream and Rather Ripped which is more melodic and less dissonant. Its interesting that Wiki describes them as moving from their experimental No Wave roots to a greater pop sensibility because I only hear No Wave here and no pop at all.
Little Simz
2/5
Funkadelic
3/5
The legendary guitars on Maggot brain is the highlight here
Dolly Parton
2/5
Dr. Dre
2/5
Robert Wyatt
3/5
well this was a wild ride. Kudos for him getting his freak on here.
Patti Smith
3/5
This is quite an audacious debut album and I think her rendition of Gloria surpasses Van Morrison’s in terms of passion and emotion.
New Order
4/5
This album, along with Power Corruption and Lies is peak New Order. By their third album they've made a complete and smooth transition from dark, post-punk to producing perhaps the best dance music ever released in the mid-eighties. There are some real classics here and that despite having some dated 80's hooks and motifs, it still holds up remarkably well. In particular The Perfect Kiss is indeed a perfect dance song for a nice summer day. Love Vigilantes and Sooner than you think are also very strong tracks.
Tortoise
4/5
I'm so glad to find Tortoise on this list as they're not very well known, but are one of my favourite post-rock bands. The bandleader and multi-instrumentalist John McEntire has been so influential in the post-rock world lending his hand to some great groups such as the Sea and Cake, Gastr del sol, and many of Jim O'Rourke's works. The music here is complex, multi-layered and very atmospheric. I think their next album, TNT is slightly better (with one of my all time fav songs I set my face to the hillside), but Millions is also a real gem.
The Velvet Underground
2/5
There are a few albums that are really highly regarded and highly rated but I just don’t get. This is one of them. I think I’ve listened to this 10 times over the years but I still don’t like it. I particularly dislike Nico’s voice and think her rendition of All tomorrow's parties is horrible. I think I’ll just have to agree to disagree with all the fans of this record.
Magazine
3/5
Back in the day, local Toronto radio station had the Punk band the Buzzcocks on heavy rotation. But punk fizzled pretty quickly and it was time for something new so bandleader Howard Devoto left and formed the Post-Punk band, Magazine. This album bridges the gap between punk and new-wave nicely with a liberal dose of synths, keyboards, and guys who could actually play their instruments. Since this was their debut their sound wasn't fully fleshed out yet but they still had some good ideas, IMO The Light Pours out of me is the strongest song on the album and should have been released as the single. The rest of the album is pretty decent, but I'm really looking forward to their latter albums which feature their best music, eg Song from under the floorboards and About the weather.
Marilyn Manson
2/5
Not my jam
Fleetwood Mac
2/5
I guess Rumours was a tough act to follow because this is a pretty mediocre effort. The only bright spot were Stevie Nicks and Christine McVie who both have really lovely voices. It's almost unfair for one band to have two solid lead vocalists such as these two. A surfeit of riches really. Apparently the band was going through some turmoil during this time and it shows, this album is pretty uneven and damned long. Even the album cover is quite underwhelming.
Grateful Dead
2/5
This wasn't bad, but it's really not my jam so I couldn’t get thru it. But what I heard was a solid 2
Neil Young
4/5
This album is a departure from Harvest and it again shows the genius of Neil Young. Throughout his long career he’s often diverged from the path and explored a new theme with a different style of music, but he always pulls it off spectacularly. This album keeps it relatively simple but the songs hit, and some hit hard! Not only is he a Canadian legend, but he’s one of the all time greats.
Jane's Addiction
1/5
Nothing interesting. Ferrell’s voice is also grating. A nope for me.
Primal Scream
2/5
This early 90s acid house / rave party sound has really outlived its welcome. Really uninspired, boring and most notably a very dated sound. If I never hear another record sounding like this before I die I would be a very happy man.
KISS
1/5
I'm embarrassed to say that this was one of the first albums I owned and since I didn't have too many records in my collection at the time I actually liked it and played this one to death. I guess my musical taste has matured because I now find everything about this record to be cringeworthy, from the horrible cover/costumes, the cliched lyrics and hooks and just gawd-awful singing. The only song that is passable is Detroit Rock City which manages to rescue this album from a goose-egg to a 1.
The Notorious B.I.G.
2/5
Tracy Chapman
3/5
This is an impressive debut album from Ms Chapman. Her song-writing and lyrics are impassioned and she pours her heart out, especially for the two singles which are the best songs on the album. The rest of the album wasn't up to the same standard, but overall it is a strong effort.
The Hives
2/5
These garage punks really rock out with lots of energy. If they mixed it up a bit more like on The Hives are Law it would have held my interest more though.
The Temptations
3/5
I can’t say enough about Papa was a rolling stone. It’s a monster song of epic proportions. They threw everything into it, brilliant song-writing, singing and orchestration and it results in one of the greatest funk/soul R&B songs of all time. The rest of the album doesn’t rise to the same level unfortunately, and its just mediocre filler.
Megadeth
1/5
Did they say Thrash or Trash Metal? This just gave me a frigging headache.
Metallica
1/5
Personally I don't like anything fusion. I hate fusion food and fusion music is the same. In many cases 1+1 equals less than 2. I do like symphonic music and I think Metallica is one of the better metal bands out there but combining these two was a pretentious marketing gimmick gone awry. There are a lot of 1 star ratings here that I agree with so I won't re-hash them, but I agree with all the harsh ratings, this is an over-bloated, over-long money-grabbing mess.
XTC
4/5
This album is lush and complex. It foreshadows quirky, witty and nuanced indie groups like Dirty Projectors, Grizzly Bear, The Antlers etc. XTC was definitely ahead of their time.
Brian Eno
4/5
I recently watched and enjoyed the very lengthy and detailed documentary Brian Eno- The man who fell to earth 1971-1977. So I was happy to see this album which was produced at the end of this period before the branched out with his solo ambient works which are a completely different kettle of fish. I think the last three albums that he produced in this period, which includes Taking Tiger Mountain and Another Green World are amongst his very best. Eno's stature in the business is apparent simply by how many crack musicians he was able to gather together on this record: Fripp, Frith, Roedelius, Moebius, Jaki Leibezeit, Conny Plank, Phil Manzanera... Wow! Side 1 of this record rocks out more, and Side 2 is more languid and pastoral and foreshadows the ambient themes that was to come. The highlight for me is By This River, which is so simple, yet one of the most beautiful songs ever written. The Satie-esque piano and his gentle humming typically stays in my head days after listening to it.
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
While listening to this I was looking at my notes to Born to Run and trying to decide which was the better album, but it's a toss-up. Roy Bittan on piano and Clarence Clemons on sax are featured prominently on both records to good effect. Bruce also continues with his paean to Mid-American working class hero. I didn't live that life, but I can almost experience it vicariously through his heart-felt music.
The Prodigy
1/5
That drum and bass and those vocal are annoying as hell.
The Smiths
2/5
It’s too bad this isn’t an instrumental album because Johnny’s excellent guitar playing is Marred by Morrisey’s brooding, whining voice.
Echo And The Bunnymen
3/5
This is a decent debut post punk record with Rescue being the highlight. Their later albums are better eg with the Killing Moon, but they get an extra point for being one of the pioneers of the post punk sound with driving bass / guitars and drums. I do think the Cure and New Order were on a higher level though.
Wilco
2/5
For me the frustrating thing about Wilco, is despite their huge talent they produce albums with maybe one or two absolutely monster songs, but the rest of the album is essentially mediocre filler. Case in point - A Ghost is Born has At least that's what you said; Yankee Hotel Foxtrot has Jesus etc/Kamera; Summerteeth has How to fight loneliness; Wilco (the album) has I'll fight, and Sky Blue Sky has Impossible Germany/Either way, I could go on but you get the idea. If they put out a Greatest Hits album it would be absolutely essential listening as it would weed out all the dreck. Since Being There is only their second album, they still haven't fleshed out their sound despite this being 19 songs long. This album promises a bright future but it doesn't quite excite me.
Jorge Ben Jor
3/5
I first got introduced to Brazilian music when I picked up David Byrne's excellent Luaka Bop series in the early 90s and Jorge Ben was featured prominently on the Brazilian Classics discs. Ponta de lanca Africano (Umbabaruama) is a classic track that doesn't seem to age. I also love Jorge Ben's smooooth voice, come to think of it all Brazilian singers seem to have velvety smooth voices, dunno if its the culture or the language that causes this. Taj Mahal is a playful tune and its more fun than Rod Stewart's knock-off.
Public Enemy
3/5
Gotta acknowledge the ground-breaking beats and lyrics and how influential this album was when it was released 30 yrs ago. However, I'm not a huge fan of hip hop so I found it overly repetitive. But again, this was a biggie.
Aerosmith
1/5
For the life of me I can't understand why Aerosmith is on this list, surely there are more worthy bands. I particularly hate this brand of screamo pop rock and Steven Tyler's vocals. Nothing redeeming here folks, keep moving.
Chicago
4/5
Chicago really jumped the shark at around Chicago X , but before that they really kicked ass. The singles from this album are great: Does anybody really know what time it is, Beginnings and I'm a man. But I've never sat down to listen to this entire album so I was pleasantly surprised to see that it's more experimental than their later sacchariney-sweet offerings. Introduction has a really nice segue into nice horn and guitar solos. Questions 67 and 68, Listen are very good and Poem 58, Free form guitar and Liberation rock out in psychedelic bliss reminiscent of some of the old Zappa guitar solos. But I think you have to be of a "certain age" to enjoy them.
The Slits
2/5
Quirky and disjointed post punk with dub influences. I heard it thru the grapevine is an inspired cover but the rest of the album doesn’t excite me much.
Jeff Beck
4/5
Landmark proto-heavy metal blues album that is stacked with all stars before they were stars. Rod Stewart almost steals the show from Beck here, how does a 20 yr old guy have such a raspy voice? Must be from lots of Dunhills and booze. Whatever, it suits the music perfectly. Although many of the songs are covers Beck reinterprets them well and makes them his own. You can hear how Zep was influenced by this sound but I actually prefer this to Led Zep.
Arctic Monkeys
3/5
This debut album from this post Brit-pop band is pretty ok innit. They are insouciant and full of attitude and it comes out in their music. Just when Brit-pop was waning in the early 80s the Monkeys came to the rescue with a more aggressive, harder sound. There's some decent guitar and drumming on this record.
The Cars
4/5
I had this record on high rotation when it was released back in 78, its incredible to think that its 44 years old! This astonishingly good debut album was instrumental in ushering the New Wave movement. Side 1 starts off with 3 bangers but the momentum flags a bit with I'm in touch and Don't cha stop. But they make it up on Side 2 with four of the most iconic new wave songs that seem to flow together so naturally: You're all I've got tonight, Bye Bye Love, Moving in Stereo and All Mixed up. If it wasn't for the two fillers this album would score five stars easily.
The Temptations
3/5
This album marks their evolution towards psychedelic soul which would later result in their monster song Papa was a rollin' stone. The second side leans towards their traditional Motown side and is pretty ok. I really tried to like this so I listened to it 3 times and found that this album is pleasant enough but nothing to knock your socks off either.
Method Man
2/5
Pulp
1/5
Happy Mondays
1/5
Ugh, I’m Not a fan of this type of Britpop
Ali Farka Touré
2/5
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
4/5
I think Elvis Costello's best work appeared on his first three albums. His debut album is my fav but his second album - This year's model features some real bangers with sweet hooks: This year's girl, The Beat, Pump it up, I don't want to go to Chelsea, Lipstick Vogue and Radio Radio. These songs were veritable anthems in the pop-punk era.
Radiohead
4/5
I'm a bit late to the Radiohead party but after repeated listenings its slowing worming its way into my head. I think OK Computer is more accessible, and Kid A is a shift towards a more experimental sound, but it is equally good if you give it a chance. I like the Mingus influence in The National Anthem and Everything in its right place is a pretty good song to kick off the album.
Fever Ray
3/5
It was nice to recognize the theme to Vikings here. Scandinavian artists just seem to put out the most creative and different sounding albums and this one is certainly unique sounding. This has a Bjork vibe but much more accessible, I quite like it and will check out her former band Knife as well.
The Saints
2/5
Michael Jackson
3/5
This was very good, until it wasn’t. There are 10 songs so this is easy to rate. It kicks off with a bang with Don’t stop, and doesn’t let up with some great pop-funk for the next 5 songs. But then he falls off a Cliff with four maudlin saccharine coated dirges. He manages a slight redemption with the last song, Burn this Disco Out. It’s just too bad that he couldn’t maintain the quality of the first 6 songs.
Soundgarden
2/5
I’m definitely not a fan of Grunge and Soundgarden. People love the guitars and the vocals but I really couldn’t get thru this.
The Charlatans
2/5
Ugh, more Brit-pop
Linkin Park
2/5
If I listened to this rap metal style when I was much younger I may have fallen for the soft/quiet -> hard/loud -> soft/quiet changes within most of the songs, but now I find it to be cliched and just plain gimmicky. So... nope.
Bad Brains
2/5
Beatles
4/5
This is a solid follow-up only 8 months after their audacious debut album. You can see that they've been working on their song writing skills even though only 8 out of the 14 songs are originals. But these originals are pretty damned good, Although Beatle-mania had started, I don't think anyone had any inkling of the mega-ton atomic explosion that was coming from their subsequent albums and how they would shape music history in a few years.
Bobby Womack
2/5
I really like Womack's early soul offerings such as Across 110th Street (what a great song to kick off Tarantino's Jackie Brown). He's a prolific songwriter with a great raspy voice, but this 80s shiny suit pop soul doesn't do anything for me unfortunately.
Led Zeppelin
3/5
I’ve never been a big fan of Led Zep so 1,001 has forced me to listen to a Zep album for the first time in its entirety. Turns out it wasn’t too bad and I recognize most of the songs. I find the heavy blues / hard rock mix to be interesting, but I can do without Plant’s shrill vocals.
Slayer
1/5
The themes here about Satan, blood, death etc are so cliched that this almost seems like a parody album, but I think the metal heads that revere this album will be seriously offended by that comment. This record is incredibly repetitive but also mercifully short.
Malcolm McLaren
4/5
I was really happy to see this record appear on this list because it was such a huge influence on developing my musical tastes, I particularly love the ambient/tribal sounds of Obatala and Legba. This was made years before Paul Simon (similarly stole from South African musicians) but I won’t go there. This is also worlds away from the Sex Pistols and it is one of the groundbreaking records that ushered in hip hop, even though the scratching and lyrics are pretty dated. McLaren gets an extra point for recruiting some top shelf talent - Trevor Horn, Anne Dudley, and JJ Jeczalik who would go on to form the 80s seminal group, The Art of Noise, and also notable pop culture artist Keith Haring for the album cover.
Le Tigre
3/5
This album by a bunch of Riot Grrls is pretty cool. It pre dates another feminist band that I really love- Electrelane but they can both rock out real good. It starts off with a real bang with Deceptacon but lags a bit after that but I did enjoy their witty lyrics and social commentary.
Bonnie Raitt
1/5
Amy Winehouse
3/5
If Billie Holiday put out a record in 2006 I suspect it would sound much like this, with a blend of unique vocals, motown/blues and lyrics about drug abuse. This is a solid album and Rehab, You know I'm no good and Back to Black are fine, but the rest of the songs kind of blend together with no distinguishing marks.
Caetano Veloso
2/5
Brazilian singers have the most mellifluous voices and I think Caetano Veloso is the smoothest of them all. This debut album by him would go perfectly with lounging on Ipanema beach on a beautiful sunny morning while sipping a pina colada. This is a decent debut but its a bit inconsistent and it doesn't features any keepers like his later material, eg O Leaozinho, or Sonho Meu. But that voice.... ahhh.
Curtis Mayfield
4/5
I didn’t have time for a proper listen but what I heard was Heartfelt, passionate and soul baring. Billy Jack and So I love were great. First impression is 3 stars but I think when I listen to it more carefully I might find it to be as good as Superfly so I’ll bump the score up another point now.
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
4/5
I think the single Take Five was the song that first got me into Jazz, many years ago. This is one of my favourite jazz albums and is arguably one of the most influential ever, its right up there with Kind of Blue and Giant Steps. Incorporating some unusual time signatures and crack playing by Brubeck, Desmond and Morello it has really stood the test of time and it still sounds fresh today.
Nine Inch Nails
1/5
This was an angry dystopian onslaught of noise that I found virtually unlistenable.
Frank Sinatra
1/5
Kendrick Lamar
3/5
Everytime I listen to this record I'm immediately impressed with the first few songs: Wesley's Theory, For Free, King Kunta... because of their brilliant blend of hip hop and jazz. If there is ever a Progressive Hip Hop genre, then this record is it. However, this is a long album so after awhile the songs start to blend together and I get bored and my attention wanders. Props to Lamar for his creativity and masterful blending of genres here though.
Richard Thompson
2/5
Paul Simon
3/5
I'm not a fan of Paul Simon, but this was better than expected. I'm pretty impressed with the crack musicians that he was able to recruit for this album: its like a who's who... Nile Rodgers, Al Dimeola, Eric Gale, Airto Moriera, Steve Gadd, Marcus Miller, so he gets an extra point for that.
Jurassic 5
2/5
Early hip hop and drum and beat that hasn’t aged well.
Maxwell
2/5
This started off nice, with some good vibes. But it gradually trailed off into very sugary and tepid mediocrity that was hard to finish. Ok I’ll fess up, I couldn’t finish it, but what I heard was a solid 2 stars.
Carpenters
2/5
Yes she has a lovely voice but most of the songs were written by others, eg Burt Bacharach and one is a lame Beatles cover. But they did crack the code for mellow 70s pop that sold a bajillion records. Definitely not my jam, but I’ll be generous here just because of her voice.
Pixies
3/5
There are some good tunes here. The Pixies definitely have a distinctive styles and cadence, The problem is that they use the same style throughout the album so it all blends together after awhile.
Lynyrd Skynyrd
3/5
When it comes to rock songs that generate a lot of hate because they're over-played, Freebird is often at the top of the list along with Stairway and Layla. But is it the fault of the band that these songs are overplayed and have become veritable musical cliches? They're played far too often because they're iconic and simply great rock songs. Skynrd's music is far too deep fried southern for me but I must give them credit for putting together a pretty gosh-darned good debut album that also features Tuesdays Gone and Simple man.
fIREHOSE
3/5
Thank you 1,001 for this nice new find. The lead guitarist is featured prominently and he’s pretty darned good. Interesting mix of indie, garage blues and prog.
Alice Cooper
2/5
Even the 15 year old me didn't like this. Very mundane goth/rock that is reminiscent of boring hair bands like Kiss, Aerosmith etc. I always thought he was too gimmicky with the ambiguous female name, hair, goofy make-up and costumes. I can see how he influenced the other goof, Marilyn Manson.
I'm definitely not his target audience.
ZZ Top
1/5
Mmmnaah
Bob Marley & The Wailers
3/5
The first three songs are solid, especially No woman no cry, but then it starts to flounder under the weight of its preachiness and loses its momentum. I’m also not a big fan of the I Threes background singing.
Merle Haggard
2/5
Kanye West
3/5
Here's another polarizing artist. There seems to be an equal number of folks that either love and despise KW. Personally I have never sat down to properly listen to his music because I've been turned off by his obnoxious public persona and all the bullshit that he spews. But I must admit that this is a well written and produced album that's jammed packed with good songs. So since we're rating albums and not the douchebag that produced them I'm separating the two and giving this 3 stars. It still doesn't change my impression of him and I still probably won't listen to his music, but I must acknowledge his talent.
Kraftwerk
4/5
My fellow 1,001 Albums colleague mgravelle59 and I recently saw Kraftwerk live in Toronto and it was a fantastic show. To think that these funky septuagenarians put out this album almost 50 yrs ago is mind boggling. To a new listener this album may sound quite primitive and simplistic but back in 1974 no one was doing anything like this. This album was a radical change from their earlier experimental electronic and Krautrock sound as it incorporated synthesizer beats that were eminently danceable and which would go on to influence disco, hip-hop, prog, glam, synth-pop, electronic, EDM, techno and trance. There's a reason why many critics say that Kraftwerk ranks up there with the Beatles as one of the most important music groups of all time. This album is very good, but its just notch below their very best which comes later (Man-Machine, Trans-Europe Express and Computer World).
Led Zeppelin
3/5
I've never been a Led Zep fan so if it wasn't for 1,001 I would never seek this out for a listen. Overall, I thought it was good, if you like bluesy heavy rock and can get over Robert Plant's screechy voice. But I must say that it's an iconic rock moment when the drums and guitar kick in at the 3:00 mark of Whole lotta love. I've never heard Thank You before and I thought it was quite good also.
Elvis Presley
3/5
The influence of Presley on Rock & Roll is undeniable. But I also see that these are all covers and he didn't write any original material so that must be factored in. I'm not sure if he credited and/or paid royalties to the Black musicians that originally wrote most of these songs either (see Led Zeppelin), but I'll give him the benefit of the doubt. For me, the only stand-out song on this album is Blue Suede Shoes and the other songs are pretty meh, but I'm sure lots of girls swooned and fainted when he performed them live back in the day.
Neu!
3/5
I listened to a lot of Krautrock in the 70s but I favoured the more electronic sounds of Tangerine Dream, Kraftwerk, Ash Ra Tempel etc. But there’s no doubt that Neu was one of the seminal bands of this era. There are some good driving, propulsive rhythms here and they would have been cool to listen to while cruising down the autobahn, but there’s also quite a bit of filler here so it gets a middling 3 stars.
Milton Nascimento
3/5
This is an ambitious project that deserves more than one listen to appreciate. I’ve noted before that Brazilian singers, both male and female have the smoothest most mellifluous voices, and Nacimento is no exception. I was pressed for time but what I heard was very lush and vibrant, so my 3 star rating is probably too conservative.
5/5
I typically get sick of albums if I listen to them to often but Close to the edge is an exception, probably due to the fact that it’s so multi-layered and complex, and EVERY single band member is on top of his virtuosic game on this album. I wish I had some sort of counter so I could keep track of how many times I’ve played this since I discovered the band in the 70s. The 18 min opener is probably Yes’ magnum opus, it’s so chaotic yet so magnificently coherent when it gets going, and the climactic singing near end at the 17 minute mark never fails to give me goosebumps, every single fricking time! The other songs are all very solid, Siberian Khatru. This is Peak Prog and Peak Yes folks.
Miles Davis
3/5
There are a few musical artists that are able to capture the zeitgeist of the moment and chart new territory with their vision, radically changing their style over the decades and also changing music, art and fashion at the same time. I would put Miles in this category, along with Neil Young and David Bowie. Every time they changed their style listeners would be challenged but after other groups follow their lead, time would show that they were bleeding edge and way ahead of their time. Over 5 decades Miles would go from Big Band to Be-bop, to Cool, to Modal to Electric rock fusion. This album is basically a collection of material he did in the late 40s and shows his transition to Cool. Although it's a solid album, my favourite works by him were yet to come in his Modal period.
Lightning Bolt
3/5
This noise rock band is loud, aggressive and in your face. I was surprised to read that it consists of only two members, a drummer and a guitarist. It was also surprising to read that they cite Philip Glass and Sun Ra as influences. But after listening more closely I can hear Glass’ repetitive driving rhythms and Sun Ra’s psychedelic improvisations, all amped up on speed of course. Despite the chaotic onslaught of noise I was surprised at how listenable this was. I won’t seek this out normally but if I’m ever in the mood for some noise this is quite good.
Tori Amos
2/5
This starts out good with Crucify, but after that she sounds like a bargain bin Kate Bush. There's too much piano and its all one-note, so it got boring real fast. TBH As an older male it was hard for me to identify with songs about her traumatic childhood and adolescence. So this was a slog to listen to for me.
Lana Del Rey
2/5
When I heard Lana's Video Games back in 2012 I was immediately captured by her haunting vocals and lovely arrangements, so I had high hopes for her. Unfortunately after 10 years she is basically putting out the same material and this album really failed to capture my attention as all the songs flowed together into one schmaltzy mass. Its interesting to see the debate about why an album that came out in 2021 shouldn't be on this list. I have no problem with that because brilliant albums are released every year. But based on merit, I was say no to this one. This is slightly better than yesterday's Tori Amos, but only barely.
The Kinks
2/5
It's inevitable that the Kinks would get compared to the Beatles because they both had a very similar Baroque pop sound in the mid 60s. However, when the Beatles were putting out Revolver in 1966, the Kinks released Face to Face. Apart from Sunny Afternoon and the pretty album cover nothing on this album really sticks out or catches my attention though.
Ride
2/5
Not my jam, not much here resonated with me.
Sleater-Kinney
2/5
I like their energy but after awhile the vocals became quite shouty and annoying. Someone else here mentioned quite aptly that its like your girlfriend yelling at you for an hour. After this album was finished, Spotify continued to play similar riot grrl style music by the Breeders and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and I must say that I enjoyed them much more.
Muddy Waters
3/5
Even though I'm not a Blues guy, I have to acknowledge his massive influence on the rockers. The likes of Led Zep, the Stones and even Jimi Hendrix basically electrified his sound to create 60s rock music.
Radiohead
3/5
Fake Plastic Trees and High and Dry are excellent and the other songs rock out pretty good. However I prefer later Radiohead which is more experimental but this, their second album is still a strong effort that hints of greater things to come.
The Damned
2/5
As far as Punk goes this was much more accessible than most as the lead vocalist actually was singing and not screaming.
The Adverts
2/5
After getting two punk albums on consecutive days I’m all plunked out
The Go-Go's
2/5
I really didn’t need to hear this before I die.
Country Joe & The Fish
2/5
I can hear the roots of psychedelic prog here, but most of this is too folksy for me. I enjoyed the instrumental pieces more eg Section 43, and I can see the Doors being influenced by this. But the very 60's style hippie vocals were a turn off for me.
Kanye West
4/5
I've actually never listened to Kanye West before, well because he's such a monumentally arrogant, narcisstic douche. I avoided anything to do with him and the Kardashian clan like the plague because to me they epitomize everything that is wrong with this world. But 1,001 gave it to me for my homework assignment so I had to give it a spin. Right off the bat, Dark Fantasy samples a relatively obscure piece from Mike Oldfield's In High Places, hey that's pretty cool. POWER then samples King Crimson's 21st Century Schizhoid man, and its seamlessly integrated into the song so it sounds like its been part of that song forever. Whoa, that's impressive! I also hear samples taken from some of my favourite pieces, eg April 14 from Aphex Twin, and You are, I am from Manfred Mann. There are also samples from Gil Scott Heron, Smokey Robinson and Iron Man from Black Sabbath that are really well done. As a self confessed music geek, hearing these samples from obscure musical gems being so well integrated into his songs is truly impressive. And the music itself is also really well done, its complex and superbly produced: All of the Lights, Devil in a New Dress, Runaway, they are all so good. After over 500 albums so far, this is the most impressive new (to me) album that I've heard so far.
Pet Shop Boys
3/5
After their brilliant debut album with the iconic single West End Girls, you kinda expect a let down. This second album features a picture of one of them yawning on the cover. Of course it’s meant to be ironic, but it’s also very apt. They’ve got the bored, ironic synth pop sound down pat here, but this was a bit of a snooze fest for me. It’s too bad they peaked so early and were never able to strike lightning again
Goldfrapp
2/5
Goldfrapp’s airy voice just doesn’t do it for me
The Cramps
1/5
Today I learned about the psychobilly genre. Today I also learned that I don’t like psychobilly.
Santana
4/5
Although this album is over 50 years old it still sounds fresh and kicks ass. The singles still get me playing air guitar and bongos whenever I hear them. Apart from the virtuosic guitar, which is obvious, The percussion is just brilliant. Definitely one of Santana’s best, if not his best album.
Prince
2/5
Lots of accolades and adoration for this album, but it’s just not for me. You really needed to be a fan of it growing up in the 80’s to like it now because Gawd is it ever cheesy and dated sounding now. I thought it was overrated back then, and I still do.
Slint
3/5
One of my favourite genres is Post Rock / Math Rock and these guys were pioneers, influencing many groups that I love. This album is dissonant and experimental with many quiet passages. Kudos to them for influencing so much great music in the 90s
Electric Light Orchestra
3/5
In the early 70’s ELO was one of my favourite bands, and I must say they were the gateway to Classical music for me. Their first few albums were truly innovative - ELO, ELO 2, Eldorado, and especially Face The Music with Evil Woman, Strange Magic and my all time fav ELO song - Fire On High. Unfortunately they peaked with that album and became spectacularly popular and began putting out dreck like Out Of The Blue. This album is only saved by Mr Blue Sky.
Iron Maiden
1/5
If I were to spoof a heavy metal group it would sound like this and I couldn't possibly top the juvenile album cover. Their sound is so cliched and repetitive, its hard to get any sillier than this.
TLC
1/5
I sometimes wonder what the authors of 1,001 were thinking with certain albums and this is one of them. Waterfalls is the big hit that everyone talks about but I found it to be your typical pop R&B song that did nothing for me... and then it got worse.
2/5
Raekwon
2/5
Dire Straits
3/5
For me they weren’t able to replicate the lightning in a bottle of Sultans of swing. This album has quite a few singles but I find them all to be tepid and bland.
Gotan Project
2/5
Back in the late 90s and early naughts the Hotel Costes, Buddha Bar lounge music was all the rage and I bought a whack of these CDs. Gotan Project had a slightly different sound, with its Argentinian tango vibe. Someone aptly described it as Astor Piazzolla IDM Music. Unfortunately 20 yrs later it hasn’t aged well, sounding vapid and repetitive. This would be fine in a hotel bar or at a dinner party but I would want something more substantive myself. The cover of Zappa’s Chungas Revenge is also vastly inferior to the original as accordions and dance beats just don't capture the mood of Max Bennett’s bass lines and Zappa’s guitar.
Flamin' Groovies
3/5
Similar to another reviewer, I thought this was an album by the Canadian band Teenage Head that was called Flamin' Groovies. I wouldn't be surprised if the Canadian band got their name from this album. Overall, this is a solid, straight-ahead rock and roll album. I also immediately thought they sounded very similar and maybe even better than the Rolling Stones and with Mick Jagger his royal-self saying that he thought they did a better take on classic blues and rock and roll who am I to argue. Shaking' all over and Whiskey Woman were standouts for me.
Adele
3/5
Ok there's no denying that she has a fab voice, I would say she's up there with Amy Winehouse in terms of talent, but they both target mainstream audiences (which I'm not) and kudos to her for selling a gazillion albums. The most interesting song here for me was her cover of Lovesong, which was originally done by the Cure, so there ya go. Since her voice here is the main attraction, the production features her voice very prominently in all the songs but its almost too amped up for me, but her legions of fans will no doubt disagree with me.
Cee Lo Green
2/5
Witty lyrics but his munchkin voice grates after awhile. Won’t be seeking this out I’m sure.
Radiohead
3/5
Like all Radiohead albums this takes some effort on the listener's part to appreciate as this isn't background music. To give it a fair shake I listened to this 3 times and I think it's good, but not quite as good as Kid A which I recently reviewed and gave 4 stars. This album is not as cohesive and jumps around a bit, almost sounding like a bunch of out-takes from Kid A. There are some brilliant moments though, like Pyramid Song and Knives out. Maybe a 4th listen will reveal its brilliance, who knows.
Fred Neil
3/5
This was better than expected, folksy but not too folksy and thankfully not very country either. Everybody's talking is of course the stand-out track here, a really simple but lovely song. He goes against the folk stereotype and gets a bit experimental with Cynicrustpetefredjohn Raga.
Def Leppard
1/5
Oh boy I thought Iron Maiden was a joke, this is even less funny. Everything about this, the the cover, album title and the arrangements all scream cliche'd overwrought commercial metal. It is truly execrable.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
Its back to basics for the Stones and it results in this truly classic rock album with several of their best songs. When they were at the top of their game they were quite arguably the greatest rock and roll band in the world.
Michael Kiwanuka
4/5
Kiwanuka’s absolutely magnificent Cold little heart (especially the extended version) from his second album was no doubt a tough a act to follow. But he somehow pulls it off on this, his third album. It features heartfelt lyrics, sublime arrangements and production, and also his wonderfully emotional voice is a joy to listen to. His Mercury Prize for this album was totally deserved.
Pink Floyd
5/5
I still vividly remember first listening to this album over 40 years ago and it instantly became seared into my consciousness. It's been decades since I've listened to it in its entirety so thank you 1,001. One thing that strikes me is that its held up remarkably well over the years and damn there's no filler here. Even the non-musical sound effects and recordings between songs seem so right, everything flows seamlessly and very naturally. Roger Waters may be a dick, and the band may have been on the edge of imploding because of his douchery, but maybe that tension resulted in some artistic alchemy because it resulted in a masterpiece here. I'm pretty miserly so I give a very good albums 4 stars. But if they are truly, uniquely iconic they get 5.
Isaac Hayes
3/5
Isaac Hayes has some pretty impressive albums, my fav being the magnificent Hot Buttered Soul which has some epic psychedelic soul jams such as Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic, Walk on by and By the time I get to Phoenix. This album has one song at that level and that's of course the Theme from Shaft, which is one of most iconic film scores ever done and is instantly recognizable. Do your thing is also quite good given that its one of the more adventurous songs on this album. Unfortunately the rest of the album is corny muzak better suited for elevators or cheesey 70s porn films. I gave Hot Buttered Soul 4 stars and since this is a one-hit album it gets a 3 from me.
Gary Numan
2/5
Its interesting how my tastes have changed over the years. When this came out in the late 70s my friends and I thought this was the shit. The robotic singing, heavy synth melodies and beats were so cool sounding and a nice reprieve from the punk scene that so popular during this time. I guess if you weren't a punk in high school, you were a New Waver. Freak or Geek. Many folks talk about how influential Numan was to electronic music in the 80s, but I see him as a poor copy of the real innovators like Kraftwerk. He relies far too much on the heavy handed use of the polymoog on this album and most of the songs sound the same because of it. I guess he intentionally wanted to sound robotic but other bands were still able to imbue a sense of humanity into their electronic music and as a result their music doesn't sound so dated as this.
Norah Jones
2/5
When this came out I was in my serious "audiophile" phase, where I was listening to the equipment instead of the music. Along with the likes of Patricia Barber, Dianne Krall, Melody Gardot and Madelaine Peyroux, she was popular with the audio geeks who wanted to test their systems because it was well recorded and her voice is quite pleasant. But gawwwd is it ever tepid, bland and totally lacking in passion. I soon got tired of this genre and sold all my audiophile CDs and moved on to music with actual content. This album is not actually "bad" so I can't give it a 1, but a 2 is far as I can muster.
Aerosmith
1/5
Aerosmith represents the worst type of ‘Murican rock. This is pure shite.
The Byrds
3/5
The jingly jangly guitar is the signature of this band. The title track is the highlight of this album, but the rest was less inspiring. I wouldn’t normally seek this out but I gotta acknowledge their influence on the folk rock genre
Frank Sinatra
1/5
I’m assuming that this was the studio’s attempt to bring Bossa nova to the masses, or maybe Old Blue eyes got tired of crooning about his usual tripe? I’ve never been a fan of Sinatra and when he goes an ruins some of the best songs in that genre it rankles me even more.
Fiona Apple
2/5
Kudos to her for being adventurous and pushing the envelope here. The music is quirky and unconventional so that's good. But unfortunately it doesn't really resonate with me. Lots of folks seem to like this so maybe its me.
Todd Rundgren
3/5
I saw the light and Hello it’s me are really great sngles that have stood the test of time and they sound pretty fresh even today. The rest of the album is full of pop ballads and even gasp, show tunes that aren’t as notable, but kudos to him for playing most of the instruments on 3/4 of this double album release.
Alanis Morissette
2/5
It was interesting to read the reviews for this one, lots of loving 5s but also lots of hateful 1s. She definitely captures the angst and zeitgeist of the 90s, maybe that’s why there are so many 5s. My complaint is a common one, her annoying shrieky, whiney voice which I really couldn’t get past. Isn’t it ironic was a catchy single when it first came out but the intervening 27 years have not been kind to it, and that’s the best song on the album.
David Gray
2/5
Not too unpleasant but not too exciting either
Johnny Cash
3/5
I’m not into Country but Hurt is by far the best cover song I’ve ever heard, this is a case of a cover song that surpasses the original. In my Life isn’t quite up there with Hurt, but it’s also very good. Given that this was his last album, this very sparse and stripped down album gives his voice centre stage and it captures years of pain and emotion with great poignancy. The other covers aren’t as effective unfortunately, Personal Jesus in particular just doesn’t work.
Shuggie Otis
4/5
I’m so glad that this criminally underrated album made this list. It’s unfortunate that so many people have never heard of Shuggie Otis, a child prodigy that played with Frank Zappa when he was only a teen, and you know that Zappa only recruited the best musicians. He also played most of the instruments and wrote most of the songs on this album. Aht uh mi hed is one of my all time fav soul songs, and Inspiration Information and Strawberry Letter 23 are also great. I think it’s unfair that the Brothers Johnson’s interior cover of the latter gets more airplay and recognition than the original. This album is a real hidden gem.
Adele
1/5
Two Adele records in one month are far too many for me. She has the same affliction that singers with good pipes have, the compulsion to show off the fact that they can sing by bellowing and yelling too much. This has infected the likes of Whitney Houston, Celine Dionne, Maria Carey and others. I just couldn’t bear to listen to this so I tuned out and turned this off after a few songs
2/5
Wiki mentions the bands that influenced Muse and I was very surprised that they didn’t mention Radiohead. The lead vocalists of Muse whines and wails exactly like Thom Yorke. I listened to this album twice and both times when it was done Spotify sequed seamlessly into Radiohead and Muse sounded almost the same. A noisy pompous Radiohead though. This album was much more listenable when there was less singing, eg Knights of Cydonia, but I’d rather have the original
Siouxsie And The Banshees
2/5
Another reviewer mentioned that if you like the Siouxsie sound you'll love this album, but if not, this album will be grating. I'm totally in the latter camp. In the early 80s when punk was rapidly fading the post-punk/goths bands came out of the woodwork - The Cure, Siouxsie, Bauhaus, Sisters of Mercy.... etc The only one that caught my attention back then was the Cure. Flash forward 40 years and their vocal stylings, drum and guitar work all sound so dated today, their sound was very trendy at the time, but not made to last, all except for the Cure which sounds surprisingly fresh and listenable today. I wasn't a fan of this band back then and I'm still not a fan today.
Genesis
5/5
This is an iconic prog album, certainly in the top 5 of all time. I can't decide which is the best song on the albu: the Firth of Fifth, Battle of Epping Forest or Cinema Show. They are all monster songs and truly epic in scope (in this case the use of epic is not cliched, but truly appropriate). Here, on their fifth album all band-members are basically in peak form. Firth features lovely piano and guitar solos by Banks and Hackett, Battle of Epping Forest has some of my favourite lyrics / wordplay sung magnificently by Peter Gabriel, and Cinema Show closes with an incredible 4.5 minute keyboard solo by Rutherford. The album lags slightly in certain sections but the sheer weight of the above 3 songs more than compensates for any shortcomings. Peak Prog indeed.
Kanye West
2/5
After the success of My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy KW decided to piss off his fans by putting out an intentionally abrasive and off-putting album. He's quoted as "I got to fuck shit up" and "I'm gonna take my ball home". There's no doubt that this egotistic narcissist is brilliant, but does the emperor have no clothes? He's so full of contempt for his fans that it's really hard to like this guy. This album is seriously over-produced, with literally 4-8 producers on EACH song. I view this album like how I view his forays into fashion where he intentionally puts out really fugly clothing and sells it at exorbitant prices to his gullible fans. I'm not gonna bite.
Buffalo Springfield
2/5
I'm a big fan of Neil Young, but less so for Buffalo Springfield and CSN, so this was a mixed bag for me. So not surprisingly I really enjoyed the Neil Young songs: Mr Soul, Expecting to Fly and Broken Arrow but the other songs just don't resonate with me.
The Only Ones
2/5
This post punk - proto new wave album is a nice segueway for the two genres. The guitar intro to Another Girl Another planet is pretty awesome and that song rocks. It’s also the only song where the lead vocalist’s voice doesn’t annoy me. Although they first wrote The Whole of the Law I prefer Yo La Tengo’s cover better. The rest of the album isn’t very memorable unfortunately.
Dead Kennedys
2/5
Well these guys can certainly play fast. Lots of energy here and this is much more listenable than say the Sex Pistols. Jello Biafra’s warbling vibrato singing and their political lyrics that try to shock seem very quaint and cliched today though. Not my jam but I’ll give a nod since they can actually play.
Stevie Wonder
3/5
I always thought Stevie was drunk because of the way he sings /slurs "boogieonreggaaaawuman". Overall this was a fine album, nothing offensive but also not quite the same standard as Innervisions or Songs in the key of life.
Arcade Fire
3/5
I will try to be professional here and separate the douchey artist from the art. In the early naughts I remember browsing at the local Sunrise Records in Toronto (yes vinyl!) and they were playing music from a new band with a \"huge sound\" it indie rock but totally distinct from anything I had heard before. I asked the clerk who it was and he showed me Arcade Fire's debut album, Funeral. The guitar intro to Wake Up and the ensuing chorus literally made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. Needless to say I bought the album and devoured it when I got home. Funeral was a very special album, this their second effort isn't quite up there, but it has some strong songs with No Cars and My Body is a Cage. Overall their debut was much stronger and I would give it 4 stars, so this one is slightly lower at 3.
Sheryl Crow
2/5
I'm not a fan of predictable, formulaic pop and this is Exhibit 1. Move along folks, nothing to see or hear here. It must have been a stretch to include this album in the book.
Frank Ocean
2/5
His voice is pleasant enough, and the beats are pretty chill. But this album is sounds like one long 60 minute song.
The Pogues
3/5
Wiki labels this punk folk, it's definitely folk, but not sure how punk this is. Perhaps they're referring to its punk sensibilities and snarling attitude. Nevertheless this is a fun album with a lot more energy than the typical folk albums that I hear. If I should fall and Fairytale of NY are outstanding. The latter is probably the only Christmas song that I actually like. Yes, I'm a grinch. The rest of the album is fine also.
The Fall
2/5
This is a decent post- punk album. The lead guitar is ubiquitous but I think the real star is the bassist. A bit too cacophonous for me but I can see their appeal.
Lucinda Williams
2/5
Not very inspiring
John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers
2/5
Even though these guys are immensely talented, a bunch of Brits doing American Blues just sounds off to me.
Sparks
2/5
In the 70s the local indie radio station, CFNY played a lot of Sparks, particularly This Town and Talent is an asset. They were quirky glam-rock tunes that was pretty emblematic of that era. Bowie, 10cc and Roxy Music were some of the bigger names also doing this genre back then. These two tunes are IMO the best on this album, but unlike their peers, their sound hasn't aged very well I'm afraid. The cheap pun in the album title also sub-par.
Suicide
3/5
This album is way ahead of its time, very interesting pulsating beats with otherworldly vocals. It's not as bad as some say, but it would be much better if it had a bit of variety. This is a solid 2.5 but I'll round it up due to their originality.
Eurythmics
3/5
Well to state the obvious, the title song Sweet Dreams is a monster hit, easily one of the top 10 songs of the 80s I recon. Its only surpassed by their even better hit - Here comes the rain again. Annie Lennox's voice simply soars on Sweet Dreams. However, some of the other songs like Wrap it Up, Somebody told me and This is the house are painfully 80s sounding. Cringe! Fortunately there is some minor redemption with Love is a stranger and the atmospheric, This city never sleeps. 5 stars for Sweet Dreams but its pulled down by the 6 weak songs on the album.
Echo And The Bunnymen
4/5
The Killing Moon is simply a magnificent post punk song. Ian McCulloch does a serviceable hommage to Jim Morrison with his strong booming voice. There are a few other good songs here including Silver, Seven Seas and Ocean Rain.
Pavement
3/5
Joan Baez
2/5
Joni Mitchell
2/5
Nirvana
3/5
I just don’t get the hype for this band and this record. The singles are fine but nothing really excites me here.
Kelela
2/5
Lovely voice and the first song is pleasant enough, but all the songs blend together after awhile
Foo Fighters
3/5
Pretty good aggressive rock
Solomon Burke
2/5
This was fine but I think his contemporaries like Otis Redding, Sam Cooke, Ray Charles etc put out more interesting material, hence the reason why he’s not as well known.
Laibach
2/5
If I had to imagine what German Industrial sounded like, it would be exactly like this.
Einstürzende Neubauten
3/5
There sure is a lot of hate for this record, so much that it's the lowest rated song on the entire list. I think that's a bit overstated as this isn't a "bad" record per se, it's definitely challenging though and it will necessitate that you adjust your expectations of what "music" is. IMO there are a lot of more unlistenable albums on this list, eg Black Death Metal. I found the second side with the instrumental songs without any vocals to be the most interesting. Particularly the 7 songs that end in "dub", with the best being Gastarbeiterdub with some very interesting percussive beats. I probably wouldn't seek this out to listen to it but I found it to be quite interesting.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
4/5
Contrary to what other reviewers have said, I think this nearly 30 yr old album has aged well. It features a shit-ton of hits and the performances by the band are excellent, most notably Anthony Kiedis on vocals. This is a strong 3.5 but I’ll round it up
Madonna
1/5
Couldn’t get thru this. I much prefer her early material
Steve Winwood
3/5
Its funny how some albums age gracefully, and some simply don't. While you see a chance has an iconic synth intro and just screams the 80s! But it's still a fine song though as Winwood's soulful tenor voice is one of the hallmarks of this song. The best song on the album IMO however, is Night Train, with some great guitar and keyboard playing. However, as typical for the 80s when CDs were all the rage, this recording its very "tinny" and compressed so there is almost no bass. Boo. There is some nice album artwork by the prolific artist Tony Wright though.
Willie Nelson
2/5
Taylor Swift
2/5
Long time lurker, first time listening to Taylor swift. It wasn’t that bad, but not very exciting either. She sounds like every other female pop/indie singer out there, particularly Del Rey. Don’t believe the hype.
Steely Dan
4/5
This is a pretty damned good debut album, their top notch song writing skills and musicianship are highly evident here, American easy listening Dad rock at its finest. Their later albums are great also, particularly Royal Scam, Katy Lied and Aja, but this is right up there. It lags a tiny bit for a few songs, eg Change of the guard, Midnite Cruiser and Brooklyn (where Hodder and Palmer do lead vocals instead of Fagen). Also an album of this calibre deserves a much better album cover. Hell even Fagen and Becker called it one of “ the most hideous album cover of the 70’s. But overall this is a strong 4.
Harry Nilsson
1/5
Nilsson has shown that he can put out high quality material like Everybody’s Talking (Theme from Midnight Cowboy) but this album is just classic dreck with songs like Without you and Coconut. Even the Spanish version Si no estas is pure shmaltz.
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
I often complain about albums that sound very “samey”, where the entire album sounds like one long interminable song. However this album is not guilty of this. They mix it up with a wide variety of styles here, but most importantly it all flows cohesively. The exception may be the last song which is a live cover of Bye Bye Love that kind of sticks out but this can be forgiven. Interestingly I’m not a fan of the title song, Bridge over troubled waters, perhaps it’s been overplayed, but to me it verges on being a “weenie song” as one of my esteemed colleagues in this journey calls songs like this. I think the best track here, and maybe S&G’s best ever, is the Boxer. Overall, this is a solid album.
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
2/5
After listening to Trout Mask Replica this seems almost quaint and accessible. But that being said, psychedelic delta blues isn't my jam so it didn't move me much. I find the album cover pic showing them all clean cut and in suits to be a pretty interesting contrast to their latter day hippie counter-culture personas.
Ryan Adams
2/5
The Roots
3/5
This album started off rocky, but as it progressed it slowly improved and these guys really show the breadth of their artistic talent. This is a very diverse album that showcases a huge range of styles, so it can be accused of lacking cohesion. I didn't like all of it, but what I liked was very good.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
2/5
How many of you think that he sounds just like Patti Smith when he's singing Breakdown? Anyways, I think that's the best song on the album. The rest of the songs aren't terribly exciting nor terrible either so he gets a lukewarm rating from me.
The Who
3/5
Quite an audacious debut by these lads. Their heavy sound must have turned heads back in the mud 60s. My Generation is still an iconic song
Peter Gabriel
4/5
After splitting from Genesis, Gabriel took a break and then released this solo album. And boy what a debut solo it was. Although he was essentially the leader of proggy Genesis for years he completely re-vamped his sound and this album sounds nothing like Genesis. So extra kudos to him for that. There are so many great songs here: Modern love, Down the dolce vita, Here comes the flood, Humdrum etc, but Solsbury Hill has to be one of his all time greatest songs. Overall this is a tremendous debut.
Willie Colón & Rubén Blades
2/5
Although this wasn't a "bad" album, Salsa really isn't my jam, after a few songs it becomes annoyingly repetitive for me.
The Afghan Whigs
2/5
This is fairly typical mid 90s grunge, as most reviewers have mentioned, the lead vocalist's voice is somewhat off putting. So much that the most interesting song for me was the instrumental Brother Woodrow. The album cover is a bit unsettling also, and I see in Wiki that it was influenced by a photo by controversial photographer Nan Goldin.
Blondie
3/5
The first two songs are serious bangers - Hanging on the Telephone and One Way or Another. Debbie Harry has a killer voice here, full of spunk, verve and attitude. I think Telephone is their all-time best song actually. The rest of the album, including Heart of Glass is fine, but not as outstanding as the first two killers. Along with the Cars and Devo, Blondie was part of the big trifecta of American new wave bands in the 70's.
New York Dolls
2/5
I have to give a nod to this album for its cutting edge influence on punk in the early 70s when everyone else was into prog, but I think the Velvet Underground, Iggy and the Ramones did it better.
De La Soul
3/5
I'm guessing that this is probably the most accessible and fun hip hop record on the list. Its refreshing that every second word isn't mofo or the N word. Their sample of Steely Dan's Peg on Eye Know was probably one of the most seamless mashups ever and Jenifa taught me is also a ton of fun.
Willie Nelson
1/5
I don’t like country but when Willie does it it’s bearable because he has such an iconic voice. But when he does covers of shmaltzy pop songs it becomes unbearable. This sounds like a lazy money grab to me.
Barry Adamson
3/5
This was so unexpectedly good that I had to listen to it twice. I also learned that Adamson is ex Magazine, which explains his chops. I prefer the more experimental and jazzier numbers here, in particular his Miles which is a wonderful homage to Milestones. Miles Davis his royal self would approve I’m sure. Adamson’s soundtracks are so good that they should make movies based on his records instead of the other way around.
Manu Chao
4/5
Manu Chao first came to my attention when he produced Miriam and Amadou's Dimanche a Bamako. That 2004 record is probably my all-time favourite World Music record and it continues to be on high rotation today. Manu Chao epitomizes World Music, he was born in Bilbao (Basque country) and grew up in France and speaks like 10 languages. He also infuses his music with a huge range of styles: reggae, salsa, French chanson, Afro-Cuban, latin, ska etc., but the common denominator is that it is all undeniably catchy and fun.
k.d. lang
2/5
Her voice is fine, but her song writing is mediocre. Constant craving is good but the rest of the album is one note. Perhaps this appeals to the wine drinking mommy set?
Tom Waits
4/5
Tom Waits is in fine form here, quirky and offbeat. The first side hits you with a barrage of brilliant songs, but it falters slightly on the second side. Scanning the reviews of the others I mostly see 4 and 5 star ratings, so I'm surprised this album doesn't have a higher global rating. This record is essential listening.
The Waterboys
3/5
These boys are the OG of the big folk/country/rock infused with traditional Celtic sound that so many bands today are emulating. Just a solid album that starts out with a bang with Fisherman's Blues and We will not be lovers. They also do a very credible cover of Van Morrison's Sweet Thing where Steve Wickham's violin absolutely shines and where the lyrics to Blackbird unexpectedly show up, but somehow this weird mashup works. It ends nicely with an epic 12 minute jam of a track with Soon as I get home. If the traditional Irish/Scottish folk sound isn't your jam you might find that it drags a bit since this double album is long.
Q-Tip
2/5
Easy listening hip hop, it blends in with the background smoothly but doesn’t do much to stand out either.
Baaba Maal
2/5
He takes his time to develop the songs on this album, slowly building them up so a bit of patience is required. His high pitched voice can be grating after awhile though.
Love
2/5
For me the 60s is like a lost decade. I prefer the music from the 50’s and 70’s instead. In the 60s many bands were transitioning to proto garage/psychedelic and this album exemplifies this. For some reason music in the 70s just sounds more appealing to me.
The Lemonheads
3/5
This is decent American power pop. If you're into Pavement, Dinosaur Jr etc this will probably appeal to you. The title song and their Mrs Robinson cover are quite nice. Spotify features some demo versions and the acoustic version of Ray is a pleasant diversion.
Billy Joel
2/5
Wow, all I see are 4 and 5 star ratings for this so I'll probably take flak for this. Someone already stole my line that he's a less interesting and cheesier version of Elton John and I fully concur. There's no doubt that he has a knack for writing catchy pop songs, but the shmaltz factor here is simply too high for me. He somewhat redeems himself with the less commercial songs like the Stranger and Get it right. But he knows his audience and and I guess he hits the nail right on the head with this album that is loaded with bestsellers.
Big Star
3/5
I came to hear this music backwards because I first heard This Mortal Coil’s covers of Kangaroo and Holocaust back in 1984. Those covers were spectacular, and now I know where they came from. This is a somewhat quirky non commercial album and I can see why it’s become a cult favourite. It’s a grower for sure.
Elvis Costello
4/5
I can't think of a more audaciously good debut album. I also think this is Costello's best album which is saying a lot since he's super prolific with over 25 studio albums. He read the room perfectly in 1977 when he put out this rockabilly/punk record that foreshadowed the New Wave movement that was picking up steam. Alison and Watching the detectives are two of my all time favourite Costello tracks, but this record is chock full gems like I'm not Angry, Mystery dance, Angels, Sneaky feelings, Miracle man and Welcome to the working week. This is just a solid solid record.
The Jam
3/5
The Jam are one of the better UK bands that punk begat, I would put them up there with the Clash, Joy Division, Magazine and the Cure. Paul Weller is also immensely talented as can be seen by his later solo efforts. This is a decent effort by them
Marvin Gaye
2/5
What’s going on? I do like Gaye’s early music, but this is just weenie soul. I see that it was a flop when it was first released, but got critical acclaim after he died. But this album is so boring I simply don’t have it in me to put in the effort to listen to it again.
George Harrison
2/5
Harrison's music is just less joyful and fun compared to Lennon and McCartney. His songs come of as being whiney to me. Isn't it a pity is probably the best song on this overlong album but some songs, particularly Wah Wah are just plain annoying.
The Black Keys
4/5
Although this came out in 2010 it really captures the mood of deep south Delta Blues. The vocals and lead guitar come off sounding distorted but I think that adds more "texture" and grittiness to the music. Most of the album is pretty damned solid with not much filler.
Tom Waits
3/5
Waits is certainly an American original, there really isn't anyone else out there like him. The simulated jazz club with a studio audience works pretty well in this case as the crowd is engaged and responsive to his bawdy humour and story-telling. The musicians are also top-notch, in particular the piano and bass players. My only complaint about this album is that it's a bit long, and if it was cut down it would have been just right.
Animal Collective
2/5
I love the album cover, its an optical illusion appears to be animated and moving, but its actually not. I also love 2000's Indie music and if your Fleet Foxes or Panda Bear fan you would probably like this, but the vocal harmonies here and the dreamy psychedelic sound is not my jam. The vocals by other Indie bands of this era such as Grizzly Bear (no relation to Panda Bear) or say Dirty Projectors are much more enjoyable.
The Blue Nile
2/5
I see that this album's genesis was as demo music for the audiophile stereo brand Linn. I used to be heavily into audio gear back in the day and we would typically play really well produced music that had good dynamic range to demonstrate and test the equipment. But although it "sounded good" alas the content was lacking. This album is better than most (I'm looking at you Patricia Barber, Rebecca Pidgeon, Three Blind Mice etc). The heavy reliance on synths here also unfortunately makes this record sound extremely dated. If you like this band, their subsequent album Hats is much better IMO, check out Over the hillside and The Downtown Lights.
Metallica
2/5
OutKast
3/5
For me this is probably the most listenable and accessible hip hop album ever. I always liked Outkast’s playful melodies and beats. A fun listen
Alexander 'Skip' Spence
4/5
This was a very interesting new discovery for me. Folk music that evolves into psychedelic /experimental rock that foreshadows many of today’s best Indie acts like Radiohead and Sparklehorse. I hear a Not of Nick Drake here also. Skip was way ahead of his time and I wouldn’t be surprised if it was met with a muted reaction when it was released in the 60s.
Gang Of Four
3/5
I was never a fan of Punk, but post punk is another story, especially when it’s done well with intelligent (and intelligible) lyrics, good musicianship, and great hooks. Damaged Goods has always been a favourite of mine and over 50 years later it still kicks ass. A lot of folks say that this sounds a lot like the Killers, LCD Soundsystem, Wire, etc but I think they’ve got it backwards, THEY all sound like the OGs of this genre, The Gang of Four.
The Birthday Party
2/5
I see that this album has the 6th lowest global score at 2.13 and its headlined by Nick Cave so this should be interesting. The horrible album cover doesn't set expectations too high either, and from that perspective it doesn't disappoint. Dark and challenging music, that's also horribly recorded, it sounds like the drums and guitars are 10 feet away from the mic. You really need to be in the mood for this, and I wasn't.
Sabu
2/5
The first song, Rhapsodia was good and so was the last song, Triblin cantore because it had bit more variety with a guitar. But I wasn't moved by the other 6 songs in the middle. I am a big jazz fan but Afro-Cuban jazz just doesn't do it for me. I found the recording of the congas here to be too forward and prominent and it just dominates the sound.
The Velvet Underground
1/5
I'm not a fan of the VU and this album was even more unlistenable due to the terribly distorted recording.
The Crusaders
1/5
Wow, this is pure execrable dreck. It combines the worst of the 70s genres - disco and easy-listening "jazz". Folks, this is NOT Jazz, its made for people who hate jazz. I'm absolutely shocked at how many folks gave this 5 stars, but not surprised at all the 1s and they were quite a few. Really 1,001, really? [face palm and SMH]
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
4/5
This is a remarkable album. Powerful, haunting, emotional music. It’s definitely a heavy listen and I would only play it when I’m in a proper frame of mind. So much respect for artists that can switch up their work like this. And what a gorgeous lush album cover also!
Dizzee Rascal
3/5
I’m still not into hip hop but this album was certainly interesting. I would almost call it Industrial Hip Hop. Hard mechanical abrasive beats. Kudos to him for pushing the envelope and not sounding like all the other mainstream hip hop artists.
Beach House
2/5
If the Cocteau Twins and the Fleet Foxes had a love child it would be Beach House. This style of dream pop is like mellow shoegaze. The first track is the best song on the album, but the dreamy vocals and the “wall of sound” effect wears out its welcome fast. I could have sworn that the lead vocalist was a guy but it’s a woman. Kinda like how I always thought the lead singer of Rhye was female 🤷♂️
The War On Drugs
2/5
Under the pressure is fine, but like many others have said, they use the same drum beat throughout and every song sounds the same. The lead vocalist sounds so much like Dylan, but that’s strike because I hate Dylan’s voice.
Turbonegro
1/5
Once again I have to wonder what the authors of 1001 were smoking when they compiled this list. Although they're Norwegian they sound like your average American metal group from the 90s. Inane lyrics and cliched guitar riffs. I think I would prefer Norwegian Death Metal to this.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
2/5
I must admit that Prog is my guilty pleasure, heck two of my fav bands are Genesis and Yes. ELP OTOH epitomize what folks hate about Prog - they're bombastic, pretentious and bloated. There's no doubt that they're a talented trio and they were labeled a "supergroup" when these three previous members of the Nice, Atomic Rooster and King Crimson got together. Individually they are immensely talented, but as a band I think they've let their egos get a bit ahead of themselves. They cover Mussorgsky's Pictures at an exhibition here and although the grandiose Promenade sounds great on synths the rest of the album doesn't fare too well unfortunately. ELP did some nice work on Tarkus and Works, but this album is not one of their best I'm afraid.
Eric Clapton
2/5
Quiet meh. The biggest hit on this album, I shot the sheriff is a Bob Marley cover that hasn't aged well either.
Nitin Sawhney
3/5
Since Sawhney is a Indian living in England its fitting that he's fused Indian music with English downtempo music (which was big in the 90s due to bands such as Massive Attack, Morcheeba, Bonobo etc). When this came out I had this album on heavy rotation, I really enjoyed the more traditional Indian songs with tablas, ragas and sufi type chanting. Homelands IMO is the best song on the album and instrumental Tides is lovely. I really like the heavy Indian influence on Nadia and the vocal counterplay on The Conference is really fabulous. However, the more commercial English songs featuring the female singer are just God-awful - eg Broken Skin, Letting go and Immigrant and really ruin this album for me. If those songs had been left out I would have given this one more star.
The Style Council
4/5
There’s no doubt that Paul Weller is immensely talented. He founded the punk group The Jam and then did basically a 180 with The Style Council, and although they sound diametrically opposed, both were great groups. He also has a knack for recruiting top shelf musicians such as Tracey Thorn and Ben Watt from Everything But the Girl, who are also a great band. This album starts off rocking with Mick’s Blessings, but where it really shines is with the downtempo tunes like The whole point of no return, Blue cafe, Paris Match (with Tracey Thorn’s lively crooning). The best songs IMO are his slimmed down cover of My ever changing moods and You’re the best thing. I also really enjoyed the up-tempo jazz numbers like Dropping bombs and Council Meetin’. It’s too bad that he dropped a couple of rap songs in here that just sound completely out of place here.
Bill Evans Trio
3/5
This album is about Synergy. Although its pretty stripped down with only piano, bass and drums, the interaction and synergy between the three band members is lighting in a bottle. The other secret ingredient here is the venue. I've been fortunate to catch some jazz acts at the Village Vanguard and the intimate ambience of the club adds mystique and even more magic to the performance. This album is pretty iconic, but what I wouldn't give to have seen and heard this live.
The Modern Lovers
3/5
Lots of folks are saying that the Modern Lovers are indebted to the Velvet Underground but personally I prefer the Modern Lovers to the VU. This proto-punk album influenced a ton of bands and I see that it features Jerry Harrison from Talking Heads and David Robinson from the Cars and they ain't no slouches. If you're a fan of Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations you'll be familiar with the best track - Roadrunner. I love the driving guitars and Richman's voice perfectly captures the pre-punk NY scene.
Talvin Singh
3/5
Interesting that this comes a few days after Nitin Sawhney's Beyond Skin. Singh and Sawhney are very similar given that they are both Indian/English artists that blend classical Indian music with modern electronica and their albums were released about a year apart in the late 90s. This album starts out fabulously with Traveller, which features mostly classical Indian ambience but then gorgeous lush strings come in at the 8 minute mark. Butterfly is also a very nice fusion of tabla with dance beats. But the album falters after that and the remaining songs are bit of an incoherent mess with too much drum and bass for my tastes. I prefer Beyond skin to this but it is saved by a few very nice tracks so it also gets 3 stars.
Sufjan Stevens
5/5
I would have to say that Sufjan Stevens is my favourite indie artist. And although he has quite a few doozies out there, Illinoise is probably my favourite album of his. His brand of chamber indie pop is marked by quirky lyrics, weird time signatures and the judicious use of horns, strings and vocal choir that produces a chaotic disjointed sound, but somehow it all flows together so well. Like a good wine with complex notes and multiple layers his music may take a few listenings to get into your head, but once it does, its remarkable.
Deerhunter
3/5
There are some nice moments on this indie dream pop record, but most of it is simply too dreamy for me. When they pick up the pace on Desire Lines and He would have laughed it improves immensely. Basement scene sounds like a blatant knock off of the Everly Brothers Dream. Helicopter is also quite ok. I still find the album cover by George Mitchell to be a bit unsettling though.
Orbital
1/5
I always get Orbital confused with The Orb and William Orbit. Not just for the obvious reason - that their names are so similar but also because their brand of electronic trance music all sounds painfully the same. I present Exhibit one - this album by Orbital. Maybe if I was at a rave taking ecstasy it might be more interesting, but I am sitting in my living room utterly bored.
Bad Company
1/5
Bland Company, Bad Music, all of the above. I hated this bad when I was a teen and almost 50 yrs later it sounds even worse now. Nuff said.
Def Leppard
1/5
Well we certainly have had some bad albums recently, but this one takes the cake. Someone mentioned this is pop trying to be heavy metal and that's a good description, but they should have also added that its shite. Everything about this starting from the horrible cover, inane lyrics and hackneyed guitar riffs and choruses scream CLICHE! Truly execrable.
Ray Price
2/5
This is music from a bygone era that seems pretty quaint by today's standards. I imagine this was quite popular back in the day though. Ray Price certainly has a good voice and is a great crooner. His song writing is pretty formulaic though, and as someone else mentioned all the songs sound the same. This is definitely not my jam, but it wasn't terrible either, so two stars from me.
Beck
3/5
The title of this album is apt as it represents a significant departure from Beck's typical sound which is more dance and white hip hop oriented. I guess breaking up with a long-time girlfriend will do that to a guy. There's nothing as high energy as Loser, or with the abrasiveness of E-Pro, but there are some real gems here like The Golden Age, Guess I'm doing fine and Lonesome tears where his mournful voice really shines. Unfortunately this album doesn't have my favourite Beck song which is the brilliant Everybody's gotta learn sometime, which was one of the most memorable moments in the film The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless mind. That song alone is worth five stars IMO.
Black Sabbath
3/5
I've never really been a metal-head so this album is new to me. Is it ever heavy and dark. But in a good way. Ozzie has always come across as a bit of a flake to me since I only know him from the Osbornes reality show, but I can see that he and his band actually had real talent. If I'm ever in the mood for some head banging music this would fit the bill nicely. Thank you 1,001 for introducing me to something that I would have never think of playing.
Rush
2/5
Apart from Neil Young I don't think there are too many Canadian bands on this list, so I'm tempted to be a bit more generous than usual here. This is only their fourth album, so somewhat still in their formative years, and Geddy is still young so his voice is even more high pitched than normal. Kate Bush is similar with almost an unbearably screechy voice for the first few albums, but they mellow out as they mature. I think their later albums are better, eg Hemispheres (with La Villa Strangiato) or Moving Pictures (with Tom Sawyer, Red Barchetta, YYZ and probably my fav Rush song Limelight). The opening 20 min opus could be great, but its only mediocre. Tears evokes King Crimson, and Something for Nothing has the classic Rush sound. But overall, this album doesn't have a killer track that I would go back to again.
Brian Wilson
1/5
There's a ton of love for the Beach Boys and Brian Wilson but it just doesn't do anything for me. I'm not a fan of this the harmonic vocals and the showtime sound. I see a whack of 5 stars and also an equal number of 1 and 2 star ratings, so I guess this just another love it or hate it album.
Carole King
3/5
Easy listening pop isn’t my jam but if you put a gun to my head and forced me to listen to this genre it would probably be this album. She certainly has a talent for writing songs with great hooks, as evidenced by the sheer number of monster hits here. The hit singles were solid, so this gets a solid 3
The Smiths
2/5
some folks here are saying that he sounds like a whiney wanker. I can't disagree
Supergrass
2/5
I like their youthful exuberance - lots of brash energy and they sound like their channeling the Buzzcocks. Alright, is well, alright, but the rest of the album isn't very memorable and doesn't quick stick.
Manic Street Preachers
2/5
Joni Mitchell
3/5
Well this was a pleasant surprise. It seems that Joni has moderated her annoying vocal style here and the jazz accompaniment alongside is very nice. and the record is also superbly produced. Edith and the Kingpin is as smooth as silk and would be perfect background music on a lazy Sunday afternoon by a lake. The best song on the album is the title track IMO featuring a languorous and dreamy chorus. Harry's House is also lovely.
The Mars Volta
3/5
There aren't too many American Prog bands as most of them seem to be from Europe and particularly England, so this is a bit of a novelty. Mars Volta sound like an amped up Porcupine Tree, with more shouty vocals. I think if I could read and ponder the lyrics I would appreciate their music more. The song-writing is fairly complex, jammed packed with dissonant melodies and time changes so repeated listenings... like maybe 10 times would also help me appreciate this more. But as it is I don't have that much time to invest in one band so they get a middle of the road rating from me.
Prince
2/5
I honestly don’t understand all the fuss over Prince. His hits here are pretty mediocre and dated sounding, especially the percussion. I wanted to give it 1 star but since I couldn’t make it all the way thru the album I’ll round it up in case I actually missed something of substance.
Spiritualized
3/5
There are two good songs on this album, the title track and Broken Heart. I like them because they don’t have the trade mark Brit-pop sound where everyone sings like Oasis.
a-ha
2/5
Back in the mid-80s I was a huge fan of a group that Tony Mansfield headed up called New Musik. Yeah I know that's not a very inspiring name. They were an early synthpop band from London that released the pioneering album, From A to B that actually was one of the best of this emerging genre. But unfortunately most people have never heard of them. Gawd I'm sure I wore out the copy of that album because I was heavily into this "new wave" thing that was sweeping the airwaves back then. I'm bringing him up because Mansfield went on to produce this album from the Norwegian band, A-ha. Much of his strong production values are evident here, but it's also obviously geared towards mainstream airplay so this album is quite "poppy" sounding. Take on me might be their biggest hit, but IMO the Sun always shines on TV is definitely their best song. Unfortunately, the rest of the album sounds like a very commercial and dated sounding Depeche mode and is not very compelling to listen to.
Cocteau Twins
3/5
The Twins are the OG dream-pop band that influenced other bands such as This Mortal Coil (who I love), Beach House and shoegaze bands such as My Bloody Valentine (who give me a headache). TIL from Wiki that they're Scottish, which explains why I don't understand a word that they're singing, although that's probably intentional since their style is an ethereal wall of sound and a tapestry of echoey and dreamy vocals. Since 1,001 lets us listen to a lot of bands from years ago, I've noticed that some music sounds so dated while others can stand the test of time and sound fresh as ever. Unfortunately the music by the Cocteau Twins sounds very dated today.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
2/5
For some reason latter day Elvis Costello doesn't click with me. I think his earlier albums were da bomb, in fact his debut album, My aim is true is my favourite of his but they gradually go downhill from there for me. I much prefer his post-punk energy and snarling vocals on Welcome to the working week, Miracle Man, Watching the detectives etc and I think they are peak Declan Patrick MacManus. Maybe because he got married to snore-fest jazz crooner Dianne Krall he mellowed out because his mellower songs just don't do it for me and I find his crooning to be downright annoying at times.
Mudhoney
2/5
Peter Frampton
1/5
Back in high school the cool kids were mad about this album. I didn’t understand the hype about it then, and 45 yrs later I still don’t see what all the fuss was about. At least now I can confidently say that I wasn’t missing anything. This is a pretty bog standard rock/pop record and a terrible live recording to boot.
The Killers
3/5
This is a pretty fine post punk record. Very solid Side A but B slips up. I’ll give them kudos for having an original sound and good energy.
Tears For Fears
4/5
After their brilliant debut album with 3 impressive singles, they did it again with this their second album. This one kicks it off with Shout, one of my all time favourites from them. The album is relatively short at only 42 mins but there’s not much wasted space here. They avoid a lot of the cliched synth pop beats that prematurely dates many of their contemporaries and this album sounds remarkably fresh today. A very solid effort here.
MGMT
3/5
I like how the interweb explains that their name is a "disemvowelment of Management" very witty. These kids put out a decent psychedelic indie record, Kids and Electric feel have got some catchy hooks. The rest of the record is fairly pedestrian though. The exception is the last half of Of the Moon, which features lovely almost proggy instrumental. I liked that so much that I rounded it up to a 3.
Depeche Mode
2/5
Although this is their 7th album I still don’t think they have mastered putting the “feelz” into their synth pop. For example Kraftwerk is arguably more robotic and mechanical sounding but they’re able to imbue more soul and humanism into their music. Depeche Mode OTOH sound so soulless and hollow to me. Enjoy the silence is a fine song, probably one of their best actually, but the rest of the album is meh to me.
Death In Vegas
3/5
One of my favourite directors is Sophia Coppola, not only does she produce sumptuous visuals but she also has great taste and music so the soundtracks to her films are also fabulous. I’m meaning this because her Lost in Translation (a wonderful film btw) featured Death in Vegas’ Girls and that scene just captured the mood of Americans lost in Tokyo perfectly. Girls is actually from their subsequent album Scorpio Rising, but the Contino Sessions is also a fine album. I’m not a fan of shoegaze but this album could almost convert me.
Stephen Stills
2/5
Machito
2/5
Afro Cuban music is really not my jam and this album is an extreme version of this genre. This record is too frenetic and brassy for me, and all the songs sound the same with no distinguishing features.
Ute Lemper
1/5
I was excited to see that she's covering songs by respectable artists such as Nick Cave, Elvis Costello, Philip Glass, Tom Waits, Scott Walker and Kurt Weill. How could you miss right? It turns out she should have named the album Punishing Tripe instead. Gawd this was awful, pure dreck. The aforementioned artists should sue to have their names removed from the credits.
The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy
2/5
Political rap that’s very preachy. It’s fine to be socially conscious but this album beats you over the head, again and again. And once more again for good measure. I think that Gil Scott Heron and Public Enemy did it better though.
3/5
If Patti Smith and Nick Cave had a love child, it would be PJ Harvey. Also, TIL that PJ stands for Polly Jean. I find this album to be a exercise in contrasts, the more introspective songs such as We Float, Horses in my Dreams and and particularly the ones featuring Thom Yorke such as This Mess are excellent. But when she rocks out its a completely different vibe for me and I have a hard time liking those songs.
Kate Bush
4/5
This is Kate at her absolute creative peak. After releasing three previous albums and having established her artistic cred, the record label let her go wild on this one. She is also almost schizophrenic on this album, with weird screeching background vocal overdubs on many songs and she also affects foreign accents - eg French (and also Donkey) in Get out of my house, Cockney in There goes a tenner and Aussie in The Dreaming. The album starts out with thunderous percussion on Sat in your lap and you just know that its gonna be a wild ride. I can see why some folks think this album is strange or eccentric, but after a repeated listenings (probably 100s in my case) it will grow on you. I can also see how she was a major influence on other eccentric artists such as Bjork. I think this was a landmark work of art, but its not quite her best work - that would probably be Hounds of Love and the sinfully under-rated Aerial.
The Specials
3/5
In the late 70's Thatcher's England was a powder keg about to explode. In this volatile environment three British ska bands were able to fuse 60's Jamaican music, 70's British dance music and 80's punk to create a wonderful blend of highly danceable and politically relevant music - The English Beat, Madness and The Specials. The Specials were probably the most legit of the three (with two Jamaicans on board) and their hit single - A message to you Rudy is still pretty timeless. The rest of the record has great energy and is highly danceable and I would consider it to be one of the best of this genre.
Devendra Banhart
3/5
I prefer latter day Banhart that is not stripped down low-fi folk like most of this album is. For example check out Sea Horse from his 2007 album Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon which features multiple instruments with lovely Brubeck-esque jazz/waltz time signatures. Or the playful Never seen such good things from his 2013 album Maia. The fella has real talent and can write beautiful songs, but on this album it's often just him and a guitar so its very bare bones. I get some Cocorosie, Joanna Newsome and Sufjan Stevens vibes here but ultimately this record is a light snack that's not very satisfying. The exception is the last song, Autumn's Child which is really lovely and somewhat redeems this album.
The White Stripes
3/5
This is pretty solid punk-blues revival-rock with Jack White shredding his guitar on most of the songs. Seven Nation Army is the highlight of course, but his cover of Burt Bacharach's I just don't know is a nice touch also.
Todd Rundgren
3/5
There’s some interesting material here, but as others have said I think you need to be high on acid to really get it. The album is redeemed by the long mashup medley which is probably his finest work
Orbital
2/5
I’m embarrassed to say that I have this album. I think I played it once when I first got it and it’s been collecting dust ever since. 1001 forced me to re-listen to it again so I tried to go in with an open mind. Nope, it’s still mind numbingly boring and repetitive. If you’re looking for electronica or techno music there are many better alternatives.
Blur
2/5
Damon Albarn has a great voice but I prefer his latter day material with the Gorrilaz. I must also admit that I'm getting annoyed with all the Brit-pop on this list, so this will probably unduly influence my rating of this album. Beetlebum is a good opener and Song 2 undeniably has a catchy hook, but the rest of the album doesn't grab my interest at all.
Dennis Wilson
3/5
Although I'm not a fan of the Beach Boys, this was more listenable to me since he's toned down the annoying Beach Boy sound which I’m sure is big brother Brian's influence (vocal harmonies). His voice is a bit gravelly though and I understand that it had begun to deteriorate after a motorcycle accident in the early 70s. As a result, I like the instrumental pieces such as Holy man and Common better. IMO the best song on this very long album is Time, it has a very nice orchestral arrangement and is very different sounding from the rest of the album that basically just blends together for me. He could have just dumped the filler and made this a solid single album. For me, the most interesting thing about Dennis Wilson is his history on Wiki, particularly the Manson section, wow what a trip!
Jah Wobble's Invaders Of The Heart
4/5
I would say Wobble was one of the earliest and more influential purveyors of the emerging genre of World Music back in the 80s'. Him along with David Byrne perhaps. Kudos to him for being able to attract top vocal talent including Sinead O'Connor and Natasha Atlas, and later Delores O'Riordan. Coming from PiL you wouldn't guess that Wardle would be a fan of Jamaican reggae and dub but he was and and he plays his bass guitar here with aplomb channeling Robbie Shakespeare (of Sly and Robbie fame). I also really enjoy him mixing Latin and Middle-Eastern music seamlessly into this album. Spotify's algorithms also gave me some tracks from his 2004 album The Celtic Poets and I thought that was an even better album. Wobble's sound also reminds me a lot of Malcolm McLaren's forays into tribal/world music on his Duck Rock album. Overall, this album works really well and was quite enjoyable.
Little Richard
3/5
This album is No. 14 on the list and the only rock and rollers that precede him are Elvis and Fats Domino. Notably, Ray Charles and James Brown follow him so Little Richard was one of the Originals. When listening to oldies like this I consciously try ignore the cliched melodies and hooks that sound so overdone today because back in '57 this was cutting edge and original material. So although a lot of this album sounds samey now, it influenced a shit-ton of black and wanna-be black artists, yes I'm looking at you Beatles and Rolling Stones.
Stan Getz
3/5
Sure, Byrd and Getz ripped off Carlos Jobin and other Brazilian artists and repackaged samba into a new genre. But this album, probably more than any other, put bossa nova into the living rooms of jazz neophytes all over the world, so credit must be given for that. Desifinado (and later, The Girl from Ipanema) are classic bossa nova tracks that still sound pretty fresh today. Samba de Uma nato so is also a nice song that went on to chart well. This album doesn't try to push the envelope at all, the vibe is insouciant and carefree - perfect for a casual sunday afternoon brunch, and there ain't nothing wrong with that.
3/5
Ornette Coleman's brand of free jazz can be described as "challenging" to listen to. Having John Zorn, the self-proclaimed enfant terrible of American avant garde and improvised music cover Coleman's work is sure to raise eyebrows. I'm surprised that 1,001 included this album from him, I would have thought they would have added something a bit more accessible such as his brilliant The Big Gundown which covers the music of the legendary Ennio Morricone, or even The Naked City. Both of those albums showcase the brilliance of the musicians and are less cacophonic and dissonant. If you're a bit adventurous and interested in something more experimental I would suggest giving those a listen. I note that this is one of the lowest ranked albums on this site, and understandably so because it won't be everyone's cup of tea. But if you dissect the music and listen with an open mind what they've achieved is pretty impressive. There are only 5 musicians here, but the two sax players, two drummers and one bassist create a holy hell assault on the senses. This is not my favourite Zorn album, but since its probably the only entry from him, I'll give him an extra point for audacity and originality so he gets three stars.
Roxy Music
4/5
I think I slightly prefer the first two Roxy albums that featured Brian Eno - where their songs had a harder "edge" to them. But this album starts out with a real banging sizzler - The Thrill of it all, which I think is one of their very best songs. Out of the Blue is another cracker and Eddie Jobson shows that he's also a great keyboard/synth player and more than a capable replacement for Eno. The line-up is also super talented, with guys that went on to make waves on their own - Phil Manzanera on guitars and Andy Mackay on oboe/sax and Paul Thompson on drums. There's a slight turn in their sound after Eno departed, but they're now forging a new path that's more proggy and also laying the groundwork for glam/new wave bands like Duran Duran, Ultravox and Human League. In the early 70s Roxy's only competition in the glam/prog rock arena was David Bowie who released killer albums like Ziggy Stardust and Hunky Dory during this time. But I would say these two bands were the undisputed kings of this era.
Pink Floyd
5/5
I've been putting off listening to this album for the past few years because I wanted to listen to it with "fresh" ears when it eventually came up on 1,001. Well, after 723 albums it's finally arrived in my inbox. This one is actually difficult to review because what can I say that hasn't already been said about it before? After listening to it I am reminded that yes, this is a monumental album that basically changed (prog) rock forever. I don't give out 5 star ratings too often because I basically use this album as my 5 star reference point, and not too many albums can legit compare to it. Only Sgt Pepper, Ziggy Stardust, Kind of Blue, The Wall and Wish You Were Here immediately come to mind. This a truly iconic album that your really need to listen to before you die.
The Black Crowes
2/5
Just another generic sounding American blues rock band that listened to a lot of Rolling Stones and Led Zep when they were growing up. Meh.
Richard Hawley
3/5
Very nice change of pace from Pulp for Hawley. I’ve always loved The Ocean and the rest of the album is similarly lush and romantic. Great baritone voice also.
Taylor Swift
1/5
If it wasn't for 1,001 and this cool website I wouldn't listen to albums that are not on my radar such as this. Because of 1,001 I've found some hidden gems so I thank them for that. For example, I would never have listened to Kanye's Dark Twisted Fantasy because I think he's a douche, but I was genuinely surprised at how good that album was. He really is a crazy genius mofo.
Unfortunately Taylor Swift isn't in that category it reinforces why I was correct in avoiding it for all those years. Damn you 1,001, this was pure shite
The Stone Roses
3/5
If the Beach Boys did Shoegaze they would probably sound like this jangly indie band. To me, I wanna be adored is their best song and it came out on their debut album no less. This is a solid 2.5 for me, but since we're not doing decimals it gets rounded up.
Aretha Franklin
3/5
Rolling Stone Magazine recently listed the top 200 singers of all time, guess who was number 1? There’s no doubt that Aretha is a force of nature, possessing a truly powerful yet soulful voice. Lots of hits here, but it’s too bad that most of them are covers. If she wrote more of her own material she would have gotten more stars from me.
Drive Like Jehu
2/5
JAY Z
2/5
I'm not a fan of hip hop so I've never actually listened to Jay Z. I was hoping that it would turn out to be a pleasant surprise like Kanye's Dark Twisted Fantasy. My hopes were high since Kanye also produced this. But unfortunately this didn't resonate with me. This is not nearly as complex or brilliant as Dark Twisted Fantasy. Pretty run of the mill stuff.
The Divine Comedy
1/5
Campy, creepy and crappy Casanova music. Way too dramatic and not even a wink to the listener, this dude takes himself far too seriously.
Weather Report
3/5
This album, perhaps more than any other can claim to have introduced jazz to the masses. I'm sure most folks have heard the catchy Birdland. Although it sometimes veers dangerously close to sounding like the schmaltzy easy listening jazz of the 70's ala Kenny G, Chuck Mangione, it redeems itself with some crack musicians playing - Joe Zawinul on keyboards, Wayne Shorter on sax, but the best is Jaco Pastorius on bass. Jaco's playing on Havona is simply brilliant. Material - 2, Musicmanship - 4, so overall this gets a 3.
Ray Charles
2/5
Black man covers country and makes it almost listenable. Laudable!
Public Enemy
1/5
I can’t say this was fun to listen to. An assault on the senses.
Bon Jovi
1/5
The album cover sucks, the title "slippery when wet" is cliched and the music is an abomination. Why 1,001 decided that this horrible hair-band album deserved inclusion is beyond me. This is one of the worst that I've heard yet.
2/5
I recon Victoria is one of their top songs, alongside Waterloo Sunset, Lola and You really got me. I get a lot of CCR vibes from this song also, which is interesting coming from a 60s Brit band. The rest of the album didn’t resonate with me though
Cyndi Lauper
3/5
Gotta give credit to Lauper for brining the New Wave music and its sensibilities to the masses. The singles were decent enough pop songs so I won't give them much air time, but she shows a bit of edge with her snarling voice, (kinda a female equivalent of Billy Idol) in She Bop and I'll kiss you. Witness has a pseudo reggae vibe. He's so Unusual is oddly out of place, but it's mercifully short at least. This is a solid 2.5 but since its her debut and she arguably opened the gates for synth-pop I'll round it up.
Destiny's Child
1/5
I've never listened to Beyonce or Destiny's Child before, but with sales of over 10M, it's worth a shot right? Wrong - I couldn't make it past the third song. Next please.
Lou Reed
3/5
I'm not a fan of the Velvet Underground, but when Reed got Bowie and Mick Ronson to produce this album its golden. Walk on the wild side is his best song (ever) of course, but you can hear Bowie's influence on Vicious and Satellite of love. The remainder of the album is just aight though. I would almost give this album 4 stars for Walk on the wild side alone, but my criteria for 4 stars is an album that I would put on repeat.. repeatedly, but alas this doesn't quite get there for me.
The Who
4/5
This is the Who's best album IMO. It's bookended by two of their best songs, and Behind Blue Eyes is also right up there. I'm glad they've finally said goodbye to their Mod roots and have incorporated their signature Proto-Prog /hard rock sound, complete with the use of an Arp synthesizer. I also like the nod and wink to minimalist composer Terry Riley in both the song name, "Babo O'Riley" and also the repetitive and hypnotic beats that Riley pioneered. One complaint, or maybe it's just an observation is that the Who seem to recycle much of their music so a lot of their songs sound alike - eg Babo O'Riley and Won't get fooled again have a very similar high tempo keyboards, but they do mix it up enough to keep it interesting. Tell me who hasn't channeled Keith Moon and played air drums at the 7:30 mark of Won't get fooled again and then screamed "Yeaaaahhhhhhhh!", its truly an iconic rock moment. Not to sound sexist but this album is truly masculine sounding, everything is right in your face and amped up - Moon's drumming, Entwistle's bass Townshend's guitar and keyboards and Daltrey's screaming and booming vocals. They don't make 'em like this anymore.
Arcade Fire
3/5
I remember walking into my local record store back in 2004 and the music playing stopped me in my tracks. I had never heard such a glorious wall of sound. I asked who it was and the clerk showed me Arcade Fire's debut album Funeral. I immediately bought it and couldn't wait to get home to play it. Mind Blown. Their second album Neon Bible was pretty good too with the magnificent No cars go - it was anthemic rock at its best. It also has My body is a cage and Keep the car running which are quite good. Unfortunately they peaked early though because I find their third album The Suburbs to be just ok. The title track and Ready to start are good, but the rest of the album fizzles out a bit for me.
Jungle Brothers
2/5
The Stooges
2/5
I would have thought a notable proto punk album like this would have been more exciting. Overall it was quite meh.
Jefferson Airplane
2/5
The album title sounds quaintly twee today. For some reason music from the 60s is probably my least favourite, I like the 50s and 70s plenty, but the the 60's is just too much flower power for me. The saving grace (pun intended) on this album is Ms. Slick herself. Her strong vocals elevate Somebody to love and White Rabbit way above the other hippie songs. The bolero theme on White Rabbit is also quite memorable and as a result its an iconic 60's song. It's a shame that they didn't give Grace more opportunity to shine on this album.
Amy Winehouse
2/5
She has an unique voice, I'll give her that and comparisons to Billie Holiday are inevitable and her talent is undeniable. This is the first time I've ever actually listened to a full album by her, Lord knows I tried, but nothing on this album really grabbed my attention. As a debut album from a 19 year old this is commendable , but it is a bit one dimensional and still needs some fleshing out IMO. Her next album was better.
D'Angelo
1/5
This Neo soul is really not my jam. Couldn't get thru this one and for the record, the Stones did Brown Sugar better.
King Crimson
3/5
I must admit I'm one of those weenies that likes Prog. And of all the Prog groups, King Crimson is one of the best IMO, just behind Genesis and Yes. This group never ceases to impress, constantly evolving and changing their line-up, with Robert Fripp the band leader being the only constant. This iteration brings in one of my favourite drummers, Bill Bruford and bassists, John Wetton. David Cross' violin adds another interesting dimension to their sound. I think the two bonus tracks that Spotify tagged on to the end are really good, but to be fair they shouldn't be rated with the original album material. Their almost heavy metal prog sound was highly influential on bands like Porcupine Tree and Dream Theatre and the improv noodling shows that they can push the envelope. However, I think In the Court of the Crimson King and Red are better albums so I hope they show up on this list.
Sister Sledge
2/5
Today I learned that the four singers are actually sisters so We are Family brings a new meaning to me. The only bright spot on this album is Nile Rodgers' inimitable guitar playing. When he's playing the tunes have an infectious funky beat that really elevates it from the detritus of this pop/soul album. There are two passable songs on this album so it gets two stars.
Brian Eno
4/5
This is one of the Grand Daddy’s of modern ambient music. A remarkable evolution from his earlier rock music, it’s not as saccharine sweet or commercial as some of the “New Age” artists that followed, nor as controversial or mind bending as say John Cage’s 4’33” where there’s nothing but silence for the duration. This album never gets old, and I think it’ll always be as essential hundreds of years from now.
Bruce Springsteen
2/5
Wow, seven top 10 hits from this album! It’s a sure thing right? Nope, this is probably the Boss’ most commercial album so it doesn’t appeal to me at all. This is far too redneck and Murican heartland for me. Give me Born to Run or Darkness on the edge of town instead any day.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
1/5
Swamp rock is really not my thing. Just couldn't do it.
Hookworms
3/5
I've favourited the opening track Negative Space on Spotify so it comes up quite often on my playlists, but I hadn't heard the rest of the album until now. Its actually quite decent, I get some Built to Spill x MGMT x Tame Impala vibes, with some hints of Krautrock. The hypnotic driving beats are pretty mesmerizing. Opener is also a banger of a song, its great if you crank it up.
Bob Dylan
2/5
He can write. He can play. But he can’t sing.
Serge Gainsbourg
3/5
I was creeped out thinking that it was a topless 15 yr old girl holding a doll on the cover, but I was relieved to find out that his 25 yr old girlfriend Jane Birkin was actually the model. There's no way that anyone would be able to put out an album about their Lolita-esque obsession with a 15 yr old today, oh boy, how times have changed. But apart from that, this is a fine album. Gainsbourg went on to influence a ton of artists with this Gallic/psychedelic/funk style with lush strings and spoken word ramblings. He's basically the French Issac Hayes and this album could be described as music for sex. Interesting to see violinist Jean Luc Ponty on En Melody also, but he gets only a bit part so his talents are wasted. I think Gainsbourg's Je t'aime moi non plus and Bonny and Clyde are better than Melody, but overall this is tres bien.
Funkadelic
3/5
So George Clinton says to Eddie Hazel, play your guitar like your mother just died so we got this 10 minute minor masterpiece. The rest of the album is uneven and not very cohesive unfortunately. The album is book-ended by another 10 min opus, Wars of Armageddon that was supposedly recorded when Clinton was high on LSD - and it sounds like it, full of crazy lyrics, and fart sounds. More pussy to the people!
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
3/5
ELP's brand of prog is often accused of being pretentious, bombastic and overblown and I can't argue with that. However, the 20 min title song Tarkus is in my humble opinion one of their best songs, right up there with Lucky Man. It's unfortunate that they couldn't maintain this level of excellence for the next 18 minutes because the quality falls off a cliff starting with Jeremy Bender and ends with a rock n' roll number where they try to channel Jerry Lee Louis in Are you ready Eddy. I'm still shaking my head at that last number.
System Of A Down
1/5
Paul Weller
2/5
I really think Paul Weller is hugely talented and I do enjoy his work with the Jam and the Style Council, so I was looking forward to this. But unfortunately I didn't find any songs to be inspiring or even close to catching my attention so I listened to it twice. Still nada, maybe i need to listen to it for a third time, but for now it only gets 2
Deep Purple
2/5
This album starts out really great with Highway star, Child in time and Smoke on the Water which are probably their three best songs and they're well recorded and well played. Unfortunately it falls off precipitously after that and I found the drum and guitar solos to be overly indulgent TBH. And then I noticed that this was a double album, ugh!! This is really for fans only.
Paul Revere & The Raiders
2/5
The only song here that I really enjoyed was Stepping Stone and that was actually written by Boyce and Hart who were the songwriters for the Monkees. The rest of the album was fairly unremarkable 60s pop.
Nick Drake
4/5
The title track Pink Moon is a timeless classic and IMO is his best song. I was shocked to learn that he was only 26 when he recorded this and that he would die only two years later. Taken far too soon, he was a true musical genius. This album is sparse but not lacking, understated but it still says a lot. And the album cover is lovely also.
The Sonics
2/5
This proto-punk/garage band sounds suitably raw and the recording is pretty piss poor, but I guess their target audience wasn't too fussed about that. I lost count of how many times the lead singer went "Waaaah!!!" Most of their covers are pretty serviceable, but they would get more points from me if they wrote more than four out of 12 songs.
Motörhead
1/5
Joni Mitchell
3/5
Joni Mitchell has always been difficult for me to listen to. Similar to say, Bob Dylan, I acknowledge that she's a terrific song-writer and hugely talented, but her singing style just grates me. This is Mitchell's 6th album and you can hear her segueing away from folk to jazz and that's good news because I think her talking/scat type of singing is more suitable for jazz. This wasn't as bad as I was expecting.
Miles Davis
4/5
I have tremendous respect for artists that can read the zeitgeist of the times and lead the way by pushing boundaries. Their long-time fans may initially get upset because it may totally different from what they're used to or expecting, but history usually proves them right and their genius only becomes apparent many many years later, sometimes after they die. A few of the artists that come to mind here are David Bowie, Neil Young and Miles Davis. Miles has shifted once again here, completely changing his line-up, bringing on some young guys and moving from hard bop and acoustic jazz to this proto-ambient, electronic jazz/rock fusion. These young guys would eventually go on to establish themselves and make their own great music and show how precient Miles was - Wayne Shorter, John McLaughlin, Tony Williams, Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, Joe Zawinul and Dave Holland - wow! After first opening the door to this new electric fusion style with the Filles de Kilimanjaro in 1968, Miles explores more ambient and introspective vibes here but its still pretty accessible. He wouldn't go totally bat-shit crazy until the following year when he released the earth shaking Bitches Brew.
The Yardbirds
3/5
Yet another Brit rock group from the 60's that are laying down some heavily blues influenced rock. I guess its akin to white guys today doing rap, hopefully they aren't guilty of cultural appropriation, they were simply playing homage to the hip sound of the era, or so we hope. This album is fine, and the late great Jeff Beck is as scintillating as ever on lead guitar. Over, under, sideways down is a memorable single. 2.5 stars rounded up to 3 for its influence.
R.E.M.
3/5
This has a couple of their biggest hits but the rest of the album fails to impress
Christine and the Queens
2/5
S/He has a fairly good pop voice, but therein lies the rub, it's so smoothly inoffensive that it gets boring real fast. And the slickly produced backing synth/instruments are so generic every song basically melds into the other so you can't really distinguish them. For some reason I keep getting reminded of Michael Jackson, but at least MJ had a bit of edge to his music. This was just profoundly boring and Spotify even gave us two Discs of it, ugh.
Paul McCartney and Wings
4/5
This review may be heavily tainted by nostalgia but I'll try to be as objective as possible. I was 11 yrs old when this album came out and I thought it was McCartney's best work, ever, and that includes the Beatles. I couldn't guess how many times I played it on my crappy turntable, probably in the hundreds I recon. I mean, Band on the Run and Jet to lead off was a monster one-two punch. The album flags a bit in the middle though, and Picasso's last words seems to go on forever, but then he closes with another banger, 1985. I didn't know about his Lagos fiasco until I just read it in Wiki, but the fact that he could produce such a solid album despite such adversity also adds to the legendary status of this album.
The White Stripes
3/5
This was a difficult album for me to rate. I think it was well done, but I didn’t particularly enjoy it. Nothing really jumps out like Seven Nation Army. I’m sure I’ll never seek it out to play on my own so I think it’s a 2.5, but I decided to round up instead of down in this case.
Korn
1/5
Why do these heavy metal bands all sound the same, you know the usual trope - quiet passage with soft singing, then heavy guitars and drums with loud singing. Rinse and repeat for all songs, and their fans all seem to lap it up. SMH.
Sigur Rós
4/5
For a small island of only about 375,000 people Iceland really punches above its weight. Maybe because it's so isolated it produces really unique music. Their most famous export is probably Bjork, love her or hate her, but you have to admit she's original. Gus Gus, Olafur Arnaulds, Emiliana Torrini, Of Monsters and Men are also great Icelandic artists. But my all time favourite from that island is Múm - hard to describe their music, maybe indietronica, very ethereal and dreamy at times, similar vibe as Sigur Ros. It's too bad that they're not on this list. I think Sigur Ros is still decent and they have some very good songs and sonic tapestries here. It doesn't matter that we can't understand Jon Birgisson's vocals because he's imparting a mood with the wall of sound with his cello bowed guitar. This album is a solid 3 for me, but I'm bumping it up another star to compensate for the egregious omission of so many other Icelandic artists from the list.
Megadeth
2/5
I let out an audible groan when I saw another metal album pop up this morning. However, it wasn't as bad as I expected, these guys can seriously thrash and shred their instruments and the vocals weren't as obnoxious as some other bands out there. The cover is typical metal though, cliched and dated. I definitely won't be seeking this out to play on my own, but I'll give a slight nod for their talent.
Ministry
2/5
Well this band has evolved quite a bit over the years. In the early 80's their debut album With Sympathy was basically a Brit synth pop clone with the dance hit Work for love. Wiki informs that they record company wanted them to sound like Wham! and Jourgenson even adopted a fake British accent. Their sound started to harden over time and in 87 they released the bangers like Everyday is like halloween and All day. On their next album - Land of rape and honey they really got aggressive with Stigmata which IMO is probably the most listenable industrial single ever. On their next album, the Mind is a terrible thing to waste I think they really went whole hog into speed industrial death metal sound with jackhammering guitars/drums and hyper aggressive vocals. Which brings us to this album. I can't say it was a fun listen and I know I'll sound like an old fart when I say that I liked them better back in the day.
Massive Attack
3/5
In the early 90s, Massive Attack and Portishead from Bristol kicked off the British trip-hop/downtempo movement and they quickly became ubiquitous in the tiki lounges and bars everywhere. They blended hip-hop with jazz, soul, electronic and reggae and slowed down the beats, waaaay down to create a languorous sophisticated mood. My favourite songs on this album are Be thankful for what you've got (a nice cover of William DeVaughan's hit) and Safe from harm with its thunderous bass. The other songs with the male singers softly rapping with their Bri'ish accents don't work as well for me though. I wish Shara Nelson's vocals were featured on more of these songs. Three stars for their influence in creating this new genre though.
Janis Joplin
2/5
Gritty, passionate and raw. There's no doubt that Joplin was certainly an original but this just isn't for me so I just couldn't get into it.
Neneh Cherry
2/5
It’s too bad this album doesn’t feature 7 seconds, (with Youssou N’Dour) which IMO is her best song. Buffalo Stance is a decent cover of Malcolm Mclaren’s hit, but the rest of this album sounds dated and doesn’t grab me at all.
Brian Eno
5/5
Eno has released many excellent records but I think this one is my favourite. It spans his more aggressive rock side eg the manic frenzy of Baby’s on Fire or Third uncle and his somnolent ambient masterpieces, eg Music for Airports. Don’t mistake the quieter songs for being simple, he packs incredible beauty in those simple sparse notes. For some reason Spotify didn’t play any other music when the album was a finished but just kept repeating it and before I knew it, I had listened to it three times. It never got boring and was the perfect background to a languid Sunday morning. I’ve always loved St Elmo’s fire, but I was reminded how great the Big Ship and Golden Hours are. This is simply a masterpiece.
The Who
2/5
The pseudo bootleg album cover is a cute touch. How many of you kids even know what a bootleg record is though? There's no doubt that The Who have a handful of monster rock songs, I consider them their Tier 1 songs. But all their other material is Tier 2 and pretty middling at best. In addition I find that they tend to recycle their songs so a lot of them sound alike, eg the repetitive minimalist keyboards on Baba O'Reily, Won't get fooled again and Eminence Front, although good, are all very similar. I see that the original 1970 release was only 37 mins long, but subsequent releases got really bloated and range from 77 mins to a soul crushing 239 mins for the 2010 re-issue! Also, and this may be blasphemous to some but I find Keith Moon's drumming to be over-rated, they give him way too much prominence in the mix and he tends to keep repeating the same flourishes and fills over and over again. This live album was released a year before they knocked it out out of the park with their studio album - Who's Next, so this record doesn't feature some of their best material. They do a decent cover of Johnny Kidd's Shakin' all over, but I think Van Morrison's live version (on Van Morrison Live in San Francisco) and the Guess Who's versions are better. Funny story about that song - Randy Bachman from the Canadian Band The Guess Who? once told John Entwistle that people constantly got The Who and The Guess Who mixed up. Tired of being yelled at for not playing Shakin' all over, the Who started playing it just to keep the crowd happy. Bachman responded that the Guess Who had the same reasons for playing "My Generation". Methinks those audiences were all stoned out of their minds. Anyways, this album is more for hard core Who fans as it doesn't make a compelling argument for needing to listen to this vs their studio albums.
Joan Armatrading
4/5
In a conversation about the best female songwriters/musicians, Joan Armatrading's name should be there. Her talent as a musician and song-writer is hugely apparent here, with excellent lyrics, affecting vocals and a crack ensemble behind her. She definitely wears her heart-felt emotions sleeve. I was shocked to see that this record is 47 years old, but her music has held up just fine over the years.
Dr. Octagon
1/5
Damn, how old is this guy anyways, 12 yrs old? Gimmicky, sophomoric and crude lyrics. The intro that sounds like its from a porn flick made me roll my eyes but the worst song is I got to tell you which drops infantile bombs referring to doo doo and pee pee with Pachelbel's Canon in the background (ie., Classical music for people who don't know shit about Classical music). Also, the cover and name of the album sucks.
The Streets
2/5
This is an interesting concept, and I hear the roots of dub step forming. Unfortunately I didn't have the time or patience to listen carefully to the story that he was weaving so I let it play in the background. As background music it got pretty boring fast though as there's not a lot of variety going on here.
Leonard Cohen
2/5
If you're a fan of Dylan and appreciate folksy music accented with heart-felt songwriting and imagery you'll also love this. Thing is though, I hate Dylan and I also don't like Cohen. He's another of those polarizing artists, you either love him or hate him. Someone here also wrote that if you find Dylan too exciting, then Cohen is for you... which I found hilarious. His lyrics may be good, but he's the Dark Prince of Gloom and his maudlin, gloomy voice throughout just makes me want to slice open my veins now.
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
This was a nice surprise because it was a lot less redneck sounding than the recent offerings by the Boss on this list. Maybe it was more reflective of the post 9/11 zeitgeist. After a long hiatus the Boss shows that he can still write some solid songs.
The Everly Brothers
2/5
This record really captures the mood and spirit of the 50’s. Whoops this was released in 1960, so you could say it was already getting dated. And boy is it ever an anachronism now. Well although the music isn’t very exciting and the lyrics are pretty lame, I have to admit they had nice voices.
Prince
2/5
This is the second Prince album that I've received and I still fail to see what all the hype is about. To me he's just a hyper-sexualized, edgier version of Michael Jackson. Its interesting to see a full drum kit prominently featured on the album cover because most of the songs feature an annoying electronic drum kit. I'm also not a fan of his alter ego "Camille" with his higher pitched voice, it's a bit creepy. Thank gawd the record company convinced him to strip down his triple album concept to a "mere double" album because this was a chore to get through.
A Tribe Called Quest
3/5
Low end theory is nice low key hip hop, with influences from hard and be-bop Jazz and smooth socially conscious lyrics it is much more accessible than the harder gangster rap that followed it. It's too bad this album doesn't have a killa tune like Can I kick it from their debut album. Most of this album is well done, but so low key that nothing really jumps out and grabs my attention. A solid 2.5 that gets rounded up for its influence.
Britney Spears
1/5
Does bubble gum pop deserve to be on the list? I think not.
Christina Aguilera
1/5
Yesterday it was Britney Spears, today its Christina Aguilera. Dammit 1,001 this is not what I signed up for.
Judas Priest
2/5
Well this is a change from the bubble gum pop we've been receiving lately. At first it was refreshing to hear the driving jackhammer guitars and edgier vocals, but then they repeated it again.....and again...... and again. The only song that sounded different was United, but boy was that ever a clunker. This album has a lot of cliched guitar riffs and metal style vocals but I'll concede that if they were amongst the first groups to do this back in 1980 then they were actually innovative, so I'll give them an extra point for that.
Traffic
3/5
The star here is obviously Steve Winwood, really great vocals and writing. Glad is a classic prog folk song that ages very gracefully. Kudos to Traffic for creating a really original sound that no other group was able to imitate.
The Jam
3/5
I've always respected artists that are able to change their styles over time to suit the zeitgeist of the moment. Ones that come to mind are Bowie, Miles and Neil Young. Now it may be a stretch to include Paul Weller with those august names, but I must say he's still immensely talented. IMO, along with the Clash they are two of the best groups to come out of the Brit punk rock movement. The Jam's first single In the City is where they sound like a cross between the Clash and the Sex Pistols. Later they would release their anthemic Eton Rifles, and Going Underground. Paul Weller's latter day material with The Style Council and his soulful solo material is vastly different but equally good. Their third album, All Mod Cons was released when they were transitioning away from punk but it bears all the hallmarks of Weller's excellent song-writing.
Iggy Pop
3/5
I've generally been cool on Iggy Pop, but I'm a big Bowie fan, so I think this collab is one of Pop's better efforts. A few of Bowie's rhythm section appears here also, Dennis Davis, Carlos Alomar, George Murray (the DAM trio) and producer Tony Visconti. Bowie was in his Krautrock /Pre Berlin phase so this album reflects a lot of the sound of that period. You can really hear Bowie's influence on Sister Midnight and Nightclubbing. The original version of China Girl on this album is interesting, less cultural appropriation and not as polished as Bowie's version that released a few years later but it has its charm. Wiki mentions that Iggy was in love with a Vietnamese woman Kuelan Nguyen. When he professed his love for her, she replied "shhhh". But for some inexplicable reason he called her a "China girl", but I digress.
The The
3/5
During the post punk period of the late 80s The The was one of the better bands out there. They were on par with Tears for Fears I recon. I do prefer their debut album, Soul mining though, that album had some monster singles including This is the day and Uncertain Smile and my all time favourite song by them, Giant which has some really epic percussion. Here on their sophomore album Matt Smith's writing is a bit more sophisticated with the jazzy Heartland and the percussive, almost industrial Infected. But although it doesn't capture the lighting in a bottle of its predecessor, this still a solid record overall and worth a listen before you die.
The Libertines
2/5
A few folks have mentioned that the first few songs are ok, but then it gets a bit samey. I concur.
The Icarus Line
2/5
I was a bit embarrassed that I've never heard of this band, but then I see that they have very few listens on Spotify, so I guess it;s not just me. Lots of White Stripes vibes here, minus the enjoyment.
2/5
This is very Anglocentric Britpop that just failed to resonate with me. No Woohoo here.
Genesis
4/5
Although I'd rank Selling England and Trick of the Tail ahead of Lamb, this is truly epic in its scope and ambition. I get that Gabriel needed two albums to tell this fanciful tale of Rael, but it does have some filler and that's where it lags. But there are some real killer songs, oh my! They are truly some of the best that Genesis has ever released. Carpet Crawlers, Hairless Heart, and the magnificent It to close things out. If this were a single album it would be a fiver for sure.
The Undertones
3/5
I've always thought that Feargal Sharkey had the perfect punk voice, with his warbley Northern Irish accent. You may also recognize him from his appearance on the Assembly's big hit Never Never. Also he has a really cool sounding name. This is good post punk music, the Irish Ramones, if you will.
Lorde
2/5
Better than expected and better than the popular music that the mellenials listen to these days. It does get a bit formulaic at times though.
Arrested Development
3/5
This album was a fun listen and a refreshing change from the very negative vibes from the Gangsta rap that was prevalent in this period. Lotsa A Tribe Called Quest and Outkast vibes here and samples from the who's who of Black and soul music such as Sly and the Family, James Brown, Earth Wind and Fire, Kurtis Blow etc.
FKA twigs
3/5
This is a big improvement over the more modern music that we've received lately, yes I'm looking at you Lorde. This album is multi-layered, complex and very well produced. A modern day Kate Bush or Bjork with some dubstep beats mixed it. It could use a bit more variety though.
Leonard Cohen
1/5
Yet another album by Cohen, I was starting to think that its me, that I just don't get him, but then again I counted 41 one-star ratings, so maybe its not just me. This album was morbidly morose, maudlin and a real chore to listen to. Stick to writing poetry Lenny.
David Bowie
3/5
I’ll admit to being a Bowie fanboy, but only for his music from the 60’s-80’s. His last few albums ie The last day and Darkstar have a very different sound though and nothing really jumps out and resonates with me like his earlier work. Also, I’m quite disappointed in the album “art”, which is basically Heroes with a large portion whited out by a large square, wtf?
Yes
4/5
After two uninspiring albums, Yes recruited Steve Howe and the band was immediately elevated. Combined with Chris Squire’s melodic bass and one of Jon Anderson’s best performances they really hit it out of the park with this one. They peaked later with Fragile and Close to the Edge but this is still a fine album. The album lags a bit with A Venture but other 5 / 6 songs are real bangers.
Joe Ely
2/5
Talking Heads
5/5
I recall reading an article on Reddit recently asking which group has released the best three album streak. The usual suspects like the Beatles and Led Zep were in that list, but Talking Heads also got a lot of votes and deservedly so. Actually they one upped those legendary bands with four consecutive monster albums starting with their astonishing debut, Talking Heads 77, then More Songs about buildings and food, Fear of Music and Remain in light. More Songs was also the first of three produced by Brian Eno and it was a stroke of genius to combine them in the studio, truly lightning in a bottle. This album is unrelentingly brilliant, every fricking song is a killer, absolutely no filler. Also, some of the segueways are also a match made in heaven, flowing so effortlessly into each other eg. The Good thing --> Warning Sign, I'm not in love ---> Stay Hungry. Tina Weymouth's bass is so infectious, Chris Franz' drumming is tight and punky and Byrne's funky jerky guitar riffs are a perfect foil to his equally herky jerky singing style. And I haven't even mentioned their hit single Take me to the river yet, but thats moot since I've already said enough to give this album 5 stars.
Grateful Dead
2/5
I'm not sure if Live and Greatest Hits albums should be on this list. And given that this is hella looong and improvised to boot, I wasn't too keen on it. I think that you also have to be a dead-head and fan of this group to appreciate it.
Supertramp
5/5
I recently posted about how Talking Heads had an incredible streak of four consecutive brilliant albums and I think Supertramp can be included in that conversation also, with Crime of the Century kicking it off, then followed by Crisis, what crisis?, Even in the quietest moments and then Breakfast in America. All four albums have several truly memorable tracks, but for some reason it seems that only this album made the cut for this list, truly the crime of the century, boomtish! Wiki labels them a prog band but I think they are probably the least proggy of the big British bands, being much more accessible to mainstream audiences than say early Yes or Genesis. So to account for the sinful omission of their other albums that feature truly great songs such as: Take the long way home, Breakfast in America, Even in the quietest moments, Fool's overture and Babaji, this one gets a slight bump up to 5 stars.
The Prodigy
1/5
Well electronic music is one of my favourite genres, but this drum and bass shit is my least favourite. I find this sound incredibly annoying, its just too in your face and anxiety inducing. Music for obnoxious yobs.
The Chemical Brothers
2/5
This is slightly better than yesterday's The Prodigy, but it has very similar frenetic beats that are anxiety producing. It hasn't held up well over the years and is very dated sounding and annoying, but it gets one more star than the Prodigy.
Primal Scream
1/5
The 13th Floor Elevators
2/5
I guess credit must be given for their influence on the psychedelic/garage sound but it did not resonate with me.
The Offspring
2/5
This is a cut above Green Day, but this shouty adolescent pop/punk sound is not my jam.
Basement Jaxx
1/5
This was repetitive, boring and left me cold. Yet another "WTF were the authors thinking when they added this album to the list"? I can think of many other dance oriented albums that should have been on the list instead of this.
Mudhoney
2/5
I agree with one of my esteemed colleagues that there's too much grunge on this list. And this is not particularly interesting grunge either.
Hole
2/5
I just posted that "there's too much grunge on this list" after receiving Mudhoney yesterday and then this comes up. I think Courtney's voice is slightly more suited to grunge than say Mark Arm of Mudhoney, Cobain or Chris Cornell, but this genre still doesn't grab me.
Boston
3/5
If I listened to this album cold today I would think sheesh this is cringey, cliched and corny Dad Rock. But seeing as I basically grew up listening to this on the radio and have probably heard this many hundreds of times its seared into my consciousness and it does indeed bring me back to my formative years. I gotta also admit that Tom Scholz's production and songwriting and guitar playing are exemplary. I didn't realize when I listened to this 47 years ago that Scholz incorporated his Classical music background into some of the songs, eg, the Baroque organ intro to Foreplay. This was subconsciously the gateway to the wonderful world of Classical music and Prog for me. This album would have gotten a pretty high score from me but the corny boogie woogie tracks like Smokin' and the cliched ballads like Hitch a Ride just can't be overlooked.
The Stranglers
4/5
It’s a shame that this band only has one album on this list because they’ve released over 20 and have had dozens of hit singles. IMO they’re one of the very best post punk bands to come out of England. I love their trademark deep bass, their use of unusual keyboards and their raunchy off colour vocals and lyrics. Hanging around, Peaches and Get a grip on yourself from this debut album are some of their very best. But it’s too bad they couldn’t include their greatest hits because although they mellowed out later, they had some really fabulous songs like Golden Brown, La folie, Always the sun, Skin deep and No more heroes.
King Crimson
4/5
This debut album from KC is one of the most iconic prog albums ever and it's also probably my favourite record by this band. The first three songs are simply mind-blowingly good, yet so different from each other. From the caustic and frenetic 21'st Century Schizoid Man, to the bucolic sounds of I talk to the wind and then the magnificent Epitaph. It's too bad that they spend the next 12 mins with self indulgent noodling with Moonchild as it really sucks the energy out of the room. But just as you're nodding off, a grandiose wall of sound hits you with The Court of the Crimson King. If they had left Moonchild off this album it would have gotten an instant 5 from me.
PJ Harvey
3/5
There have been a few PJH albums appear on this list but this one was the most enjoyable for me. Her voice is less aggressive and her writing is much more polished.
Meat Loaf
3/5
When Boston's debut album arrived the other day, I was charitable in my review because it was a guilty pleasure back in the day. I was hoping this album would also bring me back to my more innocent formative years as it was released around the same time in the late 70s when I was going to high school and these two albums were all the rage. Unfortunately this one hasn't aged well and its dragged down by its cheesy cliche'd writing. This is basically Bruce Springsteen for the Broadway Musical crowd. I must admit though that when singer Ellen Foley yells "Stop right there!" at the 4:25 mark of Paradise by the dashboard light its an iconic rock moment.
N.E.R.D
4/5
This one is hard to pigeon-hole, which is a good thing - its a mix of hip hop, jazz, prog, and rock. Truly eclectic and original. We need more modern music that's hard to label and pushes the envelope like this on this list. Plus it was a pleasure to listen to.
Digital Underground
2/5
I get that this album was highly influential and was sampled to death, but maaan, does it ever sound dated now. This is more whimsical and less in your face than say NWA or Public Image so its more listenable, but at over an hour of it gets a bit tiresome.
Jazmine Sullivan
1/5
This week we've received quite a few "recent" releases, and it hasn't been too much fun. Oh boy, what a Lauryn Hill rip-off this is, and its not a very good one at that. I'm all for female empowerment but her hyper-sexual ranting left me cold. Sorry this is just not my jam.
Björk
2/5
Bjork is one of those artists that I respect more than I actually like. I really appreciate her bravery in pushing artistic boundaries and her no-compromise approach to music making, but I can't honestly say I love her music. Bjork's music is often compared to Kate Bush, who has some really "out there" songs too, but in contrast I absolutely love all of Kate's material. I must admit the strings on he first song, Stonemilker are lovely though. But although this album is superbly produced and written, it doesn't resonate with me so I'll only give it two stars because I'm being honest with myself.
Steely Dan
3/5
Steely Dan is probably the best Dad Rock band ever. This album harkens back to their more rock roots before they became more laid back and jazz influenced and it features Fagen’s distinctive voice. And although I think that their debut album was slightly better with Do it again, Dirty work, and Only a fool would say that, I still think this holds up pretty good with Bodhisattva, King of the world and the best song on the album My old school. Solid effort.
Bert Jansch
3/5
I’m not a fan of folk so I didn’t have high expectations at all but this is the best folk album I’ve ever heard. Sparse is the word here, it’s only Bert and his guitar, but he fills the room with glorious music. His guitar playing is also exemplary, so good I had to listen to this twice.
Tim Buckley
3/5
Similar to yesterday's Bert Jansch, this genre of music isn't my jam, but I do appreciate his bluesy, raunchy, soulful style. His voice is an acquired taste, but he can sing and and he can also write some good tunes. Sweet Surrender was the highlight for me.
Marianne Faithfull
3/5
She had a crazy, eventful life and it's all distilled into her distinctive raspy voice. This was a great comeback album for her and a huge departure from her "As tears go by" days. The singles on this album are bangers - Broken English (featuring Steve Winwood on electric keyboards!), Ballad of Lucy Jordan and Working class hero. Why'd ya do it is also pretty raw and raunchy. Solid effort and deserving to be on this list.
Elvis Presley
2/5
This isn't rock n' roll Elvis, its Vegas showroom crooning Elvis and its just not my cup of tea.
Beck
2/5
Booker T. & The MG's
3/5
This probably qualifies as the greatest one hit wonders of all time. Green onions is of course classic, but the rest of the album is forgettable.
Nico
1/5
I really hate her voice
The Flying Burrito Brothers
2/5
Frank Zappa
4/5
Given that Zappa has released over 60 studio albums, not all are essential, but Hot rats is one of his best works. Peaches en regalia has always been one of my favourite Zappa songs, and because it’s instrumental it doesn’t have any of his sophomoric humour and it shows how good a writer and musician he is. The rest of the album is also very tight
U2
4/5
Before they became parodies of themselves they were a decent band
The Louvin Brothers
2/5
Grant Lee Buffalo
2/5
Stan Getz
3/5
This is one of those iconic albums where everything is lightning in a bottle - from Gilberto’s guitar, Getz’s sax and Astrud Gilberto‘s lovely voice. Also there’s the wonderful production and engineering captures the languorous sexy mood. The girl from Ipanema and Corcovado, are of course iconic bossa nova songs that still sound fresh and delightful today
CHVRCHES
2/5
Bubble gum pop isn’t for me
The Monkees
2/5
Mediocre jingly jangly 60s pop.
David Bowie
4/5
I’m a big Bowie fan and also Krautrock bands like Tangerine Dream so it’s not surprising that I love his Berlin trilogy that was produced by Tony Visconti and features Brian Eno. Side 2 is a nice experimental diversion from the usual Bowie rock numbers
Paul McCartney
2/5
McCartney is definitely talented, but without the synergy of his three other band-members it just doesn't have the same magic of a Beatles record. Even a latter day Beatles album marred by their dysfunctional in-fighting is way superior to this. Maybe I'm amazed is the best song on this album and it's quite good, but the rest just simply isn't very remarkable.
Slipknot
1/5
Madness
3/5
Admittedly Our House is a great song but the rest of the album is very repetitive. I prefer their earlier material that had a harder ska edge TBH
Saint Etienne
2/5
You can hear the early beginnings of Brit-Pop and Pop-electronica here. Also their the cover of Neil Young’s song is cute but ultimately this record is not very memorable and nothing really sticks with me.
The Last Shadow Puppets
3/5
I actually like this version of Alex Turner better than his work with the Arctic Monkeys. The production here is impressive, very dramatic but somewhat overblown. Great cover too!
Metallica
2/5
David Ackles
1/5
Nick Cave doing cabaret showtunes, definitely not my jam.
Mott The Hoople
2/5
This doesn't have All the young dudes, but All the way to Memphis is a decent song. The glam rock sound didn't have much lasting power and Ian Hunter's voice gets tiresome after awhile though, it gives me Bob Dylan-esque heebeegeebies. The only song that really I enjoyed was El Camino Dolo Roso, which is instrumental so there you go.
Shivkumar Sharma
4/5
Because you can't always Rock out. Pastoral, contemplative and tranquil are the adjectives that come to mind here. Timeless music that belies its 1967 release date and will sound just as fresh in 2067. Really wonderful compositions that seamlessly flow into each other and form a really cohesive whole. This is another one of these recordings that have split the votes here with a lot of 1s but also a lot of 5s. I pity the folks that can't (or won't) give it a chance because this is really beautiful music.
Michael Jackson
2/5
I know he sold a shit-ton of this record, but I don't think it comes close to Thriller. There are two decent songs here, the title track and Smooth Criminal, the rest is a slog to get thru.
Dion
1/5
I like Dion and the Belmonts, they had a fun, cute sound, and Phil Spector’s wall as sound is admittedly awesome too listen to, notwithstanding his douchey character. So putting them together on this album probably seemed like a good idea at the time, but man was this ever schmaltzy. Simply dreadful dreck.
Arcade Fire
4/5
Back in 2004 I walked into my local record shop and started to thumb thru the racks of records when this music came on that really caught my attention. I had never heard anything quite like it before. It was so unique and so original sounding. I asked the clerk who it was and he proudly announced it was this new Indie band from Montreal called Arcade Fire. I grabbed it and couldn’t wait to get home to listen to it. I still think this is probably their best release and one of the best Indie albums from the early 2000s. The songs on the album are similar sounding but yet very cohesive and the segues from song to song are just perfect. This is a very high 4, almost a 5 for me.
Joy Division
4/5
Simply an iconic album, and cover. It’s astonishing that a bunch of 20 something-year-old kids could have such vision, because they basically created a new genre - post punk and could be so influential for the music yet to come. I think the only other band that can rival them in this genre would be The Cure. Also credit must be given to Martin Hannett for his brilliant production. No band ever sounded like this before - the haunting vocals, the reverb on the drums and death spiral guitar and bass. This band also is remarkable for its evolution into New Order which was a completely different kettle of fish. And did I mention that album cover - one of the greatest ever. Now if I could only find that T-shirt I bought over 40 yrs ago
Bonnie "Prince" Billy
2/5
I hear a genuinely talented song-writer, but these songs are so sparse and glum that nothing really caught my attention. I think if I gave it a few more chances it may reveal some magic, but frankly I am not motivated to put in the effort for this one.
My Bloody Valentine
1/5
I never could get into shoegaze, and MBV is probably the most notable purveyors of this genre. To me it's just too noisy and gimmicky and it wears on you fast. They improve a bit with their subsequent album Loveless (which is a fan favourite), but this album was not fun to listen to at all.
2/5
Well at least this band has an original sound. They’re hard to categorize, sorta experimental industrial post punk. Although they have some intriguing beats and rhythms their album isn’t quite fully fleshed out, but they do have potential.
Buzzcocks
2/5
Of all the Brit punk rockers I think Pete Shelley and Howard Devoto were two of the most talented musicians and they wrote some crackers eg Orgasm Addict, Oh Shit, What do I get and Whatever happened to. Unfortunately those songs are only available as bonus tracks on a subsequent release and aren't on this album. This being their debut is a bit more raw without the catchiness of the four tracks above so it gets dinged a bit. It would easily get 4 stars from me if it had those other tracks.
Radiohead
3/5
There’s no doubt this is a good band. Radiohead is not an easy band to like and I tried really hard to appreciate this album because I listened to it three times. But It’s definitely not as good as Kid A or OK Computer. It does have some moments though eg +2 equals five, where I end and you Begin. I can’t help thinking though that I would enjoy them much more if it were not for Thom Yorke‘s wailing and his annoying voice as it’s particularly irksome on this album
Gang Starr
2/5
Silver Jews
2/5
This group has some pedigree, having roots in Pavement, and they sound like a cross of Kurt Vile and Wilco. The material is pretty good, but as some have mentioned, Dave Berman's hang dog voice can become tiresome. If only he had Kurt Vile's voice instead. Tennessee is probably my favourite song because his wife Cassie Berman has a brief stint at vocals to break up the tedium.
Mylo
2/5
In contrast to my esteemed colleague MG I rather disliked this album, as I found it monotonous, repetitive and derivative. I've never been a big fan of DJs remixing old tunes with a dance beat. I think bands like Daft Punk just do this way better.
Kid Rock
1/5
I'm not fond of rap, nor pop metal/rock so when you combine them and get "nu metal" it it sounds like a shit sandwich to me.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
2/5
I don't think this is on par with his better material, eg Exodus. The writing and especially the lyrics are not very inspired and they do get very repetitive. The big "hit" on this album is Stir it up but I think this it is mediocre compared to his other more successful singles. So overall this did not excite.
k.d. lang
2/5
Patsy Cline wannabe
1/5
If you crossed the Chili Peppers with The Beastie Boys you might get decent group, it Limp Bizkit ain't it. The album cover and album name also suck
Tom Tom Club
3/5
If you add a David Byrne to this fabulous rhythm section, you would get a decentTalking Heads album ... almost. Genius of love is a funky, quirky, world music dance masterpiece, Wordy Rappinghood and the man with the four way hips are also quite good. This album shows just how good Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth were. The album fades a bit near the end, but overall it's a great artifact from this era.
Jimmy Smith
3/5
I'm glad to say this landmark and highly influential album is is part of my Bluenote vinyl collection. His influence here is huge as he has a totally original sound with the prominent use of the Hammond B-3 and you can hear the transition from hard bop jazz to 60's Soul music.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
3/5
Karen O is one of my favourite female vocalists and there's no doubt who's the focus of this Garage/Punk, Art/Punk band. Her voice is so raw, sexy and vulnerable at the same time. Spin calls her "Iggy Pop for shy nerds who want to get loose" Its also impressive that she only has two band members behind her especially Nick Zinner on guitar/keyboards because he produces a veritable wall of sound with his loops. I do prefer their more melodic tunes though so naturally Maps is my favourite tune here (check out their video of this song on Youtube, it gives me goosebumps when she cries real tears). In fact Pitchfork calls Maps the 6th Greatest Song of the Decade and Rolling Stone calls it "the 6th greatest song of the Century". Y Control is also very good.
Beatles
4/5
I am acutely aware that this album is the number one rated album on this list so I had to think carefully about this. I know it might be shocking for the many ardent fans, but I just don’t think the album is really that cohesive. Harrison writes some of the best songs of his career and Ringo throws in a couple of cute ditties and Lennon and McCartney are solid as usual but I don’t think it all gels together as well as say Sergeant Pepper, which I gave five stars. On Sergeant Pepper, every single song was a killer and the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. No doubt Abbey Road is still a great album but I reserve five stars for only a handful of truly “perfect” albums, but that’s just me.
David Bowie
4/5
It’s getting close to peak Bowie. His summit would of course be Ziggy Stardust, but this is pretty close. Its generally mellower and has quite a bit of piano work and strings and features some of his best songs which include Changes, Life on Mars (which IMO is one of his most beautiful songs) and Queen bitch. Overall, this is album is amongst Bowie's very best and that's saying a lot.
The Doors
4/5
This fusion of Blues and Rock features some monster songs - LA Woman and Riders on the Storm plus Changeling, Love her madly, The WASP are also very strong. Morrison is literally at his peak here since he would tragically die shortly after this album and the band, especially Manzarek on keyboards are very tight.
The Residents
2/5
Well this was a wild ride, but not particularly fun. This arty type genre of music certainly pushes the boundaries of what we consider to be music with only a vague resemblance to traditional melody, rhythm and vocals. Similar to say Trout Mask Replica, it takes considerable effort to get through, but the extremely poor and muddled audio quality ultimately makes it a frustrating exercise.
Beatles
4/5
We just got Abbey Road a few days ago so this is an interesting contrast. Both are very good albums, but both are also just a step below Sergeant Pepper in terms of cohesiveness. Side one is fabulous, but it fades a bit on Side 2, until the last song Tomorrow never knows which is one of their very best. Sergeant Pepper got a 5 from me but like Abbey Road, this is just a notch below so it also gets a four.
Big Black
2/5
This is more industrial than punk and more noise than industrial and mostly like an ice-pick to the ears. Definitely not a casual listen and you have to be in the mood for this.
Motörhead
1/5
Ace of Spades is a head-banging classic. The rest of the album gave me a migraine though.
The Sugarcubes
2/5
Bjork's amazing vocal range is on full display here. I prefer the songs where she's the lead vocalist as the male singer can't really keep up with her. Birthday is the best song here and it hints at a lot of very creative and original music to come. Some have compared their sound to the B52s and i can't disagree.
Morrissey
2/5
One either hates or loves Morrissey’s melancholic, whiney, maudlin voice. I’m in the former camp. Although he’s mellowed out considerably and this is better than his usual dreck, I still wouldn’t listen to this again.
Badly Drawn Boy
3/5
This is a great debut album from the immensely talented Damon Gough. In particular I'm a huge fan of Once around the block and opening track The Shining is great also. The Mercury prize that they won is very much deserved. This is almost a 4 star album
Madonna
2/5
I wanted to like this but I found it formulaic and quite boring actually. A two is being generous
Goldfrapp
1/5
Its unfortunate that trip hop music sounds so dated so quickly and even more unfortunate for Goldfrapp that other groups such as Massive Attack, Portishead, Tricky or DJ Shadow were much better at it. I glanced at the global ratings and one descriptor came up more than any other "boring", and I can't disagree. Overall this album sounds like John Williams scoring a Bond theme while sleepwalking.
Cowboy Junkies
2/5
Back in 1988 this album caused quite a stir and was widely praised by hipsters and also audiophiles due to its high quality recording in a church and slow-core production values. Most notable was Margo Timmins haunting voice. This album sounded very fresh back then because no other band at the time sounded like this and their cover of Sweet Jane was also really popular then also. Fast forward 35 years however, and it fails to stir any excitement remotely close to when it first came out.
Can
3/5
To me Krautrock can basically be categorized into two genres, the spacey electronic sub-genre that was popularized by Kraftwerk, Ash Ra Tempel, Klaus Shultze, Tangerine Dream etc and the psychedelic, proggy, weirded out rock of Faust, Amon Duul and of course Can. I prefer the former, but this album had some good moments, in particular Future Days
50 Cent
2/5
Al Green
3/5
Let’s stay together is of course one of the all-time greatest soul singles and a monster track. He also does a serviceable cover of the Bee Gees’ How can you mend a broken heart. The remainder of the album is pretty generic soul though, and did not resonate as much for me.
The Sabres Of Paradise
1/5
Aretha Franklin
3/5
It starts off with a bang with her best song ever, which is of course, Respect and there’s no doubt that she is one of the all-time greatest female vocalist but the rest of the album just can’t compare to the lead track so the album doesn’t get above mediocre rating.
GZA
2/5
I liked the excerpts from the old martial arts movies better than the actual music and that’s not a good sign. Not sure what all the fuss is about, but this is pretty pedestrian hip-hop to me.
Scissor Sisters
1/5
Gram Parsons
2/5
The La's
2/5
Someone mentioned that this list is highly influenced by Brit Pop of the 80s and 90s and what the music critics were high on at that time and I can’t disagree. This album has one decent Pop song “there she goes” but the rest can’t carry the album … and the lead vocalist is weak.
The Band
3/5
I'm not a fan of folksy country rock but this has one of the most iconic songs of this genre and it's by a cracking legendary band sob that must be acknowledged
Orange Juice
2/5
I agree with one of my esteemed co judges that Edward Collins' later material, eg A girl like you is far superior. But the title track here is a nice catchy number that was cute back in the day. I also hear a lot of Haircut 100 influences here. Once again the authors' Brit roots are showing as there are many more other albums that are far more worthy of inclusion.
Fairport Convention
2/5
I'm not a fan of folk music, but I acknowledge that Fairport Convention is one of the pre-eminent folk bands. Lead vocalist Sandy Denny's voice is the main draw here and she indeed has a lovely voice. However, I really couldn't get into this and it simply did not resonate with me.
Skunk Anansie
3/5
This was a nice surprise, tons of energy and snarky attitude. Alternative metal is an apt descriptor. The lead vocalist Skin separates this band from the rest of the male dominated hard rock/metal bands out there.
Echo And The Bunnymen
2/5
Although I'm a fan of British post punk, Echo and the Bunnymen (dumb name) just doesn't resonate with me. Ian McCulloch has a powerful booming voice, but his singing style sounds quaintly dated now. I think The Killing Moon from their debut was their best song and they weren't able to replicate that in their subsequent efforts. Overall, this is a poor man's Cure.
Rod Stewart
2/5
Despite that fact that 6 out of the 9 songs are covers, I must admit that Rod does a pretty good cover. This album doesn't have anything comparable to say Maggie May or Stay with me, but his raw rock n' roll voice and persona are well suited to this format.
The Vines
1/5
Oh man this record rubs me the wrong way. Its way too shouty and quite annoying.
Kings of Leon
2/5
Did not grab me. No Sex on fire either.
Slade
1/5
Glam rock meets ACDC and it was simply horrrrible!
The Clash
4/5
This is Radio Clash ..... all hits, all the time! So many bangers on this album it’s hard to count. And such a diverse mix of musical styles, dub/reggae, rockabilly, and Post punk, and remarkably it all flows together so well. Everyone knows the big hits, but I have to call out Spanish bombs, Lost in the supermarket, Clampdown and Guns of Brixton as some of my all-time Clash favourites. This double album has 19 songs and it runs over an hour so it’s a little bit on the long side and there are a few fillers. If they had skipped the fillers and just made it a single album with all bangers, this would be an automatic five stars for sure.
3/5
Ironically I think the singles on this album are just ok but their more Proggy numbers are interesting. Some folks here talk about Side 2 being better than a Side 1 and since I’m assuming that the majority listened to this online, how do they know when side 1 ends and when 2 begins? Their influence on Led Zep is also unmistakable.
Dr. John
3/5
You can definitely hear the roots of Tom Waits and Zappa here. Muddy swampy vocals and off kilter melodies, quite intriguing but curiously short.
Public Enemy
2/5
Yes, Fight the Power is an iconic hip hop song, but dang the entire album sounds the same as that song. This album is an in yo face, rude and counter-culture landmark, but it's just too much of the same thing for me.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
Well it certainly starts of with a bang with Sympathy for the devil, easily one of their top 5 singles ever, maybe even their best. No expectations is a nice change of pace with Brian Jones brilliant on slide guitar and Jagger in peak form. Street Fighting man is also a fine single. I'm not familiar with this original album cover showing a graffiti covered bathroom wall compared to the later cover with the elegant script on their white RSVP invitation, but this one suits this music. If you like the Stones bluesy, this is one of their better efforts.
Lambchop
4/5
I'm so glad to see Lambchop on this list. Its hard to describe his style as its a gentle mix of indie, alt-pop and alt-country, they most remind me of Destroyer with their easy listening vocals blended to alt melodies. Both bands are very listenable, yet not quite mainstream which is why I find them intruiging. This album has two of my favourite Lambchop singles - Up with people and Grumpus and because there aren't any other Lambchop albums on this list it gets a somewhat generous 4 from me.
Bebel Gilberto
2/5
Bebel has pedigree being the daughter of Joao Gilberto and step-daughter of Astrud Gilberto (who I think was better). She sings in the typical languid bossa nova style. So nice is the best song on the album and deservedly, her most famous. There’s nothing too offensive here, but it’s also lacking in passion, so overall this album is a bit too somnolent for me.
Khaled
1/5
If this album was sung in English I would rate it a 1 because it’s generic and bland pop. So just because it’s sung in Arabic I won’t give it any charity either. And also his cover of Imagine is insipid and doesn’t add anything at all.
Eminem
1/5
Given the softmoric humour and references to condoms, bitches and rape etc I had to check what age Eminem was when he wrote this album as I thought it would’ve been done by a horny teenager, but he was actually 27 at a time so there’s that. Yes he is a talented wordsmith and has a talent for rhyming words within words but the music is repetitive and album is way too long.
Fun Lovin' Criminals
2/5
This comes hot on the heels of Eminem, and although it’s much more listenable with a real band, playing real music in the background, it never quite gets over the hump for me.
Antony and the Johnsons
3/5
Antony/ Anohni’s vibrato voice isn’t for everyone, but it sure is distinctive. This music is very heartfelt and very intimate. Antony has also pulled in a very strong group of musicians behind him such as Julia Kent, Devendra Banhart, Boy George, Rufus Wainwright and Lou Reed.
Kraftwerk
5/5
This is possibly one of the most influential and iconic electronic albums ever released. Interestingly Wiki mentions that it didn't do well when it was originally released in 1978 (yes 45 yrs ago!) but four years later it peaked at No. 8 and was certified Gold on the British charts, testament that it was a few years ahead of the curve. Everyone knows The Model and The Robots, but the other less well known and more melodic tracks: Spacelab, Neon Lights, The Man Machine and Metropolis are also damned fine songs. In Metropolis you can clearly hear the influence that it had on Giorgio Moroder who in turn was the Godfather of dance music (and dare I say it... disco). These mensches also influenced House, New Wave, Electro-pop and then eventually hip hop. At only 36 minutes long this iconic album has no filler, all killer so it fulfills my requirement for 5 stars.
M.I.A.
2/5
When Maya Arulpragasam (MIA) came out with her second album, Paper Planes it got raves by many critics but I found it virtually unlistenable due to her singing style and the abrasive percussion. And that was perhaps her biggest hit. So not surprisingly I'm not a fan of Arular, her debut album.
SZA
2/5
This is mos def not my style, but it was more listenable than expected and much better than say MIA that we got yesterday. The beats and her voice are fine, so I can say that it wasn't terrible.
Nina Simone
2/5
There’s no doubt that Nina has one of the more unique voices out there but I found the writing in her songs to be lacking. Her vocals are also overly maudlin for me and this style of torch music is just not my jam. I think Bowie’s cover of Wild is the wind is far superior and the latter-day remixes of her songs to dance music are better, but that’s probably just me since there’s a whack of 5 star ratings here.
Skepta
1/5
Do you know when those guys drive by you with their car windows open with music blasting and all you hear is this very deep, distorted subsonic bass going … boom … boom …. boom I always wondered what music they’re playing. Turns out they’re probably playing Skepta. I hated it when I heard it then and I also hate now.
Mariah Carey
1/5
Oh Lord I really did try to listen to this but I couldn't finish it. As most of the reviewers here have mentioned she does have a good voice but she just moans scales in order to show off her vocal range. Not much substance here as all the songs sound the same. It's a sad commentary on our society that such mediocrity and lack of imagination is so popular.
Spiritualized
2/5
After hearing over 900 albums I’m really over the Brit Pop shoegaze space rock scene. I thought their subsequent album, Ladies and Gentlemen was quite mediocre and this is even less enjoyable and like I said, I’m really over this sound.
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
3/5
To be objective here I have transport myself back to 1957 and ignore all the rock and roll music that followed this because quite frankly, this music is quite quaint. But OTOH it laid the foundations of modern rock, so its importance can't be discounted. One of my esteemed colleagues mentioned how Buddy and his Crickets are pretty clean cut, whereas Little Richard had way more energy and soul. Buddy sounds like he could have sung in the church choir while Richard would easily fit into a smokey nightclub with whisky glasses clinking. I prefer the latter style of rock and roll with more soul, but again this is a notable landmark.
The Flaming Lips
5/5
When I first heard this album over 20 years ago it knocked my socks off and it continues to be one of my favourites to this day. Their previous album Soft Bulletin was also excellent, but this is just a notch above. Wayne Coyne, the brilliant crazy genius behind this band claims that this isn't a concept album but it sure sounds and looks like one. Individually the tracks are very good indie/pysch/rock songs, but taken together as a whole, they transcend the genre and this album becomes something truly special. I don't think I will ever get tired listening to this album.
Goldie
1/5
Yes this was one of the first big Drum and Bass records, but it’s a crap genre so that becomes a dubious honour. The female vocalist’s voice is fine, the backing instruments are fine, but it all goes to shit when that godawful drum and bass kicks in. It’s just boring, monotonous and way too much.
Joanna Newsom
2/5
The naughts was a golden era for indie music and some of my favourite groups appeared during this period. There was also some really off the wall stuff with pretty freaky schreechy vocals, like Cocorosie, Neutral milk honey and Joanna Newsom. Newsom sounds very similar to Cocorosie but whereas I really like Cocorosie despite their quirky vocals Newsom just doesn’t do it for me. I couldn’t get into her music back then and I still can’t I’m afraid.
Sepultura
1/5
This ain't Brazilian Bossanova.
Hot Chip
3/5
Hot Chip is undeniably one of the better indie/dance groups to emerge in the 2000s. Flutes is a great song and Joe Goddard has one of the smoothest, sweetest voices in all of Indiedom. If this album also featured Crap Kraft Dinner or Atomic Bomb (the William Onyeabor x Hot Chip collab) it would have gotten an extra star from me, but as it stands its still a pretty solid album.
Pere Ubu
3/5
Pere Ubu has always one of those bands that I struggle to "get into". They're similar to say The Residents or Captain Beefheart with Kraut Rock sensibilities. With no discernable melodies and purposely ugly vocals, its a challenging listen. But I guess this is intentional as they're reflecting the angst and chaos of their apocalyptic world.
The Rolling Stones
2/5
This is a pretty unforgettable debut album. All of the songs are middling covers, with the only original song on the album being Tell Me, and thankfully its one of the best tracks. If this album was done by any other band it would not appear on this list, but I'm guessing that because its by purportedly "The greatest rock and roll band in the world" it got a pity vote by the authors. This review will probably piss off my fellow co-judges who are huge Stones fans, but there it is :)
Bill Callahan
4/5
If anyone in Indie-dom has a more sonorous and deep voice I haven't heard them yet. I've liked Callahan since his Smog days, and he continues here with his fractured, intimate and poignant style of singing and song-writing here. I would compare him to other highly regarded American Indie Artists such as Andrew Bird, Mark Kozelek of Sun Kil Moon, Kurt Wagner of Lambchop, and maybe also Sufjan Stevens - albeit his voice is the polar opposite of Stevens' almost fragile, whisper-like musings. I don't see any other Smog or Callahan albums on this list so I'll round it up a bit.
Portishead
3/5
I do think the trip-hop sound got dated fast, so I'm glad that Portishead changed direction here. This is much darker and unsettling compared to their earlier work. Standout track for me is The Rip, Beth Gibbons voice is at her best and its just a lovely song and is probably their best song ever IMO.
Marvin Gaye
4/5
I get that this is supposed to be a concept album and the songs segue into each other but the entire first side dragged a bit for me. What’s going on is indeed a classic song though. Side two was a bit of a relief because it added a little bit more variety and it ended with the best song in the album in my opinion - Inner city blues. I know this was the “top album of all time” on a few lists, but it got a bit too preachy for me and dare I say it… over produced.
Elbow
3/5
Elbow is one of those bands that you really need to listen to attentively and repeatedly to appreciate because their songs are so nuanced and carefully crafted. Lead vocalist Guy Garvey also has a very unique voice, very similar to Peter Gabriel actually. I only had a chance to listen to this twice, but I’m sure my rating would be higher if I have it a few more listens.
Rufus Wainwright
1/5
I certainly don't Want One. I'm surprised that no one has mentioned his annoying voice, it really got under my skin and I had to skip through the songs. Campy, showtunes for the wannabe hipsters
Tim Buckley
2/5
This is one of those albums that you think is quite good - he’s an excellent singer and song writer, but I just didn’t enjoy it. 60s folk is just not my jam. And for the record I like Jeff better.
Scritti Politti
1/5
Even back in the mid 80s I found this album to be too poppy, and now almost 40 yrs later it's unbearably cliched and dated sounding. Looking at the lineup of instruments that they play its almost entirely comprised of synth/keyboards such as the Mini-moog, Fairlight, Roland and Oberheims so the sound is replete with synth beats that don't vary much. This is a record that shouldn't be on the list as there are a lot more deserving albums out there.
Duke Ellington
3/5
Despite a lot of time wasted on introductions and audience cheering, You just know that this was a rockin' good concert. Swing and Big Band Jazz isn't my bag, I much prefer Be-bop and Hard-bop that came later, but this certainly laid the foundations for more modern jazz. Some of the solos are astonishing, eg Gonzalves on sax in Diminuendo in Blue and Sam Woodyard on drums in Skin Deep. Overall, the band is tight and in peak form so this is seminal Swing/Big Band recording.
Christina Aguilera
1/5
Nope
The Isley Brothers
3/5
This is more soul than funk, That Lady is a fine song, and there are some decent covers here. Unfortunately there are also some shmaltzy tracks on here too. If this album has a bit more funky edge I would have enjoyed it more, but I’m sure it was a crowd pleaser back in the day due to its mainstream appeal
Emmylou Harris
2/5
David Crosby
2/5
Wow, what an all star line up behind Crosby, but its too bad that the music isn't very memorable. Cowboy Movie is probably the best song on the album but it sounds like re-tread Neil Young.
Ramones
3/5
Seminal punk album from a seminal punk band. Stripped down, simple and raw. It started off with a bang with Blitzkrieg bop, Beat on the brat and Judy is a punk, but after awhile it got very repetitive but the album was mercifully short at only 29 mins! I think this may be the shortest album on the list?
Big Star
3/5
This album has me split down the middle, I really don't like the songs that feature Chris Bell, they sound like a typical 70s hair band. Like really, yuck! OTOH the songs featuring Alex Chilton are quite nice and 13 is simply gorgeous. So I'll split the difference and give it 2.5, grudgingly rounded up to a 3.
Tom Waits
2/5
You gotta hand it to Tom Waits he’s a real American original. This album is much darker than the previous offerings that we have received. Most of it is bereft of any melody or harmonies that we typically hear so it’s an album that demands repeated listenings but that’s easier said than done.
Meat Puppets
2/5
If Pavement did Country punk. It was ok but didn’t resonate with me.
2/5
After 954 albums I’ve learned that I really dislike Brit-pop, and then this comes up today. This is noisy but the most annoying thing for me is the grating vocals. This album only redeemed by Wonderwall and Champagne Supernova which are decent pop songs. Hopefully this is the last of the Brit-pop
Waylon Jennings
2/5
Blood, Sweat & Tears
3/5
This album is bookended by two unusual pieces, it starts out with a cover of Eric Satie's Gymnopedies and ends with Blues Pt 2. The intro seems really out of place and the outro is very prog and the organ reminds of Keith Emerson of ELP and I like how it gives a nod to Deep Purple at the 8 minute mark. I suspect that they were inserted to show how eclectic they were. The band is very tight particularly Jim Fielder on bass and the Canadian David Clayton Thomas is a strong lead vocalist and is also one of the highlights. The songs in the middle are generally similar sounding though: Brass-Prog-Jazz-Rock with hints of Chicago (the band). I see that the producer David Guercio was also working with Chicago at the time so perhaps that's not a surprise. I do like And when I die, with its nod to Aaron Copland's American Western soundtracks and of course everyone's favs Spinning Wheel and You've made me so very happy are good, but the other songs are not as memorable.
Elvis Presley
2/5
I guess you had to be there. I know from my Dad that Elvis was a huge deal back in the day, similar to say the Beatles. But in contrast I think the Beatles had more substance and creativity. Case in point, none of the songs here are originals. and Fever which is probably the best song on the album was done better by Peggy Lee. Perhaps So apart from his boyishly cute looks and swivel hips, I don't think he brought much to the table here.
Sinead O'Connor
4/5
I had forgotten just how good this album is. It's hard to imagine that she was only 24 yrs old when she did this, every song is very different, yet they are all so passionately performed and so cohesive. Unfortunately she recently passed away too early and I don't think she got enough recognition for her huge talent, no doubt it was because of all the bad press she undeservedly got after the SNL Pope episode that resulted in her being persona non grata for so long.
I am stretched out on your grave must have been such an innovative drum and bass track back in 1990 and the violin playing the Irish jig at the end wraps it up so nicely. So many great songs here, it's a shame that the limelight is hogged by Nothing Compares 2 U, but even though its overplayed, it still retains its emotional power to this day. I originally went in thinking 3 stars, but after listening to this twice I'm giving this is a very strong 4 stars and its almost a 5.
Van Morrison
3/5
My all-time two favourite live albums are by Talking Heads (Stop making sense) and Van Morrison, but alas, the Van album I'm thinking of isn't this one, its his A night in San Francisco that he put out in 1994, which is absolutely toe-tapping, head boppingly electrifying. If you haven't heard it and you're a Van Morrison fan you have to listen to it. But back to this album - its fine and the band is tight and there are some good versions of his hits including I've been working, Domino, Caravan and Gloria. But I have to say it again, his San Francisco album is sinfully under-rated and a real gem.
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
2/5
This is one of those really polarizing albums that people like me, with no musical training but with a deep love and appreciation for music struggle to understand and appreciate. Kinda like Bitches Brew or Ornette Coleman's improvised free jazz. I've read how this very talented band rehearsed for 8 months(!) in order to get these very difficult polyrhythms, avante garde jazz/rock/blues notes just right and how its produced by the illustrious Frank Zappa. Matt Groening said he thought it was awful after his first listen, but since a double record cost so much and he couldn't believe that Zappa would do him so wrong, he gave it a few more chances. It didn't click until the 6th or 7th listening whereupon he thought it was the best album he had ever heard. Well I've listened to it maybe 4-5 times and I still don't love it, and I don't think I have it in me for a couple more listens because frankly it ain't a fun listen. Bitches Brew took a few tries before it finally clicked, but I don't think Trout Mask Replica ever will.
The Gun Club
2/5
PunkaBilly, Psychobilly, Garage Punk, whatever you wanna call it, this is pretty raw. Not quite my jam.
The Byrds
2/5
Herbie Hancock
2/5
When he was only 23 yrs old Miles Davis saw a hugely talented young man so he recruited him to join his band in 1963. During this period Miles put out some astonishingly good hard-bop and post-bop records, but being Miles, he had to evolve so they incorporated more electronic instruments and moved towards a more funky sound. I think Miles had some success with this new sound in the 70s, but Hancock less so. The songs start out with some nice funky grooves but they soon run out of ideas and can't hold my attention for 9-15 minutes. I wish the songs on this album were more fleshed out like say his Maiden Voyage from 1965, which is just lovely.
Nightmares On Wax
3/5
One of my all time fav trip-hop songs is Les Nuits from NMOW's debut, Carboot Soul. Here on their second album, they've re-hashed that song into Nights Introlude, but it's still a killer track. I also love Mission Venice and those two songs have been on high rotation for me for many years. Unfortunately the rest of this album isn't at the same level and its very repetitive. Interestingly they also rebooted Nights Introlude on a later album and called it Nights Interlude, its very similar sounding and also very slick, I guess if it ain't broken.... Unfortunately Smokers Delight has 20 songs and clocks in at over an hour so no matter how good Nights Introlude and Mission Venice are, they just can't hold up an entire album of filler.
Rufus Wainwright
2/5
This album is wonderful, but unfortunately I just can’t get past his whiny lame voice. If this was an instrumental album I would have given it two more stars. He said he wants 2 so here you go
2/5
This is from the early 80s so they can be forgiven for sounding like most of the typical post punk groups of that era like the Ramones, B52s and Blondie. Most of this album is pretty inoffensive, straight-ahead punk inspired pop. Its not very memorable so I probably will never seek it out though.
Sugar
2/5
Not surprisingly this sounds very similar to Husker Du given that they're both headed by Bob Mould (I do hope that's an alias and not his real name). They sound a lot like their post-punk counterpart, REM with a sprinkling of the Pixies. This record is fine, but it is not essential in my book.
Bee Gees
2/5
No doubt the Bros can sing, but this is just too much sappy saccharine for me and I’m getting a toothache.
Giant Sand
2/5
There were some good ideas here but it somehow didn't jell together and nothing stuck with me. It reminded me of Sparklehorse, but it was way less interesting, and the lead singer has a Lou Reed vibe going as well. I like the records that Thrill Jockey puts out (particularly Tortoise) so I really tried to like this, but liked I said nothing stuck.
Pink Floyd
3/5
Although Syd Barrett's fate was unfortunate, I can't help but be glad that he only participated on this album because their sound changed dramatically for the better after he left the band. Admittedly, this was probably leading edge psychedelic rock in the late 60s but its still a bit goofy sounding to me. Interstellar Overdrive is probably the best song on the album and it drops hints of their coming of age starting with Meddle in the early 70s. Pow R Toc H is also decent because it doesn't have those goofy vocals that I find so distracting. I'll round this 2.5 up to 3 just because we know where these guys are going.
Rahul Dev Burman
3/5
Wiki indicates that RD Burman has composed over 300 film scores so he's almost as prolific as the legendary Ennio Morricone who has penned over 400. Similar to Morricone he incorporates unusual instruments and mixes in a wide range of styles including jazz, Bengali folk, electronic, disco and rock into his soundtracks. They are both truly international world-music composers. This score also features a wide range of musical styles, with the most "Western" piece being the catchy One two cha cha cha. Although I don't think he's at Morricone's level, he knows how to write a hook and has the uncanny ability to capture the mood of the film in the music. It's just unfortunate that the recording quality is so piss poor. However, this is the fault of the recording studio and not the composer, so I won't ding him for that.
Radiohead
3/5
This album is lauded as one of the greatest albums of all time so of course I've been trying to figure out why.... for like forever. I've listened to it dozens of time and I think its good, but do I like it... not really. I do however acknowledge its nuanced, experimental approach and densely layered sound, and I am forever grateful that this album basically started the shift from the hated and retched Brit-pop to a more melancholic, atmospheric alternative rock sound that became more prevalent in the next decade, so I have them to thank for that. But once again, I don't love it.
Klaxons
2/5
This wasn't bad at all, I got some TV on the radio and Yeah Yeah Yeahs vibes and sure enough the Spotify algorithm played those two bands after this was done. I definitely don't think this album was "essential" though. By having 1,001 albums I think Dimery is stretching it a bit.
The Byrds
3/5
There’s a lot of jingly jangly guitars here, but the album is saved by their best song ever, 8 miles high and it gets a charitable 3 as a result.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
4/5
The RHCP are probably the best American rock band of the last few decades, there I said it. Everyone on this album is at the top of his game and the band is toight!! I won't go into a lengthy review of the songs and the band members because its been done many times before, but I'll say that the first side is pretty damned solid but the second side flags a bit.
The Dandy Warhols
1/5
After almost 1,000 albums there’s one thing I’ve learned is that I really dislike Brit-pop and this group sounds like an Oasis wannabe band. Needless to say, I disliked it.
Anthrax
1/5
Bruce Springsteen
2/5
This album is very personal, intimate and lo-fi. Once again he's the champion of the working class, American blue-collar/farm worker. He does a good job of it, but I totally cannot relate because its so far from my own reality. Born to Run and Darkness on the Edge of Town explored similar themes but on those albums he had a kick-ass band behind him so it was much more accessible for me. If you're a Springsteen fan you'll probably love this, if you're not, you probably won't.
Lenny Kravitz
3/5
This is a solid debut album by rock-soul revivalist Lenny Kravitz. Here he sounds like the second coming of Jimi crossed with say Gary Clark Jr. Apart from the obvious hits I thought My Precious Love was impassioned and soulful. Lenny would really come into his own a few years later with Are you going my way which I think is his best song.
Leftfield
2/5
Wow they really threw everything into this EDM album, D&B, trance, dance hall, dub etc, but that's not necessarily a good thing as I found myself getting bored with the long interminable beats so I fast forwarded through most of the tracks. I see that Portishead's Dummy beat this out for the Mercury Prize in 1995, and deservingly so. Hearing Johnny Lydon's voice on Open Up was a bit jarring also. I think if I was on a dance floor this album would have resonated with me better, but as it is, I'm working at my desk so it sounds pretty dated and monotonous.
Pantera
2/5
Minor Threat
2/5
I just got back from a relaxing weekend at a friend's cottage by the lake, it was serene and completely stress free. I had to catch up on my 1,001 ratings and this came up. Aggressive, angry and pissed off are words that come to mind. This definitely jars me back to reality. I can't say that I identify with it, but I respect their energy.
Traffic
3/5
The provenance of this group is very distinguished, especially for Steve Winwood and Jim Capaldi. I respect their noodlings and experimentation from their blues based rock. As an aside, I have to wonder why all these White English bands from the 60s were so influenced by, and tried to incorporate Black American Blues into their sound? But I digress, although this is not my jam I see that these guys are pushing some good ideas out so this is a solid 2.5 rounded up because I can appreciate where they're going.
Robert Wyatt
3/5
Robert Wyatt is definitely one of those polarizing artists with his unusual falsetto voice and his music is hard to pin-point - unsettling indie/folk/jazz. Attentive and repeated listenings are required to fully appreciate. Most of this album was quite good albeit somewhat demanding.
Coldcut
1/5
Wow, this did not age well. I'm surprised that it was released in 1989, the beats and vocal stylings sound older than that. The first song, People hold on was bearable because Lisa Stansfield has a good voice, but I couldn't take the remainder of the record.
The Beach Boys
2/5
Although I admit that the Beach Boys are probably the finest purveyors of harmonics and vocalization, I never did enjoy their music. Although well performed, written and produced (reminiscent of Phil Spector's Wall of Sound), their music sounds positively quaint and anachronistic today. I also think the Ramones covered Do you wanna dance better.
Jack White
3/5
This is a strong offering from Jack White, the classic White Stripes sound is still there, but this album is a bit more experimental with progressive folk, blues, country rock and even some hip hop. Fans of the White Stripes and rock with a hard edge but intelligent writing will likely love this album.
Calexico
4/5
Calexico is such a unique band, I'm quite sure there isn't another band with this style/sound. I see that this album was released 20 years ago but it sounds like it could have been released yesterday, its truly timeless music. The song-craft and performances here are top shelf. I don't think their earlier 2005 album In the Reins is on this list, but it features my all-time favourite Calexico song - He Lays in the Reins, which is simply majestic. Please check it out if you're not familiar with it. However, this album is close in quality, really wonderful, lovely music.
The Dictators
1/5
Unbelievably awful. The reviews mention that this is Proto punk, but it doesn’t sound like punk at all. It’s Proto-hair band garbage. Really 1001, really?
John Lennon
2/5
I think Lennon took his primal screaming therapy too literally because I find his singing far to shouty here. When he was with the Beatles it was lightining in a bottle, a magical sound probably never to be replicated ever again. But as a solo artist, he doesn't appeal to me at all.
My Bloody Valentine
1/5
I've never liked Shoegaze music and this album is a prime example of why... its murky, noisy, muddy sounding and headache inducing.
The Bees
3/5
Somewhat scattershot with a mix of genres, but it all seems to mesh together somehow. This album would probably serve well as the soundtrack for an indie film. Interestingly, the most popular song, a Minha Menina was my least favourite and I liked the more low-key and chill songs like Zia or Sky holds the sun and Punchbag the best.
Dire Straits
3/5
If Bob Dylan could sing he might sound like Mark Knopfler. This is a pretty impressive debut album that begat a monster single for them. Everyone has talked about Sultans to death so I won't. This album was a refreshing change from the post-punk movement that was popular in the late 70s and its interesting that this revival of pub/dad rock came from a British group. The rest of the album is fine, but not essential listening.
Happy Mondays
1/5
The last time we got a Brit-pop album I mentioned that I hoped that it was the last album of this wretched genre that I would have to listen to. Well, Surprise! ... those sneaky Brit authors have another one up their sleeve. Why can’t they spread their wings and offer up something different like the Bulgarian women choir or Tibetan throat singers instead of the same old boring Brit-pop? FML.
Ozomatli
2/5
Move along, nothing to hear here.
The Good, The Bad & The Queen
3/5
With an all star cast, I had high hopes for this, they even have Damon Albarn and Tony Allen who I love. Those two knock it out of the park with “Go back” check it out If you haven’t heard it, it’s fantastic. They also have Danger Mouse producing the album but somehow all the talent doesn’t seem to gel. There’s nothing really that resonates here for me. Pity.
Dexys Midnight Runners
1/5
Like their buttoned down Brooks Brothers cover, this album is very underwhelming and sleep inducing. What happened to the dynamic fun sound of Searching for the young soul rebels or Too Rye Ay? Kevin Rowland sounds like he's got marbles in his mouth and the production is decidedly muddy and mixed too quietly. No wonder this album bombed when it was released. So that begs the question 1,001, why is this album on this list?
Baaba Maal
2/5
I generally do like African artists but I find Baaba Maal's voice a bit too high pitched and shrieky. The music accompanying his singing is quite good, but when he starts singing I cringe a bit. I prefer other African vocalists like Youssou N'Dour or say Salif Keita who are lower pitched.
Slipknot
1/5
I made it through two songs but then realized that there was over an hour of this shite remaining so I pulled the plug. I don't think that I could have listened to this when I was an angsty teenager not to mention now when I'm a curmudgeonly old geezer.
Ms. Dynamite
2/5
The Zutons
2/5
I was glad to discover that the music was better than the crappy album cover. Interesting blend of Indie folk/rock and it sounds like a mix of the Black Keys and Spoon. There were some good moments here and this band definitely has potential, but nothing bowled me over or made me look up from my work to stop to listen more carefully.
Metallica
3/5
Yes this is regarded as an iconic metal album but apart from Enter sandman it sounds very cliched to me. I’ll round up to a 3 because I’m feeling strangely generous today
Dagmar Krause
1/5
The White Stripes
2/5
Well this started out quite nicely with Blue Orchid, which sounds quintessentially White Stripes. Its interesting that they decided to lean more on the piano versus the guitar for most of the songs but I'm not quite convinced that its a better sound. I always come back to comparing their songs to their classic Seven Nation Army, but that's probably an unfair comparison because I don't think anything they do can ever equal that.
Aimee Mann
2/5
Despite Aimee’s punkish looks with Doc Martin boots this is basically vanilla chick pop. She does have a lovely voice though.
Peter Gabriel
5/5
After a few weeks of very mediocre to poor offerings it was refreshing to finally receive an album that you really need to listen to before you die. With an all-star ensemble and production by the legendary Steve Lillywhite, how could you go wrong? I'm a big fan of prog rock pioneers Genesis, but admittedly prog is rather old fashioned and Gabriel has pushed the envelope with this post-punk, art-rock masterpiece that sounds nothing at all like his old band. Most notable is the dark, heavily percussive sound with no cymbals and the innovative use of the fairlight synthesizer. This album isn't perfect, but its close enough.
The Mothers Of Invention
3/5
The debut album from the brilliant and prolific Frank Zappa (over 60 studio albums and countless live, compilation and bootleg albums!). Zappa is one of my favourite artists but since this is his debut it only offers an inkling of his satirical and musical genius. This album throws in the kitchen sink with doo wop, art rock and musique concrète sound collages and maybe it's all a bit too much as it doesn't quite hit as well as many of his latter releases, many of which are 4-5 star albums for me. Its sacrlidge that Zappa only has two albums on this list though (Freak out and Hot Rats), they could have dumped a pile of mediocre Brit Pop and added a few more of his seminal works.
Justin Timberlake
1/5
Its shocking or depressing that a couple of the songs on this album each have over half a million listens on Spotify. What does that say about our society? To me it just sounds like a white guy trying to sound like Michael Jackson, sorry Justin that boat has sailed. The inclusion of this album on this list is not Justified.
Django Django
2/5
If the Beach Boys were transported to 2012 I think they would sound a lot like this band. The instrumentation was fine, but there's something about this type of harmonized vocals that really rubs me the wrong way so when they started singing it was a real slog for me. Oh and for the record, I hate the Beach Boys.
Belle & Sebastian
3/5
This band is the quintessential, Proto Indie, chamber pop group. They influenced such great groups as Sufjan Stevens, Badly drawn boy etc. yes they’re Twee AF and they do have a breezy pop sound, but they aren’t pop, if you know what I mean. I think I like their subsequent album, The boy with the Arab Strap better (check out Sleep the clock around, it’s brilliant) but this is still a decent offering.
Pentangle
2/5
Folk rock isn't my jam but I can see the appeal of this record by Pentangle that was led by the prolific Bert Jansch. Wiki informs that Pentangle is based on the device on Sir Gawain's shield from the Middle English poem... hence the almost medieval sound of this band. They also sound very similar to Renaissance, which was more prog than folk so I like the latter more. Nice writing, good music-manship and nice female vocals, so I give it a nod, but I wouldn't seek this out for repeated listenings to be honest.
3/5
War has had some great singles, Low Rider being my favourite, but Cisco Kid here is quite good also. I would describe them as a funky version of Santana, some great jamming and they’re not afraid to do some extended noodling, eg City, Country City, which really has a nice groove.
Throbbing Gristle
2/5
This album is basically tied for the lowest score on this site, so you know its gonna be a wild ride. TG are indeed capable of making what actually sounds like \"music\" eg their ironically named album \"20 Jazz Funk Greats\", but here they really threw in the kitchen sink along with some stale dinner leftovers. I don't mind musique concrète but it has to sound somewhat coherent and have some sort of melodic beat tying it all together, eg KLF's Chill out is one of my all time favourite album with found sounds and I can listen to that repeatedly and not tire of it, whereas it would be a struggle to listen to this again given that it's so unsettling. The only redeeming song is their Kraftwerk-esque AB/7A. When TG broke up in 1981 two of their members, Chris and Cosey kept working together and they put out some very interesting electronic pieces that are much more accessible, check out \"Walking through heaven\" from their Songs of Love & Lust album, its just brilliant.
Dolly Parton
2/5
Queen Latifah
1/5
Ghostface Killah
2/5
Soul II Soul
2/5
this is like eating a very sweet donut, the first few bites are pretty good, but then you realize there’s not much substance here and you’re still hungry for something more filling when you’re done. Lots of remixes and re-treads of the same ideas here. But I’ll bump it up one extra star for nostalgic reasons.
Prefab Sprout
4/5
This proto-indie record has four very good singles, Goodbye Lucielle, Bonny, Appetite and the best song on the album - When Love breaks down. It's produced by Thomas Dolby and he does an exemplary job of it too, really lovely indeed. This is a very strong 3.5 that I'm rounding up.
Led Zeppelin
4/5
I've never been a fan of Led Zep so I've actually never sat down to listen to this album in its entirety. It mostly has to do with Plant's very high pitched screechy vocals I reckon. It turns out that I'm familiar with all the songs given that this band was so heavily played on the radio during my formative years. I still think that Stairway is overplayed so it's hard to listen to it with fresh ears, but like say Beethoven's 5th, its overplayed for a reason, it's a stone cold classic and I daresay it was monumental when it was first released in the early 70s. It's interesting how so many of these Brit bands stole from Black American blues artists and sold way more records than the OGs. So although I'm still not a fan, I do acknowledge the influence of this record on rock music history.
SAULT
2/5
Interesting that this album is from 2020. Since its so new it better be powerful enough to displace a lot of other albums from this list that have been around for decades. Unfortunately it's not, it's actually quite repetitive and nothing jumps out, except for maybe Bow which features Michael Kiwanuka (who is a great in his own right). This album would be fine in a hotel lobby but it needs more passion to really resonate and deliver its message.
The Mothers Of Invention
3/5
We just received Zappa's debut Freak Out the other day, so yet another early Zappa record that has the same satirical, parody, nursery rhyme type of singing seems to be too much and too soon, and this is from a self-professed Zappa fanboy too. As I mentioned in my review of Freak Out, I think there are far better albums in his repertoire that could have been chosen for this list since there are many others that showcase his guitar playing and song-writing brilliance much better and this satire shit gets old fast. This gets a bump to three stars, only because he has so many other better albums that weren't on this list.
LL Cool J
1/5
Minutemen
2/5
The Cult
1/5
These guys are a Brit AC/DC if you will. This is slightly better than their hair band peers, but not by much. I was close to giving this a 2 but then I thought better of it.
Janet Jackson
1/5
4/5
This is seminal post-punk/proto-new wave that ranks up there with the best late 70s bands like Talking Heads, Elvis Costello and the Cars. Gut Feeling and Mongoloid are my favourites on this album. Lead singer Mark Mothersbaugh isn't the greatest vocalist, with its herky jerky vocals and but he later shows his talent by penning many brilliant soundtracks for a host of Wes Anderson films, TV shows and also video games. The production by Brian Eno is also top shelf.
Rush
4/5
After 8 albums its safe to say that these guys have honed their chops to a fine sharp edge. All three musicians are at the top of their game, playing with virtuosic mastery. On this album they've perfected the mash up of power and prog rock . This is one of those bands that engender a fanatical following, just check out Paul Rudd and Jason Segel in I love you man where they play star struck Rush fanatics. Even if you hate the band, you probably can't help smiling when they play air guitar to Tom Sawyer and mimic Geddy's high pitched vocals. Limelight is the highlight for me on this album and Tom Sawyer and YYZ are also pretty good. This is a solid 3.5 stars but I may have rounded it up because they play for the home team here in Toronto.
Small Faces
2/5
This starts out nicely with the instrumental Ogden's nut gone flake which has a string section led by David McCallum Sr, the father of David McCallum Jr (from the Man from UNCLE) who wrote The Edge, which has been sampled and immortalized by Dr Dre's The Next Episode with Snoop Dog.... but I digress. Unfortunately it goes downhill from there and the rest of the album is very uneven and the narration was distracting. This albums doesn't feature itchycoo park either, boo.
Jane's Addiction
1/5
Brian Eno
4/5
This is Eno’s debut solo effort after leaving Roxy, so he still has a lot of rock roots here. Glad to see that he brought some crack musicians along for the ride eg Phil Manzanera, and Robert Fripp, and they both shred their guitars quite ably. I prefer Eno’s more experimental and ambient music, but this one has some gems such as Baby’s on fire, Here come the warm jets and the absolutely gorgeous On some faraway beach. This is a 3.5 but rounded up
The Smashing Pumpkins
4/5
It’s hard to believe that this album is 28 yrs old. I would say it’s one of the defining albums of the early Indie-Emo rock genre, as it was listened to obsessively by many angsty teens. The 2 hr length is weighty, and this album is almost schizophrenic melding gentle ballads with some very aggressive hard rock songs. However it’s hard to dispute that this album spawned a ton of great singles that have aged very nicely over the decades, and that itself defines an iconic album for me.
Jane Weaver
3/5
Something interesting for a Sunday morning. I’m surprised there aren’t more people remarking on the Stereolab and Krautrock influences. Nice ethereal vocals and dreamy production. This would be an acquired taste and demands another listening or two to fully appreciate
LTJ Bukem
1/5
Drum and bass really isn't my jam and I found this to be hellishly boring and repetitive. I'm glad that D&B deservedly died an ignoble and quick death by the 2000s and I was hoping that I would never hear it again, until 1,001 resurrected it again.... FML.
Peter Gabriel
5/5
Initially before listening to this record again I thought this would be a 4 star album, but after playing it again I was reminded of just how good this album is. In particular, the duet with Kate Bush on Don't give up gave me goosebumps. I doubt Peter and Kate's voices have ever been better and this is from a self-professed Kate Bush fanboy. The big single on this album - Sledgehammer is actually my least favourite song here, probably a result of it being overplayed, but that's not Gabriel's fault. The rest of the album which includes Mercy Street, Red Rain, Big Time and In Your Eyes are consistently strong. Yes this was Gabriel's most commercial release so far, but as Sting once said a long time ago, "there's good pop and there's bad pop and there's nothing wrong with good pop". This great pop.
2/5
There’s no Nigel or Generals and Majors here, but Andy Partridge’s quirky voice is ever present. This one is for the die-hard XTC fans
The Darkness
1/5
Glam rock or Hair band this is definitely not my jam. The vocals and the guitars gave me a headache. This is most certainly not something that I need to hear before I die.
Astrud Gilberto
2/5
Her claim to fame is of course the Girl from Ipanema but there’s nothing of that iconic quality on this album as it sounds like a bunch of retreads and covers of western songs to appeal to North American and western audiences. The 60s backing orchestra sounds a lot like what Burt Bacharach would play back in the day and it hasn’t aged well I’m afraid
Snoop Dogg
2/5
This is more listenable than some of the later gangsta rap … probably because it’s early 90s hip-hop. There’s still a lot of misogyny in the lyrics though so some of the songs are offputting.
The Incredible String Band
2/5
A long, long time ago, and in a galaxy far far away psychedelic folk may have been a popular genre. This music seems very quaint and very very out there today. Perhaps if I grew up listening to Scottish Folk music it would have given me more reference points to get a toe hold. But when you hear unfamiliar stuff like this you it makes you think and it gives you a bit of discomfort but that’s a healthy reaction and it’s helped me discover many new music genres. Nevertheless, it was very difficult to get into this. In particular Swift as the wind was pretty unsettling.
Soft Machine
4/5
This is a very cool ride, it spans jazz/psychedelic/prog/noise rock and conjures images of early King Crimson, Pink Floyd and maybe even some Zappa and Kraut rock/electronic music. I'm still not a fan of Robert Wyatt's voice but it's undeniable that he's a great musician and has teamed up with A-list musicians of the era with Kevin Ayers, Elton Dean and Hugh Hopper. The first track, Facelift gets a lot of grief from the reviewers on this site, but I didn't think it was too bad. Experimental yes, but never boring. The stand-out track for me was the closer, Out-Bloody-Rageous and I learned from Wiki that the tape loops on this song were inspired by Terry Riley hence its repetitive minimalist sound. Disc 2 (which is not available for listening on Spotify) was apparently part of a subsequent CD released in 2007 so technically not part of this album so its not graded here.
Girls Against Boys
1/5
the reviews for this album sum up my views pretty well "... unremarkable, nothing extraordinary, not sure how this got into the list, completely utterly worthless"
Ali Farka Touré
3/5
Ry Cooder has done some fine collabs with \"World\" musicians, notably the Buena Vista Social Club and Ali Farka Toure. This album is pleasant enough, but as someone else mentioned with songs that average over 5 mins each and not much variety they seem to blend into each other and it becomes a bit repetitious after awhile. The blues tinge from Cooder is a nice touch though.
Morrissey
2/5
One of my esteemed colleagues said that Morrissey was the pioneer of "Whine Rock", so apt. Reading the reviews here is also quite funny, there's so much hate for this tosser that I almost feel sorry for him. This album is actually not too bad and it may have gotten an extra point from me if it had been purely instrumental without his whiney voice.
Kings of Leon
2/5
TIL that the KOL are all related. I also learned that they've been around for almost 20 yrs and their roots are more Southern Rock, Garage Rock with blues influences, a far cry from say Sex on Fire. This is one of their earliest albums so understandably their sound has evolved significantly over the years. That being said, this album was a bit too raw and unpolished for my tastes.
Scott Walker
2/5
The Jesus And Mary Chain
1/5
I hate Shoegaze and this is probably the most unlistenable shoegaze album ever, well apart from the dreck that My Bloody Valentine has released.
The Cure
3/5
The Cure is perhaps the best post-punk band to emerge from the 70s. Their first 4 albums were decidedly very goth but you could hear hints of the greatness that was to come. Pornography, their 4th album before they adopted a more poppy sound is fine, but it's not quite a Great Cure album. Robert Smith describes the sound as "Phil Spector in hell" and I think that's very apt. This album is solid, but its not their best. A few albums later they will put out some of the most insanely catchy and danceable riffs ever!
The KLF
3/5
I’m disappointed that this made the cut instead of their 1990 Chill Out record which is one of my all-time favourite “found sound” and electronic/ambient albums. I can listen to Chill out over and over and never tire of it for some reason. The music on this album OTOH is pretty typical of the era, just bog standard Acid House music. I would give this two stars but Chill out would get four, so I’ll split the difference here.
John Grant
2/5
I do like Midlake and I saw a lot of 5 star ratings so I was looking forward to listening this album. It starts out fine with TC & Honeybear but it rapidly goes downhill from there. If you don't like his singing style this album will grate on you because there's A LOT of his voice here and it sounds quite monotonous after awhile. I do like Indie songwriters but this album is a bit too commercial sounding and it does not resonate for me.
Everything But The Girl
1/5
Lame is the adjective that best describes this album. EBTG has one good single - Missing, but it ain't on this album. I knew this was gonna be a slog when the first song was a lame cover of I don't want to talk about it (even Rod Stewart did it better). Sophisti-pop was the rage in the 80s and 90s but other groups such as Sade, Style Council and Matt Bianco did it much better.
Stephen Stills
2/5
Poor Steve, you know when the members of CSNY all issue solo albums they will all get compared to each other, but good ol' Neil can't but help standing waaay above the others. This was a bit too Country for me, but you say "heck Neil is Country too!" And I agree, but Neil somehow makes Country and Folk work for me. No such luck for Stevie I'm afraid.
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
1/5
Proto AC/DC, Glam Rock nuff said
Common
2/5
Alice Cooper
1/5
Back in 72 I was still in grade school and "School's out" was all the rage at that time, the rebellious lyrics and vocals probably stuck a chord with many kids so I’m not surprised that it made it to No. 3 on the Canadian charts. However, I didn’t think it was such a big deal then and 50 yrs later I still don’t see the appeal. The same goes for the rest of this album.
UB40
4/5
Early UB40 is vastly superior to the shmaltzy commercial sound of their latter records where they did Neil Diamond, Elvis and Sonny & Cher covers :( Although I think their second album Present Arms is their best, their debut Signing Off is quite good. The two best songs here are Food for Thought and the driving ska beats of Reefer Madness. When this was released in 1980 Britain was going through some tumultuous times due to the misguided policies of the Iron Lady, and their social conscious music was very relevant and hit harder than their contemporaries such as the Specials, English Beat and Madness. It's a shame that UB40 only got one entry on this list while tossers such as Morrissey/The Smiths got 6!!!! So this gets an extra point for the mis-carriage of justice.
The Police
4/5
There's a lot of hate here for this band, primarily because they have been accused of appropriating reggae. If anyone should be offended by this it would be me since I'm Jamaican, but I think they actually helped the genre by introducing it in a more palatable format for the masses. That being said, by their second outing this band is lean and tight, with Copeland on drums, Summers on guitar and Sting on vocals and bass, there's not much wastage here. As usual my favourite songs are not the big hit singles, so The Bed's too big without you and Bring on the night are my favourites on the album. But I think this list is remiss by excluding their debut album, Outlandos D'amour which features crackers like Next to you, So Lonely, Can't stand losing you, Masoka Tanga and of course the iconic Roxanne. So this album gets a bit of a bump to 4 stars.
G. Love & Special Sauce
2/5
Red Snapper
2/5
I read somewhere that this band is like a revved up Massive Attack, you could also throw in there a chilled out Chemical Brothers. I also got some Portishead vibes from some of the songs sung by the female vocalist. The frenetic drum and beat songs got old fast, but they were saved by the last two chilled out tracks that sound like the Cinematic Orchestra. So my point is that this record is all over the place, some good some bad.
The xx
2/5
I read that the XX write their songs at night so there’s a very soft quality about their music with mimimal percussion so not surprisingly this music is quite sleepy. I think their first two albums were better and “Intro” from their debut was their best song ever. However after three album this sound is getting a bit old. It’s fine for background music as it’s very low impact, but as others have said, it borders on being quite boring.
The Associates
1/5
I thought that Morrissey’s voice was annoying, but Billy Mackenzie’s cabaret falsetto here takes the cake. The best song on the album is country club, where his voice is somewhat bearable, but it’s mostly because of the excellent bass work by ex Cure member Michael Dempsey. But like most post punk, early 80s new wave music this got old real fast.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
2/5
I'm not a fan of podcasts or rap music because one needs to focus and give one's undivided attention to the words and lyrics and when I listen to music I typically just want to relax and let my mind wander through the music. That being said, this album is basically poetry or narration set to music. There is some variety when PJ and Kylie appear as vocalists, but overall Nick Cave's morose and very dark delivery of his dialogue is a bit of a slog for me. Yes, the lyrics are well written but this is not something that I would seek out.
Lupe Fiasco
2/5
The Thrills
1/5
I'm a massive fan of Indie music so I was looking forward to this, but gosh darnit, if this wasn't lame as heck. So frigging twee and the lead vocalist's voice was so annoying. I do believe this is the first Indie record that I couldn't finish listening to. Oh, and the name of the band is completely misleading also.
White Denim
3/5
This is like the Grateful Dead updated for the modern age playing psychedelic freewheeling indie rock with a bit of prog thrown in. The musicians are tight, the writing is strong and overall it seems to work. Not really my jam, but I'll give it a quiet nod for their unique sound.
Neil Young
4/5
I really don't like country and folk, but my oh my, nobody does it quite like Neil Young. His music and especially his song-writing transcends all other mere mortals and so called superstar musicians. He legitimately can claim to be one of the all-time GOATS and this is also one of his best albums. This record starts out swinging and the first four songs are killers, culminating with the epic Southern Man. It lags a bit in the middle but finishes strong with Don't let it Bring you down and When you dance and I believe in you. There's a tiny bit of filler here so it gets dinged a bit in my rating for that.
Can
3/5
Can was at the forefront of the Krautrock express and this is a pretty wild ride. There are some good ideas here but they drag them out a bit too long, no doubt listeners who were high on hallucinogens really dug this music. This is a 2.5 for me but it gets rounded up for its innovativeness.
Nanci Griffith
2/5
Roxy Music
3/5
These guys put the glam in Glamorous, especially their lead crooner with the warbly voice Bryan Ferry and that chameleon Brian Eno. This is quite the audatious debut album from them and their immense talent is on full display. This was a strong debut album but I think that they steadily got better with each successive album - For your Pleasure, Stranded, Country Life and Siren. With Manifesto they took a sharp turn to the left, but that's another story.
Public Image Ltd.
1/5
Since this is Johnny F'ing Lydon I'm certain that he purposely made these songs as unpleasant and abrasive as possible just to prove a point, and point taken as this was an ice-pick to the ears. Jah Wobble injects his typical infectious dub rhythms but that fails to save this. I guess I could describe this band's sound as Joy Division, but with much less joy and even more gloom.
The Psychedelic Furs
2/5
The Furs certainly were one of the better post-punk, new wavey groups in the early 80s and this album features probably their biggest single. Richard Butler actually has a great voice for this genre, but like others have noted most of the album after the first two songs sounds very samey.
Tom Waits
3/5
Obviously Waits is definitely an acquired taste and folks tend to either love or hate him. Like a fine bourbon, this improved on a second listening, and it was nice to hear him mixing it up with some jazz and blues. Notably I enjoyed the instrumental pieces more than the songs with his vocals, so there's that. I think we've received a few of his other albums already and they were superior and they include: Swordfishtrombones, Small Change and Rain Dogs. But if you're a fan this was a decent offering.
Kings of Leon
2/5
We got the Kings of Leon’s debut recently and I thought it was a bit too raw, but the pendulum has swung too far the other way, and now I think this one is too commercial. Caleb’s Followill’s vocal style is too mainstream pop rock sounding for me, especially on Use somebody.
Solange
2/5
Today I learned that Solange’s parents have a knack for coming up with creative names for their kids, witness - her sister Beyoncé. It’s too bad that Solange’s music wasn’t more creative though as I found it quite uninspiring. The music is pleasant enough, but it just lacked any substance to me. Now that we're nearing the end of our 1,001 journey, I'm saddened by the thought that so many more deserving albums were omitted in favour of mediocrity like this.
R.E.M.
3/5
REM is an ok rock group and this is an ok album
Deee-Lite
2/5
This one hit wonder shouldn’t be on this list
Throwing Muses
2/5
Underworld
2/5
As far as EDM goes, Underworld is one of the better groups out there. I appreciate that they throw in a bit of prog and experimentation into their mixes and you don’t get pulverized by an aggressive incessant beat like with some other groups.
Heaven 17
1/5
I remember when this first came out in the early 80s and how exciting it sounded along with Gary Numan, The Human League, Gang of Four etc. This was the newest thing from England and it was so different. Fast forward to today and it sounds embarrassingly dated and archaic. Fun fact, the name Heaven 17 was first mentioned in Stanley Kubrick‘s movie Clockwork Orange, when the main protagonist goes into a record shop and names off a few fictional band names to impress a girl who he’s trying to pick up. Did I say that this is horribly dated?
The Pogues
3/5
If I was drinking in an Irish pub with a Guinness in hand and the Pogues were playing I would probably think they were the best thing ever. As it is I'm not drinking, nor in Ireland but this is still a fun listen. Standouts of course are Dirty old town and Waltzing Matilda.
The Beta Band
2/5
Sounds like the Gorrillaz cloned with some Madchester acid house. Nothing very offensive here, but nothing very exciting either.
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
2/5
Fateh Ali Khan is the undisputed king of Sufi music and he’s an incredibly passionate singer. But I think we already had one of his albums and if you don’t understand his language it tends to all sound similar after awhile.
American Music Club
2/5
I'm a sucker for Indie music so I tried, Lord knows that I really made an effort to listen carefully to this, but alas You-tube isn't the best streamer for music so it was plagued with ads and interruptions so it didn't go well. The other issue that I have to mention is that American Music Club must be the least imaginative band name I've ever heard, but perhaps that's fitting because the music was enormously uninspiring also.
Doves
2/5
The aughts were a lost decade in England for me, mainly due to the ubiquitous, dreaded Brit-Pop that seemed to be everywhere and you don't want to get me started on Brit-pop. I must admit that the Doves are better than the average Oasis or Blur though but the vocal styling of this genre still grates me.
Holger Czukay
3/5
I'm not sure what this has to do with "Movies", but this is much more accessible than his work with Can. Props to him for forging a path with World Music and sampling, but I think he overdid the vocal samples in Hollywood Symphony. The most enjoyable and playful track for me was Persian Love with its blend of funky/afrobeat/world music.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
2/5
The Coral
1/5
The Beta Band
2/5
I'm surprised that we would get two albums from the relatively unknown Beta Band in the same week. I found their Heroes to Zeroes from 2004 to be uninspired. This album features their best song IMO, Squares, but after that the rest of the album was similarly uninspired, mainly due to (as one of my colleagues commented) the lead vocalist's low key and boring delivery. We only have a few more albums before we've completed 1,001 and I think we're starting to scrape the bottom of the barrel now.
TV On The Radio
4/5
At first I thought Dear Science was much superior but this album is so dense and original that it demands a second (or more) listening and no surprise it was much better the second time around. These guys have such a quirky and unique sound that it has to be acknowledged, kudos to them for pushing the envelope. I believe this is my final album on the 1,001 journey so I'm feeling a bit generous so I'm rounding this up to a 4.