730
Albums Rated
3.42
Average Rating
67%
Complete
359 albums remaining
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Taste Profile
1950s
Favorite Decade
Reggae
Favorite Genre
UK
Top Origin
Wordsmith
Rater Style ?
115
5-Star Albums
11
1-Star Albums
Taste Analysis
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Ratings by genre
Origin Preferences
Ratings by country
Rating Style
You Love More Than Most
Albums you rated higher than global average
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duck Stab/Buster & Glen | 5 | 2.03 | +2.97 |
| Sincere | 5 | 2.38 | +2.62 |
| Rock Bottom | 5 | 2.39 | +2.61 |
| Suicide | 5 | 2.46 | +2.54 |
| New Forms | 5 | 2.53 | +2.47 |
| The United States Of America | 5 | 2.61 | +2.39 |
| Bummed | 5 | 2.64 | +2.36 |
| Sex Packets | 5 | 2.67 | +2.33 |
| Group Sex | 5 | 2.74 | +2.26 |
| Roots | 5 | 2.78 | +2.22 |
You Love Less Than Most
Albums you rated lower than global average
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neon Bible | 1 | 3.35 | -2.35 |
| System Of A Down | 1 | 3.26 | -2.26 |
| Let England Shake | 1 | 3.15 | -2.15 |
| The Contino Sessions | 1 | 2.91 | -1.91 |
| Kala | 1 | 2.91 | -1.91 |
| White Light | 1 | 2.84 | -1.84 |
| Black Sabbath | 2 | 3.83 | -1.83 |
| Yeezus | 1 | 2.77 | -1.77 |
| (Pronounced 'Leh-'Nérd 'Skin-'Nérd) | 2 | 3.76 | -1.76 |
| Hot Fuss | 2 | 3.74 | -1.74 |
Artist Analysis
Favorite Artists
Artists with 2+ albums
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| David Bowie | 7 | 4.86 |
| Beatles | 6 | 4.83 |
| Stevie Wonder | 4 | 5 |
| Miles Davis | 4 | 4.75 |
| Prince | 3 | 5 |
| Michael Jackson | 3 | 5 |
| Nirvana | 3 | 4.67 |
| Joni Mitchell | 3 | 4.67 |
| Pink Floyd | 3 | 4.67 |
| Funkadelic | 2 | 5 |
| The Specials | 2 | 5 |
| Metallica | 4 | 4.25 |
| The Smiths | 3 | 4.33 |
| My Bloody Valentine | 3 | 4.33 |
| Talking Heads | 3 | 4.33 |
| Kraftwerk | 3 | 4.33 |
| Radiohead | 5 | 4 |
Least Favorite Artists
Artists with 2+ albums
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Arcade Fire | 2 | 1.5 |
| M.I.A. | 2 | 1.5 |
Controversial Artists
Artists you rate inconsistently
| Artist | Ratings |
|---|---|
| Madonna | 5, 2 |
| PJ Harvey | 4, 1, 3 |
5-Star Albums (115)
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Popular Reviews
The Residents
5/5
This is exactly the kind of electronic, avant-garde, wacked out shit I signed up for.
51 likes
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
4/5
If you’re looking for something fun and upbeat ‘Ghosteen’ isn’t the album for you. It’s the sound of a father’s grief for his dead son. It’s harrowing and unbelievably sad, yet cathartic and…wonderful. Production is minimal and sparse, but immersive and as interesting as any ambient album going around. I suspect that over time and repeated exposure ‘Ghosteen’ will become one of my all-time faves.
40 likes
Nirvana
5/5
A bunch of album tracks and half a dozen cover versions doesn't necessarily sound like the recipe for a killer acoustic live album but 'Unplugged In New York' turns out to be something special. The bands material translates wonderfully well into intimate, acoustic arrangements, and their cover versions are often better than the originals. A tantalizing look at what Nirvana might've evolved into, and still a fitting if sad way for the band to go out despite the large shadow Kurt Cobain's death casts over this record.
34 likes
Public Enemy
5/5
Packed to the rafters lyrically and musically. Intimidating, angry and militant, but also funky as all hell with its insane twisting of samples into new shapes and hard as nails wall of sound production that bores into your skull like a pneumatic drill. 58 minutes of pure adrenaline that always leaves you needing to catch your breath at the end. Then there’s all the rappers, beat makers and artists who have built careers off the back of ripping this album off, Dr. Dre being one of the most obvious examples. ‘It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back’ is still the sound of an exploding rap supernova whose impact still reverberates 30 plus years later.
33 likes
Can
5/5
Tago Mago is a combination of rock, funk, psychedelic freak out, avant-garde jazz improv, elevator muzak, proto techno, stoned mantra, and trippy tape loop experimentation. It handles all these styles better, for longer and harder than any album that’s come before it or since, backed by a truly stellar rhythm section. If Tago Mago was a movie, it would simultaneously be The Empire Strikes Back and 2001: A Space Odyssey.
31 likes
1-Star Albums (11)
All Ratings
Led Zeppelin
4/5
First half of the album is as good, if not better than any other Led Zep album. Every song is a heavy hitter culminating in the colossus that is 'Kashmir'.
Disc 2 doesn't quite pack the same punches but does contain 'In The Light', 'Ten Years Gone' and 'The Wanton Song' which are the picks of the second half.
Fatboy Slim
2/5
A couple of decent tracks on this. 'Song For Lindy' is great, as well as 'Everybody Needs A 303'. 'First Down' is also fun. Rest of this album is repetitive filler and hasn't aged all that well.
Paul Simon
4/5
Somewhat pensive at times but nicely produced. Low key and intimate, overall a really lovely album. Reminds me of the Beatles and Crosby, Stills and Nash in parts.
Tim Buckley
3/5
First Tim Buckley album I've ever listened to. Pleasant and well produced, but a little too earnest and heavy on the medieval sounding folk tunes for my taste.
Nick Drake
5/5
Bleak and sparse, sad and melancholy. An achingly beautiful album. The more I listen to it, the more I'm drawn in and the more I can't help but love it . Make no mistake, this is a masterpiece.
Fred Neil
4/5
Really cool blues rock/folk record. Neil’s baritone voice reminds me of Johnny Cash. Somewhat staggering that this was released in 1966. It has that timeless quality that makes it sound like it could’ve been recorded yesterday. The Dolphins and Everybody’s Talkin’ are the two standout moments here, but really the whole record is strong overall.
Franz Ferdinand
2/5
Really wanted to love this but it left me indifferent instead. Yes, It’s a smart and fun record which is very much the point, but there’s nothing really essential or groundbreaking here other than ‘Take Me Out’. YMMV but it's a no for me.
Beatles
5/5
The best of the early Beatles records, and the peak of their early pop, Beatlemania years. The quintessential pop album by the quintessential British band. First album of fully original material and every song is a winner from the opening iconic chord of the title track, to the unexpected and premature fade out at the end of 'I'll Be Back'. What's staggering is this would be most bands high point yet the Beatles would get better than this, albeit their best albums would be purely studio affairs. Much has been written elsewhere about this album, it's influence and legacy but all you need to know is that it is that good and is easily a 5 star affair.
Manic Street Preachers
3/5
Killer guitar power chords, catchy hooks and riffs, but lyrically bleak and heavy. Leant more weight by the well publicized mental and health issues the lead singer had and his disappearance (assumed dead) soon after this was released.
Joy Division
3/5
Joy Division is a band I really want to love more. Their sound is heavy, angular, harsh...depressing. This is a good album, but not one I seek out to listen to regularly. I prefer them when they became New Order.
Crosby, Stills & Nash
4/5
Always enjoyed this one. Actually quite diverse musically, with touches of latin and funk to go with the rock and folk tone of the record. Understated production, great songs, incredible harmonies.
TLC
4/5
Great songs with slick, polished production and the right mix of R&B/hip hop, soul and pop ensuring massive crossover appeal. All star guest cast cameos. Sexy but never sleazy. The blueprint for all female groups that followed in their footsteps. This is a real winner.
Ray Price
3/5
As stated in the 1001 albums book: "Night Life is Nashville's answer to Sinatra's In The Wee Small Hours". Succinct and spot on description.
Supergrass
3/5
Super catchy and melodic guitar rock with with touches of psychedelia.
Pet Shop Boys
4/5
Introspective and melancholy, but musically and melodically beautiful, lyrically deeper and less bombastic than the PSB's first three albums.
Soul II Soul
4/5
Seminal dance music album that melded soul and R&B with house and reggae. It's legacy and influence is such that it still sounds like it could have been recorded yesterday.
Nirvana
5/5
A bunch of album tracks and half a dozen cover versions doesn't necessarily sound like the recipe for a killer acoustic live album but 'Unplugged In New York' turns out to be something special. The bands material translates wonderfully well into intimate, acoustic arrangements, and their cover versions are often better than the originals. A tantalizing look at what Nirvana might've evolved into, and still a fitting if sad way for the band to go out despite the large shadow Kurt Cobain's death casts over this record.
Haircut 100
4/5
British white boy jazz-funk/pop complete with chunky sweaters and knitwear. This is super groovy music for the body and dancefloor that doesn't take itself too seriously, and is a hell of a lot of fun.
The Cure
4/5
Beautifully gloomy, atmospheric and grand. An intimately claustrophobic but seductive album that rewards repeated listening. It's main drawback (if it has one) is that it feels a tad too long, but this doesn't majorly detract from what's a pretty outstanding record overall.
Miles Davis
5/5
Ethereal, spare, transcendental. Jazz but not Jazz. Ambient textures, moods over melody. A masterpiece in minimalism that continues to influence. Its ground breaking cut and paste production stitched together by Teo Macero was ahead of its time, much like this album. Bitches Brew would send out musical shockwaves across the world six months later, but all the elements of that record, albeit more restrained, were present here first.
Sly & The Family Stone
5/5
Cynicism, defeat, despair and excessive drug taking never sounded so soulfully funky and appealing.
Boards of Canada
5/5
So I stole part of a review on this album because because I CBF writing my own. Written by Maya Kalev for factmag.com, the article is called "One very important thought: Boards Of Canada’s Music Has The Right To Children at 15" I recommend it. The bit I stole goes like this: "Despite its name, Music… is about as grown-up as records get: an adult meditation on childhood, concerned with play, naïveté and nostalgia, all tinted with rosy pastoralism. But it’s also devilishly subtle, intricate and emotionally mature. That’s surprisingly rare in electronic music, most of which is concerned with the physicality of dance, intellectual weight, or the evocation of atmosphere rather than a holistic experience. By introducing themes of suppression, solitude and grief into Music…’s evocations of childhood, Boards of Canada created a record that was pretty but seldom precious, more faithful to experience than kitsch idealism. This ambiguity has endeared Music Has The Right To Children to its hordes of fans over time: as its listeners grew ever further away from the childhood it evoked, the album, bizarrely, became more relevant."
Deep Purple
3/5
Sounds like a Led Zeppelin tribute band, but with more prog and less blues. Still, this is a raucously good time overall, an all-out assault on the eardrums. What it lacks in majesty, it makes up for in effort, sheer heaviness and slam. Play this loud.
Death In Vegas
1/5
I think other bands have had more successful results at fusing rock and electronica than these guys. I can see and appreciate what they are trying to do, and the wall of sound they create using guitars and synths is technically impressive, but frankly, aside from Iggy Pop's appearance on 'Aisha', there's nothing else here that really holds my attention.
Billie Holiday
3/5
In which Billie Holiday does Frank Sinatra's 'In The Wee Small Hours'. Her voice is cooked after years of alcohol and drug abuse, but the arrangements complement what's left of her voice, and the result manages to be harrowing yet triumphant at the same time.
The Damned
3/5
A lot of punky goodness here. Guitars thrash like a machine gun, but the sound is very polished and the songs are surprisingly more tuneful and melodic than I was expecting. Lots of wit and humour present here.
The Replacements
2/5
Started off promisingly but failed to hold my attention. Not bad, but not great either. It just didn't resonate with me.
OutKast
4/5
Essentially two individual albums by each member of Outkast. Sonically impressive, sprawling, probably too long and with too many interludes. Trim those and some of the fat ('My Favorite Things' instrumental I'm looking at you) and this would be close to the best hip-hop/rap/r'n'b/soul double album of this century. That title probably belongs to their previous album 'Stankonia'. As it stands however, 'Speakerboxxx/The Love Below' whilst not quite as vital or important as 'Stankonia', is still pretty fucking good.
The Beach Boys
3/5
The explicit social commentary the Beach Boys tried on this album feels really clumsy and forced, while "Take a Load Off Your Feet", a song literally about looking after your feet, sounds like an advertising jingle. I can't work out whether they are being sincere or taking the piss. That's kind of the problem I have with this record. In parts it's amazing, in other parts it's decidedly "meh" and feels like the group were running on fumes creatively.
The Prodigy
3/5
So the hits and singles released from this album were (and still are) undeniably ace. As for the best of the rest: ‘Full Throttle’, ‘3 Kilos’ and ‘Claustrophobic Sting’ are both great, while ‘The Heat’ is interesting. What’s left is just a bit too one note for me. There are a lot of interesting ideas, but they never quite feel fully fleshed out, and on an album that’s already too long the padding get really noticeable at times.
3/5
Opening salvo of 'Where The Streets Have No Name', 'I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For' and 'With Or Without You' is as good a start to an album as any. The rest of the record doesn't quite live up to that opening but still chugs along nicely, nailing it’s anthemic, stadium filling rock brief. Meanwhile, Coldplay called and said thanks for the inspo.
Tom Waits
3/5
I didn't hate this as much as I thought I would. Musically on point and Waits is a great story teller, albeit a lot of the stories are sad, worn and bleak and seem to involve an abundance of drug dealers and prostitutes. Meanwhile Waits sounds like he smoked 100 cigarettes, swallowed a cup of gravel and then drank several bottles of really cheap whiskey before deciding he'd sing some songs. Your appreciation of this album may well depend on whether or not you can handle his 'singing' voice for forty five minutes.
Talvin Singh
4/5
OK is ambitious in scope and execution, simultaneously futuristic yet ancient in sound. A wonderfully layered fusion of styles and influences gives it a sense of timelessness. Equally at home on the dancefloor as it is on your headphones, this is a beautiful album.
Metallica
5/5
The distillation of all the best bits of Metallica across 54 minutes of brutal, aggressive, tight and polished musicianship (though there’s also a lot of subtlety here too). I listened to this a lot when I was a teenager, and many years after my wasted youth this album still can't be rated anything less than a 5.
Neu!
4/5
A pleasant surprise. Super boring cover doesn't really do justice to the music that's on here. You can clearly hear the influence it's had on countless bands and ambient artists, and especially on David Bowie.
Shack
3/5
Undeniably well played, sung and produced. You can hear its obvious (and not so obvious) influences within the grooves. The record clearly wears its heart on its sleeve and rocks pretty hard in places too but ultimately there's not quite enough here to elevate it to classic status for mine.
Everything But The Girl
3/5
Tracey Thorns voice kills and production is nice. It's quite a pleasant listen overall but one probably needs to be in the relaxed horizontal position to maximize enjoyment of this record.
The Only Ones
3/5
Surprisingly melodic guitar rock album often tinged with jazzy influences. There's some quite sophisticated musicianship here that help to elevate this above standard punk-rock fare.
Joni Mitchell
5/5
Having never really heard much of Joni Mitchell's work up to this point in my life, I found 'Blue' to be quite a revelation. Sparse and delicate, this is real heart on your sleeve stuff and it's also very beautiful, painfully so.
Frank Sinatra
3/5
I've heard this a few times now and it creeps under your skin after a while. You can hear Sinatra's world weary voice cracking at times as he makes his way through the songs. The arrangements are subtle and delicate and really compliment Sinatra. Nice for late night listening.
Morrissey
3/5
Sonically there's a lot of interesting things going on here. Viva Hate has a very distinctive sound that's different to much of the Smiths output. Lyrically though, I don't care all that much at times for Morrisey's politics and social commentary.
Madonna
5/5
'Like A Prayer', 'Express Yourself' and 'Cherish' are as good as anything Madonna ever recorded, and guest star Prince (on the duet 'Love Song') is always a welcome addition to any record. Yeh 'Art Of Contrition' is a bit underwhelming for an album closer, but when it turns out that Prince basically produced the track (it's also him on guitar uncredited) it's hard for me to be too critical. Elsewhere 'Dear Jessie' evokes the psychedelic 60's, 'Oh Father' is a brooding power ballad and 'Spanish Eyes' is a beautiful Latin tinged song confronting the then still-taboo issue of AIDS. Overall, this is a super pop album by a woman who was at height of her powers.
The Smiths
4/5
I landed Morrisey's first solo album 'Viva Hate' the other day and thought it was decent. Today I l got this, the Smiths last album which comfortably beats 'Viva Hate' on every count.
Steely Dan
3/5
Not my favourite Steely Dan album, I prefer some of their other albums better, but what is here is still generally pretty good.
Dolly Parton
4/5
Was pleasantly surprised. This is a tight, concise, tuneful album. I wasn’t expecting it to be so accessible and so ‘pop’ based on the preconceived notion in my head of what I assume country music sounds like. This is really good stuff.
OutKast
5/5
Outkast’s masterpiece and still the best rap album of this century. Broad and deep in scope, dense but accessible across its almost 75-minute running time (which for once isn't a second too long for an LP). Musically drawing on rock, jazz, blues and soul, Sly Stone, George Clinton, Hendrix, Electric Miles; it's all in there and you can hear these influences coalesce into something unique, urgent, exciting, transcendental and totally stoned but in the best way.
Alice In Chains
3/5
Not bad, but not an out and out classic either. It kind of falls short when compared to similar era Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden etc. There are some great songs on here but for large parts, and especially a lot of the second half, this feels like the aural equivalent of trudging through mud.
The Icarus Line
2/5
Messy, sprawling, meandering. There's a good album in here somewhere but it's buried underneath a band that feels like it's not sure what it's trying to be.
Isaac Hayes
3/5
The tracks that are actually songs (with lyrics and singing) such as everyone's favourite 'Theme From Shaft' and 'Soulsville' are great. 'Do Your Thing' bangs but it's almost 20-minute length is too long. It runs out of steam long before the end. A lot of the rest of this album comes across as background music (it is a soundtrack album after all). It's largely enjoyable and funky, but still background music nonetheless.
Grant Lee Buffalo
3/5
Fuzzy is a perfectly serviceable album, very much of its time with its distinctive early 90s alt.rock vibe and sound. I found it enjoyable enough, but it didn't blow me away.
PJ Harvey
4/5
Raw, messy, muscular, feminine, vulnerable, angry, seductive, powerful.
Mudhoney
2/5
You can hear the influences: Iggy Pop, a bit of Sabbath, garage, punk and so forth. But the deliberately muddy lo-fi production is probably more of a hindrance than a help. I enjoyed parts of this, but found it to be a bit of slog overall.
4/5
Quirky, nerdy, urgent and paranoid post punk/new wave/surf rock with tons of humor and satire. Weird, but in that good way.
Violent Femmes
3/5
It’s a testament and a compliment to the Violent Femmes that their debut remains sonically and lyrically both out of and ahead of its time. It’s a record that will always sound current due to its universal themes of teenage angst and insecurity and the catchy singalong nature of the songs. I’m well and truly no longer the target market for this album, but my 17-year-old self would’ve really loved this.
Dinosaur Jr.
4/5
This was surprisingly good. Strong hard rock, metal and grunge vibes (Nirvana pretty much copied Dinosaur Jr’s sound). ‘Poledo’ sucks and feels like an afterthought, but the rest of the album rocks. Good stuff.
Screaming Trees
5/5
Uninspiring cover hides grand and majestic grunge (not grunge) album with nods to classic hard rock, 60s psychedelia, folk and blues instead of the nihilistic pop punk and metal of their contemporaries. Underrated.
George Michael
5/5
A mature statement from one of the great mainstream pop artists shooting for eternal air play on Smooth FM, and the album that made it OK for me as a red blooded and masculine male to like George Michael.
Eagles
4/5
I’ve never been a big fan of the Eagles, but this surprised me and it’s starting to occur to me by participating in this 1001 albums exercise that I’m quite partial to country and country influenced music. This is a solid and polished debut album with some great rockers and nice nods to Crosby, Stills and Nash as well as bands like the Little River Band who liberally borrowed the Eagles’ sound for their own work.
The Cars
4/5
A great mix of new wave cool and radio-friendly pop, the Cars' clever use of synths also really helps to elevate this album above normal rock/pop fare.
The Smiths
5/5
The title track is dour, but the rest of this album is fantastic, musically brilliant, adventurous and generally just really catchy with its overt pop and funk influences and some of Morrisey’s sharpest lyrics (even if he is an insufferable cunt). Now excuse me while I enjoy eating this steak.
Terence Trent D'Arby
3/5
‘Sign Your Name’ and ‘Wishing Well’ are the all-time classics they’re made out to be. ‘Dance Little Sister’ is also a great pop-funk number that both Prince and James Brown would’ve been proud to have written, and ‘Who’s Loving You’ is a worthy Smokey Robinson cover. And yet while it’s a solid enough debut effort overall, the rest of the album leaves me feeling a little cold, perhaps partly due to the late 80s synth heavy sound which makes the album sound somewhat dated to my ears.
William Orbit
4/5
Perfectly decent, spacey 90s electronica with dance, dub, trip-hop, world and new-age influences. Its sound and mood is such that it still holds up quite well almost 30 years after it was released. This one really grew on me.
The Streets
3/5
A blend of UK garage breaks and brit-pop beats. If Eminem was cockney, British and slightly less angry, then this would be the result.
Fairport Convention
5/5
The band slaps hard and Sandy Denny's voice, both beautiful and otherworldly carries the melodies superbly. There's a ton of subtext and depth to the songs and arrangements, leant an extra level of emotion due to the personal tragedy and upheaval the group went through around (or just before) the time they met to record the album. Blending the ancient with the supernatural and turning it into something distinctly modern yet timeless this is the ultimate folk-rock record.
Ryan Adams
3/5
If you can get past the fact that Ryan Adams is a shit bloke, you love listening to song after song about breakups, relationship breakdowns and their aftermath then you’ll probably like Heartbreaker.
Stevie Wonder
5/5
A brilliant sprawling mess of greatness with an immense legacy. Every R&B, hip-hop and soul album since owes something to this album. So does rock and pop really. And then there’s the house and dance music genres which have also borrowed liberally from this record. The breadth and depth of musical styles and emotions, and the way these are weaved together throughout and speak to us is why this album is so good and why it will always resonate. And that’s the key here. In a cynical world so often full of gloom and pessimism, anger and despair, love will always the save day and that’s what Songs In The Key Of Life is ultimately about.
Bee Gees
4/5
Ambitious in scope, trippy, complex, engaging, and psychedelic. In which the Bee Gees get their Sgt. Peppers on. It’s probably too long and it doesn’t make a lot off narrative sense as a concept album, but I still really enjoyed this.
Black Sabbath
4/5
Monolithic, hard as granite and thick as sludge hard rock/metal album. There are some softer moments (with some nice mellotron action) to let you catch your breath, but for the most part 'Vol. 4' slaps harder than your mum.
New York Dolls
4/5
Sleazy as fuck, messy, trashy and raunchy. The Dolls’ sound was a powerhouse of glam-rock swagger, bluesy attitude, proto punk looseness and 60s rock’n’roll homage. It’s this fusion that gives the record its edge, its timeless sound, and is the essence of its influence and legacy across the decades. It’s also a hell of a lot of fun.
Lambchop
2/5
A strange combination of country and soul, lush orchestration, impenetrable lyrics and Kurt Wagners irritating singing voice (especially that falsetto). The album is well produced and carefully arranged but the overall result is just not all that memorable.
The Who
5/5
Distilled into 6 cuts (3 of which aren’t even their own songs) ‘Live At Leeds’ is 37 minutes of awesome unrestrained destructive bluesy hard rock power with not an ounce of fat or filler. While the expanded versions of this record released over the years are still great and give context to the rest of the Leeds gig, it’s still the concise original released version that represents the Who at their absolute best live.
Miles Davis
4/5
Short, sharp, and straight ahead. Understated and restrained, but music that still swings. Recorded over the course of a year in 1949 and early 1950, but not released in this format until 1957, 'Birth Of The Cool' still sounds fresh today. Whilst not quite as ground-breaking as what would come later for Miles, it’s still brilliantly played, totally hummable and full of great hooks.
Jean-Michel Jarre
3/5
Part BBC Radiophonic Workshop/Doctor Who/sci-fi soundtrack, part Kraftwerk, part prog, part Pink Floyd’s ‘Shine On You Crazy Diamond’ and part Patrick Cowley/disco. Sure, parts of ‘Oxygene’ are a bit derivative, but equally, other parts are startlingly iconic and original. It sounds simultaneously dated and futuristic, but that’s part of its overall charm.
Belle & Sebastian
2/5
Lots of universal love for this album, but I personally don’t get the hype. Perhaps I’m missing something. Pleasant enough, but just OK at best.
Incredible Bongo Band
3/5
Bongoriffic. Let's be honest, this record is all about the breaks which went on to fuel the entire hip-hop genre and then some, the most famous of which appears on 'Apache'. The rest of the album, while not necessarily essential unless you’re a beat maker or sampler is still fun and funky.
Bebel Gilberto
5/5
Stylish, cool, elegant, laid back bossa nova embraces modern production with electronic elements to create something beautifully dreamy and quietly glorious.
Can
5/5
Tago Mago is a combination of rock, funk, psychedelic freak out, avant-garde jazz improv, elevator muzak, proto techno, stoned mantra, and trippy tape loop experimentation. It handles all these styles better, for longer and harder than any album that’s come before it or since, backed by a truly stellar rhythm section. If Tago Mago was a movie, it would simultaneously be The Empire Strikes Back and 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Public Enemy
5/5
Packed to the rafters lyrically and musically. Intimidating, angry and militant, but also funky as all hell with its insane twisting of samples into new shapes and hard as nails wall of sound production that bores into your skull like a pneumatic drill. 58 minutes of pure adrenaline that always leaves you needing to catch your breath at the end. Then there’s all the rappers, beat makers and artists who have built careers off the back of ripping this album off, Dr. Dre being one of the most obvious examples. ‘It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back’ is still the sound of an exploding rap supernova whose impact still reverberates 30 plus years later.
Sparks
3/5
Plays like a strange cross between the Sweet, Queen and a Broadway musical on steroids. Undeniably clever with a sense of fun and insidiously catchy in parts, but after several listens I’m still not not sure if I love this or hate it.
The Modern Lovers
3/5
A bunch of ace driving songs, with ‘Road Runner’ still being the best of them. A couple of average to good songs in ‘Astral Plane’ and ‘Pablo Picasso’ and a couple of downright stinkers in ‘Hospital’ and ‘Girlfriend’, two ballads that really annoy. When it’s great, you can clearly hear the importance and influence this record has had on punk and rock in general. Having said that, I didn’t love it all the way through. YMMV.
Brian Eno
4/5
There are clear echoes of Eno’s work with Roxy Music, David Bowie and Talking Heads/David Byrne on Another Green World. They’re the obvious references, I’m sure there’s tons more, not to mention the recognisable influences on the electronica and ambient music genres in general. There’s also what feels like a subtle oriental bent to many of the tracks which I quite like. The overall effect is a minimalistic, at times uneasy but overall dreamy, ethereal, and accessible oasis of calm for 41 minutes.
Thin Lizzy
3/5
I don’t know if ‘Live And Dangerous’ is the best live album of all time, or whether it’s not a true live album at all because it was re-recorded in the studio and overdubbed with crowd noise to make it sound live. What I do know is that it rocks hard and is lots of fun, with many moments throughout to indulge in the hedonistic dream of being a rock god whilst perfecting one’s air guitar skills. ‘Live And Dangerous’ won’t change the world, but there’s worse ways to spend 75 minutes.
The Sugarcubes
3/5
Unexpectedly charming oddball post punk, rock, pop, funk, emo, indie record. Bjork’s voice cuts through the mix like a hot knife through butter and it's quite wonderful. Some serious Nordic Viking shit going on here.
Sam Cooke
4/5
Electrifying, urgent and insistent sweat dripping live show carried by great performances from the band and Cooke’s showmanship. His voice is smooth like butter, but also raw and guttural, simultaneously sacred and profane, whipping the audience into a frenzy. If I could fire up the old DeLorean, this is the live show I’d go all the way back to 1963 to see.
The B-52's
4/5
Disco meets DIY Punk, new wave and 50’s surf rock. ‘The B-52’s’ is great for most of it’s run time, but runs out of steam towards the end, their cover of Petula Clark’s ‘Downtown’ tacked on to pad out the length of the album. Despite that, ’The B-52’s’ is still a unique, distinctive and undeniably fun record. If nothing else, you’re never left in any doubt as to who you’re listening to when their songs come on the wireless, and that’s never a bad thing.
Elvis Presley
3/5
Lot’s to enjoy here from the King. Doesn’t have the out and out raw energy, swagger, and urgency of his best 50s stuff, but there’s still heaps of style. His voice is as good as ever, and the session musicians and production are on point and top notch with the latter part of the record being surprisingly loose and sleazy. Good stuff overall.
Spiritualized
3/5
A psychedelic wall of sound with elements of drone, gospel, classical and jazz. In parts its brilliant, in other parts it’s a bloated and self-indulgent mess. It’s overly long as well, ‘Cop Shoot Cop’ being a major culprit coming in with a 17-minute runtime. In the end these flaws in execution cause the album to fall short of its ambition.
Supergrass
3/5
‘I Should Coco’ is more super catchy melodic guitar rock, with touches of psychedelia, more fun, and slightly less introspection and darkness then their other album in this book ‘In It For The Money’.
Radiohead
3/5
I don't have a lot to say about this record to be honest. I like Radiohead, but I don't love them, and I prefer some of their other albums to 'In Rainbows' which sounds like an album Coldplay would make if they were depressed.
Nirvana
4/5
In Utero deliberately tries to be the anti Nevermind, at least sonically. It’s rougher, rawer and with less of the sheen and polish of its predecessor. I listened to this album a lot as a teenager, and it still sounds pretty good today, but I still prefer Nevermind, just.
Ice T
4/5
A shade below the absolute best rap albums of the era and a touch too long at 72 minutes in length, but still pretty solid and worthy overall.
Beatles
5/5
Revolver is a band at the peak of their powers as a collective but also as individuals, where everything is in balance. The result is a pop/rock album of seismic proportions covering all sorts of musical ideas, stylistic ground and psychedelia. It’s edgy, thrilling and dangerous and it’s close to, if not the Beatles best.
Sinead O'Connor
3/5
Worth the price of admission for 'I Am Stretched On Your Grave' and of course 'Nothing Compares 2 U'. But there’s other highlights like ‘Jump In The River’ and ‘The Emperor’s New Clothes’. This album surprised me in a good way despite its unflinchingly raw and personal nature,. I suspect repeated listens over time will make me appreciate it further still.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
3/5
Overall decent country blues rock from CCR. John Fogerty's voice can grate after prolonged exposure to your ear drum but it's not that bad here thanks to the concise album length. While 'Green River' and 'Bad Moon Rising' are the generally known quantities (and good songs in their own right), it’s 'Tombstone Shadow' and their version of 'The Night Time Is The Right Time' that are the startling revelations here and are worth the price of admission alone
Air
3/5
Unlike the squishy warmth of Air's debut album 'Moon Safari', 'The Virgin Suicides' leaves me cold like the corpses of the 5 Lisbon sisters from the movie also called 'The Virgin Suicides'
Steely Dan
4/5
The best of the early Steely Dan albums. I enjoy 'Countdown To Ecstasy' so much more than 'Can't Buy A Thrill' or 'Pretzel Logic'. Their obtuse lyrics laced with their usual acerbic wit are still present coupled with their unique brand of soft rock, but the music is overtly jazzier here, more so than either of the two albums that bookend this one. Fagen and Becker were also apparently unhappy with some of the performances on the record and believed that it sold poorly because it had been recorded hastily on tour. And yet I disagree with them. For me, ‘Countdown to Ecstasy’ succeeds in-spite of and because it wasn’t quite as polished and meticulous as some of their other efforts.
The Avalanches
5/5
One of the great mixtapes of all time and the soundtrack to the type of millennial house party I always dreamt of going to but was never cool enough to be invited to. For inventiveness, the sheer amount and variety of samples used (which shimmer and melt into, then emerge out of each other seamlessly), the nostalgia factor, the tinges of longing mixed with sadness, and for just the sheer fun factor you can't beat this. It’s lightning in a bottle.
Bill Evans Trio
4/5
Nice smoky, atmospheric jazz. The live setting and the background noise of the crowd add to the mood. This one gets better the more you listen to it, and what initially sounds a bit dense and impenetrable starts to make much more sense as your ears adjust and you begin to understand the perfect harmony and synchronicity that has been achieved between the piano, drums and bass.
Grateful Dead
2/5
'Friend Of The Devil', 'Sugar Magnolia' and 'Till The Morning Comes' are the pick here, the rest of this album was a slog. Also people who say that the harmonies on this record are great obviously haven't heard a Beach Boys or Crosby, Stills & Nash record.
Big Brother & The Holding Company
4/5
Lo fi as fuck production, but this album is a revelation. A freight train of awesome blues rock power. What it lacks in subtlety, it makes up for in power and energy. Janis Joplin slays on the vocals and it’s so good that even Eminem sampled this record.
Culture Club
3/5
Good clean singalong 80s pop/soul, and if you have a few drinks and squint hard enough Boy George does a passable George Michael impersonation. But it's Helen Terry who is the albums secret weapon and her huge voice elevates every song that she appears on. Yeh, this record is a bit too earnest in parts, but mostly it's a lot of fun.
David Bowie
5/5
Hunky Dory is not quite as accessible as Ziggy Stardust (which was recorded around the same time) but it's arguably as good, if not better. It's Bowie's coming out album, and the songs and themes on display here set the blueprint for the super-stardom that was to come.
N.W.A.
3/5
The triple threat opening of Straight Outta Compton, Fuck Tha Police and Gangsta Gangsta is what the albums reputation is built off, and for this alone the record is undeniably important. But clocking in at one hour, the album is too long and the last third especially sags. There are also at least 3 tracks I would cut to make the whole thing tighter.
Hugh Masekela
4/5
Super solid jazz/funk/soul record with a touch of Afro-Beat thrown into the mix. Very reminiscent of similar era Crusaders, Mizell brothers, George Duke, Herbie Hancock, Headhunters and so forth. As good as anything in this vein from any of those artists and the era in general. You can play this as background music, or you can really dig in and listen to the musicianship. Either way is rewarding. Also check the horns on ‘Inner Crisis’ that Theo Parrish sampled.
Alice Cooper
3/5
A bunch of decent songs and a bunch of average ones. Kind of jazzy, very vaudeville and very glam. As many have stated, you could just about build a rock opera or musical around this record. It won't change the world, but it's a fun listen.
Dexys Midnight Runners
2/5
If Kevin Rowland didn't murder every song on this album with his 'singing' voice, I probably would've liked it more as the actual band and the tunes are generally decent.
Van Halen
3/5
Full of great hooks and riffs. They’re clearly having a good time, and the album is a lot of fun, almost camp even. File under ‘air guitar hall of fame’ as it’s another one of those records where you can revisit and indulge your teenage dream of being a rock demi-god, furiously shredding your invisible guitar from the comfort of your lounge room whilst avoiding the reality you’re probably having a midlife crisis.
Beck
3/5
Meh...There's some good individual songs here that sound great in isolation, but a whole albums worth of slow, melancholy break up songs that all end up sounding similar gets really old, really quickly.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
4/5
If you’re looking for something fun and upbeat ‘Ghosteen’ isn’t the album for you. It’s the sound of a father’s grief for his dead son. It’s harrowing and unbelievably sad, yet cathartic and…wonderful. Production is minimal and sparse, but immersive and as interesting as any ambient album going around. I suspect that over time and repeated exposure ‘Ghosteen’ will become one of my all-time faves.
Lorde
2/5
There’s a couple of songs with actual hooks, but there aren’t enough interesting ideas musically to keep me interested for the duration of an entire record. The lyrics are of the typical break up, make up, angry at you, better than you, I’m not good enough for you, getting smashed at the club, hooking up with a random stranger, crying in the back of the cab on the way home variety. It’s been done and done better than here. The worst thing you can be called is bland, and Melodrama is just that.
The Cardigans
3/5
Quirkier than I expected, and just when you think you have the album worked out, it wrong foots you. ‘Lovefool’ is clearly the star of the show, but ‘First Band On The Moon’ isn’t your bog-standard shiny indie pop/disco/rock record, there’s a fair bit more happening under the hood than initially meets the eye. A grower.
David Gray
3/5
‘White Ladder’ is basically a collection of accessible, well produced songs about love and loss with some electronic elements thrown into the mix. I particularly like the ‘tronic parts of this folktronica proposition, especially the heavy bass drums. I can see why people jumped on this when it came out.
John Lennon
4/5
The title track is probably one of my least favorite songs ever. But as conflicted as I feel towards John Lennon, sans the title track, the rest of this album is actually pretty good. God I feel dirty writing that...
Ray Charles
4/5
With most of my knowledge of Ray Charles having been gleaned from watching him in The Blues Brothers, I wasn’t expecting an album of swinging big band American jazz numbers backed with a selection of seductive, smoky ballads. I wasn’t disappointed though.
Wilco
3/5
Lots of genre hopping across the rock spectrum, taking inspiration from hard rock, pop, psychedelia, surf rock, echoes of grunge and shades of blues rock. When Wilco goes off on these tangents ‘Being There’ is very enjoyable. In the end though, for me, the slow acoustic ballads and the overall length of the album weigh the whole thing down. Despite these criticisms, it’s still a solid record that's worth your time.
Dire Straits
3/5
More Phil Collins then Led Zeppelin in the end. I was expecting ‘Brothers In Arms’ to rock more. Mark Knopfler can’t sing, and murders every song, but what he can do is play guitar very well and his (and the bands) work here is often languid, but seductive with the music getting under your skin and the resulting tunes sounding like the soundtrack to an episode of Miami Vice. Herein lies the albums charm.
The Pharcyde
5/5
An antidote to the typical LA gangster rap of the era (the Pharcyde hail from South Central LA), ‘Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde’ is gloriously absurd and ridiculous, juvenile but not silly, and a lot of fun. In another rare feat, there’s not a duff beat or groove to be found anywhere and so the album never drags. It stays jazzy and funky, resulting in one of rap/hip-hops greatest hits. Still as good today as it was in 92’.
The Black Crowes
3/5
It’s a little bit Blues Brothers, a little bit Rolling Stones, a little bit Led Zeppelin and probably a little bit of a lot of other classic rock and soul bands. While it’s not overly original, it’s fun and breezy and sounds good while it’s on. Consistent and solid are two adjectives I’d use to describe this album.
Bauhaus
5/5
It’s somewhat reminiscent of Joy Division in that it has that Martin Hannett style wall of sound production that sounds like it was recorded underwater or in someone’s bathroom. Unlike Joy Division though, this was good, not as depressing and didn’t want to make me slit my wrists. It’s just balls to the floor straight ahead industrial post/punk no wave that often funks. It’s good stuff and you can dance to a lot of it. Even better, for once the bonus tracks are not just a bunch of shit demos slapped on the end as an afterthought, they actually add to the overall package, rather than detract from it. Winning!
R.E.M.
3/5
R.E.M. are a band I’ve generally endured rather than enjoyed. ‘Murmur’ is generally a pretty up-beat sounding album compared to much of their output that I’m familiar with. It’s decent while it’s on, but it also doesn’t make me want to go and seek out more of their catalogue to listen to.
Pulp
4/5
It’s a little bit David Bowie, and a little bit Bryan Ferry. It’s probably too long, but it’s still mostly very good. It’s stylish and lush in sound but behind the shiny veneer there’s an album full of uncomfortable truths about fame, success, and addiction. The moral of the story: be careful what you wish for because it might just come true.
The National
2/5
There are some interesting things happening with the layering of instrumentation, the production is quite good, and there are some decent moments, but overall it feels like there’s a lack of variation musically which lends the album an air of sameness and makes getting through the whole thing a chore.
2/5
I was indifferent to Blur when I was growing up and I’m still indifferent to them after listening to ‘Modern Life Is Rubbish’. There are some good individual songs and moments on here, and the album is perfectly decent, but at almost an hour run-itme it feels too long due to the unusually flat production and the lack of any real, interesting variation in a lot of the songs.
Aretha Franklin
5/5
Every song is a winner and Aretha smacks it out of the park, her vocals elevating already strong material even higher. I can’t find enough superlatives to describe just how good this album is. It’s close to, (if not) the perfect R&B/soul album.
Rufus Wainwright
4/5
If you can get past the truly awful opening track, ‘Want Two’ markedly improves. It’s a ballsy record, very theatrical and stylistically broad in sound, with folk, pop/chanson, baroque, indie and show music styles among its repertoire. It’s probably overproduced, but it’s all these elements, (and the gay subtext also present) that make it interesting. ‘Want Two’ is the proverbial Forrest Gump box of chocolates: you never quite know what you’re going to get, but there’s a little something for everyone. Surprised how much I ended up liking this one.
Can
4/5
‘Future Days’ is a calm, spaced out mix of shifting prog, ambient and electronic sounds and textures with a jazz sensibility. It’s not quite as off the wall, bonkers or daring as their other album in this list, ‘Tago Mago’, but it’s ultimately more accessible.
John Martyn
4/5
The overall ambience and mood achieved on ‘Solid Air’ is quite incredible. It’s smoky, intimate folk rock, with a strong jazz influence and dub elements, where the space between the grooves is just as important as the actual music. It’s a record you can almost dance to in parts, as well as nod your head to, and it’s definitely one for the stoners.
Röyksopp
3/5
Played this for the first time in 15 years, and it’s still exactly how I remember it. Brilliant first half, second half that runs out of steam and limps to the finish line. Having said that, this album is still worth it for ‘So Easy’ and ‘Sparks’ which are the two best things on it, and also happen to be timeless.
Eminem
4/5
‘The Slim Shady LP’ is generally as funny as it is horrifying, but its true genius lies is in trying to figure out whether Eminem was being sincere or just taking the piss. Turns out it was a bit of both. Where the album falls down a bit is in its somewhat hit and miss production and overly long length. At its best however, Eminem’s imagination and storytelling ability is both amazing and outrageous, with an angry and urgent, but often humorous hallucinogenic quality and a sense of danger you don’t often get anymore from an artist, especially on their debut.
Def Leppard
4/5
In 2022 ‘Hysteria’ feels like the most ridiculous album. It sounds all of the $4.5 million that it reportedly cost to make. It’s shiny, gleaming, glossy, expansive, excessive, bloated, monolithic…over produced, probably 20 minutes too long; and yet I still really like it because despite all my criticisms, the album is a heap of big, dumb fun. It reaches for your jugular, doesn’t let go for the duration, and demands you have a good time, which ultimately you will. Truly ‘Hysteria’ is to hair metal what ‘Thriller’ is to pop.
Guns N' Roses
4/5
Part Led Zep, part Aerosmith, part AC/DC (and a lot of other bands) ‘Appetite For Destruction’ is as raunchy and sleazy a debut as anything that came before it. Where it’s different compared to other hard rock albums of the era is in the nasty, mean, and grim undercurrent that runs through the album. However it’s also full of terrific hooks and riffs, meaning it’s a record that still thrills and feels dangerous, even today.
Pink Floyd
5/5
It’s somewhat ironic that an album about desperation, loss, distance, and isolation is also the Floyds most inclusive, accessible, and straight forward record. It’s expansive and it takes its time, but while it’s short on songs, it’s long on great guitar solos and the band is in top form. ‘Wish You Were Here’ is just one of those universal records that almost everyone loves.
Malcolm McLaren
4/5
Issues with cultural appropriation aside, ‘Duck Rock’ is that strange blend of hip hop, Latin, South African and Caribbean rhythms, silly Malcolm McLaren lyrics, Bronx DJ radio show snippets, and square-dancing music you never knew you needed in your life until now.
David Bowie
5/5
As the advertising/marketing slogan from 1977 for the ‘Heroes’ album states: “There's Old Wave, there's New Wave, and there's David Bowie."
Joni Mitchell
5/5
‘Court And Spark’ is full of great songs and stunning arrangements by an artist at her peak, with a who’s who of 70s musicians including Joe Sample and Wilton Felder (from the Crusaders) Jose Feliciano, Larry Carlton, David Crosby and Graham Nash (from CSN and CSNY) all dropping by to lend a hand. Even Cheech and Chong provide some backing vocals. While not quite as emotional and intense as say ‘Blue’, ‘Court and Spark’ is still lyrically deep, musically and melodically sweeter than the aforementioned, and more ‘pop’ overall, even with its distinct jazz leanings. It was Joni Mitchell’s commercial high point, and you can really hear why.
A Tribe Called Quest
5/5
Great raps and awesome flow from ATCQ with beats and grooves that are jazzy, deep and sparse, but thick as molasses and warm as butter. Even taking into account ‘The Infamous Date Rape’ which sounds like a rare misstep coming at it with 2022 ears, ‘The Low End Theory’ is still one of Hip Hops greatest hits.
Beach House
2/5
The glut of positively beaming critical reviews make me feel like I’m missing something, and that like LCD Soundsystem, I’m losing my edge. See what I did there? For me, ‘Teen Dream’ is pleasant but ultimately drab and forgettable indie/dream pop. Fast forward and listen to ‘Lover Of Mine’ which is the best and most interesting song on the album, then head back to opening track ‘Zebra’ which is also OK. You can pretty much skip the rest of the record.
Joni Mitchell
4/5
‘Hejira’ is a bit less immediate than some of Joni Mitchell’s other work. It has a restless nature in sound and storytelling, with complex chords and strong jazz overtones. It’s a slow burn, but it’s also possibly her most rewarding album.
Prince
5/5
In short ‘1999’ rocks, and funks. It’s Prince’s coming out album to that masses, a big pop cross over hit, but one that still retains his cred (and the funk) as a musician. It sounds of it time, and yet outside of time, the heavy use of synthesizers and the Linn LM-1 drum machine ensuring it always sounds current. What’s also interesting is the thread of desperation and loneliness that runs through the album’s narrative in amongst all the partying, hedonism, sex, and general staring down of the apocalypse. Truly this is the appropriate soundtrack for the end of times….you can dance if you want to.
The Police
4/5
No matter how many times I listen to ‘Mother’ it just sounds out of place in comparison to the rest of ‘Synchronicity’, which is a great, if somewhat ponderous album overall, and the sound of a band approaching breaking point whilst simultaneously becoming the biggest band in the world.
MGMT
2/5
Oracular Spectacular?....Craptacular more like it.
Common
3/5
‘Be’ is notable for being my first real sustained look (and listen) to Kanye West in any capacity, as he handles most of the production duties here, whilst also appearing on several tracks. As for the actual album itself, there’s nothing really ground-breaking on it in my opinion. ‘Be’ is just a solid album and a mercifully concise one at that which never overstays its welcome the way a lot of rap albums tend to.
Fleetwood Mac
5/5
The push and pull, yin and yang sound of a band falling apart whilst keeping it together. There’s not an ounce of fat or filler to any of the proceedings, and with its universal themes of love, loss and redemption, coupled with superb songs and performances, ‘Rumours’ remains loved by almost everyone and will continue to be for generations to come.
Cheap Trick
3/5
Some unexpectedly cracking super heavy power pop/rock with chugging guitars, melodic hooks, and a passing nod to the Ramones, let down by some shonky recording and production of the live set. Better than I expected.
Björk
3/5
There’s some interesting things happening sound and texture wise on ‘Vespertine’. It’s undeniably well produced but doesn’t sound dated for an album that’s 20 years old. Bjork’s voice is as clear and beautiful and piercing as ever, while the album as a whole is both ice cold, yet warm and inviting. I really like some parts of it, but other parts meander. Your own enjoyment of this record may well depend on how you feel when you put it on, and how much you can emotionally invest and drop into its overall mood and aesthetic.
Leonard Cohen
3/5
My concentration wavered towards the end. Cohen’s lyrics and narratives are brilliant, but the arrangements end up feeling and sounding repetitive, detracting from what is a worthy record overall.
Charles Mingus
4/5
Wild, shifting time signatures that sway back and forth all over the place. An abrasive clash of styles and emotion on an album that is edgy and sprawling, but one that majorly swings and is sleazy as fuck.
The Lemonheads
2/5
With a band name like ‘The Lemonheads’ the odds of this being a good record were always going to be low. And so, it proved to be.
Brian Wilson
3/5
Half a dozen great songs, and then a bunch of snippets and unfinished music fragments stitched together and padded out to album length. Lots of good ideas, but most don’t really feel fleshed out. Not the masterpiece that critics and a lot of people will tell you it is.
Miles Davis
5/5
Probably the easiest 5 out of 5 I’ll ever give. The jazz album for people who hate jazz. Timeless, definitive, straightforward in sound but deceptively complex at the same time. A masterpiece and one of the greatest albums off all time, jazz or otherwise.
5/5
You know, Ziggy Stardust is not all that different to the album that precedes it, i.e. Hunky Dory. After all, most of the songs on both albums were recorded at the same time, the major differences being the overarching Ziggy concept/story (albeit a bit loose at times) and the mystique of the Ziggy Stardust character, which make this album more immediately accessible than Hunky Dory. That’s it…oh and Ziggy rocks a little bit harder than its predecessor. It’s an excellent album, with an immense legacy, that has stood (and continues to stand) the test of time.
Iron Maiden
3/5
Reminds me of 80s 8-bit video game soundtracks for some strange reason. Expected it to sound harder and heavier than it does for a band with the name Iron Maiden. Reckon that’s partly due to the production, which lets the album down somewhat. Still it’s got ‘Phantom Of The Opera’ on it which is one of the great hard rock/metal songs of all time, so it’s not all bad.
Public Enemy
4/5
‘Fear Of A Black Planet’ is relentless. It’s harder, angrier, more intimidating, and full of even more samples twisted beyond recognition than on ‘It Takes A Nation of Millions…’. It starts and finishes phenomenally well, but the middle sags as the record almost buckles under the weight of its political message and the dense and brutal nature of its beats. It’s still a great album, and you can’t question its legacy or influence, it’s just exhausting to listen to all the way through.
Brian Eno
3/5
Sounds like a cross between David Bowie and Roxy Music, but without Bryan Ferry or Bowie singing on any of the songs.
Os Mutantes
4/5
More than just a Brazilian style Beatles and psychedelic 60’s rip off, this album is all sorts of charming weird and wonderful.
Bad Company
3/5
If you’re a fan of impeccably played American blues guitar rock (played by Brits no less) in the image of Boston, Journey, The Black Crowes and other such similar bands (who incidentally probably all owe a debt to Bad Company for inspiring their sound and style), then you’ll love this.
Roxy Music
2/5
My issue with ‘For Your Pleasure’ is that it sounds like a band trying to come up with enough material to fill two sides of a vinyl record. ‘Beauty Queen’, ‘Editions Of You’ and ‘Grey Lagoons’ are ace and the best songs on the album. The rest is padding and filler, with ‘Bogus Man’ being the biggest culprit; a song dragged out to 9 minutes that should’ve been cut after 4 tops. ‘Strictly Confidential’ is also meh, as is the title track which fails to inspire. There are better Roxy Music albums than this one in my opinion.
The Young Gods
2/5
Not as bad on a second listen. Musically, the album is actually quite inventive and reasonably interesting. However, when you throw in the lead singer’s annoying throaty, gravelly vocals things go downhill for me. Can somebody give this man a lozenge?
Finley Quaye
3/5
Pleasant enough reggae album with lashings of acid jazz, trip-hop, pop, jazz, soul and rock vibes. Smooth but slight. Inoffensive.
ZZ Top
3/5
Short, sharp, clean bluesy licks with a surprising amount of funkiness. Some good moments here, but I wasn’t blown away, even though from an overall perspective I didn’t mind this album.
Deee-Lite
4/5
Part late 80s/early 90s New York House and garage, part funk and part hip-hop, ‘World Clique’ is a clever, fun and accomplished debut record. Featuring serious star power in Q-Tip, Bootsy Collins, Fred Wesley and Maceo Parker (amongst others) making unexpected but great contributions, it’s the little record that could and the ultimate New York party record of its era.
Slint
3/5
I’ve listened to ‘Spiderland’ several times now, and I still can’t decide whether it’s sheer genius or utter rubbish.
Joy Division
3/5
Musically I find ‘Closer’ easier to digest than ‘Unknown Pleasures’. Lyrically however, it’s hard to separate this album from Ian Curtis’s death and to think of it as anything other than a suicide note.
Nitin Sawhney
3/5
I found a lot of the vocals to be really irritating initially, although not so jarring on subsequent listens. Would've liked this album a lot more if it was just the beats and grooves, as they were actually quite good.
Bob Dylan
3/5
Parts of this I love, like when it gets bluesy on ‘Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat’, or full New Orleans on ‘Rainy Day Women #12 & 35’. ‘Obviously Five Believers’ is another highlight as is ‘Visions of Johanna’. Ultimately though, a double album of Dylan is a bit much to take in over a single sitting for my ears as his voice grates after a while, and this makes the album feel much longer than it actually is.
k.d. lang
4/5
Traditionally not a fan of this type and style of album, but it’s hard not to like ‘Ingenue’. k.d. langs voice is undeniably awesome and beautiful, and she shines here with songs and arrangements that are uniformly excellent.
Beastie Boys
4/5
Super cool, with a huge number of samples used (over 100 songs sampled apparently), Paul’s Boutique is incredibly dense both musically and lyrically. And while it can sound somewhat muddled at times due to the sheer amount going on in the mix on any given song at any given time, it’s huge fun overall.
U2
3/5
Big nostalgia vibes from my teenage years with this record, and big hits with songs like ‘One’, ‘…Wild Horses’ and ‘Mysterious Ways’ still getting regular radio air play today. Less preachy then some of their earlier albums, but with a harder guitar sound and more adventurous sonic palette (by their standards), ‘Achtung Baby’ is probably U2’s most consistent album.
Kanye West
3/5
Yeezy’s production and beats are undeniably meticulous. His rapping is OK, but he’s no lyrical genius and there are some really lazy lines, the most glaring one being the ‘pussy in a sarcophagus, bruised her oesophagus’ line on ‘Monster’. Just cringe. The guest rappers and artists are better and provide most of the album’s highlights. Overall though, I find MBDTF way too bloated and self-indulgent to be considered a classic in my book.
Massive Attack
4/5
‘Protection’ does its thing quietly and assuredly, with little fuss. It’s warm and intimate, thick and heavy, blunted and moody. File under ‘late night listening’.
Tito Puente
5/5
Was going to write a fancy, witty review using Tito Puente quotes from the Simpsons episodes he was in (Who Shot Mr. Burns pts 1 and 2 for anyone playing along at home) but it just ended up sounding wanky, unlike this album which must’ve sounded like a revelation in ’58, and sounds just as fresh and amazing and astonishing in ’22.
Silver Jews
2/5
I read a piece describing the Silver Jews as being ‘ramshackle’, and that’s exactly how ‘Bright Flight’ sounds. That and bleak. Founder and main man David Berman’s songs and lyrics are the aural equivalent of defeat. From what I’ve read it sounds like he had a tortured life, and that experience often informs the tone of this record. YMMV, but I don’t see myself revisiting this any time soon.
Teenage Fanclub
4/5
Decent, melodic, power pop. ‘Bandwagoneque’ is sloppy and loose (partly deliberately, partly not) but that adds to its overall charm. It’s also got that distinct early 90’s rock sound that I associate with my childhood and find nostalgic. Not ground-breaking, but a cut above a lot of indie-rock records, both from its era and long after it.
My Bloody Valentine
5/5
Like being thrown into a constant, swirling ocean of droning guitars and feedback. A giant wall of sound, initially impenetrable, soon gives way to striking melodies and songs, and an album that is downright stunning for the most part.
Green Day
4/5
Short, sharp, and to the point. Good stuff.
Bert Jansch
2/5
Objectively this is a great album, you can hear it in the guitar playing, the lyricism and there’s loads of atmosphere. Subjectively though, my attention wavered after the first few songs, and the record as a whole mostly came across as earnest and preachy which is a turn off for me.
Aerosmith
3/5
At their best when they add a bit of funk, blues and swing to their hard rock template and ‘Rocks’ delivers this in spades with songs like opener ‘Back In The Saddle’, ‘Last Child’ and ‘Get The Lead Out’. There are a couple of missteps though: ‘Nobody’s Fault’ and ‘Combination’ come across as filler, but overall ‘Rocks’ is generally a good time full of cocksure swagger and hard rocking licks.
The Offspring
4/5
Listening to ‘Smash’ with fresh ears 30 years after it was released, I’m struck by how well it stands up. The Offspring may have ended up becoming something of a novelty act later on, but in 1994 they were hungry and had something to prove. ‘Smash’ does what it says on the tin, striking the right balance between anger and apathy, but with humour and urgent, catchy power punk riffs, all whilst extending a middle finger and a big fuck you to the world.
Al Green
4/5
‘Let’s Stay Together’ is that perfect balance of ballads and RnB funk grooves, effortlessly shifting between tempos without missing a beat. It’s full of tight musicianship and Al Green has a serious singing voice, full of emotion and range. It’s just a super solid soul album all round.
Fishbone
4/5
Unexpected delight. Lashings of ska, funk, rock, pop, and Prince, with a strong DIY punk aesthetic. Funny, witty and for once an album with social commentary that doesn’t feel forced. They threw everything including the kitchen sink at this record and most of it stuck.
The Kinks
3/5
Both a bit derivative, and at the same time ahead of the game, in that it apes the Beatles sound, whilst also being original enough to inspire 90s Britpop. There are flashes of brilliance, but also a certain quaintness to proceedings. I wanted to like this more than I did.
PJ Harvey
1/5
Had to go back to check that the woman who made something as powerful and visceral as ‘Dry’ is the same woman who recorded this pile of crap. Very firmly in the ‘did not like’ camp. Lyrically, I found the treatment of the theme of war handled simplistically and inauthentically. Melodically things weren’t much better.
Thelonious Monk
4/5
Strong, solid jazz album like most of them are from this era. It’s ambitious and incredibly played, but the deliberate dissonance may be off-putting for some. Personally though, I dug it.
Goldie
4/5
‘Timeless’ is a staggering record. It’s widescreen in every sense. The production is amazing, and on a proper system it will blow you away. It still sounds vital, alive, and important all these years later. It’s not perfect: it’s way too long, and parts of it haven’t aged well, but you certainly can’t fault it for its sprawling ambition and cinematic scope. It’s smooth, silky, slinky, jazzy, dubby and warm and succeeds for the most part because its sound is so accessible. ‘Timeless’ was the record that made jungle/drum & bass sound legitimate to the masses, and in its best moments it’s mesmerising, well and truly transcending its club roots.
Radiohead
5/5
‘OK Computer’ is that nice mid-point between Radiohead’s earlier, straight forward guitar rock and the more experimental, electronic path they would take with ‘Kid A’ and ‘Amnesiac’. It’s also better than I remember, and has uncannily ended up being as relevant today (probably more so) than when it was released. It captures that quiet sense of desperation, alienation, isolation, loneliness, and paranoia we all feel in modern society. Feelings that were always there lurking in the background, but which have really come to the fore over the last few years, what with a global pandemic and lockdowns, the rise and rise of surveillance by overreaching governments, our reliance on tech in general, our obsession with social media, the outbreak of war in Ukraine, our shitty corporate jobs getting even shittier, the mindless commodification of every aspect of our lives: and this is just the tip of the iceberg. ‘OK Computer’ taps into all of this and more. Its an album that’s direct enough to speak to us in the here and now, but ambiguous enough that it will always sound current in future times.
Derek & The Dominos
3/5
In theory ‘Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs’ is right up my alley, but in reality, it just doesn’t do it for me. It’s not bad…it just falls flat. The production is tinny, and its 70-minute run time feels like 3 hours when you actually sit down and listen to the whole album in a single sitting. Frankly, it drags. As a prime example, in what universe do we need the last 4 and half minutes of ‘Layla’? Why was it ever padded out to 7 minutes to begin with?
Beatles
5/5
In which the Beatles both rock and suck at the same time. It’s hard for me to remain objective about the White Album. I love it because it’s so messy and all over the shop. It triumphs because of its indulgences and lack of quality control and screening. It’s also incredibly well sequenced (the real secret to its success) meaning that things stay interesting for the whole 90 minutes, and the record never drags. It’s the original ‘whole is greater than the sum of its parts’ album, because let’s face, a lot of these songs wouldn’t work in any other context.
Big Black
4/5
Wholesome songs about paedophilia, racial passing, abuse of power in the police force, arson and self-immolation, shame, fist fucking and domestic violence, alcoholism, the tale of a Vietnam vet who becomes a contract killer (or is it really about drug addiction), the rat race, and cattle slaughter in abattoirs. The aural equivalent of suffering blunt force trauma to the head from a sledgehammer, these guys are so nasty, hard and bleak, that they make everyone else’s music sound as light and fluffy as a Disney movie soundtrack.
Led Zeppelin
4/5
Probably the most eclectic of the Led Zeppelin albums, it contains the usual bunch of hard rockers interspersed with straight blues and a heap of folky acoustic material (that mostly works), part of it with a subtle middle-eastern bent, foreshadowing the direction some of the band’s music would later take. As with all Led Zep albums, III is a super solid record, and up there with their best, but often gets overlooked between their debut and Led Zeppelin II and IV.
Santana
3/5
A little bit rock, a little bit prog, a little bit jazz and a little bit Latin. Sounds like a good mix on paper and admittedly, there are some good tracks on ‘Abraxas’, but as a whole, it just lacks that little something to really elevate it.
Bob Dylan
3/5
This is the second Bob Dylan album I’ve gotten from the generator whilst doing this challenge, ‘Blonde on Blonde’ being the first. After listening to ‘Freewheelin’…’, and also doing a bit of digging into artist representation on the whole ‘1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die’ list, the sobering reality dawned on me that there’s still another five Dylan albums waiting me…Fuck my life.
Fever Ray
3/5
Cold electronics, bleak, industrial soundscapes, striking manipulated vocals. (I initially thought Fever Ray was a man to begin with). Definitely interesting, but more of a terrifying listen than an enjoyable one.
Soundgarden
5/5
It’s hard for me to be objective about ‘Superunknown, an album I listened to religiously as a teenager. Personal bias aside though, it’s honestly great, and despite its 70-minute length, it’s strangely concise, probably owing to the deliberately polished production that still manages to retain the bands trademark heavy rock sound, without sacrificing their raw edge and grim, despairing outlook on life. There are genuinely few weak spots to be found, and it’s one of those records that gets better the longer it goes. It’s up there with the best of the 90s grunge era albums, and a genuine counterpoint to the likes of Nirvana and Pearl Jam, in that this a band gunning for mainstream popularity, not deliberately trying to shun it like those two.
Lynyrd Skynyrd
2/5
Listen to opening track ‘I Ain’t The One’, bluesy rocker ‘Poison Whiskey’ and the rightly lauded closer ‘Free Bird’. Skip the rest.
Turbonegro
4/5
What happens when you knowingly throw every hard rock, glam metal and punk cliché into an an infectiously catchy cocktail of hooks and riffs, with absurd English as a second language lyrics, by Norway’s finest faux gay rockers. ‘Apocalypse Dudes’ is gloriously ridiculous, super enjoyable and a shit load of fun, but it’s also a clever record, and more than just mere homage. These guy really rock.
Common
4/5
Common doesn’t excite me as a rapper. I can’t quite pinpoint why. J Dilla is the real star here. It’s his stellar beats and production that elevate ‘Like Water For Chocolate’ to classic status.
The Notorious B.I.G.
5/5
What’s most striking about ‘Ready To Die’ is how polished, fully formed and complete it is for a debut album (even taking into consideration the pointless skits). 2pac wasn’t anywhere near as good as this until ‘Me Against The World’, three albums in.
The Isley Brothers
3/5
Probably the definitive version of ‘Summer Breeze’, and generally lot more fuzzy guitars and psychedelic rock vibes within a soul/RnB framework then I expected. Overall though, a pleasant if mostly unspectacular album.
Fela Kuti
4/5
Skip the sixteen-minute drum solo bonus track and save your sanity and your eardrums. It was never on the original version of the album, and while it’s probably interesting to some, it’s unnecessary for most. The rest of the album however is pure bliss.
50 Cent
2/5
Hasn’t aged well and outside of the hits it sounds decidedly one note. My gf’s father summed it up nicely after once being subjected to some of this album remarking, “This is 50 Cents is it? He isn’t worth 5 cents!”
Pulp
3/5
The melodies of a lot of the songs didn’t grab me enough to want to pay attention to the lyrics and themes, which made me tune out as the album progressed. I also struggled with Jarvis Cocker’s vocal delivery. I like that he channels David Bowie and Bryan Ferry, but he doesn’t always sound like he is in tune; and his whispered, spoken vocals are particularly grating. This is a shame, because I really liked ‘This Is Hardcore’ and was hoping for a similar experience. A mixed bag then, not without merit, just probably not for me. Still better by anything than Blur though.
SAULT
4/5
Stylish, deep, funky, rootsy, spiritual, angry, hopeful…proud. Politically and socially charged for sure, but for once I didn’t feel bludgeoned over the head by the message of an album of this type and so ended up enjoying it a lot.
Oasis
3/5
One of the better Britpop albums that I’ve had the misfortune of coming across on the generator so far, which isn’t saying much really. File under: another one of those albums that I know is objectively great but doesn’t do much for me personally.
Travis
2/5
I get poor man Radiohead vibes more than Coldplay vibes to be honest. Decent enough in parts and ok as background music, but I find it beige and mostly forgettable overall.
Richard Thompson
4/5
Quintessential British folk rock that’s bleaker and more cynical than I anticipated, with the jauntier tunes holding some of the album’s darkest truths. Paradoxically though, ‘…Bright Lights Tonight’ is still easy to love because despite its songs being full of existential dread and tales about the futility of life, it’s so accomplished and inviting musically.
Robert Wyatt
5/5
Strange but soothing, intoxicating, expansive, a waking dream. Like swimming underwater through an ocean of prog, free jazz, rock and Middle Eastern/Byzantine drone and melody. An incredibly beautiful album.
Pink Floyd
4/5
Genre-defining rock opera and meditation on depression, isolation, and the temptations of stardom and society? Or a bloated self-indulgent, self-obsessed, overblown, and pretentious woe is me, I’m a victim, mess of a wank-fest? Pleasingly it’s a bit of both.
Neil Young
3/5
The handful of classics (you all know the ones) are what make ‘Harvest’ worth a listen. The rest of the record, however, feels surprisingly second-rate, especially ‘A Man Needs A Maid’, which is up there as one of the worst songs I’ve ever heard.
Fiona Apple
3/5
Objectively ‘Tidal’ is gorgeously produced, and Fiona Apple displays maturity beyond her years in her song writing and playing. Subjectively I’m not quite on the same wavelength with it. It’s a slow burn.
808 State
3/5
‘Pacific 202’ and ‘Sunrise’ are my two standout picks for best tracks on this album, as they are both timeless and still sound current today. They are weapons that can still get a dancefloor going. The rest of the album hasn’t aged as well unfortunately, which is a shame as I was hoping for more.
Run-D.M.C.
2/5
Revolutionary, sure, moving the early rap scene away from its disco block-party roots and morphing it into something tougher, with more emphasis on social commentary, and complete with stripped down, hard as nails production that laid the template for gangsta rap and beyond. Unfortunately, the album sounds prehistoric by todays rap/hip-hop standards, making it hard to listen to and be engaged by for long stretches.
Aerosmith
2/5
Yeh, ‘Toys In The Attic’ is OK, I guess. Other than ‘Walk This Way’ and ‘Sweet Emotion’ there’s nothing else here that I find really memorable.
Tom Waits
2/5
As interesting as the arrangements and melodies are, and as good a lyricist and songwriter Tom Waits is, his continual choice to sing in that annoying, gravelly, guttural, raspy voice takes the pleasure out of many of his songs, especially here, making ‘Bone Machine’ about as enjoyable as a trip to the dentist for a root canal.
CHIC
5/5
‘Good Times’ with its bassline that gave birth to hip-hop on wax dominates, but ‘Risqué’ is much more than that. Underneath its lush, upbeat, shiny veneer is an album tinged with loss, sadness and despair, layers of sarcasm and cynicism; an album that finds catharsis (or oblivion) through the dancefloor, ultimately transcending its genre and becoming something bigger and deeper than just a mere disco album.
The United States Of America
5/5
This is great on so many levels. It’s weird and avant-garde, twisted but funny, experimental with its clever use of primitive electronics, but accessible. One of the easiest 5’s I’ve given and way ahead of its time both sonically and stylistically.
ZZ Top
3/5
Iconic singles and videos in ‘Gimme All Your Lovin’’, ‘Sharp Dressed Man’ and ‘Legs’ from unlikely rock superstars ZZ Top. While it’s undeniably a fun record, outside of the hits, there’s a fair bit of filler.
The Doors
4/5
There’s a couple of missteps but by and large this is still an outstanding, evocative, almost dangerous sounding debut record, especially songs like ‘Break On Through (To The Other Side)’, ‘Light My Fire’ and of course epic psychedelic freak out ‘The End’, which is forever seared in my brain through its use in ‘Apocalypse Now’. ‘This is the end, beautiful friend’ indeed.
Lloyd Cole And The Commotions
2/5
Mostly uninspiring 80s UK pop with jangly guitars, pretentious lyrics, and lame emo singing. That there still somehow, mercifully manages to be a couple of semi-decent songs on this is a minor miracle.
Van Morrison
3/5
Can’t work out if I love this, hate it, or just think it’s mediocre. First impressions weren’t great, but I’ve listened to ‘Astral Weeks’ several times now, and what I can tell you is that it does get better and more enjoyable the more time you spend with it, although it does feel unfinished in parts. Could it ever become a desert island disc for me? Jury is still out on that one. I do love ‘Sweet Thing’ though, which is just beautiful and my favourite song on the album.
Arcade Fire
2/5
Every time ‘Funeral’ threatens to win me over, something naff happens. Either some whiny singing, an unnecessary chord change, or a crappy lyric ruins whatever song is playing. In the end ‘Funeral’ doesn’t end up being as bad as I thought it would be, but that’s faint praise. That 1990s/2000s indie rock sound has yet to do it for me than just the occasional song.
Leftfield
4/5
Happy to report that this is many times better than I remember it. By turns tribal, trancey, dubby, housey and ambient, ‘Leftism’ takes you on a journey, battering you into submission one minute, seducing you the next. It really hits the spot and doesn’t sound dated at all considering it’s almost 30 years old.
George Harrison
3/5
Some killer, a lot of filler, especially sides 5 and 6 which are largely superfluous to needs and not overly memorable. So, we end up with a decent triple album, that could’ve been an excellent double album instead.
Metallica
5/5
Not quite as good as ‘Master Of Puppets’, but way better than the Black album. ‘…And Justice For All’ is the sound of a band pushing a sound and a formula as far as it will go, and stretching it to breaking point. Unsurprisingly, Metallica were never this complex again, their sound eventually devolving into something simpler, and blander: more country rock than heavy metal. But ‘…AJFO’ still stands as a last hurrah to their early, progressive thrash/metal years, both a bloated self-indulgent mess and a stunning tour-de-force.
Alanis Morissette
4/5
Let’s all take a moment to acknowledge and appreciate that Alanis Morrissette was only 21 when this album was released, and yet she writes and sings with the maturity, years, and experience of someone far older. Angry, but never broken and actually quite hopeful in many places, ‘Jagged Little Pill’ (with the exception of a couple of dud tracks) is quite excellent.
Elvis Presley
4/5
It’s not perfect, and the production quality is variable, but there’s a raw, carefree energy present, a sense of danger and excitement that gradually disappeared from Elvis’s music as his career progressed and he got older, and that what’s so striking and enjoyable about his debut. It’s the sound of a young man nailing it in 28 minutes.
Rage Against The Machine
5/5
If the Beastie Boys, Public Enemy, Red Hot Chilli Peppers and Black Sabbath had a baby, it would sound like this. Surprisingly funky, but hard as nails, ‘Rage Against The Machine’ is angry and militant, but also strangely a lot of fun, with a singalong nature to a lot of the songs and choruses (perverse I know given the subject matter). What’s not perverse is just how incredibly good and fully formed this debut is.
The Chemical Brothers
3/5
Solid effort but generally unspectacular. Bookends ‘Leave Home’ and ‘Alive Alone’ are great though.
Laura Nyro
5/5
There’s an incredible amount happening on this album. The sheer breadth and depth of musical ideas present here is breathtaking. This, combined with outstanding playing, singing and production, makes for an unexpectedly wonderful album. Akiko Yano (especially) and Kate Bush must have both surely been influenced by this album and Laura Nyro’s sound in their music.
There’s a particular type of person who will listen to this version of U2 and love this album. Unfortunately, I’m not one of those people. It’s not terrible, in fact it starts quite strongly with ‘Beautiful Day’, ‘Stuck In A Moment You Can’t Get Out Of’ and ‘Elevation’, but from there things start to inevitably peter out, and you’re left with an album that ends up being more forgettable than memorable.
Earth, Wind & Fire
4/5
‘TTWOTW’ is mostly great, full of excellent soul funk cuts in ‘Shining Star’, ‘Yearnin’ Learnin’, ‘Happy Feelin’’ and ‘Africano’. The obligatory EWF ballads are also present, one of which ‘All About Love (First Impression)’ is sappier than usual, and a bit of a momentum killer. Paradoxically though, ‘Reasons’ the other main ballad is excellent. (As an aside check out the live version of ‘Reasons’ on the ‘Gratitude’ album if you get a chance. It’s as good, if not better than the studio version found here). Mostly though, I like listening to ‘TTWOTW’ for all the times Maurice White growls ‘Yowww!!’ throughout the album. Its surprisingly often, and if there was a drinking game, and I had a shot for every time he sang it, I’d be shitfaced by the end of the fourth song.
Jane's Addiction
4/5
Musically, ‘Nothing’s Shocking’ generally rocks, but Perry Farrell’s vocals add a somewhat zany and cartoony element to proceedings with lyrics that are both cringe but disconcerting at the same time. End result: I never know if I should be taking Janes Addiction seriously or not, and it irks me.
Ministry
3/5
Sort of like a cross between peak era Metallica, Big Black (and Nine Inch Nails?). A very industrial, nihilistic sound overall with a little bit of techno and hip-hop thrown in for good measure via the interesting use of samples and general electronic wizardry. I enjoyed this more than I thought I would.
Dirty Projectors
2/5
As annoying as it is interesting. Excellent in some parts, excruciating in others. YMMV.
Dusty Springfield
4/5
Ah Dusty, you had me from the moment your distinctive breathy, sensual mezzo-soprano voice started singing over the opening strains of the first track, ‘Just A Little Lovin’’.
Pantera
3/5
Listening to ‘Vulgar Display Of Power’ is like having someone using a pneumatic drill to bore into your skull, with a sound heavy enough to burst an eardrum. It’s balls to the floor all the way with nary a moment to catch your breath. Full of angry lyrics, frenetic guitar solos and furious drumming, from a technical point of view at least, it’s excellent. I would’ve liked a bit more subtlety and variation to proceedings, but obviously that’s not the point. Definitely does what it says on the tin though.
The Pogues
3/5
Another one of those records where I can’t decide if what I just listened to was pure genius, or unadulterated shite….or both.
T. Rex
3/5
Entertaining, familiar and lots of fun while it’s on, even if, ultimately, it’s an album that doesn’t linger long in the memory once it’s finished.
Eric Clapton
2/5
This is mercifully short compared to ‘Derek & The Dominos’, the last Clapton album I got, which went forever. There’s also lot more restraint here too in the playing, with way fewer pointless guitar solos and more concise songs. ‘Get Ready’ and ‘Mainline Florida’ are probably the best tracks, the rest of the record is take it or leave it for me.
Nick Drake
3/5
‘Bryter Later’ isn’t bad, but for mine, it’s over produced and saturated with unnecessary instrumentation in many places, detracting from the overall listening experience. I think Nick Drake’s music is most effective when it’s stripped down.
The La's
3/5
Britpop before Britpop. True to it’s 60s roots, but still sounds like a product of the early 90s. Catchy enough in parts, and if you squint hard enough, Lee Mavers does a reasonable Michael Stipe impersonation.
Metallica
4/5
Cypress Hill already did it in The Simpsons
Brian Eno
4/5
My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts’ is a record I find hide to describe. It’s an uneasy, queasy listen with a dreamlike quality. I was underwhelmed when I first heard it, but I adore it now. It definitely rewards repeated listening and is actually quite a nice companion piece to ‘Remain In Light’.
Leonard Cohen
3/5
Lyrically and thematically, yes, Leonard Cohen is excellent. He started off as a poet after all, but man, his voice, and arrangements, they can be so dour and monotonous. And it’s no exception here. Listening to ‘Songs Of Love And Hate’ is often as enjoyable as a trip to the dentist to get a root canal. However, ‘Dress Rehearsal Rag’, ‘Diamonds In The Mine’, ‘Famous Blue Raincoat’ and ‘Sing Another Song, Boys’, just about make this album worthwhile.
Blur
4/5
Probably the best Britpop album ever, and definitely the best one the generator has spat out for me to listen to so far. Close to perfection with lots of great songs and catchy melodies, but just a tad too long to justify a 5-star rating in my book.
Simple Minds
4/5
Stylish and atmospheric, ‘New Gold Dream (81/82/83/84)’ is up there with ‘The Lexicon Of Love’ by ABC and ‘Dare’ by The Human League as the best of the quintessential pop/synth/new wave albums from the early 80s.
Doves
3/5
File under: Coldplay Music School of Finishing Graduate: 2002
Anthrax
3/5
Can tell you that it’s more fun listening to Anthrax, than being infected by it.
The Jesus And Mary Chain
4/5
Classic 60s pop and psychedelia meets wall of sound, and nails on a chalkboard guitar feedback. Inspired by the past, ‘Psychocandy’ ended up influencing the future. Didn’t grab me instantly but grew on me after a few listens. It will grow on you too.
Television
3/5
I’ve listened to ‘Marquee Moon’ multiple times now, and it continues to sound like a lot of other guitar rock albums from the era. Perhaps it was startling in 1977, but in 2023 it sounds ubiquitous. It’s not bad, it’s just familiar.
Kendrick Lamar
4/5
Kendrick Lamar albums are generally cinematic and expansive in scope. ’Good Kid, M.A.A.d City’ is no exception, with its non-linear narrative that demands you listen to it closely, piecing together the storyline as you go. There’s a couple of missteps, ‘Backstreet Freestyle’ I find jarring and not Kendrick's strongest work lyrically, and ‘Compton’ which feels strangely out of place (and an excuse for Dre to make an appearance) tacked on to the end of the album, when the penultimate track ‘I’m Real’ is for all intents and purposes the real (and spiritual) ending. Minor gripes aside, ‘Good Kid, M.A.A.d City’ is for the most part excellent and well worth your while.
Wire
4/5
‘Wire’ is art rock masquerading as a punk album, with its influence later popping up in the alt rock, hardcore, grunge and even brit-pop genres. Everything hangs together nicely considering many songs are no more than mere sketches and are over before they get started. Short and sharp, it still sounds fresh today.
Antony and the Johnsons
2/5
Been a while since I wanted an album to get to the end this badly.
The White Stripes
3/5
You know, this started off strongly, but kind of lost steam and meandered its way through the middle section, before coming home strong. ‘Elephant’ is still a cut above most rock albums from the last 25 years, but really, it’s a low bar to scale. ‘Seven Nation Army’, ‘There’s No Home For You Here’, ‘Hypnotize’ and ‘Girl, You Have No Faith In Medicine’ are the highlights, but the rest of the album is decent too, if not as memorable as the best bits.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
3/5
Still the best album about an armadillo-tank hybrid waging war…and is it just me or is ‘Jeremy Bender’ about fist fucking nuns?
Hole
4/5
I love carpet.
I love desk.
I love lamp.
I love Hole.
Genesis
4/5
Self-important, self-indulgent, bloated, unnecessarily complicated…and I’m here for it. Would have to be close to (if not) their best record.
Burning Spear
5/5
I listened to both the international version found here in the book and the original version. Both are excellent. I don’t have much more to say, other than you should play this album and play it loud, on a good system - it will blow you away.
Marianne Faithfull
4/5
Worth it for ‘Why D'Ya Do It’, one of the nastiest, and best songs ever committed to tape, but pleasingly, ‘Broken English’ is full of highlights, such as the aforementioned track, the title track, ‘Guilt’ and ‘The Ballad Of Lucy Jordan’ to name a few. ‘Working Class Hero’ is the one cut that doesn’t work for me, the arrangement just falls flat. Apart from that one small blip though, the rest of ‘Broken English is excellent, and it’s an album everyone should have in their collection.
John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers
2/5
This is the third Clapton or Clapton related album I’ve gotten after ‘Derek and the Dominos’ and ‘461 Ocean Boulevard’. By now I’ve heard enough of his music to know that his version of the blues doesn’t really do it for me.
Beatles
5/5
Can an album containing songs such as ‘Maxwell’s Silver Hammer’ and ‘Octopus’s Garden’ be considered GOAT I hear you ask? Well individually, probably not, but the Beatles have always transcended such things, and ‘Abbey Road’ works and approaches GOAT status because it is greater than the sum of its parts. It sounds unlike any other Beatles record, noticeably warmer, lush, more sophisticated and polished than any of their other efforts. They were united here as they hadn’t been for years, and it shows. It’s brimming with ideas and has hooks for days. The medley, initially created to use up a bunch off offcuts the band had lying around, ends up being something special, almost operatic in scope, and a fitting coda to the groups extraordinary career. Everyone gets a final moment to shine. Ringo even gets a drum solo. In fact, that sense that an era is ending is palpable throughout the record. It feels like a farewell letter, but not a sad one. I love ‘Abbey Road’. It was the album that really turned me on to the Beatles when I was 15, and it’s the album of theirs I return to the most often.
XTC
5/5
‘Skylarking’ is a beautiful, musically sophisticated pop album about life and death, tinged with 60s psychedelia. Funnily enough a lot of albums from the mid 80s were tinged with 60’s psychedelia, but this is one of the best.
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
4/5
Fuck you ‘Trout Mask Replica’, fuck you.
Dolly Parton
4/5
An inspired collaboration featuring three icons, ‘Trio’ is expertly sung, played, and arranged but it’s essentially full of slower songs and ballads. And while these are all great, I would’ve liked some up-tempo numbers thrown into the mix for some variation, and to wake me up a little.
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
No fucking around from Hendrix and Co, who chug through a dizzying array of songs, particular highlights being ‘Spanish Castle Magic’, ‘Wait Until Tomorrow’, and ‘You’ve Got Me Floating’. There are a couple of weak spots, but this was pretty good overall.
M.I.A.
1/5
This is mostly shit, except for ‘Paper Planes’ and ‘Mango Pickle Down River’ (essentially Wilcannia Mob’s ‘Down River’ with awful M.I.A lyrics and singing added). Not sure both together are enough to elevate ‘Kala’ above a 1 out of 5.
Johnny Cash
5/5
‘At Folsom Prison’ is an excellent live album, featuring a cracking set of songs. Johnny Cash is at the top of his game here, winning over the crowd (i.e., inmates) with his tales of murder and imprisonment in a charismatic and effortless performance, ably supported by his band, Carl Perkins and soon to be wife June Carter. The lack of edits with Cash sometimes breaking mid song to have a laugh or crack a joke, along with the occasional wardens’ announcements to the prisoners really lend the album and air of authenticity and danger which add to the overall atmosphere.
Billy Bragg
2/5
I cared so little for this album, that I didn’t even pay all that much attention to it while it was on. It was OK….I guess.
Neil Young
3/5
I prefer this to ‘Harvest’, but it’s still got a lot of average material on it, and Young’s singing is worse than usual. ‘Come On Baby Let’s Go Downtown’ and ‘Lookout Joe’ are my personal highlights, the latter being the best song on the record. ‘Albuquerque’ is ok too.
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
3/5
Kind of expected more from this for a supergroup offering and I tend to like other stuff of theirs (both solo and as a collective) better. ‘Carry On’, ‘Déjà Vu’, ‘4+20’ and ‘Country Girl’ are the picks here.
Arcade Fire
1/5
Had some hope that this might be better than ‘Funeral’ after the first couple of songs. Newsflash: it’s not. It’s as pretentious, overdone, dramatic and whiny as ‘Funeral’ if not more. It’s a hard pass from me.
Janelle Monáe
3/5
There’s a lot happening on ‘The ArchAndroid’. It’s sprawling, ambitious and brimming with ideas, but not of all of them stick. That’s not to say there aren’t flashes of brilliance, or great songs, but because Monáe is trying to cram so much and so many styles in, the records impact ultimately feels diluted. Some editing really would’ve made a difference here. Special shout out to ‘Mushrooms And Roses’, the best track on the album.
Megadeth
4/5
Megadeth? Mega Fuck Yeah!
Dion
3/5
An unlikely mix of country folk, gospel and RnB on an album that isn’t as bad as the cover suggests. The arrangements and production are interesting and the drumming sounds like it’s slightly off kilter and out of sync (almost drunk) creating a haziness that adds to the atmosphere which is already moody to begin with. ‘(He’s Got) The Whole World In His Hands’ is the prime example of this approach and my fave track on the record. You’ve never heard it like it’s presented here. ‘In And Out Of The Shadows’ and ‘Good Lovin’ Man’ are my other faves.
Pink Floyd
5/5
Another album by the Floyd about the futility of life, greed, conflict, mental health, and mortality. You could pretty much cut and paste the previous sentence and use it to describe most of their albums. But while you would never call DTSOM (or the Floyd in general) uplifting, it’s still excellent, with its universal themes of existential angst set to an immaculately produced, rousing, and concise set of songs which are as relevant today as they were in ’73.
The Residents
5/5
This is exactly the kind of electronic, avant-garde, wacked out shit I signed up for.
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
5/5
Unexpectedly wonderful. I didn’t expect to like ‘Architecture & Morality’, and initially I didn’t. I found it harsh and cold. However, it couldn’t be further from the truth and further listening confirmed this. It’s full of textures and layers, typically vague but interesting lyrics, and beautiful atmospheric synth soundscapes that envelop you. On a quality sound system or hi-fi this would blow you away. An amazing record.
De La Soul
4/5
Controversial opinion: follow up and Yang to ‘3 Feet High And Rising’s’ Ying, ‘De La Soul Is Dead’ is the better album. This is still great; I just didn’t feel it this time around as much as I have in the past.
Kendrick Lamar
5/5
From ‘King Kunta’ onwards this is fire. Lyrically and thematically deep, with cinematic, jazzy production and an all-star, who’s who of guests and cameos, TPAB is legitimately in the conversation for the best rap album this century, if not all time.
Harry Nilsson
4/5
American Beatle comparisons are accurate, but ‘Nilsson Schmilsson’ also takes you to unexpected places and is quite a diverse record. However, my overriding takeaways from this album are the visions and psychological trauma of Mariah Carey covering ‘Without You’ (which Nilsson himself covered here) and Dannii Minogue’s techno/trance version of ‘Coconut'. Nightmarish stuff.
Sonic Youth
4/5
Iconic cover. Sonic Youth signed to David Geffen’s DGC Records imprint for this release, so it sounds a lot like what it is, a mainstream and accessible alternative rock (nay grunge) album. I mean it’s not that far removed from ‘Nevermind’ albeit not quite as glossy. I liked this more than anticipated and Kim Gordon in my opinion is the star of the show. She makes anything she sings on instantly better. Also, special shout out to Chuck D for swinging past for like 10 seconds to say a few words on ‘Kool Thing’.
David Bowie
4/5
In which David Bowie looks back to move forward. Whilst maybe not among his out and out best, ‘The Next Day’ is still pretty darn good, and I defy any artist to make a record half as good or relevant as this, four and half decades into their career (as Bowie was here). Sure, it fades a bit towards the end, but if the worst thing the critics can say about your album is that they think it’s a tad too long, then you’re doing OK.
Stevie Wonder
5/5
Understated and underrated album from Stevie’s classic period of 72’ to 76’ where everything he touched turned to gold. Wedged in between ‘Innervisions’ and ‘Songs In The Key Of Life’, ‘Fulfillingness' First Finale’ is generally downbeat and often plaintive and pensive compared to the two bookends, but no less excellent, and perhaps the record from his golden period that rewards repeated listening the most.
Jeru The Damaja
3/5
Jeru has good rhymes and flow, but the album does sound dated compared to others from the same era. It’s good in patches, with ‘Da Bichez’ being a highlight and my favourite track, but I was hoping for more overall.
Jimi Hendrix
3/5
Second Hendrix album I’ve had after ‘Axis: Bold As Love’, and I must say I liked that better than this. It just feels more complete and better put together in a way that ‘Are You Experienced’ doesn’t, good as a large part of it is. Meanwhile Right Said Fred says Hi.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3/5
Another set of typically uplifting songs about love, loss, and religion from Old Nick. Of course, by uplifting, what I really mean is depressing.
Dusty Springfield
4/5
Worth it alone for her take of ‘Anyone Who Had A Heart’, but there’s lots more to enjoy here as well. ‘When The Light Starts Shining Thru His Eyes’, ‘Mockingbird’, ‘Twenty-Four Hours From Tulsa’ and ‘Don’t You Know’ are all highlights as Dusty keeps it soulful and makes all these songs (and the rest on the album) her own.
The Beau Brummels
2/5
‘Painter of Women’ was about the only song that grabbed my attention in any meaningful way. The rest of this album: Meh.
Air
4/5
There’s a general air of detachment to a lot of Air’s work that often alienates me. That’s not the case here on their first album. It succeeds (in my mind) precisely because it’s warm and inviting, not cold and sterile like their later work.
Foo Fighters
4/5
‘Foo Fighters’ (AKA Dave Grohl’s) debut album is one I never listened to when it came out. However, as it turns out, giving it a spin today, most of the songs are familiar, as a lot of them were caned on local radio stations when I was growing up. Result: a nice throwback to simpler times from my teenage years.
Frank Sinatra
4/5
Bossa nova plus Frank Sinatra is a natural fit and having Antonio Carlos Jobim onboard anchoring the album with his guitar (and providing the occasional vocal), as Sinatra interprets Jobim’s songs is inspired. I really liked this a lot.
Funkadelic
5/5
‘One Nation’ is the best and most accessible of the Funkadelic albums for the average punter, but still retains the weirdness and psychedelic elements that made them unique and awesome. Highlights include the title track, the reggae tinged ‘Groovallegiance’, the live version of ‘Maggot Brain’ on the bonus 7” that came with original album, the straight up rock/funk of ‘Who Says A Funk Band Can't Play Rock?!’ and the whacked out weirdness of Promentalshitbackwashpsychosis Enema Squad (The Doo Doo Chasers). But really, every track is good here. It’s all killer, no filler.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
‘Accidents Will Happen’, ‘Senior Service’, ‘Green Shirt’, ‘Party Girl’ are my favourite songs on the album and reinforce that the first half of the album is stronger than the second. ‘Mood’s For Moderns’ is the pick of side 2. ‘Sunday’s Best’ grates. Good overall, and better than I was expecting.
Curtis Mayfield
5/5
The GOAT of 70s blaxploitation soundtracks, and up there with the best movie soundtracks of all time. Oft imitated but never bettered, every track on here is iconic, and just about all have been sampled by almost everybody in hip hop. ‘Super Fly’s’ legacy remains immense, both musically and culturally and it’s funky as all hell.
The Clash
5/5
Lean, raw, urgent, energetic and angry, full of catchy hooks, thrashy guitars and youthful rage, the Clash’s debut is excellent, and up there as one of the very best albums of all time, Punk rock or otherwise.
Nas
5/5
In a world of overly long and sometimes pointless rap albums, ‘Illmatic’s brevity and razor-sharp focus stands out like a beacon. No skits, no filler, and not a single note or beat wasted. There is not an ounce of fat here, just 10 tracks, killer lyricism, and all-star production. That’s it. No more, no less. And that’s why it’s brilliant.
Queen Latifah
3/5
A solid debut from Queen Latifah. A bunch of guest producers and performers (DJ Mark The 45 King, De La Soul, Prince Paul, KRS-One, Monie Love, Daddy-O and more) are also along for the ride, and between them all, they keep things interesting. Samples are nice, and raps are also generally good. This was a lot of fun if a bit slight overall.
Talking Heads
4/5
‘More Songs About Buildings And Food’ rattles along over its two sides. It’s slightly more punk than funk, but it’s still groovy, as the Heads signpost the direction they would head towards on subsequent albums. There’s lots of highlights here, a few being ‘The Good Thing’, ‘Found A Job’, and ‘I’m Not In Love’, as well as their superb cover of ‘Take Me To The River’. A really enjoyable forty minutes.
The Vines
3/5
Not bad, but the British press might have gotten just a wee tiny bit ahead of themselves when they hailed the Vines as 'the second coming of Nirvana'.
Wilco
3/5
I can’t figure out it if this is good or bad, interesting or dull, a revelation, or the emperor’s new clothes. It’s fascinating in some parts, dull as dishwater in others. Sometimes compelling, sometimes boring as batshit… you get the picture.
Coldplay
4/5
It’s fun hating Coldplay, so don’t tell anyone I actually, really rather enjoyed this.
Gene Clark
1/5
With the exception of ‘One In A Hundred’ and ‘1975’, the rest of this is as dull as the album cover.
Tim Buckley
3/5
‘Strange Feelin’’ and ‘Gypsy Woman’ are the picks here. ‘Buzzin’ Fly’ is alright too. The rest of the album is slow, still nice, but slow. You probably need to be in the right mood to fully appreciate it.
Country Joe & The Fish
3/5
Not entirely sure what to make of this. Really bluesy in some parts, obviously really psychedelic in others. Meanwhile, ‘Porpoise Mouth’ is a just a shit song and its omission along with the two instrumentals (which add nothing in my opinion), would have made this a tighter and probably more enjoyable listen.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
3/5
For an album that only clocks at in at around 33 minutes, two songs, ‘Graveyard Train’ and ‘Keep On Chooglin’ take up about half the runtime, and both run way longer than they need to. And while CCR’s rendition of ‘Good Golly Miss Molly’ is good, it’s still a cover, so hardly original. ‘Proud Mary’ is obviously the standout composition here, and opener ‘Born On The Bayou’ rocks as does ‘Penthouse Pauper’. But aside from these three highlights, the overall sense here is of a band that didn’t have enough material to properly fill two sides of an album.
Parliament
5/5
The first of the truly great Parliament albums where everything came together musically and conceptually. The P-Funk mythology takes off here and would be expanded and built upon across subsequent albums, while the musicianship on show is also out of this world featuring a who’s who of the P-Funk world: Bernie Worrell, Bootsy, Gary Shider, Fred Wesley, Maceo Parker, Glen Goins, the Brecker Brothers, and too many more to mention. Of course, multiple rappers would later go on (and continue to) mine this record (and all of P-Funk) for samples - Dre, I’m looking at you. A record with an immense legacy, and a great starting point for exploring George Clinton and the P-Funk universe, but most of all, funky and fun.
The Prodigy
3/5
My favourite thing about 'The Fat Of The Land' is the fact ‘Smack My Bitch Up’ samples the Ultramagnetic MC’s, and that better yet Kool Keith features on ‘Diesel Power’. Aside from this and the obvious hits we all know and love, the rest of the album hasn’t really aged all that well, which is a shame.
The Beach Boys
3/5
I have an overwhelming desire to go and buy a block of Cadbury’s after listening to opening track ‘Wouldn’t It Be Nice’. Oh, and the rest of ‘Pet Sounds’ is overrated, and I’ve listened to it many times over the years. It’s just the same couple of songs, rehashed over and over again for the length of an album. Taken individually the songs are all great, but listened to as a whole, things get repetitive. It’s still a good record, just not GOAT good.
Bon Jovi
3/5
Hear it for the big hits (if you’ve never heard them before what rock have you been hiding under??) namely ‘Livin’ On A Prayer’, ‘You Give Love A Bad Name’ and ‘Wanted Dead Or Alive’. ‘Let It Rock’ is a nice opener and ‘Wild In The Streets’ along with ‘Raise Your Hands’ are also catchy. The rest of 'Slippery When Wet' is a precursor to that real schmalzy shit Bon Jovi would dish up throughout the 90s and 2000s, it’s just a bit more tolerable and less nauseating here.
a-ha
3/5
There's more to this album than just iconic opening track ‘Take On Me’. 'Hunting High And Low' is a nice Nordic take on mid 80s synth pop and new wave. Some of it hasn’t dated well, but there’s still plenty here to like. A fun listen overall.
Kraftwerk
5/5
Forgot how stunning this is. It’s nigh on flawless with elegant, danceable arrangements that sound deceptively simple, but are actually quite complex rhythmically. Clean and minimalistic but never sterile, with that beautiful, aching, melodic quality ever-present, ‘Man Machine’ is the sound of music made by robots with a soul.
Leonard Cohen
2/5
I can acknowledge Leonard Cohen’s greatness as writer or poet. And listening to a song or two of his in isolation is fine. But a whole album with that monotone voice is really off-putting and no amount of lyrical genius can paper over the fact he can’t and never could sing. Perhaps that’s not the point and never was, and people that love Cohen love him for his words and tales of love, life, meditations on mortality and death, and liberal use of religious symbolism and metaphor. And I get it. He’s brilliant at that, but publish it in book or written form, because for me (and this is the 3rd Cohen album the generator has given me now) his albums are a chore rather than a pleasurable listening experience, and ‘You Want It Darker’ is no exception.
Robbie Williams
4/5
‘Life Thru A Lens’ is brash and unashamedly pop, but mostly it’s fun. It’s peak 90s, complete with a hidden track at the end, something which a lot of artists did, as it was the style at the time. I’m ashamed to admit I like this more than I probably should.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
4/5
Didn’t know Damian Barrett was moonlighting as a new wave rocker as well as being an AFL media puppet, pretending to be a journalist. Also, ‘This Year’s Model’ is better than ‘Armed Forces’.
David Bowie
5/5
Not as polished as ‘Ziggy Stardust’, ‘Aladdin Sane’ is rougher around the edges, and more camp, with tracks skirting hard rock, jazz, Broadway, 50’s rock & roll and doo-wop sound wise, while oozing desperation and alienation lyrically. Mick Ronson provides his usual blistering guitar playing, but it’s Mike Garson on piano who is the secret weapon here, giving the album an experimental edge with his inventive and avant-garde piano playing. ‘Aladdin Sane’ probably has higher highs than ‘Ziggy’, and even if overall it never quite hits the same level of consistency as its predecessor, it’s still a worthy successor.
DJ Shadow
5/5
Probably a tad too long, but still legitimately excellent, ‘Endtroducing…..’ evokes serious feelings of melancholy. Constructed and pieced together from snippets of often long forgotten records found in bargain bins consigned to the dark corners of dusty old record stores, it’s one long rumination about broken dreams, loss and mortality. Quite depressing then, and yet hopeful at the same time, as it offers us the possibility of being found again, picked out, and resurrected so to speak, in the same way Shadow resurrected all these samples and used them to create something vital and new. Death and rebirth then. The circle of life.
Cocteau Twins
4/5
Didn’t understand a word of what I just listened to, but it was ethereal, dreamy, almost hymn like in parts. Like being in church, but better. More please.
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
While ‘Mrs. Robinson’ is the song everyone knows, it’s ‘America’ that’s the standout track for me. Other highlights include ‘Fakin’ It’ and ‘Hazy Shade Of Winter’, but there’s lots of other good stuff here to enjoy as well. A quite lovely album overall.
Motörhead
3/5
It’s like AC/DC, ZZ Top and Spinal Tap had a baby.
One of the better British blues/rock albums from the late 60’s/early 70s and I have to admit the style of music here really suits Rod Stewarts gravelly voice. Ronnie Wood also sings 3 songs but isn’t as good a vocalist as he is guitarist. ‘Stay With Me’ is of course the key track and centrepiece of the album, and Stewart duly does it justice. ‘Miss Judy’s Farm’, ‘Too Bad’ and ‘That’s All You Need’ also rock pretty hard.
Depeche Mode
2/5
‘World In My Eyes’ is a strong opener, Enjoy The Silence’ is the best song New Order never wrote, (in fact for many years I thought it was by them), and ‘Policy Of Truth’ is also great. I find the rest of the album middling, and much of the production feels like it lacks depth and melody. It just struggles to hold my attention for long parts.
Christina Aguilera
4/5
Gotta say, this one surprised me. Sure, it’s way too long at 77 minutes, but they threw everything including the kitchen sink at this one and fuck me, most of it stuck, with a surprising amount of depth to most of the songs. Aguilera kills it vocally whilst keeping the wailing and vocal gymnastics to a minimum. The result is one of the better pop/rnb albums.
Queen
4/5
Quite a lot of throwaway tunes on ‘A Night At The Opera’. ‘Lazing On A Sunday Afternoon’ for example or ‘Seaside Rendezvous’ are pure fluff. ‘I’m In Love With My Car’ is another one (can see why they never let Roger Taylor write another song). Meanwhile ‘The Prophet’s Song’ is a bit of a secret weapon with its strong prog elements and biblical allusions. It probably doesn’t quite fit the overall tone of the record, which is campy and theatrical, but I really dig it with its proto-metal sound and the vocal canon inserted into the middle of the track. Its delay and echo effects make it quite striking. Elsewhere ‘Love Of My Life’ is an above average ballad, but of course everything revolves around the hits ‘You’re My Best Friend’ and obviously the best song Queen ever recorded, ‘Bohemian Rhapsody. ‘A Night At The Opera’ is a mixed bag then. When it’s good it’s excellent, but there’s also a lot of filler. On balance though, it’s still a classic album.
Frank Sinatra
5/5
The best of the Sinatra albums that feature in the 1001 albums book, ‘Songs For Swingin’ Lovers!’ is effortless, glorious, Nelson Riddle’s arrangements sparkle, and Sinatra is at his absolute best. He never sounded better. If you only ever listen to one Sinatra album, make it this one.
Bee Gees
2/5
‘Trafalgar’ is an album by the Bee Gees with its cover a painting depicting the famous naval battle of Trafalgar in 1805. It goes about as well as the French and Spanish naval fleets went against the British that day.
fIREHOSE
2/5
There’s a decent four song run on ‘Fromhohio’ taking in ‘Time With You’, ‘If’n’, ‘Some Things’ and ‘Understanding’. I'm underwhelmed by the rest of the album.
Stan Getz
3/5
Half of this is sublime, the other half sounds like a Benny Hill soundtrack.
David Holmes
2/5
The most interesting thing about ‘Let’s Get Killed’ is that the musician responsible, David Holmes has gone on to compose and score music for a bunch of Steven Soderbergh films.
Fleet Foxes
2/5
'Fleet Foxes' sound like every other indie rock/folk band from the late 2000s. Their self titled debut is pleasant enough and atmospheric, but yeh, whatever.
Jimi Hendrix
3/5
My least favourite of the Jimi Hendrix albums in the book. It’s too long, unfocused and there’s lots of needless guitar wanking. Side D saves the day though, with ‘Still Raining, Still Dreaming’, ‘House Burning Down’, ‘All Along the Watchtower’ and ‘Voodoo Child (Slight Return)’ among the strongest cuts on the album. Meanwhile you could remove ‘Voodoo Chile’ (which is essentially ‘Voodoo Child (Slight Return)’ just longer and more boring) and ‘1983... (A Merman I Should Turn to Be)’ and you would lose nothing from the album. A frustrating listen then.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
4/5
Surprisingly funky. Points off for ‘Sir Psycho Sexy’ and for being too long, but there’s still a nice mix of hits interspersed with funky jams, making ‘Blood Sugar Sex Magik’ generally great overall.
Herbie Hancock
5/5
When people think of jazz fusion, the first thing that usually pops into their heads is ‘Bitches Brew’ and this. However, where ‘Bitches Brew’ is dense and thick as molasses, ‘Head Hunters’ is funky and accessible. It’s a jazz album with the rhythms of soul, funk, and r&b coursing through its veins, giving it maximum mass appeal, and it still sounds fresh and essential today. As an entry point into the world of jazz fusion it’s a no brainer.
The 13th Floor Elevators
2/5
Less or no electric jug would have made this better.
The Electric Prunes
2/5
This album sounds like what the after effects of eating too many prunes, (electric or otherwise) would sound like.
Bob Dylan
4/5
Third Dylan album I've had generated, and I would have to say from the evidence available (hey I’m not a Dylan fan to begin with) ‘Highway 61 Revisited’ would have to be close to his best album. It’s long, but tolerable, due mainly to the fact that most of the songs have nice melodies which paper over his nasal vocals and delivery. A great example is ‘Desolation Row’ which goes for ages but has beautiful guitar playing with nice flourishes that keeps you invested and interested in the song and lyrics, as well as taking the edge of Dylan’s singing. Other must listens are ‘Like A Rolling Stone’, ‘Tombstone Blues’, and the title track. In fact, I can’t believe I’m about to say this, but I found most of ‘Highway 61 Revisited’ to be, well….good. Don’t worry, I’m just as surprised as you are.
Gang Starr
3/5
The problem with ‘Step In The Arena’ by Gang Starr for me, is that it’s only just OK when compared to albums released in the same year by their peers. ATCQ, Cypress Hill, De La, Ice T, Cube, 2Pac and NWA (just name a few) all released far more compelling, urgent records, and with more interesting use of samples.
Duke Ellington
5/5
‘Ellington At Newport’ is an incredible album and I don’t even care that parts of it were re-recorded in the studio after the live event complete with crowd noise added in. While the expanded and updated version is also good, go for the original release as it’s concise and distils the best parts of the concert over two sides. ‘Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue’ is obviously the centrepiece and major highlight of the album, but really the whole record is excellent, and everyone should hear it.
Kings of Leon
3/5
'Youth & Young Manhood' is a perfectly adequate southern rock album from the early 2000s with indie and garage rock influences. Pleasant enough, but hardly ground-breaking.
Cat Stevens
5/5
Quaint, nostalgic, beguiling, wistful, melancholy, poignant, safe, comforting. These are all adjectives I would use to describe what ‘Tea For The Tillerman’ sounds like. It does its thing quietly and assuredly. A wonderful, legitimately excellent little album.
Frank Ocean
3/5
I generally get a lot of ‘life is hard being rich, hoes on my dick’ Drake vibes from ‘Channel Orange’. Having said that, there are some good songs on the album, and Earl Sweatshirt, John Mayer, Andre 3000 and Tyler The Creator all make nice cameos, but overall there’s not quite enough quality to elevate this from just good to great.
Sade
5/5
Lots of 1-star reviews for ‘Diamond Life' which I don’t understand. Are we listening to the same album? ‘Diamond Life’ oozes class, elegance, and sensuality. This is fire. Always has been.
Sex Pistols
5/5
A raw and savage wall of sound combined with angry, sneering lyrics, spat out with contempt but paradoxically full of wit, irony and knowing… an album that is horrifying, yet almost fun (that is, if your idea of fun is rubbing your cock against a cheese grater). ‘Never Mind The Bollocks…’ is all this and more, and still hits as hard as it did in 77’.
Femi Kuti
3/5
It has some flaws in that it’s probably too long, and it could use a slower track or two for some respite from the breathless, breakneck tempo of the rest of the album, but this is good for the most part and Femi is a chip off the old block.
3/5
‘Wonderwall’ is objectively an excellent song and worth the price of admission alone, and the rest of the hits/singles that came off this: ‘Morning Glory’, ‘Roll With It’, ‘Champagne Supernova’ etc, are just as great. The rest of the album isn’t quite as memorable though.
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
3/5
Quaint by today’s standards, but still an enjoyable listen.
John Lennon
4/5
Debut post Beatles solo album from everyone’s favourite resident hypocrite and sook. Regrettably though, even considering my dislike for him (and his whining and primal screaming on several songs) this is still unfortunately a good album. ‘Mother’ is as harrowing a song as I’ve ever heard. Fuck me.
Aphex Twin
3/5
I feel a certain level of detachment to this album. No matter how many times I listen to it, and I’ve listened to it many times over the years, it always feels distant and leaves me cold. There’s an overriding sense that I’m missing something, that I should like this more than I actually do.
Cypress Hill
5/5
Inventive, twisted samples courtesy of DJ Muggs, funny and frightening lyrics delivered with trademark cartoonish, nasal sing song flow by B-Real and ably supported by Sen Dog’s hard as nails throwdowns and raps. Still sounds fresh today and is a lot of fun. Pair this with ‘Black Sunday’ for an extra good time, and I dare you to name a more iconic duo than these 2 albums.
Elton John
4/5
A cracking first half and a so so second. The album cuts are mostly good but there are some missteps in ‘Jamaica Jerk-Off’, ‘Dirty Little Girl’ and ‘Your Sister Can't Twist (But She Can Rock 'n Roll)’ along with some questionable lyrics throughout the record that would get the PC brigade up in arms in 2023. But all that doesn’t matter when ‘Candle In The Wind’, ‘Bennie And The Jets’, the title track and ‘Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting’ come out of your speakers.
Nightmares On Wax
4/5
Some nice mid 90’s nostalgia from my teenage years. Hypnotic, smooth and languid, with nice beats and layered production. Yes, it’s probably too long, but ‘Smokers Delight’ still holds up really well today. This is a strong 4.
Bonnie Raitt
4/5
I was expecting an album full of country music songs based off the cover, and while there’s a couple present, what we mainly get is a lovely selection of MOR and pop songs about love, disappointment, and aging, sung (and played – check out that slide guitar action) superbly by Raitt and produced just as nicely by Don Was. This is a wonderful little album that totally confounded my expectations.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
Politically and socially charged songs done right, mixed with some gorgeous love songs. Strong clean production, earth shattering bass. This is skanking! Another strong 4 out of 5.
Germs
2/5
Hahahahaha….Yeeeahhh….but no.
Super Furry Animals
3/5
There are some decent songs like the opening track ‘God! Show Me Magic’ and ‘Gravity’. But then we get crap like ‘Frisbee’, ‘Long Gone’ and songs like ‘Bad Behaviour’ which is both bad and good within the same song. Then there’s ‘Mario Man’, which has a great melody and rhythm but nonsense lyrics (like most of the songs on the record really). It’s a whole album of this, and perhaps that’s the point, but I feel like I’m missing some sort of joke either because I’m not Welsh, (‘Hangin’ with Howard Marks’ – song about a Welsh drug dealer) or this album made more sense when it was released in ‘96 or both…
Billy Joel
4/5
Damn, someone already made a BJ joke about BJ... Anyway, I love ‘The Stranger’ to bits, even though it ends with a bit of a bit of whimper when compared to the rest of the album. Its highs soar: ‘Scenes From An Italian Restaurant’ is an all timer, ‘Only The Good Die Young’ is a lovely up-tempo rocker, and ‘She’s Always A Woman’ and ‘Just the Way You Are’ are excellent ballads, probably the best of Billy Joel’s career. The last two songs, ‘Get It Right The First Time’ and ‘Everybody Has A Dream’ are still good, but they just don’t have that same fizz that the best songs on the album have. On another day I’d be prepared to forgive it a little bit more and give ‘The Stranger’ a 5, but today it’s still a solid 4.
Peter Gabriel
3/5
If you only ever listen to one Peter Gabriel album…listen to ‘So’. It is immaculate with the right mix of artsy, avant-garde, world and straight pop/rock songs, all done right. This on the other hand doesn’t quite hit those heights. It’s interesting for sure, and full of great ideas, but it’s not necessarily enjoyable as a whole. I feel this way about a lot of his early solo work.
X-Ray Spex
4/5
I quite like this. Poly Styrene is an excellent lyricist (and vocalist) and she rips her way through twelve songs about the emptiness of consumerism, the artificiality of society, feminism, and the gradual sterilisation of humanity (and what it means to be human) via scientific progress. It’s earnest, but it rocks and still sounds fresh today. If anything, it’s more relevant than when it was released 45 years ago.
Ella Fitzgerald
4/5
Ella Fitzgerald, the Gershwin’s and Nelson Riddle. What a combination. Exquisite singing, iconic American standards, and gorgeous arrangements. This is excellent all around, and sure, did we need over three hours of this? Well probably not, but also yes, we did. This is definitely worth hearing in full at least once in a lifetime. It’s sheer breadth and depth is incredible.
Thundercat
3/5
I'm a fan of Thundercat and his style of bass playing and funk/rnb sensibility, but this isn't as good as I remember it. However Louis Cole is on this, and he is good and I love him to bits. He wrote (co-wrote?) and played on two of the tracks on this record, ‘Bus In These Streets’ and ‘Jameel's Space Ride’. Check out his own stuff, you won’t be disappointed.
Black Sabbath
2/5
Formulaic by today’s standards, but more than anything it just sounds dark and dour really. Sure, I can hear its influence, (I guess), but if this is considered the first real heavy metal album, then I’m glad the genre went on to produce better albums than this.
Fun Lovin' Criminals
3/5
A couple of missteps, most notably a misguided cover of ‘We Have All The Time In The World’. (Was it really needed?) Generally though, this is somewhat surprisingly, a solid little album. It’s not ground-breaking but it’s a lot of fun.
Willie Nelson
2/5
Is it me, or does Willie Nelson sound a little bit like Herbert the Pervert from Family Guy singing an albums worth of American standards?
Run-D.M.C.
2/5
Had more or less the same reaction to ‘Raising Hell’ as I did to RUN-D.M.C.’s debut album which is also in the book/on this list. ‘Raising Hell’ is not quite as sparse, but it’s still largely just a bunch of dudes rapping over a drum machine with some scratching and generally little to no extra instrumentation or musical embellishment. Unfortunately for me, it means I lost interest in this album pretty quickly.
Giant Sand
1/5
99% chore, 1% enchantment.
Supertramp
3/5
‘Dreamer’, ‘Rudy’, ‘If Everyone Was Listening’ and ‘Crime Of The Century’. A solid Side B lifts this album from ‘not that memorable’ to ‘mmm….good’.
Pretenders
2/5
‘Up The Neck’, ‘The Wait’, ‘Private Life’, ‘Brass In Pocket’ and probably ‘Mystery Achievement’ are the good songs on this album. The rest I found extremely underwhelming.
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
Bleak but optimistic like a lot of his Springsteen’s work, this is a grower and I ended up enjoying it quite a lot in the end.
Bob Dylan
4/5
My love/hate relationship with Bob Dylan continues. For me he is an acquired taste at the best of times. I generally feel grudging admiration for much of his work, but here it’s different and I mostly enjoyed this. ‘Subterranean Homesick Blues’, ‘Outlaw Blues’, ‘Bob Dylan’s 115th Dream’, ‘Gates Of Eden’ and ‘It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)’ are the picks here.
The Go-Go's
3/5
Carried by the strength of ‘Our Lips are Sealed’ and ‘We Got The Beat’. ‘You Can't Walk in Your Sleep (If You Can't Sleep)’ is strong too. The rest of the album is poppy and fun, but kind of blends into itself as none of the rest of the songs really stand out, making the album somewhat forgettable as a whole.
Blur
3/5
Certainly Blur’s most interesting and eclectic album, especially sonically, with shades of electronica and hip hop added into their usual mix of (brit)rock and psychedelia. ‘Song 2’, ‘Country Sad Ballad Man’, ‘Death Of A Party’, ‘I’m Just A Killer For Your Love’, and ‘Movin’ On’ are my faves here.
The Police
4/5
Not quite an all timer, but still very strong, but then again, I like most of the Police’s stuff. In any case the record does what it says on the tin (whether it’s cultural appropriation or not is for others to decide or be offended by). ‘Message In A Bottle’ is a snappy, jerky, urgent opener that sets the tone, and the rest of the album follows suit in largely the same manner. ‘Walking On The Moon’ is of course the other big hit, but ‘Deathwish’, ‘This Bed’s Too Big Without You’ and ‘Does Everyone Stare’ are the other standouts. Probably their most consistent album overall.
Lauryn Hill
3/5
As others have written, there are some really great moments here, but you have to sit through a lot of filler and an ongoing thread of boring interludes/skits about a classroom of teenage kids with their teacher ruminating on the true meaning of love, or something, or whatever. Was hoping for more overall.
Milton Nascimento
5/5
Wistful, intimate, warm, and ethereal. From pop to rock to folk with touches of bossa nova, Beatlesque psychedelia, and full of lovely arrangements and orchestrations, ‘Clube Da Esquina’ is wonderful. I have no idea what Milton Nascimento or Lô Borges are singing about, but I know that I want more of it.
Patti Smith
3/5
1 point for ‘Birdland’.
1 point for ‘Kimberly’ and ‘Break It Up’.
1 point for the word ‘coagulated’ being successfully used in a song lyric. Never heard an artist do that before!
Jah Wobble's Invaders Of The Heart
4/5
Jah Wobble’s had a prolific solo career over many years, and he’s always experimented with different styles of music from different genres and cultures. ‘Rising Above Bedlam’ is no exception with its dance, dub, latin, middle eastern and African flavours, all often present in the same song. It’s already a lovely mix but things really take off when the female vocalists come in and do their thing. Natacha Atlas, Sinead O’Connor and Margot Vynia take ‘Rising Above Bedlam’ to places Jah Wobble’s monotone simply just can’t rise to and the album is all the better for it.
Hole
3/5
‘Celebrity Skin’ lacks that hard edge, anguish, pain and rage of its predecessor. It’s more polished and not as raw. It’s still good, it’s just that ‘Live Through This’ is better.
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
Bruce Springsteen isn’t really my cup of tea, but even I find it hard to dislike ‘Born To Run’. It’s a great record.
Lightning Bolt
1/5
Yeh nah, this is bad. Was prepared to cut these guys some slack after the first couple of tracks, which admittedly are a little bit interesting. But it’s downhill after that, and by the end of the album all my good will has been exhausted. Quite clearly they can play, but they are taking the piss here and it gets annoying by album’s end (the vocals are especially excruciating). ‘Wonderful Rainbow’ is an ear rape of a record.
AC/DC
5/5
All killer, no filler. Not an ounce of flab. ‘Back In Black’ is all the best bits of every AC/DC album up to that point distilled into a stone cold classic about hard rocking, hard fucking, loose women and drinking. The rhythm section is tight, the guitar work is impressive, the hooks are memorable and the songs, well they are anthemic. Not many have done it better or kicked more ass than AC/DC did with ‘Back In Black’.
The Byrds
3/5
A little less country and a bit more rock to compliment the psychedelic vibe would’ve made this more enjoyable for me.
Tom Waits
2/5
Do people willingly seek out Tom Waits’ albums? I don’t get it. Can someone explain? Help a brother out. I couldn’t wait for this to finish.
Beck
4/5
‘Odelay’ hangs together quite well. Beck goes folk, country, rock, grunge, lounge and exotica and the Dust Brothers add beats and production, complementing the album perfectly without ever overpowering proceedings. The Dust Brothers and Beck…what a combo…who knew?
Rush
4/5
Epic 20 minute Led Zeppelin inspired prog-rock meets wanky high-brow sci fi concept?….You had me at hello. The rest of the album is not bad either. ‘A Passage To Bangkok’ is a song about marijuana masquerading as a song about riding a train through Asia, ‘Lessons’ sounds a lot like ‘Ramble On’, and ‘Something For Nothing’ is a strong hard rocker to close the record. Sure, it’s all a bit derivative and camp, but I really enjoyed this.
Lou Reed
4/5
‘Goodnight Ladies’ and ‘New York Telephone Conversation’ are the two missteps on what is otherwise a great album laden with essential tracks like ‘Vicious’, ‘Satellite Of Love’, ‘Hanging’ Round’, ‘I’m So Free’ and of course all timer ‘Walk On The Wild Side’.
The Doors
3/5
It’s all about the three big hits in ‘Love Her Madly’, ‘L.A. Woman’, and ‘Riders On The Storm’, the latter being two of the great driving songs of all time. ‘The Changeling’ is also a solid opener. The rest of the album while pleasant is largely forgettable for mine.
Japan
4/5
Japan is one of the more underrated synth pop bands from the late 70’s and early 80’s, and they should’ve been bigger than they were. ‘Quiet Life’ is full of jazzy arrangements, funky basslines, moody atmospherics, and a lead singer doing his best Bryan Ferry impersonation…what’s not to love?
Iron Butterfly
3/5
Pretty bog-standard forgettable batch of psychedelic rock songs on the A-side. All about the mind bending, brain melting title track that takes up the entire B-side.
Gil Scott-Heron
4/5
I love Gil Scott-Heron, especially the records he made with Brian Jackson, who was the secret weapon in the collabs they did together and composed most of the music that he and Scott-Heron performed and recorded throughout the 70s. ‘Winter In America’ is one of their best even if many of the songs are a bit on the slower side. ‘The Bottle’ is a jazz funk classic and Scott-Heron’s signature tune. Other highlights include ‘Your Daddy Loves You’ a beautiful song to his daughter, ‘Back Home’, a song about going back to ones roots and a simpler, more authentic way of life away from the city, and ‘H2Ogate Blues', a song that’s as relevant today, if not more, than back in ’74 with its commentary on war (specifically the Vietnam War), the Watergate scandal, mistrust of the government and general discontentment and disillusion in and of society in general.
Elliott Smith
2/5
‘Figure 8’ is a perfectly fine album by Elliot Smith: he’s technically proficient, writes decent songs and melodies and yet…I can’t quite place my finger on why, but I was bored to tears by this.
Janet Jackson
4/5
Janet Jackson largely created a classic here in ‘Rhythm Nation 1814’ that sounds more like her, and less like a Prince album. That influence is still there, with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis producing, but it’s not as overt as on the ‘Control’ album. Instead, we get a New Jack Swing classic with a strong pop-twist, energetic dance songs, and some nice slower rnb love songs/ballads that still swing (To be honest I didn’t know Janet could get that sensual and seductive, but I was pleasantly surprised). Meanwhile, the social commentary is mostly confined to the opening part of the album, and just about works without getting too preachy. It’s not perfect and sounds over produced to modern ears, but I still really like ‘Rhythm Nation 1814’. So did her brother Michael it seems, who basically ripped this off for his own ‘Dangerous’ album in ’91.
The Byrds
3/5
Better than ‘The Notorious Byrd Brothers’, but probably only marginally. Not sure how it compares to the remaining Byrds albums in the book (there’s five all up) as I haven’t heard them yet but suspect these two are the picks of the bunch. ‘Younger Than Today’ is interesting enough overall, but I’m not seeking it out to listen to again anytime soon.
Kraftwerk
3/5
Probably not the best jumping on point for newbie Kraftwerk listeners. I’d start with ‘Trans-Europe Express’ which is the beginning of their golden age and go in chronological order from there. Having said that, I have a soft spot for ‘Autobahn’, especially the title track, which lays the template for what was to come thematically and musically and takes up all of Side A. Side B I don’t like as much. The four ambient pieces are kind of interesting but kind of boring at the same time. Overall result is an album that while still generally good, is not as cohesive or satisfying as Kraftwerk’s very best.
King Crimson
3/5
A little bit Genesis, a little bit Mahavishnu Orchestra, a little bit E,L,P. Almost jazz-fusion in parts, definitely interesting, but lacks cohesiveness overall.
Judas Priest
3/5
Run of the mill early 80s hair metal. I didn’t find this overly memorable, but nor was it bad either.
Throbbing Gristle
3/5
Ah….Throbbing Gristle…as art, or an artistic statement, this album a is 5/5. As a musical statement it’s a bit harder to assess. I definitely appreciate the desire to push the boundaries of music (and what can be considered music) as far as it will go and ‘D.o.A…’ does just that. It’s harsh and uncompromising, but there’s also a dark humour that runs through the album. It’s often very uncomfortable listening, and an effort to listen to in its entirety (which no doubt is the point). I like that it’s so dissonant and demands so much from the listener. Would I listen to this again? Probably not any time soon. Am I glad that I have though, and been challenged by something so avant-garde and experimental? That’s a big yes.
The Smashing Pumpkins
3/5
If ‘MCATIS’ this was trimmed down to an hour, or even the length of one CD, 75 mins or so, it would have dibs on being the greatest rock album of the 90s. As it is, a lot of it is still good and there aren’t too many low points, but clocking in at 2 hours, it’s a lot to consume in one go, and that 2nd hour isn’t quite as strong as the first. And so, for that It loses points. Sometimes less is more.
The Jam
2/5
Apparently, Paul Weller has been quoted as saying that ‘Sound Affects’ sounds like a cross between ‘Revolver’ and ‘Off The Wall’. I can tell you it sounds nothing like ‘Off The Wall’, and that it wears Its Beatles influences on its sleeve a little too obviously. It’s an OK album for what it is, but I wasn’t wowed by it.
The War On Drugs
3/5
Does the 80s Springsteen, Americana thing quite nicely, the overt homage in the sound being what makes this good to listen to. Having said that, a razor could’ve been taken to a fair few songs, which would’ve made this album tighter and more focused overall. Still, for once, ‘Lost In The Dream’ is an Indie album that I don’t despise.
The Associates
4/5
I love how gloriously and unashamedly over the top everything about ‘Sulk’ is. The vocals, the production, everything about it is ridiculous. Sure, not everything works, example: ‘Bap De La Bap’ which is the low point of the record is just…shit, but when everything clicks it soars, and the albums highs: ‘No’, ‘Party Fears Two’, ‘Skipping’ and ‘Country Club’ are about as good as 80s synth pop/art rock/dance music gets.
Jacques Brel
3/5
An interesting album, very theatrical in nature, and Brel’s performance and energy manages to convey the mood and tone of the songs even if one doesn’t understand French (which I don’t) making this a compelling listen and an album worth revisiting.
The The
5/5
I adore ‘Soul Mining’. I was hooked from the very first time I heard it, and every subsequent listen over the years only continues to reinforce how good and unexpected it is. It’s an album about love and loss, sadness and loneliness, social alienation, and political disillusionment. All the usual stuff then, but it’s wrapped up in gorgeous upbeat arrangements and melodies, mixing pop with funky basslines and industrial beats, and even venturing into club territory. The end result is something special, and 40 years on ‘Soul Mining’ sounds as fresh as it did when it was released.
4/5
‘Apple Venus Volume 1’ doesn’t quite hit the same highs, and as consistently as ‘Skylarking’, but it’s still pretty great, even if it all sounds a bit familiar and Andy Partridge’s Beatles/PMac/Brian Wilson influences are more obvious than usual.
Rod Stewart
4/5
This was better than I expected, and I can comfortably get around early 70s Rod (and the Faces who back him here). Can see why he is popular after listening to this. He sounds a lot more authentic here than on a lot of his later stuff, which borders on parody). I also get some early Led Zep vibes from the songs and his performance, and I can totally imagine somewhere in an alternate universe, a version of Led Zeppelin with Rod Stewart as the lead singer. 3.5, but feeling generous today so rounding up to a 4.
Amy Winehouse
4/5
Harrowing but lovely. Modern torch songs with a 60’s soul twist. The Dap-Kings are the secret weapon on this record, they’re a great band and they and Winehouse (what a voice!) complement each other perfectly, like chocolate and milk. It’s an inspired combo, and it’s a sad shame she is no longer with us to make more great albums like this.
John Lee Hooker
3/5
I thought ‘The Healer’ was a solid blues album. The collabs and all-star guest cast didn’t detract or overpower Hooker too much, and the music still largely sounded authentic to me. I thought this was better than a lot of the blues/blues rock I’ve come across whilst doing this 1001 albums challenge which has tended to be mostly white-washed, repetitive, guitar solo wank sessions from the 60s.
Fugees
4/5
At its best ‘The Score’ it nigh on flawless, but it’s dragged down by a lot of long spoken word interludes and skits that I find take me out of the record and mostly add nothing. Also. whilst their cover of ‘Killing Me Softly’ is excellent and fresh and brings something new to the song, I found their cover of ‘No Woman, No Cry’ to be average and unnecessary at best.
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
3/5
It’s good for what it is, and there is some super stuff on here, but clocking in at over 2 hours, it’s a lot to take in, especially if this type of country music isn’t your thing. If just the best tracks were kept and this was cut down to one cd, I’d have scored it higher.
Prince
5/5
The one where Prince blew up and achieved a supernova level of stardom. Where he took everything he had done until then and channelled it into something so striking and universally popular, full of hooks and hits, but without ever sacrificing his musical integrity. One of the greatest albums of all time, and not even Prince’s best. Just think on that for a moment. That’s how good ‘Purple Rain’ is.
TV On The Radio
2/5
This is a worse than usual indie album. If you squint there’s a couple of sort of OK songs, the best being ‘Bomb Yourself’...but mostly this sucks.
Dinosaur Jr.
2/5
Started off ok, but I found myself really disinterested with ‘Bug’ by the end. I prefer the other Dinosaur Jr. album in the book way more. This just ended up being really mediocre.
The KLF
4/5
If the released singles versions of ‘What Time Is Love?’, ‘Last Train To Trancentral’ and the Tammy Wynette version of ‘Justified And Ancient’ were on ‘The White Room’ instead of the versions they went with, then this would’ve been a 5/5.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
Another super solid record from Bob Marley & The Wailers. The formula doesn’t ever really change, but once again the political and socially charged songs are still mostly done right, the love songs remain gorgeous, the music and rhythms are hypnotic, and the production is excellent.
Buffalo Springfield
2/5
Shines in some parts (the parts that sound like proto CSN), but most of it sounds like every other psychedelic/folk/americana album from the late 60s. And by now, 400+ albums into this challenge, I’ve had a fair few albums in this vein, and I’m probably starting to tire of this sound.
The White Stripes
4/5
I like its feeling of immediacy and somewhat throw away nature, the feeling that it was put together quickly and spontaneously. It’s no world beater, or as polished as say ‘Elephant’, but ‘Get Behind Me Satan’ is still charming in its own way, and certainly better than a lot of this type of album from the 2000s. 3.5/5, but feeling generous today and rounding up rather than down.
The Incredible String Band
3/5
OK, so it’s nowhere near as bad as reviewers on here will have you believe but I can see why people hate this. It probably drags a bit towards the end and has a touch of the Monty Pythons about it, but personally I generally liked it and I think if nothing else it’s worth listening to for ‘A Very Cellular Song’ which is the centrepiece of the record.
Mike Oldfield
2/5
Momentarily interesting, decent enough background music, Mike Oldfield was nineteen when he made ‘Tubular Bells’, and he played all the instruments, which is, let’s be honest, quite an achievement. When I was nineteen I could still barely tie my own shoe laces, let alone make a record that sold millions. Still, the main problem I have with ‘Tubular Bells’ is that while Oldfield’s technical ability on multiple instruments is excellent, the actual album is largely devoid of melody for long passages and so ends up being rather…boring. Also, I can’t help thinking that if it wasn’t for the Exorcist using the opening minutes of this album, it wouldn’t be as fondly remembered as it is.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
3/5
Generally good, but also a surprising amount of filler. Did we really need an 11 minute of ‘Heard It Through The Grapevine’ that’s inferior to the original?
Girls Against Boys
2/5
Compared to similar albums by the likes of the better grunge bands of the era, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Alice In Chains etc, this is very run of the mill.
Butthole Surfers
3/5
It’s like the Residents meets Throbbing Gristle, meets hard rock. I can see why a lot of people hate it, but I like ‘Locust Abortion Technician’. It pushes the limits of bad taste and bad music and is darkly funny in the process.
Madness
2/5
I found this Madness album really underwhelming. It’s not terrible, it’s just not consistently interesting across its duration making it boring to my ears for want of a better description. I really wanted to like it more, but it just doesn’t hold my attention.
Hüsker Dü
4/5
Yeh, it’s got a bit of the REM’s about it, but unlike REM I liked this. Interesting to read the 2 main dudes in the band basically fell out with each other after this album and the wounds still haven’t healed after all these years. They went out in style though as this is one hell of a record. My only gripe is it’s probably too long. If this was cut to a single LP, say 45 minutes…it would be an easy 5 stars.
The Undertones
2/5
Doesn’t do anything that really makes me stand up and pay attention. ‘Hypnotised’ is a pleasant enough pop punk record, and it’s fine when it’s on, but it’s just not something I ever see myself seeking out to listen to again.
Nick Drake
4/5
I like my Nick Drake with as little accompaniment as possible. That’s why ‘Pink Moon’ is my favourite of his studio albums. It’s just Nick with a guitar. ‘Bryter Layter’, is at the other end of the spectrum, still good but with lots of layers of strings, horns, and extra production and instrumentation. ‘Five Leaves Left’ falls somewhere in between. Lots of Nick solo, with some strings, but more on the minimal side of things. It’s a nice midpoint.
Elis Regina
4/5
Can’t quite work out if this is a compilation or an album (as a lot of the songs look like they are lifted from a 1980 self-titled album), but either way it’s a wonderful little record and Elis Regina has a great voice. It’s got the obligatory ballads that tend to be found on a lot of Brazilian pop records from the era, but importantly a lot of the rest of the time it funks and grooves and makes you wish you were lying on a beach in Rio sipping Pina Coladas. Shame she died so young.
5/5
The quintessential Beatles album, and perhaps the one that comes to mind the most for the average punter whenever they think of the Fab Four. Contains arguably the best song they ever recorded in ‘A Day In The Life’, but there are highlights aplenty, such the druggy ‘Lucy In the Sky With Diamonds’, the whimsical ‘When I’m Sixty-Four’, future theme song for The Wonder Years and Joe Cocker special, ‘With A Little Help From My Friends’, ‘Lovely Rita’ with the slightly subversive ending and so on and so forth. An album full of subtext, brimming with creativity and sonic experimentation galore (it’s incredibly produced), and designed to be listened to as a full artistic statement from start to finish, not just as a bunch of songs thrown together onto a record. Anyway, there aren’t enough superlatives you can lavish on ‘Sgt. Pepper’. It was incredible in 67’, it’s incredible today, and will still be incredible in 100 years from now.
T. Rex
4/5
Comparisons to David Bowie and Ziggy Stardust will inevitably be made, and true, Ziggy is a slicker and more grandiose record, but ‘Electric Warrior’ still more than holds its own against it in contrast, considering it predates Ziggy by a year as the first Glam Rock record proper. It’s a more straight-ahead rock record but it chugs along with relentless rhythm and groove, and before you know it, it’s gotten under your skin and you’re bopping along. This was a lot of fun.
The Beta Band
2/5
Another bog average early 2000s indie/electronica record that I couldn’t wait to get to the end of.
Missy Elliott
4/5
‘Supa Dupa Fly’ has a strong rnb flavour to it, which was a bit unexpected, but welcome. Timabland’s beats are solid, and Missy is a competent rapper. Together they complement each other nicely and are quite the dynamic duo, making for an understated but satisfying record.
The Black Keys
3/5
Initial impression wasn’t good, but it’s better on a re-listen. Decent but unspectacular, reminiscent of the White Stripes but with more soul and blues. 2.5/5, but rounding up to 3.
Adele
4/5
Not normally a fan of this sort of stuff, and especially the slow weepy ballads, but this…this was good. Firstly, Adele has an amazing voice, and the album is all about highlighting it. Her vocal performances here are powerful yet nuanced and engaging. As a listener you always stay invested in the songs and their stories. I’m a bloke approaching middle age, so am not the target market for this kind of album, but even I have to doff my cap and say I am genuinely impressed with her singing, song writing, and her take on love, loss and heartbreak here.
Donald Fagen
5/5
The Nightfly is an album I unashamedly adore. Where do I start with it? It’s full of layers. It’s shiny, (dad) pop perfection with immaculate playing and lush production, steeped in 50’s nostalgia. It’s warm in tone, but there’s also with a coldness to it, and underneath its bright, shiny, seemingly optimistic veneer, it’s a commentary on post-war middle-class America, with lyrics and stories full of irony, sarcasm and cynicism but wrapped up in a perfect, gleaming, catchy pop album. It’s a subversive masterpiece. Did you expect anything less from one half of Steely Dan?
Elliott Smith
2/5
It’s hard not to listen to this without thinking about how hard Elliott Smiths life was, especially the way he died. However apart from a handful of songs, ‘Pictures Of Me’, ‘Rose Parade’ and ‘Cupid’s Trick’ which is far and away the best song here, not only is ‘Either/Or’ a depressing album, it’s also dull arrangements for large parts.
Jamiroquai
4/5
Yeh, detractors like to quote how derivative ‘Emergency On Planet Earth’ is of 70’s soul and funk, and that Jay Kay is a cheap white imitator of Stevie Wonder and his singing. That it’s cultural appropriation of black music, as well as of native American Indians, regarding Jay Kay’s use of wearing their sacred headdress while he prances around on stage, as well as using the ‘Iroquois’ tribe name in the band’s name. That (especially) on this album he sings of environmental and social issues, but hypocritically has an exotic car collection full of petrol guzzling Ferrari’s and Lambo’s.
Personally, I don’t care. There are serious nostalgia vibes for me with this one. I listened to this a lot as a kid, and it’s one of those records that I know inside out, back to front. Each to their own, but I still think this is a great album despite all the criticism levelled against it. Importantly, you can hear the love that went into this, it’s done with reverence and respect, and I think it transcends its influences to stand on its own two feet as its own artistic statement, rather than just merely imitation. At the end of the day, it’s an album full of great songs (sure they sound familiar, but they are original compositions), and great playing and it’s funky. And you can dance to it. And that’s the point.
Killing Joke
5/5
This is great. Way ahead musically and conceptually against other similar bands, and for raw aggression, mood, anger, despair, intensity, and darkness no one comes close from this era, except for Joy Division and maybe Bauhaus. The use of synths and echo effects really elevates this in my eyes. It’s almost a No Wave record, and it really grooves for a post-punk/industrial/metal album.
MC Solaar
4/5
This is a good little record, with nice, jazzy hip-hop beats, and MC Solaar has a smooth flow to his rhymes. Just need to learn French now to understand what he’s rapping about.
Jane Weaver
2/5
Atmospheric for sure, with strong Krautrock influences (nice touch with Malcolm Mooney, original lead singer of Can stopping by to provide some spoken word vocals), but not an album that lingers long in the memory after it has finished. It’s not terrible and individual songs in isolation are fine, it’s just a bit dull as a whole.
Fela Kuti
3/5
Good, but this is legitimately only half an album.
B.B. King
4/5
This was tremendously enjoyable and one of the very few albums I’ve ever come across that I wish was longer. It’s an incredibly raw and energetic live performance. More of this kind of thing please.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
3/5
Yes, it has a lot of hit singles and garnered critical acclaim, as well as being the RHCP’s best-selling album, but ‘Californication’ just doesn’t have the same brashness, edginess, sense of danger, or general sense of energy and fun (and funk) that ‘Blood Sugar Sex Magik’ does. Yes, they were older and went for a more mature rock statement and sound, but they sacrificed a fair bit of their funkiness in the process, and frankly, for me, that’s when the RHCP’s are generally at their best.
Spacemen 3
2/5
A lot of tease, not much release.
The Flying Burrito Brothers
2/5
‘Flying Burrito Brothers’: Goes about as well as you would expect for an album by a band with a name like that. Pretty safe to say I will never ever listen to this again. ‘Hot Burrito #2’ is the one saving grace on the record. Skip the rest.
Machito
4/5
This is great all the way through. Nice sleazy 50’s Afro-Latin jazz rhythms, with plenty of horns. Play this on a sunny Saturday afternoon. It will make you happy, trust me. Goes well with a cocktail, or a cigarette and a cognac, on the rocks naturally.
Kacey Musgraves
2/5
I thought the first couple of songs were actually decent and held my attention, but from there the album slowly descends to cringe levels of well…..cringe, lyrics wise, and also blandness musically, which is a bit of a shame because Kacey has a lovely voice, and the album’s production is actually kinda nice. I feel this could’ve/should’ve been better.
The Pogues
4/5
Made we want to drink Guinness, get shit-faced and throw up everywhere.
Sepultura
5/5
I can honestly say I’ve never heard anything in my life quite like ‘Roots’, across metal, or any genre really. It’s dripping with atmosphere and leans heavily into its Brazilian heritage: for example, I love that ‘Ratamahatta’ is sung in Portuguese. Or that the band went out to central Brazil and recorded with the Xavantes tribe, and that that music appears on the album. Or that they incorporated native instruments into the music: you can really hear the samba rhythms in the drumming across many parts of the record. It’s not perfect, but ‘Roots’ is ambitious and creative, brutally exhilarating, raw, and primal in a way many albums and artists are not. It’s a record that still floors me nearly 30 years after I first heard it.
Jefferson Airplane
4/5
‘Surrealistic Pillow’ is very good, and one of the better psychedelic records from 67’ that I’ve come across, much better in fact than the album cover suggests. Lots of good songs on here, ‘White Rabbit’ being the best, but ‘Somebody To Love’, ‘Today’, ‘Comin’ Back To Me’ and ‘Plastic Fantastic Lover’ are also key picks. But really, the whole album is good and it’s beautifully sequenced with a nice balance of slow and up-tempo tracks. This has aged nicely and is a must listen.
The Stranglers
3/5
‘Rattus Norvegicus’ is at its best when the songs are short, sharp, and punchy, but tracks like ‘Princess Of The Hill’ and ‘Down In The Sewer’ really help to kill the momentum and drag my overall enjoyment of the record down.
The Fall
2/5
There’s a semblance of a good album here: interesting basslines, deliberately sloppy, (almost off-key ala Trout Mask Replica) playing and singing and I appreciate the sentiment and no-fucks given approach, but this just didn’t land for me.
Ute Lemper
3/5
Again, another low rated album that is nowhere near as bad as the ratings on this website would have you believe. I didn’t mind this. It’s nice and theatrical, and has a strong cabaret flavour, mixed with faux John Barry/James Bond musical arrangements. Camp, but never completely jumps the shark. Yeh, this was alright.
Roni Size
5/5
Going into bat for ‘New Forms’. It’s an awesome record. This and ‘Timeless’ by Goldie are the two great drum and bass records from the era and in my opinion haven’t been bettered. ‘New Forms’ blew my small teenage mind as I tried to understand what the hell a break beat was, and why it wasn’t four on the floor. Its sound was expansive, and it was full of jazzy licks, but it also had songs with vocals. And I loved it. It was accessible to the masses and that’s why it was so universally acclaimed and popular upon its release winning the 1997 Mercury Prize and going platinum in the UK. Yes, it’s long at over two hours, and I’ll admit the second disc is probably not quite as strong as the first, but man this still slays. Equally at home on the dancefloor, or at home while you nod your head and stroke your chin to its hypnotic rhythms, ‘New Forms’ is one of the very best electronic dance music records of all time.
Kings of Leon
3/5
Kings Of Leon were huge in Australia, especially this album ‘Only By The Night’, which went 11 x Platinum and got heaps of radio airplay, to the point where it’s become ubiquitous and is still a staple on Aussie rock stations everywhere. I however, never really got into King Of Leon, so this is the first time I ever properly listened to them, and this album…well it’s good. It’s a catchy, solid rock album full of mainstream appeal. It’s nothing earth shattering, but it’s enjoyable nonetheless and there’s worse ways to spend 3/4 of an hour.
Roxy Music
4/5
Much better than the other Roxy music album I’ve had so far in ‘For Your Pleasure’. ‘Country Life’ rocks with songs that are melodic, and full of hooks. Even when things get a bit avant-garde in the middle, things remain interesting. This was way more like what I expected to hear from a much lauded group like Roxy Music.
The Go-Betweens
4/5
This is a great little album, full of strong, accomplished, mature song writing and full of nice melodic, jangly, pop hooks. Yeh, this one is a bit of a sleeper.
Taylor Swift
3/5
I liked this more than I’m willing to admit. Not sure how it stacks up to her other records as this is the first one of hers I’ve ever listened to, but the low key approach here generally worked for me. Stick with the standard version that ends with the title track. The 2 bonus tracks tacked onto the end on the deluxe edition don’t really add anything for mine.
Neil Young
4/5
‘Only Love Can Break Your Heart’, ‘Southern Man’, ‘Don’t Let It Bring You Down’, ‘When You Dance I Can Really Love’ and so on. If you can get past Neil Young’s voice, there is a lot to enjoy here.
Simon & Garfunkel
3/5
I think the reputation of this album largely rests on the ethereal, otherworldly, brilliance of the title track. ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’ is a beautiful song, an all timer and the first track on the record. It’s like church. The rest of the album just never quite lives up to this opening.
Sigur Rós
3/5
Starts and finishes well, but it sags quite a bit in the middle. Definitely worth a listen though. ‘Svefn-g-englar’ and ‘Viðrar vel til loftárása’ are the standout tracks for me.
Les Rythmes Digitales
3/5
Some good tracks on ‘Darkdancer’ such as, ‘(Hey You) What’s That Sound’ (check out the music-video for a good time), ‘Music Makes You Lose Control’, and ‘Take A Little Time’ amongst others. Also nice of Shannon and Nick Kershaw to swing by from the 80s and lend their vocals to the project. Speaking of which, I’m a fan of the whole 80s homage and aesthetic that’s happening here. I’m not so much a fan of the faux French thing though. It drags the album down and dates/ages it more than I hoped it would. Still, it’s a mostly fun time overall.
The xx
2/5
Here are some adjectives other than the word ‘boring’ to describe ‘I See You’ by The xx.
dull
mundane
stale
stodgy
tame
tedious
tiresome
uninteresting
Sugar
4/5
Really lovely melodic power pop. My only real gripe with ‘Copper Blue’ is that I wish the vocals weren’t so buried in the mix. Often can barely make out what Bob Mould is singing about (it’s something depressing in case you were wondering) without consulting the lyrics. Otherwise, I like this a lot. A strong 4 out of 5.
Ramones
5/5
I enjoy the Ramones immensely. Their debut is fresh, fun and on point. Their formula is simple: play it loud and play it fast. 3-chords, no fucking around and no fucks given. I love it.
Marilyn Manson
2/5
Decent enough concept but falls flat in the execution, and goes on for way too long while it’s at it.
Gang Of Four
3/5
Above average politically charged post punk. It's solid, angular and funky , and I’d listen to it again, but at the same time it didn’t blow me away.
The Byrds
3/5
Like all the other Byrds albums I’ve had so far, this one is OK. There’s some great songs, and some mediocre ones. On the whole, I’ve found none of their albums (that I’ve heard so far) to have been earth shattering and ‘Mr. Tambourine Man’ is no exception. It’s the definition of average. Having said that, The Byrds are just about the perfect singles band, and a greatest his comp would probably be pretty good, and the perfect way to listen to their best songs, whilst avoiding listening to all the filler found on their albums.
Cee Lo Green
3/5
Again, yet another album that is nowhere near as bad as the ratings on this site suggest. ‘…Soul Machine’ is solid mid noughts hip hop/rnb. While it’s nothing earth shattering, it’s still generally good while it’s on, even if doesn’t really linger in the memory once its finished. Cover of ‘Let’s Get Together’ is decent too.
Afrika Bambaataa
3/5
Hard to rate this one. On one hand some seminal electro tracks that bridged the two worlds of hip hop and house, on the other, it sounds (even the good tracks) primitive by today’s production standards. Ultimately, have to rate it based on that, so it scores a 2, but feeling generous today and giving it an extra 1 for influence and legacy.
Tortoise
3/5
OK post rock with lots of bleeps and bloops and electronic effects. I reckon the first track ‘Djed’ coming in at 20+ minutes actually sucks a fair bit of momentum from the rest of the record, and I’m not sure it ever really recovers.
Eels
3/5
‘Novocaine For The Soul’ and ‘Susan’s House’ got a lot of radio airplay locally in my hood during the mid-90s, and it’s nice to hear these songs again. Of the rest of the tracks ‘Mental’ is a standout as is ‘Guest List’ and ‘Your Lucky Day In Hell’. Q Magazine (apparently) described this album as a mix of the following (and I quote) “Beck’s Odelay rhythms, The Beatles songwriting maturity, Sparklehorse’s simple production and Brian Wilson’s visionary editing arrangements” It’s none of these, but its solid, sturdy, whiny alt-rock from the mid-90s that still goes OK today.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
4/5
Another uplifting selection of songs from Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds, full of seedy tales inhabited by protagonists that are broken and damned. For an extra good time, have a drinking game and a shot of alcohol every time Nick Cave inserts a biblical reference, religious allusion or Old Testament omen into the songs on ‘Henry’s Dream’. It’s quite often and you’ll be well and truly shitfaced by the end of the album.
Dexys Midnight Runners
4/5
Errr…not sure what’s happening here, but this is way more palatable than ‘Searching For The Young Soul Rebels’ was. I’m actually enjoying this quite a lot, and it is both confusing and concerning.
Flamin' Groovies
2/5
Sounds like every other blues/psychedelic rock band (and album) from the era, except this is even less memorable than usual.
R.E.M.
4/5
‘Losing My Religion’, ‘Everybody Hurts’, ‘Man On The Moon’: all songs that make me want to turn off the radio. Imagine my surprise then upon listening to ‘Document’ and hearing an album which is tuneful, catchy, and full of urgent, engaging riffs, as well as genuinely good songs. Still earnest like most of R.E.M.’s stuff, but it doesn’t feel cringe here. ‘Document’ is legitimately a good time.
Digital Underground
5/5
Bros from the Digital Underground be needing a cold shower, and got me wishing the Packet Man was real.
Jimmy Smith
4/5
Jimmy Smith’s organ playing is great and obviously anchors the whole album, with Stanley Turrentine on tenor sax serving as a nice counterpoint, riding shotgun on top of the groove, and getting lots of solos. This is all held together with understated drumming and guitar work from Donald Bailey and Kenny Burrell who both get their own moments to shine. A groovy, rock solid, little jazz album, ‘Back At The Chicken Shack’ is super enjoyable.
4/5
Self-important and self-indulgent? Check. Complicated song structures (with incredible playing) bordering on the symphonic? Check. Dense, obtuse lyrics requiring a PHD to decipher their meaning? Check. Full of proggy goodness, ‘Close To The Edge’ frequently teeters but never quite falls off the edge. Instead, it’s an epic meditation on life and death that rewards repeated listening with something new to discover every time you give it a spin.
Nico
2/5
This wears thin pretty quickly, the main problem being that Nico can’t sing. I’m no expert, but I feel being able to sing is a necessary prerequisite when making an album, especially one like this where the vocals take centre stage. And I quote, from the album entry and review for ‘Chelsea Girl’ in the 1001 albums book: “Her magical vocals are austere yet mesmerizing”. Austere, yes. Magical and mesmerizing? Definitely not.
Tracy Chapman
4/5
‘Fast Car’ is obviously the big hit here, but there’s heaps to enjoy, and as much as I want to say this album’s renewed popularity is due to the Luke Combs cover of the song and his duet with Chapman at the 24’ Grammy’s, the reality is this record has always been loved by seemingly everyone. Classic AOR production coupled with politically and socially charged lyrics, but with vivid and compassionate storytelling from Chapman ensure this record will remain universally relevant and popular forever.
Jack White
2/5
The longer this went, the more I lost interest in it. There’s nothing inherently bad about ‘Blunderbuss’, I just didn’t find it very interesting or remarkable.
Fairport Convention
4/5
Probably just shaded by ‘Liege & Lief’ for overall quality and consistency, but ‘Unhalfbricking’ is still a stellar record in its own right, and I enjoyed it a lot.
Willie Colón & Rubén Blades
5/5
Some records are so good, so effortless to listen to, so enjoyable, that 45 minutes feels like no time has passed at all. It’s like the musical equivalent of gliding on air. ‘Siembra’ is one of those records. It’s superb from start to finish.
Echo And The Bunnymen
4/5
Gloomy, doomy, and atmospheric, ‘Crocodiles’ is a solid debut from the Bunnymen that gives me early Cure, U2, and Joy Division vibes, with songs full of that distinctive, jangly guitar and cavernous bass sound that seemed to be everywhere in the late 70s and early 80s. ‘Crocodiles’, ‘Monkeys’, and ‘Pride’ are my favourites here. Also ‘Do It Clean’, which is on the US version, but not on the original UK version. It should’ve been as it’s an excellent track. 3.5/5 but feeling generous today and rounding up to a 4.
G. Love & Special Sauce
3/5
In isolation, individual songs are quite catchy. As a whole album though, it just feels like one long blur. Pleasant enough, and not without merit, but without anything really standing out to grab your attention.
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
5/5
Jazz 101. ‘Time Out’ is an incredible record, jazz or otherwise. So good that even people who hate jazz like it. Everyone should listen to this, and it should be in everyone’s record collection. Period.
Daft Punk
3/5
‘Homework’ is good, but raw, a bit repetitive. I’ve always felt it’s a bit undercooked, and overlong but there’s enough on it that makes it an essential listen. ‘Discovery’ is Daft Punk’s masterpiece for mine, however ‘Homework’ is still a nostalgic trip down memory lane that takes me back to my late teenage years, and the excitement I felt at the world of possibility before me as I approached and entered adulthood. Excitement which has long since been beaten out of me by the harsh reality of life.
Queen
3/5
In which Queen goes all out medieval/middle earth fantasy prog rock. Its still got that rock opera thing happening, but this is a slightly more straight-ahead record, a little less over the top. It’s not unwelcome and serves as nice counterpoint to their better-known stuff that we are all more familiar with.
Donovan
4/5
I gotta say, this was pretty good. Sure, there are a couple of duds: ‘Legend Of A Girl Child Linda’, and ‘Guinevere’ are just that little bit bland and musically uninteresting, but the rest is pretty great. ‘Season Of The Witch’, ‘Sunshine Superman’, ‘The Trip’, ‘The Fat Angel’, and ‘Three King Fishers’ are the highlights here on what is one of the better psychedelic albums from the 1001 Albums book and the era in general.
Ali Farka Touré
3/5
A nice collaboration fusing Blues and African rhythms, these grooves are generally enjoyable and often hypnotic if a little languid. If ‘Talking Timbuktu’ has a drawback, after a while the songs can sound like variations of the same theme, meaning things can feel repetitive, and with the whole record clocking in at an hour, it feels just a touch too long.
3/5
As per usual, another one of these super low rated records that is actually nowhere near as bad as people/reviewers on this site would have you think. An album inspired by German witchcraft, it’s dense and foreboding, part Residents, part Throbbing Gristle, so it’s as out there as you would expect it to be, but although grim in parts, it’s not without (dark) humour. Whilst I will probably never ever seek this out again after I’m done with it here, ‘They Were Wrong, So We Drowned’ is still an interesting if abrasive listen, and I would much rather be exposed to stuff like this, then say for example, yet another one of the many boring, shitty indie albums that I’ve had to endure so far through my 1001 albums journey.
Aerosmith
3/5
‘Janie’s Got A Gun’ is the big song here. It’s inspired compared to a lot of the rest of the album which feels like run of the mill, by the numbers typical Aerosmith sleaze rock that they’d made a career of. It’s still fun, but by 1989 they’re hitting their 40’s and Steve Tyler is still singing songs about young lust and getting laid in an elevator. Basically, there’s not much new here. If you’ve heard ‘Toys In The Attic’, then you’ve heard ‘Pump’.
The Specials
5/5
I don’t know how to describe it, it’s like lounge, meets ska, meets reggae, meets funk, meets elevator muzak. It’s really interesting and different compared to much of the stuff the generator spits out on the daily. Still, I’m going through the exercise of trying to find reasons not to like this and coming up short. An album about how shit everything in life is, ‘More Specials’ is bleak, but darkly humorous and catchy as fuck.
Barry Adamson
2/5
‘Moss Side Story’ sounds like an interesting concept on paper, but in execution I find it overly bombastic. It's got that real over the top, tinny, harsh, late 80s sounding production that sounds like nails on a chalkboard running through it and it just doesn’t work for me.
Syd Barrett
3/5
Strangely compelling, first side is quite good, unravels a little bit on the second side. Feels like the aural equivalent of watching a car crash in slow motion.
Talking Heads
5/5
Worth it alone for ‘Once In A Lifetime’, one of the greatest songs ever written, full of layers and subtext, and the soundtrack to my midlife crisis. Elsewhere, ‘Born Under Punches’ is a nervous, edgy, anxious opener, ‘Cross Eyed And Painless’ is full of paranoia and doubt, ‘Listening Wind’ is the story of a foreign terrorist who carries out a bombing of American colonialists, ‘Seen And Not Seen’ is about insecurity and identity, ‘Houses In Motion’ is about capitalism and corruption, and ‘The Great Curve’…well I’m not quite sure what that one is about. Regardless, ‘Remain In Light’ is a beautiful, complex record that manages to fuse art rock, post-punk, New Wave and Afrobeat dance rhythms into something thought provoking, otherworldly and wonderfully transcendent. Talking Heads made a lot of good albums, but this one was their best.
John Coltrane
5/5
Spiritual, beautiful, breathtaking. ‘A Love Supreme’ is just one of those incredibly wonderful, perfect records, jazz or otherwise. Everyone should hear it.
Ozomatli
2/5
‘Street Sounds’ is enjoyable enough as background music, well performed and produced, but doesn’t really do anything interesting enough overall to make it essential listening for me. ‘Nadie Te Tira’ however is the one exception, and the best track on the album.
Dr. Dre
5/5
I know I shouldn’t like ‘The Chronic’ but I can’t help it. It’s one of those formative albums from my teenage years. A gateway drug into gangster rap. A real eye-opener for a 15-year-old white kid from Melbourne, Australia, ‘The Chronic’ was shocking but exhilarating. In an all-star cast, Snoop steals the show. He’s hungry and nasty here, and his raps and flow are both urgent, clever, and memorable. Dre’s Parliament-Funkadelic inspired beats are innovative and ground-breaking, and most importantly funky, while all the guest raps are on point and just about every track is iconic. Even the skits are decent. ‘The Chronic’ is just one of those seminal rap albums that’s stood the test of time and influenced everyone. I’m not a massive fan of Kanye, but he got it right when he wrote this: “The Chronic is still the hip-hop equivalent to Stevie Wonder's Songs in the Key of Life. It's the benchmark you measure your album against if you're serious.”
Korn
1/5
Jonathan Davis’s singing and vocal scatting, scratching, whatever the fuck that noise he does with his throat is, makes an already tedious album borderline unlistenable. Not even an Ice Cube cameo can salvage this record, and the less said about ‘All In The Family’ featuring Fred Durst the better.
Portishead
3/5
‘Third’ goes OK, but it’s a bit of a slow burn. There are glimpses of the old magic in songs like ‘Machine Gun’, ‘Threads’, ‘Plastic’ and ‘The Rip’. I also like ‘Silence’ as an opener. Then it goes off into other weird and wonderful psychedelic directions. My initial thoughts were that it’s not as good as Portishead’s first two albums…but subsequent listens suggest that perhaps I am wrong. It's a 3 for now, but that could change to a higher rating over time.
Sonic Youth
2/5
The first couple of songs are interesting in ‘Schizophrenia’ and ‘Catholic Block’, but from there a lot of the rest of ‘Sister’ kind of just becomes a blur of noise. Some songs in isolation would probably stand out more, like ‘Pacific Coast Highway’ and punk cover ‘Hot Wire My Heart’, but overall, I’m neither here nor there with this. I probably will never listen to it again.
Tricky
3/5
I find ‘Maxinquaye’ to be a mixed bag. It’s layered, grimy and dense and probably not immediately accessible. You sort of surrender yourself to it and let it do its thing. Martine Topley-Bird is the album’s secret weapon, the Yin to Tricky’s Yang. ‘Ponderosa’, ‘Aftermath’, ‘Suffocated Love’, and ‘Feed Me’ are the key cuts here, and that’s when ‘Maxinquaye’ feels like it’s firing on all cylinders. I would like ‘Hell Around The Corner’ more if Tricky hadn’t used the same sample that Portishead did so soon after they used it on ‘Glory Box’. Elsewhere ‘Strugglin’, is just that, hazy and uneasy, a struggle to listen to, and finally, the Michael Jackson sample on ‘Brand New You’re Retro’ is just a bit too obvious for me. Still, regardless of my criticisms, ‘Maxinquaye’ is a must listen, and at its best it’s amazing, but from an overall perspective, for me, it just falls frustratingly short of greatness.
The Darkness
3/5
If you’re gonna do something that’s so derivative, this is the way to do it. ‘Permission To Land’ is big, dumb, silly fun and I had a blast listening to it.
Nirvana
5/5
Lots has been written about ‘Nevermind’ by people better qualified to comment than me. Suffice to say, listening to it now takes me back to a very specific time in my life and conjures up a lot of rose-tinted memories and feelings. My impressionable young teenage mind heard the wailing, guttural voice of Cobain singing the chorus to ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ and I was hooked. Nostalgia and bias aside, ‘Nevermind’ remains an excellent record, the secret to its success being the sheen, spit and polish applied to the angsty hardcore rockers that allowed it to appeal to the mainstream (much to Cobain and Nirvana’s displeasure), and especially to disaffected teens. It’s still as bracing as it was when I first heard it and I defy anyone hearing ‘Nevermind’ for the first time to not become instantly obsessed with it.
James Taylor
4/5
Thought this was going to be your standard 70’s singer/songwriter country pop album after the first (and title) track. However, from there things markedly improve and I was pleasantly surprised as Taylor shows his range and things get groovy. Gospel, pop, blues, soul and R&B are all ticked off and the clean and warm production coupled with Taylors distinctive voice, sincere song writing, and melodic sensibility makes for an album that sound and feels comforting yet wistful. I thought ‘Sweet Baby James’ was wonderful.
Ice Cube
4/5
Great old school rap from Ice Cube from before he became cuddly. He’s super angry here and keen to prove a point. The Bomb Squad handling production duties is inspired and Chuck D and Flavor Flav even drop by for cameos. I liked this a lot.
The Killers
2/5
Lots of love on here for this one. It’s very highly rated. Personally though, apart from about 3 tracks (‘Mr Brightside’, ‘Somebody Told Me’ and ‘On Top’), I find ‘Hot Fuss’ to be a pretty average affair.
The Libertines
2/5
Deliberately sloppy and loose which makes it somewhat more interesting, but ultimately just another tedious visit to Indie/Alt Rock land with ‘Don’t Be Shy’ and ‘Tomblands’ the only saving graces here.
The Band
2/5
‘To Kingdom Come’, ‘Caledonia Mission’, ‘The Weight’ and ‘Chest Fever’ are the genuinely good songs on this, songs that are actually engaging melodically and you will want to listen to from start to finish. The rest of the album kind of just plods along and you can pretty much skip it in my opinion. I’ve listened to it, so you don’t have to.
The Sabres Of Paradise
2/5
Sabres Of Paradise?....more like Sabres Of Boredom.
Wild Beasts
2/5
That fucking falsetto makes an already tedious album even less enjoyable to listen to.
Yes
4/5
'Fragile' is more concise, but not quite as satisfying as the sprawling ‘Close To The Edge’. Still pretty great though and together these two records would've made a nice double album.
JAY Z
3/5
‘The Blueprint’ is OK. Not great, just OK. Apparently in 2018 “it was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the United States National Recording Registry for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant,” being the first entry created in the 21st century.” I must be missing something, cos I’m not hearing it.
Siouxsie And The Banshees
4/5
Yeh, I liked this a lot. Very goth, very post punk. And it’s got that nice, driving dark guitar wall of sound that I like so much from albums of this era and style, coupled with that relentless tribal drumming and Siouxie’s unsettling lyrics and intense singing. It’s a strong 4 out of 5.
Willie Nelson
3/5
I enjoyed ‘Red Headed Stranger’ more than ‘Stardust’, but found I like the story and background behind the recording of the album, as well as the actual narrative concept more than the actual album itself. The pensive and sparse arrangements are fine, and the whole country noir vibe suits the tone of the album itself, I just found the whole sound a bit too bare for my liking overall.
FKA twigs
3/5
A disconcerting, unsettling, unnerving cross between Portishead and Bjork…but it’s RnB. Drug addled and stoned, heavy and dank…icy cold. Disturbing cover image….can’t work out if I hate this or love it.
Probably deserves higher than I’m giving it today, but some of the production choices really annoy me (as in the bleeps and bloops are often overdone). ‘Numbers’ and ‘Give Up’ are the two standout tracks on here for me, because the balance between experimentation and the actual songs/music is at the right level. ‘Closer’ with its annoying chipmunk vocals run through a vocoder, or some sort of filter, (or whatever the fuck) is the low point. It’s that kind of album.
Amy Winehouse
4/5
I actually think this is almost better than ‘Back To Black’. Certainly, I wasn’t expecting how much this leans into the world of club music and 4/4 beats, but I was pleasantly surprised. Jazz, bossa, funk, house, rnb, acid-jazz. It’s all in there, along with her incredible voice, and in some ways the variety present here is more invigorating (at least to me) than the straight-ahead soul she went for on her next album. This is a very accomplished debut.
Sebadoh
2/5
In parts 90s grunge, in other parts channelling their inner Captain Beefheart and taking the piss. That’s when ‘Bubble & Scrape’ is probably at its most interesting and genuinely good in my opinion. It’s kind of bog standard and forgettable alt rock the rest of the time.
Michael Jackson
5/5
Arguably the worst (least excellent) of Jackson’s 3 albums featured in the book, but still miles ahead of almost anything anyone else was releasing in ’87, and in the late 80’s in general. At its best ‘Bad’ is as good as, and arguably better than anything on ‘Thriller’ and ‘Off The Wall’. It’s just that these two albums shade it for overall consistency. Still, ‘Bad’ is a blast, and 5 U.S. number ones, as well as sales of 40+ million copies worldwide can’t be wrong.
Caetano Veloso
4/5
Samba, psychedelia and revolution!
Jethro Tull
2/5
I don’t have a lot to say about ‘Aqualung’. It’s a pleasant enough cross of Hard Rock/Psychedelia and Folk with some Prog elements (and a bit of flute), and it’s fine while it’s on, but I just found it kind of dull and forgettable overall. 2/5 is probably a bit harsh of a score, but there’s no 2.5 option, and I wouldn’t go as high as a 3, so 2 it is.
Paul McCartney
4/5
Deliberately half-baked and throwaway in nature, this is P-Mac trolling and taking the piss, and for the most part I like it. Especially ‘Maybe I’m Amazed’, one of the great love songs of all time.
Linkin Park
2/5
Slightly better version of Limp Bizkit, and mercifully brief in comparison, coming in at only 37 mins. Listening to this I can’t quite fathom how it shifted 12+million units in the U.S…actually, maybe I can.
American Music Club
3/5
I didn’t mind this at all. It’s got some truly lovely arrangements on it along with a liberal dose of country twang throughout. The songs are mostly of a slower tempo and generally pensive, but there are a couple of rockers thrown in for good measure. Finding this is perfect for a cold Winter’s afternoon in front of the heater.
3/5
Some would call it homage or influence, others straight plagiarism. ‘Black Holes And Revelations’ is full of nods to Pink Floyd, Radiohead, Coldplay, Depeche Mode, New Order and even Queen. I’m sure there’s more I’ve missed. It’s actually amazing how many different bands and their sound Muse manage to incorporate and squeeze into this. Derivative, campy but not unenjoyable.
4/5
‘The World Is A Ghetto’ is a great album. It’s soulful, jazzy, and funky and probably War’s best and most consistent effort. Special mentions for ‘City, Country, City’, the records secret weapon, a Mancuso Loft Classic that has graced dancefloors for decades and grooves for days, and also the title track, which is so good George Benson (amongst others) covered it.
Dead Kennedys
4/5
A kamikaze mix of punk, hardcore, surf rock and power pop, and covering the topics of conservatism, violence, overbearing authority, and capitalist greed, ‘Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables’ is brutally satirical, darkly funny and extremely clever. And to top it all off, right at the end, their cover of ‘Viva Las Vegas’ is so absurd, it’s hilarious. I liked this a lot.
Black Sabbath
3/5
Starts off brightly with a pretty epic opener in ‘War Pigs/Luke’s Wall’, followed by the title track ‘Paranoid’, which is the hard rocker everyone knows and loves, and then ‘Planet Caravan’ which surprises in how groovy it is. From there, ‘Iron Man’ and ‘Electric Funeral’ are kind of plodding and ponderous while ‘Hand Of Doom’ while in a similar vein is much more engaging both lyrically and melodically. ‘Rat Salad’ is basically a filler track featuring an extended drum solo, while ‘Jack The Stripper/Fairies Wear Boots’ provides a decent, rocking ending. This is certainly light years ahead of Black Sabbath’s debut, and while it’s solid overall, apart from the opening salvo, and ‘Hand Of Doom’, there’s nothing else here that I really find overly outstanding.
The Cult
3/5
Another one for the air guitar hall of fame. Sleazy and fun with shades of Led Zeppelin, AC/DC and probably a bunch of other hard rocking and drinking, tight leather pants wearing bands. Sure, it’s generic but when it’s this much fun, who cares?
Stevie Wonder
5/5
From his incredible 72’ to 76’ period where everything he touched turned to gold, here is another 10 out of 10 from Stevie Wonder. From the trippy opener ‘Too High’, to the biting ‘Living For The City’, the beautiful ballad ‘Golden Lady’, spiritual and social statements in ‘Higher Ground’ and ‘Jesus Children Of America’ to the straight joy of ‘Don’t You Worry ‘Bout A Thing’, there are not enough superlatives to describe how wonderful this album is. ‘Innervisions’ is just about perfect.
UB40
4/5
Hard to believe the UB40 that made this is the same UB40 that topped the charts with saccharine cover versions of ‘Red Red Wine’, I Got You Babe’ and ‘I Can’t Help Falling In Love With You’. Sell outs much? There’s maybe a few too many instrumental tracks on this album, but by and large ‘Signing Off’ is largely excellent with sharp, politically charged lyrics, and crisp production. Another unexpected, but pleasant surprise then from the 1001 albums generator.
GZA
4/5
Love the whole Shogun Assassin movie dialogue snippets sprinkled throughout the record as well as RZA’s atmospheric beats and production. ‘Duel Of The Iron Mic’, ‘Living In The World Today’, ‘Cold World’, ‘Shadowboxin’’, Swordsmen’ and ‘I Gotcha Back’ are the standout cuts for me, but really, ‘Liquid Swords’ is great album from start to finish and GZA’s raps are lyrically complex, but ace.
D'Angelo
5/5
‘Brown Sugar’ is not even my favourite D’Angelo album (that would be ‘Voodoo’), but this one is still fire. It’s low key and languid, jazzy, and funky, and D’Angelo’s vocals are just pure honey. The O.G neo-soul album and still an excellent listen. No doubt the soundtrack to many a successful baby-making session.
Paul Simon
3/5
The first half is quite strong, but I find it kind of falls away after that, making for an inconsistent record overall which is a shame, because as a whole, I wanted to like ‘Graceland’ more than I did.
Scissor Sisters
3/5
I was today years old when it dawned on me that ‘Scissor Sisters’ aren’t hairdressers. This was mostly a lot of fun and better than I expected it to be.
The Charlatans
3/5
It’s fine and catchy and there are some lovely songs on ‘Tellin’ Stories’, but at the end of the day it’s just another in a long line of brit-pop albums from the 90s that generally don’t stick in the memory for long. Nice enough when it’s on, but it’s not something I’m likely to return to often, if ever.
Goldfrapp
3/5
Very heavy shades of the Beatles, with a touch of the Beach Boys and Pink Floyd, and a sprinkling of folk, pop, and psychedelia. It’s not bad, and another album that ended up being better than I thought it would be. Could grow on me further over time.
Dr. John
4/5
Drugged up, dank, spooky, kooky and groovy. Didn’t think this would be so good based on the album cover. But as they say in the classics, never judge a book (or in this case a record) by it’s cover. This was ace.
The Velvet Underground
4/5
This was both strange and disturbing….I liked it a lot.
Primal Scream
4/5
Gets better on a relisten, but not sure it’s all that cohesive. What it is though, is dreamy and interesting, sprawling and bloated, sometimes euphoric, with a big, cavernous dubby sound. ‘Screamedlica’ is a quintessential fusion of early 90s UK rock, pop, dance and rave. 3.5/5, but rounding up to a 4.
3/5
Brazil via Serbia. Atmospheric and lovely, a nice fusion of traditional Brazilian music and rhythms with electronica.
Megadeth
3/5
Does what you expect, and it’s generally good overall, I just prefer ‘Peace Sells…’ over this.
Neneh Cherry
2/5
Kind of fun, somewhat naïve, and a little bit shit? It does kind of get better as it goes on, and there are some nice beats, but this one just doesn’t land for me. Feel there are similar records from this era that are better.
Booker T. & The MG's
2/5
This is basically on the 1001 albums list for the title track. The rest of it is mostly elevator music instrumentals featuring cover versions of other artists songs (and a couple more originals from Booker T. And The MG’s themselves). That’s kind of it. This didn’t do anything for me.
Red Snapper
1/5
At least with artists like The Butthole Surfers, Throbbing Gristle, or the Residents to name a few, there’s irony and wit to their music, whilst deliberately pushing your buttons as well as the boundaries of good taste. Whereas here, there’s none of that. ‘Our Aim Is To Satisfy’ does the exact opposite. It’s one of the more laborious albums I’ve had to sit through. I just didn’t find it very interesting or engaging, just tedious. ‘The Rake’ is up there as one of the worst things I’ve ever heard, as is ‘They’re Hanging Me Tonight’, as are a bunch of other tracks.
Kraftwerk
5/5
The first of Kraftwerk’s holy trinity of electronic albums (the other two being ‘Man-Machine’ and ‘Computer World’), ‘Trans-Europe Express’ is arguably their best, taking the musical themes they explored on ‘Autobahn’, and expanding on them in a more concise manner, and with consistently more memorable hooks.
Opening track, ‘Europe Endless’ feels classical in composition, with a wistful, otherworldly quality, a beautiful elegance, the musical motifs of which are repeated at the back end of the record.
Meanwhile the ‘Trans-Europe Express’ medley is muscular but refined, minimal, but tough and hard…Modern. It’s also funk and hip-hop. No wonder Afrika Bambaataa stole the riff for ‘Planet Rock’.
In between we get some nice asides in ‘Hall Of Mirrors’ and ‘Showroom Dummies’, one a song about self-image, fame, narcissism and general self-loathing, the other a tale about shop window mannequins who come to life and go clubbing.
A celebration then of Europe’s nostalgic, romantic past, and the promise of a glittering future. An album both anachronistic, but ahead of its time. Old, yet modern, but always stylish. Elegant and decadent. And that’s its genius.
The Soft Boys
3/5
Plenty of nods to the Beatles, Kinks, the Byrds and lots of other 60s rock and psychedelic rock bands, but with better production and fused with new wave and post punk sounds of the early 80s. Don’t know if it’s the underrated classic it’s made out to be, but I certainly didn’t mind it.
Elastica
4/5
More punk than Britpop, I think this still stands up really well 30 years on, plagiarism claims or not.
Short and sharp with strong melodies, the songs sparkle, and Justine Frischmann is a great frontwoman for what is a pretty tight band. I had a good time with this.
Queens of the Stone Age
3/5
The trick is to avoid the reissue that clocks in at over an hour and go with the original 1998 released version which is 46 minutes. The extra tracks don’t add anything in my opinion.
Siouxsie And The Banshees
4/5
Not quite as consistent as ‘Juju’ which is the other album featured in the 1001 albums book by Siouxsie and the Banshees, but really, I’m just nitpicking, as this is still pretty incredible for a debut album. I like what I have heard from these guys a lot.
Nine Inch Nails
2/5
Overly bombastic, overproduced, unnecessarily long, miserable. I think it’s the screaming ear rape vocals and screeching distorted guitars that I despise the most. There's a few good songs, 'Closer', 'Hurt', 'March Of The Pigs', a couple of others. But mostly, this is a drag after the first half an hour.
Moby Grape
3/5
Perhaps on the list more because of the story of Moby Grape’s rapid rise and fall rather than how good the actual album is. I mean it’s a solid entry from the storied year of 67’, and it’s a fun listen while it’s on, but it doesn’t really linger in the memory once the needle comes off the record.
Stevie Wonder
5/5
By this stage I’ve run out of superlatives to describe how wonderful Stevie Wonder’s music is having already glowingly reviewed the other three of his albums that are on the 1001 albums list. ‘Talking Book’ is no exception. It’s incredible, and amazing, and beautiful, and timeless. Just go listen to it, and then listen to it again, because you’ll want to, because it’s that good.
Emmylou Harris
3/5
The modern (circa 2000) production, (complete with drum loops and middle easter guitar melodies) gives this album a sound that hasn’t dated too badly in 2024. It sometimes even sounds like one of those chill out electronica compilations from the early 2000s, while the continual religious allusions give me Nick Cave vibes. Overall, while I find ‘Red Dirt Girl’ pensive and downbeat, it’s not an unpleasant listen.
Yes
4/5
Prog! Prog! Prog! Yes! Yes! Yes! This, ‘Close To The Edge’ and ‘Fragile’, are all great albums. All are slightly different, but they are all super consistent. This one is probably not as self-indulgent as their other two albums on the list, but really, I like them all equally and it’s hard to pick a favourite.
Soft Machine
4/5
I'll admit it’s a bit long, and with every track taking up a whole side of vinyl, over four sides, ‘Third’ demands a lot attention and concentration, so I can see why a lot of people wouldn’t like it, but this was right in my wheelhouse. I enjoyed this a lot.
Ali Farka Touré
2/5
‘Talking Timbuktu’ is Ali Farka Touré’s other album in the book, and ‘Savane’ is very similar, if not the same in tone and scope to that. If you didn’t like ‘Talking Timbuktu’, or thought it was very repetitive, then you won’t like this. It’s more of the same, and after having listened to 500+ albums as part of this challenge, I’m starting to have less patience and good will. I’m happy for Ali Farka Touré to have been featured, but we didn’t need two albums from him that are essentially the same. In this instance, one was more than enough.
Pere Ubu
3/5
First half is pretty good. Falls away quite a bit in the second half though. ‘Sentimental Journey’ is especially shit, bordering on ear rape. A bit of a mixed bag then overall. Great when its good, dire when it’s bad.
Metallica
3/5
The point where Metallica started to transition from the pre-eminent heavy metal/thrash metal band of the 80’s (and possibly of all time), to a bunch of washed-up country rockers. There’s a lot of filler here, but there’s also plenty of flashes of the old magic. ‘Enter Sandman’, ‘Sad But True’, ‘Holier Than Thou’, ‘The Unforgiven’ and Wherever I May Roam’ are all big, anthemic hard rockers, while ‘Nothing Else Matters’ is a power metal ballad up there with their best one, ‘Fade To Black’. While Metallica’s change of direction to a more mainstream hard rock sound generally works here, for me, this album is just not as cohesive or satisfying as their previous records, even if it is their most commercially successful.
Eagles
3/5
Fame and fortune, life, love and drugs in L.A.
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
So far along this 1001 albums journey, I’ve had ‘Darkness On The Edge Of Town’, and ‘Born To Run’ by the Boss. ‘Born In The U.S.A.’ is more of the same, just shinier, and even more radio friendly. On the whole I prefer those albums to this one. ‘Bobby Jean’ did almost bring a tear to my eye though.
Ryan Adams
3/5
More upbeat than ‘Heartbreaker’ from memory, although I didn’t go back through the list to confirm. If you like that album, and that whole alt-rock/country sound in general, then you’ll like this, as long as you can get past Adams’ confirmed abusive behaviour and sexual harassment of multiple women (including ex-wife Mandy Moore, and ex-girlfriend Phobe Bridgers).
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
2/5
Mostly bland indie dance rock, with the occasional good, standout song. ‘Zero’, ‘Heads Will Roll, ‘Soft Shock’ and ‘Dragon’ are the picks here. And to be fair they are quite good. The rest of the album however, while pleasant enough, is mostly forgettable.
Johnny Cash
3/5
Johnny Cash’s goodbye album and a sombre affair, but a little bit hit and miss. For every hit like ‘Hurt’ and ‘Personal Jesus’, which Cash nails and makes his own, there’s misses like ‘Danny Boy’, and ‘We’ll Meet Again’, which while sad songs in and of themselves don’t quite fit the funereal atmosphere created by a lot of the rest of the album. Having said all that, I did still really enjoy much of this, but have to take a couple of points off for some of the song choices that didn’t quite land for me.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
Having a U.S. and a U.K. version of this confuses things somewhat, but it’s the U.S. version I prefer, which omits a few songs from the U.K. version, and adds ‘Paint It Black’ (Yay!). Unfortunately, both versions still contain ‘Lady Jane’.
Cocteau Twins
4/5
Another wonderful album from the Cocteau Twins. This one is a little more accessible than ‘Treasure’, a bit more direct musically, but still very much in the same vein and I loved it just as much if not more. Another strong 4, very close to a 5.
The xx
2/5
The xx, curing insomnia since 2009.
Calexico
2/5
Atmospheric and pleasant enough, but ultimately I was bored shitless by this.
Tom Tom Club
4/5
Another Talking Heads side project, this is much better than I remember it. Still mostly slight outside of ‘Wordy Rappinghood’ and ‘Genius Of Love’ which are the key tracks here, (and which you will recognise instantly as both have been sampled countless times) but a fun, nice, breezy little album nonetheless. It’s somewhat let down by the final track which on early pressings is ‘Booming And Zooming’, and on later pressings a throwaway cover version of ‘Under The Boardwalk’. I don’t really care for either, but don’t let that stop you listening to the rest of this, cos for the most part, it’s a good time. 3.5/5 but I’m rounding up.
Sonic Youth
4/5
Pretty good. Second half is probably not quite as strong as the first, but this is still my favourite of the Sonic Youth records the generator has spat out so far.
Animal Collective
3/5
Not as bad on a second listen but still a bit of a grind at times. Sonically it’s over produced, and the mastering is harsh. I don’t mind all the weird time signatures, but the songs themselves often get buried in the mix. There’s a lot going on. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. They probably wear their Beatles and Beach Boys influences on their sleeves a little bit too obviously at times.
Solomon Burke
3/5
It’s undeniable that Burke has a great voice and all, but this just didn’t grab me in the way I hoped it would, and I can’t quite pinpoint why. It’s still a good and enjoyable record, I just wanted to like it more overall. Having said that, ‘Cry To Me’ and ‘Won’t You Give Him (One More Chance)’ are great, and the standout tracks on the album for me.
Elton John
4/5
‘Indian Sunset’ is probably the only real misstep here, but Elton still manages to salvage Bernie Taupin’s lyrics with a wonderful arrangement. Everything else works, from everybody’s favourite ‘Tiny Dancer’ to the awesome title track, to (surprisingly) ‘All The Nasties’ and on. I can’t quite bring myself to give this is a 5, on account of ‘Indian Sunset’, but it’s a very, very close-run thing. ‘Madman Across The Water’ is a mostly excellent album and one I look forward to re-visiting often, a new favourite.
Michael Kiwanuka
3/5
Didn’t grab me the way I hoped it would, and it would seem I am in the minority. It’s atmospheric, and the guitars are fuzzy, and it feels soulful, but it spends most of its run-time being really introspective and pensive apart from a handful of songs. It just didn’t hit the spot enough for me.
Bruce Springsteen
2/5
My least favourite of the Springsteen albums I’ve had so far. This one is devoid of any joy and the lack of E Street Band is both a blessing and a curse. A blessing because its nice to have a more minimal sounding album from the Boss without all that over the top embellishment the band provide, a curse because you quite quickly realise Springsteen needs all that bombast to cover for the fact that he is not the greatest vocalist. On the plus side I only have one more Springsteen album left to get. ‘Atlantic City’, and ‘Johnny 99’ are the only songs that really resonated with me.
Orbital
4/5
Techno Techno Bloody Techno Darling!
Love
3/5
Truly a tale of two halves. Whimsical and plenty psychedelic, with strong songs and lots of harpsichord action, the first side is full of all the touches that make for a great album from the late 60s. ‘Revelation’ which is the monster jam that takes up all of side two is not quite as good and does drag on a bit. The band by all accounts hated it with a passion, but I still thought it was quite listenable despite its length. Overall, an interesting but somewhat patchy album.
Arctic Monkeys
2/5
Lots of love for this across the board, but I lost interest by about the halfway mark. It’s fast frenetic and energetic, but perhaps that the problem as it’s just a bit too busy. It’s not terrible it just all kind of sounds the same after a while.
Kanye West
1/5
I just don’t think Kanye is a good rapper, nor does he have anything overly interesting to say on this. Put that together with the deliberately abrasive as fuck ear-rape production, and it’s not a good time. ‘New Slaves’, ‘Blood On The Leaves’ and ‘Bound 2’ are about the only tracks that are kind of ok, or at least listenable, but it’s a low bar.
Pearl Jam
5/5
Another one of those albums from my formative years (along with ‘Nevermind’) that I listened to over and over again. An incredible debut. Pearl Jam went on to do great things and are one of the great rock bands of all time, but their sound was never this polished again. They lean heavily into classic 70s rock on ‘Ten’, but with lyrics that speak to the times this was released, and which are still relevant today. It’s just a timeless record that has not dated. A ‘yin’ to ‘Nevermind’s’ ‘yang’ that is as just as good and with a legacy just as enduring.
David Ackles
2/5
It's all very theatrical, like a bad musical from the 70s, and how you feel about that will go a long way to determining how much you enjoy this album. In my case, not very much.
Missy Elliott
3/5
I think Missy Elliott is an excellent writer and rapper, and she is as good and creative here as she was on her debut ‘Supa Dupa Fly’. However, I’m not a massive fan of Timbaland’s futuristic production style from the early 2000’s which was so prevalent in rnb/hip-hop. My favourite songs on ‘Under Construction’ are the ones he didn’t produce. That’s not to say this is a bad album per se, I just prefer the vibe and the more organic, soulful sound of ‘Supa Dupa Fly’, which ironically, Timbaland also produced.
Boston
3/5
Quintessential classic 70’s dad rock. It’s an excellent example of its type, but for me it’s just….fine. It’s pleasant enough, but I generally demand a bit more from my music.
Billy Bragg
3/5
Don’t know if I agree entirely with all of Billy Bragg’s political statements, but it’s clear he has got a lot to say, and he generally get his points across well. This is definitely better than the album he did with Wilco, ‘Mermaid Avenue’, which is also in the 1001 albums book/list. Some genuinely good stuff on here.
The Fall
3/5
Generally much better than ‘Live at the Witch Trials’. Starts off so, so, but gets going from ‘What You Need’ onwards. Stick to the original released vinyl version and avoid the later, various cassette and CD versions with extra tracks. They add nothing.
The White Stripes
2/5
My least favourite of the White Stripes albums featured on the 1001 albums list. I found this seriously underwhelming compared to their other albums I’ve heard. General consensus suggests I am wrong, however I just couldn’t warm to this.
Jungle Brothers
3/5
It’s a fun listen mostly, but some of the samples on this were already way overused by 89’ when this came out. Having said that, It’s still good, it just could’ve been better.
Deep Purple
3/5
People on this site often complain about live albums being on this list, but this was not bad. Its recorded well, and the performances are generally strong. On the flip side I don’t know if we needed a 20-minute version of ‘Space Truckin’, and lead singer Ian Gillans constant yelping on many of the songs gets annoying, but by and large, this was well worth a listen or two.
Buzzcocks
4/5
‘Sixteen’ is the one real stinker on this. The rest is awesome three chord pure pop punk goodness.
Simon & Garfunkel
3/5
Ermmm…..this is probably my least favourite of the three Simon & Garfunkel albums on the list. Having said that it’s still a decent listen, and the arrangements are nice, but yeh, prefer some of their other stuff more. ‘A Simple Desultory Philippic (or How I Was Robert McNamara'd into Submission)’ is gold though.
Fiona Apple
2/5
I endured this a second time to confirm what I already knew after listening it to it the first time…..that this not very good. Meanwhile the near universal praise for this album from the critics confuses me. 5 stars and 10 out of 10’s everywhere. Are they listening to the same album? Or am I just a crusty old GenXer that’s out of touch?....No it’s the critics who are wrong.
The Sonics
5/5
Don’t be deterred by the fact that most of this album consists of 50s rock & roll/rockabilly covers. You’ve never heard them played like this before. ‘Here Are The Sonics’ is full of no fucks given attitude, and the Sonics play with raw, reckless abandon as lead singer Gerry Roslie snarls, screams and belts his way through the setlist (including four originals). This is rock & roll on steroids, aggressive and full of primal energy. Add to the mix the deliberately primitive production and the end result is something unexpectedly special.
Mott The Hoople
3/5
Ehh, it’s David Bowie lite. It’s not bad, and it’s at its best when it goes full glam rock. ‘All The Way From Memphis’, ‘Whizz Kid’, ‘Honaloochie Boogie’, and ‘Drivin’ Sister’ are the picks here, and worthy of the great man himself. You could easily imagine him belting these out. ‘I’m A Cadillac/El Camino Dolo’ is also interesting and somewhat serves at the centrepiece of the record. ‘Violence’ is a bit of a by the numbers rocker that annoys more than inspires, and the remaining ballads are so so and mostly forgettable. A bit of a mixed bag then, but overall, not an unpleasant time.
Big Star
2/5
‘In The Street’ and ‘When My Baby’s Beside Me’ are the only real memorable songs on this. ‘St 110/6’ also has a really nice melody as well but is unfortunately less than a minute long. The rest of this while pleasant and beautifully produced is essentially a snooze fest.
Tom Waits
4/5
I’m not a massive fan of Tom Waits in general, based on my previous exposure to his music, but I gotta say, I liked this. It was recorded in front of a small, invited audience at Record Plant LA studios over two days (nights?) in July of 1975, so it has a nice live and loose feel to it, with a touch of the Jack Kerouac’s in Waits’ delivery of the material, and backed by an excellent jazz band. In fact, they probably steal the show and are the unsung heroes of the album. These guys are first rate musicians and deserve their own record. So, overall then, sure ‘Nighthawks At The Diner’ is probably a bit of a slog to listen to in one hit, but there’s a lot to like here, and it certainly, unexpectedly won me over.
The Dictators
3/5
You can hear how the Dictators influenced the Ramones and the Beastie Boys…The Offspring. And heaps more bands I’m sure.. ‘Go Girl Crazy!’ is a lot of fun. A bit slight, but fun, nonetheless.
Christina Aguilera
4/5
I liked ‘Stripped’, and I like ‘Back To Basics’. The second disc probably isn’t quite as strong as the first, but I like where Aguilera tried to take it with the 30s/40s jazz thing wrapped up in a modern pop twist, and that she had the balls to do it. She’s at her artistic peak here, and everything she tries mostly comes off. And I also think people have maybe forgotten just how talented and how big she was in the early to mid-2000s. I’d happily listen to her music ahead of many a pop/rnb diva.
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
3/5
It’s a pretty straight forward listen in comparison, but strangely enough I don’t find ‘Safe As Milk’ anywhere near as compelling as ‘Trout Mask Replica’.
The Teardrop Explodes
3/5
I generally like this era of post punk/new wave etc. ‘Kiliminjaro’ has some standout moments. ‘Ha Ha I’m Drowning’, ‘Sleeping Gas’, ‘Books’ and ‘When I Dream’ (my favourite track on the album by far) are the picks here. I also listened to the bonus tracks which I tend not to do, and of those ‘Use Me’ is by far the best and worthy of a place on the album. The rest of the album is a bit by the numbers, but I find myself coming back and listening to this quite often nonetheless.
Jeff Buckley
3/5
Parts of this are incredible and blow me away, parts of this suck so hard I want to throw the record in the bin and set it alight, and parts of it annoy the crap out of me because of Buckley's incessant wailing which is unbearable at times.
John Grant
2/5
This started off so so, and the longer it went, the more I lost interest. I did find ‘Sigourney Weaver’ amusing though.
Motörhead
3/5
I find Motörhead to be a bit of an acquired taste, but if you’re in the mood, ‘No Sleep 'til Hammersmith’ while rough, is a good time and quite a lot of fun. If you’re not in the mood, then you will probably hate this a lot.
The Dandy Warhols
3/5
Starts off really strongly, and stays enjoyable for the most part, but loses its way at the end. The two instrumentals that close out the album, ‘Pete International Airport’ and ‘The Creep Out’ are long, go nowhere and feel like they are the to pad out the run-time (of an album that was already long enough) more than anything else. Sometimes less is more.
George Jones
4/5
I don’t generally like country music, but this is objectively good, and at only 28 minutes it doesn’t overstay its welcome. I too read the review that called this "An exultant wallow in heartbreak" with Jones inhabiting songs "like an inmate on suicide watch." And I total agree with this assessment.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
4/5
Probably one of the more accessible Nick Cave albums I’ve heard. Lyrics are pretentious as ever, and I still can’t figure out what he’s singing about half the time, but musically it’s pretty straightforward and pleasant. Surprisingly, despite my prejudices, and criticisms of Cave, his music and writing in general, plus the long run time, I actually enjoyed this quite a lot.
The Smiths
4/5
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVX5TEWEuGQ
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
2/5
The opening track ‘Unomathemba’ was featured in a Nescafe Gold coffee ad in the late 80s that seemed to be on TV all the time when I was a child. I didn’t know that it was by Ladysmith Black Mambazo until hearing it again today for the first time in like 30 plus years. Look, this album is nicely recorded, and the harmonies and vocals are all beautiful, but it just doesn’t do it for me. There’s other African artists and music that I like and that I would listen to before I would ever listen to this again.
John Martyn
5/5
I loved ‘Solid Air’, but I think I love this more. Dubby, hazy, stoned, sad, understated…this one is for the late nights and it’s lovely.
Penguin Cafe Orchestra
4/5
‘Music From The Penguin Café’ is adventurous and avant-garde and baroque, bordering on classical. I find it an achingly beautiful, and beautifully sad record, full of melancholy, and a surprising amount of darkness. It’s strange and experimental, yet familiar and comforting. Dreamlike….I like this a lot.
U2
3/5
I blame these guys for Coldplay…. But seriously, with every U2 album I’ve ever listened to, there’s always too much filler and not enough killer. ‘War’ is no different. Everyone knows the hits off this album. The rest of it…it’s fine, good even, but forgettable in comparison to the big songs. They’re an awesome singles band U2, and a great stadium act, but their albums as a whole are just generally not that satisfying.
Lupe Fiasco
2/5
Unfortunately, another bog average 2000s rap album. Unnecessarily long and bloated (72 minutes to be exact: did we really need a 12-minute outro of Lupe thanking everyone?), and not actually that good with the exception of: ‘Kick, Push’, ‘I Gotcha’, ‘He Say She Say’ and ‘Sunshine’.
Various Artists
3/5
I’m not a fan generally of these sorts of things, but I find this bearable, despite my personal hatred of all things festive (bah humbug). This is objectively, quite possibly, the definitive gold standard Christmas album despite the nature of the man who produced it. And I would gladly listen to this on repeat, than be subjected to the Mariah Carey Christmas album ever again.
Gillian Welch
2/5
Initially this didn’t do much for me, but I did find it somewhat more enjoyable on a second listen…except for album closer ‘I Dream A Highway’. That sucked both times. At 14 minutes it was way too long for me to care.
Beastie Boys
3/5
I like the Beastie Boys generally, but this isn’t my favourite album of theirs. Don’t get me wrong, ‘Licenced To Ill’ is a lot of fun, and there are some good moments here, but I just find their later albums more engaging.
Tim Buckley
3/5
Musically this is great. The musicians assembled here are amazing, as are the song arrangements which are really funky. The vocals and lyrics not so much, especially Buckley’s over the top whooping and hollering and speaking in tongues. If he’d dialled it down a bit, this would’ve been a real winner.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
‘Led Zeppelin IV’ is the quintessential hard rock album. ‘Black Dog’, ‘Rock and Roll’, ‘Stairway To Heaven’, ‘When The Levee Breaks’, ‘The Battle Of Evermore’, and so on; It’s all killer, no filler and it’s stood the test of time in a way very, very few albums do. Somewhere out there, right now, some kid is listening to this record for the very first time and their mind is about to be blown the same way mine was many, many years ago. The adrenaline rush, the massive dopamine hit, the sheer joy. The next generation will listen to ‘IV’ and feel the same, and the next and the next. Such is the circle of life, and a small part of this albums enduring, monolithic legacy.
New Order
3/5
‘Low-Life’ is good but patchy. Opening songs ‘Love Vigilantes’ and The Perfect Kiss’, are the big singles and the well-known hits. ‘Sunrise’ is the surprise throwback to their previous life as Joy Division, with a bit of early Cure thrown in and It’s my favourite song on the record. The second half isn’t as compelling. ‘Elegia’ is an atmospheric and nice enough instrumental tribute to Ian Curtis but on an album with only 8 songs on it, I kind of want more. And album closers ‘Sub-culture’ and ‘Face Up’, just sound like generic Euro Pop Trash and frankly aren’t all that memorable.
Randy Newman
4/5
I found myself enjoying this a lot. Newman is an excellent songwriter and underneath the jaunty melodies and Tin Pan Alley style arrangements is an album of blistering social commentary full of cynicism and sarcasm, all delivered in his trademark style and with a good dose dark humour.
ABBA
4/5
‘The Visitors’ is the Abba album for people who don’t like Abba. Underneath that shiny veneer, that pristine pop sheen, there’s a claustrophobia and a paranoia, a weariness and sadness to proceedings. It feels like the end of times, and it sounds like the end of an era. They saved their best for last though. Then there are the bonus tracks, which elevate this to God tier status. If I was rating based on the bonus tracks being included, this would be a 5/5. Rated based on the original album release though, it falls just short of perfection, but it’s still a very strong 4/5.
Slade
2/5
‘Slayed?’ is fun overall, but slight, and feels dated in a way that Bowie, T-Rex and other glammers don’t. The bogan spelling of a lot of the song titles also annoys me. ‘I Won’t Let It ‘Appen Agen’, ‘Move Over’ and ‘Gudbuy T’Jane’ are the best songs here.
Isaac Hayes
5/5
‘Hot Buttered Soul’ is 45 minutes of hypnotic build up, and simmering tension and release. It’s a symphonic musical orgasm. An RnB masterpiece. The ultimate psychedelic-soul album.
The Allman Brothers Band
4/5
Surprisingly good for a live blues album full of really loooong songs and guitar workouts. ‘Whipping Post’ is the one track that probably doesn’t quite justify its 20+ minute run time, but overall, for a blues album this was pretty good, and it’s a nice recording also. 3.5/5 but rounding up.
Prince
5/5
Perhaps Robert Christgau, chief music critic and senior editor of the Village Voice said it best when he wrote about ‘Sign ‘O’ The Times’ by Prince not being a "formal breakthrough" per se, but rather "the most gifted pop musician of his generation proving what a motherfucker he is for two discs start to finish.” Ain’t that the truth. This is Prince at the peak of his powers, creatively and artistically. His most adult and mature work. Purple Rain might be his commercial peak, but he was never better than he is here, and he was never this consistently good again.
‘Sign ‘O’ The Times’ is arguably the best album of the 80s (and close to my favourite album of all time). No one got close to the sheer breadth and depth of the songs committed to wax here. Listening to it almost feels like a religious experience at times, and the way it is both sacred and secular, with all its sprawling, messy, transcendent glory is why this album is a masterpiece.
The Hives
3/5
Fun, frivolous and doesn’t overstay its welcome.
Todd Rundgren
5/5
There’s a couple of missteps, but by and large the sheer scope, execution and listening experience of ‘A Wizard, A True Star’ is truly exhilarating and breathtaking, it really is. Do yourself a favour, have a joint, put this on and have a good time.
Drive-By Truckers
3/5
If you’re into Southern/Country Rock, you’ll probably love this. For the rest of us, this wasn’t bad. In fact, I expected to hate this, but I didn’t. At 94 minutes, it’s probably too long for the average punter, but on the whole I did enjoy it and I think it’s worth your time.
The Style Council
2/5
Café Bleh!
Black Flag
4/5
Probably the wrong choice of word to describe ‘Damaged’ by Black Flag, but I thought this was a lot of fun….angry and violent, but fun. The guitar playing (and drumming) is ear-splittingly hard and frenetic, like a pneumatic drill in your skull, but it’s Henry Rollins’ desperate, insistent screaming and pleading that really elevates ‘Damaged’ to its well-deserved classic status.
Steely Dan
5/5
Smooth and sophisticated, meticulous but never clinical. ‘Aja’ is nigh on flawless, a masterpiece.
Justin Timberlake
4/5
In my younger days I got jiggy to this album quite a bit as they regularly banged a lot of the songs off it in the clubs…good times, simpler times. Sigh. Anyway, I think ‘Justified’ still sands up quite well 20+ years later. The late 70’s rnb inspired production courtesy of Pharell, Chad Hugo and Timbaland still sounds mostly fresh today. It suffers from being too long, like many rnb/pop albums from the late 90s and early 2000’s, but by and large, there’s a lot of good stuff on here to groove along to.
M.I.A.
2/5
Not quite as bad as ‘Kala’, M.I.A.’s other album on the 1001 albums list. There’s patches here on ‘Arular’ that are almost ok, but on the whole it’s still pretty shit.
Echo And The Bunnymen
3/5
‘The Killing Moon’ is of course the best track on ‘Ocean Rain’ by a country mile, however ‘Sliver’, ‘Crystal Days’, ‘My Kingdom’ and ‘Angels And Devils’ are the other main highlights and great songs in their own right. The rest of the album I found to be quite forgettable. Was expecting more overall.
Shuggie Otis
4/5
Forgotten oddball psychedelic soul/elevator funk from virtuoso son of Johnny Otis. I bought the Luaka Bop re-issue of this way back in 2001 on a whim. I remember not being all that impressed initially, but these days it’s a firm favourite that rewards repeated listening. The secret is in its intricate arrangements and experimental nature, utilizing primitive analog synths and drum machines, giving the music a beautiful warm sound. Understated and underrated, ‘Inspiration Information’ is cult classic that deserves to be heard and is a worthy entry to the 1001 albums list.
Michael Jackson
5/5
I love ‘Thriller’. It’s a formative album from my childhood. Sure, ‘Off The Wall’ is probably objectively just that little bit better, but it was ‘Thriller’ that got me obsessed with music. It was ubiquitous growing up, I heard it everywhere. I got gifted the album on cassette for my 12th birthday and listened to it again and again until I wore the tape out. Then as I grew older, I bought it on CD and then vinyl. I keep coming back to it again and again and again. I must have listened to it hundreds of times from start to finish in my life. It’s the ultimate pop album. It still feels like an event record, a phenomenon, all these years later. The production and performances, flawless. Every song is a killer, even the filler. Still the biggest album of all time for a reason.
Public Enemy
3/5
Apparently, the disks for every track Public Enemy had been working on for the past four to five years prior to the release of ‘Apocalypse 91…’ were stolen, meaning as result, they had to rush to re-create their music in order to put out this album in a timely manner. And you can hear it. This is still a good, solid entry in the Public Enemy canon and it’s certainly worth a listen, but it never quite threatens to hit the same highs of ‘Fear of A Black Planet’, and ‘It Takes A Nation of Millions To Hold Us Back’.
Barry Adamson
3/5
Tonally this is all over the shop, but it’s a marginal improvement on ‘Moss Side Story’, with welcome cameos from Jarvis Cocker and Nick Cave.
Basement Jaxx
4/5
Runs out of steam a little bit towards the end, but for the most part ‘Remedy’ is an exhilarating, adventurous journey through dance music, with just the right amount of cheese and doof. There’s something on here for just about everyone, and I think it’s an album that has stood the test of time remarkably well, and still sounds fresh in ’25.
The Birthday Party
3/5
This one is a bit shoutier, screamier and more abrasive than the other Nick Cave albums I’ve heard and comes a lot earlier in his career. If you’re looking to get into Nick Cave’s music, I’d probably start elsewhere, like ‘Murder Ballads’ or ‘Abattoir Blues / The Lyre of Orpheus’ which are a bit more accessible. As it stands I still enjoyed this but probably not as much as some of his other albums.
Randy Newman
2/5
‘Sail Away’ is the other album by Randy that I’ve heard, and I thought that was a good record. ‘Good Old Boys’ in comparison is fine lyrically, but I just generally found the music and melodies to be unengaging which affected my overall enjoyment of the album. It just didn’t do much for me.
Kanye West
3/5
Nothing overly groundbreaking here but it’s better than ‘Yeezus’ and ‘My Beautiful Twisted Dark Fantasy’ which are also in the 1001 albums book. Big name guest rappers help to elevate this to better than average. And I will admit that there are some cool samples and beats on this as well. However, at the end of the day Kanye just isn’t that great a rapper and he doesn’t really have anything all that interesting or important to say.
4/5
You know, I expected to hate this, but instead I liked it. Like really, really liked it. It contains many of Dylan’s best songs from the era, so it’s actually not a bad starting point for getting into his music. The audio quality is generally pretty good and the performances are great, especially the acoustic half of the record which has a really intimate quality to it. Wish they had included the heckling and audience banter on the electric half to just really complete the set, but it doesn’t take away from the overall experience.
Baaba Maal
3/5
Listening to this on an overcast Autumn Monday morning, and it just kind of feels like the right album to soundtrack the day. It’s a pensive, slow burn and the joy is in the repetition. The vocals give this an otherworldly feel. Letting it wash over you and envelop you is the best way to enjoy this.
Deerhunter
2/5
Another bog-standard indie rock record from the last 15 years. This one is a little bit dreamier and a bit more psychedelic than your average. There are some highlights in ‘Coronado’, ‘Fountain Stairs’ and ‘Desire Lines’, so it’s not all bad, but overall while it’s pleasant enough when on, it doesn’t linger much in the memory once it’s over.
4/5
Enjoyed this a bit more than ‘Face To Face’, the other Kinks albums that I’ve had so far. There’s some of that typical cringe (you know what I’m talking about) that you find on heaps of 60’s albums, but generally there’s quite a lot to like here. Musically adventurous and lyrically incisive, the Kinks also really stretch out and groove on quite a lot of tracks. This is better than I expected. 3.5/5.
The Mamas & The Papas
3/5
I can believe my ears and ears. This is a good psychedelic folk/rock album full of lovely harmonies and some exceptional bangers. ‘Monday, Monday’, ‘Do You Wanna Dance’, ‘California Dreamin’, ‘Somebody Groovy’ and ‘You Baby’ are the go-to tracks here.
Sonic Youth
3/5
Getting Joy Division, early Cure vibes from this one. Rawer and more discordant than the other Sonic Youth albums I’ve had so far on the list (there’s five overall, this one was number four). If you’re looking to get into their music, I’d skip this and start with ‘Goo’ or ‘Daydream Nation’ which are both better representations of their music.
R.E.M.
3/5
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjhsZ8ZMTzY
Champagne comedy
Einstürzende Neubauten
4/5
This is actually pretty good. It’s not for everyone but its bracing like a gale force Arctic wind, and you will definitely know you’re alive after listening to it. It’s hard and raw, and noisy and an assault on your ear drums, but I quite like these experimental kinds of albums that push boundaries and make you question everything you ever thought you knew about music and what it could be. More please.
Scott Walker
2/5
It’s better on a second listen, but this is an album you need to be in the mood for. ‘The Amorous Humphrey Plugg’, ‘Plastic Palace People’ and ‘Wait Until Dark’ are the most palatable tracks here and worth a listen, but mostly I found this to be a drag. The baroque/cabaret style of pop is not my favourite style of music, and this album generally did nothing to change that view.
The Flaming Lips
2/5
Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots while I battle how boring this album is...
The Stooges
5/5
This is great. Raw, but the Stooges both rock and (surprisingly) groove hard, and Iggy is clearly having a ball. Sounds years ahead of its time, and I especially love the next level trolling from the band on the last track ‘L.A. Blues’.
Green Day
3/5
There’s a lot of love for this. People on this site seem to rate it highly. 3.76 as @ June 2025 is a strong score for an album…I’m just personally not feeling it as much as others. I get that it’s trying to say something, but ‘American Idiot’ just feels like it goes forever and after a while the songs all sound the same to me, diluting its message.
The Cure
3/5
I generally like The Cure a lot, but I prefer the more upbeat version of them then what is presented here on ‘Pornography’. They are so dour and gloomy and glum here. The production is murky and claustrophobic, the drums heavy, the lyrics intense. Takes a few listens to adjust to this one and to be fair it does get better the more you listen to it, but not sure it’s up there with my favourite albums of theirs.
The Coral
2/5
Blending psychedelic rock and ska, there are some interesting musical ideas and a good album in here somewhere, it just never quite comes together as a whole.
Napalm Death
3/5
I love the smell of Napalm Death in the morning.
Jerry Lee Lewis
5/5
Jerry Lee Lewis might’ve been a deeply polarising figure with questionable character, morals and behaviour, but this is still an incredible live performance full of fire, rage and energy. It’s balls to the wall rock’n’roll that hits hard all the way and leaves you breathless.
Ray Charles
3/5
I get it, and this albums importance, impact and legacy, but when I listen to Ray Charles, I want to hear him swing. The bookends are great and do just that, as do a couple of other songs on the album, ‘Half As Much’ and ‘Just A Little Lovin’ (Will Go A Long Way)’. The rest of the album is a bit of a snoozefest. There’s just too many slower songs/ballads here to hold my interest. They’re beautifully played, arranged and performed, but they just put me to sleep.
Marvin Gaye
4/5
Look I like ‘What’s Going On’, but I don’t think I love it. The singles from it are excellent and incredible, but the rest of it is a bit repetitive. However, it’s hard to ignore that it’s a landmark record and all the context around it. Its universally acclaimed, praised and loved, it’s just that I probably like some of Gaye’s other stuff more. Sorry…not sorry. 3/5, but adding another 1 for impact and legacy so 4/5.
Radiohead
5/5
‘The Bends’ is a straightforward rocker compared to the existential dread of ‘OK Computer’ and the glitchy paranoia and digital despair of ‘Kid A’ and ‘Amnesiac’. There are hints of what was to come, but ‘The Bends’ is packed with guitars, raw emotion, and stadium-sized bangers. Melodically and thematically, it sounds like nothing else coming out of the mid-90s — rooted in classic rock but wrestling with themes of alienation, insecurity, and the search for meaning in a confusing world. It’s the perfect gateway for Radiohead newbies: familiar enough to hook you, but with the depth that points toward the band’s evolving sound.
Miles Davis
5/5
I too struggled with ‘Bitches Brew’ the first time I heard it. If you’re a Miles Davis newbie, this probably isn’t the place to start. Go and listen to ‘Kind Of Blue’. On first listen, ‘Bitches Brew’ is dense and impenetrable—dark, atmospheric, even menacing. Thick like molasses. It’s jazz… but not jazz. It’s something else entirely, like stepping deep into the jungle, unsure of what awaits you. Frightening but mesmerizing.
To many, it might just sound like noise. But if you stick with it, what begins as a muddy wall of sound slowly reveals its layers. It’s an album that truly rewards repeated listening. And even after all these years, it still sounds like nothing else. There’s jazz, rock, avant-garde, free-jazz improvisation—it’s all over the shop. A coalescing maelstrom of music and noise.
Miles assembled a kind of electric jazz supergroup; he had a knack for spotting talent—many of whom would go on to define fusion in the ’70s with their own bands. Wayne Shorter on soprano sax, Joe Zawinul and Chick Corea on electric piano, John McLaughlin on guitar, Dave Holland on bass, Jack DeJohnette and Lenny White on drums, and more. And then there’s Teo Macero. He is the secret weapon behind this and many other Miles albums, especially during his electric period. It’s his innovative production techniques, sharp editing, and instinct for knowing where to cut, paste, and loop the recordings that gives ‘Bitches Brew’ its strange, hypnotic structure. He didn’t just produce the album—in some ways he sculpted it, and he was just as instrumental in its making as Miles and the musicians themselves. Over the years, I’ve grown to love ‘Bitches Brew’—not just as an album, but as an experience. Give it time—let it wash over you and unfold in its own way—it will eventually win you over. Bold, ambitious, and electrifying, it’s a true musical landmark—not just in jazz, but in music as a whole.
A Tribe Called Quest
4/5
It’s not quite to the level of their follow ups ‘The Low End Theory’ and ‘Midnight Marauders’, but ‘People’s Instinctive Travels…’ is still great. For any other group something like this would be their magnum opus. For the Tribe this was the first in a consistently excellent series of albums that they would release. Sure, it’s probably a bit too long, and it loses a bit steam towards the end, plus they could’ve made the interludes shorter or cut them out completely, but this doesn’t detract greatly from what’s still a fine record overall, debut or otherwise.
Marvin Gaye
4/5
So, I finally worked out my issue with Marvin Gaye. He was a terrifically gifted artist—no doubt about that—but I find him as a person and the way he sang and delivered his music to be totally insincere. Herein lies the fascination.
He was an incredibly complicated man. On one hand, he was a visionary artist, capable of channelling raw emotion, political awareness, and sensuality into some of the most enduring music of the 20th century.
But behind the artistry was a man riddled with contradictions: deeply spiritual yet self-destructive, sensitive yet often manipulative, a romantic who hurt the people closest to him. He had a toxic upbringing under a violent father, and as an adult struggled with drug addiction, sexual compulsions, delusions of grandeur, crippling anxiety and depression.
His relationships, especially with women, were turbulent at best and, at worst, emotionally and physically abusive. He cheated on and physically abused his ex-wife, Anna Gordy, then turned around and wrote an entire album about the fallout where he comes off like the victim. Sure, Anna brought her own baggage to the marriage (reportedly cheating after discovering Marvin’s infidelities), but let’s be honest—he was the one out there serially cheating throughout their marriage.
And yet ‘Here, My Dear’ is somehow better than it has any right to be. It’s full of contradictions: some outright bangers, some complete dross. The back end just drags on and on.
Take “A Funky Space Reincarnation.” On its own as a 12-inch, it works. But in the context of this record? It’s pointless. It has nothing to do with the subject matter at hand.
Why did we need an instrumental version of ‘When Did You Stop Loving Me, When Did I Stop Loving You’ on top of the normal song at the beginning? Then we get a refrain of it again right at the end of the record? Why? Just have it on there once. Artistic decisions like this kind of throw me out of the album and its emotional arc because they come across as filler compared to such truly excellent tracks like ‘Anger’, ‘Is That Enough’, ‘Time To Get It Together’, ‘Sparrow’ and ‘You Can Leave But It’s Going To Cost You’.
Then, right at the end we get ‘Falling In Love Again’ (another good track), where my brother Marvin makes it abundantly clear that he still hasn’t learnt his lesson. After the painful, drawn-out divorce, all the emotional and psychological damage (both suffered and inflicted)—Marvin decides to go out, wet his dick and fall in love again while the ink from his signature on the divorce papers is still drying. Has he learned nothing??!! Clearly not.
So in the end, ‘Here My Dear’ whilst deeply personal and confessional is a flawed masterpiece on one hand and a complete mess on the other. A bit like Gaye’s life.
John Cale
2/5
The title track is a genuinely lovely, wonderful, charming baroque pop song. If only the rest of the album was as good.
Gary Numan
4/5
Futuristic retro synth-pop/rock bangers about alienation, technology, paranoia, distrust of humanity, the increasingly blurred relationship between man and machine, and general existential paranoia.
Gary Numan swaps guitars for synths, and emotion for eerie precision. Ahead of its time in 1979 and still unnervingly relevant today.
Blood, Sweat & Tears
3/5
Some mindless filler, some absolute bangers. A mixed bag. All over the shop in tone, often within the same song. At times sounds like a super theatrical late 60s jazz-rock musical. ‘Spinning Wheel’ is obviously the centrepiece here, but ‘More And More’, ‘And When I Die’, ‘God Bless The Child’ and ‘You’ve Made Me So Very Happy’ are also highlights. Despite its unevenness, this is still a worthy addition to the 1,001.
k.d. lang
2/5
k.d. lang has an incredible voice, and I can hear what she and producer Owen Bradley are going for here, the point of difference they are angling for in the arrangements and style of what is essentially a country music record – it’s not unpleasant, but it just doesn’t quite land for me.
Led Zeppelin
3/5
Some classic Led Zep songs here on their debut, but also a few that put me to sleep. It’s still good, and for any other band this would be the high point of their career, but by Zep standards, they would go onto bigger and better.
Otis Redding
3/5
Iconic voice, mostly covers with some originals, backed by an all-star Stax band — Booker T. & the M.G.’s and Isaac Hayes on piano. It sounds great, but some of these songs are done better by other artists on other albums. I like it, and you can’t deny the talent and the playing — it’s just not a record I would reach for often.
3/5
Perfectly adequate early 2000’s alt-rock laced with some nice guitar, shades of Nick Cave mixed with U2, and an unexpected but welcome cameo from Thom Yorke. ‘This Is Love’ and ‘Horses In My Dreams’ are my favourite cuts off this, whilst I seem to remember ‘Good Fortune’ and ‘A Place Called Home’ got played a lot on the radio at the time. This was fine overall.
System Of A Down
1/5
This is all sorts of arse. Lead singer Serj Tankian's vocals are especially whiny and annoying throughout. There are brief moments where it’s almost OK, but for the most part I can’t stand this. My question is what the fuck were people smoking in the late 90s and the early 2000s that made them think these guys were good? It’s baffling to me that System Of A Down were as popular as they were.
Traffic
3/5
It’s not bad—there are some nice catchy tunes but also some boring blues rockers. It’s a pleasant enough listen overall, but it’s probably on this list mainly because Steve Winwood was a key member of the band, and for the song ‘Feelin’ Alright?”—written by guitarist (and vocalist) Dave Mason but made more famous by Joe Cocker’s popular cover.
Don McLean
2/5
Never has 36 minutes felt so long. The title track is a drag to begin with and a song I’ve never really liked, and as for the rest of this, I find it mostly forgettable. It’s a meh from me.
Deep Purple
3/5
I’ve always leaned more towards Led Zeppelin over these guys or Sabbath who were all contemporaries and key players in the early '70s hard rock and proto-metal scene. That’s not to say this is bad, ‘Machine Head’ is probably the best of the three Deep Purple entries on this list. It definitely gives off some Spinal Tap vibes, occasionally bordering on parody. But there’s also a surprising amount of chugging boogie that adds a cool twist, reminding me a bit of ZZ Top. Overall, it’s a good album—and if you’re into that blend of heavy prog and boogie rock then you’ll love this.
Funkadelic
5/5
Brain-melting intense bookends in ‘Maggot Brain’ and ‘Wars Of Armageddon,’ with five of the heaviest, haziest, alien-sounding psychedelic soul/funk/R&B/rock songs you’ll ever hear wedged in between. Kids, this album is what happens you take too many drugs.
Suicide
5/5
I love it. It’s super DIY, full of raw, primitive, droning electronic synths. It’s punk, no wave, disco, and electronica, with elements of ’50s rockabilly and surf rock. Incredibly minimal and full of nihilistic societal horror, with the centerpiece being the sheer emotional brutality of ‘Frankie Teardrop’—a harrowing, visceral aural descent into madness and hopelessness. I think this is an incredibly special album. Absolutely brilliant and ahead of its time
Big Star
2/5
There are some good songs on here that kind of capture the old Big Star magic, but there are also a lot of slow, depressing ones. It’s probably too long for what it is, and it often sounds unfinished. That kind of thing can be interesting — raw, even beautiful — but here, ‘Third/Sister Lovers’ just ends up sounding flat and, well... depressing.
The Beach Boys
3/5
Look, I get why people like the Beach Boys — the sophisticated harmonies, the wall-of-sound production, the increasingly ambitious arrangements. There’s a lot to admire. They do have a lot of great songs, they are a great singles band, but their albums, even their better ones are hit and miss. They are mid.
‘The Beach Boys Today!’ is no different. It’s pleasant but uneven. My favourite tracks and highlights are “Do You Wanna Dance?”, “Help Me, Rhonda”, “Dance, Dance, Dance”, and “In the Back of My Mind.” The rest for me I can take or leave.
The Specials
5/5
This is just a really good, punchy record full of hooks, energy, and great melodies. It’s similar to their follow-up, ‘More Specials’, maybe a bit more focused, but just as socially relevant, if not more so. It’s excellent from start to finish.
Released in 1979, at the height of economic decline, racial tension, and youth unrest in the UK, it captured the frustration and disillusionment of a generation. The band, made up of both Black and white members, was at the heart of the 2 Tone movement—a musical and cultural force that promoted racial unity through a fusion of ska, punk, and reggae. That context adds extra weight to the record, but even without it, the music speaks for itself.
It’s all beautifully captured and produced by Elvis Costello, and for a debut album, it sounds remarkably fully formed. Despite its sharp social commentary, biting lyrics, and dark humour, the album never feels heavy or overly earnest—it still comes across as fun, vibrant, and full of life. It’s a good time.
‘The Specials’ is one of those rare albums that has truly stood the test of time. It still sounds fresh, immediate, and relevant today. I love it.
David Bowie
5/5
That he was able to pull off something this powerful so late in his life is astonishing — but it shouldn’t be. 'Blackstar', David Bowie’s final studio album, released just two days before his death in 2016, is a haunting, experimental, and deeply poignant farewell from one of music’s most visionary artists. A meditation on mortality, legacy, and transformation, it stands as a bold artistic swan song. The decision to use a jazz band to perform what are essentially art-rock songs is inspired, resulting in a strange, beautiful fusion — challenging, otherworldly, and utterly compelling. It doesn’t just confront death, it transcends it, turning the act of dying into one last, breathtaking act of creation and reinvention, a parting gift for fans. His musical legacy was already assured but 'Blackstar' is a final reminder and statement that Bowie still had it, and wasn’t interested in living in the past even while he was dying, but rather, for the first time in a while, he was waiting for everyone else to catch up.
James Brown
3/5
‘Live At The Apollo’ is pretty good, but I prefer my brother James in his fonky era.
John Prine
2/5
Most of the album sounds the same – lots of slow to mid tempo folk-country acoustic and slide guitar ballads. No matter how good John Prine is lyrically, and often he is, I just couldn't get around this. His uber nasal delivery also doesn’t help. The best moments are when Prine and band deviate from the formula and flesh out the arrangements with more instrumentation. ‘Pretty Good’, ‘Angel From Montgomery’ and ‘Quiet Man’ are the highlights of the album for me, precisely because they veer away from the musical formula the rest of the album employs.
The Gun Club
4/5
‘Sex Beat’ is one of the best Punk songs ever—and one of the greatest album openers of all time. From there, it’s just banger after banger: ferocious, desperate, and buzzing with heat. ‘Fire Of Love’ dives deep into Roots music and the Blues but never loses its wild Punk edge. Plenty have borrowed the sound, but no one’s matched the fire.
Steve Earle
3/5
I didn’t hate ‘Guitar Town’ anywhere near as much as I thought I would. In fact, I didn’t hate it at all. I mean it’s derivative and leans heavily into that Bruce Springsteen Americana sound and style, but that’s what makes it grab your attention. It’s calculated for sure, but at least it makes for a listenable album. Surprisingly so.
Def Leppard
4/5
Produced by Mutt Lange, ‘Pyromania’ sounds like every AC/DC record he was handling at the time — pristine pop-metal with a slick production sheen. It’s big, bold, and unmistakably Def Leppard. They’re not reinventing the wheel, but they’re not pretending to, either. What they do bring is energy, massive melodic riffs and solos, and brash swagger.
Along with their follow-up ‘Hysteria’, this album oozes peak ’80s hair/glam metal — big hooks, big hair, lots of shine, and with just enough of a hard edge to keep it grounded.
Generic and empty? Absolutely. But goddamn, it’s a lot of fun.
The Auteurs
2/5
I read up on this album and I quote from the Wikipedia entry for this: ‘Author Dave Thompson wrote in his book Alternative Rock (2000) that ‘New Wave’ laid the groundwork for what would subsequently become Britpop.' So I get why it’s here, it oozes Britishness and mid 90s brit-rock vibes, it’s just I’m not massive on the whole brit-pop sound in general. It’s fine and I can listen to this, and there’s some records from the era I really like; this just wouldn’t be one of them. It’s just so bland. I guess you had to be there.
Stephen Stills
3/5
‘Manassas’ would’ve made a cracking single LP. There’s some top-notch material here, but also a fair amount that doesn’t quite hit the mark for me. It veers just a little too much into country rock territory on Side Two (The Wilderness Side) for my liking.
Taken one album side at a time, ‘Manassas’ works better—it gives each musical direction room to breathe, like listening to four individual EPs. But played straight through it can feel overlong and a bit unfocused. Still, there’s enough quality throughout that it’s well worth your time. As such it definitely earns its place on the list.
Michael Jackson
5/5
‘Off The Wall’ is largely free of the paranoia and pressure that would creep into Michael Jackson’s later music. Here, he sounds free, happy, and joyful in a way he never did again.
The songs are beautifully crafted — timeless pop with a disco lean — and they’re produced to perfection by Quincy Jones, who by this stage had fully honed his luxurious, signature pop production sound.
The album is backed by a stellar cast of top-tier musicians, either playing on the arrangements, contributing songs, or both: Patti Austin, Larry Carlton, Paulinho Da Costa, George Duke, Greg Phillinganes, Steve Porcaro, Wah Wah Watson, Paulette McWilliams, Louis Johnson of the Brothers Johnson, Jerry Hey from the Seawind Horns, Rod Temperton, Stevie Wonder, and more.
Off the Wall is Michael Jackson’s breakout as a solo artist — the moment he fully transitions from child star to confident, adult performer.
It’s full of optimism — the sound of a bright future brimming with possibilities. It’s a given that ‘Off the Wall’ is an excellent album; in some ways, Jackson never bettered it. And every time I put it on, I’m transported back to a time when I was as carefree as the music itself.
The Band
2/5
Probably a bit better than ‘Music From Big Pink’, but generally I still don’t care for The Bands unique, rustic brand of musical Americana. This is a slog. Ironically for an album whose subject matter and sound is obsessed with America and its roots, four of the five band members were Canadian.
Alice Cooper
3/5
Worth the price of admission alone for ‘Elected’ (which also brings back fond memories of the 90s Rowan Atkinson/Mr Bean cover version with Bruce Dickinson, lead singer of Iron Maiden). But the rest of ‘Billion Dollar Babies’ is a lot of a fun too, equal parts, camp, glam, and very, very theatrical.
Marty Robbins
3/5
Does exactly what it says on the tin.
Gene Clark
3/5
Had to go back and listen to ‘White Light’ (also on the 1001 albums list) after listening to ‘No Other, to make sure they were both recorded by the same person. They could not be more different. ‘White Light’ is a snooze fest, whereas ‘No Other’ is way more engaging despite a few flat spots. You can tell Gene Clark threw everything he had into this one, and you can hear where the money was spent. Consider me pleasantly surprised.
Circle Jerks
5/5
Dark but hilariously funny songs about vasectomies, sex – group or otherwise, prostitutes, drugs, politics, society, the idle rich, corruption and more. A chaotic, nihilistic slap in the face. It’s fast, filthy, funny, and full of anti-everything energy. And it rocks. In short, ‘Group Sex’ by Circle Jerks is fucking great.
Ghostface Killah
3/5
Not bad, not good. The samples generally feel a bit uninspired; the rapping is fine. Too many skits – ‘Heart Street Directions’ is particularly bad and pointless. Production collabs with MF Doom and Pete Rock and Dilla save this from being completely forgettable. There’s better Wu-Tang projects.
Beatles
4/5
It’s not ‘Sgt. Pepper’s’ or ‘Abbey Road’, but this is still a lot of fun and very enjoyable. If anything, it’s a great counterpoint — listening to this alongside the Beatles’ later albums really highlights how quickly their sound and songwriting matured. Sure ‘With The Beatles’ feels a bit rushed and hastily put together, and with quite a bit of filler, but there’s still plenty to like. It’s catchy, energetic, and for the most part, infectious — a solid half hour of early Beatles charm.
Morrissey
2/5
I have forgiven Jesus…but I can’t forgive Morrissey for this meandering snoozefest.
Nina Simone
4/5
A wonderful showcase of Nina Simone’s range, 'Wild Is the Wind' is a strong, powerful, heartfelt, primal, raw, evocative, and deeply emotional album. Simone blends jazz, soul, folk, and classical influences with remarkable control and depth. You feel every note she plays and sings. An incredible album, simmering with a quiet, aching intensity, that stays with you long after it's finished.
My Bloody Valentine
4/5
It’s not quite at the level of awesomeness of ‘Loveless’ which has all the elements (including guitar distortion) turned up to 11, but ‘Isn’t Anything’, while a bit more straight forward in execution, is still pretty ace.
Belle & Sebastian
2/5
I like 'Tigermilk' as much as I liked 'If You’re Feeling Sinister' — which is exactly the problem.
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
The Boss doing Boss things. If you’re a fan, you’ll like this. 'The Rising’ reunites the E-Street Band for the first time in years. The result feels familiar, but different. The album serves as a meditation on grief and resilience in the wake of 9/11, with Springsteen channelling national trauma into personal, often spiritual, reflections. I’m not a massive Springsteen fan myself, but I respect what he’s aiming for here—and for the most part, he succeeds. Often these types of records can feel earnest, cloying and inauthentic. Not here, this is genuinely a powerful effort with real emotional weight.
My Bloody Valentine
4/5
The Valentines pick up where they left off 22 years after ‘Loveless’. ‘m b v’ is the follow up we didn’t know we needed - until it arrived.
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
4/5
This is an insanely silly album. Glam turned up to 11. Extra points for the title track—a gloriously camp, over-the-top cover of Jacques Brel’s seminal song.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
3/5
If you looked up the definition of “average” in the dictionary, you would find a picture of The Heartbreakers’ debut album in there. That’s not meant to be disparaging. This is actually a good old all-American 70s rock album, rooted in Blues and Americana, that is quite engaging. There are a couple of standout tracks ('American Girl', 'Breakdown') and a couple of sketchy ones ('Fooled Again (I Don’t Like It)', 'Luna'), but overall, it’s a nice little listen.
Mylo
4/5
Finally, an album from the mid-2000s that doesn’t suck. ‘Destroy Rock & Roll’ is good. It’s coherent and well structured, with lots of fun samples and ear worms to boot. There’s some subtle nods to Daft Punk, but the album manages to carve out its own distinct identity without ever feeling derivative. It’s just a good time party record, and nearly 20 years on it still stands up quite well. It may not be an out and out classic, but it's definitely worth stopping by for a listen. 3.5 out of 5, but rounding up to a 4.
Happy Mondays
5/5
I really like this—it’s cavernous, raw, wonky and loose, danceable, druggy alt-rock with that distinctive Martin Hannett production sound. Opening track ‘Country Song’ is probably a bit of a misstep, but I’m willing to forgive the Mondays for it as the rest of the album is night on perfect. The ‘Madchester Rave On E.P.’ and the associated bonus tracks and remixes included on the expanded Collector’s edition are a really nice touch as well, completing an excellent package overall. I’m scratching my head a bit at the lack of love this record gets in the reviews—I reckon ‘Bummed’ is a genuine bonafide classic.
Alexander 'Skip' Spence
3/5
Odd, haunting, strange, raw and honest, compelling in its unevenness, but an album that ultimately leaves you yearning for a cohesion that never quite arrives.
Pere Ubu
4/5
Avant-garde, jazzy, funky, weird arse/out there post punk. I think ‘Dub Housing’ is a bit more focused overall than ‘The Modern Dance’. I scratch and shake my head in wonder at how low the reviews are for this. I think it’s an interesting and solid record that more than justifies its place on the list. 3.5/5 rounded up to 4.
Dagmar Krause
3/5
Reviewed - 17th Oct 2025
The guy who said this is better than Let England Shake might be the smartest dude on here. Ah yep, their favourite album is Aja. Fucking legend.
Aimee Mann
3/5
Looks Aimee Mann’s ‘Whatever’ is better than I thought it would be, and there’s some good songs with hooks on here, but it falls flat a bit for me as well. I can’t quite pinpoint it. It’s pleasant, the songs and playing are both solid, and yet… it’s kind of lacking something?
Frank Black
3/5
‘Teenager of the Year’ is better than its title and cover would suggest. Beneath its dodgy artwork is a varied and ambitious album that blends offbeat lyrics with often sharp and melodic songwriting. It’s an unpredictable listen that doesn’t always land but generally remains engaging — even if it would have benefited from being a bit shorter.
Jorge Ben Jor
5/5
So glad there’s some Jorge Ben on here. Honestly, too much Jorge Ben is never enough — he easily deserves half a dozen albums on this list. ‘África Brasil’ is one of his best and a totally worthy addition. I never have any idea what he’s singing about, and it doesn’t even matter. The music itself, combined with his impassioned singing, transcends language barriers and lyrics entirely. This one’s a stone-cold classic. Check out the rest of his catalogue — you won’t be disappointed.
Cyndi Lauper
4/5
The archetypal 80s pop album. Lauper is a natural storyteller whose voice, look and persona maker her instantly relatable. The record is all bright synths, jangly guitars, and unapologetic fun, but with an emotional depth that keeps it from ever feeling like mere candy-coated nostalgia. This was lovely.
Grizzly Bear
3/5
Meticulously produced, sonically detailed, and expansive, ‘Veckatimest’ possesses a distinctly cinematic quality. However, I’m torn on whether it’s a genuinely interesting album or just plain boring. Some moments are breathtakingly beautiful, while others are achingly dull. YMMV.
Faith No More
2/5
I didn’t mind Faith No More growing up. I didn’t know a lot of their stuff, except for the obvious tracks that anyone who has listened to mainstream rock radio would know. Having now listened to an album of theirs from start to finish, I can say that ‘The Real Thing’ is just fine. It's ok, it’s listenable, but it doesn’t really grab me how I hoped it would – There’s just nothing new here.
700+ days in, and albums like this don’t really pique my interest much anymore. Kind of reinforces why I never really had them on my radar or ever cared to delve into their catalogue. Apart from ‘Epic’ and ‘Falling To Pieces’ the most interesting thing on here is their cover of Sabbath’s War Pigs. Make of that what you will.
Hanoi Rocks
2/5
Nice to have some non UK or US hard/glam rock for a change of pace from the usual. These Finnish lads are perfectly ok and rock hard. Apparently, they influenced the likes of Guns N’ Roses, Poison, Manic Street Preachers, Skid Row, Foo Fighters and Alice in Chains in one way, shape or another. Which is nice. But perhaps one had to be there in the late 70s and early 80s to fully appreciate what these guys were doing and how their sound and music was influential. While this was a pleasant enough listen when it was on, I found it totally forgettable as soon as it was over, and something I’m not ever likely to listen to again.
Mj Cole
5/5
Peak turn of the Millenium energy here. This is hitting all the right vibes and notes for me. This one harks back to my formative years in the late 90s and early 2000s when this sound was all the rage. Soulful UK garage and 2-step on the R&B tip. Goldie’s ‘Timeless’, Roni Size’s ‘New Forms’, these were all mind-blowing sounds to my teenage and young adult brain, and ‘Sincere’ by MJ Cole is no exception. That this sits in the bottom 20 rated albums of this list is criminal. ‘Sincere’ is a wonderful album. It blends skippy garage rhythms with lush orchestration, jazzy chords, and live instrumentation, giving it a timeless quality.
A perfect late-night record, (but also equally at home pouring out of my speakers on this sunny Melbourne November Spring morning), sophisticated yet still deeply rooted in club culture.
Takes me back to a simpler and happier, more joyful time in my life full of promise and hope.
Radiohead
3/5
‘Hail To The Thief’ is not as good as Pitchfork or Rolling Stone will tell you it is. Certainly, it’s my least favourite Radiohead album. ‘We Suck Young Blood’ is a particularly bad song, and one of the worst things you’ll ever here. But then they pull ‘A Punch Up At A Wedding’ out of their arse and I can almost forgive them for the rest of what is an extremely uneven album.
The Monkees
3/5
Sure, it’s very derivative in parts, but it’s also better than it probably has any right to be. ‘You Told Me’, ‘Forget That Girl’, ‘I Can’t Get Her Off My Mind’, ‘For Pete’s Sake, ‘Mr. Webster’, ‘Zilch’, Early Morning Blues And Greens’, and ‘Randy Scouse Git’ are my favourite tracks here. This is a solid 3.
Moby
4/5
2025 tells me I should feel uneasy listening to ‘Play’ by Moby, framing it as a work of cultural appropriation. It’s so powerful and potent because it collapses distance between past and present, sacred and commercial, Black and White sound worlds. That tension is both the source of its beauty and the root of its ethical complications. The album is gorgeous, but much of that beauty is borrowed.
Moby is hardly the first or last white artist to build music around samples of Black music, but ‘Play’ stands out because its most iconic tracks rely so heavily on the haunting roots and folk vocal samples of Bessie Jones, Boy Blue, and Vera Hall.
Those voices, lifted from Alan Lomax’s 1993 box set of collected field recordings ‘Sounds Of The South: A Musical Journey From The Georgia Sea Islands To The Mississippi Delta’, do a huge amount of the emotional heavy lifting, which is why the album sits at the centre of so many debates about appropriation.
The story of its slow rise only adds another fascinating layer. ‘Play’ initially flopped, only to become a global phenomenon through relentless licensing: films, TV, ads, everywhere. It became one of those rare albums whose ubiquity built its success rather than diluted it.
For all its complexities, one thing is undeniable: at 18 tracks and over an hour long, the record never drags. Its pacing, sequencing, and production remain remarkably tight, a testament to how carefully constructed it is.
In the end, at least in my opinion, ‘Play’ while a complicated album, is also a great one. Whatever your feelings about how it was made, it absolutely merits a listen, and it more than deserves its place on this list.
David Bowie
5/5
‘Station To Station’ is a bit of an underrated gem (well at least I think I’ve underrated it) that kind of gets lost in between the Ziggy Stardust glam years, and the Berlin Trilogy years. It’s a transitional album, but it contains some of Bowie’s best songs: the title track, 'Golden Years', 'Word On A Wing', 'Stay'. 'TVC15'. In fact, his Nina Simone cover of 'Wild Is The Wind' is probably the only misstep here that doesn't quite hit the mark for me. But even that isn’t enough to dull the impact of what remains one of Bowie’s most compelling albums.
The Kinks
2/5
I feel like I should like the Kinks more than I do. There’s four of their albums on the 1001 albums list. This is the third one I’ve had, ‘Arthur…’ and ‘Face To Face’ being the other two so far. And just like those albums this one is hit and miss, probably more miss than hit to be honest. The Kinks just don’t resonate with me the way I hoped they would.
Radiohead
4/5
Experimental but still accessible. It’s weird and claustrophobic and Radiohead start to disappear up their own orifice here, but ‘Amnesiac’ is still engaging and interesting. It was meant to be the second part of a double album with ‘Kid A’, but releasing it separately ultimately helped both records. ‘Kid A’ stands stronger on its own, and ‘Amnesiac’ becomes its own distinct entity, taking on a life of its own that might’ve been lost as part of a combined release. I like this album, but I can definitely see why many wouldn’t.
Lenny Kravitz
3/5
Kravitz is obviously a talent and was pretty big in the 90s with a string of hits. Always reminds me of a cross between Prince and Hendrix. His debut album is a solid but unspectacular psychedelic rock/soul album. It’s a confident enough start but he’d go on to make more compelling records then this one.
Ravi Shankar
3/5
You have to be in the zone for this one. My first outing with ‘The Sounds Of India’ wasn’t enjoyable. Felt like it just went on and on and on without end. I’m listening to it again, and I am enjoying it much more. It’s very nuanced and immersive once your brain gets attuned to Indian drone music. Reckon this would be an even better experience with a joint.
Talking Heads
4/5
‘Fear Of Music’ is the bridge between Talking Heads’ earlier albums and the funkier, more danceable
Remain In Light’ and ‘Speaking In Tongues’. It’s still rooted in the nervy art-rock of their early work, but points toward the dense, polyrhythmic funk and rhythm driven music that would define those later albums.
Le Tigre
3/5
Le Tigre’s debut album is a blast — short, sharp, and full of energy. ‘Deceptacon’ remains the absolute standout, a track that bursts with attitude and immediacy. The rest of the album, while consistently engaging, never quite matches that explosive opener. Still, it’s a fun time overall.
King Crimson
4/5
Grand and experimental. Epic in both scope and execution, if not altogether perfect. Something as intricate and complex as this is must’ve blown people’s minds when they heard it for the first time in 1969.
Madonna
2/5
I generally love Madge and get what she’s going for here, but apart from ‘What It Feels Like For A Girl’ and ‘Don’t Tell Me’, this just hasn’t aged well.
And did we really need a cover of American Pie to end the album? Don McLean’s original is bad enough, but this version…this is an abomination.
There’s just other, better, worthier (granted earlier) Madonna albums that I would include on this list, or any other, ahead of ‘Music’.
Perhaps Garry Mulholland summed it up best in his review for The Guardian in September 2000 when he wrote:
“It is naff. Screamingly, amusingly, hypnotically naff. Once you have accepted that, it is possible to start listening to Music for what it is: the sound of a bunch of middle-aged trend-watchers second-guessing what today's kids go for. It is the absolute definition of mutton-dressed-as-lamb middle-youth.”
The Who
4/5
And lo, ‘Sgt. Pepper’ begat ‘Tommy’, which begat Prog Rock, which begat ‘The Wall’.
‘Tommy’ is a good album, way better than I expected. For 1969 it sounds surprisingly modern, ahead of its time, and incredibly polished. The 74-minute runtime flies by. I like it a lot.
Does it all hang together perfectly as a unified whole? No, but it’s still a major achievement, a must listen, and miles ahead of what most of their contemporaries were dishing up during the same era.
Venom
3/5
Venom’s ‘Black Metal’ is chaotic, cartoonish, and so over-the-top it sometimes undercuts its own menace. The band are clearly having a great time, but the album frequently jumps the shark into self-parody, its theatrical extremity threatening to eclipse the genuine innovation underneath. The result renders it somewhat ‘quaint’ by today’s standards, but it’s still a fun listen.
Bobby Womack
2/5
Dude had a weird and pretty fucked up personal life, but I still like Bobby Womack and his music in general. ‘The Poet’ however, despite a couple of solid cuts, is average at best. I can think of at least ten other 80s soul records far more deserving of a spot on this list.
4/5
Not sure why, but I really gravitate towards these worst of the worst, super low rated albums on the 1001 albums list. As of 09 December 2025, ‘Spy vs. Spy’ sits as the 10th lowest-rated album on the 1001 Albums Generator, and as usual, this ranking wildly undersells it. In fact, it’s quite an exhilarating ride. It’s like Free-Jazz meets Metal, meets Trout Mask Replica meets Grindcore. When your brain and ears finally acclimatise to the sheer, frenetic assault and the whole thing clicks, you begin to hear and understand the interplay between the instruments and appreciate the controlled chaos underneath. It’s like a light-bulb moment. From that point on the album becomes a breeze. ‘Spy vs. Spy’ is a genuinely thrilling experience.
Sonic Youth
3/5
It’s a little bit more workmanlike than their very best records, but ‘Dirty’ is still another solid, if slightly inconsistent outing by Sonic Youth.
Hookworms
4/5
I expected to hate this, assuming it was just another average indie rock album from the 2010s… but surprisingly, it’s actually rather good. Everything revolves around ‘Opener’, the album’s centrepiece and beating heart, but the songs on either side of it are consistently engaging and surprisingly strong. The mix of pulsing electronics, expressive vocals, and solid songwriting gives the record a clear emotional core without ever feeling heavy-handed. It’s a confident album that rewards repeat listening.