Is there any greater opening to a first song on a first album by a legendary band? The opening notes of Good Times Bad Times just ROCK. This is a band that kicked ass from their first moment. The Led Zep sound was there from that first album: Plant's stellar vocals, Page's amazing guitar, JPJ rounding out the sound on bass and keys, and Bonham's thunder. It's also interesting to listen to how they changed the songs they covered (often without attribution...this album includes at least two future lawsuits - Jake Holmes suing over Dazed and Confused and Willie Dixon suing over You Shook Me and I Can't Quit You Babe). Babe I'm Gonna Leave You is a great example of how they took an existing song and made it their own. It was written by Anne Bredon and previously performed by Joan Baez (listen to her 1962 live album). It's a completely different song when Baez sings it and a good example of how a cover that significantly reinterprets another song can practically be considered a new song. In contrast, take a listen to the evolution of Dazed and Confused. The original Jake Holmes version (1967) has different lyrics (except the key "dazed and confused" but even that's slightly different) and a mostly different tune except for the key chromatic bass descent. BUT, the tune Led Zep uses is identical to how the Yardbirds covered it in 1968. To be fair, that was with Jimmy Page...in fact, Led Zep was originally supposed to be "The New Yardbirds" so were they really "stealing" it from the Yardbirds? But anyway, the Led Zep version is nearly identical to the Yardbirds' version (right down to Jimmy doing the violin bow thing) but the Yardbirds used Holmes' lyrics. How did the Yardbirds come to start playing it? Holmes opened for them in 1967. According to Wikipedia, Holmes said, "That was the infamous moment of my life when 'Dazed and Confused' fell in to the loving arms and hands of Jimmy Page." It wasn't until 2012 that Holmes got writing credit from Led Zeppelin. So, were Led Zeppelin inveterate music thieves? Well, yeah. But their originals are amazing (standouts on this album: Communication Breakdown, Good Times Bad Times) and the covered songs are almost always taken to the next level - just a shame they didn't give credit where credit was due (until sued). Either way, over 50 years later their sound remains unique while setting the standard for every hard rock band to follow. And they did it right from their first album. 5 stars.

This is a tough one for me. Not the rating - that's a five, easy. It's tough because I'm trying to listen to this the same way I'm listening to the other 1001 albums, even though I'm a huge fan and I've listened to this album easily 100 times. But, when I think back to my original impressions, I found early Genesis difficult to get into, unlike other early prog bands like King Crimson and Yes. There always seemed to be something a little "off" about early Genesis. They'd mix a surprisingly hard edge with songs that referred to things like "unifauns" and "lily fair." Or, some of the sounds are dated: Hackett's guitar often sounds muffled to me and some of the synth sounds are dated. But their music is the proverbial onion...peel it back and you find layer upon layer (it doesn't make me cry, but there are moments like the middle of Steve Hackett's solo in Firth of Fifth that always give me chills. Their album Foxtrot is not in the 1001 albums or I'd be saying the same about the end of Supper's Ready. Heck, I'd be writing a book about Supper's Ready). What's more is this music is many times better live than recorded. I've seen latter day Genesis play the instrumental parts of Firth of Fifth and Cinema Show. I've seen Steve Hackett and his band play many of these songs. Both are amazing. For a more "historic" version, go see the cover band "The Musical Box" who play an amazing version of the early band that even the band members acknowledge is authentic. So, my listen of this album is colored by my knowledge of just how good it CAN sound. The fact is: this music is amazing. Firth of Fifth is a rock symphony with one of my favorite melodic guitar solos of all time. Dancing with the Moonlit Knight starts with Peter Gabriel a capella and turns into a musical tour de force around 2:25 (listen for Steve Hackett's tapping solo, something he was doing years before Eddie Van Halen made it famous). Listen to Phil Collins' drumming throughout the album - while most people know him from the 80s (with most thinking of the gated reverb fill from In the Air Tonight), this album showcases why he was one of the most in demand session drummers of the 70s and 80s. The man is doing 50 things at once and if you've ever seen video of him playing, you know he looks relaxed as can be. Mike Rutherford lays down backing guitars and excellent driving bass lines throughout much of the album. And then there's Tony Banks, the man who later sticks to "happy chords" and "sad chords" droning over simple hit songs. Listen to his keyboard playing on this album and other early Genesis albums. His solo at the end of The Cinema Show mixes the best of melody and speed and shows he belongs in the conversation of "who is the best prog keyboardist?" Other great examples - everything he plays on Firth of Fifth, the keyboards in Supper's Ready and Watcher of the Skies (sorry, annoyed that Foxtrot isn't in the 1001). For me, the main weak spot on this album is The Battle of Epping Forest. Even after all those listens it still doesn't do much for me, plus it's too long (I don't have a problem with long songs...again, I wish I could write about Supper's Ready!). Bottom line, this is an outstanding band at its best. After one more album, they lose Peter Gabriel. Two more albums after that, they lose Steve Hackett. Then the band starts to become the Genesis most people know. Don't get me wrong - I like that Genesis also. But this Genesis was a prog giant. To those listening to this for the first time, keep listening and unpeel this onion. It's worth it.

Ehhh....it wasn't terrible, but it didn't do much for me. Lazy review today. 2.

Fun, fun, fun (or should I say funk, funk, funk?). The only track I disliked was "Night of the Thumpasorus Peoples" because there was some weird deep warbling synthesizer sound that was making my stomach twist. Aside from that, this was just freakin' fun to listen to, particularly Mothership Connection (Star Child), which I've heard sampled a ton ("Swing down sweet chariot, stop, let me ride"), and of course Give Up the Funk which is an awesome classic. Favorite line of the album: "Can you imagine Doobie in your funk?"

Calming, pleasant grooves...about pussy and booty. Sigh.

Except for the first track, Halo of Ashes, I found myself at first thinking "pretty standard grunge fare." Halo of Ashes was definitely unique with its Eastern-tinged grunge and made for a great opener. The following tracks at first seem to fall into that standard grunge fare category, but it's probably not fair to simply refer to Screaming Trees as Standard Grunge Fare. This band was an early part of the Seattle scene but never broke through like the other bands (but apparently the other bands were fans of Screaming Trees). Articles about the band say the problem was the band was seriously dysfunctional. In fact, this was their last album, released in 1996, followed by two years of touring, a hiatus, and a breakup in 2000. After listening a few times, it's hard not to wonder how they weren't superstars like their contemporaries. The album grew on me, particularly the later tracks. The songs are catchy and the production quality is first class. The singer has a great voice that is definitely part of the grunge sound but is still distinct. On first listen I was going to rate it a 3, which I define as "a good album that I don't mind hearing but wouldn't go out of my way to seek it out." For me a 4 is a great album that maybe has a few weak tracks or requires a particular mood. I'll call this a 3.5 and round up to a 4.

Really interesting album. I never listened to this album before even though I'm familiar with some Roxy Music songs (e.g., Virginia Plain). I found it amusing that the 1001 Albums book describes In Every Dream Home a Heartache as "plain ponderous." I really enjoyed that track! Other standouts were The Bogus Man and For Your Pleasure. The sounds used in the latter track make me think a lot of Eno's solo work. Do the Strand and Beauty Queen have that classic glam sound. Love Phil Manzanera's guitar solos in Editions of You and Grey Lagoons. Bryan Ferry is a great and unique singer and I see he's credited with writing all the songs. There isn't a weak track in the bunch.

Sigh, tough one to rate. I'm not a big rap fan, but he has a unique style that I can appreciate. The issue becomes when you start to pay attention to the lyrics. It helps to know the underlying idea - there's "Slim Shady" who is everything that people criticize Eminem for - misogyny, homophobia, violence, etc. But then there's the suggestion that this is all an act. "Stan" is a good example of how people shouldn't take him so seriously (and a real catchy tune). The video is disturbing and really well done (and got me watching Dido's Thank You video, which is also a good video and a catchy tune). This Genesis fan liked the Phil Collins shout-out. But then there's a track like "Who Knew" where he's like who would ever think people would take me seriously and I'd get this big? And isn't the problem with the kids other people's fault, not mine? Still, does that make it any better? The rest of the album proceeds similarly - it's not my fault that y'all can't get the joke and it's only because of my upbringing and you're all terrible too. I'm giving it a 3 because I appreciate the style and wittiness, but I can't give it more because I can't rate an album I'd be embarrassed to be seen listening to anything higher than a 3.

Is there any greater opening to a first song on a first album by a legendary band? The opening notes of Good Times Bad Times just ROCK. This is a band that kicked ass from their first moment. The Led Zep sound was there from that first album: Plant's stellar vocals, Page's amazing guitar, JPJ rounding out the sound on bass and keys, and Bonham's thunder. It's also interesting to listen to how they changed the songs they covered (often without attribution...this album includes at least two future lawsuits - Jake Holmes suing over Dazed and Confused and Willie Dixon suing over You Shook Me and I Can't Quit You Babe). Babe I'm Gonna Leave You is a great example of how they took an existing song and made it their own. It was written by Anne Bredon and previously performed by Joan Baez (listen to her 1962 live album). It's a completely different song when Baez sings it and a good example of how a cover that significantly reinterprets another song can practically be considered a new song. In contrast, take a listen to the evolution of Dazed and Confused. The original Jake Holmes version (1967) has different lyrics (except the key "dazed and confused" but even that's slightly different) and a mostly different tune except for the key chromatic bass descent. BUT, the tune Led Zep uses is identical to how the Yardbirds covered it in 1968. To be fair, that was with Jimmy Page...in fact, Led Zep was originally supposed to be "The New Yardbirds" so were they really "stealing" it from the Yardbirds? But anyway, the Led Zep version is nearly identical to the Yardbirds' version (right down to Jimmy doing the violin bow thing) but the Yardbirds used Holmes' lyrics. How did the Yardbirds come to start playing it? Holmes opened for them in 1967. According to Wikipedia, Holmes said, "That was the infamous moment of my life when 'Dazed and Confused' fell in to the loving arms and hands of Jimmy Page." It wasn't until 2012 that Holmes got writing credit from Led Zeppelin. So, were Led Zeppelin inveterate music thieves? Well, yeah. But their originals are amazing (standouts on this album: Communication Breakdown, Good Times Bad Times) and the covered songs are almost always taken to the next level - just a shame they didn't give credit where credit was due (until sued). Either way, over 50 years later their sound remains unique while setting the standard for every hard rock band to follow. And they did it right from their first album. 5 stars.

I had never heard this band before (heard of, but not heard). I enjoyed the album - seemed to be like U2 with lots of odd sounds added in (which I enjoyed). It wasn't sticking with me in terms of being memorable but I'd definitely listen again and check out their other albums. I'd say 3.5 rounded up to a 4.

Eh, it was a fun album, but there wasn't much about it that sounded different than any other punk band (including contemporaries). I hear that later albums branched out a bit more, but I haven't gotten a chance to listen to those albums. I'd say 2.5 rounded up to a 3.

Here's another band I've heard of but (thought I) hadn't heard. Loved the first track Beetlebum. Then Song 2 started and I realized "of course I've heard this." I never knew this was the song name (and band) for the "whoo hoo" song. It's interesting how significantly the style changes between songs. Beetlebum is hugely different from Song 2 and both are different than Country Sad Ballad Man (although the Nirvana influence seems pretty evidence in both of the two latter songs).  Then M.O.R. sounds like it could fit with Roxy Music (although this changes later in the song). These guys are all over the place, but I'm mostly enjoying this (Chinese Bombs is a bit of noise, but then I'm Just a Killer for Your Love sounds pretty cool). I'd rate it higher, but I'm having a problem because I have no idea what this band is supposed to be. They are seriously all over the place stylistically. Kudos for variety, but as the Who would sing..."Who are you?"

It was ok. My initial reaction was "I've never heard of this band" and then heard "There She Goes" and said, "Oh, I know this song." I enjoyed the album but don't think I'd go out of my way to listen again.

I was pleasantly surprised by this album. I'm not a big pop fan, but I felt the songwriting and production quality were excellent. I also understand why a lot of people wanted to see him as the new singer for Queen - there were so many moments he sounded like Freddie. Solid 4.

Not a big Janis Joplin fan. There are some things I can appreciate - Piece of My Heart is a classic and deservedly so, but in a lot of cases her voice grates on me. For example, her rendition of Summertime is supposed to be a classic but I couldn't stand her voice on it and even the fuzz guitar was annoying me. I liked a bit of the first track, "Combination of the Two" - it was half good sixties heavy rock and half hippy time. "I Need a Man to Love" had some good funk going on, but it also made me feel that this album is very much of its time. The best albums are timeless. I found Joplin's voice grating again on Ball and Chain, which is a shame because I really like Big Mama Thornton (her original version of Hound Dog blows away Elvis). Not sure if a link will work, but here's how Ball and Chain SHOULD sound: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbdUjHmCHA4 ...take it away Big Mama. Have to call this album a 2, unfortunately.

EVH is called a guitar god for a reason. This album is a showcase for his amazing guitar playing. Listening closely I also have a new appreciation for AVH's drumming. The only thing that keeps me from calling this a 5 are the cheesy lyrics...I realize that's part of Van Halen's thing (mainly thanks to David Lee Roth). But lyrics like "dig that steam, giant butt"? Insert eye roll emoji. Then again, lyrics that could be just as cheesy work in Hot for Teacher: "I brought my pencil...gimme something to write on"..."I don't feel tardy." Now that's just funny. I'll give it a 4 for amazing musicianship and fun songwriting, but the cheesy lyrics on songs like Top Jimmy and Drop Dead Legs keep it from being a 5.

This is a classic album by Hugh Mase...ZZZzzzzzzz. Sorry, not a jazz fan. I'm sure it's great.

Ehhh, not really my thing. I liked "African Dance" and "Feel Free" (plus "Ambition" which was a bonus track) but the rest didn't do much for me. "Dance" which was basically "African Dance" with a spoken vocal sounded almost like a parody. I wanted some Flight of the Conchords type lyrics. Oh, well.

HOW HAVE I NEVER LISTENED TO THIS BAND?? I loved every minute of this album. Another band I had heard of but hadn't heard. This 1001 albums thing is so great for finding music that I haven't listened to but should have. As I listened to the songs and read the lyrics (including looking into the background of a lot of the lyrics) I kept coming back to the phrase "depressing lyrics/soaring songs." It's an unusual juxtaposition that really works. The album background is difficult - their first album after guitarist and songwriter Richey James disappeared without a trace (he was declared dead many years later but never found). I really liked the songwriting and in particular the guitar sound. I kept wondering if guitarist James Dean Bradfield was influenced by Alex Lifeson because he uses a lot of unusual chord voicings similar to Alex...later found an article where the Manics interviewed Rush. Apparently they're huge fans. Makes sense given the guitar sound (but not their songwriting - that's very different). Looking forward to digging into their catalog - I see The Holy Bible is also in the 1001 album list and I'm sure I'll be listening to that soon.

It was the same song 9 times. Giving it a 2 rather than a 1 because at least it was nice background music.

Station to Station is an album I've listened to many times, but made the mistake of never listening closely. I've been missing out. It's an amazing album, particularly when appreciated in the context of Bowie's struggles with drugs at the time. Every track is fantastic...high points for me include the guitar work, particularly the outro for "Stay," Bowie's top-notch singing, and the heartbreaking lyrics. Lyrics that really hit: In "Station to Station": "It's not the side-effects of the cocaine/I'm thinking that it must be love." In "Stay": "Stay - that's what I meant to say or do something/But what I never say is stay this time/I really meant to so bad this time/'Cause you can never really tell when somebody/Wants something you want too." Brilliant album. Easy 5 rating.

Now this is jazz I can get behind. The first track is absolutely gorgeous. I wasn't paying close attention at first (jazz is usually background music to me), but about 4 minutes in I found myself drawn in and captivated. I ended up transfixed the entire time. Beautiful track. The second track is outstanding also, and I love how there were so many unique motifs on this album. Too many jazz albums sound like "more of the same." This album was constantly evolving and flowing. Mind-boggling that this is mostly improvised. I spent the day playing this album on repeat and kept finding new moments that surprised me. This is what jazz should be. Outstanding.

There's plenty to like about this album, but the biggest problem is the similarity of too many of the songs. That said, she has an outstanding voice and powerful lyrics. Fast Car is the most well-known song and it's definitely a great track. There are a few tracks that are "different" from the overall folk/adult contemporary sound (e.g., Mountain O' Things - I really enjoyed the vocal tune and the drums in that song - and She's Got Her Ticket - straight forward reggae but at least different than the rest). The a capella Behind the Wall is certainly powerful...it's sad that my thought was that the lyrics were predictable. They shouldn't be. So, good album, but too much same-same. I don't mind hearing it, but I wouldn't rush to hear it again and that's why I give it a 3.

Previously listened to the second Undertones album. This is their first album and my reaction is pretty much the same. Fun band, catchy tunes, nothing I'd go out of my way to listen to. Solid 3.

My first impression was pretty negative. I really didn't like his growly voice. At about 3:30 into Shore Leave I was basically asking "wtf am I hearing?" I had a similar reaction to 16 Shells from a Thirty-Ought Six. His voice was more tolerable on later songs like Swordfishtrombone and Soldier's Things. I kept thinking "I'd probably like some of this music if it weren't for his voice." On my second listen I found myself getting past his voice and enjoying the music more. On the third listen (I'm persistent) I even started appreciating his voice more (3:30 into Shore Leave still made me say wtf, but I started to like his style on 16 Shells). As I write this, I'm on my fourth listen and this album is growing on me like a fungus. I'd say after one listen I was at a 2 because I liked the music and hated his voice. I wrote a note at the time: "If he wasn't singing like he just gargled battery acid, this might be a good album." By third listen I was at 2.5 and rounding to a 3. On my fourth listen, I'm at 3.5 almost 4. I'm going to keep it at a 4 to acknowledge that this was a difficult album to get into, but it's clearly an album that rewards attention and multiple listens.

Fun, fun, fun (or should I say funk, funk, funk?). The only track I disliked was "Night of the Thumpasorus Peoples" because there was some weird deep warbling synthesizer sound that was making my stomach twist. Aside from that, this was just freakin' fun to listen to, particularly Mothership Connection (Star Child), which I've heard sampled a ton ("Swing down sweet chariot, stop, let me ride"), and of course Give Up the Funk which is an awesome classic. Favorite line of the album: "Can you imagine Doobie in your funk?"

A little too much of all the same. I loved them on Graceland - Homeless and Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes are fantastic. But then this entire album is mostly more of the same. The one track that caught my ear as sounding different was "How Long?" which had a bit of doo wop going on which was fun. Nothing wrong with the album, it was enjoyable to listen to...it just lacked variety.

The album started off ok - "White Light / White Heat" sounded like proto-glam and was promising. "The Gift" had a fun riff and story, with a good punchline. However, underneath both these tracks were hints of the noise that was going to annoy the crap out of me later in the album. "Lady Godiva's Operation" sounded like some decent 60s psychedelia until the doctor part where it got weird. "Here She Comes Now" also had that 60s vibe and wasn't bad. But then the last two tracks brought the noise rock front and center. "I Heard Her Call My Name" had a horrendous almost all-feedback guitar solo that sounded like garbage to me. The jam in the middle of "Sister Ray" was just sloppy and all noise. I wanted to shut off the squealing organ and feedback. The end of "Sister Ray" was even more obnoxious than the middle. I tried to give the album a fair shake - even listened a second time, and that's when I noticed that the noise was present throughout, just not as noticeable on early tracks. I like some Lou Reed solo stuff, but I'm definitely not a fan of this album. Giving it a 2 rather than a 1 solely because there were some redeeming moments.

Another great album. Not a single weak track. Easy 5 stars.

The songs definitely have a cool metal groove. Some of it is the stuff nightmares are made of. I don't mind some growling, but this was a little much for me. Wish I could hear this with a singer who wasn't constantly screaming because the music is pretty awesome. Giving it a 3 but would have given it a 4 with less screaming.

I hated White Light/White Heat but I went into this ready to give it a chance. I'd call Side 1 (the first six tracks) a 4, maybe even a 5. Great song-writing. Venus in Furs is probably the nicest sounding song ever written about BDSM. I really liked the droning viola in this. All Tomorrow's Parties is an excellent song - I knew the cover version by Japan, but never heard the original. Good stuff. Side 2 has way too much annoying feedback and sloppy guitar, similar to White Light/White Heat, which makes me want to give Side 2 a 2 at best. In fact, after listening to these two albums, I think Lou Reed was just a lousy guitarist who covered it up by playing noise solos. Ever time Lou Reed plays a sloppy solo filled with feedback I want to punch him, which would be rude since he's dead. I'll give the whole thing a 3. I understand its influence, but I can't take the noise.

Good power pop. I've been enjoying it on repeat, but none of it is really sticking (i.e., I don't find myself recalling the songs when I'm not playing it). I can definitely see listening to it again but it's strange that I can't seem to keep it in my head. Maybe I need to listen more closely. Giving it a 4 in anticipation of getting into it more over time.

A stone-cold classic. Those first notes of purple haze. The main riff - I still remember how awesome it felt to play that main riff on guitar the first time. So many great tracks. Noel Redding and Mitch Mitchell are great, but Jimi soars above it all. He's one of the greatest guitarists of all time and he made it look effortless. I need extra stars for this one because 5 stars doesn't cut it.

Cool avant garde album. The only track I disliked was "Milk" (annoying). Standout tracks include the first track, Surface Tension, and The Sound of Someone... Can't call the album a 5 because I need to be in the right mood to listen - 5's are always great to me.

I bought this when it came out based on liking the song Human Behaviour. My original reaction was that I didn't like the rest and even returned it (my local CD store allowed you to return an opened CD if you simply didn't like it. Needless to say, they had to watch out for people who abused this policy). My reaction re-listening to it now many years later is that I appreciate it a bit more, but still wouldn't buy it (if that were still a thing). I think the problem is that too many songs follow the same formula - a good beat that repeats over and over accompanied by Bjork's unusual singing. That's all well and good, but gets a little old. I give it a solid 3.

Fun album that exists somewhere in the space between classic 50s Rock n' Roll and early punk. Most of the songs are hard-edged covers of classic rock n' roll and the originals fit in pretty seamlessly (really liked "The Witch"). The recording quality is crap but the word that keeps coming to mind is fun. Solid 3.

Really cool music, really uncomfortable lyrics. I can't remotely pretend I can relate with gangsta rap, but I can appreciate it. "The Day the N*****z Took Over" and "Little Ghetto Boy" are particularly powerful. The beats and music on this album are amazing. This album just oozes cool. Glad we recently listened to Parliament's Mothership Connection since it's so prominently sampled here. Loved hearing the drums from "When the Levee Breaks" on "Lyrical Gangbang." Amazing grooves on "A N***a with a Gun" and "Rat-Tat-Tat-Tat" but, again, difficult lyrics. I feel like this album deserves a 5, but I reserve that for albums I can listen to any time...this is not that, but I can definitely appreciate why it's on this list. Solid, powerful 4.

On first listen, I was a little dismissive - yeah, yeah, Big Band, whatever, stuff my 80-something dad likes. On Listen 2 I realized: this album is pretty amazing! It only got better as I listened to it over and over. The word "frenetic" kept coming to mind. I liked learning that the arranger Neal Hefti wrote the Batman TV series theme (Bat Maaaaaan! Bat Maaaaaan! nah-nah, nah-nah, nah-nah, nah-nah Bat MAAAANN!!). To show how these things are generational, I had never heard of Hefti, but when I mentioned his name to my 80-something Dad his response was "of course I know Hefti!" His Wikipedia entry is pretty interesting. They quote Miles Davis saying, "If it weren't for Neal Hefti, the Basie band wouldn't sound as good as it does." Respect. Back to the album, I loved pretty much all the tracks. Flight of the Foo Birds, Double-O (what a sax solo!), and Fantail (drums!!!) really caught my attention. I also really liked the mellow tracks. After Supper had a nice opening piano part, a great tune throughout and I loved the walking bass line. Midnite Blue is clearly a song about a dame, y'know, the broad who came into your life and left it in shambles. The final "Lil' Darling" wraps it up nicely at the end of a wild evening at the club. Maybe you're even finally slow dancing cheek to cheek with the dame from Midnite Blue and all is right in the world. In an earlier review I said I'm simply not a jazz fan. This album (along with Keith Jarrett's The Koln Concert) shows me that I can definitely be a fan of some jazz. I want to dig in a lot deeper now. 5 star wham-bam-POW!

I've been making a point of giving albums more than one chance and there have been a bunch that really hit me on the second or third listen. On first listen, my reaction was this album was ok, but nothing special. Three listens later...no different. It's just not a very interesting album. I like CSNY but this album just didn't do much for me.

I listened to this album numerous times. While I liked the overall vibe of the album, it felt like it all blurred together to the point I couldn't tell you much about it, except the fact that it ends very abruptly. It took a lot of listens before I stopped checking to see if something went wrong.

I'm not really an Elvis fan and this album didn't change that even after multiple listens. The band and Elvis sounded good, but the songs were kind of bland. The two tracks that stood out for me were It Feels So Right and The Girl Next Door Went a'Walking.

Total guilty pleasure - slick production, great songwriting, but definitely 70s power pop cheese. Regardless, More Than Feeling and Peace of Mind alone would make this album a 5. Plenty of great moments aside from that. There are better album I would rate a 5, but 5 seems like the right answer for this one.

Calming, pleasant grooves...about pussy and booty. Sigh.

I can appreciate how ahead of its time it was, but it sounds a little cheesy today. Decent.

Good techno music. Accessible and interesting but nothing really stood out to me. 3.

We just had a couple of electronica albums (Kraftwerk and Orbital) that were a bit out there so seeing Steely Dan come up as a random pick was a relief. Everything they do is sheer gold. Funny thing is I didn't truly appreciate them until I watched the "Yacht Rock" series on Channel 101 (go look it up on YouTube if you haven't seen it - hysterical). Donald Fagen and Walter Becker are outstanding songwriters and musicians. High points for me are Rikki Don't Lose That Number (a classic for a reason), Night by Night (great groove), and Pretzel Logic (one of my favorites -- great groove plus fantastic vocals). Any Major Dude Will Tell You is very 70s (I guess much of their music is), but still great. Heck, even East St. Louis Toodle-Oo, which is basically ragtime, benefits from that unique Steely Dan sound - love the talk box guitar. Easy decision for me - definite 5.

I was expecting this album to be one where I would be looking for more variety, like "ugh, not another reggae beat! Change it up!" I was pleasantly surprised how much variety the album had and I liked it much more than I expected I would. What a great ending - Three Little Birds and One Love/People Get Ready were both fantastic. I think I'm going to listen to Three Little Birds every morning to get in a good mood for the work day ("Don't worry...about a thing...cause every little thing...is gonna be alright"). It's interesting to note how positive and hopeful the last few tracks are considering how dark and political many of the earlier tracks are (like "Guiltiness" and "The Heathen." "So Much Things to Say" also has dark lyrics, but the music is so upbeat...guess that's reggae for you). Very clear why this album is on the list. I'm going to call it a 4.5 rounded up to a 5.

I really liked the first track "Here Come the Rome Plows." My immediate thought was "this is prog punk!" Very dissonant and loved the opening bass line. "Do You Compute" made me think of Tool. I was liking everything until the first 30 seconds of "Super Unison" - thanks for hurting my ears. As the album went on, the word "relentless" came to mind. Too much feedback, too much dissonance, too much screaming. There were a lot of great moments, but I think I can only take this band in small doses. Rating it a three from sheer exhaustion.

This is just a really good album. High points include the hits ("One Way or Another" and "Heart of Glass"), and tracks like "Hanging on the Telephone" and "Fade Away and Radiate" (I hear Fripp, I like). I've been listening to it repeatedly for several days now and I keep noticing all kinds of great touches and I'm not remotely getting tired of it. Most albums I rate as a 5 really have some aspect that blows me away and I can't say this album has that, but it's just good start to finish. That's worth a 5 also.

I generally liked the grooves/samples, but he has a tendency to throw in annoying sounds (like repeating the same sound rapidly over and over forever) or using really annoying effects (like in Kalifornia and Soul Surfing). I'll call it a 2 because I didn't mind hearing it and generally liked the grooves, but I don't have much of an urge to hear it again. But, not gonna lie, in Acid 8000 "If this don't make your booty move your booty must be dead" made me laugh and I was definitely bopping to that song. I'll leave it a mystery whether my booty moved.

This is a tough one for me. Not the rating - that's a five, easy. It's tough because I'm trying to listen to this the same way I'm listening to the other 1001 albums, even though I'm a huge fan and I've listened to this album easily 100 times. But, when I think back to my original impressions, I found early Genesis difficult to get into, unlike other early prog bands like King Crimson and Yes. There always seemed to be something a little "off" about early Genesis. They'd mix a surprisingly hard edge with songs that referred to things like "unifauns" and "lily fair." Or, some of the sounds are dated: Hackett's guitar often sounds muffled to me and some of the synth sounds are dated. But their music is the proverbial onion...peel it back and you find layer upon layer (it doesn't make me cry, but there are moments like the middle of Steve Hackett's solo in Firth of Fifth that always give me chills. Their album Foxtrot is not in the 1001 albums or I'd be saying the same about the end of Supper's Ready. Heck, I'd be writing a book about Supper's Ready). What's more is this music is many times better live than recorded. I've seen latter day Genesis play the instrumental parts of Firth of Fifth and Cinema Show. I've seen Steve Hackett and his band play many of these songs. Both are amazing. For a more "historic" version, go see the cover band "The Musical Box" who play an amazing version of the early band that even the band members acknowledge is authentic. So, my listen of this album is colored by my knowledge of just how good it CAN sound. The fact is: this music is amazing. Firth of Fifth is a rock symphony with one of my favorite melodic guitar solos of all time. Dancing with the Moonlit Knight starts with Peter Gabriel a capella and turns into a musical tour de force around 2:25 (listen for Steve Hackett's tapping solo, something he was doing years before Eddie Van Halen made it famous). Listen to Phil Collins' drumming throughout the album - while most people know him from the 80s (with most thinking of the gated reverb fill from In the Air Tonight), this album showcases why he was one of the most in demand session drummers of the 70s and 80s. The man is doing 50 things at once and if you've ever seen video of him playing, you know he looks relaxed as can be. Mike Rutherford lays down backing guitars and excellent driving bass lines throughout much of the album. And then there's Tony Banks, the man who later sticks to "happy chords" and "sad chords" droning over simple hit songs. Listen to his keyboard playing on this album and other early Genesis albums. His solo at the end of The Cinema Show mixes the best of melody and speed and shows he belongs in the conversation of "who is the best prog keyboardist?" Other great examples - everything he plays on Firth of Fifth, the keyboards in Supper's Ready and Watcher of the Skies (sorry, annoyed that Foxtrot isn't in the 1001). For me, the main weak spot on this album is The Battle of Epping Forest. Even after all those listens it still doesn't do much for me, plus it's too long (I don't have a problem with long songs...again, I wish I could write about Supper's Ready!). Bottom line, this is an outstanding band at its best. After one more album, they lose Peter Gabriel. Two more albums after that, they lose Steve Hackett. Then the band starts to become the Genesis most people know. Don't get me wrong - I like that Genesis also. But this Genesis was a prog giant. To those listening to this for the first time, keep listening and unpeel this onion. It's worth it.

This is a pretty good album. Always enjoyed Sultans of Swing and hadn't really listened to these other tracks. There's a bit of "sameness" to a lot of tracks, but the band is great and Mark Knopfler's guitar playing and singing was excellent from the start. "Setting Me Up" really stood out for some excellent playing. Solid 4.

Great album start to finish. The Cars have a certain sound and a certain formula that can be heard across most of their songs, but it just WORKS. The beginning of Good Times Roll is such a great opening and the song is simply cool all the way through. In fact, the first three tracks (GTR, My Best Friend's Girl", and "Just What I Needed") are such classics I'd call this a 5 just on those tracks alone, but the rest keeps me interested and wanting to hear this album again and again (and of course "You're All I've Got Tonight" and "Bye Bye Love" are also classics). I'll also point out that this is a great pairing with Blondie's Parallel Lines which we randomly got a few days back. Perfect one-two punch of new wave.

This is the second MBV album I've heard and both times I had the same thought - I feel like I *should* like this, but I just don't. I tried to listen closer to this one to figure out why. There's a lot going on in these songs and some of the effects and riffs are cool, but the word that keeps coming to mind as I listen is BORING. Another word is LIFELESS. I think a large part of it is the singing - both singers are pretty dull - but there's also no energy to the music despite all the noise. Not to mention the presence of occasional feedback and noise which lately leads me to an automatic 1-point reduction. The last track added the obnoxiousness of being intentionally out of tune. I'd sum up this album as Whiny Suburban Kid Anthems. I'll give it a 2 rather than 1 solely because of the occasional interesting effects (like on the first track).

Ehhh....it wasn't terrible, but it didn't do much for me. Lazy review today. 2.

Cool grooves, lyrics are pretty rough, but at least they keep the misogyny to a minimum. Enjoyed the unique styles of each rapper. Lots of great (and sometimes obscure) references. Bring da Ruckus and Shame on a N***a are both really cool, but I think if I ever tried to rap along with them where anyone could hear I'd get my ass kicked. Comparing it to contemporaries, I liked the grooves on Dr. Dre's The Chronic a lot more and I felt it had a lot more variety than this album.

Steely Dan's debut and right from the first moment they have that signature sound. Some real classics on this album: Do It Again, Dirty Work, and Reelin' in the Years. Do It Again starts the album with a cool groove and how many songs have such a cool sitar solo? Yes, I said that. I really liked some of the less famous songs also, like “Change of the Guard” and “Fire in the Hole.” “Turn That Heartbeat Over Again” was probably the weakest track which is kind of a shame that an album that starts so strong ends kind of lame. That’s a real minor complaint though. This is a great album. 

Rap without the dirty. Enjoyed it, but can't say it blew me away.

I don't know why - I always like Foo Fighters when I hear them, but they never grab me enough where I want to listen deeper or seek them out. That leaves me at a 3 - good album but nothing I'd go out of my way to listen to - but I feel like I should like it more.

I don't know what it is about Neil Young - his songs are not that complicated, the playing is not that flashy, his voice wavers and is almost whiny...but somehow it works. This album is captivating and every track is fantastic. I never heard any of these songs or this album before today, but every song pulled me in. Walk On was a good basic intro, but the Sky About to Rain was the first song to "hit me" - I really liked the Wurlitzer on that track. Revolution Blues had a good, driving theme. I even liked the banjo in For the Turnstiles. Vampire Blues was a very cool track and it was about this point that I said to myself "This is an excellent album"...then I got to On the Beach. It really amazes me how Neil Young can write such a straightforward song yet it carries such powerful emotion. Part of it is clearly his lyrics and vocal style, which is so raw, but it amazes me how much this song pulled me in. Motion Pictures (for Carrie) was another straightforward but captivating song. Finally, I found myself lost in Ambulance Blues. When it was over, I just felt the need to sit in silence. Wow, what a great album.

The phrase "Casio concerto" kept coming to mind. Maybe the programmed drums were cutting edge in 1974, but this sounds like someone playing tunes on a Casio over some pre-programmed fake drum track. BORING. It's a shame because the album started strong - "Inspiration Information" is a smooth groovy song. I liked "Sparkle City," "Happy House" and "Rainy Day." Pretty sure the one constant across those tracks is real drums, confirming to me that the programmed drums just killed this album.

It's a shame...this isn't better. Soulless slacker pop grunge. It's not bad...it's just not all that good.

Wow, I really enjoyed this album. I've heard of Elvis Costello, but can't say I ever listened to his music (at least if I did, I didn't know about it). This was just a fun, high quality album. It's like a more modern version of classic rock 'n roll (and songs like No Dancing and Less than Zero sound like pure old fashioned Rock n' roll). Favorite tracks were Miracle Man, Waiting for the End of the World, and Pay It Back (which really got stuck in my head). Least favorite were Alison and I'm Not Angry. Both were just a little cheesy, but still enjoyable (and the guitar on I'm Not Angry was pretty good). Looking forward to listening to more of his stuff.

I got worried when I saw they were influenced by the Velvet Underground AND produced by John Cale. There were a few moments of VU-ishness (e.g., "Cracked") and that's not good because I'm not into VU. But, the rest was ok. I wavered between a 2 and 3. I really liked Roadrunner - good track. I kind of laughed at the British punk accent Jonathan Richman affected particularly in the beginning of Astral Plane. Dude, you're from Boston. I think the main reason I'm going with a 2 is that at the end of the day it was mostly the same song over and over, and I'm never a fan of that.

I really enjoyed this album, but I feel it will take a lot of listens to sink in (and I'm about a week behind, so I need to move on!). I'm giving this a 4 mainly because none of it is "sticking with me" but I really enjoyed everything I heard, from the first notes. Interesting to note that this is from the 2011 edition of the book. I have the 2018 edition and this is the first album generated that has been removed from the 1001 albums. Not sure if it's something I had to hear before I die, but I enjoyed it.

NJ represent! It's 80s cheese, but it's got good 80s cheese moments. Songs like You Give Love a Bad Name and Livin' On a Prayer are rock anthems for a good reason. I admit I really like Wanted Dead or Alive. One thing I noticed about the album is the recording qualityis very 80s. It's got that 80s hair metal lack of bass. I've got really good headphones and it's pretty bad how little bass sound comes across on this album. I think the tracks can all be dropped into four categories: Classic 80s rock anthems: You Give Love a Bad Name, Livin' On a Prayer, Wanted Dead or Alive (my favorite track on the album) Not bad, but definitely 80s hair metal cliches: Let It Rock, Raise Your Hands, I'd Die for You, Wild In the Streets Cheesy 80s rock anthems: Without Love, Never Say Goodbye Just plain bad: Social Disease (even if you remove the first 15 second of porn).

I could sum this album up as "Smoove 70s grooves with cool rapping." That theme goes across most of the album, right from the first track. Izzo is real catchy but I don't think I've ever needed Genius lyrics more. All the diss stuff in The Ruler's Back and Takeover was a little lame to me (but I liked the Bowie "Fame" callout in Takeover). Girls Girls Girls was amusing, and gotta like a song that name-drops Deuce Bigalow. It was at this point that the phrase "smoooove grooves" kept popping into my head and stayed there for pretty much the rest of the album. Basically from U Don't Know On I enjoyed every track. Calling it a 4 rather than a 5 because I think the bragging and dissing brings it down.

I wanted to like this one more since it's got a lot of quirks I enjoy, but it was just a little on the corny side to me. Sounded a bit like Roxy Music in a bizzarro lounge. I wasn't really seeing why this was in the 1001 albums and as of the 2018 edition it isn't anymore. Makes sense. My favorite part was the second half of "Through a Long & Sleepless Night." That's where it really showed potential. Giving it a 3 mainly because there were moments I liked. Maybe this would grow on me, but it's time to move on.

In general I enjoyed this album. I'm not a huge fan of thrash, but I can appreciate it, particularly the great tone and precision. I have to ding this album for two reasons. The first is probably not fair, but there were times I felt like I was listening to Tenacious D, particularly songs like Holy Wars...the Punishment Due, Take No Prisoners, and Lucretia. These songs made me think of songs like Car Chase City and the Metal. It's not fair to ding an album because of songs that parody the style, but I had a hard time taking it seriously as a result. The other ding is deserved: there's a lot of lyrical cheesiness: "Welcome to our fortress tall" in Hangar 18 (but, to be fair, the song rocks). "A snake you were when we met" in Poison was the Cure. "Thermal count is rising/in perpetual writhing/the primordial ooze/and the sanity they lose" in Dawn Patrol (but I like the bass line in the song). "Immense in my girth, erect I stand tall" (Rust in Peace...Polaris). Ugh.

This is the third Steely Dan album we've had so far (their second chronologically) and I've definitely learned I really like Steely Dan. I liked them before this 1001 Albums thing, but I can't say I listened to their albums closely before - mostly just listened to best of. There's so much I like. Every time they break into an instrumental section, I know I'm going to enjoy it and the songs have such a great groove. Favorite songs on the album: "Bodhisattva" - love the guitar and keys interplay. "The Boston Rag" - the chorus is very CSNY. Great guitar solo. "Show Biz Kids" - Love the beat and the chorus. Of course, I love the repeated "Las Wages" line. Also, did they play a snippet of Reelin' in the Years after the line "They got the Steely Dan t-shirt"? "My Old School" - classic Steely Dan. Great stuff. Easy 5.

Rage Against the Machine is my go-to when I'm frustrated. No joke, I wrote my dissertation listening to Rage Against the Machine and Nine Inch Nails. I angry-write, I guess. Listened to this album and Renegades over and over (NIN contributed mostly with Year Zero). The music rocks and the lyrics are thought-provoking. I always find it amusing to watch live videos and see all the angry white frat boys moshing to this - wonder if they realize they're part of the machine the band is raging against (like Paul Ryan being a fan). Pretty sure I'm part of that machine too, but I still like to rock out to some Rage.

Really enjoyed this album. Favorite tracks: Love Vigilantes (I think I've heard another version of this song, but not sure who it was) and Elegia (very nice, simple instrumental). The album doesn't blow me away (so not a 5), but I definitely liked it a lot.

Early on my reactions were: Damn. Cool. Scary. Damn. Damn. Cool. Scary. Damn. Unfortunately the last two tracks killed this album for me. By the end of Scissors the word "relentless" came to mind. By the end of Eeyore, I was simply uncomfortable. On the second listen, I even turned Eeyore off because I couldn't listen anymore. Giving it a 3 because I liked a lot of the earlier tracks, but it just went off the rails by the end.

It's good, but this kind of album just doesn't stick with me. 3.

There's a lot to like about this album. I only knew the hits and I definitely enjoyed most of the rest. It's a little longer than I think it needs to be and some of the lyrics are just awkward ("I wanna f*** the taste out of your mouth"?? Really?). Favorite tracks: 1999 (even though the synths are a little dated, it's still a classic. I really liked the extended outro that you don't get to hear in the single), Little Red Corvette, Delirious, D.M.S.R. (just makes you want to get up and dance...unfortunately, I'm too lazy and you don't want to see me dance anyway), and Lady Cab Driver (good funky song, but I could do without the sex moaning).

Love his voice and his playing and I enjoyed this, but I think I get a lot more out of seeing video of him play than listening to a recording. Hearing the recording is still really good, but not the same as seeing him. I can only imagine what it was like to actually be there when he played.

It's good stuff, but nothing I'd go out of my way to listen to. The classics are certainly good (The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" and "Up On Cripple Creek").

I like Massive Attack, but I like their later albums much better when they introduce a bit of an edge to the music (e.g., Mezzanine and 100th Window). Without that edge this is nice background music but has few moments that make me go "wow." Unfortunately, only this album and Blue Lines are included in the 1001 albums so it looks like we won't be getting any of the later albums. Oh, well. To each their own.

I've loved this album for years. Jeff Buckley's songwriting, singing, and guitar playing are immaculate. There are so many great moments on this album. The song "Grace" is eerily prophetic, mixing uplifting music with lyrics such as "Well it's my time coming/I'm not afraid/afraid to die" "And the rain is falling and I believe my time has come/It reminds me of the pain I might leave/leave behind" and "And I feel them drown my name/So easy to know and forget with this kiss/I'm not afraid to go/but it goes so slow." Those last lines are incredibly tragic given how he died. I always loved the frantic, rocking "Eternal Life" followed by the mysterious sounding "Dream Brother" (love the guitar line). "Last Goodbye" is heartbreaking and beautiful. That song, along with "Lover, You Should Have Come Over" hit a bit too close to home...I listened to this album a lot during a tough period in my life. Buckley's lyrics really hit hard on that feeling of love lost. I don't listen to the album much these days mainly because it pulls me back to feelings I've long since moved on from, but nothing changes the fact that this is a gorgeous, powerful album from an incredibly talented musician who was lost too soon.

This is a perfect album, start to finish. It holds a special place for me, because most of my life I've been listening to decades-old music and this was probably one of the few times in my life I was listening to the most popular music of the day at the time it was popular. Everything about it is great. I remember Even Flow was the first song I heard off the album and was just blown away by the power and groove of the song. Alive is an anthem. Jeremy was overplayed but still holds up as a classic. The non-singles are all classics in their own right. The music and lyrics are powerful throughout and the band members are all outstanding. McCready and Gossard provide an amazing one-two guitar punch. Always loved Jeff Ament's bass style (especially the fretless aspect - I just learned that he was a fan of Japan's Mick Karn) and the drums drive the album along. Of course, a million people tried to sound like Eddie Vedder afterwards, but he remains an original. I find it interesting that the band members feel the album was over-produced - I still think it sounds great - just the right mix of polished and edgy. This will always remain my favorite album of the grunge explosion.

There are some great moments on this album, but it often sounds a bit too much like elevator jazz for me. Favorite moments - Blue Rondo a la Turk has a very promising first half - a wild 9/8 time signature and very interesting, but then the song lost me when it devolved to a simply swing jazz tune. Take Five - deservedly a classic. Clever 5/4 beat plus nice and concise. Pick up sticks - enjoyed the staccato piano solo. Honorable mention - Three to get ready - although it's kind of elevator jazz also, I like how they riff off the initial classical theme. Have to rate the whole album a 3 mainly because it's mostly background elevator music to me.

I had a viscerally negative reaction to this album on first listen. Discord. Chaos. Any time I found myself enjoying it, these intruded. I started writing up a very negative review while listening for a second time, debating whether to give it 1 or 2 stars. At the same time, I started reading up about the background and intentions of the album. About Mingus' life, his anger, his experiences with racism, his illness and death. I found myself appreciating Side 2 (Modes D - F). It still had much of the discord and chaos that was making me uncomfortable, but I could at least appreciate the mastery and composition and the moods it was meant to evoke. I went back to the beginning of the album, closely listening with new ears and started to recognize why this is considered a jazz masterpiece. By the time I returned to Modes D - F, now truly focused on the music, I was blown away. This is a challenging album and clearly isn't background music like so much jazz - it demands attention. It demands struggle. It's worth it and I stand corrected.

I enjoyed this album. Nothing very groundbreaking about the music, but the arrangements are solid and her voice is fantastic. I can't help but wonder about cultural appropriation whenever I'm listening to "blue-eyed soul" so I feel like I should go back to some of the original versions. But she sounds like she belongs in this style (unlike, say, Janis Joplin, who I thought wrecked some good R&B songs). Stand out moments: "You Don't Own Me" sounded like it belongs in a Quentin Tarantino movie (then I saw that Son of a Preacher Man is in Pulp Fiction). "Do Re Mi" had a fun groove and a great piano break in the middle. I really liked "Anyone Who Had a Heart" - unusual voicings and progressions - kudos to Bacharach and David (I saw Dionne Warwick recorded it first so I went to check it out - that version sounds great, but this one has a distinct sound). Solid 4.

This album is a bit of a snooze fest. While the songs were mildly pleasant, they were also nothing great. I found I was more bored with it on the second listen, which isn't a good sign. I liked My Oh My and Silver Lining. Please Forgive Me sounded like an attempt at being Bob Dylan. Babylon is overplayed, but not bad. Overall, it wasn't a terrible album, but I could easily go without ever hearing this album again. Zzzzz.

Good stuff. Love the clean funky guitar and the fat funky bass. It's definitely "of its time" but songs like Le Freak and I Want Your Love are certifiable classics. I wouldn't go out of my way to listen, but I definitely enjoyed it.

This album was at least three years ahead of its time. There were several points where I was thinking I was listening to Nirvana and other big alternative bands of the 90s. Favorite tracks - Bone Machine and Break My Body (both sounded a lot like Nirvana), Where Is My Mind (immediate thought - hey, I know this song!), Cactus (I knew the David Bowie version. For some reason I thought he was covering Neil Young. Very wrong about that one). Really enjoyed this album. I'd say 4 because there was a little too much feedback and a little too much incest.

The music is intensely cool, the lyrics intensely disturbing. The album cover scared my 12 year old. Lots of clear NIN influence (or maybe literally just Trent Reznor adding NIN touches). Can't call it a 5 mainly because of the disturbing lyrics and the fact that Marilyn Manson is individually pretty disturbing. Favorite tracks: Dried Up, Tied and Dead to the World, Tourniquet, Cryptorchid (mellotron!), Deformography, Antichrist Superstar, The Reflecting God.

Ok, yeah it's great rock and roll. But, seriously, a song called "High School Confidential" by a guy who married his 13 year old cousin? That's f'd up. Deducting 1 star for creepiness.

Plenty of laughs and cool grooves on this album. Favorite tracks: Oh Shit (really catchy), Officer, Ya Mama, Passin' Me By, and Otha Fish (really cool groove). It was a fun album - definitely pretty inappropriate, but I've certainly heard worse.

This isn't the first time I've listened to this album. I've tried to figure out why this is considered such a great album and I just don't see it. It's not bad, I just don't see why it's all that. I'm a big prog rock fan and this one just doesn't connect with me at all. I listened three times this time and still don't get it. Oh, well.

This is an album I can appreciate for what it is, but I don't know that I would go out of my way to listen again. I know these guys were rap pioneers and much of the album seems to bridge the gap between 70s funk/R&B and 80s rap. I enjoyed the bass on this album (Doug Wimbish, who later joined Living Colour), particularly on She's Fresh and It's a Shame (especially the last minute of the track). I also liked the Tom Tom Club backing track for It's Nasty. Favorite track was The Message. As soon as I heard the "ah-huh-huh-huh" and "it makes me wonder how I keep from going under" my immediate reaction was, "hey, they did that in Hamilton" (with the line "it makes me wonder why I even bring the thunder" and the laughing when they're singing "you don't have the votes"). I'm not a big rap fan, so I think I missed out on a lot of callbacks in Hamilton...I feel like I'm getting schooled in rap history during the 1001 albums journey and I'm enjoying it more than I expected I would. Calling it a 3 primarily because the album just didn't blow me away but I definitely enjoyed it.

The hits are amazing, the rest of the album is really good. The biggest problem is NOT ENOUGH BASS. It's better than "...And Justice for All" which basically has no bass, but damn this album needs more bottom end. Even the bass drum is too treble-y. Is that a word? Favorite tracks - mostly the hits: Sad But True (extremely cool song then and now), Wherever I May Roam, Enter Sandman (so overplayed at Guitar Center), Nothing Else Matters (also overplayed at Guitar Center). I like The Unforgiven but it was sooo overplayed on MTV in the 90s. Favorite non-hits: Through the Never, The God That Failed. I'd call it a 4.5, but I'll round it to a 5.

Eh...it was fine. Not sure why I had to hear this before I die. Probably would help if I knew what they were saying, so I suppose I have an appreciation for how the 1001 albums thing can be challenging for non-English speakers. The music was good but nothing unique or special to me. Giving it a 3 because there was nothing wrong with it, but no more because I'm fine with never listening to it again.

I know this album was huge, but I could never stand Oasis and their shit attitudes and how they posed as the second coming of the Beatles, right down to the mop tops. I hated it in the 90s and it still annoys me now. Still, I gave the album several listens. The songs are all decent, but Liam's whiny voice bugs me and the album is too damn noisy (these kids with their loud rock n' roll!). Plus, too much of their music is derivative. I'll give it a 3 because it's not *bad*, it's just I can't separate the attitude from the music and the derivative nature of the music keeps me from giving it a higher score. Favorite track - Champagne Supernova. Enjoyed the guitar solo and anthemic ending.

Nice, pleasant music...but it's a good thing I paid attention to the lyrics, because I definitely don't want to play "Rednecks" for the kids. Hey, kids, here's the guy who sang the theme from Toy Story! Oops. Powerful lyrics in that song, but oof. I heard Louisiana 1927 before - that was probably my favorite song, maybe since I was familiar with it. It's a good album, but not something I need to hear again.

My overall reaction is that I'm not sure I needed to hear this before I die, but it's a good album. I decided to dig deeper and learn more about Phil Spector, both his career and his personal life. Here's yet another example where we have to ask the question, can you separate the art from the artist? The guy was a complete piece of shit and died in jail, convicted of killing a woman the same night he met her (he claimed it was an accident, but he had a history of brandishing guns at people). Does that change the music? The production quality and the innovative "Wall of Sound"? No, but it gives you pause. One other note - Clever move by the site organizer to make sure everyone gets this pick on Christmas. Send the guy some beer money for the holidays.

I love when they play that one song, and then they play it again, and again, and again. Sure, they're classic, but they're so repetitive. I'll stick to their greatest hits, one at a time.

I tried to listen to this album many times, because it felt like I should like it more. It never really clicked for some reason. I notice a lot of songs tend to focus on a particular riff and never really change. Maybe that's the problem - the album just doesn't seem dynamic enough. It's not bad, I just don't know that I would seek it out again. Favorite tracks - Wake Up - anthemic and it's probably one of the more dynamic songs on the album. Une annee sans lumieri pulled me in but has the same issue of being essentially one riff all the way through, until the very last minute. Neighborhood #3 (Power Out) - another one that's basically one riff with subtle changes throughout, but it's a very cool riff. In the Backseat was a good closer.

Love me some ELO. I remember listening to this album as a kid (thanks to my older siblings who were ELO fans). Those opening notes of Turn to Stone bring back memories and it's still a great song. ELO is one of those bands where I enjoy everything I hear but have never dug deeply into their catalog. Jeff Lynne is awesome and I appreciate him more every time I hear anything he's involved in. Mr. Blue Sky has been played a million times in my house since my kids got into Guardians of the Galaxy, but it never gets old. Stuff like Sweet Talkin' Woman is very 70s, but still great. Favorite non-hits - Jungle (fun track), Believe Me Now, Sweet is the Night. Basically, there isn't a weak moment on the album, which is even more impressive since it's a double album. Great stuff, easy 5.

This was a fun album, but a little repetitive after a while. It was fun learning he was King Louie from the Jungle Book. I'm sure it was a blast to see him live at the Sahara. Favorite tracks: Just a Gigolo; Jump, Jive, An' Wail (an absolute classic, written by Prima); Night Train.

I feel like I should give this a 5 - after all, it's a classic and includes worthy hits such as Hotel California (love the guitar solos at the end) and Life in the Fast Lane. But there's just something about the album that I find underwhelming. Maybe it's a little too perfect, a little too polished. It just doesn't make me say "I want to listen to this again." I even listened to it multiple times to see if I was missing something, but no. So, I'm giving it a 4. Great songs, including some stone cold classics (I also like Victim of Love), but it's just missing that je ne sais quoi.

The grand question - were the Beatles ever as good solo as they were together? The answer for Paul McCartney is clear. He's got some great solo tracks, but I don't think he was ever as good solo as he was with the Beatles. But that's not really a fair way to judge his solo albums, is it? A-hem, you must be as good as the Beatles to get a 5. So, I'm trying to listen without thinking, "This dude wrote Let it Be and Hey Jude and so on and so on." Great - Band on the Run, Let Me Roll It, Mrs. Vandebilt, Jet (at first, I classified this as "good not great" but then it got stuck in my head). Good - Mamunia (I really like the African stylings), No Words (sounds like it would fit on ELO's Out of the Blue), Picasso's Last Words, Nineteen-Hundred and Eighty-Five. Bluebird is probably the weakest song on the album - meh 70s soft rock. So, 4/9 great, 4/9 good, 1 meh. Probably makes it a 4.5 and now I'm going to add my bias of "but it's not as good as the Beatles" and round it DOWN to a 4. It just doesn't feel like a 5. Sorry, Paul. You're still awesome to me.

Can't believe we got this pick the same week he died. Great album. Totally 70s, but timelessly great. Inappropriate memory: they used to play Paradise by the Dashboard Lights at dances I went to in 8th grade. That's not right. But the girls loved singing the "Stop right there!" part. RIP Jim Steinman and Meat Loaf and thanks for rocking our faces off. Easy 5.

I listened to this album a few times and it's just not taking at all. It's not bad, it's just not clicking. One thought that kept hitting me is that the album is all over the place...I couldn't get a sense of what this album was supposed to be. Definitely didn't need to hear this before I die. Moving on.

This is a seriously cool album. Like the Pixies, about three years ahead of their time. I never really listened to Jane's Addiction because all I heard before was Been Caught Stealing and Jane Says, both of which kind of annoyed me (mostly because of Perry Farrell's voice). It didn't help when I learned what a dick Farrell was to his bandmates about publishing rights. But none of that can change how cool this album is. The whole band is fantastic. I was a fan of Dave Navarro's work with RHCP and I'm embarrassed to say I didn't even know he was part of Jane's Addiction. A great album that I missed out on because I didn't like their popular songs. Great stuff. Favorite tracks: Up the Beach (yeah, I thought this was awesome right from the start), Ocean Size, Ted Just Admit It, Mountain Song, Pigs in Zen.

Man, this 1001 albums thing is getting me to reconsider jazz. Maybe my mood was right today...on another day I might have complained that essentially they're noodling around a couple of themes for 20 minutes, but the word that kept coming to my mind was CAPTIVATING. Both pieces just evoked certain moods and I found myself transfixed throughout my first listen. Time went by faster than I expected - I was actually surprised each piece was over, even though both clock in at almost 20 minutes (can't believe they recorded this thing in a day). Again, maybe I just caught it on exactly the right day at exactly the right time, but it connected with me. Second listen (a little more background this time - I had work to do!) was just as enjoyable and I was again surprised when it was over. Gotta give it a 5 for that captivating feeling. Wow.

Talking Heads is another band I've listened to plenty but haven't listened closely. Great album. The band had their "sound" down from day one. All the tracks are fantastic. Favorites - Psycho Killer (of course), Uh-Oh, Love Comes to Town, No Compassion ("they say compassion is a virtue, but I don't have the time"), Pulled Up. Just so good. Easy 5.

Very very 70s disco. The first track, "When I Kissed the Teacher" is 70s cheese of the highest magnitude. Knowing Me, Knowing You is not bad. Sounds like an early version of an 80s power ballad. I liked Dancing Queen (played a billion times, but good song), Why Did It Have to Be Me (decent rocker), and Arrival. The bonus edition has Fernando on it, which is a good track. I'll call it a solid 3. Not bad, good moments, not really my cup o' Swedish tea.

I liked the first track Teen Age Riot, but then a lot of the album sounded similar. I hate repetition. I also hate noise and feedback and there was way too much of that (like Silver Rocket, The Sprawl, Rain King, and Total Trash - an aptly named song). Oh, and this album is long with its repetition and noise. Giving this a 2 because at least there were moments I liked (Teen Age Riot, Candle), but by the last five songs I just wanted it to end.

An absolute classic. This album is very much of its time, but the songs are SO good. Some of the songs sound better in subsequent live versions. I found myself watching The Concert in Central Park after listening to this - Garfunkel singing Bridge Over Troubled Water in that concert was possibly his crowning moment. Similarly, The Boxer is one of my favorite songs of all time (I love playing it on guitar), but I prefer subsequent live versions (check out the Concert in Hyde Park for a great version). Regardless of version, I get chills every time I hear "In the clearing stands a boxer, and a fighter by his trade/and he carries the reminders/ of every glove that laid him down or cut him till he cried out in his anger and his shame/ "I am leaving, I am leaving" but the fighter still remains." What a moment. Plenty of other great moments: El Condor Pasa takes you somewhere else. This is the first time I listened to the original version by Los Incas which sounds almost identical except the Los Incas version is an instrumental and has a bit of craziness in the last minute. Cecilia is a classic and Keep the Customer Satisfied is a fun little rockabilly song. Baby Driver is a fun classic-sounding rock n roll song (I even originally thought it was a cover, but it's not). The Only Living Boy in NY is a good track - I like the overlaid vocals in that one. The only tracks I find (relatively) weak are So Long Frank Lloyd Wright and Why Don't You Write Me. They could have ended with the live version of Bye Bye Love since it's a callback to their early days and the influence of the Everly Brothers. But Song for the Asking is a nice touch and perhaps it's poignant that the last Simon & Garfunkel album ends on a song that almost sounds like Simon is singing alone (I can barely hear Garfunkel in it). In fact, that's consistent with the cover - Paul Simon appears to be eclipsing Art Garfunkel. It makes sense...Paul Simon wrote pretty much all the music for Simon & Garfunkel and it was time for him to move on, leading to an amazing career. Great album.

Basic 90s rock with way too many crappy sounding moments. I'm going to talk about songs that had moments I couldn't stand: You Would Know, Hispanic Impressions, You Can't Quit Me Baby, These Aren't the Droids You're Looking For, I Was a Teenage Hand Model. Annoying album. I'll give it a 2 because there were a few cool moments. I'm very sparing about giving an album a 1, but this one was up there. Or do I mean "down there"? Who cares. Next.

First, no to the apostrophes in mamas and papas. Second, did I really need to see that scuzzy toilet on the cover? This is a crap cover, literally. Ok, that's out of the way. I like the album a lot. Monday Monday is a beautiful song with fantastic harmonies. Love the vocal line on the phrase "that Monday evening you would still be here with me" (and similar moments through the song). Nice twist. Deservedly a classic. I enjoyed Straight Shooter and Got a Feelin'. I also like their very different approach to the Beatles' I Call Your Name. California Dreamin' is a classic, but sounds very dated. That's probably the biggest issue with the album - the recording style is very dated. I had a problem with Spanish Harlem - I know they didn't write it, but the line "I'm going to pick that rose and watch her as she grows in my garden" is creepy (I also thought that wouldn't be possible, but it is - who knew that the 1001 albums would teach me something about basic horticulture?). I call it a 4 because the harmonies are out-of-this-world good but the album sounds dated.

This is a very cool album. Mambo Sun starts things off great - cool from the first moment. Cosmic Dancer sounds like Bowie (and so does Planet Queen) - I admit I'm not sure who influenced who (whom?). Reading various biographies suggests it was mutual (plus, they both worked with Tony Visconti - heck, Rick Wakeman played with both as well. I also see Ian McDonald was on the album. RIP Ian). Jeepster and Bang a Gong are both classics for good reason. Again, the word that comes to mind over and over is COOL. On my first few listens I thought it was overly repetitive, but on subsequent listens I started to catch the different nuances between songs. Most importantly, I enjoyed the entire album more on every listen. Sounds like a 5 to me.

Free Bird! Ok, now that that's out of the way... Side 1 is PERFECT. Four amazing songs in a row. Tuesday's Gone, Gimme Three Steps, and Simple Man are all stone-cold classics. I didn't know "I Ain't the One" but it absolutely rocks. Love the guitar solo in the middle. The first three songs on Side 2 are not nearly as perfect. All of them are good (my favorite of the three is Poison Whiskey), but it's not at the level of the four songs on Side 1. BUT, then we have Free Bird, which really is one of the greatest rock songs ever (with one of the best guitar solos (plural) ever), so Side 2 averages out to amazing anyway. Between a perfect Side 1 and an amazing Side 2 (thanks to Free Bird), this album is a clear 5.

Van Morrison has a great voice (time to admit I thought "Van Morrison" was his last name (like Van Halen). I had no idea it was short for Ivan Morrison. I'm learning much on this 1001 albums journey). But the songs sound like a lot of other songs (including each other). For example, while I enjoyed the opening "And It Stoned Me" I found myself singing The Band's "The Weight" over it (and The Weight was released 2 years earlier, so I don't have causation backwards). Crazy Love is good, but it also starts with the same essential tune as And It Stoned Me (and therefore, the Weight). Glad Tidings is basically Brown Eyed Girl part 2, so he's derivative of himself. Moondance is definitely different from the other tracks - it's a classic and I always enjoy it, but it's pleasant, not amazing. Overall, I give the album a 3 because it's pleasant, but also far too often derivative and repetitive.

It's all formulaic rock n' roll, but he was one of the primary "architects" of the formula and deserves a lot of credit. Super fun to listen to, but it's all basically the exact same song over and over. His voice and energy are definitely amazing. I'd give it a 3 for repetitiveness, but a 4 for being an original. Plus, I'm pretty sure Tutti Frutti is going to be stuck in my head for the next week.

Pastime Paradise --> Gangsta's Paradise --> Amish Paradise = evolution, fool. Just kidding. This album is longer than it needs to be but there are lots of great moments. Favorite tracks: Sir Duke and I Wish are a one-two punch of coolness. Ordinary Pain - I dig the "response" section. Isn't She Lovely? is a beautiful song but I could do without the crying baby (even if it's about his first daughter). "As" is one of my favorites on the album - no idea why he didn't just title it "Always." Least Favorite - Saturn - um, yeah, those lyrics are pretty bad. Technically this was on a "bonus" disk, so maybe it doesn't count. I'd call this album a 4.5 and I'll round it to a generous 5, because I've been listening to and enjoying it for days.

This album is a master class in how to make an acoustic guitar rock. Pretty much love every track (although the last track is only "ok" in my book). Immigrant Song rocks, even if the lyrics are a little cheesy. Love the strings on Friends. Celebration Day is another cool track and I like how Friends segues into it - very cool slide guitar here (and elsewhere on the album). Since I've Been Loving You is a little on the long side, but is worth listening to closely - great guitar throughout with a fantastic solo in the middle. Out on the Tiles has a great groove. Gallows Pole is a classic - a classic with banjo, no less. Tangerine moves nicely from calm acoustic waves to rocking (with a bit of country twang at the end). That's the Way is very moving and Bron-Y-Aur Stomp is a fun acoustic track. Hats Off to (Roy) Harper is a bit of a meandering ending...really feels tacked on, but overall the album is just great. Easy 5.

I first listened to this as background music and my initial impression was, eh, it's ok. Give it a 3. Then I paid attention to the lyrics. Damn. What a dark album. Bleak. I went back and forth between a 4 and 5. The music isn't exactly groundbreaking (although certainly good), but the lyrics are like a gut punch about what life is like for the downtrodden and the criminal. Bruce has an almost disturbing affinity for people who feel forced into a life of crime. Is there something you want to tell us, Bruce? By the time I reached My Father's House, a truly devastating tale of estrangement, I decided I had to give this a 4 only because I think I'd be hugely depressed if I listened to this album often. (oh, and then, in case you haven't already been devastated by this album, Bruce quickly gives you 4 more depressing stories in Reason to Believe to end the album. Thanks, Bruce).

In my earlier review of Protection, I noted I prefer their later work, like Mezzanine and 100th Window...but I hadn't heard Blue Lines (their debut), so I think the real issue was Protection suffered from the sophomore slump. I liked all the tracks on this album, although it took a little while for me to appreciate it as more than just background music. It's missing a little something that would make me give it a 5, but it's definitely enjoyable and worth hearing again so I'll call it a 4. Favorite tracks: Safe from Harm (cool opening track), Be Thankful for What You've Got (I thought this sounded like a modernized version of a 70s soul song - turns out it is...the original by William DeVaughan is really good, but I also like Massive Attack's take on it), Unfinished Sympathy (love the strings), Hymn of the Big Wheel (this was the track that kept catching my attention the first few times when I was mostly listening to the album as background music).

The music doesn't do much for me (not a country fan except for a few exceptions), but I like her voice and there are some good lyrics. Lazy review today.

I hoped to like this more, given how good the title track is - a classic, deservedly so. I walked away feeling that the album is generally - I'm not a huge fan of 80s electronic pop so I guess it had to get past that first. Favorite tracks: I've Got an Angel, Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This), and This City Never Sleeps. Everything else was ok, it just didn't hook me, even after several listens.

Pleasant. Nice. Nothing bad. Nothing great. That's the definition of a 3 for me.

I kept listening to this album hoping it would eventually grab me. It's not bad, it just doesn't pull me in. I think the issue is, like other bands of this genre, every song is basically built around one riff that repeats over and over - maybe growing or fading, but still the same riff. The riffs are good and at least each song is somewhat unique, but individual songs don't seem to "go anywhere." It didn't help that they started with a lo-fi sound on Terrible Love and I'm not a fan of that style of recording. I liked the second track (Sorrow) much better. I like the singer's voice - reminds me of Mark Sandman from Morphine (particularly on Little Faith). Other songs I liked: Afraid of Everyone, Bloodbuzz Ohio, and England. I'll give it a 3 because I wouldn't mind hearing it again, but don't think I'll seek it out.

The word "genius" is thrown around too easily in music, but there's no other word to describe Bowie. This is dying as performance art. Should we have expected anything less from him? Not only that, but how many musicians are still transforming themselves on their 26th (!) album? Every track is brilliant and all the more deeper for the fact that he knew he was dying (although a few of them predate his cancer diagnosis). The song "Blackstar" is haunting - the 10 minute video is worth watching - disturbing and cool at the same time. "'Tis a Pity She was a Whore" - frenetic jazz over a driving bass line (that makes me think of "The Talking Drum" by King Crimson every time). "Lazarus" - this was the first one I heard off the album, seeing the video just after he died. Watching/listening to him sing "Look up here, I'm in heaven" was eerie (and still is). Again, death as performance art. "Sue (Or In a Season of Crime)" - the lyrics are a fun (?) descent into darkness. Almost like Poe - it also reminds me of some of the music on his album Outside (one of my favorites). "Girl Loves Me" - love the lyrics using words from A Clockwork Orange. Just another incredibly cool track (like all of them - let's also take a moment to acknowledge how awesome his band is on this album - also, how powerful is his singing on this album??). "Dollar Days" - this one is really tough to listen to, knowing that he was dying - the line "I'm dying to..." meant to be heard as "I'm dying, too." Is it a wail of despair or a cry of effort to make his last statement? Plus, that ending is so majestic with the combination of the sax solo, guitar line, and Bowie repeating "I'm trying to, I'm dying to." Man. Finally, "I Can't Give Everything Away" is just a beautiful ending to an amazing album and life. RIP genius and thanks for this beautiful, dark coda.

Proto-punk, which made me wonder what the first punk album was. The Kinks were clearly ahead of their time in the 60s. I noted in my review of Here Are The Sonics (1965) that they were proto-punk. Some articles suggest Louie Louie was the first punk song - don't know if I see that connection as clearly as the Kinks and the Sonics. Anyway, this is clearly one of the major punk precursors. I liked the first four tracks a lot (Side 1 on the original album). Cool stuff. Side two is a little tougher to deal with. 1970 is decent but gets a little crazy in the second half. Fun House is also good for about the first half before it starts to get out of control. L.A. Blues is pure crap. The first time I listened I even skipped over most of L.A. Blues, which is saying something since up until that point I listened to every album I've reviewed in its entirety (120 reviews to date). On my third listen, I managed to sit through the whole track because I want to be able to claim I've listened to 100% of the 1001 albums. But this was barely listenable and that's an automatic 1 point reduction for me. If the album was just the first 4 tracks I'd give it a 5. Add 1970 and Fun House and we're down to a 4. L.A. Blues brings it down to a 3. There's punk and there's crap. This album started punk and descended into crap.

It's a stone cold classic and a ton of fun. So many great tracks, including classics like Killer Queen (Queen's breakthrough, with all the elements that make Queen great), Now I'm Here (Queen goes full glam, even mentioning Mott the Hoople in the song), and Stone Cold Crazy (proto-thrash). Songs I was less familiar with but enjoyed: Tenement Funster - in any other band Roger Taylor would be an impressive lead singer, but hard to beat Freddie! Flick of the Wrist - a cross between Queen and Black Sabbath. Lily of the Valley - sounds like it would fit well on A Night at the Opera. Bring Back that Leroy Brown - fun track. Weakest tracks: Misfire and She Makes Me. Misfire has seriously cheesy lyrics - literally a misfire. She Makes Me sounds like it was recorded in a large room with two small mics. Also, when you have singers like Freddie Mercury and Roger Taylor in the band, maybe Brian May shouldn't sing. Not to insult Brian May - he's the very definition of a guitar god. The guitar solo on Brighton Rock proves it right from the start. In fact, Brian May is outstanding across the entire album. Finally (literally), In the Lap of the Gods...Revisited is a great album closer. Easy 5.

It's like listening to a greatest hits album. There are 9 tracks on this album and at least 6 are greatest hits (Movin' Out, The Stranger, Just the Way You Are, Scenes from an Italian Restaurant, Only the Good Die Young, She's Always a Woman). Crazy. The remaining tracks are all good but simply not as great as the other six. Bottom line is Billy Joel is a great songwriter, so this album is an easy 5.

I never got into R.E.M., but I tend to like everything I hear from them. They just don't make me go "I MUST HEAR THIS!" This album is a good example of what I mean. Everything on it is at least good, but I'm just never blown away. Can't explain why. Most of my favorite tracks are the overplayed ones like Drive, Everybody Hurts, and Man on the Moon, but I also really like Ignoreland, Nightswimming, and Find the River. I'm going to have to go with 4 even though there's really not a weak spot on the album. I'm glad to have listened to it, but I won't lose sleep if I don't hear it again.

I enjoyed the album, but it's a lot of the same song over and over (that's garage rock/punk for you). I'd listen again but wouldn't seek it out, which makes it a 3 for me.

A perfect album. Black Dog and Rock and Roll start it off rocking with everyone in top form. Plant has a great duet with Sandy Denny on the Battle of Evermore, but it's probably my least favorite song on the album. Not that it's bad - as I said, it's a perfect album. Stairway to Heaven is a perfect song, start to finish. Any time I hear it, I have to listen all the way through. The opening riff (which sounds nothing like Spirit's Taurus), the verses as the song builds and builds, that guitar solo - one of the greatest ever - and the powerful ending. Yes, it's overplayed, but for good reason. Misty Mountain Hop - another great rocker, with awesome harmonies. Four Sticks has a great unusual riff and time signature, with amazing drumming. RIP Bonzo. Going to California calms things down...great guitar and mandolin parts and fantastic vocals from Robert Plant (like all of the album). Finally, When the Levee Breaks: possibly the greatest opening drum line of any song ever, followed by a massively cool riff and bass line, harmonica, slide guitar, and moaning wails. Bottom line - this is one of the greatest bands of all time at their peak. Can I score it higher than 5?

This review took me a while because I kept feeling like I was missing something. It could be generational, but I haven't been blown away by much of what I've heard. His version of Hound Dog is a sloppy non-sensical mess next to Big Mama Thornton's. I thought Elvis is Back! (our previous pick) was boring. At least I thought this debut album was better, but I still was having a hard time seeing what was GREAT. So, I did a real deep dive. I compared Elvis's versions of these songs to the previous versions (only 2 songs on the album are debuts, although Elvis didn't write anything - that wasn't a "thing" back then). I also watched some videos to compare. Here are my two main takeaways: 1) In almost all cases, Elvis's version is faster and wilder. In some cases that made the song more exciting, but it wasn't always a better thing. 2) You can't fully appreciate Elvis without the visual part. Elvis had moves and charisma and style. I watched various early performances, focusing on videos around the time this album came out. That's really what I think grabbed people. For example, Carl Perkins' original Blue Suede Shoes is a good track. Slower, but basically the same song. I watched a video of Carl Perkins and he was clearly the superior musician - great voice and really good guitar playing. But then I watched Elvis perform it and he was in a different league when it came to energy and charisma (and I guess sex appeal if that's your thing). So, I think to understand why Elvis was considered GREAT you can't just listen, you have to watch. I'm giving this album a 4 not a 5 because the album is just the music, not the entire package. It's really enjoyable but a lot of the individual tracks are done better by others (for example, Little Richard's original Tutti Frutti is so much better. Then again, Little Richard IS rock & roll). The only track on this debut album I didn't like was Blue Moon. I listened to the first recorded version of this Rodgers & Hart standard (recorded by Ted Fio Rito and His Orchestra) and that was much better than the Elvis version (incidentally, the definitive version of Blue Moon is the later doo wop version by the Marcels with the famous doo wop line that I won't even attempt to type - just go listen). Favorite Tracks: Blue Suede Shoes, I Got a Woman (but go listen to the Ray Charles version!), One-Sided Love Affair (Elvis's singing style on this song is very entertaining), I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Cry (Over You), I'll Never Let You Go (Little Darlin'), Money Honey.

Basically they're a weirder version of U2. That's good, because I like weird and I like U2.

I like his music, but it's fundamentally not much more than good background/mood music.

I always figured Cooper was hard rock, so I was surprised to hear elements of glam (e.g., the opener Hello Hooray) and even prog (e.g., parts of Unfinished Sweet). It definitely had a somewhat dated sound, but it was pretty good overall. I'll give it a 4 because I have a tough time giving a 5 to an album that has an anthemic song about necrophilia. Oh, and the song "Raped and Freezin'" - um, Alice Cooper, are you ok? Favorite tracks: Elected, Billion Dollar Babies, No More Mr. Nice Guy.

I've loved this album for years, so this an easy 5 for me. I love the whole rock-opera concept - I know a lot of people criticize this album as overblown. Yeah, the story is dense and weird (and the movie is even weirder!), but it holds together both musically and thematically. There's so much I love about this album. Favorite moments include all the instrumentals (Overture - love the acoustic guitar part; Sparks; Underture); the thundering bass at 3:25 of Amazing Journey particularly when performed live - John Entwistle was a BEAST; Pinball Wizard (great track); We're Not Gonna Take It including the anthemic ending (this is a week of anthemic endings - at least this one doesn't involve necrophilia like "I Love the Dead"); all the repeating motifs - "see me, feel me" "Tommy can you hear me" plus the repeating musical motifs; Keith Moon's drumming. I also love the line "You've been told many times before, Messiahs pointed to the door, but no one had the guts to leave the temple." I could go on and on. Oh, and TIL that Eyesight to the Blind was a cover. I had no idea. Go check out Sonny Boy Williamson's original. I've listened to this album more times than I can count, but it was fun to dig in again. I ended up watching clips from the movie and from the 1989 all-star performance including Billy Idol, Patti LaBelle, Phil Collins, and Elton John. I remember watching that when it came out. Definitely an album worth hearing many times before I die!

Interesting album. Not something I feel I'll need to come back for, but it definitely sets a chill, funky mood. I liked the opening track, Mama Roux, and the closing track in particular.

This is a fun, cool album. Great debut. I'm not a big fan of 90s britpop, but this is definitely some intelligent fun power pop I can get behind. We previously listened to their second album In It for the Money. I liked that one but none of the music was sticking in my head for some reason. This one seems a bit rawer and pulled me in more than their second album. I liked all the tracks except for "We're Not Supposed To" which was kind of annoying. I watched the video for Alright since that was the big hit - I liked the callbacks to "The Prisoner" (e.g., the Prisoner bicycle and "rover"). I'll call it a 4 - a really good album that I can see coming back to, but not at the same level as a 5 for me.

Pink Floyd was the first band I was ever obsessive about. I collected all their albums (on vinyl). I obsessed over their lyrics. I had music books for piano and would play the Wall (poorly) all the way through. Nobody Home was my favorite to play on piano. The classical guitar part at the end of Is There Anybody Out There? was the first fingerstyle song I could play entirely through on guitar. I drew bricks all over my school notebooks. I would write "Pink Floyd The Wall" in Gerald Scarfe's writing style. I had patches for the Wall and Dark Side of the Moon on my band jacket. I watched the movie of The Wall more times than I can count. I watched Roger Waters perform the Wall Live in Berlin when it was broadcast live in 1990 and, in 2010 I saw Roger Waters perform the Wall in its entirety, a concert I still consider one of the best I've ever seen. So, needless to say, this is an obvious 5 for me. That said, my view of it has changed with age. For one thing, the recording quality leaves a lot to be desired. It's very dated, much more so than albums like Dark Side of the Moon or Animals. Waters later referred to the drums as sounding "boxy" and I would tend to agree. The album lacks a certain expansiveness in its sound. Also, it's a pretty dark album and not one that I casually listen to much anymore. Not that I don't listen to dark albums as an adult...perhaps I simply had my fill of The Wall as a teenager (although I've certainly listened to it plenty of times as an adult, also). But I still view it as an absolute masterpiece. So many favorite moments: Comfortably Numb remains one of my all time favorite songs, with of course one of the greatest guitar solos of all time. To me, Another Brick in the Wall Part II always has to include Part I and The Happiest Days of Our Lives. In my head I like to replace Empty Spaces with the movie version "What Shall We Do Now?" (speaking of tracks only in the movie - When the Tigers Broke Free is a very powerful track. I like that they later included it on reissues of the Final Cut, where it probably belongs). Hey You makes me stop and listen whenever I hear it. In the Flesh, Run Like Hell, and Waiting for the Worms may be fascism in musical form, but all three are amazing. The Trial brings the story to an over-the-top theatrical close followed by Outside the Wall which brings us full circle back to the beginning. On CD I'd often just let it loop right back to the start, creating a never ending album. I know The Wall isn't for everybody (although 30 million copies sold suggests it's for a lot of people), but it will always be an absolute classic to me.

This strikes me as one of those albums that will get dropped in a future edition. Enjoyable, but nothing I needed to hear before I die. Tracks that caught my attention: A Fan's Mail, Friend Zone, and Them Changes.

I'm trying to understand this album in the context of its time - Bob Dylan, folk singer extraordinaire goes electric and his audience goes bonkers. Calls of "Judas!" and heckling fill the air. Ok, but I don't get this, because he had already released his electric Highway 61 Revisited nearly a year earlier to rave reviews. Classics on that album (performed here) include Like a Rolling Stone and Ballad of a Thin Man, both of which were originally recorded electric. So, I can't help but wonder if the audience theatrics are just a whole bunch of pretentiousness. Either way, I found the acoustic side a little dull - I kept thinking, "this is a 3." His singing sounds like a parody of himself. The guitar lines are just the same chords over and over, with an occasional break to blow on the harmonica. Plus, for all the raving about his lyrics, sometimes they're pure cheese: See the primitive wallflower freeze When the jelly-faced women all sneeze Hear the one with the mustache say, “Jeeze I can’t find my knees” [insert eye-roll emoji] Now, I knew some of these acoustic tracks were pretty well-known songs and noticed that many of them were hits for others, so I went listening to other versions. I found in most cases I preferred the covers, such as the hit versions of It's All Over Now, Baby Blue by Them (i.e., Van Morrison) and Mr. Tambourine Man by the Byrds. Both covers led me to conclude that Dylan is an awesome songwriter who should leave the performing to others. Then I hit the electric set. Immediate thought - Dylan can actually sing. Yeah, he still has that weird twangy inflection, but he was belting it out over the band (or I guess, technically, over The Band). But another thing was that these songs had much more character than Dylan with just a guitar. Tell Me, Momma comes across like a slap to the pretentious audience members who only want to hear folk Bob. I Don't Believe You is the first one where I thought Dylan really sang well. Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues and Leopard-Skin Pill-Box are both rockers with great guitar work (Robbie Robertson, presumably?). Ballad of a Thin Man and Like a Rolling Stone are both classics and both sound great here. So, the electric side brought me to a 4. I'm looking forward to hearing more - particularly Highway 61 Revisited (which I've listened to before, but never closely). This live album is probably more important as a historical recording, but it made me want to dig a lot deeper. I'm sure digging deeper will make me better appreciate the "back-story" of this apparently legendary concert.

I feel like I shouldn't like Tom Waits as much as I do. Dude's weird. But I dig it. This is an all-around very cool album. Lots of dark references to death in the middle of some really catchy but odd music. Favorite tracks: Earth Died Screaming, Dirt in the Ground, Such a Scream, All Stripped Down, Who Are You, Going West, I Don't Wanna Grow Up (I also like the well known cover by the Ramones - also check out the cover by Priscilla Ahn - thanks YouTube for that suggestion!). Too weird to call a 5, but definitely a solid 4.

I'm familiar with a lot of Bob Dylan's music and have listened to this album before, but never closely. This is an absolute classic for a reason. Every track is anywhere between really good (e.g., Tombstone Blues, It Takes a Lot to Laugh, From a Buick 6, Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues) to absolutely classic (Like a Rolling Stone, Ballad of a Thin Man, Queen Jane Approximately, Highway 61 Revisited, Desolation Row). Pretty much a perfect album. Probably my only negative comment is that Desolation Row could be shorter - I don't mind long songs, but it's the exact same tune for over 11 minutes. That said, the lyrics are great, so in many ways it's just a long poem. I'd also say the siren whistle on Highway 61 is kind of dumb, but it's such a good song with such great lyrics, so who cares. Also, while I've said that Dylan's voice sometimes sounds like a parody of itself, I really liked his singing on this album. Again, an absolute classic and an easy 5.

Fun, classic album. I know the hits, but I'm not sure I ever listened to the entire album. The Run-DMC influence is very clear, and not just because of Paul Revere (co-written with them) or Slow and Low (Run-DMC cover). The combination of hard rock and rap is what makes the album. Run-DMC was also doing this at the same time, which could lead to questions of cultural appropriation, but it sounds like Run-DMC had mutual respect for the Beasties and they toured together, not to mention Rick Rubin was producing and co-writing for both acts. It's a great album, but I'm giving it a 4 rather than a 5 mainly for many moments of cheesiness and some homophobia and misogyny. Favorite tracks: Rhymin' and Stealin' (love the combination of When the Levee Breaks and Black Sabbath's Sweet Leaf), Fight for Your Right (classic - funny to read that it was meant to parody party songs and became the ultimate part song), No Sleep Till Brooklyn (cool track + Kerry King from Slayer), Paul Revere (love the backwards groove), and Slow and Low.

If I had to pick one word to describe The White Album, it would be UNEVEN. The White Album has some of the Beatles' best songs, a bunch of ok but generally uninspiring (and often derivative) songs, and then some songs they should have left on the cutting room floor (e.g., Wild Honey Pie, Piggies, and Revolution 9). Basically, if they were to take the best songs and a few of the ok songs they'd have a great single album. Maybe the Beatles were over-convinced of their greatness, but someone needed to tell them NO on making it a double album (sounds like George Martin tried unsuccessfully). If I were to pick which songs to turn into an amazing single album, this would be the track listing. I added Hey Jude and the single version of Revolution because they were recorded in the same sessions but only released as singles. I kept the order they used, except for adding Hey Jude. I'd probably find a different spot for Julia because it's just too mellow to have Blackbird followed by Julia. Similarly, Helter Skelter is a little stark following Mother Nature's Son: Back in the USSR Dear Prudence Glass Onion Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da (apparently a lot of people hate this, but I like it). While My Guitar Gently Weeps (Amazing song - of course, everyone should hear Prince's solo in the 2004 Rock Hall Tribute to George Harrison) Blackbird Julia (this is one of the ok ones I pulled in to fill up the single album) Birthday Mother Nature's Son (another ok one to fill the album) Helter Skelter Revolution (single version, but Revolution 1 is still good) Hey Jude (not on the album, but recorded during these sessions) Goodnight (always holds a special place for me because my son used to fall asleep listening to Jason Falkner's Bedtime with the Beatles and his version of Goodnight is magical). Total run time = slightly under 46 minutes. One great album, boys.

Lots of cool smooth grooves - generally one smooth groove per song repeated without much change - with Nas saying a LOT. His words are interesting but overwhelming. I know "historically" this is a key rap album, but it didn't click for me like a lot of the other seminal rap albums on the list. Not bad, but just didn't pull me in. Maybe I need more of an appreciation for how it changed rap or just need to listen more, but I'm moving on.

So much to like about this album. I like B Real's unique rapping style. Lots of cool grooves. This is another example of rappers taking samples and making it their own. This is probably the closest I've gotten to a 5 for a rap album - I just still have a hard time giving a 5 when the lyrics are so coarse (gang killings, sex - and, hey, just because it's in Spanish (Tres Equis) doesn't make it better). But this is one of my favorite rap albums so far. Favorite tracks: How I Could Just Kill a Man (look for the video on YouTube where Cypress Hill played this live with Rage Against the Machine - that version is amazing), Hand on the Pump, Hole in the Head (fun little ditty about getting a hole in your motherfuckin' head), Light Another (great example of taking a direct sample - in this case, Kool & the Gang's Good Times - and clearly making it a new song), The Phunky Feel One, Real Estate, Stoned is the Way of the Walk, Latin Lingo (great drum samples on this one).

The “big” songs off this album are fantastic: Finest Worksong, It’s the End of the World as We Know It, and The One I Love are classics for a reason. The non-hit songs on side one sound formulaic - similar guitar sound, bass line, drum beat, vocal style. It’s a good formula, don’t get me wrong, but very repetitive. The exception is Strange, but that makes sense since it’s a cover (originally by Wire). Side two gets a little less formulaic, but I don't find it all that memorable (except The One I Love, of course). Giving it a 4 because the greats are great, but not a 5 due to the fact that the others just aren't sticking with me as well.

Oh, Tom Waits. Every time I've listened to one of his albums, I need to get past the shock of his voice before I can appreciate the album. That first listen is always rough. But then I listen again and his voice starts to fit his music and his lyrics. With respect to his lyrics - always pay attention to his lyrics. That's where the power is - and then his voice fits. The first time I heard "On the Nickel" I noted "pretty song, weird voice." Then I listened again paying attention to the lyrics, learning that he's talking about being homeless on Skid Row ("on the nickel"). Then you hear his voice singing, "What becomes of all the little boys, who never comb their hair? They're lined up all around the block on the nickel over there." As someone with a teenage son who often seems aimless and sometimes leaves me worried about his future, that line is devastating. And Waits' voice just FITS with these portraits of the downtrodden and the seedy underbelly of life. Other great lines: "Don't you know there ain't no devil? There's just God when he's drunk" and "I'll probably get arrested when I'm in my grave." Also, I personally appreciate the line, "Nothin' else matters in this whole wide world, when you're in love with a Jersey girl." Can confirm.🙂 Overall, my advice is get past the shock of his voice (it's better than you think), pay attention to the lyrics, and enjoy the musical ride. Oh, crap. Am I becoming a Tom Waits fan??

Eh, it's country. Don't get me wrong, if I have to listen to country, Willie's a good choice. But it's country.

Easy 5 - a perfect album. Although it's commonly viewed these days as one of the best albums of all time, it's not my favorite Beatles album (behind Sgt Pepper and Abbey Road for me). But it's still perfect start to finish. Favorite tracks: Eleanor Rigby, Taxman, Tomorrow Never Knows.