1001 Albums Summary

An almost perfect folk rock album with jazz and blues influence. Each song flows into the next, forming into one continuous musical experience rather than a conceptual album. The instrumentals backing Van Morrison's stream-of-conscious vocals and varying tone paint an image with each lyric. From start to finish, the album takes you through an emotional journey and the depth of it gets greater with each subsequent listen. Favorite tracks: Astral Weeks, Beside You, Madame George, Ballerina.

4.5 Stars. A genre defying fusion of jazz and rock classic. The more involved and immersed you become with this album, the more you're rewarded with its form and substance. This can be either great late night chill-out music, or an album that gives you a greater appreciation for jazz as a whole. My only critique is that it doesn't feel focused as a whole. Favorite tracks: Spanish Key, Miles Runs the Voodoo Down, Sanctuary.

An exceptional jazz big band album. From the opening track, you know what to expect for the rest of the album: A large sound, vibrant solos, and upbeat compositions. The dynamics between Count Basie's orchestra make the album a classic. The feeling of the album is in the name, and you can't help but move when listening to it. Favorite tracks: The Kid From Red Bank, Duet, Double-O, Midnite Blue, Splanky

I did not like this album on first listen, particularly the vocals, but it definitely gets better with each listen. The sound is very layered and the dynamic between the instrumentals and the melancholic lyrics help create a unique vibe. The lyrics reflect on humanity: the joys and struggles of daily life. Favorite tracks: Race For The Prize, A Spoonful Weighs A Ton, Bugging, What Is The Light, Suddenly Everything Has Change, The Gash.

Undisputed classic, both in influence and substance. The sound is raw and stripped-down and the lyrics are reflective of the emerging counterculture of the era. There is so much diversity in this album and it has such a distinctive sound. Favorite tracks: Sunday Morning, I'm Waiting for the Man, Femme Fatale, Venus in Furs, Heroin.

Hard rock live album. I usually stick to studio albums but Cheap Trick have great energy live and the crowd is rocking. Some classic tracks in this album that I've heard of before. I enjoyed the second half more. Favorite tracks: Big Eyes, Ain't That A Shame, I Want You To Want Me, Surrender

This is my first introduction to this music genre - ska. This album is a hybrid of reggae and rock'n'roll. It's pretty groovy and has great vocals and deep lyrics; a lot of tracks on here are very catchy. Favorite tracks: A Message to You Rudy, It's Up to You, Doesn't Make It Alright, Monkey Man, Too Much Too Young.

A truly unique dream pop album that doesn't have one lackluster song. Fraser's vocals are the highlight of this album, purring with energy and life. Some of her vocals are unintelligible, but that doesn't take away from the ethereal sound. The guitar work and drums are amazing as well, complementing the vocals perfectly and coalescing to provide the unique soundscape. The band complements each other so well yet you get the impression of improv. Not to say it isn't focused, which it is, with songwriting about childbirth and also death. Favorite tracks: Cherry-Coloured Funk, Iceblink Luck, Fifty-Fifty Clown, Frou-Frou Foxes in Midsummer Fires

3.5 Stars. Pretty dynamic pop rock record with really nice melodies throughout the album. The songwriting is really strong in this album; the lyrics reflect social satires and commentary on his "hatred" for life, as the title suggests. The album is an hour long, and the second half does fall off a bit for me. Favorite tracks: For Tomorrow, Colin Zeal, Star Shaped, Sunday Sunday, Villa Rosie.

A pop-rock album that I absolutely loved every second of. The instrumental sections of this album are very dynamic and the guitar play goes from garage rockers to experimental. The guitarists complement each other so well and their sound is deeply layered; definitely the highlight of the album. I can understand how some might view the singing and songwriting as subpar or stale, but really its secondary to the music as a whole. I can imagine how ahead of its time this album was at its release, not just for punk rock but rock as a whole. The sequencing of this album is flawless and there is not one bad song on the entire album. Favorite tracks: All; Marquee Moon, Torn Curtain if I had to choose.

4.5 Stars. A concept pop rock album that highlights Ray Davies' songwriting and vocals. The concept of the album is a nostalgic and idealized view of rural English life, each track dealing with a particular part of that life haven't gone by, either by societies progress or Davies personally outgrowing such a life. As the title of the album implies, Davies wants to preserve this way of life, contrasting the cultural movements and issues of the time the album was released: 1968. Every track has a catchy melody and the overall sound of the album is very calm. Detailed instrumentations add to the fundamental theme of the album as well as its charm. Favorite tracks: The Village Green Preservation Society, Do You Remember Walter?, Picture Book, Johnny Thunder, Village Green

A dramatic post-punk album that is especially unique and adventurous. The sound if deeply layered and the dynamism apparent from the opening track. The keyboard play alternates between fickle and volatile, never upstaging the central part of the albums sound: the singer. The lyrics are elaborate and the vocals are only enhanced by the band. This album has sound I would assume many haven't heard before and the interplay and energy presented is a thing to experience. Favorite tracks: Definitive Gaze, Shot by Both Sides, Motorcade, The Great Beautician in the Sky, The Light Pours Out of Me

A fusion of rock and house music that was obviously well ahead of its time. The entire album is lively and energetic. There are pure dance music tracks on this album, acid-house tracks and dynamics, and alternative pop tracks as well. Favorite tracks: Fine Time, Love Less, Round & Round, Mr. Disco, Dream Attack

4.5 Stars. A hard rock grunge record that is great all the way through. I enjoyed every song on here, the melodies and hooks are memorable and its easy listen from start to finish.

A jazz-rock album which fuses cool jazz, blues, and pop into a masterpiece of an album. The production and mixing are amazing; filling soft melodies with jazzy solos and rich background instrumentals which flow seamlessly with each track. Favorite tracks: Aja, Deacon Blues, Home At Last