When I first heard Bossanova when it was released in 1990, I deemed it a disappointment. This album followed the Pixies "best" records, Surfer Rosa and Doolittle, so it was a tough act to follow and though the opening track instrumental sucked me in, I lost interest in the rest of the album. Fast forward to now and listening with fresher (older) ears, I listened To Bossanova, the whole way through, back to back and have to now reconsider my original opinion. The records good, it engaged me and is much better than I remember and it's better than anything else the Pixies released after. If you don't compare it to the previous albums, on it's own it's a solid album. Thanks album generator for letting me re-discover this underrated near-classic!

I never really understood the hype surrounding Beyonce, sure she has a good voice, but I tend to think her massive appeal and commercial success is more attributed to Beyonce the "product", rather than just the music. I'm always suspicious when you hear about an artist's personal life just as much as their music. I hadn't listened to her music more than what I've been force-fed on the radio and music videos and she is what she is. A above-average singer, with an above average hype machine behind her = the greatest singer of her generation...yeah, right.

I really don't care about what the Christian right or what homeland security thinks about Marilyn Manson's "music", the bottom line is it sucks! You can pile on as much anti-Christ bullshit, vile and hateful devil crap you want, but it doesn't make it more listenable. In fact, I found it at times unlistenable, stupid and annoying. If this is so-called "shock" rock, give me Alice Cooper, at least he had a sense of humor. Don't support this sick, creepy loser!

The first Beatles album I bought was the "Blue" record (1967-1970), this along with it's companion ("Red" 1962-1966) are the perfect entry level compilation records to introduce new Beatles fans to most of their hits. To really give you an idea of the range of the band's music, you must seek out most of their studio albums which are very good to brilliant, as sometimes it's the deeper cuts that deserve some attention. I've owned a copy of Abbey Road since the late-70's and it still gets plays on my turntable. Since I've heard the popular tracks so much (Come Together, Something, Here Comes The Sun), I have been known to skip those tracks for the rest of the record. It's these "secondary" tracks that give Abbey Road so much depth in quality. In fact, this has probably the best side 2 of any record I've heard highlighted by the medley that concludes the album. So good! Undoubtedly, this is the Beatles masterpiece!

So much energy! This record speeds by quickly and it's such a shame the band only released one album during their heyday. Every song reminds me of other songs that came later, which shows how important and influential this record was when it was released. An Essential listen for fans of female-fronted bands of all genres!

Seems appropriate that my first album would be by a performer from my hometown. I know he wasn't born in Winnipeg, but he spent his important early formative there. In many ways, Rust Never Sleeps is the quintessential NY record, with one side an acoustic solo set and side two an electric set with his band Crazy Horse, a classic live album. Though not my favourite Neil Young album, this is always a very satisfying listen. I personally like live albums (he's released several) so this ranks high, especially in the Neil Young catalog.

My first listen to Badly Drawn Boy and I must admit I was impressed! The Hour of Bewilderbeast is an interesting listen, with a varied range of influences and styles with a lush, full sound that will lead me to seek out more from BDB in the near future.

Beautifully crafted pop album that is hard to categorize or describe. I listened a third time to fully appreciate the exquisite depth of the record. Excellent album!

I wasn't familiar with the artist or the album, but I have been casually listening to some Brazilian music recently. Nice grooves and an infectious rhythm that is very easy to listen to. Thanks for the suggestion!

I haven't been a fan of the Black Keys, but of what I've heard they sound fine. With the absence of authentic rock' n 'roll in much of today's popular music, the Black Keys are a breath of fresh air. Though their music isn't exactly original, they play with a passion and a spirit that is a throwback to when rock dominated radio. Brothers is a solid record that grows on you with repeated listening. 3.5/5

When I first heard Beck, I thought this acoustic guitar-playing skinny white "loser" wouldn't amount to much. He had a hit and I didn't care for his music at the time. Boy, was I wrong! He has created an incredible catalog of critically acclaimed albums, it's music in a wide range of genres and his influence on popular music can't be denied. He has released some flat-out great records and Odelay might be his best! I reserve my judgement until I listen to all his albums.

First of all, I can't believe I listened to a whole Metallica album! Though there are some fine songs on this album and I can understand the appeal of the band to their fans, I wished it would ended sooner as it became quite monotonous and repetitious. They take themselves far too seriously and for a band (more specifically, Lars) that tried to shut down Napster and file sharing, lighten up! Blah!

I admit, I had never heard of Jane Weaver until now. I've never really been into electronica or ambient dream-pop, so for my first listen I didn't care for it. I took a second (more focused) listen (late in the evening) and it paid off. The use of synths and other sounds has a trance-like quality that envelopes you with music full of depth and atmosphere. I didn't think I'd like it, but I'm pleased this album was suggested. I recommend it!

I have gone over 40 years without hearing an Adam & The Ants or Adam Ant album. They didn't receive as much of a following on this side of the pond and I never had to desire to listen to band that dressed as pirates or wore warpaint like American Indians. Admittedly, I've probably seen some Adam Ant videos which didn't help. This was the second album from Adam & the Ants and when I actually listened I didn't dislike it. It was infectious and it had some of that punk, new wave edge the band's sound had before Adam went solo. Much better than I expected, but still not a fan.

An essential proto-punk classic from The Dictators, Go Girl Crazy, has all the hallmarks of great album. Loud, fast and funny as hell, the Dictators definitely don't take themselves too seriously. Often overlooked, this album was very influential and provided a blueprint for many punk bands that followed. Highly recommended, but not for everyone's tastes.

Haven't listened to a lot of Leonard Cohen despite the fact the man is a national treasure in my country. The sound is sparse and has shades of early Dylan, but his vocal delivery is unique and his songs express more emotion. The album isn't essential, but the previous record, Songs of Leonard Cohen, his debut is. By comparison, Room is a letdown, but still a solid album. 3.5/5

An excellent debut album from the Stooges, who burn out of the gate with two rocking classics in 1969 and I Wanna Be Your Dog! The momentum and energy slows right down with We Will Fall, which times out for a third of the album, but fortunately the rest of the record redeems itself. Otherwise, this would be 5 stars, plus the next two albums are even better!

Often, based on the band name I have avoided listening to them because I have a preconceived idea what the music will sound like. Depeche Mode, a perfect example! They sound just as I imagined, end of review...actually, I understand why they are popular. The music is infectious and quite dance-able and I don't hate the music, but I will probably avoid it in the future.

I haven't really been much of a fan of U2 since they broke through to the mainstream and became THE biggest deal worldwide. The band is fine, but I don't care much for Bono, much like Sting, who I feel they believe they are much bigger than their bands, though I know this is true. Despite what my opinion about Bono is, the album, All That You Can't Leave Behind is a surprisingly "back to basics" type of record. Though this album is over 20 years old, I've never listened to it from start to finish and I admit it's very listenable and solid throughout. I'll contribute that to a total band effort! Hope that doesn't hurt your ego too much Bono.

Remember pre-recorded cassettes? I thought they were the greatest thing, you can play them in the car, stroll around with your walkman and it could jam a whole double album on one tape! The problem with these tapes is they were the cheapest of cheap quality. The tape was thin and the longer the time on the tape, the more stretched out and worn the tape got. It eventually will tighten, cease and stop....end! A better option is to buy the vinyl, dub it to a good quality cassette (Maxell, TDK), then you have a home copy and a portable copy. Regrets that I bought the pre-recorded cassette of Double Nickels On the Dime instead of the vinyl in the mid-80's at a record store in the states. An excellent record, probably one of the best double LP's from the 80's that made people realize, punk or post-punk or college rock really was better than the shit that was on the radio! It really was one of those "game changing" records, at least to me. Labels like SST put out some great albums! A classic, highly recommended!!

The cool thing about this 1001 album generator is that it challenges me to listen to music I would otherwise avoid. Funk's not really my thing, so I haven't been exposed to much funk, but I heard that Funkadelic is a great place to start. I'm glad I listened, it was a head-bobbing, FUNky listen alright and this will lead me to sample more from Funkadelic. Really...Thanks generator!

Didn't think I would like this band and I'm not sure if I do, but this album was better than I expected. I'm not one to enjoy electric drums or dreamy synth pop, the songs were easy to listen to and kept me engaged, but are they memorable? Time will tell.

Never understood the appeal to Def Leppard. Sure, their music was popular during it's first wave when I was a youth, but I never got into them because I couldn't stand this brand of mainstream, radio-friendly, light-weight wannabee hair metal. There are guys around my age that still listen to DF because it reminds them of their youth and they can't "relate" to newer music. This is almost 35 years ago! Move on, there's lots of way better music in the three and a half decades that followed.

British folk mixed with a medieval, Renaissance sound that is both interesting and beautiful, at times. Not my type of music, but I can see it would be appropriate for certain situations or if in the proper mood. Not unpleasant.

I would die happy if I never had to listen to this album again! For many (definitely NOT me!), this is a defining album from the 80's. If you had to buy one Bon Jovi record, this is the one with the hits that are on constant rotation on "classic rock" radio stations that still play the crap out of this record. Besides the middle-age woman that still believe Jon Bon's hair is magical and karaoke singers that think they're cool drunkenly shouting, Living On A Prayer, who else still listens to this schlock? What's wrong with people? Expand your tastes, there are so many, many, many better albums and bands from the 80's!

I'm not a big fan of the Beach Boys, so before listening to this I didn't know what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised of the depth and the high level of songwriting for this low-key, non-Beach Boys sounding album. Proof that Brian Wilson wasn't the only musical talent in the family and I would prefer to listen to this over most Beach Boys records!

I've been getting into "older person" music more recently (because I am becoming an old person) and I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. Maybe a little much in the horns and strings department, but this seems to be the norm in the day, and I'm actually getting use to it and enjoy it. Anyways, a classic record from old Ray!

Back in high school, I attended a concert that featured the smashing of disco records during the height of the disco's popularity in the late 70's. The local rock radio station sponsored the event, which in turn was giving advertising hype for one of their DJ's band that had a "hit" on the station called, Disco's In the Garbage. Us, impressionable teenagers cheered on the spectacle believing our Cheap Trick, Van Halen, Boston, Foreigner tastes were far superior to any disco music because...disco sucks! Embarrassingly looking back and listening with fresh ears now, disco still does suck, but not as much. I understand the appeal and it is very danceable, not doubt, but I can't dance and the music on it's own is just a slicker soul/funk. I'll give this album a couple of stars mainly because this is a more authentic experience than say...the Bee Gees, Andy Gibb or anyone on the Saturday Night Fever album.

I can't say I know a lot about Prog rock, but a quick scan through my record collection reveals I have more than I remember. I only own two Yes albums and both of them I would consider essential, but this is my first listen to Closer To The Edge start to finish. The first thing I noticed is that there are only 3 songs on the original record and the opener, the title track spans over the full side one. Their follow-up album, Tales From Topographic Oceans was a double album with 4 songs, one per side (yikes!). The songs are actually songs within the songs and there is lots going on and in the hands of other less competent musicians this could have been challenging, instead my tastes have evolved and it was not boring and was an enjoyable listen. I will say, yes to exploring other Yes albums in the future.

So much energy! This record speeds by quickly and it's such a shame the band only released one album during their heyday. Every song reminds me of other songs that came later, which shows how important and influential this record was when it was released. An Essential listen for fans of female-fronted bands of all genres!

This is the album that elevated S & G from just a folk singing duo to something more special. Apart form the timeless classics, Homeward Bound and Scarborough Fair, the songs on rest of the album, though sometimes dated, are interesting and more engaging than I anticipated. Their follow-up albums would become masterpieces, but this is a good place to start.

Some white British blues performing blues standards. Some quality playing from Mayall, Clapton, McVie and Flint, but I don't think it lives up to the hype about how influential and important this album is. It's a fine recording, but I wouldn't deem it essential, though that is debatable.

PJ Harvey is one those artists that has been on my radar, as I know a lot of people that think she's great and a very talented artist, but I've actually never have listened to her. My first impression is that I like the songs and enjoy their sound, but it didn't give me that feeling that it was anything beyond a solid album. I was expecting maybe something more edgy or unique that would stand out above other similar artists from the 90's. This record is critically acclaimed and according to many critics it's her best album, so I'll give it more listens and while I'm at it explore her earlier catalogue which to me looks more interesting.

Finally, an album I own! Steely Dan released some pretty fantastic albums in the 70's and all of them are worth seeking out! At least two of their records, Can't Buy A Thrill and Pretzel Logic I would consider "must hear" and the greatest hits album will fill in the rest. When I was in school when they were at the height of their career, I didn't understand the appeal, but I'm older and wiser now and to me their music exemplifies the best of the mid-70's. Highly recommended!

If you enjoy rapid machine gun drums, throbbing baselines, roaring vocals and endless repetition on every song, then you would love this album! I'll give it +4 because this might be as good as it gets for this genre of music. Then I'll subtract -3 because I don't like this genre, but add +1 because it has balls and it's not the worst thing I've heard here. (I'm talking to you Def Leopard!)

When I was growing up, hearing these songs on the radio are my first memory of Stevie Wonder. I didn't pay much attention at the time and in the mid-80's in his, "I just Called To Say I Loved You" popularity phase, it was hard to ignore (but I did!) because his music was everywhere! Looking back now, the music from the seventies, his "classic" period, really wasn't that bad. Songs In The Key Of Life is critically acclaimed and award winning, the songs are fine and there was some joy to be had listening to this album. Which I guess means I kinda liked it...

I would regard this as one of the best albums from the Rolling Stones, probably in my top 3, at least. A sprawling double-album, Exile allows the Stones to explore different music different styles and it highlights the band at it's career height, both creatively and musically. This has to be considered one of the greatest double albums of all time, leading off with the highly underrated, Rocks Off and continues to amaze until the end of side 4. Must hear!

When I first heard Bossanova when it was released in 1990, I deemed it a disappointment. This album followed the Pixies "best" records, Surfer Rosa and Doolittle, so it was a tough act to follow and though the opening track instrumental sucked me in, I lost interest in the rest of the album. Fast forward to now and listening with fresher (older) ears, I listened To Bossanova, the whole way through, back to back and have to now reconsider my original opinion. The records good, it engaged me and is much better than I remember and it's better than anything else the Pixies released after. If you don't compare it to the previous albums, on it's own it's a solid album. Thanks album generator for letting me re-discover this underrated near-classic!

I would consider this David Bowie's career-defining masterpiece. When I think of the different phases and musical styles of Bowie's career, I keep coming back to the trio of albums, Hunky Dory, Ziggy and Aladdin Sane recorded with his outstanding band, The Spiders From Mars. All these records are essential and Ziggy is up there with the classic albums of the 70's.

After the previous classic rock posts, this one came as a surprise. I had not heard the Penguin Cafe Orchestra so this was a first time listen. At times, the music was fresh and uplifting and this sometimes came across as a experimental orchestral soundtrack score. I can't say I disliked it and actually it's very pleasant background music, but as a "must hear", I'm not so sure.

I really don't care about what the Christian right or what homeland security thinks about Marilyn Manson's "music", the bottom line is it sucks! You can pile on as much anti-Christ bullshit, vile and hateful devil crap you want, but it doesn't make it more listenable. In fact, I found it at times unlistenable, stupid and annoying. If this is so-called "shock" rock, give me Alice Cooper, at least he had a sense of humor. Don't support this sick, creepy loser!

A live album with Metallica and a symphony orchestra? Is this a joke? Heavy metal with symphonic orchestration sounds crazy, but actually it's not bad and even with my distaste in Metallica I listened to the whole (a bit too long) concert. The music from the San Francisco Symphony sounds like a James Bond soundtrack, which isn't a bad thing.

Neil Young recorded some great, good, decent, weird and horrible records during his career and On The Beach stands among his best. I never fully appreciated this album until more recently because I previously didn't gave it a full listen. There's no doubt his finest decade was the 70's, when he recorded and released his most classic records. This album is a low-key release from this era, without much commercial fanfare, but the depth and strength of the songwriting is undeniable.

A refreshingly raw sounding album for The Fall's debut. I didn't know what to expect as I haven't listened to much from The Fall, and it was a pleasant surprise. A good punk record. I quite liked it, not loved, but I'll listen to more from the band!

Glad I took the time to listen to this album. Had no idea what Doves would sound like and I was impressed. Solid indie-Brit pop with some fine songs and not really any bad ones, which is a good thing!

Say what you want about Rod Stewart's career, but he in fact was a great blues and rock vocalist with the Jeff Beck Group and when he and Ron Wood left to join some ex-Small Faces to form the Faces. This was Stewart and Wood at their best (I prefer Wood's guitar work with the Faces than with the Stones) and A Nod Is As Good...was a high point for the band. The band was drunken and sloppy live, but their studio albums were classic records. Wood's guitar work is exceptional on Nod and Stewart never sounded better. The same band would also record on Stewart's early albums, so in reality the Faces produced a lot of great, memorable albums.

Not really a fan of musicians interpreting music genres that are not their usual forte and in this case Ray Charles' modern take of country and western. Don't get me wrong, he doesn't put on a cowboy hat and strum an acoustic guitar, instead it gets the grandiose treatment with horns and strings. At times, it's a bit overdone and hard to listen to after a while, but overall his treatment of the songs and his performance makes it a worthwhile listen.

I've been slowly gaining an appreciation for jazz and I'm very happy this album was on the list of 1001 albums because I hadn't heard it before. Live improvised piano piece isn't something my younger self would have tolerated, so I listened with a open mind and open ears. A wonderful way to spend an hour or so, though it was background music while I was painting (art, not walls). It was a perfect mood for creating. Enjoyable listen!

If I judged this record by the album cover photo alone, I would had given this a hard pass! It was produced by a couple ex-Mott the Hooples (NOT Ian Hunter or Mick Ronson), so it slightly has their sound, as well as maybe the NY Dolls and some riffs from the Dictators, though not done nearly as good as those bands. Parody at best, I expected worse, but they can still go back to mystery city, please.

Never really cared for Simple Minds back in the day and listening to this now doesn't change my opinion. Nothing for me here as their music has always been meh. Let's move on...

Personally, I consider this album to be the Bob Dylan's, magnum opus. Blonde On Blonde is one of the greatest double albums of all time, right up there with Exile On Main St., The White Album and The Wall. Essential!

I'm not usually a fan of Christmas records, though the Ventures and Los Straitjackets do a smash-up job with their instro-versions. That being said, I was skeptical and though some of the songs are a little too sappy for my taste, there are some great songs on here. A bonus star for the spoken-work message to end the record from producer/convicted murderer, Phil "the kill" Spector. Boy, have times changed!

Not a fan, but it wasn't as bad as I expected. The instrumentals were fine, so the less vocals the better. The sound was rawer than I expected, more of a punk feel, which is a good thing.

Never heard of this before, so i didn't know what to expect. Enjoyed it!

An epic album, at least in length, but really highlights Cave's strengths as a songwriter and performer. Bowie-esque in parts, but still a distinct and unique sound.

Though Mudhoney has never lived up to the hype of their first Sub Pop singles, they have carved out a rather successful career. Their early grunge work is what I remember best of Mudhoney and EGBDF might be their best album. A solid record in any era!

Despite bands such as Nirvana and Green Day, Pavement was one of the most important bands from the 90's. Crooked Rain is my favourite Pavement album and it confirms that Stephen Malkmus is one of the best songwriters of his generation. A classic record, definitely a must hear!

I'm a novice for jazz, but this one is a no-brainer as far as classic jazz records. Haven't listened to a lot of Miles, but with the help of music streaming services, this will change. A nice way to spend an hour in the afternoon!

Another band that's been under my radar and they sound kinda like what I expected. Nothing special, but an enjoyable listen and I should listen to more of their stuff.

I divide up R.E.M.'s career in 3 eras, the I.R.S indie-ish albums, the mainstream (MTV) fame years and the after-fame albums. Automatic is smack dab in the middle of the peak fame years. I started to lose interest in the band after Document, but you can't deny the band produced some great records. This one has some well known hits, but I still prefer the days of Reckoning and Life's Rich Pageant.

I'm generally not a fan of country music, but I don't mind some older country from the 50's and 60's. On this Buck Owens record, you can hear how influential this music was to aspiring musicians at the time. The tunes are fun and even I can listen to some hillbilly music sometimes.

When the album first came out, radio was inundated with so much airplay for Tears For Fears I hated this record. Overexposure on radio and music video does translate to huge record sales, but it also pisses off music fans that know there is lots of other music that should be heard. Listening now, the music does have a nostalgic effect, but I am quick to wake up and put on my turntable much better music from the period that gives me a good feeling instead of a feeling of being stuck in an era and decade that produced a lot of crap!

Don't listen to a lot of electronic music, so it's hard for me to judge. Sounds fine to me!

XTC released a lot of memorable records in the 80's and Skylarking might be their masterpiece. It's a lush sounding album that highlights the band at their height of creativity. Not a record full of hits, it's a consistent, solid album that flows beautifully and Dear God is one the most interesting (and greatest) songs the band has ever produced!

Another performer and album I'm not familiar with. That being said, it was an enjoyable listen, though I didn't love it. I really should expand my musical range and listen to more of this genre, then I might appreciate it more.

Some of my most annoying earworms from the 80's were courtesy of George Michael. Faith, I Want Your Sex and anything from his former band, Wham! and the accompanying videos, I couldn't stand! I must admit when I listened to Listen Without Prejudice in 2022, it was a more sympathetic listen as the songs and vibe are a little more sombre and toned down than his previous hit record. The song Freedom! 90 may evoke a different emotion for me now than when it released over 30 years ago. The record isn't awful and listening without prejudice to the whole thing gives me perhaps a slightly different perspective on the man instead of just a "pop star".

The Slider features the icon cover photo taken by (supposedly?) Ringo Starr, is the follow-up album to T-Rex's classic, Electric Warrior. Musically, this feels like a sequel, with a similar sound to Warrior. The songs are accessible and enjoyable, but a feel it's a slight step back quality-wise. Still a great album, well worth seeking out! It's funny, I had this on the turntable last week, so it was fresh on my mind.

As a big fan of live concert recording, you can't deny the importance and significance of this live concert from Dylan. Musically, the first disc is Bob, solo acoustic and the second disc features Dylan electric with the band with songs from his previous releases. What a performance! In my opinion, this is Dylan at his best and I'm sure glad this show was recorded! Thank you bootleggers!

There were basically two stages to Queen's career. The early British hard rocking band of their first three albums, then after Night At the Opera, the mainstream radio friendly hit machine. I must admit, I love Opera, it's an all-time classic and what precedes it gave us hints of what was to come. The band was always a strong vocal band, but they also rocked hard, especially on Queen II with a touches of prog and art rock. They were starting to develop their sound and though there were no "hits", most of the songs were solid. Fans of their later work will not like this.

I don't have many regrets as far as choices I've made for my music collection (LPs, CDs, tapes etc.). One regret I do have is trading my Beastie Boys cassette of Paul's Boutique for a Mick Jagger (?) CD. What was I thinking?! At the time, I wasn't a fan of rap (still not really a fan), but what I was missing out was an important piece of music from the still relevant BB's that many consider an essential listen. This is the first time I listened all the way through and it was very enjoyable. Some of my music tastes have changed, (or evolved?) and I'm more open now to more styles of music. Thankfully with music streaming sites I don't have to re-buy the tape for another listen.

I never really understood the hype surrounding Beyonce, sure she has a good voice, but I tend to think her massive appeal and commercial success is more attributed to Beyonce the "product", rather than just the music. I'm always suspicious when you hear about an artist's personal life just as much as their music. I hadn't listened to her music more than what I've been force-fed on the radio and music videos and she is what she is. A above-average singer, with an above average hype machine behind her = the greatest singer of her generation...yeah, right.

A very important album released when punk and New Wave were on it's verge, contrasted by the threat of disco taking over the airwaves. The Talking Heads, lead by David Byrne emerged from the New York city punk scene playing the dingy clubs such as, CBGB's and Max's that formed a music community of talented and previously unheard artists. The beauty of the first Talking Heads album is it's simplicity, the sound and songs were straight forward, they were unique though, especially Byrne's jittery vocal style and angular guitar sound and Byrne's guitar playing is highly underrated! Though the Heads gained more commercial success as the band's sound expanded into other genre's, Talking Heads 77 will always be considered a landmark record!

Can't decide if this album is Eminem's justification of being a douche bag or more proof that he is. It's so over the top offensive on so many levels it borders on an attempt at comedy or parody and clearly, Eminem is trying way too hard to be taken seriously. I feel justified for dismissing him for all these years because it is as horrible as I thought it would be.

For many years before the Bee Gees hit it big with the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack and became huge disco stars, the Bee Gees had a full career already in the 60's and early 70's. I admit I own a couple pre-SNF albums and they're pretty good. Keep the image of the Gibbs in tight pants out of your mind when you listen to Trafalgar and you'll be fine. The album has it's moments, but some of the songs are rather dull. All and all, a decent album which is typical for their "early works".

The first Beatles album I bought was the "Blue" record (1967-1970), this along with it's companion ("Red" 1962-1966) are the perfect entry level compilation records to introduce new Beatles fans to most of their hits. To really give you an idea of the range of the band's music, you must seek out most of their studio albums which are very good to brilliant, as sometimes it's the deeper cuts that deserve some attention. I've owned a copy of Abbey Road since the late-70's and it still gets plays on my turntable. Since I've heard the popular tracks so much (Come Together, Something, Here Comes The Sun), I have been known to skip those tracks for the rest of the record. It's these "secondary" tracks that give Abbey Road so much depth in quality. In fact, this has probably the best side 2 of any record I've heard highlighted by the medley that concludes the album. So good! Undoubtedly, this is the Beatles masterpiece!

Not really a James Brown fan, but you can't deny the legacy of the man and the energy of this album. Some performers thrive with live performances and clearly with this and other Apollo live recordings, he is at the top of his game in front of a live audience. He truly is the hardest working man in show biz!

Good solid album. I had never heard of Kiwanuka before and his sound is a refreshing change from the usual. Curious to hear more.

When this album originally hit the airwaves I was so narrowly focused on rock, some mainstream, some not, but especially trying to avoid anything that wasn't rock on the radio. I have since expanded my musical palate and can appreciate this genre of smooth jazz that has a time and place. I always think of smooth jazz as a "pop"-gateway towards "real" jazz that introduces the masses to how potentially commercial this music can be. For me Sade was my introduction to smooth jazz and listening now I can't say I don't like it. Again, it has a time and place and if you want to create a mood of romance and serenity, Diamond Life is definitely your record. Oh, and Valentines is coming up so cue up your Sade albums. Smooth operator, indeed.

Buffalo Springfield was most notable for helping launch Neil Young's career. Buffalo Springfield Again is without doubt a very good album, though Young's contributions were kind of minimal with two of his tracks recorded solo, but it does contain one of Young's great tracks, Mr. Soul. To not take away the contribution of the other members of the band, the record suffers from inconsistency and wasn't quite as great as I remember. That being said, this is an important piece of 60's rock history that is the beginnings of something greater (CSN&Y and Neil solo), that can't be denied.

Dear Bjork, When this album was released I tried to listen and embrace it, but it just didn't click with me and couldn't get past the sound of your voice. I also tried listening to your previous band, the Sugarcubes and as much as I wanted to like it, I couldn't. I realize your music has put Iceland on the global radar as a hotbed for cultural talent, so I feel I should give your music another try and thanks to this 1001 albums challenge I'm having another listen. Sorry, this still doesn't do anything for me, I'm trying to be open-minded, but I just don't care for it. You deserve the accolades you have received because you are clearly talented and unique and you have a dedicated and passionate fan-base so you are truly doing something special. I promise i will try again in maybe...30 years (or sooner), so thank you for your music. Sincerely yours, TDIT

I was never really been a fan of ELO's synthesized sound and some of the production Jeff Lynne did for other artists, but they produced enough good songs to make me feel nostalgic every time I hear them. Each of their early albums had a few songs worth listening to and definitely Out Of The Blue is the most fulfilling. They had quite a bit of radio play during this time and they were popular enough I felt I didn't need to buy the record (if that makes sense?). The best songs are super catchy and I've heard Mr. Blue Sky more in the past couple of years than ever before. It must have appeared on some movie soundtracks or TV shows or something, anyways it's a great song!

Sometimes when an artist is super popular whether it's a hype job or they genuinely are a talent that everyone should listen to, I tend to avoid it. Too much boy band and too much fabricated "American Idol-like singers out there competing for everyone's attention. After finally listening to the full album of Adele's, 21, I really think she is genuinely a talent worth listening to. Personally, her music doesn't interest me much, but I recognize she deserves the accolades she receives. This isn't something I'd toss on the turntable at random, but if it's on the radio I won't switch stations.

This is one of those albums that evokes a feeling of nostalgia and a time capsule-ness of late 60's hippy/folk-era. The quality of the harmonies are unmistakably perfect and though this contains some classic songs (Monday, Monday, California Dreaming), there could have been more consistency, especially with it's selection of covers. That being said, If You Believe Your Eyes & Ears is the essential release from the Mamas & The Papas and California Dreaming is the perfect song to help warm me up with because the place where I live drops to -30 or colder..."on such a winters day"

Interesting listen, not usually the type of music I listen to, but it kept my attention all the way through. I especially like the instrumentals and the Afro-beats are so infectious and energetic, it brought warmth to my otherwise chilly day! Nice!

Note to self: listen to more Brazilian music! I had not heard this before and I was pleasantly surprised. A relaxing and soothing listen, though a little long, had me longing to listen to other Brazilian artists as well.

This recording has all the attributes of a good solid live album. The recording is clear and upfront, the crowd is engaged, loud and present (not too screamy loud, like a Beatles concert), the vocals are raw and emotional, the songs don't sound exactly like the studio versions, a great setlist and it actually sounds like a live concert. This surprised me because I had only heard the studio versions of Cooke's songs and live they are transported to another level. The raw, raspiness of Cooke's vocals is reminiscent to Rod Stewart's vocal delivery and obviously Stewart was heavily influenced by Cooke. Stewart's cover of Twisting The Night Away is clearly a tribute to Sam Cooke. I love this record, one of the better live concert albums out there, it's crazy it took so long to get a proper release!

Along with Abbey Road and maybe Rubber Soul, I consider Revolver one of my favourite Beatles's albums. There's so much going on with a wide range of styles and an increased contribution from all the members. The Beatle's sound was rapidly evolving and after this album, the band settled into the studio and continued to expand and innovate their sound. This has a few hits (Taxman, Eleanor Rigby and Yellow Sub), but really it's a collection of lower key classics that makes this a very solid listen.

First of all, I dislike Kayne West, the person, his politics, his ego and his whole arrogant persona. Secondly, I dislike his music and I absolutely can't stand any "music" that overuses auto-tune, and for that matter, ANY music that uses auto-tune! Thirdly, I don't hate it as much as I could have, because there are some redeeming qualities to it as his full blown ego hasn't taken over yet. I haven't fully listened to any of his followup records, but they must be worst. Fourthly, anyone married (past or present) to a Kardashian gets minus (-) stars. Fifthly, the guy in the bear suit gets a star for looking how I feel after listening to this album.

On Lang's second solo record, her transformation from a goofy country and western singer with her band, The Reclines to a cabaret-style, crooner pop singer was complete. Gone are the wire glasses and long skirts and colourful dresses to be replaced with a androgynous look with a boyish hair cut and tailored suit jackets. In some ways I preferred her cowpunk phase, but I was never a fan of Lang in either persona. She does have a great voice and she puts it to maximum use on this album which probably contains some of her best known songs. Not really my taste, but it's listenable and she deserves the accolades and awards from this album.

Really enjoyed it! Super catchy and melodic, this is the kind of music that brings a smile to my face. I guess I should listen to more Supergrass!

I'm not usually a fan of country and western, but the Gram Parsons and the Burrito Brothers had a different approach to the genre. While the music has styling of folk and country, they also fused in elements of gospel, soul and rock. The results are heard on this album and were influential to the country-rock genre and alt-country rock bands from the late 80's and 90's. They owe a lot of their influence from this record. Gram Parson proved in his short tragic career that quality over quantity was more important and Gilded Palace is a good starting point when examining Parson's career.

Yo, I can't pretend I understand or can relate to this music, but I don't hate it and I can listen to it. I probably won't again, it's just that it's not my kind of music. Ya know what I'm saying...

Though I thought I would prefer the band's earlier stripped down sound, Remain In Light is a turning point for the band musically. The additional musicians and a wider range of sound gives the band a full sound that shows how the band has grown both creatively and production-wise. Not my favourite Talking Heads record, but perhaps the most interesting.

This is some pretty chill mood music, though one step up from background music. Very listenable.

This has a very lavish sound and feel to it, with nods to the 60's and 70's. I quite like it and it grabs your attention and sucks you in because it's consistent and enjoyable throughout. Well done!

Low-key and was better than I expected. Actually, I didn't know what to expect, I was always curious how the Youngbloods sounded and they are mellowed than I thought they'd be, but it has a nice groove to it. An interesting listen, for sure.

Not a big fan of U2, but if I had to listen to a U2 album this would be the one. Critically acclaimed and loved by fans, it contains many of their best known hits, I didn't feel a need to turn it off.

I feel this is the Who's most enjoyable albums to listen to. The first of many concept records from Townsend and the band and this one particularly works...well almost. Side one is great, mixing in the fake commercials with some top notch songs, this is my favourite side one from the Who. Unfortunately, it loses a bit a stream on side two and never quite flows as well, otherwise this would be 5 stars. The later riff during Rael is heard on the next album (Tommy) and the band's sound is evolving from garage to pop psych. This is the beginning of a great run of Who albums.

Not really my genre of music, but it has an infectious energy that keeps it interesting. There's some good songs on here and is worth exploring more.

Music doesn't do much for me. It was playing, but it didn't capture my attention so I wasn't listening very carefully. I'll give an extra star for the cover artwork which I like, much better than the music on the album.

Electric Warrior has to be considered the quintessential Glam Rock album that was hugely influential to many musicians, especially David Bowie. The band's sound evolved from folk-rock to a more electric rock sound. Get It On (Bang A Gong) is one of those songs you seem to hear everywhere, but the rest of the album is solid with just as many memorable songs on it. Definitely essential to any fan of 70's rock, a classic!

Some good old fashioned rock 'n' roll, the way it was meant to be heard. Raw, charged and full of energy, this was Little Richard at his best!

I actually haven't listened to a lot of Grateful Dead albums, so I didn't know what to expect. This one has several songs I'm familiar with and it has a nice mellow country-rock vibe throughout. I'll probably listen to more albums around this time period because I quite like it, but I'm not interested in becoming a Deadhead anytime soon.

Seems like standard old school rap/hip hop to my untrained rap ear. Nothing really stands out for me, but it doesn't turn me off like some rap does. It's okay...

The summer of 1979 was my first full summer of going to arena-sized rock concerts seeing bands like, Cheap Trick, Supertramp and Van Halen. This was an eye-opening and ear splitting experience that forever secured my love for live concerts. The sheer energy and captive stage presence of Eddie Van Halen and David Lee Roth was mind-melting, at the time and it set my standards pretty high of what a great rock concert should be. Though I can't say I'm still a band of Van Halen, I must admit their first album was very influential on so many levels and it is must be considered one of the great debut records of the 70's. The instrumental, Eruption introduced the world to the guitar wizardry of Eddie Van Halen and if you love guitar, this is essential. Listening to it now (loud), brings back a lot of happy memories, but I'm glad I expanded my music tastes after the first couple Van Halen albums because they became a shell of their former self and self-parody later in their long career. Still, this a must-hear!

Some good songs on this one, but as a whole it didn't grab me and pull me in like I thought it would. A fine document of some late 60's psych-pop-rock and it gets kind of jammy to conclude the record. Nice touch.

Though I don't think this is Springsteen's best record, it was definitely his most popular, best selling and most commercially successful album. The Boss had broken through into the mainstream (if he hadn't already), not just Springsteen fans, but a whole new younger audience that were swayed by the popular music videos they're were for this record. The dance-worthy, Dancing in the Dark, was his biggest hit (there were 7 top ten singles on the album) despite being one of the least-Springsteen-ish sounding songs of his career. A huge tour followed and the American (and world-wide) public couldn't get enough! Apparently, Bruce did because he never released an album afterwards that was anything as accessible and hit-worthy as Born In The U.S.A.

Truly a classic record that introduced the world to Jonathan Richman. This version of the Modern Lovers was much different than Richman's later incarnations of the Modern Lovers, almost a one-off that rocked harder than anything Richman would ever release. Much more of a band-format, this debut album featured future members of the Talking Heads (Jerry Harrison) and the Cars (David Robinson). It's a very influential record and proto-punk classic, it has to be considered one of the great art rock albums!

Though I'm a fan of some New Wave, this veers more towards Techno-pop and feels a bit too pretentious to me. There are some good songs that have a bit of a Roxy Music/Bowie and maybe even Duran Duran vibe to it, so it did grow on me. The cover photo would probably stop me from listening, but I'm glad I took a listen.

She's got an excellent voice and puts it to good use on this album. I'm just not a fan of this style of music, but I'll still listen. Some okay songs, but I have no need to buy this. Thank you streaming sites.

A refreshing listen from music that should be heard. I never got around to listening to this when it was released and it's the type of music I appreciate more now. A very pleasant afternoon spent transcended to Buena Vista. Nice!

This is one of those albums that are so career defining and important, it should be heard by everyone. When I bought this album back in the early 80's or so, I have to admit I didn't take to it right away. It's an intense listen and it's not for everyone, but again it should be heard. It's a "game-changer" in so many ways and changed the way feminism and woman's issues were viewed by mainstream culture and music. Another defining moment in the 70's. Enough babble, have a listen!

Personally, Murmur was one of those life-changing records that shifted the direction of my music tastes. R.E.M.'s sound was refreshing and much needed. Around this time I discovered other like-minded bands, the Replacements, Husker Du, Violent Femmes, etc. ,bands outside mainstream radio (college rock) and this music was the reason the 80's actually had some great music. I'll always have a special place for the first four R.E.M. records (especially the first two) in my collection and all of them are essential listens!

Never been a fan of the Pet Shop Boys and probably never will be. Listening to most of the album is the most I've listened to them in one sitting and though it was fine, couldn't really keep my attention. Some songs had a nice beat to it and could get into it, but most of the music had a sameness and blah appeal for me. Blah...

An enjoyable listen. Nothing really jumps out and the songs are fine, but his vocals are rich and strong and overall a solid record.

A solid sounding record, I enjoy their sound, but nothing really stands out for me. I'm not a big fan, but this has me curious enough to re-visit their earlier albums and re-listen to this one again.

An amazing debut album that introduced us to the incredible PJ Harvey. Her longevity in music has proven this record was no fluke. A raw, rocking album! I haven't heard the demo version of the album yet, but I will for sure now!

I really didn't understand the appeal of Leonard Cohen until i listened to some of his earlier records, which I thought were quite good. Later in his career, he had a bit of an revival and attracted new fans and treated his old fans with new material. This music i have less interest in, unless you're old and/or female, it's not for me. Listenable, but I prefer his back catalog.

When you think of great live albums, Live At Leeds is always in the conversation. Not only did the Who release excellent studio records, they were an amazing live band. I had this on cassette back in the early 80's and it got to many listens, I wore out the tape. I thought at the time, I wish the album was longer and there must have been other songs during the set. After listening to the deluxe edition that contained the whole concert, I take back my earlier concerns. The whole show which was during the "Tommy" era, contained lots of songs from that record, which is fine, but it loses some of it's energy. I can now see why the original Live At Leeds album was edited down, it's so much more powerful and dynamic with the shorter track list and it remains (to me anyways), a landmark live album. (I would give the deluxe edition 4****)

This was the first Dinosaur Jr record I heard so it set the standard high for their subsequent releases and this remains my favourite album of theirs. It's loud, noisy and it hits hard. It's not a perfect record by any stretch, but it came at a time when alternative music was starting to get attention, pre-grunge, pre-Nirvana and it gave me hope that music was more than pretty faces, pretty songs and pretty boring music. I still listen to this album, a lot and if you do, play it loud, loud LOUD!

A really interesting album. Waits does a jazzy, spoken word/talking "live" performance complete with a nightclub atmosphere. Waits is brilliant, funny and very engaging spoken with his trademark gravelly voice. The music is low key and quite good. I really enjoyed it, but it might not hold up to repeated plays and he has better records.

Generally, I'm not a big fan of reggae, sometimes there's too much repetition for my liking, but this album is so old school and straight up reggae, I like it a lot. Easy to groove to, a very pleasurable laid-back listen.

Considering this is the follow-up album to Pink Floyd's masterpiece, Dark Side Of the Moon the expectations were huge with this record. I always felt, Wish You Were Here was the low-key classic, that in many ways is just as good or even better than Dark Side. I heard a lot of this music in my late teens and of course, it still holds up today. I feel I should explore their earlier works to fairly compare all their albums. One of their best regardless and one of the better albums of the 70's, for sure!

Sounds okay, but never would consider this to be "must hear". Easy to listen to and has some fine moments, but really there are other more worthy Brit-Pop band that could make the list. I did enjoy it though.

Definitely in that category of great albums from the 70's, even of all-time on some people's lists. When it was released and dominated the radio waves with it's many hits, I tried to avoid getting caught up in the hype of Fleetwood Mac and didn't buy the album. Listening now, the record brings me waves of nostalgia and some weird fuzzy feeling when you think back to your youth...That being said, it is a classic record, but there are other amazing albums that should receive at least half the attention this one did then and now, during it's recent revived interest.

Nothing wrong with this record, it's listenable, though it doesn't do much for me specifically. There are some good songs on it and I didn't feel the need to turn it off, but there's only so much you can take hearing voice mail messages from someone else's mother.

This has to be considered one of Neil Young's best known and top-selling records. Lots of great songs on here and though I don't regard this his best or my favourite album of Young's, this is a classic. I still prefer his "rocker" albums.

A beautiful sounding record. I've been meaning to discover his music and this was the perfect excuse to listen. I need to hear more from Drake (no, not that Drake!), highly recommended!

A fast-paced, epic record from music icon, Brian Wilson. This concept record's tracks seem to blend into one another, there are some great songs on here, though it's a bit of a jumble at times. Not really a big fan of the Beach Boys, but enjoyed it and glad this finally got a real release!

Didn't know exactly what I was expecting, but it was better than I expected, I actually didn't mind it. Stark, ambient at times, it's not exactly "hit-worthy" music, but there is some substance to it. Okay, but not essential by any means.

Though I don't consider this the Byrd's best album, it's still very significant and has a lot of good songs it. There is however more filler than on previous records and at the time is was overlooked, but it ages well today. The Byrd's are exploring more musical styles, for better or worse, so overall it's a solid record.

Not really my genre, but I didn't mind it. Very pleasant background music, but never engaged me beyond that. Enjoyable!

Don't have much Johnny Cash records, but, At Folsom Prison is my absolute favorite! What can be better than Johnny performing in front of prisoners at a prison with a set of "appeasing the audience" appropriate songs ! Wow, still a classic!

I realize the historical significance of the release of this album and the lasting influence Joan Baez has been since the 60's, but I can't honestly say I enjoy it that much. Her music and her singing is fine, I just need to hear her in small doses.

I didn't realize Bonnie Raitt had released so many records previously, as this is her tenth album, but I knew this her comeback album. Easy to listen to and so many familiar songs I had forgotten about, though kind of generic at the same time. Enjoyable enough, I'll probably listen to more from Bonnie in the near future.

Not a fan of techno or electronica or funk or whatever this genre is, but I can't say I hate it. Okay as background music, but the chances of me digging this up for another listen are slim to none.

Nice to see some indie-rock bands here instead of just older classic rock albums. This record has it moments and there are some good songs here, but overall it didn't capture my attention as much I had hoped. Good effort, so I will listen to more from the band.

The debut and only album recorded when Buddy was alive (which is quite surprising!) is a rock' n ' roll classic! This record pretty much has the essential songs that made Holly a legend, but if you want a wider look at his career (to be), greatest hits packages will cover that. Short and sweet!

When I bought this album when it was first released, I was so anxious to hear it I zoomed home to play it! Unfortunately disappointment, the opening track, So Far Away skipped on the turntable and without listening to the rest, I immediately exchanged it for another...then it happened again...anyways, third time was a charm! The opening three songs were amazing and most of the album as a whole was good, but it started to lose me towards the end. Dire Straits most commercially successful album and their last great record, but in my opinion, not their best. It still brings back memories of happier times of playing records, reading the liner notes, listening with headphones in your parents house and avoiding music videos. :)

A really good record that was easy to listen to and digest. I especially enjoy Hill's contributions and it's always nice to hear a female voice in hip-hop. Though they only released two albums, their influence is undeniable. I'm still not much of a hip-hop, R & B fan, but this was enjoyable.

Couldn't get into it, I tried... The songs are okay, but nothing that stands out as essential or memorable and really I had the urge to switch to something else as I lost interest about halfway through.

I use to like the Chili Peppers, Mother's Milk was pretty good, they were funky, edgy and different than most of the stuff on the radio or MTV and they put on amazing live shows. But something happens when you sell a gazillion copies of a record, chart high on the charts and attract the attention of celebrities and a mainstream following of teenage girls and loser hipsters. They're live shows are probably still a spectacle with the help of a much bigger budget and same with their music, big budget, accessible radio-friendly music so another bazillion people can stream it on Spotify or whatever. Kind of makes me sad...

Up until the release of Face To Face in 1966, the Kinks were primarily known as a hit singles band, but this album would be a turning point. Face To Face was the first of a string of soon-to-be classics the Kink's albums recorded in the late 60's. This too, is the first of Ray Davies vision of concept records that he explores further in the late 60's and 70's. This might be considered one of their "under the radar" masterpieces and ironically this is the only Kinks record I don't have on vinyl in my collection, though I've listened to it many, many times and I would consider this a must-hear! I really need to buy this album!

Pink Floyd closed out the 70's with the epic rock opera, The Wall. This was an extraordinary project that would become their opus magnum, a concept album that would be their last great work. The record has many highlights and is fairly consistent, but like most double albums has some filler. That being said, despite Dark Side Of The Moon being their best selling album, The Wall is their most important.

This is the third PJ Harvey I have rated and I must admit, this one kept my interest the least. The earlier albums were more raw and hungry, while this one never connected with me maybe because it wasn't very interesting or unique. A bit too bland for my taste.

This is considered the quintessential Led Zeppelin album. Not only does it contain one of the best known songs of the 70's, but it's also their most consistent record. It's been a while since I listened to IV in it's entirety and I almost forgot how many classic songs are on here. This should be the starting place to discover Zep, then work your way back (I, II, III) to the beginning, they're all essential!

Clearly, Michael Jackson and his album, Thriller are iconic, it can't be denied, as this album is the best selling album of all-time. 70 million copies have been sold worldwide, so 70 million can't be wrong, can they? I am NOT one of those 70 million, but it seems over my lifetime, I've been forced to listen to songs from this record at least that many times. Just because a record gets endless airplay, music videos have been viewed billions of times, millions of people have seen him live and all those copies of the album were sold doesn't mean it's any good. Not to forget, that glove, that dance, his zoo, the kids...!! I had seen this album in bargain bins more than any other album, so you know people's parents bought this record because it was popular. The next generation that has followed have also been tricked into thinking this is a great piece of music...spoiler alert, it isn't!

On this rainy, cold gloomy day, this a much needed ray of sunshine and warmth! Now, I gotta get up and dance, well maybe. Enjoyable!

This record immediately caught my attention and kept it throughout. An excellent debut with original guitarist, Ward Dotson that's catchy and interesting. Ward went on to a fine career with the Pontiac Brothers and Liquor Giants and he really shines on this album.

I usually have a high tolerance for most hardcore, as some of it has some substance and marginal musicianship to it, but this "grindcore" or extremely metal or whatever Napalm Death's genre is, really tests my patience. I guess this is what nightmares sound like with it's comical dog barks that pass for vocals and the speed and ridiculousness of the songs makes me wonder why I must hear this before I die? If I cranked this up, I'm sure the neighbors would call the cops and I might be induced to go on a killing spree.

After listening to the last post for, Napalm Death, this is a breath of fresh air. Easy to listen to and skilled musicianship made this listen enjoyable.

I had not heard this previously and I haven't listened to much Lizzy besides the "hits", so this was a nice wide range of tracks spread throughout this double LP. They sounded like a great band to see live and this live record brings life and a freshness to the studio tracks. Will listen repeatedly!

A good solid album from those Young Rascals with one of their biggest hits along with some other decent songs. An easy listen, nothing too challenging, just a chill record that was enjoyable.

Not a fan of the band, especially when this album was first released. I didn't listen to any synth-based pop music on the radio, but reflecting back it does bring back a bit of nostalgia. You couldn't go anywhere without hearing their big hit, Don't You Want Me and it still remains an earwig in my mind once in a while. It's not always a bad thing.

I should first mention, I do NOT like Guns N' Roses! I think they are one of the most overrated bands of our generation and I just can't see the appeal of this parody of a "heavy metal" band, if you even call them that. I don't have any issue with most of the band members, except Axl Rose, who is the definition of a douche, I can't stand him! As for the music, it's nothing special, Aerosmith pretty much covered this territory a lot better decades ago. If you are a fan or want to hear what the big deal is, Appetite For Destruction is their so-called best album and has their familiar tunes. I did listen to the whole record and though it didn't rock my world, it was at least listenable. If you haven't heard, Welcome to the Jungle, already a million times at sporting events or the radio, you are a very fortunate person. If you wear a Guns N' Roses t-shirt, do not talk to me and stay away, I've judged you already.

Not familiar with the artist, so I had no idea what I'd be listening to. After a listen, I still don't know what I was listening to. So much going on, some good, some...not so easy to listen to. An interesting mix, but not enough to hold my interest throughout the whole album, but overall, could be worse, I suppose.

When this album was released, I dismissed it because I was "Policed-out" and lost interest in the band and wasn't interested too much in the songs or the music videos that accompanied the record. I saw the band during this tour and was impressed how well the songs translated live and they were still at the top of their game as a live band. Reflecting back and listening now, I realize Synchronicity is a solid record (I still prefer their first two albums the most) and it was an appropriate "swansong" for their final album. Sting went on to...yeah, you know what happens...

This takes me back, I remember listening to this in the late 80's and it helped expand my musical interests beyond pop, rock and punk. Musically interesting, with tracks that were accessible to (younger) listeners outside the folk, Celtic, Irish genre. Today, it still holds up okay, but it's a little more traditional than I remember.

Haven't actually listened to a complete Fiona Apple record and she sounded like I expected. Fiona's lyrics are interesting and provocative and the music is fine and though I can't say I love it, it was enjoyable and sometimes challenging. She's been around for a while and she's achieved much critical acclaim and I'm glad her music didn't get super mainstream. She seems to be doing what she wants to be doing, so extra points for integrity.

I can't pretend to say I understand or enjoy the music, but I can't say I dislike it. To me, it's experimental, avant-garde noise sounds and it's no wonder Eno composes soundtracks. Collaborating with David Byrne helps and they work well together, so I might have another listen in a different state of mind.

Generally, this is a genre I wouldn't go out of my way to listen to, but I enjoyed it! Solid beats and very musically varied, I found myself grooving and moving. I would even consider listening to more.

First time listener for Pulp and was always interested how this album would sound. There's nothing hardcore about it, but it's a dynamic record and for the most part, enjoyed it. I've been starting to re-discover more Brit-pop as I ignored it first time around, so I'm sure I'll slowly appreciate it more. The cover is more disappointing than the music, which is a good thing.

Steely Dan released a run of great albums during the 70's and I regard a couple of them as essential (Can't Buy A Thrill, Pretzel Logic), that are a good starting point to discover Steely Dan. Aja, the band's 6th album was moving towards more of a rock-jazz oriented sound, a bit smoother, but just as interesting. The previous records leading up to Aja (Katie Lied, Royal Scam), were a bit of a letdown and less consistent, but Aja was improved and produced an accessible sound that led to it being probably their most commercially successful record. I would place Aja in my top three favourite Dan albums and it brings back much nostalgia from my teenage years when I listen to it. A solid record, but not their best.

A friend of mine recommended this album back when it was released and at the time I hadn't listened to a lot of female artists I enjoyed, since most of the bands I followed were your typical white male-lead groups/singers. I have to admit, I half gave it a listen because Suzanne looked so cute on the album cover (yes, I do sometimes judge the record by the cover). It was low-key folk and her voice and the music caught my attention immediately. The songs were interesting and this was something that was missing from my musical palate up to this point. I can't say I'm a big Suzanne Vega fan, though her second album was commercially successful with her two best known songs (Tom's Diner and Luka), but I really didn't care for her music as much as her debut. Luka is a great song, though I prefer the Lemonheads cover version, but maybe that's what makes the first album so good, there are no hits, no pretension or expectation. I still spin this record occasionally and I'm glad my buddy, Ben recommended I buy it.

The first two tracks hit you hard and fast and overall this is a very solid album. I had never listened to the Saints before and was pleasantly surprised by their sound and I'm instantly a fan. Since this is their second album, I'm curious about their debut and the rest of their discography, as well.

For me, I have to be in the proper mood to listen to a lot of Prog, that being said, ELP are one of the best in the genre, so I was optimistic to listen this record. The playing is top notch and you're not gonna hear any chart topping singles, but it's a little self-indigent at times and I sometimes don't have patience for really long songs. Overall, it was enjoyable, though they have better albums. The cover art is cool!

During Nirvana's short career, they produced only 3 studio albums. Bleach, the indie album (if you can call Sub Pop indie?), the major label, mainstream breakthrough record, Nevermind and their last album, the follow-up, In Utero. Nevermind was a tough act to follow, it went on to sell a gazillion records, got tons of airplay and was widely praised as one of the great albums of the 90's. In Utero was in fact a commercial and critical success, it was at the top of the charts and it also sold way too many records, but was it any good? Personally, when it was released I didn't care for it or I didn't really want to listen to it. At the time, I had an issue with bands that "sold out", signed with major labels and attracted a whole different audience (you didn't have before you became popular), once you became "too mainstream". Reflecting back and listening now, they didn't really compromise their sound too much, some of the songs on In Utero were more abrasive and didn't have the sound of a typical chart-topper. Music was shifting, grunge became mainstream, punk became popular and it became fashionable to listen to music that wasn't just force-fed through popular radio stations, so maybe it was a good thing. In Utero, did reflect the time period, it was a very good album, but if it came out 5 years earlier would it have been noticed?

I previously, haven't listened to much African music and I actually had never listened to anything from Miriam Makeba. First impressions, her voice is amazing and beautiful and I was pleasantly surprised by her talent. The more I've read about her, the more I want to listen to more of her music. Thank you for putting her into my musical stratosphere. Very enjoyable!

Bruce Springsteen followed up his highly successful (both commercially and critically) albums, Born To Run and Darkness On The Edge Of Town, with a solo acoustic album, Nebraska. Sparse and raw, Nebraska could have been career suicide for a less talented artist, as his band was at the height of their creativity, both live and on record and Nebraska seemed like a step back. The demo quality of the songs may have put off fans that wanted another rock album, but the depth and honesty of the lyrics and music displayed the incredible talent of Springsteen and I give him credit for having the guts to release this record despite record label pressure for another chart-topping, best selling album. I like this record, more so now than when it was released, but it will be a piece of art that will stand on it's own as a triumph, in his vast discography.

Clearly, Lamar is a talent and has amassed a huge following, considering this is at least the second time he's appeared on the list. I still don't consider him essential, but obviously I'm not the demographic he's counting on to buy his records or stream his music. Nothing wrong with it and for the most part listenable, so let's move on.

I actually hadn't heard of Ali Farka Toure before this album came up and was fascinated what "African desert blues" sounded like. It's a pretty accurate description of the music and my first impression is that I love the guitar sound and the grooves. The songs are interesting and I will revisit this and some of his other recordings in the near future. Another cool find!

Bowie and the Spiders From Mars had a run of great records in the early 70's, Hunky Dory, Ziggy, Aladdin Sane (along with the covers album, Pinups). Aladdin was the last of original material and it sometimes doesn't get the attention and accolades of the previous two albums. It's because Aladdin Sane isn't as essential and important, but it's still an outstanding record with fine contributions from the Spiders. This was the first Bowie record I owned on vinyl, so I have a soft spot for it and I still consider it one of his better albums from the 70's.

When I first heard this album in the 70's, as sad as it was, this was probably the first time I heard any Latin rock. I know, I wasn't exposed to a lot of diverse music in my youth, but with the help of film footage and music from Woodstock (etc), I knew who Santana was. This record has some absolute classic essential tracks on it that everyone has heard and hearing it today, it's still timeless music! The rest of record isn't bad either!

I bought this album in the mid-80's when my local university radio station was clearing their collection when it went off the air. I got this and their second album, Adventure and really didn't get much play on my turntable at the time, but rediscovered these albums in the past 10 years and was blown away by what I've been missing. A post-punk classic, Marquee Moon has been influential to many bands in the 80's, 90's...up until now! The guitar interplay between Tom Verlaine and Richard Lloyd is incredible and the songs resonate with you every listen. What a great record!

This is perfect timing because Hounds Of Love by Kate Bush sits at or near the top of the charts 37 years after it's original release. Thanks to the TV series, Stranger Things, which takes place in the 80's, the song, "Running Up That Hill"'s appearance on the show has somehow revived the interest in the song, album and Kate Bush. Remember Kate Bush? I do, she was very popular in the 80's, maybe more so in the UK, but I know a lot of people that are big fans of her music. Me, not so much. I never got into her music then and after re-listening to Hounds Of Love, it still doesn't do much for me. Maybe it's her vocal delivery or maybe it's just the songs are not interesting to me. I found myself wanting to listen to something else about halfway through this album, but I stuck it out. The power of nostalgia in soundtracks and songs in TV/movies is real, as the Clash's, Should I Stay...played a prominent role in the first couple seasons of Stranger Things and I'm hoping Jonathan introduces more cool music to Will...The Replacements, Husker Du, R.E.M...perhaps?

Oasis is one of those band I hadn't bothered to listen to beyond a couple of their best known songs and I've probably heard more about their personal squabbles and gossipy news stories than their actual music. This is my first full listen to this album, Oasis's debut, Definitely Maybe. It definitely makes an impression, as the music is catchy and rocks out pretty good and it definitely has it's moments. I don't know if the band deserves all the hype they received when it was first released, but the music stands up as above average and I must admit I enjoyed it. The band might be overrated, but on this album, they "put their money where their mouth is", an excellent record.

I had never listened to Portishead, so I wasn't sure what to expect and it definitely wasn't what I was expecting. Termed as "trip-hop", I thought it would be more electronic and heavier and I wasn't expecting female vocals (Beth Gibbons). The music was nice and her vocals were beautiful, and at some point I thought I was listening to Sade. Not a bad listen, I'll have to listen again to fully appreciate it.

I never really was much of a Radiohead fan, though I've heard some of their music, I hadn't sat down and listened to a whole album. The Bends definitely has some great songs on it and overall it's a solid record. I think they do live up to the hype and I'll see who this album holds up to their more recent releases.

It was better than I expected and I have to admit, I enjoyed it. Sounded more like background music, but that's okay. Hard to believe this was released in 1973, even today it has a "futuristic" sound to it, at least what we think the future should sound like... I guess the future is a lot closer than we think, right?

I've been listening to a lot of French music from the 60's and early 70's lately, so I was happy to see this on the list. Serge Gainsbourg always seemed to have that creepy, older( French)man-vibe happening, similarly to Canada's Leonard Cohen, but you can't deny the talent and importance this music has to offer. I bought the old 45 of "Je t'aime… moi non plus", a couple years ago and have been intrigued with Serge and Jane Birkin ever since. The music is cool and if you can get past Gainsbourg's talking/singing style, it's an essential listen.

It had it's moments, but it didn't capture my attention. With the little that I know about electronic music, this seemed a tad boring and generic sounding. Really not much for me to enjoy, move on...

I always wondered if anyone that loved the song, Cars, had actually listened to the rest of the album? To be honest, I hadn't and I was kind of surprised how low-key and less commercial sounding the rest of the record was. Very synth-new wave-ish with a full synthetic sound (no guitars!) definitely a robotic feel, not really too surprising considering "Cars" robotic sound...the sound of the future? "Cars", came out at a time when me and friends were getting our drivers licenses and spent many a night car cruising to that song blaring out the open windows, so this song has a real nostalgic connection.

When I first heard L.A. Woman in the late 70's, I wasn't fully impressed. Their earliest records had a psychedelic, rock sound I preferred and I thought the "mature" sounds of L.A. Woman wasn't for me. Looking back and re-listening to the album throughout the years, it truly is the Doors', career-defining record released before Jim Morrison's untimely death. I often compare it to the Who's, "Who's Next", their classic masterpiece that was anchored by two long epic classic tracks (Baba O'Riley, Won't Get Fooled Again), similarity to the Doors songs, Riders On The Storm and the title track on L.A. Woman. They aren't my favourite albums by those artists, but they are the records that were the high-points (arguably) of their career's.

Would I like this with headphones on, maybe if I smoked a bong. Would I like this in my living room, only if I was high on shrooms. Do I care about these songs, to pretend I like them would be wrong. Are these songs considered really essential, there's not much chance of that potential. I do not like this in a car. I do not like this in a bar. I do not like this in a house. I do not like this with my spouse. I do not like this here or there. I do not like this anywhere. I do not like Boy In Da Corner. I do not like this performer! Nope

Not a fan of rap, but as far as rap goes, I thought it was a fine listen. It does get monotonous at times, it's a long album, so I think I'd be better suited to shorter doses at a time.

Always been a big fan of Mr. Waits! Love his earlier works, but he has released some great albums throughout his career. Heartattack and Vine is a solid and transitional record that is a very interesting and sometimes challenging listen. Not one of my favourite Tom Waits's albums, but still one of his better efforts.

Album started with a bang and kept my attention through most of it. Kind of a contemporary Prog rock sound, that I'm sure would grow on me more with repeated listening. I don't love it, but I certainly would listen again. We'll see...

First time listening to a Stranglers album and I was a bit surprised by their sound. I was expecting maybe a faster, harder punk sound, but instead it was quite tame, which is a good thing. I can hear why this debut was a success, nice sound and good songs. I don't think this will convince me to be a fan, but I will make an effort to listen to more Stranglers' albums.

Dear Bjork, First of all, congratulations for having another record on the list of 1001 albums. For me, this is the second record I've reviewed, as previously your debut album was presented here. Clearly, your talent and your critically acclaimed works have taken your career through several decades and I expect many more releases in the future. That being said, my opinion of your work hasn't changed. After listening to the first couple songs on this album, it was apparent to me (again) I'm not a fan and was hoping the album would end soon. I don't know if it's because your music is getting weirder or more complex, which is unlikely, because your music has always been weird and strange. It was a difficult listen, but I listened to the whole thing! Sorry, it's not for me. I still have several hundred more albums to go and I have a feeling we'll meet again. Sincerely, TDIT

First time listener for Stereo MC and Connected was better than I expected. It's kind of cool and funky and it has a catchy rhythm throughout. Probably won't convert me to a fan, but there could be a lot lot worse things to listen to. Enjoyable.

Despite the fact, the Sex Pistols released only one studio album during their all-too short existence, the impact both culturally and musically can't be denied. This is a case where the story/personalities are bigger than the music, as numerous films, books and even a recent TV series about the band have perhaps over-shadowed the music. There were other bands from the same era that left a longer resume of great music (The Clash, The Buzzcocks, The Damned etc.), but the impact of the Pistol's, debut, Never Mind The Bollocks might just be one of the most important and influential albums from the 70's. Sure, it's overrated and their musical talent was questionable at best, but when the word "punk rock" is mentioned, it all begins with the Sex Pistols.

When you think back to all the great music that was produced over 50 years ago, it's amazing how well the music has held up over that period of time. Prog bands produced a sound that sounded technologically advanced, well beyond it's years and YES was no exception. I own only two Yes albums (The Yes Album & Fragile) and in recent years I've listened to them more than when I bought them. There are many phases of Yes's career I'm not too interested in (especially their 80's work), but the Yes Album (their 3rd) through to 1973 are spectacular. The Yes Album has a pair of classic Yes songs and the rest of the record is solid.

Still not a fan of rap, but I can't say I didn't like it. It was okay, it has it's moments and though I wouldn't take the time to listen to it again exclusively, it makes for good background music.

A stark, beautiful record from an artist we lost way too soon. A true, singer-songwriter format that focuses on his brilliant songwriting with minimal instruments and his fragile, yet emotional vocal style. Essential listen, especially if you're a fan of Elliot Smith.

Enjoyable enough, though this isn't something I'll listen to often. Not a fan of rap, but could do a lot, lot worse than M.I.A!

Second Nick Drake album this week (Pink Moon), which is refreshing with the amount of rap that has come up. This Drake's music is the opposite of rap, thought provoking and a calm, chill listen. Nick Drake's debut, Five Leaves Left is even a more enjoyable listen than Pink Moon, less depressing and a much more optimist emotion to it. Well performed and well written, glad to see Drake finally receive much deserved attention and critical acclaim for his music , well after his death. I said Pink Moon was essential, start here first and you'll be rewarded by a great record.

The popularity of the song, Sultans Of Swing from Dire Straits debut album, helped launch the very successful career of Dire Straits. The song remains a mainstay on radio (and my streaming algorithms) and sometimes the album gets overshadowed by the massive success of the single. The album charted high and sold crazily well, but how many people (at the time) listened to the whole record? I admit, I didn't it much love when it first came out, but over the years I've come to appreciate the whole album. Sure it has some filler, (what Dire Straits album doesn't have filler?) but over all it might be their most consistent record. The hugely popular, Brothers In Arms album may be the most accessible and commercially lauded album, but the debut highlighted the guitar wizardry and unique sound of Mark Knolfler and the band.

I had never heard of this and the fact it's so recent, I'm surprised this made the list. I'm not sure what i think of this? It has a good beat, the lyrics are okay and I don't hate it, so it was fine. Not a fan of this style of music, so I can't say I'll listen again, but I can appreciate the effort.

Full disclosure, I am NOT a fan of Courtney Love! She's a horrible actress, but can act within her range and her singing range is very limited. She doesn't seem like a very nice person and it was unfortunate that she met Kurt (for Kurt's sake). With that being said, Live Through This is a great album! I don't care much for other Hole records, but this one hits the spot. It downright rocks, the songs are crunchy, the music is grungy-melodic, the guitars are loud and I can even tolerate Courtney's screams. I will listen to this often and play this loud!

Not usually what I listen to, but it's exciting, heart pounding and terrific beats. Lots of energy!

Infectious, fun and easy to listen to. Otherwise, not really my kind of music, but a change once in a while is fine.

A classic record that was an excellent debut for Zep. Underneath, the songs that got commercial attention and radio play, most of the record is a collection of blues songs performed by a dynamic white British hard rock-blues band. Sure, there are some slow moments and some filler, but for the most part this rocks hard and upholds the reputation of Zeppelin! One of their best!

Through the years, I have tried to listen to Kraftwerk, but struggled to get into electronica. I feel now, I'm more patient and open to other musical styles and genres, so I can understand and appreciate the music more than before. Good background music, but my patience is tested after prolonged listening. Solid record.

Kinda cheezy and goofy, but at the same time, quite enjoyable. Never dared to listen to Marty Robbins before, but heard this album mentioned as being a classic record. More like a guilty pleasure for me. Thanks for the suggestion!

So this is what Chamber Pop is? I have to admit, i don't dislike it and the more I listened the more I was interested and drawn in. Didn't know this existed and glad I had a listen. ***1/2

The song, Imagine, is probably John Lennon's most well known (post-Beatles) song he recorded and it might just be one of the most recognizable songs in the world. Imagine, the album, with the help of the popularity of the song is considered by many essential, but listening to the album as a whole, it isn't his best work. Apart from a couple of songs, the album is inconsistent and a little over-rated. There's nothing wrong with it, but he has other albums that deserve to be on this list more.

Blues is the type of music you must experience live to fully appreciate the emotion and the "blood and guts" that is weaved into the music. A studio recording is great for listening at home, but if you want to groove to the beat and "feel" the music, a live concert is the ultimate. The next best thing would be a live recording of B.B. king and Live At the Regal is a stellar sounding recording. The performance of B.B. and his band is top notch as well, so this might be as good as it gets.

Haven't actually listened to much from The Cure, but I had an idea how they would sound. Better than I was expecting and found it was a fine listen. Pretty much the standard for "goth rock" and they have a very dated 80's sound.

Though I have listened to most of Elvis's albums, I hadn't actually completely listened to Brutal Youth. I rank his first four albums high in my "must-hear" list and his output of quality music has been extraordinary. Brutal Youth isn't among his best, but it's still a constantly good record, with a few standout songs. Overall, he has a lot better albums (which will probably show up here soon) and I consider this among his mid-range material that shouldn't be overlooked.

I made the mistake of watching the Shaft re-make film a couple of years ago and probably the only highlight of the film was the Shaft theme by Isaac Hayes. I didn't see the original Shaft film from the 70's, but judging by the film's soundtrack, the music was pretty groovy. The Shaft theme is one of the best movie theme songs ever and the rest of the album manages to generally keep the vibe alive. It's a soundtrack, so there is a lot of atmospheric stuff happening and some of it wears thin after a wile, but overall a decent listen and a real time warp.

For whatever reason, the lead-off track, Take On Me, has entered the lexicon of earworm songs that have become ingrained in our society. Yes, the song is 37 years old, but I've heard it more in the past 10 years than when it was released and it's popularity has taken on a whole new level. Apart from that song, a-ha delivers a predictable blend of mid-80's mediocrity most people didn't listen to if you bought the album. Actually, the songs aren't bad and it wasn't difficult to listen to the whole thing through, but really nothing essential here.

It's hard for me to take a group like Abba seriously. Since I was a teen, Abba has been on the airways causing me to cringe, whine, complain and quickly turn the radio station. They have been a part of pop culture and life (in so many ways) since the 70's and believe it or not, they're following and dedicated fans are stronger than ever. For me, I have to admit, they have a certain guilty pleasure aspect to them. I don't cringe anymore, instead I secretly smile and smudgy say, "Oh no, not again! I can't stand Abba!", but really it's a harsh reminder of my fading youth and reminds me why there was so much to hate and love from the 70's. No more Abba!

Another band, I hadn't gotten around to listen to thoroughly and I'm happy I finally listened to Siamese Dream, a very fine record. There are elements of arena rock, classic rock, alternative and it's a bit grungy in parts, this album holds up pretty well, released almost 30 years ago. There was lots to like and most of it held my attention. I hear that this is The Smashing Pumpkins best record and it's good, so I should explore more of their discography soon. Hope the rest are at least half as good as this!

I can immediately see the influence and inspiration of Loretta's music had on Lurleen Lumpkin from the Simpsons. Seriously though, this album and music has been the influence of many aspiring female country music singers, including contemporary artist's such as, Neko Case. Most of the classic country music subject matter is covered, with a checklist of the essentials; drinking, lovin', cheating and don't need no man to run my life. Not my kind of music, but it was amusing and interesting.

I think sometimes Shoegaze music gets a bad rap, sure some of it is intolerant and in cohesive, but there are some great bands and albums from this genre. I hadn't listened to much My Bloody Valentine until recently and though I'm not a fan, their debut full-length, Isn't Anything is a strong record. Underneath the distorted guitars (and noises!), is some nice layered guitar sounds and some melodic songs. I wasn't expecting I'd like this, but my eyes (and ears!) were opened up to some much needed album.

Live albums are often hit or miss, but this live set from the amazing Sarah Vaughan is near perfection. An intimate live recording with Vaughan connecting with the audience right from the start and her magical performance makes this a worthwhile listen. I'm been graduating towards this genre of music for it's old-timey charm and it's classic performances and this album is a good place to start.

No doubt this is a classic album with more depth and consistency than just The Weight. The best record by The Band and much better than most Dylan albums.

This album is special to me, as it was a "game-changer" musically for me and exposed me and opened my eyes and ears to music other than radio-friendly pop/rock rut I was stuck in. This has to be considered one of the finest debut albums of the 70's and introduced me to New Wave and keyboard sounds I has previously avoided. Every track is fantastic and The Cars never quite captured the magic of this record on their other releases. Seems ironic that radio play and music videos kept the band popular following the first album. The only essential album you need to hear from The Cars is The Cars!

Much better than I was expecting. Most of it was enjoyable, good voice and a nice guitar sound. Solid.

I never was a fan of synth-pop, not then and still now. Most of it was listenable, but it reminded me that there was a lot of music in the early-80's that I disliked and this would have been one of those albums that confirmed that. Not the least bit essential, at least for me.

Sometimes I've struggled to appreciate Electronica, often there aren't traditional "songs", more of a stream of background music. This sounds like this could be a soundtrack to a futuristic sci-fi film, that kind of goes on and on and ...For the most part, I enjoyed it, it's sort of cool in a weird way, but after a while I was waiting for it to end or at least for the imaginary movie in my mind to be over.

Ack, another Bjork album on the list! As much as I'm exposed to Bjork's music here, I still can't get into her music. It's partly her voice, but the music feels like it's weird just to be weird and it feels somewhat forced, if that makes any sense. As far as what I've heard so far (her 3rd record on the list), this one isn't bad and I did make it through the whole album, so it didn't bug me as much as her others. Yes, that's a compliment.

What can you say? She's one of the great vocalists of our time, well 70 years ago time, but you can't deny the quality of her talent. Don't know if this is considered the best of her work (I own a couple best of, greatest hits collections), most of it is fine, but it helps if you are in the mood or the right state of mind to fully appreciate the music.

This was much better than I expected! I was expecting something darker and gothy, but it was hard hitting, punky and fun! Kind of a 70's hard rock Norwegian "Dictators" sound/vibe with a touch of glam. I quite enjoyed it!

As far as his more modern recordings go, this one is pretty good. I know this was one of his last albums released during his lifetime, but he still has the energy, spirit and that "voice", the quintessential performer until the end. This is what sets Cash apart from everyone else in the genre. Respect!

Cool, laid-back, smooth, sometimes it got intense, but a very enjoyable album start to finish. The type of music you can play in the background all day. Never heard of this before, so I'll be sure to listen to more from Ibrahim.

The first time I heard this album, I thought it was a grim, sad depressing record. I had this on 8-track and the only player was in our windowless, cargo van and when the song, The Kid played, I swear to god I thought there was an actually baby crying inside the van. A haunting song, this didn't help my option of the album at the time. Fast forward 40 years or so, I would put this in the category of Lou Reed's better album, as he's released a handful of duds, sprinkled in with some classics. I wouldn't say it's a classic, but my option of the record has softened and it's definitely more listenable than it was then. It's actually quite good! The 8-track is long gone, all the 8-tracks were stolen when the van was broken into, but I did buy it on vinyl, so I'm not too heartbroken.

I'm kind of mixed with my opinion. It has it's moments with cool vibes and an upbeat jam, with several good head-bobbing songs. Too inconsistent to really appreciate and really there's a lot more satisfying music out there. It's okay...but

An enjoyable listen, for the most part with some good songs here. Their "psychedelic soul" sound is interesting, it works at times, it's different and it funks it up a bit more. I haven't listened to much of The Temptations, maybe I should listen to more... :)

If you only listen to mainstream, commercial music then this album would be easily dismissed. The sound is lo-fi, the instruments sound out of tune at times and the singing isn't strong. Lou Barlow (formerly of Dino Jr), isn't seeking commercial success or accolades for his music, instead he delivers some raw, heartfelt music that could be considered indie, alternative, or just plain weird, but it's the kind of music I've come to appreciate and I'm glad this list acknowledges musicians and bands from outside the "norm". Bubble And Scrape was actually recorded in a professional studio instead of "home-recorded", so this would be considered a more polished work compared to previous albums. I like it, we need more bands like Sebadoh and musicians like Lou Barlow that push the boundaries of quality music instead of the bland radio-friendly schlock we have to endure most of the time.

Some good stuff on this record, lots of energy, variety and for the most part enjoyed it. Nothing too memorable, but a worthwhile listen.

It seemed appropriate (and a bit obvious), that this album came up for review the day after Queen Elizabeth II died! I even played this album in it's entirety as a tribute the day of, but to be fair, I listened to it again within 24 hours. I must admit, I haven't listened to this album since the late 80's and I can't say I'm a fan of The Smiths. Maybe, it's because Morrissey is such a shitty person or it could be their music never interested me. Listening to it now, it's fine, some of it is really good and I especially like the title track which opens the album. Similarly to other Smith records, it began to bore me after a while and my mind started to wander. Again, I don't hate it, I just don't love it.

I was a fan of Green Day from their early releases on the Lookout label, but had lost interest in the band once they went to a major label and became a hugely popular band. I couldn't avoid hearing their music in the mainstream and when I heard American Idiot in it's entirety, it caught my attention. This is an album best heard as a complete work, as many of the songs segue into each. the songs are catchy, melodic and have an energy and intensity that highlight all of Green Day's best attributes. While listening to it, I can understand why someone thought, "this could work as a musical (play)" and yes, it happened. I would be an idiot to actual go see the production, as I'm content and happy to just listen to the album again.

Nico's contribution to the Velvet Underground's debut album was brief, yet effective with her haunting vocals and mysterious presence. Chelsea Girl allows her to expand her range somewhat more, though she is very limited vocally, but offers up some good songs. The sound is sparse and raw and at times the pace becomes boring, but if you take into consideration the time period and mood it's trying to create, she does a commendable job. It helps that she gets contribution from some of the VU members.

A smooth soothing, dreamy quality to the music, that had it's moments, but mainly unspectacular and unmemorable. Not hard to listen to, so I guess that's a positive, but I can't say I would purposely listen to this again. Reminds me of why I avoided a chunk of the 80's, synth pop with drum machines, no thanks!

If you put aside the fact that Donovan was suppose to be the "new" Dylan when he began his career as a acoustic folk singer, Sunshine Superman, as well as his other albums from the late 60's, really reflected the time period. He shifted his style to a psychedelic, folk rock sound and wore long flowery shirts, which of course, wasn't anything new as the Beatles, Stones, Hendrix, Byrds etc, experimented with the sound and concept. I must admit, I like Donovan's attempt, most of it was listenable and it sure beats his folky troubadour sound. It gets overindulgent at times and it wears thin after a while, but this album is a good positive time-capsule of his career.

This Talking Heads album was a turning point for the band going from a clean pop-rock-new wave-punk sound to an expanded, rhythm-based experimental sound. Eno's influence is all over the record it widened the scope of sound of the band with mixed results. There are a couple of classic TH songs on here and you can't deny they are a "better" band, but I tend to have more songs from their first two albums on my playlists.

The Eagles were playing in town the other night at the local hockey arena supporting their old album, "Hotel California" played in it's entirety. This is probably the only Eagles record I could actually listen to start to finish and the show featured only one original member of the band that played on the debut, Eagles. Pre- H.C., they were a laid-back, easy-going California band, that played something along the lines of Americana country folk rock. It was MOR and really nothing special and it took the recruitment of guitarist, Joe Walsh on H.C. to take the band to the next level. As far as their first album, there are a couple classic songs, I assume they play every show (Take It Easy, Peaceful Easy Feeling), apart from that, the rest is underwhelming, it's OK...but there are a lot better albums in the genre for sure.

Though this record is considered a "hallmark" for pop music reviving the teen pop genre, I would say it's more of a pop culture time-stamp of the end of rock music and the start to a horrible decade of music, the 2000's. Britney has been as much in the public eye recently, as the original hype for this record. I shutter when I hear her perform songs from this 23 years later, as the songs are dated sounding and the lyrics sound ridiculous coming from a woman in her 40's mouth. Since the songs were written by middle-aged men maybe it makes sense? This is the first time I've listened to the whole album (at least what I want to admit too) and clearly the songs, videos and the hoopla that goes along with the the Britney circus is targeted to a specific target audience....and I'm not it!

Tried listening to this album a few years ago and I didn't care for it. Listening again, the whole way through, something clicked with me. The beats are choppy, yet infectious, the songs are interesting and the guitar sound is amazing! I don't know what I was expecting previously, but this is music I should have been listening to. Really really enjoy this record and glad I gave it another go! Entertainment, yes!

I have to admit, this wasn't as bad as I was expecting. The hit song from this album, Relax appears everywhere and even to this day it's one of those annoying ear-worms still ringing in my head. It ruined the film, Body Double, which wasn't a great movie to begin with, but why did it take so much screen time? That being said, I didn't hate this album, but it reminds me too much (yet again) why synth-pop is near the bottom of my list for music genres in the 80's!

A decent listen, I enjoy her voice, I like her and for the most part the songs are good. I'm not a fan of the Country genre, though this is more of a "hybrid-modern" country sound with electronic beats and at times a bit Shania Twain-esque. Personally, I would prefer to listen to Kacey, on her own, solo acoustic to just hear the songs without the distraction. Overall, this is above average.

If I had to describe what I thought Rap would've sounded like in the early 90's, this is pretty much how it would sound. Immature, crude and jazzy, that doesn't take itself too seriously, it could get a whole lot worse than this album. Enjoyable enough, in a weird half-satisfied type of way.

David Bowie's fingerprints are over this record. He wrote most of it, played on it and produced it and the album probably wouldn't have been made without Bowie's presence. If you are expecting "Stooges" Iggy, you'll be disappointed, but if you take this record at face value, it's a decent record. Some good songs on here, but it's inconsistent and it's bit too artsy for it's own good somtimes. I expected more.

I've never had the desire to listen to a Madonna album and I've had to tolerate her songs on radio since she first came on the scene in the 80's. Her "hits" are undeniable catchy and have obvious commercial appeal, so I really wanted to like, Like A Prayer. This is clearly a concept record, family and religion being the obvious themes, as most of the songs are her confessions and recollections of her youth. Apart from the handful of well-known songs on the album, the rest is junk, filler that was tough to sit through. I also made the mistake of listening to some dance-mix versions of some of the songs....does anyone prefer those versions to the originals? Oh right, if you're at club, loaded and drugged up, you want seemingly never-ending loops of the song, Like A Pray throbbing through your body, right? One star each for Like A Prayer and Express Yourself, zero for the rest.

After a week of enduring Britney and Madonna albums, it's refreshing to hear something non-commercial music that has way more substance and credence than a bunch of overrated pop-tarts. A very nice listen with beats that had me dancing in the kitchen and bobbing my head. Did I mention how refreshing this was? Enjoyed it a lot! Not for everyone's tastes, but same goes with Madonna.

Enjoyable listen. not usually something I listen to, but there was nothing I didn't like and the musicianship was top-notch. Just saying it's not something I would listen to everyday and I would have to be in the proper mood.

The dated 80's sound on this record could have just as easily have been someone like, Laura Branigan or Alison Moyet, but the strong powerful vocals of Tina Turner, set it apart from the generic sounds of lesser vocalists. These songs remind me too much of 80's soundtracks (or films set in the 80's) and it makes me cringe to remember commercial radio at the time. This was truly Turner's comeback album and brought her back to commercial success. This would rank near the top of her greatest achievements. I didn't embrace it at the time and it still doesn't do much for me, but I respect she did overcome all kinds of adversity and still showed she is one of the great female vocalists of her time.

Interesting listen. For the most part, i enjoyed the vocals, but at times reminds me too much of Bjork. The beats were fine and some of the songs captured my attention, but too many didn't hold my interest.

High energy, great sounding late 70's punk! Just what I needed to drown out the bland, commercially, overrated albums from the 80's & 90's in the last few posts. An often overlooked band, I apparently overlooked them too and I love the era. Kind of Buzzcocks-esque, with some mighty fine snotty lyrics and fast guitar. Glad to finally listen to The Adverts, highly recommended!

Not really a fan of U2, but there's no denying this is their career-defining album. Frequently listed as one of the greatest albums ever, blah, blah blah...it has it's great moments. So many of their classic tracks are on here and they hold up pretty well even today, but after those I feel there's a drop off in quality. I won't let my bias against Bono influence my opinion (too much) and say the album is fine, but not taste.

When I first heard this album when it was released, it was a bit of a let down from their debut, Funeral. It had a similar vibe and I to me, it felt like it could have been outtakes or extra tracks from the previous album. Putting that aside and listening again, it holds up well on it's own and live, many of these tracks are powerful and highlights. Still prefer Funeral and The Suburbs (both 5 stars), but Neon Bible is a pretty good sophomore effort and a lot better than what would come later.

When the Yeah Yeah Yeahs released their first couple albums, they had me curious and interested. A female-fronted edgy, punk, garagy sound band led by the always interesting Karen O, I played their music often and thought they were pretty good. Fast-forward to It's Blitz and I don't know if it's because their sound "evolved" or if my tastes wanted something different, but I lost interest and haven't really listened to them since. Listening to It's Blitz!, now with fresh (and older) ears, I like their sound better than before and it was more enjoyable. Don't know if I'll reconnect with their more recent stuff, but it's more possible than yesterday.

I haven't really listened to much from the Boss since Born in The USA and for the most part hasn't been impressed by his solo albums without the E Street Band. For The Rising, Bruce reunites with the band and the results are much more satisfying than his previous efforts. A powerful and passionate project for the Boss, the songs are all consistently good and interesting with the band adding that extra energy and spark. Sure, there are some slow moments and the album is a tad bit too long, but overall it's a solid return to the "glory days".

Their huge hit, Tainted Love which has had a nostalgic revival in recent years, is the obvious best song on this album. I always disliked the song and pretty much anything synth-pop from the early 80's, so for me the rest of the record is throwaway. Difficult to listen to the whole way through. One star for Tainted and one star for the rest. Blah!

If we put aside the fact she has a very famous singer sister, this album is okay, the singing is competent, the production is good and the music is alright, but overall this is nothing special and if she didn't have an "association" with Beyonce we probably wouldn't have heard of her. There are so many singers of this genre that sound just as good and the "train" of American Idol-ish singers will always be eager to record and flood the market. Clearly, I'm cynical, but why shouldn't I? I'm giving it a mid-range grade because there's nothing bad about this and it's listenable, but nothing more.

Before this album was released, I didn't listen to any female-fronted bands. On my first listen of the Pretenders debut album, something clicked instantly, it was amazing, like nothing I had been exposed to up to this point. Chrissie Hynde's snarl in her voice, the guitar interplay between Hynde and James Honeyman-Scott and the well crafted songs, their sound was both catchy and energetic. It wasn't exactly punk, nor was it new wave, it was rock that combined some of those elements for modern rock sound with a punk attitude. I consider this one of a handful of albums that helped shape and define my musical tastes. In my opinion, the Pretenders didn't release another record this great, though Learning To Crawl was close, but the band was never the same after the deaths of Honeyman-Scott and bassist, Pete Farndon. The Pretenders became more of a Chrissie Hynde driven "project" and to this day has continued to release some pretty fine music.

Listened to Faith No More back when I was into the Chili Peppers briefly. They had a similar sound and I regarded FNM, a poor-man's RHCP. Listening so many years later doesn't make me like them better, but can appreciate they are much more than a Chili Peppers knockoff. There are some good songs here and had to check to make sure I was still listening to the same album when they played their Black Sabbath cover. Well done! I know this band was great live and they transfer a lot of that energy to their albums. No a bad listen.

This was better than I expected. Some good songs, not too much filler. Enjoyed it.

Some pretty smooth tunes on here! Never really listened to much Isley's before and was surprised how many songs I recognize. Cool covers and a solid collection of songs that were well worth the listen! I'm kind of surprised at myself for enjoying it.

I would rate Surfer Rosa, the Pixies best album! It's no coincidence that Kim Deal made her most significant contributions to a Pixies record on this one and her lead vocals on, Gigantic was a highlight. Everything great about the Pixies comes together on this album and I even prefer it to Doolittle, which many fans consider their greatest. You really can't go wrong with their first 3 releases. An alt-rock classic!

I had never heard of this album and who knew the Beach Boys would write songs about environmental issues. A darker, moodier record than I expected from the Beach Boys with some interesting songs and actually some pretty decent ones, I might add. The commercial appeal is lacking, which isn't a bad thing, but the lesser contributions of Brian Wilson is evident.

I listened to this album a few years ago, but wasn't impressed. Maybe it was because I was comparing it too much with Kathleen Hanna's previous band, Bikini Kill, which is hard to top. Re-listening to this album, I have a new appreciation with Le Tigre when rating the record now, it held up well on it's own. I normally aren't a fan of electronica and sampling, but it's catchy, melodic and punky, at times. It's very dance-able and fun and I must admit I enjoyed it. The songs are well written and the political messages are still relevent today. I'm glad I re-visited this record.

I've been listening to Jazz recently, starting with acclaimed classics and Sunday At the Village Vanguard is definitely an essential Jazz record. It's amazing musicianship and oh, so easy to listen to with it's smart grooves and cool vibe, makes this a no-brainer. A glorious afternoon listen and crystal clear live recording, it felt like they were performing in front of me! Wow, why haven't I been listened to more of this before? Even non-Jazz fans should be impressed, a must hear!

Never listened to Buffalo before and my first impression is that I enjoy the guitars, melodies and vocals, but it's a fairly standard alt-indie-rock sound from the 90's. The songs don't stand out to me as anything above average or special and though it's a competent effort and it sounds fine, I don't understand how it made the 1001 list. Not essential, just saying...

Some synth-pop sounds that sounded okay, decent background/soundtrack music for my day. Nothing overly exciting or special for my tastes, but I didn't not enjoy it. Reminded me too much of Bjork, at times and ironically the first song to stream after the album was done was a Bjork song, go figure.

Despite the theatrics and face make-up, Alice Cooper (and band) pumped out some pretty decent music in the early to mid-70's. We heard his "hits" frequently on the radio, but if you dig deeper into other tracks on their early albums, there are some really good songs on there. The original "shock-rocker" was more glam and "lite" metal than anything shockingly disturbing and his sense of humor and campy theatrical productions is what allowed to parents to not worry about their kids at an Alice Cooper show. The music of Billion Dollar Babies is fine, not really my thing, but it's enjoyable and more on the parody side that you shouldn't take too seriously. ***1/2

Green Day's major label debut, Dookie, in my opinion was one of their best records. The band was already "well seasoned" with several releases on the indie label, Lookout Records and they were able to convey the energy and catchy pop-punk of their earlier albums to a larger audience. The release of this record in many ways was just as important as, Nirvana's, Nevermind, bringing alt rock- punk/grunge to mainstream audiences that so desperately needed better music.

CCR's second album is when the band started gaining momentum and it was the start of a group of essential albums they released over a short period of time in the late 60's. This isn't their best, but definitely was the blueprint for greater things to come. Their sound, the hits and John Fogerty's amazing songwriting is already evident on Bayou Country. A near classic!

I like Ice T. He's one of the reasons why Law & Order: Special Victims Unit is worth watching and his music is no-bullshit, old school Gangsta rap. I laughed out loud and nodded my head several times with his amazing lyrics and his delivery is on point. An enjoyable, intense listen, not for the faint of heart and conservative white Americans! (If you don't want to hear the word Nigger, move on.)

The last post was for a Ice T record, so unfortunately for the Jungle Brothers about halfway through, I was getting tired of hearing Rap and Hip-Hop. Ice's music is closer to being essential, this not so much. I have no complaints about the music, some of it I enjoyed, but it's not really my style of music. I listened to it all and it was fine, but won't rush out and hear it again anytime soon.

Everything that can be said about Elvis has been said already. No doubt, this is one of the most important records to be released in the past century and the influence these songs had on a whole generation of fans and future musicians can't be denied. I like his earlier music, rockabilly and the early days of rock 'n' roll, as Elvis was still finding his groove. His biggest hits were still to come!

Not really a big Peppers fan, but I did dub a copy of Mother's Milk to cassette back in the day. On Blood Sugar...the band hits the mainstream big time and they don't compromise too much, their sound is similar, though a bit more slicker and commercially appealing. The record's good, one of their best, I only wish they stopped making albums after this one.

Perhaps she was ahead of her time or it was because she was a black female folksinger, and though she enjoyed early success, she never hit it as big as she should have. Her songs talked about social and political issues, which for the most part were ignored at the time, but her music is being "rediscovered" during these times of turbulence and questioning of American political values. Despite having her first two albums in my record collection (actually my wife's LPs), I never listened to the albums in their entirety. The songs are very socially relevant and Chapman has a very engaging voice that gives the songs urgency. Fast Car and Revolution are the obvious hits on this record and if get beyond those songs, it's a solid album.

When I first heard the third Big Star album, I wasn't impressed. The first two albums were brilliant, both definitely essential listening, but the Third didn't have the quality or consistency of the first two. The amount of covers surprised me, and the status and direction of the band was in dire straits. Years have passed and with repeated listenings, the album has grown on me and I've had a deeper appreciation for the record. Alex Chilton is a genius, but he hasn't produced anything nearly as good as the first three of Big Star album ( though he's had his moments). A cult favorite or a misunderstood classic?

Never listened to New Order, but they sounded how I thought they would. Not really my kind of music, but it held my attention and kept me listening. The synths and fake drums were okay and it blended well with the music, so I might explore more from New Order in the future.

Definitely, this is the highlight of Rod Stewart's long and illustrious career, at least artistically. Recorded with his mates from, The Faces this could also be considered the best Faces record, as well. Quality songs and excellent musicianship, Every Picture Tells A Story is an essential listen, especially if you only know Stewart from his later work and god forbid, the disco era.

This is the album the Stones really come into their own and begin to produce some really good records. Some of the stand-out tracks would become classics (Paint It Black, Under My Thumb...I listened to the US version) and it's a solid collection of songs, though there still a few throwaway tracks. I wouldn't consider it in their A+ classic albums, but definitely an A.

As I've gotten older, I've appreciated good crooners more, as this is the first time listening to Scott Walker. I would categorize him as a "poor-man's Sinatra or more accurately Andy Williams, with often some odd and bizarre lyrics. It's okay, but never felt this is something I'll listen to again...interesting listen though.

If you're idea of a good time is listening to someone banging and pounding on chunks of metal, repeatedly over and over and over again, I have an album for you! Quite literally, this is what "real" Industrial music sounds like. This is scary shit, this is what nightmare soundtracks sound like and really is there any redeeming qualities to this "music"? I have to admit, I got used to it after a while and I did in fact listen to the whole thing which is an accomplishment because during the first track, I didn't think I could. I thought the percussion rhythms generally worked and I'm rating it higher than 1 star, because I didn't hate it, but then again there wasn't much to love.

Chaos! That's the first thing that comes to mind during the opening track of Spy Vs Spy, an aural assault that continues through the album. It reminds me of before band class when everyone blows on their instrument independent from one another, trying to drown each other out. If you made a movie about a character that goes on an extended bender, then their life spirals out of control, freaking out until they die, this would be the "music" for that soundtrack! I was going to stop listening during the first track, but the masochist in me kept me from turning it off. Bad decision!

Hadn't listened to much Dusty until now and my first impression of, "A Girl Called Dusty" is that I should have listened to her much earlier. I recognized a couple of the songs and I especially enjoyed her versions of the Burt Bacharach covers. Solid record throughout and I'm guessing this is her essential album from her catalog. Well worth the listen!

Some old school hip-hop that seems appropriate to be on this list and you can't deny the influence and importance of this release, but I can't say I blown away. It was good and I enjoyed most of it, it's just that I can't see myself listening to this regularly. ***1/2

Haven't heard this before. Kinda New Wave-ish, a bit bland and they don't have much of an edge to their sound. On the positive, it's easy to listen to and I can't say I didn't enjoy it, it's just that I don't care to know more about them or be bothered to hear more. Still, it's okay...

Better than I expected. I like the guitar sound and most of the songs were engaging and edgy. Enjoyed it enough to listen to the whole album, so it was above average.

Solid album by the always reliable Radiohead. Can't say I'm really a big fan, but I appreciate that they release some good listenable music with so much other crap in the world. I don't know if I believe the hype about the band, but they are enjoyable enough. 3.5/5

A horrible reminder why I disliked most commercial radio from 80's. More pop than metal, this pseudo-metal hair band's crappy album and "hit" songs got played needlessly on "rock" radio that obviously left an impression on young female listeners and wannabee Def-boys. Clean, dumb fun, I guess, especially if you've ever drawn their logo on your jean jacket vest and school books.

Man, I apparently haven't listened to much Gangsta Rap (besides here) and though the lyrics are extreme and warrants it's parental warnings, nothing shocks or surprises me anymore. This is the real deal and it's influence and it's importance in pop culture is significantly noted. I can understand why middle-class white America would be scared, this outright nasty and crazy shit. As a side note, I noticing on my music streaming service, I had to listen to a community playlist since this album wasn't listed under the artist's page. I just know I better not be caught video taping myself singing along to these lyrics in my car.

The Lemonheads breakthrough record, It's A Shame About Ray released in 1992, gained the band a widespread following and critical acclaim and it remains their greatest achievement. The only original founding member, Evan Dando crafted a poppy alternative rock sound on this record preceding a more punk sound on their earlier albums. When this record was released, I instantly fell in love with the songs and wore the crap out of that cassette. It remains a constant in my music listening, as it not only captures something about that time period, but it's such a catchy, upbeat record it always puts a smile on my face. Personally, I rank this high as a favourite from the 90's and it's a shame they haven't released anything as good since. Evan continues to tour this record (played in it's entirety) that celebrated it's 30th anniversary this year.

Another record I hadn't heard and it somewhat surprised me because I enjoyed it. Started out strong, but kind of lost me towards the end, but overall, a solid post-punk work by the Fall, one of their better albums.

An easy-going listen with no weak tracks, very cool and consistently great. The perfect way to warm up on a snowy cold day in December!

I'm not much of a Pet Shop Boys. The album was fine and I have no major complaints, but to me the music is bland and uninteresting. That being said, I actually didn't turn it off and listened to the whole thing through.

An essential album with some of her classic songs. So much has been said about the all-too short, tragic life of Janis Joplin, but it's the music that sings loudly, as she is one of the most important female artists of her time. Her voice was amazing and her personality comes through even on her studio recordings. Such a shame she couldn't share her gift beyond 27.

This is the perfect opportunity to finally listen to this album from Amy Winehouse. Honestly, she is the real deal, she has the pipes and the songs to make this record memorable. I wouldn't say she's a "great" singer, but combined with the terrific musical arrangements, retro sound and her powerful voice, this is the whole package. Everyone is aware of her personal issues and her tragic death and I can't help being reminded of (my last post), Janis Joplin. Both recorded only 2 proper albums and their potential for even bigger and better things was never realized. It's unfair to make the comparison musically, but this a near perfect record.

I burned a copy of this album when it came out because I enjoyed their sound and the songs were interesting and different. Listening now, I can't help but hear so many other bands and influences (Bowie, Arcade Fire?) to their overall sound and a weird sense of deja vu. I still enjoyed it, it held my attention and recalled some of the reasons I like this band. Enjoyable, well worth your time.

Rush was the first band I saw live, in 1978. It was a couple years after 2112 was released and I don't recall if they played any songs from this album, though to be honest I can't remember much from the concert, at least the songs they performed. They are very prog on this record (including a song that takes up all of side one...so prog!), and musically this is a dynamic, epic album, that proved to be a breakout record for the band. I was never a Rush fan (even though, I'm Canadian), I never got past Geddy's voice, but this album is more about concept and superior musicianship, I'll give it that.

I didn't realize the first Foo Fighters album was a one-man show with Dave Grohl playing all the instruments and vocals, quite a feat for a drummer from his fairly well-known previous band. With this in mind, this album is an impressive feat, it's solid from start to finish and the energy and urgency gives the record it's strength, quite the debut! I can't say I'm a Foo Fighters fan, but from what I've heard on this and their later releases, I can't say I don't like it. This is probably my favourite Foo Fighters album, but it's the only one close to being essential.

Clearly, Janis Joplin is the reason this album is a classic! Her unmistakable vocals are powerful and energetic, while the band sets the tone and vibe of the record. I often overlook this album, but it's hard not to like and the Robert Crumb cover artwork is a bonus.

Epic sounding record, with layers of lush arrangements that are close to being over the top, but melodic and easy to listen to. I've only heard a smattering of Lips music and I enjoy most of it. This album I would consider a modern "masterpiece and probably their best album to date.

I didn't think the Damned could record a better album than their debut, Damned Damned Damned, but Machine Gun Etiquette comes close. It takes the energetic raw punk sound of the debut and it expands it with more depth and musical exploration. The songs are solid and overall the record is more consistent. If compared to their previous record, Music for Pleasure, it's a huge improvement and MGE brings back the pleasure in the music for Damned fans.

Easy on the ears, but don't see myself committed to musical relationship with Thundercat, as I don't feel a genuine connection. The songs are okay, though a little too bland for my taste, but maybe if I was drunk and desperate, this might be more interesting. Thanks, but no thanks.

Apart from the "hits", which is a southern hard rock sound, a lot of the record is more rootsy, folk stylings. I hadn't heard the deep tracks on the album before and I found it gives the band a little more depth than I've given them credit for. There are some outright classics on here (Freebird!, Gimme Three Steps), that Skynyrd are best known for, but overall, the record is solid and essential.

There are several "game-changing" albums that helped shape my musical tastes and My Aim Is True is definitely one of them. This album helped define my love of late 70's British punk/New Wave rock that introduced me to similar sounding musicians and bands from the era, Graham Parker, Joe Jackson, Nick Lowe, Dave Edmunds (w/ Rockpile), Brinsley Schwarz and Ducks Deluxe. This was Elvis's amazing debut album and how many musicians have released 3 consecutive stunners from the start of their career this good? My Aim Is True has two of EC's career defining songs (Alison, Watching The Detectives) that are essential to any era and genre. His next album is even better with the addition of his semi-perma-band, The Attractions, but there's no doubt that wouldn't have been made without the accomplishment of My Aim Is True and it's impact and success..

More recently, I've been exploring and purchasing classic jazz albums. My first vinyl buy was a re-issue of A Love Supreme from John Coltrane without hearing any of it first. Of course, it blew me away and confirmed my new passion for jazz, which is beginning to snowball into an obsession. Great record, amazing lineup of super talent musicians and a recording that is seemingly timeless. A must-hear!

For my 300th review, I listened to Super Furry Animals album, Rings Around The World. An interesting listen, with a rich, lush sound and at times, the tunes have a retro feel, while others are sonically powerful and full. I enjoyed the album, not the best I've heard this week, but a well accomplished record, considering it's more recent than most on the list.

Having to endure at least three previous Bjork "projects" on this list, I wasn't looking forward to another. Bjork was a member of The Sugarcubes before she went solo and though she's still annoying and hard to listen to most of the time, it was a much easier to handle because I liked the sound of the band. A more standard, less unique, alt-rock style, the songs are catchy and at times quite good. The guy singing is also annoying, so it made me not hate Bjork's vocals so much. Believe it or not, I might even listen to this again!

I've only heard Coldplay via shows like SNL or when Chris Martin has guested on TV shows (Modern Family, Extras, Simpsons). They try hard to portray themselves as a sensitive, sentimental pop band than wants to be loved. I've read the backlash and hatred towards Coldplay that puts them in a similar category with Nickleback and James Blunt, songwriters/musicians that cause a divisive reaction when their music is played. If you put those opinions aside, what we have is an average British pop band that is somewhat overrated and musically nothing special. At first glance, they sound pleasant and positive, but after listening to the entire album, they leave me with a feeling of over-compensating sincerity. One listen was enough, I don't need to hear more and yes, I'm starting to believe the anti-Coldplay hype is justified.

At the time this album came out, I despised all Disco and couldn't stand anything this funky to dance to. Years later, my views and listening habits have "matured" and I can appreciate the musicianship and production that went into this music. I still don't purposely listen to Disco, but I won't turn it off or rant about how it's ruining rock 'n' roll if it comes on. It is what it is and it's not the worst way of spending an hour.

Though this album was recorded during the later part of his career, Hard Again, re-established Muddy Waters as one of the true Blues greats of our time. He sounds fresh and rejuvenated and his performance is top notch, making this an enjoyable listen. Makes me regret never seeing Muddy live!

A bit underwhelming, but it was still a pleasant listen and there is some good stuff here. Not something I'll spin regularly, but wouldn't turn it off if this came on.

I had never heard of this, so I expected this would sound like 90's Brit-Pop. At times it does, they definitely sound like Oasis on some tracks, while on others they almost sound like they could be American. This was an interesting and enjoyable listen, will have to listen again to get the full scope of the band.

I've haven't listened to much Joy Division, but what I've heard has been fine. I must admit the music didn't grab me and pull me in, instead it served as good background music that was enjoyable.

One of the best early albums by the Beatles when they definitely found their groove with a consistent album of hits and strong material. The filler is slimmed down without any throwaway songs. A solid record!

Generally, I'm not a big Frank Sinatra fan, but i was curious to hear his collaboration with Jobim. I enjoyed the bossa nova styling and the record gets off to a promising start with the classic, Girl From Ipanema, though I still prefer the Getz/Gilberto version. I thought the album lost some of it's charm towards the end, but overall Sinatra does a valiant effort with the material.

On the second album by the Beatles, they are still playing a lot of covers and their originals are getting better, but still haven't reached anywhere close to their potential. A strong record with the band bringing the energy from their live shows to the studio. Their earlier albums are good, but the best is yet to come. ***1/2 out of 5

This album contains a couple timeless classic songs that surpassed anything the trio produced during their solo careers, as their best music was as a group. This album is good, but their followup with Neil Young is even better. There's no doubt this record should be on this list, even for younger listeners, because of the influence it gave to it's genre. For older folks, this could the soundtrack of their lives from the late 60's.

Good rhymes and good beats that kept me interested and wanting to hear more. With that being said, I'm not a fan of Hip Hop or Rap and found it nu-relatable, but it was listenable and guiltily pleasurable.

Back in the day, I never got into The Smiths. My sister had their albums, I listened, they sounded okay, inoffensive, lush (at times), even keel music that was fine, but to me they were boring. I liked similar sounding bands and always felt The Smiths were a tad bit overrated and couldn't understand why they gained so much success and acclaim. This album is a good record, most of them are, but for me, not essential.

The opening track on Music In Exile, begins with a blast, tasty guitar sounds of upbeat blues! It settles into a satisfying album of interesting songs and musical stylings I rarely have heard. The only drawback is I wish I understood the lyrics and the meaning of the songs since it isn't sung in English, but it's well sung and doesn't detract too much. I wouldn't have otherwise heard this, if not for this list, thanks! I will listen again.

Even if you haven't listened to or understand Jazz, Time Out is a good starting out point. The songs sound familiar and you swear you've heard them before and you definitely know, Take 5, which has to be the most recognizable jazz song ever. Buy the album on vinyl (not CD!) and make sure to prop up the album jacket near your stereo system to provide you with enough Jazz cred to be cool. Really though, this is essential listening!

I tend to categorize Elvis Costello's album in three levels and categories, his first three or four albums are at the top of the list, the next level down would be some of his mid-80's records that are often overlooked and then a handful of throwaway records through the 90's and 2000's that are listenable, but far past his prime. I would rank Blood and Chocolate in the second level, a solid album of really good songs that is underrated and sometimes overlooked. It's not among his best albums, but he seems to be near the top of his game with outstanding contributions from The Attractions and producer, Nick Lowe. Definitely worth a listen.

Truly one the finest debut albums by a Canadian band, Funeral shines on almost every track and continues to be Arcade Fire's greatest achievement. I saw the band during the Funeral tour when it came out and I can't think of a better concert I've seen and the intensity and pure physical energy the band puts fore during their live shows was something to see. I've seen them since and the songs from Funeral are still the highlights of the shows. With Win Butler's recent douchey (toxic) behaviour with some fans, I can't bring myself to give 5 stars, the music and album deserve it, but the band has left me with question marks.

A brilliant debut album by the pioneers of the folk-rock genre with their jangly guitar sound that has been often imitated, but never quite as good as the Byrd's signature sound. Though this album is best known for the covers of Dylan songs, it's their original songs that take this record to the next level. Influential still to this day, this album is one of their best.

Overall the album is fine, there are some tracks I really like, yet there were many that aren't memorable. Fairly generic sounding Brit-Pop and If I played tracks of Oasis and The Verve, I probably couldn't differentiate the two bands and at times, I swear I was listening to U2. Nothing special here, but a pleasant and enjoyable listen. ***1/2

Did not enjoy this album. I don't mind K.D's earlier work with the Inclines with her high energy country and western, cow-punk style, but with her solo debut, she drags this genre to a loungy C & W, easy-listening pace that makes me wonder if this was meant as parody or a genuine attempt to pay tribute to Patsy Cline. At times, the arrangements come across as cheesy and it was sometimes painful to listen to and is only saved somewhat by her always incredible voice. There are other albums of K.D. I would deem more essential than Shadowland.

A classic prog-rock album that remains King Crimson's masterpiece. I first heard this on 8-track in our van and the title track rattled the hollow shell of the van interior even with it's shitty sound. Unfortunately, with 8-track tapes, some longer tracks are split up (mid-song) and that was the case with, In The Court of the Crimson King. Hearing on a proper stereo (or on headphones), it really highlights the details and lushness of the sound and the epic magnitude of the songs. Based just on a couple track of the key tracks, this could be 5 stars, but I felt some of the quieter, weird jazzy bits dragged it down a bit.

Politically and influentially, this is an important album of hip hop and rap. Musically, the beats and the sampling are fine, though overall it doesn't move me or make me want to hear more. I acknowledge this is essential for some and I don't dislike it, but it's not for me.

Two back to back Public Enemy albums? I didn't exactly give the previous one (It Takes A Nation...) a glowing review, I thought it was listenable and well done. Fear Of A Black Planet, I thought was more engaging with more interesting beats and as a whole was a more solid record. I'm still not a fan of the genre, so I have hesitation to give it a super glowing review, but this is as good as it gets for me for rap, so let's move on!

Not a bad listen, I have been known to listen to some ska and the songs have an accessible soul sound. A bit blah at times, not as solid and consistent as their debut album, so overall nothing special here.

Enjoyable enough, lots to like here and Stevie is in fine form. Solid, yet I was starting to lose interest about half way through. Not really a big fan of Stevie, though it's hard to dislike him and Higher Ground is definitely a great song!

I didn't know what to expect and I have to admit I enjoyed it. It's not something I would listen to often, but it was refreshing and the sampling definitely brought a different element to the music. A fairly safe hip-hop/rap choice.

An interesting listen, as I'm familiar with Weller through The Jam, a band I love, though their style gradually began to shift towards of end the band's run and evolved into Weller's next band, The Style Council. I wasn't a big fan of the Style Council, probably because they weren't the Jam, as they moved away from anything punk and it bored me. This Weller solo album caught me by surprise because it sounds so much like the 70's (English and American), perhaps like something Steve Winwood would record (Traffic?), with a easy-listening, AOR sound. I liked a lot of it and some I didn't care for as much, but overall it's a mature sounding record, clearly not concerned with radio hits or commercial success, so I have to give him credit for that.

Arguably, this was The Who's masterpiece. Tommy and Quadrophenia, both were epic double albums and in some ways were more important accomplishments, but what set, Who's Next apart is the fact it's a single record under 45 minutes. There is less filler and features some of their most recognizable songs, Won't Get Fooled Again and Baba O'Riley. It's also contains other great songs, Behind Blue Eyes (a beautiful tune), Bargain, My Wife (sung and written by Entwistle) and Going Mobile (sung by Townsend), that place this album as one of their best. It was a good decision by Pete Townsend to condense his, Lifehouse project down to the 9 tracks that appeared on the record. Not to mention, the classic album cover photo!

You can understand why heavy metal is so easily parodied, the cliches are all here starting with the band name (Venom!), the album title (black (darkness)+metal= Black Metal!), the song titles (To Hell and Back, Buried Alive, Raise The Dead, Leave Me In Hell, Sacrifice, At War with Satan...), album cover (demon face+inverted pentacle star+666+inverted cross=satanic imagery, obviously!). I don't generally enjoy heavy metal music, but can appreciate the effort, (sometimes) this hits all the anti-mainstream sub-genres, speed metal, thrash metal, extreme metal, black metal, but it feels like they're trying way too hard to be offensive and satanic. I'm not offended, but they take themselves way too seriously and though punk and hardcore are musical cousins, at least most punk (and HC) bands have a sense of humour (well, maybe not Rollins!) and/or have an awareness they aren't demon anti-Christs that are saving the world.

Last post, I compared punk/Hardcore to Heavy dark metal, in that Metal sometimes takes themselves too seriously and punk at least has a sense of humour and is angry music in a different way. I was directly thinking of the Circle Jerks, probably the first hardcore punk band I liked and was amused by their political and social messaging in their songs. Group Sex is my first exposure to the Jerks and boy did it make an impression! There 14 songs in just over 15 minutes, yet this is an epic record that remains one of the best of it's genre. It's tight, it's fast and it actual made me laugh a few times because of the absurdity of the songs and the pure raw energy of the band. Back in the day, I put this album and Wild In The Street on one side of a 90 minute cassette (Buzzcocks on the other side) and it was probably my most played tape. Still play it to this day!

The last album I reviewed contained 14 songs in 15 minutes of running time, HBS has only 4 songs with two lengthy songs over 12 minutes each. On the 18:42, By The Time I Get to Phoenix, Hayes spends a good part of the first half of the song talking and by the time he gets to the music the song is halfway done. As a general preference, I'm not a huge fan of epic length songs, but the opening track (12:03), the Bacharach/David, Walk On By, is a great song and it doesn't seem too long. It's a nice groove to open with and overall it's nice listen. Previously, I had only heard Hayes because of the Theme From Shaft and this is a solid record from the Soul legend.

I first heard Sufjan Stevens with his Michigan album and was intrigued by the concept of an album for every US state and wondered how far he'd get (spoiler alert: he didn't get very far). It's a shame he didn't get beyond Illinois, but what he did accomplish with this album was quite an achievement. Michigan was a really good record and Illinois was even better with even more focus and detail in the lyrics about the state and the music continued to impress. The music is beautiful and lavishly performed with orchestrated details that are beyond anything I expected from an indie performer and he explores many genres with much competence. Illinois is one of my favourite states and he does it justice with a near-great album.

An appropriate album to rate, since today is International Clash Day! The Clash is one of the best Punk debut albums, not only punk, but any genre. I would consider this even better than Never Mind The Bollocks and the first album by the Ramones. From start to finish, the songs hit fast and hard, clear and concise, a true punk classic. Definitely essential!

I don't own this album, but being of a certain age, most people I know do. Tapestry is one of the top selling albums of all time, so the odds are pretty good there's a copy in your parents home and for good reason, it's a classic record. From an era when albums were at it's peak, this record contains so many hit singles, making this King's "greatest hits" album and when listening to it, you'll probably recognize most of the songs or have heard them at some point. This album is the gold standard for female singer-songwriters and though I don't own a copy, it certainly is an essential listen for anyone that enjoys good pop music, which I do.