My 1001 Albums Journey

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3.33

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1029 albums remaining

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1990s

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Wordsmith

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5-Star Albums

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Albums

You Love More Than Most

Album	You	Global	Diff
Imperial Bedroom Elvis Costello & The Attractions	5	3.01	+1.99
Here Are the Sonics The Sonics	5	3.16	+1.84
Mermaid Avenue Billy Bragg	5	3.18	+1.82
The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill Lauryn Hill	5	3.63	+1.37
Ill Communication Beastie Boys	5	3.65	+1.35
Heaux Tales Jazmine Sullivan	4	2.68	+1.32
Let It Bleed The Rolling Stones	5	3.83	+1.17
Elephant The White Stripes	5	3.86	+1.14
Reign In Blood Slayer	4	2.96	+1.04
Let Love Rule Lenny Kravitz	4	3	+1

You Love Less Than Most

Album	You	Global	Diff
Suede Suede	1	3.1	-2.1
Happy Trails Quicksilver Messenger Service	1	2.8	-1.8
Queen II Queen	2	3.49	-1.49
Hot Rats Frank Zappa	2	3.36	-1.36
Melodrama Lorde	2	3.31	-1.31
The Seldom Seen Kid Elbow	2	3.26	-1.26
The Blueprint JAY Z	2	3.22	-1.22
Hysteria Def Leppard	2	3.21	-1.21
Soul Mining The The	2	3.17	-1.17
Technique New Order	2	3.17	-1.17

5-Star Albums (7)

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Popular Reviews

Heaux Tales

Jazmine Sullivan

4/5

Hmm, this was a real stretch for me. I guess it’s not really made for a 59 year old male, but it was still cool. Pick up your feelings is great! She is an unapologetic sexual being. Recognizing the ups and downs of that reality. Go for it girl

12 likes

Imperial Bedroom

Elvis Costello & The Attractions

5/5

This album has been giving me goosebumps since it came out 40 years ago. The Attractions are at the top of their game in mellow, loud, chamber pop and everything else. Elvis’s songs cover relationships as usual with biting sarcasm and wordplay. The opening trio of Beyond Belief, Tears Before Bedtime, and Shabby Doll set a level of brilliance followed up through the whole album

6 likes

Here Are the Sonics

The Sonics

5/5

Don’t let the sweaters fool you, this is loud, obnoxious, and sweaty rock(early punk?). Strychnine, Have Love Will Trave are two of the standouts

4 likes

Rock Bottom

Robert Wyatt

2/5

Unlistenable! British art house nonsense for the sake of itself.

1 likes

Suede

1/5

On first listen this is a slab of ponderous guitar Brit-pop. Not grunge, not Oasis, just slow and dull.

1 likes

1-Star Albums (2)

All Ratings

Disintegration

The Cure

3/5

Super atmospheric, and definitely in the 80’s goth style as I remember it. Not my style really as it is too plodding, but certainly if I was in the right mood it could fill in the spaces of a dark day….

Head Hunters

Herbie Hancock

4/5

Starts with a super funky vibe (Chameleon) and veers all over the place from there. Straightforward funk, electric jazz and way out space avant- garde, at least to my ears

Fetch The Bolt Cutters

Fiona Apple

4/5

Great record! Shameika, Relay are particularly good in showcasing her odd phrasing and her fascinating way of turning a phrase, often with a real bite. Overall I still prefer Idler Wheel……

The Gershwin Songbook

Ella Fitzgerald

3/5

Not sure if it’s the exact version as there were 3 on Apple Music. Love Ella and her phrasing, My One and Only is great.

Hot Rats

Frank Zappa

2/5

I’ve tried listening to Zappa in the past. He certainly has the chops and a tight band behind him but I guess I just don’t get it. Some parts of songs are cool like much of SOn of Mr Green Genes, but devolve into silliness or random noise. Not for me

Reign In Blood

Slayer

4/5

Blood, sacrilege, violence, and general mayhem are key in this classic old school thrash album. Did I mention the blood?

Surf's Up

The Beach Boys

3/5

Wow, that was The Beach Boys? A very strange album. Student Demonstration Time is so out of the blue, it’s crazy. Interesting harmonies in several songs.

Horses

Patti Smith

4/5

A classic sounding album even though it is commonly labeled as punk. Gloria is a fantastic cover.

Synchronicity

The Police

3/5

This was the album that put them into the stratosphere. I didn’t like it as much when it came out although Synchronicity I is one of my favorite songs. It hasn’t held up well… at least for me.

Heaux Tales

Jazmine Sullivan

4/5

Rain Dogs

Tom Waits

4/5

It’s all here; the raspy yawp, weird percussion, tales of the backroads or alleys. Great band as well. Gun Street Girl, Big Black Mariah, Jockey Full of bourbon, Union Square, and Walking Spanish are all highlights. Makes me want to sip some bourbon… cheap bourbon!

The Seldom Seen Kid

Elbow

2/5

Slow and dull. Not for me. But I did play it all the way through, so I guess it didn’t bug me that much

Rocks

Aerosmith

3/5

A real 70s hard rock classic. The Back in the Saddle to Last Child opening is a throwback to the sleazy bluesy hard rock of that era.

Mermaid Avenue

Billy Bragg

5/5

This might be Wilco’s best album… Ingrid Bergman, California Stars, Hesitating Beauty all highlight their “sensitive” side really well.

Ill Communication

Beastie Boys

5/5

All time classic! The Beasties in the middle of their peak. All the different sounds, Sabotage, Root Down, Sabrosa, Tough Guy! They are there own genre and we are better for it.

I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got

Sinead O'Connor

4/5

What a cool record! O’Connor has a great voice used to great effect. This was when she had the world prepped for her to be a big star and told everyone to fuck-off. Nothing Compares 2 U, Feels So Different, Black Boys on Moped. Chill yet full of passion.

Let It Bleed

The Rolling Stones

5/5

One of my favorite, if not the favorite Stones album. Starting with Gimme Shelter, Let it Bleed, You Got the Silver, Monkey Man are all classics. The incredible Love in Vain cover rules. Stones at their sleazy, druggy best!

Arrival

ABBA

3/5

Amother flashback to high school! Didn’t realize they were just a 50’s girl group with a disco beat! Now they’ve been ruined by white women drinking too much Chardonnay and dancing to Mamma Mia. There’s a place in my heart for Knowing You, Knowing Me and Fernando. Always liked Money, Money, Money too.

69 Love Songs

The Magnetic Fields

2/5

Self indulgent? Tongue in Cheek? Sometimes funny? Yes to all, and that’s why it should not be soooo long. I get that you’re going for 69(hehe) but c’mon.

Rock Bottom

Robert Wyatt

2/5

Unlistenable! British art house nonsense for the sake of itself.

American Idiot

Green Day

4/5

The opening 4 songs are as good as it gets. A real window into Bush’s America and it rocks hard!

The Rising

Bruce Springsteen

3/5

A very murky sounding album from the Boss. Makes sense as it is a post 9-11 album.

Dance Mania

Tito Puente

4/5

Feel like I should be sipping a martini at the club with the Rat Pack. Very hip in a 60’s kinda way.

Too Rye Ay

Dexys Midnight Runners

3/5

I like the mix of traditional Irish music and an R &B/should sound.

Darklands

The Jesus And Mary Chain

4/5

Great guitar wall of sound. Reverb and atmosphere for days.

Dust

Screaming Trees

4/5

Old school grunge. Great vocals and I particularly like All I Know and Dime Western

Deep Purple In Rock

Deep Purple

3/5

Speed King is a hard rockin opener. The rest is pretty typical Purple with that prog/hard rock mix, soaring vocals, etc. Good record. Not necessarily for me, and certainly no Machine Head.

Hysteria

Def Leppard

2/5

Why would you have this album on but not Pyromania. This album is everything wrong with 80s metal. Overproduced plodding crap. At least Pyromania had some decent riffs. PourSome Sugar On can still draw a smile though

Tres Hombres

ZZ Top

4/5

Bluesy, sleazy, and fun. Jesus…Chicago, Waitin for the Bus, LaGrange all classics. This set them up for a lifetime of great boogie.

Haut de gamme / Koweït, rive gauche

Koffi Olomide

3/5

Bluesy, sleazy, and fun. Jesus…Chicago, Waitin for the Bus, LaGrange all classics. This set them up for a lifetime of great boogie.

The Blueprint

JAY Z

2/5

In my admittedly narrow mind this is the epitome of mindless big star prattle passing for cool. The same big star attitude that created punk rock in the 70’s when rock became stale.

Here Are the Sonics

The Sonics

5/5

Don’t let the sweaters fool you, this is loud, obnoxious, and sweaty rock(early punk?). Strychnine, Have Love Will Trave are two of the standouts

Music For The Jilted Generation

The Prodigy

3/5

Okay that is a bit too much for me. In a club when I was in my 20’s it wasn’t even my style, but I could have enjoyed it for a night. Beats and random noises, the occasional guitars, voices, and more beats.

Elephant

The White Stripes

5/5

Hardest Button to Button, I Don’t Know What to Do With Myself, Little Acorns, Black Math, the list goes on and on. Ball and Biscuit is a classic blues rave-up, Seven Nation Army is a sports stadium staple. The White Stripes at their world conquering rock n roll height. Blistering, thumping, a little sensitive, and a lot weird.

B-52's

The B-52's

4/5

It’s hard to recall how offbeat and strange this album sounded back in 79. From the gradual build and killer guitar of Planet Claire to the body shaking Dance This Mess Around and the goofy Rock Lobster. It opened up a new day glo world to my 17 year old brain. Good stuff.

Happy Trails

Quicksilver Messenger Service

1/5

When I hear the term jam band, this, unfortunately is what comes to mind. Mindless noodling by the guitarist in search of an interesting groove. here they take the class Bo Diddley beat, Who Do You Love and try many different versions, one more boring than the next. My question is, why?

Queen II

Queen

2/5

They’re still searching on this album. Too many fantasy songs with the Brian May guitar and vocal harmonies being played with. Not close to their best. Why put this album over most of their catalog which is much better?

MTV Unplugged In New York

Nirvana

4/5

This album really highlights the strength of Nirvana’s songs. They hold up under a light acoustic setting just as well as with squalls of guitar and pounding drums. I forgot how they gave the Meat Puppets a huge boost by playing three of their songs from the II album.

In The Wee Small Hours

Frank Sinatra

3/5

A real contemplative album, just as the title suggests. Dancing on the Ceiling, Last Night When We We’re Young stood out on the first listen. Overall needs a little more swing for my tastes.

Crime Of The Century

Supertramp

4/5

I had almost forgotten about these guys. This album was a radio favorite with Dreamer, School, Bloody Well Right. Piano pop with a bit of a prog edge. Holds up pretty well after all these years. They had a very distinctive sound… maybe the Spoon of the 70’s? Probably not….

En-Tact

The Shamen

2/5

That’s a lot of beats! I find it rather repetitive but have to say Make it Mine is a bumper.

Bridge Over Troubled Water

Simon & Garfunkel

3/5

Ahh the harmonies. The Boxer and Cecilia are super strong songs. Still feels a little too earnest, but good stuff

Suede

1/5

On first listen this is a slab of ponderous guitar Brit-pop. Not grunge, not Oasis, just slow and dull.

Let It Be

The Replacements

4/5

Gloriously sloppy, rockin, perceptive,juvenile, sensitive. The Replacements here are all that and more. Favorite Thing, Unsatisfied, Tommy Got His Tonsils Out, Androgynous, and even Black Diamond(a Kiss cover). Are they the world’s best rock band or a bunch of hard drinking idiots? Yes they are!

Africa Brasil

Jorge Ben Jor

4/5

I’m not sure what type of music this is. Maybe some samba influence but also plenty of electric guitar and some African beats. The first song is excellent as is the title song to finish up. It has a real angsty feel even though I have no idea what the lyrics are saying. Interesting sounds and I’ll listen to it more for sure.

Soul Mining

The The

2/5

Kind of 80’s dance/industrial with dark lyrics.

The Wall

Pink Floyd

4/5

Pink Floyd finished off the 70’s with their biggest hit. The paranoia surrounding Roger Waters comes spilling out in this concept album of a tortured rock star. Tons of big hits spread throughout, Another Brick in the Wall Pt 2, Comfortably Numb, Run Like Hell, Is There Anybody Out There. Fantastic!

Live At The Regal

B.B. King

4/5

BB King is a smooth entertainer and this live show proves it. His band is crackin’ with horns and keyboards especially shining. King has a story to tell and plays Lucille, his guitar, with shimmering leads and most importantly restraint. He is not a flashy guitarist but it fills the sound perfectly. How Blue Can You Get? And Woke Up This Mornin’ are standouts for me.

Imperial Bedroom

Elvis Costello & The Attractions

5/5

Technique

New Order

2/5

I honestly never gave New Order much of chance back in the 80s. I was more on the punk side and there was plenty to listen to. I find their overreliance on drum machines(?) to be a little dull. However some of the tunes like Guilty Partner and Run are a little closer to The Cure and are kind of interesting.

To Pimp A Butterfly

Kendrick Lamar

3/5

A no holds barred look at life for young African Americans in the USA. Some of the production is super soul/jazz/funk and some is very spare and spoken word. Not sure if I liked it, but I have to respect it.

Live 1966 (The Royal Albert Hall Concert)

Bob Dylan

3/5

This album is split between the “old” acoustic Dylan’s and the new rock n roller. After all these years it doesn’t sound all that wild.

Songs For Swingin' Lovers!

Frank Sinatra

3/5

You Make Me feel So Young, I’ve Got You Under My Skin, Pennies From Heaven all standout in this big band version of Frank. I’m struck by how lite this collection is. I’m assuming Frank could put out anything and people would eat it up.

Let Love Rule

Lenny Kravitz

4/5

With nods slinky soul, funk, R & B, glam rock this album is a winner. Freedom Train, Let Love Rule, Be, Mr Cab Driver and more show him as an inspired artist letting his freak flag fly.

Boston

3/5

The classic rock album to beat all others! Seemingly unknown as individuals, but the ultimate 70’s band. For those of us in high school in the late 70’s this is the soundtrack of those years more than any other. It is definitely a rockin piece of nostalgia, but is tired after 50+ years on repeat….

Melodrama

Lorde

2/5

Sometimes I listen to modern pop and I just feel old and out of touch. this is one of those occasions

The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill

Lauryn Hill

5/5

Lost Ones, That Thing, Everything is Everything - the list of great soul/rap songs goes on and on. Hill sings and raps her way through songs of love, relationships, tension and growth. Holds up after all these years!

In The Court Of The Crimson King

King Crimson

3/5

In my opinion 21st Century Schizoid Man is the one true highlight of this album. Mixes prog, free jazz, rock freak out into a heady stew. The rest is filler.

Vanishing Point

Primal Scream

3/5

Kind of a trippy album. I’m assuming, based on some of the samples in there, it’s loosely based on that late 60s/early 70s movie. Not nearly as strong a set as on Screamadelica.

Live!

Fela Kuti

4/5

What a great funky jam! Cool polyrhythms and JB style horns.