Enjoyable to a point, but the majority album made me feel very stressed, as though I was on the verge of a panic attack and that feeling felt like an eternity before letting up in the last few minutes.
It evoked a journey in my mind but not one I'm interested in revisiting.
Like this album way more than expected. Wild mixture of musical elements and experimentation across the album, some which I absolutely hated but most of it was great or at the very least interesting.
Classic.
Dark, gloomy, depressing.
It's alright, some songs stand out but most of it, just not for me.
Some very iconic songs. Not something I would personally seek out but I can see its appeal, very energetic with strong beats.
Simple, sweet, bland.
Initial song 'Bittersweet Symphony' stands out more than anything that follows.
Everything else seemed very similar and blurred together, okay for passively listening to but very dreary and entirely forgettable.
A lot of fun, can be a bit samey at times but has enough changes in rhythm and sound to keep it from being too repetitive.
The songs are short, straight to the point and seemingly quite literal most the time.
Gary Gilmore's Eyes reminded my of my childhood fear about transplanted body parts. Did they predict Brexit with 'Great British Mistake'? haha
(Don't take that joke too seriously).
Chill. No other song quite hits the mark as 'Sultans of Swing' does but an entirely pleasant listening experience. 'Lions Den' is probably my personal favourite after and rounds of the end of the album nicely.
Didn't particularly care for it. Really dragged along. Forgettable. Boring.
Pretty good.
Started off alright. Very long and repetitive songs.
Really dragged along.
Awful.
Slurred lyrics come across as extremely shallow too.
Mellow with a strong opening and middle, winding down towards the end. The songs have a melancholic longing in them, still sounding like the 90s but fresh enough to be distinct. Plenty of catchy hooks in their strongest songs and the rest were far from mediocre.
I also really enjoyed that I could understand the lyrics without having to look them up.
'Yellow' is my least favourite song on the album but the only one I was familiar with prior to listening. 'Shiver' and 'Trouble' being my personal standouts with 'Don't Panic' not far behind.
Fun and fresh, iconic sounds of the 80s.
Rio and Hungry Like A Wolf are the obvious biggest hitters on this album, Save a Prayer was also enjoyable, other songs don't have quite the same impact.
Really confused by this albums inclusion on the list.
Made in 1988, could be mistaken for much older. There is a mixture of country/blues/lounge/jazzy melodies which are nice and K.D.Lang obviously has real vocal talent but the songs she is singing are nothing ground breaking for its time.
Rocky start, the initial song 'Western Stars' sounded very uncomfortable, more like a wailing cat than anything else but the album became more enjoyable at the introduction of 'Black Coffee' and the title song 'Shadowlands' where her smooth tones showed through. 'Busy Being Blue' also very notable.
Live At Leeds is just a 'substitute' for another album.
I like The Who but I don't feel this belongs on 1001 albums when they have plenty of fantastic studio albums already on the list and with duplicate tracks no less. Needless to say, very disappointed.
Melodrama has a strong opening with 'Green Light'. Individual songs occasionally feel disconnected from each other musically but each song is pretty fantastic in their own right. The songs compliment her wispy style of singing. Raw and honest lyrics.
Personal favs: The Louvre, Liability
Quintessential hippy sound, beautiful album. Primarily folk and psychedelic the tracks can feel like they're from another or a different realm.
No doubt many Brits will be familiar with the iconic rift of the strong opening track 'Whole Lotta Love' thanks to the tv program 'Top of the Pops'.
You can really hear the blues influence on some of the tracks however I don't feel as though the following songs are as good as the opener.
Although I quite liked Ramble On and the drums of Moby Dick.
Each song was very samey but I can see the influence it would of had on some cultural movements. Very bleak. Not something for me though.
Was a bit slow to start but once it got going it was a really fun listen. Still sounds fresh.
The cover of the album had me expecting something more contemporary so it was a real surprise.
Very sexy album.
Struggled to get going, the first few songs really didn't hit but once over that hurdle there was several fantastic songs that followed.
Iconic opener. It's probably cliché but Kurt Cobain was ahead of his time with his lyricism and ability to play with words. Simple and strangely inviting. Combined with the heavy tones of the instruments it makes for an incredible sound that captured the mood of a movement.
I don't know. It was alright. I didn't hate it but I also don't think I would listen to it again.
Alright, nothing special.
Creative and complex layered compositions. Absolutely loved the first two tracks. Ready, Able. While you Wait for the Others.
Beautiful folk album. Stripped back instrumentation shows the strength in the vocals and the lyricism of the stories.
Title song, 'Thriller' is iconic, a genuine 5/5 song.
Several noteworthy songs in their own right (Beat It, Billie Jean, Human Nature). Didn't care much for the others on the album though, thought the beginning was weak. Surprised at Paul McCartney's involvement on the album.
Too experimental for my tastes. Very difficult to get through. Absolutely hated some songs, the others were mediocre at most. Honestly, didn't think I would dislike it as much as I did.
Pretty good.
Really good.
Beautiful album. Perfect for an evening in, full of that longing emotion after losing in love and the maturity and class to move with it.
The album is neither invasive nor demanding but far from being mere background music to become wholly ignored.
Franks velvet voice alone makes this easy to listen to but the accompanying instruments does nothing more than make him shine.
It's okay.
This album has a lot of nostalgia for the frequent trips back to my Dads hometown visiting my grandparents when I was little. On the way there, a Pink Floyd cassette; and on the way back, Carpenters for my mum. For him there was already a strong connection as the band is also from his hometown, Cambridge; and he made sure to remind me every single time that he went to the same school as some of the band members (albeit different years, haha).
I never understood the impact and influence of Pink Floyd until many years later and can completely understand why some people find this album overrated. That in between stage of childhood and adulthood, that was me. I got tired of it, it was 'uncool' dad rock that was played too often, went on too long, I wanted to listen to something new. None of my friends even knew what Pink Floyd were. When I rediscovered it in my 20s, something just clicked.
I don't think this is their best album but for me this album is timeless. I can put it on almost any day of the year and it never gets old. With only five tracks on the album, the length is surprising. Each track feels like it has its place in the album, bringing all the emotion that could possibly be shown, building up and winding down. The bluesy tunes over drones and steady beats serving to reinforce the messages.
Two of the songs (Welcome to the Machine & Have a Cigar) very clearly describe the music industry and the whole album seems a tribute specifically for the troubled former member Syd Barrett.
Even knowing this, the songs still feel relatable, especially to early adulthood and trying to find your feet in the world. Promises made by employers never come to fruition. The pressure to fit a mould. Making mistakes. The guilt of leaving people behind who had been a formative part of our lives and the sorrow of losing them completely. Discovering nothing really changes.
It's alright. With a language barrier I don't think I judge it fairly though.
Not for me.
'Heads will roll' is such a banger.
It's a pretty solid album all round. they remind me a lot of the band Metric, in particular with the vocals. First three songs lead to a strong start, a punchy punky party album. Very suddenly becomes a bit more melancholic with 'Skeletons' which threw me, only to be whiplashed back to those fast beats with 'Dull Life' before winding down to more melodic songs once again. The final song 'Little Shadow' comes across almost like a lullaby and is a very sweet way to end what started as quite a raucous album.
The combination of the cover and year of release had me questioning what I was about to hear but the moment I heard that brass, I knew I was in for a treat.
Initial impressions was it sounded Beatlesque but didn't quite hit that spark.
Fun at first but quickly became very samey and generic.
After reading that this band was created for a tv show, this makes a lot of sense. It's mass appeal with with little to no soul, mimicking the popularity of others. There's not even enough for me to hate it, just very uninteresting and it just keeps going on.
Not bad.
Fun and somewhat chaotic album which brings a lot to the table.
One of the best things Elvis ever did was bring good music to a wider audience. That being said, what a voice he had.
Didn't like it.
Very fun album.
A great selection of festive themed music, a little bit cheesy. Ideal for background music not something I would choose otherwise.
Certainly an ambitious project but Tommy really is all over the place. I only saw the musical about two months back thanks to NetflixUK and my reaction to that was 'what did I just watch', the album by itself feels even more abstract and disconnected without the imagery. That's not to say it isn't enjoyable, in parts it's almost so bad it's brilliant and it's still a pivotal album regardless.
Pretty good album. Easy to get people up and dancing to a couple of these songs. As for listening alone, it does drag on a bit.
Not going to lie and say I had even heard of this man prior to today and the cover had me imagining the worst but I'm glad I got to listen to this album.
Musically it's pretty good, easy to listen to but not very innovative. Where it shines is the lyrics, John Prine was an incredible storyteller and was able to make me both laugh and tear up. A real surprise to see the variety and depth of topics he had chosen to write and sing about.
Wasn't too sure about the initial couple of songs, felt a bit shaky but once the album got going I really started to appreciate it and on a second listen I found the whole thing to be really good. Did think this was BritPop at first though.
Memorable tunes and catchy lyrics; 'Someday', 'Last Nite', 'Hard To Explain', 'Trying Your Luck' & 'Take It Or Leave It' stood out. A lot of energy throughout.
'Barely Legal' made me somewhat uncomfortable.
Note: 'When It Started' wasn't available on spotify for me.
Not the worst thing in the world, just really not feeling any of it and subsequently struggled to get through the entire album (even though it's only 30 mins?).
'American Girl' stood out from the rest of the album but everything else is super bland. Wasn't keen on Tom Pettys voice either.
Alright for background music I suppose.
Holy smokes, that voice was out of nowhere. Having only been familiar with his 'Hallelujah' I was not expecting that entrance. He just strolled right in and without effort commanded attention.
Entire album reads like a letter or a prayer; struggles with aging and religion; an older man haunted by his past, now staring into the void of what's next. Very sombre, melancholic, personal and thoughtful.
The lyrics are absolutely littered Judeo-Christian themes and religious references, which continues into the musical structure itself with inescapable hints of gospel, choral, chanting and traditional 'Jewish' sounding melodies.
I couldn't help notice the similarities with David Bowies 'Blackstar'. Both albums wholly referencing mortality; both albums released the same year, the year of their deaths. This doesn't diminish either album, they're both unique masterpieces in my opinion, just a curiosity.
Fast pace road anthems. Heavy, raw and non-stop. Doesn't deviate much from the main sound but it's not a problem with all the energy involved.
Would be a five but there's definitely things on this album that go beyond questionable now.
Not bad.
Chill and dreamlike.
Actually really like “Queen is Dead”, the pace, the tone and the criticisms in the lyrics. Reminds me of “Bela Lugosi’s Dead” by Bauhaus in sound. However it doesn’t feel particularly strong as the introductive song and nothing that follows really even matches this.
Don’t like the slurred vocals. Sounds like every song is being sung by a drunkard at karaoke. This is only made worse as the songs become slowed down and more depressive.
However I can see the influence this album would have had on some people, some of the lyrics are very interesting. Such a shame Morrissey is an absolute hypocrite with zero self awareness.
Not sure about this. It’s very chaotic. I can praise it for being very experimental and trying things out but it feels like disjointed noise at times. Really don’t like Bryan Ferrys’ voice.
Jurassic 5 get a 5 from me.
Surprisingly good.
His fourth album? Even now, Bowie is extremely unique, both in sound and performance. Dramatic and attention grabbing. "Life on Mars" is undoubtable the most famous song here, and rightfully so but "Changes" makes for a great opener, with some of the themes repeated in subsequent songs. The lyrics "You've left us up to our necks in it" still feels true 50 years later... some things never change.
Can't say anything terrible about this album now. I do remember the first time I tried to listen to this album was a struggle but it grew on me and is now one of my favourite frequents. I often have "Oh you pretty things" in my head. Very catchy as with many of the songs featured on this album. Also just love the play on words in the chorus.
"Kooks" is very sweet but I also believe it to be the weakest link on this album, probably the only song I would consider skipping on a listen although I'm not a huge fan of "Fill Your Heart" either. "Quicksand" is a great inward perspective song with strange encouragement towards moving forward.
"Warhol", "Song For Bob Dylan" and "Queen Bitch" are all tributes. The chorus in "SFBD" directly references songs by Velvet Underground, whose debut album uses a Warhol print on the cover. Another fun fact, Bowie played the part of Warhol in the 1996 movie based on the life of Jean-Michel Basquiat. "Queen Bitch" definitely deserves a mention by itself, definitely one of the most standout and memorable songs on Hunky Dory.
"The Bewlay Brothers" rounds off the album nicely, slowing down the pace after the previous song, albeit the ending always unnerves me.
Is it just coincidence that I received my first 1001 Bowie album on his birthday? (January 8th) Nice surprise either way.
Album cover had me wondering just how old is MS Paint.
Don't hate this, don't love this. Mostly bland.
This hasn't aged well. Some of the lyrics are almost embarrassing.
I really wanted to like this but it was a struggle to get through.
There's definitely some 5/5 songs on this album but quite a bit of it seems like filler. I don't think Lennons solo work is quite as good as anything he did with the Beatles.
Pretty good lyrics. Many of the songs drag on.
Refreshingly different to other albums so far.
It's pretty good.
Wasn't too sure about this at first but it turned out to be a solid fun album. Once it got going it reminded me a lot of street festivals/carnivals I had been to in my youth with all the exhilaration of the communal party atmosphere that they had.
Really didn't like that last song 'Duck for the Oyster' but the rest of the album I would happily listen to again.
I can hear a lot of other bands in their sound, they certainly seem like they weren't afraid to try out different styles. It was a bit of bizarre familiarity despite never hearing of this band before.
This album just oozes atmosphere, I usually hate 'live' albums but there's something special about this particular one that I can not only forgive it but revel in it. Only drawback is the censoring beeps.
My first memorable exposure to The Who was thanks to trailers for 'A Bugs Life' featuring the song 'Baba O'Riley', though I didn't know it yet. 'Boris the Spider' was my second thanks to my Uncle; curiously I also use to call him 'Baba' as a kid, though I doubt there's any connection.
Some of the songs definitely come across as a filler but there's nothing that is flat out awful and some genuine amazing songs are featured in this album. Absolutely nothing original in my opinion for those songs being 'Baba O'Riley', 'Behind Blue Eyes' and 'Won't Get Fooled Again'.
Instinctively I was repulsed when I saw that there was another album with this guy however I did enjoy this album as a whole more than "Queen is Dead" by the Smiths. Some lyrics are a bit dodgy.
"Glamourous Glue" shows Tories have never changed. Finding out "You're the One for Me, Fatty" is supposedly about Chas Smash of Madness was surprising.
It's just noise.
I get why it's on the list but absolutely not something I would willingly go near again. Over an hour with each song seemingly indistinguishable.
Energetic and fun.
Experimental drone music.
No idea how it was received at release but I don't think it's aged well. Very little substance, lots of repetition and in songs that overstay their welcome. It's definitely been influential though, I instantly recognised "M.E" from the sample used in "Where's Your Head At" and no doubt helped pioneered the genre and further electronic music.
"Cars" really stands out head and shoulders from the rest of the album for just how catchy it is.
First song had me thinking I was going to hate this entire album but it wasn't that bad.
40 songs, 2 hours... this album is a commitment.
Fantastic vibes.
I don't like her voice.
Sweet and romantic.
Not for me. Annoying, repetitive and boring.
Pow!
The Doors always had this air of mystique about them for me, though I never got round to listening to any of their music until now. Such an unassuming name, now makes sense knowing it comes from the Aldous Huxley novel "The Doors of Perception".
Definitely has that 60s psychedelic/hippy tones in there but they come across as much darker compared to others I have listened to in this era. Some of it is almost harrowing when connected to the lyrics.
I expected to like this more. Truth is, I hated the first two songs (Break On Through/Soul Kitchen) but "The Crystal Ship" was a real highlight that broke the album into something more digestible. "Light My Fire" was the first tune I recognised, researching I found that this is probably because of the cover by Will Young. Unsure how I feel about this. "The End" couldn't be a more perfect end to this album.
Well, it's definitely Radiohead. Can't fault them for having a style.
Aretha, you're wonderful.
Very nice.
