1001 Albums Summary

Solid production, sets and hold a cool vibe, good musicianship, excellent use of space. Great for the genre

Darker, deeper, and more oblique than it's predecessor, their sophomore effort tracks a more acoustic tack (culminating in the follow up LZ III), which, when combined with the raw power and cut of their debut, they would leverage to craft their iconic masterpiece IV. As such, this is a transitional work that still manages to pack quite a punch. The hits here loom large, but on the whole it's a bit uneven. Compared to their best, it can't help but come up a bit short, but it remains better than most within the genre

Seminal recording and a fascinating listen, I'm struck by how it spans the gaps between hip hop and disco, rap and soul. Much more than just the title track, and the references (both sampled and implicit) are layered in with skill, humor, and insight. This is not my genre of preference (so I'm sure I'm missing things), but this record seems the clarion call for a huge swath of contemporary music that followed. The rapping may be dated, but the record certainly isn't. The first title says it best - she's fresh!

Engrossing and enjoyable. Apart from some interesting textures, nothing is particularly 'special' about the record - musical decisions are familiar and expected, and musicianship is adequate - leaving me a bit underwhelmed.

A transitional work, to be sure, but what a fascinating one! Some great tracks here, as well as some that could have seen the editing room floor, but all paint a picture of an enigmatic writer/performer building to something much, much larger.

Ugh. Sounds like a mediocre bar band - you know the one... they have some raw talent but they're either too lazy or too drunk to bother learning the songs. My overwhelming impression while slogging through this sloppy set was "Geez - how much longer is this song?". Not without charm, but certainly lacking in execution.

Positively breathtaking. Extraordinary. Wholly original music.

I'll admit that I have a soft spot in my heart for this, the ramshackle, obtuse, rushed follow up to its monumental predecessor. I have every expectation that another round or two of edits would have tightened up the lyrics in places, and a little more time in the studio may have yielded something (anything?) better than the embarrassing cover of Let's Spend the Night Together, but the band remains dangerous and the attitude is sharp, cutting, and intact. It sounds so much like a man lost in excess that he's lost his articulateness too, and from that point of view I'll celebrate the album's mostly-finished nature. There are some terrific tracks on here, perhaps chief among them the title track, where the narrator's broken mind is perfectly reflected in the stark, sharded piano solo. An inevitable let down from Ziggy Stardust, but what wouldn't be? Realistically, when I pick Bowie to listen to it's almost never this, but I was glad to hear it again today.

Part of me likes to think that Taylor is writing about the long term prospects for her own career on 'Style', the record's third track. Singing directly to her target market, it is absolutely true that there will always be middle school students that will flock to her concerts and gobble up her records. Just don't make the mistake of thinking that her popularity relates to quality in any way. Repetitive structures, catch-phrase lyrics, and monotonous production decimate what little there is to begin with here. Insipid pop music.

Nothing much is pleasant about this listening experience - the production is dense to the point of singularity and the music is loud, clangy, and crude. It's almost like the band is trying to alienate the listener, and in large part they have. That said, I see this as an even more sophisticated attempt to throw popular music on its head - while their debut at least has some 'catchy' tunes, this one dispenses with any of the trappings of musical enjoyment, dragging listeners down a dark alley, against our will, to show us smacked-out junkies and heroin whores. Its inconceivable to think this came out in 1968, and my rating here reflects the cutting edge nature of the work (if not my actual enjoyment at the listening)

Ahhh, the eponymous debut of a terrific song writer. The themes here may diverge from one another, but on the whole it plays like a greatest hits record. Prine swings for the fences here and connects on nearly every song. I suppose it makes sense - he had his whole life to write the songs that appeared here, and it shows in everything from the musical arrangements to the turns of lyrical phrase. I must admit that I've never cared for his voice, but he delivers the songs earnestly and with feeling. Top notch for the genre.

As a fan of rhythm section jazz, the Bill Evans Trio has been a favorite since I first sought them out after hearing Bill's work on Kind of Blue. That said, the band seems to meander through this set without much direction. It doesn't set the tone as well as on Waltz for Debbie and the playing seems to lack conviction. Not an unpleasant listen, but it fell into the background too easily.

Low-key vibes and songs that draw you in, even on the first listen. A clear outlier in the singer/songwriter genre, at times recalling the jazzier phrasing of Joni Mitchell. A solid listen that has me interested in exploring more of his catalog.

Upon first listen there was no mistaking the era - this is 80s pop through and through. And not unpleasant, either. It's just that I feel like I've heard all these songs before from other bands. There's a bit of Psychedelic Furs, some Billy Bragg, and a little Echo and the Bunnymen in here, but all the apparent influences leave me wondering who the Go-Betweens are. And again, perfectly pleasant 80s pop - it's just not particularly original. And in that it also doesn't particularly move me in really any way. And it's not that derivative works are necessarily 'less good' than their inspiration, it's just that these particular derivative works don't add much nuance or value to the original experience.

This is hard. On one hand, it's the Beatles, a band that has contributed enormously to the quality of my life, and my understanding of music and expression generally - I am not a casual fan. On the other, With The Beatles is perhaps the least impactful album in their entire catalog. Sure, there are hits here, but it's more like a photocopy of the formula from Please Please Me than it is a 'new record', and the innovations the band would spearhead in the coming years only underscores the analogy. Listening to it again I find myself wanting to cherry pick tracks (or listen to Please Please Me instead) rather than soldiering on. And how good is it if I'm characterized the listening as 'soldiering on'?

Monumental. From a simple theme grows jazz played with a sense of spiritual purpose, instilled with passion, intent, and real feeling. You won't find dance hits here, but careful listening will reward those willing to do so.

Entertaining set from a band that borrows vibe from (and extends considerably) the music of G. Love and Special Sauce, pushing the grooves deeper into rap and hard rock. A little uneven, but never drifts too low. The stark, exemplary single Scoobie Snacks is the brightest star here, but the firmament shines from others, too. A solid listen that encourages me to research the band further.

Rich and exceptionally well conceived and executed, each song stands on it's own merits while still contributing to the larger themes. Great melodies, kicking arrangements, humor and pathos, this album stands as a rocking testament to the Kinks' contributions to the genre. Having only ever heard Victoria prior to this listen, the album hit me from out of left field. I've never been so happy to get beaned!

Loose and easy-swinging, this set from 1963 captures Sam in fine, upbeat form. His playful call outs to audience and band alike show a performer in full control, and the 36 minutes captured here enjoyably fly by. My somewhat measured rating reflects the inherent difficulty with live sets - the songs aren't the familiar versions, but (in this case) none of the performances shed new light on the songs themselves. Yes, the set is engaging, and yes, the performances are good, but there's nothing particularly special here.