Journey Complete!
Finisher #389 to complete the list
1089
Albums Rated
3.49
Average Rating
100%
Complete
Berlin
Lou Reed
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1990s
Favorite Decade
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Top Origin
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Rater Style ?
165
5-Star Albums
32
1-Star Albums
Taste Analysis
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Ratings by genre
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You Love More Than Most
Albums you rated higher than global average
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Junkyard | 5 | 2.16 | +2.84 |
| Opus Dei | 5 | 2.39 | +2.61 |
| Antichrist Superstar | 5 | 2.48 | +2.52 |
| Now I Got Worry | 5 | 2.52 | +2.48 |
| KE*A*H** (Psalm 69) | 5 | 2.69 | +2.31 |
| Yank Crime | 5 | 2.7 | +2.3 |
| Atomizer | 5 | 2.72 | +2.28 |
| Isn't Anything | 5 | 2.74 | +2.26 |
| Alien Lanes | 5 | 2.75 | +2.25 |
| Histoire De Melody Nelson | 5 | 2.76 | +2.24 |
You Love Less Than Most
Albums you rated lower than global average
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music | 1 | 3.49 | -2.49 |
| Arrival | 1 | 3.49 | -2.49 |
| Faith | 1 | 3.27 | -2.27 |
| Crazysexycool | 1 | 3.06 | -2.06 |
| Time (The Revelator) | 1 | 3.06 | -2.06 |
| Get Rich Or Die Tryin' | 1 | 3.05 | -2.05 |
| The Nightfly | 1 | 3 | -2 |
| Don't Come Home A Drinkin' (With Lovin' On Your Mind) | 1 | 2.98 | -1.98 |
| All That You Can't Leave Behind | 1 | 2.98 | -1.98 |
| Bridge Over Troubled Water | 2 | 3.97 | -1.97 |
Artist Analysis
Favorite Artists
Artists with 2+ albums
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds | 5 | 4.6 |
| Sonic Youth | 5 | 4.6 |
| Tom Waits | 5 | 4.6 |
| The Smiths | 3 | 5 |
| The Cure | 3 | 5 |
| The Stooges | 3 | 5 |
| Miles Davis | 4 | 4.5 |
| Talking Heads | 4 | 4.5 |
| PJ Harvey | 4 | 4.5 |
| R.E.M. | 4 | 4.5 |
| Arcade Fire | 3 | 4.67 |
| My Bloody Valentine | 3 | 4.67 |
| The Velvet Underground | 3 | 4.67 |
| Peter Gabriel | 3 | 4.67 |
| Portishead | 2 | 5 |
| Joy Division | 2 | 5 |
| Jane's Addiction | 2 | 5 |
| The Smashing Pumpkins | 2 | 5 |
| Lou Reed | 2 | 5 |
| Can | 2 | 5 |
| TV On The Radio | 2 | 5 |
| Radiohead | 6 | 4.17 |
| Pink Floyd | 4 | 4.25 |
| Joni Mitchell | 4 | 4.25 |
| Stevie Wonder | 4 | 4.25 |
| David Bowie | 9 | 3.89 |
| Black Sabbath | 3 | 4.33 |
| Kraftwerk | 3 | 4.33 |
| Pixies | 3 | 4.33 |
| Prince | 3 | 4.33 |
| Jimi Hendrix | 3 | 4.33 |
| Echo And The Bunnymen | 3 | 4.33 |
| Led Zeppelin | 5 | 4 |
Least Favorite Artists
Artists with 2+ albums
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| George Michael | 2 | 1.5 |
| Emerson, Lake & Palmer | 2 | 1.5 |
| ABBA | 2 | 1.5 |
| k.d. lang | 2 | 1.5 |
| Public Image Ltd. | 2 | 1.5 |
| Grateful Dead | 2 | 1.5 |
Controversial Artists
Artists you rate inconsistently
| Artist | Ratings |
|---|---|
| Björk | 5, 5, 4, 2 |
| Morrissey | 5, 2, 4, 5 |
5-Star Albums (165)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
Radiohead
5/5
It listens as the album where Radiohead mixed the elements from their rockier-oriented career start with their later electronic experimental style. Call it a Kid A meets OK Computer.
This was certainly not an album I 'got' in just one listen. It has taken a few proper sessions to get through the somewhat dark and inaccessible layers this album has.
Not just musically, but lyrically the band seems to be a lot more cynical and angry than I've known them. But I'm enjoying the album more with every listen, mostly because there's so much to discover with every playthrough.
There are so many details that are revealed with each new listen, and those details are presented in a truly varied way.
There is rarely any repetition; the variety is huge and you're traveling quickly from one place to another, which sometimes makes the album feel a bit disjointed at the start. But after a few listens I think only We Suck Young Blood is a lesser song on a truly great album.
Slowly this might be becoming one of my favourite Radiohead albums.
I'm putting it at 4,5*, but this album might end up as a 5* album in a few years if I revisit it.
19 likes
Culture Club
1/5
I have listened to this album twice now and I just don't get the generally positive reviews. The album actually makes me almost angry, that's how much I disliked it.
This is the epitome of what was wrong in the 80's (even though there also was a lot of great music). It sniffed New Wave but doesn't seem to get it, saw soul from a distance, uses filler sounds like a trumpet or harmonica to make the music sound smarter than it is. Ugh.
14 likes
Talk Talk
5/5
This one really blew me away and is apparently the absolute best Talk Talk have ever made, there's something new to hear in every song every time I put it on.
Definitely an album to keep revisiting
10 likes
Japan
5/5
What a great discovery. This is just a superb album that I kept listening to on repeat. The fretless bass makes this album even one step better than the songwriting already does. I hear influences of Roxy Music and Bowie, and you'll definitely hear where 80's bands like Duran Duran got their inspiration.
Absolutely great album from start to end with no bad songs in between. Even as a big VU & Lou Reed fan, I really could appreciate the cover of All Tomorrow's Parties.
Fall In Love With Me & In Vogue are my two favourite tracks
4,5*.
10 likes
Jamiroquai
4/5
Jamiroquai's "Emergency on Planet Earth" is an infectiously groovy mix of funk, jazz, soul and disco. From start to finish there's catchy and infectious Stevie Wonder inspired rhythms. The bass in particular is fantastic. The instrumentation is rich with with added horns and percussions and of course Jay Kay's voice.
A wonderful record to relax or dance to.
And really, don't get me started on people complaining about cultural appropriation and 'white guy trying to sound black.'
Culture is a mosaic, not a monolith, and it is improved, not damaged, when people incorporate pieces from other sounds or cultures that inspired them. How is honoring your favourite artists, in Jamiroquai's case Stevie Wonder, all of a sudden not done?
It's an enjoyable funky record, clearly inspired by some of worlds greats.
9 likes
4-Star Albums (405)
1-Star Albums (32)
All Ratings
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
3/5
The first two songs of the albums are absolute bangers, but after that the quality of the first two doesn't fully hold up.
Sarah Vaughan
4/5
A live album by one of the best voices to have ever existed with a truly professional band.
The chosen songs are some of the more famous jazz songs, but not fully engaging throughout the album. Where they go a bit more uptempo, they band gets to showcase themselves a bit more.
John Lee Hooker
4/5
It's an album with lots of collaborations with other artists. Some, like Los Lobos, work a lot better than others, like Santana.
After the terrible first song of the album is slowly turns into a real bluesy John Lee Hooker album. 3,5 stars
Frank Sinatra
3/5
I can hear where Tom Waits has gotten much inspiration on his slower songs on this concept album by Sinatra
But an album full of this gets quite monotonous to me, even though his voice is absolutely stunning and the music is great.
Janis Joplin
5/5
I have never really listened to a Janis Joplin album before, strangely enough. I knew some of the 'hits,' but nothing really more than that. I now know I was missing out. This rocks!
Foo Fighters
3/5
It's one of their rawer albums, but that does not make it one of their better. You clearly hear the mid 90's sound, but, as with a lot of Foo Fighter albums, you have 2 amazing songs, 2 good and the rest barely average.
Todd Rundgren
4/5
Clever, musically and lyrically. Not sure how well this album has stood the test of time, but I was fully appreciating it
Bob Dylan
4/5
Was great to listen to this album. It's actually better than I remembered it from when my parents let me listen to it. Ballad of a Thin Man is absolute top
Fleet Foxes
2/5
Belle & Sebastian
4/5
Travis
3/5
A deserved classic from the 1990's. Beautiful songs, an album that's worth another listen time and time again
Steve Earle
1/5
I know why people can like this. It's this time where people like Earl blew some fresh air in the country music. It's just still really not for me, and as far as I can tell, musically also nothing special.
Simon & Garfunkel
2/5
I will be honest, and say I'm still not and have never been impressed with "Bridge over Troubled Water". Ofcourse, on this album you'll find several pop classics, but this album is far from a masterpiece.
The title-track itself, and quite a few other songs, are immensely overproduced kitsch in my ears. Violins, choirs and the lot.
There's a few plus points to the album as well ofcourse. Songs like 'The Only Living Boy In New York' is beautiful, but it doesn't save the album.
It feels it's an album on multiple thoughts and might be known as one of the all-time classics. But not for me.
Miles Davis
5/5
An absolute classic. This might actually have been the first time I've listened to the album in full but I've been aware of every single song, some in different versions.
What a quality in songwriting and musicians on this one album.
Blondie
4/5
It's an almost perfect pop album and personally I think Blondies best. With so many known songs songs it's almost a best-off album, and marks the moment where Blondie switched from their punkier side (still to be heard in Hanging On The Telephone) to their poppier side (One Way Or Another) to later do some more disco-ish sounds (Heart Of Glass)
Unique pop album that captures the times well.
Talking Heads
5/5
Listening to this album has brought me to an entire day of Talking Heads and it's a discovery I really enjoyed.
Now I've likely listened to most albums once or twice in my life before, but it has made for a great day with some incredible music.
First of all, this album itself, it's so incredibly infectious and fun. The basslines are jumpy, the lyrics are different, the music is clever.
And, what's more, it's a strong album. There's no song to skip, not even the Al Green cover.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
5/5
One of the best albums ever made and the showcase of everything Nick Cave has to over.
The Cardigans
3/5
The Rolling Stones
4/5
An absolute amazing Rolling Stones album that has some of their best songs on. "Midnight Rambler" is my favourite Stones song, and classics like "You Can't Always Get What You Want," "Monkey Man," "Gimme Shelter," make this album a pure feast for the ears.
An album well worth a listen on headphones as well, there is just so much happening.
Only 4* from me though, because as an album, there are songs I already started skipping on second listen, like "Love In Vain" and are not up to the high standard of some of the previous mentioned songs.
Black Sabbath
4/5
The opener Black Sabbath is the most evil this band has ever sounded and is the first doom song ever written. After that incredible opener we have a few great songs (like N.I.B.) and one or two lesser ones (like the cover "Evil Woman")
On a seven song album it's just a little too much up and down to be a 5* album, but the dark blues-rock combined with the major influence this has had in retrospect makes this highly enjoyable.
4 1/2*
Pulp
4/5
This is almost the ultimate Britpop album. The lyrics are clever, the music is upbeat but sneering. An album with songs I can dance to and others to sit down and listen.
Pink Floyd
5/5
Even though this is not fully my thing, this is an absolute classic in its genre. From start to finish this is, for me, the best that Pink Floyd has to offer. And Wish You Were Here is just the best song they've ever made. 5*
Belle & Sebastian
3/5
Even though I really like Belle and Sebastian, this is not the album for me. The lyrics are already great, but for me, Belle and Sebastian still had to grow musically which they more did on their albums following this, Tigermilk and especially The Boy With The Arab Strap.
Tears For Fears
4/5
I grew up with this album on cassette in my early pre-teen years. And it has been fun to re-listen to this after so many years. And interesting how well this music has been ingrained in my memory.
It's a great album with some really good songwriting, even better than I remember.
But on the other hand Tears for Fears suffers from the thing that's so prevalent in the 80's, and that is that every possible silence had to be filled with another sound. And another. A cowbell here, a trumpet there, a quick voice over the top and then a drumroll.
Nothing wrong with their songwriting, clearly talented, but the lesson of 'less is more' never reached them.
Radiohead
4/5
I think enough has been said about this album. 4,5*
Rush
4/5
2Pac
3/5
A high lyrical quality on this album, like NAS on Illmatic, from deeper like So Many Tears to straight up Gangsta. Tupacs technique might not be the best, but his delivery is amazing. And I can now see why he's regarded as one of the greatest.
The beats on the other hand are relaxed but simple. Some would say effective, but they don't do anything for me.
Elvis Costello
4/5
It sounds like a great first album of a great artist. Still with a lot of rough edges, and on the balance of the rock 'n' roll and new wave.
Steve Winwood
2/5
Steve Winwood writes nice intros to songs
Sam Cooke
4/5
I'm not a big fan of live albums, but I might make an exception for this one. Where I know Sam Cooke normally from his smooth and somewhat boring studio work, this is something entirely different. There's a lot of soul, swing, power and music in this. It sweats, it cracks, and his voice is great.
If I would now have to recommend someone to listen what Sam Cooke is, I'd refer them to this album, and not to any of his studio albums. It has changed my perspective.
Arcade Fire
5/5
An absolute classic and what a debut. After dozens of listens I think The Suburbs might even be the better album, but this is superb.
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
Another album I'm ad I finally listened to. I'm ashamed to say I don't know much about Springsteen aside from his singles. This album was a bit of an eye-opener. Thunder Road, Backstreets and Jungleland are absolutely amazing. This is 40 minutes of rock classic.
Portishead
5/5
I've played this album till it was worn and grey back in the 90's. Trip Hop at its finest. There's not a bad song on this album.
Common
4/5
This was my introduction to Common and it was really quite a pleasure. In the barrage of crap rap and hiphop this was a breath of fresh air. Great lyrics, great music and no need to shout.
Cyndi Lauper
3/5
A She-bob album by an artist that showed she was 'out there' and that's indeed how the music sounds. There's really nothing wrong with her voice and the songs jump up and down. It's a very happy 80's pop album.
I've seen her in concert in the 2010's and later on in life she has gone in a somewhat different direction, with a bit better songs but also a lot less success. Time After Time might be the only song that really holds up after all this time (after time).
And the score might've been a bit higher if the album finished after the first 6 songs. Reasonable debut by a talented artist, but not one of the best albums in the world, not even one of the best by Cyndi Lauper.
Alice Cooper
3/5
A strange pick for an Alice Cooper album because this is not even close to his best. Relistening this, I also put on Killer, Billion Dollar Babies and Love It To Death, in my opinion all 3 better albums than this one.
The opener, that everyone know, is brilliant. School's Out really is a classic. But the rest of the album is not up to standard of the opening song and plays on 2 minds between rock and musical, and it's just not doing it for me.
After 3 listens I put on some of his other work and have been rocking out at my desk this workday
Teenage Fanclub
4/5
Little Simz
2/5
Animal Collective
3/5
Listened to the album 3 times. It's a good album, with sound collages, incredible harmonies and clever music.
It just doesn't do anything for me, doesn't elicit any emotion. In the end I just zone out with this music.
David Bowie
4/5
Really one of the best Bowie has released. After the soulful era came this Thin White Duke. 4.5*
Justice
3/5
The album starts off amazing, but isn't consistent throughout in my opinion.
The first 6 tracks are the best of what the French funky techno scene had/has to offer. But after Phantom Pt II the album collapses, and songs like DVNO and Tthhee Ppaarrttyy are just annoying. It goes up a little again with Waters, but not enough. 3,5*
Syd Barrett
4/5
I'm listening to a brilliant songwriter who didn't give two cents about commercialism and that's abundantly clear.
It's getting better with every listen. On the 4th listen I still hear more amazing transitions.
It's a very curious album that is walking a thin line between unbridled creative genius and rambly outtakes that could've stayed that way. I'm putting it on 4 stars but wouldn't be surprised if I find myself coming back to this album in a few years and giving it the full 5
The Smiths
5/5
Probably the most raw Smiths albums, both lyrically as musically. It's a bit harder and a bit more serious than other albums (even though there's still enough humour to be found)
The speedy funky basslines on this album in combination with Marr's incredible guitar-work really get a lot more swing going than on other albums.
And Morrissey has things to say about hitting children ("Barbarism Begins At Home"), eating meat ("Meat Is Murder"), Depression ("That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore") Homosexuality and also unrequited love in the absolutely beautiful "Well I Wonder".
"Gasping - dying - but somehow still alive
this is the final stand of all I am
Please keep me in mind"
An absolute 5* amazing album, front to finish. Even the lesser songs are top.
KISS
1/5
This really does nothing for me, and I like my hard-rock. It's stock-standard music with lyrical that are utter piffle and are so below par it's painful.
I know KISS from their Alive Albums, and am aware they're a great live band. But musically, lyrically and production wise, this is empty for me.
Janelle Monáe
4/5
Hanoi Rocks
2/5
This is a sleazy unremarkable glamrock album which grabs their influences from Alice Cooper to the New York Dolls.
The songs are very stock-standard, 13-in-a-dozen. Never bad, but never achieving anything more than mediocrity.
Thus far, 50 albums in, I have the feeling that the creators of the list of 1001 albums you must hear before you die never really enjoyed hard rock much because the inclusion of the albums are terrible, even though there's so much greatness to be found in the genre.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
Simple music done extremely well, with a voice for the ages.
I'm digging it.
The Offspring
3/5
Re-listening after years I have to be honest that it has lost quite a bit of its appeal. Now this came out when I was discovering punk and even in those days was not my favourite.
Some songs still stand up fiercely over time, like Genocide, Come Out and Play and the title track, but the other half have lost something over time, like It'll Be a Long Time, Self Esteem and Killboy Powerhead.
3,5*
Bert Jansch
4/5
This kind of album really is not my thing normally, but I'll gladly make an exception for this one from here on out. This might be one of the best folk albums ever written.
What a stunning and heartfelt album.
Alanis Morissette
3/5
It's very decent pop/rock album and Alanis sure can sing.
But it never rises above that sublime single "You Oughta Know" with its Chili Pepper basslines and guitar.
The rest of the album never gets bad anywhere, but it's all very radio-friendly produced pop music. I would've loved for this album to just be that bit more Flea and Navarro and a little less Glen Ballard.
It's an album I wouldn't turn off when it's playing, but also not one I'd put on myself
The Police
3/5
A tale of two sides. Side A and Side B.
Side A of this album is probably the weakest The Police have released in their career. Synchronicity I and II are both nicely rocking songs and save this side a bit. Especially II.
The songs "Mother" and "Miss Gradenko" take away at least one star from the album. So incredibly bad.
Then comes part B, starting with the overplayed "Every Breath You Take," followed by everything The Police became admired for in "The King Of Pain."
"Wrapped Around Your Finger" and "Tea In The Sahara" belong to the best that the Police have ever done and the jazzy "Murder By Numbers," which was, iirc, a b side to Every Breath finished this side strong.
2* for the first half of the album, 5* to the second half.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
4/5
Joy Division
5/5
Music is emotion. And there's a lot of that on this album. Of the darker kind.
The album isn't perfect, but almost there. 4.5*
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
U2
4/5
Massive Attack
4/5
Frank Zappa
5/5
This is the album to introduce people to Frank Zappa with. Especially when you're a rocker and a bit into jazz this is where you start before you dive into the man's immense back catalogue.
If you're into instrumental solo's, whether guitar, clarinet, bass, violin, drums, this is the album for you.
This album got it all and is likely one of the best Zappa has released.
Joni Mitchell
4/5
I kinda only knew Joni Mitchell from that one hit (Taxi) and the Prince cover, but I'm very glad I finally fully listened to some more of her music. The album is an amazing combination of folk and jazz.
A Tribe Called Quest
3/5
It's one of those really good debut albums where you can hear what on later albums will become amazing. But this one is just too disjointed.
The Verve
3/5
A typical Verve album with ups and downs, where you start skipping several songs on the album, but really listen to the few marvels on here (like History)
The Kinks
4/5
I was pleasantly surprised by this Kinks album. I mostly knew their rambly (but pretty cool) older era music, but this is more room for the songwriting. The songs become a lot better than I know of them and even though you can hear beatle-esque inspiration on some songs (especially the opener) they're creating an own style.
I do want to give the singer a hug though, he really wasn't going through the best of times it seems.
Kraftwerk
4/5
Listened to Die Mensch-Maschine, I just like this album just that little better in the original German, especially Das Model. I grew up with this music, my dad put this in my casette player when I was just 3 years old. And I enjoyed it back then and still do. Classic
Leonard Cohen
3/5
I'll be terribly honest, but Leonard Cohens old music never did it for me. And I've given this album another 4 listens and tried. But even though I really enjoy his poetry/lyrics and know how good of a songwriter he is, most of the songs just leave me feeling... nothing.
I know I'm probably alone in this, but I like his later work better
Boston
2/5
The major hit More Than A Feeling and two songs after (Peace Of Mind and Foreplay / Long Time) are really quite good. Everything after that is decidedly mediocre.
The production on this album is really quite good, especially for the time. They seem to have been able to get this full bodied sound, where a lot of their contemporaries struggled.
Led Zeppelin
4/5
Definitely the album where it all came together for Zeppelin. The mysticism of III, combined with the rock of I & II
Tracy Chapman
3/5
Julian Cope
3/5
At first listen I didn't really know what to do with the album, but with the second and third listen it started to grow on me. The songs are of a high variance in quality, but there's power and emotion enough to be found
Japan
5/5
What a great discovery. This is just a superb album that I kept listening to on repeat. The fretless bass makes this album even one step better than the songwriting already does. I hear influences of Roxy Music and Bowie, and you'll definitely hear where 80's bands like Duran Duran got their inspiration.
Absolutely great album from start to end with no bad songs in between. Even as a big VU & Lou Reed fan, I really could appreciate the cover of All Tomorrow's Parties.
Fall In Love With Me & In Vogue are my two favourite tracks
4,5*.
Neil Young
3/5
Neil Young, drunk, recording an album in one night, to recover from the loss of 2 of his mates.
"I'm singin' this borrowed tune
I took from the Rolling Stones,
Alone in this empty room
Too wasted to write my own."
There's a lot of raw emotion here and at times a terrible voice. I get why this a classic and why Neil Young is revered. It's just... not for me.
Aerosmith
4/5
Well, wasn't that a surprise. Aerosmith does indeed Rocks.
I'll be honest, I only really knew the band from their 'MTV-years' and never really had taken the time to listen to their back catalog because of it.
Something I wished I knew before I was in my 40's
John Coltrane
4/5
Culture Club
1/5
I have listened to this album twice now and I just don't get the generally positive reviews. The album actually makes me almost angry, that's how much I disliked it.
This is the epitome of what was wrong in the 80's (even though there also was a lot of great music). It sniffed New Wave but doesn't seem to get it, saw soul from a distance, uses filler sounds like a trumpet or harmonica to make the music sound smarter than it is. Ugh.
Brian Wilson
4/5
Taylor Swift
4/5
Beatles
2/5
Yeah, I'm glad they got better over time
Massive Attack
3/5
The album falls short compared to their later work. Safe From Harm and Unfinished Sympathy are beautiful though.
The Cure
5/5
"Sing out loud
We all die
Laughing into the fire"
Red Hot Chili Peppers
3/5
The guitar riffs are great, the bassplay is amazing, the lyrics are as non-sensical as always.
But the whole thing is flat. From production to songwriting, it's safe and a bit empty.
The Who
4/5
Sometimes an album just click after a second or third listen. This was one of them.
I have owned the album for quite a while and might've listened to it once or twice. Never got into it, I thought The Who had made much better.
Now years later re-listening it on a 3rd and 4th listen and it fully clicked. It's an amazing album.
Cocteau Twins
3/5
It's beautiful and esoteric. And one of the best singers that's ever graced this earth.
But this album is just not their best work.
Richard Thompson
3/5
Maxwell
1/5
It's an ok album till Dancewitme, it's very easy soul with just a little flair of funk. But starting from 'Til the Cops Come Knockin' the album collapses into generic RnB.
Listened 3 times, and will not put this on ever again.
The Verve
4/5
This was one of the best albums of the genre around that time. Especially when they slow down, with Bittersweet Symphony, Sonnet, Lucky Man and Drugs Don't Work they're at their best.
Good album. Not great. 3,5*
Run-D.M.C.
3/5
It's a hiphop classic, and you know where a lot of famous bands got their sounds from. Still, it' decidedly simplistic album, beats wise and lyric wise. Some songs are quite catchy though. Jay's Game, Rock Box and Sucker MC's in particular.
Faith No More
4/5
Singing this album from front to back. It's one of my youth favourites.
From Out Of Nowhere grabbed me the first time I heard it.
It's album 3 of the band that was still growing. Album 4 was their masterpiece.
Arcade Fire
5/5
5*
One of the best albums of the 2000's. The deceptive easiness of the songs will give up their depth after a few listens.
City With No Children is a truly amazing song
Jungle Brothers
3/5
It's nice and funky, a fun time to find all the samples. The time before hiphop had to be a certain way. And they've got something to say luckily.
But it never transcends into a great album. Enjoyable and very listenable. Just not great.
Nina Simone
4/5
Amazing voice that pulls you into the songs and music
Rocket From The Crypt
3/5
This album sounds a bit as if Elvis Costello felt like starting a punk-rock band in the 90's with a brass section.
And there's nothing wrong with that. It rocks away really well. The brass section gives it a little more schwung.
But it's not really either catchy or punk enough to really hold interest long.
Hole
4/5
Back in the 90s I found this a bit of a let down after the great 'Live Through This.'
Now listen to this album again. It's just a good alt-rock album that balances between the poppy sound of the era and the grunge of the previous album. It all sounds radio-friendly enough and I think that was the purpose of this album.
You can clearly hear the influences of Melissa Auf Der Maur and Billy Corgan in addition to the songwriting violence of Courtney Love. Because of this, the album sometimes sounds a bit limping on different thoughts.
But besides the somewhat slick and smooth songs, like Awful, which drag the album down as far as I'm concerned, other songs work a bit better, like Malibu, Reasons To Be Beautiful and the beautiful (and for me
best song) Northern Star
All in all a little less black and dark than its predecessor, and just a good rock album.
Fred Neil
2/5
Tja...
It's ok folk music. I wouldn't get annoyed if it played somewhere in the background. But I also wouldn't be intrigued to listen to more of it.
His original is at least better than Nillsons version.
Taylor Swift
3/5
It's just a really great pop album. Quality.
Jimmy Smith
3/5
Listening to this album I think Tom Waits might've listened to it once or twice.
It's nicely smooth jazz, but in my limited knowledge of Jazz, nothing really special
Ray Charles
1/5
This album filled me with an urge to break LP's. This really does nothing for me, just makes me annoyed
1/5
This is everything I dislike in Country music. Please no.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
Score 4* for the Jamaican version of it, before the additions
The Prodigy
4/5
This IS the pulsating rhythmical remedy!
It's an incredible album and totally blew my mind when it was released. Listening back to it, I am still fully rocking out to the best rave album that was released when the rave-scene was slowly on its way out. It returned to the feelings of anti-authoritarian punk and hiphop, but is a full rave album, with influences from both.
The song that brought me to the album 28 years ago was No Good (Start The Dance) with its breakbeats and might for me still be the best dancehall song ever made.
Where the album really comes out is in the song that has all the rockrave influence in it: Voodoo People.
Other highlights are Break & Enter, Poison and Claustrophobic Sting
Why no 5 stars? Even though all 13 songs differ wildly from each other, in this 78 minute opus, there are also a few lesser songs. They could've taken some of the 'fillers' out I'm afraid to make it perfect.
George Michael
2/5
I did. I did listen without prejudice.
Didn't dislike it. It's a decent pop album.
Cowboys and Angels is a great song.
Next.
Kid Rock
1/5
I really don't know much about Kid Rock, but this album is just one of the worst fake rock/rap albums I've heard in my life. And I finished it even, gave it a full chance.
These lyrics are such highschool bullshit, I don't even know where to start on this one.
Willie Colón & Rubén Blades
4/5
This is one of the best Salsa albums I've ever heard. Now I don't know much about it, but the complexity and musicality are on par with the best I've heard.
Great album!
David Bowie
2/5
Siouxsie And The Banshees
4/5
Femi Kuti
4/5
It's a good album and I remember it slightly from when it was popular. It paved the way for a whole swath of immensely talented musicians from the African continent to get some recognition in Western charts and sales.
This album by itself is a bit slick, very 80's, even with the afrobeats.
Joan Armatrading
4/5
A great listening experience from a very very talented songwriter.
Heaven 17
3/5
This album feels quite dated and a bit uninteresting, especially after hearing their B.E.F. sides of 6 months before this.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
4/5
Elvis Costello is one of the best.
And this is one of the best of Elvis Costello.
This album doesn't have any hits, or numbers that really stick out, but it's quality throughout the album, with superb lyrics and musical arrangements.
I personally prefer the more new wavy and straightforward Costello, but this is a class album
Nanci Griffith
2/5
It's a very country & western sound with some folky influences. With the flutes, violin, slide guitar, banjo it has quite a slick Americana sound.
The songwriting certainly isn't bad, but this really isn't for me. It's foundation is too much of the twangy country sound.
The Mamas & The Papas
2/5
It's your typical 60's pop album. Really nothing special. There was much more quality around at that time. California Dreaming is still a great song though, but rises above the rest of the album.
Iggy Pop
4/5
Another album where the hand of David Bowie revives a legendary artist, like he did with Lou Reed.
This album's A-Side is full of amazing songs, Lust For Life, Sixteen even The Passenger.
It falls slowly away during side B with a few missers, so it's a 4* rather than a 5* album.
Saint Etienne
3/5
It's pretty daring starting your album with a Neil Young cover, but it's a fun one!
Unfortunately, for me, the album just continues without reaching any heights or standout songs. Sarah Cracknells voice makes it a pleasurable listen. A bit like a less dark and more easy-going poppy Portishead.
It's really not a bad album and I didn't mind the 3 full listens, but it has not opened any deeper sound or feeling.
A 3,5* album
Tito Puente
3/5
Tito Puente is apparently the king of latin jazz, but it's a lot less memorable than I thought it would be.
I'm not sure who the singer is, but she is definitely a plus to this album, her warm voice really suits the atmosphere of the album. For the rest, I really have heard better latin jazz
The Blue Nile
3/5
The first listen made me prick up my ears, since I am quite fond of what I know of the synth-art-pop genre. But after a third and fourth listen, is really does not leave a lasting impression.
The opening two tracks form the highlight of the album, and it goes a little bit down from there. The melancholy that people seem to like from this album sounds a bit too dreary to me after a while.
3,5*
Underworld
4/5
I saw someone else doing this, and decided to keep a score like this as well:
Quality of Album: 9/10
1001 album list worthy: 10/10
Personal enjoyment: 8/10
Juanita ; Kiteless ; to Dream of Love is the intense and powerful opener you'd want on any dance album.
Followed up by ambient breakbeat of Banstyle / Sappys Curry as second song it almost doesn't get better in the genre. And that's the first half hour already filled.
On the bonus CD is the song Cherry Pie and that might be the best Underworld has ever released.
Sonic Youth
5/5
Noisy, raw, energetic and with a lot of depth.
Kendrick Lamar
4/5
Jazz, funk, soul, electronic and hip-hop, in an electrifying concept album mix. Listening to this I realise what I've missed when I stopped listening to hiphop due to the insane amount of dribble that kept flooding the market.
I'm glad to know things like this exist. One of the better hiphop albums I've heard in my life
Pixies
4/5
13 songs in 33 minutes of full blown energetic, raw rock & roll.
The guitar sound is sharp, the music rocks and rambles, the drums are loud and Frank Black sounds like he's bordering on a meltdown.
The importance of this album in music history, can't be overstated. It's where the 90's began in the 80's.
Still, not every song on this album is a bullseye. A song like Cactus feels like filler. And there's one or two other misses.
It's such a pleasure listening to it though, it gives off vibes of happiness
Charles Mingus
4/5
Run-D.M.C.
3/5
The Prodigy
3/5
Sonic Youth
4/5
I really like Sonic Youth and this is their most accessible I think. It was a bit of a changeover from their earlier albums, and it sounded a bit more clean, especially with the production.
It's an album I can still listen to on repeat. Not a masterpiece, but just great noisy rock 'n' roll
Cee Lo Green
3/5
Listening to this, it's a fun and uptempo album with a range of good producers, like Timbaland to the Neptunes. And they leave their respective marks on the songs.
But the album as a whole has way too much filler in between some really decent songs.
Not a standout.
The Louvin Brothers
1/5
The only positive thing I can say about this is that they really know how to sing in harmony with each other.
But that's about all. There has been quite a bit of country in this list, and I've given all albums a fair go, but I just can't. It's not for me, I don't understand it, and I'm even unable to hear if it's good or bad country. Online searches have lead me to believe this is an important album in the genre.
Personal Enjoyment: 0/10
1001-list-worthy: 4/10 (I'll take other people's word for it)
Oasis
4/5
From the first to the last minute you're covered in this wall of guitar sound that could either pick you up or annoy the hell out of you.
I'm in the former camp and consider this debut of Oasis as their best album. The strong songwriting of Noel and the fact that Liam actually did show up to the studio these years to sing the songs (which he does a lot better than his brother) makes this a raw rock 'n' roll album.
Some songs are indeed a bit better than others, but songs like Supersonic, Slide Away and Live Forever are standing strong. And I don't care that Cigarettes and Alcohol is a complete T.Rex ripoff.
Thoroughly enjoyed it.
Personal Enjoyment: 4/5
1001-Worthy: 5/5
Boards of Canada
3/5
I have always found it hard to rate Boards Of Canada because there is a huge discrepancy between my knowledge of how clever and good this is and my enjoyment of listening to it. I understand the warmth and everything, but the ambient soundscapes of this album just don't do anything for me.
Personal Enjoyment: 6/10
1001 Album List-worthy: 10/10
a-ha
3/5
Hunting High & Low is very much a mid-80s album. Accessible synth-pop made at a time when it was a commercially safe choice.
Nevertheless this album has two things that set it a little apart:
Firstly, the beautifully emotional voice of Harket and secondly, the melancholic tone of many of the songs.
It ensures that this album goes just a little deeper than many of its contemporaries. And even though there is really nothing wrong with the songwriting, it really does have the 80's issues of filler sounds, the need to fill up silences with an extra synth-trumpet, drumcomputer-loop and background violin. Especially clear in the song Hunting High And Low.
Solid Debut for this Norwegian Band and I'm glad to have learned about songs like The Blue Sky and Here I Stand And Face The Rain
Prince
4/5
It funks, it rocks, it's a classic.
Living Colour
4/5
Leonard Cohen
2/5
This really doesn't do it for me and I'm surprised this is still such a revered album.
Leonard just hasn't got a voice to carry an album with very mediocre songs. And the clever lyrics are rather dull.
The Leonard Cohen that actually became a bit darker and clever later in life is much more up my alley.
Radiohead
5/5
It listens as the album where Radiohead mixed the elements from their rockier-oriented career start with their later electronic experimental style. Call it a Kid A meets OK Computer.
This was certainly not an album I 'got' in just one listen. It has taken a few proper sessions to get through the somewhat dark and inaccessible layers this album has.
Not just musically, but lyrically the band seems to be a lot more cynical and angry than I've known them. But I'm enjoying the album more with every listen, mostly because there's so much to discover with every playthrough.
There are so many details that are revealed with each new listen, and those details are presented in a truly varied way.
There is rarely any repetition; the variety is huge and you're traveling quickly from one place to another, which sometimes makes the album feel a bit disjointed at the start. But after a few listens I think only We Suck Young Blood is a lesser song on a truly great album.
Slowly this might be becoming one of my favourite Radiohead albums.
I'm putting it at 4,5*, but this album might end up as a 5* album in a few years if I revisit it.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
There's a few things going through my mind for rating this album.
Going to take a star off for basically stealing every song and claiming credits
Going to put an extra star on because these versions are truly the best versions of these songs
Going to take a star off for the song "You Shook Me"
Going to have to put 2 stars extra on for the raw and rocking "Babe I'm gonna leave you"
Going to take a star off for cringy lyrics like “Every day I work so hard, bringin' home my hard-earned pay/ Try and love you baby but you push me away,”
Giving a star back for this being their debut.
All in all, this is freaking rocking. The songwriting of Zeppelin definitely became better over time, but never was it this raw, blues and energetic.
The Cure
5/5
The great strength and beauty of this record lies in minimalism. The atmosphere is masterfully portrayed. Every beat and sound is in exactly the right place and hits the spot. Not a note too much or too little.
It's for me just unfortunate that the album sounds like it wasn't finished, which, after some Googling, seems to be exactly what happened. Money budget was so short they couldn't re-record songs because the tape ran out.
Masterful, minimalistic, atmospheric, mystical, beautiful.
4,5*
The White Stripes
4/5
This album is pure garage rock 'n' roll. Rhythmically all over the place, with some killer riffs. With just a guitar and drums. I don't think you need to look deeper into it than that.
Hardest Button To Button might be my favourite White Stripes song.
4*
Simon & Garfunkel
3/5
It's at least better than the kitschy mess that's A Bridge Over Troubled Water.
The music is nothing special, but that's how I've always felt about S&G
Beatles
5/5
I don't think I need to explain this album to anyone. It's an absolute masterpiece, whether you like the Beatles or not.
And it would be a 10/10 album if Yellow Submarine wasn't on here. Now it's a 9/10.
Taxman is also one of the best songs Harrison ever wrote. The tempo, the bassline, the extra cowbell, the sneering lyrics, the guitar solo. It's nigh on perfect.
M.I.A.
4/5
Unfortunately only been able to give it one full listen, but was impressed with what I heard.
Manic Street Preachers
4/5
It's a greatly enjoyable rock-album and probably the best the Manics have ever made, with the pain from all of them on missing Richey Edwards as a guiding thread through the album, even though the songs are quite hopeful.
After a while the 'wall-of-sound' production makes the songs sound alike a bit, with only the real standout songs (especially the first three) jumping out.
Still, an album I listened to with much pleasure.
4/5
This is always the record that I use to introduce people to the wonderful world of PJ Harvey. This is all a bit lighter, rockier and poppier than much of her other work.
Although it does a lit less to me than much of her other albums, it is not inferior in quality and always a pleasure to put this on.
Big Star
5/5
An album I've never listened to before now. And I've heard a lot of these songs before because they've been covered by bands I like (This Mortal Coil, Placebo, Jeff Buckley) or are covers themselves like Femme Fatale.
A very interesting ramschackle of an album that seems to have had more success among musicians than it did commercially.
And now listening to the entire album a 4th time it dawns on me why it is. My first listen was a decidedly 'meh'-experience. But it sure is growing, into an album I would listen to again and again, especially songs like Holocaust and Kanga Roo. It's dark, it's emotional it's terribly played.
Absolutely amazing album. 4,5*
Amy Winehouse
4/5
A very jazzy album from a talented voice and songwriter. Some great music on this album but my main issue is the Alicia Keys-like drumcomputer in some songs like You Sent Me Flying. Lots of songs could have shone a lot more with a better production.
But I know that happened on the next album!
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
This is the 3rd Elvis Costello album coming past on my list, and I'm only 140 albums in.
Side A has two highlights: opening song "Accidents Will Happen", with its lovely melody, and Party Girl, a somewhat languid song, different from the rest of the album with some nice piano work.
On the B-side, Busy Bodies in particular stood out, with a faded intro, uptempo and this albums characteristic organ; again that fresh new wave atmosphere.
And yet, the other songs do much less for me, even after repeated rotations. While at the same time, they do rise above the average, I hear that. I don't really understand why they bore me faster than most of the songs on the other 2 albums I've heard.
This album is a great, fresh, up-tempo and razor-sharp produced record, to which I nevertheless and to my surprise can only award 3*
The Flaming Lips
3/5
Dire Straits
2/5
Brothers in Yawns. I won't give this the long review and multiple listens it (probably) deserves. But this elevator-rock really does nothing for me.
'Brothers in Arms' and 'Money For Nothing' are great tracks in their own right. So there's 2 stars for this album.
But 'Walk Of Life' is just annoying, songs like 'Why Worry' and 'Ride Across The River' are nothing more than snoozefests without any depth.
'The Man's Too Strong' and 'One World' are unnecessary tracks.
Dire Straits
3/5
Dire Straits' first and best album.
An album with an atmosphere where you could see Tarantino creating some of his best scenes.
It's bit more playful and less boring and perfectionistic than their later work.
Bob Dylan
5/5
Dylan at his best.
What a discovery. Of course I knew Dylan from his hits (and the well-known Blonde on Blonde and Highway 61 albums.)
But I never really listened to this one and must say I personally think this might be Dylan's best!
Sparkling, bitter, sneering, intimate AND intense music.
The Sabres Of Paradise
2/5
It's not bad but it really isn't more than that. It's a re-listen because I've heard the album before in the 90's.
Even then I had the same feeling. It's not bad, but it never stands out.
The single version of Wilmot was a lot more interesting than the version they put on the album.
Pentangle
3/5
Even though you're jumping into the hippy-folk from the first tones, I didn't mind this eclectic and inventive folk album.
This is especially due to the amazingly talented guitarists on this album who bring a very psychedelic tone to the whole.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
The title track is immediately symbolic of the entire record: extremely simplistic, with a different chord only at the end of the third line, continuously repeated riffs, a minimalistic guitar solo, a rustic text full of country town pleasures, an accompaniment that has no frills – but it works.
The melodies immediately stick in your head, bobbing along, the voice of Fogerty is honest and superb, the band swings and the overall sound is somewhere between rock and rockabilly, with a little less blues and a bit more country than on earlier albums.
Missy Elliott
3/5
The album starts off really strong (with the exception of her annoying posturing chats in amongst the songs) but after a couple of listens I'd have to say this might be the least of Missy's albums.
Timbaland and Elliot's beats are just groovy and they're trying to get a bit of that old school soul and hiphop feeling here, but after a few songs it feel like they just weren't fully in it.
As for all the guest appearances, Ludacris has never been one of my favourite rappers, Jay-Z is not adding anything special, 50 Cent is not nearly as bad as most people make him out to be, but it's not a good last song of the album. The TLC colab "Can You Hear Me," would've been a better choice.
One good appearance is Method Man though. Love his work in Bring The Pain. Also I'm always smiling with the Beastie Boys references, like in Work It
All in all, not a bad album, but not really special either.
Depeche Mode
5/5
What is there to say about this album that hasn't been said so many times before.
This album doesn't have a weak moment, all songs are absolutely right. It's an album with the atmosphere of night. One of my few 5*
MC Solaar
4/5
MC Solaar shows what hip-hop can be, relaxing jazzy beats with incredible raps. Now the message of the album unfortunately passes me by a bit, but that is by no means an obstacle to any enjoyment you can get from the album.
The first half of the album, with its Gang Starr influenced eclectic mix of hip hop, jazz, funk, reggae and the French troubadour style, ending with the great hip hop ballad Caroline is a classic in its style and would be a 5* album
Unfortunately, there's also the second half of the album, a bit of half-hearted dub style that brings the album down and was a bit unnecessary.
So it ends with 4*
Cream
3/5
On the one hand you have Strange Brew, Sunshine Of Your Love and the best song of the album: Tales Of Brave Ulysses.
On the other hand you have Blue Condition and Take It Back which both really shouldn't be on the album.
Mother's Lament I can take as a funny, if somewhat discordant ending.
And every music lover knows the Bruce, Baker and Clapton story of Cream. But this, to me, is an ok blues-inspired psychedelic rock-album. With hits and misses.
The Strokes
3/5
It was 2001, rock music was at its lowest level in decades and all of a sudden there was this album called Is This It by a group called The Strokes, from NYC, that played uncomplicated rock 'n' roll.
An album that influenced a lot of new bands in the early 2000's and brought about a revival of the alternative rock-band scene. And this is by no means a bad album, it's simplistic and passionate rock 'n roll.
But looking past the immense influence this album had, truth be told, it's not that this has really added something special to the ever-growing rock history. It's good, but it's not great, it's not inventive, it's nothing new.
3,5*
Traffic
3/5
Not a single moment of boredom while listening this album, but it's all a bit too safe.
The album feels like a cross between blues-folk-rock bands like The Band and prog acts like early Genesis.
And anyone who can appreciate a dash of jazz will also like John Barleycorn Must Die.
3.5*
Tom Waits
4/5
Tom Waits is one of my favourite artists of all time but this is not one of my favourite albums I'm afraid.
I like this as the semi-live showcase for Tom's showmanship it is. His banter is amazingly funny and the jazz quartet he took in the studio with him are incredible. You can quote hundreds of lines from this album.
Still, in the end, it's the music that counts and Waits has made better than the ones on this album.
Bad? No, it's still Tom Waits. Just a little lower tier than most of his other work.
Sonic Youth
4/5
Everytime I hear an album of Sonic Youth I absolutely adore it and wonder why I'm listening to it more often. Everytime I tell myself to dive deeper into the whole discography and listen to the rest over and over as well till all the creaks and squeeks of every album are ingrained in my head.
Until the next time I'm hearing a Sonic Youth album and I tell myself the same again.
Anthrax
4/5
I always gave Anthrax a wide berth for one reason or the other. But this album definitely showed why they were considered part of the Big 4 in Thrash Metal.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
There are the big four records of the Stones (Beggars Banquet, Let It Bleed, Sticky Fingers & Exile On Main St.) and this one is like the Beatle's White Album.
And for me that means it's a bit too long and the real fans adore it.
I like it. It's rock 'n roll and the band really feels like they know what they're doing at this stage. They're pulling off every genre within the Stone's repertoire.
It's a really good album, but I'll let other persuade me why it would be their best, because I can't hear it (yet)
Supergrass
4/5
It's a great slick and happy album to listen to. Not as jumpy as their first, but a bit more polished. Good music.
Aretha Franklin
3/5
Absolute killer voice. Reasonable songs.
JAY Z
3/5
I like me some good hiphop, but overall I just find this a very inconsistent album, with on one hand some absolute great songs (TakeOver, U Don't Know, Renegades) and on the other atrocious missteps like Girls Girls Girls and Never Change.
I seem to always be in the minority when it comes to this album. I have a lot of time for Jay-Z, but this isn't just fully it.
Would love to see an album with the quality of the top songs throughout. And this just isn't it.
3,5*
Sigur Rós
5/5
This morning I was walking in the nearby wetlands, on a foggy morning. Revisiting this album.
I almost forgot how warm, ethereal and beautiful music can make me feel.
This is one of the most amazing pieces of music ever made.
Beatles
4/5
It's the famous Beatles White Album. A record I've heard dozens of times during my life, and it's the typical double-album with double-album issues. There are some masterful songs on here, but also some songs I loathe with such a passion I could never rate it as high as some of the Beatles' other works than are just amazing albums start to finish.
An album where I start skipping songs is just not worthy of 5*. Still, the album never gets boring and the Beatles play a wide range of songs and styles.
Stay for: While My Guitar Gently Weeps, Happiness Is A Warm Gun, I'm So Tired, Julia, Helter Skelter, Long Long Long
Skip every time: Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da, The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill, Rocky Raccoon, Honey Pie, Sexy Sadie, Revolution No.9
Tangerine Dream
4/5
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
2/5
Normally I would try and write this a bit more subtle and less crude.
I actually like symphonic rock but thought this was a whole bunch of wank.
One extra star for the musicianship
Buffalo Springfield
3/5
I have been told by several friends that this is a true masterpiece of its era. But I can't do much with it. I like about half of the songs after 5 listens and the rest either go one ear in, one ear out or I actually dislike them.
The psychedelica/folk combo is not for me.
Marianne Faithfull
5/5
What an amazingly intense album on survival. The songs are incredibly strong, her voice broken and you can feel power, pain and disillusionment throughout the album. And an absolutely haunting version of Working Class Hero to boot.
4,5*
The Boo Radleys
3/5
Sonic Youth
5/5
Goo is always my recommendation as a starting point for anyone wanting to go on a Sonic Youth tour.
It is rough and - with the layered guitars - noisy enough compared to their previous records. On the other hand, it has acquired a bit more of an alt-rock appeal because there are some more structured songs with a starting and end point.
For me this album has the perfect balance between the two giants on both sides of this album (Daydream Nation and Dirty). There really isn't a note wrong on Goo and the song Disappearer is the best they've ever released.
And from here you can slowly return to the delicious raw creativity of Sister and EVOL.
But this album is rock solid.
Jerry Lee Lewis
4/5
You have live albums and then you have live albums
Megadeth
4/5
This was a surprisingly good album. I've listened to and not disliked Megadeth whenever one of my friends played it, but this is the first album that really stands out. An absolute masterpiece of the thrash era.
Musically, especially the first couple of songs, are the absolute top. And whatever you think of Mustaines voice, it surely adds a uniquely Megadeth sound.
The Beach Boys
3/5
It's the first album where the Beach Boys show a bit more that they're talented. Where Brian Wilson takes the time to write songs.
It's the step between their surfpop and Petsounds.
You can hear it's coming, it's just not there yet.
Duran Duran
5/5
Very briefly: Duran Duran popped up and I thought to myself: Ah yes, a nice 3* album, just the standard 80s.
I was so terribly wrong, I think this is an incredible album. I really had no idea anymore. How did I dismiss this all these years as 'just another 80's band'
The bass, the melodies, everything on this album is just right. I'm not skipping a song.
Personal Favorites: My Own Way and New Religion
4.5*
Elvis Presley
2/5
Elvis is great by voice on this album, but I'm just not a fan.
Album gets 1 bonus star for the great rendition of fever though.
Baaba Maal
3/5
It's not a bad album, but there's so much better music from Senegal than this specific album.
Jethro Tull
4/5
Aqualung is of course Jethro Tull's best-known album and is generally known and loved by rock fans (The titletrack and Locomotive Breath will still be heard anywhere, and you'll find them on rocklovers lists). It is indeed the best introductory album to Jethro Tull.
However, as I've been told by many of Tull fans, this is probably not their best work. That honor goes to the more progressive Thick As a Brick.
Still, Aqualung has enough highlights for a successful listen. The title track is magnificent and My God also remains Jethro Tull at their top.
Aretha Franklin
3/5
Elton John
3/5
I didn't give this album the listening time it deserved. Only listened to it once during a car trip. Didn't mind it.
The Who
4/5
Don McLean
2/5
The first song is a classic and I really gave the rest of the album several go's, but I can't remember a single note anymore. It's all quite forgettable
Michael Jackson
3/5
It is truly remarkable how many songs and lyrics can be remembered after 35 years.
I listened to this album on repeat when it came out; I was only 8 years old and a huge fan of Michael. And after all these years I was able to sing and/or hum along to every song except "Leave Me Alone", which I just discovered wasn't on the cassette (!) release.
Listening back now, I really recognize how my music taste and knowledge have changed over the years. Where as a little boy I thought the song "Bad" was by far the best of the album, it is now one of the lesser songs in my ears.
BAD is Michael Jackson who became a little less funky and a little more pop/rock. Now the poppy side is ok, but I'm actually more surprised how well his voice fits the more rocking tracks like "Dirty Diana", or the almost prince-esque track of "Speed Demon". And these songs, along with "Man In The Mirror", are real highlights of the album.
Other songs that put a smile on my face are "Smooth Criminal" and "The Way You Make Me Feel"
But to put the nostalgia aside, this is certainly not a great album in every way. I find songs like "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" a listless trifle, "Just Good Friends?" almost instantly forgettable and "Another Part of Me" feels very strained and unnecessary on the album.
Ultimately, the album has more ups and downs, and - since he wrote 9 of the 11 songs himself - it shows that Jackson was a talented songwriter. But even though the album has been hugely influential on pop-music, I can't say it's great throughout.
The Byrds
3/5
It just isn't for me. It's good for the style and one of the Byrds' best works as far as I've heard
Wire
4/5
This is an album that will stay on high rotation for a while
Simon & Garfunkel
2/5
It's never been a love affair and it'll never become anything between S&G and myself.
You can hear on this album how Paul Simon is a gifted songwriter and lyricist. And while I appreciate his craft, these albums are just not for me.
On album 1 they started off folk.
Album 2 became a bit rockier
Album 3 (this one) is a bit more poetic,
Album 4 is a bit more psychedelic
Album 5 was a kitsch monstrosity.
I've had 4 of them now in this list. Hopefully this was the last one.
The Modern Lovers
4/5
A proto-punk 70's album, somewhere between 1960's The Doors and 1980's Black Flag.
A good listen!
Stephen Stills
4/5
A double album of really 4 different themed sides.
I would guess that this would make the most sense on the LP's on which this was originally released.
If you felt like some bluegrass you'd put on Side 2, if you were in the mood for something heavier, you'd put on Side 4.
Which for me would mean I could skip a side because when this album goes from side 1's great latin-rock into the country on side 2, my mind starts wandering and i feel the need to start skipping songs. I recognize the quality of the songs, I hear the amazing songwriting and musicianship, but it's just not my style and will never be.
The folk on Side 3 and Bluesrock on Side 4 are once again more to my liking fortunately.
All in all is this an incredible album, with quality songs throughout and that's not something you see much on double-albums. This might in fact be one of the best double-albums of all time.
The Temptations
3/5
An interesting album by the Temptations. I read about this album being the transition album from Motown to the funk of later years. I would therefore expect that there would be a lot of songs with a combination of styles, but strangely enough the songs are either Motown or funk.
The funk, mainly on the A side, appeals to me a lot more than the Motown, especially on the B-side.
The cover of 'I Heard it Through the Grapevine' should not have been necessary and is quite poor.
All in all, I don't think this is a bad album at all, but for me it's not the masterpiece some people are talking about.
Parliament
4/5
It's a funkadelic funkalicious funktastically funky Parliament album.
The Mothership came down and influenced thousands of artists in the years to come.
R.E.M.
4/5
It's one of the albums out of R.E.M's incredible productive era, 6 albums in 6 years. And this one falls in between the other two great albums Life's Rich Pageant and Green.
But where the other two albums are a bit more stable in their quality, does Document have some of the best and worst songs of this period on them.
It starts incredibly strong with "Finest Worksong" and "Welcome To The Occupation". It goes down a bit with "Strange" and "Exhuming McCarthy" then picks up immensely with It's The End Of The World As We Know It," "The One I Love" and mostly "Fireplace."
Then "Lightning Hopkins" pushes the album down again.
It might not be a perfect album, but it's and album I will always listen to with a lot of pleasure.
4,5*
Creedence Clearwater Revival
3/5
This is like a best-off album of CCR, but to me, it's all the lesser hits. It misses the power and conviction of some of their earlier work. And I know I'm almost alone in this opinion, judging by the average votes
Red Hot Chili Peppers
4/5
Ah, one of the most famous albums of the 90's.
This album shows the Chili Peppers at their peak creative form and thanks to producer Rick Rubin as a cohesive and great sounding band.
But, clocking at 72 minutes, it's almost a double album and with it come double album problems. There are songs that feel like filler on this classic, and a small cull to make it 45 minutes might not have been misplaced.
Gorillaz
3/5
Rufus Wainwright
3/5
This album has the feeling like you're listening to a theatrical rendition of the stories being relayed. So many songs are heavily orchestrated, some are the intermezzo ballads before bringing you back to movement III.
And even though every song is vastly different than the rest and Rufus Wainwright is an incredible vocalist, plus the songs are all quality, this album certainly isn't for everyone.
The lamentations, with Rufus and a piano, are overly romantic, and many of the songs are just over-the-top orchestrated. And to be honest, a lot of the songs really aren't all that good, with notable exceptions.
Rufus Wainwright is clearly immensely talented, but for me, this album does not showcase that talent well.
Stevie Wonder
5/5
I don't think I need to explain much here about this album. It's an absolute influential masterpiece in world music history and Stevie Wonder's Magnum Opus,
Even though it's already his 18th(!) album, this has him playing, singing and writing at the peak of his creativity. Before it all crumbles apart and we go into the 80's.
Absolutely packed with masterpieces like Sir Duke, I Wish, Pastime Paradise and If It's Magic.
My Bloody Valentine
5/5
Noise, layers, ethereal. It's such an amazing album.
Afrika Bambaataa
2/5
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
1/5
While I enjoy some of their contemporaries like Genesis, Yes and Rush, I find it really hard to enjoy ELP.
Someone on this site called it prog-for-prog sake and I totally agree with that assessment.
Yes, they're amazing musicians, but a 20 minute song without start, finish or recurring theme to keep you hooked is just a miss. And side two of the LP didn't get better.
Garbage
4/5
It was a great listen again. The poppy grunge, the clever lyrics and some killer songs
Soft Cell
3/5
Obnoxious, sleazy, funny, dark, quirky and kitsch.
And a bonus-point for Sex Dwarf, the absolute highlight of this album.
4/5
"Give the scum a gun and make the bugger fight. And be sure to have deserters shot on sight. If he dies we’ll send a medal to his wife.”
Solomon Burke
3/5
I appreciated this for his great voice, the music history relevance, inventiveness and for the song "You're Good For Me"
But in the end all song are pretty much turning into a blur and after 3 listens, nothing really sticks, stands out or made really much impression
Kendrick Lamar
4/5
I really lost track of Rap / HipHop the last decade and a half because of the insane amount of absolute garbage that is being released in the genre. I'm glad I'm catching up on some excellent albums
The production on this album is superb.
And what I genuinely like about it is that besides a great flow, and excellent beats and melodies, the lyrics are actually the greatest strength on the album, much more than with a lot of his contemporaries.
The Art of Peer Pressure and Money Trees are great coming of age stories. Swimming Pools and Good Kid (with the fantastic Pharell beats) are superb. The only dissonant on this album I find the weak Backseat Freestyle and Compton.
Chicago
4/5
Whatever happened to Chicago if this is their first album?
I went into this listen with a bare minimum knowledge of the band, only some of their famous singles of later periods like If You Leave Me Now and Hard To Say I'm Sorry. Songs that are not inviting for a music lover to search deeper into a bands repertoire.
How wrong was I. Chicago Transit Authority is a great jazzy and soulful rock album with a copper wind section to boot. Lots of changes in tempo and styles, and some great musicians.
It's not a 5* album due to the absolutely terrible "Free For Guitar," and the way too standard "South California Purples"
But an amazing album for the rest. And I'll be listening to this again.
LCD Soundsystem
3/5
I've now listened to the album 4 times and I still don't know how I feel about it. It's got all the ingredients for me to enjoy it, but it has all gone past me very easily and nothing has stuck.
A few times my ears pricked up with interesting parts of the (long) songs, but overall it just failed to hold my attention.
Enjoyable listen, would never turn it off if it was playing somewhere, but not groundbreaking for me.
Tom Waits
4/5
It might not be my Tom Waits' best album, but it's one of my favourite listens.
It has everything Waits had up till this point.
The pumping bluesrock Waits like "Heartattack and Vine" and "Downtown".
The Jazzy Waits on a song like "In Shades."
Then it has the orchestrated balled Waits on songs like "Saving All My Love For You" and "On The Nickel." Songs so bordering on kitsch that you'll only allow Waits to make them.
And then there's the Waits best listened at night like "Ruby's Arms"
Is it his best? No. But it's an underrated uncut gem.
2/5
Stan Getz
2/5
A very relaxing and summary bossa-nova/samba album with a flair of jazz. The title of the albums covers what to expect.
But with the exception of the opening song, it never gets exciting, it never peaks. It's very decent, but it's a watered down version of authenticity.
Eels
5/5
In 1996 I heard Novocaine For The Soul and hurried that afternoon to my local record store to listen, and buy, the album. The album with its weird cover, parental advisory sticker and emotional, quirky indie-rock music became one of my most loved albums of that year.
And it has not lost any of its power over the years. The clever lyrics, the many beautiful tributes to his mentally ill sister, the wide array of techniques, samples, instrumentation and inspired production makes 'Beautiful Freak' one of the most interesting, and at times haunting, debut albums I've heard in my life.
The songs go between samply dreamy to guitar grungy and the tracklist makes it you're never bored by alternating between styles throughout.
And to think that this the prelude to Electro-Shock Blues, which might be even a better album.
Elliott Smith
3/5
I don't know what it is with Elliott Smith and me. I understand why people have this in their favourite album lists, I understand why Elliott is regarded as a very talented songwriter.
It just never clicked for me. And have listened to the album 3 times over the last day. But it's all going past me.
Machito
3/5
It's some really nice jazz with the African/Cuban influences, especially on the drums.
At times some relaxed jazz to have on in the background, other times uplifting jazz to dance to, but it never really gets special for me.
I appreciate the importance of this album in music history and am glad I listened to it a few times, but will likely never put it on again.
The Jam
4/5
A quick note on this album, but I've been enjoying this a lot. And album filled with smart lyrics, great bass and just all-round good musc.
That's Entertainment might be one of the best pop songs ever written and the rest of the album is filled with great jams (pun not intended)
It seems after the first 200 or so albums in this endeavor I've learned that I'm a bigger fan of New Wave and post-punk than I imagined.
Elvis Presley
4/5
A very enjoyable experience. This is Elvis on his best
R.E.M.
4/5
This was a great listen. I got to know REM in the early 90's, and have followed them ever since, but never really gotten into Murmer.
Glad I did a couple of listens, because it definitely is a grower of an album.
Great debut album from a great band
Butthole Surfers
3/5
It's been quite a listen for a lazy Sunday afternoon. I've seen the band live a few times because I have a friendgroup that sees the Butthole Surfers as genius.
I really don't mind them, but the feeling of 'weird because weird' always keeps persisting.
Roxy Music
4/5
This was great rock album to listen to. Especially the opening and closing songs are flaming, but I'm quite taken by the stranger songs like Bitter-sweet.
Definitely an album that will stay in my playlists
Missy Elliott
3/5
Today, Missy Elliott's debut album is regarded as one of, arguably THE most important R&B and hip-hop albums by a female artist of the 1990s. Despite this, this album is far from flawless. Missy Elliott is still an intriguing character because she writes and—with Timbaland— produces her own songs. Furthermore she's talented in rapping and singing.
The song material on the other hand falls short in many ways, especially lyrically, even if you can already tell that the production was ahead of its time in terms of sound.
With those great trumpets and the well-crafted chorus, "Sock It 2 Me" is unquestionably the album's highlight. Although "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)" makes good use of that sample, the verses that surround it just don't sound right with the background track or the sample lines.
The laid-back vibe, along with a gorgeous guitar riff from Eddie Floyd's Check Me Out that plays throughout the song, makes a somewhat darker production like "Why You Hurt Me" appealing. But those stand out as the album's highlights.
Although it might possibly be a result of the album's lackluster song selection, there are a lot of guest appearances that don't add anything (read: nothing really).
It's also difficult to find anything good in songs like "They Don't Wanna Fuck With Me" because the lyrics are yet another example of how ridiculous they are.
A mixed album across the board; so three stars.
Queen
4/5
A great listen. Busy day, no story attached
The Everly Brothers
1/5
It's not an album I was Made To Love. Even though this album only clocks 28 minutes, every new song feels Just Too Much on whiteness and late 50's songwriting. Where the songs kept asking to Just Stick With Me, I couldn't help to Sigh, Cry, Almost Die with every note and harmony that was thrown my way.
Even side B - with mostly songs written Felice and Boudleaux Bryant - could not give me a Change Of Heart.
So How Come (No One Loves This Album)? The cover of Lucille tells the story. It's without power, without swagger. It's safe. It's plain-oatmeal-for-breakfast-music.
The earliest rendition of the Bryant classic Love Hurts can't save the album either.
So Baby, What Do You Want Me To Do?
1*
The Smiths
5/5
Is it possible to despise Morrissey, but still love The Smiths? The answer is: Yes Ofcourse
David Gray
2/5
Jorge Ben Jor
4/5
The selection of World Music in the 1001 list that I've gotten has been... lacklustre... to put it politely.
But luckily I now know that albums like this one have been included as well.
40 minutes of incredible funky, danceable and high tempo afrobeats and samba. Especially the second half of the album with Cavaleiro Do Cavala Imaculado as the final highlight have made a great impression.
Great album from, apparently, one of the icons of Brazilian music.
I will look into some more of his repertoire.
3/5
I don't really mind U2, but there are a few things that make this album not a great album to me.
First of all it's the production. The echo, background synth orchestration, extra choir in songs like Red Hill Mining Town really take away from the songs.
Secondly, the album drops off after the first four songs. After the absolute highlight of this album (Bullet The Blue Sky) the album becomes a bit forgettable, with the exception of One Tree Hill
It's really not bad, but also not great and I've never really understood the U2 fans' reverence for this album.
Nightmares On Wax
2/5
It's nice background music for a triphop album, but really nothing more.
It didn't annoy nor excite me in any way.
Aphex Twin
5/5
It's been a long time I was this impressed with an album on first listen.
I have always been aware of Aphex Twin, but never really listened to him. Until now. And it has opened up a whole new world of music.
Maybe not all songs are of the same quality of Heliospan, Schottkey 7th Path or Ptolemy, but reading up I certainly see even more how genre defining this work is and where later Radiohead during their Kid A era got their inspiration.
This is going to be played a lot more in the coming months and years.
The Slits
3/5
I was happy to have given this a second and third listen, for the first listen did nothing to me. The rambling half punk only did something to me with their great cover of Heard It Through The Grapevine.
But the second and third listen brought forth much more of the fun that this album has. Great tunes, great attitude. Punk
Public Enemy
4/5
Coldplay
3/5
It's just a really good pop album. With the exception of clocks, the album flows great and it just really makes me wonder whatever happened to this band.
The Electric Prunes
4/5
A great psychedelic garage rock album with some incredible songs like "I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night)" and "Get Me To The World On Time" and some songs that shouldn't have been on the album (Onie)
Enjoyed this a lot!
Erykah Badu
4/5
An absolute topalbum in the nu-soul.
Killing Joke
5/5
The repetitive character of the guitar riffs, the keystrokes and the rousing drumwork have an hypnotic effect on the music, and musically and lyrically it provides a somewhat nihilistic and grey view of the world.
It is the link between the punk and the post-punk.
Killing Joke succeeds in creating a the atmosphere and sound that is characteristic of the British urban environments in the early 1980s. The album cover also contributes to that feeling.
Absolute masterpiece
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
Doves
4/5
This became much more of a pleasure to listen to than I thought on first listen.
It's wonderfully dreamy, slightly experimental britpop like Elbow or Blur, but with the cheerful gloominess of Coldplay, Travis or The Verve. And then with a hint of Kula Shaker.
It's a good blend of all the melancholic and melodic Britpop bands of that era, but this album stands by itself.
The Velvet Underground
5/5
Even though the songs are a lot more straightforward than the two previous Velvet Underground albums, the same uneasy feeling of discontent and disconnect flows through me while listening to this album.
Opener Candy Says is a bit of a strange one to me, is very slow, but it gets picked up shortly after by What Goes On. Pale Blue Eyes is absolutely beautiful and one of the best love songs ever written, even if it has the Lou Reed strangeness in story.
The straightforward songs continue till the strange Murder Mystery - with its several stories and voices at the same time - which would've fitted perfectly on the John Cale experimental beginnings of the band. Only to have the drummer Moe Tucker close the album marvelously with the sweet After Hours.
It is a great VU album, even if it doesn't have a Venus In Furs or Heroin on it.
The Killers
2/5
Started this album with a complete open mind, I only really know a few of the singles.
The first notes of Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine really surprised me. A great 80's baseline that could have come straight from bands like Duran Duran or Japan. Unfortunately these upbeat danceable tunes are hard to be found in the rest of the album.
With the exception of the two major hits, which have justifiably become classics, most songs are songs by a mediocre uni-band.
As someone on this site already proclaimed: "A few Killer, but mostly filler"
Led Zeppelin
4/5
If this was just the first half of this double album, it would've been a full 5* album.
Unfortunately the second half doesn't have the impact of the first half.
Def Leppard
3/5
'Why can't a rockband sell a record to a Elton John or Michael Jackson-fan without losing your original market?'
- Steve Clark (R.I.P)
The goal of this album was very clear, make a rock album that would sell millions to a different audience than their contemporaries. And they succeeded insanely well with their hardrock bubble gum pop crossover. Incredibly catchy but with 68 minutes the album might've lost bit of filler to make it not strand into songs that are starting to sound the same in the end.
But any band in this era would've loved to be able to pen something down like Gods Of War, which is the highlight of this album
Peter Gabriel
4/5
Peter Gabriel's first solo record starts with 'Moribund the Burgermeister' that still contains quite a bit of the Genesis atmosphere of 'Lamb', but with the beautiful 'Solsbury Hill' Gabriel takes a different path. A perfect pop song with great lyrics and a catchy melody.
Next song is the Bowie-like rocker 'Modern Love' makes it clear that this is going to be a varied album. When we continue in a kind of vaudeville style song with the somewhat strange 'Excuse Me' we are going all over the place.
Together with Side B's 'Slowburn' and 'Waiting For The Big One' these are the songs on the album that drag it down from a superb debut. The songs feel too much all over the place.
Closer 'Here Comes the Flood' is once again a brilliant song, and therefore a nice end to a fine solo debut. The stripped-down version of that song on 'Shaking the Tree' is also very worthwhile.
The Human League
3/5
It's an album I'm glad I persisted with.
I'm really quite fond of synthpop and new wave, but if it was only for Side A I'd have given up and would've been wondering why in the world this should be on a 1001 greatest album list.
It gets interesting on the B Side of this album and the album finally gets lifted out of mediocrity with the last 4 songs, starting with the interesting "I Am The Law", turning into the great "Seconds" and ending in the classic "Don't You Want Me."
4 songs can't save an album, but is does make it stand out among contemporaries.
The United States Of America
2/5
Listened to it 4 times over 2 days and I just can't get into it.
I get it, it just really doesn't hold my attention and I don't really find it all too nice to listen to. Their 'normal' parts are bland, their 'strange' parts are just that.
Radiohead
3/5
We are never going to be friends, Amnesiac and I.
Buck Owens
2/5
Because I had to listen to this album I started reading and now know about the origins of the “Bakersfield Sound".
It's the typical country music with the typical themes.
Here and there the Honky Tonk is going a bit more rock 'n' roll, like in the song 'Memphis,' and there the music becomes bearable.
I'm just not a fan of this kind of music. And Lord knows I've tried.
Goldfrapp
4/5
A unique, sensual and introverted album, that listens best in the late darker hours of the day.
Unlike a lot of the other albums of Alison Goldfrapp this one has not lost anything of its strength. Mysterious songs like 'Lovely Head' and 'Human' as highlights still crawl under my skin.
It's only unfortunate that the pretentious 'Oompah Radar' breaks the carefully built up magical spell this album has built up. It's not a 5* album because of it.
After that break 'Utopia' luckily comes out as the best song of the album.
Stellar debut.
4*
Nick Drake
4/5
Incredibly beautiful. Best folk album I've ever heard.
The song Three Hours might've even lasted that amount of time, what a great piece.
Keith Jarrett
5/5
Absolutely incredible
Earth, Wind & Fire
3/5
According to a lot of fans (and also the 1001-album-list) the best of Earth, Wind & Fire.
With delicious funky songs like "Shining Star" and "Yearnin', Learnin'", ballads like "That's the Way of the World" and "All About Love", and jazzy groove songs like "Africano," I can fully understand why this would be the case.
On the other hand there's also songs like "Reasons"; the disco ballads style with those abnormally high-pitched vocals, those sterile strings and horns.
All in all, a really funky and soulful album. It's just not fully the thing for me.
Paul Weller
3/5
A really pleasant listen. Not a masterpiece, just good music
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
4/5
This is my 246th album I must hear before I die, and already the 5th Elvis Costello one. Entire genres seem to have been overlooked thus far, but at this rate I'm guessing Costello's entire repertoire has made it onto the list.
Now, this might need some culling because not all of them really have the importance or musical need to be there, but at least keep this one on the list.
This might just be Elvis Costello's best.
Costello, who proves again he's a sort of mix between Graucho Marx and Woody Allen creates razor-sharp songs with rhythm, with a vibe and a sneer here and there. And that sneering clever anger in his lyrics is where his voice lends itself really well for.
It's an album that still sounds fresh, even though it's over 40 years old.
Ray Price
2/5
It feels like I'm playing the next installment of the Fallout franchise.
This is one of the best country albums I've heard and I'm certain there's a place, time and crowd for it.
It's just not here, now, and me.
Thundercat
3/5
Slayer
4/5
The Temptations
3/5
All Directions as an album seems a bit disappointing to me. It remains a collection of covers.
But then it has some nice highlights, especially 'Papa Was A Rollin' Stone' of course.
You can tell they're stuck in the 60's after all. Artists like Marvin Gaye or Curtis Mayfield moved on to soul and had become a bit more socially critical. That also shows a little bit on this album, but for the majority this remains popular Motown.
The music is beautiful and the harmony vocals of The Temptations are certainly good.
The Doors
4/5
I never know what to do with The Doors, I'll be honest. So many of my friends and other people I respect their musical tastes off see this as a landmark in musical history, even calling it the best debut album ever made.
But I must be really missing something that everyone else is hearing, because this never clicked with me. I know this album well, I enjoy listening to it, and it has some great moments on it (The organ solo in Light My Fire, and The End of course.)
But songs like 'Twentieth Century Fox' or 'Take It As It Comes' are just decent rock songs and I'll always nod my head up and down when I hear them in a pub or a party, but nothing more.
It's a 3,5* album and maybe some time in my life it'll click.
Marvin Gaye
3/5
'Is That Enough' is an absolute great song, but for the rest it meanders a bit too much for me
The Band
4/5
I did not think I would like this as much as I did. Only had time to listen to it twice, so will revisit
Jimi Hendrix
5/5
After having found the original UK version; then onto to American version (with different songs); then falling in the rabbithole of why to listen to which version.
Finding out that the song order on the later US version is more to Jimi Hendrix' liking, but that he was pissed the Americans left his songs like "Red House", "Can You See Me" and "Remember" off, I just created my own playlist with all the songs of the original version, added the single's and put them onto the U.S. versions order.
And was a great 2 hours of dicking around with an incredible album.
So here we are:
"Puple Haze"
"Manic Depression"
"Hey Joe"
"Red House"
"Love Or Confusion"
"May This Be Love"
"I Don't Live Today"
"Can You See Me"
"The Wind Cries Mary"
"Fire"
"Third Stone From The Sun"
"Foxey Lady"
"Remember"
"Are You Experienced?"
Now, Jimi Hendrix has never released that 'perfect' album that some people have, but this one is as close as you're going to get to it.
4,5*
The Pharcyde
2/5
I might've liked this in highschool, but even though the beats were really good in places, the humour got tiresome
Simply Red
3/5
The La's
4/5
A surprisingly good album. Britpop avant la lettre and an almost perfect 90's alt-pop album.
Will re-visit!
Echo And The Bunnymen
4/5
This album impressed me. I knew Seven Seas and of course Killing Moon, but there were a lot more songs on here that captured a great atmospheric whole.
The Fall
4/5
Even though postpunk seems to be the music I am attracted to more than others, this album took a few listens before the penny dropped.
And when it did, it really did.
There's a rawness and sometimes a bit of brutality to the songs but still with a poppy edge to it.
Channeled energy that hardly ever goes to plain noise and shows how artful most of these songs are made. I enjoyed this a lot.
Even with Vixen being a pure ripoff of 'Run, Run, Run' by the Velvet Underground
Rush
4/5
Terence Trent D'Arby
3/5
The slyly catchy "Wishing Well" alone proves that Terence Trent D'Arby, these days known as Sananda Maitreya, was the ambassador of soul at the time.
The album still sounds good today, despite the typical production cues of the 80s, such as the drum beat with echo and the keyboards on "If You All Get To Heaven", the album's opening track. The sultry "Sign Your Name" sounds modern still though and is one of the highlights.
He also shows remarkable singing talents on the a cappella "As Yet Untitled".
Later he would not be a musician so much as a personality with grandiose opinions on himself, which distracted from his work.
This multi-platinum and Grammy-winning album is a worthy memento of his considerable talent.
3,5*
The Clash
4/5
The Charlatans
2/5
Rocketing straight into mediocrity
Grizzly Bear
5/5
After a first listen I was really disappointed in the album. The first four songs were incredible, but the album fully dropped off after that.
During the second listen new songs like "Ready, Able" and "Cheerleader" popped out of the album.
A third listen it finally fully clicked as an entire album.
I knew Grizzly Bear from when this album came out and thought for all those years this was one of those boring new-folk albums that were popular in that era.
I'm glad to have been proven wrong. Really great.
4,5*
Fiona Apple
4/5
I know Fiona Apple from a few of her singles but mostly from 2020's absolute masterpiece "Fetch The Bolt Cutters."
Strangely enough I had never, until now, taken the time to listen to her debut album.
What Fiona Apple shows on this debut is astonishing maturity. An atmospheric melodic album with substance, and that for an 18 year old woman.
One of the qualities that sets Fiona Apple apart from other female singer-songwriters is her voice. From low and cool in the opener "Sleep to Dream" to darling sweet in the choruses of "Never is a Promise", it contributes to the dark, intimate almost poetic atmosphere that covers the entire album like a veil.
There is never any sweetness or tacky romance, instead she gives the listener a sometimes enlightening and sometimes frightening glimpse into her psyche. It's encouraging that she hasn't given up hope for love after a traumatic childhood experience ("but he washed me ashore and he took my pearl and left an empty shell of me") but it's a wry feeling to enjoy music with such a pain in it.
Because I know what's about to come afterwards, I know she'll grow even better in voice and especially instrumentation.
But this is a stunning debut.
4*
Elliott Smith
4/5
Beautiful melodies telling me terrible things
Public Enemy
4/5
What do you release after a landmark album like "It Takes A Nation Of Millions..."? You harness all that pent up anger and use it to create "Fear Of A Black Planet."
Highly political, powerful, clever and all members are at the top of their game. Hiphop with a message. A true classic in music history.
ABBA
2/5
Yeah, it definitely is an improvement of some of their earlier work, but I truly don't get the high scores for an album that's still decidedly average.
AC/DC
4/5
5/5
As a teenager I snubbed Oasis. Wonderwall was overplayed, the band didn't deserve all that attention, the music wasn't even that good.
I'm glad I re-listened to this album later in life. And I've full come around. I like Definitely Maybe quite a bit, but this album is the best Oasis have released.
Yes, Wonderwall is still being overplayed, but I can't really fault the band for writing a song that apparently resonated with so many people.
And besides, songs like Hello, Roll With It, Don’t Look Back In Anger, Hey Now!, She’s Electric and Champagne Supernova are just amazing.
Happy to have (re-)discovered it and have finally given it the time it deserved
The Black Crowes
3/5
It's a nice heavy late-nite blues rock album that came out in the time when grunge was getting absolutely huge. Lenny Kravitz already showed a year earlier there was still a market for 70's rock.
So here The Black Crowes came with an album that really was nothing new, a combination of The Stones, The Faces and Rod Stewart.
But it rocked. And still does.
Isaac Hayes
2/5
I understand this album is on the list due to its impact on popular culture and the landmark in time.
But, it's a soundtrack. And it sounds like one. Probably sounds well as background music for whatever is happening on screen.
But aside from the killer opening track and the 20 minute jam-session on Do Your Thing, without the visuals, this album is mostly just funky elevator music.
Right on.
Dirty Projectors
3/5
My first thought about this is: I know I listened to this album about 15 times in 2009 & 2010. But I can't even remember what kind of music this was. It has left no lasting memory at all.
And now that I've re-listened to it a couple of times over the last 2 days that feeling hasn't subsided. It's all pleasant music, I don't dislike listening to it. It's clever enough, musically, rhythmically and lyrically. Musically it's in the Indie style I loved back in the day (Yeasayer, TV On The Radio, the whole Brooklyn scene).
But it doesn't do anything for me. It's passing me by. And I don't feel I need to listen to this again.
The Stooges
5/5
What an energy.
What a raw power.
What great riffs.
What an absolute legendary album.
Hugh Masekela
4/5
This is great jazz
David Bowie
4/5
Jah Wobble's Invaders Of The Heart
4/5
John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers
3/5
Tom Waits
5/5
Late in the evening, in the land of one-armed dwarves, broken promises, women with wooden legs and dive-bars, Tom Waits is King.
"I like beautiful melodies telling me terrible things"
The Band
3/5
An album must click with you emotionally. No matter how good the music is, how non-intrusive the listens, when no song makes you listen closer and no lyrics stand really out, there's also not really a use to listen to it anymore after these first 3 playthroughs.
The Band does nothing to me.
Ice Cube
3/5
The final, and best, of his solo albums. It goes downhill after this
The Undertones
5/5
How have I've only just discovered the Undertones' Hypnotised album? I can't remember having this much fun listening to an album in a long time. And only 40 years too late!
Is this the best album ever made? Absolutely not. But this proto poppunk makes me want to move and makes an bop my head.
4,5*
Van Halen
4/5
I never realised that all the Van Halen songs I liked are all from one album. And their debut nonetheless.
If your 4 opening songs on your debut album are the classic rocking 'Running With The Devil,' guitar virtuous 'Eruption,' super cover 'You Really Got Me' and one of the best riffs of all time 'Ain't Talking About Love,' than how can this be any less than 4*?
Beatles
4/5
Astor Piazzolla
3/5
That was a fun listen of two great musicians
Pink Floyd
3/5
Och
The Fall
4/5
Another album from The Fall and another album that took a few listens to 'get'.
Superb album
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
3/5
It's a decent enough debut album but honestly nothing more than that. There's a few songs that rise above the mediocrity (American Girl, Strangered In the Night) but how you would open the album with a song like 'Rockin' Around (With You)' is beyond me.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
It was good to listen to the album when the Stones stopped being a coverband and started making their own. Brian Jones definitely has a good influence on it, but not all songs are as strong as others.
A good debut of their own songs, that's for sure
Jane's Addiction
5/5
Such a phenomenally good album. Between the Glam of the 80's and the Grunge of the 90's was a small period with hard rocking alternative music like Sonic Youth, the Pixies and these guys, Jane's Addiction. And they were reinventing music as they went along.
This album just rocks. The lyrics are clever and fun, Navarro's guitar solo's are the best he's ever recorded (before the heroin knocked it a bit out of him).
Just a straight up classic in the genre, and in music history.
Black Sabbath
4/5
Mariah Carey
1/5
I just can't do it. I really tried to find the positives, but after 4 songs I just had to turn it off.
Started it up again the next day at song 5 and it was another half-hearted R&B light with more vocal acrobatics than actual lyrics.
I tried, but I just really dislike this.
ZZ Top
4/5
A masterclass in Texas Blues with a thick layer of Southern Rock, and some funky licks.
The songs in the middle get a bit less than the start, but luckily that downward spiral then gets broken by the amazing La Grange - A song I could listen to 5 times in a row and not get sick of.
"Hey look! It's ZZ Top! You guys rock! "
Pixies
5/5
TAAAAAAAAAAMMMEEEEE
Television
4/5
Another great band that used to be a blindspot of me. I was aware of their existence, and even though they seem to fully fit in my music tastes, I never listened to it.
Luckily that's now changed and I've fully enjoyed this.
George Harrison
3/5
This 2 hour long triple LP has a five star album in here, but is surrounded in a thick layer of 4 star songs, enclosed by a 2 star jam session.
Fatboy Slim
3/5
It really has some amazing highlights, like "Right Here, Right Now" (especially with video clip) "The Rockafeller Skank," and "Love Island"
I know this album well and after absolutely adoring it for quite a few years, I now find this album to be dragging on a bit.
Talking Heads
4/5
Moby Grape
3/5
The Who
3/5
Ananda Shankar
2/5
Westernized Sitar Music.
I can't believe of all the amazing world music there is, this album that has been built on the western poppy influences made the list.
'Metamorphosis' is the only real positive on this album. It's the only song where barriers get broken and Shankar dares to take it a bit further.
The Divine Comedy
3/5
This is just not really my thing. I appreciate it for the quality though
Wild Beasts
3/5
This is an album where I really enjoyed the music much much than I enjoyed the vocals. It's the same reason I can't seem to enjoy Anthony and the Johnsons.
The music, especially rhythmically, is really good, but the falsetto voice, in my humble opinion, takes too much away from it, stands too much in the foreground and is starting to annoy quite quickly.
The few songs where it doesn't happen are my favourites.
Coldplay
4/5
There are a few albums in this world that make you shout "WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO YOU GUYS?" every time you hear it. Chicago's 'Transit Authority' and Live's 'Throwing Copper' spring to mind.
Parachutes by Coldplay is another one. Do you just enjoy the music, get a little smile when that guitar in 'Don't Panic' starts building up, and sing along with the classic 'Yellow'? Or do you get sad that a band who showcase so much talent and songwriting skills on this debut became what they have become later in their career?
Because no matter what comes afterwards, this first Coldplay album is still rock solid, even 20 years afterwards. Listen to songs like 'Shiver' or 'Spies' and there's no denying how incredibly good this is.
And anyone can understand why this album became such a hit, with the masses as well as the indie crowds.
Blur
3/5
It really is an album that jumps between two ideas. The older Britpop era of Blur combined with the more adventurous new era about to come. It makes the album feel a bit disjointed, and not all songs are strong.
On the other hand, Beetlebum might be the best song Blur has ever released.
The The
3/5
This one is just a bit too much. A bit too much filler, a bit too much extra sounds, a bit too much drumloops.
4/5
What is there to say about this that hasn't been said yet in 1000's of articles, hundreds of documentaries and dozens of books on just this album?
Mainly my opinion that it's not the Beatles' best work. That would be Revolver.
Penguin Cafe Orchestra
3/5
3/5
Interesting to have a bootleg on the 1001 album list
Now besides Dylan being overzealous on the harmonica, this is a great time piece of Dylan live.
The Afghan Whigs
4/5
Teenage angsty straightforward lyrics on music that was the bridge between grunge and alternative rock. With dark over and undertones, superb guitarriffs. A classic from the 90's
Queen
4/5
Björk
5/5
Vepsertine might just be Björk's Magnum Opus. Where the albums before fell on occasion more into clubby style electro, this album is organic, warm, subdued, dreamy and mysterious.
And every time I hear it I'm amazed at how beautifully everything falls into place. The sudden background chorus in Undo. The incoming bass at Pagan Poetry. The strings that come in to enhance things very tastefully. So there is more than enough to hear.
And with every listen I pick something new up. A musical detail or even an atmosphere some song will make me float towards. Details, but also a beautiful tranquility in the songs, even though the electronics simmer happily under the skin. Exciting and restful at the same time.
Björk uses her voice in line with the songs as well, so with a lot less reverb.
There's no miss on this album. 5*
Air
2/5
Gary Numan
4/5
I started listening to this album fully thinking that this would be an instant 5* for me.
I absolutely adore Gary Numans sound that almost feels trademarked. The low droning Vox Humana synth sounds, superb melodies with the Polygoog over the top of simple structured songs.
I'm a bit more acquainted with his later work and what I've found during my several listens of this album over the last two days is that Numan has become a much better songwriter over the years.
I really enjoyed this, but not all songs are of the highest caliber like Metal, ME, Cars; or than a lot of his later albums.
Deerhunter
3/5
It really is quite a good album, but that first song just starts it off on the wrong foot for me.
Lambchop
2/5
I find Nixon is a highly uneven album, with a strange combination of country and soul.
Sometimes it really works out, like on the song 'Up With People,' but other times the falsetto and half-hearted soul just really don't do it for me.
Gave it a couple of listens, but it never hit anywhere.
Yes
4/5
The Pogues
5/5
When folk, punk and whisky came together, something brilliant happened.
It starts with the rousing title track, after which the musical journey continues through various landscapes. A modern version of the Irish traditional The Broad Majestic Shannon is effortlessly alternated with the dreamy Lullaby of London and the uptempo carnavalesque Fiesta, which again is very different from the melancholy of (Christmas) single Fairytale of New York, in which the late Kirsty MacColl sings.
An absolute masterpiece
Eagles
2/5
I know this album quite well from my youth, and the main reason I never listen to this album is due to the immensely overplayed ànd overrated title track. I could never again go past the first track. Now I've listened to it again and with one exception, Life In The Fast Lane, this entire album to me tries to balance the line between emotion and kitsch. But too many times falls over to the latter (Pretty Maids All In A Row, Wasted Time, The Last Resort) that this is an unlistenable mess.
It's just really not for me. Glad I did the re-listen though.
Various Artists
3/5
All the songs on this album just come at you like a wave of echoey voices, surfing on another wave of additional choirs, bells, string quartets, horn sections on top of another wave of perfectly aligned maracas and other percussion shaking and rattling underneath.
Because where in these days Phil Spectors multi-layered, orchestrated, muddy wall of sounds just tires me out, it really did work well on these old mono recordings with the 1960's girl groups where the songs were the focus, not the musicians.
This makes this album quite a joy to listen to and is justifiably regarded as the best Christmas album of all time. And the only album I would put on if I absolutely had to listen to any of its music during it.
Leonard Cohen
4/5
I was about to write a similar blurb I've done with the other Leonard Cohen albums I've heard on this list. That, even though I appreciate his earlier 60's and 70's work, I'm personally a bigger fan of his later work, from the 80's onwards, and that I find 2010's songs like "You Want It Darker" and "Almost Like The Blues" the best he's made. Where it all lyrically became a bit darker and his voice got that low timbre.
But then I listened to this album a few times over. The first set of songs (Avalanche, Last Year's Man & Dress Rehearsel Rag) are the musical equivalent of pure beauty in a successful white / black photo. And where in previous two albums I found the added choirs and female vocals taking away from the beauty, on songs like Last Year's Man they add to the atmosphere.
Not all songs are as good as the rest. Diamonds in the Mine feels like a angry country song that with a burst of cynicism feels out of place.
Love calls you by your name is a lesser rendition of what was already established on Avalanche.
But then we get Famous Blue Raincoat, which is absolute beautiful. It just pours emotion without getting tacky.
After that, the album doesn't get to these heights anymore. But for his early period, this is his best
Marty Robbins
2/5
A country & western album that mostly steps in the western spheres.
It just makes me want to play Fallout New Vegas again, with the radio off on my pipboy.
Manic Street Preachers
5/5
Dark, grim, intense, loud, confrontational, lyrically strong, fierce vocals, killer guitar sound.
The Holy Bible is an absolute amazing album and the best the Manic Street Preachers have released.
Buzzcocks
3/5
Fun, fast, juvenile, punk.
It does miss that extra spark though.
New Order
4/5
The huge transformation of a band. From the ashen dark wave in 1981 to the acid house in the late 1989's. This is what the new drugs can do and how to keep the 24 hour party people partying.
This even was recorded in Ibiza - center of house music.
Some really great songs on here, amongst some lesser ones.
'Vanishing Point' lifts this album up an entire point, and 'Fine Time,' 'Round, Round' and 'Mr. Disco' put down a solid base.
Napalm Death
3/5
Revolutionary album of the first Grindcore band with the mixture of Punk/Hardcore/Death/Metal.
28 songs in 33 minutes. But even though I think it's great material, it has never grabbed me in the least, no matter how groundbreaking and essential it all must have been in 1987 and probably still is.
Talk Talk
5/5
This one really blew me away and is apparently the absolute best Talk Talk have ever made, there's something new to hear in every song every time I put it on.
Definitely an album to keep revisiting
Nick Drake
4/5
Normally I'm not a big fan of the acoustic singer/songwriter genre. Mostly because those albums lack the actual songwriting to make it good listens.
Not this album though, this was stunningly engaging from start to finish, with great lyrics.
Beautiful!
Brian Eno
4/5
Brian Eno fills the A side with nervous funk, rock, new wave and art pop to switch completely in style and then fill the B-side with ambient songs.
And even though I keep coming back to this album, I never really jived with this album, but I've switched in my preference over time. It's now the B Side that I appreciate much more than the A side.
The A Side is a good idea where Brian Eno and David Byrne would take The Talking Heads later. Fun sidenote: King's Lead Hat is an anagram of said Talking Heads.
I'll say 3,5*
3/5
Nice and smooth Ramones-like punk rock from 1981 that clearly draws influences from rockabilly, B52's and Roy Orbison ("Adult Books").
And it's clear that the band, on the other hand, also influenced bands that came later.
Listen to songs like "We're Desperate" and "I'm Coming Over" and you clearly hear where the Pixies come from.
And even though this is really up my alley, it just doesn't click for me.
Steely Dan
3/5
I'm reading all these immensely positive reviews and calls of 'masterpiece' and I've listened to this album 6 times over 2 days.
Apparently I'm missing something. It really is quite pleasant to listen to. The first two tracks really start the album off amazingly but this line is not followed through the rest of the album.
I duly recognise how talented the musicianship, how influential and important this album is, but it never really caught me anywhere after a while.
Not to say I dislike it and I've become quite curious what their later albums would be like, if they came to perfect their songwriting.
I'll start this off as a 3,5*
Lorde
4/5
Gil Scott-Heron
4/5
Thelonious Monk
4/5
I am not a big jazz connoisseur. I like to be guided by others who occasionally pass me an album. And now 1001 Albums brought me this one from Thelonious Monk.
And I am very happy with this recommendation.
To me this sounds like technically challenging jazz with very interesting rhythms, but played so languidly that it seems to come close to a kind of smooth jazz at times, despite the fact that the dissonant tones of the piano always keep you on your toes and make you listen a bit more intensely.
Accessible jazz, which reveals more and more the more you listen to it.
Radiohead
4/5
I can't say anything here that hasn't been said better by other people before.
This album is full of subtle sounds, incredibly atmospheric, it needs headphones and a couple dozens of listens to hear it all.
It's a marvel if you give it the time
Manu Chao
4/5
It's not the best music ever made. It's certainly not the best produced album. The lyrics are simplistic bordering on silly. But not of that even remotely matters.
This album is 100% vibe. The mixture of samba, latin, cuban rhythms with French, Spanish, English, Portuguese and Italian lyrics about the joys of life (sex, drugs & music) make this a refreshing, open, relaxing yet danceable album. It there ever was an album that captures the spirit of backpacking, this is it.
The album lets its songs flow into one another. Like visiting a new city on the same continent, not too far away. Sometimes just changing a ska-organ for a bossanova guitar and changing languages, while letting the underlying sounds continue and all of a sudden you realise you went into a new song without noticing.
I remember the summer of 1999 when this album was everywhere on mainland Europe and probably elsewhere around the world. It captured a vibe and spirit and now, re-listening to it, I can see why. It's clever, worldly and a joy to listen to.
Nine Inch Nails
5/5
When Trent Reznor brought the industrial sounds to a bigger audience by focusing on songwriting. It's a classic
Paul Simon
3/5
I will probably be one of the few people here to think this, but this for me is a major step forward after the records he made with Garfunkel. I enjoyed listening to this, both lyrically and musically.
David Bowie
5/5
There's not much to add to all that's been said before. Side A and B are different sides of the same story. This is a masterpiece
Depeche Mode
4/5
The album where it all became a bit more experimental, after Black Celebration already made it a bit darker. Not as amazing as the follow-up Violator, but with songs like Behind The Wheel, this is an amazing album and one I like to listen to every now and then.
The Black Keys
3/5
Really, don't get me wrong. I like this album. I remember when it came out I adored the delicious American blues rock, delivered energetically and contagiously.
Especially a song like Howlin' For You got me nodding my head to the music and this album came out at a time when the raw and energetic seemed to be disappearing from rock and indie music - where quite a few bands turned to Synthpop around that time. This was, for that moment, a breath of fresh air, even if the music of course lends heavily from the blues from halfway of the 20th century combined with the T*Rex sounds of the 70's.
But now listening back, unfortunately, there are no truly memorable tracks besides the one previously named and there is not enough variation within the song material to keep the album captivating for the full length. After about 10 songs it slowly falls down. Was it a case of style over substance?
In 2010 this was my 4* album. Now it's a 3*
Frank Ocean
4/5
At the first tones I really though I would dislike this album. But I kept listening, putting the album on for a second time, a third.
And it really kept growing.
Some great lyrics, some outstanding song, but also some filler. I can understand why this became a big album and artist - and not just sales wise.
The Go-Go's
4/5
This is just great poppy new wave, under which lingers a dark layer of punk, which is completely in line with their origins in late 1970s LA.
Lyrically also certainly much more interesting than the bubblegum from that time. After 3 listens I'm ranking this album up there. Will listen to this a few more times in the near future, but starting this off with a 4*
Tricky
4/5
Sometimes languid, sometimes up tempo, sometimes sensual. One of the best trip hop albums ever made
Ian Dury
3/5
I went into this thinking I'd really enjoy this. But I've listened to the album 3 times now and I must miss something. It's ok, but not as mind-blowing as some people make it out to be.
Enjoyable, but not more than that.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
5/5
What is there to say about this album that hasn't been said. It's dark, funny, profane, clever and beautiful.
Beautiful melodies telling me terrible things.
Bobby Womack
3/5
Flamin' Groovies
4/5
Tasty, greasy, dirty rock 'n roll nestled somewhere between The Stooges and The Rolling Stones. Wonderfully rattling and rolling and played with style and knowledge of sound and instruments.
Electric Light Orchestra
3/5
I just really don't exactly know what to do with ELO. I've listened to this album a couple of times again (I already knew it from my parents' record player)
Jeff Lynne is clearly insanely talented and a great songwriter, but the orchestration an overload of sound takes away from the talent. I liked LP2 of this double LP a lot better than LP 1 though.
Pere Ubu
4/5
A riveting and strange album which I thoroughly enjoyed. But I can't shake the feeling this would be much better experienced live than on record
Love
3/5
A really enjoyable 60's sound. Can hear where The Doors got their influence. But Side B really didn't do it for me
Miles Davis
5/5
Never thought I'd get moved again in such a way by an album. Absolute masterpiece.
Joni Mitchell
5/5
What a stunning record by Joni Mitchell, the artwork alone makes me long for a road trip, far away from home. Hejira falls right in between pop songs and some more jazz structures, so that it remains nice and relaxed listening/musing music.
This album is especially amazing with the combination of all these songs, written for guitar, with bass, vocal and guitar.
After all the (deserved) praise for Jaco Pastorius, I would like to point out that he is not the only bassist on this album. Max Bennett and Chuck Domanico also leave their mark on the songs they play on.
Hejira is therefore perhaps the highlight of Joni's impressive discography for me, a beautiful album!
Talvin Singh
2/5
I've heard this exact thing done better by multiple other artists.
Paul McCartney and Wings
3/5
A great Side A and a pretty ok Side B.
Kate Bush
5/5
An absolute mystical album.
An A-side where every song is of such high quality that all could be a single (and I think even were)
And the B-side with a full concept album of her near-death experience with the woman adrift at sea metaphor.
An absolute classic.
Adam & The Ants
4/5
I'm reading all these negative reviews here and am thinking I've been listening to an entire different album than the majority here.
It's an upbeat album that makes perfect use of these double burundi drums. Adam Ant when he was still good.
The 13th Floor Elevators
3/5
Stereo MC's
2/5
2 bangers and for the rest a snorefest.
The Beach Boys
4/5
Dolly Parton
2/5
New Order
4/5
This is New Order at their finest. With the exception of The Perfect Kiss, every single song deserves several listens to show you their treasure.
amazing
Nick Drake
3/5
It's a good album, but I don't think its Nick Drakes best.
This album, for me, just are too many hits or misses.
The song One of These Things First is an absolute jewel though. The instrumentation and orchestrations are masterful accompaniments to the song.
Unfortunately that's not the case with all songs. The unnecessary instrumentals Bryter Layter and Sundays but especially Poor Boy feel forced. The accompaniment is unfortunately a disturbing factor. Terrible use of trumpets and background choirs.
But luckily we still have Northern Sky. A relief from the previous. And maybe one of the best songs Nick Drake has ever written.
No matter how beautiful the title track and Northern Sky are, this album is not that strong throughout.
Judas Priest
4/5
If this album kept the quality of the first four songs over the whole album, this might've been one of the best albums in the (early) metal genre ever made.
Rapid Fire is almost speedmetal avant la lettre and feel like where NWOBHM takes off, Metal Gods with its hypnotic rhythm that emanates the relentless march of the robots, Breaking The Law is a Beavis and Butthead classic banger and Grinder with its K.K. Downing and Glenn Tipton guitar battle in an almost AC/DC like simplicity is pure rock 'n' roll.
I was blown away by this part and then came United. What in the everloving metal hell was that? And The Rage. And the atrocious bonus track Red, White & Blue.
Maybe broken up by a few decent tracks, but it really drops the average of this album quite a few points. And that's really too bad.
Big Black
5/5
I wonder how I would've responded to this audible assault back in 1986. This is honestly the first I've even heard of this album and I now know where some of my favourite bands found their inspiration.
This is brutal, energetic, noisy and bleak industrial and still sound like it could've been released in this decade, even though it's already 37 years old.
What a revelation.
Beastie Boys
3/5
This re-listen of Licensed To Ill was a nostalgia trip. I've listened to this album a LOT in my youth and I still know every song. I very much enjoyed listening to this incredibly fun and energetic album again. Listening and almost giggling to the bashful and playful lyrics. And it certainly belongs on this list due to the impact it had on music.
But putting the sentiments of my youth aside - this is not a really good album by itself. Neither is it revolutionary.
The music was a couple of white boys doing what Run-DMC had already been doing for years - and was doing better. This brought a bit more punky and ska ('Girls') feeling to it.
A few standout songs are still on here, 'No Sleep Till Brooklyn' is still a catchy and hilarious rocky anthem that should bring a smile to anyone's face. 'Paul Revere' and 'Brass Monkey' are standout tracks on this album and are giving a glimpse of what brilliant madness is to come on Paul's Boutique and Check Your Head
Jeff Buckley
5/5
A true 5* album. With the mix of Zeppelin like guitars, one of the most breakable voices to have ever sung and the redefining of the song Hallelujah for a new generation, this is a truly superb album
Sebadoh
3/5
Spiritualized
4/5
It took me three listens to get into the right mindset to enjoy it.
But when I got there, this ambient space rock was a great experience.
CHIC
3/5
The absolute pioneers of the groove and I'm a sucker for a good bassline.
And this is about the best of them you can get.
The basis of the music is of course Edwards' really fantastic bass and Rodgers' signature guitar playing. The strings and the vocals on Risqué are really great as well and add to the general funk, atmosphere and groove. And it's no wonder this is a classic and one of the most sampled albums I know of.
Still. All songs feel about twice as long as they should be. It's made for dancing, but with only 7 songs on the album the long ended repetitions feel contrived. And that puts a little damper on the party for me.
The Byrds
4/5
I'll give this a rating between the best song "Everybody's Been Burned" and the atrocity "Mind Gardens."
Ryan Adams
2/5
Ryan Adams is not able to do it for me. Some songs I can listen to, with difficulty. I've given this album a couple of tries, so Ryan has already been in the rematch several times, but I think it is generally too slick. The emotion strikes me as affectation. I simply don't believe him.
George Michael
1/5
I listened to "Listen Without Prejudice" before, and that was a real decent album.
This? This isn't it.
The Hives
3/5
Fats Domino
4/5
The Jam
4/5
I haven't given this album the full attention it deserves in my humble opinion.
I've spun it twice, lost track a bit.
But what I heard was really enjoyable, well written, and the britpoppunk from The Jam is excellent. Will revisit.
Dr. Dre
3/5
This album is to be listened for the beats, production, invention of the g-funk and the guest-rappers. They make this a very pleasant rapper, and probably the Top-5 of the best West Coast albums ever.
But don't listen this album for the sexist and homophobic lyrics or the wooden Dr. Dre raps. Every time Dre opens his mouth, I'm already looking forward to the next verse of Snoop, Kurupt or RBX. And that just takes this album down.
Then we have to talk about the skits which are just not funny at all and bordering on infantile and ths bring absolutely nothing extra to this album.
The influence this album has had can't be overstated, but when Dre released 2001 about 7 years later it did show he learned from a few of the mistakes of this album (minus the puerile lyrics) and created an even better version of this.
Deep Purple
4/5
"Highway Star", "Smoke On The Water" and "Lazy" are the highlights on this heavy and well made album.
"Never Before" doesn't share in the main prize, and should've been switched for "When A Blind Man Cries" on the album, but even that songs can't diminish the fun in this funky hardrocking 70's classic.
4,5*
The Undertones
4/5
Highly energetic and pleasant poppunk album
James Taylor
2/5
He has a beautiful voice, but all songs on this country blues pop album are very slick honeyd and smoothed over. It feels empty. I didn't hate it, but also didn't really like it
Derek & The Dominos
3/5
ABBA
1/5
It's really just not for me. And I just can't hear the quality in it. I must be missing something.
k.d. lang
2/5
That was a really long elevator ride this album just put me on. It's a little bit of late-night jazzy feel but nothing stands out, nothing makes me listen a little deeper, not even after a few listens.
It all just pretty average songwriting, but offset by an amazing voice.
Green Day
4/5
Is it punk? Nah. Are these complex songs with a lot of depth? Also no. Is this an 'anti-american' and political album? Nah, not really. Was this 'punk-opera' the first of its kind? Nope, been done several times before.
But is it a fun, catchy and just rocking album? Sure as hell it is!
John Martyn
4/5
After a few listens this album was actually a lot better than I gave it credit for at the start.
I never really got used to his way of singing, but the songs are diverse and of a high quality
Blood, Sweat & Tears
4/5
The time in the late 60's where the jazz audience, the cool soul frogs, the blues birds and the hippies all came together and listened to a very stoned David Clayton-Thomas.
Because there are so many styles on this album and it jumps from compact jumpy songs to long experimental instrumentals, the album does have a somewhat ambivalent character. But there's something for everyone to be found on this album.
Madonna
4/5
Definitely a bit of a surprise. I was very aware of most of the singles on this album and have heard, and played, them quite a bit in my life. Frozen, Ray Of Light, Power Of Goodbye are one by one incredibly strong songs, written by a very talented songwriter.
The album might not be strong throughout - there's certainly some filler on here and the album could lose some minutes - but it also has a few songs that might just be the best Madonna has released in her career, especially the very danceable tracks 'Sky Fits Heaven' and 'Skin'
A solid 4*
Fugees
4/5
Not all songs are as memorable as others, but the heights on this album are really worth listening to.
Pavement
4/5
I grew up with people around me worshiping the ground Stephen Malkmus walked on, so I stayed back a bit with my adoration of Pavement. I heard it a lot in my teenage years, never disliked it, but it also never stood out for me, for whatever reason.
Still, this is a great album. Unpolished pop songs with barbs here and there, but always melodic. And where the lo-fi sounds really give it its character, I sometimes, blasphemously, wouldn't have minded a little more polished sound.
The Who
4/5
Point 1: Live albums shouldn't make it on a 1001 album list
Point 2: I'e heard The Who better live
Point 3: It's still a really good album, a tight and amazing live band
So... a 3,5 star?
Wu-Tang Clan
5/5
It's 29 years ago that my brother, who curated the hip-hop part of our teenage years, walked into my room with his new discovery I had to listen to.
Re-listening this now, all these years later, I notice that none of the raw, unvarnished grit has worn away from this album. It has fully stood the test of time with its minimalistic samples, spooky piano riffs and most of all the incredible quality of all 9 MC's.
A stone cold classic in its genre. And my first 5* for a hiphop album on this list
Iron Butterfly
3/5
It's a very disappointing Side A leading into the hippy/stoner/jam anthem Side B
Sepultura
4/5
It's a real decent thrash metal album. According to a lot of people their best, but I have a bit of a different opinion.
In contrast to the great, hard and atmospheric Beneath the Remains that preceded Arise, I find quite a few songs on Arise unimaginative and log.
Chaos AD after this one went in a different direction and for me, that's where they re-found a sense of experimentation, sounds and songwriting.
This one falls in-between.
Still good. Not great.
The Chemical Brothers
4/5
25 years old already and still fresh as anything. A classic of the big beat era.
And where the big hit at the start of the album has never really done it for me, with third song Elektrobank this album really takes off. And ends in the two masterpieces Where Do I Begin and The Private Psychedelic Reel.
Stan Getz
3/5
Bossa Nova is a mixture of Brazilian Samba folk music with American smooth jazz influences. And this might just be *THE* Bossa Nova classic.
Smooth, ear-pleasing and very accessible music made for total relaxation on a summer evening, preferably in a hammock on a beach, with a coconut in hand and the sound of gently lapping waves in the background.
Sometimes this album - and that's mostly due to the sax of Getz - drifts a bit too much into American Lounge music and you feel it might be played in a movie scene where they have to take one of those long 118 storey elevator rides.
But it's a very enjoyable warm summer night album nontheless
Suede
4/5
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
2/5
This album opens with an amazing funky banger with a bass so insanely good you just can't sit still. Unfortunately, it turns out to be a false promise for the album.
Its Nasty is also still a decent song, but then comes Scorpio, one of the low points of this album. And it doesn't really get better after that.
Side B starts dramatically awful with 2 ballads where the enamel jumps off your teeth. Everything hip-hop on this album is suddenly gone.
Luckily we still have "The Message" as the last song. The famed HipHop hit on the record and most likely THE song Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five have ever released. That makes up for a very weak middle half of the album and a reason not to discard this album straight away.
Dusty Springfield
4/5
Yes
3/5
Talking Heads
5/5
There's just no weak spot to be found on the album. It might not get into the heights of some songs on the predecessor or on the next album, but it's unique, compelling, danceable, maniacal, creative, neurotic, funky and timeless throughout.
Siouxsie And The Banshees
5/5
I kept coming back to this album and listened it 5 times over the last 24 hours. What a crucial and amazing post punk record. I find it hard to word how this album has been impacting me, but songs like Jigsaw Feeling, Suburban Relapse and Switch make me listen close, to all sounds, cracks and noises. Amazing.
I was washing up the dishes / minding my own business / when my string snapped.
I had a relapse / a suburban relapse.
Crowded House
3/5
Masters of the 3-minute-popsong.
Pearl Jam
5/5
Peter Tosh
3/5
If people still have an opportunity, I can really recommend listening to the 'Original Jamaican Mix' instead of the standard version.
Billy Bragg
3/5
I like Billy Bragg. I like Wilco. I love Woody Guthries lyrics.
And yet, this album does not feel like it's the sum of its parts. It's a good album, don't get me wrong, but I do think the album start dragging a bit after the first couple of songs.
Mike Ladd
3/5
Hole
4/5
An album that when it was released was unfortunately overshadowed by the suicide of Courtney Love's famous husband.
On this successful rock album you hear a woman who clearly struggles with life, with all the sad undertones of a tortured junkie.
Live Through This is listening to anger and incomprehension.
The music Hole produces reminds of the harder work of Nirvana and The Gun Club.
A grunge classic
David Ackles
3/5
The songs on "American Gothic" are a bit like little theater plays. They are richly orchestrated by Elton John's songwriter partner Bernie Taupin, and sometimes contain cabaretesque melodies, but are nevertheless based on the narrative folk style such as that of Woody Guthrie.
At times his voice resembles that of Neil Diamond. And I hear a bit of Kurt Weill influences. And that is really not a negative point in this one.
Many great contemporary artists I adore such as Tom Waits and Frank Zappa declare to be indebted to the work of this singer/songwriter so I was really quite keen to give this a few good listens.
Still, this album leaves me with quite a double feeling. There are a few songs I really quite rate, like "Waiting For The Moving Van" and I can really appreciate the dark undertones of most of the songs, but the combination with the theatrical and at times bombastic musical compositions and orchestrations makes this an album I don't find a pleasure to put on.
I hear and understand the quality, but it might not be for me.
Elvis Presley
3/5
Lynyrd Skynyrd
4/5
It really is telling when your debut album sounds like your 'best-of' album. Even though side B might not pack the punch of Side A, there really is not a bad song on this record, and when the mood changes I can actually appreciate Things Going On or Poison Whiskey over Free Bird.
Simple Man is such a Rock Classic is needs a star on its own.
Rage Against The Machine
5/5
This is one of those albums that formed me, musically and politically.
I was already quite used to the style when this came out, due to the music of the Urban Dance Squad, but this album blew me away.
And re-listening to it now, not much has changed.
R.E.M.
5/5
There are a few of those albums on this planet that get picked apart by documentaries. Every song, every lyric, every sound, every riff on the album tells a story. Sgt. Peppers has that status, as well as Pet Sounds or Ziggy Stardust to name a few.
This REM album should be in that illustrious list. An album to listen to again and again, sometimes with headphones, sometimes in your living room and sometimes load at a party. This will give you a new look on the album every time. As most albums in REM's repertoire this one stands on its own again, before REM went into a different direction.
Absolute masterful
Throbbing Gristle
3/5
It will never become my favourite album, but I don't have these feelings of hatred this seems to flame in some others in the reviews here.
In the afterwaves of Punk, several new forms of music emerged. In Britain it was mostly the post-punk and in the US it was the art-rock that came about. But from around the years between 77 and 82 the whole music scene around the world found new ways to express itself. Restless, experimental, searching for new boundaries.
And Throbbing Gristle is no exception. It really feels these are visual artists that try and put their ideas to music. Disturbing, bleak ideas. With imagery to match. And inadvertently lay the foundation that would later become a million selling music-style dubbed Industrial, named after Throbbing Gristle's own record label.
A highly influential album, and something that's not supposed to be pretty, but made to disturb you. And that's probably why this is never going to be anything other than divisive.
My wife on the other hand was physically relieved when I turned the album off though.
Bad Company
2/5
I just didn't find this interesting or engaging at all. They can sing and certainly are good with their instruments, but the songs are all 13 in a dozen, rock by numbers.
It feels like this band isn't even subtop in the 70's rock ranks, even though it's apparently a 'supergroup'
John Martyn
5/5
Another album of John Martyn in this list and I thought I knew what I was going to get based on the other one, but nothing could be further from the truth.
With a lot more experiment, range, more funk and more introverted songs on just one album, this is an incredible range of songs.
I enjoyed this from start to finish.
Jane's Addiction
5/5
This is Jane's Addictions Magnum Opus.
First half of the album is where this cult band rocks with the best, and especially Dave Navarro showcases his talent.
The Second half is the part of this album that has to grow on you.
There really is no bad song on this album.
4,5*
Germs
3/5
Simple Minds
4/5
The title song is the best the Simple Minda have ever made. Such a great song.
Metallica
5/5
Master Of Puppets was released in 1986 and improved on the sound of Ride The Lightning. Production and songwriting have been perfected and missteps like Escape have not made the cut like on its predecessor. Even the structure of the album is almost identical. The first track Battery hits right in after a quiet intro. Metallica at its loudest.
The title track, as well as Disposable Heroes, with their eight+ minutes, are epic songs in which everything comes together. Hard, fast riffs, a quiet passage with beautiful melodies and a lightning fast solo by Kirk Hammett.
The quiet Welcome Home (Sanitarium) is then a ballad with a somewhat harder chorus and beautiful guitar solos that eventually builds to a great climax.
The instrumental Orion is another highlight. Atmospheric, chock full of riffs and solos and a real bass solo from Cliff Burton. Burton also opens the album's closer, Damage, Inc. With this sledgehammer blow, the album is closed even more furiously than it opened.
Metallica would never reach the level of this album again. Master Of Puppets is still regarded as one of the best and most influential metal albums. The metal album everyone should know.
ZZ Top
2/5
In my memory this album had a lot more synthesizers than I hear when now re-listening this for the 1001.
I realized the synths in my memory were actually heavy processed guitars, underlined with an almost drumcomputer-like beat.
In comparison to La Grange, which I previously had on this list, this feels like a huge step back musically, but I'm glad they got the money and fame they were due.
Metallica
4/5
3 days apart from each other (thank you randomizer), I've given both "Master Of Puppets" and "...And Justice For All" a good few (re-)listens and have to admit that this one really falls short in comparison.
Both albums, like 'Ride The Lightning' before that are built along the same premise:
1) Start the album with a fast and heavy song
2) Bring a few of the epics (8 to 9 minute songs) interspersed with some slower songs
3) Bring out one instrumental
4) Finish with a fast and heavy banger
But while Metallica went from the Thrash to more Black Sabbath-like rhythms, the songwriting remains great, it's the tinny and empty production sound that really stops this album from being a masterpiece. Without Bass, without soul, without input besides Lars and James.
Gram Parsons
2/5
"Out with the truckers, the kickers and the cowboys" ... *skip*
Nope.
It picks up a little bit after that first atrocious song, but I haven't found too many redeeming factors on this album. A lot of it is stockstandard country, with a little interesting step-outs to bluegrass and Rock&Roll.
Gram Parsons life was a lot more interesting than his music.
Dolly Parton
3/5
She really is country royalty and this was an album I didn't dislike at all.
Digital Underground
3/5
A really decent hiphop album with a lot of influence from Clintons P-Funk
Venom
3/5
Being the first certainly doesn't mean it's also the best
Linkin Park
2/5
Genuinely gave it 4 good listens over the last day and today, and can now - again - say that Linkin Park is not for me.
I was 20 when this came out, and back then this music didn't resonate with me either.
In my early 20's this album, and Linkin Park in general, felt so fake and plastic. The methodical songwriting with which all songs end up with the same song structure combined with the wall of sound production and the overly processed guitars irked me and felt soulless.
Not to mention the lyrics filled with platitudes and generalities. I understand how people can feel attracted to it, but it wasn't my kind of teenage angst.
It's not music I turn off when it's on the radio, but certainly not something I enjoy putting on myself.
Fela Kuti
4/5
This was an absolute joy. Powerful jazz mixed with afrobeat and with a message to boot.
Milton Nascimento
4/5
I really enjoyed the second half of this album more than the first, but it's been a very pleasant listen all round
Tom Waits
5/5
On Bone Machine Tom Waits lets go of everything and is no longer limited by anything. This results in an intense album with primary music. Rhythms that sound like they're making use of anything that can be hit on. Strange vocals between screeching, growling and just singing. But it's also a beautiful album, although you have to put in a little bit of effort for it.
This, to me, is one of the best records of all time. A sample card. Moving (Whistle down the Wind), Romantic Dark (Black Wings) Existential (Dirt in the Ground), even poppy sometimes (I don't wanna grow up).
And all on bordering between genius and madness. Dark but not depressing.
A masterpiece.
Sex Pistols
4/5
It can't be overstated how important this album has been for music history.
Minor Threat
5/5
Fuck Yeah
The Soft Boys
4/5
OutKast
3/5
There were a few songs on this album that were absolutely blowing my socks off, with Xplosion as the number 1. Also songs like Gasoline Dreams, B.O.B. and Ms Jackson will be in personal playlists going forward.
But a few really outstanding songs don't make a good album I'm afraid. I know the skits are part of the whole hiphop thing, but my god, they're annoying and not funny. They add nothing to the album. And some songs just don't reach even half the heights that the top songs do.
I enjoyed listening to it though, and this has certainly peaked my interest to listen to more of their work. I'll start at the start of their discography tomorrow.
Kanye West
4/5
I can understand why this is being seen as such a pivotal album in HipHop history and Kanye's career.
This is his Magnum Opus and it has all gone downhill from here, music and sanity wise. I think the balance was found here.
Slint
5/5
How has this just gone straight past me all these years?
I would've loved this in the 90's, and enjoy it even more today. I can hear where a lot of my current favourite (post-rock) bands like Mogwai learned the trade.
And if there ever was an album that deserved the 'rough diamond' moniker, it's this one. The music is not easy to get through on first listen, but after a few listens, more and more is revealed between the grimy layers of guitar, dark lyrics and almost illogical drumplay.
One of the most tensive and captivating albums I've heard. What a discovery.
Goldie
2/5
It has been an interesting listen. In my early twenty's I had a lot of friends listening to GOA trance and Drum 'n' Bass. So I was aware how influential this album was.
It doesn't mean it's a really good album though.
Joe Ely
1/5
One good song and one decent song doesn't take away that the rest is just not good enough.
3/5
Bonnie Raitt
2/5
13-in-a-dozen, rock by numbers
Jefferson Airplane
3/5
"Somebody to Love," "Today"and "White Rabbit" are rightly the prize-winners, with the latter being maybe the best song under 3 minutes ever made. The intro bass of Jack Cassady later combined with Grace Slick's vocal line is absolutely incredible . This also immediately names the strongest asset of the band.
The other songs besides those three on the album are nice, but nowhere do they reach the level of the band's two most famous titles. That's not a bad thing, but what you're left with is changeable song material with some psychedelic elements without being blown off your feet.
But that song about Alice. And The White Rabbit. Oh my.
William Orbit
3/5
A showcase of a lot of electronic music in the 90's, given a William Orbit spin.
Made for home and for the dancefloor in one go, and that deserves some praise.
Tortoise
5/5
I'm not normally one for superlatives but this was a masterpiece
Einstürzende Neubauten
3/5
Merle Haggard
2/5
Roxy Music
5/5
What a great album and a joy to listen to. Clever music, very rocky and with lyrics that actually made me laugh.
The Velvet Underground
5/5
Nirvana
4/5
The best of the three Nirvana albums. But where the anger was replaced with more cynical self loathing, the music made a step forward.
Barry Adamson
3/5
Some really interesting ideas and executions on this album. But it's still the fact we're listening to a few film-score tracks for different non-existent movies. Lots of sound that might be better if they were, indeed, used in movies instead as music on an album
Primal Scream
4/5
Unexpectedly pleasant. Back when I heard this in the 90's I thought this was the music that put me to sleep, but found much more in it than decades before. Must be me getting older. Or better at listening to music.
Carole King
4/5
After the first listen I was impressed with the album, but did think it was a little like a jazz-singer album full of covers.
Then I started looking into the album and found out all songs are actually written by Carole King herself.
And that the reason I thought it was an album full of covers was because she is just an insanely talented songwriter.
Silver Jews
2/5
Hüsker Dü
4/5
It might not be their best, and a bit more
poppy than their previous work, and the production is shite, but I'm still enjoying the hell out of this punkier version of REM
The B-52's
4/5
Christina Aguilera
2/5
I was ready to bitch about this album, but for the genre it's in, it really is not bad at all. The reason she wasn't taken seriously definitely had to do with the transformation from Micky Mouse Club Girl to her slutty image around this time. Which fully felt forced and fake. Even the title of 'stripped' did her no favours.
And that's too bad, because she's an amazing vocalist with a voice that can do R&B as easy as soul, pop and even rocky.
The album itself, with its 77 minutes, has some great songs on it, and some terrible filler. It could've done with some major cutting and demoting about 5 to 6 songs to B-sides.
And like her voice, this album is all over the place, from jazzy funk ballads, to poppy piano ballads, to soulful powersongs, to rocky bangers. It feels very disjointed.
All in all, I didn't mind it, but also won't listen to it again.
Pavement
4/5
It has taken me a bit more than 30 years to realise what a great album this is.
Not as experimental as Wowee and not as brilliant as Crooked Rain Crooked Rain, but definitely following shortly after those two.
The Divine Comedy
4/5
Grand, compelling and at the same time intimate, this album took me a few listens to get into. But the evening listen on the couch with a glass of wine caught the right mood.
TLC
1/5
I understand all this has meant for pop music. I appreciate the influence this has had on the later up and coming music diva's, from Christina Aguilera to Ariane Grande. I understand we have a young Andre 3000 and Busta Rhymes on here.
I understand how people have good feelings about this from their youth. I appreciate that people like nodding their heads on these easy going flowing beats. I get that people got laid on this with the sexy and smooth R&B.
But for me, this is absolutely nothing. I disliked it when it first came out, and I dislike it even more now. Background dribble.
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
4/5
A very impressive 45 minutes of music with a voice that carries power as well as gentleness.
Raekwon
3/5
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
4/5
I'll be honest to say that I really wasn't looking forward to listening a whole 2 hours to something classed as a 'country' album. There are few things that appeal less to me in this life.
Luckily when the bluegrassy Nashville Blues started I was relieved there would be more to this album.
2 hours is still too long, so I listened to the album in steps.
In the end, I feel like I've been listening to a great collection of vintage country and bluegrass, where the old school seniors of the genre like Roy Acuff and Doc Watson play together with the bearded hippies of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.
And I didn't mind it at all.
Jeff Beck
4/5
Jeff Beck, Ronnie Wood and Rod Stewart are in form on this album, and this lays the basis of the British Blues-Rock that was to come.
Some great interpretations of songs. But the few songs written by Beck and Stewart are not up to the level of the songs written by others.
An absolute essential album, but I wouldn't call it a masterpiece.
Björk
5/5
The second Bjork I listened to on this list and another one that's blowing me away.
But where Vespertine is about the beautiful sides of love, this Vulnicura is about heartache. So dark and melancholic instead of romantic and tender, but just as mystical, intimate and strong.
And it's the lyrics on this album that make it complete. We follow and listen to the story of a relationship that's failing. Björk is taking us from the months before the break-up to the times after. And some of the lyrics felt like a gutpunch, where the music is amazingly orchestrated around the parts of the decaying love in every song, whether we go from melancholy to pain to anger to relief.
If I regret us
I'm denying my soul to grow
Don't remove my pain
It is my chance to heal
We carry the same wounds
But have different cures
The album grows and shows more with every listen. What a discovery.
Pixies
4/5
When you ask a pixies fan which album they like best, about 1/3 says Surfer Rosa, about 1/3 says Doolittle and about 1/3 seems to enjoy Bossanova over the four others.
And, once again, Bossanova is a superb album from the Pixies. But I fall in the group that doesn't have this one as their favourite. And I've now re-listened to this album a few times over the last two days and to me it falls short in comparison because after the legendary first half of this album I have the feeling of a little bit of boredom come over me during the second half.
This album listens more like a straight forward rock album and a bit more poppy than other Pixies alums do. And that's not necessarily a bad thing, because if there's one thing Bossanova achieves is that it sounds like a whole, like an album that belongs together. A bit more than the sometimes disjointed other albums.
But it lacks some of the magic and peaks that was happening on the two albums before this one. But it also lacks the sometimes terrible songs those two had and thus is the most consistent of the lot. And I kinda miss the background vocals of Kim Deal.
I listened to this with a crazy amount of enjoyment, but it's just a small step below the first two.
The Clash
5/5
A double album that doesn't bore for one second. It's one amazing song after the other, across several styles and with a lot of spot-on social commentary and humour in the lyrics.
I finally fully agree that this album always ranks among the best albums ever written.
Method Man
4/5
Mylo
3/5
A decent version of the French electro style, but really nothing more
Miles Davis
4/5
A really interesting Miles Davis compilation album; quite different from the albums that came later, like Kind Of Blue. Much shorter compositions on this album with a lot less solos than on Miles Davis' later work. And it makes it a really interesting timepiece, but it can't hold my attention as long as as the jazz that came later.
Looking into it, the compositions are so short because the music was recorded in 1949 when everything was released on 78 rpm records with little space on it. Almost all jazz from that time consists of shorter songs and you only got real albums from 1950, so that's why. You have to see this jazz in its time, of course, a lot would change in jazz in the next 15 years.
So it remains a bit of background music for me. Nevertheless: beautiful arrangements, good compositions, excellent players, good album. And the key role of these recordings in the development of post-war jazz can hardly be denied, of course.
Traffic
3/5
The Mars Volta
5/5
It's hard to describe the insanity in overdrive that this album is.
I never made the click with The Mars Volta due their annoying fans back in the early 2000's.
But by Zeus, this is awesome!
Michael Kiwanuka
5/5
Johnny Cash
4/5
The Velvet Underground
4/5
Everything But The Girl
1/5
With the first notes of this album I thought that this was a curious opener to an album. Slow processed guitar and a typical 80's ballad with some cheesy lyrics.
Then the synth like violins started swelling up in the background and it all turned to kitsch.
Unfortunately the album went downhill after that.
What an atrocity.
Robert Wyatt
4/5
I had to listen to this album a few more times after being highly intrigued at first listen. The surrealist but dark jazzy atmosphere of this 70's prog album really kept drawing me back in. Some of the soundscapes reminded me of Gabriel-era Genesis.
I can understand this isn't for everyone, but I've really grown very fond of this album.
Frank Sinatra
2/5
This was already the 3rd album on this list with a rendition of "The Girl From Ipanema."
I can hear Sinatra had a blast with this album, but the croon interpretation of the Bossa Nova on this album combined with the quite stereotypical orchestrations of Ogerman makes it a musical dud in my book.
Fugazi
5/5
This album might've just jumped from zero into my top 10 favourite albums of all time. What a surprise. Why has it taken me so many decades to realise how awesome Fugazi are. They have always just flown under or besides my radar it seems.
There is not a bad song on this album, only highlights. Songs with a dramatic tension, a great rhythm section, immense riffs, basslines and furious vocals.
The Teardrop Explodes
3/5
Even though this album sounds a lot more dated than many of its contemporaries, there are some great pointy pop songs to be found on this album. You can hear, especially in the lyrics, that Mr. Cope used a fair amount of acid in these days, but wrote some catchy new wave.
But where with a lot of bands in this era and style I really get caught by either the emotion (The Sound, The Cure) or the reflection (XTC, Smiths) this album brings more danceable songs and poppy hooks.
An uptempo and short "Bouncing Babies" as prime example.
Too bad of the horn section though.
3,5*
Genesis
4/5
If this was made into 1 album instead of a double album it would've been Genesis' best.
But to me, it just falls short to albums like Selling England By The Pound where some of the filler has disappeared.
Still, this is absolutely brilliant music.
Adele
2/5
How can someone so talented be so boring?
Beatles
3/5
Bob Dylan
4/5
Brian Hinton once wrote, and I paraphrase:
"Perhaps 'Time Out Of Mind' is Dylan's equivalent of the great modernist poem The Waste Land [by T.S. Eliot from 1922]: contemporary despair evoked through a cauldron of images and echoes"
Now, maybe not all songs are among the best, there are certainly a few mediocre ones to be found on this album, and even though Highlands has these amazing lyrics, 16 minutes feels a bit too long.
But when you have songs like 'Love Sick,' 'Standing In The Doorway,' 'Iron Bounds,' and the absolute magnificently beautiful 'Not Dark Yet' on an album you can afford a few barely decent ones.
A great album.
Elton John
3/5
It's quality, it's proggy, but it's just too showtuney for me
Echo And The Bunnymen
5/5
This might indeed be the darker side of Echo & the Bunnymen and what really stuck out to me is how this psychedelic post-punk album really is shoegaze avant la lettre.
The album is filled with oriental influences by the collaboration with Shankar (not Ravi, a different one) and quite uptempo and aggressive rhythmic material throughout the album. Songs like The Cutter, Back Of Love and Heads Will Roll are prime examples.
But besides these there are also the steps sideways, like in My White Devil and Higher Hell, where the experiments with sounds and buildup work incredible.
The more experimental Porcupine and Gods Will Be Gods might take an extra listen but when you do it's fully worth it and they turned out my favourites of this album.
4,5*
Klaxons
3/5
I'm thoroughly enjoying the bouncy energy that album just breathes.
I'm a big fan of their lyrical flirtation with the mystical and sci-fi.
Musically it reminds me of a lot of bands I really like, from TV On The Radio to Arctic Monkeys and from Infidels to Franz Ferdinand.
So why is this album not clicking with me? It's got all the ingredients to be an evergreen on my playlists.
But 4 listens over the last 24 hours, in my living room to dance, on my headphones to listen, and again while driving, it never got further than a little headnodding and appreciating the lyrics.
Can't explain it, can't put my finger on it. This album just doesn't do it for me.
The Flying Burrito Brothers
3/5
I love when someone does something refreshing with country music, even if it was already over 50 years ago.
Wondering why so many have returned to the basic old style if this is where it could've headed
Paul McCartney
2/5
This album does very little by someone so clearly talented
Mekons
3/5
X-Ray Spex
3/5
Once I got past the interesting voice and strange saxophone, it became a quite pleasant punk album
The Damned
5/5
First (and 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th) listen. And what a discovery this has been. What a classic, and an album that has stood the test of time.
It already starts with the jumpy "Love Song" after being completely overwhelmed by the title track. And then one after another a rare amount of quality tracks come past. Sometimes incredibly catchy, sometimes with the feel to pogo your heart out and even when they take some speed back the songs are superb.
This is my introduction to the Damned and are now going to dive into their discography.
Lupe Fiasco
3/5
A really good hiphop album.
The Byrds
3/5
A pretty good psychedelic record with the beautiful evergreen"Eight Miles High". Besides that, "5D" as well as "I See You" are standout tracks.
Everything else is of a pretty decent level. The covers on this album have in my humble opinion, been performed and outclassed by other artists.
The Byrds did have their own sound. They mixed the style of The Beatles with that of Bob Dylan, with the typical sound of the 12-string Rickenbacker guitar and the harmony in David Crosby's voice.
I really don't mind The Byrds or this album, but it's not something to listen to for very long.
That's why this album of barely half an hour is perfect.
Beck
4/5
The Dust Brothers really gave Beck the platform to properly express some of the ideas he had in his head.
I've had this album in my collection since it came out and have always enjoyed it. Now relistening to it, I find the fun that this album exhumes very catchy. It makes me happy. Not all songs are amazing, and it might not be a masterpiece in music history, but it sure as hell is a great album for any collection.
Soul II Soul
1/5
I'm listening to the album and reading a lot of the reviews that this album among others heavily influenced the sound of 90s (and beyond) soul/R 'n B, dance and hip hop, especially in the UK. That this album still stands like a house. That it's very dance-able and excellently produced. That this was very innovative music for its time. That this brought a very useful broadening to dance music.
But all I'm genuinely hearing a simplistic electro beat, and music that has neither soul nor funk and falls flat in every song. I'm probably really missing something.
Emmylou Harris
3/5
Amazing voice with very decent songs
My Bloody Valentine
4/5
It feels like an album of three parts. The first part feel a bit like the continuation of their classic from the 90's. After that the sounds changes a bit and moves from shoegaze into the ambient postrock territory. The album stays interesting but not as much as before. I picks up again at the end when they focus a bit more on the drumworks. The drum n' bass rhythms in 'wonder 2' are amazing. And even though I really like a bunch of noise, 'nothing is' just don't do it for me. This kind of experiment has been done before and better.
If this album was released two years after Loveless instead of twenty-one, it might have had a bigger impact but it still is an interesting piece.
3,5*
The Allman Brothers Band
3/5
My opinion on this album is really two-fold.
On the one hand this is one of the best live albums ever recorded. You can really hear this is an amazing band that really need a live venue to bring the magic that their regular albums kind of lack. They're bringing their own compositions and covers to impressive song lengths with passion and intensity. Duane Allman is the best slide guitarist I've ever heard. The intermezzo on "You Don't Love Me" is the prime example of this.
On the other hand, if you really don't like listening to glorified jam sessions on record while not in the crowd this is a bitter pill to swallow. And you lose interest after the 2nd 8 minute solo.
Ryan Adams
3/5
A huge improvement on his first album where the emotion on his songs mostly struck me as affectation. I simply didn't believe him.
It's much better on this album, especially when he ups the tempo a bit.
Undoubtedly a great songwriter.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
4/5
That was a lot better than I thought it was going to be.,
The Replacements
3/5
I thought I would like this more than I did. With the exception of a few songs (Androgynous , Unsatisfied) , I never really got into the entire album, it passed me by more than it captured me.
Deee-Lite
3/5
Sometimes a bit outdated but most of the time just incredibly fun.
Shack
2/5
This album might be a grower. Might be that this, after repeated listens gives away its depths and amazingness.
But after 4 listens, one during work, one in the car, one while walking and one with good headphones, I kinda doubt it and am left with the feeling I'm either missing something, or this is just a real unremarkable album.
Kelela
3/5
It's been a long time since I've listened to a contemporary R&B album that I didn't dislike, to be honest.
This album feels a lot more intimate and it is helped by the remarkably languid beats and floaty synths throughout the album.
With electronica influences from the decades beforehand and here and there a little Prince throwback this is a listen best done while lazying on the couch with your headphones.
Ray Charles
3/5
Ray Charles is obviously incredibly talented, in songwriting as well as by voice.
And it's in a style, soul combined with big band and jazz, that I really normally enjoy.
Then why can't I get in this album? It's been baffling me a bit. I find the horn section in the first part of the album annoyingly loud for some reason and I find the second part of the album a bit dreary, even though this normally is also within my style.
Maybe Ray Charles himself just doesn't do it for me, but I can't put my finger on it.
The Style Council
2/5
'A band imitating other bands' makes this is one of the most eclectic albums I know. It meanders through styles like jazz, funk, hiphop, new wave and pop but the whole album, even though of high quality, lacks a kind of soul, lacks some tension to keep it interesting.
What turns me off this album is that every song is being done better by other artists instead of this replicated version.
I don't think I'll ever listen to this album again and won't miss it.
Christine and the Queens
2/5
PJ Harvey
4/5
Pink Floyd
5/5
The Darkness
3/5
Dizzee Rascal
3/5
Glad to be introduced to an album I didn't hate of a style I normally do.
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
5/5
All songs I already knew and liked, but I had no idea this was all from one album. All on one album! All this quality.
Wow.
Spiritualized
5/5
1 Tablet. 70 Minutes. And not one of them was boring.
What an incredible listen. I normally don't really have a soft spot for this kind of neo-psychedelica sound, but this album was different.
4,5*
Orbital
3/5
I hate to say it, but it's actually just nothing special. It's layered, yes, but that doesn't mean that all the layers are good. It certainly wasn't the benchmark in Techno or 'the first time people made techno into art' as some people used to claim. That was much earlier, this was the first time it became a bit more known to a wider audience.
Suicide
3/5
I'm glad I heard this album, I really appreciate the art of this. Music is meant to make you feel things and that's exactly what songs like Frankie Teardrop do. I can fully understand how this is influential and years ahead of its time.
I just didn't like it much.
Pantera
5/5
Listening to this album made me realise how good this is. And strangely how much it sometimes sounds like Alice In Chains. But you'll always recognise a Pantera song. Vinnie's drums are unique, Dimebags riffs are masterful and Anselmo's vocals give it just that needed edge.
Was about to give it a 4* but re-listening to it again made me aware about how good this album was in its time. And that deserved that extra star, even if it drops off a bit near the end.
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
4/5
Laibach
5/5
This is an album and band that's MEANT to make you feel uncomfortable.
Not sure why this is marked as metal/hardrock though.
Have you ever wondered how much Queen's "One Vision" seemingly shares a lot of similarities to certain 1930 speeches when translated into German? (Ein Mensch, Ein Ziel, Eine Erde und ein Volk!) Have you ever thought what would happen if you REALLY listen to the lyrics of Opus' 'Life is Life' and put it into a Nietzschean / Wagner type style, complete with a campy totalitarian aesthetic?
Laibach is disturbing, thought-provoking and unsettling. And it's supposed to be. And a band that's worth listening more of. Albums like Spectre, Kapital or Wir Sind Das Volk are fully worth it.
Isaac Hayes
4/5
For me this is an album with two sides, both figuratively and literally.
Side A is 'Walk On By' and 'Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic.' This is the absolute top of soulful and grooving music ever made. Isaac's baritone voice is the extra layer on top of it. 'Walk On By' is the best version of this Burt Bacharach song I've ever heard and even though 12 minutes, it doesn't bore for a second.
'Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic' brings the funk to the album, and together with the pressing piano is a musical masterpiece that can't continue long enough for me. That bass combined with the the impelling drums that bring the song to orgasmic heights.
Side B, even though really good on its own, really can't stand in the shadow of Side A. 'One Woman' is Isaac Hayes on the romantic tour. It's a good song, but not outstanding.
'By the Time I get to Phoenix' suffers from a much too long uninteresting intro of Hayes talking over the music. But he's no Gil Scott-Heron and it takes a full 8 minutes for the song to finally go. When it does it's marvellous though. Those heavenly horns and strings.
So, a full 5* for Side A and a 3,5* for Side B will make this a 4*
Lucinda Williams
2/5
When they came out the country loving people in my surroundings said this was the bees knees and still call it the best alt-country album of the last 2 decades. It must've delivered something in that time that was realy needed.
Because when listening to it now, I still don't see the appeal as to why this is such a standout album. Some songs remind me indeed a bit of the alternative 90's scene, others really go back into country territory; and you know when that happens, it's when her accent gets dialed up to 10 southern, where that seems to be lacking on some other songs.
It's not a bad album, but I really seem to be missing the greatness of it all. It's distinctly flat, in songwriting and production.
Def Leppard
2/5
After the first three songs (Rock Rock, Stagefright, Photograph) I was about to start several paragraphs on here about why in the world this generic 13-in-a-dozen rock by numbers pop-rock was on the 1001 Album list.
Luckily I persisted with the album and from 'Too Late For Love' onwards it really does get a little better. Not great, but not terrible. They play a bit more with the standard chorus-refrain-bridge and even the riffs seem a bit more thought out.
I guess I just really like a different kind of rock. This isn't it.
Beyoncé
3/5
There really are not a lot of songs on here that would be classified as hit potential.
Good and thoughtful songs? Yes, there are enough of those, like 'Haunted,' 'Partition' and 'XO.'
Not just musically, but lyrically does Beyonce tell us a few thing from her mind and heart. It's not all the prettiest, but it seems at least honest.
BEYONCE is a pop album with substance and never becomes superficial and Mrs. Knowles knows how to use her vocal acrobatics this time not unnervingly with those long stretches, but rather with a lot of emotion and control.
The minimalist productions work very well with the vocals. And the album made a lot bigger impact on me when I listened to it though headphones. There's a lot of sonic experiences happening in the background.
It's too bad that the guest appearances are of a very different quality. Where Jay-Z and Beyonce together make "Drunk In Love" maybe the best song on the album, Drake does the opposite on "Mine." It's such a lacklustre performance and song it even makes the songs around it less fun, that's how bad it is. Also 'Blue' (with Blue Ivy) and Rocket are just up to the standard that a lot of the rest of the album brings.
All in all just a really good pop album with a few deep depths that bring the album down. Remove them and you would have an almost perfect diamond.
Brian Eno
4/5
When I listened to this album a second time, on my headphones instead of over my speakers, this album kept my full and undivided attention and I recommend anyone that found the sound collages a bit dull to do exactly that.
It opened up the album.
Aimee Mann
2/5
Nowhere does it get bad, but it's such a bland 90's pop-rock album, done so much better by legions of others in this genre, that I really don't know why this was an album I needed to listen to before I die.
I can't think of any part of this that sets it apart, on equal footing or even above the rest.
A Tribe Called Quest
4/5
Almost unbelievable that this is already over 30 years old and still sounds fresh.
Relaxed and Jazzy HipHop, where the flow of the songs into each other is only rivaled by the flow of Q-Tip himself.
Death In Vegas
4/5
I didn't think all the songs are as outstanding as others, but with Dirge, Flying and Aisha, there's much greatness to behold
The Youngbloods
2/5
On first listen, I heard two outstanding tracks ('Darkness, Darkness' & 'Quicksand') but decidedly average 60's psychedelica for the rest.
On second listen, more of the mediocre songs actually started to annoy me.
Sir Francis Drake has an interesting start but mounts into a blues shuffle that really no-one needs. Many other songs feel like they're experimenting with sounds they don't fully understand.
I heard someone say on this album: "They just sound like the best band from a tiny town," and that's indeed basically it. Nothing special except for the two songs mentioned at the start
Abdullah Ibrahim
3/5
I really enjoyed the bass on 'Mannenberg,' but songs like 'The Mountain' just make me feel like I'm listening to background music in a high-end restaurant.
Ramones
4/5
Classic.
Maybe not all songs are of the highest quality, but it's chockfull of energy. Short and ast times messy songs. Here's the blueprint for Punk. Right here.
Destiny's Child
2/5
It was a solid 3* pop album, with good uptempo songs and some lesser ballads.
That's until the Gospel Medley and the outtro. That's when it crumbled down.
The White Stripes
4/5
Fishbone
4/5
In incredibly fun mixture of rock, punk, ska, funk and metal.
Franz Ferdinand
5/5
It feels like there's a party in my ears, and everyone's invited
Songhoy Blues
3/5
I'm quite the fan of the Mali music scene and have listened to quite a few albums over the last decades.
And even though I like this album and listen to it with much pleasure, I don't think this one rises high above that of its peers. It's really quite good, but never reaches greatness
The Flaming Lips
4/5
The Flaming Lips are definitely at their best when they balance on the tight line between art and kitsch.
Louis Prima
3/5
I think I already knew all these songs in one format or another by many different artists. It's swinging, and I can see how this would've been popular in its time.
Bill Callahan
4/5
This was really good. Great songs, great voice. And an album I'll put back on when the weather gets colder and the fire goes up.
Small Faces
5/5
How has this album almost been lost in musical history, but so many of its peers are still revered.
This is absolutely amazing and should be a standard of the style of the time.
Before listening to this album I honestly only knew the single, and that's by far the worst song on the album.
The Mothers Of Invention
4/5
A real interesting album where the (sometimes a little simple) satire takes a front seat over the music, but where you certainly hear some amazing pieces of brilliance shine through.
Sly & The Family Stone
4/5
It's funk. It's soul. It swings. It's good.
Slipknot
3/5
It hold a strange middle between schtick, hardcore and nu-metal.
When 'Wait And Bleed' came out in 1999, it positively surprised me and made me listen to this album. I remember how unimpressed I was with the rest of the album, which I found decidedly mediocre (Medio-Core ? Hah!)
I can't say that re-listening to it now, 20 years after the fact, has really put this album in a different perspective. The only thing I'm hearing better is how excellent the drumming was and how good Corey Taylors voice fits the music.
But the songs, with a few exceptions, are not any better -and oftentimes a lot less, than that of their peers on either the hardcore or the nu-metal side.
It must've been the schtick then that pulled them over the line.
Cat Stevens
4/5
Every song on this album is decidedly different from all others, the lyrics are great and the music has a soothing feel over it.
Eurythmics
4/5
Gillian Welch
1/5
This is really not for me. It bored me, it didn't bring anything new.
Bee Gees
2/5
This really is just a weaker version of the Moody Blues. Some songs stick out and are above mediocrity, like the title track.
The Specials
4/5
What a superb album. This might be the best British Ska has to offer. And it's got something to say to boot!
The Auteurs
5/5
A band I never picked up on in the 90's so these were my first time listening to them.
At my first listen, I really thought after the first two songs (and especially "Bailed Out") I found a new favourite band, but after that the album dropped off.
Listening to this album a few more times and also the songs further up in the album started to shine, like "Idiot Brother" and "How Could I Be Wrong."
Now after my 5th listen I can see how this would be classed as a 'forgotten masterpiece.'
All songs are incredibly well written, superbly melodic - there's not a sound out of place - but there's a lot of rough edges. Or 'spiky' as a friend of mine would call it.
Reading up on it, this debut is apparently not even their best album. I'll be looking into the rest!
4,5*
Grant Lee Buffalo
4/5
I thought I knew enough about music but the classification of this album as 'country' absolutely baffles me.
What I think I'm listening to is a great mix of acoustic and electric music, which draws from the 70's rock, roots and Americana, with an absolute amazing lead singer, with a sound that's influenced by the grunge.
Some incredible songs like "Jupiter and Teardrop" and "Fuzzy" mixed unfortunately with some lesser gods further down the tracklist.
All on all a really pleasant listen.
But Country? Really? Am I so out of touch?
Primal Scream
3/5
I have listened to this album three times and I have the feeling I'm missing things. I'm not getting it.
It probably deserves more listens to fully get it, but life's too short
The Who
3/5
I don't really know what to do with this album. On the one hand there are a few really great songs on here and you're definitely listening to the blueprint of what would become Tommy.
On the other hand do the jingles and commercials become really tedious at a third and fourth listen and you start to listen that not all songs are of the level that The Who has reached on albums before and after this one. It lacks a bit of the intensity of others.
But in the end it stays a real interesting time-piece of 1967 and by spoofing and satirizing the Pirate Radio Stations of the era, it gives us listeners in the 2020's a good idea about the era.
Scritti Politti
1/5
This really is the most generic 80's music I've ever heard. All the tricks, all the filler sounds, all the exact drum loops.
This has not stood the test of time
Hookworms
4/5
In a time where songs have become more important than albums, I'm happy to have listened to an album again.
I was aware of the singles Static Resistance and Negative Space that have been played on my alternative radio stations, but for some reason never got to listen to the entire album.
And it really didn't disappoint, the album is listening to a heavy trip.
Blur
4/5
Not an album I actually listened to when it came out. Even with how big Blur became it was basically only the singles that I heard. I really disliked "Girls & Boys," thought "Parklife" was great fun, and really adored "To The End."
Still, never picked it up, for no discernable reason I can think of.
And now, listening to this 30-year old album with fresh ears I realise what I missed. Yes, the album has a few misses ("Jubilee", "Bank Holiday", "The Debt Collector") that after a few listens I grit-teethed through more than enjoyed them, but the majority of the 16 songs are fun ("Tracy Jacks"), clever ("Trouble In The Message Centre"), beautiful ("This Is A Low") and with some amazing lyrics ("London Loves")
I can hear musical influences from XTC and David Bowie, but also some more 60's influences than I thought Blur usually had. Some Kinks and even some Beach Boys.
It's not a 5* album for me due to some of the lesser songs on here and that I still think Girls & Boys is annoying as hell. For the rest, great marks!
Motörhead
4/5
I'm not a big fan of live albums. And especially on a '1001' albums list do live albums feel like glorified 'best of's'
But I'll make one exception for this loud, energetic, unrelenting beast of an album. What a power.
Kate Bush
4/5
This record is particularly famous for being one of the first albums to use the then state-of-the-art synthesizer/computer Fairlight. I really see the album as a kind of musical laboratory with Kate Bush as a writing and producing 'mad professor'.
The fruits of the experimental drive are then reaped on the successor to this album: Hounds Of Love
Kraftwerk
4/5
It just doesn't feel like Kraftwerks best work, but I'm probably wrong. Still great though
Daft Punk
3/5
There is a huge discrepancy between how much I want to like this album listening at home and my actual enjoyment.
I remember sitting in the chill-out rooms at raves and gabber parties and fully digging the beats and old style detroit sounds, I remember dancing on festivals until the early morning on the french electro of this duo, but it really has never transferred that magic to a home environment.
Actually totally the opposite, it is just irking me and I want to skip most songs halfway through. So what to rate an album like that? I know how awesome this is in a live setting, how great, energetic and hypnotic this can be on the dancefloor, but as an album at home on speakers or headphones it just totally falls flat.
Lloyd Cole And The Commotions
3/5
It was ok. Not a standout in the period, not a standout in its time.
But, for what it's worth, it's a very grown-up album for a debut by a young band, I'll give them that. They sound like they've been playing this for 15 years.
Dennis Wilson
3/5
The Specials
3/5
I don't really know what to say about this album. Musically it's... fine. The lyrics besides being a bit moralistic are ... fine. In comparison to their first album this album is just fine.
5/5
What a phenomenal album. It deviates from earlier XTC not only because of the other instruments used and the use of The London Sessions Orchestra, but also the song structures. Don't expect the cynical wave rock from the 80's but great atmospheric arrangements, often in an orchestral guise, but never over the top or bombastic.
Apparently the creation of this album and the songs on it took years. Years of exploration, of contention, of separation. And that is audible. And palpable.
It's not a full 5* album though, because the 2 songs that Mouldin contributed to the album (Frivolous Tonight and Fruit Nut) are not up to the level of Andy Partridge's songs.
It might not be an innovative album, but how much beauty do you want on an album?
Standout tracks are Easter Theatre, Greenman, Your Dictionary and the absolute incredible ending of The Last Balloon.
4,5*.
Muddy Waters
3/5
Yup, that's blues alright.
Soundgarden
5/5
This record is a landmark. After years of listening it's actually the slower, darker songs that still stand among the best songs I know.
The Day I Tried To Live might just be my favourite songs of all time. Those amazing drums of Matt Cameron that keep pushing the song forward combined with the low sounds of the bass. The sliding guitar sounds of Kim Thayil and the out of this world voice and lyrics by Cornell. It's a league of its own.
But also some of the 4th of July, Head Down and painful last song Like Suicide.
The Only Ones
4/5
Metallica
3/5
I'm really on several different thoughts with this album and I'll try to put them in line.
The Good:
- It's a great collection of Metallica material. Some old, some newer, but all good songs.
- The band and orchestra are in superb form! James' voice is clear, Kirk never loses control anywhere, we can actually hear the bass and even Lars keeps rhythm.
The Bad
- It sometimes feels if the Band and Orchestra are more in each others way than playing together and other times the orchestra steamrolls over the band
- Not all songs benefit from this supersizing. A lot of these songs really didn't need an orchestra fill and become bombastic due to it.
- If you make an album with an entire symphony orchestra, why not write new material instead of rehashing everything? Or do it half/half?
Apparently this is a good introduction into metal for a lot of people. But for me it was too full with filler.
The Smashing Pumpkins
5/5
Music that hugely influenced my musical taste, part x of n.
When we get to 1993 and I'm soaking up all the music around me. My taste was quite eclectic and I listened to Rock, Dance, Rap, Electronic, it didn't matter. Grunge was big, but I never really got into Nirvana back then. The album that made me dive deep into the guitar sound of the early 90's was from the one band NOT from Seattle: Smashing Pumpkins' Siamese Dreams.
This album, and especially the fantastic multi-layered bombastic track "Geek USA" drew me in. It was teenage angst, emotionally draining, music that ebbed and flowed and every note was amazing.
Why this album, besides being one of the defining albums of the decade, was so influential to me, was because it made me listen more to the grunge of the era. Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden (who would release their best album a year later) and a whole, whole lot more.
An album worth revisiting time and time again. A Masterpiece.
The Zombies
4/5
I was pleasantly surprised with this album, balancing between Pet Sounds and Sgt Peppers, with an amazing singer, but a few mediocre songs unfortunately, in amongst the brilliants.
Gotan Project
3/5
3/5
I did not dislike this album as much as so many others here seem to do.
It's hypnotising and at times terrifying industrial avant-garde. Pretty? No, not at all, but that doesn't seem to be the goal of the album.
I've never liked the major singles that came of this album, which I now have noticed are all front-loaded on here. "Beautiful Day" and "Elevation" are supposed to be the bangers, but they only annoyed me on release. It sounded like an old rock band phoning it in. "Stuck In A Moment" never did anything to me, not even the hopeful lyrics. The only decent single that came of this album was "Walk On."
"Kite," "In A Little While" and "Wild Honey" are all very decent but also incredibly safe songs. A little trumpet here and a couple of strings there in the background to fill the sound out.
After that, I think this album is like chewing gum where the nice taste disappears too quickly.
Youssou N'Dour
4/5
That was an incredibly pleasant album. The combination of Senegalese drums with the jazzy rock influences makes this a great listen. And happy.
The Kinks
3/5
I genuinely have the feeling I'm missing something. It's good, but not great. Some songs are better than others. Would love for someone to explain some day why this album is so revered amongst its peers.
Nirvana
4/5
I wonder if people who didn't grow up with MTV Unplugged remember how massive and important MTV once was and the calibre of artists that did one of these Unplugged sessions.
I will always commend Nirvana for this concert. Even though they were not my favourite grunge band at the time, this concert highly surprised and delighted me. A year earlier Pearl Jam had set the tone for Grunge bands playing the Unplugged concerts, but Nirvana went in a complete different direction. Instead of playing their hits, almost half of their chosen songs were covers or a bit lesser known Nirvana songs that suited the evening a lot better than the louder songs of their repertoire.
I also remember being incredibly confused when they said: "We've invited some friends to play with us." And everyone was thinking other huge artists at that time coming on, Mark Lanegan, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden or someone. And then the Meat Puppets came out. With especially Lake Of Fire becoming one of the highlights of this album.
This was Nirvana at their high point doing something different than their peers and themselves. Great album.
The Jesus And Mary Chain
4/5
Kings of Leon
3/5
This is excellent stadium rock.
Neil Young
4/5
Third album of Neil Young that has come past on this list and the first that finally made me understand why Neil Young is so revered. This realy was a great album.
Ozomatli
3/5
It's a fun album, and the first song is absolute killer. After that amazing opener, the album faults a little bit in songs that are eerily similar, but it's a party in my headphones regardless, and you're all invited.
Magazine
4/5
What a delightful album. Glad I discovered this so far in my life.
The new wave, rock & post-punk started here it feels. Some songs come straight from the punk (Shot By Both Sides, Recoil) and others are proto new wave.
Getting better with every listen.
Update after full listen 3: Also great lyrics
James Brown
3/5
Buena Vista Social Club
5/5
This is such an amazing album. The songs showcasting every member to perfection. The incredibly warm and intimate production that captures the essence of the songs. The musicianship and blended harmonies.
There's just nothing wrong on this album.
The Smashing Pumpkins
5/5
The first 3 songs will already give you the full overview what this double album is going to bring for the next 2 hours: Slow intermissions, Songs that perfectly balance the line between kitsch and art (a line they will unfortunately cross many times later in their career) mixed with full on guitar and drums driven 'Siamese Dreams'-style rockers.
Not all songs are of the same quality unfortunately and the album suffers a bit from the 'more is less' syndrome. It could have done with culling about 30 minutes of material, make it 2x 45 minute sides and have a perfect album.
4.5*
Robbie Williams
4/5
Guilty pleasure or serious pop-rock artist? Or a little bit of both? And does it really matter?
Life Thru A Lens is a good first album by Williams and Chambers. The seemingly Oasis and Britpop inspired music by Chambers goes well with the clever lyrics from Robbie. And it makes for a fun listen, with some very underappreciated songs ("South Of The Border", "Old Before I Die") and a single that in the time never made it further than the tip parades ("Let Me Entertain You") but which I still appreciate and has been the opener of many of my DJ sets.
The album after this one ("I've Been Expecting You") was a step up from this one with the writing skills of both Chambers and Williams taking a massive step forward, and the songs "Karma Killer" and "No Regrets" made Robbie Williams fully in the spotlight for me.
It's a 3* album. But I'll mark it as 4* for the non-inclusion of his (better) sophomore album.
Curtis Mayfield
3/5
The Residents
4/5
Listen 1: What in all that is holy have I just listened to?
Listen 2: Hey, those are some pretty neat melodies behind that overdubbed voice
Listen 3: Why am I liking this? What is wrong with me? Let's see if that preserved and extended version has some bonus material that might be interesting
Listen 4: HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!
Leonard Cohen
4/5
I might be the only person, but I really like 1980's Leonard Cohen so much more than 1960's Leonard Cohen.
If this album were to be judged purely on the 80s production alone, it would get an insufficient score for me, but the songs hold up more than well in a different arrangement (live in London), so my final assessment is more about the songwriting and lyrics so is more than good.
Only the subpar Jazz Police is out of place here, but otherwise all 7 are wonderful songs, which Cohen throws into the world with a great sense of irony and even cynicism. That lyrical venom in songs like Everybody Knows and First We Take Manhattan always works an extra degree for me to make the man even be more appreciated.
The minimal accompaniment to the songs eventually forces you to absorb the lyrics and there is some brilliant ingenuity woven into it. I like it.
The Cure
5/5
When I was growing up The Cure were always in my periferie, but never front and center. That had to do with a lot of people that revered this band.
They tried to get me to listen, because it apparently was music that was fully up my alley, aka 'beautiful melodies telling me terrible things.'
And I don't know what happened but it never clicked. And the people who loved this band turned musically into very closed-off people. With only 1 genre and nothing else.
So The Cure has been synonymous to these people, that genre.
The 1001 album challenge has now served me 3 Cure albums and I can truly say how wrong I've been. All three have brought richly layered beautiful melodies, incredible lyrics and a brooding dark atmosphere. I now, in my 40's, can acknowledge that The Cure has made some of the best albums I've ever listened to.
Paul Revere & The Raiders
3/5
Rufus Wainwright
2/5
Robert Wyatt
3/5
It's an album that keeps balancing on the spaces between genius, madness, beauty and pretentious wank. I find it hard to pin down, even after 4 listens
Happy Mondays
4/5
It might not be the best album, best singer or even music for that matter, but dear me, does this album make me happy.
Best effort from Madchesters most drugged up band.
Dexys Midnight Runners
2/5
This album does really nothing for me. And I'm really curious why this has been exonerated later in life.
AC/DC
4/5
"Rock and Roll is just Rock and Roll' Johnson sings in the last song. What more do you have to say about this album. No nonsense, straight forward with crude lyrics, without weak songs, AC/DC at their best.
There are a few songs that stick out. And for the good listener, there is still quite a bit of variation to be found.
The ominous beginning of Hells Bells is such a powerful opener to the album, the touch of blues in Rock and Roll is Noise Pollution is a great extra. And She Shook Me All Night Long ... certainly also has its own atmosphere.
And 40 minutes is enough. But after those 40 minutes my neck is starting to feel a bit sore from banging it for 40 minutes.
Paul Simon
4/5
I really really really dislike Simon & Garfunkel, but I don't mind Paul Simon solo at all.
Strange.
Sugar
4/5
It's a fantastic guitar driven 90's album, where beautiful melodies meet heavy guitars.
Hot Chip
3/5
Red Snapper
3/5
An album with a PHENOMENAL opener. What a great song. I was fully ready to be introduced to an album that would be making its way into my favourites.
But after that first songs, the album slowly ebbs away into mediocrity. It's not bad, but also not really good nor holding interest. Until the last song.
But as an album it really falls short.
But that first song though.
Deep Purple
4/5
A monument in Rock music
Nitin Sawhney
3/5
That second song 'Letting Go' sounds like it was written to be played in The Bronze on Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Portishead
5/5
This album deserves 4* for The Rip alone. And then it gets an extra star for all the rest.
I remember when this came out that I was unjustifiably unhappy that it didn't breathe the same atmosphere as 'Dummy.' Dummy was triphop and this felt more like an electronic rock-album.
But after so many years, this album has slowly taken its place next to Dummy and I think both albums are about on par with one another. For different reasons. Where Dummy had that ominous and bleak sound; this album is intense, confusing and intriguing and might in 20/20 glasses be seen as one of the better comeback albums I know.
A fascinating and compelling 5* album.
Led Zeppelin
3/5
The Cars
4/5
Ice T
4/5
An absolute classic with some great songs like Escape From The Killing Fields, The Tower, Mind Over Matter and the title track.
The albums balances the Gangsta with socially critical and pure hiphop tracks and that what keeps this album interesting enough over the (long) running time.
If Ice-T would've culled a few of the lesser songs and had taken it easy on the skits, it would've been a perfect one.
Led Zeppelin
4/5
A little bit less than their debut, but still a great record. I'm definitely more fond of the bluesier Zeppelin than their later work.
Mott The Hoople
3/5
I enjoyed some of the songs, and it did remind me of Bowie, voice and music wise.
But unlike Bowie, when the album was over, I didn't remember any song I just listened to. And that happened all three times of listening to this.
The Monkees
2/5
This really did very little to me. I'm hearing and reading this is a huge improvement on their first two albums and they showed they really could make music.
Well, I'm not hearing it.
Fun Lovin' Criminals
4/5
The suave combination of rock, hiphop, soul, jazz, funk and humour makes for a cool and smooth listen. Colourful stories with lots of samples (that have been replayed by themselves it seems as to not have to pay too many royalties) make that this album doesn't sound dated.
Just 3 friends making music and having a lot of fun.
New York Dolls
4/5
New York Dolls is the ultimate proto-punk album. A glorious mix of Stooges, glam rock, Rolling Stones, 50s rock 'n' roll and catchy pop tunes. I can fully see how this was a groundbreaking album in 1973. So unpretentious, so 'down & dirty', this is rightly called a classic.
And you can hear the huge influence they've had on music to come. Fun fact: Morrissey used to be chairman of the fanclub of this gang of transvestites.
New York Dolls is a great blueprint of the decadent, less exemplary part of New York city life in the early 70s and a great source of inspiration for the entire punk movement that would come later. But besides that, it's just incredibly entertaining, sleazy rock 'n' roll! Big 4/5.
Arrested Development
4/5
Kings of Leon
2/5
There really is nothing wrong with this album and I don't dislike it al all, but if you put it among the giants on the rest of this 1001 list, this really feels like a pretty tame and barely decent indie rock album.
Musically it is quite well put together, even though rhythmically nor musically it can hardly be called adventurous.
And after these 3 listens in the last day, this album goes back in its case, likely never to be listened to again.
2*
The Lemonheads
3/5
I have known this album for a long time, and many friends have pushed me to give this album a listen time and time again. I've actually listened to this from the CD of this album I own.
And still.
It has never done it for me. It never hit a mark. Never left an impression. It's good, and Dando is clearly talented, but even now, after all these years, this album just passes me by.
Michael Jackson
3/5
Neil Young
5/5
I never thought I'd see the day I would actually like a Neil Young album. And I've sat through quite a few over the years and again during these generated albums.
But this one grabbed me, dragged me with it, made me listen.
Drive-By Truckers
3/5
Johnny Cash
3/5
Screaming Trees
4/5
Great music, next to one of my favourite voices in the grunge genre
Madonna
3/5
The problem with always having your finger on the pulse with what is hot and trendy is that it might start sounding a little outdated when it's not hot and trendy anymore
Liz Phair
4/5
Listening to 'Exile In Guyville' I understand why the critics at the time were and still are lyrical about Liz Phair's debut album, but I also understand why this album did not sell by the millions.
Liz is a great songwriter and the album is quite lo-fi, which adds to the rawness of the songs.
At the same time, Exile In Guyville is a blueprint for the indie rock that would later be mass-produced in the 1990s. Liz Phair's debut album could not commercially match Alanis Morissette's Jagged Little Pill, released two years later, but has been much more influential musically.
3/5
Ofcourse there were much better bands out there in this time.
But none were as loud and energetic as MC5
Van Halen
2/5
Sisters Of Mercy
4/5
It's all a bit silly, really
k.d. lang
1/5
When KD Lang slows down on songs like I Wish I Didn't Love You So and Black Coffee - ripped straight from the 50's - the album becomes bearable.
But the terrible country twang was already outdated when this came out.
Looking past her amazing voice, I now know for certain I'm not a KD Lang fan.
The KLF
4/5
This album appeared on my list on the EXACT day I picked up a copy of The Illuminatus Trilogy at my local op shop.
I think the Justified Ancients of Mu-Mu are trying to let me know they're still alive.
It is so hard rating this album on just the music. There's the book that came out before this album (The Manual) explaining how to write a top selling album, there's the whole Discordian/Illuminatus Trilogy myths, there's the burning of a million dollars as statement, there's the invention of stadium house, there's the whole act.
Music wise, the hits were absolute bangers, and I like most of the 12'' better than the album versions, but the low-beat versions soothe the soul as well.
It's 3,5* fr the album, but 5* for the KLF. I'll stick to 4.
Beth Orton
4/5
This was a delight to listen to this and much better than I guessed it would be. Not all songs are as good as others, but the album has quite a few hidden jewels.
Big Brother & The Holding Company
5/5
I never knew.
The The
4/5
Khaled
3/5
I feel bad giving this album such a low rating, because I'm actually quite fond of Khaled. But we're rating albums, and not artists.
This album is where the music of Khaled really started to lose me a bit
. Too smooth and polished, a far cry from his raw and energetic Rai from the 80's.
The Algerian 80's period, when he was still called Cheb Khaled, was filled with amazing Rai and many classics were written in that period. His French 90's period, when he moved to Paris, brought many Western influences to his music, and made his music even more interesting.
But here, together with the The Brooklyn Funk Essentials, he rehashes or reinterprets many of his older songs which really could've and maybe should've been left alone.
Later he'll make better albums again. It's just not this one, I'm afraid.
The Doors
4/5
Without the psychedelia wank, the Doors are much more palatable. And this blues-rock album does it well.
Björk
4/5
A great album from Björk, but not her best to be honest. Still, this was incredibly refreshing when it came out and still hasn't really lost much of that feeling.
She definitely built on the sounds and only got better over time.
Gang Starr
3/5
Dinosaur Jr.
4/5
Suede
4/5
What an amazing album, another one that has been lost in time for me.
Queens of the Stone Age
5/5
It really grooves but it lacks the broodiness of Kyuss. But I think that might have been the idea of Homme on this album. A bit more straightforward repetition in the riffs.
And it works incredibly well.
T. Rex
4/5
A great blast of Glam, it's the simplicity that makes this album groove. And combining the upbeat songs with some very reflective lyrics.
Life's A Gas was a highlight for me on this album, about not dwelling on missed opportunities but embracing life’s joys and celebrating the beauty that it has to offer.
Queen
4/5
It's interesting, I was born in the 70's, so the first Queen I heard was the Queen of the 80's. A sound I didn't enjoy at all, never did anything for me.
Until 1991, when I heard Innuendo. That album blew me away and I told my parents who then proceeded to take out and play of their record collection the LP's of Queen II, Sheer Heart Attack, A Night at the Opera and a Day At The Races. And all of a sudden I understood why Queen were so highly regarded.
This is another great album by Queen from their somewhat earlier years. But the highlights are definitely found in the first 8 minutes of the album. The rest of the album is of a high level, but won't reach those few minutes again.
Joy Division
5/5
Conjuring, stirring, powerful and at the same time completely resigned to despair. This is so damn deep that I have trouble putting it into words.
Norah Jones
3/5
Nice voice, nice music, nice lyrics. Just really nice.
Aerosmith
2/5
Sometimes blues-oriented hardrock with crude lyrics works (ACDC's Back In Black) and sometimes it doesn't
Sleater-Kinney
4/5
1997 was in my prime music listening years, and this album is right up my alley.
And I genuinely wonder how this album has passed me by, not just in that year, but in all the years to come right up until today. It seems outside of the US this has stayed an obscure band for some reason.
And I've been missing out, because it is simply a rock solid album. Fresh, sharp songs, melody, great guitar hooks (One More Hour, Dance Song '97).
It's not groundbreaking, but it doesn't sound like they pretend to be.
This album will be going on rotation for a little while longer.
The Crusaders
2/5
2* because of Streetlife.
For the rest it's 13-in-a-dozen jazzfunk-by-the-numbers lounge. The music you'll hear in the park when there's a band playing that doesn't want to upset anyone.
The Smiths
5/5
The swan song of The Smiths. A bit more poppy and better produced than their previous albums, but with the same quality.
Johnny Marr is in form, and adepts many new styles on this album without it ever becoming anything other than The Smiths, Morrissey has kept his working-class intellectual lyrics that are as sharp, funny and biting as ever.
Tragic stories in one sentence ( “Last night I dreamt that somebody loved me / no hope, no harm, just another false alarm")
typical Smiths cynicism ("“And if you think peace is a common goal / That goes to show how little you know”)
Or funny while describing the pain every man can feel when he sings it (" I crashed down on the crossbar / And the pain was enough to make a shy, bald, Buddhist reflect / And plan a mass murder")
And please don't forget bassist Andy Rourke and drummer Mike Joyce. They are both in perfect form on this album and complete one of the few perfect albums.
Yes, we all know what a douche Morrissey became (or already was?) but even assholes can be very talented.
An album I gladly keep singing along to.
The Beta Band
4/5
A very interesting album of a band who called it quits too soon due to lack of success.
They feel like the in-between stage from Blur to Alt-J
Basement Jaxx
3/5
Received by the press at the time as a dance act of Underworld/Orbital/Chemical Brothers class. But listening back now, this was slightly exaggerated.
It has a few noteworthy tracks, ('Red Alert', 'Rendez Vu') but too much filler to call it a great album
B.B. King
4/5
When I saw it was a live blues album I couldn't be less enthused. Live albums, especially on Top 500 or 1001-album lists, are mostly just a cheap way to put a 'Best Off' in a list.
And while I always appreciate the influence blues has had on modern music, it never really was my thing,
Until I heard this album. The ambiance is perfect: the interaction with the audience and a still young and technically very strong BB King who sounds like he's preaching to his Blues congregation. He is accompanied by a fantastic band that smoothly improvise all the songs into one.
And yeah, in the lyrics you feel the blues. How Blue Can You Get?
The Beau Brummels
3/5
With the influence of Van Dyke Parks, this album sounds as a mix beween the artistic pop of the Kinks, combined with a bit of American folk and country.
So might this have been the first country-rock album?
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
4/5
You hear the same craziness Zappa and The Mothers Of Invention displayed, with the same sometimes crude lyrics, but musically a little more punk-avant-la-lettre, combined with hard- and bluesrock in the mix.
An artist that influenced quite a few of my musical heroes, so I'm glad to have finally listened to this album, and it was surprisingly awesome.
Bon Jovi
3/5
This is of course not the most profound or groundbreaking band, they bring unpretentious poppy hard rock with a high sing-along content and they are quite good at that.
I understand people not liking this, but there's a time and a place for this, whether on a road-trip or an 80's night.
I have heard much worse rock being made after this album came out (also from Bon Jovi).
Dr. Octagon
3/5
Os Mutantes
4/5
North America had Pet Sounds, Europe had Sgt Peppers and South America had Os Mutantes.
Decidedly an album of its era and area, it all sounds a bit rambly musically and production wise at times, but you hear so much quality here. I really enjoyed this one and will pick this one up in the future to give this a few spins.
Giant Sand
3/5
You know those support acts for the bigger bands that you always think about: "Yeah, this sounds like a real decent opening of the night, I might look them up when I get home," but then never do?
George Jones
1/5
I just can't
Ravi Shankar
3/5
Masterfully talented and I'm really glad I listened to this. It really belongs on a list like this and is a great introduction to traditional Indian music.
But on the other hand, it's really just that. An introduction to the Raga.
Stevie Wonder
4/5
It's marvelous how someone, after making 14(!) mostly decent albums and lots of sales, all of a sudden goes: and now I'll make 5 albums of brilliance, before succumbing to mediocrity again.
This is one of those five.
The Byrds
2/5
Bauhaus
3/5
An album that lies completely in my musical tastes. Great basslines, dark atmosphere, uptempo enough to make it danceable, lyrics to make you think, interesting rhythms. Everything is here for me.
And still, it does me very little and I can't put my finger on it.
Miles Davis
4/5
Skepta
2/5
My Bloody Valentine
5/5
LL Cool J
2/5
It's on the crossroads of 80's and 90's rap and kinda misses the boat on both.
I like my rap, but LL Cool J just never sparked any interest
Lou Reed
5/5
Between the detached icy-cold cynicism of 'Perfect Day,' to the Rock and Roll animal in 'Vicious', from the ability to tell life stories in just a few sentences in 'Walk On The Wild Side' to the depressing lyrics but beautiful sounds of closer 'Goodnight Ladies,' this is an album that never bores.
And when you prick through the thin veneer of glam, you feel the songs underneath.
5*
The Stooges
5/5
The best thing I heard about this album was in an interview with Iggy Pop where he explained that they wanted '1969' and songs like 'I Wanna Be Your Dog' to be played faster than you hear them on the album, but that the entire band was too stoned to be able to pull it off.
Orange Juice
3/5
But mom! I want to see the Talking Heads!
No, we have Talking Heads back home in Scotland. You can listen there.
Johnny Cash
3/5
Van Morrison
2/5
Prince
4/5
This was a delightful album, and even though a double album, it doidn't feel like it, and it never became anywhere near boring.
Not all songs might be of the same high quality, but with songs as U Got the Look (which to me will always be a loveletter to that excellent cowbell) and The Cross (Prince at his best?) it reaches incredible heights as well.
I enjoyed Prince knows how to leave things out instead of putting them in, which makes him different from many of his 80's counterparts.
Pink Floyd
4/5
This is unrecognizable one of the great albums of music history. I can give dozens of reasons why this is amazing, from songwriting, production, lyrics, clever buildup of songs, use of 7/4 time signature in Money changing to a 4/4, the centralising of themes. And more.
And still. This album has never grabbed me as much as Wish You Were Here or Animals did. And for years I've tried to figure that out. Objectively amazing, personally not one of my favourites.
The Birthday Party
5/5
Holy Post Punk Junkman. Nick Cave as a manic trashman with hypnotic drums, feedback, percussive macho bass lines... Dirty, steamy, swamp fever. This album is one psychotic madness, but a genius one. It sound like Bauhaus who had a mental breakdown.
People who have read The Ass Saw The Angel will also recognize elements of Cave's Faulknerian novel characters in this album.
This came off the back of yesterdays Dark Side Of The Moon and the contrast almost couldn't be higher. The album version ends with the hallucinatory Junkyard, in which Cave really gives *everything*, his voice almost to pieces, and just about to At the end you hear him coughing his lungs out during the fade-out after that effort. Sublime.
The Pretty Things
4/5
Highly enjoyable early rock-opera. A child of its time.
This really wasn't a bad album, but it also really never blew me away.
Lauryn Hill
4/5
After the break-up of Fugees, Lauryn Hill started a solo career. When we look back on the past twenty-five years we unfortunately have to conclude that Lauryn Hill's career has not become what was expected at the time. Despite the fact that Ms Hill ultimately only released two albums, she did have a great influence on a whole generation of young musicians.
Which makes sense because The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill is a really great album.
With sixteen tracks and more than 45 minutes of music and a few skits that unlike on many other rap and R&B albums do not have to be suffered through, it is quite an ambitious album. This is not only because of the playing time, but also because of the colorful mix of styles, the high-quality songs and the versatile singing and rap of the American musician. Lauryn Hill takes on soul, R&B, hip-hop, rap, folk, gospel, reggae, funk and pop and cleverly blends all these styles together.
This album, produced by Lauryn Hill herself, still sounds fantastic 25 years later, partly because Lauryn Hill was way ahead of her time in 1998 and partly because the music on The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill is surprisingly timeless.
Cornershop
3/5
Tori Amos
5/5
"Got enough guilt to start my own religion."
Tori Amos put the bar for any follow-up album incredibly high with a 1-2-3 of 'Silent All These Years - Precious Things - Winter.'
I don't have much more to add than others with 5* have already said.
T. Rex
3/5
Ingenious pop music
Solange
4/5
I found this unexpectedly good. The easy flow of the music, with the sometimes minimalistic sounds work incredibly well with the message.
Badly Drawn Boy
4/5
There are a few of those bands that make albums where 3 or 4 songs reach amazing heights and the rest feels ok, but not great.
But when you take 4 or 5 of their albums together you can cherry pick and combine the ultimate classic. A band like Elbow has that. And so has Badly Drawn Boy.
Some of these songs are amongst the best I've heard, but as an album, it doesn't reach that height.
King Crimson
5/5
54 Years Old and a classic in the symphonic and prog (hard)rock.
Of course Moonchild is always a small stain on this otherwise magnificent album, but lets just be happy that it allows us to rejoice when the first notes of In The Court Of The Crimson King fade in.
4,5*
Elbow
4/5
Elbow is a band that on every album has 3 or 4 songs that reach such incredible heights that they are amongst my all-time favourites. Unfortunately these songs are then surrounded by the rest of the album that's pretty ok, but not outstanding.
If you combine 4 or 5 Elbow albums and combine those songs, you can create an all-time classic. But even this Elbow, counted among their best, just doesn't hold the quality throughout.
But when it does - 'One Day Like This,' 'The Bones Of You' - it's breathtakingly good.
Beastie Boys
4/5
This album, and Public Enemy's Fear Of A Black Planet, are the reason why certain sampling laws were introduced and why records like this can't be made in the current day and age without being bankrupt before release unfortunately. And it's a shame.
https://kottke.org/19/12/every-sample-from-pauls-boutique-by-the-beastie-boys
John Lennon
3/5
Where Plastic Ono Band hit me hard, this album has never really done it for me.
Laura Nyro
2/5
Even though Laura Nyro has a good voice, I don't think her way of singing suits me well, especially when she bellows and goes up. It sounds too theatrical to me, and that's a shame, because the songs are quite good. I think the instrumentation is quite worthwhile, but it remains a challenge for me to listen to it in a relaxed manner.
So, to be fair, I could do without this album (actually, most of hers)
A matter of taste probably. Today, I tried again for the 1001 Album Challenge, but I was glad when I finished listening.
Gene Clark
3/5
This album was a lot better than I thought it would be.
Leftfield
4/5
Beck
3/5
Well-known recipe of 'Odelay-Beck' with lots of variation and hints of hip-hop, country, folk and electronica.
Again cleverly woven together, but not very surprising.
Janet Jackson
3/5
System Of A Down
4/5
Willie Nelson
2/5
I don't dislike Willie Nelson, but I've never understood how this is rated as a number #1 rated country album of all time. It's got a few really decent songs like 'Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain.'
But as a full album this falls so incredibly short.
Jamiroquai
4/5
Jamiroquai's "Emergency on Planet Earth" is an infectiously groovy mix of funk, jazz, soul and disco. From start to finish there's catchy and infectious Stevie Wonder inspired rhythms. The bass in particular is fantastic. The instrumentation is rich with with added horns and percussions and of course Jay Kay's voice.
A wonderful record to relax or dance to.
And really, don't get me started on people complaining about cultural appropriation and 'white guy trying to sound black.'
Culture is a mosaic, not a monolith, and it is improved, not damaged, when people incorporate pieces from other sounds or cultures that inspired them. How is honoring your favourite artists, in Jamiroquai's case Stevie Wonder, all of a sudden not done?
It's an enjoyable funky record, clearly inspired by some of worlds greats.
Goldfrapp
3/5
Back to the start after some poppier electronica suits Goldfrapp well
The Waterboys
3/5
A really enjoyable album and I'm glad I've finally heard it. About 4 years after the release of this album I became a fan of The Levellers, and their influences can definitely be said to be the Pogues, Waterboys and the Clash.
That's why this list works, I've now been much easier been able to pinpoint where my favourite bands got their sounds from.
Fever Ray
4/5
This was an incredible album and I enjoyed this immensely. It reminded me a bit of Alan Wilder's Recoil but newer.
I've listened to it thrice over the last day and I'm currently and for this list putting it at 4 stars.
But this album will make its way back into my playlists and I wouldn't be surprised if this became more over time
Dr. John
4/5
An album where you just hear the Voodoo creeping out of the New Orleans swamps. Slowly.
The Incredible String Band
3/5
Psychedelia mixed with Celtic folk melodies Medieval and Middle Eastern arrangements plus quite some Asian instruments.
It's a landmark in psychedelic folk music and influential for years to come. It might not be the best album of all time, but it's intriguing and I'm glad to have listened to it.
Stevie Wonder
4/5
In amongst the (deserved) adoration for Innervisions and Songs In The Key Of Life, this album sometimes seems a bit overlooked. This one is a bit more melancholic, more subdued in character than the other two albums, but in regards to songwriting is not much less than the other two.
This is Stevie Wonder at his (1970's) prime
Jacques Brel
3/5
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
3/5
Public Image Ltd.
2/5
It's my least favourite band in one of my favourite genre's of music
David Bowie
5/5
Not a single bad song on this album that grabs back to his Berlin trilogy time.
Marvelous.
Barry Adamson
2/5
Some really interesting ideas on this album. But like the other Barry Adamson album on this list (Did we really need two?) it's still the fact we're listening to a few film-score tracks for different non-existent movies.
Lots of sound that might be better if they were, indeed, used in movies instead as music on an album
Herbie Hancock
4/5
OutKast
3/5
Grateful Dead
2/5
Don't know if it was my expectations of a such famous band, this album was decidedly mediocre. Maybe even a bit less than mediocre.
It's a whiff of folk, mixed with white people blues, with a sprinkle of country and some psychedelics. And it excels in none.
This is so incredibly bland that I now have to read up on how this became such a household name in counter-culture. Because it can't have been the music.
10cc
5/5
I never realised just how good 10cc actually was. This album was just spot on.
A great balance of silliness, pretentiousness, satire and good old rock.
50 Cent
1/5
After so many good hiphop albums on this list, this was bound to happen. An entire music style built for saying a lot in a short time.
But after having finished this album I don't think anything of substance has been said in an entire hour. I feel dumber having listened to it.
I'll be back in the other corner of hip-hop.
Dexys Midnight Runners
4/5
I enjoyed this album much more than I thought I would judged on the last album I heard.
This one though is a feast to listen to, even if it's a bit front-loaded and trails off a little at the end.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
3/5
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
This is of course a good album, but I think it is a shame that many songs are simply turned away or faded out, sometimes in the middle of a solo.
And compared to his other albums, there there are four songs from the top level of those records. These are Little Wing, Spanish Castle Magic, Castles Made Of Sand & Bold As Love. Wait Until Tomorrow is not bad either. But the rest is still below the usual level of the Jimi Hendrix Experience.
The Young Rascals
3/5
Especially some of the songs where they slow down are good. And I'm hearing the first real steps of blue-eyed soul.
Todd Rundgren
4/5
Public Image Ltd.
1/5
Again, my least favourite band in one of my favourite genre's of music
The Cramps
4/5
The Beach Boys
5/5
Between the harmonies, songwriting, production and revolutionary chord progressions that are still used all over the world today, this is such a phenomenal album that its minor flaws can be easily forgiven.
Kanye West
4/5
Man, it's too bad that the crazy eventually completely won the battle with talent in this dude.
Serge Gainsbourg
5/5
This album exceeded all my expectations. What a concept album! An album with a theme that could almost no longer be made these days; social media would explode. Now it was also quite provocative in 1971, but 2 years earlier the big hit "je 't aime, .....moi non plus" was released by this Serge Gainsbourg and his muse and partner Jane Birkin, which already caused quite a stir. Now Serge liked provocations and the more reactions that generated, the better. Much later he managed to shock half of France with 'Lemon Incest' sung by him and his very young daughter Charlotte, accompanied by a clip that again caused quite a stir.
In any case, the story of 'Histoire de Melody Nelson' is not complicated. A 40-year-old man drives a Rolls Royce in a somewhat seedy neighborhood and muses about his life. Not paying attention, he runs over a young, doll-like girl on her bicycle. He seduces her and after a short passionate relationship (a cooing Jane Birkin in L'Hotel Particulaire) Melody leaves back for England, but her plane crashes.
The record is first and foremost an ode to Serge's muse and long term partner Jane Birkin: Melody is a conjugation of Jane Birkin's middle name and Nelson was a national war hero and also a hero of Jane's father. You will of course also recognize 'Lolita' by Nabakov, a book that immediately appealed to Serge Gainsbourg.
The music, especially the first song of 7.5 minutes, is particularly sultry with the languid, lazy bass, the organ and the unruly guitar. It's easy to imagine why this record was such a source of inspiration for the trip hop movement from the 90s (Tricky, Portishead et al).
Serge talks sometimes, then sings, and musically it is almost impossible to imagine what comes next. It's a complete musical spectrum of funk, soul, jazz rock, but also strings and a whole choir. The music was not written by Serge, but by his friend Jean Claude Vannier who might've made his best work of a lifetime.
Superb
Brian Eno
4/5
What a superb collage of sounds, from ambient to upbeat, from languid to dramatic.
4/5
You expect absurd entertainment and you get entertaining absurdism
Arctic Monkeys
5/5
This is it. This is the most enjoyable album of the 2000's
The clever and funny lyrics, the incredible speed and hooks, youthful rock&roll and not a song to be skipped. Songs about being denied entry to the club, underage drinking, tarted up girls, boredom and fake tales.
These are the incredibly relatable and lived stories of your late teens and twenties.
41 minutes of unpretentious clever fun.
The Gun Club
5/5
Fire Of Love is an album clearly made on bad drinks and questionable medicines, and suitable for fans of the raw, hyped-up, uncontrolled feel of the first Pixies albums or the late punk.
And this is not even their best work
Marvin Gaye
3/5
The quality of this album far exceeds my enjoyment unfortunately
The Streets
3/5
A spoken word / hiphop album that tells a story of lost money, relationships, cheating, drug use, clubbing and gives a very 'common-UK-man' of the early 2000's vibe.
Back when this came out, Fit But You Know It and Dry Your Eyes were everywhere, but I was more enamored with the better storytelling of the one-pill-too-many-night of Blinded By The Lights.
This album was a refreshingly original new direction for UK hiphop, but the execution was somewhat lacking. The production of the songs is all over the place and while the talking/rapping gets annoying at times, you do really want to keep on listening what he has to tell.
I haven't heard this album in a while and it doesn't fully hold up with how strong I thought it was. 3,5*
The Pogues
3/5
Bob Dylan
4/5
Quicksilver Messenger Service
3/5
Some guys jamming, but it got a bit out of hand, and now it's on a record
Brian Eno
3/5
Yeah, it's ambient, but ambient on a artistic level
Jane Weaver
4/5
Modern Cosmology is a very versatile album worth exploring. From the first to the last note. I only knew The Architect and really liked that song when it came out, but never explored the rest of Jane Weaver's discography for some reason.
I'm glad I did. There's so many influences on this album, from 80's disco, to Velvet Underground, Gary Numan or OMD. And Jane weaves (heh-heh) it all as one whole.
John Grant
4/5
At first I didn't really know what to do with this album. It showcases a wide range of emotions, musicality and styles and I didn't feel it was an album as a whole.
But slowly with listening a second and third time (only the album, not the lesser 4 bonus tracks) it is really growing on me. The Midlake flute and subtle orchestrations in Marz, the anger in JC Hates Faggots - writing away the hypocrisy of religion and homosexuality in his youth -, the humour in Chicken Bones, it all fits.
I'm also glad that the album balances the heavier songs with the fluffier.
An album that will go a few more times into rotation after this last 24 hours. I'm intrigued.
Lightning Bolt
3/5
Ali Farka Touré
4/5
A great combination of Subsaharan, Blues and Folk. Something unique and some songs have a hypnotising beauty.
Elis Regina
3/5
A very enjoyable funky listen, but the songs really differ in quality too much to call.this a good album
Madonna
2/5
Besides a few standout tracks, this was an entirely forgettable experience, and I was expecting so much more from this.
Bill Evans Trio
4/5
A technically outstanding jazz record, and recorded in a day, while also recording a second album. Especially the bass solos are a joy to behold.
But the album never grabbed me, never made me really listen. I liked it, but didn't love it.
Megadeth
3/5
Yes, the riffs are good and they're all great musicians , but the songs and Dave's voice are just not there yet.
That would come later, this just wasn't it yet.
Ash
4/5
This was a great debut of a young rock band looking for their sound.
A definite 90's alternative UK rock album, where you hear influences from 90's punkrock (Lose Control) to britpop (Goldfinger), songs that were found in the attic of Iggy & The Stooges (I'd Give You Anything) or could have been covers of Fountains Of Wayne (Girl From Mars).
All in all a very enjoyable experiences. But not one of the greats, despite what the British Music Press tried to make us believe in 1996
Joan Baez
3/5
I understand why you would want to preserve an album like this. All these traditional songs to be saved for posterity.
But my enjoyment of this album is another matter
Dinosaur Jr.
5/5
When I heard this album all those years back, I couldn't do too much with it (that voice!) and it started to feel a bit boring after the 4th song. So where I followed bands like The Melvins, this band never stayed really with me.
But I'm glad I now gave it a second listen. And then a third. And at the time of writing this, now my fifth.
And I'm completely converted. The lo-fi wall of rock noise jumps straight into your living room, the unpolished but virtuoso solos are making you sit up and an immense creativity in the songwriting just adds to it. Even the voice adds to the sound.
What a landmark in rock history!
Korn
2/5
Back in the late 90's, early 2000's you had two bands that got shared under that weird header 'Nu-Metal' that you would find on almost every summer music festival in Europe: Deftones and KoЯn.
One band I absolutely adored the music and albums of. Around the Fur and especially White Pony were landmarks for this new sound. Heavy with a deep underground layer of angst, superb songwriting, the Deftones were fantastic.
Korn on the other hand were lyrically childish, musically only had one trick and were by all measures uninteresting.
Live though, it was a different story. Deftones just plain sucked. Every time. I don't think I've ever seen them perform well. The sounds and atmosphere they created on their albums never made it to a live experience.
And Korn went the other way. They were able to make even the biggest hater of their music dance and jump and get a little smile on their face when all their fans did the back on forth on Reclaim My Place.
Now back listening to this album... It really has not stood the test of time and wasn't really good to begin with. I think "Got The Life" is the only redeeming feature on an otherwise dull experience. I will never have to revisit this.
I'd see them live though if they were at a festival again.
Fairport Convention
3/5
Snoop Dogg
3/5
Great music, superb flow, infantile lyrics
Nirvana
4/5
This was the album that woke everyone up to the fact we had finally abandoned the 80's. And because of this a huge wave of alternative music hit the markets and made artists look for new and better ways.
But being that influential and important does not always mean it's a great album.
Now don't get me wrong, I like this album a lot. But it doesn't mean it was the best album of that time period or of the Grunge genre.
Hell, this isn't even the best album of Nirvana.
Marvin Gaye
4/5
There's only one reason for this album, and it does that reason well
Skunk Anansie
5/5
This album might be a bit less dynamic as their two previous ones, but the album still stands as a great product of the heavy rock in the 90's. Good funky hardrock with especially space for the bassguitar to excel, lyrics with a message, highly political, and a superb voice of lead-singer Skin.
This band was massive in Europe in the 90's and I think I certainly didn't give them the credit back then they deserved. They fit my musical and societal tastes like a glove.
Funkadelic
3/5
It's a lot of fun, with lyrics that keep surprising.
Meat Puppets
4/5
Hawkwind
3/5
As with most live albums on this list, this would've needed to be experienced, not really listened to afterwards
Cowboy Junkies
4/5
GZA
3/5
According to my brother this is the best of the WuTang solo records, but I've never really understood that statement
John Lennon
4/5
A personal, honest and raw album, almost to a fault. We hear pain and frustration dripping out of the speakers.
It was a brave release, very minimal in its production, which is a relief after the bombastic later records of the Beatles.
Because this is really a therapeutic album for Lennon it seems, he sometimes forgot to also make some of the songs more memorable.
Green Day
4/5
Green Day never sold out. They didn't change their sound to reach a bigger audience. Almost none of the bigger pop punk names of the era did. It's just that their music became popular all of a sudden on the wave of more rockier alternative music in the early to mid 90's.
And while this might not be greatest of all albums, it's full of youthful enthusiasm and lyrics that are ripe to sing along with. Which I have done, very loudly, this last day.
Amy Winehouse
5/5
Amy Winehouse is clearly influenced by 60s soul and reggae, but still has her own style, singing and lyrics, immensely complemented by the production of Mark Ronson, who was able to put the 60's sound in a modern jacket.
Amy Winehouse is perfectly capable of singing over the wonderfully full sound that Ronson is able to produce and with her - here still relatively unintoxicated - enthusiasm and great voice, she knows how to lift songs to a higher level. I think that's incredible, especially when you realize that she has put this old style back on the map with her music.
It has taken me a couple of years to realise what a classic this album has become. But almost 20 years old now and a song like Back To Black, the highlight of the album, still brings shivers down my spine.
3/5
It's good, but not great. Lyrics miss the mark, even though the subjects are interesting. Musically the album starts off very strong with the first couple of songs, but then fizzles a bit to the end. It's about 20 minutes too long.
Black Sabbath
5/5
I'm now 746 albums into this list, and something that I've noticed is that albums that have pioneered genres are in most cases not the best ones. Ideas and guts aplenty, but not the ability to really put it into cohesive songwriting (yet)
And then there's this one. Not from the sunny beaches of California, but from the grey streets of Birmingham, a polluted city that was being rebuilt after WWII bombings with brutalist monstrosities. And such a city makes way for the first two albums of Black Sabbath, albums that still reverberate throughout the ages.
If you have War Pigs, Paranoid, Planet Caravan and Iron Man on side A, showcasing Iommi and Butlers quality with the downtuned sounds. Osbourne's lyrics have also taken a major step forward here, with War Pigs' anti-war rhetoric still very much on point 55 years later.
Only minor attach on this album is that on side B they're giving Bill Ward his spotlight as well. And while a really good drummer, the drum-solos break the album up and feel unnecessary.
So maybe not perfect, but nigh on. And one of the most influential albums on hardrock, stoner rock and heavy metal there ever was.
Eminem
2/5
I really don't remember this album being this bad. What was I thinking at the time?
Roni Size
3/5
I believe that in retrospect this album and its genre were a bit less important than many people in the British and Dutch press made me believe at the time.
Brown Paper Bag is still an absolute diamond though, what an incredible song.
David Crosby
3/5
I don't rightly know what it is, but CSN&Y just aren't for me. I've now listened to most of their albums and their solo work, but none has really stuck out.
Joni Mitchell
4/5
I have such a soft spot for Joni Mitchell I've noticed. Musically and lyrically.
This album as well, with its wide range of styles, from folk to pop to jazzy and we're even rocking on some songs.
This might not be as perfect as Blue or Hejira but it's close.
Dead Kennedys
5/5
Clever, punk, political, one of the most exciting albums I've heard
Rod Stewart
2/5
It's ok. A bit bland, a bit boring.
Drive Like Jehu
5/5
Fantastic album from Drive Like Jehu. It's a great post-hardcore record full of passion, energy, intensity, and incredible noise. It brings together a perfect balance of hardcore, punk, no-wave, and post-rock where the quieter parts are a bit Slint-like and the hard energetic parts are very reminiscent of Fugazi from the same era.
No wonder this is slowly starting to gain a justified reputation as an overlooked masterpiece of its time.
Alice In Chains
5/5
It cannot be overstated how much I love this album. The songwriting of Cantrell in a dark minor, the guitar solo in Junkhead, the vocal harmonies and how the voices of Cantrell and Staley go so well together, the music that's holding that edge between grunge and metal, the tuning of all instruments in e flat to give it that dark texture, the pained and tortured lyrical poetry of Staley and that there is just not a single bad moment on this album.
Thin Lizzy
3/5
Jean-Michel Jarre
3/5
Jean-Michel Jarre shows here, for me, that being a pioneer doesn't automatically means that the music will be really good.
I was a fan of this type of music in the 80's - my earliest memories are from Kraftwerk, Der Plan, Tubular Bells and Jarre - which made its way into more synthesizer music during my life.
Jean-Michel Jarre certainly uses warm analog synth sounds here and even organs, but the music keeps falling between ambient and emptiness, where he plays with new sounds on this new found musical instruments. But I'll be honest: the first 3 parts I found almost grating, where after Oxygène 4, but especially 5, the album picks itself up a bit.
I remembered this more fondly than this re-discovery was able to give me, I'm afraid
The Chemical Brothers
3/5
This really was something when it was released, but in retrospect I have to admit their second album is a lot better and is the one I still put on my record player every now and then.
The first four songs on here have luckily really stood the test of time, but after 'Three Little Birdies Down Beats' the album drops off in the middle with uninteresting and at times - dare I say it - even boring beats, but luckily picks itself up again with Life is Sweet.
Still, it's nice to hear this again after all these years. No matter how many synthesizers, drum loops and samples are used on this album, almost everything sounds warm and organic and lively.
It's a 3,5* album
Sister Sledge
2/5
Marilyn Manson
5/5
So let me pre-empt this small review by stating that Brian Warner is human filth. I hope the reckoning will come.
This album however is the peak of Marilyn Manson (the band's) discography. This album is raw and energetic and brings the whole thing, where the album is more than the sum of its parts.
The lyrics with their scathing attacks on corruption, societal hypocrisy and religion. Graphic designer P.R. Brown's artwork with its impressive packaging and dual covers.
The bleak, aggressive and claustrophobic song material by a very talented band is backed a lot by Trent Reznors incredible unsettling production which creates an almost nihilistic atmosphere: it's all there.
It all culminates in "The Reflecting God," already an hour into the 70 minutes. This song where the protagonist (antagonist) of this concept album gets to the end point. Full of riffs, style changes, warped sounds, aggressive crowd sounds and clever lyrics.
This album was an assault and stands as a classic in the industrial metal.
Faust
4/5
PJ Harvey
5/5
Pure, raw, emotional energy, with a good portion of noise.
Completely helped by the famous minimalist touch of Albini's production, which makes the album sound claustrophobic at times and straight in your face at others.
When PJ Harvey turns to storytelling, it's always injected with a lot of dark humour, but when the songs turn autobiographical the music and lyrics are seething with anger and lust.
This album is incredible
Wilco
3/5
This was the darling band of a lot of my friends growing up. And while I agree that this is Wilco's best, the album really could've done with some culling of the lesser gods on this release.
Tom Tom Club
3/5
When the Talking Heads lost themselves on a tropical dancefloor
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
Nas
5/5
Until further notice, this is unequivocally the best hip-hop album of all time. The length plays a major factor in this: 9 great songs without unnecessary fat or unfunny skits. 40 minutes of gold. Many other hip-hop acts could take a cue from this.
Then there's the beats & rhymes. The dark energy coming from the creative beats and samples create a coherent, lively soundscape on this album that would appeal to the imagination even without lyrics, while all influenced by gritty jazz sounds of years gone by.
And of course also the content of the lyrics, which guide you through the rough streets of New York and his personal psyche, which is based on the cover are symbolically inseparably intertwined.
In short: This is the closest I've ever heard hip-hop come to perfection.
John Prine
3/5
Waylon Jennings
2/5
It's a classic of the Outlaw Country genre, but I'll be honest that for me the big redeeming factor of this album is its runtime of 27 minutes. It's really not overstaying its welcome.
The first track was a bit country rock and I was looking forward to a bit more Honky Tonk, but the rest of the album was a lot more pure country.
I fully understand why this is considered a classic in its genre. But its genre is just not for me.
Jurassic 5
3/5
Elvis Costello
2/5
It's just not his best work I'm afraid. It's never bad, but it might be the production that makes it sound a bit emptier to me
Circle Jerks
4/5
A (semi-)classic of the early hardcore punk.
15,5 minutes, 14 songs.
It's one of the albums I had looked up earlier because of NOFX's song "Two Jealous Agains" which speaks about merging record collections with a new partner and now has so many 80's punk albums double, with the mention "We now have 31 minutes of group sex"
The Thrills
3/5
Big Sur was such a great summer hit in 2003, a superb song for cruising, and most of the singles of this album still hold up.
The whole of it is certainly ok. Uncomplicated, with a nice retro sound and a great background sound album
Ms. Dynamite
2/5
I can hear there's talent here, but the album devolves quickly into a 13-in-a-dozen pop-by-numbers exercise
The Coral
4/5
Delightful album by a bunch of teenagers who take you on a grand tour of music and style history. As many ideas in music as the cover shows it will be.
The Associates
3/5
Country Joe & The Fish
3/5
CHVRCHES
4/5
The music of this roguish trio distinguishes itself positively from most other synthpop bands of this era, because they sound a lot less dark, cynical and generally arty-farty. That's not to say that their lyrics have the same positive vibes.
Great album and a superb debut
Kings of Leon
3/5
Uncomplicated rock 'n' roll with some southern swamp influences: Nonchalant and the perfect music for a rock cafe.
4/5
After the second and third listen I started to really enjoy this album more and more. A good cross between psychedelica and the start of prog/symphonic rock with some soul influences.
The Beta Band
5/5
This is my introduction to the Beta Band and the first listen made me straight want to go to a second. And third. So this album has been on at any opportunity I could find. With headphones, in the car, or just my home stereo.
And with every listen another layer in a different song makes itself known, which was even more surprising since it seemed like a bit toned down indie electro at the start with some trip-hop influences.
But there's so much more to it than I thought.
I will be playing this a lot on the coming months and it might slowly make its way into my favourite albums. What a discovery!
4,5*
Steely Dan
3/5
I don't know what it is with Steely Dan. I objectively should really like this music. It's clever, well written and they're great musicians.
But I always feel like something's missing. And I can't put my finger on it.
I don't dislike Pretzel Logic, but it also doesn't make me sit up and really want to listen to it.
The National
4/5
When I'm in the mood for this, it's 5*, when I'm not, it's a 3*
Super Furry Animals
3/5
This was quite a fun debut album from this Welsh band, but it took until their second album till they dared to step outside of this standard rock comfort zone.
Only the first (and shortest) song on this album is really memorable.
Tim Buckley
4/5
First listen didn't really do much for me, but the album got increasingly more pleasant with every listen.
This is a timeless album, while also being a child of its time, romantic and subdued with a psychedelic touch here and there. Certainly "No Man Can Find the War", "Pleasant Street" and "Phantasmagoria in Two" are beautiful songs.
Fleetwood Mac
2/5
Tusk doesn't do it for me. I can indeed hear that it is all a bit more experimental, but it's Fleetwood Mac Experimental.
It creates a few songs that I can hardly sit through. Amazingly, almost all of them are Buckingham songs. The title track jumps out a little for me. For the rest, there is a lot of mediocre stuff that goes in one ear and out the other.
Tusk doesn't feel like an album made on autopilot, but neither does it feel like an album that has a clear vision. Three captains on a ship, so to speak. I understand that a second 'Rumors' was not desirable from Buckingham's perspective, for me it just doesn't make for an album that I really enjoyed. Not something that annoyed me, but I really don't understand the high scores.
Scott Walker
4/5
With its warm production, tasteful orchestrations and of course beautiful voice, this album grabbed me from start to finish.
'The Seventh Seal' and especially 'The Old Man's Back Again' are incredible
Beastie Boys
4/5
Anita Baker
2/5
In order:
Excellent Voice
Good Musicianship
Decent Production
Below-par Songwriting
Terrible personal enjoyment
Bob Dylan
4/5
Donald Fagen
1/5
Reading up on the production of this album, the 8 months of recording that were spent on getting the perfect drum sounds by using the high-hat sounds of one drummer, the kick-drum and tom sound from another on the same track, how a whole bunch of session musicians of the highest caliber are credited on this album, to create the sound that was needed for this album to be perfect. Reading on the switch between analog and digital recordings. On the songs that are stitched together from multiple takes. To make this production sound that has been revered by audiophiles across the globe.
What makes me so upset about that is that the end result is an overproduced, uninspired smooth-pop-jazz album, that could've been given a bit of leeway if it also didn't include a song like Ruby Baby, which really is an atrocity to make it to an album after 8 months or recording.
Morrissey
5/5
Another Morrissey album in this list and one that could likely be considered his best work to date, with closing track Speedway possibly the best solo song he has released.
"All of the rumours keeping me grounded
I never said that they were completely unfounded
And all those lies, written lies, twisted lies
Well, they weren't lies, they weren't lies, they weren't lies"
The Yardbirds
3/5
The album is completely being carried, and feels like whole, due to the amazing guitarwork from Jeff Beck. Besides that there's some great songs on here, as well as some decidedly mediocre tunes.
Django Django
4/5
An incredible fun album with an eclectic range of music from surf to electro to rock
M.I.A.
3/5
This really is quite the statement on a debut album. Political lyrics and the ultimate mesh of styles make this an interesting listen, but definitely not a relaxed one. From Brazilian Funk to Sri Lanka Jungle, with guerilla style rapping, it's uptempo, it's refreshing but also an attack on your senses.
Slade
2/5
There was a time when this singles-band was the biggest thing on the planet, but personally, I don't find it a big loss they've mostly been forgotten.
Brian Eno
4/5
I find it strange that every time I see Brian Eno, I have a negative reaction, yet every time I listen to one of his albums, I thoroughly enjoy it. There seems to be a disconnect in my head between my automatic dislike of Eno and my actual enjoyment of his music based on my memory.
Now listening to the Warm Jets. On Side A of this album, you can really hear his roots in Roxy Music and the glammy arty poprock with a touch of avant-garde. On Side B, there are hints of where Eno would be heading in his career, with more ambient parts and increased strangeness and nonsensical lyrics.
At the time of its release, the album broke musical boundaries. Although it's not revolutionary now, it still retains its freshness and charm.
Queen Latifah
3/5
An album produced by some of the greats in the Hip Hop Industry in the late 80's, from De La Soul to KRS-One to The 45 King (who, after listening to A King and Queen Creation could indeed better stick to producing and not pick up a mic).
Queen Latifah shows she can MC with the best on this album, has a good flow and can adjust to laid-back beats like on 'The Pros' and even hold up marvelously on the much harder Boogie Down Productions-style beats on 'Evil That Men Do.'
The host of different producers also makes this an album with several styles that were popular in the time, a little bit of soul, a little bit of jazz, some reggae, a hint of house
Remembering she was 19 when this album was released, you can certainly see how much influence she has had on the genre and what came after.
And still...
Many of the songs are lazy, the lyrics are only bragging songs, there's not a song with an interesting train of thought or with anything more to say about how flavourful she is. Not all songs are strong, and some are just plain weak.
Interesting debut.
Guns N' Roses
4/5
What is there to say about an album that's been on repeat on rock radio stations ever since it got released in 87?
Released at the right moment in time when Rock 'n' Roll was in need of a good kick up the ass because it had become stale and goody-goody.
and Guns 'n' Roses did just that. No, it's not the best album in history, but Hardrock like this is about the attitude, and this band brought it.
Pulp
5/5
I had Pulp's Different Class on this list now almost 3 years ago. And where that album was upbeat, clever, but sneering, this album is a completely different beast. In opener 'The Fear' Jarvis Cocker warns:
"This is the sound of someone losing the plot
Making out that they’re okay when they’re not
You’re gonna like it but not a lot"
This album has been one of the slowest growth albums in my collection. I disliked it when it came out. It was too slow, too dark. I didn't know where to go with this. It sounded completely different than the last three Pulp albums.
Over the years this album has become much more than that. It's a musical version of a Film Noir, it's heartbreaking. Musically it's not always tight, it sometimes even feels a bit chaotic, and that might have to do with the departure of guitarist Russell Senior. The lyrics are incredible and painful, and the music helps to enhance that feeling. Looking back, we're listening to the swan song of Brit-pop.
"The sound of loneliness turned up to ten"
Sheryl Crow
4/5
We all now know that there really was a Tuesday Night Music Club, which led to the album that launched Sheryl Suzanne Crow's music career. The details of how it all came together have been debated ever since.
In short, Sheryl began attending informal jam and songwriting sessions at the LA studio of producer Bill Bottrell with her then-boyfriend Kevin Gilbert. Also in attendance were the incredibly talented David Baerwald and three others.
Since Crow had a recording contract, their creations ended up under her name. She credited everyone involved, but there were conflicts along the way and especially afterwards when the album started hitting the stratosphere.
The breakout hit that propelled the album was "All I Wanna Do," which was played on the radio daily in 1994. The lyrics, depicting getting a good beer buzz in a bar facing a car wash, were adapted from a poem by Wyn Cooper. The royalty checks from the song allowed the poet to leave his day job.
The success of follow-up singles like “Leaving Las Vegas,” “Strong Enough,” and “Can’t Cry Anymore” kept the Tuesday Night Music Club in the spotlight. The album has sold approximately 10 million copies and received several well-deserved Grammy awards.
As a significant debut record and a piece of pop culture, TNMC still holds up well today. It's relaxed, rootsy, and filled with melody, emotion, and insightful lyrics, making it a joy to listen to.
John Cale
3/5
It's poetic, it's well written, but it leaves me cold for some reason.
Sly & The Family Stone
4/5
Funky, psychedelic, socially critical and very strong. Excellent album!
Motörhead
4/5
Sometimes you don't need to listen too deep to music. Sometimes you just need something to rock out to. Something in the car to tell with.
For those moments you go punk or you go Rock 'n' fucking Roll.
For the latter: There's Ace Of Spades
Incubus
3/5
It's not bad, but it's also nothing spectacular
The Mothers Of Invention
5/5
The good thing about having this double album on LP is that you can just ignore Side 4, deny it exists, and think of this as a perfect debut of Zappa and the Mothers Of Invention.
Van Morrison
4/5
As with more albums on this list, this is again a case of Side A vs Side B.
If the whole album had the quality of the first 5 songs, this would be an absolute masterpiece
Sonic Youth
5/5
Sister is delicious raw creativity packed in an album. It's not the easiest entryway to the bands' back catalog, but both EVOL and Sister show Sonic Youth at their best.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
3/5
The Adverts
4/5
A delightful 70's UK Punk album, that captures the period so well, I would have people listen to this as their introduction to the style.
Black Flag
3/5
Prefab Sprout
4/5
I found the album to be quite intriguing. After listening to it a couple of times, I noticed that it bears some resemblance to Spandau Ballet. There were three things that particularly caught my interest. Firstly, I believe Paddy McAloon can easily be considered one of the best songwriters of the 80s. Secondly, the lyrics are a joy to behold. Lastly, in typical 80s fashion, the songs seem to avoid moments of silence. Every spot in the songs is filled with additional sound elements such as organs, guitar riffs, panflutes, wind sounds, synth loops, and more. This tends to detract from the great pop songs.
However, when I listened to the acoustic versions of these songs, everything fell into place. It was incredible! The power of the songs and songwriting really bloomed.
Due to the wall of sound, I would rate the official album 3.5 out of 5 stars. However, I would give the acoustic versions a 5.
So, overall, 4 stars.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
4/5
It's great dirty indie rock, and enough groove to make it interesting. It's one of those shoutalong albums
Meat Loaf
2/5
When Elton John got a bit of American testosterone and even more theatrical bombast.
Funkadelic
4/5
The Doors
4/5
Whenever I seem to be talking to Doors fans, they seem to adore Morrison's psychedelia wank.
But this blues-rock album I find much more palatable
Echo And The Bunnymen
4/5
Great debut where you can already hear the sound they'll polish and improve further down track
Finley Quaye
2/5
One brilliant song, lots of filler
Suzanne Vega
3/5
Good debut, where the biggest power lies in the story -telling and a little less in the music.
Björk
2/5
Where I rate Vulnicura and Vespertine as two of the best albums ever made, this Medúlla has never done it for me. I find the sounds lacking any interesting quality to it. I appreciate where Bjork was going here, but it needed time to be fleshed out, which she did on later albums
Harry Nilsson
2/5
After a couple of really good albums, it was time for Harry Nilsson to cash out.
That's what you're listening to here.
Blue Cheer
4/5
Loud and a bit psychedelic blues / hard-rock
Ride
4/5
Can
5/5
What a phenomenal record!
Whether it's the groovy rock parts of the first four songs or the experimental sounds of 'Aumgn' and 'Peking O,' it's all equally interesting. It's a progressive rock epic that keeps me engaged from start to finish.
I understand that some people have issues with the Second Vinyl of this record, especially with 'Aumgn,' but I'd like to take a moment to defend that song.
In 'Aumgn,' I hear the layers of sound that I would later hear on the first Laibach albums. It gives off a feeling of transgression. This song, with its incredible soundscapes, moves from tense anxiety at the start to a rhythmic drumming at the end that feels like an anti-authority poem set to music. Absolutely incredible.
Girls Against Boys
3/5
This is completely the genre I'm into, but it's not the best album in the grenre or even the timeframe
Jack White
4/5
Frankie Goes To Hollywood
4/5
I knew the singles of this album of course: "Relax," "Welcome To The Pleasuredome," (of which I enjoy the 7" single a bit more than this 13,5-minute album version) "Two Tribes" (of which I enjoy the 9-minute 12" a lot more than this shorter version on the album) and "The Power Of Love."
What I didn't know is that these singles were part of the whole album which leans completely on the sounds of these four songs, with a few covers in the mix.
Producer Trevor Horn enjoys creating bombastic sounds and incorporating them into a cohesive whole, but this approach only partly succeeds on this album. The rest of the material is just not strong enough. He would achieve greater success with Propaganda and Art Of Noise.
This album is an amazing time-piece of the 80s, but I wouldn't call it a masterpiece.
PJ Harvey
5/5
It's dark, it's raw, it's brooding, it's sexy, it's rock 'n' roll.
Doves
3/5
David Bowie
3/5
Based on the averages on this site, it seems like most people hear something in this album that I don't. While it has a few great songs, overall I feel like Bowie is still searching for a style and direction with this album, and it doesn't quite come together as a cohesive whole.
A different calibre of album than the ones he would make after this.
XTC
3/5
I really vibed with a much later album by XTC on this list (Apple Venus Volume 1) but this kinda cynical 80's wave rock does it much less for me.
D'Angelo
2/5
This may be the best neo-soul record of the last 50 years, but it's not my style. The 90's smooth and chill mix of soul and hip-hop is too close to the R&B of that era for me. "Cruisin'" is a standout track.
Astrud Gilberto
2/5
She has an excellent voice for elevator music
Morrissey
2/5
When this album first came out, I was a big fan of it. The singles that came off it were a pleasant surprise on the radio and the full album had some great songs while some of the lesser songs on the album didn't bother me that much. And this was a deserved return for Morrissey in the spotlight.
Over time this view has changed a bit.
Where older albums like "Vauxhall and I" and newer ones like "I Am Not a Dog on a Chain" are still feeling fresh, I never reach for this album anymore.
And re-listening to it over the last day I think it was indeed one of the last times this album would've played on my stereo, with the exception of one or two songs.
Moby
4/5
In 1999/2000, Moby's album was everywhere and extremely popular, appealing to a wide range of music lovers, from a wide range of backgrounds.
That's because the album featured a mix of pop, uptempo dance, ambient, and a unique blend of old blues vocals with electronic beats by Richard Melville Hall. The second half of the album, with tracks like "Everloving" and "My Weakness", added depth to the more dance-oriented singles from the album.
A classic.
Frank Sinatra
4/5
On 'Songs for Swingin' Lovers!' Frank Sinatra captures the joyful and positive side of love. Even more significant is the contrast to 'In The Wee Small Hours,' an album I had a few months back on this list- released not even a year before this one - where Sinatra himself was lost and the album reflected that depressing sense of lost love.
What a contrast! These two albums explore totally different themes, showcasing Sinatra's diversity.
Where I am normally drawn to the darker side of music, this second album wins it on all fronts from the more melancholic Sinatra.
His beautiful voice conveys relaxing emotions, and in 'Songs for Swingin' Lovers!' the musical accompaniment feels animated and full, as if a big band and brass section provide the necessary optimism.
Nowhere on this 45 minute album does it get boring. While it's not my go-to choice of music, 'Songs for Swingin' Lovers!' is something I'll happily listen to.
Stephen Stills
3/5
A lot of highs filled up with a lot of mediocrity.
For every 'Go Back Home' there's a 'Sit Yourself Down' and for every 'Cherokee' there's a 'Black Queen.'
The Avalanches
3/5
I really appreciate the craftsmanship of The Avalanches. How every song is woven into the next, how the samples mix and match. It must've taken years to put this together, and only therefore is an album for the ages. It swings, it dances.
Only it does so little for me. I think I would want to like this more than I actually do.
MGMT
4/5
Supergrass
4/5
One of the most underrated britpop albums of the 90's. With so much youthful energy every song is just joyous.
The Isley Brothers
5/5
What a masterpiece in its genre. An easy 4,5* for That Lady and Highways Of My Life alone.
Eagles
2/5
Listening to this album I went from curious to indifferent to dislike. Stopping short of hate.
Common
2/5
It's American hiphop.
The Saints
5/5
ROCK 'N FUCKING ROLL!
Move over Strokes, Libertines et all, it was already here in 1978.
I'm thoroughly enjoying this, also the more raw International Robot Sessions before they started playing with horn sections.
4,5*
Wilco
3/5
Yankee Hotel Foxtrot is perhaps the most critically acclaimed album by Wilco. At first listen, I certainly understood where this appreciation comes from. The melancholic and somewhat slow songs in particular are of high quality. Songs like Jesus, Etc., Radio Cure, and Ashes of American Flags are memorable songs with fantastic lyrics.
But what didn't happen back when this was released continued now that I'm giving this a few more listens all those years later. There's no spark between this album and myself. I appreciate it on several levels but it has never given me the idea that I'd put this on myself again.
Muddy Waters
4/5
The Rolling Stones
5/5
In the late 60's early 70's the Rolling Stones released in quick sucession Beggars Banquet (1968), Let it Bleed (1969), Sticky Fingers (1971) and Exile on Mainstreet (1972) which forms the highlight of their repertoire.
Of this complete tour de force Sticky Fingers is in my opinion the top. Not only because, unlike on some of the other albums, there is not a skippable song to be found here, but also with the masterful flow this album has.
Starting off uptempo with 'Brown Sugar' it then slowly settles to the ballad 'Wild Horses' via the slow rocker of 'Sway', then to pick up again with 'Can't You Hear Me Knocking.'
And a highlight of this album is the heartbreaking and terrifying 'Sister Morphine', with the electric slide of Ry Cooder. Possibly the Stone's best song.
This is the Stones at their best
Santana
4/5
A very pleasant version of 60's rock, with some added latin influences.
Curtis Mayfield
3/5
It is another Curtis Mayfield record that is definitely worth listening to. For me, "Billy Jack" is THE song of America Today. Another true classic that Curtis produces here. All the ingredients are present again. It's wonderful how this man can put songs together. "Jack" is subtle, there is reggae in that beautiful drum/percussion work. And of course, marinated under a thick layer of soul and funk. And as usual, Curtis also knows how to write a text that is more than excellent. It is violent as hell but sung oh so relaxed.
Unfortunately, it's a shame that Curtis is unable to maintain this level throughout the album. the rest can't match the first song. Not that it's getting boring, because with "Hard Times" and "Love to the People" the album picks itself up again near the end.
Lyrically this is also a typical Mayfield album, so lots of social issues impressively explained on small scale.
A good album, but not great, unfortunately
Tim Buckley
2/5
I'm thinking about this album in a bit of two minds. Tim Buckly is a phenomenal singer, and musically this is not unpleasant.
And while I normally like my musical pornography more on the erotic side, I have no issues with the straightforwardness either. From Prince's '23 positions in a one-night stand' to Peter Steele's ' I'll do anything to make you come' I've enjoyed it all.
But this, this sounds more like the raunchy teenager's first steps into kink kind of amateur porn. And the album is much more of turn-off than arousal.
Carpenters
2/5
Karen Carpenter has one of the best voices I've ever heard, and Richard Carpenter's arrangements are incredibly rich due to being severely classically influenced. However, the music is so soft and sweet that it's not really my cup of tea. The covers that mark most of this album are really hit and miss. Interestingly though, the standout track for me is "Mr. Guder," which is one of their own compositions.
Dusty Springfield
3/5
A nice debut with a handful of classics including several covers. However, Dusty does not yet have the emotional depth and sensuality that would later characterize her voice.
Dexys Midnight Runners
4/5
Cocteau Twins
5/5
Wow, what an album. Where the sounds of light and darkness intertwine into an atmospheric soundscape.
This will be going on repeat in the coming months.
Fairport Convention
4/5
Folk, folk-rock or folk psychedelica are not any of the genre's that has ever really popped out during this 1001 albums challenge over the last 3 years.
And indeed on here, there are several songs that fall in that 'pleasant-in-the-background-but-nothing-groundbreaking' territory.
However, then there's also songs like 'A Sailor's Life' and ' Who Knows Where The Time Goes' that are reminiscent of the best work of Jefferson Airplane and even Velvet Underground. These songs, with Sandy Denny's amazing voice combined with Richard Thompson's dynamic guitar playing elevates this album far above many of its contemporaries."
Fatboy Slim
3/5
Bad Brains
4/5
Cypress Hill
4/5
It's a classic for a reason
David Holmes
3/5
I'm enjoying it, but I genuinely can't find why this is regarded by some as such a classic
Neneh Cherry
3/5
Oh, I tried. I just really wanted to like this more than I actually did, because I got such a softspot for Neneh Cherry, who with 'Buffalo Stance' in 1989 and 'Woman' in 1996 wrote 2 songs that have never left my rotation playlists.
But this album just isn't of the quality that I hoped for and sounds incredibly dated. And I can't help the feeling that in 1989 a lot of these songs were even then already feeling dated.
Buffalo Stance is still an absolute banger though, and with
Aerosmith
4/5
Something must've happened in the late 1970's to Aerosmith to make them go from this really good early 70's stuff, a combination of Rolling Stones rock with a Led Zeppelin power to it - to whatever the hell they started doing during the 80's and 90's.
And yeah, I know.
It's drugs.
Neil Young
4/5
It has taken me 44 years but I finally get it.
The Icarus Line
3/5
You take the Rolling Stones during their heroin period and you put them through a distortion pedal. If that sounds like your thing, well, have I got the album for you!
American Music Club
2/5
1/5
This album would have been the worst on this list if it were not for the one redeeming song near the end, "Boiler." This song stands out with its catchy hook, proper bassline, and riff. It raises the question: why is the rest of the album of such garbage quality, with its lyrical dribble?
White Denim
4/5
Mj Cole
2/5
For me this was a guine slog to get through
The Last Shadow Puppets
4/5
When using an orchestra, it's always a fine balance before it turns into kitsch. And I think this album does balance the line particularly well. It is still showing off that 1960's British sound combined with the 2000's Indie Rock, without tipping over.
The album also feels quite laid-back, even with the immense speed of some of the songs. I thoroughly enjoyed it.,
Iron Maiden
5/5
As long as you can ignore the simplistic lyrics, this is an absolute banger of an album
The Byrds
3/5
It listens like a little grittier version of Simon & Garfunkel, where, with the jangly guitar, they're going for a bit more Beatles- and Dylan-esque sound.
It's not unpleasant, but the Byrds would be doing better things down the track.
Bonnie "Prince" Billy
3/5
It's a very hard album to rate, because I WANT to like this album a lot more than I actually do. I remember this well from when it came out, and many of my friends loved everything about this, some even calling it the best they've ever heard.
And I get it. I just don't feel it.
Lana Del Rey
2/5
fIREHOSE
4/5
"Fromohio" is, for me, the culmination of the creative collaboration between ex-Minutemen members Mike Watt (bass) and George Hurley (drums), and long-time fan Ed Crawford on guitar and vocals.
The loops, chords, accents, rhythms, interplay, crystal clear sound, and inventive compositions make this album a timeless and enjoyable listen. Even after 35 years, it still sounds fresh, and you can discover something new with each listen. While it may not be considered a classic, it's definitely a fun album.
Beck
2/5
The melancholic Beck is sometimes hard to swallow. Sometimes, when it's raining, it's Sunday, and we're inside and looking at the gloomy world, this album can grab you by the throat,
But mostly I turn it off after 3 or 4 songs because it doesn't do anything. Not a lot of album do that
Sinead O'Connor
4/5
It's an incredible powerful album, but also heavy. Her voice is second to none
Little Richard
4/5
This is the real rock 'n' roll
Booker T. & The MG's
2/5
Sepultura
5/5
This album deals with subjects of cultural displacement, ecological disaster, civil disobedience, heritage, and authoritarianism. The musical collaboration with the Indigenous tribes throughout this album, especially the drumming, further brings home these points.
Every song is a powerful statement and I'm all here for it. And maybe the anger and speed of previous albums like 'Arise' has been traded in for a more groovy style, and the riffs have taken on a bit more nu-metal edge, it's a showcase of Sepultura not getting stuck in one place and doing new things.
After all these years, this album is topical and a marvelous listen.
SZA
2/5
Relaxed beats again completely ruined by inane lyrics
The Monks
5/5
What in incredible album and discovery. This has all the spirit that so much of the mid-60's music is missing for me. There's hypnotic rhythms, straightforward punky lyrics, jangling garage sound guitars.
This is going straight on repeat
G. Love & Special Sauce
4/5
I enjoyed this more than I did back in the 90's
4/5
Prog from the 70's is really hit and miss with me. When this album started I was afraid it would turn into an Emerson Lake and Palmer ordeal. Luckily the music ended up more like early Genesis and the album turned into something very enjoyable.
The Young Gods
4/5
Dark, Loud, Tight, and very Industrial
Kanye West
3/5
"According to his new album, "Yeezus", Kanye West is a god.
As if I needed more reasons to be an atheist"
I went into listening to this album with a lot of preconceptions. I wasn't a big fan of Kanye's previous albums, and his controversial political statements and behavior also put me off. Additionally, I'd heard from many fans that they didn't like this album when it first was released.
However, when I actually listened to it, I was blown away by the first four tracks. The power and intensity of those songs, the way Kanye expresses himself, and the industrial beats were all incredibly impressive. I was really excited about where the album was heading.
Unfortunately, the album's quality didn't stay consistent after the first few tracks. The lyrics became simplistic, and the autotune usage felt overused and weak. It was disappointing and really devolved into nothingness in the end.
Overall, though, this was the first time I truly understood why Kanye is viewed as a complex figure, a genius wrapped in idiot.
Steely Dan
2/5
After a couple of albums of Steely Dan and a solo project from Donald Fagen I can now safely say that Steely Dan is just not for me.
Shuggie Otis
4/5
This is my 885th album and truly the first album where I had never heard of album nor artist. And that's my loss. A deliciously slow soul/funk record.
808 State
3/5
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
4/5
Dinosaur Sr.
The Sonics
3/5
Paul Simon
2/5
I think 'Allergies' is a terrible song. Honestly, I believe only 'Hearts and Bones', 'Train in the Distance', and 'The Late Great Johnny Ace' are songs that should've made it on any album.
It's Paul Simon in a (boring) transition phase.
"Cars Are Cars" should've gotten lost somewhere if only to avoid the jarring transition with "The Late Great Johnny Ace."
Violent Femmes
5/5
Someone called it Acoustic Punk and that's likely exactly the reason why I love this. With lyrics that are teenage frustration personified
Pere Ubu
4/5
This is an absolute classic that should not be missing from any post-punk/wave collection. These are excellent musicians: wonderfully hectic music, avant-garde with lots of crazy sounds, distorted synths and sax, and hysterical vocals. You have to have strong nerves because otherwise, you won't make it to the end of this album.
UB40
4/5
For some reason, I always thought UB40 was a reactionary middle-class band, that played safe and uninspired white-man reggae without any edge or substance, but this album proved me completely wrong.
Scathing attacks on political and social issues paired with a proper 'back-in-the-beat' feel of Reggae music.
I was pleasantly surprised by this album and ended up enjoying it much more than I expected.
Devendra Banhart
2/5
Joni Mitchell
4/5
The album that is considered the foundation of the singer/songwriter genre is highly regarded for good reason. While it's seen as Joni Mitchell's best work, I personally prefer some of her later albums, especially Hejira and The Hissing of Summer Lawns. However, after a few listens, this beautiful and emotional earlier work proves to be almost as good.
"I could drink a case of you
and I'd still be on my feet"
Q-Tip
3/5
It's pleasant, but I'm apparently missing the genius that other people hear in it.
Ministry
5/5
Every music genre has a record that serves as a great example for starting bands. For the Industrial genre, this record is often cited as prime example and tour de force.
The sound is extremely tight, right in your face, and sizzling hard. The samples cut through the wall of guitar violence and hammer-blows on the drums like razors.
An overly agitated voice has been added to complete the picture.
The album opener "N.W.O." with the Bush quote ("What we are looking at is good and evil. Right and wrong") makes for an intense but still danceable track, "Just One Fix" blasts over it, and "TVII" is hard punk-industrial. With "Jesus Built My Rotrod", rockabilly influences are added, immediately making the song a classic. "Scare Crow" then creates a weighty, sick atmosphere with its slow tempo. The last tracks are more in the direction of noise.
Classic.
Billie Holiday
3/5
This album, to me, is a prime example how a great blues voice can lift the somewhat mediocre orchestrated songs to a higher level.
Fela Kuti
3/5
Throwing Muses
5/5
This is such a powerhouse of an album, and it sounds a bit like if Siouxsie and the Banshees moved to the US and inadvertently started a new music genre.
Turbonegro
3/5
Dirty dirty glampunk
Mercury Rev
4/5
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
4/5
First thing that stood out to me was that incredible bass in Zig Zag Wanderer. The entire album is a fun blues inspired whole.
Neu!
4/5
Ali Farka Touré
4/5
These two musicians complement each other well and give each other space to excel
Super Furry Animals
3/5
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
5/5
I was initially surprised to see this particular album by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds on the list instead of some others. For some reason, I had overlooked this album for a long time. However, I now realize that I was completely wrong to do so. This album showcases Cave & The Bad Seeds at their best. It takes you deep inside the world of characters that Cave has created. It's sometimes haunting, sometimes boisterous, and sometimes just plain intense.
Standout tracks include the opener "Papa Won't Leave You, Henry," the apocalyptic ballad "Straight To You," and "John Finn's Wife," which might have just become my favorite Bad Seeds song.
A thundering and menacing story, both in terms of music and text. The setting of a wedding in Australia in the late 19th century. The bride's entry onto the dance floor: "And in she came with legs like scissors and butcher's knives, a tattooed breast and flaming eyes and a crimson carnation in her teeth, carving her way through the dance floor."
It sets the tone with that incredible violin throughout.
This will probably remain my favourite Cave song for a long time!
Superb album.
Christina Aguilera
2/5
Dear me, she sure can sing.
Billy Bragg
5/5
And isn't this exactly what you want from folk singers? Either songs you can sing by the fire, or songs to sing while gloriously dismantling the constructs of capitalism?
TV On The Radio
5/5
I used to think that this album was the weakest in TV On The Radio's collection. However, after giving it a few listens over the past day, I realized that I hadn't given it the time it deserved.
From the opening track 'The Wrong Way,' through 'Staring At The Sun' to the magnificent 'Dreams', the album takes you on a textured dark journey through various sounds and genres, including acapella, industrial, indie, funk, progressive rock, and gospel, all anchored by deep, dark bass layers.
It's an album that really opened up a whole new world and broadened my musical horizons when I first heard it, and I'm only now able to truly appreciate it.
Michael Jackson
3/5
I’m a child of the 70s and grew up with Michael Jackson at the top of his game. While I don’t mean to be contrarian, I’ve never really understood why this album is regarded as the pinnacle of pop. Don’t get me wrong; some of the songs are absolutely exceptional. “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’,” “Billie Jean,” and “Beat It” are classics that will be cherished for decades to come. And every Halloween, we’ll reliably hear “Thriller,” even if it does come off as a bit tacky.
However, let’s focus on the album itself. Jackson shines when he channels Stevie Wonder on “Human Nature,” but on the other hand we have tracks like “Baby Be Mine,” “P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing),” and “The Lady in My Life.” Unfortunately, these three songs barely rise above mediocrity, and the less said about “The Girl Is Mine,” the better.
The hits undeniably had a significant impact on pop music, but as an album, "Thriller" falls short.
4/5
The Zutons
4/5
It's an incredibly fun album, both rhythmically and lyrically interesting.
LCD Soundsystem
4/5
LCD Soundsystem is quite open about their influences. However, unlike many other artists who draw from similar sources, their songs possess a distinct sound of their own. And this album. their most acclaimed one there is an excellent balance between incorporating influences and creating a unique sound.
The opening track, "Get Innocuous!", showcases a clear Krautrock influence, featuring a drumbeat reminiscent of a Neu! album (which I had on this list about a week ago) along with the structural elements that made Kraftwerk famous. "All My Friends" has a structure and lyrical style that could easily fit a New Order song, but James Murphy distinguishes himself through a more Eno/Bowie-esque use of synthesizers and his unique vocal delivery.
Speaking of vocals, I find this aspect of the album to be the least impressive. While Murphy's voice isn't bad, it doesn't stand out either. At times, certain vocals actually feel a bit forced.
The instrumentals are undoubtedly the highlight of the album. With unique elements such as a cowbell, thumb piano, and glockenspiel, along with great use of drums, synths, and piano, each instrument contributes a distinctive and valuable sound. Nothing feels superfluous, which is a relief.
*Sound of Silver* begins very strongly, especially with the tracks ranging from "North American Scum" to "All My Friends." However, the album's quality noticeably declines afterward with three weaker songs. "Us v Them" feels excessively long; "Watch the Tapes" is pleasant with its good drums but lacks anything exciting compared to the other tracks, and the title track also fails to captivate. Conversely, "New York..." may not be the most popular song on the album, but I find it to be one of the better tracks—a fine ballad to close the album.
Radiohead
5/5
The issue I have with Radiohead, is mostly the same issue I have with Tool and Rush. It's the fans who sing the gospel of their favourite band and won't listen to any dissenting voice.
So I'll leave most of the review of this album to those who already came before this and have written entire paragraphs.
And as much the fans annoy me and as much as Tom Yorke is a pretentious git, I must admit that this album is a masterpiece.
De La Soul
3/5
A pleasant listen
Jazmine Sullivan
2/5
Jazmine Sullivan was once regarded as a significant talent in the soul and R&B genres. Her debut album, "Fearless," released in 2008, received positive reviews, and her follow-up, "Love Me Back," also performed decently. However, I feel that she never fully realized her potential, and this latest album does not break that pattern; it feels mediocre as well.
This album is full of songs that ride on flattened records. No surprise or originality anywhere, nowhere a song that makes me jump up. It is all too simple, too flat and unfortunately often sung too whiny for me.
Those "Tales" also take the momentum out of the album, an album that already has little of it. Once again. an album that does not fulfill that great promise.
Arcade Fire
4/5
I have listened to this album at least two dozen times over the last decade and a half, giving it a new chance every time I do. And I do this because I consider the albums that are chronologically on either side of it, the spontaneity of "Funeral" and the oppressing undercurrent of "The Suburbs," absolute masterpieces.
But the spark I have with those albums, as well with "Reflektor," never happened to me with the dark "Neon Bible". While I really appreciate some of the highlights of this album, like "Intervention" and "No Cars Go," the whole is a bit too much bombast, a bit too much kitsch.
It's a 3,5* for me
Bee Gees
2/5
This is the best the bee gees have released.
Bob Dylan
3/5
Sabu
2/5
Sabu Martinez, commonly known as Sabu, is a percussionist, and that fact is felt throughout this album, with the percussion playing the major role. I can hear a variety of drums and Sabu is truly slapping and striking away, and he does it exceptionally well.
However, the percussion alone isn’t enough to keep my interest. The rest of the music feels lacklustre. The singing fails to captivate, and the compositions aren't particularly impressive. And unfortunately, the repetitive drumming also fails to get me into that state of trance that other songs in the genre do.
On a positive note, the guitar playing, when it's there, is enjoyable, and I appreciate the album's overall sound. As a result, I think it serves well as background music.
But when listening more attentively, I find it falls short in many areas.
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
4/5
This has been a really interesting listen, somewhere between pure synth, post-punk and pop. This is going to be an album that I already know I'm going to have to give a bit more time than the two times I've been able to hear it today.
It's going to be 4*, but I'm sure I've missed more than I heard
Grateful Dead
1/5
I can't get excited about this. I have tried the Grateful Dead several times throughout my life, and now again as the 921st album on this list as well as the second of the Grateful Dead.
But for me, it remains a directionless album with messy music and substandard vocals. I still don't understand how this became such a household name in counter-culture.
Bebel Gilberto
3/5
I'm glad this album surviced the 'loungehype' where she got tagged along in for a while.
A warm album from the daughter of a Bossa Nova legend.
The Triffids
2/5
By all that's Eno, Spector, and Mutt Lange, I believe that this is where good songwriting has been completely undermined by excessive production. The album is filled with studio gloss and lush layers, featuring an overwhelming amount of gadgets, orchestration, synthesizers, violins, trumpets and backing vocals that overwhelm the music.
I notice that those who appreciate this album describe it as "theatrical" and "majestic." However, I find that, while the production can be "grandiose" and "powerful," it often detracts from the songs themselves.
The backing vocals suffer from the same issue; they frequently come off as overdone and out of place. I genuinely feel embarrassed for whoever has to repeatedly sing “bury me deep in love” as the opening track fades away. It seems misguided and forced, as if the band believed that all these bells and whistles would finally elevate their music to mainstream success.
As a result, I find it nearly unlistenable. Listening to the demo versions of the songs on the Deluxe version on Spotify further supports this point.
Coldcut
2/5
Pet Shop Boys
3/5
It's a Sin is the best single Pet Shop Boys released.
Count Basie & His Orchestra
2/5
This music does not resonate with me at all. I enjoy jazz, swing, and big band, but while this album isn't difficult to appreciate, it makes me feel anxious and never fully connects with me.
The Shamen
1/5
I really disliked this a lot more than I though I would. I was actually thinking I might enjoy this, due to the first single of this album.
But I really really didn't
Can
5/5
Future Days is a solid album by a unique and original band. I’m truly charmed by this group, which seemingly produces wonderfully casual music with effortless ease while remaining averse to convention. Their blend of Krautrock and avant-garde sounds can sometimes seem fragmentary, but Can also has a rhythmic quality that makes it swing.
The music often elaborates on various motifs, and in between those, all sorts of soundscapes and bizarre noises emerge. What stands out, possibly due to the excellent remastering, is how timeless the album sounds. The opener and title track, as well as the incredible Bel Air, would not feel out of place in today’s musical landscape.
It’s clear that much of this music came from jamming and spontaneity, yet everything sounds very organic and musically exemplary. I thoroughly enjoyed this on a late Wednesday afternoon.
Kate Bush
3/5
The first signs of cracks in Kate Bush's body of work become apparent for me with this album. This is the third one on this list, and not everything is equally strong. Fortunately, there are still enough beautiful songs on this CD to enjoy. The opener, "Sensual World," made me think this would be another "Hounds of Love," but alongside "The Fog" (featuring Nigel Kennedy on violin) and "This Woman's Work," it stands out as the absolute highlight of the album. However, I found myself losing interest and focus while listening to the rest of the tracks, which has never happened with her previous albums.
Overall, it's not a bad album, but it is clearly the weakest of the three.
Ella Fitzgerald
3/5
I find it challenging to rate this collection. While it may not be advisable to listen to all three hours of music in one sitting, it is a delightful set of songs featuring interesting and engaging orchestration by Nelson Riddle. I truly appreciate Ella Fitzgerald and her incredible voice as she navigates the Great American Songbook, ensuring that all these (re)recorded songs will be preserved for posterity.
Jazz and the Great American Songbook are closely intertwined. The songwriters, especially the Gershwin brothers, as well as Irving Berlin and Duke Ellington, clearly understood the genre. You can hear the strong connection between Fitzgerald and the Gershwins—this is perhaps the best way to appreciate their vast repertoire.
However, as others have noted, this is a collection consisting of a 7- or 8-LP box set rather than a single album. Maybe listen to 1 LP at a time.
Radiohead
4/5
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
3/5
Beautiful harmonies. Melodically much of the same. And after 36 minutes it is also enough.
Iron Maiden
3/5
Iron Maiden's first album, where you can still hear some of their punk influences from earlier, but it's clear what's about to come. Iron Maiden is already forging its path but is searching for a style. The production isn't ideal, Paul Di'Anno is still a bit shaky, songs like "Prowler," "Running Free" and "Iron Maiden" really pale in comparison to what's yet to come, BUT...
There's also a lot of positives here. And I think those positives win on this album.
Bandleader Steve Harris colours every moment beautifully with his bass guitar and ensures he almost occupies a third solo guitarist position. From rousing rocking to melodious pinging to intense soloing on the masterpiece Phantom Of The Opera.
"Strange World" is secretly one of the other favourite songs on this album. Strange, because the band itself doesn't seem to be very charmed by it. It's dreamy, psychedelic and bluesy with a beautiful solo by Stratton (who preferred to play this kind of stuff than the metal songs themselves) and hits the right note. Even Di'Anno sounds vulnerable and pure here. This psychedelic metal is unfortunately a sub-movement that has lost out to increasingly harder metal on the one hand and commercial hair bands on the other.
"Remember Tomorrow" and "Transylvania" are the other stand-out tracks.
Iron Maiden will get so much better. The songs will get smarter, the lyrics will get better and the vocals will all grow a lot, especially when they switch to Bruce as front-man. But the youthful energy and the joy of playing is still shining through here enough to enjoy this a lot.
3,5*
Frank Black
4/5
This album is a small masterpiece that easily stands out against the works of the Pixies and is vastly superior to his debut album. While Black Francis released several subpar projects after the Pixies—his solo work will always be compared to that iconic band—this album is filled with clever and outstanding songs. It's difficult to highlight specific tracks because there are hardly any misses among the many songs. Unfortunately, he has not been able to match or surpass this album with his later releases.
In essence, "Teenager Of The Year" is the best album that the Pixies never made.
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
Some really good songs on this album, I'm not entirely sure why this doesn't grab me.
The xx
3/5
I've known this album for a long time and have listened to it quite a few times over the years, and even own it on LP.
With "Intro" and "Crystalised" at the beginning, xx immediately starts off promisingly. I have always liked "VCR" as well. It is a somewhat languid song, but that is their style. That style is precisely the biggest flaw of this band: Their music is often a bit lifeless and (too) dreamy for my taste. But hey: Enjoy it in moderation, then it is perfectly acceptable.
"Islands" and "Heart Skipped A Beat" are still good songs, but still, I understand very well why this album has been forgotten. I can't find any element that makes many of the songs unforgettable, which would tempt me to put it on again.
From "Shelter" onwards the album definitely collapses. The music becomes even dreamier and slower, the melody is increasingly hard to find and the somewhat whiny vocals of both Romy and Oliver are starting to stand out more and more. The album meanders on and my attention wanes.
3* for this modern classic with a small 'c'. Not a grand prize, but a pass.
Minutemen
5/5
Man, what a monumental piece of work. The Minutemen are truly one of the most original and creative punk bands I have heard.
Despite their wildly experimental approach and real mix of various musical styles, this album has remained surprisingly catchy.
It is exceptionally well put together,
Dwight Yoakam
1/5
If there’s one thing this album does, it’s remind you just how much you’ve heard all these country clichés before. And I mean really remind you. This 1988 album is a deep dive into a world of broken hearts, cheating lovers, and long nights spent alone in dive bars—and while that might sound familiar, Yoakam's ability to resurrect every classic country trope is truly something else. Whether or not it’s a good thing, though, is another story.
It’s almost as if the music section took a country music manual and said, “Let’s make sure we hit every single page.” The result is something so comfortably familiar that it borders on predictable, but not in the "this is a classic" kind of way—in more of a "yep, I've heard this before" kind of way. Every song shuffles along, like you’re caught in a loop of honky-tonk bars you can’t escape.
Buenas Noches From A Lonely Room doesn’t reinvent country music; it simply embraces everything country music has been for decades. And if you’ve spent any amount of time in this genre, you’ll find that the clichés here aren’t exactly groundbreaking—they’re more like that dusty old jukebox that just keeps playing the same songs.
The Roots
4/5
A standout hip-hop album that could benefit from some editing. The best parts are exceptional, but there is some excess material that stops this from being an absolute classic
Eminem
2/5
The Vines
3/5
These musicians have a solid grasp of their influences. The Beatles, Nirvana, Supergrass, Radiohead, among others. While the album may lack originality, it is a well-crafted and not unenjoyable collection of several energetic rock tracks and some pop ballads.
Overall, it's a nice enough album but feels completely lacking in soul.
The Sugarcubes
4/5
I never knew how lovely and interestingly post-punk the Sugarcubes actually were. I enjoyed this!
Soft Machine
3/5
Patti Smith
4/5
4/5
Scott Walker
3/5
Walker’s second untitled album, which is part of a series that includes two more albums identified only by numbers, has a sugary sweetness that leans towards kitsch. Despite this, he manages to deliver a convincing experience. His fascination with Jacques Brel is evident throughout the album, particularly in his covers of "Jackie" and "Next."
Beach House
3/5
Very consistent dreampop album, with only a few dips in quality. Unfortunately, it also lacks notable highlights that would give it a higher score. While the flow of the album is enjoyable, many of the songs feel somewhat interchangeable. After listening to it three times, I'm still unsure which tracks I would consider favourites.
Roxy Music
3/5
The Fall
4/5
The album is somewhat inconsistent, featuring a laid-back vibe alongside a few intense standout tracks. While the album begins strong, it unfortunately loses momentum toward the end.
U2
3/5
My least favorite album in the Boy-October-War triptych isn't necessarily due to the songs themselves, but rather because of the shrill and dry production by Steve Lillywhite.
And I really don't think there's enough talk about the horrible production on this album. Especially the sound of the drums sounds completely crap. I can still hardly play this album all the way through without getting a slight headache.
I played this album again and what is striking - and I noticed this about other Lillywhite productions from the same period - is that the sound has a rather narrow image, flattened, tinny and shows little to no dynamics. It seems that the up-tempo songs (singles) were meant to be able to sound loud on a transistor radio on the beach of Farawayistan - a trick that DJs do use when their system is capped (due to noise pollution): turn up the highs a lot.
Some decent songs on here though, with Surrender as highlight
Baaba Maal
4/5
Besides the great music, the liner notes of Ian Anderson about this album are fascinating:
"The tale of how this record finally got released here is too involved to repeat in full. One copy of the original cassette found its way to Britain and acquired legendary status among devotees of West African music. Dreams of tracking down the tapes continued unfulfilled for several years until Baaba's English debut in 1988.
By then, the original mixes were long lost, but the multi-track tapes of most of the songs were unearthed in Dakar. Hunting for the remainder met a dead end but, to our joy, produced the tapes of another whole session recorded some months earlier. What you have here is a nearly-lost classic of Senegalese music.
In November 1988, Baaba and Mansour got together again for a triumphant London concert, proving beyond doubt that this acoustic setting for his music remains equally powerful alongside the complex might of the current electric band"
Nico
3/5
The Stooges
5/5
You won't find them more threatening, sleazy and grimy. What an idiotic superb album.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
4/5
It's good Elvis Costello album with a few songs that rise above
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
LTJ Bukem
2/5
Alice Cooper
5/5
I've been unapologetically enjoying this album all day. It's a true delight in rock music, where Alice really goes all out—especially in terms of production, thanks to Bob Ezrin. This album is phenomenal, filled with only strong songs and sound effects that enhance the listening experience, like the cheers in "Elected" and the drill sounds in "Unfinished Sweet."
It's also clever how he addresses some pretty unusual topics. I still believe this is his best album, and it’s definitely much stronger than the other one on this list.
N.E.R.D
3/5
This album was really a let-down after that amazing first album by N.E.R.D.
I mean, this really isn't bad, but they played if safe, never reached the heights they can achieve.
Kacey Musgraves
3/5
Nashville country-pop, where it goes more into pop territory.
Pretty middle of the road.
Duke Ellington
3/5
This is not my kinda jazz, but I appreciate the musicians clearly having fun
Ramblin' Jack Elliott
2/5
Le Tigre
4/5
It's a great record, too bad the second half is a bit less. This is just old-school feminist punk à la X-Ray Spex, but with some electroclash where the horns sounded twenty years ago. Nice and sharp and fresh, but not outstanding.
Slipknot
3/5
I have always appreciated Slipknot for bringing a new wave of young fans to the loud side of music. However, when it comes to listening to this album as a standalone piece, it falls short on multiple fronts.
The album feels like a mishmash of disjointed metal tracks, suffering from a severe identity crisis. I found myself reaching for the skip button quite often by my third listen, which certainly does not make for an enjoyable experience.
There are some highlights, though. The opener, "Gematria," is loud and features some incredible guitar riffs. "Gehenna" is another standout track, albeit much slower, where Slipknot captures a creepy, Deftones-esque atmosphere.
Unfortunately, many of the songs give off the impression of a band trying too hard without truly taking off.
Prince
5/5
Prince has made a myriad of bad albums.
This is not one of them.
Haircut 100
4/5
This is a very entertaining album! The record hangs somewhere between Postcard bands like Josef K, Fire Engines, and Orange Juice and the later, more commercial Tropicanapop acts, Culture Club, Duran Duran, and especially Wham!, and can also be seen as the missing link between these two movements.
This pop is bouncy, funky, but in most cases also damn cleverly put together (Milk Firm, Lemon Firebrigade).
It's a 3,5* album, I'll put it at 4
Scissor Sisters
4/5
This album is incredibly fun. Alongside Electric Six's debut album, it combined disco, dance, and rock during a time when much of the music was depressingly bad.
Now this album is no 5* album by any account, there's just too many songs on here that don't hold up at all, and didn't even do on my first listen back in 2004.
But Laura, Take Your Mama Out Tonight, Tits On The Radio and Filthy/Gorgeous are still songs I play when I'm DJ'ing somewhere and will still fill any dancefloor, regardless of age groups.
The Jesus And Mary Chain
4/5
I enjoyed this album a lot. Great pop album, sort of a bit of the more poppier version of Echo & The Bunnymen
The Bees
3/5
With a bit of fishing, you can find some pearls on this album, but mostly it's sub-par.
It is good to try to combine reggae, pop and soul.
3/5
Completely mental. Experimental Jazz Grindcore
Deep Purple
2/5
That's a really great drum solo, wish I was in the crowd for that. Yeah, he really has some amazing voice, doesn't he? I can see how he's playing the crowd. Man, those riffs translate well live, eh? Would've been nice to stand up front.
Gee, I think most of these songs I already heard on 'Deep Purple In Rock' and 'Machine Head' on this list? Was it really needed to put a 'best-off' live album here?
Fleetwood Mac
3/5
This album excels in every musical aspect—compositions, vocals, instrumentation, and production. It’s impeccable. However, it fails to captivate me. At all.
I prefer music that is at least a little perplexing, a little strange, and this softrock album doesn’t deliver that.
Another point of critique is the lyrics. They read like confession-porn. The artists' expressed mutual love and sorrow don’t resonate with me at all. It’s a prime example of melodrama.
I know one must tread carefully when discussing sensitive topics like this album, with the high rating it has. Rumours (and Fleetwood Mac) are just not my thing.
The Notorious B.I.G.
2/5
Good beats and a good flow. I can understand how this was incredibly influential.
But I completely fail to connect with it due to the infantile skits and lyrics.
N.W.A.
3/5
Supertramp
5/5
From the very first notes, it is clear that Supertramp has taken a different approach with this album compared to their first two. It feels as if every note has been meticulously considered, and much more attention has been paid to the overall sound. And even more, the lyrics are outstanding!
"Crime Of The Century" comes close to a perfect album. Every composition is strong, and Davies and Hodgson complement each other lyrically well in terms of seriousness and lightness. The arrangements are beautiful—complete with saxophone and strings—and the overall sound is nearly flawless. While it is not a concept album, it feels like a cohesive piece from the first note to the last.
The only criticism is that the album doesn’t feel very spontaneous. Every note seems predetermined, leaving little room for deviation. This is evident in the live performances and bonus tracks as well.
Crosby, Stills & Nash
3/5
I actually liked this better than the much revered Deja Vu
Les Rythmes Digitales
3/5
Best song is actually on the bonus disc. The Club Mix of Jacques Your Body is marvellous.
R.E.M.
5/5
Long I have considered this as a bit of a weaker album in the long list of quality albums REM has released over their career. But slowly over the years I've realised that if it wasn't for hairshirt, this might've been a perfect album.
Miriam Makeba
4/5
A great combination of African jazz, Indonesian lullabies and lovely calypso tunes sung by one of the greats
Sparks
4/5
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
4/5
Where with Skeleton Tree you were still listening to Nick Cave's pain, Ghosteen is listening to his grief. It's oh so beautiful, but not an album I personally enjoy putting on.
Al Green
3/5
Ute Lemper
3/5
I expected this album to resonate with me right away, given the involvement of writers like Nick Cave, Kurt Weill, Bertolt Brecht, Elvis Costello, Philip Glass, and Tom Waits, along with contributions from Scott Walker (mixing) and a musician like Warren Ellis. However, for some reason, it didn’t connect with me. I have no complaints about the quality; it’s well-crafted in every sense. Yet, I found myself hoping for it to end, even on my first listen, and my feelings didn’t change during the second listen.
Ghostface Killah
3/5
Ghostface Killah's music can be quite challenging. Sometimes when I listen to it, I find it incredibly captivating, while other times I don’t enjoy it almost at all. There isn't much wrong with this album overall, but I wish there were more standout tracks. I feel that the skits are unnecessary almost by default. I would give this a 3, and it was likely the last time I listened to this.
Joanna Newsom
5/5
Sometimes when using this list or website, you may come across an album that you listen to but find it hard to articulate your thoughts about it. After a second or third listen, you might even click 'didn't listen' because you feel you need to revisit the album later.
This was one of them.
Initially, I was quite skeptical about it. While "The Milk-Eyed Mender" was undeniably beautiful, I worried that the addition of orchestration would cause Joanna's music to devolve into annoying bombast.
Fortunately, that concern turned out to be unfounded. The orchestration is not only subtle but also very powerful. It adds significant value to the album, which I had nearly dismissed as a possibility beforehand. Joanna has clearly evolved, and with this album, she successfully steps outside the 'freak-folk' genre. The entire album is filled with beautiful music, and many of the compositions seem almost perfect.
And this is normally completely not my style. But I loved it
TV On The Radio
5/5
I can't understate how much I like TV On The Radio. And how much the album STILL keeps growing with every listen.
It's also one of those albums that's really better with headphones.
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
5/5
What an incredible album! This artist creates a sonic overload experience in their recorded work, something typically experienced only in live music.
Maybe this album is not as diverse as the other album on this list, but this is by far my favourite!
The Police
5/5
This is such a great album. The deceptively simple-sounding beats from Stewart Copeland are just outrageously incredible. Never have I been able to master any Police song on my kit. The beautifully subdued solos from Summers on guitar combined with the lyrics from Sting that read like the ravings of an escapee from a mental asylum.
What is not to love?
Iggy Pop
5/5
The Idiot breathes an atrabilious, dark, gloomy atmosphere that has to grab you. With Nightclubbing and Mass Production you're being sucked into the pain and struggle with addiction. The album envelops you.
I can understand why people despise this album.
But I love it.
Elastica
4/5
Rod Stewart
4/5
This is a pleasant album, by an artist you definitely shouldn't purchase albums blindly from.
Sufjan Stevens
5/5
I initially didn't realise the bombast and the hustle and bustle of this album when I bought it. At the time, I was only familiar with the songs "John Wayne Gacy Jr." and "Chicago." As a result, I was quite disappointed when I first listened to Illinois. The music felt difficult to grasp, with too many instruments and a restless quality.
I set the album aside several times but eventually returned to it, and gradually, the music began to resonate with me. I'm not sure if there was a specific turning point or if my appreciation just developed over time.
Now, after a few years, I believe this album by Sufjan is his best work. The album just feels like a whole. I can feel such joy and lightness in all the songs, as well as pure emotion. There is a sense of completeness in every note played by the instruments, and his voice is full of vitality here.
Everything But The Girl
3/5
This one is MUCH better than the other album of Everything But The Girl on this list. Stripped back the songs flourish more.
Love
4/5
Willie Nelson
3/5
It's a pleasant enough cover album.
But it makes you wonder why this album became Willie Nelson's biggest seller.
Otis Redding
5/5
A timeless soul album, and godDAMN what a voice.
Incredible Bongo Band
2/5
With the album name Bongo Rock by the Incredible Bongo Band and songnames like Bongolia and Dueling Bongos, I wasn't sure if there would be enough bongos on this album. Luckily, my heart could rest easy.
After about 3 songs, I was wondering to myself: "You know what song would be really improved by the addition of several Bongos? In A Gadda Da Vida!" And whaddaya know? It's right there.
I think every second of this album has been sampled later, but to call that the redeeming factor?
David Bowie
4/5
This is the album that feels David Bowie just felt like creating a new album again, without feeling the pressure to create masterpieces or revolutionise a sounds. Just good rock music. And I appreciate it for that.
Gene Clark
3/5
Antony and the Johnsons
4/5
This album was absolutely not love at first sight for me. When I first listened to it in 2006 (after this album ended in the top of nearly all the end-of-year lists) I put it down after the first two minutes. Too vibrato, too eccentric, and not enough musical power that I was expecting due to some comparisons with Jeff Buckley.
But how wrong was I in the end.
Lenny Kravitz
3/5
There is a growing sentiment that with each album, Lenny Kravitz produces two distinct collections: one for himself and one for his ego. "Let Love Rule" and "Mama Said" were crafted for Lenny, while his later work seems to cater to his inflated sense of self. The emphasis in his music has shifted from authentic feelings to outward displays of bravado.
At the outset of his career, Lenny Kravitz created retro music that contrasted with the spirit of his times. His primary inspirations included Sly & The Family Stone, Prince, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, and John Lennon. Though he occasionally received support, the majority of his records showcased Kravitz’s performances on various instruments. The charm of albums like "Let Love Rule" and "Mama Said" lies in his undeniable love for the music, which is palpable in the recordings. His guitar riffs particularly demonstrate his musical strength.
Can we classify Kravitz as a master musician? Absolutely not. His instrumental work and songwriting can often be traced back to those who inspired him—artists who executed those ideas more effectively. However, Lenny excels at blending various musical styles, creating a unique and appealing sound infused with his own touch. Personally, I think most of the songs on "Let Love Rule" are quite good, while about half of "Mama Said" resonates with me. I believe these are respectable figures.
Lenny's decline seemed to begin with the album "Are You Gonna Go My Way". In this work, Kravitz increasingly revealed less of his identity, leading to albums that felt more superficial and uninspired.
Following *Are You Gonna Go My Way*, it appeared that Kravitz prioritized convenience and profit over artistic integrity. Although he achieved commercial success and financial gain, he seemed to rest on his laurels, which caused his albums to lose their excitement. This shift also led to a focus on themes of faith and good intentions, often feeling self-indulgent. It became evident that his records were less about genuine expression and more about showcasing his perceived greatness, resulting in a decline in the quality of his music.
This is why *Let Love Rule* remains his best album; it was created during a time when he still sought to prove himself.
Ice Cube
4/5
AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted showcases Ice Cube's talent following his departure from N.W.A. This album is the first and the best of Cube's solo career, delivering pure hip-hop and hard-hitting gangsta rap. His lyrical prowess takes centre stage, with narratives beyond the cliché street themes. The album opens with the bold line, “Fuck You Ice Cube!”, setting a self-reflective tone, while tracks like “You Can’t Fade Me” inject humour into his brash storytelling.
It was downhill from here.
Koffi Olomide
1/5
African Soukus music for people who really hate African Soukus music,
By Mbokomu, of all those 1000's of amazing albums the Congo has to offer, THIS is the one that makes the pick? THIS ONE?
Kraftwerk
5/5
According to my parents, 2-year-old me already LOVED Kraftwerk (And Der Plan and many more German synth/electronica. I fell asleep to it.
The love has never gone.
Peter Frampton
2/5
If it's an artist's defining moment, the highest-selling live album in history, and the album of the year for 1976 according to Rolling Stone, it surely has to be something noteworthy, right?
However, unfortunately, it all is so decidedly mediocre: the lyrics, the songwriting, the vocals.
The moments where there is a hint of emotion in the tracks occur when Frampton launches into one of his solos; otherwise, the songs just miss any kind of spark; it's all so tame and within the margins.
It's a 3* album, but when compared to this 1001 list...
Donovan
4/5
Donovan is indeed often forgotten, unfortunately. A truly underrated artist, even more: a forgotten pioneer. And this is his best album. There is not a single weak song on it, every song is fantastic, with 'Sunshine Superman' and 'Season of the Witch' as standouts; Donovan's two best songs.
Pretenders
4/5
A solid rock album with the attitude of punk.
Genesis
5/5
Progressive rock is really hit-or-miss for me. Sometimes, I struggle to get past the evident showboating of talented musicians—like Emerson, Lake & Palmer—who, in my opinion, lack the emotional depth and melodic warmth that Genesis brings to their work.
For me, "Selling England by the Pound" is the quintessential progressive rock album, capturing Genesis at their most imaginative and technically brilliant.
DJ Shadow
4/5
'Entroducing....' is a masterclass in the art of sampling. Atmosperic without making the songs sound overproduced. Classic
Cheap Trick
2/5
Rocketing straight to mediocrity
Peter Gabriel
5/5
From when I was a very young lad, my dad used to make cassettes of his LP's for me if I found something intriguing or nice to listen to if he had it on. So I could listen to it on my little cassette player in the attic. And when I was 7 I also had this album on one side (and Sting on side B, but that's a different story. )
I loved this album when I was 7 and now almost 40 years later, this album still is special. Red Rain still grabs me by my throat. Don't Give Up has helped me through more difficult times than I care to admit. Big Time, even after all this time, makes me smile.
This is a masterpiece.
Morrissey
4/5
Weather Report
3/5
When the bass starts grooving, like in Teen Town or Palladium, I'm on board with this fusion album.
But A Remark You Made has put me over my allergy borders and had to skip it every time I hear this album.
Jeru The Damaja
3/5
Yes, that was a 90's hiphop album that was just below the greats. And nothing more.
Sade
3/5
"Diamond Life" is a warm and passionate mix of pop, jazz, funk and soul. Sade's warm voice glides nicely between the grooving rhythms. Sometimes it is a bit sweet and perhaps a bit overly smooth on the production side. I miss the real rough edges a bit, but this is generally a great record to listen to. Typical for a warm summer evening, as background, with an alcoholic refreshment. Not a high flyer, but certainly enjoyable.
Happy Mondays
3/5
I wrote for luck
They sent me you
I sent for juice
You gave me poison
I order a line
You form a queue
Randy Newman
5/5
You don't listen to Randy Newman for his voice; you listen to him for the atmosphere and the incredible satirical messages he conveys in his short songs. I know this album well, and even though it's over 50 years old, I now truly appreciate how timeless his message is.
The White Stripes
3/5
It's the White Stripes at their most mediocre
Mike Oldfield
3/5
"Yeah no, but please hear me out! With a 16-track recorder, Mike Oldfield couldn't record all the instruments at once like a band would in a typical studio session. Instead, he had to meticulously build the album layer by layer, instrument by instrument.
So likely he started with some foundational elements, maybe a piano or acoustic guitar part, laying those down on a few tracks, for the whole 26 minutes of Side A in one go. Then, he'd go back and record another instrument on a different track while listening to the existing recording. You know, he almost invented overdubbing! Then he'd repeat this process again and again, filling up the 16 tracks with different instruments and parts.
To add even more layers, he would have to "bounce" or combine several recorded tracks onto a single track, freeing up space for more overdubs. So, Oldfield had to overcome technical limitations and potential sound quality issues to achieve his musical vision.
This recording process is a big part of what makes Tubular Bells so unique and impressive. It's a fascinating example of how artists can push the boundaries of technology and creativity to produce groundbreaking music!"
"Sure, but is it any good?"
"Meh, it's ok"
Leonard Cohen
4/5
The Psychedelic Furs
4/5
Peter Gabriel
5/5
This is Peter Gabriel at his best, particularly rhythmically, and the entire album has a somewhat darker atmosphere compared to some of his other work.
Absolute classic and one of my favourite albums of all time.
SAULT
4/5
I appreciate this album for celebrating Black culture rather than relying on aggression and rage; however, the overall consistency of the album is lacking. "Bow" and "Wildfires" stand out as the best tracks.
The War On Drugs
4/5
After seeing them live again a couple of months ago, I realized how well these songs have stood the test of time, especially when compared to the rest of their repertoire. There's a bit more depth, energy, and tension in these songs than in everything that came after. Additionally, all of their songs tend to be longer and more stretched out than their earlier work, particularly those featuring Kurt Vile. It's not a five-star album because of the slog in the middle.
Mudhoney
4/5
Malcolm McLaren
2/5
This is the most exhausting album I've every heard
CHIC
4/5
This is one of the best funky disco records ever made. "C'est Chic" by Bernard Edwards, Nile Rodgers, and their band truly swings and is filled with great songs and classics. My favourites include the club classic "Le Freak" and the brilliant "I Want Your Love." Still, the opener "Chic Cheer," the quieter instrumental "Savoir Faire," and the incredibly funky "Happy Man" are also worth mentioning.
Edwards' characteristic bass and Rodgers' distinctive guitar sound ensure you can't sit still. The Chic Strings and horns are real, adding to the overall energy.
Chic didn't just create "flat entertainment" disco; they produced what I'd describe as "sophisticated dance music." While I’m less fond of their ballads, the uptempo disco-funk absolutely still swings like crazy.
Dion
2/5
Sometimes I have nothing more to say that this just really isn't my cup of tea and that I just can't hear or understand the quality in this record.
Beatles
3/5
I know this is almost blasphemy, but this was just the first album where the Beatles hinted at what they would achieve the following year. However, this album, touted as favourite by many, jIt just wasn't there yet, and too much variation in quality across the board made it difficult to see it as a coherent strong album.
The Stranglers
5/5
"Bigots," "The lyrics didn't age well" "Troublesome mysogynistic"
Dear me, it really seems people find it hard to recognize the playful irony and satire present in most of the songs on this album. Converations lifted straight from the gutters and pubs and put on record for all to hear.
Absolutely abrasive and pushing the boundaries of what was acceptable—that was the point!
The remainder of the album includes all the essential elements: tracks that explore mundane lives, disillusionment, feelings of isolation, and the collapse of political and social systems, all infused with sharp observations on these themes, which was characteristic of the period. It also incorporates influences from earlier psychedelic rock, echoing the sound of The Doors, featuring a Manzarek-style organ that plays its tunes in a slightly hazy fashion.
The strength of *Rattus Norvegicus* is its capacity to both challenge and satisfy. The band’s take on the rise of the punk movement would also define their unique style in later albums, distinguishing them from the formulaic one-dimensional groups that were emerging during that time.
4,5 *
Lou Reed
5/5
One of the bleakest, harrowing and beautiful albums I know. It's never an easy listen, even if the music is great and played with all the feeling that heroin and depression can give.
Madness
2/5
I really thought I would like this more than I did.
Pet Shop Boys
3/5
Pet Shop Boys can be quite hit or miss for me, even on what is arguably their best album. While there are a few songs that stand out as both lyrically and musically impressive—such as "The Theater," "Liberation," and "Can You Forgive Her?"—there are also several tracks that feel flat and overproduced, lacking the clever or cheeky lyrics that I can so appreciate from the Pet Shop Boys.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
3/5
I know it's all supposed to be legendary stuff, but I've just never heard why.
Rahul Dev Burman
2/5
Tina Turner
2/5
Many people here are not fond of this production, and I completely agree.
This production is a true child from the 1980s, which certainly contributed to its success at the time and helped Tina Turner make a well-deserved comeback.
Unfortunately, the overall feel and sound are very artificial and plastic. The heavy use of overly polished synthesizers, drum machines, and gated reverb on drums gives parts of the album a cold sound that strips the songs of any emotion. The exceptions are the two tracks produced by John Carter: "Private Dancer" and "Steel Claw." Carter's work on these songs shows much more rawness and emotional depth, which stands in stark contrast to the synthetic 1980s pop production found elsewhere on the album. This really allows Tina's voice to shine through.
Interestingly, this is one of the first times an 'Anniversary Edition' truly adds value. In this case, it includes a substantial number of bonus tracks produced by Carter that have a much more organic and soulful feel. I would recommend everyone check out the 30th Anniversary Edition.
The Libertines
3/5
Morrissey
5/5
This is the album that marks the transition from Morrissey in The Smiths to Morrissey solo. And it holds a bit of strange space in his repertoire.
Morrissey is still a master lyricist. Even after the breakup of the Smiths, he is still incredibly witty and bordering on nihilistic.
Musically, this is a bit more atmospheric and introspective than the later rockier sound. And it's a sound I really appreciate.
A great album.
Randy Newman
3/5
Seen as the best Randy Newman has to offer, but for me this one is the lesser brother of the amazing Sail Away
The Rolling Stones
3/5
Good debut album; it sounds fierce, and enthusiastic. The fact that it consists mainly of covers does not spoil the fun for me.
The Magnetic Fields
4/5
I really appreciate the ambitious scope of this project. They not only created three full albums that explore all aspects of love but also presented the material in a wide range of styles.
However, I can't shake the feeling that this album could have benefited from a good editor, much like a 1,200-page novel. There are entire passages that could have been cut, as they don't contribute anything new to the story and simply repeat themes, either in the narrative or in the music.
That said, I genuinely enjoyed the album and am glad I took the time to listen to it a few times over the last couple of days.
The Kinks
4/5
I have rarely encountered a pop album as consistent as The Village Green Preservation Society by The Kinks.
When I first heard this album, I wasn’t particularly impressed. It didn't sound exceptional to my ears at all. However, with each listen, my appreciation for the album has grown, and it might now be one of my favorites on this list.
This shift is largely due to its nostalgic and dreamy atmosphere, full of childhood memories while also containing social commentary. This gives the seemingly cheerful and simple songs an extra layer of depth. Together with countless catchy melodies, 'The Village Green Preservation Society' is an album that improves with every listen.
The songs are all quite short but wonderfully constructed, featuring catchy melodies, strong vocals, and recognizable, nostalgic lyrics. Tracks like "Do You Remember Walter" and "Picture Book" have become my favorites.
The combination of cheerful, playful pop melodies with nostalgic and socially critical lyrics makes for an album that brings me joy while also evoking some deeper emotions. This is an incredibly addictive record, and I will definitely listen to it again!
FKA twigs
4/5
This is an incredibly sensual album. But where people would normally use that description for artists like Sade, this is a darker, experimental, and almost industrial variant with ditto lyrics instead of soft jazz. This music sounds incredibly elaborate and yet sensitive.
This album was a huge surprise, especially the first three songs, which stuck with me after just a few listens. This is the only reason it doesn't receive a full five stars. The album feels a bit front-heavy and loses some momentum towards the end.
Röyksopp
3/5
I remember when I got a few genuine nerds at a dance night on the floor for the first time in their lives dancing to EPLE, because that was the music that played when they installed their Mac OSX
The Dandy Warhols
3/5
Public Enemy
4/5
Unapologetically militant and clever. The album flows like a live concert and is aggressive and focused like a revolutionary manifesto.
That is, until Flava Flav does his thing. The skits take away from making this album a 5*
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
4/5
Trout Mask Replica is probably the biggest cult album in rock history. Some people think it is the biggest racket ever recorded on record, others can sit there for hours listening in ecstasy to the demented dadaistic delta blues that the Captain has immortalized on this disc.
This cult status is due not only to the controversial music but also to the stories that circulate about the recording of this album. Captain Beefheart refused to wear headphones during the recording of his vocals to it's never in sync with the music, and is said to have lived in isolation with the Magic band for more than a year to prepare the recording of this album, almost starving the band. Then only to record the entire 80-minute album in an 6-hour session.
It blasted through all conventions.
Trout Mask Replica has been influential mainly by acting as a catalyst for freer thinking within the rock context, by opening up so much unexplored territory. It pushed the boundaries and it's a fascinating cabinet of curiosities of unparalleled creativity.
And apart from the opener I actually don't mind listening to this at all.
Stevie Wonder
4/5
Seen as the start of Stevie's artistic renaissance.
Holger Czukay
4/5
When we're talking in term of avant garde music, this one is deceptively light and balances that fine line between pop and noise.
Thouroughly enjoyable!
Pet Shop Boys
3/5
The first track, "Being Boring," serves as a strong opener. The song reflects on the passing of time and the loss of youthful recklessness. While it has a somewhat melancholic tone, it also carries an element of hope. The lyrics evoke memories of the past and highlight the changes that come with life. The soft, atmospheric music adds to the song's special quality.
The rest of the album follows a similar theme. Compared to most other albums by Pet Shop Boys, 'Behaviour' is introspective and relatively modest. Chris Lowe adopts a less energetic approach to his electronics, favoring languid beats and the analog synthesizers provided by German producer Harold Faltermeyer. Neil Tennant's vocal delivery is also less cool and detached than usual. There has often been debate about the quality of Tennant's singing, but personally, I find his voice quite pleasant, particularly in the sultry, languid sounds featured on *Behaviour*.
One standout track can be found in the 'Further Listening' section: "Miserablism," a notable satire of Morrissey, made even more enjoyable by the contributions of Johnny Marr to this album.
Overall, 'Behaviour' is an enjoyable album and is often regarded as Pet Shop Boys' best work. However, for me, it lacks the tension that many of their other albums possess.
Dagmar Krause
1/5
I've really tried to enjoy this album, but it has become grating for my ears. The versions of the songs aren't even decent, and I'm not a big fan of the songs to begin with. While I don't mind the style, the execution feels borderline kitschy for me. I listened to both the English and German versions, but it still didn't work.
Overall, this album just isn't for me, and I’m glad I won't have to listen to it again.
Billy Joel
3/5
Considered a classic in the pop-rock genre, this album launched Billy Joel to stardom. This album is outstanding in what it's trying to achieve while also not being my style
Fiona Apple
5/5
Fiona Apple's 'Fetch the Bolt Cutters' is a visceral, unflinching masterpiece. It's a unique percussive landscape from found sounds where raw emotion bleeds through every track, from the percussive slams of mattresses to the unedited, dripping anger in her vocals. The album's power lies in its fearless confrontation of trauma and the yearning for liberation. Apple's lyrics, as exemplified by the stark 'Good morning, good morning/ You raped me in the same bed your daughter was born in,' cut to the bone, making this an essential and deeply affecting listen
David Bowie
4/5
An album that balances between the 4 & 5.
Orbital
2/5
A dissapointing listen compared to their other albums
The Cult
3/5
It’s a shame The Cult abandoned the dark, atmospheric post-punk/hard rock fusion of their masterpiece "Love" for a more straightforward sound on "Electric." While the bone-dry production due to Rubin’s influence made it a stark departure, the original "Electric Peace" mixes show glimpses of their earlier style.
For years, I struggled to compare it to "Love" and "Dreamtime," but judged on its own, it’s still solid—Astbury’s vocals and Duffy’s riffs elevate tracks like "Lil’ Devil," "Peace Dog," and "Love Removal Machine" above most hard rock of the era. 3/5
Big Star
4/5
The band that undeservedly never made it as big as their name
Talking Heads
4/5
Strong debut, although it is not yet Talking Heads at their peak. The band has not yet found its sound (they are also looking for something in punk and funk), but I can already hear a fresh, unique sound. Talking Heads also sound audibly more thoughtful than many bands, without losing spontaneity.
Adele
4/5
Almost hard to believe this is not a best-off album.
The Cure cover lovesong is marvellous
The Rolling Stones
3/5
"Beggars Banquet" contains some of the Rolling Stones' most iconic tracks, including the monstrous "Sympathy For The Devil" and "Jigsaw Puzzle," which are truly exceptional. However, for my taste, the album's overall quality is uneven. While "Street Fighting Man" and "Salt of the Earth" are still quite strong, tracks like "Dear Doctor," "Parachute Woman," and "Prodigal Son" don't quite connect with me and I find them lows on the album and almost their repertoire. It's an album with clear highs, but the inconsistencies prevent it from being a favorite.
Emmylou Harris
4/5
Van Morrison
4/5
A very enjoyable Van Morrison album. I must admit, this is the first time I've truly appreciated one of his albums, whether solo or with Them. The orchestrations, music, lyrics, and vocals are all spot on here.
Burning Spear
3/5
When I finally go on my reggae/dub discovery, I'll make sure to add this album to the list. But as it stands, it's one of the better reggae albums I've heard, but don't know enough to tell you if it's good or bad.
Guided By Voices
5/5
Alien Lanes is at once defiant and self-sabotaging, full of glorious hooks and deliberate sonic blemishes. a lo-fi indie rock masterpiece—28 scrappy, hook-filled songs crammed into 41 minutes. It was darker and more chaotic than breakout Bee Thousand, so it was polarizing even among fans, besides being less commercially successful.
While the album attempts to capture the band's live energy, it also reveals Pollard's anxieties about fame and the music industry.
To me, this is a defiant, beer-soaked triumph of DIY spirit over polish.
The Good, The Bad & The Queen
3/5
Truly, the best thing about this album is the cover-art.
So many great musicians in a band, such a forgettable experience.
I've known this album since its release, and I really did give it a good couple of listens over the last day, but nothing sticks or stands out.
The Dictators
3/5
You're allowed to have fun with this carnival punk album. I also recommend looking at the album's backside artwork to see how seriously they took themselves (not at all). It's a fun punk album.
Alexander 'Skip' Spence
3/5
I feel the same way about this album as I did with John Frusciante's solo work. There are flashes of genius amid the drugs and pain, but sometimes you'll have to search for them.
Tom Waits
5/5
Swordfishtrombones marks Tom Waits’ bold departure from his familiar jazz-blues-barroom roots, plunging headfirst into a clattering, surreal carnival of sound. With clanging marimbas, woozy horns, and absurdist spoken-word vignettes, Waits conjures a shadowy world of drifters, grifters, and sideshow misfits. Drawing inspiration from Captain Beefheart’s dissonant blues and the grotesque wonder of Todd Browning’s Freaks—where he met Kathleen Brennan, his future wife and creative catalyst—Waits embraces experimentation with fearless abandon.
Tracks like the chaotic “16 Shells From a Thirty-Ought Six” and the darkly comic “Frank’s Wild Years” revel in their lunacy, while more restrained pieces like the tender “Johnsburg, Illinois” and the mournful “Soldier’s Things” remind us of Waits’ gift for emotional intimacy.
This is an album built on contrasts: industrial clang meets drunken jazz, growls melt into murmurs, and chaos dances with vulnerability. For all its eccentricity, Swordfishtrombones remains deeply human—a dreamlike travelogue through the back alleys of Waits’ imagination. It’s the sound of an artist breaking free, and in doing so, creating one of the most daring and unforgettable records of his career. Essential listening for anyone drawn to music that’s bold, bizarre, and vividly alive.
Mudhoney
4/5
"Touch Me I’m Sick" is of course, a raw, aggressive anthem that became one of the defining songs of grunge. The whole EP is still a very punk-infused grunge before a lot of it turned metal. Fun album
Spacemen 3
3/5
Metallica
4/5
At face value, The Black Album is Metallica’s clean break from their thrash roots—a sleek, mid-tempo monster built for arenas rather than underground acclaim. With its punchy production (courtesy of Bob Rock) and stadium-sized hooks, it’s no wonder tracks like “Enter Sandman” and “Sad But True” became metal radio staples. But for all its polish, the album often feels front-loaded and creatively restrained—until its final act.
And this is my love letter to the last three tracks—“My Friend of Misery,” “The Struggle Within,” and the seething “The God That Failed”—where the album begins to shine with real depth. These songs pull back the curtain on something darker, more introspective. There’s more texture here. More space. Less of the lurching, mid-tempo groove that dominates the album’s first half.
These songs feel like the band is allowing itself to explore again, not just simplify.
“My Friend of Misery” builds from that haunting bass intro into existential bitterness. “The Struggle Within” is a rare return to internal chaos, driven by speed and snarl. “The God That Failed,” meanwhile, delivers one of James Hetfield’s most personal performances, grappling with loss and betrayal in devastating clarity.
These final moments hint at the album that could have been—one less focused on mainstream dominance, and more invested in emotional complexity and sonic exploration. Rather than just streamlining their sound, Metallica seemed, briefly, to be cracking open their core and letting something raw leak through.
For a lot of you here, The Black Album starts with a bang. But for me, it’s the final third that saves it—from mediocrity, from predictability, and perhaps even from itself.
The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy
3/5
It has all the things I like in HipHop. Great lyrics, music to support the message, loose basslines.
And still, it never grabs me by the throat.
Steely Dan
2/5
Revered by audiophiles and musicians alike, Aja is often praised as a masterclass in studio craftsmanship. Its pristine production, jazz-inflected chord progressions, and flawless performances leave little room for error.
Or for any kind of soul.
The album dazzles, but rarely connects. Beneath its glossy surface lie clever, cryptic lyrics and impeccable arrangements, yet it all feels emotionally empty.
It’s like the difference between a brilliant essay and a poem that wrecks you. One impresses, the other inhabits. Aja may be the former: smart, sophisticated, untouchable—but for me, completely unmoving.
Tim Buckley
4/5
Personally I don't understand all the hate this album send to be getting here.
King Crimson
4/5
Calexico
5/5
This album feels like a desert road trip with the radio picking up ghost signals from every direction. It fuses alt-country, mariachi, jazz, and indie rock into something that’s cinematic without being showy. Two favourites are “Sunken Waltz” ; a dusty, accordion-laced opener that hits with quiet poetry, and “Black Heart” which crawls under your skin like a slow-burning western noir.
The album is a slow-grower due to the blend of styles, but once it clicked, it’s marvellous.
Britney Spears
1/5
I tried, I really did.
Caetano Veloso
3/5
An interesting mix
The xx
2/5
That hushed, breathy singing style — half-whisper, half-pant — was fresh on the debut, but by the third album it feels corny and restrained.
And while Jamie xx’s fingerprints are more visible, most tracks feel more like exercises in clever production than songs with real bite or urgency.
Shivkumar Sharma
4/5
I was curious about Call of the Valley—I'd heard a lot about it. So I put it on via Spotify… and honestly, after a few minutes I was thinking: what is this kitschy mess? Total new age noodling with vague flute sounds and sparkly synths slapped on top. For a moment I thought I was listening to the worst album ever.
Luckily, it turned out I’d accidentally landed on some kind of 2012 re-recording, made by Shivkumar Sharma’s son. That version? You can completely skip it—total waste of time.
Eventually, I found the original from 1967—first on YouTube, and a few months later I even came across a copy in a second-hand record store here in Melbourne. That’s the real deal.
It’s a beautifully understated album, and I totally get why it’s seen as a classic of the genre. Classical Indian music like you rarely hear anymore: pure, unadorned, and not yet fully influenced by Western or Bollywood-style sounds—apart from the use of a slide guitar. The combination of santoor, bansuri (bamboo flute), and slide guitar is super melodic and works surprisingly well.
Highly recommended for anyone curious about Indian classical music but not sure where to start. Just make sure you’re listening to the right version.
Air
3/5
I would give this 4* as a soundtrack and 2* as a regular album.
The Stone Roses
4/5
The Go-Betweens
4/5
A highly enjoyable new wave album. I actually knew two songs, and never knew who they were from. Glad I found this band. From Brisbane even!
Richard Hawley
3/5
A little bit of Orbison, a snuff of Cash, and a little pinch of Sinatra.
But then artificial beauty instead of the warmth I was hoping for.
Stereolab
3/5
Gang Of Four
5/5
“Every band that wanted to sound ‘cool’ between 2002–2006 ripped off Entertainment!.”
Even after 1086 albums on this list, Entertainment! hits like a revelation. Furious bass, jagged guitar, mechanical drums, and razor-sharp political bite — Gang of Four sound both feral and precise. You can hear their influence on bands like Bloc Party and Franz Ferdinand, but nothing matches the raw, dangerous energy here. Standouts like "Natural’s Not In It" and "Damaged Goods" make this a 5-star classic and one of the best surprises of the whole 1001 journey.
Justin Timberlake
2/5
Man, early 2000s pop albums really didn’t know how to stop at 40 minutes, did they? The album is frontloaded with singles, but the last 7 songs feel interchangeable, once you get past "Rock Your Body," the album starts to blur into a polished but samey stream of filler.
The Neptunes (Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo) and Timbaland sure know how to write a catchy pop tune, but the production sheen can’t save the weaker tracks, and the emotional range just isn’t there to sustain a full album listen.
3/5
Black Holes and Revelations is an epic yet exhausting listening experience, made for grand gestures. Muse's mix of rock with classical and electronic elements gives them a distinct sound, and on this album they fully embrace the bombast. The production is slick, theatrical, and takes itself very seriously—which suits the apocalyptic tone of the music and album, but at times also feels a bit over the top.
Tracks like “Map of the Problematique” and “Knights of Cydonia” are definite favourites—MotP reminds me a bit of Depeche Mode, while KoC is so excessive that it circles back around to being impressive.
Eric Clapton
3/5
A laid-back, competent record that coasts more than it compels. Clapton’s playing is tasteful, but being a great musician doesn’t always make you a great songwriter. The covers and traditional arrangements are fine, but little here truly grabs you. Even the big hit “I Shot the Sheriff” feels more like a respectful studio rendition than a reinvention. It's a background listen, not a standout. And I might've been hoping a bit more for my penultimate album on this journey