"All hail the Berlin trilogy!" I think they should be called Low, parts 1, 2 and 3. This is music that only sold because of his name. I wonder how many praise these albums because they don't want to admit that they wasted their money. I've learned a frightening word since I started listening to 1001 albums: AMBIENT. It is code for plain boring, weird boring, or monotonous pretentious twaddle. This album is just boring because I've heard it before. Back in the day it was weird boring. I assume Lodger is also in the list. I hope not. Yesterday I had Paranoid, more of that ilk, thank you.

What's not to love. Black Francis spirits and screaming out these strange stories, backed by that solid rhythm. But the thing that takes it next level is Joey Santiago's sonic wails, they just accentuate everything. Here Comes Your Man is great pop, written by Francis when he was 15.

Every time I hear n***** I hate a song. I'm an old fart who occasionally likes hip-hop, but I find it so cliched and repetitive, and that's the worst cliche. The second cliche is the name-checking that goes on with the intense self-interest that most of the lyrics feature. So far this is living up to the cliches. Cliche three is their hatred of women. "So Appalled" is the ultimate joke, with one of these idiots busily yelling out, "F****** ridiculous, " as his contribution to art. The rest of them spout out whiny, misogynistic crap. Ok, I give up. I'm bored. I lasted 9 songs. Musically it is interesting, almost orchestral. Lyrically... they whine more than a faulty gearbox. I'm giving it two stars because one star means an album has nothing to recommend it. This has some good sounds. I wish they'd just shut up.

It starts off innocently, a couple of fairly standard rocky numbers, which had me worrying about lack of diversity. Then we hit the numbers she did with Thom Yorke, which sandwich the genius of "The Whores Hustle..." Now we start hearing the Nick Cave influence. There is light, shade, darkness. She uses that voice to stab you in the heart. When it's over, you feel bereft. Thank God for replay. I knew she was good, but this is the best album I've heard in years.

For those who don't know, Townsville is a tropical city, definitely not conducive to wearing long coats. Nevertheless, in 1985, I discovered that the West End hotel was the home of the city's goth scene. Both music is the best dance music, without question, as far as I'm concerned. It manages to have a hypnotic, insistent beat, while escaping the utter boredom and repetition of '70s disco, EDM, etc. Whenever they played a song I didn't know, but really liked, there was an excellent chance it came from this great album. When you find out that it was recorded while they consumed vast quantities of alcohol and drugs, while Smith has stated he was suicidally depressed, it is no surprise this album is considered the beginning of goth rock. When they toured it was the first appearance of the big hair and make up that symbolised goth. A wall of thundering noise that thrills me like few other albums.

Jazz isn't my thing, but I do love the sound Miles got from his horn. Side one belongs to that omnipresent fizzing from the hi-hat and some of the coolest bass I've ever heard. I heard someone use the word "ambient" to describe the album. It is something you'd put on late at night while peacefully discussing with a couple of friends.

I only lasted 4 songs before I started pushing the next song button in the hope that something would be different. Two stars because the musicians played well, but it sounded like every other Latin beat piece of big band music.

This isn't one of the great albums. The best song is only memorable because of a sample of an orchestral rendering of a Rolling Stones' song. The rest is a reasonably pedestrian attempted copy of Oasis, but lacking the bite.

I'd never heard of Love until I started using Spotify. They frequently add Alone Again Or to a variety of playlists because it's such a genre hopper, with those excellent harmonies. The rest of the album doesn't disappoint, with that lovely contrast of sweet backing against some dark lyrics.

Every time I hear n***** I hate a song. I'm an old fart who occasionally likes hip-hop, but I find it so cliched and repetitive, and that's the worst cliche. The second cliche is the name-checking that goes on with the intense self-interest that most of the lyrics feature. So far this is living up to the cliches. Cliche three is their hatred of women. "So Appalled" is the ultimate joke, with one of these idiots busily yelling out, "F****** ridiculous, " as his contribution to art. The rest of them spout out whiny, misogynistic crap. Ok, I give up. I'm bored. I lasted 9 songs. Musically it is interesting, almost orchestral. Lyrically... they whine more than a faulty gearbox. I'm giving it two stars because one star means an album has nothing to recommend it. This has some good sounds. I wish they'd just shut up.

Angst factor 11 and rising. This is ultimate screamo from a band that can play. A whole album becomes repetitive. Will still listen again, however.

Can you really expect a PNE supporter to like Blackpool? I was surprised how enjoyable this was. That sequencer sound is very good to listen to.

What a piece of music! Four amazing songs that are a great as anything ever released. Five songs that are much more than filler. Then...a truly terrible version of "A Change Is Gonna Come." It almost made me stop the rating from five to four stars. It sounds like a bad attempt at the national anthem by a wannabe. Not the Queen of Soul. But this album placed her at the absolute top. Magnificent!

This is elevator music hell. Do people actually like this crap? It's boring enough to put you to sleep, but just irritating enough to keep you awake. This actually scores zero stars.

It's clever and catchy. But it's house. I didn't like dance music from my generation (disco), so I'm even less enamoured with EDM.

Carn't sleep put me to sleep. Started skipping tracks. Why am I getting house albums? Give me something that rocks or I'm out of here.

I heard the first track, Fine Time, which sounds like a Stock, Aitken, Waterman instrumental. Throw some Kylie vocals over the top and it's 1986. No thank you. Then comes, "All The Way," which threw me back to The Cure doing Inbetween Days. The rest of the album has me in a happy '80s place, hearing echoes of The Go-Betweens, Depeche Mode, and smidgens of The Smiths. I've always thought of New Order as innovators, now I'm hearing them as musical Bower Birds: collecting shiny things that turn into something that is very attractive.

It starts off innocently, a couple of fairly standard rocky numbers, which had me worrying about lack of diversity. Then we hit the numbers she did with Thom Yorke, which sandwich the genius of "The Whores Hustle..." Now we start hearing the Nick Cave influence. There is light, shade, darkness. She uses that voice to stab you in the heart. When it's over, you feel bereft. Thank God for replay. I knew she was good, but this is the best album I've heard in years.

It's hard to go back and remember how shocking this was. It seems more naughty little boy nowadays, although Blockheads and Blackmail Man have a bit of serious bite to them. My Old Man is quite lovely. The less said about Billeracay Dickie and You're More Than Fair, the better.

More EDM. So boring. Why would anybody buy a whole album.

A couple of great songs, but I've discovered I rarely like instrumentals. I've never taken to the Berlin trilogy and time hasn't changed my opinion.

For those who don't know, Townsville is a tropical city, definitely not conducive to wearing long coats. Nevertheless, in 1985, I discovered that the West End hotel was the home of the city's goth scene. Both music is the best dance music, without question, as far as I'm concerned. It manages to have a hypnotic, insistent beat, while escaping the utter boredom and repetition of '70s disco, EDM, etc. Whenever they played a song I didn't know, but really liked, there was an excellent chance it came from this great album. When you find out that it was recorded while they consumed vast quantities of alcohol and drugs, while Smith has stated he was suicidally depressed, it is no surprise this album is considered the beginning of goth rock. When they toured it was the first appearance of the big hair and make up that symbolised goth. A wall of thundering noise that thrills me like few other albums.

A lot of meh, somewhat relieved by Boogie On Reggae Woman. Then you hear the clavinet lead into You Haven't Done Nothin', one of the greatest songs I've heard. Side two is a great Stevie journey: a slow ballad that makes your heartache, a sweet bit of samba soul, with that wonderful sound of the cuica, and a great soul song that fades out with a jam. Can't go give stars because the first side is a let down, but side two is everything that genius was capable of.

It feels like the same song being played over and over with all the feeling of a lounge band. Murph and The Magictones, anyone? I feel they're wearing beige velour. So boring. Pretty good if you need to be put to sleep.

Manages boredom and irritation. "It was a pleasure then" is a collection of cacophony. Did those great songwriters (Dylan, Jackson, Hardin) write bad songs, or did she wreck them? After listening to some other versions, the answer is that Nico can't sing

James has always sounded a bit weedy, to me. This album doesn't change my mind. Fire and Rain is unquestionably brilliant, and there are some good lines in some of the other songs. But it isn't an album that I needed to hear.

Well that was disappointing. Just noise.

I'm with the reviewers that say, "Sounds nice, good message, but oh so boring."

This is my 25th album and it's the second by this overrated tabloid fodder. Apparently his music changed with every album. Pity the lyrical content is still just as tawdry. He's either bragging or whining. I didn't have to listen to this. Nobody does.

Chemical Brothers do EDM really well. The first couple of songs are enjoyable, but then I start remembering why I dislike EDM. Every song is an introduction that outwears its welcome. I keep waiting for a song to break out, but all they do is minor variations on the riff. Then that uptempo beat starts to irritate and agitate. I don't know how people manage to listen to a whole album without getting violent. Two stars because it is better than most.

It's kind of interesting that this top selling album isn't really a great album. It is a collection of big songs that doesn't really have the journey that a good album takes you on. It has some phenomenal songs by an artist who sings powerful songs brilliantly. But there's no contrast and it gets a bit boring and repetitive. HOWEVER... it is bookended by four great songs, and they earn four stars.

There's lots to like with this throwback. I was getting '60s hippie vibes, and was getting hopeful. But his voice becomes repetitive. There are far too many albums that suffer from lack of variety. This is one of them. Can someone explain why I must listen to this album?

Other reviewers have asked the same question: Why haven't Portishead been tapped for a James Bond theme? Beth has a great voice, totally suited to the slow beats that back her up. I'd never heard this band, their name sounded like a folk band. Then I read something that said they were pioneers of trip hop. This immediately sent my antennae waving, not in a good way. But I've been pleasantly surprised and enjoyed their music, bar one important detail. I've listened to several albums recently that all suffer from a lack of variety. EDM is chronically guilty of that. Sadly, it becomes a bit wearing. But it's so well done it still gets four stars. A couple of reviewers had a go at the scratching. IT'S 1994 FFS!

It was a revelation when it came out. Living For the City a and Higher Ground are top shelf, but the rest doesn't reach that standard.

What an introduction. Davies' wailing harmonica was so good, they used that instrument as the main intro to side two of Breakfast. "School" shows us exactly where they were in '74 - bridging the gap between prog and pop. What follows is a great album, showing us some serious rock, those Wurlitzer pianos, some thumping good rhythm, and a balance between art, rock and pop that few bands have managed. Somehow Hodgson's voice doesn't annoy, while Davies always has that extra bit of bite that makes him one of my favourites. Then it finishes with those piano chords! Simple, unadorned, powerful, memorable. So what do you do? Turn it over and listen again. Oh yes.... probably the best cover of any album, ever.

Meh.

They arrived with a massive explosion. There was some great rock around at that time, but it wasn't played on commercial radio. Instead we had that travesty known as "hair metal." Firstly, it wasn't metal, it was plastic pop with guitars. It didn't rock, it primped. I took one look at G'n'R and expected more of the same. Then I heard this! It just launches and never sets down. Usually I get bored with too much of the same, but they rock so hard it doesn't matter. Like every great band it begins with the rhythm section. Slash peels off solos that Page would struggle to equal. Like all the great leads, he is melodic, not just some boring shredder like Steve Vai. Axl doesn't have a great voice, but it suits the songs. This is one of the great debut albums, yet they went better with Use Your Illusion(s)...

This album should be in the other book: 1001 albums you should avoid at all costs. I've never listened to an album so quickly. It went like this - Track 1: Listen for 20 seconds, scream in horror, skip to Track 2: listen for 15 seconds, vomit, skip to Track 3: listen for 10 seconds, feel a part of my soul die, no more skipping. This is worse than Crazy Frog, Brotherhood of Man, and Nyaan Cat, all on permanent loop. No amount of drugs accounts for this abomination being written, let alone recorded, let alone getting released!

Oh, how I wish I'd seen them live. Preferably in a pub with a dance floor. I love the little touches that elevate it above folk (I love good Celtic folk BTW). My favourite is the surf guitar solo on, "A Pistol For Paddy Garcia." I was expecting to mark this down because of repetition, but this glorious LP is packed with variety, fun, skill, and that spark of anger and rebellion that turns good into great.

Like many listeners I only knew that beautiful single, so was looking forward to the album. So it begins with a bunch of great pop songs, culminating in "There She Goes." That song deserves its place as a soundtrack favourite: jangly, sweet guitars and those glorious, uplifting harmonies. Pure pop perfection. Then it starts getting interesting, a bit of rock, and some more introspective stuff. "Looking Glass" is a psychedelic masterpiece, I love how it finishes in a whirring blur. A bit of tightening and this is a five star album. I wish they'd recorded more. This is a great debut with a couple of great songs.

My first impression is that I know why they didn't make an impression in Oz. We had so many bands that knew how to rock. First two tracks - meh. A little bit of life in the third, but I'm still struggling to stay awake. "Walk This Way" sounded much better in 1986. Maybe it's the production, because there are some good songs trying to get out, but it sounds pretty pedestrian except for "Round and Round," which is good rock.

Nope. Joni wrote some great songs, but her albums drag. This one manages to combine dull with pretentious. What is it with this vocal delivery? Is she trying to demonstrate how clever and poetic her vocals are? The Jungle Line doesn't deserve to be on this album, it's much too good. Saves the album from a one star.

That plaintive voice against the robotic background gives these songs way more heart than I expected. This is so early in the electronic era yet sounds better than most. He brings a lovely musicality, especially the swirls of sound that add colour to several pieces.

Expectations are an interesting thing. I was expecting something weird that would probably get 3 stars. I expected her voice to get annoying. There was a bit of weird, the correct amount of weird. I found the first few songs enjoyable: quirky, clever, upbeat. But all she was doing was luring me in to the stunning finish. All of a sudden I felt so much emotion. Each song in that second side is a mini masterpiece, a combination of vocal and musical excellence. Her voice! The variety of songs, complete with a potential James Bond theme. This has made 1001 albums worth it.

Putting on a Creedence record is like answering the door to an old friend. Except this old friend still manages to surprise. If you haven't heard them for a while it's easy to forget how great Fogerty's voice is. The wonderful thing about Cosmo's Factory is that it's littered with hits, but the less well known songs are also brilliant. It has variety, it rocks, it has several killer riffs. There is one fault: Why is Heard It Through the Grapevine so long? Ramble Tamble is long, but it never bores. Creedence did the best version of Grapevine (that riff alone, let alone the vocal). The first coda is fine, but they needed to stop. Doesn't stop it getting five stars.

That was surprisingly good. It does beg the question as to why Reed was the lead singer of the Velvet Underground. Because Cale can sing. In tune, even.

Not the most boring thing I've ever heard, but that's because I kept skipping. All the other guitar legends make albums that are boring because they try too hard to show us how clever they are. Borehand hides his only skill so we can hear lame vocals and trite lyrics. Then he covers great songs lamely. Then I find out he's a twat! This is not an important album, it's an example of a name that sells records.

The first side is great. Side two points towards that godawful ambient music that so many critics love. Why? Very boring. Background stuff. Fortunately this album doesn't fall too far into that category.

Due to the randomness of the 1001 songs generator, this is my second Eno album in a row. I really enjoyed them both, which is a surprise because this isn't my type of music. I'd heard some of Eno's ambient stuff and found it dull, but this was a return to form, no doubt helped with the collaboration with that absolute genius (and pain in the arse) David Byrne. I missed a lot of good music in the '80s, tending to stick to rock. I shall keep listening to more weird stuff.

Nope. Big nope. That's worse than terrible. Does he actually make a living from this crap?

They're Smashing Pumpkins... if Billy had a positive attitude. This is a lot of fun but it is too long.

Like all albums of its era, this contained a lot of killer, and some filler. The best songs are at the top of the pantheon.

Pretty boring. The hits are great, but most of it is self indulgent. He was an interpreter, a showman, and a guitar genius. But he needed to be in a band with some decent songwriters.

What an album! It begins with a merging of two glorious songs, which would be enough for some artists. It finishes with a chilling take on Silent Night. In between, it takes us to joy, sadness, longing, love. It's all killer, no filler. The blending of their voices is perfect, then Artie gets his moment on For Emily. If you think that's perfect, find a live version to listen to. He really is that good. What's really amazing is that this wonderful album isn't their best. Bridge Over Troubled Water wins that accolade. That magnificent achievement is then dwarfed by Graceland, IMHO the greatest album of them all.

Whinge about life....check. Use the n word.....check. Brag.....check. It starts off interestingly, but it's still this boring genre where you make a beat and talk over it. The cliches, misogyny, glorification of violence and conspicuous consumption are just another reason to hate this shallow shit.

I wasn't expecting to enjoy this, having been subjected to some of that modal stuff, hard bop, and other totally unmusical styles of jazz. I read a review that said he improvises, which is usually code for harsh music from technical types who like to show off their skills. Or would he just play discordant chords, which seems to be another jazz piano trait. NO! This is lovely, melodic, mostly peaceful music that can play away in the background, but is quite glorious to hear with headphones on. He understands melody and phrasing and has the happy knack of knowing when it's time to change things up.

It immediately starts annoying me, like so much '60s jazz. Coltrane is all over the place, while the piano and drums fight for attention. When he stops playing, then they work together. Part 2 has the same problem. Once Coltrane stops playing the piano takes over the lead and the drummer settles into rhythm. Then the pianist gets overexcited and starts banging chords, which are no doubt modal, but they just sound random to me. Part 3 starts off with a good drum solo, but Bonzo did it better in triplets. In comes the piano and they work together well, until Daddy comes home and they start begging for his attention again. It settles down nicely for a while before Coltrane decides to show off again. Part 4 is pretty good, maybe the drummer needs to stick to the kettle, that rolling rhythm was effective, there is no discordant battle, so it finishes the album nicely. I'd like to mention the bass player, who just sits there and backs the others, except for his long and dull solo.

That was quite entertaining, not as weird as I thought.

So do I write a review with hindsight or do I write the review I would have written as a 12/13 year old, nearly 50 years ago. Because I remember hearing this the first time. War Pigs was like nothing I'd ever heard before, and the rest of the album kept me enthralled. It still does. Some of the lyrics are trite, but it's a sonic masterpiece.

"All hail the Berlin trilogy!" I think they should be called Low, parts 1, 2 and 3. This is music that only sold because of his name. I wonder how many praise these albums because they don't want to admit that they wasted their money. I've learned a frightening word since I started listening to 1001 albums: AMBIENT. It is code for plain boring, weird boring, or monotonous pretentious twaddle. This album is just boring because I've heard it before. Back in the day it was weird boring. I assume Lodger is also in the list. I hope not. Yesterday I had Paranoid, more of that ilk, thank you.

My God that was boring!

Yesterday's album was a boring and repetitive effort. So I gave it one star and was looking forward to today's effort. When I saw what it was I had low expectations. They weren't met. I kept falling asleep but it sounded like the same song. 21 times! 1001 Alvin's has thrown up some wonderful surprises - PJ Harvey, 1 Eno album, Keith Jarrett, among others. But it has also introduced me to acts that were so unlistenable it defies logic that they made money.

What a let-down. The first track is quite a catchy song. Then it just goes on with that repititious music that is only bearable if you're taking pills, grinding your teeth, and drinking a truckload of water. I can understand people jumping up and down to this crap, but would you buy the album?

Why has it taken me over 40 years to hear this gem? About half of the 21st century's music is influenced by this album. It's of its time, yet harkens strongly to the future. I thought Ghost Town was an outlier, but you can hear them building up to it. It's taken me nearly 50 years to realise what I need in an album - variety, but with an overarching connection. So many albums become boring, I'm thinking of famous ones like Exile On Main Street, and almost every electronic album. Then we have some that vary too much - psychedelic music springs to mind. This is why classic bands like Queen, Beatles, Led Zep, were able to release so many great albums: they instantly sound recognisable, but provide a dish of varied ingredients. Dammers nearly went too far - International Jet Set, but this is a great, skilful, sometimes funny, almost apocalyptic joy.

I've listened to this album hundreds of times, yet when I saw it come up I got a little thrill. I can play this album in my head and not miss a beat. My first musical memory is The Fabs. I've loved them for nearly 60 years because they were the greatest. They still are. This album is one of the main reasons we love albums.

Lots of little Beatles' references in this ode to psychedelia. At one stage you'd swear they're writing a new chapter of Strawberry Fields. They start off flexing their shoegaze muscles and manage to throw out some crunchy guitar and storming drums. I've Lost The Reason is an encapsulation of the whole album. Twee verse with a bit of Beach Boys harmonies, then they bust out a massive chorus that pays homage to Kurt, but with weird distorted sounds a la Sergeant Peppers. I hope they had fun making this, because I had fun listening.

Every time I listen to this masterpiece I notice something new. This time it was that jump from the sheer fun of Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts to the wistful wonder of If You See Her, Say Hello. I've heard the latter song many times but it is so much more effective in the album. It's a phenomenal album. There is a reason why he's a Nobel laureate. This is a big part of it.

What a debut. She doesn't mind spilling her heart all over the stage. She arrived fully formed and just got better. Just when it was getting a bit same-ish, the last four songs just blew me out of the water.

Very cool start, but I'm worried that 70 minutes will be too long. Sadly, it's like a lot of hip-hop. Interesting start, then they repeat a beat while talking. Choruses can be good, but it's so repetitive.

That was really boring.

This smashed me over the head in 2022. Imagine what effect it had in 1965. The Witch is amazing, Roslie's vocals are insane, something he carries on for the whole album. But the ultimate sound is that quivery bass. I don't know if it's backed by bass pedal, but it just sounds EVIL! Only 30 minutes. Perfect. It leaves you begging for more. Apparently the Seattle scene was full of bands like The Sonics. If I ever get a ride in the TARDIS I'm going to Seattle in the early '60s. Then I'll stay for 30 years. (I won't be going to Starbucks. That coffee is awful)

This is one of the great punk/new wave albums. The songwriting genius of Weller is the backbone, Buckler laid down some great beats, but it was the phenomenal bass of Bruce Foxton that pinned it all together.

This was something different when it came out. Lots of blues and country influences with Knofler's guitar giving it so much colour. It still sounds good. Interestingly, their biggest album, Brothers in Arms, sounds way more dated.

It's always interesting to find a band like Suede, that have had long-lasting success in the UK, yet are quite unknown here in Australia. I can see why they haven't hit it here, we tend to go for more straightforward music. This is a little bit prog, a little bit pomp, and quite enjoyable.

The first three songs are great, individually. But they are so similar that you can be excused for thinking that boredom is about to arrive. Then along comes Bullet The Blue Sky, a bolt out of the blue. The rest of the album shows a variety of songs, some that rock, some that sound like folk, and one that does both and is probably the best song on the album: Red Hill Mining Town. Yes, Bono is a douche, and they have become monstrously egotistical, and this album was the start of that. But it's still a great album.

The first side is boring and inoffensive. Side two starts out promisingly, then he starts screaming. One star because I wasted a car ride and couldn't pull over to change to something decent.

The fact that She Bop follows Time After Time says everything about this album. Everything she does is joyful.

Pretty decent for instrumental.

I was 7 when this came out, but I rarely heard any of his songs for another 10 years. What an absolute barnstormer this is now, let alone 55 years ago. All killer, no filler, funky, rocking, guitar pyrotechnics. It has it all. 55 stars.

It's quite amazing that this album was recorded in such a disjointed fashion. How did they get those beautiful harmonies without singing together? It just shows their genius. I'm assuming that Stills was the conductor, he is one of the true geniuses of modern music. The addition of Young takes them to another level. While none of the songs reached the transcendent heights of Suite: Judy Blue Eyes, they still were a level above anything released at the time. Except for the excitement that was happening on the heavier spectrum, of course.

That was even better than I expected. Nobody does the standards better than Ella. Not Frank, not Bing. Nobody. That voice is so warm, so smooth, so perfect. If you want to be picky, some of the lyrics don't fit my feminist leanings. But Someone To Watch Over Me is a song with astounding longing, just pouring from the singer's heart. The secret is in the delivery - straight. No warbles, no melisma, no screeching out high notes, just honouring the melody.

I find EDM repetitive and boring. NOT THIS! Just when it's in danger of becoming boring, he wanders off into something knew. It's a lot of fun, some of those odd, mangled vocals remind me of naughty boys playing with words and fart sounds. It's when he segues into those big beats that he shows his mastery. This is so far above anything in this genre, except maybe Daft Punk.

I'm pretty disappointed. Lots of heartache, but not one dawg! No trucks! I had to laugh at some of the lyrical content, but found it highly enjoyable.

Ok. Couple of good songs, but it's background stuff at best. I was debating two or three stars, but Baby Girl's Window added an extra layer of wedding band blandness.

What's not to love. Black Francis spirits and screaming out these strange stories, backed by that solid rhythm. But the thing that takes it next level is Joey Santiago's sonic wails, they just accentuate everything. Here Comes Your Man is great pop, written by Francis when he was 15.

Mmm. Sounds like classic rock by some American band I've never heard of. Ok bit it's no Jam or Style Council. To answer Paul's question... his fire has gone out. (For this album anyway)

This belongs in 1001 albums you say, "Meh!" to.

Some bits good, but so many bits of keyboard and bass playing quickly with no connection to the song. I actually prefer '80s Yes.

I knew nothing about this band, yet they produced this stunner. I particularly love those slightly bluesy numbers with that distinctive late-60s bass. Whichever of those great singers had that raspy voice, he is a good as anyone. Ever! That manager deserves to live in he'll with Kenny G being piped in.

Some good bits. Some average bits. I do mean bits, because they aren't songs.

This was a lovely surprise. I thought I was going to hear Oasis with Michael Stipe as lead singer. But then we get these folk songs, as well as lush songs with strings in the background. This is the album that Oasis wished they could make.

She has a great voice, but it gets a bit tedious until the last two songs.

This is the album that launched Bruce into the stratosphere. It rocks. It tells stories. It has so much heart. It has "I'm On Fire," which must be one of the greatest songs about desire that's ever been written.

For a while there, I thought that T-Rex kept recycling three songs, which is appealing but repetitive. Then they started breaking out on the second side. Chariot Choogle is a much fun as the title suggests. Great album.

Steve Winwood has one of the great soul voices. They should have stuck with soul.

Side one has that baroque stuff that flooded the market in 1967/68. But it gets way more interesting on side two. Time of the Season is a step above everything else. The closest I can come is to describe it as sinuous. There is a reason why The Beatles and Stones are so much more successful than all other '60s bands. They took psychedelia to strange, wonderful places, then moved on.

I was listening to REM before this came up. The contrast is significant and Sebadoh don't come out of it favourably. Some reasonable songs but lots of noise. I don't think I'd feel happy listening to this mix if I'd made it.

That was angry fun. I heard bits of The Pixies as well as some angsty metal. There was a pop sensibility hiding in well constructed, musical songs.

It's a little bit samey, but it's still Paul Simon. I'm very glad it's failure helped propel him to trying out some different sounds, because Graceland is my favourite album of all time. When listening to this unfamiliar album I was inclined to mark it down, but when I listened to it objectively, I realised that it had some great moments.

I'm 61, but courtesy of my sons I know, and love SOAD. This album is a nice introduction to this band. This introduction, however, isn't a handshake. It's a musical assault of glorious insanity. I mean, it's seriously warped. It's ANGRY! They are unique, they are wonderful. I'm a little afraid that I won't sleep well tonight. Or at all.

As soon as I read trip-hop I expect that I'm going to get irritated WHILE also being put to sleep. I guess that is a compliment to this style of boredom.

This is just bliss. Hearing songs I've never heard before that are phenomenal. The best example is Good To Me As I Am To You. That song has everything! Aretha blows every other singer into the weeds. Then it's followed up by Come Back Baby which has that classic groovy bass that signified the late '60s/early '70s.

Really enjoyed it at the start, but the songs all blur into each other.

Nope. Just nope. Every hip-hop cliche ever made. Beyond terrible.

A bunch of hits backed up by songs that the competition wish they could write. A lot of negative reviews probably due to the content of Chocolate Cake. Americans really can't take criticism, it seems.

There are some great songs, but it's not 5 star Neil.

So I put this on towards the end of a car trip, because putting ambient/dance/electronica on can be dangerously soporific. This is better than most of its genre, but it still begs the question: Why don't they try to write an actual song? They do the same thing we used to do in the 60s/70s/80s... which was to jam with your friends. Sometimes you came up with a good sound and tried to turn it into a song. But these electronic types record it and put it out. They're fragments, not songs.

What a whiny bitch.

Musical. Fun. Positive. These aren't words I'd usually attach to hip-hop, but not really a surprise as they come from the South. That area gave birth to some of the greatest genres (blues and jazz to begin with) but it also took different types of music and just made them better.

I really wanted to hate this, but it has some good songs and Morrissey’s odd voice gives the songs a lot of their character.

Oasis, Blur, and Pulp are well known in Australia, but I don't remember Suede. This is a pity as they play some intriguing intriguing. I particularly enjoyed Where Pigs Don't Fly, with that haunting guitar in the background.

What I expected. Some of it good, some of it twee (the title track is excruciating). Everyone needs to listen to Knight Errant: I love her upstairs, I love her downstairs, But I love my lady's chamber. I can't stop laughing.

After listening to their debut effort I wasn't holding out much hope. I love Annie's voice (weapon) but found it had that repetitive dullness that colours so much euro-electronic stuff (that definitely includes the humdrum that is Bowie's Berlin trilogy). But they got their groove going in this one, retaining the experimental edge while truly displaying their rhythmic, melodic pop sensibility. Songs like Somebody Told Me have that hypnotic quality while being fun.

Another loud man boasting about his prowess. It manages to be boring, yet highly irritating at the same time. Thank God they started making decent music in the south, because this east coast/west coast stuff is uniformly poor.

The only band that successfully married boogie with the '80s. The album is way stronger than I thought it would be.

Not as good as her first album as some songs are very grungey. When she gets back into pouring her heart out and screaming, she's much better.

So seductive. So cool. This can be background music, but it slowly, languidly, pulls you in until it's just you immersed in the gentle swishing of the ocean, which is actually Jimmy Cobb on the brushes. There's a cracking fire that warms you. That's Miles. I can resist most jazz. I actively hate free jazz and hard bop, which are less musical than hip-hop. But this is irresistible.

That was a pleasant surprise. Even the singles sounded better, not as produced. That cover of 1984 was excellent, paying homage to Bowie's version by going a little further than he did.

What a hot mess! How can someone come up with such brilliance while being totally fucked up? Spaced Cowboy is now my new favourite song of all time. Country funk is even more fun than country rap. This was already a five star album, but the last three songs belong in the stratosphere. I always thought that Parliament/Funkadelic had released the weirdest, and best, funk. But this is next level greatness. I could happily listen to the bass by itself.

Faith was the first time I'd ever liked a George Michael song, but the remaining songs left me cold. At the time I was a pub rock devotee with a dislike for anything that had a dance or electronic bent. How my tastes have changed. Anything with a bit of funk lures me in and this album oozes funk. Yesterday's album was that batshit crazy "There's a Riot Going On," which is the godfather of '70s funk. This is its sexy nephew.

Pretty boring considering the secrecy of his return. Where Are We Now is head and shoulders above the others, with that powerful, yet fragile, delivery that makes it feel more like Blackstar (which is a far better album).

So we should blame it on Getz and Byrd. Latin rhythms make any kind of music better. Basically this is ridiculously cool jazz.

It's a pity it went on forever.

Wow! I find hip-hop to be frequently boring and the lyrical content to come from two schools: boastful excess or whiny promises of violence. I'm lying here with a nasty dose of covid, yet this has me bopping. The vocalists (MCs? Talkers?) are great, taking over, harmonising, using their differences to emphasise their lyrics. I particularly like the deep voice. He's so musical. It is too long and they fell into that familiar genre failure, using that n-word.

I think Steve has a great voice and his singles are uniformly great. But the gap between the good and the meh is pretty big.

That voice! She has that rich, low, smooth tone that makes you feel warm and comfortable. But then she has this quaver, that makes you feel the pain that shines in so many of her stories.

This is just wonderful. So much humour, so much love.

That wasn't pleasant.

I tried to get this. Some sounds worked, but I like to hear vocals, not some ambient fuzz.

I can't believe I haven't listened to this album before. I was 19 when it came out. But then again, we were arguing over whether Chisel or The Angels were best. (Chisel. Not really close once you'd seen both bands live) My main exposure to punk was through reviewers who kept saying wonderful things about music that I found had no depth and no breadth. Siouxsee and the Banshees, The Damned and The Clash all had a couple of good songs, but didn't sound like the saviours of music they were written up to be. Never Mind The Bollocks was something else. It was a raging, roaring, thumping, sonic masterpiece. So, when the critics went into paroxysms of delight about London Calling I wasn't falling for their message. Which is strange, because the title song was electric. Still is. Now I've heard it, and I realise I have heard all the songs. Is it 5 stars? Probably. Are there better albums from that time? Oh yes. A selection from 1979/1980 includes The Wall, East, True Colours, Glass Houses, Scary Monsters, Breakfast in America, 52nd St, and Parallel Lines. All of those are better than this album, but they weren't punk/new wave so the critics dismissed them. Blondie didn't count because they were American. Even though they were punk before the English knew what punk was.

What a wonderful piece of weirdness.

Good voice. Boring songs.

This isn't the worst thing I've heard, but I think I'd prefer to hear someone vomiting than listen to the rest of this album. Why is this on 1001 albums? It's a tepid example of a forgettable genre from the '90s.

This is really quite wonderful. Milton's voice soars beautifully, sometimes strangely, above this beguiling mix of surprisingly western music that is sprinkled with splashes of Latin flavour. It is different, yet familiar.

I never owned it, but I'd certainly heard every song, many times. All killer, all thriller, no filler.

I live in a small country town with no elevators. The first song was alright, but then they put me in the longest elevator ride.

That's another album I wish I'd heard back in the day.

The band are thrashing away well but Darby is just irritating.

My attention is starting to wander. How to Disappear Completely is the song that makes your attention disappear. It's also grating enough to keep you listening while you really want to do something else. In Limbo is closer to in hell. No. Just no. I approached this album with trepidation when I read that it was Radiohead goes electronic/ambient. They manage to salvage some intriguing sounds, but hearing Yorke whining over repetitive beats isn't a pleasant experience. The big question. Is the drop in quality from OK Computer to this badly polished turd, the biggest in the history of music? Sometimes, it's what you hear after the album finishes that tells the story. I was barely paying attention when a crunching riff backed by a driving rhythm came on. It's Queens of the Stone Age. It's the chaser that I badly needed.

There are some great songs, but I found myself drifting off. I think there's too much similarity between songs.

Ok.

Not the most boring thing I've ever heard, but it's up there.

It's taken me years to work out what's wrong with The Who. They've performed some of the greatest songs of all time, but I find the quality drops if you listen to a whole album. Who's Next is an exception, but usually a Who album has too much filler. So part of their problem is lack of good songs, but Tommy has good songs. I have two problems with this album. Firstly, any song that doesn't have Townsend power chords tends to be weedy. Secondly, their vocals aren't up to snuff. Roger needs to be singing balls-out rock or he should shut up. Pete should never sing. They needed to hand these songs over to other musicians. Except Pinball Wizard. That is magnificent.

I just wrote a review about The Who in which I started that they are boring unless they are rocking it with massive Townsend power chords. Now I'm about to listen to stripped-down, minimalist, pop. All this from a group I've never heard of. Not holding out much hope. It wasn't awful, but it was a long way from being something I need to hear. The vocalists are having a "lame-off" over uninspiring music. Not bad if you need to sleep

Big nope. I'd prefer to grate my ears off than subject them to this.

I was already a fan of Celebrity Skin and Malibu, but this album outperformed my expectations. I really like it when Courtney uses her voice differently, like the power pop sound of Awful or the Kurt inflection of Northern Star. When I read that Billy Corgan had contributed to this album I knew I'd like it. This album is a gem. One question. Surely Boys On The Radio is an REM track? The lyrics are a bit too direct, but the sound comes straight from Athens, Georgia.

What a intriguing collection of words and sounds. Lots of dark humour and anger.

Why do I like this album? Muddy vocals, muddy instruments. It's the ultimate late night, stupendously drunk, sad but containing sardonic humour, epic. I hear Jeff Buckley, then I hear Tom Waits! This is the poster child for pain producing great art. This is the reward for sponsoring 1001 albums. I'd never heard anything about this man before.

Whenever I have the chance to see Bob live, I listen to this album or watch Pennebaker's/Scorsese's films. They are so good that I know I must go. Then I watch a few minutes of Rolling Thunder (I can't listen to the whole thing) and save my money. This album is perfect, particularly Tamborine Man, which he attacks, and the sheer noise of Baby, Let Me Follow You Down. Bob and the band are having so much fun. I wish he'd taken it down a few notches for Ballad of a Thin Man. The band have that sardonic tone down, but Bob's into full noise mode, not servicing the lyrics. Meanwhile, that nasal bellow is perfect for Like a Rolling Stone. "No secrets to conceeeeeeeeeeeeeal!" Perfect!

It's a pity they couldn't have sprung for a decent vocalist.

The king of funk decided to write the most blistering rock song of all time. That opens a stunning album. I prefer the purple one's funk which is why Die 4 U is probably my favourite track. But the album just a sublime over the top piece of glorious madness.

Quite good but a bit repetitive. It's dance music, not made for listening to.

Nope. Just nope.

That was a boring as anything I've heard in a long while.

It's pleasant, but I prefer Latin music that smokes with heat, not as background drinking sounds.

That was disappointing. Everything blurred into one except for the last song, which had some life.

Energetic but repetitive.

Wasn't bad, but I couldn't get over the Scotsman trying to sound Jamaican.

I tried to listen to it all. But they're so irritating, while being boring and repetitive. I remember finishing an assignment with the radio blaring non stop hair metal all night. I wasn't listening, just having it in the background. It was one long song, with exaggerated drum beats, shouted choruses, generic solos, and great dollops of pretentiousness. Listening to an album of this crap gives me that same feeling. What's really sad is that I believe Jon is a good person who writes good stories.

6 tracks in and my attention's starting to wander. She reminds me of the date from hell. You know the one. She is really attractive with this sardonic sense of humour. After two cocktails she's given the bottle of white a fair going over, and is now totally off about a past relationship. The humour has gone and you are just waiting for the night to end. It's nice for Adele that's she's made a bucket of money from her angst, but maybe it's time to move on.

The title obviously refers to the vocals. Really unpleasant for too much of the album. Even a song like Mirage, which is quite musical, suffers because she only sings two notes. It's a pity the vocals are so poor because I like the backing.

Quite nice but it needed more fundamental range.

That is the most '80s sounding album of all time.

This is the greatest Who album: all killer, no filler. All the faults of Tommy were corrected. They remembered they were a rock band, so we have Moon and Entwhistle driving the songs with Pete crunching out lots of power chords. The songs are strong because we don't have to put up with all those twee bridging things that filled up so much of Tommy. But then they'd also improved. Roger's voice has depth and power, let alone that famous scream. Pete is becoming a lead guitarist, without wandering off into extended solos. Of course, this was also the album that he started using, changing, the synthesiser. This album contains three of their best-known songs, which are great songs. But I've long been mystified by the lack of acclaim for "The Song Is Over." It starts with typical weedy Townsend vocals, but then it has one of Roger's great vocals on the chorus. I'm a huge fan of the blatant metaphors on "Getting In Tune." I could go on, but I believe this is The Who's finest and one of the great albums, an important part of the bridge between the '60s and '70s.

Not interested in the movie. Really not interested in a soundtrack. I don't want to listen to the Star Wars soundtrack, which totally added to a wonderful movie, so why would I listen to this? Yawn.

I swear his voice was at its peak here. Nothing like a mountain of cocaine to add character. His Beatles cover is in the running for worst of all time, although I think that accolade goes to John Farnham for his histrionic attempt at "Help." Despite the critical love for the boring Berlin trilogy this is his last good album until Scary Monsters. I was debating whether it was 4 or 5 stars, but that dismantling of "Across The Universe" knocks it down a peg.

That was the quickest 80 minutes of my life. Usually a double album tends to drag. But this just barrels through a barrage of different genres until it's finished. Which is disappointing because I don't want it to end. Then I remember that I can start all over again. This is the best double album I've heard. Sorry White Album. Sorry Physical Graffiti. Sorry Frampton. (Only kidding there. That album begins to pall by song 3) The teeny-tiny genius truly came from another planet. How can you get so much variety from a solo songwriter. Oh. Yes. He invents a new persona. Camille is breathtaking. So is this album. Sometimes Spotify gets out right. After the last strains of "Adore" faded, I was greeted by Strawberry Letter 23, the Brothers Johnson version. This is one of my favourite songs and definitely fits the vibe.

This is phenomenal! It's a double album that keeps you excited for the whole ride. I still haven't heard a chillies song I don't like and I get to see them in January!

Her voice was shot and everything became repetitive.

So this gets categorised as garage or grunge. But it has more than a twang of country in it with those lazy riffs. Then we hit Days That Used To Be and Love And Only Love. Both of those songs could have been released on Everybody...in 1969. Whatever you classify it as it's a whole lot of fun. Special shout out to the feedback finishes which just add the cherry to the top of this delicious confection. I love the fact that a renegade like Young has remained relevant, popular, and cranky for nearly 60 years. Meanwhile the band are obviously having so much fun. All this from an album I knew nothing about.

I'd Like To Know is probably the best introduction to a debut album ever! This album surely is a tribute to their parent's recited collections. Frenetic fun from a band that was a step above the other Britpop purveyors.

This is just glorious. I'm particularly in love with Sit Down By The Fire, but the whole album just sings with a vibrancy that brings a smile to your face. As a descendant of the Irish diaspora my celtic heart beats happily to this. I'm glad this is part of my heritage, as it makes up for skin that burns in an Australian winter. Summer is just a nightmare.

That was a ripper.

The best album by an ex-Beatle. Better than George's epic (triple albums are always too much), John wrote great songs but uneven albums. Ringo - his wife is the best looking. Seriously, this just proved he's a genius, even Mamunia. Let Me Roll It is one of the greatest answer songs of all time.

What can I say? This rocks like few others ever have. Smells Like Teen Spirit is one of the great songs, but I've been in love with Lithium since I first heard it. The music and lyrics work together perfectly. Seriously, there are only great songs and better songs.

It's inoffensive but I fail to see why deadheads are so fanatical.

Well well. I want expecting much but I found this enjoyable. So I did some research which led to Bowie singing Amsterdam (good, but not at Brel's level) and live clips of Brel. So much emotion. And sweat.

Nothing special. Not a patch on Who's Next.

Sounds ok but it's EDM, it gets boring.

I'm a white, boomer male. I've found hip-hop and modern R'n'B to be boring, with R'n'B also being insipid. So a two hour album should be a chore. Not a chance! This sprawling epic is one of the best albums I've ever heard. Big Boi sticks to his genre but the addition of all these collaborators adds variety to what are superior songs. Then we get Andre who starts with jazz! Just as it starts getting a bit too much he throws in that stupendous version of My Favourite Things (huge nod to John Coltrane) and a very cool guest appearance by Norah Jones. Outstanding!

5 stars isn't enough.

This is 1000 times better than that twee stuff they farted out when Britpop was a thing. (In England, mind you. Here in Oz we liked Oasis, but Blur and Pulp? Nah.) It rocks in places, there is homage paid to psychedelic Beatles, and a couple of tracks score quite highly on the weird shit-o-meter. Great stuff. Much better than I thought it would be. Woohoo!

So I'm enjoying the first few songs, then on comes That's The Way, where Helen Terry flexes her vocal muscles. This then leads into The Church of the Poisoned Mind, where the band rips into this bouncy, irresistible tune where Helen once again soars. Those two songs are worth the price of admission. This is a perfectly designed album, with a natural flow that is perfectly signed off by Victims, a song that deserves greater recognition for it's clever mix of big ballad and minor key sadness.

More gangster crap. Boring and ugly.

Intro that doesn't got three test of the song. Check. Crunchy riff. Check. Shredding solo that shows technical versatility but detracts from the song. Check. Repeat ad nauseum. Two stars for the riffs but this is very boring.

There is some nice tasty backing and some clever lyrics but I still find him annoying.

This just irritates me. I put on some beach boys to clean out my ears.

It's OK and it's nice to hear the emergence of country rock but it doesn't have anything that grabs me.

Without You is so wonderful you'd buy the album just for that. Then you get this eclectic mix from The Beatles favourite singer (and favourite band). Jump Into The Fire is a great song that features the that bass legend, Herbie Flowers in one of his finest appearances. The whole album is breathtaking.

This is the perfect late night headphones album. That voice! Lovely songs that slowly invite you to a place of peaceful joy.

It has some great moments, but it should have been culled into one disc. New World Record and Discovery were stronger.

I was so impressed by this man I knew nothing about. I swear that he had influenced every singer songwriter of the past 50 years

The mid-60s belonged to The Byrds. Pleasant listening with a couple of great tracks.

When Seasons Change puts the blues into rhythm and blues! So In Love throws back to Stax in the mid-'60s. After an outstanding start it did tail off.

Sounded good to start with but I lost concentration pretty quickly. The word "pretentious" keeps entering my consciousness. Then I read some quotes by Robin Pecknold, he is pretentious with a capital W. The annoying thing is that I can hear echoes of Brian Wilson, which should make me want to like it, but it just sounds try hard. I'm getting to the end and it's just sounding annoying. Bellowing out "Oliver James!" at the end of a song doesn't help. Spotify decided to play Belle and Sebastian after this album had finished. I think that comes from a playlist entitled "Overrated Twaddle." I'm going to listen to Queen now, to get my good humour back. They were over the top, but with tongue wedged firmly in cheek.

I thought it was starting to drag then I hit the funktastic All The Critics. Only the purple one can get away with that stripped down repetitive groove. If you can get an over 60 white man dancing you must have something. But I think International Lover is my new favourite song. I smiled, then giggled, then bellowed with laughter. He is that naughty little boy who keeps getting away with it. So much fun. I decided to re-listen because I needed to decide if this was worth four or five stars. That bass on Lady Cab Driver, perfect mix of '70s and '80s funk. Then it gets into that rocky little jam that becomes a full on shred. Oh yeah!

This album was obviously meant for the 1001 insipid albums list. They almost grabbed my attention on Goodbye Lucille which built up to a chorus where the singer started putting in a bit of feeling. Then back to the humdrum verse. Then they really crushed my interest with the next song, followed by the next ad nauseum. I didn't know them. They were only successful in the UK which really tells the story. Lots of great British music hit our charts during the 2nd invasion (I'm Australian) but this stuff has nothing of interest. Horsin' Around is the final nail in the coffin. This album may end up with only one star. Yep. One star. It went from insipid to annoyingly twee.

This was pretty good. I particularly liked the funkier songs.

It was so good I listened twice. The second tin through was even better.

If this was anyone else is probably be raving. Lush arrangements backing a smoky voice that puts out plenty of emotion. But it's Ray. He sings sassy rhythm and blues. This is too middle of the road. It features those awful choral backing harmonies that were prevalent at this time. This is particularly damaging on the final track. Ray is singing in that special bluesy tone that only he owned. Then in come the harmonies, turning it back into schmaltz.

I lasted half way but it is way too repetitive.

Eye of the Beholder has a great riff.. at first. Then we get all these jarring changes. But it is a vehicle for Kirk to throw in a couple of good solos. Did I just hear the Winkies at the start of The Frayed Ends of Sanity? Dyers Eve is insane! I think my favourite is The Shortest Straw. But the whole album just smacks you down with all those crunchy riffs.

Early '90s dance. I wasn't expecting much even though I've enjoyed their hits, including Go West. There is something quite beguiling about Tennant's vocals that elevates the repetitive backing well above most examples of the genre. Dreaming of The Queen and Yesterday When I Was Mad provide a 1-2 punch, both lyrically and musically.

That is so much better than Tommy! Some wonderfully offbeat moments by a band that also did some great Stones-like stuff earlier in their career.

So we finally get an Australian act. Yay! What a let-down. Stitching together bits of other people's work isn't music. At least the first "song" has some sort of variation. But by the time you get to Flight Tonight all interest is lost. Can you seriously take pride in the never ending repetition of a few seconds of sound? Why MUST I listen to this? Music requires some musical skill. This just requires copy and paste.

Loving the CSN harmonies on Silver Raven. Strength of Strings has a big Neil Young vibe. Life's Greatest Fool and Silver Vial definitely remind me of Mike Nesmith's solo stuff. I was pleasantly surprised with this.

I read a review that compared this with The Avalanches. Expecting something between meh and really irritating. It was slightly above meh. Some reasonable sounds but I still fell asleep. Not going back to hear what I missed. Why is this in this list?

I LOVE this cover. Never Give You Up is a faithful cover that manages to give it a blues edge. Howlin For You is the standout track.

Soma takes you on such a journey. Billy's voice always sounds creepy when he songs slowly, which is why that little break in the middle of Geek U.S.A. is so brilliant. The rest of the song is such a great thrash. Mayonnaise is surely the song that Courtney played before forming Hole. Silverfuck is just a monster. I'm going searching for live videos now.

First song was ok. Then I thought it had finished, but no! It had devolved into this mushy slow ambient horror. The second song has a good riff, but like all instrumental stuff it sounds like they're jamming but they don't get anywhere. Sounds are OK but I need songs with lyrics.

That went downhill fast. I Saw the Light is a great song, but then it's just totally forgettable. Some Folks Is..... is quite a blast, but that's it.

That was very enjoyable. I thought I was hearing Rod Stewart for a few seconds.

This is immeasurably better than The Hissing of Summer Lawns. Her vocal excesses fit the songs and just give you that extra dose of emotion. That long note in River is so wistful. Wow!

This was pretty good. A lot less annoying than his son.

So bleak. So perfect. This is the first time I've ever sat down and listened to this album. I know most of the songs really well. The others are familiar. Hearing the whole album should be depressing but I'm too busy with my feelings of awe. Simple songs with sparse backing, sung by a singer with limited range should be a recipe for boredom. Far from it. Springsteen imbues the songs with so much passion that he takes you with him into this dark land and you enjoy the ride

Some genius. Foul-mouthed whinging little sook. Manages to get that balance between irritating and boring.

Pretty decent backing but the vocalist tends to get annoying. Spotify played The Cramps after this album. My head started banging and my body got moving which tells me that Bad Brains are just missing out on some life.

They start a beat then someone talks over the beat. Rinse and repeat. It's not offensive like gangster rap but it's boring and it's not music.

The further you get from that diabolical "Rooftops" song, the better it gets. "Stay" has a nice groove, while "Easter Parade" sounds like a Tom Waits song, sweet and melancholic. Then it loses steam when it gets to "Automobile Noise." It should be renamed Dull Noise. A couple of four star songs drag third album into three star territory. Just.

Dream pop with unintelligible lyrics. This should just irritate me with tweeness. But it doesn't. There's some truly intriguing sounds here. My attention started to wander, however.

Unlike the previous 5 Led Zep albums I had to think before giving it 5 stars. Then I listened closely and realised that comparing Led Zep with other bands is unfair. A pity they didn't make this a single disc, then Presence could have been Achilles, Nobody's Fault and a bunch from Physical Graffiti.

When I hear late '90s rock I sometimes wonder of there was just one drummer doing all these tracks. There is little originality except for The Warmth which piqued my curiosity. It has some great sounds and some interesting rhythmical variations. Drive isn't representative of their sound but that's no bad thing because it is a great piece of laidback pop with great harmonies on the chorus. Clean is great! That build up in the intro and the dirty bass in the verses are worth the price of admission. I wonder if they've released a remix with no scratching. I've yet to hear anything by anybody that is improved by scratching. Just grab a percussion instrument, any one, and it'll do better. Brandon Boyd has a great voice, bringing more musicality and a level of sweetness to these songs.

Keep on Movin' didn't start me moving. Fairplay sounds OK.... for about 15 seconds, then it descends into depressing lameness. The women have good voices but the songs are so uniformly awful that I just kept skipping. Back To Life is a step above the rest but not enough to save this borefest from a 1 start rating. If Jazzie's Groove was on a 5-star it would drag it down to 1 star. That is the worst assault on my ears ever. Although Ambition goes close. Worst rapping ever! No competition! Whatever drugs they were on are a danger to humanity.

It starts with Tina's bass. It's direct, primitive, a heartbeat. There's an irresistible brew of jagged, danceable tunes with David's voice over the top. He should be irritating but he's not. This is possibly their weakest album yet it's an easy 5. This album came out when I was 17 but I didn't discover it until I was 57.

WHY THE FUCK WOULD YOU DO A SONG ABOUT A GIRLFRIEND IN A COMA? Two songs later he's singing poignant lyrics about love and the sadness that comes from its lack. Then we get a nasty song wishing an ex an unhappy birthday which is full of hatred. He was 28 when he wrote this, surely he's past teenage melodrama by now. Seriously, Morrisey is a gigantic twat from just reading his lyrics, let alone his public rantings. Somehow his whiny voice works while Johnny and the rest of the band are brilliant. If I kept listening to this is probably go 5 starts as it is quite addictive.

I've had a run of bands that I'd never heard of in the last two weeks. Some of them I've listened to several times as well as going for a dive into their catalogue. That won't be happening with The Afghan Whigs. The most interesting song is The Curse which features a guest vocalist. Dulli needs to try something other than yelling when he sings. There are some good sounds but album blurs into sameness because of Dulli's dullness.

This is one of those bands I'd heard of but know nothing about. Although as soon as I heard Reward my memory was pricked by one of the great dance numbers. Definitely enjoying the surging bass and drums on Second Head. Then it pops nicely into Poppies which builds very nicely to a satisfying conclusion. When I Dream is a great conclusion to the album with its psychedelic slow fade giving more than just a gentle nod to a certain Liverpool band.

I kept turning the volume down. It doesn't immediately sound bad but it builds up. Summertime Clothes is a bit gentler, maybe even a bit infectious. I like the vocals on most tracks. Sometimes. But the constant echoing does annoy me. Interesting, but I'm not going to try it again.

This is so much better than those boring things that preceded it. There's tension and build up in the songs. Yorke's vocals are atmospheric, whereas they'd descended into irritating, fingernails on the blackboard. We Suck Young Blood is freaky, creepy perfect.

Pleasant.

This was one of three albums that were played at almost every party I went to the year after school finished. The others were Rumours and Rocky Horror. Why Parallel Lines? Because it is full of bangers that force you to dance! It loses a little impetus with Pretty Baby and I Know... then side two roars into life with 11:59. Even the two lesser tracks are better than any power pop because THEY STARTED POWER POP. It's driven by Clem Burke's power which is then topped by layers of instruments which enhance but never get in the way of Debbie's golden vocals. This is unquestionably the best pure pop album of the '70s.

This was a big surprise. So musical, laidback but inviting. It's drenched with '70s feel. Then it steals that drum sound from Do It Again. Classic!

Any album that can contain Pale Blue Eyes and The Murder Mystery is going to be either brilliant, or a mess. This is brilliant with none of the horrendous irritation that we were delivered when Nico was around.

Holy shit! That first hit of Carlos' guitar on the first song! Then we hear the congas, so I'm expecting a balls-out, totally Latin jam. Oh no.... cool jazz with some psychedelia in the background. That electric piano sounds like Ray Manzarek is riding on the storm. Then the segue into his most famous lick. I'm two songs in and I'm in awe! Can they keep it up? Well.... the next song is Oye Como Va which is another classic. Then into Incident at Neshabur which is atmospheric and wonderful. Flip the disc to Se a Cabo. Rocking riff, polyrhthms and a bit of fun to finish. It just keeps being brilliant:Mother's Daughter has Gregg Rolie bashing out some great bluesy vocals. Samba Pa Ti is the only song that Carlos dominates. It then finishes with some more Latin flourishes. This album showcases a band that has taken sounds from North and South America and merged them into an irresistible brew. Fabulous!

Oh goody. The shouty boys are back. I'm going to listen to this while doing the dishes which is a problem because I can't press skip while wearing gloves. Maybe they'll surprise me. For one song they did. Cool and mellow. They did get shouty but there was a lot of variety and a lot of humour. Schoolboy humour, but I enjoyed it.

That was good. Lots of high energy riffage. Yes, they sounded better when Dickinson arrived on the scene but this was a great debut.

The mix is so murky, the outright theft of Lynyrd Skynyrd riffs is blatant. This just sounds so good. Days of Graduation made me laugh so much I had to pause the music and gather myself. There is darkness and humour. The correct name for this genre must be Southern Gothic. The Southern Thing sounds like Don Henley on guest vocals. I love the fact that we're getting history lessons. Good history, nuanced history. Then it finishes with the devastating Angels and Fuselages. Who would think that "Scared shitless" would be poetry. This is why I subscribed to this list, it's a totally unexpected piece of genius.

Pretty boring then you hear a good song and think it's getting better. Then they spoil it with a track like Parade. Get a singer with a decent voice ffs! Boring and annoying. Never heard of them back in the day. Wasn't missing anything.

Two Cocteau Twins albums that you must listen to before you die. If you plan to die of confused boredom, that is.

This is the ultimate try too hard album. An aural assault.

How can such a downer of an album be so good? I know that heartache is responsible for many great songs but I thought an album of depression might be too much. Nope! I'm now listening to Sunday Sun, where a ray of light is piercing through the gloom. He's taken me on a journey that I'll have to visit again.

Very compelling and I don't know why. I guess it's just good to go along for the ride.

If it was based on sound alone I'd give this 5 stars. But it loses one for the overuse of THAT word and another for a combination of sexism and two foul songs. One is Snappin' and Trappin' which has vile misogyny courtesy of guest talker Killer Mike. The other is the song I was looking forward to which had Cee-Lo. Don't listen to it. The beat is a confused mess.

That was the most boring thing I've ever heard.

There are lots of jokes about drummers and bass players. This is what happens when they decide to bring those jokes to life. Words can't express how disturbed I am that these people actually get paid for this.

There are so many things to dislike about this album. Ridiculously long songs, Anderson's helium-infused vocals, the sheer wankery of some of their vocals. Yet I really like it and it took me a while to realise why. When they get in the groove they rock! Somehow they stay in the groove even through all the key and time changes.

Some of the sounds are good and the lyrical content is better than most of this genre. But it's still just people talking over a beat which ultimately bores me.

Diamonds in the Mine is unbelievable. He starts off with a sardonic, Dylanesque voice. But it finishes with this coarse shouting. Try and ignore that if you can. The whole thing is just ridiculously brilliant.

OH YEAH!!!!!! That clears your sinuses. I remember listening to a punk playlist from America and was a little underwhelmed. There was some great pop and garage rock, but it lacked attitude. Then I heard this cacophonous blast of guitars, drums and angry vocals. Just when it couldn't get any better they threw in these shouted extras from the rest of the band. It won't call it harmonies or a chorus, it just sounded like a bunch of blokes with beers telling from the front row. Then I realised they were singing about getting pissed (drunk) and I knew I'd found something special. A great thing about Black Flag is that they've moved on and showed all their musical influences in later albums. This album is a fantastic blast of anger and confusion.

All the hits at the start but I'm enjoying the variety of the second half. Believe Me Natalie is such a U2 homage, while Everything Will Be Alright is wistful and hopeful. Meanwhile the closing song is just hilarious.

When you realise the bass on You Oughta Know is one of the best lines of all time, it's no surprise that Flea played it. Just a great album. Several songs that are played way too often but they're so good they never lose their freshness. Always something else to please your ears.

Straight Shooter riff isn't a million miles from Last Train to Clarksville. The vocals have a passing resemblance to the Hollies. The last four songs are filler. It does contain sponge of the greatest pop ever recorded. I love the fact that John Phillips went from Svengali to being cuckolded and writing about it. He was a genius, and a twat.

1969 committed many crimes, because there is no other year that would convince a band like The Stooges to record We Will Fall. It is supposedly 10 minutes and 18 seconds long. It seemed like hours of my life passed before I pressed skip. That's right. I didn't even finish it. The Stooges save themselves with the next track being No Fun. It is a lot of fun, with Iggy doing his best Jagger, finishing with a couple of barks. Ron Asheton is a killer guitarist. He gives his best Hendrix on Real Cool Time.

Anybody who doesn't find themselves bopping to Black Math has no pulse. There's more light and shade than I was expecting with quieter songs like You've Got Her In Your Pocket. The guitar on Ball and Biscuit is perfect, both rhythm, lead, and that muddy, squealing solo.

This takes me back to the '70s, when there was lots of boogie. Lots of meaty riffs all driven by that gunshot snare. What's not to love.

Groovallegiance has the funkiest bass..... then along comes that lead break! The funk band CAN play rock. That is the most driving bit of rock I've heard in ages. Doo Doo chasers had many funny bits, but I'm hearing a falsetto backed by shredded guitar. Remember that a purple clad genius from Minnesota was recording when this came out. This album has so many layers. To think I knew nothing about GC when this came out. So many wasted years.

Great album with some of the best songs ever written. A peaceful, uplifting journey that does have a couple of fillers. The great songs and the overall beauty lets it squeak in to 5 star territory

Some interesting sounds but I'm still in danger of falling asleep while standing. By the time I got to Spying Glass I was ready for the skip button. Once again, as is the case with most modern music, the best song is Better Things. It has a guest female vocalist who sounds great. Then they follow it with a hip-hop talk. I find rap with an English accent sounds even stupider that the usual American talker. Don't get me started on Australian accents (I'm Australian BTW).

That is the most tedious piece of crap I've ever failed to not listen to.

Insipid and unoriginal. There is no reason for this to make this list.

That cover of I Got You Babe is glorious. Overall this was pretty good fun with the last track being a glorious surf rock throwback.

That was very boring.

Busta is not the person you want to introducing an album. He's a boring moron who can swear. Which sums up this repetitive, dated, cliche-ridden waste of space.

My only complaint is that this arrived at 3 on Christmas afternoon, so I finally listened to it around 10 that night. If it had arrived a week before it would have been in permanent rotation while I spent 3 days on the road. If anyone needs proof that Darlene Love is one of the greats, then this album is it. This is a most joyous, perfect piece of pop.

Karen O's voice reminds me of PJ Harvey with a little of Courtney Love's raspy twang and some of Katie Steele's sexy tones. She takes it all to the next level. While I find some of her vocal affectations a bit much, the basis of their music is crunchy guitar riffs and drums that don't take prisoners. The whole package rocks. What more can you want? Maps and Y Control are tonally different from the rest of the album and push it up to 5 star status. Both songs really grabbed me, so the contrast with some of their extremes just makes this album a great package.

I always listen to every album before I review them. Which is totally unnecessary with this one. I have no idea how many times I've listened to this. Hundreds, easily. I still love putting it on again because it is a piece of genius that should get a higher rating. That's the problem with great albums from a certain era, they get overplayed so people get sick of them. Not me. It's note perfect. All killer, no filler. Some of the greatest harmonies this side of The Beach Boys, twin guitar leads from Felder and Walsh, Henley's bluesy voice.

Two good songs but his voice gets boring.

Not horrendous. Just boring. My idea of hell is a road trip where the DJ plays non-stop R'n'B. It's such an insipid genre.

It's Queen. It's brilliant.

Just when it starts getting musical (to me that means that the next note has some pleasing relationship to the last) off they go with some random, discordant plinking or plucking or some arhythmic stuff from the drums. Jazz really wanted to be overtaken by rock, because so much of the late '50s early '60s stuff is just plain ugly. Pannonica is mostly smooth and silky. The second side is less harsh but boring. Once again I'm convinced that Monk is the most overrated musician ever. He just hits random keys and everybody genuflects at his altar. Waste of my time.

I shouldn't like this so much but the whole album roars.

This is even worse than K-Pop.

1. Hip-hop isn't a favourite of mine. 2. Electronica isn't a favourite of mine. 3. It's dated. 4. Despite the three strikes I like this. It just sounds like they're having a whole bunch of fun and that means that the listener is having fun too. Who You Funkin' With has the funkiest bass and some of the funniest raps. I'm in the uncomfortable position of debating between 4 and 5 stars.

That was the biggest waste of time in ages. 10 minutes of this is worse than any torture ever devised.

His difficulty with finishing songs cleanly is the big clue to my untutored ear that this was a home recording. This is a lovely album.

Yeah Yeah Yeah! This band is the gift that keeps giving.

Wimpy backing to annoying vocals. This is about as punk as Celine Dion but her voice is marginally better. I'm starting to hit skip. Just not in the mood for weeny punk pretenders. Just because you said "Fuck" doesn't make you punk. I've heard this compared with the debuts from Siouxsee or Clash. Fair cop. Their debut albums sucked but they got much better. This is the third album from X. They obviously weren't improving.

They're all the same song! Well played, well sung, (although he always sounds like he's phoning it in) but he could play the same song 15 times and I wouldn't know.

He was an original. This is a great example of why he remained cool and relevant for all of his life.

I don't give 5 stars to a band I know nothing about. Correction. I hadn't given 5 stars to an unknown band until now. Other than Kids I'd never heard any of this album but I'm adding them to my deep dive playlist. So much variety, so many influences, so catchy.

That was a thousand times better than the other Sonic Youth album. But it's still only average. Their other album was horrendous. This isn't a band I need to listen to.

Once you realise that Scar Tissue is a perfect song then everything else falls into place. Frusciante's solo is one of the greatest by anyone. Ever. Get On Top is a classic Chili's breakdown that is sandwiched amongst famous, much more mellow, songs. That makes it even more fun while also setting the scene for the title track's anthemic grandeur. Right On Top is just insane then we go to the sweetness of Road Trippin'. Not many bands can get away with that but RHCP do it with ease.

This talentless twat talks about "songs." How can you call those things, songs? He burps out this incredibly boring story of some loser doing things that nobody cares about. It has the same beat that a thousand other "songs" inflicted on us then he makes it even more grating by totally missing the beat while he talks. Not raps. Talks. There is no flow, no poetry, just nothing. Meanwhile this charlatan actually has people parting with their hard-earned to own this drivel or go to his shows. There's a sucker born every minute. Surely the creator of this list got payment for including this shit on the list.

I knew they were Scottish from the first chords, although I hear echoes of Hoodoo Gurus and The Church (both great Australian bands).