Journey in Progress
Discovering music one album at a time
828
Albums Rated
3.18
Avg Rating
43
5-Star Albums
76%
Complete
261 albums remaining
Rating Speed
4.9
Per Week
1180
Days Active
Reviews
824
Written
100%
Review Rate
vs Global
-0.03
Avg Diff
3.18
Avg Rating
Rating Distribution
How you rate albums
Rating Timeline
Average rating over time
Ratings by Decade
Which era do you prefer?
Activity by Day
When do you listen?
Taste Profile
1950s
Favorite Decade
Hard-rock
Favorite Genre
US
Top Origin
Balanced
Rater Style
7
1-Star Albums
Taste Analysis
Genre Preferences
Ratings by genre
Origin Preferences
Ratings by country
Rating Style
You Love More Than Most
Albums you rated higher than global average
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nighthawks At The Diner | 5 | 3.01 | +1.99 |
| Too Rye Ay | 5 | 3.12 | +1.88 |
| Mr. Tambourine Man | 5 | 3.23 | +1.77 |
| Rum Sodomy & The Lash | 5 | 3.25 | +1.75 |
| Pretenders | 5 | 3.35 | +1.65 |
| My Aim Is True | 5 | 3.35 | +1.65 |
| Tommy | 5 | 3.35 | +1.65 |
| Hybrid Theory | 5 | 3.38 | +1.62 |
| At Fillmore East | 5 | 3.38 | +1.62 |
| Stardust | 5 | 3.4 | +1.6 |
You Love Less Than Most
Albums you rated lower than global average
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy | 1 | 3.42 | -2.42 |
| Homework | 1 | 3.29 | -2.29 |
| American IV: The Man Comes Around | 2 | 3.9 | -1.9 |
| 69 Love Songs | 1 | 2.85 | -1.85 |
| (What's The Story) Morning Glory | 2 | 3.84 | -1.84 |
| Jack Takes the Floor | 1 | 2.71 | -1.71 |
| Bookends | 2 | 3.56 | -1.56 |
| American Gothic | 1 | 2.49 | -1.49 |
| Hail To the Thief | 2 | 3.44 | -1.44 |
| Sound of Silver | 2 | 3.42 | -1.42 |
Artist Analysis
Favorite Artists
Artists with 2+ albums and high weighted score
| Artist | Albums | Avg | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Led Zeppelin | 3 | 4.67 | 3.83 |
| Jimi Hendrix | 3 | 4.33 | 3.67 |
Controversial Artists
Artists you rate inconsistently - higher variance means more mixed feelings
| Artist | Albums | Variance |
|---|---|---|
| Elvis Costello | 2 | 1.5 |
| The Who | 5 | 1.17 |
5-Star Albums (43)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
Lightning Bolt
2/5
You know that old saying that if you give an infinite number of monkeys an infinite number of typewriters, they will eventually write the complete works of Shakespeare?
Well, in this case, they were given a drum kit, and a bass guitar. And the result was not Shakespeare.
49 likes
Justin Timberlake
3/5
I'm not a Justin Timberlake guy but I did enjoy watching my wife dance to the album, and that adds a +1 for me.
18 likes
Aphex Twin
2/5
An exhausted looking group of people sits around a large conference room table. Cheesburger wrappers, paper coffee cups, and stack after stack of glossy album art cover every inch.
A balding man wearily pushes his chair away and stands. Rubbing his temples, he bellows, "Goddammit, one more! One fucking more and we can all go home!"
He slumps back into his chair, hands covering his face, and pleads, "Please tell me somebody's got something."
He looks into the eyes of the others around the table. From each, his gaze is returned with the thousand yard stare of someone that has endured an experience so horrific that it can never be spoken of again. But the death march is not over and no one offers to take the final step.
His forehead hits the table with a limp thunk.
The conference room door opens and the intern enters with more bad coffee.
"Who needs cream and sugar?"
A resonant 'bing' signals the arrival of the elevator. The doors slide open and the cleaning crew piles out to begin their nightly chores.
The manager's ears prick up a hunting dog that's heard the rustling of game in the underbrush.
He points excitedly in the direction of the people exiting the elevator.
"That's it! We're saved! That's 1001!"
And that's how this album of elevator music got included on this list.
18 likes
The Darkness
2/5
If you let this stand alone on its music, it's ok. Vocally, it makes chalk screeching across a blackboard sound like fine opera.
Listened. Check. Done. Next.
15 likes
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3/5
This is the third Nick Cave album on the list, and second I've had in 3 days. I'm still traumatized from Murder Ballads a couple of days ago so please be understanding of the brevity of this review as I struggle to recover.
I liked it, and feel a little dirty about that.
13 likes
1-Star Albums (7)
All Ratings
Cyndi Lauper
4/5
Seminal 80's sound and a perfect example of the strong female vocal stylings of the era.
Metallica
3/5
Heard one, heard them all. No bass line left me feeling there was no soul in the music.
Willie Colón & Rubén Blades
4/5
Crisp, lively, 70's Havana vibe. Couldn't understand a word but enjoyed the rhythm and energy nonetheless.
R.E.M.
3/5
Violent Femmes
5/5
Holy shit....how have I never heard this album before!? Immediately listenable and now I need liner notes with lyrics.
TV On The Radio
4/5
Another album I'd never heard of. Good vibe, refreshingly different, and the diverse rhythms made it immensely listenable.
Is it just me or are the vocal stylings oddly reminiscent of Flight of the Conchords?
Mike Oldfield
3/5
Uniquely creative and it felt like a 70's rock opera. Don't know if it's just my inability to speak instrumental but, all in all, this one left me a bit empty in the end.
Pretenders
5/5
Loved this one. Chrissie Hynde is pretty much all you need to know but the band stays with her every step of the way.
Top rating here.
Thelonious Monk
4/5
The smell of sweat and whiskey interweaves with the tobacco smoke hanging thick from the low ceiling of the basement club.
The society princess has escaped her ivory tower for the evening. A cigarette dangles from her refined fingers as she holds court with the proletariat at her table. Their whispered tones speak of freedom and rebellion and a world different from their parents'.
The beat poets are here tonight. They're here every night now. They fill the breaks in the music with the syncopated rhythms of their words. And the people snap their fingers in mute acknowledgement of the poets wisdom.
But it's the music they all come for. The music is where the energy and inspiration comes from. The music is what unlocks their doors, takes down their walls, and creates the avenues for their creative thought.
Tomorrow, they will all be back in their little boxes, defined by others or external circumstances. But tonight?Tonight, they fly free on the wings of the music.
The The
3/5
Good beat, easy to dance to. Uncertain Smile is good. Vocals by the love child of David Bowie and Billy Idol.
Otherwise, another nothing special 80's band that I'm sure a specific audience still loves but I won't recognize if I ever hear them again.
The Smiths
4/5
A bit creepy that this album shows up on my list the day after QE2 died but maybe the universe was trying to honor the old girl.
Whether I was somehow sentimentally invested, or maybe the album was just good, I enjoyed it. Especially the more edgy tracks.
Long live the king.
Charles Mingus
4/5
I knew the dame was trouble the minute she walked through my door. I could see the storm clouds gathering behind those far away eyes as her painted lips whispered their siren's song.
"Please help me."
Well, Benny and his mooks were bound to come around soon for the double sawbuck I owed him from the Palazzo fight, and I didn't have it. So I said "Sure. Take a seat and tell me your story."
Aimee Mann
3/5
I like her name. Otherwise...meh.
Laura Nyro
3/5
I got a 60's girl group vibe from a lot of these tracks. Solid vocals but I think there were others from that genre that did it better.
Definitely not unpleasant to listen to but, in the end, I was left a little empty.
But, then again, it was 1968. Maybe that's what they were going for.
5/5
Brilliant. Just brilliant.
The Cure
4/5
These guys may not have had the MTV face like a lot of early 80's bands but this album shows that you didn't need Downtown Julie Brown fawning over you to be good. Very enjoyable listen and if I have to have a playlist of 1001 albums, I'm definitely not hitting the skip button when this one comes up.
Genesis
3/5
Good, but largely overshadowed by its contemporary, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. Ultimately makes me think of crime scene tape...You're pretty sure something significant happened here but the best advice you can get is to keep moving, nothing to see here.
Sparks
2/5
This album made me think of being at Disneyland on a hot day and finding myself in line for it's a small world just to get out of the heat. Nice idea, but taking the brown acid while waiting was not.
The ride turned into kaleidoscope of colors and sounds and lots of ducking to avoid getting hit by wooden shoes thrown by demonic little girls with tulips in their hair.
Escaping that brought no respite though as animatronic bears would not leave me alone and I ended up drinking moonshine with them while playing a washtub bass.
In the end, I trudged from the park like a parasauralophus staggering into the faceplant of its final dirt nap.
In other words, for me, this album was a long, strange, trip.
Van Halen
5/5
4/5
Rousing, angry, loud, and energetic from start to finish. Made me think of a neighborhood garage band. And a pretty damn good one at that.
Never heard of them until listening to this but I liked it.
Metallica
4/5
This is what Metallica should sound like. Fast, loud, driving and heart and soul in every chord.
This was a good one, boys.
Sex Pistols
4/5
Understandable why the stiff British upper crust didn't like these guys but it was all in good fun, right.
Now I need to go get snockered and watch Sid & Nancy.
Talvin Singh
2/5
Background music for the fluorescent jellyfish exhibit at the aquarium in a Stanley Kubrick meets Ravi Shankar kind of way?
In the end, I can say that I listened to it. And if this is a way to reach total consciousness, I got that going for me. Which is nice.
Tori Amos
4/5
I got a less pop-y madonna vibe from this album. Didn't think I would but I liked this girl's material.
Given that the last album I listened to was the sex pistols, the was a pleasant purge of that chaos.
Now I need to find the lyrics. Hopefully, I haven't been innocently baptized into some demon-crustacean-worshipping cult in the process.
But then, it wouldn't be the first time....
Pearl Jam
4/5
A flashback to 90's Seattle is never bad. This grinding innovation of grunge brought music away from the stadiums tours and television sets and dumped it right back into the smokey, dark, basement clubs where it plays best.
Oasis
3/5
I understand there is a loyal following for this band. This album has a good sound but, for me, there was something missing, something sterile...or hollow maybe, that left me a bit empty.
Deep Purple
4/5
Way more to these guys than just Smoke on the Water. This album is a good one.
Some may say it's the band's Rushmore.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
3/5
Many hours as a freshman spent listening to this in my college dorm room.
Oh what a lucky man, I was.
Brian Eno
4/5
Never heard of this album but am glad I got the chance to listen today.
Enjoyable vibe and the experimental sounding stuff works.
A definite keeper.
Cornershop
3/5
Pleasant. Given that we have to have 1001 albums for this list, not surprising this one makes it.
Cat Stevens
3/5
Really good but I prefer Teaser and the Firecat.
Bill Evans Trio
4/5
Crisp, classic, jazz trio. Very nice.
Khaled
3/5
Soundtrack to a foreign language film about buddy cops working undercover in Tangier.
I enjoyed it but it would have been better with subtitles.
Spiritualized
3/5
When I checked this album out I originally thought the run time of an hour and 10 minutes was, shall we say, 'ambitious'.
Now having actually listened to it, I have to say I never once thought to skip or otherwise shorten the play.
Not quite sure how to describe the sound but I had flashes of the doors and pink floyd and, over all, it didn't suck entirely
It's an hour I'm glad I allowed myself to experience.
The Yardbirds
3/5
Solid 60's sound but I wish Jeff Beck would have had a bit more of a run at showing his chops on here.
Good but nothing special for me.
Billy Joel
4/5
The piano man does not disappoint on this one. 52nd street may be a bit more familiar to most but this is equally as good.
Hole
4/5
Good, girl grunge. Not good girl, grunge.
I liked it.
Waylon Jennings
4/5
Old school, outlaw, country. Waylon is wonderful.
Aerosmith
3/5
Enough of what you'd expect from Aerosmith but not Toys in the Attic.
Culture Club
4/5
When this album came out I totally dismissed it as bubblegum pop and never listened to it.
Forty years later, I sincerely thank this 1001 album generator for making sure I had it on my list.
This album is really good!
LCD Soundsystem
2/5
Driving rhythms just sounded all the same after a while.
This one's not for me
New Order
2/5
Okay sound from the era but not unique enough to be memorable for me.
The Cure
4/5
Another really good album by these guys. And this time you get a full 72 minutes. Exactly what LP should mean!
Fiona Apple
2/5
I understand the draw of the lyrics and the multitude of silent voices they represent. Shameika may be right, and maybe I'm lying to myself but they just don't speak for me.
Gene Clark
3/5
This one was okay but I can't say that I would ever spend hours rifling through boxes of semi-alphabetically organized vinyl at the local record store trying to find it.
Iggy Pop
3/5
Can feel the David Bowie influence on this one and there is enough that is unique with it that it doesn't come across as some contrived, wannabe production.
With that said, I think the raw, oozing, sounds of his efforts with the Stooges feel more genuine. Making this one seem just a bit tame comparatively.
Lauryn Hill
3/5
Given the success and accolades associated with this album, it's a shame that she ultimately felt that "...scores of tentacled obstructionists, politics, repressing agendas, unrealistic expectations and saboteurs everywhere..."* kept her from doing a follow up.
*eonline.com, 1/6/21
Youssou N'Dour
3/5
Background music for an evening rooftop party. Good food, good drink, good friends, good night.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
Easy listening for this classic reggae mix that tops many lists of Marley and the Wailers best. Not enough of an afficianado to judge comparatively but I did like this.
The Soft Boys
4/5
Never heard of them but glad this hidden gem of a late 60's early 70's British psychedelic vibe made it onto the list.
ZZ Top
4/5
Maybe not the orchestrated production of later albums but this blues-rock and Billy Gibbons guitar rich opus is a perfect representation of the true roots and soul of this Texas trio.
Kanye West
1/5
Sorry, not listening to this guy and would rip the page from the book if it didn't have someone actually deserving on the other side of the page.
The Sabres Of Paradise
3/5
Didn't really know what to say about this one, other than it provided a mesmerizing soundtrack for both my wife and 5 year old grandson while they did a painting project.
LCD Soundsystem
2/5
Not sure how 2 albums from these guys made the 1001 list but I didn't get either one.
They are just not for me.
Robert Wyatt
2/5
Did not get this one at all.
Crosby, Stills & Nash
5/5
Beautifully crafted instrumentals and exquisite harmonies. It gets a highest rating from me and when you consider that they released Deja Vu the following year, I can't think of better back to back offerings from anyone.
Jimi Hendrix
5/5
One of the real gems in my collection of vinyl. I suspect that Third Rock and Red House are a bit under appreciated by the general populace but both hold very dear spots on my list of favorites.
And if my baby don't love me no more, I know her sister will!
The Monkees
3/5
Very nostalgic listen for me on this one as I watched their tv show as a child and can remember the neighborhood kids debating the relative musical merits of the group. Nothing really special about this album but considering they were a group of guys just tossed together for a faux Beatles-like tv production, they managed to find a sound unique enough to distinguish themselves in the era.
As an aside Mike Nesmith went on to become a successful singer/songwriter and Grammy winner.
Kraftwerk
2/5
Sure. Visionary music from synthesizers and drum machines. The birthplace of EDM.
Too bad I can't tell any of it apart.
Jungle Brothers
3/5
Old school hip hop. Maybe even primordial in the sense that the roots of evolution for the genre is recognizable in these beats and lyrics.
I enjoyed this one.
The Verve
4/5
Another album that I had never heard of but enjoyed a lot. Now I'm off to my friendly local record store to see if I can find it.
Wish me luck!
The Last Shadow Puppets
4/5
Retro 60"s, maybe 80's, vibe to this one. Frenetically energetic at times and well balanced when tending towards balladry .
Another good listen from the list.
Machito
3/5
Loved the energy and rhythms. Not sure my hips and feet could keep up if I ever tried to actually dance to it but my toes were definitely tapping the whole time.
The Jesus And Mary Chain
2/5
Bit of a ho-hummer here for me. At times it sounded pre-grunge, which was a welcome change from the otherwise forgettable balance of the album.
Silver Jews
2/5
I suppose the lyrics deserve some mention but for me Transylvania Blues was the best track, and it was an instrumental.
All in all, this album was 35 minutes of my life that I'll never get back.
Fleet Foxes
4/5
Don't know if it was the album art or the melodies but this made me think of folk songs performed by a traveling minstrel show.
A very pleasant surprise here.
The Beach Boys
2/5
I didn't exactly get good vibrations from this one but it also wasn't the worst I've heard from the list.
Seemed like they were trying to shed the whole surf city thing and do something edgy but nothing about their efforts made me feel anything, good or bad.
Mariah Carey
3/5
Girl could sing, for sure.
Grizzly Bear
2/5
This one was hard to figure out. The instrumental portions were interesting but each eventually devolved into an aimlessly orchestrated choral arrangement that was more annoying than pleasant.
Definitely not one for me.
Elastica
3/5
I have come to the conclusion that I like music that has a pulse. And not just the drowsy thup......thup......that comes with a food coma. No, I like someting more like the heart pounding that comes from a pack of skeletal zombie wolves chasing you through the forest while the only door to your safety slowly closes in the distance.
Although not nearly that frenetic throughout, this album does have a pulse.
Never heard it before but I liked it
Miles Davis
4/5
Damn this is good. Early jazz fusion that served as a prelude for a rapid expansion of the genre in the 70's. Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, Bobby Hutcherson, The Crusaders, even Chuck Mangione and George Benson; all had notable contributions during the era and easy enough to hear the influence this Miles opus had on their sound.
Joan Armatrading
4/5
Bluesy. Folksy. Fun.
I loved it.
Nico
2/5
I can understand that Velvet Underground liked Nico, and possibly saw her as a bit of a muse, but this album reminded me of John Lennon's indulgence of Yoko's attempt at musical art.
Similarly, this is not good.
The Incredible String Band
2/5
Trippy, hippie, all the way. Somewhere between a nice tab of orange sunshine and the brown acid from Woodstock.
Some of the songs were pleasantly minstrelesque and others made me think that voracious worms were crawling under my skin.
Ultimately, I think the worms won.
Emmylou Harris
3/5
Sweet, smooth, and safe. The Dolly Parton influence shows throughout.
Good enough but I would have liked to have seen some emotional and vocal range on the album.
Eurythmics
4/5
Perfect Annie Lennox vocals and distinctive Eurythmics beats.
Solid stuff.
Isaac Hayes
4/5
Excellent vibes from (maybe?) the root of the Blacksploitation genre. If you like this album like I did, make sure to check out the Superfly soundtrack by Curtis Mayfield.
That cat Shaft is a bad mother......
Steve Earle
2/5
Yee-haw. Good ol' country music. Pleasant and true to the genre but generally not memorable enough for me to think it should be on a list of greatest all time.
Merle Haggard
4/5
Legacy country music here. Sad, sweet, strong, and poignant, sometimes all at the same time.
There is something (genuine?) about this one that made me feel connected to the music.
Good stuff.
Neil Young
5/5
Arguably Neil Young's best album. Combines unmistakable vocals with consummate musical arrangements.
A beauty, Neil. A beauty.
Led Zeppelin
4/5
Since I Been Loving You is a keeper but the rest of the album is nowhere near that good. Still, this is way above whatever bar is used to pick the best 1001.
Arctic Monkeys
4/5
First time listen to this one and I liked it. Good energy with quality vocals and vibrant instrumentation.
Soul II Soul
4/5
Smoothe jams with a nice retro 80's vibe. Good background soundtrack for your next party.
Blur
3/5
Pop'y sound with a little edge but really nothing unique enough to make it memorable for me.
I'll check it off my countdown list and move on to the next one
Boards of Canada
2/5
Background music for the birth of the universe presentation at the planetarium. Not horrible, but like the vast expanse of outer space, there was a lot of endless nothingness here.
Various Artists
3/5
All of the individual groups on this album are great. Take Phil Spector's name off of it and I would rate it higher.
Manu Chao
3/5
Nice enough and I enjoyed the rhythms and energy. The fact that I didn't understand a word made it difficult to give a higher score.
M.I.A.
3/5
Burning Spear
3/5
Hadn't heard this one before but glad it was on the list. A very nice surprise.
Motörhead
3/5
Standard 70's metal here. Good enough not to skip after the first couple of tracks. Not good enough to actively seek to listen to again.
Willie Nelson
4/5
Willie Nelson at his good ol' country story tellin' finest.
The Chemical Brothers
2/5
Listened to the entire hour and 5 minutes of the album out of respect for the process. Won't do that again without taking some of the chemicals the brothers must have been taking when they made this.
The Fall
4/5
Another 'no idea who these guys are but glad it was on the list' album featuring jammin' base lines and vocals reminiscent of every drunken, semi-slurred, version of any song sung in a raucous pub at 2 o'clock in the morning.
My kind of crowd.
Morrissey
3/5
A bit too saccharine and pop'y for me but, hey, it was the 80's.
Checked off the list.
Next.
Fugazi
4/5
Grunge-ily energetic with enough variation in theme and vocals to keep me interested in what was coming next throughout.
I liked it.
The Byrds
5/5
This one's a beaut from start to finish. Clean, precise, instrumentation with impeccable vocals and harmonization.
Maybe a bit tame for any younger audience but for an old goat like me, it's mana from the gods.
Probably overshadowed a bit by the presence of Rod Stewart is the fact that Faces, in itself, was a damn solid band.
The Byrds
3/5
Eight Miles High not withstanding, this is good, but not their best.
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
4/5
From the cradle of early, transitive, hip hop, this album is technically raw at times and creatively groundbreaking but still linked to the R&B roots of its predecessors.
I get hints of Sly and the Family Stone, Tower of Power, 70's Philadelphia funk (It's a Shame straight up samples the Spinners version and a Bootsy Collins'ish slappin' bass line accentuates multiple tracks), and Dreamin' is sent out to Stevie Wonder and could easily be compared to anything from Earth, Wind & Fire.
The rhymes in the title track may sound simple by today's standards but the words and their inherent emotion are nonetheless timeless.
Metallica
3/5
Enter Sandman and Nothing Else Matters are obvious standouts here. The rest of the album features brief glimpses of life but otherwise didn't distinguish itself at all to me.
Eels
4/5
This one took me a while to get into, what with the spoken lyrics and something in the music that gave me an unbalanced feeling, but I ended up liking the album.
It's the 101st that I've listened to from the list and if it ever randomly shows up again, I won't skip over it.
Stevie Wonder
5/5
This album should be included on any top 100 list, much less top 1001. It's an exclamation of consummate lyrical and musical expression.
Simply put, this one is absolutely Wonder-ful.
Sonic Youth
3/5
Don't quite know how to classify the genre of this album, but having not heard it, or Sonic Youth, before, I can say that I enjoyed listening to it.
Simple Minds
3/5
Classic 80's Brit synth-pop. At the time, I preferred the edge of Billy Idol, or the straight up flounce of Culture Club or Wham, but Simple Minds was able to sustain their sound when most acts were like a Roman candle fired into the night sky by MTV, briefly flashing brilliantly before disappearing back into the dark.
Never fear, lads. We Won't (Forget About You).
Judas Priest
3/5
Solid sample of 80's metal with an element of controlled thrash that actually allows for the music to be heard.
The Prodigy
2/5
A little of this goes a long way. Or maybe nowhere at all.
Not my jam
The Who
4/5
Includes blues rock tracks that were fundamental elements of many of the 60's British bands.
This album is very good.
The Go-Go's
4/5
Jaunty little romp from 1981 with not so subtle social commentary about L.A.'s music and entertainment culture thrown in.
"Change the lines that were said before
We're all dreamers - we're all whores
Discarded stars
Like worn out cars
Litter the streets of this town
Litter the streets of this town"
Loved it then. Love it now.
Tortoise
3/5
Not the worst album on the list but it made me think of headphones on while trying to sleep on a 6 hour red-eye flight music. By the time you land, you know it was there for you the whole time but you're still dead tired and you can't remember any of it.
George Harrison
4/5
Easily as good, or better, than anything John or Paul did in their solo careers.
Damn shame George's talent was subjugated, if not downright ignored, with the Beatles.
Jane Weaver
3/5
This one's a bit 'out there' but not necessarily in a bad way. Can't say I will ever listen to it again but it had a freshness to it that I enjoyed.
Metallica
4/5
I was skeptical about the whole concept of this album but, holy shit does it work.
Picture some epic fantasy tale where flawed heroes battle demonic armies across desolate landscapes, and this is the Academy Awards nominated soundtrack.
CHIC
3/5
I must admit that in a former life I spent many hours in an open-necked shirt, platform shoes, and bell bottomed pants. I have done the Hustle, and it weren't for the cheap, easily accessible, recreational drugs and promiscuous, unprotected sex, I would have to say it was a hollow waste of time that can only be described as a guilty pleasure. Just like this album.
New Order
3/5
Less pop-y than a lot of the other 80's stuff on the list, and that uniqueness is what makes it less forgettable.
Good effort from the lads.
The Roots
4/5
I still need an interpreter for most of the lyrics on this album but the music was very good.
Pulp
4/5
Didn't know what to expect here as I'd never heard of it, or the band, before. What a gem this is! Pretty sure the run time was over an hour but that flew by without even a hint of 'Are we there yet?'.
Wonderful from start to finish and a perfect example of why I look forward to my daily album from the list.
Miriam Makeba
4/5
Wow...Makeba's style reminds me of Edith Piaf, in that her soulful expressions drew me in and gave me goosebumps, even though I rarely understood a word.
Lovely. Just lovely.
The Jesus And Mary Chain
3/5
This is the second album from the list that I've listened to from these guys. This one was better, but still not memorable.
Minutemen
3/5
Punk with plenty of actual music, experimental and otherwise, thrown in. Hints of 60's/70's psychadelia provide just that twist of garnish that every album needs.
Never heard of this before today but it's definitely going on the list for the next time I go vinyl diving.
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
I try to knock this album but every time I listen to it, I'm reminded just how good it is.
Oh, oh, oh, I'm on fire.
Little Simz
3/5
Might have been the British accent but I liked this. Probably would like it more, or, who knows, maybe less, if I spoke rap. Regardless, glad this one made the list.
Arcade Fire
3/5
Hadn't heard this before and liked it well enough, but I never felt anything in the music that would have pushed my evaluation above just average on the list.
The Black Crowes
4/5
She Talks to Angel's is superb and highlights a very good album here.
David Holmes
3/5
Wasn't immediately sure about this one but I listened to the whole album and it definitely grew on me. I particularly enjoyed Rodney Yates.
This album perfectly reinforced the notion of being rewarded for committing to listen to something you've never heard before.
Linkin Park
5/5
A revelation of an album that still endures today. "In the end, it doesn't even matter." I beg to differ.
RIP, Chester. RIP.
Supergrass
3/5
I'll give it another listen somewhere down the road, but my current assessment has it rated as not spectacular, not horrible, and most importantly, not immediately forgettable.
As an aside, my wife was dancing to the whole thing. So whatever my rating, I suspect this will somehow end up in my collection.
Michael Jackson
4/5
Very "King of Pop" Michael. Not as good as Thriller but that's a pretty high bar. I did find it an interesting reminder that Jackson actually wrote a lot of his stuff.
Stephen Stills
4/5
This album is a good balance of Stills' vocal and lyrical talents and a superb band. Probably 50 years since I last listened to it and it's as good as I remembered it.
Belle & Sebastian
2/5
Not bad, but nothing in the music or lyrics grabbed me by the collar, shook me, and said "Damn it, I'm right here and I deserve to be remembered!"
Aphex Twin
2/5
An exhausted looking group of people sits around a large conference room table. Cheesburger wrappers, paper coffee cups, and stack after stack of glossy album art cover every inch.
A balding man wearily pushes his chair away and stands. Rubbing his temples, he bellows, "Goddammit, one more! One fucking more and we can all go home!"
He slumps back into his chair, hands covering his face, and pleads, "Please tell me somebody's got something."
He looks into the eyes of the others around the table. From each, his gaze is returned with the thousand yard stare of someone that has endured an experience so horrific that it can never be spoken of again. But the death march is not over and no one offers to take the final step.
His forehead hits the table with a limp thunk.
The conference room door opens and the intern enters with more bad coffee.
"Who needs cream and sugar?"
A resonant 'bing' signals the arrival of the elevator. The doors slide open and the cleaning crew piles out to begin their nightly chores.
The manager's ears prick up a hunting dog that's heard the rustling of game in the underbrush.
He points excitedly in the direction of the people exiting the elevator.
"That's it! We're saved! That's 1001!"
And that's how this album of elevator music got included on this list.
Booker T. & The MG's
4/5
In a lot if respects, this is pretty simple music. But then the soul searing magic of Booker T's Hammond plays right through you. And you get that complexity is not an indicator of beauty.
Megadeth
3/5
Good metal with enough variety across the album to make it not feel the same every track.
Kendrick Lamar
3/5
Good stuff. Plus, any artist that chooses to feature folks like George Clinton and Ronald Isley on a track has my full support.
Tim Buckley
4/5
This was unexpectedly quite good.
Duke Ellington
5/5
Man, this joint is jumpin'! It's a wonderful mix of hot, frenetic, swing and cool, sexy, blues. And just to make it all sink in just a little deeper, make sure to listen to the full live version of the album.
Queen
4/5
Killer Queen and Flick of the Wrist highlight this album that gives us a hint of the Brian May guitar riffed, Freddie Mercury piano and vocals led, complex background harmonized treats we were all in for on future albums.
Talking Heads
3/5
The irreverance and sass that is The Talking Heads comes through clearly on this debut album. Maybe not their best but decidedly a warning shot across the bow of the music world for what was to come.
Joni Mitchell
3/5
Joni Mitchell has a liltingly lovely voice but this album felt like a lot of the same to me.
Arcade Fire
4/5
This album won a Grammy. Without knowing what it was up against, that fact alone should land it on the list. After listening to it, I can add my opinion and say the voters didn't get it wrong.
Lightning Bolt
2/5
You know that old saying that if you give an infinite number of monkeys an infinite number of typewriters, they will eventually write the complete works of Shakespeare?
Well, in this case, they were given a drum kit, and a bass guitar. And the result was not Shakespeare.
James Taylor
4/5
This may seem a bit soft by today's standards but, at the time, to vocalize words we couldn't otherwise express, the girls had Carole King with Tapestry and the guys had Sweet Baby James. Open any school year book from the era and both will be liberally sampled to represent the youthful sentiments of the day.
Neil Young
3/5
Less rock, more country twang, than some of his other efforts but this album maintains Young's raw, and immediately recognizable, lyrical and vocal stylings.
Good, but not his best.
Prince
3/5
It's Prince.
It's ok.
It's not Purple Rain.
The Darkness
2/5
If you let this stand alone on its music, it's ok. Vocally, it makes chalk screeching across a blackboard sound like fine opera.
Listened. Check. Done. Next.
Buena Vista Social Club
3/5
Didn't understand a word but this album has an energy, a liveliness, a soul that I enjoyed.
The Beach Boys
3/5
Nothing groundbreaking here. It's less surf city and more of whatever they were trying to evolve into, so take your pick and either like or dislike this accordingly.
Honestly though, what's not to like about an album with goats on the cover?
Beck
3/5
Sleepy little thing, this one is. It needs that scene from any hospital movie. You know...the scene where the doctor rubs the paddles, yells "Clear!", and jolts the body back to life? And it either works, or we call time of death.
This album deserves to live.
"Clear!"
Coldplay
4/5
Don't really know, and don't really care, why Coldplay gets a bad rap but I think we can all agree that in the scope of of 1001 albums, we're all entitled to our own dirty little secrets.
I liked this album.
Gene Clark
3/5
Not bad.
Not what I expected from an album of the year in the Neatherlands.
Not memorable for me in the context of this exercise.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
3/5
Another Neil Young album on the list and I'm fine with that. It's better to burn out, than to fade away.
Shuggie Otis
4/5
This rare gem of an album is a vibrant taste of what I would describe as early 70's funk/fusion. Hip and cool throughout. Delightful.
As an aside, Shuggie was featured by Frank Zappa on Hot Rats. What more needs to be said?
Miles Davis
5/5
An all-star cast backs up Miles Davis on this hour plus of extraordinary quality. It is more refined than some of his earlier improvisational stuff and a definite must have for anyone that likes the genre. And a must listen for any one that's never heard it.
Pixies
3/5
Had never heard this one before.
It was good.
I will listen to it again.
Neu!
3/5
Not at all what I thought I would get in this listen but I found it actually quite good. It's a bit background-y, for the most part, but a couple of livelier tunes are sprinkled in to spice it up nicely.
Justice
3/5
Not what i expected, and still a bit too edm for me, but it was imminently more enjoyable that the others of the genre that have been on my daily listen.
I dare say that I may actually listen to it again.
Jimi Hendrix
5/5
Self produced by Hendrix, this double album covers a wide scope of styles from rich blues to psychadelic improvisation, accented with Jimi's inimitable vocals. The juxtaposition of two versions of Voodoo Chile perfectly expresses the dichotomy between the roots of his music and the interpretive vision of the artist. Throw in All Along the Watchtower and Crosstown Traffic and you, arguably, have a magnum opus here.
Blur
3/5
Pretty much the same review I gave Park Life. Good enough but, other than Song 2, not fully memorable. As in hearing a song, knowing you've heard it before, but, for the life of you, you can't remember why.
Tricky
3/5
Hip-hop'ish with catchy rhythms and accompaniment. For the most part, this old white guy couldn't keep up with the lyrics, but I did enjoy the soundtrack.
The Lemonheads
3/5
It's a shame that It's a shame about Ray didn't make me feel shame for not caring about how or why Ray was being shamed.
Miles Davis
3/5
Improvisational sets by a bunch of talented musicians, who all get inspiration from voices none of rhe rest of us can hear.
I prefer the style of Kind of Blue over this and likely don't need to listen to this one again.
Frank Sinatra
2/5
Nothing to this at all. Felt like Sinatra was just going through the motions.
Suede
3/5
This album lingers on the palate with hints of Bowie-esque flavor. Not bad, but kind of like the Lois Vuitoon handbag you bought from the street vendor in Central Park. It will still carry your glasses, wallet, and makeup but you know it's not the real thing.
George Jones
3/5
I like George Jones but was unable to find this full album. Gave it a 3 as filler until I can give it a proper listen.
Ella Fitzgerald
4/5
I would have preferred Ella does the Cole Porter, or Duke Ellington, songbook from the massive tome that is the Songbooks series. Regardless, her voice resonates through any chosen milieu.
Bob Dylan
4/5
The fact that we can all sing these lyrics as well as Bob Dylan should make this a must have for any collection.
Stevie Wonder
3/5
This album was nicely sandwiched between Innervisions and Songs in the Key of Life. I don't think it is as good as either of those, but that bar for comparison is set really high. Taken as a trio, its hard to think of better consecutive efforts, with this providing a solid bridge between intro and finale.
Mike Ladd
3/5
It's spaced-out, trippy, vibe does set it aside from other hip hop that has appeared on the list but I'm torn between whether or not that makes it better or worse.
Next.
Roxy Music
3/5
A bit tame to start with but the whole of the album was bright and quite good.
The Undertones
3/5
UK punk
Good enough but reminded me of a one night stand.
I think I enjoyed it but won't for the life of me be able to remember their name.
Frank Zappa
3/5
Forty-seven wonderfully energetic minutes of classic 60's instrumental jams.
Take your shoes off, put some flowers in your hair, and enjoy the ride!
Isaac Hayes
3/5
I went back and forth on this one as I thought it was a bit meandering at times and it wasn't solely original content. Still, when the cool, funk of Hayes' vocals and own compositions was allowed to feature, it was ok.
Louis Prima
4/5
What a wonderful romp this one is! I realize it's a 'best of' album but, start to finish, it's deserving of a place on the list.
I mean, c'mon, why would you ever need to hear any other version of Just a Gigolo?
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
Delightful.
Bob and the Wailers are jammin'.
I like jammin', too.
MGMT
3/5
Had never heard this before.
Sure, let's put them on the list.
N.E.R.D
4/5
One thing I've enjoyed about this exercise is discovering music that is new to me and interesting to listen to. This fits the category.
As in, some guy named Pharrell is on the drums, Lenny Kravitz is featured on a couple of tracks, and one guy on the cover is giving the vulcan salute.
Live long and prosper.
Moby
3/5
It was ok but it never made a real connection for me. And it definitely didn't need to be over an hour long.
Next.
Radiohead
2/5
Sleepy stuff.
However, I will say that the album is appropriately titled.
Five minutes after it was done playing, I couldn't remember why I'd listened to it in the first place.
Blondie
3/5
A bit pop-y for me at times, but, hey, it was the 80's. So I'll forgive them because this album was fun!
Anthrax
2/5
Nothing special thrash metal.
Adele
5/5
It's Adele.
It's very, very good.
It's Adele.
Wilco
3/5
Took this one a while for me to warm up to it, but in the end, it was a good ride.
Tom Waits
3/5
Tom Waits is definitely an acquired taste, but after a while, you'll be glad you tried it.
Especially good when accompanied with whiskey.
Paul Weller
3/5
Good mix of energetic and laid back. The vocals are ok but the moments that Weller's instrumental prowess were featured stood out to me.
Dr. Dre
4/5
Once you get past the cold slap in the face from the profanity that starts off this album, it settles into a profanity laced chronicle for the ages.
Bow wow wow yippy yo yippy yay.
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
It's not Bridge Over Troubled Waters but it's still very good.
Fleetwood Mac
3/5
I realize that it's extremely difficult to follow up a great album with another great album. With that said, this is an hour plus of a double album that is not Rumors.
Air
4/5
Background music that turned out to be a surprisingly good listen for me. A little out there at times but that's never a true negative for me. Probably a 3.5 here but I'm feeling generous today and will round up.
Some album is going to take the hit for that as I regress to the mean on my ratings.
Oh well, so it goes.
Scott Walker
2/5
This sounded to me like a parody album of a parody album. To paraphrase the late Wavy Gravy, it was 'specifically, not good'.
Depeche Mode
2/5
Non-distinct 80's music that sounded the same on every track to me. I'm a fan of the decade but I did not find this to be representative of the era in any way.
Radiohead
3/5
Maybe I just don't get Radiohead but this is the second album I've had from the list and I am having difficulty figuring out how either were included.
At least this one was not immediately forgettable.
Bruce Springsteen
5/5
Don't have enough of a Springsteen catalogue to say for sure but, for me, this is his best.
"It's a death trap. It's a suicide rap.
We gotta get out while we're young."
The Pretty Things
3/5
Genuine 1968 San Francisco sound with plenty of flower power, peace, love, groovy-ness all over it.
Never heard it before but it didn't suck entirely.
Nanci Griffith
3/5
Generic country featuring a female vocalist. Meh.
Peter Gabriel
3/5
There were a couple of good tracks here but it didn't deliver anything special.
Just another mediocre 80's album.
4/5
This had an extended Day in the Life vibe for me. Good narrative. Good music.
Scissor Sisters
3/5
Energetic, fun, irreverent and, really, who hasn't wanted to know what Tits On The Radio sound like?
Tangerine Dream
2/5
This could be the Oscar nominated soundtrack from Dances With Whales.
It stars Kevin Costner as an irascible, old, ship captain who sails the world aimlessly while seeking meaning for his life through the song of the sea.
Spoiler alert. Much like this album, that meaning is nowhere to be found.
The Stranglers
4/5
UK punk/pre-punk that comes off brilliantly. For me, this is another hidden gem that's been discovered on this hunt for 1001 treasures.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
4/5
This is another one that I'd never heard before and it's a right beauty. Most of the songs are longer than whatever am/fm radio would regularly play (that's a good thing!) so maybe that's why I didn't recognize any of them.
Regardless, some guy on the Mendicino coast running a pirate radio station out of his garage just nods in I-told-you-so assent to this album's inclusion on the list.
Beatles
3/5
Sure, the Lads from Liverpool, and all that, but I'm not all gaga for this like some screeching bird in her teens swooning about from heretofore undiscovered hormones.
Herbie Hancock
4/5
Fantastic early 70's funk/fusion that helped shape listening preferences that I still maintain.
Glad to see this on the list.
John Lennon
4/5
John solo with a some good songs. Imagine carries all of them on its back.
New York Dolls
4/5
This one is a punk-y, raucous, and raw little rocker that doesn't disappoint. Plus, David Johansen, aka Buster Poindexter, on lead vocals? Fuggitaboutit!
Finley Quaye
4/5
Cool, refreshing, vibe of reggae meets psychedelia with velvety smoothe vocals topping off the whole concoction.
A keeper from the start.
Tracy Chapman
4/5
This is good. Vocally, instrumentally, socially, spiritually. All deservedly receive high marks.
Rush
3/5
I liked this album format in that the entire first side is a single song with a spacey, futuristic, vibe. Ultimately though, this just sounded like Rush to me. Which is not an inherently bad thing, but I expected more than I felt the band was able to deliver.
Baaba Maal
3/5
Couldn't understand a word of this but the rhythms and vocals embodied a lively energy that had my toe tapping throughout the full playtime.
The Stooges
4/5
Late 60's early 70's rocker with a sprig of psychedelia thrown in just for flavor. Yes, I'm old and, yes, I enjoyed this, even having never heard it before.
Sade
4/5
This was a welcome change from most of the generic pop of the early 80's. Sade's sound oozed feminine cool and was anthemic for many at the time.
Very nice.
Janelle Monáe
3/5
Not unpleasant but, also, totally forgettable. Yesterday it was Sade and tomorrow it's somebody else. In, between? I don't remember.
Elvis Costello
5/5
Straight on brilliance all spun from a combination of sock hop, rockabilly, and punk. Add in classic lyricism and you've got a keeper.
Steely Dan
3/5
Good but not Aja.
Ananda Shankar
3/5
This is an interesting mix of sitar and electronics. I definitely preferred the arrangements that were more 'traditional' and maintained emphasis on the sitar.
That said, and on the whole, this was a good listen.
The Louvin Brothers
3/5
Hank Williams Lite. Ok if you're just thirsty, but not enough if you're looking for something more.
Aretha Franklin
4/5
Don't know if this is her best album but Chain of Fools, Ain't No Way, and Natural Woman all deserve to be on list of her best.
Give me Aretha anyday, anyplace, anytime, and I'll be good.
Paul Simon
3/5
I don't know. This was ok, but it felt like it was missing about 50% of what it needed to be truly great.
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
3/5
Didn't understand a word so can't comment on the lyrics but there is an energy, a liveliness, to the vocals and music that I enjoyed.
Good beat, easy to dance to.
Julian Cope
3/5
Not sure I needed 18 tracks of this album but it definitely falls somewhere in the gray mediocrity that represents the middle of the bell curve for the list of 1001.
Even though I wasn't fully convinced thematically by the album, I do hope Peggy ultimately changed her mind.
The Sonics
3/5
This is that band that was hired in 1965 because the one that was originally supposed to play the Friday night high school dance canceled at the last minute.
Archie: Gee, guys, what are we gonna do now?
Betty: This is terrible! I already bought a new dress and promised Reggie I'd let him get to second base tonight.
Veronica: (rolls her eyes) Oh, Betty, we all know he's stolen second so many times that he's turning for third at the first chance he gets.
Jughead: I don't know anything about baseball but I do know that Kevin's older brother has a band that might be able to fill in on short notice.
Archie: Great idea! Let's all hop in the jalopy and see if they'll save the dance!
Kevin's brother's band does play. The sweaty, hormonal, teens love the covers but it's the original stuff that really blows them away.
Epilogue
Archie and Veronica hook up after the dance. She shows him what an Alki Beach hug is.
Betty and Reggie continue to date for a while before breaking up due to Reggie realizing he doesn't really like baseball, and wants to change teams.
Jughead goes on to be the manager of the Dandy Warhols.
Little Richard
4/5
Pretty straightforward here...Fun and energetic all the way. Put on your dancin' shoes and rock till you drop!
Coldplay
3/5
My wife loves it and I just wish someone would take away Chris Martin's valium.
Living Colour
3/5
This has a little bit of a lot going on with it. Stadium hair band rock, 80's pop-y vocals, Prince'ish rhythms and funk, and screaming that stylistically pre-dates what comes in the next decade.
For me, I preferred the blazing rock tracks but, all things considered, this was a good inclusion on the list.
Astrud Gilberto
3/5
Distinctively recognizable vocals from The Girl From Ipanema singer. Airy and smooth, but not much more to it.
Kind of like going to a pub and getting a Coors Light when what you really wanted was a Guiness.
Suede
3/5
This was the second album from Suede I've had on my list and they're beginning to grow on me. Not literally, like a wart, or rash, or anything but in a good way. Don't know if they'll show up again but they were a worthwhile listen nonetheless.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3/5
Turned into a bit of a slog towards the end of play but was an enjoyable mix overall.
Lynyrd Skynyrd
5/5
Southern rock at its finest.
"What song is it y'all wanna hear?"
Soundgarden
4/5
Felt like the album was running a bit long towards the end but this one was very good nonetheless.
Scott Walker
2/5
Scott 2 was the first Scott Walker album I listened to for the list and I now I get to review Scott 4.
Well, I can honestly say that Scott 4 is not twice as bad as Scott 2 and that Walker's musical stylings are only rivaled by his creativity for naming albums.
The Allman Brothers Band
5/5
Absolutely what a live album should be and there isn't a better version of Whipping Post anywhere.
Yes
3/5
Not their best album but this does introduce their progressive rock style that eventually birthed Fragile.
Sigur Rós
2/5
If you fancy an interminable trip down the road of endless nothingness, this is the perfect album for you.
Beach House
2/5
If this is meant as an abstract representing dreams, it's more like what you might experience when the end is near and they pull the plug on you. Not necessarily unpleasant, but dead nonetheless.
No pace. No presence. No pulse.
SZA
4/5
Smooth jams. I liked it
Aretha Franklin
4/5
More really good stuff from Aretha, including a couple of lesser beauties in Baby, Baby, Baby and Do Right Woman, Do Right Man.
I'll think I'll just go sit down and listen to the album again...
OutKast
3/5
B.O.B. was fun but I don't think I really needed an hour plus of Outkast.
Carole King
5/5
This is the album every 15 year old girl had in 1971. Vocally, musically, lyrically...all masterful. And who doesn't like an album with a cat in the cover?
Solomon Burke
3/5
Good, but I would have preferred a bit more rock.
M.I.A.
3/5
It's got that edm/club vibe that I typically can't do. But something in the rhythms kept me in for the full play. Can't say I'll run down to the vinyl store and add it to my collection but, who knows, as it doesn't suck entirely.
The Saints
3/5
Aussie punk. Good energy but I didn't find anything about it distinctive enough to be truly memorable. Ultimately, I guess that makes it Eternally Somebody Else's.
Garbage
2/5
Sure, 90's kinda grunge and kinda rock, but with kinda pop tossed in? It was generally ok but they lost me with that last bit.
Curtis Mayfield
4/5
Aw, yes...the enlightened age of Blaxploitation. Mayfield's lyrics and vocals stand out in this one and Freddie's Dead and Pusherman are perfect examples of the social statements that were being made through the genre.
Nirvana
4/5
My original thought was that this would would be a flat performance due to a lack of the manic energy of the band's plugged in work. It did, but that didn't detract from the vocal and musical artistry of the act.
Very good, and a perfect example of the beauty of MTV's unplugged series.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
2/5
As you'd expect from the title, this album is not full of sunshine and rainbows. It's desperate, dark, and, at times, downright deranged. I mean, the FBI or Interpol or somebody definitively has Nick Cave on a watch list, right?
There was a hint of Jim Morrison at his self destructive best that stood out and the featured vocals were nice, but overall, I think this album was forgettable. Or at least I hope so.......
The Bees
2/5
Not sure about this one, but I think I need to stick with my first reaction and describe it as aimless and meandering. I question how it made the list and have no desire to listen to it again.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3/5
This is the third Nick Cave album on the list, and second I've had in 3 days. I'm still traumatized from Murder Ballads a couple of days ago so please be understanding of the brevity of this review as I struggle to recover.
I liked it, and feel a little dirty about that.
OutKast
4/5
Probably could have cut this down to about 90 minutes but I'm sure there are folks that feel like 2 hours wasn't enough. Regardless, it's an album of the year and deserves the accolades.
U2
3/5
Got it. It's U2. It's ok. When do I get to listen to The Joshua Tree?
Le Tigre
4/5
Have to admit that I've got a thing for girl bands. I'd never heard of these guys and this was a pleasant surprise. It has a Go Go's and The Runways had an angry, sensitive, conflicted, baby vibe going for it that I really enjoyed.
Jazmine Sullivan
4/5
This was actually quite nice. Reminiscent of The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, I enjoyed the conversational narrative of the albums presentation.
David Bowie
3/5
If a David Bowie album plays in the forest, and nobody is there to listen to it, does it still warrant consideration for the top 1001 list?
If it includes Golden Years, the answer is yes.
David Bowie
3/5
The second half of this one was a bit strange, but Bowie doing strange is not out of the realm of what Bowie does.
Strangely enough, I still liked it.
4/5
Not quite sure how to classify this album. Is it punk, or new wave, or synth pop/rock/electronica, or some manifestation of what Mark Mothersbaugh dreams at night?
Regardless, Devo deserves a spot outside the mantle of one hit wonder for Whip It. Being included in the 1001 is an appropriate acknowledgement of their artistry
Def Leppard
3/5
Not adventurous on any level but solid, prototypical, 80's hair band metal here.
Raekwon
4/5
OG triple OG OG triple triple OG
GOOD.
Franz Ferdinand
4/5
Here's another good album that I was totally unaware of prior to diving into the list. Don't know if it's typical of Scottish rock but I found it pure dead brilliant, I did!
The Stooges
4/5
Iggy and the Stooges. Perfect way to start my week. Hopefully the rest of this week's list will be as good as this one.
Grateful Dead
4/5
I am a definite fan if live concert albums and this is one if my favorites. I particularly enjoy them if the bands just hang out and jam for the crowd. Dark Star by itself is reason enough for this album to make the list.
2/5
I'm not entirely sure what it is, or I guess isn't?, with these guys but they just don't make any impression on me whatsoever.
It's like somebody gave me drugs and told me I was going to go on a wonderful trip, and then they told me there was a 50% chance I was in the placebo group, and then I didn't feel anything and never found out which group I was in.
After listening to this, I want a new drug.
Ministry
2/5
Not horrible, generally mediocre, and ultimately forgettable thrash metal.
Bob Dylan
4/5
Anybody can sing and play as well as Bob Dylan. The list of people that can write as well is much shorter. Subterranean Homesick Blues sticks out for me on this one and the full scope of the album probably ranks as one of his best.
Funkadelic
3/5
More psychadelia than Clinton's trademark p-funk but pretty good nonetheless. I had never heard the title track and was very pleasantly surprised.
Prefab Sprout
3/5
This has an 80's sound without the overtly pop'ish we need to have a flauntingly outrageous music video that will get played on MTV vibe to it.
Subdued artistry. I liked it.
Country Joe & The Fish
4/5
Late 60's San Francisco sound from Joe and the Fish. It's full of peace and love and a touch of the brown acid.
Very good stuff.
The music, I mean...not necessarily the acid.
But, hey man, it's your trip.
The Clash
4/5
Somewhere between punk and new wave The Clash put together a really good album.
Beastie Boys
4/5
Hard to believe this album came out in 1986. It was a joltingly fresh slap in the face to most of the saccharine pop drivel that played out on MTV at the time and hasn't lost a bit of its chops to this day.
Now, excuse me while I go fight for my right to party.
The Temptations
4/5
Pretty sure this was their first album that got away from a more doo wop sound and ventured into expression of social consciousness. Hard to keep 40 some odd albums straight but this has to be one of their best.
I also have to admit that I love the Temps and ain't too proud to beg for more.
4/5
This is the only U2 album you ever need to listen to.
Sebadoh
3/5
My first impression was that this album is a more lethargic version of Coldplay, and who needs that?
But I've listened to enough of the 1001 to trust the process, so that's what I did.
And the album turned out to be pretty good, especially the tracks that had some bounce and pace.
Sepultura
2/5
If you take the vocals and instrumentation out of this album, it is perfect.
Otherwise, it's an hour and 12 minutes of your life you'll never get back.
The Smashing Pumpkins
4/5
Very glad I had 2 hours available today to listen to this. It's a really good double album that I know I'll have to go back and listen to again, probably more than once, to fully digest the scope of this magnum opus.
Joni Mitchell
3/5
Soulful, boring, whiney, ground-breaking...insert whatever adjective you want here and it will be Joni Mitchell sounding like Joni Mitchell.
This is not a bad album. It's just the same album.
Eagles
5/5
Great album start to finish. It may go out of favor over time but I genuinely feel it deserves to be considered for top 50 or 100 albums of all time. And it lost to Rumours at the Grammys for album of the year so, while we're at it, lets throw Fleetwood Mac into that category as well.
Astor Piazzolla
3/5
This is not your grandparents' tango, and who knew that some accordion looking instrument could create music so smooth and cool. I'm sure it helps that Burton's vibraphone chops show through it's Piazzolla's arrangements that ties it all together.
Although a bit same at times, this is very pleasant stuff, thank you.
Ali Farka Touré
3/5
West Africa meets Delta Blues. Never heard of Ali Farka Toure before but this album was a nice surprise.
GZA
3/5
I dunno...maybe I was expecting something a bit harder from an ex Wu-Tang member, but this didn't stand out to me at any level.
Rush
4/5
Unmistakable Geddy Lee vocals and driving, power trio, rhythms make this one of the seminal albums of the early 80's.
It was a definite banger and guaranteed to energize the party every time it was thrown on the trusty turntable.
The xx
3/5
This is another group I had never heard before, and I'll likely never hear again. The album wasn't bad and it wasn't good, ultimately falling into the unremarkable, forgettable, middle of the bell curve that represents my ratings on the 1001.
Lorde
4/5
I really enjoyed this one. Vocally, lyrically, musicly - a beauty throughout.
The Jam
3/5
Good example of the sound from the British Invasion.
The Clash
4/5
I like punk. I like The Clash. I like this album. It's less refined than London Calling but that very rawness is what makes it just as good.
The White Stripes
4/5
Quite the rocker here from the Stripes with enough variety to make it interesting.
Chicago
3/5
This double album debut is a massive 76 minute blast of horns, percussion,
and (free form!?!) guitar backing competent vocals from Peter Cetera and Terry Kath. They stuck with this formula for two more good albums during the early 70's before running out of steam.
This album is generally good, if not spectacular, but does represent a landmark sound from the time.
Talking Heads
4/5
After listening to this album I felt the odd compulsion to ask myself, "Where is my large automobile?"
Megadeth
2/5
Maybe I just wasn't in the mood for metal but this one just didn't do it for me today.
Van Halen
4/5
I prefer 1984 to this one but it's still pretty damn good.
ZZ Top
4/5
This album has an MTV audience feel to it and I prefer the band's true to their roots stuff. You know, more Texas blues rock and Billy Gibbons' soul searing guitar.
Still glad to have it pop up on my daily listen.
Skunk Anansie
3/5
I try not to prejudge the albums on the list that I've never heard before. This is one of those albums, and it's not as bad as I thought it was going to be.
Incubus
3/5
I feel like this album was pretty good but I've honestly forgotten what i heard already.
Bill Callahan
3/5
This is a dreamy, mellow, laid back, almost spoken word album that was easy to listen to. And ultimately, I suspect, just as easy to forget.
Sister Sledge
3/5
Nile Rogers production with a couple of solid singles to go with the titular 80's anthem. A bit of a one hit wonder as far as the album as a whole goes but it deservedly finds a spot on the list as a positive representation of the era.
Pulp
2/5
Ok but ultimately forgettable Brit pop
Sonic Youth
3/5
Bit of a chaotic hot mess at times but there are good tracks to be found here. Not enough to require a double album, but worth a listen if you have an hour to kill.
The Gun Club
4/5
Never heard of blues punk before but I did enjoy what these folks put together.
This is the kind of album that slips into a collection as a hidden gem.
The Magnetic Fields
1/5
Holy fuck, this was a 2 hour and 53 minute death march. It definitely has 69 tracks with music and words and I genuinely believe it could be used as a torture instrument if someone had to listen on a loop.
For the rest of you that share my experience, I will be starting an "I survived 69 Love Songs" support group that will meet Wednesday evenings in the basement of the Baptist church. Cookies, cakes, coffee, and tea will be served. In trauma, we stand together.
The Strokes
4/5
Well, isn't this just the bouncy ball of fun!? Never heard it before but glad I got the chance today. A definite keeper.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
Can't You Hear Me Knocking is one of my all time favorites and the country blues rock vibe on tracks like You Gotta Move and Sway is a nice example of the band's versatility. Not sure if this is their best album but it has to at least be in the conversation.
Public Image Ltd.
2/5
Not quite sure what this was. It had a nice bass line and had a play time of 65 minutes. Otherwise, I don't know if it was one long song or a bunch of shorter ones. Totally forgettable.
The United States Of America
3/5
This made me think of the minstrel shows of old. Or maybe a traveling carnival, complete with jugglers, sword swallowers, men with high hats walking around on tall stilts, and a bearded lady. The atmosphere is chaotic, the music more a cacaphony than a symphony, and everyone is having fun. That last bit is what matters.
And just as an aside, there was something about the lead singer, Dorothy Moskowitz, that really stood out for me. She's 83 and still working...Fabulous!
Brian Eno
3/5
Absolutely what the title says it is, and next time I'm in the airport, I'm putting on my 'pods and playing this on a loop until I get on the plane.
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
Classic, young, everyman Springsteen.
The Kinks
3/5
I feel like I'm part of the original audience for this album that wondered what the lads were thinking when they produced this. I like the Kinks so I'll listen to it again in 20 years, and will surely praise it then for its vision and brilliance.
Deee-Lite
3/5
Thump, thump, thump, thump,...Quirky!
Thump, thump, thump, thump,...How Chic!
Thump, thump, thump, thump,...Funky!
Thump, thump, thump, thump,...World Clique!
This has a semi-irritating, catchy sound that feels like a parody of an SNL skit that is a parody of funk and house dance music. Bootsy Collins' bass licks bring legitimacy to Who Was That, so at least it's got that going for it.
Can't say I need to hear it again but it was kinda fun and kinda bouncy and I didn't hate it.
Grant Lee Buffalo
2/5
Okay............Who owed somebody a big enough favor to get this included on the list?
Definitely not my jam.
Justin Timberlake
3/5
I'm not a Justin Timberlake guy but I did enjoy watching my wife dance to the album, and that adds a +1 for me.
Elvis Presley
2/5
Hopefully, this isn't the only Elvis album on the list, because In The Ghetto is the only track the has any heart whatsoever. I found the rest hollow and soulless.
Stevie Wonder
4/5
This album is very good and, to me, Stevie's vocals are the highlight.
Jack White
3/5
A hodgepodge of things. All of which had music and words. White and his mates all appear to be very accomplished musicians, yet, none of what they presented made connection to me in any way.
The Band
3/5
Good enough but a bit tame for my general tastes.
The Monks
2/5
I can see where this album might be considered ahead of its time and a harbinger of punk. Whether by accident or design, I'll give them credit for that. It's not their fault they were born 15 years too early.
N.W.A.
4/5
NWA definitely got NWAttitude. The lyrics are harsh, raw, angry, and totally without filter. I can't even imagine trying to express their reality. I'm not now, or ever will be in it but I was held to their narrative by every beat and word on this album.
Bob Dylan
4/5
Quintessential Dylan here. Might be his best album and the lyrics are spectacularly, randomly, nonsensically at times, brilliant.
Keith Jarrett
3/5
Piano music for the soul that gave off a kind of a lofi vibe. Probably won't recognize a note of it if I ever hear it again, but not because it wasn't good. I just can't pick our instrumentals unless I've heard them a thousand times.
The Thrills
3/5
This was good but indistinguishable from any other indie rock sound from the early 00's.
Pere Ubu
2/5
Regardless of what my daily album is, I always listen to the whole thing. It was a tremendous struggle to make it through this one.
Now excuse me while I help my wife get the knitting needles out of her ears.
Dusty Springfield
3/5
Fun, nostalgic, little look back to songs from the early 60's. Thing is, it's got a Saturday night local pub cover band feel to it. All the good songs were already done better by someone else.
Amy Winehouse
4/5
Well done with a Motown throw back vibe. If that's what they were going for, great. If not, I would have liked to have heard something original in the vocals. Regardless, this is a very good album, and I think I just found my wife's xmas present. Thanks!
The Velvet Underground
3/5
Lou Reed stands out here but he and the rest of the lads have put together a good melange of tracks the are a good listen. And bonus props for hanging out at The Factory!
My Bloody Valentine
2/5
Not sure about this one. I mean, it was ok but it made me think of that Family Guy episode where Brian was trying to get his book published. You know? Except this time it's like "Whose leg do I need to hump to get my album on the 1001 list?"
I will say I appreciate Brian's commitment to his art but question the choices of whoever submitted their leg.
SAULT
4/5
Yes, there is a racially motivated impetus behind every song on this album. If that bothers you, don't listen to it. If you do choose to listen, yes LISTEN, it's a good album.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
3/5
I thought this was pretty good but don't think it necessitated 90 minutes of listening. My wife, however, did not like it. But then, she married me so we know her judgment is questionable and we can ignore her opinion (Don't tell her I wrote this review. The woman is a saint).
Yes, dear. Coming, be right there...
Beatles
5/5
Excellent album and it's easy to pick up on the Indian (George Harrison/Ravi Shankar?) influences on the sound. Really good...
Supergrass
3/5
My head bobbed a couple of times during this listen but, in general, nothing grabbed me from this album.
Not good.
Not bad.
Not memorable.
The Temptations
4/5
Papa Was a Rollin' Stone highlights this out with the do-wop, in with the funk, version of the Temptations. They had so many albums, so many songs, so many iterations of who they were over the years that it's hard to separate who did what when, but bottom line, it's the Temps. Sit down, stand up, dance, sing along, whatever strikes your fancy. For any fan of the group, this is one of their many must listen albums.
The Mars Volta
3/5
A bit odd at times but not horrible at others. Definitely not something that would be in my regular rotation for throwing on the turntable but I won't skip over it when its number does come up.
Common
3/5
John Legend lends distinction to this otherwise indistinct album.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
4/5
Good energy, good sound, good album.
Small Faces
2/5
Late 60's psychadelia. I was there and this was not the album we listened to when we were trippin'. But whoever put this on the list must have been.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
Maybe it's because I was 13 and just discovering my own tastes in music, and girls, when this album came out that I love it so much. Most of those memories are fuzzy around the edges but the music remains achingly clear and still goes straight to my head and heart.
Now excuse me while I go flip the album over to listen to it again.
Madonna
2/5
This album is not good and I'm glad I'll never have to listen to it again.
Elbow
4/5
This was quite the pleasant surprise, it was. Very nice vocals and music with an emotionally mellow vibe.
Very nice.
Snoop Dogg
4/5
Good party music for when you're drinking gin and juice and need to get your mind on your money and your money on your mind.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
This was ok but I prefer the solo effort from Costello on My Aim Is True.
Scritti Politti
3/5
Doubt I'll ever remember the band, much less the album, but you could stick this in a time capsule and shoot it across the universe as an example of standard 80's synth pop. Once it's out there, the chance of me finding it amongst the billions of stars and planets is greater than me ever listening to it again.
Doves
4/5
There was a haunting element to this album that i really enjoyed. Another hidden gem...
Deep Purple
4/5
Metal from before metal was widely considered metal. And who doesn't like Smoke on the Water?
Cream
4/5
Power trio band at it's finest and pretty much a must have album for anyone that wants to include late 60's psychadelic blues rock in their collection.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
4/5
It's a toss up for me on whether or not this is a better album than Californication so suffice it to say I liked this.
Brian Wilson
2/5
If Brian Wilson intended this to be some opus of a rock opera, he missed the mark. It's more like a bury it under a rock and never listen to it again opera. The Beach Boys at least had life in their music. This is DOA from the get
Adam & The Ants
2/5
Not 80's pop, not 80's punk, not very good.
Massive Attack
4/5
Good beat, easy to dance to, and Be Thankful For What You've Got. A nice little trifecta, if you ask me.
The Who
5/5
Hard to name 5 albums that are better than this one. Just a peach start to finish.
Randy Newman
3/5
Fun little album that somehow had me thinking about Toy Story the whole time.
George Michael
4/5
Bit of a wannabe Michael Jackson vibe here but George does a good job of defining his own take on the genre. If you have a chance, watch the videos for this album. They provide a nice snapshot of 80's musical art and a layer of narrative that supplements the vinyl well.
Devendra Banhart
2/5
Nope, didn't like this.
Fatboy Slim
2/5
There was an element of fun in this one but ultimately it's too repetitive, too long, too much of bloody everything.
AC/DC
5/5
Such a good album. It goes to 11.
Elliott Smith
3/5
This was pretty good but I don't think it needed 16 tracks to tell me who they were.
The Who
5/5
I don't know if this was the first 'rock opera' but in its brilliance it certainly set a high bar for any comparisons within the genre.
Stephen Stills
4/5
A very good album that doesn't need CN&Y to stand up on its own.
Beatles
5/5
Arguably their best album.
The Notorious B.I.G.
3/5
Cryptically accurate album title and I guess it's ok. But then I'm a west coast guy so don't tell anybody I said so.
3/5
Pretty good LA punk.
Slipknot
3/5
Before listening to this I didn't know groove metal was even a thing. Now that I know that, I can make sure to never listen to it again.
Thanks for the PSA, Slipknot.
The War On Drugs
3/5
I got a bit if an 80's throw back from this one and it was just middle of the road ok at that.
Ice Cube
3/5
Might have been revolutionary in its time but, for me, this old school sound ultimately just falls somewhere in the indistinct middle of the rap pantheon.
Al Green
4/5
The Reverend's vocal stylings can best be described as 'soulful'. This album is good but like a lot of other artists of the era, his music is more aptly appreciated by a listen to his 'best of' collection.
Bob Dylan
4/5
Not young, folk song rebel Dylan but this bluesy, old man wondering where it all went Dylan is still pretty good.
Beth Orton
3/5
Throwback folksy sound from an artist I've never heard from before. Strong vocals paved the way to an enjoyable listen.
The Chemical Brothers
3/5
Not horrible but I always feel like I need a shower after having listened to this genre of music.
Fela Kuti
3/5
Lively rhythms accentuate this 4 track, album. Need a good cardio workout? Put this on and groove for its full 46 minutes. Guaranteed to make you healthier, or your money back!
Elvis Presley
3/5
This album is the love child of country western and delta blues and rightfully shows off Elvis's range for both.
Dion
2/5
Can't say this album connected to me in any way whatsoever. Is to describe it as 'extremely meh' an oxymoron?
The Dictators
3/5
They've got an irreverent surf punk thing going on here that's not bad. Dick Manitoba sounds like something you get taunted with if you're at a Moose Jaw hockey game rooting for Flin Flon.
If you get the reference, give the album an additional star.
The Flaming Lips
2/5
58 minutes and 14 tracks that blended together into a nondescript melange of forgettable sound.
Here's a soft bulletin for you...if you really want to listen to something good from the 90's, find something else.
T. Rex
3/5
Just like everyone else that was alive in 1971, I'm familiar with Get it On and thought of T Rex as a one hit wonder. This album goes a long way to dispel that notion. Although a bit simplistic at times, it showcases a breadth and versatility that I did not expect. This is a solid album that doesn't need to make any excuses fir being included on the list.
AC/DC
4/5
Brian Johnson's last album and it's an absolute banger.
Lupe Fiasco
3/5
A little long but it was a good listen nonetheless.
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
3/5
Today's album is brought to you by the good folks at 1969 music. This double album features hits like:
Hair Pie - Bake One & Bake Two,
Neon Meate Dream of a Octafish,
She's Too Much For My Mirror,
and,
Old Fart at Play
Why a double album you ask? Certainly you can understand that it was necessary to fully chronicle Captain Beefheart's vision and brilliance, while Frank Zappa's producing and influence are evident throughout.
(*Disclaimer: This review may or may not have been influenced by hallucinatory drugs that were taken prior to listening to the album's original release.)
The Pogues
4/5
My family has a xmas eve tradition that includes singing the beat xmas song ever (my wife routinely calls me a bum and a punk year round). I enjoy an occasional wack fol the do fol the diddly idle ay maybe more than I should. I like this album.
So buy yourself a drink, turn up the volume, dance, cuss, sing loud, and enjoy this beauty from Shane and the lads. If you like it, join me on November 30th every year by hoisting a glass, listening to this album, or Rum, Sodomy, and the Lash. RIP Shane.
The White Stripes
2/5
I think Jack White is a very talented musician, but this album feels like all their others too me. It's too scattered in the attempt to show its range that it comes off as shallow, and this lack of depth fails to pull it out of the hollow morass it's stuck in.
Jorge Ben Jor
3/5
Nice and bouncy. Latin beats with a hint of funk sprinkled in. Full bodied on the ears with a lively finish. Pairs perfectly with a spicy moqueca and a setting sun.
Amy Winehouse
3/5
This smokey, old soul, chanteuse, version of Ms. Winehouse is good. Back to Black is better.
Peter Gabriel
3/5
Good, solid, album and worthy of inclusion on the list.
George Michael
3/5
Pleasant enough and definitively George Michael, but a bit tame and indistinct for any album I would purposely reach for in my collection.
Dire Straits
4/5
Very nice debut album featuring the unmistakable, bluesy, guitar and vocal stylings of Mark Knopfler. For me, it's a coin toss for which I like best...this or Brothers In Arms. So I'll just make sure both are in my collection.
The Killers
3/5
Okay album but I do have a question...Why was he wearing her dress?
The 13th Floor Elevators
3/5
Never heard of these guys but the album was actually pretty good. It could never have been mainstream but I suspect the band was more into presenting the art than looking for popular acceptance.
Derek & The Dominos
4/5
Layla and Bellbottom Blues are the most recognizable but the rest of the album's blues rock tracks don't take a back seat at any level. Throw in Duane Allman's slide guitar on most and you've got a real jewel here.
Hanoi Rocks
3/5
This is a bouncy, energetic, fun little 80's glam rock-y serving garnished with a twist of punk for a bit of added spice.
I'll probably have a horrible hangover in the morning, but if you're not allowed to make bad choices, why have the freedom to make choices at all?
Björk
3/5
Sometimes ok, sometimes quirkily interesting, sometimes outright bizarre, and never my style. I give it an average rating just because it was vocally unique enough to warrant acknowledgement.
Otis Redding
3/5
Otis sings mostly covers while being backed by Booker T and the MG 's with Isaac Hayes on piano. His rendition of Respect is interesting from the comparative perspective of his writing it and Aretha Franklin subsequently turning it into an anthem.
Can't say I need to hear it again but I did enjoy the listen.
Gang Of Four
3/5
I suspect this one caught me on a good day but it had enough energy and anarchy to keep me invested for the whole 40 minutes of play. This easily puts it in the 'potentially relistenanable' middle of my album review curve.
Public Enemy
3/5
Old school and a lyrically rough listen at times, Chuck D is good and Flava Flav sure does have a big clock.
Roxy Music
3/5
Not quite sure what l expected from this but I feel like I somehow didn't get all of what I thought I should be getting.
And no, that's not what she said...
Big Brother & The Holding Company
4/5
If you want to listen to a jammin' blues rock album from the late 60's, this is a beauty. Janis Joplin's vocals are so achingly jagged they will flat rip your soul out. Summertime and Piece of My Heart are just plain masterworks. I prefer Ball and Chain from the Monterey Pops but you can't go wrong with this version. This album should be a must listen for anyone that owns vinyl.
4/5
Not entirely sure what genre this album falls into but it has a funk feel laced with latin(?) rhythms, great sax, and Hammond organ. Throw in Lee Osker on harmonica and you have a cool combination that I spent many hours listening to in my youth.
Stevie Wonder
4/5
Stevie Wonder dominated the early to mid 70's with a series of hit album's, this one being the first of 4 that turned into multiple Grammy awards across that span.
Buck Owens
3/5
Good old boy country twang going on here. Nothing special to it and you can always check out anything from Hank Williams if you're interested in the real deal.
Klaxons
3/5
Never heard of these guys before and can't say I'll remember them if I ever hear them again. But for the 40 some odd minutes I spent with them this afternoon, we had a jolly good romp about.
Ute Lemper
2/5
There is a campily odd presence to this album that I felt bordered on parody. Which comes off well, if that's what was intended. Otherwise, Elis Costello and Cait O'Riordan contributing on the title track is all it has going for it.
David Bowie
3/5
Don't know if I really needed this one but I suppose anything from a 69 year old David Bowie is at least owed a listen. So i did.
Now back to my originally scheduled programming.
Leftfield
3/5
My reviews of electronic dance music typically fall well below whatever the average is for the genre. However, this album has, for the most part, replaced the annoying, repetitive, thump...thump...thump...of the bass with interesting, diverse, interpretations of what rhythm is and how it can be presented.
Can't say I will ever dance to this but at least I won't reach for knitting needles to poke out my ear drums if I ever hear it again.
Marty Robbins
4/5
Marty Robbins is just masterful at good ol' fashioned country story tellin'.
Steely Dan
4/5
This album brought back nostalgic flashbacks of my youth. The music has fared well over time. Wish I could say the same for the details of my memories.
Eric Clapton
3/5
I like all of the versions of Eric Clapton...the young rocker from Blind Faith and Cream; the solo, sober, sentimentalist that followed; and the blues player that paid hommage to his roots in Back to the Cradle and multiple Crossroads performances.
Not sure what, but something is missing here for me and I doubt I'll ever listen to it again.
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
I understand this album got two Grammys but it's a little tame for me. I definitely prefer Born to Run Bruce to whatever this is.
Elliott Smith
3/5
If you like listening to Indie folk rock while wrapped in a blanket while in front of a fireplace on a gray winter day, this album is for you.
Oh, and I forgot...the blanket is heavy and wet, the winter cold seeps in from cracks around the window frame, and the fire's gone out.
Yep, it's musically and vocally competent but there's no sunshine here folks.
Iron Maiden
3/5
For the most part, the general manic frenzy that I typically want from heavy metal is missing on this one. Charlotte the Harlot and Iron Maiden combine to resuscitate an otherwise mediocre album.
Run-D.M.C.
4/5
This album features OG House party jams from start to finish and
"You'll see me talkin to a girl
A sweet young thing with jheri curls"
from Is It Live might just be the most 80's hip hop rhyme ever written.
Tim Buckley
2/5
For the love of me, I couldn't figure out how an album that has a wiki entry that says "Like most of his (Tim Buckley) other albums, Greetings from L.A. did not sell well, although this is probably his best seller" made the list of something I should listen to before I die. Sure, it's got a 1972 Jim Morrison vibe to it but, c'mon, give me L.A. Woman and get this weak shit outta here.
Slayer
3/5
This album definitely has the energy I look for from heavy metal but it all felt a little generic to me.
Maybe another listen will tip the scale...
Christina Aguilera
2/5
This album has 20 tracks and it's evident from the start that Ms. Aguilera is fully capable of pulling off impressive vocal runs. Even if asked to do it 20 times in a row.
Ultimately, it's girl pop from 2002 and I found absolutely no connection whatsoever to this music.
Massive Attack
4/5
I'm 400 plus albums into the list and this was an absolute bolt out of the blue for me. Never heard of it before and now it's on my list for the next time I go to the record store.
Believe in the process, folks, believe.
Peter Gabriel
4/5
More quintessential, MTV fueled, 80's pop. This one is actually good though.
Eminem
3/5
Hard, angry, Em. By the time the 72 minutes of the album was over, I had a headache. But maybe that was the point all along?
Jamiroquai
4/5
I enjoyed this tight, funky, little number. I mean really, who doesn't like a good bit of didgeridoo now and then?
Heaven 17
2/5
Obscure 80's synth pop that should probably stay that way.
A Tribe Called Quest
4/5
Smooth, sharp, tight, beats and rhymes with a soupcon of jazz thrown in to top it off. Very nice.
Roni Size
2/5
I listened to the two hour and nineteen minute run time of this album with my headphones on while working at my computer. It wasn't the worst album I've had from the list but next time I'm sticking with chill hop lofi for my background vibe.
Green Day
5/5
This album is so good. So, so, good.
Marvin Gaye
4/5
In an era where recreational drugs and promiscuous, unprotected, sex were behavioral norms, this album stood out as a generational anthem.
'If the spirit moves ya
Let me groove ya good'
RIP Marvin.
Nick Drake
4/5
Being totally blind to any daily expectation of what I get to listen to from the list is part of why I'm enjoying the experience. This album was an audio revelation for me as I very much enjoyed the acoustic guitar. Then I checked the wiki and learned who Nick Drake was. Now I'm going to go back and focus on his lyrics. Hopefully, one box of tissue will be enough.
TLC
4/5
Not sure if the title of the album is supposed to be individually reflective of any specific member of the group but it is definitely appropriate for the sound and vibe if the album.
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
4/5
Today, we found the answer to the trivia question "What was Buddy Holly's band's name?' and got to listen to a classic 50's rockabilly album.
The KLF
3/5
Not the worst...thump,thump,thump...90's electronic...thump,thump,thump...house music...thump,thump,thump...I've had to endure...thump,thump,thump...on this list. And I actually kind of dug Build a Fire and No More Tears.
Yes
3/5
Roundabout is good and the bass player can flat jam! Solid prog rock that either led, or followed, the introduction of the genre in the 70's.
Joan Baez
3/5
This was a good listen on a wet, cold, spring day, and I'll gladly listen to it again, regardless of the weather.
The Icarus Line
3/5
This felt to me like a garage band, a punk band, and a grunge band had a wild weekend threesome and this baby was the result.
It's messed up but totally accepts and embraces who it is, in spite of what its therapist says about it all being dad's and mom's and other dad's fault.
Calexico
3/5
This felt like a Tex-Mex album with an emphasis on the Tex. It was listenable but I think it would have been better if it had leaned more into the rhythms of its Mex.
Pixies
3/5
I think I was expecting a bit more punk from this album and I think it leaned a bit more toward grunge. Either way, I enjoyed it .
Maxwell
4/5
Cool, funky, and smooth as silk. I admit I'm a sucker for slow jams but this album, that I'd never heard before, was right in my wheelhouse.
Can
2/5
Well, that was some weird shit.
Circle Jerks
3/5
15 minutes of frenetic chaos. My kind of album.
Germs
2/5
I generally like punk and that's exactly what this is. Thing is, there are lots of other bands that did it better.
The Everly Brothers
2/5
This is one of those albums that makes me shake my head and wonder how it made the list. First of all, it barely has a pulse. Second of all, its claim to fame is that it made it all the way to number 9 on Billboard's charts. Wow.....that's impressive.
3/5
Not bad stuff here. Was it just me, or does anyone else get hints of Green Day with just a whiff of the B-52's in the finish?
Femi Kuti
4/5
Fast paced, fun, and funky. I really liked this.
Killing Joke
3/5
I was expecting a bit more angry punk from this, but I think that's on my bad ears. Can't say I'll do it right away but it definitely deserves another listen.
The Sugarcubes
2/5
Today's review is presented by a special guest, my lovely and talented wife! In her words:
"Please don't ever make me have to listen to that again."
ABBA
2/5
Mama mia, was this thing a drag.
Jefferson Airplane
3/5
White Rabbit and Somebody to Love are classics, but the rest of the album is middling 60's psychedelic rock.
Pink Floyd
5/5
Take your drug of choice, put your head phones on, kick back, and enjoy one of the best experiences you'll ever have. Unless you try to watch The Wizard of Oz at the same time. Those flying monkeys will fuck you up.
Sarah Vaughan
2/5
Solid chanteuse-esque vocals but there was no ache, no joy, no lonesome depth of expression, nothing to get me invested, nothing to make me feel. Anything.
Terence Trent D'Arby
3/5
I enjoyed this listen, mostly because anyone that doesn't butcher a Smokey Robinson classic is alright with me.
Cypress Hill
3/5
OG LA rap that's good background for chillin'.
The Beta Band
3/5
Nothing hugely good or bad about this one, and I doubt I'll recognize it if I ever happen to hear it again.
Ravi Shankar
4/5
Educational selections demonstrating the complexities of playing the sitar. Shankar is masterful.
Funkadelic
3/5
Nostalgic look back wit this as background music for many a '78 house party. Now I'll be off, to get down, just for the funk of it
Fred Neil
3/5
This was way better than what I thought a random, never heard before, country folk album from the late 60's would be.
Koffi Olomide
2/5
It might have helped if my French was better but this one is missing that je ne sais quoi that I needed for a higher rating.
The Young Rascals
3/5
It's a bit bland for me but it has an underlying soulful vibe to it that got me through the listen.
Jeff Beck
3/5
A bit lazy for my blues rock tastes but hints of Beck's mastery are sprinkled throughout. Rod Stewart's vocals are recognizable, and somewhat restrained. Both artists are better than what this album showcases.
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
2/5
This one made me think of an opening act that everyone digs at the music festival...until they play too long and everybody drifts off and wonders when the headliner's gonna be on.
Next time, pick your 5 best songs and get off the stage.
PJ Harvey
3/5
I was a bit torn on whether or not I liked this album but the fact that the Pogues were a recognizable influence on the artist pushed it across the line.
I'll likely listen again just to filter meaning from all of the darkness
Meat Loaf
5/5
Quite possibly the best rock opera ever.
Baaba Maal
3/5
I didn't know I'd be a fan of West African music until I discovered it on my journey through this list. Like the others I've listened too, I didn't understood a word but enjoyed every minute.
Alice Cooper
3/5
This was too AM radio for me when it came out in '73 and it hasn't changed in 50 years.
Electric Light Orchestra
4/5
A double album of rock orchestra goodness
Gram Parsons
3/5
Better than I thought it would be and another example of why I enjoy the surprises on this list.
David Bowie
4/5
Fame and Young American are both real good and Across The Universe is a nice tribute. Not Bowie's best but that bar is really high.
Einstürzende Neubauten
1/5
Well that was a train wreck. No, literally, there were times it actually sounded like a train wreck. And those were the good parts. WTF?
Beatles
4/5
Hard to find any fault with this album. It's more adventurous than their previous efforts and certainly a harbinger of the magical mystery tour they would end up taking us on.
Guns N' Roses
4/5
This album falls in the better than I first thought and not as good as I remembered category for me. I'll enjoy it should I hear it again but won't yearn for another listen if I don't.
Duran Duran
3/5
Good example of MTV driven synth pop, with a bit more depth than a lot of other acts at the time.
Björk
2/5
I tried, really I did, and this wasn't as bad as the last Bjork related album I had to listen to, but I just don't vibe with her music whatsoever. Too 'artsy' for me, I guess...
Primal Scream
3/5
Having never heard of this before, I was a bit unsure of what a 'Primal Scream' might sound like but found it to be surprisingly good.
3/5
It didn't suck entirely but like my 7 year old grandson says when I tell joke, "Hehe...I don't get it."
The Offspring
3/5
This definitely fits the 'has to have a pulse' criteria for albums I'll listen to. Can't say I'll immediately recognize it, but I won't turn it off if I hear it again.
Kate Bush
3/5
This may have been a little soft for me but it was a decent listen nonetheless.
The Fall
2/5
11 tracks, each of which is uninteresting and terminally repetitive, put together to represent 48 minutes of my life that I'll never get back.
Haircut 100
3/5
Maybe it's just the early 80's brit pop but, whether intentional or not, there is a camp-y element to this album that made it a fun listen.
My Bloody Valentine
2/5
This may have been the most forgettable album I've listened to from the list. I genuinely couldn't remember what I had just heard two minutes after it was done playing.
And just to be clear, no drugs were harmed during the filming of this review.
The Damned
4/5
I'm a sucker for punk and this was no exception. The opening bass line of the album is just sick and it's not downhill from there. This is another album that I'll enjoy diving for at my friendly local record store.
Bebel Gilberto
2/5
Light, cool, easy, smoothe, and generally too sleepy for my listening tastes.
Jerry Lee Lewis
3/5
This is an energetic thrashfest of blues driven rock and roll piano at its pounding, jangling, driving fullest. The smell of cigarette smoke and youthful sweat is unmistakable.
Enjoy the ride, kids, enjoy the ride.
Pavement
2/5
Middling indie rock. Nothing more, nothing less.
Jane's Addiction
4/5
Can't say I could pick Jane's Addiction out of a lineup before listening to this album but I liked it, and might actually recognize them now at Thursday night trivia at the local.
Nina Simone
3/5
Less than what I had expected from Ms. Simone. Please tell me there is another album on this list that is more representative of her true talent.
Portishead
3/5
Not a bad listen but there was something about it that silently screamed 'LOOK AT ME AND HOW COOL MY MUSIC IS!' when really all I wanted to do was close my eyes, and listen to music.
The Byrds
3/5
Easy to spot the Graham Parsons influence on this. It's solid technically and a decent country music album.
LTJ Bukem
3/5
This was better than the last drum kit and bass album I listened to. Maybe it was the inclusion of jungle noises that made the difference.
Brian Eno
4/5
This is a prime example of Enovision. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the show.
Kings of Leon
4/5
I typically have little patience for indie/alt/pop rock (unless it's so bad it's good...like in the 80's), and maybe they caught me on a good day, but I liked this album.
Elton John
4/5
This should be a must listen on any best of list, if only for the title track, Tiny Dancer, and Levon. Throw in Rotten Peaches for good measure and you've got a right beaut.
Ozomatli
3/5
I liked the latin funk of this album but it didn't distinguish itself to me otherwise.
What's Spanish for 'meh'?
The Velvet Underground
4/5
I'm old. I liked this. Especially Sister Ray. Now pass the bota bag and give me another hit off that pipe.
The Pogues
5/5
I love this album. It's raw and true and fun and flawed. And it accepts the fact, without apology, that it's all of these things.
So grab your mates and slur a verse of the Dirty Old Town
And when you're done just toast to Shane and buy another round
Fun Lovin' Criminals
3/5
A bit tame for my taste and mostly forgettable.
Tom Waits
4/5
This dark and haunting album is part gospel, part folk tale, part voodoo witchcraft, and all Tom Waits at his whiskey and cigarettes and gravel voiced best.
Mekons
2/5
There were elements of this album that I really wanted to like but, ultimately, it just never delivered anything even approximating a satisfying experience.
The Psychedelic Furs
3/5
A bit generic from the era but not bad, really. Which is way better than being really bad.
Sufjan Stevens
3/5
This album runs long and I prefer a bit of edge in my music, but its light fare is not an unpleasant listen.
Björk
2/5
This was at least listenable, as compared to the other two Bjork albums I've had to endure from the list.
But three times nothing is still nothing.
John Lee Hooker
3/5
I like the blues.
I like John Lee Hooker.
I like all of the artists that collaborated on this album.
I can see why this is a Grammy winning album for someone on the back end of their career.
But it's missing the soul of a delta backwoods roadhouse Saturday night, with its spilled beer and smoke and sweat and life being lived.
I'll' take vintage John Lee from his Boom Boom days over this every day of the week.
Peter Tosh
3/5
Understandably Wailers-ish and good enough to make the list, but it ultimately just fades into the middle of the bell curve for me.
The La's
4/5
When I saw this was my album of the day, I figured sure, I'll listen to it but I
didn't have much hope. Especially when the group is called the La's, and it's a self titled album. Really? Couldn't you think of anything else, or at least throw in another La, and maybe a Tra?
But listen I did...and Wow. For some random 90's one album wonder, this is really good.
Morrissey
3/5
This might be the second Morrissey album I've listened to from the list. I really don't know about that, but I can say for certain that this one is easily as forgettable as the other one I can't remember.
Ray Charles
3/5
Big band, crooner Ray. Good enough, but I prefer Georgia and What a Wonderful World Ray.
Ryan Adams
3/5
Actually pretty good but the vocals started to grate on me after about the 12th track. Less is definitely more for this album.
Nick Drake
3/5
I think this is the fourth Nick Cave album that I've listened to on the list. Not really sure why there have been that many but this one at least deserved to be there.
Death In Vegas
3/5
Electronic shoegaze. I had no idea what that's is or what that's supposed to sound like. I can't give this album an enthusiastically resounding endorsement but i did think it was solidly ok.
Hot Chip
3/5
Considering the fact that in my list of musical preferences, electronic dance music ranks below didgeridoo and apes beating on hollow logs with the long bones of animals, this album was better than both of those options.
Jeff Buckley
4/5
Well, that was refreshing. I've had a run of questionable offerings roll through my daily album selections and this one just cleansed my palate right good. Very satisfying and a very good album.
Tom Waits
5/5
Damn. Please reserve me a table at whatever diner Tom Waits is Nighthawkin' at! The be-bop rhythms of the band are a perfect back drop for his observational lyricism, which is raw and real and true.
Bravo, Tom. Bravo.
Weather Report
3/5
Birdland is good. The rest of the album is just a melange of unmemorable 70's jazz-fusion.
Big Star
3/5
This feels like a wannabe CSNY offering. If that was what the band was aspiring to, they missed the bar by a skosh.
Johnny Cash
2/5
Well, Johnny (Must Have Needed Some) Cash or why else would he do a double album of horrible covers of somebody else's songs.
I love Johnny Cash. I hated this souless abomination of an album.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
4/5
Breakdown and American Girl stand out on this debut effort from a Hall of Fame act.
Lambchop
3/5
I was skeptical when this popped up as my daily listen but it was actually pretty good. Plus, it was my 501st album so, regardless of what comes next, I'll be able to say that Lambchop and Nixon played a memorable role in my completion of this marathon!
Randy Newman
3/5
Standard Randy Newman fare without the Pixar related familiarity we're accustomed to.
The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy
3/5
An interesting integration of jazz and bebop beats on some of the tracks offsets otherwise mediocre hip hop.
One thing for sure though, the album does hold the record for longest combined title and group name in history.
Dire Straits
5/5
Unless you accept it's tongue in cheek parody, Money for Nothing can be described as an apolitical, MTV-fueled, sell out but the rest of the album is so, so, good. Mark Knopfler's vocals and guitar stylings are exquisite and I dare anyone to listen to the title track without getting a tear in their eye.
Aerosmith
4/5
Some good tracks, some ok tracks, and all of them just what rock in 1975 was all about. And, reallly, who among us doesn't need a Big Ten Inch Record every once in a while?
Don McLean
3/5
The title track is a bit of true Americana and Vincent is quite nice. The rest of the album just kind of blends together into the blurred background of Don McClean's masterpiece.
Sepultura
3/5
I don't listen to metal very often and am totally in the dark relative to where Sepultura falls within the pantheon of the genre's gods. I do know that I liked this album. Does the fact that I didn't get a headache listening to it give it a plus one star, or a minus one star?
The Cardigans
2/5
There's a Blondie vibe, without the edge, to this album that actually works. I was on the fence about how to rate it but they pushed me over the edge when they mutilated Iron Man.
Shivkumar Sharma
3/5
A bit same-y over the full length of the album but I still found it very chill, with highlights of an attractively spiritual existentialism on the finish.
The The
2/5
I honestly didn't remember what I had just listened to five minutes after the album had finished. Maybe I missed the best album that ever was, but I'll never know.
Shack
3/5
I wouldn't have this on an infinite loop for my play list but I would potentially use it as the soundtrack for my next indie film.
White Denim
4/5
Never heard it before. It's got a punk-y, garage band vibe, with a hint of the Allman brothers that smooths out just enough of the jagged edges to keep it interesting. I liked this album.
Bob Dylan
3/5
This album has some good tracks and the also brings to mind the realization that a little Bob Dylan goes a long way.
The Residents
1/5
The album wiki describes this as art rock. Don't know about that, but whatever that is, I do agree that it should be buried deep under one.
Solange
3/5
Not Beyonce. Not Destiny's Child. Not horrible.
Public Enemy
3/5
I'm an old white guy that can't hear much of anything without my hearing aids. Even with them in, I struggle to keep up with rap lyrics. Maybe that's why I liked this album, or maybe it's just a good album. Or maybe it's just Schrödinger's Album...both good and bad until I put my ears back in.
Jurassic 5
3/5
Softer rap than I expected but I liked the musical aspects of the presentation.
Les Rythmes Digitales
3/5
I was skeptical when I saw this album was described as synth-pop but it was actually quite listenable.
Destiny's Child
3/5
This album's ok but way too self-indulgent at 16 tracks. Given how repetitive the sound was, they could have chopped off five or six tracks and had a really good album. Instead, I kept wondering when it was all going to end.
Gang Starr
2/5
I don't know why but I never got into this one at all .
Coldcut
3/5
A little too close to EDM for me to really like but I easily made it through the hour plus run time and wouldn't mind hearing it again sometime.
Tom Waits
3/5
As if Tom Waits isn't odd enough, this album takes a turn away from his beat poet best and delves into an eerie instrumental laced vortex that made me think of an excursion to a New Orleans voodoo shop.
You know, not a bad trip, but definitely an odd one.
Ash
4/5
Hitherto unknown to me, this album has a lot of good tracks on it. Don't know how to characterize the sound but it does have elements of garage punk grunge that I enjoyed. And the lads are Irish, so plus 1.
Dexys Midnight Runners
4/5
I danced to Come On Eileen with my other daughter at her wedding so I have a definite soft spot for DMR. Imagine my surprise when I listened to this and realized they possessed a creative depth unknown to me. There, There, My Dear especially stands out in this regard.
Time to go to the record store.
The Only Ones
4/5
I liked this album, probably more than I should have.
Air
3/5
I loved this movie. The soundtrack, though good, does not meet that same level.
Cowboy Junkies
2/5
I might be biased by the absolutely soulless rendition of Walkin' After Midnight but this was a very sleepy album with the only spark of life being contributed by the harmonica player.
Queen
4/5
Along with A Day at the Races, this is one of my two favorite albums named after Marx Brothers movies.
Oh...and it's got Bohemian Rhapsody going for it.
Which is nice.
Frank Sinatra
2/5
I'm definitely not old enough to be nostalgic about this crooning style and it seems to me that if the authors really wanted to spotlight the mid 50's, they could have picked from a myriad of albums featuring the burgeoning jazz/blues/country/rock influences of the era.
As it is, if this was the music boomers were having sex to, I'm surprised that they would have stayed awake long enough to accomplish the feat.
Turbonegro
3/5
This album's not bad but nothing really stands out enough for it to ever be memorable to me. I mean, the last track is called Good Head, and I can get that pretty much anywhere...
Marvin Gaye
5/5
5 stars all the way!
William Orbit
3/5
Good, non-intrusive, background music if you don't want to be surrounded by quiet. And it did make me wonder what I may have missed by never listening to Strange Cargo I and II.
Kacey Musgraves
3/5
A bit pop-y for my country music tastes but not bad otherwise.
Sinead O'Connor
3/5
I really wanted to like this album way more than I actually did. That doesn't detract from the great personal respect I hold for the artist.
RIP Sinead.
The Who
3/5
Maybe it's just the version I listened to but this would have been better if it had featured the crowd more. I mean, it's a live album. I want to hear the them go crazy. I want to hear the band's repartee with the audience. I want to be warned that the brown acid is specifically not good. I want my clothes and hair to reek of weed and sweat when it's all over. And I want to be there when they come back on stage for their third encore.
Music was good. Album production was not up to the same standard.
Afrika Bambaataa
2/5
Old, old school beats. Primitive and pioneering. Not sure it should be on a list of "Best Of"s but it definitely deserves a place in music history.
Leonard Cohen
2/5
Canada's answer to Bob Dylan. Only less talented and more boring.
The Cult
2/5
Not bad, not good, not memorable.
Screaming Trees
3/5
Despite my skepticism, and the fact that I couldn't come up with a list of 1001 albums that were better, I'll concede that this one deserves a spot on the list. Somewhere in the anonymous middle of the curve, but a spot nonetheless.
The Auteurs
3/5
Maybe not the most original album title but rhe content was acceptable.
Mercury Rev
2/5
This was an odd little mess that I just can't describe, other than to say that I can understand why deserters may have chosen to do so.
Orbital
2/5
In 2001: A Space Odyssey, this is the music that HAL 9000 had on a loop for the entirety of the two and a half year mission to Jupiter. No wonder he lost his little computer mind along the way.
3/5
I didn't hate this but Linkin Park's Hybrid Theory was released at more or less the same time and absolutely dwarfs it in every way. Now wonder its wiki notes that it has since been dropped from more recent versions of 1001 albums to listen to.
Neil Young
4/5
A hall of fame album from a hall of fame artist. A real beauty, eh.
Tim Buckley
3/5
Saccharine, and laced with psychadelia, this is a good example of 60's alt folk music
Prince
4/5
I liked the movie so there's an element of my rating that is not directly associated with just the music. I will listen to and/or watch either anytime.
Joy Division
3/5
Better than a lot of other albums on this list but not good enough for me to add to my collection.
Dexys Midnight Runners
5/5
I danced to 'Come On Eileen' at the afterparty of my 'other' daughter's wedding so I am extremely biased in my love for this album. Out of 1001, I vote we all get to rate one a 5 for strictly sentimental reasons.
The White Stripes
3/5
I think this may have been the third Jack White centric album I've listened to during this exercise and it may have been the least annoying. Probably won't ever know for sure as I'm never going to listen to the other two again.
Beyoncé
2/5
For some reason, I just didn't click with this album. It felt too long and whatever artistic value it has was Beyondmé.
Patti Smith
3/5
A little raw in terms of production but ten track debut albums should all be this good.
Joanna Newsom
2/5
I hope this album was somehow meaningfully therapeutic for Ms. Newsom. For me, it was just 55 minutes that I'll never get back.
Goldfrapp
2/5
This made me think of the soundtrack for some bad 1960's movie. Totally forgettable and destined to be parodied on Mystery Science Theater 3000.
Jacques Brel
2/5
I only speak a bit of French so there easily could have been something I missed here. The crowd seemed to enjoy it enough but if I have to listen to a French language album, give me something by Edith Piaf any day of the week
Sly & The Family Stone
4/5
I saw these guys live at Seattle Center in the 70's. They were an hour late starting and only played for 40 minutes. And it was the most jamming, energetic, outrageously funky, best concert I ever went to!
This album is a bit more tame than that but Family Affair and Thank You
for Talkin' to Me are classics, and I really enjoyed this listen!
The Police
4/5
Good album with some great songs, some weird songs, and one creepy stalker song.
Dolly Parton
3/5
I have tremendous respect for her singing, songwriting, and positive influence on folks. But I have a hard time listening to her do 10 songs in a row. So I'll continue liking her by micro-dosing her music.
Christine and the Queens
3/5
I wasn't brave enough to try and listen to the French version of this album but I do think that the English version is entirely likable.
Coincidentally, the French word for 'bravo' is bravo, so when I use that word to describe my review, no translation needed for my French speaking audience.
audience.
R.E.M.
4/5
This could be REM's best album, but then I haven't listened to any of their others. Still, this I'll give them the benefit of the doubt.
The Crusaders
4/5
Street Life may be the only mainstream hit these guys have ever had but don't sleep on them otherwise. Late 70's jazz fusion has their fingerprints all over it and I'm glad they're included on this list.
Beastie Boys
3/5
I had a hard time keeping up with the words but I was able to bob my head and tap my toe in time with the beat. As an old guy, that's probably all the exercise I'm gonna get so thank you, Beastie Boys, for making my life better today
Belle & Sebastian
3/5
An easy listen from a pop group that would not usually hold my attention for the entirety of the album.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
3/5
I am a proponent of using Bob Marley's music and methods as a coping mechanism for when the world goes sideways, or for when it doesn't.
Thanks, Bob, for reminding me today that all will be well.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
4/5
Another good one from Neil Young. Cinnamon Girl, Down by the River, and Cowgirl in the Sand are exceptional.
Public Image Ltd.
2/5
I liked 1978 and I like punk. I did not like this.
The Youngbloods
4/5
This was a very good album and I was surprised to find out Charlie Daniels produced it. He probably made more money on The Devil Went Down to Georgia but this album is a worthy piece of art as well.
The Undertones
3/5
A little tame at times but mostly good punk from a band I've never heard before.
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
2/5
This album felt like an art project to me. Like the band was using music to depict the struggle of the populace trying to maintain autonomy when confronted with neoindustrial technocracy and hypocritical messaging vis a vis an ever expanding lack of awareness.
And like most art, I didn't get it.
Buffalo Springfield
3/5
Good late 60's music. Neil Young's stamp on it doesn't hurt.
Sonic Youth
3/5
Can't say this one knocked my socks off, but it did loosen my shoelaces.
Michael Jackson
4/5
Michael was always a bit too pop for me to really get into but this album is, grudgingly, pretty good.
Iggy Pop
2/5
I like punk Iggy. Iggy doing his best David Bowie impression? Not so much.
The Waterboys
3/5
Nice and proper Irish and Scotch folk music.
The Streets
3/5
This was very interesting. I might have to listen to it again but I think I got hooked on the Eminem 8 Mile vibe it was putting out. You might say I even lost myself in it.
Marilyn Manson
2/5
This album has way too much of nothing to ever have it be something worth listening to again.
Stan Getz
3/5
Given that it was samba, I think this album could have used a bit more pace, a bit more energy. Still, I liked it
The Mothers Of Invention
3/5
This is wacky and wild and wonderfully impudent. But take heart, all you uptight, overstrung, Karens and Chads. It can't happen here.
Fleetwood Mac
5/5
I heard this album a thousand times in the late 70's and that overplay doesn't diminish it in any way. Really good then, really good now.
Ms. Dynamite
3/5
First time I'd ever heard of this and, while I'll probably never listen to it again, I liked it.
Grateful Dead
3/5
Good album but I prefer Live Dead.
The Style Council
3/5
This album has a little bit of something for everybody. There's eurofusion, piano that could be from the soundtrack of every Peanuts movie ever made, and 80's white rap. And it's better than a lot of the albums from this list that I've already listened to.
Siouxsie And The Banshees
3/5
I liked the lively tracks more than the more somber ones but hey, it's the scream. Can't be all sunshine and rainbows, can it.
k.d. lang
2/5
This had a bit of a throwback vibe, a nostalgic element, that I found captivating. That said, it didn't offer enough variation or energy to keep me interested over the full play.
Depeche Mode
3/5
Wait...what do you mean I can have my own personal Jesus?
Songhoy Blues
3/5
It was interesting to me that even though I couldn't understand the words, the blues spoke for itself. I liked that.
Sugar
3/5
Pretty good 90*s rock.
Minor Threat
2/5
Non-descript punk. Best thing about the album is that it's only 21 minutes long.
The Smiths
2/5
It was like most English food I've had. You know, filling enough but way too bland to ever order it again if there is pretty much anything else on the menu.
Doves
3/5
First time I'd ever heard this and I found it to be a good listen.
The Slits
3/5
I was a bit skeptical of this, thinking it was going to be a hot mess. Turns out I was right, but in a good way!
Pet Shop Boys
2/5
Forgettable from start to finish.
Cheap Trick
3/5
I like Cheap Trick and, for a live album, the sound quality is pretty good. Still, I don't think it gave them the justice they deserve.
Missy Elliott
3/5
Missy be workin' it. Nuff said.
Steely Dan
4/5
College party flashbacks with this one. Damn, I was young.
Ian Dury
3/5
This is a raunchy, bawdy, crude, little romp and I liked it. Probably says more about me than the music but, hey, sometimes you just have to own it.
Jeru The Damaja
3/5
No clue what this was before I listened to it. The rhythms and accompaniment seemed fairly basic but I did enjoy the fact that I could keep up with the lyrics.
MC Solaar
3/5
I can honestly say that this is the best album, titled from an Old Testament verse, by a French rapper, that I have ever listened to.
ABBA
3/5
Not my thing but good enough for this list.
Kings of Leon
4/5
Wow...I really liked this.
Spacemen 3
2/5
This might have been better if they had added a fourth spaceman. As it was, there is nothing to recommend here unless you need an 11 minute track titled Suicide.
Miles Davis
4/5
Cool jazz with hints of bebop lingering on the palate. Bon Appetite!
Suzanne Vega
3/5
This was a very nice set of folk songs.
Queen Latifah
3/5
I liked the Queen's style but would have liked this better if it showcased her with more lyrical diversity.
The Beta Band
3/5
Nothing stood out for me on this album so I'll just be moving on to the next one. Only 400 more to go...
Korn
3/5
I get it. They're angry and get to scream fuck for a living. I'm fine with both, but don't need to listen to the album again.
Alice In Chains
4/5
I liked this album, a lot.
G. Love & Special Sauce
3/5
Oddly satisfying.
Genesis
2/5
No thanks, didn't need a 90 minute Tommy wannabe today.
David Crosby
4/5
If you're a fan of CSNY at any level, or just some pirate radio station on the Mendocino coast, this is a nice little nugget to add to your collection.
Holger Czukay
2/5
This would have been better if it had been silent movies.
Paul Simon
2/5
Probably should have kept Garfunkel around. This feels like a skeleton...all bones and no heart.
Eagles
4/5
I like Hotel California better but this was a very good debut album.
Bob Dylan
3/5
Decent Bob Dylan and certainly merits inclusion on this list.
Carpenters
3/5
Sugary sweet vocals with a touch of latent sadness for Karen Carpenter.
Ramblin' Jack Elliott
1/5
Yee-haw? Not even close to good enough for this list.
Mj Cole
3/5
Lofi vibe that I liked well enough to use it periodically as background, but not well enough to ever buy the album.
Van Morrison
2/5
Distinctive Van Morrison vocals but not as good Brown Eyed Girl or Moondance.
Wilco
4/5
A double album that didn't over stay it's welcome over the length of play. Hadn't heard it before and I found it quite good.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
2/5
This is at least the fourth Nick Cave album that I have listened to as a result of accepting the challenge of completing the full list of 1001. Last I checked, I'm roughly two thirds of the way to the finish and this guy has more albums than Elton John (1), Queen (2), Elvis (2), Led Zeppelin (2), The Rolling Stones (1), The Allman Brothers (1), and Van Halen (2).
Please tell me whatever deal that Mr. Cave made with the devil to be mentioned so many times has been paid in full, so I don't have to listen to anymore of this.
The Associates
2/5
Having outlived everything that was bad about the 80's, I consider myself immune to the worst of it. This album reminds me that I might need a booster shot.
Liz Phair
3/5
Not sure what it specifically was with this but I kinda liked it.
2/5
The wiki for this album describes the genre as 'noise rock'. I don't disagree with this but would add that it is definitely not 'music rock'. One thing it does have going for it is the possibility of having the record for most total words used in the titles of all the tracks...71, which is roughly 30 more than the run time in minutes of the album.
Guinness Book, am I right?
Dirty Projectors
3/5
Indie pop that was not derivative or uninteresting. Plus, the title translates to Please Orca. Which starts an entirely different discussion about politeness to sea mammals and what the orca was being asked to do.
Sabu
2/5
I like music with energy and rhythm, which this had, but there really wasn't anything special about it for me.
Portishead
2/5
Don't know what their First and Second were but their Third was an odd hodgepodge that I failed to connect with.
Fairport Convention
3/5
UK folk music with an Irish/Celtic vibe. I liked it.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
Sympathy For the Devil and Street Fightin' Man are classics but the rest of the tracks don't uphold anything cole to that standard.
Cocteau Twins
3/5
I think I forgot what I listened to 10 minutes after the album ended. Keep in mind that I'm old and suffer from CRS (Can't Remember Shit) so that's likely on me, rather than the Cocteau Twins.
Mudhoney
3/5
Not sure this is entirely grunge but it's got that frenzied, energetic, garage punk thing going for it and I'm certainly down with that.
Nirvana
3/5
Not as good as Nevermind but it grew on me over the course of the listen.
Harry Nilsson
4/5
Bit if a one-hit wonder as an album goes but there are multiple tracks on this that make it list worthy.
Joy Division
3/5
I thought I knew all 80's music but I had never heard this and it was quite a pleasant surprise.
King Crimson
4/5
This was very interesting to me as it had a Dark Side of the Moon vibe to, and was released 4 years earlier!
Gonna have to listen to it again but there is a definite chance this ends up in my vinyl collection.
Kelela
3/5
I'm a sucker for a good r&b sound so go ahead and count me as a fan of this album
Butthole Surfers
2/5
This album wasn't nearly as bad as what I anticipated. But then, twice nothing is still nothing.
Good luck slogging through this mess.
The Replacements
3/5
Not bad at all
Radiohead
3/5
Maybe could have used a couple more tracks that quickened the pace a bit, but I liked this
Joe Ely
3/5
No masquerade. This is just straight up, middle of the road, good old honky tonk music.
King Crimson
4/5
This is the second King Crimson album I've had recently and both were good listens. Now I need to go back and revisit both to see if I have a preference for either
fIREHOSE
3/5
This is another example of some unheard of album resonating with me, and that's all I ask of art. Make me feel something! Pain, agony, disgust, joy, peace, beauty, anything. In this case, it was surprise, and I like most surprises
3/5
It's the Beatles. It's the Beatles engaging in whimsy. It's the Beatles being obtuse. It's not the Beatles I generally want to listen to.
Nine Inch Nails
3/5
Gonna have to listen to this again but I think I thought it was ok?
Aerosmith
3/5
A side is good and the B side is totally forgettable. Remind me whose album this is...Oh, yes, it by Aeros-meh-th.
Todd Rundgren
3/5
I appreciate that Rundgren got away from his pop roots on this. Can't say it's a tremendous landmark of an album but it is a worthwhile stop as a scenic viewpoint on the musical highway.
Dr. John
3/5
Dr. John with some down home NOLA voodoo funk. Can't say that everyone will like this, and it definitely didn't fit the 1968 AM radio format, but I liked it
JAY Z
3/5
I need to take an RSL (Rap Second Language) class to be sure but I think I liked this.
Morrissey
2/5
This wasn't bad, but it was just too soft for my tastes.
Next.
Quicksilver Messenger Service
3/5
Classic free form concert fare from 1969. Plus it's got that Bo Diddley beat, so fire up the hi-fi and listen to this album.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
Pretty typical of early Stones stuff. Some good songs and some songs that seem to be an off road trip trying to find who they want to be. Tough choice between listening to the US or UK releases, but only the first track is different and both are very good. So I recommend you listen to the full play from either version and then backfill with the single you missed.
Sam Cooke
3/5
The sound quality of this live album doesn't do Mr. Cooke any favors but the inherent soul in his songs comes through clearly.
Traffic
4/5
This album fits nicely into the pantheon that is Stevie Winwood's catalogue. Blind Faith, Cream, Traffic...all hall of fame acts.
The Who
2/5
Concept album from The Who. Here's a concept... Don't waste your time on this. If you're looking for something that stretches The Who's chops, Tommy is a way, way better option.
Willie Nelson
5/5
Willie doing other people's songs. Great stuff and one of my all time favorite albums.
Lloyd Cole And The Commotions
2/5
This album never charted in the US so that's probably why I'd never heard of it. Or maybe it's because it's just non-interesting, middle of the road 80's music. Either way, I didn't do the math and it may well be worthy of a place on a list of 1001 best somethings to do before you die. I just hope that there are better things than this to experience before I get to the end of that list.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
5/5
I had occasion to play this album for my young grandson, and he was really digging it so we decided to get the whole family together and 'play' the music. We gave the kid a harmonica, dad was on the toilet roll trumpet, mom had a cowbell (which we ultimately decided we needed more of), grandma was on kazoo, and I kept the beat with a wooden spoon and a pot.
A song came on and we all waited for the harmonica to lead us into a glorious jam session, but nothing happened. Obviously unsure of himself, our grandson asked us "Why aren't you playing?". To which my wife answered, "I'm not blowing anything until I get some music."
After the laughter subsided, we all jumped in for a memorable moment that has become a cornerstone of family lore
Keep On Chooglin'.
Morrissey
2/5
This is the fourth Morrissey album on the list and I think that fact seriously stretches the credibility of whoever makes the selections. Maybe they gave it extra credit for only being mostly dead.
The Cure
2/5
An almost 45 minute, mostly empty and meaningless, grind that ended end up way less satisfying than initially anticipated.
Might be the most appropriately titled album ever.
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
3/5
Not sure what genre this is called but I'd say the 'Interesting enough to keep me engaged for the entire run time' genre would be most appropriate.
Digital Underground
3/5
I enjoyed this. Time to go get my Humpty Dance on.
The Avalanches
2/5
Ok as random background music for doing the dishes but not something I will ever be listening to again
The Cars
5/5
I personally prefer Heartbeat City but this is an excellent debut album and a must have for any fan of the 80's.
Rest in peace, Ric. You and the lads did good.
Radiohead
2/5
I found this to be a bit of a mess from a group that I usually like. Not so much so this time around.
Dwight Yoakam
3/5
Good enough for inclusion on a list of 1001 albums and glad to see Buck Owens recognized in the process.
Jimi Hendrix
3/5
Little Wing and Castles Made of Sand stand out here. Problem is that only represents about 5 combined minutes of the album. The rest is not bad but feels more like filler than stand alone material.
Drive-By Truckers
2/5
This was hyped to me as comparable to Lynyrd Skynyrd and other great Southern Rock bands. It definitely did not meet that expectation.
Underworld
3/5
Mostly EDM that didn't suck entirely.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
It's really just a bunch of lads that got together to cover late 50's, early 60's, blues rock classics. It's rough and raw and, damn, is it good. If they can come up with some original music, I think they have a real chance of making a name for themselves.
Soft Cell
2/5
One hit wonder Tainted Love is ok but most of the rest of this album is a forgettable 80's mess.
Dennis Wilson
3/5
I can see how Brian Wilson needed to establish his own identity outside of the Beach Boys and this album presents not a hint of that past life. Everyone is entitled to their personal catharsis and I like to believe Wilson got his here. Whatever opinion of the music I or others express is irrelevant to that process.
RIP
Ghostface Killah
3/5
A quality album that is pushing the definitions of coarse and raw. Pretty much what you should expect from someone with such deep Wu Tang roots.
Kraftwerk
3/5
I am definitely not a euro synth-pop new wave aficionado but this was better than I thought it would be.
The Young Gods
2/5
I don't speak enough French to actually know what I just listened to so I'll just say bon chance figuring it out for for yourself.
Television
4/5
Maybe I was in a good mood today but I liked this album. It had some late 70's jam to it with a bit of early 80's finish. Definitely worthy of another listen.
Ice Cube
3/5
Cube was pissed at NWA. Cube made a pretty good album.
Gil Scott-Heron
4/5
I was a freshman in college when this came out and has a very special place in the book of my life.
The bold truth of the poet's words will not be forgotten.
RIP
The B-52's
4/5
Very good debut album and a fun little romp besides.
Manic Street Preachers
4/5
This one hit me like a bolt of lightning. Once my muscles relax, my teeth unclench, and the burn scars heal, I'm going to listen to it again.
The Beau Brummels
2/5
Never heard this album before and I found it to be totally forgettable.
The Good, The Bad & The Queen
2/5
#676. Listened and wasn't impressed. Next.
Kendrick Lamar
3/5
The Smiths
3/5
I have come to the realization that I like The Smiths. But Morrissey solo? Nope, don't need it
The Charlatans
4/5
I have a vague memory of having listened to this before but it was apparently long ago and far away. So today I listened (again?) and, really dug it! Maybe in some alternate universe I'll get to listen to it for the first time again. I can only hope that I like it this much again..
Michael Kiwanuka
3/5
This will probably never be in my collection, not because it's bad - it's quite good actually - but because it's that obscure.
Neneh Cherry
3/5
This has Paula Abdul vibe with more rap-esque content. I'm sure this album is some 1980's-ophile's guilty pleasure, and I'm not gonna try to convince them they should think otherwise.
The Dandy Warhols
3/5
I saw these guys live at a concert in Bend, OR and it was great fun. This album is a more pop-y than the garage band rooted rock I saw that day but it's still quite good.
Drive Like Jehu
3/5
This is one of those albums I knew nothing about before listening to it, and I'm inclined to listen to it again. I've gone through almost 700 of the 1001 on my list and I easily liked this as much or more than half of those.
Put your headphones on and turn up the volume for this one.
Primal Scream
3/5
I found this album to be a bit long but, generally, it was worth the listen.
My Bloody Valentine
3/5
This album is not bad but nothing about it stood out to me either. Just another nondescript entry that gets a check mark, but I'll never listen to again.
Motörhead
3/5
This one is full of energy like a live album should be. A good 'best of' sampler if you like metal.
The Teardrop Explodes
2/5
This is a random album from 1980. I believe it made some top 200 list in the UK at that time. If you do the math from 1960 to 2010, that should put it on something like a list of 10,001 albums to listen to before you die. If you ever attempt that task, take my word and skip this album.
The Stooges
4/5
Gotta go find this one on vinyl now.
Nitin Sawhney
3/5
Can't comment on most of the lyrical content but, despite the gravity of the album content, I did like the general rhythms and melodies of its presentation.
Talk Talk
3/5
Chill, mellow, and whatever other adjectives you want to use for describing the easy vibe of this album. Probably ends up as Sunday morning brunch on the patio music for me. Which is a good thing.
System Of A Down
2/5
It's metal. It's not unique or memorable in any way for a debut album. Maybe their second one is better? I may never know.
Echo And The Bunnymen
3/5
I think I liked this but I'm not sure and don't want to re-listen to confirm. Not a glowing review but at least I get to proceed to the next album.
Elvis Costello
2/5
I like Elvis Costello but this album felt like it was missing something. Maybe the artist's vision is something I can't see, or hear in this case, but whatever it is, the album will be remembered for its emptiness more than it's magnificence.
Steely Dan
3/5
One in a good run of albums during the 70's for these guys
Jethro Tull
4/5
Classic album that taught the world that a flute can be a very metal instrument.
The Doors
4/5
Cops in cars, the topless bars
Never met a woman so alone
I love this album.
The Blue Nile
3/5
Solid 80's album that could be used as the background soundtrack for the film of my youth.
The Human League
2/5
Don't You Want Me is the answer to the question of what song from the 80's is the one I can never remember at trivia night. Maybe listening to this album will help me for the next time, but chances are both will remain totally forgettable to me.
Pet Shop Boys
2/5
I'm not a synth-pop guy, and this album did nothing to change my mind.
Kate Bush
3/5
If it weren't for being resurrected by Stranger Things, Ms. Bush would have remained in the upside down that is mediocre mid 80's music forever.
Give her credit for escaping that abyss.
The Doors
4/5
Probably my third favorite of their albums behind Doors and L.A. Woman. It has a more blues roots vibe to it which is a nice contrast to the psychedelic trip Jim and the boys usually take you on.
The xx
3/5
Nice, tidy, little indie joint. I liked it
Abdullah Ibrahim
3/5
I could have used a bit more pace to go with the sleepier tracks but, overall it was smooth and hip.
Frankie Goes To Hollywood
3/5
Quintessential 80's decadence with a couple of recognizable covers thrown in. Not bad at all
The Mothers Of Invention
3/5
This is classic commercial irreverence from The Mothers. Good on ya, lads. Good on ya.
Hugh Masekela
4/5
Full of energy and rhythm and I very much enjoyed this listen.
Wire
3/5
Snappy little punk number with 21 tracks and a 35 minute runtime. All worth the average of a minute and 45 seconds each. Don't blink or you might miss some of it.
Super Furry Animals
3/5
Well that was a fun little side trip on this whole listening to 1001 songs thing. Can't say I expect to hear another from them before my quest is done, but if one does come up, I'm sure it will be because it's deserving.
Earth, Wind & Fire
5/5
I like when an album on this list is in my vinyl collection so I can cue it up and reminisce. I might have paid something like $3.99 for it and that probably works out to $0.00000001 per play. And 50 years later, albeit way worse than I think it sounds, I can still belt out my Maurice White falsetto with every song. No doubt on the rating here.
'And if there ain't no beauty, you got to make some beauty.'
Marianne Faithfull
3/5
This could be a case of being on the list more because of who she was and not so much of what she could do. Still, I thought this album was way better than a lot of the 700+ other albums I've listened to so far.
Fela Kuti
3/5
More lively afrobeat that pokes the bear for every minute of it's 2 track, 25 minute playtime.
John Lennon
3/5
Can't say it was the Ono Band's fault but I thought this album was a bit flat and uninspired.
The Go-Betweens
3/5
Never heard it before but I enjoyed it.
Black Sabbath
4/5
Really good A side and the B side doesn't fall much short of that bar.
The Beach Boys
2/5
The first track on this album sucks all of the life and soul out of Bobby Freeman's 'Do You Wanna Dance?'. The rest of the album is so milquetoast that it can't escape that abyss.
Help me, Rhonda!
Fishbone
3/5
This is full of funk and I got a little Prince and the Revolution vibe off of it. Maybe it could have been a bit more varied over the 12 tracks, but I definitely got into it regardless.
Fairport Convention
3/5
A Sailor's Life was good and the rest was standard, middle of the road, late 60's folk music.
Magazine
2/5
This one lost me early. Not sure what they were trying to be and I have my doubts that the knew themselves.
David Bowie
3/5
Overall, not bad, but I do wish there had been a bit more Bowie and a little less Eno in this one.
Happy Mondays
4/5
Just so happens that I listened to this on a Monday, and I was Happy that I did. Never heard it before, and it didn't take long for me to to get over my general disdain for Manchester (specifically their football clubs). I willing embrace this aspect of the local music scene
Animal Collective
2/5
I've listened to worse but my first thought here was how high do you have to be to enjoy this album? Come to find out the answer is not high enough.
Supertramp
4/5
Whatever they call this - prog rock, or art rock, or anything else - it's good and it takes me to a happy place.
Oh, to be 18 again...
Cee Lo Green
3/5
Got to give Cee-Lo props for including credits to OG Stax greats James Banks, Eddie Marion, and Henderson Thigpen, as well as Philip Bailey and Maurice White of Earth, Wind, and Fire.
Play time felt a bit long but if that's what it takes to tell the tell, so be it.
Blood, Sweat & Tears
4/5
If you like horns and flute and classic piano in your music, there's a timeless beauty in this one. Plus, I will never discount the fact that my 8th grade gf was so, so, happy when I gave the album to her for her birthday.
Gary Numan
2/5
Throw out one hit wonder 'Cars' and this is just a meandering mess of a synth show.
Parliament
4/5
Ow, we want the funk.
Give up the funk.
Ow, we need the funk.
We gotta have that funk.
Words to live by.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
Good, early, Elvis Costello.
Jimmy Smith
3/5
Smith's Hammond organ leads the way on this album with just four tracks covering a little more than 40 minutes on this album. Historic Blue Note records and the ensemble cast of Stanley Turrentine, Kenny Burrell, and Donald Bailey partnered to produce this solid jazz/blues/soul sound.
Travis
3/5
Nice enough with a just a trace of the Beatles underlying the content. Feel free to argue that last bit, if you'd like.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
3/5
I'll give ELP credit for adapting a piano/orchestral suite from 100 plus years ago into something that was moderately interesting and didn't suck entirely.
Bobby Womack
3/5
Such a classic, smooth, sound. Turn the lights down, grab your best girl and a couple of glasses of wine, and make the evening memorable.
CHVRCHES
3/5
Considering I'm not a fan of most synth pop, this album was actually something that I enjoyed the experience of listening to. I'll likely never own it but I'd definitely be ok with hearing it again sometime.
The Coral
3/5
A little tame but not bad at all.
Talking Heads
4/5
Thoroughly enjoyed this and I'll be keeping it in my medicine kit, just in case my fear of music returns.
Deep Purple
4/5
This is a really, really, good live album topped off by a 20 minute rendition of Space Truckin'.
Crowded House
3/5
Good enough to make the list. Not good enough to make me remember they're on it
Barry Adamson
3/5
This guy has a history with Nick Cave so listening to the album came with a bit of trepidation as to what I might get. Turns out my fears were unfounded as it's an interesting opus that I might actually listen to again sometime.
Traffic
3/5
A bit more folksy than their signature sound but good nonetheless.
Brian Eno
3/5
Ambient noise meets the precursor of Eno's collaborations with The Talking Heads.
I liked it.
Thin Lizzy
3/5
Live Irish blues rock...That was fun!
Black Sabbath
4/5
This album should remind folks that Black Sabbath wasn't just a bunch of two chord musicians and Ozzie wasn't just biting bat heads off and screaming into the mic.
RIP
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
3/5
Lots of pickin' and grinnin' and generally just a good ol' country hoedown.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
Could be their best album.
Simon & Garfunkel
2/5
This is a 'concept' album. Here's a concept...Make an album that's not totally forgettable. If it wasn't for the fact that The Graduate was an Oscar nominated movie, we wouldn't know this album even exists.
James Brown
3/5
Frenetic-gospel James Brown. Good musical backup and the crowd participation adds some punch.
The Police
3/5
The Police finding their way with signature vocals and occasionally asynchronous rhythms. Good listen
Steve Winwood
4/5
I like Winwood's work with Blind Faith and Traffic and this solo album keeps that standard high.
Rahul Dev Burman
2/5
Not sure why this was the example of Hindi music the authors felt needed to be included on the list. It's ok but it feels a bit like a parody of itself, which probably represents my own ignorance more than the quality of the art.
I will say that I do have a sudden urge to whip up a batch of popcorn, grab a blanket, and nestle into the couch to watch the movie. It can't be all that bad, right? But if it is, please let it fail in a gloriously memorable mess.
2/5
This was ok but I can't imagine how they decided they needed to record a volume 2.
Kid Rock
2/5
Took every ounce of willpower I could muster to listen to this and separate the artist from the man in the process. The rap rock sound is actually pretty good and the energy is undeniable. Still, there is an underlying element of Vanilla Ice in the rage and inferred victimization. Sure, the swing to country is readily evident and a choice Kid Rock made but, ultimately, this feels like the Kid's real name is Clarence.
Lou Reed
2/5
This is a sleepy, meandering, lifeless effort from an artist that is capable of way better. Might as well have been titled Take a Walk on the Dull Side.
PJ Harvey
3/5
I liked this enough to look up her wiki and, lo and behold, she had a relationship with Nick Cave and cites Shane MacGowan as having been a lyrical influence. Don't know if I should embrace this or run away, but I will definitely listen to it again.
3/5
Sure. Bob Dylan. Live. At Royal Albert. Meh. Next.
Everything But The Girl
4/5
What a wonderful Monday surprise this album was. With its Top o' the Mark cocktail lounge, cool and easy, jazz vibe and spot on vocals, it is right in line with the high class clientele that comes to see the show.
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
4/5
Hip, unorthodox, and a definite must have
Donovan
2/5
Saccharine sixties swill. My reaction? Picture John Belushi going medieval on the guitar playing guy on the stairs of the frat party.
David Bowie
3/5
I like Bowie but, other than Jean Genie, I just couldn't make a connection with the content.
Should probably slap the headphones on and give it a proper listen.
Method Man
2/5
This was ok but one line really summed it up for me:
I'm on point
Like a fax machine
You get my message
All I could subsequently think about was the sound of ancient dial-up Internet.
And I did not get the message.
Eminem
4/5
Dark, mostly satirical(?), dive into Eminem's backstory. Picture the kid in middle school that spends all his classroom time drawing demons and knives dripping blood on his assignment pages.
*Beep*
"Hi Debbie, it's Warren, the school counselor again. We'd like to have a visit with you about Marshall's art. We think, uh..., we think he's, uh, ...special...and, uh..., we'd like to discuss what, uh...options are available that might, uh..., better accommodate Marshall's creativity.
Call me when you get this message so we can arrange a time to move forward for Marshall.
*Click*
Richard Thompson
2/5
It wasn't horrible and I suppose that any list of 1001 anythings you need to do before you die needs to have a number 764.
Bon Jovi
4/5
This is the album that brought Bon Jovi to the popular fore. Big sound, big venues, big hair. And that's not even counting the picture my wife has taped to her vanity mirror of Jon, wearing tight jeans and carrying his plumbing tools into Ally McBeal's bathroom.
UB40
3/5
Decent reggae that fell a bit short by the time I listened to the whole album.
D'Angelo
3/5
Although I don't think D'Angelo did Smokey any favors with a protracted version of Cruisin', there is a smooth vibe to this album that I did enjoy.
The Cramps
4/5
I just love it when some random album I've never heard on this list slaps me in the face and says 'Notice Me!'. This is rockabilly punk that makes me think of Quentin Tarantino's predilection for similar music. Maybe I'll give him a call (I've got him on speed dial, ya know?) and get his take on the importance of intertextuality as a vehicle for adding thematic texture and depth to an element within a film.
Madonna
2/5
Not a Madonna fan, and it felt Like A Prayer had been answered when this one was over.
Beatles
3/5
This album is good but probably could have benefited from a good chucking of the double album concept. Yep, cut the run time in half by throwing out the filler tracks a you'd have a great album
Venom
2/5
Maybe I wasn't in the mood for metal when this one popped up, but I definitely wasn't in the mood for mediocre metal.
Orange Juice
3/5
Not gonna go out and rummage through the vinyl bins in an effort to add it to my collection but it's not bad. It's also not memorable.
Mott The Hoople
3/5
I'm not familiar with their catalog. The vocals had a Bob Dylan vibe that I wasn't quite sure about but there was plenty else there to like.
Echo And The Bunnymen
3/5
I could have been tripping but I picked up a nice little late 60's, early 70''s, throw back vibe from this. Not bad, not bad at all...
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
This was ok but I prefer high energy rocker Bruce.
Goldfrapp
3/5
Second album from this artist I've had on my list and this one was marginally better than the first. In fact, this one may end up on the play list at our next Wiccan meeting.
Radiohead
3/5
I get the feeling that my review will not be in the majority but there was nothing on the album that grabbed me and made a connection. I'll give it the benefit of doubt by throwing it into the forgettable middle of the ratings curve
Robert Wyatt
2/5
I pretty much fell ashleep during this listen and can't remember if I liked it or not.
Dusty Springfield
3/5
A little tame for my taste but there's some soul behind her vocals that I appreciated.
The Stone Roses
4/5
Not sure what I was expecting but I found this album to be quite good.
Paul Revere & The Raiders
3/5
Groovy beat with a couple of good songs and a 29 minute run time. A perfect listen if you're ever trying to figure out when your next take-out is ready for pickup.
Sleater-Kinney
4/5
Maybe it's my local connection to the band (I've taken the Sleater-Kinney exit off of I-5 North many times) but I really, really, liked it. Perfect wake up play for a Monday morning, or any other morning for that matter
Santana
5/5
Samba Pa Ti is very close to my heart in that it is the only song that is guaranteed to get me off my butt to dance with my wife. The rest of the album is just spectacular.
Paul McCartney and Wings
3/5
I wanted to like this, I really did, but it's too much bubble and not enough gum to be anything but mediocre.
Nick Drake
4/5
Not bad at all and any album that can land tracks in the movie soundtracks of Garden State and The Royal Tenenbaums is alright by me
David Bowie
4/5
Not unexpectedly, this is very good Bowie with Life on Mars leading the line for me. Go buy it.
Curtis Mayfield
3/5
It's not Superfly but it is Curtis Mayfield in free form stream of consciousness mode and worth the listen.
Iron Maiden
3/5
Decent, fundamental, metal.
Bonnie Raitt
4/5
Good combination of blues rock and country from a very talented singer/musician.
Giant Sand
2/5
This was way too sleepy for my taste, but that's a subjective thing, right? So I'll just say that it wouldn't be the last album on my list if I chose to relisten to 1001 albums again.
Daft Punk
1/5
The thing that I liked most about this album was that after 73 interminable minutes, it ended and I'll never have to listen to it again.
Orbital
3/5
If you're tired of cat lo-fi or smooth jazz playing penguins, this is decent background music.
The National
3/5
A pleasant surprise.
B.B. King
4/5
Thirty-five minutes of a live show barely scratch the surface of B.B. King's catalog and breadth of influence.
Please, sir, can I have some more?
Todd Rundgren
2/5
I understand that Todd Rundgren is well respected in the business as both a musician and producer, but by the end of the 90+ minute run time of this album, the answer to the title question could easily have been 'Something/Anything?/Nothing.'
Manic Street Preachers
3/5
Not sure I liked it as much as the general reviews said others did but it was good nonetheless.
Dinosaur Jr.
2/5
I saw where this album was described as 'noise rock'. Well, they got that first half right...
Teenage Fanclub
3/5
Good enough and I get the feeling that I'll give it another listen at some point when I'm done with the remainder of the list.
Just 205 to go...
Os Mutantes
2/5
This was an odd choice for inclusion in a list of 1001 albums to listen to be before I die. Don't know what they would be but I feel like there would be far better options serving as example of Brazilian music. This felt like an awkward attempt at anglicising something that shouldn't have been.
Bauhaus
4/5
What a strange little album this is. Unconventional, in an oddly satisfying and original way, with just enough discord to make it interesting.
Mudhoney
2/5
Seattle grunge. Nice try, but nowhere near the best of the genre.
Boston
5/5
A banger start to finish, and a must have if your collection needs a transformative 70's album. And really, who's doesn't!?
Iron Butterfly
4/5
Classic psychedelic rock with the title track exemplifying the genre to perfection.
David Ackles
1/5
I'm now over 800 albums into the list and this is easily in the bottom 25. Somebody please put a pillow over my face if I ever ask to listen to it again.
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
5/5
Even though it feels like I've been there before every time I listen to it, I will continue to do so as it's just that good!
The Boo Radleys
3/5
Not bad but I doubt I'll ever bother looking it up to have a second listen
3/5
It's good Loretta Lynn. Nuff said.
Queens of the Stone Age
3/5
I was very skeptical of this one but it turned out to be pretty good
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
4/5
This is the sixth or seventh album for Elvis Costello since My Aim Is True and it feels like a return to who the artist is, as opposed to the lost meanderings of someone trying to find themselves.
Welcome back
Dolly Parton
3/5
Nice enough album but each of the three stars talents deserve the spotlight way more than allowed in this format
John Martyn
3/5
Folksy, jazzy, and spacey at times, this album was a pleasantly warm interlude on an otherwise chill, gray, fall day.
Milton Nascimento
3/5
I would have preferred a bit more pace here but, all in all, it's a nice album to have on whe you've got a warm blanket and a good book.
Kings of Leon
4/5
800 plus albums into the project and it's becoming more and more difficult to come up with unique reviews, so let's just keep this simple. I liked it.
Queen
3/5
Proto-Queen. It's a definite precursor of all that they would bring in the coming years. Nice to have had a peek into where they came from as I had not heard this album before.
Ray Price
3/5
Safe, smooth, 60's country, with a bit of Willy Nelson sprinkled in.
Count Basie & His Orchestra
4/5
From a bit before my time, and the cover art notwithstanding, I really enjoyed this.
Hole
3/5
Not much of a Hole fan but this album was really quite good.
Anita Baker
4/5
Sweet and soulful, this is a very good album.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
Solid blues roots Stones. Very good.
U2
3/5
Pretty good, but it's no Joshua Tree. So I guess I still haven't found what I'm looking for.
Moby Grape
3/5
Decent late 60's acid psychedelic rock that feels like a discount version of CSNY.
Billy Bragg
3/5
This has quite the unique backstory with the connection to Woody Guthrie's undiscovered lyrics. Not sure how he would have wanted them set to music but I have to think Bragg and Wilco did a very good job with what they had.
Prince
3/5
It felt like 70 minutes of Prince was a bit much but I did like the album
KISS
2/5
Never was a Kiss guy and I guess I'm still not.
Slint
3/5
I'm not exactly sure what this was meant to be. It's mostly instrumental, and not bad at that, but I think the album, overall, lacked a soul, lacked an identity that would make me want to know more about who they were. So it will just get shuffled into the middle of the pile, neither good nor bad, just ultimately invisible.
10cc
2/5
This felt like something close to being a real designer bag, but you bought it for $5 from a street vendor on the corner of 8th and Broadway, so as much as you want it to be good, it never quite will be.
Rufus Wainwright
2/5
Tough, tough, listen. I can appreciate the album's artistry, just like when someone shows me a menu and says I should try the culinary masterpiece that is the acorn squash. I understand it is good, but there's no fucking way I'm eating it.
R.E.M.
3/5
This was a bit of a divergence from the original, almost folksy, REM. In a good way.
Bee Gees
2/5
This is a mostly forgettable album by the guys that get most of the credit for the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack.
Wu-Tang Clan
3/5
It's 58 minutes long and the de facto poster child for why parental advisory labels are on albums. It's also a must know if you're into the genesis if east coast rap.
The Birthday Party
2/5
I had high hopes for this but it was an absolute mess from start to finish.