It’s like when you visit an art gallery and there’s a video instillation. The video is shot on Super 8, and features broken mirrors, religious imagery, and a good deal of nudity. This album would be the soundtrack. You stand at the back of the darkened gallery just long enough to prove you aren’t scared/confused/shocked by it, then politely edge your way out to go and find something by Banksy, whose book you have on the coffee table at home. Giving it 2 stars. If you gave it 1 star, it would mean you didn’t ‘get it’ … and I definitely ‘get it’. 100% ‘get it’. It’s just I prefer stuff by Radiohead, or Banksy.

Quintessential Brit-rock mediocrity featuring cut-&-paste 90's guitar-led indie music with few distinguishing features. Lump it all in with Primal Scream, Sterophonics, Ash, Flaming Lips etc. and let the 'cult followers', who deride you for not worshiping it, tattoo the lyrics on their arms and buy tickets to Reading&Leeds festivals to see them headlining as ‘legends’ - playing to the same people as they were 25 years earlier. If you miss them headlining, fret not, just tune into RadioX and a 50 year old DJ will be playing the same turgid shit whilst pronouncing 'they don't make them like this anymore!'.

Don't get this at all. Clearly I'm in the minority, as it's so loved ... but to me, load of old guff

*insert gif of Villanelle going “BORING” here*

Excellent swearing. Not one to play with the kids in the back of the car - unless you have Adam Buxton skills. Otherwise, not really my jam.

Excellent swearing. Not one to play with the kids in the back of the car - unless you have Adam Buxton skills. Otherwise, not really my jam.

Best intro to an album ever? From that point, only gets better ...

Very of its time - but don't think it's aged particularly well for a modern listener. What was already 'dad rock' 25 years ago, is now becoming 'grandad rock', and not in a particularly good way.

Wanted to like it, definitely a lot of skill on show, but after the title track it just gets a bit disengaging ...

Some girls mothers are bigger than other girls' mothers

pleasant enough listen, but one of the best 1000 albums ever made?

slow start then goes batshit in the middle - peaking with 'Casanova', which is a great tune fades out at the end

To think this was made 40 years ago - still sounds so fresh, super funky. Dare I say it, there are a couple of (what feel like) filler tracks, so I don't think it's his best album. Would give it 4.5/5 if I could ...

Never heard of, or listened to, these guys before. I liked them. Couple of particularly good tracks including 'tonight'. Will come back for another listen ...

The genre of American heavy-light-rock is one I struggle with. doesn't have the grunge of Navara, nor the dynamism of REM, nor the pure belters of RATM. Found this quite middle of the road - does get going for 'Superunknown', and 'Spoonman' builds well - rest of it is a little insipid, without being otherwise interesting.

pioneering work, ahead of it's time, huge influence on modern music, *insert other cliché here*. But if I'm being honest, listening to this for 45mins is a trifle trying.

liked this a lot. shades of bjork - quite ethereal - but with an electro punch. 'Closer' and 'Two Weeks' my standout tracks.

I tried, but this is just not my thing ... the slower, melodic, hotel-bar type of jazz that it is. Give me some furious drumming, sax solos, and virtuoso trumpeting ...

Had heard 'mr blue sky' before, but nothing else from these guys. Enjoyed the album. 'Sweet is the night' was a standout. Really liked 'Big Wheels' and 'Summer and Lightning' too. Obvious comparisons to be made with Pink Floyd, Queen, and even late Beatles stuff. And while it doesn't hit the heights of those guys, still a fun listen.

BEAUTIFUL GLORIOUS NOISE

I went to Sheffield once. It rained the whole weekend and our mini-cab driver was involved in a rather unsavory incident with a traffic warden. In this context, Richard Hawley's music is joyous and exotic. Thankfully however, I'm not writing this review from Sheffield.

It’s like when you visit an art gallery and there’s a video instillation. The video is shot on Super 8, and features broken mirrors, religious imagery, and a good deal of nudity. This album would be the soundtrack. You stand at the back of the darkened gallery just long enough to prove you aren’t scared/confused/shocked by it, then politely edge your way out to go and find something by Banksy, whose book you have on the coffee table at home. Giving it 2 stars. If you gave it 1 star, it would mean you didn’t ‘get it’ … and I definitely ‘get it’. 100% ‘get it’. It’s just I prefer stuff by Radiohead, or Banksy.

it's craggy, it's raw, it's at times terrible to listen to. but it's also rather brilliant. Psycho Mafia my standout track

A security blanket of nostalgia for ex-teenagers of the 90s. You know all the words ... have sung it at weddings, birthdays, in the street at 3am ... can play Wonderwall on the guitar (and nothing else). It's accessibility makes it easy to knock, but also easy to like.

It's better when using guitar for the hooks (such as in Hero/Interlude Loving The People), rather than backing vocals (such as Living In Denial/You Ain't The Problem, which sound like backing tracks from Austin Powers). As a whole album, lots of interesting styles and influences, I like when it gets a bit ambient and trippy, and your man has a great voice ... but some of it I found a bit irritating.

Fun album - quintessentially 60s I could’ve gone for a bit more 'psychedelic' - but I'm sure at the time it was pretty out-there. Great album art work.

Go on, Tina! Give it some welly!!

They’ve gone for epic, and A for effort, but to my ear it’s a gratuitous mess. Lead singer sounds like Sting, which in itself is extremely off putting. Hate the omnipresent slappy bass. Having listened to the whole thing, there’s not a single hook I could recite back. Not for me.

*insert gif of Villanelle going “BORING” here*

A 'virtual' band in 2001 - the whole Gorillaz package was innovative, just see the music videos! As a standalone album, i don't think it's their very best music (Plastic Beach is my fav) - but this is where it all started, and still has some absolute TUNES on it.

Quintessential Brit-rock mediocrity featuring cut-&-paste 90's guitar-led indie music with few distinguishing features. Lump it all in with Primal Scream, Sterophonics, Ash, Flaming Lips etc. and let the 'cult followers', who deride you for not worshiping it, tattoo the lyrics on their arms and buy tickets to Reading&Leeds festivals to see them headlining as ‘legends’ - playing to the same people as they were 25 years earlier. If you miss them headlining, fret not, just tune into RadioX and a 50 year old DJ will be playing the same turgid shit whilst pronouncing 'they don't make them like this anymore!'.

Good fun album which was surprisingly easy to listen to. Starts with a banger, and then treads a fine line with being parody (see Mötley Crüe) without ever getting silly. Tracks like 'Which way to America' and the cover of 'Should I stay' kept up the pace to the end.

oooooooffftttt - run me a bath of this so i can soak it into my pores

Great songwriting, but the delivery does nothing for me. Soporific, under-seasoned, ineffectual.

Manic Pixie Dream Girl music.

You can hear the effort that goes into making these sounds with those instruments. As a counter-point as to what music 'is' vs. 99% of material on 1001's albums, i think it's inclusion on the list is justified. Sure it's not easy listening, but bloody hell do I wish I could thrash a drum kit/sax/trumpet like that.

What's not to like about dystopian art punk funk rock?? Sounds like a soup made from The Cure and Joy Division, that's been mixed in a Pet Shop Boys synth blender.

these guys do a few good tunes. shame none of them are on this album.

LOUD NOISES - MORE LOUD NOISES - I LOVE LAMP

Some parts were enjoyable - some parts completely unlistenable. 'Incredible' might be over-egging it somewhat

Having only ever heard the Heroes single, the whole album is not what I expected at all. 'Sense of Doubt' and 'Moss Garden' are so different to the Bowie I knew.

Don't get this at all. Clearly I'm in the minority, as it's so loved ... but to me, load of old guff

5 star album, 1 star idiot

Ian Paice, blimey.

Such a strong opening, rest is listenable.

Couldn't agree more - though I'm not sure about the claim on curing TB.

The transition from ‘without you’ to ‘Coconut’ must be the biggest change in tone of any album on the 1001 list. Love the out-tro to ‘jump into the fire’. Overall, really enjoyed it, great full album listen.

Fresh as the day it was made

An album i've listened to plenty before now, it's a goody. Listening again, I find 'it's a fire' the most affecting track, previously overlooked it for the other bigger hits.

hard to have an opinion on this. nice to have a bit of world music, but it's not something i'd listen to again.

Like a fruit machine - lots of noise and lights, lots put into it, don't get much out

cuts along nicely at first, peaking at 'Jackie Wilson Said'. After that, becomes overly long ... they could've cut a chunk out ... all becomes a bit same/same. The Waterboys do what Dexys do, just better.

None of their hits, all of their style.

Californication. Good, occasionally poor. Around the World, 2 to gale 3, Scar Tissue increasing severe gale 4. Rough or very rough, later. Rain, thundery showers. Road Trippin' Moderate, remainder of album occasionally very poor.

curious addition to best albums.

Enjoyed this. Is it rude to call it background music? I mean it in the best possible way, had it on in the evening whilst pottering about - emptying the dishwasher has never been so groovy.

The songs you know creep into parody/novelty music - the songs you don’t know, are junk. Also read, of their more popular hits, someone else wrote them and they didn’t give them a credit. Overall, not a fan.

I love how this album goes from huge anthems, to tender songwriting, to expansive almost experimental compositions. Only criticism is the expansiveness means the album it long, too long. Otherwise, cracking set of tunes.

easy listening, not particularly inspiring, but not particularly offensive.

'Once in a lifetime' is one of the all time greats. Really enjoyed 'Seen and not seen'. A Challenging listen at times, but overall it's somewhat brilliant.

Peak Smiths, peak Morrissey. An album for Smiths/Morrissey aficionados ... which I am not.

love the first 2 tracks - then goes off into sweeping introspective stuff which is a good listen.

I love Blur. But of all their albums, this is my least favourite. It's the album before Parklife (which is an absolute riot), and a looong way from 13 (which I think is Blur's pinnacle). Still a good listen and cuts along nicely - but nothing outstanding, which is a shame because a lot of Blur's output really is.

Snore. Rod Steward is over-rated. Not a fan of 'bluesy-rock' as sung by an Englishman with a mullet.

amazing how many songs from this album are still in the mainstream today. full of attitude, style, grunge, and cool.

is this album any good? that would be an ecumenical matter. actually, pretty sure they would say this was pish. giving it an extra star for annoying the church.

I like the funky stuff more than the r&b stuff. some of it is a little slow, but overall feel good vibes for a damp Monday morning.

I don't generally like country music. I don't generally like pop music. I don't generally like this.

man they wrote some big hitters. not my personal taste, but no denying, they did what they did very well.

Grandmother's favourite band. Precious memories <3

found an upside to having tooth ache - it's a welcome distraction to listening to this.

fuck you, Joe Rogan and spotify. i choose Neil Young.

started listening, forgot i was listening, then it was over. does this make in inoffensive yet underwhelming?

You're boring, mate.

If you know, you know. If you don’t, you’re probably American.

There’s the kernel of something good here - can see what it’s influenced by, and possibly what it influences in turn.

You can't take The Boss in small doses, and this is a large dose of Boss (1hr15mins). Compelling as ever however with a couple of real bangers (Nothing Man, The Rising)

hope he kept the receipt

Personally not into Soul music, though obviously this is a classic, so cannae slate it

Not what I was expecting. Has vibe, good riffing (both guitar and bass) - each track is a little punch of energy.