1001 Albums Summary

It’s nicely done with some memorable melodies and lovely harmonies. But my god it’s earnest, with no edge or bite

Good first and last tracks - the rest was a little disappointing. His vocals are hard to love, although some good lyrics popped out. Some of it sounds quite dated (the bluesy chug in the middle) but if you compare it to any music from the 60s it must have sounded very modern in 1974, and it's clearly influenced a load of arty alternative bands from the 80s onwards.

The pop hits are unimpeachable, his choppy rhythm guitar is fantastic there’s def some filler (Delirious is awful) and Lady Cab Driver may be my fave track. Incredible how much that sounds like a live funk jam given he played all the instruments on that track (and pretty much all on the album) himself

I have a high tolerance for - and often find deep joy in - jangly 60s-influenced slightly-psychedelic guitar pop music, but I didn’t get on with this at all. There’s the odd great moment where a chorus explodes and the harmonies kick I. (Eg underwater moonlight) but the songwriting smacks of a bad sixth form band.

Unspeakably bad

Has a definite ‘sound’ / vibe - classic soul/garage/r&b with White Stripes guitar sounds and Strokes vocal processing. Definite front-loading going on here - the first five tracks are pretty strong (all the singles amongst them) but the album tails off towards the end and seemed to go on for two or three songs too long).

I find it quite difficult to critically appraise this. It sounds like music from another time (which it is I suppose as it was released not too long after the second world war) and whilst I can tell it’s accomplished it sounds very ‘easy listening’. I don’t know whether it’s good or not but it doesn’t do much for me. There’s def some 60s jazz which I like which is a bit more urgent and groovy but I find it difficult to relate this this. Can anyone help?

I like his voice and some of the top lines are good but it’s sub-McCartney-Beatles / wings with all edges removed, plodding rhythms and highly questionable production decisions. Only on Mr Blue Sky and Sweet Is The Night do the melodies make up for the music, but even then it’s best not to think too much about the backing tracks. I did enjoy the instrumental The Whale though.

Some great riffs (hello Elastica) but the songs are weak. They went on to make some great music (and still are) but there’s not enough art in this art-punk.

It's very tasteful, he sings well, and it won't offend anyone, but my word, it's boring and uneventful. Bafflingly, I actually bought this at the time. I Sleep Alone caught my ear, probably because it picks up the pace a bit, and has some more interesting guitar tones.

Looking forward to Jon's review of this. I wish my German was better, I'd love to know what they are singing/shouting about. Borderline unlistenable of course. Not as bad as Soungarden.

Not my bag - too scrappy and discordant - but I enjoyed listening to side two in particular (underground medicen and the last two tracks stood out on the album). I don’t want to listen to it again though and they would make much better songs later on

Not listened to this all the way through for 25 years. Some good choruses and chord changes, but a lot of the songs plod at the same mid-tempo, and there is a lot more filler than on Definitely Maybe.

Modern classic. Beautifully written, played, sung, produced and sequenced. Some obvious classic influences - Marvin Gaye and Hendrix - but carried lightly

It sounds quite quaint now although it must have sounded outlandish at the time when British bands were still wearing matching suits and folk rock was huge. Terribly recorded and the songs don’t stand up that well but I did enjoy bits of it (although that weird noise they put in a load of the tracks gets very annoying quickly).

Good songs, great voice, insipid production. I wonder if the sound was designed for the recently launched compact disc - horribly polite in sound. They should have put her in Compass Point with Sly And Robbie for most of the tracks and flown The E Street Band over for Better Be Good To Me

Prog widdling and noodling dreadful but some of the more conventional song sections almost Steely Dan-esque so an extra star for the yacht rock elements

Most of it is pretty inconsequential, although of course California Dreaming is part of the canon. Towards the end though I did like Somebody Groovy and The In Crowd, both of which had great drumming (and drum sound for the time) and roll along nicely. There are much better versions of the latter mind.

Really enjoyed going back to this. Clearly made for the joy of making music, agreeably lo-fi. Better to come from Gorillaz mind. And they are brilliant live right now.

Great album, sounds like you’re in the rehearsal room with them, final track hilarious.

Great tunes throughout, arrangements too folky for me.