1001 Albums Summary

Sushi, jogging, Beat poetry and the music of Prince - all things I'm told are great but I just can't get into. Was hoping once getting past the title track my eyes would be opened to a side of him I'd been missing, but it didn't happen. I'm sure I'm wrong and will one day see the light. Best Track: Let's Pretend We're Married

Hadn't come across this group before, and for the first few tracks I thought I understood why. It starts off as a fine but forgettable post-punk collection, but then evolves into something really special. The second side of it is one of the best new finds I've come across in ages. Best Track: Tonight

In Carry On Again Doctor there’s a scene where Jim Dale tumbles down the stairs on a hospital trolly. The sound produced as he crashes to the floor is more nauanced, subtle and artistic than any part of the five minute mess at the end of this record. Other than that, it was an enjoyable listen. Best Track: 1970

It’s not their (his) fault - when an album includes one of the greatest songs of all time, the rest of the tracks will sound a bit medicore in comparrsion. Keep the Customer Satisfied sounds brilliantly cheesy and upbeat, and So Long, Frank Lloyd Wright is a genuinly good break up song, but it’s impossible to argue this is the greatest album of all time, or even the best Simon and Garfunkel record. But it’s equally impossible to argue against The Boxer being one of the finest songs ever written.

One of the downsides to streaming services is everything has to have some arbitary genre metadata attached to it. This album is categorised as ‘alternative/indie’ which is like labelling Peter, Paul and Mary as Death Metal. It’s Pop - and that’s nothing to be ashamed of. Maybe the best way judge it is ‘would you drag your friends away from this if it was playing at a festival?’ As much as I’d love to say yes, I’d be lieing. It’s perfectly fine.