My first ever album in this project and a real joy. Beautiful singing and some songs I'd not heard before. Would listen again with parents. Best song: They Can't Take That Away From Me
The cliche is always that double albums would make better single albums. Well this would make a reasonable EP. It doesn't help that I find Billy Corgan's voice truly grating but many of the songs are awful grunge dirges. Some of the gentler songs are better but overall this is a long long long mess. Best song: Tonight Tonight.
After enduring a Smashing Pumpkins double album this record was a glorious relief. Everything you want from a Stones album with some copper bottomed classics. Best song, with some rivals, Wild Horses.
A great record, includes some of the the Pixies best and most fun songs. A good amount of Kim Deal as well: I'm a big Breeders man and it's notable how much better their comeback has been than the Pixies' recent stuff. Anyway, a 5 rating with lots of best song candidates but Debaser nudges it as a song that reminds me of jumping about at the Krazy (with a 'K') House in Liverpool as a studie.
The first real surprise since I started to do this, I had never listened to Donovan properly, being put off my his image and only really knew Mellow Yellow. I'd been missing out. There is some hippy bollocks on here but it's enjoyable and some great harder edged psychedelic stuff like Season of the Witch. Sunshine Superman just pips that as best song. Really good.
I owned a different Aphex Twin album back in the day which I rarely played. I appreciated that it was good but it's not really for me. Same with this one, its definitely a good record and was pleasant to listen to whilst working or drifting off to sleep but is not for me, Clive. Best song Xtal.
An incredible album I hadn't listened to in many years. Wonky pop music always appeals and this is done brilliantly. Lots of great songs, Cloudbusting might be my favourite
Interesting and impressive but not really for me. Best song Vein Melter
I owned this back in the day, but know the brilliant Loveless much more. I was struck by how comparatively conventional it sounds, though doubt that was the case at the time. You can hear some of the lyrics! But it's all good stuff, best song: Several Girls Galore
One of those where I expected more from its reputation. Was pleasant but not remarkable. Listened a few times and it didn't really take. Best song, Buzzin' Fly, is great, though
This was a bit of a treat. With Tom Waits it kind of depends on whether or not you like his shtick, and I generally do. But I don't think I'd ever heard this record, though I know some of the songs. It's great, musicically adventurous and lyrically interesting. Best song for me is Hang Down Your Head just pipping the more obvious Downton Train.
Not as bad as I thought it was going to be and a little more musically diverse. When it's at its best it sounds like a Stones rip off. When it's bad, it's very bad, witness the shocking '10 inch record': have a guess what it's about? It's about his penis and it doesn't even work as a metaphor. Best song is obviously the original version of Walk This Way.
Pretty much everything you want from a record by The Temptations, including Papa Was a Rolling Stone, an obvious but correct choice for best song.
For no good reason, I lost touch with Air after Moon Safari. I'd never heard this before, I know the book but not the film. It is a really good record, I'm sure I'll return to it, perhaps whilst working. Best songs are the last one and the first, Playground Love.
Prefab Sprout are a very me kind of band bit I've never got much further than the greatest hits. I know this record is lauded and I've listened quite a few times over the years, without loving it. It's good, but not as great as I hoped. Underlined by the fact that despite listening several times again the best song is on the greatest hits: when love breaks down.
Aside from the Syd Barrett era I've never got Pink Floyd, but OPEN MIND! Sadly I found The Wall to be long, tedious and annoying. Comfortably Numb remains a cracker though.
Queen's greatest hits is the best selling album ever, or something but I've always thought they were pretty awful, aside from a couple of songs. It's the mawkish we are the champions, the awful we will rock you and novelty nonsense like fat bottomed girls and the one about bicycles that I find most annoying. But none of that on here, but some reasonably enjoyable prog, so I surprise myself by giving it a 3. That it isn't long and tedious like Pink Floyd and B.I.G. probably works in its favour. Best song seven seas of rhye
Don't get the love for this. It's all pretty basic gangsta rap, the skits are awful and the lyrics are often unpleasant and misogynistic. And there's nothing anywhere near as good as 'Mo Money.." though Big Poppa is grudgingly the best song.
After a pretty dreadful run of albums I was not looking forward to this. Not my genre and anticipated a lot of clichés and not much fun. I was wrong, best thing all week, more varied and interesting than I anticipated. Some good songs. Breaking the Law the obvious best song.
I’m not quite sure how this one passed me by: my era (mid 90s), links to Sheffield and Leeds, trip hop. Anyway, it’s really good, lots of genres and influences but sounds great in its own right. Hard to pick a best song as it’s a groove, man, but I’ll go for Nights Introlude.
This is such a modern classic by a real talent. I'm still disproportionately cross that The Klaxons won the Mercury Prize over this. Best song could be any of about 6, I'll go for Tears Dry On Their Own though
Yes! This is still great. Happy memories of seeing them live. Brilliant to listen to the whole thing again. Best song is obviously, boringly, Race for the Prize.
Really lovely lounge country songs, sung beautifully with Willie Nelson involved. U great deal to enjoy. Best song is the title track.
I really wasn't enjoying this at all, and was ready to give it my first 1 star rating. Then two pretty good songs which I remember from indie discos but didn't realise we're The Offspring came along to save the record: self esteem and the best song, Come out and Play.
A good pop album with three crackers: Girls Just Want to Have Fun, All Through the Night and (best song) Time after Time
Enjoyable classic rock with a very obvious, excellent cracker in More Than A Feeling
One of those artists I thought I'd like if I gave them some time, and I was right. A great mixture of lovely ballads and enjoyable weirdness. I Saw The Light pips It wouldn't Have Made Any Difference to the coveted best song trophy.
Surprised myself about how much I enjoyed this. More varied than I anticipated. Best song Black Nighy.
Classic case of knowing the singles but never heard the album. By God, this is good. Feels underrated if anything. It's almost embarrassingly obvious to choose Brass in Pocket as best song, but what a song!
Very much of its time, but undeniably some proper bangers in their, including best song Praise You. And Norman Cook was a very nice and patient man when he listened to me going on about Take That and Suede during a drunken night when we were both at Rosie's in Kings Cross.
This is brilliant. Edwyn Collins in fine voice, lots of different styles which all work well and some cracking songs. Rip it Up is genius, obviously, with I Can't Help myself edging it out as best song.
The butt of so many jokes and for me the epitome of uncool back then. I'd not listened to the album for decades but knew at least half the songs, best one being Head Over Feet. Big surprise was just how not bad and sometimes enjoyable it was. Now, isn't THAT ironic? (No.)
Never really listened to much Tom Petty before, always thought he was a bit too 'real rock' for me. Until he died when I explored a bit more and enjoyed. Haven't listened to much since, but really enjoyed this record. Best song, Breakdown
Appreciate this is good, but not really my thing and sounds pretty dated. A few bangers though, esp Voodoo people.
Yes! Never heard this before but quite brilliant. I knew Cities though, best song from a great record.
Banger after banger after banger. This is a mighty funk soul rock record. Title track just edges it as best song.
Aside from the glorious, Nobel prize winning, Must Be Santa, Bob Dylan is an artist I admire more than love. And this record is admirable and enjoyable, but no more than that. Best song, along with the hits, is Don't Think Twice, it's Alright
Mad. Avant-garde jazz that I admired more than I loved..
What a voice! And some nice big band songs and ballads. Best song, Alexander's ragtime band
Never knowingly listened to a Culture Club album before. This is enjoyable, the best songs are the singles, especially Victims, the Miracle and, obvs, Karma Chameleon. Some fillers too...
There's only two Frank Black records I really like without the involvement of Kim Deal. The amazing Honeycomb and this. Lots of pretty short, spiky songs and one stone cold, copper bottomed, tin hatted classic in Headache.
A solid, obvious 5. Best song Gimme Shelter. What a boring review
Birthday is a corker, the rest a mixed bag but not a controversial point to suggest that the better moments are when Einar enjoys some moments of reflective silence and allows Bjork to do her stuff.
I had a bit of a heavy heart when I saw a record by The Doors, but - OPEN MIND! Sadly I was right. This is not for me, don't like the sound and there are no songs good enough to transcend that. Best of a dull bunch is Blue Sunday.
This is good and I can understand why it's considered so important and influential. And Hey Ladies is a proper banger.
This is just an absolute joy. Happy memories from nearly 20 (fuck!) years ago and shaking it like a Polaroid picture. Two albums full of bangers, corkers and crackers, including one of the best songs of the century in Hey Ya
This is what I like about this malarkey. I like what I know of Lloyd Cole but have never had the occasion to listen to an album. This forces me to do it, and it's great. Will definitely come back to it. The Sea and the Sand and the other singles edges out by Perfect Skin as best song.
Always in the middle of a festival bill in the mid nineties, was nice to reacquaint myself with Jah Wobble. The mix of genres doesn't always work but it's generally enjoyable, with Visions of You a properly great song
Knew very little apart from For What It's Worth, and whilst that's the standout the rest of the record is really good. Love the British influenced stuff in particular. Ace.
I once had the pleasure of seeing Springsteen play the whole of this album and it was incredibly good. What a great record. Best song of many is Hungry Heart
I'm pro-Elvis but didn't know this record or any of its songs. Happy and slightly surprises that it's an absolute treat. Someone used the word infectious, whicj is a great description. Best song, I Hope You're happy now.
More enjoyable than I expected and far more enjoyable than the Notorious B.I.G. album I had to listen to a few weeks ago. Best song, Dear Mama
They've done some songs I really like but there's nothing amazing on here, best song Rescue and title track are decent and everything else is fine, but better songs to come later in their career
Really good stuff, not sure I've listened to an album before but always liked his music. Best song Don't Die Just Yet..
I lost track with Goldfrapp after the first couple of records, which was clearly a mistake. This is a beautiful electro folk album which I'm sure to return to. Best song is Happiness, just ahead of A&E
My first ever one star for this overrated, racist old bore. Pedestrian songs and one hour 16 minutes. He can shove his dominos up his arse.
This is a great, fun and interesting record. Only 4 quite long tracks, best song being Taaw. Glad I listened to this one.
I wasn't expecting much, given the name of both the band and the record, but this was fun. 15 minutes of hardcore punk, the right length for me and all enjoyable. God knows what the best song is, they are all so short.
This kind of music is safely in the not for me, Clive category. However, the best of pretty much any genre is going to be good, and Metallica is a very good example. What I like is their light and shade and the vocals. Nothing Else Matters, best song, highlights all of this.
Not a huge Elvis fan , important though he undoubtedly was, but hard to argue with this record. Some of his best known and best songs, including Don't Cry Daddy, In The Ghetto and the brilliant Suspicious Minds.
One of the best albums by one of my favourite artists. This album means the world to me. I wish I could give it 6 stars. Best song, Coles Corner
I always think of this as my favourite Verve album, and maybe it is, but it's a bit of a dirge, saved by a few great moments, especially On Your Own which I love
Separate the art from the artist... I know virtually all the songs on this but don't remember ever listening to it. It's good, obviously, and Billie Jean is remarkable, but I find it difficult to enjoy because I can't really do what I suggested in the first sentence
Amazing, clearly. I know the idea that with some editing it would be a great single album. Balls, it's a great double album. I've listened to some pretty shoddy long records whilst doing this but the White Album is a joy throughout, I love the weird songs and I love the songs I'm supposed to hate (ob-la-di...) and I love the groundbreaking stuff like Helter-skelter. Best song of many, Blackbird.
This popped up for me around the time Terry Hall died so it seemed somehow wrong to review and rate it. But it's great, obviously, with Do Nothing the best song.
This is wonderful. From the incredible title track to One of Us to best song The Day Before You Came, this is a brilliant singles band making a brilliant album. And the holograms are great too.
I remember the excitement after hearing 'There Goes The Fear' for the first time and expecting this album to be amazing. Some other nice moments aside, it wasn't that good, and my opinion hasn't changed much over the intervening years.
Another questionable character but can't deny his talent, singing some excellent songs. And only 22 minutes. Best song is Money.
My 10 year old son is into Eminem and it's been fun listening to this together and arguing about whether it's a 4 star or a 5. Well, despite some great tunes (Stan particularly) a record with skits and casual (if part of a persona) sexism/homophobia etc can only get a 4. And I'd you don't like it, Marshall, you can duck my dick.
The only big Sheffield act that I don't get. Hair metal and Sheffield United not my thing. However, this was more fun than I anticipated, with a couple of stone cold bangers in Pour Some Sugar and, best song, Animal
I paused for about a week because I couldn't bring myself to listen to this. But I steeled myself with an OPEN MIND. The verdict? I'll never listen to this again but it's not terrible, just not my thing. Best song is Indians.
My second Aerosmith album. Honestly, how many more are there? It gets the traditional 2 stars with a nod to Love in an Elevator as a fine and ridiculous song.
I love Stevie Wonder but I don't know this record, even though it's in his imperial period. It's a gem, quite understated and beautiful. I know best track, You Haven't Done Nothing, though, obvs
Love PJ Harvey and this is one of her best records, so a clear 5. Good Fortune is best song, just.
One of the best records of the 90s. I got a reputation at halls in university as that twat who played this album too loud every night. But I was right too, people should have been grateful. Sour Times best song, just.
Some great singles on this and the rest is decent. Oliver's Army is the best song, natch.
This is where I object to the idea that I HAVE to listen to this album before I die. I really don't. I've heard as much of RHCP as I want to in my life. This is exactly what you'd expect from one of their albums, but at least scar tissue is pretty good
Superior hip hop that grooves along, and no skits. A couple of bangers away from a 5. Best song Excursions
Excellent pre-Beatles pop. Best song Lucille
This is clearly good but just leaves me a bit cold. Best song Fire and Rain.
In sharp contrast to some recent selections, I really did HAVE to hear this. It's very dark, and both experimental and beautiful. I'd not heard of 'Skip' before and this record still seems like a niche concern, but it's very good, you can hear how it might have influenced contemporary alternative acts and there are moments reminiscent of Johnny Cash. Best song, All Come To Meet Her.
This really is of its time. Feels a bit dated now, and if Smack My Bitch up felt weird then it sounds pretty horrible now. Much of it is one-paced and samey, but there are still some bangers to enjoy, especially Firestarter and best song, Breathe.
Easy to forget just how big Stereo MCs were, and they won Brit Awards in 1994 that should have gone to Suede. But I don't hold a grudge and approached this with the usual OPEN MIND. And it's not bad, it's dated and a little saney but is more enjoyable than I anticipated. Best song is one of the singles I'd forgotten, Creation.
One of the first and best Britpop records and maybe my favourite Blur album. It's got all the things I like about Blur - plaintive melancholy, guitar rockers, fun pop songs- without any of the annoying mockney stuff that were part of their next two records. Plenty of gems, For Tomorrow, Star Shaped, Chemical World and (bestest) Blue Jeans for example
This was hard work. It really wanks along, at turns boring then irritating. I can just about see its appeal but not for me. Best song is the mercifully short Aisle of Plenty, amongst 7 other songs that outstay their welcome.
Eno, particularly his solo stuff, is a bit of a blind spot for me. This is his last record before he went fully ambient. And it's really good. More fun than I anticipated and some moments of beauty. Best song is Here He Comes.
Dispersate musical styles made to work well, with impressive vocals. Could do without the 80s synths though, which I usually like but sound out of place here. Best song, Toro
I thought I'd already listened to this and didn't have much enthusiasm. Bit I ended up enjoying this more than the last ZZ Top record that came my way. Very Rolling Stones. Best song Waiting for the Bus.
I'm a Joni Mitchell fan but never ventured much farther than Blue. This is more experimental but truly excellent. Best song Edith and the Kingpin
This may have divided opinion at the time but it sounds great now. The more adventurous musical styles generally work well but it still has a banger in Immigrant Song, with comes a close second to Tangerine as best song.
If Underworld don't stray too far from their template, it's a pretty good one. Nothing as irresistible as Born Slippy but some good tunes, topped by the banging Rowla
Lost touch with Beth Orton after her early success but on this record I should have stuck with her. Really enjoyable, thoughtful and tuneful stuff. Best song Stolen Car.
I loved this at the time but have rarely come back to it. So it was lovely to return to it. It somehow sounds like the original Willy Wonka film. I have very little to back that up, but I promise you. Best song Jacksonville .
This still stands up. What a record! Unbelievable that she didn't do a follow up because nobody asked her to. Everything is Everything is the best song, up against stiff competition
Undeniably good, fun when I saw them live, but this doesn't move me very much. Maybe I'm dead inside. Best song De Camino...
This is lots of fun and if has Walk this Way and best song It's Tricky on it.
Didn't know a single thing about this but it's rather good psychedelia with Flying High the best of a decent bunch.
Great voice and some good songs but not quite sure why this is so highly rated as a live album. Nothing particularly special and some of the screaming is annoying. Best song Try Me
One of the things I like about the 1001 albums is that it forces me to explore artists where all I know is their greatest hits. I wasn't a huge Bob Marley fan, but I'd never heard this record. It's lovely, varied stuff. Concrete Jungle best song.
A bit of a surprise, far more interesting, musically varied and enjoyable than I anticipated. And the title track is obviously a banger
Obviously this is an absolute gem, a thing of wonder. All the tracks are good but I'm going to be uncool and choose The Model as best song, because it's magnificent.
I can't get on with this, I know it's supposed to be fun but it's quite irritating in parts and Louis Prima's voice is grating. Best song is Just A Gigolo
Enoyable honky tonk, with You Ask Me To a highlight,
I don't get Pink Floyd, but I do get Syd Barrett era Pink Floyd, after which they should have stopped, or at least had the good grace to call themselves something else. Anyway, this is great, with Lucifer Sam the best song
Who needs a Madness album? Surely the best Madness album is The Greatest Hits of Madness? well, yes and no. Because this is good stuff, fun and quite experimental, but the best songs are the singles, esp Our House which remains irresistible
Not really a U2 fan, but always think of this as their best period. And it does have some good songs, but mainly the singles, with The Fly a properly good song. Also, ...Wild Horses and Mysterious Ways But some of the songs are dull and overlong. Could have lopped off 15 minutes and had a really good 40 minute record.
This is good. Queen Latifah. Fantastic rapping over some top tunes, (Queen Latifah) with more jazz than I was anticipating. Queen Latifah. But you're never far away from being reminded who the artist is. It's Queen Latifah. Best song, Ladies First, a duet with Monie Love. And Queen Latifah.
Long been a fan of Solomon Burke and this is a fine collection. Includes the magnificence that is Cry To Me. And if some of the songs are a little pedestrian his incredible vocals raise them up.
Wonderful oddball punk. Short and snappy. Some great songs, best being Typical Girls. And some magnificent shouting. Wonder if they'd be thought of on a par with the Clash and Sex Pistols if they were men?
