1001 Albums Summary

De La Soul's 1989 "3 Feet High And Rising" sits at the pinacol of the early hip-hop sampling Parthenon, blending and bending genres and audio from multiple different media (film/TV/commercials/scratching, etc). The album, like many at that time, blended up and down tempo beats with socially conscious lyrics and funk and jazz samples. Essential historical listening. The album seems to have directly influenced UK experimental Trip Hop. Like this, check out MC 900-Ft Jesus and DJ/Producer Howie B.

Well, I now better understand where Traffic's "John Barleycorn Must Die" (1970) came from. You lost me with the Harpsichord.

Won’t listen to this bloated monotony!

Reach out and touch faith!

Forty-three years on, this disco and funk-fused masterpiece, which can now be seen the opening salvo of MJ’s one-two punch paired with “Thriller”, continues to reveal new layers of sound and emotion.

Essential. Especially on vinyl.

I’m so tired of this album. Tracks get overplayed by zealous travel baseball families literally everywhere. Ugh.

Aerosmith's "Pump" was HUGE back in the day, fueled by constant MTV airplay and sexy models (including the band members' kids, eww) in all of their ubiquitous videos. Sadly, "Janie's Got A Gun" became prophetic and remains prescient. Thirty-three years later, this album sounds sexist and bombastic.

I’m sure it’s good but I’m not a fan of either artist.

Just the second side.

Sadly, "Back To Black" was an autobiographical call for help. And, this LP was my introduction to The Dap Tones, the Brooklyn NY neo-funk and soul band that backed Amy Winehouse on this powerhouse of a record/album. I've since latched on to nearly every Dap Tone Records artist and side project. "Back To Black" is not consistently good but, overall, it's a great, must-have album.

A mainstream album from the conservative 1980s featuring a single about female masturbation? BINGO!

Lou Reed's Transformer is a seminal piece of art rock, which has spawn countless imitations, cover versions and film adaptations. U2 and Lloyd Cole's versions are among the strongest). While some of the themes play off of earlier content by The Kinks (Lola) and David Bowie's (also the album producer) entire ethos, Lou Reed's delivery made these themes distinctly his own. As a result, the album can also be considered at the forefront of a global conversation about #LGBTQ rights and equality. The album also transports the listener to the dark and dirty back alleys of early 1970s New York City's night life and sexual underworld. All good things...

You know, I feel alright! This album, while lo-fi by today's standards, is proof that if you want something done -- and done right -- you self-finance the project and reap all the benefits!

EFFING HATE STEALY DAN. WON'T LISTEN!

Clarity of purpose and pure audio quality. Layering. Back-masking. Modulating stereo. Hammer of The Gods, indeed. Psychedelia without being annoying. Timeless: this album does not betray the time in history when it was recorded (1969). But overly misogynistic in hindsight. "Shake for me girl; I want to be your backdoor man..."

A near-perfect concept album that ultimately fueled The Police's demise (implosion). The most interesting behind-the-scenes factoid from this album is that the "creature noise" during "Synchronicity II" is a significantly processed recording of one of the studio hand's snoring run through a synthesizer! Every original pressing of the physical copy vinyl record also has a slightly different cover. The tri-color images were printed on a long spool of repeating images, where were applied with glue to generic white cardstock dust jackets. Therefore, not every album cover is aligned the same way. It's a big enough umbrella, but it's me that always ends up getting wet...

Actually the album that was my initial introduction to Bonnie Raitt... Way back when... Classic!

Too gruff. Though I like him as an actor.

There are two or three solid songs on this LP.

Two sides of the same coin8 but in direct opposition (and conflict) to each other. I guess their poo-poo really does smell like roses!

Wouldn't listen to UB40 if you paid me.

Yes, an amazing album full of things he'd written for The Beatles but John and Paul wouldn't let him record and put on a Beatles album. It's a landmark but a little too long for me.

Not a fan.

An all-time great album but still not my thing.

This is the only album in history to have every track licensed for use in film, television or commercials. Twenty-four (24) years on, this album still sounds innovative and fresh. It's an essential album for every collection.

100% NOT my bag.

Great backgound music, including for a long car ride through the central plains during the drab wintertime.

I have one hand in my pocket.

1970s NFL Films would not exist without this record!

UK friends told me about this band, this album before we’d heard of Coldplay in the US. They said, “You’ll love them; they’re just like U2!” Nope.

Masterpiece

Essential.

Important but not essential.

Essential.

I didn't need to hear that. The cover artwork should have been a dead giveaway... Sucks!

Makes my head hurt.

Essential. An instant classic upon its release.

Not interested.

Iconic. A must-own. Turn it up to “11” and listen from start to finish. Every time.

Sucked!

Meh. Will forever be remembered as the song (not album) that opened U2's indoor "Elevation Tour" concerts. The band got lucky...

Not a fan.

A near-perfect album.

Great but becomes more overly self-indulgent as time passes.