1001 Albums Summary

Not the greatest live album but tightly played. The two big singles are some of Young's weakest work. The punk influence is evident in the hard sound and heavy approach. It comes at the price of the meandering beauty from 10 years before, like Cortez the Killer and Down by the River.

Not that great. Dated production. I hate Christmas songs.

A lot heavier than I was expecting. Side two was average late sixties post hendrix by numbers. However side one had a couple of cool songs and it is more jazzy and brass based than I expected, in a good way.

Great record. Pre-disco and surprisingly arty.

Good.

Surprisingly arty.

Torch songs by a very good singer/songwriter. Like Kate Bush but less eccentric.

quite moving and beautiful

Majestic, old fashioned, eccentric. Surprisingly interesting melodies for someone who is accoladed by the wordsmiths.

Madonna hit machine but a lot of misses on this album. Too many hair-tossing sobbing numbers in minor keys like the title song and Papa Don't Preach. Go deeper and you find Love Parade which is excellent, with a strange almost Brian Wilson texture and production to it - I could listen to it all day. Best song in her typical style is Cherish.

The sound of country rock in the early 70s. A trip back to a mythical time of faded denim, carefree beautiful women and endless warm nights by swimming pools partying. The three and four part harmonies are where the real magic is found, and Don Henley's voice is incomparable.

ABBA are a singles band and there is one of their finest here: Knowing Me Knowing You, with all it's brooding shifting textures and power. Tiger and When I Kissed the Teacher are extraordinary in all respects except the lyrics but frankly who cares when the product, songwriting, melody, harmonies and dynamics are so extraordinarily, effortlessly good. The rest is uneven but never dull.

PG's voice is thin with little range. The production lifted the late 70s Springsteen sound which isn't a good fit with the songs here. Some songs had that jaunty British end of pier music hall quality, which is an acquired taste. More style than substance here. I wouldn't want to listen to it again.

Screechy. Overrated.

Glacial sounding electronica.