1001 Albums Summary

It's been a while since I've listened, and I like it more than I remember. I still do not think I realize how famous David Bowie was aside from his appearance in Zoolander. Favorite song is still 'Oh! You Pretty Things' though. 'Song for Bob Dylan' new to the radar. 'Life on Mars' a preview of themes to come.

Bluntly, a bunch of average songs, a Dylan cover, and 'Maggie May'. I heard 'Maggie May' when I was younger, and it is catchy, so I'll listen to that one every now and then. His voice gives me intrigue, but that's kind of it.

Agreed to be very British. There is a song about afternoon tea which seems British. 3.3

I used to listen to this album more. Some good songs. Similar nostalgia to Hot Fuss. Still pretty good overall.

I don't know if I've really paid attention to my thoughts on Lennon vs. McCartney as song writers. Good. Not great. John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band is better in my opinion.

I recognize the hits, but that's kind of all I'm taking away from this album. Also E-Mail My Heart. Could be a time for a more modern version.

Hardcore is undefined. Punk rock changed my life. Long live hardcore.

Will listen again.

I write this on February 1, 2023, seeing Harvest being the first Neil Young featured for our listening, and somewhat early on the list. I was encouraged by On The Beach popping up to get this one rated and reviewed. I love Harvest and I love Neil. The album and Neil himself holds a huge place personally in terms of nostalgia factor. My parents played a good amount of Neil when I was younger, mainly his greatest hits. However, when my parents bought me a record player for graduation (because I’m pretty cool), Harvest was the first record I stole from them, and is the Neil record I’ve spent the most time with as a whole. I began with Harvest before moving onto his other albums. In the way I used to obsessively listen to music, Harvest was the only Neil for a while. In retrospect, it is him going somewhat country, influenced by his move to record the album in Nasheville. To put it bluntly, this is kind of Neil Young at his most neutral. To call it bland Neil would maybe go a little too far. From his greatest hits, I was familiar with songs like ‘Hey Hey, My My’ and ‘Like a Hurricane’ that demonstrate a somewhat unrestricted Neil. Or a softer song like ‘After the Gold Rush’ that exemplifies his shrill voice to the fullest, but does not have the melody or sound that quite fits the Harvest mold. Harvest is different. Harvest is almost too clean sometimes. When I put the needle down on the album, it’s excitement and anticipation. The first beat of ‘Out on the Weekend’ plays and I instantly relax with the opening beat. I’m transported to a warm, lazy day. I’m traveling through some farmland on the back of a wagon, staring off in contemplation, listening as I ride along. His intentionally abrupt inflection at the end of the line, “She got pictures on the wall, they make me look up” is captivating, putting me in the memory of some unnamed romance. Then moving to a line like “the woman I’m thinking of she, loves me all up, but I’m so down today”, where my feelings of infatuation feels real again, the good and the bad. All of this somewhat non-specific, often intense, emotion calmed by the song itself. This album is packed with other greats. ‘Harvest’, which continues my wagon ride, but now we’ve arrived in town. Again, lazily moving along the streets, observing the events being sung. ‘Heart of Gold’, with Neil maybe at his most accessible over his entire discography, diving into his unending search for love. ‘Old Man’ and ‘Needle and the Damage Done’ come in to showcase Neil’s lyricism. The former has Neil in serious reflection of his own life compared to that of an elder, and the latter speaking on heroin affecting his life and those he knew. The chorus of ‘Old Man’ features shrill Neil, but not the shrillest. ‘Are You Ready for the Country?’, ‘Alabama’, and ‘Words’ adds some rock ’n roll to the picture. He slightly turns it up for us, with a couple of the aforementioned songs giving us a taste of Neil’s sporadic soloing. However, there’s still a little bit of bite missing when thinking about other great Neil Young songs. Lyrically, ‘Words’ beginning with “someone and someone were down by the pond, looking for something to plant in the yard” is almost too vague for me. Before I continue, I want to take a second to say that I despise ‘Every Man Needs a Maid’ and ‘There’s a World’. They do not fit in the slightest. The idea to use the London Symphony Orchestra might lead one to believe that, if used properly, it would propel the album above and beyond. These songs do not. If I remember, or have the ability, to skip them while listening, I do. As much as I love Neil, and this album, Harvest is not perfect, and there is better Neil out there. In my opinion, the his other albums show what makes Neil Young, Neil Young. The nostalgia factor gives this album a 5 in my heart. However, given my familiarity with Neil now, and for the sake of knowing and being excited for the Neil to come, I give Harvest a 4.

I was not a fan of the first song and thought the whole thing might be a bust. Started to enjoy it more after that. Decent.

I constantly overlook the fact John Fogerty is not from the bayou. Do people from the bayou have problems with these songs? Is this a concept album? Graveyard Train was a highlight. Seemingly mellow walk through a very sad story. The jamming and guitar tone on Keep On Chooglin' another highlight for me. Good guitars, groovy melodies. Doesn't have my favorites from CCR, but still down with it.

A tragic side one. There's something soothing about listening to a relationship spiral into murder when it's backed by a little twang and a warm voice. Country just seems to soften the harsher topics. I'm a sucker for storytelling in song, so I very much enjoyed the story being told from that respect. And the sadness just seems to continue on the back half. Also who would've thought someone would sing a song about Bakersfield. Plus it was a cover and one of his first hit singles. Someone tell him you're not gonna find much better. Yet here I am saying ish about Bakersfield and the song literally says "How many of you have sit and judged me Ever walked the streets of Bakersfield?" so I shouldn't say anything.

Good listen. On the whole, the music really went all over the place, but still fit together and flowed so well. Randomly reminded me of other artists at various times. One point I'm thinking Metallica, at another Tenacious D, and then I'm thinking of that song "I Come from a Land Downunder" or whatever. Closes out at some Medieval Fairground for a Diddy. With it being an instrumental, I like to do a "could this be played at a dinner party check". The answer is probably dinner party music, but not for every dinner party.

Enjoyable to listen to at Trader Joe's. I recognized Two Weeks from a commercial. Upbeat and fun.

I sometimes forget how great a band's debut can be. Especially considering the rest of Led Zeppelin's catalogue. Really powerful sound. Every song has a moment that made me stop and listen closely. Songs like Communication Breakdown help me understand why some punk artists and bands were big fans of Led Zeppelin and cite them as an influence. The little drum fills were instantly recognizable, but foreign as I hear them most in punk elsewhere. Playing with speed. Punk Zeppelin.

I don't know if it was just me, but the beats and the lyrics just never fit in my head. There were moments where it did, and I think on "Dry Your Eyes", there was something my ears could kind of understand. Otherwise, I was often left confused regarding delivery vs. the beat. Rather than stop to listen to the goodness, this album made me stop and say, "what?". As someone who loves lyrics, I picked up on some lines that I thought held some merit. However, it was difficult to pay attention with the music the lyrics were set against. I was thinking of giving this a 1, but I'm going to go with a 2 because there were moments I didn't absolutely hate.

This album just starts groovy. At first, I was kind of thinking (and hoping) it would be completely instrumental, but was quite happy that a number of the other songs were instrumental. Something I enjoyed was the dichotomy I felt between the beginning instrumental songs and songs with lyrics. Feeling the positives only to be thrown into some more down sounding tunes like 'The Whole Point Of No Return' and 'The Paris Match' kept it interesting. The former of those two was where I first got a glimpse of Paul Weller's old punk/new wave stylings. I thought something apparent was the lack of vocal talent, especially on 'My Ever Changing Moods'. I don't mean to say Weller was a bad singer, but if you compare him to some of the great blues and jazz singers, he's obviously not them. This led to more intrigue on my part than anything because of the feel it gives the song. I checked out the Jam to hear his punk and new wave beginnings and it makes sense. His voice is a little raspy, which fits punk just fine. And I love the raspiness of punk vocalists straining to hit the notes. 'Dropping Bombs On The Whitehouse' was great. Again, I felt like that title gets back to punk roots and punk's politically driven material. In this case, just the title. The only part of the album I really disliked was the run of 'A Gospel', 'Strength Of Your Nature', and 'You're The Best Thing'. The first two were just not good songs to me. Plain and simple. I was more disappointed with 'You're The Best Thing' because it had so many plays, until it was pointed out that it was probably played at weddings a lot. That made sense. There was a little synth(?) solo on 'Strength Of Your Nature' that was a redeeming quality, but the song last 2 minutes after that were tough. The end picked it back up to me with those upbeat sounds again. 'Here's One That Got Away' and 'Headstart For Happiness' were easily more enjoyable than 'You're The Best Thing'. I'd dance around to both. And to close, 'Council Meetin'' is an instrumental version of the end credits of anything. A great way to end after jumping in with an instrumental to kick the album off. Can't say I'd listen consistently, but I'd put it on again sometimes probably.

Preface: I took a 25mg edible and then spoke to my parents for an hour to let it kick in. Started really hitting when I put this on. I had no idea. Water From A Vines Leaf - I am so fucking hyped right now. Instantly. I just want to crank the bass up for this. I will but only for a little. “Four young girls getting water from a vine leaf. Dropping it on my tongue.” Into The Paradise - This is just good fucking vibes. Time To Get Size - Switch up. Still so sick. This piano is hitting right now. FUCK. “Rico Conning contributed flexible bleeps and roadhouse piano on "Time to get Wize” . The fact that there’s something called flexible bleeps is wild to me. Harry Flowers - Dub bass line. Crank it again. A Touch Of The Night - What an end. The Story Of Light - “Let your love shine down on me.” Damn. Gringatcho Demento - During this song, I learned my friend might move to New York. The stoke levels are high. Another groove. A Hazy Shade Of Random - The song title is accurate. Dead accurate. Best Friend, Paranoia - I’m trying to think of what Linkin Park song this sounds like? Or vice versa. The Monkey King - Honestly kind of spaced out for this one. Was eating a snack. Will go back and listen later. Deus Ex Machina - Someone was strumming some strings and now I’m lost in space. Water Babies - The Journey is coming to an end. What a pleasant send off. Epilogue - Currently the morning after the above. I listened to The Monkey King again and recognize why I may have spaced out during this song. Very mellow and soft in sound. I’d put this somewhere between a 3 and a 4, but give it the 4 for the experience.

Will listen again. Unexpectedly pretty great for this Monday morning. Helped get me moving.

I've never really listened to pop music extensively before. Something about being anti-pop appealed to me in youth, but I do think of it as somewhat of a guilty pleasure genre now. I'm catching up. I know Madonna is a legend, and I suppose I was expecting to feel differently about Like A Prayer. This great expectation that I would fall in love with some poppy goodness. Bath in some sweet sounds. The title track is definitely a highlight. Overall, it was fun and decent to listen to while exercising, but that's all. Nothing really caught me. Maybe there's better Madonna out there, or at least some I'd enjoy more. I guess for another day. Also on the last track, "what do you mean it's not in the computer?". Almost startling. Ratings are getting tricky now because I want to be consistent to a degree. Somewhere between a 2 and a 3, but probably closer to a 2.

The entire time I'm listening to this, I'm thinking, "why does this sound like some sort of MetallicaXBoston mashup. Call it pop metal? I do not know what to make of it. I know Queen's hit songs. I had a short period in high school where I really listened to their hits multiple times a day. I think I knew Killer Queen. Back then, my focus was mainly on Freddy Mercury's pipes. Everyone knows he has them. Maybe I either wasn't listening to the right songs, or just wasn't listening at all. Brian May's guitar gave this album a hard rock edge to it that was very much appreciated. The little delay on the first song caught my ear. Now I'm Here and Misfire were a couple other favorites that I thought showed him off. By the end, it felt like everyone in the band was really doing something. It came to me while listening, but my old guitar teacher told me all members of Queen were inducted into the Song Writing Hall of Fame individually, so I shouldn't be surprised by the talent. Some songs were less memorable than others. I thought Bring Back That Leroy Brown was a show tune, and was somewhat telling of them writing a rock opera. I then learned said opera came out a year later. If this was evident on earlier Queen, I apologize for my naivety. May or may not revisit. It's snowing in New York.

My first listen was the Revolver 2009 Remaster via corporate streaming service. I liked it. I knew a few of the songs. Taxman and Eleanor Rigby are classics. Yellow Submarine is an all time favorite from my youth. Thematically, I loved this song growing up. Shoutout Ringo. Here, There And Everywhere is on the list. I haven't listened to every Beatles record in full, and I believe this was on the list of have nots. Each time I listen to a full Beatles, I start to accumulate some non-hit favorites. This time around was 'And Your Bird Can Sing' and 'For No One'. The dueling guitar walk down in the chorus and harmonies of the former made me stop and listen. The horn was a nice touch in the latter. Both songs 2 minutes or less. Punk rock. However, some of the other songs lesser known to me just didn't pop, and this is a pop music of the time. Everything sounded good, but I wasn't wowed. Also, wasn't 'Good Day Sunshine' used in an LG tv commercial or something back in the day? I won't get into everything I read about the writing, recording, and history of Revolver, but my favorite detail is Tomorrow Never Knows was the first song recorded. I've always thought this should be the first song on Revolver. An introduction to the Beatles the listener would soon hear. I suppose it serves more as some sort of reference section. I was thinking somewhere between a 4 and a 5, with interesting innovations in recording and other fun facts giving the ultimate push from a 4 to a 5. And then I was told there was a 2022 mix, and I gave that a listen. Everything just started to pop everywhere. The songs I already loved were shown greater affection. The songs that didn't wow before, wowed. The list of non-hit favorites grew ('Got To Get You Into My Life', maybe I really like horns). 5/5.

“My homies kill it like asbestos” “(Who Discovered) America?” is their version of Smooth by Santana ft. Rob Thomas I want to take a moment to highlight these lyrics from “Saturday Night”: To the future, bro 2020 and some number of years ago People rose up Governments froze up World-wide block party Everybody shows up I mean, 50/50 on the truth? I’ll give it a 2 because the music was fun at points. Honestly, I think I would’ve enjoyed this more if some of the songs were just instrumental.

I'm a big fan of Jim Morrison. His voice is full of depth and is very captivating. The first time I ever heard The Doors, I kind of thought the instrumentals were a little too mellow in comparison. Over time, it all started to mesh very nicely in my ears. This album doesn't have my favorite Doors song, but it does have some absolute hits. 'Break On Through' has the kind of aggression I enjoy, and a welcome shift between verse and chorus. I very much enjoy Alabama Song with it's oom-pah sounds. Honestly, never realized (or maybe forgot) Light My Fire was 7 minutes long, because it really doesn't drag on in my ears. Gotta get down to the synth throughout the album. A true highlight. I have not spent much time with The Doors in recent years, but I think it's time for a change. A side note, my mom loves Jim Morrison and The Doors. My dad used to make fun of some of the other bands my mom loved from her youth that she'd play at home. Some of those bands were good, some not as good. But I always thought it was really cool my mom listened to The Doors.

There are so many versions of Bob Dylan. Do people have a preference on which Dylan is their favorite? How polarizing is his voice? Based on strong familiarity with a few Dylans, I love his harmonica, I love his opting for lyric repetition in a verse instead of a traditional chorus, and it's hard to beat his story telling. A love song like "Simple Twist of Fate" definitely gets to me. A story forcing the listener to travel from one twist to the next in the tale of a hopeless romantic. I'm a sucker for lyrics. "Meet me in the Morning" definitely popped to me. Bob slowed it down a bit, with the oomph in his voice just felt a little different here, and the two guitars ending the song felt right. "If You See Her, Say Hello" reminded me of "Girl From the North Country" with some similarities in lyrics. "Buckets of Rain" is a nice ending to lull me away from the emotional journey that was Blood On The Tracks. "Tangled Up in Blue" and "Idiot Wind" definitely have a little nostalgia factor from youth. Yet there's almost too much all over the place. The biggest example for me being a song like "Lily, Rosemary, and the Jack of Hearts". Too much happening to hear in just one listen. I wish I had more time to listen to this album before a final rating. It comes to me as a 4 off the bat because of expectations I (unfairly?) put on this album before listening. Any Bob Dylan album I listen to is a slow burn while I familiarize myself with his stories, and pick up on themes and derive meaning more and more with time. Come back to me in a week or two. Most likely a future 5, but that's not how this works.

As far as Neil Young goes, this is good, consistent Neil. Every song on here is pretty good. Even the songs I didn't necessarily love were pretty good (I'm currently listening to 'For the Turnstiles'). I really enjoy ‘See the Sky About to Rain’ and ‘Vampire Blues’. They give a taste of a side of Neil that an album like Harvest does not. ‘On the Beach’ sounds exactly as the title says, with the narrator sharing his reflections with the sand and waves, before jumping to ‘Motion Picture’, taking me into some small, dark club for a live performance confessional. There is a lot of rock n’ roll on here to be enjoyed. With that, I can't say I find any of these songs extraordinary. If I were to make my own hypothetical top 20 favorite Neil Young songs, I don’t know if I would put any of these on there. This is the kind of album I would throw on at a dinner party or at the beach with friends (honestly just using as an example. I thought picnic after the fact). When you’re not paying attention to the lyrics, I think the average listener would enjoy the sound. It doesn’t have any automatic skips on it in the way that Harvest has two in my opinion. On the flip side, Harvest does not lack for hits. Based on this album being featured on the list, I’m putting together mental notes on what I think is some great Neil to come.

I gave this more of a passive listen. So much so that when the 'Wrong - Todd Terry Remix' came on, I thought to myself, "wow, why do I recognize this chorus?". I may have written this note before, but I don't listen to much electronic music, so any of it sounds pretty very new to me. At points, I kind of recognized or felt some sounds were similar to the William Orbit we heard before, so maybe I'm familiarizing myself a little. I don't know if you'd put them in the same genre or category. If not, I would like to know. Didn't love it, didn't hate it. I don't want to say I'm completely neutral on it, but I guess I am. I'd even say it's somewhere between 2 and 3, and will take the 3 in the end.

I liked Hot Fuss a lot when I was younger, or at least a part of it, and still very much enjoy it today. In a way that Like A Prayer did not appeal to me, this is pop music that kisses my ears. So what’s the difference? I realize that’s a stupid question. Just working through my own thoughts. I would be curious if my larger familiarity with pop music in 2004, due to being alive, compared to Like A Prayer in 1989, when I was not alive, has a part to play. ‘Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine’ was goose bumps as Mr. Flowers sang the song’s title. Maybe it’s just coincidence that this was the opener, but this was the song I remember being my favorite. It all feels so honest as a story. Another member texted me that it feels like a very convincing show because it’s put on by an actual band and “not like theater kids”. I am in agreement. ‘Mr. Brightside’ is more than a frat basement banger. More than the song a live band plays in a bar. I remember ‘Mr. Brightside’ was exciting. Exposure to lyrics that are sexual in nature, making the music seem almost forbidden at 12 years old. A chorus meant for singing. No connection to the lyrical content other than the fact that it just sounded good. And it doesn’t stop. ‘All These Things That I’ve Done’ is the perfect backing to a coming of age story. ‘Smile Like You Mean It’ and ‘Change Your Mind’ both touch on love remembered in different ways. All these songs simply sounded great before, and again feel different in meaning having grown up a little. Having listened with more frequency years ago, I realize I would really only listen up to ‘Change Your Mind’, often skipping ‘Andy, You’re A Star’ and ‘On Top’. This time around, the entirety of Hot Fuss provided another change in experience where certain songs were genuinely new to my ears. I originally didn’t really understand why people liked ‘Andy’ before because I stupidly didn’t listen to the whole thing. Now it hits. Plus, I was missing out on a very nice exit with ‘Everything Will Be Alright’. Another song that feels like an authentic performance giving the song an assurance and honesty I can believe in. I still don’t love ‘Somebody Told Me’, but I’ll still boogie to it.

The album felt very light and easy in sound, easy to groove. Lyrics didn’t always reflect ease and took a serious tone, which made for an interesting dychotamy. Not to say that the lyrics in all songs were unnecessary, but there were maybe one or two songs where I felt the lyrics were meant to be paid some attention. For the rest, I was mainly just focused on the beat for the other songs in subsequent listens. From the little research I did (reading Wikipedia), a journalist wrote that the album plays like a single with other filler songs. I don’t necessarily agree in full, but ‘The Message’ stands out from the other tracks by a lot both musically and lyrically. I recognized the beat when the song started, but I can’t say I’d heard the song in full before. Compared to ‘The Message’, the first couple tracks almost feel like people were just messing around in the studio, again lending to the filler aspect. The only other song I found that really hit me was ‘Scorpio’, standing out with its electro robot vocals filter (unofficial term probably). A bunch of computers are telling me to get up and dance. I’d listen to them. I hope they got to meet Stevie Wonder.

Before listening, I was made aware of two things by others. This dude sounds like Neil Young and also Kermit the Frog. With that, I approached the album with skepticism. I knew the band by name, but not musically. I had assumptions of how they may sound. Yet how would both of these pretty recognizable voices come through from Wayne Coyne? “Race for the Prize” is immediately Neil Young backed by REM. Clear as day. I texted friends for a reminder of who the other character was. Charles responded with Kermit just as Wayne begins singing in “A Spoonful Weighs a Ton”. I burst out laughing. Again, clear as day. I do not want to say the vocals were too much. However, I didn’t really love the first five songs. They all sound fine and good, but Wayne Coyne’s vocals are a little polarizing. Almost too goofy to pay attention to what he’s singing about. I don’t think this polarization is unique to Wayne, but it’s the first time it really hit me with any singer. I love Neil Young, but somehow don’t like Wayne’s voice? Weird to me at least. Once I reached “What is the Light?”, I took more interest. I think it has something to do with Wayne not necessarily being front and center. Sometimes the instruments compete with his vocals. Sometimes a harmony drowns, or at least dampens, his voice in a sea of voices. Sometimes a vocal effect gives a little extra to make the uniqueness more enjoyable. In all cases, it’s more Wayne and Company, than just Wayne. My favorite was “The Gash”. More time spent with a sort of choir moving through an almost cinematic-in-feel moment. Where we do have solo Wayne, his accent is there, but he has somewhat loud competition in the background. Again, kinda dampened. While I cannot say it got better with every listen, I did think “I do like this a lot more” every time I hit “What is the Light?”, so that’s that.

Would play at a dinner party. I know nothing about tango, but great for background. I was in and out as necessary. Not to generalize, but there were some fun, funky sounds I didn't recognize that make me want to listen again. A little spooky here, a little light there.

My immediate thought was “this is just The Kinks”. Sure, it’s not an exact replica, call them the modern (1993) version. My suspicions confirmed when reading about the album and learning how heavy an influence The Kinks were. To put it simply, five songs in, I was bored. There was nothing this album really had to offer. I was initially somewhat on board with a few songs sounding like The Kinks at first. I jumped ship when it became apparent this was the entire album. After reading they were threatened to be dropped by their label after their first release, I had to give it a listen. I cannot put myself into a label’s shoes to decide what makes a band droppable, but at least Leisure was something different. Still influenced by Brit pop, but not a complete Kinks ripoff to my ears. A friend pointed out they have that “WOOHOO!” song, and that’s a jam, so hopefully that album comes up later and I hear the good stuff. This is rubbish. Go listen to The Kinks.

Felt very cinematic throughout. Moments of grief, doom, happiness. Almost performative beyond music. For some reason, 'Never Let Me Down Again' reminded me of 'Andy You're A Star'. Also maybe a little Cure-esque at points.

An example of you know good music when you hear it

For transparency, I'm rewriting my review. When I pulled up the album on Spotify, it said '2005', and I thought ' frickin how?'. From the album cover to the music itself, it screamed 80's. Confusion ensued. I'm really happy I did my 'research' because I was about to say "this album is out of place for 2005. What were they thinking?'. That said, this album is alright. Maybe my love of punk, and overtime learning punk was in response to rock shifting towards this kind of sound, gave me a bit of a negative view off the bat. It's fun, it's upbeat, but it's just not for me. Maybe another album with a similar style and sound will sway me to think otherwise, but for now, I cannot. Holy Water was kind of fun. Had this album been the first I listened to in this quest, it would get a 3. However, now I'm a little more seasoned I suppose. 2.

This is my favorite Neil of all. Small caveat. My opinion changes over time as to what's at the top, but for the past couple of years, Rust Never Sleeps has held the throne. I always want to belt the last verse of 'Powderfinger' and turn the volume up a little more for 'Hey Hey, My My'. Some really great storytelling with another personal favorite in 'Pocahontas'. My rating comes with bias. Long live Neil. 5

A classic album from when I started listening to more rock during middle school. Still good, but I think my tastes have matured? Axel Rose has pretty insane vocal range.